A common frustration with Marvel’s recent movies, particularly in the Multiverse Saga, is introducing interesting new characters and then never using them again. While Phases 4 and 5 brought in several important heroes from the comics, they haven’t been included in later films. As the saga progresses towards its conclusion, these characters seem to vanish entirely after their initial appearances.
As a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons and immersive experiences, I’m really excited about Tales From Woodcreek. It’s a totally unique show where the Dungeon Dudes are actually playing a D&D campaign, but they’ve built this incredible real-life set with escape room puzzles and challenges. They release a new episode every week on their YouTube channel, and it’s become a must-watch for me!
However, things began to shift in 2019 with the debut of The Mandalorian on Disney+. Disney+’s launch finally gave Star Wars a streaming home of its own, after previous animated series like The Clone Wars and Rebels had appeared on networks such as Cartoon Network, Netflix, and Disney XD.
Jonathan Frakes is a well-known director of Star Trek films, having directed Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Insurrection. Many of the actors on Paramount+’s Star Trek shows consider him their favorite director. He’s also directed many episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and will direct the next-to-last episode of the first season of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Many critically acclaimed TV dramas, such as Breaking Bad, Succession, and The White Lotus, feature truly memorable moments. Iconic scenes like Don Draper’s carousel speech in Mad Men and the chaotic intervention for Christopher in The Sopranos stand out as some of the best in television history.
Several recent films haven’t performed well at the box office. In addition to Tron, the live-action Snow White and Pixar’s Elio both fell short of financial goals. Snow White faced issues with lengthy production delays and public controversy before its release, earning only $205.7 million worldwide despite costing $270 million to make. This makes it one of the studio’s biggest financial failures for a live-action remake.
Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z weren’t just incredibly popular – they essentially launched the modern Shonen style of anime and manga. They also established many of the common themes and storytelling techniques that define the genre. One technique, in particular, became a hallmark of Shonen, impacting countless series from the 1990s and continuing to influence anime today.
Even before complex science fiction became popular, The Expanse proved that viewers enjoy stories with depth – intricate politics, challenging moral questions, and detailed world-building. It transforms the realistic challenges of space travel, such as limited resources and the difficulties of life in zero gravity, into gripping drama. At its core, The Expanse is a story about the struggle for power and staying alive. The crew of the Rocinante finds themselves caught up in a vast conspiracy with solar system-wide implications. After moving to Prime Video, The Expanse became a smart and thrilling streaming alternative to Star Trek, but without the idealistic vision of the future. Instead, it focuses on realism and tough truths, showing that science fiction can be both intellectually stimulating and strikingly relevant to our own world.
As a longtime Marvel fan, I’ve definitely noticed a shift since Avengers: Endgame. It feels like their movies haven’t been hitting the same way lately – in fact, a lot of the newer ones haven’t done well at the box office. It’s been a bit disheartening to see, and I’ve started hearing people talk about ‘superhero fatigue,’ like we’re all just getting a little tired of the same old formula. It makes me wonder where things are headed, honestly.
While researching for the film, screenwriter Noah Oppenheim and director Kathryn Bigelow found something unsettling. The challenges faced by the main character in A House of Dynamite – and his lack of readiness for an attack – closely mirrored real-life scenarios. It turns out presidents aren’t typically involved in the detailed planning for a nuclear attack.