Chips Ahoy cookies are going gluten free. On Monday, the brand announced their first-ever certified gluten free cookie offering, Chips Ahoy! Gluten Free. The new cookie is a permanent addition to the Chips Ahoy lineup and is set to hit store shelves nationwide this month.

According to the brand, the new Chips Ahoy! Gluten Free was no simple undertaking to create. The brand says that it took years to create the recipe, with more than 40 recipes developed and over 3000 hours spent on the product before finding the one that would recreate the brand's iconic taste and texture, just without the gluten.

"When we set out to create our first Chips Ahoy! Gluten Free cookie, we didn't want it to be a good gluten free cookie, we wanted it to be a great cookie that's also gluten free," Jainette Quinones, Brand Manager Chips Ahoy! Innovation said in a press release. "I am proud to say that our innovation team has succeeded. The new Chips Ahoy! Gluten Free cookie is an absolutely delicious cookie that everyone can enjoy."

Oreo Debuted Gluten Free Cookies in 2023

Chips Ahoy is just the latest iconic cookie to get a gluten free option. In 2021, Oreo launched their iconic cookie in a gluten free form, then followed that up in January 2023 with the arrival of Oreo Gluten Free Mint cookies, also a permanent offering in the cookie lineup. They are described as "a tasty new spin on the classic treat, and just as dunkable, Oreo Gluten Free Mint Chocolate Sandwich Cookies are made with real cocoa and a blend of gluten free flour."

As was noted above, the new Chips Ahoy! Gluten Free cookies are rolling out to store shelves nationwide this month. They are a permanent addition to the Chips Ahoy cookie lineup.

In case you somehow missed the internet exploding with excitement over it, Hades 2 has entered its Early Access period and fans are already having a great time with the highly anticipated sequel...a lot of fans, it turns out. Supergiant Games' Hades 2 has peaked at a massive 103,567 players for its first 24-hours per its Steam Charts, with 97.1% of its current reviews trending on the positive side.

In addition to the impressive player stats, Hades 2 is also the number 1 game on Steam's current Top Selling Games chart. Hades 2 also ranks in the seventh spot on the Steam chart for the Top 100 Most Played games currently, ranking behind Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Apex Legends, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Stardew Valley, and HELLDIVERS 2.

Currently Hades 2 can be played exclusively on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, and givcn that the game is in early access players aren't experiencing the game in full. As for the full release, Supergiant has said the following:

"We expect the full version of Hades 2 to include a more-complete, more-polished set of features and content in comparison to the Early Access version, along with Steam Achievements and the true ending to the story. During Early Access, our plan is to release a Major Update every few months containing new features and content, followed soon after by patches to shore up any issues. We are looking to release the first of these Major Updates later this year. An in-game Development Roadmap provides more context on where we're at in development and our current priorities."

What's incredibly impressive about Hades 2's early access version is that it already has more to offer to players by the way of environments, foes, and fully-voiced characters than the full release of the original Hades game, indicating the level of work that went into getting the sequel where it is, and how much more it will take Supergiant to get the game where they need it to be. As this is Supergiant's first sequel, they've previously noted that their goal was to "re-capture the sense of wonder and delight of its predecessor," something that many players feel they've accomplished already just based on the first bit of time with the ability to enjoy early access.

Supergiant Games notes on the game's Steam page that they "expect Hades 2 to be in Early Access development at least through the end of 2024." Given the nature of Early Access development, they don't have a specific end date planned at this time, which also means there's not an official release date for the full release of Hades 2 just yet, but with the impressive 24-hour early access debut, it looks like promising reactions are ahead for the game.

Are you trying out Hades 2 in Early Access, or will you be waiting patiently for the game's full release?

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.

NetEase Games and Marvel Games are approaching the beginning of the Closed Alpha Test (CAT) for their upcoming 6v6 team-based free-to-play shooter, Marvel Rivals. With the CAT just days away, the developers have noted that hundreds of thousands of people worldwide have signed up for the chance to participate in the test, with the game's Discord channel passing 100k members. Due to this overwhelming level of excitement the clearly highly anticipated game won't be able to accept everyone who signed up for the CAT, but the developers have noted they're "rolling out extra chances to snag a spot during the CAT," and "fast-tracking our upcoming test plans to get more of you into the Marvel Rivals action as soon as we can!"

NetEase and Marvel also released an overview for the CAT, which includes that the test will kick off May 10th at 5:00 PM PDT and run until May 20th at 11:59 PM PDT, with five different modes unlocked to experience:

• Tutorial: Learn the basic techniques of fighting as a Super Hero with Galacta!
  
• Quick Match: Choose your hero, defeat enemies, and complete mission objectives!
  
• Pocket Universe: Respawn at a flexible location and eliminate as many enemies as you can!
  
• Custom: Create Customized Matches to play with or against your friends!
  
• Competitive: Ascend through the ranks amid thrilling and intense battles!
  

Players can also sign up for a 6v6 tournament with a hefty prize pool called Dawn of Legends, which will roll out in three phases:

• Registrations from May 10th to 13th (PDT)
  
• Open Qualifiers from May 14th to 16th (PDT)
  
• Knockout Stage from May 17th to 19th (PDT)
  

Plus, since they're launching a Twitch channel and rolling out a Content Creator program for the first time, Dawn of Legends will be live streamed on Twitch, so players looking forward to Marvel Rivals that won't get a chance to participate in the CAT or tournament can watch from the sidelines. And if you're not looking forward to playing alone but you will be part of the CAT test, if you reach certain milestones you'll be able to earn additional invite codes to bring in your friends, as well as additional opportunities to secure these coveted invites through other means which you can read about at the bottom of the page here.

NetEase also published a Frequently Asked Questions page for Marvel Rivals to address common player questions including progress transfer in the future, controller support, recommended system requirements for the CAT, and more. Notably, the FAQ page includes that the following content will be available during the test:

"During the Closed Alpha, players will have access to the following characters: Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Groot, Hela, Hulk, Iron Man, Loki, Luna Snow, Magik, Magneto, Mantis, Namor, Peni Parker, Punisher, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord, Storm, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man. Also, players will be able to enjoy three game modes (Convoy, Domination, and Convergence) and three maps (YGGSGARD: YGGDRASILL PATH, YGGSGARD: ROYAL PALACE, and TOKYO 2099: SHIN-SHIBUYA)."

Are you hoping to participate in Marvel Rivals' CAT, or are you patiently waiting for the full release?

A true cult classic turns 30 this year, and Paramount has gone all-out on a new physical release to celebrate the occasion. The Crow, Brandon Lee's grunge-noir comic adaptation, has been beloved by movie fans for three decades, and that love is finally being rewarded with a brand new 4K restoration.

Paramount released The Crow 30th Anniversary 4K Blu-ray on Tuesday, delivering a long-awaited restoration for a unique film that has desperately needed it. Fans will be happy to learn that the team behind this restoration knocked it out of the park. Let's break it down, shall we?

The Movie

The Crow is the definition of a cult classic film. It was made for a small budget in 1994 and was appealing to a pretty niche audience, but that appeal has widened quite a bit over the last 30 years. The Alex Proyas film, based on James O'Barr's comic series, seems to get more and more love as time goes on. Whether people have a connection to the film from their adolescence or see it as a beautiful snapshot of the grunge era, folks can't get enough of The Crow. Why else has Hollywood been dead-set on rebooting the property?

The story at the center of The Crow is a bittersweet one, made even more gut-wrenching by the real-life tragedy that took place on set. Star Brandon Lee, who was on the cusp of a massive film career, was killed by an gun-related accident during a take. His performance as a resurrected rocker with thirst for revenge is exceptional, and his legacy will forever be tied to the film's.

The Crow isn't for everybody, but those who like it absolutely love it. There was never anything quite like it prior to 1994, and there certainly hasn't been anything like it since.

The Disc (and Steelbook)

The Crow's 30th anniversary release is a native 4K transfer in 2160p with a Dolby Vision/HDR10 presentation and a DTS-HD 5.1 master audio track. It wouldn't take a lot for this release to become the best The Crow has ever looked, considering the frustrating presentations on the DVD and Blu-rays, but this new disc from Paramount really goes above and beyond expectations to create something special.

Remastering The Crow is a tricky thing because of the style of the film itself. This is an incredibly dark, grungy movie made on a minimal budget. The style of the city and the noir elements of the story keep most of the film in the shadows. You can only brighten things up so much before you begin taking away from the intentions of the filmmakers and delivering something that isn't honest to what The Crow should be. This 4K restoration does an exceptional job at giving life and depths to the blacks and darker colors. The lights themselves get brightened instead, creating a contrast with those deeper colors that allows you to see the images a lot more clearly without sacrificing the noir style.

With those choices, every detail in The Crow is made finer and more pronounced. From the opening fly through the model city to the close-ups of Eric Draven in the shadows, you can see everything more clearly and more well defined than ever before. What's even more impressive is that The Crow maintains a natural grain structure throughout. The clarity and lighting fixes didn't come at the cost of looking overly smooth or scrubbed.

Part of what makes The Crow such a lasting film for so many is that the filmmakers and design team never wavered from the unique vision they had when they set out to make it. The low budget, grunge aura of the film is part of its charm, and this restoration allows that to be on full display. The flyover scenes and rooftop chases only make the fact that the city is a model with VFX fires layered on top all the more obvious, but that just adds to its beauty. It feels like this disc came out of a time capsule, allowing fans to watch The Crow exactly as it was intended for the first time since 1994.

If you're curious just how big a difference this 4K release is compared to the previous Blu-ray, In Search of Physical Media over on YouTube put together some side-by-side screenshots to compare the two discs. The difference is night and day.

As far as the audio goes, the track was the strength of previous releases. It remains strong with this 30th Anniversary print. The dialogue is crisp and clean, and the soundtrack hits exactly as hard as it needs to.

Bonus points to the The Crow's 30th presentation for a phenomenal steelbook. The outer slipcover shows the outline of a crow with Brandon Lee's face shining through. Pulling the cover off reveals the full picture of Lee as Eric Draven. There's some great artwork featured on the back and inside the steelbook as well.

The Features

The Crow 30th Anniversary 4K comes with quite a few special features, most of which are legacy features carried over from previous releases. Despite the fact that diehard fans may have seen a lot of these before, they're great features to keep around for this release. The disc includes not one, but two different feature commentary tracks -- one from director Alex Proyas, the other from producer Jeff Most and writer John Shirley.

The two new features one the disc are an interview with late producer Edward R. Pressman from 2021 and a set of featurettes about the design process behind the film. The interview with Pressman is a decent addition but the Designing The Crow trio is far and away the highlight of the special features. All three videos in the featurette focus on an in-depth, retrospective interview with production designer Alex McDowell. Throughout the videos, McDowell gets into the nitty gritty of what it took to make The Crow look as memorable as it does. And unlike a lot of other featurettes on these home releases, the McDowell interview doesn't feel like a puff piece about the film itself. He really takes a dive into the process of designing sets and offers a ton of insight into how The Crow got made. It's definitely worth your time.

You can check out the full list of special features on the disc below.

• Shadows & Pain: Designing The Crow - NEW!
• Angels All Fire: Birth of the Legend
• On Hallowed Ground: The Outer Realm
• Twisted Wreckage: The Inside Spaces
• Sideshow Collectibles: An Interview with Edward R. Pressman - NEW TO DISC!
• Audio Commentary with Director Alex Proyas
• Audio Commentary by Producer Jeff Most and Screenwriter John Shirley
• Behind the Scenes Featurette
• A Profile on James O'Barr
• Extended Scenes:
• The Arcade Bombing
• The Funboy Fight
• The Shootout at Top Dollar's
• Deleted Footage Montage
• Trailer

The Verdict

The Crow is probably my favorite 4K disc of the year so far. If you're a fan of this movie, it is without question a must-own release. If you can get your hands on the steelbook that's even better, but those were already selling out at some stores shortly after preorders began.

If you're only moderately into The Crow, or you've never seen it but have a love for great physical media, this release is still worth picking up. This had to be a difficult restoration, and to pull it off as well as they did is certainly an accomplishment.

The Crow 30th Anniversary 4K is now available to purchase in stores. A copy was provided for the purposes of this review.

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.

A new season of Marvel Snap, A Blink in Time, has arrived to PC and mobile devices, introducing five new cards, two extra locations, and extra additions for players to acquire throughout the season. While the previous season centered on Thunderbolts, A Blink in Time doesn't have a specific tie-in for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, offering more of a range than limiting to what's ultimately a small group in the greater Marvel universes.

A Blink in Time

As for the new characters coming to Marvel Snap, the five additions include:

• Blink (5 Cost, 6 Power) - On Reveal: Swap the last card you played with a higher-Cost card from your deck.
• Nocturne (3 Cost, 5 Power) - You can move this once. When this moves, replace its location with a random new one.
• Sage (3 Cost, 0 Power) - On Reveal: +2 Power for each different Power among all other cards here.
• Namora (5 Cost, 5 Power) - On Reveal: Give +5 Power to each of your cards alone at another location.
• Sasquatch (6 Cost, 10 Power) - Costs 1 less for each card you played last turn.

Players can expect new cards to be released weekly starting with Baron Zemo, last month's Season Pass Card, releasing as a Series 5 card on May 7th. Nocturne will join Zemo the same day with Sage following on May 14th, Namora on May 21st, and Sasquatch on May 28th. New series cards aappear in the Spotlight Cache and Token Shop. As your Collection Level increases, the caches become available for you to unlock one of the Series cards, Spotlight Variants, and more. The spotlight caches for this season include:

May 7th

• Caiera
  
• Nocturne
  
• Selene
  

May 14th

• Sage
  
• Legion
  
• The Living Tribunal
  

May 21st

• Namora
  
• Skaar
  
• Black Knight
  

May 28th

• Sasquatch
  
• Ravonna Renslayer
  
• Havok
  

Marvel Snap players also have new locations and albums to secure, including:

Locations

• Panoptichron: Cards that didn't start in your deck get +2 Power here.
  
• Cancun: Power here doesn't count toward winning the game.
  

Albums

• Dan Hipp Album on May 7th:
  
• Collect 3: Werewolf By Night Avatar
  
• Collect 6: 1000 Credits
  
• Collect 9: Heimdall Shocked Emote
  
• Collect 12: Werewolf By Night Variant
  
• Rian Gonzalez pieces on May 15th:
  
• Collect 3: Silk Avatar
  
• Collect 6: 1000 Tokens
  
• Collect 9: Gambit Swoon Emote
  
• Collect 12: Silk Variant
  
• All Chibi Rian Gonzalez album on May 31st:
  
• Collect 3: Iron Lad Avatar
  
• Collect 6: 1000 Credits
  
• Collect 9: Iron Lad The Thinker Emote
  
• Collect 12: Iron Lad Variant
  

In addition to all of the above listed new content to Marvel Snap, players can also experience two shop takeovers that introduces a Jubilee variant and a chibi focused shop that will include a lot of new variants to Rian works including Cyclops, Dracula, Miles Morales, and Wolverine. Plus, there are multiple ways to earn boosters, credits, and two X-Men '97 cards just in time for the finale via Twitch drops, including:

• Watch 2 hours to earn: 65 Random Boosters
  
• Watch 4 hours to earn: 350 Credits
  
• Watch 6 hours to earn: Mister Sinister and Bishop X-Men '97 Variants
  

Enjoy the new season, and see you on the battlefield!

Roxanne Perez looked to add a major win to her WWE NXT Women's Championship reign during tonight's NXT, as The Prodigy was set to battle SmackDown Superstar Chelsea Green in the main event. Green even had the chance to reunite with Robert Stone ahead of the match-up, and once in the ring Green looked poised to take Perez's newly won Title before the Champ could even get her bearings. Green almost got an early pin and then almost stole the win again much to the Champ's frustration, but Perez would lock in and take control of the match for an extended portion. The two superstars both attempted to hit their finishers and while both failed the initial attempts, Perez was able to counter into hers and get enough of it to land to seal the deal and get the win.

Perez and Green locked up right away and Perez took control with a wrist lock. Green countered and then almost pinned Perez, but the Champ got away at the last minute. Perez got up top and slapped Green, and then Perez was sprinting across the ring but Green caught her as she slid under the ropes, knocking the Champion down face-first.

THIS IS AWESOME ???#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/bkiX5waUXQ

-- WWE (@WWE) May 8, 2024

Perez came back with a vengeance, pulling Green out of the ring and then slamming her face into the announce table. Perez broke the count up and then continued to attack Green on the outside, slamming the challenger into the barricade. That left Green stunned for a minute as the referee started the count, but Green was able to make it back into the ring.

Perez went to pounce but Green almost rolled up the Champ again, infuriating Perez. Perez unleashed a host of strikes and then put her foot on the challenger, but Green kicked out of the cover attempt. Perez slammed Green down and then hit an uppercut into a cover attempt, but Green kicked out. Perez slapped Green around and Green was clearly getting annoyed, responding with some strikes to Perez.

Perez went for the Russian Leg Sweep but Green countered. Then both superstars exchanged punches but Preez hit a flurry of them before eating a big boot from Green. Green followed up with a Rough Rider that left both superstars on the mat.

Green went on a roll, connecting with several strikes and then a slam to the mat and a pin attempt, though Perez kicked out of the cover. Perez knocked Green back with a punch and a dropkick, but Green pulled Perez's neck against the ropes. Then Green stomped on the back of Perez's head and proceeded to head up top, but Perez caught her with a kick to the head.

Perez hit the huge hurricanrana from the top into a pin, but Green kicked out. Perez stayed on Green but Green was able to launch Perez with a suplex. Green went up top again and this time connected with a missile dropkick into a pin. Perez kicked out again, and Green went for the Unprettier. Perez went for Pop Rocks but didn't hit it, as Green reversed into a cover attempt. They traded pin attempts but none of them landed, and then Perez countered Green's move with a Pop Rocks. While she didn't get all of it, she got enough to get the pin and the win.

What did you think of the match? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Wizards of the Coast will update the System Reference Document for Dungeons & Dragons in early 2025, paving the way for third-party support for the newest version of the popular tabletop roleplaying game. Earlier this week, Wizards of the Coasts detailed plans to update the System Reference Document (commonly referred to as the SRD) with content from the upcoming 2024 and 2025 Core Rulebooks. The new version of the SRD will be released in "early 2025" shortly after the release of the new Monster Manual and will "provide revised rules at the same scope" for third-party creators to make rulebooks, adventures, and other content to support Dungeons & Dragons. As with the current version of the SRD, this new SRD will be released under a Creative Commons license.

In early 2023, it emerged that Wizards of the Coast planned to revoke and revise the Open Game License (OGL), which had been used for over 20 years as the legal framework to allow for third-party creations using Dungeons & Dragons rules that were outlined in the SRD. The planned changes to the OGL, which were seen as much more restrictive than the previous arrangement, alienated many content creators and publishers who had worked with Dungeons & Dragons, led to a grassroots campaign that attracted national attention, and ultimately led to Wizards placing the current SRD under a Creative Commons license. While Wizards of the Coast backed down from these changes, many companies moved forward with plans to release new fantasy-themed games that could potentially compete with Dungeons & Dragons.

Wizards had previously said they would update the SRD with the planned rules changes, but provided no timeline for the update. There was a two year gap between the release of the current Fifth Edition ruleset and its related SRD, so the quick turnaround is something of a pleasant surprise provided that the new SRD doesn't include any major omissions. The release of the new SRD means that third-party content creators should be able to quickly provide additional rules support and adventures for the new revised version of 5th Edition D&D, giving players options in between "official" D&D releases by Wizards.

The 2024 Core Rulebooks for Dungeons & Dragons will be released beginning later this year, adding several new subsystems, new character-building methods, and balance changes to many classes and subclass features,

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.

WWE's Trick Williams now holds the NXT Championship after a thriller at Spring Breakin', and now the fan-favorite has the first challenger of his Championship reign. This was revealed during Williams' appearance on Meta-Four's Supernova Sessions, where Noam Dar and Lash Legend were set to show Williams what they had in the mysterious yellow envelope. This big reveal ultimately fell flat for Williams, but Meta-Four called him a fraud because of it. That led to Williams revealing that he and Legend were actually a couple, but Dar wasn't having it, and now is gearing up to challenge Williams for his NXT Championship.

The segment started with Legend hesitating to reveal what was in the envelope, and Jakara Jackson had to snap her out of it. Dar then pulled out a photograph from his previous match with Williams, and it showed Dar's foot on the ropes as Williams pinned him. Dar said this match is what set the tone for Williams' big run, and it was all based on a lie.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

This was one of the most chaotic Supernova Sessions EVER with @_trickwilliams and Meta-Four ?#WWENXT pic.twitter.com/vengwkBhl6

-- WWE (@WWE) May 8, 2024

"The truth...look and see, this victory is what gave you the momentum to slay the Mad Dragon and become NXT Champion. But this is evidence that everything that you have is built on a lie. You are nothing but a no-good Trick, and I'm going to expose your scheme," Dar said.

Williams wasn't impressed, saying, "That's it? That's all ya'll got for me? You brought me all the way here for a picture in an envelope?" Oro Mensah took issue with his evaluation but soon Williams let him have it on the microphone. Then Williams told Dar this felt like the Maury Povich show, and added "And Trick Willy ain't the daddy!"

Then Williams turned his attention towards Legend, telling her "Lash, do you want to tell em, or want me to tell em?" Legend looked flustered and the rest of the group looked confused, but then Legend called Williams "Babe" and really set everything off. Williams then said "It's about me and you right now. Tell the people that you call me Trick Willy Wonka."

Dar had enough of this back and forth and knocked out Williams. Then Dar lifted the NXT Championship and gave fans a possible preview of the future, holding the Title high and then throwing it toward Williams. The fans are clearly already invested in the power couple of Williams and Legend, and now that will seemingly tie into the building storyline between Williams and Dar.

What did you think of tonight's NXT? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

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.

After the fantastic NXT Underground match between Natalya and Lola Vice, there was still bad blood between the two sides. That was especially true of Shayna Baszler and Karmen Petrovic, who helped Natalya and Vice train but also had an impact on the winner of the match. Petrovic and Baszler would go one-on-one tonight, but before they got started NXT also revealed Petrovic's awesome new entrance, which you can see below (via @ERAOFMONE). Unfortunately, Baszler would show just how devastating she can be by delivering some brutal offense to Petrovic's arm throughout the match, and it ended with a Kiruda Clutch for the win.

This all started with the NXT Underground match, which had Vice and Natalya accompanied by Petrovic and Baszler. Baszler had already taunted Petrovic in the confrontation the week before, and then when Natalya had the match sewn up, Baszler locked Petrovic in a hold and wouldn't let go until Natalya released Vice from the sharpshooter.

KARMENS ENTRANCE?! THAT WAS SICKENING #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/AFKMOaWtRJ

-- s??? ? ?? (@ERAOFMONE) May 8, 2024

Natalya took care of Baszler but Vice was ready for her when she came back into the ring, and that led to Natalya's defeat. Retribution was on Petrovic's mind leading into tonight's match, and she certainly put pressure on Queen of Spades.

Baszler is known as one of the most lethal people in all of WWE for a reason though, and that was on display throughout the match. Baszler locked in on Petrovic's left arm and continued to wear it down in creative ways. At one point Baszler wrapped Petrovic's arm around the structure underneath the ring and then stomped on it, which was a major turning point in the match.

After that Baszler stayed on the arm whenever she could, including another stomp that damaged Petrovic's wrist and arm. Petrovic continued to fight back though, and knocked Baszler to the ropes. Baszler then quickly applied the Kirifuda Clutch, and while Petrovic fought to get out of the hold, she had to tap, giving Baszler the win.

Natalya ran to Petrovic's side, while Lola's dancing seemed to annoy Baszler, so this feud is likely not ending just yet. We'll have to wait and see what happens next with this storyline, but Petrovic's new entrance and promising showing in this program suggest we'll continue to see more of her in the mix over the following weeks.

What did you think of tonight's match and what do you want to see next for Petrovic? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

Bastion, Avengelyne, Blood Coven, and Weapon XIII (13) are either new or old characters dominating the market this week! Many have little familiarity with most of this list, and that's awesome! We've seen the same faces, names, and storylines dominating the aftermarket for months, and change is good. However, Deadpool, Wolverine, and Dazzler still make their presence known, with Spider-Woman also featured heavily. First 'team' appearances outshined individual character's first appearances for the first time in forever. Variety is the name of the game on this week's Top Ten!

Want to know what comic books are trending each week and why? COVRPRICE.COM uses live sales analytics to identify and compile the most robust market price guide, highlighting the weekly top trending comics. No opinions. Just data. Each week, they present a newly updated list of the TOP 10 COMICS trending in the aftermarket. These trends are due to rumors, fan-favorite covers, story-driven content, and content-related news.

#10: The Uncanny X-Men #333 | MARVEL | 1996: We welcome another under-the-radar character to our lists, and this week, it's Bastion. He first appeared in this book and is an odd combination of humanoid sentinel destruction. With the newest episode of X-Men 97,' they're truly bringing into focus how much of a threat Bastion is. With a whole new audience indulging in the character, there are bound to be fans who feel the urge to visit the aftermarket in search of a copy of his first appearance! We tracked it at a high sale of $28 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $10.

#9: Wolverine #154 | MARVEL | 2000: Typically, issue #155 gets all the love, but this book is where the fun begins. In an early meet-up between Deadpool and Wolverine, shenanigans are bound to arise, much like they appear to be doing in the upcoming Deadpool and Wolverine. It also features a gaggle of first appearances like Geronimo Crowe, Cargo, Hardwire, Shooter, the Administrator, AND the first team appearance of the Scourge. The rumor mill is turning regarding the Scourge and their potential appearance in the film or down the line. Numerous fans opted to be cautious, picking up a copy before the hype train could reach new heights. We tracked it at a high sale of $30 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $29.

#8: Spider-Woman #7 - Leinil Francis Yu | MARVEL | 2024: Spider-Woman sure was hot last week! They made some serious moves in the story and added a new team to the lexicon with the Assembly. Fans were on board, with a resounding "more please" coming from fans of the run. It sold out quickly with many local comic shops, resulting in collectors turning to the aftermarket to secure a copy. Spider-Woman has her fans and they were out in force for this book! We tracked it at a high sale of $20 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $12.

#7: Avengelyne #1 | MAXIMUM PRESS | 1995: This book was hot a few weeks ago when it was announced Oliva Wilde was set to direct an adaptation of the series. Avengelyne is a fallen angel, which lends itself well to the screen. Then, rumors began circulating that Margot Robbie was in talks to portray the character. As many know, she also lends herself well to the screen, which caused a spike in aftermarket search and sales for the first appearance of Avengelyne! We tracked it at a high sale of $30 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $21.

#6: Spider-Woman #7 - Peach Momoko - Black Costume | MARVEL | 2024: Three fandoms collide with this book. You have your Spider-Woman, Momoko, and Black Suit fans feasting. This variant sports an amazing cover and also features a new super squad with an intriguing roster, including Titan, Cadet Marvel, Moon Squire, Liberty, and Hellrune. We tracked it at a high sale of $25 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $17.

#5: Spider-Woman #7 - Todd Nauck | MARVEL | 2024: We've touched on this book already, but this is the version fans are clamoring for. With only three covers to choose from, fans often pivot to the one that features the team or individual character. This book does mostly that, featuring Moon Squire, Hellrune, and Cadet Marvel front and center behind Spider-Woman. With all variations trending for roughly the same price, this is the one the fandom has settled on as a must-have. We tracked it at a high sale of $25 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $19.

#4: Dazzler #1 | MARVEL | 1981: Geez, this book has been hot for months! The rumors of Taylor Swift portraying the character in Deadpool and Wolverine just won't quit. It almost feels like Swift has been leaning into it for the past few months. She's appeared publicly with the stars of the film as well as producers, dodged questions regarding the project, AND the last word on her newest album was "Dazzling," for Pete's sake! Until we get an official yes or no, or the movie comes out, expect this book to trend for a while longer, despite it feeling like the world's worst-kept secret. We tracked it at a high sale of $23 for a raw VF copy and a current raw NM FMV of $19.

#3: Blood Hunt: Red Band Edition #1 - Pepe Larraz | MARVEL | 2024: Marvel doesn't typically lean into the extreme violence in their comics, but something has to give when you're dealing with the Marvel Universe versus vampires. Blood Hunt was the recent darling of NCBD and Free Comic Book Day, drawing in oodles of fans who wanted a taste. Some were lucky enough to secure this variation of the book, which immediately found a healthy aftermarket for those who missed out. We tracked it at a high sale of $16 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $13.

#2: New X-Men #128 | MARVEL | 2002: This book features the first appearance of Fantomex, or Weapon XIII (13). He's an under-the-radar character that's jumped in popularity recently. The Weapon X program is rumored to be featured in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World, which naturally sends fans on a Weapon X hunt. There is a ton of hype surrounding the character, as a subset of collectors has been eager to see him adapted to the screen for years. If that does happen, those who spent last week picking up this book are in a good spot! We tracked it at a high sale of $129 for a CGC 9.8 copy and a current raw NM FMV of $28.

#1: Blood Hunt: Red Band Edition #1 - Leinil Francis Yu - Crime Suspense Stories #22 Homage (1:25) | MARVEL | 2024: The Marvel Universe VS Vampires? Yeah, sign us up. The fandom embraced the idea and ran with it, making this the hottest book of last week! Fans are all in and were after this variant from Yu hard, thanks to the wonderful homage to a time long past that many consider the golden age of horror comics, and it is the only variant available for this book. It also features the first full appearance of Blood Coven, which consists of Megrim, Smoke Eater, Unusual, Cruel, and Damascene. It has a ton going on and helps scratch the itch some collectors feel toward Marvel, IE, the lack of hard-hitting, violent, over-the-top action series. It was a risk for Marvel, but it is one worth taking! We tracked it at a high sale of $125 for a raw NM copy and a current raw NM FMV of $116.

Sakamoto Days is one of the major hidden gems currently running in Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and one awesome cosplay has gone viral with fans for showing off manga's biggest action star today, Taro Sakamoto! Yuto Suzuki first debuted Sakamoto Days within the pages of Shonen Jump back in 2020, and while the series got a lot of attention from fans early on (and even getting shout outs from Jujutsu Kaisen creator Gege Akutami), it's not until fairly recently that it's starting to feel like there's a groundswell of support behind the manga as fans can't wait to see it expand into a full franchise.

It's starting to pick up speed as fans are hoping to see Sakamoto Days get its own anime adaptation in the future as one of the next wave of Shonen Jump hits (following the wave that had Undead Unluck, Mashle: Magic and Muscles, and Mission: Yozakura Family) to get recognition on that bigger stage. What's going to help matters is fans showing off why its central character, the titular Sakamoto, is such a major player in the manga space. Artist satuki45440 on X has done just that with a cosplay that perfectly encapsulates just how cool Sakamoto is! Check it out:

SAKAMOTO DAYS????????...
??!??????!!
????!? pic.twitter.com/Ms3sgJdCk3

-- ? (@satuki45440) April 13, 2024

What Is Sakamoto Days?

If you wanted to check out the manga for yourself, you can find the three most recent chapters of Sakamoto Days completely for free (and the entire back catalog with a paid subscription) with Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library or Shueisha's MangaPlus service. They tease the manga as such, "Taro Sakamoto was the ultimate assassin, feared by villains and admired by hitmen. But one day...he fell in love! Retirement, marriage, fatherhood and then... Sakamoto gained weight! The chubby guy who runs the neighborhood?store is actually a former legendary hitman! Can he protect his family from danger? Get ready to experience a new kind of action comedy series!"

Originally debuting back in 2020 with over 160+ chapters under its belt as of the time of this publication, Sakamoto Days follows the rule of cool in which assassins have otherworldly abilities that often see their fights lead to the destruction of pretty much everything around them. Sakamoto himself might not look like it, but he's got the skills to fight off even the toughest opponents. This dynamic is just why fans love each new chapter of the manga, and hopefully one day, it'll get an anime too.

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.

Go! Go! Loser Ranger! has been setting up for the next major arc of the anime quicker than expected, and the director behind it all addressed why the anime has been cutting out scenes from the manga for its adaptation! Go! Go! Loser Ranger! has been one of the standout hits of the Spring 2024 anime schedule because of its twisted take on Super Sentai shows, and fans have been excited to see what comes next. But fans of Negi Haruba's original Sentai Daishikkaku manga have noticed how some moments from the original story have been skipped over in the anime.

Go! Go! Loser Ranger!'s anime moves into Fighter D's next phase of action much quicker than in the original manga series, and that means there's some material that didn't make the cut for the adaptation. Director Keiichi Sato was asked about this in a recent interview with Febri, and revealed that while the original slower pacing was fine for the manga, it wasn't the same case for a much shorter release like the anime. It was necessary to "remove various elements, extract the interesting parts, improve the story, and increase the sense of speed" while keeping in touch with Haruba for this new version of the franchise.

Why Go Go Loser Ranger Makes Changes to the Manga

"The story begins to take a big turn when the main character, Fighter D infiltrates the [Ranger Corps] in order to defeat [Red Keeper] but the original story has a slightly different flow up to that point. It felt slow," Sato began. "However, that sense of tempo is necessary in order to develop the story while helping the reader understand the unique worldview and setting, and it is natural that it takes time to build the foundation." But while the slower pace was fine for manga readers, it's not necessarily as captivating for an anime.

"However, since anime is short, lasting just over 20 minutes each week, the most important thing is how much the story can be driven to attract viewers," Sato explained. "Therefore, it was necessary to remove various elements, extract the interesting parts, improve the story, and increase the sense of speed. We had many discussions with the original author, Negi Haruba, about arranging this story, and we proceeded with the project while gaining his understanding."

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

The Planet of the Apes franchise is returning to theaters this weekend, with the first new film in the series since Matt Reeves completed the Caesar trilogy in 2017. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, from director Wes Ball, picks up the story hundreds of years after Caesar's rule. That changing of the guard, however, doesn't look like it will have a major impact on the film's performance at the box office. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is eyeing an opening weekend in the same realm as War for the Planet of the Apes.

According to the latest projections from Deadline, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is looking at a $50M+ debut in North America this weekend, and a worldwide haul of over $130M. That puts it just behind the $56.2M opening of War for the Planet of the Apes, which arrived on the heels of the franchise's biggest hit (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes). Kingdom pulling a similar total out of the gate would definitely be a win.

New Planet of the Apes Trilogy?

If all goes according to plan, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes could launch a new trilogy within the long-running franchise. The chances of that, of course, hinge on how well the film performs in theaters.

Ahead of Kingdom's debut, Ball talked with ComicBook about how the story could unfold into a three-film set.

"It'll take as long as it takes," Ball revealed. "Fortunately because this franchise is important to the studio we'll get it right like we did this one, took our time and got it right. Hopefully, people think that...It takes time, the development itself and my big thing is I do not want to go into prep when the script is not done. I've had to do that in the past. Nothing good comes from that. That's one of the biggest things that movies could be doing right now is to stop doing that. We'd save a ton of money... I think on this one that we are in a good, good shape. Fortunately, we were thinking a lot about these questions when we were developing this script, so we have an idea where we wanna go and there's lots of room for great drama. Literally doors have opened at the end of this movie that hopefully reveal a much larger world that we get to explore in this movie, full of drama, full of conflict, all that kind of stuff. Fingers crossed. We'll see."

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."

Green Book and Ricky Stanicky director Peter Farrelly is set to take audiences behind the scenes of one of the most iconic movies of all time. According to The Wrap, Farrelly has signed on to direct I Play Rocky, a Sylvester Stallone biopic that will tell the story of the making of Rocky. Farrelly will direct from a script written by Peter Gamble. He is also set to produce, along with former Warner Bros. studio chief Toby Emmerich and Christian Baha. Casting for the biopic is currently underway.

Here's how I Play Rocky is described: "A struggling actor with a partially paralyzed face and a speech impediment writes a script that a big movie studio wants to buy, but he refuses to sell it unless he gets to play the lead. Turning down an offer of life-changing money, he instead works for pennies to get the movie made with himself in the starring role. The movie becomes the biggest box office hit of 1976, garnering 10 Academy Award nominations and winning Best Picture."

"I've been a fan of Peter Farrelly as both a filmmaker and a person since getting to work with him on the music for Dumb and Dumber," Emmerich said in a statement. "But it was Green Book that made me think of Pete for this inspiring screenplay. Christian Baha and I feel blessed to have Pete at the helm for this movie. And like the unknown Stallone starring in Rocky, Pete will be conducting a worldwide search to discover another actor who just needs one shot -- in I Play Rocky -- to show the world what he can do."

Baha added: "When I first read Peter Gamble's energetic and poignant script, I knew it captured something very special. The story of I Play Rocky is as unique as Sylvester Stallone himself, a seeming Everyman with an undeniable gift who needs to share it with the world and refuses to take 'No' for an answer. And like the hero of our film, Baha Productions needed grit and determination as we fought for years to make this project into a reality. We are so fortunate to have teamed up with Toby Emmerich and Peter Farrelly, two legendary talents who not only share but enhance our vision of the film."

What is Rocky About?

Released in 1976, Rocky is a sports drama that tells the story of Rocky Balboa, a small-time club fighter and loan shark debt collector in Philadelphia who gets a shot at the world heavyweight boxing championship held by Apollo Creed. The film stars Stallone, Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess Meredith. The film was a massive success and is considered by many as one of the greatest films of all time. It went on to start a full franchise which includes sequels Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V, and Rocky Balboa, as well as the Creed series, Creed, Creed II, and Creed III. Creed IV was confirmed to be in the works last November.

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

One Piece is now in the works on Season 2 with Netflix, and Taz Skylar opened up about how he felt seeing reactions to his casting as Sanji for the very first time! One Piece's live-action adaptations was not only one of the most successful launches with Netflix in recent memory, but it was also one of the most well received anime to live-action adaptations as well. This was due to the strength of the core cast at the center of it all, but fans were much less open to the cast when they were first announced to be involved with the project.

Skylar and the rest of the live-action Straw Hats were suddenly faced with tons of reactions when Netflix first announced they would be leading the live-action One Piece cast, and opening up about during Paris Fan Festival (as shared by Roster Con on YouTube), Skylar met a lot of that criticism head on as he experienced suddenly getting waves of reactions from thousands of people for the first real time.

Taz Skylar on One Piece Casting Reactions

"The day the announcement came out, all our names went to the top of the list on Twitter..." Skylar began. "I was getting screenshots from my friends saying like, 'Hey bro, your name is trending on Twitter. And I was like 'Huh,' and he sent me the screenshot and it was like, 'Sanji Eminem.' I laugh because I was like, 'You know what they have a point. I do kinda look a little bit like Eminem" So it didn't really offend me."

But while the initial react didn't phase him, things changed when he got negative reactions to trying Sanji's kicks for the first time, "Then when I first started trying to kick, I think that was the first one that really hurt my feelings because I admittedly came from nothing. Like I never tried that before, and I wanted to try. I wanted to do my best and so I started kicking, and like anything when you first start it, you suck. You're really bad at it, and it's normal cause that's what not knowing how to do something looks like. But I was trying...I don't really know how people got those videos because they were on my phone and nobody knew who I was."

Continuing further, "Somebody had those videos and they leaked them, and that kind of went a little viral. There was a lot of negativity there. I remember kind of scrolling through them thinking, 'Oh, this is going to be hard.' It was, having never dealt with that before. Having never dealt with thousands of people saying at the same time, 'This is going to fail. This is horrible. You are horrible.' It took me a minute to deal with it, and my way of dealing with it was I went and I got two black belts, and a blue belt. And now nobody can say shit."

Netflix's One Piece Season 2 has yet to announce a release date or window as of the time of this publication.

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.

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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.

Godzilla Minus One is considered to be one of the greatest movies ever to feature the king of the monsters and for good reason. Not only did the film have amazing visual effects, which is the reason it won an Oscar at this year's Academy Awards, but its story was both riveting and terrifying for the characters and the audience watching. While Godzilla has had many looks over the decades, director Takashi Yamazaki had his own vision and the first concept art for the new take on the lizard king has hit the internet.

Godzilla has had quite a few forms since first making landfall in 1954. In many ways, Minus One felt like a return to the kaiju's roots as the beast was dead set on wiping out Japan and had no other giant monsters sharing the spotlight. While humanity was ultimately able to claim victory against the King of the Monsters in the latest Godzilla movie out of Japan, director Takashi Yamazaki was clearly setting the stage for a sequel as he laid the seeds for the idea that the kaiju king might not be dead. In the final moments of the film, what was left of Godzilla's body was shown to be regenerating, meaning humanity isn't out of the woods yet.

Godzilla Minus One's First Appearance

While this initial take on the king of the monsters for Minus One doesn't look exactly like the one we would witness on the silver screen, it captures the terror and intensity of the world's most popular kaiju. Should Yamazaki's dream come true of introducing more giant beasts to this universe, we imagine that they will take similar approaches in streamlining their design to use what works about each. Here's hoping that Godzilla MInus One is only the first of many movies in this new universe.

Takashi Yamazaki's initial concept art for Godzilla Minus One pic.twitter.com/pGfBUEx9K6

-- Kaiju No. 14 (@14_kaiju) May 4, 2024

2024 has been a big year for the lizard king, as Legendary Pictures' Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has become one of the biggest kaiju movies of all time. While there are no other projects focusing on the king of the monsters this year, Apple TV+ is working on a new season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and spin-offs further focusing on this Western take on kaiju.

Want to learn more about Godzilla Minus One? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook for all the latest on kaiju and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the MonsterVerse.

At long last, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf seems to have a release window. First revealed all the way back in 2018 at The Game Awards, the next entry in the Dragon Age series has been in the works for far longer than many fans expected. Now, nearly ten years after the release of Dragon Age: Inquisition, it sounds as though BioWare is gearing up to let loose Dreadwolf at some point in the coming ten months.

Outlined in new financial documents from Electronic Arts today, the publisher revealed that it has two projects releasing in its current fiscal year that it hasn't yet announced. One of these titles was said to stem from an IP that Electronic Arts itself owns. Not long after this information was shared, reporter Jeff Grubb spoke up and said that this game in question is indeed Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Grubb didn't have anything else to say about when the RPG might arrive, but if it is truly releasing in this fiscal year, this means that it would launch by March 31, 2025, at the absolute latest.

Near the end of 2023, BioWare itself shared some brief new information about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Specifically, the studio said that it would look to finally share more details about the game at an undetermined time in the summer of 2024. With this window rapidly approaching, it seems likely that BioWare will show off Dreadwolf in a big way soon, perhaps during June's Summer Game Fest event. Whenever the game is shown off, gameplay footage and a release date are both a near certainty to be divulged.

For now, the only thing that's known for certain about Dragon Age: Dreadwolf is that it's in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Further down the line, BioWare has confirmed that it's also working on a new Mass Effect installment that should continue the story seen in the franchise's original trilogy. A launch window nor an official title for this project has yet to be shared in any capacity, though, as it's likely still many years away from release.

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

While Chris Pine's filmography has gone on to include major franchises such as Star Trek, Wonder Woman, and Dungeons & Dragons, many fans still fondly remember him from his work in the Princess Diaries series. Pine made his theatrical debut in 2004's The Princess Diaries: Royal Engagement, which saw him play Nicholas Devereaux, the eventual love interest of Anne Hathaway's Mia Thermopolis. In a recent interview with Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist, Pine revealed that getting cast in Royal Engagement changed the course of his life for the better, in part because he was in dire financial straits at the time.

"It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job," Pine said. "I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, 'You're getting paid $65,000,' and it was like they had just told me I'd made $50 million. It was absolutely earth-shattering."

"I had an overdraft in my bank account, it was like $400 over. I was gonna have to ask my parents for money, and I got that $65,000 and I just remembered distinctly knowing in that moment that my life had changed somehow," Pine said. "That lasted no time at all, and I owed my parents rent money. But that is a wild feeling. I'll never forget that."

Will Chris Pine Return for Princess Diaries 3?

In recent years, the prospect of another Princess Diaries movie has begun to pick up steam, leading to the question of whether or not Pine will return as Nick. In a 2023 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Pine revealed that he is definitely on board with the possibility, if the film becomes a reality.

"Yeah, I'm here! I'm here for it," Pine revealed. "Give me give me a phone call or an email."

Will there be a Princess Diaries 3?

In 2022, reports indicated that Supergirl and Reacher writer Aadrita Mukerji is writing the script for a third The Princess Diaries, which would be a direct continuation of the franchise. Debra Martin Chase, who produced the first two Princess Diaries films, is also returning to produce Princess Diaries 3. Earlier this year, Hathaway told V Magazine that work on the threequel is "in a good place", but could not confirm more details beyond that.

"We're in a good place," Hathaway revealed. "That's all I can say. There's nothing to announce yet. But we're in a good place."

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+.

After more than a decade without a new game in the Top Spin franchise, publisher 2K Games finally launched TopSpin 2K25 late last month. The game boasted solid scores at launch, nabbing a 78 from Metacritic for the PlayStation 5 version. That said, TopSpin 2K25 wasn't without its issues, and developer Hangar 13 has been hard at work on the first patch. That dropped today, though it took some time before the TopSpin 2K25 devs made the patch notes available. Thankfully, they've posted them on Twitter and the official site, giving players all the information they need to see what's changed in the new update.

The most notable change in the new update is that several Pro Players have had stat adjustments. Unfortunately, 2K Games didn't specify which players have been changed in the patch notes, but reports on Reddit claim that Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams have been nerfed. Hopefully, 2K adds more transparency in these player updates moving forward. For now, you'll just want to check the subreddit to see if players find more nerfs or buffs.

Beyond that, the team has added some new features for MyPlayer and Career Mode. Now, you'll be able to select from 30 new countries when creating your character. Meanwhile, the team has changed some objectives in career mode to ensure that players don't see as many repeats. Finally, there are some general server stability improvements, though again, 2K Games didn't provide many details about what they're doing behind the scenes.

Below, you can find the full patch notes for the May 7th update. TopSpin 2K25 is available now on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. Hopefully, this is only the beginning of new patches for TopSpin 2K25. Players on the official subreddit have been asking for 2K to address some of the gameplay issues (most notably accuracy and power), so it would be great to see the team address those problems in a future update.

TopSpin 2K25 May 7th Update Patch Notes

• Pro Player Stats Adjustments - Updated stats for some pros to address community feedback.
• Additional Countries for MyPLAYER - Added approximately 30 new countries as selectable choices in MyPLAYER.
• Career Mode Status Objective Update - Addressed a reported concern regarding instances where the Career Mode "status" objectives for Young Gun and New Talent were repeated.
• Server Stability Improvements - Made adjustments to improve server stability.

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."

Remedy Entertainment, the creators of the Alan Wake games including Control, is no longer moving forward with its multiplayer game known only by its codename, Kestrel. This decision marks the end of the development of game that once had a completely different project name and release plan when it was formerly known as Vanguard. Remedy said that the game was still in its concept stage, and now that work on it has finished, those who were working on Kestrel will be reassigned to some of Remedy's other games that it's working on.

Remedy has talked about Kestrel sporadically during its various updates providing transparency on its in-development projects. Back in November, Remedy said that it'd be rebooting Vanguard as Kestrel instead. Vanguard was to be a free-to-play multiplayer game which was already quite the departure from the games Remedy is typically known for, but it became more in line with Remedy's portfolio when the November update confirmed that it would be a premium game instead with a "strong, cooperative multiplayer component." Tencent has been on board to co-publish the game ever 2021 when the Vanguard agreement was reached.

Fast-forward to today and we have Remedy announcing now that it's not moving forward with Kestrel. Now, other projects "will get experienced developers reassigned from Kestrel."

"Codename Kestrel showed early promise, but the project was still in its early concept stage," said Remedy's CEO Tero Virtala." Our other projects have advanced well and are moving to the next stages of development, and increasing focus on them provides us with benefits. We can reallocate talented Kestrel developers to these other game projects, and many of our support functions get additional focus on their operations. This is yet another means to ensure that our game projects continue advancing well. I want to thank our Kestrel development team. Though we decided to discontinue the project for wider Remedy benefits, our team has done good work and provided us with valuable learnings. I also want to thank Tencent for their partnership so far. They have been very professional and supportive."

With Kestrel now finished, the other projects Remedy has in the works include a Max Payne 1 & 2 Remake, Control 2, and another game codenamed Condor. The first of those are pretty self-explanatory with the Max Payne games getting remade and Control 2 a sequel to the Alan Wake universe game Control, but Condor is one game that's not quite as transparent. We know that it's also a multiplayer project and is a spin-off from Control. It'll be a four-player PvE game from Remedy and 505 Games, and it's in the works for the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S platforms.

"Remedy Entertainment, developer of the award-winning game Control, has signed an agreement with 505 Games under which Remedy and 505 Games, an international video game publisher and a subsidiary of Digital Bros Group, will co-publish and develop a new 4-player cooperative PvE (player vs. environment) game, codenamed Condor," Remedy said back in 2019 when plans for the game were more solidified.

Kagurabachi has been taking over Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and the creator behind it all explained why the manga series uses goldfish as part of Chihiro Rokuhira's main ability! Kagurabachi went viral with fans around the world before the first chapter even released with the magazine, and a large part of the reason why is due to the fact that it looked so different than the rest of the action series within it. Kagurabachi series creator has gone on record about their inspirations from Western movies and other action franchises, and this also led to the addition of the goldfish at the cetner of it all.

When asked about the inclusion of Japanese aesthetics surrounding the swords, goldfish and more in a recent interview with Asahi (as spotted by @brkagurabachi on X), Hokazono noted that this is due to the exaggerated way that Japanese culture was often shown in Hollywood. Getting excited as a Japanese person every time he saw something like that, Hokazono revealed that he originally intended to go with a koi fish before settling on a goldfish due to how the ratio of its body and fins fit better with Chihiro's attacks and central relationship with his father.

Why Kagurabachi Uses Goldfish

"In Hollywood movies, you often see an exaggerated version of Japan. As a Japanese person, I'd get excited every time I saw that," Hokazono began. "It looked really cool. So, I thought it would be great to someday create a story set in such a town." Elaborating further, Hokazono explained why goldfish were incorporated into Chihiro's Enten attack and how it was almost a different fish entirely. "Initially, I planned to draw carp. I thought Koi would look beautiful in black and white."

"In a revenge tale where the protagonist's clothes are stained black with blood, the colors white, black, and red match well, making colored illustrations look cool," Hokazono continued. "I really intended to go with Koi until the last minute, but when finalizing the storyboard, I realized that goldfish would be easier to symbolize the daily life between Chihiro and his father. Plus, it's about the ratio of the body to the fins. With Koi, the body is long, and even if you draw the fins beautifully, they end up looking chubby. When I tried drawing the scene where Chihiro unsheathes his sword in the first [chapter], I found that goldfish have a good balance with the fins, and there are also fantails, providing more variety in shape."

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!

Last month, a ban against TikTok was approved by the United States House of Representatives and Senate before being signed into law by President Joe Biden. The law gives ByteDance 270 days to divest from TikTok, with a possibility of a 90-day extension. Rather than seeking a new owner for the company, ByteDance has filed a petition in federal court seeking to overturn the ban. In the filing, ByteDance calls the ban "unconstitutional," and claims that a divestment like that would simply be impossible; according to the filing, this would result in TikTok ceasing to exist early next year.

What TikTok is Saying

The original TikTok ban passed by the House of Representatives in March failed to reach the Senate, as there were concerns about the original timeline that had been proposed; that original ban would have only given ByteDance 165 days to sell off the company. It wasn't until the number of days was given an increase that holdouts like Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington agreed to vote in favor of the ban. However, ByteDance is arguing that even this isn't nearly enough time.

"The 'qualified divestiture' demanded by the Act to allow TikTok to continue operating in the United States is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. And certainly not on the 270-day timeline required by the Act. Petitioners have repeatedly explained this to the U.S. government, and sponsors of the Act were aware that divestment is not possible. There is no question: the Act will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere," TikTok's petition reads.

Is the TikTok Ban Unconstitutional?

The petition from ByteDance goes on to state that even if such a thing were possible, it would still be unconstitutional. One of the reasons the U.S. government has opposed TikTok is the company's alleged ties to the Chinese government. Congress has long argued that TikTok could be used to spy on private citizens, an argument that predates Joe Biden's time as the United States President. However, ByteDance is claiming that if the Act were to be upheld, it would give congress the power to "circumvent the First Amendment by invoking national security," stating that this could be used against newspapers and websites, as well. Basically, the argument ByteDance makes is that this power could be widely used as a weapon against any platform that congress claims is a security threat, even if there isn't enough evidence to prove it.

The lawsuit was filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. At this time, it remains to be seen how this will play out, but determining the constitutionality should result in the proposed ban being delayed even further.

Do you think TikTok has a strong case? How do you feel about the ban? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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

After starring in Ti West's The House of the Devil in 2009, actor Jocelin Donahue has been a fan-favorite star of a number of genre films, ranging from Insidious: Chapter 2 to Doctor Sleep to Offseason. When genre fans see she's starring in a picture, not only do we know we'll get to see a layered performance from the actor, but we'll also be given an unconventional exploration of a familiar formula. Donahue's latest film, The Last Stop in Yuma County, takes a premise that could tick all the boxes of a neo-noir and still make for an engaging experience, but instead elevates the narrative and takes it into unexpected directions. The Last Stop in Yuma County hits theaters and Digital on May 10th.

The Last Stop in Yuma County is described, "While awaiting the next fuel truck at a middle-of-nowhere Arizona rest stop, a traveling young knife salesman is thrust into a high-stakes hostage situation by the arrival of two similarly stranded bank robbers with no qualms about using cruelty -- or cold, hard steel -- to protect their bloodstained, ill-begotten fortune."

ComicBook caught up with Donahue to talk her interest in the project, the challenges of filming in an isolated setting, and the possible future for one of her fan-favorite characters.

ComicBook: When indie, horror, sci-fi, and Western fans, when they see that you're involved in a project, they're excited. We love seeing you in these projects. As a performer, whether it is horror or sci-fi, Western, neo-noir, what is it about genre storytelling that really excites you and offers you opportunities that aren't available in other arenas?

Jocelin Donahue: There's so much. I think it's about the high stakes. It's about the atmosphere. When you're playing in a world where there's a constant threat of violence, those are fun worlds to play in. Whether it is neo-noir or Western, horror, they have something that keeps you guessing the whole time. And so, as a character, when you get to discover this world as the audience is and be an avatar for their fears and vulnerabilities, whatever the genre is, if you get to do that, it's cool for an actor.

This is Francis Galluppi's feature film debut. He's made a few shorts, so this isn't entirely his first rodeo, but as far as features are concerned, it is his first rodeo. What was it about collaborating with Francis, what was it about his vision for this feature that you knew you could put your trust in him as a first-time feature director?

It's so highly impressive what he has accomplished with this and how he executed it. The script, as soon as I read it, it keeps you guessing. It has all these super colorful characters and punchy dialogue and it's funny and it's scary and it's fast-paced. There was so much to love about the script itself. The script is also very visual. You could tell from the set pieces that he was putting together that he had a really strong vision for it, almost in this Hitchcock kind of way where it's ratcheting up the tension the whole time.

Then when you talk to him, he is just so exuberant about films and passionate and knowledgeable, and I loved all his references and we had shared a lot of love for the same types of films. And then it's the team that he put together, because he attracts people that are like that, as well. Just super lovely to be around and also great crafts people.

I just feel like he has this eye for detail and he was very prepared. And I knew, also, he was going to be working with Mac Fisken, who I got to work with on Offseason, our DP, who's just one of the best DPs I've ever worked with. And I also knew that Richard Brake was going to be involved and then Jim Cummings and all of these elements coming together, it was just an easy yes.

With your character, what was it about her that most personally resonated with you that really grounded you in her outlook? Was there any major shift along the way, a suggestion or collaboration that you brought to Francis that impacted how you brought her to life?

You used the word grounded, and that's what Charlotte's role is in this film. She grew up in this diner, it's her family diner. It's basically her home. So when it becomes a hostage situation, it's almost like she needs to defend her homestead. And I just love that she's a salt-of-the-earth-type character. She's probably seen it all, she's been at this road-stop diner her whole life and seen all kinds of characters come in. So she is observant and resourceful, and I think she becomes a really good match for Beau.

We just talked about that, that while she presents as a vulnerable character, that I just wanted to make sure she goes down fighting and that's something that we added. She's looking for ways to alert her husband, the sheriff, played by Michael Abbott Jr. wonderfully. But then I think once she realizes that she's on her own, I was like, "She needs to grab a knife." So yeah, Fran was wonderful and we added a little bit of that, which was great.

You get the distinction of really being one of the only characters who gets to move around in this diner. Speaking just to the contained, pot-boiling sense of the story, you get to physically move around in this location. With it being filmed over the course of three weeks, in one diner, in what I assume was maybe a warm environment, I'm just wondering how that tension, how that contained setting, how that constricted location, how does that impact you as a performer? Does that mean you approach every day on set with awareness of the restrictions on what you can physically do so you can go through it much more quickly or does that take a toll on you negatively or as motivation for your character due to the restrictions of that contained setting?

The setting is huge, the location, it's something you don't even necessarily have to think about because you're just living in it and, like you say, the sweaty claustrophobia and you're just getting backed into a corner the entire film, it just helps so much. It really felt like a stage play. So it was really cool to have the geography of the space, to know where all the characters are, to, yes, have prescribed movements, but all within a tiny location. It just really adds to the pressure-cooker situation, and that was just something I loved immediately, as well. This simple nerve-wracking setup where everyone is held hostage until the gas arrives, which the audience knows it never will.

I know it has been 15 years now since House of the Devil and with Ti doing his trilogy of X movies, which I don't think anyone saw him doing sequential movies, I don't know if you've thought about this before, but I can't help but think back on how we left Sam in House of the Devil. Not that there's ever been any talks to do a sequel to that 15 years later, but what did you see for Sam's future, either just personally over the last 15 years, or actually talking about with Ti? Is that an experience that she ever came out of, or is it just that the open-ended nature of that story is what is so enjoyable and that's just where you leave it?

I guess it could go either way. I mean, I feel like there are good ideas of if she had the baby, then the baby grows up and all of that. Yeah, but I don't know. I don't think he ever really had plans for a sequel for that film. But it's been amazing to watch this trilogy, as a fan of his work. And, of course, he's just so good at playing time traveling and doing these period pieces and really capturing the nostalgia of each era of filmmaking. So yeah, we'll see. But I mean, he has told me that he has had some good ideas for it. So we'll see.

The Last Stop in Yuma County lands in theaters and on Digital on May 10th.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity. You can contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter.

Let's be real. These days, manga is growing by the second. The medium has become a go-to for readers across the globe, and the sales show as much. Here in the United States, manga sales account for more than half the graphic novel sales annually. The demand for manga is only getting higher, and now, it seems a company has raised nearly $20 million to craft localizations faster than ever before.

The report comes from Orange Inc., a startup company focused on entertainment technology. The organization's motto is to create a world where everyone can enjoy manga, and it is making moves to do so. After all, the company has earned $19.5 million USD in pre-financing to create a localization tool that translates manga using the power of AI.

"The funds will be used to develop a localization product based on deep learning models and to launch their digital manga store in the summer of 2024," Orange Inc. writes. As for who funded the tool, Shogakukan stands on the list with Globis Captital Partners, ANRI, JIC Venture Growth Investments, Miyako Capital, Chiba Dojo Fund, and more.

As for how the localization tool will work, Orange Inc. says it will utilize propriety AI technology with manpower. The combination, as the company suggests, will help up production for localization to meet the demand for manga globally.

"Orange has been developing a manga-dedicated localization system since it was founded. It enables significant efficiencies in the localization profess of manga by integrating cutting-edge computer vision and natural language processing technologies," Orange Inc. shared.

"Their proprietary system uses their localization operation process, enabling a capacity for Japanese-to-English localization of up to 500 manga volumes per month. This is 5x more than the current production capacity of the whole localization market."

As you can imagine, this tool will help boost the accessibility of manga outside of Japan, but that doesn't meant this new initiative is without fault. There are plenty of localizers and translators who work in the industry questioning this choice. Whether you like it or not, localization is an art that uses subtle context clues and historical notes. It is hard to imagine an AI being able to match the nuance of a human localizer, and AI skeptics are making their concern loud and clear.

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

Deadpool & Wolverine's director talked about the various cameos in the movie and how they came to be. Entertainment Weekly had the chance to catch up with Shawn Levy as he's getting ready to unite Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in the same MCU movie. A lot of the online discussion surrounding this movie has revolved around the idea of multiple former Marvel actors reprising fan-favorite roles from the 2000s X-Men franchise. Levy argues that all of these Easter eggs and appearances organically occur within the story.

A big example of Aaron Stanford's return as Pyro in the trailer. Expect more stuff like that. But, also believe that Reynolds, Jackman and Marvel Studios are poised to really swing for the fences this summer. Take a look at what the filmmaker had to say.

"I'll say we didn't start off with a wishlist," Levy smirked when asked about the Internet frenzy over cameos. "From the day we started devising this Deadpool and Wolverine story, we let the story dictate the characters, not the other way around. Aaron and his return as Pyro was an outgrowth of that, and that applies to pretty much all the characters you'll see in the movie."

Deadpool & Wolverine Has No "Marvel Homework"

One of the biggest stumping points for this movie in the early days of its marketing campaign has been the lack of "homework." Levy told The Associated Press that fans could feel free to roll in for Deadpool & Wolverine without feeling like they'd need to see every single piece of Marvel content out there to understand it. (It's a neat marketing trick, but the movie is built off a lot of the Fox X-Men Marvel universe and undoubtedly being familiar with some of those movies will enhance the experience.) Still, fans are over the moon with the declaration as they're going to make this the biggest Marvel movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home.

"I was a good student in school. I'll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies," Levy told the Associated Press in a previous interview. "I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn't want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research."

What's your most-anticipated cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Iger Makes Massive MCU Announcement

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jenna Ortega (@jennaortega)

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."

My Hero Academia's manga is in its final arc, meaning that the Shonen Jump publication is going to need some big new manga to step up to the plate. Luckily, one manga in particular look like it might just be the next big thing for Shueisha as Kagurabachi continues to sell out its manga volumes with each passing publication. Now, worlds are colliding as Takeru Hokazono responded to praise from the author responsible for the creation of UA Academy.

During the interview, prior to discussing Horikoshi's kind words, Hokazono described some of the biggest influences on his manga career, "I've always loved Marvel superhero movies. They're cool and exciting. That initial impression has always been strong. The things like Marvel and "NARUTO" that I've been exposed to since childhood, I've been so engrossed in watching them that I've never really thought about what's good about them. They're already part of me. But "Kagurabachi" is probably influenced by movies like "John Wick" that I watched after "Enten." I mainly watch Western movies, and directors like Quentin Tarantino, David Fincher, and Christopher Nolan. I think the pacing of the panels is influenced by Tarantino."

My Hero Kagurabachi

In the new interview, creator Takeru Hokazono responded to the ringing endorsement from My Hero Academia's Kohei Horikoshi, "I wonder if I really understand (laughs). Maybe I don't. But I think it's not just about the art. I'm sure there's a flow and buildup too. What is it... I want to find it too. I want to keep challenging myself by trying things I've never seen before and presenting something new."

If this is your first time hearing of Kagurabachi, Viz Media describes the series as such, "Young Chihiro spends his days training under his famous swordsmith father. One day he hopes to become a great sword-maker himself. The goofy father and the serious son--they thought these days would last forever. But suddenly, tragedy strikes. A dark day soaked in blood. Chihiro and his blade now live only for revenge. Epic sword battle action!"

Do you think Kagurabachi will hit the same levels as My Hero Academia in the future? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook to see if Chihiro's manga future shines bright and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Shonen Jump.

Via Kagurabachi Brasil

Marvel has announced the roster and creative team for the new X-Factor series launching out of the X-Men: From the Ashes relaunch. The new era of X-Men comics begins this summer, and there's already a stacked lineup of titles for readers to digest. Marvel is making sure each X-Men series is unique and offers a different perspective on the franchise, which is where the premise of X-Factor comes in. The series is going back to its roots as a government-sanctioned mutant team, except this time fame and fortune are part of the deal.

X-Factor is written by Eisner winner Mark Russell (Fantastic Four: Life Story, The Flintstones) and illustrated by veteran X-Men artist Bob Quinn (Captain America, Knights of X). It features Angel and Havok as co-leaders, with Pyro, Frenzy, Feral, and more as part of their recruits. So it sounds like X-Factor could have a rotating cast of characters, with each member called in for specific missions. The press release describes the team as part "special agents for missions that require an arsenal of superpowers and part celebrity propaganda machine," and also teases some of the threats X-Factor will face, like the Mutant Underground and X-Term.

X-Factor creative team discusses new X-Men series

"The thing I've always loved about the X-Men is that they're characters first, super heroes second," Russell shared. "So being able to write characters like Havok and Angel and Frenzy in a post-Krakoa reality is an opportunity to write about what I really care about, which is how do we help each other survive the apathy of the world we live in?"

"It's so exciting to be back and drawing mutants in the X-Men universe again, and doubly exciting to work with Mark again," Quinn added. "To my mind, Mark's mix of humor and ability to shine a light on the peculiarities of modern society make him the perfect writer to tackle the relaunch of X-FACTOR. Drawing this team and every unexpected twist and turn of the story has been a blast so far, and I can't wait for readers to get their hands on it."

What is X-Factor about?

Formed by the government in response to a post-Krakoa outbreak of mutant paramilitary, ops squads, and mercenary teams, X-FACTOR will be co-led by Angel and Havok and include recruits like Pyro, Frenzy, Feral, and more. Part special agents for missions that require an arsenal of superpowers and part celebrity propaganda machine, X-FACTOR will wage war against emerging factions like the Mutant Underground and X-Term. Whether they believe in their actions or are just doing it for a check, the members of X-Factor are no fools when it comes to shady politics. As hidden agendas rear their ugly head, they'll fight against the dark consequences and disastrous public opinion from the inside!

FAME, FORTUNE, MUTANTS! From the ashes of Krakoa, a new mutant arms race sweeps the globe! International governments are building their own mutant armies. But only America's X-Factor has the most powerful, most patriotic, most marketable mutant heroes to stem the tide and make the world safe for democracy! Join them as they go from one death-defying mission to another. Who will die? Who will fall in love? Who will be the first to sell out? Like, comment and subscribe to find out!

X-Factor #1 goes on sale August 14th.

Nintendo has teased that its next video game console will be very similar to the Nintendo Switch. For multiple years at this point, it's been an open secret that Nintendo will likely make a "Switch 2" as its next console. Despite this widespread belief, Nintendo itself hadn't confirmed as much as the Japanese gaming publisher instead chose to not even share that it was working on new hardware. Now, that silence has finally come to an end with Nintendo's president essentially verifying that the next hardware from the company will be a revamped version of the Switch.

As reported by David Gibson on X (or Twitter), Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa said in a call today following the release of the company's latest financials that its upcoming console would be the "next model" of the Switch. Furukawa didn't provide any other details about what the platform might have in store, but this is basically our first confirmation that a Nintendo Switch 2 is going to be released in due time from Nintendo.

When it comes to the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, well, we still have no idea when it might come about. Furukawa revealed this morning that the console is set to be unveiled before Nintendo's current fiscal year comes to a close, which ends in March 2025. However, it was stressed that this reveal wouldn't take place during the next Nintendo Direct presentation, which is now known to be transpiring in June 2024. Instead, this Direct will be related to new games that are launching on the current Switch model in the back half of 2024.

Currently, not much is known about what the final year of the Switch might have in store. Later this month, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is set to hit the platform and will be followed by Luigi's Mansion 2 HD in June. Metroid Prime 4 then remains the one last major Switch exclusive that has yet to arrive on the platform. To this point, Nintendo hasn't updated fans about the status of this new Metroid Prime entry since 2019 when development on the project was rebooted entirely.

[H/T VGC]

Most fans of developer CD Projekt's The Witcher series are hoping to hear news about whatever's coming with the new trilogy the team is working on. However, the developers have continued to work on a new project for The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt that should inject new life into the 2015 classic. The REDkit is a new suite of modding tools for The Witcher 3 that lets players dive in and create their own stories within Geralt of Rivia's world. After hosting a playtest session last month, CD Projekt has announced that REDkit will launch on May 21st for players who own The Witcher 3.

What Is The Witcher 3's REDkit?

As mentioned, REDkit is a new modding tool for The Witcher 3. The developers say, "This powerful tool offers advanced features and unparalleled flexibility, enabling you to unleash your creativity by crafting new quests, characters, animations, and more."

Essentially, players can edit almost everything in The Witcher 3, letting them create basically anything. If players want to build an entirely new territory filled with its own quest lines, they can. With so many players wanting more from The Witcher franchise, especially with the success of the Netflix series, it seems like plenty of modders will be jumping in to create in-depth mods for players to explore. That said, the tool's success does rely on modders using it. Hopefully, REDkit is easy enough for creators to take advantage of and we see several nifty projects coming out relatively soon. If nothing else, that'll make the wait for whatever The Witcher 4 becomes a little more bearable.

The Witcher 4 Release Date

As of this writing, we don't know much about The Witcher 4. A recent report claimed it wouldn't be out until around 2028, which means it might launch on PlayStation 6 and the next Xbox. However, it's worth remembering that CD Projekt's last release, Cyberpunk 2077, struggled out of the gate. The team might take extra time to polish The Witcher 4 before launching, pushing that release date even further. It's also worth noting that the developer has at least four other projects in the works, and it will probably provide support for Fool's Theory's upcoming The Witcher Remake. Suffice it to say, the team is very busy these days.

Another recent report from the developers themselves claims that The Witcher 4 will include brand-new gameplay and mechanics for the series. The team hasn't outlined what those new features will be, but it seems like The Witcher 4 is shaping up to be CD Projekt's most ambitious game thus far. And, if the 2028 rumors turn out to be correct, we might not learn more for a few more years.

The Witcher 3: REDkit launches on May 21st on PC. While the modding tool is only available on PC, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is also available on PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox consoles. However, those consoles will not be able to take advantage of the mods from REDkit.

During a panel at Liverpool Comic Con this week, Lord of the Rings stars Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, and Dominic Monaghan took to the stage to celebrate Bernard Hill, the Titanic and Lord of the Rings actor who passed away over the weekend. Hill was a consistent presence on stage and screen for decades, but is best known for two roles in absolutely massive films that came very close together: in 1997, he played Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's Titanic. Then, just a few years later, he joined the Lord of the Rings trilogy as Theoden, the King of Rohan.

Hill first broke out in Boys from the Blackstuff as the actor portrayed Yosser Hughes. During the show's run, Yosser became a fan-fave character as they showed the highs and lows of unemployment in Liverpool. And from there, Hill's career continued to rise. He would work on a number of high profile projects over the years and became the kind of character actor whose name you might not know, but whose face was instantly familiar.

Astin, who played Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings, began the tribute by saying: "So we lost a member of our family this morning, Bernard Hill passed, King Th?oden. So we want to take a moment before we walk off the stage to honor him. We love him. He was intrepid, he was funny, he was gruff, he was irascible, he was beautiful."

Boyd, who played Pippin, added, "I don't think anyone spoke Tolkien's words as great as Bernard did. The way he grounded those words in a realism. He would break my heart. He will be sorely missed."

You can see it below.

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"Bernard Hill blazed a trail across the screen, and his long-lasting career filled with iconic and remarkable roles is a testament to his incredible talent," BBC Drama director Lindsay Salt said on Sunday. " From Boys from the Blackstuff, to Wolf Hall, The Responder, and many more, we feel truly honoured to have worked with Bernard at the BBC. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this sad time."