A new mid-season trailer for Lanterns has arrived online, hyping up the final three episodes of the critically acclaimed series that we’re pretty positive isn’t going to end on a bright note. For one, the closer we get to the end, the closer we are to Hal Jordan's demise, which is a real pity given how exceptional a job Kyle Chandler has done with the character.

Following the events of episode 5 – “Lights Out” – the show jumps forward ten years, when John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) returns to Rushville after leaving it in ruins and to his former mentor, who is clearly still sore about being replaced. Sometime after this incredibly tense reunion, Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) will finally make an appearance, and we might hopefully learn just how Earth’s newest Green Lantern and former “Athletic Director” ended up with the ring after John turned it down.

It’s also worth noting that even though Hal might be dead, someone who has an incredibly similar build looks to be accompanying John on his journey across what looks like a dead wasteland. Could the Hal-ogram be back in action, and once again give us a rarely seen chipper Hal from his younger years? Honestly, at this point, whatever gives us more of Chandler playing the greatest Green Lantern to ever live, the better.

From there, we get glimpses of John seemingly going off-world and crossing paths with the teacher who taught his teacher, Thaal Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), plus one shot that will no doubt get GLC fans in a tizzy. For the briefest of moments, we see what looks like an abandoned machine with a very yellow tint. Could this all have been leading to Sinestro getting to work on a yellow ring, or indeed his own corps, just like in the comics? Or could something even worse be on the horizon, and John, who has spent years being fearless, be about to use fear as a weapon? Like Sinestro says, “fear can be the most powerful force in the universe.”

The next episode of Lanterns arrives on HBO Max and NOW TV on Sunday, but be sure to stay updated on every other upcoming DC movie and show, courtesy of our nifty guide.

After besting the bad guys once again, our favourite swole savior has exited our screens as Reacher season 4 has come to an end. But not to worry, Reacher season 5 is already on the way and has started filming in Canada. That's right, Alan Ritchson is strutting around a new small town and throwing punches as we speak.

Reacher season 4 saw the ex-soldier face his most violent villains yet in the tense wild goose chase after a mystery hard drive. The fourth outing was packed full of action, one-liners, and even a sneaky Tom Cruise reference. But the fun doesn't stop there. We already know which stars are joining Ritchson next time, and which of Lee Child's Jack Reacher books is being adapted next. If you thought season 4 kicked one of the best Prime Video shows up a notch, stay tuned for season 5.

So what are you waiting for? Scroll on for everything we know about Reacher season 5's confirmed cast list, plot speculation, when we expect the show to hit Prime Video, and more. Then, check out our Reacher season 4 review and keep up to date with other upcoming shows.

Reacher season 5 release date speculation

Reacher season 5 does not yet have an official release date.

Reacher was renewed for a fifth season in May 2026 ahead of Amazon’s upfront presentation, three months before season 4 hit Prime Video. Historically, Reacher seasons have released around 1.5 years apart on average. Season 2 hit Prime Video 22 months after season 1, and season 3 followed just 14 months later, and Reacher season 4 landed around 18 months after season 3. With that in mind, we could expect to see Reacher season 5 as early as December 2027, or early 2028.

However, season 5 has already started filming. Cameras started rolling on July 20 in Ontario, Canada. Star Alan Ritchson has been keeping fans updated since then, posting updates on Instagram. Season 4 started shooting in June 2025, meaning it only took 14 months for the show to land on screen from its filming start date.

Reacher season 5 plot – what book is being adapted?

While Prime Video has yet to release an official synopsis, we do know which of author Lee Child's Jack Reacher books Reacher season 5 will adapt. The series so far has followed Alan Ritchson's bulky hero as he ventures from town to town with just the shirt on his back, taking on bad guys where he can. Reacher season 1 was based on 'Killing Floor,' season 2 adapted 'Bad Luck and Trouble,' season 3 was based on 'Persuader,' and season 4 brought Child's 13th book 'Gone Tomorrow' to life.

At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, the Reacher and Neagley panel confirmed that Reacher season 5 is based on Child's 20th Reacher book titled 'Make Me.' The novel finds Reacher at a remote railroad station in a Midwestern town called Mother’s Rest, hoping to make a quick stopover. However, after expecting to find only miles of wheat fields, he meets a private investigator named Michelle Chang who mistakes him for her missing partner. When Reacher agrees to help Chang, he is pulled into a twisted technological mystery.

Now, this might sound like Reacher's usual stop in a sleepy town, but Make Me boasts global cybercrime. Not only is Mother's Rest home to some of the strangest townsfolk, but the novel dives deep into the dark web, sees Reacher and Chang head to Los Angeles for answers, and totals about 200 deaths. It is important to note that although the series usually stays pretty loyal to its source material, the Prime Video show has been known to shake things up. So we should expect some surprises along the way.

Even though Amazon remains tight-lipped on the finer details, star Alan Ritchson is keeping fans updated on how filming is going. In August 2026, Ritchson posted a video to Instagram from inside his trailer, complaining about the cold and the snow in Canada. This will surely throw the ex-soldier a curveball, as Reacher is used to strutting about in only a T-shirt and jeans. But the weather doesn't seem to be holding the star back, as in another post, Ritchson tells fans that he has to throw himself into the river rapids during one scene.

But it looks like the hero will yet again find himself in a spot of trouble, as in one post, which you can see above, Ritchson looks battered and bruised, with butterfly stitches on his face. When we look closer, we can see that Reacher is wearing a Mother's Rest, ON Volunteer Fire Department T-shirt. This is totally on brand for Reacher, as the series has seen Reacher throw on any piece of clothing he can find, including an 'I Love Maine' graphic tee and a 'Get Cracked in Philadelphia' shirt.

However, the 'ON' on the shirt also confirms that Reacher season 5 is set in Ontario, Canada, rather than in the Midwest (possibly Oklahoma or Kansas) like the book.

Reacher season 4 recap

Reacher season 4 saw the ex-soldier touch down in Philadelphia, where, on a seemingly normal train ride, he encounters a distraught federal employee named Anna Merrick. Assuming she is a suicide bomber due to her clothing and demeanor, Reacher approaches her, but she panics and shoots herself. However, just before doing so, Anna hands Reacher a flash drive that makes him a target for multiple parties. With the local police, the FBI, the CIA, and two Indonesian women known as the Hoths now on his back, Reacher teams up with Anna's brother Jacob Merrick and detective Tamara Green.

As the team attempts to find out what is really on the flash drive and why Anna killed herself, they unravel a years-old military cover-up that leads to a weapon of mass destruction being let loose in Philadelphia. After a few twists and turns, Reacher comes face to face with the season's true villains, who may just be the show's most violent yet. It should come as no surprise that Reacher comes out on top, but not without a few scrapes. You can find a more detailed rundown on those final moments in our Reacher season 4 ending explained guide.

However, as each season of Reacher follows a separate story, we don't think season 5 will include any characters from Philly.

Reacher season 5 cast

Back when Reacher season 5 was announced, Deadline confirmed the four Hollywood stars that will be joining Alan Ritchson as Reacher. This is the End star Jay Baruchel has been cast as Chief Buck Bauer, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes star Kevin Durand will play Nokes, Cross' Amanda Ip is set to play Michelle Chang, and Ciara Bravo, best known for appearing in this year's surprise Netflix hit Voicemails For Isabelle, will play Eunice.

Thanks to season 5 being based on Lee Child's 20th Jack Reacher book, 'Make Me', we already know a little bit about the characters. Chang is an ex-FBI agent turned private investigator who asks Reacher for help looking for her colleague who had been working for a mystery client. Bauer is a local cop in Mother's Rest who sounds a lot like season 4's Jacob Merrick. Funnily enough, Baruchel was supposed to play Merrick in season 4, but after he stepped back from the project, he was replaced by Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette.

It should come as no surprise that Durand is playing a bad guy, as Nokes is this season's physically imposing antagonist, much like season 3's Paulie. However, Bravo's character Eunice does not appear in the book. As for returning cast members, anyone other than Reacher usually doesn't show up again due to each season taking place in a different US state. However, Maria Sten's Francis Neagley has been known to drop in every now and then. But now that she has her own spin-off show, it is not clear if we will see her on Reacher's turf again.

The confirmed cast list includes:

• Alan Ritchson as Reacher
• Jay Baruchel as Chief Buck Bauer
• Kevin Durand as Nokes
• Amanda Ip as Michelle Chang
• Ciara Bravo as Eunice

Is there a Reacher season 5 trailer?

There is no Reacher season 5 trailer just yet, as the season has only just started filming and does not yet have a release date.

However, season 4 started shooting in mid-June 2025, and the first trailer later landed during San Diego Comic-Con 2026 in July 2026. As season 5 started filming in July 2026, this means we could see the Reacher season 5 trailer as soon as August 2027. Or, if Reacher decides to return to SDCC in 2027, Prime Video could release the trailer there.

Is Reacher season 5 the final season?

It is not clear if Reacher season 5 will be the series' final installment. Technically, the show could keep going as long as there are Jack Reacher novels to adapt – and there are 30 books in total. Plus, Lee Child's 31st Reacher novel, 'Chain Reaction,' co-written with his son Andrew Child, is set to hit shelves this October. So, there is no real sell-by date on Reacher, but we all know that TV shows cannot go on forever.

Reacher seasons 1-4 are available to watch on Prime Video now. For more, check out our list of the best action movies.

Frances Neagley has been a fixture on Prime Video's Reacher for several seasons, even popping up when there's no precedent in the books. But both the show and the many (many) Lee Child novels have yet to fill in Neagley's mysterious backstory. Until now, that is.

Dropping at the same time as the Reacher season 4 finale and set immediately after the events of the latest season, eight-episode spin-off series Neagley is all about the one-time member of Jack Reacher's Special Investigations Unit. The two shows are closely connected then, but speaking with GamesRadar+ in London, star Maria Sten explains how the spin-off's "emotional" exploration of Neagley's past trauma is what separates the new series from the hard-hitting mothership show.

"I was blown away by the creativity and the sensitivity about what we were gonna make the season about, which is, of course, we want to answer Neagley's backstory," says Sten, who has played Neagley since the character's first appearance way back in Reacher season 1. "I was very impressed with how they managed to weave in this very emotional story into this splashy action thriller show."

Long-running Reacher fans will know that Neagley has haphephobia – a fear of being touched. Not only is this explored in the show, so is her relationship with Tommy Crane – a childhood friend of Neagley's who dies under very suspicious circumstances, sending Neagley on an inevitably violent mission to uncover the truth.

However, unlike every season of Reacher so far, each of which has adapted a single Lee Child book, Neagley tells an original story in the Reacher-verse. Sten notes that everyone involved felt a keen sense of responsibility to stay true to Child's world and characters, even as they forged their own path.

"To me, that was the most important thing; you have to honour the foundation. There's a reason why these books are so popular," Sten says. "But, also, I felt when I read the books that there was always more than meets the eye with Neagley. She was very, very clear to me when I read the books, even though everyone was talking about how [Child] never reveals her backstory. We're expanding upon it, and we're deepening her story, and we're showing the secret sides of her, the ones that she doesn't show anyone. But ultimately it still has to be the same character.
So that was very, very important to me."

Neagley streams on Prime Video from September 16. Fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the most exciting new TV shows on the horizon.

Despite cancelling Spider-Noir after just one season, Amazon and Sony are still moving ahead with their multi-title deal to use IP from Sony's Universe of Marvel characters... and there are reportedly four projects in development.

The deal was first announced back in 2022, with Silk: Spider-Society set to be the first project. The series, which would've followed Korean-American superhero Cindy Moon, was ultimately canceled before entering production. Spider-Noir premiered in 2026 to rave reviews, but was given the axe just a couple of months after the first season was released. According to The Ankler, there are a whopping four projects in the works, and Amazon is hoping to greenlight two of them.

Per the report, the four projects come from American Born Chinese creator Kelvin Yu, Pluribus and Better Call Saul writer Alison Tatlock, Tracker and Legion producer Ben H. Winters, and For All Mankind creators Ben Nedivi and Matt Wolpert in collaboration with WandaVision and The Marvels writer Megan McDonnell.

Deadline reported that one project in particular is "nearing a series order." Details are, of course, being kept under wraps, and we don't know which Spidey heroes or villains are up for their own TV shows. We do know, however, that Amazon has access to over 900 Marvel characters that qualify as Sony-owned Spider-Man characters, so the possibilities are enormous.

Spider-Noir is streaming now in both black-and-white and in color on Prime Video. For more, check out our Spider-Noir review, or if you're still confused about how Spider-Noir is connected to the Spider-Verse movies, we've got the answer.

Lanterns episode 5 finally confirmed the identity of the Manhunter hiding out in Rushville. But given there are still three episodes to go, fans aren't convinced that the Manhunter threat is over.

Warning: full spoilers for Lanterns episode 5 follow!

After all but confirming it last week, Lanterns episode 5 makes it clear as a crystal heart that Zoe Macon is the mysterious Manhunter who's been pulling the strings from behind the scenes in Rushville. By the end of the episode, however, the Manhunter is dead, after John Stewart shoots the shapeshifter in the head and removes its heart.

Mission accomplished, right? Not exactly. Episode 5 features several clues that could point to the existence of a second Manhunter, created by Zoe during her time on Earth. And fans think the second Manhunter in question is none other than Zoe's grandson, Noah.

Noah is, of course, Sheriff Kerry's son and has been a conspicuous presence since the first episode, where we learn he's still around and playing college football during the 2026 flash-forward. In episode 5, it's shown that the Manhunter saved Kerry from Gotham gangsters who pursued her to Rushville. Kerry later confesses to Hal Jordan that she's known the identity of the Manhunter all along, revealing that Zoe gave her a "miracle." Now, this could simply mean that Zoe saved Kerry's life by helping fake her death and keeping the gangsters off her back, but children born following difficulties to conceive are often referred to as "miracles," which has led some to believe that Zoe gave Kerry and Billy their son, Noah.

This is further backed up by the Manhunter's advanced alien technology, with which she's able to cure cancer, generate an entirely new layer of skin for John Stewart after he's burned alive, and seemingly eradicate all illness from Rushville (it certainly explains why the hospital is empty). The idea that Zoe could create a new lifeform, potentially even another Manhunter, is well within the realm of possibility.

Taken to its logical extreme, this could mean that Noah is responsible for Hal Jordan's death in 2026. If Hal were to learn that Noah is a Manhunter, that would give him reason to return to Rushville. Given his fondness for Sheriff Kerry, there's no doubt he'd hesitate when it comes to Noah, even if he is a Manhunter, which could be what ultimately costs him his life.

Of course, this is all wild theorizing for now, but it's speculation we can get behind as Lanterns heads into uncharted territory following an explosive fifth episode that felt more like a season finale than a mid-season chapter. With only three episodes left to go, there's not long till the truth is revealed.

Lanterns releases on HBO Max in the US and UK, and on Sky/NOW in the UK. Read our Lanterns release schedule guide so you don't miss a moment, as well as our Lanterns review for why you should be watching the show.

DCU show Lanterns returned to HBO this week with its fourth episode, bringing us back to Rushville, where the mystery of the Manhunter was brought to light. However, in the midst of the chaos, you may have missed Aaron Pierre's accent slip-up.

During a tense interrogation scene, Pierre's John Stewart asks, "Who are you?" slamming his hand on the table, then, in the most prominent South London accent, he shouts, "Speak up!" The clip has since gone viral on Twitter. Pierre had so far been able to keep Stewart's Detroit accent steady, but fans seem to be celebrating the added hint of English nonetheless.

Although the slip-up may be a little embarrassing for Pierre, HBO Max UK is seeing the funny side of the situation. The streamer posted a 'fan edit' of Pierre on Instagram containing the scene in question followed by Stewart's most iconic moments. The caption reads, "You can take Aaron Pierre out of Croydon, but you can't take the Croydon out of Aaron Pierre." Check out the post below.

It should come as no surprise that fans are loving the edit. "The Green Mandem'" commented one fan, and another added, "Brightest day, darkest night innit." Many are praising how HBO has handled the slip-up, with one pointing out, "You have to admit it's next level marketing for a streaming company to make memes of a flaw in the actor's performance rather than hoping people ignore said flaw."

The slip-up doesn't change the fact that Pierre has done an amazing job in bringing Green Lantern trainee Stewart to life alongside Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan. The DCU Chapter One show debuted to a near-perfect 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and has become one of HBO's most successful shows ever behind House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. In our Lanterns review, we awarded the show 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Lanterns continues to release weekly. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our breakdown of how to watch DC movies in order, and keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows on the way.

In the wake of Spider-Noir's cancelation, the showrunner has shared some insight into what a second season would have looked like. Oren Uziel says that while they hadn't started writing a follow-up for the Amazon MGM show, the ending of season 1 did give him some ideas.

"If I had my druthers, it would be probably another location," he told Variety. "There are so many L.A. noirs we could have dove into. There are European noirs we could have dove into. There are other places to go. You're starting in 1933. Where is that heading? It's heading toward just a most cataclysmic time – World War II. There was a lot of storytelling that could have happened there."

However, Uziel says he's pleased that they didn't leave Spider-Noir on a cliffhanger. "We made a very closed-ended show," he continued. "There's a reason we were honoring these old noirs. The story begins when the client comes into the private detective's office, and it ends when they solve the case. So, it was nicely buttoned up."

An official reason hasn't been given for the cancelation of the series, but reports from Deadline suggest that Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television were hoping for bigger streaming numbers. This was especially the case given the reported budget was about $400 million.

However, the release schedule for Spider-Noir was pretty unconventional. It aired on MGM Plus before arriving all at once on Prime Video, rather than the usual weekly release schedule.

Uziel isn't the only one who's reacted to the cancelation. Nicolas Cage also shared a very classy reaction to the news, sharing that "one season was perfect".

You can stream Spider-Noir on Prime Video now. For more of what to watch, check out our guide to the best Amazon shows of all time.

VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas says we'll see plenty of Ultron in his scary robot form throughout the new Disney Plus show, but that it was more important to showcase James Spader and Paul Bettany's complicated father-and-son chemistry.

"It's funny, people say it's a budget thing, it's not, it's a James Spader thing," Matalas tells Polygon. "I love James Spader. Who doesn't love James Spader? I just want to see James and I want to see Bettany. You'll get plenty of robot action in the show. The show is very much inspired by that last scene in Age of Ultron between the two of them," he continued. "But watching Spader and Bettany chew up the scenery was something I saw in my head from the very beginning."

Of course, Ultron and Vision won't be the only robot we see in human form: the cast includes Orla Brady as FRIDAY, Emily Hampshire as EDITH, and James D'Arcy as JARVIS (yes, that Jarvis). You might recall that FRIDAY is the AI who was there in the final moments of Tony Stark's life (which is something the show will indeed explore).

It's also worth noting that it's Vision who requests that the AIs each take a human form while living under his roof, in order to make for some "happy home" vibes. It'll be interesting to see how happy of a home it can be with Ultron just running around in there.

Adds Matalas: "It is prohibitively expensive to do a CGI robot 24/7, but I also don't want to see a CGI robot. It's not going to be able to emote and do the things that James Spader can do with just the twitch of an eyebrow. So that's pretty much the main reason."

VisionQuest arrives this October 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

The People Vs. Gorilla Grodd, a mockumentary based on the DC comic of the same name, has begun filming and set leaks are abound. Some DC fans, however, aren't convinced that the gorilla we've seen in the photos is the titular gorilla on trial.

There have been many leaked set photos, from a gorilla in some '80s-style garb to that same gorilla in a graduation gown to even dancing in a tuxedo. Reactions to the first look at the film have been mixed, to say the least, but one fan posited a theory that the costumed gorilla may be the DC character King Solomon instead.

The fan pointed out that King Solomon frequently wore clothes, something that Grodd does not do in the comics, and that James Gunn has already mentioned the specific comic starring King Solomon on social media, going so far as to call it a direct influence on Superman and DC overall. The on-set gorilla also appears to be wearing the exact same outfit King Solomon wore in the comics.

"I think they're two random Gorillas who know Grodd, and were called to participate in the documentary, talking about him," another fan posited.

"I think either Grodd hired Solomon to fill in for him in public or Solomon is a symbol of gorillas coming into society," said another.

In my opinion, it's highly likely that modern day audiences don't want to see a naked gorilla on screen and that putting Grodd in regular clothes humanizes him just a bit... but only time will tell.

The People v Gorilla Grodd does not yet have a release date. For more of what's on the way, check out our guide to upcoming DC movies and shows.

VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas has revealed the two MCU scenes that inspired the Disney Plus show – as well as Kevin Feige's one mandate.

The show brings back Paul Bettany's Vision after the events of WandaVision, which saw Wanda bring the synthezoid back from the dead in her magical Hex. In the end, she brought down the Hex, but White Vision escaped with all of the regular Vision's memories.

"The two scenes that really inspired the show are two of my favorite scenes in all of Marvel canon, which is the last scene with him in Age of Ultron, and the Ship of Theseus scene in WandaVision. That was the basis of the series," Matalas told Polygon.

The Ship of Theseus scene is a discussion between Hex Vision and White Vision, in which the Hex version explains the philosophical issue of the ship: if all of its parts are replaced over time, is it still the same ship? This applies to White Vision in the new show, since he has regular Vision's memories, but he is a separate creation.

The last scene of Age of Ultron sees Vision destroy the last of the Ultron robots, after the two have a brief conversation on the nature of humanity. Vision is far more optimistic than Ultron, who brands the synthezoid "naive." James Spader's Ultron will be returning in VisionQuest.

As for Feige's mandate, it was surprisingly simple. "There's always a direct line of communication with Kevin and [Marvel's head of television] Brad Winderbaum. They're a text away. But for the most part, we had a lot of creative freedom to tell Vision's story the way we wanted to. There were no borders we needed to be mindful of," Matalas explained.

"Kevin was very receptive to this crazy idea from the beginning. He called me and said that it's the story of Vision, he's going to meet his son, and he's like, 'The rest is up to you.'"

Vision's son, Tommy Shepherd, will be played by Ruaridh Mollica in the show. Billy Maximoff, meanwhile, appeared in Agatha All Along, played by Joe Locke.

VisionQuest arrives this October 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

Upcoming DC mockumentary The People Vs. Gorilla Grodd has started filming, and the set leaks have been coming thick and fast. The biggest reveal so far has been the first look at the DCU's take on villain Gorilla Grodd, who has been spotted doing everything from singing in an acapella group to dancing in a tuxedo.

Several students at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where the show is being filmed, have been sharing videos from the first day of filming. These feature the notorious gorilla during his college years in the '80s. Right now, he looks pretty realistic as simply an anthropomorphic gorilla, but it's not clear if this will just be a stand-in for a CGI character or not.

DC fans have been reacting to the first look, and it's fair to say that no one knows quite how to feel about it. Some have been pleasantly surprised by the comedic tone that the new show looks like it's going to have, while others have been wondering how closely it will stick to the comics.

"This might end up being the best superhero movie or show ever released, not even joking," wrote one on Twitter, while another added: "This is really looking to be a peak comedy gold show, and I'm here for it." A third commented: "Imagine lacking whimsy and soul so much you think this isn't absolute peak." As a fourth simply put it: "Fuck The Sopranos. Fuck The Wire. Fuck Game of Thrones. We are witnessing the making of the greatest HBO series ever."

Not everyone has been impressed by the depiction of the character so far, especially those who know his comic book history. "This shit is way too meme-heavy, they turned Gorilla Grodd into a total idiot," wrote one, as a second suggested: "Someone here said there are at least 10 gorillas in DC Comics who are perfect for this type of scenario, but Gorilla Grodd isn't one of them."

One thing is for sure though, James Gunn's DCU is taking some bold swings. With this mockumentary comedy on the lineup alongside a body horror version of Clayface and the gritty crime thriller style of Lanterns, the universe is looking pretty eclectic, and arguably all the more exciting for it.

For more of what's on the way, check out our guide to upcoming DC movies and shows.

Upcoming MCU show VisionQuest looks like a suitably trippy affair, with the grieving synthezoid retreating into his own head following the events of WandaVision and somehow coming into contact with his teenage son, Tommy Shepherd. But where exactly the show slots onto the Marvel timeline has been something of a mystery until now.

"Years have passed since WandaVision," VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas confirmed to Polygon. "I would say we're about current with Spider-Man: Brand New Day." If we can take Matalas' word as gospel, that means VisionQuest is set in 2028, as this is when Brand New Day takes place, some four years after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Alongside Brand New Day, that puts VisionQuest furthest along the MCU timeline ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday in December. Though it doesn't seem like VisionQuest will directly lead into Doomsday, Matalas did recently confirm that the show will offer a heartbreaking new perspective on Iron Man's death.

Despite being billed as the conclusion of the WandaVision trilogy following the 2021 show and the 2024 series Agatha All Along, Matalas told SFX that's it's actually more of a sequel, and they have ideas for subsequent seasons. Paul Bettany also recently revealed why WandaVision/Agatha showrunner Jac Schaeffer stepped away from VisionQuest, leaving the door open for Star Trek: Picard's Matalas.

After dying (twice) and losing the love of his life, Wanda Maximoff, off-screen in Doctor Strange 2, VisionQuest sees the superpowered android back in Scotland, where he once lived with Wanda (aww). By day, he works in a pub, but by night he goes soul-searching in his own mind palace, learning what it means to be human through the oddball AI constructs in his head. Among them, Vision's creator and former threat to the planet Ultron, who's been trapped in Vision's head since their final conversation at the climax of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

One person who won't be appearing in VisionQuest, however, is Wanda. At least, that's what Matalas wants us to believe. "There’s a moment late in the season that we were running towards, but we didn’t know exactly how we would get there," Matalas told SFX. "Paul had an amazing idea for the kind of scene it should be. Who he is within that particular scene is kind of amazing, and that we were able to pull that off. I want to make sure that people don’t think I’m teasing Wanda, because I’m not teasing Wanda."

As far as we know, neither Paul Bettany's Vision (white or otherwise), nor Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch are part of the massive ensemble cast of Avengers: Doomsday, as they weren't part of the cast reveal livestream. But there's still plenty of time to squeeze them into Avengers: Secret Wars…

VisionQuest releases on Disney Plus on October 14. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

After six episodes and countless wild goose chases, Reacher season 4 has finally revealed what was hiding on the USB. But you may be wondering what it actually is.

Warning: the following contains spoilers for Reacher season 4 episode 7. Turn back now if you haven't caught up, but make sure to read our spoiler-free Reacher season 4 review first.

At the very start of the season, we learned that just before Anna Merrick had committed suicide, she handed a USB drive to Reacher, which everyone seemed to be after, including the CIA, the FBI, and the Hoths. But since then, we never really knew the contents of the drive. Reacher and co had found a picture of John Sampson and his military buddies in a lab on base in Indonesia, but they didn't know what it meant. Until now.

What is the chemical toxin in Reacher season 4?

After Jacob Merrick saved Reacher and Tamara from Leo Ahlquist’s hired goons, the trio makes their way back to the scientist's office to interrogate him further. Ahlquist reveals that the photo contains the formula for a deadly chemical weapon that they were working on during the war as a defensive mechanism. Following Tokyo's gas attacks, the US wanted to find a way to protect the nation from possible future chemical attacks, so the CIA tasked Ahlquist and DARPA with creating the weapon so that they could then find the antidote.

So why are Lila and Amisha involved? Well, the CIA didn't want the trials, known as Operation Mongoose, taking place in the US. So the nation made a deal with Indonesian General Putra. The agreement was that DARPA would be able to work on the chemical weapon in Indonesia in exchange for Delta Force training the Indonesian troops. Sampson was part of Delta, but he didn't know the whole story at the time. In the back of the picture, we can see Amisha, who was working in the lab.

The reason why everyone was so hell-bent on getting their hands on the USB is that when Anna stole the files after being threatened by the Hoths, it tipped off the Department of Defense. In turn, the CIA and Sampson's men wanted the information out of the public eye. Whereas Lila and Amisha want to recreate the toxin to sell to worldwide terrorist organizations. But there is definitely a personal element in there on Amisha's side.

So what actually is the toxin? Well, the poison is made from the seeds of a native Indonesian plant, which Lila keeps in her bracelet. From there, the Hoths used a bunch of scientists and tech experts to crack the code, use the formula in the picture, and recreate the toxin. Lila's minions then found a way to make it airborne and cover a wide area in the hopes of "killing thousands," as Lila states. Reacher catches wind of their plan and sets out to find an event in Philadelphia that the Hoths may be targeting, eventually landing on a huge orchestral concert playing movie scores (including Mission: Impossible).

However, Reacher's hunch was wrong. The Hoths were actually targeting Sampson's party, sending in Tomas Waberi, whose ID was flagged earlier in the season, on a suicide mission. This makes sense, as it is revealed that Sampson was the one who carried out the hit against General Putra, whom Amisha worshiped. But before the toxin could be released, Sampson tackled Waberi and pushed him into a nearby body of water, ultimately sacrificing himself. With Sampson now gone and their plan foiled, we don't doubt that Lila and Amisha will try to release the weapon again. Let's just hope Reacher can catch up.

The Reacher season 4 finale lands on Prime Video on Wednesday, September 16. See our Reacher season 4 release schedule for exact timings, and keep up with upcoming shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

The DCU is full steam ahead, as just over two weeks after James Gunn officially announced that The People v. Gorilla Grodd had been greenlit, the series has already started filming at a university in the US.

The upcoming Jimmy Olsen show has started filming at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, and thanks to leaked set photos, it looks like the series will fully embrace the university setting. Images posted by a Georgia Tech student on TikTok show banners for Metropolis University, branded in blue and purple. Many presumed the photos were taken on the set of Man of Tomorrow, but that finished filming in August.

On August 21, Gunn took to Twitter to share that the previously announced Jimmy Olsen show, which is a true-crime mockumentary, is officially going ahead at HBO. According to the in-universe bulletin from The Daily Planet, the eight-part mock-doc, directed by Daily Planet reporter and Superman character Olsen, will "take a fresh, 360-degree look at the case, revealing a lesser-seen side" of Grodd, who was imprisoned for the "murder and brain consumption of his father, King Grodd."

So, why is the show filming at a university? Well, the documentary is set to include "interviews with witnesses and experts on both Grodd's and the Metropolis District Attorney's side of the case." Plus, another image shows a newspaper dated Friday, November 3, 1989. This means that Olsen is doing some digging and could pay some university professors a visit to ask about the super monkey's abilities.

First introduced to DC Comics in 1959 as an antagonist to the Flash, Grodd gained his powers when he was exposed to a space rock, making him hyper-intelligent and able to control the human mind. Alongside Olsen star Skyler Gisondo, the cast also includes Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

The People v. Gorilla Grodd does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One and keep up with all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows.

Reacher season 4 is almost over, with the penultimate episode setting the stage for what looks to be a fiery showdown between Alan Ritchson's bulky hero and his most vicious foes yet, Lila and Amisha Hoth. However, aside from sending Reacher, Tamara, and Jacob on a wild goose chase, this week's episode also contains a sneaky Tom Cruise reference that you may have missed.

Warning: the following contains spoilers for Reacher season 4 episode 7. Turn back now if you haven't caught up, but make sure to read our spoiler-free Reacher season 4 review first.

Now that Lila and Amisha have unveiled their aerosolised chemical toxin, the duo plan to use it by sending out one of their minions to release it in a public place. When Reacher gets wind of this, he tries to work out where the pair might target, eventually landing on an orchestra concert playing movie scores at a nearby arena. Reacher and co head to the event, where they hear the orchestra playing none other than the Mission: Impossible theme tune.

Now, the characters don't really react to the iconic theme song, but we all know why it has been included. The Mission: Impossible franchise is led by Tom Cruise, who also starred in two Reacher movies, Jack Reacher in 2012 and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back in 2016. However, the movies both landed less-than-impressive Rotten Tomatoes scores, with critics feeling that Cruise was never really right for the role.

The inclusion of the theme is also ironic, as although Reacher is currently on his own little mission while evading the police, he doesn't really possess the stealth that Cruise's M:I Agent Ethan Hunt does. Reacher much prefers to crash his way through any situation like a bull in a China shop. But we wouldn't want it any other way.

Alas, Reacher's plan fails as the Hoths were never targeting the event at all. They actually sent one of their minions on a suicide mission to release the poison at John Sampson's party. But when Reacher finds out, it's a little too late. Sampson himself ends up taking out the minion by pushing him into the water, ultimately sacrificing himself in the process. But the story isn't over yet. It seems like the Hoths will do anything to successfully release the poison in the name of revenge.

The Reacher season 4 finale lands on Prime Video on Wednesday, September 16. See our Reacher season 4 release schedule for exact timings, and keep up with upcoming shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

WandaVision showrunner Jac Schaeffer was originally going to showrun VisionQuest, the third instalment in a trilogy of Disney Plus shows that also includes Agatha All Along.

However, she ultimately stepped away for "personal reasons," according to Vision actor Paul Bettany in a new interview with Entertainment Weekly. She was replaced by Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas.

"I felt like the rug had been pulled from under my feet," Bettany shared. "I love her very much and we made a lovely thing together. I had been waiting and looking forward to having my turn with Jac. And then 24 hours later, I was at a lunch with Terry, because that's the speed at which Marvel move."

While these three shows do form a trio, Matalas has shared that he views VisionQuest as more of a sequel to WandaVision, rather than completing the trilogy.

"I would say, if anything, it's definitely more of a sequel to WandaVision in a lot of ways," he shared.

"But it really exists on its own," he added. "It's more the Vision story, just because we're going to dig into so much of who he is in ways that the films and WandaVision couldn't, including some deeper parts of his origin that may go back even further than what we believed. So it's very much its own entity, but it does obviously touch upon what has come before for this guy."

VisionQuest arrives on Disney Plus this October 14. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

The ongoing question of who the Manhunter is in Lanterns has seemingly been answered in the latest episode. At the end of episode 4, Hal Jordan and John Stewart aired their suspicions that Zoe Macon is the alien they've been looking for.

It's long been suspected that Zoe could be the Manhunter. Ever since her introduction in episode 1, there's been something off about the character and her unusual family. This only became more obvious in episode 4 when she seemingly faked her own death after a string of strange behavior.

However, some fans think that even though she is the imposter alien, that doesn't necessarily mean she's bad. In fact, it's been suggested that she may have even helped Hal Jordan and John Stewart save the whole of Rushville.

"Well, the theory is that indeed Zoe is the manhunter, but the town protects her because she's really not bad; she helps and heals the town," one viewer wrote on Twitter. "The real villain is the Guardian. Zoe takes the form of Hal Jordan and is killed so that Jordan and Stewart can stop the Guardian."

This was taken one step further by another viewer, who suggested this is why we see John shedding a tear over the body back at the end of episode 1. Indeed, there's certainly no love lost between him and Hal, so it felt quite unusual to see his emotion at his former mentor's death.

If it is really the Guardian that is the big bad, that will be a pretty huge twist for the DC series. We're at the halfway point of the show now, so we'll have to follow along to see just how this all plays out.

Read our Lanterns release schedule guide so you don't miss a moment, as well as our Lanterns review for why you should be watching the show.

Before landing the role of Tommy Shepherd in upcoming MCU series VisionQuest, Ruaridh Mollica has revealed that he previously auditioned for a mystery MCU role.

"It’s one of those things as an actor – I maybe only ever had one other Marvel audition in my whole time of getting auditions. When they come through it’s like a lottery ticket, almost," said Mollica in the latest issue of SFX magazine.

However, not even Mollica knows what role he auditioned for. "I don’t know. It was all fake names, sides, fake everything. So I actually will never, never know."

Alas, Mollica will soon make his MCU debut in VisionQuest as Tommy Shepherd, aka Vision's suspected son, Tommy Maximoff. In Marvel Comics, Tommy is one of the reincarnated sons of Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) and Vision. The hero later goes by his superhero name Speed, bearing similar powers to Quicksilver.

However, the official VisionQuest synopsis on Disney Plus spells Tommy's last name as 'Shepard' rather than as it is in the comics, 'Shepherd.' This may be Disney's way of throwing us off the scent. Or, maybe Tommy is a bigger mystery than we thought...

The synopsis reads, "A rebooted Vision has been hiding from those who seek to weaponize him. While laying low he consults the AI personas embedded in his programming, including the infamous Ultron, to find his true meaning. This quiet life of self-reflection ends when a bounty placed on his head thrusts him on the run alongside Thomas Shepard, a mysterious boy who may be Vision's son reincarnate."

The series is set soon after the events of WandaVision, welcoming back Paul Bettany. However, the series will also see the return of James Spader's Ultron, who made his MCU debut in the 2015 movie Avengers: Age of Ultron.

VisionQuest premieres on Disney Plus on October 14. For more, keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and shows and new TV shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

After news broke that Spider-Noir has been cancelled after just one season, star Nicolas Cage has given the classiest possible response.

"For me, one season is perfect, having said what I wanted to say with this dangerous, innovative, pop-art Spider-Man," Cage said in a statement (via TheWrap). "Onwards, upwards, inwards."

Spider-Noir follows Ben Reilly (Cage), a private investigator in '30s New York City, who also happens to have web-slinging powers. The show was well received, with a 92% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 89% audience score. It also collected 11 Emmy nominations, and it's Cage's first TV show.

Our own Spider-Noir review awarded the show 3.5 stars, with our verdict reading: "A delightfully camp, low-stakes romp through 1930s New York City that proves Nicolas Cage is still cooler than all of us. Though it doesn't feel as big as most Marvel shows, or even Spider-Verse, and suffers from predictable plot turns that even the characters don't seem fazed by... it wants to cure your superhero fatigue, and it's even better on the second watch."

While no official reason for the cancellation has been given, Deadline notes that Spider-Noir's viewership was good, but not massive. As Cage himself says, though, the first season functions perfectly well as a standalone, so the cancellation isn't too gutting.

You can stream Spider-Noir on Prime Video now. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse releases June 18, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming shows worth getting excited about.

Lanterns episode 4 is another corker, and seemingly answers one of several major mysteries in the DCU show: Who is the Manhunter? But fans aren't sure if there's still more to the case of a killer, shapeshifting alien lifeform hiding in plain sight.

Warning: full spoilers for Lanterns episode 4 follow.

In Lanterns episode 4 'The Weenie', it is revealed that Zoe Macon is the Manhunter hiding out in Rushville. While Zoe doesn't technically verbalize her true identity, many things point to this, most notably the fact that she cured William Macon's cancer. Zoe Macon actor Poorna Jaganathan has also been discussing her role as the secret Manhunter in several post release interviews, telling EW: "I wasn't told when I got the role that she was the Manhunter. I had to read it to find that out.”

Case closed? Not quite, as Lanterns fans think they answer to such a huge mystery came too soon, and too easy, meaning there must be more to it.

"Why did Zoe blow herself up if she was in charge of the decoy Manhunter?! Why did the show make it so obvious that she's the Manhunter?!" asked one user on Twitter. "Because she probably isn't," offered one fan in response. "We don't find that answer so easily, 4 episodes in. Or the Manhunter is not the main threat."

With half a season still to go, it does feel surprisingly early to be blowing the lid open on a mystery that could run all season. But with another huge question – Who killed Hal Jordan? – still to be answered, and the entire 2026 thread of the story untouched since episode 1, there's still plenty to be explored.

And we do have another question to answer now: who killed the Manhunter? And if it was Zoe who used her own laser satellites to blow herself up (or make it looks like she had), why go to such lengths? The questions keep piling up.

Lanterns episode 4 is streaming now on HBO Max in the US and UK, and on NOW in the UK. For our spoiler-free verdict on episodes 1-7, check out our Lanterns review. And bookmark our Lanterns release schedule, so you never miss an episode.

It sounds like we could see Paul Bettany's Vision again after VisionQuest, as the actor teases the upcoming Marvel show sets up a new future for the synthezoid.

"We start off the show where we left him as White Vision, who has been repurposed as a weapon," Bettany told SFX magazine. "I think that where we get to at the end of this, he's clearly escaped the confines of whoever repurposed him, and he is looking for agency. By the end of our show, I think you'll see that it's a really exciting springboard for what Vision might do in the future."

Of course, Vision has actually died twice in the MCU – once in Infinity War (technically twice, since Wanda killed him, then Thanos reversed time to kill him again) and once more in WandaVision when Wanda brings down the Hex. However, Vision first transferred his memories to White Vision, who fled the scene.

Since the events of WandaVision, Wanda herself has also seemingly perished, as seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. In VisionQuest, Vision will be aware of her fate, showrunner Terry Matalas has confirmed.

James Spader's Ultron will also be back in the new show, and it seems he's been relaxing ever since his defeat in Age of Ultron. "He's had access to the internet, television, history, and he's just been consuming... and he's been painting," Spader revealed. "[Ultron and Vision] have a sort of father-son-therapist-psychopath relationship."

VisionQuest arrives this October 14 on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

VisionQuest is set to be the end of the WandaVision trilogy on Disney Plus, but that wasn't how showrunner Terry Matalas approached it.

Asked if he was told to create a story that completed the trilogy, which also features WandaVision and Agatha All Along, he reveals this wasn't his initial brief. "No, not really. I would say, if anything, it’s definitely more of a sequel to WandaVision in a lot of ways," he told SFX magazine in the new issue, which features the Disney Plus show on the cover.

"But it really exists on its own. It’s more the Vision story, just because we’re going to dig into so much of who he is in ways that the films and WandaVision couldn’t, including some deeper parts of his origin that may go back even further than what we believed. So it's very much its own entity, but it does obviously touch upon what has come before for this guy."

What's more, Matalas went on to say that he doesn't think this needs to be the end of the story for Vision either (Paul Bettany thinks it could be a "springboard" for more Vision stories as well). In fact, Matalas has several ideas about how the story can continue beyond just one season.

"The second we wrapped, Paul, James, and I were immediately ready to go into 10 more seasons of whatever this could be," he added. "But that's up to Marvel Studios and the television gods as to what happens."

Despite being a WandaVision follow-up, VisionQuest is very much Vision's show. Following White Vision – who has been loaded with Vision's memories – the series centers on the synthezoid as he tries to understand who he is. Part of this involves retreating into his mind palace, where he speaks to other Marvel AIs and his creator, Ultron. All the while, he's being hunted by a bounty hunter and dealing with the arrival of his son into his life.

Elizabeth Olsen is not returning as Wanda Maximoff in the show, bowing out of the MCU after Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. This is something Matalas wants to make clear too, referencing a key moment "late in the season".

"There’s a moment late in the season that we were running towards, but we didn’t know exactly how we would get there," he continued. "Paul had an amazing idea for the kind of scene it should be. Who he is within that particular scene is kind of amazing, and that we were able to pull that off. I want to make sure that people don’t think I’m teasing Wanda, because I’m not teasing Wanda."

Elsewhere in the issue, Matalas teased how VisionQuest will offer a new, heartbreaking perspective on Iron Man's death, while Tommy Shepherd star Ruaridh Mollica revealed he previously auditioned to play a character in the MCU, but he still doesn't know which one.

VisionQuest arrives on Disney Plus on October 14. For more MCU, here's our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas will approach Iron Man's death in Avengers: Endgame from an AI perspective.

"It brought all these really interesting questions that we get to bring to the surface here when we bring them all together," Matalas told SFX magazine in the new issue, which features the Disney Plus show on the cover. "Like, FRIDAY was there when Tony Stark died. What’s that like for an AI, to not be able to protect the one they’re programmed to protect? I guess the [bigger] question is, are they corporeal? Or, are they digital? Are they avatars? Can they be corporeal? Do some characters want to be corporeal? Some definitely do not. But that's a question that the pilot will very quickly answer."

FRIDAY took over for JARVIS, Tony's AI assistant, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In his final moments, JARVIS monitored his failing vitals and ultimately announced his death to the Avengers heroes.

AI could bring an interesting perspective for sure, because it doesn't really dawn on you that FRIDAY is sentient, with "feelings" of her own. VisionQuest puts a spotlight on this, with each AI getting their own human form.

The cast includes Paul Bettany as Vision, with Orla Brady as FRIDAY, Emily Hampshire as EDITH, T'Nia Miller as Jocasta, James D'Arcy as JARVIS (yes, that Jarvis), James Spader as Ultron (aka Peepaw), and Ruaridh Mollica as Tommy Maximoff. Up until Endgame, FRIDAY was voiced by Kerry Condon. Brady takes over the role, showcasing the AI's preferred human form at Vision's request.

VisionQuest arrives on Disney Plus on October 14. For more MCU, here's our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Despite critical acclaim and a slew of Emmy nominations, Spider-Noir will not be returning for a second season at Prime Video.

Per Deadline, it seems like Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television expected bigger streaming numbers when making their decision. But given recent reports that the first season's budget was somewhere around $400 million, I can see why the studios might've needed the show to become a megahit in order to justify spending that money on a second season.

Amazon and Sony are still moving ahead with their multi-title deal to use IP from Sony's Universe of Marvel characters. You might remember that the first Spider-Man spin-off, Silk: Spider-Society, was ultimately canceled before entering production. Spider-Noir is now the second canceled project... and there's a third on the way. According to Deadline, there are still multiple projects on development, and one is "nearing a series order." Details are, of course, being kept under wraps.

Spider-Noir saw Nicolas Cage as a jaded, down-on-his-luck private detective version of Ben Reilly aka the Spider, who finds himself returning to superheroism and going up against classic Rogue Gallery villains like Sandman and Silvermane. The series has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with our own Spider-Noir review praising the show's originality and Cage's excellent and equally odd acting choices.

Spider-Noir is streaming now in both black-and-white and in color on Prime Video. For more, check out our Spider-Noir review, or if you're still confused about how Spider-Noir is connected to the Spider-Verse movies, we've got the answer.

Lanterns has been a huge success for HBO Max, now becoming the streamer's third most successful show ever made. According to new figures, it's only behind House of the Dragon and The Last of Us in viewing figures.

According to box office and streaming commentator Luiz Fernando, "HBO is celebrating #DCU’s series #Lanterns quickly becoming their #3 most successful first season after #HouseOfTheDragon & #TheLastOfUS, beating even #AKnightOfTheSevenKingdoms."

They continued to break down the numbers, explaining: "While the season premiere has reached 20M viewers since its debut, Episode 3 reached 10M Global viewers in just 3 days (7M from the US alone), more than what the Season Premiere itself achieved on the same period two weeks ago, showing the steady viewership growth with each episode as positive WOM spreads."

Lanterns introduces the Green Lantern Corps, a group of superpowered individuals tasked with keeping law and order in the galaxy. Earth's representative is Hal Jordan, who's joined by a rookie lined up to replace him, John Stewart. Together, they head to the small town of Rushville, Nebraska to investigate a strange crime.

Part of the success of the new show, beyond appealing to comic book fans, comes from the fact that it's really, really good. Our Lanterns review gave it 4.5 stars, with critic Bradley Russell arguing that it proves "the DCU is back on track".

It's also introduced a tantalizing series of mysteries to keep viewers returning week on week. First up is the lingering question of who killed Hal Jordan, following his dramatic death at the end of episode one. Then there's the conundrum about who the Manhunter is, after it was revealed that an alien was hiding in plain sight in the show.

Follow along weekly with our Lanterns release schedule to make sure you don't miss a moment.

Hal Jordan has been Earth's Green Lantern since 1986, which means he might have come into contact with a certain metahuman at some point. DC fans have been speculating that the superhero would likely have wanted to check out an alien spaceship crashing in Smallville, Kansas when Kal-El arrived after Krypton's fall.

As is usually the case with the Man of Steel's backstory, he is then raised by farmers Jonathan and Martha Kent. And, as one fan theorized, this might be what put Hal off from intervening. They suggested: "The concept of Hal checking out the crashed spaceship in Kansas only to see a tiny baby Clark in Ma & Pa's hands and immediately backing off because he can't 'take care' of this cutie patootie of a threat, so Hal just checks in regularly as Clark grows up."

Now this is a cute headcanon, but we're going to be honest, we're not sure that Hal is the caring, uncle type. Other fans weighed in too with their ideas, with one imagining that "young Clark sees Hal on TV all the time and wants to be a hero like that some day." This one does seem more likely as we've already seen a young John Stewart doing just that too.

There has been no indication yet that Superman and Hal have crossed paths, but given Nathan Fillion's Guy Gardner is set to appear and John will feature in the sequel Man of Tomorrow, it does seem likely their lives have intersected. We'll have to wait and see whether this gets addressed in the HBO show or not.

In the meantime, there is plenty to keep us busy while watching Lanterns as we try to uncover who killed Hal Jordan and who the Manhunter is. The show is airing weekly, so check out our Lanterns release schedule for how to watch and our Lanterns review for why you should be.

Perhaps the strangest upcoming project in James Gunn's DCU Chapter One is The People vs. Gorilla Grodd. Starring Superman's Jimmy Olsen, it's being billed as an eight-part true-crime mockumentary and comedy.

Created by American Vandal's Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, it sees Olsen investigate the crimes of a telepathic gorilla and notorious DC villain. He tries to work out whether the character has been wrongly convicted of murdering his father in the unique new show.

It's definitely a fun idea, and it's hard to think of anything else we've seen like it in the superhero space. However, that hasn't stopped people from trying, with ScreenRant calling it She-Hulk meets Invincible in a recent feature.

Gunn reacted to this on Threads, admitting he was a little bit confused by the comparison after a fan shared it with the caption: "After Lanterns and Peacemaker @jamesgunn could green light an 8-episode series of ice cubes melting on a kitchen table and I'd be there every Sunday night with bells on."

The DC Studios head replied: "Although, The People Vs is a DCU true crime docuseries, so I don't see what it has in common with either of those shows. But I appreciate the support and hope it will help push my Melty Ice Cube series through this fall."

However, Gunn probably didn't realise that his reply has also got fans hoping the show will be a multi-season project. By calling it "The People Vs.", some have been wondering if it's being set up as a new anthology show – and they have plenty of suggestions about who it should cover next. "The People vs Giganta," suggested one, while another added: "The People vs Darkseid".

We'll have to wait and see what happens there. In the meantime, the DCU is releasing Lanterns weekly on HBO Max and Clayface will be heading to theaters very soon. For all the other projects on the way, check out our guide to upcoming DC movies and shows.

Ryan Reynolds has made it clear over the years that he doesn't love his Green Lantern movie – but, despite that, he'd still be willing to return for a cameo in Lanterns.

In fact, Reynolds seems so regretful of his own Green Lantern film that, in the Deadpool 2 post-credits scene, the Merc with the Mouth shoots Reynolds in the head after the actor gets the Green Lantern script. And, in the first Deadpool film, Wade Wilson asks for his suit not to be green or animated.

"I would totally do a cameo in that," Reynolds told Entertainment Tonight. "I love it. I learned so much making that movie. And I know what you're thinking, you're thinking, 'Oh, learned what not to do.' In part, yes. But also, any time you're making something that large, there are core lessons that come of it. And I owe my entire career to that movie. I owe everything to that… Everything about it was a gift that keeps on giving. And I really enjoyed the experience of making it."

If Reynolds did return for a cameo, it wouldn't be as Hal Jordan, since Kyle Chandler took up the mantle in Lanterns. Aaron Pierre stars as John Stewart.

As for Reynolds's Marvel future, at the moment, it's unclear. The actor has shared he's working on a fourth Deadpool movie, but he's not currently included on the supersized cast list for Avengers: Doomsday, despite participating in humorous 'bits' during the Marvel panels at both SDCC and D23.

Lanterns continues weekly on HBO, while Doomsday arrives this December 18. For more, check out our Lanterns review for our spoiler-free verdict on the show, or our Lanterns release schedule to keep up to date.

Marvel fans are wondering if Marvel has forgotten all about Loki's frost giant backstory considering his time with the TVA – though it seems like there's a simple explanation.

Magic is nullified within the TVA headquarters, but Loki's frost giant appearance – blue skin and red eyes – is not revealed when he begins his work there. In response to a Reddit post questioning why his true self wasn't revealed, as well as whether Marvel "forgot" his backstory, some MCU fans have pointed out why Loki's Asgardian guise remains.

"Pretty sure his transformation into appearing Asgardian by default was permanent, not sustained magic like his disguises," says one person, with another adding: "He only reverts when near Frost Giants or their artifacts."

"Exactly, it's not something he's constantly casting on himself. It's something Odin already did to him a very long time ago," echoes someone else.

"He only turns blue near the Frost Giant artifacts. Like I think it's kind of a permanent spell. Like if someone came to the TVA from Earth after Strange's spell in NWH, they won't suddenly remember Peter Parker," agrees another person.

Plus, others have pointed out that his Frost Giant heritage is still part of the MCU, just in a more subtle way. "It’s been a while, but after Thanos snapped his neck at the start of Infinity War, didn't he turn blue as he died? Not just in an asphyxia sense, but in a frost giant way?" says one person.

"''Almighty Thanos, I, Loki, Prince of Asgard, Odinson, the rightful king of Jotunheim*, God of Mischief, do hereby pledge to you my undying fidelity.' - Loki (Infinity War)*" points out someone else.

"In that weird little propaganda play on Asgard in Thor: Ragnarok the actor playing him as a child is blue," says another person.

We'll next see Loki in Avengers: Doomsday, though how he factors into the plot is a mystery for now, especially considering the Loki season 2 ending saw the God of Mischief become the God of Stories and hold the multiverse together.

Doomsday arrives this December 18. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

Immediately killing a beloved hero of almost seven decades instantly established that nothing is sacred in HBO's Lanterns. Anyone can die, and the DC comics this show is based on are a mere guideline at best. Yet even so, John Stewart's decidedly dark origin story – explored in episode three – comes as a big surprise to anyone familiar with his start in the source material.

Powerhouse comic book duo Denny O’Neil and artist Neal Adams introduced John as the fourth Green Lantern in Green Lantern #87 (1971) where he quickly proved himself to be worthy of wielding such emerald might. The character was originally an architect and civil rights activist who actively distrusted authority. This might seem worlds away from Aaron Pierre's somewhat uptight take on John in Lanterns, but that military background explored here didn't just come out of nowhere.

Although Stewart continued to be portrayed as an architect throughout the decades that followed, it wasn't until the character was rewritten as a former U.S. Marine in the noughties Justice League cartoon that he became more prominent. The comics soon followed suit, retconning John as a Marine sniper, although his architect roots were reintroduced again just recently, aiming for a best of both worlds scenario in line with Lanterns.

This unique combination of creativity and discipline isn't easy to balance in a character, although Pierre does a masterful job of it on the show. That tension is key to understanding his version of John in Lanterns and it unfortunately makes his life all the more tragic as a result.

No fear

In the premiere, we watched as John's father shot an apple off his head as a child, yet it's not until episode three where this show really digs into the 'why' of it all. Why would John Stewart Sr. risk his son's life so casually? And why wouldn't the boy cry or run away?

Early in the episode, we discover that John's father was offered the ring before Hal Jordan, while John was still in the crib. Flashbacks reveal he was tested by the Guardians, but failed upon admitting that he was "afraid." His wife, Bernadette, didn't believe John Sr., not until one of the Guardians showed up at their door and confirmed the truth of his account.

Bernadette called her out, asking, "Do you know how unfair it is to ask a Black man if he’s afraid?" The Guardian conceded that the ring selection process is unusual for humans, so she offered a new opportunity to make up for it.

The ring clearly saw something in John Sr.'s DNA and Bernadette had proved herself to be "formidable" too, so she suggested that perhaps their "offspring could one day be an excellent candidate" in the future.

The catch is that he too would need to be "fearless."

And so begins what can only be described as an endless torrent of abuse. To ensure that John will one day become worthy enough to replace Hal Jordan, his parents push him through disturbing trials throughout his childhood to erase any hint of fear in his mind.

These include regular instances of apples being shot off his head, as we saw earlier in episode one. But young John is also abandoned alone in dangerous neighbourhoods and even made to shoot an apple off his mother's head, risking her life in the process too.

This all takes a toll on his parents, but what's far worse is the toll it takes on young John himself.

When the Guardian suggests to adult John that his "training must have created a lot of loneliness," he denies it. And why would he not? This is all John has ever known. As such, the very real physical danger and emotional turmoil he endured doesn't register as abuse. For him, it's just a sign that his parents wanted what was best for him. And that's why he's so obsessed with doing everything in his power to make their dream for him come true.

Rebuilding better

More than Hal Jordan's death in 2026 or even the deaths that continue to hit Rushville in 2016, it's John's upbringing that represents the real tragedy of Lanterns. Stewart can't even fathom what he was put through because it was normal to him. And what's worse is that his parents knew exactly what they were doing.

"He's going to hate us," they discuss early on, realising that what they're about to do to their baby boy isn't right. But in the end they decide, "So be it." Because their dream is more important than anything John could ever wish for himself.

The cracks are starting to show, even if John himself can't comprehend them just yet. We see it in the flashes of creativity that John never got to pursue as a career over his work in the military. And we see it in the frayed emotional bonds he shares with his family, be it these abusive parents or his siblings who always felt John was favoured over them.

It's all far darker than the early days of John's run in the comics, and as such, some fans may balk at these changes, just like they did at Hal's death. But isn't this what we want from new adaptations of stories so old in the tooth?

As Damon Lindelof told The Hollywood Reporter just recently, "There’s almost a responsibility to take risks. I don’t think anybody wants to see you be completely and totally vigilant to the source material because then it isn’t an adaptation at all."

And that's exactly how characters like John and Hal will continue to impact us another seven decades from now, by evolving and reinventing the mythos they spring from to fit our times, be it in darkest day or blackest night.

Lanterns is streaming weekly on HBO. For our verdict on the season, check out our Lanterns review and never miss an episode with our Lanterns release schedule.

Even superheroes have bosses; at least they do in HBO’s Lanterns. As much as Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) acts like a charming rogue who follows his own rules and doesn’t care about authority, he does answer to a higher power that can technically fire him at any time. That power is the Guardians of the Universe, a race of aliens who are seemingly no friends of Hal Jordan, and are so bad at their job that they have given the universe as many supervillains as they have heroes.

As the name suggests, the Guardians of the Universe have sworn to protect and defend the universe as the oldest police force in existence, creating the Green Lantern Corps to patrol the universe. And yet, more often than not, their efforts result in some spectacular mistakes and acts of cruelty. If Lanterns is your first exposure to the worst bosses in creation, we are here to guide you through the long history of the Guardians of the Universe.

Already seen Lanterns episode 3? Be sure to dive into our breakdown of John Stewart's dark new origin story. We're also playing detective by investigating who killed Hal Jordan and asking who is the Manhunter? For a full verdict on the DCU Chapter One show, check out our Lanterns review.

The Guardians of the Universe in DC comics

The Guardians of the Universe first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 from 1960, created by John Broome and Gil Kane, where they essentially interview Hal Jordan after he gains a power ring and deem him worthy of joining the Corps. Originally, they were portrayed as benevolent sages, little old aliens with weak bodies but incredibly powerful minds.

They are considered the oldest beings in the DC universe, a group of scientists and thinkers who conducted all sorts of experiments (like torturing other beings to create new species). One of these experiments accidentally resulted in the creation of the multiverse and of evil itself, which prompted the Guardians to dedicate themselves to combating chaos and evil.

Over the years, the Guardians have gone from benevolent old aliens to rather stern bosses who occasionally make bad calls and butt heads with their employees, to a rather corrupt organization capable of untold evil. For example, at one point the Guardians arbitrarily decided that magic was intrinsically bad, and stole it from the entire universe, sealing it along with any magic being inside an orb.

They are now mostly portrayed as emotionless and detached beings with a big backlog of sins that they’ve covered up across the eons. The 2004 Green Lantern: Rebirth comic series by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver revealed that the Guardians once encountered the very embodiment of fear and decided to trap it within the Central Power Battery that fuels every single Green Lantern ring, and then kept that knowledge hidden despite knowing that creature would make every Green Lantern power ring useless against the color yellow.

It isn't just ancient cosmic horrors that the Guardians have trapped inside the battery; they also use it to imprison their own employees when they are no longer useful to the Guardians, like when they imprisoned Sinestro inside the battery in Green Lantern Corps #222 from 1988.

But all of that pales in comparison to the Guardians’ first attempt at creating a police force. The Guardians are also responsible for creating the Manhunters, a robotic interstellar police force that eventually became self-aware and resentful of their creators. The Manhunters went on to rebel against the Guardians after concluding that evil was intrinsic to biological life and deciding to eradicate it.

The Guardians of the Universe in Lanterns

As in the comics, the Guardians are responsible for creating the Manhunters in the Lanterns universe. In the show, the bosses of the Green Lanterns are starting to play an increasingly impactful role. So far, we've only seen Laura Linney's Guardian, both in human form and briefly in her true-blue form (albeit from behind). This, it says, is less upsetting for humans, making the Guardians appear relatable and even approachable. But in truth, this is them disguising their true selves, their intentions and lack of empathy and compassion.

We learned that the Guardians tested John Stewart’s father when he was younger, but when he failed to convince the ring of his fearlessness, they moved on to the guy who eventually got the job – Hal Jordan. They acknowledge that they failed to foresee the psychological damage an alien encounter would have on the rejected candidates, messing up the lives of John’s father as well as many others, and offering a comically large diamond as recompense (which lands John's mother in hot water).

Even their attempt at making things right with the Stewarts is quite monstrous, as they welcome John’s mother dedicating her life to turning her infant child into a soldier, raising him to be cold and calculated without a guarantee that he’ll get the job when he grows up.

But how are they as bosses? Well, what little Hal Jordan has talked about them makes it look like the Guardians are emotionless, cold jerks. But in episode 3, we truly learn how bad they are. It seems like the primary reason John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) was even hired to become a Green Lantern was specifically because the Guardians of the Universe want him to execute Hal Jordan and take over his role, as they ask John if he’s prepared to do that.

Sure, the Guardians could do it themselves; they could probably just take his powers away. Instead, they are hiring Jordan’s replacement and testing his loyalty by making him kill his mentor. But that’s not all. We also learn in the episode that Hal Jordan’s own mentor, Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), at some point went rogue, killing a Guardian in the process. We don’t know how many other Green Lanterns turned evil, but it’s not great that the supposedly all-knowing Guardians could not sense that this guy could become a monster.

Lanterns is streaming weekly on HBO Max in the US and on HBO Max and Sky/NOW in the UK. Never miss an episode with our Lanterns release schedule, or continue your comics journey with our list of the best Green Lantern comics.

Kelly Macdonald says she watched The Penguin to prep for Lanterns, and picked up the wrong accent along the way.

"Within the first couple of months of the shoot, as well, I was watching The Penguin at the same time," Macdonald told Entertainment Weekly. "Sometimes I’d been over-watching The Penguin, and I’d be going through my dialogue in my trailer, and I'd realize I was doing the whole Gotham thing. I’d be like, 'Turn it down a little bit,' 'cause I’d been told very specifically, 'She's from Gotham but don’t do the accent thing.' She has to be more ambiguous than that. I’m sure you’ll be able to tell the scenes where I’ve been watching The Penguin."

For some clarity, Lanterns episode 2 revealed that Sheriff Kane is originally from Gotham (which some fans suspected all along after she was heard checking in with a certain Commissioner as well as a 'Barb' on the phone). Kane is also the maiden name of Bruce Wayne's mother... so there's that. The series takes place in rural Rushville, Nebraska, so Kane is supposed to have something of a Nebraskan accent after living in town for so long. In real life, Macdonald is from Glasgow, Scotland. So we can see how all the accents might've gotten into a bit a conundrum.

Lanterns airs weekly on HBO Max and NOW. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One and find out where Lanterns takes place on the DCU timeline.

Three years later, Marvel fans want Disney Plus series Secret Invasion erased from MCU canon because of how it changed Rhodey.

The discussion started when one Marvel fan took to Twitter and said that they think the 'Rhodey' who comforts a dying Tony Stark at the end of Avengers: Endgame is actually the real Rhodey. Another replied, "They should straight up just say Secret Invasion doesn’t exist in the main timeline. I’m not even joking. No one will give Feige shit for coming out and basically going ‘our fault, gang’."

Now, if you have seen Endgame but haven't yet had a chance to catch up to the 2023 show, you may be wondering what the fan means by the 'real Rhodey'. In Secret Invasion, it is revealed that Colonel James Rhodes, AKA Rhodey, was actually replaced by a Skrull named Raava a while back. In the finale, we see the real Rhodey rescued, but the question still remains: when was the real Rhodey replaced on the Marvel timeline?

Many believe Rhodey could have been swapped out as far back as Captain America: Civil War, which is when we last saw Rhodey wear his leg braces. This is evidenced by Rhodey wearing the same hospital gown at the end of Civil War as he does when he is saved at the end of Secret Invasion. Fast forward to Avengers: Infinity War, the braces are nowhere to be seen. That would mean that the Rhodey we saw attend his best friend Stark's funeral was just a Skrull, which is pretty heartbreaking.

However, others believe that is the real Rhodey in Endgame. "The deleted scenes from Falcon and the Winter Soldier basically confirmed that it is Rhodey in Endgame," said one fan. "Rhodey mentions going in for an upgrade procedure on his legs, and at the end of 'Secret Invasion' he's in a hospital gown. Switch occurred post-Endgame, not earlier."

Either way, now that the first Avengers: Endgame Encore trailer has hit the internet, it seems that Marvel fans are in agreement that Rhodey's identity switch in Secret Invasion should be forgotten about. Fans will be able to see War Machine back on the big screen once again as Marvel rereleases the 2019 movie with four minutes of added footage, which is set to bridge the gap to Avengers: Doomsday. However, as far as we know, Don Cheadle's Rhodey is not set to return in Doomsday.

Avengers: Endgame Encore hits cinemas on September 25. For more, check out our guide to the other upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

Vision knows Wanda's fate, VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas has revealed.

The version of Vision returning in the new show is White Vision, who has Vision's memories but is a new version of the synthezoid created during WandaVision. Wanda, meanwhile, seemingly died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – and, since Vision hasn't been seen since the WandaVision finale, it was reasonable to assume he might not know what happened to her.

As it turns out, though, Vision knows, as revealed in a new Empire magazine interview. "He's watched all the movies," Matalas joked. Indeed, in the trailer for the show, Vision is actually sitting in a home theater watching Age of Ultron. So, this might not really be a joke from the showrunner.

There is some doubt if Wanda actually died in the film, since we don't see the Scarlet Witch's actual death or her body. But, it seems everyone in-universe is assuming she's gone, including Vision.

In the same interview, Matalas also explained why Ultron is returning. "My first thought was, 'Well, we don't have Wanda, and we need someone really strong for Vision to play off of," he shared. "Within a millisecond, I was like, 'It's [James] Spader.' Then everything else started to fall into place."

Ultron is returning in a human form in the new Disney Plus show, and it seems he's been living a pretty simple life since his defeat in Age of Ultron. "He's had access to the internet, television, history, and he's just been consuming... and he's been painting," Spader revealed. "[Ultron and Vision] have a sort of father-son-therapist-psychopath relationship."

"He lives in this kind of fantastic prison loft and I go to him for advice," Bettany added. "He's just been imprisoned for... by now it would be 14 years or something."

VisionQuest arrives this October 13 in the US and October 14 in the UK. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

Lanterns fans are pretty much in agreement that there's something not quite right with Kelly MacDonald's Sheriff Kerry Kane, and they think she's definitely hiding something.

Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for Lanterns season 1 episode 2, so turn back now if you haven't caught up. First, read our spoiler-free Lanterns review.

After William Macon shoots Hal Jordan, Sheriff Kane takes him to the hospital, where she watches over him while he wakes up from his anesthesia. Once awake, Kane proceeds to tell the Green Lantern that he was saying Sinestro's name in his sleep. However, fans think the Sheriff was lying. "What if Hal wasn’t actually muttering Sinestro's name while he was unconscious, and the sheriff said that to plant the idea in Hal’s subconscious to go see him once he got word of the Manhunter?" said one fan on Twitter.

If Hal had been put to sleep, he would've had no idea what he had said, which means Kane could have said anything at that point. Also, when Hal checks out of the hospital, he finds that no one else had checked in or out during his stay – which would have been over quite some hours if he had been put under and had surgery. In fact, the whole ward was empty, with hospital equipment still in its packaging. That's weird, but what is even more strange is that Sheriff Kane didn't seem to see an issue with it.

But it's not just the hospital scene. Fans think the show has secretly been hinting at Kane's dubious energy through clever reflection shots, which you can see below. "The way Lanterns keeps showing Kerry through reflections… there’s definitely something they’re trying to tell us about her," said the fan. However, despite Kane being on our list of suspects, the poster doesn't think she is the Manhunter, but that she's "definitely not who she says she is."

In the midst of all of the mystery, episode 2 did confirm that Kane is originally from Gotham, which some fans suspected all along after the Sheriff was heard talking to a Commissioner on the phone. In DC Comics, the Kanes are one of the most influential families in the city, and Bruce Wayne's mother's maiden name is Kane. The plot thickens.

Lanterns airs weekly on HBO Max and NOW. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One and find out where Lanterns takes place on the DCU timeline.

Lanterns episode 2 has a deep-cut Alan Moore tribute that you almost certainly missed.

In the episode, John Stewart is tasked with heading back to Hal Jordan's place to retrieve the lantern needed to charge the Power Ring. Upon reaching Hal's vault, he calls up his reluctant mentor for the voice code needed to unlock it. The passphrase? "Mogo doesn't socialize."

As pointed out by the perfectly-named Mr. Know it All on Twitter, that's actually a reference to a story in 1985's Green Lantern #188.

'Mogo Doesn't Socialize' revolves around Bolphunga the Unrelenting attempting to defeat the universe's most powerful warriors. After being told he can never defeat Mogo, he goes in search of the Lantern – only to discover he is, in fact, a sentient planet.

Lanterns co-creator Damon Lindelof has previous history with the infamously cantankerous Moore, writing a sequel to the Watchmen graphic novel for HBO.

That even included the – fairly excruciating – act of Lindelof penning a letter to Moore before the project aired.

Responding in an interview with GQ, Moore said, "It went on through a lot of, what seemed to me to be, neurotic rambling… I got back with a very abrupt and probably hostile reply telling him that I'd thought that Warner Bros. were aware that they, nor any of their employees, shouldn't contact me again for any reason."

Moore added, "I explained that I had disowned the work in question, and partly that was because the film industry and the comics industry seemed to have created things that had nothing to do with my work, but which would be associated with it in the public mind. I said, ‘Look, this is embarrassing to me. I don’t want anything to do with you or your show. Please don’t bother me again."

Lanterns is now airing on HBO and HBO Max. For what that means where you live, head on over to the Lanterns release schedule.

We also have a list of suspects for who killed Hal Jordan, if you fancy some sleuthing.

We're only two episodes into Lanterns, but it is packed with Easter eggs and DC references. However, you may have missed some hilarious pop culture nods in the recent installment.

Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for Lanterns season 1 episode 2, so turn back now if you haven't caught up. First, read our spoiler-free Lanterns review.

Partway through Lanterns episode 2, when Aaron Pierre's John Stewart looks around Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan's huge house for the Lantern, he stumbles upon some pictures on the wall from Hal's time in the limelight. One picture shows Hal meeting the pope, another shows the hero sitting with ex-US President Barack Obama, and another shows Jordan standing with the cast of Harry Potter on the red carpet.

Now his rant in episode 1 makes a lot more sense. When he interrogates the alien, Jordan asks the suspected extraterrestrial some pop culture questions to prove he's not human, including "Where does Harry Potter go to school?" Now, every English-speaking person should know that. When the alien fails to answer, Jordan says, "Harry Potter went to Hogwarts, you ignorant alien fuck!"

Lanterns fans are loving the little tidbits, as one wrote on Reddit, "God, this show is so fucking funny." However, another has pointed out that Hal's wall of celeb meetups is actually rather sad. "It really reinforces how alone he is and how the job is all Hal really has. Not a single picture of anyone he cares about. It’s a really fun way to set up his fear of being replaced and having no purpose."

Hal's loneliness is reinforced by his big empty house. He doesn't even have a couch, just a sole camping chair positioned in front of a huge TV. Hal's time as the Green Lantern meant he never got married or had a family, with his companion being an alien plant he keeps in his backyard. This might explain why he behaves the way he does, and why he is so eager to push John away at any given moment.

Some think his erratic behaviour puts him under suspicion of being the Manhunter, but I think his personality is the result of his job. Plus, there is a reason he would rather post up at a shabby motel in Nebraska and devote his life to the case rather than go home to his wealth.

Lanterns airs weekly on HBO Max and NOW. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One, and find out where Lanterns takes place on the DCU timeline.

The MCU may have let Mahershala Ali slip through its fingers with vampire hunter Blade, but Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker revealed why he didn't "fumble the bag" with the Oscar-winning actor for his turn as iconic crime boss Cottonmouth.

"I didn’t fumble the bag the first time," Coker wrote on Twitter in response to a fan suggesting Marvel fumbled Ali twice.

Ali played Cornell Stokes, AKA Cottonmouth, in the first season of Luke Cage and instantly became one of the standout characters in a packed roster of Marvel's Netflix TV outings.

Cottonmouth's death in the show may have come as a shock – and opened up a power vacuum at Harlem's Paradise – but came about due to Ali's packed schedule. In a moment of serendipity, Ali departing Luke Cage also allowed him to film Green Book, a film for which he won Best Actor.

"He took the role because it was a limited appearance. He was always going to die in episode 7, by design. He made Luke Cage, Hidden Figures, and Moonlight simultaneously. He was killing it on Luke Cage and Marvel TV and the other actors begged me to change my mind, which would have locked him into a long term contract (and cost him the Green Book Oscar) but I kept my word to him on a handshake. That’s why we’re friends to this day. Always keep your word."

Unlike Luke Cage, Ali's other experience with Marvel is less straightforward.

Ali was attached to Blade, first announced at 2019's San Diego Comic-Con. Multiple directors and writers attempted to get the project off the ground, with Ali first portraying Blade in a voice cameo in 2021's Eternals.

Ultimately, Blade went nowhere. Ali voiced his frustrations in an interview with GQ earlier this month.

"No offense to them. I’ve been doing this professionally for pushing 30 years now, and one thing I've learned is that what is for you is for you and what is not is not. For whatever reason, that project is not for me. If they wanted to do it, we would've done it. So I have to move on, and I have moved on," Ali said.

For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies currently in the works, as well as all the latest news on Marvel Phase 6.

With the introduction of Manhunters and the mysterious circumstances of Hal Jordan's death in Lanterns so far, plenty of wild theories have been circulating about the DC Studios show. The latest fan speculation to emerge surrounds the mysterious Zoe Macon and how she might be linked to Sinestro.

Posting on Twitter, one fan suggested that Zoe could be Soranik Natu, the daughter of Sinestro. The character is the leader of the Sinestro Corps in the comics, as well as being a former member of the Lantern Corps.

The theory of why Zoe could be her in hiding seems to stem from Sinestro's knowledge of John Stewart. At the very end of Lanterns episode 2, Hal Jordan visits his former mentor, who quizzes him on what he knows about John. But as fans pointed out, if he's imprisoned, then how does he even know about John?

One answer could be that his daughter is communicating with him somehow. We know that Zoe and John are well acquainted in the HBO Max show after their liaison in episode 1. Could she be the missing link?

"Today's episode had a lot of yellow imagery and lighting around this scene in particular with John and Zoe," Twitter user sz0 added. "And again, it’s definitely possible she’s the manhunter. Or, she was told by Sinestro to keep a close eye on Hal, and that's how he knows about John." Intriguing…

As the user suggests, Zoe is also one of the prime Manhunter suspects. As we learnt in episode 2, the mysterious and highly dangerous alien has infiltrated Rushville and is hiding in human form. Zoe's husband William Macon, son Billy Macon, and Sheriff Kerry Kane are all also suspects. Only time will tell who the real villain is.

For more on the show, check out our guide to when Lanterns takes place on the DC timeline as well as our breakdown of the Lanterns release schedule.

VisionQuest star James Spader says Ultron's been up to some pretty normal, nonvillainous stuff since he was defeated in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

"He's had access to the internet, television, history, and he’s just been consuming... and he’s been painting," Spader tells Rotten Tomatoes, in conversation with co-star Paul Bettany. "[Ultron and Vision] have a sort of father-son-therapist-psychopath relationship."

Even though his last conscious body was destroyed by Vision, Ultron is still technically Vision's creator (or peepaw, as he calls himself in the trailer) and therefore has a permanent place in Vision's mind. After the events of WandaVision, the magic version of Vision has since faded away, and all that's left is the rebuilt version that is colorless in appearance and has no memory of Wanda or his past. The upcoming series sees Vision grapple with his own identity, while also welcoming Ultron into his home for some reason. We love a family reunion.

"He lives in this kind of fantastic prison loft and I go to him for advice," Bettany says. "He's just been imprisoned for... by now it would be 14 years or something."

Created by Terry Matalas, the cast includes Bettany as Vision, with Orla Brady as Friday, Emily Hampshire as E.D.I.T.H., T'Nia Miller as Jocasta, James D'Arcy as Jarvis (yes, that Jarvis), and Ruaridh Mollica as Tommy Maximoff.

VisionQuest is set to hit Disney Plus on October 13. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's in the works.

TV veteran Damon Lindelof – known for Lost, The Leftovers, Watchmen, and now Lanterns – has delivered what we hope is the final say on adaptations changing aspects of their source material.

“We all just have to acknowledge that there’s a level of hubris involved in taking on any of this preexisting IP. But it is called adaptation. Source material is supposed to change and evolve [by definition],” Lindelof said in a discussion with The Hollywood Reporter.

Lindelof added, "As a consumer and as someone who’s making this stuff, there’s almost a responsibility to take risks. I don’t think anybody wants to see you be completely and totally vigilant to the source material because then it isn’t an adaptation at all. Shouldn’t we be beyond this conversation by now?

"Nobody who does what we do goes to bed at night, saying, 'All that I care about is whether or not I pissed off the fans.'" Lindelof continued. "They go to bed at night, going, 'Did I do anything worthwhile creatively? Did I put anything authentically emotional into this story that people can relate to?'"

Those who have religiously followed Lindelof's work over the years will know the writer and creative thrives on change – and even going beyond the boundaries of source material.

The second and third seasons of existential drama The Leftovers went past the story penned in Tom Perrotta's novel of the same name.

Famously, Lindelof also created a 'sequel' to Watchmen as an HBO miniseries, which followed the characters created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons over three decades after the events of the 1980s seminal graphic novel. Lanterns is also a changed, grounded take on DC's Green Lantern comics, although some cosmic elements remain.

It's something I've encountered over the past few years, too, in the video game adaptation space. Nothing wrong with sticking closely to a popular brand or franchise, of course, but I've definitely been an outlier in liking shows such as Paramount's Halo and Amazon's Yakuza more than most – because they at least tried to do something fresh. If I wanted the same old thing again, I'd play the games.

Lanterns is now airing on HBO and HBO Max. Keep up to date with its streaming plans with our Lanterns release schedule.

We're also doing some detective work in Rushville. Join us as we break down the suspects for the Manhunter and who killed Hal Jordan.

Lanterns returned to HBO this weekend with its second episode, sparking an alien debate amongst the DCU fanbase, which in turn prompted an interesting theory about Hal Jordan's alleged death.

Warning, the following contains mild spoilers for Lanterns season 1 episode 2, so turn back now if you haven't caught up. First, read our spoiler-free Lanterns review.

The new DCU show follows Kyle Chandler's Green Lantern Hal Jordan and his trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as intergalactic cops who are drawn to an extraterrestrial murder case in Nebraska. During last week's premiere, we learned the aliens are able to pose as humans, with Jordan rooting one out in an intense interrogation scene.

However, in Lanterns episode 2, it is revealed that when an alien takes human form, they can then be killed as a human and leave behind a human corpse. With that in mind, one Lanterns fan on Twitter thinks that the flash-forward scene in 2026, which shows Hal Jordan's dead body frozen at the football stadium, might be a red herring.

"If the alien doesn't change shape upon dying, then there's the possibility that Hal Jordan actually didn't die and was an alien disguised as him," said the fan. Others seem to agree, as another replied, "This is what I’ve been saying! Also, if you notice in episode one when Hal sets down the ring onto the car dash, there’s this dark band of residue/ impression from his decades of wearing the ring that isn’t present on the dead 'Hal'." Now that is another interesting theory.

It came as quite a shock to see one of the show's leads dead at the end of episode 1 (you can read our list of suspects here), and many DC fans were not too happy about it. However, soon after the series premiere, showrunner David Lindelof told Collider that he's "willing to absorb the boos from the audience in the first inning," urging fans to wait and "see how you feel at the end of Episode 8." Hmm, it sounds as though not all is as it seems.

In the chaos of it all, episode 2 also introduces DC Comics' Sinestro and confirms that Sheriff Kerry Kane is actually from Gotham, which some fans suspected all along.

Lanterns airs weekly on HBO Max and NOW. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, check out our guide to DCU Chapter One, and find out where Lanterns takes place on the DCU timeline.

Just weeks after Marvel TV show Wonder Man was scrapped, new figures show that season 1 was the second most-watched original series on Disney Plus during the first half of 2026, making its cancelation even more confusing.

As per new figures shared by Luminate Data, Wonder Man was the second-most-streamed original TV show on Disney Plus in the US during the first six months of 2026. Wonder Man season 1 clocked in at 1.9 billion views after hitting the streamer on January 27. The show sits behind Daredevil: Born Again season 2, which is the most-streamed show of the year so far at 2.3 billion views, after premiering on March 24.

The rest of the top ten includes Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 2 at 1.8 billion views, Daredevil: Born Again season 1 at 1.3 billion, Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord at 1.1 billion, The Mandalorian season 1 at 887.9 million, Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 1 at 798.7 million, The Mandalorian season 3 at 790.2 million, Phineas and Ferb season 5 at 776.2, and in tenth place is The Mandalorian season 2 with 728 million.

With that, it looks like many viewers were rewatching shows like The Mandalorian in preparation for The Mandalorian and Grogu, and Percy Jackson season 1 before season 2 dropped this summer. Wonder Man and surprise Star Wars hit Maul – Shadow Lord are the only brand new shows to break into the top 10 list, which is pretty impressive.

However, both Daredevil: Born Again and Maul – Shadow Lord currently have new seasons in the works. So why was Wonder Man scrapped before its second season? Despite being renewed for season 2 in March, Marvel Studios and Disney pulled the plug on Wonder Man in July, seemingly out of the blue. In fact, not even showrunner Andrew Guest saw it coming, as the scribe had already started writing Wonder Man season 2.

Right now, the only new live-action show in the works at Marvel TV (that we know of) is VisionQuest. However, other popular series continue to grow, with Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man season 2, Daredevil: Born Again season 3, and X-Men '97 season 3 (and 4) all on the way.

For more on Marvel Phase 6, check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy has opened up about the second episode's Sinestro appearance and how it acts as a shock to the system for those who thought the HBO series was going to outright reject its comic book origins.

"We held off on a lot of the more comic book stuff. It's very grounded," Mundy said on Lanterns: The Official Podcast. "We're in western Nebraska. Hal is wearing jeans and a jacket. It felt like a good time to remind people we understand the show we're making and we understand who the players are."

The scene, which arrives at the end of the second episode, 'Trust Fall', sees Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan fly off to the intergalactic prison in which former Lantern Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) is being held.

While tensions are understandably frosty between the pair, the moment is framed as Hal returning to his mentor for help in cracking the case on Earth – as a Manhunter runs loose in Rushville.

"It felt like the moment in the show to let everybody know we're doing space cops," co-executive producer Vanessa Baden Kelly added.

The sudden emergence of Sinestro, and the history between him and Hal, is proof enough that – in Kyle Chandler's words – the show won't be a "slow burn" after the shocking episode 1 cliffhanger.

"I think it turns out great," Chandler told GamesRadar+. "I think there's a lot of different moves in the whole deal. It's an exciting poker game."

"We didn't have all the scripts starting out. They started coming in… it's not a slow burn. It goes from one world into another, and grows into that."

Lanterns is now airing weekly on HBO and HBO Max.

For more, check out the Lanterns release schedule, plus our best guesses at who the Manhunter is in Lanterns.

DC Studios' Gorilla Grodd TV show is coming to HBO Max as an eight-episode series now officially titled The People v. Gorilla Grodd.

James Gunn, co-chairman and CEO of DC Studios, took to social media to announce the news. Gunn is executive producing the series and calls it DC Studios' "first foray into the true crime genre." Really, it's a mockumentary-style exploration of the cult-favorite arch-enemy Gorilla Grodd, one of the wildest creations in DC history, and whether he's guilty of murdering his father.

First conceived way back in 1959 during the early days of the Silver Age DC Universe in The Flash #106 by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino, Grodd is a super-intelligent ape with psychic powers with world-conquering ideations. In the DC Studios TV show, he's convicted of murdering his father, the King of Gorilla City, while Jimmy Olsen, played by Skyler Gisondo, reopens the case to find out whether Grodd is truly guilty or innocent.

Tony Yacenda and Dan Perrault, the directing duo known for creating the 2017 Netflix mockumentary series American Vandal, are serving as writers and showrunners on The People v. Gorilla Grodd. The cast includes Jimmy Tatro as Gorilla Grodd, Beck Bennett as Steve Lombard, Mikaela Hoover as Cat Grant, and Wendell Pierce as Perry White.

"We're excited by the challenge of creating a series that feels less like an entry into the DCU and more like an artifact from it," Yacenda and Perrault say in a statement to Variety. "A Daily Planet original documentary made for the people of Metropolis. We hope it'll appeal to fans of the comics, comedy and true crime. And while we can't speak for audiences here yet, we already know it's a huge hit in Metropolis. They love this series."

Meanwhile, Gunn repeats that the Grodd TV show is one of two shows alongside Lanterns that he pitched to Warner Bros. before he even joined the company. "With Tony and Dan at the helm, it's something truly special," he says.

While we await more details, here are all of the upcoming DC movies and shows on our radar.

After stumbling slightly with Supergirl, it looks like James Gunn's DCU is back on form as new series Lanterns sets a major record for DC Studios.

As per Variety, Lanterns season 1 episode 1 pulled in a whopping 9.3 million viewers in its first three days on HBO and HBO Max worldwide, marking the biggest series premiere for a DC Studios show ever. Plus, 6.6 million of those views came from the US.

This is quite the feat, as Lanterns has beaten Creatures and Commandos, Peacemaker, and even beloved Batman spin-off The Penguin, which took eleven whole days to amass the amount of views Lanterns hit in just three days. Lanterns now sits in the top five series premieres on HBO behind Game of Thrones spin-off A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which opened to 6.7 million viewers in the US earlier this year.

The massive viewership is not too much of a surprise, as the show hit HBO to rave reviews on Sunday, August 16. Lanterns currently stands at an impressive 94%. In our Lanterns review, we awarded the new DCU project 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it a "captivating murder mystery that prides itself on relentless pacing and masterful character work from Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart."

Although it's only early days, there have been some rumblings around a possible Lanterns season 2, with scribe Chris Mundy already back in the writers' room working on new stories. Lanterns' success also follows a bit of a shake-up for Gunn's DCU Chapter One as Peacemaker spin-off Waller and Wonder Woman show Paradise Lost have been scrapped.

The show follows Chandler's Green Lantern and Intergalactic Cop Hal Jordan as he trains Pierre's new recruit John Stewart to take over the mantle. However, the unlikely duo are quickly pulled into a dark, earth-based mystery as they investigate a murder that seems to have extraterrestrial ties. Lanterns also stars Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Jason Ritter, Ulrich Thomsen, and Nathan Fillion.

Lanterns continues to air weekly on HBO Max. See our Lanterns release schedule for exact timings. For more, keep up with upcoming DC movies and shows on the way.

The first episode of Lanterns ended with a huge twist: Hal Jordan is dead. Discovered by John Stewart and Sheriff Kane in Rushville, we see Hal's frozen body sitting upright with a bullet in his head at the end of the episode.

This sets up a major mystery about who's behind the big death (you can read our list of suspects here). However, one viewer has noticed something in the show's trailer, which might have blown the case wide open.

Sharing a few screenshots from the new Lanterns trailer on Reddit, they saw a body with a similar wound as well as a similar skull. Check this out below.

"The body Hal drags out from the morgue has a wound on its forehead, exactly where "Hal's" wound is at the end of episode 1," they wrote. "And the skull John picks up also has what looks to be a healed wound in a similar area. Lends me to suspect Hal's still alive, and these are all aliens being murdered."

Another viewer agreed, pointing out that elsewhere in the same trailer, Hal can be seen dragging the body from the morgue into the same football field that his body was found in.

Redditors have been running with the theory. "That's an actually insane discovery. If true, this would be exceptional foreshadowing," one wrote, while another added: "Don't forget they made a HUGE point to tell the audience that there are species of aliens who can shapeshift so well that they can even fool medical scans without an issue."

We've got to admit, we're hoping there's something to this theory. While we'll likely see more of Hal in the series, we're holding out hope that he might somehow be still alive.

For more on Lanterns, check out our Lanterns review as well as our breakdown of the Lanterns release schedule.

Following Marvel Studios showing off its upcoming movie slate at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 and D23, you may have noticed that the studio failed to announce any new shows. However, it sounds as though the superhero studio has a few projects up its sleeve.

According to Puck's What I'm Hearing, there are multiple live-action Marvel series in development over at Disney Plus, with official announcements set to arrive soon.

Now, we don't know what the new projects are, but more may be revealed at New York Comic Con 2026. The Marvel Television and Marvel Animation panel takes place at NYCC on Thursday, October 8th. The listing reads, "Join special guests for an inside look at Marvel Television and Marvel Animation’s most anticipated upcoming series on Disney Plus."

The only new live-action TV show Marvel has on the way is WandaVision spin-off VisionQuest, welcoming back Paul Bettany as the hero in his own solo adventure. In terms of renewals, we know that season 2 of animated show Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man is set to hit Disney Plus in January 2027. Daredevil: Born Again season 3 and X-Men '97 season 3 (and 4) are currently in development too.

However, Marvel TV has had a bit of a shakeup this year. The studio decided to cancel original superhero show Wonder Man after previously renewing it for a second season. Plus, at SDCC 2026, Marvel head Kevin Feige confirmed the upcoming Nova project, which was previously announced as a TV show, is now going forward as a movie.

Marvel movies, on the other hand, are flourishing. Last month, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit screens to record-breaking box office takings, and Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit screens this December. More sequels are on the way too, including Avengers: Secret Wars and Black Panther 3. Aside from follow-ups, Marvel announced its upcoming Ghost Rider movie at SDCC and revealed the cast of Marvel's X-Men at D23.

The next Marvel project set to hit screens is TV show VisionQuest on October 14, 2026, on Disney Plus. For more, check out our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order, and keep up with new Marvel movies and TV shows.

Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy says season 2 is being mapped out right now and will be told in a "slightly different way"

"The question is whether [season two] is a story people are interested in," Mundy told The Hollywood Reporter. "If that's the case, then we’ll get to do another one. We'll tell it in a slightly different way, so that it feels fresh, with characters you know and care about."

Of the ongoing pre-production plans, Mundy added, "We're about six weeks into laying out a season, and then we'll talk to folks about it really soon."

Given the title of Lanterns, there had been some expectation – including from myself, admittedly – that each season would go full True Detective and follow a different Lantern and new crime each season.

But given the talk of "characters you know and care about", there could be some familiar faces back and rocking the ring instead. So, likely no Kyle Rayner, Jessica Cruz, or more obscure Lanterns like Saarek.

Is that a good thing? Well, I'll just say this: I didn't know how much I wanted a Guy Gardner and John Stewart buddy cop duo until now. Make it happen, James Gunn.

Speaking of Gunn, Mundy reaffirmed that the DC Studios boss never meddled in the narrative ahead of John Stewart's appearance in 2027 Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow.

"We knew we were putting John on his feet, but there wasn’t an actual story point that we had to land him on," Mundy said. "In one way, it makes it scarier because it could be anything, but at the same time, we weren’t shoehorned into anything at all."

Lanterns is currently airing new episodes every Sunday on HBO and HBO Max.

For more, check out the Lanterns release schedule. We also have a list of prime suspects behind episode 1's shocking whodunnit.

The name's Lantern. Green Lantern.

Whether he intended to or not, Henry Winkler's recent social media activity added another name to the long, long list of actors who are on audience's wishlists to play the new James Bond.

"Aaron Pierre should be the next BOND," Winkler tweeted on Sunday night after watching the British actor step onto the scene as rookie Lantern-in-training John Stewart on HBO's Lanterns.

In the 2026 scenes, it's hard to disagree. Pierre takes over the show in style (literally, too, thanks to that trendy winter attire), showcasing the blend of charm and command that could easily see him working for His Majesty's Secret Service on the big screen.

Lanterns co-star Kelly Macdonald, who plays Sheriff Kane in the series, wants Pierre to keep on trucking with his role as John Stewart, however.

"I just feel sorry for anybody that gets [linked] – it sort of gets spoken about too much," Macdonald tells GamesRadar+. "Saying yes to a Bond film is a big, big, deal. Lots of people get thrown in the mix. It feels like every week there's a new person."

Macdonald adds, "He certainly could be [Bond], but I hope to see him as a Green Lantern for many years to come."

When we mention Winkler's tweet to Pierre himself, the John Stewart actor – who is set to reprise the role in 2027's Man of Tomorrow – remained humble over the links.

"I think that is an enormous compliment, and I appreciate it greatly. That's very kind. It's a very kind thing for someone to say."

The hunt for the next 007 continues, with producer Amy Pascal recently saying the next Bond actor will be "different" and announced by the end of the year (via Deadline).

Whether he likes his martinis shaken or stirred, it appears Pierre is blocking out the noise – from the spy world or otherwise. Still, Lanterns could yet be an audition for him to earn the number.

Lanterns is now streaming on HBO Max in the UK and Ireland.

For more, here's all the latest on DCU Chapter One.