Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 122

GEN V Season 2 Shares New Cast Images

Gen V’s sophomore year is loading and it is going to be one hell of a bloody ride. The show’s first season lived up to the chaos standard of The Boys, taking us into the dark depths of Godolkin University. The Gen V finale left Marie, Jordan, Emma, and Andre locked in a strange hospital room. Meanwhile, Sam and Cate are the (very dangerous) new “Guardians of Godolkin.” We know the events in the Woods played into The Boys season four, but what’s next for these young supes?

We don’t know what will happen but we do know they look ready for another year. Gen V finally turned the lights back on at the university and logged into its socials to share phots of the cast giving us the V sign.

Here’s everything we know about Gen V season two. 

Shane Mahood/Prime VideoGen V Season Two’s Plot 

The plot for Gen V season two is currently unknown for a couple of reasons. First, the events of The Boys season four will have a direct effect on what’s to come for Marie and company. We know that Sam and Cate will show up at Vought and get into some awful supe business with Homelander and the new Seven collective. But we will have to wait and see what happens to characters like Marie, Jordan, Emma, and Victoria Neuman. 

The tragic death of Chance Perdomo, who played Andre Anderson, is also affecting the script for obvious reasons. The actor died at age 27 on the same day the cast was set to reunite for table reads. Producers have confirmed that Perdomo’s role will not be recast and they are actively working on season two scripts to honor his legacy. The Boys creator/showrunner Eric Kripke gave us further insight in an Entertainment Weekly interview.

“So we had to almost rethink everything, and in just a matter of weeks,” said Kripke. “But what I tell people when they say ‘Wow, that’s really crazy or difficult’ [is] that pales in comparison to what his friends and loved ones are going through. It’s the least we could do,” he said.

Behind-the-Scenes

Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg, and Eric Kripke will continue in production roles alongside showrunners Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas. Production will begin in May 2024. 

pic.twitter.com/xMUPkY7gq3

— GEN V (@genv) May 5, 2024

Prime Video revealed that Gen V season two officially finished filming its sophomore season back in late October. And the streamer released some adorable images from the second season of The Boys‘ spinoff to celebrate. Take a look at them below.

That’s a wrap on sophomore year 🫡 pic.twitter.com/150al1Wstu

— GEN V (@genv) November 1, 2024

Gen V Season Two’s Cast 

We can assume that Jaz Sinclair (Marie Moreau), Lizze Broadway (Emma Meyer/Cricket), Maddie Phillips (Cate Dunlap), Londor Thor and Derek Luh (Jordan Li), and Asa Germann (Sam Riordan) will all reprise their roles for season two.

Gen V season two will add Hamish Linklater to its cast, according to Variety. He will play Cipher, “the charismatic and charming newly-appointed Dean of Godolkin University. Trained as a scientist, he’s politically brilliant, and has the trust and admiration of officials at the highest level.”

Additionally, according to Deadline, Keeya King, Stephen Kalyn, Julia Knope, Stacey McGunnigle, Tait Fletcher, Wyatt Dorion, and Georgie Murphy will also feature in recurring roles in Gen V season two.

Chance Crawford’s The Deep will also be in the mix of this season in a more significant way. A clip shown to attendees at the con features the God U grad back at his alma mater. It isn’t available quite yet, but Marie and the others arrive back at God U in a prison van. They are welcomed by Cate Dunlap, who seems to feel some remorse for her recent actions.

She should, considering supes are ruling over humans, who have to wear badges now. And Marie fights a lot of people with her bloody powers. We will be sure to share it with you when it goes live for all to see.

Gen V Season Two’s Release Date Prime Video

Gen V season two will hit our screens sometime in 2025.

Sophomore year confirmed!!! pic.twitter.com/rxqYzp9vXo

— GEN V (@genv) July 26, 2024

Originally published on May 7, 2024.

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Americans Spend Way Too Much Money on Streaming and We Know It

It seems the number of streaming services is endless these days. I keep wanting to watch something, but then I realize I don’t have the service that it’s on. Which is weird, considering I have a gazillion different streaming services that rack up a pretty high monthly cost. I could talk for hours about how I think we spend too much money on streaming, but I don’t have to just think it anymore. A new study from Deloitte proves it’s a popular sentiment. (Via IGN.)

Comcast

The average streaming service user pays for four different services that cost an average of around $69 a month (nice, but not nice), according to Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends report. This is up 13% from last year, reflecting the slight price hikes we’ve seen across streaming platforms this year. 41% of consumers said the content available on their Subscription Video on Demand service (SVOD) is not worth the price. This is up by a whopping five percentage points from 2024’s report. So evidently, people really are starting to feel like the price of streaming is not living up to its library.

Accordingly, 47% of consumers think they pay too much for the streaming services they use. You might think that the streaming giants could not get away with continuously raising prices. However, even though more users have become dissatisfied, they continue subscribing to the same number of streaming services: four. The average price for a single service’s premium, ad-free tier is $16, but many services charge more than that. Consumers surveyed by Deloitte say that $14 is the sweet spot for an ad-free subscription, which is a little below the current average but very, very below Netflix’s price. It’s funny because $25 is considered “too much to pay” by respondents, which is Netflix’s premium tier monthly rate.

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New Netflix Price Increases Have Arrived—Ad Tier Cost Increases to $7.99/Month

I expect to see many people cancel their services with the price increases. I mean, in this economy?! People said that if a service increased their prices by $5, then over half of them would cancel their subscription. It is unlikely that an increase like this happens overnight. Instead, it comes in small increments, and then all of sudden, it’s increased by $5. Despite this, the number of people cancelling a service is increasing. According to Deloitte, 39% say they have cancelled at least one paid service in the last six months. This number jumps up to 50% for Gen Z and millennials. Those generations consume other media like video games and podcasts, which could contribute to this trend, according to Deloitte’s report.

The sad truth is that the streaming giants raising their prices the most are the ones that don’t lose many subscribers because of their dominance over the industry. Meanwhile, smaller services may not fit into people’s budgets anymore because of their reduced pricing power over larger services. Remember, you’re a consumer with purchasing power, so choose the content you really appreciate and exercise it.

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AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER Animated Movie Adds Steven Yeun to Its Cast

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when a new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie was announced. Yes, we’re getting a cinematic outing that will continue the story of all our favorite characters from the original series. The Gaang, a.k.a Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Toph, and company, will grace our screens again in a brand new movie.

The new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie, tentatively titled, Aang: The Last Airbender, just added The Walking Dead‘s Steven Yeun to its cast. According to Variety, details about his character are currently under wraps. But we welcome him, no matter which nation he comes from.

Here’s everything we know about the new Avatar: The Last Airbender movie.

Title

The upcoming movie doesn’t have a title yet. So, for now, we’re simply referring to it as the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Deadline reports that a working title for the film is Aang: The Last Airbender.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Plot

Not much has been revealed about the plot of the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. However, a glimpse at artwork from the film revealed at CinemaCon 2023 showed us all our favorite characters looking a little older than we left them. Possibly the group is somewhere in their late 20s. That will certainly be an interesting age to explore the dynamics between them all.

We assume the movie will reveal to us Aang, Zuko, and pals’ continued quest to bring peace to the four nations after the intense upheaval Fire Lord Ozai wreaked upon the world. A lot still needs fixed, after all. We hope this movie can continue the series’ legacy of delivering exactly the right story to its fans.

Nickelodeon

Additionally, we know that this movie is one of three animated Avatar movies that Nickelodeon’s Avatar Studios will create. Avatar Studios is “a newly formed division designed to create original content spanning animated series and movies based on the beloved world of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra.” We don’t know, however, if the movies will serve as sequels to one another or each will be a stand-alone.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Cast

We know that Dave Bautista and Eric Nam will headline the voice cast of the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie. Bautista will play a villain in the film, while Nam will voice Aang. Joining this pair in the voice cast are Dionne Quan, Jessica Matten, Steven Yeun, and Roman Zaragoza. We don’t yet know who they will play.

Nickelodeon

We don’t have any word yet on whether we’ll see some of our original favorites reprise their roles or in any other capacity. But we do feel like Dante Basco is Zuko.

Recently, Toph’s original voice actress Michaela Jae Murphy, also knowns as Jessie Flower, noted she didn’t believe the original cast would return. However, there’s not yet an official confirmation of this statement. Hopefully, our original actors will have a role to play yet.

Behind the Scenes 

Lauren Montgomery will direct the Avatar: The Last Airbender movie. Additionally, series co-creators Bryan Konietzko and Michael DiMartino will produce the film alongside Eric Coleman.

The Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie‘s Release Date

One thing we do know is when we can expect the new Avatar: The Last Airbender animated movie. The movie will release on January 20, 2026.

Originally published on May 2, 2023.

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Leonardo DiCaprio Fights a Revolution in ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER’s Wild Trailer

It’s hard to think of a scenario when Leonardo DiCaprio would need to use a payphone. It’s even harder to picture a situation where he would do so while dressed like a convict who just escaped a Big Lebowski fan expo. But that’s why Paul Thomas Anderson is Paul Thomas Anderson and no one else is. DiCaprio does both of those things and so much more in the first weird and wild trailer for the writer-director’s next film One Battle After Another. It sends the Oscar-winning actor on a very strange road back to revolution.

If you know what’s going on in this trailer, congratulations on working on the movie. It must have been very exciting collaborating with one of Hollywood’s best directors and with one of the industry’s biggest stars. As for the rest of us, we have some questions. First: What? Second: And? We mean those in the best way. This feels like a thrilling, bizarre, chaotic fever dream where we’re not even sure anything is real. Fortunately IMDb has a brief logline that indicates what we’re seeing is actually happening. It reads: “When their evil enemy resurfaces after 16 years, a group of ex-revolutionaries reunites to rescue one of their own’s daughter.”

Imagine having read that before seeing this trailer? You’d be even more confused. (There are reports the original film is “inspired” by Thomas Pynchon’s 1990 novel Vineland.)

Warner Bros.

One Battle After Another also stars Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Teyana Taylor, Chase Infiniti, Wood Harris, Alana Haim, and “the sensei” Benicio Del Toro, who is so funny in this trailer we’re prepared for his character to do literally anything. We’ll find out if he will when the film comes to theaters later this year. It will restart the revolution, if it can remember how, on September 26, 2025.

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Did Marvel’s AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Cast Announcement Really Have to Spoil THUNDERBOLTS*?

Imagine you’re a cinephile in 1967 who can’t wait to see The Dirty Dozen because you love the premise. It will follow a rag-tag team of disgraced soldiers on a suicide mission not all, if any, will survive. Not knowing who will live and who will die is going to be a big part of the fun of seeing the movie. Now imagine a few weeks before it premieres the studio announces The Dirty Dozen 2 starring seven actors from the first film you haven’t even seen yet. Knowing for certain some characters will live would definitely have ruined a lot of your enjoyment of the movie, right? The reasons why are so obvious and logical that they don’t need to be explained. So why did Marvel Studios just needlessly spoil its own movie Thunderbolts* with the Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement?

Marvel Studios

Thunderbolts* looked primed to be the MCU’s answer to The Suicide Squad. It’s about an eclectic group of super powered people—some disgraced, some notorious, some forgotten, some over-the-hill, all seeking redemption—who will come together to take on an impossible mission. In doing so, they will all get the chance to be real heroes. The question was, until those Doomsday chairs, which Thunderbolts will live and which will die trying.

Now, a month before anyone even sees it, we already know. Most of them will survive to take on Robert Downey, Jr.’s Victor Von Doom in the next Avengers movie. Thunderbolts* stars Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Hannah John-Kamen are all appearing in Doomsday. That’s basically the entire team of heroes! The only one not announced for that movie is Olga Kurylenko who plays Taskmaster. RIP shortly Taskmaster. We hardly knew ye. Literally.

And as though all of that isn’t bad enough, Marvel Studios also announced Thunderbolts* (likely/certain) villain will also appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Lewis Pullman, who will play Sentry, also got a set chair.

Marvel Studios

Maybe you don’t think this is a big deal. Some of the Doomsday casting news does seem pretty obvious, after all. It’s not exactly shocking to know Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Bolova are sticking around the MCU. But even if you’re not personally bothered by about any of this, you can understand why someone would be. It’s one thing to spoil a single plot point from a movie. It’s another to tell the audience, “Oh, almost no one will actually die in the film where it seems like half the people will.” Plus, even the mere possibility, however remote, Bucky and Yelena might have died in Thunderbolts* would have been more fun. Just as it would have been more fun wondering if either John Walker, Red Guardian, or Ghost’s story was going to end with a heroic sacrifice.

The mystery of what will happen is a huge part of any film, but it was supposed to be an especially important aspect of Thunderbolts*. What mysteries do we have now to look forward to? The meaning of that asterisk in the title? The specific way Taskmaster (who we were pretty positive wasn’t making it anyway) is going to die? …..Yay.

MArvel Studios

It’s absurd. And what makes it even worse is that Marvel didn’t have to do this. They didn’t have to sacrifice a lot of the excitement around Thunderbolts* at Doomsday‘s alter. Those chairs included OG X-Men stars! Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan are going to be in this movie! That alone was more than enough to get fans excited about a film that will feature the return of Robert Freaking Downey Freaking Jr. to the MCU as a truly iconic villain. Doomsday‘s casting announcement could have simply omitted any stars of the Thunderbolts* and no one would have been less excited. Thunderbolts* then could have ended the way so many other MCU movies have, by telling us the group “will return in Avengers: Doomsday.”

I’m sure (though less so now!) some Thunderbolts won’t survive that film, a movie where I expect lots of character to die. And I want to find out which ones don’t when I see it. I don’t want the MCU to announce the cast for Avengers: Secret Wars a month before Doomsday comes out. Here’s what everyone involved with that movie should do:

Marvel Studios

Despite this nonsense, I’m still looking forward to seeing Thunderbolts because the journey is more important than the destination. But I am less excited, because in this case a big part of the journey was supposed to be finding out who wouldn’t reach the destination. It was more fun not knowing they were going to make it to Doomsday.

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THE LAST OF US Season 2 Has a Bottle Episode, Confirm Showrunners (But It Doesn’t Copy Bill & Frank)

One of The Last of Us season one’s most memorable episodes is episode three, “Long, Long Time.” This bottle episode of The Last of Us stepped away from the larger story of Joel, Ellie, the fungus, and the end of the world and, instead, focused in on two characters from the games, Bill and Frank. While Bill and Frank had a history and backstory in The Last of Us‘ games, the series episode devoted to them allowed fans to really get inside the heart of these characters and understand them on a deeper and more nuanced level. “Long, Long Time” proved to be an exquisite meditation on love, life, and death. And it became a fan-favorite episode of the season. So, of course, as we head into The Last of Us season two, fans are wondering whether we’ll see more bottle episodes of this variety.

Speaking to Nerdist and other journalists at a press conference, creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann revealed “Yes” is the short answer to whether we’ll see more bottle episodes in The Last of Us season two. However, the longer answer notes that it’s not because the series was trying to recreate the success of Bill and Frank’s episode on purpose.

HBO

When asked for more details about the next The Last of Us bottle episode, Mazin shared, “One thing that Neil and I talked about was just making sure that we didn’t just say, oh, you know, that Bill and Frank episode—people really like that. Let’s do a very special episode of The Last of Us Season Two. It just has to happen as it happens. But I will say that there is a gorgeous episode this season directed by Neil that is different than, it’s not Bill and Frank, but it is, in its own way, its own thing, because it needed to be. And just, just you wait. Just you wait.”

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The Story of Bill and Frank in THE LAST OF US Is So Much Bigger Than Them

That certainly sounds promising. For anyone not in the know, a bottle episode is an episode of TV confined to one place and typically features a small cast. In most cases, the story of the bottle episode is self-encapsulated as well. While it can impact the plot, this story often stands on its own. That makes it the perfect episode type to really dive into a specific segment of a world or character.

HBO

In The Last of Us season one, Bill and Frank received the bottle episode, helping the game characters to become more realized to us. In The Last of Us, the possibilities for these standalone stories are pretty vast. One contender could be a bottle episode about Abby. Abby is a character that fans get to know quickly in the games, but haven’t yet met in the show. An episode all about Abby could help The Last of Us show fans, especially those that never played the video games, to bond and connect with this critical character.

HBO/Sony/Naughty Dog

Alternatively, The Last of Us recently announced that Eugene, a character from the games, will join the series. Joe Pantoliano will play Eugene, so you can bet he probably will have something fun to do in the show. In The Last of Us—Part II, Eugene mostly appeared in photographs and recollections, but this time around he will be a character who “really gets to the heart of Joel and Ellie and their relationship.” So a Eugene bottle episode seems like a major possibility in The Last of Us season two.

Whoever features in this special episode, we know it will probably be a spectacular character study and one that will almost certainly make us cry.

The Last of Us season two premieres on Sunday, April 13.

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Disney Park’s Spookiest Fan Theory Says Guests ‘Die’ on the Haunted Mansion Ride

There’s a delightful old theory among Disney fans that the Haunted Mansion contains a clever piece of storytelling most guests miss completely. The iconic attraction famously boasts “999 happy haunts” forever on the hunt for one more soul to join them. Some people think that’s exactly what those grim grinning ghosts find every time someone climbs into a Doom Buggy. The theory says that every person “dies” on the ride after they pass “the Bride,” Constance Hatchaway. That’s because they think you pass away after she pushes you out of a window to meet the same fate shared by her many late husbands.

Is this another scary good idea from Disney’s Imagineers most people don’t know about? Or is this theory like a ghost and nothing more than air? The debate itself is a fun ride.

In a new video, Kellie Krueger of We Don’t Wear Ears laid out why Disney fans are once again speculating about whether or not there’s a subtle piece of ingenious storytelling in the Haunted Mansion. The portion of the attraction featuring the spooky Bride underwent a refurb at Disneyland recently. And the change has convinced some they “die” when they meet her. That’s because as you pass her your Doom Buggy turns around and you “fall” out of the attic into a graveyard. Only then can truly hear those grim grinning ghosts having the time of their life death.

It makes so much sense it has to be true, right? Not everyone thinks this theory holds up, and they have their own compelling argument. In 2022, Dallin Smith of Offhand Disney explained why he believes this fan theory was dead on arrival.

He makes a great case, both from the actual ride itself and from what Disney itself has said and written about the attraction and the Imagineers responsible for it. He’s got canon on his side. (The people who made the Pirates of the Caribbean ride have “cannons” on theirs.)

But while Dallin didn’t address the “voices” aspect of Krueger’s argument, his video also makes a great case for why this theory is ultimately going to be proven true: Disney can simply decide to make it true. As he noted, fans and cast members named the hitchhiking ghosts long before the Mouse House formally did. If enough people think Constance Hathaway kills them as they pass her, Disney might agree.

Disney

It doesn’t matter if they ever confirm this theory or not, though. The real fun is in the mere possibility it might be true. This is just another testament to the enduring fun and appeal of the Haunted Mansion. Even after decades of bringing guests on a journey to meet 999 happy haunts, the ride is still finding ways to add more mystery to the afterlife.

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DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN Season 1, Episode 5 Recap, New Revelations from “With Interest”

Episode five of Daredevil: Born Again is the first truly stand-alone, “bottle episode” of the series so far. It focuses on Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and several guest stars, with no Kingpin or Vanessa in sight. But it was still an intense and entertaining 45 minutes. Here’s what went down in the series’ fifth episode, “With Interest.”

Revelations From Daredevil: Born Again Season 1, Episode 5, “With Interest”Matt Murdock’s Eventful St. Patrick’s Day

The episode opens on St. Patrick’s Day. Matt Murdock is waiting for an appointment at New York Mutual Bank. Thanks to his hyper-sensitive hearing, he can hear the regular lives of every bank customer and employee around him. He fondles his broken devil horn as he waits, clearly contemplating getting back into the Daredevil suit. The last few incidents have clearly put him back in a vigilante headspace. Can Matt ever be happy leading a normal life?

A Surprise Ms. Marvel Character Appears (And a Young Avengers Hint?) Marvel Television

Matt then meets with his bank representative, who is none other than Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan’s father, Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur), who is the assistant bank manager. He’s filling in for his absent boss, one Steven Aldrich. He mentions his daughter Kamala is in California on vacation. Now, is she on vacation, seeing her friend Bruno at Caltech? Or, is she perhaps visiting Cassie Lang in San Francisco, and this is another Young Avengers tease? We can’t help but wonder.

After mentioning he’s from Jersey City, Yusuf Khan makes sure to namedrop Ms. Marvel as his hometown hero. He even shows off his custom Funko Pop of her, always the proud papa. (By the way, this may be our first confirmation that Funko exists in the MCU.) Matt is there trying to get a loan to keep his law practice afloat, after so many pro bono cases. Sadly, Matt and Kristen’s practice is over leveraged, and Mr. Khan has to turn them down. Although he does so in the sweetest way possible, because he’s just a nice guy.

In the Wrong Place at the Right TimeMarvel Television

Not long after Matt leaves, an armed Irish gang enters and attempts to rob the bank, each wearing a different colored ski mask, holding all the customers hostage. Yusef hides in his office, and manages to call the police. As Matt is walking home, he hears the bank robbery underway. Matt walks back into the building, and becomes a hostage himself. Our masked robbers are making the standard threats, and Matt reminds the leader that if they kill anyone, their armed robbery charge converts to first-degree murder (Matt, always lawyering it up). He decides to respond to Matt’s legal expertise by punching him in the stomach.

The green-masked hostage taker in charge, whose name is Devlin, asks for the bank manager, Steven Aldrich. But as Mr. Khan stated earlier when talking to Matt, he’s not on the premises today. Devlin (Cillian O’Sullivan) asks Yusuf to open the bank vault, and he agrees, just as the SWAT team arrives outside. But Matt realizes that Mr. Khan doesn’t actually know how to get into the vault. Matt whispers to him that when Devlin takes him to the bank vault below, he stalls for as long as possible. Detective Angie Kim (Ruibo Qian), who we saw in episode one, takes on the role of chief hostage negotiator. After trading sarcastic pleasantries, Devlin asks for three armored AVPs, so he and his crew can escape. And then he reminds her that if they don’t give him what he wants, every hostage in the building gets a bullet to the head.

He May Not Be in Costume, But Matt Lets the (Dare)Devil OutMarvel Television

Devlin decides to let two of the hostages go, as a sign of good faith, and picks a random woman from the crowd, and also lets Matt go. Maybe he feels bad for punching a blind dude in the stomach? But the woman doesn’t want to leave her husband behind. Matt offers to take his place. At first, Devlin uses the opportunity to mock “the solicitor,” as he calls him. He finally relents, allowing the woman and her husband to leave, and Matt stays behind. Of course, our man Matt has a plan.

One of the robbers in a blue mask then takes Yusuf down to the vault. Matt then says he has to go to the restroom, but we know he’s planning something. One of the bank robbers then takes him “to the gents.” Yusuf starts spitting out useless historical facts about the bank in front of the vault, to stall just like Matt told him to. Meanwhile, Matt can hear the whole thing as he’s being taken to the men’s room. Of course, as he’s being taken down the stairs, Matt busts out the Daredevil moves, and after an intense struggle, knocks the robber guy out flat.

“What Kind of Lawyer Are You?”Marvel Television

The blue-hooded bank robber quickly realizes that Yusuf is stalling, and doesn’t know the vault combination. Right as things are about to get violent, Matt appears and knocks the blue mask guy out. He pulls out his best Irish accent (probably learned from every Catholic priest and nun who raised him) and convinces Devlin via walkie-talkie that he’s the blue masked robber, and that everything is going smoothly. Yusuf tells Matt the vault has millions of possible combinations, but Matt uses his hearing to sound out the internal gears, thus opening the vault. “What kind of lawyer are you?” an astonished Yusaf asks, to which Matt responds “A really good one.” Hey, isn’t that what he told Peter Parker in No Way Home when he caught a brick flying through his window? He must just love using that line.

Matt and Yusuf Khan Get Stealthy Marvel Television

Detective Kim is trying to convince Devlin to give her one more hour for his escape vehicles to arrive. Devlin tells Kim she has exactly three minutes to tell him a joke, and if she makes him laugh, he’ll give her three more minutes. She then tells him a very tasteless joke, and it actually gets Devlin to laugh. He then gives her a full ten minutes, or he starts killing hostages. Inside the vault, Matt and Yusuf find thousands of different safety deposit boxes. Yusuf tells Matt the boxes each requires two keys, one for the bankers, the other, the owners. Matt realized the robber he knocked out had the other key in his jacket. Once he discovers the right safety deposit box, inside of it is a rather impressive diamond.

Yusuf realizes this is a very precious stone for a bunch of low-level thugs, and realizes they are working for someone bigger. Just then, Matt starts hearing the hostages whimpering upstairs, and also hears that the SWAT team is preparing to storm the bank, and knows that some of the hostages will likely die. So Matt tells Devlin the cops are about to enter the building, and offers him the diamond. Right as he tosses him the gemstone, the SWAT team busts in with tear gas cannisters, and chaos ensues.

Daredevil Puts on a Different Red MaskMarvel Television

In the confusion, Devlin sneaks off, and changes into a police uniform. He hands a woman who (we thought) was one of the hostages a bag with the diamond, and says “Give this to Luca.” Now we know he’s working for the head of one of the five families from previous episodes. Dressed in a police officer’s uniform, he hopes to walk out incognito with the rest of the cops, but Matt follows him out. He puts on one of his gang’s red ski-masks, and does serious damage to him in another brutal fight in the street. He may not be Daredevil yet, but he somehow found a way to be a red-masked vigilante. Meanwhile, Devlin’s accomplice realizes the diamond in her bag is nothing but a piece of candy.

Matt meets Yusuf at the bank the next day, and he tells Matt the stolen diamond never turned up. He invites Matt over for dinner to his home in Jersey City, which Matt happily agrees to. Does that mean we get a Daredevil/Ms. Marvel crossover soon? How is it that Matt always meets superheroes at family cookouts? That’s how he met Bruce Banner in She-Hulk. As Matt gets up to leave, Yusuf realizes that in the bowl of candies on his desk, Matt has left him a little gift—the missing diamond.

And that is our recap of the fifth episode of Daredevil: Born Again. We get back to the main plot of Born Again in the next installment, where the serial killer Muse makes his move. And then things get really dark.

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SHOPPING FOR SUPERMAN Documentary Details the Rise and Decline of Comic Book Shops

For the past 25 years, comic books have formed the foundation for much of our most popular media. Not just characters from Marvel and DC, but also franchises like The Walking Dead. But those comics became popular because of the more mature storytelling direction the medium started going in, during the dawn of the local comic book store era. Without comic book stores creating a new audience, a lot of these current series wouldn’t exist today. Now, via Boing Boing, we’ve learned of a new documentary by filmmaker Wes Eastin called Shopping for Superman, about the rise, and current decline, of the American comic book shop. You can watch the trailer for Shopping for Superman below:

Here’s part of the official description for Shopping for Superman:

Shopping for Superman, guides viewers through a 50-year journey revealing the origin story of their friendly neighborhood comic shops and the people fighting to keep their doors open. Since it began, the retail comics industry has contracted by over 75% with more shops closing every month. After five years of diminished sales, a global pandemic, and the digitization of retail shopping dominating most markets, Shopping for Superman asks the question, “Can our local comic shops be saved?”

Scratched Lens Productions

From the 1930s to the late 1960s, roughly the Golden Age to the Silver Age of comics, comics were mainly sold to young kids at newsstands and drugstore spinner racks. In the early ’70s, two things happened that changed that. First, the readership got older, and second, comics as collectibles emerged as a hobby. That’s when the comic book store sprang up. By the ’80s, the local comic book shop became the main way that readers bought their comics. Now, because of various factors, including digital comics, comic book shops are closing left and right. Hopefully, this new documentary can help shed light on why this important piece of Americana is something that needs preserving.

There is no release date yet for Shopping for Superman, but we expect to learn of one soon. But for more information, head on over to their official site.

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Every Original Fox X-Men Character (and Actor) Returning in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY

With the announcement of the cast for Avengers: Doomsday, we got many of the usual suspects, like Thor, Ant-Man, Black Panther, and the Thunderbolts. But we’re also getting a ton of the original Fox X-Men returning in Avengers: Doomsday. We’re not surprised, after the cameo from Beast (Kelsey Grammer) in The Marvels. But we’re still excited to see quite a few of the original X-Men returning, probably for one last hurrah before their MCU reboot. Here are all the original Fox X-Men characters (and actors) that will be back as part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast.

All the Original X-Men (And Actors) Appearing in Avengers: DoomsdayPatrick Stewart as Professor Charles Xavier20th Century Studios

Patrick Stewart may be 84 years old, but that’s not stopping him from playing X-Men leader Professor Charles Xavier for the eighth time in Avengers: Doomsday. Yes, Chuck will be back, presumably in his yellow hover chair, leading the X-Men. Will he die for a fifth time on the big screen? Given the title of the movie, we’d bet on it.

Ian McKellen as Magneto/Erik Lehnsherr20th Century Studios

Ian McKellen was last seen as the Master of Magnetism, Erik Lehnsherr, in Days of Future Past. But McKellen will return to play Charles Xavier’s best frenemy Magneto in Avengers: Doomsday. Whatever else happens, we can’t wait to see Sir Patrick and Sir Ian as Magneto share screen time together again.

Kelsey Grammer as Beast/Hank McCoyMarvel Studios

After appearing in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, it was a no-brainer that Kelsey Grammer would return as Dr. Hank McCoy, the Beast. It looks like Grammer will get the chance to play the X-Men’s big blue furball one more time in Avengers: Doomsday.

Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler/Kurt WagnerTwentieth Century Studios

Bamf! Now, this one is a big surprise. Alan Cumming, who played Nightcrawler/Kurt Wagner in Fox’s X2: X-Men United, will also return in Avengers: Doomsday. Cumming truly hated the makeup process for his character. He hated it so much that he never came back for any other X-Men sequels. So it will be interesting to see how Cumming’s character Nightcrawler looks in the MCU.

Rebecca Romijn as Mystique/Raven DarkholmeTwentieth Century Studios

Rounding out the blue mutants in the film, original X-Men actress Rebecca Romijn will be back as the shapeshifting badass Mystique in Avengers: Doomsday. Romijn hasn’t played this character in nearly twenty years, since X-Men: The Last Stand. She’s returning to the role for the first time since Jennifer Lawrence took over the part in X-Men: First Class.

James Marsden as Cyclops/Scott SummersTwentieth Century Studios

The X-Men’s field leader, Scott Summers, never got a fair shake in the original Fox X-Men movies. But now James Marsden is returning as the X-Men’s Cyclops in Avengers: Doomsday, hopefully giving that character a good redemption arc. Here’s hoping the MCU version of the optically powered mutant isn’t just there to be a tool, and we get the consummate leader we know Marsden can play.

Channing Tatum as Gambit/Remy LeBeauMarvel Studios

After stealing the show in Deadpool & Wolverine, Channing Tatum will be back as the ragin’ Cajun mutant Gambit. We’d guess that Remy LeBeau is going to be a full-fledged member of the X-Men this time, when he graces our screens again in Avengers: Doomsday. He was one of the funniest things in Deadpool & Wolverine, so we’re glad he’s getting another shot. We also hope his accent is even more ludicrous this time.

We Can’t Wait to See The Original Fox X-Men in Avengers: DoomsdayTwentieth Century Studios

Will other Fox X-Men pop up in Avengers: Doomsday? We have a feeling this is not the full cast. Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman have to appear too, right? We imagine these names are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Fox X-Men that will be joining the MCU.

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