It has been over three years since Marvel Studios branched out into the world of television, telling the stories of characters from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a new medium. The grand experiment has evolved in some fascinating ways in the time since, resulting in Internet-breaking projects like WandaVision and Loki, as well as the forming of the Marvel Spotlight banner for more standalone projects like Echo. This week, during Disney's Upfronts presentation, Marvel Studios unveiled new release dates or windows for its next three live-action shows -- Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again, and Ironheart. In the process, these announcements revealed the return of the Marvel Television label, which was previously used as the standalone production company behind projects like Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the "Defendersverse" of shows.

While speaking with ComicBook about the recent Season 1 finale of X-Men '97, Marvel Studios Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation Brad Winderbaum explained the decision to resurrect the Marvel Television label, and how it could help future projects be more accessible to audiences.

"We want to make sure that Marvel stays an open door for people to come in and explore," Winderbaum revealed. "On the heels of Endgame, I think there was, maybe, a little bit of an obligation to watch absolutely everything in order to watch anything. As you know, as a comics fan, they're designed to just pop in, find something that you like, and use that to enter you into the universe, and then you can explore and weave around based on your own preferences. So part of the rebranding of Marvel Studios, Marvel Television, Marvel Animation, even Marvel Spotlight is to, I think, try to tell the audience, 'You can jump in anywhere. They're interconnected but they're not. You don't have to watch A to enjoy B. You can follow your bliss. You can follow your own preferences and find the thing you want within the tapestry of Marvel.'"

What Is the Next Marvel Television Show?

The next live-action Marvel Television project is expected to be Agatha All Along, which will debut on Disney+ with a two-episode premiere on Wednesday, September 18th. In addition to Kathryn Hahn reprising her WandaVision role of Agatha Harkness, the cast of Agatha All Along will include fellow WandaVision alums Deborah Jo Rupp as Sharon Davis and Emma Caulfield Ford as Sarah Proctor. New cast members will include Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, Sasheer Zamata, and Patti LuPone. Agatha All Along will be directed by head writer Jac Schaeffer, as well as Gandja Monteiro. Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Brad Winderbaum serve as executive producers on the series.

"I know a little bit, but I can't say anything," Caulfield told ComicBook in a previous interview. "I can't tell you what to expect, because that would reveal something. I know little, just enough to keep me in the right zone. I think it's all going to be really fun. I haven't seen [Kathryn Hahn] yet. I really love her. She's just the best, effortlessly cool."

Taco Bell has brought back a fan favorite menu item thanks to popular demand just a few months after it left menus. On Thursday, Taco Bell announced the return of the Cheesy Chicken Crispanada, though fans of the popular menu item will want to act fast as it is back only for a limited time.

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada was first unveiled at Taco Bell's Liv Mas event earlier this year and hit menus back in February. Despite it being a new item -- a cheese and shredded chicken packed fried empanada -- the item has proven to be very popular with customers who were vocal about wanting to see it return.

"Taco Bell's commitment to push the boundaries of food creativity and innovation is grounded in its fusion-first ethos, creating a synergy where beloved flavors and forms come together to produce something entirely new," Taco Bell said when the menu item was first introduced. "The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is a testament to Taco Bell's collaborative creativity, featuring up-leveled ingredients, unique new formats and unexpected flavors that modernize the menu while celebrating the Mexican-inspired roots that have long been at the heart of Taco Bell."

The Cheesy Chicken Crispanada is available for $3.49 at participating locations. As was noted above, they are available for a limited time.

In Other Fast Food News

In other fast food news, McDonald's just announced their latest menu offering, the new Grandma McFlurry, which will be available May 21st. According to McDonald's, the new Grandma McFlurry is sweet "just like grandma" and features a delicious syrup with chopped crunchy candy pieces -- like grandma's favorite treat that she hid in her purse -- blended in McDonald's creamy vanilla soft serve. McDonald's says it's perfect to enjoy yourself, or to share with the grandma or grandma-figure in your life. The new McFlurry was developed by a member of the McDonald's culinary team who just so happens to be a grandmother herself.

"The new Grandma McFlurry was created a Culinary team member who is a grandmother herself," Marcelo Fajnerman, VP Menu Strategy said. "She was relentless in perfecting a deliciously craveable treat meant to evoke special memories with grandma or the grandma-figure in your life, drawing from her own experiences."

"Grandmas have always held a special place in our hearts, and today they're having a major moment influencing our culture -- inspiring trends in fashion, decor, and now, even food with our newest McFlurry," Tariq Hassan, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer at McDonald's said. "The Grandma McFlurry tastes like a trip down memory lane, and we're excited to give our fans that experience while honoring the grandma-figure in all our lives."

The first season of X-Men '97 is now in the books, culminating an epic animated journey for fans of the Marvel Universe. The series is just one of several titles under the Marvel Animation banner at Marvel Studios, with projects like returning series What If...? and new series Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Eyes of Wakanda on the horizon. Earlier this week, Marvel Television announced release windows or dates for some of its upcoming live-action offerings, including Agatha All Along, Daredevil: Born Again, and Ironheart. Those announcements did not include the aforementioned projects from Marvel Animation -- but we might have a better idea of what's next on the docket.

While speaking with ComicBook about the recent season finale of X-Men '97, Executive Producer and Marvel Studios Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation Brad Winderbaum revealed that the upcoming third season of What If...? could be the next Marvel Animation show released, without confirming an exact release date or window.

"What If...? Season Three is -- that might be the one that comes out next, in terms of animation," Winderbaum revealed. "That is the culmination of a trilogy. We're actually close to completing that one, and it really feels like you've gone through this amazing emotional experience with Uatu, in a way that's... What's great about The Watcher is that he presents himself as uncaring, and cold, and just an observer, but he cares more than everybody [and] anybody. That is on full display in that third season."

What Will What If...? Season 3 Be About?

Early looks at What If...? Season 3 were released shortly after the show's sophomore season wrapped in late 2023, confirming that Sam Wilson / Captain America (Anthony Mackie) Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), Bill Foster / Goliath (Laurence Fishburne), Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) and Alexi Shostakov / Red Guardian (David Harbour) will all factor into the episodes in some way. Additionally, ComicBook previously exclusively confirmed that America Ferrera will join the cast as Agent Morales.

"She's great," writer and executive producer AC Bradley said of Ferrera. "I'm so glad she is getting her flowers when it comes to Barbie, because -- I shouldn't say this, but hey, I no longer work at Marvel -- Barbie was my favorite movie of the year, my favorite superhero movie, because Barbie's a hero. And, so is America. That was the best. So, we're so happy that she was willing to come in, and do this part in this random episode of What If...?. She was so lovely about it."

The first season of X-Men '97 is now available to stream exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

We're only three episodes into Doctor Who's new season, but it looks like the show has already dropped a pretty unexpected twist. This week's episode, titled "Boom", saw the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) land on a war-torn planet, with things quickly growing complicated when The Doctor steps on a volatile land mine. During this ordeal, the duo meet a soldier named Mundy Flynn, played by Varada Sethu, who just so happens to be confirmed to joining the show as Fifteen's second companion. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, "Boom" writer Steven Moffat addressed Sethu making her Doctor Who debut as Mundy, and what it could mean for her future tenure as a companion.

"Yeah. Well, no, we're just doing it again,' Moffat answered with a laugh. "I mean, I was talking to Russell [T Davies, showrunner] about what we're going to do, but she's there! We're just going to do Clara [Oswald] again. So it's fun, isn't it? It wakes you up. You think, "Ah, there she is!"

"And I think I'm going to say nothing about that," Moffatt said, when asked who came up with Mundy's name. "I'm going to say nothing about what's going on there. You're not going to get nothing. It's Russell's plan and he will release the details of how that works in his own time, I'm certain."

When asked if he can say that Sethu was cast knowing that she would come back, Moffat replied, "No, you're just going to have to wait and see. That would be a waste of time. There is a plan. That's all I'm telling."

When Will Varada Sethu Join Doctor Who?

Sethu is confirmed to be joining Doctor Who in (according to its Disney+ numbering) the show's second season, and will be adventuring with both Fifteen and Ruby Sunday. It is unclear at this point if Sethu will be reprising her role as Mundy, or will be playing a different character entirely.

"I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honor to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I'm so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family - because that is what they are - for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home," Sethu says in a statement when her casting was announced. "I couldn't ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is SO much fun!"

New episodes of Doctor Who air Fridays at 7pm ET on Disney+, followed by a debut on BBC iPlayer at 12am GMT on Saturdays, and a broadcast premiere on BBC One later that day. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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WWE SmackDown got the night started with the Queen of the Ring Tournament, and tonight's matches would involve both of the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill. Belair was up first, facing Tiffany Stratton, while Cargill would face Nia Jax later in the night. Belair battled through a knee injury to eventually get the win, but Cargill wouldn't join her, as she was disqualified after Jax got in Cargill's daughter's face. As you might imagine, that sent Cargill into another mode, but while she got some payback on Nia with a chair, it would also mean losing a chance to move on in the tournament.

Belair and Stratton locked up and Belair pushed Tiff back into the corner, but then they got into a shoving match before Stratton slapped Belair in the face. A little taunting led Stratton to pull the braid of Belair, but Belair didn't stay down for long, slapping Stratton and taking her down with two slams. Another exchange led to Stratton getting the better of The EST, but Belair halted her momentum with a slam on the knee. That left Belair a bit hobbled, as she tried to shake off the damage to the knee, and then Belair went up top with punches, only for Stratton to pull the braid. Belair countered though and sent Stratton rolling to the floor.

We witnessed a classic on #SmackDown@BiancaBelairWWE @TiffStrattonWWE #WWEKingAndQueen pic.twitter.com/ZK0id1sSTC

-- WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) May 18, 2024

Stratton pulled the braid again though and that brought Belair out to the ring apron and caused her leg to tie up into the ropes. Stratton then threw Belair into the steel steps, and that clearly hurt Belair. Stratton stayed focused on the hurt knee of Belair, and then a submission hold focused on the leg once more. Belair got the bottom rope and then kicked Stratton to the floor to give herself a chance to regroup.

Belair couldn't put much weight on the knee at this point, and Stratton dragged her over to the ring post to do more damage, though Belair was able to pull Stratton into the ring post and break up the attack. Belair knocked Stratton down and then hit a slam, and then followed with another slam. Belair was hobbled at this point, and Stratton countered a slam.

They exchanged hits and then Belair got Stratton up for a KOD, but Stratton countered and slammed into Belair and hit the double stomp, going for the pin, but Belair kicked out. Stratton was caught by Belair and then slammed with a suplex into a pin attempt, but Stratton kicked out. Belair tried to drag Stratton away but she then poked Belair in the eyes. That led to a chop block on the bad knee and a running clothesline, but somehow Belair kicked out. Belair then broke up the prettiest moonsault ever, and a KOD followed on Stratton. That was enough to get the pin and the win for Belair. Now she will move on to face the winner of Cargill and Jax.

Next up was Jade Cargill's match against Nia Jax, and Jax got in the first hit. Jax kept coming but Cargill was able to evade her next attack and send her outside to the floor. The back and forth outside of the ring continued, and the two superstars would showcase their impressive power throughout the match.

Then things turned when Cargill ended up at ringside next to her daughter in the crowd. Cargill momentarily talked to her daughter before Jax came in and threw Cargill to the floor. Then Jax got in the face of Cargill's daughter, telling her "Your mom sucks." Cargill's daughter wasn't having any of it by the way, as she responded to Jax and told her where she could go with that comment. That led to Cargill hitting a kick to Jax's jaw.

Then Jax would involve a chair, swinging and trying to hit Cargill with it. Cargill was able to wrestle it away from Jax, and then she slammed it down on Jax's back, but the referee caught it and disqualified Cargill. That gave Jax the win, but the two would continue to brawl afterward by the barricades. That fight continued all the way around the ring, and eventually, security had to come out and get involved. Jax will now move on to face Belair in the next round, which will take place next week.

What did you think of SmackDown? You can talk all things wrestling and WWE with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

The SmackDown quarterfinals for the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments took place on tonight's SmackDown. Opening the show was Bianca Belair and Tiffany Stratton. Going into the match, Belair was battling an injured knee and that came into play tonight. Stratton took full advantage and got a few close near falls but was unable to put the EST away. Tama Tonga and LA Knight followed and Knight was clearly the favored to win the match. As per usual with The Bloodline, shenanigans from Tonga Loa and Solo Sikoa would prevent Knight from picking up a victory and advancing to the semi-finals.

Tama Tonga is RELENTLESS! ?

Will @RealLAKnight be able to pull through and pick up the W? ? pic.twitter.com/0Ih5MzpNin

-- WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024

The main event was recent NXT call-up Carmelo Hayes taking on "The Viper" Randy Orton. Melo comes out of the gate hot against Orton, clearly knowing the type of competitor he's up against ... or at least he thinks he does. Unfortunately for Melo, Orton takes advantage and gets him into the corner of the ring. As the fight continues outside of the ring, Orton's knee gives out on him as Melo showboats on the announce table. Orton trips him up and delivers two back suplexes. Orton's knee continues to be his downfall in the match as Melo focuses in on it and attacks it more, ripping the tape off. When Orton is in this condition in a match he goes to his special place to unlock "The Viper." So he does, setting up for the RKO and connecting, advancing to the semi-finals of the tournament.

.@RandyOrton ? Announcer's Table

Will @Carmelo_WWE be able to bounce back or will Randy Orton move one step closer to #WWEKingAndQueen?#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/v7WQN18nqP

-- WWE (@WWE) May 18, 2024

On next week's SmackDown Bianca Belair will go up against Nia Jax who got a huge divisive win over Jade Cargill. It remains to be seen how Belair's knee will effect her going into next week but Jax will surely be going after it as soon as the bell rings. On the red brand, Lyra Valkyria faces former WWE Women's Champion IYO SKY for a slot in the finals. Valkyria has won over fans early, just two matches into her main roster WWE career. She's clearly the favorite to go over SKY, but it should be a great match nonetheless. Jey Uso and Gunther will also go head-to-head once again, which many fans online were upset by. While they wanted to see Ilja Dragunov and Gunther battle it out again, they'll have to wait just a bit longer.

The King and Queen of the Ring finals take place on May 25 in Saudi Arabia.

DC's furry friends are about to get spotlighted in a pretty adorable way. As part of DC's August 2024 solicitations, the publisher announced the first details surrounding Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis #1. The 48-page anthology will feature multiple stories surrounding DC's pets, with Nightwing's dog Haley at the center. Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis #1 will be released wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, July 30th.

SUPER-PETS SPECIAL: BITEDENTITY CRISIS

• Written by TONY FLEECS, ALEXIS QUASARANO, MICHAEL CONRAD, DAN WATTERS, and KYLE STARKS
• Art by MIKE NORTON, PJ HOLDEN, SAMI BASRI, CHRIS MITTEN, and KYLE STARKS
• Cover by PETE WOODS
• Variant covers by TONY FLEECS and KARL KERSCHEL
• 1:25 variant cover by GUSTAVO DUARTE
• $5.99 USD | 48 pages | Variant $6.99 (card stock)
• ON SALE 7/30/24

The Super-Pets are back--and this time, they're all BITE! Haley, the beloved bark-out star of NIGHTWING, finds herself to be a fish out of water when she arrives on Kent Farm. As our big-city mutt tries to adjust to country living, she's shocked to discover a kennel of courageous critters is already waiting for her! Bitewing, meet the SUPER-PETS--and you might want to hold on tight because things are about to get hairy! Also featuring--stories of misch-woof and mutt-hem! The dark side of the dog bed! The many pets of Damian Wayne! You'll have to squeak it to believe it!

Is Nightwing Ending?

DC has already announced "Fallen Grayson", a new story arc that will culminate writer Tom Taylor and artist Bruno Redondo's time on Nightwing. "Fallen Grayson" will be a five-part arc beginning in Nightwing #114, which will be available wherever comics are sold on Tuesday, May 21st. In it, the culmination of Heartless's sabotage on Nightwing reaches its dramatic climax when Nightwing loses his ability to leap, impeding his duties to be the superhero we know and love.

"We're pretty damn proud of our guy," Taylor revealed. "and I'm very proud of our whole team on our 40+ issues of Nightwing. Everything we've worked on since issue #78 has been leading to this story. The villain, Heartless (working with Tony Zucco--the man who killed Dicks' parents), has planned what comes next for a very long time. He has watched a city changed for the better by one hero, and he has waited for the moment when tearing out the heart of Bludhaven would hurt the most. Bruno and I wanted to put Nightwing on a pedestal. We wanted to show how high this flying Grayson could soar. Now, it's time for him to fall."

As mentioned above, Super-Pets Special: Bitedentity Crisis #1 will be released wherever comics are sold on Wednesday, July 30th.

Glen Powell is quickly becoming one of the biggest names in Hollywood. The actor started to make a name for himself when appearing in big projects like Scream Queens, Hidden Figures, Everybody Wants Some, and Set It Up; but it was his role as Lt. Jake "Hangman" Seresin in Top Gun: Maverick that helped the actor rise to stardom. He recently made headlines for starring alongside Sydney Sweeney in the box office hit, Anyone But You, and he's about to have a big 2024. Not only is the actor reteaming with Everybody Wants Some director Richard Linklater for Hit Man, but he's also starring in the highly-anticipated Twisters, which is heading to theaters in July. However, there's one duo who's making sure Powell doesn't get too cocky about his fame: his parents.

Powell attended an Austin, Texas screening of Hit Man last night, and his parents were in attendance with a hilarious message. They hit the press line donning signs that read, "Stop trying to make Glen Powell happen" and "It's never gonna happen." The official Instagram account for Netflix shared a photo of Cyndy Powell and Glen Powell Sr. on the red carpet for Hit Man, which you can check out below:

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Glenn Powell Co-Wrote Hit Man:

Hit Man is based on the true story of a hitman who enters into a romantic entanglement with a potential client, (played by Andor's Adria Arjona), only to find out that the romance could be more dangerous than any job he's ever taken on.

In addition to starring in Hit Man, Powell co-wrote the film with Linklater. The script is based on the article in the Texas Monthly by writer Skip Hollandsworth (Bernie). The movie also co-stars Retta (Parks and Rec), Austin Amelio (The Walking Dead), Molly Bernard (The Blacklist), and more.

Powell's previous writing credits include the short film, J.A.W. from 2011. The upcoming TV show, Chad Powers, is currently in production and will see Powell starring in the project in addition to co-writing. It was also previously reported that Powell would be co-writing a Captain Planet movie.

Hit Man is scheduled to premiere in select theaters on May 24th before arriving on Netflix on June 7th. Twisters is heading to theaters on July 19th. Stay tuned for more updates about Powell's upcoming projects.

Six years ago WWE held the first-ever all women's PLE, Evolution. The show featured women from almost every generation of WWE and included Raw, SmackDown, NXT and NXT U.K.. Over 10,000 people attended the event live to see the company and its female wrestlers make history as WWE continued to usher in a new era for the women.

At the event, Becky Lynch defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair while Nikki Bella went up against Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship. A 20-woman battle royal also took place with some of WWE's iconic women including Torrie Wilson, Michelle McCool, Alundra Blayze, Ivory, Molly Holly, Kelly Kelly and Maria Kanellis.

Fans and wrestlers alike have rallied for a follow-up event since the success of the first but WWE has yet to pull the trigger. The current WWE Women's Champion Bayley has taken notice of the fan reception to the Queen of the Ring tournament that has taken place over Raw and SmackDown over the last few weeks. Top WWE female superstars like Liv Morgan, Bianca Belair, Dakota Kai and Nia Jax as well as new recruits like Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill and Lyra Valkyria have all competed in the competition. It's left fans incredibly enthused for the future of the women's division, especially one under all new management. "This #QueenOfTheRing tournament is calling for an Evolution 2," Bayley wrote on X, tagging WWE.

The Queen of the Ring tournament has made its grand return for the first time since 2021 and the finals will take place in Saudi Arabia on May 25. On the red brand, Valkyria and former Women's Champion IYO SKY will go head to head for a spot in the finals against the SmackDown winner. As of now, Belair will go up against Jax in the semi-finals for the blue brand next week. Belair injured her knee in an earlier match and has been favoring it throughout the tournament. In her match against Stratton, the knee was further attacked but she's determined to become the next Queen of the Ring. Jax defeated Cargill in a pretty decisive effort, as Cargill was Cleary the favorite to win and advance. Jax won via disqualification. Another women's match set to take place is Lynch defending the Women's World Championship against Morgan who is hellbent on taking everything away from an injured Rhea Ripley -- her title, her stable, and possibly her right hand, Dominik Mysterio.

The sixth and final season of The Handmaid's Tale isn't likely to arrive until 2025, but when it does, series star Elisabeth Moss will be behind the camera to bring it all to a close. According to TVLine, Moss is set to direct four episodes in Season 6 of the Hulu series, including the season premiere and the series finale. The four Season 6 episodes Moss is directing will bring her behind-the-camera episode count on the series to 10 as she directed three episodes in Season 4 and three in Season 5, including the latter's season finale. Production on The Handmaid's Tale's final season is set to begin this summer.

Moss also teased that Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale is set to be "wild" and "surprising".

"It's pretty wild, the final season, honestly," Moss said. "It definitely has final-season energy."

She added, "It's big and wild, and goes to many different places, and it is very, very surprising all the way through."

Moss Previously Updated Fans on When Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale Might Arrive

Back in January, Moss said that the final season of The Handmaid's Tale wasn't likely to be released until 2025 -- and joked that fans were probably getting a little upset about the long wait between Season 5 and the final episodes.

"We are going back to shoot this summer. Our final season," Moss said at the time. "People are really starting to get upset. Especially when I tell them that we haven't even started shooting yet. Like, 'When is it coming back?' 'Well...' They get a little upset. It probably won't be [released] until maybe 2025."

A The Handmaid's Tale Spinoff Is In the Works

While The Handmaid's Tale is coming to an end, the story isn't exactly over. A spinoff, The Testaments, which is based on Margaret Atwood's 2019 novel, is actively in development with Bruce Miller, who was showrunner for The Handmaid's Tale for its first five seasons, in charge.

"The Testaments was an independent curveball created by Margaret Atwood for the series I was working on. I think she had had it in her head for a while. I tried as much as possible, and I'm still trying, to not really make The Handmaid's Tale about The Testaments," Miller shared about the new series. "The Handmaid's Tale should be good on its own and when it's done, it should be a nice little TV set that you put on the shelf next to the novel, and it hopefully adds to your enjoyment of it, and then you can move onto The Testaments."

He added, "The way Margaret did it, which is wonderful, is that you close one and you say, 'I don't have to open that. But let's open the next one and see what's in there. It could be anything.' It is a continuation, but it's more like a separate chapter. The horizons are more limitless."

Stay tuned for updates on the future of The Handmaid's Tale.

John Krasinski's IF is now playing in theaters, and the new movie features a star-studded voice cast. Many famous names showed up to play the movie's various IFs AKA imaginary friends, including Krasinski's former The Office co-star, Steve Carell. Krasinski and IF star, Ryan Reynolds, recently spoke with Entertainment Weekly, and they compared Carell to his IF, Blue.

"I think Steve Carell," Reynolds said when asked which IF voice actor is most like their character. "He is so close to Blue. Everyone kind of equates him with funny, but the man has also done some dark, deep, beautiful, emotional work. I think he's so, I don't know, just even sitting next to him in interviews, I feel lucky. I just adore this guy."

"It's true," Krasinski agreed. "When I was writing Blue, I was writing it for Steve as Steve, and Steve had no idea if he was going to say yes. And I wrote it because, yes, he's very funny, but it is true, he's so heartfelt and sweet and very vulnerable. He's willing to open himself up, and that's why I think the whole Blue scene might be my favorite scene in the movie."

"For a character that is so large and so purple, he has so much humanity," Reynolds explained of Blue. "I mean, it's so much humanity. And also, Steve is genuinely - I don't think voice acting gets enough credit because he's creating micro facial expressions with his voice and it's pretty amazing. It's a pretty wild sight to see."

"[Carell] was laughing, and he just kept laughing as Blue, and he was like, 'Yeah, lemme do another one,' and he just started laughing [again]," Krasinski recalled. "And I was crying laughing, having him just laugh on a microphone."

"Well, I haven't started working on the film with him yet, but I can't wait," Carell told ET Online before IF went into production. "I'm anticipating just joy and fun. I mean, he's the best, and he's a great director." Carell joked, "I'll put him through his paces, you know? I'll make him work for it. I might be one of those persnickety actors that doesn't always agree, or won't come out of my trailer ... You think you hired somebody that is a friend, but you got that wrong!"

Who Stars in IF?

In IF, Krasinski directs a cast that includes Reynolds, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, and himself as the film's human characters. In addition to Carell, the star-studded ensemble of IFs features the voices of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Blake Lively, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Maya Rudolph, Bradley Cooper, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Sebastian Maniscalco, Awkwafina, Richard Jenkins, Keegan Michael Key, Matthew Rhys, and Christopher Meloni.

IF is now playing in theaters.

Long-time professional wrestling fan and actor Paul Walter Hauser has been dipping his toes into the wrestling pool over the last few months with various independent appearances. His first official match took place last November at a Pro Wrestling REVOLVER show and it was clear that he got bit by the wrestling bug after that. His next match was against Matt Cardona in an "Emmy vs Slammy Winner Takes All" match. Hauser famously called out Cardona during his acceptance speech at the Emmys, which ended up going viral. Hauser has appeared in AEW as well as Ring of Honor but now it looks like he wants to take his wrestling abilities to either the big screen.

Paul Walter Hauser Wants To Play WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley

"I'm literally talking to Mick Foley right now about the potential of playing him in a movie or limited series," Hauser told The Wrap. "I don't know which and I don't know how, but he and I have become friendly. And I think he knows that that could be a really great stroke of genius in casting me to play him. A couple of people have approached me to potentially play different wrestlers in different projects, and for me, I just have to make sure that there's a real story there and I'm not just doing it because I'm a fan."

Since the release of The Iron Claw, there has been a lot of mainstream attraction to the world of professional wrestling with the potential for Hollywood crossover. Wrestlers acting in huge films is nothing new -- The Rock, John Cena and Batista have helped bridge the gap between worlds, allowing for an entirely new generation of wrestlers to get into acting. Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Liv Morgan are among some of those names who have been involved in various projects, including Young Rock, Chucky, Psych: The Movie and Punky Brewster.

Hauser recently starred alongside Jacob Tremblay in Orion and the Dark but he can next be seen back in the squared circle on June 1. Hauser will participate in MLW's upcoming 40-man battle royal at Battle Riot VI. The winner will immediately earn a title shot against two-time World Heavyweight Champion Satoshi Kojima. Battle Riot VI will stream live on MLW's YouTube channel for free.

"I'm so excited to take part in Major League Wrestling's 6th Annual Battle Riot," Hauser said in a press release issued by MLW. "While some could misconstrue this to be an actor making a cameo in wrestling, or a fan checking off some bucket list or wish fulfillment - don't get it twisted. I am entering to prove myself worthy of a spot in the world of wrestling, as well as a shot at Satoshi Kojima's World Heavyweight Title."

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now playing in theaters, and the new film is having a successful first week at the box office in addition to getting praise from critics and audiences alike. Directed by Wes Ball, the project is currently up on Rotten Tomatoes with an 81% critics score and a 78% audience score. ComicBook's Spencer Perry gave the film a 4 out of 5, and called it "a grand time, and a worthy follow-up." The recent Apes films have become known for their impressive VFX, which was done by the W?t? FX team. Out of the 1,521 shots in the film, only 38 did not feature VFX. However, that doesn't mean there wasn't some great practical work being done behind the scenes. In fact, production designer Daniel T. Dorrance recently spoke with Variety about building a "massive scale set" for the film.

"I built all the elements they interact with so that they come out of the side of the ship," Dorrance explained of Proximus Caesar's kingdom, revealing the ship was the size of a football field by length and width. "I built 80 feet of the ship with the portal and big ramp coming down, so you could pan around and see the exterior of the bunker. I built the doorway and the concrete elements as you make your way around."

"It was a massive scale set," he added, revealing it took 20 weeks to build.

"The ship had sharp ends, shards, and rusty metals. You even see it on the rusty metals, the costumes, and the armor. The idea was the apes took the ship apart and are using it for weapons, and built the levee from that metal ... There was nothing soft about it. Wes likes to say, 'This is the Bronze age.'"

What Is Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes About?

You can read a description of the film here: "Director Wes Ball breathes new life into the global, epic franchise set several generations in the future following Caesar's reign, in which apes are the dominant species living harmoniously and humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all that he has known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike."

The cast for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is anchored by Owen Teague (IT) as Noa, a young chimpanzee. He's joined in the film by Kevin Duran (Locke & Key) as Proximus Caesar, a powerful chieftain that has appropriated human technology; Travis Jeffery as Anaya; Lydia Peckham as Soona, a female chimpanzee and a friend of Noa. Neil Sandilands as Koro; Peter Macon as Raka; and Freya Allan (The Witcher) as Mae, one of the few human characters to appear in the movie

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is now playing in theaters.

ABC's Grey's Anatomy spinoff Station 19 will end its run with a 2-part series finale concluding on May 30th and ahead of the finale, stars of the fan favorite series are saying thanking fans and saying farewell in a new video. ABC has released an emotional video featuring the series' cast as they reflect on the fan support for the show over its seven-season run as well as how close the cast has become. You can check it out for yourself below.

"I don't think anyone is ready to say goodbye," Jaina Lee Ortiz, who plays Captain Andy Herrera says in the video.

"We have such an amazing and strong fan base," Boris Kodjoe (Lieutenant Robert Sullivan) says with Danielle Savre (Lieutenant Maya Bishop) adding, "The support we've had on this show is something that I could never have imagined."

Why Was Station 19 Cancelled?

Back in December, ABC announced that Station 19 would end with its seventh season and earlier this year, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich explained that the series' cancellation was simply a case of the story coming to its natural conclusion.

"Every show has its own journey so to speak. In the case of Station 19, it was time to bring that story to an end," Erwich said. "I love Station 19, and I think what's amazing about Station 19 is that it was yes, a spinoff of Grey's. But it really became its own show that stood on its own creatively and was fully realized and unique unto itself, and we've been very proud to have it on the air. I'm proud to be in business with Shonda [Rhimes] on that show."

Station 19 Showrunners Found Out The Show's Face Just Two Days Into Season 7 Production

In March, Station 19's new showrunners Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige revealed that they found out about the series' cancellation a mere two days into production on the new season -- and Clack was on a panel at the time.

"We were what, two days into shooting the new episodes? And we got the call," Clack said.

"I was on a panel, in front of like, 100 people," Clack continued. "I kept getting calls, and I finally texted and said, 'Is this important? I'm in front of people!' And they were like, 'OK, you can wait.' And you know how sometimes after a panel people want to talk to you? [I didn't do that.] I just got on the phone and then I was told. I called Peter as soon as I heard and was like, 'Why did this happen?' as I'm driving to Disney."

"Basically, we got the news and were like 'Get the cast in, get the writers, get the crew assembled... Make sure they're all going to meet us at lunch!'" Paige said. "Then we raced, raced, raced to tell them before there were any leaks. We wanted to make sure they heard it from us."

What Is Station 19 About?

Debuting in 2018, Station 19 follows the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19. The series, a second spinoff of Grey's Anatomy (the first being Private Practice), stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Jay Hayden, Danielle Savre, Boris Kodjoe, Stefania Spampinato, and Carlos Miranda. It had been renewed for Season 7 back in April, at which time Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige took over as co-showrunners from Krista Vernoff.

Law & Order: Organized Crime delivered a thrilling season finale this week, full of threads that will be big points of interest for season 5 and beyond. It also brought some elements full circle, and that is especially true for Elliot Stabler. Not only did we get multiple major revelations regarding his family, but we also saw Elliot at his most vulnerable, something that came into full view in the finale's closing minutes. It's not a side we get to see often, but when it happens, it's always impactful, and even after her passing, no one has the ability to bring that out of Elliot like his wife, Kathy Stabler.

The episode starts out with Elliot speaking to someone offscreen, telling them how difficult it's been for him to hang on as the world seems to swirl around him. He grasps at the things and people he loves most but laments that he is watching everything he loves fly away. We learn that he's speaking to Kathy's gravestone in the cemetery, and it makes his words hit all the harder (H/T NBC Insider).

Elliot Stabler looking back on all his been through recently.

"I sometimes feel I don't know where I am. It's as if the world and everything in it as become unrecognizable." pic.twitter.com/SX1PNvMgIv

-- the chris meloni project (@MeloniProject) May 17, 2024

"I sometimes feel I don't know where I am, as if the world and everything in it has become unrecognizable," Stabler says. "Kids. Grandkids. My brothers. Ma. Unrecognizable. It's like I'm in a world that's changed and I'm trying, but..." Later Stabler continues, saying, "I know how to do my job and all the things that come with that. It's all the other stuff, the stuff that makes up life, I'm just lost. Feels like the world is spinning so fast and I'm barely hanging on as I watch everything I once had and loved, still love, fly away."

Then Stabler takes a second and his expression shifts to a slight smile, telling Kathy, "You're not going to believe this. Guess who's having a baby?" Elliot is referring to his son Eli, who revealed to the family during a family dinner that Becky was pregnant. Elliot didn't get there until after the announcement had been made, and the other revelation of Eli entering the police force took over the rest of the dinner, so Eli never had the chance to tell his dad.

The next morning Elliot returned home and Eli was getting Becky some tea. Elliot then asked Eli how far along she was, and Eli was shocked that he had figured out. Eli asked how and Elliot said, "Ginger tea: a dead giveaway. That's what I used to pour mom when she was in that state."

So not only is Eli going to become a Police Officer, but he's about to have a baby. Those are good things, but it wasn't all great news, as Joe Jr. ended up boarding the plane with Emery after the shootout that left several injured or dead, and now Elliot and the Organized Crime team have no idea where he is. That is going to be a huge part of next season, which has been officially renewed and will be exclusively premiering on Peacock.

What did you think of the Organized Crime finale? You can talk all things Law & Order with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

SPOILERS follow for Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 2, "The Devil's Chord." Recap begins now:

Two soldiers slowly make their way through a battlefield. One wearing a blindfold, John Francis Vater (Joe Anderson), uses his comm to call his daughter, Splice (Caoilinn Springall). The other soldier, Carson (Majid Mehdizadeh-Valoujerdy), seems concerned that an ambulance is nearby. At a camp, another soldier named Monday Flynn (Varada Sethu, who is set to join Doctor Who as a new companion next season) convinces soldier Canterbury "Canto" Olliphant (Bhav Joshi), to switch watch with her.

Back on the battlefield, Carson sees an ambulance and backs away. He steps on a mine and is destroyed. The mine triggering attracts the ambulance, which attaches to and scans Vater. She determines his temporary blindness does not meet the threshold to be worth treating. Vater records a message for his daughter before the ambulance kills him.

The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) hears Vater's scream from within the TARDIS. He goes rushing off to investigate and ends up stepping on a landmine before he sees it. Ruby (Mille Gibson) searches for the Doctor and finds him standing on the mine and singing to keep his vitals steady, trying not to trigger the mine any further. The Doctor tells Ruby that they're in the middle of a war and explains that he can't move from the mine, which has glowing green lights, or he might trigger it. The lights still aren't fully triggered.

Ruby goes to investigate the scream the Doctor heard. After gazing at the unfamiliar sky of her first alien planet, she discovers an object shaped like a canister. The Doctor tells her it is a "casket," which is the remains of a person. The Doctor wants her to toss it to him so he can use its weight to shift his position without triggering the mine, but Ruby insists on getting close enough to hand it to him, despite the danger. The time the handoff with a song and the lights progress due to the Doctor's increased adrenaline but the mine does not go off.

The Doctor reads John Francis Vater's name off of the "casket," and it triggers a holographic AI reconstruction of the soldier who explains what happened to him. The Doctor explains that the ambulance and the weapons are sold by the Villengard Corporation, who have an algorithm designed to maximize profits by keeping just enough casualties to keep the war going.

Splice finds them after hearing her father's voice. She tells them about how her mother was "gathered up by God." Splice tells them her name, which triggers the hologram again, and Splice rushes toward them. Ruby has to tackle her to stop her from knocking the Doctor off the mine.

Monday finds them and puts the Doctor at gunpoint. She tells them they're fighting a war against an enemy they've never seen and demands he drop the casket in his hand. She's an Anglican marine, the church, and military having become one in humanity's future. The Doctor tries to explain that he's a Time Lord, but Monday begins firing at his hand to get him to drop the casket, telling him he can't escape the mine, and that it's on a timer. He warns her that the energy inside of him will cause a huge explosion if the mine kills him. She scans him and determines that he could destroy half the planet.

The shots attract the attention of an ambulance that attaches to the Doctor. Monday tells Ruby to shoot her arm to draw the ambulance away. As Ruby is aiming, Canto arrives and assumes that Ruby is attacking Monday. He shoots Ruby, and Ruby hits the ground. The ambulance asks for her next of kin, and it begins to snow and time slows. The ambulance withholds treatment because Ruby isn't part of the Anglican military.

The Doctor tells Monday she needs to surrender the war to stop the mine. He tells her there's no enemy on this planet. When the Anglicans declared war, they activated the Villengard algorithm. They've been fighting their hardware ever since. Monday demands proof, so the Doctor orders the Vater AI to infiltrate the ambulance's system and find the evidence. The AI takes some convincing, but the Doctor speaks to it "dad to dad" and it makes the attempt.

Monday and Canto discuss their feelings for each other while Canto tries to hack into the ambulance. He gets distracted and the ambulance shocks him, killing him and creating another AI where he was. The AI confesses Canto's feelings for Monday to her.

The Doctor realizes the algorithm is fighting back against their attempts to stop it. The mine seems poised to go off but as the countdown ends, Vater's AI takes over the ambulance's programming. It prevents the explosion and revives Ruby. The AI took down the whole Villengard mainframe.

Ruby, the Doctor, Monday, and Splice enjoy the alien landscape for two minutes before the Doctor is ready to move on. The Doctor says he's sorry about Splice's dad, but she's unphased, insisting he's dead but not gone. The Doctor tells Splice and Monday that he'll be popping in again. The Doctor and Ruby reflect on death briefly before returning to the TARDIS.

New episodes of Doctor Who debut on Fridays exclusively on Disney+.

Stellar Blade hasn't even been out for a month now, but already, developer Shift Up is telling its fans to "get ready" for something coming next week. A teaser shared this week has Stellar Blade players wondering what that something might be with players already compiling their wishlists full of things like a photo mode, a boss rush mode, or something else based on the assumption that the announcement will be related to an update. It could very well be something else entirely, but Stellar Blade players won't know for sure until next week.

The image below was shared by the Stellar Blade X (formerly Twitter) account this week and was deemed important enough that developer Shift Up pinned it to the Stellar Blade account for all to see. The image appears to depict one of the Naytiba creatures that players fight throughout the game as Eve, though the image lacks context outside of Shift Up telling players to keep an eye on next week for news.

"Get ready for NEXT WEEK," the image teased.

Stellar Blade Update Coming Soon?

So, what's the Stellar Blade community hoping for from this announcement? Unsurprisingly, seeing Eve get more outfits is high up on the wishlists for next week's reveal if it is indeed an update. It's true that Stellar Blade does have quite the array of costumes for Eve to choose from already with some more coveted than others, but given how much of a focus the game puts on Eve's appearance and how much it's leaned into the costume feature, it's expected that Stellar Blade players would hope for more outfits ASAP.

Cosmetics aside, a boss rush mode is similarly high up on lists. Stellar Blade has some pretty impressive bosses both in terms of their designs and how their fights play out, so being able to burn through them one after another in a boss rush mode has been a common request since the game released. In line with the focus on Eve's outfits, players have also been asking for a photo mode with those requests renewed once more now.

However, it's worth pointing out that this announcement might not be an update after all. The image shared via the Stellar Blade account does look like it's depicting a Naytiba, but it also appears to be a figure or a statue of some sort. Stellar Blade does not yet have any official merch, so if this is indeed a figure of some sort, next week's announcement may be tied to collectibles or something similar.

Dabney Coleman, a prolific character actor known for a decades-spanning career in movies and television, has passed away at the age of 92. The news was confirmed on Friday afternoon by a statement from Coleman's daughter, Quincy Coleman. The actor died on Thursday, May 16th, at his home in Santa Monica, CA. Coleman's career, which began in 1964 and lasted up until his death, included such hits as 9 to 5, Tootsie, The Muppets Take Manhattan, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, WarGames, Inspector Gadget, Recess, Boardwalk Empire, and The Guardian.

"My father crafted his time here on Earth with a curious mind, a generous heart and a soul on fire with passion, desire and humor that tickled the funny bone of humanity," Quincy's statement reads. "As he lived, he moved through this final act of his life with elegance, excellence and mastery. A teacher, a hero and a king, Dabney Coleman is a gift and blessing in life and in death as his spirit will shine through his work, his loved ones and his legacy ... eternally."

Born on January 3, 1932 in Austin, Texas, Coleman got his start in the New York theater scene, before making his onscreen debut in a 1961 episode of Naked City. After appearing across movies and television in projects like Bright Promise, Bonanza, The Flying Nun, and The Trouble With Girls, he became something of a household names thanks to his 148 appearances on the soap opera Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

One of Coleman's most well-known roles arrived in 1980, when he portrayed the boss Franklin M. Hart, Jr. alongside Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5. Two years later, he had another major appearance as Ron Carlisle in 1982's Tootsie.

"That opened up the movies for me," Coleman told Vulture about 9 to 5. "The girls [Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dolly Parton] were so supportive of me, and included me in everything. They were on a whole different level than I was at the time, but they were very sensitive about that, and made sure that I was included in every publicity shot and tour. All three of them insisted, "Where's Dabney? Get him in here!" They're all three unique and wonderful ladies, all three of them."

Coleman reached a whole new generation through voicing Principal Peter Prickly in the Disney Channel series Recess, as well as its subsequent television movies. In the 2000s, his roles also included playing the President in My Date with the President's Daughter, and starring as Burton Fallin in CBS' The Guardian. More recently, Coleman appeared in episodes of Ray Donovan and NCIS, as well as movies like Domino and Rules Don't Apply. He also had a recurring role as Commodore Louis Kaestner in Boardwalk Empire. His final onscreen roles included playing John Dutton Jr. in a 2019 episode of Yellowstone, and appearing as himself in the Aly & AJ music video "Star Maps."

Outside of being an actor, Coleman worked alongside actor Bronson Pinchot to help promote forest preservation, and competed in celebrity and charity tennis tournaments. He was married twice, to Ann Courtney Harrell and then to actress Jean Hale, and has four children.

Our thoughts are with Coleman's family, friends, and fans at this time.

Anime spawning live-action adaptations is becoming more common in recent years, with animated series such as One Piece, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Avatar: The Last Airbender seeing serious success. While movies and television might be the biggest places for these live-action anime stories, the stage has its fair share of anime adaptations. Bleach has recently started a new live-action stage play that not only gives anime fans a new take on the Soul Society but also adds a musical element to the supernatural shonen series which creator Tite Kubo approves of.

Rather than starting from the beginning of the Bleach franchise, the new live-action musical instead takes the opportunity to focus on the Arrancar. Appearing as the big antagonists of the franchise following Ichigo and his allies rescuing Rukia from the Shinigami, the new villains had an amazing twist. The Arrancar were originally Hollows that were able to gain sentience, giving them a power that would often put them on the same level as the Soul Society, if not stronger. While Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends would win the fight against the Arrancar, the two sides would form a shaky truce thanks to the arrival of the Wandenrech in the Thousand-Year Blood War.

Tite Kubo Joins The Live-Action Soul Society

Kubo might not be working on new chapters of Bleach's manga, but he has had a big hand in creating the latest anime season of Bleach in the Thousand-Year Blood War. Working with Studio Pierrot on Ichigo's latest anime adventures, Tite has helped to create new scenes that didn't originally premiere in the manga. Luckily, Pierrot and Kubo are bringing back the Soul Society this year as the third cours of the recent anime season is set to make landfall.

?Tite Kubo's latest appearance with the Rock Musical BLEACH cast#BLEACH #RMBLEACH pic.twitter.com/JYxyyfyktj

-- #BLEACH | ????????? ??????? (@3z_0q0q) May 17, 2024

Kubo might not have new chapters of Bleach coming out regularly but the mangaka did create a new chapter that potentially set the stage for the shonen series' future. Bleach: No Breaths From Hell took place after the Blood War, seeing Ichigo and many of his friends as adults. Dealing with a familiar threat that came straight from the underworld, the manga has the potential to create a wild storyline should Tite Kubo want to jump back into the Soul Society.

Do you want to see the latest Bleach musical make its way to North America? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on the Soul Society.

The season finale of X-Men '97 was released on Disney+ this week, and it's gotten major praise from Marvel fans. The show is currently up on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 98% critics score and 94% audience score. ComicBook gave the show a 5 out of 5, and called it "an ideal reboot." While many people deserve credit for making X-Men '97 a success, one important person behind the scenes was the show's creator and showrunner, Beau DeMayo. As fans were gearing up for the release of X-Men '97, the surprising news broke that DeMayo had been fired from the series. Details of his firing have remained under wraps, but DeMayo has still be openly talking about the show on social media. In fact, he recently took to Twitter to clarify his Season Two involvement.

"I did write a lot of Season 2," DeMayo shared. "However, unlike Season 1, I will not be heavily involved or leading production, cast records, design, editorial, post, music, etc., nor doing any production rewrites as it relates to the creative vision of the show."

"This is why I've said I can't really speak to Season 2," he added. "But, looking forward to seeing the final product with you all whenever it airs. I have high hopes."

Marvel's head of streaming, Brad Winderbaum, recently addressed DeMayo's firing in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.

"I can't talk about the details," Winderbaum explained. "But I can say that Beau had real respect and passion for these characters and wrote what I think are excellent scripts that really the rest of the team were able to draw inspiration from [to] build this amazing show that's on screen." When asked if he would consider what happened with DeMayo as a "firing" as had been the wording used in the press, Winderbaum added, "I don't. 'We parted ways' is the best way I could say."

Which Voice Actors Return in X-Men '97?

Original X-Men: The Animated Series cast members Cal Dodd (Wolverine), Lenore Zann (Rogue), George Buza (Beast), Alison Sealy-Smith (Storm), Adrian Hough (Nightcrawler), and Christopher Britton (Mister Sinister) reprise their roles from the '90s series while returning cast members Catherine Disher (original Jean Grey), Chris Potter (original Gambit), Alyson Court (original Jubilee), and Lawrence Bayne (original Cable) voice new characters.

The new cast includes Ray Chase (Cyclops), Jennifer Hale (Jean Grey), JP Karliak (Morph), AJ LoCascio (Gambit), Holly Chou (Jubilee), Isaac Robinson-Smith (Bishop), and Matthew Waterson (Magneto).

X-Men '97 director/producer Jake Castorena recently spoke with RadioTimes and explained why some of the voice cast has changed.

"If we're doing this show, we got to do it with the legacy cast - that was the decision from day one," Castorena explained. "[But] time hits us all - it's been 30 years and so, unfortunately, some of the legacy voice cast is no longer with us, and some of the legacy voice cast, voices and things just change."

X-Men '97 is now streaming on Disney+.

PlayStation Plus subscribers are scratching their heads wondering why PlayStation's subscription service is booting out another first-party game soon. The former PlayStation exclusive in question that's leaving PlayStation Plus soon is none other than Horizon Zero Dawn, the 2017 game from Guerrilla Games that kicked off PlayStation's ever-growing Horizon series. PlayStation Plus subscribers first caught wind of the game leaving the service within the past few weeks when a notice within the PlayStation Store hinted that the game's departure would happen in May, and now, PlayStation has confirmed as much.

PlayStation said in no uncertain terms within the latest announcement about the new PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium games for May that Horizon Zero Dawn would be taken out of PlayStation Plus. Towards the bottom of the rundown of new PlayStation Plus games, PlayStation said you have until May 21st to play Horizon Zero Dawn.

"A note for our PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium members: as part of our normal content refresh, a selection of titles, such as Horizon Zero Dawn, will leave Game Catalog later this month. Members with Game Catalog benefits can still play these games until May 21."

When people first noticed that the PlayStation Plus game would be leaving the service prior to PlayStation outright confirming it, the first thought was that it might be getting removed to make way for a potential remaster or remake in the future. PlayStation does seem to like putting out new versions of its first-party games in quick succession with Director's Cut editions for Ghost of Tsushima and Death Stranding being two examples as well as Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered, and considering how successful the Horizon series has been thus far, it wouldn't be surprising to see the original Horizon Zero Dawn be brought back in some form or fashion.

That may be the case, and we may find out about it sooner rather than later with rumors about a looming PlayStation Showcase intensifying ahead of the summer gaming events, but that doesn't mean that PlayStation Plus subscribers are happy about this removal. People within the comments of the latest PlayStation Plus announcement lamented not only the perceived quality of the new PlayStation Plus Extra and PlayStation Plus Premium games but also the fact that more games were being pulled without equivalent games to replace them.

"The main issue with this month's update for me is that May 21 is the worst month so far in terms of the quality of the games leaving the service. We're losing every Final Fantasy game, every Darksiders game, Horizon, and plenty of indie gens such as The Messenger and The Artful Escape," one user said. "What we get in return doesn't make up for the huge drop in the overall quality of the catalog."

Horizon Zero Dawn will exit PlayStation Plus on May 21st, so get in one last weekend with it while you can if you've never played.

On WWE NXT this week, Ivar of The Viking Raiders was blindsided by Gallus who attacked him backstage. WWE then announced that due to injury, he'd be out indefinitely. What remained unclear at the time, however, was if the injury was part of the storyline or if he is actually hurt. Several reports clarified that Ivar is in fact injured, but whether or not he needs surgery remains to be seen. To clear things up even further, Ivar confirmed his injury is legitimate on X, noting that he's still trying to figure out what all of his options are and what it means for his future.

"There has been alot of misinformation floating around about me. Let me clearify: Yes I am injured Yes it is very serious No I have not had surgery Still trying to figure out all options and what this means for my future," Ivar wrote on X. "That being said, I want to thank everyone for the out pouring of love and support, not only after finding out I was injured but thru out the last several months, I have heard you all! No matter what happens, I owe it to everyone who ever believed in me to do everything I can to get back in that ring, under those lights, and infront of the most amazing fans on the planet, see you as soon as I can!"

Ivar has been competing in singles competition for the last few months because his tag team partner, Erik, is also injured. Erik underwent neck fusion surgery on his C6 and C7 cervical spine back in November. He suffered the injury during September of last year. Ivar is the latest of unfortunate injuries plaguing the WWE locker room.

Just in the last few weeks, several WWE superstars, including Drew McIntyre for his fractured elbow suffered at WrestleMania 40. - Asuka, Xavier Woods, Bobby Lashley and Zelina Vega are out with undisclosed injuries and have been pulled from the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments. That's on top of some of WWE's other top talent in Charlotte Flair, Seth Rollins, and CM Punk being out of action due to their injuries. WWE has done well in pivoting stories in the meantime, as McIntyre and Punk are still regularly featured on television while they recover.

Comicbook wishes Ivar the best in his recovery. Stay tuned as we will provide further updates on his condition and WWE as they become available.

The Star Wars galaxy is headed into some interesting territory in the next few years, with a slate of movies and Disney+ exclusive shows on the horizon. Among these is a new movie set to be directed and co-written by James Mangold, which will explore the very early days of the Jedi in the Star Wars franchise. While there is a lot that remains unknown about Mangold's take on the franchise, there's a chance that a new interview just revealed the film's subtitle. In new comments to SFX Magazine (via r/StarWarsLeaks), producer Simon Emanuel, who worked with Mangold on Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, referred to the upcoming Star Wars movie as Jedi Prime. It remains to be seen if this, or the previously-said subtitle of Dawn of the Jedi, will end up being the movie's final title.

"James Mangold's Jedi Prime is set thousands and thousands of years before [the original trilogy], and I'm really excited to see what happens there," Emanuel revealed.

What Is James Mangold's Star Wars Movie About?

Plot details surrounding Mangold's movie currently remain under wraps, outside of the fact that the film will be set 25,000 years before any of the events covered by the Star Wars franchise thus far. Mangold has teased that his aspirations for the film are to tell a story that can stand on its own from the established canon.

"When I talk to some of the Star Wars clerics who keep track of all these timelines, I was like, 'So when would this have happened?' and they were like, '25,000 years before Episode I.' And I was like, 'Oh, I was looking for some distance, but that's distance,'" Mangold joked in an interview last year. "The reality, for me, was that feeling of space, pun not intended but apropos, was something that I felt was really important. Not to get away from -- again, fan service or the intricacies of what George [Lucas] has set up and dreamed of, but to just have the space to tell a story and not be instantly encumbered by the bases you have to hit. Which, honestly, there's no way to explain it to folks other than to say it's like that game we played as kids, Twister, that at a certain point, you're in a tangle because you just are trying to find a way to tell a story with so many constraints that you can't."

What Is the Next Star Wars Movie?

Directed by Jon Favreau and produced by Favreau, Filoni, and Kathleen Kennedy, The Mandalorian and Grogu will follow the ongoing adventures of Din Djarin / The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his pint-sized ward, Grogu. The film is confirmed to have a release date of May 22, 2026.

"I have loved telling stories set in the rich world that George Lucas created," Favreau shared in a statement. "The prospect of bringing the Mandalorian and his apprentice Grogu to the big screen is extremely exciting."

"Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni have ushered into Star Wars two new and beloved characters, and this new story is a perfect fit for the big screen," Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm, added.

The ComicBook Nation crew breaks down the X-Men '97 Season 1 Finale and discusses all the reveals about the Season 2 storyline. We also review the new movie IF (2024).

PLUS: Geek News includes some big renewal news for some of streaming's hottest shows; a breakdown of Amazon's The Rings of Power Season 2 Trailer, and the Spider-Verse expands with Nic Cage's Spider-Man Noir TV show - even as Amazon's Silk: Spider Society series dies in development.

IF (2024) Review

ComicBook critic Jamie Jirak's IF movie review gives the film 3.5 out of 5 stars:

The film does a good job of reminding its audience that there's a kid in all of us, and that time can never truly take away your imagination. It's been a while since I looked around in a theater and saw multiple grown men shedding a tear. Krasinski knows how to appeal to parents, especially dads. While IF may not be a perfectly pieced-together movie, there's enough heart embedded in its core to make it a worthy trip to the cinema for families. The cast is delightful, the IFs are magical, and the warmth is undeniable.

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Christopher Lee is one of the most beloved actors of all time, and throughout his 92 years, he had nearly 300 acting credits to his name. The actor was known for playing Dracula in various projects, Saruman in Peter Jackson's The Lord of The Rings trilogy, Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels, and much more. In addition to his acting career, Lee had a very interesting life, which is now being turned into an epic documentary.

According to BBC, The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee is a new film that features interviews with Lee's friends, family, and collaborators. Director Jon Spira had access to Lee's scrapbooks in addition to 100 interviews from the British Film Institute's library, telling BBC that Lee's life is an "incredible story." In addition to his vast acting career, the movie will also touch on Lee's military career during World War II. That part of Lee's life has always been "shrouded in mystery," but it's known that the actor helped track down Nazi war criminals.

"Because he could speak fluently a range of different languages he got pulled into the secret service doing missions of which the facts have never fully come out," Spira shared." His cousin was Ian Fleming, and a lot of people think the character of James Bond was based on him ... He certainly didn't do anything to disavow people of that."

"You could almost do this as two films," he continued." That's why we called it The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee, because his life is one story and his career is another."

The film will feature interviews with directors such as Joe Dante, John Landis, and Peter Jackson.

"Peter Jackson was very prepared to talk about the emotional side," Spira revealed. "About how amazed he was as a film fan, in awe of Christopher Lee, and couldn't believe he got to work with him. He discovered his unique insecurities, like many actors have ... He was a really complex person who was very emotional, and had this austere image. He had a lot of frustrations in his life - we explore that."

Spira is also crowdfunding for the film's Blu-ray release.

"There's a whole market of people who are being forgotten that really love film, want to own it, and maybe don't trust that these things will always be streaming."

Stay tuned for more updates about upcoming films.

In fighting against Cell Max in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the world of the Z-Fighters once again was hanging on by a thread. Piccolo might have gained a major upgrade thanks to Shenron granting him a wish that would give him two new forms, but this wasn't enough to push the Namekian over the top and claim victory against the Red Ribbon Army's ultimate weapon. In unlocking his full anger, Gohan was able to achieve his "Beast" form and one cosplayer has perfectly brought it to life.

Before Dragon Ball Super's manga went on hiatus, readers got a brief glimpse of the world following the death of Cell Max. In hearing about Gohan's major victory, his father wanted to see just how strong his son had become. Wasting little time in picking up Gohan from Earth, the father and son would have a sparring match that made for a major event in the shonen series. Ultimately, we didn't receive a definitive answer as to if Gohan Beast was more powerful than Ultra Instinct Goku, but we did get a Saiyan battle royale that acted as an amazing scene to hold readers over as the indefinite hiatus went into effect.

Gohan Unleashes The Beast

While many Dragon Ball fans have wondered if the previous chapter will be the manga's last, especially following the tragic passing of creator Akira Toriyama, there is one major plot thread that has yet to be addressed. Frieza's return in the final chapter of Granolah The Survivor Arc saw the alien despot easily dispatching the villain Gas, as well as taking the Heeters off the table. Now that the shonen villain has a new transformation under his belt in "Black Frieza", the question arises if Gohan's new form puts him on an even playing field with the antagonist.

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? Legends Never Die - Youth Never Dies & Fatin Majidi

Dragon Ball Super's anime has yet to confirm when it will make a comeback, but the shonen franchise has something special for fans later this year. Dragon Ball Daima is hitting the small screen later this year and will feature a story that was heavily influenced by creator Akira Toriyama, making anime fans that much more interested in this new anime adaptation.

Want to stay up to date on Gohan and his ultimate form? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on the Z-Fighters.

Andrew Lincoln who is most known for his portrayal of Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead universe has lined up his next project -- an audio fiction series from the creator of Rockstar Games, A Better Paradise Volume One: An Aftermath. The 12-episode series is produced by Absurd Ventures in partnership with QCODE Media.

Lincoln returned to his roots as the iconic Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live alongside his screen partner Danai Gurira. It was the first time the two were on-screen with one another since Grimes' disappearance in season 9. Lincoln would depart the series in an effort to be closer to his family. In a promotional interview for The Ones Who Live, He spoke to Comicbook about returning to the show and how it took "years" of planning to lock down.

"We wrote it, so we knew that we wanted...We've been working for a couple of years and meeting in conference rooms in hotels, spitballing these ideas," Lincoln told Comicbook. "And we said, well, how, what is the most insane reunion? Can we imagine? What about this? What about that? And we just thought, well, this, we landed on this and it felt also the structure as you know, is quite unique with the time frames that we've got these two people that have left the show in different time frames. We need to work that out. But also we just thought it would be the most thrilling, insane, emotional reunion. And we're glad that it was a shock."

What is A Better Paradise About?

"Set in the near future, A Better Paradise tells the story of the ill-fated development of an ambitious but addictive digital game-world project led by inventor and psychologist, Dr. Mark Tyburn," an official description reads. "As the advanced software they developed began delivering unexpected and disturbing results, the team fell apart under strange circumstances and the project was abandoned. The game world and the super-intelligence within were discarded, left dormant and undiscovered. Until now."

Lincoln will be joined by Shamier Anderson (John Wick: Chapter 4), Paterson Joseph (Wonka) and Rain Spencer (The Summer I Turned Pretty, Good Girl Jane) among others. Dan Houser departed Rockstar Games in 2020 where he then founded Absurd Ventures in 2021.

A Better Paradise marks the first release from Absurd Ventures, and casting Lincoln is certainly a great way to kickstart things. "I have always loved the intimate experience of audiobooks, radio and podcast dramas," Houser said in a press release. "Audio fiction feels like a really compelling way to tell the story of the A BETTER PARADISE universe and the characters within it."

Added QCODE CEO Rob Herting, "We are incredibly excited to be a production partner to Dan and the Absurd Ventures team, who bring a completely unique voice to the audio fiction medium. Their record in storytelling is legendary, and they have created a universe and a series that lives up to that high standard."

A Better Paradise premieres on all audio platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music June 10.

Last year, Nintendo announced that the long-rumored live-action film adaptation of The Legend of Zelda was finally in the works with Sony Pictures. The movie is being helmed by Wes Ball, the director of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, which is currently doing well at the box office. Deadline recently spoke with the Chairperson of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Tom Rothman, and they brought up how Ball managed to revive the Apes franchise after the previous trilogy's success. They mentioned how Ball brought a "freshness" to the franchise, and asked about applying that same viewpoint to Zelda.

"Because the movie is being developed and made in the closest possible collaboration with [Nintendo video game designer] Shigeru Miyamoto," Rothman explained. "He's a true genius in that world, and it's really his strong vision that is motivating it. He created it and understands it thoroughly. You only to look at the results of Super Mario Brothers to see. The larger point I'm making is that I think a healthy slate going forward is not going to be one side of the divide or the other."

"It's going to have a balance of big IP solid sequels," he continued. "Let me tell you when the last of the Spider-Verse movies comes with Phil Lord and Chris Miller, it's going to be a significant event, as will the next Tom Holland Spider-Man film. And when all the Karate Kid storylines come together with Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan and a new young karate kid. For those fans, that's going to be a significant moment. We have those. The third and last Venom is going to be huge."

Wes Ball Teases "Awesome Idea" For Zelda Movie:

"I have this awesome idea," Ball shared with Total Film. "I've been thinking about it for a long freakin' time, of how cool a Zelda movie would be... I want to fulfill people's greatest desires. I know it's important, this [Zelda] franchise, to people and I want it to be a serious movie. A real movie that can give people an escape."

"I want to live in that world," he added. "That's the thing I want to try to create - it's got to feel like something real. Something serious and cool, but fun and whimsical."

"I've always said, I would love to see a live-action Miyazaki. That wonder and whimsy that he brings to things, I would love to see something like that," Ball said in an interview late last year. "It's going to be awesome. My whole life has led up to this moment. I grew up on Zelda and it is the most important property, I think, that's untapped IP, if you will. So we very much are working hard to do something. We're not just trying to do it because we can. We want to make something really special."

"I have been working on the live-action film of The Legend of Zelda for many years now with Avi Arad-san, who has produced many mega hit films," Nintendo game director Shigeru Miyamoto said in a statement when the project was announced. "I have asked Avi-san to produce this film with me, and we have now officially started the development of the film with Nintendo itself heavily involved in the production. It will take time until its completion, but I hope you look forward to seeing it."

Stay tuned for more updates about the live-action The Legend of Zelda movie.

Nintendo Switch owners who have a copy of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door preordered might want to check on their orders to make sure that's the case after more people have come forward to say that their preorders were cancelled. Walmart is the latest retailer to cancel preorders for the game seemingly at the request of Nintendo with multiple users getting messages from the company suggesting that they come into brick-and-mortar Walmart locations to get the game on release if they still want it. This only applies to physical preorders, of course, with digital preorders safe ahead of the game's May 23rd release date.

News of the cancelled Walmart preorders for the Nintendo Switch remake/remaster of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door were shared by X (formerly Twitter, now officially X.com) user Wario64 after other users notified them of the cancellations. The correspondence from Walmart indicated that Nintendo only wants copies of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for the Nintendo Switch to be sold in-stores, at least as far as Walmart is concerned.

"We know you were looking forward to purchasing Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (Nintendo Switch) online," Walmart's message began. "At this time, Nintendo will only be offering this item in stores.

"While your pre-order was canceled, we expect to have this item in store on its release day, May 23, 2024. We hope you can stop in!"

What's strange about this cancellation is that it's happening elsewhere at some retailers, but others are moving forward with shipping out physical preorders of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door without issue. The same thing happened with Amazon where the game topped charts with people saying that they'd been notified their copies of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door had been cancelled with other Nintendo Switch games affected as well.

But then you have other people like this user here who preordered Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door through Target and has just been notified that their copy of the game has shipped without issue, so this problem doesn't seem to be affecting all preorders of the game.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door releases for the Nintendo Switch on May 23rd. You can check out our preview of the game here alongside an overview of some of the new features present in the remake.

The second roster update for MLB The Show 24 is out now and it features seven new Diamond players. Several high-rated players have also dropped down to Gold, making for a relatively volatile roster shake-up. If you were able to predict it correctly, there were a ton of Stubs to be made. Even if you didn't plan ahead of time, this update is important to look through, as it'll affect some of the best players to use in various modes. The seven new Diamonds in MLB The Show 24 are mostly pitchers, so you might want to change your rotation.

Leading the way is Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease. He's been one of the best pitchers in the league to start the season, so it's no surprise to see him jump to 86 OVR in this update. If you want to make your opponent look silly with nasty off-speed pitchers, Cease is your guy. Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger is one of two outfield players and his exceptional clutch stat makes him a solid addition to your bench.

Athletics closer Mason Miller is currently supercharged to 99 OVR, but once that settles back at 85, you'll still be able to use his deadly fastball to good effect. Meanwhile, Twins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez brings similar velocity but also has a solid breaking ball. Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase has been one of the best in the business to start the year and that remains true in The Show 24. Cardinals starter Sonny Gray is another pitcher with great off-speed stuff, while Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson rounds things out with his loaded power swing.

Below, you'll find the full list of new Diamond and Gold players. To see the full list of changes that have been pushed in the update, head to the official site. MLB The Show 24 is available now on PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox platforms.

New Diamond Tier Players

• Dylan Cease - Padres
• Cody Bellinger - Cubs
• Mason Miller - Athletics
• Pablo Lopez - Twins
• Emmanuel Clase - Guardians
• Sonny Gray - Cardinals
• Gunnar Henderson - Orioles

New Gold Tier Players

• Austin Riley - Braves
• Julio Rodriguez - Mariners
• Francisco Lindor - Mets
• Manny Machado - Padres
• Bryce Miller - Mariners
• Matt Olson - Braves
• Tanner Houck - Red Sox
• Nick Sandin - Guardians
• Brenton Doyle - Rockies
• Jared Jones - Pirates
• Nick Lodolo - Reds
• Max Kepler - Twins
• Corbin Carroll - Diamondbacks
• Jose Trevino - Yankees
• Garrett Crochet - White Sox
• Seth Lugo - Royals
• Ryan Jeffers - Twins
• Rhys Hoskins - Brewers
• Jordan Westburg - Orioles
• Danny Coulombe - Orioles
• Jeff Hoffman - Phillies

Ryan Gosling is low-key one of the best in show business when it comes to handling the press. Gosling has mastered a public persona schtick that uses his wit and charm as bait for hungry journalists to bit on, as he dodges their question. But, sometimes dodging a question is still a kind of answer to that question - especially when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

A new interview with Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt (who star in the new film The Fall Guy) and Happy Sad Confused podcast host Josh Horowitz ventured into MCU territory. See, Gosling's name has been associated with a potential MCU reboot of the Ghost Rider movie franchise ever since Horowitz single-handedly got that ball rolling.

Back in 2022, Gosling did the Happy Sad Confused Podcast with Horowitz and they discussed rumors that he was in the running to play the MCU character of Nova. Even though he shot down the Nova rumors, Gosling did admit to wanting to play Ghost Rider in the MCU.

That wishful thinking became something else entirely after Horowitz approached Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige at San Diego Comic-Con 2022. Horowitz asked Feige if a Ryan Gosling MCU Ghost Rider role was possible, and Feige didn't shoot down the idea:

"If Ryan wants to be Ghost Rider, Ryan's amazing. I'd love to find him a place in the MCU," Feige told MTV News, jokingly adding that "He dresses up as Ken on Venice Beach and gets more press than any major movie coming out."

Ryan Gosling Dodges Question about Ghost Rider MCU Role

As you can see in the video above, Ryan Gosling (with an assist from Emily Blunt) dodges any kind of answer on the MCU Ghost Rider subject in his latest interview with Horowitz.

That's more significant than the usual celebrity question dodging because it's hard to read it as anything but a doge. If there was nothing to it, Gosling would almost certainly have waved it off and killed any possible online chatter; if there is something in the works that hasn't been announced or finalized yet, then Gosling wouldn't be able to talk about it - and outright saying "I can't talk about it," would be the next best thing to confirmation for fans, pundits and news outlets.

Instead, Gosling and Blunt ran a bit that had Blunt veering into an anecdote about publicly stating that Gosling would never do a superhero flick (which Gosling denies ever saying). It's hard to believe that the two skilled performers wouldn't have known before going into an interview with Horowitz that the MCU Ghost Rider subject wouldn't come up. They call it "media training" for a reason.

While we can't take away anything concrete from this exchange, we do know that the MCU is in the process of retooling and rebranding after some recent years of stumble. Our eyes are already turning toward Comic-Con 2024, where Marvel Studios may have some big reveals to announce as Deadpool & Wolverine hits hteaters. Could Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider be one of them?

MCU Movies and TV shows are streaming on Disney+.

While many MLB The Show 24 players are still working to wrap up the yearly Egg Hunt, developer Sony San Diego is ready to move on to the next big thing. Every year, SDS drops the Season Awards program in Diamond Dynasty, giving players a chance to earn tons of rewards celebrating the real-world performance of MLB stars. The Show 24 kicked off its version of the program with the Season Awards Drop 1 - Opening Day release, giving players the opening kick-off for the Season Awards program. The rewards and challenges will grow over the coming weeks, but below, we've collected all of the steps you need to complete if you want to earn all of the Season 1 Awards cards in MLB The Show 24.

How to Complete the Season 1 Awards Program in MLB The Show 24

The Season 1 Awards Program has only kicked off as of this writing. It will likely grow over the next several weeks as Sony San Diego drops more content. To that end, we will list the steps needed in stages, so you can stay up to date with all of the challenges and rewards. Here is everything you need to do in Stage 1:

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 1

• Complete all 4 Moments - 12 points total
• 250 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 6 points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 5 home runs with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 15 hits with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 15 RBIs with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 25 total bases with Center Fielders - 4 points
• Tally 10 hits with Shortstops - 4 points
• Tally 3 home runs with Left Fielders - 4 points
• Tally 5 extra-base hits with Designated Hitters - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with White Sox players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 2

• Complete all 5 Missions - 15 points total
• 250 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 6 points
• 300 PXP with Season Awards Garrett Crochet (Drop 1 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 6 strikeouts with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 extra-base hits with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 15 RBIs with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 3 stolen bases with Center Fielders - 4 points
• Tally 10 hits with Left Fielders- 4 points
• Tally 3 home runs with Third Basemen - 4 points
• Tally 25 total bases with Right Fielders - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Giants players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 3

• Complete all 5 Missions - 15 points total
• 500 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 5 points
• 300 PXP with Season Awards Michael Conforto (Drop 2 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 7 home runs with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 20 hits with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 3 stolen bases with Left Fielders - 4 points
• Tally 25 total bases with Catchers- 4 points
• Tally 15 hits with Second Basemen - 4 points
• Tally 3 home runs with Shortstops - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Guardians players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 4

• Complete all 6 Missions - 18 points total
• 500 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 5 points
• 300 PXP with Season Awards Ronel Blanco (Drop 3 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 15 RBIs with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Ks with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 12 hits with Catchers - 4 points
• Tally 3 home runs with Left Fielders- 4 points
• Tally 6 Extra-Base Hits with Shortstops - 4 points
• Tally 2 saves with Closing Pitchers - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Reds players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 5

• Complete all 5 Missions - 15 points total
• 500 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 5 points
• 200 PXP with Season Awards Spencer Steer (Drop 4 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Extra Base Hits with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Ks with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 hits with 3rd Basemen- 4 points
• Tally 5 home runs with Shortstops- 4 points
• Tally 2 Holds with Relief Pitchers - 4 points
• Tally 5 Home Runs with Catchers- 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Red Sox players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 6

• Complete all 5 Missions - 15 points total
• 500 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 5 points
• 300 PXP with Season Awards Tanner Houck (Drop 5 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Home Runs with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Ks with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 5 Home Runs with 3rd Basemen- 4 points
• Tally 5 Home Runs with 1st Basemen- 4 points
• Tally 7 Extra-Base Hits with Catchers - 4 points
• Tally 1 Complete Game (min 8 IP) with a Starting Pitcher - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Yankees players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 7

• Complete all 5 Missions - 15 points total
• 500 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 5 points
• 200 PXP with Season Awards Anthony Rizzo (Drop 6 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 15 Extra-Base Hits with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Ks with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 7 Extra-Base Hits with 3rd Basemen- 4 points
• Tally 7 Extra-Base Hits with 1st Basemen- 4 points
• Tally 5 Home Runs with Right Fielders- 4 points
• Tally 5 Home Runs with Left Fielders - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Padres players - 4 points

MLB The Show 24 Season 1 Awards Drop 8

• Complete all 5 Missions - 15 points total
• 500 PXP with Season Awards Series cards - 5 points
• 200 PXP with Season Awards Jurickson Profar (Drop 7 Reward) - 5 Points
• 500 PXP with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 20 Hits with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 10 Ks with Topps Now Series cards - 5 points
• Tally 7 Extra-Base Hits with 2nd Basemen- 4 points
• Tally 7 RBIs with Left Fielders- 4 points
• Tally 5 Home Runs with Shortstops- 4 points
• Tally 2 Saves with Closing Pitcher - 4 points
• Tally 250 PXP with Orioles players - 4 points

Season 1 Awards Program Rewards

As mentioned, this list of rewards will grow over time, but here are the drops currently available:

Drop 1

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Mike Trout
• 15 Points -The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Colt Keith
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Shohei Ohtani
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - Headliners Pack 4
• 45 Points - The Show Pack
• 50 Points - 91 OVR Season Awards Garrett Crochet and 4,000 XP

Drop 2

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Jackson Chourio
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Graham Pauley
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Jared Jones
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 88 OVR Topps Now Jung Hoo Lee
• 45 Points - The Show Pack
• 50 Points - 91 OVR Season Awards Michael Conforto and 4,000 XP

Drop 3

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Jordan Westburg
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Blaze Alexander
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Travis D'Arnaud
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Justin Foscue
• 45 Points - The Show Pack
• 50 Points - 93 OVR Season Awards Ronel Blanco and 4,000 XP

Drop 4

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Yariel Rodriguez
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Lawerence Butler
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Tyler Jay
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 90 OVR Topps Now Colton Cowser
• 45 Points - The Show Pack
• 50 Points - 93 OVR Season Awards Spencer Steer and 4,000 XP

Drop 5

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Jack Leiter and 4,000 XP
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Cam Booser and 4,000 XP
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Andy Pages and 4,000 XP
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Alec Bohm and 4,000 XP
• 45 Points - The Show Pack
• 50 Points - 95 OVR Season Awards Tanner Houck and 4,000 XP

Drop 6

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Anthony Maldonado and 4,000 XP
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Pavin Smith and 4,000 XP
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Mark Vientos and 4,000 XP
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 92 OVR Topps Now Pete Crow-Armstrong and 4,000 XP
• 45 Points - Season 1 Awards Choice Pack
• 50 Points - 96 OVR Season Awards Anthony Rizzo and 4,000 XP

Drop 7

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 95 OVR Topps Now Tyler Black and 4,000 XP
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 95 OVR Topps Now Brett Harris and 4,000 XP
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 95 OVR Topps Now Christian Scott and 4,000 XP
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 95 OVR Topps Now Joey Loperfido and 4,000 XP
• 45 Points - Season 1 Awards Choice Pack
• 50 Points - 99 OVR Season Awards Jackson Profar and 4,000 XP

Drop 8

• 5 Points - The Show Pack
• 10 Points - 96 OVR Topps Now Robert Gasser and 4,000 XP
• 15 Points - The Show Pack
• 20 Points - 96 OVR Topps Now Stuart Fairchild and 4,000 XP
• 25 Points - The Show Pack
• 30 Points - 96 OVR Topps Now Luis Arraez and 4,000 XP
• 35 Points - The Show Pack
• 40 Points - 96 OVR Topps Now Kyle Manzardo and 4,000 XP
• 45 Points - Season 1 Awards Choice Pack
• 50 Points - 99 OVR Season Awards Gunnar Henderson and 4,000 XP

Lightning Players

Finally, it's worth noting that you need to earn every Season Awards player throughout the season to earn the Lightning Players after Drop 4 and Drop 8. These players will have a huge boost, so you'll want to do everything you can to grab all of them. Here are the Lightning Players available in the Season Awards Program:

• 95 OVR Bobby Witt Jr.
• 99 OVR Mookie Betts

This program does not expire. MLB The Show 24 is available now on PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox platforms.

Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire returned last week, with Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia (Delainey Hayles) making their way across Europe in search of Old World Vampires and, after a devastating experience in Romania, made their way to Paris. Paris will prove to be a major turning point for Louis and Claudia, one with devastating consequences but it also marks the duo finally finding the vampires they've been looking for -- and the Theatre Des Vampires. Now, ahead of Sunday's episode, "Do You Know What It Means To Be Loved by Death", AMC has provided ComicBook with an exclusive clip introducing not only Louis and Claudia but the audience to the Theatre. Prepare to delve into the underbelly of the human soul and check out the scene for yourself in the video above.

In "Do You Know What It Means To Be Loved by Death", Daniel Molloy's (Eric Bogosian) interview of Louis will continue in present-day Dubai, but this time, the vampire Armand (Assad Zaman) joins in and Louis and Armand tell Daniel how they met all those years ago in Paris.

Can Louis' Memories Be Trusted in Season 2?

As we've seen in teasers for Season 2 of Interview of the Vampire, memory is the real monster -- and Louis' memory has already not exactly been fully reliable. Episode 1 saw him realizing that there were things he was misremembering about his and Claudia's time in Romania. However, while the lack of accuracy in Louis' recollection may call into question details, Anderson tells ComicBook that he doesn't necessarily agree with Louis' being unreliable, as the story is as much about feeling as it is fact.

"I think something that I'm always slightly resistant about with the unreliable narrator tag that Louis gets is that we're all unreliable," Anderson said. "I think it's a strange idea that television or storytelling is objective. I think it's a comfortable way to engage with something or to watch something."

"In terms of Louis, I think he's as unreliable as any. The story that we are being told is just as much based on how something felt to Louis as the biographical details or the specifics, which is something that I love about him," Anderson continued. "He's very complicated. He's a very complicated person, but he's a very complicated character and I love him for that."

"There's a lot that hopefully comes through in that there's a difference quite often for Louis between what he says and what he feels," Anderson said. "I think that's fun. I don't know why we need to know exactly how everything happened exactly all the time unless it is to contextualize the story. I think that's something I get a lot of joy out of with Anne Rice's books and with the show is that with each new perspective, the story only gets bigger and more exciting and more complicated. So, he is unreliable, but aren't we all? He's also learning. He's learning a lot."

What Is Interview with the Vampire Season 2 About?

You can read AMC's official description of the second season of Interview With the Vampire here: "The interview continues in season two. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.

Interview with the Vampire airs Sundays on AMC and AMC+.

After over a decade of waiting, EA Sports College Football 25 has finally received its grand reveal trailer. While this new trailer didn't show off any gameplay, it gave players a fantastic look at many of the top colleges coming to EA Sports College Football 25. However, there are hundreds of universities in the United States and the trailer only featured around twenty of them, so you might be wondering which schools are included in EA Sports College Football 25. Below, we'll break it down, giving you an exact idea of whether your school will be included.

Which Schools Are In EA Sports College Football 25?

For its first season back, EA Sports College Football 25 is keeping it simple. This year, the game will include all 134 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). That's a huge chunk of the country and represents the bulk of teams the general public cares about. While not a comprehensive list of teams, here are the conferences that are fully represented in EA Sports College Football 25:

• American Athletic Conference (The America)
• Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)
• Big 12 Conference
• Big 10 Conference
• D1 FBS Independents (Notre Dame, UConn, and UMass)
• Mid-American Conference (MAC)
• Mountain West Conference
• Pac-12 Conference
• Southeastern Conference (SEC)
• Sun Belt Conference

If your favorite team's conference is listed above, they'll be in College Football 25. However, do note that it's only the players this year. Coach likenesses will not be included during year one, though they could be added in future editions. As for everyone else? That's where the bad news comes in.

What About FCS Teams?

Unfortunately, developer Electronic Arts has decided to skip out on adding Football Championship Subdivision teams to the mix. That means national powerhouse teams like North Dakota State, James Madison, and South Dakota State won't be included in College Football 25. That's a shame for teams of those schools, especially considering the dominance of those programs, but EA did leave the door open for them to be added in future games.

Thankfully, the big reveal press release did say that College Football 25 is bringing back the Team Builder feature, so fans of smaller FCS schools will probably be able to recreate their favorite team. We just won't be seeing someone like Mark Gronowski or Terrell Allen showing up in College Football 25's Ultimate Team mode.

EA Sports College Football 25 is set to launch on July 19th for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. If you purchase the deluxe or MVP editions, you'll get three days of early access.

X-Men '97 packed quite a lot into its Season Finale - including an epilogue section that was nearly half an episode in length. There was lot of setup for X-Men '97 Season 2 that got done in that time - including one surprising character return that most fans probably didn't catch!

(SPOILERS FOLLOW)

The climax of "Tolerance is Extinction - Part 3" saw the X-Men fighting impossible odds to stop Operation Zero Tolerance and its leader, Bastion, from dropping Magneto's Asteroid M on Earth. The X-Men succeed (with help from Magneto), but the team is yanked from the timestream and deposited in separate places across the past, present, and future.

While the majority of the X-Men landed in either ancient Egypt or a dystopian distant future, Forge and a few others were left in the present, facing the monumental task of building a new team of X-Men. Forge is seen in his workshop, looking over a photo gallery board of mutants who could potentially become New X-Men; Bishop finally comes back from the future to tell Forge that the X-Men aren't dead, they've been pulled into the timestream - and the future depends on rescuing them.

However, before Bishop appears, Forge is listening to a radio broadcast that establishes the new status quo six months after the X-Men's disappearance. On the political side of things, it's established that President Robert Kelly is having his political position challenged by a fringe anti-mutant candidate: Graydon Creed.

X-Men '97 Season 2 Villains - Who Is Graydon Creed?

Graydon Creed Jr. is the leader of the anti-mutant hate group "Friends of Humanity" (FoH). Although he's a human, Graydon is the son of Sabertooth (Victor Creed) and Mystique, after a chance encounter between the two. Graydon Creed buried his past, but couldn't bury his resentment, raging against his parents and all mutants.

In X-Men: The Animated Series, Graydon Creed's arc started as a supporter of Senator Robert Kelly, whose anti-mutant views he supported. After the X-Men defeated Bolivar Trask and Master Mold, Kelly reversed his stance on mutants, causing a schism between him and Graydon Creed.

Creed continued to threaten the X-Men and mutants throughout the seasons of X-Men: TAS. He was tricked by Apocalypse (in disguise) into framing mutants for the release of a virus that nearly wipes out Bishop's future before Bishop sets things right. The X-Men infiltrated the Friends of Humanity and eventually exposed Creed's mutant parentage to the group, causing him to suffer a mental breakdown. When he got out of the institution, Creed came at his own family, kidnapping Mystique and battling his "siblings" Rogue and Nightcrawler. At the end of the series, The FoH banished Creed and left him on Sabertooth's doorstep, where the feral mutant was seemingly going to punish his son in some horrible way.

If Graydon Creed Jr. is back, then it suggests a lot about what happened with Sabertooth, and what raises new questions about what Graydon plans to do with the new anti-mutant sentiment in the world. Although, we're pretty sure that real-life politics has laid out the roadmap.

X-Men '97 is streaming on Disney+.

The sad news broke yesterday that Tony McFarr, the stuntman best known for doubling Chris Pratt, had passed away at age 47. The cause of McFarr's death is currently unknown, but it was revealed that he died on May 13th at his home outside of Orlando, Florida. McFarr had 60 stunt credits to his name and doubled Pratt on Passengers, Jurassic World, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Yesterday, Pratt took to his Instagram stories to pay tribute to McFarr and share photos of them together on set.

"Devastated to hear about the loss of my friend and former stunt double Tony McFarr," Pratt wrote. "We did several movies together. We golfed, drank whiskey, smoked cigars, and spent endless hours on set. I'll never forget his toughness. I remember he took a nasty shot to the head (in the title sequence of 'Guardians 2') and got several staples in his head came right back to work ready to go again. He was an absolute stud."

"He was always a gentleman and professional," Pratt continued. "He'll be missed. My prayers go out to his friends and family, especially his daughter." You can view an image Pratt posted below, and see more of his stories here.

Tony McFarr's Stunt Credits:

McFarr's first stunt roles were back in 2011 in Bones and Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon. His television credits included Teen Wolf, Burn Notice, Homeland, The Originals, Halt and Catch Fire, The Walking Dead, MacGyver, The Gifted, and more. His film credits included Rock of Ages, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Furious 7, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2, Captain America: Civil War, Logan Lucky, Pitch Perfect 3, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Ant-Man and the Wasp, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, and more.

His final credit was for the short film, Grobb, in 2022. He also had a few acting credits to his name, including episodes of Burn Notice, One Tree Hill, and MacGyver. During his career, he was nominated for three Screen Actors Guild Awards for "Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture" for Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon, Jurassic World, and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Our thoughts are with McFarr's family and friends, including Chris Pratt, at this difficult time.

The fifth and final season of Stranger Things is currently in production and is expected to premiere sometime next year. While the wait to see how the series ends feels agonizing given season four premiered in the summer of 2022, Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers have shared many behind-the-scenes looks at several of our favorite Hawkins residents.

In the latest look, Nancy (Natalia Dyer) and Jonathan (Charlie Heaton) are shown in the backseat looking out of the rear window, and the moment seems very intense. There's also a van for a local radio station WSQK 94.5 FM "The Squawk." Joe Keery's Steve Harrington and Maya Hawke's Robin Buckley are pictured in various backstage shots as well.

Obviously plot details are being kept under wraps for season 5 thus far but with how season 4 ended as Vecna (aka One) bridging a gate between The Upside Down and their realm, it's surely going to be the largest fight that the gang has been up against yet. Eleven has also regained her powers after previously expending all of it. She was forced to relive some pretty traumatic scenarios in order to do so but in the process she gained an entirely new power -- resurrection. It'll be interesting to see how her new ability plays into the season as she seemingly brought Max -- who Lucas claimed was dead for a whole minute -- back to life.

"This season - it's like season one on steroids," Ross Duffer previously said to The Guardian. "It's the biggest it's ever been in terms of scale, but it has been really fun, because everyone's back together in Hawkins: the boys and Eleven interacting more in line with how it was in season one. And, yes, there may be spin-offs, but the story of Eleven and Dustin and Lucas and Hopper, their stories are done here."

Though the Stranger Things cast has admitted they have no idea how the series ends, topping last season might serve as a giant task. Not only did it introduce Jamie Campbell Bower as Vecna and the lovable Eddie Munson (played by , the season was able to re-chart one of the 80s most iconic songs, Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" as well as catapulting Metallica's "Master of Puppets" to the top of the charts proves how much of an impact Stranger Things has had on pop culture over the last eight years.

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Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on Stranger Things season 5.

Toonami has long been a major programming block on Cartoon Network for some time, first hitting the cable channel in 1997. While there was a brief period where Toonami was no longer on the air, it would return to once again air anime adaptations on the platform thanks to Adult Swim. Now, Cartoon Network has announced "Toonami Rewind", a programming block airing later this month which will assemble some of its biggest anime classics on a timeslot that airs far earlier than the normal Adult Swim schedule.

Toonami has long been a programming block that has introduced some of the biggest anime franchises to the Western world. While the Cartoon Network project was responsible for introducing major series like Dragon Ball Z, Naruto, Tenchi Muyo, and Inuyasha, Toonami continues to this day by airing the likes of Attack on Titan, My Hero Academia, Dragon Ball Super, and more. In recent days, Toonami has been trying its hand out in creating original anime series, seeing major success with the likes of Ninja Kamui, Shenmue The Animation, FLCL Shoegaze, and more. In the future, the Adult Swim programming block will air the likes of Lazarus and Junji Ito's Uzumaki.

Toonami Rewind's Schedule

Toonami Rewind will begin airing on May 31st on Cartoon Network this month, presenting three classic anime series over a two hour timeframe. To start, the programming block will air Sailor Moon at 5PM Eastern, Dragon Ball Z Kai at 5:30PM Eastern and 6:00PM Eastern, and Naruto at 6:30PM Eastern. At present, it has yet to be seen if Toonami Rewind will include other classic anime from Cartoon Network's past. You can check out a new trailer for the programming block below.

In a recently revisited interview, Toonami co-creator Jason DeMarco described why the programming block was initially axed in 2008, before returning to glory on Adult Swim, "Looking back it was probably when we went from being on five days a week to just being on Saturday. There was this five year explosion of home video and 'Dragon Ball' and 'Pokemon' and 'Spirited Away' winning the Oscar. There was a wave. And then it receded because the bottom fell out of the home video market; a bunch of fake 'Toonamis' popped up and died; and I think it was a cross between the wider cultural consciousness moving away from anime and our network having different priorities."

The Safe Man has been realized into a fully fleshed out story. Nearly two decades after it was published anonymously in The Secret Society of Demolition Writers, Michael Connelly expanded his short story into a feature-length audiobook on Audible. The Lincoln Lawyer author reunited with longtime collaborator Titus Welliver (Bosch) and Jack Quaid (The Boys, Oppenheimer) to bring The Safe Man to listenable life. While the story, one which interweaves Connelly's familiar mystery and suspense flavors while dabbling into some supernatural elements, is currently exclusive to the audio format, there are aspirations to bring it to live-action.

"That's the hope," Connelly told ComicBook when asked if there are plans to turn The Safe Man into a film or television series. "The pyramid gets skinnier and skinnier at the top, so it's a tough thing to go the distance. But yes, we're definitely in discussions about that. Now that this is out, we'll definitely move forward with that."

Connelly is no stranger to turning his works into motion-pictures, as The Lincoln Lawyer has been made into both a feature film and Netflix series while his recurring leading character detective Harry Bosch is the centerpiece of the Bosch television program.

With The Safe Man existing under the umbrella of Audible, an Amazon company, there is a direct pipeline to Prime Video.

"Audible has a branch that is kind of like a way of delivering this to Prime, and hopefully they'll be interested in it," Connelly continued. "We'll see how it does on Audible first, and then we'll go from there."

The Safe Man also has the luxury of already existing with a stacked cast. Should a live-action adaptation move forward, Connelly noted it would be "amazing" to bring the likes of Welliver and Quaid back to portray their characters on camera.

"If we could get all these people, it would be pretty amazing," Connelly said. "They're all extremely talented and they're all in-demand people. I kind of scratched my head a little bit at how we got them. I think that was the power of Titus, to tell you the truth, to get some of the people that we got. It was kind of a case of, 'Well, if Titus is doing it, then yeah, I want to be part of that.' That worked for us on this level, and hopefully it would work again on live-action."

The Safe Man is available now on Audible.

While reports seem fairly confident that Cillian Murphy will return to reprise his role as Jim from 28 Days Later in at least one of the upcoming three 28 Years Later sequels, there are few other details about those movies out there so far. The first of them, titled simply 28 Years Later, will reunite Murphy with screenwriter Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle, but we don't know much more about it aside from a handful of cast members and the fact that it will be in theaters in June of next year.

Executive producer Tom Rothman spoke about the project this week, confirming that Murphy will return, and praising the plans for the movie as well as another prestige movie he's producing, Darren Aronofsky's Caught Stealing. He did have a kind of curious way of framing the Murphy return.

Rothman told Deadline that Murphy will return "in a surprising way and in a way that grows," adding, "This is Danny at his best, combined with a very commercial genre, like we had with Edgar Wright and Baby Driver. Sometimes when you put a real signature director into a commercial arena, it elevates it. So we have that Darren Aronofsky's next film with Austin Butler, which is Darren's most commercial entry ever. And he and Austin are very, very fired up about it. It's called Caught Stealing, based on a cool book, an action thriller with a signature director to elevate it."

28 Years Later is set to star Jodie Comer, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Ralph Fiennes. Currently, details about the plot of the film have not been revealed, though the film is described by Sony as a sequel to 28 Days Later.

That film followed Jim (Murphy), a bicycle courier who wakes up from a coma only to find that the accidental release of a highly contagious and aggression-inducing virus has caused a total breakdown of society. The film also starred Naomie Harris, Christopher Eccleston, Megan Burns, and Brendan Gleeson. Well received by both audiences and critics, the film was credited for revitalizing the zombie horror genre and numerous zombie-themed films followed.

28 Days Later got a sequel in 2007 with 28 Weeks Later, following efforts to create a safe zone in London after two young siblings break protocol to find a photograph of their mother and end up reintroducing the Rage Virus to the safe zone in the process. That film starred Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, Imogen Poots, Idris Elba, and others. It was fairly positively received, but not quite the massive success that the first one was.

28 Years Later is set to open in theaters on June 20, 2025.

Dr. Vegapunk has been one of the biggest key players in One Piece's final saga so far. With the Straw Hat Pirates arriving on Future Island, the mad scientist was able to reveal some key secrets regarding the Grand Line. While the former World Government employee was able to reveal the "Great Flood" theory to the world that harkens the Grand Line's doom, there is another theory that has Straw Hat fans thinking that Luffy and company are going to have an atomic problem on their hands.

If you have yet to read the latest chapter of One Piece's manga, Chapter 1114, be forewarned that we'll be diving into serious spoiler territory. The "Great Flood" refers to the idea that the Grand Line is sinking under the sea, a fact that was confirmed by Vegapunk before his demise at the hands of the Five Elders. While the scientist did extensive experiments on Devil Fruit, he was also responsible for more than a few aspects of the World Government's reign. First introduced in One Piece's 1060th manga chapter, the "Mother Flame" is one of Vegapunk's greatest creations, as the former military employee created an energy source. Unfortunately, this very same energy might prove to be a problem for Luffy and his crew.

The Mother Flame is Atomic

As this new theory documents, Vegapunk's Mother Flame might just be atomic in nature. On the power plant that powers Future Island, the symbol "A&Mu" is displayed, which can be another way of saying "atom" in Japan. If atomic weapons and items are introduced to One Piece's final saga, the challenges facing the Straw Hats will be like nothing they've seen before.

The letters A&MU are stamped on the machine. Considering that *&* is pronounced "to ?" in Japanese, the letters can be pronounced ATOMU ???, meaning atom. Ancient weapons seem to be based on nuclear weapons.? #ONEPIECE1114 pic.twitter.com/DIIBMUNRhf

-- sandman (@sandman_AP) May 12, 2024

While this might be the final saga for the Straw Hats, that doesn't mean that One Piece is ending any time soon. As Straw Hat Pirate fans have seen in the past, storylines can often continue for quite a few years, meaning that we could still have years of stories before Luffy is able to become the King of the Pirates.

Do you want to see the Mother Flame will be another big threat that Luffy has to tackle in One Piece's final saga? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates on the Grand Line and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Straw Hat Pirates.

As the live-action Spider-Man franchise is leased to Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures has built its own spider-based cinematic universe centered around one of Peter Parker's greatest adversaries: Venom. The multi-decade idea eventually came to fruition in 2018 with Tom Hardy in the titular role. Venom (2018) crushed at the box office, bringing in $856 million on a $100 million budget. This was enough to fast track a sequel, as Venom: Let There Be Carnage commenced production roughly one year after the first film was released. Despite some pandemic obstacles, Venom: Let There Be Carnage released in Fall 2021 and raked in half a billion dollars.

With back to back hits on its hands, Sony Pictures gave the green light for a third Venom film. Hardy was confirmed to be back in the leading role while Juno Temple (Ted Lasso) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (Doctor Strange) joined the cast in undisclosed roles. Filming began in June 2023 and wrapped earlier this spring, as the SAG-AFTRA strike last summer delayed planned production in the remaining 2023 months.

Venom: The Last Dance Ends Tom Hardy's Franchise

Eddie Brock is riding off into the sunset this October.

Speaking to Deadline, Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman Tom Rothman confirmed that Venom: The Last Dance is the franchise's "third and last" installment.

"[It] is going to be huge," Rothman teased.

All involved in Venom: The Last Dance are looking to go out with a bang. The threequel has Kelly Marcel in the director's chair, making her feature film directorial debut. While this role is new to Marcel, the Venom franchise is not. She previously worked on the scripts for Venom (2018) as well as Venom: Let There Be Carnage and is also penning The Last Dance's screenplay.

"Tom and I have had a long collaborative history with each other. We love each other and love working with each other. Both of us are passionate about the Venom franchise," Marcel said in a prior interview. "It's just really a joy for us to be able to get to do this third one together. I can't really tease you anything about it other than it's going to be amazing. Tom and I genuinely just have a blast with each other whenever we get to work together. There's a lot of laughing that happens."

Venom: The Last Dance hits theaters on October 25th.

Young Woman and the Sea had its premiere last night, and the new film sees Daisy Ridley playing accomplished swimmer, Gertrude Ederle. Naturally, Ridley couldn't walk the red carpet without getting some questions about her upcoming return to Star Wars. It was announced last year that she would be getting her own solo film as Rey, the character she first played in Star Wars: The Force Awakens in 2015. During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ridley was asked if she'd like to reunite with her Star Wars sequels co-star, John Boyega, who played Finn.

"Absolutely, of course," Ridley said when asked if she'd like Boyega to be a part of her upcoming Star Wars project. "It feels like we should, yeah."

Earlier this year, Ridley addressed other sequel stars popping up in the Rey movie during an interview with Variety.

"No, because I don't know what is what or who is who [in the new movie]," Ridley explained when asked if it will be weird to make a Star Wars without Boyega, Adam Driver (Ben Solo/Kylo Ren), or Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron). "So much has happened for me [since the Skywalker saga]. I feel like a grown-up now. When I first started, I was, like, 20. I was the youngest on set. It took me the first two Star Wars films to feel worthy of being there. Now I'm in my 30s. The whole thing feels quite different. I've been able to work with other filmmakers, and hopefully, I've got better as a performer."

What Is Young Woman and the Sea About?

You can read a descirption of the film here: "Young Woman and the Sea tells the story of Gertrude Ederle, the accomplished swimmer who was born to immigrant parents in New York City in 1905. Through the steadfast support of her older sister and supportive trainers, she overcame adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete the staggering achievement - a 21-mile trek from France to England."

"Young Woman and the Sea is directed by Joachim R?nning, with a script from Jeff Nathanson. The film is produced by Top Gun producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who acquired the rights to Stout's book back in 2015. In addition to Ridley, the cast of Young Woman and the Sea includes Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Stephen Graham, Kim Bodnia, Christopher Eccleston, and Glenn Fleshler."

Young Woman and the Sea will receive a limited theatrical release by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures starting May 31st.

On May 16th, the Epic Games Store kicked off its year Mega Sale. This month-long sale features deep discounts on tons of great games like Alan Wake 2, Grand Theft Auto 5, and Cyberpunk 2077. The EGS also runs a 5% back program for Rewards during the event, making it a great time to pick up several new games. On top of all that, Epic loves to bring out the big guns for its weekly free mystery games during the Mega Sale. The first one in the rotation is Dragon Age: Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition. Today, a prominent started to tease what's coming next week and fans might've already cracked it.

Next Mystery Game From Epic Games Store

This teaser leak comes from billbil-kun on Twitter who has correctly leaked previous mystery games (including Dragon Age). They've also successfully leaked several other games for the French website Dealabs. That said, you should still take this with a grain of salt. No leaker has a perfect track record and Epic Games can always move plans around for various reasons.

Either way, the new teaser features what looks like a screenshot from the mystery game at the very top. Fans have been putting forward different guesses based on that and the other hints, but the consensus seems to be that Insurmountable will be the next free mystery game. Of course, those guesses could be incorrect. Regardless, the leaker should confirm it one way or the other in the next few days.

What is Insurmountable?

If Insurmountable is indeed the next free game, you'll want to know what the game is, if you don't already. The game description on the Epic Games Store says, "Insurmountable is an adventure roguelike with permadeath, in which the player has to overcome huge mountains. Thanks to the procedurally created environment, no two climbs are the same. Make sure that your climber stays alive by always making sure that your vital values don't get into the critical range.

This task is made more difficult by a dynamic weather system, day/night changes, and a multitude of randomly generated events, where you never know in advance how they will end. Your decisions matter....every single one. Because anyone could be your last."

Whether or not Insurmountable is the next free game or not, the second mystery game of the sale is set to unlock on May 23rd. That's also when Dragon Age: Inquisition will rotate out, so be sure to pick it up before it goes away for good. And remember the Mega Sale runs through June 13th, giving you plenty of time to browse the sale and pick out your favorites.

The Lonely Island, the fan-favorite musical comedy trio made up of Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone, and Akiva Schaffer, is set to get back into the recording studio soon. Speaking with ComicBook in support of Knuckles, Taccone (who directed episode four of the series) promised that the dream of new music from The Lonely Island is set to come true soon. He added that their recent tour was such a thrill, that there's always plans for more music...even if it takes years between studio releases.

Founded in 2001, The Lonely Island is best known for their viral music videos "We're On a Boat" and "I Threw it on the Ground." In 2016, the band made the film Pop Star: Never Stop Never Stopping. Friends since middle school, the trio have worked with Saturday Night Live and also made the film Hot Rod together (although that one doesn't have a musical focus).

"No, that's not a dream. I don't know what I'm allowed to talk about, but...that's always the thing for us," Taccone told ComicBook. "We will continue to make music in the future. And honestly, I don't know if you got to see our tour, but that was one of the most fun experiences that I've had."

The band's discography includes the Popstar soundtrack as well as four full studio albums: Incredibad (2009), Turtleneck & Chain (2011), The Wack Album (2013), and The Unauthorized Bash Brothers Experience (2019). They have also collaborated on TV shows and specials including Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special, Party Over Here, PEN15, and Alone Together.

In Knuckles, which takes place between the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Knuckles the Echidna teaches deputy Wade Whipple the techniques of the Echidna warrior.

While Knuckles is a Paramount+ exclusive, there are other ways that viewers can check out the series. The official Paramount+ YouTube channel has made the first episode of the series available to watch for free online, without a paid subscription. That video has already gotten more than 400,000 views since it was put up a few days ago, so it seems like a lot of people are taking advantage. All six episodes of the series will also be released on Blu-Ray at some point. A release date has not been announced, but pre-orders have already started through Amazon and other retailers.

After delivering three massively successful Spider-Man films, director Sam Raimi returned to his horror roots in 2009 for Drag Me to Hell, an intense and unrelenting experience that includes a grim final scene. Star of the movie Alison Lohman has largely left Hollywood behind in the years since the film's release, and despite not being particularly active on social media, she recently responded to a post on Twitter from last November in which Netflix claimed that the movie, which ends with her character's death, had the "perfect ending." While many users were happy to support such a claim, she was one of the detractors.

While resharing the Twitter post, Lohman hilariously added, "Strongly disagree."

In the film, Lohman's character Christine finds herself tasked with making a difficult decision of either approving a loan for an elderly woman to keep her house or reject her for the loan, which could result in her getting a promotion at work. The old woman lashes out and curses Christine, claiming she will be dragged down to Hell in three days. Even though Christine believes she resolved the curse, the final moments show her first falling onto a set of train tracks before the ground opens up and sucks her into Hell.

Raimi made a name for himself with his Evil Dead horror movies, which proved his storytelling capabilities despite working with minuscule budgets. After bringing Peter Parker to life with resounding success, Drag Me to Hell allowed him to offer up his signature style in the realm of horror while also having the financial support to fully realize his vision with minimal restrictions.

Despite not being a major financial success when it was released, the movie has earned a passionate following over the years, leading fans to wonder if we could ever get a sequel.

"The team at Ghost House Pictures: Romel Adam and Jose Canas, are trying to come up with a story that would work and I'm anxious to hear if they do!" Raimi shared last year during a Q&A.

Lohman's costar Justin Long, whose character is left watching Christine die, also addressed a possible sequel previously.

"It's funny you say that because I remember leaving the screening when I first saw the movie and my manager, who was kind of like Jeremy Piven's character in Entourage a little bit, he had that energy, he was like, beaming, and I thought it was maybe just because the movie, because I was excited because I was like, 'Holy sh-t, this movie's so good,' and he goes, 'Sequel, baby! Gonna be a sequel!'" Long joked with ComicBook back in 2019. "I think he was seeing the potential for, I don't know what, dollar signs maybe, so it was the first and really only time I thought about [a sequel]. And I think maybe Sam, I think we talked about it, like, setting you up for it. And I wonder, I always wonder if the movie had performed better would that have happened. But I never paid it that much more thought than that. So I certainly didn't think about what the character, I never gave it that much thought aside from obviously it would be cool to do."

Stay tuned for possible updates on a Drag Me to Hell sequel.

What do you think of Lohman's remarks? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

My Hero Academia's anime and manga might be in the throes of the franchise's final arc, but the shonen series is planning to hit the silver screen once again. Arriving this August, My Hero Academia: You're Next will see the students of Class 1-A taking on a new threat that has an eerily similar appearance. The fourth film of the franchise is touting its big villain, Dark Might, as a sinister doppelganger to the former Symbol of Peace and the new movie has a handful of images to share.

In 2020, rumors were circulating that My Hero Academia could have as many as ten films to its name. Of course, during that year, the end of the franchise seemed so far away that this number of movies seemed possible. As Kohei Horikoshi is neck deep in the final battle in the pages of My Hero Academia's manga, the anime is playing catch-up at a rapid pace with the arrival of its seventh season. Thanks to the events of the source material, the eighth anime season is most likely the show's last, which places a giant question mark on how many more movies the shonen franchise will have in the tank.

My Hero Academia: You're Next Preview Images

The next film in the shonen series will hit Japan on August 2nd this summer, though a North American release date has yet to be revealed. In the past, the previous three My Hero Academia films, My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising, and My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission, arrived in the West, which gives the upcoming film a good chance of doing the same.

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As of the writing of this article, little is known about the mysterious "Dark Might" outside of looking like the spitting image of All Might. What is also not known is when this movie will take place in My Hero Academia's timeline, as it might just come out when the fight against Shigaraki and All For One has ended. As the end approaches for the franchise, many UA Academy enthusiasts are wondering if the movies might act as a way for the story of the young superheroes to continue past the manga's grand finale.

Want to see if My Hero Academia ends up netting ten movies when all is said and done? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest updates and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of UA Academy.

Bridgerton's creative team already knows who the feaured leads of Season 4 are going to be. Season 3 Part 1 is finally streaming on Netflix and centering Penelope and Colin's story. But, Bridgerton series author Julia Quinn knows fans are hungry to know what's coming next. She talked to People Magazine about the next couple in line. She can't let that secret go at the moment. "I can't say a word, I'll get in so much trouble," Quinn teased. "I do know, but I can't say yes." Still, the fact that some of the people surrounding the show already have a clear plan for what's coming next has to excite all the ravenous Bridgerton fans. Will it be Benedict? Eloise perhaps? Those have been popular fan picks. But, the audience is being left in suspense.

Last week, someone asked showrunner Jess Brownell the exact same question. She wasn't going to let TV Insider know anything either. When asked about the next feature hero and heroine, the Bridgerton showrunner was mostly amused. She admired the attempt to get her to spill the beans. But, Brownell would tease that the end of the season would provide viewers immediate clarity when it came to the road ahead after Season 3.

"That's a good question. You have asked this question in a very crafty way because you just asked me what Season 4 is going to be. I won't give you anything, but I do think that there are some clues at the end of Season 3 of where we're headed," Brownell smiled during their interview. "So yeah, I leave that to fans to pick apart, but I think we're tipping our hand just a little bit."

Who Will Be The Romantic Leads For Bridgerton Season 4?

As Season 3 pauses for about a month, to let us all collect ourselves, the theorizing has already ramped up online. Claudia Jessie already spoke to Digital Spy about Eloise's place in Bridgerton Season 3. She knows fans want the answers about Season 4 right now, but the younger Bridgerton isn't going to let anything slip at the moment either. Jessie gave credit to all the previous protagonists before assuring the viewers that whatever comes next will be buoyed by how well each character was portrayed.

"If ever that happens, I've had a good old run up," Jessie said before taking us on a trip down memory lane. "So I feel like it's the people that have come before that have shown us all how to do it. Phoebe [Dynevor] took it on really beautifully. She did such an incredible job kicking off this show. And Johnny [Jonathan Bailey] and Simone [Ashley] and obviously Reg? [Reg?-Jean Page] from season one as well and then Nicola [Coughlan] and Luke [Newton]."

"More than anything as well, this show is an ensemble piece filled with so many people," the actress observed. "So I really feel like each season everyone gets an opportunity to shine anyway. But yeah, I feel grateful for the run-up really, but I won't tell you anything. Because I don't know. I don't actually know the answer."

Who would be your pick for the romantic lead of Bridgerton Season 4? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!