Screen Rant

Thunderbolts* is all about reconciling with your past, moving forward and taking action so that the trauma and darkness of the past can be overcome with help from others. Convesely, I feel like that makes Wanda Maximoff's arc even worse, especially as it doesn't seem like any of the surviving Avengers came to and be there for her following the death of the Vision.

The various eras of the Star Wars galaxy are all fascinating in their own way, each one having epic stories. However, my favorites include the Clone Wars, Galactic Civil War, and The Dark Times. That said, I would love it if Lucasfilm started exploring the Old Republic further in the official canon.

Rather than being a run-of-the-mill look at the new Zootopia sequel, I was rather impressed by the creativity of the new trailer. The hamsters on the piano opening and closing the trailer were super funny, and I enjoyed seeing all the different characters in rapid succession. I'm also very curious to see who the hooded villain might turn out to be.

Having played the game, I think it's clear what moment The Last of Us season 2 is going to end on, but I'm mostly hoping it comes as a complete surprise. I don't want to see Abby at all in the episode until the very end, where I'm anticipating she'll return for a major twist. Especially since season 3 is going to be focused more on her character, I'm hoping the focus is on Ellie for all of season 2's finale.

Having just recently rewatched the Hunger Games movies, Kieran Culkin seems like a strange choice to me. I love Succession and am down to watch him in anything, but I don't see him being all that similar to Stanley Tucci. Maybe my concern is that the character will feel too much like Kieran Culkin and less like Caesar Flickerman, but I hope I'm wrong.

Chief of War just switched from being a show I'd never heard of to my most anticipated TV series of the summer. Jason Momoa looks great, but the real appeal here is the production value and historical intrigue. I feel like I've been introduced to a time period I previously knew nothing about, and I'm hoping it will offer an experience similar to Shogun.

Tony Todd's last film is Final Destination: Bloodlines, and his appearance was absolutely devastating for his fans. Not only was it very clear he was sick by looking at how skinny he was, the words he spoke came off as a goodbye. Apparently his speech was improv, which does not surprise me at all, as he truly seems to be saying that he knows he is dying and has made his peace with it. He says he is going to spend time with family and live his life to the fullest until he es. I am glad that he was able to leave a message for those that loved his work so dearly. 

Apple TV+ is well known for its high-quality series and films. I always say that it values quality over quantity, although they are starting to have a large collection of great content. One of their new shows, Murderbot, is based on a series of books by the same name, and it is fantastic. Not only does it boast an incredible cast that does a wonderful job of bringing these characters to life, it tells an intriguing and exciting story about a robot who manages to break free from the government's control. There are more stories to explore from the books, so please do not sleep on this series and ensure that it gets the season two it deserves.

Final Destination: Bloodlines has brought the franchise back to life with rave reviews from both critics and audiences. While I absolutely love this movie, it is hard for me to say that it is the best of them for one reason - the first Final Destination was so unique and exciting when it was released. I think that the opening sequence for Final Destination: Bloodlines is the best one, and all of the deaths are at the top of the ranking, no doubt about it, but the first one will always hold a special place in my heart. It is similar to how I think the first Scream will always be the best because it was the introduction for what is to come.

While the original Train to Busan movie might be the most well-known of them, there are two other entries in the zombie franchise. Seoul Station is a violent and bleak origin story for the zombies seen in the film, with gorgeous animation that makes its story even more visceral. The other live-action entry in the franchise is 2020's Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula, which does a good job of showing how the world has evolved since the original movie. While I enjoy all three entries, the original's classic status and deep connections between characters are simply unmatched.

Thunderbolts* ed the total box office of The Marvels, the MCU's biggest bomb, in just one week. While it's impressive that the MCU movie managed to do it so fast, I don't think it was ever in question that the film would be able to leave The Marvels behind. With fan-favorites like Bucky Barnes and Yelena Belova, and Avengers-like team-up concept — later revealed to be a true Avengers movie, and more, I always expected Thunderbolts* to have a better box office run than The Marvels, so I wasn't surprised by its feat.

Michael Douglas recently revealed in an interview that he believes his time in the MCU might be over. Now that the Ant-Man trilogy has ended, I think it's okay for the franchise to move on from Hank Pym. However, I wasn't Douglas to come back one final time. In the past, the actor had commented on how he wanted Hank to die if he were to return, and I feel like such a death could add to the stakes of the next two Avengers movies, so I hope it happens.

John Carpenter is often sharing his retrospective thoughts on his movies, and one that he's itted to not being as big of a fan of is that of 1983's Christine, calling it a "fun" movie, but not one of his favorites, and surprised at the cult following for it. While I love Carpenter's work on pretty much everything I've seen, I also agree with him that it's not one of my favorites of his, as apart from its really impressive visual effects, its story makes a lot of changes from Stephen King's book that make it feel more safe than terrifying. 

I'm very excited about Jon Bernthal's Punisher Disney+ special, particularly after his return in Daredevil: Born Again. While the story is currently unknown, one thing I really hope the special does is continue the best theme from his original Netflix show, that being having a villain who represents a dark mirror to the vigilante. In being confronted by characters who represent an alternate life path for him, Punisher can grow and evolve to be a more well-rounded character. Plus, I think the special being him hunting down the NYPD's Punisher-inspired task force would be a great way to explore this theme, as their excessive force without oversight is a harrowing parallel to Frank's own actions.

After a change in the creative team behind the film, the Street Fighter movie adaptation is back on track with Andrew Koji, Jason Momoa, Noah Centineo and Roman Reigns all being cast. While I do like them all for the film, I honestly hope that Centineo is not going to be Ken or Ryu, as I just don't really see him fitting the part. Instead, I'd love to see him play Guile, while Koji could play Ru, Momoa as either M. Bison or Akuma, and Reigns as Zangief.

I love Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation, but I don't think many will disagree with me when I say that she is a difficult character to connect with in season 1. The show is still finding its feet at this point, granted, but I see why some think Leslie is basically The Office's Michael Scott in these episodes. Yes, Leslie is awkward and quirky like Michael, but in her own way. She's not cringey, she's enthusiastic, and even in comparison to Michael "we're one big family" Scott, Leslie cares about her employees and friends a lot more.

Obviously, Georgie's new business partner (as established in Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage's season 1 finale), Ruben, wouldn't have been mentioned in The Big Bang Theory, as at the time, Young Sheldon hadn't started, let alone the Georgie-centric spinoff. However, in The Big Bang Theory, Georgie is running the Dr. Tire franchise. Note, it's Dr. Tire, singular, not plural. Of course, it could just be something as simple as Ruben eventually retired, as he's older than Georgie, but I wonder if something happens between them later on. 

I've been watching Doctor Who long enough to know that even when it seems like we know everything, we often don't, in reality. I have a suspicion there's more to Mrs. Flood. The reveal that she is the Rani doesn't explain why Mrs. Flood can break the fourth wall, which makes me think there is something else we have yet to learn about her. I've said before that I think that she may also be the Governor from the Saxon Master's prison in "The End of Time," but I'll just have to wait and see. 

After Conan O'Brien's immense success hosting the Oscars, his HBO series, and the ongoing love for his podcast, I feel like he's finally beginning to earn his due appreciation. I've been saying for years that Conan is one of the funniest people alive. I really hope he gets a sizable role in the movie.

Especially after a weaker season 3, I'm really excited for The Bear to have a return to form this year. I love that it's been reliable for annual releases, and the footage from the trailer looks fantastic. Honestly, it looks a lot like what we were all expecting from season 3, before the show took several detours into Carmy's past.