The Ghost in the Shell director Toma Kimura, professionally known as Mokochan, says he prayed to an imaginary version of original manga creator Masamune Shirow while developing the new adaptation.

"I would pray to this imaginary version of Shirow that emerged from my reading of the manga," Mokochan told WIRED Japan. "Then, after about three days, the answer would just quietly appear. At that point, it no longer mattered whether the answer came from my own inner thoughts or from my interpretation of the source material. That’s what I mean by spiritual communion."

Masamune penned the Ghost in the Shell manga, which debuted in 1989. The 1995 anime movie adaptation, directed by Mamoru Oshii, is widely considered one of the best anime movies of all time... so I absolutely understand praying to an imaginary Masamune for guidance. The Western live-action adaptation starring Scarlett Johansson, however, wasn't the most well-received (but we don't need to talk about that).

Per the official synopsis from Prime Video, the new 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" and tells "the story of the full-body cyborg Motoko Kusanagi and the combat unit she leads in the fight against cybercrime."

Ghost in the Shell is airing now on Prime Video. Keep up to date with our Ghost in the Shell release schedule. For more on what to watch, check out our guide to the best anime to watch this year and keep up with new anime.

Ghost in the Shell lends itself to remakes more perhaps than any other manga to date.

The original story, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow, is set in a world where identity and consciousness are no longer defined by the physical. Technology in this cyberpunk future has developed to the point where people now possess cyberbrains that allow them to interface with various networks and therefore inhabit different artificial forms, remoulding themselves each time.

The same is true of Mamoru Oshii's 1995 movie adaptation which arrived in theaters five years after the manga ended. Considered a box-office failure upon release, the film has since been heralded as a sci-fi classic, even though it deviated wildly in tone from the story that inspired it.

While Shirow's original work was funny and even goofy at points, this energy was redirected into a quieter, philosophical meditation on the meaning of life itself in the film. Subsequent adaptations largely stuck to this tone, including Oshii's more ponderous sequel, although Kenji Kamiyama's Stand Alone Complex dived further into political intrigue. The less said about Netflix's poorly-conceived SAC 2045, the better.

Fluidity is as integral to this franchise as wires and circuitry are to its dystopian future, yet even within this constant state of evolution, it took hitting a hard factory reset to now give us what might be the best version of Ghost in the Shell yet.

A new approach

Like previous adaptations, the vast sci-fi world of Science Saru's new Ghost in the Shell is centred by Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg who leads the elite tactical unit Public Security Section 9 in their fight against cybercrime and terrorism. With help from a fellow cyborg named Batou, Kusanagi eventually comes into conflict with a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master who can control the cybernetic minds of others from afar for his own nefarious gains.

This fundamental wiring connects every version of Ghost in the Shell, no matter where their thematic emphasis might lean, but the most radical take on Kusanagi yet is the one that ends up being most faithful to the original story.

Leaning into the manga's spiritual roots, Science Saru draws heavily from the humor and lighthearted tone that initially defined this world in their new adaptation, giving us a new take on Ghost in the Shell that's never been seen on screen before.

The weighty existentialism that's become the default for this franchise has now taken a back seat in favor of jokes and even some slapstick comedy. While that might sound like an affront to what Ghost in the Shell has become known for, watching Kusanagi and her team bicker mid-firefight actually grounds this series with a newfound humanity which speaks to themes around identity in a very different, yet no less relevant way.

Key to this is how the remake rewires Kusanagi herself, transforming our introspective, incredibly serious lead into someone far more spunky in her approach to crimefighting.

This version of Kusanagi isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks, quick to crack jokes or blow up when things aren't going her way. "This is why I hate letting insensitive jerk wads into my brain," she says at one point, teasing her bestie Batou. Play your cards wrong and Kusanagi might even hack your ghost to make you punch yourself in the face.

But there's a lot of love there for her team still, and episode two even throws some physical loving her way, sexualising Kusanagi in ways that give her agency rather than just ogle at her body from afar (as has so often been the case in previous adaptations).

Although some areas of the fandom might be less than willing to embrace such change, this is far from a betrayal. Science Saru were in constant contact with the creator of Ghost in the Shell, regularly asking Shirow questions to ensure that the story was in line with his original vision.

That's also true of the animation, which harkens back to the manga with exaggerated features and retro vibes that feel like they've been lifted directly from the pages of Young Magazine Zōkan: Kaizokuban (where Ghost in the Shell first appeared circa 1989).

Human nature

The character work is more expressive, matching the new energy this remake brings, and the colors are far more vibrant too. Early on in episode one, there's a scene where bright red robotic devices shine under the sun that streams through branches of cherry blossom trees as they shed their petals overhead, creating a gorgeous vista that's miles removed from the cold tech-noir cityscapes this franchise is usually known for. Those still exist though, of course. It's just that the remake brings more variety and intriguing use of light to its palette.

And it's not like the serious undertones of Kusanagi's mission are absent entirely. Those bursts of color sometimes come with bursts of pixelated blood in a series where violence remains intrinsic to said mission. The members of Public Security Section 9 regularly fight for their lives in explosive gunfights where death, be it the death of a human or the destruction of their cybernetic shell, is commonplace throughout.

This again brings into question what it means to be a human, how technology can lead us further from our essence, or our "ghosts", if you will. Such concerns are threaded into wider, even more timely issues around corruption, human experimentation and the abuse of AI, which, while always present in the franchise, are accentuated further here. So this is very much a Ghost in the Shell story still, perhaps more so than any other adaptation so far given Science Saru's dogmatic faithfulness to the original text.

Such an approach doesn't automatically guarantee success though. Where the remake succeeds most is in how it balances all this so well, finding humor within dystopia without sacrificing the tension and extreme violence that's inherent to this property. Like they've done so effectively in Dandadan, Science Saru brings seemingly disparate tones together with what feels like ease, enhanced of course by the world-class visuals and voice-acting you'd expect from a studio of such repute.

Who knew that a humorous take on Ghost in the Shell would turn out to be one of this year's biggest and best surprises? And even more surprisingly, who knew that this would turn out to be one of the rare remakes that justifies its existence by being more faithful to the original, not less? Ghost in the Shell continues to subvert expectations even now, 37 years after Shirow first put pen to paper, but that's incredibly fitting for a franchise long defined by change.

Ghost in the Shell episode 1 is out now on Prime Video. Make sure you don't miss a moment with our The Ghost in the Shell release schedule. We've also got a list of the best shows on Prime Video to keep you busy too.

The Boys season 5 didn't snag any Emmy nominations in the acting department this year, despite submitting a whopping 28 of its actors.

Per Gold Derby, the hit Prime Video show submitted lead actors Antony Starr, Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, and Karen Fukuhara, as well as supporting actors Laz Alonso, Tomer Capone, Chace Crawford, Jessie T. Usher, Nathan Mitchell, Daveed Diggs, Jensen Ackles, Susan Heyward, Colby Minifie, and Valorie Curry.

But that's not all: guest stars Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Elisabeth Shue, Paul Reiser, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Seth Rogen, Kumail Nanjiani, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Will Forte, John Noble, Cameron Crovetti, Giancarlo Esposito, and Samuel L. Jackson (who provided the voice for a shark named Xander) were submitted as well.

The show did, however, earn five Emmy nominations overall:Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics for Oh Father's song 'Raise Him Up,' Best Fantasy/Sci-Fi costumes, Outstanding Sound Editing, Outstanding Music Supervision, and Outstanding Stunt Coordination. The Boys season 5 joins non-satirical superhero shows Peacemaker season 2 and Spider-Noir in the Outstanding Stunts category.

Though this may be the end for the main cast of The Boys, we still have two spin-offs on the way: The Boys: Mexico and Vought Rising.

The Boys season 5 is now streaming in full on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 finale recap, our take on the episode in our The Boys season 5 finale review, and all the details about what's next in Vought Rising.

If you're looking for the best new shows and movies to stream this weekend, then you've come to the right place. We've got recommendations from across the spectrum of streaming services, meaning whatever you subscribe to, we've got you covered.

Highlights this week include the return of animated series X-Men '97 on Disney Plus, the third film in the Enola Holmes franchise on Netflix, and horror-comedy sequel Ready or Not 2: Here I Come (though we're still mad it wasn't called Ready or Not: Here I Come).

It's a corking July 4 weekend for the best streaming services around, with more than enough to fill a long weekend's viewing, between trips to the BBQ. So read on for our streaming picks of the week, and where to find them.

X-Men '97 season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus

Marvel's nostalgic animated revival continues with X-Men '97 season 2. The first three episodes dropped this week, perfect for immersing yourself back in a world of mutant mayhem, with further episodes set to release weekly on Wednesdays. Be sure to bookmark our X-Men '97 season 2 release schedule, so you never miss an episode.

Picking up moments after that jaw-dropping season 1 cliffhanger, season 2 sees the X-Men spread across time in the battle against original mutant Apocalypse. It's been two years since season 1, so if you're feeling a little lost, be sure to check out our X-Men '97 season 1 recap, or check out our spoiler-free X-Men '97 season 2 review for our verdict on the first four episodes (spoiler: we liked it a lot).

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best shows on Disney Plus.

Silo season 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV

Apple's post-apocalyptic mystery show is back for its third, and penultimate, season. After venturing outside the silo in season 2 and discovering that they were not alone, Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) now faces a different struggle – ol' memory loss.

OK, so a bit of a cliched start for Silo season 3, but after two seasons of questions, the show is finally set to provide answers, with a dual timeline flashing back to the creation of the silos themselves. The best news is that a fourth and final season has already been shot, so there's no risk of being left hanging.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Apple TV shows.

Enola Holmes 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Enola Holmes is back! Sherlock's younger sister, played by Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown, is about to wed Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) in Malta when her crime-solving big brother – once again played by Henry Cavill – disappears. So it's up to Enola to solve the case of the missing Holmes, and expose the shadowy conspirators pulling the strings.

Enola Holmes has proven one of Netflix's more successful ongoing film franchises. This latest entry is once again written by prolific screenwriter Jack Thorne, who has enlisted his acclaimed Adolescence collaborator Phlip Barantini as director, so impressive credentials behind the camera. Here's to many more cases!

Fill out your watchlist with our guide to the best Netflix movies

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Hulu/Disney Plus

The sequel to 2019 horror-comedy Ready or Not is another fun, frantic spin on the most dangerous game, as returning survivor Grace (Samara Weaving) again finds herself being hunted for ritualistic sport by the council of elite families. The twist this time: Grace's estranged sister, Faith (Kathryn Newton) is also part of the chase.

Arriving seven years after the first entry (directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett helmed Screams 5 and 6, and vampire flick Abigail in the intervening years), Ready or Not 2 has been a long time coming, but is another blood-soaked blast. For an even more outrageous spin on a similar premise, check out They Will Kill You, which hit HBO Max last month.

For more, dive into our list of best movies on Disney Plus

Lee Cronin's The Mummy

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

Warner Bros' full-on Mummy reboot faced a mixed response when it released earlier this year, with critics knocking the fact that it's more of an exorcist movie than a Mummy movie, and pointing to its somewhat indulgent 135-minute runtime (and that meaningless title) as signs that it was a movie in need of a few more studio notes. But everyone can agree, it's pretty gnarly.

The story of a modern-day family whose daughter is kidnapped, only to mysteriously return 8 years later, having been found in a sarcophagus, wrapped in bandages (never a good sign), it's a movie that brings the Mummy myth into the home. Midsommar's Jack Reynor and Moon Knight's May Calamawy star.

For more, here are the best movies on HBO Max

Human Vapor

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

This South Korean sci-fi thriller show is actually a reimagining of a 1960 Toho movie, hence the charmingly retro premise: a man gains the ability to transform into a gaseous state and uses his powers for bank robberies. Only here, of course, instead of robbing banks, murder is involved.

We're not going to lie: there was clearly a limited VFX budget, so some of the gas effects are a little ropey, but Human Vapor has been admirably updated for the prestige TV era; this gripping 8-episode limited series will keep you hooked till the very end.

For more from the biggest streaming service around, check out our list of the best shows on Netflix.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Prime Video shows, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

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.

The weekend is here, and as always, there is so much to watch. And while you might be feeling overwhelmed, we've rounded up the best picks of the week to help narrow down your choices so you can kick back, relax, and eat some popcorn.

Below, we've gathered the six best movies and TV shows from across all the best streaming services, and thrown them together with a handy description that includes where you can watch. If you're in the mood for some action-fantasy, lighthearted family-friendly comedy, or are absolutely dying to see Larry David in a powdered wig... we've got you covered.

Plus, there are some movies whose theatrical release you may have missed that have finally hit streaming. Whether you feel like taking a three-hour jaunt through a water-filled fictional CGI world, or watching a bunch of anthropomorphic sheep solve a murder, it's all down below for you.

Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Not to be confused with the new animated series or forthcoming animated movie, Netflix's live-action Avatar: The Last Airbender is back for a second season. This time around, Aang (Gordon Cormier) and co. journey deeper into the Earth Kingdom to battle their enemy, Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim).

Early reviews for the new season have been overwhelmingly positive, with fans agreeing that Avatar: The Last Airbender season 2 is a vast improvement on season 1. A third season is also on the way, which will conclude the series. After you finish season 2, I recommend firing up the original Nickelodeon cartoon, not just for comparison, but for an optimal double feature experience.

For even more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows.

The Bear season 5

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Hulu

The fifth and final season of The Bear has arrived, and with a 100% Fresh Rotten Tomatoes score in tow. The Bear season 5 picks up the morning after the season 4 finale, in which Sydney (Ayo Edebri), Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), and Sugar (Abby Elliot) find out that Carmy (Jeremy Allen White) has quit the industry and left them the restaurant. Given that this is the end of the line for our favorite restaurateurs... it's their one last chance to get that Michelin star.

It was star Jamie Lee Curtis who officially spilled the beans that the show would end here after four years and countless Emmy and Golden Globe wins. Before you head into season 5, I recommend watching Gary, the Jon Bernthal-penned one-shot that hit Hulu earlier this year and serves as its own standalone companion to the final season.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Hulu shows.

Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

It's just as ridiculous as it sounds, and I mean that in the best way. Life, Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness is a sketch show that takes place across several events in American history – and sees Larry David don a variety of powdered wigs.

Bill Hader and Kathryn Hahn play Abraham and Mary Lincoln, respectively, with John Hamm and Sean Hayes as the Wright Brothers. The impossibly stacked cast includes Lin-Manuel Miranda, Toby Huss, Isla Fisher, and former United States President Barack Obama. Michelle Obama also serves as executive producer.

For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the best HBO shows.

Adventure Time: Side Quests

Available: US
Where to watch: Disney Plus

In case you've been missing Finn the Human, Jake the Dog, and co. since the flagship show went off the air in 2018, the boys are back town. Adventure Time: Side Quests is a prequel series that chronicles Finn's childhood and how he came to have that brotherly bond with Jake. John DiMaggio is back to voice Jake, but, because this is the tale of a tiny child version of Finn, Sasha Knight has taken over for Jeremy Shada.

All 10 episodes are currently available in the US only, but will drop internationally on Cartoon Network and HBO Max in October.

For more animated shows, check out our guide to the best shows on Disney Plus.

The Sheep Detectives

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

The Sheep Detectives might seem like a silly movie on the surface (and that might be because Patrick Stewart and Bryan Cranston provide the voices of anthropomorphic sheep), but it's actually a profoundly sad (but still funny) movie about grief. When their shepherd (Hugh Jackman) is mysteriously found dead, his flock launches an all-out investigation and goes on a murder-mystery adventure. The absolutely stacked cast includes Nicolas Galitzine, Emma Thompson, Bella Ramsey, Hong Chau, and Larraine Newman.

The film currently sits at a 95% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and has a 5/5 star review in my heart.

After this, give our guide on the best Prime Video movies a look.

Avatar: Fire and Ash

Available: UK/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus

Fancy a trip to Pandora? Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third installment in James Cameron's blockbuster series, is set one year after the events of The Way of Water, and sees Jake and his family grapple with grief after Neteyama's death. Per the official synopsis, they "encounter a new, aggressive Na'vi tribe called the Ash People, led by the fiery tribe leader, Varang, who has allied with Jake's enemy, Quaritch, as the conflict on Pandora escalates to devastating consequences."

Avatar 4 and 5 may or may not be on the way, with the fifth movie slated for a 2031 release... yes, you read that correctly.

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best movies on Disney Plus.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Netflix movies, the best Prime Video shows, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

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.

Original He-Man actor Dolph Lundgren says he was disappointed that the new Masters of the Universe movie didn't fare better at the box office.

"Yeah, I was a bit disappointed. I mean, everybody told me it’s going to do great," Lundgren told ComicBook. "I’m not a huge believer in looking at the box office and that influencing how I feel that much emotionally about the picture. But I did think about it like, 'Oh, okay. Um that was strange that didn’t do better.' And I don’t know why that is. They did a lot of marketing, they did a lot of press. I was part of it, some of it. I don’t know where it’s at now; I mean, I think it did fairly well overseas as well. I’m not sure what that means really."

It's possible that live-action He-Man adaptations (despite both being very good, campy fun) are cursed given that the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie was also a box office flop. Lundgren played the Prince Adam to Frank Langella's Skeletor in the David Odell-penned film, which only grossed $17 million against a budget of $20 million.

The new Masters of the Universe, which stars Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man/Adam and Jared Leto as Skeletor, has only made $102 million against its $200 million budget so far. However, Amazon seems pretty pleased with the film overall, and the Masters of the Universe post-credits scene (which I stood up and clapped for) does set up a sequel... so there still might be hope yet. Lundgren also makes a super fun cameo in the new film, which may or may not have made me cry a little.

Masters of the Universe is in theaters now and you should absolutely go see it. For more, check out our picks for the best movies on Amazon Prime, or, read our Masters of the Universe review.

Just two months after Invincible season 5 was announced, a sixth season is indeed on the way – and with a cast member from fellow superhero show The Boys in tow.

The official Invincible HQ account posted an image to social media that simply states, "Invincible season 6 confirmed!!!" Shortly after the confirmation, they announced that The Boys star Jack Quaid would play villain Gravitator in the animated show's fifth season. You can check out both announcements below.

In the comics, Gravitator is a genius engineer who is able to – you guessed it – manipulate gravity. He's a villain for a short while before an encounter with Invincible convinces him to use his powers for good (and he starts working for the Pentagon). Per The Hollywood Reporter, creator Robert Kirkman announced Quaid's role to the audience at the 2026 Annecy festival and cued up a short first-look clip at Gravitator.

Invincible season 4 wrapped up in April with a reluctant Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) reluctantly agreeing to Thragg's (Lee Pace) terms that he would leave the Viltrumites hiding on Earth alone. The fourth season currently sits at a perfect 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus stating that it "delivers intensely on expectations" and still manages to "make superheroes feel fresh and engaging."

Invincible season 5 is due out sometime in 2027. Aaron Paul is also set to return as supervillain Powerplex, after debuting in season 3.

For more, check out our ranking of the best shows on Prime Video right now.

Fallout season 3 is in the works and, by the sounds of things, it's got some surprises in store.

That's according to Bethesda Game Studios head Todd Howard, who not only teased to Entertainment Weekly that season 3 "is gonna start shooting soon," but also hinted at what's to come.

"We talked about this at the end of season 2, hinting we're going to new places," Howard shared. "So one of the things that we all love about Fallout is the geography of the world and being able to show some new things in the Fallout world that I think will surprise people, that they've never seen before in the games."

During the Fallout season 2 ending, the Ghoul sets off for Colorado, while Max and Lucy are faced with the approaching Legion.

"We know The Ghoul is heading to Colorado, ideally, but in the Wasteland, thou shalt be sidetracked by bullshit every goddamn time," co-showrunner Geneva Robertson-Dworet has teased of season 3.

"He still needs to figure out exactly where he's going," she added. "Of course, Lucy and Max and many of our other characters are not necessarily heading to Colorado, so we're very excited to unveil new locations next season. In Fallout, you're always journeying and exploring and building your map out bigger, so that's what we want to be mimetic of."

There are some newcomers confirmed for season 3, too, with Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul set to join the cast, along with The Acolyte's Manny Jacinto, Paddington in Peru's Emily Mortimer, and Jojo Rabbit's Thomasin McKenzie.

Fallout season 3 doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming TV shows worth getting excited about this year.

By the power of Amazon! Masters of the Universe may be a certified box office flop, but a sequel to the He-Man movie can't be ruled out.

As Forbes reported, a lackluster performance at the box office isn't a death blow to Masters of the Universe.

In fact, the streamer could be poised to give the fantasy movie, an adaptation of the hit 1980s property, a sequel – and make it a jewel in the Prime Video crown on streaming. From there, it would be able to take the financial hit and prop up its service as a destination for bigger movie releases, capturing a portion of the older demographic who may not have seen it in cinemas.

Masters of the Universe, which stars Nicholas Galitzine as Adam and Jared Leto as his nemesis Skeletor, has currently generated $102 million at the box office.

Despite that, Amazon has seemed pleased with the He-Man movie from the outset – with an obvious hint at the Masters of the Universe franchise living beyond its theatrical window.

"[Director] Travis Knight and the entire cast and filmmaking team have delivered something truly special, and this opening is exactly the kind of critical first moment that validates our holistic distribution strategy – building awareness and engagement that will carry well beyond the theatrical window," said Amazon MGM's domestic distribution chief Kevin Wilson in a statement after opening weekend.

The Masters of the Universe post-credits also introduces She-Ra, providing plenty of fertile ground for a sequel should it come to pass.

Speaking to GamesRadar+, director Travis Knight revealed the after-credits reveal almost didn't happen thanks to a "complicated rights issue."

"We did that with like no money, too. That was at the end of the shoot. We were just scrambling around trying to build a set and put a costume together because we finally got the rights to do it and, I mean, she looks great," Knight said.

Masters of the Universe is now in theaters. For more, check out our picks for the best movies on Amazon Prime. Then read our verdict on He-Man's cinematic outing in the Masters of the Universe review.

Fallout season 3 has added three new cast members to its line-up, and fans of the Prime Video game adaptation are impressed.

According to Deadline, Manny Jacinto, Emily Mortimer, and Thomasin McKenzie have all joined the cast in recurring roles. There are no details on their characters just yet, however.

Fans are particularly impressed by Jacinto joining the cast – the actor is best known for his roles in The Good Place, The Acolyte, and Freakier Friday.

"I'm so curious to see who Manny plays," says one fan on Reddit, with another agreeing: "The man has flexibility, from charming dumbass to cold-blooded killer."

"Manny was good on Acolyte and very different than his Good Place character, so he could play someone like that, they really do good with the casting on each season," thinks another fan.

"Manny yo. I am excited to see what character he plays," is another person's thoughts. Another jokes, "Hopefully Manny's arms make an appearance," after his biceps impressed on The Acolyte. Someone else jokes: "They had to bring in Manny Jacinto because he's the only one who can out-jawline Ella Purnell."

"An already stacked cast is getting even more stacked," says another person. "Crazy the amount of fantastic actors they’ve got already, I hope they can continue to use them all well."

"Ooh Emily and Thomasin. That's a damn good group of actors right there," agrees another.

The newcomers join Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul as additions to the upcoming season, while the likes of Purnell, Walton Goggins, and Aaron Moten will return.

Fallout season 3 doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the upcoming video game adaptations or new TV shows to fill out your watchlist.

As Loverboy once said, everybody's working for the weekend – because there's no better time to get stuck into the biggest and best streaming releases around. Wondering what to watch on your precious days off? We've got you covered.

Below you'll find a rundown of the 6 must-watch releases from across all the best streaming services, meaning there's a recommendation for everyone, whatever you subscribe to. And this weekend is a doozy, with the long-awaited return of a flagship HBO show, two returning prestige shows featuring suave men in suits, a bingeable Harlan Coben mystery, and a new show that could fill the vacuum left behind by Crazy Rich Asians.

If it's a movie you're after, and you don't fancy a trip to a packed theater to see Toy Story 5 (or you're not in the mood for one of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix), then there's the latest entry in a young adult romance franchise that audiences can't get enough of. With so much on offer, the problem is how you can fit everything in and still squeeze a bit of outside time into your weekend as well. So read on for our weekend streaming picks, and exactly where to find them.

House of the Dragon season 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max (US and UK), NOW/Sky (UK)

The Dance of the Dragons continues in House of the Dragon season 3. You may recall that season 2 ended with the respective forces of Team Black and Team Green marching towards battle (if you don't, our House of the Dragon recap has you covered). Well, season 3 is set to deliver on two years of delayed gratification, as the new season opens with the Battle of the Gullet – one of the bloodiest naval battles in the history of Westeros.

In other words, House of the Dragon season 3 wastes no time getting back to the action. Our 4* House of the Dragon season 3 review even calls it "the most explosive start to a Westeros-set season to date," so be sure to tune in when the first episode drops this weekend. Our House of the Dragon season 3 release schedule will make sure you know exactly when to tune in, wherever you may be.

For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the best HBO shows.

Sugar season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV

If you watched the first season of this Colin Farrell-starring LA detective show, you'll know the marketing materials are concealing a huge and frankly bonkers twist. We won't spoil it here, but let's just say there's more to Sugar than a movie-loving private eye solving missing-person mysteries around Tinseltown.

Sugar's second season features a whole new case involving the missing brother of a boxer on the verge of the big leagues, and sees Marvel/The Last of Us star Tony Dalton join the cast as a corrupt sheriff. Tune in before someone spoils the surprise…

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Apple TV shows.

The Agency season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Paramount Plus

A remake of the critically acclaimed French spy thriller The Bureau, The Agency stars Michael Fassbender as a CIA operative navigating the twisty, subterfuge-filled world of international espionage, and offers a more grounded take on the spy genre than the likes of Jack Ryan.

Working from rock-solid source material, the story alone makes this a must-watch. But it's got a heck of a cast as well; alongside Fassbender, Richard Gere, Jeffrey Wright, Jodie Turner-Smith and John Magaro feature, many stepping into the spotlight this season after operating on the sidelines in season 1.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best shows on Paramount Plus.

I Will Find You

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Writer-producer Harlan Coben has become an industry unto himself. I Will Find You is the latest of his many beach reads to be adapted for binge viewing, and stars Avatar's Sam Worthington as a father jailed for the murder of his son, only to discover in prison that his missing child could still be alive.

Intriguing premise, right? I Will Find You also features a typically stacked cast for a Coben adaptation: Severance's Britt Lower, Heroes' Milo Ventimiglia and Gotham's Erin Richards also star. Just don't start watching too late at night, because the moreish episodes will keep you up till sunrise.

If this doesn't tickle your fancy, check out our list of the best Netflix shows.

The Season

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Hulu/Disney Plus

If you've ever found yourself wondering why a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians is still stuck in development hell, The Season should tide you over till China Rich Girlfriend finally goes into production. Set in the luxury world of Hong Kong's elite boating scene (we're all familiar, I'm sure), it's the kind of show where scandal, betrayal and, eventually, murder are par for the course.

Shadow and Bone's Jessie Mei Lee leads the cast as something of an interloper who throws a cat among the pigeons or, rather, a shark among the superyachts. Reviewers have called it "Succession meets Crazy Rich Asians," while the Hong Kong locations are as glamorous as they come. Perfect weekend binge-viewing that may give you a few summer holiday ideas.

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best shows on Disney Plus.

Your Fault: London

Available: UK/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

If you haven't gotten on board with this prolific series of romantic dramas yet, now is the perfect time. A follow-up to My Fault: London (so be sure to watch that first), it stars Asha Banks and Matthew Broome as madly in love twentysomethings whose commitment to one another is tested by conflicting desires.

An English-language adaptation of the wildly popular Spanish-language trilogy Culpables, the Fault movies may not be high art, but they are very watchable. And the best news is the third film in the trilogy – Our Fault: London – was shot back-to-back with the second movie, meaning a sequel is already in the can.

After this, give our guide on the best Prime Video movies a look for your next viewing inspiration.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Netflix movies, the best Prime Video shows, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

It seems as though Homelander actor Antony Starr and Billy Butcher star Karl Urban are yet to snap out of character, as the duo has been teasing The Boys fans online.

Earlier this month, a Boys fan posted an AI-generated video on Instagram, captioned "The real ending," showing Homelander smashing out of The White House, destroying the Army with his laser eyes, and flying into the Earth's stratosphere, much like he does in the rather misleading The Boys season 5 poster.

The video caught the attention of Starr, who commented, "That's fun," with the heart eyes emoji. Urban then joined in, adding, "Wow!! Truly epic. Terrifyingly brilliant… A real scorched earth ending," with the applause emoji. However, fans are taking Starr and Urban's comments seriously. "I think they didn't like the ending we got either," said one fan on Reddit.

We're sorry to say, but we're 99% sure that Starr and Urban are being sarcastic. This isn't the first time the duo has trolled fans online. In the run-up to The Boys season 5 finale, Starr would comment heart emojis under posts hating on the final season, and when one fan pointed out that the show had a lot to wrap up in the last episode, Starr replied, "Life is messy," followed by a bunch of emojis.

The AI video comes after the finale left many fans feeling shortchanged by Butcher and Homelander's final fight. This led some fans to form their own Conformity Gate, theorising that an alternate finale was on the way. However, before the final season aired, The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke warned fans that he didn't have a Game of Thrones budget-sized battle to work with. Despite the backlash, Kripke stands by the finale, saying that was the story he wanted to tell.

The Boys season 5 is available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guide to the best shows on Prime Video, and keep up with new TV shows.

The Boys creator Eric Kripke has revealed the foul-mouthed pitch that would go on to convince Amazon to stream the series for five seasons.

Taking to Twitter, Kripke went for a trip down memory lane, back to 2015 and the 'mission statement' that would go on to form the crux of his adaptation of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book series.

"Since then, hundreds of actors, thousands of crew, and millions of viewers embraced this insane idea. I'm grateful beyond words, and proud that all these years later, we stayed true to this mission statement," Kripke wrote.

The full pitch, which you can read below, includes a killer starting line ("Fuck superheroes") and an intriguing pitch (Deadpool meets Inglorious Basterds meets The Raid) that perhaps doesn't quite resemble the finished product.

Still, it's shocking in how confident, complete, and – crucially – anti-superheroes it all sounds. Remember, this was the MCU's heyday in the run-up to Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. Going against that must have felt like career suicide at the time – but Kripke clearly had faith in his idea.

The Boys debuted to great fanfare in 2019, captivating fans with its inimitable blend of gore, guts, and can't-look-away humor. Several orgies, exploding heads, and shocking deaths later, the Prime Video superhero series signed off with a crushing defeat for Homelander.

But not everyone was impressed by the final season, with audiences pointing to a lack of narrative focus and 'filler' episodes.

In response, Kripke told TVLine, "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, of course, and I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but it was the story I wanted to tell. You just have to put it into perspective of it being a reasonably small, vocal audience when the vast majority seem to be happily tuning in."

Next up in The Boys-verse (or the VCU, as it's officially known now) is Vought Rising, a 1950s prequel starring Soldier Boy actor Jensen Ackles and Stormfront actor Aya Cash.

Need something new to watch? Here are our picks for the best shows on Amazon Prime. Then, dive into the blood-splattered breakdown of The Boys season 5 ending.

As another weekend approaches, so do new streaming releases. So, if you're wondering what to watch this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you're in for a treat as several new movies and TV shows hit the big streaming platforms.

HBO Max has a returning superhero show as My Adventures with Superman season 3 arrives, as well as a hit horror movie in They Will Kill You, which is available to watch now as well. Prime Video is dialling up the romance with new show Every Year After as Apple TV Plus gets us ready for a hugely-anticipated finale with the penultimate episode of Widow's Bay.

If it's a movie you're after, Disney Plus is releasing a special extended addition of its 2014 hit Muppets Most Wanted. Then over on Netflix you can see a beautifully crafted stop-motion fantasy film called I Am Frankelda. With so many variety on offer, there's plenty to keep you busy this weekend. So read on for why we recommend these picks – and how exactly you can stream them.

My Adventures with Superman season 3

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

Clark Kent is back in My Adventures with Superman season 3, which arrives on HBO this week. The third season returns to Metropolis as our titular hero faces new enemies, including a brutal Cyborg Superman who claims to be better than the Man of Steel in every possible way. In order to defeat this threat, Supes teams up with Supergirl, Jimmy Olsen, and Lois Lane to bring order back to the city.

Set across 10 episodes, the new outing is just as action-packed and full of heart as previous seasons as it manages to explore a new side to this much-adapted hero. The Boys star Jack Quaid returns as Superman alongside newcomers Max Mittelman as Cyborg Supes and Darren Criss as Superboy. The show is airing weekly on HBO Max following its release on Toonami, and is well worth a watch.

For more viewing inspiration, check out our guide to the best HBO shows.

Widow's Bay episode 9

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV Plus

Our time in the, ahem, charming town of Widow's Bay is almost at an end as the show's penultimate episode arrives this week. The Matthew Rhys-led series has been one of the big surprises of 2026 so far, working as both a hilarious horror satire as well as gripping and tense thriller. There are so many questions remaining in the penultimate episode as we wait for next week's finale so there's never been a better time to make sure you're up to date before the final episode airs.

And if you needed any more convincing to book a ferry trip over, then the reviews speak for themselves. Currently sitting at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the Guardian gave the show five out of five stars, saying it's "Mare of Easttown meets Schitt's Creek, but with something else that makes it singular". What more could you want? Widow's Bay episode 9 is streaming now on Apple TV Plus.

For what else to watch, here's our pick of the best Apple TV series.

Every Year After

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

Prime Video is well known as the place to be for romantic dramas. Not only did their show The Summer I Turned Pretty become a global hit, but they've also had new romantic series like Off Campus and Maxton Hall win over viewers. Now another new entry is joining the list as Every Year After arrives on the streamer.

Based on the novel 'Every Summer After' by Carley Fortune, the eight-part drama follows Percy Fraser and Sam Florek, two best friends who find themselves constantly drawn back to each other. Think One Day meets Virgin River, the series is all about whether the one that got away is truly gone forever. All episodes are available to stream now.

We've also got a round-up of the best shows on Prime Video.

I Am Frankelda

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Get lost in a new dark fantasy world in I Am Frankelda, an absorbing stop-motion story set between the real world and the world of terrors. It follows a young aspiring writer called Francisca Imelda in 19th century Mexico who is approached by a prince to help write more nightmares. As he explains to her, if humans are no longer scared, then his kingdom of terrors will cease to exist.

The Mexican movie was first released in 2025 but will be landing globally on Netflix this weekend. The filmmakers were inspired by Guillermo del Toro and his visual language of fantastical creatures and dark fantasy can be felt throughout. If you love the art that goes into this kind of filmmaking as well as getting lost in a new world, this is definitely one to add to your weekend watchlist. Did we mention it was a musical too?

If this doesn't tickle your fancy, check out our list of the best Netflix fantasy movies available now.

Muppets Most Wanted Extended Edition

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney Plus

While it's not something we were necessarily expecting, it's always a treat to have more Muppets to enjoy. This weekend Disney Plus is releasing a special longer edition of the 2014 movie Muppets Most Wanted. Previously only available on the Blu-Ray, this version features 12 minutes of extra footage. Fans who have seen it have called it the definitive version of the beloved movie as it subtly reshapes the story in a very satisfying way.

The additions include added character beats and more jokes, as well as expanded musical numbers. Viewers can enjoy extra verses and gags in this new version, which seems like a perfect watch for muppets fans and those wanting revisit the fun movie more than a decade on from its first release. Muppets Most Wanted Extended Edition arrives on June 14.

For more on what to watch, here's our guide to the best movies on Disney Plus.

They Will Kill You

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

An action horror described by some as John Wick meets Tarantino is arriving on HBO Max this weekend. They Will Kill You stars Joker's Zazie Beetz, Severance's Patricia Arquette, and Harry Potter's Tom Felton in a thriller full of surprises. The story follows an ex-convict who answers a cryptic ad to become a housekeeper at a mysterious New York City highrise. However, when she's there, she soon realizes that this is not an ordinary home.

Several people have vanished from the building over the decades and it seems like a satanic cult may be the reason why. It's only been a few months since it came out in theaters, but you can already enjoy the gory slasher from the comfort of your sofa as it arrives on HBO Max.

After this, give our guide on the best HBO movies a look for your next viewing inspiration.

If nothing on our list seems right for you, have a read of our guides to the best Netflix shows, the best Prime Video movies, and the best Apple TV movies you can watch right now.

It has been several weeks since The Boys came to an end on Prime Video, but fans still have a few questions about that series finale, including what Kimiko said to Billy Butcher in sign language after she had been speaking the whole way through The Boys season 5.

In The Boys season 5 episode 8, when Billy Butcher asks the crew if they are on board to go to the white house and take Homelander down, Kimiko responds in sign language and a nod, which confuses Butcher as he doesn't understand what she means. After being mute for the whole series, Kimiko finally learned to speak between seasons 4 and 5, and had been blabbing all the way through the final season. But when Frenchie died in The Boys season 5 episode 7, she went silent.

However, Kimiko star Karen Fukuhara says that in the script, Kimiko doesn't even really reply to Butcher's call to action; she just nods. "I thought it was weird that she wouldn’t say anything in this final moment of the gang being together and making this decision together [to go to the White House]," said Fukuhara in an interview with The Los Angeles Times.

So to give Kimiko her moment, Fukuhara suggested she sign back to Butcher, which is a nod to the comics. "I wanted it to resemble the comics when Kimiko finally speaks up and steps up to the plate, and she decides to go with the Boys. There’s a distinct moment in the comics that I wanted to give a nod to. So I pitched it, and this is another thing that Kripke said yes to. I did it in sign language."

In the comics, the ending goes down a little differently from what we see on screen. That moment when the group meets about going to the Oval Office to face Homelander, well, that's actually about stopping Butcher from wiping out all Supes. However, this is when Kimiko utters the one and only line in the comics, "I hate mean people."

This is a pretty pivotal point, which could not be exactly replicated in The Boys series finale, as Kimiko started talking at the start of the season, and it was Hughie alone who stopped Butcher. You can read more about that in our The Boys season 5 ending finale explained. But we have to say, Kimiko's last-minute signing is a nice touch.

The Boys season 5 is available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guide to the best shows on Prime Video, and keep up with new TV shows.

Jack Quaid says he was overcome with emotion when he found out what happens to Hughie in the final episode of The Boys.

"Erin [Moriarty] made fun of me on the day because I kept staring at her fake pregnant belly, because it was so surreal for me," Quaid told The Los Angeles Times. "I’m not a father yet, but to me, the closest thing to being an expectant father was like, 'Oh, my TV partner has a baby on the way!'"

In The Boys season 5 finale, everyone (who lives, that is) gets their own happy ending. After turning down a position at the White House, Hughie and Annie own their own AV repair shop by day, and hunt rogue supes by night. One of the final scenes in The Boys sees Annie standing behind the counter of their store with a visibly pregnant belly, which doesn't stop her from flying off into the night to fight some bad guys, mind you. They also named the baby Robin, after Hughie's girlfriend who was killed in season 1.

Though this may be the end for the main cast of The Boys, we still have two spin-offs on the way: The Boys: Mexico and Vought Rising. Prepare for a whole lot more Soldier Boy on your screens...

The Boys season 5 is now streaming in full on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 finale recap, our take on the episode in our The Boys season 5 finale review, and all the details about what's next in Vought Rising.

Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher has revealed Ella Purnell's first Fallout experience before leading the Prime Video adaptation didn't exactly go as planned.

"I tried to create Ella on Fallout," Yellowjackets co-star Sophie Thatcher recalled on Happy Sad Confused. "That was her first introduction [to Fallout]. She was like, 'Turn it off! It's scary graphics.' That's fair… Specifically, Fallout: New Vegas has that [look] where it's uncanny."

Unfortunately for Thatcher, most of the gaming bonding time with her fellow actors similarly went down like a lead balloon.

"I had a night where I brought the Yellowjackets girls over and I was like, 'I'm going to create every one of you on The Sims'. It took hours and people got so bored," Thatcher joked.

Thatcher – a dyed-in-the-wool gaming fanatic with four generations of PlayStation consoles, three Oculus headsets, and a "broken" Xbox – showcased her gaming credentials earlier in the interview by revealing her reaction to meeting legendary video game developer Hideo Kojima.

"I had a talk with Hideo Kojima and doing a talk with him was just like, 'You're a god to us.' Anything I say, I'm scared," Thatcher, who has also appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, Companion, and Heretic, revealed.

Previously, Purnell revealed to PC Gamer that she had dabbled in Fallout 4 prior to the first season, describing it as a "fun and exciting experience."

Fallout season 3 has been announced, with the upcoming batch of episodes seemingly heading to the fresh locale of Colorado. The Fallout season 2 ending also set up war coming to the streets of New Vegas.

For more, check out the new TV shows coming your way very soon, plus our picks for the best Fallout games.

Following weeks of fans making their opinions known on The Boys season 5 finale, showrunner Eric Kripke has come forward to say he has seen the backlash online, but he still stands by what he created.

"Obviously, there are a lot of unhappy people online," said Kripke in an interview with TVLine, "but there are two things I would say: First, I'm just glad people are passionate, legitimately. My job is to make people passionate about the work I put out. If they're arguing about it and hating it and fighting, that's all passion, man. You're watching, and that's all good. My job is to get an emotional reaction, not necessarily to dictate what that emotional reaction is."

Secondly, Kripke states that although he keeps up with what is being said, he knows that "the online world is not the real world," and that there are plenty of fans who don't use social media (or choose not to join the discourse) who feel differently. "Everyone's entitled to their opinion, of course, and I'm sorry if I disappointed you, but it was the story I wanted to tell. You just have to put it into perspective of it being a reasonably small, vocal audience when the vast majority seem to be happily tuning in."

The main complaint the more vocal Boys fans have is that they were expecting a huge final battle between Butcher and Homelander backed by an army of Supes, as some of The Boys finale posters suggested. However, what we got was Homelander alone in the Oval Office as Billy Butcher and his Boys broke in to confront him. But Kripke says this was the plan all along, and that writing that finale episode was a "pretty smooth" process.

"We had figured out who was going to live and die and when it was all going to happen. So by the time it came to actually writing and figuring out the episode, we basically had everything already set," said Kripke. "The hardest part was structuring the script so that, as we're heading into the inner sanctum of the Oval Office, every character gets a moment to be cool. They all deserve a moment to be cool, right?"

The final episode wrapped up each character's storyline pretty nicely, from Annie getting back at The Deep to Butcher's revenge tour finally coming to an end. We were even treated to a little epilogue, showing us what the Boys got up to after the smoke had cleared. You can read more about that in our The Boys season 5 ending explained.

The Boys season 5 is available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guides to best shows on Prime Video and all the other new TV shows you need to know about.

With a new month comes a whole heap of new releases on streaming services to enjoy – and June is no exception. This first week brings with it several returning series as well as the release of a new Netflix original movie. Probably the most exciting pick of this weekend's options is Cape Fear, which adapts John D. MacDonald's The Executioners once again for the screen, this time starring Javier Bardem and Amy Adams.

That's by no means all there is to watch on the TV front either. On Prime Video, animated show The Legend of Vox Machina returns for its fourth season, which is now officially the penultimate season of the Critical Role adaptation. Then on AMC Plus, Interview With a Vampire returns with a new season titled The Vampire Lestat, which sees the titular vampire become a rockstar.

Films are equally as exciting this week as two major releases make their way onto streaming – and they couldn't be more different. Pixar movie Hoppers is now streaming on Disney Plus if you're after a family-friendly watch that's great fun, meanwhile Alexander Skarsgård's R-rated motorcycle romance is available on HBO Max. Finally, the queen of romantic comedies Jennifer Lopez is back for a new Netflix film written and starring Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein.

Cape Fear

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV+

"Let me ask you a question, what is your worst fear?" Javier Bardem's chilling Max Cady asks in the new Apple TV Plus series Cape Fear. Based on John D. MacDonald's The Executioners, it follows Tom and Anna Bowden (played by Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams here) as they deal with Cady returning to their lives when he's released from prison. Vicious and unpredictable, he is after revenge from the pair who represented him 17 years ago.

If it sounds familiar, there's a reason. This book has actually been adapted twice before, by J. Lee Thompson in 1962 and by none other than Martin Scorsese in 1991. Scorsese is a producer on this version too alongside Steven Spielberg. And with such impressive talent on and behind the camera, it's no surprise that the show has been landing rave reviews already, with lots of praise for the performances from Bardem and Adams. The first two episodes are available to stream now with the rest of the limited series airing weekly.

Our list of the best Apple TV shows is packed with quality entertainment.

The Legend of Vox Machina season 4

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

Based on Dungeons & Dragons web series Critical Role, The Legend of Vox Machina has won a lot of fans over its first three seasons for its fun, irreverent take on this beloved world. Now the show is back with a fourth outing, balancing comedy and adventure across 12 new episodes. This time, we pick up with Vox Machina, a year after they separated following the Chroma Conclave. Adventure, and a new evil rising, bring them back together once again to face an epic enemy.

Most of the voice cast are back for the penultimate season of the animated show, including the return of fan-favorite character Taryon Darrington (voiced by Wayne Brady). There's also a surprise introduction of Lord of the Rings star Andy Serkis too, who is voicing a mystery role in the new season, which you won't want to miss. The first three episodes are available now on Prime Video with new triple episode drops continuing until June 24.

For what else to watch, check out our guide to the best Prime Video shows.

The Vampire Lestat

Available: US
Where to watch: AMC+

Now before you start wondering if there's another new spin-off series arriving in the Anne Rice AMC universe, The Vampire Lestat is actually a continuation of the show that kicked this whole franchise off. This is Interview With the Vampire season 3, with a slight twist. Instead of continuing to tell this story from the point of view of Louis de Pointe du Lac (Jacob Anderson), the new episodes shift the perspective to Sam Reid's Lestat de Lioncourt after he wakes up in the modern world and becomes a rock star.

The change-up in format has definitely worked too as the series has debuted to a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a lot of thanks due to Reid's magnetic performance as Lestat. This time around he uncovers new sides to his deeply flawed and interesting character and after all of the twists and turns in season 2, his relationship with Louis is still a key part of this story too and will unfurl in interesting ways across these seven episodes. The first episode arrives on June 7, with subsequent outings airing each Sunday on AMC Plus.

Office Romance

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

Rom-com queen Jennifer Lopez is back for a new Netflix movie written and starring Ted Lasso's Brett Goldstein. Office Romance sees Lopez play Jackie, the CEO of a fictional company called Air Cruz. Part of her iron fist rule of the company is an extremely rigid anti-fraternization policy for all her employees, which gets tested when lawyer Daniel (Goldstein) starts working for her and sparks fly.

It's pretty much exactly what you're asking for if you're in the mood for an easy, light-hearted watch. Goldstein's dialogue, co-scribed by Joe Kelly, adds an extra witty kick to this world too, making it an enjoyable watch. It's Lopez who is the real star here though, bringing back her goofball charm as a leading lady, well honed from movies like The Wedding Planner and Maid in Manhattan. You can watch Office Romance on Netflix now.

Check out our guide to the best Netflix movies for more great viewing.

Hoppers

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Disney+

Pixar's latest Hoppers is now available to watch on Disney Plus. The charming new animated movie imagines what might happen if scientists had discovered a way to transform human consciousness into robotic animals. Using the technology, our protagonist Mabel (voiced brilliantly by Piper Curda) "hops" into a robotic beaver to experience life as the animals live it. It's a great premise and one that Jesse Andrews' script handles deftly with humor, heart, and a lot of adventure.

The voice cast is pretty impressive too with Jon Hamm, Dave Franco, and Meryl Streep all starring in the movie. Widely called a return to form for Pixar, Hoppers received great reviews during its cinematic run so it's a bit of a no brainer to add it to your weekend streaming list too. The movie is available to watch right now as well, so what are you waiting for?

Check out our picks of the best Disney Plus movies for what else to watch.

Pillion

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

If you're looking for a darker romance that Netflix's new rom-com, then Pillion is another streaming option for you this weekend. The Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling-led film that won over critics at film festivals is now finally heading to HBO Max. It stars Melling as a timid gay man named Colin who's world is broadened by Skarsgård's Ray, an enigmatic biker. The pair start a BDSM relationship, which causes Colin to change in unexpected ways.

Written and directed by Harry Lighton, the film is based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones. Brilliant writing and absorbing performances really elevate this one, which you can stream on HBO Max now.

We've got a list of the best HBO Max movies you can watch right now too.

For more, check out our round up of the best Hulu movies and the best Prime Video movies you can also watch now.

Spider-Noir is out now, and if you've seen the alt-universe Spider-Man show (in black and white or color), you'll know that the eight-episode series leaves the door open for further cases. Whether there will be a Spider-Noir season 2 is the greatest mystery of all, however, as even star Nicolas Cage isn't sure if he'll return as The Spider.

“I do not know,” Cage told Variety when asked if Spider-Noir season 2 was on the cards. “But I would say that whether it happens or not, all of us achieved what we set out to do, and it works on its own. We’ll see what happens.”

That uncertainty isn't a huge surprise in this metrics-driven streaming era. Spider-Noir has been out for less than a week, so it's still too early to say if the show has lived up to expectations. But given recent reports that the first season's budget may have been as high as $400 million, there's no question that Spider-Noir needs to hit big to justify a second season.

As for what a Spider-Noir season 2 could look like, showrunner Oren Uziel dropped a bit hint while talking to SFX Magazine last month. "One thing I love about the genre is that when you have a private detective, all it takes is a knock on the office door and a new client walks in… Whether it’s New York or a different setting, I really feel like this is a great jumping-off point to expand your story," Uziel said. "Obviously, as time passes from 1933, we’re heading towards not just trouble in the financial markets in New York, but also a geopolitical struggle that would be an amazing canvas for any future storytelling."

Elsewhere in his conversation with Variety, Cage also addressed the decision (spoiler alert!) Reilly makes at the end of Spider-Noir's first season to no longer pursue Cat, and fully embrace the mantle of The Spider once more. “Is it being selfless or is it just being real and letting her go?" Cage said. "He wanted to forget about it and to put it away because he feels he failed the love of his life. Here he is, this person with powers, and he couldn’t save his favorite person, Ruby, so what’s the use? He has great remorse. But he has a higher calling, and he’s owning it.”

Spider-Noir's first season sees private investigator Ben Reilly assume the identity of The Spider once more to stop mob boss Silvermane and his superpowered henchmen from taking over New York. Our Spider-Noir ending explained answers every burning question you might have about the show. As for what's next in the Spider-Verse – Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters in less than two months.

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

Nicolas Cage has revealed his favorite live-action Spider-Man... and it's probably not who you were expecting, either.

"I thought Andrew Garfield was a really great Spider-Man," Cage told Complex. "I thought he did a terrific job. He's a marvelous actor. For all the younger Peter Parker Spider-Men, he was the one that I thought was really quite something to watch. I would put Garfield as, in my view, the best Spider-Man in cinema." You can watch the clip below.

Personally, I love Garfield's Spider-Man... I just think most people tend to list Tobey Maguire as the GOAT when it comes to the current lineup of live-action Spideys, with Tom Holland coming in second. It's also a surprising pick given how universally hated The Amazing Spider-Man 2 seems to be (with Invincible creator Robert Kirkman even going as far as to trash the movie during press for the Prime Video show's latest season).

Cage has always had a deep love for superheroes, starting with legally changing his name from Nicolas Coppola to Nicolas Cage, after Marvel superhero Luke Cage. After his Tim Burton Superman dreams were dashed, he went on to play Ghost Rider across three pre-MCU movies, and now plays two different iterations of Spider-Noir, one in the animated Spider-Verse series and one in the new Prime Video show of the same name... which is so, so good.

The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 are streaming now on Disney Plus. You can stream all of Spider-Noir on Prime Video now. For more on the show, check out our Spider-Noir ending explained or our guide on how to watch Spider-Noir in black and white.

Following Amazon MGM studio's new Nicolas Cage-starrer Spider-Noir hitting Prime Video earlier this week, reports have been swirling online surrounding the Spider-Man show's suspected huge budget, which has left fans of fellow Amazon series The Boys pretty confused.

According to 3DVF, Amazon committed almost $400 million to Spider-Noir. Now, it is not clear where this number has come from, as neither Amazon nor Sony Pictures Television has confirmed a budget. However, back in 2024, Puck News reported that Spider-Noir's budget was part of the reason why filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ended up having a falling out with the studio.

A $400 million budget isn't too far-fetched, as Forbes predicts that the first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power cost Amazon somewhere between a whopping $750 million and $1 billion to make. Whether or not the $400 million budget is accurate, it has been enough to cause a stir among The Boys' fanbase.

Amazon has not revealed what it cost to make The Boys season 5, but fans seem to think it was nowhere near Spider-Noir's suspected budget. Dexerto predicts that each episode of The Boys season 4 would have cost around $15 million each to make, which totals to $120 million. So if The Boys season 5 was allocated around the same amount, that means that Spider-Noir could have cost over three times more.

"The betrayal of the century," said one Boys fan on Twitter, and another replied, "Man, we can't stop thinking about what would happen if they gave that budget to The Boys." However, fans don't have an issue with Spider-Noir. They just expected more from The Boys' last hurrah.

In the lead-up to the final season, Boys fans were expecting a huge final battle right at the end. This was kind of hinted at, between showrunner Eric Kripke saying that the final season would go "scorched earth," and the finale's poster depicting Butcher facing Homelander backed by tons of flying Supes. But the last scene was really more of a one-on-one between Butcher and Homelander. You can read more about that in our The Boys season 5 finale ending explained.

This comes just days after The Boys fans started to ponder what Homelander actor Antony Starr meant when he teased that the worst thing the Supe has ever done. Could it be that The Boys season 5 had to cut back on certain scenes? Kripke did warn fans ahead of time that he didn't have a Game of Thrones battle-level budget to work with, but it seems as though audiences have been left wanting more.

Both Spider-Noir and The Boys are available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guides to best shows on Prime Video and all the other new TV shows you need to know about.

We've reached the end of May and while several of the month's major releases have already come out, there's still a few more exciting launches happening this week. Probably the most exciting pick is Nicolas Cage's first TV role, as he stars in new Prime Video Spider-Man series, Spider-Noir.

That's not the only exciting release in our list of the best new shows and movies to stream this week, either. There's also a new spin-off to Apple TV Plus' beloved series For All Mankind, which turns the focus to the Soviet Union. Netflix's runaway hit comedy The Four Seasons is also back for a hilarious second outing as well.

On the movie side, there's an under-the-radar horror movie landing on Hulu and Disney Plus, as well as an Oscar-winning drama. Then, just in case you missed it in theaters, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride! is also now out on streaming, starring newly minted Oscar winner Jessie Buckley.

This is all just scratching the surface of what's available on streaming this week. For more of what to watch (and what you might have missed this month), read our guides on everything new on Netflix in May 2026, everything new on Disney Plus in May 2026, and everything new on Prime Video in May 2026.

Spider-Noir

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Prime Video

Nicolas Cage swings onto the small screen in new Spider-Man show, Spider-Noir. He stars as an aging private investigator and former superhero called Ben Reilly. When a new case lands on his desk, he must grapple with his past and decide whether he wants to become The Spider once again. It's set in an alternate universe to the rest of Sony's Spider-Man movies, but Cage did first play the role in the Spider-Verse films. However, this new show is based more on the comics, adapted by Oren Uziel to introduce a new version of this character in a slick, genre-driven drama.

One of the most fun parts about this release is that you can watch it in both black and white or color (read how to do that here). It's also landed some pretty positive reviews, with praise mostly falling at Cage's feet for his authentic performance. Our own Spider-Noir review gave it 3.5 stars with our reviewer calling it "a delightfully camp, low-stakes romp through 1930s New York City that proves Nicolas Cage is still cooler than all of us." You can stream all episodes of the 8-part show on Prime Video now.

See what else we recommend with our guide to the best TV shows on Prime Video.

The Four Seasons season 2

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix

The Four Seasons was a breakout hit for Netflix when its first season arrived back in May 2025. It's all-star cast got viewers hooked with Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Colman Domingo, and Will Forte all appearing in lead roles. However, it was the deft balance of all-out laughs and more tender emotion that was what made the show so popular with viewers and critics alike.

Now the show is returning with a second season, which follows in the wake of season 1's shock death. This time around, the group of friends navigate three new vacations with more baggage and a baby in tow. All eight episodes are available to stream now.

See what else we recommend with our guide to the best shows on Netflix.

Star City

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Apple TV

For All Mankind is undoubtedly one of Apple TV's best shows currently airing, telling an alternate history where the USSR was the first nation to reach the moon. In the original show, this kicked off a more intense space race that has been told from the American perspective so far. Well, now, new spin-off Star City is changing the narrative, telling the story from the perspective of the Soviet space agency.

It's an intriguing premise that will likely appeal to fans of the original show as well as newcomers to this sci-fi universe. What's more, it's got a seriously stacked cast of dramatic talent. Rhys Ifans plays the chief designer of the program, while Anna Maxwell Martin is the head of the KGB surveillance department at Star City. Early reviews have been very positive for the new show, which has opened to a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score. The first two episodes arrive on May 29, airing weekly thereafter.

Our list of the best Apple TV shows is packed with quality entertainment.

The Bride!

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: HBO Max

Based on Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein and the 1935 movie Bride of Frankenstein, The Bride! tells a new story set in a very familiar world. After impressing with her directorial debut, The Lost Daughter, The Dark Knight star Maggie Gyllenhaal is in both the writing and directing chair for this one. It stars Christian Bale as 'Frank', the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein, opposite Jessie Buckley as the titular Bride, a woman who is brought back from the dead to be his companion.

Buckley's performance as a radical rebel drives much of the movie, which split critics between fervent admirers and confused observers. Called a sci-fi fantasy version of Sid and Nancy and Natural Born Killers, it seems destined to become a cult classic. It's well worth your streaming time this weekend to make up your own mind on the 2026 release. The movie is available to watch now on HBO Max in the UK and the US.

Check out our guide to the best HBO Max movies for more essential viewing.

Descendent

Available: US
Where to watch: Hulu/Disney Plus

This pacy horror likely flew under your radar when it was first released in 2025. Produced by Marvel filmmaking duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (who worked on Moon Knight and Daredevil: Born Again), this sci-fi thriller tells the story of a school security guard in Los Angeles who struggles to navigate his childhood trauma as he prepares for the birth of his first child.

However, things start to get pretty weird when he ends up seeing a mysterious beam of light one night on his shift. He wakes up after this odd encounter with images of aliens and desert landscapes plaguing his mind. The Walking Dead actor Ross Marquand stars in the lead role of this twisty and tense horror with a very decent 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. You can stream the movie on Hulu right now.

Our guide to the best Hulu movies is full of cinematic gems.

The Theory of Everything

Available: US/UK
Where to watch: Netflix (US)/Prime Video (UK)

Awards darling The Theory of Everything is now available to stream on Netflix. The biographical drama tells the love story of physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) and his wife, Jane Wilde Hawking (Felicity Jones). The pair navigate his advancing illness and rising fame across three decades of their lives, beginning with their first meeting at Cambridge University.

If you missed this one when it was released back in 2014, it's well worth a watch now for its tender and emotional retelling of Hawking's life. Nominated for five Oscars and winning the Academy Award for Redmayne, it's easy to see why this movie is so well-loved. It's on Prime Video in the UK for four days before it heads to Netflix in the US on May 31.

For more streaming inspiration, you can check out our breakdown of the best Netflix movies.

If you're still in need of inspiration, check out our guides to the best movies on Prime Video and the best shows on Disney Plus.

Now that The Boys season 5 is over, fans are wondering what Homelander actor Antony Starr was referring to when he teased the Supe's most diabolical act yet right at the start of the season.

Whilst speaking to Wired, Starr said, "I think the most f**ked up thing Homelander did is in season five, which I can’t spoil. I can’t wait for you to see that." Then, when he was on The Kelly Clarkson Show, he teased, "The worst thing I have done is yet to come, and I can't wait. If you think killing children is bad. Just wait."

Homelander has done some truly despicable things throughout the series, from letting many innocent people die on Flight 47 to killing a child on a private jet just to get at his dad. Homelander has also gone against his fellow Supes numerous times. He forced The Deep to eat his octopus lover and murdered long-time Seven member Black Noir. Oh, and there's also the matter of why Billy Butcher hates Homelander in the first place, because he assaulted and impregnated Becca Butcher.

So, when Starr teased that Homelander's worst was yet to come, it's safe to say that fans were pumped. However, now that the series is over, fans are wondering what the actor was actually referring to. "All that hype about Antony saying about season 5… what did he do? Is proclaiming yourself God worse than killing children somehow?," asked one fan on Reddit.

Many fans seem to think that the star was talking about the moment in The Boys season 5 episode 3 where he beats his biological son Ryan so bad that we all thought he was dead. "That’s the only moment of the season that seemed even remotely striking as a turning point for him morally," said one Reddit user, pointing out that it would have been more powerful if Ryan had died. Another agreed, replying, "Character-wise, it would have been the ultimate sin, and shown Homelander as past the point of no return."

However, one fan on Twitter has pointed out that after episode 3 aired, Starr posted on his Instagram story that the "worst thing" hadn't happened yet, and was "still to come." So what else could it be? "It could’ve been Frenchie's death they did say it was cut for being too gruesome," said one fan. In The Boys season 5 episode 7, Homelander murdered Boys member Frenchie at the Boys' hideout. But we actually don't see the murder happen, we just see Frenchie bleeding out after Homelander flies away.

Others seem to believe that some scenes were cut, and that's why we didn't see the shocking scene Starr was referring to. "I get the feeling the original scripts were a lot more colorful and they had to cut it down a lot," suggested one fan. Others joked that the most shocking thing Homelander ever did was submit to Billy Butcher right at the end. You can read more about that in our The Boys season 5 finale ending explained.

The Boys season 5 is available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guides to best shows on Prime Video and all the other new TV shows you need to know about.

Although we have a few The Boys spin-offs to look forward to, The Deep star Chase Crawford has revealed that he once pitched his own show, and we really want to see it.

Whilst speaking on The Armchair Expert podcast, Crawford revealed that he once loosely pitched an idea for a The Boys spin-off focusing on his aquatic Supe character, The Deep. "What if he's a shitty actor and he's kicked out, a D-List actor. You see him shooting a bad movie like Tropic Thunder, but it's like Barry," said the star. "He doesn't have to be fully redeemed, but it would be fun to do a half-hour comedy."

The 2008 action comedy Tropic Thunder focuses on Ben Stiller's failing actor Tugg Speedman, who, in an attempt to put his career back on track, agrees to star in a war movie in Vietnam alongside a group of other eccentric actors. However, unknown to the stars, the warfare is real. HBO's Barry is a little different. The series follows an assassin who discovers the joy of acting, and he loves it so much that he decides to leave his old life behind.

We can see that this would have worked, as just like the characters in Tropic Thunder and Barry, The Deep is very problematic. We were first introduced to the cocky Supe back in The Boys season 1, where he tried to assault Starlight, but when she outed him, he blamed her for his downfall. All the way through the series, The Deep has displayed the effects of toxic masculinity, from putting ethics aside to blindly follow tyrannical monster Homelander, to hosting a misogynistic podcast in the final season.

However, there's little chance of Crawford's vision coming to life now, as The Deep finally met his end in The Boys season 5 finale. After Starlight flew him to the beach to fight, The Deep fell into the ocean, where a gang of sea life attacked him. This is because earlier in the season, The Deep agreed to fit an oil pipeline in the ocean, but it burst, killing millions of fish. You can read more about The Deep's ironic demise in our guide to The Boys season 5 finale ending explained.

Although The Boys' final episode wraps up each character's respective storyline nicely, showrunner Eric Kripke isn't finished with the universe yet. In 2027, The Boys spin-off Vought Rising will hit Prime Video, following the first set of Supes who were created with V-One. The show is set in the '50s, and welcomes back Jensen Ackles as Soldier Boy, and Aya Cash as Clara Vought, aka Stormfront.

The Boys season 5 is available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guides to the best shows on Prime Video and all the other new TV shows you need to know about.

Spider-Noir star Nicolas Cage never planned on venturing into TV, but one of the greatest shows ever made convinced him to give it a shot.

Cage plays '30s private detective (and web-slinging hero) Ben Reilly in Prime Video's Spider-Noir, which might not have happened had Breaking Bad not convinced him television was worth trying.

"I was adamant about not doing television, because I didn't want to do anything that was too homogenized or that was like everybody else," Cage told Variety. "And my son sat me down during COVID, and he showed me Breaking Bad.

"I began to see that the actors in that show were afforded the luxury of time to tell their story," he continued. "I saw Bryan Cranston staring at a suitcase for what seemed like minutes. I couldn't take my eyes off him, and all he was doing was staring at a suitcase, and it occurred to me that you can't do that in movies: You don't have the time. I thought, maybe with an eight-hour narrative I can start planting seeds for a character that can bloom into something that I don't have the luxury of time to do in a movie. That was the main attraction."

Luckily, Spider-Noir seemed like the right project. "I waited for something that I thought would be special, and I can tell you that with Spider-Noir, the vision that I had in my imagination manifested in the exact way that I'd hoped," Cage explained. "And it was scary, and it was risky. I was constantly worried that I was going to get fired, because I was doing this thing of channeling old actors and colliding it with Stan Lee's masterpiece that is Spider-Man to create this Roy Lichtenstein pop-art sensation of sorts. I didn't know until I finally saw the eight episodes whether it was going to work."

Spider-Noir currently sits at a near-perfect score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, and our own 3.5 star Spider-Noir review says: "A delightfully camp, low-stakes romp through 1930s New York City that proves Nicolas Cage is still cooler than all of us. Though it doesn't feel as big as most Marvel shows, or even Spider-Verse, and suffers from predictable plot turns that even the characters don't seem fazed by... it wants to cure your superhero fatigue, and it's even better on the second watch."

You can stream all of Spider-Noir on Prime Video now. For more on the show, check out our Spider-Noir ending explained or our guide on how to watch Spider-Noir in black and white.

Invincible season 4 aired earlier this year and saw the return of several major characters. However, fans were left a bit confused when one of the main cast members didn't return to voice William Clockwell, Mark Grayson's loyal best friend.

Girls star Andrew Rannells was the original voice actor, starring in the show for the first three seasons. However, in the fourth outing he was replaced by comedian Brandon Scott Jones. Now it turns out that Rannells isn't sure why he wasn't asked back.

"I'm not exactly sure why," he explained to The Direct when they quizzed him on the recasting. "I think there was maybe a little restructuring and they... I was a guest star, and there were a lot of guest stars that didn't end up coming back for the fourth season. So I'm not exactly sure why, but I was happy to be a part of the first three."

Rannells isn't wrong as several other guest stars didn't return in Invincible season 4 either. Heroes star Zachary Quinto was recast with Ross Marquand as the voice of Robot. Meanwhile Hamilton star Jonathan Groff also didn't return as Rick Sheridan with Luke Macfarlane instead stepping in.

Invincible season 5 has already been confirmed but it's not yet sure if Rannells – or indeed any of the other voice cast – could be returning for that. What we do know is that Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul will be back and there will be some more "side quests" in the new season too.

For more, check out our ranking of the best shows on Prime Video right now.

Spider-Noir is a departure from the Spidey we know and love, which is only possible through the multiverse.

But, while we first saw Spider-Noir in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, this isn't the same version of him (even though they're both played by Nicolas Cage). That version of Spider-Noir was an alternate Peter Parker, but this version is Ben Reilly, a private detective in the '30s.

In the first few moments of the new show, Reilly says: "Someone once asked me what universe this was. A strange question that stuck with me all these years later. All I could say for sure was it was the only one I knew of."

Could this be a shoutout to Spider-Verse? It's not totally clear, since this version of Spider-Noir has never met Miles Morales. Instead, it seems to be a reference to something else entirely.

"Likely Miguel [O'Hara] trying to recruit him, yeah?" questions one fan on Reddit, though another points out: "Different Noir. This is the live action one. Just like they had live action Donald Glover appear in Spider-Verse. There are live action multiverses."

"See, comments like this make me wonder why they didn't just have this Noir be the same one from the Spider-Verse movies. They even share the same actor, for crying out loud!" says someone else.

"I don't think it was meant to be any deeper than just a way to tell the audience this was an alternate version of Spider-Man by dropping a line that reminds them about alternate universes," argues another fan.

"Might be an Easter egg for a crossover that hasn’t happened yet," speculates another person, while another says: "I imagine it was probably a dimension hopper who got sent there by accident and left quickly after. Maybe it was America [Chavez]?"

One fan, though, has a pretty great theory. "A random idea that occurred to me (and obviously unrealistic due to rights issues), but it would be funny if it was some TVA agent, who, given how they always dress, would blend in well with the show's aesthetic, who was classifying the universes," they say.

Whatever happened, it's clear Ben Reilly at least has an inkling that the multiverse exists – so, maybe we'll see Cage's live-action version of the wallcrawler appear in a future crossover project.

You can watch all episodes of Spider-Noir on Prime Video now. For more, check out our Spider-Noir review or our Spider-Noir ending explained, or our guide on how to watch Spider-Noir in black and white.

Spider-Noir is now out on Prime Video as Nicolas Cage makes his TV debut. Billed as a standalone show in the Spider-Man universe, the series is loosely connected to the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse character that Cage voiced in those animated movies. However, this new live-action reimagining takes his story further, building on his origin story in a show heavily inspired by his Marvel comic history.

One fun quirk of the new series is that it can be watched two ways. You can stream it in full color (billed as 'True-Hull Full Color'), just as you would any other Marvel show, or you can watch it in 'Authentic Black and White.'

The entire series is now on Prime Video, and it allows you to choose which way you want to see it. However, after some users reported that it wasn't showing up on their devices, we've compiled this guide on how exactly you can switch between them.

How to watch Spider-Noir in black and white on Prime Video

Once you've decided which way you want to stream Spider-Noir, head to Prime Video. If you're on the desktop version, you can click through to the show's landing page. At first, it will seem like you can only stream the full-color version, as this is what shows when you're looking at the episode lists. However, when you click on the episode, it will then give you the option of how you want to watch it, in 'True-Hue Full Color' or in 'Authentic Black and White'.

If you're watching on a mobile device or your in-TV app, the process is the same. It's worth noting that on the TV app, you do have to make your selection within 10 seconds, or it will pick it automatically for you.

If you want to switch between the modes when you're watching, scroll down or press the settings options on your TV and there should be something called 'Alternate Versions'. Give this a press to switch to the other streaming option.

Just a note, if any of these options are not appearing for you, give your app an update and see if it helps. Several users on Reddit have reported that this helped them access both versions when they were having issues.

Happy streaming!

For more on the new show, here's our Spider-Noir review and our breakdown of the Spider-Noir ending explained.

As the God of War TV show gets closer to hitting our screens, we've now had a behind the scenes look at what Baldur might look like in the show.

Deadpool and Rebel Moon actor Ed Skrein is taking on the role in the Prime Video adaptation, and, in a picture shared by Freya actor Sonya Walger, we get a sneak peek at his style.

It looks pretty game accurate, with a busy beard that's maybe a tad smaller than his game counterpart. Skrein is wearing a shirt, so it's impossible to tell if he'll have matching tattoos, though we'd wager a guess that he will. Check out the picture below.

The rest of the cast in the picture include Louis Cunningham (Modi), Alastair Duncan (Mimir), Max Parker (Heimdall), and Ben Chapple (Magni).

The first look at the God of War TV show revealed Ryan Hurst as Kratos and Callum Vinson as Atreus. While Kratos's look is extremely game accurate, it also suffers a bit from an uncanny valley effect.

"I’m sure everybody's trying real hard, it's so dumb,” said God of War creator David Jaffe of the first look. "Kratos in this pose with this expression, not the guy's face, but this expression, he just looks stupid. If you're going to reveal, to most people, a brand new character that you hope is going to carry your series, for the first time, and they've never really seen this before, and this is the way you introduce them?"

The God of War TV show doesn't yet have a release date. While you wait, check out our guide to all the most exciting upcoming TV shows and upcoming video game adaptations to fill out your watchlist.

It's happening again. Remember at the start of the year when Stranger Things fans were so disappointed by the finale that they convinced themselves a secret alternate finale was on the way? Well, The Boys fans are doing the same thing.

On May 26, 2026, parody Twitter account Wong Updates posted that two new episodes of The Boys animated spin-off, The Boys: Diabolical, would drop on Prime Video on May 27, featuring two alternate endings, one where Homelander wins, and another adapting the comic book ending. This account is known to post joke content. For example, just days before, the account posted that The Boys star Jack Quaid "reveals he has a secret evil twin brother," which is not true.

But the issue is, some fans of The Boys believe it. One fan replied, "Homelander winning is actually terrifying… yeah, I need to see this," and another added, "That’s a nice little addition to the finale, at least they’re trying to save some grace." However, many fans soon realised that it was a parody account, and were pretty disappointed. "I saw this at work and came home to nothing, count your days," replied another.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, though, as some fans are so upset over the finale that they are using AI to create alternate endings. This is no new thing, though. When Stranger Things season 5 came to a close, fans were so disappointed that they theorised that the Stranger Things season 5 ending was just an illusion created by villain Vecna, and believed there was a secret ninth episode on the way. Fans would pick out clues from the season and tease made-up release dates online, creating a theory known as Conformity Gate.

But what is the issue with the finale anyway? The Boys season 5 finale saw the ongoing battle between Billy Butcher and Homelander finally come to a head. Butcher and his crew stormed the Oval Office to take the Supe down and stripped him of his powers using Kimiko's beam. It was Butcher who delivered the final blow, before meeting his own end later on in the episode. You can read our The Boys season 5 ending explained for more on that.

The issue that many fans have with the finale is that it was on a smaller scale than other series finales, and they were expecting a large number of Supes to show up for the finale battle. However, showrunner Erif Kripke had already made it clear that the show did not have a Game of Thrones-level budget. It also seems like some fans wanted Homelander to win and take over the whole world.

However, just like no secret extra episode of Stranger Things arrived, we don't think there will be an alternate The Boys, as the finale tied up each character's storyline pretty neatly. But Vought's journey isn't over yet, as the beginnings of the company will be explored in '50s-set spin-off Vought Rising, which will see the first set of Supes created by V-One, including Soldier Boy, rise under Clara Vought's (Stormfront) rule.

Vought Rising hits Prime Video sometime in 2027. For more, check out our picks of the best Prime Video shows, and keep up with new TV shows heading your way.

Ahead of The Boys season 5, Soldier Boy star Jensen Ackles teased that there was a scene that shocked him so much, he had to leave the set of the superhero show. At the time, he didn't let on what it was for fear of spoilers but fans had assumed it was something either extremely violent or very disgusting, given the nature of the show.

Speaking at a convention appearance back in 2025 (per NME), Ackles said: "I hadn't seen what was going on. We'd blocked it out, we rehearsed it. Things changed when the camera was rolling, and I hadn't seen it. And I walked in, and it was, 'Dear God,' and I just walked back out. I was like, 'I'm sorry, I wasn't prepared for that, and I don't think anybody else will be either."

Well now, almost a year later, Ackles was revealed what scene he was talking about in the wake of the series finale of the show. Speaking at a Supernatural convention called Purgatory 10 recently, he explained that the scene in question was when Homelander was bathing in a tub of breast milk, which came in season 5 episode 3.

This was shared by a fan on Twitter who wrote, "The scene Jensen walked in and immediately walked out on during the filming of #TheBoys was when he walked in on Homelander in the bathtub." You can actually watch it online here after Prime Video Malaysia shared it on YouTube.

I've got to admit, like many fans reacting to the update, I'm pretty surprised that this was the scene which caused Ackles to walk out. In it, Homelander says that the milk is actually from the NICU of a hospital, which is particularly grim, but it's not the most gory moment in the show.

Others have been reacting too, including one fan who wrote on Reddit: "Bro was literally on herogasm but this is where he draws the line?" Meanwhile another wrote: "Probably cuz of how ridiculous it was seeing him in the tub full of Milk. Most likely couldn't keep a straight face."

The Boys season 5 has now finished, but a new spin-off starring Ackles is still on the way. Called Vought Rising, we recently got a first look at the trailer. For more, check out our guide to the best shows on Prime Video.

Spider-Noir has arrived, and it stars Nicolas Cage as a down-on-his-luck detective who doesn't really want to use his spider powers anymore... until a case comes across his desk that more or less forces him to do so.

We were first introduced to the character of Spider-Man Noir in the animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, who was also voiced by Cage. Does this mean the new Prime Video show is connected to Sony's Spider-Verse movies?

We've broken it all down, spoiler-free, below. For even more, you can check out our guide on whether you should watch Spider-Noir in black and white or in color; or read our full Spider-Noir review.

How is Spider-Noir connected to the Spider-Verse movies?

As of right now, the answer is not at all: Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Noir are two different characters.

In Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Kingpin builds a collider with the intent to kidnap alternate versions of his wife, Vanessa, and son, Richard, from another universe. Because of the collider, Miles Morales ends up meeting a bunch of Spideys from different universes. One of these Spideys is Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man Noir.

Now, while Nicolas Cage does voice Spider-Man Noir in Into the Spider-Verse and will reprise the role for Beyond the Spider-Verse... Spider-Man Noir and Spider-Noir are two completely different characters. In Spider-Noir, Cage plays Ben Reilly, not Peter Parker. In the comics, Ben Reilly was created as a clone of Peter Parker and became the Scarlet Spider.

In the Spider-Man Noir comics, Spider-Man Noir is a version of Peter Parker who is a young adult in 1930s New York City and is dealing with a Depression-Era Norman Osborn/Green Goblin. But before you get confused: Spider-Man Noir in Into the Spider-Verse is a Peter Parker variant, and the Spidey in the live-action Spider-Noir is a Spider-Man variant named Ben Reilly.

"It's a different flavour of that character, even though it’s still Nick’s voice," showrunner Oren Uziel told Empire. "It's not a continuation of Into the Spider-Verse. Once Phil and Chris introduced the idea of the multiverse, I think you’re allowed to take things and make them your own."

Whether the live-action show does end up having its own surprise twist that connects to Into the Spider-Verse remains to be seen... but we'll keep you posted.

Spider-Noir premieres on MGM Plus in the US on May 25, before arriving on Prime Video globally on May 27. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other best new TV shows on the way in 2026.

Spider-Noir has arrived, with the eight-episode live-action Spidey series hitting MGM Plus first in the United States. Before you begin your Memorial Day binge-watch, however, you might be a little bit confused as to how you should watch it.

The new superhero show was filmed in color, but on streaming has the option for viewers to select between "Authentic Black and White" and "True-Hue Full Color." This is because Spider-Noir takes place in 1930s New York City, and is inspired by the black-and-white, mystery noir movies of the time. Nicolas Cage stars as Detective Ben Reilly, who has since retired from his days as the city's resident superhero, the Spider. When an exceptional case comes across his desk, however, he's forced to become the Spider once more.

If you're wondering which is the best way to watch the series, we've broken it down for you below. No spoilers, just vibes. For even more, you can check out our full Spider-Noir review.

Should I watch Spider-Noir in black and white or in color?

There's no right or wrong answer! The show was filmed in color, as Amazon was (according to star Nicolas Cage) nervous about filming in black-and-white. It was Cage who ultimately persuaded the studio to do both, telling Esquire that color would appeal to a younger audience, and that black-and-white might lead them to go out and revisit the pulp movies of the 30s and classic noir of the 40s and 50s.

If you decide to watch the show in "Authentic Black and White," it really does transport you to a different time and bring out those old-school vibes. It also adds to the mystery element, making the stakes feel just a bit higher.

If you decide to watch in "True-Hue Full Color," you do get to see the bright, comic-book-esque colors used throughout the series – from Robbie Robertson's flashy suits to Cat Hardy's stage makeup and glittery lounge singer attire.

Both options are pretty great. My personal recommendation is to start off in black and white, switch to color for the second episode, and then continue to switch back and forth. You could very well end up wanting to watch all of it in black and white or all of it in color, and that's totally up to you! I think switching between the two gives it a nice mix.

Spider-Noir premieres on MGM Plus in the US on May 25, before arriving on Prime Video globally on May 27. In the meantime, check out our guide to the other best new TV shows on the way in 2026.

Spider-Noir is about to swing onto screens, but the live-action Spider-Man show has a more complicated release schedule than you might think, which is why we've channeled our inner Ben Reilly to crack the case of where and when you can watch the new series.

Starring Nic Cage as the titular web-slinger, Spider-Noir puts a prohibition-era spin on superhero storytelling. Centered on a gumshoe detective who also happens to be his universe's Spider-Man, Spider-Noir sees the fedora-sporting superhero come trade blows with Brendan Gleeson's mob boss Silvermane, and his superpowered henchmen.

We've got everything you need to know about the Spider-Noir release date and time right here, including where to watch and how many episodes to expect. And before you watch, be sure to check out our spoiler-free Spider-Noir review.

Spider-Noir release date and streaming time

If you want to see Spider-Noir at the earliest opportunity, you need to be in the US, where the entire first season will air back-to-back on MGM+'s linear channel on May 25 at 11:30am PDT / 2:30pm EDT. That's right: all 8 episodes will air across just over 6 hours, finishing at around 5:40pm PDT / 8:40pm EDT. It won't be available on demand right away, so a marathon binge, as it airs live, is your only option if you want to watch on Memorial Day.

What you're probably more interested in is when Spider-Noir hits Prime Video. The entire first season of Spider-Noir drops as a binge release on Prime Video on May 27 at 12am PDT / 3am EDT. That's 8am GMT in the UK. At that point, every episode will be available to watch on demand through Prime Video, assuming you're subscribed.

Where to watch Spider-Noir

Thanks to the rather confusing collaboration between Amazon-owned platforms MGM+ and Prime Video, there are actually two places to watch Spider-Noir.

On May 25, you'll be able to watch the entire first season of Spider-Noir on MGM+'s linear channel, but only live as it airs. Crucially, it will not be available to stream on demand via MGM+.

From May 27, Spider-Noir will be available on Prime Video as an on-demand binge release. Of course, you'll need a subscription to MGM+ or Prime Video to watch on either platform.

Spider-Noir episode count

There are 8 episodes in the first season of Spider-Noir, each clocking in around the 42-minute mark, just like the good old days of network TV. None of these bloated 60+ minute episodes here!

That means, if you want to binge the entire first season in one sitting, it'll take you just over five-and-a-half hours. Keep the Spider-snacks handy…

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel shows. Or dive into our guide breaking down all the characters in Spider-Noir.

The Boys star Laz Alonso has shared an emotional behind the scenes video of The Boys season 5, and it reveals which scene the cast filmed last. The following will dive into spoilers, so turn back now if you're not up to date!

In the video, which you can watch below, we see Karl Urban's Billy Butcher walking the halls of the White House wielding a crowbar. It's then announced that this is the end for main unit and Urban, which prompts cheers and applause.

The final episode of the hit Prime Video show saw Butcher beat a de-powered Homelander to death with a crowbar, finally finishing the mission the Boys embarked on all those seasons ago (you can read more in our The Boys season 5 finale ending explained). So, the fact that the show wrapped on the White House set is a fitting full circle moment.

"All I can say is I set out to tell a particular angle on this story," showrunner Eric Kripke has said of wrapping up the finale without going scorched earth. "I did what we do every season, which is try to focus on the Boys and try to make it a world that's recognizable to the one we live in. I really wasn't interested in a post-apocalyptic world. That just wasn't ever gonna be in the cards."

Our own The Boys season 5 finale review awarded the show 3.5 stars, and it reads: "The Boys has ended not with a whimper, but not with a particularly big bang either. While the series finale resolves the story of Hughie, Butcher and Homelander in satisfying enough fashion, the small-scale action can't help but feel like a letdown after five seasons of build-up."

The Boys season 5 is streaming on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guide to the most exciting upcoming TV shows.

The Boys season 5 is done and dusted, but it sounds as though we may see some of our favourite characters again very soon, as showrunner Eric Kripke suggests that the upcoming '50s set spin-off Vought Rising could include flashforwards.

When asked if Vought Rising could potentially be set in multiple timelines, Kripke told Deadline, "No comment," adding, "But how’s this for a vague tease; I will say that we have a few surprises and tricks up our sleeve in Vought Rising." Hmm, very cryptic. But we already knew that Kripke likes to keep us all on our toes.

Set in the '50s, Vought Rising will take us right back to where it all began, when Frederick Vought created the first set of Supes alongside his wife, Clara, aka, Stormfront. There are already some crossovers between the main show and the new series. We first met Stormfront back in The Boys season 2, then Soldier Boy came along in season 3, and Bomsight in season 5. These Supes are able to exist in both timelines because they were created with V-One, which granted them immortality.

There is also an opportunity to bring back some Gen V characters, too, since that spin-off was cancelled this April. Following the cancellation, Kripke said that other Boys spin-offs do "have the opportunity to absorb at least some of the Gen V gang." As for Hughie, Starlight, and co., we don't know if we will see them again, as The Boys season 5 ending tied up their storylines quite nicely.

Following season 5, many fans felt that Kripke was using the final installment to set up Vought Rising, due to it focusing a lot on Soldier Boy. But Kripke doesn't see it that way, as he told Deadline, "I don’t think the finale episode itself sets up Vought Rising. I think what we saw of Soldier Boy and meeting Bombsight and some references to some of the other original Supes, is about the only setup we’re doing."

Saying that, the first piece of Vought Rising footage was shown ahead of The Boys season 5 episode 8 in theaters in the US. The teaser includes another look at V-One Supes Soldier Boy, Torpedo, Private Angel, and Bombsight, as well as the first look at Clara Vought, aka Stormfront's return. Many were expecting the first teaser to be shown on Prime Video during The Boys season 5 post-credits scene, but it has yet to surface on the streamer or online.

Vought Rising hits Prime Video sometime in 2027. For more, check out our picks of the best Prime Video shows, and keep up with new TV shows heading your way.

Although seven years ago, The Boys showrunner probably couldn't have imagined how popular the superhero satire series would become, Eric Kripke says he always had Billy Butcher and Hughie's last scene together in the back of his mind.

Warning: the following contains major spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 8, so turn back now if you haven't seen the series finale yet.

One of the most shocking moments in The Boys season 5 series finale has to be Hughie killing Butcher. However, Kripke says that this was always the plan. "That was just about the only thing we knew we were gonna do from the very, very beginning," said Kripke in an interview with Deadline. "It’s about as faithful to the comics as we get. And I always love that last moment of it all comes down to just those two characters, and so we had a target we were aiming for."

After defeating Homelander, the Boys head back to basecamp, but things quickly turn sour for Butcher, as, after Ryan tells him that he doesn't want to have a father-son relationship with him, he finds Terror dead in his dog bed. With nothing else to lose, Butcher takes the Supe Virus to Vought Tower, planning to kill all Supes so that the world never has to suffer another Homelander. Hughie figures out what is happening and goes after him, as he knows that if Butcher releases the virus, many innocent Supes will die, including Annie (Starlight)

At Vought, the two square off. Hughie warns Butcher, but the Boys leader won't see sense, leading Hughie to shoot him in the chest. Butcher dies holding Hughie's hand, telling him that he looks just like his little brother Lennie. But what The Boys viewers may not know is that this is how Butcher dies in The Boys comics, too. However, in the comics, Butcher also kills Mother's Milk, Kimiko, and Frenchie during his rampage on the way to Vought Tower.

The Boys TV show often strays away from the comics, but this detail was important to Kripke, as although the focus is often on the battle between Homelander and Butcher, the "kind of the secret conflict of the show" is between Hughie and Butcher, which is the "emotional heart" of the series. "We’ve laid so much infrastructure in terms of Hughie and Butcher, and what Hughie’s relationship to Butcher is, and why Butcher brought him on the team in the first place.

"One good thing about Butcher is, he knows he’s a sociopath with no conscience… And Hughie’s goal from the beginning was to be his little brother and to stop him when he finally goes too far." Kripke added that this is one of his "favorite scenes" in the whole show, as "it was so satisfying to bring together threads that we’ve been planting for seven years now."

The Boys complete series is available to stream on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 finale review and our The Boys season 5 ending explained.

After seven years and five seasons, The Boys season 5 came to an end this week with a fiery series finale. However, aside from the Gen V kids and Ryan joining in on the fun in the very last episode, we were shocked to see some original characters stay out of the final fight.

Throughout The Boys' final season, there have been a few hints that Wonder Woman-like Supe Queen Maeve may show up to help the Boys take down Homelander. In The Boys season 5 episode 6, we see that Sister Sage has a Queen Maeve notepad in her desk, and then in the final installment, The Boys season 5 episode 8, Annie recalls how the Seven member was once her hero. However, the Supe never made an appearance.

But this wasn't because showrunner Eric Kripke didn't want her there, as he told Gold Derby, "I would have loved to have had Maeve. I was in conversation with [Dominique McElligott]. We still email once in a while. She's mostly retired from acting, and her schedule didn't work out. It was all a very friendly, non-controversial thing. I was like, 'If we wrote it, would you do it?' And she's like, 'I'm kind of out of it, and I'm busy, and unfortunately I can't, but send everyone my love.' That was sort of it."

We met McElligott's super-strong Supe back in The Boys season. She was part of the Seven and Homelander's PR girlfriend, but underneath, she despised him. She eventually jumped ship to help the Boys take down Stormfront. The Supe eventually sacrificed herself at the end of The Boys season 3, and threw herself from Vought Tower in a bid to kill Soldier Boy. She survived, but as the whole world thought she was dead, she fled the city to live a normal life with her girlfriend.

It is unlikely we'll ever see Maeve again. However, her enemies, both Stormfront and Soldier Boy, will return in the upcoming spin-off Vought Rising. Set in the '50s, Vought Rising will take us right back to where it all began, when Frederick Vought used V-One to create the first set of Supes: Soldier Boy, Torpedo, Bombsight, Private Angel and his wife Clara Vought aka Liberty aka Stormfront. Vought Rising hits Prime Video sometime in 2027.

The Boys complete series is available to stream on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 finale review and our The Boys season 5 ending explained.

Hideo Kojima is known for his movie and TV show reviews on X, often sharing verbose conclusions as well as some slightly shorter takes. Usually the latter isn't a great sign, as was the case with Madame Web and Return To Silent Hill, which both got pretty matter of fact responses from the Death Stranding creator.

Kojima's latest post featured The Boys season 5 finale, as he wrote simply, "Good Morning" alongside four images. These were Billy Joel's 'Piano Man', which played an important part in the final episode as well as two posters and a picture of Karl Urban as Billy Butcher.

Although it was another brief response from Kojima, the emojis included make us think it might not be such a brutal review after all. These were a praying emoji, a bowing person, a heart, and a thumbs up. Seems not too bad, right? Showrunner Eric Kripke clearly agreed as he retweeted the status too.

Fans have been reacting to the review – and it seems like some are just as confused as us. "Kojima experts, there's no text but there are emojis, is that a good thing?" one wrote, echoing our thoughts exactly.

We'll have to wait and see if Kojima gives any more insight than that, but he's always been a big fan of The Boys in the past. He notably gave season 4 his stamp of approval, calling out a Homelander-heavy episode and saying it sets itself apart from other superhero stories.

Not only this, but the game designer has previously revealed that he wanted to make a game like the TV show too.

For more on The Boys, check out our The Boys season 5 finale review and our The Boys season 5 finale ending explained.

The Boys season 5 has brought the long-running Prime Video show to a final end – and the response has remained pretty mixed on how it all went down. The finale saw Homelander and Billy Butcher fight it out in the White House as Antony Starr's Supe was finally killed.

However, while the moment was a hit with some people, other fans had been expecting more, especially given the tease of "scorched earth" between the two heavyweights. Showrunner Eric Kripke has reacted to this in a new interview, explaining why he didn't go "post-apocalyptic" with the series in its final episodes.

"For whatever reason, there are definitely people that the show is not working for this season, whether it be pacing, whether it be lack of giant fight scenes," he told Rolling Stone, admitting that he reads all of the fan comments "obsessively."

He added: "All I can say is I set out to tell a particular angle on this story. I did what we do every season, which is try to focus on the Boys and try to make it a world that's recognizable to the one we live in. I really wasn't interested in a post-apocalyptic world. That just wasn't ever gonna be in the cards."

Kripke, who created the show and its wider Vought Cinematic Universe added that he's at peace with his approach to the final episodes too. "I don't regret it. I'm happy with how it turned out. And luckily the majority of the audience agrees, and that was a very comforting piece of information."

Our own The Boys season 5 finale review gave it 3.5 stars, writing: "The Boys has ended not with a whimper, but not with a particularly big bang either. While the series finale resolves the story of Hughie, Butcher and Homelander in satisfying enough fashion, the small-scale action can't help but feel like a letdown after five seasons of build-up."

For more on the final episode, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 recap, our The Boys season 5 ending explained, and our breakdown of what's coming next in Vought Rising.

The Boys has ended its seven-year run on Prime Video, but it made sure to go out with a bang. And by that I mean, the series finale aired in various 4DX theaters around the United States in effort to turn arguably the grossest (by way of violence, anyway) episode of the entire series into a weird meta theme park ride experience.

Did it work? Hell yes. The polarizing fifth season of The Boys was not my favorite, and creator Eric Kripke even spent most of the season's run responding to some pretty intensely negative fan feedback. But did getting to see the most highly-anticipated moment of the entire show in a packed theater where they sprayed you with water every time someone on screen lost some blood make it completely and totally worth it? Uh, yeah actually. More on that below. But be warned: there are massive spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 8.

Blood and bone? You betcha

I grew up going to Universal Studios and Disney World multiple times a year as a kiddo growing up in Florida, both of which contain 4D experiences (the now-defunct Shrek 4D and It's Tough to Be a Bug) hat make your seats move along with the characters on screen, spray some wind at your ankles to make it seem like insects were crawling by, or lightly flicked some water at you when a glass broke.

Let's just say... whoever designed the 4DX elements that went along with the final episode had way too much fun (and for that I am so thankful). As soon as the "Previously on The Boys" title card hit the screen, the water (blood) started spraying and our seats started rocking. However, it truly wasn't until Kimiko threw Sister Sage onto her back and took her powers away that things really started ramping up. And that's when I thought to myself, "Oh, baby, we are not at Disney."

It was cool to feel our seats rise when Marie and the rest of the Gen V-ers got in their truck and drove off, and when Homelander flew up to launch that tech billionaire into space. But when the final fight in the White House started... we were being rocked left, right, and center, each movement timed with each blast to the wall and punch to the face. Oh, and so much blood. So, so, so much water to the face to emulate blood... and actual water, too (like when Annie threw Deep into the ocean). And when Butcher finally popped Homelander's head off with that crowbar... you bet we could 'feel' it.

It was cool, it was camp, and it was so fun sharing the experience in a sold-out theater at 11 pm on a weeknight in New York City. Everyone was hooting and hollering, and some people were audibly freaking out because they couldn't figure out which button to press to turn the water off.

Was the finale good? It was alright. It ended in the best way it could have, wrapping up everyone's storylines with a neat little bow. But the fact that The Boys has always been campy and gross, and they decided to fully lean into that for the show's final hurrah... that's what made it special. This might be controversial, but: if the Game of Thrones series finale threw hot air and dust at its audience, it may have gotten better reviews. Heck, if the Sopranos finale screened in a 4DX theater and our seats moved for the entire five minutes Meadow spent trying to parallel park that car... I could've forgiven that 20-year-long cliffhanger. Regardless, I'll be thinking about the squelch of Homelander's brains and how they sprayed me in the face until kingdom come, probably.

The Boys season 5 is now streaming in full on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 finale recap, our take on the episode in our The Boys season 5 finale review, and all the details about what's next in Vought Rising.

The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke says The Boys: Mexico will take place in the aftermath of The Boys series finale.

Warning: Spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 8 below!

"It's still a super-fun world, and I think the point we were trying to make at the end is nothing is just perfect and happily ever after," Kripke told Rolling Stone. "Now you have all these loose Supes running around that Vought isn’t taking responsibility for anymore. And there’s problems to solve. There's always gonna be problems to solve. If you pull your loved ones tight and take care of each other, you can have a happy ending."

At the end of the finale, Annie and Hughie are still committed to taking down rogue Supes... despite embarking on a new adventure away from the Boys now that Homelander is finally dead. Now that Vought is in shambles and the new President is trying (and presumably failing) to get all the Supes in order... anything can happen.

It was announced back in 2023 that a spin-off titled The Boys: Mexico, starring Diego Luna and executive-produced Gael Garcia Bernal, was in the works. Interestingly enough, this spin-off was announced well before the Soldier Boy-led Vought Rising prequel spin-off... though that one already has a teaser trailer and release date. We don't know too much about The Boys: Mexico, other than that it'll take place in a post-Homelander world and have a Mexican-led cast.

The Boys season 5 is airing now in its entirety on Prime Video. Check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 recap for a closer look at the finale, or look ahead to the best new TV shows still to come in 2026.

A lot of praise for The Boys performances often falls into Antony Starr's lap for his masterful portrayal of the maniacal Supe Homelander. But for me it's always been Karl Urban's brash portrayal of Billy Butcher that has been the standout in Eric Kripke's superhero satire.

Completely ruthless and willing to betray anyone for his final goal, he's been the most consistent character in the Prime Video show, ever since he sauntered onto our screens in his dusty trench coat with his dodgy cockney accent back in season 1. Often navigating absurd, diabolical dialogue strewn with expletives, in lesser hands, Butcher could have been a bit too on-the-nose, but Urban's cheeky grin has always elevated the character beyond caricature while also nailing his more emotional moments.

That's why I'm so pleased that the series finale of The Boys gives us both, doing justice to Butcher's character in his final moments. Season 5 episode 8, 'Blood and Bone', sees him in peak form, throwing himself into battle against Homelander, delivering cheeky "c**t"-filled dialogue, and ultimately making a complicated, devastating decision. And while The Boys season 5 has made some serious missteps, as the credits roll, it's clear that Butcher's storyline is definitively not one of them.

Unforgiving until the end

The finale gives us the showdown between Homelander and Billy Butcher that we've all been waiting for. Ever since their "scorched earth" exchange – and really, since season 1 – it's always felt inevitable that it would come to a head between these two. And while we had maybe hoped for a slightly more dramatic setting that just inside the Oval Office, the commitment to their rivalry more than delivers.

After Homelander has been depowered by Kimiko, Butcher turns on him, landing several punches. "This is for Frenchie," he begins, before bemusedly watching Homelander spiral as he begs for his life. "You ain't nothing," Butcher tells him, "and this is for my Becca" before he lands the killer blow, spilling Homelander's brains on the carpet.

There is no doubt that this is Butcher at his most brutal, barefisted against the formerly hugely powerful Supe, but Urban also gives a hugely emotional performance. The gravity of this final stand-off is all carried in his facial expressions, especially as he mentions his late wife. But even in such a hugely climactic moment, the cheeky Boys leader is never far away as he can't help but bend down and grin at the livestream audience after the deed is done.

It's an exchange that had me near fist-bumping the air. There's no one else that should have killed Homelander and even if the setting could have been bigger, these two delivered on the gravitas of the moment. Butcher's story didn't end there either as Kripke took it right back to where we all started.

Questionable decisions

Butcher has never been one to let anything stand between him and his goal – and he's true to this right to the very end. After briefly toying with a life happily ever after with Ryan and Terror (RIP), he changes tact, deciding to end the Supe threat forever. Taking the virus to Vought Towers, he puts it in the sprinkler system with the aim of spreading it worldwide and ridding the world of the potential for another Homelander.

However, Hughie comes to find him, begging him to stop. Their exchange is full of pathos, harking back to the way the whole series started for them. When Hughie first joined the vigilante gang, he and Butcher could never see eye-to-eye on the leader's complete hatred of Supes, which only grew more complicated when he fell in love with Starlight. While the focus of the show shifted this conflict into the background, it's apt that it shines so brightly in the finale.

It all comes to a head when Butcher almost pushes the sprinkler button, hesitating for a second as he sees his late brother in Hughie's face. That's all it takes as Hughie pulls the trigger, killing him, even though Butcher may have been about to give up. But he doesn't let him feel bad about his decision either, "I gave you no choice, I weren't gonna stop," he tells him, praising his friend right until the end.

As the sun rises on a new day behind him in New York City, Butcher is finally at rest. It's a heroic send-off and one that's strangely quite hopeful despite its sombre tone. Whether or not Hughie's choice to stop Butcher ending Supes for good is the right decision, it's definitely the more idealistic one – and one Butcher could not live to see the consequences of.

"Love him or hate him, he made the world a safer place," Hughie says in his eulogy, "which makes him a hero." But really, what it makes him is an anti-hero. Flawed and ruthless right to his very end, Butcher was a one-of-a-kind character – and despite any missteps in The Boys season 5 as a whole, Krikpe let him stay morally gray right until the very end. Fuckin' diabolical, that.

The Boys season 5 is now streaming in full on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 finale recap, our take on the episode in our The Boys season 5 finale review, and all the details about what's next in Vought Rising.

As the weeks went on, criticism of The Boys' final season grew louder than Butcher on a bender. Still, it's not all bad, not by any means. Say what you want about season five, and the finale especially, but the one consistent thread unanimously enjoyed by fans throughout has been Antony Starr's performance as Homelander.

Note: full spoilers for The Boys season 5 episode 8 follow.

In fact, that's very much true of the series as a whole. Since day one, Starr's take on TV's most petulant villain has been a major highlight. From abandoning Flight 37 to throwing his son Ryan off a roof, Homelander has been a horrifying presence on screen, bringing endless tension to the show, knowing that he could effortlessly snap the neck of anyone around him at any given moment.

And yet there's more to Homelander than just these homicidal tendencies. Throughout his five-season arc, the leader of The Seven has also dealt with a very different kind of tension in perverse scenes you would never usually expect to find in superhero fare of this nature.

Take the moment when Homelander gets off on milking a cow or when he drinks a grown woman's breast milk straight from the source. And who else could pull off (so to speak) that unforgettable masturbation sequence on a roof at the end of season two? Flipping between his narcissism, sheer cruelty and a thirst for blood (or milk) must be no easy task, yet Starr embodies the character in all of his perversities as if it's effortless on screen.

Supe to nuts

Given that Homelander is the focal point of all that's wrong in this world of The Boys, it's no exaggeration to suggest that much of the show's success hinges on Starr in this performance, which could have so easily gone wrong in so many different ways.

And yet recognition beyond the show's fandom has mostly eluded him. Last year's Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series aside, Starr has been overlooked almost entirely come award season each year, despite giving what is consistently the best performance in the show and one of the best on TV today.

That's not to say his Saturn win should be deemed lesser, especially as he overcame a number of other actors in prestige fare (including Matt Smith in House of the Dragon) to win it. But as the Boys creator Eric Kripke pointed out to Variety a little while back: "Ant’s ability to give 16 facial expressions when another person gives one is just so astounding. Give that guy an Emmy already. I don’t understand why it hasn’t happened yet."

Agree or disagree on Kripke's approach to the final season of The Boys, it's hard to deny the point he's making here, where Starr is concerned. How Starr shifts through so many conflicting expressions at once, bringing to life a madman who would simply not exist in the real world, really is something to behold. Perhaps nowhere has this been more evident than it was in the season three finale of The Boys, which gave Starr plenty of material for awards season (and plenty of meme material for us watching back home, too).

From that murderous rage Homelander feels when a Starlighter speaks out at the rally to his realisation that publicly killing is now a-ok, it's remarkable to see Starr's performance in motion. You'd be forgiven for assuming Homelander had developed some kind of shape-shifting ability, so mercurial are the expressions his face goes through.

The same is also true of everything Starr gives us in this final outing as the leader of the Seven (even if the Seven itself is no more). Offering to give Ryan one more chance, Homelander is horrified when his son not only refuses but actively pushes back with words that cut deep to the core of who Homelander really is. But the man's narcissism, combined with an almost superhuman ability to deny reality, ensures that this brutal exchange doesn't stop him in his tracks.

"It’s ok," Homelander says. "You don’t know what’s going on. But you will."

You can physically see Starr work through Homelander's emotions, pushing them down, before ending the scene on an incredibly chilling note. That coldness is wielded again later when Homelander finally tells The Deep what he really thinks of him: "I have never had less respect for anyone in my life. The only reason I haven’t fucking killed you is I want you to feel deep in your heart how truly worthless you really are."

Homelander isn't just cruel where his powers and physical might are concerned. He's also violent with his words, and it's to Starr's credit that we can flinch in horror at his actions one moment, then laugh at his cartoonish perversity the next.

Only human

Nowhere will you laugh harder at this weird child trapped in the body of a man than at the very end of the finale when Kimiko finally manages to rob Homelander of his powers. Suddenly, the monster who has plagued the world of The Boys for five long seasons is reduced to a laughable, snivelling creature.

Watching Homelander try to use his laser eyes on Butcher or fly into the air, only to fall back down, is equal parts hilarious and cathartic after all he's put everyone through. That Starr nails the physicality of this, a god suddenly reduced to nothing, shouldn't be overlooked either.

Realising that Butcher is about to kill him at last, Homelander begs and wails for mercy, offering everything he can think of to prevent his imminent death. And yes, this being the Boys, that includes sucking Butcher's dick or eating his shit live on TV for the whole world to see.

If you catch yourself almost feeling sorry for this monster, much of that is down to Starr, who really captures that desperation wrapped up in every fiber of Homelander's body. Again, the emotions he flips through here come so fast that you might find yourself pausing or rewinding to truly appreciate the work being put in here.

"Madelyn," Homelander cries to himself at one point. "You promised me…" And then, just like that, the child in Homelander comes back out, demanding that Butcher spare him because, and I quote, "I am the HOMELANDER!"

While that's Homelander speaking in character, it's fitting that these are Starr's last words in this role on screen. Because he really is Homelander in every sense of the word, just as Hugh Jackman is Wolverine and Heath Ledger is The Joker.

Maybe, just maybe, large award bodies like the Emmys might finally give Starr the same kind of recognition that's afforded more and more to other quintessential comic book roles in a similar way. It's now or never, given that The Boys has finally come to an end and Homelander is lying face up with Butcher's crowbar sticking out of his skull.

The Boys season 5 is now streaming in full on Prime Video. For more, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 finale recap, or here's everything we know about what's next in Vought Rising.

Although the first Vought Rising teaser wasn't shown after The Boys season 5's final episode like we expected it to, it was shown in theaters ahead of the finale screening.

Those lucky enough to see The Boys season 5 episode 8 in theaters in the US were treated to the first piece of footage from Vought Rising. According to fans on Twitter, the clip includes another look at V-One Supes Soldier Boy, Torpedo, Private Angel, and Bombsight, as well as the first look at Clara Vought, aka Stormfront's return. The Supe, otherwise known as Liberty, is sporting the same hairdo as in the old photo at Marathon Man's house in The Boys season 5 episode 5.

Many were expecting the first Vought Rising teaser to show on Prime Video after the series finale. However, The Boys season 5 post-credits scene showed no sign of Soldier Boy and co, only behind-the-scenes pictures of the making of the show. However, The Boys season 5 as a whole does set up the spin-off, focusing heavily on Soldier Boy's past and suspected relationship with Stormfront, and introduces Vought Rising character Bombsight.

Plus, the final season of the superhero satire focuses heavily on V-One. For a while, both Homelander and Butcher were desperate to get their hands on the original strain of Compound V, which created the first set of Supes and granted them immortality, which is why Soldier Boy hasn't aged a day. However, although Homelander was able to inject himself with V-One, the dose didn't really help him in the end. You can read more about that in our guide to The Boys season 5 ending explained.

Set in the '50s, Vought Rising will take us right back to where it all began, when Frederick Vought created the first set of Supes alongside his wife, Clara. When showrunner Eric Kripke first announced the show, he described it as a "twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought," covering the "early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought." The spin-off stars Jensen Ackles, Aya Cash, Mason Dye, Will Hochman, and Elizabeth Posey.

Vought Rising hits Prime Video sometime in 2027. For more, check out our picks of the best Prime Video shows, and keep up with new TV shows heading your way.

Well there we have it, The Boys is officially over! The series finale, 'Blood and Bone', marks the end of the line for the superhero show as we finally find out how it all ends for these beloved characters.

The hour-long season 5 episode ties up a lot of loose ends as Homelander and Billy Butcher duke it out in the White House. We find out who dies, who lives, and everything in between in the high-octane finale.

However, not everything is neatly wrapped up in the final moments of The Boys season 5. In fact, there are a whole bunch of unanswered questions by the time the credits roll. Well, lucky for you, that's where we come in. Below, we get into all of the major details from the series finale, including what's next for this universe. Of course, this is about to get into major spoiler territory, so make sure you've seen 'Blood and Bone' before reading on.

The Boys season 5 finale ending plot

If you want a full deep dive into everything that happened in the final episode, check out our The Boys season 5 episode 8 recap. But while we're here, let's quickly get into how it all went down in 'Blood and Bone'. After Frenchie's (Tomer Capone) death, it's revealed his experiments on Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara) have worked and she now has the ability to blast any Supe and take away their powers.

The Boys descend on the White House, where Homelander (Antony Starr) is giving his Easter speech as he ascends to becoming a prophet. However, just as his speech starts going awry and he begins to condemn the non-believers, Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and Kimiko smash into the Oval Office. Chaos erupts as they begin fighting as Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) flies in to help out too.

As Kimiko primes to blast Homelander, she finds herself struggling to summon the anger needed. She then sees a vision of Frenchie that helps her believe that it's love she really needs so she fires at Homelander, rendering him powerless. Butcher then closes in on the former Supe, bashing his head in and killing him on live TV. Ouch!

That's not actually where it all ends, either. Butcher, distraught about Ryan leaving him and Terror dying, takes the virus and heads to Vought Towers. His plan is to kill all the Supes in order to stop a new Homelander from emerging in the future by dumping it in the sprinkler system and releasing it worldwide. Hughie (Jack Quaid) finds him and tries to talk him out of it but it's getting nowhere. At the last minute, Butcher hesitates seeing his brother Lenny in a vision, but Hughie shoots him, not realizing he may have been about to stop. Butcher dies holding Hughie's hand.

They bury Butcher next to his wife Becca, as The Boys say farewell to their fallen leader and head to a topless steakhouse in Reno. Mother's Milk (Laz Alonso) reunites with his family, Kimiko heads to Marseille and gets a dog, and Hughie is offered a job at the Bureau of Supe Affairs. However, he turns it down to run his own audio-visual shop with a pregnant Annie January (Erin Moriarty). Starlight is still fighting crime as it's revealed they're going to name their baby Robin in a sweet callback to where this all started.

What happens to the Gen V team in The Boys season 5 finale?

It turns out last episode wasn't the final time we'd see the Gen V Supes as they appear in a brief scene in the finale. Marie Moreau (Jaz Sinclair), Emma Meyer (Lizzie Broadway), and Jordan Li (London Thor) are hanging out with the Boys and the focus group that they rescued from Vought in their forest hideaway. After having a heart-to-heart with Annie January, Marie is urged to bring the runaways to Canada to help them escape. The last we see of them is as they pull away in a Vought Studios truck. Now that Gen V has been canceled, it's not clear if we'll see them on screen again, but we're holding out hope.

What happened to Soldier Boy in The Boys?

Despite playing a pretty major part in the final season of The Boys, Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) doesn't actually appear in the finale. The last we saw of him was in episode 7 when Homelander put him back on ice. We're going to guess that Bob Singer and Vought are planning to keep him there, given his strength, but it's not completely clear. We will be seeing the character again in a prequel show, Vought Rising, which is coming out in 2027.

What happened to Sister Sage in The Boys season 5 finale?

About halfway through the finale, Sister Sage (Susan Heyward) ducks out of the action. After she's been blasted by Kimiko's laser, she no longer has her superpowers. This is bliss for the Supe who has been plagued by being super smart for her whole life so she decides she wants to enjoy her newfound freedom. She heads to Harry Potter World instead of joining the fight. Wands up!

What happens to The Deep in The Boys season 5 finale?

The Deep (Chace Crawford) finally got what has been coming to him for five seasons. There was no redemption for Kevin in the season finale. Outcast by Homelander, he refused to switch sides, leading Annie to take him to the ocean for one final fight. She ended up chucking him into the water where it was his former friends who got him. "Justice for Ambrosius," the fish yelled before another octopus impaled him with a tentacle. Ambrosious was, of course, The Deep's octopus lover, whom he killed back in season 4 in a fit of rage.

What happens to Homelander in The Boys season 5 finale?

Yes, Homelander dies in the season finale of The Boys. After Kimiko fires her chest beam at him in the Oval Office, he loses his powers. Without any of his super abilities, he's no match for Butcher's wrath as he beats him within an inch of his life. The humiliation continues as Homelander begs for his life pathetically before Butcher declares his final blow is "for my Becca" and stabs him through the head with his trusty lead crowbar.

What happens to Billy Butcher in The Boys season 5 finale?

However, even after he won the fight against Homelander, Billy Butcher still doesn't make it out of the finale. Following the death of his beloved dog Terror and Ryan's rejection of him, he decides to take the Supe virus and kill all of the remaining powered individuals for good. He brings it to Vought Tower where he places it in the sprinkler system ready to infect everyone. Just before he pulls the trigger, he pauses as he sees his brother Lenny in Hughie's face. However, it's too late as Hughie has already shot him, causing him to bleed out in his arms.

How does Terror die in The Boys season 5 finale?

Poor Terror. After surviving his chocolate cake incident earlier in the season, Butcher's faithful canine companion dies in the finale. There isn't a clear reason why he dies, Butcher just finds him dead in his bed, leading us to believe he likely passed away peacefully in his sleep. It's probably old age that was the cause, as Butcher has owned Terror ever since he used to live with his wife Becca, making him more than a decade old.

Who dies in The Boys season 5 finale?

Well, we've already got into some of the big deaths in The Boys season 5 finale with The Deep, Homelander, and Billy Butcher (and of course Terror) all not making it until the final credits. However, they weren't the only casualties in the bloody final episode. Oh Father (Daveed Diggs) was also killed when Mother's Milk put his ball gag on just as he was firing a sonic wave, causing his head to explode.

Does The Boys season 5 have a post-credits scene?

Yes, there is a mid-credits scene but it doesn't have anything to do with the plot. It's a montage of images from the staff who worked on the show.

Is there a The Boys season 6? What is next for The Boys universe?

No, this is the end of the line for The Boys. Season 5 was the final outing of the superhero show so don't be expecting any more from these characters in their own solo adventure. However, this isn't yet the end of The Boys universe. College spin-off Gen V has been canceled but a prequel show is already on the way. Vought Rising is set to air in 2027 with Soldier Boy and Clara Vought (AKA Stormfront) as its leads. The series will be set in the 1950s and follow the golden age of Vought Supes.

There is also another spin-off in the works with The Boys Mexico, which is due to star Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal. Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer is creating the show, but there have been very few updates so far. It's not yet clear if this one is still going ahead at the moment.

The Boys season 5 is available to watch in full on Prime Video now. For more, check out our guides to best shows on Prime Video and all the other new TV shows you need to know about.

After seven years, The Boys season 5 has come to a close with a fiery series finale, but the fun doesn't stop there, as spin-off series Vought Rising is on the way. The '50s set series is set to bring back some of our favorite immortal Supes, including Jensen Ackles Soldier Boy and Stormfront.

Vought Rising will take us back to the very beginnings of Vought and the first group of Supes created with V-One, aka the formula that had Billy Butcher and Homelander in a tizzy all the way through The Boys' final season. Set in the '50s, the show will focus on Soldier Boy, Private Angel, Torpedo, Bombsight, and Clara Vought, aka Stormfront. Better yet, Amazon Prime has just released the first teaser. But more on that later.

Now that The Boys has come to a close and Vought Rising has wrapped filming, we expect more details, comments from the cast, and teasers to start flying in. Below, we get into everything you need to know about Vought Rising, including the release date, confirmed cast, and when we expect the first trailer to drop. For more, check out our picks of the best Prime Video shows.

Vought Rising release date

Vought Rising is expected to premiere on Amazon Prime Video sometime in 2027.

Although Prime Video has yet to confirm an exact release date, the 2027 window was announced in April 2026, at the same time as fellow Boys spin-off show Gen V was canceled after 2 seasons.

Vought Rising was confirmed by The Boys showrunner Eric Kripke at San Diego Comic Con 2024. Then, in March 2026, Soldier Boy star Jensen Ackles took to Instagram to confirm filming had wrapped, writing, "Finishing out with a bang! It’s been an absolute thrill ride."

Vought Rising plot speculation

Vought Rising will take us right back to where it all began, when the very first set of Supes were created. Back when the spin-off was first announced, creator Eric Kripke described it as a "twisted murder mystery about the origins of Vought in the 1950s, the early exploits of Soldier Boy, and the diabolical maneuvers of a Supe known to fans as Stormfront, who was then going by the name Clara Vought."

Thanks to The Boys lore, we know that Vought was created by a scientist named Fredrick Vought, who fled Germany after the Second World War and landed in the US, where he worked on a dangerous formula known as V-One, aka the first strain of Compound-V. The V-One was very powerful and killed many, but those who survived the ordeal were granted superhuman powers and the ability to live forever without ever aging.

However, V-One was scrapped and replaced with Compond V, which is why there are only a handful of Supes who have V-One in their blood. Those Supes are Soldier Boy, Bombsight, Torpedo, Private Angel, and Liberty, aka Frederick Vought's wife Clara, better known as Stormfront from The Boys. It seems as though the spin-off will fill in the gaps on Frederick Vought's original plan for his Supes, and the dark history of the company, which would go on to create Homelander.

However, despite the spin-off being set decades before The Boys takes place, the new show will feature a bunch of familiar faces. Stormfront was introduced in season 2 but was quickly uncovered as an ageless, ex-Nazi who met her end when Homelander's son Ryan lasered her. We have also already met Soldier Boy, who was first introduced in The Boys season 3 after being held captive by the Russians for the past few decades. The Captain America-like Supe has super strength and is Homelander's biological dad. Bombsight then made a small cameo in The Boys season 5.

What is most interesting, though, is the "murder-mystery" element, which sounds worlds away from the modern, gory main show we are used to seeing. In an interview with SFX magazine, Kripke said, "If Gen V was our take on a coming-of-age college show, then Vought Rising is our tone mixed with a '50s detective show," describing the spin-off as "a lurid, pulpy detective story, but done in our tone. So really graphic, really profane, lots of sex and violence. It's not a sanitized '50s; it's a filthy '50s."

Vought Rising cast

Thanks to Vought Rising's first look, we know that Jensen Ackles is returning to play Soldier Boy, as well as The Boys season 5's Mason Dye as Bombsight. Although we have yet to see any pictures of Stormfront, we know that Aya Cash will return as the Supe formerly known as Liberty, real name Clara Vought. Newcomers include Elizabeth Posey as Private Angel and Will Hochman as Torpedo.

As for the wider cast, Gen V season 2 villain Thomas Godolkin will make an appearance, played by Ethan Slater. Due to the spin-off being set almost 70 years after The Boys, we don't expect to see Starlight, Hughie, or any other Boys cast member to make an appearance, bar the Supes who are immortal due to V-One.

The confirmed cast list is as follows:

• Jensen Ackles – Soldier Boy
• Aya Cash – Clara Vought
• Mason Dye – Bombsight
• Will Hochman – Torpedo
• Elizabeth Posey – Private Angel
• Ethan Slater – Thomas Godolkin
• KiKi Layne
• Jorden Myrie
• Nicolo Pasetti
• Ricky Staffieri
• Brian J. Smith

Is there a Vought Rising trailer yet?

Just days after The Boys came to a close, Prime Video dropped the first Vought Rising teaser. The clip opens with Soldier Boy alongside his fellow OG Supes. "I want to fight for the flag, I want to be a hero," Soldier Boy tells Clara Vought, who we know as Stormfront. It seems as though Clara is putting together a group of heroes to fight crime in New York City in the '50s, but judging by her history, we suspect that she is up to no good. The teaser was first shown in cinemas ahead of The Boys season finale.

How does The Boys season 5 set up Vought Rising?

Although we didn't see Soldier Boy or any other Vought Rising character in The Boys season 5 finale, the season as a whole does set up the spin-off in a big way. All the way through the final season, we are fed breadcrumbs about Soldier Boy and Clara Vought, aka Stormfront's, relationship. It seems as though Soldier Boy had pretty big feelings for the German-born Supe, as the only reason he gave the V-One to Homelander, thus putting the whole world in danger, was because "it's what Clara would have wanted."

We already know that Clara fully believed in her late husband Frederick Vought's master plan of creating god-like heroes to rule the world, which is something the spin-off will no doubt touch on, too. The Supe's dark origins were revealed at the end of The Boys season 2. But in season 5, Clara and Frederick's involvement in the Nazi movement is brought to light again when Homelander and Soldier Boy find memorabilia in Marathon Man's house, including a picture of Clara.

Speaking of Soldier Boy, season 5 touches on the soldier's conception as a Supe. In The Boys season 5 episode 5, we meet a Supe named Quinn, who is fused into the walls of the Fort Harmony facility. Quinn taunts Soldier Boy about the fact that, unlike his big brother, he was no war hero at all and was too scared to serve on the front line. Instead, the soldier agreed to take part in Vought's V-One trials, but cried like a baby throughout that process. Soldier Boy never actually being a soldier may play a vital part in the spin-off, as fans have noticed that he is the only Vought Rising Supe not wearing any medals in the first look images.

Elsewhere in season 5, we meet another original Supe, Bombsight. When he and Soldier Boy come face to face in The Boys season 5 episode 6, it is clear that the two do not get along, and even prepare to fight to the death, but they are soon interrupted by Homelander. Then there's the matter of V-One. The bulk of the final season focuses on the hunt for the formula, which will no doubt play a central role in the spin-off too, as, let's face it, there would be no Homelander, Vought, or Supes without it.

However, those who were lucky enough to see The Boys series finale at Regal and AMC theaters in the US on May 19, 2026, were treated to the first piece of footage from Vought Rising. The clip opened with Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy giving one of his heroic speeches, before offering the first glimpse of Aya Cash's return as young Stormfront.

While we wait for more Vought Rising news, check out our list of all the upcoming superhero movies heading our way. If you want more heroes, check out our guide on how to watch all the Marvel movies in order.