By Jonathan Klotz and Joshua Tyler | Updated 13 seconds ago

There was a time when watching sci-fi on television meant keeping things PG-13, and only in movies could you see content that went to the edge. That began to change with the introduction of pay cable, and that line was obliterated in the early 2000s by peak TV.  Now, some of the most graphic, most extreme, crazy, gory, and messed-up things ever displayed on a screen can be found in science fiction television.

If you’re looking for TV shows that go hard, we’ve got you covered. These are the most graphic sci-fi TV shows of all time, ranked in order by which show is the MOST extreme.

18. Fringe 

I can see the comments now: Fringe? That aired on Fox? How is that graphic? 

Did you watch Fringe? The show pushed the boundaries of how dark a show can get on Fox. One episode has a man turning solid while halfway through a bank vault. Another has a man cut into little pieces to achieve the critical mass needed to travel to another dimension. The first two seasons of Fringe are all a prologue, filled with monster-of-the-week episodes that are worth watching today, to the real plot of the series: a battle for survival between two warring dimensions. 

There’s body horror, there’s cold-blooded murder, there are noble sacrifices. Fringe even kills off its main cast multiple times. It’s an absolutely wild series, and did I mention the body horror? Walter Bishop, the role John Noble was born to play, is a mad scientist working for the good guys, but he’s still a mad scientist, and it’s amazing how many problems can be solved by injecting the right chemicals into the human brain. 

17. Black Mirror 

Often described as a modern-day version of The Twilight Zone, Black Mirror doesn’t have volumes of blood and gore, but when it gets violent, it’s gut-wrenching and leaves you an emotional wreck. 

Season 7’s “Common People” is a standout, showing how technology can save lives, but there’s always a price, a literal one in this case. It’s also the same hook from Marvel’s Infamous Iron Man, but with the rise of subscription services in the last few years, the 2025 episode’s dystopian future is disturbingly close to reality. 

The hardest episode to watch remains the series debut, “National Anthem,” the infamous episode about the British Prime Minister having sex with a pig. It’s enough to make you wish for more episodes like “Men Against Fire,” where a military tool tricks soldiers with augmented reality to commit heinous crimes against humanity, or Arkangel’s swarm of killer bee drones.

There’s something to be said for Black Mirror’s habit of building all episodes to one, singular outburst of violent emotion. It stands out among the other shows on this list for its restraint and its ability to emotionally manipulate the audience into a near-nervous breakdown. Black Mirror’s greatest act of violence isn’t on screen; it’s the scream you let out at the end of “Beyond the Sea.” 

16. Raised By Wolves

Raised by Wolves was a 2020 HBO sci-fi series set on a hostile alien world where two androids, Mother and Father, are tasked with rebuilding humanity by raising human children after Earth is destroyed by a war between atheists and religious zealots. 

The premise sounds controlled, but the execution isn’t. The show leans hard into body horror, religious extremism, and sudden, brutal violence. 

Mother isn’t just a caretaker; she’s a weapon capable of tearing people apart in seconds, often on screen. The series repeatedly escalates into imagery most sci-fi avoids: mutilation, forced births, psychological breakdowns, and violence involving children. It doesn’t cut away, and it doesn’t soften the impact. 

The result is a show that uses its sci-fi setting to push into territory that feels closer to horror, making it one of the most graphic and extreme entries in modern television.

15. Kingdom

Netflix’s other hit South Korean series, Kingdom brings zombies to 17th-century Korea. Zombies make everything better, including historical costume dramas. It’s also filled with decapitations, burning flesh, and gruesome zombie transformations.

Crown Prince Ju Jio-hoon is torn between investigating the origins of the zombie outbreak and uncovering a political conspiracy that threatens to destroy his family. Old allies turn into enemies long before their flesh is diseased. And if only it were the dead eating human flesh, life in the Kingdom would be much easier. 

Dealing with zombies without the benefit of modern technology presents an interesting problem, but then again, there are castles. Like zombies, castles are awesome. So are swords. By the time you finish both seasons of Kingdom on Netflix, you’ll wonder why more studios don’t try a historical zombie apocalypse.

Imagine the Roman Legion marching against the undead, or a Renaissance invasion where Leonardo Da Vinci’s inventions turn the tide. For now, we have Kingdom, a wild ride if you can handle the whole flesh-eating thing.

14. Alien: Earth

The Alien movies featured prominently on our list of the most graphic sci-fi movies, so it makes sense that the franchise’s TV show version would end up here. Alien: Earth doesn’t go as hard as the movies, but where there’s a Xenomorph, there’s bound to be plenty of horrific, blood-soaked deaths. 

It begins with an alien ship carrying a Xenomorph crash-landing on Earth. That kicks off a plot involving the technology and corporations of the Alien universe alongside an exploration of human consciousness.

13. Fallout 

Like the game series, Fallout isn’t violent or graphic. Most of the time. Then the Deathclaws arrive, and that changes real fast. Season 2 introduced the dangerous Wasteland mutants, and all of a sudden, Fallout became a horror series for a moment. Then again, depending on how you feel about the heavily mutated ghouls, every episode is pure horror. 

Walton Goggins Ghoul is an incredible character. Mutated by radiation exposure into his current, melted form, he left behind his past to become a bounty hunter. The Ghoul is a legend in the Wasteland, though he does have a taste for ass jerky. It’s not cannibalism if you have to survive. 

Fallout is so good; it’s changed what a video game series can be. It’s partly because of the great writing, the fantastic performances, and the way it doesn’t shy away from depicting violence. Cannibalism, large claws ripping humans limb from limb, and every other way they can arterial spray to hit Lucy, Fallout expertly times moments of graphic violence for a 100% hit rate. 

12. Alice in Borderland 

Alice in Borderland is a Japanese take on the classic death game concept. Based on the best-selling manga, Alice in Borderland has quietly been one of Netflix’s best shows for years. Combining the puzzle box of Lost with Squid Game, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience. 

With no explanation, a group of Japanese teens finds themselves in a desolate version of Tokyo, where they have to play games to survive, or they will be killed by giant lasers from space. 

This isn’t Squid Game. The games here start as tag, the most tragic version of hide-and-seek ever, and then they progress to a Witch Hunt, Kick the Can with exploding cans, climbing Tokyo Tower, and Runaway Train, in which they run through an abandoned train filled with nerve gas. 

Over the course of three seasons, the total death count sits at 493. Not every death comes from the strange death games, though; the competition to earn cards and, hopefully, escape leads to a bloody back-alley fight against one of the Kings. It’s brutal, and it’s one of the show’s best moments.

Alice in Borderland walks a fine line between gruesome character deaths and its high-brow sci-fi backstory. Best of all, the three seasons on Netflix tell a complete story, which, unlike Lost, includes an ending. 

11. Westworld 

The 1973 movie Westworld, directed by author Michael Crichton, is violent for its time thanks to Yul Brenner’s performance as the killer Gunslinger robot and the whole robot uprising thing. HBO’s 2016 Westworld series starts off with the same basic premise: the robotic attractions at an amusement park turn against their human creators. Human visitors could engage in every violent and sexual impulse they had, and every night, the robotic Hosts would forget what happened. Until they started remembering. 

Every Delos corporate board member is murdered, park guests are brutally killed, and humanity comes face to face with extinction. The Season 1 finale is an incredible payoff to one of the finest sci-fi seasons of all time, but the show kept airing. It’s hard to reach that type of height again, and Westworld wisely pivots to a more surreal, slow-burn storyline involving the dangers of AI and corporate control. 

Honestly, the story wouldn’t have worked nearly as well if it weren’t for the violent outbursts. Westworld is a perfect example of violence used to further the story, and not simply violence for violence’s sake. Fans of the original novel and movie even get to enjoy a modern update on the Gunslinger’s murder spree as a reward for Anthony Hopkins‘ philosophical musings on the nature of consciousness. 

10. The Last of Us 

The Last of Us is another zombie apocalypse, except this time the zombies are the result of a deadly fungal infection that makes them fast-moving, aggressive, rage-filled. Since it’s adapting the best-selling video games, you might think you know what’s going to happen in The Last of Us, but you’re wrong. 

Except for THAT moment. It was the Red Wedding all over again; fans fell in love with Pedro Pascal as Joel, blissfully unaware of what was going to happen. Joel’s murder is dragged out, brutal, and emotionally devastating. Unless you played the 2020 game and saw how brutal it was on the PlayStation 4. The show held back. 

That’s the ongoing issue with HBO’s The Last of Us: It holds back constantly. This is a brutal, post-apocalyptic world on the brink of being overrun by fungal zombies any day; humans are slaughtering each other over scarce resources, and it never feels like the blood and guts go far enough. It’s there, and the series constantly teases violence, but even when the story calls for it, it goes halfway and then stops. The series is good, not great, and a pale shadow of what it could have been. 

9. Helix 

After Battlestar Galactica, creator Ronald Moore turned his attention to a high-tech Arctic research station after a mysterious viral outbreak. Helix is the type of slow-burn high-concept sci-fi we rarely get to see on television. That and it’s filled with bleeding eyeballs, bleeding ears, government conspiracies, cults, and more genetic technobabble than any other sci-fi show, ever. 

There are also familiar faces in the cast: Star Trek Voyager’s Seven of Nine, Jeri Ryan, is a high-powered corporate CEO, while the star of the show is Billy Campbell. Don’t recognize his name? How about The Rocketeer? 

Airing for two seasons, Helix decides to go batshit crazy in its second season. It’s as if the writers knew SyFy would eventually remember the show existed and swiftly cancel it. Which is exactly what happened, as the show started hemorrhaging viewers, with fewer than half a million tuned in for the Season 2 finale. Obviously, they needed most of the best part of Season 1: people slowly going insane while their flesh melts off in quarantine. 

8. Swamp Thing 

Airing on the DC Universe app, Swamp Thing quickly became a fan-favorite series from the very first episode. Dark, moody, disturbing body horror, interesting characters, this was everything fans of Alan Moore’s incredible 80s run had ever wanted. Filmed on location in an actual swamp, practical effects all over the place, and it embraced the horror side of the DC Universe? We were robbed with only one season. 

The plant effects, the multiple characters drowning in dark swamp water, Swamp Thing isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. Unlike other superheroes, Swamp Thing has no code against killing. Wander into his swamp with evil intentions, and you’re a dead man walking. 

Swamp Thing looks incredible, the story is pure comic pulp, and it doesn’t insult your intelligence. It only failed because Warner Bros. didn’t get the filming tax credit they expected, putting the series budget at over a million per episode, well out of reach for the DC Universe app. 

7. Love, Death, & Robots 

David Fincher wanted to make a new Heavy Metal. The director of Fight Club, Aliens 3, Panic Room, and Se7en, wanted to update the legendary 80s adult animated masterpiece. Working with Tim Miller, the director of Deadpool, the result is Netflix’s Love, Death, & Robots. The anthology series is filled with striking animation and original sci-fi stories that will remind you why you fell in love with the genre. 

A few are fun short films, including the early episode, “Witness,” which is one long chase sequence, but others, such as Season 2’s “Bad Traveling,” use a violent alien to make philosophical points about humanity. What do you do when a killer alien has set up in the hold of your ship and demands to be let off on a populated planet? After you tricked the crewmember you hate into being eaten, of course. 

There are even bits of traditional horror, including a subterranean adventure gone wrong when an ancient evil is unleashed, and a later episode, In “Vaulted Halls Untombed,” that’s one of the best modern cosmic horror stories, and as is the case with most of those stories, it ends on a horrifying final shot that will linger long after the credits end. 

No episode of Love, Death, & Robots overstays its welcome, some are as short as six minutes, some seventeen minutes, and one, that’s entirely a Red Hot Chili Peppers video, might as well have a runtime of zero minutes. Why would I watch that when I can watch rats in a death match with an advanced cybernetic killing machine? 

6. From 

Take Under the Dome. Make it good. That’s From, a horror sci-fi series airing on MGM+, about a small town that acts like a roach motel: people can enter, but they can’t leave. It’s another sci-fi mystery box series, but this time, there are strange, nightmarish monsters, a society that’s rapidly unraveling, and Lost’s Harold Perrineau gets to do more as Boyd in two episodes than he did in two seasons as Michael. 

As the sheriff and mayor of the town, Boyd tries to keep everyone together and working to uncover the mystery, even as each discovery raises more questions. A hidden mineshaft? That’s weird. A man chained inside the mineshaft? Even stranger. A music box that plays itself? A series of numbers with no discernible pattern? The mystery goes deep in From. 

The problem for the town’s residents is that on top of the mystery is the pressure that all of them are doomed to die there with no hope of getting out. How would you react? Would be a Boyd, and attempt to hold onto your sanity? Or would it become The Purge? From has a few inventive murders alongside the intriguing mystery, and it’s the best dark sci-fi series of the last decade. 

5. Blade: The Series 

Long before the Marvel Cinematic Universe existed, Wesley Snipes’ Blade showed the world Marvel superheroes could be cool. Two years before Iron Man, rapper Sticky Fingaz brought Blade to the small screen. Airing on Spike, Blade: The Series was ahead of its time. Violent and bloody, the series was able to get away with swearing and nudity on Spike, and against the odds, it was successful. 

It was also expensive, which is what led to the cancellation, despite name-dropping other Marvel superheroes, including Moon Knight and Doctor Strange, setting up the larger Marvel universe for future seasons. Blade: The Series had begun to focus less on Blade and more on Krista Starr, a former soldier-turned-vampire out for revenge. Sticky Fingaz had the look, but he was no Wesley Snipes. 

Blade: The Series pushed the boundaries of what was allowed on television at the time; Spike TV was a cable channel, but not premium cable. There was more sex and violence than any other show at 10 PM. Except for the local news out of Peoria. 

4. Aeon Flux

Before MTV became the Ridiculousness channel, it pioneered adult animation through Liquid Television, a groundbreaking block of shows that included the debut of Beavis and Butt-Head, but also the silent shorts of Aeon Flux. The first run of the series features animation that’s mind-blowing today, never mind in 1991, but also in every single episode, Aeon dies. 

Her neck is snapped, she’s shot, eaten by an alien, trapped in paralyzing fluid and set adrift at sea. Her end is frequently brutal, swift, and decisive. Then in the next episode, she’s back, working against the Breen and sabotaging her arch-enemy, also her lover, Trevor. For a series of experimental, silent shorts and than a more traditional half-hour show, Aeon Flux is surprisingly complicated. 

To say the series became a hit is an understatement. Over 30 years later, Aeon Flux is still creative, subversive, and very, very violent. 

3. The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead is one of the most graphic shows in history. You can debate a lot about it, from whether it was ever actually any good to whether the show aired for far too long, and whether it was worth A&E building an entire network around one show. What you can’t debate is that the series brought a level of violence never before seen on cable television. 

One moment in particular stands out as so graphic, so violent, that it caused half the audience to go away and never come back again. The debut of Negan and his bat, Lucille. Glenn’s head splattering across the ground with each swing of the bat was the height of the show’s popularity and its apex of violence. Afterward, it dialed back, but by then, the audience had left, unable to recover from what they saw. 

Not every death on The Walking Dead was a brutal display of violence, but every season had at least one or two standout moments. You also have to credit the series for not holding back and showing children turned into Walkers, bloody car seats, and the pharmacy sink, just to name a few of the dozens of examples. 

It’s a shame that The Walking Dead turned into a slog by the end, as the detail in the worldbuilding and the willingness to show a zombie apocalypse where no one is safe were a breath of fresh, undead air. 

2. Rick and Morty

If Rick and Morty weren’t animated, it would be number one on this list. Rick Sanchez and his grandson Morty leave a trail of broken bodies, ruined civilizations, and bodily fluids as they journey through all the universes. From the Cronenberg dimension to Rick’s ship keeping Summer safe, the Purge planet, Dimensional TV, and, well, any one of Rick’s various guns, even the tamest Rick and Morty episode is going to include some guts. 

Trying to pick out the bloodiest, most graphic moment is impossible: Is it Birdman’s brutal murder at his wedding? Is it the Vindicators falling for his elaborate death trap? The destruction of the Citadel by Evil Morty? Alright, that one resulted in the deaths of thousands of Mortys, and as we’ve learned, those don’t count. 

Though it’s fallen from the heights of previous seasons, Rick and Morty set a new standard in adult animation through the sheer density of its gags, absurd nihilistic humor, and willingness to show the most vile, disgusting things that haunt the dreams of caffeine-powered animators. 

1. Blood Drive 

After he was Chad, before he was Reacher, Alan Ritchson starred in Syfy’s forgotten series, Blood Drive, as Arthur Bailey, a cop forced to participate in a brutal death race across America using cars powered by blood. Blood Drive is complete trash. I say that with love, because this bizarre combination of 70s grindhouse western, horror, sci-fi, and a little bit of Lovecraft is unlike anything else. 

Cars eat people, people stab and shoot each other, they beat each other to death; the writers made it their mission to come up with the strangest, most original death in each episode. It’s secretly an anthology series, with Arthur and his homicidal partner Grace coming across a different small town, truck stop, or other haven for weirdos and freaks, resolving whatever issue the area has (usually through murder), and then they keep driving. 

Now that Twisted Metal is a hit, it’s easy to dismiss Blood Drive as an early attempt to copy the video game series, but give the show 5 minutes. You’ll see why it’s different, why it’s awesome, and why it might be the bloodiest show to ever air on Syfy.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 12 seconds ago

Born in the early ‘80s, I quickly became a video game junkie. That made me the perfect age to fall in love with Mortal Kombat, the bloodier, edgelord alternative to fighting games like Street Fighter II. For an embarrassingly long time, I kept up with the early games’ lore, which was adapted into a shockingly good PG-13 movie in the ‘90s. When I heard that we would be getting a new, R-rated Mortal Kombat movie, my hopes were high. Filled with boring fight scenes and flat characters, the first of these newer movies couldn’t escape its digital roots, and the whole thing looked and felt like a video game cutscene.  

Still, the early previews for Mortal Kombat II made it seem like the producers had learned from the failures of the 2021 film. Trailers promised better characters, better fights, and a more interesting story. Oh, and a secret weapon in the form of The Boys star Karl Urban as audience surrogate Jonny Cage. Unfortunately, the final result isn’t quite what the filmmakers were hoping for. Mortal Kombat II is better than the previous movie in the sense that a polished turd is better than an unpolished one. But that’s still bad news for discerning audiences hoping that they might get something other than complete sh*t for their money. 

All Style, No Substance

The premise of Mortal Kombat II is that the titular Mortal Kombat tournament is on the horizon, and if Earth loses, it will be invaded and conquered by the reigning Outworld bad guy, Shao Kahn. Our heroes assemble a team to defend the planet, which includes washed-up action movie star, Johnny Cage. But they faced some pretty big hurdles. Not only is Kahn able to resurrect the dead and turn old allies into enemies, but he has an amulet that makes him functionally immortal. Unless they can defeat the godlike Shao Kahn and win the tournament, all of humanity will be destroyed by the forces of death and darkness.

That sounds pretty engaging, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, for a movie that’s all about fatalities, Mortal Kombat II is really bad when it comes to executing its ambitious plot. It doesn’t help that Shao Kahn has no real personality other than “scary masked guy.” Seriously, he looks and acts like the generic villains you’d find in the worst horror movies of the ‘80s. Such a one-dimensional character works in video games because nobody is worried about the guy’s backstory when they’re frantically mashing buttons. But when you sit in the theater for nearly two hours, you expect (in vain, as it turns out) something more substantial from this new guy we’re supposed to care about.

Get Over Here

Speaking of new guys that we’re supposed to care about, Karl Urban is supposed to be the big draw of Mortal Kombat II. After all, he’s a charismatic character actor who plays the perfect audience surrogate role in this new film. Unfortunately, this never works even half as well as the filmmakers wanted because the script is just that bad. Urban does the best he can with the material, but he spends almost the entire runtime either gawking at Outworld weirdness or busting out tired one-liners. In-universe, Cage achieved fame by starring in a bunch of action schlock films. In an ironic and unintended twist, his dialogue never rises above that level of forgotten B-movie crapitude.

For longtime Mortal Kombat fans, there are a few things to enjoy about this movie. Adeline Rudolph is all deadly grace as Kitana, the perfect embodiment of sex and violence. Kano is resurrected, giving Josh Lawson more chances to steal every scene he’s in. There are fun callbacks to the original games, including hearing Ed Boon (who also makes a small cameo as a bartender) doing Scorpion’s iconic “get over here!” line. Plus, the fatalities are pretty solid, including a final execution that’s one of the most metal moments ever captured onscreen. These things, plus the inexorable force of nostalgia, may be enough to please the most hardcore Mortal Kombat players out there.

Shock And Awful

Unfortunately, the movie is a disappointment to pretty much everyone else. Aside from the awful writing and the slipshod plot, the biggest reason for this is that the fights are just absolutely awful. Every punch and kick lacks the visceral weight of even the simplest martial arts movies (seriously, Karate Kid has more intense fighting than this!), and the special moves are just bland CGI. The awful battles are basically the final failure of Mortal Kombat II. As an adaptation of a fighting game, the fights are woefully bad. As a character-driven genre story, the characters are one-dimensional. As a starring vehicle for Karl Urban, this is the worst thing he’s been in since Shortland Street.   

Mortal Kombat II isn’t the worst thing in theaters right now, but it’s a disappointment on every level. There’s not enough fan service to really please the franchise’s base, and there’s not enough substance to please anyone else. It’s flat, boring, and everything is covered in a grey tint that makes the film look like a cutscene from an early PS3 video game. Mortal Kombat II spends its last few minutes blatantly setting up a sequel, which is ironic because this awful film just performed a fatality on the franchise. It didn’t do the same to me, which is unfortunate; after all, I’d rather be dead than endure this low-effort crapfest ever again.

By Zack Zagranis
| Published 5 seconds ago

With all the talk of Marvel in decline, it’s easy to forget that the studio already hit its low point in 2023, and everything since has been an incremental improvement. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was Marvel’s biggest disappointment since the Spider-Man Clone Saga in the 90s (that’s a deep cut for all you old-school comic nerds out there) and had fans questioning if the House that Stark built was beginning to crumble.

The third Ant-Man movie was again helmed by Bring It On! director Peyton Reed based on a screenplay by Jeff Loveness. Reed teased that a third film in the Marvel franchise would explore the quantum realm during press for 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp. Both of the previous films had shown glimpses of the realm but only hinted at its true potential as a sci-fi action movie setting.

Shrinking Ant-Man To Nothing

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania follows superhero duo and romantic pairing Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne (played byPaul Rudd and Lost star Evangeline Lilly, respectively) as they get sucked into the quantum realm by Kang the Conqueror, played masterfully by Jonathan Majors. Along for the ride are Scott’s daughter Cassie, played by Kathryn Newton, and Hope’s parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (former Catwoman Michelle Pfeiffer).

Throughout their adventures in the quantum realm, a sort of Marvel version of the Star Wars galaxy that can only be reached by shrinking to sub-atomic size, the quintet comes across several interesting characters, including Bill Murray’s Lord Krylar and Corey Stoll’s M.O.D.O.K. Stoll, as many may remember, played Darren Cross (AKA Yellowjacket) in the first Ant-Man film.

Cross, thought to be destroyed at the end of the first movie, was instead transported to the quantum realm and transformed by Kang into a Mechanized Organism Designed Only For Killing. M.O.D.O.K. is essentially a giant head with a tiny body, forced to wear a hover helmet/chair in order to have any mobility.

Why Quantumania Failed

It all sounds like a fun, sci-fi romp on paper, but somehow didn’t translate well to the screen. Part of the blame can be placed on the shooting restrictions that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to push things around and reschedule shootings. Meanwhile, the movie’s visual effects suffered thanks to another Marvel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which stole most of the VFX workers that were supposed to be working on Ant-Man.

This led to substantial edits having to be made to Quantaumania so that scenes with unfinished VFX shots could be cut entirely. On top of that, the film made heavy use of Industrial Light & Magic’s StageCraft virtual production technology, the same equipment used in The Mandalorian and Thor: Love and Thunder. While the tech works fine with The Mandalorian, both Marvel movies ended up looking like a bunch of actors thrown into a PS4 game.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania cost an estimated $200 million to make and only grossed $476 million worldwide. While that seems like a pretty good haul (who doesn’t want to make double their budget?) it’s not as good as it looks. When the cost of advertising is factored in, along with the 50 percent of the profits that go to the theaters themselves, any profit Ant-Man 3 made was a pittance compared to some of the other Marvel blockbusters.

The Critical Destruction Of A Marvel Tentpole

If we’re being honest, however, the damage Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania did to Marvel’s reputation, their pride, and possibly even their future outweighs the money the film did or didn’t lose. The critical response to the film was largely negative, as evidenced by Quantumania‘s abysmal Rotten Tomatoes score of 47 percent. Audiences were slightly kinder, giving the movie a “B” on CinemaScore’s A+ to F scale.

The movie was the centerpiece of the first really serious think pieces about superhero fatigue, Marvel fatigue, and the just plain fatigue felt by the entire movie industry post-pandemic. Does the movie deserve all the crap it gets? The best way to answer that is to see for yourself. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is currently streaming on Disney+

Late NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and his wife, Samantha Busch, helped welcome more than 100 babies, conceived through IVF, as part of their Bundle of Joy Fund.

Kyle, who died on Thursday, May 21 at age 41, and Samantha, 39, started the fund in 2015, inspired by their own fertility journey. The couple welcomed son Brexton via IVF that same year, and later daughter Lennix in 2022.

The Bundle of Joy Fund touts on its website that it has “awarded over 150 grants valued at more than $2 million, helping bring over 100 beautiful babies into the world.”

Kyle died unexpectedly after being found unresponsive in a racing simulator and rushed to the hospital on Wednesday, May 20.

“The medical evaluation provided to the Busch Family concluded that severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications,” his family said in a statement on Saturday, May 23. “The Family asks for continued understanding and privacy during this difficult time.”

Kyle’s death came less than a year after Samantha opened up about the struggle that the couple went through after Brexton was born and they desperately tried to have a second baby. That included what she called a “very sudden miscarriage” that put a strain on their marriage.

“We had a lot of marital struggles because we had never dealt with something so heavy and we didn’t understand how each other were grieving and we didn’t understand what each other needed in that time and place, so it was a struggle,” she explained in a July 2025 episode of the “Unlocked with Savannah Chrisley” podcast. “So we worked on it. We worked really hard. We went to marriage counseling.”

She continued, “I just had this immense guilt and I was so mad at myself for it. Kyle, on the other hand, he was like, ‘You know, I’m not trying to sound cold, but it’s done. There’s nothing that you can do to change this outcome. We have to keep moving forward.’”

Related: Kyle Busch’s Wife Samantha Breaks Down in Tears Ahead of Moment of Silence

Samantha Busch (née Sarcinella) was brought to tears ahead of a moment of silence at the Indy 500 that honored her late husband, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch. Clutching the shoulder of son Brexton, Samantha, 39, was overcome with emotion while one of the event’s announcers paid tribute to the Busch family at the Indianapolis Motor […]

After Brexton was born, Samantha said, the couple tried to conceive again via IVF. When that didn’t work, they considered using the help of a gestational carrier. But after considering several candidates, including a stranger that approached Samantha on social media, that option fell through as well. She and Kyle again turned to IVF, and Samantha found herself pregnant with twin girls.

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“We went back two weeks later and both of them were gone,” Samantha said. “Unfortunately, my body thought I was still pregnant and wouldn’t miscarry, so my body was growing two empty sacs. I let that go for a bit until, unfortunately, I had to have a D&C two days before Mother’s Day.”

In one last attempt to have another baby, they went back to one of their potential carriers and Lennix arrived in May 2022.

Brexton and Lennix were both on-hand at the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 24, where their dad was supposed to race. He was honored before the event started with a moment of silence and the Amazon Prime broadcast went silent on the eighth lap, matching Kyle’s now-retired number with Richard Childress Racing.

Fleur Shomo has been by husband Caleb Shomo’s side long before he publicly came out.

Caleb and Fleur were first linked in 2010 and tied the knot two years later. Since then, Fleur has been by Caleb’s side while he was in the band Attack Attack before becoming Beartooth’s frontman.

In May 2026, Caleb came out as gay following fan speculation about his sexuality.

“There has been a lot of speculation surrounding my personal life as of late and I feel compelled to set the record straight before it affects those I love any further. I am a proudly gay man,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “This is something I’ve been unpacking and reckoning with in my life for quite some time now. It’s been difficult to navigate the feelings surrounding the subject and figure out what to do with this fact.”

Keep scrolling for everything to know about Fleur:

Fleur Shomo Is From the United Kingdom

Before meeting Caleb, Fleur was born and raised in London. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

Fleur Shomo Had a Podcast

Fleur previously hosted the “My Top 5” podcast from 2018 to 2022. On the show, Fleur spoke to multiple guests where they would rank their favorite things in a particular category every week including movies, TV shows, music and more.

Fleur Shomo Runs a Gluten-Free Page

In addition to hosting a podcast, Fleur runs an Instagram page titled @glutenfme. The account is dedicated to finding gluten free food items. Fleur launched the page in 2016 and last posted on it in March 2026. Not only has she highlighted her go-to gluten free snacks but also dishes from multiple restaurants around the world.

Fleur Shomo Worked on ‘The Pitt’

Since season 2, which premiered in January 2026, Fleur has been a background actor on The Pitt. Fleur opened up about her experience on the hit medical show ahead of the premiere.

“As a background actor on The Pitt for the past few months, it makes me so, so happy to see all the discussions, excitement & love for this show,” she wrote via Threads. “We only have one week left of filming & I already miss everyone who works on making it the top notch TV that it is. The cast & crew are all wonderful & deserve all the awards they’re getting.”

Fleur Shomo Proudly Supported Caleb Shomo After He Came Out

After Caleb came out as gay, Fleur took to social media to express her support for her husband.

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“Not really sure how to start this cause does anything even need to be said? But I guess I’ll just dive right in,” she wrote via Instagram in May 2026. “The past few months have been a very disorientating and hurtful time to navigate. For both of us. But I will always want to love, protect and support Caleb. I have cared more about his well being over the years than anything else in the world.”

Fleur added that while the situation has been “incredibly hard to figure out” for both of them, she wouldn’t trade any of their memories.

“Our nearly 14yrs of marriage was wonderful and full of so much fun, adventure & love. Nobody will know anything about our marriage like we do,” she continued. “And no one can ever truly know what depths of love exist between two people unless they are those people. I already miss it & my husband more than anything. Our story was a good one. And now it’s done.”

Meghan Markle is giving fans some insight into the cute nicknames she uses for kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Meghan referred to her kids as “Lil” and “Arch” in a video posted via the As Ever Instagram account on Sunday, May 24, discussing the brand’s iconic jams.

“Everyone in my family has a different favorite. My husband loves the raspberry,” Meghan, 44, said in the clip. “Lil loves the strawberry. Arch likes both.”

She added, “And I like the marmalade.”

The video’s caption offered more details about the history behind the jams — which started the entire brand.

“Inspired by the jams Meghan has created in her own kitchen and shared over the years, each spread reflects a small-batch, carefully balanced approach to flavor,” the caption read. “Bright and fruit-forward with just a hint of tartness and a whisper of lemon, these spreads are crafted to highlight each fruit’s natural essence without overpowering it.”

Sunday’s Instagram post is hardly the first time Meghan has offered details into her kids’ lives as they have grown older.

Earlier this month, the Duchess of Sussex shared an inside look into their family’s trip to Disneyland.

She posted a series of images via Instagram on May 13, captioning the carousel with a red heart emoji. The first image showed Meghan standing alongside her mother, Doria Ragland.

Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 4, also appeared in other images, wearing Mickey Mouse ears. The kids met several characters at the theme park and Lili even got a chance to hug Cinderella.

One photo showed Meghan and Harry holding hands with their two kids while walking around the park.

Meghan has offered her insight into her family life with Harry and the kids since welcoming Archie in May 2019. (Harry and Meghan wed in May 2018, and stepped back from the royal family in 2020.)

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“That man loves me so much. And, you know, look at what we’ve built,” Meghan gushed during an April 2025 appearance on the “Jamie Kern Lima” podcast. “We’ve built a beautiful life and we have two healthy, beautiful children.”

Elsewhere in the same interview, Meghan compared her life to Super Mario Brothers — complimenting her “very, very handsome” husband who has a “beautiful” heart.

“They’re like, ‘Slay the dragon, save the princess,’” she explained. “I’m like, ‘That’s my husband. He’s just out there. Just constantly — he’s just going to do whatever he can to make sure our family is safe and protected and we’re uplifted and still make time for date nights.”

David Letterman is keeping the heat on CBS over its controversial decision to cancel “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

As The Blast reported, Letterman recently returned to the Ed Sullivan Theater to stand with Colbert, rip CBS’s handling of the cancellation, and join him in a chaotic rooftop stunt. In an even more recent interview, the retired host has doubled down on his position, describing the network’s move as a “huge mistake.”

The situation surrounding Colbert’s firing continues to raise eyebrows as many suspect a twist involving Donald Trump, who shared an AI video mocking the comedian.

Letterman has reacted to Colbert’s firing from CBS, calling the network’s decision a “huge mistake.”

The legendary host headlined the famous late-night show from its inception in 1993 before passing the baton to Colbert in 2015. Ahead of the show’s final taping last week, he said the situation surrounding his successor’s exit marks a loss for American culture.

“Kind of makes me sad,” the 79-year-old funnyman said, per Today. “We always relied on you to read the newspaper in the morning, and at night, you would watch Johnny Carson. And Johnny would give you a perspective whether you agreed with it or not, but it was always funny.”

“And without that, I think we’re losing a valuable perspective. I think it’s very, very important to the American culture,” he continued.

He added elsewhere, “I think it’s too bad that Stephen is gone. I think it’s a huge mistake.”

Letterman And Colbert Trashed CBS In Rooftop Stunt

CBS announced in July 2025 that it was pulling the plug on Colbert’s show due to financial reasons, with reports suggesting it was losing up to $40 million. However, the news raised eyebrows, as it came shortly after the 62-year-old host used his nightly monologue to ruthlessly mock a controversial $16 million legal settlement involving the network’s parent company, Paramount, and Trump.

Despite their shared disappointment at the end of the Colbert “Late Show” era, the final episodes have appeared to take on a more celebratory tone.

In a clip shared on the show’s Instagram page, Letterman joined Colbert on the roof of the historic Ed Sullivan Theater to hurl set furniture, watermelons, and a custom cake off the side of the building toward a giant target featuring the CBS eye logo below.

Before leaving the rooftop, Colbert asked the late-night titan if he had any parting words for the audience. Turning his focus back to network executives, Letterman invoked the iconic sign-off of legendary CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow with a sharp twist: “Good night and good luck, motherf-ckers.”

Trump Keeps Mocking Stephen Colbert After CBS Exit

Amid the fallout, Trump has continued taking jabs at Colbert, making it clear he is thrilled the late-night host is no longer on air.

Following Colbert’s final show, the former real estate mogul took to his Truth Social platform, as well as his official page, to slam the comedian.

“Colbert is finally finished at CBS. Amazing that he lasted so long! No talent, no ratings, no life,” Trump wrote.

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“He was like a dead person. You could take any person off of the street, and they would be better than this total jerk. Thank goodness he’s finally gone,” he added. Trump then escalated the mockery by sharing an AI-generated video that depicted him walking up to Colbert, picking him up, and tossing him into a dumpster. The clip then cuts to the president dancing to Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.”

Fans Question Trump’s Priorities After Colbert Jab

However, the president has come under fire for his repeated jabs at Colbert, with many internet users questioning why he focuses on the late-night host rather than national issues.

“Can’t believe he’s running the country. What an embarrassment,” one X user wrote.

“Posting more boomer AI slop instead of fixing our broken f-cked up country. You really are useless,” another person wrote.

“In my total imagination, I would have never thought that an American President would post something so absolutely asinine. Does that make you proud that he is your President?” a third user quizzed.

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CBS’s New Host Says He Is Not Replacing Stephen Colbert

Colbert’s show is being replaced by the roundtable comedy talk show “Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen.”

Before Colbert’s firing, Allen’s show aired after his, but the media mogul has now taken over the slot, with CBS saying the move will bring “instant profitability” to the network.

However, Allen made it clear he is not looking to replace Colbert. In an interview with The Guardian, when asked whether he thought he would be able to keep Colbert’s viewers, Allen pushed back on the idea.

“It’s never been – I’m not trying to replace Colbert. I don’t think anybody can replace Colbert. I think he’s phenomenal. I think he’s fantastic,” he said.

“This is a show we’ve been doing for 20 years,” Allen continued. “And there’s nothing like it on TV right now where you have five comedians sitting around with one purpose: making people laugh.”

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He added that when the show first started, he set a clear rule for the comics: “No political humor, nothing racist, nothing sexist, nothing antisemitic, nothing homophobic, just be funny.”

Louisa Levy’s Off Campus continues its run at the top of Prime Video’s TV rankings this week, winning even more hearts with its “fake” relationship story adapted from Elle Kennedy’s book series. Starring Ella Bright and Belmont Cameli as lead characters Hannah Wells and Garrett Graham, the show has earned acclaim from critics and fans alike, becoming a new genre favorite for many. But in case that’s not quite your cup of tea, the platform still has a ton of other entertaining series you could check out right now. Here’s a look at three great shows that we think you should binge on Prime Video this week.

For more recommendations, check out our list of the best shows and movies on Prime Video.

1

‘Kevin’ (2026)

An adult-animated comedy series, Kevin was created by Aubrey Plaza and Joe Wengert and follows the titular house cat, whose life takes an unexpected turn when his humans break up. Arriving at a local pet rescue in Astoria, Queens, Kevin embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of his new, eccentric friends, leading to hilarious situations. Jason Schwartzman leads the star-studded voice cast as Kevin, with Plaza, Whoopi Goldberg, John Waters, Aparna Nancherla, Gil Ozeri, Carey Elwes, Amy Sedaris, and more voicing supporting characters.

Since its premiere on April 20, Kevin has had a mixed but generally favorable critical reception, and while the jokes may not all land on their feet, it’s an entertainingly weird sitcom that gets surprisingly sweet, even though it’s mostly filled with gross-out body humor. The show is not for everyone, but it is an enjoyable watch for pet parents and fans of Aubrey Plaza’s signature style of comedy. Add in the excellent performances by its ensemble voice cast, and you get one of the most engaging (if underrated) new comedies of the year.

2

‘Cross’ (2024–Present)

Adapted from James Patterson’s Alex Cross novels, Cross is a crime thriller series created by Ben Watkins that stars Aldis Hodge as the titular Washington, D.C., detective and forensic psychologist. The series takes an anthology approach, with each season following Cross on a high-profile, politically charged investigation, as well as exploring his personal psychological struggles. The show also features Isaiah Mustafa, Juanita Jennings, Alona Tal, Samantha Walkes, Caleb Elijah, Melody Hurd, and more in other key roles.

The first season of Cross premiered to mixed reviews in 2024, receiving criticism for its predictable narrative, but Season 2, released earlier in 2026, has raised the bar for the series, earning much better reviews and audience acclaim. Anchored by Aldis Hodge’s charismatic lead performance, the series is an enjoyable action show with interesting characters and original cases that capture the spirit of the source material without being a direct adaptation. It’s a great watch for fans of gritty TV crime shows, and easily one of Prime Video’s most underrated action series.

3

‘Gen V’ (2023–2025)

If you’re still reeling from the series finale of The Boys, then you really should check out this hit spin-off show. Developed by Craig Rosenberg, Evan Goldberg, and Eric Kripke, Gen V is set in the same universe as The Boys and follows young adult superheroes studying at the prestigious Godolkin University School of Crimefighting, who find their lives complicated by the secret politics and machinations of the superhero world. The series features an expansive cast that includes Jaz Sinclair, Lizze Broadway, Maddie Phillips, London Thor, Derek Luh, Asa Germann, Shelley Conn, Hamish Linklater, Sean Patrick Thomas, and the late Chance Perdomo in lead roles.

First released in September 2023, Gen V was a hit with critics and fans alike, and it got even more fascinating in its second season, which premiered in September 2025. Though it has since been canceled, the two-season series is a must-watch for The Boys fans, and not just because of its in-universe connections to the parent show. It’s a compelling, character-driven series that combines the franchise’s trademark chaos and gore with an enjoyable New Adult narrative, following the relatable struggles of college-aged adults in the context of a superpowered world.

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Release Date

September 28, 2023

Network

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Prime Video

Showrunner

Michele Fazekas

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Directors

Nelson Cragg, Clare Kilner, Philip Sgriccia, Sanaa Hamri, Shana Stein, Steve Boyum

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Writers

Craig Rosenberg

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  Jaz Sinclair

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  Marie Moreau

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  Lizze Broadway

  Emma Meyer / Little Cricket

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