In Anne Rice's Interview With the Vampire, things have never been exactly easy for Louis and Claudia. Even after the pair teamed up to kill their maker, Lestat, their relationship remained strained while they journeyed through Europe in search of Old World vampires. While things started to settle after they arrived in Paris and discovered the coven there, this week's episode, "I Want You More Than Anything in The World" saw things grow more complicated between the pair than ever before -- all while Claudia started to develop a relationship outside of Louis all her own. Now, Delainey Hayles is breaking down Claudia's "toxic" relationship with Louis as well as why that new relationship has such interesting potential.

Warning: spoilers for this week's episode of Interview With the Vampire, "I Want You More Than Anything In The World", beyond this point.

In the episode, Claudia finds out that Armand knows what they did to Lestat and comes to realize that Louis has chosen someone else over her once again. It leads to an emotional confrontation in their apartment where she calls him out for having once again chosen anyone but her despite having previously told her that it was the two of them, always. While it might seem like Louis was lying to Claudia in some respect when he gave her that "you and me" pep talk in Episode 1 -- especially given the hallucination Lestat of it all -- Hayles says she doesn't think Louis was lying then, but he was certainly confused and that the pair of them are both toxic on their own as well as toxic together.

"I don't think Louis was lying to her in the beginning," she said. "I think Louis is confused. I think he doesn't know exactly what he wants. He just wants somebody to be with him and I think Claudia has given him the benefit of the doubt for a long time, like he's her Louis, he is all she has. She relies on him. He relies on her to an extent and when he picks Armand over her, it's a bit like, 'oh, okay he's gone and done it again. Now you've really sealed it. This is it. How f-cking dare you.'"

"They're both toxic," she said of Claudia and Louis. "I hate talking about Claudia in that light, but she is toxic. She does what she needs to do to get by and whether that involves manipulation, we'll see. But she has to keep herself alive and keep herself safe, but their relationship is very toxic. Their toxic relationship is toxic."

But while her relationship with Louis is falling apart, Claudia is also forging a new relationship of her own with the dressmaker, Madeline. It's the first time viewers have seen Claudia connect with a woman, but also the first time that they've seen her take a genuine interest in someone. For Hayles, it's because they balance one another out.

"I think it's when they meet each other, they have this mutual understanding that they've both been through something," she said. "And in the beginning, they're not entirely sure what that is. But they're kind of talking to each other because they're both being ostracized by their communities. And the eyes are like windows to the soul so they're seeing something in each other and it's like a weighing scale; they're both on either end, balancing it out."

She also said that while this take on Claudia and Madeline is different than the book, she thinks the writers did a great job of keeping the heart of the relationship authentic while keeping it relevant to this version of Claudia's story.

"When I was filming it, I was reading the book at the same time I was watching the series, so I kept watching the series over and then I had the book with me and I was familiar with it," she said. "And it's kind of interesting to see how the series was going to portray that relationship and I think the writers did an excellent job at maintaining their characters kind of faculties and what they stand for and their relationship but making it relevant to Claudia's story today."

What Is Interview with the Vampire Season 2 About?

You can read AMC's official description of the second season of Interview With the Vampire here: "The interview continues in season two. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.

Interview With the Vampire airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

At the end of last week's Interview With the Vampire, "No Pain", Claudia gets the thing she's been wanting the most, a place to belong, when she's finally made a full member of the Paris coven and part of the Theatre des Vampires. Her happiness is short-lived, however, when moments after her induction she's given a new play written just for her that forces her to play a child for at least the next fifty years. For Claudia, it's just another cruel blow in an un-life that has been full of them after she was given the Dark Gift too young and is forever trapped in a girl's body. Now, Delainey Hayles breaks down Claudia's horrifying new reality with the coven to Comic Book as well as reveals what Claudia really thinks about Armand.

Warning: spoilers for this week's episode of Interview With the Vampire, "I Want You More Than Anything In The World", beyond this point.

In the episode, Claudia dutifully takes the stage as "Baby Lulu" in the play specially written for her, but while the play is a massive success, the toll of constant infantilization soon takes its toll on her, leaving her disinterested, despondent, and just going through the motions on stage. When she eventually moves to stand up for herself with Armand, he responds with a cruel punishment, one that forces her to wear her little girl costume at all times, never able to escape the hell she's in. For Claudia, Hayles says it is all pure horror, even from the moment she gets the script.

"It's pure horror for her," Hayles said. "She doesn't entirely know what to expect from the show. She's got the script, but it's... she wants to see the show, do it, but yeah, when we leave three, it's horror. It's the same. It's confusion. It's very sad."

She continued, "From the get-go, she's just appeasing everyone, but she hates it from when the script is placed in her hand."

Hayles also said that when it comes to Armand, however, she feels that Claudia both admires his role within the coven, but her thoughts about him change over time -- and she also isn't especially surprised by his treatment of her because she's already experienced Lestat.

"I think she admires that he's the ma?tre, he's in charge of the coven, but she doesn't know him. I don't want to say she doesn't like him. I think she gets to not liking him," she said. "She doesn't mind him in the beginning and in episode two, there's an element of 'okay, go ahead Louis, let's have fun in Paris.' But towards the latter, she can also read Armand. She knows him, basically because she's come from being Lestat's daughter, and worse treatment that she's had. So, she knows how to deal with Armand because she's been around, she's done that, but yeah, I wouldn't say it's a shock to her."

What Is Interview with the Vampire Season 2 About?

You can read AMC's official description of the second season of Interview With the Vampire here: "The interview continues in season two. In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Eric Bogosian). Picking up from the bloody events in New Orleans in 1940 when Louis and teen fledgling Claudia (Hayles) conspired to kill the Vampire Lestat de Lioncourt (Reid), Louis tells of his adventures in Europe, a quest to discover Old World Vampires and the Theatre Des Vampires in Paris, with Claudia. It is in Paris that Louis first meets the Vampire Armand (Assad Zaman). Their courtship and love affair will prove to have devastating consequences both in the past and in the future, and Molloy will probe to get to the truths buried within the memories.

Interview With the Vampire airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.

Last week on Interview With the Vampire, Claudia became a full member of the Theatre des Vampires and the Paris coven, but her joy quickly turned to horror when she realized that the coven planned to have her spend the next half a century playing a child on stage. Meanwhile, Armand and Louis' relationship continued to develop, but Armand revealed to Louis that he knows about the murder of Lestat. This week, Claudia tries to settle into her new life with the coven but finds it more difficult than she ever could have imagined.

Warning Spoilers for Interview With the Vampire Season 2, Episode 4, "I Want You More Than Anything in The World" beyond this point.

Claudia takes the stage performing in the new play the Theatre has written for her and Louis attends her performance. The audience loves her but she's miserable, though in the interview, Armand tries to do dismiss it as Claudia paying her dues. The play ends up being so popular that they had to add additional shows and audiences grew. The coven isn't thrilled with the success Claudia is having and Claudia isn't either. The more she has to perform, the more detached and bored she becomes. Armand says it's sabotage. When she speaks up for herself to Armand, she's punished by being forced to wear her infantilizing costume constantly. Santiago sort of stands up for Claudia, but instead uses it to take shots at Armand's relationship with Louis and his own distraction.

The interaction forces Louis and Armand to define their relationship and Armand isn't excited that Louis doesn't see it as a companionship the way he does. Louis agrees to spend more time with the coven. Louis continues to be haunted by Lestat. For Louis, it's a tactile experience, though Armand says it was nothing he was aware of. Daniel ends up asking Armand and Louis about the fire at the theatre, something they hadn't brought up. Armand goes on the defense and it triggers more memories for Daniel, unsettling him.

Claudia continues to journal and is caught by Santiago. She defends her journal by saying it's just her thoughts and he has her read some to her. He warns her that Armand may not see her journal as harmless and reveals that his maker was killed for making him in violation of the law. Later, while out advertising for the Theatre, Claudia visits the dressmaker and leaves her a flyer for the show.

The coven is out together and Louis has joined them, spending most of his time talking with Claudia about what he's been experiencing in Paris, much to the annoyance of the coven who are dealing with changes issues as things are coming apart for them. Santiago mimics Louis and makes it clear that he knows Louis is not actually from Gary, Indiana. Louis attacks Santiago, enraging Armand who pauses time and controls the situation. Louis leaves. Sometime later, Louis goes to try to get his photography a dealer. The dealer tells Louis that his work doesn't really have the same level of artistic skill as others, upsetting him. In the present, Daniel looks over the photography and Louis comes to realize that many of the photographs in his portfolio aren't actually his own. Daniel continues to have memories of Armand in his head, unsettling him and asks for aspirin for his "migraine".

The dressmaker attends on of Claudia's shows and she's happy. Upset back at home, Louis vents about his photography being critiqued to the Lestat that is haunting him. Lestat suggests Louis have patience. They're interrupted by Armand quoting Shakespeare outside for Louis. They go for a walk. Claudia visits the dressmaker at her shop with the dressmaker making her a new dress. The dressmaker opens up to Claudia about her own history, how her family all died and how during the war, she was lovers with a German soldier and after the war it made her a traitor to her countrymen.

Armand takes Louis to an art museum. The paintings are Armand's versions of photographs in a sense. Louis is upset after the confrontation at the restaurant and accuses Armand of acting like Lestat. Louis eventually asks Armand who he is and Armand takes him to a particular painting by a contemporary of his maker, Marius. He reveals that he is in the painting, Amadeo at 20. He reveals that he was rescued from a brothel when he was 15, that his real name was Arun and that his parents had unknowingly sold him into slavery. Marius eventually rescued him, though he did still sometimes share him. He reveals the coven in Rome named him Armand after the coven killed Marius and sent him to Paris to that coven. Armand is interrupted with the coven alerting him that Claudia missed her chore at the Theatre and he drags her back and reveals he knows about Lestat -- and tells her she cannot see the dressmaker again.

At home, Louis burns his photos. Claudia confronts Louis about Armand's knowledge of Lestat and how Louis has filled in the details. Claudia tells Louis that Armand threatened her but Louis doesn't believe her. She's enraged that he's picked Armand over her and storms out. Louis leaves with "Lestat" to hunt and while out, Santiago breaks into the apartment. Louis breaks up with the ghost of Lestat he carries with him, silencing the voice which is really is own. Lestat fades away and Armand approaches. Armand explains that the coven is about to mutiny and Santiago wants his job. Louis says he's going to stay in Paris and suggests that Armand let Santiago think he's in charge and he will overplay his hand letting Armand have control again. At the apartment, however, Santiago finds Claudia's journal and proof of her involvement in Lestat's murder.

In Dubai, Louis is enraged about the photos in his portfolio and he and Armand fight. Even as it happens, Daniel is flooded with memories of San Francisco and the first interview. He also finds photographs of himself with Louis... and enhanced audio from the 1973 interview that reveals so much more than he previously recalled: Armand.

New episodes of Interview With the Vampire air Sundays on AMC.

At this point, knowing that Bluey is the most popular show in the world isn't much of a surprise. It is interesting, however, to learn just how frequently and handedly Australia's iconic pup is dominating the competition. Even over a week after Bluey's third season concluded, the series was the most popular television show in all of streaming, earning more than a billion viewership minutes again, something that has become commonplace for the title.

According to the latest numbers from Nielsen, Bluey racked up nearly 1.2 billion minutes from April 29th to May 5th. Remember, the surprise final episode of Bluey Season 3 arrived on April 21st, more than a week before, and it carried a ton of momentum into May.

Additionally, Nielsen's report indicated that this is the fourth time that Bluey has been the number one title in streaming, but it is far from the only time the show has had massive success. Bluey has been on of the top 10 streaming programs every week for over a year, per Nielsen's metrics.

Since debuting in 2018, the Heeler family has become one of the most popular groups of characters on television, and Bluey has become a staple of households around the world.

"It's been amazing. For me, the most incredible part of it is being a part of a show that is having such a beautiful social impact, that is actually putting good out into the world," Melanie Zanetti, who voices Bluey's mom, Chili, told ComicBook. "As an actor, you do a lot of stuff and you're like 'Does any of this matter? I'm not doing brain surgery; I'm not doing aid work -- does this have meaning?' And then to have a show where I've had so many parents tell me, 'This has taught me how to play with my kids,' or dads saying, 'this has taught me how to parent the way I want to parent.' I had a teacher who told me they had a student with Autism in their class, and it taught this little boy how to play with other kids and has changed his life at school. When I hear things like that, it makes me go, 'Okay, this is important and useful as well as entertaining and fun and beautiful,' and I think for me, that is the most exciting thing."

June is upon us, which means the highly-anticipated fourth season of The Boys is debuting on Prime Video this month. The streamer has been sharing a lot of fun posters for the upcoming season, and the latest showcases some very important duos. Not only are Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell) and Erin Moriarty (Annie January) sharing a poster, but Karl Urban (Billy Butcher) is sharing the spotlight with Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is making his series debut this season.

"Here comes our second wind," the official Twitter account for The Boys captioned one poster. "Two peas in a diabolical pod," they captioned the other. You can check them out below:

Here comes our second wind. pic.twitter.com/ShZ3XCmxvS

-- THE BOYS (@TheBoysTV) June 2, 2024

Two peas in a diabolical pod. pic.twitter.com/x0iHhygfHx

-- THE BOYS (@TheBoysTV) June 1, 2024

Who Is Jeffrey Dean Morgan Playing in The Boys?

Morgan's character in Season 4 of The Boys has yet to be confirmed, but fans have been speculating everything from Tek Knight to Monkey. Some cast members of The Boys have played coy about the significance Morgan will have in the series.

"I don't know how much can be revealed about that character," Black Noir actor Nathan Mitchell previously explained. "But I think the cool thing about this show is we're always going in different directions and showing you different storylines and different characters in ways you wouldn't expect, so I think that Jeffrey Dean Morgan is going to play a role that stays with fans for a long time."

What Is The Boys Season 4 About?

In Season Four of The Boys, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca's son as well as his job as The Boys' leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it's too late.

The Boys stars Karl Urban, Jack Quaid, Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty, Jessie T. Usher, Laz Alonso, Chace Crawford, Tomer Capone, Karen Fukuhara, Colby Minifie, Claudia Doumit, and Cameron Crovetti. Season Four will welcome Susan Heyward, Valorie Curry, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

"In our minds, it's only a couple of days after whatever the events are of Gen V," Kripke recently told Variety when asked about the events of The Boys Season 4. "We try to keep the timeline super simple because all that folding-in-on-itself timeline stuff that I think other comic book universes find themselves having to do is just bewildering for me as a viewer. So it's all very modular. It's like there's Season 3 of The Boys, and then after that Gen V takes place, and then after that The Boys Season 4 takes place. And then after that, Gen V Season 2 takes place. It's all more like cars on a train than it is a plate of spaghetti."

The Boys Season 4 premieres on Amazon's Prime Video on June 13th.

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 is kicking into high gear, and now fans have gotten the first look at what's coming next with the first look promo for Episode 4! My Adventures with Superman returned to Adult Swim with Season 2 of the animated series, and things have been quite intense ever since it came back. The animated series is introducing new takes on DC Comics' characters at full steam, and all the while Clark's own life is getting further into disarray as those around him are dealing with the fallout of all of the shake ups to the status quo thus far in the new season.

The biggest shake up has been General Lane living with Clark and Jimmy as Amanda Waller's Task Force X are after him. This story didn't move too much forward in the newest episode of the season, but it seems like it's taking a big leap as General Lane is under attack while Lois is caught in the crossfire. That's the tease given with the first look at what's coming next with the promo for My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 4, and you can check it out below as spotted by Swimpedia on X.

Tune into #Toonami on Saturday, June 8th at midnight to catch the next brand new episode of My Adventures with Superman Season 2, "Two Lanes Diverged"! pic.twitter.com/3ZvuZYC4xY

-- Swimpedia (@swimpedia) June 2, 2024

How to Watch My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 4

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 4 is titled "Two Lanes Diverged" and the synopsis for the episode teases it as such, "Jimmy gets invited to the S.T.A.R. Labs Symposium; Clark joins him for support, but Lex Luthor takes over; the General flees and Lois chases after him, struggling to reconcile past experiences with the present situation." My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 4 will be premiering on Adult Swim on Saturday, June 8th at midnight EST. If you wanted to catch up with the first season and Season 2's available episodes so far, My Adventures with Superman can also be found streaming with Max the day after their initial debut.

Adult Swim teases what to expect from the upcoming My Adventures with Superman Season 2 episodes as such, "In the latest season, the three best friends face a host of new threats. Powerful foes will emerge from Clark's alien past, Amanda Waller will take aim at Superman, Lois will grapple with the future, and Jimmy Olsen will spend an unbelievable amount of money. Krypton is coming for our young heroes, and its arrival will test their strength, loyalty, and love like never before."

Star Wars: The Acolyte is debuting on Disney+ this week, and the new series takes place in the High Republic era. The show features a star-studded line-up of actors, including Lee Jung-jae, who is best known for playing Seong Gi-hun in Squid Game. The actor is playing a Jedi named Sol in The Acolyte, and he recently spoke to ComicBook about what sets his character apart from the other Jedi in the High Republic.

"So I kind of mentioned this roughness I wanted to embody, because of the High Republic timeline," Jung-jae explained via translator. "But I think this kind of concerns the emotions as well, kind of expressing them a little bit roughly. So even though externally Master Sol is extremely powerful in the Force, I think the Jedi still have this intrinsic fear, right? Whether it's the first time meeting a villain or, in the very beginning of a battle, feeling the power of your opponent for the first time."

"So I think compared to the other Jedi, I really wanted to express Sol in a unique way, because he is extremely humanistic and you see that with his relationship to Osha, but having that small element of fear or small element of surprise, even within a battle," he continued.

You can watch our interview with Jung-jae at the top of the page.

Leslye Headland Teases The Acolyte:

The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland has previously spoken about the series and teased what Star Wars fans can expect.

"We're taking a look at the political and personal and spiritual things that came up in a time period that we don't know much about," Headland explained in a previous interview. "My question when watching The Phantom Menace was always like, 'Well, how did things get to this point?' How did we get to a point where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? Like, what went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment?'"

"We actually use the term the Renaissance, or the Age of Enlightenment," Headland added. "The Jedi uniforms are gold and white, and it's almost like they would never get dirty. They would never be out and about," Headland says. "The idea is that they could have these types of uniforms because that's how little they're getting into skirmishes."

"The truth is that I, as a major mega fan, came to them with this idea. And I said, 'I think the best place to put this is in an era you guys have not quite explored yet,'" Headland revealed to Vanity Fair. "They were very enthusiastic. It wasn't that they didn't want to explore that [existing] world, but I think that they already were because The Mandalorian and a lot of the other television projects were really relying on legacy characters."

What Is The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is working through season four, and the short season has been nothing but solid so far. With a slew of episodes under its belt, the anime has put all eyes back on Tanjiro as he prepares to face down Muzan. The Hashira Training arc is putting all our faves through hell, and this week, the anime stepped out with an original battle involving the Mist Hashira and two others.

As you can see below, the whole thing came on behalf of ufotable in Demon Slayer's latest episode. The update checked in on Sanemi, the Wind Hashira, as he began training one-on-one with Obanai. The Serpent Hashira has been a good challenge for Sanemi, and after catching wind of the battle, Muichiro shows up.

Muichiro is so crazy to go fight them with that smile??
MUICHIRO NEVER LOSES #???? pic.twitter.com/AZkwCWwP3K

-- MUICHIRO MY SON ?? (@zennzudaughter) June 2, 2024

Though it is all for training, the three Hashira are seen battling it out, and the original throw down is pretty glorious. Obanai and Sanemi decide to team up in their battle against Muichiro, but even so, the pair did not anticipate how fast the latter would be. The Mist Hashira is faster than ever following his defeat of an Upper Moon, and he's only getting faster.

This original Hashira battle may not seem like much to fans, but as an addition to the Demon Slayer manga, it helps pad our the Hashira. The anime's current arc is rather brisk on paper, and many fans were worried the Hashira Training arc would be paced weirdly as such. Luckily, ufotable has crafted some incredible original content to pad out the arc as Tanjiro continues his training. And this week, that original addition put Muichiro's power front and center.

If you are not caught up with Demon Slayer season four, the anime is streaming everywhere from Hulu to Crunchyroll. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Learning to destroy demons won't be easy, and Tanjiro barely knows where to start. The surprise appearance of another boy named Giyu, who seems to know what's going on, might provide some answers?but only if Tanjiro can stop Giyu from killing his sister first!"

What do you make of this original Demon Slayer throw down? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

2023 gave us the Summer of Suits, as USA Network's previously concluded legal drama was added to Netflix and miraculously became the biggest show in all of streaming. Suits broke records for Netflix multiple years after going off the air, but subscribers may have been disappointed to discover that they couldn't watch the show in its entirety. Only eight seasons of Suits made the jump to Netflix in 2023, with the ninth and final season only available over on Peacock. That finally changes in July.

Suits Season 9 is coming to Netflix next month, giving subscribers of the service their first chance to finish the series. Netflix announced on Sunday that the Suits final season will be available beginning July 1st.

Order in the court! Suits Season 9 is coming to Netflix July 1st. https://t.co/GmP2BWedPm

-- Netflix (@netflix) June 2, 2024

The Suits franchise has been given a massive second life thanks to the surge on Netflix last year. NBC is currently working on a spinoff series called Suits L.A. that will star Arrow alum Stephen Amell in the lead role.

Original Suits Cast Returning for Spinoff?

A lot of Suits fans will be wondering about the status of the original show's stars heading into Suits L.A. While this new show follows a different story with different characters, it is set in the same world as Suits, leaving the door open for appearances.

Lex Scott Davis, one of the stars of the Suits L.A. pilot, spoke with People about the potential of flagship series stars appearing.

"It's not impossible," the actress told People when asked if there was a shot of any original cast members appearing in the spinoff. "I would love that myself if there was, but we'll see. You never know."

She went on to talk about the production of the pilot, which is getting started soon. In addition to Scott Davis and Amell, the series also stars Troy Winbush and The Walking Dead's Josh McDermitt.

"There is a pilot script, and that's what we'll be filming in April," Scott Davis explained. "Fingers crossed that the pilot gets a series order. But, I'm pretty excited. Pretty sure we'll get our series order, for sure."

"So [Suits] has this resurgence that everyone's excited about," she added. "And so, the news about dropping Suits L.A. is just, it's going crazy. And I love it. it's so much fun. I can't wait to actually get started."

On June 6 a new season of Criminal Minds: Evolution will premiere on Paramount+ and with it comes a lot of drama. Last season, a few new characters were brought into the fray, including Tyler Green (Ryan-James Hatanaka). At first Green was an anonymous informant feeding information to the BAU to help locate the infamous Sicarius killer but things quickly turned when he met Penelope Garcia. They began a fling which was frowned upon by just about everyone and at the end of the season Penelope broke things off with him. This season Hatanaka is returning as a series regular and will join forces with the BAU once again to help crack the code on what Gold Star is.

Comicbook caught up with Kirsten Vangsness ahead of the season premiere to discuss Penelope's growth over the last 17 season but particularly from season 15 to now. When asked how much of her boundaries will be part of her storyline as they were integral last season, Vangsness expressed "hope" that Penelope's boundaries will stick.

"I think the boundaries stay, I hope the boundaries stay. I think like everybody, you set out this thing [where] you're like, 'I'm a big person.' We're on break right now, hopefully we come back soon. I'm hoping we get another season," Vangsness said. "But you know, I'm one of those people who's like, 'it's summertime! Okay, I'm going to become a whole new person, I'm going to set up practices that so when I come back, I'm better than ever.' So I think that Garcia has that in common; this thing that we do where you're like, I've made these rules and whatever but I think some of them really have stayed. I think that they're so in her bones now that if I looked at her, you know, season 4 and now you'd be like, 'Oh, she would never do that. Like never ever.' Like there's certain things like she's just not walking in hand anybody coffee anymore like she don't do that. So I think that this year it's interesting because there's never been like a true conflict with a love interest. Someone you were actively sleeping with mere weeks ago that's now suddenly someone's dumb dumb idea [gestures to Adam Rodriguez]. Sorry, Adam to just bring in -- of the people that you can hire! Um, so I think that that's a really, it's a fun thing. It's an awkward thing to play, but it's a fun thing to play."

This season will see the BAU trying to get to the bottom of Gold Star once and for all but, per the synopsis, "as the conspiracy unfolds, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is met with an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit negotiates a deal that transfers him to federal custody in the BAU's own backyard. The team faces its biggest threat yet and cannot emerge unscathed from the mind-bending consequences."

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 17 premieres on June 6 on Paramount+.

Netflix's One Piece is far from done. Following its debut last year, the live-action anime did the impossible as it proved Hollywood wrong. For once, the industry was able to roll out a solid live-action anime that has become one of Netflix's most-watched originals. It didn't take long for a season two order to come in, and now, a new interview has fans wondering if season three is in the works.

The whole thing comes from Brashaad Mayweather as the actor, who played Patty in One Piece season one, did an interview. It was there the actor talked about Patty's future in the series, and while chatting, Mayweather suggested One Piece is going to film seasons two and three back to back.

"We'll see if they flash back to its because they're filming two seasons - season two and three - back to back starting soon. So we'll see what happens," the actor shared.

Now of course, this news is breaking if true. As far as Netflix has shared, One Piece has only been given an order for season two. It seems very unlikely Netflix would keep a two-season order quiet given how successful One Piece has been, so fans are left to question this revelation. It may be that Mayweather is confused, of course. Netflix did give a double season order for Avatar: The Last Airbender once the live-action series dropped book one. But for now, we don't have any clarification on the matter.

For now, One Piece fans are operating under the belief that season two is a go, and they are hoping for more seasons beyond that. The show's first outing covered the East Blue saga, and now, Netflix's original is ready to tackle the Arabasta saga. From Drum Island to Loguetown, the saga will have a ton to parse through, and production is expected to start soon. Reports have said One Piece season two will begin filming this summer, and June has officially arrived...!

Want to know more about One Piece? No sweat. You can read up on the series below thanks to its official synopsis:

"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

What do you think about this One Piece update? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Star Wars: The Acolyte is debuting on Disney+ in just a few days, and the new show is set during the High Republic era. In honor of the upcoming series, the official social media accounts for Star Wars have been sharing various featurettes about the project ranging from a conversation between the show's creator, Leslye Headland, and Davie Filoni to the cast talking about their experience making the show. The latest featurette takes a being-the-scenes look at some of the show's fight sequences.

"The cast and crew of #TheAcolyte take us behind the fight sequences of the new Star Wars Original series. See the action in the two-episode premiere, streaming Tuesday on @disneyplus," Star Wars captioned the video on Instagram. You can check in out below:

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A post shared by Star Wars (@starwars)

Rebecca Henderson Talks Weilding the Lightwhip in The Acolyte:

The Acolyte is set to feature the live-action debut of the lightwhip AKA the lightsaber whip, a modified lightsaber with one or more plasma blades in flexible containment shields. The character best known for using this weapon is Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, who is making her debut in live-action in The Acolyte and being played by Rebecca Henderson. ComicBook recently spoke with Henderson, and she talked about getting to wield the weapon.

"The training wasn't that different," Henderson explained when asked if the lightwhip training differs from lightsaber training. "But I suppose the lightwhip is very dangerous," she added while pretending to get her head cut off. "The training wasn't different, but so much wrist work, so much wrist. As you can see in the shot, I'm going behind me. So it's something that I'm not seeing in front of me."

"They did, yeah," Henderson confirmed when asked if new VFX was created to make the lightwhip work. "No, I don't," she admitted with a laugh when asked if she knew how it was done behind the scenes. "It's not my department. But I didn't see it until recently. The new clip that they released was the first time I've seen the full, you know, the prongs of the thing go up ... I was like, 'It's awesome!'"

What Is The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

It is hard to believe, but at last, My Hero Academia has capped its climax. The manga brought its Final War saga to a close this month, and this week, the creator of My Hero Academia made sure to speak on its future. With the climax over, many assumed My Hero Academia would wrap rather quickly. But as it turns out, Horikoshi is going to wrap the hit series after a lengthy epilogue.

The confession comes from Horikoshi himself as the artist posted an author's note with chapter 424. This My Hero Academia chapter completely wraps Deku's fight against All For One while setting the stage for the manga's epilogue. So of course, Horikoshi wanted to assure fans there is a good bit of the manga left to go before it ends.

"Writing conventions say that the conclusion of a story should be short, but this is not the type of manga that can immediately end after the fighting is over. I'll keep going for a little while longer. We're going back to the title," Horikoshi shared.

As you can see, the artist behind My Hero Academia is not ready to part ways with his hit series just yet. Deku has finished his battle with All For One and Shigaraki, but the world is nowhere near recovered. In the manga's most recent update, My Hero Academia put the world back on track as heroes and civilians are working together to rebuild. However, not all is as it was. Deku's quirk is now fading as only the embers of One For All lives within in. Now, the hero is ready to return to school for his second year. And in the coming weeks, Horikoshi will unpack Deku's new normal with an extended epilogue.

If you want to brush up on your My Hero Academia lore, don't sweat it. The manga is easy to find on the Shonen Jump app, and the My Hero Academia anime is streaming everywhere from Hulu to Crunchyroll. So for more info on the series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Izuku has dreamt of being a hero all his life-a lofty goal for anyone, but especially challenging for a kid with no superpowers. That's right, in a world where eighty percent of the population has some kind of super-powered "quirk," Izuku was unlucky enough to be born completely normal. But that's not enough to stop him from enrolling in one of the world's most prestigious hero academies."

What do you think about Horikoshi's admission? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Arcane season two is not that far off. It has been quite the wait, but come November, the hit animated series will return. Now, Netflix has posted a special new look at the series, and Arcane fans are already emotional thanks to the key visual.

As you can see below, the fan-made visual was released in tandem with this year's Annecy Festival. The event, which is focused on all things animation, will Arcane season two in the spotlight with Netflix's help. A panel is expected to go live for Arcane that breaks down the production of season two, so artist viollynt decided to piece together a special visual in honor of season two

I made something pic.twitter.com/8Sma5BJgkw

-- Nilo ???? (@viollynt) June 2, 2024

The visual, as you can see it above, puts two familiar faces center stage. We can see Jinx and Vi together, but this time, the sisters' roles are quite literally reversed. This kind of dynamic fits the pair given what we saw from Arcane season one, so hopefully, the sisters will have plenty on hand to keep fans busy when season two drops.

Currently, Netflix is slated to bring Arcane season two to life in November 2024. The show's return comes some years after season one launched as the 2021 title became an instant hit. Heralded as one of Netflix's best animated originals, Arcane put Studio Fortiche on the map, and it didn't take long for a season two order to come through. If you have not seen season one of Arcane, the show is streaming on Netflix now. So for more info on the League of Legends series, you can read its official synopsis below:

"In the cities of Piltover and Zaun, tensions rise as inventors, hooligans, politicians, and crime lords grow increasingly dissatisfied with the constraints of a devastated society. With the situation on the verge of being unsustainable, two sisters steal an artifact of immeasurable power. Discovery and danger collide as heroes are born and bonds are broken. Will this power change the world? Or will it lead to ruin? This is the world of Arcane."

What do you think about this Arcane update ahead of season two? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

The Apothecary Diaries has quickly become one of manga's top titles. In the wake of its hit anime adaptation, sales for the series are on the rise as Maomao's tale continues in print. However, a new report suggests the artist behind The Apothecary Diaries is in hot water. Nekokurage was accused of tax evasion earlier this year, and the artist just pled guilty in the case.

The revelation comes from Japan as the case against Nekokurage continued in court. The artist pled guilty to tax evasion which is hardly a shock. Earlier this year, the artist addresses her charge of tax evasion when it surfaced as Nekokurage stressed the situation happened unintentionally.

As for the case itself, Nekokurage admitted to evading about 47 million yen in taxes. In USD, this total lands just shy of $300,000. At this time, no sentencing has been given in relation to this crime. In Japan, this sort of crime can prompt anything from fines to jail time for those guilty.

Of course, you can bet Nekokurage is eager to avoid any jail time. Back in February, the artist released a letter addressing the tax evasion charge. It was there Nekokurage said her tax returns had been neglected our of ignorance rather than malice. In the wake of her charge, Nekokurage also secured a tax accountant to help them file their missing returns, so hopefully this due diligence will look favorably upon Nekokurage.

After all, the artist is keeping busy with The Apothecary Diaries these days. The artist helps oversee the manga adaptation of Natsu Hyuga's novels. Published by Square Enix, The Apothecary Diaries manga has been a hit with readers in the wake of its anime debut. So if you want to know more about the romantic drama, you can read the official synopsis of The Apothecary Diaries below:

"Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!"

What do you make of this court update? Are you keeping up with The Apothecary Diaries? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

My Adventures with Superman is back in action with Season 2, so here's everything important that went down in Episode 3 of the new season! My Adventures with Superman kicked off Season 2 with the first two episodes of its run for the season, and with them introduced a whole new status quo and a whole new wave of problems for Superman to deal with. Not only is he anxious over the fate of the Kryptonians and what it could mean for his own future, but Task Force X is making some dangerous moves to take him out by any means necessary.

With everything set up in the first two episodes of My Adventures with Superman Season 2, it's made the rest of the season all the more curious. There are humans with Kryptonian tech within their bodies, Clark discovered that he actually has a cousin out there somewhere, Lois' father has moved in with Clark and Jimmy, and all the while Clark and Lois are still starting their relationship. Now it's time to get ready for what's next with a breakdown of everything important that went down in My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 3, "Fullmetal Scientist."

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Episode 3 Recap With Spoilers

• Superman rushes into a burning building, and when overwhelmed by flames, a glowing aura takes over his body and he's able to easily make it through the fire to save the person inside. This person introduces themselves as Silas Stone, but Superman has to help more people before finding out more. Livewire emerges from the alleyway to confront Silas and it's implied that she's the one that started the fire. Then threatening his son, Silas deletes a video from his phone and promises to keep his mouth shut.
• Following the opening credits, a company called Amertek reveals in an ad that they are opening a new development plant in Metropolis. Meanwhile, Jimmy is struggling to keep a handle on his Flamebird interns, managing General Lane not cleaning up after himself, and keeping Clark's hero secret under wraps until he loses it. It's even more awkward for Clark as General Lane keeps noticing how Clark is disappearing at all hours of the night and constantly late to meet up with his daughter.
• Clark and Lois still haven't talked about his developments with his cousins because of their busy lives. Meanwhile, Lois attends an Amertek press conference where its boss Thomas Weston reveals the Metallo, a machine with strength greater than Superman's and the firepower of a tank. Powered by the company's own fusion reactors, the first demonstration fails. Lois asks why John Irons, who has been the public face of Amertek (and was seen in the opening ad), is missing from the event.
• Competing with Vicki Vale for a potential scoop on the event, Lois ends up trying to sneak into Amertek while Vale makes her way in. Meanwhile, Clark is all out of ideas for an article that he's late for and things get even more complicated when Jimmy reveals that Flamebird's young interns have followed up on a mysterious voicemail warning about killer robots in the area. On Lois' end, she and Vale snuck into Amertek and found a destroyed lab. The two of them then decide to figure out what the company is hiding, but are competing to be the first to find out.
• Clark (as Superman) and Jimmy then investigate the message and it leads to Dr. John Irons' apartment. He reveals that when he and Stone had been hired for Amertek, he had developed a special mech suit for meant to help first responders. But Weston instead rushed them on production of the Metallos despite their flaw in their core making them unstable. He shows them footage that when more than one activates, they hit critical mass and explode. They Irons warns Weston that the larger core they've built is essentially a giant bomb.
• This is the footage that Stone was forced to delete in the beginning of the episode as Weston has paid off Livewire and others to hide the evidence. This leads to Livewire herself attacking the apartment (after Lois and Vicki arrive) and destroying the evidence instead. Quickly heading to Amertek, Superman and Irons team up to stop the reactor but Weston tries to stop them by activating the fleet of Metallos.
• Superman's overwhelmed, but soon he's saved by Irons, who is wearing the "Steel" mech suit that he was developing. They now need to destroy the pillars around the nuclear core to get its energy to diminish, but soon it starts going haywire as it absorbs the energy of the Metallos. Using his new energy based aura power, Superman then touches the core and tries to contain it from exploding. Irons is then able to destroy the pillars to keep the core from exploding, and everyone's safe and sound.
• After the commotion, Vicki celebrates sharing her story only for Lois to reveal she actually put one out first. It's here Vicki offers her a job working with her after everything she's done to show she's got the goods, but it would mean leaving Metropolis behind in order to move up in the world. Clark and Lois still don't really get to talk about the things in their life like Clark's cousin and Lois potentially moving away someday. But through all of this, Clark is inspired for his Daily Planet article.
• Clark writes on how Irons saved the city from its destruction, and it seems like it's going to be a happy ending until Irons is stopped from using his mech suit to clean up the mess at Amertek. Lex Luthor arrives and reveals that he's bought Amertek and its technology have been bought by Lexcorp...including Irons' mech suit. As the episode ends, Amanda Waller and Lex look over the fleet of unfinished Metallos.

"Tiva" fans got exciting news earlier this year when Paramount+ announced that an NCIS spinoff series, NCIS: Tony and Ziva, was coming to the streamer with production set to kick off this summer in Europe, but there have been plenty of questions about the series, too. Now, NCIS showrunner Steve D. Binder is opening up about how the main NCIS series might set up the eagerly anticipated spinoff and while it doesn't sound like there are concrete plans, he says he is all for it.

"You know, that's been a long-running creative process, going through several incarnations of things," Binder told TVLine about NCIS potentially setting up for Tony & Ziva. "Let's put it this way, I would love to. I would love to do that, and I don't speak for Michael [Weatherly], but I have a feeling Michael would be up for anything like that. So, we're all for it."

He went on to address the upcoming NCIS prequel series as well, NCIS: Origins.

"One thing that's nice about Origins is that it takes place in a different time period, so you'd need to get a little more creative if you want something to cross over from one episode to another," he said. "But that would be super fun, too. So, I'm absolutely open to any ideas anybody has. They are totally welcome to show them to me and see what we can come up with."

What is NCIS: Tony & Ziva About?

NCIS: Tony & Ziva will center around Tony DiNozzo (Weatherly) and Ziva David (de Pablo) who fans last saw reunited in Paris along with their daughter, Tali, in the NCIS Season 16 finale -- Ziva left the team in Season 11 and was believed dead, though that ended up not being the case. The spinoff will open on the family, but "when Tony's security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after."

"We've been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready," Weatherly and de Pablo said in a statement when the series was announced. "The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears, and laughter. We also want to acknowledge and thank the fans from around the world who supported the 'TIVA' movement for years. To this day, they say hello in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and ask what Tony and Ziva are up to now. This is for you."

An NCIS Prequel Is Also In The Works

NCIS: Tony & Ziva isn't the only expansion to the NCIS universe fans of the franchise has to look forward to. It was also previously announced that CBS is set to debut a prequel, NCIS: Origins, this fall. The series will follow Leroy Jethro Gibbs, played by Mark Harmon in NCIS, as he "starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NCIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks."

The prequel series will see Harmon return as narrator and will star Austin Stowell as Special Agent Gibbs, Mariel Molino as Special Agent Lala Dominguez, Kyl Schmid as Mike Franks, and Tyla Abercrombie as Field Operations Support Officer Mary Jo Sullivan.

"We are elated and honored to continue the expansion of the 'NCIS' universe in such a unique and unexpected way," Amy Reisenbach, president of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. "Viewers can look forward to Mark Harmon returning to CBS to narrate the complex and mysterious backstory of Leroy Jethro Gibbs' early years in 'NCIS: Origins,' which will build on the rich legacy of this character while reintroducing fan-favorite characters and meeting new ones."

Star Wars: The Acolyte is debuting on Disney+ next week, and the series is set during the High Republic era. The show features the live-action debut of the lightwhip AKA the lightsaber whip. The character best known for using this weapon is Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh, who is being played by Rebecca Henderson in The Acolyte. ComicBook recently spoke with Henderson, and she talked about getting to wield the lightwhip.

"The training wasn't that different," Henderson explained when asked if the lightwhip training differs from lightsaber training. "But I suppose the lightwhip is very dangerous," she added while pretending to get her head cut off. "The training wasn't different, but so much wrist work, so much wrist. As you can see in the shot, I'm going behind me. So it's something that I'm not seeing in front of me."

"They did, yeah," Henderson confirmed when asked if new VFX was created to make the lightwhip work. "No, I don't," she admitted with a laugh when asked if she knew how it was done behind the scenes. "It's not my department. But I didn't see it until recently. The new clip that they released was the first time I've seen the full, you know, the prongs of the thing go up ... I was like, 'It's awesome!'"

The Lightwhip's History:

The lightsaber whip or lightwhip is a modified lightsaber with one or more plasma blades in flexible containment shields. Used by the Jedi Order during the Sith Wars, lightwhips have also been associated with the Nightsisters of Dathomir. The lightwhips were first canonically mentioned in the Fantasy Flight Games sourcebook Endless Vigil in 2016 before appearing in The High Republic: A Test of Courage in 2021. However, the lightwhip originated in the Star Wars Legends continuity, and first appeared in the comic book Star Wars (1977) #95 in 1985.

What Is The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

It looks like Weird Al Yankovic might be heading to Hawkins, Indiana. The fifth season of Stranger Things is currently in production in Atlanta, and Weird Al just teased a cameo in the show's final season. The beloved musician took to Instagram today to share a photo of himself with Finn Wolfhard (Mike Wheeler) and Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin Henderson).

"Yesterday was pretty bizarre, but stranger things are happening today," Weird Al captioned the post. If Weird Al is actually popping up in Stranger Things, there are endless possibilities of who he could be playing, but we're willing to bet he's going to show up as himself. Dustin is known to be a Weird Al fan and rocked a t-shirt with the parody songwriter's face on it in the fourth season. In fact, Weird Al reacted to the show referencing him. You can check out his new post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by "Weird Al" Yankovic (@alfredyankovic)

How Will Stranger Things End?

"I'm gonna just make a bold statement," David Harbour told ComicBook last year. "Each year, it feels like the show's getting bigger and bigger and more exciting. And we have a real responsibility to knock it out of the park in the final season. So if we don't, give me all of your fan rage. Write the petitions. Go ahead, do it. Because I'm going down there next week to start and I'm going to pour my whole heart into this thing. I've read some of the scripts and in my mind, they're stunningly beautiful. It's time. We're going to knock it out of the park. We're going to deliver you the finale that you need, that you want, that I want."

Stranger Things creators, Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, recently revealed that their pitch for the fifth season was a tear-jerker.

"Listen. It's our process but it's just like, we really just try to focus on one season at a time," Ross Duffer previously told The Wrap. "We do have an outline for season 5 and we pitched it to Netflix and they really responded well to it. I mean, it was hard. It's the end of the story. I saw executives crying who I've never seen cry before and it was wild. And it's not just to do with the story, just the fact that it's like, Oh my God, this thing that has defined so many of our lives, these Netflix people who has been with us from the beginning, seven years now, and it's hard to imagine the journey coming to an end."

Stranger Things is expected to return for its final season next year.

It's been almost a year since the first half of Outlander's seventh season debuted on Starz, and the wait for the second half is almost over. Starz has revealed (via Variety) that the final eight episodes of Outlander Season 7 will debut on November 22nd. Fans will be able to catch new episodes each week starting at midnight ET on Fridays via the Starz app and on Starz streaming and on-demand platforms ahead of the series' linear premiere at 8/7c.

According to Starz, "Coming off of the first half of Outlander Season 7, viewers find Claire (Caitriona Balfe), Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Young Ian (John Bell) leaving the colonies and arriving in their beloved homeland: Scotland. The perils of the Revolutionary War force them to choose between standing by those they love and fighting for the land they have made their new home. Meanwhile Roger (Richard Rankin) and Brianna (Sophie Skelton) face new enemies across time and must battle the forces that threaten to pull their family apart. As loyalties change and painful secrets come to light, Jamie and Claire's marriage is tested like never before. With their love binding them over oceans and centuries, can the MacKenzies and the Frasers find their way back to each other?"

Outlander stars Caitr?ona Balfe as Claire Fraser, Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, Sophie Skelton as Brianna MacKenzie, Richard Rankin as Roger MacKenzie, John Bell as Young Ian, David Berry as Lord John Grey, along with newcomers Charles Vandervaart as William Ransom, Izzy Meikle-Small as Rachel Hunter and Joey Phillips as Denzell Hunter. Matthew B. Roberts, Ronald D. Moore, Maril Davis, Toni Graphia, Luke Schelhaas, Andy Harries, Jim Kohlberg, Caitr?ona Balfe, and Sam Heughan executive produce. Outlander is produced by Tall Ship Productions, Left Bank Pictures, and Story Mining & Supply Company, in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Outlander to End With Season 8

While the second half of Outlander's Season 7th is coming in November, production is underway on the series' eighth season as well. Starz previously announced that Season 8 will be the series' last -- and a prequel series, Outlander: Blood of My Blood -- is on the way.

"Outlander: Blood of My Blood is, at its heart, a love story. It will explore what lengths a person will go to find love in a time when love is considered a luxury, and when marriages are made strategically, often for political or financial gain," Matthew B. Roberts, showrunner and executive producer, shared in a statement. "The title is a nod to Jamie Fraser's marriage vow to Claire and there will be several names and faces that Outlander fans will know and recognize. Jamie and Claire's TV story may be coming to an end with Season 8, but Diana is continuing on with their literary journey in her wonderful book series and is working diligently on book ten. With Jamie and Claire, and now Brian and Ellen, there is still so much more to come in the Outlander universe, and we cannot wait to continue sharing these stories with our dedicated fans."

Season 7 of Outlander returns November 22nd on Starz.

Star Wars: The Acolyte is debuting on Disney+ next week, and it is set in the High Republic era, which is about 100 years before the events of the prequels. Some existing characters from the page are being brought into live-action for the series in addition to many franchise newcomers. One character many fans are excited to meet is Kelnacca, and Jedi and Wookiee played by Joonas Suotamo, who took over the role of Chewbacca from Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. In addition to debuting on The Acolyte, Kelnacca will also be getting his own Marvel comic.

According to Gizmodo, Marvel Comics will be releasing Kelnacca's comic after the first season of The Acolyte comes to an end, and it promises to delve further into the character's history. Star Wars: The Acolyte - Kelnacca #1 is a one-shot written by Cavan Scott with art by Marika Cresta. The story will "bridge the gap between The High Republic novels and comics to The Acolyte itself."

"It's been so exciting to draw a line from The Acolyte back to The High Republic era we've been building in comics, books, audio and animation," Scott told io9. "Kelnacca is the perfect character to bridge the gap between the time of Leslye Headland's spectacular series to the age of Starlight Beacon, the threat of Marchion Ro, and the marauding Nihil. In this comic, we will learn more about one of the most intriguing aspects of Kelnacca's design: the meaning behind those mysterious tattoos. Along the way we'll see the struggle of a Padawan and a master who is stoic, wise, and, ultimately, a true practitioner of Light and Life."

You can check out the main cover and two variant covers for Kelnacca's comic below:

What Is The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

The series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th. Star Wars: The Acolyte - Kelnacca #1 is being released on September 4th.

Following an incredibly successful season 6 which debuted last summer, Netflix renewed sci-fi anthology Black Mirror for its seventh season in the fall. With its explosive release, it quickly soared to the Nielsen Top 10 on the overall and streaming originals charts. There have been very few updates on the highly-anticipated season 7 following the Hollywood strikes, but they are currently midway through production. According to Black Mirror creator/writer Charlie Brooker, this upcoming season they're doing something "really cool" and that they've "never done before."

"... We're in mid-production [on season 7] at the moment, and it's all quite mad right now," Brooker told The Hollywood Reporter. "We're at the point where you finish some of the episodes, and you are shooting another one, and prepping another one. They're all different, all with different directors and casts. So this is the point where my head is a bit ... I'm under a lot of fun pressure. It's a nice job to have, at the end of the day.

What Is Season 7 of Black Mirror About?

Though he couldn't tease much about what's to come, he did confirm they've wrapped filming on Callister, a callback to the fan-favorite season 4 premiere U.S.S. Callister. In that episode, Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons played the role of a tech-entertainment company CTO (Chief Technology Officer) Robert Daly. He creates a game based on his favorite show from his childhood which resembles Star Trek. He serves as the commander of a starship that explores new worlds with a crew that are clones of his coworkers.

"I'd love to. But I'm pretty sure I can't or shouldn't. There's so much I could say. I think I can say that we just wrapped on Callister, and we've just started on another one. I'm really excited. I'm always excited about all of them, but I think we have a really good mix. I'm about to start writing the last one, which actually is terrifying because I probably should have written it several weeks ago! We have a real mix of things, really exciting castings that have happened. I don't want to jinx it by saying too much. We're in the bit that I really like, where you've locked an episode, so that's such a good feeling. We're doing the final polishing of the score and the mix on one of them. And we are doing something really cool right now that we've never done before -- but I can't say what it is."

Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on Black Mirror season 7.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is returning to Prime Video for its second season later this year, but it was recently revealed that the show would be continuing without a major character. It was announced this week that Nazanin Boniadi will not be returning as Bronwyn for Season 2. Deadline originally shared the news and confirmed the character will not be recast. It was reported that Boniadi was leaving the series due to her hiatus from acting as she advocates for Women in Iran. However, Boniadi took to Instagram yesterday to break her silence on the news and clarify why she won't be returning to the show.

"I made the choice not to return for season two of 'Rings of Power.' This was unrelated to my subsequent decision to prioritize my advocacy. Throughout my career, the values I have held most dear are honesty, empathy, and integrity. My character Bronwyn was committed to these same ideals in striving for a fairer world, which is why I connected so deeply with her. I look forward to sharing my latest projects with you soon," Boniadi wrote.

In The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Bronwyn is the lover of Arondir (Ismael Cruz C?rdova), the elf warrior. She is also the mother to Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). While Bronwyn will be absent from the show, the two characters most connected to her will be a part of the new season. You can view Boniadi's post below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nazanin Boniadi (@nazaninboniadi)

What Is The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 About?

"What I know and what I can say for a fact is that it's going to be darker, and it's going to be edgier and more character-driven," Season 2 director Charlotte Br?ndstr?m shared with MovieZine earlier this year. "I still think that we have some very interesting episodes coming up. I watched all of them over Christmas, just the cuts. I think it's going to be a very good season. We tried to make it more gritty, a little bit more dirty I guess. And not in the image, but to make it as authentic as possible. We have some very surprising twists and turns in it as well."

Stay tuned for updates on Season 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off's creators talked about the Netflix series' massive swerve. It feels like BenDavid Grabinski and Bryan Lee O'Malley heard some of the fan chatter and decided to do something about it. The Hollywood Reporter interviewed the series creators about the choice to take Scott Pilgrim off the board in the anime adaptation. For the duo, it makes sense because of how the fandom reacts to the title character in a lot of the discussions about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World now.

In essence, the conversations about Michael Cera's hero being the least interesting thing about his own narrative struck a chord with Grabinski and O'Malley. As an added bonus, the choice allowed them to delve into all those evil exes and background characters that have become cult favorites over the years. Here's what they told THR about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

"We were talking about [how the fandom] seems to hate Scott now, that he's the worst character in his own story," Grabinski explained. "So why don't we give the people what they want and just take him off the street?"

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Went Meta

Fans were excited about the prospect of more Scott Pilgrim. But, getting the actual cast onboard was its own heavy lift too. However, Mary Elizabeth Winstead told ScreenRant that the "meta" approach to the story definitely spoke to her particularly. It feels like the swerve allowed Ramona to really step to the front and grab some agency. A lot of the fans found that change interesting.

"Definitely," Winstead began. "It was really meaningful for me to get to have Ramona be more of the focus and to get to explore her, emotionally, a bit more. I think we all really identified with our characters at the time when we made the movie, and there's something really personal about Ramona for me, so to get to look back at her as a character and also look back at myself at that time, and think about all the things that I would like to get to say to that character, or say about that character, or to myself... it was all very meta.

"The show feels [meta], obviously, but it felt that way making it as well. We were all sort of looking back at our former selves with this new lens and bringing all of that history to these characters, and who they were then, and where they're going," she added. "That was a very cathartic and emotional thing to get to do that I didn't really expect. I didn't really realize it was going to feel that way until I was actually recording it."

Did you like the twist of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

3 Body Problem debuted on Netflix earlier this year, and the first season was based on the first book in Liu Cixin's Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy. The episodes ended with some unanswered questions, so fans were relieved when Netflix renewed the show for a second season. The news of the renewal left some fans confused when the streamer announced it would "bring this epic story through its mind-blowing conclusion." Turns out, the second season won't be the show's last. The series had an FYC panel on Friday (via The Wrap), and it was confirmed that the sci-fi series will also get a third and final season.

Considering Cixin's books are a trilogy, it makes sense that Netflix's show would run for three seasons. In addition to 3 Body Problem, the other books are titled The Dark Forest and Death's End.

"We're thrilled that we get to tell this story through to its epic conclusion," creators David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, and Alexander Woo said in a joint statement when the show was renewed for Season 2. "Ever since we read the last page of Cixin Liu's magnificent trilogy, we hoped we'd be able to bring the audience to the end of the universe with us. Here we go!"

"We knew going into this how many hours we need to tell the rest of the story because we've got a roadmap through to the end," Weiss previously told THR. "And we have what we need to get to the end as intended from where we started."

"By the time we finish with the show, it will be seven years we've devoted to it," Benioff added. "We're not at a place where we get to tell the rest of the story, and, yes, we have enough time to tell the rest of the story the way we want to and that's immensely gratifying."

Will 3 Body Problem Season 2 Feature Aliens?

3 Body Problem follows a group of scientists and intelligence agents who are making plans to stop aliens called the San-Ti, who are expected to land on Earth in 400 years. In Cixin's book series, the aliens are never actually shown or fully described. At the show's premiere, ComicBook asked Benioff, Weiss, and Woo if they would take liberties in potential future seasons and show the San-Ti.

"That would be a great problem to have because that means we say we have future seasons," Woo said when asked about showing the San-Ti in the future.

"There is one alien who is described in part of the books, not necessarily aliens who are invading, but a character named Singer," Benioff added. "If we get the Singer, that's maybe my favorite theme in the whole trilogy. If we can get the Singer, that would be, as Alex said, a really interesting problem. Do we show him... or it? Do we show all of it? Part of it?"

"Stop motion, who knows?" Weiss added.

You can watch our interview with Benioff, Weiss, and Woo at the top of the page. Stay tuned for more updates about Netflix's 3 Body Problem.

When The Handmaid's Tale returns in 2025, it will be for its sixth and final season and according to series star Elisabeth Moss, the final season is one for the fans. Speaking with Business Insider (via Yahoo!) Moss said that the final season of the hit Hulu series is one that is being made "for the people who have stuck with us".

"I think this whole season is absolutely for the fans," Moss said. "It's definitely for our audience. It's definitely for the people that have stuck with us for five seasons, and we're kind of making this one for them."

Moss also revealed that she already knows how The Handmaid's Tale will end -- and she's known for some time.

"I've known for a while how it was going to end, so I don't think I can say anything," she said. "I'm too scared to say the wrong thing accidentally. I'm too nervous."

Moss Says The Final Season Will Be "Surprising"

Moss has previously indicated that the final season of the series is one that is "wild" and "surprising". Moss is also set to direct four episodes of Season 6, including the season premiere and the series finale.

"It's pretty wild, the final season, honestly," Moss said. "It definitely has final-season energy."

She added, "It's big and wild, and goes to many different places, and it is very, very surprising all the way through."

The Final Season of The Handmaid's Tale Won't Arrive For Awhile

While production on Season 6 of The Handmaid's Tale is set to start production this summer, the wait for it to debut will be awhile with the series not likely to be released until 2025, something Moss recently addressed.

"We are going back to shoot this summer. Our final season," Moss said at the time. "People are really starting to get upset. Especially when I tell them that we haven't even started shooting yet. Like, 'When is it coming back?' 'Well...' They get a little upset. It probably won't be [released] until maybe 2025."

A The Handmaid's Tale Spinoff Is In the Works

While The Handmaid's Tale is coming to an end, the story isn't exactly over. A spinoff, The Testaments, which is based on Margaret Atwood's 2019 novel, is actively in development with Bruce Miller, who was showrunner for The Handmaid's Tale for its first five seasons, in charge.

"The Testaments was an independent curveball created by Margaret Atwood for the series I was working on. I think she had had it in her head for a while. I tried as much as possible, and I'm still trying, to not really make The Handmaid's Tale about The Testaments," Miller shared about the new series. "The Handmaid's Tale should be good on its own and when it's done, it should be a nice little TV set that you put on the shelf next to the novel, and it hopefully adds to your enjoyment of it, and then you can move onto The Testaments."

He added, "The way Margaret did it, which is wonderful, is that you close one and you say, 'I don't have to open that. But let's open the next one and see what's in there. It could be anything.' It is a continuation, but it's more like a separate chapter. The horizons are more limitless."

Stay tuned for updates on the future of The Handmaid's Tale.

Criminal Minds has built many iconic on-screen relationships over the years but perhaps none with as big of a following as Luke Alvez and Penelope Garcia -- Garvez, for short. Since Luke debuted in season 12 of the show, his dynamic with Penelope has become a significant part of his storyline. In season 15 before the series' switch to Paramount+ and got a revamped title, Penelope and Luke finally tested the waters and went on a date. The aftermath of that wasn't shown given that was the series finale so fans were almost able to come to their own conclusion. However, that changed when Evolution was announced.

When Evolution debuted, it left a lot of unanswered questions and raised even more as the 10-episode 16th season went on. Penelope got involved with Tyler Green (Ryan James-Hatanaka) who began as an anonymous informant feeding information about Sicarius to Penelope in order to locate him and get justice for his missing sister. They began a relationship that lasted but a blip before Penelope realized that it wasn't appropriate. One of the biggest detesters of their relationship was none other than Luke.

Comicbook caught up with Vangsness and Rodriguez to chat about Criminal Minds: Evolution season 17 and the two dished about Garvez's relationship dynamic this season. Vangsness noted that they "have a blast" doing it while Rodriguez added that "it makes it better."

"Yeah, because I'm suddenly, like, I think before it was always 'ugh, ugh' with him and then last season it was like, 'I have no one else to talk to, I have to talk to you' and we had that date that wasn't a date, like all these things," Vangsness said. "So it's both neutral but not, you know what I mean? Because we have chemistry. So it's like there's that, but it's been really fun. There's a scene where I had to make a bunch of affirmations and I'm reading them off to him and every time I read something off to him, it's just fun. That's my experience."

Rodriguez added, "Yeah. I love it as well. I think, you know, it puts the relationship to a new test. We had this certain dynamic before and then we very briefly like Kirsten said, explored it, went on a date and decided, 'ok, we have to put this in this space. This is what works for both of us here.' And then this guy gets added to the mix and there's a whole bunch of reasons to be cautious about it. And for Alvez, I mean he gets to sort of play a different role, really a friend, which you haven't seen him get to be in that way. [A] big brother kind of thing or little brother, however you wanna call it, where there's a different layer of protection. He's guarding her because he cares and you get to see that part of the relationship, which I think is really important for wherever this thing decides to go in the end."

Vangsness added how significant it is to have Penelope interacting with the "hunks" which we have seen over the entirety of the show with her and Derek Morgan's iconic friendship, Tyler, and Luke. "And I love that they let the character actress, like, usually the character actress does not engage with the hunks and by the grace of God, I get a lot of hunk action! I think it's good for everybody. I think it's good. I think it's good for the world at large."

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 17 premieres on June 6 on Paramount+.

Station 19 may have ended its run after seven seasons Thursday night on ABC, but it might not be the end for Jason George's Ben Warren. Deadline reports that George, whose character originated on Grey's Anatomy, may be headed back to the flagship series. Per the report, there is no formal deal currently in place but talks are ongoing with the goal of bringing the actor back to Grey's Anatomy full-time.

For those unfamiliar, George appeared on Grey's Anatomy starting in Season 6 and was a series regular for Seasons 12-14, departing the series in 2017 to star on the Station 19 spinoff -- his character decided to leave medicine to become a firefighter. Like most of the actors on Station 19, George made periodic appearances on Grey's Anatomy after that thanks to various crossovers.

As for George going back over to Grey's Anatomy, the Station 19 series finale did open the door for the character to return to Grey Sloan. The final moments of the episode saw Warren reveal that he was leaving firefighting to go back to being a doctor, a decision he came to after realizing that while he was still a good doctor, an injury was keeping him from being a good firefighter.

George Has Previously Said He'd Be Open to a Grey's Return

Ahead of the Station 19 series finale, George said he was open to returning to Grey's Anatomy and that he thinks there's opportunity for more stories between his character and Miranda Bailey (played by Chandra Wilson) there.

"I like to think that there's still a Ben-Bailey, or Benley, story to tell," George said. "I think that's a possibility. There may be conversations."

Why Was Station 19 Cancelled?

Back in December, ABC announced that Station 19 would end with its seventh season and earlier this year, Disney Television Group President Craig Erwich explained that the series' cancellation was simply a case of the story coming to its natural conclusion.

"Every show has its own journey so to speak. In the case of Station 19, it was time to bring that story to an end," Erwich said. "I love Station 19, and I think what's amazing about Station 19 is that it was yes, a spinoff of Grey's. But it really became its own show that stood on its own creatively and was fully realized and unique unto itself, and we've been very proud to have it on the air. I'm proud to be in business with Shonda [Rhimes] on that show."

What Is Station 19 About?

Debuting in 2018, Station 19 follows the men and women at Seattle Fire Station 19. The series, a second spinoff of Grey's Anatomy (the first being Private Practice), stars Jaina Lee Ortiz, Jason George, Grey Damon, Barrett Doss, Jay Hayden, Danielle Savre, Boris Kodjoe, Stefania Spampinato, and Carlos Miranda. It had been renewed for Season 7 back in April, at which time Zoanne Clack and Peter Paige took over as co-showrunners from Krista Vernoff.

The ComicBook Nation crew breaks down Marvel's milestone ending to X-Men's Krakoa Era and previews what's coming with the "From the Ashes" reboot of the comics. There's also a look at the teaser trailer for Disney's Moana 2 and the all-star cast of Knives Out 3!

PLUS: A review of Jennifer Lopez's Netflix movie Atlas, the MCU Blade Movie is in trouble (again); is James Gunn Tapping a The Boys star for a major DCU Role? As well as streaming reviews for Madame Web, The First Omen and more!

MORE: Full List of New X-Men Comics Coming in 2024

In A Violent Nature Review

ComicBook Nation host Kofi Outlaw gives In a Violent Nature 3 out of 5 stars, writing that while the main distinguishing feature of the film (being told from the perspective of a Jason Vorhees Slasher-Killer) wears thin at times, some innovative kills (including one instant-classic scene) and a wave of anxiety and fear that's achieved in the final section make writer/director Chris Nash's debut a noteworthy one.

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The second season of Goosebumps is growing its cast. On Friday, Disney+ announced that the series has added six more, rounding out the cast for the series. Joining the Season 2 Goosebumps cast are Arjun Athlaye (Are You Afraid of the Dark?), Eloise Payet (The End of the Party), Christopher Paul Richards (The Kids Are Alright), Kyra Tantao (Zombies 3), Stony Blyden (American Born Chinese), and Sakina Jaffrey (Billions). All six are described by Deadline as coming on in recurring roles.

The six will join the previously announced cast of series regulars which includes David Schwimmer, Ana Ortiz, Sam McCarthy, Jayden Bartels, Elijah Cooper, Galilea La Salvia, and Francesca Noel. It was also previously announced that Season 2 of Goosebumps will not be a direct continuation of the first season of the series, but will instead shift the series into an anthology, featuring new characters dealing with otherworldly events. Here's how Season 2 is described: "Season 2 will follow teenage siblings who discover a threat stirring, triggering a chain of events that unravel a profound mystery. As they delve into the unknown, the duo find themselves entangled in the chilling tale of four teenagers who mysteriously vanished in 1994."

"Audiences everywhere fell in love with the series' chills, thrills, heart, and humor, making it one of Disney Branded Television's most-watched shows of last year," Ayo Davis, president of Disney Branded Television, shared "We can't wait to dive deeper into the brilliant mind of R.L. Stine, and to collaborate once again with Sony Pictures Television, Scholastic Entertainment, and our fantastic creative team to bring an entirely new mystery to Disney+ for season two."

"We are incredibly proud of the work of our writers, producers, cast, and crew and the vision they brought to season one, which a new generation of fans are loving alongside those who grew up in R.L. Stine's iconic world," Katherine Pope, president of Sony Pictures Television Studios, added. "Like when you cracked open a new book in the 'Goosebumps' series, we can't wait to see how the writers flip the show on its head as we explore the series as an anthology. Thanks to Disney Branded Television, who remain steadfast partners throughout this wonderfully chilling journey."

Goosebumps Season 1's Cliffhanger to Be Resolved in a New Book

While Season 2 will feature an all-new story and characters, Season 1's cliffhanger will get resolved in a new young adult Goosebumps novelization from Scholastic. Set to be released on October 1st and written by Kate Howard, Goosebumps: The Haunting Returns will be a novelization of the first season of the Disney+ series in which readers will "discover what happens to Isaiah, Margot, Nathan, and the rest of the folks in Port Lawrence in this official Goosebumps novel based on the hit Disney+ series!"

Per the official description, "thirty years ago, Harold Biddle died in a tragic accident -- but there's more to the story. Now, the teenage kids of Harold's classmates are determined to find out what happened to him all those years ago...as long as Harold's spirit doesn't exact his revenge first! But Harold Biddle isn't the only monster roaming the streets of Port Lawrence. From doppelgangers to haunted books and one creepy dummy, Isaiah, Margot, James, and the rest of their friends have to fight to stay alive or risk becoming monsters themselves! This official novel tells the story of Season 1 of the hit series -- plus additional scenes and information not seen on the show, including resolving the show's cliffhanger ending!"

The Bear is going to help fans catch up before Season 3 gets rolling. FX Network will be hosting a marathon of the beloved series on Sunday, June 2. Now, that's only Season 1, but it will still make it more accessible for anyone looking to see what all the critical acclaim is about. FX is going to roll with two more episodes on TV at 10PM ET until Wednesday too. So, settle in for some appointment viewing. (Wow, it's almost like the way that TV used to work is probably the way forward? Imagine that!) Still, The Bear is massively popular and will probably stay that way for Season 3. As this cast grows more famous by the day, the time we'll all get to watch them shout in that kitchen grows shorter. FX Network head John Landgraf is already pondering what he's going to do without the critical darling.

"There's a lot of these shows I would have preferred to go longer, because as you can see, there's a really big turnover happening in the FX slate right now, and that puts an enormous amount of pressure on me and the development team," Landgraf offered during the TCA press tour. "More shows turning over at one time than I'm comfortable with, but the flip side of that is that creates a lot of excitement because it creates a lot of opportunity to find and launch new things. But it's always a little daunting when you have shows this good. You always feel like, 'How the heck am I going to ever find something that can replace it?' And so far, knock wood, we've managed to do it."

What Is The Plot For The Bear Season 3?

Hulu and FX have a brand-new synopsis for Season 3 of The Bear: Season three of FX's The Bear follows Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri) and Richard "Richie" Jerimovich (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they do what it takes to elevate The Bear, their beef stand turned fine dining establishment, to the highest level, all while doing their best just to stay in business. It's a losing battle every single day in the restaurant business. Carmy pushes himself harder than ever, and demands excellence from his crew, who do their best to match his intensity.

"Their quest for culinary excellence will propel the crew to new levels and stress the bonds that hold the restaurant together. As the team grows in size, each member will strive to reach a greater level of service within their role. In the restaurant industry, you're never on solid ground, and with that ever-changing landscape comes new challenges and opportunities. Our chefs have learned that every second counts, but this season we'll find out if they have what it takes to make it to tomorrow."

Are you all the way caught up on The Bear? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

A new episode of Doctor Who, starring Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and MIllie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, debuted tonight on Disney+. Showrunner Russell T Davies wrote the latest episode, "Dot and Bubble." We're here with the recap of the new episode of Doctor Who, Season 1, Episode 5, Dot and Bubble."

SPOILERS follow for Doctor Who Season 1, Episode 4, "Dot and Bubble." Recap begins now:

Lindy Pepper-Bean (Callie Cooke) wakes up and tells her "dot" - a kind of floating smart device - to turn on her "bubble." In the bubble, she's surrounded by video chats of friends who greet her with good morning. One friend, Gothic Paul (Pete MacHale), comments that one of their friends has been missing for a while, but they don't worry about it. GPS-like directions instruct Lindy on how to get to the bathroom, where she asks an online doctor if she needs to pee (she doesn't). She then checks out the latest song from online musician, Ricky September (Tom Rhys Harries). She's previously interrupted by an unsolicited chat from the Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa), who is trying to warn her that she's in danger. She quickly swipes it away to continue with the song, oblivious to the alien creature in the next room.

After the credits, we get a shot of a city in a bubble. It's someplace called Finetime, and the Finetime news reports that everything is fine, all the time (except for some minor weather satellite trouble). Lindy continues chatting in her bubble while following the GPS walking instructions to work and remains oblivious to the screams around her.

In the chat, Lindy and her friends talk about how boring their job is and complain about hand "chapping." Gothic Paul tells them another friend has gone missing, but she ignores him. Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) inserts herself, claiming to be doing a system check for Finetime. A very irritated Lindy explains to Ruby that they all work at data processing for two hours each day and that she shares an office with six people. However, the other people meant to be in the office aren't responding. It takes some prodding, and Lindy refuses to turn her bubble office, but eventually, she agrees to peek through the chats to look around. No one else is there, at least no one human. An alien is to Lindy's right. Ruby convinces Lindy to lower her bubble to get a better look. It's a green, oozy, slug-like creature with a gaping maw and it's currently consuming one of her officemates alive. Lindy tries to escape into another Ricky September video, but Ruby returns and brings the Doctor into the chat.

The Doctor convinces Lindy to turn off her bubble and dot long enough to leave the office without being eaten. She doesn't know how to walk without the dot's help and keeps walking into stationary objects. She turns the dot back on and uses it to leave, but the alien takes no notice. Lindy makes it to the elevator. When the doors open, one of the aliens emerges. Lindy is right in front of it but it moves past her, ignoring her instead of consuming her.

Lindy heads onto the street, lowers her bubble, and looks around. There are aliens all over the place, consuming some people and ignoring others. Lindy finds a place to hide and contacts Ruby and the Doctor. She tells them what she saw, but they can't find a way into the Finetime bubble. Lindy assumes the creatures must have come from the "Wild Wood" outside the bubble.

Lindy explains that Finetime is a colony settlement for rich young people. Her mommy paid for it. Her mom (Susan Twist) pops up in the chat and Ruby and the Doctor recognize her. The Doctor points out that she was the face of the ambulance program (in the episode "Boom"), and Ruby recognized her from somewhere else. They decide to put a pin in that for now.

Lindy summons up her close friends. Gothic Paul tells them more people are missing. Lindy tells them people are being eaten when Gothic Paul gets eaten on the screen. Ruby and the Doctor get into the chat and instruct them to find an entrance to an underground river that will lead them out. However, Lindy's dot is running low on power because she didn't have time to charge it at work.

Lindy's dot dies and she starts trying to make her way to the riverway access, bumping into a pole as she does. She ends up in front of four aliens and struggles to move past them without walking into their mouths. Suddenly, Ricky September appears (in the flesh) and starts instructing her like the GPS does to help her get through. Ricky takes her hand and they head to the river conduit together.

Ricky tells Lindy that he logs onto the bubble long enough to upload his songs but then logs off to read the rest of the day, which is how he knows about the river. He promises to get Lindy out of Finetime. She says this might be the best day of her life despite the thousands of people dying.

Ricky contacts the home world but only finds a video feed. The aliens have wiped out everyone on the planet. He lies to Lindy, telling her that they're sending help.

They head down to lower levels, a workspace like a mine or a construction area. Ricky says it's from when they used to work long hours and get paid in money. The Doctor sends Ricky the numbers for a "pulse code" to unlock the door to the river, but it'll take a few minutes.

Ruby and the Doctor try to figure out why some people, ignore others. The Doctor realizes that the aliens were given a list and they're working down it alphabetically. Lindy Pepper-Bean is next on the list. Ricky September continues to assure her that they'll make it out.

The Doctor puts together that the creatures must have been given the list. He theorizes that the dots are sentient and hate the humans of Finetime. Before she can turn it off, Lindy's dot turns violent and begins attacking her, and Ricky steps in to defend her from the dot while she inputs the code numbers. The door opens, but Ricky gets knocked down. As the dot moves toward Lindy, she shouts that Ricky's real last name is Coombes, so he must die first, alphabetically. The dot turns around and kills Ricky while Lindy escapes.

Lindy makes it to the river, where she meets up with one of her best friends, Hoochy Pie (Niamh Lynch). The Doctor and Ruby are there too and while Lindy tries to ignore them, they approach her and ask about Ricky. She lies and says he stayed behind to save others. Another person, Brewster Cavendish (Jamie Barnard), approaches them and tells her the truth about the home world. He says they will go into the Wild Wood to make a new home, like their pioneer ancestors.

The Doctor offers to take them all somewhere safe inside his ship, which is bigger on the inside. Lindy and her friends seem offended at the idea of them - a bunch of white people, like everyone else in Finetime - traveling with him, a Black man. Hoochy Pie accuses his ship of being "voodoo." The Doctor tries to be magnanimous, saying he'll look past their way of thinking to save their lives, and warns them that they'll die out there. Brewster pulls them away, warning that they'll be contaminated.

The Doctor screams in anguish. He watches, tearfully, as their boat heads down the river before returning with Ruby to the TARDIS.

A new comedy that's purrr-fect for cat lovers is making its way to Prime Video from actress, comedian and author Aubrey Plaza. Kevin, which was written by Plaza and Joe Wengert, tracks the life of Kevin, a life-long housecat that decides he doesn't want to live among people anymore. Per the synopsis, "Loosely inspired by a real break-up and the cat caught in the middle, Kevin dares to ask himself, "Is there a world where I don't do the owner thing and am just... single for the rest of my life?"

Kevin is executively produced by Plaza and Dan Murphy and produced by Titmouse, Evil Hag Productions (Plaza and Murphy's production house), and Amazon MGM Studios. There is currently no release date for the project, but it will stream exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.

"Uniquely told through the lens of a housecat, this hilarious series hits on the extremely relatable theme of self-discovery and living your desired life," said Melissa Wolfe, head of animation, Amazon MGM Studios. "Aubrey, Joe, and Dan are telling a fantastic story and this is a great addition to our growing animated slate for our global Prime Video customers."

"We're thrilled to be working with Joe and Amazon to bring this cat's story to the screen. We can't wait for the world to meet Kevin!" said Plaza and Murphy.

"I am extremely excited to be working with Amazon and my old friends Aubrey and Dan on this show. The real Kevin was with me during some of my lowest moments. This show is my chance to thank him-- by creating a world where he can find less of a total bummer situation for himself," said Wengert, executive producer and showrunner.

Plaza's career has been on a roll over the last few years, lending her voice to projects like FX's Little Demon, a guest star role in The Simpsons, Netflix's Scott Pilgrim Takes Off mini-series and Disney+'s Monsters at Work. The White Lotus actress can next be seen in Francis Ford Coppola's Megalopolis opposite Adam Driver, Giancarlo Esposito and Nathalie Emmanuel. Plaza recently wrapped production on Legendary's Animal Friends opposite Ryan Reynolds, Dan Levy, and Jason Momoa, and Ethan Coen and Tricia Cooke's dark comedy, Honey Don't! opposite Margaret Qualley and Chris Evans.

Stay tuned to Comicbook for updates on Kevin.

Jessica Jones star Krysten Ritter addressed her possible Marvel return. Collider had to ask her about the fateful day she posted an Instagram photo of a fan-favorite shirt while Daredevil: Born Again was filming. Of course, that social media post set the Internet ablaze. While Ritter didn't confirm her involvement with the Daredevil reboot, she did address that famous fashion choice. It turns out, she still owns that shirt and reaffirmed her love for Jessica Jones. While that attention flew towards her, there has been no formal announcement about her character's formal MCU introduction. However, with Charlie Cox and Jon Bernthal already in the fold, it feels like a return is just a formality at this point.

"No, I didn't. I have the shirt. It's a great t-shirt," Ritter told Collider. "It's one of my favorites and I was wearing it. I was like, 'Oh, cute! Is anyone gonna recognize my shirt?' But yeah, I did notice that it made some waves. That was fun.

"She added, "That means a lot to me, as well. The character means so much to me, as well. It's funny that one little thoughtless Instagram story of my cute t-shirt that I love [got that reaction]."

Would Krysten Ritter Ever Come Back To Marvel?

Ritter has gotten used to answering questions about Jessica Jones. ComicBook has interviewed the actress recently about her run on the Netflix fan-favorite. In a previous conversation, Ritter talked about the possibility of coming back for Daredevil: Born Again. The Defenders look like they're in shape for a reunion and that is music to the ears of all those people that really missed the street level Marvel hero team.

"I absolutely love Jessica more than anything. And I loved those years playing her," Ritter told us. "If there was ever an opportunity for her to pop up anywhere, I would be the first [to say yes]. I may or may not have the jacket ready to go in my closet. So, you never know, but if I ever had the opportunity to play her again, I would be so thrilled."

"I'm always down to do it again," she continued during our interview. "It was an absolute dream. And I love her. I love that character. I love the way that she connected with so many people in a deep way and resonated with women and girls in an exciting way. I am just so proud that I got to play such an iconic character."

Would you like to see her come back? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Fans were surprised and thrilled when Hayden Christensen reprised his role of Anakin Skywalker for Star Wars: Ahsoka, and with a Season 2 of the series officially on the way, audiences are wondering if we'll get more Anakin. When asked directly by Entertainment Weekly about what the implications of a second season mean for the actor, he went the ambiguous route and merely noted that Anakin would be with Ahsoka in spirit, sparking speculation about whether he'll make any on-screen appearances. Given the enthusiasm expressed by the actor and by fans, we doubt the figure will be gone from the franchise for good, leaving us to wonder if Ahsoka or another project will feature Anakin's next appearance.

"Look, as to whether or not we see Anakin again, I don't know," the actor admitted. "But as evidenced by that last shot of the series, he's with her in spirit, and they continue to have this connection."

Given that Ahsoka's timeline coincides with the events of The Mandalorian, years after the death of Darth Vader, fans weren't anticipating any appearance by Ahsoka's former Jedi Master, but both flashbacks to a young Ahsoka and the mystical nature of the "World Between Worlds" allowed for Christensen's involvement. Ahsoka actor Rosario Dawson, on the other hand, had a bit more of a promising tease of the character's return.

"I will just say that as she puts on that hologram of him, you see that there's several of them," Dawson detailed. "So I think there's that potential. But I love, also, not just being relegated to those messages and things that we might be able to see more of in the future. We've gotten to see from the films now into the show that he's been able to become this Force Ghost that brings him back to Anakin, who at the end of the day, when he went and ascended to that space, that's what he became."

She continued, "And I love that she's got that access point. I love that that peace has continued and you get to see it reflected in him that he gets to enjoy seeing what his legacy has become in a different way. And if Dave Filoni is listening, I hope we get to explore that more, because the road ahead is not going to be easy. And I think that's been one of the really cool things about this story is a lot of these folks have been able to continue. I'm very into that sort of intergenerational openness of wisdom being passed on, and I would hope that she'd still be able to access that wisdom."

Stay tuned for updates on Christenen's possible return as Anakin.

Would you like to see more Anakin? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

Star Wars: The Acolyte is coming into its final PR push before the series premiere next week - and in the latest promo video, Lucasfilm is making it clear, in on uncertain terms, that The Acolyte will feature a major new Sith Lord villain!

As you can see in the promo below, the latest footage from The Acolyte reveals main character Mae (Amandla Stenberg) meeting with a black-suited warrior carrying a red lightsaber. It seems pretty Sith-y...

The trailers and featurettes for The Acolyte have teased the presence of a new Sith threat - a resurgence that is a very murky and undefined part of the Star Wars Saga. We know that the Sith Resurgence culminating with the reign of Darth Sidious (Emperor Palpatine); however, the secret line of succession amongst the Sith leading to Sidious has never been fully explained. There's a lot of speculation that The Acolyte will be the chapter of Star Wars that finally fills in that part of the story - at least in part.

Who Is The Sith Lord in Star Wars: The Acolyte?

The Acolyte showrunner Leslye Headland has previously teased how the show will explore who "The Acolyte" is, and their connection to the Jedi and Sith:

"You will discover it when you're watching the show. It will be revealed," Headland told THR. "One thing to know about the show is that we've been talking about it as a mystery thriller. It is a serialized story, so each episode gives you more information about the story."

In fact, The Acolyte will take the infamous Anakin Skywalker quote from the Star Wars Prequels ("From my point of view, the Jedi are evil!") and turn it into a unique show format:

"We were obviously influenced by samurai films and wuxia films, but also films like Rashomon, where you see one story and then you see it done a different way," Headland previously revealed. "So, what separates [Star Wars: The Acolyte] from some of the other Star Wars series is that it's told in that particular way."

Fans have their own theories about whether the show is about an actual Sith Lord in existence at the time of the High Republic, or someone who ultimately decides to become one. If it's the former, there are theories that villains only referenced in the franchise (Darth Plagueis the Wise) could finally get a big debut, and that Star Wars' High Republic and Skywalker Saga eras could get bridged in an exciting way.

Star Wars: The Acolyte will premiere on Disney+ on June 4th.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 will reportedly be venturing off without one fan-favorite character. Nazanin Boniadi will not be around for the second iteration of Prime Video's Lord of the Rings series. That means fans will have to go without Bronwyn for Rings of Power this time around. Deadline reported this detail first and clarified that Boniadi's role in the show was not recast. Of course, Bronwyn is the lover of Arondir, the elf warrior. She also plays mother to Theo. Interestingly, both of those other characters are present in Season 2. So we'll have to see what's going to happen moving forward.

Boniadi's absence is due to her hiatus from acting as she advocates for Women in Iran. She wrote on Instagram, "I stepped away from acting in September 2022, to focus solely on the #WomanLifeFreedom uprising in Iran and to advocate for the people of my homeland who have been risking everything for freedom. Despite my passion for acting, I knew it would take a very special project to convince me to once again split my time between my day job and my calling as an activist. A Mosquito in the Ear is that project ... a beautiful adventure that we can't wait to share with you."

What Use Is Going On With The Rings of Power Season 2?

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 is quickly approaching. Just a few weeks ago, Prime Video put out an announcement during their upfront presentation. Charlie Vickers strides into Fram as Sauron this season. After that massive tease to close up the first salvo of episodes. Now, Tolkien's Second Age marches forward. Here's what the studio has to say about the upcoming season:

"In Season Two of The Rings of Power, Sauron has returned. Cast out by Galadriel, without army or ally, the rising Dark Lord must now rely on his own cunning to rebuild his strength and oversee the creation of the Rings of Power, which will allow him to bind all the peoples of Middle-earth to his sinister will."

"Building on Season One's epic scope and ambition, the new season plunges even its most beloved and vulnerable characters into a rising tide of darkness, challenging each to find their place in a world that is increasingly on the brink of calamity. Elves and dwarves, orcs and men, wizards and Harfoots... as friendships are strained and kingdoms begin to fracture, the forces of good will struggle ever more valiantly to hold on to what matters to them most of all... each other."

Are you looking forward to The Rings of Power Season 2? Catch all of our pop culture discussion at @ComicBook on social media!

Charlie Hunnam is heading back to TV. The Sons of Anarchy alum has appeared in many films since the beloved FX series came to an end in 2014. The actor starred in Crimson Peak, The Lost City of Z, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Triple Frontier, The Gentleman, Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire, and more. In 2022, he returned to TV in Apple TV+'s Shanatram. According to a new report from Deadline, Hunnam is set to lead the new Prime Video series, Criminal. The show's previously announced stars include Adria Arjona (Andor), Richard Jenkins (The Shape of Water), and Kadeem Hardison (A Different World).

Criminal is "an interlocking universe of crime stories" based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series created by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. Hunnam will lead the project as Leo, "a brilliant master thief who sees all the angles and specializes in plans with no guns and no violence. Like a chess player, Leo thinks three moves ahead. Other crooks think he's a coward, especially compared to his father Tommy, who went to jail for murdering the most feared man in the city, Teeg Lawless."

Captain Marvel directors Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden are set to helm the first four episodes of Criminal. The Amazon MGM Studios production is being executive produced by Brubaker and Phillips in addition to Jordan Harper, Sarah Carbiener, and Phillip Barnett with Legendary Television serving as an executive producer.

Charlie Hunnam Could Have Played Green Arrow:

Hunnam talked with ComicBook at a Rebel Moon press event last year, and the actor revealed that he was once given the opportunity to play Green Arrow. "I never talked to [DCEU and Rebel Moon director, Zack Snyder] about it," Hunnam explained. "Honestly, I don't remember who. It was some people in suits, brought the idea to me and thought it would be terribly exciting for me to play Green Arrow and I did not share their enthusiasm."

"I don't know who Green Arrow is so I don't want to offend anyone," Hunnam added. "I looked at one picture and I was like, 'I'm not sure green's my color and I'm pretty sure spandex isn't my material.' Beyond that, I was like, one image, 'Thanks, not interested.'"

Stay tuned for more updates about Charlie Hunnam and Prime Video's Criminal.

Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson are reminiscing on their reunion in Star Wars: Ahsoka. The first season of the Disney+ series featured a long-awaited reunion between Dawson's lead character Ahsoka and Christensen's Anakin Skywalker in the episode titled "Shadow Warrior." After watching Ahsoka and Anakin for multiple seasons of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it was satisfying for fans to see them back together again in live action. However, both stars revealed they were already familiar with each other prior to Ahsoka.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Hayden Christensen and Rosario Dawson recapped their history together, which includes being students at New York City's Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in the summer of 1995. "I had just started acting," Dawson told Entertainment Weekly. "Kids was in the theaters, and my grandmother was like, 'If you're going to take this seriously, you go to acting class.' She could afford one semester, and in those couple of weeks over that summer I got to meet Hayden and do a class where I learned how to really feel a drop of water hit my head and drip down my body. I learned how to go method!"

Dawson then recalled her reaction when she found out Christensen would be playing Anakin, aka the future Darth Vader in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. "I remember thinking it was going to be quite the performance, because he is one of the nicest human beings you could possibly meet. I was so proud and so happy for him," she said.

"We never could have imagined we'd be here doing this together," Dawson said while laughing. "It is a pretty cool thing to know that we have a history that we were able to play with and actually engage with, and that there is a history there that didn't have to get made up."

"It's really been a very special experience for us to get to reunite on this project," Christensen added, "and to get to play these characters that have the history to their relationship that they do, and get to explore some of that with someone that I've known for quite a while myself."

Rosario Dawson shares Ahsoka Season 2 excitement

Back in April, Rosario Dawson and Mark Hamill reunited to record a special Fright Night episode of Manifest Media's Table Read podcast. ComicBook attended the recording, and we asked Dawson if she had any Ahsoka Season 2 updates to share.

"Nope," Dawson replied when asked if she's read anything from Ahsoka Season 2. "Hugely so," she said about being excited to continue the series. "I mean, it's a big deal. It's huge. I love everyone. It's an incredible cast. It's a great group of people and we get more Ahsoka, we get more Sabine. We get more of these characters in a way that - and as much as we've watched all of the previous shows and everything - it's new storytelling, which is just insane to me. So I hope there's new costumes and I want to know what's going on."

Warner Bros. Television is developing a TV series set in the world of 300, the Zack Snyder movie based on Frank Miller's acclaimed graphic novel of the same name. The project will reportedly be a prequel, which will presumably center on the Spartans led by Leonidas before they went to war with Xerxes. The original film, of course, centered on a group of 300 Spartan soldiers who went into battle against the much larger Persian army led by Xerxes I. The 300 all died in the end, but they took out many more Persians with them. The story was previously adapted in the 1962 film 300 Spartans.

While both 300 and 300 Spartans play pretty fast and loose with the history around the events, the story centers on the Battle of Thermopylae, which took place in 480 BC. According to Variety, who first reported the series in development, there are few details in place yet and no contracts are signed, but apparently they are looking at Zack Snyder to direct and executive produce the series. Other producers from the film, including Stone Quarry's Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller, as well as Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, and Bernie Goldmann, are all in talks to return.

The idea of expanding the 300 universe is one that Snyder and Warners have been keen to explore for a while. The movie did get one sequel, but it underperformed. Other rumors suggested that there would be movies about other periods of history that would be made in a way that just "felt like" 300.

Bringing back familiar names and faces while rebooting the world feels fairly similar to Warner's approach to the Harry Potter TV show they're developing for Max. It seems plausible that a 300 series could end up on Max as well, although it would likely be a safer investment if it went to VHS itself.

The original 300 was a surprise hit. The movie, which starred Gerard Butler, Rodrigo Santoro, Lena Headey, David Wenham, Dominic West, Vincent Regan, Tom Wisdom, and Michael Fassbender, was made for around $65 million, and earned over $450 million at the box office. It remains one of the most profitable movies Snyder has ever made. Even the "disappointing" 300: Rise of an Empire cost $110 million and earned $337 million globally.

There are a number of popular movies that have been adapted for TV in recent years, or are currently in development. Fatal Attraction, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and I Know What You Did Last Summer got the treatment, and there are plans for Legally Blonde and Time Bandits shows coming soon.

This week, Spotify announced that NCIS stars Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly will serve as hosts of a new, weekly video podcast titled Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch. The Spotify podcast is set to launch on Tuesday, June 4, and reunites the fan-favorite actors as they rewatch, reminisce, and reveal behind-the-scenes stories from the long-running TV series. The "NCIS Rewatch" podcast news follows the recent announcement that Michael and Cote will return to their fan-favorite characters in the upcoming new original series NCIS: Tony & Ziva, produced by CBS Studios for Paramount+.

In each weekly podcast episode, de Pablo and Weatherly will invite a guest to join them as they rewatch NCIS episodes. Former franchise cast and guest stars making appearances include Sean Murray, Sasha Alexander, Eric Christian Olsen, Jon Cryer, and a number of others who will join the hosts to reminisce about the show's impact in television and pop culture, and reveal exclusive behind-the-scenes moments from making the series of the NCIS universe.

According to the project announcement, the podcast will also feature recurring and interactive segments that will further connect fans and NCIS loyalists.

Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch is produced by Spotify Studios in partnership with Rabbit Grin Productions. Rabbit Grin Productions is a full-service podcast production company based in Los Angeles, working with the industry's biggest celebrity-driven shows. The show is executive produced by Jeph Porter and Rob Holysz. Produced by Natalie Holysz, Kasper Selvig and Derek Johnson.

Here's the official logline for Off Duty: An NCIS Rewatch, according to Spotify:

NCIS co-stars and lifelong friends, Michael Weatherly and Cote De Pablo, are hosting the quintessential NCIS rewatch podcast. They played two of NCIS's most memorable characters, agents Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David, AKA "TiVa". Each week, Michael and Cote break down an episode of NCIS and host a special guest, including stars and key behind the scenes folks from across the NCIS universe, to reminisce about the show's impact and reveal behind-the-scenes, never-before-shared moments from the making of this beloved franchise.

Below you'll find a breakdown of the latest Funko Pop drops complete with direct pre-order links. Look for pre-orders to begin around 12pm ET (generally on Wednesdays) and wrap up shortly thereafter. The list will update as new Funko Pops are added and exclusives will be highlighted. You can also keep tabs on the following retailer links as some will be slower to launch than others:

• Shop New Funko Pops on Amazon
• Shop New Funko Pops at Entertainment Earth
• Shop New Funko Pops at Hot Topic
• Shop New Funko Pops at Funko.com
• Shop New Funko Pops at GameStop

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For May 27th - May 31st:

• SpongeBob 25tn Anniversary - Details here
• Castelvania Nocturne - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Marvel 8-Bit - Target Exclusives
• Yankees Lou Gehrig (Deluxe) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Yankees Lou Gehrig (Alternate Uniform) - Funko Exclusive
• Sonic the Hedgehog Tails Flying Funko Pop (Chance at Chase) - Specialty Series Exclusive
  
• One Piece Luffy (Uppercut) - Funko Exclusive
• RoboCop - Details here
• LOTR - Details here
• Universal Monsters - Details here
• One Piece Luffy & Foxy 2-Pack - Hot Topic Exclusive

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For May 20th - May 24th:

• Note that Entertainment Earth's Memorial Day sale offers $10 savings on $100 orders, $25 on $200, and $50 on $300
• Stargate - Details here
• Star Wars The Mandalorian Pops and Mystery Minis - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon (IG-12 with Grogu - Funko Exclusive / IG-11 Marshall - Target Exclusive / The Armorer - Target Exclusive)
• Looney Tunes Halloween - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon (Marvin the Martian - EE Exclusive)
• Addams Family TV Series - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Pet Sematary - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Poltergeist - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Street Sharks - Streex (90s) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Care Bears - Brave Heart Lion (90s) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Gargoyles - Demona (90s) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
  
• MTV Logo (90s) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Surge Can (90s) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Simon Game (90s) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Mickey and Friends Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood / Deluxe Father on Throne (Chase) - Funko Exclusive
• Pok?mon Greninja 10-inch Pop - Target Exclusive
• Comic Cover Marvel The Amazing Spider-Man Green Goblin - Target Exclusive
  
• Banjo Kazooie - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
  
• Pop Rocks Bon Jovi, Guns N' Roses, T-Pain. Aerosmith 5-pack - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• NBA Mascots - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Advent Calendars PIxar / Stranger Things / Hasbro - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Avatar the Last Airbender Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Pixar's UP - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Shrek Exclusive Funko Pop, Soda, and Keychain - Hot Topic Exclusive
• Dennis Rodman NBA Jam - Funko Exclusive

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For May 13th - May 17th:

• Dragon Ball GT - Details here
• Stranger Things - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Oregon Trail Pop Ride - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Transformers - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon / Optimus and Megatron 2-pack - Hot Topic Exclusive
• Daredevil 60th Anniversary - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• We Are Groot - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon - Alpha Groot (Amazon Exclusive) / Black Panther (Target Exclusive) / Doctor Strange (Funko Exclusive)
• Jungle Book - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• WWE - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Shoresy - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Dazed and Confused - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Parks and Rec - Leslie Knope - Amazon Exclusive
• One Piece Dracule Mihawk - Funko Exclusive
• Deadpool Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man 2 Peter Parker Symbiote Suit - Funko Exclusive

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For May 6th - May 10th:

• Retro TMNT - Details here
• Despicable Me 4 and Shrek - Details here
• NFL / Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Rogers, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Geno Smith, Travis Kelce - See at Entertainment Earth
• DC Titans - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Barbie 65th Anniversary - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Pink Panther - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Phantasm Tall Man - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Tupac Shakur Thug Life - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Wolverine (Battle Damage) - Funko Exclusive
• Loki The Void Pop Moment - See at Entertainment Earth ./ Amazon
• Ad Icons Voodoo Ranger - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Hello Kitty (With Balloons) - Hot Topic Exclusive
• Kuromi (With Balloons) - Hot Topic Exclusive
• One Piece Luffy Gear 5 - GameStop Exclusive
• Demon Slayer Suma with Kunai - Funko Exclusive

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For April 29th - May 3rd:

• Naruto - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon | Shisui Uchiha with Kunai (Glow) - Amazon Exclusive, Naruto S13: Sasuke Curse Mark 2 - Chalice Exclusive, Sakumo Hatake - Funko Exclusive
• Inside Out 2 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Garfield - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• NFL Joe Montana - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Smurfs - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Shakira - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Snoop Dogg - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Batman Warzone - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• The Mandalorian Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
• Kung Fu Panda 30th Anniversary Po - Specialty Series Exclusive
• Funko Fusion Video Game - See on Amazon
• Funko B2G1 Free Star Wars Funko Pops - See at Funko
• Qui-Gon Jinn and Darth Maul 2-Pack - Funko Exclusive
• Pop Classics Darth Vader - Funko Exclusive
• Hermione Potion Making Loungefly Mini Backpack - See at Fun.com
  
• Disney Villains Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Disguised Evil Queen with Raven Black Light - BoxLunch Exclusive
  
• Star Wars: The Mandalorian Zeb Orrelios Funko Pop Exclusive - See at Entertainment Earth
  

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For April 22nd - 26th:

• Don't forget that C2E2 2024 Funko exclusives launch on April 26th! All of the info you need to get them can be found right here.
• Deadpool & Wolverine - Details here
• NBA Jam 2-Packs - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• NBA Funko Pops - Victor Wembanyama and Damian Lillard
• Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Comic Cover - Details here

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For April 15th - 19th:

• New MLB Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
• Five Nights at Freddy's - Moonlight Freddy - Amazon Exclusive
• Blackpink - See at Entertainment Earth
• Sanrio My Melody Earth Day - BoxLunch Exclusive
  
• Stitch as Cheshire Cat (Diamond) - BAM Exclusive
• Wilt Chamberlain - Funko Exclusive
• The Nightmare Before Christmas (Beach) - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• Lord of the Rings - Theoden - Funko Exclusive

'

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For April 1st - 5th:

• Bleach - Details Here
• Fullmetal Alchemist - Details here
• Doom Patrol - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Slap Shot - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• The Odd Is Out - James - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Chris Stapelton - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Star Wars Pop Classics Darth Vader - See at Funko
• Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary (Chance at Mimmy Chase) - Hot Topic Exclusive
• Star Wars The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary - Details here
• WWE - See on Amazon / Target (Undertaker Exclusive)

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For March 25th - 29th:

• Inuyasha - Details here
• Pokemon - Details here
• Rebel Moon - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Wizard of Oz 85th Anniversary Dorothy and Toto (Sepia) - Funko Exclusive
• Lilo & Stitch / Stitch in Costume Funko Pops - Details here
• Boruto - Details here
• Cheech & Chong - Details here
• The Sopranos - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Brendon Urie (Demon) - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
  
• Minions Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For March 18th - 22nd:

• Harry Potter - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Spider-Man 2 - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon (Commons) / Entertainment Earth Exclusive / GameStop Exclusive / Funko Exclusive
• Sonic the Hedgehog Knuckles and Rouge 2-Pack - GameStop Exclusive
• Nickelodeon - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• Percy Jackson - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• Sleeping Beauty 65th Anniversary - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• Wolverine 50th Anniversary - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth / Wolverine (Battle Damage) and Wolverine and Sabertooth 2-pack will be Funko Exclusives
• Attack On Titan Pop! Deluxe Annie In Crystal - Hot Topic Exclusive
  
• Star Wars: The Mandalorian 501st Clone Trooper - GameStop Exclusive
• Star Wars 18-inch Boba Fett (Damaged Armor) with Chance at 300 piece Chase - Funko Exclusive
  

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For March 13th - 15th:

• Yu-Gi-Oh - Details here
• Star Wars Boba Fett Comic Cover - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• New NBA Pops - See on Amazon
• Saltburn - See at Entertainment Earth
• She-Hulk Madisynn - Entertainment Earth Exclusive
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Sirius Black with Wormtail - BoxLunch Exclusive
• Avril Lavigne - See at Entertainment Earth
  
• Hunter x Hunter - Details here
• Blacklight Summer Stitch - Hot Topic Exclusive
  
• Hulk Hogan & The Ultimate Warrior 2-Pack - Fanatics Exclusive
  
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Skar King - Funko Exclusive

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For February 21st:

• Pokemon Grookey (Flocked) - Amazon Exclusive
• Pokemon Apiom (Flocked) - Specialty Series Exclusive
• Pokemon Luxray (10-inch) - Target Exclusive
• Galaxy Quest Guy Fleegman - Funko Exclusive
• What We Do In The Shadows 5-Pack - Walmart / Funko Exclusive (Restock)
• FNAF Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For February 14th:

• Demon Slayer - Details here
• One Piece - Details here
• Succession - See on Amazon / Entertainment Earth
• Mechagodzilla - Details here
• Yu-Gi-Oh Harpie Lady 3 - GameStop Exclusive
• Eeeyore With Balloon - BoxLunch Exclusive
• Spider-Punk Comic Cover - Funko / Target Exclusive
• Star Wars 332 Company Trooper - Funko / Target Exclusive
• Parks & Rec Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
  

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For February 7th:

• Many of the New Funko Pops have a 30% discount here at Hot Topic today only.
• Invincible - Details here
• One Piece - Details here
• The Wizard of Oz - Details here
• Queen Wembley Stadium Pop Moment - See at Entertainment Earth
• New MLB - See at Entertainment Earth
• New Funko Pop Pins - See at Entertainment Earth

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For January 31st:

• The Penguin with Umbrella - Funko Exclusive
• Invincible Omni-Man vs Invincible Funko Pop Moment - Previews Exclusive (Free Comic Book Day)
• Dolly Parton (Diamond Glitter) - Amazon Exclusive
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - Details here
• The Amazing Spider-Man #1 Funko Pop! Comic Cover - See at Entertainment Earth
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (1981) Wolverine Funko Pop! Comic Cover - See at Entertainment Earth
• New Harley Quinn Funko Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
• New My Hero Academia Hero League Baseball Funko Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
  
• New Football / Soccer Funko Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
• Encanto Mirabel with Casita Funko Pop Town - See at Entertainment Earth
• Jack in the Box Jack Box Meaty Cheesy Boys Funko Pop - See at Entertainment Earth
• Queen Freddy Mercury I Was Born to Love You Funko Pop - See at Entertainment Earth
• Queen I Want to Break Free Funko Pop 4-Pack - See at Entertainment Earth
• WWE Bitty Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
• Look for commons to be available to order here on Amazon and here at Hot Topic n the next 24 hours.

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For January 24th:

• Yu-Gi-Oh Harpie's Pet Dragon (10-inch Super-Sized) - Details here
• Donald Duck 90th Anniversary - See at Entertainment Earth / Amazon
• Bella Poarch Inferno - See at Entertainment Earth
• Friends Bitty Funko Pops - See at Entertainment Earth
• Batman Gotham Freakshow Box - GameStop Exclusive
  
• Cheshire Cat (Diamond) - BAM Exclusive
• The Nun (Moonlit Demonic) - Funko Exclusive

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For January 17th:

• Galaxy Quest - Details here
• My Hero Academia - Details here
• South Park - Details here
• Bambi - See at Entertainment Earth
• Deadpool - See at Entertainment Earth
• Goodfellas - See at Entertainment Earth / Paulie - Funko Exclusive
• Michael Jackson - See at Entertainment Earth
• WWE - See at Entertainment Earth (Commons) / WWE - Wrestlemania 30 Opening Toast (Deluxe) - Amazon Exclusive / Rikishi - Target Exclusive / The Hurricane - Target Exclusive / Sami Zayn - Funko Exclusive
• The Boys Billy Butcher With Laser Baby - Funko Exclusive
• Free Comic Book Day X-Men #1 Gambit Comic Cover - PX Exclusive (Full Reveal Today) - PX Exclusive
• Pokemon Kanto Starter Deluxe Funko Pop Moment - Details here
  
• The Simpsons Mr. Sparkle Diamond Glitter Funko Pop - Previews Exclusive
  

Funko Pop Pre-Orders For January 10th:

• Pokemon - Details here
• Slipknot - See at Entertainment Earth
• The Muppets Mayhem Baby Animal - See at Entertainment Earth / Hot Topic
• New Funko Rewind - Coming Soon
• TMNT Funko SODA - See at Funko
• Oreo - It'Sugar Exclusive
• Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary (Glitter) - Funko Exclusive

Star Wars: The Acolyte heads to Disney+ soon, telling a character-driven story that will surely stand out in the Star Wars galaxy. The Acolyte's ensemble cast of characters includes a young alien Jedi named Jecki Lon, played by Logan and His Dark Materials star Dafne Keen. While speaking to ComicBook about Star Wars: The Acolyte, Keen made a connection between Jecki's journey and her own path as a young actor.

"I think I did bring a bit of my own experience into it," Keen explained in our interview, which you can check out above. "Being someone who has been working for over ten years at 19, [it] throws you in at the deep end and forces you to kind of be an adult from a very young age. And I think Jecki has that in her, and sort of this adultness that's not that common in an 18 year old, which is how old Jackie is. So there was a lot of that, and a lot of my perfectionism and her perfectionism, and just how hard-working I think we are, and also how hard on ourselves we are, and competitive. So, a lot of me and her was very similar, which was pretty easy to access."

When Is Star Wars: The Acolyte Set?

Star Wars: The Acolyte is set at the very tail end of the High Republic era, decades prior to the events of the Prequel and Original trilogies. The Acolyte marks the first time that the time period has been portrayed in live-action, after it has already been brought to life in novels, comics, and in the animated series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.

"We're taking a look at the political and personal and spiritual things that came up in a time period that we don't know much about," Headland explained in a previous interview. "My question when watching The Phantom Menace was always like, 'Well, how did things get to this point?' How did we get to a point where a Sith lord can infiltrate the Senate and none of the Jedi pick up on it? Like, what went wrong? What are the scenarios that led us to this moment?'"

"We actually use the term the Renaissance, or the Age of Enlightenment," Headland added. "The Jedi uniforms are gold and white, and it's almost like they would never get dirty. They would never be out and about," Headland says. "The idea is that they could have these types of uniforms because that's how little they're getting into skirmishes."

What Is Star Wars: The Acolyte About?

In Star Wars: The Acolyte, an investigation into a shocking crime spree pits a respected Jedi Master (Lee Jung-jae) against a dangerous warrior from his past (Amandla Stenberg). As more clues emerge, they travel down a dark path where sinister forces reveal all is not what it seems.

Star Wars: The Acolyte stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner- Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. Leslye Headland created the series, based on Star Wars by George Lucas, and serves as an executive producer along with Kathleen Kennedy, Simon Emanuel, Jeff F. King and Jason Micallef. Charmaine DeGrate? and Kor Adana are the co-executive producers. Rayne Roberts, Damian Anderson, Eileen Shim and Rob Bredow are the producers.

The first two episodes of Star Wars: The Acolyte will debut exclusively on Disney+ on June 4th at 6pm PST. If you haven't checked out Disney+ yet and you want to give it a go, you can do that here.

Note: This is not a sponsored post, but if you purchase one of the awesome products featured above, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.

Grey's Anatomy aired its Season 20 finale Thursday night on ABC and while the long-running series is known for its cliffhanger season finales, this week's "Burn It Down" left a lot of things up in the air when it came to the fates of most of Grey Sloan's doctors -- and it could have major impact on the show's landscape in Season 21.

Warning: Spoilers for the Season 20 finale of Grey's Anatomy beyond this point. Read on only if you want to know.

A lot went down in the Season 20 finale as Grey Sloan dealt with an influx of patients from a wildfire raging just outside Seattle. Going into the episode, Teddy (Kim Raver) had already been fired by Catherine (Debbie Allen) for secretly funding Meredith's (Ellen Pompeo) Alzheimer's research and it turns out that wouldn't be the only firing by the episode's end. When Meredith shows up at Grey Sloan to present to Catherine her and Amelia's (Caterina Scorsone) research, instead of it being enough to save Teddy's job, Catherine demands that they turn the research over to another doctor claiming it's property of the Fox Foundation -- or they will both be fired.

By the end of the episode, Meredith and Amelia decided that the right thing to do would be to just publish the research in defiance of Catherine and, as a result, both they and Teddy found themselves no longer with hospital access. And they weren't alone. Owen (Kevin McKidd) found himself out of a job as well after standing up to Catherine to allow Teddy in the operating room during a dire surgeon shortage amid the fire crisis. The episode ended with the doctors' professional fates in the balance, as well as those of the interns and potentially even Miranda (Chandra Wilson) who also stood up to Catherine when it came to the fate of one of the interns.

Cast Changes Are Ahead for Season 21 of Grey's Anatomy

The cliffhanger regarding the staff situation at Grey Sloan leaves things an interesting place for Season 21. It was previously announced that both Jake Borelli, who plays Dr. Levi Schmitt, and Midori Francis (who plays Dr. Mika Yasuda) are both exiting the series, though are expected to return for a few episodes of Season 21 to wrap up their storylines. It was also previously reported that contracts for several other actors were set to expire at the end of Season 20 -- including Wilson, McKidd, Raver, Scorsone, Camilla Luddington, and James Pickens Jr.

Grey's Anatomy Has Been Renewed For Season 21.

Back in April, ABC renewed Grey's Anatomy for Season 21, continuing the drama's run as the longest running primetime medical drama in television history as well as the longest running primetime series in ABC history. The series first debuted in 2005.

"The loyalty and love of Grey's Anatomy fans has propelled us into a history 21st season, and I could not be more grateful," series creator and executive producer Shonda Rhimes said at the time. "Meg Marinis' storytelling is a gift that continues to keep the show vibrant, compelling and alive, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for next season."

A recent Netflix hit is now returning for more episodes. On Thursday, Netflix confirmed that The Vince Staples Show has officially been renewed for a second season. The five-episode first season of The Vince Staples Show arrived on Netflix in February, and quickly found a following among fans of the real-life musician and rapper Staples.

"The Vince Staples Show is back!" Staples said in a statement. "The people have spoken and the most riveting, captivating, and polarizing show on Netflix is returning for Season 2. Get ready for hijinks that only a mother can love. Thank you, Netflix!"

"There are 365 days in a year, so we're able to have 365 episodes of this thing because they're all based on what it's like to just exist day-to-day," Staples continued. "Next for Vince is literally anything because anything could happen at any moment, that's just how life works."

THE VINCE STAPLES SHOW. SEASON 2.

-- vince (@vincestaples) May 30, 2024

What Is The Vince Staples Show About?

Created by Staples and executive produced by Kenya Barris, The Vince Staples Show is often funny, sometimes emotional, and always thought-provoking. Each story is a slice-of-life tale told through a satirical lens, set in a fictional version of Long Beach, California.

Executive producers for The Vince Staples Show are Vince Staples, Kenya Barris for Khalabo Ink Society, Ian Edelman, Maurice Williams, Corey Smyth and Calmatic. Edelman and Williams are co-showrunners of the The Vince Staples Show, reuniting them with Barris, as the three also executive produced Kid Cudi's animated Netflix project, Entergalactic. Additionally, Calmatic will direct the first two episodes of The Vince Staples Show.

Who Is in the Cast of The Vince Staples Show?

In addition to Staples, the cast of The Vince Staples Show includes Andrea Ellsworth, Watts Homie Quan, Vanessa Bell Calloway, and Tiberius Byrd.

"I'm grateful," Staples previously told Rolling Stone about the series' success. "I got to do something that isn't really done on that network, or just done in general, with trying to break format and conventional comedy. I'm just trying some new things. So, I'm very happy that people embraced it, and we'll see how they feel about it moving forward. We're still trying to see what's going to happen with that. But, looking forward to other opportunities in the medium."

Season 2 of The Vince Staples Show does not currently have a release date.

Star Wars: The Acolyte is debuting on Disney+ next week, and the new series features an exciting line-up of actors. The new Star Wars series stars Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Manny Jacinto, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Rebecca Henderson, Dean-Charles Chapman, Joonas Suotamo, and Carrie-Anne Moss. ComicBook recently had the chance to chat with some of the show's cast, including Barnett, who talked about the origin of his Jedi character's name, Yord Fandar. Turns out, series creator Leslye Headland actually got the name from somewhere pretty fun...

"Lowkey, I just heard the story from Leslye and I don't know if she's going to beat me in the butt for saying it. But apparently, she is in a gaming group online and one of - I can't remember what game they play - but I think it's a live-action role-playing game," Barnett explained.

"The friends invented a character named Yord Fandar on the game, and she stole the name and they didn't know basically until they read the first couple scripts and they're like, 'Hey, that's our guy,' and she was like, 'Trust me, he is very Yord.' So I think I have to give credit to them. But it is the fit for his humanity... or lack of humanity," he added with a smile.

You can watch our interview with Barnett at the top of the page.

Charlie Barnett Teases Yord Fandar:

During Star Wars Celebration in London last year, Barnett had a chat with Collider and teased his character, and talked more about working with Headland.

"I am a Jedi Knight, and I've got some really cool hair. I can tell you that." Barnett joked without revealing much else about his Star Wars role. "Leslye is an incredible writer, first and foremost, and the entire team. She's a playwright so she is invested in the story. I think what's most exciting for me, and exciting about working on this, is that through the language, through the development of these characters, you realize that bad and good is at the eyes of the beholder. You know, things are so multilayered and complicated, and it takes a really talented person to write a person that you can see from all of those angles."

"It's a comment on policing, honestly, in my mind, which is why it's so exciting," he added. "We're at a point where we're at our highest, and power can be a difficult thing."

What Is The Acolyte About?

Set during The High Republic, Star Wars: The Acolyte delivers an investigation into a mysterious string of crimes, which pits a Jedi master against his former apprentice in a race to uncover the truth. The more that the pair learn about the situation, the darker their journey becomes, as they confront things that darker than either of them could have imagined.

Star Wars: The Acolyte premieres on Disney+ on June 4th.

At the end of Criminal Minds: Evolution last season, Elias Voit (Zach Gilford) was officially apprehended by the FBI for his involvement in killing Deputy Director Bailey. We learn that there's something known as "Gold Star" and that, apparently, Voit and Bailey are the only ones that know what it is. Gilford's storyline seemed to be pretty wrapped up last season, but it was eventually announced that he would be returning as the prolific killer.

Gilford joined the cast of Criminal Minds when it was officially moved to Paramount+ more than three years ago. He discussed retuning to the series in season 17 with Comicbook and what his conversations with showrunner Erica Messer looked like. Additionally, Gilford is set to make his directorial debut on this season of the show, something that's become commonplace for the cast every season.

Gilford explains that Messer and company "really" liked him, so they decided not to kill him and instead bring him back for more episodes. Though he wasn't consulted about what his storyline would look like this season, he was up for anything.

"Well, they were twofold. One was halfway through last season, she said to me, 'I don't know what we're gonna do next season, but we really like you. So we're not gonna kill you.' And I said, 'yeah!' And then when they actually asked me that, I said, 'of course, I'll do anything.' You know, she didn't really consult me about the storylines, but I was really excited. I was really happy with how it turned out and they planted the seed of this Gold Star thing at the end of last season. And, due to the network that Voit had created, he's got a lot of information that the BAU and any sort of law enforcement doesn't have. So it's kind of his ace in the hole or whatever the expression is. It's his Trump card and he can use it and he uses it to his advantage. And as always, he tries to manipulate everyone in every situation to kind of get what he wants and what he wants obviously is to get out of prison and get his family back. And, as we all know, he's smarter than everyone. So he works the system well."

This season will see the BAU trying to get to the bottom of Gold Star once and for all but, per the synopsis, "as the conspiracy unfolds, the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU) is met with an unexpected complication when serial killer Elias Voit negotiates a deal that transfers him to federal custody in the BAU's own backyard. The team faces its biggest threat yet and cannot emerge unscathed from the mind-bending consequences."

Criminal Minds: Evolution season 17 premieres on June 6 on Paramount+.

Mind-blowing news: Inside Out is officially heading to television.

Jim Morris, the president of Pixar, confirmed an Inside Out TV series is currently in production for Disney+ and will premiere on the streaming service in 2025. According to Bloomberg, which first reported the news, the series is titled Dream Productions and is "set in the Inside Out universe of Riley's dreams."

2015's Inside Out takes place inside the mind of 11-year-old girl Riley, whose anthropomorphized emotions -- Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), and Fear (Bill Hader) -- operate from Emotional Headquarters. Also housed in Riley's brain: Dream Productions, a full-fledged Hollywood studio that produces her dreams and nightmares, like the imaginary movies I'm Falling for a Very Long Time Into a Pit, I Can Fly!, Something's Chasing Me!, and Fairy Dream Adventure - Part 7, starring Rainbow Unicorn.

First at bat is Pixar's first-ever series, Win or Lose, which will follow a different player of a little league team on their way to the finals over its eight-episode season (premiering later this year on Disney+). Morris also revealed that Pixar is considering third installments of its Incredibles and Finding Nemo movie franchises for theaters, but the company will wait to see how its first two shows perform before greenlighting future series for Disney+.

"I hope that we will not release another feature film on Disney+," Morris told Bloomberg. "If we do more stuff for Disney+, it should be a series, and then that makes a clean demarcation between what we do for theaters and what we do for streaming."

After Disney sent three consecutive Pixar movies to streaming -- 2020's Soul, 2021's Luca, and 2022's Turning Red -- Bloomberg reports that the studio "aims to make three movies every two years, with every other title a sequel or spinoff and the rest standalone concepts or potential seeds for new franchises." Following Inside Out 2, in theaters June 14, Pixar's original Elio will release in June 2025, with the previously announced Toy Story 5 set theatrical release in June 2026.

In Inside Out 2, Poehler, Smith, and Black reprise their roles from the original movie. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira are new to the cast as Fear and Disgust (replacing Hader and Kaling, respectively), and are joined by Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Ad?le Exarchopolos as Ennui, and Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.

Every day is about to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood for Pluto TV. The free streaming service already hosts many episodes of the beloved children's series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, but the show has only been available as an on-demand option. In June, Pluto TV is launching a brand new channel that will keep Fred Rogers' iconic series on the air 24/7.

Pluto TV recently announced the launch of a Mister Rogers' Neighborhood channel, which will arrive on the service next month. The channel will consistently air various episodes of the beloved series, allowing fans to simply turn it on and hop in without searching for a specific episode.

This will be one of two new channels hitting Pluto TV in June, alongside a Spanish edition of The Weather Channel.

Coming Soon to Pluto TV

In addition to the Mister Rogers channel, Pluto TV is set to add dozens of movies to its free streaming roster in the month of June. You can check out the full list below!

13 Going on 30
21 and Over
Accident Man
Adaptation
Adventureland
Along Came a Spider
Apocalypto
The Aviator
Bad Asses
Bad Asses on the Bayou
Baywatch
Before I Go to Sleep
Big Fish
Boogie Nights
Branded
Brick Mansions
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Center Stage
Chinatown
Close Range
Closer
Collateral
Crawl
Dark Crystal
The Disappointments Room
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Drive
Eagle Eye
Eurotrip
Event Horizon
The Faculty
Faster
Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Four Brothers
Fresh
From Dusk Till Dawn
From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money
From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman's Daughter
Galaxy Quest
Ghost in the Shell (2017)
Girl, Interrupted
Head of State
Heat
The House Bunny
Hyena Road
Identity
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
It Had to Be You (2000)
The Italian Job (2003)
Jumping the Broom
K-19: the Widowmaker
Kiss the Girls
Krull
Labyrinth
Last Action Hero
Life
Like a Boss
London Fields
Love is Strange (2014)
Machine Gun Preacher
The Mechanic
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible II
Mission: Impossible III
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
Multiplicity
The Parallax View
Pet Sematary (2019)
Phantom
Philadelphia
Poltergeist
Postcards from the Edge
Punch-Drunk Love
Purple Rain
Rachel Getting Married
Red Heat
Rocketman
Runaway Bride (1999)
The Running Man
Safety Not Guaranteed
Salt
The School of Rock
Secret Window
Shaft
She's All That
Shooter (2007)
Showdown at the Grand
Single White Female
Sonic the Hedgehog
St. Elmo's Fire
Stardust
Stir Crazy (1980)
Super 8
Swingers
The Terminal
The Big Hit
The Infiltrator
The Lawnmower Man (Director's Cut)
The November Man
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Tourist
There Will Be Blood
Think Like a Man
Think Like a Man Too
Threesome (1994)
Titanic
Trainspotting
Transformers
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Tropic Thunder
True Grit (2010)
True Romance
Universal Soldier: Day Of Reckoning
Vanilla Sky
Vehicle 19
War of the Worlds (2005)
We Own the Night
Witness
The Wolf of Wall Street