NFL star Travis Kelce headed to Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie. According to Deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end has been cast in Murphy's upcoming FX horror series where he will appear opposite Niecy Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, and Lesley Manville. The series has just begun production and is expected to debut this fall on FX, right around the time the football season picks up. No details about Kelce's role in the series have been released.

For Kelce, this would be his first major foray into acting. He has previously hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared in a cameo during SNL's NFL-Taylor Swift sketch last fall -- Kelce is notably dating Swift and their relationship was a major topic of discussion during the NFL season. Kelce has previously had experience with unscripted television, including a reality dating series Catching Kelce in 2016, and more recently signed on to host Amazon's Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity. He is also the executive producer of the indie film, My Dead Friend Zoe.

What is Grotesquerie About?

Details about Grotesquerie are few, though Murphy shared a video announcing the cast of the upcoming series earlier this year. The video featured a voiceover from Nash-Betts' character, teasing that "something's happening around us, and nobody sees it but me."

"I don't know when it started, I can't put my finger on it, but it's different now," Nash-Betts' character says in the video. "There's been a shift, like something's opening up in the world - a kind of hole that descends into a nothingness. You say, 'Well, hon, evil has always existed,' that 'things are getting better, there's never been a better time to be alive!' ... it's not getting better! Something's happening around us, and nobody sees it but me."

Niecy Nash-Betts Confirmed Kelce's Casting on Instagram

On Instagram, Nash-Betts shared a video from the set of Grotesquerie revealing Kelce. In the video Nash-Betts teases "Guys, guess who I am working with on Grotesquerie?" before panning to Kelce who chimes in with "Jumping into new territory with Niecy!"

"This is what happens when WINNERS link up!! @killatrav Welcome to Grotesquerie," she captioned the video. Kelce himself also shared the video as an Instagram Story. You can check the post out for yourself here.

Across its first season, X-Men '97 has been remixing the Marvel mythos to great effect. That has especially been the case for Magneto (Matthew Waterson), who has had some poignant and surprising moments throughout the episodes thus far. With X-Men '97 existing in its own place in the Marvel multiverse, and occasionally featuring cameos from other animated Marvel characters, fans have wondered if and how certain crossovers could become a reality. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook's Phase Zero podcast, Waterson revealed which Marvel crossovers he would most like to explore with Magneto -- and went so far as to argue that his character probably could have stopped Thanos from snapping his fingers and destroying half the universe in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War.

"I mean, there are the obvious ones. If you're looking in terms of what Marvel has been doing recently, there's fun ones. Magneto might have been an interesting addition into the Thanos thing, because the glove is metal. Magneto might have been able to solve that relatively quickly. I don't know what it was actually made out of. It looked metal. So, there's things like that, where you can have a lot of fun with it, starting to say, 'To what extent does this person's powers actually give them an ability to manipulate whatever that is? What could you do with that, or what can you do with this?' The interactions between Magneto and Wolverine have always been so much fun, because Wolverine has such a 'I don't care' attitude. And then, Magneto is always just looking at him, going, 'I can literally disassemble you, because you're made of what I manipulate.' That's always been a fun interaction, going through the entire first series, and even in the movies, and in comics, and everything like that."

"The person in the X-Men IP that I've always really, really liked, and just found fascinating, is Sebastian Shaw. He's already been in the show a little bit. I think that there's a lot of fun, just because of his personality, and the way his powers work and things like that. I think there's a reason why, in a lot of the comics, he's gone in and out as a major force on both sides. I've always just found that character fascinating. So that's one where, if there was more stuff coming up that interacted with him, yeah."

"Could Magneto have just solved Endgame much more quickly? Obviously, narratively and dramatically, is not as useful, [since] it's like, 'Oh, we're all fighting this thing. There's this one guy who just [uses his powers once] and it's done, negates it. But yeah, there's a lot of fun things that you can go, 'Ooh, how will that work?'"

Is X-Men '97 Renewed for Season 2?

Work has already begun on a sophomore season of X-Men '97, which was already renewed by Marvel Animation prior to the show's premiere.

"We're working on season two. But we haven't started yet. I know a little bit of the storylines and characters," co-composer Taylor Newton Stewart explained in a recent interview. "It's always upping the ante. I mean, it's pretty intense what happens. Yeah, immediately when I was told, I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, what's happening? This is incredible.' So, just as a fan alone, I am very excited."

New episodes of X-Men '97 debut on Wednesdays exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

We're just a few episodes away from the Season 1 finale of X-Men '97, after the Marvel Animation series has delivered plenty of surprises. One of the most grandiose character arcs of the season has been Magneto (Matthew Waterson), whose role as a newfound ally of the X-Men has gone into some complicated territory. That included an epic sequence in X-Men '97's second episode, in which Magneto is put on trial at the United Nations, only to get the upper hand and convey his pro-mutant message to the world. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook's Phase Zero podcast, Waterson shared his insight on Magneto's speech to the U.N., and the key turning point it signifies for the character.

"I can't say enough about the stuff that I've got to do in this whole series," Waterson revealed in our interview. "I mean, Magneto being who he is, gets to talk a decent amount, and gets to make a pretty good argument for his point of view. Initially reading that scene, and reading through that speech, that was one that we tweaked a lot. We went back to that in additional recordings, because they would decide to change just a line or a word. And every single time, we would read it and think, "This is phenomenal, this sounds great." They would come back and change, sometimes just one line, or one word, and you would go, 'Oh, okay. Oh no, that's better. That hits harder. It's more cutting, it's more succinct, it's more emotionally rich.' We kept working on, "How do we get more into it?' Those sorts of things, that was just fun. The whole speech is so good and is so cutting, in that it's not a plea, and it's not a defense. 'This is why this happened, and I'm willing to take responsibility for my part of it, but I'm not letting you off the hook, for the bits of it that are your responsibility.'"

"Going into where that scene goes to, leading to, what I still think, is one of the coldest and most terrifying threats that I've ever heard made is really, really cool," Waterson continued. "To get to do that speech, and then to have it go into that bit, where you see him struggling so much to maintain what he has promised Charles that he would do, and the outlook that he's promised, that he would take. And still going, 'Let's be clear, it's not that I can't do what I've always done. I'm choosing not to. And if you push me far enough, I can change my mind.' And the way that that whole thing was put together, and the way that it was written, and then once I saw what the directors and animators had done, it worked so well. So it was a blast to get to do. And it was really amazing to finally get to see, once it was all realized, what it looked like when everybody else had put their parts into it, and when the Newton Brothers music was in there and everything, it all added to it. It made me look way better, which was great for me."

Waterson also argued that the U.N. scene essentially encapsulates the mission statement of X-Men '97's first season, especially now that mutant-human relations have been complicated by the Genosha massacre.

"They put the overall mission statement of the show in the second episode, coming out of one of the characters when everybody -- not just watching the show, but everybody in the show was focused on it, because this was Magneto on trial at the United Nations," Waterson explained. "Everybody on the planet in the world, at the time, was focused on watching [and wondering] 'How is this going to go?' Because half of them see him as a threat, and half of him see him as a potential savior. What is laid out in that speech is really an ideal distillation of what the show is trying to say. And I am not better with words than the writers, so I can't do better justice than that. But that idea of, 'Like it or not, we all live in the same place, and we don't have a choice about that. So rather than trying to figure out ways to separate ourselves, when we're never going to be able to do that, we need to figure out how to work together. And that doesn't mean ironing out any differences or anything that we don't recognize, or aren't naturally comfortable with. That means everybody is different. Let's figure out how to take people for what they are, and not try and make them fit into our idea, or our model, or our wish for the way the world might be.'"

Is X-Men '97 Renewed for Season 2?

Work has already begun on a sophomore season of X-Men '97, which was already renewed by Marvel Animation prior to the show's premiere.

"We're working on season two. But we haven't started yet. I know a little bit of the storylines and characters," co-composer Taylor Newton Stewart explained in a recent interview. "It's always upping the ante. I mean, it's pretty intense what happens. Yeah, immediately when I was told, I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, what's happening? This is incredible.' So, just as a fan alone, I am very excited."

New episodes of X-Men '97 debut on Wednesdays exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

There have been a ton of changes made to the cast of Chicago Fire over the last few years, but the end of Season 12 is bringing what could be the show's biggest departure to-date. The hit NBC drama is set to lose one of its only remaining original cast members after the conclusion of Season 12, as Eamonn Walker is exiting Chicago Fire as a series regular.

According to Deadline, Walker's time as a Chicago Fire mainstay will come to an end ahead of the show's 13th season this fall. The actor has been credited on every episode of the series so far, playing Wallace Boden. The report states that the decision to leave the series was Walker's.

Fortunately for the OneChicago franchise, this won't be the last we see of Boden on Chicago Fire. While he's stepping away as a series regular, Walker is expected to return to the show in the future as a recurring character. There's no word yet on when he will next appear or how many episodes per season fans can expect to see him.

Walker's last episode as a series regular will be "Never Say Goodbye," the Season 12 finale that airs on May 22nd. Boden has been on a short hiatus dealing with a family issue, but he'll be back before the finale, in which the reasons behind his more permanent fate on the show will be revealed. The logline for the finale says that Boden will "make a decision" that will have major ramifications throughout the whole department.

If Walker's exit isn't the biggest Chicago Fire has seen since it began, it's certainly the most substantial since Jesse Spencer's full-time exit from the show. Spencer's Matthew Casey has returned to the station on occasion since leaving, and Walker will do something similar.

There have been other notable Chicago Fire departures of late, some of which were resolved rather quickly. Taylor Kinney's Kelly Severide, the show's most popular character, went on a brief hiatus, but returned on a regular basis earlier this season. Back in April, newcomer Rome Flynn announced that he was leaving the series after just six episodes. That came as a bit of a shock to fans, as it seemed like his character was being set up for a bigger role down the line. Kara Killmer will also be leaving the series ahead of Season 13.

Prime Video gave us enough of a walk down memory lane in The Ghoul's mind during the events of Fallout season 1 to see flashes of his life as Cooper Howard, leading up to the massive reveals about Vault-Tecs activities and, unfortunately, his wife Barb's specific role in it. There's still a lot more to go into both leading up to the bombs being dropped and how that shaped Cooper's life into who he is now hundreds of years later, including one big question - what happened to Cooper, Janey, and Barb when the bombs dropped?

From the season 1 opening we know that Janey was with Cooper when the initial bombs were dropped, and that the two raced away on horseback toward an unknown destination. It seems fairly safe to assume that Cooper took Janey to whatever vault the two had a spot reserved in along with Barb based on the finale, where Cooper finally gets to ask Hank where his family is, implying both Barb and Janey are still alive. While Coop was able to ask his question he still doesn't have an answer, which means audiences are left to speculate as to what happened to them.

Are they in stasis in Vault 31 awaiting their turn to be a vault overseer? Another option could be that Barb is now controlling things in New Vegas, given that particular game's 15-16 year setting before the series...or maybe even that she's passed the torch to Janey. Given that Janey was outside when the bombs were dropped, it's possible that she experienced side effects from the radiation just like her father has.

A big question that has circled back into my mind frequently - when Cooper arrived at the vault with Janey (assuming that's what happened), was his entry denied at the door, or did he refuse knowing some of the truth behind Vault-Tec's activities? I'm of two minds here: the first that Cooper would not abandon Janey willingly, but he was also pretty upset that Roosevelt wouldn't be allowed in the vault and generally knew the corporation his wife worked for couldn't be trusted.

Personally, there's one brief reference that I'm hoping is elaborated on that I feel was made for a reason: in 01x06 of the series, we see Cooper tell his Wife, "I think about it. Quitting showbiz. Buying us a ranch up in Bakersfield. Get back to being a real cowboy again." She shuts this down immediately with the implication that the vault in Bakersfield isn't "one of the good vaults," which undoubtedly sent her husband and the spokesperson of the vaults himself skeptical - even more-so than he already was.

What you may not have caught here is that Bakersfield is actually a rather significant location for Fallout lore, as what remains of Bakersfield is what Necropolis, the City of the Dead, was built on - and Necropolis is a Ghoul city. What's also in Bakersfield is one of Vault-Tec's intentionally faulty vaults as suggested by Barb, Vault 12, which was designed to have a door that didn't actually close so the effects of radiation could be studied. Those effects, of course, is that the population of Vault 12 became Ghouls...which seems like a direct reference for a reason.

Did Cooper try to go to Bakersfield after the bombs dropped and he was separated from his family, is this simply just a quick reference for fans to catch, or could it be a hint of what's to come in Cooper's future? If you want to talk about The Ghoul, you can find me on socials @amazingspidrhan!

The Orphan Black universe will soon be back on television, with new episodes of the spinoff series Orphan Black: Echoes arriving next month. The series, which is set in the same universe of the beloved BBC series Orphan Black, has already intrigued fans with its promotional material thus far.

Before Echoes makes its debut, the official Orphan Black social media account has shared a brief glimpse of the series. In the video, fans can catch a brief new glimpse at Lucy (Krysten Ritter), the new protagonist of Echoes. She can be seen doing some seemingly mundane activities, before she is shaken by a vision of a bloody knife falling onto a floor. It remains to be seen exactly how Lucy and her visions connect to the world of Orphan Black, and to the controversial cloning program introduced in the original series.

It's almost time to meet her.#OrphanBlackEchoes pic.twitter.com/N8rA2kFRYs

-- Orphan Black: Echoes (@OrphanBlack) May 7, 2024

What Is Orphan Black: Echoes About?

Orphan Black: Echoes follows a group of women as they weave their way into each other's lives and embark on a thrilling journey, unraveling the mystery of their identity and uncovering a wrenching story of love and betrayal. Krysten Ritter will star as Lucy, a woman who has an unimaginable origin story and is trying to find her place in the world. Anna Fishko will serve as showrunner and writer of Orphan Black: Echoes, while series co-creator John Fawcett will return as an executive producer and director. The series also stars Keeley Hawes, Amanda Fix, and Avon Jogia.

"I also appreciate that it's an existing franchise," Ritter previously said of working on the show. "There's so much TV; it's so hard to launch new shows, and this is a cool opportunity to do this next installation in the franchise. It's wildly different. There are going to be Easter eggs, but it's really a completely new story, new everything. But the first one was so good; it's a really interesting, cool world to walk into."

Will There Be Other Orphan Black Spinoffs?

Last year, Boat Rocker Studios president of kids and family Jon Rutherford teased what fans can expect from Echoes, and also revealed that it is "100% our goal" to create even more spinoff series, especially if the first spinoff proves successful.

"We see this as a first instalment in the new universe and AMC shares our vision," Rutherford explained. "It has a lot of experience in this area with franchises like The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad."

"There has always been strong interest in going back into the Orphan Black universe on both sides [AMC and Boat Rocker], but it was about finding the right creative dynamic to take the franchise forward," Rutherford said elsewhere in the interview. "There are several different paths it could have gone down, but Anna's solution is the perfect starting point to continue the story."

Orphan Black: Echoes will premiere on Sunday, June 23rd on AMC, AMC+, and BBC America.

The CSI franchise is getting "real". On Tuesday, CBS announced that they are expanding the CSI franchise, this time in the unscripted space with The Real CSI: Miami, an unscripted, true-crime docuseries set to debut as part of the network's summer schedule this June. According to Variety, The Real CSI: Miami is based on CSI: Miami, which ran on the network for ten seasons between 2002 and 2012. The new series will debut on June 26th at 10 p.m. ET.

Here's how the network describes The Real CSI: Miami: "Each episode features gripping real-life crime cases and the cutting-edge forensic science used to solve them. The Real CSI: Miami highlights that at the heart of every story is a victim and a family seeking justice." The series is produced by JBTV and Magical Elves. Jerry Bruckheimer serves as executive producer, along with Anthony E. Zuiker, KristieAnne Reed, Ann Donahue, Carol Mendelsohn, Jo Sharon, Casey Kriley, and John Henshaw.

CBS Entertainment president Amy Reisenbach had previously hinted that there would be something new coming to the CSI franchise last week when the network announced its 2024-2025 lineup, even with the recent cancellation of CSI: Vegas.

"We definitely think that franchise is alive and well," Reisenbach said. "We'll continue to be in discussions. It's a part of our legacy as a company and yes, I think that ultimately, we'll find different and interesting ways to bring the show back."

CBS Cancelled CSI: Vegas After Three Seasons

Last month, CBS announced that it had cancelled two series, So Help Me Todd and CSI: Vegas, the latter of which was in its third season at the time. The series is set to air its finale on May 19th. CSI: Vegas is a revival of the original CSI series, this time following new Las Vegas Crime Lab Investigators. The series Paula Newsome, Matt Lauria, Mandeep Dhillon, Ariana Guerra, Lex Medlin, and Jay Lee. Stars of the original series have appeared as well, with William Petersen and Jorja Fox appearing in Season 1 and Marg Helgenberger appearing in Season 2.

CBS Also Announced Their Summer Lineup

In addition to The Real CSI: Miami, CBS announced premiere dates for their summer lineup on Tuesday. Paramount+'s Tulsa King heads to the network on Sunday, July 14th at 8 p.m.ET. Big Brother's Season 26 premiere is set for Wednesday, July 17th at 9 p.m. ET, and the game show Let's Make a Deal Primetime returns Wednesday, August 7th at 8 p.m. ET.

My Adventures with Superman is officially joining Adult Swim's Toonami line up with the premiere of Season 2, and Toonami has revealed their new schedule ahead of the new season's premiere. Toonami's going through a few changes in the coming weeks as now that Ninja Kamui has come to an end, it's time to see what next shows are going to be added to the programming block next. It turns out that one of these new shows is My Adventures with Superman, which will air with Toonami when Season 2 begins its release later this month.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 will be making its debut with Toonami on Saturday, May 25th with the first two episodes of the new season. The Toonami block is gearing up for the release of the new season with the announcement of some updates to its schedule announced on the official Facebook page. With the new episodes making their debut next month, now is the time to set your DVRs and other recording devices in anticipation of the new addition to the block.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Joins Toonami

Toonami's schedule for Saturday, May 25th breaks down as such (in EST):

• 12:00AM - My Adventures with Superman Season 2
• 12:30AM - My Adventures with Superman Season 2
• 1:00AM - One Piece
• 1:30AM - Naruto: Shippuden
• 2:00AM - Dragon Ball Z Kai
• 2:30AM - Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc (One Hour)

Toonami will then be moving to its more regular schedule following the My Adventures with Superman Season 2 premiere week starting on Saturday, June 1st. That schedule is as follows:

• 12:00AM - My Adventures with Superman Season 2
• 12:30AM - Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
• 1:00AM - One Piece
• 1:30AM - Naruto: Shippuden
• 2:00AM - Dragon Ball Z Kai
• 2:30AM - Ninja Kamui (Dub)
• 3:00AM - Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc

As for what to expect from the new season, Adult Swim teases My Adventures with Superman Season 2 as such, "In the latest season, the three best friends face a host of new threats. Powerful foes will emerge from Clark's alien past, Amanda Waller will take aim at Superman, Lois will grapple with the future, and Jimmy Olsen will spend an unbelievable amount of money. Krypton is coming for our young heroes, and its arrival will test their strength, loyalty, and love like never before."

Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants and Cartoon Network's Adventure Time have become two of the biggest animated series in recent memory. The denizens of Bikini Bottom recently celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary and the Land of Ooo is planning to continue by following the story of Fionna and Cake in a second season on MAX. In one interesting exchange, it seems that the voice of Jake The Dog stuck with Adventure Time thanks to input from the voice actor who brings to life the Krusty Krab's best fry cook.

John DiMaggio might be Jake The Dog in Adventure Time, but the voice actor has brought to life countless well known characters during his illustrious voice acting career. Perhaps most recognizably, DiMaggio plays the part of Bender, the crude-talking, steel bending member of the Planet Express in Futurama. He has also played some surprising roles in a number of animated projects from the DC Universe, taking on roles like the Joker, Commissioner Gordon, the Mad Hatter, King Shark, and Mr. Freeze to name a few. Since Fionna And Cake takes place in time periods that don't feature Jake that often, it will be interesting to see if DiMaggio gets the chance to return to the role.

Spongebob's Adventure Time Advice

Originally, DiMaggio didn't quite understand what he was getting into when joining the cast of Adventure Time, but Tom Kenny reassured him that this was a project that was worth sticking with. Of course, Kenny isn't just Spongebob, as he played the role of the antagonist, the Ice King, in the Cartoon Network series as well. Since Simon Petrikov played a massive role in Fionna and Cake's first season, Kenny returning to the role seems like a safe bet. While no release date has been set for Fionna And Cake Season 2, we'll be sure to let you know once it does.

Here's how DiMaggio stated that Kenny kept him onboard for Adventure Time, "Tom Kenny said to me, 'This is this generation's "Yellow Submarine"' and I was, like, 'All right, let me let it go and follow that advice."

Do you want to stay updated on Bikini Bottom and the Land of Oooo? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest on these two animated universes and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the surreal animated universes of Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network.

Via Cartoon Base

Star Trek: Discovery star Doug Jones has spoken up to answer fans about why his character, Saru, has been missing from recent Season 5 episodes.

In a tweet that was posted when Star Trek: Discovery's Final Season started, Doug Jones revealed some behind-the-scenes tea about Discovery's production: "I was off promoting Hocus Pocus 2 at the time," the actor wrote in response to a fan question, before adding that "I will be back for more before the season ends!"

The fan's initial question implied that Doug Jones hadn't appeared onscreen as Saru for a very different reason: "Correct me if I'm misremembering but didn't you say that you're stepping back from Heavy Makeup work so this is why you're absent from a couple episodes?"

Jones is typically open with his fans, and probably wanted to quell any speculation that he was having any conflict with donning the extensive makeup and prosthetic work needed to become Saru. The actor's bread and butter has been using his unique physique as a canvas to create any number of creatures he has brought to life onscreen - including his role as "The Amphibian Man" in the Oscar-winning film The Shape of Water.

Saru has been offscreen since Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 3, "Jinaal". While Jones was promoting Hocus Pocus 2 offscreen, onscreen, Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 sectioned off Saru's story arc, giving him a romantic connection to the Vulcan leader of Ni'Var, T'Rina, and a new diplomatic job as a Federation ambassador. Those two worlds collided as Saru struggled with announcing his engagement to T'Rina, due to the personal and political ramifications it will have, after seeing his diplomatic views called into question over his relationship. That problem is not likely to fade away easily.

Saru is one character that a lot of Star Trek fans are keeping an eye on, as Discovery comes to its end. The upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be a spinoff of Discovery, with the new version of Starfleet being re-established in the 32nd Century training a new class of recruits, most of whom are probably unfamiliar with the Federation's legacy. Saru is someone who could easily have recurring appearances in that new series, as diplomatic issues arise.

So don't count on Doug Jones staying away from Star Trek for very long.

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 is now streaming on Paramount+.

It looks like Megan Thee Stallion has big plans this week. Over the past week, the A-list rapper has been posting teasers on social media, and it turns out the theories were right. Megan Thee Stallion has a new single in the works, and the track "Boa" will go live with an impressive cover inspired by... One Piece.

Oh yeah, you read that right. One Piece's own Pirate Empress is giving Megan Thee Stallion some guidance, and we are living for it.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Megan Thee Stallion (@theestallion)

As you can see below, Megan Thee Stallion debuted the main cover art for her upcoming single "Boa" on Instagram. The piece puts the rapper center stage, and she's donning an outfit that would make Sanji bleed out. After all, the racy photoshoot has Megan Thee Stallion in an outfit inspired by Boa Hancock, but it is a bit more revealing than what Shonen Jump allows.

Of course, fans of the rapper are eager to see what "Boa" has in store. The album cover does mention the Curse of Thee Serpent Woman, so just about anything is game. In the One Piece Universe, we know Boa Hancock has her own curse to bear. The pirate's stunning looks made her the envy of all, leading men and criminals to plot kidnappings or worse. Boa Hancock is hardly a damsel, however. Not only does the pirate wield Love Love Fruit, but she is skilled at fighting. So when the new single "Boa" drops, we're sure Megan Thee Stallion will tap into the empress' impressive strength.

For those unfamiliar with One Piece and Boa Hancock, it is easier now than ever to check out the series. The One Piece anime is streaming on Hulu, Netflix, Crunchyroll, and more. So for more info on the hit seafaring series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

What do you think about this latest Megan Thee Stallion teaser? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

We're nearing the end of the first season of X-Men '97, but the Marvel Animation series is expected to deliver some bombshells along the way. The series' latest episode, "Tolerance Is Extinction -- Part 1", culminated in Val Cooper (Catherine Disher) freeing Magneto (Matthew Waterson) from his imprisonment in Bastion's (Theo James) evil lair, flat-out admitting that she now realizes "Magneto Is Right." The moment then culminated in Magneto traveling to the North Pole and using his powers to send a shockwave throughout the Earth, which helped the X-Men in their global fight against the Sentinels. In an exclusive interview with ComicBook's Phase Zero podcast, Waterson shared his reaction to that moment, as well as his excitement for how the "Tolerance Is Extinction" arc continues from here.

"One of the really, really nice things has been -- I get the scripts that I'm in, and a lot of the time, I've not necessarily spent a huge amount of time focusing on parts of scripts that are not the bits that I'm responsible for working on, and making come alive," Waterson revealed in our interview. "So one of the really fun things about the show airing has been being able to see the episodes that I didn't even read the scripts for, so I didn't know what was happening, and then being able to see the scripts that I did read actually fully realized. Knowing what it's been building to throughout the first seven episodes, and knowing these last three, how the whole thing comes to a head and wraps up, one of the things that I was really looking forward to was 'Okay, what does it actually look like, once Magneto has found himself in this situation he finds himself in, for the majority of this episode?' And then, 'When he does get loose, what does that choice of his actually, visually, look like? What does it look like when he decides to do that?' Because there are a million ways you can do it. Being able to see how they did it, and how they sort of visually represented it, was really, really cool."

"I don't know if production would describe it this way, but to me, these last three episodes exist almost as a feature, in and of themselves," Waterson continued. "So this first one is like Act One -- you have the big incident that switches you into the second act of the story, and there's a couple of things that are a part of that. But Bastion's activities, and then, Magneto's response, and then, getting everybody finally in the same geographical place. So it's like, 'Okay, all the players are now on the board, and literally on the board. They're not scattered to the four winds. Everybody is in position, now how do we solve this? Because this is going to be a really complicated Rubik's Cube.'"

Is X-Men '97 Renewed for Season 2?

Work has already begun on a sophomore season of X-Men '97, which was already renewed by Marvel Animation prior to the show's premiere.

"We're working on season two. But we haven't started yet. I know a little bit of the storylines and characters," co-composer Taylor Newton Stewart explained in a recent interview. "It's always upping the ante. I mean, it's pretty intense what happens. Yeah, immediately when I was told, I was just like, 'Oh my gosh, what's happening? This is incredible.' So, just as a fan alone, I am very excited."

New episodes of X-Men '97 debut on Wednesdays exclusively on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

It seems like One Piece is gearing up for its next adventure, and we have Netflix to thank. While the anime and manga carry on with the series' final act, Netflix's live-action adaptation has a mind of its own. The hit show is looking towards season two, and a new report has surfaced breaking down the show's new (spoiler-filled) casting call.

So be warned! There are alleged spoilers for Netflix's One Piece season two below.

Earlier today, reports surfaced online as One Piece sleuths got their hands on a new casting call from Netflix. The reported call details a total of seven new characters who are set to join One Piece in season two. Some of the characters may take you by surprise, but for One Piece fans, they knew Princess Vivi had to be on the docket.

According to the casting call, Vivi is looking for an actress who can play a "female (17-20), Middle Eastern/North African or South Asian." Given what we know of the Arabasta kingdom, this casting most certainly makes sense. The desert region borrows iconography from the Middle East, so One Piece is hoping to find an actress who can represent the region.

As for the other casting calls, it seems Nico Robin is on the horizon. The heroine is a major figure in One Piece, but during the Arabasta saga, we know the fighter as Miss All Sunday. Netflix is said to be interested in female actors (20-39) who are Hispanic/Latino. And of course, the character will have plenty more to do in One Piece beyond the Arabasta saga as Nico Robin is a member of Luffy's current crew.

The other roles listed in the call include Smoker, Tashigi, Mr. 5, Crocus, and Miss Valentine. Looking at this list, some might be surprised by Crocus, but the character did make their debut in the Reverse Mountain arc. Crocus is the one who fishes the Straw Hat crew out of the whale Laboon, and he passes on a gift to Nami that promises to guide the pirates through the Red Line to the Grand Line.

Currently, Netflix's One Piece is expected to begin filming this summer for a 2025 release. If you have not seen season one, the live-action adaptation is streaming right now. So for more info on the series, you can read the synopsis of One Piece below:

"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

What do you think about this One Piece report? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!one

Star Wars has finally revealed the origin story of Ahsoka and The Mandalorian villain Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), in the second installment of its character-focused "Tales" animated anthology series, Star Wars: Tales of the Empire.

Star Wars: Morgan Elsbeth's Origin Explained

Tales of the Empire's three segments about Morgan Elsbeth ("The Path of Fear", "The Path of Anger", and "The Path of Hate") reveal how and why this pivotal character is both a powerful Force witch and a feared Imperial commander, who is cultishly devoted to Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen).

Morgan's story began on Dathomir, the home planet of the Nightsisters ( whose ranks include Mother Talzin and Asajj Ventress), and the Dathomirain race of men that includes Darth Maul and his brother, Savage Opress. During the Clone Wars, Morgan's fate was forever changed when Ventress betrayed her Sith master Count Dooku; when Ventress defected from the Sith and rejoined Mother Talzin's coven, Dooku retaliated by sending General Grievous and his droid army to Dathomir, to slaughter the Nightsisters. Morgan fought alongside her mother in the "Nightsisters Massacre" on Dathomir, but Grievous slew her mom in a duel.

Morgan survived by being knocked unconscious and left for dead; she was found and cared for by a local Mountain clan, but dark feelings of fear led to rage, and Morgan's thirst for revenge ultimately caused the droids to attack the Mountain clan, causing further tragedy. Morgan was banished, and, without a coven as her family, or a home on Dathomir, she became a scientist/engineer, eventually working in service of The Empire as the magistrate of Planet Corvus, whose industrialist people were promised the boon of producing a new line of TIE Defender ships.

Morgan's brilliant designs are rejected by the Empire, but manage to get Thrawn's attention; the admiral sends his lackey Captain Gilad Pellaeon to interview her and see where her loyalties lie. At first, Morgan plays it like a loyal servant of the empire, but Thrawn isn't fooled; he sends his personal assassin Rukh to infiltrate Morgan's compound and test her a different way: through combat. Morgan passes and gets to speak with Thrawn himself; her desire to be powerful (never powerless again) is enough for her loyalties to be swayed, and Morgan agrees to serve Thrawn in exchange for having her ideas funded and furthered.

The final segment shows how, after the fall of the Empire, Morgan experienced visions of the future which motivated her to stay loyal to Thrawn for years after his disappearance. When the New Republic sends a former citizen of Corvus as an envoy to bring the planet into the New Republic, Morgan refuses. The envoy and her guards are all slaughtered, and Morgan burns all the forests around her compound - but not before a distress call goes out to Bo-Katan Kryze, starting the chain of events that would lead into Din Djarin and Ahsoka Tano both confronting Morgan Elsbeth in The Mandalorian Season 2.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is now streaming on Disney+.

Paramount+'s upcoming Tony and Ziva centered NCIS spinoff just got a major update. On Tuesday, series stars Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly took to social media to share that the eagerly anticipated series now has an official -- and very fitting -- title. The series is set to be called NCIS: Tony & Ziva. As de Pablo notes in the announcement video, the series' title "makes it really easy, because the fans will know exactly what the show is." You can check out the official announcement from the stars for yourself below.

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A post shared by Paramount+ (@paramountplus)

"We know we're gonna shoot it this summer," Weatherly said, before de Pablo outlined all the things she expects from the show, including "intrigue, romance," and "impossible situations" against a European backdrop.

What is NCIS: Tony & Ziva About?

NCIS: Tony & Ziva will center around Tony DiNozzo (Weatherly) and Ziva David (de Pablo) who fans last saw reunited in Paris along with their daughter, Tali, in the NCIS Season 16 finale -- Ziva left the team in Season 11 and was believed dead, though that ended up not being the case. The spinoff will open on the family, but "when Tony's security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after."

"We've been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready," Weatherly and de Pablo said in a statement when the series was announced. "The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter. We also want to acknowledge and thank the fans from around the world who supported the 'TIVA' movement for years. To this day, they say hello in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and ask what Tony and Ziva are up to now. This is for you."

An NCIS Prequel Is Also In The Works

NCIS: Tony & Ziva isn't the only expansion to the NCIS universe fans of the franchise has to look forward to. It was also previously announced that CBS is set to debut a prequel, NCIS: Origins, this fall. The series will follow Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon in NCIS, as he "starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks."

The prequel series will see Harmon return as narrator and will star Austin Stowell as Special Agent Gibbs, Mariel Molino as Special Agent Lala Dominguez, Kyl Schmid as Mike Franks, and Tyla Abercrombie as Field Operations Support Officer Mary Jo Sullivan.

"We are elated and honored to continue the expansion of the 'NCIS' universe in such a unique and unexpected way," Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. "Viewers can look forward to Mark Harmon returning to CBS to narrate the complex and mysterious backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' early years in 'NCIS: Origins,' which will build on the rich legacy of this character while reintroducing fan-favorite characters and meeting new ones."

Crossover between The Boys and Gen V has been a part of the two shows ever since the trailer for Gen V season one premiered. Not only did characters from The Boys immediately appear in the marketing of Gen V, but the series ended with a post-credit scene bringing Karl Urban's Billy Butcher into Gen V and setting up The Boys season 4 in a big way. The two shows are interlinked in a major way, and that will be continuing in The Boys season 4, not just in the narrative itself. This was confirmed in the most recent official trailer for The Boys season 4, which featured two Gen V characters in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

About one minutes into The Boys season 4 trailer, a quick moment shows both Sam (Asa Germann) and Cate (Maddie Phillips) present at Vought Tower, and seemingly sharing the room with Vought CEO Ashely Barrett as well as The Seven. As fans may recall, Gen V concluded with Sam and Cate being hailed as The Guardians of Godolkin despite actually being the perpetrators of the attack on Godolkin University. It remains to be seen how big of a role these two characters will have in The Boys season 4, and if their appearance will be little more than a cameo.

Considering how Gen V helped set up the larger plot for The Boys season 4, with Billy Butcher learning about the existence of a virus that only kills supes, it stands to reason that the two shows will feed back and forth into each other as they carry on. The Boys creator Eric Kripke previously teased that The Boys could go for five seasons total, and though there has been no word just yet on how long Gen V might run, the two shows appear to be working in tandem for the foreseeable future.

The Boys season 4 will premiere with three episodes on Thursday, June 13, 2024 on Prime Video, with new episodes debuting weekly until The Boys season 4 finale premieres on Thursday, July 18. Prime Video describes the new season as follows:

The world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca's son as well as his job as The Boys' leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it's too late.

My Adventures with Superman is almost ready for its season two drop! If you did not know, the hit anime-centric series is gunning for a comeback. Toonami will bring My Adventures with Superman season two to life later this month, and a brand-new peek at the premiere has gone live.

As you can see below, the team at Adult Swim posted the epic sneak peek. My Adventures With Superman season two will pick up with Clark Kent and his usual gang. In this special clip, we can see Clark in full Superman gear as he escorts Lois Lane through an armed prison of sorts. It is there we encounter Amanda Waller, and it seems like she doesn't get along with Superman in the least.

If you are are eager to check out My Adventures with Superman, it will be going live in a few weeks. The show is slated for a double-premiere on May 25th. The episode will then move to Max next day, so netizens will be able to peep the much-awaited comeback ASAP.

For those unfamiliar with the series as it, My Adventures with Superman is the most recent title to tackle the DC Comics icon. Starring Jack Quaid, the animated series features some gorgeous anime-inspired art by the team at Studio Mir. My Adventures with Superman premiered in July 2023 to rave reviews, and it did not take long for a season two order to drop. So for more info on the series, you can read the official synopsis of My Adventures with Superman below:

"Clark Kent builds his secret Superman identity and embraces his role as the hero of Metropolis, while sharing adventures and falling in love with Lois, a journalist, who also takes Jimmy Olsen under her wing."

What do you think about this latest look at My Adventures with Superman? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Fans might have noticed similarities between Go! Go! Loser Ranger! and The Boys, and it turns out that this was exactly what the director behind the anime was going for! The Quintessential Quintuplets creator Negi Haruba's Super Sentai inspired manga series, Sentai Daishikkaku, was already a hit among manga fans, but is now being introduced to a whole new audience thanks to the debut of its official anime adaptation as part of the Spring 2024 anime schedule. As the anime is now airing its episodes, fans have seen this dark new take on the popular Tokusatsu heroes seen elsewhere.

This dark shift of childhood heroes has been seen in the West with The Boys on Prime Video and other media, and it turns out that Go! Go! Loser Ranger! director Keiichi Sato was actually looking to The Boys as inspiration for telling this anti-hero story. Speaking in a recent interview with Febri, Sato noted that after being introduced to Haruba's original work, it had an anti-hero story with unexpected twists much like seen in The Boys and foreign dramas. And this is what the team wanted to channel for the anime adaptation.

How Go! Go! Loser Ranger! Takes Inspiration From The Boys

"There are many anti-hero works in Japan and overseas, including [the] overseas drama The Boys," Sato began. "Among them, [Go! Go! Loser Ranger!], in which the main character from the bad side confronts a hero of justice with a hidden dark side, has similarities to The Boys, and the story develops in an unexpected direction, which is similar to foreign dramas. I had a similar image. So, if I were to make an anime about [Go! Go! Loser Ranger!], I wanted the overall tone to be similar to a foreign drama."

So if fans might have noticed a similar vibe to The Boys while watching the first few episodes of Go! Go! Loser Ranger!, it turns out this was totally intentional from the director behind the series. But that's also a high bar, so it definitely makes one excited to see where the anime goes from here on out. If you wanted to check out the Go! Go! Loser Ranger! anime, you can now find the series exclusively streaming with Hulu. They tease what to expect from the anime as such, "Tired of the Sunday Showdown charade, Fighter D finally steps up to make a change once and for all!"

via Febri

We're one step closer to returning to Nevermore Academy. On Tuesday, Netflix confirmed that the sophomore season of Wednesday has officially begun production. The streaming service shared a teaser video announcing the news, as well as new and returning cast members for the new season. Series star Jenna Ortega also shared a behind-the-scenes photo for Wednesday Season 2. The series, which is built on the lore of The Addams Family, has become one of Netflix's biggest juggernauts in recent memory, dominating the streaming service's charts and breaking records in the process.

The announcement video from Netflix confirms that the cast of Wednesday Season 2 will include Ortega, Steve Buscemi, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzman, Joanna Lumley, Christopher Lloyd, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Fred Armisen, Thandiwe Newton, Victor Dorobantu, Billie Piper, Haley Joel Osment, Heather Matarazzo, Georgie Farmer, Moosa Mostafa, Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, Isaac Ordonez, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, Noah Taylor, Frances O'Connor, Joonas Suotamo, Jamie McShane and more. A recent report has indicated that Percy Hynes White, who drew controversy in 2023 after being accused of sexual abuse, will not be returning as Xavier Thorpe.

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What Will Wednesday Season 2 Be About?

Plot details have yet to be revealed for Wednesday's sophomore season, although showrunners Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have teased that they have a significant long-term plan for future seasons of the show.

"For us, it's always looking at the future, and when we sit down to create a show, it's looking at multiple seasons, ideally," Gough and Millar explained in an interview last year. "That's never expected, but that's the anticipation that hopefully the show is successful. So you always lay out at least three or four seasons' worth of potential storylines for the characters. It can evolve and change. Often, you want to see which characters or cast pop and who you like to write for. So you want to keep it open and organic enough to change it and evolve, but we certainly have a pretty clear runway of what we want to do in future seasons."

Is Tim Burton Involved With Wednesday Season 2?

Season 1 of Wednesday was partially directed by Tim Burton, with the beloved horror director helming four episodes of the show's eight-episode season. In a 2023 interview with BFI, Burton promised that even though Wednesday Season 2 was on hold amid the Hollywood strikes, he will be involved with the sophomore season in some manner.

"I mentally put stuff on hold until all the strikes are over," Burton said at the time. "I can edit and do things I can do, but until the veil is lifted, then things get back into it. But yeah, I'll be involved in some [way]. I'm not quite sure, because everything has stopped at the moment."

Fans of the beloved Friday the 13th slasher series have been without a Jason Voorhees movie for 15 years, and that stretch will continue into the foreseeable future. There has been a glimmer of hope for the franchise's immediate future, however, as Peacock and A24 have been developing a Jason-less prequel series called Crystal Lake. That show, which comes from executive producer Bryan Fuller and was announced back in 2022, has been the subject of some conflicting reports over the last couple of days.

Chatter surfaced on Monday night that A24 had pulled the plug on Crystal Lake, effectively cancelling the series while it was still in development. According to Bloody Disgusting, that's not actually the case.

A report from Bloody Disgusting on Tuesday claims Crystal Lake is still very much in development. The site claims that sources indicate A24 has not axed the project and confirm that it is still moving forward, but there are some changes and retooling happening behind the scenes. There is no concrete information regarding those changes at this time.

Peacock made a big commitment to Crystal Lake back in 2022 when the show was first announced. The NBCUniversal streaming service won a bidding war for the property by making a substantial financial commitment, ordering it directly to series and agreeing to a hefty penalty if the show didn't get a second season. So Crystal Lake received what is essentially a two-season order, without even casting stars or rolling cameras.

Hannibal's Bryan Fuller was set to serve as showrunner, writer, director, and executive producer on the series, but there's no telling if his involvement could be part of the behind-the-scenes shakeup Bloody Disgusting alluded to. When the series was first ordered, Fuller spoke to Fangoria about bringing it to life at Peacock.

"One of the things that is super exciting and one of the many reasons that we went with Peacock is that they blew every other competitor out of the water," Fuller said. "There was a bidding war on this, and they came in strong and gave us a full-season commitment with a huge penalty if we don't do a second season. So it's kind of a two-season commitment, but really just the first-season commitment. We're going to have roughly five times the per-episode budget that we had on Hannibal."

"It will absolutely be recognizable for the hardcore Friday the 13th fans, but will also have an appeal to people who are simply interested in top-shelf TV storytelling," he added.

When it comes to television, there is something for everyone to watch. From dramas to romances and thrillers, the entertainment industry has range. This is especially true in anime as the industry embraces shows of every genre and demographic. And thanks to a recent report, Naruto has been crowned the world's most popular kids' TV series.

The information comes from The Toy Zone as the team pulled television data across 158 countries. The report took a seed list of popular kids series that show on a number of TV networks. Those titles were analyzed to see which pulled the most volume on Google Search, and it seems like Naruto pulled a win over CoComelon by taking first place.

"Naruto is the most popular kids' TV show in 83 countries - more than any other program in the world. CoComelon is the next-most popular," the report shares. "Adventure Time is the most popular children's show in the U.S. - the only country in the world to favor it."

Looking at the data, it is clear that Naruto pulls a ton of search volume. It topped the list in 83 countries of the 158 taken into account. CoComelon took second place while Peppa Pig courted third place. In a surprise throwback, fourth place when to Tom & Jerry, and then Dragon Ball took home fifth place.

Now, you may argue that Naruto is not a kids series, but the truth is nuanced. There is no denying that Naruto is one of the most popular series in anime, and its shonen legacy draws in audiences of all ages. Its fandom is diverse, but at its core, Naruto is a shonen series targeted to mostly male readers between 9 and 18 years old. So yes, it is a totally valid member of the kids' television circuit.

If you have never checked out Naruto, the series is easy to stream these days. The hit anime can be found on Crunchyroll as well as Hulu. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Twelve years ago the Village Hidden in the Leaves was attacked by a fearsome threat. A nine-tailed fox spirit claimed the life of the village leader, the Hokage, and many others. Today, the village is at peace and a troublemaking kid named Naruto is struggling to graduate from Ninja Academy. His goal may be to become the next Hokage, but his true destiny will be much more complicated. The adventure begins now!"

What do you make of this new report? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

X-Men '97 just gave fans some new looks at the classic costumes coming this week. The fan-favorite e animated series is rocketing towards an exciting conclusion on Disney+. On social media, Marvel Studios is hyping the next part of the finale with some iconic Wolverine, Storm, and Marvel Girl looks for the fans. It's no secret that showrunner Beau DeMayo was a big fan of Pryde of the X-Men. These costumes are dead-ringers for the ones featured in the short-lived animated series. Seeing some of these looks in live-action has been a dream of some fans for most of their lives. While this is not that, it's going to go a long way in keeping the hype around X-Men '97 at a fever pitch!

Before the series got rolling on Disney+, DeMayo sat down with Entertainment Weekly to preview X-Men '97. The throwback aesthetic was something they talked a lot about. "Every design choice is actually a clue to the storylines we're doing," DeMayo told the outlet. "Nothing is arbitrary." He also nodded toward the 1989 X-Men pilot some of the designs were to be used in. "It's a nice nod to Pryde of the X-Men," he continued. "But it is to throw the X-Men back to a time where they're thinking about: What part of this do I want to keep? Was it truly simpler back then, or were we just more naive?"

The more things change, the more they stay the same #xmen97 #xmen pic.twitter.com/vV8ARlOmps

-- Beau DeMayo (@BeauDemayo) May 7, 2024

X-Men '97 Helping Mutant Fever Take Over

There's no question that the fans have responded to X-Men '97 in a real way. ComicBook's Phase Zero podcast spoke to Professor X actor Ross Marquand about the impact this show is having on social media and beyond. The fan-favorite voice actor is proud of what they've accomplished. He's hoping that X-Men '97 can provide some of the same inspiration for the current generation that X-Men: The Animated Series did for him as a youngster. It all comes in cycles like that.

Marquand said with ComicBook, "You know, it's just like it's so heavy and I really feel like I'm grateful and I'm hopeful for the next generation of fans who are 10 or 11 years old now watching the show. For them to have the same reaction that I did. For them to be like, 'I wanna do that or I wanna draw Marvel Comics, or I wanna be a part of that world.' That's my hope for this."

X-Men '97 Is Gearing Up For A Massive Conclusion

Over on Disney+, there are just two episodes left for Season 1. Marvel Studios' teases their new animated series: "X-Men '97 revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future."

'The voice cast includes Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, JP Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, AJ LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler."

"Beau DeMayo serves as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura. Featuring music by The Newton Brothers, the series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso and DeMayo."

Are you pumped to see these iconic suits in X-Men '97? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is the second installment in the series of animated shorts that detail the deeper backstories of certain Star Wars characters. Obviously, the title of the second installment implies that the characters in question venture into darker paths than those seen in Tales of the Jedi - but that's not entirely true.

One of the characters that Tales of the Empire focuses on is Barriss Offee, one of the most controversial characters introduced in the Star Wars: The Cone Wars animated series. A Jedi padawan who turned terrorist and bombed the Jedi Temple, Barriss offered a dark vision of what her best friend Ahsoka Tano could've become. However, Clone Wars gave Barriss a somewhat ambiguous fate: she was locked up for her crimes by the Republic, and never heard from again -- until now.

Star Wars: What Happened to Barriss Offee? Explained

Tales of the Empire's three segments about Barriss Offee reveal that she was in jail on Coruscant the night of Order 66, and was freed from her cell by Lyn Rakish, the Jedi who fell to the dark side and became the Inquisitor known as Fourth Sister. Barriss was put through the Inquisitors' horrific training, ultimately slaying her former Jedi colleague Dante in the audition.

As an Inquisitor, Barriss was partnered with Rakish on a mission to hunt down a Jedi. However, when Barriss tried to sway the young Jedi into becoming an Inquisitor, Rakish simply slaughtered them, claiming that was the true role of Inquisitor. Barriss could reconcile herself with that idea, and defected from the Inquisitors by turning on Rakish and Force-pushing her off a cliff.

As it turns out, Barriss Offee returned to the light side, giving up her lightsaber(s) in exchange for using her Force abilities as "The Healer," living on a remote icy planet, aided by a few loyal disciples. When two parents come to her to "heal" their child, Barriss recognizes the Force potential of the child and senses that a familiar presence is hunting it: Lyn Rakish. Barriss distracts Lyn by luring her into a cave, where the Force is especially strong. Inside, Rakish lost her way (literally and figuratively), while Offee tried to talk her friend into renouncing her dark allegiances. In the end, Lyn was redeemed when she accidentally impaled Barriss in a rage. Barriss was barely clinging to life when last seen being carried out of the cave by Lyn.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire has offered more development on Barriss Offee than any other Star Wars content. That said, the series did leave us in the same place: wondering if Barriss Offee is even still alive - and if so, what happened to her after the Empire fell.

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is now streaming on Disney+.

It's been a while since Wayward Pines was on the air. The series, adapted from Blake Crouch's novels, featured work by some seriously talented people, and had a critically-acclaimed first season that seemed to fizzle immediately once it came back from its hiatus. Speaking with ComicBook about Dark Matter, the latest adaptation of his writing, Crouch said that the experiences on Wayward Pines helped him figure out what he wants and what he doesn't want when adapting his own writing for the screen.

And, yeah -- he's a little salty about that second season, too.

"Wayward Pines was the first time I'd ever walked onto a film set. I was a starry-eyed, 32, and looking at the first thing of mine being adapted. I thought it was goign to be amazing and great, and a lot of it was," Crouch told ComicBook. "Filmmaking can be tumultuous and there's a lot of that there. It was an extreme scenario. I'm super proud of season 1 of Wayward Pines. We should have stopped there....But it taught me so much. It was like, filmmaking is a full-contact sport and I was lucky to be let in and actually see how the sausage gets made, and that's not something that a lot of novelists are made privy to. It took me a while to recover from that and decide, 'Do I want to have a part of that in something of mine?' And finally when the opportunity for Dark Matter came up, I decided yeah I do, but I've also learned a lot from it. I know the things I don't want, and I know the things I do want to shoot for."

He added that while he has some regrets about the way Wayward Pines went, he seems to see it as a net positive experience -- or at least one where he and others learned a lot.

"A lot of friends -- the Duffer Brothers came up on Wayward Pines, I came up on Wayward Pines, a lot of directors there," Crouch said. "We call it 'Wayward Pines University,' because that's where a lot of us were thrown into this crazy, amazing situation, and we learned, and took things from it that allowed us to go to the next step. A lot of people came out of Wayward Pines and have gone on to do amazing things."

Below, you can check out the official synopsis for Dark Matter:

Jason Dessen is abducted into an alternate version of his life; to get back to his true family, he embarks on a harrowing journey to save them from the most terrifying foe imaginable: himself; based on Blake Crouch's best-selling book.

Dark Matter premieres globally with the first two episodes on Wednesday, May 8, 2024 followed by one new episode weekly through June 26, 2024.

Blue Bloods star Tom Selleck is hoping that CBS will bring back his show for another season. It's been 14 years for the long-running program. Selleck plays the head of the NYPD and the patriarch of his family. Over the years, Blue Bloods has been a TV staple. In the broadcast TV landscape, the show is the third-highest rated scripted program. That's nothing to sneeze at. In an entertainment landscape that can look pretty volatile at times, the star is hoping that the idea of some stability is enticing for the people up near the top of the company. Here's what he had to say with CBS News when they interviewed him today!

"Well, that's a good question. I will continue to think that CBS will come to their senses. We're the third-highest scripted show in all of broadcast," he told CBS News. "We're winning the night. All the cast wants to come back. And I can tell you this: we aren't sliding off down a cliff. We're doing good shows, and still holding our place. So, I don't know. You tell me!"

Other Shows That CBS Cancelled This Year

Blue Bloods is far from the only show that was on the bubble heading into renewals. Unfortunately, CSI: Vegas, NCIS: Hawaii and So Help Me Todd were not picked up. CBS chief George Cheeks and Amy Reisenbach addressed the sadness of those shows ending. But, also explained some of those decisions as what happens when you have an "embarrassment of riches."

Amy Reisenbach addressed the shows that didn't make the cut. She began, "We had some tough choices this year. Everything came back very strong. There is a cohesive schedule, a flow." However, that's little solace to some fans who had invested in CSI: Vegas and NCIS: Hawaii. In other corners, CBS's CEO explained the merits of these shows that wouldn't be carrying on.

"Every show is different," Cheeks said before questions of S.W.A.T.'s surprise rescue emerged during their press period. "We certainly had a wonderful experience with So Help Me Todd. It was heartbreaking." In some cases, there could be reason to hope for a Paramount+ revival. CSI is one of those franchises that always gets to stretch its legs. "I definitely think that franchise is alive and well and we continue to be in discussions," Reisenbach argued of the procedural. "It's a part of our legacy."

Do you think Blue Bloods will continue? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

All eyes are on Bleach today, and we have a special trademark to thank. On May 7th, a new trademark for the IP was registered after a filing in late 2023. It seems the franchise has a project called Bleach: Rebirth of Souls in the works, and fans are already buzzing about the mysterious note.

After all, the trademark registration gives us little information about the title. Bleach: Rebirth of Souls is the name, and the trademark has been registered globally. After being filed in December 2023, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls was registered this week.

Of course, fans are curious about the nature of this new Bleach title. It seems camps are stuck in two main groups right now. Some believe the project concerns a video game while others believe Bleach: Rebirth of Souls concerns a new manga one shot.

If we are destined for a Bleach game, it is definitely overdue. While we have mobile games like Bleach: Brave Souls keeping the IP afloat, it has been a hot minute since a console title has tackled the anime. Bleach: Brave Souls got a console port in 2022 for the PlayStation 4, but before that, Bleach: Soul Ignition held the record in 2011 with the PlayStation 3. So clearly, Ichigo could stand having a new video game to their name.

And as for the manga theories? Well, Bleach does owe fans an update. Tite Kubo revived the manga a few years back with a one shot titled New Breathes From Hell. The release acted as a sequel to the original Bleach run, and it teased an entirely new arc. So maybe, Bleach: Rebirth of Souls will continue that story?

If you want to catch up on all things Bleach, the anime is streaming now on Disney+ and Hulu. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia--who is slowly regaining her powers--it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace."

What do you think about this new Bleach update? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Reginald the Vampire is back for Season 2. SyFy's friendly fanged series first burst onto screens in Fall 2022, receiving a ten-episode adaptation of Johnny B. Truant's hit novels. Led by Spider-Man: No Way Home star Jacob Batalon in the titular role, Reginald the Vampire cemented itself as a fan-favorite program, garnering a fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes thanks to its charm and successful blend of genres. The premiere season concludes with Reginald being faced with the Assessment, a test to determine whether he is worthy of being a vampire. While Reginald passes every trial with flying colors, he fails the final test. Reginald's friends come to his aid and save him from torture at the hands of the other vampires but seemingly start a holy war in the process.

Exclusive Reginald the Vampire Featurette Teases S2 Shocks

Angels and witches and incubi, oh my.

In an exclusive featurette shared with ComicBook, the Reginald the Vampire cast teased what's to come for their characters in the sophomore season.

"The biggest hurdle for Sarah in Season 2? Getting over my stalker!" Em Haine, who plays Reginald's love interest Sarah Kinney, hinted at Sarah's storyline in Season 2. "I got a real bad stalker this season. He's a problem. Great trench coat though."

"Reginald's hurdles are again having to save the day otherwise he dies," titular star Jacob Batalon noted. "Really, I'm my own hurdle."

"Angela has a moment where she possibly has to come to terms with the end of her immortality and what that might mean to her," Savannah Basley said of Angela, the vampire who was none too pleased at Reginald becoming a bloodsucker in Season 1.

"I think Maurice is trying to straddle the line of good leadership," Mandela Van Peebles mentioned of Maurice Miller, the vampire who turned Reginald into a vampire in Season 1. "He's in a situation where most people expect him to be morally bad."

Differences between the warring vampires will have to be put aside when a common enemy arrives in Season 2. The featurette details that the upcoming episodes will feature angels, and not the nice kind. Garfield Wilson (Tracker) suits up as the angel Balestro, the "main baddie" of Season 2 who is sent to Earth to "eradicate vampires." That mission statement is shared by Uriel (Max Montesi, The Last of Us), an angel also sent to destroy those bearing fangs.

Angels are not the only new beings joining the Reginald the Vampire playground. Witches and incubi are both teased in the featurette, but their motives within the new season remain unknown.

Reginald the Vampire Season 2 premieres on Wednesday, May 8th at 10 PM ET on SYFY.

Disney could start licensing more of its content over to other streamers. CEO Bob Iger talked about the possibility of getting other streaming platforms like Peacock, Paramount+, Prime Video and others involved with their content. The executive was asked about the current licensing landscape with Netflix getting some Disney programming back in recent months. Across the entertainment landscape, this has become more prevalent as companies scramble to recoup some easy money by licensing shows and movies to competitors. In honesty, this is how things used to run before the streaming explosion in the later half of the last decade.

"We're already doing some licensing with Netflix, and we're looking selectively at other possibilities," Iger said during the earnings call this morning. "I don't want to declare that it's a direction we'll go more aggressively or not. But we certainly are taking a look at it and being expansive in our thinking about it."

Disney+ Incorporates Hulu Content

Iger has been folding brands back under the Disney+ umbrella as fast as possible. The last Investors Call of 2023 saw the Disney CEO heralding the arrival of Hulu onto the mainline streaming brand this year. That promise ended up coming true as earlier in 2024, a lot of Disney+ users awoke to the Hulu tab being present on their devices. It's been a long time coming for Disney as they've gotten their streaming ducks in a row. Now, it might be a moment where there's a reverse course to the old Netflix and Hulu era where there's much more availability across the board.

"Speaking of Hulu, we were pleased to announce last week that we will acquire the remaining stake in Hulu held by Comcast, which will further Disney streaming objective," Iger said back in 2023. "We remain on track to roll out more unified one app experience domestically, making expensive general entertainment content available to bundle subscribers via Disney+."

"We expect that Hulu and Disney plus will result in increased engagement, greater advertising opportunities, lower churn and reduced customer acquisition costs, thereby increasing our overall margins," the CEO argued "We will launch a beta version for bundle subscribers in December, giving parents time to set up profiles and parental controls that work best for their families ahead of the official launch in early spring 2024."

Iger Makes Massive MCU Announcement

Today has been a busy one for Iger as he talked about Marvel Studios' future as well. During the Investors Call, the Disney CEO talked about walking down the studios output to 2-3 films a year at maximum and capping the TV shows at around 2-3 as well. Some fans have asked for these changes over the last two years and they're going to get them. Sure, that means Deadpool & Wolverine this year and virtually nothing else. But, let's see how the public responds to some of these adjustments. Of course, in the bean-counting corners of social media, this will be applauded. But, it's an interesting tack to take with Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon.

Iger told shareholders, "We're slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three. And we're working hard on what that path is."

"[Marvel has] a couple of good films in '25 and then we're heading to more Avengers which we're extremely excited about," Iger would gesture towards 2025's slate and beyond. "Overall, I feel great about the slate. It's something, as you know, that I've committed to spending more and more time on. The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in and the IP that we're mining, including all the sequels that we're doing, is second to none."

Which other streaming service will get other Disney content first? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is headlining the upcoming Blade Runner 2099 series for Prime Video. Yeoh's star in Hollywood continues to rise, following her win in the Best Actress Oscars category for Everything Everywhere All at Once. She also has Star Trek: Section 31 coming for Paramount+, with the show recently announcing that production began earlier in the year. Star Trek: Section 31 is a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery, which is currently streaming its final season. But as far as Blade Runner is concerned, Yeoh's leading role in the secretive Blade Runner 2099 will see the continuation of Philip K. Dick's sci-fi franchise.

Deadline reports Michelle Yeoh's role in Blade Runner 2099, along with the show's plot, are being kept under wraps. What we do know is Blade Runner 2099 is a limited series that follows up on Denis Villeneuve's 2017 Blade Runner 2049 feature film starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, as well as Ridley Scott's 1982 Blade Runner. Sh?gun director Jonathan van Tulleken is set to helm the first two episodes of Blade Runner 2099. Jeremy Podeswa was previously on board to bring the project to life, though Podeswa had to exit the project due to scheduling conflicts.

Amazon announces Blade Runner 2099 series

"The original Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, is considered one of the greatest and most influential science-fiction movies of all time, and we're excited to introduce Blade Runner 2099 to our global Prime Video customers," Vernon Sanders, head of global television, Amazon Studios, said when Blade Runner 2099 was initially announced. "We are honored to be able to present this continuation of the Blade Runner franchise, and are confident that by teaming up with Ridley, Alcon Entertainment, Scott Free Productions, and the remarkably talented Silka Luisa, Blade Runner 2099 will uphold the intellect, themes, and spirit of its film predecessors."

"We are delighted to continue our working relationship with our friends at Amazon," Alcon Entertainment co-CEOs and co-founders Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson, added of Blade Runner 2099. "And we are beyond excited to continue to extend the Blade Runner canon into a new realm with the provocative storyline that Silka has created. Audiences first discovered Ridley Scott's brilliant vision for Blade Runner 40 years ago, and since then, it has become one of the most influential science-fiction films of all time. Denis Villeneuve's follow-up sequel, Blade Runner 2049, then became one of the best-reviewed sequels of all time. So, we recognize that we have a very high bar to meet with this next installment. Together with Silka and our partners at Amazon, and Scott Free Productions, we hope that we can live up to that standard and delight audiences with the next generation of Blade Runner."

Photo credit via JP Yim/Getty Images for The Asian American Foundation

The final ride of Snowpiercer is almost here. Today, it was confirmed that the fourth and final season of Snowpiercer is headed to AMC and AMC+, and will be debuting on both on Sunday, July 21 at 9pm ET/PT. The first two seasons of the series, which originally aired on TNT, will be available to stream exclusively on AMC+ beginning Saturday, June 1, with the third season debuting on the service Saturday, June 8. This comes after Season 4 of Snowpiercer was briefly believed to be scrapped forever, amid cost-cutting initiatives at Warner Bros. Discovery.

"We can't wait to share the final season of this thrill ride of a series with this vibrant fan community and new viewers starting July 21 on AMC and AMC+, with plenty of time built in to catch up on previous seasons on a variety of on demand platforms and AMC+ before then," said Courtney Thomasma, Executive Vice President of Streaming for AMC Networks. "Snowpiercer is an entertaining drama with a great cast and seeing how the ride ends will be a highlight of summer viewing worthy of a 1001-car train."

What Is Snowpiercer About?

Set more than seven years after the world has become a frozen wasteland, Snowpiercer centers on the remnants of humanity who inhabit a perpetually moving train, with 1001 cars, that circles the globe. Class warfare, social injustice and the politics of survival play out in this riveting television adaptation based on the graphic novel series by Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette, and the film from Oscar(R)-winner Bong Joon Ho (Parasite).

The series stars Daveed Diggs, Jennifer Connelly, Sean Bean, Rowan Blanchard, Alison Wright, Mickey Summer, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Annalise Basso, Sam Otto, Roberto Urbina, Sheila Vand, Archie Panjabi, Clark Gregg, and Steven Ogg. The series is executive produced by Graeme Manson, Marty Adelstein, Becky Clements, Matthew O'Connor, Ben Rosenblatt, and Scott Derrickson. Snowpiercer has had a unique journey to the small screen, after several years of remaining in development hell, as well as multiple network changes between TNT and its sister network, TBS.

"It was an interesting fan base to come on board," Hall told ComicBook.com in a 2021 interview. "I think that a lot of people are looking for an escape from what's going on right now, so sci-fi and kind of this post-apocalyptic fantasy world. It's sci-fi, but it's also great because the themes in it are very much what's happening in the world, like current events, but it is wrapped in this kind of sci-fi feel. So you can see it happening in front of you, but it doesn't hit as close to home as perhaps watching something that's more based in reality and what's going on right now."

As mentioned above, the fourth and final season of Snowpiercer will premiere exclusively on AMC and AMC+ on Sunday, July 21st.

Wednesday is set to begin production on its long-awaited second season this week, and ahead of the start of principal photography, producers have revealed the full cast. In addition to some new faces joining the Addams Family spinoff this season, there are at least three characters -- Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White), Yoko Tanaka (Naomi J. Ogawa), and Sheriff Galpin (Jamie McShane) -- that will no longer be series regulars. While those characters all made it out of the bloody first season in one piece, their stories seemingly won't be continuing, or at least will be significantly reduced in the second season.

According to Variety, only McShane is currently scheduled to reprise his role -- presumably to wrap up his season one story arc, which ended with the revelation that his son Tyler (Hunter Doohan) was the murderous monster known as the Hyde. Percy Hynes White's departure is likely the most surprising for viewers, since his character was seemingly being set up to have a bigger relationship with Wednesday going forward.

In 2023, online allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against Hynes White. The reports first emerged in January of last year, and within a few months, the actors publicly denied all charges, calling them "a campaign of misinformation" last June. By September, rumors were circulating that his character had been written out of the show.

Even before those rumors emerged, Ortega -- who is stepping into a producer role this season -- had said that Wednesday season 2 would be backing away from the love story to lean more into horror and macabre elements.

"We've decided we want to lean into the horror aspect of the show a little bit more," Ortega said. "Because it is so lighthearted, and a show like this with vampires and werewolves and superpowers, you don't want to take yourself too seriously."

Ogawa's character had the least to do in the first season, so it's little surprise she isn't returning as a regular -- although the Variety story kind of makes it sound like it was the actress's choice to move on, rather than waiting around to see if they found something for her to do.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Luis Guzm?n, and Isaac Ordonez (who play Morticia, Gomez, and Puglsey Addams) will be promoted to series regulars, as will Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo, who played Deputy Sheriff Ritchie Santiago. Returning stars include Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Victor Dorobantu, Moosa Mostafa, and Georgie Farmer. Fred Armisen will return, too, in spite of presumably being busy working on his own Uncle Fester spinoff.

The first season of Wednesday is streaming on Netflix.

The Marvel Midas touch has minimized in recent years. After early risks like Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger paid off, Marvel Studios cemented itself as a bonafide box office juggernaut. Nine figure opening weekends were the norm. Billion dollar worldwide grosses became the measuring stick. Net profits were high enough to finance multiple future films alone. There was such an obsession with the Marvel Cinematic Universe that audiences were going out in droves and turning even the most obscure characters on the page into cultural phenomenons. It wasn't until Marvel experimented with a new medium that this stretch of unfazed dominance began to show cracks.

Marvel Studios expanded to streaming shows in 2021. While the first couple of releases, like WandaVision and Loki, were smash hits, the sheer volume of what the MCU was dropping became overwhelming for the average fan. 2021 alone had four theatrical movies, four live-action streaming shows, and an episodic animated installment to boot. Nonetheless, the overall quality of 2021's releases came close to Marvel's gold standard. The same could not be said for 2022 and 2023, which dropped divisive projects like Thor: Love and Thunder and completely critically-panned installments like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Marvel Studios Decreasing Annual Output

Less is more with Marvel Studios moving forward.

Speaking during Disney's earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that the House of Mouse is shifting its focus on quality over quantity, and that that strategy is "particularly true with Marvel."

"We're slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three," Iger said. "And we're working hard on what that path is."

As of this writing, Marvel Studios has just one theatrical release this year in the form of Deadpool & Wolverine. It is the first time that Marvel is sending one film to the box office in a calendar year since 2010 (Iron Man 2).

"[Marvel has] a couple of good films in '25 and then we're heading to more Avengers which we're extremely excited about," Iger added, alluding to blockbuster 2025 projects Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, and The Fantastic Four. "Overall, I feel great about the slate. It's something, as you know, that I've committed to spending more and more time on. The team is one that I have tremendous confidence in and the IP that we're mining, including all the sequels that we're doing, is second to none."

The entertainment world continues to mourn the loss of Jeannie Epper, after the stuntwoman passed away due to natural causes on Sunday, May 5th. Epper was a prolific stuntwoman across movies and television with more than 100 credits to her name, including doubling for Lynda Carter's Diana Prince / Wonder Woman in the Wonder Woman television show. In a social media post on Monday, Carter paid tribute to her onscreen double, championing Epper for being "a vanguard" of her field. The post also included a behind-the-scenes photo of Carter and Epper together.

"I have a lot to say about Jeannie Epper," Carter's post reads. "Most of all, I loved her. I always felt that we understood and appreciated one another. After all, it was the 70s. We were united in the way that women had to be in order to thrive in a man's world, through mutual respect, intellect and collaboration. Jeannie was a vanguard who paved the way for all other stuntwomen who came after. Just as Diana was Wonder Woman, Jeannie Epper was also a Wonder Woman. She is so beautiful to me. Jeannie, I will miss you."

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A post shared by Lynda Carter (@reallyndacarter)

Born on January 27, 1941 in Simi Valley, California, Epper was the second generation of her family to go into the stunt field.

"I knew down deep inside I wanted to do something sporty or athletic," Epper told Wonderland. "I wasn't quite sure where I was going, so the stunt business seemed to be right up my alley. It was what I wanted to do. I stood in a lot, worked as an extra, in those days you did all that, and I ended up doubling this person and that person, and my career was on its' way. I have a lot of my fathers integrity, which is, if I can do it, I can do it, and if I can't, I'll tell you I can't."

Beginning her career as one of the first child stunt performers, she eventually broke through as Carter's double on Wonder Woman, as well as Kate Jackson's double on Charlie's Angels.

"It wasn't until sexy ladies like Linda Evans and Lynda Carter said we didn't want hairy-legged boys doubling for us anymore," Epper previously told The Television Academy. "They said, 'These girls are just as good as the guys, only they have shaved legs and don't have hairy armpits.'"

Epper's filmography went on to include Romancing the Stone, Catch Me If You Can, Minority Report, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1941, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, Kill Bill: Vol. 2, The Fast & the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and The Amazing Spider-Man. Her final onscreen credit was in 2015's Hot Pursuit.

Our thoughts are with Epper's family, friends, and fans at this time.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has quite a lot of new projects now in the works, and one awesome cosplay is helping to highlight Toph Beifong's role in it all! Avatar: The Last Airbender made waves earlier this year with the release of the first season of its new live-action TV series with Netflix, and thus it was quickly announced that this series would be continuing with not one, but two more seasons in the future. As Netflix begins work on what's next, fans have been excited to see new takes of characters who have yet to be introduced like Toph.

But the live-action series is only one of the new Avatar: The Last Airbender franchise projects in the works as the animated iteration of the franchise is also in the works on its debut movie with a release planned for some time in 2026. That means fans will be seeing much more of Toph for the first time in quite a long time, and now fans are getting in on the fun early by showing Toph even more love through great examples such as this cosplay from artist miruqi on Instagram. Check it out:

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A post shared by milky (@miruqi)

What's Next for Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Netflix has announced that Avatar: The Last Airbender will be returning for both Season 2 and 3 in the near future. A production start date has yet to be announced as of the time of publication, nor has there been a release window or date announced for the new episodes. But you can catch up with everything that's happened in the eight episode first season (which adapts the first season of the animated classic) now streaming with Netflix. It stars a core a core cast of Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko, Elizabeth Yu as Azula, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as Iroh, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai and more.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is also working on a brand new animated feature film set after the events of the original series. Under the current working title of Aang: The Last Airbender, Lauren Montgomery will be directing the film for Avatar Studios with original series co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino producing the film alongside Eric Coleman. The voice cast currently includes Eric Nam as an adult Aang, Dave Bautista as the currently unnamed villain, and Dionne Quan, Jessica Matten, and Roman Zaragoza in unconfirmed roles.

The run of big guest stars on Tracker will continue through the show's Season 1 finale on May 19th. CBS confirmed on Monday that the Tracker finale will not only bring on a well-known guest star, but the episode will also be staging a reunion from hit series This Is Us -- the show that made Tracker's Justin Hartley a household name. The finale, titled "The Storm," will see Jennifer Morrison once again share the screen with Hartley, following their time together on This Is Us.

Morrison joined the cast of This Is Us in the fourth season, playing a military veteran who formed a very close bond with Hartley's Kevin Pearson. Fans will hope to see that chemistry continue on Tracker, as the two actors play characters who share a history.

According to CBS' description of the finale, Colter Shaw takes a job searching for a couple of missing storm chasers. One of those missing chasers happens to be the daughter of Morrison's Lizzy Hawking, an old family friend of Colter's. You can check out the synopsis for the episode below!

"Colter investigates the disappearance of two amateur storm chasers, one of whom is the daughter of an old family friend (guest star Jennifer Morrison), that the local police have written off as an accidental drowning. Colter's expert tracking skills lead him to uncover the seedy underbelly of a small town resort, on the first season finale of the CBS Original series TRACKER."

Morrison's May 19th appearance on Tracker will be the last of several major guest stars to join the show in Season 1. Hartley's wife, Sofia Pernas, appeared earlier in the season, while the previous two episodes have seen the likes of Gil Birmingham, Peter Stormare, and Melissa Roxburgh. The penultimate episode of Season 1 this Sunday will see Supernatural's Jensen Ackles join the series as Colter's estranged brother, Russell Shaw. The mysterious history and tumultuous relationship between the brothers has been a recurring story throughout the first season of the show, so there's a lot of excitement leading to Russell's arrival.

CBS has already renewed Tracker for Season 2, and fans will obviously start wondering which of these guest stars has a good chance at returning down the line. Given that Roxburgh and Ackles are playing Colter's siblings, it would seem more surprising if they didn't come back at some point.

Another Arrowverse alum is headed to Superman & Lois before the series bids its farewell. During a panel at FAN EXPO Philadelphia, former The Flash star Tom Cavanagh revealed that instead of directing the finale of Superman & Lois, as he has done in past seasons, he will instead be guest-starring in the episode itself. Cavanagh served as a series star on The Flash for nearly its entire run, portraying multiple incarnations of Harrison Wells across the multiverse, as well as Eobard Thawne / Reverse-Flash. It is unclear at this point if Cavanagh will be playing one of these existing Wellses, or an entirely new character. Given the fact that Superman & Lois is now confirmed to be set in a different universe than the main Arrowverse, the question of franchise connections and cameos has certainly evolved.

"The finale for Superman & Lois was taken up already, and so I said, 'Well, I'm happy to not do it,'" Cavanagh revealed. "[Showrunner] Todd [Helbing] was like, 'Well, would you play a role?' So that's coming up for those of you that watch Superman & Lois, something that I'm happy to have done."

Tom Cavanagh on Directing & Acting in the Final Season of #SupermanAndLois pic.twitter.com/jJMJU8MG4h

-- Mastani (TM) #SupermanAndLois (@DevsMastani) May 5, 2024

When Will Superman & Lois' Final Season Air?

It has been confirmed that Superman & Lois' final season will air at some point in 2024, after the final batch of episodes were already delayed due to last year's Hollywood strikes. Superman & Lois will be, for the foreseeable future, the final DC TV show to air on The CW, a trend that began with Smallville all the way back in 2001.

"Over the last three seasons, SUPERMAN & LOIS redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe," said Brad Schwartz, President of Entertainment, The CW Network. "We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show's writers, producers, actors and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever."

"While we're sad to say goodbye to SUPERMAN & LOIS at the end of Season Four, we're grateful for the time we've had with our amazing cast, crew, vfx teams, editors, musical geniuses, and writers. Since the day this show was first discussed, it was about family. And that's what was created-on and off screen," said executive producers and co-showrunners Todd Helbing and Brent Fletcher. "We'd like to thank our partners at Berlanti Productions, DC, WB and The CW for their endless support and enthusiasm during this journey...and give a very special thank you to all the fans for tuning in. We're thrilled about what we have in store in our final season, and can't wait for everyone to watch as Superman, Lois and all our heroes face off against the biggest threat in the show's history-Lex Luthor."

Who Will Return for Superman & Lois Season 4?

Superman & Lois was just one of four original shows that The CW renewed for the 2023-2024 season, in addition to Walker, All-American, and All-American: Homecoming, amid a slew of programming changes made by its new parent company, Nexstar. Shortly after the Season 4 renewal, it was confirmed that the show would be trimming down its cast of series regulars, with Dylan Walsh (Sam Lane), Emmanuelle Chiriqui (Lana Lang), Erik Valdez (Kyle Cushing), Inde Navarette (Sarah Cushin), Wole Parks (John Henry Irons), Tayler Buck (Natalie Irons), and Sofia Hasmik (Chrissy Beppo) all demoted to recurring or guest star roles.

As a result, Tyler Hoechlin (Clark Kent / Superman), Elizabeth Tulloch (Lois Lane), Michael Bishop (Jonathan Kent), and Alex Garfin (Jordan Kent) in their series regular roles for Season 4. Additionally, Michael Cudlitz has been promoted to a series regular role for his portrayal of Lex Luthor, and Douglas Smith as Jimmy Olsen.

Total Drama Island is gearing up to make a comeback to screens later this Summer, and Cartoon Network has given fans a new look at the revival series with a new poster! Total Drama Island had been on a hiatus for nearly a decade, and though the franchise continued with the Total Dramarama spin-off, fans had been hoping to see a full return of the original series someday. This ended up coming to pass surprisingly with a brand new reboot series introducing a new cast of contestants competing for a big cash prize once more just like the original series.

After airing both of its two planned seasons in international territories last year, the Total Drama Island reboot series is finally coming to the United States next month. Premiering on Cartoon Network this June, the network has shared a special poster for Total Drama Island giving fans the first real look at the new cast at the center of this new take on the classic animated reality series competition. You can check out the promo for Total Drama Island's revival series below.

Ready for more irresponsible reality TV? ??? NEW Total Drama Island returns 6/1 at 9 - next day @StreamonMax#TotalDramaIsland #CartoonNetwork #TotalDrama #TDI pic.twitter.com/bRmLCUiv4e

-- Cartoon Network (@cartoonnetwork) May 6, 2024

How to Watch Total Drama Island 2024

Total Drama Island will be premiering on Cartoon Network in the United States on June 1st at 9AM, and will be made available for streaming with Max the next day. This revival series gathers a new set of contestants on a new island modeled after the original Camp Wawanakwa (as seen in the original series). While there are a new group of characters, the original host Chris McLean (now voiced by Terry McGurrin, who also serves as executive producer for the new series) and his chef assistant, Chef Hatchet (now voiced by Deven Mack), make their comeback to steer the ship.

When WarnerMedia first announced the new Total Drama Island revival was in the works, they teased the upcoming series as such, "The world's most hilarious reality show is back and better than ever with two new seasons. With no parents, no phones, and no mercy, the new animated series will introduce an updated cast of quirky, iconic teen contestants as they face hardcore competition, brutal eliminations, and more drama than ever before. Total Drama Island is produced by Fresh TV for Cartoon Network and HBO Max, and distributed internationally by CAKE."

Total Drama Island has yet to announce a potential third season of the reboot, so fans will definitely need to check out the revival series if there are any hopes of seeing it continue with new episodes.

One Piece has been around for decades now, and in recent years, its English dub has been on a warpath. After an iffy launch years ago under 4Kids Productions, One Piece made a comeback at Funimation with its dub. These days, the anime is thriving on Crunchyroll, and the streaming service just added a slew of episodes that bring Luffy's Gear 5 debut to light.

As you can see here, One Piece's dub has several new episodes available on Crunchyroll. You can binge episodes 1062 - 1073 right now, and that batch includes Wano Country's Gear 5 debut. So for a full list of those new dub episodes, you can read their titles below:

• "The Three-Sword Style of the Supreme King! Zoro vs. King"
  
• "Luffy is on the Move! A Turning Point to a New Era!"
  
• "Drunken Dragon Bagua! The Lawless Dragon Closing in on Luffy"
  
• "The Destruction of the Alliance?! Fire up, the Will of the New Generation!"
  
• "Here Comes Main Act! Powerful Techniques of Shockwave and Magnetism"
  
• "To the New Era! Settled! The Determination of the Brats"
  
• "Moon Princess Echoes! The Final Phase of the Land of Wano!"
  
• "There is Only One Winner - Luffy vs. Kaido"
  
• "Luffy is Defeated?! The Determination of Those Left Behind"
  
• "Luffy's Peak - Attained! Fifth Gear"
  
• "The Ridiculous Power! Fifth Gear in Full Play"
  
• "No Way Out! A Hellish Scene on Onigashima"
  

Want to know more about One Piece? No worries! You can read up on its official synopsis below for all the details:

"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

What do you think about One Piece's latest dub drop? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

The ComicBook Nation crew reviews The Fall Guy, new horror film Tarot and Jerry Seinfeld's directorial debut with Netflix's Unfrosted. We also say farewell to Star Wars: The Bad Batch after its Series Finale, and get into part 1 of X-Men '97's finale arc.

PLUS: Breakdowns of the new trailers for Mufasa: The Lion King, the Batman: Arkham Shadow game - and a preview of WWE's Backlash event!

The Fall Guy Review

Critic Patrick Cavanaugh gave The Fall Guy 3 out of 5 stars, writing that:

The Fall Guy is perfectly palatable summer fare featuring attractive movie stars being charming, with the romance occasionally being broken up by more thrilling scenes. For better or worse, the scope and scale of both the storyline and the stunts themselves feel more like an extended episode of the source material as opposed to an opportunity to take a core premise and elevate to new heights. Given the more humble origins of the Mission: Impossible franchise and the ways Brian De Palma tapped into the core components of the TV series and revived them in unexpected and exciting ways and just how bombastic that franchise has since become, we can't rule out The Fall Guy becoming a franchise that can more fully push the effective elements to further heights in subsequent installments, especially after this entry lays a solid foundation of talent involved in the overall experience. Leitch is no De Palma, however, so while all of the core pieces come to life relatively cohesively, there isn't much to elevate The Fall Guy to be anything more than the sum of its parts.

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You can currently catch Rachel Dratch on the small screen in American Home Shield commercials, so ComicBook.com recently caught up with the Saturday Night Live alum in honor of the ads. During the chat, we asked Dratch about her most iconic SNL character, Debbie Downer, and wondered if she had any other characters from her time on the show that she's especially proud of.

"Well, I don't know if I'd say 'proud of,' but there's a character that I like that probably no one even knows about it. He was on like three times, and it was this character named Abe Scheinwald, who was this old Hollywood movie producer," Dratch explained. "He was like 90 years old, bald, giant - those glasses, Hollywood showbiz glasses - and he was very out of touch with how to be PC in today's world."

"He was old school and Seth Meyers was my son, and I kept tanking every deal because I was too antiquated," she continued. "But that was really fun because I had this bald - I mean, I looked just like my grandfather - I had this bald cap, and I got to shovel - I was always eating coleslaw - So anyway, that was super fun ... Probably that, but 'proud?' I don't know if I'd use the word proud, but a deep cut of my characters."

You can watch our interview with Dratch at the top of the page.

Why Didn't Rachel Dratch Make a Debbie Downer Movie?

Dratch has returned to SNL to reprise the role of Debbie Downer over the years, but she's never gotten the opportunity to play the character on the big screen. Many SNL characters have gotten movies, but Dratch has a good reason why Debbie didn't go the way of Wayne's World and Superstar.

"No," Dratch replied when asked if she ever wrote a Debbie Downer script. "I used to get asked that a lot about the Debbie Downer movie, but the thing about Debbie Downer is she's best in small doses, I think. I think with a whole movie - even a sketch, like the first couple were great and then people are on to you after, you know, they know what to expect - So I think a whole movie might not work. I think some things are best in teeny tiny little snippets."

"We never did because she barely could make it the seven minutes sometimes," she added. "So 90 minutes would probably be a snooze fest. But anyway, thank you for bringing it up though."

ComicBook.com's interview with Rachel Dratch was done in support of her American Home Shield commercials. Learn more here or watch the ads here.

It seems congrats are in order for one of the top stars of Avatar: The Last Airbender. This week, Dante Basco took to social media to share some happy news with fans. The voice actor behind Zuko is expecting his first child with wife Alice Rehemutula.

Taking to Instagram, Basco's wife shared a video detailing her pregnancy journey so far. "The announcement... We're having a baby!!! We're excited! And a little nervous... what's going to happen when you mix an Uyghur and a Filipino?!?"

As you can see here, the announcement is nothing short of adorable, and the happy couple are fielding plenty of congratulations. Basco and Rehemutula got married in September 2023 in China following their engagement that April. As for Rehemutula, the mother-to-be is an actress and television host, so the couple are a perfect match. And now, they are preparing to welcome their first child.

Basco's work as a father is going to make the actor even busier in the coming years. After all, Avatar: The Last Airbender has made a comeback in recent years, and its future is looking good. Following the show's resurgence in 2020, Avatar: The Last Airbender is headline news. Earlier this year, Netflix released its successful live-action adaptation of the animated series, and two more seasons have been ordered. Plus, the team at Nickelodeon is overseeing its own plans for Avatar: The Last Airbender.

If you did not realize, Paramount launched Avatar Studios in partnership with Nickelodeon to revive the animated IP. The goal is to release a number of animated projects in the Avatar Universe, but first, a movie is on the horizon. The feature, which will debut in 2026, has cast Dave Bautista as its original villain while singer-actor Eric Nam will voice Aang. Basco is expected to reprise is role as Zuko in the feature, but beyond that, the main cast of Avatar: The Last Airbender will be filled by new talent.

Are you looking forward to the next era of Avatar: The Last Airbender? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Rachel Dratch is best known for her years as a cast member on Saturday Night Live, and she had some beloved characters during her time on the show between 1999 and 2006. However, no character quite matched up to the iconic Debbie Downer, the sad sack woman who first made her debut in 2004. Dratch has even returned to SNL to reprise the role over the years, but she's never gotten the opportunity to play the character on the big screen. Many SNL characters have gotten movies over the years, but Dratch has a pretty good reason why Debbie didn't go the way of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey's Wayne and Garth (Wayne's World), Molly Shannon's Mary Katherine Gallagher (Superstar), and more.

"No," Dratch replied when asked if she ever wrote a Debbie Downer script. "I used to get asked that a lot about the Debbie Downer movie, but the thing about Debbie Downer is she's best in small doses, I think. I think with a whole movie - even a sketch, like the first couple were great and then people are on to you after, you know, they know what to expect - So I think a whole movie might not work. I think some things are best in teeny tiny little snippets."

"We never did because she barely could make it the seven minutes sometimes," she added. "So 90 minutes would probably be a snooze fest. But anyway, thank you for bringing it up though."

You can watch our interview with Dratch at the top of the page.

What Is SNL 1975?

Dratch's time at SNL began 24 years after the series first debuted on NBC, and now a film is being made about the show's early days. It was announced last year that Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman was set to helm a new movie about SNL's first broadcast. It was previously announced that Gabriel LaBelle (The Fabelmans) had been cast as SNL's creator and longtime producer, Lorne Michaels.

The cast also includes Cooper Hoffman as Dick Ebersol, Rachel Sennott as Rosie Shuster, Dylan O'Brien as Dan Aykroyd, Lamorne Morris as Garrett Morris, Cory Michael Smith as Chevy Chase, Matt Wood as John Belushi, Ella Hunt as Gilda Radner, Emily Fairn as Laraine Newman, Kim Matula as Jane Curtin, Nicholas Braun as Jim Henson, Kaia Gerber as Jacqueline Carlin, J.K. Simmons as Milton Berle, and Finn Wolfhard as an NBC page.

Stay tuned for more updates about the upcoming film.

ComicBook.com's interview with Rachel Dratch was done in support of her American Home Shield commercials. Learn more here or watch the ads here.

CBS has released a first look at Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik reprising their roles as Sheldon Cooper and Amy Fowler in the upcoming series finale to Young Sheldon. This will be the first on-camera appearance of the two since the end of The Big Bang Theory, giving fans an exciting rush of nostalgia as the prequel runs its course (and sets up a planned spinoff for Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan), Sheldon's brother, who will get his own spinoff, along with his wife-to-be Mandy (Emily Osment). Parsons has served as an executive producer throughout Young Sheldon's run, and fans have long wondered whether the timeline of the prequel series would ever link up with the story of The Big Bang Theory. Bialik, of course, has been very busy for the last few years, serving as the host for special episodes of Jeopardy! as well as her Fox sitcom Call Me Kat.

Parsons has served as the series' narrator for its entire run -- and you can see another image, which seems to show him wrapping up the narration, at this link. In the photo, he's smiling and about to close his laptop. The characters of Sheldon and Amy have had a number of off-camera "reunions" during the course of Young Sheldon's run. In season four, they made a voice cameo, which confirmed that they had a son named Leonard. In season five, they had a short argument about the history of jealousy -- something that was thematically tied to the story of the episode, and which reminded fans that both Cooper spouses had won a Nobel Prize by the time their son graduated high school.

You can see the first look at Parsons and Bialik (courtesy TheWrap), below.

"As a prequel to one of the biggest comedies, Young Sheldon proved lightning can strike twice," said Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, when discussing the end of the series. "It set itself apart with a remarkable cast that felt like a family from the first moment we saw them on screen and brought characters to life with unique heartfelt stories that drew audiences in from the start. We extend a sincere thank you to executive producers Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro and Steve Holland and the entire writing and producing teams for six wonderful seasons. We look forward to seeing their final season unfold and giving it a proper send off with the best episodes yet for their fans to enjoy."

"Being able to tell the origin of Sheldon Cooper, and expanding the story to include the entire Cooper family has been a wonderful experience," said executive producers Steve Holland, Steven Molaro and Chuck Lorre. "We are grateful to our fans for embracing this chapter of the Coopers these past six seasons, and on behalf of the entire Young Sheldon family, we're excited to share this final season with you."

Lorre, who has created or produced some of the most popular sitcoms of the last 25 years, is also wrapping up Bob Hearts Abishola, a sitcom starring Mike and Molly's Billy Gardell alongside Folake Olowofoyeku, next Monday.

The fate of the Yellowstone franchise is still up in the air, but one its biggest stars may have given a hint about which direction things are moving in.

In a new interview, Yellowstone's Rip Wheeler actor, Cole Hauser, seemed to indicate that - despite previous reporting to the contrary - there are plans for a Yellowstone Sequel Series that will continue the story of key franchise characters:

"I'm so focused on finishing Yellowstone the way it needs to be finished right now -- well, just the show itself," Hauser explained to Country Living. "We'll see where that leads. But I know that there's some stuff on the horizon when it comes to Taylor's ideas for Kelly Reilly and myself, and some of the other cast. I'm excited to see where he goes creatively with that. But right now it's just: Let's finish strong; let's do the best we can."

Back in February, reports alleged that Hauser and his Yellowstone co-stars Kelly Reilly (who plays Beth Dutton) and Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton) were at an impasse in negotiations with Paramount - an impasse that could kill the idea of Yellowstone's story continuing into the next series while retaining the current cast.

Kelly Reilly openly refuted those reports after they dropped; she echoed Hauser in saying their focus is on finishing the last batch of episodes in Yellowstone's Final Season, first, before worrying about the future:

"I just care about finishing [the main show] with as much care and as much passion and as much love as I can muster to put into it. That's what I care about. I'm sort of prepping for that now [and] that's my tunnel vision thing that I care about most," Reilly said. "And what goes on beyond that? There are discussions, you know. Don't believe everything you read. It's just nonsense. But we're gonna, you know, let's wait and see. I don't have an answer right now. But we'll see."

Yellowstone Season 5 started airing in November of 2022, and aired its midseason finale (with Episode 8) in January of 2023. The Hollywood Writers' and Actors' Strikes of 2023 dealt a serious blow to the original production schedule; the final six episodes of Yellowstone are now set for release in November of this year.

SPOILERS - Yellowstone's midseason finale saw the Dutton family's schism widen to a deadly degree; Beth is planning on killing her adopted brother Jamie (Wes Bentley), while Jamie is plotting against her and their father John (Kevin Costner), whose own feelings about handling Jamie remains unclear.

Behind the scenes, we know that Costner will be done with Yellowstone after this - although even he recently hinted that he could still be part of the franchise, moving forward.

Yellowstone will return for its Final episodes in November 2024.

This past weekend saw Star Wars fans around the world celebrating "Star Wars Day" on May the 4th, which brought with it an all-new trailer for the upcoming live-action series Star Wars: The Acolyte, but the fun isn't stopping there, as an all-new trailer for the upcoming animated series LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy was released today. Even though LEGO Star Wars projects aren't official parts of Star Wars canon, they are still delightful and engaging in their own right, with this new "four-piece" series even giving us a glimpse at the fan-favorite concept of "Darth Jar Jar." You can check out the teaser for LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy below before it premieres on Disney+ on September 13th.

"It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years since the ground-breaking collaboration between Lucasfilm and The LEGO Group began," executive producer James Waugh shared in a statement. "In that time, LEGO Star Wars has given our fans the unique power to unlock their imaginations and play with the galaxy's elements in any way they can conceive... and build. It's with that playful spirit in mind that we set out to 'Rebuild the Galaxy' like never before. Tapping into the comedic genius of Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, two of the most talented comedy writers I've had the fortune of working with, we've mixed and matched LEGO sets to snap together Imperial X-fighters, Rebel TIE-wings, and yes, even Darth Jar Jar. This four-piece special is a celebration of all things Star Wars, LEGO, and the incredible explorations that can only happen when these two amazing brands come together."

Showrunners and executive producers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit added, "The opportunity to work with LEGO and Lucasfilm to rebuild the galaxy has been a dream come true. We've been collecting LEGO Star Wars sets for 25 years, and we have approached this project with a fan's enthusiasm, crafting this story quite literally brick by brick. For new fans, this will be an exciting place to enter the world of LEGO Star Wars, and for lifelong fans, you're going to see some things that you never thought possible."

Per press release, "In LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy, the entire Star Wars Galaxy gets completely mixed up when an ordinary nerf-herder, Sig Greebling (Gaten Matarazzo), unearths a powerful artifact from a hidden Jedi temple. He finds himself thrust into adventure in a new, wondrously wild, and twisted version of the galaxy where good guys are bad, bad guys are good, and the fate of all depends on Sig becoming the hero who can put all the pieces back together."

The talented voice cast features Gaten Matarazzo (Sig Greebling), Tony Revolori (Dev Greebling), Bobby Moynihan (Jedi Bob), Marsai Martin (Yesi Scala), Michael Cusack (Servo), Ahmed Best (Darth Jar Jar), and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker). Dan Hernandez, Benji Samit, James Waugh, Jacqui Lopez, Josh Rimes, Jill Wilfert, Jason Cosler, and Keith Malone are the executive producers. Chris Buckley directs with Daniel Cavey & Dan Langlois producing.

LEGO Star Wars: Rebuild the Galaxy premieres on Disney+ on September 13th.

Are you looking forward to the new series? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Star Wars has revealed how one key villain's origin story is connected to a pivotal battle from The Clone Wars.

In Star Wars: Tales of the Empire, we get to see the origin story of Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto), and she has a dark beginning, indeed. The first episode of Tales of the Empire, "The Path of Fear", looks back at the pivotal "Battle of Dathomir," which changed the fate of the Nightsisters forever.

What Is Star Wars' Battle of Dathomir?

The Battle of Dathomir also goes by the more tragic title of the "Nightsisters Massacre". It occurred when Count Dooku's former Sith apprentice, Asajj Ventress, failed to assassinate her master and fled home to Dathomir. Ventress left her Sith allegiances behind and rejoined the Nightsisters coven led by Mother Talzin. However, Dooku had a target on her back and sent Count Dooku and his droid army to Dathomir to eradicate the Nightsisters. That battle ended with the death of Mother Talzin's coven (and the witch herself), while Morgan Elsbeth's mother was killed in a duel with Grievous.

Morgan barely survived the Battle of Dathomir, and was taken in by the local Mountain Clan. However, Morgan's thirst for vengeance ultimately poisons the village; she convinces the clan matron's daughter to accompany her on a mission to get Nightsisters weaponry to fight against the droids, and the errand goes tragically wrong. Battle droids discover the would-be thieves and the Matron's daughter is killed in the fight. The Matron's Force abilities defeat the droids, proving to Morgan that her dark and violent methods aren't the only ways to be strong. Morgan is cast out of the village, to follow her own path.

The Nightsisters are becoming bigger players in Star Wars lore, these days. They got major focus in the Ahsoka live-action series, which ended with several direct ties to the Nightsisters' origins on the distant galaxy world of Peridea, and implications about their future, as one coven returned to Dathomir in the company of Morgan's Imperial master, Grand Admiral Thrawn. Tale of the Empire's three-part segment about Morgan Elsbeth makes it clear why she is such a pivotal character in the series, with her multi-faceted role as a powerful Force-using witch; a uniquely brilliant Imperial scientist, and brutal warlord and leader.

Meanwhile, Star Wars: The Bad Batch brought back another pivotal Nightsisters character: Asajj Ventress, setting up a potential showdown on Dathomir we'd love to see!

Star Wars: Tales of the Empire is now streaming on Disney+.

Anime has been around for well over a century, and it is ever evolving. The anime of 1940 is very different from that of 1990 and so on. When it comes to anime prior to World War II, it can be difficult to unpack history as there aren't many surviving anime pieces from that time. But now, a rare anime dated to 1923 has surfaced, and it was inked by the forefather of anime himself.

The whole thing came to light in Japan courtesy of NHK and Lion, an operating studio in Japan with a long history. This week, Lion recovered an old anime in its archives that once belonged to a cinema collector. The silent anime bears the title "Dental Health", and it comes in at under nine minutes.

As you can see above, NHK was able to share several stills from the anime, and its style will be familiar to scholars. After all, the short is credited to none other than Kitayama Seitaro. ""This roundish font really resembles the letters Kitayama used to write," Yasuda Takeshi, Kitayama's grandson, told NHK.

Sano Akiko, an associate professor at Doshisha University, also reviewed the rare anime finding. The scholar, who has dedicated their work to anime, said this uncovered short shows how animators at the time were starting to key into anime's now-iconic traits. "People are drawn to the relatively large faces in front, looking straight at the viewers. This apparently takes into consideration the purpose of the film, which was for an advertisement," they explained.

In the 1920s, the anime industry was not a thing by any means, but its roots were starting to take place. In fact, Kitayama is often regarded as the forefather who ushered in the medium's growth. The animator was born in 1888 in Tokyo, and they taught some of anime's greatest artists like Yasuji Murata and Noburo Ofuji. The importance Kitayama had on anime cannot be overstated, and now, a rare piece of his work has been uncovered that generations to come will be able to trace back.

What do you make of this rare anime find...? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Netflix's One Piece is gearing up for a big comeback. Following its hit launch last year, the live-action adaptation quickly earned a season two order. All eyes are on the One Piece team as its new season is expected to start filming this summer. And in a new promo, Netflix's One Piece is teasing the arrival of an important character in season two.

The whole thing went live on Monkey D. Luffy's birthday as Netflix celebrated in kind. The streaming service posted a video featuring Inaki Godoy, the actor behind Luffy on screen. It was there the star showcased a birthday cake, and its candle featured a familiar '3' wick.

As you can see above, the candle wick was shaped after Galdino from Baroque Works. The character, who is also known as Mr. 3, will be familiar to One Piece fans at a glance. After all, they debuted during the Arabasta saga in Little Garden, and the Baroque Works agency was plenty involved with the storyline.

After all, Netflix's One Piece is ready to bump into the Arabasta saga, and it will gives Luffy his biggest challenge yet. The Straw Hat crew arrive at the drought-ridden country after meeting its desperate princess Vivi. It doesn't take long for Baroque Works makes itself known before long as it wants the Straw Hats out of Arabasta. The organization was founded specifically to destabilize the nation in the name of the Warlord Crocodile. And of course, Mr. 3 is part of that gang.

Clearly, Netflix's One Piece has big plans for season two, and they seem to involve Mr. 3. From Loguetown to Baroque Works and Tony Tony Chopper, the show's comeback will have a lot of content to cover. So if you haven't checked out season one of Netflix's One Piece, it is streaming now. As for the anime, it is ongoing, and it can be streamed everywhere from Hulu to Crunchyroll. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

What do you make of this One Piece teaser? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Jeannie Epper, one of Hollywood's great stuntwomen, has died. She was 83 years old. During her long career, Epper doubled Lynda Carter on Wonder Woman, Kathleen Turner in Romancing the Stone, and more than 100 other movies and TV shows. According to The Hollywood Reporter, who first reported her death, Epper passed away at her home in California due to natural causes. She represents the second generation (of four) of Epper to act as stunt performers on film, beginning with her father, John Epper. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg has called the Eppers "the flying Wallendas of film," a reference to a family of circus daredevils and acrobats.

Epper, whose career spanned nearly 70 years, was the first woman ever to receive a lifetime achievement honor from the World Taurus Awards, a yearly award that celebrates stunt performers in film. Epper worked consistently until 2015, with her final film credit being Hot Pursuit. In 2021, at age 80, she got her final credit, doing stunts for the video game Ground Zero Texas: Nuclear Edition.

Epper is one of the best-known women to work as a stunt performer and, by her own recollection, rose to prominence in part because Hollywood finally stopped using men to double women for stunts in the 1970s.

"It wasn't until sexy ladies like Linda Evans and Lynda Carter said we didn't want hairy-legged boys doubling for us anymore," Epper is quoted as saying in the THR piece. "They said, 'These girls are just as good as the guys, only they have shaved legs and don't have hairy armpits.'"

During the course of her long career, Epper appeared in some of the biggest hits in Hollywood. She also cultivated relationships that gave her opportunities to work with the same people again and again, from Spielberg -- she worked for him on Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), 1941 (1979), Poltergeist (1982), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Minority Report (2002), and others -- and Linda Evans. Epper doubled Evans in both The Big Valley, which ran on ABC in the 1960s, and Dynasty in the 1980s.

Other notable roles include Romancing the Stone, in which she famously leapt across a gorge while holding onto a vine; Earthquake (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), Smokey and the Bandit II (1980), The Cannonball Run (1981), Blade Runner (1982), Road House (1989), Total Recall (1990), The Fugitive (1993), Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Con Air (1997), Rush Hour 2 (2001), The Italian Job (2003), Kill Bill: Vol 2 (2004), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) and The Amazing Spider-Man (2012).

Our condolences go out to Epper's family, friends, colleagues, and fans.

It's official! Blue Lock season two has been in the works for months now, and the anime has landed a release window. The hit sports series will return in 2024, so fans better mark the fall season down on their calendars.

After all, Blue Lock season two has announced it will premiere in October 2024. As you can see below, the team behind the series confirmed the window with a special new sketch. It seems artist Yusuke Nomura brought the quick illustration to life, and it was signed off on by artist Muneyuki Kaneshiro.

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-- ????????TV?????|???4.19??!&TV?????2?????! (@BLUELOCK_PR) May 6, 2024

Now if you are not familiar with Blue Lock, well - you best lock on to the series before season two drops. Back in October 2022, Studio Eight Bit brought the anime to life to quick acclaim. The series found itself on a high as its popularity was upped by Japan's stellar performance at the FIFA World Cup. By the end of season one, Blue Lock was a definitive hit, and it did not take long for the series to earn a season two order.

Of course, the anime's rise also put the manga center stage. Blue Lock sold a record number of copies in 2023, and to date, it has more than 30 million copies circulating. With its story ongoing, Blue Lock now stands as one of Kodansha's most popular series. And in a few months, its second season will come to life!

Want to know more about Blue Lock? No sweat! You can read up on its official synopsis below for all the details:

"After a disastrous defeat at the 2018 World Cup, Japan's team struggles to regroup. But what's mising? An absolute ace striker. The Football Union is hell-bent on creating a striker who hungers for goals and thirsts for victory, so Blue Lock -- a rigorous training ground for 300 of Japan's best and brightest youth players -- is created. To survive this battle royale, the last striker standing will have to out-muscle and out-ego everyone who stands in his way!"

Are you excited for Blue Lock to make its return? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!