By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 33 seconds ago

The Grim Reaper has already had a fruitful year in 2026, taking from Hollywood stars like Robert Carridine, Catherine O’Hara, Robert Duvall, James Van Der Beek, and even the invincible Chuck Norris. Now Nicholas Brendon has died. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor was 54.

According to a statement released by his family, Brendon died in his sleep from “natural causes.” If that sounds like a young age for such a cause of death, it is. The actor’s health was actually complicated by a lot of factors. He suffered from cauda equina syndrome, a spinal condition that required several surgeries. He revealed in 2023 that he had a congenital heart defect that had recently been diagnosed after a 2022 heart attack. All of this was exacerbated by mental health and substance abuse battles that he struggled with all his life, but his family reported that he was in good spirits and maintaining his health schedule before he died.

Brendon is best known for playing Xander Harris on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Xander was that awkward teen who was supposed to be the stand-in for the audience with his everyday reactions to his spreading awareness of what is out in his world. He was the Scooby gang’s broad generalist, ordinary and plain, while the other characters have their own skills or abilities, either as the Slayer, witch, or demon. Often overwhelmed, underprepared, and clearly misinformed, he was somehow the heart of the group, and he always managed to deliver. What kept Xander so relatable was that he was “everyone,” that very human connection.

Sarah Michelle Gellar was slated to be in the Hulu reboot of the Buffy series, and rumors abounded that other characters were going to be returning for the show. However, there were questions about Brendon’s participation because of his mental health and addiction struggles, especially as they resulted in numerous run-ins with the law. At the time of Brendon’s death, it did not seem that Xander was going to be included in the reboot, a fact the actor was not happy about.

Immediately following the success of Buffy, Brendon starred in Kitchen Confidential for 13 episodes. This half-season series was based on Anthony Bourdain’s novel “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” with the lead Bradley Cooper playing “Jack” Bourdain for Anthony himself. Brendon plays the pastry chef and friend of Jack’s, Seth Richman.

He maintained steady acting roles in his post-Buffy career, with another highlight being the film Coherence. In this 2013 psychological sci-fi thriller, he plays Mike as he and his wife Lee, played by Lorene Scafaria, host six of their friends as Miller’s Comet passes the Earth. What follows is a story where time no longer moves in a linear fashion. Out-of-sequence events culminate in the comet breaking up and a rather surprising ending.

Following this film came his return to the small screen in a major role as character Kevin Lynch in the long-running series Criminal Minds for 21episodes over the course of eight seasons. A technical analyst with prodigious technical computing ability, he is brought in to hack the computer of one of the series stars, fan favorite Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), to find out who shot her. Over the episodes, he is depicted or referenced and goes on cases to many locations with the team, even starting a relationship with Garcia. Although this character wasn’t one of his more admired roles, he nevertheless left his mark with fans.

Despite his struggles, Brendon continued acting until 2024. He even had two upcoming projects. With his untimely death, it appears that the IMDB page for his project Best Sheep is no longer available and was taken down during the research for this article. Once in a Blue Moon is written and directed by Valeria Sweet, and the role that Brendon was to play was that of Matt; little else is available about the production, so we will see what ultimately happens with the series.

Nicholas Brendon left us too soon. His wholesome on-screen persona masked serious struggles that the actor bravely faced while trying to maintain his career, constantly picking himself up whenever he fell. He may not have had the most stable off-screen life, but what he brought to fans was important enough to him that he kept fighting for it until his very last breath. Hopefully, he has found peace.

Jury Duty: Company Retreat hinges on actors pretending to be real people working at a hot sauce company — but where do you know the cast from?

The comedy premiered on Prime Video in 2023 and followed a group of prospective jurors going through the selection process and civil trial. Most of the cast are actually actors except for one participant, who is unaware that everything is fictionalized.

Ronald Gladden was a contractor who answered a vague Craigslist ad to participate in a documentary about jury duty.

“I was just under the impression that this was going to be a behind-the-scenes look … or what it was like for jury duty,” he recalled to Access Hollywood in April 2023. “So, I signed up for what I thought was a documentary. I didn’t really know what was going on until the end.”

Related: Where Are They From? A Guide to the ‘Jury Duty’ Cast: James Marsden, More

Amazon Studios/YouTube There’s no crazier jury duty experience than Amazon Freevee’s Jury Duty series and its comedic cast of actors reacting to unsuspecting Ronald Gladden. The comedy, which premiered on Amazon Freevee earlier this month, follows a group of prospective jurors go through the voir dire selection process and a civil trial. While early episodes appear like Jury […]

In addition to Gladden, James Marsden, Mekki Leeper, Edy Modica, Ishmel Sahid, David Brown, Cassandra Blair, Maria Russell and Kirk Fox made up the cast. Susan Berger, Ross Kimball, Pramode Kumar, Ron Song and Brandon Loeser also appeared.

Season 2, which premiered in March 2026, follows Anthony Norman, who is hired at Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce as a temp while unaware that the company is fake.

Keep scrolling to meet the season 2 cast:

Blair Beeken

Blair Beeken is Marjorie Lee a.k.a the owner of the retreat. She has also appeared in Pluribus, Black Monday, Dead to Me, Superstore and Throwback.

Alex Bonifer

Alex Bonifer plays Dougie Womack Jr., who is Doug’s son and future CEO of Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce. Off screen, Bonifer has been in Kevin Can F**k Himself.

LaNisa Renee Frederick

LaNisa Renee Frederick brings Jackie Griffin to life after starring in Shifting Gears, NCIS, Brooklyn 99 and A Black Lady Sketch Show.

Jerry Hauck

The role of Doug Womack — retiring CEO of Rockin’ Grandma’s Hot Sauce — is played by Jerry Hauck from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Superstore, Speechless and more.

Erica Hernandez

Erica Hernandez is Kate Martinez after previously appearing in True Lies, Bridge and Tunnel and Three Women.

Rachel Kaly

The role of Claire Coleman is played by Rachel Kaly from Worried and Hospital.

Related: Which TV Shows Are Renewed in 2026-2027?

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2026 is a big year for TV — but which shows do we definitely know are coming back for more seasons? Paramount+ surprised viewers by renewing Landman for a third season before season 2 came to an end. Inspired by the “Boomtown” podcast series, Landman is focused on the West Texas oil industry with a […]

Stephanie Hodge

Stephanie Hodge is Helen Schaffer after previously appearing in Evolution, Nurses and Unhappily Ever After.

Rob Lathan

Rob Lathan is Other Anthony after starring in Inside Amy Schumer and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Emily Pendergast

Emily Pendergast brings Amy Patterson to life after Leanne, White House Plumbers and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur

Marc-Sully Saint-Fleur is PJ Green after starring in Home Economics, The Good Place and Space Force.

Jim Woods

Jim Woods plays Jimmy Weber after being in The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Superstore and Reno 911!

Ryan Perez

Ryan Perez is Kevin Gomez after being in John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in L.A., The Break With Michelle Wolf and The Lords of Synth.

It’s always a vibe when Tina Knowles steps out, but this time the energy around her had folks raising eyebrows. Tina’s gumbo stand has the internet split once again, with some people calling for respect while others are questioning what really went down. Either way, Ms. Tina had time this weekend—and it shows.

RELATED: Hot Take? Erica Banks Keeps It Real About Tina Knowles’ Cooking Skills After Trying Her Viral Gumbo (VIDEO)

Tina Knowles Confronts Customer For Filming At Her Gumbo Stand

Footage circulating online shows Tina Knowles at her gumbo stand during the Houston Rodeo, where she appeared to get into a back-and-forth with a man who was recording nearby. According to the person filming, the man in red was live-streaming the stand, though it’s unclear what prompted him to start. Tina can be heard addressing him, while he defends himself by saying “ain’t nobody on camera,” seemingly referring to footage captured by his drone. He also added that “everybody got their phone [out]” as the tense exchange continued, leaving social media divided over the situation.

Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, was spotted arguing with a man at her gumbo spot. 👀
(@ooonaniii) pic.twitter.com/ziiC8NZFga

— BlackMedia__ (@BlackMedia___) March 15, 2026

Social Media Is Split Over Gumbo Moment

Folks immediately ran over to X, and whew—the opinions were flying. Some users defended Tina, saying people need to stop harassing her and respect her space. Others argued that if she wasn’t Beyoncé’s mom, the backlash against her wouldn’t be this harsh. Meanwhile, another group chimed in saying recording in public is fair game, keeping the debate going strong online.

Yall are so annoying let this damn lady live just cus she’s beyonce mother doesn’t mean u can harass her

— . (@foaeel) March 15, 2026

In public expecting privacy is crazy. If people liked that shrimp in flood water concoction she would be glad for the cameras.

— Shonny (@itsShonny) March 15, 2026

Tina can argue with anyone she wants. She is running a business not a vlog. People are just sick in the mind and such opportunistic for content just to go viral. Small minds.

— SA Bathsheba (@TracieMae) March 15, 2026

Ok now leave this lady alone JAHSHAGADS

— 𓅓 KHI 𓅓 (@THEKHINGPIN) March 15, 2026

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Here comes a bunch of bots and Black people looking to hate on another black person. Typically The Culture.

— Been Betty Black (@TribeCalledBlaq) March 15, 2026

Erica Banks Co-Signs Tina Knowles’ Viral Gumbo

Whew, Tina Knowles’ gumbo has really been the talk of the town lately. From viral moments to real-life taste tests, folks can’t seem to stop discussing what she’s cooking up down at the Houston Rodeo. And now, another review is adding even more spice to the conversation. On Friday, Erica Banks pulled up to Tina’s booth and gave her official verdict via Instagram, sharing a clip titled “Ms. Tina’s Gumbo Review.” She told followers, “Now I did feel like I took 3 Don Julio shots after about 20 mins BUT — I give the gumbo a 9/10!” Erica didn’t hold back, calling it “good as f*ck.”

The buzz hasn’t just been online either. Despite a brief hiccup at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo—where her booth was temporarily shut down following a complaint—Tina quickly passed inspection and got back to serving. Since reopening, lines have stayed packed, with supporters and familiar faces like LeToya Luckett and Bun B pulling up to show love. Tina has even shared clips of happy customers enjoying her gumbo, proving that no matter the chatter, people are still outside and ready for a bowl.

RELATED: Tina Knowles’ Gumbo Booth Reopens Following Temporary Health Department Shutdown At Houston Rodeo (VIDEOS)

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 51 seconds ago

Recently, the controversial Star Trek show Starfleet Academy finished its first season, and the online discourse about the show has been endless. Defenders of the series have constantly pointed out that because it took shows like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine time to achieve greatness, everyone should give Starfleet Academy some grace during its initial shakedown cruise. To this, critics always have a simple response: that because modern seasons are less than half as long as they used to be, Star Trek shows can no longer afford to waste time getting good.

Whether Starfleet Academy gets renewed for Season 3 (Season 2 has already been filmed) may come down to various factors, including streaming numbers and decisions from upper Paramount leadership. Recently, however, it occurred to me that it would be easy for an upcoming series to finally make the divided fandom happy. All Paramount needs to do is give Tawny Newsome’s upcoming Star Trek spinoff a tighter per-episode budget and more episodes per season.

The Office In Space?

If you don’t know, Lower Decks legend and Starfleet Academy writer Tawny Newsome is currently working on a Star Trek show that is supposed to function as a workplace comedy. This unnamed series is set on a vacation planet (not Risa, though). Beyond this and the fact that she wants to set it in the 25th century (so, the Picard era), all we know about the show is that it involves helping the planet join the Federation. Oh, and the original pitch for the show involved some unspecified shenanigans that would somehow broadcast everything our Federation workers are doing to the entire quadrant. 

The series has not yet gotten the green light from Paramount, and it has reportedly evolved (albeit in unknown ways) since the original pitch. Personally, I always thought the “broadcast to the whole quadrant” thing meant they were doing a Star Trek version of The Office. At any rate, Newsome’s workplace comedy show provides the perfect opportunity for NuTrek to boldly go where it has never gone before: 20+ episode seasons, with a more modest budget for each episode.

The Numbers Game

Back in the Golden Age of Star Trek, shows like Voyager had 26-episode seasons, and this offered a number of advantages to the writers. On the most basic level, they had an extended runway: with this many episodes per season, you could flesh out your main characters and even give your side characters extended screentime. Most importantly, having so many episodes each season meant that Paramount could afford to have a few stinkers; the awful quality of early TNG episodes like “Code of Honor,” for example, would ultimately get outweighed by better episodes like “Conspiracy.”

However, the network could only do this because of the cost factor. Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes cost about $1.3 million to produce, which was admittedly a pretty penny back in the day. Now, though, Star Trek: Discovery previously cost about $8 million per episode, and there are persistent rumors that each Starfleet Academy episode costs Paramount $10 million. If that’s true, then it costs almost the same amount to produce one season of Starfleet Academy as it did to produce three seasons of The Next Generation.

That’s bad enough, but three seasons of The Next Generation add up to 78 episodes; meanwhile, one season of Starfleet Academy is only 10 episodes. That’s not enough time to develop every character, which is likely why Genesis never got her own episode like everyone else. Furthermore, short seasons lead to killer ratios: if, say, four of your episodes are stinkers (a very generous estimate for SFA), then 40 percent of your entire season sucks. That’s enough to make fans tune out and possibly seal a show’s fate long before it finally gets good.

NuTrek Goes Old School

What does this bleak numbers game have to do with Tawny Newsome’s Star Trek show? Simple: one of the big reasons that shows like Starfleet Academy are so expensive is because of all the top-notch special effects needed for stories where the entire galaxy is in danger. The crew is always visiting new places (exploring strange new worlds and all that), meeting exotic aliens (seeking out new life), and generally having ambitious adventures that are very expensive to bring to life.

However, if Newsome’s workplace comedy show really is like Star Trek meets The Office, it could potentially be far cheaper to create. Characters could stay in a fixed location, effectively turning almost every episode into a bottle episode. Residents of the vacation planet don’t need to have elaborate makeup; in fact, the show could return to the grand Trek tradition of having aliens who are just humans with something funny on their foreheads. Finally, the show doesn’t have to have legacy characters or other big names; instead, the cast can be comprised of almost entirely unknown actors.

Put it all together, and you have a new Star Trek show that is infinitely cheaper to make than Starfleet Academy. But I’m not suggesting Paramount lower its overall budget; instead, the amount of money they would normally allocate to a NuTrek show should go to creating seasons with at least 20 episodes. This would allow for greater character development and more rewatchability. Best of all, there would be a built-in grace period: even if the show’s first five episodes are awful, fans would forgive that if the next 15 are solid Star Trek.

The Best Of Both Worlds

Realistically, I know this isn’t likely to happen for many reasons, including Alex Kurtzman’s inability to try anything new. But Paramount is currently exploring whether or not to keep Kurtzman around, and new leadership seems eager to shake things up with the franchise. A smaller-budget Star Trek spinoff could be a return to the Golden Age, where classic episodes were created with killer writing and not a small mountain of VFX.

Done right, Tawny Newsome’s show (assuming it gets the green light) could be the best of both worlds: it would give NuTrek fans more show than they can handle while finally making old-school fans happy. Plus, it would give its biggest fans more episodes per season to stream, giving this series the coziness of shows like Voyager. But the only way this can happen is for Paramount to embrace some very unconventional wisdom regarding the budget for each episode: make it low, Number One!

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 17 seconds ago

Chuck Norris’s death was barely announced by his family on March 21, 2026, before Variety, famous for snubbing fashion and movie icon Brigitte Bardot, decided to take a shot at him. The article, written by William Earl, was published just hours after his death was announced in the news.

The article, titled “Chuck Norris Was a Great Action Star – But Politics May Overshadow His Legacy,” questions the actor’s resume as a cinematic and television tough guy. It indicates that his portrayal of characters such as Colonel James Braddock in Missing in Action, Colonel Scott McCoy in The Delta Force, and Cordell Walker in Walker, Texas Ranger might have been too patriotic in their portrayal of American heroism and justice.

“Given our nation’s divisions in morality, information literacy, and overall sense of morality,” Earl posits, “it’s easier to see Norris’s characters as justification for a fringe conspiracy movement rather than a moral standing.” He defends this perspective by explaining that Norris’s characters are all vigilantes, an idea which “seems less fun” these days because of current events, such as nationwide immigration raids, in which law enforcement agents “are acting like one-man militias.” He seems convinced that they were inspired to these actions by Norris’s iconic persona.

This attack on Norris is unwarranted for a lot of reasons, not in the least of which is Norris’s persona off-screen. He was legendary for being a family man and all-around nice guy, giving a lot of time and energy in addition to donations to causes that helped kids, the hungry, and the poor. He also wrote several books, including a few about fitness and martial arts. He was such a prolific martial arts expert that he created his own style, called Chun Kuk Do. Earl handwaves this all as “Was Norris a brilliant athlete and a top-shelf star?”

He then proceeds to attack his portrayals of heroic Americans for being American. Throughout the article, he is critical of portraying cops and soldiers as heroes. He indicates that the United States is a bad country for going to war against Iran and for the aforementioned immigration initiatives. He denounces Norris’s characters for being proud Americans with strong moral values, calling him “the poster boy for American exceptionalism” and wondering if his work is “dangerous propaganda.”

However, the title of the article gives away the true motive behind it: politics. And the problem isn’t the characters Norris played, it’s the fact that he was a lifelong Republican and an outspoken Christian. He lived a lot of the values he portrayed on-screen, ideas which are not as precious in Hollywood these days because they involve nuclear families, positive masculinity, and judging people by their actions rather than identities. Even the idea of patriotism and pride in our country is viewed with disdain, as the very country that invented Hollywood is often decried for its flaws rather than recognized for its merits.

In our fascist, oppressive, speech-stifling country, William Earl attacked a man hours after his death for playing the wrong type of characters in his movies and representing them in a positive light. That makes him the worst villain in a Chuck Norris story in my book.

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 52 seconds ago

There’s a lot for fans to love about the first trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, more villains, more Spider-Man, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker aging into the lovably downtrodden mess fans love from the comics, and despite the ending of No Way Home, Ned and MJ are back. Zendaya’s MJ is at the center of the one shot from the trailer that I can’t get out of my head. She’s at a party with a guy she’s obviously in a relationship with, played by Ashoka’s Eman Esfandi.

To those who have not read the comics in recent years, it’s a harmless sign that MJ has moved after she forgot about Peter. To me, it was a warning sign that Kevin Feige may be about to pull the ultimate troll move. Eman Esfandi could be playing the greatest villain in Peter Parker’s life: Paul. 

Potential Paul Sighting Sends Fans Into A Panic

Paul doesn’t sound like the name of a villain. He’s not as fearsome-sounding as Green Goblin, Venom, Morlun, or Tombstone. He doesn’t even have a cool costume. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is packed with villains fans have waited years to see, including Boomerang and Scorpion, but none are as pure evil as Paul. 

Brand New Day teasing MJ’s new love interest isn’t a rehash of Tobey Maguire and Kristen Dunst from Spider-Man 2. When Sam Raimi’s film aired, Peter and Mary Jane were happily married in the comics, but today, the pair’s marriage has been shattered for 20 years, and they have been on and off again. Like many Spider-Man fans, I prefer the couple together. Paul’s complete lack of importance as a character, except to be “the guy Mary Jane dates instead of Peter,” made it very difficult to read Amazing Spider-Man for years. He’s a complete nothing of a character. 

Marvel’s Worst Character

If it’s revealed that Eman Esfandi’s character from that one, single shot in the Brand New Day trailer is Paul, then Marvel is purposely trolling every comic book reader who spent years complaining loudly about Paul. Zeb Wells, the talented writer behind the excellent Hellions series, was also the man who forced Paul onto readers. Given his past successes, though, it’s clear that Paul, like the original “Brand New Day” storyline, was a mandate by Marvel editorial to keep Peter Parker in the same place for years. Denied the chance to grow and develop as a character, Peter and the readers were stuck in the equivalent of a One Piece filler arc for years. 

Paul can not join the MCU. We just got rid of him in the comics. MJ is too smart and too well-written a character to waste time with the black hole of charisma that is Paul. Mary Jane is too interesting a character to be burdened by an undeveloped sentient manbun (that’s his one identifying feature). He even let slip her secret identity as the new host of Venom. Paul is the worst. 

Brand New Day is bringing the sad sack perennial put upon version of Peter Parker to the MCU after three movies of Tom Holland playing closer to the first Ultimate Spider-Man version of the character. I have no doubt that the movie is going to be spectacular, and it’ll be another billion-dollar box office hit for the Spider-Man franchise, but if the name “Paul” is uttered by MJ at any moment, I am going to throw my popcorn at the screen. No one, not the paying audience, not comic readers, not Peter and MJ, not even Zeb Wells, should be punished by Marvel editorial’s bizarre decree that Peter can never be happy.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 19 seconds ago

It has been a very rough time to be a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. In the last year, Michelle Trachtenberg, who played Buffy’s sister, tragically died. Last week, Hulu officially killed the TV show revival that was going to bring Buffy Summers back to the small screen. Most recently, Nicholas Brendon, who played Xander Harris, died at the age of 54.

It didn’t take long for his former Buffy costars to write memorial posts on social media platforms such as Instagram; some were better than others, but all of them were moving in their own way. However, as someone who had been keeping up with the Xander actor before his death, I am haunted by a secret that the fandom doesn’t really want to talk about. You see, Nicholas Brendon hated Sarah Michelle Gellar, and he made a series of very nasty, very public allegations about her mere days before he died.

The Zeppo’s Last Ride

This came in the form of Facebook, where Nicholas Brendon went live on March 14, less than a week before his untimely death. The video seems that much more surreal now: Brendon is constantly moving back and forth in a rocking chair (he had an eclectic passion for rocking chairs) while violently coughing; he blamed the smoke from his cigarette, joking at one point that he sounded like Bane. During the 45-minute video, he discussed several aspects of Buffy the Vampire Slayer before suddenly and unexpectedly leveling various accusations against lead actor Sarah Michelle Gellar.

The comment started innocuously enough, with Nicholas Brendon saying, “I believe that the way that the show ended shouldn’t have ended the way that it did.” Soon, though, he singled out Sarah Michelle Gellar, claiming that “She worked really hard, but she sort of f***ed the show, in a way.” Specifically, he hated how “She told everyone she was leaving way too late into the series, so Chris Snellgrove Joss [Whedon] was not prepared for that…it wasn’t fair to the crew, the cast or the show.”

A Surprise Defense Of A Canceled Icon

Speaking of the controversial showrunner, Brendon was seemingly one of the last of the Buffy actors to openly support Joss Whedon. In this same Facebook video, he argued that Hulu should not have tried to reboot Buffy without Whedon’s involvement; however, Whedon quietly retired from public and professional life after multiple allegations that he created a hostile work environment and was personally toxic towards his cast. After Cordelia actor Charisma Carpenter made a series of damning allegations about Whedon, she was openly supported by Buffy actors like David Boreanaz, Michelle Trachtenberg, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

While Brendon had not often publicly criticized Gellar, many read his continued defense of Whedon as an indirect criticism of her. For example, the Buffy Summers actor offered a short and simple stance of support for Charisma Carpenter, writing, “I stand with all survivors of abuse.” Meanwhile, Brendon supported Whedon and minimized allegations against him, claiming they were just “bullsh*t…cancel culture.”

In that creepy Facebook video right before he died, Brendon didn’t mince words: in addition to continuing his full-throated support for Whedon, he also blamed Gellar for wanting to stop acting in Buffy the Vampire Slayer after Season 7. Previously, Gellar claimed that she wanted to leave the show because she was physically and mentally exhausted; she wanted to enjoy life with her new husband (Freddie Prinze, Jr.), and she felt there was nothing new to do with her character. It didn’t help that, like many Buffy fans, she really hated Season 6.

Saying Goodbye To Our Childhood Hero

Sadly, Brendon saw her departure as a personal attack that took away his meal ticket. To some degree, he was right: he never had any major roles after Buffy ended. Arguably, though, this was due less to his skills as an actor and more to the very public drug and alcohol addictions he suffered from. By all accounts, Gellar was always supportive of Brendan, whose struggles went all the way back to their Buffy days. But that support didn’t keep Brendon from seeing her as an enemy in the end.

All of this adds another layer of tragedy to Nicholas Brendon’s untimely death. His career peaked decades ago, and he obviously resented Sarah Michelle Gellar for leaving the show and prematurely ending the greatest role he would ever have. Given enough time, Brendon could still have been a part of any future attempts to reboot Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, though, he was taken from us far too soon, and in a horrific twist, he died hating the woman who helped make him famous. 

Vertical microdramas are the new go-to for fictional romance — and much of the interest stems from the hot leading men.

Many TikTok users are familiar with ads popping up on their FYPs for fanfiction-esque shows. From age-gap romances to forbidden love stories, each miniseries feels like a mix between a soap opera and a Lifetime movie. The point of the ads is to drive users to download applications such as ReelShort and DramaBox that host the short shows, which usually last a minute or so per episode and are designed for mobile viewing.

CandyJar’s content — including Nick Skonberg‘s Loving My Brother’s Best Friend and Joseph Purcell‘s Falling for My Bodyguard — went viral as mostly female viewers tuned in to get their romance fix.

“CandyJar’s the only company I’ve worked with, but they really know their audience and what their audience wants. CandyJar [projects] are very directed from the female gaze and from the female point of view,” Skonberg previously told Cosmopolitan. “You see that the scripts follow a lot of romance tropes and character tropes, but also how they do the costumes and how they shoot the scenes and light the scenes. And we had a great intimacy coordinator, Sasha Smith. She was specific about: ‘OK, this is a moment when you stop her with a hand grab or you stop her with your voice.’”

Related: Who Is Dominic Purcell‘s Son Joseph From TikTok‘s Viral Vertical Dramas?

Dominic Purcell‘s son Joseph Purcell isn’t just a fellow actor — he’s also an internet sensation thanks to TikTok’s popular vertical dramas. Dominic shares four kids with ex-wife Rebecca Williamson, whom he married in 1998. The pair welcomed Joseph in 1999, followed by daughter Audrey in 2001 and twins Augustus and Lily-Rose in 2003. Dominic […]

Keep scrolling for a guide to the hottest leading men in the vertical microdrama space:

Cameron Porras

Cameron Porras probably looks familiar for vertical dramas such as My Stepbrother’s Dirty Secret, Taming My Bullies, Outplayed and more.

Joseph Purcell

Joseph Purcell, who is the son of actor Dominic Purcell, has taken over the vertical drama space with roles in His Nerd, Falling for My Bodyguard, Private Lessons and more.

Tyler Scherer

For fans of Heated Rivalry, Tyler Scherer caught Us‘ eye in CandyJar’s sports romance Did You Have to Be a Hockey Star? He may also look familiar for Professor, I’m Addicted to You, To Be by My Side, Ex-Husband Step Aside and many more.

Nick Skonberg

After going viral for his role in CandyJar’s Loving My Brother’s Best Friend, Nick Skonberg has also appeared in other shorts including The Cheer Scandal and Apollo.

Evan Adams

Evan Adams has won viewers over with Pucked by My Brother’s Rival, Kissing the Wrong Brother and the Twilight-inspired miniseries titled Kissed by Claw and Fang.

Related: Best Love Triangles in TV and Movie History Over the Years

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Who doesn’t love a good love story? Girl falls in love with boy, then falls in love with his best friend too, for example. The love triangle has been a frequent plot point in TV and film for years, but there is maybe no more iconic angsty trio than the one between Dawson (James Van […]

Ben Armstrong

Speaking of Kissed by Claw and Fang, Ben Armstrong is best known for playing none other than Asher King in If Loving You Is Sin Then I’ll Go to Hell but he has also been in Fake Dating My Rich Nemesis, Bad Boy’s Tutor and more.

Jesse Morales

You probably remember Jesse Morales from How to Tame a Silver Fox but he has also appeared in Pregnant by My Ex’s Professor Dad, Dominated by My Dad’s Boss and more.

Eric Guilmette

Eric Guilmette had a scene-stealing performance in Boss Please Behave but he has since remained booked and busy with Campus Rivals, The Healing Touch, My Silent Treasure and more.

Marvel Studios hasn’t officially said much about Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but after the first trailer dropped, fans are already convinced it’s hiding some major reveals.

From a possible Man-Spider transformation to the long-rumored arrival of the X-Men, the internet is breaking down every frame for clues. While nothing has been confirmed, several theories have quickly gained traction and could hint at where the MCU is heading next.

A Darker Peter Parker Has Fans Thinking “Man-Spider”

One of the biggest talking points from the trailer is the noticeably darker tone surrounding Peter Parker.

Quick shots appear to show:

• A more aggressive Spider-Man

• Subtle physical changes in his appearance

• A loss of control over his powers

That has led many fans to speculate Marvel could be adapting elements of the “Man-Spider” storyline, where Peter undergoes a disturbing mutation tied to his spider abilities.

In Marvel Comics, the Man-Spider arc has been explored in several forms, often depicting Peter losing control as his powers evolve beyond what he can manage. While the MCU has never tackled this concept directly, the trailer’s tone suggests something more physical and unstable could be happening to him.

Symbiote Rumors Are Back Again

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Spider-Man theory cycle without talk of the black suit.

Following the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where a fragment of the Venom symbiote was left behind in the MCU, fans have long expected that storyline to pay off. The Brand New Day trailer has only added fuel to that fire.

Some viewers believe the darker visuals and Peter’s behavior could hint at early symbiote influence. Others think Marvel may combine elements of the symbiote storyline with a Man-Spider-style mutation, creating a new hybrid take on Spider-Man’s transformation.

While there’s no direct confirmation of Venom appearing, the groundwork has clearly been laid.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day [credit: Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures]

Sadie Sink’s Role Is Already a Mystery

Another major topic of discussion is Sadie Sink’s casting.

Marvel has yet to reveal who she’s playing, but that hasn’t stopped speculation from running wild. The most popular theory right now is that Sink could be portraying Jean Grey, which would mark a massive step toward introducing mutants into the MCU.

The idea has gained traction online, especially as Marvel continues to build toward a post-Secret Wars future that likely includes the X-Men.

However, not everyone is convinced.

Other theories suggest she could be:

• Firestar

• A version of Mary Jane Watson

• A completely original MCU character

• Or another lesser-known Marvel figure being reimagined

At this point, her role remains one of the film’s biggest mysteries.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day [credit: Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures]

A Possible Turning Point for the MCU

If even part of these theories prove true, Spider-Man: Brand New Day could be more than just another Spider-Man sequel.

The film appears to pick up with Peter completely isolated following the events of No Way Home, where the world forgot his identity. That emotional reset creates the perfect setup for a darker, more vulnerable version of the character.

It also opens the door for larger changes in the MCU, whether that’s the introduction of the symbiote storyline, a new phase of Spider-Man’s evolution, or even the early stages of mutant integration.

Nothing Is Confirmed… But That Hasn’t Stopped Fans

As with most Marvel trailers, it’s important to note that none of these theories have been confirmed.

Still, the reaction online shows just how much anticipation is building around Brand New Day. Whether it delivers on these ideas or takes things in a completely different direction, one thing is clear:

Marvel has everyone paying attention again.