The Boys season 5 episode 4 looked pretty familiar right? The superhero series went full The Last of Us in the new episode, complete with spores, wall zombies, and infected growths as the gang headed to Vought facility Fort Harmony in search of V-One.

The homage to the legendary franchise even got a reference in the new episode too, but it was a pretty brutal one. From here on out we'll be getting into The Boys season 5 episode 4 spoilers so make sure you're up to date before reading on.

If you're still here then you'll know that as Billy Butcher and the gang approached the mysterious Vought facility, stuff started getting very creepy. Not only were there several of corpses on the path there, but inside Frenchie realizes that the men who died actually killed each other.

"Toxoplasmosis, it's a parasite in cat shit, it can infect humans. Makes them react with explosive anger," Frenchie explains. "If the V-One spilled into the groundwater, it could mutate the plants. Their spores fill us with rage, we murder each other, and voila, we're plant food for these vines."

Or as Hughie says, "Okay, so like The Last of Us?" While it's definitely what we were all thinking as the camera panned over mutated vines stuck to the walls of the lab, Frenchie had a more cutting response: "No, that is just The Walking Dead with mushrooms." Ouch, talk about destroying a franchise in one sentence…

I mean, he's not entirely wrong either. Both are zombie stories with infection spreading in The Last of Us through fungus... Fans have been loving the tongue-in-cheek quip too, reacting on Reddit to the moment. "Hughie mentioning The Last of Us a second after we all thought of it was lampshading done right," one commented, as another added: "Frenchie just upset the entire The Last of Us fanboys."

For more on all the other Easter eggs and pop culture references, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 4 recap. While you're at it, have a read of our The Boys season 5 release schedule and The Boys season 5 recap to stay up to date too.

As fans quickly noticed, the Stranger Things season 5 finale episode was lacking some demogorgons and demodogs, but their notable absence was not always the plan. According to the Duffer Brothers, at some point there was a three-hour version of the ending which included not only Vecna's loyal creatures, but also an Aliens reference.

During an interview with The Wrap, the Stranger Things showrunners were asked to clarify where the demogorgons were when the gang arrives at The Abyss in the last episode of the fifth season (you can read all about what happened there in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained). "Mainly it’s just that Vecna was not expecting this sneak attack on his home turf. Never in a million years could he even imagine that," Matt Duffer answered.

"[The demogorgons] are there somewhere," he continued. "We obviously discussed having a demo battle on top of the Mind Flayer battle, but it felt more right to us that why does he need the demos when the Mind Flayer is this giant thing and can attack them? He doesn’t need his little ant army to attack, he’s going to take care of this himself. It’s a giant, desolate planet. If you recall, you see Henry wandering the planet back in Season 4 and at some point in his journey, he does see a demo far in the distance, but it’s not like they're hanging out in little huts. There's not like a giant civilization of demos up there."

That said, there was a version of the finale where the demogorgons showed up, as the Duffers revealed. "We did at some point have that they were going to come across a giant field of demo eggs in kind of an Aliens thing, but you can’t get all your ideas in there," Matt Duffer explained, with his brother Ross confirming: "Yeah that’s in the three-hour version of the finale, which was never written."

The plan was for the demogorgons to come out of the eggs when the gang walked past it, but the showrunners were worried about the "demo fatigue", as they had already used the creatures earlier in the season. "One of the other things we talked about was just demo fatigue. I felt like we did everything we wanted to do with them in Sorcerer, and wanting to keep the focus on Vecna and the Mind Flayer, who’s been absent this season," Ross Duffer explained.

The complete Stranger Things series is available to watch on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows.

In just three episodes, Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 2 finally shed light on one of the show's biggest mysteries, explaining what the Upside Down actually is after all these years. It posed a bunch more questions at the same time, though, and now I'm worried certain things won't be answered in the 128 minutes we have left in Hawkins...

Long before season 5 premiered in November, Jim Hopper actor David Harbour assured fans that "the OG storylines" would all be wrapped up in satisfying ways. A tall order, really, given how many characters are still in play and the physics-defying reveals we've seen so far. But anything is possible!

Below, I break down my most pressing questions coming out of Vol. 2, from the Mind Flayer's whereabouts to a long overdue conversation between Will and Mike. It goes without saying that there are spoilers to follow, so if you've yet to catch up and don't want to know anything that happens, turn back now!

Where is the Mind Flayer?

The Mind Flayer's huge, spider-y form was destroyed at the end of season 3, but it's pretty obvious at this point that that won't be the last we'll see of the beastie. While explaining the Upside Down's connection to The Abyss to the rest of our Hawkins heroes, Dustin suggests that the latter is the original home of demogorgons, demobats, and the Mind Flayer, and we know Henry has had run-ins with it before, too, so it seems pretty inevitable that it'll make some sort of appearance in the finale. (Is this a safe space to mention that Vecna's home in the Abyss looks to be the Mind Flayer's spider-y exoskeleton?!)

I hope when it does turn up, though, we'll be given some explanation as to where it's been while Eleven, Will, and co have been playing fisticuffs with Vecna – and whether or not it really is the one in charge.

Why is the Upside Down frozen in November 6, 1983?

Listen, I know that the Upside Down was first formed on November 6, 1983, when Dr. Brenner forced telepathic contact between Eleven and a demogorgon in his search for Vecna. I'm not silly, but that hasn't stopped from wanting to know exactly why the wormhole is stuck in that day. We might need a physicist to explain this one to us, if Dustin doesn't take care of it in the finale...

Why did the white goo solidify after Jonathan and Nancy broke up?

After Nancy blasted the exotic matter with her shotgun, she and Jonathan passed out inside a room in the Upside Down-version of Hawkins Lab. When they awakened, they found themselves lying in the same goo that covered the stairs they used to climb up to the roof.

When their attempts to get out failed, the two hopped on the desk in the room's center and started talking about their relationship, ultimately deciding that they've been too swept up in all this "save the world" business to realize that they're not right for one another. Jonathan un-proposed before the pair said they love one another, and noticing that the goo had solidified right at table level. I want to know why it stopped! It felt very convenient!

Why is Henry scared of the cave, and who is the man that he killed down there?

The show hasn't revealed why Henry/Vecna is so scared of the cave Max has been hiding in all this time, though Vol. 2 did hint at a traumatic memory of his taking place in the system. In the flashback, a young, Boy Scout-uniformed Henry stumbles across a wounded man carrying a metallic briefcase in a mine shaft. Henry approaches the man, who's also toting a gun, with caution, admitting that he followed his anguish shouts but the man shoots him in the hand.

The unexpected act of violence prompts Henry to bash the man's head in with a rock and steal the briefcase, and it's clear there's much more to be unearthed here.

Those who've seen the stage show, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, will already have some context on this, but it'll be cool to see the TV series catch those who haven't up to speed.

Why does Vecna want to combine the Abyss with the real world?

At this point, I can't really fathom why Vecna wants to merge the Abyss with the real world, other than to extinguish almost every human on Earth? The big bad has previously spoken about how he sees himself, Eleven, and co as superior to non-superpowered folk and that he wants to live in a world where there's no form of binary control. But he is still human at the end of the day, and if he's so scared of a cave, we'd wager he's not going to be keen on living in a literal hellscape...

What do Kali and Hopper really have planned?

After he ran through the Upside Down with a bomb strapped to his chest and she tried to convince Eleven that they'd have more chance of stopping Vecna if they sacrificed themselves, I don't really trust Kali or Hopper to not do something reckless in the series finale. I hope they both realize that there are other ways to save the ones they love in 'The Rightside Up', but only time will tell what's going through their heads.

Is Will going to tell Mike how he feels?

Episode 7, 'The Bridge', saw Will come out as gay to his nearest and dearest (and a few others who just happened to be in the room, too), and while he mentioned having an unrequited crush during said scene, he didn't explicitly tell Mike how he feels about him.

"Once Will is talking about Tammy and all that and his experience, yeah, it's Mike – and his friends – all realizing and understanding now for the first time, even if Mike has been somewhat oblivious over these years, what his friend is saying," Ross later explained to People. "He's clocking what Will felt over the years." I hope we get more closure and something more intimate where the boys can address it together in the finale, though.

Who won't make it out of the finale alive?

The Duffer Brothers have already assured that Stranger Things won't follow in Game of Thrones' footsteps and off a bunch of main characters in its final episode, but the plot armor surrounding some of the originals is getting a little farfetched now. Several characters have found themselves in life-threatening situations and walked away unscathed and, while I don't want to say goodbye to any of them, I hope they don't all live just because the writers were worried about any potential backlash.

Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are streaming now. Don't miss the finale with our guide to the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. All things Upside Down ain't your bag? Check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix for some watchlist inspiration.

After keeping us in the dark for almost 10 years, Stranger Things has finally revealed what the Upside Down actually is – and as Dustin Henderson says in season 5, all our theories about the dark realm have been "dead wrong" so far.

Well, unless you've seen the stage show, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, that is...

Warning! The rest of this article contains major spoilers for Stranger Things season 5.

At the start of Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 2, Nancy, Jonathan, Steve, and Dustin ignore Hopper's orders to wait at the church and, instead, take it upon themselves to investigate the great wall they crashed into inside the Upside Down. Brainbox Dustin suggests that the wall is likely a dark magic shield put there by Vecna; an extra precaution for his base, much like the Empire's energy shield around the Death Star II in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. If he's right, he notes, they might able to find the shield's generator, shut it down, infiltrate Vecna's true lair and save Holly.

Their mission takes them to Hawkins Lab, in which Dustin stumbles across Dr. Martin Brenner's old research. With the files, the youngster learns that the Upside Down is a wormhole (or interdimensional bridge) between the real world and a mysterious new one they dub 'The Abyss'. Said dimension is presumably where the demogorgons, demobats, and the Mind Flayer hail from, as well as where Eleven banished Henry Creel/One during their psychokinetic battle inside the lab's Rainbow Room back in 1979.

It was there that he was trapped for four years until Eleven made remote contact with a demogorgon – and the Upside Down tunnel was formed. Since then, Henry/One/Vecna has been using the Upside Down as a entryway to the real world, making gates in an attempt to destabilize it and ultimately combine the Abyss with Hawkins. In short, the big bad wants to turn Earth into his own monster-laden hellscape.

"Netflix wanted us to explain the mythology to them, because we were very adamant early on, 'We don't want to explain it in the show. We like that there's mystery, and that there's a lot that you don't understand by the end of the season,'" Matt Duffer recently explained to Variety. "They said, 'That's fine, but we would like to know.' I think it was actually a really good exercise – we spent quite a bit of time with our writers figuring out exactly what the Upside Down was.

"We wrote a 20-page mythology document. It wasn't called the Abyss at that point; it was called Dimension X, which is a Ninja Turtle reference. We've been holding those cards back for so long; it was a real relief to actually be able to show our hands here."

Now, if you've been lucky enough to see The First Shadow already, you'll have heard of 'Dimension X' before. The play, which fleshes out Henry's backstory, opens with a prologue set in 1943, in which a warship called the USS Eldridge gets sucked into Dimension X. Said ship was commandeered by Captain Brenner, Martin's father and the sole survivor of the otherworldly disaster; his crew members having been picked off by malevolent smoky entities.

While it made no reference to the fact that Joyce and Hopper went to school with Henry, a major plot point in the play and something that was hinted at in Vol. 1, Vol. 2 featured another moment that stage show attendees will have a little more context for. During their exploration of Vecna's Mind Lair, Max and Holly wander into his worst memory and see a young, Boy Scout-uniformed Henry come across a bloodsoaked Soviet spy inside a mine shaft.

Terrified, the spy shoots Henry in the hand, prompting the boy to fatally bludgeon the older man with a rock and pinch the metallic briefcase he'd stolen from the US military. In the play, it's explained that a dazed Henry, who had been missing for 12 days, was found with a wound on his hand just outside a cave system in Nevada. It also spells out that the Russian was found dead inside the caves a little while later. While the Netflix show didn't divulge what's in the briefcase, those who've seen the play will know that it contains rift-opening tips surrounding Dimension X and other top-secret technology.

In the play, it's established that the contents of the briefcase transported Henry to Dimension X, leading to his first-ever encounter with the brain-scrambling Mind Flayer. A little while later, Dr. Brenner connected the dots between Henry and the Mind Flayer after finding the former's spyglass, the one Holly has been using in the TV show, in the caves.

Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are streaming now. Don't miss the finale with our guide to the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. If you need help figuring out exactly what's gone down so far, check out our breakdown of the Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 2 ending explained.

Across Stranger Things' five-season run, less than a handful of named characters have met their maker. Despite all of the life-threatening situations our Hawkins heroes (and villains) find themselves in, we've only said goodbye to Barb, Bob, Eddie, Brenner and well, that's it. There was Chrissy and others too, of course, but as it stands, all of the major players are still alive and kicking.

All that looked set to change going into the Netflix show's ongoing final chapter, with creators Matt and Ross Duffer teasing a tearjerking closer and warning longtime fans that it'd boast "the most violent death of any season". Turns out, though, we may not lose anyone in the two hours and eight minutes that remain...

"It's not Game of Thrones. We're not in Westeros. I love Game of Thrones, but it's just a very different type of show than that," Matt told The Hollywood Reporter, following Vol. 2's release. "There's not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we're not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there's something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn't feel painful but feels satisfying."

Everyone has their favorites, but you've only got to take a quick peek at the Stranger Things hashtag on Instagram or Twitter to learn that most viewers are terrified of losing Joe Keery's Steve Harrington. As for Steve's fate specifically, the Duffers are keeping schtum, though they do understand why fans are so worried about him. "It would be the next logical step," said Matt. "He keeps getting beaten up more and more. The only way we could take it further is death."

Elsewhere in the interview, Matt opened up on how "challenging" it has been to come up with an ending that feels satisfying, admitting that it's impossible to cater to the wide demographic of tuner-inners' hopes because they seem to all be tuning in for their own reasons.

"When you read about people reacting to the show, sometimes I feel like they’re watching very different shows. And in a way, they are, right? They’re fixated on different aspects of the show that are more important to some people than others. It just gets confusing," he noted. "So you can’t really work towards satisfying [everyone], because who are you choosing to satisfy?

"At the end of the day, you do kind of have to shut out all the noise and just listen to your gut and the other writers with whom we've been working with for so long, and hope that what we feel is right resonates with everybody else."

Stranger Things season 5 Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 are streaming now. Don't miss the finale with our guide to the Stranger Things season 5 release schedule. All things Upside Down ain't your bag? Check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix for some watchlist inspiration.

Stranger Things season 5 marks the end of the beloved show, which means fans are expecting some heavy losses as the fight against Vecna gets bloodier than ever before. Thankfully, no major character dies in the first four episodes of the season, which are now available to stream on Netflix – you can also catch up with the story by reading our Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 ending explained.

The Netflix show's creators Matt and Ross Duffer recently talked to Variety about their decision to not kill off any big characters so early on in the final season. As they explained, they're working with 'high points' (wins) and 'low points' (losses) for the protagonists, and the end of Volume 1 already had one of each.

"Once we decided we knew we wanted to do the Will power stuff this season, we knew that that's how we had to end Volume 1," said Ross Duffer. "So there's the low point of all the kids being taken, but the high point of Will has these powers. That was always the discussion. Vecna taking these children was the low point we needed for the end of Volume 1."

The Duffer brothers also reminded fans that "the show is not Game of Thrones", so they shouldn't be expecting a big bloodbath where we have to say goodbye to beloved characters. "I'm hoping it surprises people. But there's no Red Wedding, if that's what you're asking. That would be depressing," Ross clarified.

That said, last season saw the demise of newly appointed fan-favorite Eddie Munson (played by Joseph Quinn) and a very traumatic blow for Max Mayfield (played by Sadie Sink), so we're not fully trusting that the fifth season is not going to break our hearts with some major death at some point. In fact, Volume 1 featured some gruesome moments, particularly the Demogorgon attack on the Wheeler household.

So far, the season has also left us with an unexpected return all the way from season 2 and an unexpected final twist that connects Will and Vecna, and now we can't wait to get all the answers.

Check out our Stranger Things season 5 release schedule to know when the show is coming back. For more, read our Stranger Things volume 1 review, and choose one of the other best Netflix shows for your next watch.

The final season of Stranger Things is just a few short weeks away. As the hype for the last ever episodes of the beloved adventure show builds, the Duffer Brothers have been talking up the new episodes and why, this time around, the new season is not specifically inspired by a classic horror movie.

"We talked a lot for season four about Nightmare On Elm Street and Hellraiser for the fact that the really psychological '80s horror was our touch point," said Ross Duffer in the latest issue of SFX magazine.

For Stranger Things 5, however, things were a little bit different. "We didn't have one specific touch point that's easy to point to. It was more looking at all the seasons that we had made of Stranger Things and asking, 'How do we bring this full circle?' A lot of it was looking back at season one and making sure that, when this all ended, it felt like one singular story, it felt like a whole."

That doesn't mean that there are no movie references in the new episodes, of course. "There are film touch points throughout, but it's less of a definitive this year," he continues.

The new season was, according to Matt Duffer, an exercise in looking to the show's past to find its future. "We've been making the show forever, so we have a pretty good idea of what has worked really well and what hasn't worked as well," he says. "So we lean into what's working well, and just try to take all the lessons we've learned to make, hopefully, the best season yet. We're really proud of the season and so that was really the goal, to take all the learnings, everything we know about the show and the characters, and make the best Stranger Things season ever. That was the ambition."

Stranger Things season 5 premieres on November 26, with Volume 2 arriving on Christmas Day and the finale dropping on December 31. For more, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

Do you copy?! Netflix has announced two late-night, London-based screenings of the Stranger Things season 5 premiere. But if you're based in the UK and fancy attending, you had better be quick to apply for a seat, as "tickets are extremely limited".

Not that they're first come first serve, mind you. Anyone is in with a shot of getting in so long as they're over 18, register here and enter the promo code "ST5FANS". As stated by the streamer, '80s-inspired attire is encouraged.

"Attendees will be among the first in the UK to witness the beginning of the final battle against Vecna, set in the fall of 1987," the press release excitingly states. Both screenings will be held at a central London location, which has yet to be revealed; the first, at 10:15pm and the second, at 12:30am.

"Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna," reads the official Stranger Things 5 synopsis. "But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown. Complicating their mission, the government has placed the town under military quarantine and intensified its hunt for Eleven, forcing her back into hiding. As the anniversary of Will’s disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they’ve faced before. To end this nightmare, they’ll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

We already know that that first episode, which is ominously titled 'Chapter One: The Crawl', is going to look a little different to previous season openers, with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) and co in full battle mode after failing to kill Vecna in season 4. If you cast your minds back to the Stranger Things season 4 ending in May 2022, you'll remember that Eddie Munson died, Max wound up blinded and comatose, and the mutated Henry Creel unleashed the Upside Down on Hawkins; all of which has had major repercussions on our heroes.

"Normally, at the end of the previous season, they've defeated whatever evil, and so we start with them going about their normal lives when something comes in, and that sets off our mystery," Ross Duffer revealed in the latest issue of SFX magazine. "But in this case, they lost at the end of season 4, and so when we find them, they're training and preparing and searching for Vecna. They're active from the beginning, so it allows things to get off to a much quicker start than ever before."

Stranger Things season 5 premieres on November 26, with Volume 2 arriving on Christmas Day and the finale dropping on December 31. For more, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

It's already been confirmed that Stranger Things season 5 will open on a season 1 flashback of Noah Schnapp's Will Byers. But that's not the only reason the first few episodes will feel "very different" to previous chapters, according to the Duffer Brothers.

"Normally, at the end of the previous season, they've defeated whatever evil, and so we start with them going about their normal lives when something comes in, and that sets off our mystery," Ross Duffer revealed in the latest issue of SFX magazine. "But in this case, they lost at the end of season 4, and so when we find them, they're training and preparing and searching for Vecna. They're active from the beginning, so it allows things to get off to a much quicker start than ever before.”

Essentially, Stranger Things 5 will be giving Avengers: Endgame early doors, as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard) and the rest of the gang regroup and pick themselves up after their failed face-off with Thanos-style big bad Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower). If you cast your minds back to the Stranger Things season 4 ending in May 2022, you'll remember that Eddie Munson died, Max wound up blinded and comatose, and the mutated Henry Creel unleashed the Upside Down on Hawkins...

"Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown, As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread," reads the official season 5 synopsis. "The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

"I think it's a great opening, how you get right to the action," Lucas Sinclair actor Caleb McLaughlin added. "For the viewers, it'll be refreshing and intense. A lot of people, everyone who's been waiting for the new season, they're going to really, really enjoy it."

Stranger Things season 5 premieres on November 26, with Volume 2 arriving on Christmas Day and the finale dropping on December 31. For more, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

We're just over a month away from the first few episodes of Stranger Things season 5 landing on Netflix and we still don't know all that much as to the fifth and final chapter's plot. We know Eleven and the Hawkins gang are set to face off against Vecna for the second time, and that some of them may not make it out of the battle alive, and that's about it!

With that, fans have been looking for clues wherever they can find them – and toys tend to be a great place to start. Just a few weeks back, a fresh Funko Pop line revealed that Robin (Maya Hawke) and Steve (Joe Keery) will have new jobs when we see them again. Now, a soon-to-be-released LEGO set has hinted at two major plot points: Max's fate and an unlikely team-up between Henry Creel and... Holly Wheeler.

First up: Max. When we last saw the red-haired skater, she was in a coma, following a near-fatal encounter with the Upside Down's big bad Vecna. Creators of the show, The Duffer Brothers, previously said on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that going into season 5, Max will be "braindead and blind [with] all of her bones broken" while actor Sadie Sink admitting to Vulture that that character is "definitely not back in the way she once was."

The figurines, though, hint at a near-fully recovered Max, standing with Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), and Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) in front of a miniaturized version of the Creel House. Check it out below.

Elsewhere in the set, which won't be available until January 1, 2026, there's a character in '50s-style garb, holding a pocket watch and standing next to a blond-haired girl sporting a yellow cape. Thanks to some sneaky behind-the-scenes shots from filming, fans have deduced that the duo is Henry Creel (Jamie Campbell-Bower) and Mike and Nancy's little sister Holly (Evil Dead Rise's Nell Fisher).

As revealed in Stranger Things season 4 (and elaborated on in the stage play Stranger Things: The First Shadow), Henry once had a younger sibling named Alice. He killed her – along with his parents, whom he hated – after surrendering himself to the Mind Flayer in 1959. Maybe Henry sees Holly as a surrogate sister? Or is he simply using the youngster as a means to get one up on those trying to vanquish him for good? We'll have to wait and see.

Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are streaming now on Netflix. While we wait for Stranger Things season 5 to premiere on November 26, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard has recently talked about feeling the pressure of wrapping up one of the most popular shows of the last decade. Ahead of the release of its fifth and final season next month, the Netflix show is hoping to avoid the fan backlash that iconic shows like Game of Thrones and Lost received for their final episodes.

"I think everyone was pretty worried, honestly," Wolfhard told Time magazine. "The way that Game of Thrones got torn to shreds in that final season, we're all walking into this going, 'We hope to not have that kind of thing happen.' But then we read the scripts. We knew that it was something special."

Back in 2019, fans were certainly not happy about how Game of Thrones ended, and that negative reaction has tarnished the legacy of the show, despite being considered one of the best TV series of all time. The Stranger Things team is now feeling the pressure too, with the Duffer brothers studying legendary TV finales like Six Feet Under and The Sopranos.

As Wolfhard notes, working in a high-pressure environment is hardly a new situation for them. During the filming of season 4, the actor revealed he "started hyperventilating" due to the high fan expectations, on top of the strict COVID restrictions.

"It was kind of like a fishbowl because a lot of the extras are fans. It culminated in sort of a panic attack," he explained, admitting that handling the fandom has been at times "subconsciously terrifying".

"It's just a symptom of what filmmaking can be, which is chaotic. As a child actor, you're trying to make things easy for people. You don’t know how to speak up for yourself. You don’t know how to ask for a break… It was incredible and subconsciously terrifying to be 13 and all of a sudden everyone knows who you are," he said.

Volume 1 of Stranger Things season 5 lands on November 26, with Volume 2 arriving on December 25 and Volume 3 releasing on December 31. For more, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

We've already been told by Stranger Things showrunners Matt and Ross Duffer to brace ourselves for a tear-jerking fifth season, as Will, Eleven and co. enter into a life-threatening face-off against big bad Vecna. This is Stranger Things, mind you, so we can expect some fun and levity amid all that world-saving tension.

The actors had a pretty challenging time filming any lighter scenes towards the end of the chapter's near 12-month shoot, though, the Duffer Brothers have recalled. Why? Well, they knew it was the last time they'd all be together running around Hawkins and avoiding demogorgons...

"It was hard to even get through take after take," Ross Duffer explained to Variety, remembering how they had to tell the stars to cheer up a little while the cameras were rolling. "You're just going, 'They're feeling every moment of this.' Occasionally, they were actually too emotional in moments when it was a little too early in the scene. We're like, 'You're not supposed to be upset!'"

"I think it changed me as an actor forever," added Maya Hawke, who plays Robin Buckley. "I am a different actor today, and I think a better actor, because of that opportunity to do a scene that was on such a high-stakes emotional day of my life that was also a high stakes emotional scene. It was just this extraordinary gift. But I did spend 12 hours in a rolling cycle of weeping."

"Everybody was feeling the fatigue of shooting for a year," said Steve Harrington's Joe Keery. "Everyone was looking forward to being done, but then once you get to the finish line, you look back and think, 'Oh, man, can I just have one more?'"

Six weeks out from the first four episodes of Stranger Things 5 dropping on Netflix, and we still don't know all that much about the plot of the upcoming installment.

The official synopsis reads: "Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown, As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

It wasn't just the actors who found filming those final moments a difficult experience, either. "I'm never going to spend 10 years on something again, I don't think, where you become this much of a family with the people who are working on it," Matt Duffer chimed in. "It was really hard. Each day was saying goodbye. Each of those actors only had to say goodbye once. Ross and I had to do it four different times. Every time I'm like, 'I'm not going to break!' And I broke every time."

Volume 1 of Stranger Things season 5 lands on November 26, with Volume 2 arriving on December 25 and Volume 3 releasing on December 31. For more, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

Just over two months out from Stranger Things 5's premiere, and we still don't know all that much about the Netflix show's final chapter. It's no secret that it'll see Eleven and co face Vecna again as long-hidden truths about the Upside Down come to light, and we've also been warned that not all of the Hawkins gang are going to make it out alive. (Sob).

But that's been about it. Until now, anyway, thanks to a new line of Funko Pops that offer up some clues, including a reveal about Maya Hawke's character Robin Buckley.

In the range's most elaborate, expensive design, Robin can be seen standing next to the WSQK radio station building, holding up a sign that reads, "Applause." There's clearly a reason why that specific character would be paired with that location – first seen in the teaser – and the sign all-but-confirms Robin will be working at the site in the new episodes.

The toy is titled 'Rockin' Robin with The Squawk', which links back to an interesting one-sheet that was noted by attendees of the play Stranger Things: First Shadow in London's West End. Last year, artist Alan Gillett took to his website to share that he'd been "tasked with creating a series of 1950s style posters to be displayed on the walls inside of the Phoenix Theatre." He continued: "All the posters are based on elements from the script and from the wider Stranger Things universe. Some even contain easter eggs to plot lines in season 5." While 'The Squawk' poster seems to be promoting a movie, its avian-themed tagline ("Bird-monsters go berserk") is curious given Ms. Buckley's first name.

Could Robin be using the station to inform the people of Hawkins about what's really going on as the government quarantines the town? Sending out signals to other dimensions? We'll have to wait and see.

What's even more intriguing, though, is that another toy spotted by eagle-eyed fans suggests that the WSQK headquarters is on top of a tunnel system that leads to the Upside Down.

Elsewhere, there's a figure that features Steve hanging out of a WSQK van. Now, we're not sure why the Joe Keery character is holding a rubber chicken but again, it seems fair to assume that he's also employed by the radio station if he has access to one of its vehicles. So long, video store!

Stranger Things seasons 1-4 are streaming now on Netflix. While we wait for Stranger Things season 5 to premiere on November 26, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

With so few concrete details about Stranger Things season 5 out there, it's no surprise that fans have resorted to lapping up rumors. Some of the biggest rumors that have been circulating concern the new batch of episodes' runtimes, which co-creator Matt Duffer has debunked... again.

"Every runtime I've seen posted online is inaccurate," he recently told Variety, before going on to confirm that some chapters are as lengthy as those in season 4. “Episode 4 and episode 8 are like movies." On social media, it had been highly speculated that each episode would be at least two hours long, and that the finale would clock in at a lengthy three hours.

This isn't the first time the Duffer Brothers have shot down the rumors. Back in July, Ross took to his Instagram Story to share the runtimes alongside the caption: "Lol not even close to accurate."

Later, as part of the publication's Entertainment and Technology Summit in Los Angeles, Ross offered up a cryptic tease of how the upcoming installment is going to shake up the Netflix show's typical format: "This isn't going about normal life, and then something supernatural happens to them, which is what we usually do."

"Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown," reads season 5's synopsis, with its official trailer revealing that Eleven has been forced back into hiding thanks to the government's intensified hunt to track her down. "As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

Just a few days ago, Netflix unveiled a behind-the-scenes featurette in which the Duffer Brothers suggest that it's the "biggest season we've ever had".

"It's more of an adventure and more of a mission, which I really like," Millie Bobby Brown adds in the clip. "Everybody is really put into the thick of it. No one is sitting back on a Walkie Talkie. Everyone is full throttle going for it."

Stranger Things is streaming now on Netflix. While we wait for Stranger Things season 5 to premiere on November 26, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows for some viewing inspiration.

Netflix has finally given us a glimpse at Lady Gaga's mysterious character in Wednesday season 2 – and fans are already convinced she's a member of the Addams Family.

The streamer took to social media on September 1 to share a shot of the Abracadabra singer in costume, which looks remarkably like something she would've worn back when she was in American Horror Story: Hotel. "A vision in venom," the caption read. "Here's your first look at Lady Gaga in Rosaline Rotwood."

What's perhaps most interesting, though, is that she has Wednesday's (literal) right-hand man Thing on her shoulder, which suggests she's a pal.

"Ophelia?" a subscriber on Reddit wondered, claiming that she could be Morticia's long-lost younger sister and just going by a different name. "I thought that as well," replied another.

"She's gotta be Aunt O. She even has Thing [on] her shoulder," echoed a third.

"Thing's backstory is unclear, what if Thing is Rosaline's hand," another theorized.

Ophelia was name-dropped pretty heavily in Part 1, with Morticia telling Wednesday that she, too, was a psychic raven and that the overuse of her powers eventually drove her insane. She's pretty famously blonde in every other adaptation of Charles Addams' Addams Family and notably resides at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital; which is where Tyler was confined after his murderous Hyde spree and is one of the second season's main settings. In the show, Morticia reckons Ophelia escaped from Willow Hill; might that be why she goes by Rosaline now?

With Jenna Ortega back as the titular Addams, Wednesday season 2 sees the pig-tailed protagonist batting off her new Nevermore admirers as she tries to solve another mystery using her psychic powers. This time, she's not trying to work out the identity of an unseen serial killer, though, she's trying to stop a horrifying future event from coming true: Enid's death. Isaac Ordonez, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Billie Piper, Steve Buscemi, and Catherine Zeta-Jones round out the supporting cast.

Wednesday season 2 Part 1 is streaming now, while Part 2 lands on September 3. For more, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

Despite season 1 being one of Netflix's biggest shows ever, Wednesday season 2's viewership is dropping dramatically – and fans already have a bunch of theories as to why that might be...

According to What's On Netflix's latest Top 10 report, the number of people tuning in to the supernatural series dropped by 50% in its third week. With that, it's reached approximately 92.5 million Netflix subscribers across its first three weeks, significantly less than season 1's 150 million in that same timeframe.

"Season one had the TikTok trend effect," someone claimed on Twitter, pointing to the "Wednesday Dance" that took social media by storm back in 2022 (and led to Lady Gaga being cast in the latest installment). "It can't happen twice + it's [a] Halloween show why they launched it in summer!"

Others, however, are convinced the dip is due to the new season being released in two parts. While the first four episodes dropped on August 6, the second half isn't due on the streaming platform until September 3.

"Well, they only released half the season, 4 measly episodes. I don't [do] that s***, Netflix whole thing is about binge watching, they're ruining it with these split seasons," wrote one subscriber, as another said: "Splitting the seasons make me so uninterested now."

"I mean thats what happens when you stupidly decide to split 8 episodes in half. BEYOND RIDICULOUS," added a third.

A fourth was more diplomatic, suggesting that a lot of fans might be waiting until all of season 2's episodes are available to dig in – or at least delaying their watch so that the wait between parts isn't as long. "Wednesday S2 is performing eerily similar to Bridgerton S3," they tweeted. "I guess this is how 8 hour split seasons generally chart. If that tracks, S2 should hit 100m just before part 2. After that...who knows? 150m+ is very likely. 200m? Maybe...just maybe."

"It's only half a season rn. Once Part 2 comes out next Wednesday [and] we have the full season, the total views are gonna skyrocket to at or higher S1's view count," agreed another.

With Jenna Ortega back as the titular Addams, Wednesday season 2 sees the pig-tailed Poe enthusiast batting off her new Nevermore admirers – and a stalker – as she, once again, tries to solve a mystery using her psychic powers. This time, she's not trying to work out the identity of an unseen serial killer, though, she's trying to stop a horrifying future event from coming true: Enid's death. Isaac Ordonez, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Billie Piper, Steve Buscemi, and Catherine Zeta-Jones round out the cast.

It concludes on September 3. For more, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

The cast of Hulu's upcoming Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot keeps growing, as The Studio star Chase Sui Wonders has now joined the production. The actor is reuniting with her I Know What You Did Last Summer co-star Sarah Michelle Gellar, who is returning as Buffy Summers over 20 years after the end of the popular show.

Per Deadline, Wonders is playing a character named Shirley, who is "believed to be a vampire", so we are not sure if she will be a friend or a foe. Her appearance is set to be "one-off guest-starring role" in the pilot episode, which is being directed by Chloé Zhao (Eternals) and will star a new Slayer, Nova, played by Ryan Kiera Armstrong.

While most details are still under wraps, fans got a first look at Gellar's return as Buffy thanks to some leaked photos from set. In the images, which you can see in the tweet below, Buffy is looking very chic with a red dress, golden jewellery, and straight, long blonde hair.

There has been some conversation online about this look, as some fans think it doesn't feel very Buffy-esque, but it's hard to pass judgment when we're lacking the context of the scene and the story. Also, as this X user points out, time has passed, and this Buffy is not the teenage girl we all fell in love with in the late 90s. And that's okay.

Along with Gellar and Armstrong as the Slayers and Wonders as the latest addition, the cast of the show includes Faly Rakotohavana (Unprisoned) as a geek named Hugo, Ava Jean (Law & Order: SVU) as "chronic do-gooder" Larkin, Sarah Bock (Severance) as ultra-religious teen Gracie, Daniel Di Tomasso (CSI: Vegas) as Nova's single father Abe, and Jack Cutmore-Scott (Frasier) as popular teacher Mr. Burke.

When Armstrong's casting was announced earlier this year, Sarah Michelle Gellar showed her support with a statement, saying: "From the moment I saw Ryan's audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side. To have that kind of emotional intelligence and talent at such a young age is truly a gift."

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot doesn't have a release date yet. For now, check out our picks of the best shows on Hulu streaming now.

Sarah Michelle Gellar has shared a behind-the-scenes video from the new Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot – and she's training hard with Ryan Keira Armstrong, who's playing the new Slayer.

"Warrior 1 and 2," Gellar wrote on Instagram, alongside a video of the pair training in the gym (and pulling some familiar fighting poses). "We don't sweat… we sparkle."

Armstrong, who previously starred in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, will play the new, still unnamed Slayer, who will reportedly be an introverted high school student. The pilot, which hasn't been ordered to series by streamer Hulu yet, will be directed by Eternals helmer Chloé Zhao and written by Poker Face's Nora and Lilla Zuckerman.

"From the moment I saw Ryan's audition, I knew there was only one girl that I wanted by my side," Gellar said when Armstrong's casting was announced earlier this year. "To have that kind of emotional intelligence, and talent, at such a young age is truly a gift."

Gellar played once-in-a-generation (kind of) teenage vampire slayer Buffy Summers for seven seasons between 1997 and 2003 and she'll return in a supporting role for the reboot. The show also starred Alyson Hannigan and Nicholas Brendon as Buffy's best friends (or "Scooby Gang") Willow and Xander, and Anthony Stewart Head as librarian and "Watcher" Giles. It was set in the fictional town of Sunnydale, California, which was located on the "Hellmouth," but it remains to be seen if the reboot will share a setting or any other cast members with the original show.

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, check out our picks of the best shows on Hulu streaming now.

The first trailer for Stranger Things season 5 dropped this week and there are plenty of memorable moments in the three-minute teaser, from Hopper grinning as he slings a couple of grenades over his shoulders and Lucas soothing a hospitalized Max to Eleven "flying" and the military takeover of Hawkins.

One part that broke fans' hearts, though, is a shot of Dustin visiting the grave of his old Hellfire Club pal Eddie Munson, who chose to stay behind in the Upside Down and distract a swarm of demobats so that his friends could escape last season – and subsequently succumbed to the creatures' fatal bites.

In the shot, we can see that Eddie's tombstone has been vandalized; the words 'Burn in Hell' covering his name and "Now in peace". It's a tear-jerking image, but one that some viewers are choosing to see as a hint that the truth about the unsung hero will come to light in the final episodes.

"The desecrated tombstone gives me hope that Eddie will be vindicated/redeemed," said one subscriber on Reddit, while another added: "Yeah, it's so sad to see that they've vandalised his grave. Like I know they don't know the full truth about him, but still!"

You see, Eddie, who was played by The Fantastic Four star Joseph Quinn and introduced in season 4, died with the people of Hawkins thinking he was responsible for the grisly death of fellow Hawkins High student Chrissy Cunningham. Having stereotyped him due to his love of death metal and "freaky" appearance, Chrissy's jealous boyfriend Jason, spurred on by the Satanic panic of the '80s, convinces himself and others that Eddie murdered Chrissy, a theory not helped by the fact that she was killed by Vecna inside his trailer. And well, it looks as if his reputation is still in the mud despite the year and a half between seasons and the fact that Jason himself was brutally bisected by an unstable gate in the season 4 finale.

"Wait, what if the jocks are visiting Jason in the cemetery and see Dustin at Eddie's grave (who they think killed Jason) and that's why they beat him up?" wondered a fan on Twitter, referring to Dustin's ripped shirt in the above scene and some leaked set photos that tease such a moment.

"Stranger Things 5 really needs to clear Eddie's name. The shot of the grave being tagged was a disgrace," tweeted another.

Stranger Things season 5 is set to be released in three parts: the first landing on November 26, the second half dropping on Christmas Day (December 25), and the finale airing on January 1, 2026. For more, check out our picks of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.

The first trailer for the last season of Stranger Things is finally here – and don't mind us, we're just sobbing at the thought of one of the best shows on Netflix coming to an end.

As expected, the promo, which you can watch above, doesn't give away all that much, but it does reveal details of the time jump, plonking us in the fall of 1987 – and a Hawkins that's now under military quarantine. Watch it above.

"Scarred by the opening of the Rifts, our heroes are united by a single goal: find and kill Vecna. But he has vanished – his whereabouts and plans unknown," reads the official synopsis, as it teases that Eleven has been forced back into hiding thanks to the government's intensified hunt to track her down. "As the anniversary of Will's disappearance approaches, so does a heavy, familiar dread. The final battle is looming – and with it, a darkness more powerful and more deadly than anything they've faced before. To end this nightmare, they'll need everyone – the full party – standing together, one last time."

With that, the teaser features much of what we've come to expect from the hit series: dreaded demogorgons, emotional pep talks, and characters staring off into the distance with determined looks on their faces. Though there's one thing that struck us, and that's the amount of blood; be it a tearful Nancy washing her sticky red hands in a basin and Dustin's battered and bruised face to a crimson-collared Lucas cowering from with an unseen foe. It seems safe to assume not all of our pals are making it out of this fight alive.

Season 4 concluded with every group – in Nevada, Indiana, and Russia, respectively –somewhat unknowingly teaming up to take down Vecna. While Max baited his mind at the Creel House, Robin, Steve, and Nancy set fire to his defenseless physical form in the Upside Down. Simultaneously, Mike and Will dunk Eleven in a makeshift sensory deprivation tank, and her consciousness finds its way to Max to assist her in facing off against the big bad. But as Will states towards the end of episode 9, Vecna is far from defeated.

"Now that I'm back in Hawkins, I can feel him. And he's hurt, he's hurting, but he's still alive... He's not gonna stop, ever, not until he's taken everything... everyone... We have to kill him," Will solemnly told Mike, teasing one heck of a showdown in the fifth and final chapter.

Now it wouldn't be Stranger Things without adding a few new characters into the mix, even if they're not due to stick around long (we still miss you, Eddie). Those joining the existing cast this time around include Jake Connelly, Alex Breaux, Nell Fisher (Evil Dead Rise) and Terminator star Linda Hamilton.

With Netflix doubling down on what it did with the show's previous season, Stranger Things season 5 is set to be released in three parts: the first landing on November 26, the second half dropping on Christmas Day (December 25), and the finale airing on January 1, 2026. For more, check out our our picks of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.

The official trailer for Wednesday season 2 is here, and it gives us our best insight yet into the plot of the hit Netflix show's second chapter.

Set to the thunderous theme of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, it opens with Jenna Ortega's misanthrope returning to Nevermore Academy. "How does it feel?" her mother Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) asks, to which she solemnly replies: "Like returning to the scene of the crime, I already know where the bodies are buried."

After that, she has uncomfortable run-ins with new principal Barry Dort (Steve Buscemi) and a handful of adoring fans, who have pledged their allegiance to the pig-tailed, po-faced protagonist after she saved the school last year.

"I only sign my name in blood," Wednesday says. "I would expect nothing less," a fellow student smiles. "I never said it was my own blood," the Addams girl snaps back.

"We really wanted to find some new obstacles for Wednesday. She thinks she has it all under control, and discovers that human interaction isn't as easy as she thought," co-creator Miles Millar told Tudum.com.

It's what comes next that is most intriguing, though: doubling down on Wednesday's psychic-like powers in season 1, season 2 sees her suffer from a terrible vision of her unlikely bestie Enid Sinclair's death. And what's worse? She seems to be the one who causes it. With that, Wednesday takes it upon herself to change the future. "The sooner I get answers, the sooner I can save Enid... or die trying," a menacing voiceover teases.

Elsewhere, we get glimpses of Uncle Fester using his powers, a mysterious figure in a creepy mask, and Tyler in Hyde form, suggesting that he won't be held captive in the cell he was seen in in earlier teasers for long. Watch the promo above.

"Season 2 is bigger, bolder, gorier, and a bit darker. It's sillier in the best way possible," Ortega previously told Harper's Bazaar, having already revealed that the new batch of episodes were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death.

Wednesday season 2, which will be rolled out in two parts, premieres on August 6. The second installment is set to drop on September 3. While we wait, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

It's just over two months until we finally reunite with our favorite cello-playing super sleuth in Wednesday season 2. Now, to ramp up our excitement, Netflix has unveiled a new look at the fantasy horror's second season.

If that's not enough, the streamer also treated us to a live performance from Lady Gaga - which began with the song 'Zombieboy' from her new album Mayhem - during its annual Tudum event.

The popstar's involvement in the sophomore chapter was confirmed way back in November 2024, after a scene from season 1 that sees Wednesday dance to The Cramps' 'Goo Goo Muck' was reworked to Gaga's 'Bloody Mary' and sparked a viral TikTok trend.

Now, Netflix has finally confirmed that Gaga is playing Rosaline Rotwood, "a legendary Nevermore teacher who crosses paths with Wednesday." She'll appear in part 2 of season 2.

The live performance went into "Bloody Mary" for a quick second before bringing out a plethora of Wednesday-dressed dancers for "Goo Goo Muck" and going into "Abracadabra."

As for the footage, it's certainly interesting. "I'm tied up in a serial killer's basement," Wednesday says, surrounded by terrifying porcelain dolls. The scene then cuts to Wednesday explaining that she spent the summer working on harnessing her psychic abilities - which we were introduced to at the end of season 1.

Wednesday uses her powers to hunt down the serial killer, using a prized bowling ball that Thing retrieves from an evidence box at a police station. We then cut to a hilarious scene that sees Wednesday attempt to get through TSA - before being forced to remove a plethora of weapons including a taser, several knives, and nunchucks. Thing, of course, is in the suitcase - but the TSA is more concerned with sunscreen being over the limit of fluid ounces. She and Thing land in Missouri, where they confront the killer - who is none other than Haley Joel Osment. You can watch the full scene below - which is quite the lengthy treat.

The last time we saw Wednesday, she'd just exposed Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan) as the Hyde monster that'd been causing bloody carnage all over town. What she hadn't expected, though, was to learn that Marilyn Thornhill (Christina Ricci) had been the one orchestrating his murderous attacks... With Thornhill AKA Laurel Gates now out of the picture, and Tyler shackled up in Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital, season 2 sees Wednesday return to Nevermore for another school year – only to stumble on an even wilder mystery.

Other newbies joining the show include Osment, Billie Piper, Thandiwe Newton, Joanna Lumley, Steve Buscemi, and Christopher Lloyd. Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Luis Guzmán, Isaac Ordonez, Fred Armisen, and Catherine Zeta-Jones are among those returning.

"Season 2 is bigger, bolder, gorier, and a bit darker. It's sillier in the best way possible," Ortega previously told Harper's Bazaar, having already revealed that the new batch of episodes were inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death.

Wednesday season 2, which will be rolled out in two parts, beginning on August 6. The second installment is set to drop on September 3. While we wait, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

Netflix has unveiled the full cast of Wednesday season 2 along with an image of the show's extended Addams Family - but appropriately for the creepy, kooky family, the reveal of the full cast actually raises some mysterious questions.

First off, here's the image, which includes, from left to right, Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), Gomez (Luis Guzmán), Grandmama Hester Frump (Joanna Lumley), Lurch (Jonas Suotamo), another character, Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen), and Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez). Don't worry, we'll come back to that glaring omission in a moment…

Okay, so, that other character. It's actually unclear exactly who that is, though it sure does look a heck of a lot like new cast member Billie Piper in make-up that looks quite similar to Lurch. Piper's character is named as the Nevermore Academy's new lycanthropic head of music Isadora Capri. Conspicuously, no photo of Piper as Capri is included with the section of Netflix's cast list detailing her character, nor is there a photo of any character who looks like the one in the Addams Family photo.

If that is Isadora Capri, her inclusion in the image seems to imply she'll have a closer relationship to the Addams Family than spelled out in her character description, which says she is a "former child prodigy" who is "brilliant, intense, and enigmatic," and who "takes a special interest in Wednesday’s musical gifts and becomes a mentor to fellow werewolf Enid Sinclair."

As for other new additions to the cast, there's Christopher Lloyd, who returns to the franchise after playing Fester in the classic 1991 film The Addams Family and its sequel Addams Family Values. Just like with Piper, there's no image included of his character Professor Orloff, the "longest-serving teacher" at Nevermore who is described as a "stern disciplinarian" who takes a particular interest in Wednesday's troublemaking brother Pugsley.

Rounding out the new faculty members at Nevermore is new headmaster Principal Dort, played by Steve Buscemi, who "embraces outcast pride to the extreme" and advocates for "normie exclusion".

There's also Thandiwe Newton as Dr. Rachael Fairburn, a "normie" who is the chief psychiatrist at Willow Hill Psychiatric Facility, where she leads the care team for killer Hyde Tyler/Tyler Galpin (played by Hunter Doohan) as a "trailblazer in the emerging field of outcast mental health." Alongside Newton is Heather Matarazzo as Dr. Fairburn's assistant who has an adversarial relationship with Wednesday.

Rounding out the season 2 cast are Nevermore students Enid Sinclair (Emma Myers), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Eugene Ottinger (Moosa Mostafa), and Ajax Petropolus (Georgie Farmer), as well as new Jericho sheriff Ritchie Santiago (Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo), and former sheriff Donovan Galpin (Jamie McShane). Jonas Suotamo, who plays Lurch, is also new to the cast, replacing actor George Burcea who portrayed him in his first season cameo.

Wednesday season 2 part one premieres on Netflix on August 6, followed by part two on September 3.

While we wait, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

Lady Gaga is set to appear in Wednesday season 2, though her role is currently under wraps. But, the secrecy hasn't stopped the megastar from teasing her appearance in the hit Netflix show.

During her record-breaking performance on Copacabana Beach in Rio, Gaga included a prop that Addams Family fans will know anywhere – the scarred, severed hand known as Thing can be seen in a sandbox Gaga used to perform her tracks 'Perfect Celebrity' and 'Disease' during the concert. Check it out below, as shared by Netflix Brazil.

Netflix didn't just share the footage and picture, though. The Wednesday account also gave the moment a shoutout. "The heat, the joy, the dancing... it's a miracle he hasn't disintegrated," the account tweeted. "Please, return him in worse condition."

"It's the best," Ortega has said of working with Gaga. "She's the best, definitely one of the most talented individuals I've ever worked with. It was just a really, really special environment to be there with her and Tim [Burton], two people that I respect and have been inspired by so much."

Wednesday season 2 will be arriving in two parts on Netflix, with Part 1 landing on August 6 (which is, naturally, a Wednesday).

Elsewhere, Netflix recently dropped the first teaser for Squid Game season 3, which might confirm a major character survived their apparent elimination in season 2.

While you wait for Wednesday, check out our guide to all the upcoming shows of this year worth getting excited about, as well as the best Netflix shows to stream now.

The cast of Wednesday is expanding ahead of its eagerly anticipated season 2.

Reacher star Anthony Michael Hall is the latest to join Jenna Ortega, Emma Myers, Hunter Doohan, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and more in the Netflix hit's next chapter. His role, though, remains mysterious (and spooky), according to Variety.

His involvement in the show is set to mark his reunion with director Tim Burton, whom he last worked with on gothic romance Edward Scissorhands, and helmed four of Wednesday season 2's eight episodes. In the 1990 fantasy flick, Hall played Jim, the supercilious, curtain-banged boyfriend of Winona Ryder's character Kim. The actor has also appeared in cult films such as The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, and Sixteen Candles.

Based on The Addams Family cartoon (and subsequent TV and movie adaptations), Wednesday gives its titular teen the Enola Holmes treatment as she's shipped off to Nevermore Academy, a boarding school for outcasts, and discovers that someone – or something – is butchering people all over town. As an aspiring crime writer with a penchant for the macabre, the pig-tailed protagonist soon takes it upon herself to catch the killer.

Newbies previously announced for season 2 include Steve Buscemi, as Nevermore's new principal Barry Dort, Joanna Lumley, as Grandmama, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter, Noah Taylor, Christopher Lloyd, Thandiwe Newton, Billie Piper, and Lady Gaga. Luis Guzmán, Fred Armisen, and Isaac Ordonez will also be returning.

"I think the feel that we're going for is a little bit more horror-inspired," Ortega said of the new batch of episodes in an interview with Vanity Fair back in September 2024 – though it's worth noting that she cited the 1964 film adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's 1942 work, starring Vincent Price, as a specific starting point. "Not to say that suddenly we're the goriest show of all time. I mean, there [are] six-year-olds watching."

Wednesday season 2, which will be rolled out in two parts, premieres on August 6. The second chapter will drop on September 3. While we wait, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

Jenna Ortega is back as everyone's favorite pig-tailed goth girl in the fun new look at Wednesday season 2, which not only sees her "willingly" return to Nevermore Academy but also reveals when the Tim Burton-directed show will return.

The trailer, which you can watch above, opens with Wednesday getting stopped by airport security, and forced to remove all the concealed weapons she has on her person – from a knuckleduster and nunchucks to a taser and an axe. Later, she reunites with her peppy roommate Enid (Emma Myers), stumbles across a curious swarm of bees, and indulges in the creepiest tea party we've ever seen.

"Wherever there's murder and mayhem," Wednesday says via voiceover, as we get our first glimpses at Steve Buscemi and Joanna Lumley's characters. "You will always find an Addams." Check it out above.

Netflix teased the arrival of the clip on April 22, when the streamer took to Twitter to share the official poster for the supernatural show's eagerly anticipated second chapter. In it, Ortega's Wednesday Addams can be seen tied to a chair, with make-upped tears streaming down her cheeks and Thing balancing on her shoulder. "The wait has been torture," the tagline reads. Considering it's been three years since season 1 came out, you can say that again...

When we last saw Wednesday, she'd revealed the identity of the Hyde monster that had been butchering Nevermore students and staff, and thwarted Laurel Gates' plan to resurrect the violent outcast hunter Joseph Crackstone.

"I think the feel that we're going for is a little bit more horror-inspired," Ortega said of the new batch of episodes in an interview with Vanity Fair back in September 2024 – though it's worth noting that she cited the 1964 film adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's 1942 work, starring Vincent Price, as a specific starting point. "Not to say that suddenly we're the goriest show of all time. I mean, there [are] six-year-olds watching." 

Part 1 of Wednesday season 2 premieres on August 6, before Part 2 lands on September 3. In it, Ortega will once again be joined onscreen by fellow returning players Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Catherine Zeta Jones (Morticia Adams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), and Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), as well as series newbies Heather Matarazzo, Billie Piper, Joanna Lumley, Haley Joel Osment, Thandiwe Newton, and Christopher Lloyd, who famously played Uncle Fester in Barry Sonnenfeld's Addams Family movies.

While we wait, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix to help fill out your watchlist.

Wednesday season 2 will be packed with horror-movie references, "bizarre" visuals, and an entire slasher-themed episode, according to star Jenna Ortega.

With the Netflix show set to return this year, Ortega has offered some details of what we can expect of the new season, and it sounds very exciting. "Visually, I can say we have some of the most fun we've ever had," she told Collider while promoting her new film, Death of a Unicorn.

"It's crazy to talk about one frame like this, but there is a frame of Pugsley rolling his eyes back with this contraption around his head—that's all I can say— and it reminds me so much of Full Metal Jacket. It's insane. So bizarre.

"I just feel like there are a lot of scenes and frames, and there's a whole episode based off of slashers, and we make a lot of horror references. So, everything about it, I feel like we kind of had a little bit more trust, and therefore, we felt like we could do bigger, more elaborate sequences, which is nice.”

Netflix has yet to announce a release date for the new episodes, but Ortega said that things are moving forward. "We're still in the edit", she revealed, saying that she'll be working closely to the team until the season is completed.

The actress also addressed the future of the show beyond season 2. Being one of the most watched Netflix originals shows ever, fans are expecting a renewal as soon as possible.

"We haven't gotten an official thumbs up or anything like that," Ortega clarified when asked about a potential season 3. "But I know that the writers are… With a show like that, you kind of want to get ahead of the game. So, I think that they're kind of messing around and throwing out ideas."

But let's not get ahead of ourselves — there is still much to know about the upcoming season 2, including who is the mysterious character played by Lady Gaga.

In the meantime, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows to stream now, or see our roundup of the most exciting upcoming TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega has teased Lady Gaga's mysterious appearance in season 2 of the hit Netflix show.

"It's the best," Ortega told IndieWire. "She's the best, definitely one of the most talented individuals I've ever worked with. It was just a really, really special environment to be there with her and Tim [Burton], two people that I respect and have been inspired by so much."

While we don't know what role Gaga is playing in season 2, she's already part of the Wednesday lore – Ortega's famous dance in season 1 went viral matched to Gaga's "Bloody Mary" song (though the song itself didn't appear in the show).

But, according to Ortega, her and Gaga didn't actually talk about the trend. "No, actually we didn’t. I don’t think we did," Ortega said. "We should have. Actually, I can't remember. Maybe I just saw an interview clip of her talking about it, because I feel like I'm fabricating this story in my head, but I think honestly on that day, we all were just so lucky that she came to do the show that we kept it as normal as we could."

So far, Netflix has shared a few sneak peeks about the new season – including a short clip of Wednesday visiting Tyler Galpin at Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital. But, it's still mostly shrouded in mystery.

Wednesday season 2 is arriving this year, though it doesn't have a firm release date just yet.

In the meantime, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows to stream now, or see our roundup of the most exciting upcoming TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

Netflix has unveiled a sneak peek at Wednesday season 2, and it looks just as deliciously dark as we've come to imagine from The Addams Family spin-off.

In the 5-second clip, which you can watch below, Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) looks to be paying a visit to Hunter Doohan's Tyler Galpin – in human form, thankfully – while he's quite literally hanging out in Willow Hill Psychiatric Hospital. Is anyone else getting The Silence of the Lambs vibes, or is it just us? Hello... Wednesday.

While fans had been speculating as to whether Tyler had escaped police custody following the events of the season 1 finale, with the show hinting that he was still able to transform, it looks like the footage has debunked that theory.

Given that the first season was essentially Enola Holmes meets Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, as the titular sullen sleuth uncovered the identity of the Hyde monster butchering locals, it's unsurprising that the streamer is keeping the next chapter's plot a mystery. We do know, though, that the new episodes took inspiration from Edgar Allan Poe's The Masque of the Red Death.

In the short story, a character called Prince Prospero tries to avoid being struck down by a dangerous plague by hiding out in his abbey. To ease his isolation, Prospero throws a masquerade ball for his well-to-do peers, but dies after a curious encounter with a stranger disguised as a Red Death victim – as do all of his swanky guests.

"I think the feel that we're going for is a little bit more horror-inspired," Ortega told Vanity Fair back in September 2024 – though it's worth noting that she cited the 1964 film adaptation of Poe's 1942 work, starring Vincent Price, as a specific starting point. "Not to say that suddenly we're the goriest show of all time. I mean, there [are] six-year-olds watching." 

When the show returns, Ortega will once again be joined onscreen by fellow returning players Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Catherine Zeta Jones (Morticia Adams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), and Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), as well as series newbies Heather Matarazzo, Billie Piper, Joanna Lumley, Haley Joel Osment, Thandiwe Newton, and Christopher Lloyd, who famously played Uncle Fester in Barry Sonnenfeld's Addams Family movies.

"Our goal this season was to discover some fresh faces as well as invite some acting legends we’ve always admired to join Jenna and the gang at Nevermore," showrunners Miles Millar and Alfred Gough previously told Tudum. "When we survey the talent we've assembled, we could not be more thrilled. Mission accomplished."

Wednesday season 2 is set to premiere sometime in 2025. While we wait, check out our picks of the best shows on Netflix for some watchlist inspiration.

It's no secret that we're living in the age of revivals and reboots, with Cobra Kai, Queer Eye, Doctor Who, and more currently gracing our TV screens. From Twin Peaks to Malcolm in the Middle, the power of nostalgia looks to be enough of a reason to get a series greenlit these days – and finally convince Sarah Michelle Gellar that the world could use some more Buffy the Vampire Slayer, apparently.

"I always used to say no, because it's in its bubble and it's so perfect," the actor explained during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show. "But watching [And Just Like That…] and seeing [Dexter: Original Sin], and realizing there are ways to do it, definitely does get your mind thinking, 'Well, maybe.'"

Back in January 2023, Gellar told SFX magazine she was "all for them continuing the story", but it wouldn't be something she'd want to be involved with. "I love the way the show was left: 'Every girl who has the power can have the power.' It's set up perfectly for someone else to have the power," she recalled. "But like I said, the metaphors of Buffy were the horrors of adolescence. I think I look young, but I am not an adolescent."

Based on Joss Whedon's 1992 movie of the same name, Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran between 1997 and 2003 and followed the titular Sunnydale high schooler (Gellar) as she learns she's predestined to fight fanged foes and other beasties.

In the same interview, Gellar went on to say that a new story set in the Buffy world wouldn't have to be a direct continuation or a prequel. "It could be anything," she added. "It's a universe. It makes you realize that in this world, we need those heroes, I think, more so than ever."

Shortly after Gellar made the above comments, scooper Daniel Richtman took to Twitter to claim that a Buffy revival was reportedly being discussed. Filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun then shared the news, quoting: "Someone should call me I will make u 22 episodes a season."

While they were clearly teasing, Schoenbrun could be a great fit for a Buffy reboot, given how much their most recent outing explores the intoxicating affect of '90s genre television. I Saw the TV Glow, which GamesRadar+ has dubbed one the best movies of 2024, centers on the transformative friendship of Owen (Justice Smith) and Maddy (Brigitte Lundy-Paine), who bond over their shared love of supernatural show The Pink Opaque.

Schoenbrun was clearly influenced by Buffy during the making of I Saw the TV Glow, using the same opening credits typeface in the fictional fantasy's credits and having Tara Maclay actor Amber Benson cameo. "The Pink Opaque nods to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, though in its look and curious atmosphere, it also plays like a pastiche of the weirder side of '90s Nickelodeon, evoking the likes of The Adventures of Pete & Pete and Are You Afraid of the Dark?" we stated in our review. Might Schoenbrun be the perfect person to usher in a new era of slayers?

Back in January, Dolly Parton assured fans that her production company was still working on a Buffy reboot, which was first announced back in 2018. "They're thinking about bringing it back and revamping it," she said.

For more, check out our picks of the most exciting new TV shows heading our way.

You're not dreaming, The Sandman season 2 has hit Netflix. After a three-year hiatus, the second and final season of the popular fantasy series The Sandman is here. Well, the first half-ish of it is. To make the show's last hurrah that little but more dramatic, Netflix is releasing The Sandman season 2 in two halves, with one extra special episode set to drop at the end of this month.

Episodes 1-6 are available to watch on Netflix right now, and by the look of the first half of the season, it seems as though The Sandman is going out with a bang. We have already seen Dream of the Endless reunite and met a few new faces, but more on that later. But if you think the show has already packed a lot into volume 1, you haven't seen anything yet, as there is a whole lot more carnage to come.

With that in mind, it can be difficult to remember what exactly happened last season and what is really at stake in the realm of Dream. Don't worry, that's where we come in. We've got the lowdown on all you need to know about The Sandman season 2, from release times and plot details to reviews and the cast list. So what are you waiting for? Join us as we say goodbye to one of the best Netflix shows.

The Sandman season 2 release date

The Sandman season 2 Volume 1 premiered on Netflix on July 3, with Volume 2 set to arrive on July 24 at 12am PT and 3am ET in the US and on the same day in the UK at 8AM BST.

However, the fantasy story won't fully come to an end with Volume 2. On June 3, Netflix announced via Twitter that a special bonus episode titled 'Death: The High Cost of Living' will hit the streamer on July 31.

For exact timings, check out our The Sandman season 2 release schedule.
The Sandman season 2 episodes are as follows:

• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.1 Episode 1: 'Season of Mists' - out now!
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.1 Episode 2: 'The Ruler of Hell' - out now!
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.1 Episode 3: 'More Devils Than Vast Hell Can Hold' - out now!
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.1 Episode 4: 'Brief Lives' - out now!
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.1 Episode 5: 'The Song of Orpheus' - out now!
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.1 Episode 6: 'Family Blood' - out now!
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.2 Episode 7: 'Time and Night - July 24
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.2 Episode 8: 'Fuel For the Fire - July 24
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.2 Episode 9: 'The Kindly Ones' - July 24
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.2 Episode 10: 'Long Live the King' - July 24
• The Sandman Season 2 Vol.2 Episode 11: 'A Tale of Graceful Ends' - July 24
• The Sandman Season 2 Bonus Episode 7: 'Death: The High Cost of Living' - July 31

The Sandman season 2 reviews

The Sandman season 2 debuted to a mixed-positive reception. At the time of writing, The Sandman season 2 stands at a 74% score on Rotten Tomatoes based on 19 reviews. For context, The Sandman season 1 has a score of 88%.

Kaiya Shunyata from RogerEbert said that although some episodes in season 2 "drag," they "are each an undeniable visual feast, painstakingly brought to life with production and lighting design that rivals other modern fantasy shows." Similarly, Tessa Smith from The Direct wrote, "Packed with stunning visuals, top-notch production design, and unforgettable performances, season 2 part 1 will leave fans begging for more."

One writer went as far as to compare the season to one of the greatest fantasy projects ever made. "In terms of capturing the sensation of what it felt like to live through the original prose, Sandman is in the same league as Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy," said Joonatan Itkonen from Toisto.

More negative-skewing reviews included The Guardian, which called The Sandman season 2 an "emo drama is so pretentious it ruins everything".

Is there a The Sandman season 2 trailer? 

Netflix released the official trailer for The Sandman season 2 just two weeks before volume 1 hit the streamer. The trailer, which you can watch above, shows Dream fighting for both his and The Dreaming's survival as the world seemingly, and rather fittingly, comes to an end.

Before this, Netflix had only shared a date announcement video, which you can check out below. In the brief clip, Destiny (Adrian Lester) summons the Endless: Dream (Tom Sturridge), Death (Kirby Howell-Baptiste), Despair (Donna Preston), and Delirium (Esmé Creed-Miles). Dream doesn't know why they've been summoned – but he'll find out soon enough.

The Sandman season 2 plot

The Sandman season 2 picks up just weeks after that dramatic The Sandman season 1 ending. The final installment adapts storylines from the original comics of the same name, including the Season of Mists, Brief Lives, The Kindly Ones, and The Sandman: Overture, alongside single-issue stories like Tales in the Sand and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

At the end of last season, we saw Dream dismantle The Corinthian and destroy the Dream Vortex that threatened to eliminate the universe. However, over in Hell, Lucifer and Mazikeen were plotting their revenge against Dream. But the main man wasn't too bothered about his enemy's plans, as he was focused on rescuing his estranged wife.

The final season picks up shortly after, with Dream restoring his kingdom and reuniting with his family. According to Tudum, "To make amends, Dream must confront longtime friends and foes, gods, monsters, and mortals. But the path to forgiveness is full of unexpected twists and turns, and true absolution may cost Dream everything."

Sadly, The Sandman season 2 is the final season. Last January, it was announced that The Sandman won't return for season 3. Showrunner Allen Heinberg said that they knew they only had enough material for one more season: "We are extremely grateful to Netflix for bringing the team all back together and giving us the time and resources to make a faithful adaptation in a way that we hope will surprise and delight the comics' loyal readers as well as fans of our show."

The Sandman season 2 cast

When it comes to The Sandman season 2 cast, Netflix is giving us a lot (and I mean a lot) of names to keep track of. Of course, Tom Sturridge is back as Lord Morpheus. However, there are also plenty of brand-new names and unconfirmed castings for us to go through as well.

Below is The Sandman season 2 cast list:

• Tom Sturridge as Lord Morpheus/Dream
• Kirby Howell-Baptiste as Death
• Mason Alexander Park as Desire
• Donna Preston as Despair
• Adrian Lester as Destiny
• Esme Creed-Miles as Delirium
• Barry Sloane as Destruction
• Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar
• Vivienne Acheampong as Lucienne
• Sanjeev Bhaskar as Cain
• Asim Chaudhry as Abel
• Douglas Booth as Cluracan
• Patton Oswalt as Matthew the Raven
• Jacqueline Boatswain as Prime Minister Zewde
• Segun Fawole as Laurie Webb
• Garry Cooper as Hades
• Mark Hamill as Mervyn
• Indya Moore as Wanda
• Ruairi O’Connor as Orpheus
• Laurence O’Fuarain as Thor
• Clive Russell as Odin
• Freddie Fox as Loki
• Jack Gleeson as Puck
• Boyd Holbrook as The Corinthian
• Steve Coogan as Barnabas
• Jenna Coleman as Johanna Constantine

For what else to watch, check out our guides to the best Netflix movies and the best anime on Netflix.

Marvel Studios has released the first look at What If…? season 3 – and it also provides our first look at Sam Wilson's Captain America since 2021 (albeit an animated version, of course).

The four new images reveal glimpses of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) hanging out, as well as Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) working together on a mission. 

It's been a while since we've seen or heard from Sam Wilson – in fact, it's been nearly three years since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier aired on Disney Plus, when Wilson officially took on the Captain American mantle from Steve Rogers, and a total of 23 Marvel projects have been and gone without mentioning him. 

That's Loki season 1, Black Widow, What If…?, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Hawkeye, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ms. Marvel, Thor: Love and Thunder, I Am Groot, She-Hulk, Werewolf by Night, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy 3, Secret Invasion, I Am Groot season 2, The Marvels, Loki season 2, What If...? season 2, and Echo, FYI. 

Mackie is set to take the lead in Captain America: Brave New World, alongside Tim Blake Nelson's Leader and Harrison Ford's Thaddeus 'Thunderbolt' Ross, but that movie isn't set to hit the big screen until February 2025.

What if…? season 2 was released on Disney Plus in December 2023, so it'll most likely be a while until we can expect the third installment to reach our screens. The latest batch of episodes saw Iron Man face off against the Grandmaster, Hela trying to get her hands on the Ten Rings, and Captain Carter joining forces with 17th Century Avengers. 

While we wait for What If…? season 3, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our guide to the story so far in Marvel Phase 5 and a look at what's to come in Marvel Phase 6. 

Invincible star Steven Yeun isn't sure he'd be up for playing Mark Grayson in a live-action adaptation – and he's got a pretty good reason, too.

Based on the comics by Robert Kirkman, who Yeun previously worked with on The Walking Dead, the hugely popular animated series follows 17-year-old Mark, as he's taught how to be a superhero by the most powerful one on the planet, Omni-Man, who just so happens to be his father, Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons). Before long, though, Mark realizes that juggling a personal life and saving the world is much harder than it looks...

Addressing the rumors that Prime Video is developing a feature-length take on the show, Screen Rant asked Yeun whether suiting up to play the titular teenager could be an option further down the line. "Well, I am 40," the actor replied candidly, to which Screen Rant suggested he could bring Grayson's dad instead.

"Yeah, we'll see. I love working with Robert," he continued. "That comic is so great, and it goes so long and so deep. So, I'm excited to see that play itself out. Right now, we’re having a lot of fun making this show. Live action – who knows?"

Plans for a live-action movie are far from set in stone, given the fact that it was first announced back in 2017, when Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were attached to direct, and not much has been heard about it since. In October 2023, Kirkman assured fans that it was still in the development stage, with the creatives behind it actively looking to "give the movie a reason for existing".

Invincible is streaming now on Prime Video, though fans are currently waiting for the second half of season 2. For more, check out our list of the best Amazon Prime Video shows for some viewing inspiration.

Invincible voice actor Fred Tatasciore has teased what's to come in Invisible season 2 part 2, and it seems like we're in for an even wilder ride with the next batch of episodes.

"It's continued on rando stuff, you know what I mean?" Tatasciore told the Traversing the Stars YouTube channel. "All I'm gonna say to you is it gets weirder and weirder and weirder – and fun, in a good way! It's a lot of crazy aliens, I'll say that." 

Invincible follows teenager Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), whose seemingly normal life is thrown into disarray when he discovers that his father (JK Simmons) is the most powerful superhero in the world – and when he starts developing powers of his own. The cast also includes Sandra Oh, Andrew Rannells, Walton Goggins, Zazie Beetz, and, of course, Tatasciore, who voices multiple characters in the show, including supervillain Killcannon and the father of Gillian Jacobs' teen superhero Eve. 

Season 1 premiered in March 2021 and Invincible season 2 part 1 was first released in November 2023, consisting of four episodes. The second part, with another four new episodes, is coming sometime in 2024, but it doesn't have an exact release date yet. 

As well as his roles in Invincible, Tatasciore is also known for his roles in shows like Star Trek: Lower Decks, Robot Chicken, and the MCU's What If…?. He's also voiced Hulk in multiple Marvel projects, including The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and Avengers Assemble.

While we wait for Invincible season 2 part 2 to arrive on the small screen, check out our guide to the other best shows on Amazon Prime Video that are streaming now. 

It seems like the new trailer for What If…? season 2 features a nod to Loki's fate at the end of Loki season 2 – and fans are hoping that means the variant we know from the live-action show may make an appearance. 

The emotional final episode of Loki season 2 saw Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief break the TVA's Time Loom and take on the role of holding the timelines together himself using his powers inside Yggdrasil, the tree of life in Norse mythology. It was a big moment for the MCU, so it makes sense that viewers are hopeful we might see him again – especially since it seems like Hiddleston is done with the role.

Around the 0:05 second mark of the new clip, we can see Yggdrasil draped in Christmas lights, with The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) standing in front of it. "Oh my god, will we be seeing God of Stories animated? Although I just saw a glimpse of Loki but it looked like it was from What If S1," one Redditor commented, referring to the 0:26 mark of the trailer. "It would be funny if he's actually seething about the eyesore but can't do anything because he can't let go of the branches," joked another.

This begs the question of whether Loki is in charge of the whole multiverse, as What If...? doesn't take place in the MCU timeline that we're used to. One fan isn't so sure, writing: "Only if other universes and other timelines are the same thing, which is still debated. Some think the '616' comment at the end of Loki is proof, but I think it's just an Easter egg piece of fan service."

We'll find out for sure when What If…? season 2 premieres on December 22 on Disney Plus – and there's a new episode being released every day until December 30. In the meantime, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our guides to Marvel Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6.

An animated series about Wakanda and its historical heroes is in the works at Marvel. 

Per IGN, the story description is as follows: "Throughout Wakandan history, brave warriors have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous Vibranium artifacts. This is their story." The show is titled Eyes of Wakanda. 

Other details on the show are scarce, so it's unclear at the moment who will be starring in the series, or what characters we can expect to appear. 

Marvel has some other animated series in the works, too: Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (originally titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year) and X-Men '97 are also on the way. All three shows are expected in 2024. 

A live-action Wakanda series was also said to be in the works from Ryan Coogler, though Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore gave a disappointing update on its status last year. "Because of the amount of time and attention that went into [Black Panther: Wakanda Forever], and frankly the Ironheart show, that is probably not as far along as people want it to be," Moore said. "But there are certainly great ideas that we're still talking to Ryan about. So, we'll see how far we can get with it."

A show about Dora Milaje warrior Okoye was also reportedly in the works, though it's unclear whether this is actually the same show as the Wakanda series. 

Either way, we have Eyes of Wakanda to look forward to – and the reaction to What If…? season 2 has so far been very positive, with viewers praising the holiday episode and the quality of the animation. 

What If...? begins on Disney Plus this December 22, with each of the nine episodes debuting daily after that. In the meantime, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows. 

What If…? is returning to our screens very soon with season 2, meaning we can expect to see a whole host of new scenarios featuring our favorite Marvel heroes. 

Two episodes have screened to critics, and the good news is reactions have been very positive so far – with the animation and the holiday episode being highly praised. 

"The first two episodes of #WhatIf #WhatIfSeason2 are beautifully done. The stories were exciting & intriguing. It also brought in characters we don't get to see [much] in the live-action like Happy & other characters from Guardians! Animation is fantastic," says journalist Laura Sirikul.

"The real highlight of both episodes of What If that were shown is the animation. It's stunning, better than the first season. It captures action, emotion, and a whole range of emotion. Can't wait for more of What If," says That Hashtag Show's Hunter Bolding. 

"Just watched two episodes of #WhatIf season 2 & they were so much fun! Loved the holiday episode which referenced so many great Christmas movies! Plus a Nebula / Nova Corp one with tons of amazing surprise characters! Lots of laughs & great animation! Can't wait to see the rest!" says Mama's Geeky's Tessa Smith. 

"Just saw the first two episodes of #WhatIf Season 2, and it's definitely gotten more comfortable taking advantage of what the premise of the show can achieve – which is a good thing. Both installments featured fun surprises and some unexpected characters," says The Direct's Russ Milheim. 

Variety's Jazz Tangcay says: "Just screened the first two episodes of #WhatIf season 2. @MarvelStudios animation is awe-inspiring. The holiday special is filled with nods to the season and holiday films. Look out for the Die Hard homage. And there's @Laura_Karpman's score. She is having the best year." 

"Watched 2 episodes of the second season of #WhatIf and it is even stronger than the first! The animation is even smoother and the genre play continues to be fantastic! Nebula has a great arc and Happy Hogan is front and center in an episode perfect for the holiday season!" says Screen Rant's Caitlin Tyrrell. 

Critic Wendy Lee Szany says: "Just screened the first 2 eps of #WhatIf. Extremely entertaining and intriguing! First ep kicks it off with a dark thriller that follows Nebula and what if she joined the Nova Corp. 2nd ep has a more of a holiday theme that I won't spoil. Just know it's a fun one. #DisneyPlus" 

What If…? season 1 introduced us to the likes of Captain Carter and Strange Supreme, so we're expecting more multiverse-shaking revelations in the follow-up. We'll just have to wait and see to find out exactly what might be going down, though. 

What If…? season 2 begins on Disney Plus this December 22, with each of the nine episodes dropping daily after that. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows to fill out your watchlist. 

Prime Video has released a new teaser trailer for Invincible season 2 episode 4 – the last episode to air before the series goes on a brief hiatus.

"This is all we’re legally able to show you from this Friday’s Invincible," the official Twitter account for Invincible captioned the clip. "If you experience emotional damage, you may be entitled to compensation from R Kirkman LLC."

The brief clip, which can be viewed above, picks up directly after the final moments of episode 3 - which sees Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons)  return (in a rather dramatic fashion). Mark (Steven Yeun) and Omni-Man face off against each other - and we can only imagine what happens next.

At the end of Invincible season 1, Mark learns that his superhero father is actually a powerful player in the villainous Viltrumite Empire. Episode 4 marks Omni-Man's first appearance since the reveal – and the first time Mark has seen him since that fateful moment. 

Season 2 will take a brief pause after episode 4 and return in 2024. Creator Robert Kirkman explained the decision, telling Collider, "I think narratively, it's kind of cool to have that pause to digest what you've just experienced. And when you see Episode 4 of Season 2, you may need a break. It's a big episode. It's definitely a mid-season finale kind of episode."

Invincible season 2 episode 4 is set to hit Prime Video on November 24. The season will pick back up in early 2024, with four episodes remaining. Check out our Invincible season 2 release schedule for more.

The trailer for What If…? season 2 features everyone from Hela to Scarlet Witch, but eagle-eyed fans of the animated multiverse series think they've spotted another character hidden in the new clip.

"Have y'all seen the trailer for What If...? season 2 and noticed this?" a Reddit user asked, attaching two stills from the trailer (which you can see through the link). "Additionally in one scene Strange mentions 'time' and the word keeps on repeating… Am I misinterpreting these scenes or do we think Loki will show up?"

The Redditor picks out two moments in the trailer – the first, around the 0:50 mark, highlights a "green glow in the multiverse", while the second, at 1:51, sees Captain Britain gripping onto something that's sticking out of a burst of green light. The user posits that this could be the Chitauri Scepter – this once held the Mind Stone and was wielded by Loki in Avengers: Assemble.

The green glow in the multiverse could mean that the variant we see is God Loki, AKA the version of the God of Mischief we see at the end of Loki season 2. Tasked with saving the multiverse as we know it, the end of the season finale sees Loki holding together all the timelines with his magic. 

When it comes to which version we may see in What If…?, though, other fans have other ideas. "I want the main Loki from the series to meet Jotun Loki so much, to see himself happy and carefree in his winter wonderland home in Jotunheim and still best friends with his Thor," replied another user. 

"That would be awesome. I loved Jotun Loki in season 1 of What If. He was so funny and cool. And the dynamics between him and Party prince Thor," agreed OP. "For Loki season 2 I was hoping they would give us more than just the short glimpse in season 1 of Jotun Loki. A full scene where TVA Loki would meet his Jotun variant."

What If…? season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on December 22. In the meantime, make sure you're up to date with the MCU with our guides to Marvel Phase 5 and Marvel Phase 6. 

"Things have got a little twisted in the multiverse," Jeffrey Wright's The Watcher tells us in the first trailer for What If...? season 2. On this evidence, he couldn't be more right: the remix of classic Marvel Studios adventures, characters, and scenarios is back and serving up the weirdest, wildest side to the MCU yet.

Beginning December 22, What If...? season 2 will consist of nine episodes, with Disney Plus releasing a new episode every day in the lead up to the New Year.

Among the What If...? mix-ups this time around are a young Peter Quill going face to face with an older incarnation of the Avengers; Hela's return; a different take on Scarlet Witch, and what could only be described as a Mad Max-style race involving Iron Man, The Grandmaster, Korg, and Valkyrie. In one, Earth's Mightiest Heroes even go jousting in 1602 and, yes, our favorite Mad Titan Thanos makes an appearance.

It's not all fun, frenetic re-imaginings of classic MCU fare, however. Strange Supreme, who saved the multiverse in the first season, is seemingly back. The Watcher says he doesn't do sequels normally, so what has brought back the pair for a second peek around an infinite amount of universes? We dread to think.

What If...? season 2 also introduces new superhero Kahhori, whose episode revolves around What If... the Tesseract fell to Earth and landed in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America.

For more, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies, Marvel Phase 5 and a complete look at how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Invincible season 2 is over, but there's probably plenty of you playing catch up given the series (bizarrely) aired in two parts across 2023 and 2024. 

For everything you need to know about the Invincible season 2 release schedule, episode count, and where to stream the show, scroll on down below. If you've finished the latest of Mark Grayson's adventures, swing on over to our explainer of the 'Marvel' cameo that never was.

How many episodes of Invincible season 2 are there?

There are eight episodes in Invincible season 2, but the season was divided into two parts. Four episodes made up part 1 and were released throughout November 2023. Four more aired across March and April on Prime Video.

Invincible season 2 release schedule

The first part of Invincible season 2 aired in November 2023 before taking a break - part 2 then began airing in March and April

Here's the confirmed Invincible season 2 release schedule. 

• Invincible season 2, episode 1: November 3 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 2: November 10 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 3: November 17 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 4: November 24 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 5: March 14, 2024 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 6: March 21, 2024 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 7: March 28, 2024 - available now!
• Invincible season 2, episode 8: April 4, 2024 - available now!

Where can I watch Invincible season 2?

Invincible season 2 is available exclusively on Prime Video; you’ll need a subscription to Amazon Prime to have access to the superhero series. 

For more, check out the best shows on Prime Video and the best movies on Prime Video.

Mark Grayson is Invincible, but what is he without his father? That’s a question Amazon Prime Video’s animated superhero series ponders as it returns for a second season.

Following on from the betrayal and sudden disappearance of Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) at season 1’s end, Mark (Steven Yeun, who once again anchors the series with a remarkably grounded performance), his mother Debbie (Sandra Oh), girlfriend Amber (Zazie Beetz), and his groups of college friends and superhero allies alike must pick up the pieces.

After a disorienting opening scene that provides a killer hook for the episodes – and potentially seasons – to come, Invincible season 2 sticks close to Mark as he fumbles his way through a series of superhero escapades, all while simultaneously wrestling with the long, long shadow of his father’s actions.

As an elevator pitch, it’s a great entry point into the second season. It also helps that the Prime Video series never takes its foot off the gas. Unlike the more languidly paced first season, Invincible season 2 cuts through the noise, frontloading its episodes to deliver a series of fast-moving adventures for Mark to deal with alongside his personal family drama, including a riotous underwater excursion to Atlantis and a trip to (the Gotham-in-all-but-name) Midnight City.

Its one misstep in that regard is teasing aspects of the multiverse. What was once a less-well-trodden path upon the comic’s publication in the mid-2000s has now clearly lost its potency – no matter how hard Invincible tries to convince us otherwise.

The faster-than-a-speeding-bullet pacing is only interrupted by Mark’s new college life with Amber and William. While we’re spared the worst parts of season one’s overblown high school arcs, it does again come close to getting in the way of the more compelling parts of Invincible. 

That’s because the Prime Video series, generally speaking, is a reliably stellar superhero piece that hews closely to The Boys’ gritty bar of high quality and even evokes some of the better prestige dramas around with some of its more emotionally-charged scenes. 

Mark keeping his mother at arm’s length before reconciling, for example, is a moment that is played beautifully by top-tier talents in Yeun and Oh. The show lands those sorts of beats better this season because of the time it’s afforded by not having to race through multiple origin stories (though, ironically, one out-of-left field origin tale is among Part 1’s highlights). 

Daddy issues

Way back in 2019, I told Marvel and DC to take note because their new competition – The Boys – was here. Invincible is heading for a similar stratosphere, routinely overtaking the pair of comic book giants with the sort of nuanced character dramas that their cinematic universes could only dream of pulling off.

Well-realized plotting, writing, and characterization naturally makes Invincible stand out from the superhero pack, but it also serves to highlight its inconsistencies elsewhere, such as the show’s bafflingly poor choice of obvious needle drops that litter each episode. 

A reflective montage set to Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’, which opens the season, works well enough; repeating the same trick four or five times is bordering on parody. In a show of mature, well-balanced storytelling, this smacks of being a producing note from up-high, a product of corner-cutting, or someone who should know better trying to smuggle in their Spotify Wrapped playlist.

Of course, we have to address the Omni-Man-shaped elephant in the room. There’s no two ways about it: Invincible misses J.K. Simmons’ terrifying Viltrumite. 

That gnawing gap does mean the show plunges into untapped emotional depths, especially with Mark and Debbie, but Omni-Man so often felt like the main attraction that his absence is keenly felt from a storytelling perspective. Even so, some will be pleased that the hyper-violence remains. But much like with the use of music, intestines being unspooled and heads being popped like melons is too goofy and completely at odds with the storytelling wrapped around it.

It should also not go unnoticed that Invincible’s second season is split into two parts – and the show suffers slightly for it. 

Some secondary plots have to be content with being underdeveloped and taking a back seat to Mark and the main action. The Immortal fronting up the Guardians of the Globe, Eve dealing with her own family issues, and even the main B-plot – Debbie dealing with her own grief – don’t feel satisfactory enough as arcs because of the truncated half-season. We’ll get answers in 2024, but with how stop-start Invincible’s releases have been (the first season aired in early 2021), it’s only a move that will frustrate viewers.

Invincible season 2, though, is a strong effort that builds capably on the first season, even if its four-episode Part 1 leaves some storylines feeling undercooked and some major players on the sidelines. In a world where The Boys continues to soar but interest in Marvel and DC wanes, Invincible grasps why (and how) superhero media should remain at the forefront of the pop culture conversation: as a character piece first, a superhero spectacle second.

Invincible season 2 is streaming on Prime Video from November 3. For more, check out the best shows on Prime Video and the best movies on Prime Video.

The Umbrella Academy season 4 finally has an official release window: the final season of the Netflix show will be arriving in 2024. As for when, exactly, next year remains to be seen, though.

Netflix announced the news on October 1, the birth date of the seven Hargreeves siblings. Born to different mothers around the world on the same day in 1989 and adopted by eccentric billionaire Reginald Hargreeves, each of the siblings has their own superpower. Reginald trained them to form a group of adolescent crime-fighting superheroes, but they become estranged as adults and only reconnect after Reginald's death. Oh, and add time travel, the apocalypse, and some assassins into the mix, too. 

Season 4 was announced in August 2022, shortly after The Umbrella Academy season 3 was released. Filming had wrapped before the SAG-AFTRA actors' strike began this past July, so an update on a release window has seemed likely for a while. 

The show stars Elliot Page, Aidan Gallagher, Tom Hopper, David Castañeda, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehan, Justin H. Min, and Ritu Arya, and the final installment will see the addition of David Cross, Nick Offerman, and Megan Mullally to the cast. The fourth season will be shorter than its predecessors, too, consisting of only six episodes instead of the usual 10.

While we wait for The Umbrella Academy season 4 to arrive on Netflix, refresh your memory with our guides to The Umbrella Academy season 3 ending explained, post-credits scene, and timeline. For more, check out our picks of the other best new TV shows coming our way in 2023 and beyond.

New Loki and Ahsoka posters have dropped – and, uh, it feels like they're watching us.

One poster features a heavily edited photo of Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief, and the other posters feature very eye-talicized depictions of Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and Ezra Bridger (Eman Esfandi).

Starting with Loki, it's likely that Hiddleston's eyes were ultra-enhanced to highlight the fact that we're getting a comic book-accurate green-eyed Loki this season (Hiddleston's are naturally blue) but...why is he looking at us like that?

And we're not alone in feeling this way:

"This is what I imagine humanoid AI would look like right before it kills me," one person quipped.

"I love that Loki’s eyes are green again soo much but I'm gonna need whoever edited this to put the clarifying tool DOWN," said another.

A few people likened it to the infamous Miley Cyrus Blue Eyes meme, and we absolutely agree:

Thrawn is...Thrawn. He's the Grand Admiral to the Imperial Army and he's supposed to have creepy piercing red eyes that contrast with his bright blue skin. But as for Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, fans are a little bit more upset about his icy blue eyes not being canon – rather than the fact that they can see straight into our souls.

"They're not even normal blue!," one fan tweeted in response to a comparison photo of live-action Ezra vs. animated Clone Wars Ezra. He looks like he's about to use electricity powers! Imagine how perfect he and Ahsoka and Hera would look with their own goddamn eyes!"

Other fans have taken to comparing him to a White Walker a la Game of Thrones, or saying he looks way too much like Timothee Chalamet in Dune.

"I know from Rebels that that’s supposed to be Ezra’s eye color… But I’d be lying if I didn’t immediately thinking that Ezra and Thrawn made a stop at Arrakis for some spice before stopping up at Peridia," mused one fan.

Loki season 2 premieres October 5 on Disney Plus. Ahsoka is streaming now. For more, check out our guides on:

• Who is Hera Syndulla?
• Who is Jacen Syndulla?
• Explaining the mystical realm of the World Between Worlds 
• The history between Anakin and Ahsoka explained 
• Where is Ahsoka in Revenge of the Sith?
• Everything you need to know about Star Wars Rebels 
• The Ahsoka end-credits clues explained
• Who is Clancy Brown playing in Ahsoka?
• What to watch before Ahsoka 
• How to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars in order
• The Ahsoka timeline explained
• The Ahsoka release schedule 

"Hell yeah!" You're about to hear Kite Man's catchphrase a whole lot more starting next year, as the unlikely breakout character of Max's Harley Quinn: The Animated Series is getting his own animated spin-off on the streaming service.

The spin-off show, which is appropriately titled Kite Man: Hell Yeah! was announced via social media, through the official Harley Quinn: The Animated Series account with a short promo video.

Check it out:

Judging by the trailer, Kite Man may have his hands full trying to live up to his dreams of supervillainy, as the last few seconds of the clip show none other than Darkseid, lord of the planet Apokolips, launching "all out war" on Earth with an army of flying Parademons.

Unlikely leading man Kite Man is voiced by actor Matt Oberg. The character has roots in comics as one of Batman's silliest and most ridiculed villains, thanks to his kite flying gimmick and his secret identity of Chuck Brown - which of course calls to mind classic cartoon character Charlie Brown of Peanuts fame, who is known for constantly getting his kite stuck in trees.

He's received a bit of a renaissance in recent years thanks to writer Tom King's penchant for including him in several Batman stories, as well as the character's winning portrayal in Harley Quinn: The Animated Series.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! will feature numerous characters crossing over from Harley Quinn, with both shows set in an over-the-top, irreverent, R-rated version of Gotham City, right down to a Batman who is often the butt of the joke.

Kite Man: Hell Yeah! is scheduled to premiere on Max in 2024.

Kite Man is NOT one of the best Batman villains of all time.

Invincible creator Robert Kirkman has teased what's to come from the animated show's second season – and promised it'll be "much bigger" than its predecessor.

"I think Invincible season 1 is a clear representation of what you're going to get from this show, but overall season 2 is going to feel much bigger than season 1," Kirkman recently told Entertainment Weekly. "The overarching story of Invincible that'll continue from season to season is about the growth and change that Mark goes through as he moves from a teenager into adulthood... and possibly even into old age. So in season 2, we'll see him maturing and growing up a little bit."

Towards the end of Invincible season 1, both protagonist Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) and viewers had the rug pulled from under them when it was revealed that Mark's father Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons) wasn't actually the benevolent Superman figure his son had always believed him to be, but a powerful player in the villainous Viltrumite Empire. Turns out, too, that the baddies have a long list of planets they want to conquer, and Earth is next up on it...

"That threat is going to come into play in season 2, and Omni-Man is not there to defend the Earth, especially from his own people," Kirkman, who wrote the comic Invincible is based on alongside Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, continued. "That ends up being a terrifying prospect that hangs over the series for a good long time." 

Invincible season 1 is streaming now on Prime Video. Invincible season 2 premieres on November 3. For more, check out our list of the best Amazon Prime Video shows for some viewing inspiration.

Three popular Disney Plus series are getting special physical releases – and we want them right now.

Loki season 1, WandaVision, and The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 are set to be released nationally on Blu-ray Steelbook with collectible brand-new box art as well as collectible concept art cards. Each title will be available for pre-order on August 28.

The Loki physical release contains a plethora of fun bonus material, including the official TVA orientation video hosted by Miss Minutes (Tara Strong), a blooper/outtake reel, a segment on season 1's production design that provides a sneak peek at season 2, Marvel's Assembled: The Making of Loki, and two deleted scenes: one that sees Mobius review some moments from Loki’s timeline, in which Frog Thor makes an appearance during Loki’s coronation, and another that sees Loki hold Sylvie hostage against the TVA in a standoff. Disney has not yet released the details for the other series releases.

WandaVision previously made headlines as the first Disney Plus series to receive a physical release – but it wasn't what we thought. The announced SteelBook, created by independent home entertainment company Manta Lab, contained no Blu-ray or DVD disc of the actual series... nor was it an officially licensed Marvel or Disney product.

Fans will be able to own physical copies of Loki season 1 on September 26, WandaVision on November 28, and The Mandalorian seasons 1 and 2 on December 12 –  just in time for the holidays.

Loki season 2 premieres October 6 on Disney Plus. For more, check out our list of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need to know about.

The Boys star Aya Cash has joined the cast of another superhero satire: HBO's comedy The Franchise, per Entertainment Weekly. 

The show promises to spotlight the "secret chaos" in superhero movie production, with the logline teasing "every fuck-up has an origin story".

Cash, who plays Stormfront in The Boys, is set to play a character named Anita – beyond that, her role is a mystery. Himesh Patel is also part of the cast, along with Billy Magnussen, Jessica Hynes, Lolly Adefope, Isaac Powell, and Darren Goldstein. 

The show also has some pretty cool guest stars lined up, with Loki's Richard E. Grant and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's Daniel Brühl set to appear in the series. 

Skyfall director Sam Mendes is helming the series, while Succession writer/executive producer Jon Brown is showrunner and scripted the pilot. If that wasn't already a match made in heaven, Armando Iannucci – the mind behind the likes of Veep and The Thick of It – is executive producing and also worked on the story of the pilot episode. 

Per EW, the show will go into production after the WGA writers' strike and SAG-AFTRA actors' strike are resolved – which could be a while longer yet. 

With "superhero fatigue" the words on everyone's lips lately, it will certainly be interesting to see how this particular series lampoons the franchise landscape. Considering Cash made such an impression in her stint as the reprehensible Stormfront in The Boys, we're thinking she's the perfect choice for a show with such an intriguing premise as this. 

The Franchise doesn't yet have a release date, and neither does The Boys season 4. While you wait, check out our guide to the best TV shows on Amazon Prime Video to fill out your watchlist. 

Some fans think Spider-Man might make an appearance in Invincible season 2 – and their theory is a lot more probable than you might think.

There are two key clues in the new Invincible season 2 teaser trailer, which can be viewed above Spider-Man voice actor Josh Keaton is listed as a new member of the voice cast, and a brief shot of Mark Grayson aka Invincible's phone shows him looking at what appears to be the cover of Marvel Team-Ups #14: Spider-Man meets Invincible.

Keaton first voiced Spidey in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated series in 2008 before voicing him in several video games including Marvel Super Hero Squad, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, and Spider-Man: Edge of Time. Keaton would go on to play the web-slinger in the Disney XD animated series from 2017-2020, and Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Earth-26496) aka The Spectacular Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Given that Sony owns the rights to Spider-Man in animated TV form, Spider-Man and Invincible have met before, and Josh Keaton has provided the voice for Spidey over a dozen times...Mark Grayson meeting Peter Parker in Invincible season 2 isn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.

When asked about the potential crossover, the official Invincible Twitter account responded, "I have no idea what that is!!" which some fans think is a sneaky confirmation.

Invincible season 2 will hit Prime Video on November 3 with four episodes. The second half of the season will then premiere in early 2024. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows in 2023 and beyond.

If you were to ask me if I wanted to watch another telling of Superman's origin story in any medium yesterday, I would have groaned in total exhaustion with one of fiction's most widely repeated narratives getting another go. But today I'm watching My Adventures with Superman, Adult Swim and Max's new anime-style Superman cartoon, and damned if I'm not completely enchanted and delighted by its approach to the story of Clark Kent becoming Superman.

From the opening scene of the first episode, 'Adventures of a Normal Man, Part One,' My Adventures with Superman takes an emotional approach to Clark Kent's journey to discovering his powers and history, with enough twists on his classic origin to carry viewers who know the story through.

The story is also heavily steeped in the DC Universe, from the show's first villain Livewire (who originally debuted in the '90s Superman: The Animated series before coming to comics), to the larger storyline that's being set up involving Kryptonian technology and several DC characters viewers are likely to recognize.

In its first two episodes, My Adventures with Superman focuses on easing readers into a whole new vision of the DC Universe with some different relationships and previously untold storylines by wrapping the whole thing in a version of Clark Kent's origin as Superman that has just enough of the familiar to get away with straying farther and farther from the traditional story that's been told time and again as the episodes go on.

But what really makes My Adventures with Superman work is its cast and its sense of humor, from its core trio of moral center Clark Kent, chaos goblin Lois Lane, and cryptid conspiracist Jimmy Olsen, whose chemistry establishes a perfect base for revisiting the start of Superman's career in a new way.

Here's the entire first episode, courtesy of the official Adult Swim YouTube channel:

If there's a comic to compare My Adventures with Superman with, it's undoubtedly Mark Waid and Leinil Francis Yu's Superman: Birthright, with its focus on Clark Kent coming to terms with his identity and discovering what it means to be Superman. But in the show, it's all filtered through a satisfyingly shonen and sentai-inspired lens - like Warner Bros. applying lessons learned from My Hero Academia in real time.

If you've been longing for a version of Superman that's designed to make you smile from the moment you start watching while also delivering some of the most interestingly and keenly animated Superman action in a long time, My Adventures with Superman is exactly what you've been waiting for. And if it's in any way indicative of the new direction the live action Superman will take under the restructured DC Films, we're in for a real treat.

Check out the best Superman stories of all time.