Part 2 of the Summer House reunion appeared to be too much for Amanda Batula after she walked off stage in tears amid her controversial romance with West Wilson — and was questioned about how much she knew about his ex-girlfriend Meija Moreno.

“He’s definitely going to do it to you, Amanda,” Lindsay Hubbard said on the Tuesday, June 2, episode, referring to West, 31, allegedly using Amanda for “clout” only to eventually “drop” her when he doesn’t need her anymore.

Amanda, 34, wiped away her tears as West held her hand on the couch.

“I feel bamboozled in so many ways,” Lindsay said. “But I also still feel really protective and he’s going to f***ing do it to you.”

Elsewhere in the episode, Amanda admitted to Ciara Miller, West’s ex-girlfriend and her former BFF, that she felt “embarrassed” that their romance began while he was still seeing Meija.

The revelation caused Amanda to walk off stage in tears and stay backstage for a prolonged period of time.

While Amanda and West didn’t discuss his ex Meija any futher, Ciara, 30, called her backstage and to obtain her version of events — including Meija and West’s alleged relationship timeline.

Scroll down for the biggest revelations from part 2 of the Summer House reunion:

Ciara Gives Meija a Call

During a break in the episode, Ciara called West’s ex Meija backstage. Kyle Cooke — who announced his split from Amanda in January after four years of marriage — joined Ciara to debrief with Meija, asking her whether it was “clearly defined” that she and West were exclusive when he started seeing Amanda in March.

“We were literally dating last summer [in 2025]. While you guys were filming, he referred to me as his girlfriend all the time,” Meija claimed. “We just weren’t in a public relationship. Literally [I] was at his house every weekend he was filming. We knew we were in an exclusive relationship.”

She recalled that the “night before” West appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen in March “everything was so fine.” (One week after the WWHL appearance, when West denied he was anything more than friends with Amanda, the pair confirmed their romance.)

Meija alleged that West thought “he’ll get fired” when the pair went public with their romance, claiming he was worried about dating someone “not in the Bravoserve.”

Kyle, 43, revealed, “That’s bulls***,” confirming Bravo doesn’t have rules about who anyone can date in or outside of the cast.

“The other reason he would use too, was, ‘If I bring you into this, obviously that’s putting you in a situation where now people have eyes on you,’” Meija claimed.

Ciara was pissed, calling West “manipulating.”

Meija recalled feeling “left on my own” after West dumped her and went public with Amanda “the next day.” She confessed, “It’s so f***ing hurtful.”

KJ Compares West to His Lying Father

At the top of the episode, KJ Dillard, a longtime friend of West’s, called him out for his wandering eye.

“My dad was a very womanizing player and my mom had to deal with so much s***. That’s why I am hurting, West. I don’t like that s***,” KJ explained. “I grew up watching that firsthand and it destroyed my family. My dad’s a habitual liar. … I’m seeing a correlation.”

KJ also took issue with how open Ciara was with everyone in the house about struggling to be the only Black woman in the cast for some time and how being a Black woman dating a white man — during her and West’s 2023 romance — opened her up to even more scrutiny.

“That was a very serious thing,” KJ pointed out. “I don’t like to see Ciara being treated the way that she’s being treated.”

West took a beat, responding, “Yeah, I’ll apologize to you again. … If there’s conversations to be had, I would have them with you.”

KJ nodded, replying, “It would take time but I’m open to having conversations with you again.”

Ciara Thinks Amanda and West Were Using ‘Buzzwords’ About Her Racial Struggles

Andy Cohen asked Ciara whether she believed West during summer 2025 when he said he could “see you way more” after her openness to the group about race, to which she replied, “Then, perhaps.”

Andy, 58, then asked, “What about now?”

“No. I think that after watching the season back I think it’s very clear that Amanda and West were using buzz words like, ‘I see you. I hear you,’ to satiate maybe what I needed to hear,” she confessed. “But they didn’t really see or hear me.”

Amanda was taken aback, claiming, “Everything that I’ve said to you over the summer, everything that I’ve felt, everything that we’ve talked about was truly how I felt in those moments.”

She pivoted to her choice to date West and hurt Ciara in the process, admitting, “I got caught up in my feelings. Doesn’t matter. This has hurt me a lot.”

Ciara clapped back, “It really hasn’t. … I think that’s insane. You’ve literally been in the bed with me for six f***ing years and this is where we’re at?”

Amanda Was ‘Embarrassed’ at the Start of West Romance

“We’ve talked about that privately. What this would look like and what this meant, which is the only reason I feel like I’m sitting here next to him now,” Amanda said as to why she thinks West’s relationship with her is “different” than either Ciara or Meija’s time with him.

She confessed, “I wanted to get to a point selflessly, where maybe I felt I understood what was going on, because I was going to have to be honest with Ciara no matter what. I felt embarrassed to have to say, I have feelings and have kissed West and he’s seeing someone else.

Mia Calabrese bluntly responded, “Yeah, it’s embarrassing,” which led to Amanda excusing herself from the set.

Amanda Takes a Prolonged Break

“Why isn’t her boyfriend going after her?” Lindsay said under her breath after Amanda walked off stage.

Ciara looked at West and added, “You should go after your girl.”

West looked like a deer in the headlights, telling the group, “I didn’t know if the questions were going to come back to me.”

After Kyle instructed West to go after her, he finally complied. “Her comments are just like cut f***ing deep,” Amanda told West backstage.

Ciara, for her part, expressed frustration over Amanda leaving while on the hotseat. “You f*** my ex but then I scoff and you can’t sit there?” Ciara questioned.

Amid Amanda’s absence, Andy called for a group break, during which time Kyle told his pals, “The thing that I’m most focused on is West’s ease of lying. We know that he had a full-blown exclusive relationship since February 2025. We actually have receipts.”

Dara Calls Out West’s Shady Ways

Dara Levitan, who dated West before meeting KJ on season 10 of the series, joined the cast for part of the tapping and didn’t skip a beat before calling out West for his actions.

“I don’t see you suddenly waking up one day and, like, this, this is going to be the relationship you stand up for and man up for?” Dara said. “You like people to think of you as a good guy but you treat the women that give themselves to you like they’re expendable.”

West didn’t deny it, saying. “Yeah, I agree.”

When Amanda eventually did come back out, Dara reiterated West’s flaws while warning her to be wary of their future.

“The biggest pattern in his life is it is the West Show. And It will always be the West Show. And the biggest concern of his consistently is being well liked and well received,” Dara alleged. “He doesn’t prioritize treating the women he is linked to romantically with the same respect as he does anybody else in his life.”

She continued, “I just foresee him for a very long time wanting someone who will mold and fold and fit into his life without excuse or complaint. It’s up to you to decide what’s worth breaking, sacrificing and losing for that kind of person.”

Andy then noted that it would be “ironic” if Amanda willingly went from “The Kyle Show to the West Show.”

The Freedom Dinner Disaster

During season 10 of Summer House, Kyle yelled, “F*** you” at Amanda from across the dinner table after he felt the cast was teaming up against him amid their marital issues. West, for his part, noticeably picked up his chair and moved it next to Amanda to support her — a move fans quickly called into question.

“I wanted Amanda to know that I had her back when I thought Kyle was being a dickhead,” West explained at the reunion.

Kyle then took “full accountability” for his actions, saying, “I’m embarrassed by my poor reaction and letting myself spiral. I was hurt. And hurt people, hurt people.”

He recalled, “Amanda was silent and I kinda felt like she was just letting everybody do her dirty work and nobody actually knows the truth.”

Amanda, for her part, was grateful for how West came to her aid.

“I felt like our friendship was outside of just castmates. It felt like someone actually cared and saw me and saw this,” she shared. “It was nice to have a guy stand up to Kyle.”

Kyle quipped, “A guy that’s never been in a relationship his entire adult life,” referring to West’s dating history.

Related: Where Ciara Miller Stands With Amanda Batula After West Wilson Scandal

Ciara Miller is still sorting through her feelings after longtime friend Amanda Batula started seeing her ex-boyfriend, and their Summer House costar, West Wilson, earlier this spring. “Ciara has told friends that if they really are in love, she will accept it,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, noting that if West, 31, and Amanda, […]

Advertisement

Amanda Takes a Jab at Kyle’s Partying Ways

“Most nights where I go out and have a bender, it’s when you were supposed to be with me and you bow out,” Kyle claimed, referring to Amanda leaving him alone throughout their marriage.

He then noted, “Everything you want or told me you wanted now is a lie. … Amanda, you’ve been going out til 4 in the morning, twice a week.”

Amanda argued that she’s “single” so it’s a “different” situation.

When the cast confronted Amanda about her willingness to go out with West, she confessed, “I hated going out with Kyle. I’ve made that very clear.”

Kyle grew visibly upset, responding, “Give me a break. This kid parties twice as hard as I do. I say kid because you’re the most immature, fraudulent, phoney I’ve ever met. So shut the f*** up.”

Kyle continued to slam West, adding, “I thought I knew you man. I’ve been going back and forth between feeling concerned and feeling betrayed.

Kyle Is Adamant He Didn’t Cheat on Amanda During Their Marriage

“There have been times when I have been out that I have been inappropriate. I will own it,” Kyle said of his past, acknowledging that he did cheat on Amanda in 2018 before they got married.

However, after they tied the knot in 2021, Kyle claimed he’d been faithful. “Did I ever have an affair? No. Did I sleep with someone?” he said. “No. Have I been, like, completely starved and deprived of anything and everything from you? Yes, and I’ve acted out.”

Amanda fired back, claiming, “He has stepped out of the marriage while we were together. After we were married there was a time you were at a party asking a girl if you could kiss her, make out with her. She DM’d me on a personal level.”

Kyle insisted he did not “make out” with anyone. “You did. With a girl in the club,” Amanda clapped back.

Related: Summer House’s Amanda Berates West for Kissing Girl Near Ciara Pre-Romance

Amanda Batula went off on West Wilson for kissing another woman in front of his ex-girlfriend, her friend, Ciara Miller on Summer House — months before she started dating him, seemingly behind her BFF’s back. “You just got too comfortable on probation,” Amanda, 34, told West, 31, on the Tuesday, April 14, episode of the […]

Advertisement

Carl and Lindsay Are Rooting for Each Other

Outside of the Amanda and West Scandal, fans got an update on exes Lindsay and Carl Radke’s dynamic since she supported his opening of Soft Bar in New York City.

“Lindsay was always a champion of me wanting to do well. Her walking in the door that day meant the world to me,” Carl, 41, said, revealing he keeps her teddy bear gift in his office. “I care about you and I always will. Having her showing up for something like that given everything that’s gone on — it just shows who Lindsay is and her character.”

Lindsay, for her part, said that after watching season 10 back she noticed that Carl seemed to be “more in your skin.”

“You seem more confident. That is such a beautiful thing to see,” Lindsay, who was engaged to Carl for one year before their August 2023, split, said. “I do think that you are finally the person you are supposed to be and always wanted to be. So, yes, that’s what I’m proud of.”

‘Carl’s a Mess’

After Kyle revealed in April that “Carl’s a mess” after the West and Amanda bombshell, he and Lindsay, 39, teamed up to do an Uber Eats ad that poked fun at the now-iconic quote.

“I would have never done that to them during their breakup and it did hurt a little bit,” Amanda confessed when asked about how she felt about Carl and Lindsay monetizing her heartbreak.

Thank You!

You have successfully subscribed.

Ciara was not amused, responding, “Please. Please. Please. You would never monetize something but you would f*** your friends ex? We don’t know where your bar is.”

Kyle added, “I thought it was epic to be honest,” so he was also OK with the ad.

Part 3 of the Summer House reunion airs on Bravo Tuesday, June 9, at 8 p.m. ET.

Ciara Miller seemed to imply that “bad karma” was coming for her “Summer House” co-stars, West Wilson and Amanda Batula, in a new interview. The TV personality’s comments come months after the aforementioned stars announced their romance after weeks of intense speculation.

Speaking with Interview Magazine, Miller, 30, shared her thoughts on a range of topics, including karma.

“I believe in it, and I know a few people who’ve got some bad karma coming in their future,” Miller told the publication.

While she didn’t mention names, Miller seemed to be referring to Wilson and Batula. The pair confirmed that they were in a relationship in March 2026.

“We’ve seen the growing online speculation, so while this is still very new, we wanted to provide some clarity,” their joint post read, according to The Blast. “It was never our intention to purposely hide anything. Given the complicated relationship dynamics involved and the scrutiny that comes with being on a reality show, we need a little space to process things privately before speaking on it.”

Ciara Miller And Wilson Dated In 2023

The confirmation of their romance shocked the Bravoverse, considering Wilson and Miller (Batula’s ex-best friend) were dating in 2023. Their relationship was also shown on “Summer House,” according to Bravo’s Daily Dish.

In season 8, episode 4, Wilson opened up about his time with Miller, revealing that the pair “made out.” In the following episode, Wilson said that his connection with Miller was growing stronger.

“I’ve been making an effort to not come on too strong this whole time so far, but I think she’s giving back what I’m giving to her,” Wilson said in the confessional. “So more makeouts to come, probably.”

Ciara Miller And Wilson Ended Their Relationship In December 2023

Miller and Wilson ended their relationship in December 2023. Wilson spoke with Andy Cohen about the details of their romance on an episode of “Watch What Happens Live.”

“So, September, October, November, it sounds like you were dating? … Would you say you were dating for real during that time?” Cohen asked the Missouri native.

“Basically, yeah. I don’t think we walked around saying boyfriend/girlfriend, but I mean, basically, we hung out every day,” Wilson replied.

During part 1 of the “Summer House” season 8 reunion, Wilson told the rest of the cast, “We had a talk, and I thought we were on the same page as we were going through that dinner,” to which Miller replied, “He was ready to go to the next bar, and I went home crying.”

Miller Called Wilson ‘My Person’ In The Summer Of 2025

Wilson and Miller’s relationship remained icy following their breakup. However, things started to thaw between the pair in 2025. In season 10 of “Summer House,” cameras captured the pair working towards a friendship, and in the finale, the two shared a passionate kiss.

Before that, Miller told her co-star, Mia Calabrese, that she felt like Wilson was her “person.”

“As weird as it is, I do feel like he is my person,” she confessed, per The Blast. “We have this really weird friendship, and it’s hard to ignore that, you know?”

Miller Takes On West And Batula At The Season 10 Reunion

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 1 hour ago

While he’s captivating in dramas like Jerry Maguire, Eyes Wide Shut, and Vanilla Sky (a personal favorite), Tom Cruise is always at his best in action movies. That’s partially because of his personal charm. The same quirks that make him one of the weirdest celebrities also help him convincingly play cocky, gun-toting leading men. Additionally, Cruise has such a mania for doing his own stunts that he’s constantly risking his life for movies like Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning. He’s one of the richest people in the world, and he’s willing to possibly die to keep the movie business alive. In that sense, it’s hard to find a more compelling actor in all of Hollywood.

With that being said, some of Cruise’s best movies now feel almost painfully dated. Top Gun isn’t quite as thrilling with the collapse of the USSR, and Eyes Wide Shut feels downright tame after learning about the crimes of people like Jeffrey Epstein. Even the Mission: Impossible movies seem tame once you realize how much actual spycraft is less running around on top of trains and more hacking into computers half a world away. However, Cruise’s best movie was oddly prescient, and over two decades later, it’s scarier now than ever before. I’m talking about Minority Report (2002), a movie that accidentally predicted the technological panopticon of our modern world.

Can You Get Pregnant From Precrime?

The plot of Minority Report is that the police of the future are now using “precogs,” which are enhanced humans who can receive psychic visions of the future. Thanks to them, the cops can now predict future transgressions and arrest people before they have even committed the crime. The chief of this Precrime division believes in the system, hoping it can prevent crimes like the tragic abduction of his six-year-old son. However, when the precogs predict the chief will kill a man he has ever known, he must go on the run to prove his innocence. Along the way, he discovers secrets that rock his foundations to their very core.

Minority Report is filled to the brim with great character actors, including early performances from icons Jessica Capshaw and Peter Stormare. Additionally, we get a stunning performance from screen legend Max von Sydow, whose Precrime director holds all the cards in a game that only he truly understands. Arguably, the film’s best revelation is Colin Farrell, who plays a DOJ agent investigating Precrime. Thanks to Farrell’s relentless and charismatic performance, Minority Report became his breakout film, catapulting the talented actor into superstar status. He has a particularly magnetic chemistry with Tom Cruise, and their onscreen feud encapsulates the movie’s crunchy theme of balancing community safety with personal liberty. 

Feral Colin

Speaking of Cruise, he is at his best in this film. He spends most of Minority Report on the run, and Cruise is predictably great in bringing this film’s frenetic action scenes to life. But what really makes this performance special is that Cruise fully animates the pathos of his character, someone whose professional success hides personal tragedy: he’s a divorcee who lost his only child, and he secretly uses drugs to mask his personal pain. Cruise presents his action hero as a man whose righteous cause is actually the ultimate coping mechanism. To prove his innocence, he must prove the fallibility of Precrime, effectively destroying the only thing that gives his life meaning.

While these actors deserve full credit for making Minority Report the most provocative sci-fi film of the early aughts, it’s also important to lavish praise on director Steven Spielberg. This film is the perfect mixture of beloved tropes from his other movies: Minority Report has a charismatic leading man as charismatic as Raiders of the Lost Ark, a dangers-of-technology plot as compelling as Jurassic Park, and the relentless, ongoing chase sequences of Catch Me If You Can. In another director’s hands, this might have felt like a lazy homage to his own work. However, Spielberg is skilled enough to effortlessly weave what worked in his other movies into something that feels startlingly fresh. 

You Hate To See It

Over two decades after its release, it’s clear that Minority Report was also startlingly prescient. Obviously, the concept of humans with psychic powers snitching for the comics remains a far-off and (God willing) impossible reality. But in the decades since this film was first released, America has led the way in developing groundbreaking technology and then using it to transform the country into a bleak panopticon. This began immediately after 9/11, of course, when the government used the Patriot Act to justify spying on just about anyone while circumventing existing laws. This kick-started a national debate about the chief theme of Minority Report: whether it’s worth sacrificing our freedom in the name of security.

Obviously, we lost that debate, and the country has started to look more and more like the dystopian setting of Minority Report. The police use algorithms to predict where crimes are likeliest to occur, and they scour social media for clues that someone is likely to commit future transgressions. This works hand-in-hand with automated surveillance technology that records your face and activities in almost every public space. On paper, these collective technologies are a great way to establish law and order throughout the community. But it’s an open secret that corrupt police officers use this tech to strike fear in our hearts while providing convenient narratives for anyone they want to arrest.

The Future Is Now, Old Man

In Minority Report, Tom Cruise’s character is framed for murder by someone with intimate knowledge of how to abuse cutting-edge police technology. In the modern world, though, things are much more streamlined. Your online sh*tposting can be used to establish you as a dangerous threat, and you can end up on government watchlists without ever knowing it. Unknowingly walking through a high-crime area can make you a suspect when the cops simply need a convenient fall guy. Wherever you walk, drive, or fly, automated surveillance captures footage that can be used against you without even a shred of evidence. The future is now, and the entire justice system is one huge Precrime division.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to escape the modern police state. However, you can still escape the old-fashioned way: by watching an awesome movie in the comfort of your own home. Minority Report is streaming on Hulu, giving you a chance to watch what is arguably Tom Cruise’s best film. You also have a chance to compare Spielberg’s worst nightmares about abusive technology to the myriad real ways that bleeding-edge tech is used to make our lives worse. It’s the ultimate irony, really: in making a film about psychics, Spielberg accurately and effectively predicted the future. Here’s hoping he gets to keep making movies; otherwise, he might be drafted into becoming America’s first precog!

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 4 seconds ago

The rise and fall of Marvel is something that scholars and fans alike will be debating for years. The success of Iron Man in 2008 kicked off the most ambitious cinematic universe Hollywood had ever known. The interconnected nature of these films encouraged fans to watch each film, all of which built anticipation for big team-ups like The Avengers. For a while, it seemed like every major Marvel movie was destined to earn at least a billion dollars at the box office. After Avengers: Endgame, though, everything fell apart: box office dwindled, some projects lost money, and the former hype dissolved into effervescent malaise, all due to so-called superhero fatigue.

All of this is well known. What is less known is where it all started. What movie was actually the beginning of the end for Marvel’s nonstop success? It’s easy to place the blame on high-profile failures like Eternals and The Marvels, but the decline secretly began with one of the most beloved MCU movies ever made. The 2016 movie Captain America: Civil War (currently streaming on Hulu) is a comic nerd’s wet dream because it pits all our favorite action figures against each other in one cool action setpiece after another. Unfortunately, this film’s success convinced the studio that audiences mostly want fun cameos and CGI fights, and this soon transformed Marvel into a multiversal mess.

Hero On Hero Violence

The premise of Captain America: Civil War is that after the Scarlet Witch accidentally kills some bystanders while stopping a bad guy, the UN prepares the Sokovia Accords, which will effectively transform superheroes into government agents. Iron Man supports this idea, feeling that great power should come with great oversight and accountability. Captain America opposes the plan because he is wary of letting the government draft superheroes into being the World Police. Meanwhile, a new villain has figured out how to turn Bucky back into the Winter Soldier, and the secrets he exposes threaten to tear the Avengers apart, putting the entire world at risk.

Honestly, there’s a lot to love about Captain America: Civil War, which is why it’s currently sitting pretty on Rotten Tomatoes with a 90 percent critical score. It’s a movie that introduces some fan-favorite characters to the MCU, including Spider-Man and Black Panther. It’s also a fairly solid adaptation of one of the better Marvel comics storylines. The film is also filled with plenty of action, from the early fight against Crossbones to the jaw-dropping battle between different superheroes at the airport. All of this culminates in an awesome fight between Captain America and Iron Man, serving as an emotional climax to the movie’s complicated themes of superhero accountability vs. superhero autonomy.

A Sticky Situation

The performances in Captain America: Civil War are solid across the board. Newcomers Chadwick Boseman and Tom Holland are captivating and charismatic from the jump, giving their cameos some much-needed weight. Daniel Brühl effortlessly turns Helmut Zemo into the most sympathetic villain in Marvel movie history. William Hurt is all confidence and bluster, playing the kind of good guy that feels more like a villain. Elizabeth Olsen, meanwhile, is particularly good at playing a character haunted by her own mistakes, and these early traumas help to set the stage for her eventual mental break that we see in WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

However, nobody brings Captain America: Civil War to life like the holy trinity of Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, and Robert Downey Jr. Evans is perfect at giving us a different side of Captain America’s patriotism, as he believes individual freedom is sacrosanct. Downey, meanwhile, gives Tony Stark a kind of haunted vulnerability that we haven’t seen since Iron Man 3, and we see how deeply personal the subject of superhero accountability has become to him. Stan plays Bucky as a wild card. He’s a character who can’t help being transformed into a weapon and isn’t technically responsible for his brainwashed crimes as the Winter Soldier, but Tony can’t forgive the blood on this hero’s hands.

The Beginning Of The End

With so much to love about Captain America: Civil War, why do I believe it’s effectively the beginning of the end for Marvel? For one thing, it ushered in the era of almost every MCU film feeling like Avengers lite. We stopped getting cool, solo character studies like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and started getting endless distracting cameos. The first Spider-Man movie had to also be an Iron Man film, and the third Thor movie had to also be a Hulk movie. Later films like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness eventually buried what might have been interesting plots beneath one distracting cameo after another.

Those last two films were all about the Multiverse, and fans eventually found Marvel’s mania for this concept downright exhausting. Why did the studio go all-in on this idea, though? Simple: they thought they were simply giving fans what they wanted. Audiences loved seeing multiple superheroes in the same film, so Marvel embraced the Multiverse, allowing them to give us endless different versions of fan-favorite characters like Loki. What the studio didn’t realize was that simply having cameos for the sake of having cameos gets in the way of telling a good story. This was an inevitable turn-off for anyone wanting to see something more than action figures getting smashed together for two hours.

Everything Falls Apart

All of this, of course, began with Captain America: Civil War. If we hadn’t clapped so loudly for that airport fight, Multiverse of Madness wouldn’t have bogged down its plot with cameos from characters like Professor X and Mr. Fantastic. If we hadn’t all cheered to see different Spider-Men show up in No Way Home, then Loki wouldn’t have had a first season whose plot was “stop hitting yourself.” Now, Marvel is gambling everything on Avengers: Doomsday, a movie that assumes we’ll care about this brand-new villain simply because he’s wearing Tony Stark’s face. Why bother doing anything original anymore if your audience just wants more loss-effort, fan service slop?

Unfortunately, Marvel has been finding out the hard way that audiences really do want more than dumb cameos and CGI fights. We need, quite frankly, more than Captain America: Civil War has to offer. It’s a film that replaced the subversive brilliance of Captain America: The Winter Soldier with a story that has almost nothing more to offer than tights, flights, and fights. Is it fun to watch? Absolutely, and when you stream it on Hulu, this movie still goes down as smoothly as your favorite candy. But what if you’re in the mood for something other than an empty sugar bomb? 

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR SCORE

Sorry, kid: because of Captain America: Civil War, saccharine slop is the best thing Marvel has to offer.

Superhero movies may dominate the box office, but some of the most exciting storytelling in the genre is happening right on television. Let’s be real. Long-form formats give characters more room to breathe, relationships time to develop, and storylines the space to build towards satisfying payoffs. We’ve seen this time and time again. Just look at the recent release of Spider-Noir and Invincible. None of that development could have happened in a 2-hour window.

Luckily for us, several superhero shows are returning after critically acclaimed seasons, while others are finally bringing beloved characters and storylines to the screen after years of anticipation. Some promise universe-altering stakes, others are focused on deeply personal character arcs. Regardless, all of these superhero shows have given fans plenty of reasons to start counting down the days til they appear on our screens.

8

‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ (2025–Present)

Season 2 Expected Release: Late 2026

Image via Disney+

As one of the best surprises in recent Marvel animation, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man avoids the trap of simply retelling familiar stories beat-for-beat. The first season established a completely new version of Peter Parker’s (Hudson Thames) origins, with his powers not seemingly coming from a lab-created radioactive spider, but a random spider infected by a monster in battle. However, the finale expands this lore, revealing how the spider was actually connected to a larger time-loop paradox involving Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes) and Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo).

That’s why anticipation for season 2 keeps building—the show has already established that literally anything can happen. Between the Venom-like creature, the continued set up of Lonnie Lincoln’s (Eugene Byrd) transformation, the expansion of Nico Minoru’s (Grace Song) magical origins, and Oscorp’s mysterious experiments, there are so many questions left to answer. The time-loop twist alone suggests the writers are thinking much bigger than audiences initially expected.

7

‘Invincible’ (2021–Present)

Season 5 Expected Release: TBC

Image via Prime Video

At this point, Invincible has evolved far beyond its original coming-of-age superhero premise. Recent seasons have pushed Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) deeper into the Viltrumite conflict, forcing him to confront impossible choices about family, loyalty, and what kind of person he wants to become. Every season somehow leaves him more powerful and more emotionally damaged than before, which is honestly becoming one of the show’s defining traits.

The anticipation surrounding Season 5 comes largely from comic readers knowing just how much chaos still lies ahead. Some of the biggest wars, character transformations, and emotional payoffs still haven’t happened yet. Just look at how Season 4 ended: Mark is keeping the Viltrumites’ Earthly presence a secret and an impending viral wipe out may just loom ahead. This is easily one of Prime Video’s best shows—and one that will continue to be, so long as they keep to the trajectory they’re on.

6

‘VisionQuest’

Expected Release: October 2026

Image via Marvel Studios

When White Vision flew away at the end of WandaVision after recovering the memories of the original, the MCU essentially left a major dangling storyline unresolved for years. Thankfully, after a long limbo phase, VisionQuest is finally expected to pick up that thread later this year, following a version of Vision (Paul Bettany) who remembers an entire life he never actually lived. It’s a wonderfully intriguing arc for a character we all grew to love (at least the original version).

What makes the project exciting is that it has the potential to continue the most thoughtful and poignant elements of WandaVision. As a character, Vision has always been one of the MCU’s most philosophical, and this premise naturally raises questions about memory, identity, and whether someone can truly become the person they are meant to be. Plus, fans are eager to see how this will connect to the emotional fallout of Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) story, especially given the lingering uncertainty surrounding her future. VisionQuest could become something the MCU arguably needs more of: a character-focused story with genuine emotional weight.

5

‘Wonder Man’ (2026–Present)

Season 2 Expected Release: TBC

Image via Disney+

Breaking through the post-Endgame fatigue, Wonder Man managed to win audiences over precisely because it wasn’t trying to be another massive MCU event. It was a simple tale of Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a struggling actor navigating Hollywood while secretly grappling with unstable powers and an increasingly complicated friendship with Trevor Slattery (Sir Ben Kingsley). By the finale, not only did Simon embrace his powers, but Trevor himself took steps to write the wrongs of his past—even if this resulted in them both becoming wanted fugitives.

This is what makes the second season so exciting. For the first time, the show doesn’t need to hold back. Critics and audiences responded strongly to the smaller-scale approach, particularly the chemistry between Abdul-Mateen and Kingsley. Now, the show can expand on that while also showcasing the true magnitude of Simon’s ionic abilities, all while they run from the Department of Damage Control. The first season proved Wonder Man wasn’t interested in following the typical MCU formula. It was artsy, creative, and extremely character-driven, leaving fans wondering just how much stranger (and better) it might get now that it has the confidence to fully be itself.

4

‘Vought Rising’

Expected Release: 2027

Image via Prime Video

While The Boys may have spent the last five seasons exposing Vought International as a corporate nightmare, Vought Rising intends to go back to the very beginning. The prequel is set to focus on Soldier Boy (Jensen Ackles) and Clara Vought (Aya Cash)—more famously known as Stormfront—during Vaught’s early years in the 1950s. Here, the show will explore how the corporation built its influence and how its most dangerous figures helped shape the world audiences now know.

Sure, reactions to The Boys’ final season may be a little mixed at the moment, but there’s no doubt this new spin-off has raised some eyebrows. For one, the show isn’t centered on the “heroes” at all. Viewers already know Stormfront to be one of the franchise’s most horrifying villains (with an extremely horrific past) and Soldier Boy is far from the patriotic icon Vought markets him to be. As such, this show has the potential to reveal just how deep the corruptions and atrocities run, continuing the creation of stellar satires.

3

‘Lanterns’

Expected Release: August 2026

Image via HBO

After years of failed attempts to crack Green Lantern in live action, Lanterns is finally taking a different approach. Rather than immediately focusing on galaxy-spinning battles, the series will follow intergalactic cop Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and new recruit John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) as they investigate a mystery on Earth, using a more grounded detective-story structure to introduce audiences to DC’s cosmic mythology.

This approach is a huge part of why anticipation remains so high. Green Lantern lore can be vast and overwhelming. Choosing to anchor it through John and Hal’s partnership at least gives the show a stronger level of intrigue than another generic origin story. Better still, if Lanterns successfully balances noir-style mystery with the larger universe in the background, this could become one of the most important building blocks in DC’s new era.

2

‘X-Men ’97’ (2024–Present)

Season 2 Expected Release: July 2026

Image via Disney+

The first season of X-Men ’97 somehow managed to exceed nearly impossible expectations. What began as a nostalgia revival quickly became one of Marvel’s most emotionally ambitious projects, ending with the team fractured, key characters separated across time, and the future of mutant-kind hanging in the balance. Several storylines—including the Summers’ family arc, Apocalypse-related teases, and the fallout from Genosha—remain unresolved heading into Season 2.

And that’s exactly why fans are so invested in what’s to come. Season 1 wasn’t afraid to make painful decisions that fundamentally altered character dynamics. Season 2 is likely to follow suit—which is great given that this is what the show does best: highlight how the X-Men shine when the emotional stakes are just as important as the action. Season 2 now carries the rare advantage of having completely earned audiences trust, which makes every new development of this great modern animation feel even more exciting.

1

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ (2025–Present)

Season 3 Expected Release: March 2027

Image via Disney+

Having spent its first two seasons rebuilding Matt Murdock’s (Charlie Cox) world and escalating Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) grip over New York, Daredevil: Born Again appears to be approaching a major turning point. After all, Matt is now imprisoned after publicly revealing himself as Daredevil, while Fisk ultimately accepted an exile from his own city. Come season 3, the power dynamics would have completely flipped.

To make matters more exciting for fans, the new season appears to be diving directly into one of the most beloved Daredevil comic arcs of all time: The Devil in Cell Block D. Set photos, leaks, and official teasers have already revealed the reunion of The Defenders, with a larger street-level story looming in development—including the rise of new villains. There are also constant rumors connecting the show’s prison storyline to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, especially given Frank Castle’s (Jon Bernthal) involvement. More importantly though, Season 3 is likely to be where Born Again fully becomes its own saga. Matt is no longer protecting Hell’s Kitchen from the shadows. And that’s an incredibly dangerous ordeal.

Advertisement

Daredevil: Born Again

Advertisement

Release Date

Advertisement

March 4, 2025

Network

Disney+

Advertisement

Showrunner

Dario Scardapane

Directors

Advertisement

Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, David Boyd, Jeffrey Nachmanoff

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Next: 10 Superhero Shows That Are True Masterpieces

By Jonathan Klotz
| Updated 28 seconds ago

The 1980s were the golden era for Saturday Morning Cartoons. Half-hour animated spectacles that were commercials in disguise, carefully constructed to get kids to beg their parents to buy them a new action figure every week, were gold mines for toy companies. 

It all started in 1983 with He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, a syndicated series so prolific that it aired 130 episodes in only two years, on the way to becoming one of the most popular franchises of the 80s. Along the way, Mattel had the idea to make it a live-action movie, and in 1987, they unleashed it on the unsuspecting public, creating one of the biggest flops of the entire decade.

Their He-Man movie failed so hard; it destroyed the franchise, damaged careers, and took down an entire movie studio. This is why Masters of the Universe failed.

Turning He-Man Toys Into Tom Paris And Monica Gellar

He-Man was always going to be a tough cartoon to bring to live-action. The character designs are over-the-top and designed for animation. Who would even play the role of He-Man since Arnold Schwarzenegger was already Conan? The answer was Dolph Lundgren, fresh off a career-making role as Russia’s greatest boxer, Ivan Drago, in Rocky IV. 

The Swedish strongman certainly looked the part, but who could play his arch-enemy, Skeletor, the muscular skeleton sorcerer? Why, Frank Langella, of course? The Tony-winning actor was as odd a choice for Skeletor as Raul Julia was years later for the Street Fighter movie. The results were the same. 

Langella took the role because his son loved He-Man, and he treated his role as the skeletal sorcerer with all the seriousness of Shakespeare. Years later, Langella would refer to Masters of the Universe as one of his favorite performances, and to be fair, he rocks in this movie. 

Rounding out the cast are the two most popular characters from the Masters of the Universe cartoon, Thomas Paris and Monica Geller. That’s right, the live-action He-Man takes place on Earth with the future Star Trek: Voyager star Robert Duncan McNeil as the musician Kevin, and Courteney Cox as Julie. No one knew these two would go on to bigger and better things. In 1987, they worked cheap. 

He-Man Goes Shopping In The Real World

Masters of the Universe didn’t fail because of its cast. It failed because of money. Or rather, the complete lack of money.  The production company Cannon Films had picked up the rights to He-Man on the cheap. Who wanted to make a movie about a cartoon and a toy line? Nobody. 

Trying to adapt the over-the-top character designs of He-Man to live action proved difficult. Orko was so hard to bring to life that he was scrapped completely and replaced with Gwildor, an inventor who later appeared in the cartoon reboot. 

Worse, Battle Cat was cut from the film. A giant green cat may have been a little too much for audiences to handle, but again, this is the same franchise that also includes Beast Man. 

The comparatively small budget, ranging from $15 million to $22 million depending on who you ask, also impacted the story. He-Man’s battles on the planet Eternia? Gone. Instead, he gets to fight on the streets. Castle Greyskull gets maybe 15 minutes of screen time. 

A large part of He-Man’s appeal is Eternia’s mixing of high-fantasy with sci-fi. Putting Dolph Lundgren in a store doesn’t have the same appeal. It would be like watching Conan the Barbarian wait in line at the DMV. 

Cannon’s budget ended up running out and almost added one more casualty: Master of the Universe’s climactic fight between He-Man and Skeletor. With no money, the movie shoot ended a few days early, forcing director Gary Goddard and the team from Mattel to scramble to get the money at the very last minute. 

They were able to get two more nights of shooting out of Cannon, enough to get the final battle, significantly stripped down from what the original script had called for, but good enough for the dire straits they were in. What would a He-Man movie be without a final knockdown, drag-out fight with Skeletor? 

Cannon Films Goes Bankrupt, Masters Of The Universe Goes Flop

Masters of the Universe overcame the bankruptcy of Cannon Films and finally saw the light of day on August 7th, 1987. That first weekend, it made $5 million dollars. 

That isn’t nothing, but it’sfar below what Cannon Films expected. Masters of the Universe ended its theatrical run with a total haul of only $17 million, failing to earn back its production budget and becoming one of the most notorious flops of the 80s. 

One of the biggest reasons Masters of the Universe failed was right there in the release date: August, 1987. 5 years after the debut of the toy line doesn’t sound like a lot, but it meant that the kids who were into He-Man were also 5 years older, and He-Man wasn’t cool compared to Transformers or G.I. Joe. Next to Optimus Prime and Snake Eyes, a shirtless guy shouting I HAVE THE POWER isn’t fun; he’s weird. 

The cartoon wasn’t even airing when the movie was released. New episodes stopped airing in 1984. Action figures were staying on the shelves, and there was another, subtle sign that He-Man was losing popularity: the 1985 animated movie He-Man and She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword. The debut of She-Ra also flopped, earning back only half of its $12 million budget. 

That’s the saddest part of the 1987 Masters of the Universe movie: every reason it failed had nothing to do with the work of the cast and crew. The movie itself is incredible. It’s ridiculously campy; Dolph Lundgren’s overacting fits perfectly, and even with a small budget, you can tell they tried to cram in as much of the cartoon as possible. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s a lot of fun, and today it’s a cult classic. 

History Repeats Itself

That could change with Masters of the Universe 2026. The new film, starring Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man, Jared Leto as Skeletor, Alison Brie as Evil Lyn,, Idris Elba as Man-at-Arms, Camilia Mendes as Teela, and everyone’s favorite companion, Morena Baccarin as the Sorceress. 

History could repeat itself again: the rebooted cartoons, both She-Ra and The Princesses of Power, Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe series, and the He-Man CGI cartoon, have all come to an end. At least this time, the budget’s not a concern, but then again, Jared Leto is box office poison. 

If nothing else, the best part of the new Masters of the Universe movie release has been fans acknowledging that the 1987 film is a lot of fun. Dolph Lundgren has been given the red carpet treatment by fans, even handing off the sword to Nicholas. Nearly 30 years after he was laughed out of theaters, Lundgren is finally being appreciated. 

He-Man paved the way for a generation of cartoons and live-action adaptations, never quite reaching the height of those who came after, but it set the standard and blazed a trail so others could follow. 1987’s Masters of the Universe is one of the best-worst movies you’ll ever see. It deserved better, and never should have failed. 

Miles Teller and Keleigh Teller may be absent from the high-profile list of attendees expected at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s upcoming nuptials.

The quartet once shared a close bond which appears to have deteriorated in recent months, and were last spotted together in February 2024.

Now, insiders are sharing the reason behind the couple’s rift with Taylor Swift ahead of her nuptials with Travis Kelce.

According to TMZ, Swift’s alleged rift with Miles and Keleigh Teller has reportedly made the couple persona non grata at the singer’s upcoming wedding to NFL star Travis Kelce.

Swift and Kelce are said to be set to tie the knot early next month, more than two years after the singer was last seen with the Tellers in a VIP Super Bowl suite, where they watched Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers.

Despite the reported tension, mutual friends on both sides are said to be hopeful that a reconciliation can take place before the wedding, with a source branding it a “sad time” in the quartet’s relationship with each other.

As for the reason for the rift, another source told the news outlet that it stems from “differences” in lifestyle, particularly between Swift and Keleigh, although there has been no clarification on what that entails.

Neither side has publicly acknowledged or commented on any feud for now.

Another High Profile Star May Miss Out On Taylor Swift’s Wedding

Another major question surrounding the wedding guest list since Kelce proposed to Swift is whether her former close friend, Blake Lively, and her husband, Ryan Reynolds, will receive an invitation.

Initially, sources suggested it was unlikely, as Swift reportedly did not want any negative attention surrounding her big day amid Lively’s legal dispute with “It Ends With Us” co-star Justin Baldoni.

However, with the case now settled last month, their chances of being invited are said to have improved. Still, it is believed to ultimately depend on whether Swift is willing to move past her disapproval of being linked to Lively’s sexual harassment lawsuit against Baldoni.

“I think there’s a far greater chance of it now that the case is settled,” a source said, per Page Six.

“As evidenced by [her appearance at] the Met Gala, Blake is ready to be back out there … she will be there with bells on if she is invited. But that’s a huge if,” the insider added.

Karlie Kloss Is Also Reportedly Not Getting An Invite To Her Former Pal’s Wedding

A recent report alleged that model Karlie Kloss will also be absent from Swift’s upcoming wedding after the singer discovered that she was not being “genuine” about her intentions.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the source noted that some of Swift’s friendships have become “strained” over time for various reasons, explaining that, like Lively and Reynolds, Kloss will also not be welcomed at the highly anticipated nuptials.

“When it comes to Karlie, Taylor ultimately felt that the trust in the friendship had been broken,” the source said.

While it’s unclear what exactly led to the broken trust, one source claimed it was due to Kloss’ close association with music mogul, Scooter Braun, who purchased Swift’s original record label in 2019.

However, another source shared that it had more to do with politics and Kloss’s ties to the Trumps.

Who Has Received An Invite To Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Wedding?

While Swift and Kelce have not publicly shared any official wedding guest list, several names have already surfaced online, with a few confirmed by the invitees themselves.

In a May 28 interview with Variety, Suki Waterhouse revealed she received an invite to Swift’s wedding and will be attending.

Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez have also reportedly been invited. This comes as no surprise, as both share a close friendship with Swift and are said to be among those helping plan the singer’s bachelorette party ahead of the nuptials. Both may also serve as bridesmaids for the pop star.

Zoë Kravitz and Cara Delevingne are two other high-profile females also expected to attend the ceremony.

On the male side, Ed Sheeran, veteran coach Andy Reid, and several of Kelce’s Kansas City Chiefs teammates are in line to make an appearance on the big day.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce’s Potential Prenup Details Revealed

Due to Swift and Kelce’s massive combined wealth, speculation about whether they will sign a prenuptial agreement has been swirling for months.

Attention has also turned to what such a prenup might include, with lawyer Sarah Luetto, a partner in Blank Rome’s Matrimonial & Family Law Group, weighing in on the matter in an interview with Page Six.

“Swift and Kelce may wish to include terms fostering confidentiality and privacy,” Luetto suggested to the outlet. “This may include non-disparagement or non-disclosure terms related to their relationship.”

“In Taylor’s case, she would likely not want to include provisions limiting her from singing about her relationship in songs, particularly since there is always so much speculation about the subjects of her songwriting,” she remarked.

Swift and Kelce have not publicly confirmed whether a prenuptial agreement is on the table. However, there have been calls for Swift to have one in place, given that she significantly out-earns her footballer fiancé.

Widow’s Bay premiered on Apple TV back in April and has already quickly become one of the streamer’s most talked-about shows. The incredibly unique series is a blend of both horror and comedy, so you’ll find yourself covering your eyes in between hysterically laughing. Created by Katie Dippold, the show follows the story of a New England town called Widow’s Bay that just so happens to be cursed. Each episode dives further into an aspect of the curse, offering new terrifying horror elements. Matthew Rhys plays Tom Loftis, the mayor of Widow’s Bay, who is desperately trying to make the island a tourist destination — that is, before he starts becoming a target of the curse himself. Critics and viewers alike have been lauding Widow’s Bay as a must-watch, but now one horror legend has deemed the show worthy of a shout-out.

Iconic Director Guillermo del Toro Has Piled on Praise for ‘Widow’s Bay’

The king of horror, Guillermo del Toro, knows a thing or two about the genre. So, when he tweets some applause for a current television show, you better believe it’s worth watching. On May 30, he said: “If I may — in my estimation— #WidowsBay may very well be the best streaming series in a long time…and hands down one of the most mesmerizing acts of narrative prestidigitation in Horror.” Del Toro has landed eight Oscar nominations and three wins (Best Picture and Best Director for 2018’s The Shape of Water and Best Animated Film for 2023’s Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), so one can assume that he knows what he’s talking about when it comes to high-quality projects. Del Toro’s works are always entirely original and stem from his quirky, altogether special creativity, so it makes sense that he would be drawn to a show like Widow’s Bay that can’t really be compared directly to any show we’ve seen before.

‘Widow’s Bay’ Dovetails Perfectly With Guillermo del Toro’s Own Body of Work

There is definitely some common ground found between del Toro’s legacy of work and Widow’s Bay‘s episodes. In the series, there are a plethora of frightening elements, such as a mysterious, deadly fog; creepy ghosts; and a nearly lethal witch’s spell that grabs hold of the townspeople. All of these aspects would fit right at home in del Toro’s oeuvre, which includes his 2007 fantastical film, Pan’s Labyrinth. Just like in that movie, there are subtle twists on scary forces so that the story unfolds in a wholly original way. Del Toro has always been able to utilize masterful cinematography in his work, and Widow’s Bay also leans on sweeping ocean views and changes in the color schemes of particular scenes to help the narrative feel even more suspenseful and captivating.

Despite the inclusion of terrifying monsters and villains, both del Toro and Dippold manage to dive further into character development than what’s typically seen in more traditional horror fare. We care about what happens to these characters because we’re able to explore more of what’s underneath. The more we get to know Tom, the more we appreciate that his straight-laced manner is because of grief that he has yet to properly deal with. This is also akin to del Toro’s 2025 version of Frankenstein, which allowed us to fully understand these familiar characters and their inner workings. Episode 6 of Widow’s Bay also aligns with Frankenstein‘s Gothic vibes with the series’ flashback episode, set in colonial America, where the birth of the island’s curse actually occurs. Connections to the horror maestro can be found throughout Widow’s Bay‘s episodes so far, including the masterful blend of light and dark forces at play in the world. Del Toro also had his hand in one of the best horror television shows in FX’s The Strain in 2014, so he knows what it takes to master this type of storytelling format.

By saying he’s impressed with the “narrative prestidigitation,” the director points out that Widow’s Bay is nailing the sleight of hand that makes you forget you’re not watching these events unfold in real life. The true magic is making the town of Widow’s Bay feel like an actual place, just like del Toro does with his brilliant projects. It’s always exciting to see what our favorite filmmakers are watching and recommending, and this shout-out from del Toro just solidifies what we already knew — Widow’s Bay is one of the cleverest horror shows on television right now.

Advertisement

Widow’s Bay

Advertisement

Release Date

April 28, 2026

Network

Advertisement

Apple TV

Showrunner

Katie Dippold

Advertisement

Directors

Sam Donovan, Andrew DeYoung, Hiro Murai, Ti West

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement