Entertainment
Spider-Man Screening Rocked By ‘Horrific Fart’
Some “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” viewers will not forget this screening day in a hurry!
Cinema-goers trying to catch a glimpse of the box office hit reportedly encountered a rather shocking phenomenon which altered their experience, leaving them with varying expressions.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” starring Tom Holland, reportedly grossed about $360 million over its opening weekend at the domestic box office, breaking the debut box-office record set by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019.
The stench was strong enough to dismantle anxious movie lovers, but the same could not be said for the visibility of the culprit, who found a way to blend in with the crowd and rip one without getting caught.
As seen on X, footage from the venue showed the fans leaving in droves, covering their noses in sheer disgust. The caption read, “ALERT: ‘Horrific fart attack’ sent moviegoers running out of the theater in the middle of the new ‘Spider-Man.’”
While the rush to get out of the movie theatre went on, a “Spider-Man” wannabe in his costume was spotted doing next to nothing to salvage the situation. One X user declared, “Even Spider-Man couldn’t save the theater from that one. Bro turned the whole cinema into an evacuation drill.”
Social media commenters also gave the anonymous crowd disperser a well-earned “villain” title. This X subscriber added, “Man knows how to get a movie theater all to himself at the price of just one ticket.”
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” marks the Marvel franchise’s fourth installment, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, featuring real-life couple Tom Holland and Zendaya, who also played each other’s love interest in the movie.
New additions to the movie include Sadie Sink, who plays iconic mutant Jean Grey, Jon Bernthal, who plays the role of The Punisher, and Liza Colón-Zayas, who plays Detective Jean DeWolff. The history-making movie was released on July 31, 2026.
Inside Interesting Audience Review About The Latest Marvel Wonder
Since the public has begun catching up with the brilliance of all the individuals involved in bringing the new flick to life, several reviews have also trailed the over 2-hour watch.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” was set four years after Doctor Strange’s spell wiped Peter Parker’s existence from everyone’s memory, leaving him isolated, broke, and struggling to survive in New York.
As shared by Buzzfeed, a viewer, presumably after getting their cinematic experience, confessed that they started crying while it was at, prompting the couple next to them to subtly mock them for taking the movie seriously.
Another movie watcher tried to visualize the frustration Peter must have felt after hearing the words from MJ along the lines of not knowing him and not loving him because she does not have any memory of him.
This commenter described New York as one of the hottest spots for buzzworthy events this year, from the New York Knicks’ epic victory at the NBA Finals to Taylor Swift’s wedding and now to watching Peter go through the most.
“I understand Peter Parker on a deeper level because i, too, carry the emotional weight of zendaya not knowing i exist every single day (sadie sink would help),” this viewer stressed.
‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Makes Domestic History
The movie outpaced another Marvel’s masterpiece to become the biggest domestic debut in box office history at $360 million, compared to “Avengers: Endgame” at $357 million. On the global scale, however, according to Variety, it is the second-biggest worldwide debut at $932 million, trailing behind “Avengers: Endgame” with $1.2 billion.
That’s not all; the movie also set the record for the largest preview haul at $72 million, and the biggest opening day for a movie with $169.8 million. Enter into the spotlight, the delightful story of Holland, who is on his fourth son, as the franchise’s main man.
He gathered $880 million globally with the first installment, “Homecoming,” in 2017, then ended his 2019 global box office run with “Far From Home,” smashing $1.13 billion worldwide.
As if that was not enough, the British actor showed up in 2021 with the third installment of the franchise, “No Way Home,” powerfully raking in $260 million at the local box office and a crushing $1.9 billion from around the world.
Tom Holland Credited His Set Day Zen To Zendaya
The couple has dominated red carpets, celebrating the premiere of the flick in memorable looks and gestures that warm the hearts of fans endeared to them over the years. During an interview with Access Hollywood at the London premiere of the movie, Holland gushed about just how pivotal his partner was to the success of the project.
“Zendaya just always brings me an unbelievable sense of calm even in the midst of all of this craziness,” Holland remarked, as he watched Zendaya take the call for photographs on the red carpet.
The actress was also quick to praise Holland’s character as Spider-Man and how he embodied it to inspire little kids. She stressed that it felt good to know that the man behind the blue and red suit was equally kind and genuine.
Shortly before the exchange of praises, Holland was spotted spending time with a group of students in New York City, teaching them how to fine-tune their stunts before helping them bring the short film “Superkids” to life.
Inside The Couple’s Lengthy On-Screen And Off-Screen Relationship
Zendaya and Holland got introduced to the world as a duo on the first installment in 2017, after which they faced off on the “Lip Sync Battle in 2017. The movie stars left a lasting impression in people’s minds as Zendaya performed Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic” and Holland a fine mashup of Gene Kelly’s “Singin’ in the Rain” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella.”
As noted by NBC New York, four years after their big-screen debut, the duo were spotted kissing in Los Angeles, confirming a relationship, but went on to remain very tight-lipped about their private life.
The couple was hit with engagement rumors last year when a big rock was spotted on Zendaya’s left finger at the Golden Globe Awards in January. The iconic piece was a Georgian-inspired 5-carat east-west cushion-cut diamond ring by Jessica McCormack.
An extra-thin band was added to the collection in 2026, noticed by fans and then followed by a controversial confirmation of a wedding by Zendaya’s stylist, Law Roach. Holland had also revealed during an interview in June that his family was present at their secret wedding.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day” fans are getting the full package!
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Every decent action movie is thrilling, but not every action movie is a thriller. If ever there was a more pedantic splitting of hairs to make when it comes to genre categorization, I don’t know what it would be. But this is an online list written by someone with too much time to overthink movies on a site frequented by people with equally too much time to argue over those movies, so pedantry is the word of the day. What we’re looking for are those movies where the action puts you on edge more than blows you away, where you genuinely get nervous for the protagonists because they’re not going to make it out alive.
It helps if the protagonist isn’t some He-Man who can shrug off bullet wounds like bee stings and whose human frailty is part of their particular charm — think John McClane in Die Hard instead of John Matrix in Commando. Baseline established, there are actually many films that properly fit the bill, and many of them do so perfectly. I won’t try to define perfection in this context, but if it’s a movie that thrills you from start to finish with some solid action set pieces, it’s qualifying here. These are ten action thrillers that are perfect from the first scene to the last.
‘Duel’ (1971)
Steven Spielberg‘s first feature film, Duel is a no-frills road thriller that paved the way for his future success and showcased his natural talents. Based on a short story by Richard Matheson, who also wrote the script, Duel was produced as an ABC Movie of the Week, but its success led Universal to give it a theatrical release internationally, with additional footage added by Spielberg. Whichever version you watch, it’s abundantly clear that Spielberg’s skill elevates the film from any other bog-standard television movie from the era.
David Mann (Dennis Weaver) is a traveling salesman on a driving trip through the deserts of California. His trip takes a serious wrong turn when he passes a semi-truck that then starts to terrorize him. The driver of the truck is never seen except for some small glances at his appendages, and the way Spielberg shoots the truck at low angles gives it a demonic sort of presence. The truck is as much a villain as the shark in Jaws. It’s a movie that might not work as well if it were made in the post-smartphone era, but which captures the anxieties of long, lonely drives incredibly well.
‘The Driver’ (1978)
From the lost highways of the Mojave to the mean streets of Los Angeles. Walter Hill‘s minimalist action-thriller The Driver was eviscerated by critics when it was originally released. Initially deemed violent and pretentious, it’s since undergone a reappraisal thanks to several prominent filmmakers who have called it a major influence. It’s a stripped-down neo-noir thriller that may be light on characterization, but it’s heavy with atmosphere, style and thrilling action.
The Driver (Ryan O’Neal) specializes in getaways, offering his specialized services to criminals with enough cash to meet his price. He’s caught the attention of the Detective (Bruce Dern), who’s hellbent on catching him, and the Player (Isabelle Adjani), a gambler who gets drawn into his orbit. You’re not going to learn the names of these characters, and what exposition or backstory that is offered is sparing. The Driver is Hill operating with lean, mean efficiency, a 90-minute action with no time to spare. It gets in, gets the job done and gets out, and it does it all with style.
‘To Live and Die in L.A.’ (1985)
William Friedkin already had two thrilling masterpieces under his belt, The French Connection and Sorcerer, with The Exorcist sandwiched in between. Sorcerer failed to hit at the box office, and his career was never truly the same after, but he continued to deliver exemplary thrillers until his death in 2023, and To Live and Die in L.A. is right at the top of that list. Based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Petievich, it follows Secret Service agents and their attempt to bring down a notorious counterfeiter by any means necessary.
Richard Chance (William Peterson) has been assigned to Los Angeles to combat counterfeiters. When his partner is killed by the ruthless Rick Masters (Willem Dafoe), he makes a vow to get even. With a new partner in tow, Chance bends or breaks every rule he knows, slipping further and further into an obsessive abyss. To Live and Die in L.A. is a gritty, grimy action-thriller of moral relativism that’s been lauded for its mid-film car chase, which still ranks among the best, and is now considered a seminal ’80s crime film.
‘City on Fire’ (1987)
If you haven’t seen Ringo Lam‘s heist-thriller City on Fire, you may have at least heard it referenced as the film Quentin Tarantino “plagiarized” for Reservoir Dogs. There’s no use in relitigating that argument, since both directors have since spoken about it, except to say that there is so much more to City on Fire than being a part of Tarantino’s pastiche. Particularly when it comes to its action, it’s a clear inspiration for many other high-octane Hollywood films, alongside the work of Lam’s Hong Kong contemporaries, John Woo and Tsui Hark.
Ko Chow (Chow Yun-fat) is an undercover cop placed within a crew of jewelry thieves. His morals and mettle are tested as his personal life begins to fray, and he begins to bond with members of the crew, all while a dedicated inspector is dead set on taking them all down for killing a cop on their last job. Every character in City on Fire feels like they’re living on a razor’s edge. Tensions boil over repeatedly, and by the end the bodies really start to stack up. City on Fire is an incendiary action-thriller that’s grittier and nastier than its Heroic Bloodshed brethren, with characters that shed plenty of blood, sweat and tears together.
‘Heat’ (1995)
If we’re going to mention action-packed heist movies, we can’t ignore Michael Mann‘s magnum opus, Heat. It’s an epic, sprawling crime thriller that first brought together two titans of cinema to share the screen for a showdown. Al Pacino and Robert De Niro square off as a cop and a professional thief, respectively, circling each other in the streets of L.A., each determined to take down the other should it come to trading bullets.
Neil McCauley (De Niro) runs a tight crew of criminals who specialize in armed robbery. Vincent Hanna (Pacino) is the robbery-homicide detective determined to take them down, even if his personal life crumbles in the process. There are a lot of crime movie archetypes in the mix of Mann’s film, but all of them are played with such specificity by the immaculate cast that they never feel rote. Mann’s direction is also so rooted in deep research of both cops and criminals that it lends the film an authenticity even when it explodes with grandiosity. Heat established a more militaristic kind of heist thriller that everything from The Town to The Dark Knight owes a debt to.
’Crimson Tide’ (1995)
If you want high stakes and taut tension, submarine movies have got you covered. There are a fair few of these movies, but if you want the movie that took the subgenre to its max, watch Tony Scott‘s Crimson Tide. Russia still features in the plot of this underwater action movie, but the tension is all between the two men whose names are above the title.
After civil war erupts in Russia and nationalists take control of a missile silo, Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington) is sent to serve as the new XO on a submarine captained by Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman). When they receive potentially conflicting orders to launch their missiles, the two men clash over their next course of action. Crimson Tide raises the stakes with World War III as the ultimate consequence. Scott jacks the film up with his signature visual intensity, but still gives Washington and Hackman plenty of claustrophobic room to battle with their words and wits. It’s a nerve-jangling, sweat-inducing thriller that gives Scott plenty of high-tech toys to drive the tension, and he goes full ahead.
‘Black Hawk Down’ (2001)
90% of what the late Tony Scott directed were action movies, but his brother, Ridley, has also ventured into the genre with great success. Most of what could be considered action in his filmography are sword and sandal movies like Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven. For anything modern, it basically boils down to Black Rain, G.I. Jane and the intense war thriller Black Hawk Down. That film shares the military connection with G.I. Jane and the outlandish depictions of non-American cultures with Black Rain.
Based on the book by Mark Bowden, which chronicled the real-life Battle of Mogadishu, the film is a harrowing modern war epic with incredibly visceral action and graphic violence. It also reduces the Somali characters to an essentially faceless force, which is problematic, and people have argued whether it is anti-war or pro-war propaganda for a long time. Still, this movie should absolutely make you hate war for how much it makes it look like hell on earth, and under no circumstances should this be anyone’s inspiration for foreign policy.
‘Oldboy’ (2003)
While some of the previous films on this list might be a little nihilistic, none will have you feeling as bad as the end of Oldboy. This South Korean revenge thriller directed by Park Chan-Wook hit like a damn hurricane of shock and violence, offering a twisty and twisted plot about trauma, guilt, and the cycle of revenge that also has some very memorable fights along the way. It’s the second installment of Park’s Vengeance Trilogy, and it was one of the heralds of the 2000s breakthrough of Korean cinema into America that also brought directors like Bong Joon-ho and Kim Jee-woon to Hollywood.
Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) is just another drunk businessman when he’s abducted and imprisoned in a room for fifteen years with no explanation. When he’s just as summarily released, it sends him on a dark journey to look for answers, and it leads him somewhere even darker. If you don’t know the ending to Oldboy, it’s best to just experience it for yourself, and if you’re already thinking it might be too much for you, it probably is. If you don’t think you’ve got the stomach for it, at least watch up until the iconic long-take action scene where Oh Dae-su takes on a dozen men armed with only a hammer and his steadfast refusal to quit.
‘The Night Comes For Us (2018)
What Oldboy was also an early harbinger of was a new ultraviolent intensity in action movies that continues to dominate in the 21st century. The heroes of these movies all take damage, and it is painful as hell. They come from all over the world, but if there’s anyone who really puts everyone on notice, it’s Indonesia, first with The Raid, and then with the brutalizing The Night Comes for Us. Both are amazing action thrillers, but the latter is the pinnacle of the ultraviolent subgenre.
There are more violent movies than The Night Comes for Us, but they’re also horror movies. This action-thriller, directed by Timo Tjahjanto, is certainly horrifically violent, but it’s not horror. The plot, which is only there to justify the fight scenes, involves Triad enforcer Ito (Joe Taslim), who turns on the syndicate in order to save a little girl. Wave after wave of henchmen are then sent his way, and he breaks dozens of bones and severs multiple arteries to keep the girl alive. The Night Comes for Us is a dazzling display of brutality that will have you as impressed as you are disgusted.
‘The Killer’ (2023)
David Fincher‘s The Killer is a dazzling minimalist action-thriller that carries on the tradition of detached cinematic hitmen. The hitman here is played by Michael Fassbender as the most lethal assassin in a gig economy. The Killer is a thoroughly modern movie that shows its hitman ordering his supplies over Amazon as opposed to some black market dealer. The movie carries the same kind of wicked sense of humor that infects Fincher’s other thrillers, allowing the director to flex some proper action muscles that weren’t as utilized in his prior films.
The Killer (Fassbender) is on assignment in Paris when he misses his target. The fallout from the botched assassination cascades, and the Killer goes on a globe-trotting effort to take out those who tried to have his loose end tied up. He works his way up the food chain with efficiency, but some of the best bits are when his calm and collected plans don’t go accordingly, and he has to hastily improvise. They’re what makes the movie funnier than it seems like it should be, but it’s never far from putting you back on edge with a perfectly timed fight scene.
Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4, Episode 2.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been a standout in the Star Trek franchise thanks to its ability to play with different genres. Over the course of four seasons, there have been episodes that took place within a fantasy realm, a murder mystery, and even a full-blown musical. Season 4 takes this up a notch with its latest episode, “The Griffin Incident,” where members of the U.S.S. Enterprise stumble across a Starfleet vessel that mysteriously disappeared years ago. They soon learn that the ship isn’t as abandoned as they thought, and suffer a series of psychological torments before being rescued. Strange New Worlds is no stranger to horror, but “The Griffin Incident” is on a whole other level.
It’s the final moments of the episode that prove to be the most interesting. After the Enterprise rescues Kirk (Paul Wesley), Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding), and La’an (Christina Chong) from the Griffin‘s clutches, a section of Starfleet known as “Division 12” is contacted to study the haunted ship. According to Captain Pike (Anson Mount), Division 12 is a group of “Starfleet analysts who explore unexplained phenomena,” and this isn’t the first time he’s been in touch with them. The idea of a Starfleet division that explores the mysteries of the universe is ripe for a spinoff series and the best way to push the Star Trek franchise forward.
A Division 12 Series Could Explore Hidden Corners of the ‘Star Trek’ Universe
If Division 12 got its own series, it’s a chance for Star Trek to further explore some of its biggest mysteries. There are still a lot of mysterious figures within the franchise, most notably the reality-bending Q (John de Lancie) and the other members of the Q Continuum, or the Guardian of Forever, who was first introduced in the iconic Star Trek: The Original Series episode “City on the Edge of Forever.” Revisiting those characters could touch on different aspects of beloved Star Trek series, and give Trek fans a deeper appreciation of the overall franchise. There’s also the matter of the other times that Division 12 has crossed paths with Pike, which begs the question: what did he find too strange for the Enterprise to explore?
Division 12’s mission to explore the unexplained also brings another iconic science fiction series to mind, namely The X-Files. That series featured FBI agents Mulder (David Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) delving into cases that featured paranormal phenomena, and even spawned a franchise of its own. One episode of The X-Files revealed that there was a government division known as the “Majestic 12,” which operated out of Area 51 after the infamous Roswell Incident. It’s not a stretch to imagine that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds brought in Division 12 as a homage to that same group.
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ Continues A Tradition Set By Other ‘Star Trek’ Spinoffs
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds isn’t the first Star Trek series to reveal a hidden part of Starfleet. That’s been a tradition stretching back to other Trek spinoffs, most notably Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and its revelation of the secret intelligence organization known as Section 31. Star Trek: Enterprise introduced the concept of the “Temporal Cold War,” and Starfleet agents who fought to preserve the timeline. Deep Space Nine writer Ira Steven Behr, who penned the episode that introduced Section 31, said he was inspired by a line Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) says in the series about “being a saint in paradise” and wanted to further explore what that meant:
“Why is Earth a paradise in the twenty-fourth century? Well, maybe it’s because there’s someone watching over it and doing the nasty stuff that no one wants to think about.”
That same approach should be applied to a potential Division 12 series, if it ever comes to fruition. Though next year will mark the end of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, “The Griffin Incident” just introduced a unique way to continue the franchise on television.
- Release Date
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2022 – 2027-00-00
- Network
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Paramount+
- Showrunner
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Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman
- Directors
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Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman
- Writers
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Onitra Johnson
Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper are at the center of speculation after their latest public outing fueled marriage rumors. The couple, who have been dating since 2023, recently stepped out wearing matching bands on their ring fingers, prompting many to ask whether they secretly tied the knot. While they have made occasional public appearances together, the pair generally avoid discussing their romance publicly.
On August 3, photographers caught up with Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper as they walked the streets of Paris. The couple, dressed in simple workout clothes and sunglasses, were spotted holding hands as they made their way to their destination, each carrying a water flask.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Hadid and Cooper, who have been in a romantic relationship since 2023, wore identical bands on their respective ring fingers, leading many to speculate that they secretly got married. Later that same day, they were again photographed in different clothes wearing their rings.
Reports noted that two days prior, Cooper was spotted going to the gym without a ring on his finger.
While some were excited by the idea of Hadid and Cooper marrying, others noted that merely wearing matching bands does not corroborate their union. “Matching rings don’t confirm marriage. Wishing them happiness, whatever the truth may be,” one user commented.
The Couple Has Attended Some High-Profile Events This Year
Before their recent Paris trip, Hadid and Cooper were spotted attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding on July 3. The model wore a sparkling pink dress while the actor donned a classic tuxedo.
In May, Hadid walked the Met Gala carpet and posed for photographers alone, but as reported by The Blast, Cooper made a brief appearance at the event. She also gave a rare comment about her relationship with the actor while discussing her “happy place,” citing her daughter and Cooper.
“When I think about Khai, maybe I’m giving joy. And then I’ll serve something else to Bradley for the camera,” she said.
Despite being together for three years, the couple has never made their relationship red carpet official.
Gigi Hadid And Bradley Cooper Are Notoriously Private
Hadid and Cooper have both had high-profile relationships in the past. The actor was briefly married to actress Jennifer Esposito, and he was also in a four-year relationship with model Irina Shayk, with whom he shares a daughter. Hadid, on the other hand, dated former One Direction singer Zayn Malik on and off from 2015 until their permanent split in 2021. They welcomed daughter Khai in 2020 and remain co-parents.
Hadid and Cooper maintain a low profile, choosing to keep much of their romance out of the public eye. While the model has shared a few rare comments about their relationship, Cooper has refrained from commenting on it publicly.
For her 30th birthday in 2025, Hadid posted a carousel of photos from her celebration, including one where she was captured kissing Cooper.
The Model Gushed About Her Partner In Vogue
Hadid previously opened up about the challenges of dating, saying the experience can be difficult even for her friends who aren’t public figures. She explained her need for privacy when it comes to personal matters, especially after becoming a mother and feeling the need to protect her child.
The model didn’t share many details, but she offered a glimpse of her relationship with Cooper, which she described as “very romantic and happy.”
“I feel that he gives so much to me: encouragement and, just, belief,” Hadid told Vogue in 2025. Hadid added that she and the actor were on the same page, and she felt lucky to have found him.
“You both do work separately to come together and be the best partner that you can be. I just feel really lucky. Yeah, lucky’s the word,” she said.
Insiders Shared Bradley Cooper’s Intention To Marry Gigi Hadid
While the couple has not confirmed whether they tied the knot, many are convinced they are now married. In late 2025, as reported by The Blast, sources shared that the actor intended to take the next step in their relationship.
According to reports, Cooper asked Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, for her daughter’s hand in marriage. “He wants her to know how serious he is about Gigi,” the insider claimed.
Given how private the couple has been about their romance, it may be some time before fans learn whether the marriage rumors are true.
Sports may not be for everyone, but comedy sure is! When it comes to television‘s greatest comedies, we often think of family sitcoms or workplace comedies; rarely do sports-themed shows come to mind at first. But then, when we really think about it, we realize that some of our favorites are among the best of the best. This list is meant to celebrate those titles.
Though there are many other shows that could have easily slipped in, these shows are the champions of the world. From coaches that bring inspiration beyond their team to athletes whose egos know no bounds, many of these sports shows use the game as the canvas for exceptional characters. No matter the game or the subject, they have brought us hearty chuckles and moments of inspiration that have stayed with us for a long time.
10
‘Shoresy’ (2022–Present)
Perhaps you’re arriving at this entry unaware of this show, but Shoresy is one of the most underappreciated comedies in recent memory. Created and starring Jared Keeso, Shoresy is a spin-off of Letterkenny, the 12-season comedy about the adventures of the residents of the fictional rural Ontario community. One such resident is the titular character. The series follows Shoresy (Keeso), the foul-mouthed hockey trash-talker on a quest to save the struggling team, the Sudbury Blueberry Bulldogs, a lowly Senior AAA hockey team. With a mission to “never lose again,” Shoresy completely revamps the locker room culture and recruits a colorful cast of gritty players to turn their losing streak around. Five seasons in, the series progresses past his initial playing days, transitioning into a mentor role, tackling sports talk commentary, and dealing with the changing, increasingly physical nature of hockey.
Jam-packed with non-stop crude humor, rapid-fire insults, and raunchy locker room banter, Shoresy is the modern take on the classic hockey film, Slap Shot. Beyond the vulgarity is a show with genuine heart, deep loyalty, and emotional depth. The series highlights a diverse, tight-knit group of athletes bonded by fierce love for the sport and pride for the community. Shoresy transitions a one-note joke character from the original series and turns him into a deeply passionate and hilarious character who just so happens to be surprisingly wholesome. Keeso makes Shoresy a character you want to champion. It’s certainly a “dudes rock” comedy, but it’s not one that alienates viewers. If you like underdog stories, adversity on the ice, and training monologues, Shoresy has you covered. Don’t fret that it may be too grotesque for you; Shoresy has more heart and charm than you’d imagine. With a fast-paced format of short episodes, you’ll end up binging the series quite quickly.
9
‘Eastbound & Down’ (2009–2013)
HBO was dominated by a certain fantasy series during the early 2010s, but during that era, there was a sports comedy you certainly saw commercials for: Eastbound & Down. Created by Ben Best, Jody Hill, and Danny McBride, the series follows Kenny Powers (McBride), an arrogant, washed-up former Major League Baseball star. After his career collapses due to his toxic personality, he returns to his North Carolina hometown of Shelby County as a middle school teacher, perpetually chasing a delusional comeback through chaotic misadventures in Mexico and local television. Eastbound & Down brilliantly subverts the sports comedy genre as chaotic humor anchors the series through a deeply dark character study of an egoist refusing his own obsolescence. It balances offensive, over-the-top comedy with moments of pathos about failure, aging, and redemption.
McBride shines brightly as he introduced the world to one of the most iconic characters of his career. Kenny Powers is a powerhouse. He has zero self-awareness and endless toxic bravado, and yet we don’t dismiss him because his journey to rock bottom and fight to leave it is relatable. Keny believes he belongs on top, turning his constant self-sabotage into a hilarious spectacle. Kenny is the ultimate embodiment of the desperation for the American Dream. In turn, the series is a wonderful satire that makes his failures repulsive and magnetic. Kenny is only as good as the individuals he surrounds himself with. Steve Little as Stevie, Kenny’s pathetic, fiercely loyal sidekick, and John Hawkes as Dustin, Kenny’s brother who is forced to serve as his grounded foil, build a world that lasts for four seasons. Each season reinvents the show by placing Kenny in a new environment with fresh targets for his chaos. Eastbound & Down treats professional sports and fame not with reverence, but as a gritty, greasy machine.
8
‘Blue Mountain State’ (2010–2011)
Between playing a hero like Aquaman and long before becoming the ultimate warrior as Jack Reacher, Alan Ritchson made a name for himself as a complete buffoon as Thad Castle on Blue Mountain State. He was the heart of the completely hilarious and totally unhinged comedy created by Eric Falconer and Chris Romano. The raunchy sitcom follows a fictional Midwestern university and its powerhouse college football team, the Mountain Goats. Alex Moran (Darin Brooks) is a talented backup quarterback who prefers the low-stress life of a second-string player so he can focus on partying. Thad Castle (Ritchson) is an overtly intense captain and linebacker who is known for extreme hazing rituals and undergoing completely uncouth antics. Coach Marty Daniels (Ed Marinaro), the former NFL player and head coach, is grossly obsessed with winning, doing whatever it takes to lead his team to victory. And then there is Sammy Cacciatore (Romano), Alex’s best friend, who is not altogether there, becoming the team’s eccentric mascot. Modeled after classic 1980s and 90s college party movies like Animal House and American Pie, Blue Mountain State focuses on crude humor, absurd situations, and fraternity culture with the actual sport sprinkled in as the backdrop.
Blue Mountain State may not have been your college experience, but it leans completely into unhinged, high-energy college humor. It mixes outrageous party culture, raucous locker room hilarity, and memorable, cartoonish characters that elevated it to its legendary status. Other football shows of the time focused on growing as individuals and winning as a team; Blue Mountain State couldn’t care less about that. There was never any preaching or moral lessons. Everything was for a laugh. These student athletes just wanted to have fun. And fun they had. The writers pushed boundaries with absurd, no-holds-barred jokes that fully committed to the bit. It’s why Ritchson became an instantly memeable character who could have lived long beyond the show’s three-season run. To be fair, Ritchson does not get the praise for his comedic prowess, as Thad Castle is one of the greatest and most ridiculous characters of the 21st century. Blue Mountain State is pure, unadulterated fun. It’s completely self-aware and highly entertaining. Earning a cult following and a feature film following its ending, Blue Mountain State‘s infectious energy made it a brilliant single-camera sitcom whose mission is to make you escape reality and laugh.
7
‘Sports Night’ (1998–2000)
Aaron Sorkin may be best known for The West Wing, but just before the legendary show’s arrival, he delivered one of his greatest and most underappreciated shows: Sports Night. Running for two seasons on ABC, the critically acclaimed comedy follows the behind-the-scenes chaotic environment, personal relationships, and professional ethics of the staff producing a fictional, live nightly cable sports news program. Casey McCall (Peter Krause) and Dan Rydell (Josh Charles) are charismatic, fast-talking co-anchors and best friends on and off the screen. Dana Whitaker (Felicity Huffman) is the high-strung executive producer who keeps the show running under intense pressure. Friends since college, Casey and Dana must keep their romantic tension at bay as managing editor Isaac Jaffe (Robert Guillaume) hovers over his staff as a benevolent but uncompromising father figure. Following an ensemble of producers, associate producers, and writers who navigate office romances, corporate interference, and personal crises, Sports Night showcased Sorkin’s signature style of snappy, highly intellectual, walk-and-talk dialogue that defined his future works.
Sports Night was very much the precursor to The Newsroom. Part of the reason why Sports Night was abandoned was so Sorkin could focus on The West Wing. Nonetheless, the 45 episodes that did exist were sublime. The scripts were both witty and deeply rhythmic, making other television shows look slow-paced in comparison. Sports Night focused on themes of human ethics, friendship, and professional dedication rather than constant sports trivia. It was there to center the story. Sports Night was an example of brilliant ensemble work. In addition to Krause, Charles, Huffman, and Guillaume, the cast featured Joshua Malina, Sabrina Lloyd, Brenda Strong, William H. Macy, and more. We all had a fascination with ESPN’s SportsCenter; Sports Night gave us a chance to see what that experience was truly like.
6
‘The League’ (2009–2015)
We may not have the opportunity to play the game or even work in the front office, so we get to play pretend through fantasy football. And that was the premise of the beloved FX series The League. Created by Jeff and Jackie Schaffer, The League follows a tight-knit group of old friends in Chicago who care deeply about one another—so deeply that they use every opportunity to sabotage, insult, and make each other’s lives miserable over their obsession with winning their fantasy football league. Pete (Mark Duplass) is the laid-back, perennial league champion who coasts on natural talent. Kevin (Stephen Rannazzisi) is the league commissioner trying to balance his family life and his wife’s secret influence over his team. Jenny (Katie Aselton) is Kevin’s sharp-witted wife, who is often the best football mind in the house. Ruxin (Nick Kroll) is a paranoid defense attorney convinced everyone is conspiring against him. Andre (Paul Scheer) is a successful plastic surgeon who serves as the group’s constant punching bag and target of ridicule. And Taco (Jon Lajoie) is Kevin’s stoner younger brother, a part-time musician who barely understands football. The show borrows the loose, half-improvised, boundary-pushing style of Curb Your Enthusiasm to focus on adult humor, relentless trash-talk, and how the cutthroat desire to win bragging rights spills over into marriages, jobs, and daily life.
The League uses fantasy football as a brilliant vehicle for sharp, semi-improvised comedy about male ego, deep-seated rivalries, and brutal friendly abuse. The best part about the series is you don’t have to love football to appreciate The League. The core appeal is the comedic chaos. Non-fans can easily enjoy the rapid-fire insults, recurring bit gags, and the sheer desperation of adults treating a minor local trophy, The Shiva, and a last-place punishment, The Sacko, like life-or-death matters. The League was an NFL fan’s favorite thanks to the revolving door of stars that popped through, including Terry Bradshaw, Jay Cutler, Deon Sanders, Marshawn Lynch, and many more. And that’s on top of some of Hollywood’s funniest people. The League was the type of show that delivered memorable moments and quotable lines, all thanks to the stellar dynamic of the ensemble. With such strong improvisers, the structured outline allowed the likes of Kroll, Scheer, and Duplass to do what they do best. The cast worked as an ensemble, supporting each other rather than fighting for individual punchlines, making the delivery feel authentic and unscripted. The League is a series of its time that just so happens to be timeless. Reboot when?
5
‘Brockmire’ (2017–2020)
Often you see Hank Azaria as a supporting player in comedies, but in Brockmire, he was the star. In the underrated hidden gem, Azaria plays Jim Brockmire, a famous Major League Baseball announcer who suffers a very public, profanity-laden on-air meltdown after catching his wife cheating. A decade later, he tries to restart his career by calling minor league games for the Morristown Frackers in a struggling Rust Belt town in rundown Pennsylvania. He works alongside Jules James (Amanda Peet), the hard-drinking team owner, and Charles (Tyrel Jackson Williams), an eager young intern. A star vehicle for a profoundly versatile performer, Brockmire sees Azaria’s stellar, fast-talking comedic prowess paired with a surprisingly deep look at personal redemption. Brockmire balances vulgar, sharp-tongued humor with genuine emotional heart, creating a heartfelt arc that works even if you do not care about baseball.
Across four seasons, Brockmire refuses to stay in a single lane. It evolves from a genuine redemption story as it makes way to tackle addiction, modern cultural absurdities, and even jumps forward into a satirical, dystopian future for baseball. Azaria infuses a classic announcer into his titular character. Having a rhythm and cadence with a classic vocal boom, Brockmire sounds like he could have come straight from any real MLB broadcaster booth. Azaria and Peet have wonderful chemistry. Together, they add a lovely layer of wit and wounded humanity to the truly rich narrative. They’re magnetic. Underneath the booze, ego, and rants, Brockmire treats its titular character with heartbreaking truth and actual emotional growth. Brockmire is poignant and messy, offering laugh-out-loud, profane sports commentary with deep emotional vulnerability. Brockmire is a must-watch.
4
‘Stick’ (2025–Present)
Perhaps thanks to the Ted Lasso boom, many streamers have tried their hand at sports comedies. While we have loved and admired shows and films like The Dink, The Hawk, and Running Point, the best new sports comedy is Stick. Created by Jason Keller for Apple TV, Stick stars Owen Wilson as Pryce Cahill, a washed-up former professional golfer whose career was ruined by an on-course meltdown decades prior. Struggling through a divorce and working in a golf shop, Pryce stakes his remaining hopes on mentoring Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager), a troubled 17-year-old golf prodigy. Pryce takes Santi under his wing to help shape the teen’s raw talent into professional potential, as they both deal with past trauma, broken family relationships, and the psychological hurdles of the game. Stick is a show that focuses on supportive, low-key community bonds and getting a second chance at life through the allure of the generation gap. Stick opts for understated, soulful humor and gentle pacing over loud, laugh-out-loud gags.
Like its Apple TV sports companion, Stick masters the comforting, low-stakes found family formula. You do not need to care about or understand golf to enjoy the character dynamics. The sport serves merely as a metaphor for dealing with past mistakes. Golf is treated as an internal battle of the mind, mirroring personal baggage and past mistakes. Wilson utilizes his strengths, bringing a signature laconic, wounded, and unexpectedly wise energy to a character looking for a second chance. The story may be about Pryce and Santi, but his chemistry with Marc Maron as a cynical former caddy Mitts and Mariana Treviño as Elena Wheeler, Santi’s fiercely protective mother, serve as the heartbeat of the piece. Oh, and if you’re a Timothy Olyphant superfan like myself, he’s a ham as Clark Ross, Pryce’s former playing partner and rival. Olyphant and Judy Greer, as Pryce’s ex-wife Amber-Linn, have been bumped up to main cast for Season 2.
3
‘GLOW’ (2017–2019)
Timing is everything, and unfortunately for GLOW, the timing couldn’t be worse as it was canceled just as it was about to blow up again. Nevertheless, the Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch-created comedy remains one of the greatest Netflix entries. Inspired by the real-life 1980s women’s professional wrestling promotion, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, the series, set in Los Angeles, follows a group of outcast women who learn to wrestle and build a campy, spandex-clad TV show under washed-up B-movie director Sam Sylvia (Marc Maron). They are led by Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), a struggling actress in 1985 who sees the wrestling show as her big chance at fame, and Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin), a retired soap star and Ruth’s former best friend who joins the cast after a personal betrayal creates intense real-life friction between them. The show pokes fun at and analyzes the over-the-top, stereotypical personas the women adopt for the ring. GLOW celebrated female artists and performers as they navigated sexism and searched for meaningful professional outlets in the entertainment industry.
GLOW was not only just a breath of fresh air, it was a brilliant female-led ensemble series with strong characters and daring scripts. It balanced sharp comedy with deep, emotional drama and tackled social issues without feeling preachy. The show thrives through its diverse cast of misfits, as each woman is allowed to grow beyond their initial 1980s stereotype. The standouts from the bunch included Britney Young, Gayle Rankin, Kate Nash, and Jackie Tohn. GLOW‘s brisk pacing and snappy, rhythmic narrative made every moment feel earned and exciting. GLOW is a seamless mix of genuine heart and neon-soaked ’80s fun. GLOW treats professional wrestling with genuine respect, using the mechanics of the squared circle as a brilliant mirror for personal conflict, teamwork, and breaking social stereotypes. GLOW remains one of the most important shows of the last decade.
2
‘Coach’ (1989–1997)
The late ’80s and early ’90s were known for some legendary sitcoms—Cheers, Seinfeld, The Golden Girls, Designing Women, Wings—but one of the very best that doesn’t always get lumped into that group is Coach. For nine seasons, the Barry Kemp series told the story of Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson), the obsessive head coach of the fictional Minnesota State University Screaming Eagles football team. Alongside his quirky, loyal, but dim-witted assistant coaches, Luther Van Dam (Jerry Van Dyke) and Dauber Dybinski (Bill Fagerbakke), Hayden balances his intense career with his personal life and romance. Most of the show centers around the pressure to win, locker room antics, and campus athletics at Minnesota State, but the heart of the series is the comedy surrounding the friction between Hayden’s total obsession with football and his relationship with Christine Armstrong (Shelley Fabares), Hayden’s smart, successful news anchor girlfriend and later wife, and his daughter Kelly (Clare Carey). Coach is the epitome of a classic sitcom, blending old-school comedy with genuine heart and soul.
Coach is comforting and harmlessly funny, where nothing terrible ever happens, and you just want the characters to succeed. Hayden brings light-hearted banter as Luther and Dauber provide lovable slapstick stupidity. And yes, that is the guy who voices Patrick Star. Coach succeeded because they balanced authentic collegiate and professional sports culture with genuine character heart, avoiding pure slapstick to focus on the human side of athletics. Throughout its run, the comedy was rooted in teal-world football culture as many NFL stars popped up, including Troy Aikman, Mike Ditka, Eddie George, Frank Gifford, Joe Thiesmann, and Johnny Unitas. Coach was meant to have a sequel reboot in 2015, but sadly it was canceled. Nevertheless, Coach remains an integral product of the decade. Whenever you hear the theme song, which just so happens to be the real-life Iowa State Fight Song, you’ll be transported back to Coach.
1
‘Ted Lasso’ (2020–Present)
There truly is no other show that sparks more joy and brings ultimate comfort than Ted Lasso. Developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly and based on a character Sudeikis portrayed in a series of promotional media for NBC Sports’ coverage of England’s soccer Premier League, the series follows Ted Lasso (Sudeikis), an optimistic American college football coach hired to manage a British soccer team, AFC Richmond. The club’s new owner, Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), originally hopes his total lack of experience will ruin the team out of spite, but Ted’s kind nature and relentless hope win everyone over. The series follows AFC Richmond’s journey through wins, losses, and major life changes. Over the seasons, the show explores mental health, personal struggles, broken relationships, and healing within the team and coaching staff in a heartfelt, vulnerable manner. Ted Lasso pairs a warm, fish-out-of-water sports comedy with deep emotional intelligence, using Ted’s relentlessly optimistic, biscuit-baking coach to subvert cynical tropes for morals and empathy.
Ted Lasso has given us all a reason to believe again. The titular coach is always offering a bevy of life lessons like “be a goldfish” and “be curious, not judgmental” in order to inspire players and audience alike. In turn, Ted becomes an individual who practices what he preaches. Ted Lasso is one of the most prominent series to discuss and address mental health, panic attacks, and toxic masculinity with surprising nuance. Ted’s golden-retriever outlook is balanced by real human vulnerability and hidden emotional depth. The series is filled with characters who grow and evolve from simple clichés into profound individuals. Ted Lasso boasts one of the greatest ensembles of the era, featuring Phil Dunster, Brett Goldstein, Nick Mohammed, Jeremy Swift, and Juno Temple. Ted Lasso is more than just the X’s and O’s. It’s a celebration of found family. As we celebrate the women coming to the pitch in Season 4, Ted Lasso remains at the top of the comedy list, regardless of the sports connection.
Ted Lasso
- Release Date
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August 14, 2020
- Network
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Apple TV
- Directors
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Declan Lowney, MJ Delaney, Erica Dunton, Matt Lipsey
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova is lending her unfettered public support to Sophie Cunningham as the basketball player continues to make headlines for her anti-trans views.
“Sophie is not ANTI-TRANS- rather she is PRO-WOMEN!!!,” Navratilova, 69, wrote via X on Sunday, August 2. “Wrong headline!”
The former tennis player reshared a post from the Telegraph, in which the news organization referred to Cunningham, 29, as “basketball’s new anti-trans MAGA poster girl.”
A social media user replied to Navratilova’s post, describing the ongoing political discourse surrounding trans athletes competing in sports “a non-issue.”
Days after Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham doubled down on her stance against transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, her podcast costar has taken a different point of view. “Transgender athletes in American sports is such a borderline non-existent issue,” Summer House alum West Wilson said in a video via TikTok on Saturday, July 25. […]
“There are zero trans athletes in the professional space and only like 10 in the NCAA to which it seems like no one knows their names so it’s not like they are dominating the space,” the user argued. (Fewer than 10 trans athletes compete in collegiate sports as of publication.)
Navratilova doubled down on her support of Cunningham’s anti-trans views, replying, “If it’s such a non issue, why the fuss? Maybe not an issue at WNBA but it sure is an issue in many sports, many countries.”
When another user called out Navratilova for being “anti-trans” too, the athlete fired back, calling the user “anti-women.”
Last month, Cunningham made headlines after she spoke to ESPN about her belief that trans women should not be allowed to compete in sports alongside cisgender women.
“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” the Indiana Fever player told the outlet in July. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think, with that, love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”
Cunningham’s controversial remarks earned swift backlash online and among her peers. Days later, the basketball player doubled down on her stance.
“I said what I said,” she told reporters at a July Fever practice. “I think it’s kind of common sense. I think I’ll always believe in that. I think it’s really important to protect children.”
Andy Cohen called out Martina Navratilova for making “ill-informed” remarks about surrogacy. The TV personality, 57, slammed the tennis star, 68, for her controversial comments on the Tuesday, August 5 episode of Sirius XM’s “Andy Cohen Live.” Cohen’s two children, son Benjamin, 6, and daughter, Lucy, were both welcomed via surrogacy and he took issue […]
Cunningham continued, “I’m not a very political person but I do have beliefs. I have morals and I’ll always stand on those and be true to who I am. People are going to take it how they want to take it, but I never really said anything about that. When it comes to protecting young girls in sport and women in sport, I feel very strongly about that.”
Cunningham insisted that despite her desire to exclude certain athletes from competition, she doesn’t “dislike anyone.”
“I think there is room for absolutely everyone here and I think there’s room to love everyone,” she said. “I truly think when you get people in the same room and have conversations, you have a lot in common with a lot of people. I’m there to love, but I’m also there to love biological women and I think there are rights that need to be protected. Whatever I say, I’m going to get hate and I’m going to get love. I beat to my own drum. People are always going to have something to say.”
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Just visit some the richest cities in the world, and you’ll find all the cool fashion girls reaching for gingham-print pieces. Scarlett Johansson is now part of the crew, wearing the chic style around North London. And surprise, we found her dress look hiding on Amazon for less than you might think.
Johansson was spotted walking around the capital city while wearing a breezy gingham-print dress, Mary Jane flats and a classy crossbody bag. Her easy-going outfit felt straight out of a countryside picnic. In particular, Johansson’s dress style leaned into everything we love about the gingham trend: the playful contrast, Parisian energy and laid-back, effortless feel. That’s why we’re getting the look for ourselves.
Get the Caracilia Gingham-Print Maxi Dress for $50 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
This Caracilia Gingham-Print Maxi Dress features adjustable spaghetti straps, a stretchy smocked back and a flowy A-line skirt that swishes when you walk. Maximizing comfort and style, it’s a wear-everywhere dress you’ll toss on for every activity, including Saturday lunches and long car rides.
Clearly, Gisele Bündchen knows all the flattering tricks in the book. Bündchen’s latest dress style secretly lengthens, snatches and smoothes, and we found her slimming look on Amazon. Psst, it’s marked down to only $37 (for now). In an Instagram post, the supermodel was seen dancing around Tahiti with her little one. In the photo, […]
One happy shopper who called it the “dress of the summer” wrote in a review, “The fit is incredible — it cinches perfectly at the waist, and the skirt flares out beautifully when you walk. I felt like I was in the south of France!”
Another Amazon customer who claims to have “broad shoulders, wider hips and a thicker middle” highlighted the fit. They shared, “Overall, it’s very flattering being fitted up top and disguising a wider middle with a small open peek in the back. Plus, pockets!”
In addition to the style and silhouette, this maxi dress has serious transitional power. Toss on a cozy cardigan or denim jacket once the mornings get cool, and suddenly, you’ve got a fall outfit that still feels fresh.
It’s clear that Johansson’s London look is totally worth copying. The gingham-print style is polished and playful, making it the dress you’ll wear for literally anything (and get compliments along the way).
Get the Caracilia Gingham-Print Maxi Dress for $50 at Amazon! Please note, prices are accurate at the date of publication but are subject to change.
Looking for something else? Explore more chic dresses here, and don’t forget to check out all of Amazon’s Daily Deals for more great finds!
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When Wonder Man premiered on Disney+ in January, it was clear from the beginning that Marvel had put out something special. The eight-episode comedy, which follows the character Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), is so much more than your average superhero fare. Instead, it’s an insightful look inside the entertainment industry, as well as an illustration of the heartache and struggle that goes into being a working actor — made all the more difficult if you’re trying to hide your superpowers.
Wonder Man features an incredibly talented cast, including Abdul-Mateen II, Ben Kingsley as his unlikely sidekick, Trevor Slattery, and even cameos by Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano as themselves. With glowing reviews and fan support, it came as no surprise when the series was renewed for another season two months after its release. That’s what makes the most recent news about Wonder Man all the more shocking — which doubles as an indication of a brewing problem in streaming TV.
‘Wonder Man’s Showrunner Is Also Surprised by Its Cancellation
Last week, Disney announced that it would not be moving forward with a second season of Wonder Man. What made the news all the more mystifying was the fact that Abdul-Mateen II received an Emmy nomination for his impressive work just a few weeks ago, boosting visibility for the Marvel series.
Wonder Man showrunner Andrew Guest seemed just as surprised by the announcement as everyone else, noting via TikTok that “contracts were signed. Schedules were cleared. The writers’ room was supposed to start this month, the production was supposed to begin early next year.” While explaining his confusion at the news, he added that “there was a decision made internally between Disney and Marvel that this didn’t make sense for them, even though a few months ago it did.” Guest’s comments also include an extremely relevant point about which shows Disney and Marvel are supporting: “I think there’s important conversations being had online about the kind of stories that we’re prioritizing and the kind of shows platforms want to make.”
It’s Growing Increasingly Difficult To Define What Makes a Streaming Show a True Success
Despite how heartbreaking it is to lose Wonder Man, the cancellation also emphasizes an even bigger question that’s been looming over the streaming industry: What makes a show truly worthy of another season? It used to be that awards recognition often boded well for renewal odds, but, despite recently earning Emmy nominations, shows like Wonder Man, Palm Royale, and Poker Face have still ended up on the chopping block.
Not even ratings are enough to ensure that a series can continue. The Boroughs seemed like a runaway hit for Netflix, climbing to #1 on the streamer, spending four weeks in its global Top 10, and amassing over 20 million viewers in just one month. Despite this, Netflix announced in June that The Boroughs would not be receiving another season, ultimately citing economic reasons. Some studios can’t justify the cost of expensive episodes that don’t truly bring in a return on their investment. In the case of Wonder Man, however, Guest isn’t even sure what exactly factored into the decision to cancel the show.
Viewers are already dissatisfied with what seems like an industry-wide reluctance to renew shows they’re watching and loving. Many don’t want to tune into shows that are just going to be unceremoniously cancelled. At times, it can feel like the commitment to starting a new show just isn’t worth it. Shows are no longer given breathing room to find their audience, or to really work out the kinks. And with painful cancellations like Wonder Man‘s, it seems as though there is no amount of critical acclaim or awards recognition that’s enough to guarantee a series’ longevity.
Wonder Man
- Release Date
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2026 – 2026-00-00
- Network
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Disney+
- Writers
-
Andrew Guest, Madeline Walter, Paul Welsh, Zeke Nicholson, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman
Sara Gilson did not have a will before her husband, Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey, fatally shot her then killed himself in a murder-suicide, according to probate documents filed nearly two weeks after her tragic death.
Gilson’s ex-husband, Lyle Landers, with whom she shared two children, claimed in newly filed court documents exclusively obtained by Us that the influencer died without a will and he is asking the court to block any beneficiaries of Duffey’s estate from inheriting anything from the social media star in the wake of her murder. She was 43.
In the docs submitted on July 29, Landers, 46, noted that since she was killed on July 23, he’s made a “diligent effort” to locate a will but hasn’t been “successful.
Landers noted that because Duffey, who was 47 at the time of his death, “intentionally an feloniously took [Sara’s] life” before dying by suicide, his designated beneficiaries “should be barred from inheriting from the decedent.” He cited Oklahoma law, arguing that the state previously ruled that “no person should be permitted to benefit from his own wrongdoing.”
The late influencer Sara Gilson’s ex-husband, Lyle Landers, has offered to pay for her funeral in the wake of her death in an alleged murder-suicide plot carried out by her estranged second husband, Jeremiah “Shawn” Duffey. Landers told TMZ on Thursday, July 30, that he promised Gilson’s parents that he would give her the funeral […]
Landers pointed out that per Oklahoma statues, “no person who is convicted of murder in the first degree, murder in the second degree, manslaughter in the first degree, as defined by the laws of this state” shall be able to “inherit from the victim of the offense, or receive any interest in the estate of the victim, or take any devise or legacy, or as a designated beneficiary of an account.”
He claimed his ex-wife left an estate consisting of personal property in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which he wants to ‘Preserve and protect” for their children.
Sara Gilson. Courtesy of Sara Gilson/Instagram
Landers is requesting that the court appoint him administrator of Gilson’s estate and guardian ad litem for their children. (A guardian ad litem is a person named by a judge to protect the best interests of a child or an adult who cannot speak for themselves in a court of law.)
According to his filing, Landers argued that his and Gilson’s children, Mia, 14, and Tye, 13, are still minors and “cannot adequately participate in protecting their rights” against Duffey’s beneficiaries possibly coming for Gilson’s estate.
Influencer Sara Gilson was allegedly killed by her estranged husband, Shawn Duffey, mere weeks after she allegedly accused him of being a pedophile. Tulsa’s ABC affiliate reported on July 23, 2026, that Gilson and Duffey were found dead in their Oklahoma City home after a fatal shooting. A juvenile family member present at the scene […]
Gilson’s ex-husband, who divorced from the content creator was finalized in 2019, is asking the court to determine the identity of her heirs at the next hearing.
News broke on July 25 that Gilson and Duffey were found dead in their Oklahoma City home after a fatal shooting two days prior. Investigators believe that Duffey broke into the house and opened fire on Gilson before taking his own life.
Prior to her death, Gilson claimed in a TikTok video that Duffey was a pedophile after he was accused in June of sexual misconduct by a 15-year-old female basketball player he was coaching. (“Preparing for when Netflix drops a documentary about my soon to be ex husband who I just found out is a pedophile,” Gilson wrote alongside the video, noting, “I wish I was kidding.”)
Sara Gilson and Shawn Duffey. Courtesy of Sara Gilson/TikTok
Following the allegations, both Gilson and the alleged minor victim filed for an emergency protective order against Duffey.
Us later confirmed that Gilson filed three separate protective orders against Duffey throughout their relationship. The first in August 2021, and the second in September 2021, were both dismissed that same year.
The third protective order filed in June was granted ahead of her death. Gilson claimed in her filing that Duffey had a “firearm on him” and “went on the run” after being accused of child abuse.
Influencer Sara Gilson’s ex-husband, Lyle Landers, allegedly “begged” her to leave her estranged husband Shawn Duffey before the couple’s apparent murder-suicide. “She had been stuck in a relationship where domestic abuse seemed ‘OK,’” Landers, 46, claimed in an interview with People published on Sunday, July 26, of his ex-wife, with whom he shared two kids, […]
Us confirmed on July 30 that an unidentified male called 911 for help before Gilson was killed. According to a radio log call from Gilson and Duffey’s home on the day of the murder-suicide, the male caller claimed he heard Gilson plead for her life to someone presumed to be Duffey who was in the room.
The man also told the operator that a child was in the home.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
For MCU fans, now that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has swung past, all eyes are on December and Doomsday. Marvel is gearing up for one of its biggest crossover events ever, which will serve as the culmination of the entire multiverse saga post-Avengers: Endgame. Anticipation is high to see how Anthony and Joe Russo unite characters like Thor and Steve Rogers with the newest teams on the block, the New Avengers and Fantastic Four, as well as the Wakandans and even the returning X-Men from the 20th Century Fox universe in a desperate struggle against Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doctor Doom. However, before that, gamers will get to experience an even wilder crossover of comic book forces.
This week, on August 6, Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will finally release on PlayStation 5 and Windows, marking Marvel’s latest venture into the 2D fighting game arena. Developed by Guilty Gear and Dragon Ball FighterZ masterminds Arc System Works and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game reimagines a roster of 20 iconic characters from the comic giant for a 4v4 tag team battle across a variety of locales from throughout the Marvel universe. Though players can assemble whatever teams they desire with whatever leader they like best, each hero or villain is divided onto one of five teams, including the Fighting Avengers, Unbreakable X-Men, The Amazing Guardians, The Knights of Doom, and Samurai Outriders. Captain America, Storm, Spider-Man, Doctor Doom, and Ghost Rider were each chosen to assemble the squads by The Promoter, who prepares them all for The Challenge of the Champion against a villain that threatens to destroy their world unless they can produce a worthy opponent.
The story isn’t the main focus of Marvel Tōkon, but the game does feature an Episode Mode following each of the five teams as they compete in qualifiers for a chance to fight the Promoter and The Champion himself. An Elder of the Universe, The Champion has laid waste to several worlds whose champions haven’t passed muster, including the Shi’ar homeworld of Chandilar, and now has Earth in his sights. Each team assembles for their own reasons to take down the threat, but before the game releases, Marvel Comics is providing a bit of extra context to this conflict. A companion anthology comic one-shot, titled Marvel Tōkon: First Strike, hits store shelves on August 5 and expands the story of each fighter and their new foes. A preview was just released, showing where the groups are and how they prepare for the coming battle, as well as revealing how The Promoter got involved in The Champion’s path of destruction.
The book opens with The Promoter commiserating with the Silver Surfer about her boss. Like many great Marvel characters, The Champion was forged in tragedy, belonging to a long-forgotten strong world whose civilization was destroyed in an invasion. He was the lone survivor and vowed to make all worlds strong enough to resist destruction, but to do so, he puts those worlds with unworthy champions through his training program, leading to their demise anyway. Even though The Champion saw promise in her and gave her a new purpose, The Promoter is conflicted about working for someone whose noble aims run up against violent methods. The remaining pages show the Avengers displaying their might by fiercely protecting Earth from an invasion by the Skrull and Kree armadas and Storm relentlessly training against simulated Sentinels to prepare for The Champion.
First Strike unites a team of talented writers, including Josh Trujillo, Steve Orlando, and Tom Waltz, as well as artists Bruno Bull, Athila Fabbio, and Ryusei Yamada, to tell three separate stories within the world of Marvel Tōkon. Expect big battles and a few mysteries that tie into the game’s narrative, particularly in relation to The Promoter and Champion, as well as a showcase of this colorful, poppy version of the Marvel universe. Capping off the comic is a cover by Juan Frigeri highlighting the stylish Promoter, who’s ready to kick off the high-stakes competition.
Marvel Tōkon: First Strike #1 goes on sale on Wednesday, August 5, before Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls launches on August 6 on PS5 and Windows. Check out the preview in the gallery above.
- Release Date
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December 18, 2026
- Runtime
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165 Minutes
Mary Rivera’s brief but unforgettable appearance in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” introduced millions of moviegoers to Ned’s Lola, a character whose Tagalog dialogue became one of the film’s most beloved moments.
Now, the actress’s family has announced that Rivera has died after suffering a serious health condition.
Her loved ones also revealed the difficult decision they faced in her final days, while reflecting on the pride she carried from becoming part of one of Marvel’s biggest blockbuster films.
Rivera, who portrayed Ned Leeds’ grandmother in 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” died on April 15 in Honolulu, Hawaii, according to her family. She was 82.
A relative told TMZ that the actress suffered a stroke that left her in “extremely serious” condition. Doctors reportedly warned the family that even if she emerged from the coma, her prognosis remained grim.
After hearing the medical assessment, Rivera’s family made the heartbreaking decision to remove her from life support.
Although her role in the Marvel blockbuster was relatively small, Rivera became a fan favorite after delivering a memorable scene in Tagalog, telling Spider-Man, played by Andrew Garfield, to clean up the cobwebs while Jacob Batalon’s Ned translated for her.
According to her family, Rivera had been “extremely proud” of appearing in the film, describing it as one of the “proudest accomplishments” of what they called a “good life.”
‘Spider-Man’ Casting Call Changed Mary Rivera’s Life
Rivera almost never auditioned for the role that introduced her to audiences around the world. In a 2022 interview with Hawaiʻi Public Radio, her daughter, Angie Kelly, explained that she stumbled across the opportunity while browsing social media.
“I happened to be on a friend’s Facebook scrolling and I see an ad, a casting call looking for a local Hawaiʻi Filipina grandmother between the age of 50 and 90,” Kelly recalled, adding, “And immediately I thought, ‘Oh, well my mom qualifies and checks off all those boxes.’”
Kelly said Rivera was initially reluctant to audition, but eventually agreed to record a self-tape with help from a family member.
“They just asked her to talk about herself and why she wanted to do the role,” Kelly explained. “My mom has worn many hats over the years. She was a radio broadcaster, a teacher, but most notable was her role as a mother and grandmother.”
That simple audition ultimately landed Rivera a place in one of Marvel Studios’ biggest films.
‘Spider-Man’ Role Introduced Filipino Culture To Global Audiences
Following the movie’s release, Rivera’s family watched her become recognizable to fans across the world as Ned’s Lola. Kelly said the experience remained surreal because, to her family, Rivera was simply a beloved mother and grandmother.
“It’s been an amazing adventure,” she said, further noting, “To us, she’s just my mom. But to the rest of the world, she’s Ned’s Lola.”
Kelly also praised the film for embracing Filipino language and culture through Rivera’s memorable scene.
According to her, “It’s humbling really, because never before in cinematic history really has there been a place for the Filipino language and culture. They did a really good job with paying attention to the details of our culture.”
‘Spider-Man’ Is Dominating Hollywood Again With Record-Breaking Box Office Success
The news of Rivera’s passing comes at a time when the “Spider-Man” franchise is once again dominating conversations across Hollywood.
While “Spider-Man: No Way Home” introduced Rivera to audiences around the world, the franchise has continued its momentum with “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which delivered one of the biggest opening weekends in movie history.
As The Blast reported, the latest installment earned $360 million during its North American opening weekend, overtaking “Avengers: Endgame”’s long-standing $357.1 million record to claim the biggest domestic debut in history.
Globally, the film opened to an estimated $932 million, making it the second-largest worldwide opening weekend ever, trailing only “Endgame.”
The blockbuster also delivered Sony Pictures’ biggest domestic and global debut, surpassing “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” while helping theaters achieve the highest-grossing weekend in North American box office history, with all films combining for roughly $430 million in ticket sales.
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the fourth “Spider-Man” film starring Holland also became the first movie since “Endgame” to cross the $300 million mark domestically in a single weekend.
‘Spider-Man’s Future Is Already Expanding Beyond Peter Parker
After turning unprecedented online excitement into record-breaking box office success, Marvel Studios is already looking ahead to “Spider-Man”’s future.
During a recent promotional push for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the studio teased that Peter Parker’s story is far from over, encouraging fans to “look beyond the Spider-Verse” as the next chapter of the web-slinger’s cinematic journey begins to take shape.
While “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” remains Sony Pictures’ highly anticipated animated finale, Marvel’s messaging has fueled speculation that Holland’s live-action Spider-Man will continue playing a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond his latest solo outing.
Kevin Feige has previously confirmed that discussions are already underway for Holland’s future appearances following “Brand New Day,” reinforcing that the character remains central to Marvel’s long-term plans.
With both the animated Spider-Verse saga and the MCU expanding simultaneously, fans have plenty of reasons to believe Spider-Man’s biggest adventures are still ahead.
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