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The Status of Every GAME OF THRONES Spinoff HBO Has Ever Developed

Have you heard about that new Game of Thrones spinoff HBO is developing? No, not that one. Not that one, either. They already stopped working on that. And that other one is now going to be an animated series. I think.

HBO’s time in Westeros didn’t end when Bran Stark claimed the Iron Throne. The network has been working on other potential shows set in George R.R. Martin’s world of A Song of Ice and Fire since before the original series even ended. House of the Dragon was the first to make it to air, but it won’t be the last. Many more are still in development. Some, though, as Martin says, are already on the proverbial “shelf.” (He also says he is “deeply, heavily involved” in every potential show.) Which ideas are still alive and which are dead… for now? Here’s every Game of Thrones spinoff we’ve learned about over the years and their current status.

ON-AIR House of the Dragon HBO

HBO’s first Game of Thrones spinoff, a prequel about the Targaryen civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons, will return for its second season in summer 2024. However, season one co-showrunner Miguel Sapochnik will not be back. He left the series in 2022. Ryan Condal now fulfills the role on his own.

Carly Wray and Bryan Cogman (who wrote a pilot) both worked on a Dance of the Dragons series, but HBO did not move forward with either of their concepts.

Read More: Everything We Know About House of the Dragon Season 2

ORDERED TO AIR A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight (Dunk & Egg) Mike S. Miller/Image Comics

George R.R. Martin’s three Dunk & Egg novellas tell the story of Ser Duncan the Tall and his young squire. That squire was really a Targaryen Prince named Aegon who traveled with Dunk in disguise. (He also unexpectedly went on to become King years later.) The beloved duo is now set to star in HBO’s second spinoff. HBO ordered the prequel to series to air in April 2023. Martin and Ira Parker will write and executive produce the show. (Patriot‘s Steve Conrad was originally tapped to write the show in 2021.) Ryan Condal and Vince Gerardis will join as executive producers. The series has no targeted release date, but casting has already begun and the show is expected to begin filming in 2024. A 2025 premiere seems very possible. It also has an official logline:

A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros… a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes, and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.

Read More: 5 Reasons Why We’re Excited For The Game Of Thrones Dunk And Egg Spinoff Series

IN-DEVELOPMENTThe Golden Empire

The Five Forts in Essos serve as the border between the Golden Empire of Yi Ti and the Grey Waste. Each massive fortress can house 10K men

They were believed to be created just before the demons of the Lions of Night attacked — Essos' equivalent of the Long Night#GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/SHURpG620v

— Thrones Facts | HOTD 🐉 (@Thrones_Facts) October 14, 2022

Development continues on a potential adult animated series about Essos’ far eastern Yi Ti dynasty. Martin once wrote Yi Ti is the fantasy analogue of Imperial China the way Westeros is the fantasy analogue of the medieval British Isles. The World of Ice and Fire compendium book (which Martin jokingly calls The GRRMarillion in reference to J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion) expanded on the little we know about that powerful, large nation. That also includes some tantalizing tales, one that connects the ancient, advanced Yi Ti to the first Long Night.

It’s unknown who is leading the show’s development or what it would be about. But a possible series would be so far removed from Westeros and Martin’s main story that it would have incredible freedom to tell any story from any time period.

10,000 Ships

Another early Game of Thrones spinoff idea still in development is 10,000 Ships (sometimes written as Ten Thousand Ships). It would focus on the legendary warrior Queen Nymeria. She led her people out of the Rhonyar River region in Essos to escape the Valyrian Freehold. Her long and arduous journey to find a new home ultimately led her to Dorne where she and her people settled. Queen Nymeria, who lived a thousand years before the events on Game of Thrones, married Lord Mors Martell. The two conquered Dorne together. She is the reason Dorne has princes and princesses. She was also one of Arya Stark’s heroes. Arya named her direwolf after the famous Queen.

In 2016 Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential) was attached to the show. Amanda Segel is now heading it. HBO tapped her to write the pilot and serve as potential showrunner. In March 2022 Martin said Segel had already delivered a “couple drafts” of the script. There have been no major updates on the series since then beyond Martin confirming it still remains in development.

The Sea Snake/Nine Voyages HBO

After initially being developed as a live-action series, George R.R. Martin announced a prequel about the adventures of young Corlys Velaryon is now being considered as a potential adult animated spinoff. The show also initially operated under the title Nine Voyages (which Martin still uses sometimes). That was in reference to the nine famous trips Corlys Velaryon made around the world on his ship The Sea Snake. He travelled to far off places all over the globe in the decades prior to the Dance of the Dragons. His accomplishments made him Westeros’s most famous and celebrated sailor ever. He is also a major figure on House of the Dragon, where Steve Toussaint plays an older Sea Snake.

In March 2022 Martin confirmed reports Rome showrunner Bruno Heller would write the show’s pilot. More recently the author also explained at his “Not a Blog” blog why he “fully” supports the show’s change from live-action to animation:

Budgetary constraints would likely have made a live action version prohibitively expensive, what with half the show taking place at sea, and the necessity of creating a different port every week, from Driftmark to Lys to the Basilisk Isles to Volantis to Qarth to… well, on and on and on. There’s a whole world out there. And we have a lot better chance of showing it all with animation. So we now have three animated projects underway.

Snow HBO

In a Narrow Sea worth of prequel ideas, the only potential sequel series confirmed to be under consideration at HBO is Snow. Kit Harington brought the idea to the network. He also brought it to George R.R. Martin, who confirmed the possible spinoff’s development. The author said he’d already met with Harington and his team about it, as well. The show would follow the former Lord Commander after he returned to life beyond The Wall in Game of Thrones‘ series finale.

Snow was “shelved” during the SAG-AFTRA strikes. With actors back to work the show’s current status in the developmental process is unknown. If it ever does make it to air, though, (an unlikely fate for all of these concepts) it won’t be anytime soon. In November 2023 HBO CEO and chairman Casey Bloys said, “I wouldn’t say there is anything else in that world that is close to a green light or anything, but we are always working on different scripts and ideas.”

STATUS UNKNOWN Aegon’s Conquest HBO/IGN

In early 2023 Variety reported HBO was “actively” discussing a potential prequel about the legendary Targaryen lord who conquered Westeros. A series about Aegon’s Conquest was also among the first batch of spinoff concepts considered by HBO in 2016. The original idea is said to have portrayed the famed King as a “drunken lout.” Rand Ravich and Far Shariat wrote that script.

No one is formally attached to the new version. Possibly because it has not even made it past the “discussion” stage and never will.

Unknown Animated Series

Martin has long made reference to development of an unnamed adult animated series, one possibly meant to air on HBO Max. Nothing is known about the series. That includes whether a spinoff idea reported on previously is the mystery cartoon and no one has made the connection.

SHELVED Flea Bottom HBO

One potential live-action prequel idea that seemingly never gained much traction was a series have focused on the denizens of King’s Landing’s infamous slum district Flea Bottom. HBO never even confirmed the show was in development. Reports say it did not make it very far in the process.

Untitled Valyrian Freehold Series

The initial batch of five spinoff ideas HBO pursued in 2016 (out of a list of at least 15) was a show about the destruction of the Valyrian Freehold. Valyria was the Roman Empire-like dynasty of dragon lords who ruled over Essos for thousands of years. House Targaryen avoided its ancestral home’s doom when it fled Valyria a century before its demise. Kong: Skull Island‘s Max Borenstein wrote a script for the show, but that seems to be as far as HBO got with it.

Valyria was home to thousands of dragons and ornate architecture. That would make for a bloated VFX budget. This idea is a great candidate for the mysterious animated show Martin continues to allude to.

Untitled Seven Gods of Westeros Show

A long lost concept that “didn’t get very far” at HBO would have seen the gods from the faith of The Seven team up like superheroes, leading to others worshiping them as deities. It’s easy to see why HBO didn’t have much faith in this idea.

NOT PICKED UP Bloodmoon HBO

House of the Dragon will forever be the first Game of Thrones spinoff to reach airwaves. However, HBO filmed another spinoff before it. The network spent (at least) $30 million to shoot a pilot for Bloodmoon, a prequel set thousands of years prior to the original series. Starring Naomi Watts, it took place during the Age of Heroes. That’s when legendary figures of the Realm helped establish its most famous houses. At least that’s what the stories say. That mythical era remains shrouded in secrecy.

The series, from showrunner Jane Goldman, also operated under the working title of The Long Night, as it would have covered the original White Walker invasion that plunged the world in darkness. While HBO has said it was a good pilot—and the network was clearly serious about it considering its financial investment—it ultimately passed. That decision shocked many.

Read More: History Of Thrones: The Long Night And Identifying Enemies And Heroes

HBO

The public has never seen Bloodmoon‘s lost episode. Not even George R.R. Martin. But it remains a fascinating idea with incredible potential. Just because HBO didn’t order it to air doesn’t mean it won’t some day. Martin always says “shelved” TV shows can always leave the shelf.

Especially in Westeros, where we all know the dead have a way of coming back.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter and Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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Did Patrick Stewart Just Confirm His MCU Return as Professor X?

Sir Patrick Stewart is a living legend, still giving arresting performances at age 83. Recently he released his memoir, Making It So, reflecting on his incredible career. He spent time on the stage and then later of course, on Star Trek: The Next Generation and the X-Men franchise. Speaking of his time on the X-Men series, while promoting his book on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, he all but confirmed that he would soon return as Professor Charles Xavier in some capacity. You can watch the part of the interview where Stewart talks about a potential return as Professor X below:

Happy Sad Confused host Josh Horowitz asked Stewart if he knew how many times his character of Professor X had died in the X-Men films. Horowitz informed Stewart that it was a whopping four times. First, the Phoenix killed Professor X in X-Men: The Last Stand. Then, he was killed by a Sentinel in Days of Future Past, and by X24 in Logan. Most recently, the Scarlet Witch did him in during Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. He confirmed he filmed that scene alone without any of the other actors present.

20th Century Studios/Marvel Studios

But as we all know, the Multiverse is infinite. It seems there is yet another version of Charles Xavier out there we have yet to meet. Judging from his smiling reaction to a question about his possibly appearing in Deadpool 3 alongside his buddy Hugh Jackman, we think his return in that film is very likely now. Hopefully, they don’t kill him off again. But hey, if they do, we know he’ll just shrug it off.

Marvel Studios

During this same interview, Stewart also reiterates his desire to return as Admiral Jean-Luc Picard in some kind of Star Trek film. That would be a true last hurrah for the crew of the Enterprise-D. We’d hate for anything to ruin the perfect ending of Star Trek: Picard, but if Sir Patrick wants to come back as Jean Luc, then we’re there on day one.

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Marvel Studios Seems to Confirm Netflix’s DAREDEVIL Series Is MCU Canon

For a long time, fans have wondered whether Netflix’s Marvel shows are canon to the MCU’s universe, especially as actors reprised their Netflix roles in the MCU. Now, it feels like we finally have an answer. At least, Marvel Studios has passed judgment on the characters of Daredevil and Kingpin. In the latest trailer for Echo, Marvel Studios seems to confirm Netflix’s Daredevil series is canon to the MCU’s timeline. The teaser includes footage from Netflix’s Daredevil alongside the MCU-proper series Hawkeye. And both flashbacks come together to tease Marvel’s newest adventures in Echo.

Additionally, in a recent interview, one of Echo‘s executive producers, Richie Palmer, discussed the presence of Daredevil in the MCU series. He noted to io9, “I don’t want to step on [Daredevil: Born Again’s] toes, but it was all thought out to make sure that fans of the Netflix series could still enjoy this series. We’re all fans of the Netflix series and all of the series that came about from that time, too. And we wanted to honor it and make sure that, you know, fans felt like that was a part of this story, but not in any way that you needed to know that stuff. So we just wanted to make sure that it honored what came before it, but hopefully pushed it forward also and continues to push forward on the new Daredevil show.”

Marvel Studios

Executive producer Brad Winderbaum additionally revealed how Netflix’s Daredevil fits into the MCU series. He spoke very plainly, noting:

I can say that up until this point, we’ve been a little bit cagey about what’s Sacred Timeline, what’s not Sacred Timeline. That was born of, frankly, a period at the studio where we were like, ‘We have to stick the landing with the vendors.’ It was another part of the company developing the Netflix stuff. We were aware of what they were doing, they were aware of what we were doing, but there was a lot to balance anyway… But now that some time has passed; now that we see actually how well integrated the stories are, I think that I personally, Brad Winderbaum, would be confident in saying it is part of the Sacred Timeline.

Winderbaum does say he is speaking only for himself. But it seems like all the pieces are adding up to back his words. And the fallout of it all is that, yes, Netflix’s Daredevil is a part of the MCU’s timeline.

Netflix/Marvel Studios

This should spell good news for long-time fans of the Netflix Daredevil series. That’s particularly true given that the most recent MCU appearance of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil in She-Hulk was a bit of a departure from the older version. Whether all the Netflix series will integrate into the MCU in this way, we can’t say. Likely, Netflix Marvel MCU timeline integrations will get confirmed piece by piece. But for now, we’re happy for this collaboration.

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Joe Keery Is a Soft Boy Criminal in MARMALADE Trailer

We all know about Steve “The Hair” Harrington, Joe Keery’s iconic role in Stranger Things. But now get ready to make some space in the salon for Bangsy Baron. Because Joe Keery’s latest character, a love-struck criminal just trying to survive, has a mane that might give Steve’s hair a run for its money. Better stock up on that Farrah Fawcett hair spray, Steve! Keery’s accent as Baron is also something to behold. Not to mention the way this character just seems totally and completely lost. Someone help Baron out. He needs an adult. But don’t take our word for it. Check out the trailer for the upcoming movie Marmalade below.

Listen, sometimes, you stumble into the love of your life and she happens to be a criminal. And with the world being what it is, robbing a bank may seem like the only solution. We have to say, even in just a few short minutes, Marmalade weaves together a pretty compelling tale. We have a feeling that questions of reliable narration, and other fascinating story twists will come into play in the movie proper. If nothing else, the Marmalade trailer as us excited for an original feeling love story with a fun set of characters. (All of whom have excellent hair.)

Signature Entertainment

The synopsis for Marmalade shares, “Marmalade centers on the recently incarcerated Baron (Joe Keery) who strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis (Aldis Hodge), a man with a well-versed history of prison breaks. As the pair hatch an escape plan together, Baron recalls the story of how he met Marmalade (Camila Morrone), the love of his life, and their Bonnie and Clyde scheme to rob a bank in order to care for his sick mother and give the couple the life they’ve always dreamed of.“

Synopsis: You’ll fall in love with this edge-of-your-seat crime-tinged romance tale. Recently incarcerated Baron strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis, a man with a well-versed history of prison breaks. As the pair hatch an escape plan together, Baron recalls the story of… pic.twitter.com/WKOdAgvPRw

— Signature Entertainment 🎬 (@SignatureEntUK) January 4, 2024

Will Baron be able to start a new life with Marmalade? (Maybe with Marmalade and Otis, if the cinema gods smile down on us.) We sure hope so. But, most of all, we hope he doesn’t dream of getting a haircut. Marmalade releases on February 9 in the US and on February 12 in the UK. It will be available to watch on digital platforms.

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Steven Yeun Comments on THUNDERBOLTS Departure, Notes ‘I Wanna Do a Marvel Movie’

The Thunderbolts have been a long-awaited MCU team. The quasi-villainous anti-hero/misfit gang is a staple of the Marvel Comics world, and many heroes have been a part of it at some time or another. As the MCU slowly gathered the right members, fans speculated harder and harder that the Thunderbolts were coming. And finally, in 2022, Marvel Studios made the big announcement—the MCU’s Thunderbolts movie was finally on the way.

Marvel Studios

Although it was never confirmed, it was highly reported and corroborated by reliable sources, such as The Walking Dead‘s creator, that Steven Yeun had come aboard the MCU’s Thunderbolts movie. The actor appeared set to play the role of Marvel antihero Sentry. However, the latest reports, which we saw via The Hollywood Reporter, indicate that Yeun will no longer star in Thunderbolts. Of course, the movie was meant to release in the summer of 2024 and will now release in the summer of 2025, so it’s possible schedules simply no longer aligned. However, fans of Yeun will likely be disappointed that The Walking Dead actor will no longer appear in the MCU. Still, it feels like Yeun may yet appear in a Marvel movie, even if not as Sentry.

AMC/Marvel Comics

Steven Yeun himself recently commented on leaving the MCU’s Thunderbolts behind, noting that he was sorry to have done so but hopeful about a Marvel future. He shared with Variety, “I think for me, time passing and things shifting kind of pulled me out of it… But Jake [Schreier], I know, is going to do an incredible job.” Yeun added, “I wanna do a Marvel movie,” He also noted, “It took a lot of drafts on email to make sure that I conveyed the sincerity of how sorry I was to have to back out.”

When asked which Marvel movie he’d want to be a part of, should another chance arise, Yeun wouldn’t say, offering, “I think it’s too early to say that. I probably pissed off too many people leaving, so I’m just gonna say, ‘Thank you for having me.'” But he also concluded, “I have some ideas… But I heard if you put it out there, you’ll never get it, so I’ll keep it close to my chest.” We guess we’ll have to wait and see if Yeun makes it into the MCU.

Here’s everything we know so far about Thunderbolts.

Title

For now, the movie about the Thunderbolts is simply called Thunderbolts.

Thunderbolts‘ PlotMarvel Studios

We don’t know anything about the plot of Thunderbolts. However, we know who will be part of the MCU Thunderbolts. The Thunderbolts will comprise of Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine, Ghost, Red Guardian, Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier), US Agent, and Taskmaster.

Thunderbolts‘ Cast

Accordingly to the MCU Thunderbolts line-up, here is the projected main cast of the movie so far, pending any surprise recastings:

Marvel Studios

Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns as Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine. Hannah John-Kamen will play Ghost. David Harbour remains as Red Guardian. Florence Pugh will reprise her role Yelena Belova. Sebastian Stan will again take on the role of Bucky Barnes (a.k.a Winter Soldier). Wyatt Russell will appear as US Agent. And Olga Kurylenko will appear as Taskmaster.

Reportedly joining them is The Bear star Ayo Edebiri in an unknown role.

Behind the Scenes

Eric Pearson will write Thunderbolt‘s script, and Jake Schreier will direct the movie. Beef‘s creator and showrunner Lee Sung Jin has also come aboard as a writer of the movie. Kevin Feige is, of course, producing this Marvel Studios’ production.

Thunderbolt‘s Release DateMarvel Studios

Thunderbolts is scheduled to release on July 25, 2025.

Originally published on January 27, 2023.

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This Xbox Series S Toaster Just Changed the Breakfast Game

We all know the old joke about gamers loving MTN Dew and Doritos, but a new toaster could change that perception forever. At minimum it’s going to bring video gaming to breakfast. You can now give your favorite bread or bagel a hint of console with the new Xbox Series S Toaster.

Xbox/Walmart

Walmart is now the exclusive home to a very special toaster (that we first heard about at DesignTAXI). The white exterior with black trim and an LED screen is designed to resemble a Microsoft’s Xbox Series S gaming console. The two-slice toaster will also leave an Xbox X-logo on your food. That includes bread slices, frozen waffles, English muffins, and bagels (which it’s wide enough to handle). The toaster’s six-setting shade selector dial will let you customize just how brown you want you food to be. The toaster also also includes a digital LED countdown timer with clock so you can use it to reheat food.

The kitchen appliance also has a Quick Warm Up setting. It allows hungry gamers to defrost frozen items. The device’s official description points out that also includes items straight from the freezer or “your Xbox Series X Fridge,” just in case you’re looking to have an entire Xbox-themed kitchen.

Xbox/Walmart

It will also fit on any kitchen counter and/or TV stand. The toaster measures 15-inches wide, 7.6-inches tall, and 4.6-inches deep. It also comes with an anti-jam function, automatic temperature control, removable crumb tray, and non-stick coated plates.

You can get yours from Walmart’s online store for $39.99. If you are literally a gamer cliché and plan on using yours to try and toast loose Doritos we recommend buying two so you’re covered when the first one breaks. Even better, we recommend not doing that. But if you want to wash down your morning bagel with some MTN Dew while playing your favorite game, go for it. That won’t do any damage to your toaster, just possibly your digestive system.

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DEATH AND OTHER DETAILS Trailer Sets Whodunit Mystery on a Luxurious Cruise

There’s a reason why people love the Knives Out movies and it’s not just Chris Evans’ stylish cozy sweaters… or Daniel Craig’s wild accent. A whodunit adventure with an intrepid investigator and a roster of colorful suspects will never, ever get old. We are still waiting for more news about a third Knives Out film; however, there’s an upcoming series that piques our interest. Death and Other Details is coming to Hulu soon and its trailer promises glamour, style, and, of course, murder. 

Imagine traveling on a luxury ship with a pal. The weather is great, the food is tasty, and you look like a rockstar. But things quickly go awry when you witness a rich jerk being mean to someone on staff. What would you do? Perhaps you’d turn the other way because you don’t want to stir up conflict. Or, maybe you’d go up to him and give him a piece of your mind.

Surely, you wouldn’t do what Imogene (Violett Beane) does in the Death and Other Details trailer. She steals his keycard, goes into his room, and smashes that expensive watch he was blabbering about. (Imogene is the hero we all need, honestly.) The problem is, this guy is found dead shortly afterward and now she’s a whole murder suspect. Life can certainly change in an instant, especially when you’re caught on camera. Fortunately, there’s a detective on board who will team up with her and hopefully reveal a shocking truth. And this clever guy is played by none other than Mandy Patinkin!

Hulu

Alongside the trailer, we also have the synopsis for Death and Other Details: 

Imogene Scott finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time and becomes the prime suspect in a locked-room murder mystery; to prove her innocence, she must partner with a man she despises, Rufus Cotesworth, the world’s greatest detective.

What Is the Release Date for Death and Other Details? Hulu

Death and Other Details will hit Hulu on January 16.

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DC Reveals the Justice League’s New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions. Almost everyone makes them. Very few people hold to them. But what about superheroes? If you’ve got the powers of a god and you make a resolution to “eat less dairy,” do you have a bigger obligation to keep to it? Well, we may never get an answer to that question. But via DC Comics’ official Instagram, we did get the New Year’s resolutions to several of the company’s most iconic heroes. In fact, six of the seven main members of the Justice League all revealed their New Year’s resolutions going into 2024. Sorry, Martian Manhunter, maybe next year. You can check them all out down below:

Ok, so all of these Justice League New Year’s resolutions were very tongue-in-cheek. Although some of these are ones we think the actual characters might actually have in the comics. Wonder Woman vowing to “mediate daily on the freeing power of truth?” is very on brand for her. And, “Revise the contingency plan for my contingency plan’s contingency plan?” That sounds very Batman. Hey Bruce, how about no more contingency plans on how to stop your fellow Justice Leaguers in case they go bad without telling them first? That never goes well.

DC Comics

Speaking of being mind-controlled and going bad, we kind of love that Superman has “Make it the full year without being mind-controlled and going evil” as part of his resolutions. The world would surely be a better place if that happened less, Clark. We have enough “evil Supermans” on The Boys and Invincible. Some major DC Comics characters didn’t get to reveal their New Year’s resolutions alongside the Justice League. But we’d like to think Nightwing’s is, “Stop competing with my father figure.” Maybe Black Canary’s resolution is, “Stop raising my voice to Green Arrow, it makes his ears bleed.” Hopefully, next year we find out the DC Villains’ New Year’s Resolutions. Although we admit, we’re a wee bit scared to see the Joker’s.

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WONDER WOMAN, MAN OF STEEL, and Other DCEU Films Are on Netflix

The DCEU may be over, but over the decade of its existence, it left more than a handful of films to be watched and debated about endlessly. Although the original plan was for all DC films to have an exclusive home at Max, as of January, 14 DC films are also now on Netflix. Although two of them are technically not DCEU films, just films based on DC properties. Chalk this one up to the realities of streaming service revenue in tough financial times for all the major studios. This is why many of these same films are now on ad-supported Tubi as well. The news came via Netflix’s Tudum.

Warner Bros.

So which DCEU movies can you now enjoy on Netflix? You can literally start with the first DCEU film, Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, and work your way down. Next is Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, Suicide Squad, Wonder Woman, Justice League, Aquaman, Shazam!, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman 1984, The Suicide Squad, Black Adam, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

While that’s most of the DCEU films, there are a few still only on Max at the moment. 2023’s The Flash and Blue Beetle are still exclusive to that streaming platform, at least for now. Also, Zack Snyder’s extended 4-hour version of Justice League remains a Max exclusive. There are also two DC films not part of the DCEU as part of the Netflix deal—The Batman and the animated DC League of Super Pets.

As for classic DC Comics-based films, right now, most are only streaming on Max. Those include the four original Christopher Reeve Superman films (and Superman Returns) plus Supergirl and the Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher Batman movies. Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is also there, too. For those brave souls out there, the 2004 version of Catwoman and Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern are also available to watch.

How long the previously mentioned DC movies will remain on Netflix is a mystery at the moment. However, if you have a fix to watch Cavill as Superman and Affleck as Batman and only have a Netflix subscription? Then now’s your chance to watch the “Martha scene” in BvS as many times as you like.

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A 13-Year-Old Prodigy Became the First Human to Ever Beat TETRIS

I’m not much older than Tetris, a game I’ve played my entire life. And yet, I only just learned now it’s a something you can technically beat. I always just assumed you played until the pieces moved too fast and you lost. But after 34 years someone has done exactly that. A 13-year-old prodigy became the first human to ever reach a “True Killscreen.” It’s a point so far into the game that Tetris simply stops working.

Blue Scuti/Classic Tetris

On December 21, 2023 Willis Gibson, who goes by the online handle Blue Scuti, did something once thought impossible. Using quick-touch controller techniques, programing probability models, a whole lot of skill, and some luck, he reached a killscreen during level 157 of Tetris. The game essentially broke thanks to a glitch resulting from old, original code. It was one of the glitched originally designed not to matter because humans weren’t meant to make it that far. Triggering one of those glitches made him the first person to ever best Tetris before it could best them. The run also gave him the Overall Score, Level, Lines, and 19 Score world records, but those are secondary to “beating” Tetris. That’s how big a deal this is.

This once unthinkable accomplishment (which we first heard about Popular Science) had become a goal for the most prominent members of the Tetris-playing community. In fitting fashion for the speed game, it had become a race to reach one of the available killscreens in the game. You can learn about the incredible history and work that led to Blue Scuti’s victory in this amazing video from the YouTube channel aGameScout. It’s a riveting account of a dedicated fanbase pushing the limits on an iconic game, with an easy-to-understand explanation of the technical aspects.

You can also watch the record-setting run in its entirety. Even knowing the outcome won’t stop your palms from sweating as this talented kid gets closer and closer to his dream. Especially when he misses his first chance at triggering a killscreen.

While Scuti is the first human to beat the game, this is not the end for ambitious Tetris players. It’s actually possible to avoid every end game trigger and reach level 255. Humans using computer programs can do it.

If someone clears level 255 Tetris actually resets to level 1. Reaching that final achievement is known as the “Rebirth Screen.” Considering what he did at age 13, we won’t count out Willis’ chances of reaching that, too.

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