Picking the best animated shows ever made is tough! The list includes everything from shows everyone can enjoy, like Hey Arnold!, to more adult-focused series such as Love, Death, & Robots. However, some truly excellent shows didn’t make the list simply because they weren’t widely remembered. This wasn’t due to a lack of quality, but because they faced tough competition, poor promotion, or were simply too innovative for their time.
The One Ring has become a pop-cultural icon, especially in its depiction in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. But deep within Tolkien’s lore was another, more powerful “ring.” It belonged not to Sauron but to his master: Morgoth, the original Dark Lord. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Tolkien’s son, Christopher, collected much of his father’s unpublished Middle-earth lore in a series of twelve volumes called The History of Middle-earth, and the tenth volume was titled Morgoth’s Ring. This book covered several topics, but the one for which it was named was a dark truth about The Lord of the Rings‘ setting. Morgoth did not literally possess a magical ring; the Rings of Power were strictly Sauron’s inventions, and he did not create them until long after his master’s defeat in the War of Wrath. Rather, Christopher drew the title from a metaphor that his father had used in one of his essays, “Notes on Motives in The Silmarillion.” In this essay, Tolkien wrote that “the whole of Middle-earth was Morgoth’s Ring.”
IDW Publishing announced that The Rocketeer is returning in a new comic book series! Titled The Rocketeer: Infiltrator, it will be available on July 8th and features the work of creators Gabriel Hardman (known for Batman and Green Arrow) and Dean Kotz (The Savage Sword of Conan). The story is set during World War II, where Allied planes are being destroyed by what some believe is a secret Nazi weapon. Cliff Secord, a.k.a. The Rocketeer, and actress Betty Paige will go undercover to investigate, promising a thrilling adventure for fans of the classic franchise.
According to Comics Beat, Skybound Entertainment has revealed a new set of connecting variant covers to mark its third anniversary. These covers, created by artist Tom Reilly and colorist Adriano Lucas, will come in both full color and sketch versions. The series begins on June 3 with a team including artist Simon Parr, colorist Pierluigi Casolino, and letterer Rus Wooton.
Nathan Fillion is a fan favorite, and James Gunn’s statement suggests the studio supports him. However, it’s still uncertain if this will resolve the recent criticism.
During his first shareholder meeting as Disney’s CEO, Josh D’Amaro announced that both a live-action remake of Lilo & Stitch and a new Incredibles sequel are currently being worked on.
In recent years, streaming shows don’t last as long as they used to. Unlike traditional TV, where shows were built to run for many seasons, today’s series need to quickly attract a large audience or risk being canceled. This happened with a fantastic HBO show that was cut short, ending before it could reach its full potential.
Details about the plot of Incredibles 3 are still secret, but actress Holly Hunter mentioned she anticipated starting voice recording in March 2026. This is just one of several exciting new Pixar films planned for the coming years, starting with Toy Story 5 this year, followed by another Coco movie and a third Monsters, Inc. film. Good news for fans: the Parr family finally has a confirmed release date for their long-awaited return to cinemas worldwide.
The next Spider-Man movie, currently titled Spider-Man 4 or Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is coming to US theaters this July. Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed Shang-Chi and is working on Wonder Man, will direct. Tom Holland will return as Spider-Man, continuing his role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The new live-action Scooby-Doo series, coming to Netflix in March 2025, has cast Maxwell Jenkins as Fred, Abby Ryder Fortson as Velma, and Tanner Hagen as Shaggy. While Netflix ordered the reboot a year ago, the start of filming and the show’s release date haven’t been announced yet.