[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.] It took one episode for The Walking Dead to separate Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Michonne (Danai Gurira) -- and a single episode to bring them back together. Sunday's "Years" premiere of new series The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live spanned Rick's eight-year absence after the Civic Republic's army helicoptered him away back in season 9 of The Walking Dead, and the episode ended explosively when someone shot down Rick's chopper.

In a full-circle moment, a CRM helicopter came crashing down to reunite Rick and Michonne eight years after a CRM helicopter airlifted him up and away. It was a moment that fans have been waiting for since 2018 -- and one that network AMC wanted to prolong a little while longer.

"I saw people worrying [Rick and Michonne] were only going to meet in episode 6," Gurira, who co-created the six-episode series with Lincoln and showrunner Scott M. Gimple, said during a panel at New York's 92nd Street Y. Gimple penned the premiere's teleplay from a story he co-wrote with Gurira and Lincoln, with the three collaborators choosing to end the episode on a cliffhanger that will continue from Michonne's perspective in episode 2.

"There was a lot of tug of war -- not between us -- with that structure," franchise overseer Gimple said diplomatically. "It was AMC, I don't care," Gurira interjected to laughter.

Gurira, also an executive producer alongside Gimple and Lincoln, added that Dan McDermott, AMC's President of Entertainment and AMC Studios, conceded that the trio made the right decision to reunite Rick and Michonne at the end of the first episode. "'That was great what you guys decided to do with that,'" Gurira recalled, laughing. "It's like, 'Aren't you glad we didn't listen to you?'"

Gurira and Gimple explained the episode's ending in an interview with EW, saying that their decision to structure the Richonne reunion this way "made sense."

"Because we had to get into the meat of the story, which is: What happens when these two people who obviously have been changed by all this time apart come back together? What does that look like with this massive barrier and obstacle of the CRM being between them? How do they get through that? What is it going to be?" Gurira said. "We can't do that until we connect them."

She continued: "I love that the audience gets thrown by the fact that BOOM -- there she is! Just as they think Rick is settling and accepting the fact that Rick is basically broken and going to stay here and not fight it anymore -- just as they feel like they've lost him, he's found. In my mind, that's good drama. So I think that was what was behind the decision."

Eight years after the couple last saw each other at the bridge, Gimple added, "They look like two different people. They are two different people. And I don't mean from each other, I'm saying from themselves. They're different than when the audience last saw them and when they last saw each other. They're completely different people than who they were."

New episodes of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live premiere Sundays on AMC and AMC+. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and follow on Facebook for more TWD Universe coverage.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is absolutely dominating Netflix around the world with the debut of its new live-action series adaptation, and one big moment proved that Kyoshi needs her own spin-off show next! Avatar: The Last Airbender fans have been waiting to see how the Netflix series would bring the classic animated original to life, and it's because there are some elements of the animated original fans were hoping to see more of. One of these aspects is more of the past Avatars before Aang, and the one with the most intriguing history of all happens to be Avatar Kyoshi.

Kyoshi has been a fan favorite among classic Avatar: The Last Airbender animated fans because of the impact she had on the original and how different of a ideology she had from Aang. It's gotten to the point where the years since have seen spin-off novels and comics fleshing out more of Kyoshi's life story, and after her live-action debut in the Netflix series, it's even more clear now that there is quite a lot of potential to explore with a solo spin-off show.

Why Kyoshi Needs an Avatar: The Last Airbender Spin-Off

Kyoshi makes her debut in Episode 2 of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender as the first Avatar of the past that Aang comes into contact with on his journey. Wondering about the path he should take next, he seeks out her advice only for this past Avatar to chastise him for his lack of power and holding back aggression. As Aang continues to fight back against the idea that he needs to be the Avatar, Kyoshi decides to show him what the Avatar's power is truly capable of by taking over his body.

Avatar: The Last Airbender then showcases Kyoshi's command over all four elements through Aang's body, and through the series' later episodes it's revealed that Kyoshi's a much different Avatar than the others. It's clear that she has more extreme views on the use of her power, and it's why she was such a standout character in the original despite getting so little screen time. Now that this live-action version has brought her back to the spotlight, it's time to finally see more of that mysterious past in her own show.

Would you want to see Kyoshi get her own Avatar: The Last Airbender spin-off with Netflix? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

DC Universe announcements could be coming soon in a variety of formats. Taking a break from pre-production on Superman: Legacy, DC Studios boss James Gunn has spent some time Tuesday responding to fan questions on Threads. In one of the inquiries, a fan asked if more DCU announcements would take place either at San Diego Comic-Con or during a livestream.

"Those are our only two choices?" Gunn responded, hinting announcements could surface through means other than a Hall H panel or social media video.

Post by @jamesgunn

View on Threads

The fan question comes just days after Warner Bros. boss David Zaslav teased impending announcements regarding the franchise, though he didn't set a clear timetable on more announcements.

"I've had a glimpse into what James and Peter are doing, and it really does serve as an exciting indicator of where the new DC is headed under their leadership," Zaslav said in the company's latest earnings call. "There'll be more you'll hear from them in the months ahead...We'll have James and Peter take you through in the next few months a full spectrum of what they see over the next 10 years."

What Is Superman: Legacy About?

Per DC Studios, Superman: Legacy tells the story of Superman's journey to reconcile his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing as Clark Kent of Smallville, Kansas. He is the embodiment of truth, justice and a better tomorrow, guided by human kindness in a world that sees kindness as old-fashioned.

"It's not an origin story," DC Studios co-head Peter Safran told reporters last year. "It focuses on Superman balancing his Kryptonian heritage with his human upbringing. Superman represents truth, justice, and the American way. He has kindness in a world that thinks of kindness as old fashioned."

The DC Universe officially kicks off with Creature Commandos, which has yet to set a release date, and Superman: Legacy, which enters theaters July 11, 2025.

What part of Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters excites you most? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter!

Tiny Toons Looniversity is coming back for Season 2, and has finally announced its release date for Max that will be hitting sooner than expected! Tiny Toons Looniversity debuted last year as Amblin Entertainment and Warner Bros. Discovery teamed up on a brand new rebooted take on the classic Tiny Toons Adventures animated series. This rebooted take offered new versions of Babs and Buster Bunny along with the rest of the second generation of toons, and ended its first season with fans hoping there would be more someday. Luckily, it's finally been confirmed that new episodes of the series will be coming soon.

Tiny Toons Looniversity is coming back for Season 2, and Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that Season 2A of the rebooted animated series will be streaming with Max beginning on March 8th. It has not been revealed how many episodes will be included the with the first half of this new season, but it has also been announced that a new special titled Tiny Toons Looniversity: Spring Break will be streaming on the same day as the new season so there will be plenty for fans to enjoy.

How to Watch Tiny Toons Looniversity

If you wanted to check out the first season of Tiny Toons Looniversity before the new episodes hit on March 8th, you can now stream the series with Max. Warner Bros. Animation and Amblin Television tease the reboot animated series as such, "At the esteemed institution of higher hijinx learning, they form long-lasting friendships with one another and perfect their cartoony craft while studying under the greatest cartoon characters in history, the Looney Tunes."

The voice cast for the series includes the likes of Ashleigh Hairston as Babs Bunny, Eric Bauza as Buster Bunny, David Errigo Jr. as Hamton J. Pig and Plucky Duck, and Tessa Netting as Sweetie Bird. They are joined by returning Looney Tunes mainstays such as Jeff Bergman as Bugs Bunny, Sylvester and Foghorn Leghorn, Bob Bergen as Porky Pig, Eric Bauza as Daffy Duck and Gosamer, Candi Milo as Dean Granny and Witch Hazel, Fred Tatasciore as Taz and Yosemite Sam, and Cree Summer returning to reprise Elmyra.

Will you be tuning into Tiny Toons Looniversity when Season 2 hits Max next month? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

The Harry Potter franchise has been a cultural juggernaut, with its initial series of films grossing billions of dollars at the box office. Last year, Warner Bros. Discovery announced plan to reimagine Harry Potter for a whole new generation, with a live-acton reboot television series in the works and eyeing a 2026 premiere date. Updates around the Harry Potter TV reboot have been few and far between thus far, but it sounds like the series might be one step closer to finding its showrunner.

According to a new report, Francesca Gardiner (Succession), Tom Moran (The Devil's Hour) and Kathleen Jordan (Teenage Bounty Hunters) are all in contention to lead the Harry Potter reboot. The report indicates that Gardiner, Moran, and Jordan will all have "the next couple of months" to fine-tune their pitches, with Warner Bros. planning to announce the showrunner at some point in June. Martha Hillier (The Last Kingdom) and Michael Lesslie (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes) were also previously reported to have pitched on the project, but are no longer in contention.

What Will the Harry Potter Reboot Be About?

The Harry Potter television series would cover the entirety of J.K. Rowling's book series, with executives previously hinting they hope the series spans a decade. Rowling would be involved with the new series in some capacity to ensure that it "remains loyal to her original material."

"We have been trying to be very close to the vest," HBO chief Casey Bloys previously said of the search for a showrunner. "We haven't gone out to agencies. We have our own internal process where we've been thinking about people but we have not wanted to go out into the world. Now that the news is out there, we will start working with the Blair Partnership and we'll start going out to the business."

When Will the Harry Potter Reboot Be Released?

During a recent quarterly earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav indicated that the plan is for the Harry Potter reboot to premiere exclusively on Max at some point in 2026.

"We spent some real time with J.K. and her team," Zaslav added during the earnings call. "Both sides are just thrilled to be reigniting this franchise. Our conversations were great, and we couldn't be more excited about what's ahead. We can't wait to share a decade of new stories with fans around the world on Max."

Will Daniel Radcliffe Appear in the Harry Potter Reboot?

As original Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe told ComicBook.com last year, he doesn't think he will -- or probably should -- return in the Max reboot.

"My understanding is that they're trying to very much start fresh and I'm sure whoever is making them will want to make their own mark on it and probably not want to have to figure out how to get old Harry to cameo in this somewhere," Radcliffe confirmed with ComicBook.com. "So I'm definitely not seeking it out in any way. But I do wish them, obviously, all the luck in the world and I'm very excited to have that torch passed. But I don't think it needs me to physically pass it."

What do you think of the newest details surrounding the Harry Potter TV reboot? Who do you want to see showrun the series? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

h/t: Deadline

Prolific comic book writer Brian Michael Bendis is bringing some of his original creations to Prime Video. The former Marvel and DC writer has a lengthy catalog of titles not associated with the "Big Two" of comics, which all live under his Jinxworld comic book imprint at Dark Horse Comics. Along with his collaborators, Bendis has created the bounty hunter love story Jinx, the alternate-world gangster drama Murder Inc., and the equally gang-themed Pearl. According to Variety, all three comics are currently in development at Prime Video, with Brian Michael Bendis signing a first-look deal with Amazon. Bendis is an executive producer on all three projects, with co-creator Michael Avon Oeming also an executive producer on Murder Inc., and co-creator Michael Gaydos also an executive producer on Pearl.

"Brian has had immense success throughout his career, with a hand in some of the most culturally impactful comics in recent memory," said Nick Pepper, head of U.S. SVOD wholly owned development at Amazon MGM Studios. "We are thrilled that he is bringing his captivating storytelling to Amazon MGM Studios."

"I am thrilled to be part of Amazon's stellar lineup of storytellers," Brian Michael Bendis added in a statement. "Their vision for the future of media is SO damn exciting, and they have already honored us with these incredible showrunning partners. The readers have been cheering our original Jinxworld creations on from the get-go, and we are so excited to take them to a screen near you."

Bendis' comics resume also includes co-creating the fan-favorite characters Miles Morales, Jessica Jones, Maria Hill, and Riri Williams for Marvel Comics, and Naomi for DC. One of his previous creations with Michael Avon Oeming, Powers, was previously developed into a TV series for PlayStation Network.

What are Brian Michael Bendis' Jinx, Murder Inc., and Pearl about?

Amazon provided descriptions for Jinx, Murder Inc., and Pearl. Executive produced by Brian Michael Bendis with showrunners Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon (Star Trek: Picard, Unbelievable), Jinx is a crime-ridden love story unfolding on a high stakes treasure hunt. Our players are: Jinx Alameda, a bounty hunter at the top of her game who's tired of her grimy life; Goldfish, a charming con man and wanted felon who falls head over heels for Jinx; and Columbia, Goldfish's loose-cannon partner, who has big criminal dreams. Their paths join when they're pulled into a search for missing mob money -- a payout so big that it lures them away from the familiar streets of Cleveland, into a dangerous, unpredictable misadventure that will change the course of their lives.

Murder Inc. has Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming (Powers) as executive producers, with Tze Chun (I'm a Virgo) set as the showrunner. Set in an alternate world where five families never lost their stranglehold on the country, Murder Inc. follows Valentine Gallo, a newly "made man" whose first task for the mob ends with an explosion--sending him on the run from rival gangsters and the CIA, according to its logline. Dragged into the fray is Jagger Rose, a normally cool, young hit-woman who was tasked with supervising Valentine, and has wound up with a target on her back too. Just when Valentine thinks his initiation into organized crime couldn't be more of a disaster, he learns that his mother is conspiring with the FBI, and has promised them-since his birth-that he'll be an informant. That was definitely not his plan. But for now, he and Jagger need to find a way to come together and fight for control of their territory, and their fate.

Finally, Bendis, Michael Gaydos (Jessica Jones), and showrunner Chris Collins (The Man in the High Castle) are the executive producers of Pearl. The description states that Pearl is about Pearl Tanaka, an outsider among outsiders -- a Japanese American with albinism, born into a world ruled by the American yakuza. Now she uses her unequaled skills as a tattoo artist to make an honest living in San Francisco. That all changes the day that she meets another tattoo artist, Rick Araki, and saves his life. Rick has made enemies of a different yakuza clan, and by interfering with their hit on him, Pearl might just have ignited a deadly gang war. And worse, Pearl has inadvertently revealed to her yakuza bosses one of her deepest secrets: she has a real talent for killing. Now, to pay off her debt, she must become their assassin.

When Morales nicknamed Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) "helicopter boy" on the first season of The Walking Dead, the moniker referred to the sheriff's deputy's attempt to flag down a helicopter he saw flying over downtown Atlanta in the early days of the zombie apocalypse. Call it prescience. Call it coincidence. But eight years after an injured Rick was airlifted away aboard a Civic Republic Military chopper, "helicopter boy" moved through the ranks to become Sergeant Major Rick Grimes: a CRM soldier and helicopter pilot.

CRM Lt. Col. Donald Okafor (Craig Tate) recruited and trained Rick to change the secret army that helicoptered him away from his wife Michonne (Danai Gurira) and daughter Judith on season 9 of The Walking Dead -- a mission made possible after Jadis/Anne (Pollyanna McIntosh) saved Rick's life by handing him over to the CRM. While Jadis was ultimately the link between Rick and this expanded world over on The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, helicopters have been a recurring motif going back to the very first episode of The Walking Dead.

Season 1 Episode 1: "Days Gone Bye"

After waking up in an abandoned hospital, Rick walked past a graveyard of military vehicles and aircraft -- including a black helicopter. Rick later saw the reflection of an operational helicopter when he rode into zombie-overrun Atlanta on horseback.

Season 2 Episode 13: "Beside the Dying Fire"

The season 2 finale began with a walker herd forming on the streets of Atlanta after trailing the helicopter that Rick saw in the pilot. The herd eventually made its way to rural Georgia to overrun and destroy the Greene family farm.

Season 3 Episode 3: "Walk With Me"

The Governor (David Morrissey) of Woodbury came across a crashed National Guard helicopter that Michonne and Andrea (Laurie Holden) watched go down in smoke.

Season 4 Episode 1: "30 Days Without an Accident"

After Rick's group settled into the prison, Michonne, Daryl (Norman Reedus), Glenn (Steven Yeun) and others went on a supply run into a Big Spot store with a crashed helicopter on its roof that eventually gave way to falling walkers.

Season 7 Episode 10: "New Best Friends"

When Rick first encountered Jadis and the Scavengers at the junkyard, eagle-eyed viewers spotted two background details: a helipad among the heaps and a flying object that some speculated was a helicopter. Savior Simon (Steven Ogg) later questioned Jadis about the helipad in the season 8 episode "The Lost and the Plunderers," which marked the first appearance of the three-ring symbol that we later learned represented the CRM and the Alliance of the Three.

Season 8 Episode 5: "The Big Scary U"

Rick was en route to Jadis' junkyard when he heard and then briefly saw a black helicopter fly overhead before disappearing behind the trees.

Season 8 Episode 14: "Still Gotta Mean Something"

The three-ring symbol was visible on the helicopter that Jadis summoned to the junkyard where she planned to trade Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) for extraction. After a struggle ensued and her flare snuffed out, the CRM helicopter turned around and left without its pickups.

Season 9 Episode 2: "The Bridge"

19 months after Jadis assimilated into the Alexandria Safe-Zone, she was on lookout duty when she saw lights and heard the whirring blades of a circling helicopter in the night sky.

Season 9 Episode 3: "Warning Signs"

When Saviors started going missing and then turning up dead, Jadis was suspected to be the culprit. She tried to convince Father Gabriel (Seth Gilliam) to run away with her to "another place": the first indirect mention of the Civic Republic. "It's far from here, but if we go together, we can get there. It can be different for us. There's only one thing. You can't tell anyone," she told Gabriel of the hidden city of 200,000 survivors eventually revealed on The Walking Dead: World Beyond. "But if you can trust me, and help me with one small part of the deal, we can have a life like you can't imagine."

But Gabriel was going to alert Rick that she'd been trading people, so Jadis knocked him unconscious and told Gabriel: "And all this time... I thought you were a B."

Season 9 Episode 4: "The Obliged"

After designating a captive Rick and Negan as "A's," Jadis planned to have Gabriel bitten by a walker and trade him to the helicopter after she was told extraction required an "A." She ultimately spared Gabriel and abandoned the junkyard.

Season 9 Episode 5: "What Comes After"

Rick was bucked off his horse and impaled on a rebar pipe while trying to reroute a walker herd in "The Obliged." As he passed in and out of consciousness, Rick's hallucinations brought him back to the hospital where he woke up after the outbreak. Outside his window was a flock of helicopters foreshadowing his fateful airlift.

Season 9 Episode 5: "What Comes After"

Rick washed up on a riverbed after blowing up his bridge to save the communities from being overrun and destroyed by a walker herd. Jadis found him and radioed the helicopter pilot: "I have a 'B.' Not an 'A.' I never had an 'A.' He's hurt, but he's strong. Can you help him?" She then insisted that she was trying to save a friend who saved her... and the CRM helicopter airlifted Rick from Virginia to a military hospital at the Civic Republic of Philadelphia. After multiple failed escape attempts, Rick spent the next six years working in consignment on the outskirts of the city, and another two years training as a soldier and pilot in the Civic Republic's military.

Read our rundown on everything you need to know about the CRM, our Rick & Michonne timeline explainer, and our recap about Rick's eight-year disappearance. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and follow on Facebook for more TWD Universe coverage.

One Piece has been around for decades now, and its cast has kept steady since day one. Few of the main players in the One Piece anime have tagged out since the start. Of course, fans have long admired this consistency though some have wondered privately how One Piece will continue when its leads retire. And after a recent episode, Japanese netizens made their worries public about Franky's voice actor.

The situation, as detailed by Jisin, came to light when One Piece fans hit social media after One Piece began its new arc. The site documents reactions to episode 1090 as it followed Franky and Jinbei argue over the steering the Thousand Sunny. When forced to take the helm, Franky said he's "gotta do it", and the line stirred up fans.

After all, netizens say Franky's line was downright hard to understand. The scene wasn't articulate in terms of line delivery, and other fans went on to question its quiet volume. Taking to social media, netizens began speculating whether actor Kabuki Yao is doing alright.

"Franky, or rather Kazuki Yao's performance, seemed quite taxing. Is he okay," one fan asked. In recent weeks, this concern has continued on social media has netizens say Kazuki's performance has yet to improve between episodes 1090 and 1094. And given Franky's role in the Egghead Island arc to date, he has some big moments coming up.

Of course, fans are wishing Kazuki the best as his work as Franky moves forward. It isn't easy acting, and Kazuki has been at the gig for decades. The 64-year-old actor began working around 1970, and he's worked on a number of high-profile shows. From Mobile Suit Gundam to Death Note and Hunter x Hunter, Kazuki is no stranger to acting. Of course, his work with One Piece stands firm as he's overseen characters like Franky and Bon Clay for ages. So hopefully, his performance as Franky gets back to normal before long.

If you are not caught up with One Piece these days, the anime is easy to watch. From Netflix to Hulu and Crunchyroll, the One Piece anime is everywhere. So for more information on the hit series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Monkey. D. Luffy refuses to let anyone or anything stand in the way of his quest to become the king of all pirates. With a course charted for the treacherous waters of the Grand Line and beyond, this is one captain who'll never give up until he's claimed the greatest treasure on Earth: the Legendary One Piece!"

What do you think about this latest One Piece debacle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Sh?gun is now streaming on FX on Hulu, and there's a lot of hype surrounding the show after the first glowing reviews called it the next Game of Thrones. With many viewers coming to Shogun expecting the next big mainstream TV series hit, they may be surprised to find out that much of the series features Japanese dialogue conveyed through English subtitles.

So is there an option to watch Shogun with an English Dub instead of subtitles?

In short answer: Yes. yes there is.

How to Watch Sh?gun English Language Dub

If you want to watch Sh?gun with English Dub voices instead of the Japanese dialogue and subtitles, you just have to select that option from the menu on Hulu. The homepage for Shogun actually offers the main "Episodes" column for the standard Japanese subtitled version of the show, and then an "English Dub" column that offers the dubbed version of the series. There is also an additional column for the official podcast attached to Shogun - although, you can also get that here on our ComicBook Nation podcast!

Obviously, cinephiles and "purists" will want to advocate for the Japanese dialogue version - but it is a smart move on the part of FX and Hulu to make the English Dub available, as well. Since 2020 and the Squid Game phenomenon, television productions from the Eastern region (Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, India) have garnered exponentially more fame. Netflix, Hulu, and other streaming platforms have offered English Dub options to a lot of those TV shows and movie imports; a show like Shogun, with this much hype behind it, definitely wants to appeal to the widest audience possible - and language shouldn't be a barrier.

The two lead actors of Shogun - Cosmo Jarvis and Hiroyuki Sanada - told ComicBook.com that actors overcoming their language barriers during production only helped to enhance their performances in the show:

"In the beginning, despite the language barrier that was prevalent in the beginning, it was a good thing to use to the advantage of the scenes... because that's what they demanded," Cosmo Jarvis explained. "So there was a lot of just communicating without using language, which was very useful."

Sh?gun: How to Stream + Cast & Crew Info

Sh?gun will be a 10-episode limited series and is now streaming on Hulu.

Shogun stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asano, Hiroto Kanai, Takehiro Hira, Moeka Hoshi, Tokuma Nishioka, Shinnosuke Abe, Yuki Kura and Fumi Nikaido. It was created for television by Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks - with Marks serving as showrunner and executive producer. Michaela Clavell, Edward L. McDonnell, Michael De Lu and Kondo all executive produce, and Hiroyuki Sanada also serves as a producer.

Sh?gun will premiere on FX on February 27th.

It's happening, like it or not. Years ago, Hollywood made an infamous misstep with Avatar: The Last Airbender with a live-action movie. Now, Netflix has reclaimed the show with an impressive live-action adaptation. The show has been met with mostly favorable reviews, and now, Netflix has confirmed the adaptation racked in some serious ratings after going live.

The update comes from Netflix as the company released its data on Avatar: The Last Airbender. It turns out season one earned 21.2 million views globally in its first four days. That number pushes past Netflix's One Piece last year. Back in August, the live-action anime drew in 18.5 million views which was impressive to say the least. So of course, you can imagine Team Avatar is stoked right now.

Adding on to those ratings, Netflix confirmed Avatar: The Last Airbender is the #1 show in the world on its platform. This information tracks given what we've seen from Netflix's Top 10 charts. The adaptation topped Netflix's chart in 84 different countries. There is no denying the power of Avatar: The Last Airbender, and fans are enjoying the view.

Of course, Avatar: The Last Airbender has a long way to go if it wants to live up to Netflix's most famous originals. Squid Game still reigns supreme at Netflix as fans watched 1.6 billion hours of the series in its first 28 days of release. Stranger Things season four followed with 1.3 billion hours watched while Wednesday, Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and Money Heist followed.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is no doubt a solid reimagining of the original series, and interest in the animated show has risen in the wake of Netflix's release. It is satisfying to see the Avatar Universe make a comeback after so many years lying low. As far as this adaptation goes, well - the future is unclear. No word has been given on Avatar: The Last Airbender season two, but reception to Netflix's series has been pretty solid. And if One Piece earned a season two order with its ratings, it is hard to see Avatar: The Last Airbender fading into black.

What do you think about Netflix's latest original? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Last week Halo brought the epic fall of Reach to life, and now the survivors of the Covenant's invasion aren't getting much of a chance to breathe. That goes double for Soren and Laera, who are trying to locate their son Kessler. Kwan managed to get Kessler away from those who betrayed Soren earlier this season, but now it's time to reunite their family, and we've got an exclusive clip of their journey to that reunion right here. In the clip, Soren and Laera confront someone who might know their son's whereabouts, and though this person isn't very forthcoming, Soren lets him know very quickly that his decision is a mistake. You can watch the exclusive clip in the video above.

Soren (Bokeem Woodbine) and Laera (Fiona O'Shaughnessy) have been a part for much of season 2, as Soren was betrayed and turned into ONI and James Ackerson. He was taken to Reach, which led to a reunion of sorts, as Ackerson had Soren put in the same cell as Halsey (Natascha McElhone), who he had been searching for previously.

While he has been searching for Halsey, Soren ends up having to work with her to make it out of Reach after the Covenant attack, and they eventually do make it out of the facility. They end up running into Master Chief and Silver Team, who are defending the transports that are evacuating civilians. They manage to protect them but then are left behind to make their last stand on Reach, which is where episode four ends.

Now the questions become what happens to the remaining members of the group, and will they make it out of Reach? The clip suggests that is the case, at least for Soren and Laera, and we don't have to wait too much longer for more answers. In the meantime, you can find the official description for Halo season 2 below.

"In season two, Master Chief John-117 leads his team of elite Spartans against the alien threat known as the Covenant. In the wake of a shocking event on a desolate planet, John cannot shake the feeling that his war is about to change and risks everything to prove what no one else will believe - that the Covenant are preparing to attack humanity's greatest stronghold. With the galaxy on the brink, John embarks on a journey to find the key to humankind's salvation, or its extinction - the Halo."

Halo stars Pablo Schreiber (American Gods) as Master Chief, John-117, and Natascha McElhone (Californication) as Dr. Halsey, who both serve as producers this season. Additional returning cast members include Jen Taylor (HALO game series, RWBY) as Cortana, Bokeem Woodbine (Fargo), Shabana Azmi (Fire), Natasha Culzac (The Witcher), Olive Gray (Half Moon Investigations), Yerin Ha (Reef Break), Bentley Kalu (Avengers: Age of Ultron), Kate Kennedy (Catastrophe), Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders), and Danny Sapani (Penny Dreadful). This season's new cast additions include Joseph Morgan (Vampire Diaries, The Originals) and Cristina Rodlo (No One Gets Out of Here Alive, The Homeless World Cup)."

What have you thought of Halo season 2 so far? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things gaming with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

There is no denying the might of Crunchyroll. The streaming service is the go-to home of anime online, and that title was solidified a few years back with Funimation's help. The latter announced it was being folded into Crunchyroll under Sony's umbrella, and now that merger is nearly done. On April 2nd, Funimation will sunset its services, and Crunchyroll made headlines as it revealed Funimation users' digital libraries will not be supported. So in a recent interview, Crunchyroll president Rahul Purini addressed the situation.

Speaking with Verge, Purini talked about the nuances of Funimation's inlay at Crunchyroll. It was there the president said the company plans to compensate users who lose their digital libraries in this final merger.

"It could be that they get access to a digital copy on any of the existing other services where they might be able to access it. It could be a discount access to our subscription service so they can get access to the same shows through our subscription service," Purini shared when asked about the potential compensation for users.

Of course, no official word has been shared by Crunchyroll on compensation for Funimation users. For years, anime fans would split their fandom funds between Crunchyroll and Funimation given their hold on the industry. The two brands worked together on streaming deals well before Sony moved to merge Crunchyroll and Funimation. With this merger nearly complete, Crunchyroll will be the de facto face of anime streaming, but Funimation spent decades building a fanbase. For those fans, their digital libraries are sacred, so you can imagine how upset they were to learn Crunchyroll would not be supporting these collections. Headlines about the migration quickly went viral online as television lovers reiterated the important of physical media.

Now, Crunchyroll's president has responded to the situation. It is still unclear how Funimation users with digital libraries will be compensated if at all for the loss. Crunchyroll has until April to follow up with fans before Funimation's services close. So hopefully, we get official word before long.

What do you make of this anime ordeal? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Eugene Levy, the beloved character actor and comedian who starred in Schitt's Creek, will team with his fellow SCTV veteran Martin Short for the upcoming, fourth season of Only Murders in the Building. The acclaimed series, which also stars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, will pick up its fourth season right where its third left off: Sazz (Jane Lynch) has just been killed...in Charles-Haden Savage's (Steve Martin) apartment, presumably making him a major person of interest in the case.

Levy's character will be a recurring guest, along with newcomers to the show Eva Longoria and Molly Shannon. The specifics of Levy's role are being kept secret, per Variety, who first broke the news of his casting.

Short, Martin, and Levy all previously appeared together in 1991's Father of the Bride and 1995's Father of the Bride Part II. Both Martin and Levy also appeared on Primetime Glick, Short's fake talk show on Comedy Central, which ran from 2001-2003.

Besides Schitt's Creek, Levy has been a beloved comic actor for decades, appearing in movies as diverse as Splash, American Pie, Best in Show, and Josie and the Pussycats (in which he played a parody version of himself). Besides being a talented actor and comedian, Levy is a writer, having co-created Schitt's Creek with his son Dan Levy.

Here's the series' official synopsis via Hulu: "From the minds of Steve Martin, Dan Fogelman and John Hoffman comes a comedy murder-mystery series for the ages. Only Murders In the Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects murder and employs their precise knowledge of true crime to investigate the truth.

"As they record a podcast of their own to document the case, the three unravel the complex secrets of the building which stretch back years. Perhaps even more explosive are the lies they tell one another. Soon, the endangered trio comes to realize a killer might be living amongst them as they race to decipher the mounting clues before it's too late."

The X-Files creator Chris Carter first brought back the series for new episodes in 2016 and then delivered another season in 2018, with the filmmaker revealing that he'd be open to exploring more adventures in the world of paranormal investigating if stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were interested in returning. With nearly six years having passed and there having been no momentum on more episodes, along with Anderson distancing herself from the franchise, this would make such a possibility unlikely, though it might come as a relief that Carter is seemingly uninterested unless the original stars were involved. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler is currently developing a new take on the concept.

When asked by TheWrap if he would be interested in another season, Carter admitted, "Oh, if David and Gillian wanted to do it again. Yeah, probably, then I would be inspired."

The series debuted in 1993, a time in which the public was growing more interested in things like UFOs, aliens, crop circles, and all things paranormal. The tech-forward concept also coincided with public access to the Internet, making a perfect storm of a compelling sci-fi series that reflected the niche interests of its audience. The series grew so popular that, between Seasons 5 and 6, the movie The X-Files: Fight the Future hit the big screen.

In Season 7, Duchovny left the series and Robert Patrick joined the fray as John Doggett, though Duchovny's Mulder would ultimately return for episodes in its ninth and final season. The X-Files series finale aired in May of 2002, yet earned another feature film in 2008. Both Duchovny and Anderson starred in that film, while also starring in its two revival seasons.

When looking back on the project, Carter confirms that it was the chemistry between Duchovny and Anderson that solidified its legacy.

"People ask the reasons for its success and the answer I give to them is David and Gillian," Carter detailed. "If it weren't for that relationship, and the actors who portrayed Mulder and Scully, the show would not have been the hit it became."

The Season 11 finale revealed to audiences that Scully's son William, who we were led to believe was also Mulder's son, was actually the result of Scully having been drugged and impregnated by the Cigarette-Smoking Man, disappointing not only longtime viewers, but even Anderson herself. Back in 2022, she expressed how she had moved passed the series and would only be somewhat interested if the material was approached by a fresh set of filmmakers.

"It just feels like such an old idea. I've done it, I did it for so many years, and it also ended on such an unfortunate note," Anderson shared with Variety at the time. "In order to even begin to have that conversation [about another season] there would need to be a whole new set of writers and the baton would need to be handed on for it to feel like it was new and progressive. So yeah, it's very much in the past."

Stay tuned for updates on the future of The X-Files.

Would you like to see Mulder and Scully return? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

The X-Files creator Chris Carter has been an integral component of the series in all its iterations over the last few decades, and with Black Panther director Ryan Coogler set to revive the concept in a new take on the material, Carter confirmed he has given the project his blessing. The filmmaker admitted that, since The Walt Disney Company owned the rights to the franchise, Coogler and company didn't have to seek approval to reimagine the material, though that he will serve as a cheerleader and support whatever form the new project takes. Even without seeking Carter's approval, he admitted that he was "honored" that he was contacted at all about the project.

"I'm not supposed to be talking about it, according to Disney. But I'll tell you, yes. I've had a conversation with him. Yes, he likes to go with a diverse cast. And he's got some good ideas," Carter shared with TheWrap about whether he has spoken to Coogler about the project. In regards to whether he'll get involved in the project in any capacity, he confirmed, "I wouldn't. Only as a cheerleader. They don't need my blessing. 20th Century Fox and Disney owns the show. They are free to do with it what they believe. I'm honored that they came to me and asked me, not for my permission, but my blessing."

The X-Files premiered in 1993 and starred David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson as special FBI agents tasked with investigating seemingly paranormal cases that the rest of the Bureau might not be equipped to exploring. The series earned a total of 11 seasons and two feature films, while also pivoting into other mediums to continue to explore the worlds of these characters. The show also inspired the spin-off series The Lone Gunmen, and while not initially conceived of as a spinoff, Carter's TV series Millennium would ultimately cross over with The X-Files.

As far as whether Carter will watch the new take on the material merely as a fan, he confirmed, "Sure. Yeah. I'm curious. It's not the easiest show to write because of the subject matter. It's not like Law & Order, where you have the crime of the week. You have to imagine 'what if' and that 'what if' is oftentimes hard to tackle."

Few details about the upcoming The X-Files have been revealed, so it's unknown when audiences can expect the project to be released.

What do you think of the filmmaker's remarks? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

"What kind of man wields power in a land like this?" That's the question in Sh?gun, FX's adaptation of James Clavell's bestselling novel that inspired the 1980 mini-series of the same name. Set in feudal Japan, the historical epic starring Hiroyuki Sanada (Mortal Kombat), Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), and Cosmo Jarvis (Raised by Wolves) received rave reviews: the limited series has a rare 100% approval from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Below, we've rounded up everything you need to know about when and where to watch Sh?gun.

Shogun Release Time

Sh?gun premieres Tuesday, February 27, at 10 p.m. ET on FX. Episodes 1 and 2 are available to stream now on FX on Hulu and Disney+.

Where to Stream Shogun

New episodes of Sh?gun are available to stream weekly on Tuesdays on Hulu and Disney+ in the United States. The series is streaming via Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Also available on Hulu are the Sh?gun (English dub) versions
and the first two installments of the official Sh?gun podcast.

Shogun Episode 1 and Episode 2

Sh?gun episode 1, "Anjin": "Destinies converge in Japan after a barbarian ship washes ashore in a poor fishing village. Meanwhile, in Osaka, Lord Toranaga finds himself outplayed by his enemies."

Sh?gun episode 2, "Servants of Two Masters": "Blackthorne's arrival in Osaka stirs up a hornet's nest of rivalries. Mariko is trapped between her cause and her faith when she must translate for the barbarian in Lord Toranaga's custody."

How Many Episodes Is Shogun?

Sh?gun is a 10-episode event series.

Shogun Episodes Release Schedule

Episode 1: "Anjin" -- February 27

Episode 2: "Servant of Two Masters" -- February 27

Episode 3: "Tomorrow Is Tomorrow" -- March 5

Episode 4: "The Eightfold Fence" -- March 12

Episode 5: "Broken to the Fist" -- March 19

Episode 6: "TBA" -- March 26

Episode 7: "TBA" -- April 2

Episode 8: "TBA" -- April 9

Episode 9: "TBA" -- April 16

Episode 10: "TBA" -- April 23

What Is Shogun About?

Sh?gun is set in Japan in the year 1600 at the dawn of a century-defining civil war. Sanada stars as "Lord Yoshii Toranaga" who is fighting for his life as his enemies on the Council of Regents unite against him. When a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby fishing village, its English pilot, John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis), comes bearing secrets that could help Toranaga tip the scales of power and devastate the formidable influence of Blackthorne's own enemies -- the Jesuit priests and Portuguese merchants. Toranaga's and Blackthorne's fates become inextricably tied to their translator, Toda Mariko (Anna Sawai), a mysterious Christian noblewoman and the last of a disgraced line. While serving her lord amidst this fraught political landscape, Mariko must reconcile her newfound companionship with Blackthorne, her commitment to the faith that saved her and her duty to her late father.

Shogun Series Cast

Along with Sanada, Sawai, and Jarvis, Sh?gun features an acclaimed Japanese cast that includes Tadanobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige, a notorious backstabber and close ally of Toranaga; Hiroto Kanai as Kashigi Omi, the young leader of the fishing village where Blackthorne's ship was found; Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari, a powerful bureaucrat who is Toranaga's chief rival; Moeka Hoshi as Usami Fuji, a widow who must find new purpose amidst her lord's fight; Tokuma Nishioka as Toda Hiromatsu, Toranaga's trusted general and closest friend; Shinnosuke Abe as Toda Hirokatsu, a.k.a. Buntaro, a stoic samurai and Mariko's jealous husband; Yuki Kura as Yoshii Nagakado, the brash son of Toranaga with a strong desire to prove himself; Yuka Kouri as Kiku, a courtesan renowned for her artistry throughout Japan; and Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba no Kata, the revered mother of the heir who will stop at nothing to put an end to Toranaga and his threat to her son's power.

The crew of Mac, Axle, Brights, Spark, Coop, and Sidecar are the ultimate team, but even they have some issues when facing a transporter that's also a T-Rex! Mattel's Hot Wheels Let's Race hits Netflix soon, and we've got an exclusive first-look clip to get you hyped for the premiere right here! The Ultimate T-Rex Transporter is running amok in Hot Wheels City, and it will take some quick thinking and teamwork to stop its rampage. Unfortunately, not everyone is on the same page at first, but luckily the team finds a perfect way to distract the T-Rex from eating more cars. When you have a car that looks like a giant hamburger and fries, you use it! You can watch the full clip and find the official description for Hot Wheels Let's Race below.

"Inspired by Hot Wheels, the number-one selling toy globally, Hot Wheels Let's Race is an action-packed comedy series for kids, and follows the newest generation of racers: Coop, Spark, Mac, Brights, Axle, and Sidecar as they attend a racing camp that always puts the pedal to the metal. Through mind-blowing races, extreme stunt contests, and thrill-seeking challenges, Hot Wheels Let's Race is a show that kids and the whole family can enjoy."

"Between the show's characters, propulsive cars, and pulse-pounding music, we want to make audiences feel like they're literally gripping the wheel for an unforgettable ride with Hot Wheels Let's Race," said Rob David, Vice President of Content Creative at Mattel Television Studios and Executive Producer of Hot Wheels Let's Race. "Patrick is a one-of-a-kind musical talent, and generous collaborator. We are so lucky to have him as part of the Let's Race family."

Hot Wheels Let's Race stars Jakari Fraser (Coop), Amari McCoy (Spark), Griffen Campbell (Mac), Risa Mei (Brights), Josh Keaton (Axle), and Charlie Schlatter (Sidecar), and was developed for television by Rob David, Vice President, Content Creative at Mattel Television Studios (Masters of the Universe: Revolution, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Melanie Shannon, Senior Manager, Creative Content at Mattel Television Studios (He-Man and the Masters of the Universe), and Jordan Gershowitz (Sharkdog).

Executive Producers include Rob David, Christopher Keenan (Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go) and Fred Soulie (Hot Wheels: Ultimate Challenge), with Mike Roberts (Final Space) as Creative Producer and Diane A Crea (Barbie: Epic Road Trip) as Senior Producer. The animation for the series was created by Sprite Animation Studios and OLM Digital.

Hot Wheels Let's Race lands on Netflix on March 4th.

What did you think of the clip and are you excited for the series? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things animation with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!

With virutally all of its competition struggling to make ends meet in a competitive streaming space, Netflix is expected to expand its control of the market this year -- and probably to increase its prices to match. That's according to market analysts from UBS Securities, who say in a new Variety article that they expect Netflix to "take a bigger bite out of overall TV viewing" in 2024. Since this is a theoretical hike, it's hard to say when or how much it would be, assuming it actually does happen -- but the idea of Netflix hiking prices is not exactly new.

Last year, Netflix rolled out its first-ever ad-supported tier, which it can now point to as a lower-cost alternative when users complain about price hikes. More recently, Amazon's Prime Video incorporated ads into its standard plan, asking fans who wanted an ad-free experience to pay more. In general, streaming seems to be moving toward FAST (free, ad-supported television) models. So, basically, it's just like when you would record something to your DVR -- except now you can't fast-forward through the ads.

Last October, Netflix increased the price of the Basic plan from $9.99 to $11.99 per month in the U.S. They also hiked prices in some European markets. Per the Variety story, executives at the streamer have not articulated any plans for a rate increase soon, but they have also declined to take the idea off the table.

In June of 2023 -- that's four months prior to the October price increase -- the streamer had claimed they didn't have plans to increase prices again for a year. That's because in addition to introducing ads, Netflix also rolled out a plan to goose revenue by charging its existing users to share their passwords with family members living outside the main house where Netflix is registered.

Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters said in the company's Q4 earnings call that "saw that as a form of substitute price increase," but that now that the program is fully rolled out, they're going to be more or less back to normal.

And because this is how things work on Wall Street, UBS characterized the likely price hike as good news, designating Netflix's stock as a "buy." They explained that the price hike might not be popular, but will likely be tolerated by the audience, because Netflix is so popular and so widely used that people tend to think they're getting value for the money. Nielsen data indicated that Netflix's share of U.S. TV viewing rose to 7.9% in January 2024, up from 7.7% in December of last year.

The producers behind Star Wars: The Bad Batch are commenting on the surprise return of Asajj Ventress. The third and final season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch was officially announced at last year's Star Wars Celebration. The season will look to bring some resolution to the stories of Omega, Crosshair, and the rest of the Bad Batch, but the Season 3 trailer for The Bad Batch also revealed the former Sith Asajj Ventress will also make an appearance. What makes Asajj Ventress' return surprising is she supposedly died in the 2015 novel Star Wars: Dark Disciple while working with the Jedi to take out Count Dooku. So what will Ventress' role be in Star Wars: The Bad Batch? We checked in with the show's producers to find out.

ComicBook.com spoke to Star Wars: The Bad Batch producers Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau to talk about the final season, where the topic of Asajj Ventress came up. "Without spoiling too much, we have a storyline that requires someone," Jennifer Corbett said. "And she was the best fit for what we needed. But, again, Brad [Rau] and I don't make these decisions. It's very much a conversation, and when Ventress was put on the table we were very excited about it because we're big fans of that character, and we wanted to honor what her character was in Clone Wars, while also honoring Dark Disciple."

How Asajj Ventress' appearance in Star Wars: The Bad Batch connects to Dark Disciple novel

When asked about the possibility of Asajj Ventress' appearance in the third season of Star Wars: The Bad Batch addressing the events of Star Wars: Dark Disciple, Brad Rau responded, "Once we knew we could use this character that we love so much, we immediately were doing lots of research. We went back to unfinished arcs from The Clone Wars that were actually the inspiration for the novel, Dark Disciple, and there were designs created, including her hairdoo, which is so cool, and her lightsaber and the color of the lightsaber. So we honored that for when she shows up in our storyline. We can't go into all of the details, but we can say the answers to your questions - and we know a lot of fans are asking questions - will be answered. They may not all be answered in The Bad Batch, but rest assured, the connections are all there and they will be told. So just hang tight."

What is Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 about?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 picks up where Season 2 left off. The Bad Batch is still reeling from losing one of their members, Tech, and determined to rescue Omega from capture at Mount Tantiss.

According to a press release from Disney+, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3, "the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions, and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire."

Avatar: The Last Airbender has a brand new spin with Netflix's live-action adaptation, and the re-telling has thrown in some curveballs for fans of the source material. Leading up to the series, the showrunners haven't been shy about the fact that this live-action series will be making big changes from the original Nickelodeon series. In one particular change, Aang is given a story beat that benefits the character in ways that animation fans didn't experience in the initial animated series.

In an interview last year, Avatar showrunner Albert Kim hinted at the changes that were being made from the source material, "We don't start the show the way the animated series starts. That was a conscious decision to show people this is not the animated series. We had to sometimes unravel storylines and remix them in a new way to make sense for a serialized drama so I'm very curious to see what'll happen in terms of reaction to that." One of the biggest changes to the new live-action series was the inclusion of the Air Tribe's story and its fight against the Fire Nation, which gave Aang a big moment that did not take place originally.

Aang Gets a Live-Action Break

Thanks to giving more time to the Airbender Gyatso, Aang is confronted with the idea that the loss of the Air Tribe wasn't his fault. Even if the Avatar was to stand up to the Fire Nation before he was frozen in a ball of ice, Gyatso assures him that he would have ultimately failed to save his friends. It's a big change for the live-action series, giving Aang relief that he didn't have in the animated series.

Currently, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender has yet to confirm if a second season is on the way, but the streaming service will have plenty of material to adapt should it return. "Book 2" of the animated series saw Aang and his friends further exploring the Earth Kingdom, running into the blind Earth-bender Toph. Since Aang and company's live-action series hit the top spot for Netflix with its debut, there's a decent enough chance that we'll see the live-action Avatar return.

What do you think of this big change for the live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Aang.

As Star Wars: The Bad Batch draws toward its end, Star Wars fans may wonder what's next for Star Wars animation. There's currently Tales of the Jedi, an anthology of connected Star Wars shorts, and Star Wars: Visions, also an anthology, showcasing global animation via shorts set outside of Star Wars canon. ComicBook.com spoke to Star Wars: The Bad Batch producers Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau about The Bad Batch's final season and asked what the future of Star Wars animation might look like. While they couldn't say anything about upcoming projects, they seem to be anticipating watching what comes next from the Lucasfilm Animation team as fans.

"Obviously, we can't really speak as to if there's something in the works or not, but I will just say that the team at Lucasfilm Animation, it's been a pleasure working with them, because they are so fantastic at what they do, and have such passion for what they do," Corbett says. "If there is stuff in the future I'm going to watch and be a fan because I love all the things that they do."

Rau adds, "Sign me up. I want to watch more.'

What is Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 about?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 picks up where Season 2 left off. The Bad Batch is still reeling from losing one of their members, Tech, and determined to rescue Omega from capture at Mount Tantiss.

According to Disney+, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3, "the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions, and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire."

Who is in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch cast?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 stars Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad!) as the voice of every Bad Batch member and Michelle Ang (Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462) as Omega. The cast also includes Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Noshir Dalal (It's Pony), and Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws).

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) as co-executive producer and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as senior producer. Rau is also the supervising director, with Corbett as the head writer.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 debuted its first three episodes on Wednesday, February 21st, on Disney+. Here's the entire Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 episode release schedule:

Season 3 Episode Schedule:

• ? 2/21: Episode 301 "Confined," Episode 302 "Paths Unknown," Episode 303 "Shadows of Tantiss" (debut)
• ? 2/28: Episode 304 "A Different Approach"
• ? 3/6: Episode 305 "The Return"
• ? 3/13: Episode 306 "Infiltration" & Episode 307 "Extraction"
• ? 3/20: Episode 308 "Bad Territory"
• ? 3/27: Episode 309 "The Harbinger"
• ? 4/3: Episode 310 "Identity Crisis" & Episode 311 "Point of No Return"
• ? 4/10: Episode 312 "Juggernaut"
• ? 4/17: Episode 313 "Into the Breach"
• ? 4/24: Episode 314 "Flash Strike"
• ? 5/1: Episode 315 "The Cavalry Has Arrived" (finale)

The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon is getting a special 10th Anniversary broadcast. NBC announced that the beloved late-night host is getting a special to commemorate the occasion. On May 14 at 9pm ET, the network will do its best to compile the best of Fallon's decade long run as the man behind that hefty desk. There have been a lot of moments to spotlight over the course of these 10 years. So many interviews, and weird little social media bits to contend with. (Fallon is largely credited with getting these small games into the mix with stars on late-night. Just like James Corden's work singing in cars with famous people.) Fans will have to mark their calendars.

"We're so grateful that we get to do this job, and I want to thank everyone on our staff and crew -- and of course all of you for tuning in every single night for the past ten years," Fallon said last night. "To celebrate, NBC is going to air a two-hour primetime Best of Tonight Show special on May 14th -- the best moments of the Tonight Show from the past ten years, featuring some of our favorite sketches, guests and musical performances. From 'Tight Pants' with Will Ferrell to me almost dating Nicole Kidman, and musical bits like 'Classroom Instruments' with Metallica and Adele - we've had so many fun moments."

Mark Ronson Drops By Fallon's Show

Barbie soundtrack producer Mark Ronson stopped by Fallon's show last night to talk about the massive album. He revealed that when thinking up music for the movie, he kind of stumbled on "I'm Just Ken" during a walk and knew he had gold. The entire story is wild and the late-night show host was absolutely enthralled.

"I knew nothing, I really didn't," Ronson admitted. "You know, we were asked to come in and write two songs, and I wrote "Dance the Night." That became "the" track. That's the jam. So, I was just so inspired. I thought--Greta Gerwig is just so amazing. I love the script. And, so we wrote Ken. And then, we started to do a little bit more and more music for the film. We just loved it and we wanted to do the whole thing."

"That's what we were kind of hoping to do because Ken is like the character, and Ryan Gosling, who's just so incredible in the film. He's so ridiculous, but yet, you feel all his pain, I feel like," he shared. "So, I was walking down the street, and I don't usually write lyrics. I usually come up with the music, but I just had that line. Like, 'I'm just Ken, anywhere else I'd be a ten.' You know? I just thought, this guy is so hot, but he can't get what he needs in life, which is the love of this woman."

Ronson revealed. "So, I came up with that line, went to the piano and came up with some chords. Then, my brother Andrew, my songwriting partner, came over and we wrote the rest of the song."

Other Changes In Late-Night

Over on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel continues his push towards The Oscars this year. However, when talking to The Los Angeles Times, the host admitted he's getting pretty close to the end of his late-night tenure. Kimmel explained how he's looking forward to a period of time where there aren't all these deadlines and there isn't such a push for him to be handling all this stuff.

"Wednesday night, I was very tired and I had all these scripts to go through -- I had to revise and rewrite all these pitch ideas for the Oscars -- and I was literally nodding off onto my computer," Kimmel told the Los Angeles Times. "In those moments, I think, 'I cannot wait until my contract is over.' But then, I take the summer off or I go on strike, and you start going, 'Yeah, I miss the fun stuff.'"

"I think this is my final contract," Kimmel admitted. "I hate to even say it, because everyone's laughing at me now -- each time I think that, and then it turns out to be not the case. I still have a little more than two years left on my contract, and that seems pretty good. That seems like enough."

Will you be watching Jimmy Fallon's special? Let us know down in the comments!

Rapace embraced the idea that life is the sum of the choices you make, and she could have ended up kind of...anywhere, depending on who she was in that hypothetical other timeline. Banks was a little more grounded.

"This is really fascinating because we were actually talking about this at dinner last night," Rapace said. "Where would the other Noomi be now? Would she be happier? Would she be a nicer person? But it brings me back -- I've been lately thinking a lot about choices, and that we are our decisions, we are our choices, and I have the ability to change my course in life any day, any given moment, if I decide to. So I can become that other version of me if I want to."

Banks had a different instinct.

"My knee-jerk reaction...is not a good one, because I know from whence I came, and there was trouble back there," Banks told ComicBook.com. "I grew up in a place that there could have been real trouble."

He contrasted his viewpoint with Rapace's, saying that while she instinctively wonders whether another version of her would have been happier, he thinks things would have gone badly, pointing out that he has always had a hard time focusing.

"I've never been able to sit still," Banks said. "My apprecation -- doing these interviews in this chair over a period of time -- for people who have to sit still all day long...one of my daughters does! I think, 'I don't know how you do this. I've got to be moving.' When I was a kid, I'd look out the window, I could tell you the squirrels and what was out there and what kind of bird was flying by, but I couldn't pay attention. I want to subscribe to Noomi's way of thinking about, let there be something good. In that case, what would I have done? I would have loved to work with kids, with animals. Something where you can help people."

Constellation premiered globally on Wednesday, February 21st with the first three episodes, followed by one episode weekly, every Wednesday through March 27th on Apple TV+.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is saying goodbye with its final season on Disney+. The series spun out of Star Wars: The Clone Wars' final season and has become connective tissues between many elements of the Star Wars saga through its connection to Project Necromancer. But how does that compare to the original plan for the series? ComicBook.com had the chance to talk to Star Wars: The Bad Batch producers Jennifer Corbett and Brad Rau and asked how Star Wars: The Bad Batch's final season, with its darker tone, compares to their original plan for Clone Force 99. While they didn't go into specifics, Corbett did acknowledge some deviations from the initial plan, but expressed gratitude that they were able to close out the show on their terms.

"There are definitely some similarities but also some differences," Corbett says. "It's been a number of years so, again, we always dreamed that we could do this in three seasons and the fact that we were able to have that opportunity, and we owe a lot of thanks to Lucasfilm and Disney+ for giving us that time and the fact that we knew in Season 2 that Season 3 was going to be the last one we got to end it the way that we felt was fitting. And, you know, we're very thankful."

What is Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 about?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 picks up where Season 2 left off. The Bad Batch is still reeling from losing one of their members, Tech, and determined to rescue Omega from capture at Mount Tantiss.

According to Disney+, in Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3, "the Batch will have their limits tested in the fight to reunite with Omega as she faces challenges of her own inside a remote Imperial science lab. With the group fractured and facing threats from all directions, they will have to seek out unexpected allies, embark on dangerous missions, and muster everything they have learned to free themselves from the Empire."

Who is in the Star Wars: The Bad Batch cast?

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 stars Dee Bradley Baker (American Dad!) as the voice of every Bad Batch member and Michelle Ang (Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462) as Omega. The cast also includes Keisha Castle-Hughes (Whale Rider), Jimmi Simpson (Westworld), Noshir Dalal (It's Pony), and Wanda Sykes (The Upshaws).

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (Ahsoka, The Mandalorian), with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) as co-executive producer and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as senior producer. Rau is also the supervising director, with Corbett as the head writer.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 debuted its first three episodes on Wednesday, February 21st, on Disney+. Here's the entire Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 3 episode release schedule:

Season 3 Episode Schedule:

• ? 2/21: Episode 301 "Confined," Episode 302 "Paths Unknown," Episode 303 "Shadows of Tantiss" (debut)
• ? 2/28: Episode 304 "A Different Approach"
• ? 3/6: Episode 305 "The Return"
• ? 3/13: Episode 306 "Infiltration" & Episode 307 "Extraction"
• ? 3/20: Episode 308 "Bad Territory"
• ? 3/27: Episode 309 "The Harbinger"
• ? 4/3: Episode 310 "Identity Crisis" & Episode 311 "Point of No Return"
• ? 4/10: Episode 312 "Juggernaut"
• ? 4/17: Episode 313 "Into the Breach"
• ? 4/24: Episode 314 "Flash Strike"
• ? 5/1: Episode 315 "The Cavalry Has Arrived" (finale)

Prolific character actor David Dastmalchian is set to appear in two episodes of The Rookie this season, reuniting him with The Suicide Squad co-star Nathan Fillion. "Reuniting" might be doing some heavy lifting there, since Fillion was only in about 2 minutes of The Suicide Squad and didn't share the screen with Dastmalchian -- but still, the two DC veterans will get to bounce off each other on Fillion's ABC cop comedy.

Over at TVLine, they spoke with The Rookie showrunner Alexi Hawley, who teased that Dastmalchian will be appearing in a two-part story later in the season.

"I was so excited to get him," Hawley told the site.

The original premise for The Rookie centered on a middle-aged man (Fillion) who decided to become a police officer and the hijinks he got up to. Since John Nolan is no longer a rookie -- in fact, six seasons in he is pretty well-established in the department -- the world of the show has expanded a bit, opening up interesting stories for a number of other characters, including some of the younger officers around him.

According to Hawley, one of this season's potential storylines centers on a will-they-or-won't-they romance between Tru Valentino's Aaron and Blair, a psychiatrist played by The Originals' Danielle Campbell and now working for the department. Per Hawley's comments, Blair is "a rookie psychiatrist in the same way that Aaron's just on the other side of being a rookie police officer. And we'll be exploring what that could happen if you're an attractive officer and she's an attractive shrink, and having fun with that idea."

The Rookie airs on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. You can check out the official (and dated) synopsis for the show below.

Starting over isn't easy, especially for small-town guy John Nolan, who, after a life-altering incident, is pursuing his dream of becoming an LAPD officer. As the force's oldest rookie, he's met with skepticism from some higher-ups who see him as just a walking midlife crisis. If he can't keep up with the young cops and the criminals, he'll be risking lives -- including his own -- but if he can use his life experience, determination and sense of humor to give him an edge, he may just become successful in this new chapter of his life.

The Outlander prequel series, Blood of My Blood, has added four new members to its cast in key roles. According to Variety, Outlander: Blood of My Blood has cast Rory Alexander, Sam Retford, Seamus McLean Ross, and Conor MacNeill. The four will play young versions of key characters from the original series.

Alexander is set to play young Murtagh Fitzgibbons Fraser, Retford will play Dougal MacKenzie, McLean Ross will play Colum MacKenzie, and MacNeill is set to play Ned Gowan. They join the previously cast Harriet Slater, Jamie Roy, Hermione Corfield, and Jeremy Irvine.

"We are thrilled to expand our season one cast with some well-known characters from the 'Outlander' universe. We're so excited to welcome Rory, Sam, S?amus and Conor to the MacKenzie and Fraser clans and to explore the young journeys of these fan-favorite characters," Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner and executive producer said.

Outlander Ending With Season 8

Last year, STARZ confirmed that fan-favorite series Outlander would be ending after eight seasons as well as announced the Blood of My Blood prequel series.

"Outlander: Blood of My Blood is, at its heart, a love story. It will explore what lengths a person will go to find love in a time when love is considered a luxury, and when marriages are made strategically, often for political or financial gain," Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner and executive producer, shared in a statement. "The title is a nod to Jamie Fraser's marriage vow to Claire and there will be several names and faces that Outlander fans will know and recognize. Jamie and Claire's TV story may be coming to an end with Season 8, but Diana is continuing on with their literary journey in her wonderful book series and is working diligently on book ten. With Jamie and Claire, and now Brian and Ellen, there is still so much more to come in the Outlander universe, and we cannot wait to continue sharing these stories with our dedicated fans."

"For nearly a decade Outlander has won the hearts of audiences worldwide and we're pleased to bring Claire and Jamie's epic love story to a proper conclusion," Kathryn Busby, President, Original Programming for STARZ, added. "But before we close this chapter there is plenty of their passionate story to tell over the course of 26 new episodes and even more to explore of this dynamic world and its origin story. We're thrilled to continue to partner with Matthew, Maril, and Ronald and can't wait to see where their alluring storytelling takes us next."

The Star Wars universe is set to get a major remix later this year, with the arrival of the Star Wars: The Acolyte Disney+ series. The Acolyte, which is created by Russian Doll's Leslye Headland, will be first live-action series set during the High Republic era, and fans are definitely excited to see that canon further explored. In a recent interview with C Magazine, The Acolyte star Amandla Stenberg teased how that time period leads to a different -- but reverential -- kind of Star Wars story.

"In the context of the Star Wars universe, it's a time of great peace, theoretically," Stenberg explained. "It's also a time of an institution, and it's a time in which conceptions around the Force are very strict. And I think what we're trying to explore within our show is when an institution has a singular conception of how power can be used...we try to provide a lot of different perspectives and answers to that question. The idea is to kind of honor the ethos of Star Wars and ideas around the Force and also challenge them, hopefully harmoniously."

What Is Star Wars: The Acolyte About?

In Star Wars: The Acolyte, a former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes, but the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.

The ensemble cast of The Acolyte will also include Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Charlie Barnett, Dean-Charles Chapman, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Margarita Levieva.

When Will Star Wars: The Acolyte Premiere?

Star Wars: The Acolyte does not have an exact release date, but it is expected to make its debut on Disney+ at some point this summer.

"We're taking a look at the political and personal and spiritual things that came up in a time period that we don't know much about," Headland explained in a previous interview. "My question when watching The Phantom Menace was always like, 'Well, how did things get to this point?' How did we get to a point where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? Like, what went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment?'"

"We actually use the term the Renaissance, or the Age of Enlightenment," Headland added. "The Jedi uniforms are gold and white, and it's almost like they would never get dirty. They would never be out and about," Headland says. "The idea is that they could have these types of uniforms because that's how little they're getting into skirmishes."

Star Wars: The Acolyte will debut exclusively on Disney+ this year. If you haven't checked out Disney+ yet and you want to give it a go, you can do that here.

Note: This is not a sponsored post, but if you purchase one of the awesome products featured above, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has been taking over Netflix since the live-action series made its debut, and one of its big moments recreated Azula's Lightning Bending in real life! Avatar: The Last Airbender made some key changes to its adaptation of the original Nickelodeon series for Netflix, and many of those changes included showcasing more of Azula and Fire Lord Ozai than seen in the first season of the original work. The live-action series reveals more of how Azula had an influence over things that went down with Zuko, and queued up some of the big moments she gets later.

One of the big reveals it made with Azula was the fact that she seemed to be the only Fire Bender capable of wielding lightning. Revealed in Episode 7 of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender as Fire Lord Ozai continues to put her through trials, Azula showed her father that she could use this elevated form of Fire Bending in a destructive matter. It's something that likely impressed Ozai, and will be showcased even more if the live-action series comes back with a second season in the future.

AZULA USING LIGHTNING SO EFFORTLESSLY LIKE THAT #AvatarTheLastAirbender pic.twitter.com/K4Dkw7u5RP

-- jolt (@meltborne) February 22, 2024

Avatar: The Last Airbender - What Is Lightning Bending?

Lightning generation was explained to be a rare form of bending that uses the inner energies of a person and flows it through their fingertips, and in the original Avatar: The Last Airbender it was revealed to be a skill that Azula had easily acquired despite how rare it was supposed to be. In Netflix's version, it's just something that Azula is able to do without any explanation of how it works just yet. But if the series returns for more episodes, it's likely a technique we'll see much more of.

Avatar: The Last Airbender has yet to announce whether or not it will be returning for Season 2 with Netflix in the future, but it's currently getting some impressive ratings with the streaming service in the first few days of its debut. Taking the top spot in over 80 countries as of the time of this writing, you can check out the eight episode first season for yourself now streaming with Netflix to see more of Azula and the other Fire Benders.

How do you feel about Lightning Bending in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Fans of A&E's short-lived crime thriller Breakout Kings have been paying close attention to Prime Video's Reacher. The showrunner of the smash-hit series, Nick Santora, co-created Breakout Kings more than a decade ago, and he's been slowly including the stars from that show in the cast Reacher. So far, three of the six main cast members from Breakout Kings have appeared in Reacher, and that trend will likely continue into the future.

Breakout Kings alum Malcolm Goodwin starred in the first season of Reacher, while Domenick Lombardozzi and Serinda Swan had major roles in Reacher Season 2. That leaves three Breakout Kings stars to still appear in Reacher at some point: Jimmi Simpson, Laz Alonso, and Brooke Nevin.

While talking to TVLine, Santora revealed that Simpson has already reached out to him about trying to get a role on Reacher in Season 3 or beyond.

"Jimmi [Simpson] texted me, like, 'What's going on? All the Breakout Kings are in Reacher,'" Santora explained. "I'd be lucky to work with Jimmi and Laz [Alonso] and Brooke Nevin and anyone from Breakout Kings again. They're the best."

At this time, none of the other Breakout Kings stars have been announced for a role in Reacher Season 3.

Reacher Season 3

Prime Video renewed Reacher for a third season before Season 2 had even debuted, allowing them to head into production as quickly as possible. Filming for the new season has been going on for a while now, but star Alan Ritchson recently revealed that the production is close to wrapping up.

Ritchson recently appeared on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to talk about his new film, Ordinary Angels, and he was asked about the new installment of Reacher. While he was careful not to give anything away, Ritchson did reveal that the team is "nearing completion on Season 3."

The third installment of Reacher is going to be based on Persuader, the seventh book of Lee Child's bestselling Jack Reacher novel series. The show hasn't been following any order with the books, having covered the first (The Killing Floor) and 11th (Bad Luck and Trouble) novels in the franchise. A fourth season hasn't been ordered yet, but given Reacher's popularity, it wouldn't be surprising to see another installment ordered sooner rather than later.

Are you looking forward to what Reacher Season 3 might have in store? Let us know in the comments!

Apple TV+'s Foundation has added Oscar winner Troy Kotsur to the cast for Season 3. According to The Wrap, Kotsur is set to play Preem Palver, an important character first introduced in Isaac Asimov's 1952 novel, Second Foundation. Palver is described as "the leader of a planet of psychics".

Kotsur is best known for his role in CODA, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award. He also appeared as himself in the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm and in Season 1 of The Mandalorian and has also appeared on Criminal Minds, Scrubs, CSI: New York, and more.

Foundation Has Undergone Some Behind-The-Scenes Changes

It was recently reported that there have been some behind-the-scenes shakeups in the wake of Season 3 filming delays. Series co-creator David S. Goyer is stepping back from showrunner duties, though he is set to remain creatively involved with the series while executive producer Bill Bost will head to Prague to oversee filming. Season 2 line producer/co-executive producer Laurie Borg is leaving the series with Doug Moreno stepping into the line producer role. Goyer is set to continue to write and executive produce the series from Los Angeles. Production is set to resume in early March.

Foundation was renewed by Apple TV+ back in December with Goyer confirming that the Mule, introduced in Season 2, set to take "center stage".

"I'm thrilled Apple has given us the opportunity to continue to chronicling Asimov's pioneering galactic saga. This time, the stakes for Foundation and Empire are even higher as the Mule takes center stage along with fan-favorites Bayta, Toran, Ebling, and Magnifico Gigangus," Goyer said at the time.

"We have all been incredibly impressed with the ambitious, action-packed and imaginative adaptation that David and the rest of this gifted creative team and cast have brought to life with this premium sci-fi series from day one," added Matt Cherniss, Apple TV+'s head of programming. "To watch Foundation become such a global hit has been beyond exciting with audiences around the world continuing to be captivated week after week by this dramatic and compelling journey to save humanity. We can't wait for everyone to experience what is in store for characters old and new in season three."

What is Foundation About?

The official synopsis for Foundation Season 2 reads, "More than a century after the season one finale, tension mounts throughout the galaxy in Foundation season two. As the Cleons unravel, a vengeful queen plots to destroy Empire from within. Hari, Gaal and Salvor discover a colony of Mentalics with psionic abilities that threaten to alter psychohistory itself. The Foundation has entered its religious phase, promulgating the Church of Seldon throughout the Outer Reach and inciting the Second Crisis: war with Empire. The monumental adaptation of Foundation chronicles the stories of four crucial individuals transcending space and time as they overcome deadly crises, shifting loyalties, and complicated relationships that will ultimately determine the fate of humanity."

Foundation Season 2 features returning stars Jared Harris as Hari Seldon, Lee Pace as Brother Day, Lou Llobell as Gaal Dornick, Leah Harvey Salvor Hardin, Laura Birn as Eto Demerzel, Cassian Bilton as Brother Dawn, and Terrence Mann as Brother Dusk. It also introduces newcomers to the series, including Isabella Laughland, Kulvinder Ghir, Ella-Rae Smith, Holt McCallany, Rachel House, Nimrat Kaur, Ben Daniels, and Dimitri Leonidas.

Foundation is streaming now on Apple TV+.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently taking over Netflix since the live-action series debuted this past week, and Netflix is celebrating with the launch of some new profile icons! Avatar: The Last Airbender's new live-action series offers a new take on the classic Nickelodeon animated show, and fans have been sharing their love for the new adaptation. With the new live-action series doing as well with Netflix as it has for the first few days it has been available for streaming thus far, Netflix is going all out to showcase more love for the series as well.

Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently doing very well for itself with Netflix as it's taken the top spot for TV Shows in the United States and many other countries around the world, and Netflix is showcasing even more of the series' standout characters with the launch of some new profile icons for fans to change into. This line up of icons includes main characters like Aang (complete with Avatar State) and some standout characters in the ancillary cast such as Suki, Iroh, and even Appa and Momo. Check out the selection of profile icons for Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender below:

THEY'RE HERE! which AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER profile icon are you picking? pic.twitter.com/FnxMSV7jTb

-- Avatar: The Last Airbender (@AvatarNetflix) February 26, 2024

Is Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Getting a Season 2?

Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender has yet to announce whether or not it will be returning for a second season as of the time of this writing, but the first season ends with some big cliffhangers for what could be coming next. Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently streaming with Netflix if you wanted to check out its eight episode run, and it adapts the original first season's material from the classic Nickelodeon animated series.

ComicBook.com's own Megan Peters said the following about Avatar: The Last Airbender in our official review, "...Avatar: The Last Airbender deserves to move forward. The live-action adaptation is the antithesis of Hollywood's blighted attempt from years ago. The adaptation takes big risks with its changes, but they all serve the story in an authentic way. Despite its gritty aesthetic, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender realizes a new and faithful take on Nickelodeon's greatest series, but if you are an Avatar purist, this bold adaptation might not be up your alley."

Will you be changing to one of these Avatar: The Last Airbender profile icons with Netflix? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

The Simpsons took on Mario Kart with a fun new parody in the newest episode of the series! The Simpsons has finally returned this year with the second half of Season 35 now airing its midseason run as part of FOX's Animation Domination block on Sunday evenings, and the newest episode shed some new light on Homer and Lisa's relationship once more. Taking Homer's reckless driving to new extremes, this ended up giving Lisa some major anxiety she has had trouble dealing with. But Lisa was able to reach a new breakthrough with some reckless driving of her own.

As part of some immersion therapy to get over her anxiety with Homer's wild driving, Lisa figures out that she has a skill in driving go-karts and ends up competing in the official kids' kart racing circuit. The Simpsons Season 35 Episode 12 then sees Homer dealing with the guilt of pushing Lisa into her own kind of reckless driving with his actions, and it leads to a nightmare that sees him literally driving her off of Rainbow Road in a hilarious and wild take on Mario Kart (complete with non-trademarked versions of Nintendo characters of course).

Mario Kart reference from tonight's new episode of The Simpsons, "Lisa Gets an F1". pic.twitter.com/fagfFUL5YR

-- VideoGameArt&Tidbits (@VGArtAndTidbits) February 26, 2024

How to Watch The Simpsons Season 35

If you wanted to check out the newest episode of The Simpsons for yourself, Season 35 of the series is now airing on FOX on Sunday evenings and you can find the episodes streaming with Hulu the day after. There are currently 12 episodes for the new season to check out, and the first 34 seasons of the series are now streaming with Disney+ if you wanted to go through the back catalog too. The long running animated series is described as such:

"This beloved animated comedy tells the story of the Simpson family and the residents of the typical American town of Springfield. Homer Simpson works at the local nuclear plant, and does his best to lead his family, but often finds that they are leading him. Living with Homer at 742 Evergreen Terrace is loving, blue-haired matriarch Marge, troublemaking son Bart, overachieving daughter Lisa and pacifier-sucking baby Maggie."

How do you feel about The Simpsons' take on Mario Kart in the newest episode? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

It's time to say goodbye to Che Diaz. On Monday, reports confirmed that Sara Ramirez, who has portrayed the character across And Just Like That...'s first two seasons, will not be involved in the upcoming third season of the Sex and the City sequel series.

Rumors have swirled as of late that Ramirez had been axed from And Just Like That..., with some theorizing that it was as a result of their social media posts about the Irsael-Hamas war. Reportedly, Ramirez's exit was because Che "had reached a natural conclusion" and was unrelated to their social media presence or politics.

Who Is Che Diaz?

Introduced in the first season of And Just Like That..., Che Diaz is a nonbinary standup comedian who co-hosts a podcast with Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker), and eventually becomes a love interest of Miranda Hobbes (Cynthia Nixon). The onscreen couple broke up in Season 2. Along the way, the character of Che was met with a lot of backlash from viewers on social media, something that Ramirez themselves directly responded to.

"Other people's opinions of a character -- that's not something I can allow into my process," Ramirez explained in a June 2022 interview with Variety. "I choose what I receive, right? That's the beauty of being grown -- I don't have to receive everything!"

Is And Just Like That... Renewed for Season 3?

In August of 2023, HBO confirmed that And Just Like That... has been renewed for a third season. Plot details and an exact release date have yet to be confirmed at this time.

"We are thrilled to spend more time in the Sex and the City universe telling new stories about the lives of these relatable and aspirational characters played by these amazing actors," said executive producer Michael Patrick King in a press release. "And Just Like That... here comes season 3."

"We are delighted to share that since the launch of season 2, And Just Like That... ranks as the #1 Max Original overall, and is the most-watched returning Max Original to date," added Max Head of Original Content Sarah Aubrey. "As we approach the highly anticipated season finale on Thursday, we raise our cosmos to Michael Patrick King and his magnificent team of writers, producers, cast and crew who continue to charm us, 25 years later, with dynamic friendships and engaging stories. We cannot wait for audiences to see where season 3 will take our favorite New Yorkers."

What Is And Just Like That... About?

The Max Original AND JUST LIKE THAT..., the new chapter of the groundbreaking HBO series "Sex and the City," from executive producer Michael Patrick King, follows Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.

The series is executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon, Julie Rottenberg, Elisa Zuritsky, John Melfi and Michael Patrick King. King also wrote the series along with Samantha Irby, Rachna Fruchbom, Keli Goff, Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky. King directed the series along with Gillian Robespierre, Cynthia Nixon, Anu Valia and Nisha Ganatra. The HBO series Sex and the City was created by Darren Star and based on the book Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell.

What do you think of Sara Ramirez exiting And Just Like That...? How do you feel about Che Diaz no longer being a part of the show? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Avatar: The Last Airbender has debuted its live-action series with Netflix at last, and it turns out it's pulling in some top-tier ratings with the streaming service! Avatar: The Last Airbender is the latest of Netflix's produced live-action adaptations of classic animated projects, and there was a lot of buzz over whether or not this one would be a hit given that the franchise failed to launch a live-action adaptation previously. But now that the series is here, it's been made clear by fans that there has been an overwhelming positive response to what they've seen.

Avatar: The Last Airbender might not have been as big of a hit with critics as fans were hoping to see, but the series is currently pulling in some major ratings. After taking the number one spot in the Top TV Shows in the U.S. with Netflix along with its debut (which it currently still has as of the time of this writing), Flixpatrol has also reported that Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently number one in 84 different countries. This makes it quite the successful debut weekend for the live-action adaptation.

Will There Be an Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2?

Avatar: The Last Airbender is currently holding strong in the first weekend of its debut with Netflix, but it has yet to be announced whether or not the series will be coming back for a new season. The Rotten Tomatoes score is currently sitting at 60%, which makes it Fresh as of the time of this writing. But you can check out the original eight episode first season of the series now streaming with Netflix if you wanted to judge how the series turned out for yourself.

ComicBook.com's own Megan Peters said the following about Avatar: The Last Airbender in our official review, "...Avatar: The Last Airbender deserves to move forward. The live-action adaptation is the antithesis of Hollywood's blighted attempt from years ago. The adaptation takes big risks with its changes, but they all serve the story in an authentic way. Despite its gritty aesthetic, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender realizes a new and faithful take on Nickelodeon's greatest series, but if you are an Avatar purist, this bold adaptation might not be up your alley."

How do you feel about Avatar: The Last Airbender's ratings with Netflix? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Get ready, Clone Club, because the premiere for Orphan Black: Echoes is officially on the horizon. Over the weekend, AMC revealed a new poster for Orphan Black: Echoes, the highly-anticipated spinoff of BBC America and Space's Orphan Black. Echoes is led by Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter, with the new poster for Echoes placing her in the spotlight in a visually distinct way.

Additionally, the poster confirms that Orphan Black: Echoes will finally premiere on AMC, BBC America, and AMC+ at some point in June of this year. This comes as the show's entire first season has already aired in some international territories, debuting in Australia on November of 2023.

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. 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?

Earlier this 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."

Are you excited for Orphan Black: Echoes? What do you think of its new poster and release window? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

As mentioned above, Orphan Black: Echoes will be released exclusively on AMC, AMC+, and BBC America in June.

AMC has released a new trailer for Season 2 of Interview With the Vampire and in it, Louis is having some memory problems. The new trailer, which was released on Monday and you can check out for yourself in the video below, features a series of moments from Louis (Jacob Anderson) and Claudia's (Delainey Hayles) time in Europe -- including a brief glimpse at what might be the return of Lestat (Sam Reid). But an ominous voice over of "the blood is bad here" suggests that not all is well and the trailer ends with a distressed Louis admitting that he doesn't remember "any of this" to Daniel (Eric Bogosian) and prompting what appears to be concern from Armand (Assad Zamad).

What Do We Know About Season 2 of Interview With the Vampire?

Interview With the Vampire is set to debut on May 12th on AMC. The new season will see the addition of some new cast members, with Breaking Bad alum David Costabile will guest star as Leonard, described as a seasoned television personality who has a run-in with Daniel Molloy, Roxane Duran as Madeline, and Bally Gill as "Real Rashid". Ben Daniels is also joining the cast as Santiago.

Season 2 is also expected to cover the second half of Anne Rice's novel of the same name, which sees Louis and Claudia in Paris believing that they have left Lestat behind for good. This move also brings the Theatre des Vampires into the story and is expected to expand on Armand's story as Armand leads the French coven operating the Theatre. Dubai will also continue to play a major role in Season 2 with Daniel continuing his interview of Louis -- and we may just get more of the story between Daniel and Armand that was teased at the end of Season 1.

"Why Armand is doing what he's doing and the dynamics between the two of them -- meaning Louis and Armand and then also, frankly, Armand and Molloy -- are things that will be heavily explored in Season 2," series producer Adam O'Byrne said previously.

Series Star Jacob Anderson Has Also Teased Season 2

"The theme of season 2 is this idea of memory is a monster, and how memory and guilt can follow you around," Anderson explained. "When we meet Claudia and Louis in season 2, they're dealing with the psychological and literal repercussions of what they did together," he added, referring to betraying Lestat at the end of the first season. "With Louis, you definitely get a sense there was some hesitance on his part - he didn't really go through with it, he pulled back from the decision at the last minute because he is very in love with this fellow monster. That creates tension between the two of them, Louis and Claudia, that they weren't exactly on the same page, so for those two to be together now in an unfamiliar territory creates a lot of drama."

"There are things that I can't talk about in this season that were really challenging and really shocking to me, and I've learned a lot of things about Louis and myself," Anderson added. "Another big theme in the show is that of endurance and resilience, and because of what Louis is experiencing this season, I've definitely learned that my own mind is more resilient than I thought it was. It's more robust. I can withstand more madness than I thought I could. It's been really fulfilling and challenging and fun."

"We definitely stick to the second half of the book, and I'd say it's faithful to the spirit and actually the literal plot," he added. "I love the first book, but the second half is not quite as dense as the first half, so the writers this season have definitely expanded on ideas that are hinted at or suggested in the second part of the book."

Interview With the Vampire returns for Season 2 on May 12th on AMC.

Chainsaw Man is one of the biggest IPs in anime, and its reach cannot be overlooked. From top-selling manga volumes to top-tier collectibles, Chainsaw Man has done it all. Really, the only thing Chainsaw Man has yet to do is dive into a full-blown video game, so one fan decided to take things into their own hands. Over on Happy Wheels, a user made a level dedicated to Chainsaw Man, and it brings the 2010 game into a new decade.

You might think Happy Wheels went away after YouTubers stopped playing the game, but that is not true. The side-scroller still has new levels uploaded daily by fans, and that is how this epic Chainsaw Man tribute came to life. It even has cutscenes which is wild. So if you like the anime, it is definitely worth checking out Happy Wheels ASAP.

so i found a Chainsaw Man Map in Happy Wheels and pic.twitter.com/RHoYkyhYfP

-- Delta (@Chainsawpedia) February 25, 2024

As you can imagine, this Chainsaw Man tribute is making the rounds online, and fans have renewed their pleas for an actual video game. To date, the manga and anime have yet to roll out a game adaptation. In 2023, a browser game for Chainsaw Man was released marking the manga's fifteenth volume, but it is pretty simple. What fans are wanting is a robust fighting game that gives Denji the chance to bloody himself up. So far, no plans for a Chiansaw Man game are in the works, but netizens aren't giving up hope on the project.

For now, Chainsaw Man is staying busy behind the scenes. Series creator Tatsuki Fujimoto is still working on the manga which is in its second half. As for the anime, MAPPA Studios brought Chainsaw Man season one to life in October 2022. Now, the company is working on Chainsaw Man - The Movie: Reze Arc. So for anyone wanting a refresher on the series, you can read the official synopsis of Chainsaw Man below:

"Denji is a young boy who works as a Devil Hunter with the "Chainsaw Devil" Pochita. One day, as he was living his miserable life trying to pay off the debt he inherited from his parents, he got betrayed and killed. As he was losing his consciousness, he made a deal with Pochita, and got resurrected as the "Chainsaw Man": the owner of the Devil's heart."

What do you think about this Chainsaw Man crossover? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Invader Zim first debuted nearly 25 years ago with Nickelodeon, and one of the minds behind its early concept stages has revealed a new behind-the-scenes look at the animated series' original pilot episode! Invader Zim had a fairly short run with Nickelodeon as the series was brought to an end before the second season even aired its final episode, but you could never really tell that considering how big Invader Zim has become as a franchise in the years since. Not only was it a massive cult hit in the early 2000s, but its iconic imagery was a big deal among a certain generation.

Invader Zim has since grown into a massive fandom that fans are still hungry for more material from nearly 25 years since the animated series first made its debut with Nickelodeon, and now fans have gotten a cool look at how it all began. Brian A. Miller took to social media to reveal a cool behind-the-scenes sketch of Dib from the original pilot episode from 1999, who noted how he left Nickelodeon before the series started its full production. Check out the new behind-the-scenes look at Invader Zim's origin below:

Original Drawing created during the making of the Invader Zim pilot 1999. I left Nickelodeon before the series was put into production. I always felt Zim would have had a better home at Cartoon Network. It was greenlit during a time when Nick was trying be more like CN. pic.twitter.com/dEwtCxlVCv

-- Brian A. Miller (@bfredmuggs) February 25, 2024

How to Watch Invader Zim

If you wanted to go back and check out Invader Zim for yourself, there's actually a great way to check out all of the episodes. The complete two seasons are now available to stream with Paramount+, so you can see why it's become such a hit with fans of a certain generation. Invader Zim is described as such, "Stand back, ignorant Earth filth! Invader Zim has been sent from the planet IRK on a mission of doom. Disguised as a child and accompanied by GIR, his robot, Zim has come to assume control of Earth. But, a wrench named Dib interferes with his plan..."

If you wanted to see even more Invader Zim, the animated franchise actually returned several decades later with a special sequel movie project bringing back the franchise years after it came to an end. Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus takes place after the events of the original series, and brings the franchise to a proper end that fans had wanted to see. You can check it out on Netflix, and they teased it as such, "When Zim reappears to begin the next phase of his evil alien plan to conquer Earth, his nemesis Dib Membrane sets out to unmask him once and for all."

Where does Invader Zim rank among your favorite Nickelodeon animated series? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

Veronica Mars proved to be a franchise that was hard to keep down, as it was first revived as a crowd-funded movie after its initial cancellation and then returned for a revival series years later on Hulu, with star Ryan Hansen claiming that the cast and crew are all "game" to do more episodes. Understandably complicating the entire future of the franchise is the growing popularity of all of the talent involved, as well as the last episode of Season 4 earning backlash from fans due to the implied death of Jason Dohring's character Logan. If this could be revealed to have all been a ruse, though, Hansen sees more episodes being a more promising opportunity.

When asked by Bleeding Cool about getting more Veronica Mars, Hansen admitted, "Everyone's game is to do it. I love playing Dick. I think the fans were bummed by how that season ended. If there's a twist on how that could be reversed, I don't know. Maybe not, I don't know. I honestly don't know. I think it would do it."

The complicated status of the franchise goes all the way back to the debut season. Premiering in 2004, Season 1 marked the breakout role for Kristen Bell as the titular character, the daughter of a private investigator who spent the entire season exploring the murder of her best friend. In hopes of making Season 2 more accessible to new fans, the episodes were broken up into smaller arcs. With Season 3, the series jumped from UPN to The CW, almost entirely abandoning the overall mysteries for standalone investigations.

Despite the support from figures like Stephen King and Kevin Smith, Veronica Mars wasn't renewed for a Season 4. Luckily, a crowdfunding campaign was initially announced in 2013 and quickly shattered all expectations and the Veronica Mars movie premiered in 2014. The nature of the concept and the pivot to a big-screen adventure understandably means the movie was met with mixed reactions from fans, with Season 5 instead allowing the project to replicate the structure that earned it a passionate following more authentically.

Series creator Rob Thomas previously recalled the big reason that he made the fatal decision to seemingly kill off Logan was to not let the show stagnate with the characters settling into a state of normalcy.

"I know what the show needs to be moving forward," Thomas shared with TVLine in 2019. "There are not many shows about kickass detectives and their boyfriend at home. It was tough getting Logan wrapped into the story this season. Season One of Veronica Mars, the series regulars were all characters who I knew were part of that season's mystery... It becomes very Murder, She Wrote if you have to start keeping the same six people wrapped up in each mystery. There's a reason shows end when the couple gets together. I'm not going to start doing The Thin Man. It's not going to be Veronica and Logan solving mysteries, so what is Logan doing in the show?"

Stay tuned for updates on the possible future of Veronica Mars.

Would you like to get more installments of the series? Let us know in the comments!

Avatar: The Last Airbender is now taking over Netflix since the debut of the live-action series last week, and the series is highlighting the Cabbage Merchant, Suki and more with some new character posters! Avatar: The Last Airbender has arrived on Netflix with an adaptation of the first season of the original Nickelodeon animated series, and that means that fans get to see many of the moments and characters that they liked in the first time around. This even includes some of the long running gag characters such as the Cabbage Merchant, who's become an icon in the years since the original.

Avatar: The Last Airbender brings back the Cabbage Merchant for the new live-action adaptation with Netflix, and makes sure to give the icon an equally iconic moment in the new work. The Cabbage Merchant is one of the major standouts from the Earth Kingdom alongside other returning characters such as Suki and Bumi, and now Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender is showing each of these characters some love with some new character posters for the three now that the series is taking over the world. Check them out below:

? Give some commotion to the Earth Kingdom ? pic.twitter.com/RnBkP2IxRK

-- Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) February 26, 2024

How to Watch Avatar: The Last Airbender

Avatar: The Last Airbender has been topping the Netflix charts since its debut last week, and you can currently check out the eight episode first season now streaming. It has yet to be announced whether or not the series will be returning for a second season as of the time of this writing, but its reception has been great among fans thus far. Starring a core cast of Gordon Cormier as Aang, Kiawentiio as Katara, Ian Ousley as Sokka, Dallas Liu as Prince Zuko, Elizabeth Yu as Azula, Daniel Dae Kim as Fire Lord Ozai and more, ComicBook.com's own Megan Peters said the following about Avatar: The Last Airbender in our official review:

"...Avatar: The Last Airbender deserves to move forward. The live-action adaptation is the antithesis of Hollywood's blighted attempt from years ago. The adaptation takes big risks with its changes, but they all serve the story in an authentic way. Despite its gritty aesthetic, Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender realizes a new and faithful take on Nickelodeon's greatest series, but if you are an Avatar purist, this bold adaptation might not be up your alley."

What did you think of the Cabbage Merchant, Suki, and Bumi in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!

Netflix's Beef became one of the biggest surprises of the 2023 TV season, telling an emotionally-charged story that viewers were eager to follow. As Beef has continued to acquire more awards and overall acclaim, there has been the conversation about whether a second season of the show will be next. According to a new report, Netflix is currently actively developing a second season of Beef, with scripts for a second limited season already complete or almost complete, and production on the new episodes possibly beginning in the summer or fall. The report also indicates that Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, Interstellar), Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Donnie Darko), Charles Melton (May December, Riverdale), and Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla, The Craft: Legacy) are all being eyed to star in Beef Season 2.

While no former offers have reportedly been made, Beef Season 2 would reportedly center around two feuding couples, with Melton and Spaeny being eyed to play one pairing, and Gyllenhaal and Hathaway eyed to play the other. If these castings came to fruition, it would be the second time that Gyllenhaal and Hathaway have played love interests in a project, following 2005's Brokeback Mountain and 2010's Love & Other Drugs.

What Is Beef About?

Beef follows the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers. Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), a failing contractor with a chip on his shoulder, goes head-to-head with Amy Lau (Ali Wong), a self-made entrepreneur with a picturesque life. The increasing stakes of their feud unravel their lives and relationships in this darkly comedic and deeply moving series.

The cast of Beef Season 1 also included Joseph Lee, Young Mazino, David Choe, Patti Yasutake, Maria Bello, Ashley Park, and Ione Skye.

What Is Beef Season 2 About?

Previously, the cast and crew of Beef Season 1 have played coy about the possibility of a second season, with series creator Lee Sung Jin indicating that new episodes could revolve around Danny and Amy, or an entirely different story altogether.

"I'd love to make more. We initially pitched the show as an anthology series where every season is a new beef with new characters," Jin revealed. "At the same time, I really love Danny and Amy and George and Paul [Young Mazino] and the world we created. So, I'm really open to it all. Most importantly, I really want to keep working with this crew that I've really fallen in love with. But it's hard for me to say which direction we'll go without a writers room and any sort of momentum, so I'm really hoping the AMPTP comes to its senses."

What do you think of the latest update surrounding Season 2 of Beef? Do you hope the show adds Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Charles Melton, and Cailee Spaeny to its cast in Season 2? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Season 2 of Beef does not currently have a confirmed release date.

h/t: Deadline

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers for The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live.] "The world is so much bigger than we knew," a captive Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) wrote in a letter to his wife Michonne (Danai Gurira) during his six-year consignment at the Civic Republic of Philadelphia. "So much better, and so much worse." As the charge of Lt. Col. Okafor (Craig Tate), Consignee Grimes spent another two years moving through the ranks of the Civic Republic Military as Sergeant Major Grimes: a helicopter pilot and soldier serving in the force of 17,000 commanded by Major General Beale (Terry O'Quinn).

The CRM's code is "security and secrecy above all," Rick wrote in his letters. "Everything was about secrets. The army kept the city a secret at all costs. Everything the army did was secret to the city. And then there were the soldiers with those blood-red stripes keeping what they did a secret to the whole force. Secrets on secrets."

CRM Force Command secrets are classified within the Echelon Briefing, which contains "all the info, the whys, the things 90% of our force doesn't know about and 100% of our city doesn't," Okafor told Rick and Sgt. Maj. Pearl Thorne (Lesley-Ann Brandt). The top-secret file includes intel on the "tactical military operations" that former Lt. Col. Elizabeth Kublek (Julia Ormond) and Warrant Officer Jadis Stokes (Pollyanna McIntosh) carried out on Beale's orders over on The Walking Dead: World Beyond -- plot points that were indirectly referenced on the series premiere of The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, along with callbacks to the earliest seasons of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead.

The episode began with a Civic Republic news broadcast reporting that the city of Omaha -- one of the three surviving cities on the continent -- had fallen, and that the CRM was investigating if the collapse was caused by pressure from a zombie mass. The Alliance of the Three was now an Alliance of Two.

The Alliance of the Three

The Walking Dead: World Beyond established the Alliance of the Three, represented by the three-ring symbol:

• The Civic Republic of Philadelphia (Population: over 200,000)
• Omaha, Nebraska (Population: 97,407)
• Portland, Oregon (Population: 87,000)

The allied civilizations included another 9,671 survivors of Omaha's smaller satellite community, the Campus Colony. 10 years post-outbreak, in 2020, Beale order Kublek and Stokes to destroy the Omaha Safe-Zone and the Campus Colony. CRM Force Command killed civilians with a chemical strike of chlorine gas, then blew up the walls with explosives and had the communities overrun by zombie herds.

Publicly, the CRM claimed that herds of the dead merged into a massive "mega-cluster" that ran through and destroyed the Omaha and Campus colonies. Secretly, the CRM eliminated two potential threats to the Civic Republic.

On World Beyond, Jadis stated that the CRM's modeling revealed the Alliance would soon become a drain on the CR's resources of food, water, energy, and power. Omaha, the Campus Colony, and Portland had become too reliant on the Civic Republic and would never be fully self-sustaining. To prevent famine and conflict from spreading to "the last light of the world," the Civic Republic's army moved to sever all alliances.

CRM Origins

World Beyond revealed that the CRM agreed to a transition of power to the Civic Republic's Civilian Government after ten years. But a decade later, in 2020, Beale lobbied for an emergency delay of civilian oversight and cited the "tragedies" at Omaha and the Campus Colony as cause for the Civic Republic's army to continue operating independently from the city.

On The Ones Who Live, Beale told Rick that the CRM originated as the Pennsylvania National Guard. True to their motto -- "civilian in peace, soldier in war" -- Beale and the Guard stopped federal forces from bombing Philadelphia at the onset of the outbreak in 2010, then became the Civic Republic's army when the city of Philadelphia was fortified and walled off as the Civic Republic.

Operation Cobalt

As a member of the Air Force, Okafor carried out the bombings of Atlanta, Georgia, and Los Angeles, California, during the military's "Sunset Protocols." Operation Cobalt was the military's last-ditch effort to contain the Wildfire Virus that spread across the globe in August 2010, and these events were depicted on The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.

On World Beyond, Marine LCpl Jennifer "Huck" Mallick (Annet Mahendru) refused orders to execute civilians during Operation Cobalt and joined her mother, Elizabeth Kublek, in the ranks of the CRM. The Ones Who Live revealed that Okafor went AWOL from the Air Force when he was tasked with "liquidating" Philadelphia. Okafor was en route to Philly when he switched sides, bombing 4,000 Marines -- including his wife, Estelle -- at Lincoln Financial Field. He then joined the ranks of Beale's CRM.

Okafor recruited Rick and Thorne to help him "change the CRM from the inside," but Okafor was KIA during a helicopter flight. As Okafor warned Rick: "There's no escape for the living."

Read our rundown on everything you need to know about the CRM, our Rick & Michonne timeline explainer, and our recap about Rick's eight-year disappearance. Stay tuned to ComicBook/TWD and follow on Facebook for more TWD Universe coverage.

Jujutsu Kaisen has proven itself to anyone who doubted its credibility. Since day one, the supernatural series has been on its A-game, and the anime followed suit under direction from MAPPA Studios. These days, Gege Akutami's series is thriving as one of the most popular in anime. So of course, all eyes are on TikTok after one artist went viral for reimagining the anime as a classic Cartoon Network series.

As you can see below, the art comes courtesy of Shizzeka on TikTok. The artist posted a slew of art they inked for Jujutsu Kaisen. It is there everyone from Nanami to Megumi and even Panda get remade into cartoons. The nostalgic makeover is nothing short of genius, and the artist's take on Nobara is chef's kiss perfection.

This special Cartoon Network tribute proves Akutami's series has some serious versatility. It isn't easy making universal character designs, but the manga artist did it. Now, Shizzeka is picking up the rope with this makeover, and netizens are begging for a slapstick special in the vein of Courage the Cowardly Dog. I mean, just imagine Sukuna entering that world.

Of course, Jujutsu Kaisen has plenty on docket to deal with. Not only is the manga ongoing, but Akutami is deep in its most intense arc yet. As for the manga, MAPPA Studios brought Jujutsu Kaisen season two to a close last year. The show has already confirmed a third season is in the works, and it will bring Yuta Okkotsu center stage. The prodigal sorcerer is ready to step out of Jujutsu Kaisen 0 and into the main series now that Gojo has been sealed. And of course, manga readers are eager to see what Yuta's entry will do.

Want to catch up on Jujutsu Kaisen? No problem! You can read up on the story below courtesy of its official synopsis:

"For some strange reason, Yuji Itadori, despite his insane athleticism would rather just hang out with the Occult Club. However, her soon finds out that the occult is as real as it gets when his fellow club members are attacked! Meanwhile, the mysterious Megumi Fushiguro is tracking down a special-grade cursed object, and his search leads him to Itadori..."

What do you think about this old-school Jujutsu Kaisen makeover? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

In the past decade, few superhero stories have gone live that can hold a candle to My Hero Academia. The shonen series has become one of the biggest franchises in anime, and its grip spans the world. Dubbed a love letter to superhero comics, My Hero Academia has more than a few references to universes like Marvel and DC. And now, the creator of My Hero Academia admits Deku's new form borrows inspiration from Carnage himself.

The confession comes courtesy of Kohei Horikoshi as the artist behind My Hero Academia loves all things comics. In the past, the creator has referenced everyone from Ultraman to Spider-Man and Batman in his work. So of course, all eyes were on Horikoshi when his newest author's note dubbed Deku Carnage.

"The official name for the current situation is Deku Overlay, but in mind, I call it Carnage," Horikoshi shared. The note was paired with My Hero Academia chapter 415 as it features a new form for Deku. The bloody design is sharp and angular much like Carnage. Plus, its use of blood makes Deku Carnage an easy sell. Obviously, the crossover is hardly official, but there is no denying Horikoshi eyed the Spider-Man villain while crafting the new power boost.

If you are not familiar with Carnage, you should know the Marvel supervillain was introduced in April 1992. Carnage is tied to the Symbiotes much like Venom, and this villain was made to give Spider-Man a hard time as well as Venom. In the comics, Carnage is most famous for tapping Cletus Kasady as its host. The serial killer was nothing short of psychotic and thirsted for blood. So thankfully, Deku's new form just leans into the visuals of Carnage rather than its personality.

After all, Deku has had some gnarly looking forms before, but his new Carnage form is particularly important. The boy uses Black Whip to coat himself in armor laced with his own blood. In the manga, My Hero Academia is using this form as a way to fight Shigaraki from within. In recent chapters, Deku learned that transferring parts of One For All to Shigaraki breaks down his psyche. And in order to pass on the vestiges within One For All, Deku needs to exchange blood with his foe.

Want to know more about My Hero Academia? No sweat! You can read up on the hit series below courtesy of its official synopsis:

"Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life-a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That's right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered "quirk," Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that's not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world's most prestigious hero academies."

What do you think about this latest My Hero Academia update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

There is no denying the success of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Over a year ago, the film landed in theaters, and fans all over wondered how the movie would fare. It didn't take long for Gohan and Piccolo to stir up conversation after the film dropped. These days, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero serves as one of the anime's top movies, and now it seems Mashle just paid homage to the project.

The whole thing went live this past week thanks to Mashle: Magic and Muscles season two. The show, which returned in January, posted a new episode with Mash at the front. It was there the buff hero took on some new enemies, and and his foes were ripped straight from Dragon Ball Super.

#??????? #??? #?????? #?????

???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/snPgJxdUvH

-- ???????(???&?????????) (@MilkFreeza) February 25, 2024

For instance, one of the wizards fighting Mash uses their version of Piccolo's iconic Special Beam Canon. In another shot, Mash is seen punching a goat beast as if they were Cell Max. And earlier in the episode, a title card is shown with Mash's allies that mirrors one included in Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. So if you thought the homage was coincidental, well - it happened enough times to be suspicious.

As you can imagine, Dragon Ball fans picked up on this reference easily enough. The anime is absolute huge, and over the decades, all sorts of shows have paid homage to Dragon Ball with special scenes. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero has been tributes less often given its 2022 release. But thanks to Mashle season two, Piccolo and Gohan are getting their due.

If you are not caught up with Mashle, the anime's second season is ongoing. You can check out the anime now on Crunchyroll. So for more information on Hajime Komoto's series, you can read its synopsis below:

"In the magic realm, magic is everything-everyone can use it, and one's skill determines their social status. Deep in the forest, oblivious to the ways of the world, lives Mash. Thanks to his daily training, he's become a fitness god. When Mash is discovered, he has no choice but to enroll in magic school, where he must beat the competition without revealing his secret-he can't use magic!"

What do you think about this Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero homage? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

In the anime industry, there are few actors more versatile than Cristina Vee. From slice of life series to intense shonen hits, Vee has lent their voice to a number of projects over the years. Very few dub actors get to tackle the variety Vee has during her career. Her work has made Vee into one of anime's most notable voice actors online, but now the actress is taking a break from X (Twitter) in the wake of a debunked witch hunt.

The entire ordeal began on social media when a fan posted a list of voice actors who allegedly held zionist beliefs. It was there Vee's name was found, leading a number of netizens to launch a smear campaign against the actress. It did not take long before receipts proved this accusation false. But by that point, the irresponsible rumor had done its damage. Vee took to social media thanking those who supported her amid the ordeal, but moving forward, they will not be using X (Twitter).

"Hey everybody! I really appreciate the people who researched the false rumors and misinformation going around. And I thank the original posters for retracting. However, reading posts telling me I should k- world myself, I'm a horrible person, etc etc took a toll and I've dedicated that it's time to permanently delete twitter for my own mental health," Vee wrote through her now-deleted profile.

"I'm still happy to connect with everyone over on Instagram and TikTok! Thanks for the fun memes over the years. Love you all and wish you the best!" Vee went on to ask fans to stay positive in light of her exit and to refrain from attacking anyone involved in the rumors. "It's a tough time right now. Let's not spread anymore negativity please."

As you can imagine, the anime and animation fandoms are now sending their best wishes to Vee. After all, the California native has overseen a number of high-profile roles in her time. From the Fate anime to The Promised Neverland and Hunter x Hunter, Vee's reputation with anime fans is pristine. Beyond anime, the actress has also worked on projects like Genshin Impact, League of Legends, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, and more.

What do you make of this latest voice actor debacle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram.