Tag Archives: Spider-Man

Jan 4 2026

Top Ten Most Anticipated Films & TV Shows Of 2026

2026 looks to be another jam-packed year with all the sci-fi, horror, fantasy and animated projects planned for the year. There are many promising original films and TV shows and returning franchises that will excite any fan. Also, it can be said that 2026 will be do or die for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), since it has struggled lately. Once their films were guaranteed to rake in the money, but that’s not the case anymore and Marvel Studios is betting it all with the films Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. On the other hand, the DC Universe is off and running with this year thanks to the success of last year’s Superman film. Now let’s look at the most anticipated films and TV shows of 2026.

Films

10. Toy Story 5

It’s incredible that Pixar has been able to come up with a new angle for a Toy Story film that is very relevant to current times. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen return to voice the iconic toy characters Woody and Buzz as they and their toy companions now have to contend with a tablet that threatens their popularity with their child owner.

8. The Dog Stars

Not a lot is known about this post-apocalyptic film about a pilot, his dog and a disgruntled veteran, but master director Ridley Scott is behind this adaptation of Peter Heller’s novel. Given Scott’s track record with genre classics like Alien, Blade Runner and The Martian, this one should be another winning notch in the director’s filmography.

8. The Mandalorian and Grogu

Earlier this decade, a film based on the TV show, The Mandalorian, would have set fandom on fire. But given how Disney loves to milk their IP to the death, interest in the galactic bounty hunter Mandalorian and his adopted Force-sensitive child Grogu has declined and the timing of this film may be unfortunate. Still, it will be the first Star Wars film released since 2019, so that should generate interest.

7. Supergirl

The next DC Universe (DCU) film features Superman’s drunken cousin, Kara-Zor-El (Milly Alcock) aka Supergirl, in an outer space adventure that supposedly adapts Tom King’s acclaimed comic book mini-series, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. The film gets bonus points for featuring the return of Krypto the Superdog and Jason Mamoa making his DCU debut as Lobo, the intergalactic bounty hunter.

6. Project Hail Mary

The directing team of Christopher Miller and Phil Lord return to live-action with this adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel about a lone astronaut (Ryan Gossling) sent on a desperate mission to another star system to find out why the stars in the universe are suddenly being extinguished. Given the credentials of the directors, who were revered for their work on the Spider-Verse films, and the off-kilter look of the trailer, Project Hail Mary should be a unique and off-beat film that could resonate.

5. Dune, Part Three

The third film adapts the Dune sequel novels, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune and completes the epic sci-fi trilogy by director Denis Villeneuve. The first two films received nearly universal praise from critics and fans for its faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel about political intrigue and religion in the distant future, which featured stunning visuals, strong performances and engrossing worldbuilding. Dune, Part Three will conclude the spiritual journey of the messiah-like Paul Atreides as he struggles to set a course for humankind in the universe while retaining his own humanity.

4. The Odyssey

The latest film from director Christopher Nolan which is based on the epic Greek fantasy poem by Homer has generated tremendous word of mouth thanks to the meticulous artistry of Nolan and the reputation his films have garnered. The Odyssey is a suitable project for Nolan because of its grand nature, and he is only one of a handful of directors who can do justice to the film. The six-minute trailer that was recently released which focused on the subterfuge of the Trojan Horse increased the fervor for the film given how impressive and large scale the scenes looked on large screens.

3. Disclosure Day

Steven Spielberg, one of the most acclaimed directors of all time, returns to his genre roots with this UAP/UFO-related film that is largely shrouded in mystery. Unlike his previous UFO films that seemed hopeful, Disclosure Day feels more grounded, mysterious and ominous judging by the teaser trailer alone. The teaser implies the film will tackle government conspiracies and spirituality. After a long period of non-genre dramas and musicals, seeing Spielberg tackling aliens once again is a welcome event.

2. Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Following the aftermath of Spider-Man: No Way Home, the latest MCU Spider-Man picks up after Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) civilian identity has been erased thanks to a magical spell. Not a lot has been revealed about the next MCU Spider-Man film but it features popular Marvel characters like the Hulk and Punisher, a bunch of new supervillains and a mysterious new character played by Sadie Sink. Aside from speculation about Sink’s role, the film is noted for being directed by Destin Daniel Cretton who directed the well-received MCU film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

1. Avengers: Doomsday

From the chair announcement trailer to the character teasers, no other film coming out in 2026 has generated the amount of buzz as the first Avengers film since Avengers: Endgame. The film begins the conclusion of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, which will finish with next year’s film Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has a lot riding on the success of this film given how MCU films and TV shows have had uneven reception lately. The film is pulling out all stops to bring back fans to guarantee a box office win with its hard pivot to legacy characters and actors, notably those from the Fox X-Men films and Robert Downey, Jr. who returns not as Iron Man but as the premier Marvel villain Doctor Doom. No matter how it ends up, Avengers: Doomsday will be the event film of 2026.

Notable Mentions:

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple; The Bride!; Clayface; Coyote vs. Acme; Evil Dead Burn; Flowervale Street; Forgotten Island; Godzilla: Minus Zero; Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die: Greenland 2: Migration; Hokum, Hoppers; The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender; Masters of the Universe; Primate; Redux Redux, Werwulf, Wildwood

Avatar: The Last Airbender; Blade Runner 2099; The Boroughs; Invincible; A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms; Paradise; Silo; Star City; Star Trek: Strange New Worlds; Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord; The Testaments; Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man; Stranger Things: Tales From ’85; Wonder Man

3 Body Problem, Army of Shadows, The Beauty, House of the Dragon, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, One Piece, Paradise, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The Testaments, Wonder Man, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Television

10. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

Most likely the latest Star Trek TV show will be garbage given the cringy publicity images and clips that highlight cliche teenage angst. Also going against it is that not many fans were interested in a Star Trek show set in the unpopular Star Trek: Discovery era of the 31st century, but it looks well produced and could surprise us.

9. The Boroughs

Fresh off concluding their popular TV series, Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers follow up that TV show with The Boroughs. This one focuses on middle-aged residents of a suburban community instead of kids who team up to face an unusual threat. Starring Al Molina, Geena Davis, Bill Pullman and others, The Boroughs should echo the same magic that made Stranger Things so well regarded.

8. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

The second season of the Monsterverse TV show is finally upon us. The first season unexpectedly provided depth and intriguing worldbuilding for the action-oriented Monsterverse films while featuring many appearances by our favorite kaijus like Godzilla. The second season will provide more of this and should develop the Monsterverse storyline further.

7. Neuromancer

Apple TV has turned into the premier streaming service for high-quality sci-fi programs and given recent adaptations of popular sci-fi literary works like Foundation and Silo, it was time for the streaming service to jump into adapting the William Gibson novel that jumpstarted the cyberpunk subgenre. Details are not available but since Neuromancer will stream on Apple TV, it should be a quality adaptation.

6. Spider-Noir

While it is lamentable that this program about an alternate take on Spider-Man set in the 1930s will stream on MGM+ (who actually subscribes to that streaming service?), it offers a unique take on Spider-Man. Filmed in black and white to establish a noir mood, the series will star Nicolas Cage (who voiced the same character in the Spider-Verse animated films) as Ben Reilly, an older and more jaded version of Marvel’s most popular hero.

5. X-Men ’97

After the triumphant first season that redefined the animated X-Men TV shows, this second season takes place right after the events of the first season as the heroic mutants find themselves scattered in different time periods and have to find a way back home. Only this time, the X-Men have to grapple with the mega-villainy of Apocalypse. However, being that Beau DeMayo, the showrunner of the first season, has been fired by Marvel Studios, it has to be seen if the new showrunners can match DeMayo’s work.

4. VisionQuest

This MCU TV show concludes the loose trilogy made up of WandaVision, Agatha All Along, and now VisionQuest. This shows follows the journey of the white android Vision (Paul Bettany) who was imbued with the memories of the original Vision in the final episode of WandaVision and now he has to struggle to find his identity. What makes the concluding part of the trilogy more exciting is that Terry Matalas, who was responsible for the popular third season of Star Trek: Picard, will be the showrunner.

3. Lanterns

The sole DCU TV show coming out in 2026 is a detective show will feature the intergalactic sentinels Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) investigating a murder in Nebraska that will lead to dark and otherworldly events. Given the success of other DCU TV programs like Peacemaker and Creature Commandos, and the bonafides of the showrunners, including DCU head James Gunn, Lanterns should be another win for the fledgling superhero cinematic universe.

2. The Boys

The final season of the adaptation of Garth Ennis’ comic book series about “superheroes” dominating popular culture and the world itself promises to go all out as a ragtag group of anti-heroes led by Bill Butcher (Karl Urban) have their final confrontation against the twisted and sadistic Homelander (Anthony Starr) who rules the United States in a reign of terror with his lackeys and cohorts. The final season of The Boys promises to be just as brash, graphically violent and sardonic as the previous four seasons and its spinoff TV show Gen V.

1. Daredevil: Born Again

It’s true that the first season of Daredevil: Born Again turned out to be uneven, but the best episodes of that season were produced by Dario Scardapane and directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who were the showrunners of the original Daredevil TV program on Netflix. The second season will be completely done by them and that is reason alone to look forward to it. Another reason is that it will focus on how the blind superhero Daredevil (Charlie Cox) and his allies (including Kristen Ritter reprising her role of Jessica Jones) operate on the streets of New York City under martial law as the police enforce a ban on vigilantes imposed by Daredevil’s nemesis Mayor Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio).

Notable Mentions

3 Body Problem, Army of Shadows, The Beauty, Blade Runner 2099, Invincible, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, One Piece, Paradise Silo, Star City, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Wars: Maul-Shadow Lord, The Testaments, Wonder Man, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

Aug 17 2025

Phase Five Of The MCU Ranked

Now that Ironheart has been released on streaming, Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has concluded, and the films and TV shows of Phase Five can now be ranked. On the whole, this phase suffered for many reasons, some of which were beyond the control of Disney and Marvel Studios, and included entertainment strikes, the conviction of actor Jonathan Majors (who played the would-be MCU big baddie, Kang), and rushed productions without completed scripts. However, there were certainly some projects that are considered as some of the MCU’s best and should be lauded. As we move on to Phase Six, let’s rank all the Phase Five MCU films and TV shows. Just note that X-Men ’97 is not included because officially the animated series is not considered part of the MCU, but if it was it would be placed in sixth place.

15. Secret Invasion

Not only is this limp, would-be spy thriller about alien Skrulls infiltrating our civilization the weakest entry of Phase Five, but it is the worst MCU project ever produced. The goal of the Skrulls was moronic, as was the execution of the pedestrian scripts that failed to live up to the premise of the comic book event this limited series was based on. For a supposed paranoid thriller, Secret Invasion lacked any tension, drama, suspense or sense.

14. I Am Groot (season two)

Eh, the animation was well done, and the stories were cute, but as with the first season, the animated shorts were strictly for the kids. One segment, however, was buoyed by the appearance of the enigmatic Watcher and it was rather humorous.

13. Echo

It is clear that this TV show was a leftover from the Bob Chapek era of Disney were anything and everything was rushed into production whether it deserved to or not. The former gangster Echo was one of the dullest characters from Hawkeye, yet somehow, she was given her own TV show which largely came off as a standard and dull crime drama. The appearance by Daredevil and later Wilson Fisk livened things up, but that was about it.

12. What If…? (seasons two and three)

The animated series that explored the Multiverse was a mixed bag with an average second season and a disappointing third season. There were many great premises that could have been explored in the third season, but sadly that never happened. Instead, we got Howard the Duck and his girlfriend protecting their egg in a painfully unfunny episode. But there were a couple of gems featuring Agatha, Winter Solider and Red Guardian. The second season was definitely the stronger of the two as it further explored the more interesting variant characters from the first season like Captain Carter and Stephen Strange. But overall, the Multiverse animated show did not live up to the promise of the first season or the comic books.  

11. The Marvels

The semi-sequel to Captain Marvel is not bad, but it is not good either. There are some interesting character developments that are only glossed over, like Ms. Marvel’s hero worship of Captain Marvel vs. reality or Photon’s abandonment issues with Captain Marvel. But the villain was completely forgettable, and the film felt very rushed. What did not help were some Godawful moments like the alien cats swallowing people as “Memory” played in the soundtrack, or the planet populated by singing people. The introduction of the X-Men into the Multiverse Saga in the post-credits scene was great and nearly salvaged the film, but it was not enough.

10. Ironheart

Here’s another case of a TV show starring an unpopular MCU character. This time it’s Riri Williams from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, Ironheart does a good job presenting Riri Williams/Ironheart. She is a painfully flawed person trying to do what is best but some of her decisions are questionable, as are her associates. The effects were surprisingly good despite the reputation MCU TV shows gained over the years, and many characters were interesting. Not the greatest MCU TV show ever, but it’s still worth watching.

9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The third Ant-Man film gets a lot of unwarranted hate from fans who were disappointed by the introduction of Kang, the would-be big baddie of the MCU and the Multiverse Saga. Many fans who expected another caper heist film instead were treated to a loopy sci-fi adventure in another dimension featuring giant ants and weird creatures like the floating head MODOK. It did not help that some of the special effects were sketchy. Still, the film was fun in its own way and had some solid performances and was a decent entry into the Multiverse Saga, although its importance has diminished since Kang has been sidelined.

8. Agatha All Along

This sequel to WandaVision was unexpectedly effective thanks to an inspired performance by Kathryn Hahn as the anti-hero sorceress, Agatha Harkness, as she traverses the mystical Witch’s Road with a ragtag coven of eccentric witches. The character development of Agatha was surprisingly effective and made her more of a sympathetic character with a rather tragic backstory. Agatha All Along is a solid entry into the darker and more mystical part of the MCU and a worthwhile middle part of the Scarlett Witch saga that will be conclued with the upcoming Vision Quest.

7. Captain America: Brave New World

In this mishmash of a film there are elements that could have made it a truly great political thriller. But constant reshoots and rewrites of the script noticeably impaired it, although the fourth Captain America film tries very hard and has many memorable elements. For instance, it has great performances by Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford and many action scenes are well shot and choreographed. A couple of these feature a terrific battle of Captain America fighting the Red Hulk and an intense segment where Captain America and his partner take to the skies to prevent a major war over the ocean. What ultimately harmed the film were the clumsy exposition dumps and haphazard editing that could not quite salvage the film.

6. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

This animated series was one of the best surprises in Phase Five of the MCU. At the same time, this exploration of the high school years of Peter Parker/Spider-Man was quite refreshing with its poignant coming-of-age storyline and genuine. The highlight of the series was not the fight scenes or appearances of superheroes like Doctor Strange or Daredevil but the exploration of Peter’s angst and his complicated relationships, especially with Norman Osborn. We know Osborn will become his greatest foe, but in the show, he serves as his hardened mentor who teaches him lessons about having “great power”.

5. Daredevil: Born Again

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio make their triumphant returns as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk in this sequel to the original Netflix series. As a loose adaptation of the storyline in the comics where the criminal Fisk becomes mayor of New York City, the series was quite engrossing, especially the early and final episodes. It soon became clear that the middle episodes were produced by a different team when it came to their quality. These middle episodes were fine but were wildly outclassed by the early and final episodes, which were nearly perfect works of television art that thankfully we will see more of in the second season.

4. Deadpool & Wolverine

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return to their iconic superhero/mercenary roles that were the highlights of the Fox-era X-Men films. Teaming up for the first time, the two have a wild multidimensional romp as they encounter classic and forgotten characters from the pre-MCU Marvel films ranging from the X-Men to Blade. Some may criticize the film for just being a collection of callbacks to previous films and the script did quite have the wit and energy of the first two Deadpool films. Still, Deadpool & Wolverine was a hysterical, gross and action-packed tribute to the pre-MCU era of Marvel films.

3. Loki (season two)

The second and final season of Loki was a time-traveling and mystical marvel (pardon the pun) that was highlighted by the title character’s transformation. The episodes were witty and inventive as Loki worked with his allies to keep time from unraveling. Loki also featured wonderful acting, not just from Tom Hiddleston as Loki, but from Ke Huy Quan, Jonathan Majors and Owen Wilson. The best part of the show, however, was seeing Loki’s emotional journey as he grew into someone much more noble and magnificent as he made the ultimate sacrifice to save the Multiverse and achieve his “Glorious Purpose.”

2. Thunderbolts*

Or The New Avengers as marketing both in the film and IRL would rather you call this misfit team of mercenaries. The film was unexpectedly engaging and full of emotion as it focused on the characters’ inner turmoil. Even though we’ve seen this before: a bunch of losers form a dysfunctional team and actually become heroes, it was done splendidly. After a few misfires during Phase Five, Thunderbolts* signaled that Marvel Studios finally got its act together and went out of its way to present a winning MCU film. While it’s regrettable that the film had disappointing box office returns, this almost does not matter because of the film’s quality. Here’s hoping that the film resonates later on with home viewings.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

James Gunn sends of the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy with a masterful finale that hit all the right emotional spots. Focusing on the team’s soul, Rocket (later Rocket Raccoon), Gunn gave us a painful and traumatizing origin story that doubles as an animal rights tale that deserves to be told. Everyone involved was on point and beyond with Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, as it was the last hurrah for our favorite cosmic superhero team of misfits. This was classic Guardians at its best with goofy moments, perfect needle drops, wild visuals, a terrifying villain and exciting fight scenes. Gunn’s final film for the MCU is to be cherished because now that he has moved on to Warner Bros. to lead their superhero films, he is already sorely missed by MCU fans.

José Soto

Jul 20 2025

The Eve of MCU’s Phase Six

Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) starts this week with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a film that will begin the finale of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. As Phase Six commences it is clear that the MCU has had some challenges recently and it remains to be seen if the latest phase will course correct the cinematic universe.

A major issue with the last two phases that will affect Phase Six was that they did not tell a cohesive or coherent storyline that progressed the overall story of the Multiverse Saga. This ran counter to the first three phases that told a progressive story that culminated with the last two Avengers films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. One thing to note with the first three phases was that they concluded more or less with an epic Avengers film. This did not happen with Phase Four (*Thunderbolts the last film of Phase Five ended with the revelation that it was actually a film about a new team of Avengers), and the Multiverse Saga had to do a course correct for outside reasons.

Phase Five of the MCU was plagued with several misfires and undeniable box office disappointments as films and TV shows did not live up to expectations. This was unfortunate since Phase Four was disappointing, as well, and failed to live up to the glory days of the first three phases. Phase Five was supposed to correct this but could not.

Namely that Marvel Studios decided to eliminate the main villain of the Multiverse Saga, Kang the Conqueror, and instead abruptly chose to have Doctor Doom as the main villain. This change happened because the actor who played Kang, Jonathan Majors, was fired by Marvel Studios for being convicted of domestic abuse and the character did not resonate with fans. This happened as Phase Five was well underway and did not allow the MCU to organically pivot to Doctor Doom, but the film studio could have tried. Films and TV shows in the latter half of Phase Five should have, at the bare minimum, dropped Easter eggs and references to Doctor Doom but that has not happened. In fact, many TV shows from Phase Six like Secret Invasion or Agatha All Along did nothing to advance the Mulitverse Saga. Meanwhile, only about half of the Phase Five films were relevant to the Multiverse Saga.

What makes this situation worse is that Doctor Doom, the main villain of the Fantastic Four, will not appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This is a mistake considering that Doom will be the villain of next year’s Avengers: Doomsday and it is unlikely that upcoming MCU projects before that film will include any appearances or references to Doctor Doom and the Multiverse Saga. It is head scratching that Doctor Doom will not at least have a cameo in The Fantastic Four: First Steps but we won’t know this for sure until the film is released. On the other hand, there are reports that one of the post-credits scene from The Fantastic Four: First Steps will directly tie into Avengers: Doomsday so there is that, at least.

Another thing that is evident with the slate of Phase Six is that unlike the last two phases there will be noticeably less films and TV shows released. One major complaint about the last two phases, especially with Phase Four, was that too many projects were released, and this stretched the resources of Marvel Studios. The result was that many subpar films and TV shows were released before they could be fine tuned to be better. With Phase Six, Marvel Studios has chosen to emphasize quality over quantity, though this means that many threads and characters introduced in the previous phases will be ignored. This will frustrate many fans, but it was inevitable given that Marvel Studios has to concentrate on popular characters instead of greenlighting TV shows or films about obscure superheroes that may or may not resonate with the larger public. So, expect many films and TV shows dealing with the core Avengers lineup, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four (if the first film is successful) and of course, the mutants.

At this time, we can only speculate on what films and TV shows Marvel Studios will release for Phase Six. Unlike the previous phases the studio is remaining tight lipped about its upcoming releases since they have been burned by prematurely announcing projects before they were ready like Blade. To date, the only known projects are The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, second seasons for Daredevil: Born Again and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Vision Quest, a Punisher TV special, Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and at least one other film that we have no information about. Who knows what it will be? A new Doctor Strange film? A third Black Panther film?

While it’s regrettable that Marvel Studios is pulling back on the quantity of projects it is for the best since the limited amount of films and TV shows will lead to improved products. We already are seeing this as the more recent offerings from Marvel Studios like Deadpool and Wolverine, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and *Thunderbolts have received a lot of acclaim. It is also interesting to see that certain projects that were not as well received as Ironheart, parts of Daredevil: Born Again and Captain America: Brave New World were produced before Marvel Studios began to course correct with its offerings. Daredevil: Born Again offers clear proof of this as the most acclaimed episodes were made after the film studio decided to emphasize its commitment to quality.

It will take some time for Marvel Studios’ course corrections to resonate with the general public. Not too long ago, the MCU brand was golden and a guarantee of quality and box office success. That’s not the situation anymore as many recent films have underperformed, even if they were acclaimed like *Thunderbolts. It is no longer a guarantee that an MCU film will be a box office hit. But it is important that they maintain a high level of quality because this will create positive buzz for MCU films and TV shows. Do not be surprised if properties like *Thunderbolts develop cult followings, which is good for Marvel Studios as this will demonstrate the studio’s commitment to quality products. Eventually the public will catch on and begin seeing them the films and TV shows in droves again. Then again with important tentpole films like Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it is practically certain that Phase Six of the MCU will be successful.

José Soto

Mar 9 2025

The Defenders’ Pending Return

Right now, we’re all basking in the joy that Daredevil has returned to TV with Daredevil: Born Again. What’s even more joyous is that not only is the character now firmly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, (MCU) but the TV show is a direct continuation of the Netflix series, Daredevil, that streamed a few years ago. That may be obvious since the blind superhero is being played again by Charlie Cox and his villain, Wilson Fisk, has been reprised by Vincent D’Onofrio. But for a while, it was unclear if Daredevil: Born Again would be a soft reboot of the original series. However, that question has been answered by Marvel Studios and was shown with the additions of other cast members from Daredevil and other references and Easter eggs to the Marvel Netflix universe.

Aside from returning actors like Debra Ann Woll, Ayelet Zurer and Elden Henson, two notable references were dropped in the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again. During some conversation, Elden Henson’s character, Foggy Nelson, mentioned that he worked for the law firm, Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz, that was introduced in the Marvel Netflix series, Jessica Jones. The other reference was in a crowd scene taking place in Times Square during New Year’s Eve. In addition to MCU references like Rogers: The Musical and the Pym Van Dyne Foundation, we can spot an advertisement for Harlem’s Paradise, the underworld nightclub in Luke Cage that was eventually taken over by the title hero.

So, we can infer that the other Marvel Netflix heroes, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and yes, Iron Fist, who made up the superhero team, the Defenders, are part of the MCU now. No more vague references to a “Big, green guy” or “the Incident” aka Loki’s alien attack on New York City. But this has not been officially verified by Marvel Studios, which as usual remains tightlipped about such matters. Remember they kept quiet about Matt Murdock (Daredevil’s civilian identity) appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home for the longest time and pleasantly surprised fans when the blind lawyer turned up to represent Peter Parker. They also were mum before the Kingpin was revealed to be the main villain in Hawkeye.

As of now, all we have to go on are rumors from insiders that the Defenders will be part of the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. Kristen Ritter, the actor who portrayed Jessica Jones, was asked in recent interviews if she was reprising her role. She replied that she was available and willing to play the superhuman private detective. However, she has posted on social media that she has been at the gym, possibly to get in shape for the role. She also posted that she was traveling to New York City in late February of 2025 for unknown reasons. At the same time, filming for the second season of Daredevil: Born Again commenced in New York City last month. This could mean Ritter went to the city to film her scenes or it could be just a coincidence.

So far, there’s no word if Michael Colton and Finn Jones will reprise their roles of Luke Cage and Iron Fist, respectively, although Jones stated recently he wanted to return. However, given how negatively the TV show, Iron Fist, was received, it would be understandable if the role was recast in order to distance the character from the Netflix series.

It would be great for the Defenders to return to the world of Daredevil and be a part of the MCU. There were some plot threads that were left unresolved in the other Marvel Netflix TV shows that need to be addressed. For example, when Luke Cage took over the night club did he become a criminal? Did Iron Fist and his step brother finish their mystical quest in Asia? Also, a running plot line in Daredevil: Born Again is that Wilson as the mayor of New York City bans vigilantes; how does this affect the Defenders? Supposedly, this was to be part of the plot for the next Spider-Man film until Sony decided they want to continue playing with the multiverse, instead. Too bad, since Fisk was originally a Spider-Man villain, as was the Punisher. Involving the Defenders would better flesh out the anti-vigilante plot in Daredevil: Born Again and could adapt the events of the Devi’s Reign comic book mini-series that was devoted to Fisk’s term as Mayor and his anti-superhero crusade.

Speaking of vigilantes, the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) is part of the first season of Daredevil: Born Again and will have his own TV special next year. If he could get his own special then the Defenders should get their own specials or mini-series, as well. Just leave out the Hand as the adversaries and get better fight choreographers.

Dec 14 2024

Yes, Mary Jane, There Is A Santa Claus: Sony Ends Its Spider-Man-Related Cinematic Universe!

Now that Kraven the Hunter is crashing with critics and fans, and at the box office, Sony Pictures had to admit defeat and throw in the towel.

Given the failure of its recent films related to Spider-Man, but not featuring the Marvel Comics hero, Sony decided to discontinue producing these kinds of films. Instead, it will focus on films and TV shows that actually feature Spider-Man himself. Yes, Mary Jane, there is a Santa Claus, since St. Nick and whatever powers-that-be have answered fans prayers. For too long, many of us saw Sony butcher many legitimate Marvel characters with ill-conceived films starring characters that are associated with Spider-Man.

This all started with Venom, which was released in 2018, and turned out to be a huge hit in theaters. Ever since Sony had the film rights to Spider-Man the film studio only released films starring the character, which were successful. But seeing how successful Marvel Studios was with their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sony sought to expand beyond Spider-Man and produce films on characters, namely villains, that were associated with Spider-Man. Never mind that many of these characters won’t work without Spider-Man or at least have a defined connection to him. The Venom films worked largely due to actor Tom Hardy and the passion he infused into his role and the character was strong enough to carry his own films. But Madame Web? Why didn’t Sony just do a Spider-Gwen film? That character is very popular in comics and was a breakout in the two animated Spider-Man films.

As we know, the poor reaction to their more recent Spider-Man films led Sony to reach a deal with Marvel Studios and lend the character to Marvel Studios. The caveat was that the superhero could not appear in live-action in projects not associated with Marvel Studios’ MCU, though this has been disputed by a report from Variety.

The Spider-Man films taking place in the MCU were huge successes, but Sony could not be content with that. So, they decided to crank out films that did not feature Spider-Man, which is how we got Venom. Despite its big success, not everyone loved it. But Sony did not care, they saw the box office returns and were convinced they could duplicate that success. Turns out they couldn’t.

Aside from the Venom films and the animated Spider-Man films, Morbius, Madame Web and now Kraven the Hunter were colossal bombs. The films were so embarrassingly bad that they became the subject of many goofy memes and outright tarnished the reputation of Sony’s Spider-Man-related films. It’s no wonder Sony decided to veer away from these Spider-Man-related films. They just had to, it did not make any financial sense to continue to do so.

This does not mean that Sony will not produce anymore Spider-Man films. Production will start next year on the next MCU Spider-Man film, and its TV project Spider-Man Noir is nearly complete, and work is underway for its next animated Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. That is for the best, honestly.

By not wasting time and resources to produce mediocre films that no one asked for, Sony can now focus all its talent and resources on producing high-quality Spider-Man films and TV shows, which were great to begin with. If any characters introduced in those films prove popular enough, then Sony can produce a spinoff film or TV show with the help of Marvel Studios.

Or they can negotiate with Marvel Studios to allow them to feature a non-MCU Spider-Man in their non-MCU films. That was one of the biggest letdowns with the Venom films. We never got to see Venom confront Spider-Man, his arch-nemesis, who only appeared in a brief cameo in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. It would not be too confusing for the regular public and fans to differentiate between two or more versions of Spider-Man to exist at the same time. This has worked well with the animated Spider-Man films and Warner Bros. has shown that different versions of Batman and his related characters could exist simultaneously, as well as their other DC heroes. Besides this would be a great opportunity to let previous Spider-Man actors like Andrew Garfield to reprise their roles without coming up with a convoluted multiverse storyline.

Even though many deride these Sony Spider-Man films and lament that Disney/Marvel Studios does not own the film rights to the character, there is a rationale for Sony to hold on to him. If Spider-Man were to revert to Marvel Studios, he would be joining a crowded slate of characters who would be vying for time and resources. Just look at how long it has taken for there to be a followup to Captain America: Civil War and the last Iron Man solo film was over ten years ago. Most likely Spider-Man would just play a guest star in other films. At least with Sony, Spider-Man and his world will receive the attention he deserves, and now the studio will focus on crafting some top-tier superhero films and TV shows. Maybe in the not-too-distant future Kraven will be properly introduced as an S-tier villain in a Spider-Man film, which could lead to an adaptation of the classic comic book story, “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” That would be great.!