Nerd News

⚡ Quick Take

• Hayden Panettiere has sadly died.
• A star of Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream movies, Panettiere was 36 at the time of her death.
• This death is tragic and sudden, but Panettiere leaves behind a beautiful legacy.

Hayden Panettiere has sadly died. This beloved actress, known to many from her time on Heroes, Nashville, and the Scream franchise, was 36 at the time of her death. Alas, this is a tragically young age to pass away. The loss of Panettiere is sudden and shocking. But her legacy will no doubt be remembered for a long time to come.

NBC

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World. For a certain subset of the population, those words have a massive impact. Heroes season one was a tremendous series, one that greatly impacted TV and brought superheroes into the spotlight even before the MCU ushered in a new era for the genre. And Hayden Panettiere was, of course, the cheerleader in question, the hero for heroes.

In a statement about Panettiere’s death, her father Skip said, “It is with profound sadness that we share the tragic passing of our beloved Hayden. She was an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her — and to the millions who watched her onscreen. We ask for privacy as our family takes time to process this unimaginable loss.”

And those words ring true for us as we look back on Panettiere’s career. “Light” was a word that came forward in our thoughts as well; a bright smile and a true talent.

At this time, the cause of Hayden Panettiere’s death remains unknown. But police share that “the preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances.” And we’re relieved to hear that much, at least.

In addition to Heroes, Hayden Panettiere starred in Nashville from 2012-2018. She additionally appeared as Kirby Reed in the Scream franchise, including in Scream 4 (2011) and Scream VI (2023). Very early in her career, she played Sheryl Yoast on Remember the Titans (2000). All memorable roles in their own right. For those looking to remember Hayden Panettiere after her death, Panettiere wrote a candid memoir about her life experiences, This Is Me: A Reckoning.

We could not have expected news of Hayden Panettiere’s death to come so soon. But we will celebrate her roles and life in the wake of her passing.

Rotem Rusak is the Editor-in-Chief at Nerdist. She is a great lover of the anti-hero and is always ready for a new ship to set sail. In her work, she likes to combine fandom passion with journalistic sensibilities. Follow her on Instagram.

The post Hayden Panettiere Dies, HEROES Star Was 36 appeared first on Nerdist.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling shared the exclusive first footage of Star Wars: Starfighter at D23.
• Gosling said it’s a story of someone “from the wrong side of the galaxy whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built.”
• Levy also said it is “full of humor, danger, and spectacle.”
• NERDIST TAKE: We’re not going to lie, it was pretty, pretty good.

Fans lucky enough to be in attendance at the Honda Center for Disney’s D23 Entertainment Showcase got a very special glimpse at the galaxy far, far away. Director Shawn Levy and star Ryan Gosling took to the stage to discuss Starfighter. Gosling said it’s a story of someone “from the wrong side of the galaxy whose fate is intertwined with the fastest starfighter ever built.” Levy also said it is “full of humor, danger, and spectacle, but above all the joyous spirit that has always been the beating heart of this legacy we all love so much.” And then they showed an exclusive clip meant solely for those in the room. Fortunately Nerdist was among the massive crowd and got to see this special, one-time only sneak peak.

Nerdist

The clip began with a young boy (newcomer Flynn Gray) taking the tarp of a starfighter. The sequence evoked racecar movies. And for good reason. Gosling’s character then appeared to scold him for touching something Gosling told him not to touch. That turns out to be a decommissioned G17 Imperial reaper. It’s “the fastest starfighter ever built.”

We then see a craft (maybe the starfighter) zipping along the water followed by a baskside shot of a person wearing a leather skull jacket holding a bazooka-like weapon. A montage of gear work follows, then a small craft with a sail also on water. A classic Star Wars sequence of engines firing up, people jumping from opening tunnels, and a battle end with a quick shot of Gosling in the starfighter he just reluctantly turned to.

Shawn Levy

We’re not going to lie, it was pretty, pretty good. It, fittingly, zipped right along. The wait to see the whole movie will not feel that way, though. Starfighter—which also stars my Adams, Aaron Pierre, Matt Smith, and Mia Goth—doesn’t arrive in theaters until May 28 2027. At least then we’ll all get to see it together.

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

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⚡ Quick Take

• Marvel head Kevin Fiege brought out X-Men movie director Jake Schreier to the D23 stage to introduce some of the cast of mutant favorites.
• Among the cast include Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Kit Connor as Cyclops, and Maya Boyd as Storm.
• One big surprise is Obsession breakout Inde Navarrette as Rogue.
• NERDIST TAKE: Adam Driver as Mister Sinister is a huge win.

After Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which famously had a [REDACTED] in the cast, plus a slew of new reports, fans have assumed we’d get a cast list for the upcoming X-Men at some point. Well, thanks for that, D23! The end of Kevin Feige’s portion of the over-two-hour Friday night presentation of Disney’s many studio projects, we learned who’d join [REDACTED] in Jake Schreier’s hotly anticipated movie. Some names were favorites, others were massive surprises. But it wouldn’t be X-Men without those.

Meet the Cast of the X-Men Movie

Jake Schreier and Sadie Sink, who of course plays the unredacted Jean Grey, joined Feige to announce that X-Men will arrive on May 5, 2028. But joining them were soon brand new cast members who just met backstage. The previously reported Kit Connor as Cyclops and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost were of course among the group. Additionally, we got Kraven‘s Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Obsession breakout Inde Navarette as Rogue, and Maya Boyd as Storm. Also, sending in a video, we got the last announced cast member, Adam Driver as Magne—wait, no. Good psychout. He’s actually playing Nathaniel Milbury, whom comic fans will know is one of the many aliases of Mister Sinister.

Nerdist

More as it develops…

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

The post Marvel Announces X-MEN Movie Cast at D23 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The latest star-studded trailer for Avengers: Doomsday doesn’t hide Doctor Doom’s real goal.
• This trailer was first shown exclusively at San Diego Comic-Con.
• Nerdist Take: The D23 Avengers: Doomsday trailer is the best look yet at the film.

Doom is coming for the Avengers. And now it has finally come for all of us. At D23 Marvel Studios shared the Avengers: Doomsday trailer it first aired exclusively at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. And if you were frustrated you didn’t get a chance to see it before, you’re going to be even angrier you had to wait. This is a fantastic introduction worthy of Doctor Doom. That is unless you’re a member of the Fantastic Four.

There’s no question who Robert Downey Jr.’s Victor von Doom is in this trailer. He is the greatest threat the multiverse has ever known. In the last official look at the film, the iconic villain was first teased as someone who was maybe hoping to save worlds. But this time the MCU is all-in on letting all fans know what awaits them in the next Avengers film. Sue Reed provides background into what happened to her old brilliant friend, whom she did not realize was more than lost. He was broken. The Avengers: Doomsday trailer’s official tagline also makes reference to the catastrophic chance in the genius sorcerer: “He used to be different.”

Also broken in this star-studded trailer? Thor’s back, as we get an even better look at the sequence where Doctor Doom easily flicks away the God of Thunder.

Marvel Studios

While the build to Doom has essentially been non-existent (even if the multiversal saga has been), this is the kind of Avengers: Doomsday teaser that will do a lot of heavy lifting for viewers who might not know why Doom is a truly all-time, iconic legendary bad guy. And that was true before he potentially kills Sir Ian McKellan’s long-haired Magneto.

Please, let Doom and his Sentinels come for us all. So long as he doesn’t harm one strand of that glorious hair.

We’ll find out if Doom will harm all of them later this year. Avengers: Doomsday premieres on December 18, 2026.

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

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⚡ Quick Take

• D23 finally gave us a first look at Marvel Studios’ exceedingly long-awaited VisionQuest series starring Paul Bettany.

D23 is the place to be for Disney nerds who want exclusive first looks at upcoming content from all the Mouse’s many subsidiaries. Marvel appeared this year, and they brought with them a never-before-seen trailer for their upcoming show, VisionQuest. We’ve been waiting for this since seemingly 2021. Or at least since 2023Take a look!

VisionQuest follows Vision, a sentient android created to fight Ultron, a villainous robot bent on wiping out humanity in order to achieve world peace. Paul Bettany is back playing Vision, now seemingly alone after the events of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But he’s only alone…in the real world. In his mind, we see that Vision has a whole Vision family, including JARVIS (James D’Arcy) and his “Peepaw” Ultron in human form (James Spader).

The poster for the series is very much in this vein.

Marvel Studios

Arguably Marvel’s favorite couple, along with Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda, the pair won our hearts in one of Marvel’s most successful series, WandaVision. WandaVision garnered 23 Emmy nominations and three wins.

Marvel Studios

Before the trailer screening, there was almost no information on the internet about the show’s premise. Marvel did, however, have some of the cast list available. We knew it would include James Spader, who played Ultron, and James D’Arcy, who played Edwin Jarvis from Agent Carter. Other than them, the provided cast list was short and included no other previous MCU stars.

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VISION QUEST Series Sets October Premiere Date

However, now we have some hints as to what it might be about.

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VisionQuest will premiere on Disney+ on October 14.

Ella R. Dunn writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.

The post Marvel Drops VISIONQUEST Trailer at D23 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• From directors to cast to story, here’s everything we know so far about the fifth chapters in the Avengers series, Avengers: Doomsday.

One of the most anticipated films of all time is currently in production, Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday. The fifth film in Avengers franchise (and the 39th MCU movie overall) will pit Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against the ultimate Marvel villain, Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. It will lead directly into the sixth Avengers film, Avengers: Secret Wars, based on the iconic Marvel Comics event series.

At D23, Marvel Studios officially announced something exciting that we may have seen coming: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds will star in Avengers: Doomsday. Amazing.

Nerdist

Here’s everything we know so far about Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday:

Title Marvel Studios

Despite originally being called The Kang Dynasty, changes in the story and script resulted in a new title for the fifth Avengers film, now called Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Doomsday’s Plot Robert Downey Jr.

It’s the beginning of the end for the Mutliverse Saga. But we don’t have an official plot synopsis from Marvel Studios for Doomsday yet. But we know it’ll feature the Avengers, the Thunderbolts, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men in a battle with Doctor Doom, played by Robert Downey Jr. We expect Multiversal incursions galore, probably resulting in a patchwork “Battleworld” in the follow-up film, 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

Behind the Scenes 

Returning to take the reins after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, are directors Joe and Anthony Russo. Writing the film is their frequent collaborator, Stephen McFeely. Alan Silvestri is scoring the film once more, as he did with the previous four Avengers films. As with all Marvel Studios films, Kevin Feige is producing. Shooting commences for the film in the United Kingdom in April, 2025.

Avengers: Doomsday’s Cast

So far, Doomsday has a cast of 27 actors. And this is just the ones they’ve announced already. The cast includes Avengers Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Anthony Mackie (Captain America), Danny Ramirez (Falcon), and Paul Rudd (Ant-Man). From the kingdoms of Wakanda and Talokan, we have Letitia Wright (Shuri/Black Panther), Winston Duke (M’Baku), and Tenoch Huerta Mejía (Namor). Also in the cast of Doomsday are the Thunderbolts, Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Hannah John-Kamen (Ghost), David Harbour (Red Guardian) Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), and Lewis Pullman (Sentry).

Marvel Studios

The entire Fantastic Four is here as well, including Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Thing), Joseph Quinn (Human Torch), Vanessa Kirby (Invisible Woman), and Pedro Pascal (Mr. Fantastic). Original X-Men cast members include Patrick Stewart (Professor X), Ian McKellen (Magneto), Alan Cumming (Nightcrawler), Rebecca Romijn (Mystique), James Marsden (Cyclops) and Kelsey Grammer (Beast). Joining them is Channing Tatum as Gambit. Other characters include Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Finally, Robert Downey Jr is headlining villain Victor von Doom.

Click To View Gallery Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios Marvel Studios

We know a lot of cast members, thanks to that very long sequence of chairs on IG, but there are more coming. One of them could be Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. During an interview with The View, the actor gave a coy response to whether Wolverine would appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

“I really can’t say much, except when you say ‘appear,’ more like dominate and destroy every other character—I’m kidding,” Jackman teased. “I really have nothing to add, and if I did, I would find a really cool way to not say it, but I actually have nothing to add.”

Even though that’s a rather enormous cast list, Robert Downey Jr. and Marvel Studios are already hinting that even more names are on the way.

Marvel Studios Avengers: Doomsday Release Date

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to be released in North America on December 18, 2026.

Eric Diaz is a staff writer at Nerdist, and a Swiss army knife of fandoms. Eric loves DC, Marvel, horror movies, and even Star Wars and Star Trek equally.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Disney is moving forward with its live-action Tangled movie once again, and Scarlett Johansson could play Mother Gothel.

Earlier in 2025, Disney reported that it was halting progress on its live-action Tangled film. This decision likely came from the critical and commercial failure of Snow White. It wasn’t clear if the film would ever move forward again or end up getting the axe for good. But now Disney is ready to move forward with the live-action Tangled movie. And we even got our first-look at live-action Tangled at D23.

Nerdist Nerdist

Taking on the two leading roles, according to The Hollywood Reporter, are Teagan Croft and Milo Manheim. They will star in the Tangled live-action movie as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, respectively. Croft previously played Raven in the DC series Titans while Manheim is known for his role in the Zombies movie franchise. Joining them is Kathryn Hahn as villain Mother Gothel. And additionally, Diego Luna will take on a role that has not yet been confirmed, per Deadline.

Disney

For those who aren’t familiar, the animated Tangled film came out in 2010 and reimagined the classic story of Rapunzel. In this version, Mandy Moore voiced the main character. It was a big box office success for Disney and, with the recent love for Lilo & Stitch, it seems the company wants to bet on Tangled now.

It is not clear who else will star in this film nor when things will fully get back rolling again. We will have to wait and see what happens in the near future.

Originally published on October 10, 2025.

Tai Gooden is the Features Editor for Nerdist, a fictional villain apologist, and a horror aficionado who is forever waiting for her trip in the TARDIS.

The post Disney’s Live-Action TANGLED First-Look Images Revealed appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Pixar announced its next featured film, and it hopes fans will gobble up its first supernatural story with the very fun Ghost Market.

Disney’s Entertainment Showcase at this year’s D23 fan event came with some big Pixar news. The studio already has its next original big screen film lined up. It is releasing an entirely original story inbetween two highly-anticipated sequels. Pixar’s new movie Ghost Market will hope fans gobble up a story about hungry ghosts.

Nerdist was in the packed house when Pixar provided an update on its upcoming slate. That now includes Ghost Market, a tale that will mark new territory for a studio currently celebrating its 40th anniversay. The film is Pixar’s first supernatural movie, though it has dabbled in supernatural entities before, most notably with Soul. But that’s not the type of supernatural they’re dealing with here. Pixar’s new movie Ghost Market is about dead beings.

In the short clip from Ghost Market that aired at D23, we saw a teenage boy who appears to be an amateur ghost hunter. In it, he goes to an Asian market that’s entirely empty, but we then see a bowl of noodles float by itself as he freaks out.

Pixar

Gotta learn how to not freak out when you see a floating bowl of food if you want to go from amateur ghost hunter to professional. That’s, like, a huge part of the job. Seeing weird stuff. Not that we’re complaining. We love this Ghost Market premise, especially since it will provide fertile ground for a movie that will be Pixar’s 34th feature film to hit theaters.

Joining Ghost Market in Pixar’s line-up of new movies is Gatto. Gatto will follow a Venetian cat hoping to escape his mafioso life and will arrive in theaters next spring on March 8, 2027. Incredibles 3 will then follow on June 16, 2028. And then Coco 2 will arrive potentially sometime in 2029. Ghost Market will slot in between.

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

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