Spider-Man: Brand New Day has finally swung into theaters worldwide — and I bet you've got questions about Tom Holland's latest Marvel movie.

Haven't seen it yet? Read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day review for a spoiler-light insight into the newly released film. Then, bookmark this page, go and see it, and come back to carry on reading this article, because I'm not kidding when I say full spoilers immediately follow for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Of course, if you have watched it, by all means scroll on — it's worth the read, I promise!

Does Sadie Sink play Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Yes. One of the worst-kept secrets in Hollywood is finally confirmed about 70 minutes into Spider-Man 4: Sink is playing the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) version of iconic X-Men member Jean Grey.

It's a reveal that's been a long time coming. Sink was first rumored to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day last March, so we've had to wait 16 months to learn which Marvel character she was actually playing.

Of course, there's been all manner of speculation about the identity of her character, with everyone from Mayday Parker — aka Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's daughter in the comics — and Typhoid Mary to Firestar and Shathra mentioned as potential candidates.

Now that we know Sink is playing Grey, she's a shoo-in to appear in Marvel's new X-Men movie (more on this later). Her next outing as Jean Grey is expected to be in Avengers: Secret Wars, though, so we'll see her again when that film arrives next December.

Who is the real villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

That'll be William Metzger, aka the head of the Department of Damage Control (DoDC).

Metzger is played by Tramell Tillman, the Severance star signing on to appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day last August. It's unclear when or where he'll appear in the MCU next, but I have my suspicions about his next appearance, which I cover later in this article.

Anyway, Metzger is revealed to be the Marvel Phase 6 flick's actual villain in its third act. Initially positioning himself and the DoDC as an ally of Spider-Man's, we eventually learn that Metzger was the one who kidnapped, experimented on, and ultimately killed Jean's older sister Sarah. A fellow telepath, Sarah was taken to the DoDC's main testing facility on Staten Island, where she was used as a lab rat for the company's investigations into new tech powered by superhuman abilities.

Of course, as soon as Spidey learns the truth, our friendly neighborhood hero sets out to rescue Jean, whom he naively helped the DoDC to capture earlier in Brand New Day. Little does Peter Parker know, though, that it could've been his last mission...

Does Peter Parker die in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

No, but he comes mightily close to losing his life.

After he infiltrates the DoDC's Staten Island headquarters, Spidey uses his upgraded powers to defeat members of The Hand controlled by an antagonistic Jean — remember, she still thinks Spider-Man is the enemy at this point.

Eventually, Peter tracks down Jean, who's holding Metzger hostage. Metzger tried to experiment on Jean as he did with Sarah, but the test not only goes awry, it unlocks Jean's full powerset. No longer limited by the 33-foot radius that her telepathic abilities had, Jean utilizes her powers to paralyze a large part of New York's human population, and threatens Peter that she'll hurt them all — including his former girlfriend M.J. and best friend Ned, who are caught in her paralyzing telepathic wave — if he tries to stop her from enacting revenge on Metzger.

Being the good guy that he is, Peter manages to talk her down. He does so by allowing the souped-up Jean to enter his mind, where he shows her a very specific memory of Aunt May that helps Jean understand that, despite Sarah's death, she's not alone.

Happy ending, right? Not exactly. Like Spider-Man, Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, sprang into action when Jean used her upgraded powers on New York's residents. Unable to reach DoDC HQ, he heads to a nearby rooftop outside of the impacted zone. There, he uses his marksmanship skills to take a shot at Jean with a heavy-duty sniper rifle.

Sensing the incoming bullet, Spidey shields Jean from the sniper round and is critically injured by it. As he bleeds out, Jean employs her powers to keep him alive before Frank races him to a nearby hospital to undergo life-saving surgery.

Some time later, Peter wakes from his coma. After a heart-to-heart — and some light banter — with an apologetic and remorseful Frank, Peter checks himself out of the hospital.

A crowd of dedicated Spider-Man fans, who've congregated outside the hospital to hold a vigil for his swift recovery, awaits him. Fortunately, Frank stays behind, dons the Spider-Man mask, and waves to the assembled crowd from Spidey's hospital room, allowing a profoundly moved Peter to walk away without anyone knowing he's the real wallcrawler.

Does Jean Grey make M.J. and Ned remember Peter Parker in Spider-Man 4?

No — she doesn't need to, because the pair end up finding out that Peter is Spider-Man.

M.J. learns who he is when she discovers the note Peter had written back in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. Meanwhile, Ned appears to remember Peter when the duo performs their secret handshake in Brand New Day's final scene. Ultimately, then, Jean's possible intervention wasn't necessary.

Which Marvel characters make a cameo in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

We already knew the vast majority of Spider-Man: Brand Day's cast heading into the film, but the MCU's latest movie has a couple of surprises up its sleeve.

For one, Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova makes an unexpected yet scene-stealing cameo. Spider-Man meets her at a New York bathhouse to obtain information about the attack on the DoDC in the film's first act. Later on, she appears once more when the eponymous hero starts to suspect Metzger isn't all that he seems and seeks details on Jean's sister Sarah.

The other big cameo is Marisa Tomei's Aunt May. Peter's surrogate mom, who died in No Way Home, appears by way of the memory I mentioned earlier in this article.

"But what about Daredevil?", you might be asking. Given what happened in the final episode of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, some fans had expected Spidey to come across Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock and join forces to take on The Hand in Spider-Man 4's prison-set action sequence. Unfortunately, Cox doesn't show up in Brand New Day, so the wait for a Daredevil and Spider-Man MCU team-up goes on.

Is there an end-credits scene in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Yes. Right at the end of the film's final credits, the Spidey Tracker — an app built by Ned Leeds to, well, track Spider-Man's whereabouts — flashes up on the screen.

As an automated message that says "Location unknown" starts to play over and over, the app zooms out from planet Earth and eventually pinpoints that the webslinger is somehow in space.

What does this mean? I have a wild theory that Spider-Man: Brand New Day's post-credits scene might not mean what we think it does, but the most likely scenario is that Peter Parker has been transported somewhere due to events that'll go down in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Speaking of which...

How does Spider-Man 4 set up Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars?

In short: I don't know. Spider-Man 4's end credits scene could be related to either of the aforementioned movies, so until Avengers: Doomsday is released this December, your guess is as good as mine.

That said, at this moment in time, Tom Holland isn't slated to appear in Doomsday, and that film is already packed with enough characters as it is. You can find out who'll appear and more by finding out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday.

If Holland doesn't show up in Avengers 5, he'll be a dead cert to star in its sequel. Marvel and Sony won't miss the opportunity to put one of their most bankable characters in at least one of the next two Avengers movies, so the smart money is on him having a substantial role to play in Avengers 6. For more on that flick, find out what we know so far about Avengers: Secret Wars.

How does Spider-Man: Brand New Day set up Marvel's new X-Men movie?

It doesn't. With Doomsday and Secret Wars set to be the next two MCU movies to hit theaters, that pair is far more likely to impact the MCU's first mutant-based film.

Nevertheless, Spider-Man 4's final minutes do show Jean Grey traveling on a bus to an unknown location. Maybe she's attempting to track down more of her fellow mutants? If she is and she's successful, it's possible that whoever she locates will not only have roles to play in Secret Wars, but also form a prototype version of the X-Men ahead of their actual founding/formation in their first dedicated MCU adventure.

While we wait for more news on one of the few confirmed post-Multiverse Saga projects, find out what we know so far about Marvel's new X-Men movie.

Light spoilers follow for Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day was meant to signal a fresh era for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. With 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home effectively clearing the narrative slate and stripping away his safety net, this latest chapter had a golden opportunity to chart a bold, unburdened new course for a character whose cinematic journey now enters its 24th year.

And yet, tripped up by familiar Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) shortcomings and weighed down by my own sky-high expectations, Brand New Day yields a final product that is undeniably fun, but ultimately falls short of greatness.

Web of lies

Four years have passed in-universe since No Way Home, whose ending saw Doctor Strange cast a multiverse-saving spell to make everyone, including Parker's girlfriend M.J. (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), forget that he was Spider-Man.

Since then, our friendly neighborhood hero has fully committed to cleaning up the streets of New York City. While that mission has been incredibly successful, it's come at a cost — that being said, the webslinger is practically shedding his civilian identity and becoming a social recluse.

That long-term, self-imposed isolation has seemingly dire consequences for Spider-Man, whose world is not only upended after he sees M.J. with a new man, but also by a sudden metamorphosis — one that super-charges his arachnid-like abilities — that he struggles to control.

Throw in the emergence of a powerful and invisible new threat that only Spidey can apparently stop, and the Marvel icon must turn detective, determine if this new superpowered being is as bad as he's been led to believe, and once again realize that with great power comes great responsibility.

That infamous slogan is one that Holland and director Destin Daniel Cretton hung their proverbial hats on throughout development.

The pair have spoken at length about making a Spider-Man movie unlike anything we've seen before, and that's especially true from an action spectacle standpoint. Whether it's the fights that Spidey's involved in — the Hulk and The Hand battles deserve special mention for being intense and imaginative — or simply giving us a first-person view of him swinging through his hometown, Spider-Man 4 is the webslinger at his acrobatic, wily, and inventive best. Full credit to Cretton, stunt co-ordinator and second unit director Peng Zhang, and his team for delivering some of the best action in a Spider-Man film to date.

Brand New Day isn't as adept at depicting loneliness and other mental health issues, mind you. Indeed, for all of the talk that Brand New Day puts Peter Parker in a mental and emotional echo chamber, that's not entirely accurate.

Sure, Parker spends much of the first two acts lying to himself about why he has to maintain his lone wolf status, a storytelling quirk that allows Holland to further tap into Parker's guilt complex and the volitional burden of responsibility he carries. Even so, he still interacts — and characteristically quips — with everyone who appears in the Marvel Phase 6 flick, and, while it would be a puzzlingly dialog-light film for a usually extroverted character if he didn't, I was disappointed that Spider-Man 4 didn't examine Parker's hermit lifestyle more thoroughly throughout its 142-minute runtime.

In fact, the movie's broader emotional impact didn't hit me as hard as I'd hoped.

Yes, there are myriad moving moments — particularly in the third act — where Holland, Zendaya, and MCU newcomer Sadie Sink deliver emotional gravitas aplenty. Sink, whose much-discussed mystery character in Spider-Man 4 I’ll come back to shortly, gives a performance that easily leaves a lump in the throat

Nevertheless, Thunderbolts* tackles its weightier themes — particularly around mental health — with a sensitivity that Spider-Man 4 lacks. Heck, I'd even say No Way Home and another of Holland's previous MCU outings in Spider-Man: Far From Home hit me much harder emotionally than this fourth entry; a take I certainly didn't expect to have prior to my Brand New Day screening.

Lost souls

Its action notwithstanding, Spider-Man: Brand New Day does a much better job at making New York feel like a city populated by more than one hero and villain at any given time.

That might sound silly for a shared universe like the MCU and for a film franchise that's seen the wallcrawler mingle with other Marvel characters. Still, the fact that he shares the screen with individuals who haven't operated in his orbit before is a positive, especially when, the Avengers movies aside, Marvel appears determined to keep its heroes apart despite their situational proximity.

It's an ingredient characterized best by Spider-Man's quarrelsome, sibling-like dynamic with Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, aka The Punisher.

Ordinarily, Bernthal's foul-mouthed, unhinged anti-hero would have no place in a family-friendly MCU flick. However, his inclusion in Brand New Day allows Bernthal and Holland's incredibly natural chemistry to shine, and it's no coincidence that sequences involving the pair are some of the funniest and most memorable that Spider-Man 4 has to offer.

The film’s self-contained, 'pick-up-and-read' comic book vibe further extends to Spider-Man: Brand New Day's full cast of characters.

Returning favorites like Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/The Hulk alongside newcomers in Tramell Tillman's Bill Metzger and Liza Colón-Zayas' Jean DeWolff add to its narrative flavor. However, its overstuffed roster leaves a slight aftertaste as few of them get the necessary development or screentime they require.

Among the supporting cast, Sink gets the most substantial character arc. Brand New Day waits until the 70-minute mark to finally confirm who she's playing, but it compensates for the inevitable reveal by soon putting the Stranger Things alumnus at the heart of its tale, albeit with mixed results.

On the upside, Spider-Man 4 thoughtfully draws parallels between Holland and Sink's characters. Driven by opposing worldviews rooted in personal tragedy, their dichotomous dynamic fuels the second act, and I'll readily admit I was completely engrossed by their superhuman tango.

The problem that Brand New Day runs into is that, by placing Sink at its narrative center, it quickly succumbs to the classic MCU pitfall: setting up future storylines instead of concentrating on its actual protagonist.

Indeed, by act three, Spidey becomes something of a passenger in his own film, and it isn't until its admittedly poignant climax that the focus shifts back to the wallcrawler. That's no slight on the talented Sink's performance, but, not for the first time, it's hard to watch another Spider-Man solo movie and not think that the titular hero has, at times, been overshadowed in his own story.

My verdict

From a recency bias viewpoint, it would be easy — and arguably lazy — to label Brand New Day as the best Spider-Man movie of all-time.

In some ways, you can argue that's true. This is the most relatable Peter Parker has ever felt in a live-action capacity; it ditches the weary multiversal shenanigans in favor of returning to the character's classic street-level roots, and is Holland's most mature outing yet as the legendary webslinger.

That said, while its ending strikes an optimistic note for an all-but-confirmed fifth solo film, Brand New Day is an ironic title for a movie that — much like its protagonist for large parts of this flick — refuses to move on from the past. Its sentimental attachment to legacy characters like Ned and M.J., paired with obstructive MCU world-building, reveals a franchise that hesitates to be as progressive as it could and should be. It’s an endlessly entertaining, ground-level Spider-Man story — it just can’t quite bring itself to let that brand new day truly dawn.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is out now in the UK, and hits theaters in the US and other regions on Friday, July 31.

With only three more episodes to go, X-Men 97 season 2 is fast approaching the finish line — and there are a few big story threads that the Marvel TV show needs to wrap before it takes another extended break from our screens.

How will Professor X establishing X-Corp affect the current world order? What impact will Gambit's resurrection as one of Apocalypse's Four Horsemen have on this season's plot? And where is the Disney+ TV series setting up things to come for season 3? I can't say for sure — but, what I do know is when season 2 episode 7 will air on Disney+, one of the best streaming services. So, scroll on for more details!

What time can I watch X-Men 97 season 2 episode 7?

Episode 7 of X-Men 97's sophomore season will make its Disney+ debut on Wednesday, July 29. That's its global launch date, too, so viewers in North and South America won't be able to watch it on the evening of July 28.

Unless the Marvel Phase 6 project's release time is suddenly changed, the entry titled 'Strange Land, Savage Heart' will drop at the same time that its six forebears have:

• US — 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — 8am BST
• India — 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — 3pm SGT
• Australia — 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — 7pm NZST

X-Men 97 season 2 full release schedule

As I mentioned earlier, there aren't many installments left of the X-Men animated show's current season. Indeed, there are only two more to enjoy after this week's episode before the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent program goes off-air once more.

Like the launch time section above, as long as Marvel doesn't make a last-minute adjustment to this season's release schedule, we already know when its final pair of chapters will come out:

• Season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Season 2 episode 4 — out now
• Season 2 episode 5 — out now
• Season 2 episode 6 — out now
• Season 2 episode 7 — July 29
• Season 2 episode 8 — August 5
• Season 2 episode 9 — August 12

The 2026 edition of San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) is almost upon us, and you know what that means: all manner of rumors and speculation about the surprises Marvel might have in store for us at its now-customary Hall H panel.

To a certain extent, the biggest reveal has already happened. Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) diehards had expected the first official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday to be the focal point of the comic book titan's next presentation. With Avengers: Doomsday's main trailer released on Monday (July 20), though, Marvel must have something just as significant around which to center its forthcoming panel on July 25 at 5:30pm PT.

As attentions turn towards the Disney subsidiary's hour-long address at SDCC 2026, chief among fans' immediate thoughts is: what big reveal could Marvel make that a) would rival Avengers: Doomsday's first proper trailer as a major talking point, and b) is so noteworthy that Marvel felt confident enough to unveil Doomsday's trailer earlier than expected?

One project that fits the bill is Marvel's new X-Men movie. The only post-Multiverse Saga film in active development, myriad rumors are circulating online about who could star in the mutant-led flick. You can learn more about which actors Marvel is reportedly talking to via my Marvel's X-Men movie guide.

For what it's worth, industry insiders, albeit ones with sketchy track records, have claimed there'll be no such cast reveals at SDCC 2026. My reading of the situation is that'll be the case, too, especially as Marvel will want to focus to stay on the rest of its 2026 line-up — I'll discuss this in more detail shortly — and the projects it'll release in 2027, such as Daredevil: Born Again season 3 and Avengers: Secret Wars. We're not expecting the new X-Men movie to arrive until the following year.

That said, I'd be surprised if Marvel doesn't say something about the MCU's first X-Men film. Speculation abounds that the comic titan might tentatively discuss other Marvel Phase 7 movies, such as Thunderbolts 2, The Fantastic Four: First Steps sequel, Black Panther 3, Nova, and Midnight Sons — the last of which might repurpose Marvel's long-gestating plans to introduce Mahershala Ali's Blade to the MCU. It would be bizarre, then, if that quintet is covered, but not the first film of what'll be version 2.0 of the MCU.

But, onto more pressing matters — namely, the rest of Marvel's 2026 movie and TV slate.

On the film side of things, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which swings into theaters between July 29 and 31 (depending on where you live), is expected to have a big presence at SDCC 2026. I'm willing to bet that attendees will be treated to some exclusive first-look footage, but any spoiler-based content, such as the identity of Sadie Sink's much-discussed mystery character in Spider-Man 4, won't be part of proceedings. Could we also get an early Spider-Man 5 announcement? As a huge Spidey fan, I'd be overjoyed if we did.

As for Avengers: Doomsday, I believe Marvel will show off some new clips from one of this year's most anticipated new movies, with the most likely candidates being extended looks at shots from its first main trailer. Where its sequel in Secret Wars is concerned, I think we'll get a name-drop and the briefest, spoiler-free hints about its story, but that's all.

Pre-SDCC 2026 chatter about Marvel's forthcoming Disney+ shows is much harder to read. After all, the studio has regularly reserved its biggest TV announcements for D23 Expo (Disney's flagship fan event, which takes place annually in Anaheim, California), so it stands to reason that there won't be a change in strategy this year.

Nevertheless, I predict we'll get some details about its final two TV series of the year — VisionQuest and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (YFNSM) season 2 — at SDCC.

With VisionQuest, I foresee confirmation of its main cast and a behind-closed-doors look at the Paul Bettany-led live-action program. Whether that'll be a full first trailer or a more general sneak peek remains to be seen, but I wouldn't be surprised if, as long as it's the former, VisionQuest's first trailer isn't publicly released following its possible unveiling at SDCC.

The same is true of YFNSM season 2. I'm of the opinion that Marvel's animated Spider-Man show will be highlighted in greater detail at D23 Expo 2026. That said, I'm fairly confident that Marvel will also deliver some news about it. Is it too much to ask for an official launch date? Not in my book.

Meanwhile, Marvel has already confirmed that it's full steam ahead on season 3 of its critically-acclaimed animated series X-Men 97. Will we hear more about it shortly? Not in my view. We've still got three more episodes of X-Men 97 season 2 to enjoy before it goes off the air, so any conversations about its follow-up season — especially those of a spoiler-based persuasion — will have to wait until D23 Expo 2026 or this year's New York Comic-Con.

Finally, will we hear anything substantial about Wonder Man season 2? That's similarly unlikely. Co-creator Destin Daniel Cretton has been incredibly busy with directing Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Although Cretton recently said that the cameras could roll on Wonder Man's next chapter as early as next year, this year's D23 Expo feels like a better fit for any major announcements for this series, as well as Marvel Zombies season 2, the company's first R-rated animated program.

What Marvel movies and TV shows do you think we'll see and hear more about at SDCC 2026? And which one(s) are you most looking forward to? Let me know in the comment section below and the above poll you probably scrolled past.

Once you're done, find out everything we know about Avengers: Doomsday, get the first details about Avengers: Secret Wars, learn all there is to know about VisionQuest, and what's what with Daredevil: Born Again season 3.

• Avengers: Doomsday will be released in cinemas worldwide on December 18
• Tom Hiddleston's Loki is part of the movie's huge ensemble
• The popular actor has revealed if fans need to watch Loki on Disney+ before Doomsday comes out

Tom Hiddleston has revealed if you need to watch Loki on Disney+ to understand his character's role in Avengers: Doomsday.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar, the fan-favorite actor, who has played Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) since 2010, said he "will always say that people need to watch" his character's standalone series. However, Hiddleston wouldn't be drawn specifically on whether it was essential to stream the show prior to Doomsday's release on December 18.

Marvel fans who've seen the Hiddleston-fronted program will already know how its second and final season ends. On the off-chance that you haven't watched it yet, I'll refrain from spelling out exactly what happened in this article. For those who need their memory jogged, my spoiler-filled Loki season 2 ending explained piece holds the answers you seek.

One thing that every MCU fanatic will know by now, though, is that Loki will return in Avengers: Doomsday. Indeed, not only was Hiddleston part of the initial 27-strong Doomsday cast announcement in March 2025, but he also made the briefest of appearances in Avengers: Doomsday's first official trailer, which surprisingly made its public debut yesterday (July 20).

Naturally, fans have myriad questions after the release of said trailer, including a couple concerning Loki. How big of a role will he play in the Marvel Phase 6 movie? Will he be reunited with Thor? And, perhaps most important of all, does Loki's Disney+ show have any bearing on the story that Doomsday will tell?

As part of a wider chat I had with Hiddleston for his new National Geographic docudrama Pompeii: Out of Time, which airs on Disney+ and Hulu on July 23, I put those exact questions to him. Predictably, Hiddleston, who has plenty of experience dodging spoiler-based Marvel questions, wasn't forthcoming with definitive answers.

Nonetheless, he did appear to drop a tiny hint that anyone who wants to comprehend Loki's role in Avengers 5 should seek out the character's solo show on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services.

"I always say that people need to watch Loki," he told me with a wry smile. "I'm really proud of that show — I poured my whole soul into it and I love playing Loki. It's been 16 years now and, you know, I got to the end of Avengers: Infinity War, and that seemed to be the end of the Odinson saga.

"But, then Loki, as a series, was about placing Loki in the new context [by] taking him out of time and his reality," Hiddleston continued. "He's confronted with his compulsive, self-destructive, repetitive patterns of behavior, and gives him this capacity to be an agent of his own destiny. It was such an enjoyable experience because the whole show is about identity, purpose, and belonging, and also about time and how we perceive it and how best to use it.

"So, yeah, I would always say, if you haven't watched it, go and do so," he added. "And, if you haven't watched it before Doomsday, go and watch it again."

For more on one of 2026's most anticipated new movies, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday.

Ladies, gentlemen, and children (those over the age of 12, anyway), this is not a drill: the official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday is finally here!

Released today (July 20), the new Marvel movie's latest teaser packs a lot into its two-and-a-half minute runtime — so much so, in fact, that you probably missed quite a few details that it contains.

Well, worry not your heads, fellow Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) nerds, because I'm here to break down the Marvel Phase 6 film's fifth teaser in real time. So, grab a drink and some snacks, and let's analyze this beast into an inch of its life.

Oh my god, it's happening!

Well, who expected this? Nobody, that's who!

Many, if not all, of us though Marvel would withhold the release of Avengers: Doomsday's first official trailer until its forthcoming Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026, which takes place on Saturday, July 25. But, lo and behold, the comic book titan has taken us all by surprise and unveiled it today (Monday, July 20).

As I said up top, there's a lot to unpack from the film's latest teaser. Join me, then, over the next few hours as I comb over it with a fine toothed comb and pick out all of the Easter eggs, references, and other bits and pieces you might have missed on first viewing. Excelsior!

Doom and gloom

Anybody else got a spring in their step from Doomsday's first proper trailer? The new work week has literally just gotten underway for many of us, so its arrival has certainly lifted the gloom.

Anyway, as I prepare to scour the teaser for everything of note, check out the first official poster for the forthcoming comic book flick. It shows Robert Downey Jr's Victor von Doom climbing some steps and approaching a mural of what I suspect is his wife and son — who, based on the fact there's a stone carved monument of them, are no longer alive...

Down(ey) for a new MCU role

Alright, let's start with what's obviously the biggest reveal of the entire trailer: Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Victor von Doom.

The Multiverse Saga's new primary villain, the grand unveiling of Downey Jr's second MCU character — the first, of course, being his iconic portrayal of Tony Stark/Iron Man — has been a long time coming.

Based on the brief glimpses we get of him in this latest round of footage, though, it was worth the wait because, hoo boy, does he look not only look very menacing, but also incredibly powerful. Hey, you don't stop an attack from Thor, aka the so-called strongest Avenger, and Stormbreaker with two fingers if you aren't!

So, what's his deal? Based on what we can read into the teaser poster in this blog's previous post, the prevailing theory is that Doom seeks revenge on something — or someone — that led to his loved ones' deaths. And, given that Marvel's latest saga has centered on the multiverse, it's possible that their demise was the result of some universe-hopping or time-traveling shenanigans.

Are the events of Avengers: Endgame, and/or other MCU multiverse projects, such as Loki, Doctor Strange 2, and Deadpool and Wolverine, to blame? We'll have to wait until Avengers: Doomsday is released in theaters worldwide on December 18 to find out. Regardless, expect Doom's crusade to be based around the loss of his family — and, if other rumors are to be believed, him taking advantage of the multiverse's potential collapse due to Incursions and potentially bringing said family back from the dead.

A godly presence

I'll come back to Doom later, so let's focus on some of the other returning — not to mention popular — heroes we'll see in Avengers 5, starting with the God of Thunder himself.

Indeed, it's a curious move on Marvel's part to put Thor front and center of this latest trailer. After all, Thor received his own mini Doomsday teaser last December, so you might've thought that MCU heroes who weren't spotlighted in said teasers, such as The Fantastic Four, would've featured more heavily here. Clearly, that's not the case.

Why is Thor, then, seemingly being positioned as Doomsday's co-lead? Well, Chris Hemsworth is not only still one of Marvel's most bankable stars, but one of the few who remains from the very start of Marvel's cinematic juggernaut. Placing an instantly recognizable face at the heart of this film, then, is a way to get more butts on seats.

Of course, there's more to it than that. Thor appears to be taking on more of a leadership role in Doomsday than past Avengers films, which is evident by the fact he plays the brutally honest negotiator-in-chief in trying to get the MCU's various factions to work together to combat this incredibly powerful new threat in Downey Jr's Doom. Add in the fact that his brother Loki is sure to have an integral role in proceedings (more on this shortly), Thor's clear concern that Doom is someone that Earth's Mightiest Heroes should fear even more so than Thanos, and his desire to protect adopted daughter Love, and Thor's position as a prominent figure in Doomsday isn't as outlandish as it first appears.

On your left

Thor isn't the only big-name actor who'll be back as his universally adored Marvel hero, because Chris Evans is also returning to play Steve Rogers.

Admittedly, we've known about Evans' involvement in Avengers: Doomsday since rumors first emerged in December 2024. Confirmation that Evans would be back as Rogers came last December in Doomsday's first teaser, too, so only those fans who didn't see or read about his appearance will be shocked to see the first Captain America in this movie.

There are questions about his role in the story, mind you — chief among them being what universe did he end up in at the end of Avengers: Endgame. If it's the dimension that The Fantastic Four (and, by proxy, Doom) hail from, is Rogers' decision to stay in this universe the root cause of Doom's family dying?

Moreover, how and why does Rogers return to the proverbial trenches to battle Doom? Sure, he'll always do the right thing and protect those he cares for — which, based on the aforementioned Rogers-starring teaser, now includes his baby son.

Nevertheless, how does he learn about whatever nefarious plan Doom has cooked up? Does he travel back to the MCU's primary universe at The Fantastic Four's behest? If so, how and when do they find out that he's secretly living life in a dimension that he's not supposed to be a part of?

I actually think there's a very specific individual who can help to answer those questions — and you might now know him as the God of Time and/or Stories...

Loki flex

For those who need me to spell it out: yes, I'm talking about Loki.

The last time we saw the former God of Mischief, he was holding every one of the multiverse's timelines together after the Time Variance Authority's (TVA) Time Loom exploded in Loki, aka his self-titled Disney+ show. If he's not allowed to leave his current position of literally keeping the multiverse intact, then, how is he able to visit Steve Rogers in whatever universe the latter now resides?

The easy answer to that question that Loki visits Cap before he assumes his new role as the multiverse's protector-in-chief. If that's the case, Loki will still be a boots-on-the-ground TVA agent who likely seeks out Cap to tell him that, due to his presence in a universe that he wasn't born in, the TVA will soon prune this timeline.

Alright, but how do I know that Loki is visiting Cap? I don't, but the curtain netting in the above screenshot is similar to that of the netting we see in the Evans-starring Doomsday teaser, so it's not such an outrageous claim to make.

Anyway, this is where I think Loki's TVA card, which you can see above, comes into play.

We don't get to see who's holding the card, but I'd be stunned if those aren't Cap's hands. Not only that, I believe Loki will give it to him, so Cap can contact Loki when he and his family are ready to leave this realm for another one where they'd be allowed to live in peace and without fear of causing an Incursion due to Steve' presence.

What universe could they be taken to? The MCU is a non-starter because a version of Peggy Carter, aka Steve's wife, already existed there. Moving her to the MCU, then, would cause an Incursion in itself. Could they go to The Fantastic Four's if that's not the dimension that Steve settled down in? What about the FoX-Men's universe (more on them in a minute)? Or will they relocate to another timeline we don't know about? The plot thickens...

Caffeine, where art thou?

Alright, I'm going to take a quick coffee break as I've been at this for 90 minutes straight.

Talk among yourselves for the next five minutes — or, even better, vote in the below poll to let me know how excited you are for Avengers: Doomsday. Back shortly!

Speak up

I'm back with coffee in hand and ready to attack another hour or so of this trailer breakdown, so what shall we look at now? How about listening to Downey Jr's Doom speak for the first time?

"Hang on... what?", you might be saying to yourself. Rewind to the start of the trailer and listen carefully to its first voiceover. That's definitely Downey Jr saying "Something's coming... Something we may not be able to deter. Before this day is done, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision...".

Not convinced? Nobody else on the Doomsday cast roster sounds like that and there's only one new character we're being introduced to in this film — that being, its chief antagonist. So, it has to Downey Jr we're hearing at the beginning of the movie's latest round of footage.

Now, the question is: who is he saying this to? Is it Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier/Professor X, who's forced to shield his eyes from a blinding light outside of one of the X-Mansion's windows? Possibly, although I think this is just a bit of editing trickery that highlights the threat posed by the Incursions. Maybe Xavier is watching one play out in real time...

But I digress. Doom's words could be ringing in someone else's ears. The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic, who has a complicated history with Doom, perhaps? Or is Doom telling another member of that team in Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman? We know Doom visits her, and and Reed's son Franklin, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps' mid-credits scene. Maybe Doom is appealing to Sue first, with the hope that she'll convince Reed to work with Doom in his quest to achieve a multiversal form of travel before Doom inevitably betrays his archnemesis.

Three worlds, one problem

Doom might be this movie's central antagonist, but Avengers: Doomsday's latest trailer isn't shying away from the threat posed by those pesky Incursions that I keep referring to.

Per Marvel Studios' official story synopsis, "beloved heroes from three distinct universes will be set on a deadly collision course and face an existential threat unlike anything they’ve ever encountered."

We already knew that individuals from three different realities would come into contact in this flick — those being, the MCU (Earth-616 or Earth-199999, depending on who you listen to), The Fantastic Four's dimension (Earth-828), and the FoX-Men's realm (Earth-10005). This, then, isn't a new plot development.

Even so, we get another nod to the potentially multiverse-ending issue when Thor addresses the different hero factions at New Avengers Tower. Look behind The Fantastic Four, and you'll see what looks like a simple molecular structure on the screen. To my eye, though, this is a visual representation of the aforementioned universes being on a collision course with each other. Regardless, it's a fun nod to The Fantastic Four's scientific expertise to depict it as a molecule.

Avengers, assemble!

"Put aside your petty squabbles," Thor implores his fellow heroes in this teaser. That'll be a reference to which of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes' teams should be known as The Avengers, with both sides laying claim to the name after the events of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts/The New Avengers.

It seems that Thor collectively gets through to them, too, because we see different individuals team up to embark on multiple quests to try and stop the Incursions from happening. Indeed, we see Sue Storm and The Thing, plus Ghost, Bucky, and Falcon, visit the Wakandans to seek their help. Moments later, we see Yelena Belova, Reed Richards, The Fantastic Four's robot helper H.E.R.B.I.E, and Sam Wilson in the X-Mansion.

Shang-Chi is also part of this contingent, with the Ten Rings-wielding hero fighting Gambit before we see Belova battle herself — or, rather, Mystique masquerading as Natasha Romanoff's sister. Prepare yourself for some unusual and unexpected alliances in Doomsday, then.

Failure is an option

Like Avengers: Infinity War, there's already a sense that our heroes will fail in their mission to avert the Incursion crisis in Avengers: Doomsday. Heck, the fact that the latter is getting a sequel — Avengers: Secret Wars — in December 2027, which is expected to instigate a soft reboot of the MCU as we know it, is proof of that.

Doomsday's official trailer also drops a key hint that we'll see the destruction of at least one of the three main universes I mentioned earlier. That'll likely be the case, anyway, if the above screenshot, which appears to show a similarly yellow-hued explosion to the one that Professor X sees at the start of the trailer, taking place behind Johnny and Sue Storm.

If these events are one and the same, it's plausible that the Incursion depicted in the above image shows The Fantastic Four's reality being eradicated. Just imagine how devastating that would be for Marvel's iconic quartet and their desire to continue aiding our other heroes as the latter continue to try and save their own worlds from crumbling. If nothing else, it would create more melodrama and potentially further sow the divisions between them.

We're in the endgame now

Alright, I think that'll do it for today. I might be back with more stuff to break down tomorrow — so, if you spotted something that I didn't, and/or have any theories on what the latest round of footage shows, let me know in the comments.

For now, though, it's goodbye from me!

X-Men 97 season 2 took us on something of a narrative detour with last week's episode, so some viewers will be pleased to know that its next chapter gets things back on track. And by that, I mean this season's sixth entry will address the fallout from X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4's emotionally devastating ending.

Want to know when the Marvel TV show's next installment will make its bow on Disney+? Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here. I'll stop beating around the bush, then, and tell you to scroll on for more details…

What is the launch time for X-Men 97 season 2 episode 6?

Titled 'Danger.exe', the next episode of X-Men 97's sophomore season will premiere at 12am PT / 3am ET on Wednesday, July 22 in the US and Canada.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)-adjacent TV series' forthcoming chapter will also come out in other nations on July 22, albeit at a different time depending on where you live. Check out the list below to see when it'll be released in your country:

• US — 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — 8am BST
• India — 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — 3pm SGT
• Australia — 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — 7pm NZST

What is the full launch schedule for X-Men 97 season 2?

After this week's episode of the X-Men's animated show has dropped on Disney+, aka one of the best streaming services, there will only be three more to enjoy before season 2 comes to an end.

Unless Marvel suddenly changes the series' current release schedule, those final three chapters will air on successive Wednesdays until the Marvel Phase 6 project's latest finale arrives in mid-August. Read on to see what dates they'll launch on:

• Season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Season 2 episode 4 — out now
• Season 2 episode 5 — out now
• Season 2 episode 6 — July 22
• Season 2 episode 7 — July 29
• Season 2 episode 8 — August 5
• Season 2 episode 9 — August 12

• Avengers: Doomsday pre-sale tickets will go live later today (July 20)
• Fans think the new Marvel movie's first trailer could be released, too
• It would be an unusual move for Marvel to make, for one major reason

Update 2: well, I was completely wrong! The film's first official trailer has been released, so join me on our Avengers: Doomsday trailer breakdown live blog as I, well, break it down in real time.

Update: Okay, something might happen on the official trailer front.

Indeed, the Avengers: Doomsday Clock video on Marvel's YouTube channel, which has been counting down towards the movie's release date for months now, has been updated. The minutes and seconds part of the timer are now shown in green, and music now accompanies the ticking of said clock.

Does this mean Doomsday's first proper trailer will be with us at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST? I'm still sceptical and think it's simply counting down to the pre-sales ticket window finally opening — but we'll find out for sure in less than 30 minutes.

Original story follows.

Avengers: Doomsday tickets are finally set to go on sale later today (July 20) — and Marvel fans think the movie's first trailer could drop at the same time, too.

As revealed by The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month, cinephiles and comic-book fans alike will be able to pre-book their seat for one of 2026's hottest new movies very soon. And, with some theater chains, such as US-based company Regal, already telling fans where they'll be able to watch Doomsday in come December 18, fans will be able to buy advanced tickets before the day is over.

That's not the only Marvel-related thing that might happen today, though, because some people believe the pre-sales launch will coincide with the debut of Doomsday's official trailer.

In screenshots posted to Reddit pages including r/MarvelStudios, r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers, and r/LeaksandRumors, the app for popular US movie ticket company Fandango appeared to indicate that a new trailer would accompany the film's pre-sales launch.

Less than an hour later, users in a separate r/LeaksandRumors thread noted that the trailer banner had been scrubbed from the Fandango app. Some are seeing this as confirmation that we'll soon get a fresh look at the Marvel Phase 6 film — but I'm not entirely convinced that'll be the case.

Why Marvel shouldn't — and should — hold off on releasing a new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday

If Marvel unveils Avengers: Doomsday's fifth trailer — remember, four bite-sized teasers were released between December 2025 and January 2026 — today, it wouldn't be a complete shock.

Indeed, releasing a new trailer, which would likely end by telling people that they can pre-book tickets now, would further ramp up interest in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie, and generate even more ticket sales. Releasing more new footage before Marvel holds its latest Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026, which will take place on Saturday, July 25, would also give it more time to highlight some of its other forthcoming film and Disney+ projects during said presentation, because Doomsday wouldn't dominate proceedings.

With SDCC 2026 just days away, though, I'm baffled by the suggestion that Marvel would release Doomsday's first trailer earlier than expected. The aforementioned flick is the comic titan's most anticipated movie in years, and, considering that past editions of SDCC have been where Marvel has made the biggest announcements and reveals about myriad films, I can't foresee a one-off change to that tried and tested — not to mention highly successful — strategy.

I guess we'll find out one way or the other in the hours ahead. For now, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday. Once you're done, check out the first official artwork for Avengers: Doomsday, and prepare for your pre-Doomsday release MCU marathon by reading up on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

2026 is a big year for Tom Holland. The popular actor has already appeared in one of this year's most anticipated new movies in Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and he'll soon be wearing his iconic superhero spandex once more when Spider-Man: Brand New Day releases later this month.

Starring in two of 2026's biggest films would be worth cheering about in itself. However, this year also sees Holland celebrate the 10th anniversary of his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), which happened in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. Hey, I wasn't lying when I said 2026 was a big year for the A-lister.

With six MCU apperances already under his belt, Holland is now a certifiable stalwart of Marvel's cinematic juggernaut — so much so, in fact, that I believe some of you consider yourselves to be the biggest Tom Holland Spider-Man superfan.

Well, now is the time to put your superhero skills to the test. Below, I've rounded up 35 questions — some are way tougher than others — about Holland's wallcrawling career so far, including a query or five about Spider-Man 4.

So, what are you waiting for? Load up your web shooters and swing on over to the forthcoming quiz, and see if you have what it takes to be crowned the ultimate Holland Spider-Fan. Good luck!

For more on the forthcoming Marvel Phase 6 film, find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Keep your eyes fixed on TechRadar later in July, too, for even more coverage of the hotly-anticipated movie.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day thwips its way into theaters on July 29 (UK) and July 31 (everywhere else).

The mutants are coming. Indeed, with Marvel hard at work on developing another X-Men movie — one that will officially introduce a new version of the superteam to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — it won't be long before they return to the big screen. Well, providing you don't consider its potential 2028 launch to be a lengthy wait...

But I digress. With San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 almost upon us, and speculation that some sort of X-Men announcement will be made at the fan expo, interest over the next live-action X-Men film couldn't be higher. Read on to discover everything we know so far about the movie that's likely to usher in version 2.0 of the MCU.

X-Men movie release date: what we know

Marvel is yet to confirm a release date for its X-Men movie. It's still in the early stages of development, after all, so unless a surprise announcement comes at SDCC 2026, it will be some time before we know more.

That said, this film is high on Marvel's list of priorities. Speaking in late 2024, company president Kevin Feige said that MCU's future will be all about the X-Men after the Multiverse Saga comes to an end with next year's Avengers: Secret Wars.

More recently, Feige hinted (see the X/Twitter post above) that the new X-Men movie will be the first film to arrive after the sixth Avengers installment. With that movie due out in December 2027, we shouldn't expect MCU's first mutant-led project until some time in 2028.

Marvel's X-Men movie trailer: is there one?

Unsurprisingly, no. In fact, assuming Marvel returns to Hall H panel at SDCC 2028, I'd be amazed if we get any official footage before then.

Once a teaser is released, I'll update this section – but you'll be waiting a long time for one!

Marvel's X-Men cast rumors

Possible spoilers follow for Marvel's X-Men movie.

Predictably, nobody has been confirmed to appear in Marvel's X-Men movie yet. However, plenty of rumors have surfaced – and continue to circulate – about who's involved, so let's take a look at some of the biggest ones.

For starters, one report that did the rounds in July 2025 suggested that Marvel was eyeing rising stars over established names for its X-Men reboot. The reason? The Disney subsidiary wants to make movies for less — and that means it isn't looking to pay over the odds for A-listers.

And yet, the vast majority of actors who have been linked with roles in Marvel's mutant-led flick are what I'd consider to be household names.

One such star is Stranger Things alumnus Sadie Sink. After being cast as a mystery character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the long-running rumor is that Sink will play Jean Grey. If that's true — and there's now plenty of evidence to suggest it is — we'll almost certainly see her in this film.

Who else could pop up? Last May, the rumour mill was buzzing with reports about other potential X-Men cast members, including speculation that Bryan Cranston would play Charles Xavier/Professor X, Cynthia Erivo would portray Ororo Munroe/Storm, and recent retiree Daniel Day-Lewis had held talks to take on the role of Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto.

However, other actors have since been linked with two of those roles. In mid-July, Adam Driver was said to have been cast as Magneto, while Patrick Wilson is supposedly in the frame as Professor X (per knightedgemedia). For what it's worth, reliable industry insider Apocalyptic Horseman said that the latter might not be true.

Elsewhere, Obsession star Inde Navarrette revealed that she'd recently met with new X-Men director Jake Schreier — prompting fans to cast her in a variety of mutant roles. Meanwhile, after unreliable leaker Jeff Sneider claimed that Avatar star Trinity Jo-Li Bliss had been tapped to play Jubilee, Bliss herself denied the report (via The Direct).

Lastly, Lee Sung Jin, one of this film's co-writers, told Collider that he's a huge fan of Remy LeBeau/Gambit. Don't be surprised, then, if we see a new iteration of the Ragin' Cajun as part of this movie's ensemble.

Marvel's X-Men movie plot rumors

You already know what I'm going to say here, don't you? Surprise, surprise, Marvel's X-Men reboot doesn't have a story synopsis yet.

Thanks to Schreier and Jin, though, we've been given a glimpse into their creative process for the film, including the key inspiration behind the story they want to tell.

Schreier (via Collider) and Jin (via Men's Health) admitted that the literature penned by legendary scribe Chris Claremont, who's best known for working on the Uncanny X-Men comic book series for 16 years between 1975 and 1991, will be a major influence on their X-Men reboot. Jin also revealed (via The Watch podcast) that beloved Saturday morning cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series is also informing the narrative structure by way of its character-first and soap opera-esque elements.

Chatting to Deadline, Jin also explained that Feige wants him, co-writer Joanna Calo, and Schreier to " take a big swing and start anew, [and] not be beholden to any of the movies that have come before".

Expect an entirely new take — in a live-action sense, anyway — of the iconic Stan Lee and Jack Kirby-created supergroup when their next movie lands in theaters.

Where can I watch the X-Men movies?

You can watch every live-action X-Men movie on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services. Disney's primary streamer has been home to these flicks since the House of Mouse bought 20th Century Fox in March 2019. You can even find out how to watch the X-Men movies in order with our help while you're here.

Additionally, X-Men: The Animated Series and its sequel show X-Men 97 are also available to watch on Disney+. Not a subscriber? Find out if a Disney+ free trial is available or the price of Disney+ in your area if you want to sign up.

What does the future hold for the X-Men in the MCU?

In short: we have no idea. Marvel still has to get this movie off the ground, and as Schreier explained during an interview with Collider, it needs to be a major success if the franchise is to continue into Marvel Phase 7 and beyond.

If it succeeds, the X-Men could become one of the cornerstones of the MCU's next era. But if it doesn't? Frankly, that's a scenario that doesn't bear thinking about. The X-Men are one of the most popular superhero teams of all time, so if they can't help support Marvel's cinematic juggernaut in a post-Multiverse Saga world, who can?

While we wait for some much-needed news on Marvel's X-Men movie, find out what we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Then, get the full lowdown on Avengers: Doomsday and learn everything we know so far about Avengers: Secret Wars.

• Marvel is reportedly making a Nova movie with the aid of Loki's showrunner
• The cosmic hero was originally going to star in a Disney+ TV show
• If true, the film will need to address three big questions about the MCU

Marvel is turning its attentions to the stars again as it begins work on a movie starring fan-favorite character Nova.

Per Deadline, the comic-book titan has pivoted away from telling a story about the cosmic hero on Disney+ to give him the full big-screen treatment. Furthermore, Michael Waldron, who was Loki's showrunner and rewrote parts of the Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness script, is leading development on the untitled Nova project.

According to Deadline's sources, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick is still in the early planning stages. Nonetheless, I've already got four big questions that Marvel and Waldron need to shed light on regarding their next sci-fi project…

1. Who will play Nova?

Chief among the answers I seek is which actor will portray the eponymous character.

With Waldron also the creator-in-chief on acclaimed sports comedy Chad Powers, a Hulu TV Original that starred Glen Powell, it's little surprise to see that the aforementioned actor has been linked with the titular role. Add in the fact that Marvel has prioritized casting A-listers in its movie and TV productions recently, and the charismatic Powell would fit the bill as a big name who could draw a crowd, too.

That said, Powell is far from the only star that Waldron has worked with before. Additionally, Marvel President Kevin Feige has occasionally stated his belief that the comic giant needs to reduce the costs of its films and TV series, which includes the salaries of those who appear in said screen projects. Powell's hiring, then, is certainly not a foregone conclusion.

2. Which version of the superhero will we see — Richard Rider, Sam Alexander, or Frankie Raye?

Like the Green Lantern Corps that exist in DC Comics, there are hundreds of individuals who have held the rank of 'Nova' in Marvel Comics.

There are three particular human characters who are part of the insterstellar cop agency known as the Nova Corps, though — those being the aforementioned Rider, Alexander, and Raye.

Of that trio, Rider is the most famous, so it would make sense if Marvel decided to center Nova around this well-known individual. However, should Marvel want to go down the route of introducing a younger Nova to audiences, Alexander would be the way to go. Furthermore, if Marvel isn't worried about the fan backlash that could come from casting a female lead in this film and/or taking creative liberties with Raye's comic-book origins, it could turn heads by selecting the least likely member of this group to star in it.

For what it's worth, I think Marvel will play it safe and go for Rider — but that's just my view. Vote in the poll below to let me know which character you'd like to see!

3. Will Nova show us the off-screen destruction of Xandar at Thanos' hands?

Think you've heard the word 'Nova' before in the MCU? You'd be right. We were actually introduced to the Nova Corps in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, which saw the titular ragtag group travel to — and then save — Xandar, aka the capital city of the Nova Empire and, by proxy, the space cop agency's headquarters.

At the end of that film, the Nova Corps was entrusted with the Power Stone, aka one of the Infinity Stones. Unfortunately, as part of his genocidal plan to destroy half of all life in the universe, the Mad Titan known as Thanos soon came calling for said cosmic gem. Long story short: he acquired the Power Stone and, as punishment for Xandar's role in trying to stop him obtaining it, decimated the planet.

So, will we witness Xandar's destruction in a flashback sequence as part of Nova's story? If it had been developed and released by now, I believe we already would have. However, Nova won't arrive before the Marvel Multiverse Saga comes to an end with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. And, with that Marvel Phase 6 duology set to reboot the MCU, I think it's incredibly unlikely that Xandar's annihilation at Thanos' hands will be depicted in Nova.

4. Can Waldron win over the MCU sceptics?

There's no denying that Waldron's apparent involvement in Nova has caused something of a ruckus online. Indeed, following the publication of Deadline's article, fans have taken to various Reddits, the ResetEra forums, and other social platforms to criticize or defend Waldron's hiring.

There are valid arguments on both sides of the debate, too. As Loki's head writer, Waldron proved he had the necessary writing chops to tell a sci-fi story that was focused on a beloved Marvel character. In sharp contrast to the praise he received for his work on that show, though, Waldron is often 'credited' with not only turning Doctor Strange 2 into a narrative mess, but also with undoing all of the growth that Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch underwent in WandaVision and positioning her as a one-dimensional villain in Multiverse of Madness.

Of course, Loki and Doctor Strange 2 aren't the only screenwriting credits on Waldron's resume, but they're the ones that MCU diehards will know him from. In that sense, he's one for two in the 'great MCU project' department. The jury is still out, then, on whether it'll be one or two for three before Nova's arrival.

• Marvel has supposedly cast a major star as Magneto in its new X-Men film
• The actor in question was linked with another major role in the MCU
• They were said to be close to playing The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has reportedly found its Magneto.

According to multiple industry insiders, none other than former Star Wars actor Adam Driver has supposedly signed on to play the iconic metal-manipulating mutant in the comic giant's new X-Men movie.

At the time of publication, the Hollywood trades are yet to corroborate this via their own sources. Furthermore, with this rumor being circulated online by leakers with spotty track records, including MyTimeToShineHello and KnightEdgeMedia, Driver's casting is mere speculation at this stage.

That said, another insider, Apocalyptic Horseman, who's more trustworthy than the aforementioned pair, has backed up their claims. So, until we get an official line from Marvel and/or some form of verification from Deadline, Variety, or The Hollywood Reporter, it's just as likely that Driver won't appear in the MCU's first X-Men film as it is that he will.

What are the chances of Driver's involvement being confirmed sooner rather than later? Well, San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 is right around the corner, and Marvel is set to take the stage for its traditional Hall H panel on Saturday, July 25. Given that Marvel has had a surprise or two up its sleeve for past editions of SDCC presentations, I wouldn't rule out the prospect of some form of official X-Men movie casting news at this year's event.

Driving the Marvel rumor mill

If Driver becomes the third A-lister to portray Magneto in a live-action film — the others being Michael Fassbender and legendary actor Ian McKellen — it'll put an end to speculation about his long-rumored involvement in the MCU.

In October 2022, Driver was supposedly in talks to play Doctor Doom in Marvel's Fantastic Four film. Seven months later, Driver was apparently among the stars up for consideration for playing The Fantastic Four's Reed Richards instead. Said whisper was just one of many Fantastic Four casting rumors that sent MCU fans into a tailspin but which didn't come to pass.

Will this Magneto-specific rumor prove to be a case of third time's a charm for Driver? Some fans aren't convinced — indeed, threads on ResetEra and various Reddit pages are full of comments saying Driver would be a better fit for famous X-Men villain Mister Sinister, or that he should steer clear of a franchise whose best days are arguably behind it.

With or without Driver, Marvel's untitled X-Men movie is slowly taking shape. Lee Isaac Chung and Jake Schreier (Beef, Thunderbolts*) are already on board as its respective writer and director, and Marvel President Kevin Feige recently revealed (per Collider) that the mutant-led feature could be the first MCU film post-Avengers: Secret Wars.

Meanwhile, with speculation swirling online that Sadie Sink is playing iconic X-Men member Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, as well as Obsession star Inde Navarrette saying she recently met with Schreier, and Apocalyptic Horseman claiming that Marvel is searching for the MCU's Cyclops, Storm, and Rogue, this new X-Men movie's cast might soon be in place. All eyes will be firmly fixed on Marvel's SDCC 2026 presentation, then, for confirmation of any or all of the above.

Hoo boy, is anybody else still coming to terms with X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4's ending? I know I am but, with a new chapter of the Marvel TV show set to drop very soon, it's time to re-compose and emotionally steel ourselves for whatever comes next.

So, when will this season's fifth entry — titled 'Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs' — make its debut on Disney+? Read on and you'll find out!

What is the launch time for X-Men 97 season 2 episode 5?

X-Men 97 season 2's next installment will air on Wednesday, July 15 at 12am PT / 3am ET in North and South America.

Viewers living elsewhere will also be able to catch it on Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, on the same date. Depending on where you're based, though, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV series' next episode will come out at a different time. Check out the list below for more details:

• US — 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — 8am BST
• India — 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — 3pm SGT
• Australia — 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — 7pm NZST

How many more episodes are there in X-Men 97 season 2?

After this week's episode, there'll be four more episodes of X-Men 97's second season to enjoy.

Want to know the exact dates that the Marvel Phase 6 show's remaining entries will appear? Run your eyes over the below list for more on the schedule for the X-Men animated show's sophomore season:

• Season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Season 2 episode 4 — out now
• Season 2 episode 5 — July 15
• Season 2 episode 6 — July 22
• Season 2 episode 7 — July 29
• Season 2 episode 8 — August 5
• Season 2 episode 9 — August 12

• Marvel has published a giant new mural for Avengers: Doomsday
• It gives us a fresh look at its massive cast and villain-in-chief, Doctor Doom
• One MCU character is surprisingly conspicuous by their absence

Marvel has unveiled a huge new mural for Avengers: Doomsday that features all but one of its sizeable cast.

Shown for the first time at the Chinese fan convention Bilibili World in Shanghai last Saturday (July 11), the artwork gives us another look at the highly anticipated movie's heroic ensemble.

The image, which was later shared online by former Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park, also offers a fresh glance at Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom.

Predictably, we don't get to see Doom's likely scarred face — a reveal Marvel is surely holding back for the film's full release. Nonetheless, his iconic mask, coupled with those piercing, ice blue eyes, indicates that the Multiverse Saga's primary villain will be an emotionally cold, calculating, and formidable foe for our heroes to overcome.

Missing in action

With San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 — and, by proxy, this year's edition of Marvel's oft-anticipated Hall H panel — it's little surprise to see the comic giant starting to accelerate its promotional campaign for the next Avengers film.

What is eyebrow-raising about the Marvel Phase 6 flick's first official artwork, though, is the absence of a specific Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character. And I'm not talking about heroes who weren't announced as part of Doomsday's initial 27-strong cast, such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, Deadpool, or Captain Marvel.

So, who is it? None other than Tenoch Huerta's Namor, aka the ocean-dwelling anti-hero and the MCU's first mutant, who was first introduced to MCU fans in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Namor's absence is certainly strange, especially as the rest of Doomsday's original cast reveal is part of this mural. The inclusion of Chris Evans' Steve Rogers, who wasn't part of the movie's initial line-up, but was eventually confirmed to be part of proceedings when Avengers: Doomsday's first teaser was released last December, makes Namor's non-appearance all the more bizarre, too.

Is this a simple albeit major oversight on Marvel's part not to include him in this artwork? Or does it indicate that Namor will only have a minor role/cameo to play in Avengers 5? With Namor appearing in Avengers: Doomsday's fourth teaser, I seriously doubt it's the latter. That said, I don't believe Marvel would purposefully cut him from this illustration. Hopefully, someone at Marvel Studios will shed light on this if they're asked about it at SDCC.

In the meantime, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday. Once you're done, get the full lowdown on Avengers: Secret Wars, aka Doomsday's sequel that'll also cap off the Marvel Multiverse Saga.

• A new teaser for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been revealed
• The Korean TV spot shows off more of the titular hero's battle with the Hulk
• It also appears to spoil the return of another of the webslinger's foes

A fresh TV spot for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has given us another look at the titular hero's forthcoming fight against the Hulk.

The 30-second teaser, which you can watch below, was originally released in South Korea, but has since been reshared by numerous outlets including Discussing Film. And, while it contains numerous clips we've already seen in Spider-Man 4's first teaser and Brand New Day's official trailer, the final five seconds of footage is dedicated to the aforementioned battle between Peter Parker and Bruce Banner's alter-egos.

Admittedly, this is all but the briefest of glimpses of what's expected to be one of the Marvel movie's tentpole set-pieces. Nonetheless, there are a couple of major things we can glean from this latest sizzle reel — including the potential return of another Spider-Man villain we haven't seen since 2016's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for Spider-Man 4, so turn back now if you don't want to know anything else.

On the villain tease front, it appears that Shocker might be part of the Marvel Phase 6 film's already stacked rogues gallery.

In the comics, this antagonistic individual wields vibration-based mechanical gauntlets that can deliver powerful shockwaves. For his live-action debut in Homecoming, the first iteration of Shocker was played by Logan Marshall-Green. However, after he was killed by Michael Keaton's Adrian Toomes/The Vulture, the Shocker mantle was inherited by Bokeem Woodbine's Herman Schultz. Incidentally, Schultz is the only person who goes by the Shocker alias in the source material.

But, I digress. Brand New Day's latest TV spot reveals that Tom Holland's eponymous hero will use one of Shocker's gauntlets to try and subdue Hulk who, for reasons still unclear, has embarked on another rampage through New York City.

Does this mean we'll see Woodbine actually show up in this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick? Or will Shocker only appear in a split-second cameo as part of a wider montage in the film's opening sequence that'll show Spidey battling and defeating many of his enemies? The latter would explain why Spidey has one of his gauntlets in his possession, especially if Spider-Man covertly confiscated it for future use.

The other interesting thing to note about this TV spot is that the wallcrawler won't tackle the Hulk on his own.

Indeed, at the 0:10 mark, there's another blink and you'll miss it clip of Spider-Man fighting the big, green, mean machine. Pause the teaser at the right spot, though, and you'll see a gun being fired from an unusual angle.

With a bit of editing trickery (read: turning up the brightness on your screen), you'll be able to clearly see that Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher is lying on the floor as he takes a pop at the Hulk. Clearly, Frank didn't get the memo about the Hulk's impenetrable skin...

So, does Castle join the fight to help Spidey put a stop to the Hulk running amok? Not according to a leaked excerpt from a forthcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day artbook.

Per X/Twitter fan account BuiltFromSmash, "[The] Punisher eventually becomes entangled in Spider-Man and Hulk’s battle — not because he’s hunting either of them, but because his own mission collides with theirs."

What does this mean exactly? I can't say for sure. However, with rumors circulating online for months that Castle is protecting Sadie Sink's mystery character in Spider-Man 4, and her apparent involvement in purposefully forcing Banner to Hulk out, I wouldn't be surprised if all of this is somehow related. Either way, let's hope that Spider-Man and the Hulk's duel ends amicably and recreates a very specific scene from Marvel Comics that fans are dying to see.

Anyway, before it arrives on July 29, 30, or 31 (depending on where you live), find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Once you're done there, check out my Spider-Man: Brand New Day cast and character guide to see who'll appear alongside Holland, Ruffalo, Sink, and Bernthal in one of this year's most anticipated new movies.

X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4 has landed on Disney+ — and, once you've picked up your jaw off the floor, I suspect you'll have two major questions about where things go from here.

So, if you're searching for answers after the Marvel TV show's latest chapter, titled 'Rise of Apocalypse: Part II', I'm here to provide them. Or, at least, give my take on what'll happen next following the episode's emotionally devastating finale and end-credits scene.

It goes without saying, but full spoilers immediately follow for X-Men 97 season 2's latest entry. Turn back now if you haven't watched it yet.

Does Magneto die in X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4?

In a nutshell, yes. You don't take a extremely powerful arm-cannon blast to the chest — one that completely obliterates you, no less — from the immortal, super-mutant called Apocalypse and live to tell the tale.

That said, comic book character deaths are never permanent. Whether it's on the page, or in a movie or TV adaptation, superpowered beings are regularly brought back to life via time travel or multiverse shenanigans.

While Magneto certainly perished at the hands of Apocalypse in X-Men 97's latest installment, then, it's incredibly unlikely that he'll be gone for good. He's too popular and important a character to kill off, especially in this Disney+ animated series, so I'll be shocked if the metal-manipulating mutant who goes by the name Erik Magnus Lehnsherr never returns.

Now, who's going to tell Rogue that she's a second love interest in as many seasons...

Does X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4 have an end-credits scene?

Yes — and it sets up the storyline that'll see James 'Logan' Howlett, aka Wolverine, get his adamantium skeleton back.

Remember, in season 1 episode 8 of this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent project, Wolverine had the indestructible metal ripped from his body by Magneto. And, while Logan survived that ordeal thanks to his self-healing ability, he's since had to make do with using his brittle bone claws to attack his foes.

Logan won't have to do that for much longer, though. In a mid-credits scene, we see Wolverine meet Captain America and Black Widow on a rooftop. After some brief small-talk, Cap hands a top secret file to Logan that bears the name 'Weapon X'.

Long-time fans and/or those who've seen certain live-action X-Men films — by the way, find out how to watch the X-Men movies in order once you're done here — will understand the significance of this.

However, for those unfamiliar with Weapon X: essentially, it's the name of a clandestine US Government research facility and military program that turned unwilling individuals into living weapons with the view to conducting covert missions, such as assassinations. Wolverine, Deadpool, Sabretooth, and X-23 are counted among its rare success stories.

So, will Wolverine reacquire his adamantium skeleton in this Marvel Phase 6 TV series' next chapter? It's possible, especially as next week's entry is titled 'Weapon X, Lies, and DVDs'. But — spoilers for the comics notwithstanding — if X-Men 97 continues to follow and authentically adapt this specific storyline from its source material, this subplot might not be resolved until later in the season.

Do you think we'll see Magneto again? And when will Wolverine get his adamantium skeleton back? Let me know in the comments!

• Obsession star Inde Navarrette recently met with the director of Marvel's new X-Men film
• It's the only movie that Jake Schreier has publicly confirmed he's working on
• Some fans really don't want to see the award-worthy actor join the MCU

Inde Navarrette has revealed she's open to the possibility of starring in a Marvel movie — and rumors are now circulating online that she could appear in the comic giant's new X-Men film.

The breakout star of 2026 smash hit Obsession, Navarrette was recently asked by Nylon magazine if she'd like to show up in a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flick. "I would," was the in-demand and award-worthy actor's brief reply.

Interestingly, Navarrette's possible involvement in Marvel's cinematic juggernaut might soon become a reality. Indeed, in the same interview, Navarrette confirmed she'd recently met with Jake Schreier, the director of the Marvel Phase 5 film Thunderbolts.

Currently, the only project Schreier has publicly acknowledged he's working on is the aforementioned X-Men movie. It'll come as no surprise to learn, then, that a rumor regarding Navarrette's potential casting in said film franchise reboot is already spreading like wildfire across the web.

Why some film fans don't want Navarrette to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe

It would be remiss of me not to point out that Navarrette joining the MCU is merely speculation at this point. There are bound to be other projects that Schreier is developing in secret, such as a third season of Netflix's critically acclaimed and award-winning albeit underseen comedy-drama Beef. So, the filmmaker could've sounded out Navarrette for a role in that show rather than a role in his untitled X-Men flick.

Nonetheless, some fans of Navarrette's works, which include this year's box office belle in Focus Features' Obssession, are dead-set against seeing the 25-year-old become the next big-name actor or rising star to sell their soul to the MCU.

On X/Twitter, bigmonkeong likened her rumored casting as part of the "MCU slop machine" to "seeing an angel get its wings cut off". Elsewhere, The_Epic_Mike accused Marvel of "trying to clout chase an indie horror film and nose-dive another actress' career", while tarmactorque suggested Navarrette should prioritize a role in a forthcoming film from Michael Mann, who she also recently met with. Mann's next project is the highly-anticipated Heat 2, so could Navarrette be set to appear opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale, who officially boarded the prequel-sequel earlier in July?

On the flip side, other cinephiles have already started fan-casting Navarrette in the MCU and, more specifically, in its first X-Men production. Chief among the characters some want her to play are fan-favorite individuals Rogue, X-23, and Mystique, but others are dreaming of seeing her play Magik or Kitty Pryde.

Who would you like to see Navarrette play in the MCU? Let me know by voting in the poll above. Once you're done, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order and how to watch the X-Men movies in order.

And, if you're one of the few remaining people yet to see Obsession, which is still in theaters, you'll be pleased to know that Obsession is also now available to watch at home.

X-Men 97 season 2 is in full swing following last week's three-episode premiere. And, while you'll only be able to stream one new chapter this week, it's such a great episode — one equipped with a bombshell ending — that you'll need plenty of time to recover after watching it. On this occasion, then, a new two-episode drop isn't necessary.

But, I digress — you want to know when the Marvel TV show's forthcoming entry will come out on Disney+, so let's stop beating around the bush and get on with it, shall we?

What time can I watch X-Men 97 season 2 episode 4?

The next installment of X-Men 97 will make its debut on Wednesday, July 8 at 12am PT / 3am ET in North and South America.

Based in another world region and can't work out when this season's fourth episode will air on one of the world's best streaming services? No sweat. Check out the list below to see what time you should tune in to catch it:

• US — 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — 8am BST
• India — 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — 3pm SGT
• Australia — 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — 7pm NZST

When do new episodes of X-Men 97 season 2 come out?

New entries of this Marvel Phase 6 TV series will arrive on Disney+ every Wednesday for the foreseeable future. With five more episodes left of the X-Men's animated show before it departs our screens — until its third season is released, that is — there'll plenty more mutant mayhem to consume in the weeks ahead.

Want to know the official launch dates that new episodes of this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project will make their bow on? See below:

• Season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Season 2 episode 4 — July 8
• Season 2 episode 5 — July 15
• Season 2 episode 6 — July 22
• Season 2 episode 7 — July 29
• Season 2 episode 8 — August 5
• Season 2 episode 9 — August 12

Avengers: Secret Wars is set to bring down the curtain on Marvel's wildly inconsistent Multiverse Saga. And, even though the much-anticipated movie isn't due to land in theaters until December 17, 2027, some details about its plot, cast, and eventual impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) have already been confirmed by those involved in its production.

Luckily for you, I've rounded up the latest and biggest news on the sixth Avengers film in this guide. So, if you simply can't wait to get the lowdown on the sequel to this year's Avengers: Doomsday, read on.

Avengers: Secret Wars release date

Avengers: Secret Wars will be jettisoned into theaters worldwide on December 17, 2027.

Originally, it was supposed to come out on May 7, 2027 — Marvel confirming as much during its Hall H panel at the 2024 San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC). However, in May 2025, Marvel announced Doomsday and Secret Wars would be delayed by seven months. The former, which was due out on May 1, 2026, will now drop on December 18, 2026, with Secret Wars debuting almost exactly one year later.

Marvel has never explained why their launches were pushed back. However, the sheer scale of these productions, plus the criticism leveled at Marvel Studios over the varying quality of its Multiverse Saga projects, means they need as much development time as possible to be as good as we hope they'll be.

Avengers: Secret Wars trailer — is there one?

No, and we definitely won't see one before Avengers: Doomsday is released. After all, Marvel isn't going to spoil what happens in the aforementioned film before we get to see it.

My best guess is that a brief teaser will receive its worldwide premiere during Marvel's Hall H panel at SDCC 2027, before a full trailer is unveiled much closer to Avengers: Secret Wars' release date. In short, we'll be waiting a long time to see some footage.

Avengers: Secret Wars cast — confirmed and rumored

Avengers: Secret Wars' cast hasn't been confirmed because — again — that would spoil who'll survive the events of Avengers: Doomsday.

However, some actors have already ruined the surprise by confirming they'll be back in Avengers 6. Additionally, some respected news outlets have also reported on other individuals who might appear. Potentially huge spoilers immediately follow for Secret Wars, so read on at your own risk:

• Robert Downey Jr as Doctor Victor von Doom
• Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Original Captain America
• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Paul Bettany as Vision
• Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
• Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
• Sadie Sink as TBC

It goes without saying that Downey Jr's Doom will return. He's the Big Bad of the Multiverse Saga's two-part concluding, so he'll be back for round two.

Meanwhile, Evans confirmed he'll be part of proceedings in a video call with a fan. Serial MCU leaker Mark Ruffalo, who plays Bruce Banner/The Hulk in Marvel's cinematic franchise, has also let slip that Hemsworth's Thor will show up in Secret Wars.

Ebon Moss-Bachrach, who portrays Ben Grimm/The Thing, announced his involvement by saying filming will begin this August, so, we'll see at least one member of The Fantastic Four in Secret Wars. Speaking to people.com, Simu Liu also revealed Shang-Chi is involved in Avengers 6, while Letitia Wright told ScreenRant she'll show up, too.

Furthermore, Paul Bettany told The Telegraph that he's "got some Avengers duties" to do, which all but confirms he's part of the cast. Lastly, rumors abound that Sadie Sink will have a role to play in Secret Wars following the debut of her mystery character in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

There are bound to be more cast announcements, including confirmation that one of Marvel's most bankable stars, Tom Holland, who portrays Peter Parker and his superhero alias Spider-Man, will appear (NB: For what it's worth, Holland has already teased he'll be involved). Once further details about this film's ensemble come to light, I'll update this section.

Avengers: Secret Wars story speculation

Predictably, Marvel hasn't unveiled Secret Wars' story synopsis yet. Nonetheless, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have dropped hints on what we can expect.

For starters, the Russo brothers, who are also helming Secret Wars' predecessor — for more on that, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday — exclusively told me they "will draw inspiration" from both of Marvel's Secret Wars comic book storylines.

The literary pair, which came out in 1984 and 2015, shares some narrative similarities (for instance, both explore the Marvel Multiverse), but mainly tell distinct tales. Expect the Russos to cherry-pick elements from both comic book runs, then, to help them tell their own original story.

Again, it's unclear how its narrative will play out. However, last March, a major Marvel concept art leak appeared to give us our very first look at what could happen in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. The images were only live for a brief spell before they were pulled offline, which suggests they were legitimate. That said, the vast majority of pre-vis artwork is never used in a film or TV show, so it's possible they were never used further during the development process.

On the recent rumor front, the final Marvel Phase 6 project won't be split into two. There was speculation that, given the significance and scale of its plot, plus how many characters could be involved, Avengers: Secret Wars could be turned into a duology of its own. Marvel has stayed quiet on this, but numerous reliable industry insiders have shot down this particular piece of gossip since it emerged in February, so it's highly unlikely to happen.

Anyway, once Avengers 5 is released, we'll have a clearer idea of what Secret Wars' plot will entail. Until then, the above is the best information available to us.

How will Avengers: Secret Wars impact the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The likeliest scenario would involve something of a reset of the MCU as we know it.

There's no denying that Marvel's cinematic juggernaut has become more unwieldy with each phase. The introduction of more and more heroes and villains (not all of whom have proven to be popular with audiences), plus the laborious amount of homework required of viewers before they watch one of Marvel's new movies in theaters or TV shows on Disney+, means a rebooting of the comic giant's cinematic franchise would be welcomed by diehards and newcomers alike.

It seems like we'll be getting that, too. The Russos have suggested that the next two Avengers films will be a "new beginning" for the MCU. Additionally, Marvel President Kevin Feige told Variety that the MCU 2.0 will return to a "singular timeline" that, among other things, will introduce viewers to a brand-new version of the X-Men, aka the comic titan's famous mutant superteam.

It remains to be seen which established characters will make the leap to the new MCU, but I'd be surprised if fan favorites like Spider-Man aren't a part of it. Throw in the likely recasting of Black Panther, the retention of The Fantastic Four, and the introduction of new heroes who are currently popular in Marvel Comics, and the MCU won't be going anywhere anytime soon after Avengers: Secret Wars.

We are officially halfway through 2026 — how did that happen??? — but the world's best streaming services aren't letting up on the new movies and TV shows front.

Indeed, this week's selection might be on the smaller side, but every entry we've rounded up below is definitely worthy of your time. Quality over quantity, and all of that jazz. So, what are you waiting for? Read on to find out what your next must-see film or TV series is. — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

X-Men 97 season 2 (Disney+)

Get ready to hum and air-drum along to that iconic theme tune, Marvel fans, because X-Men 97 is back for its sophomore season on Disney+.

Picking up directly after X-Men 97 season 1's finale, the highly-rated animated X-Men TV show finds the world-famous mutants scattered across time as they all attempt to avert the same crisis. That being, the world falling under the totalitarian rule of the immortal superhuman known as Apocalypse.

X-Men 97 season 2's first three episodes are out now, and you'll be able to see one new entry of this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent project every week for the foreseeable future. So, grab a bowl of cereal, throw on your favorite pajamas, and settle in for some more Saturday morning cartoon-style fun... well, in-between all of the weeping that X-Men 97 season 2 will make you do, anyway. — TP

• Watch X-Men 97 season 2 on Disney+

Enola Holmes 3 (Netflix)

Who's ready for another round of Victorian era whimsy and detectiving (yes, that's a word, look it up)? If you raise your hand, you'll be happy to know that Enola Holmes 3 has made its debut on Netflix.

This time around, a spanner is thrown in the works of the titular character's impending wedding to Lord Tewkesbury. The reason? Her more famous cousin Sherlock has been kidnapped. Way to spoil her upcoming nupitals, Mister World's Greatest Detective...

Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Helen Bonham Carter, Louis Partridge, and Hamish Patel are among the movie's starry returning ensemble. So, don't delay — load up Netflix because the case is afoot! — TP

• Watch Enola Holmes 3 on Netflix

Elle (Prime Video)

Fictional lawyer Elle Woods is a pop culture sensation and now she's got her own Prime Video series.

Before Legally Blonde comes Elle, a prequel set in 1995 where our upbeat, pink-loving protagonist tries to navigate the tumultuous waters of high school. A tagline for the Amazon TV Original teases that it's even harder than law school was, and we'll soon learn why across this eight-part season.

Here, Lexi Minetree steps into the eponymous character's glamorous shoes, following on from Reece Witherspoon in the original movie. Our entertainment reporter Jasmine Valentine gave Elle a glowing review, but what will you think of the prequel? — Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Elle on Prime Video

Lee Cronin's The Mummy (HBO Max)

Not to be confused with the Brendan Fraser-led movie of the same name, Lee Cronin's The Mummy is one of a few new horror movies arriving on HBO Max this month.

In it, we follow a family who is reunited with Katie, their long-missing and now mummified daughter. They soon realize something's wrong with her and what follows is a jump scare heavy, incredibly bloody, and divisive supernatural flick.

You may need to suspend your disbelief for this one, but if you're in need of a good scare this weekend, it definitely does the job. — LB

• Watch Lee Cronin's The Mummy on HBO Max

Ready or Not 2 (Hulu/Disney+)

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come was not a sequel I had anticipated and, in my Ready or Not 2 review, I was certainly on the fence about it.

The sequel, which is out now on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (everywhere else), is fortunately saved by its star power, and it's particularly great to see Sarah Michelle Gellar loving every moment of the character she plays. Here, she's part of an aristocratic group of individuals with murder on their minds, who hunt down Grace (Samara Weaving) and her sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) as part of a high-stakes ritual. — LB

• Watch Ready or Not 2: Here I Come on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

Silo season 3 (Apple TV)

It's time to literally unearth more secrets at the heart of this critically-acclaimed Apple TV Original.

Indeed, with Silo back for its third and penultimate episode, the Rebecca Ferguson-led dystopian drama must start giving viewers the answers that they seek. Thankfully, Silo season 3 does just that, with its separate timelines — one of which is set centuries before the Earth's surface became uninhabitable — starting to pull back the curtain on its wider mystery.

This season's first episode has gone live on Apple's streaming platform. New episodes will air weekly, too, so prepare yourself for nine more weeks of twists, turns, betrayals, and other shocks aplenty. — TP

• Watch Silo season 3 on Apple TV

Worst Neighbor Ever (Netflix)

Finally, Netflix has a new spin-off for their Worst Ever documentary series. We've seen worst exes and worst roommates, and now we're taking a look at the neighbors from hell.

There's harassment, paranoia and, even murder across its four episodes, which features insights from local law enforcement and those involved in the neighborly disputes that got way out of hand, often ending in irreparable hurt and damage.

You won't believe some of these stories, but they're 100% true and among the most shocking you'll find in Netflix's true crime library. — LB

• Watch Worst Neighbor Ever on Netflix

The return of Marvel's best-rated TV show is almost upon us, and with critical and commercial darling X-Men 97 set to return for its second season later this week, you'll want to know when it'll premiere on Disney+.

To spare you the trouble of searching for the release date and launch times for this season's first three chapters, I've rounded up the necessary information below. So, to paraphrase Cyclops: to me, my fellow Marvel fans!

What time can I watch the first three episodes of X-Men 97 season 2?

X-Men 97 season 2 will make its Disney+ debut on Wednesday, July 1. That's its global launch date, too, so North and South American viewers won't be able to watch this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project earlier than fans on other continents.

As for the exact time that its first three entries will arrive, they're expected to drop on July 1 at 12am PT / 3am ET. Based on those likely release times, we can work out when viewers in other nations should tune into one of the world's best streaming services to catch them, too:

• US — 12am PT / 3am ET
• Canada — 12am PT / 3am ET
• UK — 8am BST
• India — 12:30pm IST
• Singapore — 3pm SGT
• Australia — 5pm AEST
• New Zealand — 7pm NZST

X-Men 97 season 2 full release schedule

Following this X-Men animated show's latest premiere, new episodes of the Marvel Phase 6 production will come out every Wednesday. That'll be the case until the season 2 finale airs on August 12, too.

For a quick rundown of the dates you need to know about, read on:

• Season 2 episode 1 — July 1
• Season 2 episode 2 — July 1
• Season 2 episode 3 — July 1
• Season 2 episode 4 — July 8
• Season 2 episode 5 — July 15
• Season 2 episode 6 — July 22
• Season 2 episode 7 — July 29
• Season 2 episode 8 — August 5
• Season 2 episode 9 — August 12

For more on the highly-rated TV series ahead of its return, remind yourself what happened in last season's finale via my X-Men 97 season 1 ending explained piece. Then, find out everything we know so far about X-Men 97 season 2.

Once you're done, read up on how to watch the X-Men movies in order and/or how to stream the Marvel movies in order.

At long last, the official trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been released — and you can watch it right now via the YouTube embed below.

There's a lot to unpack from Spider-Man's next big-screen adventure, too — so much so that TechRadar's entertainment team will need time to view it numerous times to analyze every single frame of footage that the new Marvel movie's latest teaser contains.

So, stick with us today (June 17) and tomorrow (June 18) as we dissect Spider-Man 4's newest round of footage, and bring you more details about the highly anticipated Marvel Phase 6 film over the next 12 to 24 hours.

A brand new day for a brand new trailer

Hello! And welcome to our live blog for the launch of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's official trailer.

I'm Tom Power, TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter and your friendly neighborhood host for today's event. I'll be here throughout the day to bring you all of the pre-release information we have on the exciting Marvel film's next teaser before breaking down the most important parts of the trailer post-launch.

So, load up the Spidey Tracker website — more on that in just a second — and stick with me as we prepare for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie's latest footage to arrive.

Where is Spider-Man?

Don't worry, despite what this post's title suggests, the iconic wallcrawler hasn't gone missing. Nonetheless, you'll be able to keep track of where and when he'll appear in a city near you on the Spider-Man 4 world tour.

Indeed, once trailer #2 has been released, you'll be able to visit spideytracker.net to find out what date(s) the Brand New Day press and fan tour will come to your neck of the woods. In fact, a post on the Spidey Tracker X/Twitter account has confirmed some of the places that Tom Holland, Zendaya, and company will visit as part of their globetrotting promo campaign, so we already have an idea of where they'll show up.

Anyway, if you head over to the Spidey Tracker website now, you can watch a brief video from the site's CEO and founder — a certain Ned Leeds — to learn more about the tour and get an insight into what other information will be available once the page is fully live. Hmm, I wonder who that secret villain is...

What time will Spider-Man: Brand New Day's official trailer come out?

There's no official word on what time Spider-Man 4's new trailer will be released — but, thanks to a fan event taking place later today, we have an idea of when it might drop.

Indeed, a listing on the Pathé Netherlands Cinemas website has revealed that a Spider-Man: Brand New Day Global Fan Event is set to take place in its capital city Amsterdam later today. Doors open at 6pm local time, which mean it'll kick off at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BST on June 17, and 2am AEST on June 18.

Admittedly, that doesn't tell us the exact time for the trailer's arrival — and, even though the listing indicates there'll be a surprise finale at 10:15pm local time, I'd be amazed if the new teaser's release is held back until then. After all, 1:15pm PT would be a strange time for a trailer launch...

But wait, there's more. Per the film's holding page on the website of UK cinema chain Odeon, tickets officially go on sale at 2pm BST, which means they'll also be available to buy at 6am PT / 9am ET / 11pm AEST.

My best guess, then, is that the trailer will launch at the same time that ticket sales go live. To sum up, then, make sure you're locked in to watch it on Wednesday, June 17 at 6am PT / 9am ET / 2pm BST / 11pm AEST.

Plug the leaks!

While it's widely expected that the movie's new teaser will drop today, some fans have already seen it.

"How?", you might ask. Well, because Brand New Day's latest round of footage has reportedly done the rounds on social media over the last few days. Hey, Sony and Spider-Man leaks go hand in hand, so this isn't that much of a surprise!

Now, I haven't seen it — I don't want to watch a teaser that looks like it's been recorded on a toaster... — and I won't be sharing any links to the leaked trailer because I'd rather not incur the wrath of Sony and Marvel. And, honestly, with the trailer likely landing in the next few hours, I think we can all agree to just wait a bit longer to see it in all of its HD or 4K glory.

New plot teases

Alright, while we continue to count down to the trailer's expected launch, let's take a look at some of the latest comments made by director Destin Daniel Cretton and lead star Tom Holland.

As part of a recent profile piece for Esquire, the latter dropped this new tease about Brand New Day's plot: "This movie is a real mystery and for a large portion of the film, even Spider-Man is a little bit at odds and lost and is like ‘What is going on?’. We’re just trying to find ways to make this movie feel like a detective movie."

Meanwhile, on the latest edition of Deadline's Crew Call podcast, Cretton joked that "everyone should go to this (movie) as if it’s the last Spider-Man". We know that won't be the case — the character makes too much money for live-action rights holder Sony. Nevertheless, does this seemingly innocuous comment indicate that Parker might give up the Spider-Man mantle by the end of the film? Or — and whisper it quietly — maybe even die? I guess we'll find out when the film is released in late July!

Trailer time (no, not the new one)!

Sorry if I got your hopes up there with this post's title! Hopefully the bit in brackets will have done their job...

Anyway, while we wait for Spider-Man 4's next trailer to arrive, why don't you rewatch its first teaser, which arrived in mid-March? Once you have, read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer breakdown piece to get my thoughts and opinions on what was shown.

Who's who in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

As for who's set to join Holland as part of this superhero movie's starry ensemble, I'd suggest reading my Spider-Man: Brand new Day cast and character guide.

You won't get confirmation of every character who'll appear in the forthcoming flick — for one, the identity of Sadie Sink's individual remains a mystery — but there are plenty more details about the reset of its cast roster. So, hop to it!

Swinging out for lunch

And now it's time for a quick pitstop to refuel ahead of the trailer's possible release this afternoon in the UK, which is where I'm based. So, I'm hoping — nay, praying — that the trailer doesn't arrive while I'm out!

In the meantime let me know in the comments what you want to see as part of the new teaser. See you all shortly!

And I'm back!

Okay, I'm ready to attack the rest of the day now — and, more importantly, we shouldn't be too far away from the trailer's release.

While we wait, why not get the full lowdown on everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day? I'll be updating that guide soon with all of the latest information on the film, but there are lots of interesting details within that are definitely worth reading in the meantime.

Another release date reminder

Even though we're not far away from the film's arrival in theaters, it would be remiss of me not to remind you of Spider-Man: Brand New Day's release date.

Originally, Spider-Man 4 was due to launch worldwide on Friday, July 31 but, depending on where you live, some of you will actually be able to see it early.

Indeed, UK audiences can catch Spidey's latest big-screen adventure at their local cinema on Wednesday, July 29. Those of you in India can check it out on Thursday, July 30, too.

Elsewhere, while most US fans won't be able to watch it until July 31, Amazon is giving Prime subscribers the chance to see Spider-Man 4 via early access screenings on July 29. For more details on how to grab your ticket, head over to the Amazon store's official Brand New Day page.

Not long now...

Hopefully, it won't be much longer until we get a brand-new look at one of the most exciting new movies of 2026. Deep breaths, everyone...

So, what will the latest trailer show us? Will we finally learn the identity of Sadie Sink's mysterious character? How about an actual shot of Marvin Jones III's Tombstone? Is there going to be a clip or two that, as the rumors suggest, Spidey will be forced to fight The Hulk? And will the movie's real villain please stand up!?

No trailer yet, but...

Well, this is awkward. It's gone 2pm here in the UK (that's 6am PT / 9am ET / 11pm AEST) and Spider-Man 4's latest trailer is yet to show its face. Hmmph.

But, hey, as some of the film's primary cast — Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacab Batalon — have revealed in the above Instagram post, tickets are on sale now, so go and grab your seat ASAP!

As for when the teaser could now come out: I honestly don't know. Even so, stick with me and I'll bring it to you as soon as it drops online.

I'm your villain

Rather than sit here twiddling our thumbs, let's pass the time by digging into a recent new fan theory that, after the release of yesterday's Spidey Tracker website teaser video, appears to have some legs.

Per the above screenshot, Brand New Day might feature a villain whose identity hasn't been revealed yet. We know they'll be some form of Big Bad, too, because the other characters we see as part of this list (Scorpion, Tarantula, Boomerang, and The Hand to name four) are said to have terrorized New York in recent years. And, yes, that includes Frank Castle/The Punisher, who's actually more of an anti-hero than a traditional villain.

But, I digress. Who is this mystery individual? It could be Sink's character but, while I think she'll initially be positioned as an antagonist, Brand New Day will perform a bait and switch move that reveals Sink's individual isn't who's pulling everyone else's strings.

Spidey has more than his fair share of enemies in the comics but, unless we get a more substantial description of this character, we'll be clutching at straws as to who it could be. Even so, let me know in the comments who you think it'll be.

And still the wait goes on...

Another hour has passed without incident. Anybody else starting to get a bit worried that we might not see a trailer today? No, stop with the defeatist talk, Tom — a new teaser is coming! It has to.

For what it's worth, industry leakers who have good track records when it comes to insider knowledge trailer launches, such as DanielRPK and Cryptic4KQual, are just as confused as the rest of us are that it hasn't dropped yet. Fingers crossed it does so soon, then...

Posters galore — but no IMAX one?

Official Posters for ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ from r/marvelstudios

Well, the trailer might not be here yet, but at least we've got four new official posters to look at. Yay.

After flicking through the above gallery, you might have noticed that there isn't an IMAX one. That's because Spider-Man: Brand New Day won't be available to watch in this format.

The reason? Christopher Nolan's next movie The Odyssey — another film that Tom Holland will appear in this year — has snapped up every available IMAX screen for at least a three-week window. It's out on July 17, too, meaning it'll only have been in theaters for two weeks by the time Spider-Man 4 arrives. If you were hoping to see Peter Parker's next MCU outing in IMAX, then, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Fandango's Big Ticket interview

Other promotional materials have hit the *ahem* web since ticket sales went live, too — one of which is the latest installment of Fandango's Big Ticket interview series.

The 16-minute chat, which you can watch above, sees the ticket e-site sit down and talk about spoiler-free things alongside Holland, Zendaya, Batalon, and Sink. If you can't watch it right now, though, here's a quick rundown of its most notable highlights:

• After reading and listening to what fans wanted from a Spider-Man film, Holland says Brand New Day doesn't "necessarily feel like saving the world, but maybe saving himself"
• Sink says "I didn't realize there'd be so much speculation" about her mystery character, but understandably can't confirm who she's playing
• Holland says Hulk's actual role in the film is "definitely a secret", and that Spidey and The Punisher have a "bickering, big brother-little brother" dynamic
• Holland also jokes that it was a "nightmare" to recreate some of the most iconic Spider-Man comic book covers in this live-action flick, and admits it took 65 takes to "perfect" the shot of Spider-Man and The Hand launching themselves at each other

Get me footage of Spider-Man!

Another hour, another trailer no-show.

Is Sony Pictures going to put us out of our misery at some point today? I'm still confident that the studio will, but it's looking more and more likely that the teaser will officially debut at that Amsterdam fan event I mentioned hours ago.

Of course, if it arrives between now and then, you can be darn sure that it'll appear on this live blog. For now, though, our watch continues...

Which MCU project are you most looking forward to in 2026?

As we continue to pass the time, I need to ask: have you voted in our 'most anticipated Marvel movie or TV show of 2026' poll yet?

If you haven't, might I divert your attention to the top of the page — no worries if you skipped over it — to have your say on which MCU production is top of your must-see list before the year ends. At the time of writing, over 1,300 people have cast their vote, so why don't you join them?

It's quiet, too quiet...

We've officially reached the three hour mark of when I expected Spider-Man 4's official trailer to be released — and, surprise surprise, there's still nothing to report.

The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that the film's forthcoming Amsterdam fan event will be where the latest teaser is first unveiled. By my estimate, that means we could be waiting until 1:15pm PT / 4:15pm ET / 9:15pm BST. In short: we could be in for a looooooooong wait...

No rest for the wicked

Well, I was hoping to call it a day and enjoy the World Cup matches that are on tonight, but I guess I'm here for the long haul.

Right now, though, I'm going to get some food, so I don't pass out waiting for this trailer to land. See you shortly!

Did I miss anything?

I'm back — again — and it looks like I didn't miss a thing re: a trailer drop.

Still, as the above Instagram post confirms, Tom Holland and Zendaya have arrived for today's Amsterdam-based global fan event. I'm keeping everything crossed, then, that the teaser will finally be released at some point in the next few hours. So, stay with me to see it as soon as it airs.

About this Amsterdam fan event...

Okay, let's take another look at what we know about this fan event.

Attendees were allowed to start taking their seats from 6pm local time, which translates to 5pm here in the UK. In the US, that's 9am PT and 12pm ET.

Next, nobody is allowed to enter the venue after 7:15pm local time. If I know anything about similar events that have happened on British shores, the event should then begin at 7:30pm or 8pm.

If it starts at one of those times, we might — and I cannot stress enough that it's 'might' — see the trailer sooner rather than later. That's if Sony doesn't want to leave attendees (and, by proxy, us) hanging around for much longer, anyway.

Of course, there is a so-called surprise finale that'll take place at 10:15pm, which could be the official unveiling of Brand New Day's official trailer, before the Amsterdam-based event ends at 11pm local time. Let's hope, then, that this final surprise is a completely different reveal to the actual teaser.

We have movement!

Battle stations, everyone! The official Spider-Man Instagram account has just started broadcasting live from the Amsterdam fan event.

Does this mean the trailer's release is imminent? Stay with me for more!

Edit: As of 19:53 BST, the fan event's host just confirmed the new teaser is set to be shown very, very, very soon!

IT'S LIVE!

This is not a drill! The trailer is here! Go and watch it, now!

That's a wrap... for now

My race is run, dear reader. I've been helming this live blog for almost 12 hours — minus a couple of food breaks — so it's time for me to retire for the day.

But, fret not, because I'll be back tomorrow (June 18) to dissect every frame of the trailer, offer my theories on what they tell us about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, highlight any major theories that fans have come up with post-release, and bring you more information what the Amsterdam event's big surprise finale is. For now, though, it's goodbye from me!

Hello again!

Good morning/afternoon/evening (delete as applicable), everyone — and welcome back to our Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer #2 live blog.

We had to be incredibly patient for said teaser's unveiling, but the wait was certainly worth it. Indeed, the Marvel film's latest round of footage teased a fair deal more about its plot without spoiling anything significant, which is always a tricky tightrope to walk.

But, enough waffling. After a restful night's sleep, I'm going to the next few hours breaking down Spider-Man 4's latest trailer, offering my thoughts on where its story could go, and highlighting any big new fan theories I come across online. Grab a drink and some snacks, then, and join me for more Spider-Man chatter then, won't you?

Who is Sadie Sink playing in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

Okay, let's start with the two biggest questions that fans have after this trailer's release, one of which we've been asking since Sink's casting in Spider-Man 4 was first reported last March. That being, who is Sink playing in Brand New Day?

Unfortunately, the movie's latest teaser doesn't provide further clues as to the identity of her character. In fact, we only catch another vague glimpse of what appears to be Sink's mysterious individual at the 0:56 mark. Per the screenshot above, which is a continuation of a scene shown in both trailers (see the image below for confirmation), she'll sneak into Peter Parker's apartment at some point in the film, too.

"Great, but who is she playing???", I hear you ask again. The prevailing rumor is that Sink will portray iconic X-Men member Jean Grey. Unsurprisingly, Sony and Marvel are staying tight-lipped on this to generate fan discussion and withhold the big reveal until Spider-Man 4 is released. We'll have to wait for the film to launch, then, to get an official confirmation.

Based on other frames in the trailer that show large groups of people getting paralyzed by an unseen force, it's more likely than not that Sink is playing Grey. After all, the Omega-level mutant's telepathic powers do allow her to physically and/or mentally freeze anyone in place. Furthermore, if Sink's Grey's latent powers have only just started to manifest, she might not have full control over them and be accidentally paralyzing people.

Of course, this could be a major misdirect on Sony and Marvel's part, because it might not be Jean Grey who's doing this. If not her, then who?

Who is the main villain in Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

This is the second major question I was referring to in my previous post.

It's no secret that Brand New Day will have its fair share of villains. Scorpion, Tarantula, Boomerang, and The Hand are all confirmed to appear. Meanwhile, despite not showing up in either trailer, Marvin Jones III is still expected to portray Tombstone in Spider-Man 4. Oh, and let's not forget that the return of Bruce Banner's feral Hulk form (more on him later) will be something of an antagonistic force that, as evidenced in this trailer, the webslinger will duel with at some stage.

Worthy foes of Spidey as these individuals and/or criminal gangs are, though, none have the capacity to freeze people in place. If Sink is playing Grey, then, does this mean she'll be a misunderstood antagonist, rather than a traditional villain, in this flick?

My theory is this is the initial direction that the story will go before it employs a bait-and-switch move that'll reveal its actual Big Bad. Will that be a villainous telepath who's framing Sink for their crimes? Or will Brand New Day walk a different path and reveal that Spider-Man's dark side (again, more on this later) was the thematic villain all along?

Again, I guess we'll have to wait for the movie's full release to find out, but I wouldn't be shocked if Spider-Man 4 positions Sink's character as its initial antagonist before it turns inward and puts Peter's rumored evolution into a version of Man-Spider front and center.

Organic panic

Okay, let's go back to events that we're shown earlier in the teaser, starting with the official confirmation that Peter's metamorphosis into... well, whatever he's becoming, means that, like Tobey Maguire's version of the titular hero, his body will start producing organic webbing.

Fans have theorized that Holland's Parker would self-make webs in Brand New Day ever since its first trailer was released in mid-March. We've had to wait until now, though, to have that confirmed.

It looks like, after initially struggling to control how his body produces organic webs, Spidey will learn to utilize it in creative ways. Indeed, the penultimate shot of this trailer shows him making a web tornado that strings up numerous members of The Hand during the prison fight sequence we've seen previously.

• Marvel has announced the release date for X-Men 97 season 2
• A trailer for the popular Disney+ show's next chapter has also been unveiled
• A fourth season is already in development, too

Marvel has finally confirmed when X-Men 97 season 2 will come out: Wednesday, July 1.

Announced in a press release and on the comic giant's social channels yesterday (May 27), the highly-rated animated show will return on Disney+ in just over a month's time. And, to whet fans' appetite for X-Men 97's next chapter, Marvel also released an absolute banger of a trailer for the forthcoming season, which you can watch below:

It's been over two years since the X-Men's latest TV project — a sequel to fan-favorite '90s cartoon X-Men: The Animated Series, no less — hit our screens. I wouldn't be surprised, then, if you're struggling to remember what happened in X-Men 97's debut season, and how its finale sets up the storylines teased in the above trailer.

Fear not, dear reader, because Marvel, Disney, and I are here to help you out. First, check out my X-Men 97 season 1 ending explained article to remind yourself where things ended last time out. Once you're done, read season 2's brief story synopsis below, which comes courtesy of Marvel and its parent company.

"X-Men 97 season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home," the plot brief reads. "Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence."

New season, new release schedule

X-Men 97 season 2's official launch date and first teaser aren't the only things we recently learned about the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) adjacent TV series.

In an Entertainment Weekly article published ahead of the aforementioned reveals, executive producer Larry Houston confirmed that the Marvel Phase 6 program will run for at least four seasons. We already knew that the show has been renewed for a third season, but this is the first time that anyone has acknowledged that a fourth is in active development.

Furthermore, Houston announced that, beginning with the series' next installment, new seasons will drop on Disney+, aka one of the best streaming services, every year. "They [Marvel] want everyone to know it's only gonna be a year now between seasons, not two-and-a-quarter years," he said. "It's gonna be a year until the next one and a year until the next one [after that]."

That's good news, right? On the surface, yes. Releasing seasons annually is the way things used to work before the advent of streaming, so it's pleasing to hear that the wait for a new installment of X-Men 97 won't be a significant one.

That said, I hope it doesn't fall foul of the same criticism that's been leveled at another animated show in Invincible.

After a near-three-year wait between its first and second seasons, Amazon now releases new seasons of the R-rated Prime Video TV Original every year. Great though that is, sections of the show's fanbase have been left unimpressed by what they believe to be a fall-off in the quality of its animation, with some theorizing that the annual turnaround of new installments is actively harming the final product.

With X-Men 97 set to follow in Invincible's footsteps, will it fall foul of the same issue? For a show beloved by millions, and one that holds a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes critical score, it would a massive shame if one of the best Marvel TV shows goes the same way as its Amazon counterpart. Here's hoping it can avoid such negativity as it moves towards a yearly release schedule.

Anyway, before X-Men 97's next chapter arrives, be sure to read up on everything we know so far about X-Men 97 season 2.

It only took two weeks, before things are finally starting to look up for May 2026 on the world's best streaming services.

Indeed, after the recent dearth of new movies and TV shows, we've been treated to something of a deluge over the last few days. By my count, there have been 21 (!) new releases — and, while it would be fun to include them all in our latest streaming round-up, we've stuck to the usual format and compiled a list of the seven biggest ones of the week.

So, read on to find out what's made it into yet another TV series-heavy edition of our 'what to watch' list — Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

The Punisher: One Last Kill (Disney+)

"One batch, two batch, penny and dime...". It's about time that The Punisher was the star of his own Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project — and that time is now.

The latest MCU character to get the Disney+ TV special treatment, The Punisher: One Last Kill reunites us with the titular anti-hero following his prison break in Daredevil: Born Again's season 1 finale. Judging by One Last Kill's trailer — and its subtitle — we'll see Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle embark on another personal crusade to deal with another individual who wants him dead, too.

Already watched this Marvel Phase 6 Special Presentation and want to know how it impacts the MCU's immediate future? My The Punisher: One Last Kill ending explained article should be your next port of call. — TP

• Watch The Punisher: One Last Kill on Disney+

Devil May Cry season 2 (Netflix)

Devil May Cry's animated adaptation was a huge hit for Netflix, and now it's back and bigger than ever with its sequel season.

Devil May Cry season 2 doesn't waste any time throwing us straight into the action. Here, we see Dante and Vergil’s anticipated reunion, with their conflict making up much of the story. Dante's already got his hands full trying to prevent Hell on Earth from literally occurring without all the family drama but, hey, it's exciting for us to watch.

Those hoping for more 2000s nostalgia will be pleased, too, as there's an all-new soundtrack featuring rock legends like Papa Roach and Amy Lee from Evanescence. It's undoubtedly one of the coolest shows streaming right now. — Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Devil May Cry season 2 on Netflix

Off Campus (Prime Video)

The minute that critics said that Off Campus was less like Heated Rivalry and more like "frat bro Bridgerton," I was all in. Based on the hit books by Elle Kennedy, this Amazon TV Original follows an elite ice hockey team and the women in their lives, as they grapple with love, heartbreak, and self-discovery.

It's the perfect balance of horny and wholesome that Prime Video keeps nailing in its young adult dramas, which means it's perfect for fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty and Maxton Hall.

What's more, Off Campus has already been renewed for season 2, so it's well worth your investment in this hot and heavy eight-episode binge. — Jasmine Valentine, entertainment reporter

• Watch Off Campus on Prime Video

Dutton Ranch (Paramount+)

Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler are back, baby! Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch follows the pair's relocation to Texas, taking over a small ranch that directly competes with 10 Petal, aka the local town's cattle empire run by Beulah Jackson, who's a woman Beth aptly describes as a "grizzly in Gucci." Not only do the pair go head to head, but the more that Beth and Rip settle into Texan life, the more problems they unearth.

A cross between Landman and The Madison in tone, Dutton Ranch doesn't completely neglect its Yellowstone roots — watch out for some obvious John Dutton mentions in episode 1 onwards. Before you dive in, read my Dutton Ranch review, too. -— JV

• Watch Dutton Ranch on Paramount+

The Testament of Ann Lee (Disney+)

Following its Hulu release earlier this year, this Amanda Seyfried-led historical musical drama is now available internationally on Disney+.

In it, Seyfried plays the titular character, who was the founding leader of the Shakers religious sect in the 18th century. Lee's religious movement focused on communal living, celibacy, gender equality, and functional, simple furniture. Song and dance were a huge part of their meetings, meaning this flick is the perfect way to depict Lee's life and the religious beliefs she shared with others.

Based on its 86% Rotten Tomatoes audience score, it seems viewers have been charmed by Ann Lee's story. Maybe you will be, too? — LB

• Watch The Testament of Ann Lee on Disney+

On the Roam season 2 (HBO Max)

Ever wanted to go road tripping with Jason Momoa? Now you can. After a two year hiatus, the star is back traveling once again via his HBO Max docuseries On the Roam.

Like last time, Momoa is taking a break from making movies to meet a new line up of artists and creatives, where he gets an in-depth look at their process and asks plenty of questions.

This season, we'll see Momoa meeting with Julian Schnabel, director of Basquiat, punk rock band The Bobby Lees, and Metallica legend Kirk Hammett. Episodes are released every Thursday, making it something you can look forward to each week. — LB

• Watch On the Roam season 2 on HBO Max

Rivals season 2 (Hulu/Disney+)

You know what we're missing from this lineup? An old school bonkbuster. Luckily, Rivals season 2 is on hand to fill the gap. Picking up shortly after its predecessor, though, our Rutshire ensemble's collective horniness has turned somewhat sour.

Cameron is lying low after being convinced she's killed her boss Tony after she battered him with a TV award in self-defense. Meanwhile, Lizzie and Freddie are desperately trying to hide their feelings for one another, and Sarah is trying to climb the ranks at Tony's Corinium TV station.

It's all a bit less steamy, but the stakes continue to be raised. We've only got the first three episodes (read my Rivals season 2 review on them while you're here) to stream at this stage, so keep your eyes peeled for the rest later this year. — JV

• Watch Rivals season 2 on Hulu (US) and Disney+ (internationally)

• A new poster for Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been revealed
• It shows Peter Parker wearing his superhero suit under a winter jacket
• Marvel fans can't stop poking fun at the poster's accompanying tagline

Sony and Marvel have released another new poster for Spider-Man: Brand New Day — and it hasn't taken long for fans to poke fun at the eyebrow-raising caption that accompanies it.

Released on the studios' social media channels, the one-sheet shows Tom Holland's Peter Parker wearing his iconic red and blue superhero suit underneath a winter jacket. The artwork also reconfirms that, if a reminder was even necessary, that Spider-Man 4 will swing into theaters worldwide on July 31.

That's not the only piece of promotional material that Sony and Marvel unveiled today (May 14).

Indeed, a new behind-the-scenes featurette has also been uploaded to the former's YouTube channel. In it, Holland and director Destin Daniel Cretton discuss shooting one of the Marvel Phase 6 film's action sequences practically in Glasgow, Scotland in August 2025.

Even better, the pair confirm that said set-piece will be part of the next Spider-Man movie's opening number. So, we'll see the eponymous hero — with a little help (read: not much help at all) from Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher — tackle that armored vehicle in an explosive, chase sequence as soon as Spider-Man 4 begins.

With Brand New Day's global launch just over two months away, plus the release of these new marketing materials, I wouldn't be surprised if another trailer makes its way online shortly. While we wait for another round of footage, read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day trailer #1 breakdown piece to gain some insight into what its plot might entail.

Why are Marvel fans poking fun at Spider-Man 4's latest poster?

By now, you'll have seen the caption that accompanies Brand New Day's poster. If you've somehow skipped over the first part of this article, though, here it is in full: "The world has forgotten Peter Parker, but he hasn’t forgotten them."

Seems pretty innocuous, right? So, why on Earth are fans falling over themselves to mock said caption? Because of recent myriad Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) events that have occurred in Spidey's home city of New York that he's somehow not been involved in.

Indeed, whether it's both seasons of Daredevil: Born Again, events depicted in recent Disney+ TV Special The Punisher: One Last Kill, or the duo's big-screen cousin in Thunderbolts, fans can't stop commenting on the irony of the aforementioned caption.

"Getting some mixed messages between this tagline, and his lack of presence during some pretty critical moments in New York over the last few seasons of Daredevil and Punisher: One Last Kill," one ResetEra user joked, before another person added: "Don't forget his lack of presence in Thunderbolts."

"You sure bout that, Peter?" another ResetEra forumite asked. "Little Sicily [the New York district depicted in One Last Kill] could use some help."

Tagline notwithstanding, others have questioned the overall quality of the poster and whether it's been created using artificial intelligence (AI). You only need to glance at threads on r/marvelstudios, r/spiderman, and r/marvelstudiospoilers to get a slice of other negative comments that it's been greeted within since its unveiling. Let's hope, then, a new trailer is released soon-ish to get fans talking about the film in a positive light again.

In the meantime, find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Once you're done, read my Spider-Man 4 cast and character guide to see who'll join Holland and Bernthal in the wallcrawler's next Marvel project.

• The Punisher: One Last Kill has been released on Disney+
• Multiple Marvel fans have experienced audio issues with the MCU TV Special
• Others can't stop poking fun at a specific visual effects-heavy scene

The Punisher: One Last Kill has made its Disney+ debut — but, while some viewers have enjoyed the new Marvel TV special, others have criticized some of its terrible visual effects (VFX) and audio issues.

Following the Special Presentation's release, various forums and social platforms have been populated by comments from disgruntled fans.

Among the many criticisms that sections of the Marvel community have are its narrative pacing, threadbare plot, and short runtime. However, two particular problems stand tall above their counterparts because, according to Disney+ users, they completely ruined their viewing experience.

Comment from r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers

Chief among their concerns is The Punisher TV special's sound mixing. Indeed, numerous people have taken to r/MarvelStudios, r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers, and the ResetEra forums to complain that they can't hear anyone talk because the dialog volume is too low. Meanwhile, some who have a home cinema set up claim that they sound primarily comes through their rear speakers rather than the central channel.

Comment from r/marvelstudios

"Is the dialogue level really low for anyone else? I can barely hear Frank speak," one Redditor asked. "Is the sound mixing bad for anyone else? I have my TV volume twice as loud as usual and all the dialogue sounds like I’m listening through a wall", another queried on Reddit.

Meanwhile, on the ResetEra forums, one user wrote: "My audio is all messed up. Just this. The other Disney+ stuff I tried is fine", before someone replied: "Ok, so it wasn't just my TV. I had to turn my volume almost all the way up just to hear the non action scenes". "Yeah, [the] audio mix was weird on my end too," another added. "Not sure if that was intentional or not. Felt appropriate to the vibe, but also was kind of annoying."

"I am 100% certain they accidentally uploaded an incomplete sound-mix for Punisher One Last Kill," one X/Twitter user wrote. "The dialogue is whisper quiet, the music is drowning out everything, and a bunch of sound effects that should be minor are louder than both."

"Punisher: One Last Kill might be the worst thing the MCU has ever put out," another X/Twitter user said in a damning verdict of the Marvel Phase 6 project. "Sound mixing is off. Unnecessary dog murder. Frank Castle is either crying or screaming the entire time. Waste of time. Worst portrayal of the character yet. Oh yeah he wears the skull for 5 seconds. 1/10."

For what it's worth, I've reached out to Disney for comment on this particular problem. At the time of publication, I hadn't heard back, but I'll update this article if I do.

That isn't the only major gripe that Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) devotees had with The Punisher: One Last Kill. Indeed, others also hit out at and/or poked fun at some incredibly jarring VFX that appear in its second act.

The moment in question? A scene where Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle/The Punisher falls from one rooftop to a lower one as he escapes a couple of thugs who are trying to kill him.

As he lands, the titular anti-hero's fall is broken by part of a metal roof ventilation system. Rather than Bernthal performing the stunt himself, though, it's an action shot created using computer generated imagery (CGI) — and, despite the vast sums of money at Marvel and parent company Disney's disposal, it does not look good. At all. And, unsurprisingly, it didn't take long for fans to roast the studios over this specific scene.

Comment from r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers

"CGI Frank Castle isn't real. It can't hurt you," someone joked on ResetEra. "[That was] a bad moment of CGI when Frank fell off the roof and landed on an air conditioning unit or whatever that was," another ResetEra user commented, before someone else said: "The digi-double when Frank falls from the roof was hilarious."

Over on Reddit, one user amusingly asked: "Did anyone else catch that Xbox 360 render of Frank as he crashed into the air conditioning box on the roof?", before another Redditor mocked the scene by saying "The VFX transformed Jon Bernthal into Joel from The Last of Us."

What did you think of The Punisher: One Last Kill? Let me know in the comments. Once you're done, read my article on The Punisher: One Last Kill's ending to see if it sets up any future MCU movies or shows.

• Marvel has announced the release date for its VisionQuest TV show
• It'll premiere on Disney+ in mid-October
• The live-action series will be the final part of Marvel's WandaVision trilogy

Marvel has finally confirmed when its VisionQuest TV show will be released: Wednesday, October 14.

Announced during Disney's 2026 Upfront presentation yesterday (May 12), the Paul Bettany-led series will be the final live-action Disney+ project to arrive before the highly-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.

There's no official word on whether VisionQuest will directly lead into and/or impact the aforementioned movie's plot. However, VisionQuest will wrap up a three-part Marvel story involving Bettany's Vision and Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch — one which began with 2021's WandaVision and continued in 2024's Agatha All Along.

Little is known about VisionQuest's story but, based on WandaVision's ending, we already know it'll focus on the revived Vision and what happens to him after he regained the memories of his past life with Wanda, as an Avenger, and his death at Thanos' hands in Avengers: Infinity War.

As for who'll appear alongside Bettany in the Marvel Phase 6 production, Philomena Cunk star Diane Morgan was surprisingly announced as a VisionQuest cast member last November. Relative acting newcomer Lauren Morais was also confirmed as part of its ensemble in late 2025, too.

There'll be plenty of familiar faces — or, should that be voices? — too. Indeed, James Spader is back as underutilized villain Ultron from 2014's Avengers: Age of Ultron, while Emily Hampshire returns as the voice of one of Tony Stark's artificial intelligences in F.R.I.D.A.Y.

Finally, James D'Arcy, who played the Stark family's human butler Edwin Jarvis in Avengers: Endgame, will voice the AI known as J.A.R.V.I.S in this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project. Bettany voiced J.A.R.V.I.S in the first two Iron Man films before assuming the mantle of Vision in Age of Ultron.

Will Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch appear in VisionQuest?

Full spoilers follow for WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Agatha All Along.

Speculation abounds that other actors will show up in VisionQuest, and chief among those rumored to appear is Olsen's Wanda.

After officially becoming the Scarlet Witch, aka one of the most powerful mutants in Marvel Comics, in 2021's WandaVision, Olsen has only starred in one other MCU project: 2022's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

In a film that positioned her as the villain of the piece, much to the chagrin of many fans, Wanda appeared to die when she sacrificed herself to destroy the ancient, dark magic spell book known as the Darkhold. Considering we didn't actually see Wanda die on-camera, though, fans have long suspected that she didn't meet her untimely end in Doctor Strange 2.

Additionally, at least one of her sons, aka Billy Maximoff/Wiccan, who Wanda created alongside his twin Tommy Maximoff/Speed, using her magical abilities, is also alive and well in the MCU.

Indeed, an older version of Billy was played by Joe Locke in Agatha All Along. Wanda's incredible powerset notwithstanding, how would Billy still be running around the MCU if his mom had perished? Surely whatever spell she'd cast to create him and Tommy would've been terminated if she was actually dead, right?

If Wanda is still kicking around, VisionQuest would be the perfect place for Olsen to make her first MCU appearance in over four years. After all, Wanda is Vision's romantic partner and the wife of his children. It would make sense, then, for Olsen to return in this show, especially as Bettany's vision has a significant supporting role in the Olsen-fronted WandaVision.

Heck, if Marvel still isn't ready to confirm that Wanda is still alive, Olsen could reprise her role as her fan-favorite character in a flashback scene, as part of one of Vision's returning memories, or even a figment of his imagination. If nothing else, it'll finally allow Olsen to stop answering questions about when she'll next appear in the MCU.

For more on what's expected to be the final Marvel TV show of 2026, find out everything else we know so far about VisionQuest.

The Punisher: One Last Kill is out now on Disney+ — and, while it's a ninth episode of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 in all but name, it's nonetheless an important pitstop in Frank Castle's story.

Indeed, the Marvel TV Special not only reunites us with Jon Bernthal's fan-favorite anti-hero for the first time since Born Again's season 1 finale, but also reconfirms that — his forthcoming appearance in Spider-Man 4 notwithstanding — Castle's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) journey is far from over.

So, what happens in The Punisher's Special Presentation? Does it have an end-credits scene? And does it lay the foundations for Castle's role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day? I'll answer those and more questions below. This is your only warning, then: full spoilers immediately follow for The Punisher: One Last Kill and his self-titled Netflix show.

What does the One Last Kill subtitle refer to in The Punisher's TV Special?

The paragraphs that follow describe scenes of a suicide attempt. Reader discretion is advised.

It's not spelled out, but my reading of One Last Kill's subtitle is that it relates to Frank contemplating committing suicide.

The TV special's first act reunites us with a Castle whose mental health has taken a nosedive since we last saw him. He's killed everyone who was involved in his family's death (more on this later), is plagued by memories of his fallen Marine Corps comrades, is trying to numb his anguish with a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, and has even given up The Punisher mantle.

When Castle leaves his new hideout in the downtrodden New York district of Little Sicily, then, we start to fear the worst. Indeed, aside from a brief stop at a local cafe to grab a cup of coffee, Castle's latest — and potentially final — walk takes him to the cemetery where his wife and kids are buried.

Sitting down at his daughter's grave, he tells his deceased relatives that he doesn't have the fight to carry on before drawing a handgun and placing it to his head. As memories of his family flash before his eyes, he prepares to pull the trigger. However, a hallucination of his daughter stops Castle in his tracks. He briefly looks away from her as he sets the weapon down, but when he looks back up he realizes she was just a figment of his imagination. I'm not sobbing, you're sobbing!

Is Curtis Hoyle dead in The Punisher: One Last Kill?

This is arguably the most difficult question to answer, but I'm inclined to say yes.

For context: Curtis Hoyle, aka one of Castle's fellow ex-Marines and his closest ally in Netflix's The Punisher TV show, is still alive and well at the end of said live-action series. However, considering he's another of Castle's hallucinations, the implication is that he must have died at some point between The Punisher season 2 finale and One Last Kill.

Unfortunately, we aren't given any evidence that Hoyle is actually dead, or that he's just a figment of Castle's imagination before One Last Kill ends. Here's hoping an answer is provided in a future MCU project that Castle is a part of.

Who is Ma Gnucci in The Punisher: One Last Kill?

Returning to his Little Sicily apartment block, Castle is greeted by a mysterious, wheelchair-bound woman, who's played by One Life to Live and Ugly Betty star Judith Light.

Initially, she seems quite pleasant, and she even goes as far as to compare her own trauma-filled past to that of Castle's. Her mask slips, though, when she reveals her identity to the MCU character: Ma Gnucci.

For the uninitiated: in the comics, Ma Gnucci — full name Isabella Carmela Magdalena Gnucci — is the head of Gnucci Crime Family. She's the primary antagonist of The Punisher: Welcome Back, Frank, a 12-issue comic book series first published in April 2000. In it, Castle kills her three sons as he restarts his war on crime in New York City, thus instigating a feud that ends with Ma Gnucci's demise in its final chapter.

It's clear that One Last Kill draws heavily from the aforementioned literary works. Indeed, in the Marvel Phase 6 project's first act, a news bulletin reveals that Castle murdered Ma Gnucci's husband and three sons in retaliation for their involvement in the death of his loved ones. And, after finally tracking him down, Ma Gnucci now wants to exact her revenge on Castle.

What happens to Frank Castle in The Punisher: One Last Kill? And what is 'One Batch, Two Batch'?

Knowing she can't physically deliver the fatal blow, Ma Gnucci tells Castle that she's put a bounty on his head (anyone else getting John Wick Chapter 2/3 vibes?), meaning every nearby criminal is now out to get him. He only has until 6:47pm that evening to prepare, too. Why that time? Because that was the exact hour and minute that Castle killed the final member of Ma Gnucci's family right in front of her.

True to form, as 6:47pm arrives, a bloodthirsty mob shows up at Castle's apartment. In an unrelenting sequence akin to The Raid, Castle uses his expert marksmanship, close-quarter combat skills, and the proverbial fire reignited within him to dispatch every assailant he comes across in typically hyperviolent fashion. He even saves some of his fellow apartment building residents for good measure.

Eventually, a bloodied and bruised Castle makes his way onto the main street, where he spots Ma Gnucci. He makes a beeline for her, but his attention quickly turns elsewhere when he sees and hears that the owner of the coffee shop he'd visited earlier, and his family, are under attack.

Making a split-second decision, Castle lets Ma Gnucci escape in order to save those in need and, after another brutal battle inside said cafe, Castle defeats and kills myriad outlaws who want him dead. With the family safe and sound, Castle heads for the exit, but not before he's stopped by the shop owner's daughter. Heading to the back of the store, she returns with a hand-painted paper rose, which she gifts to a clearly moved Castle.

Returning to his family's graves, Castle wipes away the other trinkets he's laid at his daughter's headstone before placing the rose at its foot. He tells her that he isn't done yet before reciting a passage from 'One Batch, Two Batch'. That's the bedtime story he used to read to his daughter.

In the special's final scene, one of the thugs who we see kill an elderly homeless man's dog at the start of One Last Kill prepares to attack a married couple with a baseball bat. However, he's stopped by Castle, who's now sporting in his iconic Punisher attire once more.

Reuniting the homeless man with his veteran's cap that the thug also stole earlier, Castle learns from said rough sleeper that the criminal had also murdered his dog. As the hooligan attempts to flee, Castle injures him with a well-thrown knife to the leg before executing him with a well-placed shot to the skull.

Are there any Marvel cameos in The Punisher: One Last Kill?

Yes, there's one significant cameo in One Last Kill: Deborah Ann Woll's Karen Page.

Admittedly, Page only briefly appears midway through One Last Kill as another figment of Castle's imagination. Nevertheless, given their shared history in Daredevil and The Punisher, which initially aired on Netflix, and its Disney+ sequel series Daredevil: Born Again, if anyone was going to cameo in The Punisher's TV special, it was going to be Page.

Does The Punisher: One Last Kill have a mid-credits and/or post-credits scene?

No. There's nothing to stick around for between or after the Disney+ special's end-credits crawl. That's sure to disappoint some viewers, who might have expected some sort of tease for The Punisher's next MCU outing in the new Spider-Man movie. Speaking of which...

How does The Punisher TV Special set up Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

It doesn't. Okay, One Last Kill shows us how Castle gets his mojo back as The Punisher, which he needs to in order to appear as his vigilante alter-ego in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, The Punisher's TV Special doesn't set up any story threads for Tom Holland's next Marvel movie. If you were hoping for a surprise cameo from Sadie Sink's mystery character ahead of the latter's own appearance in Brand New Day, then, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Regardless, there's plenty we already know about, and have speculated on, concerning one of this year's most exciting new movies. So, be sure to find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and see who'll join Holland, Bernthal, and Sink in it via my Spider-Man 4 cast and character guide.

Will there be a third season of The Punisher?

Nobody knows. Currently, Bernthal is only confirmed to appear in Brand New Day and, while I suspect he'll show up in Daredevil: Born Again season 3, there's nothing to suggest that The Punisher's own series will be revived.

For what it's worth, One Last Kill's director has said he and Bernthal "would love" to make a Punisher-led movie. However, that's fully dependent on how this TV special performs, and whether there's audience appetite for more stories involving the anti-hero. Whether we get The Punisher season 3 or an R-rated film, then, is up to you and I.

• The Punisher: One Last Kill will premiere on Disney+ very soon
• Fans shouldn't expect a movie-length Marvel TV Special
• However, its director and lead actor want Frank Castle to star in his own film

The Punisher: One Last Kill's director has expressed his desire to see the titular character eventually feature in his own movie.

Ahead of the Marvel TV special's release on Disney+, Reinaldo Marcus Green told The Direct that he and lead actor Jon Bernthal "would love" to see the fan-favorite anti-hero star in his own big-screen adventure.

Despite The Punisher's growing popularity amid Bernthal's popular take on the Marvel character, though, Green also admitted it's up to the comic giant to decide if there's really an appetite for a Frank Castle-led film.

Green's comments arrived before The Punisher: One Last Kill makes its Disney+ debut on May 12 in North and South America, and May 13 everywhere else. And, in the weeks leading up to release, some fans were optimistic that the forthcoming Marvel Special Presentation would be a TV movie in all but name.

However, those hopes were dashed recently as, with its end credits crawl included, One Last Kill's runtime clocks in at just 48 minutes. With the Marvel Phase 6 project also said to take place around the events of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, the Bernthal-starring TV Special appears to be an episodic extension of the aforementioned show, rather than a standalone, film-length story.

Regardless, Green stated his belief that Bernthal and Marvel could "come together" and develop a Punisher movie — one that Green said would no doubt be "worthy of what the audience would want to see out of that character" — if there's a demand for one following One Last Kill's launch.

"I can't speak to that," he replied when asked if there had been talks about a Punisher film. "I don't know what the plans are for the future of the Punisher.

"The only thing that we hope that we were able to accomplish is the demand for more if we were able to accomplish that. Hopefully Jon and Marvel will come together to make something worthy of what the audience would want to see out of that character moving forward.

"Speaking for myself, I know Jon and I would love to make a movie, something that could go worldwide and be on screens everywhere. But, obviously, that’ll be Marvel’s decision."

Of course, this won't be the last we see of Bernthal's Castle in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — and, funnily enough, he'll make his silver screen debut in the near future. Indeed, The Punisher will play an active role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters worldwide on July 31. He may not be about to star in his own movie, but Castle's big-screen MCU debut is right around the corner.

For more on that flick, find out what we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and who else will feature in it via my Spider-Man 4 cast and character guide. Oh, and get the full lowdown on The Punisher: One Last Kill ahead of its impending release.

Lemme tell you sumthin' about The Punisher: it's about time he received top billing in a project set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) — and that time is now.

Indeed, The Punisher: One Last Kill will see Jon Bernthal's anti-hero take center stage in a new Marvel TV Special. Thankfully, we don't have much longer to wait for its arrival, either, because it'll make its Disney+ debut later this week.

Want to know when it'll air where you live? Of course you do. So, read on to learn more.

What time can I watch The Punisher: One Last Kill?

In North and South America, the MCU TV special will launch on Disney+, one of the best streaming services, at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Tuesday, May 12.

Don't worry if you don't live on either of those continents. The Marvel Phase 6 production will also be available to watch in other territories, albeit a day later on Wednesday, May 13. Check out the list below to see what time it'll drop where you live:

• US — Tuesday, May 12 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• Canada — Tuesday, May 12 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET
• UK — Wednesday, May 13 at 2am BST
• India — Wednesday, May 13 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, May 13 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, May 13 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, May 13 at 1pm NZST

What is the runtime for The Punisher: One Last Kill?

The Punisher's Special Presentation should last around 60 minutes. View it as a slightly longer version of a traditional Marvel TV show episode, which usually runs between 30 and 50 minutes, rather than a TV movie per se.

It's unclear if that runtime includes its end credits crawl, and a mid- and/or post-credits scene. However, considering One Last Kill is expected to lead directly into the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in which Frank Castle will appear, I wouldn't be surprised if there's an end credits scene to stick around for.

Want to learn more about The Punisher's TV Special and Spider-Man 4 ahead of release? Find out what we know so far about The Punisher: One Last Kill and everything we know about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Then, check out my Spider-Man 4 cast and character guide to see who else will show up in the MCU film.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 is officially a-go at Marvel Studios. The Disney+ show has had both production and viewership issues since it debuted in March 2025, but the comic book giant clearly has enough confidence in it to continue the story for at least one more season.

So, what do we know about the live-action series' next chapter? In this guide, I've rounded up the latest information on Daredevil: Born Again's third season, including its confirmed cast, story specifics, and when it might be released. Don't delay, then — read on to learn more about the next outing for The Devil of Hell's Kitchen.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 release date: what we know so far

Marvel hasn't publicly announced a release date for Born Again season 3 yet. However, with filming underway as of mid-March and principal photography due to wrap in early July, according to showrunner Dario Scardapane (per Entertainment Weekly (EW)), an early 2027 launch shouldn't be ruled out.

With seasons 1 and 2 of Daredevil's TV revival airing in March 2025 and March 2026, I'd be shocked if its next entry doesn't come out next March. Once an official release date is announced, you'll be the first to know.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 trailer: is there one?

No — and, considering we didn't see trailers for seasons 1 and 2 until much closer to their respective launches, it's incredibly unlikely that Daredevil: Born Again season 3's first trailer will arrive before January 2027 at the very earliest.

I suspect a teaser will debut at this year's New York Comic Con (NYCC) in mid-October. If one does, though, it'll be shown exclusively behind closed doors to attendees, so don't expect it to be made public afterwards. Whenever a trailer is released online, I'll update this section.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 confirmed cast

Full spoilers immediately follow for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 8.

Here's the confirmed cast of Daredevil: Born Again season 3 thus far:

• Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock/Daredevil
• Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk
• Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page
• Margarita Levieva as Heather Glenn
• Wilson Bethel as Benjamin Pointdexter/Bullseye
• Nikke M. James as Kirsten McDuffie
• Arty Froushan as Buck Cashman
• Zabryna Guevara as Sheila Rivera
• Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
• Mike Colter as Luke Cage
• Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist

All but the final two actors named above we know will return in season 3 because they survived last season's finale and/or have since confirmed they'll be back for round 3 — Froushan (per The Hollywood Reporter) and Bethel (via TV Insider), for example, having done the latter.

Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones and Mike Jones on set of Daredevil: Born Again S3 from r/LeaksAndRumors

Where Colter and Jones are concerned, we know they're part of the proceedings because they were snapped on one of next season's real-world location sets.

Colter made a brief cameo in the season 2 finale, so he was always likely to show up again. Per Scardapane and Marvel Head of TV Brad Winderbaum, Cage will have a key role to play in Daredevil: Born Again season 3, too.

However, Jones' return is something of a surprise. Iron Fist — which, like Daredevil and the rest of Netflix's Marvel TV shows, is now canon in the MCU — was plagued with production issues and received poorly by fans and critics alike. It seems that Marvel will give Jones another shot at getting the character right, though, in Born Again's third chapter.

Other supporting cast members are sure to be back, too. Genneya Walton's B.B. Urich, Clark Johnson's Cherry, Lili Taylor's Marge McCaffrey, Jeremy Isaiah Earl's Cole North, Ruibo Qian's Angie Kim, Camila Rodriguez's Angela del Toro, Royce Johnson's Brett Mahoney, Matthew Lilliard's Mister Charles, and Susan Varon's Josie are all faces I'd expect to see again.

As for further cast additions, we'll see the introduction of new villains, with Scardapane telling The Direct: "We've got a few more people heading your way."

We already know the identity of one of those foes, too, which I'll discuss in more detail in the plot section. Speaking of which...

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 story speculation

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 doesn't have a story synopsis yet. However, based on how last season ended — read my Daredevil: Born Again season 2 ending explained piece to remind yourself what happened — we have an idea of where things might go next.

Full spoilers immediately follow for last season's finale.

First, Marvel's Head of TV Brad Winderbaum told ScreenRant that there'll be a "small time jump, but it's not too significant.... We're probably jumping ahead a year or so, kind of like the real-life distance between seasons". Given last season is set around mid- to late 2027, this season should take place in mid- to late 2028.

Where the eponymous vigilante is concerned, season 3 will open with Matt Murdock/Daredevil behind bars. Murdock was arrested and incarcerated after he publicly revealed he was the costumed crimefighter in season 2 episode 8. And, considering he's committed a mountain's worth of crimes as his superhuman alter-ego, Murdock knew he wouldn't be a free man for much longer.

So, what happens now? Speaking on the season 2 episode 5 edition of the Daredevil: Born Again Official Podcast, executive producer Sana Amanat revealed that next season will continue to draw inspiration from specific Marvel Comics storylines. That includes Devil in Cell Block D, which similarly covers Murdock's stint in prison.

Based on behind-the-scenes snaps that have leaked online for season 3, it appears he'll be tried for his crimes, too. That would explain why Woll's Page was spotted with Guevara's Rivera, who is New York's new mayor following Fisk's abdication, outside of what appears to be a courthouse.

Speaking of Fisk, his shadow will continue to loom large over Born Again despite his apparent exile from the United States in last season's finale.

Indeed, after Scardapane told The New York Times that Fisk's story in Daredevil: Born Again wasn't over, more leaked photographs showed D'Onofrio's disgraced individual sporting a lengthy beard, beanie hat, winter coat, and other modest clothing on the streets of New York. Is he plotting yet another comeback? Or did he stick around for another reason? After all, those loyal to Fisk, including Froushan's Cashmand and Levieva's Glenn, are still around. Maybe Fisk is planning to restart his criminal activities away from prying eyes.

Mind you, that's based on whether he can round up the troops again.

Indeed, in yet more leaked set images, Glenn can be seen sporting the Muse face covering that she kept following her near-fatal run-in with the masked serial killer in season 1 episode 5. With a psychologically damaged Glenn now adopting the villainous pseudonym of the mass murderer who almost killed her, Lady Muse is set to be one of the new enemies that Murdock and company will have to contend with.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if she inadvertently ends up being Murdock's, well, get out of jail free card. I fully expect him to make a deal with the authorities whereby his sentence will be reduced or ended prematurely if his vigilante alter-ego helps them track down Lady Muse, who I suspect will be committing her own crimes in due course.

There are numerous other subplots demanding to be explored in Daredevil: Born Again season 3. Here's a brief list of some story threads that need to be picked up from season 2 or, where characters from Netflix's Marvel-Verse are concerned, that urgently need to be addressed:

• Luke Cage reuniting with Jessica Jones and his daughter Danielle
• What happened to Luke Cage after his own Netflix show ended, and why he was working for Mister Charles off-screen in Born Again season 2
• What Danny Rand has been up to since his Netflix series ended, and if he's reacquired the Iron Fist mantle and superpowers
• B.B. Urich following in her dead uncle's footsteps as a New York Bulletin reporter, and whether her hands will be tied by what she's told to cover
• What brings Bullseye and Mister Charles back to New York City

On top of all of that, there's the looming question about how Spider-Man: Brand New Day will impact this season.

By now, it's common knowledge that Born Again season 2 and Spider-Man 4 are connected in some way — after all, both heroes live and operate in the Big Apple. It stands to reason, then, that the latter, which takes place after Born Again's season 2 finale, will be affected by its events and, in turn, potentially plant some seeds for what's to come in Daredevil: Born Again season 3.

What could said seeds be? Based on Brand New Day's first trailer, the return of the ninja-based criminal organization known as The Hand, which was the overarching enemy in Netflix's Marvel-Verse, has crossed over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). I wouldn't be shocked, then, if their return is tentatively set up in Spider-Man's next big-screen adventure before they make a bigger splash in Born Again's forthcoming installment.

Will there be a fourth season of Daredevil: Born Again

Nobody knows, but two huge factors will play a significant role in Born Again's future on one of the best streaming services.

The first — the movie double header known as Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — will bring down the curtain on the Marvel Multiverse Saga. With rumors circulating that they'll initiate a hard reset of the MCU, the jury is out on whether Daredevil and those who operate in his orbit will be carried over into MCU 2.0.

The other, and perhaps more important, element is Born Again's viewership.

After its debut season failed to crack the Top 10 most-watched shows list of reputable audience analytics company Nielsen, the second season's viewing figures painted an even bleaker outlook for the series. Indeed, per data obtained by comicbook.com from another audience measurement company, Luminate, Born Again's audience share dropped 50% from season 1 to season 2. That's in spite of the latter being better reviewed by critics and received by general fans than its forebear.

Should Daredevil: Born Again season 3 perform even worse than both of its predecessors post-release, the writing is likely to be on the wall for it — and that's before Secret Wars comes out in theaters next December and officially wraps up the Multiverse Saga. Unless the Marvel Phase 6 TV series enjoys a huge turnaround in viewership next season, this might be the end of the line for The Man Without Fear and his cohorts.

For more Marvel coverage, find out how to watch the Marvel movies in order. Alternatively, find out what we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, get the full lowdown on Avengers: Doomsday, and see what's what about The Punisher: One Last Kill ahead of its May 12/13 launch on Disney+.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 will put a newly introduced Marvel hero at the heart of its story — and answer a longstanding question that fans have had since their Netflix show ended eight years ago.

Speaking about the season 2 finale edition of the Daredevil: Born Again Official Podcast, showrunner Dario Scardapane and Marvel's Head of Television Brad Winderbaum gave a small but significant tease for the series' next installment. And, according to the pair, the Marvel project's third chapter will spotlight a specific superhuman who's been referenced through this season's latter half.

Full spoilers immediately follow for the final episode of Born Again season 2. Turn back now if you haven't seen it.

The individual Winderbaum and Scardapane are talking about is, of course, Luke Cage.

Played by Mike Colter in Netflix's universe of Marvel TV shows, all of which are now considered canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Cage makes the briefest of appearances in Daredevil: Born Again's season 2 finale.

That cameo comes after Colter fielded many months' worth of questions about him reprising his role in the MCU — queries that began to arrive after Krysten Ritter was revealed to be coming back as Jessica Jones in Born Again season 2 last May. Then, more recently, Colter was confirmed to be returning as Cage after he was snapped on a real world location set for season 3, alongside Ritter and fellow returnee Finn Jones as Danny Rand/Iron Fist, in late March. Colter followed up those photographs by announcing his return on his own Instagram page earlier this month.

Krysten Ritter, Finn Jones and Mike Jones on set of Daredevil: Born Again S3 from r/LeaksAndRumors

It doesn't sound like Cage will only have a minor supporting role in Daredevil: Born Again season 2's sequel season, either.

Indeed, discussing Cage's role in Born Again season 3, Winderbaum teased: "I'm comfortable saying it: Luke Cage is going to be a big part of season three." So, we can expect to see plenty of Harlem's unbreakable hero in the Marvel Phase 6 TV show's third outing.

How Daredevil: Born Again season 3 could answer some big questions about Luke Cage's past

Full spoilers immediately follow for Luke Cage on Netflix.

Understandably, Colter's long-overdue return as Cage has prompted three big questions. hat has he been up to since we last saw him in his self-titled Netflix series? How did this result in him working for Matthew Lillard's nefarious Mister Charles until, as Cage reveals in season 2 episode 8, he's been relieved of his duties? And, when did he get back with Jessica, have a kid, and then get pulled away from them before finally being reunited with his family in the season 2 finale?

The former is arguably the most important of that trio, mainly because it'll help to answer the other two.

Indeed, Luke Cage season 2 ended with the eponymous hero taking over Harlem's Paradise, aka the high-end nightclub owned and run by crime boss Cornell 'Cottonmouth' Stokes. At the time, it appeared that Cage would start to walk a darker path, and either become an anti-hero or an outright villain. However, with Luke Cage cancelled soon after its season 2 debut, fans weren't given closure over this particular storyline.

It's here where Born Again season 3 could — and, by the sounds of it, will — fill us in on what Cage has been doing since that series drew to an unceremonious close. As part of the Cage-centric discussion on the aforementioned podcast's latest episode, Scardapane said: "In one little moment at the end of this episode, there is an entire story yet to be told.

"And, the funny thing is — this is kinda like hiding an Easter egg — if you know these characters' [Cage and Jones] history, and you know some of the comic book runs, you'll know what's happening."

I guess we should prepare for plenty of Cage and Jones-based flashbacks, lots of familial melodrama, and specific references to the former's Netflix show that'll further tie it to Daredevil's Disney+ show, then! While we wait for season 3's arrival, read my Daredevil: Born Again season 2 ending explained piece to have your biggest questions answered about this season's eighth and final episode.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 8 has premiered on Disney+ — and it not only closes out the show's latest chapter in typically tense fashion, but also sets up some intriguing storylines to come in its already announced third season.

So, how does the Marvel TV series' sophomore season end? What happens to Matt Murdock, Wilson Fisk, and Karen Page? And what can we glean from it as regards what to expect from season 3, which is being filmed as we speak? I'll answer those questions and more below. This is your one and only warning, then: full spoilers immediately follow for Daredevil: Born Again's season 2 finale.

How does Karen Page's trial end in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 8?

With Karen's freedom still hanging in the balance after Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 7, Matt Murdock — aka the titular hero's civilian identity — continues to make a case for her defence as Page's lawyer, alongside co-attorney Kirsten McDuffie.

The trial plays out as you'd expect, with both sides trading verbal blows and twisting every piece of evidence in their favor to gain the upper hand.

Eventually, Murdock uses the first of two aces up his sleeve — calling none other than archnemesis and New York City mayor Wilson Fisk to the witness stand.

As gasps ring through the courtroom, Fisk — who, in a show of strength, brings the full might of his Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) with him — enters the chamber and takes the stand to say he'll tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

Unsurprisingly, Murdock's intense cross-examining of Fisk ratchets up the tension further. Murdock supplies plenty of evidence that Fisk was responsible for the Northern Star, its huge arms shipment, the deaths of its first and second mates when Daredevil — aka Matt's vigilante alter-ego — discovered said cargo, and the freighter's wrecking and sinking when Fisk realized his criminal activities could be exposed. In response, Fisk denies all knowledge of these claims.

In spite of the proof he's provided, Murdock quickly realizes that he's losing. Indeed, the judges — who, fearing for their own lives, are in Fisk's back pocket — are clearly unswayed by Murdock's evidence.

It's here where Murdock makes his second Hail Mary pass: he publicly reveals that he is Daredevil. The reason? As the only other individual who saw Fisk's black-market arms supplies first-hand on board the Northern Star in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 1, it's the kind of testimony that can't be ignored.

As a stunned courtroom is left reeling by this revelation, the aforementioned judges belatedly find their courage and rule in Murdock's favor, dismiss the case with prejudice, and allow Page to walk free.

Is Wilson Fisk still New York City's mayor by the end of Daredevil: Born Again season 2?

No. Not only is he dethroned by this season's climax, but he's also been exiled from the US.

After Murdock outs himself as the Devil of Hell's Kitchen, an indignant Fisk heads for the court's exit with his allies. There, he's stopped by Governor McCaffrey, who informs him that the Attorney General has filed various charges, including racketeering, smuggling, and the attempted murder of McCaffrey in this season's penultimate episode. Additionally, his monetary assets have been frozen, and his Red Hook port is now under government control.

Murdock and his charges soon arrive on the scene and, as the sides start trading verbal blows, Bullseye — who's still out for Fisk's head — launches a sniper-rifle attack from a building opposite the courthouse.

As panic spreads through the foyer, Fisk and his supporters flee and barricade themselves in a courtroom. From there, Fisk delivers a war-style speech — one broadcast live from said court chamber — to sow further division among New York's residents. No sooner does the livestream end, though, than B.B. Urich broadcasts her final video as the satirized version of Fisk, with the investigative journalist calling on New York's citizens to make a stand against the autocratic mayor and force him to leave his post.

An embattled and defiant Fisk sends his AVTF troops to prevent Daredevil's supporters, who've assembled outside of the courthouse, from entering, and to track down Murdock and Page, who've also barricaded themselves in a nearby office.

In the chaos that follows, Murdock as Daredevil — with some help from fellow superhuman Jessica Jones and Angela del Toro, aka White Tiger 2.0 — take out the AVTF officers sent their way. Meanwhile, ATVF enforcer Cole North leads a mutiny against field leader Conner Powell when the latter threatens to shoot Daredevil's followers outside the courthouse, and lets said supporters enter the building.

With the walls closing in around him, and two calls from the Attorney General telling him to step down as mayor and renounce his US citizenship to avoid prosecution, Fisk loses his cool. Ordering the courtroom to be opened, a bloodthirsty Fisk strides out to meet Daredevil's followers, and severely injures or kills those who stand in his way.

Reaching the foyer where Murdock, Page, Jones, and Del Toro now stand in front of Daredevil's vigilante army, Fisk refuses to yield, which causes the supporters to surge up the stairs towards him as the aforementioned quartet plead their allies not to do so.

Fisk begins fighting off the crowd, but is soon overwhelmed. Fearing they'll tear him apart, Murdock — again, with Jones' aid — reaches Fisk and, lambasting his followers, tells them they're better than this.

Turning to his archenemy, Murdock reasons with Fisk and implores him to take the Attorney General's deal. Initially hesitant, Fisk soon realizes it's the only option — other than another jail term, anyway — available to him, and reluctantly accepts the terms.

Why is Matt Murdock arrested and imprisoned in Daredevil: Born Again season 2's finale?

Having ousted Fisk, Murdock and Page enjoy a romantic dinner at the Panna II restaurant after a hard-fought battle won. There, they talk about trying to have a normal life, and agree to giving it a try.

But their joy is short-lived, because members of New York's police department show up. Charging Murdock with all the crimes he's committed as a masked crimefighter — remember, Murdock publicly outed himself as the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) hero earlier this episode, and has committed numerous offenses as his alter-ego — they arrest and imprison him in the same penitentiary as the AVTF members they've rounded up.

Does anyone die in Daredevil: Born Again season 2's last episode?

Some AVTF officers and Daredevil supporters do, but nobody who's part of the Marvel Phase 6 TV show's main cast dies.

Of its ensemble, Arty Froushan's Buck Cashman is the only one who comes close to losing their life — Fisk's right-hand man and fixer takes a bullet to the abdomen from Bullseye during the courthouse entrance scene.

However, while his fate is left up in the air by the time the season 2 finale end-credits start, we know he survives, because Froushan has already confirmed that he'll return in Born Again season 3. Unless his one and only appearance next season is in an open-top coffin, we'll see Cashman again in the not-too-distant future.

Does Spider-Man appear in Daredevil: Born Again season 2's eighth episode?

Nope. It's been explained countless times before but, for those who don't know, Sony owns the live-action rights to Spider-Man and every character who operates in his circle. Marvel and Disney, then, aren't legally allowed to use the iconic webslinger in any live-action project without Sony's say-so.

Sony and Marvel have a years-long partnership that allows Peter Parker to exist in the MCU, but it's one that only allows Tom Holland's wallcrawler to appear in Marvel's cinematic juggernaut on the big screen. As such, Spidey isn't able to cameo in Marvel's Disney+ productions, hence why he didn't appear in Born Again season 1 or its sequel.

Thankfully, it won't be long until we see Holland's hero again. His next solo movie, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, will hit theaters on July 31 — and, depending on who you listen to, it might even somehow feature a cameo from Charlie Cox's Murdock. To learn more about one of 2026's most anticipated new movies, find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Does the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale have a mid-credits or post-credits scene?

No. Unless you count the epilogue as an end-credits sequence, there are no mid- or post-credits moments to stick around for. Don't expect a ridiculously early tease for Born Again season 3, then. Speaking of which...

Does Daredevil: Born Again season 3 have a release date?

Not yet. However, filming began on the series' third installment in early March, so production is well underway on it.

Great — but when might season 3 launch on Disney+, aka one of the best streaming services? Its two forebears premiere in March 2025 and March 2026, so the smart money is on Daredevil: Born Again season 3 coming out next March. That's my best guess, anyway.

What do we know so far about Daredevil: Born Again season 3?

Not a lot. However, speaking on an episode of the Official Daredevil: Born Again podcast, executive producer Sana Amanat explained that, like its predecessors, season 3 will continue to pull from the Mayor Fisk and Devil in Cell Block D comic storylines. And, with Murdock behind bars as of season 2 episode 8's ending, we at least know that next season will open with him doing time for his crimes.

Furthermore, official photographs of Jessica Jones, alongside other heroes who first appeared in Netflix's Marvel-Verse, including Luke Cage and Danny Rand/Iron Fist, have been snapped on the season 3 set. It's clear, then, that the series' next installment will be a Defenders reunion of sorts.

As for why they'll be working together again, I can't say. However, considering that it took this quartet and their allies to defeat the criminal organization known as The Hand in Netflix's The Defenders crossover show, it wouldn't surprise me if they're banding together to defeat new foes who fill the power vacuum left by Fisk.

It's almost the end of the road for Daredevil: Born Again season 2. Indeed, with its final episode set to air this week, the Marvel TV series will soon be leaving our screens until its follow-up is released sometime early next year.

With plenty riding on the latest chapter of Daredevil and Wilson Fisk's long-running feud, you'll want to know when this season's finale will arrive on Disney+. So, let's cut to the chase: read on to find out when you can catch Born Again season 2's final entry.

What time can I watch the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale?

The season 2 finale of Daredevil: Born Again will make its debut on Tuesday, May 5, at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

That'll be the case in North and South America, anyway. The rest of the world will have to tune in on Wednesday, May 6, to see how the Marvel TV show's latest eight-part installment ends.

What time will it come out on one of the best streaming services where you live? Scroll on for more details:

• US — Tuesday, May 5 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• Canada — Tuesday, May 5 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• UK — Wednesday, May 6 at 2am GMT
• India — Wednesday, May 6 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, May 6 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, May 6 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, May 6 at 1pm NZDT

When will Daredevil: Born Again season 3 be released?

An official launch date hasn't been announced for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) program's third season. However, the cameras began to roll a few weeks ago, so production is well underway.

If Daredevil: Born Again season 3 follows in the footsteps of the previous two seasons, which aired in March 2025 and March 2026, it'll likely air on Disney+ around March 2027. That means it would come out after Avengers: Doomsday, aka the penultimate Marvel Phase 6 movie that'll begin to wrap up the Marvel Multiverse Saga in expectedly epic fashion. Don't be surprised, then, if Born Again 3 feels the full impact of whatever happens in that aforementioned film as part of its plot.

While we wait for more news on Born Again's next chapter, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday. Alternatively, learn all there is to know about The Punisher: One Last Kill, which drops on May 12/13 and whose plot seems to run parallel to Born Again 2.

The 2026 blockbuster movie season is almost upon us — and TechRadar's entertainment team needs your help to determine what the most anticipated new film of the summer (or winter, for those of you who live south of the equator) will be!

A host of exciting new movies, covering myriad genres and varied age ranges, are set to hit theaters between now and the start of September. Indeed, with the first Star Wars film in almost seven years, 2026's first Marvel movie, and new sci-fi and historical epics from award-winning filmmakers Steven Spielberg and Christopher Nolan, respectively, there'll be plenty to choose from in the weeks and months ahead.

Considering how diverse our reader base is, we know each and every one of you will know which movie you'll definitely be spending your hard-earned cash on. So, vote in our mid-2026 blockbuster film season poll below and tell us what your must-see movie is!

Two things to bear in mind before you proceed: one, you can only vote once, so choose wisely. And, two, the poll will end on Wednesday, May 6, at 10:59pm PT, so make sure you cast your vote ASAP.

It's a lot tougher than you initially expected, isn't it? As a huge Spider-Man fan, I'd go for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which is the first of two Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) flicks that'll debut in theaters this year.

However, there are lots of other exciting options that deserve to be picked in May and June, too. Will you go all-in on The Mandalorian and Grogu in late May? How about the next installment in Pixar's long-running Toy Story film franchise? Or, what about plumping for DC over Marvel and checking out Supergirl?

Spider-Man 4 notwithstanding, July will also give us the previously mentioned offerings from Spielberg and Nolan in Disclosure Day and The Odyssey — will you select one of that pair? Or will you wait all the way until August to catch the latest Insidious film, or another animated-live-action hybrid movie in Coyote Vs Acme? The choice, dear reader, is all yours — and, once you've picked one, let us know in the comments, or on our social media channels, why you selected it.

The above options aren't the only silver screen features due to come out before September. So, if there's another movie you're desperate to see more than the 17 mentioned above, dive into the comments section to reveal why it's your #1 choice.

For more on three films I'm particularly looking forward to, find out everything we know so far about The Mandalorian and Grogu, get the full lowdown on Supergirl, and learn what's been revealed about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

• Fresh details about Spider-Man: Brand New Day's story have been revealed
• They appear in the script's first three pages, which have been shared publicly
• A small but crucial plot point has sparked confusion about its Marvel timeline position

Marvel fans have been left scratching their heads over Spider-Man: Brand New Day's place on the Marvel timeline after new story details recently came to light.

Yesterday (April 29), Entertainment Weekly (EW) revealed how the Marvel movie will begin by publishing the first three pages of its script.

The screenplay, which has been annotated by director Destin Daniel Cretton, stars Tom Holland and Zendaya, and other department heads, provides a rare behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a film of this scale.

Of all the interesting things that the script reveals about Spider-Man 4's opening sequence, though, it's a small but crucial plot detail midway down the very first page that's caught the collective eye of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fanbase. Mild spoilers immediately follow for Brand New Day, so turn back now if you don't want to know any more.

Underneath the subheading that reads 'Int[erior] Peter's Apartment - Day', the screenplay reveals that Brand New Day's story will begin nine months after its forebear — Spider-Man: No Way Home — ended.

It's this specific element that's puzzled fans. Why? Because, when Sony released an official plot brief alongside Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first trailer in mid-March, said synopsis confirmed that Peter Parker's next solo adventure would be set four years after No Way Home.

Considering Spider-Man's last film took place in late 2024, Brand New Day should be set sometime in the year 2028, but that 'nine months later' line indicates it'll open in mid- to late 2025 — so, what's going on?

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Marvel timeline position explained

Thankfully, there's a very simple explanation that clears up this particular conundrum — and the key to answering it lies in the script's third page, whose final sentence reads 'Begin montage'.

What does that mean? Spider-Man: Brand New Day might begin at some point in 2025, but its primary plot will take place in 2028.

Indeed, its initial sequence will reunite us with Tom Holland's webslinger in 2025. However, the montage that follows, which should show Spidey fighting and defeating myriad criminals we've seen in the Marvel Phase 6 film's first trailer, such as Tarantula and Boomerang, will catch us up on what Spidey's been up to since we last saw him before Brand New Day's primary narrative starts. In that sense, then, the montage will act as a time jump between its opening scene and the present-day storyline that follows.

Want to know more about Peter Parker's next MCU film? Find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Once you're done with that article, check out my Spider-Man: Brand New Day cast and character guide, and get the lowdown on how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order if you're planning a rewatch before Spider-Man 4 arrives in theaters on July 31.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 7 is out now on Disney+ — and it reunites us with another fan-favorite character from the titular hero's days on Netflix.

Picking up where last week's chapter ended, the Marvel TV show's latest entry includes a character cameo that I suspect few fans would've expected to see. Full spoilers immediately follow for this season's penultimate installment, so turn back now if you haven't watched it yet.

Who is Brett Mahoney in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 7?

For those who watched Daredevil during its three-season run on Netflix, Brett Mahoney needs no introduction. The fact that he shows up in the imprisoned Karen Page's time of need, and helps her to briefly reunite with Matt Murdock to come up with a plan to find her innocent of the charges leveled against her, is all that some fans will need in order to remember that Mahoney is one of the good guys.

There will be Disney+ viewers who didn't watch Daredevil and, by proxy, have no idea who he is, though, so let's take a brief trip down memory lane.

In the Netflix series, Mahoney was a New York City police officer who regularly aided Matt Murdock and Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson with their legal cases. A firm ally of the pair, Mahoney would pass on crucial evidence and/or information to them in order for them to successfully defend their innocent clients in court, and bring criminals to justice. That included helping to bring down Wilson Fisk, and demolish organized gangs including The Hand in The Defenders, aka the Netflix Marvel-Verse's crossover miniseries.

One of the few honest cops operating in the infamous New York district known as Hell's Kitchen, Mahoney also occasionally helped out Daredevil, aka Murdock's crime-fighting alter-ego. His relationship with the eponymous hero was an uneasy one, though, with the duo only seeing eye-to-eye over the shared vision to keep New York City safe.

Daredevil isn't the only vigilante Mahoney was associated with. After being promoted to Detective Sergeant, he was also tasked with tracking down Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, and the anti-hero's friend-turned-foe Billy Russo/Jigsaw. The last time we saw Mahoney in Netflix's Marvel-Verse was in The Punisher season 2 finale, with the NYPD officer closing the Jigsaw case following his demise at Castle's hands.

Why has Brett Mahoney only just shown up in Daredevil: Born Again?

Considering he's a long-time associate of Murdock and company, it's odd that Mahoney has only just re-entered the fold in Daredevil: Born Again. After all, Murdock — as his civilian self and vigilante alias — has had run-ins with the NYPD and other law enforcing agencies, such as Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force, both on New York's streets and its police precinct.

Surely, then, Murdock and Mahoney would have crossed paths at some point? Maybe, but there's a very easy explanation as to why they haven't reunited until now.

It's no secret that, initially, this Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show was going to be a wholly separate entity to its Netflix predecessor. However, following a near-complete creative overhaul of Daredevil: Born Again in October 2023, Marvel decided to more closely align this show with its forebear.

Sure, the decision to turn Born Again into a Daredevil sequel series birthed a Frankenstein's monster of a first season, the story, character arcs, and general tone of which were all uneven. Nonetheless, that creative reset now allows characters like Foggy, Page, Jessica Jones, and Mahoney among others to be permanent fixtures in the MCU. We've recently learned that more Netflix Marvel-Verse characters will appear in Born Again season 3, too, with Luke Cage and Danny Rand also set to join the party.

The Marvel Phase 6 show's debut season didn't have room to simultaneously bring all of them back. But, with Born Again firmly established on one of the best streaming services in Disney+, its second season has the time and space — as will its third season — to finally welcome back individuals like Mahoney into the fold.

It's almost time to wave goodbye to Daredevil: Born Again season 2. With only two more episodes left of the Marvel TV show's latest installment, it'll soon be going on hiatus until its in-development third season graces our screens sometime in 2027. We better enjoy this season's final pair while we can, then.

So, when will the first of that duo come out on Disney+? Scroll on to find out more.

What time can I watch episode 7 of Daredevil: Born Again's second season?

In North and South America, the penultimate episode of Daredevil: Born Again's sophomore season will premiere on Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm PT / 9pm ET.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world will have to tune into Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, a day later on Wednesday, April 29 to see it. Here's a list of the all-important release times you need to be aware of if you live in one of the following nations:

• US — Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• Canada — Tuesday, April 28 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• UK — Wednesday, April 29 at 2am GMT
• India — Wednesday, April 29 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, April 29 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, April 29 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, April 29 at 1pm NZDT

When will the final episode of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 come out?

Unless chapter 8 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show's second season gets a surprise release date change, it'll drop on Tuesday, May 5 / Wednesday, May 6.

I've already seen this season's finale — and, spoilers notwithstanding, it sets up an interesting arc for Daredevil in the series' next season. So, be sure to check back in for my full breakdown of Born Again 2's finale in the near future to get an idea of what next season might entail.

• Two new toys for Spider-Man: Brand New Day have been revealed
• The tie-in merch seems to spoil a key plot point in the Marvel movie
• They've also excited fans over a possible recreation of a very specific comic book page

Two new toys for Spider-Man: Brand New Day have been revealed — and they seem to spoil a major plot point in the forthcoming movie.

The tie-in merch, which was unveiled on the official Hasbro Pulse website last weekend (April 25/26), appears to hint that the titular webslinger will be forced to fight another Marvel hero in his next solo film. Potentially big spoilers immediately follow for Brand New Day's story, so do not proceed if you don't want to know anything else.

One of two figurines, which are available to pre-order ahead of Spider-Man 4's debut, confirms that The Hulk, aka Bruce Banner's superhuman alter-ego, will appear in the Marvel Phase 6 flick.

We already knew that Banner would show up. Indeed, reports first surfaced that Banner would appear in Spider-Man 4 last May, but it wasn't until Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first trailer was released in mid-March that this was confirmed. To find out who else is in the forthcoming film, read my Spider-Man 4 cast and character guide.

But I digress. There had been speculation that Banner's gamma-irradiated alias would also return but, until now, Sony and Marvel hadn't publicly acknowledged that Hulk would be part of proceedings.

However, this tie-in product, coupled with the recent unveiling of a Brand New Day LEGO set not only confirmed those rumors were true, but also that Spider-Man will battle Hulk's savage form at some point. Indeed, the Hasbro Pulse Hulk collectible comes packaged with a webbing accessory that can be attached to Hulk's hands, which indicates Spidey will need to turn on his fellow Avenger to stop him rampaging across New York City.

Why this will happen is, publicly at least, unclear. However, considering we haven't seen Savage Hulk since Avengers: Infinity War, it'll take something — or someone — of great power to unlock that fury-driven, unstoppable Hulk persona from causing widespread destruction.

Why Marvel fans are excited about a Spider-Man and Hulk encounter

Interestingly, it's not a likely duel between the wallcrawler and The Hulk that's piqued fans' curiosity, but the description accompanying the new Hulk figurine.

"Spider-Man is surprised to see the Hulk again after so much time has passed, and has no idea if Hulk will remember him," it says. "Will Hulk be a friend or foe?"

It's the first part of that description that has fans excited. Why? Because it might be teasing the live-action adaptation of a fan-favorite Marvel comic book panel.

In The Immortal Hulk: Great Power Volume 1 #1, which takes place years after the controversial Spider-Man: One New Day storyline, aka when Peter Parker traded his marriage to make everyone forgot he was Spider-Man, Hulk tells Parker that he never forgot he was Spider-Man. That's because, at the time that the demon lord Mephisto cast the spell that made the world forget Parker was a superhero, Banner was affected by said magic, but Hulk — who, in the comics, is considered to be a separate entity to Banner — wasn't impacted.

With Spider-Man: No Way Home loosely adapting One More Day's storyline, and with Brand New Day drawing inspiration from its comic book namesake that followed, some believe Spidey's next Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project will recreate this moment. Well, as long as the eponymous hero finds a way to calm Hulk down.

"Oh s**t, are we actually getting that one scene?" BrockPurdytheGoat420 wrote on Reddit. "I do think it makes a lot of sense," LTM438 replied. "The Hulk is obviously an alter, but Bruce's brain also literally physically transforms when Bruce Hulks out, which is, I would assume, why Bruce never remembers any of it."

"I would love this," Unique_Unorque agreed, before Wack_photgraphy added: "I f*****g hope so. It would be badass. We haven't seen Hulk 'hulk [out]' in a long time. It would be nice if he had touching moment with Peter, as well as all the carnage that may occur."

There are others, though, unconvinced that this scene will play out.

In the same Reddit that the above comments were pulled from, individuals point out that Brand New Day will technically be the first time that Parker and Banner have met in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Sure, they were both present at Tony Stark's funeral in Avengers: Endgame, but they've never directly interacted as their superhero alter-egos, so, how would The Hulk know Parker is Spider-Man?

It's a valid argument that would certainly prevent the aforementioned comic book scene being recreated in Spider-Man 4. While I'm in the camp of those who'd love to see this translated from page to screen, then, I can't see it happening for the above reason. Here's hoping I'm wrong, though!

For more on the first MCU movie of the year, find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

It's almost time to tune in to a new episode of Daredevil: Born Again season 2. And, after last week's emotionally taxing installment, which included more than one poignant trip down memory lane, the Marvel TV show will be keeping its feet firmly planted in the present with its next entry.

You'll want to know when this season's sixth episode will be released, then — and, luckily for you, this article holds all of the answers you seek. So, throw on your best Daredevil cosplay and let's take the plunge together.

What is the launch time for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 6?

Daredevil: Born Again's next chapter will make its Disney+ debut on Tuesday, April 21. In the US, the Marvel Phase 6 TV show will return at the now-customary time of 6pm PT / 9pm ET, too.

Armed with that launch-time information, we can work out when season 2 episode 6 will drop in other territories. Viewers outside of North and South America should be aware, through, that it'll come out on Wednesday, April 22:

• US — Tuesday, April 21 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• Canada — Tuesday, April 21 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• UK — Wednesday, April 22 at 2am GMT
• India — Wednesday, April 22 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, April 22 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, April 22 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, April 22 at 1pm NZDT

When can I watch new episodes of Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again season 2?

Every Tuesday in the Americas and every Wednesday on other continents. That'll be the case until the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show's season 2 finale airs in early May.

Here's when its final three episodes will land on Disney+, aka one of the best streaming services:

• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 6 — April 21/22
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 7 — April 28/29
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 8 — May 5/6

• Marvel has unveiled a new Avengers: Doomsday trailer starring Doctor Doom
• It was shown exclusively to CinemaCon 2026 attendees
• Unhappy MCU fans want it to be released to combat AI fakes

Marvel has revealed a fresh trailer for Avengers: Doomsday — and fans are incredibly unhappy that it hasn't been released publicly.

Unveiled yesterday (April 16) during Disney's CinemaCon 2026 presentation, the new teaser includes the first footage of Robert Downey's Jr's Doctor Victor von Doom, aka the highly-anticipated movie's primary antagonist.

According to those present in the room, other highlights from the trailer include a soul-swelling reunion between Thor and Steve Rogers, Shang-Chi fighting Gambit, and Yelena Belova battling Mystique with the latter disguised as the former. Oh, and Thor attempting to strike Doom with Stormbreaker; an attack that the incredibly powerful Latverian sorcerer easily stops with one hand.

The latest look at the hugely exciting Marvel movie comes four months after the comic book giant released four bite-sized teasers for its next Avengers project. That quartet focused on Chris Evans' return as Captain America in Doomsday, Thor asking his father Odin to help him win one final battle, some menacing mutant mayhem involving the Fox-Verse's X-Men, and a team-up between the Fantastic Four and the Wakandans.

Unfortunately, the film's fifth teaser hasn't been released publicly — and Marvel has moved quickly to issue DMCA takedowns of footage from Disney's presentation that's leaked online. So, what gives?

Why can't I watch the new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday?

Unlike the aforementioned teasers, Avengers 5's latest round of footage won't be made available. That's because trailers debuted at CinemaCon are only shown exclusively to those who are lucky enough to be in attendance.

Predictably, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans have been left incredibly frustrated. Indeed, threads on Reddit and the ResetEra forums, plus social media platforms like X/Twitter, are full of comments from disgruntled individuals.

The common consensus among many aggrieved fans is that, in light of multiple news outlets publishing descriptions of said teaser, Marvel should just make it available for everyone to enjoy. Furthermore, MCU diehards believe releasing it would also put an end to the numerous fake AI trailers that have already appeared online in the hours since Disney's presentation ended.

Comment from r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers

"Marvel is blue-balling us right now," Reddit user Miserable-Ebb8803 lamented. "Oh my lawd [sic], please release the trailer," nyr00nyg pleaded after reading a description of the teaser, before goofygoober2213 wrote: "I usually don't like leaks, but I need someone to leak it already bro."

Meanwhile, YouOk5376 opined: "Why gate-keep the trailer from the general audience?", while TheVeryRareGuy said: "Bro, I don’t wanna read about it. Where’s the goddamn trailer?"

"I never understood for years why these trailers were shown exclusively to attendees (as if attendees already didn't get plenty of benefits for going)," NecessaryTrouble2041 added. "They'd really rather get people to read a description of it ahead of the release, which would lower the impact the trailer would have had had it been seen for the first time."

"I've never understood this strategy of waiting days or weeks to release trailers after these private viewing events," xsupajesusx agreed. "Either you get to see some s****y boot leg leaked cell phone video, or you read/get spoiled by the description from people that saw and get a lackluster first viewing once they finally release it for the general public."

When will Marvel release the new trailer for Avengers: Doomsday?

There's no guarantee that they will. Trailers shown at events like CinemaCon are usually reserved for those lucky enough to go to them, so we might never actually see this specific teaser.

Okay, it's likely that some footage from the Marvel Phase 6 film's newest teaser will be used whenever an official trailer debuts online. I'll be very surprised, though, if this exact video is ever released to the public.

All of that said, Marvel Studios will eventually give us an official trailer to pore over — so, when will that be?

On Reddit, user mdhughes23 theorized that it drop at some point during the NBA Playoffs, which will be broadcast live on ESPN, aka the sports channel owned by Disney. These begin on April 18 and could potentially run until June 19, which means a teaser could arrive anytime within a two-month window.

Meanwhile, fellow Redditor GoGreenSox stated their belief that it could run ahead of The Mandalorian and Grogu (TM&G).

The first Star Wars movie in seven years will make its theatrical debut on May 22. Considering the iconic sci-fi franchise is also owned by Disney, it's not outlandish to suggest that a Doomsday trailer could be shown ahead of TM&G. After all, Disney released each of the MCU film's first four teasers during Avatar: Fire and Ash's (another film property own by Disney, FYI) first four weeks in theaters last December, so there's a precedent for the House of Mouse doing something like this.

Interesting as those hypotheses are, though, I can't see Marvel releasing an official trailer for Avengers: Doomsday publicly until late July, which is when San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) 2026 will take place.

Apart from the odd absence, the comic titan always holds a panel at SDCC, with past presentations have included major announcements and trailer reveals. In my mind, then, SDCC 2026 — and, therefore, late July — is the earliest I expect to see a proper teaser for one of this year's most exciting new movies.

While we wait for another Doomsday video to come out, find out everything we know so far about Avengers: Doomsday. When you're done, read the latest rumor about a potential launch date for Avengers 5, too.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5 has made its Disney+ debut — and there are two big talking points that we need to address.

Titled 'The Grand Design', the Marvel TV show's latest chapter unsurprisingly examines the fallout from Born Again season 2 episode 4's shock ending. Additionally, though, it also brings two characters back from the dead, in the only way that said duo could be realistically revived.

Full spoilers immediately follow for this season's fifth episode. Do not read past this point if you haven't watched it yet.

How are Foggy Nelson and James Wesley alive in Daredevil: Born Again season 2?

Simple: they appear in flashback sequences that precede and take place around Daredevil's first TV show, which ran for three seasons on Netflix and whose events are deemed canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Ever since Matt Murdock's law partner and best friend Franklin 'Foggy' Nelson was murdered in the Disney+ show's premiere, fans have speculated that Foggy would reappear in Daredevil: Born Again.

It wasn't an outlandish theory. Daredevil: Born Again has been inspired by various comic book storylines, including one where Foggy is presumably killed. However, it's later revealed he faked his own death so he could enter a witness protection program, thereby allowing readers to breathe a sigh of relief.

I can fully understand why, then, some viewers thought a similar scenario would eventually play out in Born Again season 2. As it happens, Foggy is brought back to life — just not in the way that many expected.

Indeed, as I originally teased in my Daredevil: Born Again season 2 review, its fifth episode comprises the series' present day storyline, and flashbacks to Matt and Foggy's days as legal interns. In the wake of Foggy's unexpected demise last season, it's a bittersweet and poignant chapter that underlines the great and much-missed chemistry that Charlie Cox and Elden Henson had as their respective characters in the Netflix show.

It also closes the book on Foggy ever returning in Born Again. Indeed, this specific memory forces Matt to not only finally confront Foggy's death at Bullseye's hands, but actually forgive the sociopathic assassin by helping an injured Bullseye evade Wilson Fisk's Anti-Vigilante Task Force in this episode.

Foggy isn't the only returning face we see in 'The Grand Design'. In a separate flashback, we finally see the lead-up to Wilson Fisk's first encounter with Vanessa, which took place in the Netflix show's first season.

As part of this look-back storyline, we're reintroduced to someone we haven't seen since Daredevil season 1: James Wesley.

For those unfamiliar or in need of a refresher, James Wesley was Wilson Fisk's right-hand man and close confidante in the Netflix series. He oversaw the day-to-day running of Fisk's criminal empire and unceremoniously bumped off anyone who posed a risk to said unlawful activities. Think of him as a cross between Born Again's Daniel Blake and Buck Cashman, and you'll get the idea.

Anyway, Wesley didn't stick around for long because he was killed by Karen Page in Daredevil season 1's penultimate episode. Thanks to Born Again season 2 episode 5's walk down memory lane, though, the Marvel Phase 6 TV show offers another glimpse at the tight bond that existed between Fisk and Wesley before the latter shuffled off his mortal coil.

Does Vanessa Fisk die in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5?

At the top of this article, I mentioned there were two big topics of discussion regarding this week's episode — and this is the other one.

Following Born Again season 2's premiere, Wilson Fisk actor Vincent D'Onofrio appeared to spoil Vanessa Fisk's death in the MCU TV show. Then, with last week's chapter revealing that Vanessa had suffered what looked to be a fatal injury, it seemed all but certain that she would perish.

However, 'The Grand Design' appears to grant her a reprieve from being the show's latest casualty. Indeed, as part of its present day plot, we see one of New York's best brain surgeons operate to save Vanessa's life. Considering she soon wakes from her coma, it seems the operation was a success and that she'll make a full recovery.

That optimism ends up being misplaced. In episode 5's final stages, Vanessa takes a turn for the worse and, despite the efforts of nearby doctors and nurses to resuscitate her, she passes away, much to the devastation of Wilson Fisk.

With his long-time love no longer around to rein in his worst tendencies, all eyes will be on next week's episode to see how the temperamental and tyrannical Mayor of New York will react. Will Vanessa's death cause him to crack down harder on the city's vigilantes and their supporters? And what else will he do with nobody else capable of keeping him unchecked? We'll find out soon enough.

• Sony has given a brief update on Spider-Man: Brand New Day at CinemaCon 2026
• Two new posters for the Marvel movie have been publicly released
• Its first extended clip was shown behind-closed-doors, too

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first extended clip has been revealed — but you won't be able to watch it online.

Shown during Sony's CinemaCon 2026 presentation yesterday (April 13), the footage is an expanded look at the apartment party scene briefly teased in Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first trailer. Sadly, it was exclusively shown to CinemaCon attendees, so the rest of us will have to make do with poring over the Marvel movie's inaugural teaser trailer for the umpteenth time instead.

In an attempt to dampen our disappointment over the footage's public no-show, Sony has also unveiled two new official posters for the Tom Holland-starring superhero film — I'm not sure which one I prefer.

Indeed, I really like the nostalgic feel of the first, which is a clear homage to those classic Tobey Maguire Spider-Man poster of the early 2000s, but I'm equally fond of the kinetic nature of Holland's Peter Parker barrelling into samurai sword-wielding members of The Hand. See which one of the aforementioned one sheets you prefer below:

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to thwip into theaters on July 31, 2026, so it's no surprise that Sony is ramping up its marketing campaign for one of 2026's most anticipated new movies.

Nonetheless, based on the descriptions I've read about Spider-Man 4's first clip, I'm surprised that it's the one that Sony decided to show off at CinemaCon. To discuss why, I need to put on my theory hat and forewarn you that, while I have no insider knowledge of its plot, potential spoilers for Brand New Day might follow. I'm also going to talk about Spider-Man: No Way Home's ending, so full spoilers also follow for that flick.

How Spider-Man 4's first clip might retcon No Way Home's ending — and impact Avengers 5 and 6

Before we get into Brand New Day's first clip, let's quickly remind ourselves about No Way Home's finale.

In the latter flick, Peter Parker convinced Doctor Strange to cast a spell on the entire world that would make it forget that Parker was Spider-Man. This was the only way to prevent other universes from colliding with the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and causing a catastrophic Incursion event, which would've wiped out the MCU and its sister dimensions.

Long story short: Strange casts the spell and everyone, including Parker's girlfriend M.J. and best pal Ned Leeds, forgets that he's the iconic webslinger.

However, Spider-Man 4's first clip (as reported by IGN) revealed that Ned is not only aware of Spider-Man, but remembers that he's rescued Ned and his friends numerous times. Subsequently, Ned has created an app called the 'Spider-Tracker', which he wants to use to find Spidey, and personally thank him for saving Ned's life and those of his closest friends.

Crucially, Ned doesn't want the eponymous hero to reveal who he is. Even if he found the wallcrawler, then, Parker wouldn't have to unmask himself and potentially undo Strange's spell if Ned somehow recognizes him.

That said, Parker's already playing with fire by interacting with Ned and M.J at the apartment gathering I mentioned earlier. If one or both of them track down Spider-Man — and we've already seen in the film's first trailer that there'll be at least one interaction between him and M.J — what are the chances that Parker will give into his desire to reunite with his girlfriend and bestie, and reveal his true identity? Pretty high, if you ask me.

You don't need me to *ahem* spell out how damaging that would be, but I'll do it anyway. If Spider-Man unmasks himself, and Ned and/or M.J remembers him, in the Marvel Phase 6 movie, it'll nullify Strange's enchantment, which could cause a new Incursion.

The next two Avengers movies — Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — will be centered on those cataclysmic multiversal events. If Parker gives into temptation and creates another Incursion, then, Brand New Day will have a bigger impact on the Multiverse Saga's multi-move capper than we may have thought.

We'll see if my theory is correct when Spider-Man 4 arrives later this year. In the meantime, find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 has reached its midpoint — and, after last week's episode ended on a major cliffhanger, I bet you're dying to see its follow-up chapter.

Thankfully, the Marvel TV show's next entry isn't too far away. You'll need to read on to get the lowdown on when it'll be released where you live, though, so warm up your scrolling finger and get going!

What is the launch time for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5?

Titled 'The Grand Design', Daredevil: Born Again's forthcoming entry will make its Disney+ bow on Tuesday, April 14 in North and South America. It'll come out a day later — Wednesday, April 15 — in other territories.

From an official release time standpoint, here's when the Marvel Phase 6 TV series' next installment will air where you live:

• US — Tuesday, April 14 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• Canada — Tuesday, April 14 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• UK — Wednesday, April 15 at 2am GMT
• India — Wednesday, April 15 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, April 15 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, April 15 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, April 15 at 1pm NZDT

How many more episodes are there in Daredevil: Born Again season 2?

After this week's episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV show, there will only be three more chapters to enjoy before the sophomore season of Daredevil's latest live-action series ends.

Looking for a list of when they'll drop on one of the world's best streaming services? Read on:

• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5 — April 14/15
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 6 — April 21/22
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 7 — April 28/29
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 8 — May 5/6

Hey, Frank, the first trailer for your Marvel TV Special, aka The Punisher: One Last Kill, has been released — and, well, it's left me with more questions than answers.

Fancy tellin' us sumthin more about your forthcoming Disney+ Special Presentation? No? I guess I'll have to give my two cents on what it appears to tell us about its plot, supporting cast, and more besides.

Below, I've rounded up some of the most popular questions that Marvel fans have asked since the above teaser, which dropped yesterday (April 9) and came a few short days after One Last Kill's first clip was revealed. Then, I'll do my best to answer them — or, at the very least, offer my theories on its story ahead of The Punisher: One Last Kill's release on May 12/13.

Potential spoilers follow for The Punisher's Special Presentation. Full spoilers also follow for his self-titled Netflix show and Daredevil: Born Again season 1, so proceed with extreme caution.

1. Is Curtis Hoyle dead in The Punisher: One Last Kill?

One of the biggest — if not the biggest — questions on Marvel fans' minds after the teaser's release concerns Jason R. Moore's Curtis Hoyle.

For those who might have forgotten: the former Navy SARC is not only a close friend of Jon Bernthal's Frank Castle, but also someone who regularly aided Castle in both seasons of The Punisher on Netflix. Indeed, whether it was giving Castle free therapy — Hoyle became a counsellor for other veterans suffering from PTSD after he lost a leg during active service — or feeding him intel, Hoyle was always someone Castle could rely on.

That makes his likely demise all the more heart-wrenching. Hoyle was alive and well at the end of The Punisher, but based on One Last Kill's trailer, it appears he's no longer around. That much is evident in the brief scenes we see of Castle hallucinating his fallen US armed forces comrades. With Hoyle among their number, it appears he's died — or, even worse, murdered — in the time since we last saw him.

Will Castle find out about one of his best friends' demises as part of One Last Kill's story? Or is this something that happened prior to, say, his small supporting role in season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again?

If it's the latter, it would explain why he was lying low when we were reunited with him in that Marvel Phase 6 TV show, especially if someone was gunning for Castle — and, later, his allies — to seek retribution for something Castle had done. Who could that be? Well...

2. Who is trying to kill Frank Castle in The Punisher TV Special?

A sizable chunk of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV Special's first trailer is dedicated to Castle's inner demons re-surfacing and him struggling to deal with the mental toll they continually take on him.

Around its midpoint, though, we see Castle standing in the largely empty room he's renting in New York City as a fuel trail, which has been poured and seeped underneath the door of said apartment, is set on fire. With his trousers igniting, Castle roars before charging headfirst towards the apartment's front door, presumably to attack whoever's trying to assassinate him.

So, who's the culprit? We don't know, but as I've speculated in my dedicated guide to The Punisher: One Last Kill, the most likely candidate is Ma Gnucci.

For those who don't know: Ma Gnucci — real name Isabella Carmela Magdalena Gnucci — is the head of the, well, Gnucci crime family. In the comics, the leader of New York's biggest criminal enterprise has a long-standing vendetta with Castle that began when the latter killed her three sons.

Will One Last Kill adapt this storyline and reveal that Bernthal's anti-hero murdered Gnucci's offspring, thereby kickstarting a feud that's claimed lives on both sides? It wouldn't surprise me, especially as Gnucci and Castle's deadly tussle begins in 'Welcome Back, Frank', the 2011 graphic novel created by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, and Jimmy Palmiotti.

That comic book series is a clear inspiration for the Anti-Vigilante Task Force (AVTF) in Daredevil: Born Again (NB: it's called the Punished Task Force in the source material), so there's already a connection between said graphic novel and Daredevil's own MCU TV series.

Let's not forget that, when Jon Bernthal unveiled One Last Kill's first poster on Instagram, it was accompanied by the caption "Welcome back, Frank". Coincidence? I think not. To me, then, it would make perfect sense if One Last Kill imagines the story told in 'Welcome Back, Frank'.

3. Where does The Punisher: One Last Kill sit on the Marvel timeline?

The MCU timeline has confused plenty of fans in the wake of Avengers: Endgame — you can learn more about this in my Marvel movies in order guide — so it wouldn't be a shock if some viewers weren't sure where One Last Kill fits onto said timeline.

My view is that it'll likely take place around the same time as Daredevil: Born Again season 2. For one, Bernthal's Castle won't appear in the aforementioned show's latest season, so it's clear he'll be off doing his own thing rather than helping the titular vigilante take down New York's autocratic, criminal mayor Wilson Fisk.

There's an even bigger clue in One Last Kill's trailer, though. At the 1:03 mark, we see Castle walking down a street as chaos erupts around him. Born Again 2 spoilers notwithstanding, if Fisk's iron fist approach causes riots to erupt in later episodes, it's not outlandish to suggest that The Punisher's TV Special will be set in the final throes of Born Again season 2.

Alternatively, it could occur immediately after this season's finale, which, as Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane has already confirmed, will bring the Mayor Fisk storyline to a close. Without a recognized mayor, New York might temporarily descend into anarchy, which would explain why Castle is surrounded by scenes of a chaotic nature.

4. How will One Last Kill set up Spider-Man: Brand New Day?

By this point, it's common knowledge that The Punisher will show up in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Indeed, after reports indicated Bernthal's Castle would show up in Spider-Man 4 last June, his appearance was confirmed in Brand New Day's first trailer.

Of course, that begs the question: will The Punisher: One Last Kill directly impact Spider-Man 4's story — or, at the very least, Castle's role in proceedings? I think it will. Aside from the fact that Spider-Man and The Punisher both live and operate in NYC, though, it's difficult to say why the latter will have a supporting role to play. I've got my theories — you can read those in the guide to One Last Kill that I linked to earlier — but, until the Bernthal-led Special Presentation is released, I can't fully answer this query.

For now, find out what we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Once you're done, read my Brand New Day cast and character guide to see who else will appear in the MCU movie.

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4 has debuted on Disney+ — and its final scene is going to have major repercussions for its remaining episodes.

Titled 'Gloves Off', the Marvel TV show's latest entry culminates in a high-stakes showdown involving Daredevil, Bullseye, and the Fisks at a charity boxing event. And, considering that it ends with the potential death of a major character, things might never be the same for Matt Murdock and company moving forward.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4. Do not proceed if you haven't seen it yet.

What happens in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4's finale?

As you already know, the Disney+ show has been building towards a charity boxing match involving New York's autocratic mayor Wilson Fisk. This has been teased since this season's second episode, which showed Fisk, aka Kingpin, sparring with his trainer in preparation for said bout.

Fast forward to Daredevil: Born Again's latest episode, and we learn that Fisk doesn't just want his wife Vanessa to not be sat ringside; he doesn't want her there at all.

The reason? Bullseye. Real name Benjamin Pointdexter, the sociopathic vigilante has been gunning for the Fisks ever since they manipulated him into killing Foggy Nelson in Daredevil: Born Again's season 1 premiere. It's Vanessa who's trained in his crosshairs, too, after Born Again season 1 episode 8 revealed she was responsible for putting the hit out on Foggy.

Wanting revenge for tricking him into murdering Foggy, Bullseye has already tried to assassinate Vanessa before, with that failed attempt coming in last season's penultimate chapter. Now, with the likelihood that she'll be watching her husband at the forthcoming fight, Bullseye has another opportunity to complete his self-appointed mission to kill her.

That brings us onto the final minutes of 'Gloves Off'. Against her husband's wishes, Vanessa turns up at the charity event. Not long after, Bullseye also arrives on the scene, dispatches the Anti-Vigilant Task Force (AVTF) guards on duty, and makes a beeline for Vanessa.

In the ensuing chaos, Bullseye throws a small, memorabilia-like glass bust of Wilson Fisk — which are on sale at the event — at Vanessa. However, Wilson parries it with the title belt he's just won, which causes the thrown object to shatter into multiple pieces.

Pointdexter is then shot by another AVTF gunman as he takes out two more of Wilson Fisk's bodyguards. And, as NYC's authoritarian leader prepares to permanently put down Bullseye with a bullet from a handgun he arms himself with, Daredevil comes to the rescue. Disarming Fisk with his grapple baton, Murdock's masked alter-ego grabs the injured Pointdexter and the pair leap through the venue's front window to escape.

A furious Wilson Fisk watches on, but his anger soon turns to horror. Hearing "...Wilson?" uttered weakly by Vanessa, he turns to see a shard of broken glass from the deflected bust has lodged itself in Vanessa's right temple. As blood pores from the wound, a panic-stricken Wilson rushes over to her as she collapses. Cue Fisk screaming for a medic before the screen cuts to black.

Will Vanessa Fisk die in Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5?

You would think so. Sustaining any type of head injury is cause of great concern, but the one that Vanessa has means it's not looking good for her chances of survival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

The probability that she'll live beyond the next episode decreases significantly when you also factor in comments made by Wilson Fisk actor Vincent D'Onofrio. Indeed, just after this season's premiere, D'Onofrio seemed to spoil that Vanessa will die in Born Again 2 on a recent episode of the series' official podcast.

Now, it's plausible that D'Onofrio was referring to someone else when he said "So, Fisk's worry is that the public thinks — might think — that her death is preoccupying him". It's also possible that, with the best medical minds at Wilson Fisk's disposal, Vanessa could live to fight another day.

Other comments from D'Onofrio indicate that she won't, though.

Speaking to IGN in March 2025, he revealed he "had to have a little cry" over the scripts for the Marvel Phase 6 TV show's second season. What would elicit such an emotional reaction from someone who's played the same character for over a decade than the demise of said individual's paramour? And, if she does pass away, what impact will that have on Fisk's unrelenting crackdown on not only vigilantes and their supporters, but also his iron-fist ruling of New York City?

Admittedly, I've seen all eight episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season 2, so I know the outcome of this particular plot thread. Don't worry, though, I'm not saying anything else. You'll just have to tune into one of the world's best streaming services next week to find out what happens.

• A new mid-season trailer for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 has been unveiled
• It reveals a big detail about Jessica Jones ahead of her Disney+ debut
• We're also given the first official glimpse at The Punisher: One Last Kill

A new trailer for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 has been released — and it includes two big things that'll make Marvel fans very, very happy.

Unveiled ahead of the show's next episode, the mid-season teaser, well, teases that all hell is about to break loose on the streets of New York. For that to happen, something has to give in the increasingly volatile battle between Daredevil and Wilson Fisk — don't be surprised, then, if a game-changing incident happens in this season's forthcoming fourth entry.

For general audiences, it's anybody's guess what said major event could be.

Will it involve Bullseye, who's placed front and center in an extended look at the diner scene we briefly glimpsed in Born Again season 2's first trailer? What about Karen Page being behind bars after seemingly being captured by the Anti-Vigilante Task Force? Or how about what'll be another rage-filled showdown between the eponymous hero and Fisk?

Admittedly, I've seen all eight episodes of Born Again season 2, so I know what's coming. I'm not going to ruin anything story-wise here, though — instead, I'm going to leave that to Marvel, who dropped what I'd consider to be a pretty big spoiler in the Disney+ series' latest teaser. So, be warned: big spoilers immediately follow.

Hang on, Jessica Jones is a mom in Daredevil: Born Again season 2?

Yep, the Marvel Phase 6 TV show's new trailer officially confirms this. Around the 1:04 mark of the teaser, Jones tells Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil's civilian persona, that someone "showed up at my house with my daughter there."

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project's latest teaser doesn't reveal her kid's name, but comic book fans already know it's Danielle. That's hugely significant, too — in the comics, Danielle Jones is the daughter of Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, the latter of whom is yet to make his own MCU debut.

Rumors have swirled for months that Mike Colter, who played Cage in Netflix's Marvel-Verse, will reprise his role as Harlem's Unbreakable Man. And, after behind-the-scenes images, which were shared online last weekend (April 4/5), confirmed Colter will return in Born Again season 3, we know Cage is set to make his Disney+ era MCU entrance in due course.

Of course, the big question you might want me to answer is: will Cage appear in Born Again season 2 before it ends? Sorry, but my lips are sealed.

Lemme show you sumthin' about The Punisher: One Last Kill

That isn't the only thing that the latest trailer for Daredevil: Born Again's sophomore season reveals. It also gives us our first official look, albeit an incredibly brief one, at The Punisher: One Last Kill.

Indeed, the final eight seconds of the teaser are dedicated to showing off The Punisher's forthcoming Disney+ TV Special. We get a close up of the anti-hero's spray-painted bulletproof vest complete with its iconic skull emblem, and then a shot of the titular character pulling the trigger on a sawn-off shotgun that's directly pointed at the camera.

As I said, it's only a quick glimpse at One Last Kill, so there's very little we can glean about its plot. One thing worth noting, however, is the name of the venue that The Punisher, aka Frank Castle, is standing in front of in the shotgun-firing clip.

That'll be Gnucci's, which Marvel fans will instantly recognize as a reference to Ma Gnucci, the head of a criminal enterprise with established ties to Castle in the comics. Like Colter's Cage, speculation has swirled online that Ma Gnucci would be One Last Kill's primary antagonist for a while now, so this all but confirms those rumors.

Want to know even more about the upcoming Disney+ special presentation? Read my guide on everything we know so far about The Punisher: One Last Kill.

It's nearly time for another round of Daredevil: Born Again. The R-rated show's next chapter, titled 'Gloves Off', will attempt to deliver a knockout blow when it drops on Disney+ later this week — so you'll want to know when the bell will be rung on its arrival.

Okay okay, enough with the boxing metaphors. Here's when the Marvel TV show's next episode will be released where you live.

What is the launch time for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4?

Daredevil: Born Again season 2's next entry will make its Disney+ debut on Tuesday, April 7 (North and South America) and Wednesday, April 8 (everywhere else).

With the clocks going back one hour in Australia and New Zealand last weekend (April 4/5), viewers in these nations will be able to watch this season's fourth episode earlier than the first three, too. Everyone else will be able to stream the Marvel Phase 6 project's newest chapter at the same time that last week's double header did.

Confused? Don't worry, here's when season 2 episode 4 will launch where you live:

• US — Tuesday, April 7 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• Canada — Tuesday, April 7 at 6pm PDT / 9pm EDT
• UK — Wednesday, April 8 at 2am GMT
• India — Wednesday, April 8 at 6:30am IST
• Singapore — Wednesday, April 8 at 9am SGT
• Australia — Wednesday, April 8 at 11am AEST
• New Zealand — Wednesday, April 8 at 1pm NZDT

What is the release schedule for Daredevil: Born Again's second season?

New episodes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) TV Original will continue to air on one of the best streaming services every Tuesday in the Americas, and each Wednesday in other territories.

As long as Disney doesn't make a last-minute alteration to its release schedule, that'll be the case until the season 2 finale comes out on May 5/6.

Here are the dates that new installments of the Daredevil-fronted program will launch on:

• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 1 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 2 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 3 — out now
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 4 — April 7/8
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 5 — April 14/15
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 6 — April 21/22
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 7 — April 28/29
• Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episode 8 — May 5/6

The Punisher: One Last Kill isn't too far away now. The next Marvel Special Presentation set for release on Disney+, it'll make its debut on May 12 or 13, depending on where you live.

Great, but what do we know about the hour-long Marvel Phase 6 feature, which will reunite us with Jon Bernthal's anti-hero? Below, I've rounded up the biggest and latest details on the Disney+ special, including its story specifics, trailer, cast, and how it'll impact future at least one Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project. Lock and load, then, and let's dive in together.

The Punisher: One Last Kill release date

The Punisher: One Last Kill will premiere on Tuesday, May 12 (North and South America) and Wednesday, May 13 (everywhere else). Marvel confirmed The Punisher TV Special's release date and official title in late March.

If you skipped over this article's introduction, it'll run for around 60 minutes, so don't expect a full-blown TV movie from this production.

The Punisher: One Last Kill trailer

The Punisher: One Last Kill 's one and only trailer dropped in mid-April and came just 48 hours after a mid-season teaser for Daredevil: Born Again season 2 revealed our first look at One Last Kill.

Naturally, neither round of footage gives too much away about its plot, but I've tackled the four biggest talking points from One Last Kill's trailer, so read it if you want my take on what could occur.

The Punisher: One Last Kill confirmed cast

So far, The Punisher: One Last Kill only has two confirmed cast members:

• Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher
• Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle

Despite the release of its first trailer, the rest of the MCU TV Special's roster is yet to be publicly revealed.

Technically, that includes Moore's return as Hoyle. However, thanks to behind-the-scenes images shared by X/Twitter user DaredevilShots, we already knew he would reprise his role as the former Navy SARC. Moore also appeared in One Last Kill's trailer, so he's all but confirmed to return.

For the uninitiated: Hoyle was one of Castle's closest allies in Netflix's universe of Marvel TV shows. In that franchise, Hoyle lost a leg in active service but, here, it looks like he'll only be a figment of Castle's imagination. The reason? We don't know. Hoyle might've been killed off-screen, or it could just be Castle hallucinating as he mentally spirals out of control. Either way, we'll find out the answer soon enough.

Last July, DaredevilShots also shared images of Castle meeting a wheelchair-bound character in a kids' playground (see below). Many fans believed this to be Ma Gnucci, aka the leader of the Gnucci Crime Family who holds a specific grudge against Castle in Marvel Comics.

While there's no word on which actor might play her, she's practically confirmed to appear now, too. Indeed, One Last Kill's trailer showed Castle standing in front of a venue called Gnucci's so, unless this is a deep-cut Easter egg, Ma Gnucci will make an appearance.

Lastly, it's possible that Sadie Sink could feature. Sink was confirmed as part of the cast of Spider-Man: Brand New Day (more on this film shortly) last March. Since then, rumors have circulated that, in Spider-Man 4., her mystery character will be under Castle's protection. If true, the Stranger Things star might cameo in One Last Kill before her enigmatic individual and Castle appear in Spider-Man's next big-screen outing.

The Punisher: One Last Kill story synopsis and speculation

Full spoilers immediately follow for Daredevil: Born Again seasons 1 and 2.

Here's the official logline for The Punisher: One Last Kill: "Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, when an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight."

Little to go on, then, but at least we know we'll be reunited us with Castle sometime after Daredevil: Born Again season 1's finale. Indeed, in one of that episode's post-credits scenes, Castle escapes the Red Hook prison facility where enemies of Wilson Fisk, aka New York City's tyrannical mayor, have been incarcerated.

With The Punisher not appearing in Born Again 2, it appears he'll have been lying low to avoid Fisk's anti-vigilante task force, who'll surely be searching for him after his jailbreak. And, with Born Again showrunner Dario Scardapane indicating that One Last Kill is mainly set during this show's second season, that's the reason why Castle didn't help Daredevil oust Fisk as New York's autocratic mayor in the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 finale.

Ma Gnucci, though, might make Castle resurface and embark on another solo crusade to take her out, especially if she goes after him first. That could be our biggest clue about the One Last Kill part of his Disney+ Special Presentation's title, but I guess we'll find out if that's the case when it's released.

Two other big questions need to be answered once the TV Special airs. Will Sink's mystery character show up and/or be tied to Ma Gnucci? And, if Sink's unnamed individual appears before The Punisher: One Last Kill's end credits crawl, will it directly lead into Spider-Man's next MCU adventure? I can't provide answers on the former, but where the latter is concerned...

How will The Punisher: One Last Kill impact future Marvel projects?

It's already common knowledge that The Punisher is in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Indeed, after reports heavily implied Bernthal had been cast in Spider-Man 4 last June, his appearance was officially confirmed in Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first trailer.

So, how will One Last Kill impact the next Marvel movie's plot? Who's to say but, if I'm right in thinking Sink's character will appear in The Punisher's Disney+ Special, their arcs should carry over from The Punisher: One Last Kill to Brand New Day.

We already know that Born Again season 2 and Brand New Day are connected in some way — Marvel's Head of TV Brad Winderbaum admitted as much to Entertainment Weekly last October. And, given Castle's association to Daredevil's TV series, it's not a stretch to assume that One Last Kill will directly lead into Tom Holland's next outing as the iconic webslinger.

While we wait to see if this is actually the case, find out everything we know so far about Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Then, learn who'll appear alongside Holland, Bernthal, and Sink via my Spider-Man 4 cast and character guide.

For more Marvel coverage, find out what we know about Avengers: Doomsday, get the full lowdown on X-Men 97 season 2, see what's what about VisionQuest, and learn the first details about Wonder Man season 2.

• Episodes 2 and 3 of Daredevil: Born Again season 2 are out now
• Marvel fans have two new theories after this season's double header
• They relate to characters who are part of Wilson Fisk's inner circle

Daredevil: Born Again season 2 episodes 2 and 3 are out now on Disney+ — and they've spawned two new fan theories that seem to have more than an air of truth about them.

In the wake of this episodic pair's release, Marvel fans have taken to social media platforms to share their thoughts on the Disney+ show's latest double bill. And, amid wider discussions about where things will go next, some are in agreement about what lies in store for two individuals who are part of Wilson Fisk's inner circle.

Full spoilers immediately follow for Born Again seasons 1 and 2. Turn back now if you're not caught up yet.

1. Heather Glenn will become Muse 2.0 in Daredevil: Born Again

It's ironic that the only mental health therapist in Daredevil: Born Again is one of the show's most psychologically damaged individuals, but that's the hand that Heather Glenn, Matt Murdock's ex-girlfriend who now works as Fisk's Mental Health Commissioner, has been dealt.

After her near-death encounter with Bastian Cooper, aka the serial killer known as Muse, last season, it's clear that Glenn is still traumatized by said experience.

That's been made abundantly clear in the first three episodes of the Marvel Phase 6 TV show's second season. Indeed, Glenn has not only verbally lashed out at her patients (read: Fisk's enemies) during her sessions with them — a by-product of the severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) she has — but, in a surprise reveal, also kept hold of Muse's face mask following his death.

Unsurprisingly, Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) fans think Glenn is on a psychologically slippery slope that'll only end in one way: adopting the mass murderer's alias as her own, and becoming Muse 2.0.

"Heather kept the Muse mask?! No wonder she's cracking up," Reddit user deleteandrewind said, before Ok_Whole_3864 replied: "I think she’ll eventually put it on. Muse #2? I don't know, but she’s losing it."

"Heather, you’re so gonna be Muse," Redditor viibeShane interjected. "They’re not even being subtle at this point. Heather is definitely gonna become Muse," fellow user The Commish-17 wrote, before JayZsAdoptedSon jumped in to say: "Oh yeah, Heather is gonna be the second Muse. They are laying it on heavy."

2. Daniel Blake will die in Daredevil: Born Again season 2

The latest installment of Marvel's Daredevil TV show has the feel of a season that'll be full of collateral damage. Heck, one of Daredevil: Born Again's stars has already seemingly spoiled that a major character death will happen before season 2 ends.

Fans don't think that individual will be the only one who'll perish in Daredevil: Born Again season 2, though. Following the release of episodes 2 and 3, titled 'Shoot the Moon' and 'The Scales and the Sword', Disney+ viewers are becoming increasingly concerned for Daniel Blake.

Fisk's Head of Communications and Deputy Mayor has spent the last three episodes walking an increasingly precarious tightrope. Blake's clearly loyal to Fisk and his tyrannical regime, but his ongoing friendship with B.B. Urich, the on-the-beat reporter who works as something of a shadow operative for the Daredevil-led resistance, continues to cloud Blake's judgement. Indeed, every morsel of information that Urich leaks can be traced back to Blake. If he's not careful, one of them will come back to haunt him.

It's for that reason that those subscribed to one of the best streaming services believe he's living on borrowed time.

"Daniel is 100% gonna be the fall guy. Walking headstone," JayZsAdoptedSon said on Reddit. "Daniel might die before he gets any action from BB," The_Swarm22 wrote of the "will they, won't they" vibe that Blake and Urich's dynamic continues to give off.

"Oh damn, Daniel is cooked," NotTaken-username opined, before Adorable-Air-6901 amusingly theorized of the character's possible cause of death: "Daniel is going out that big ass window in his apartment."

Will Fisk eventually view Blake as a traitor and kill Blake himself? Or will he ask the unscrupulous Buck Cashman to dispense of Fisk's protégé once Fisk learns Blake is the one leaking things to Urich? I guess we'll find out if, as some audience members believe, Blake's days really are numbered.