Yuri web comic-turned-manga The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy at All is getting an anime adaptation in January 2027, as Crunchyroll announced at Anime Expo. Among its sterling credits is an endorsement from Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl, who reckons late Nirvana singer, songwriter, and guitarist Kurt Cobain would've loved the series.

Nirvana's song Breed will serve as the opening theme of the anime, which stars two Japanese high school girls who frequent a music shop and share a love of Western rock music. One ends up infatuated with the other without realizing that the rock-savvy boy of her daydreams is in fact her female classmate in a punk getup, and the two unavoidably grow closer. The series' neon green motif, a sharp highlight in a sea of black-and-white panels, has earned it the nickname "green yuri" among English fans, with yuri referring to women-loving-women stories (complementing yaoi, men-loving-men).

Though many mainstream rock and pop bands have been featured in countless anime openings and endings, Nirvana is an extraordinarily rare type of license for an anime studio to pursue, let alone secure. Aniplex, parent to CloverWorks, the animation studio which will adapt the series, released a short interview with Grohl, conducted by series author Sumiko Arai, who discussed the song Breed and his thoughts on the series.

"Breed was always my favorite song to open a show with," he recalls. "We did it a few times, I think. The last time that Nirvana performed together with me and [Krist Novoselic] and Pat Smear, we performed for this benefit concert in Los Angeles after the fires. And we were trying to think of what song to begin with ... I think it's a great way to start the show."

With a physical volume of The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy at All in his hands, Grohl says, "I think that Kurt definitely would've loved this." Arai, or perhaps an interpreter, seems to ask, "Really?" in response.

"Oh my god, yeah, of course," Grohl adds. "This is exactly – it seems like the same message, aesthetic, and the vibe. It's cool." It's a fair read. After all, Cobain was staunchly supportive of the LGBT community, famously saying, in early print liners of Nirvana's 1992 album Incesticide, that, "If any of you in any way hate homosexuals, people of different color, or women, please do this one favor for us -- leave us the fuck alone! Don't come to our shows and don't buy our records."

Reviewing a list of songs that will be used in the anime, Grohl adds, "These are amazing. What? Wow. Oh my god, this is a good playlist. This is incredible. Oh my god, it's so good, you have really good taste in music."

The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn't A Guy at Allwas part of our list of the top 10 manga of 2024. I stand by my thoughts at the time, with the small caveat that the series' central relationship was a little less clear in early volumes, and look forward to the anime.

Delicious in Dungeon season 2 release plans help set up 2027 to be one of anime's best years ever.

Delicious in Dungeon season 2 finally has a release window, which means 2027 is shaping up to be a big year for new anime.

Netflix shared a new poster for Delicious in Dungeon season 2, adding that we can expect it to hit the streamer in October 2027. You can check out the poster below.

Blue Eye Samurai season 2, another Netflix anime original, also has a 2027 release window, with Frieren: Beyond Journey's End season 3 to follow suit on Crunchyroll. Chainsaw Man season 2, Jujutsu Kaisen season 4, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle are all also expected to arrive in 2027... making it a pretty stacked year.

Delicious in Dungeon debuted in 2024, with a second season officially announced in June, shortly after the season 1 finale aired. A trailer was also released in 2024, with an initially speculated release date of 2026. There hasn't been much by way of news until now, with Studio Trigger initially announcing the release window at Anime Expo.

The first season centered on the hunt for Falin (voiced by Saori Hayami and Lisa Reimold), the sister of adventurer Laios (Kentarô Kumagai and Damien Haas), who was eaten by a red dragon during a dungeon raid gone wrong. The second season does not yet have an official synopsis, though we can expect it to adapt the Dwarf City Ruins arc from chapter 56 of the manga.

While we wait, check out our complete guide to 2026's remaining new anime, as well as our essential best anime movies selection.

The latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 is all about Rhaenyra ruling – and it has fans wondering if the show has forgotten about a crucial (and bloody) season 2 plot point.

The season 2 premiere depicted the horrific Blood and Cheese, a moment that saw the young prince Jaehaerys decapitated in a scheme set up by Daemon meant to kill his nemesis Aemond, after Aemond killed Rhaenyra's son Lucerys in the season 1 finale.

"Why T.F. Does No One Acknowledge Jaehaerys?!?!" asks one fan on Reddit. "WTAF is wrong with these writers? THE BLACKS SAWED OFF THE HEAD OF A 6-YEAR OLD LITTLE BOY IN FRONT OF HIS MOTHER AND NO ONE WILL ACKNOWLEDGE IT. I will not be gaslit! Complaining about the loss of her sons in front of the mother and grandmother of the innocent little boy who was decapitated on orders from her prince-consort, just…. Unfathomably shit writing."

In the new episode, Rhaenyra does indeed pointedly reference the death of her sons, Jacaerys and Lucerys, in conversation with Alicent and Helaena. Neither of the green women bring up Jaehaerys.

"Rhaenyra sarcastically going, 'Well I couldn't imagine…' as if Helaena wasn't right there? Like at least your sons died in battle or on assignments, her son was a literal baby in his bed and on top of that Helaena literally had to watch her son be killed," points out one fan.

"It's funny outside of Aegon only Rhaenyra for one episode was mad at Daemon about it and unlike her Helaena and Alicent still do not know the details of how it was an 'accident,'" says another person.

"Memory loss, it's the only way this story makes sense," jokes someone else. "Remember how characters like Ned haunted the narrative for like YEARS? Or Elia and her children? Rhaegar? Lyanna? Remember when death mattered? Not in HOTD. Babies get beheaded and everybody just forgets," says another fan.

"Lmao they paraded Jaehaerys' body through the streets, hanged rat catchers and nobody in KL remembers Rhaenyra as a child killer. This show is beyond bad," says someone else.

"Is insane. This type of stuff will follow a character for the entirety of Game of Thrones. And here they were [like], oh sorry there's rats because Aegon killed all the rat catchers. I guess he just did it for the love of the game, not other reason whatsoever," says another fan. Aegon did this because the killers posed as rat catchers.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

Get ready to have your heart ripped out all over again in Night City.

Speaking at the show's Anime Expo 2026 panel, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 writer Bartosz Sztybor was quoted by multiple attendees – and Japanese outlet Famitsu – as describing the first season as like a Michael Bay movie, with the second season more resembling a Martin Scorsese movie.

Sztybor also warned fans not to get "too emotionally attached" to characters. Given how the first season judiciously bumped off some of our favorite characters – including hero David and most of the crew he ran around with – that doesn't bode well for the four new faces we'll be spending time with as part of the second season.

Already, there appears to be drama afoot with cyberpunk legend Weak Kingsley as a leak suggested he may have family ties with pink-haired Maelstrom member Talia. We don't anticipate nomad D. or the camera-wielding Roman to have an easy time of it, either.

Scorsese, of course, is best known for sweeping, epic gangster dramas, with the director never too squeamish about shockingly killing off major characters at a whim. The Departed and Goodfellas are just two examples of the auteur's penchant for letting blood run freely on the big screen.

First Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 reactions have unanimously praised the Netflix anime's opening episode, with CD Projekt Red producers also praising fans for not leaking footage from the Anime Expo panel.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners hits Netflix this fall. For more, check out our picks for the best anime on Netflix.

House of the Dragon season 3, episode 3 entirely revolves around the newly ascended Queen Rhaenyra attempting to rule the Seven Kingdoms, though she's faced with a myriad of problems, from the big (the treasury is empty), to the small (the Red Keep is overrun with rats).

Across the runtime, we see the queen's grip on her composure slackening as the reality of ruling sets in – especially when, in one moment, she mistakes a servant for her son Jacaerys, who perished in the Battle of the Gullet.

While this is a standout episode of House of the Dragon season 3, some fans think we should have seen something like it earlier in Game of Thrones season 8.

"Great episode. My biggest problem with the character arc of Daenerys in the final season of GoT was how abrupt and poorly paced it was, and I couldn't help thinking that an episode just like this one tonight (S3E3) is exactly what Daenerys needed," says one fan on Reddit. "The pans and flashes to rats roaming around unchecked, the music playing all through the episode with small sharp violin/piano notes, all awesome small details to convey sanity and good decision making eroding. If an episode focusing on all the things weighing on Daenerys' mind in the final season of GoT had aired, I think the conclusion to her arc would have felt much better executed"

One of the biggest criticisms of Game of Thrones season 8 is that Daenerys's Mad Queen arc was incredibly rushed, culminating in the Mother of Dragons burning down King's Landing for no real reason at all.

"Daenerys needs this and much, much more in that final season," agrees another person. "Her character felt so well and truly fucked over it broke my heart."

"Daenerys should have overthrown Cersei in the season 7 finale so that the entire season 8 could be dedicated to the White Walker conflict and her Mad Queen arc. Would've been so much better," says another person.

"Yes absolutely this is what she needed in Mereen," agrees another fan. "The whole point is that Rhaenyra is slowly descending into madness. We needed more of an arc for Dany to do that. People point to moments of 'madness' in earlier seasons but she didn’t do any worse than any other male ruler," says someone else.

Not everyone agrees, however. "I'm not sure why people think Rhaenyra is descending into madness. You can be stressed out without going mad," points out one person.

"I don't think the story should have ended with Daenerys losing her mind at all… it means the only female rulers of Westeros were 'mad queens,' which is an unfortunate implication," says another fan.

Emma D'Arcy, who plays Rhaenyra in the show, has previously teased that a downfall might be on the cards, explaining that they and showrunner Ryan Condal were interested in exploring "a movement towards tyranny," adding, "but in particular making that journey legible."

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

The latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 breaks the usual mold to bring us an installment purely focused on Rhaenyra Targaryen ruling, after she took the Iron Throne in last week's episode.

Spoilers for season 3, episode 3 follow. Turn back now if you're not up to date!

One of the many problems Rhaenyra is faced with is the matter of her Hand, Corlys Velaryon, and his two bastard sons, Alyn and Addam, whom Corlys has promised legitimacy. After accusations levelled against Rhaenyra's own children, the new queen is reluctant to legitimize Corlys's son.

Corlys, however, is extremely unhappy with this decision, and, in a shocking moment, he shouts in Rhaenyra's face that her children were bastards.

"It's one of the things that he does without thinking," Steve Toussaint, who plays Corlys, told Variety of the moment. "Looking at the scene in the script, I remember thinking, 'OK, well, the last time someone said that to her, it was his brother, and he died within seconds.'"

Way back in season 1, Corlys's brother did indeed declare Rhaenyra's sons bastards when Driftmark's succession was called into question. Daemon swiftly – and brutally – killed him in front of the court.

"So this is a very dangerous thing to do, but I feel like he's completely at the end of his tether," Toussaint continued. "In that moment, he doesn't care, which, again, is why he raises his voice. It's not like he sort of just goes, 'I know what's going on.' He screamed it out. He doesn't care. And it's very defiant: I dare you to prove me wrong, because the world has suspected this anyway, and I've kept a secret. It's not careless abandoned, that's not quite what it is. I think it's like, do your worst. I don't care. There's nothing you can do that will make the truth any different to what it is."

The scene ends before Rhaenyra can properly react, but it's safe to say there's some bad blood between the new queen and her Hand now.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

Good news: Netflix has announced full release plans for the next two 'Stages' of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Steel Ball Run. The bad news? They almost perfectly line up with a leak that suggests the cross-country saga won't come to a close until 2028.

As confirmed by the streamer, 'JoJo Friday' will return as Steel Ball Run gallops into sight with weekly episodes from September 25.

Unfortunately, those hoping for a full run of 20-plus episodes in typical JoJo's fashion will be disappointed.

As part of the 2nd and 3rd Stages of Steel Ball Run (each Stage is a leg in Johnny Joestar's mammoth horse race across America), there will be 11 episodes from September through until December.

Sadly, this lines up perfectly with a previous leak we hoped wasn't going to be true. A Redditor by the name of crossleboss took to the platform six months ago to detail a – fittingly – bizarre release schedule.

In it, there would be one initial episode in March (which was true, and caused much consternation among the rabid fanbase) followed by 11 from September. So far, so accurate.

From there, we could apparently be getting a further 12 episodes next June, 10 episodes in October 2027, and the final nine episodes in May 2028. And we thought the wait for Attack on Titan's never-ending Final Season was bad.

Need something else to watch in the meantime? We have a complete guide to 2026's remaining new anime, as well as our essential best anime movies selection. If you're still playing catch up, here's our guide on how to watch JoJo's in order.

The first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 reactions are in as its creators and producers thank fans for not leaking the first episode.

Attendees of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2's panel at this year's Anime Expo were among the first in the world to watch the opening episode of the new Netflix series.

They responded to the opportunity with a wave of wildly positive responses, as well as protecting the secrets that lie within the animated return to Night City.

"I watched the first episode of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2. It perfectly blends classic Night City vibes with exciting new characters," one wrote on Twitter. Exactly what I hoped for from [writer Bartosz Sztybor] and Studio Trigger. Top-tier animation, production, and voice acting. Looking Preem as Hell, Chooms."

Another attendee remarked, "Episode one of Edgerunners 2 is an incredible and beautiful start to season 2, I can’t wait for the rest to come out."

Perhaps most excitingly, one Twitter user gushed, "This is gonna be an all timer, it resonates in my bones." Another said it was, simply, "pretty special."

Media outlets who were in the crowd also reacted favorably to what they saw.

Polygon's Ryan Epps kickstarted the groundswell of great feeling surrounding the Studio Trigger follow-up, writing, "Packed with incredible colors, gorgeous framing, and punchy sound design, Edgerunners 2 is a fresh take on a beloved world. It immediately feels like a Ghost in the Shell-meets-Trigun experience, offering this gritty, grounded study of Night City through realistic action and character drama."

Gizmodo's Isaiah Colbert intrigues by stating, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is "both a sequel that expands itself outward, weaving a bigger, bolder, ambitious tale, while also feeling viscerally intimate and small-scale."

In a rare moment of pop culture confidentiality, not a single second of footage is seemingly available online from the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 premiere. While some descriptions are out there – if you know where to look – those who want to go in fresh can rest easy in knowing Anime Expo 2026 was a leak-free zone.

"We really appreciate everyone’s understanding and for helping us keep the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 episode one screening at Anime Expo spoiler-free by not recording any footage," CD Projekt Red's global PR director Radek Grabowski tweeted.

CD Projekt Red's associate country director for Japan Satoru Homma added, "Thank you so much for keeping your promise properly."

For those chooms late to the party, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is a standalone story following four new protagonists: veteran edgerunner Weak Kingsley, seeming cinephile Roman, Maelstrom member Talia, and nomad D.

As per the official synopsis, 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 pulls you back into Night City, where lives become entangled to the extreme. Weak, a washed-up cyberpunk legend, is now forced to live without chrome as he searches for a sense of purpose in a world that’s passed him by. Meanwhile, the deadly nomad D sets out on a path to revenge that brings him close to corpo secrets never meant to be found. Across this ten-episode standalone series, uncover a story of family, obsession, legacy – and how your lens reflects the stories of the people around you."

If the first Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 reactions are anything to go by, we can prepare for peak. The series hits Netflix this fall.

For more, check out our picks for the best Netflix anime around.

Koei Tecmo recently pulled the curtain back on Attack on Titan 3, the company's upcoming action game, with almost an hour of new footage, and boy oh boy, this looks like one of the most ambitious anime tie-in games in years.

Despite its name, Attack on Titan 3 isn't exactly a continuation of the previous two games in the series. It instead retells and makes playable the entire epic anime, from the first season's humble beginnings with our characters in training to the final season's all-out war.

Publisher Koei Tecmo this week released a new trailer and almost an hour of gameplay, showing off some of the things you'd expect (grappling action and titan takedowns) to things you might not (character customization, equipment upgrades, seemingly wide open environments).

Pulling rubble down on a naked titan's head before grappling around its ankles like it's an AT-AT obviously looks like a fun time, but glimpses at Attack on Titan 3's progression is what gets me really excited. Rather than simply recreating the anime's most memorable moments, as tie-in games often do, Attack on Titan 3 seems like it's really trying to fulfil the fantasy of being a Survey Corps grunt who's eventually promoted to a squad leader. People you save out in the field can then be recruited into your squad, adding an exciting layer of management to what could've been an otherwise straight forward staby-stabby game.

"Engage in pulse-pounding battles against the Nine Titans—making their first appearance in the game series—and immerse yourself in brand-new story arcs," the game's Steam page reveals. "Iconic moments from previous titles have been completely reimagined to deliver a fresh experience, with the narrative carried all the way through to its dramatic climax."

Attack on Titan 3 launches sometime this winter on PC, Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Here's how to watch the Attack on Titan anime in order and the very best anime games to tide you over until then.

The first trailer for new Star Wars anime show The Ninth Jedi has arrived, and it teases an epic new series.

In the brief clip, which can be viewed above, young Kara goes on a colorful, action-packed, and dangerous adventure through the galaxy. She goes up against a mysterious masked foe... who, it's revealed by his blue lightsaber, might just be a former Jedi.

The limited series picks up after adventures in Star Wars Visions Volume 1 and Volume 3, and sees Kara continue on her quest to find her missing father and evade Jedi Hunters.

The original The Ninth Jedi short was released in 2021 as an episode of Star Wars Visions and is set a thousand years after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. A sabersmith named Lah Zhima builds six lightsabers to bring back the mostly non-existent Jedi order before being captured by the Sith. His daughter Kara arms herself with a lightsaber and sets off on a journey to find other Jedi to help her rescue her father.

The second installment, The Ninth Jedi: Child of Hope, was released in October 2025 and continues Kara's journey, this time after an unexpected attack.

"It was such a big endeavor – the first full-on anime Star Wars series, so we would support the team from early pitch stages through designs and production as the story was built out," Visions executive producer Josh Rimes previously told Polygon.

The Ninth Jedi releases on Disney Plus this August 5. For more, check out our list of the best Disney Plus shows, or look ahead with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 has found a very clever way to reference its source material, George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood.

In the new opening credits, the tapestry chronicling the history of the Targaryens is added to each episode with the latest major events from the season. But, if you pay close attention, you'll notice that the artistic rendering of these events is slightly different from what actually happened.

For example, in the Battle of the Gullet, it was Alyn who killed Sharako Lohar, but, in the tapestry, Corlys Velaryon is shown dramatically facing off with Lohar. Similarly, Jacaerys Velaryon is shown being killed by arrows, though the actual circumstances of his death are subtly different in the show to the tapestry (he's falling backwards in the tapestry, while in the show, he was already in the water).

"I love working in the contested history of Fire & Blood into these little flourishes," says one fan on Twitter – and it's true that this seems to be a deliberate nod to Martin's book.

Fire and Blood is a pseudo-historical text that tells the history of House Targaryen, but the twist is it's presented as coming from three different sources who each disagree with each other on the details. That means the truth of what really happened is unknown. So, the tapestry telling a false version of history perfectly fits the book's themes.

The source material has been a hot topic for House of the Dragon season 3 after Martin's infamous blog post about a "toxic" butterfly effect caused by making changes to his book. One change to Fire and Blood might have accidentally erased Daenerys Targaryen from canon (though it's an easy fix), while the show might even have referenced Martin's blog post with a sly Easter egg.

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

As other anime studios lean into the use of AI, the director of Science Saru's upcoming The Ghost in the Shell anime series promises the remake will stay clear of GenAI.

Toma Kimura (otherwise known as Mokochan) took to the stage at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Festival and gave fans an insight into how the team achieved the finer details of the upcoming anime remake. "We wanted every street sign to be specifically designed, but it became too much of a burden,” he said. “Instead, we used this worm-like lettering that looks like kanji but is actually gibberish."

This led Kimura to the topic of AI. "We decided on this before generative AI became prevalent, so please know that zero GenAI was used on the project." Complex reports that after that statement, the crowd "erupted" into applause.

The Ghost in the Shell's "zero GenAI stance" is a breath of fresh air for anime fans. AI has slowly crept into the genre over the past few years, starting with subtitles, but it has now spread to generating art and animation too.

Earlier this year, Wit Studio, best known for producing the first three seasons of Attack on Titan and the hit show Spy x Family, admitted to using AI to generate backgrounds in the opening sequence of Ascendance of a Bookworm season 4. Once outed, the studio quickly apologised, stating it is still committed to hand-drawn animation, and removed the AI-generated images.

But Science Saru won't make that mistake. At Annecy, producer Kohei Sakita added, "The feeling of something drawn by a person is the whole appeal of animation to me."

Based on the hit manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow, The Ghost in the Shell is set in a near-future "where information networks envelop the world and advanced cyborg technology has enabled the creation of a cyberbrain," as per Amazon. The upcoming cyberpunk show follows "the story of the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi and the combat unit she leads in the fight against cybercrime."

Ghost in the Shell arrives on Prime Video on July 7. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to the best anime to watch this year and keep up with new anime.

Somehow, Kang returned. The time-traveling supervillain – last seen in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania – has a surprising appearance from one of his most prominent (and popular) variants in X-Men '97.

The third episode of X-Men '97 season 2 charts the origins of Apocalypse, then known as En Sabah Nur, in Ancient Egypt circa 3000 B.C.

En Sabah Nur rises up against a familiar leader, a Pharaoh with technology far beyond his current time. In actuality, he is Rama-Tut, a younger variant of Kang the Conqueror.

While X-Men '97 is under the Marvel Studios banner, it's not part of the MCU or the Sacred Timeline (in fact, a separate live-action X-Men movie is on its way in the near future).

However, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania's post-credits scene revealed the Council of Kangs and a congregation of almost every Kang in the multiverse – including Rama-Tut.

The kicker there is they all resembled actor Jonathan Majors, who was dropped from the role after being charged and later convicted of third-degree assault and second-degree harassment.

Ever since, the MCU has clearly been reluctant to re-introduce Kang, even going so far as reworking Avengers: The Kang Dynasty into Avengers: Doomsday, starring Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom.

Rama-Tut's appearance in X-Men '97, though, is worlds away from Majors' take. The episode, a loose adaptation of the Rise of Apocalypse comic, may open the door ever so slightly for Kang's return in the future. After all, the multiverse is a rich space with infinite possibilities. Kang may have been conquered by Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, but more can live on – with a different face – and still prove popular. X-Men '97 might be the first step towards bringing the supervillain back into the fold.

For more, check out the X-Men '97 release schedule, or check out our spoiler-free X-Men '97 season 2 review, for our verdict on the first four episodes.

One of the biggest anime weekends of the year is almost upon us. Emanating from Los Angeles, this year's Anime Expo promises to deliver plenty of surprising announcements and shocking reveals for fans across its four days. From Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 to Jujutsu Kaisen, all the major new anime releases you're looking forward to are present and accounted for at Anime Expo 2026.

To help prepare you for the major panels, we've laid out this year's Anime Expo schedule, as well as giving our expert opinions on what to expect this year – from trailers, release dates, and so much more.

Once you've run the rule over Anime Expo 2026, join us as we bring together the best anime on Netflix. Then, discover all we know about Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War part 4.

Anime Expo 2026 schedule

Below, we'll guide you through all four main days. With dozens panels, talks, and showcases taking place, we can't give due time to everything that's going down on the exhibition floor. With that in mind, we've narrowed down the schedule to our big highlights and some fan favorite picks for good measure.

Day 1 highlights (July 2)

• Echoes from Aincrad Unanswered Butterfly First Look – 12:30 PM Pacific/3:30 PM Eastern/8:30 PM BST
• Aniplex of America panel – 2:30 PM Pacific/5:30 PM Eastern/10:35 PM BST
• Star Wars Visions Presents – The Ninth Jedi – 6:00 PM Pacific/9:00 PM Eastern/2:00 AM BST

Day 2 highlights (July 3)

• Steel Ball Run panel – 12:30 PM Pacific/3:30 PM Eastern/8:30 PM BST
• Blue Lock creators panel – 1:00 PM Pacific/4:00 PM Eastern/9:00 PM BST
• Sonic the Hedgehog Animated Shorts panel – 3:00 PM Pacific/6:00 PM Eastern/11:00 PM BST
• A-1 Pictures panel – 3:00 PM Pacific/6:00 PM Eastern/11:00 PM BST
• Witch Hat Atelier cast and creator panel – 3:15 PM Pacific/6:15 PM Eastern/11:15 PM BST
• Demon Slayer Infinity Castle Celebration panel – 5:00 PM Pacific/8:00 PM Eastern/1:00 AM BST
• Black Torch premiere panel – 6:45 PM Pacific/9:45 PM Eastern/2:45 AM BST.
• Junji Ito: Master of Horror (with live-action anthology series premiere) - 6:45 PM Pacific/9:45 PM Eastern/2:45 AM BST
• Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 panel – 7:30 PM Pacific/10:30 PM Eastern/3:30 AM BST
• The Apothecary Diaries panel – 8:30 PM Pacific/11:30 PM Eastern/4:30 AM BST

Day 3 highlights (July 4)

• Bleach Thousand-Year Blood War panel – 10:00 AM Pacific/1:00 PM Eastern/6:00 PM BST
• Atlus panel – 11:30 AM Pacific/2:30 PM Eastern/7:30 PM BST
• Black Clover season 2 panel – 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern/9:30 PM BST
• Studio Trigger panel – 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern/10:00 PM BST
• Tokyo Revengers panel – 2:15 PM Pacific/5:15 PM Eastern/10:15 PM BST
• My Hero Academia 10th anniversary panel – 2:30 PM Pacific/5:30 PM Eastern/10:30 PM BST
• The Ghost in the Shell and Science Saru panel – 2:45 PM Pacific/5:45 PM Eastern/10:45 PM BST
• Frieren: Beyond Journey's End special event – 6:00 PM Pacific/9:00 PM Eastern/2:00 AM BST

Day 4 highlights (July 5)

• Jujutsu Kaisen: Celebrating 5 Years of Curses panel – 10:00 AM Pacific/1:00 PM Eastern/6:00 PM BST
• GKIDS panel – 12:15 PM Pacific/3:15 PM Eastern/8:15 PM BST

What could be announced at Anime Expo 2026?

As you can see above, that's quite the packed schedule – with the Friday and Saturday (July 3-4) in particular offering up the potential for wall-to-wall exciting announcements.

So, what's realistic and what's an anime pipe dream? We already know Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 will be premiering its first episode at Anime Expo. If you're there, you're very lucky. If not, expect an influx of reactions to hit social media the minute people have left the panel. On top of that, we'd expect a little more story details. We're hoping we also get some more clarity on if this is set before or after Cyberpunk 2077, too.

The Demon Slayer Infinity Castle celebration panel isn't likely going to be too big of a deal. We'd be shocked if a sequel release date gets announced here. Let's put it that way. However, a streaming release date for the first movie is realistic – especially as Amazon Canada seemingly leaked a late July spot for Tanjiro's big-screen record-breaker.

There's almost certainly going to be more news and quotes surrounding Apothecary Diaries and its third season/movie combo, as well as a larger look at The Ghost in the Shell ahead of its Prime Video debut this month. After months of radio silence, we're almost certainly getting another Steel Ball Run trailer and, hopefully, a release date for its next batch of episodes this fall.

Intriguingly, there are a handful of names here that are still some way off but are still staking a claim for our attention at Anime Expo. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End and Jujutsu Kaisen are slated for new seasons next year, so we don't anticipate major announcements coming our way. A teaser or two wouldn't go amiss, though.

Finally, we're holding out hope for Solo Leveling to be part of the A-1 Pictures panel. We've heard precious little about its upcoming season, so any sort of teaser would be welcome. It's a slightly longer shot than most of the collected names here, but Anime Expo is certainly the place to drop it.

Dig deeper into some of the world's biggest anime with our guides to the One Piece filler list and how to watch Jujutsu Kaisen in order.

As House of the Dragon season 3 continues to air, Game of Thrones fans are debating all of the important topics, including who is the best swordfighter in all of Westeros' history.

The debate kicked off over on Twitter when one fan asked, "Who’s coming out alive" in a fight to the death between Jamie Lannister and Daemon Targaryen. Now, not that this would ever happen, as Daemon was born hundreds of years before Jaime, but a lot of fans seem to be backing the Golden Lion over the Rogue Prince.

"George R.R. Martin says Jamie is a top three fighter in the entire history of A Song of Ice and Fire," said one fan, while another added, "If your name isn't Barristan Selmy, Arthur Dayne, Aemon the Dragonknight, Daemon Blackfyre, Robert Baratheon or Aegon the Conqueror, Jamie is killing you within 5 moves."

However, many fans think Daemon has it in him to beat the Lannister, as he has shown just what he can do with a sword in House of the Dragon. Who could forget when he sliced Ser Vaemond Velaryon's head in half with one swipe in House of the Dragon season 1, episode 8, after Lord Corlys' brother badmouthed Rhaenyra. "This is disrespectful to Daemon," added one Twitter user.

Funnily enough, Daemon star Matt Smith has already answered a similar question in the past. But rather than asking if Daemon could beat Jaime in a fight, it was Jon Snow. "Mate, I've got a dragon," said Smith on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon back in 2024. "Jon Snow is a bad boy. Don't get me wrong. Kit Harington, lovely man, lovely guy. I have a lot of respect. But don't get it twisted. I would fuck those brothers up." Well, there you have it.

As for Jaime Lannister, the Knight didn't go out in a blaze of glory, but was crushed under the Red Keep after Daenerys Targaryen invaded King's Landing. Daemon is still fighting strong in his respective show, but as the Dance of the Dragons continues to play out, no one is really safe on Team Black or Team Green.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 3 hits HBO on July 5 in the US and on HBO Max and Sky on July 6 in the UK. You can find exact timings in our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule. For more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review, and keep up with upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

The Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 English-language voice cast has been announced, but fans are (understandably) zeroing in on one of its most recognizable names.

As revealed by CD Projekt Red, veteran edgerunner Weak Kingsley will be played by Clancy Brown, the prolific actor known for everything from playing Mr. Krabs in SpongeBob SquarePants to the hardened detective Lieutenant Anderson in Detroit: Become Human.

Amid the wave of Mr. Krabs-related jokes about saving eddies and calling Plankton a gonk, fans are united in their reaction to the news.

In short, fans are overjoyed: "Clancy Brown as Weak has to be one of my top five favorite castings," one wrote on Twitter, to which executive producer Saya Elder noted that it was a "personal recommendation" from writer Bartosz Sztybor.

"Might have to watch the English dub of Cyberpunk Edgerunners II when it comes out now," another remarked.

"I'm about to start watching the Cyberpunk anime just for Clancy Brown," one newcomer to Edgerunners said. Another added that they expect Weak to be one of the dopest characters in the Cyberpunk universe."

Elsewhere, it has been confirmed that Kimoy Lee will voice Talia Yang, Nazeeh Tarsha will voice D, and Valeria Rodriguez will voice Roman Carax.

Excited to hear them in action? A select few will get a chance to watch the first episode of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 early at the show's Anime Expo panel on July 3.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 hits Netflix this fall. For more, check out our guide on new anime releases, plus our picks for the best anime on Netflix.

It seems as though fantasy fans are just not feeling the second season of Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender, as ratings reveal that less than half the number of viewers who tuned into season 1 have returned for season 2.

According to Tudum, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2, which hit Netflix on June 25, was viewed 8.7 million times over its first four days on the platform. That's a huge drop from season 1, which hit the streamer in 2024 with 21.2 million views, meaning the new installment is down by 59%.

The season sits in second place on Netflix's top 10 list of most popular English-language shows right now, and in third place is the first season of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which amassed 3 million views in the same week season 2 hit the streamer. Both seasons of Avatar sit behind the new Harlan Coben series I Will Find You, which earned 34.1 million views in its first full week on the site before hitting 24 million views in four days the same week as Avatar season 2.

It is not clear why the live-action Avatar show has seen a dip in viewership, as even though the sophomore season debuted to divisive reviews, that isn't really much of a change from season 1. In fact, Avatar season 2 sits at a 67% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is actually a slight improvement from season 1, which stands at 62%.

In our Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 review, we call the new installment "better in basically every way to its first season," however, "it struggles under the weight of adapting the events of its animated counterpart" and "fumbles in ways that make its future concerning." That being said, Avatar: The Last Airbender season 3 is on the way and has already been filmed. Season 3 will mark the end of the live-action adaptation.

Following their bittersweet victory in saving the Northern Water Tribe from the Fire Nation, season 2 follows Avatar Aang, Katara, and Sokka as they set off to convince the Earth King to help them fight the Fire Lord Ozai. However, their journey leads them to series newcomer Toph (Miyako), whose skill in earthbending aids their quest.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is available to watch on Netflix now. For more, check out our guide ot the best shows on Netflix, and keep up with new TV shows on the way.

Attack on Titan anime studio Wit announced a new anime, LONA, premiering in spring 2027 – the studio's latest original series.

Per Wit Studio's reveal trailer, LONA will be directed by Takashi Katagiri, who directed Spy x Family Code: White and was episode director on Vivy: Fluorite Eye's Song. Vivy is an especially relevant and encouraging touchstone, not just because it's an excellent Wit original, but because LONA seems to deal with some similar themes.

Set in the "not-so distant future," LONA sees humanity "attacked by humans who should be dead." Governments respond with the formation of the eponymous "Laboratory of Optics and Neural Analysis," which is charged with analyzing the brains of the dead.

Banish the zombie tropes from your mind; LONA seems much closer to sci-fi transhumanism so far, a little more Psycho-Pass or Ghost in the Shell.

The teaser description adds, "What do people think of, and what do they leave behind before they die? Countless memories engraved in the neural circuits. What did they see in those deep depths?" One character, per the trailer's English captions, wonders, "What was her oldest memory, what was her strongest desire?"

"A neuroscience adventure series depicting researchers confronting their world by connecting with the unresolved emotions left behind by the deceased," a plot summary adds.

LONA has been in the works since 2020, according to story and screenplay writer Akiko Nogi, who also sheds more light on the setting: "Driven by a desire to explore forms of expression possible only through animation, we have set our story against the backdrop of a large-scale synchrotron radiation facility – a place I have long been fascinated by – as we take on the mysteries of the brain and the world around us."

The series' character designs will be handled by Posuka Demizu, best known as the artist behind the manga The Promised Neverland (not the disastrous second season of its anime adaptation). The team is stacked from top to bottom, and LONA's reveal trailer is predictably gorgeous, so this series gets an early spot on my 2027 anime list.

New anime in 2026: the biggest upcoming and ongoing shows and release dates.

Netflix's One Piece season 3 has finished filming, and with a brand new cast photo in tow.

In the photo, which can be viewed below, Luffy (Inaki Godoy), Nami (Emily Rudd), Sanji (Taz Skylar), Zoro, Usopp (Jacob Romero), and new series regular Vivi (Charithra Chandran) are standing in front of a wall that has a Sir Crocodile mural painted across. The villain, revealed to be Mr. 0 at the end of season 2, is set to play a major part in season 3 as the show rounds out the anime's Alabasta arc.

One Piece season 3 was greenlit in August 2025, and began filming in South Africa in November 2025. Given that One Piece season 2 premiered in March 2026, a premiere date of 2027 feels like a pretty quick turnaround (especially given the fact that so many shows nowadays have a three-year wait).

One Piece season 3 will see Monkey D. Luffy and the Straw Hat crew, with Tony Tony Chopper (Mikaela Hoover) in tow, head to Vivi's homeland of Alabasta in hopes of freeing it from tyrannical reign. New cast members include Cobra Kai's Xolo Maridueña as Portgas D. Ace and Cole Escola as Bon Clay, with Joe Manganiello (Mr. 0), Lera Abova (Miss All Sunday), and Sendhil Ramamurthy (Nefertari Cobra), all promoted to series regulars.

One Piece season 3 doesn't have an exact release date yet, though we can expect it around Spring 2027. For more, check out how to watch One Piece in order or our One Piece filler list to help you navigate the 1,000-plus episodes of the anime.

Mark Hamill might have a role in Twisted Metal season 3, but he's still not entirely sure what the show actually is.

Hamill will play the Pope of New York, AKA Charlie Kane, in the video game adaptation, a previously unseen figure who is the father of Sweet Tooth.

"They sent me this script, and I started reading this thing. I go, 'What IS this?' Yeah, it's twisted, but I just didn't get it. So they sent me a link to watch the episodes, and I watched the episodes, and I went, 'I still don't get it,'" said Hamill at FAN EXPO Anaheim, via Screen Rant.

"And now I'm in it, and what's so wonderful is, even though I don't get it, my character benefits from not being tethered to reality," he continued. "I play an ex-cabbie, also an ex-crook, who now is the Pope of New York. You heard me right, P-O-P-E, Pope. I get the hat and everything. And I'm telling you, you put that hat on, it sort of changes you. And he's nuts, totally nuts. So I'm having a great time."

While Hamill is, of course, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars universe, he also recently played the villainous Major in The Long Walk, while he also continued voicing Art Rosebaum in Invincible season 4.

Along with Hamill, Twisted Metal also stars Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, Will Arnett, and Joe Seanoa.

"Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz are so good; they're so good together," Hamill also said. "Their chemistry is great, and I'm always delighted to work with actors I've never worked with before. It's great fun. We're going back there next week; I'll be gone for two months. I won't be here for the Fourth of July."

Twisted Metal season 3 does not yet have a release date. While you wait, fill out your watchlist with our guide to all the upcoming TV shows and upcoming video game adaptations.

The latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3 is a major paradigm shift for Westeros, as Rhaenyra Targaryen at last ascends to the Iron Throne.

But there's also one moment that might be a nod to one of the most controversial Game of Thrones moments of all – George R.R. Martin's infamous blog post taking aim at the butterfly effect caused by changes the HBO show made from his book Fire and Blood.

While the bulk of the post revolved around the decision to remove Helaena and Aegon's son Maelor from the Blood and Cheese incident (and, indeed, the entire show so far), Martin ended his post with these ominous words: "And there are larger and more toxic butterflies to come, if House of the Dragon goes ahead with some of the changes being contemplated for seasons 3 and 4…"

Now, in House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2, Helaena is in the garden reading a book about butterflies. Not just any butterflies, either, but butterflies from Naath, which carry a deadly illness that kills invaders (so, toxic butterflies).

The moment has naturally been spotted by fans and posted across social media:

There is a Reference to GRRM's "Beware the Butterflies" blog post in House of the Dragon 3x02 (Spoilers Extended) from r/asoiaf

After the blog post, Martin was interviewed by The Hollywood Reporter, and he shared that his relationship with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal is "abysmal."

"Then we got into season 2, and he basically stopped listening to me," Martin told the publication. "I would give notes, and nothing would happen. Sometimes he would explain why he wasn't doing it. Other times, he would tell me, 'Oh, OK, yeah, I'll think about that.' It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes."

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

X-Men '97 season 2 is almost upon us, and we can definitely expect another high-stakes, heartbreaking, and action-packed season.

After the X-Men were left stranded across time at the end of season 1, a new threat was introduced: Apocalypse. The ultra-powerful mutant is robotic in appearance but god-like in his abilities, to the point where it almost hits immortality. How did we get here? Well, a lot happened in X-Men '97 season 1. And, if you don't have time to go back and watch all 10 episodes, we've made a handy-dandy list of the most important things to know before diving into season 2.

Scroll on down for the five biggest things to remember before watching X-Men '97 season 2, but be warned: there are massive spoilers for X-Men '97 season 1 below.

1. The X-Men are stuck in three different timelines

And it's all because of Magneto. It's also why everyone on Earth thinks that the X-Men are either dead or missing. At the end of X-Men '97 season 1, Magneto manages to wipe out all of the Prime Sentinels (while killing thousands of people in the process) and retreats to his little mutant haven, an orbital space station known as Asteroid M. Bastion, still yet to be defeated, decides to crash Asteroid M into the earth... which would effectively blow up the planet. Xavier manages to help Magneto launch the asteroid into space, but it still explodes, and presumably takes the X-Men with it.

A six-month fast-forward shows us that Bishop and Forge are still in 1997, but Nightcrawler, Beast, Xavier, Magneto, and Rogue are sent to somewhere in Ancient Egypt circa 3000 B.C., while Cyclops, Jean Grey, Storm, and Morph are sent to a dystopian future circa 3960 A.D. X-Men '97 season 2 picks up right where season 1 left off.

2. Scott and Jean sent their son Nathan into the future because of his condition

In the X-Men '97 season 1 finale, when Cyclops and Jean are sent to the future, they meet a mystic mutant named Mother Askani, who is leading a desolate planet of hopeless people. This also just so happens to be the same future that their son, Nathan, was sent to as an infant. Shortly after he was born, Sinister injected him with a techno-organic virus with the intention of making him immortal, but it ended up almost killing him.

Realizing that there is no cure on Earth, they send him into the future with Bishop in the hopes that they can find a timeline with a cure. In the finale, Nathan is a teenager and seems pretty healthy... though we know that his cyborg-esque mutation remains, given that he eventually becomes the X-Men hero known as Cable. It's Cable who appears in X-Men '97 season 1 episode 5 and tries to warn them about Bastion's genocidal attack on Genosha.

It's important to remember that Nathan eventually becomes Cable, though it's a little confusing that Cyclops and Jean go into the future and encounter a teenage Nathan, rather than an adult Cable – meaning they've entered an alternate timeline of sorts.

3. Gambit died in the Battle of Genosha

I'm still not over it, but Gambit died during the Battle of Genosha in X-Men '97 season 1 episode 5. He throws Rogue out of harm's way before launching himself at Master Mold, the most powerful of the Prime Sentinels, which explodes and takes Gambit with it. Because of Marvel Cinematic Universe rules (though X-Men '97 is not canon to the main Earth-616 storyline), a lot of us sat and waited for him to miraculously return someway or another... but he still, sadly, seems pretty dead.

A popular theory among fans is that the show will take a page out of the comics and see Gambit brought back from the dead to become one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen. The X-Men '97 season 1 post-credits scene gives this further credibility, with the final moments of the season seeing Apocalypse pick up one of Gambit's playing cards in present-day (1997) Genosha.

X-Men '97 season 2 episode 8 is titled, 'The Dead Man's Hand,' and I'm pretty sure that's a reference to Gambit... so we'll just have to wait and see.

4. Magneto pulled the adamantium out of Wolverine

Though Wolverine seems alive and well in the X-Men '97 season 2 trailer, it's important to remember that he was on his deathbed when the first season ended. In case you forgot, X-Men '97 began with the X-Men and the world assuming that Xavier had died as a result of Gyrich's assassination attempt (which happened in the series finale of X-Men: The Animated Series, which aired on TV in, you guessed it, 1997). In his last will and testament, Xavier leaves the X-Men and the X-Mansion to Magneto, which causes a rift amongst the entire group.

Magneto tries his best to be an upstanding citizen, but is captured by Bastion. It's Dr. Cooper who finds Magneto and unleashes him, figuring that he's the only being powerful enough to kill Bastion and the Prime Sentinels. She's right, but it destroys most of the world in the process. After Magneto flees to Asteroid M, Xavier, alive and well after hiding out on an alien planet, finds him and tries to get into his mind. Magneto retaliates by almost killing Xavier, which prompts Wolverine to attack. Magneto then uses his freaky-deaky magnet powers to rip all of the adamantium from Wolverine's skeleton, leaving him in a half-dead, feral state where he can really only use his bone claws. X-Men '97 season 2 episode 5, titled 'Weapon X, Lies, and DVDS,' will likely focus on Wolverine.

5. The future where Apocalypse reigns is inevitable

I can't tell you exactly why this is important to remember, other than that Apocalypse is the primary focus of X-Men '97 season 2, but you'll just have to trust me on this one. In the X-Men '97 season 1 finale, we meet not one, but two versions of Apocalypse. In Ancient Egypt, where Xavier, Magneto, Rogue, and Nightcrawler are trapped, they encounter a mutant named En Sabah Nur. En Sabah Nur is the birth name of Apocalypse, and this particular timeline is one where he hasn't transformed into a supervillain just yet. We see Apocalypse in his present-day form in the post-credits scene, when he picks Gambit's playing card up off the ground.

In the season 2 trailer, Apocalypse makes it clear that his mission is to destroy the X-Men... in every timeline. It's important to note that he more or less can't be killed, which is what makes his reign of terror inevitable throughout time.

X-Men '97 season 2 hits Disney Plus on July 1, with the first three episodes in tow. For more, check out our X-Men '97 season 2 review, and never miss an episode with our X-Men '97 season 2 release schedule.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 has given us a nova first look at the long-awaited anime anthology's return, with its first trailer revealing a fresh quartet of Edgerunners. But a fan theory suggests the show could be setting up a huge twist that mirrors a major moment in Cyberpunk 2077's first act.

Note: spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077 follow.

At the climax of Cyberpunk 2077's early game, V's partner-in-crime Jackie Welles dies during the attempt to steal the Relic from Konpeki Plaza. Could Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 be hiding a similar rug-pull? Twitter user @WGB05112004 thinks yes, positing: "I think they gonna pull a The Suicide Squad/Welcome to Derry and kill off the first guy[s]" Instead, the "real" cast of Edgerunners season 2 are hiding in plain sight, the theory goes, in silhouette on the show's first poster. Check it out below.

Plenty of fellow Twitter users are in agreement with the idea that a place as brutal and unforgiving as Night City could be hiding an early bloodbath. After all, with a Sandevistan spine, even the most accomplished merc could be zeroed in the blink of an eye. Some even suggest that newcomer Roman Carax, a "cinephile" who is "obsessed with chasing the truth," could be the throughline, as the young filmmaker documents each character's death on film. Dark stuff.

Not everyone agrees, however, with some pointing out that there's probably too much distinct footage featuring this new quartet of characters for their early demise to make sense. However, the idea that there are major characters from season 2 that are yet to be officially revealed is practically a given. In fact, dataminers think they may have already uncovered a secret fifth character with connections to the group and wider Cyberpunk lore.

After a 4-year absence, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 releases this fall on Netflix. The 10-episode second season tells a brand new story featuring a fresh cast of characters and once again hails from Studio Trigger.

For more, check out our picks for the new anime you should be watching right now. Need to fill out your watchlist? Our collection of best Netflix anime will ensure you have plenty to watch.

Another episode of House of the Dragon season 3 has landed on HBO, and, of course, an eagle-eyed fan has found yet another difference between the on-screen adaptation and George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones book series.

Warning, this article contains spoilers for House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2, so turn back now if you haven't caught up yet.

At the end of episode 2, after the guards follow Alicent's orders and open the gates for Rhaenyra and Daemon, the pair approach the throne room, and Rhaenyra finally sits on the Iron Throne. However, in Fire and Blood, when the Queen first sits on the throne, she cuts herself on one of the swords, and onlookers see her leave the room with blood running down her legs and arms, which does not happen on screen.

Fans have noticed the change, as one said on Twitter, "I wish they had shown the Iron Throne cutting Rhaenyra. Maybe it’s coming in the next episode." The fan added that the reason it "has to happen" is that "she needs to be rejected by the throne bc she is a villain, not a hero." However, other fans pointed out that the show so far has not painted her as a villain, so it may not happen for that very reason.

The Iron Throne cutting Rhaenyra signifies that her rule won't last long, foreshadowing what is to come. However, even though we did not see the throne slice her in episode 2, the Targaryen Queen does suffer a few blunders.

When she entered the throne room, she was hiding behind Daemon, which the Kingsguard pointed out was funny to see. Then later, Rhaenyra says she is unable to kill Alicent's father, ex-Hand, and master manipulator Otto Hightower in place of Aegon as the usurper, and asks Daemon to do it. But when she does try to behead Otto, she fails at first. Whereas Daemon is able to deliver one killing blow to his victim. These actions may nod to Rhaenyra not being fit to rule. But we have to remember that she has just lost another son in battle, and that killing Otto will affect Alicent

This isn't the first change the show has made to its source material. Just this season, the HBO series made major changes to the Battle of the Gullet, and even the opening credits include the incorrect Targaryen sigil sporting a four-legged dragon, which Martin has made it clear that only two-legged dragons exist in his universe, no matter how many heads they have.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues to air weekly on HBO and HBO Max. You can find exact timings in our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule. For more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review, and keep up with upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

CD Projekt Red has confirmed more about its quartet of main Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 characters, but datamined leaks suggest an unseen fifth major player in Night City has surprising links to two of those already announced.

As revealed on the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 website, Weak Kingsley is described as a "washed-up cyberpunk legend" who is "forced to live without chrome in a world that's passed him by."

The new synopsis also confirms family, obsession, and legacy are major themes in play here – which makes this next leak all the more intriguing.

Smets205 on Reddit has uncovered a fifth character card on the Edgerunners site.

Meet Avida, a "jazz singer and corpo insider" who is apparently "Weak's old flame." The plot thickens from there with the reveal she has a "fragile" daughter: Talia, the pink-haired Maelstrom member who forms part of Edgerunners season 2's main crew.

Old flame? A daughter? It's possible Weak Kingsley is hiding plenty of secrets – while the 'fragile' and 'weak' connection means there's almost certainly some hidden family drama brewing up in Night City's streets between the chrome-less protagonist and his ex-lover. A clip on the site, shown below, also shows a tense interaction between Weak and Talia.

All told, it sets up an extra layer of tragedy to what is surely going to be another depressing story told in NC.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, a standalone 10-episode story, is set for release on Netflix this fall.

For more, check out our picks for the new anime you should be watching right now. Need to fill out your watchlist? Our collection of best Netflix anime will ensure you have plenty to watch.

Before creator Tony Gilroy got involved and turned Andor into a thrillingly rich, thematically nuanced masterpiece, the Star Wars show was initially in the hands of Disney animation boss Jared Bush, and a new art book has revealed the Zootopia director's original take on the material.

As spotted by Cinelinx, new coffee table book The Art of Star Wars: Andor contains Bush's original pitch for the Star Wars show, taken from his 2018 series bible, and it reveals a radically different version of Andor that never was.

“The fledgling Rebellion experiences a crippling setback when an Imperial mole hidden within its ranks decimates a series of rebel bases. Cassian Andor, a young intelligence operative, is one of the few who survive, only to be falsely accused of being the mole himself. Out in the cold, Cassian discovers the only way to clear his name and find the mole is to infiltrate an Imperial planet which holds the key to uncovering the mole's identity.”

While this concept for the show retains the core idea of Andor being an espionage-powered story set in a galaxy far, far away, Bush's Andor would have been very different from the two-season show we got under Gilroy's stewardship. Instead of a simple mole hunt, Gilroy shaped Andor into a show about political oppression and resistance that mirrored real-world events to an almost eerie degree.

Andor was originally revealed in November 2018 after roughly a year of development. Initially, The Americans' executive producer Stephen Schiff was brought on board as showrunner, after Bush contributed a pilot script and series bible. Gilroy, who reportedly oversaw Rogue One's extensive reshoots, later shared his own vision for Andor with Kathleen Kennedy by penning a letter to the former head of Lucasfilm. Kennedy was evidently impressed, as Gilroy officially came on board in 2019.

The two-season show ran from 2022 to 2025 and is widely considered one of the high points of the Disney era of Star Wars. We even named Andor season 2 the best show of 2025. Gilroy provided some insights into the beloved show in our season 2 post-mortem, and even dispelled a fan theory around one of the finale's most ambiguous moments.

As for Bush, Andor may have slipped through his fingers, but the filmmaker had a pretty good 2025 too – he was the director of the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of the year, Zootopia 2, after becoming the chief creative officer of Disney Animation in late 2024.

Andor is streaming in full on Disney Plus. For more, check out our list of the best Disney Plus shows, or look ahead with our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows.

Persona is the latest video game making the leap to live-action, with Netflix on board to adapt the beloved RPG series. And fans already have the perfect Joker in mind.

According to a report from Variety, Star Trek: Picard's Christopher Monfette is attached to write. Monfette has worked on a variety of genre shows and is a credited writer and co-producer on Marvel's upcoming VisionQuest. Stranger Things' Shawn Levy is also on board as a producer as part of his production company, 21 Laps. On the Sega side, Sonic the Hedgehog's Toru Nakahara is reportedly attached to produce.

Details beyond that are thin on the ground as, per Variety, Netflix declined to comment or confirm the veracity of the news. We don't even have a sense of which entry in the long-running series this show is likely to adapt. But it's further evidence of how much Netflix values video game adaptations in the wake of The Witcher, Castlevania, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2, Arcane, Splinter Cell: Deathwatch, Devil May Cry, and many more.

While each mainline Persona entry deals with a new set of characters, there are some throughlines across the series – most notably, each stars a set of Japanese high school students who navigate the minutiae of school life by day, and fight their way through deadly dungeons by night, adopting a range of colorful personas to do battle.

The next game in the series, Persona 6, was announced only last month at Summer Game Fest, but with little more than a teaser to go off, it's unlikely Netflix's adaptation will be drawing from that. Far more likely is that Netflix's live-action Persona will take its cues from Persona 5 – as it features a number of the most beloved characters across any Shin Megami Tensei game. It's also the most successful entry in the series to date, with almost 14 million copies sold when Persona 5 Royal and the 2022 remaster are taken into account.

Naturally, Persona fans have plenty of thoughts about the news, not all of them positive. While some point to Netflix's track record of live-action adaptations as an ill omen for Persona, plenty are excited about the proposition of Joker and co. making the transition to live action. One common bit of fan-casting: Tom Holland as Joker. Though given the Spider-Man star has recently graduated to working with the likes of Christopher Nolan on The Odyssey, and that he has a long-gestating Fred Astaire biopic coming up, the chances of him starring in a Netflix video game adaptation seem relatively slim.

Whoever eventually signs up, it's certainly an exciting time to be a Persona fan, as Persona 6 seems to have some unexpected horror vibes. A Sega leaker has also hinted that the highly anticipated game could be released as early as next year.

Netflix's live-action Persona series does not currently have a release date. For more, dive into our list of upcoming video game movies and shows, or fill out your watchlist with our ranking of the best shows on Netflix.

Despite her character's fate in season 1, Krysten Ritter is set to return in Dexter: Resurrection season 2.

Per a press release, Ritter is set to return as a guest star in season 2 after her "fan-favorite character, the vivacious and voracious Lady Vengeance (Mia Lapierre), met her demise while in prison." The nature of her demise has been a massive debate amongst fans, as the season finale gives us a teeny tiny detail that she may have faked her death.

When Dexter is trapped in Prater's creepy serial killer archive in episode 10, he opens Mia's file. The file in question lists her status as "active," leading fans to believe the whole bribing a prison guard to kill her and make it look like a suicide didn't actually happen, and that Prater's (former) assistant Charley may have helped her get away.

Uma Thurman is indeed set to return as Charley, with Brian Cox joining the cast as The New York Ripper and Dan Stevens as The Five Borough Killer. Whether Ritter is returning as Mia, or rejoining as a new character entirely, remains to be seen.

Star Michael C. Hall announced back in October that Dexter: Resurrection would indeed return, despite the cancellation of prequel series Dexter: Original Sin and the still-in-pre-production spin-off based on the flagship show's Trinity Killer.

Dexter: Resurrection season 2 does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2025 and beyond.

CD Projekt Red has revealed two profiles for Weak Kingsley and D, two of the recently announced characters for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2.

Weak and D were announced ahead of the trailer that dropped today, with CD Projekt Red social media manager Marcin Lukasewski pointing out that Weak is much older than the other edgerunners (which, according to Lukasewski, increases his relatability.

CD Projekt Red released brief character bios through YouTuber Danny Motta and Twitch streamer Gigguk, which you can see below.

"Once known as 'King,' a veteran edgerunner at the top of his game. Weak now lives in the shadow of his former glory," the first bio shares, followed by new images of the character.

"A Snake Nation netrunner with sharp technical skills and a sharper hunger for revenge, D hunts the killer who wiped out his clan," reads the second.

We don't have a plot synopsis for the new Edgerunners season, only confirmation that it'll feature a "different crew and new standalone story set in Night City," with a count of 10 episodes. We do, however, finally have that new trailer, which sees our boy D enacting what appears to be some bloody revenge, as well as another new protagonist named Roman Carrax, an aspiring filmmaker who sets out to document real stories in Night City.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is set to hit Netflix in Fall 2026. For more, check out our picks for the best anime you should be watching right now, or, check out our list of new anime shows.

Welcome back to Night City, chooms. The first trailer for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is here, and it's full to the brim with chrome, corpos, and chaos.

If you want adrenaline-fueled action, the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 trailer has more than enough to go around. We see one figure, Roman, filming D. on a bloody rampage, with plenty of angst, tears, and spine-ripping action that will be plenty familiar to those who have walked these streets with V., David or Johnny Silverhand.

The Studio Trigger/CD Projekt Red production is the next anthology chapter after Cyberpunk: Edgerunners tore our hearts out in style with its saga of the Sandevistan-infused protagonist David. In the 2022 anime, David crashed his way through Night City in a war against corpos and others who wished him dead.

While Edgerunners ended in tragedy for most of its cast, it could have been so much worse for its hero.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners writer Bartosz Sztybor confirmed as much in an interview with Anime Corner. He said, "There was one ending in which David doesn't die entirely. Arasaka gets him, and he ends up fighting in Africa or South America in corporate wars as a robot."

The second season has slowly unveiled its cast in drip-feed fashion, beginning with a look at the camera-wielding Roman Carax at Annecy.

From there, a CD Projekt Red manager spoke of how the elder statesman of the group, Weak Kingsley, resonated with him. 'D' was also announced, as was corpo Talia Yang. Her inclusion also appeared to spoil a cameo from a Cyberpunk 2077 game character.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is released in fall 2026.

For more, check out our picks for the best anime you should be watching right now. Then, dive into the rest of the year's remaining new anime shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 has continued with another massive episode, and this one makes a huge change to George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood book.

Spoilers for the latest episode follow – turn back now if you're not up to date!

In the latest episode of House of the Dragon season 3, Rhaenyra Targaryen at last takes the Iron Throne, after Alicent Hightower made good on her word and opened the gates to the Red Keep. Rhaenyra's ascension is not without bloodshed, however, as she executes Otto Hightower, Alicent's father, on her way to the throne.

One major death from the books, though, did not happen in the show. In Fire and Blood, Alicent's brother, Gwayne Hightower, is present in King's Landing, and he's stopped from raising the alarm about Rhaenyra's arrival by the Gold Cloak commander Luthor Largent. Largent tells Gwayne that he's loyal to Daemon Targaryen, then kills Gwayne.

In the show, Gwayne is far away with Criston Cole, and Largent reveals his true allegiance in a dramatic moment in the throne room to defend Rhaenyra from the green guards instead.

How this changes the plot moving forward remains to be seen, as, now, anything could happen to Gwayne as the show goes on.

Another change to the Battle of the Gullet in the last episode might have accidentally erased Daenerys Targaryen from existence, too (though it's a fairly easy fix).

Martin previously railed against changes made to his source material on his Not a Blog page, later telling The Hollywood Reporter his relationship with showrunner Ryan Condal is "abysmal."

House of the Dragon continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. Keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

For even more, check out our House of the Dragon season 3 review, or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

CD Projekt Red and Studio Trigger have given us a glimpse at Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 in action for the first time.

Look a little closer, however, and you may spot what some fans think is a notable Cyberpunk 2077 character waiting in the wings.

The official Edgerunners Twitter account posted a two-second GIF of season 2's main female protagonist – and seemingly former corpo – Talia Yang leaping through the air.

In the background is a Maelstrom member hanging over the balcony. That might not be any chrome-added gang affiliate, though. Some think it's Dum Dum, the contact for V in early Cyberpunk 2077 quest 'The Pickup.'

Those who have steered themselves through the neon-drenched streets of Night City in CD Projekt Red's open-world masterpiece will be all too aware of Dum Dum.

Designed as an early chance to experiment with the RPG's narrative decision-making, the gang member can be killed or paid off – among other options – if the deal goes south. He can then emerge in a later quest, depending on your choices.

If that is Dum Dum in the above clip, that likely confirms that Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is set before the events of Cyberpunk 2077 (as was the first season, it should be noted). The other option is that it's canon that V left Dum Dum alive.

Of course, other Cyberpunk 2077 characters have appeared in Edgerunners – namely, Atom Smasher and his run-in with David. That didn't turn out well for our hero, but it apparently could have been far worse.

Other Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 characters announced so far include Weak Kingsley, Roman Carax, and 'D'.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is set for fall 2026. For more, check out our guide to the rest of the year's big new anime releases.

House of the Dragon season 3, episode 2 continues the momentum from the season premiere with another massive installment.

Below, we have a spoiler-filled breakdown of everything that happens in the new episode, including all the major deaths and Easter eggs, too. That means you can quickly get up to speed on the latest chapter of the Dance of the Dragons as House of the Dragon season 3 heats up. But, if you're not looking for spoilers just yet, then our spoiler-free House of the Dragon season 3 review is where you need to head.

For even more, you can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule, or our guide to all the upcoming Game of Thrones movies and TV shows.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2 recap

The episode picks up in the aftermath of the Battle of the Gullet. The three dragonseeds – Hugh Hammer, Ulf, and Addam of Hull – finally join the fight and finish off the remainder of the Triarchy's fleet. Baela, meanwhile, flies home to Dragonstone with the body of her betrothed, Jacaerys Velaryon.

When they return, Rhaenyra has finally been freed from her chambers. She is, predictably, devastated by the death of her firstborn son. After at first seeming to be in shock, not quite believing Jace is dead, Rhaenyra then gives in to devastation and mourns over her son's body.

Outside, Addam searches for Corlys Velaryon, AKA the Sea Snake, in the Gullet, while Rhaena travels to the Vale and seeks asylum. Lady Jeyne Arryn is reluctant, but Rhaena sways her by reminding her she wanted a dragon to protect her land.

Daemon, hanging out with the Winter Wolves, gets word that Jacaerys has died. He is summoned to Dragonstone to prepare to take King's Landing. Addam finds Corlys, who declares, "If this be victory, I pray I never win another." Within the Red Keep, Alicent hurries to make arrangements for Rhaenyra's arrival, including getting the gold cloaks of the City Watch on her side.

Back on Dragonstone, Rhaenyra knows Sheepstealer has a rider – and blames them for Jace's death – and it's revealed that Vhagar has been spotted in the Riverlands, safely far away from King's Landing. When Rhaenyra's resolve appears to falter in her grief, Daemon attempts to rouse her as only he can. He speaks of the Song of Ice and Fire, the prophecy that Viserys passed on to Rhaenyra, and of a dream he had of a girl with three dragons (you might recognize her as the Mother of Dragons herself, Daenerys Targaryen).

In King's Landing, Lord Jasper the Master of Coin wises up to Alicent's scheming and attempts to rape her. Fortunately, he is stopped by Maester Orwyle and some guards, who arrest Jasper. Alicent then admits to her daughter – and queen – Helaena that she made a mistake crowning Aegon, and the duo make the guards on the city walls stand down in preparation for Rhaenyra's arrival.

Aemond arrives at Harrenhal and promptly begins to lay waste to it, burning the castle with Vhagar. He also kills Ser Simon Strong and the others living in Harrenhal, but takes a wound himself, and staggers towards the witch Alys Rivers for help.

Rhaenyra and Daemon arrive in King's Landing, flanked by Hugh Hammer and Ulf on dragonback. They walk through the Red Keep, Daemon cutting down the guards that stand in their way, until they reach the throne room. There, they are surrounded by Kingsguard and the City Watch. All seems lost until the Watch side with Rhaenyra and Daemon. Rhaenyra then demands that Aegon be brought to her.

Aegon, of course, has fled, but Daemon finds a prisoner that's almost as useful: Otto Hightower. Daemon brings Otto for Rhaenyra to execute, and, after at first hesitating, Rhaenyra completes the execution in two blows. Daemon executes Jasper before he can finish delivering his last words.

Rhaenyra then ascends the throne, leaving a trail of bloody footprints in her wake. Alicent and Helaena are brought before her after they were caught trying to escape the city. The episode ends with Alicent seeing her father's body – and looking in horror at Rhaenyra, as Rhaenyra, finally seated on the Iron Throne, looks back.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2: who dies?

The death toll isn't quite as high in this installment as last episode's Battle of the Gullet, but there are still some significant casualties:

• Otto Hightower (beheaded by Rhaenyra Targaryen)
• Lord Jasper Wylde (beheaded by Daemon Targaryen)

There are also countless unnamed guards killed, but Rhaenyra and Daemon manage to take King's Landing with relatively little bloodshed.

House of the Dragon season 3 episode 2 Easter eggs

New credits: The new title sequence continues in episode 2 with a remix of the familiar theme tune, and, in this episode, the tapestry depicting the history of the Targaryens has an update, too. Now, the tapestry shows the Battle of the Gullet and the death of Jacaerys Velaryon.

Corlys's Fire and Blood line: After Corlys is fished out of the ocean and reunites with Addam and Baela, he reflects on the Battle of the Gullet with the line, "If this be victory, I pray I never win another." This is dialogue ripped straight from George R.R. Martin's Fire and Blood.

Daenerys Targaryen: Daemon had a vision of Daenerys Targaryen in the House of the Dragon season 2 finale, and he speaks of it again to Rhaenyra to try and rouse her to take King's Landing after she is stricken with grief over the death of her son Jace. Daemon tells her he dreamed of a girl with three dragons, specifically of the moment Daenerys emerged unhurt from Khal Drogo's funeral pyre with her three, newly hatched dragons Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion.

The Song of Ice and Fire: Daemon also talks of the Song of Ice and Fire prophecy to Rhaenyra, a prophecy passed from Targaryen king to heir since the time of Aegon the Conqueror. This is the prophecy of the Prince that was Promised, who will unite the Seven Kingdoms against the threat of the White Walkers when the time comes. You might remember that this particular prophecy plays a large role in Game of Thrones.

Harrenhal: Aemond Targaryen enters Harrenhal in a very similar way to Daemon last season, only Aemond ends up slaying everyone he comes across.

Beheading: Rhaenyra takes two swings to behead Otto, much like Theon Greyjoy took multiple swings to behead Rodrick Cassel – though Rodrick's execution was far messier than Otto's.

House of the Dragon season 3 air weekly on HBO and HBO Max on Sundays in the US and on HBO Max, Sky and NOW on Mondays in the UK. For more on the show, check out our guides, explainers and interviews:

• House of the Dragon season 3 showrunner Ryan Condal on what keeps him up at night making the Game of Thrones prequel, and the spin-off he wants to see next: "I think there's a really fascinating story to be told"
• The Battle of the Gullet in House of the Dragon season 3 features some key changes from George R. R. Martin's book
• House of the Dragon season 3 makes huge changes to the Battle of the Gullet, but I love that it makes the death of one of my favorite characters even bleaker
• House of the Dragon season 3, episode 1 confirms a book character isn't being adapted
• Who is Ormund Hightower in House of the Dragon? His Game of Thrones origins explained
• The House of the Dragon dragons, listed and explained
• Greens vs. Blacks, explained
• The Targaryen family tree
• The House of the Dragon timeline

Aang must master all four elements if he's to restore harmony to a world out of balance. The problem is, the Avatar's got off to a rocky start when it comes to earthbending. That's where Netflix's live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 kicks off, with Aang in search of someone who can help him master the third element he needs to take down the Fire Nation.

Enter Toph Beifong, an earthbending master who secretly kicks ass in tournaments by night while keeping up appearances as a posh girl by day. A lot rides on Toph's introduction, not just in a world-saving capacity, but also when it comes to Avatar itself as a show.

Aside from Appa and Momo, it's no exaggeration to suggest that Toph might just be the most beloved character in the entire Avatar franchise. How could she not be? Looking back at the original series this show is based on, it's easy to forget Toph wasn't even in the first season. That's how integral she quickly became upon her introduction in season two, instantly establishing herself as a key pillar of the group.

As such, season two of this new adaptation really needed to get Toph right. It's the least Netflix could do for the self-proclaimed "greatest earthbender in the world." And thankfully, they did. In fact, Toph's introduction in live-action is easily the best thing about season two, so any fears you might have should immediately be put to rest.

Earth shattering

Winning out over 6000 hopefuls, it's clear that Miyako simply is Toph in almost every way possible. And not just because she looks like Toph, either. It's as if she stepped barefoot out of the cartoon into live-action, exuding the exact same sass that made us fall in love with Toph in the first place, 20 years prior.

While some fans naturally hoped that the show would cast a blind actress to bring more authenticity to the role, Miyako worked extensively with a blindness consultant on set who helped ensure this version of Toph remained true to the character. It wasn't just about wearing contact lenses that would limit Miyako's sight, either.

Together, she and Joe Strechay worked hard to make the earthbending prodigy as confident as she is in the original, navigating the world in her own unique way. Because Toph is blind, of course, but she senses the world around her through a connection to the earth itself, much like how Daredevil interprets his surroundings using a radar sense.

Speaking to IGN, Strechay compared it to "doing a no-look pass in basketball," making sure Toph looked effortless in her bending without needing to physically see her opponents or the earth itself that she manipulates in order to fight them. Whether she's battling a grunt named The Boulder or just flipping soup in Aang's face, every mannerism calls back to the Toph we first met in animated form.

"Learning how to portray a fully blind character was one of the biggest insecurities I had about this role," Miyako said. But it's clear she was determined to put herself in Toph's shoes (or lack thereof, like when she kept her shoes off between takes, no matter how cold it got shooting in Vancouver).

Chip off the old block

Beyond the physicality of the role, this version of Toph even sounds like the Toph that so many of us grew up watching. Michaela Jill Murphy's voice work in the cartoon is legendary, imbuing the earthbender with grit but also vulnerability when the story called for it.

Miyako told Screen Rant that she "wanted to be as close to the character as possible," explaining that "there are parts in the season where you can hear a little tinge of her voice mixed with my register. I really felt that was something I needed to do. I'm glad it played well, because I remember just slaving over vowels."

By channeling Murphy's original performance, Miyako's own take really nails how Toph uses sass as a kind of emotional armor, much like the actual walls she builds around herself in battle. The young Beifong is as sturdy as the metal she eventually learns to bend, proving herself to be quite the taskmaster for Aang.

"No wonder it took you years to learn how to waterbend," goads Toph at one point. "You’re nothing but a 'half-atar!'"

When Katara suggests trying positive reinforcement, Toph says she'll "bear that in mind if [Aang] ever does anything positive."

Jokes that Toph used to make about her own blindness in the original cartoon return here too – all sensitively developed with help from Strechay – because Toph isn't Toph if she's not teasing the others and occasionally making them squirm.

"It's an honor to help the Avatar, see?" says Katara early on, to which Toph bluntly replies, "No, I don't see."

Strong foundations

Toph brings some much-needed laughs to season two, which even goes out of its way to update the original cartoon at points, like a new scene where Toph discovers she can access the mystical books in the library using Braille. That series was already ahead when it came to depicting blindness like this in family fare, but it's heartening still to see the new show strive to improve this even further, two decades on.

Such depth is also threaded into Toph's struggle with her rich lineage and the problematic behaviour of her parents, who it turns out are selling weapons to the Fire Nation for profit. A major betrayal later on in the season hits especially hard because we can see just how sensitive Toph actually is under that rock-hard exterior.

The brashness of her persona quite literally grounds the group with a big shift in energy upon joining, much like it did in the original series. Toph's "neutral jing," as the show describes it, counters the signature calm that Aang and Katara embody, balancing out their personalities with grit and steely resolve.

In doing so, Toph's introduction brings harmony to the gang and season two alike, not to mention a fandom that might disagree on a lot, but can hopefully all agree on just how perfect this new version of the beloved character has turned out to be.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is streaming now on Netflix. For more, check out our spoiler-free Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 review, or dive into our spoiler-packed Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 ending explained if you're all caught up.

It feels a little ridiculous to talk about the new movie Supergirl and not discuss the titular character. But with the latest DCU flick now in theaters, all eyes won’t just be on the Maid of Might – they'll be on the Main Man, Lobo, played by Jason Momoa. And thankfully, the actor's long audition as Aquaman in the DCEU properly prepared him for the role Momoa was born to play.

Is that unfair to say about a role Momoa played multiple times, in multiple movies (and TV shows)? Perhaps. Except, ever since the actor was announced as playing Arthur Curry way back in 2014, it seemed like an odd fit. Sure, he had played a ruler before on Game of Thrones, but the monosyllabic Khal Drogo was a far cry from any iteration of Aquaman we had seen before in the comic book source material, let alone his appearances in animated TV shows and live-action on Smallville.

Yet Momoa proceeded to make the role his own from a blink-and-you'll-miss-it appearance in Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, all the way through the cockroach-crunching end of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But the problem was that Momoa bent Aquaman his way into a brash, joke-slinging bad-ass who shouts "my man," gets into bar fights, and is more Momoa than Curry.

That may not entirely be an issue, because Momoa was one of the highlights of the controversial DCEU/Zack Snyder era, despite his every move seeming to be designed to specifically push back at anyone who made fun of Aquaman for talking to fish. This Aquaman was cool. He was a muscle-bound beefcake. He drinks and fights, and if you say he's anything less than rad, he will beat you up. But it also, curiously, seemed antithetical to what Aquaman is supposed to be.

Ride or die

Which is why this all makes a lot more sense once you realize Momoa was merely paving the way for Lobo. Unlike his Fast & Furious franchise cohort Dwayne Johnson – who attempted his own hostile takeover of the DC cinematic franchise and took Henry "I would just love to play Warhammer 40k if you don't mind" Cavill down with him – Momoa managed to pivot one of the more successful turns in the DCEU into his dream role in the DCU. Reportedly, the very morning James Gunn and Peter Safran were announced as the new heads of DC Studios, Momoa texted Gunn two words: "Fucking Lobo." And Gunn somehow interpreted that mysterious text correctly and agreed, stating that he thought Momoa should have been Lobo for years.

It's clear that through the auditions for Batman and casting as Aquaman, what Momoa really wanted was Lobo. And it's such a better fit, as Momoa basically is Lobo, without the immortality and bloodthirstiness. The Czarnian bounty hunter, created in 1983 by Roger Slifer and Keith Giffen, is what it says on the tin, but it wasn't until the ‘90s that the character found his niche as a commentary on the over-the-top dark and gritty superhero trend kicked off in part by characters like Wolverine at Marvel and Batman at DC. Momoa himself is like a walking, talking human parody, with his scraggly beard, wild hair, and 6'4 height. He's a wild man who looks like he'd accept an invitation to party any day, any time.

That's Lobo, and that's exactly what Momoa captures on screen with Supergirl. Yes, he physically looks like the character walked off the comic book page, thanks only in small part to black and white makeup, red eyes, and sharp teeth. But honestly, Momoa's inherent physicality does the majority of the work. And his delivery, delighted to see ultra-violence, taking no guff, and coaching a young girl to kill people, feels so much more natural coming out of Lobo than any of Momoa's dialogue did with Aquaman.

The main event

Lobo's the perfect loose cannon running through the new DCU movie, and given his relatively scant screen time, the next question is: when will we see Lobo again? A lot of that potentially depends on how Supergirl does at the box office this weekend – all signs point to "not great" – but Momoa has taken the Lobo ball this far, it's hard to believe his dreams of being the Main Man will stop here, particularly as the actor has the strength of will that would make a Green Lantern jealous.

It's entirely possible Lobo could stop by in the already filming Man of Tomorrow, whether in a cameo or another expanded supporting role, a la Supergirl. But it's tricky to say beyond that because, given James Gunn's laudable unwillingness to greenlight projects before scripts are ready, there are… Not a lot of projects greenlit.

One option? The in-development Wonder Woman reboot, which boasts Supergirl writer Ana Nogueira as screenwriter. While it would be a little weird to see Lobo only pop up as a supporting character in movies with a main, female character, given Nogueira already figured out a way to fuse Lobo into the story from comic book creators Tom King and Bilquis Evely, who is to say she couldn't do the same for Diana?

Lobo would also fit well in the already filmed Lanterns on HBO, given Lobo often tangles with the GLs in the comics. Or he could show up in whatever is following up on the prison planet plotline of Sanctuary from Season 2 of Peacemaker… We've already seen Lobo in jail once, and John Cena is yet another ex-pat from the Fast & Furious franchise Momoa could tangle with. Heck, they were supposed to be in a movie called Killer Vacation together, which we haven't heard a peep about since 2022. So this might be a way of finally getting the duo to team up.

Look, wherever Momoa goes as Lobo next, this is already a much more natural fit than Aquaman, and it's likely audiences will respond positively (regardless of the Supergirl movie's box office fate). So let’s make sure it isn't another decade before we get to see mo' Momoa in the role he was meant to play. Ya bastiches.

Supergirl is in theaters now. For more, dive into our spoiler-free Supergirl review, or catch up on the DCU to date with our guide on how to watch DC movies in order.

Stranger Things may have ended, but that won't stop Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour from reuniting in a brand new thriller show for Netflix.

Per Deadline, the series, loosely based on the Paul Warner novel A Spy in the Blood, follows Harbour as "disgraced FBI agent turned security expert Matt Wolfe" who is "drawn back into the world he left behind when his estranged daughter, Rebecca (Brown), now an FBI agent determined to follow in his footsteps, vanishes on a mission, forcing him back into a field that has evolved beyond him."

Jack Thorne, creator of the no. 2 Netflix series of all time, Adolescence, will serve as showrunner with A24 producing.

The news comes six months after the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, in which Brown and Harbour played adoptive father and daughter, Hopper and Eleven, for nearly 10 years. The series ended with quite the happy ending for Harbour's grumpy but lovable police chief, though we can't say the same for Brown's bald, telekinetic superhero.

"Father-daughter is where we live, but Netflix will always be our home," Brown said of the new collaboration. Harbour also recently teased the project in an interview with Variety, saying, "You'll see more of me and Millie. 10 years wasn't enough."

The untitled spy series not yet have a release date. Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix, but the franchise lives on, as Stranger Things: Tales From '85 season 2 is in the works. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows

CD Projekt Red social media manager Marcin Lukasewski says Weak Kingsley, the first new character to be revealed in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is relatable as hell because of his much older age.

"As someone who just got a bit older, Weak's character in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 resonates with me a whole lot. Can't wait for you guys to meet him when you watch the series!" Lucasewski wrote on Twitter. "He is cool, and for so many reasons!"

The first image of Weak comes from a video shown of the new cast at Annecy, courtesy of CD Projekt Red, which concealed their identities as silhouettes. The second revealed cast member is simply know as D. As we can see from the image below, there is still one more to be revealed.

Weak's character is particularly interesting given his much older age than the show's usual cast of teens... which is, indeed, pretty cool. D, with spikey hair and youthful stance, appears to be of the show's usual age range.

We don't know much else about the new season other than that there will be a "different crew and new standalone story set in Night City." A more concrete announcement is set to come out on June 29, with an Anime Expo panel to follow in July.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 currently does not have a release date (and neither does the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel). For more, check out our list of new anime, as well as all the new PS5 games on the horizon.

House of the Dragon season 3 has introduced Ormund Hightower, and fans are loving him already.

In the season premiere, Ormund, played by James Norton, showed up very briefly as leader of the green army. While he hasn't done much just yet, he's already made a big impression with fans.

"Putting all my stock in the Ormund storyline," said one person on Reddit, with another saying: "He's awful, I lov[e] it lol"

"I like that they set him apart with the whole scented perfume thing I wonder if it shows off his pompous nature as Lord of Oldtown or if it's a genuine disability," says someone else – Ormund conspicuously sniffs perfume when a messenger comes to visit.

"I have no clue who he is cause I haven't read the book but this actor nailed the pompous elitist high born facial expressions. It was like a 2 minute scene and I love him and Daeron(?) already," says someone else. A fan theory that Ormund's squire is none other than Daeron Targaryen has sprung up since the episode aired.

"I’m just over the moon to James Norton in Westeros. He’s such an amazing actor and I’m glad to see him in the show," says someone else.

"Was sold on his character as soon as he said 'King, is he now?' and simultaneously made THAT Hoity-Toity face... Definitely here for it …," agrees another fan.

"He's won me over to team green with his smug aura and having Brasso as a pissed off sidekick," says another person, referring to Joplin Sibtain, who played Brasso in Andor.

Ormund is Alicent Hightower's cousin, and, with such a huge army at his back, we wouldn't count him out as the season goes on.

House of the Dragon season 3 continues weekly on HBO in the US and HBO Max, Sky, and NOW in the UK. You can keep up to date with our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule. For even more, read our House of the Dragon season 3 review.

Good news Marvel fans, it sounds as though you won't have to wait two plus years for X-Men '97 season 3, as you did for season 2.

"Luckily, the production problems won’t occur again. There was a huge gap of time between [season] one and two. They’ve learned their lessons," said producer Larry Houston in an interview with The Direct. "So with [seasons] three and four, that won’t happen again… That was a one-off."

Season 1 landed on Disney Plus in March 2024 to glowing reviews, scoring a pretty much perfect 99% score on Rotten Tomatoes. In our X-Men '97 season 1 review, we awarded the freshman season 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it "a seamlessly connected revival season that serves as a near-perfect reintroduction to one of Marvel’s best superhero teams."

The animated show was quickly renewed after that. But X-Men '97 Season 2 won't air until July 2026. That's over two years to wait for an animated series. However, Houston, who directed the original X-Men animated series back in the '90s, says the wait will be well worth it. "Trust me, as a fan, you will enjoy it," stated the producer. The second season has not hit Disney Plus just yet, but we have awarded it 4 stars in our X-Men '97 season 2 review.

Picking up from season 1's cliffhanger, X-Men '97 season 2 finds Cyclops, Jean Grey, Rogue, Beast, Nightcrawler, Charles Xavier, and Magneto scattered across time. But as the mutans must find a way home, back in the '90s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men's absence.

Beyond that, season 3 is already in production, and X-Men '97 season 4 has already been greenlit. But how quickly will Marvel be able to deliver the new seasons to the small screen? Whilst on The Escape Pod earlier this year, Head of Marvel TV Brad Winderbaum confirmed that both X-Men '97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will get new seasons "every year moving forward."

X-Men '97 season 2 arrives on Disney Plus on July 1. For more, check out our guides on how to watch the X-Men movies in order and how to watch Marvel movies in order.

Live-action Ezra Bridger actor Eman Esfandi has posted a cryptic tease for Ahsoka season 2.

Esfandi made his live-action debut in the first season of the show, and he'll soon be returning when the show airs on Disney Plus early next year.

"'The pain you're feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming' I tell myself as I await season 2," Esfandi wrote on Twitter.

The tease is so mysterious that even the official Star Wars account doesn't seem to know what to make of it, simply replying: "Eman"

Esfandi had a response, however: "Should've left that in the drafts my b"

At the end of Ahsoka season 1, Ezra safely made it back to the main galaxy by stowing away on Grand Admiral Thrawn's ship. But, Ahsoka Tano and Sabine Wren were left behind, along with Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati.

So far, Ahsoka season 2 is shrouded in mystery. What we know for sure, though, is that Hayden Christensen will return as Anakin Skywalker, Admiral Ackbar will face off against Thrawn, Rory McCann is taking over as Baylan from the late Ray Stevenson, and there will be battles across two galaxies.

"Anybody who saw the sequels knows that there's a First Order coming in, like, 20 years from where we are now in the storyline," The Mandalorian and Grogu director Jon Favreau has teased of the second Ahsoka season. "And then Ahsoka season 2 is coming out – which I've seen all of – and that's definitely more dealing with the larger [picture], a higher level. That's about the officers and we're the enlisted men – this is more of a ground-level experience of what's going on. You're seeing the backdrop – which, by the way, is what the first Star Wars started off as."

Ahsoka season 2 doesn't have a firm release date yet beyond early 2027. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

Over six months after Stranger Things came to an end, Eleven star Millie Bobby Brown says only she and the show's creators know what really happened to her character.

"And you know what? The Duffer Brothers and I, we made a secret pact that we know the true ending," said Brown on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, adding that "whatever they choose to do with that information, they do," but she still hasn't told anyone. "Even my husband's like, 'Just tell me.'"

At the end of Stranger Things season 5, after defeating Vecna in the Upside Down and helping her friends get back to Hawkins, Eleven decides that the only way to close the gate to the Upside Down for good is to sacrifice herself as Hopper blows up the gate (you can read more on that in our Stranger Things season 5 finale ending explained).

However, later in the episode, Mike Wheeler tells the others that Eleven is still alive, and that Kali projected an image of Eleven inside the gate while the real Eleven escaped. Wheeler imagines his girlfriend living in rural Iceland. This left her fate pretty open-ended and convinced a lot of fans that the character may still be alive.

Back when the finale aired, the Duffer brothers revealed that they left Eleven's fate open so that viewers could choose for themselves what happened to her, but they know the truth. On the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Matt Duffer said, "This is ambiguous. I mean, you're writing from a point of view of understanding what the truth is and the reality is," adding, "I think it takes away the power of the ending if you tell people what you were thinking as you were writing it."

However, many fans were not too happy with the ending, which led to a widespread conspiracy theory known as Conformity Gate. Stranger Things fans were convinced that there was a secret ninth episode on the way, and that 'clues' from the final season pointed to Vecna tricking the audience. Alas, no other episode ever arrived. When Fallon mentioned the theory, Brown replied, "Oh my gosh! Shut up!"

Stranger Things seasons 1-5 are available to stream on Netflix, but the franchise lives on, as Stranger Things: Tales From '85 season 2 is in the works. For more, check out our guide to the best Netflix shows, and keep up with new TV shows

House of the Dragon season 3's ratings are in, and the premiere's all-timer naval battle couldn't help it stack up against the second season.

As per Warner Bros. Discovery (via Variety), 21.5 million people tuned in across the first three days of availability for House of the Dragon season 3.

So, it's hardly sinking without a trace – but has suffered an 8% drop on House of the Dragon season 2's 23.4 million figure across the same three-day window in 2024.

All told, it's difficult to pinpoint why numbers have dropped. Variety has pointed to the World Cup being on – was Sunday's Uruguay vs. Cape Verde match really that big of a draw? – as a factor, though it's likely some felt dissatisfied by season 2's wheelspinning in Harrenhal with Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen, as well as the continued years-long gaps between seasons.

There is also the small matter of Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin engaging in a one-sided public feud with showrunner Ryan Condal.

"It's worse than rocky," Martin told The Hollywood Reporter of their working relationship in January, "It's abysmal."

"I would give notes, and nothing would happen," Martin explained. "Sometimes he would explain why he wasn't doing it. Other times, he would tell me, 'Oh, OK, yeah, I'll think about that.' It got worse and worse, and I began to get more and more annoyed. Finally, it got to a point where I was told by HBO that I should submit all my notes to them and they would give Ryan our combined notes."

Whatever the behind-the-scenes tensions, that hasn't dimmed the critical reaction to House of the Dragon season 3, which exploded onto our screens with the Battle of the Gullet.

The latest season is currently sitting at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, while our own four-star House of the Dragon season 3 review suggested "this could be the best season of a Westeros-set show in over a decade."

House of the Dragon season 3 is airing weekly on HBO, HBO Max, and NOW TV/Sky in the UK.

For more, check out the complete House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners writer Bartosz Sztybor has revealed that an alternate fate was planned for David, but it's just as depressing.

Speaking to Anime Corner, Sztybor confirmed, "There was one ending in which David doesn't die entirely. Arasaka gets him, and he ends up fighting in Africa or South America in corporate wars as a robot."

In the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners ending that made it onto our screens on Netflix, David is brutally murdered by Atom Smasher, but not before putting up one heck of a fight against Arasaka's hired muscle. In an extra heart-wrenching twist, his partner Lucy visits the moon after his death, when their dream was to go together.

So, was the original ending a fate worse than death? Becoming a blunt weapon for Arasaka to wage corporate wars overseas would have been a uniquely deflating ending to the Cyberpunk anime, especially when so much of the franchise is already dedicated to showcasing how large global corporations are able to stomp the man on the street underfoot.

Let's hope Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is a little more upbeat. The new season, once again brought to life by Studio Trigger, is in the works and on the cusp of a reveal.

The first look at the main character was glimpsed this week at Annecy, with CD Projekt Red unveiling a more official look at another Night City denizen on social media. A more concrete announcement is coming on June 29, with an Anime Expo panel to follow in July.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners season 2 is currently undated, as is the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel.

Don't go cyberpsycho while you wait: here are the new anime you can watch until then, as well as all the new PS5 games over the horizon.

Lizzy Caplan is set to star alongside Rob Mac in Noah Hawley's Far Cry adaptation for Hulu.

Per a press release, the actor – whose 26-year career spans everything from Freaks and Geeks to Cloverfield – is set to star in an undisclosed role. We still don't know too much about the series yet, other than it will "retain Far Cry's signature standalone storytelling format with each season set in a new setting following a new cast of characters."

Based on the popular first-person shooter video game series of the same name, Far Cry was initially announced as an anthology series with each season featuring a new cast set in a new world. Noah Hawley serves as creator and showrunner, with Rob Mac (the artist formerly known as Rob McElhenney) starring and executive-producing under his More Bettter banner.

The first Far Cry game debuted in 2004, with each installment taking place in a different open world where survival is the goal (and there's multiple ending outcomes). My personal favorite is Far Cry 5, which takes place in the state of Montana which is overrun by a doomsday cult led by a man named Joseph Seed. No matter how you play the game, each outcome is a huge bummer (but I mean that in the best way).

Caplan's breakthrough role was Janis in the 2004 Tina Fey comedy Mean Girls, and she's gone on to star in everything from Cloverfield to Castle Rock, as well as the magician heist franchise Now You See Me.

The Far Cry show doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming video game movies for all the other adaptations worth keeping your eye on.

Long before Invincible landed on our screen as a series, creator Robert Kirkman had planned to make it into a movie. However, the comic book writer has revealed that he personally stopped it being made because he thought the script was so bad.

Speaking at the Annecy Animation Festival, he told crowds that the script was "absolutely horrible". He said, per Deadline: "It was just embarrassing, just bad. It was a fun lesson because you fight for the opportunity to write your screenplay and then you personally keep the project from happening because you did that."

Thankfully, it worked out for the best with Invincible now being one of Prime Video's most popular shows. The creators are currently working on season 5 but season 6 has just been announced too with The Boys star Jack Quaid joining the cast.

The idea of a live-action movie isn't out of the question either with Kirkman previously speaking about wanting to make it. Speaking earlier in 2026, he shared that the movie is still in development, but he doesn't really have any new updates yet.

"It's definitely a long process and it's something that hopefully will come together sooner rather than later," he told Screen Rant. "But our focus right now is on the show and making sure that the show is all it can be. But yeah, there's certainly movement here and there behind the scenes, but nothing that we can reveal just yet."

For more on what to watch now, check out our guide to the best shows on Amazon Prime as well as all the new anime you should have on your radar.

An animated series based on the best-selling comic Absolute Batman is in the works at Warner Bros and DC Studios – and the era of 'reimagined' Bruce Waynes is truly upon us.

Absolute Batman, created by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta, is a monthly superhero comic that stars a 24-year-old, blue-collar Bruce Wayne who works by day as a civil engineer and still has one living parent. The comic has been widely celebrated as a reimagining of the Batman mythos. You can check out the official series logo below.

The series was announced at the 2026 Annecy International Animation Festival, alongside a Joker anime and another animated series based on Krypto the Super Dog. This means there are a total of eight animated DC Studios shows, including My Adventure With Green Lantern, Starfire! Super Powers, Miata Miracle, and the already-airing Creature Commandos. Of the eight projects, it appears that Creature Commandos is still the only one canon to the DCU.

In this particular reimagining, Alfred Pennyworth, who narrates the series, is an M16 agent, the Joker is a billionaire, and villains like Catwoman, Riddler, and Killer Croc are some of Bruce's childhood friends. The latter of which is due to the fact that he grew up poor in Crime Alley (the street where Bruce's parents were killed in the original comic), rather than living in a mansion and mingling with other affluent families.

"Can’t even begin to tell you guys how excited Nick and I are to be working on this," Snyder wrote on Twitter. "So grateful to Warner Brothers animation and DC Studios!"

Absolute Batman does not yet have a release date. For more, check out our list of all the upcoming DC movies and shows.

We didn't see this one coming. The first DC Studios anime has been unveiled at Annecy International Animation Film Festival – and it's all about a Joker revenge quest.

As per the logline for Joker: Laugh Riot, "When Batman is murdered, the Joker launches a ruthless crusade through Gotham’s underworld to find the killer who took away his greatest adversary. But as his violent quest for answers pushes him closer towards vigilante than villain, Joker is forced to confront the truth that without Batman, he doesn’t know who he is."

The project, seemingly not tied to the DC cinematic universe that James Gunn and Peter Safran are crafting with Superman, Supergirl et al on the big screen, is being directed by Yasuhuro Aoki.

Aoki helmed last year's Chao and even has past history with the Caped Crusader as part of 2008 animated anthology Batman: Gotham Knight. There, he directed the fourth entry, which saw Kevin Conroy's Batman take on the Scarecrow.

DC dipped into anime just a few years ago with Suicide Squad Isekai, but this is its first extensive in-house production, complete with a killer premise.

Long-time Bat-fans will be acutely aware, however, that Batman dying and even Joker trying to interrogate his killer is nothing new.

Batman: The Animated Series even featured a classic episode titled 'The Man Who Killed Batman'. The Clown Prince of Crime grows increasingly frustrated by the idea that hapless criminal Sid the Squid managed to defeat Batman once and for all.

Joker: Laugh Riot is currently undated, but stick with GamesRadar+ for updates as we hear more.

Dive into what's coming in the summer season with our guide to new anime.

We have good news for One Piece fans overseas, as Netflix has confirmed a release date for One Piece Heroines, and it's less than one week after it drops in Japan.

On June 25, Netflix took to Twitter to confirm that the upcoming special episode of One Piece will land on the streamer on July 11. That's just six days after it airs in Japan on the evening of July 5. Check out the post below.

The special episode is set to follow the female leads of the One Piece series. The synopsis reads, "After buying a pair of shoes that end up hurting her feet, Nami returns to the shop feeling dissatisfied. There, she meets Lebno, the designer, who tells her, 'I’ll make you a brand-new pair from scratch—but only if you’ll be my model.' The shoes are crafted by the artisan Miucha, leading to an unexpected and stylish encounter."

One Piece released the first teaser on June 23 over on YouTube, which saw Nami make her high fashion debut, and features the episode's theme song 'Blue Shining Star' by AiNA THE END. You can watch the teaser trailer below.

The episode is titled Nami, adapting the character's One Piece Heroines story. However, the novel also focuses on different adventures following three other One Piece Heroines, so there's plenty of content to adapt in the future. Although Nami's story revolves around fashion, Robin's story sees her decipher an ancient tablet, whereas Princess Vivi receives a love letter from an admirer, and Ghost Princess Perona goes after the last bottle of wine.

The news of Netflix's Heroines release date comes just one day after the streamer released the first The One Piece teaser. The upcoming show will act as a remake of the original anime series, adapting the legendary manga by Eiichiro Oda. However, The One Piece will tell the same story in fewer episodes, meaning that new fans can catch up with the franchise without having to watch 22 seasons of the main show. Of course, Nami will also appear in The One Piece, which hits Netflix in February 2027.

For more from the original anime series, check out our guide on how to watch One Piece in order and the episodes you need to avoid in our One Piece filler list.

Back in 2020, The Mandalorian season 2 broke the internet when it brought back Luke Skywalker in the finale. The cameo was a total secret, even to the actors on set, bar Pedro Pascal.

But, Ming-Na Wen, who plays Fennec Shand in the Star Wars universe, has revealed she knew the truth the whole time.

"Oh, I knew it was Luke. How could you not? The glove, the lightsaber, the R2-D2 that they painted freaking green," Wen said in conversation with Katee Sackhoff, who plays Bo-Katan Kryze (and had no idea they were dealing with Luke Skywalker). "I just turned to Jon [Favreau] and Dave [Filoni], I'm like, 'Are you kidding me?'"

The cover story was this mysterious Jedi was none other than Plo Koon, who died during Order 66 – a story Sackhoff apparently believed.

"I'm like, 'Come on. It's R2-D2.' They're like, 'No it's not,'" Wen added, confirming no one would tell her the truth in the moment. Check out the conversation below.

In the finale, Luke Skywalker showed up to save Mando, Grogu, Cara Dune, Bo-Katan, Koska Reeves, and Fennec Shand from the Dark Troopers.

"But even when they didn't admit it, I didn't know how they were going to present it," Wen added. "So, I was very surprised, because I didn't see all those other stuff… It was amazing. I still cried and freaked out."

Luke Skywalker showed up again in The Book of Boba Fett, but hasn't been seen since – though a Star Wars fan spotted a background detail in The Mandalorian and Grogu that might have hinted at his presence on Adelphi Base.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently in theaters, and, right now, we don't know what's next for Din Djarin and Baby Yoda. The next Star Wars release is Ahsoka season 2, which is arriving in early 2027.

In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies and shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.

The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman may not be a stranger to killing off beloved characters, but he knows who the real maester is: Game of Thrones' George R.R. Martin.

Speaking at Annecy (via Deadline), Kirkman said, "He is the master and I am but the learner. He is way better at killing characters than me."

But that's not for want of trying. While Martin may have made his name by putting characters on the chopping block – Ned Stark, Jon Snow (before his revival), and Joffrey Baratheon among them – Kirkman reveals he has a twisted sense of bloodlust, especially surrounding the AMC adaptation of his ever-popular The Walking Dead comic.

“When we started on Walking Dead I was the lunatic in the writers' room who was like, 'I don't know, just kill the main character, who cares? We'll do something weird.'"

That even extended to "pushing to kill Daryl Dixon for a while." Norman Reedus' Daryl Dixon went on to become a fan favorite, eventually starring in three seasons of his own spin-off series with a fourth on the way.

Kirkman added, "Any character in The Walking Dead, at some point I was in the writers' rooms saying, 'Why don't we kill them today?'"

The Walking Dead writer has continued his killstreak on the small screen with Invincible, which has left plenty of crushed skulls and unspooled organs in its wake.

But George R.R. Martin's work is matching him death for death. He may no longer be involved in the series after behind-the-scenes drama with showrunner Ryan Condal, but House of the Dragon season 3 featured plenty of casualties in its Battle of the Gullet premiere. One actor involved even revealed they had a specific request for their death scene.

For our verdict, check out the House of the Dragon season 3 review. If you're still playing catch up on Kirkman's bloodletting, we have a guide the best way to watch The Walking Dead in order.