Tag Archives: Star Wars

Jun 29 2026

Five Genre Films For Steven Spielberg To Direct

With the release of the sci-fi film Disclosure Day, fans of director Steven Spielberg have been wondering what will be his next film. It could very well be a non-genre drama or another sci-fi/fantasy film. Whether or not audiences enjoyed Disclosure Day, it is obvious that the film explored one of Spielberg’s favorite subject of his previous films; alien visitation. As he plans for the future he may want to direct a genre film covering a sub-genre he has not done before. Here are five types of genre films that Steven Spielberg could direct.

Time Travel

A time travel film would be right up Steven Spielberg’s alley. In his non-genre films, the director has displayed a stunning attention to detail with historical settings as seen in Amistad, Lincoln, Bridge of Spies, West Side Story, War Horse, and more while injecting those films with a human touch that made them relatable to current audiences. You can even throw in the Indiana Jones films as evidence of his ability to present engaging and authentic voyages to our past. Speaking of Indy, if Spielberg had remained the director of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny with its time-travel storyline, he would have notched this sub-genre to his filmography.

Now imagine if the director used his cinematic artistry for a time travel film. If he directed films like Timeline, the remake of The Time Machine, The Philadelphia Experiment, or The Time Traveler’s Wife (which he expressed interest in adapting before the film version of the book was eventually made), those films would have been much better made and memorable thanks to his focus on details and exploring the wonder and thrill of actually time traveling, and the dangers and philosophical debates, (think Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park), as well.

Superheroes!

The closest Steven Spielberg has come to superhero films were the cameos of icons like Batman and Wonder Woman in Ready Player One. At one point he was involved in an announced adaptation of Blackhawk, a comic book character that is more of an adventurer than a superhero and there was a brief rumor a couple of years ago that he was considered for Fantastic Four: First Steps (“sigh” that film would have been phenomenal if he directed it), and early in his career he was offered Superman: The Movie. Another close call for Spielberg was his animated film, The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of The Unicorn, which was based on the popular comic books which have nothing to do with superheroes.

One obstacle to directing a superhero film, especially one based on a popular character like Spider-Man or Superman is that Spielberg would be under tight creative constraints from film studios and companies that own the rights to the supeheroes. Meaning, he may not want to play with toys that he does not own. Then again he might, given his capability of adapting other works. Another hurdle is that the budget of superhero film based on a popular character would be astronomical when you throw in his salary, and given the struggles superhero films have had lately, film studios may be hesistant to hire him. The best bet is to either work with original characters a la The Incredibles or do adaptations of lesser known, and cheaper, characters. As a suggestion, he would do wonders with an Astro City live-action film.

Space Adventures

The director has turned in some great sci-fi classics but none of them involved space travel, although has come veryclose. Spielberg directed some scenes in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, was seriously considered for Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, was offered the opportunity to direct Star Trek: Planet of the Titans (before that film morphed into Star Trek: The Motion Picture) and was supposed to direct Interstellar before abandoning the project to Christopher Nolan. Not only is he a vocal cheerleader for the Star Wars films, but has expressed his admiration for Guardians of the Galaxy, which he lists as one of his favorite films.

Being that Star Wars is struggling now, Lucasfilm, if backed financially by Disney, could do a hail mary and get him to direct a future Star Wars film. The same could go for Marvel Studios if they decided to revisit the Guardians of the Galaxy. But in any event, Spielberg doing a grand space adventure taking place on farflung spaceships or exotic planets with weird aliens would be a perfect fit for his skills in conveying grand adventure, mysteries and thrills.

A Stephen King Adaptation

Both Stephen King and Steven Spielberg came into their own in the mid 1970s and throughout the 1980s. It is odd that in all that time the two have not successfully collaborated on a film project. Note the word successfully. In the 1990s, King wrote a screenplay for a remake of The Haunting, which was to be directed by Spielberg. However, the two had creative differences which caused both men to leave the project. Who knows how a Spielberg-directed version of The Haunting would have been; it certainly would have been more memorable than the remake that eventually came out in 1999.

Spielberg has also tried to adapt The Talisman, based on King and Peter Straub’s book. It’s too bad, he didn’t succeed because this film would have been a perfect vehicle for his skillset as a director. Maybe one day soon, this will become a reality, if not with The Talisman, but with King’s exhaustive line of books. Let’s start with The Dark Tower books, at least with The Gunslinger. Spielberg could direct the first film and hand off the rest of The Dark Tower books to other directors.

A Jaws Prequel

Back when Jaws 2 was pre-production, Universal Pictures offered Steven Spielberg the chance to return to do a sequel to the film that made him famous when the film studio had difficulty with the production. Spielberg was interested and wanted to go in a completely different direction. His proposed idea was for the film to be a prequel and focus on Quint and his ordeal as a survivor at sea after the U.S.S. Indianapolis was sunk in the last days of World War II. Quint’s recounting of his struggle in survive shark-infested waters was one of the most haunting and riveting moments in Jaws. It would have been a great opportunity to do something different with the Jaws series which might have fared better in the long run.

Unfortunately scheduling conflicts prevented Spielberg from going through with his idea since he was busy with Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Given how revered the original Jaws is today, and is considered one of Spielberg’s best if not his best film, and how dormant the franchise is since no one with a 100-foot pole is even considering remaking it, why not go with a prequel helmed by Spielberg himself? It would be a unique way for him to return to the IP that made him famous at this point in his career.

It’s not known at this time what Steven Spielberg’s next film will be and he is very busy with his production company. As we know, he has been attached to many projects that either never came to fruition or ended up in another director’s hands, so trying to predict his next work is difficult. Wtih that said, Spielberg is a gifted filmmaker who should stretch himself and try something different in sci-fi, fantasy and horror, and he most likely will do so.

May 25 2026

The State Of Star Wars At 49

Today marks the 49th anniversary of the epic sci-fi franchise, Star Wars. Celebrating the occasion was the weekend release of The Mandalorian and Grogu, the first new Star Wars film in seven years. On the surface, this release should be a cause for celebration and a build-up for next year’s 50th anniversary but the film’s mixed reaction is a symptom of the state of the Star Wars franchise at this moment.

There is nothing wrong with The Mandalorian and Grogu, it’s a fine film that is exciting and fun, but given that we have not had a Star Wars film since 2019, one would think that this event would have yielded more excitement from fans. There are many reasons for this and it largely has to do with how Star Wars has fallen out of favor in recent years thanks to lackluster high-profile TV shows that diluted the brand and of course, the backlash against most of the Disney-era Star Wars films. But despite its merits, one nagging issue with The Mandalorian and Grogu is that it doesn’t feel epic. Sure, it has a solid storyline and terrific action scenes and character moments, especially with Grogu himself as he learns to survive on his own and helps rescue his father. But the relatively low-stakes story of the film could have been told in a new season of The Mandalorian. The fate of the galaxy was not in question, the overall storyline of the main characters, Grogu aside, did not advance significantly, and the same went for the worldbuilding. Again it has to be repeated that The Mandalorian and Grogu is an enjoyable film that is better than some of the recent Star Wars films, it just lacks an epic scale.

The Star Wars films are renowned for their topnotch production values and sweeping storylines that touch on mysticism or intriguing worldbuilding. Sure, this has to be well executed or you lose your audience (see the last couple of Star Wars films), but this is epic nature is why people would go out of their way to go to cinemas and spend lots of money to get immersed in an experience that is can’t be replicated at home. Just as important, the plot has to not just engage audiences but build towards an epic story with high stakes. Supposedly, The Mandalorian and Grogu was to be part of a larger storyline that would have continued in other related Star Wars films that would have culminated in a film where the separate characters confronted Grand Admiral Thrawn, but there is little evidence of a larger story in the debut film of the Mandalorian. Except for a plot line about the Mandalorian hired to track down ex-imperial officers, which is resolved fairly early in the film before it becomes a personal story about the armored bounty hunter and his son in a space version of Lone Wolf and Cub. But whether or not other Star Wars films will deal with this Thrawn plot is in question and depends on the performance of The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Trying to use the TV show, The Mandalorian, as a vehicle to explore a larger storyline was what damaged the TV show in the long run. The show worked best when it did not deal with larger galactic situations such as the founding of the New Republic or the return of the Galactic Empire. Part of the problem was that the overarching storyline was not very interesting as seen in Ashoka and the fact that the dull manner in how the New Republic is presented. The show faltered in its third season when the main character and his son Grogu seemed to take a back seat to other characters and their stories that dealt with wider scale situations. The film corrects this by focusing on the Mandalorian and his son, and by doing so it went back to a more personal story for the duo. But this is is not what Star Wars needs at this time.

To recapture imaginations and more importantly improved box office results, Star Wars films have to aim high and tell a compelling story with several characters and intertwined plots. The more personal and intimate storylines seem to work best with TV shows such as the first two seasons of The Mandalorian, Andor, and Skeleton Crew. The next Star Wars film to come out will be next year’s Star Wars: Starfighter, but it’s not known if it will tell that kind of story, but there is sense of excitement for it, and if it turns out well, it should be a fitting film to release in time of the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. But for now, we have a worthwhile film to help celebrate the 49th anniversary of Star Wars as a build up or placeholder for something more epic and befitting of Star Wars.

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; Iron Lung; The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender; Masters of the Universe; The Mummy, Primate; Redux Redux, Werwulf, Wildwood

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

Dec 28 2025

Top Ten Films & TV Shows of 2025

2025 delivered many exceptional genre films and television shows that surprised us with their quality and pushed boundaries. Many of them will be remembered for quite some time and others set the standards for existing franchises. Here are the ten best films and TV shows of 2025.

Films

10. Good Boy

Indy the dog stole the show in this inventive supernatural horror film told from the point of view of a good dog trying to protect his owner from a supernatural threat. What added to the suspense was the vulnerability of the dog and the fact that only he could sense the danger threatening his owner.

9. The Life of Chuck

2025 was a banner year for good to great Stephen King adaptations, and The Life of Chuck was the best of them as this heartfelt fantasy film explored themes dealing with loss, sadness, endings, and the wondrous joy of simple everyday things and relationships.

8. Jurassic World: Rebirth

Despite many criticisms made about the latest Jurassic World entry, it was unexpectedly thrilling and engaging. Sure, some of the plotlines were rethreads, but they were presented well and the film delivered some great dinosaur action.  

7. How to Train Your Dragon

This live-action remake of the classic DreamWorks animated film about a Viking teen and his pet dragon proved that it is possible to produce a topnotch live-action film based animated classics. This is something Disney sorely needs to study going forward with their endless remakes.

6. The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Finally, a quality film about Marvel Comics’ first family has been done. Great performances, production and special effects are the highlights of this charming film about family and facing cosmic horror. The film gets extra points just for not depicting Galactus as a giant space cloud!

5. Sinners

Michael B. Jordan is at the top of his acting game playing dual roles in Ryan Coogler’s haunting vampire film. What could have been a simple vampire tale was instead of tour de force from Coogler that explored America’s cultural and racial divide with exceptional visual storytelling.

4. Predator: Badlands

Just like last year’s Alien: Romulus reinvigorated that franchise, so too does Predator: Badlands with its own franchise about alien hunters. This time, the eponymous alien hunter is shown in a heroic light in this imaginative sci-fi action/adventure romp that fleshes out the species of the Predator as it skillfully blends with the Alien franchise.

3. Frankenstein

Guillermo Del Toro wowed audiences once again with his vivid imaginative storytelling skills. The latest adaptation of Mary Shelly’s literary masterpiece follows the essence of the book while veering off into unique directions that explore the father and son dynamic between the title character and his monstrous yet sympathetic creation.

2. Superman

Director and head of DC Studios James Gunn successfully launched the new DC Universe (DCU) with a fresh and interpretation of the Man of Steel. Superman and his colorful superhero world is rightfully depicted in a bright, hopeful light that cleverly raises questions about our current events and society. Superman is a very promising start to the DCU and we can’t wait for the latest entry.

1. TIE: Avatar: Fire and Ash/Thunderbolts*

This is a first for this blog, the two best films of 2025 were that great but so close in quality for different reasons that it was too hard to choose one above the other. So the two best films of 2025 are a tie.

Once again James Cameron proves why he is one of our greatest filmmakers with Avatar: Fire and Ash. The visuals and worldbuilding in this sci-fi epic are jaw dropping and must be seen in large screens. Some of the set pieces are too familiar but Avatar: Fire and Ash does develop many characters and kept us engaged with the plight of the moon Pandora as it faced evil human colonists.

Thunderbolts* aka The New Avengers was unexpectedly the best superhero film of 2025 thanks to heartfelt performances and chemistry among its cast and an emotional story of misfit mercenaries who become unlikely superheroes. Unlike the typical superhero romp, Thunderbolts* focused on characters and explored adult themes of mental and emotional health, loneliness, addiction and depression. We’ll be rooting for these underdogs when they return in Avengers: Doomsday.

Honorable Mentions:

28 Years Later, Bring Her Back, Bugonia, Captain America: Brave New World, Companion, The Electric State, The Gorge, The Great Flood, It Ends, The Long Walk, Predator: Killer of Killers, Primitive War, Weapons, Zootopia 2

Television

10. Paradise

This murder mystery that took place in a post-apocalyptic underground town shelter was elevated by great performances by Sterling K. Brown and James Marsden and an engrossing storyline that kept viewers guessing about what happened to the world and who murdered the U.S. president.

9. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

The third season of the only remaining Star Trek show (for now) had its problems such as its uneven tone and showcasing too much of James T. Kirk (the show is supposed to be about Captain Pike). Still, some of the episodes were true standouts that proved there were still great Star Trek episodes to be presented.

8. Marvel Zombies

Put together classic characters from the MCU and zombie horror and what do you get? A terrifically gory and fast-moving series with some outrageous zombie action that demands a second season! Hopefully there will be more than four episodes.

7. Peacemaker

While the season finale dropped the ball as it turned out to be a drawn-out coda with concert footage, the second season of Peacemaker was for the most part a captivating look exploration of the title character’s wounded psyche as he second guessed his place in the DCU.

6. Stranger Things 5

The final season of Netflix’s breakout sci-fi/horror show was a bit all over the place with multiple characters and such, but it was still a solid sendoff to our favorite young residents of Hawkins as they had their final confrontations with the extra-dimensional horrors of the Upside Down realm.

5. Daredevil: Born Again

Marvel’s premier superhero TV show had a solid comeback in this sequel to the original Netflix show. Even though Daredevil and his crime-ridden world are now firmly part of the MCU, the TV show was just as gritty and grounded as the original. Stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio turn in some of the best performances of their careers as they reprised their roles as Daredevil and Wilson Fisk, respectively.

4. Severance

The sophomore season of this dark psychological workplace thriller threw audiences for a loop with many unexpected plot twists and character developments. It was very easy to relate to the plight of the office worker drones forced to have their out-of-work identities and memories erased and their efforts to fight the cold company they work for.

3. Pluribus

Vince Gilligan (famous for his TV shows Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul) returned to his sci-fi roots with this quietly disturbing slow-burn TV show about a disgruntled novelist (Rhea Seehorn in one of the year’s best performances) forced to fight isolation, her inner demons, and to save humanity after an extra-terrestrial signal transforms nearly everyone into a global hive mind.

2. It: Welcome to Derry

Part sequel, part prequel to the It films from a few years ago, It: Welcome to Derry was one of the best surprises when it came to TV shows. Each episode was horrifying with macabre set pieces and featured rich character development that fleshed out Stephen King’s fictional town. In addition to the characters, the TV show also had many unexpected twists and fleshed out the expansive King multiverse in an organic manner that made us want to further explore it, no pun intended.

1. Andor

No other TV show came close to matching the artistry of Andor, which is easily the best Star Wars television show of all time and one of the best TV shows of any genre. The second and final season was a tense spy thriller set in the Star Wars universe with many brutal and heart wrenching political storylines that echoed our own civil strife as it chronicled the death of democracy and the bitter origins of the resistance to stand against tyranny. Andor also engaged audiences with thought-out character development which showcased their ambivalent nature in their fight for and against the Galactic Empire.

Honorable Mentions:

Alien: Earth, Black Mirror, Doctor Who, The Eternaut, Eyes of Wakanda, Fallout, Foundation, Gen V, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Institute, Invincible, Ironheart, The Last of Us, Murderbot, Wednesday, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

  

Jun 1 2025

After Andor What’s Next For Star Wars?

The Disney + Star Wars TV series Andor concluded to much deserved acclaim, and it did something that seemed improbable given the state of the Star Wars franchise. Andor has helped create renewed enthusiasm for Star Wars as it showed how versatile and mature the franchise can be.

Ever since Disney acquired Star Wars from its creator George Lucas, the projects the company and Lucasfilm put out have received mixed reactions. At first, the franchise received a lot of renewed enthusiasm after the releases of Disney’s first two Star Wars films, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

But the reception to the following films, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, was a lot less muted as many fans soured against the Disney films. As a result, the box office returns were not quite as high as the early films and in fact, Solo did not perform well in theaters.

This Was the Way

The Star Wars franchise recovered significantly when the first Disney + Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian, debuted on the streaming app in 2019. For a couple of years, Mandalorian fever gripped fans and the larger public as Grogu, the infant Yoda-like co-star of the show captured the public’s hearts and imagination. It seemed as if the TV show single-handedly rescued the franchise and injected new life into it. However, many of the other Star Wars TV shows were not as popular or had the level of quality as The Mandalorian, except for Andor. In fact, although Andor did not have the high viewership numbers that The Mandalorian enjoyed, it was a massive critical hit as it presented a fresh and adult take on Star Wars with its grounded look at how the Rebellion began in earnest against the Galactic Empire.

Still, despite Andor’s critical success, Star Wars on the whole was floundering as inferior TV shows like The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka disappointed fans and emboldened toxic trolls to attack Star Wars. Then there was the fact that the film franchise was essentially dead as many announced films never went into production, except for next year’s The Mandalorian and Grogu. Even recently, The Mandalorian fell out of favor with many fans because of its third season, which was not as well received as its first two seasons.

New Heights of Quality Star Wars Television

When the second season of Andor first streamed fans and critics applauded the show’s mature, sweeping and complex nature with its nuanced and well-developed characters that quickly generated memes and online discussion about the nature of defiance, sacrifice and societies.

What truly captured the hearts of fans were its story arcs devoted to the Ghorman Massacre and the final arc that wrapped up the story lines of many characters including Cassian Andor himself. The last time we see him, he was departing for what would be his final mission in Rogue One. A mission he never returned from. What made his final on screen moments so heartbreaking was the revelation in Andor’s final scene that he fathered a child that he would never know. And no, this child is not Poe Dameron from the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy.

What made Andor so great and unique was that it had no connection to the Jedi, the Sith, or the larger Star Wars/Skywalker saga. It instead focused on random, everyday people living regular lives and how the Empire affected them to either join the cause or support the Empire through simple acts that cascaded into mass movements that affected the galaxy.

It should be noted that Andor was not the only TV show to break out of the traditional Star Wars mold. Others like Skeleton Crew and The Acolyte gave us different stories that took place at different time periods and had little to do with the Skywalker Saga. However, they were not as regarded as highly as Andor.

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