Star Wars fans think Zero Company is the perfect game for lovers of The Clone Wars and Bad Batch.

The new strategy game is set in the Clone Wars-era of the Star Wars timeline, and you play as Hawks, leader of the titular Zero Company.

"If you love Clone Wars / The Bad Batch, do yourself a favor and play Zero Company," says one fan on Reddit. "For the story and worldbuilding alone, this game is amazing. Even if you don't usually like tactical games (I personally had no experience with them) this game is clearly made as a labor of love for CW and TBB. I'm honestly having a lot of fun with the gameplay and customization too but the planets, references, lore, it's really awesome."

It seems everyone is in agreement. "It's really great so far. It's nice having an isolated story that references the larger ongoings of the galaxy. Not to mention it looks great, and the characters you create actually feel like real characters as well," says one fan.

"You can definitely feel that this game had some of the writers from the Jedi games. Their love for the Star Wars universe, particularly animation, is on full display in Zero Company. For anyone who loves the story of the clones in particular, ZC is an absolute must-play," says another person.

"100% Agree. Would love an animated TV spinoff of Zero Company," thinks another player, while another says: "I can't believe how wonderful the dialogue is in this game. The banter between characters feels so authentic to Star Wars."

"Honestly, if you love the Clone Wars era in general, play this game. One of the best stories told during the era and has callbacks to many other movies, shows, and games that take place during the Clone Wars," thinks another fan.

The game debuted to strong reviews, with our own Star Wars: Zero Company review reading: "Star Wars: Zero Company does exactly what it promises: XCOM, but in a galaxy far, far away. It might not reinvent the format like Midnight Suns, but it's a rare treat to see the tactics genre given this kind of big-budget treatment, and lightsabers only sweeten the deal."

Next up for Star Wars is Ahsoka season 2, which arrives on January 20. The new season will bring back Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker and see Admiral Ackbar go head to head with Grand Admiral Thrawn, while Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren remain stranded on Peridea.

While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for everything else that's on the way. Star Wars: Zero Company, meanwhile, is available to play on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Eternals star Kit Harington loved the setup for his character's future in the MCU, but he doesn't think it will ever happen.

The actor played Dane Whitman in the 2021 movie, and in the post-credits scene he was seen opening a box containing the Ebony Blade. Mahershala Ali's Blade then asked him if he was "ready", setting him up for his transformation into Marvel comic book character Black Knight.

However, we've yet to see his character return, and Marvel's Blade movie has also since fallen through. Harington was recently asked if there was still a part of the character that he'd like to explore.

"I mean I'd love to," he replied to MovieWeb. "I don't think there's any plan to, I hate to break it to you, but I think he's a wicked character. There's a part of him that, that whole Ebony Blade stuff where the more he kills, the more he gets, the more addicted. I think he's such a great parable of addiction. I think he's someone who starts good, goes bad, and I think it's great. But we'll see; I don't know if there's any plan."

The Eternals set up a whole load of storylines which have seemingly been lost in the Marvel ether. Harry Styles notably appeared in one of the other post-credits scenes as Thanos' brother Eros. However, that was the one and only time we saw the musician appear in the MCU.

Kevin Feige has also confirmed there are no plans to make a sequel to the movie, and the main characters have not yet appeared in any other films. With plans for the MCU all leading to Avengers: Doomsday and the introduction of a new generation of X-Men, it does seem unlikely we'll see Black Knight any time soon.

Harington is being kept busy, though, with his upcoming role in the second season of the HBO Harry Potter series. He's taking over from Nicholas Hoult as Gilderoy Lockhart, a role he previously played in the Audible audiobook recordings.

Next up for Marvel is VisionQuest. For more upcoming superhero movies, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

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.

Chris Evans says it was a no-brainer to return as Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday, given that he cares deeply about the role.

"I feel very at home with the role," Evans said during a panel at Fan Expo Boston. "I feel very not just comfortable, but precious. I care about the arc of all these characters, and we wouldn’t be doing it unless there was going to be a really interesting situation to put him in."

The actor is set to appear in both Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, the latter of which is out next year. You might recall that Steve Rogers received a pretty definitive ending in Avengers: Endgame, in which he declined returning to the future and went back into the past in order to have a normal family life with Peggy Carter.

The first teaser showed Rogers cradling the baby they share. The second showed him handling Thor's hammer with ease, much to the God of Thunder's disbelief. Our only real clue as to how Rogers was able to return to Earth-616 is via Loki's TVA card, which he appears to be holding in the newest trailer.

Evans previously teased that "interesting situation," saying: "The Russos love beating up Steve Rogers. Their favourite thing to do is to just beat the crap out of him. To them, that's what makes a hero, and that's someone who gets punched so many times but still gets up."

Avengers: Doomsday arrives this December 18. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

The elevator pitch for Hulu's Furious may not seem like the most original premise to fans of Killing Eve, but it's certainly a good hook. A female FBI agent hunts a female serial killer who is periodically knocking off wealthy men in staged drug overdoses. It's a classic cat-and-mouse game, right? Well, the new TV show certainly is that, but it's also so much more.

Created by Elizabeth Meriwether – who is the mind behind New Girl and Hulu's Dying for Sex – the series is loosely based on the 1987 movie Black Widow (not to be confused with the MCU character). It centers around Alice Black, an FBI rookie who is drawn into a case unravelling a series of mysterious deaths by her former NYPD colleague. It's told through dual perspectives as we meet the woman responsible, an unassuming figure named Catherine Grace who hunts her victims while dealing with an extremely traumatic past as a former sex worker and trafficking victim.

As with any good crime thriller, it's full of twists and turns. As Alice edges closer to her subject, curveballs come her way in the form of federal red tape, inept male colleagues, and a complicated past of her own. Yet, what elevates the show beyond a run-of-the-mill noir is how much it subverts the expectations of its genre into something feminist, funny, and entirely unique.

Not your usual noir

I could probably count the number of female serial killer dramas I've watched on one hand. More often than not, it's a male protagonist doing the evil, and more often than not, it's women that they're doing the evil to. By switching up this usual dynamic, Furious features a refreshing absence of mutilated female bodies, but it's no less dark in its subject matter.

Dealing with sexual abuse, murder, and domestic violence, the show deftly balances the line of feeling extremely contemporary by mirroring many real-life cases and also treading the balance of fiction. Such a tonal tightrope is held together by its two female leads. Emmy Rossum, the more recognisable of the two thanks to her role in Shameless, is absolutely brilliant as Alice. Meriwether has written her as a complicated, damaged and morally grey character, and Rossum runs with it, able to be deeply unlikeable as well as the audience's champion.

No less brilliant is her co-star Lola Petticrew as Catherine, a serial killer hell-bent on revenge. As she switches from a wide-eyed innocent to a ruthless murderer from one scene to the next, she's extremely compelling to watch. The pair are held up by an impressive supporting cast, including The White Lotus' Jake Lacy playing another easy-to-hate privileged man, and Argo's Scoot McNairy is a well-meaning NYPD cop.

But no one in this show is putting in the level of performance that comes from Quincy Tyler Bernstine's Nora Washington. As the battle-hardened head of the FBI's sex crime unit, she's both terrifying and absolutely hilarious, oscillating between taking on her superiors and donning a Hawaiian shirt to sing dreadful karaoke. And it's through her that the series is able to carve its own space.

As she delivers lines with a cadence to make you chortle out loud, while also delving into physical comedy as she takes her time to report something to her superior, it's clear that Furious isn't only one of the year's darkest shows so far, it's also one of the funniest.

Steve Way's Alden, introduced later in the series, is equally brilliant at bringing dark humor to the harrowing story. He is particularly side-splitting when riffing off McNairy's Danny and his law enforcement colleagues in episode six. Such a deft navigation of tone allows Furious to stand out amidst a sea of crime dramas and is enough to make it well worth your time.

Hell hath no fury

For me, too, as the series has gone on, its brilliance has only become clearer as its title truly comes into its own. Furious is about female anger, but not in a way I've ever seen portrayed before. Gone are the tropes that usually accompany this topic; there's not much hysterical screaming, nor do we have dialogue filled with catty comments.

Instead, the fury is much more insidious, deeply baked into a set of characters who are hollowed out by the terrible things that have happened to them and a society that more often than not manages to bury them. Furious does have angry protagonists, but it will also make you angry too as you watch it, drawing inevitable real-life parallels to cases that usually don't result in justice.

There's only one episode left of the show to arrive on Hulu, and it will hopefully tie up where all this leads for Alice and Catherine. Though a second season has now been confirmed, we don't yet know which characters will return. However it ends, Merriwether hasn't created a show that relies on its conclusion to live or die. It's already said so much.

And while it's early in the year to pick out a TV show of the year, I feel sure that Furious will be up there for me. Don't let this hidden gem slip under your radar.

Furious episodes 1-7 are available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ now. The season finale is available on Monday, August 31.

For what else to watch, check out our guides to the best Disney Plus shows and the best Disney Plus movies.

Marvel Studios' lead casting director Sarah Halley Finn has recalled Chris Pratt's failed Captain America audition – and how it put the then-Parks and Recreation actor on the MCU's radar.

Finn, who has helped cast the likes of Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., and Chadwick Boseman in the MCU, revealed her reaction to Pratt's reading during an SDCC appearance on The Brandon Davis Show.

"He did a speech which was not comedic at all, it was kind of a rallying cry," Finn recounted. "I don't think this particular [speech] ended up in [Captain America: The First Avenger]. He's trying to inspire and encourage somebody to move forward with courage. It was really simple, it was very heartfelt. There was just that touch of nobility you want to see in your heroes… after that audition, I was paying attention."

And pay attention she did. Finn eventually got Pratt into a room with James Gunn for Guardians of the Galaxy and the lead role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord – despite the actor's best efforts.

"I was stuck on him," Finn said. "He didn't want to audition for that at all… I was so persistent to the point of being annoying. Even at that point, James Gunn was convinced he wasn't right and didn't want to see him."

Three Guardians of the Galaxy movies and multiple Avengers movies later, it turned out just fine for Chris Pratt in the end – even if he didn't get the first role he was angling for.

Of course, Chris Evans would be picked to play Steve Rogers. Other notable actors who auditioned include Wilson Bethel, who went on to play Daredevil villain Bullseye, one-time Reed Richards multiverse actor John Krasinski, John Walker actor Wyatt Russell, and a certain Sebastian Stan.

So, if anyone else out there has auditioned for Captain America, you probably have a Marvel role in your future.

Want to relive the MCU's best moments? Here's our essential guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

One of X-Men's biggest fumbles wants a do-over with her mutant character.

Lana Condor, who dazzled as Jubilee in the briefest of cameos in X-Men: Apocalypse (32 seconds, by the count of a popular YouTube round-up of her scenes), says she is desperate to play the hero once more.

"We filmed more Jubilee than was in the film… I obviously wanted so much more for Jubilee and, at the time, I thought we were going to get some of that," Condor told Get Rec'd with Straw Hat Goofy.

"I desperately want to play Jubilee again, but I want to be utilized, and I want it to mean something. I know it meant something in Apocalypse, but I think that she's just such a fabulous and phenomenal character; she's so vibrant, and she's so full of vitality and life. You can't reduce that."

In a separate interview with The Direct, Condor confirmed she had spoken to those on the Marvel end about a return, presumably with an eye to appearing in 2028's X-Men movie reboot.

"I've talked to the filmmakers and been like, 'Hey, listen, I'm 10 years older now. I know more. Bring me back.' So we'll see."

Right now, we know Marvel Studios is going full steam ahead on its own X-Men movie.

At D23, the main cast for the Jake Schreier-directed movie was confirmed: Sadie Sink as Jean Grey; Kit Connor as Cyclops; Christopher Abbott as Professor X; Inde Navarette as Rogue; Maya Boyd as Storm; Samara Weaving as Emma Frost; Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Could Lana Condor add to that list?

X-Men hits cinemas on May 5, 2028.

For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies currently in the works.

One Star Wars fan artist has recreated the iconic Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi duel in Revenge of the Sith in the most incredible way.

The artist, who goes by the Tumblr username idk-i-was-bored, shared the artwork of the fiery Mustafar duel – which is actually recreated from every single line of dialogue in Revenge of the Sith, written out by hand. Check it out below.

"I decided to do something a little bit insane. I sat down and typed every word spoken in Revenge of the Sith so I could then hand write every word to create this scene redraw. I am very pleased with the final result I'm not gonna lie," the artist captioned the post.

In the comments, he also revealed a little more about the process – and it sounds like serious dedication went into the artwork. "1. My hands were fine after doing this. I spaced out how often I'd do write the words and my handwriting got looser in the end so there was less pressure. Also literally every hobby and activity I do heavily involves my wrists, so they're kind of used to this," they wrote.

"2. Yes I’m aware there are scripts online for this movie. But the ones I found weren't accurate or were of the uncut 4 hour version therefore I'd have to watch the movie again anyway to work out which parts exactly were in the movie. So I just decided to do it myself," he added.

And, as for how long it might have taken: "3. Idk how much time this actually took to make I'm not gonna lie. Procreate says there was about 12 hours of pen to canvas time spent arranging of the text, actually writing, and drawing and colouring the image. But typing up all the words in the movie took absolutely ages. And like I said. Everything was very spaced out so I didn't hurt my wrists. So I actually have no idea how many hours it was from having the idea to posting the image"

Plus, it sounds like we might be able to look forward to more artwork in a similar style. "4. I know this is mildly insane but I actually had a lot of fun doing it and I'll probably end up making more of other movies at some point," they said. In the immortal words of Sheev Palpatine: we will watch your career with great interest…

We'll soon be seeing Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker again in Ahsoka season 2, which sees him return both as a Force ghost and in Clone Wars-era flashbacks on the Star Wars timeline. As for Ewan McGregor, nothing has been confirmed, but the actor is so keen to return he pitched a comeback to Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni on the Ahsoka season 2 set (his wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, plays Hera Syndulla in the show).

The Disney Plus show arrives on January 20, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Five years after we last saw him, Jeremy Renner seems to be teasing a return to the MCU as Hawkeye.

The actor shared a close up image of his costume to his Instagram story, though cryptically without any kind of caption.

So, what does this mean? Renner isn't part of the cast list for Avengers: Doomsday, and, so far, nothing has been announced about who will return for Avengers: Secret Wars. This could just be a tease to tie into the imminent release of Avengers: Endgame Encore, however.

The last time Renner's Hawkeye was seen was in his own solo show on Disney Plus, aptly titled Hawkeye, which was released in 2021. There's been no official word of a season 2 yet. "It's really not my decision to make," Renner has shared. "For a second season, that was always the idea to continue that narrative, even in the Christmas framework of it all, too, because they love that world in New York."

But, Renner has also revealed a second season almost happened. "They asked me to do season 2, and they offered me half the money," he commented. "I'm like, 'Well, it's going to take me twice the amount of work for half the amount of money, and eight months of my time, essentially, to do it for half the amount'."

Referring to his near-fatal 2023 accident, he added: "I'm like, 'I'm sorry? Why? Did you think I'm only half the Jeremy because I got ran over? Maybe that's why you want to pay me half of what I made on the first season.'"

Whether Renner is returning soon or not remains to be seen, but hopefully this OG Avenger can find his way back to the team.

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

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.

Ms. Marvel star Iman Vellani is co-hosting a new podcast in the lead-up to Avengers: Doomsday. Appearing alongside YouTuber Frank Alvarez, the first episode sees them revisiting The Avengers (2012), and Vellani shared how she thinks it may be connected to the upcoming Doomsday.

Asked by her co-host whether she thinks anything in this movie will be called back to, she replied: "I strongly believe Loki is going to. I mean, he's God of Stories now? What an arc; this man has been killed and redeemed more times than I can count. As long as Tom Hiddleston's playing Loki, I'm always gonna be for it. So I think Loki's arc is going to be really interesting in Doomsday; I have no idea what they're going to be doing or Dooming…"

Tom Hiddleston will be back as Loki in Avengers: Doomsday, and we even saw a glimpse of him in the film's first trailer. He appeared in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot, looking worried. The camera then pans to a hand holding a TVA card with a wedding ring on it, which led many to believe this is Steve Rogers' hand.

In Marvel's official watchlist ahead of the new movie, the Disney Plus Loki show is mentioned, leading us to think he could form a crucial part of the story. However, it's really not clear how at the moment.

At the end of Loki season 2, he has become the God of Stories, holding the dying multiverse together as the center of a giant world tree. This isn't the version of Loki we see in the trailer for Doomsday, though, so could he be part of a flashback? Given his connection to Steve, could this be how he returns?

There are a lot of possibilities at the moment, and we don't know much about what's going to happen in Doomsday at all. The early trailers have teased a connection between the Fantastic Four and Victor Von Doom as well as several MCU superheroes teaming up to face a new threat.

We'll hopefully find out a bit more when Avengers: Endgame Encore is released at the end of September. New footage that directly sets up Doomsday has been promised, which sounds pretty exciting to us.

For more on the MCU, check out upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown of how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

The Ahsoka season 2 trailer brings with it plenty to get excited about, but – for me, anyway – the most exciting part is the return of Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker. Anakin will be back not just in flashbacks to The Clone Wars, but also as a Force ghost watching over his old Padawan Ahsoka Tano.

Anakin's ghostly return quickly sparked discussion online, with some Star Wars fans pointing out that he seemed to be neglecting his children, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, in favor of guiding Ahsoka. "Don't you have like a son or something?" asked one fan, while another said: "You have two children who are fighting for their lives out in the galaxy. Go help them, you bum."

As much as some of the jokes were funny, I figured the reason why Anakin seemed to be spending all his afterlife time with Snips was pretty simple: Leia's aversion to her biological father has been well-established in canon novels already, while Anakin is probably visiting Luke off-screen (after all, one of the last shots in Return of the Jedi is Anakin joining Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda in watching over him). Since neither of the Skywalker twins is currently set to appear in a new Star Wars project (that we know of), the answer will have to remain speculation, and that's a symptom of a larger issue.

Darkness rises

Judging by the new trailer, Ahsoka season 2 is going to have galactic consequences. Grand Admiral Thrawn has returned with his chilling sights set on the Rebel Alliance (or, as it's actually known at this stage on the Star Wars timeline, the New Republic), and the galaxy's heroes are mobilizing to stop him. If that's the case, though, there are a couple of glaring absences: Luke and Leia themselves.

Before Thrawn's return, both of them being busy off-screen made sense. Luke – as we saw in The Book of Boba Fett – is busy trying to build his new Jedi school, while Leia surely has her hands full with the fledgling New Republic.

But it's very hard to imagine both of them would sit out a confrontation with Thrawn and the greatest Imperial threat they've seen since the Age of the Empire. Surely, these icons of the Rebellion would be on the front lines of such a struggle, alongside the likes of Hera Syndulla and Ezra Bridger. Even Admiral Ackbar is returning for a showdown with Thrawn. It's hard to imagine why Luke and Leia wouldn't step up, except for the obvious behind-the-scenes reasons that keep these characters from returning in a big way.

To the future

Luke and Leia have had a presence in Star Wars these past few years, however. Luke made a triumphant return in The Mandalorian season 2 and featured heavily in The Book of Boba Fett (where he was even revealed to know Ahsoka already), while Leia intervened in Hera's council meeting via C-3PO in Ahsoka. Luke hasn't been seen since 2021, however, and Leia hasn't been seen since the sequel trilogy. When Luke did return, it was via CGI wizardry that created a digital version of the character that looked and sounded very much like Mark Hamill (who himself was involved in the process), while similar efforts were taken to bring a younger version of the late Carrie Fisher's Leia back to the big screen in Rogue One and The Rise of Skywalker. The technology is certainly impressive, but it's hard to overlook the ethical issues that come with recreating an actor digitally, especially after their death. Then there's also the fact that, no matter how sleek the effect, something about it will always carry a hint of the uncanny valley.

There is a very simple solution to all these problems: recasting. This is something Lucasfilm seems wary of after Solo, starring Alden Ehrenreich as a young Han Solo, disappointed at the box office. But if this period of the Star Wars timeline is going to continue to be explored, the absence of characters like Luke and Leia – and, indeed, Han and Chewbacca – will only seem stranger. Of course, it's much trickier when it comes to Leia after Carrie Fisher's incredibly tragic death. I have no doubt that Lucasfilm could find a respectful way forward that honors her iconic character and her memory, however.

Beyond Ahsoka season 2, we know that Dave Filoni is set to direct a film that will tie together the Disney Plus shows, which surely means the culmination of the struggle against the Imperial remnants and Thrawn. If this is truly heading towards an Heir to the Empire-style story, where the fate of the galaxy is at stake, then Luke and Leia's absence would be even more baffling. They wouldn't need to be the main characters, since this is the story of Ahsoka first and foremost, along with Sabine Wren and the rest of the Ghost crew. But they do need to be there. There's simply no real, believable reason why they wouldn't be.

So, while it makes complete sense for Anakin to be guiding his one-time Padawan from beyond (and seeing Anakin and Ahsoka together again is a true delight), the jokesters on Twitter have a point, too. If heavy hitters like Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano are still around, surely Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa should be, too. It would seem their story isn't over just yet.

Ahsoka season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on January 20, 2027. In the meantime, keep up with everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Marvel and Disney have introduced Infinity Vision to the world. But what is it? And does it really matter that much when it comes to deciding which Avengers: Endgame Encore tickets to buy?

All fair questions, and ones we intend to answer. Below, you'll find a quick, essential guide on all things Infinity Vision, including whether it's better than IMAX, where Infinity Vision screens are located, and what it means for the MCU's latest projects, including Avengers: Doomsday.

Then, dive into the Marvel timeline and our guide on the best way to watch The Odyssey in theatres.

What is Infinity Vision? Is it better than IMAX?

Marvel and Disney have their own definition of Infinity Vision – so let's start there before digging into what it actually means, and whether it's an improvement on IMAX.

As per a press release for Avengers: Endgame Encore, Infinity Vision is "a new certification for Premium Large Format (PLF) cinemas that guarantees moviegoers an exceptional film presentation with big screens, bright images and outstanding sound."

Simple enough, right? Bigger, better, louder. But it's actually a bit more nuanced than that.

Instead of IMAX screenings, where it's all about the technology used, any screen can be Infinity Vision certified – as long as they meet certain criteria. Only then will they be officially deemed an Infinity Vision-approved cinema.

So, the rules and regulations: An Infinity Vision screen must have a screen width of at least 45 feet, include either a Dolby Surround 7.1 sound system (or an immersive sound system equivalent), and a specific brightness level of 14 footlamberts. No, we're not exactly sure what that is either.

As of writing, Infinity Vision is a certification only to be used for upcoming screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore and Avengers: Doomsday.

Do we recommend it over IMAX? It depends on what you're looking for. IMAX-specific scenes and movies (such as The Odyssey) undoubtedly work better in the format, but Infinity Vision is still a step up from most screens. You're getting a premium, high-quality experience regardless and aren't missing out on anything if you choose one over the other, at least in terms of Endgame's re-release.

Where can I find Infinity Vision screens near me?

When booking tickets, each cinema will have 'Infinity Vision' labels on eligible screens. That means they meet the standards listed above.

An exact number, though, is a little trickier to pin down. Upon the Infinity Vision announcement at this year's Cinema Con, it was revealed that – at that time – there were under 100 theaters for Infinity Vision in the US, and around 300 worldwide.

A later June report in Deadline, however, said 7,500 exhibitors worldwide had requested Infinity Vision certification. There is likely to be even more than that in the coming weeks, meaning the format should be readily available in most large cities.

In some regions, Infinity Vision tickets won't go on sale until September 1, so we won't know for sure which screens are Infinity Vision-certified until then. But, by and large, bigger venues will almost certainly be a lock for it.

Is Infinity Vision only for Avengers: Endgame Encore and Avengers: Doomsday?

Right now, that certainly seems to be the case. However, some cinema chains have made reference to Infinity Vision being used as a label for "future" Disney movies.

Disney's 2027 and 2028 slate includes the likes of Avengers: Secret Wars, X-Men, the Tangled live-action remake, Star Wars: Starfighter, and Frozen 3 – and could all be candidates for Infinity Vision down the line.

For more, head on over to our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order and all the new Disney movies on the way.

Avengers: Endgame is heading back to theaters with a special new edition featuring some new footage. Billed with the addition of Encore in the title, the Russo brothers have teased that it will feature some essential extra details that will help set up Avengers: Doomsday.

It's been confirmed that four minutes of added footage will make it into the film, as well as there being a special additional tease for fans watching in IMAX and Infinity Vision. However, at the moment, there has been no confirmation about how the new scenes will work into the movie.

The Marvel community has been speculating about this, wondering whether we can expect more scenes in the main runtime or just an ending tag for Doctor Doom. Posting on Reddit, one suggested: "I'm 95% certain that the extended runtime is literally just 4 minutes of a sneak peek of Doomsday tacked on at the end of the credits. Kinda like how there was a 5-minute preview of Dune 3 at some Odyssey screenings. Endgame itself will be unchanged, is my guess."

Meanwhile, another pointed out: "They have to announce where the new stuff is. If I'm going to give this movie more time and money to see new stuff, I don't want to risk missing the new stuff." A third argued: "Struggling to think how the extra footage won't feel shoehorned in."

However, others think the fact that one line is included in the new trailer may be setting up the focus of new footage. "'You mess with time, time tends to mess back' sounds very foreshadowing," suggested one, as another agreed, pointing out, "'You mess with time, time tends to mess back' is definitely going to be an important line in how this leads to Doomsday. Especially as Tony is the one who says it to Steve."

Interestingly, this is the only change from the original movie that we've spotted in the trailer so far. In Avengers: Endgame, the line is simply, "You mess with time, it tends to mess back." Could this be where the new footage will be included? There's a whole bunch of theories that erupt when you delve into this a bit deeper, but we're betting that the fact that Tony Stark says this is going to be important.

Avengers: Endgame Encore releases on September 25, 2026. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows, as well as all the new superhero movies you need to know about.

Avengers: Endgame Encore will help set up Avengers: Doomsday with new footage, but it seems it will also look different to the original movie.

Social media has been flooded with comparisons between the original film and the new trailer for the Encore edition, which seem to show the color grading has been improved to make the new film far more vibrant.

However, we should note that these screenshots can easily be edited, and the footage will look different depending on your device and other factors. Still, the trailer does appear to be more colorful than the original movie.

"Thank god. So sick of grey movies," said one fan, while another said: "Oh wow, the color grading and contrast difference actually look so much cleaner. Def getting IMAX tickets."

"It's gonna connect the story of the two movies," Joe Russo has said of the new edition. "There's a natural progression from Endgame into Doomsday, which is also inclusive of all the other stories that have been playing out. I think it's required viewing for following the story in Doomsday."

Added co-director Anthony: "If you saw Endgame when it was originally released, you couldn't see this coming."

Already, fans have noticed one piece of dialogue has been altered in the trailer, while another has a theory that connects the two films and revolves around Doctor Strange.

Avengers: Endgame Encore arrives this September 25, while Avengers: Doomsday lands this December 18. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

The first Avengers: Endgame release trailer has been online for less than a day, but the theories on how Marvel will connect the 2019 movie to Avengers: Doomsday are already coming in thick and fast. But one fan may have already cracked the code.

"Doctor Doom is the reason Doctor Strange saw only ONE universe where the Avengers won," said Mavel Mania on Twitter, adding that they believe Doom is actually a Tony Stark variant. "One Tony variant could have survived the snap or found another way to defeat Thanos without sacrificing himself. Strange saw what Tony would eventually become and deliberately pushed him toward the sacrifice, preventing the future where Tony became Doom."

If true, this would explain why Marvel chose to cast Downey, who played Tony Stark in the MCU for over a decade, as Doctor Doom. If Doctor Strange saw an alternate timeline where Stark would survive, but would be a villain, it is no surprise that he chose the timeline where the Avengers beat Thanos, even if that did mean letting Stark die.

The upcoming re-release, officially titled Avengers Endgame Encore, promises to bridge the gap between the 2019 film and Doomsday, including four extra minutes of footage. In an interview with Fandango, director Joe Russo said, "There's a natural progression from Endgame into Doomsday... I think it's required viewing for following the story in Doomsday."

The fan theory also explains why Chris Evans' Steve Rogers is back in the present timeline looking the same-ish age he did in Endgame. "He could be from that same universe, where the Endgame battle still happened, Tony survived, and Steve never truly retired." Rogers' return has left many Marvel fans puzzled, as the last time we saw Rogers, he went back in time to live out his life with Peggy Carter. Then when he was old and grey, he handed the Captain America mantle to Sam Wilson.

Avengers: Endgame Encore is out in cinemas on September 25. For more, check out our guides to Marvel Phase 6 and upcoming Marvel movies.

Lucasfilm co-president Dave Filoni has teased what to expect from Ahsoka season 2, and it sounds like it's going to have the feeling of a classic tale.

"For me, this is a grand adventure in the sense of stories I grew up watching," Filoni told On the Red Carpet at this year's D23. "I'd say it's no short thing to say. There's maybe a little Jason and the Argonauts feeling to it."

Jason and the Argonauts refers to the fantasy adventure film released in 1963, based on the Greek myth that chronicles Jason and a band of heroes on a quest to claim the mythical Golden Fleece.

Filoni added: "The adventure is bigger and better, it's the simplest way to say it. And a big part for me, I love the people I work with in every discipline, and I'm so proud of the work they do. And I'm a firm believer that that shows up on screen, and so hopefully that's what people are feeling as well."

The first trailer for the new season debuted at this year's D23, and it shows off more Anakin Skywalker, Grand Admiral Thrawn setting his sights on restoring the Empire, and Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren exploring mysterious Peridea (read our Ahsoka season 2 trailer breakdown for all our theories).

"There's going to be more lightsabers. A lot more lightsaber action. There's going to be some space battles, some space action, and there's going to be witches, and swords, and explosions galore," Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi revealed during a talk attended by GamesRadar+ at D23. "It's going to be really fun, really fast-paced, and we may or may not hear something about that a little later today. So, stay tuned here at D23 for Ahsoka season 2."

Ahsoka season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on January 20, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Disney has confirmed an "additional sneak peek" of Avengers: Doomsday will be exclusive to certain screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore.

As per an Avengers: Endgame Encore press release, every screening of the re-release will include an "exclusive look" at Doomsday.

However, "an additional sneak peek at the film will also be available to audiences" at IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings.

What is Infinity Vision, you may ask? In effect, it's a Disney and Marvel certification for screens of a certain size (45 feet wide or more) with Dolby 7.1 surround sound and requisite brightness.

Be sure to look for the 'Infinity Vision' branding at your local cinema chain to see if they have been given the certification – as that will be one of the only ways to see the bonus footage.

It is unclear at this stage if the Avengers: Endgame Encore re-release's four minutes of bonus footage will encompass both the standard look at Doomsday and the IMAX and Infinity Vision-exclusive sneak peek. But for those who want everything, be warned that you'll need to go to an IMAX or Infinity Vision screening this September.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Endgame director Joe Russo confirmed that the Encore re-release will act as a narrative bridge between the two movies, stating it is "required viewing" for Doomsday.

"It's gonna connect the story of the two movies," Russo told Fandango. "There's a natural progression from Endgame into Doomsday, which is also inclusive of all the other stories that have been playing out. I think it's required viewing for following the story in Doomsday."

Avengers: Endgame Encore releases in cinemas on September 25.

For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies, as well as our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order – required reading before Doomsday.

The first trailer for Avengers: Endgame Encore has arrived, and it changes one major line of dialogue in a very subtle way.

In the trailer, Tony Stark's line from the 2019 original, "You mess with time, it tends to mess back," has been changed to, "You mess with time, time tends to mess back." In the film, Tony says this to Steve Rogers after Thanos and his army arrive in the present-day timeline.

This is a very minor change, but the line is fairly significant, considering it sums up one of the film's rules of time travel. Could this be a hint about why Robert Downey Jr. is returning to play Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday? Or is it just an alternate take of the same line that sounds better in a trailer than the original?

"That's definitely for the trailer only because NO WAY they reshot that scene just to change one word," thinks one fan.

"The V.O. dialogue is probably only for the trailer to emphasize "Encore and Doomsday's" main theme (similar to what many other movie trailers do)," says someone else.

"This is definitely linked to Doomsday in some way and they want that line to be important," predicts another fan.

"This is presumably (hopefully) just an edit to make the trailer more dramatic. There’s no way they’d actually re-dub lines to retroactively make Endgame a Doomsday setup movie… right?" says another person.

"Does this coincide with the time stone not being shown in any Doomsday promo? Or is that all just a coincidence?" questions someone else.

We'll find out what it all means when Avengers: Endgame Encore arrives this September 25. Avengers: Doomsday, meanwhile, arrives on December 18.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

Directing duo Joe and Anthony Russo say that Avengers: Endgame Encore is a must-see before heading to theater to watch Avengers: Doomsday.

"It's gonna connect the story of the two movies," Joe Russo told Fandango. "There's a natural progression from Endgame into Doomsday, which is also inclusive of all the other stories that have been playing out. I think it's required viewing for following the story in Doomsday."

Added Anthony: "If you saw Endgame when it was originally released, you couldn't see this coming."

What makes Encore different? Well, it's not just a theatrical re-release: it's color-graded, and the confirmed runtime of 185 minutes means we're getting four or minutes of bonus footage (not the rumored 7-10 minutes). It's also nice to have a refresher, since Avengers: Doomsday marks the first Avengers movie since 2019's Endgame.

I'll be honest in saying that I have no idea what those four bonus minutes could be, or how they could connect to the story of Doomsday... though my feeling is that they might be Tony Stark-related, given what a massive deal it is that Robert Downey Jr. is playing Doctor Doom in Doomsday and that the MCU is currently without an Iron Man. Some fan theories have suggested that Doom is a Tony Stark variant (though this is not comic book accurate), while others have posited that Downey is simply going to play another Tony Stark from another universe in addition to Doom. Only time will tell.

Avengers: Endgame Encore is out in cinemas on September 25. For more, check out our list of upcoming Marvel movies.

The first trailer for Avengers: Endgame's re-release is here, and it shows why Encore is essential viewing on the road to Avengers: Doomsday.

Not only does it promise an "exclusive look" at Doomsday (whatever that may entail), Endgame Encore's trailer also takes us back to 2019 and that electric atmosphere in theatres.

If you were hugging random strangers during the portals scene or Captain America catching Mjolnir, you weren't alone. And now you can do it all over again.

In case you needed a reminder, Avengers: Endgame deals with the fallout from Thanos' snap at the conclusion of Avengers: Infinity War.

With half of the universe (and its heroes) dusted, Earth's Mightiest Heroes aim to strike back at the Mad Titan and, later, travel back in time for the ultimate universe-saving heist.

If reliving moments such as the Portals sequence or Thor's swift defeat of Thanos wasn't enough to tempt you back into the cinemas to watch Avengers: Endgame once more, a glimpse of what else is included just might.

"It’s critically important to re-release the movie, and, in fact, we’ll be re-releasing the film with footage that is set in the Doomsday story that we have added to Avengers: Endgame," co-director Joe Russo said during an appearance at Sands Film Festival (via Deadline).

Russo added, "We can enhance the story of Doomsday by bridging it to Endgame."

Encore's confirmed runtime of 185 minutes suggests we're getting four minutes of bonus footage.

Avengers: Endgame Encore is out in cinemas on September 25.

For more, we have an essential guide to upcoming Marvel movies.

Anakin Skywalker star Hayden Christensen wants to work with Padmé Amidala actor Natalie Portman in Star Wars again.

The duo starred together in prequel movies Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, but despite both Christensen and Obi-Wan Kenobi actor Ewan McGregor returning to Star Wars since, Portman has yet to reprise her role.

"I would love to get to work with her again and play these characters together," Christensen told USA Today at D23. "I think there's still opportunity to do that. I love the whole Clone Wars timeline in Star Wars and it's been a lot of fun to get to explore that a little bit in this series [Ahsoka]. So, I would love to get to do that with her at some point."

Christensen will return in Ahsoka season 2, both as a Force ghost and in Clone Wars-era flashbacks on the Star Wars timeline, as revealed by the first trailer and a display at D23 (you can read our Ahsoka season 2 trailer breakdown for all our theories).

Portman isn't the only prequel actor Christensen would like to reunite with, either. "I know that Ewan McGregor would love to do more with it," Christensen shared on the Hey Jonas podcast. "I've heard Natalie [Portman] would love to come back. Sam Jackson. So you could get the band back together."

Whether we ever do get a reunion remains to be seen, though McGregor is apparently so keen to return he pitched some ideas to Dave Filoni on the set of Ahsoka season 2, which stars his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Hera Syndulla.

Ahsoka season 2 arrives on January 20, 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Bill Metzger actor Trammell Tillman has some theories on what his Marvel character is doing after the ending of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

In the film, his fate is left ambiguous, though it would seem he escaped after the Punisher accidentally shot Peter Parker while aiming for Sadie Sink's Jean Grey.

"He's on the apology tour," Tillman joked to Polygon. "I don't know. Probably taking a vacation. He encountered some pretty heavy stuff. I remember having this conversation with [director] Destin [Daniel Cretton] and Justin [Kuritzkes], the writer that I was working with. We were talking about what it would be like to experience power like Jean Grey. And as a result of the experimentation that he was doing on Jean, it intensified. Metzger got a front-row seat to experience that.

"So I imagine he's probably hiding out somewhere trying to recoup," he continued. "Because that's intense. Like near death. The glass was right in his eyes. He probably thought he was going to die."

In the Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending, Jean does indeed almost kill Metzger as retribution for her sister, who was kidnapped, experimented on, and ultimately killed by Metzger's Damage Control.

While Jean will soon be seen in Marvel's X-Men movie, it's unclear when – or if – we'll ever see Metzger again. Still, with Peter Parker creating a universal inhibitor chip that suppresses superpowered DNA, it seems likely Damage Control will continue to be a big part of the MCU moving forward.

Next up for Marvel is VisionQuest on October 13 in the US and October 14 in the UK, followed by Avengers: Doomsday on December 18.

While you wait, fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

Kingdom Hearts is celebrating its 25th anniversary next year with the release of Kingdom Hearts 4. While it doesn't have a release date yet, it was also revealed that a Kingdom Hearts animated series is in development for Disney's streaming platforms. However, this is apparently just the beginning of the franchise's plans, according to Disney's director of games, Nana Gadd.

In an interview with 4Gamer that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Gadd discussed the new Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer and anime announcement that were part of Disney's biennial fan convention D23. The series, which features a mash-up of Disney and Final Fantasy characters with original roles sprinkled in, is already known for its expansiveness, but it seems Disney is eager for more.

So far, Kingdom Hearts has been mostly focused on gaming, with over a dozen releases spanning a wide range of genres. While there are also manga and light novels, the majority of the fandom focuses on video games. However, with the announcement of the animated series, it's clear that Disney is hoping to expand.

"Even though Kingdom Hearts has been around for 25 years, there are so many things we want to do," says Gadd. "The announcement of the animated series is truly just the first step."

The franchise is already known for its complicated story, where you need to experience every piece of media just to have a hope of figuring it out. With that in mind, this statement has an exciting yet threatening aura.

Kingdom Hearts 4 features Pixar's Coco because Tetsuya Nomura thought it "would be the best world" for Sora's story

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.

The first trailer for Ahsoka season 2 introduces a mysterious Jedi fought by Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano – and one theory links him to a mystical Clone Wars character.

In the trailer, Anakin and Ahsoka fight a man who appears to be a Jedi, in a flashback to the Clone Wars-era on the Star Wars timeline. The man has a triple bladed green lightsaber, as well as some enigmatic makeup on his face.

As Star Wars Holocron points out, the markings look very similar to those of the Son, one of the Force gods introduced in The Clone Wars's Mortis arc.

Now, if you're unfamiliar with that particular storyline, we'll give you a brief overview – though it's a fairly lore-heavy arc. In the episodes, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan Kenobi end up on a strange planet populated by three Force gods. These are the Daughter, who represents the light side, the Son, who represents the dark side, and the Father, who represents the balance.

Throughout the twists and turns of the storyline, Ahsoka ends up being killed by the Son, then resurrected by the Daughter, who in turn kills the Daughter. The Father – who wants Anakin, as the Chosen One, to take his place (he says no) – kills himself, which makes the Son vulnerable enough to then be killed by Anakin.

The Mortis gods have a heavy presence in Ahsoka: they're linked to the mystical World Between Worlds, and the convor Morai, a representation of the Daughter, can be seen watching over Ahsoka Tano herself (a possible dark side counterpart can be spotted, too). A D23 display even confirmed that Morai will return.

Plus, Baylan Skoll is last seen standing on a statue of the Father, which is pointing into the distance – meaning the power he seeks seems linked to Mortis (read more of our theories in our Ahsoka season 2 trailer breakdown).

So, who is this mysterious Jedi Anakin and Ahsoka are duelling? It's unclear for now, but if the makeup on his face really does link to the Son, then Snips and Skyguy could be brushing up against more Mortis lore. Could this character be a disciple of the Son's? It remains to be seen, though other fans speculate this figure could be a young Baylan, Inquisitor Marrok, or just a rogue Jedi.

"There's going to be more lightsabers. A lot more lightsaber action. There's going to be some space battles, some space action, and there's going to be witches, and swords, and explosions galore," Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi shared at a D23 talk attended by GamesRadar+. "It's going to be really fun, really fast-paced, and we may or may not hear something about that a little later today. So, stay tuned here at D23 for Ahsoka season 2."

Ahsoka season 2 arrives on January 20, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani has revealed her wishlist for reshaping the MCU.

Given a hypothetical scenario of what she would do if she took over from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Vellani said she would go back to basics (via Revenge Of).

"I'm such a sucker for simple stories. Universe-ending stakes are exciting, and they're fun, but you've got to build up to that, and you've got to earn it," Vellani said. "I would go back and like focus on genre and smaller characters in smaller movies."

Speaking specifically about her own MCU character, Vellani – who last appeared as Kamala Khan in The Marvels – would keep Ms. Marvel in her own bubble, with her own cast of characters.

Vellani explained, "I think if we're talking about Ms. Marvel, that's a character who really succeeds in her own world. They've been trying to bring her into the X-Men for so long in the comics now, and I think that's fun and I love seeing her interact with any other superhero, but I just love her own world, and I love her own cast of characters… and the way Kamala sees the world – I want that just amplified through the filmmaking."

To that end, Vellani wants "less team-ups."

While it's not quite a traditional team-up, Marvel is coming off the back of a wild success in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which sees Tom Holland's Spidey join forces with Jon Bernthal's Punisher.

Avengers: Doomsday is also set to be a crossover of epic proportions, bringing in Fox's X-Men, the New Avengers, OG Avengers, Fantastic Four, and several more new heroes to take down Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom.

But to Vellani's point, crossovers only work if you put in the legwork first. Each character, whether it's Captain America, Thor, or Ms. Marvel, needs to thrive in their own project before dipping their toes into somebody else's waters.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18.

Before then, catch up on the MCU with our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Reacher season 4 star Agnez Mo has a dream X-Men role, and she's trying to manifest the part.

Mo plays Lila Hoth in the new season of the Prime Video show, a love interest/villain for Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher.

Responding to a tweet about being fancast to play Psylocke in the upcoming X-Men movie, Mo wrote: "Thanks! I'm just gonna put it out to the universe… Psylocke." She then tagged both Marvel Studios and Marvel.

Psylocke is not part of the cast of characters revealed for the new X-Men movie – so far. She was last played on-screen in live-action by Olivia Munn in X-Men: Apocalypse.

What we do know about the X-Men movie is that it already features a star-studded cast playing fan-favorite characters. Sadie Sink returns as Jean Grey, while Kit Connor is Cyclops, Christopher Abbott is Professor X, Inde Navarette is Rogue, Maya Boyd is Storm, Samara Weaving is Emma Frost, and last but certainly not least, Adam Driver is Mr. Sinister.

However, on stage at D23, Marvel boss Kevin Feige stressed that this isn't the entire cast, so more reveals could be incoming. Whether that includes Psylocke or not remains to be seen.

As for Reacher, you can learn more about season 4 with our report from the set. "What's new and exciting about every season isn't necessarily like, 'Oh, this person's a bigger, badder person to fight,' or, 'This is a bigger, harder challenge.' It's this whole new group of people reacting to a Reacher perspective on the world," director Sam Hill told us. "Certainly for me, that's one of the most attractive things about this project in general, is the Reacher figure himself doesn't really arc over any given novel or over any given season, but it's all the people around him in that orbit who do."

The X-Men movie arrives on May 5, 2028. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

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.

Four years later, Peggy Carter star Hayley Atwell has spoken out about how disappointed she was over her fleeting Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cameo.

"I loved the idea that she'd be in a suit and have the shields. But if I'm really brutally honest, I was so disappointed with how they positioned her and what happened in that scene. It's so small, and she gets frisbee’d to death," said Atwell at the For the Love of Sci-Fi and Fantasy festival via francesinlondon on Instagram. "I felt like that was a bum steer and a complete disservice to the character."

The scene takes place partway through the Doctor Strange sequel when Captain Carter shows up and fights the Scarlet Witch. Captain Carter is an alternate version of Peggy Carter, who is her respective universe's Captain America, or rather, Captain Britain. In that timeline, Carter takes the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers and dons a Union Jack print suit rather than Captain America's American flag get-up.

During a fight with Wanda, Carter throws her vibranium shield at the Scarlet Witch, but she catches it and throws it back, slicing Carter in half. There, Carter's brief cameo comes to an end. Atwell revealed that she was concerned about the scene right away, adding, "I tried on set to kind of go: 'Can I just add, can I just suggest,' and they were like, 'Sure, but no.'" The scene was a real kick in the teeth for the character, considering that the Earth-616 Peggy Carter is also dead. The World War II spy dies of old age in America: Civil War.

Peggy will have time to shine once again in Avengers: Doomsday. Although we have yet to see Carter in any promotional material, the star has been confirmed as part of the cast. This is not too much of a surprise, as Chris Evans' Captain America is a big part of the movie, and the last time we saw Rogers, he went back in time to be with Carter. It is not clear what version of Carter will appear, but Atwell has previously said she would love to return as Captain Carter in either Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives on December 18. 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.

Anakin Skywalker star Hayden Christensen has said Dave Filoni understands his Star Wars character better than him – but will still take his ideas on board.

Christensen first played Anakin way back in 2002's Attack of the Clones, and, following 2005's Revenge of the Sith, he returned to his role in Disney Plus shows Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka (he'll also soon be back in Ahsoka season 2).

When asked by IMDb at this year's D23 if he's able to give feedback on his character to the writers, Christensen responded: "I don't need to. Dave Filoni I think understands this character in some ways even better than I do. And so when I read the scripts, I'm just elated with what I get to do and say. That said, he's still very collaborative, and if I have an idea, I'll share it, and if it works, then we'll do it. And so, we're not too precious about things and we get to explore a little bit. But I try to honor the words that he's written and I don't need to deviate much."

Christensen will return as both Force ghost Anakin and the Clone Wars version of the character in Ahsoka season 2, as revealed by the first trailer (check out our full trailer breakdown here for our theories).

"There's going to be more lightsabers. A lot more lightsaber action. There's going to be some space battles, some space action, and there's going to be witches, and swords, and explosions galore," Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi shared at D23, in a talk attended by GamesRadar+. "It's going to be really fun, really fast-paced, and we may or may not hear something about that a little later today. So, stay tuned here at D23 for Ahsoka season 2."

Ahsoka season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on January 20, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else that's coming soon.

Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr. and director Joe Russo confirm a pair of Avengers: Infinity War cameos didn't make the cut in the first act.

"We had a Happy Hogan cameo in this scene that we reshot, then we 86'd it," Downey Jr. revealed in an interview with CBR, indicating that Jon Favreau's driver-turned-confidant was originally intended to appear in Infinity War.

In the conversation, Joe Russo also mentioned he had a cameo in that opening act scene – as a paparazzi who chased Tony Stark and Pepper Potts in Central Park before Thanos' lieutenants converge on Earth.

Fortunately for those who wanted to see Joe Russo enter the MCU, he plays a member of the Blip support group in Avengers: Endgame.

Avengers: Infinity War, to that point, was the largest crossover of MCU characters ever assembled. From Thor to the Guardians of the Galaxy, through to Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange, each corner of Marvel's universe came together to battle the threat of Thanos as he sought to collect the Infinity Stones and wipe out half the universe.

Downey Jr.'s next role in the MCU, meanwhile, certainly isn't in proximity to Happy Hogan.

In Avengers: Doomsday, he dons the mask as supervillain Doctor Doom – with the actor saying about the movie and his performance: "We landed in a place that I think will more than suffice. It's not even about how I executed it. It's about the way it's been structured and the other characters."

The latest Avengers: Doomsday trailer showcased more of Doom. We're expecting at least a glimpse of the Big Bad in Avengers: Endgame Encore, a re-release that's set to have four minutes of extra footage.

For more, check out the upcoming Marvel movies in the works.

If you're still working your way through an MCU marathon, make sure you have our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order by your side.

If you were worried Anthony and Joe Russo wouldn't be able to handle the magnitude of Doctor Doom's universe-shaking arrival in the MCU, think again.

In the Avengers: Doomsday directors' foreword to 'Time Runs Out' – an iconic Jonathan Hickman-penned comic that charts the end of several Marvel universes and serves as a key touchstone for Doomsday – the pair cut to the heart of Doom's psyche.

The full foreword is available below, and as part of the latest Time Runs Out, but it's the Doom-centric sections I want to point to here.

It reads, "Doom is not just an adversary. He is ambition and fear woven together. In Secret Wars, he tries to hold reality in place through sheer will. He believes he can save everything if he controls enough of it. Hickman reveals the strain behind that effort and the human fragility beneath the armor. Even someone who can reshape existence cannot escape the emotions that define him."

If we're getting something even close to the Doom who would become God Emperor on Battleworld in the MCU, we're in for a good time. He's a deeply complex, fearsome character, who is able to bend reality to his whim – but is unable to get out of his own head. Perfect, then, for a Robert Downey Jr. performance filled with tragedy and self-loathing, and not entirely a million miles away from his Oppenheimer role of Lewis Strauss.

"We have always been drawn to characters who walk that line," the Russos continued. "People who reach for something noble and lose themselves along the way. Sometimes, destruction does not arrive as a single blow. It arrives through decisions made in uncertainty and through fractures between people who want the same thing but cannot find their way to each other. That is its own kind of ending. It is quiet, painful and incredibly human."

While there has been some consternation over Downey Jr.'s Doom voice, recent trailers have assuaged most fears thanks to the supervillain's presence and pathos-tinged delivery.

The next major glimpse at Doom will likely come in the re-release of Avengers: Endgame this September.

Officially titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, a recent cinema listing has confirmed it will feature four extra minutes of footage as part of its runtime.

Then, the road to Doomsday – and Doom – begins. Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18.

For more, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies.

The Avengers: Endgame re-release, officially titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, will be longer than the original 2019 movie.

As confirmed by AMC Theatres, Avengers: Endgame Encore clocks in at 185 minutes, a shade over Avengers: Endgame's 181 minutes. That makes it the longest Marvel Studios movie ever made.

The exact details of the bonus content hasn't yet been confirmed, but could be anything from deleted scenes, to new post-credits, and – more importantly – setup for Avengers: Doomsday.

"We'll be re-releasing the film with footage that is set in the Doomsday story that we have added to Avengers: Endgame," Endgame and Doomsday co-director Joe Russo previously said at the Sand Films Festival (via Deadline).

Russo, who described the re-release as including a "critical companion story", added, "It’s an opportunity to create a bridge from Endgame to Doomsday in a very unique way…the fact that we can enhance the story of Doomsday by bridging it to Endgame and these characters that we worked with for years that we love so much, and continue their story: It’s a really unique opportunity."

Avengers: Endgame Encore is set to release on September 25 as the road to Doomsday begins.

Adding to the hype, Marvel has even announced an official podcast, starring Ms. Marvel actor Iman Vellani, will begin this August and dissect some of the MCU's most iconic moments ahead of December's Avengers: Doomsday release.

Avengers: Doomsday stars Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, with a new D23 trailer showcasing the Fantastic Four villain's immense power – and simmering rivalry with Reed Richards.

The Doomsday synopsis confirms it will follow "beloved heroes from three distinct universes as they’re set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered."

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18.

For more, check out our guides on upcoming Marvel movies and how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Hayden Christensen says he wants to make a live-action Clone Wars series with the OG cast of the prequel series... and that everyone would be down to come back.

"I know that Ewan McGregor would love to do more with it," Christensen said on the Hey Jonas podcast, when asked by Kevin Jonas if there would ever be a live-action Anakin series. "I've heard Natalie [Portman] would love to come back. Sam Jackson. So you could get the band back together."

As a defender of the prequels, this makes me irrationally happy. Until Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen had not revisited Anakin since 2005 (though his vocal 'cameo' in The Rise of Skywalker does technically count). In The Clone Wars TV show, we learn that Ahsoka and Anakin have some serious history together (I also find it endearing that he calls her 'Snips' and she calls him 'Skyguy'). It only made sense that this would carry over into the live-action Ahsoka series.

"I'm ready whenever they are. They just seem to not be ready, but I'm up for it," McGregor previously stated regarding returning as Obi-Wan. It's been four years since his standalone limited Disney Plus series. The actor reportedly followed Dave Filoni around on set of Ahsoka season 2 (in which his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Hera) in order to pitch his character's comeback.

Ahsoka season 2 hits Disney Plus on January 20, 2027. The trailer for the new season was released at D23 and you can check out our Ahsoka season 2 trailer breakdown for all the major moments.

A legend is born! Ghost Rider is finally entering the MCU, played by Ryan Gosling. Announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Gosling's introduction into the Marvel universe will be directed by Deadpool and Wolverine helmer Shawn Levy. It's been a long time coming too, with Gosling speaking about wanting to play the character for several years before Kevin Feige gave it the green light.

Now that the news is in the wild, there have been quite a few updates to wade through. The movie seemingly has an official release date and a very cool logo. We've also found out that there's a specific set of comics that it's going to adapt. We've broken down all of this information below to help you navigate the latest MCU entry.

That's not all either, as we've also got a breakdown of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way, as well as a guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order if you want to catch up pre-Ghost Rider. The Spirit of Vengeance arrives…

Ghost Rider release date

Ghost Rider is set to arrive in theaters on July 28, 2028.

It will actually be one of three Marvel movies arriving in 2028, beginning with the X-Men movie in May and ending with Black Panther 3 in December. These will all feature as part of a whole new phase for the MCU too, with Phase 6 ending with Avengers: Secret Wars in late 2027.

Ghost Rider plot details

Ghost Rider will star Ryan Gosling, be directed by Shawn Levy, and will be written by Jonathan Tropper. And that's pretty much everything we know so far about the upcoming movie.

No plot details have been announced yet, and we don't even know yet what version of Ghost Rider Gosling will be playing. All Feige has revealed is that the actor had a "specific vision" for the movie.

Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Feige told ComicBook.com: "I am going to let Ryan reveal what he wants to reveal, when he wants to reveal it, and what he wanted to reveal today is: he's playing Ghost Rider. He is a huge fan of the comics; he did come to us particularly with a specific vision, based on some particular comics, but I'll let him unveil that as he wants to."

Levy also echoed that Gosling's pitch is very strong. Speaking to People in August 2026, ahead of the release of the duo's upcoming Star Wars movie, Starfighter, he revealed that he was sold on the idea in just six minutes.

Which Ghost Rider is Ryan Gosling playing?

Gosling's Ghost Rider will be the third version of the character we've seen on screens. Nicolas Cage played Johnny Blaze previously in two Sony movies, and Gabriel Luna starred as Robbie Reyes in Agents of SHIELD. However, this will likely reboot the character as the main MCU version from here on out.

As for what version he's playing, we don't yet know. However, we can assume that the movie will hit some of the usual touch points that are typical for Ghost Rider's story. The two main versions of the character are Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch.

Blaze was first introduced in Marvel Comics in 1972 as a stunt motorcyclist who sells his soul to Satan (actually Mephisto) to save his foster father's life. This leaves his flesh consumed by hellfire at night and around evil, giving him his signature flaming skull look.

The second version of Ghost Rider was introduced in the '90s. Danny Ketch comes into contact with a motorcycle containing the Spirit of Vengeance, which gives him his powers. Blaze is also a part of this story, and it's later revealed that Ketch is his long-lost sibling.

There have been several more versions of the character too, including Robbie Reyes and Parker Robbins. But given these are less-known stories, we'd bet Gosling's film will focus on one of the first two.

Ghost Rider cast

As of right now, the only confirmed cast member of the Ghost Rider movie is Ryan Gosling as the title character. However, we still don't know if he'll be Johnny Blaze or Danny Ketch yet.

If Ghost Rider does adapt the Johnny Blaze storyline, we could see Mephisto appear. The character was introduced in the MCU back in Ironheart, played by Sacha Baron Cohen. He's only appeared in a very small cameo part so far, so this could be a more major role for him.

We'll have to wait and see who else will appear in the movie. However, it's a pretty safe bet that we'll see some familiar faces. This is a Marvel movie, after all.

The full confirmed cast so far simply reads:

• Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider

Is there a Ghost Rider trailer?

No, there's no trailer for Ghost Rider yet. The movie hasn't started filming yet, as it has only just been released. As a result, we'll be waiting a while until we see any footage from the upcoming movie.

Given that its release date is in mid-2028, we'd expect to see a trailer a few months before. Our best bet at the moment is late 2027 or early 2028. We could also get an early look at Marvel's typical convention appearances in 2027, either at San Diego Comic-Con in July or D23 in August. We'll keep you updated.

In the meantime, check out the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 above.

For more on all things Marvel, check out our guide to the Marvel timeline as well as our ranking of the best Marvel movies.

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.

David Harbour has shared what's supposed to be an Avengers: Doomsday spoiler... but he's joking, right?

In a new interview with Variety, the Red Guardian actor was asked to recite a line from Avengers: Doomsday. Per Variety: "He offers a deadpan line in a Russian accent (and pointing): 'You … are Tony Stark.'"

That's... definitely a joke. Sure. However, many fans have theorized that the entire conceit of Avengers: Doomsday is either a) that a different actor is playing Victor Von Doom and that we don't actually know who Downey is playing, or b) Downey is playing two different characters. I think this simply comes from the desire to see Downey play Tony Stark once more, which I totally understand, but it's a bit more likely that the multiversal movie will introduce us to another Tony Stark/Iron Man from a different universe or planet. Either way, Doomsday is bringing about a team-up of epic proportions – and don't forget that the Thunderbolts, of which Red Guardian is a part, are now the New Avengers.

Downey is expected to play Doom in Doomsday and Secret Wars, though I don't expect him (and the barrage of very big villains we're about to meet on Battleworld in Secret Wars) to be defeated that quickly... but I guess we'll see.

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18. For more on all things MCU, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

A new report states that Inde Navarrette turned down starring in Michael Mann's Heat 2 in order to play Rogue in the MCU... and I totally get it.

According to Page Six, Navarrette was initially offered a role in the sequel to Michael Mann’s hit crime drama as Sharlene, a character originated by Ashley Judd. The filming, which begins this fall, conflicted with production on Marvel's upcoming X-Men film. The cast of X-Men (so far) was revealed at D23, with Navarrette set to play Rogue (though she had previously stated she was interested in playing Mystique).

The rest of the cast includes Maya Boyd as Storm, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Kit Connor and Samara Weaving were previously announced as Scott Summers and Emma Frost, respectively. Sadie Sink made her debut as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Navarrette has been in high demand following the surprise success of indie horror Obsession, which grossed over $300 million at the global box office against a budget of around $700,000. Navarrette played Nikki, who becomes possessed by a sinister spirit after a man named Bear makes a magical wish for her to love him and only him. Page Six also says that Navarrette turned down another horror movie in favor of X-Men, which is being helmed by London filmmaker Matthias Hoene.

X-Men hits theaters on May 5, 2028. For more, check out our guide to everything announced at D23 2026. We've also rounded up all of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

Ewan McGregor has made no secret about how much he wants to return as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars universe. However, apparently he's so keen, he's even been pitching to Lucasfilm boss Dave Filoni and considering time traveling love stories.

"It was very casual, but I said there's got to be something," McGregor told Variety about his pitch to Filoni on the set of Ahsoka, which his wife Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars in. "Yoda's somewhere else. After the end of Episode III', when we all go to the four or five corners of the galaxy – or however many corners it's got – I won't have been in touch with him. But he's out there. So I think there could be a story there where I'm trying to reach out to him."

He's not just considered a Yoda-centric story either, but also once harbored hopes he could star opposite Winstead's New Republic general Hera Syndulla as well. "I got very excited when Mary started working on Ahsoka," he added to Variety. "I thought, maybe this is the big love story – Obi-Wan and Hera." However, he has come to acknowledge the characters are in different timeframes with Ahsoka set years after Obi-Wan's death.

McGregor's comments come shortly after his last plea to Disney to revive his character once again. Speaking at the recent premiere of The End of Oak Street, he said: "I'm ready whenever they are. They just seem to not be ready, but I'm up for it."

While Obi-Wan's Star Wars future is still unclear, Winstead will be returning soon in Ahsoka season 2. The trailer for the new season was released at D23 and you can check out our Ahsoka season 2 trailer breakdown for all the major moments.

Robert Downey Jr. says he prefers playing Victor Von Doom over Tony Stark because it gives him a totally different perspective.

"It was really weird being the guy – everyone else is hanging out, they’re the good heroes, and I’m [in] this mask, and this hood," Downey told Good Morning America. "I'm like, 'They're all on one side of the camera, and I guess they're all mad at me or something.' But I'll say this: getting to know [Hayley Atwell] better, all of [mine and Chris Evans’] history, because you're a legit dude," he says, addressing Evans, "because you don't say yes because you can; it has to feel right. And I think that in Doomsday, what happens with this key relationship is so exciting and unexpected and beautiful. I will say Doom, for now, because I got to really observe what I've been missing the whole time: just everybody else."

Downey was cast as Tony Stark all the way back in 2006, starring in the standalone film in 2008. Iron Man dies in Avengers: Endgame, which was released in 2019, and marked the end of Downey's time with Marvel... until we got that absolutely wild announcement in 2024. After Jonathan Majors was fired from Marvel, the studio opted to change the entire Kang storyline, rather than recast Kang.

This resulted in a pivot to Doctor Doom, with the MCU more or less adapting the Jonathan Hickman Avengers comic book run that leads into Avengers: Secret Wars. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, a figure dressed as Doctor Doom came out on stage during the Marvel panel and took off his mask, revealing himself to be none other than Downey. As of right now, we can expect him to play Doom in Doomsday and Secret Wars... though we don't quite know how life will get back to normal for all of our heroes after the events of Secret Wars. But we'll see!

Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18. For more on all things MCU, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Kevin Feige says there's plenty more to come as the MCU officially enters its mutant era.

"Having 85, almost 90 years of comic book history, there's so many stories yet to tell," Feige said during the Disney Worldbuilders panel at D23 (via MurphysMultiverse). "We announced a very young, new cast for a property called X-Men the other day. And that's great, because there's been 10 great X-Men movies [but] there can be 100 more"

Continued Feige: "There's sagas upon sagas, with these comics that haven't been told yet. And that's great because the stories that inspired me to want to make these kinds of movies haven't been told yet. I'm quite excited about doing them."

The rest of the X-Men cast (so far) was revealed at D-23, with Maya Boyd as Storm, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Kit Connor and Samara Weaving were previously announced as Scott Summers and Emma Frost, respectively. Charles Melton was rumored to have been cast as Beast before dropping out, though neither Marvel nor Melton's team have confirmed this.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day introduces Jean Grey as just a teenager who is well aware of the scope of her powers, but doesn't quite know how to use them for good just yet. Because of the ages of the cast, especially Professor Xavier, we can infer that the Charles Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters is a relatively new institution in the MCU, and that the X-Men have yet to be formed. Thunderbolts helmer Jake Schreier is set to direct the pic.

X-Men hits theaters on May 5, 2028. For more, check out our guide to everything announced at D23 2026. We've also rounded up all of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

Avengers: Doomsday star Sebastian Stan has revealed he's never seen a full script for the Marvel movie. Speaking in a new interview, the Bucky Barnes star says that the directors, Anthony and Joe Russo, never gave him a completed version to help curb spoilers.

"Honestly, I have absolutely no idea because we didn't even have a script," he told French Sunday newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche when asked what to expect from Doomsday. "We were just shooting scattered scenes. It's a different way of working, continuous, constantly evolving. The producers didn't want us to read it in its entirety, to avoid journalists asking us questions."

The interview took place before the Cannes Film Festival back in May so it's possible that Stan has a bit more of an idea now about what happens in the movie. However, Marvel is known for keeping its cards close to its chest in order to stop leaks.

Stan will be playing Bucky once more in the upcoming Marvel movie, who is now part of the New Avengers after the events of Thunderbolts. Starring opposite Florence Pugh and David Harbour, it's not clear how they'll play into the events of the Avengers film but so far they've appeared in several ensemble moments in the Doomsday trailers.

Starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, the upcoming film sees the new Avengers, the original X-Men, the cast of Black Panther, Captain America, and the Fantastic Four unite to face the new foe.

The latest trailer teased plenty of history between Sue Storm, Reed Richards, and Victor Von Doom. The teaser reveals that Doom has lost everything he loved, which may be what has set him on a course of destruction.

More breadcrumbs about the plot will be revealed when Marvel re-releases Avengers: Endgame on September 25. Now titled Avengers: Endgame Encore, this will act as a narrative bridge to the events of Doomsday.

For more on all things MCU, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Avengers: Doomsday is mere months away, so we're hitting the prime toy-spoilers timeframe. Case in point: a new Doctor Doom collectible features the not-so-good doctor holding a mysterious device, and fans have theories about what the handheld doohickey could be.

The collectible from Iron Studios features the now-familiar sight of Doctor Doom sitting on his throne (h/t Brandon Davis). Nothing new there. But direct your eyes towards Doom's right hand, and you'll notice that Doom is clutching a strange device that looks a little like a fancy TV remote. Assuming that Doom isn't simply sitting on his favorite TV-watching throne, the question is: what is that device?

Naturally, the internet has theories. The most prevalent is that the device is the Ultimate Nullifier. Long story short, in Marvel comics, the Ultimate Nullifier is "the universe's most devastating weapon" that can destroy pretty much anything (even the person wielding it), so it's a formidable weapon for Doom to be in possession of and would allow him to wipe out worlds of his choosing. However, as many have pointed out, Doom's device looks nothing like the Ultimate Nullifier from the comics, so it's either been redesigned, or it's something else entirely.

Another theory is that the device could be the key to the Library of Worlds. In Jonathan Hickman's Secret Wars (likely a key inspiration for the upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars movie), the Library of Worlds is an endless repository of knowledge that also doubles as a multiversal hub world, a bit like DC's Quantum Unfolding Chamber. In the comics, Doom gains access to the Library of Worlds and uses it as a base of operations. The device also looks a lot like a fancy key, and the filename of the image on Iron Studios' own site is named 'white-1-key,' so there may be something to this one.

Either way, it seems like the device (or key) is going to be important in Doomsday, which got a new "special look" at D23. That teaser has Marvel fans convinced that Robert Downey Jr. isn't the only Doctor Doom in the movie, and it's all down to a brief glimpse of Doom's eyes. Disney has also released a list of essential movies and shows to (re)watch ahead of Doomsday, but there are some curious omissions.

Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters on December 18. For more, check out our list of upcoming Marvel movies and shows, and get up to speed with the Marvel timeline with our handy breakdown.

Could Loki star Sophia Di Martino show up in Avengers: Doomsday as a Latverian Witch? Well, that's what the Sylvie actor seems to be teasing on social media.

On August 17, Martino posted a cryptic close-up image of her painting on Instagram with the caption "Working on something a bit different." One fan commented, "Latverian Witch?" with an orange heart emoji, asking if the orange paint is hinting at the Loki star possibly returning to the MCU as the orange Latverian witch. That might seem like a bit of a reach, but Martino added fuel to the fire and liked the comment.

Last month at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel exhibited variations of the Latverian Witch costume in green, red, purple, and orange, all fitted with a golden mask and hardware. Ever since, fans have been trying to work out what role the characters might play in Avengers: Doomsday, and who might be behind the masks. We know that the witches are linked to Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, but the different colours have convinced fans that there is more to the new characters.

Many Marvel fans believe that the witches may be well-known MCU heroes in disguise. As well as Sylvie, fans think a handful of Marvel witches, including Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch and Charlize Theron's Clea, may be making a comeback. Although Sylvie isn't technically a traditional witch like the others mentioned above, the Goddess of Mischief does possess magical abilities much like an enchantress.

As for the colors, it would make sense for Scarlett Witch to wear the red cape, and for Clea to don the purple. Although Sylvie usually wears a green cape, the Loki variant does sport gold headwear, so we could see her donning the orange Doom Witch's golden get-up. Plus, Sylvie's possible involvement isn't that far-fetched, as we already know Tom Hiddleston's Loki will appear in the upcoming Avengers movie.

However, if the theory does prove to be true, what is Sylvie's role in Doomsday? One Marvel fan on Reddit believes that Doom may have "brainwashed" the witches and is using them without their consent. Another replied, "Having her brainwashed and captured would explain why Doom knows about Loki in the first place though, so yeah there's a justification for her being one of the Witches." Marvel has yet to comment on the Witches. But with Doomsday's already stacked cast, what's a few more MCU heroes thrown into the mix?

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows, as well as how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Ryan Gosling's surprise Ghost Rider movie has a release date... and 2028 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Marvel.

Ghost Rider, directed by Shawn Levy, is set for July 28, 2028, making it the third Marvel movie set for 2028. Black Panther 3 is set for December 15, 2028, with X-Men releasing on May 5, 2028 (H/T Variety).

Gosling and new Black Panther David Jonsson took the stage during Marvel's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con following their big standalone movie announcements. The rest of the X-Men cast (so far, anyway) was revealed at D-23, with Maya Boyd as Storm, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister. Kit Connor and Samara Weaving were previously announced as Scott Summers and Emma Frost, respectively.

"I am going to let Ryan reveal what he wants to reveal, when he wants to reveal it, and what he wanted to reveal today is: he's playing Ghost Rider," Feige told Comicbook.com shortly after Ghost Rider was announced. "He is a huge fan of the comics; he did come to us particularly with a specific vision, based on some particular comics, but I'll let him unveil that as he wants to."

For more, check out our guide to everything announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, or, check out our guide to everything announced at D23 2026. We've also rounded up all of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

Avengers: Doomsday just dropped a "special look" at D23 over the weekend, and a major new theory has caught on like wildfire among fans, suggesting that Robert Downey Jr. might not be the movie's true Doctor Doom after all.

For two years now, we've known that Robert Downey Jr. is returning to the MCU, not as Tony Stark, but as Victor von Doom. However, in the latest "special look," a close-up of a masked Doom opening his eyes has people questioning whether RDJ is the movie's only Doom. RDJ, you see, has brown eyes, and the Doom under the mask seen in the trailer appears to have blue eyes, with no visible contact lenses. Curious...

And that's not all. Back at SDCC in July, we got a first proper look at Doom's costume and mask. The same costume that Doom appears in during the special look's closing moments, where Doom raises an army of Sentinels from the scrapheap after swatting Thor away like a mosquito.

But at D23 this past weekend, Marvel displayed a second, less ornate Doom costume and mask that more closely resemble the outfit Doom appears to be wearing in the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene, and during a brief moment in the Doomsday special look where Doom is ejected from a window and makes a superhero landing. Check out both costumes side-by-side below.

What does all this mean? There are a couple of potential explanations. The most likely is that, at some point in the movie, Doom undergoes something of a transformation. It seems likely that Doom will initially act the hero and potentially work with the Avengers, only to turn on them. The surprise in Reed Richards' voice when he asks Victor, "Did you do this?" in the special look would imply as much. Whether this ruse would be a sensible storytelling choice is another question; after all, we all know Doom is a wrong 'un.

The second, more out-there theory is that RDJ's Doom is a no-frills good guy who is at some point killed by an evil Doom variant. Due almost entirely to the blue-eyes theory, the internet has decided that said Evil Doom must be Cillian Murphy because… well, he has blue eyes. We'll admit, it's a stretch, not least because Marvel variants often have the same face in the MCU (though not always). But there are few actors on the planet with the stature to play a second Doom opposite RDJ, and Murphy is certainly one of them.

Whatever the truth may be, there's not long to wait to find out, as there's just over four months to go till Dunesday. Plenty of time to watch the list of "essential" pre-Doomsday movies and shows that Disney has just released, though we'd add a couple of omissions to that list.

Avengers: Doomsday releases in theaters on December 18. For more, check out our list of upcoming Marvel movies and shows, and get up to speed with the Marvel timeline with our handy breakdown.

Disney Plus has released a list of essential Marvel movies to watch ahead of Avengers: Doomsday... and there are definitely some glaring omissions.

At a glance, the full list, which can be viewed below (and also over on Disney Plus itself), makes perfect sense. However, it's interesting to me, and a few other fans, that both Captain Marvel and The Marvels are omitted from the list. Firstly, The Marvels does sort of lead directly into Avengers: Doomsday... Secondly, if we're going by the San Diego Comic-Con 2026 Marvel display of Doctor Doom's costume, Captain Marvel is definitely set to make some kind of surprise appearance in the upcoming film. Why? The costume has two distinct symbols on either shoulder: on the right, Thor's hammer etched into a gold circle, and on the right, the Captain Marvel logo.

There were also some color-changing Latverian witch costumes, which led us to think they were foreshadowing the return of Wanda Maximoff... though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is indeed on the list.

That list, then:

• X-Men
• X2
• Captain America: The First Avenger
• The Avengers
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Avengers: Endgame
• Loki
• Shang-Chi
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Captain America: Brave New World
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
• Thunderbolts
• The Fantastic Four: First Steps

There's a fan-made road map, which you can check out below, that recommends even watching X-Men: Days of Future Past... but that movie isn't in the same universe as the one featured in X-Men and X-2, which is the Fox-owned, pre-MCU Marvel universe. I can see why Disney Plus left that one off the list. The list also suggests watching Logan, which does serve as a precursor to the recommended Deadpool and Wolverine.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on December 18, 2026. All of the movies list above are streaming now on Disney Plus (even the ones that were omitted from the main list).

For more check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

As Disney looks to revive Oswald the Lucky Rabbit for an upcoming Disney Plus series, Epic Mickey director Warren Spector commented on the game's role in bringing the character back.

At the latest D23 event – amid all of the Marvel and Star Wars announcements and Kingdom Hearts 4 news – Jon Favreau introduced a first look at his upcoming Disney Plus animation and live action series Oswald. This features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, who was created by Walt Disney before Mickey Mouse. Disney was unable to use the character for decades, as he was owned by Universal, but in 2006 then-Disney president Bob Iger spearheaded an effort to bring him back into the fold for a video game.

That's Oswald video game project that would become Epic Mickey, which was led by Warren Spector – a developer best known for legendary immersive sims like Deus Ex and Thief.

Spector posted about the Oswald series' new reveal on LinkedIn, saying "I’m seriously looking forward to it but it seems as if people are looking at it as the debut of the character. Call me small-minded but that ain’t right." Spector explains that with Epic Mickey, "the team at Junction Point featured Oswald in his first Disney role since 1928," adding that 2012's Epic Mickey 2 "was the first time he ever spoke in a Disney story." He also notes that "we gave Ortensia her name, her voice, her personality and her role as Oswald’s paramour. None of that dates back to Disney."

"I have to admit that I’m a little bitter about the lack of credit the team gets for all this," Spector adds, explaining, "I was blown away that Disney trusted us and saw fit to reintroduce the little guy in a game. But the team did a great job and deserves to be recognized for it before Hollywood makes people forget the games ever existed."

The series will reportedly feature a plot similar to Epic Mickey, in which Oswald realises he'd been replaced by Mickey while he remained forgotten for so many years. This time around, it features Oswald in the real world, as opposed to Mickey ending up in Oswald's world. Perhaps the developers will get their due in the full series, but how rarely comic creators have gotten their dues in the credits of MCU movies, I could easily see this pivotal part of Oswald's history remain unmentioned.

Kingdom Hearts 4 hype sees the series' first collection top Steam's sales chart, becoming the best-selling paid game on the store following a big discount