Star Trek is bringing its classic movies back to theaters this year, but that's just an appetizer to the brand new film that's on the way. Jonathan Goldstein and John Frances Daly are deep into making a new movie unlike anything fans have seen, and while some may be concerned by that, they think fans will be "surprised" by their take.

CinemaBlend had a chance to speak to the duo at San Diego Comic-Con, and after they publicly shared some details on the movie during a panel at the event, they gave us just a bit more. To start, Goldstein revealed his credentials for writing a Star Trek movie and talked about geeking out at the con after a chance encounter with an icon:

Meeting George Takei is quite an honor, especially if you're someone who grew up with an appreciation for the original Star Trek. I also appreciate the love of The Next Generation, especially since its best episodes represent the gold standard that Trekkies expect when watching other content.

The filmmakers were quick to acknowledge, however, that TOS and TNG don't account for the entirety of Star Trek. Goldstein explained their job is to make something that both pays homage to every Trek series available with a Paramount+ subscription while still coming up with an entirely new premise fans haven't seen before:

It's a bold gambit, and one that Star Trek has only embraced in part in its new era. Even Star Trek: Discovery, which took the franchise further into the future than it had ever been previously, originally started back in the TOS era. Namely with Burnham being the adoptive sister of one of Trek's best characters, Spock.

I do believe that the best way to bring in new fans while catering to the existing fan base is to re-introduce Star Trek with new characters. I think we've seen by now that bringing in ties to previous entries makes a general audience apprehensive about tuning in, as there's history and background they're missing.

There's a lot riding on John Frances Daly and Jonathan Goldstein's Star Trek movie, as it'll be the first new feature film to hit theaters for the franchise in over a decade. I'm sure that Paramount would like to get one of its biggest sci-fi IPs off the ground again, and in a position where it can churn out movies at a bigger clip in the future.

While we wait for the new Star Trek movie, keep in mind that there's plenty of Trek waiting for readers over on Paramount+. Strange New Worlds is airing Season 4 at the moment, and if you're looking to see Rebecca Romijn sing 80s power ballads in Klingon, you should totally check it out.

I love hearing from authors about the choices they've made about their characters, particularly when it has to do with a book or series I love. In the case of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Matt Dinniman recently spoke about why he chose the Coast Guard for Carl's military background, and his reasoning reflects a bit of his real-life experience.

Among the topics that came up at the Audible: Goddamnit, Donut: A Totally Professional Panel with Matt Dinniman and Jeff Hays panel at San Diego Comic-Con was why Carl was in the Coast Guard rather than some other military branch. As it happens, Dinniman has encountered quite a few people from the Coast Guard in the Pacific Northwest part of the U.S, and as he pointed out, we don't see many service members from that branch in fiction:

It's definitely nice to see the U.S. Coast Guard get some prominent representation here in the form of Dungeon Crawler Carl's main character. But from what Dinniman went on to say, it sounds like it was also about the toughness of these soldiers, which he wanted as part of Carl's character:

(The pun about coasting through life was absolutely acknowledged during the panel.) I do think Carl being a bit aimless was a great starting point for a character who's about to embark on a wild and chaotic ride. And as Dinniman pointed out, he's a blank slate:

In terms of pairing a former Coast Guard soldier with a cat, Dinniman's reasoning for that also came from his personal experience -- not just with cats, but with cat shows in particular:

Ok, this was something I've been meaning to look into, because I'd heard Dinniman's background involved cat shows, and I needed more information. In an interview he did with Audible in 2025, Dinniman talked about traveling around, attending cat shows where he would draw portraits of people's cats to make money. In the same interview, he noted that he'd once been stared down by a Persian cat the entire time he was there, which prompted him to plan to include a cat in something he wrote someday. I wish I could meet that cat. I bet he or she knew exactly what they were doing with that stare.

As we wait for the next (two!) Dungeon Crawler Carl books and news about the DCC TV show that's in the works, I love learning little tidbits about Matt Dinniman's characters (like how he decided to keep Carl and Donut together) and the world he created.

There are mild spoilers for Reacher Season 4 and the book it's based on in this story. You’ll be able to stream the series with an Amazon Prime subscription on August 12.

When Alan Ritchson was asked to explain what the “high octane” fourth season of Reacher was about at San Diego Comic-Con, he did warn that he was going to “spoil [it] in five seconds.” However, he also rightfully noted that this is a show based on books. So, the following information was fair game to share, and honestly, it made me even more excited for this book-to-screen adaptation.

Season 4 of Reacher is based on Lee Child’s Gone Tomorrow, which will follow Jack Reacher as he dives into a major conspiracy after witnessing a woman shoot herself on the subway (which is implied in Season 4’s trailer). During this mission, he’ll get twisted with someone named Lila, and according to Ritchson, this relationship will get spicy:

Sleeping with the enemy usually does not turn out well…and according to Alan Ritchson, that’s what makes this season so fun. He also noted that this is a very different situation for Reacher to be in. Explaining why he’s excited for this storyline, the actor said:

Thankfully, the moderator followed up by asking if Reacher catches feelings this season. While Ritchson did confirm his character sleeps with the enemy, he wouldn’t give the most direct answer about Reacher’s true feelings, as he said:

Well, now I really can’t wait for Reacher to return on the 2026 TV schedule. Alan Ritchson had already said Season 4 was their best yet, and this twist in the plot makes me believe that statement even more.

I love a good villain, especially a female villain, and I love that she’ll challenge Reacher in a new way. Plus, we’ll get a pinch of romance too, which is always a welcome addition (even if it ends terribly for everyone).

Now, to see where things go from here, you can catch the Season 4 premiere of Reacher on August 12 on Amazon Prime.

Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons movie wasn’t a box office win, but it was a blast of a movie from its talented filmmakers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Three years later, their latest movie is here, and according to them, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds had a lot to do with getting it off the ground.

CinemaBlend had the chance to talk to the writer/director duo at San Diego Comic -Con. There, we caught up with Goldstein and Daley about how their Apple TV movie Mayday, starring Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, came to be. Per Daley:

Mayday has already been described as “Top Gun meets Misery” – since it follows a 1980s-era U.S. Air Force pilot who crashlands in the Russian wilderness. He then gets saved by an ex-KGB agent who’s got a thing for American culture, and they end up buddying up. As Daley shared with us, they weren’t sure the idea would be sellable on its own. But with Ryan Reynolds on board, they thought it might. As he added:

Daley and Goldstein have been known to turn what is expected out of their movies on their heads. They made Spider-Man: Homecoming a different kind of Marvel movie, Game Night a refreshing ensemble comedy and Dungeons & Dragons was an especially clever popcorn adventure. Mayday is no exception. The movie may look like an action-comedy on the face, but it’s actually a lot more heartwarming than one might expect. Reynolds and Branagh are a match out of left field, and that’s part of why them being in a two-hander might actually work so well.

I know when I saw it I thought it was going to go one direction, and ended up going in the other. And as far as Ryan Reynolds’ successful movie star career has gone, I found it to be a nice change of pace for the actor. As Daley added:

These are all really solid reference films, if you ask me. You can check out the Mayday trailer below:

Mayday is on the 2026 movie schedule for those with an Apple TV subscription. The movie will start streaming on September 4. Elsewhere, Goldstein and Daley are currently writing the next Star Trek film, they have written a Dungeons & Dragons sequel and are helming an action/thriller called Renegades.

While they might have left-field ideas, they always make them work in really exciting ways, and we can’t wait to continue to follow their career.

All great book series have to end sooner or later. Some end much later than others, but in the case of Dungeon Crawler Carl, as the series continues to rise to massive heights of popularity, author Matt Dinniman is plotting what's coming in what's expected to be the final two books... which he says he's writing as one book, though it'll be released as two. Explaining that was among the things Matt Dinniman contributed to the panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July.

CinemaBlend attended the Audible: Goddamnit, Donut: A Totally Professional Panel with Matt Dinniman and Jeff Hays at SDCC, where Dinniman was asked about the title of Book 9. It does have a working title (more on that in a minute), but at the panel, he explained the multiple book situation, which makes titling it a bit more complicated.

Dinniman went on to explain the usual structure of the first eight books in the series, in terms of each of them having a beginning, middle and end. However, since he's writing Books 9 and 10 as one book -- but releasing them separately -- it sounds like we're going to be left waiting for that "end" when Book 9 wraps up.

I mean, at least we've been warned? When a book is announced to be split into parts, I usually assume that it has to do with the length -- A Court of Thorns and Roses fans are experiencing something like that with Sarah J. Maas' upcoming Books 6 and 7. The length may also be a factor with the decision to split the ninth entry into Books 9-10 (Dinniman didn't get into the length of them), however, it sounds like leaving us on the figurative edge of a cliff at the end of Book 9 is, if not the reason for the split, then perk of it... At least, based on the pleased way Dinniman spoke about tormenting us.

Whatever the reason, I blame Matt Dinniman here, but it's hard to stay mad at the man who gave us Carl and Donut (and thankfully kept them teamed up).

Where Things Pick Up In Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 9

Speaking of Book 9... Just before SDCC, Matt Dinniman did an interview with Maude Garrett at LitRPG where he talked about the final books, including confirming that the working title is The Beautiful Place. As he told Maude, he hasn't decided how he wants to officially title the final books. He did talk a bit about the world opening up quite a bit as things pick up in Book 9. If you're not caught through A Parade of Horribles, spoiler alert! 🛑 I'm about to mention stuff Dinniman said about Book 9 that you might not want to hear.

Dinniman shared some details during his 1:1 interview with Maude Garrett about where things pick up for Carl:

Dinniman talked about how it's almost like starting a brand new series, but one challenge he mentioned was all of the Chekhov's guns he has, which are yet to be fired. He says he has to fire every single one over the next two books, which sounds... chaotic, especially when we consider the stuff in Carl and Donut's inventory alone. It also sounds like the kind of chaos that fuels this series, so I'm sure Dinniman will find the right sequence of events to tie up all of those loose ends.

About The Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 9 Release Date

In the meantime, we have two more Dungeon Crawler Carl books to look forward to in the future. Dinniman confirmed at SDCC that there's no release date set for Book 9 yet. He did reference the timeline for writing the book when talking to Variety at Comic-Con in July 2026. He was asked if the plan was to finish the books before the show comes out, to which he responded.

I'm sure it varies, but I think it can take months or longer between when a writer finishes a book and when it actually hits shelves, factoring in the back and forth process of editing and revisions. However, Matt Dinniman self-publishes his books, so it's possible the timeline works differently for this series. In other words, I don't want to get my hopes up and speculate that Book 9 will be in our hands at some point in 2027 until he says that's what's happening. We'll have to wait for more updates on that front.

In the meantime, he's also working on another book, which sounds like a hoot.

He's Also Working On A Cozy Horror Story About A Petting Zoo, Because Of Course He Is

Matt Dinniman is also working on a non-DCC book (he talks about that in the Maude interview) and describes it as a violent cozy fantasy set at a petting zoo. Oh my screaming-Prepotente I can't wait for that!

This won't be the first time he had a stand-alone story drop. In 2026, in addition to publishing A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 8), he released the stand-alone book, Operation Bounce House. It's a wild ride, but I doubt anyone who loves DCC would expect less from anything Dinniman writes at this point. If you're concerned about the upcoming petting zoo story detouring him from finishing the Dungeon Crawler Carl books, worry not, as he assured fans, 90% of his time is going toward wrapping up the series.

As sad as it is that we're talking about the conclusion of such a fun series, we do have the Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show to look forward to, and all of the updates about the cast (including Jeff Hays voicing Donut) and production in between!

Remember Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves? While the 2023 film may have flopped at the box office, it has found a solid second life by way of streaming over the past few years. Since its filmmakers, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, have their follow-up on the 2026 movie schedule, I had to ask about a potential sequel. And I was surprised to find out that there’s already a script for it! So, what’s the hold up?

Goldstein and Daley’s newest movie is the Ryan Reynolds-led action comedy, Mayday, which will be streamable with an Apple TV subscription starting September 4. In between chatting with the pair of filmmakers about the movie at San Diego Comic-Con, Goldstein had this to say about Dungeons & Dragons 2:

Honor Among Thieves -- starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant -- may have been well liked by critics and audiences alike. But the truth of it is that it only made around $208 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $150 million. That’s certainly not enough money for Paramount to have made a profit. However, Goldstein and Daley were still inspired to write the next installment. Now, I can’t help but wonder about it.

While the pair's D&D movie didn’t do so well in theaters, the 2023 movie has since done well for itself on streaming services like Netflix and Paramount+. That same year, there was talk about a sequel, specifically in regard to figuring out “a way to make it for less”. Pine even suggested there was “a really good chance” they’d make another one in 2024. When I asked Goldstein why fans shouldn’t hold their breath for another, he elaborated with these words:

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the already-written Dungeons & Dragons sequel ever gets a chance. In the meantime, Goldstein and Daley's Mayday trailer suggests its going to be a another fun film from this underrated duo. So far, it's been likened to Top Gun meets Misery. Check out the trailer below:

In addition to Mayday, the writer/directors talked to me about how they're currently writing their Star Trek movie for Paramount. It was also just announced (per THR), that they're producing a Bollywood-focused musical for the same studio. They also signed up to make another action thriller called Renegades.

Since Goldstein and Daley are so busy, I’m not sure where a D&D sequel would even in. But, given that I now know the sequel exists on the page, I’m not giving up hope. Check out Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves now using a Paramount+ subscription.

The original Spaceballs is nearly 40 years old, and yet the brilliance of Mel Brooks continues to shine through, inspiring generation after generation. All these years later, it has even inspired a sequel, spearheaded and co-written by Josh Gad. It’s called Spaceballs: The New One, and it’s going to hit theaters next April as part of the 2027 movie schedule. And, apparently, it was an even younger generation, represented by Gad’s daughter, that inspired the actor and comedian to approach Brooks and pitch the sequel.

The Spaceballs Joke That Set Things Off

At the recent celebration of all things Spaceballs in Hall H at San Diego Comic Con last week, Gad explained how he began to formulate the idea for the movie, which started with a comment from his daughter. According to Gad at SDCC, he was talking about doing another sequel with a Spaceballs alum, Rick Moranis, and showed his daughter the irreverent sci-fi spoof, as they watched Moranis' filmography together. He recalled (via People):

Speaking for myself, I love Spaceballs. It’s near the top of my list of best Mel Brooks movies, but Honey, I Shrunk the Kids is a movie I never connected with, so this is all headed in the right direction. As for Spaceballs, if you remember, there is a joke at the end of the original when Brooks' character Yogurt says to Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) that they all might be reunited in "Spaceballs 2: The Search for More Money." That sparked an idea from Gad's daughter. He explained:

The young Gad has a point, why isn’t there a Part Two, after all, Brooks joked about it, right? Well, there is now, and that’s thanks to Gad doing something that many in the industry would likely be intimidated to do, he approached the legendary Brooks with an idea. According to Gad:

The idea of taking on a sequel for one of the most beloved movies of a generation decades after the original takes serious cajones. Getting Rick Moranis, who has been basically retired from Hollywood for almost three decades himself, to join the cast only adds to the almost mythical tinge that Spaceballs: The New One has taken on. Like it or not, there is huge pressure to create something worthy of both of these monumental events.

For me personally, I’m confident that the writers and cast are going to live up to the hype, given what I’ve seen and read, so to them, I say, “May the Schwartz be with you all,” and the search for more money will be a fruitful one. In the meantime, I’m going to fire up my MGM+ add-on to my Prime Video subscription and watch the original. Again.

DC co-CEO James Gunn has methodically been releasing new content, both in theaters and streaming with a HBO Max subscription. While there are upcoming DC movies to look forward to, we're just weeks away from the premiere of Lanterns on HBO. Aaron Pierre will play the iconic Green Lantern John Stewart, although it turned out that he had a gnarly injury while auditioning to play that role. Let's break it all down.

What we know about Lanterns has been limited, but fans who spent years watching the DC movies in order are hyped to finally see the cosmic heroes return to live-action. While appearing at San Diego Comic-Con (via People) Pierre spoke about the serious injury he was dealing with while competing for his role in the new series. In the actor's words:

Ouch. I can't even imagine what this type of injury would feel or look like, but the idea of one's bicep wandering up to the shoulder is the thing of nightmares. Regardless, that didn't stop Aaron Pierre from showing up to the callbacks and trying his damnest to become a member of the Green Lantern Corps.. Clearly his talent spoke for itself, despite being in a brace.

Pierre told the rest of this story to the crowd at Comic-Con, which had a big reaction to the injury he sustained in the midst of his Lanterns audition. He continued by saying:

Of course, we know how things eventually turned up. The Lanterns trailer showed what Aaron Pierre would look like as John Stewart, although it's gotten some backlash over a lack of powers and green. Still, anticipation for the upcoming series has been steadily building. You can see the actor's comments about his injury below:

It should be fascinating to see how the Green Lantern Corps. is handled in Lanterns, and how the HBO series possibly influences future projects. While we were introduced to Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner in Superman, the show will be able to offer more lore and context about the team of cosmic peacekeepers as a whole.

Lanterns will debut August 16th on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Fingers crossed Aaron Pierre gets to go from TV to the big screen as John Stewart soon.

If I'm going to stay with a series for the long haul, I need to be invested in the characters. In the case of Dungeon Crawler Carl, the long haul is eight books and counting. I'm finally caught up on the series after starting it last year, and fully intend to see it through to the hopefully-not-that-bitter end. A big reason for that has to do with the relationship between Carl and Princess Donut. The man and cat pair have my heart, without question. So to learn that author Matt Dinniman didn't originally plan to keep them together through this chaotic journey kind of floors me! (Mongo is appalled!) It's also an understatement to say that I'm relieved he saw what he had in this dynamic duo and kept them paired.

CinemaBlend attended the aptly titled "Audible: Goddamnit, Donut: A Totally Professional Panel with Matt Dinniman and Jeff Hays" at Comic-Con in San Diego this month, and in addition to being treated to a live demonstration of Jeff Hays' incredible talent as narrator of the audiobooks for the series, attendees got to hear Matt Dinniman share some insights about writing the book, including what he originally had in mind for Carl's ex-girlfriend's cat Donut.

From what Dinniman said, when asked about Carl and Donut, he initially planned to have them separate pretty early on in the story:

Funny, I have no doubt, but it also would've been a very different series. There are certainly characters who come in and out of the story throughout the DCC books, but Carl and Donut are almost always together.

Dinniman went on to explain his choice not to have them go their separate ways:

If your memory of the first book is rusty, it isn't long after Donut completes her transformation and is able to speak that Carl decides it might be better for the two of them to go their separate ways. At this early point in the story, she'd changed his title to Royal Bodyguard, referred to him as her "manservant," and berated him for not wearing pants. Now that she wasn't quite as helpless as she seemed pre-transformation, Carl was ready to sever ties. Then Donut humbled herself enough to admit she needed him and didn't want to do this alone, which changed his mind. We all know deep down Carl's a softie for Donut.

I wouldn't say that Princess Donut never talked down to Carl again after that, but their relationship certainly did soften a bit as more trust was established. Despite their differing personalities and often different approaches to surviving the Dungeon, Carl and Donut really are a compatible duo. As I said, it's their connection that is one of the reasons I'm so invested in the series.

Naturally, I'm relieved Matt Dinniman saw the value in keeping them together, rather than making Donut more of a supporting character in the story. I love hearing authors discuss the choices they made in their stories, especially as it relates to the characters and what they learn about them throughout the writing process.

I'm excited to see how Princess Donut is brought to life on the small screen when the Dungeon Crawler Carl TV show arrives for those of us with a Peacock subscription. We know that Jeff Hays will reprise voicing the character for the book-to-screen adaptation (no word on if he'll voice any other characters yet!). Of course, we're still waiting for word on who will play Carl. I have to wonder what the list looks like for possible options. As long as whoever he is has the kind of chemistry we know and love between Carl and Donut on the page, I'll be happy.

The 2026 TV schedule will soon mark the arrival of Lanterns, the latest DC show, and I can’t wait! Co-created by Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy and Tom King, the show will usher Aaron Pierre’s John Stewart into the continuity as he’s trained by Kyle Chandler’s rumpled and jaded Hal Jordan. Also featured on the show is Nathan Fillion, who reprises his role as Guy Gardner from other DCU-set productions. Fillion was pleased to be involved, but he also had a funny take on seeing his colleagues get into character.

Considering how “eclectic” this version of Gardner is, I would’ve thought Nathan Fillion would have some unconventional ways of getting into Guy’s bowl cut-covered mind. The seasoned actor was seemingly thrown for a bit of a loop by his co-stars’ preparation, though. Fillion appeared alongside the cast and producing team during the show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, where CinemaBlend was present. He recalled his amazement at seeing how quickly his scene partners could turn their roles on and off, so to speak:

Even though Fillion’s been around plenty of actors over the course of his career, I can understand him being a bit surprised by how his castmates operate. I can’t even imagine the kind of whiplash a person might feel due to actors quickly snapping into their characters and snapping out of them. The mere thought of Kyle Chandler seriously acting as though he’s trying to threaten me with a powerful ring and then suddenly asking me to join him for lunch is both funny and daunting.

What Fillion’s comments drive home, though, is that the actors have really committed to their characters, which could bode well for Lanterns. Also, considering the seemingly tense nature of the series, it makes sense that everyone would “brood a little bit.” The relationship between John (a war veteran) and Hal alone seems to be uncomfortable at times, and Hal also has an “intense and intimate” history with Sinestro, his former mentor. So some of these characters will have some serious baggage at the onset of the show.

The Lanterns trailers, however, have yet to provide a clear picture of what this series is actually about. I’ve been getting True Detective vibes, but John and Hal’s mission isn’t clear, and I still have questions about how some of the supporting characters – played by the likes of Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt and Laura Linney – factor into the proceedings. Still, that doesn’t extinguish any of my hype.

As part of that, I’m particularly curious to see how the humorously inappropriate Gardner fits into a more serious DCU story like the one this Green Lantern show is apparently telling. I’m confident that Nathan Fillion gives another entertaining performance that helps to further develop Guy. Also, I’m glad Fillion enjoyed his time on set, and I can’t imagine he’ll forget seeing his co-stars jump into character so quickly.

Lanterns is set to premiere on August 16, and episodes will be streamable with an HBO Max subscription.

We know Jack Reacher will appear on Neagley when the spinoff premieres on the 2026 TV schedule. However, that got me wondering: Will we ever see Neagley’s characters on Reacher? Well, thankfully, we got to ask the cast of this new show that question.

When Neagley premieres, not only will we get to see Maria Sten’s titular character back in action, we’ll also get to see her with a whole new cast of characters. Notably, this show will be different than Reacher, because it will follow the same set of people if it gets to go on (which could make it a bit deeper than the flagship series). So, when CinemaBlend’s Sarah El-Mahmoud asked Greyston Holt about the potential for crossover during an interview at San Diego Comic-Con, he made a good point about how this new project stands on its own:

In Neagley, Holt plays Detective Hudson Riley. He’ll work closely with the titular character, and I’m really looking forward to seeing their dynamic. So, obviously, I’d also like to see how he fits into the greater world of Reacher.

Meanwhile, Jasper Jones will play Keno in Neagley. We don’t know much about his character yet. However, we do know he’d be down to crossover with Reacher, as he told us at Comic-Con:

I also think it would be fun to see the creative teams flex their muscles a bit to get a crossover going. While we’ve seen Neagley a lot on Reacher, and we know Alan Ritchson’s character will appear in the new spinoff, it’d be interesting to see how Neagley’s other stars interact with the different world of Jack Reacher. So, in the words of Jasper Jones:

I see Holt’s point about the two shows being different worlds, and I get that Reacher’s whole thing is that it bounces around and features a new cast with every book-to-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s novels.

However, I still think it’d be entertaining to see Hudson Riley or Keno pop up in the world Alan Ritchson’s character runs. If Neagley does go on for multiple seasons, and these two guys become vital characters in her world, obviously, I think it’d be awesome to see how they fare over on the show that started it all.

For now, however, they’ll be sticking to Neagley. But have no fear, you’ll still get some crossover because Alan Ritchson is set to appear in the spinoff. So, make sure you have your Amazon Prime subscription ready, because Reacher will begin airing Season 4 on August 12, and it will be followed by Neagley’s series premiere on September 16.

By the time Dark Matter Season 2 becomes available to stream for those of us with an Apple TV subscription, it'll be more than two years since Season 1 wrapped up. Normally, I'd gripe a bit about the gap, but sci-fi series like this one are few and far between (especially ones that aren't canceled too soon). While I've had every intention of watching Season 2 of Dark Matter when it premieres on August 28, I didn't realize I needed a refresher of why I love this show or why I'm excited for Season 2 until I got one.

It came in the form of a trailer and the cast and writers gathering for Comic-Con in San Diego, which CinemaBlend attended earlier this month. Between what was revealed and what was said, there's one particular thing I'm really excited to see explored this season.

Other Characters Encountering Different Versions Of Themselves

Season 1 of Dark Matter featured multiple Jason Dessens, and watching Joel Edgerton's characters interact with one another at times throughout the season was one of the most fascinating things about the series. Based on what we glimpse in the Season 2 trailer and what was said at the SDCC panel, we're in for more of that in Season 2, and it won't just be Jason who has to deal with the undoubtedly surreal experience of staring into another version of themselves. Here's what Blake Crouch said:

A big reason why I love the book is because I'm fascinated by the idea of how people might turn out differently based on their circumstances and choices. It's illustrated so perfectly throughout the book-to-screen adaptation, particularly in the season finale, when Jason encountered various versions of himself, some of whom weren't nearly as willing to let him escape with Daniela and Charlie as others.

It's almost impossible to wrap my mind around what that would've been like for all of those other Jasons, and what the tipping points might have been for the ones who wanted to stop them from becoming that guy.

What Happens When You Meet Yourself?

I could go on and on about all of the Jasons, but let's get back to Season 2, because as Crouch mentioned, we're going to get to see other characters in the show encounter themselves. The trailer gives us a peek at Jimmi Simpson's Ryan sitting next to another version of himself. We also see Dayo Akeniyi's Leighton Vance sharing a drink while sitting opposite himself.

Dark Matter writer Jacqueline Ben-Zekry was also at the SDCC panel, and just before Crouch said the thing about the theme of identity in the quote above, she got into the question of nature vs. nurture:

Ben-Zekry went on to bring up what it's like when you encounter someone who's just like you and you actually find them annoying. I'm not sure if this is a hint about one or more of the characters in Season 2, but it's an amusing scenario to consider. She went on to add:

Dark Matter really is a series of surreal situations and mind-bending what-ifs.

Season 2 Sounds Like It's Going To Be Really Fun

I love hearing from the writers on the subject of these mind-bending scenarios, not only because it makes me more excited for the show to return, but because it reminds me why I loved Season 1, and was optimistic about Season 2.

Considering the book is a stand-alone, it always seems a bit risky to try to stretch the story into something more. With that in mind, based on the trailer and the SDCC panel, I get the sense the writers put a lot of thought into how to take the story and these scenarios further in a meaningful way. And it sounds like that includes fleshing out the supporting characters in new and exciting ways.

It also sounds like the actors are in for some new challenges, if they're getting to play off other versions of their characters. That's not even getting into the alternate realities we get to see in the show. It's going to be fun to see where the show goes when Season 2 arrives on the 2026 TV schedule.

Remember “The Dress”? Back in 2015, one washed-out photo briefly split the internet between people who saw a blue-and-black dress and those convinced it was white and gold. Eleven years later, Marvel fans have stumbled into a sort of sequel fit for a new superhero movie. The new question is whether Ryan Reynolds’ Comic-Con Deadpool suit is blue denim or grey. Depending on the photo, either answer feels perfectly reasonable. Thankfully, the Wade Wilson performer has now stepped in with an answer that is somehow definitive and completely unhelpful.

The Deadpool star shared a close-up of the costume on his Instagram Story with a fan-made fake Pantone-style card laid over the fabric. The color was labeled “9-1963 X-MEN” and, beneath that, “Jean Grey.” Reynolds added the hashtag “#JeanPool” and wrote, “Once you see it, you can’t just unsee it. It doesn’t work that way.” In the pic below, the invented color code appears to reference September 1963, when the first issue of X-Men was published.

So there we have it. The suit is Jean Grey. That answer is so fun because the costume really does sit somewhere between the two colors people have been arguing about. It is designed to resemble denim, which naturally pushes it toward blue, but the fabric has a muted grey cast that connects it to Wade Wilson’s X-Force look. Calling it “Jean Grey” lets Reynolds claim both sides while sneaking in an X-Men pun and play on all those Sadie Sink role rumors.

Reynolds debuted the costume during Marvel’s presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, where he initially appeared as a chatty masked fan. He also wore it while wandering the convention floor without handlers or security, posing with fans who did not always realize they were meeting the real Deadpool actor.

The costume keeps Deadpool’s classic look but colorswaps his usual red-and-black colors for a blue-grey denim vibe, with brown/gold accessories and a Canadian flag patch on his chest. This “Canadian tuxedo” idea made the blue choice seem pretty obvious to a lot of folks. On the flip side, fans who know Deadpool’s comic history spotted the grey X-Force influence and made their opinions known.

I feel like the “9-1963 X-MEN” code may be carrying even more weight than just the “Jean Grey” punchline. The X-Men (1963) No. 9 featured the mutants’ first meeting with the Avengers, which feels awfully pointed ahead of Avengers: Doomsday's release. The December 18 entry on the 2026 movie calendar will bring returning actors from Fox’s X-Men films together with MCU Avengers for the first time.

Reynolds also used his surprise Comic-Con appearance to jokingly ask when he should report for filming, even though Deadpool has not officially been confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Between the color debate, the Jean Grey pun, the comic-book code and that very public request for a role, there is a lot packed into this meme.

Some fans will inevitably read the X-Men Origins: Wolverine star’s post as a clue about Jean Grey’s future in the MCU. For now, though, the safest interpretation is that Reynolds saw everyone arguing over grey versus blue denim and decided to settle the debate with an official pun. That certainly feels appropriate for Deadpool.

Fans can revisit all three Deadpool movies with a Disney+ subscription.

It's an exciting time for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as San Diego Comic-Con brought a ton of surprising announcements about upcoming Marvel movies. Case in point: Ryan Gosling's casting as Ghost Rider. His wife (and Ghost Rider alum) Eva Mendes knew he'd be the perfect fit, and Kevin Feige spoke to CinemaBlend about what took the La La Land actor so long to join the MCU.

Moviegoers who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen countless celebrities appear in the shared universe, but it took 10 years and change for Ryan Gosling to get in on the fun. CinemaBlend's Jeff McCobb asked Feige at San Diego Comic-Con why it took so many years to finally bring the Barbie actor into the family. He responded with:

Points were made. Ryan Gosling has been working non-stop lately, and has been involved in a series of mega hits. In just the past few years there was Barbie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription), as well as The Fall Guy, Project Hail Mary, and the upcoming Star Wars movie Starfighter. The latter project was directed by Shawn Levy, who is the same filmmaker behind the developing Ghost Rider film.

Feige's above comments directly reference Levy, who also directed the record-breaking movie Deadpool & Wolverine. It sounds like both the filmmaking and the timing was right for Gosling, as Kevin Feige went on to say:

And just like that, the Notebook icon booked his own movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The internet has had a field day over Gosling's Ghost Rider casting, and it should be fascinating to see how the blockbuster's director and star bring the supernatural character to life on the big screen.

You can check out Kevin Feige's conversation with CinemaBlend about Gosling below:

Ghost Rider has been adapted for film various times over the years, so the pressure is on for the MCU to deliver. Perhaps the most famous is Nicolas Cage's pair of movies, which also starred Eva Mendes as Roxanne Simpson. Gabriel Luna also played the Robbie Reyes version of the character in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..

The new Ghost Rider movie is expected to arrive sometime in 2028. While we wait, the next MCU movie hitting theaters in Avengers: Doomsday on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, one that consistently treats the fandom to new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. While there are plenty of upcoming Marvel movies to look forward to, the hype surrounding Avengers: Doomsday is on another level entirely. And Falcon actor Danny Ramirez spoke to CinemaBlend about what it was like working with legends like Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart on the forthcoming blockbuster.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are hyped about the various MCU heroes crossing over with the OG stars of the X-Men movies. Ramirez spoke to CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con about that title, and spoke about filming with legends like Stewart and McKellen. He told us:

Honestly, this makes a ton of sense. Both Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are legendary actors, who have had long, celebrated careers on both screen and stage. Working with those icons is a dream for many actors, and Danny Ramirez clearly was thrilled to be sharing the screen with them in Avengers: Doomsday. And it sounds like he was all ears in case the X-Men stars (and besties) were ready to drop any advice or tidbits on set.

Later in his same conversation with CinemaBlend, Ramirez went on to share what he learned from working with the great Patrick Stewart. In the Top Gun: Maverick actor's words:

Both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart definitely have gravitas, and I love hearing how Danny Ramirez even learned from them outside of the Doomsday set. Namely by watching videos from the '80s where they broke down how to properly perform Shakespeare. They've both got lots of experience with The Bard's catalogue of plays, and clearly the videos are still helpful to this day.

During our same conversation with the Last Of Us actor, CinemaBlend's Jeff McCob asked why he thinks A-listers from the Doomsday cast continue to sign up for these types of blockbusters. He responded with:

Fandoms annually travel to San Diego Comic-Con, to cosplay, see panels, and be in the same room as their favorite stars. And it sounds like for Danny Ramirez and other Marvel actors, the love from fans is a big reason why they continue to come back to the superhero genre.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see how Falcon interacts with the likes of Magneto and Professor X.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly treating fans to new projects, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But folks who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that some franchises are fan favorites, chief among them being Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. And aside from the thrilling news of David Jonsson's casting as T'Challa's son, Winston Duke spoke to CinemaBlend about what to expect from Black Panther's threequel.

Last weekend was San Diego Comic-Con, and plenty of thrilling news was shared about upcoming Marvel movies. Fans were hyped about getting an update about Black Panther 3, and M'Baku actor Winston Duke shared a vague tease with CinemaBlend at Comic-Con about what Coogler is bringing to the table with the third movie. In his words:

Well, I'm interested. While the Us actor was careful not to actually reveal anything about the contents of Black Panther 3, it sounds like Ryan Coogler is hoping to create a very specific conversation with audiences about the movie's contents. And now I'm doubly excited about what the Oscar-winning Sinners filmmaker has up his sleeve for his next adventure in Wakanda.

Folks who have been watching the first two Black Panther movies may recognize that the filmmaker had very specific stories in mind with the superhero flicks. The first movie had themes of African diaspora generational trauma, specifically in the conflict between T'Challa and Killmonger. As for Wakanda Forever, that was a meditation on grief inspired by Chadwick Boseman's death IRL.

You can see some of CinemaBlend's conversation with Winston Duke below, where he spoke about what Coogler is aiming for this time around.

Given Marvel's tight security, it shouldn't be a surprise fans that Duke and the rest of the cast and crew are keeping tight-lipped about the mysterious contents of Black Panther's threequel. And since the highly anticipated blockbuster isn't expected to hit theaters until 2028, we should probably expect to be in the dark for the foreseeable future. Luckily fans have faith in Ryan Coogler, which should help buoy anticipation.

Black Panther 3 is currently expected to hit theaters on December 15th, 2028. Since it's not on the 2026 movie release list or even the next year's we're going to have to be patient. In the meantime, the first two movies are streaming over on Disney+.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a well-oiled machine at this point, which has been going strong for nearly two decades... both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order were thrilled when both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans were confirmed as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast list. It turns out the latter actor was pitched for his return or years, and it took RDJ to convince him to finally bite the bullet.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans are invested in Chris Evans' return as Steve Rogers, as well as Robert Downey Jr.'s debut as Doctor Doom. During a conversation with EW at San Diego Comic-Con, the Captain America icon spoke about how the studio tried to convince him to pop up in upcoming Marvel movies. In his words:

While Evans had a cameo as Human Torch in Deadpool & Wolverine, Doomsday will mark his first return as his signature character. Although it sounds like that wasn't for lack of trying on the studio's part, with Kevin Feige and Louis D'esposito trying to convince the actor to play Steve Rogers again in the MCU. But he turned down idea after idea in the years since Endgame was released in 2019.

The internet exploded when Captain America's Doomsday teaser confirmed that Chris Evans would be continuing his hero's journey. But it was a long time coming; in the same interview the actor spoke about how it took some convincing. As he put it:

So what changed? Well, it turns out it was Robert Downey Jr. returning to the MCU after Tony Stark's Endgame death. The two A-listers were arguably the leading actors of the entire shared universe, and Evans' interest was piqued when he heard that his Oscar-winning co-star might be returning. He shared:

Honestly, can you blame him? On top of having a great working relationship with Robert Downey Jr., having both he and Evans return for Avengers: Doomsday also makes the blockbuster even more of a must-see event for the fandom. And when you consider how Doomsday's trailer broke YouTube records, it's clear that moviegoers are invested in what The Russo Brothers are bringing to the table.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. The anticipation is steadily building, and should only increase as we get closer to the crossover movie hitting the big screen this winter. And yes, that includes both Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.

Actor Nathan Fillion has been working consistently for decades now, and has starred in a number of beloved projects. One of the best Fillion TV shows is definitely his current gig on The Rookie, which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription. He also famously guest starred on Buffy the Vampier Slayer back in the day, and it turns out that gig is why he won't do his own stunts anymore.

Buffy is one of the best supernatural teen dramas of all time, and has remained a cult classic in the decades since its 2003 series finale aired. Nathan Fillion played the villainous Caleb in the last five episodes of the show. And during The Rookie's panel at San Diego Comic-Con (which was attended by CinemaBlend), Fillion revealed that an injury on Buffy led him to rethink how he approaches stunt work. In the 55 year-old actor's words:

Ouch. It sounds like Fillion has continued to feel the effects of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer tenure over two decades later. One kick in the knee was all it took to alter his body forever, and change the way he approached action on future titles. Hey, stunt doubles are on sets for a reason.

As a hardcore Buffy fan (who is still mourning the scrapped reboot New Sunnydale), I have to admit I want more information about Nathan Fillion's injury. Namely who kicked him and what fight scene was being filmed when it went down. Give us more, Mr. Caleb!

You can see Fillion recount this story live on stage at Comic-Con below, alongside other members of The Rookie's cast.

Luckily this knee injury didn't hold back the actor's career at all. He's a frequent collaborator for both Joss Whedon and James Gunn, and The Rookie has already aired eight seasons (and is currently filming the ninth installment). Although it seems clear now that whenever we see Nathan Fillion doing any stunt work on the big or silver screen that he lets professionals do the heavy lifting. Can you blame him?

Fillion name-dropped Tom Cruise, who is known for life-risking stunt work that he continues to do on projects like the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises. But that 64 year-old A-lister is the exception rather than the rule. After all, stunt doubles exist for a reason.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming now on Hulu, and The Rookie will return for Season 9 this fall as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Now excuse me as I ice my knee thanks to vicarious pain I'm feeling on Nathan Fillion's behalf.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is showing no signs of slowing down, with the studio constantly putting out new projects in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Arguably the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is The Russo Brothers' Avengers: Doomsday, which looks like an epic crossover event. Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU as Doctor Doom, and even he was nerding out about the OG stars of the X-Men movies reprising their roles on set.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday has been limited, but the huge list of characters has been buoying excitement. The Doomsday cast features entire teams of heroes, including the X-Men. During a conversation with EW at San Diego Comic-Con, RDJ gushed about seeing actors like Rebecca Romijn and Kesley Grammer back as their (blue) mutants. As he put it:

Talk about a glowing endorsement. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that the MCU started with Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, so he's was a day one member of the shared universe. But despite being in this sandbox for nearly two decades, even the Oscar-winning actor was geeking out about working with the X-Men.

Tony Stark died at the end of Endgame, which fans assumed would be RDJ's final bow in the MCU. But that's changing with Doomsday, although he'll be playing an entirely different character and going from a hero to a villain. And fans can't wait to see how this all shakes out this winter.

Not much about the story of the next Avengers movie had been revealed yet, but the first Doomsday trailer became one of the highest-viewed trailers of all time. So despite the mysteries and Marvel's tight security, there's clearly a ton of fan excitement about the crossover event. And after seeing the above comments, that enthusiasm is clearly echoed by RDJ himself.

While we got the blockbuster's first trailer, much of the details and story of Doomsday remain a mystery to the moviegoing public. Clearly the multiverse is at play, and the teams of heroes will presumably have to unite to fight Doctor Doom and his forces.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Luckily the movie's publicity has kicked off, so hopefully we get more information about its contents sooner rather than later.

James Marsden is finally stepping back into Cyclops’ visor in the 2026 movie schedule release of Avengers: Doomsday. This long-hoped-for reprisal comes three decades after Marsden first started playing Scott Summers for the original X-Men. The return brings plenty of nostalgia but, as he recently told us, not every part of suiting up feels exactly as it did the first time

CinemaBlend caught up with Marsden at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend. Our own Jeff McCobb asked what felt most different about playing Cyclops again, along with what remained shockingly familiar. Marsden went straight for the easiest target: the passage of time. He explained:

Our interviewer immediately jumped in to insist that the Jury Duty a-lister still looked the same, which earned a laugh and a grateful response from the actor. He accepted the compliment, though he was not about to pretend that wearing a superhero suit today feels identical to doing it in his twenties.

His answer is funny because the Enchanted star remains one of those actors who, much like his Doomsday co-star Paul Rudd, seems to have negotiated unusually favorable terms with aging. Still, Cyclops is not exactly a forgiving role. The costume is tightly fitted, the posture is rigid and Scott Summers has traditionally carried himself as though relaxing his shoulders might trigger an international incident.

Marsden’s original run also arrived during a very different era of comic book movies. He first suited up during production on the groundbreaking comic book film, 2000’s X-Men, before interconnected universes and annual new superhero movie releases became standard studio business. Now, he is returning in a crossover that places the Fox-era mutants alongside Avengers and Fantastic Four characters.

The physical experience may feel different after nearly three decades, but the returning X-Men star said the emotional charge came rushing back as soon as he put on the costume and visor. That part of playing Cyclops, at least, has not changed. He continued:

That enthusiasm helps explain why fans have been so excited about Marsden’s return. Cyclops was a key member of the original Fox-era X-Men lineup, but those movies often pushed him aside to spend more time with Wolverine, Magneto and Professor X. Avengers: Doomsday gives Marvel another chance to show why Scott Summers is supposed to be one of the team’s central leaders.

You can watch a portion of CB's conversation with James Marsden in the clip embedded below:

Marvel officially confirmed Marsden's return as Cyclops alongside Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and Ian McKellen’s Magneto back in March 2025. They'll also be joined in the film by other franchise alums like Rebecca Romijn and Alan Cumming, who will reprise their roles as Mystique and Nightcrawler, respectively. The Russo brothers’ crossover reaches theaters Dec. 18, 2026.

Marsden also joined several of his Doomsday co-stars during Marvel Studios’ Comic-Con presentation, making his return feel considerably more real than a name on a cast list.

Whether Cyclops gets enough screen time to make up for the old movies remains to be seen. Marsden, however, clearly has not lost his affection for the character. His body may be filing a few more complaints, but the visor still flips the same internal switch.

You can revisit Fox's era of Cyclops and all the Marvel movies streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

Marvel Studios showed up to San Diego Comic-Con 2026 with the big guns. In case you somehow missed all the exciting announcements, Ryan Gosling was announced as Ghost Rider, David Jonsson joined Black Panther 3 as T’Challa’s son and the new Black Panther, and the enormous Avengers: Doomsday cast assembled in Hall H. Then a suspiciously chatty “fan” wearing a svelte grey Deadpool suit interrupted the proceedings, and we now have a better look at that outfit.

At first, it was unclear whether Ryan Reynolds was actually beneath the mask or Marvel had planted another performer using prerecorded audio. The voice and jokes soon gave him away, and the superhero movie veteran later confirmed in an Instagram Stories post by sharing a close-up of himself in the costume, sans mask. Take a look at the full “JeanPool” ensemble below:

The grey suit has roots in Marvel’s X-Force comics, where Wolverine’s covert team traded brighter colors for black-and-grey stealth uniforms. Deadpool adopted the palette after joining the squad in Wolverine: The Road to Hell #1 in 2010, replacing the red sections of his usual costume with grey. Deadpool 2 offered a loose live-action nod when Wade formed his own X-Force team and later emerged with his red suit scorched into darker tones. This denim-inspired Comic-Con version now gives that fan-favorite alternate look a distinctly Canadian upgrade.

During the audience Q&A, Reynolds returned to one of Deadpool & Wolverine’s lingering mysteries by asking Paul Rudd where Thor was and why he had been crying. Luckily for our readers, Cinemablend was in attendance, and you can see our video of the hilarious moment embedded below.

During the audience Q&A, Reynolds returned to one of Deadpool & Wolverine’s lingering mysteries by asking Paul Rudd where Thor was and why he had been crying. Luckily, for our readers, CinemaBlend was in attendance, and you can see our video of the hilarious moment embedded below:

Such a wonderfully great Reynolds moment. While there have been plenty of rumors about Wade and Wolvie showing up in Doomsday, Marvel stopped short of confirming Deadpool for the 2026 calendar release or any other upcoming Marvel movie, for that matter, but we can all hope.

The costume keeps Deadpool’s familiar silhouette but swaps his usual red-and-black palette for shades of slate grey and blue. A small Canadian flag sits on the chest, while brown utility pouches, holsters and gold accents break up the darker design. Even the Deadpool belt buckle has been recolored to match. The result looks polished enough for an Avengers movie but still ridiculous enough to feel unmistakably Wade Wilson.

While the grey color scheme originated in the X-Force comics, Reynolds’ denim-inspired joke gives this version its own identity. Deadpool also recently sported the striking look in the popular Marvel Rivals video game. Should the costume eventually make its way to the big screen, here’s hoping those glowing red eyes come with it.

The Free Guy actor’s interruption came during a packed Doomsday presentation featuring directors Joe and Anthony Russo alongside Avengers, Fantastic Four and Fox-era X-Men actors. Marvel also screened exclusive footage for the Hall H crowd.

Whether the costume was created solely for a Comic-Con joke or has some connection to an upcoming Deadpool project remains unclear. Reynolds’ attempt to invite himself into Doomsday certainly did not produce an official casting announcement, no matter how nicely the suit fit.

Still, this is an awfully detailed costume for a one-night gag. Until Marvel explains more, fans at least have a close-up look at Reynolds proving that denim, a Canadian flag and enough ammunition can make one surprisingly svelte superhero ensemble.

Avengers: Doomsday, possibly including an appearance from Deadpool, arrives in theaters Dec. 18, 2026. Until then, fans can revisit the Merc's entire trilogy, or stream other MCU fare with a Disney+ subscription.

Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have known for some time now that Black Panther 3 is in the works. However, Ryan Coogler – the film franchise’s director and co-writer – has been keeping details on the threequel tightly under wraps. Fans have now been treated to some news, though, as the film has now officially been announced, and an actor has been cast to play the late King T’Challa’s successor. If you ask me, this box office hit of a film series just struck gold with this particular piece of casting.

Coogler appeared at San Diego Comic-Con during Marvel Studios’ panel in Hall H, which CinemaBlend attended. The Oscar-winning filmmaker confirmed that the third Black Panther movie would be released on December 15, 2028 and that he would direct it. And, now, for the even bigger news: up-and-coming actor David Jonsson is officially joining the cast as T’Challa II, the OG franchise lead’s son. Apparently, the young man will come of age in the upcoming Marvel movie and take on the mantle of the titular hero.

Others seem to be excited about this casting as I am. At least, that’s the feeling I get based on the warm reception Jonsson received after he was introduced in Hall H. Check out CinemaBlend’s video of the big moment:

Anyone who’s not familiar with Jonsson at this point should really know his name, as he’s put in some great work in just a few years. The British star made his feature film debut in the 2022 rom-com Rye Lane before landing scene-stealing roles in 2024’s Alien: Romulus and 2025’s The Long Walk. Jonsson oozes charisma and is instantly likable as a result. He also has a regal demeanor, which is obviously perfect due to the fact that he’s playing a prince. Marvel has cast some great actors before, but I think this could be one of its best pickups.

Anyone who’s not familiar with Jonsson at this point should really know his name, as he’s put in some great work in just a few years. The British star made his feature film debut in the 2022 rom-com Rye Lane before landing scene-stealing roles in 2024’s Alien: Romulus and 2025’s The Long Walk. Jonsson oozes charisma and is instantly likable as a result. He also has a regal demeanor, which is obviously perfect due to the fact that he’s playing a prince. Marvel has cast some great actors before, but I think this could be one of its best pickups.

What’s particularly interesting about this casting is that for more than a year now, BP-related rumors have been swirling around other actors, mainly Damson Idris. The F1 star, however, was being asked about playing a version of T’Challa Sr., with many believing he’d play a variant in one of the upcoming Avengers movies and not just BP3. While Idris has been cheeky when responding, he expressed appreciation to those wanting to see him take over the aforementioned role from the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

There are still plenty of questions to ponder in regard to Coogler’s Black Panther 3. For starters, how much time will have passed since 2022’s Wakanda Forever? After all, T’Challa II (or Toussaint) was only a young child. Or maybe he’ll be aged up after a universe reset of sorts after Avengers: Secret Wars? Exact plot details are also under wraps and, interestingly enough, it’s also unclear who the previously confirmed Denzel Washington is playing.

Despite all that, Ryan Coogler seems excited to make this movie, which he revealed would even been partially shot on 70mm film. Based on this latest announcement, I’d say there still seems to be plenty of life in the Black Panther franchise, and that should come as no surprise, given Coogler’s storytelling prowess. I’m eager to see what he and his collaborators cook up for this latest chapter in the Wakanda-set saga. And, of course, I’ll be watching intently to see what Jonsson brings to this proceedings as well.

Amid the wait for Black Panther 3, stream the first two films in the series using a Disney+ subscription.

It’s official: after Ryan Gosling talked about it, he really is going to play Ghost Rider. His upcoming Marvel movie was announced at San Diego Comic-Con, and along with it came news about who is directing it. I have to say, while the announcement about the Project Hail Mary actor did not surprise me one bit, the director they chose did leave me shocked.

Fresh off filming Star Wars: Starfighter, together, Gosling will team up with director Shawn Levy for Ghost Rider. You read that right, these two are jumping from one massive franchise to another together, and to me, that’s very, very exciting!

When it comes to Gosling’s casting, I can’t say I’m shocked. A few months ago, when he was promoting the release of Project Hail Mary on the 2026 movie schedule, he was asked on Happy Sad Confused about potentially playing Ghost Rider. He admitted he’d had conversations with Kevin Feige, calling it a “complicated situation” at the time. He’s spoken about this before then too, saying he had a “feeling” about this character. So, clearly, the manifestation worked.

However, while this announcement felt like it could be coming, the news that Levy would be on this journey with him was unexpected.

It’s shocking because they literally were just working on a Star Wars film. So, to jump almost immediately to Marvel is giving me whiplash. It will be a quick turnaround too, because one year after their upcoming Star Wars movie is released on the 2027 movie schedule, Ghost Rider will come out in 2028.

I do think these two are great fits for the MCU, overall. So, I’m thrilled to see them teaming up for this exciting project that Gosling’s been wanting to do. Clearly, they had such a good time on Star Wars that they wanted to make another massive movie together, and I’m ecstatic it’s Ghost Rider. Lots of fans are thrilled about this announcement too, as they commented on Marvel’s Instagram announcement:

• I used to pray for times like this 🙏 - @jpthemusicenjoyer
• Can't wait for ghost riders jacket 🔥- @he__is___him
• Midnight Suns 🙏- @voiceactorsingerrapperwriter
• “NICE JACKET!” 🔥🔥🔥- @rong.gur
• Ryan GHOSTling - @nzzhmd
• Let Nic Cage make a cameo🔥🔥🔥- @ceeramos97
• i apologize in advance for the person i'm about to become - @boda03

Of course, this won’t be Levy’s first rodeo with Marvel; he did direct the well-reviewed Deadpool & Wolverine, and he’s spent his career making action and adventure movies. So, it makes perfect sense why he's been tapped to ride with Ghost Rider. However, the speed at which he and Gosling signed on to another major project together is what got me.

Obviously, not everyone is thrilled by this news, though. Surprise can look different among fans, and here’s what some of the less enthused folks had to say:

• But yall cant make Blade??? - @infernicious
• Is it gonna get the 2019 Blade announcement treatment is the real question we all should be asking? - @sataniclivesmatter_
• SHAWN LEVY? should’ve given it to Sam Raimi 😭💔- @stillm.m

Listen, while people have a right to be anxious and question these choices, I think we should give these guys a chance.

It would seem whatever they did together on Star Wars made them want to collaborate again. So, I think we should all be excited about the fact that Ryan Gosling and Shawn Levy will be jumping from a galaxy far, far away to a world populated by superheroes as they prepare to fly with Starfighter and ride with Ghost Rider over the course of the next two years.

There’s been a whole lot of chatter about Alan Ritchson and his potential to play Batman in the DCU, and he’s actively been a part of that conversation. However, now he’s put it to rest (for now). That’s because, at San Diego Comic-Con, he fully addressed the rumors, noting that while Bruce Wayne is probably out of the equation for now, his conversations with DC are by no means over.

This comes just days after Ritchson made suspicious comments about Batman and DC, saying that “the future is bright, and the horizons are broad.” However, during Reacher’s panel at Comic-Con, he was a lot clearer about the Caped Crusader specifically, saying:

Again, there’s been a ton of chatter about Ritchson and Batman, specifically. So, this statement from the actor is huge, because it essentially puts those rumors to rest, while also making it clear that a new kind of speculation can begin. To hammer that point home even further, he said:

Well, that answer sounds definitive, so it seems Bat-fans can finally lay down their speculation caps. Check out Ritchson's address during the panel:

This all came after Ritchson said he was booked until 2028, and the moderator made a comment about Batman. The Reacher star cleared the air once and (seemingly) for all. He’s not playing him. However, he is also still very much in conversation with DC.

He’s made it apparent that he and DC’s boss James Gunn have talked, and he’s excited to potentially work with him. They just have to find the right character first. Well, it seems like they have someone in mind…it’s just not the one we all thought it could be.

That’s exciting in its own right, though, because a door full of possibilities just opened. Like, maybe he could play Orion or Hawkman or even Captain Atom. So, while it seems like we won’t see Ritchson in a DC project for a while, and we very much will not see him as Batman, it feels like someday he will step into a superhero (or maybe villain) costume.

If you’d like to see Alan Ritchson actually in action while we wait for updates on the superhero front, you can watch him as an action hero in Reacher. That’s the show he was at Comic-Con for, and Season 4 is set to premiere on the 2026 TV schedule on August 12 for those with a Prime Video subscription. It’s also already in production on Season 5 (proving just how busy Ritchson is), so we’ll likely see more of him as Jack Reacher before we see a DC project from him.

However, if there’s anything you should take away from this story, it’s that Alan Ritchson’s future with DC is very much bright, and they have someone in mind for him to play (it’s just not Batman).

Season 3 of Percy Jackson and the Olympians is officially set to premiere later this year on the 2026 TV schedule, and Demigods, we’re entering uncharted territories! The upcoming season marks the first time Rick Riordan’s The Titan’s Curse will be adapted, and this week we learned something big about it. As it turns out, a big change is being made from the source material, and I'm here for it.

The Big Change To Titan's Curse I'm Cool With

During Percy Jackson’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, which CinemaBlend attended, fans had a chance to catch up on what’s next for Camp Half Blood. Yes, the big news is that Season 3 officially has a release date, but I need to talk about something said by showrunner Dan Shotz. The EP's comments on the season really struck me like one of Zeus’s lightning bolts. In his words to Hall H:

I should put a bit of a SPOILER ALERT here for those who haven't read the novels but, in Book 3, Annabeth is kidnapped by the Manticore early on. It leads to her later being forced to hold up the sky in place of the god, Atlas. This admittedly isn't unlike Grover was kidnapped in Sea of Monsters last season, and our beloved trio were torn away from each other as a result.

While that meant Annabeth wasn’t in The Titan’s Curse book much, that’s not going to be the case in the series. And I’m so happy to hear that. Throughout the first two seasons of the show (which is executive produced by Riordan), there’s been a lot of talk about all the changes that have been made. I happen to be a fan of most of what’s been done, to be honest. It keeps us guessing and, hey, if you can get more Annabeth, you should have more Annabeth.

Leah Jeffries Is Sort Of Percy Jackson's Secret Weapon

Sure, one could say some time without Grover gave Percy and Annabeth’s relationship to strengthen. But I simply can’t go for missing out on Leah Jeffries’ Annabeth in the adaptation of The Titan’s Curse. I think this is a natural decision for the show, given the creative team gets to explore outside of Percy’s first-person perspective. Plus, I think Jeffries’ role is really one of the biggest strengths of this streaming series.

Jeffries couldn’t make it to the SDCC panel, because she’s currently shooting the new Cheetah Girls movie. And, honestly, the event was kind of weird without her. Walker Scobell ended up bringing a printout of Jeffries’ face to the panel, but she was missed. Check it out:

Rest assured, fans can look forward to seeing the real Jeffries and not a that printout when Percy Jackson and the Olympians Season 3 premieres on November 20 for those with either a Disney+ subscription or Hulu subscription. I can’t wait to see what the show does with the next installment of the series!

Fans that watched the DC movies in order know that there's been a shifting in universes. The former DCEU is in the past, with co-CEO James Gunn crafting the newly formed DCU. We're just weeks away from the debut of Lanterns on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription), and star Aaron Pierre recently gushed about why John Stewart is the only DC character he'd ever want to play. And I hope that folks who are doubting the forthcoming show are listening.

What we know about Lanterns has been limited, but there's already been tons of discourse about the upcoming DC series. Namely that there wasn't enough Green Lantern powers in the first footage. CinemaBlend attended the show's panel at San Diego Comic-Con, where Pierre gushed about his love for his Lanterns character. In his words:

I mean, he's not wrong. On top of having so many layers, John Stewart is one of the most beloved Green Lanterns from the comics, alongside Kyle Rayner and Hal Jordan. The latter will be played by Kyle Chandler in the DC series, with him seemingly training John to be his replacement in the Corps.. And the Lanterns trailer teased how complicated their relationship seems to be.

Later in the same appearance at the Comic-Con Panel, Pierre went on to share his hopes for both John Stewart, and the folks that watch Lanterns when it premiers this August. As he put it:

As previously mentioned, some folks have been unhappy about not seeing Lanterns' heroes suited up much. But with the show so close to its premiere, fan patience (or lack thereof) is about to pay off. I'm a big fan of the Green Lantern Corps., so I can't wait to see latest entry in the first DCU slate of projects aka Gods and Monsters.

You can see Aaron Pierre's comment about John Stewart below:

The pressure is on for Lanterns to deliver for the burgeoning shared universe, especially after Supergirl struggled at the box office. I loved both Creature Commandos and Peacemaker Season 2, so I'm excited to see the DCU expand on the small screen again. And it certainly seems like Aaron Pierre was the right person to cast as John Stewart.

Lanterns will debut its first episode on August 16th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. And despite some doubters, I'm so hyped to see more of the Green Lantern Corps. in live-action.

Something to note about Johnny Depp’s greatest roles is that many of them showcase his ability to transform into eclectic characters. Now, picture two wild-looking Depp characters meeting face-to-face. Well, that was what recently happened, as the talented star himself showed up at San Diego Comic-Con as his latest alter ego, Ebenezer Scrooge. And it was there that Depp had a very wild interaction with an Edward Scissorhands cosplayer.

Depp looked completely unrecognizable as Ebenezer Scrooge while promoting Ti West’s new movie, Ebenezer. He looked like he aged 20 years with that prosthetic makeup and receding hairline, with the look completed by Victorian garb. Our team at CinemaBlend filmed a kooky interaction at SDCC involving Depp (while in character) questioning the aforementioned Edward Scissorhands imitator. Prepare to be entertained by the hilarious Instagram reel below:

Seriously, how unreal is it to see these two Johnny Depp characters interact? Honestly, it was exactly the kind of bizarre crossover I never knew I needed. I love seeing that Comic-Con goer dressed as the whimsical yet charming Tim Burton character, and it's a testament to the staying power that certain fictional characters have.

Viewers can see Depp as Scrooge in his mid-19th century wardrobe and surly British accent, speaking to the cosplayer, who's wearing those infamous metallic long pinchers. He made sure to ask the costumed fan about how he uses the “WC” (a.k.a. water closet), “toilet,” “pee pee house,” and that certainly made me laugh.

I love that “Scrooge” asked the dedicated cosplayer that mind-boggling question, as Tom Cruise had the same bathroom concern about the Tim Burton-birthed character when he was approached to play the part. But, apparently, the SDCC attendee acted like it wasn’t a struggle. I guess having scissors for hands can’t stop a committed fan from doing their business.

This wasn’t the first time the Finding Neverland actor surprised fans by dressing up as a character either. He dressed up as Jack Sparrow inside the Pirates of the Caribbean Disneyland attraction and randomly visited schools while playing the lovable pirate for kids. Depp also surprised tourists at Disneyland again, portraying his Mad Hatter character from Alice in Wonderland with an interactive digital poster video he filmed live inside a nearby studio. Clearly, the Sweeney Todd actor has no problem channeling his characters even when he's not on set.

On that note, I'm not sure I'll ever forget the sight of Ebenezer Scrooge and Edward Scissorhands shooting the breeze. Still, it's an entertaining exchange and, as a whole, Depp's decision to appear as Scrooge at SDCC could help create hype for his upcoming Christmas movie.

Check out Johnny Depp in the 2026 movie release Ebenezer, which opens in theaters on November 13th. Also, feel free to revisit the fan-favorite Edward Scissorhands or check it out for the first time using a Disney+ subscription.

Prime Video’s Blade Runner 2099 is set to take fans back to the grungy, techno-futuristic world Ridley Scott developed more than 40 years ago. This chapter in the sci-fi saga, however, will feature different characters played by franchise newbies Michelle Yeoh and Hunter Schafer. Both actresses apparently got quite close while filming the series, to the point that Yeoh did something to ensure Schafer was safe while performing stunts. And believe me when I say this is just so mom-coded (and I love it).

2099 sees Yeoh play Olwen, a dying replicant Blade Runner hunting down a rogue faction of replicants in Los Angeles. Olwen is joined in that pursuit by Schafer’s Cora, a human trying to blend in amid the new replicant-run regime. With that, Schafer and Yeoh spent a considerable amount of time together on set, and they spoke about those experiences during their show’s panel at San Diego Comic-Con, which CinemaBlend attended. Schafer opened up about getting to dip her toes into action scenes and learning from her co-star:

Long before Ip Man exploded onto the big screen or Shang-Chi “ninja-kicked that glass ceiling” for Asian representation, Michelle Yeoh was tearing it up as a big-screen action hero. The Oscar-winning Everything Everywhere All at Once star is a skilled martial artist and has various credits under her belt. So I can understand why Schafer would be geeking out over getting to work with Yeoh in an action-based context. Yeoh also had some high praise for her co-star, and Schafar revealed the gift she got from Yeoh, too:

• Yeoh: I’ve never seen a more fearless action hero. I mean, she really, literally dove in. I was almost trying to hold her back like, ‘No, no, no, no…. too late. Okay. Is Hunter OK?’ She would do the tumbles, the falls. I’m like, ‘Hunter, where are your pads?’
• Schafer: She bought me a baby helmet.
• Yeoh: Well, you got a concussion! I had to protect my baby, okay? I was like, ‘Here, where this.’ So I got her a baby helmet.

Just when I thought I didn’t need yet another reason to love Michelle Yeoh, I have one. Honestly, it warms my heart to hear about her taking the time to ensure her co-star’s safety. The notion of the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon icon buying Schafer a “baby helmet” may sound funny, but stunt work is no laughing matter. And, based on the Blade Runner 2099 teaser, Schafer had to take part in some truly intense scenes. Check it out:

I also like the notion of Hunter Schafer getting to spread her wings when it comes to action-centric material. As she mentioned, she’d had some opportunities to try a bit, but this show is arguably her biggest chance to try stunts. This might only be the beginning of Schafer working with stunts as well. That could especially be true if the X-Men rumor regarding her playing Mystique pans out.

At the risk of getting too far ahead of myself, though, I’m just eager to see Schafer share the screen alongside Yeoh in the Blade Runner spinoff show amid the 2026 TV schedule. I’m confident that the show will be just as intense and cerebral as the franchise’s two films and that the two leads will have great chemistry. And best believe I won’t forget Yeoh’s mom-centric gesture whenever I’m watching her “baby,” Schafer, perform stunts.

Blade Runner 2099 premieres on November 25, and all eight episodes will be available to stream at that time. Be sure to grab a Prime Video subscription by that time so you’ll be able to check out the show.

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies made history upon their release, and are still regularly rewatched to this day. Fans of JRR Tolkien were treated to the prequel TV series The Rings of Power, which is gearing up for its third season for those with an Amazon Prime subscription. And actor Daniel Weyman recently spoke about the "humbling" experience going from playing The Stranger to the beloved hero Gandalf the Grey.

The Rings of Power Season 3 wrapped back in December, and the show will return to our screens this fall. Fans are eager to see Weyman as Gandalf, and while attending San Diego Comic-Con, CinemaBlend was able to hear the 48 year-old actor gush about this change in his signature character. During the show's panel he said:

For years fans debated who The Stranger was, especially since he clearly had some strong magical abilities. The Season 2 finale confirmed that he was Gandalf all along, and the new Rings of Power footage showed him using the beloved Wizard's staff. Talk about a big change from when we met him in Season 1 and he barely able to speak.

Later in the same Comic-Con panel, Daniel Weyman teased what to expect from Gandalf in the book-to-screen adaptation's third season on the air. And on top of using magic, he'll also be connecting with people. As he put it:

The stakes are certainly high in Middle-earth, and Gandalf is going to have to use both his heart and his magic to help battle the dark forces that are taking control. The actor went on to speak more about this dynamic, offering the Comic-Con crowd:

Having watched The Rings of Power since Season 1, I love how much of a transformation Weyman's character has had on the show. Gandalf is finally here in all his glory, and it should be fascinating to see how he fights the forces of evil in Middle-earth. Additionally, I'm hoping we get to see him reunite with his halfling besties Nori and Poppy, whom he got separated from during the second season.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will return for Season 3 on November 11th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I'm hoping to see some epic magic come from Gandalf this season, perhaps in a battle with the mysterious Dark Wizard. Fingers crossed.

While Ethan Hunt’s time leading the Mission: Impossible movie series is probably over, I’m never getting over all the behind-the-scenes stories about the franchise. Tom Cruise has a reputation of being fearless in those movies. And Ghost Protocol director Brad Bird just shared one nerve-wracking story about the making of the 2011 fan-favorite.

Brad Bird (who also helmed The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille) had his own panel at San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H on Thursday night. During the sprawling conversation about his career that CinemaBlend was in attendance for, here’s what he recalled about making Ghost Protocol with Tom Cruise:

It’s incredibly nail-biting to watch Tom Cruise accomplish the stunts he’s done on the Mission: Impossible movies alone. But I never thought of how that might feel from a director’s point of view. As Bird communicated, being in proximity with Cruise while shooting Ghost Protocol was not for the faint of heart. Here’s what he had to say about filming the famous Burj Khalifa scene:

If you didn’t know already, Ghost Protocol was actually shot on location in the Burj Khalifa, which is the the tallest building in the world. The structure in Dubai stands 2,717 feet tall. In the scene, Ethan Hunt must scale the Burj Khalifa in order to intercept an exchange of nuclear launch codes happening on the 130th floor.

While the production originally was only going to film a few shots there, nearly the whole sequence was shot at the Burj Khalifa. And it was done for IMAX! But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a stress test for Brad Bird. As he added:

The next time I’m worn over work, I’m going to think about Brad Bird. At least I’m not responsible for Tom Cruise and his stunt antics – I’m just writing about it! If you’re itching to rewatch Ghost Protocol after this story, it’s streaming with a Paramount+ subscription.

And, if you’re curious what Brad Bird is up to, he has a new animated film on the 2026 movie release schedule. It’s called Ray Gunn, and it’s a science-fiction noir movie he’s been wanting to make for 30 years. The new Brad Bird film is coming to Netflix on December 18.

After years of waiting, we finally got a teaser for the third season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and it was filled with lots of characters and stories I’ve been waiting to see. However, it also inspired something within me, as I realized I want two characters who will surely play a big part in this fight against Sauron to form an “uneasy alliance” when the series returns on the 2026 TV schedule.

As you can see above, this trailer shows us Sauron forging “one ring to rule them all” and his armies going after Galadriel and many other important characters. We also get a good look at Gandalf (who found his name at the end of Season 2) and our first look at Galadriel’s love, Celeborn (who is played by Stranger Things’ Jamie Campbell Bower). Overall, it’s epic, and it’s inspiring a whole lot of theories and questions.

It’s also made me realize a dream I have: I’m desperate to see Galadriel and Gandalf work together. And I really hope it happens when Rings of Power premieres.

Up to this point in Rings of Power, we’ve seen Daniel Weyman’s Gandalf interact with Nori and the other Harfoots. Last season, he also shared some moments with Tom Bombadil. However, he has not spent time with any of the elves, dwarves or men in the series. I feel like that could all change in Season 3.

In the trailer, we see him having a conversation with The Dark Wizard:

• The Dark Wizard: Middle-earth will burn.
• Gandalf: Has it not yet occurred to you? Death might well be the price of saving it.

To me, this implies that the wizard will find himself and finally be thrust into the greater battle going on in Rings of Power. And I hope he does that by working with Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel.

In the teaser, we see her reunite with Celeborn, and it seems they’re on their own journey to take down Sauron. Personally, I’m hoping it will involve Gandalf.

The synopsis of this footage notes that Sauron’s quest will cause “new, and sometimes uneasy alliances to be formed to try and stop him.”

Considering Gandalf has only just found his powers and his name, I’d imagine he hasn’t fully harnessed them yet. And overall, he’s still a fairly mysterious figure in Middle-earth. Plus, during a conversation with Deadline last year, Weyman said he was excited to explore his character’s “plethora of possible pitfalls, errors and failings.” He went on to say that his wizard has to mess up royally to become the wise man we know in The Lord of the Rings movies and books. That seems like fertile ground for an “uneasy alliance,” and maybe one of those could be with Galadriel.

She’s right in the center of the fight against Sauron. Plus, she’s found herself in some precarious and uneasy alliances before – with her partnership with Halbrand going sideways in Season 1 when it was revealed he was Sauron, and her alliance with Adar proving to be quite useful (but dangerous) last season. So, I’d love to see her in another uneasy alliance, but this time, it’d be with an actually good character who is simply still figuring himself and his power out.

Plus, we know Galadriel and Gandalf become friends and work closely together, so it’d be amazing to see the origins of their relationship in this show.

Now, to see if this happens, you’ll be able to stream the first four episodes of The Rings of Power’s third season on November 11 with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Clayface isn’t just the next upcoming DC movie; it looks like one of the most promising new horror films on the 2026 movie schedule. Since it’s still three months away, I wasn’t expecting to hear about the experience of watching the movie yet, but Jim Lee just spilled the tea!

CinemaBlend was in the audience for San Diego Comic-Con’s DC Comics panel. There, the publishing company’s very own president, publisher and CCO told us his thoughts on the fall release. And it has me very hyped for what’s to come. In Jim Lee's words:

Whoa! I love a movie that can make one feel like they just went to a full-service fancy restaurant with its content. Of course, Lee didn’t get into many specifics about why he made this analogy, but this is a really solid reaction. He also said this:

Clayface’s latest trailer definitely has enough to make one squirm. It introduces Matt Hagen (Tom Rhys Harries), an actor who becomes disfigured and feels like his life has been ruined since. So, he turns to a “fringe” scientist, Dr. Caitlin Corr (Naomi Ackie), who transforms him into something new. And the results are pretty terrifying. I know I can’t stop thinking about the plane sequence where his eyes are suddenly stuck shut. Check it out below:

I thought the horrors I witnessed in the trailer would be enough, but Jim Lee teased even more. The highly-anticipated DC movie was co-written by The Haunting of Hill House’s Mike Flanagan and produced by The Batman’s Matt Reeves. Here’s what Lee also said during the panel:

OK, so James Watkins did not come to play. The director has done a bunch of horror movies over the years, and this one is no exception. It might even be his creepiest yet. We’re already hoping it’s a big success so more horror-leaning DC movies are greenlit. Knowing more about how this one plays makes me even more optimistic. Here’s one more thing Jim Lee said about Clayface:

This is very, very high praise. Plus, it’s coming from a guy who’s considered one of the most influential names in comic books. He was notably part of the Batman: Hush comic book story arc, which had a great Clayface arc in it as well. The Clayface movie hits theaters on October 23. And this horror fan is more excited than ever.

Star Trek fans are hoping for some big announcement at San Diego Comic-Con regarding what's ahead for the franchise, as we're not sure what's on tap after the 2026 TV schedule wraps up. It's the 60th anniversary, after all, and while there are things planned for the upcoming Hall H panel, I wouldn't hold my breath for anything big.

Fortunately, we have Star Trek: Strange New Worlds returning for those with a Paramount+ subscription ahead of the convention, and the cast will be at the event. There are also some familiar faces set to appear, but I remain skeptical that any of it amounts to a new series or footage of a movie that is just around the corner.

What Star Trek Has Announced For Its Hall H Panel

Star Trek is planning to take the iconic Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25th, at 3:30 p.m. ET. It's been announced by Variety and others that a Strange New Worlds panel will take place, featuring the bulk of the cast. After that, there will be a 60th anniversary celebration panel, with a list of attendees already lined up.

Star Trek' Hall H Panel Guests

• Rod Roddenberry (EP and son of Creator Gene Roddenberry)
• Michael Dorn (TNG, DS9, Picard)
• Robert Picardo (VOY, Prodigy, Starfleet Academy)
• Connor Trinneer (Enterprise)
• Cirroc Lofton (DS9, Starfleet Academy)
• Doug Jones (Discovery)
• Michelle Hurd (Picard)
• Jerry O’Connell (Lower Decks)
• Christina Chong (Strange New Worlds)
• Karim Diané (Starfleet Academy)
• George Takei (TOS)

It's a great lineup of people, and I'm happy to see Star Trek: Starfleet Academy get some representation despite its quick cancellation. I'm sure it'll be a great panel, but will it result in a new series or movie announcement? Again, I'm skeptical.

Why I'd Be Shocked If We Get A Movie Or TV Show Announcement

A panel celebrating Star Trek is great, but nothing about that lineup suggests to me we'll be getting a new scripted series or an update on the upcoming movie being developed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. I could see something being announced in line with a retrospective look at the franchise or a documentary, but nothing beyond that.

Star Trek seems to be in a holding pattern, and with shows planned through 2027 and franchise head Alex Kurtzman's contract set to expire at the end of the year, it doesn't seem Paramount+ is in a hurry to announce anything else. It feels as though the franchise is prepping to bring a new face to guide Trek into a new era, though that has not been explicitly confirmed.

As Jonathan Frakes and others have pointed out, it's a bummer that the 60th anniversary of Star Trek has come and gone with so little fanfare. Here's hoping I have it wrong about the upcoming panel at San Diego Comic-Con, or possibly New York Comic-Con is going to yield some more details about what to look forward to when it comes to the future.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres on Paramount+ on Thursday, July 23rd. Get hyped for the upcoming episodes, especially since we don't know when we'll get new episodes of any Trek series after it wraps.

Fans of Hallmark movies know there's no need to wait until December to celebrate the channel. In fact, the Christmas movies start so early and feature so many of the same actors the odds are always good you'll find a favorite each year, and when Christmas is over there's always spring, summer and fall movies to supplement your viewing. Several Hallmark all-stars spoke with CinemaBlend about real-life encounters with their movies on the channel, and how they can happen in the most unexpected ways.

After weighing in on whether a Hallmark kiss should include tongue, Will Kemp, B.J. Britt, Eric Cahill, and Heather Hemmens got candid about when the Christmas magic overlaps into their real lives. Will Kemp, known for installments like The Christmas Chocolatier, My Sweet Austrian Holiday, and The Dancing Detective: A Deadly Tango with Lacey Chabert, reflected on when he'd see one of his movies playing out and about in the world at Comic-Con earlier this year, telling CinemaBlend:

Will Kemp may be able to bring the Christmas charm, dance moves, and holiday spirit to the small screen for TV movies, but airplanes generally aren't the #1 place to feel charmed. Apparently, without the merry-and-brightness of a Hallmark holiday, the British actor is not as recognizable even just one seat over, and there's not much leg room for any waltzing.

His fellow Hallmark stars had stories of their own as well: B.J. Britt, who made an impression on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. before he came to Hallmark for the Groomsmen trilogy; Heather Hemmens, known for Christmas Under the Lights as well as the Groomsmen movies; and Erin Cahill, who appeared in not one but two new holiday movies this year. Their real-life experiences are similar to what Will Kemp reported:

• B.J. Britt: "I get it from friends."
• Erin Cahill: "I get screenshots from friends at the gym. I'm like, ‘I didn't know they would play Hallmark at the gym.’"
• Heather Hemmens: "It's happened a couple times at bars and restaurants, where someone will point at [a screen] behind me, or a friend will be like 'Look!' And I'm like 'Whoa!’"

The stars were all laughing as they recalled their experiences, so these were clearly fond memories rather than anything negative in response to leaving holiday cheer in their wakes in real life. And who knows? Maybe watching movies full of Christmas cookies and candy canes can be great motivation during a workout.

While these stars have also performed on projects outside of Hallmark (and my first experience with B.J. Britt was actually on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), I associate them with the channel more than I do other shows and movies. Working with the brand has certainly helped them become beloved all over the world, and all four stars have participated in one or more of the annual Hallmark Christmas Cruises, which started back in 2024 and are scheduled to return in late 2026.

As for their real-life experiences with their movies and fans... well, keep your eyes peeled if you find yourself next to a Brit who seems oddly familiar and interested in your Christmas movie on a flight, because that might just be Will Kemp.

Wicked was pretty much everywhere by the end of 2024, and the same will likely be true to close out the 2025 movie release schedule with the second half of the musical. I had my doubts going into Part 1, because after being lucky enough to see the stage production years before the movie premiered, I just wasn't sure that there was enough in Wicked for two full films. I'm happy to say that I knew I was wrong once the final notes of Cynthia Erivo's take on "Defying Gravity" faded away in the theater last year, and I spoke with Broadway legend Michael James Scott to get his take ahead of Wicked: For Good.

Michael James Scott is best known for playing the Genie in Disney's Aladdin stage production for many years, both on Broadway in New York and in the touring company for many, many years. He also originated the roles of The Minstrel for Broadway's Something Rotten and Dr. Gotswana (perhaps better remembered as The Maggots Man) in The Book of Mormon, among many other credits.

I was fortunate enough to speak with him after he co-hosted the Her Universe Fashion Show at San Diego Comic-Con with Star Wars voice actress and his real-life hype friend Ashley Eckstein. The fashion show had a Wicked theme, with Scott belting his best Elphaba while Eckstein faced some fears to sing as Glinda. The pair sparkled in green and pink outfits when we spoke the next day, and I had to ask the Broadway vet for his thoughts on the Wicked mania of the past year. He shared:

Wicked of course isn't the first Broadway show to be adapted into a movie, and there have been Broadway productions filmed for the screen, such as Hamilton (now available streaming with a Disney+ subscription). Wicked does combine elements of both, with numbers like "No One Mourns The Wicked" and "What Is This Feeling?" in particular delivering choreography that wouldn't look out of place on the stage. According to Michael James Scott, the popularity is "really important." He went on:

While there are still a few months left before Wicked: For Good arrives in theaters, it's likely a safe bet that the pop culture buzz that surrounded the first film will be back in full force, if not increased. The Wicked: For Good trailer does spoil a thing or two that come as surprises in the stage show, but the split into two movies means that there's plenty on the way to shock even anybody who has seen the original version.

When I shared that I had my doubts about Wicked being split into two movies only to end up in tears at the end of "Defying Gravity," Michael James Scott responded:

I'd point towards "Dancing Through Life" as a number that accomplishes very different things on film vs. stage. While Elphaba and Glinda forming a friendship by the end is true to both, the nuances of the tear-jerking performances from Cynthia Erivo opposite Ariana Grande during the Ozdust dance sequence couldn't be full appreciated on stage. In contrast, the sequence was played for laughs on stage both times I was able to attend a performance. Scott went on:

Of course, the film version of Wicked also included some action sequences that can't happen on stage, but there's a certain thrill that comes with a live performance. The Broadway legend explained the perks of both formats, then went on to commend the Wicked team for bringing people who worked on the stage show to the film. Scott said:

Michael James Scott certainly belted out some of that "hardest music in the world" during the Her Universe Fashion Show with its Wicked twist, alongside Ashley Eckstein holding her own next to her Broadway pal. It's a safe bet that both will be seeing Wicked: For Good later this year. Part 2 of Wicked will be available in theaters starting on November 21, with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, and more reprising their roles from Part 1.

Superman is still making headlines long after the premiere date, and I think it's safe to say there's a new Man of Steel running DC's future. With potentially four movies to get to know David Corwenswet's hero, it also means some other heroes will be along for the ride. Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner, for example, and that goofy wig he has to wear.

James Gunn was delighted to talk about that wig when speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, and assured that he's going to keep the Green Lantern star around and in projects as much as he can. Of course, he joked that part of it is because he likes seeing him in the "stupid" wig he has to wear. Check out the clip, which CinemaBlend captured during the Peacemaker Season 2 panel:

What's funny to me is that James Gunn made that joke, fully knowing that he intended to have Guy Gardner appear in Peacemaker Season 2. The season premiere served as a way of retconning Zack Snyder's original DCEU, which may be why he didn't outright announce the cameo would be happening at San Diego Comic-Con.

With only so many heroes involved in the DCU, I guess it tracks that Nathan Fillion might have to wear his "stupid" Guy Gardner wig to appear in a number of upcoming superhero movies if called upon to do so. It certainly seems like the actor is game to do more movies, and even pitched a detective-style mystery movie to CinemaBlend.

Even though I wasn't a fan of how James Gunn changed the hair color of the Green Lantern, I have to concede that he was one of the best parts of the Superman movie. In a world where we're forced to wait and see whether there will be a Mr. Terrific standalone franchise, I'll settle for seeing Nathan Fillion playing Guy Gardner and ushering in other members of the Lantern Corps to properly build that universe.

It's a good thing, then, that we already know Fillion will return as the hero in the Lanterns series, set for those with an HBO Max subscription sometime in 2026. That said, the show is not centered on his character and is supposed to introduce the audience to James Gunn's versions of the famous Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan and John Stewart. I would assume neither of them will have to wear wigs, though they might need a bald cap.

Superman's theatrical run is still ongoing, though given how quickly movies head to streaming these days, one can imagine it won't be long before we see it pop up on HBO Max. Readers can stick with CinemaBlend as we continue to celebrate it and await news of what else is on the way for the DCU, some of which may be teased in Peacemaker Season 2.

While the 2025 movie schedule has featured big-budget blockbuster films throughout the summer, fall isn't too far off with at least one suitably spooky movie set for October. Shelby Oaks, hailing from writer/director/producer Chris Stuckmann, will debut as Neon's upcoming horror flick starring Camille Sullivan, Brendan Sexton III, Michael Beach, and Keith David, among others. Stuckmann spoke with CinemaBlend about the finished product of the film after getting the budget for reshoots and adding practical effects for the blood and gore. And it certainly shows in the trailer!

Executive produced by Mike Flanagan (who directed, wrote, and produced The Life of Chuck for Neon), Shelby Oaks follows the story of Mia (Camille Sullivan), who becomes convinced that her sister wasn't murdered after all despite evidence seeming to point to the contrary. When clues begin to drop that something more sinister is at work... well, the trailer (seen above) reveals that Mia is in for a rough ride with all the blood. Originally funded by a Kickstarter campaign that totaled nearly $1.4 million, Neon picked up the film and gave Chris Stuckmann the extra money to reshoot and add gruesome shots that originally weren't possible.

I spoke with Stuckmann at San Diego Comic-Con about going back to add to what had been a finished product of Shelby Oaks, and he immediately described Neon as "the most incredible partners who picked up a movie that was shot on a shoestring budget." He went on:

Just like with cuts being made with book-to-screen adaptations, cuts from a finished script sometimes have to happen during the process of shooting a movie. Shelby Oaks was first viewed by an audience before the reshoots back in July 2024 at Fantasia Fest in Montreal, not too long after the production company found horror success with the exceptionally creepy Longlegs. Upcoming audiences will get to see the finished product with the increased budget, which IndieWire reported was roughly $1 million. Stuckmann continued:

Shelby Oaks will release in theaters on Friday, October 3, which is toward the end of a year that has already delivered some popular horror films. Fortunately, the stars aligned for Chris Stuckmann to film the movie that was in the script.

Of course, not all productions will go the extra mile for practical effects when computer-generated effects are an option. Some actors have opened up about preferring practical effects, including Murderbot's Alexander Skårsgard despite challenges. Chris Stuckmann went on to share why he prefers doing things practically:

Shelby Oaks was the first feature that Chris Stuckmann has directed, with the added weight of writing and producing it. So, he only had good things to say about getting to go back, reshoot, and add the practical effects that can really sell horror. He concluded:

You can find Shelby Oaks in theaters starting on Friday, October 3. The timing makes it one of the first horror movies to release theatrically in October, so be sure to check it out if you want some scares to kick off the spookiest month of the year.

Napoleon Dynamite set the pop culture world ablaze when it was released 21 years ago, and everyone from kids to adults was quoting that movie back in 2004. Whether we were calling people an "idiot" while mimicking his voice or rocking a "Vote for Pedro" shirt, and apparently some of us are still doing that in 2025. Out of all the quotes for the movie that have circulated throughout the years, Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez both had picks for the ones they hear the most.

I had the honor of speaking with both actors at San Diego Comic-Con, as they're in the midst of touring and hosting screenings of Napoleon Dynamite across the United States. After hearing about how they aren't tired of talking about the film all these years later, Jon Heder told me the line fans quote at him the most:

I'm not surprised one of the options from our funniest Napoleon Dynamite quotes was the one Heder hears the most often, but I am shocked at which one resonates with fans the most. If insulting Tina the llama was really that popular amongst fans, I'd hate to be anyone Tina! I'm also not surprised that tater tots get a mention, given we mentioned it when the stars reunited close to a decade ago, and I think of the movie anytime I eat them.

Efren Ramirez's quote is likely easier to guess. Even though he's been up to a lot in the acting world since Napoleon Dynamite left theaters, everyone loves to remind him of his character's political aspirations in the comedy:

Yeah, no surprise there that Efren Ramirez is hearing that as the two travel along with co-star Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) to screen Napoleon Dynamite for audiences and reminisce about the movie. No doubt, this is only going to make fans more eager to finally see a sequel, and according to Ramirez in an interview last year, that's not off the table yet.

A sequel for Napoleon Dynamite might be perfect, given Jon Gries fame as of late for his role as Greg in The White Lotus. With this, combined with the tour, now might be the time to pull the trigger and join the growing number of cult classic films that decided to use streaming as a vehicle for their second movie.

If that's not in the cards, at least we still have one great movie and a lot of fun quotes to fall back on. Those feeling nostalgic can check out the movie right now with a HBO Max subscription, or check the tour schedule and see where Jon Heder and Efren Ramirez may pop up next!

Readers can enjoy Napoleon Dynamite on HBO Max, though I like to think I have most of the lines still memorized in the back of my mind. Fortunately, I don't remember the dance moves to the auditorium sequence toward the end, otherwise I'd still be doing it to this day.

One of the most intriguing franchise entries among the upcoming 2025 movies has to be Predator: Badlands. It will feature the Predator as the main character for the first time as he teams up with an android (played by Elle Fanning) in search of the “ultimate adversary.” In the trailers for Badlands, there’s a lot of hints at who Predators have come up against, but one that really caught my eye was the massive T-Rex head. So, when I spoke to director Dan Trachetenberg, I asked him about said dino skull.

If you haven’t been following the Predator: Badlands marketing, you might not have seen this image of a Predator trophy wall, which features all sorts of skulls from different species, including another Alien nod (aside from Elle Fanning’s Thea being from the franchise’s own Weyland-Yutani Corporation). When I brought up how I specifically want to see the dinosaur fight that brought back the biggest skull on the wall, here’s what Trachetenberg had to say:

Well that quote has me thinking! Of course, the writer/director is absolutely teasing here, and he offered no follow-up to what he’s talking about is quite “the trophy,” but it does signal that there will be some exciting kills in the movie that will perhaps rival my hopes for a Jurassic crossover of sorts.

During the interview, which took place at San Diego Comic-Con with a backdrop of the trophy room behind us (which was also used as an activation for fans to go through throughout the weekend), Fanning shared that she “can’t say” what her favorite trophy is in the movie. In other words, there’s a lot in the movie we don’t yet know about and the filmmakers and cast are hiding from us.

I don’t know about you, but it had me walking away from the interview racking my brain about what they are hiding. After Dan Trachetenberg’s last Predator movie, Killer of Killers, we were left with a lot of burning questions, such as how the filmmaker was connecting the animated movie with movies like Prey and the original Predator. Now, I’m wondering if things like the Alien easter eggs will mean something bigger is brewing between those two franchises, or if what he’s talking about will be completely out of left field from what I could even imagine.

When Predator: Badlands’ first teaser came out, there was a lot of negativity coming from fans about the upcoming release, but so far, I’m only getting more sold on the movie as I see more about it. I appreciate Trachetenberg for always trying something fresh with the franchise, starting with Prey, and I expect Badlands to be another solid entry. The movie comes out on November 7, so there’s plenty of time to theorize further until then.

The Long Walk is one of many Stephen King adaptations coming in 2025, and strangely enough, it's the second one this year to have Mark Hamill involved. While fans are stoked to see him back in an adaptation of the grim adventure in the author's works, few were as hype as the young cast of the dystopian film, all of whom were ready to talk to Luke Skywalker about Star Wars.

I had a chance to speak to actors Garrett Wareing and Tut Nyuot about The Long Walk, and had to know how long it took them (or others) to approach Hamill and ask him what he knew about any upcoming Star Wars projects, as well as seeking out stories from his many years in the franchise. Wareing talked about how the movie's sizeable cast of youngsters followed headlines about Hamill's involvement, and was quick to pounce when they saw the famed actor arrive on set:

Mark Hamill was seemingly as kind as could be, but had to give a reminder that he was there to work more than share anecdotes. It looks like he was indeed granted that time to get into his monologue and drill down on playing The Major. He's as chilling in the trailer as anything I've seen so far, so it was quite the worthwhile rehearsal period.

Wareing had nothing but kind things to say about Mark Hamill, who was by his account, a joy to work with. He showered the actor with praise and noted that they did get their Star Wars questions asked:

Those stories about Mark Hamill's days on the Star Wars set probably were needed, given just how dark the source material is. The screenwriter has promised the movie pulls no punches, and that's apparent enough in the footage we've seen so far.

The Long Walk adaptation hails from The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence, but the story itself predates the existence of that story, others like it, and the concept of reality television. Now, the story of a group of men all signing up to be the sole survivor in a walk that doesn't end until only one remains all for a lavish prize, doesn't just sound feasible, it feels like something we'd stream with a Netflix subscription.

It's a great premise that is relevant in modern times, though when it was written, it was an allegory about the Vietnam War and the draft. It doesn't seem as though the adaptation is going to lean on that allegory as much, but as mentioned, there's plenty more happening in society today that makes the story work in a way it might not have back then. I'm excited to watch it, as well as the rest of Stephen King adaptations on the way this year.

The Long Walk is in theaters on September 12th. I would watch the trailer first before buying a ticket if you're squeamish, but I think I'm going to be there regardless despite my weak stomach.

King Of The Hill is now out in the 2025 TV schedule, and while it's great to see Hank and friends back for more fun and adventures, a lot has changed since we saw them last. CinemaBlend discovered as much with creator Mike Judge talking about how the series isn't meant to be nostalgic, but he also talked about a major change with Bobby Hill that was heavily discussed ahead of the return.

Those with a Hulu subscription can watch all ten episodes right now, and if they do, they'll see Bobby has changed a lot since Hank worried quite a bit about his son. He's off in Dallas, living with Joseph, and running a restaurant that is a fusion of Japanese and German cuisine. He has all this at only 21 years old, and Mike Judge talked about how his father plays into that amount of success at a young age:

As fun as it might've been to make Bobby a successful show pony as an adult doing anything from being a rodeo clown to a prop comic, King of the Hill's creative team wanted to make a more realistic outcome for Bobby, and they landed on co-owning a restaurant in a big city and living with Joseph Gribble.

As is touched on in King of the Hill, Bobby decided to opt out of going to college, and immediately went to work making his dream of running a Robatayaki once he got out of high school. Showrunner Saladin Patterson said that Bobby's decision to go right into the workforce was a topic of much discussion, and one deliberately made at the request of the co-creators Greg Daniels and Mike Judge:

A lot has changed in King of the Hill since Hank and Peggy returned from Saudi Arabia, both locally and politically. While it may come as a surprise about how Bobby turned out as an adult, there is some more predictable elements to the series. For example, I'm sure no one will be shocked that Bill went into seclusion once the Hills left, and no one knew how to get him out until Hank returned.

It's all part of the fun of seeing the series return, as King of the Hill very deliberately makes Hank a fish out of water in 2025. Years in Saudi Arabia have made him unaware of the etiquette of rideshare services, or all sorts of other tech his friends have had to contend with.

As someone who saw all ten episodes ahead of their release, I was a big fan of the return. While the pilot episode felt a bit wonky due to needing to set up the return, the rest of the series feels in line with classic episodes of King of the Hill. As a longtime fan, I was more than happy, and am hoping we hear more about future episodes soon.

Catch all episodes of King of the Hill on Hulu right now. It's an easy watch for anyone that has an afternoon or evening free to watch, and I'd highly recommend it if you were someone who watched and enjoy the original run of the series.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is the next upcoming Trek series after Strange New Worlds closes out Season 3, and the first look revealed at San Diego Comic-Con has me amped to see this new cast get to work in the 32nd century. I'm especially excited to see Robert Picardo's EMH back in the saddle for the first time in live-action since he starred on Voyager, and the actor confessed he had to adjust to some significant changes getting back into the role.

I had the honor to speak to Robert Picardo at San Diego Comic-Con about his latest adventure in Trek, which is set to stream for those with a Paramount+ subscription in early 2026. During our conversation, he talked about his return to live-action since Voyager (and in animation via Prodigy Season 2), and the adjustment his character had to make in going from the 24th century to the 32nd:

Robert Picardo wouldn't be the actor behind one of the best Star Trek characters if he didn't put a lot of thought into these things, and fortunately, he does. I love his explaining how the EMH has to modernize from his 24th-century mindset in Starfleet Academy, and will absolutely love his attempts to try and blend in with his new surroundings and environment.

As CinemaBlend previously confirmed in other articles, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy does intend to give standalone storylines to the EMH. Any time the EMH tried to "blend in" or understand the human condition, it resulted in some of the best episodes Voyager had in its run. Speaking of his old show, Robert Picardo talked about the responsibility he felt stepping on set as the most veteran actor representing the franchise to a young cast:

Robert Picardo is just as protective of the Doctor/EMH as the most die-hard Star Trek fans, so I expected he'd be keeping a close eye on scripts to make sure this wasn't some drastic reimagining of his character. With that in mind, how long do we think it'll take before we hear him singing opera in the new series?

Robert Picardo, along with the return of some Discovery actors, will offer some familiarity amongst a cast that is new to the Star Trek franchise. Of course, Disco was a series that caused fervent debate amongst fans, with arguments that it was too far of a deviation from the standard formula of Trek television.

We'll see if that has any bearing on the response to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which has stacked its cast with acclaimed actors like Oscar-winner Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti. It feels like a big series that the franchise needs to work for Paramount+, which has cut all shows, including the currently airing Strange New Worlds, which will end with Season 5.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is expected to premiere in early 2026, but we still don't have a firm release date for it yet. There was no further word on Trek projects beyond this one, so perhaps we'll learn something later this year about a new show in development.

A good Hallmark Rom-Com needs that moment where the couple finally gets together. It needs a payoff for riding the will-they-or-won’t-they highs and lows. It needs the lead couple to finally give us the kiss we’ve been waiting for. But what should that kiss look like? Or taste like? Should there be a little bit of tongue?

We were recently at San Diego Comic-Con and got a chance to meet with a lot of Hallmark’s regular players to talk about their upcoming movies and TV shows. More importantly, we also gave them a chance to settle the debate. When it comes to the big movie kiss, should the actors give us a little bit of tongue? You can check out the answers from Chyler Leigh, Holland Roden, Erin Cahil and more Hallmark favorites…

To paraphrase Tyler Hynes, who you may also recognize from Letterkenny, the right kiss is whatever both of the co-stars are comfortable with. It definitely isn’t slobbering all over each other like high school kids in the backseat of a car, but it also isn’t a quick peck on the lips. You need to let the audience see the passion and the release of all that sexual tension, but you don’t need to feel like they’re about to start taking off layers of clothing. As Christine Taylor put it in The Wedding Singer, you’re looking for church tongue.

One of the things I love most about Hallmark is how often you see the same faces. The network does a good job of bringing in just enough new talent, but in general, you really get to know the same few dozen actors who work on several movies or TV series each year. Because of that, it was fun for us here at CinemaBlend to speculate on who might be down for a little tongue and who might not want to go there.

Regardless of whether they’re okay with opening their mouths during their on-screen kisses or not, you’ll be able to see everyone in the video back for some upcoming movies in the near future. We’re still a few months away from the much-loved holiday movie season starting, but that’s no longer a problem for fans. Hallmark’s upcoming movie schedule now includes at least one premiere every weekend, sometimes two.

Most are of the standard romance variety, but the network has also diversified with more mystery series. Those usually include at least some romantic flirting, but sometimes you need to wait multiple movies to finally get that kiss. Fortunately, that means it’s all the more satisfying when it finally does happen. Besides, waiting a few movies is nothing like the wait we’ve gotten on some classic network TV procedurals in the past.

Between the 2025 movie calendar and the 2025 TV schedule, we have both Predator and Alien installments to look forward to in the near future. Plus, since they are both being made under Disney banners, fans have been wondering if the two franchises could merge once again. When I spoke to Predator: Badlands writer/director at SDCC last week, he shared thoughts on the possibility.

While at San Diego Comic-Con, fans could look one way and see a massive poster for the new Alien series coming to FX/Hulu this month, and look another and see marketing for Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Badlands movie. So when I had the chance to talk to the filmmaker, I asked him if the environment brings about any thoughts regarding the next Alien and Predator crossover. Here’s what he had to say:

By “this,” he is talking about Badlands, which already includes some nods to the Alien universe. For example, Elle Fanning’s character Thea is an android from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which started in the Alien movies. Trachtenberg has previously said that when he was coming up with the idea for his third Predator movie, he decided he wanted to make one without human characters, and figured there was already “a company that makes robots” from the Alien movies.

As a fan of both franchises, I really appreciate how he handled this question. The writer/director sounds like he’s into the idea, and he is already finding ways to connect the dots, but wants to make sure that if he is part of the two coming together, it doesn’t feel like two action figures being smashed together for no reason. As Fanning added, perhaps a “build” to the next Alien vs. Predator is the best way to go.

While there are definitely theories out there that Predator: Badlands could become a full-blown Alien/Predator movie, Trachtenberg simply called it a “toe dip” into them sharing universes. As you might have also noticed in the trailers, there’s the skull of a Xenomorph on a trophy wall, along with things like a dinosaur head and so forth. When I asked him about those easter eggs, here’s what he had to say:

I think we’re going to have to wait for the movie’s release on November 7 to fully understand the implications of Badlands on the Alien universe, but it’s definitely worth noting that Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez has shared interest in connecting them, once suggesting that he and Trachtenberg could collaborate as directors. I know I’ll be paying close attention while watching both Alien: Earth and Predator: Badlands in the coming months.

Tron: Ares is on its way to theaters later this year, and finally, we'll get to see the movie Jared Leto has been fighting to make happen for a decade. His passion, along with the stellar cast attached, has led me to trust that the Disney franchise is headed in the right direction with its return to theaters. Of course, it couldn't all be perfect, and the fact that Daft Punk is no longer together made me sad that they wouldn't be along for the ride.

Fans rejoiced when it was announced that Nine Inch Nails would be doing the soundtrack for Tron: Ares, and while I'm a fan of their music, I had my doubts. I know, it sounds wild to anyone remotely familiar with their music, but let me talk about my skepticism and how the footage at San Diego Comic-Con took away all my fears about the music.

I Had Worries Nine Inch Nails Was A Miscasting For A Tron Soundtrack

I'm well aware that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have had both a successful and critically acclaimed career in both mainstream music and in Hollywood. Reznor has even said he prefers making scores to making albums, and when they're doing the latter, they go by their band name Nine Inch Nails. In my mind, they make the distinction because the musical style is different when they use their stage name, so I was a bit rattled when I saw they were using it when being credited for the music in Tron: Ares.

Nine Inch Nails has made some great music over the years, but their brand of Industrial techno metal didn't fit the vibe of Tron. Certainly not in the way Daft Punk did, which felt like a far more natural fit even ahead of hearing any music in Tron: Legacy. I didn't know how it was going to work until I was seated in Hall H and got to watch a few scenes and hear the score with my own ears.

After Listening To The Music In A Few Scenes, I'm No Longer Worried

I guess, in hindsight, it was silly for me to believe the House of Mouse would let a song as extreme as "Closer" be available to hear with a Disney+ subscription, but Nine Inch Nails understood the assignment here. If you're a fan of the music group, the flashes of what makes them great are still there, but this is a soundtrack that is entirely Tron and not industrial metal.

At the same time, you'll hear the clear Nine Inch Nails influence all throughout the music. Whether that's the grungey scraping of metal in a chase scene where Jared Leto's Ares is evading capture, or Trent Reznor's voice singing softly over some mind-blowing action scene unfolding on the screen.

I could describe it, but fortunately, Disney dropped the track "As Alive As You Need Me To Be" for people to listen to. Don't worry, there are definitely tracks we heard that have less vocals and more music, but I think I should note that the parts with lyrics didn't feel out of place. Again, I shouldn't be surprised that the people who made the criminally underrated Challengers score know what works in a movie.

The Soundtrack Might Surpass Daft Punk's Work In Tron: Legacy

It feels too soon to say this, but I'm going to make an early prediction here and say that the Nine Inch Nails soundtrack for Tron: Ares will be more fondly remembered than the one done by Daft Punk. As much as I love the latter, I think the musical duo may have sacrificed a bit too much of their identity as artists to make something that felt entirely like it belonged in Tron. Now that I've heard what it sounds like to have a music group inject their own style into Tron but still retain the core of what makes that technological aesthetic so great, I think I prefer it.

Of course, I'm not the end-all be-all when it comes down to it. Audiences will decide for themselves when Tron: Ares hits the upcoming movie schedule on October 10th. Until then, get hype to the music we've heard so far, and maybe get acquainted with NIN if you aren't already.

King of the Hill is finally making its big return on the 2025 TV schedule, and I think fans who fire up their Hulu subscription on Monday will quickly be met with one inevitable truth about the new episodes. A lot has changed in Arlen over the decades, and it's not just the viewers who will struggle to cope with that. Hank and Peggy have been overseas for quite some time, and will spend some time playing catch-up with the new Texas and all the changes happening within their friend group.

It's certainly not a return that will invoke nostalgia, but as Toby Huss and Mike Judge said when I spoke to the them and the cast at San Diego Comic-Con, that's by design. America as a whole has changed in the decade and a half since King of the Hill left television, and Huss mentioned a comparison creator Judge made about how viewers should see this series:

Things have changed for every character in King of the Hill, as CinemaBlend wrote about when we pointed out key details in posters and other footage we've seen. Arlen is not the same place it was when Hank and Peggy left, and it takes both a while to find their footing.

Fortunately, Mike Judge said that exact premise is what really got the ideas rolling in the King of the Hill writers' room. The creator told me that once they landed on the idea of Hank taking a contract to live on an American base in Saudi Arabia for several years, it began to make sense why they felt like fishes out of water when returning to Texas:

Living on an American base abroad has, as one might guess, made Hank and Peggy a bit out of touch as to how much America has changed in their absence. Not to worry though, as the entire alley gang and Bobby have been there, and are ready to fill them in as I've witnessed across the episodes I received ahead of the premiere.

The good news is that while the series is not nostalgic in tone, it certainly feels like classic King of the Hill. Despite the tragic deaths of past actors (including the more recent losses of Dale actor Johnny Hardwick and John Redcorn actor Jonathan Joss), the series hasn't lost a step in finding ways to give new adventures on par with some of the greatest episodes of the show's past.

I saw the entire series ahead of its arrival, and as a longtime King of the Hill fan, I can confidently say I want a lot more episodes. I particularly like the decision to age up characters like Bobby, Joseph and Connie, as it presents a fresh new storyline that not only is interesting, but incredibly relevant to the lives of young adults today.

Readers will get to see for themselves when they watch King of the Hill's return on Hulu on Monday, August 4th. I'm excited to see the world's response to the show returning, and I'm hoping it's big enough that a Season 2 renewal is just around the corner.

The Legend of Vox Machina brought Critical Role’s first Dungeons & Dragons game to animation for anybody with a Prime Video subscription back in 2022, and now the company of voice actors are bringing their second campaign to the small screen before the end of the 2025 TV schedule. Called The Mighty Nein, a new sneak peek shows that

a similar animation style doesn’t mean that this will be Legend of Vox Machina 2.0. As somebody without much background on the Mighty Nein campaign other than what I gleaned while researching Tusk Love, I’m pretty sure I already have a favorite anyway.

Prime Video’s The Mighty Nein

Major updates on The Mighty Nein were announced as part of Critical Role’s Prime Video panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2025, including a big treat for fans of the campaign who have been waiting years for the animated adaptation. Season 1 will premiere on November 19, and the SDCC reveals confirm that The Legend of Vox Machina isn't the only show from the company that can recruit big names as guest stars.

Among those guest stars are Mark Strong, Alan Cumming, Tim McGraw, Anika Noni Rose, Ming-Na Wen, Auli’i Cravalho, Rahul Kohli, Robbie Daymond, and Jonathan Frakes. With guests like country superstar Tim McGraw and Disney movie musical vets Anika Noni Rose and Auli’i Cravalho, I have to wonder if The Mighty Nein has found ways to include original songs without having a bard on the team, like Vox Machina’s Scanlan (Sam Riegel). The misfits join forces to try and save the realm when The Beacon, a powerful arcane weapon, falls into the wrong hands.

The series will follow a group of fugitives and outcasts, including Laura Bailey as Jester Lavorre, Liam O’Brien as Caleb Widogast, Marisha Ray as Beauregard Lionett, Travis Willingham as Fjord Stone, Taliesin Jaffe as Mollymauk Tealeaf, Riegel as Nott, Ashley Johnson as Yasha Nydoorin, and Matt Mercer – if true to LOVM style – voicing many, many characters. Now, if I was picking my favorite character based on nothing but name, I’d probably have to go with Mollymauk Tealeaf, but the sneak peek has me choosing somebody else based on more substance than a whimsical name.

Take a look:

I’m not sure if this is a snippet from an episode of The Mighty Nein or an in medias res opening to the series similar to what Critical Role did with The Legend of Vox Machina in a tavern, but I do know who made me laugh the most and therefore became my favorite character.

I Already Love Caleb Widogast

Have I magically picked up all the background info about the Mighty Nein – or Sensual Seven – based on less than two minutes of a sneak peek, which doesn’t even feature Ashley Johnson’s Yasha? I have not, and the cast is showing off a variety of different accents than their Vox Machina characters. It is definitely enough for me to understand why there was so much of Jester involved in the packaging of Tusk Love, but my favorite? That would be Caleb.

Characters like Jester and Nott seem like they’ve been set up to be the most comedic characters, but the one who actually got me to laugh out loud was Caleb. I think that Liam O’Brien may be speaking real-life German rather than an original language to Critical Role, but I’m also pretty confident that Caleb isn’t going to spend the whole series speaking in subtitles.

A seemingly straight man character speaking a different language just to avoid interrogation while goofier characters cause a scene? I’m in. Plus, if that is real German, the group’s name basically means “Mighty No,” which is also funny.

Will I still favor Caleb when The Mighty Nein premieres? Only time will tell, but Critical Role fans can look forward to the new series before the end of the year, while The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4 won’t arrive until 2026. Mark your calendars for Wednesday, November 19 to see the Mighty Nein in action!

San Diego Comic-Con might be most known to casuals for all the celebrities that attend its movie and television panels, but it’s also one of the most important weekends of the year for toy collectors. That’s because almost all of the major companies have extensive set-ups and reveal a lot of what’s upcoming. This year was no exception, and days later, I’m still fired up about a ton of upcoming toys we’re getting.

I couldn’t possibly touch on all the cool figures and spectacular sets that got shown off, but I would like to give a little shine to a few things I’m particularly excited about. So, here’s a quick roundup of my favorite toy reveals at the 2025 San Diego Comic-Con.

The Upcoming Wave Of Walmart Exclusive WWE Superstars

There’s no wrestling figure line that’s more frustrating to collect than WWE Superstars. They’re exclusive to Wal-Mart and the distribution is patchy at best. Some stores will inexplicably get ten boxes of a single wave and never get in the next one. It takes a lot of patience and hunting, but for my money, there’s no figure line that displays better than this one.

Each figure comes with accessories and cloth goods, and since most of the characters are splashy, larger than life wrestlers from the 80s and early 90s, the combination is a really toyetic visual. I can’t get enough, and Mattel has (mostly) shown a really good, intuitive sense of what characters fans want in the line.

That was proven once again with these latest reveals, particularly on the right hand side of the above picture with new additions Hacksaw Jim Duggan and the three members of Demolition: Ax, Smash and Crush. All four of these characters are ones fans have been clamoring for, and the final products have me even more excited. A few more waves still need to hit stores before we get these, but hopefully they’ll be in retail by the end of the year. I know I’ll be buying them.

LEGO’s Arkham Asylum Set

One of our video editors here at CinemaBlend, Gabe Kovacs, sent me a picture of the Arkham Asylum set as it was displayed on the Comic-Con floor, and I stopped working for like fifteen or twenty minutes. Who could possibly focus on pulling data when they just found out this exists? No one. Not a single superhero among us could.

The above set features 16 characters including Batman, Harley Quinn, The Joker and even security guards so you’ll have unimportant people to kill off. It’s also a 24 day advent calendar and splits into three distinct levels (a first floor, second floor and roof) so you can move characters around as easily as possible.

LEGO is putting this up for preorder on September 9th for LEGO Insiders, and it’ll be available for everyone else on September 12th. I’d order quickly because even with the $299.99 price point, it’ll probably be gone quickly.

Magic The Gathering’s Collaboration With Marvel Legends

Wizards Of The Coast has been working with Marvel since 2023, but I’m particularly excited about this upcoming collaboration with Marvel Legends and more specifically, Spider-Man. On September 26th, Magic The Gathering is going to be dropping a Spider-Man tie-in that features promo cards from Peter Parker’s universe. Characters including Aunt May, Doc Ock, Gwen Stacy and Venom will be getting their own, and the samples look fantastic.

I’m particularly attracted to the art work and how much it pops within the traditional confines of a Magic The Gathering card. It’s a great visual look, and I think this set is going to go over really well with both traditional MTG players and Spider-Man fans who want to express their fandom in a different way. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.

Street Fighter’s Collaboration With WWE

WWE is no stranger to figure crossover lines. Last year we got a set featuring the most popular superstars as TMNT characters. Before that, we got a dynamite crossover with Masters Of The Universe. Now, it’s Street Fighter’s turn.

If you would have told me before Comic-Con, I would have been mildly interested in this collaboration, but after seeing the actual figures, I’m blown away. The Ultimate Warrior as Blanka with orange chest hair has been the clear fan favorite, but every figure in the line looks really good. The Rock as M Bison is also a standout, as is the packaging, which is made to look like a classic arcade game.

Abbott Elementary is one of the funniest shows on TV. It has been partially responsible for keeping the network sitcom alive in the era of streaming, and it has racked up numerous Emmys in the process. One of the funniest things the show has done was one of its most recent endeavors, where the Abbott Elementary cast teamed up with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for a crossover. The result was hilarious, and Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph recently got blunt about what it was like working with the hooligans over at It’s Always Sunny.

Ralph recently made an appearance with the rest of the Abbott actors at San Diego Comic-Con, where they chatted about the iconic crossover episodes. She hilariously admitted that working on the It’s Always Sunny set was a bit of a culture shock, considering how pristine and well-behaved the Abbott environment is. She revealed during the panel that CinemaBlend attended:

Clearly, working on the dive bar set of It’s Always Sunny was completely different than working in a school environment. Quinta Brunson was quick to jump in and note that the set wasn’t actually dirty; it was dressed to look that way to match the tone of the show. Ralph relented her point, but clearly was shaken by the stark differences between the spaces that the television casts spend most of their time.

Her co-star, Lisa Ann Walter, also jumped in, explaining that Ralph had a little bit of an issue with how the It’s Always Sunny cast operated when it came to improvising. Apparently, Charlie Day went off the rails ad libbing lines, trying some wildly inappropriate takes that had Ralph comically beside herself. You can see the full video of the Emmy winner reliving this moment during the panel below (via CinemaBlend's Instagram):

Even if the whole thing was a complete departure from what the Abbott cast was used to, fans are loving the It’s Always Sunny crossover episodes. Both episodes do a great job of juxtaposing the tones of the shows while still emphasizing the Philadelphia setting that they share. The adlibbing may have been jarring, but it created a lot of great moments, even if some had to be cut in the end.

Even if Sheryl Lee Ralph was scandalized by some of the behavior on the much raunchier show they were collaborating with, it doesn’t seem like the entire cast felt that way. They were all laughing while recounting the crossover at the panel, and Brunson totally let loose during her scenes on the R-rated It’s Always Sunny episode that aired a few weeks ago.

Abbott is a very family-friendly show, so I think it’s fun that ABC was open to exploring a more hard-core version of these characters, and I hope both casts, including Sheryl Lee Ralph, will be open to doing something so daring and fresh in the future.

You can stream both crossover episodes of Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia now with a Hulu subscription. For more information on other exciting premiere episodes heading to streaming this year -- including the Season 5 premiere of Abbott -- make sure to check out our 2025 TV schedule.

Believe it or not, this year marks the 20th anniversary of the premiere of Nickelodeon's Avatar: The Last Airbender, but the fandom has only grown in the two decades since the very first episode aired. With one spinoff already produced and a second on the way to follow the journeys of new Avatars, there's still a major treat coming for viewers who will always love the OG Team Avatar. The Legend of Aang is on the way to continue the stories of the original team into young adulthood as a theatrical film. The catch? The OG voice actors aren't part of the deal, and Jack DeSena opened up about the new voice of Sokka.

Jack DeSena was among the Avatar franchise stars who spoke with CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con, shortly after the 20th anniversary panel that came with nostalgic moments as well as news announcements. No footage was yet available for Avatar: The Legend of Aang, but the new voice cast had largely already been announced for the older version of the TLA gang: Eric Nam as Aang, Dionne Quan as Toph, Jessica Matten as Katara, and Román Zaragoza as Sokka.

I asked DeSena for his take on Sokka's journey continuing on screen in The Legend of Aang, which of course has another actor taking the reins. DeSena, who had previously shared his thoughts on Sokka not having bending abilities and why the original show remains relevant, responded:

Jack DeSena was enthusiastic about Sokka's story continuing, with no hint of reservation that another actor will portray the older version of his longtime character. Interestingly, Sokka didn't need an older voice actor in The Legend of Korra, as Sokka had died prior to the events of the spinoff. The Legend of Aang's place in the timeline of course puts it between the end of TLA and beginning of Korra, and I can't help but wonder if The Legend of Aang will deviate from the events of the comics that continued the stories from The Last Airbender on the page.

While there are more questions than answers about The Legend of Aang since it was announced in 2022 other than the voice cast, the October 2026 premiere date, and Lauren Montgomery as director, Jack DeSena raised a fun question that could be answered in a story continuing Sokka's journey:

I can't say that I ever considered that a post-The Last Airbender project could include Hawky among characters whose stories are expanded, but I'm all for it! Work is surely never done for a messenger hawk in the hands of Sokka, right?

DeSena mentioning Hawky reminded me of another addition to The Last Airbender's third and final season for Sokka: the sword forged by the character out of the ore from a meteorite that had recently fallen from the sky. Or, as Sokka called it: Space Sword. The actor shared a theory for the fate of Space Sword as well, and I'm 100% on board with it even if it isn't made canon in The Legend of Aang. He said:

As far as I'm concerned, unless canonically contradicted, the official story is that Toph found and recovered Space Sword for Sokka after the events of the Season 3 finale. It would only be fitting after he lost the sword when he threw it at an enemy soldier in a desperate effort to save both of their lives, and now all I want from The Legend of Aang is confirmation.

Unfortunately, Avatar: The Legend of Aang is still more than a year away with a premiere date of October 9, 2026. In the meantime, fans can always revisit the three seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender, currently available streaming with a Netflix subscription and a Paramount+ subscription.