Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair has a debut trailer and an April 10, 2026 release date on Hulu.

The trailer for the revival shows how Malcolm (Frankie Muniz) is dragged back into his family’s orbit after shielding himself from them for over a decade. We see Hal (Bryan Cranston) and Lois (Jane Kaczmarek) demand his presence at their 40th anniversary party, but poor Malcolm, it seems, would rather be left well alone.

“My life is fantastic now,” Malcolm says in the trailer. “All I had to do is stay away from my family.” Hilarity ensues.

New teaser for Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair.

Premieres April 10th on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/2VP21Pq0Gk

— The Disney Beat (@DisneyBeat101) December 29, 2025

Indeed, the entire original cast returns with the exception of little brother Dewey. Erik Per Sullivan, who originally played the character, won’t return to the show, with Caleb Ellsworth-Clark taking over the role for the revival. Cranston recently revealed the news in a conversation on Dana Carvey and David Spade’s Fly on the Wall podcast. “I talked to Erik and I said, ‘Hey, we got the show! It’s going to come back,’” he explained. “He goes, ‘Oh, that’s fantastic!’ And I go, ‘Yeah, so we’re looking forward to having you back.’ He goes, ‘Oh, no, no, I don’t want to do it. But it’s fantastic.'”

The former actor, who is now 33-years-old, has a pretty good reason for sitting this one out. “He’s actually going to Harvard,” Cranston said during the podcast. “He’s really, really smart, and he’s getting his master’s at Harvard right now. He said, ‘Oh God, no, I haven’t acted since I was nine or something. So I’m not into it.'” Following the show’s original run from 2002-2006, Sullivan stepped back from acting just four years later at age 19 to pursue other interests.

Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair is a special four-part mini-series set for Hulu and via Disney+.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Video game console sales cap out each generation at around 250 million, so how will the console manufacturers break through that barrier? By learning a crucial lesson from the videotape format war, one former PlayStation executive has suggested.

Speaking on the Pause for Thought and Naomi Kyle YouTube channel, Shawn Layden, former boss of Sony Interactive Entertainment America (SIEA), said the console video game market has hit a limit, and significant change is needed to expand beyond it.

“We talk about gaming as being this $250 billion industry, which it is, and have hundreds of millions of users, which it does,” he began. “But of course that includes if you're playing Wordle, you're a gamer. If you're playing Candy Crush, you're a gamer in that number. But the number of discrete consoles sold over any particular generation caps out about 250 million. If you line up all the PS1s, Sega Saturns, and N64s, and you go by generations, it's all about 250. The one time it popped to almost 300 was the generation that had the Wii, and people thought you could buy Wii Fit and lose weight. So, we got some non-traditional gaming audience to buy into the gaming industry at that time. But that was an anomaly and we've still kind of flattened out. So we need to crack that cap, that barrier.”

But how? Layden said the video game industry should study the past as it looks to the future, in particular Betamax’s loss to VHS in the videotape format war.

The videotape format war was a late 1970s/1980s battle between Sony's Betamax and JVC's VHS for dominance in home video recording, with VHS ultimately winning due to longer recording times, broader licensing (more manufacturers), and key partnerships with movie studios, making movies available for rental/purchase on VHS more readily, despite Betamax often having slightly better initial quality.

“Betamax lost to VHS for one reason only: that VHS licensed its format across many different manufacturers,” Layden explained. “Sony held the unique Betamax patent trademark and everything. There was a license we did with Toshiba towards the end of the lifecycle, but it never went wide like VHS.

“People didn't understand that need of having the same machine as your neighbor. You can have an RCA TV and you can have a Sony TV and you know that's all fine. But once your neighbor has picked VHS and you want to watch that tape of that movie, but you have Betamax, all of a sudden… So the industry coalesced around VHS.

“Then later on, Sony and Phillips created the compact disc consortium. They created the patent and then they licensed it out to all the other manufacturers. Same thing happened with DVD. Same thing happened with Blu-ray. They said that we'll compete on the device. So if you get a Bang & Olufsen Blu-ray player, it's going to cost you more than the Sanyo version, even though they'll both support the platform, but they'll have different bells and whistles.”

This, Layden said, is exactly what the video game industry should do: create a gaming format consortium of sorts.

“I think we need to get in a world where we have a gaming format,” he said. “Maybe it just comes from PC. Maybe we find a way just to do it all in a Linux kernel or something. And then we have a consortium around that. We have licensing programs which allow other manufacturers to build into that space, and then you can talk about real numbers moving. You know, that's how you get to the ubiquity of the toaster. But right now, I think we're trapped in this containment field.”

Following Layden’s thought here though, it would require Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo to come together to agree upon a singular gaming format that means all video games play on all consoles. Not only that, but any company would then be able to try its hand at making a PlayStation or an Xbox, and compete with the first-party console manufacturers in the market.

How likely is that to happen, though? Maybe there’s a world in which Microsoft does something like this with Xbox, given its current multiplatform policy for its video games. Sony releases some of its games on PC (and, with Helldivers 2, finally on Xbox), but it seems a long way from a blanket multiplatform policy. Nintendo is perhaps the least likely of the three to join forces with its console rivals. You’ve always needed a Nintendo console to play The Legend of Zelda (officially), and I can’t see the next mainline Zelda game coming out on anything other than the Switch 2 when the time is right.

Essentially, it would mean the true death of the console exclusive. For now, though, console exclusives remain a thing, Layden insisted. “I don't think every game has to be console exclusive. I don't think every game should be console exclusive, but I do accept the fact that if you're going to have platform companies like Sony and like Nintendo largely — Microsoft is more of the Xbox everywhere anywhere — there is a huge value to the brand of having strong exclusives.

“If Mario starts showing up on PlayStation, that's the apocalypse, right? Cats and dogs living together. And the same goes for Nathan Drake and Uncharted. They make the platform sing.”

Currently, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are still very much in the business of making video game consoles that play only games released for those consoles. Sony is plotting the inevitable PlayStation 6, Microsoft has committed to releasing a next-gen Xbox, although it sounds like a PC/console hybrid, and Nintendo just launched the Switch 2 (perhaps the Switch 3 will follow).

Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Be prepared, be Peak.

What's it take to make "a real contender?"

Did you stop playing games long enough this year to see some movies and shows based on games?

Absolum offers a vision of the future for a 40 year old formula.

Join me for a look back at the microphone movers of 2025.

Avatar creator James Cameron has said he’ll hold a press conference and tell the world what he would have done with Avatar 4 and 5 if he doesn’t get the chance to make the movies.

Or, the legendary writer and director has said, he’ll write Avatar novels himself, although he doesn’t think there’s a business case for books anymore.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now up to $760.4 million at the global box office as the Disney sci-fi sequel heads towards one billion dollars from theaters. While that’s a huge amount for any movie after just two weekends in theaters, questions remain over whether Avatar 3 will end up making enough money theatrically to convince Disney to greenlight Avatar 4 and 5.

The special effects-heavy Avatar films cost a huge amount of money to produce, but they have historically made billions of dollars at the box office. Avatar 1 remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation), and has earned a staggering $2.9 billion across several theatrical runs. Avatar: The Way of Water earned $2.3 billion, meanwhile, cementing it as the third-highest grossing film of all time — just ahead of Cameron's own Titanic.

Avatar 4 currently has a December 21, 2029 release date, with Avatar 5 due out December 19, 2031. Cameron, now 71, would be close to 80 years old by the time it all wraps up.

Now, speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Cameron sounded further words of caution about continuing the franchise, despite the fact Disney has set release dates for Avatar 4 and 5. And he revealed his plan if Fire and Ash flops — in Disney’s eyes, of course.

"If we don't get to make 4 and 5, for whatever reason, I'll hold a press conference and I'll tell you what we were gonna do. How's that?" he said.

An alternative is to write Avatar novels, going into significant detail on the world and telling the stories of the sequels. "There's so much culture and backstory and lateral detail in these characters that's been worked out,” he said. “I'd love to do something that's at that level of granular detail."

However, “there's no business model for it anymore. People aren't reading. But anyway, it might be good to have the canonical record of what it was all supposed to be.”

According to EW, that’s a reference to recent research from the University of Florida and University College London that states the proportion of people reading for pleasure daily in the United States has declined by more than 40% over the last 20 years.

These comments from Cameron echo those he made in the run up to Fire and Ash’s release, when he admitted he was feeling nervous about the film’s box office performance and expressed concern about the “forces” working against theatrical releases in 2025.

Speaking on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron said there’s potential for “sequelitis.” He added: "people tend to dismiss sequels unless it’s the third Lord of the Rings film and you want to see what happens to everybody, which in my mind this is — this is the culmination of a story arc, but that may not be how the public sees it.” And there’s the “one-two punch” of streaming and Covid, which means fewer people are going to the movies — 75% of the number in 2019, Cameron suggested.

When pressed on how much Avatar: Fire and Ash cost to make, Cameron wouldn’t be drawn into divulging a figure, only suggesting it was a lot of money, and so the movie will have to make a lot of money to turn a profit.

“It is one metric f**k ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f**k tons of money to make a profit,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”

And on that point, Cameron admitted he was “absolutely” ready to walk away from Avatar if Fire and Ash flops.

“I’ve been in Avatar land for 20 years,” he said. “Actually 30 years because I wrote it in ‘95, but I wasn’t working continuously on it for those first 10 years. Yeah, absolutely, sure. If this is where it ends, cool.”

But what about open story threads?

“There’s one open thread. I’ll write a book!” Cameron responded.

Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for 20th Century Studios.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Stranger Things is nearly over, with the Season 5 finale set to bring an end to the long-running Netflix show and finally confirm the fate of its much-loved characters.

Who will die by the time the show is done and dusted has been the big Stranger Things question for years now. There are many theories, which we’ll briefly run through below.

Warning! Spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 follow:

Steve, played by Joe Keery, often comes up in conversations about potential Stranger Things character deaths. But there are also concerns for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), who some believe will end up sacrificing herself to destroy Vecna, thus allowing the rest of the Stranger Things crew to survive, and Jim Hopper (David Harbour), who has already revealed himself to be on something of a suicide mission this season.

Meanwhile, some believe Will (Noah Schnapp) will bite the dust, using his new power to finally bring Vecna’s tyranny to an end but killing himself in the process. But according to IGN's poll on the matter, below, Jonathan Byers, played by Charlie Heaton, is the most popular pick for Season 5 death, with 22.4% of the vote.

We won’t know until the series finale airs at 5pm PT on New Year’s Eve, of course, but recent comments from the Duffer Brothers have hinted that fans shouldn’t expect a bloodbath when it comes to character deaths. That is to say, Stranger Things is not like Game of Thrones, and there’s no Red Wedding equivalent scene.

For the uninitiated, the Red Wedding is perhaps the most famous moment in the entire Game of Thrones saga. It sees much-loved characters, many of whom had been central to the story up to that point, murdered in graphic detail, shocking readers and viewers alike.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Matt Duffer insisted the series finale shouldn’t be compared to Game of Thrones, and jokingly singled out Steve as the most discussed character when it comes to being killed off.

“It’s not Game of Thrones. We’re not in Westeros,” he said. “I love Game of Thrones, but it’s just a very different type of show than that. There’s not going to be a Red Wedding situation. I think some things happen in the finale that are very surprising, but we’re not trying to shock or upset anyone. I hope by the time people get to the end of the finale that it just feels like there’s something inevitable about what happens, and that it doesn’t feel painful but feels satisfying. We’ll see. But as for Steve’s fate. I don’t know. I can’t say. It would be the next logical step. He keeps getting beaten up more and more. The only way we could take it further is death. (Laughs.)”

The Stranger Things Season 5 finale, Episode 8, is called The Rightside Up, and has an official runtime of 2 hours 8 minutes. It will be screened in theaters nationwide at the same time it is shown on Netflix. Ross Duffer has told fans they should only see it in theaters if they’re cool with crying in a crowded room.

"The finale. Theaters. New Year’s Eve," Duffer wrote in a social media post alongside a photo of the drawing Lucas and Max used to ask each other on a date in Season 4. "This is something my brother and I have dreamed about for years. If you don’t mind crying in front of strangers, GO. And if you’re in LA… maybe we’ll see you there."

Check out our Stranger Things: Season 5, Vol. 2 spoiler review for more.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Wicked: For Good launches on VOD platforms on December 30 having crossed the $500 million mark at the global box office.

The musical sequel will be available to buy or rent from digital platforms with an exclusive sing-along version and never-before-seen deleted scenes.

Wicked: For Good currently has a global box office haul of $504 million, having hit theaters on November 21. Its digital release comes just over five weeks later.

The VOD film comes with two versions of the movie: an exclusive sing-along for fans; and over one hour of bonus features, including deleted scenes, a 50+ minute exclusive look into the making of the movie with Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, and the cast and filmmakers, and more behind-the-scenes featurettes.

Wicked: For Good exclusive bonus features when you buy or rent:

SING-ALONG - ALTERNATE FEATURE-LENGTH VERSION – Rejoicify! The time has come to raise your voice and unleash the magic of Oz. Sing with all your heart as Elphaba and Glinda’s destiny unfolds in the spellbinding Sing-Along Edition of WICKED: FOR GOOD.

DELETED SCENES

• Brick Making - A musical montage shows Munchkins busily shaping and painting brilliant golden bricks, bringing the Yellow Brick Road to life.
• Glinda Train Tour - As Glinda leaves Emerald City, the citizens erupt into musical fanfare, sending her off with radiant cheers and lavish celebration - Featuring Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh and Bowen Yang
• Even You, Fiyero - Elphaba retreats to her lair, wrestling with the sting of Fiyero’s betrayal and the weight of her heartbreak - Featuring Cynthia Erivo
• Return to the Governor’s Mansion - Lost and abandoned, Elphaba returns to the one place she swore she’d left behind - her childhood home - Featuring Cynthia Erivo
• Friendship Montage - A lively montage unfolds as Elphaba, Glinda, Fiyero, Boq, and Nessarose spend a carefree afternoon together—playing games, laughing, and relaxing over a cheerful picnic - Featuring Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode, Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
• The Wizard is Sentimental - Glinda steps into her ethereal bubble to float above Emerald City, contrasted with the Wizard’s nostalgic hot air balloon ascension as he reprises “A Sentimental Man” - Featuring Ariana Grande and Jeff Goldblum

MAKING WICKED: FOR GOOD – Step behind the curtain for an exclusive look at the magic of Oz. Through never-before-seen footage and candid interviews, discover how the cast and crew brought this epic story to life — from the artistry of building Oz brick-by-brick to the challenge of filming two sweeping productions at once. A talent-led journey you won’t want to miss.

THE TRUE WIZARD - An exploration of why Jon M. Chu was the ideal director to bring WICKED: FOR GOOD from stage to screen. See how his inventiveness as a filmmaker and passion for WICKED are key ingredients for the humanity and joy we feel in every shot.

MORE THAN JUST A PLACE - A closer look at Elphaba's new song in WICKED: FOR GOOD.

Cynthia Erivo, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and others reflect on its emotional resonance, Elphaba's vulnerability, and the expressive movement artists portraying the animal characters she sings to.

THE GIRL IN THE BUBBLE - A closer look at Glinda's brand new song for the WICKED: FOR GOOD film. Ariana Grande, Jon M. Chu, Stephen Schwartz, and more discuss how the song comes at such a pivotal moment for Glinda why filming the sequence was such a feat of technical mastery.

KIAMO KO - Return to Kiamo Ko, where the film's climax unfolds. Cast and filmmakers reflect on Elphaba's embrace of her identity as the Wicked Witch, the poignant reunion with Glinda, and the bittersweet consequences that follow in this emotionally charged sequence.

FEATURE COMMENTARY WITH DIRECTOR JON M. CHU

Last month, Universal Pictures indicated that plans were already underway to continue the Wicked franchise, following the success of the two movies — even though the story of the Wicked musical had now well and truly been told.

"Because of Wicked's success but also the fanship, we have almost a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe," Universal chief marketing officer Michael Moses told Vulture.

Across the two Wicked movies, the 2 hour 30 minute musical's story is expanded to almost five hours. But the musical itself is based on just the first of a series of Wicked novels. Later stories largely follow a fresh generation of characters, including Elphaba's son Liir.

"I think the Glinda and Elphaba story feels complete — but there are other aspects that could be explored," Wicked's original composer Stephen Schwartz recently told The Ankler. "Gregory Maguire, the original Wicked novelist, has several books, for example.

"There's another idea that Winnie [Holzman, Wicked and Wicked: For Good co-writer] and I are discussing: not a sequel, but an adjunct. Let me put it that way," Schwartz teased.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

It's been a helluva year for gaming headsets, but which of our three contenders will take the ultimate prize?

The third Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer appears to have leaked online, and it revolves around the X-Men in a devastating battle.

As we know, Avengers: Doomsday is confirmed to feature a number of X-Men characters played by their original actors, including Kelsey Grammer (Beast), Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), and James Marsden (Cyclops).

Warning! Potential spoilers for Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer three follow:

As was with the case for the first Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailer, which confirmed Chris Evans’ Steve Rogers returns, this time as a father, and the second, which confirmed Chris Hemsworth’s Thor alongside his adopted daughter, Love, the third trailer has leaked online in poor quality, with takedowns following soon after.

We see Ian McKellen reprise his role as Magneto, although not in battle costume. Patrick Stewart’s Professor X wears a costume that bears a resemblance to the militaristic suit he wore in the comics, although his much-loved yellow chair is nowhere to be seen. Overall, it looks like Avengers: Doomsday is looking to the 90s for inspiration for the X-Men's design, which will no-doubt delight veteran fans of the mutant superhero team and align with the popular animated X-Men series.

It looks like the footage we see in the leaked trailer is set in the X-Mansion, also known as Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. In one shot, we see Cyclops let rip with an optic blast, and near him is a giant boot, which we presume belongs to a mutant-hunting Sentinel. Like with the Thor trailer, the tone here is dead serious. Magneto talks about death coming for everyone eventually, which is a lovely thought.

This ties into set photos that appeared to tease a huge battle at the X-Mansion. At the time, fans speculated that this battle would feature Robert Downey Jr. controlling Sentinels that attack the X-Men as part of an incursion, and that it would go very badly for the X-Men, potentially even wiping the mutants out. The theory is that this would establish the universe-ending potential of Doctor Doom, in a similar way Avengers: Infinity War kicked off with Thanos beating Hulk so badly Hulk basically went into hiding for the rest of the MCU phase.

But the highlight is a comic book accurate live-action version of Marsden’s Cyclops. This is something fans have been waiting 20 years for, after Fox’s X-Men movies made a point of distancing themselves from the comics by going with black suits. Cyclops tears off his visor and lets rip as the X-Mansion erupts in flame around him. It feels like a hail mary, and now I’m worried Cyclops is going to sacrifice himself to save the rest of the team.

The question is, who makes it out of this battle alive? Will whoever’s left of the X-Men team up with the Avengers and other superheroes confirmed to appear in Doomsday to take on Doctor Doom, or do they spend most of their time fighting each other throughout Doomsday, only putting their differences aside for 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars? Either way, the X-Mansion looks like it’s toast — again.

If Marvel Studios follows the pattern it established earlier this month, this X-Men trailer will replace the Thor trailer in theaters alongside Avatar: Fire and Ash later this week, and we’ll get the official release of the Thor trailer online. Following that, we’ll no doubt get this X-Men trailer online once its week-long run in theaters ends and is replaced by a supposed fourth teaser trailer, which fans are hoping finally reveals Doctor Doom himself.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

I have told myself I am absolutely not buying more games at least five times this week, and yet here we are. This batch is dangerous in that very specific way where titles you already love suddenly feel like sensible purchases. I have played most of these, I can vouch for them, and yes, my backlog is a crime scene.

Contents

• Retro
• Nintendo
• Xbox
• PlayStation
• PC
• PC Gear
• LEGO

This Day in Gaming 🎂

In retro news, it's time to hold onto yer butts and celebrate the 32nd birthday of (arguably) the best Jurassic Park game of the '90s. My "friend of SNES-owning convenience" who lived over the road from me had this. We spent hours marvelling at a movie tie-in title that was way better than it had any right to be (the Wolfenstein 3D sections were particularly ambitious for the hardware).

Aussie birthdays for notable games.

- Jurassic Park (SNES) 1993. Get

- DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi (PS2) 2005. eBay

Nice Savings for Nintendo Switch

• Red Dead Redemption (-59%) A$29 Still hits like a sad country song. Ride horses, make bad choices, watch sunsets, accidentally start fistfights you cannot win.
• Cyberpunk 2077 Ult. Ed. (-34%) A$79 The redemption arc worked. Great writing, brilliant side quests, and finally runs how it always should have.
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (-52%) A$24 Tight combat, clever puzzles, zero filler. Ubisoft remembered how good this series can be.
• Donkey Kong Bananza (-19%) A$89 Loud, colourful platforming nonsense that feels built to make you smile despite yourself.
• Immortals Fenyx Rising Gold Ed. (-85%) A$13.40 Breath of the Wild energy with dad jokes, Greek gods, and surprisingly solid combat.

Or gift a Nintendo eShop Card.

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Exciting Bargains for Xbox

• Monster Hunter Wilds (-64%) A$41.90 Capcom doing what Capcom does best. Learn attack patterns, eat dirt, eventually feel unstoppable.
• Need for Speed Unbound (-65%) A$37.90 Looks like a graffiti sketchbook exploded, but the driving absolutely rips once it clicks.
• Epic Mickey: Rebrushed (-42%) A$57.50 A weird Disney deep cut that still feels daring, messy, and oddly charming.
• The Callisto Protocol (-69%) A$31.20 Gorgeous space horror with some rough edges, but the vibes are immaculate and very unfriendly.
• Watch Dogs: Legion (-90%) A$8.90 Recruit anyone. Yes, literally anyone. It is dumb, ambitious, and weirdly fascinating.

Xbox One

• LEGO 2K Drive (-60%) A$15.90 Arcade racing with bricks, boosts, and way more depth than expected.
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (-39%) A$44.10 Still unmatched stealth sandbox design. Kojima letting you break everything in the best way.
• LEGO The Incredibles (-34%) A$59.60 Easygoing co op fun that understands Pixar humour better than it probably should.

Or just invest in an Xbox Card.

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Pure Scores for PlayStation

• The Outer Worlds 2 (-50%) A$59.90 Obsidian back on its satire grind. Funny, sharp, and allergic to corporate nonsense.
• Assassin's Creed Shadows (-55%) A$49 Stealth feels good again, combat feels mean, and the setting absolutely carries.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (-57%) A$49 Slow, stubborn, historically obsessed RPG that rewards patience and punishes button mashing.
• The Witcher 3 Comp. (-55%) A$35.20 Side quests so good they ruin other RPGs forever. Still the gold standard.
• A Plague Tale: Requiem (-52%) A$48.10 Stunning, miserable, emotionally exhausting in the way great games sometimes are.
• Returnal (-43%) A$70.70 Hard, fast, punishing. You will die a lot, then suddenly feel incredible.

PS4

• Neo: The World Ends With You (-57%) A$36.90 Stylish chaos with combat that rewards confidence and a soundtrack that refuses to chill.
• Gran Turismo 7 (-39%) A$66.50 Incredibly serious about cars. Even if you are not, it wins you over.
• Persona 5 Royal (-48%) A$51.90 Long, stylish, emotional, and absolutely worth every minute you give it.

Or purchase a PS Store Card.

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Purchase Cheap for PC

• Persona 5 Royal (-70%) A$28.40 Same masterpiece, now portable, moddable, and dangerously replayable.
• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (-90%) A$6.90 Huge, silly, and packed with fan service. Ridiculous value at this price.
• GTA Trilogy Def. (-67%) A$29.60 Launch was rough, but patches did the work. Three classics, warts included.
• God of War Ragnarok (-38%) A$58.80 Big emotions, bigger fights, and a sequel that justifies its existence.
• Dead Space (-85%) A$13.40 Still one of the best horror remakes ever made. Headphones recommended, courage not included.
• Subnautica (-75%) A$11.20 Beautiful, quiet, and deeply upsetting once you go too deep.
• Transistor (-80%) A$4.70 Short, stylish, emotionally sharp. Supergiant rarely misses.

Or just get a Steam Wallet Card

Legit LEGO Deals

• Fortnite Durrr Burger (-41%) A$52.90 A ridiculous display piece that makes absolutely no sense and still rules.
• F1 Williams Racing & Haas (-40%) A$18 Small builds, big desk appeal, very easy to justify.
• Marvel Endgame Thor vs. Chitauri (-39%) A$49 Solid action set with excellent minifigs doing most of the heavy lifting.
• Marvel Age of Ultron Quinjet (-35%) A$129 Big, expensive, and absolutely meant to be displayed, not played with.

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Adam Mathew is a passionate connoisseur, a lifelong game critic, and an Aussie deals wrangler who genuinely wants to hook you up with stuff that's worth playing (but also cheap). He plays practically everything, sometimes on YouTube.

Avatar: Fire and Ash is now up to $760.4 million at the global box office as the Disney sci-fi sequel heads towards one billion dollars from theaters.

$217.7 million has now been made domestically, but Avatar: Fire and Ash is doing particularly well internationally, where it has an impressive $542.7 million haul after an impressive 25% overall drop. Avatar 1 and 2 were the world’s number one film for a number of weeks following launch, and each ended up earning over $2 billion. The hope for Disney is that Avatar 3 shows similar staying power in theaters, and it's drip-feeding Avengers: Doomsday teaser trailers alongside the movie to encourage repeat viewings from super fans. James Cameron’s three Avatar films have now earned over $6 billion to date globally, including Fire and Ash.

The lingering question for Cameron is whether Avatar 3 does enough business to convince Disney to greenlight Avatar 4 and 5. Avatar: Fire and Ash launched to a huge $345 million at the global box office, which was enough to secure the second largest opening weekend of 2025 so far. But it was down significantly on its predecessor Avatar: The Way of Water’s opening weekend haul.

The special effects-heavy Avatar films cost a huge amount of money to produce, but they have historically made billions of dollars at the box office. Avatar remains the highest-grossing movie of all time (not adjusted for inflation), and has earned a staggering $2.9 billion across several theatrical runs. Avatar: The Way of Water earned $2.3 billion, meanwhile, cementing it as the third-highest grossing film of all time — just ahead of Cameron's own Titanic.

Avatar 4 currently has a December 21, 2029 release date, with Avatar 5 due out December 19, 2031. Cameron, now 71, would be close to 80 years old by the time it all wraps up.

But Cameron has sounded words of caution recently. Speaking on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron admitted he was feeling nervous about Avatar: Fire and Ash’s box office performance, and was mindful of the “forces” working against theatrical releases in 2025. There’s the potential for “sequelitis,” Cameron noted. "People tend to dismiss sequels unless it’s the third Lord of the Rings film and you want to see what happens to everybody, which in my mind this is — this is the culmination of a story arc, but that may not be how the public sees it.” And there’s the “one-two punch” of streaming and Covid, which means fewer people are going to the movies — 75% of the number in 2019, Cameron suggested.

When pressed on how much Avatar: Fire and Ash cost to make, Cameron wouldn’t be drawn into divulging a figure, only suggesting it was a lot of money, and so the movie will have to make a lot of money to turn a profit.

“It is one metric f**k ton of money, which means we have to make two metric f**k tons of money to make a profit,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that this movie will make money. The question is, does it make enough money to justify doing it again?”

And on that point, Cameron admitted he was “absolutely” ready to walk away from Avatar if Fire and Ash flops.

“I’ve been in Avatar land for 20 years,” he said. “Actually 30 years because I wrote it in ‘95, but I wasn’t working continuously on it for those first 10 years. Yeah, absolutely, sure. If this is where it ends, cool.”

But what about open story threads?

“There’s one open thread. I’ll write a book!” Cameron responded.

Meanwhile, Jack Black and Paul Rudd’s comedy Anaconda opened to $43.7 million globally. Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, starring Timothée Chalamet, has a global tally of $30 million after a limited release.

After five weekends, Disney’s Zootopia 2 is now on $1.42 billion worldwide, with over $1 billion of that coming internationally. Zootopia 2 is the highest-grossing Hollywood release of the year. Could Avatar: Fire and Ash eventually beat it? Zootopia 2 and Lilo & Stitch are the only two Hollywood movies of 2025 to cross $1 billion so far.

And finally, Wicked: For Good opened in China this weekend and has now crossed $500 million globally. Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 (which this week became available to buy from VOD platforms) has now crossed $100 million internationally, with a global haul to date of $221 million.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

While the holidays may be over, there are still many great deals live. We've rounded up the best deals for Sunday, December 28, below. Don't miss your chance to save on these late discounts or gifts!

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora From The Ashes Edition for $29.99

Avatar has taken over the world once again with the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third film in the Avatar saga thus far. If you're itching to experience more of Pandora, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora from Ubisoft was a sleeper hit that's on sale this weekend. This edition of the game features both the base game and its expansion, which is perfect for new players.

Ninja Gaiden 4 for $49.99

Ninja Gaiden 4 was developed by both Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, offering a wild and immensely satisfying action combat system. Instead of solely focusing on Ryu, a new protagonist, Yakumo, was introduced alongside him. With two characters to play as, there are all kinds of new abilities and mechanics to utilize as you trek across Tokyo to combat an evil threat. If you haven't had a chance to check out this brand-new entry, you can pick up a copy for $49.94 today at Walmart.

Gears of War: Reloaded for $24.99

Gears of War shockingly hit PlayStation for the first time in its history as part of Xbox's multiplatform approach earlier this year. This enhanced and remastered edition of the first game is the perfect entry point for PlayStation players, and you can save $15 off a physical copy today at Target.

Save on Assassin's Creed Shadows for Nintendo Switch 2

Launched earlier this month, Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally available on Nintendo Switch. Right now, you can save $10 off the physical copy at Amazon. This edition packs in all the game's DLC, updates, and more into one package for Switch 2 owners.

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake for $49.99

One of the most anticipated RPGs of 2025, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, is down to $49.99 this weekend. This remake transforms the original two Dragon Quest games into gorgeous experiences with numerous updates and tweaks to modernize the experience. I've had a blast checking this one out over the last week, especially with how much work has been put into DQII.

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves for $30

Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves was one of the biggest fighting game releases of 2025, marking a long-awaited return to SNK's beloved Fatal Fury series. The Special Edition is on sale for only $30 this weekend, and this is the best package to buy if you've yet to pick this game up. The first year of DLC is included for free, including both Ken and Chun-Li from Street Fighter.

Samsung P9 Express microSD Express Card for $32.99

If you're a Nintendo Switch 2 owner or expecting to become one this holiday season, a microSD Express Card is an absolutely essential purchase. The internal 256GB of storage is nowhere near enough for most players, especially with huge games like Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade set to take up over a third of that space next year. You can save $20 off this 256GB microSD Express Card at Amazon and instantly double your Switch 2 storage.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 for $35

Black Ops 7 is the latest Call of Duty, with the game releasing just a few weeks ago. Despite this, it's already on sale at Amazon for $40, which makes this a perfect last-minute gift.

Save on The Art of DOOM: The Dark Ages

Art books are a great way to gain greater insight into the development of your favorite games. This DOOM: The Dark Ages art book was released a few weeks ago, and it's already on sale for just under $31. Featuring over 200 pages, you can dive into behind-the-scenes art of the Doom Slayer, his weapons, and even enemies or locations.

Mega Man The Complete Series Blu-ray for $31.97

Amazon has the complete Blu-ray of the animated Mega Man series on sale for $31.97 today. This set contains all 27 episodes of the original series, which totals over 10 hours of content!

Astro Bot for $39.99

Astro Bot is a must-own game for any PlayStation 5 owner for many reasons. The fun platforming adventure is a trip across PlayStation's iconic history of games, with cameos from many of the beloved characters that shaped each console generation. Today, you can score Astro Bot for $39.99 at Amazon, which is the lowest we've seen it so far.

Target is offering gift cards up to $100 with the purchase of select Logitech gaming gear, including some already discounted items. One of the best deals I’ve come across is on the Logitech G502 X Plus Wireless Gaming Mouse. This mouse is already on sale for $139.99, knocking $40 off the regular price. On top of that, you’ll receive a $55 Target gift card, so you’re essentially getting this ergonomic, highly-capable gaming mouse for only $85. While the gift card deal lasts until January 3rd, the Logitech G502 X Plus is only $40 off until December 29th, so be sure to grab it now to stack the savings.

The catch? A Target Circle membership is required to score this deal. Luckily, it’s completely free to become a member and simple to sign up. After logging into your Target Circle account, you can just apply this deal at checkout, and the gift card will be added to your account for use towards another purchase.

Get $55 Target Gift Card With the Already Discounted Logitech G502 X Plus

In IGN expert Mike Epstein’s hands-on testing of the Logitech G502 X Plus Wireless Gaming Mouse, it received a rave review, scoring a 9/10. From the sleek, modern design accented by a flashy RGB lightbar to the Hero 25K sensor for responsive and snappy performance, this is one of the best gaming mice you can grab.

The Logitech G502 X Plus is comfortable to grip during even marathon gaming sessions, and features 12 buttons, the majority of which are customizable. That’s an excessive number of inputs for a non-MMO mouse. Still, those extra controls can be useful, letting you rest your keyboard hand a bit and potentially leading to more reactive gameplay. And its Lightforce switches deliver some tactile feedback.

Getting this elite gaming mouse on sale, along with a $55 Target gift card, is one heck of a deal. However, if you’re not interested in the gift card, you can find it discounted at Best Buy and Logitech for $129.99. While that’s not nearly as good a deal, it’s not a bad price.

Check Out These Other Logitech Target Gift Card Deals

Target has plenty other Logitech gaming gear that includes an additional Target gift card with Circle membership. Below, I’ve highlighted a couple of items worth checking out. However, not all these gift card deals are that great. I’d steer clear of the Logitech racing wheels that come with a $100 Target gift card, as you can find them cheaper from Amazon, Best Buy, or Logitech.

Danielle is a Tech freelance writer based in Los Angeles who spends her free time creating videos and geeking out over music history.

This year saw the worst launch of any GPU generation I can remember in all my 20 years as a tech journo.

Low-poly, high-quality.

Marvel and DC have a lot riding on 2026. After a year that ranged from decent to disastrous, it’s tough to argue that “fatigue” isn’t a factor, but true believers are holding firm that next year will change everything. Spider-Man is going back to the streets, Supergirl is poised to build on Superman’s momentum, and all eyes are on Avengers: Doomsday – the ultimate test of Marvel’s remaining muscle.

The stage is set for box office redemption and a new path forward for superhero cinema. It’s the end of the post-post-pandemic era, a once-in-a-generation chance for a fresh start. If they mess this up, the genre might be truly cooked; next year could be the last chance to save comic book movies and shows from their flop era. That’s why we’re looking forward to 2026, the make-or-break year for superhero media.

One caveat before we begin: All dates are subject to change. Schedules can and likely will slip, but as far as we know, this is what’s on deck for 2026. So, let’s start with the main event…

Marvel Movies

2025 was not exactly the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s finest hour. None of the three theatrical films released under the Marvel Studios banner were the breakout successes Disney hoped for, and two of them were borderline catastrophes. Captain America: Brave New World was plagued by strike-related delays and extensive reshoots, culminating in a box-office stumble that no one could spin as a win. Thunderbolts* was even worse: The movie was good, critics and fans loved it… and almost nobody else went to see it. That’s a problem, considering that Thunderbolts* was designed to establish the New Avengers lineup that would lead us into Phase 6. Then there’s the Fantastic Four, Marvel’s flagship “first family” meant to kick off the new phase and pave the path to Doomsday.

It did not.

Fantastic Four’s box office wasn’t quite so dire, but it barely cracked half a billion and left fans mildly pleased and largely indifferent. Now Doomsday has twice the work to do to win them back, which is an uphill climb heading into 2026. Marvel and Disney need to get their act together, and next year is their best chance to do it. There are only two movies on the docket for the year, both of which could be bangers. First up...

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Release date: July 31, 2026

Face it tiger, Spidey is about to hit the jackpot! No one ever lost their shirt betting on the webhead at the box office, and the Tom Holland incarnation has only climbed higher with each solo outing; the last installment, No Way Home, scored the third highest gross of the entire MCU. Nostalgic blasts from the past were a key part of the film’s success, a factor Disney definitely took note of for the future.

The Spider-Man brand is massive right now. The last time Spidey was this popular, he turned the Pop Tarts purple. He’s got two active critically-acclaimed movie franchises, an animated show for older kids, and an absolute behemoth of a preschool phenomenon rearing a vast new generation that will only know of Miles Morales as “Spin.” The people demand more pictures of Spider-Man, and their standards are refreshingly high.

Sony’s long, embarrassing attempt to spin off their own universe, complete with the sickening acronym “SSU,” hasn’t really hurt Spidey’s image. Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven all became internet punchlines, but audiences expect more from the wall-crawler himself. There’s a reason Holland isn’t much involved in the streaming side of things; Marvel wouldn’t dare Disney+-ify Spider-Man.

Brand New Day has already banked a lot of goodwill in the run-up to release. The production has been fairly open for a big-budget blockbuster, deftly flooding social media with set photos from the streets of Scotland as Holland bounces on a practical rig in front of thousands of adoring Glaswegians. There’s a lot to be pumped about, including: Peter’s exciting, depressing new status quo; Tombstone, Mr. Negative, and other street-level surprises; and an incredible new costume that has upended the tier lists of Spidey suit sickos everywhere. The Hulk is also involved, which seems kind of strange, but the MCU has earned the benefit of the doubt so far.

Fans are genuinely rooting for this film to succeed, although Brand New Day’s performance won’t necessarily say much about the larger health of the MCU. Spider-Man has always been a thing unto himself – a box office draw regardless of his shared universe status. He’s in his own Batman-esque bubble, and largely immune to franchise fatigue. The real test of the MCU’s durability will come later in the year, with…

Avengers: Doomsday

Release date: December 18, 2026

Amid the vast discourse surrounding the stagnation of Marvel films, one refrain has remained constant among the franchise’s defenders: “Just wait until Doomsday, bro.” The next Avengers movie will fix everything, they say, returning the MCU to its dominant place in pop culture and bringing back the days of dependable billion-dollar hauls. The dark days of Quantumania and The Marvels will be a distant memory as the comic book movie grows ascendant once more.

Some call it prophecy; others call it ‘cope.’ Either way, we’ll know soon enough. Doomsday is nigh, and it has to deliver. Much has changed in the seven years since Avengers: Endgame, and the cultural landscape looks nothing like the one Marvel once ruled. Tragedy, controversy, and mediocrity has shredded Disney’s Kang-focused multiversal vision. Doomsday is a billion dollar audible, and it’s coming in hot.

Actors from across the Marvel multiverse have remarked on the strange, disconnected process of filming green-screened cameos in isolation, working with unfinished scripts that left them unsure with whom they were even sharing scenes. Everyone seems to be having a great time, but there’s an undercurrent of chaos in the background that has been largely ignored. The script was written on the fly, and production only just wrapped in September 2025. Reshoots are already looming and VFX work will undoubtedly be a goliath undertaking. There just isn’t that much runway before the end of 2026… but if anyone can land this beast, it’s RDJ.

Robert Downey Jr. and the Russos are back on board, fresh off an Oscar win and The Electric State, respectively. Going back to the well is a sensible if somewhat sweaty move on the part of Marvel, and the off-the-wall idea to recast Downey as Doom is at the very least intriguing. What are they cooking?

For the first time in a while there’s a genuine sense of rumor and mystery about a Marvel movie; it really feels like anyone might show up, and unlike No Way Home, the studio has kept a decent lid on things. While there would certainly be more hype if Fantastic Four had successfully primed the pump, Doomsday has a very real buzz behind it.

Most Marvel movies open huge as die-hard fans pile into midnight showings, but what they’ve lacked lately are legs – that zeitgeist momentum that gets your co-workers into the theater. Since the new crop of heroes haven’t become household names, Disney is pivoting to the past to secure its future. Deadpool and Wolverine proved there’s still an appetite for an in memoriam-montage send-off of the Fox-era X-Men cast, though Marvel Studios would be wise not to linger in nostalgia for long.

The Rise of Skywalker is a cautionary tale here; it was a bloated finale built on course corrections and callbacks that pathetically begged audiences to clap. Doomsday has all the ingredients to become a massive hit, but there’s also lots of ways it could go wrong. The good news is, even if they utterly fail, Disney still has the nuclear option to start fresh with a universal shakeup in Secret Wars. That’s more of a 2027 problem, however; we’ve still got more to explore in 2026, including a pivotal moment for the Distinguished Competition.

DC Movies

James Gunn’s Superman was, by all metrics, a success. It sparked conversation, made most fans pretty happy, and sold a lot of Milk-Bones. The ticket sales weren’t anything to write home and tell the folks about, but its relative trouncing of Fantastic Four left more than a few box office analysts with egg on their face. Corenswet and company had a huge task on their plate, but they pulled it off and delivered on the promise of a delightful new DC Universe with plenty of room to grow.

2026 is a building year for the DCU. While Marvel unleashes its heaviest possible hitters, DC is adding to their solid foundation with two more films – including one that may be a bit out of left field – that both have the potential to surprise. First up...

Supergirl

Release date: June 26, 2026

Millie Alcock’s 30-second cameo as a thoroughly sloshed Kara Zor-El was one of the most viral, crowd-pleasing moments in a movie already packed with them. It was just enough screen time to pique our interest in the drunken Kryptonian’s cosmic odyssey.

Based on the “Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow” hit comic book limited series from 2021-2022,Supergirl is shaping up to be an energetic space western in the vein of True Grit… which isn’t really what you’d expect for the sophomore effort of a start-up superhero franchise. Supergirl feels fresh, new, and genuinely exciting, and it has every chance of becoming a Barbie-style four-quadrant hit that breaks through the mainstream. If Superman could turn a Noah and the Whale ditty into the song of the summer, and make Lex Luthor shouting fighting game moves a meme, imagine what an army of obsessed fans could do for Supergirl!

The kind of universal appeal we’re talking about doesn’t come from just recycling tropes, but the same genuine sincerity and sparkle that distinguished her cousin’s film. If Supergirl can capture those vibes – and a character with her ’tude looks set to do just that – then the DCU might have another hit on their hands.

DC also has a cinematic swing coming in the globby wet form of a horror film called…

Clayface

Release date: September 11, 2026

One of the most common ways to market a new comic book movie is to claim it’s a different genre: “It’s actually a heist flick!” “This one’s like a Shaw Bros. martial arts movie!” “It’s not just a superhero film, it’s a ’70s paranoid conspiracy thriller!” Spoilers: They all wind up with people in costumes dodging colorful energy blasts. “Clayface” could actually be different.

Journeyman horror maestro Mike Flanagan first pitched a Clayface film back in the DCEU days, inspired by the Batman: The Animated Series episode about a Hollywood actor who melts into a muddy monstrosity. The concept was shortlisted as a Matt Reeves’ Batman spinoff until Gunn gave Clayface the green light as a canonical entry in the new DCU. Flanagan was no longer attached at this point, so director James Watkins of Eden Lake and Speak No Evil fame stepped in to bring the project to life, promising to lean hard into goopy, psychological body horror.

Horror movies are more or less the only sure thing left at the box office, and the film’s svelte $40 million budget gives it a legitimate shot at success. Watkins is a solid hand, but one wonders how much more enthusiasm there would be for Clayface if it was made by a more punk rock, buzzy horror director like Zach Cregger or Osgood Perkins.

Before we move on to smaller screens, it’s worth noting what’s not on the DCU’s platter: The Batman: Part II was once scheduled for 2026 before another delay pushed it forward an extra year. Matt Reeves’s standalone movie is set to finally start filming next spring ahead of an extremely tentative 2027 release date, at which point the “young and inexperienced Batman” Robert Pattinson will be 41 years old.

Slow-burn production or not, it’s almost fortunate that “Battinson” has quietly sidestepped a brutally crowded year. With Doomsday and Spidey sucking up all the box office oxygen, other DCU projects like Supergirl and Clayface have the room to breathe and succeed on their own without falling into the considerable shadow of the Dark Knight.

Movie theaters aren’t the only battlefield where the future of superhero media will be determined; on the homefront, several comic book-based streaming shows are on deck for 2026. Let’s take a look!

Marvel TV

The deluge of disastrous Disney+ series has done serious damage to the MCU’s reputation on the small screen. A parade of mediocre, forgettable shows trained audiences that Marvel’s streaming output was neither special nor worthy of their time, even as they grew more essential to the movie storyline. Why watch when you could get caught up with a quick trip to your favorite entertainment news website… which, by the way, turns 30 in 2026.

To their credit, Marvel and Disney have realized the error of their ways, and pivoted to a “quality over quantity” approach, but that’s not happening in 2026. So far, it’s shaping up to be another year with way too much to watch. Several of these projects have been gestating for years, delayed by strikes, rewrites, and corporate chaos as they finally limp toward release – a practice par for the course for modern Hollywood, which is the subject of one such cursed production…

Wonder Man (Disney+)

Release date: January 27, 2026

Marvel’s love letter to the movie industry began development under Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton, envisioning Simon Williams as an actor gunning for the lead role in a superhero reboot only to find himself with powers of his own. This satire about the perils of modern filmmaking was itself swallowed by them: Wonder Man actually wrapped filming in April 2024, and has been sitting on the shelf ever since. It’s been a production plagued by accidents and behind-the-scenes jockeying that left it on the verge of outright cancellation.

The meta-premise is loaded with potential, especially if it’s willing to poke fun at the Hollywood machine that Marvel helped create, but it also might be a little too soon for navel-gazing irony. It’s hard to satirize an empire when you’re still living inside it and unable to really sink your teeth into its slow decline, far removed from the glory days of mainstream hits like WandaVision.

Speaking of which…

VisionQuest (Disney+)

Release date: Fall 2026

WandaVision was lightning in a bottle that became appointment viewing. Five years and several streaming flops later, its followup, VisionQuest, faces a very different world.

Starring Paul Bettany as the reborn White Vision, the series will follow his search for identity in what’s sure to be a pleasingly trippy journey through his messed-up clanker brain. Original WandaVision writer Jac Schaeffer departed the project during its drawn-out development and was replaced by Terry Matalas, the man behind the 12 Monkeys TV series and the fan-favorite third season of Picard.

WandaVision thrived on its very novel premise and approach – the kind of creativity Marvel hasn’t had in large supply these days. Instead, much like Picard, VisionQuest appears to be focused on yesterday’s enterprise, exploring the various AI assistants introduced throughout the MCU, including a returning James Spader as Ultron. And it’s not the only show that’s bringing back old favorites in a bid to recapture its former glory. There’s also:

Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 (Disney+)

Release date: March 4, 2026

The first season of Daredevil: Born Again was torn between a fresh start in the MCU and a beloved old continuity that fans refused to let go. For Season 2, Marvel has wisely decided to fully embrace its roots in their beloved 2015 Netflix venture, complete with the return of Krysten Ritter’s Jessica Jones, a standout character from an earlier time when Marvel streaming series actually mattered.

Another relic of the peak Defenders era still going strong is Jon Bernthal’s Frank Castle, who’s getting his own Punisher Special Presentation, presumably to bolster his appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

That’s about it for the canonical MCU experience in 2026, and we’re not going to lie: It’s kind of a lot! And we’re not even finished going through Marvel’s larger TV output. Did you remember that they made a show about Spider-Man: Noir?

Spider-Noir (MGM+)

Release date: 2026

Somehow, Sony managed to convince Nicolas Cage to reprise his Spider-Verse voiceover role in a live-action twist on the monochromatic vigilante. Divorced from the MCU and set in a unique Depression-era universe, Cage’s take on the wall-crawler as washed-up private eye Ben Reilly could wind up as the weirdest comic book experiment of the year.

Developed for MGM+ and Amazon Prime, Spider-Noir hasn’t exactly received the red carpet marketing rollout of a Disney+ tentpole, which may not be the worst thing in the world. Giving Cage free reign to mug and chew the scenery in a standalone side project could give Spider-Noir the juice it needs to become a cult classic… or it’ll be another Sonyverse embarrassment that fades into streaming obscurity faster than you can say “he was in the Amazon with my mom when she was researching spiders right before she died.”

There’s one more Marvel series worth talking about for 2026, and it’s probably going to be the best of them all:

X-Men '97 Season 2 (Disney+)

Release date: Summer 2026

X-Men ’97 returns for its second season in 2026 with the same cast and crew that made the first so special, minus controversial creator Beau DeMayo, who was dismissed by Disney before the show even premiered.

Animated shows rarely dominate headlines or drive watercooler chatter the way prestigious live-action series do, but X-Men ’97 has proven to be an excellent exception. The all-growed-up revival of the classic Saturday morning series is a bright spot in a pretty bleak landscape of Marvel TV shows – smart, emotional, and mature in ways that slop like Secret Invasion could only dream of.

It’s the smartest possible way to capitalize on nostalgia: Instead of de-aging old actors and green-screening them in from their home offices, X-Men ’97 brings the future to the past, and it might be the best thing Marvel has going right now.

Despite the stigma, Marvel’s animated efforts feel more exciting than anything in the live-action pipeline, and quality stuff like X-Men ’97 and 2027’s Beyond the Spider-Verse might be the key to cementing superhero staying power. It’s the closest thing Marvel has to the breakout success of Invincible, which brings us to…

DC TV

DC only has one show in the works for next year, but it’s gonna be a big one.

Lanterns (HBO)

Release date: 2026

Lanterns is the first live-action series developed from the ground up as a DCU joint, starring Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre as two space cops who find themselves shining light on a murder in Nebraska. It’s a grounded, gritty, “prestige TV” take on an inherently goofy space opera concept with some serious talent behind it, including Watchmen’s Damon Lindelof, comic writer Tom King, and Ozark producer Chris Mundy.

DC has commendably stepped up their streaming game in recent years with high-quality fare like The Penguin and Peacemaker. They’re also making shows your parents might watch, and nothing says “falling asleep in the recliner” like a rural police procedural; it’s a smart move. With Lanterns, the studio hopes to continue their successful streak and establish a tone for the next few years of serialized DCU storytelling.

There’s a lot of pressure to hang on Lanterns, but that’s probably preferable to the alternative as Marvel floods the zone with a half-dozen overlapping projects that range from “intriguing” to “oh yeah, that’s still happening?”

Invincible, The Boys, and More

Invincible continues to punch above its weight class with the awesome animated series on Amazon Prime. With its fourth season set for 2026, we’re only about halfway through Robert Kirkman’s 144-issue epic, and the show continues to improve year after year, though it’s high time they got a bigger animation budget. Like a big red alien who returns from each defeat stronger than before, by the time Invincible reaches its own endgame, it might be the last superhero series standing.

While Invincible ascends, Amazon’s other long-running superhero deconstruction gears up for its swan song. The Boys will bow out after its final season in 2026, closing the book on a landmark series that provided a much-needed release of violence and cynicism in the face of sterile superhero cinema’s all-encompassing rise.

Other than those outliers, all eyes are on Marvel and DC, as usual, and each company is taking a very different approach to their strategy in 2026. Marvel is betting huge on seemingly surefire hits, busting out the big guns like Spider-Man and the Avengers while flooding streaming platforms with sequels and spinoffs. DC, on the other hand, is playing the long game with fewer, smaller projects with modest budgets and risky ideas designed to build something sustainable.

Even their 2026 video game plans reflect the dueling philosophies of the big two superhero studios. Marvel is going full blockbuster with Marvel 1943: The Rise of Hydra and Wolverine, two triple-A action adventure games that have been in the works for ages. Meanwhile, DC is quietly pressing reset after the high profile disasters of Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad by going back to the charming, accessible, low-poly world of Lego Batman.

One studio is chasing the glory of a bygone age, and the other is working hard to rebuild faith after their last universe imploded; both of them are fighting to prove that superhero movies aren’t dead. Fatigue is indisputably real by this point, and the only cures available are extinction or evolution. 2026 will be the year that decides the path forward – the make-or-break moment that could either revitalize comic book media or flush it down the drain.

5 games I played this year made me rush out and buy their soundtracks, and each was rewarding to own in a different way.

I've seen the light, and I don't want to go back.

Already unspooled Silksong? Here's six other platformers exploring new concepts.

It’s a real genre renaissance out there, chief.

2025 was the year of creative bankruptcy.