The Nerdist

⚡ Quick Take

• YouTuber Zach King hilariously recreated the original 1977 Star Wars film entirely with sets and spaceships made entirely from cardboard, and using mostly just friends and family.
• Running 52 minutes long, Cardboard Wars tells the entire story of A New Hope in comedic fashion.
• Nerdist’s Take: Even though there are decades’ worth of great Star Wars fan films, Cardboard Wars might be the best one yet.

Next year, George Lucas’ original Star Wars turns 50 years old. And to this day, no single movie has had as much of an impact on Hollywood as that film. It’s been copied and parodied endlessly since first blasting its way into theaters in 1977. So many parodies exist now, there’s enough to stitch together to make a version of A New Hope made entirely of references. But just when you think they’ve run out of ways to parody Star Wars, one arrives that blows the rest away. YouTuber Zach King has recreated A New Hope, pretty much from start to finish. Only with sets, spaceships, and Death Stars all made entirely out of cardboard. Yes, we even have a Millennium Falcon constructed from pizza boxes. You can watch King’s full (nearly one hour) hilarious fan film Cardboard Wars down below:

King enlisted his friends and kids to lovingly parody every iconic scene from A New Hope for Cardboard Wars. It’s all there, from the opening Fox fanfare, to the Death Star battle, to the Yavin IV base awards ceremony. We definitely think the choice of casting his young son Liam King as Darth Vader was a stroke of genius. And so was using a dog named Manny as Chewbacca. The actual Chewie was based on George Lucas’ own dog, Indiana, so we think it’s only fitting. And yes, that’s MCU actor Randall Park as Red Leader of the X-Wing squadron, seemingly having a blast.

Zach King

This fan film’s runtime is about an hour shorter than the actual Star Wars. However, King still managed to hit about every major story beat. And just about everything except clothing and some alien masks is indeed made out of cardboard. We’re not entirely sure how long it took to make every set and prop for Cardboard Wars. But clearly, the final result was worth the time and effort. Any new Star Wars parody fan film that emerges next (and there’s always another on the horizon), they’re going to have their work cut out for them to outdo Cardboard Wars.

Zach King

You can watch Zach King’s other videos on his YouTube channel.

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.

The post Hilarious Fan Film Recreates STAR WARS With Cardboard appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Warner Bros. released a brand new teaser for Dune: Part Three tied to presale for insider screenings.
• You can enroll as a Dune insider yourself.
• Insiders can preorder seats for the movie, which comes out December 18.
• NERDIST TAKE: Has Paul’s ability to see the future been good for the galaxy? Obviously not, but it will continue to be good for Dune fans who want to see him on the best screens possible.

Was the arrival of the Kwisatz Haderach good for the galaxy? Obviously not, since the Lisan al-Gaib immediately led the Fremen on a holy war of death. But has the Muad’Dib been good for filmgoers? Absolutely. And we’ll get another chance to see why when director Denis Villeneuve ends his Dune trilogy later this year. But you probably don’t want to wait that long to get your tickets. Those who enroll as a Dune “insider” can now buy their tickets to the best screenings. And Dune: Part Three celebrated the announcement with an intense new teaser that promises an explosive end to Paul Atreides’ big screen story.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have announced fans who sign up as an “insider” at the film’s official site can now purchase their seats for Dune: Part Three. It comes out December 18, the same day as Avengers: Doomsday, aka Dunesday.

Unlike with Marvel Studios’ next crossover event, you’ll be able to revisit Arrakis in IMAX. Villeneuve’s final spicy film snagged exclusive rights to IMAX theaters in the U.S. and many international markets. Those tickets first became available back in April. But you can now secure your seat to see the Lisan al-Gaib again in IMAX 70mm, regular IMAX screens, an other large premium formats.

Legendary/Warner Bros.

Dune: Part Three‘s early advantage is why Disney is releasing Avengers: Endgame in its new Infinity Vision theater format experience. How did Warner Bros. and Legendary get out ahead of the Mouse House on such an important theatrical release window? As powerful as Victor von Doom might be, Paul Atreides is the iconic villain who can see into the future. We’re guessing that probably helped.

Has Paul’s ability to see the future been good for the galaxy? Obviously not, but it will continue to be good for Dune fans who want to see him on the best screens possible.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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.

The post Teaser Celebrates DUNE: PART THREE Insider Screenings Presale appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Ten years since the game’s first chapter debuted, indie horror game Sally Face is getting a second installment, and the teaser is out.
• We got our first still from the game in June, an image of Ashley after the events of the fifth chapter battle.
• The new trailer gives us a better insight into what the post-apocalyptic world looks like, but still leaves us with plenty of questions.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Steve Gabry’s Sally Face, an indie horror puzzle game. Now, longtime fans are ecstatic to see the game getting a well-deserved second installment.

Conceived, written, and designed by one man, Sally Face gained popularity as chapters came out. From YouTube exposure to social media clout, it grew to have the sizable audience it does today.

Portable Moose

We got our first look at the new game in June, when Gabry revealed an image of Ashley, whose face now shows the effects of the final battle from the fifth chapter of Sally Face. It seemed she was blind in one eye, and the left side of her hair had gone white.

Now, after PortableMoose gave us that crumb, the official teaser trailer for Sally Face 2 is the entire cake.

The teaser shows us a decrepit, abandoned Nockfell. We see an out-of-use gas station and what little is left of the Addison Apartments. Ashley and Todd are adventuring together, shown standing outside a big city, clearly not the small town of Nockfell, but still appearing to be abandoned.

After the end of the fifth chapter of Sally Face, we know that the plague of shadows didn’t just affect Nockfell. It killed off a third of the world’s population. This game seems to be a post-apocalyptic adventure following Ashley and Todd.

However. Not all hope is lost for Sal. We see him in a shot interacting with Ashley. He looks as he did at the end of the fifth chapter: fragmented and trapped in the afterlife. The text on the screen tells us that “even death holds no solace” for him. In the last few seconds of the teaser, though, we see him regain his solid form, wearing a purple cloak over his typical red pant black shirt attire.

PortableMoose

The teaser leaves fans with more questions than answers. Where the cult is, what challenges the post-apocalyptic world presents, and whether or not Sal is returning as a full-fledged, playable main character. I could go on.

RELATED ARTICLE

7 Things We Want to See in Indie Horror Game SALLY FACE 2

Unfortunately, the devs have not yet announced a release date. Considering PortableMoose is still a very small team (only four people!), it could take a little bit. Antsy fans will have to find some way to entertain themselves. In the meantime, if you’ve never played the first game, I highly recommend going back and playing it in preparation for this release. Sally Face 2 is available for wishlisting on Steam.

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

The post Indie Horror Game, SALLY FACE, Teases a Second Installment appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Disney announced The Imagineering Story is getting a second season during this year’s D23 event.
• Leslie Iwerks will once again bring fans behind-the-scenes to see how their favorite attractions went from an idea to a reality.
• Nerdist’s Take: The announcement that The Imagineering Story will return was among the best news to come out of D23.

Of all the many, many announcements Disney made during this year’s D23 event, one of the most unexpected was also among the best. That’s because we’re finally getting a second season of Disney+’s best show. Leslie Iwerks’ The Imagineering Story is coming back.

Disney’s Horizons: A Carousel of Progress D23 presentation, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris at the Honda Center in Anaheim, included the long-wished for (especially by this guy) news that The Imagineering Story will return for season two. The superb 2019 first season took fans behind-the-scenes to see Imagineers brought their favorite attractions, rides, and experiences from an idea to a reality. It’s an absolute must-watch for Disney and amusement park fans. It’s also a must-watch for anyone obsessed with the creative process.

The first trailer for season two promises to give us more of what made the docuseries so great. Only, this return will have an one big advantage over season one. A big part of season one saw Iwerks’ going back to tell decades-old stories. This time she was there from start-to-finish for a lot of the company’s newest, biggest projects. Chief Creative Officer Bruce Vaughn said Iwerks was there from blue sky concept to shovels in the ground.

“Leslie has been with us as we’ve put all these new projects in motion,” said Vaughn. That level of access will allow her to show fans how Imagineers think things through as they do it and not just in retrospect.

Disney

I genuinely cannot wait. There was a whole lot that I heard during the Experiences Showcase that have me very excited about the future of Disney parks, but getting to watch a TV show about how they’re made was as good as any of them. I just have to wait a little longer to see a season of television I wasn’t sure I’d ever get. The Imagineering Story will return for season two at Disney+ in 2028.

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.

The post Disney+’s THE IMAGINEERING STORY Is Returning for Season 2 appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Lanterns episode one ended with a shocking death.
• This character’s demise has precedent in DC Comics lore.
• Nerdist’s take: The death of this Lanterns character means the series could go in many wild directions based on the Green Lantern comics canon.

The first episode of Lanterns on HBO ended with quite a shock, as John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) was called into the small town of Rushville, Nebraska, to investigate a crime. This happens in the 2026 portion of the timeline. And that crime was the probable murder of the former Green Lantern of Sector 2814, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler). The local sheriff found his frozen body sitting in the snowy bleachers of the local high school. This has enraged several DC Comics fans, angry that this iconic hero is already dead in the DCU. However, Hal Jordan has died before in the source material. And he actually stayed dead for nearly ten years. So yes, there is DC Comics precedent for all of this.

HBO Max/DC Studios Hal Jordan’s Fall from Grace

For most of his existence in the DC Universe since 1959, Hal Jordan was a stalwart guy, a test pilot who was painted in a traditional heroic light. However, that changed during the early ’90s. Thanks to fallout from The Death and Return of Superman, Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast City, California, was destroyed. This happened thanks to the evil schemes of the villainous Cyborg Superman. As a result, Hal went into a deep depression. Despite all his power, he couldn’t save his own hometown and loved ones. So he went to his bosses, the immortal Guardians of the Universe, and begged them to resurrect his home. They flat out refused.

DC Comics From Green Lantern to Parallax

To say Hal did not take it well is putting it mildly. Despite his reputation as the greatest Green Lantern in the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians refused to change the course of known events for one man. Hal Jordan went, to use a scientific term, batshit crazy. He entered the central power battery on the planet Oa, home of the Guardians, absorbing its power, killing all but one of them. Hal later went on a rampage against his fellow Green Lantern Corps members, slaughtering them all, including lifelong friends. He now used the name Parallax, and was a bonafide villain. It was a heel turn no one saw coming. Especially after 35 years of portrayal as a cocky but stand-up guy.

DC Comics

Many DC Comics fans did not appreciate this change to Hal’s character in the Emerald Twilight story. Especially when Parallax tried to “fix” the DC timeline in the Zero Hour event. Defeated by the Justice League and other DC heroes at the end of that 1994 series, Hal then began to fully see the error of his ways. In the 1996 event series Final Night, as a way of redeeming himself, Hal Jordan sacrificed his life to reignite a burned-out sun, which had gone out, leaving Earth in a deep freeze. His role as Green Lantern of Earth was now fully that of rookie Lantern, Kyle Rayner. Rayner was now the only Green Lantern in the universe. Hal Jordan went out a hero, saving the entire world.

DC Comics Hal Jordan as The Spectre

All of that was not the end of Hal Jordan, however. As atonement for his crimes, the soul of Hal Jordan took on a new role in 1999. He became the new host of the Spectre, the embodiment of God’s wrath. Technically still dead, Jordan anchored an ongoing Spectre series from 2001-2003, where he sought his redemption as a vengeful ghost. But to the world at large, Hal Jordan was still a dead man. Hal Jordan wouldn’t properly come back to life until 2005’s Green Lantern: Rebirth by writer Geoff Johns. This series would relaunch the character as a Green Lantern, and explain away Parallax as a fear entity that possessed him. But at that point, Hal had been dead for the better part of a decade.

RELATED ARTICLE

LANTERNS Is a Welcome Change of Pace for Superhero TV (Review) What Does This Mean for Lanterns?

Does this mean Hal Jordan in Lanterns is headed for the same resurrection story? Not necessarily. We don’t see any evidence of Parallax or any of that stuff in the series. But Hal dying and then finding a way back from the afterlife is completely canon with the comics. So maybe just because Hal died on Lanterns doesn’t mean it’s the last we’ve seen of him in the present-day DCU timeline. So before longtime Hal fans get those pitchforks out, remember this lesson. The DC heroes famously have a strong aversion to staying dead and buried. Just ask the Flash and Supergirl. They might have a thing or two to say about it.

Lanterns is currently airing new episodes Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.

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.

The post Is This Lantern Character’s Fate Canon in DC Comics Lore? appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Derry, Maine is an iconic key location in the Stephen King universe with a long and well-documented history.

Stephen King has made one thing clear in his work. Apparently, a seemingly incalculable amount of wildly dangerous, often supernatural threats are looming throughout his beloved home state of Maine. Still, there are a few notable epicenters that loom especially large and Derry, the setting for the new HBO Max series IT: Welcome to Derry, is chief among them. In fact, Derry has quite the iconic history in Stephen King’s work.

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IT: WELCOME TO DERRY Trailer: Stephen King Easter Eggs, Pennywise, and Bloody Screams Galore

King’s books are far more interconnected than those only really familiar with him through the countless movie and TV adaptations of his work might realize. Decades into his career, it’s incredibly impressive to realize King’s single-handedly created an expansive shared universe that, thanks to how insanely prolific he is, feels like it’s on par with Marvel and DC, given how much lore there is at this point. Along with recurring characters, much of that lore includes the fictional settings that stories revisit, like Castle Rock, Jerusalem’s Lot, and Derry. Among this Big Three, Derry was the last we’d see, and yet it was percolating in King’s mind for years. 

When Was the First Mention of Derry in Stephen King’s Written Work?

Derry was first mentioned in King’s 1981 short story, “The Bird and the Album.” From there, it became part of the background for King’s fictionalized version of Maine, with other name drops popping up with increasing frequency. Perhaps the most amusing reference came just a year later in 1982, when Derry is evoked in The Running Man, set in the then far future of 2025. The Running Man was written under King’s Richard Bachman pseudonym, while he was trying to keep it a secret that he was the true author behind Bachman’s books. So including the same fictional town is, in retrospect, a bit of a “I dare you to figure it out!” moment. (By 1985, it was, in fact, figured out.)

Derry mentions also popped up in popular King works like “The Body” (the short story that Stand By Me is based on) and Pet Sematary in the early ’80s. But in 1986 he’d finally set a novel there and in doing so, made it worth the wait by delivering a gripping horror epic that showed just how immersed in evil this particular place was. 

HBO Derry Takes Center Stage in IT Novel with Pennywise the Clown

Running over 1100 pages, IT didn’t just use Derry as a setting. It really dialed in on the idea that the ancient title character corrupted things in this place going back long before anyone could remember. A big part of the book involved the “Loser’s Club” kids at the center of the story investigating Derry’s history and learning more about all of the disappearances, murders, and horrific and tragic events that had plagued the town, which seemed to especially bubble up every 27 years. The Loser’s Club came to realize there was, in fact, a source for all of it in the form of the evil being they come to call IT, whether IT was in the guise of its frequent Pennywise the Clown persona or appearing as something else entirely. 

Warner Bros.

King is never shy about exploring the history of the places he sets his stories, and yet IT still felt like the most King had ever built out a town in such a detailed manner within the confines of a single book. As the story goes forward, we get insight into so many important locations and/or dark historical events through the decades. This includes everything from the Kitchener Ironworks explosion to the fire at the Black Spot, not to mention the Well House on Neibolt Street, the Paul Bunyon statue, and so much more.

Among King’s work, it stands out because there is a singular inciting cause for why things kept going awry in such awful ways through so many eras. Sure, there’s plenty of dark and spooky history in a place like Jerusalem’s Lot too, but IT posited that pretty much every notable aspect of Derry’s legacy was infected by the specific presence of IT. 

Spoiler alert for the ending of IT, but that book (and its subsequent miniseries and motion picture adaptations) concludes with the now-adult Loser’s Club truly vanquishing IT. This frees Derry from IT’s clutches in the process. And perhaps that’s why King has not made Derry as much of a large-scale recurring presence as somewhere like Castle Rock. Because everything should be much better there now… Right? 

Of course, this is a horror story, and there is the ever-looming question of whether IT is alive or not. And King has had some fun with this in a couple of his books set after IT that have ventured, albeit briefly, into Derry.

Crossovers Into Derry From Other Characters in the Stephen King Universe

RELATED ARTICLE

Stephen King Reveals His 10 Favorite Movies of All Time

In the 1987 novel The Tommyknockers, two characters drive through the town. At one point, one of them begins to hallucinate. He thinks he’s seeing “a clown grinning up at him from an open sewer manhole.” Which begs the question, beyond it being a fun Easter egg, why would Pennywise appear to someone at all after IT is completely gone from Derry? Hmm… 

Then, in 2001’s Dreamcatcher (mainly set just outside of Derry), when that story’s villain, Mr. Gray goes into Derry himself, he sees a plaque dedicated by the Loser’s Club, commemorating those lost in the massive storm of 1985. This is a major event that happens at the conclusion of IT as something that accompanied the final battle against the creature. Yet on the plaque, someone has now ominously scrawled “Pennywise Lives.” Which certainly seems to indicate that a certain clown is still top of mind for some in town. 

Derry has continued to occasionally pop up in King stories. The protagonist of Bag of Bones living there, though he spends most of the book in a different location. And then there’s 11/22/63 including a fascinating section where that book’s time traveling main character, Jake Epping, goes back to Derry in the year 1958. In the wake of IT’s temporary defeat by the child incarnation of the Loser’s Club, Jake not only meets two of that aforementioned club, Beverly and Richie, but feels the feeling of evil permeating this town. 

HBO Max

However, when it comes to telling a story 100% exploring what post-IT Derry is like, 1994’s Insomnia remains unique. It takes place in Derry and focuses on Ralph Roberts, a man whose escalating insomnia leads to him seeing auras around people. Insomnia has plenty of mentions of the big storm of 1985 and its aftermath. And it includes an appearance from another Loser’s Club alum, Mike Hanlon, who was the only one to stay in Derry.

IT/Pennywise makes no return here, but it’s worth noting that the book’s villain, the Crimson King, is part of King’s sweeping Dark Tower series, which eventually connected back to pretty much all of his previous stories in some manner, IT included. In Insomnia, the Crimson King tells Ralph at one point, “shape-shifting is a time-honored custom in Derry,” clearly referencing IT/Pennywise. Because supernatural evil game recognizes supernatural evil game. 

Derry Takes on TV in 2025 in IT: Welcome to Derry HBO

The first season of IT: Welcome to Derry took place in 1962 and pulls heavily from the Derry backstory King included in his book, albeit also with different years for when certain things occurred.

We did get the major event of the Black Spot fire, as well as several other heartbreaking deaths. And, we learned tidbits about previous cycles, like the 1935 one involving the Bradley Gang. The first season dove deeper into the 1908 cycle, where we met a young Rose and Francis Shaw, who ended up with very opposing views in 1962.

Other IT-fueled events from the book’s lore, like the Ironworks explosion, are briefly referenced in the show’s opening credits and will happen in subsequent seasons. Each one will travel back another 27 years earlier, with season 2 indeed happening in 1935. It is very likely that we will see younger versions of characters that we met, like Rose, Hank Grogan, and Lily Bainbridge’s mom.

RELATED ARTICLE

The Scariest and Most Shocking Moments in IT: WELCOME TO DERRY

Unlike some prequels that feel like they’re grasping at straws for a compelling story, Welcome to Derry feels like worthwhile subject matter because King has already laid the groundwork history by providing pieces of information about many pivotal events have occurred in this town, some of which took place hundreds and even thousands of years back further. The show has the chance to continue to build upon these events and further explore what exactly occurred before and after, how IT thrived in the process, and those impacted along the way.

One thing is for sure though. If you’re in Derry and you see a clown, run like hell. 

Eric Goldman writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.Originally published on October 17, 2025.

The post Welcome to Derry: How This Town Became an Iconic Part of Stephen King’s Work appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• This year, several Six Flags locations are bringing the only and only Jason Voorhees into action with JASON: Blood Reign.
• The immersive maze will put attendees into the woods near Camp Crystal Lake as the slasher villain lurks nearby.
• Nerdist’s Take: JASON: Blood Reign is coming at a perfect time with renewed interest in the long-running franchise.

The final months of the year are upon us, which means that it is time for all things chilling and thrilling. While we look forward to all the scary TV and film offerings, like Carrie, Crystal Lake, Clayface, we also cannot wait to go outside. From haunted houses to hayrides, the weeks leading up with Halloween are full of excitement. And, there’s nothing that gets your heart racing like going to a theme park when it is revamped for horrors. This year, several Six Flags locations are bringing the only and only Jason Voorhees into action with JASON: Blood Reign, a maze that puts you into Camp Crystal Lake’s woods. 

Six Flags

This immersive experience will dive fans of the iconic slasher villain straight into his world. Each step in the darkness is one that’s potentially closer to doom as Jason slashes through one victim at a time. The silent killer is waiting for you, if you dare to walk through this Six Flags maze. Right now, there are a lot of specific details about what exactly will happen nor what characters we will see besides our favorite hockey mask wearing hulk of a dude. But, here are the Six Flags where you can experience JASON: Blood Reign: 

• Carowinds | Charlotte, NC
• Kings Island | Mason, OH
• Six Flags Great Adventure | Jackson Township, NJ
• Six Flags Mexico | Mexico City, MX

“It’s incredible to see how fans’ appetite for Jason Voorhees keeps growing,” said Robbie Barsamian, Executive Vice President at Horror, Inc. “Partnering with Six Flags for Blood Reign lets us deliver the iconic slasher straight to our community on an immersive scale.” 

He’s back, and he’s coming for you 🔪 Jason: Blood Reign haunted maze is coming to select Six Flags parks this fall 🩸 Learn more at the link in our bio… will you survive the night? @JasonUniverse13

📍: @KingsIslandPR
📍: @SFGRAdventure
📍: @Carowinds pic.twitter.com/VGBbAmD657

— Six Flags (@SixFlags) July 31, 2026 Nerdist’s Take: Six Flags is Introducing JASON: Blood Reign At the Right Time 

Bringing Jason into these parks for their Halloween transformation is truly perfect timing. Renewed interest in the long-running franchise is amping up thanks to Peacock’s Crystal Lake prequel series, which is coming this October. There are also whisperings of a new Friday the 13th film, although there’s no official greenlight for that project as of July 2026.

It is also the 40th anniversary of the franchise’s sixth film Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives, which is a fan favorite that had a big influence on future franchises like Scream. Like Jason, this franchise continues to live on, and we love it. If you’re a big Jason fan and want to kick off spooky season early, you can watch the first eight movies and have them forever, thanks to this very reasonably priced, limited-edition Steelbook.

RELATED ARTICLE

Jason Voorhees Joins DEAD BY DAYLIGHT (And It Makes Total Sense)

Carowinds will transform into Scarowinds on select nights starting on September 11 through November 1. Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt runs from September 25 to October 31. Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure is from September 18 through November 1. And Six Flags Mexico’s Festival del Terror goes from September 4 through November 17. Find out more information by visiting Six Flags’ website.

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.This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post JASON: BLOOD REIGN Maze Coming to Six Flags Locations appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• After twenty years, The Simpsons Movie is finally getting a theatrical sequel. The New Simpsons Movie is set to hit theaters in fall of 2027.
• We don’t know too much about the movie yet, but caught a brief glimpse of it at D23.
• Nerdist Take: The success of The New Simpsons Movie could impact whether Disney reclaims theme park rights to the franchise.
• Learn More: Explore The New Simpsons Movie first-look footage.

Some twenty years since their last feature film, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie are getting a brand new movie. A sequel to The Simpsons Movie, The New Simpsons movie, is officially on the way from Disney and 20th Century Studios. This Simpsons sequel movie was originally set to release on July 23, 2027, but will now release on September 3, 2027. We don’t know much about it yet, but this new movie could determine the fate of the franchise at theme parks.

So what will The New Simpsons Movie be about? After 37 seasons on the air, with three more guaranteed, it feels like they’ve done everything with these characters. However, as this is the first animated Simpsons film released under Disney, maybe this sequel will be a proper animated musical? After nearly 800 episodes of the series, they’ve got to make this something special and worth paying money for. The original The Simpsons Movie made a whopping $537 million in 2007. And the show was already 18 years old at that point. But in a pre-streaming, pre-pandemic world, people went to the movies a lot more. Will that tactic work in 2027?

For now, we’ve only gotten the briefest of looks at The New Simpsons Movie. During Disney’s D23 2026 event, we saw a quick tease, which we break down here.

20th Century Nerdist Take: Could the Success of The Simpsons Movie Decide its Theme Park Fate?

Disney may use the success or failure of The New Simpsons Movie to determine the brand’s viability for future theme park inclusion. Right now, Universal Studios has the license. And there are Simpsons-themed Springfield U.S.A. lands in both Hollywood and Orlando theme parks. The license for those expires in 2028. So Disney may want to see if the property still retains enough cultural power for a land in their own parks once the rights revert. If this Simpsons sequel makes bank, then we doubt it’ll be too long before we see Bart taking photos with kids at Disney World. Watch this space.

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.

Originally published in September 2025.

The post Could THE NEW SIMPSONS MOVIE Decide SIMPSONS Theme Park Fate? appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Since 1940, Green Lantern has been a pillar of DC Comics storytelling. We present the most iconic comic book runs of the emerald warrior.

“In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night. No evil shall escape my sight.” The Green Lantern, the protector of Space Sector 2814, has said that oath for decades. As a character, Green Lantern has been a mainstay of DC Comics since 1940, with many different heroes wielding the emerald Power Ring. DC Studios is even tackling a Green Lantern TV series for HBO, simply called Lanterns. So now is the perfect time to take a deep dive into the many decades of Green Lantern comics from DC. And to help you choose, we present to you the ten greatest Green Lantern comic book runs of all time.

DC Comics 10. The Green Lantern by Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp DC Comics

Grant Morrison is one of the greatest writers in modern comic book history, having written definitive runs for DC’s Superman, Batman, Justice League, and Wonder Woman. While we can’t say their Green Lantern run is a truly definitive run for the character, it definitely contained many interesting moments. In 2018, Morrison took on Green Lantern Hal Jordan, for a new ongoing series simply called The Green Lantern. The intricately detailed artwork for almost the entire run was provided by UK artist Liam Sharp, doing some career-best work.

Morrison, in their usual way, wanted to get weird with it. They focused more on Hal Jordan than the cast of thousands of the previous few years of GL mythos. In Morrison’s portrayal, Hal Jordan is an ordinary guy, just one whose mind expanded after years of experiencing cosmic incidents, death, and rebirth. Not everything lands in this run, as sometimes Morrison gets too esoteric for their own good for a Green Lantern title. But some of the ideas, and especially Sharp’s artwork, make this one to check out if you love Green Lantern.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s Green Lantern Run:

The Green Lantern #1-18, Blackstars #1-3 (2018-2021)

9. Green Lantern War Journal by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos DC Comics

Even though he’s DC’s first African American superhero, there are too few instances where John Stewart headlined a solo Green Lantern title. The first time was the short-lived, yet weird and brilliant Green Lantern: Mosaic back in 1992. But in 2023, DC gave John another shot at a solo ongoing title, in the excellent Green Lantern: War Journal series. This book comes from the creative team of writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and artist Montos.

This series featured John Stewart attempting a quiet life on Earth, hoping to retire from the hero car. But soon, John is forced to wear the Power Ring once more when a deadly mystery emerges. This series reconciles the contradicting versions of the character. Was he the idealistic architect from the ‘70s, or the hard-nosed Marine from the 2000s era Justice League cartoons? Well, why not both? Sadly, this book is ending after just 12 issues this year. Yet the 11 issues we did get so far were pretty fantastic and worth your time.

Issues in Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos’ Green Lantern War Journal Run:

Green Lantern War Journal #1-12 (2023-2024)

8. Green Lantern Corps (vol. 1) by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton DC Comics

In the early ‘80s, Green Lantern comics were stuck in a rut. Hal had left Green Arrow behind and became a solo act after a decade. Yet aside from the back-up Tales of the Green Lantern Corps from a young Alan Moore, nothing about Green Lantern as a comic was very exciting anymore. DC decided to retire Hal and replace him with John Stewart for an extended period, and later Guy Gardner. But even that didn’t increase sales significantly. So with the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC decided to change things up big time. Green Lantern would become a superhero team book.

With issue #201, Green Lantern became Green Lantern Corps. On writing duties was Avengers and Batman veteran Steve Englehart, with stylized art by Joe Staton. After the events of Crisis, the Guardians departed this reality, leaving their Corps members to chart their own destinies, abolishing space sectors. A group of Lanterns led by Hal Jordan became a team, including John Stewart, his alien wife Katma Tui, Guy Garnder, the alien chipmunk GL named Ch’p, and a brand new Lantern named Kilowog, who would become a fan-favorite. This run proved the GLC as a team book could work, even if the series only lasted 24 issues. For some reason, this series isn’t collected today, an oversight DC should correct right away.

Issues in Steve Englehart and Joe Staton’s Green Lantern Corps Run:

Green Lantern Corps vol. 1 #201-224 (1986-1988)

7. Far Sector by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell DC Comics

This limited series was written by sci-fi author N.K. Jemisin, and illustrated by Jamal Campbell. It focused on an entirely brand new hero, the Green Lantern Sojourner  “Jo” Mullein. And yes, she’s another Green Lantern from Earth (really, that’s like ten Earth Lanterns now. Enough DC!) A former military officer and ex-cop, Jo has been recruited by the Guardians of the Universe to keep the peace on a planet in the furthest known reaches of known space. She even uses a special Power Ring that slowly recharges on its own instead of needing to recharge with a battery.

The story of Far Sector starts as Jo Mullein becomes a cosmic detective, investigating the first murder victim in 500 years on a distant world. Unlike most G.L. stories, Far Sector actually remembers that the Green Lantern Corps aren’t really space soldiers, they’re actually space police. And in space and on Earth, policing, and what it means to those with no power, creates complications. This is a relatively recent series, released in 2020. But it’s a fantastic standalone story that deserves a lot more attention. Thankfully, Sojourner  “Jo” Mullein has since been incorporated into the larger DC Universe.

Issues in N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell’s Far Sector Run:

Far Sector #1-12, 2020-2022

6. Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn by James Owsley, Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones, and M.D. Bright DC Comics

After the end of the Green Lantern Corps, there were only two Green Lanterns on Earth again—Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner. Guy was in the popular Justice League International series, but Hal Jordan, the OG, was without a home. So in 1989, DC decided to give Hal Jordan’s origin story a modern, post-Crisis update, with the limited series Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn. It was a testing ground to see if Hal was popular enough to headline an ongoing series again. The book, by writers James Owsley, Keith Giffen, and Gerard Jones, with art by M.D. Bright, was an instant hit, spawning an immediate sequel, and eventually a new ongoing series.

This six-issue mini-series added important new elements to Hal’s backstory, like the fact that he wasn’t all that perfect and upstanding before becoming a Lantern anymore, struggling with many personal issues before Abin Sur’s Power Ring chose him. These problems included prison time for a car accident that he caused while under the influence. Emerald Dawn also introduced the idea that future arch-villain Sinestro was Hal’s trainer as a GL, something that remains a facet of his story to this day. The art by the late M.D. Bright is the right mix of modern and classic, making this still a fun read today.

We should note that one of the three writers on Emerald Dawn, Gerard Jones, is a convicted criminal charged with fairly horrible crimes, which is likely why the series has remained out of print.

Issues in Keith Giffen, James Owsley, Gerard Jones, and M.D. Bright’s Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn Run:

Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1-6 (1989-1990), Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II (1991)

5. Green Lantern (vol. 2) by John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane DC Comics

The foundation for everything we know and love about the Green Lantern mythology is firmly rooted in the Silver Age stories of writers John Broome, Gardner Fox, and artist Gil Kane. Yes, a Golden Age Green Lantern existed before during WWII, Alan Scott. Yet it was these 1960s stories that defined who and what Green Lantern really is as a concept for the rest of time. In 1959’s anthology title Showcase #22, they took the name Green Lantern and built a whole new sci-fi mythology around it. With a new lead hero, Hal Jordan, rooted in the Atomic Age space race of the day, Green Lantern as a series was much better on the second try.

During this iconic Silver Age Green Lantern run, they not only introduced Hal Jordan. They also introduced the entire Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians of the Universe, Sinestro, and so many other concepts that remain to this day. Yes, the characterizations of the characters are often bland and one-note. There’s an undeniable goofiness to it all. That was just the era. Not to mention, Hal’s adventures and adversaries are way too Earth-bound during this time. But the imaginative storytelling and Gil Kane art will win you over. Even if it would take a later generation of writers to truly make Green Lantern great.

Issues in John Broome, Gardner Fox, and Gil Kane’s Green Lantern Run:

Showcase #22-24, Green Lantern vol. 2 #1-60 (1959-1960)

4. Green Lantern Corps by Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason DC Comics

Everyone cites Geoff Johns’ epic run on Green Lantern as peak superhero storytelling. As well they should. But during the Johns era, the companion Green Lantern Corps ongoing series from writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Patrick Gleason was often just as good—sometimes even better—than the flagship book. After the successful Green Lantern Corps: Recharge mini-series, DC took a chance on an ongoing GLC series again. This series almost totally takes place in space, with Honor Guard Lanterns John Stewart, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, and others taking center stage.

In addition to the Earth Lanterns, exciting new characters like Sinestro’s replacement GL, Soranik Natu, were introduced in this series. When Green Lantern Corps was read simultaneously with Johns’ main Green Lantern title, it all felt like one epically large cosmic story when read together. Although Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons wrote the first couple of arcs, Peter J. Tomasi takes over for most of the rest of the run. Throughout all of this, you get the gorgeous artwork of Patrick Gleason. That alone makes this run an all-timer.

Issues in Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s Green Lantern Corps Run:

Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #1-47 (2006-2010),

3. Green Lantern/Green Arrow by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams DC Comics

By the end of the Silver Age, American comics were changing. More college kids than elementary school children were reading them. The stories themselves started to deal with more mature subjects and complex characterizations—especially at DC’s rival Marvel Comics. So in 1970, DC tasked young writer/artist duo Dennis O’Neil and Neil Adams, who also reinvented Batman, with reinventing Green Lantern as a socially relevant series. And they brought on Green Arrow as a co-lead, creating one of the comics’ best bromances. Green Lantern officially changed to Green Lantern/Green Arrow with issue #76.

During O’Neil and Adams’ “Hard Travellin’ Heroes” run, Hal Jordan represented conservative, establishment America. Oliver Queen’s Green Arrow was recreated as an almost hippy, hyper-leftist superhero. The two were oil and water, and they traveled America facing the issues of the day, like racism and drug abuse. Even Manson-like cults! Sometimes the writing was a bit preachy and on the nose, but the artwork and dynamic storytelling from O’Neil and Adams always sold it. This run saw the introduction of John Stewart, another reason it’s a milestone series. Hal and Ollie would remain partners for the entire ‘70s. Yet it was the O’Neil/Adams run that is the gold standard, even still.

Issues in Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams’ Green Lantern/Green Arrow Run:

Green Lantern/Green Arrow #76-89 (1970-1972)

2. Green Lantern (Vol. 3) by Ron Marz and Daryl Banks, Paul Pelletier DC Comics

In 1994, the comic book industry took a giant hit when the so-called comic book crash happened. Sales on once-popular franchises like Green Lantern, which a couple of years prior had three titles and a quarterly, were in freefall. So DC gambled. As a result of events during their Death and Return of Superman storyline, Hal Jordan lost his marbles, killed what remained of the GL Corps, and became the villain Parallax. All in the mere span of 3 issues. Only one power ring remained, and it went to a twenty-something slacker in a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt. And with that, Green Lantern was reborn.

In 1994’s Green Lantern #50, the last Guardian of the Universe gave out-of-work artist Kyle Rayner the last Power Ring, and he shaped himself into the universe’s last Green Lantern. A total 180 from Hal Jordan, Kyle was more like the readers—young, relatable, and more interested in art than airplanes. Ron Marz took on writing chores with Daryl Banks on pencils, and together they created a hero for the ‘90s that remains a fan favorite. Kyle had Spider-Man levels of average-guy superhero soap opera, all while trying to live up to a legendary legacy. Marz wrote the first issues, during much of which Green Lantern was once again a backbone of DC’s publishing line. Hal returned a decade later, but Kyle’s run as GL is undeniable.

Issues in Ron Marz’s Green Lantern Run:

Green Lantern vol. 3 #48-125 (1994-2000)

1. Green Lantern (vol. 4, vol. 5) by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Ethan Van Sciver, Doug Mahnke DC Comics

When it comes to Green Lantern comic book runs, few would argue that writer Geoff Johns‘ nearly ten-year run on the title is the GOAT. When Johns came on board for GL in 2004, the character was in a downturn. Kyle Rayner was still the main Lantern, but the series had lost steam after a decade. Especially without Rayner’s creator Ron Marz at the helm. Hal Jordan had gone from villain to dead to the ghostly hero the Spectre. The Corps was disbanded. It was a bit of a broken franchise. Writer Geoff Johns fixed all that almost overnight, starting with the blockbuster mini-series Green Lantern: Rebirth.

In Green Lantern: Rebirth, Johns and artist Ethan Van Sciver re-energized the series by bringing Hal Jordan back from the dead, as well as his main rival Sinestro. They also created a plausible explanation for Hal’s turn to the dark side a decade earlier, creating the fear entity Parallax, which we learned possessed Hal. During the Johns run, alongside artists like Ivan Reis and Doug Mahnke, they expanded the Green Lantern mythology like no ever had before. Together, they created some of the best ongoing superhero yarn-spinning of the last few decades.

DC Comics

During his tenure, Johns created the Sinestro Corps, introduced the concepts of the Emotional Spectrum, the other colored Lantern Corps, like the rage-fueled Red Lanterns, the Third Army, and maybe the peak of the franchise, Blackest Night. This mini-series introduced the zombie-like Black Lantern Corps, made up of the animated corpses of dead DC characters. Geoff Johns’ run on Green Lantern was so epic, that no writer since has ever been able to top it. For a brief time, Geoff Johns turned Green Lantern into DC’s second-biggest franchise after Batman. And it will be a long time before its light goes out in the hearts of fandom.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Green Lantern Run:

Green Lantern: Rebirth #1–6 (2004–2005), Green Lantern vol. 4 #1–67 (2005–2011) Green Lantern vol. 5 #0–20 (2011–2013) Blackest Night #0-9 (2009-2010)

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Originally published on July 18, 2024.

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.

The post The 10 Greatest Green Lantern Comic Book Runs, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• OREO is letting fans vote on which special new limited-time flavor—Banana Pudding, Deep Fried, or Chicken & Waffles—will get a second release.
• These flavors are available for pre-order and will hit store shelves on August 24.
• We will find out which OREO flavor is victorious on October 13.

OREO is never afraid to get weird, but there’s a big question that we must ask you. How weird are you willing to get? The iconic cookie company is releasing three new flavors: Banana Pudding, Deep Fried, and Chicken & Waffles. That’s a wide range of tastes. Which one will fans like you love the most? We’ll find out because everyone will get to vote on a weird OREO flavor to see which one sticks around.

Nabisco

The new Twist, Lick, Vote campaign from OREO invites snack lovers to do exactly that. For the first-time ever customers will choose which of the new batch of sweet treats will get to stick around. You don’t have to guess at which one you like, either. You can try all three contestants in this battle for a permanent shelf spot before naming your favorite. They are available for pre-sale now and will hit stores on August 24. OREO has provided an official description for all three:

• OREO Banana Pudding Cookies: Experience the flavors of the universally loved dessert through layers of sweet banana and vanilla pudding in a deliciously delectable dual-layered creme, sandwiched between vanilla wafer cookies.
  
• OREO Deep Fried Cookies: While state fair foods have long drawn massive crowds of their own, we’re bringing those carnival flavors straight to the cookie aisle—saving you a trip to the fairgrounds. We baked that iconic golden-fried, doughy flavor right into the cookie itself, with fried dough-flavored cookies wrapping layers of dark chocolate and fried dough flavored creme. Packed with all the state fair food flavor, minus the crowds!
  
• OREO Chicken & Waffles Cookies: The originally unexpected combo turned popular comfort food dish has made cameo appearances in the savory snack aisles before, but the OREO brand takes it to the next level. In a first-of-its kind for the cookie aisle, these sweet and savory OREO cookies feature a signature waffle texture embossment and dual-layered creme, both infused with sweet and savory flavor notes to give that signature fried chicken and maple syrup flavor in each and every bite.

Nabisco

I’d say those range from sounding “real good” to “real weird.” Which flavor profile will win? I have a feeling I know what you sickos are going to vote for, but not me. At least not blindly. I will be trying all of them first before picking. And we’ll all find out together on October 13 we’ll find out which OREO cookie will make a 2027 comeback.

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

• Kevin Feige announced Ryan Gosling would indeed play Ghost Rider in a movie coming out 2028 directed by Shawn Levy.

San Diego Comic-Con’s Marvel Studios Hall H panel kicked off with a big bit of news that confirmed a long-held fan belief. Kevin Feige addressed rumors that Ryan Gosling would play Ghost Rider, the supernatural spirit of vengeance with a flaming skull and a motorcycle. Turns out…it’s true! Feige welcomed Gosling to the stage and unveiled the new logo for the movie. It’ll be directed by Shawn Levy (Deadpool & Wolverine and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter movie starring Gosling). It will hit cinemas on July 28, 2028.

Marvel Studios/Nerdist

The Marvel Universe has roughly 48 billion characters across its storied comic book history. By last count, the number of above the title actors in Hollywood is *checks notes* not that high. So for Kevin Feige to figure out which actor will play what character is a pretty tough proposition. You can’t just waste an Oscar-winner on a side character in a mid-credits scene who then never shows up again…

Ghost Rider enters the MCU 🔥

Ryan Gosling will star in Marvel Studios' Ghost Rider, directed by Shawn Levy. #SDCC pic.twitter.com/MR2HJww2Wg

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 26, 2026

But whether Gosling will play the Johnny Blaze version or the Danny Ketch version is anyone’s guess right now. Blaze was the very first Ghost Rider, appearing in all the way back in Marvel Spotlight #5 in 1972. Ketch, the edgier ’90s follow-up, debuted in the first issue of his own series in 1990.

Universal Pictures/Marvel Comics

Gosling appeared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast (h/t Variety) to promote Project Hail Mary this past spring. As usual for host Josh Horowitz, questions regarding fallow projects flew the actor’s way. “We’ll keep hope alive,” Gosling said. “Some discussions have been had. It’s a complicated situation.” The actor first expressed his interest in playing Ghost Rider, the flame-skulled motorcyclist who acts as spirit of vengeance for Mephisto, in 2022.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.Originally published on July 25, 2026.

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⚡ Quick Take

• Bluey, one of the BBC’s most popular children’s shows, is getting a feature-length movie with 3-D animation.
• The teaser doesn’t tell us much, instead showing a wholesome moment between Bluey and Bingo.
• We won’t be seeing this movie until August 2027.

Very rarely does a children’s show appeal to such a wide age range as Bluey has in its eight years running. The charming Australian show, following a family of four dogs, educates viewers in an empathetic way with genuine dialogue and realistic situations.

For the most part, each episode of Bluey introduces a new situation. Now, the creators of Bluey are creating The Bluey Movie, a feature-length story with a different animation style. The trailer dropped on August 14, take a look below:

As it seems studios love to do when they adapt a more 2-D-looking animated show (ahem… Spongebob) to a feature-length film, Disney has changed the animation style to look more 3-D and rendered. I’ll let you form your own opinions on that.

The trailer is 44 seconds long and focuses on Bluey and Bingo passing a red balloon back and forth. One thing I noticed personally was that the two characters appear slightly older (just based on them both appearing taller, really) than they do in the show. This may just be a trick of the new animation but it could also indicate the passage of time within their world. This could introduce new lessons and perhaps mean some character development happened offscreen.

Disney / BBC

The teaser doesn’t hint at the plot of the movie, but to be honest, I couldn’t care less. The charm of Bluey is the sisterhood between the two main characters. The lessons they learn from their parents, other adults in their lives, and their peers fill out the rest of the story. The trailer could just be showing a sweet moment between Bluey and Bingo and establishing the new animation style. However, it could be indicating that the sisters’ relationship may be a central theme, even more than it usually is.

We still haven’t gotten a look at “Mum” or “Dad” yet. The caption for the trailer was as vague as the video itself:

Bluey uses her limitless energy to play games that unfold in unpredictable and hilarious ways, bringing her family and the whole neighborhood into her world of fun.

Hopefully, more details will come out before August 6, 2027, when The Bluey Movie premieres in theaters.

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

The post New THE BLUEY MOVIE Trailer Shows Bluey and Bingo in 3D appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Announced at D23, Spider-Man will be the first superhero to receive his own dedicated theme park land at Shanghai Disneyland, starting with a Spider-Man coaster in 2027.
• The attraction’s story will connect to WEB Slingers’ World Engineering Brigade from Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure.
• Riders will help Spidey defeat a giant Spider-Bot of his own creation.
• Nerdist’s take: Spider-Man getting his own theme park land proves his the world’s most beloved superhero.

Based on the truly enormous box office receipts for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’s pretty clear that Spidey takes the crown for the most popular superhero in the world. Sorry, Batman, but the numbers just don’t lie. So it makes perfect sense that Spider-Man would be the first superhero to receive his own dedicated theme park land. And so, Disney announced at the recent D23 Expo that a Spider-Man land is coming soon to Shanghai Disneyland. It’s set to accompany its upcoming Spider-Man-themed roller coaster, already under construction. It’s set to open in 2027.

Walt Disney Imagineering

According to the presentation, backed up by a Disney Parks Blog post, this as-yet unnamed Spider-Man land will become home to the new Shanghai division of the Worldwide Engineering Brigade (W.E.B. for short). Fans of Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure will recognize W.E.B from its own Spider-Man-themed ride, WEB Slingers. In the attraction’s canon, Tony Stark created the organization to encourage young people to experiment with new technologies. Peter Parker created little Spider-Bots that wreak all kinds of havoc. And they will also now create chaos at Shanghai’s new Spider-Man roller coaster, the first-ever coaster for the character.

Walt Disney Imagineering

Disney describes this new Spider-Man coaster as a “high-speed, fully immersive experience.” One where riders will get the chance to help Peter Parker “get himself into a bit of a tight spot.” Based on the concept art, it looks like Spider-Man will swing above the ride vehicles, which should be very cool. According to the attraction’s description, “Inside the new land, Peter Parker and his friends have created a new set of Spider-Bots to help assemble their experiments and help them build their brand-new coaster.” Judging from the concept art released, you’ll encounter at least one giant Spider-Bot during the ride. Like Shanghai Disneyland’s TRON coaster, this one will also feature indoor and outdoor elements.

Walt Disney Imagineering

Shanghai Disneyland’s upcoming Spider-Man land will also feature some 20 murals from local artists depicting Spidey in action. No word yet on if the rest of the land will showcase other attractions. As for those hoping for a similar Spider-Man-themed coaster coming to the domestic Disney Parks, don’t hold your breath. At least not for Walt Disney World. Contracts with Universal Studios, who has Marvel Super Hero Island at its Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando, prohibit any other park in its vicinity from showcasing certain Marvel heroes. Sadly, Spidey is one of them. But who knows what the far future holds. No one ever thought the X-Men, Spider-Man, and the Avengers could appear together on screen ten years ago, and here we are. As they say, money talks.

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.

The post Spider-Man to Receive His Own Land at Shanghai Disneyland appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• One of Disney’s big announcements at D23 was a new addition to Orlando’s Magic Kingdom.
• Villains Land will be about the same size as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
• The new area will include two rides (as of now) and plenty of shopping, dining and exploration opportunities.

This year’s D23 was full of surprises, from reveals from Marvel to updates about the Disney Parks. One of these exciting announcements was that the Magic Kingdom in Orlando is unveiling a new area called Villains Land.

Disney

The whole ordeal hopes to blend the old with the new. Because other areas of the park have “land” in the name, the creators of the new installation wanted it to fit in. Additionally, the new realm will feature classic villains in a brand-new and still fresh way.

Each area of the park has some kind of story behind it that characters and attendees play along with. Villains Land will be designed to resemble a forest. In the center lies a corrupted wishing well full of evil magic that has spilled over and affected the surrounding forest. It is a powerful place, and the park’s villains all intend to claim it for themselves.

The area was reported to be similar in size to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which spans about 14 acres. Villains Land will feature the forest, the well, and plenty of evil lairs. The Imagineers announced a Maleficent Coaster, which will take riders through Maleficent’s twisted briar and around her castle lair. They also revealed that there will be a Mirror Realm dark ride, a format that has become a Disney fan favorite, hosted by the Magic Mirror.

Disney

So far, this seems to be taking a lot of inspiration from Sleeping Beauty. However, the concept art for the Villains ride includes Ursula, Scar, Dr. Facilier, Jafar, and Cruella de Vil.

The Imagineers responsible for the Villains realm said in a panel that they took a character-driven stance while designing the area. They drew from the villains’ stories first, but got creative examining their artistry and style.

The new area has no set opening date.

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

The post Disney Reveals Villains Land, New Magic Kingdom Area appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Since the year 2000, we’ve gotten 14 movies utilizing the X-Men (or related characters).
• With a new X-Men cast announced for the MCU films, we thought we’d rank those movies, from worst to best.
• Nerdist Take: We like New Mutants more than most and dislike Deadpool 2 more than most.

We assumed after the purchase of 20th Century Fox by Disney, the X-Men movie universe would halt suddenly. Not so, as it turns out. Marvel Studios not only made Deadpool & Wolverine—a massive love letter to the wayward cinematic universes of Marvel past—but will give those versions of the characters (presumably) their final bow in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Now, with the announcement of a brand new cast of the MCU’s X-Men, I figured now would be a great time to rank all the previous

20th Century Fox 14. X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) 20th Century Fox

The first solo adventure for Hugh Jackman’s Logan came in 2009, and it sure wasn’t good. And look, I know it was fashionable to crap on this movie for its weird pacing, terrible CGI, poor attempts at humor, and nerfing Deadpool, but it’s also accurate. Not a good movie. The one thing it did was prove Hugh Jackman could carry a movie, a thing we already knew by this point. Oh, and don’t get me started on how this movie alone messed up the continuity. Best to just forget this one.

13. X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) 20th Century Fox

Following the departure of the franchise’s first super problematic director, they hired another super problematic director to helm the third movie. To say it’s messy is an understatement. They tried to put “The Cure” arc alongside “Dark Phoenix Saga,” and those two stories did not gel at all together. You get a lot of characters standing in a line opposite other characters standing in a line. It killed off Cyclops (sidebar: of all the characters done dirty by this franchise, Cyclops is perhaps the most egregious), completely wasted Angel, and nerfed Mystique. It also is unforgivable that it made the “I’m the Juggernaut, b****!” canon in a movie. So terrible.

12. Dark Phoenix (2019) 20th Century Fox

The second attempt at adapting the most famous X-Men comics arc is just as disappointing as the first. It’s less messy and more boring, but it still completely bypassed all the build up of what made the Phoenix Force interesting, and what makes the ending so tragic. Also, at this point, the timeline breaking down just makes no sense. Let’s hope they never do the Dark Phoenix Saga ever again. (I know they will.)

11. X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) 20th Century Fox

Mercifully, the final X film from a very problematic director indeed. Despite very good films previous, this one—a third in the First Class timeline, more or less—just threw everything at the wall and hoped it stuck. It’s another enormous, messy hodgepodge of different X-characters and storylines. Oscar Isaac does his very best as the titular ancient mutant, and the new batch of Xavier students are okay, but it just turns into gloop. Another waste of Angel/Archangel; a major waste of Storm. And they had to turn Mystique into a main hero thanks to Jennifer Lawrence’s star power. Not even another frenetic Quicksilver sequence can save it.

10. The New Mutants (2020) 20th Century

Okay, so here’s where I lose some of you. I didn’t see The New Mutants when they dumped it during the pandemic. Pandemic and all. In fact, I didn’t end up watching it until a year or so ago. And you know what? Yes, it’s hacked to all hell. Yes, the third act poops the woods (Demon Bear joke). But I thought it was pretty fun! Creepy vibe, decent characterization, plus it was just nice to see an X-Men movie that didn’t even try to reference Wolverine. Should have gotten more love, and it’s a shame the planned appearance of Jon Hamm as Mr. Sinister never happened. But at least Sinister will show up soon.

9. Deadpool 2 (2018) 20th Century Fox

I’m gonna be real honest here: I was over Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool schtick pretty soon after the first movie came out. So while I was excited to see the sequel, I was wary of how annoying I found the character. The upsides were that the movie brought in a ton more X characters, and it was a joy to see Josh Brolin as Cable and Zazie Beetz as Domino. The downside? I’ve never been a big Deadpool guy and, like the character, the movie seems to think its way funnier than it is. But the X-Force skydiving joke is pretty amazing.

8. X-Men (2000) 20th Century Fox

Here is an example of a movie that is so much more important than it is still good. It definitely set the stage for the modern superhero movie era and finally gave us some live-action mutants. (Sidebar: yes, I remember the 1996 Generation X TV movie. That doesn’t count.) And the casting is, by and large, really great, with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and Hugh Jackman all standing out. But for all the good of the first X-Men, there’s always a sense that it’s half-apologizing for comic books being silly. In 2026, it’s just not as revolutionary as it once was.

7. The Wolverine (2013) 20th Century Fox

After X-Men Origins, I thought there was no way a solo Wolverine movie was going to be good. And then we get director James Mangold. A lot of this movie covers ground in the fan-favorite Frank Miller/Chris Claremont run of Wolverine in the ’80s, with his dealings with the Yakuza in Japan and various romances. I think it almost totally works. The ending is bad, I won’t argue it isn’t, but I think The Wolverine is still upper half of the movies. Jackman rules.

6. Deadpool (2016) 20th Century Fox

Remember everything I said about the character of Deadpool earlier? That’s still true, but even with that, I cannot deny how good, how funny, how effective, and how fresh the first Deadpool movie felt. After years of development, Ryan Reynolds’ passion project got the go-ahead and made just a ton of money with its heavy violence and foul-mouthed frat humor. This is arguably the best page-to-screen adaptation of any comic book character. And its success is 100% the reason he’s not getting rebooted (really) for the MCU. I won’t hold this movie accountable for the Deadpool-ifying of other superhero movies, though I could.

5. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Marvel Studios

Look, I’m just one of those big ol’ hypocrites. As over the Deadpool nonsense as I was with Deadpool 2, the addition of all the incredibly fun X-Men easter eggs—and strangely moving pathos—of Deadpool & Wolverine brought me right back. Yes, there’s still a lot of Reynolds being annoying, but finally getting to see X-characters (and some other non-MCU Marvel characters) within the MCU proper was absolutely delightful. Plus, I think Jackman gives an excellent performance as the Worst Wolverine. I think it’s possible this, over any of the other movies, captures what it means to be a fan of the X-Men universe comics.

4. X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) 20th Century Fox

The second most famous Uncanny X-Men comics arc (which was only two issues) ended up as one of the very best superhero movies of the era. I love the way this movie utilizes both timelines’ casts and sends the sole superstar character of Wolverine back in time to foil a future where sentinels take over the world. The Quicksilver “Time in a Bottle” sequence is still super great, and the finale where Magneto drops a stadium around Richard Nixon is wild and enormous, but manages to work because the characters are believable. Best use of Mystique in any movie. In my head canon, this is the end of the franchise (Deadpools and Logan notwithstanding).

3. X2: X-Men United (2003) 20th Century Fox

I think it’s arguable this and Spider-Man 2 are the reasons superhero movies kept going. They’re not just successful, they’re really good. X2 took what worked about the first movie and focused on it and heightened it. Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler is excellent, Brian Cox as Stryker is really good, and we got maybe McKellen’s best Magneto performance. Wolverine gets center stage here for real and they let him do what he does best (and what he does best isn’t very nice). Just a great example of what the X-Men on screen could be.

2. X-Men: First Class (2011) 20th Century Fox

Matthew Vaughn’s lone foray into the X-universe really was a fresh start. Not only did it get a whole new cast to portray some of the characters who’ve been around a while, but setting it in the early 1960s, contemporary to when the comics first came out, brought in a new style, a new energy, to the mutants. Young, swaggery Charles Xavier as played by James McAvoy was a great choice to offset Stewart’s austere portrayal. Michael Fassbender’s Magneto was damn cool; could have watched a whole movie of Erik Lensherr, Nazi hunter. Above all, it proved the franchise, which had already gotten a bit stale and silly, could reinvent itself, which proved to be just what it needed to continue for another decade.

1. Logan (2017) 20th Century Fox

Look, it was never going to be anything else at number one. Logan isn’t just a great X-Men movie. It isn’t just a great comic book movie. It’s a great movie, full stop. What was originally going to be the swansong for both Jackman and Stewart ended up a somber, elegiac reflection on regret and hope as Logan has to tend to a sickly Charles Xavier and try to save young, angry Laura Kinney (Dafne Keen). The action is as brutal as you’d hope with a Wolverine movie, and the story flows to a wonderful, sad conclusion. It’s the superhero movie as western, writ large. Took three goes, but Jackman really did make the best of this franchise.

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

Originally published July 2023.

The post Every X-MEN Movie Ranked from Worst to Best appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• The first teaser for Ahsoka season two is here.
• Grand Admiral Thrawn returns and wages war against the Rebels.
• Anakin’s ghost (once again played by Hayden Christensen) asks if Ahsoka is a Jedi or not.
• Nerdist Take: It’s been way too long since season one.

I still really can’t get over how long it’s been since the first season of Ahsoka, which aired on Disney+ in 2023. It’s even more shocking that we have yet another four months until we have more to see. January of 2027 sounds like a very futuristic date, doesn’t it? But finally, at this past weekend’s D23 Expo in Anaheim, CA, we got our first look at the further adventures of former Jedi (but still pretty much a Jedi) Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) and her once-animated Rebels cohorts. Grand Admiral Thrawn is throwing down, which does not bode well for anyone.

With Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) on the literal warpath, it’ll take all of Ahsoka’s resolve, and the considerable heft of the New Republic, to stop him. How very needly of Thrawn to say he declares war on “The Rebel Alliance,” a very snide way to make sure they know he doesn’t recognize the New Republic. Not a nice guy, Thrawn.

Disney+

It’s nice to see members of the Rebels cast reunite. Specifically seeing Zeb hug Ezra (Eman Esfandi) after all these years. It also looks like Ezra flies a B-Wing which is pretty fun. I always liked B-Wings, they were the most fun in toy form when I was a kid.

What we don’t know yet is if this season and its ostensible war with Thrawn’s forces will preclude the once-ballyhooed Thrawn-centric movie Dave Filoni planned, or if that’ll still happen. I can’t imagine we’d need too much more in the way of Thrawn after this, but perhaps I’m wrong.

Disney+

And, naturally, we got ourselves another appearance by Anakin’s force ghost, played again by Hayden Christensen. He poses an interesting question to Ahsoka: “It might be time to decide. Are you a Jedi? Or not?” We suppose we know the answer, but we’ll just have to wait and see.

Ahsoka season two will premiere January 20, 2027 on Disney+.

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

The post AHSOKA Season 2 Teaser Promises a Big Ol’ Thrawn War appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Mackie, Jeremy Renner, Brie Larson, and Iman Vellani reprise their MCU roles in new attractions at Avengers Campus.
• Avengers: Infinity Defense will take riders on a journey through MCU locales like Wakanda, Asgard, and New York City.
• Avengers: Infinity Defense and Stark Flight Lab open at Disney California Adventure in 2028. New Avengers rides are also planned for Hong Kong Disneyland.
• Nerdist’s take: These new attractions will greatly improve the currently lackluster Avengers Campus at DCA.

At the D23 Expo, we learned more details about the upcoming Avengers Campus expansion at Disney California Adventure, and the long-awaited “E-Ticket” ride Avengers: Infinity Defense. We also got more details about the second attraction coming to the land, the Iron-Man-themed Stark Flight Lab. Disney confirmed that both attractions will open officially in 2028. And at the event, later confirmed via the official Disney Parks Blog, several MCU actors are returning to reprise their iconic roles for these attractions, and they’re some of the most important characters within the universe. Or should we say, multiverse?

A few familiar faces are joining in on the action 💪 @RobertDowneyJr, Anthony Mackie and @ChrisHemsworth will be featured in Avengers Infinity Defense opening at Disney California Adventure in 2028 ⭐ #D23 #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/bPJaXJYmhl

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) August 16, 2026

For Avengers: Infinity Defense, the adventure will start with a special pre-mission briefing from Ms. Marvel, played by Iman Vellani. Joining her in the attraction’s story itself as on-screen actors are Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, and even Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man. Based on concept art they displayed, several other Avengers characters will also appear, including Black Panther, Spider-Man, and the Hulk. Because those characters wear masks or are fully CGI, their respective actors likely won’t return for this ride.

Walt Disney Imagineering

This new attraction will be one of the biggest endeavors taken on by Walt Disney Imagineering. Perhaps rivaling Rise of the Resistance in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Like that attraction, Avengers: Infinity Defense will blend massive physical elements with giant media scenes, as the Avengers travel across different MCU locations like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City. Guests will help the Avengers battle King Thanos, a version of the Mad Titan from the Multiverse who defeated the Avengers. They didn’t announce Josh Brolin’s return to the role at D23. However, there’s plenty of time for that reveal.

Click To View Gallery Walt Disney Imagineering/Marvel Marvel/Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering/Marvel

But Avengers Campus will also have a less immersive, thrilling flight simulator attraction, the previously mentioned Stark Flight Lab. Robert Downey Jr. will give riders instructions on their mission as Tony Stark, joined by Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America and Brie Larson as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel. Strangely, there’s no Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine. However, we think he’d be ideal for this particular attraction. There’s still time, Disney! In this ride, guests will sit in two-person “gyro-kinetic pods” and roll along a track, training as a flying member of the Avengers. 

Click To View Gallery Walt Disney Imagineering/Marvel Marvel/Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering

And for those venturing out into overseas parks, the Avengers will soon arrive at Hong Kong Disneyland as well. A new Avengers pavilion under construction will soon host the Avengers Research Testing Labs. This is a “drop” ride, like Tower of Terror in Orlando or Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout in Anaheim. In this attraction, you’ll be dropping through meany realms, including Asgard and Wakanda. Doctor Strange and Spider-Man will also appear in this ride, according to the concept art. This new Avengers Tower will create an imposing silhouette over the land. No opening date was revealed for this land. But Marvel fans will be eating well when it comes to Disney Parks attractions over the next several years.

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.

The post Iconic MCU Actors Will Return for AVENGERS: INFINITY DEFENSE appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• From supernatural and adventure stories to characters that have faded with time, here are 9 DC comics you probably haven’t read.
• DC was on a kick with horror/mystery comics in the 1970s and 1980s, coming out with House of Secrets, Ghosts, The Witching Hour, and Weird Mystery Tales all around the same time period.
• Some iconic characters made their debuts in smaller, more niche comics; Lady Shiva and Bronze Tiger came from Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter.

DC Comics is coming up on a century of publication. Over almost a hundred years, a business is bound to accrue a fair share of odd, outlandish ideas and business decisions. DC is proof of this, with plenty of wacky stories published throughout its history.

From supernatural and Western stories to characters that have fallen victim to the fading of time, DC has dipped its fingers into many pies over the years. Here are 9 comics you probably didn’t know that DC published.

1. Ghosts DC Comics

DC’s Ghosts was a horror anthology, with each issue containing several illustrated short stories. Its subtitle was “True Tales of the Weird and Supernatural.” 112 issues were published from 1971 to 1982. It was a short run, but DC revived Ghosts for a Halloween issue under its “Vertigo” imprint in 2012.

Another very similar title that ran from 1968 to 1971 before a revamp in 1999-2000 and another in 2013 was The Witching Hour. This was yet another horror/supernatural anthology. The 1999-2000 version was picked up and re-released in 2024.

2. Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth DC Comics

Running from 1972-1978, Kamandi was a dramatic adventure comic befitting the time it was written in. It followed a boy after the Great Disaster wiped humans from the face of the earth, leaving behind a race of mutated man-like animals. The tagline? “Beasts who act like men, men who act like beasts.”

Here’s the synopsis of issue #1:

Kamandi avenges the death of his grandfather, who was killed by wolves, but is captured by a tiger named Caesar—who turns him over to dog-scientist Dr. Canus!

Definitely corny in a nostalgic way. This comic series was penned and drawn by the comic legend Jack Kirby. Kamandi was loosely based on Planet of the Apes, which was very popular at the time of its publication. You can own the entire comic run and have a weird piece of Kirby history.

3. Our Army At War (Sgt. Rock) DC Comics

Our Army at War was a war anthology series that debuted the Easy Company, a fictional U.S. Army unit led by Sgt. Rock. It detailed their adventures during World War II, placing them in the midst of real-life events.

The series ran from 1952 to 1977. It was rebranded to simply Sgt. Rock in 1974, after an overwhelmingly positive reception to the character. Rock became such a fan favorite that the stories shifted from covering overarching war stories to focusing specifically on developing his character.

All American Men of War, and after its inception at Quality Comics, G.I. Comics were among other war-related series under the DC name. Now, DC is putting war stories together in its DC Finest collection and omnibuses.

4. Plop! DC Comics

Dubbed “The Magazine of Weird Humor,” Plop! was DC’s attempt to keep up with its own success with the satire and dark humor of MAD Magazine. It ran for 24 issues from 1973-76.

Weird was not an understatement, especially looking at the covers. Each featured an odd (read: pretty unsettling) character or creature. These covers were detailed, too, even including minuscule comics and characters in the margins or background. The stories within were the juicy part, a collection of adventures that made dark or spooky situations hilarious. Plop! even had hosts who acted as narrators and broke the fourth wall.

Raphael Chang from Raph’s Retro Comics does a great job of explaining the series’ history in-depth:

5. Weird Mystery Tales DC Comics

DC was on a kick of including the word “weird” in their titles for a while. Weird Mystery Tales was another collection of short horror stories, much like Ghosts and House of Secrets. Its short run began in 1972 and ended in 1975. Each issue included two to three standalone stories.

Almost certainly the world’s busiest man, Jack Kirby was responsible for the story and art in this one, too. The characters introduced tied back to other comics that would eventually become part of a shared universe with other Vertigo titles like The Sandman.

6. Claw The Unconquered DC Comics

Claw The Unconquered is probably as 1970s as you can get, both in subject matter and portrayal. It certainly shows its age. I cropped the objectifying art from the first issue’s cover… you’re welcome.

Claw is just your average guy… everywhere besides his demonic, deformed right hand. Hence the name. He is a master swordsman and was given a glove to shield him from his hand’s influence and hide it. The claw itself was a curse passed down through generations after the hero’s ancestor trifled with a demon.

Claw’s original comic run only lasted three years, from 1975 to 1978. Luckily, though, DC didn’t forget about him. Claw had a brush with stardom when he made a cameo as an ally of Wonder Woman and Beowulf (the fictional hero from the 8th-ish-century epic poem) in 2003’s Ends of the Earth saga. Over the course of three comics, the ragtag team fights D’Grth, a demon-god, and kills him in a pretty gruesome way. He also appeared in Red Sonja/Claw: The Devil’s Hands, a 2006 miniseries, and proceeded to get his own limited run.

7. Richard Dragon, Kung-Fu Fighter DC Comics

Richard Dragon was the Chuck Norris of DC. An 18-issue series, Kung-Fu Fighter was about a young thief-turned-martial-artist and his fellow Kung-Fu pupil. Each issue follows a classic adventure/action structure, with kidnappings, back-stabbings, mob bosses, and plenty of punching and kicking.

The characters actually appeared for the very first time in a 1974 paperback book before their comic run. Called Kung Fu Master: Dragon’s Fists, it was supposed to become a pulp series but was cancelled after the single novel. Instead, it saw the light in comic form after DC comissioned writer Dennis O’Niel to adapt the story.

A cool nugget for modern DC fans, Lady Shiva’s first appearance was in Kung-Fu Fighter‘s fifth issue. Bronze Tiger also debuted in the first issue.

8. The Sandman DC Comics

Before one of Vertigo’s most popular comics was The Sandman in the 1980s, there were two characters who went by the same name but had very different stories. First was Wesley Dodds, a vigilante called the Sandman introduced in the 1940s. Dodds was a chemist who created a sleep gas to use on enemies during World War II, rather than simply killing them. He was a founding member of the Justice Society of America, which, during his time, included Doctor Fate, Hourman, Hawkman, and others. Unfortunately, Dodds never got his own run.

Instead, Jack Kirby co-wrote a revival of the character with a new name and backstory in 1974. Garrett Sanford was the Sandman, and this first official volume introduced the concept of a dream world, called the Dreaming, and Sandman’s abilities. The limited run only lasted six issues and followed the vigilante on dream/nightmare-related missions. All of this, of course, set up the character’s most popular revival in the late 1980s, which rewrote his story yet again.

9. Phantom Stranger DC Comics

The coolest thing about the Phantom Stranger is that nobody actually knows much about him. There is conjecture around his origin story, with some believing he is a fallen angel, and others that he is a remnant of a previous universe or timeline. The character tends to appear and intervene in supernatural events, and has ties to plenty of other characters and happenings across DC’s universe.

He first appeared in 1952 in his own 6-issue series. The character then had a second volume starting in 1969 that lasted 41 issues. Volume 3 began in 1987 and only resulted in four new issues. In 2012, a fourth volume began and ran for 9 issues. Over the years, the Stranger appeared in everything from Hellblazer and The Spectre to Zatanna and even Justice League.

Ella R. Dunn writes about movies, TV, games, comics, and all things nerdy for Nerdist.This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!

The post 9 Niche DC Comics You (Probably) Didn’t Know Existed appeared first on Nerdist.

⚡ Quick Take

• D23 came with a slew of exciting annoucements for all Disney properties.
• From Zootopia 3 to Oswald to Hexed and more, we give you the inside scoop on all of Disney’s upcoming properties.
• In addition to official descriptions, images, and more, we offer our reporting of exclusive material from inside D23 itself.

D23 is called “The Ultimate Disney Fan Event” for a reason. And that reason is largely a slew of exciting announcements across Disney’s properties, including Disney, Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. And we at Nerdist wanted to make sure you don’t miss even one bit of important news. Below, we’ve captured some of the most important reveals of all from the event, along with all our inside looks from inside the D23 panel room. And you can jump right to what matters most to you:

Table of Contents; Jump To:

• Zootopia 3 Announced at D23
• Frozen 3 Shares New Clip at D23, Teases New Villain
• Oswald Brings Hand-Drawn Animation to Disney+
• Romy & Michele 2 Releases on Hulu in 2027
• Coco 2 Reveals Teenage Miguel at D23, Reveals Return of Ernesto
• Jonas Brothers Reunite at D23 for Camp Rock 3
• Ice Age: Boiling Point Reveals Jurassic Scrat
• New Disney Movie Clay Announced at D23, Shares Concept Art
• Disney’s Hexed
• Marvel and Lucasfilm’s Many Announcements
  • Marvel Drops VISIONQUEST Trailer at D23
  • AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Trailer Confirms Doom as LEGENDARY Bad Guy
  • Marvel Announces X-MEN Movie Cast at D23
  • STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER Shares Exclusive First Footage at D23
  • Ahsoka Shares Trailer and Release Date
• Other D23 Disney Reveals
  • Disney Announces KINGDOM HEARTS Animated Series
  • INCREDIBLES 3 Reveals Summer 2028 Release, Plot
  • We Saw THE NEW SIMPSONS MOVIE’s First-Look Footage
  • Disney’s Live-Action TANGLED First-Look Images Revealed
  • Pixar Reveals New Movie GHOST MARKET, Shares First Clip

Zootopia 3 Announced at D23 Disney

 At D23, Disney revealed Zootopia 3 is happening. The studio noted that Zootopia 3 “is officially in early development at the studio.” Additionally, a logo revealed at D23 confirms that birds are officially coming to the franchise’s world, as hinted at in the Zootopia 2 after-the-credits scene. In the Zootopia 3 logo, we see the 3 is comprised of bird feathers confirming the new species heading to the world of Zootopia.

Zooptopia 3 has no release date yet. Disney notes, “release timing for Zootopia 3 will be announced at a later date.”

Frozen 3 Shares New Clip at D23, Teases New Villain Disney

At D23, fans got an exciting sneak peek at Frozen 3 in the form of a new clip that revealed Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven—and hinted at a new villainess whose powers rival those of Elsa’s. In the new Frozen 3 clip, we see Elsa helping Anna prepare for her wedding. Suddenly, there’s a snowstorm, and our new villainess appears… But we only see her from behind.

Nerdist

A release shares, “In Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen 3, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf return for their next adventure. Frozen 3 is directed by Academy Award® winner Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Frozen 2) and Trent Correy (Once Upon a Studio, Once Upon a Snowman, Zootopia+), produced by Christina Chen (Moana 2, Iwájú), and releases in theaters on November 24, 2027.”

Oswald Brings Hand-Drawn Animation to Disney+ Disney

At D23, Disney announced a brand new “live-action animated hybrid series based on the classic character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.” Jon Favreau is the creator, writer, co-director, and executive producer of Oswald, which stars Kathryn Hahn and others. At D23, we learned that this three-part mini-series for Disney+ has only hand-drawn animation in it. And it was shot in Walt Disney’s old office in Burbank and Disneyland.

Disney

Fans at D23 got to see an Oswald teaser clip. In the clip, they saw a Roger Rabbit-style, animated Oswald sneaking into Walt Disney’s old office and looking around. Then he jumps on a piano, and the keys play “When You Wish Upon a Star,” as he hops on them.

Disney

A release shares, “Disney Legend Jon Favreau (Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu, The Jungle Book) to the stage is the creator, writer, co-director, and executive producer of Oswald, an all-new live-action animated hybrid series based on the classic character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, screened a clip for the room. When an earthquake releases Walt Disney’s creation, Oswald, who has been hidden away since the 1920s, a middle school boy and his friends try to help the cartoon rabbit navigate his way through the modern world. The series, which stars Ravi Cabot-Conyers, Mykal-Michelle Harris, Ryder Allen, Al Madrigal, with Kathryn Hahn and Albert Brooks, is directed by Jon Favreau, Jude Weng, and Andrew R. Jones, written by Jon Favreau, based on the original Oswald the Lucky Rabbit by Walt Disney, and created by Jon Favreau. The executive producers are Jon Favreau, Andrew R. Jones, Karen Gilchrist, and John Bartnicki. Oswald will premiere February 17, 2027, exclusively on Disney+.”

Romy & Michele 2 Releases on Hulu in 2027 Disney

A Romy & Michele sequel, Romy & Michele 2, is coming to Hulu. At D23, Mira Sorvino and Lisa Kudrow came dressed in character to talk about the exciting movie.

Nerdist

A release shares, “The sequel to the beloved 1997 film is directed by Tim Federle, the screenwriter of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. The film, which also stars Alan Cumming, Camryn Manheim, Keegan-Michael Key, Rob Huebel, Breckin Meyer, Wendi McLendon-Covey, and Janeane Garofalo, will debut exclusively on Hulu in 2027.”

Coco 2 Reveals Teenage Miguel at D23, Reveals Return of Ernesto Nerdist

Coco 2 is coming our way and it will bring back the original directors and release in 2029. Benjamin Bratt reprises his role as Ernesto de la Cruz, who is back for revenge. And Miguel is a teenager now, as fans got to see in Coco 2 concept art revealed at D23.

A release shares of Coco 2: “New concept art revealed Miguel as a teenager, before Docter was joined onstage by Benjamin Bratt (voice of Ernesto de la Cruz), confirming that the first film’s villain will reemerge in Coco 2, resulting in a life-changing return trip to the Land of the Dead for Miguel. Coco 2 reunites the team behind the original film, including Academy Award®-winning director Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) and co-director Adrian Molina (Coco). Oscar® winner Mark Nielsen (Toy Story 4) produces. Coco 2 will debut exclusively in theaters in November 2029.”

Additionally, Coco will be in Kingdom Hearts IV. “Disney & Pixar Games and SQUARE ENIX shared new details on KINGDOM HEARTS IV which will feature a world inspired by Coco, and have a late 2027 release window.”

Jonas Brothers Reunite at D23 for Camp Rock 3 Nerdist

The Jonas Brothers reunited for Camp Rock 3 as D23. A release notes, “Camp Rock 3 executive producers and stars Joe, Nick, and Kevin Jonas took to the stage to introduce a powerhouse musical performance of “One Beat Away” and “We Rock” performed by next generation stars Liamani Segura, Malachi Barton, Hudson Stone, Lumi Pollack, and Casey Trotter. Camp Rock 3 is now streaming on Disney+.”

Ice Age: Boiling Point Reveals Jurassic Scrat 

 Ice Age: Boiling Point is hitting theaters on February 5, 2027. At D23, Queen Latifah and Denis Leary took the stage and brought fans an exclusive in-room clip that featured Scrat, Baby Scrat, and introduced their enormous, prehistoric cousin, Jurassic Scrat.

Disney

A release notes, “The highly anticipated film is a dinosaur-and-lava-filled madcap adventure that takes Manny (voiced by Ray Romano), Sid (voiced by John Leguizamo), Diego (voiced by Denis Leary), Ellie (voiced by Queen Latifah), Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg), the acorn-obsessed trio of Scrat, Baby Scrat, and Jurassic Scrat, and the rest of the herd to visit never-before-seen corners of the treacherous Lost World. The film is directed by John C. Donkin (The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild), produced by Lori Forte (Ice Age, Ice Age: Collision Course) and releases exclusively in theaters February 5, 2027.”

New Disney Movie Clay Announced at D23, Shares Concept Art

An all-new original feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios called Clay (working title) is in the works at Disney. Academy Award winner Kieran Culkin (Succession, A Real Pain) will star in the leading role as the voice of Flip. Clay is set in a magical forest full of fantastical creatures.

Disney

A release shares, “When the rebellious misfit Flip is unwillingly chosen during a yearly ritual to mentor a young, impressionable ball of clay named Mushy, the unlikely duo is swept into a chaotic, funny, and ultimately life-changing adventure. Clay is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn (Disney’s Hexed, Lilo & Scratch) and produced by Academy Award® winner Peter Del Vecho (Frozen, Frozen 2). Clay releases exclusively in theaters in 2028.”

Disney’s Hexed

Disney’s Hexed revealed a major casting announcement at D23, Walton Goggins (Fallout, The White Lotus) will voice new character Beef Roger Crummchuk, a reclusive, magical three-eyed cat who forges an uneasy alliance with Billie and her cautious mother Alice (voiced by Rashida Jones) as they embark on a spectacle-filled journey out of suburbia and into a vast magical realm called Hexe. Incredible!

Disney

A release reveals, “Walton Goggins (Fallout, The White Lotus) to the stage as it was revealed he will voice the new character Beef Roger Crummchuk… An exclusive piece featuring Beef Roger Crummchuk was shown in-room. Two-time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster next took the stage as it was revealed that she will voice Queen Celeste, a sinister figure who will stop at nothing to maintain her power in perpetuity over Hexe. Disney’s Hexed is directed by Fawn Veerasunthorn (Wish) and Jason Hand (Moana 2), co-directed by Josie Trinidad (Zootopia+), and produced by Oscar winners Roy Conli (Big Hero 6) and Yvett Merino (Encanto).”

Marvel and Lucasfilm’s Many Announcements

In addition to all of the above, check out Marvel and Lucasfilm’s many announcements below:

Marvel Drops VISIONQUEST Trailer at D23 AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Trailer Confirms Doom as LEGENDARY Bad Guy Marvel Announces X-MEN Movie Cast at D23 STAR WARS: STARFIGHTER Shares Exclusive First Footage at D23 Ahsoka Shares Trailer and Release Date Other D23 Disney Reveals

Additionally, here are some other D23 reveals you won’t want to miss.

Disney Announces KINGDOM HEARTS Animated Series INCREDIBLES 3 Reveals Summer 2028 Release, Plot We Saw THE NEW SIMPSONS MOVIE’s First-Look Footage Disney’s Live-Action TANGLED First-Look Images Revealed Pixar Reveals New Movie GHOST MARKET, Shares First Clip 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.

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⚡ Quick Take

• The premiere episode of Lanterns showed us a cosmic mystery on Earth, but the cliffhanger sets up an even larger mystery for the DCU.
• We’re discussing the cliffhanger, which time jumps from 2016 to 2026.
• Nerdist Take: Starting your new series by doing THAT to a main character sure is a mighty swing.

The first episode of HBO Max’s Lanterns did a good job of setting up the central conceit we’ve heard since the beginning. This did feel like a comic booky, alien-infused take on True Detective. Weird small town with many secrets, two outsider (space) cops, a deeper conspiracy at play. Good stuff. But the final scene was a pretty major shock for viewers who were just getting a grasp of the premise and the character dynamics. If the internet’s reaction is any indication, it shocked longtime DC Comics fans, too.

Most of the action of Lanterns episode one takes place in 2016, with beloved (though surly) superhero Hal Jordan training new Green Lantern recruit John Stewart. He’s not super nice to John, calling him “junior” all the time, and they head to investigate a strange murder case in Rushville, NE. There they meet Sheriff Kerry Kane who really wants nothing to do with any of them.

The end of the episode, however, cuts 10 years later to 2026. John—who doesn’t seem to be a Green Lantern—arrives back in Rushville. He and Sheriff Kane hug like old friends. It’s the middle of winter and she takes John back to the football field where the original crime from 2016 took place. There they see the frozen dead body of none other than Hal Jordan!

HBO Max/DC Studios

So, Hal is dead in the present. But we have no idea at the moment how he got there, why he was there, and who or what killed him. We also see he doesn’t have a GL ring. Meaning it’s unlikely he was one anymore at the time of his death. Traditionally each sector only has one Green Lantern, and we know that in 2026, that title belongs to Guy Gardner. So, again I ask, who or what killed Hal Jordan and why?

This scene raises even more questions. First, what was the result of the case in 2016? Why isn’t Hal, or John for that matter, the Green Lantern of Sector 2814? And what did either of them get up to in the intervening 10 years?

Presumably all, or most, of these questions will find an answer as the season progresses. But as a cliffhanger to the first episode of your mystery series, killing one of the main characters is pretty stellar.

To learn more about Green Lantern comics, check out our Top 10 of all time.

Lanterns airs Sunday nights on HBO and HBO Max.

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

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