First AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Trailer Assembles the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men

 
Something's coming...

Days before San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Marvel Studios has released the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday, the highly-anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film directed by Anthony and Joe Russo that will finally unite Marvel superteams the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.

The two-minute, twenty-second trailer opens with the unsettling image of a charred Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters sign as we hear a voiceover from Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.) who warns in a thick Latverian accent, "Something's coming..."

We see Professor X (Patrick Stewart) being blinded by a flashing glare, possibly from a universal incursion, as Doom's voiceover continues, "...Something we may not be able to deter. Before this day is done, we shall be faced with an unthinkable decision."

We shift to an overhead shot of Manhattan as we see the renovated Avengers Tower. Inside, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is giving a speech as we see him and the Fantastic Four enter. "I've fought with many warriors in my time," he begins as we see Sam Wilson as the second Captain America, the Winter Soldier, and Ant-Man. "They were far stronger than all of us put together..."

The camera pulls back to reveal the former Thunderbolts, now known as the New Avengers, are there as well. "...and they died," Thor says omniously. "They died facing enemies and threats that scared me far less than this one..."

We get a montage of fleeting images including Namor and Shuri as the new Black Panther as Talokan soldiers surround King M'Baku and his men. This is followed by Cyclops firing an optic blast and what looks to be an impressive fight between Shang-Chi and Gambit.

As we see the return of Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who is holding a Time Variance Authority (TVA) identification card, Thor continues his speech with "Everything that they sacrificed will be for nothing if we do not stand together." This is followed by the Thing shaking M'Baku's hand as he's accompanied the Invisible Woman, the Winter Soldier, and Joaquin Torres as the second Falcon.

"Put aside your petty squabbles..." Thor continues as we see Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) aiming her weapon at Mystique, who shapeshifts into a copy of Yelena, leading to a Yelena vs. Yelena fight. This is followed by a sad reunion of Professor X and Magneto. "...and presume nothing except this -- If you return, you will return as brothers and sisters." A montage of fleeting action images follows, ending with with Thor bringing Stormbreaker down on Doctor Doom, who blocks the weapon with two fingers.

"But mark my words, we're going to need a miracle," Thor concludes as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) steps into view. "Hey, pal," says Steve.

"It's not possible," replies Thor as we holds up his original hammer, Mjolnir. Saying nothing, Steve holds up his right hand and Mjolnir flies from Thor's hand to Steve's. Thor is stunned by this, while Steve simply looks down at Mjolnir and gives a small smile.

The trailer ends with the return of the Avengers theme music, followed by a countdown clock to Doomsday.

If you'd like to check out the new trailer, you can view it below thanks to the official Marvel Entertainment account on YouTube...

Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18, 2026.

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 374: "The Daleks' Master Plan Episodes 5 - 8" Is Up!

 
"Here's a toast, a Happy Christmas to all of us."
"The same to you, Doctor...Sara."
"And incidentally, a Happy Christmas to all of you at home!"
-- The First Doctor and Steven Taylor, Doctor Who: "The Daleks' Master Plan" Episode 7: "The Feast of Steven"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we discuss Episodes 5 through 8 of "The Daleks' Master Plan", the fourth serial of Doctor Who Season 3 from 1965-66, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom, and the return of Peter Butterworth as The Monk!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse and I trying to be cool, Jesse struggling with only the surviving audio, Peter Butterworth in Robin & Marian, Roy Evans appearing in David Lynch's The Elephant Man, Episode 5 ("Counter Plot" being recovered in 1983 from the basement of a Mormon church in South London, Sara Kingdom originally being conceived as Bret Vyon's lover instead of his sister, the idea of a planet with invisible monsters being Terry Nation's leftover idea from "The Chase", the Doctor Who production team being contacted by Stanley Kubrick's crew working on 2001: A Space Odyssey, William Hartnell breaking character and the fourth wall to wish viewers a Happy Christmas, the First Doctor mistaking the Man in Mackintosh for the actor's previous character Ben Daheer in "The Crusade", the Doctor not explaining to Steven how his ring opened the locked TARDIS door, my finally getting to see Episode 5 when the Doctor Who: Lost in Time DVD set was released, Sara's attitude changing after her experiences with the Doctor and Steven, Steven almost frying his brain to help the Doctor create fake taranium, "The Feast of Steven" being a comedic interlude and Doctor Who's first Christmas special, Jesse wanting to see a modern version of "The Feast of Steven", the unexpected return of the Monk after the events of "The Time Meddler", the Doctor outwitting the Monk, Trantis getting taken off the board and Mavic Chen surviving another day, the TARDIS materializing in the middle of a cricket match and no one batting an eye, that awkward moment when the Daleks use the fake taranium and it doesn't work, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Holly Mac, wrapping up "The Daleks' Master Plan" in our next episode, my annoying Jesse with a live Team USA World Cup score update, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I discuss Episodes 9 through 12 of "The Daleks' Master Plan", the fourth serial of Doctor Who Season 3 from 1965-66, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom, and Peter Butterworth as The Monk!

THE FANDOM ZONE 355: "Betrayal" Is Up!

 
"I assume you know who I am."
"The man with the mane of silver. Born from nothing. Built his empire through gut and guile. Purveyor of the finest prohibited potions. King of the five boroughs, Mr. Finbar Byrne himself-ah!"
"I see you like to talk. Think you could listen for a second?"
"Oh, I am, uh, like a Nebraskan cornfield -- All ears. I'm listening."
-- Silvermane and Megawatt, Spider-Noir: "Betrayal"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Betrayal", the fifth episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, and introducing Amy Aquino as Dr. Alethea Faber and Andrew Robinson as Ogden Faber!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Nik and I just recording 48 hours ago, more on the 2026 World Cup, some comics background on Marvel's Sandman, the 1929 German novel All Quiet on the Western Front, Ben's flashback to his time in World War I and his origin of how he received his spider powers, understanding why Ben wants to give up his powers, Robbie's conditions for letting the Daily Bugle publish his latest story, the friction between Cat and Flint, Robbie's meeting with Dr. Faber, Nik's guesses on Ogden's identity, Ben smuggling Dr. Faber's secret files out of her office, Flint's warning to Ben, Ben falling for Cat too quickly, Janet being happy that Ben has finally found happiness, Flint accepting that he's just muscle for a gangster, Flint almost accidentally killing Cat, Cat betraying the superhero to the mad scientist, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, my tease for next week's episode, "Nightmare on a Gurney" sounds like Snakes on a Plane, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Nightmare on a Gurney", the sixth episode of Spider-Noir, on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

THE FANDOM ZONE 354: "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again" Is Up!

 
"What happened to your face?"
"I...walked into a door."
"How many times?"
-- Felicia "Cat" Hardy and Ben Reilly, Spider-Noir: "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again", the fourth episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, and introducing Andrew Lewis Caldwell as Megawatt/Dirk Leyden!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like how NIk's family's World Cup picks are doing, some comics background on Megawatt, the James Cagney film Ben watches and tries to imitate in this episode, the cop-out by having Silvermane kill Gio instead of Ben or Cat, Cat asking Silvermane if he had any regrets about almost killing her the night before, Cat's song "The Devil You Know" being about Silvermane, Ben struggling to open the door to his office while being seriously hungover, Silvermane closing Cat's window that she just opened, Cat having the chance to kill Silvermane, Frankie calling out Ben for his shabby appearance, Cat confiding her life story to Ben while Flint secretly watches from the shadows, Janet breaking the ice with Lonnie by dealing him into a card game, Ben taking Cat back to his apartment with one clean drinking glass, Ben finally telling the backstory of what happened to Ruby J. Williams, Ben having to pretend to be a coward to get Cat to leave so he can change into The Spider, Silvermane trying to remind Mayor Morris and the Chief of Police who put them in their positions, The Spider's fight with Megawatt, Mayor Morris trying to use The Spider to help his re-election campaign, Cat pulling a Margot Kidder Lois Lane by throwing herself out of the window to force Ben to confirm he's The Spider, Cat's romantic feelings for Ben being incredibly sudden, Silvermane having some really dumb minions, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor, Jesse Jackson and Ken from Chicago, my tease for next week's episode, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Betrayal", the fifth episode of Spider-Noir, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

DRUNK CINEMA 097: "The Dark Crystal" Is Up!

 
"End, begin, all the same. Big change. Sometimes good, sometimes bad."
-- Aughra, The Dark Crystal

Hello again, movie fans!  My wonderful co-host Xan Sprouse and I are back with a new episode of Drunk Cinema! This time, Xan and I watch The Dark Crystal, the 1982 dark fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, featuring the voices of Stephen Garlick as Jen, Lisa Maxwell as Kira, Billie Whitelaw as Aughra, and Percy Edwards as Fizzgig!

This time, Xan and I discuss things like Xan forgetting to text me on my birthday, Xan getting to discuss one of her all-time favorite films, Xan preferring Dark Crystal to Labyrinth, our favorite Muppet movies, Dark Crystal getting robbed at the Oscars, composer Trevor Jones, our dads being unable to appreciate fantasy movies, Xan being fifty, the Skeksis identifying by their job title, Jen being a naturalist, Jen's Mystic Master dying like Yoda, young David Duchovny making a good Gelfling, sending the Crystal to voicemail, Billie Whitelaw as Mrs. Baylock in The Omen and Joyce Cooper in Hot Fuzz, Fizzgig being the result if Chewbacca has sex with a Tribble, Will Byers in Stranger Things playing the music from the Podlings' party, Fizzgig being eternally pissed, Landstriders creeping Xan out, why you should never trust a Skeksis, the Garthim falling apart like the Bluesmobile, Jim Henson originally wanting to call the movie "The Dark Chrysalis", new Drunk Mail from Christine Peruski, picking Enter the Dragon as my birthday movie, and more!

If you'd like to check out our podcast and subscribe to us, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE

Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Drunk Cinema's Facebook Page

Drunk Cinema's Twitter Account

And in honor of our fifth anniversary, we have a NEW Drunk Cinema t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic by clicking HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great while you're listening to the Drunk Cinema podcast or when you're attending your favorite film festival! Or you can order all sorts of cool Drunk Cinema merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks as Xan and I watch Enter the Dragon, the 1973 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse, featuring Bruce Lee as Lee, John Saxon as Roper, Jim Kelly as Williams, and Shih Kien as Han!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 373: "The Daleks' Master Plan Episodes 1 - 4" Is Up!

 
"I hope she's reached her Place of Perfection."
"Yes, but not that way."
"She didn't understand. She couldn't understand. She wanted to save our lives, and perhaps the lives of all the other beings of the solar system. I hope she's found her Perfection. Oh, how I shall always remember her as one of the daughters of the gods. Yes, as one of the daughters of the gods."
-- The First Doctor and Steven Taylor, Doctor Who: "The Daleks' Master Plan" Episode 4: "The Traitors"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I are back with another new episode of Next Stop Everywhere: The Doctor Who Podcast! This time, we discuss Doctor Who's return to the Wilderness Years, along with Episodes 1 through 4 of "The Daleks' Master Plan", the fourth serial of Doctor Who Season 3 from 1965-66, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, and introducing Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse sending my birthday gift to my old mailing address, the big news that the Doctor Who 2026 Christmas Special is cancelled and Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf Productions are out, why J. Michael Straczynski won't be the new Doctor Who showrunner, Russell T Davies misleading everyone about the 2026 Christmas Special, more on Doctor Who fandom being toxic these days, Disney not wanting to air The War Between the Land and the Sea even though they paid for it, what Jesse and I would like to see from a new Doctor Who production team, why we won't see new Doctor Who until 2028 at the earliest, hoping that Doctor Who returns before we die, Jesse "eating his vegetables" with "The Daleks' Master Plan", "The Daleks' Master Plan" being the longest undisputed Doctor Who story to date, why the serial was 12 episodes long, Katarina being the first companion to be killed off and why she was written out of the series, Terry Nation modeling Sara Kingdom on Cathy Gale from The Avengers TV series, Episode 4 being loaned to the children's magazine program Blue Peter but never being returned to the BBC Film Library, why the mineral taranium was changed from vitaranium, Jesse feeling sorry for Adrienne Hill, the Doctor being two steps ahead of everyone else, Katarina's sacrifice to save the Doctor and Steven, the Doctor posing as Zephon during the Legion of Doom meeting, Jesse's reaction to Nicholas Courtney as Bret Vyon instead of the Brigadier, our first reactions to Sara Kingdom, really bad YouTube animation for the missing episodes, the Daleks hooking up with elite space billionaires to take over the universe, Zephon trying to throw Mavic Chen under the bus, wondering why the Doctor and Steven quickly forgot about Katarina after she died, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Holly Mac and Dave Proctor, my advice on how you stay married, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I discuss Episodes 5 through 8 of "The Daleks' Master Plan", the fourth serial of Doctor Who Season 3 from 1965-66, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, and Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom!

THE FANDOM ZONE 353: "Double Cross" Is Up!

 
"'People lie. Only money tells the truth.' The hell does that mean?"
"Must be something rich people say at cocktail parties. Not that I'll ever know."
-- Ben Reilly and Janet Ruiz, Spider-Noir: "Double Cross"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Double Cross", the third episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, Li Jun Li as Felicia "Cat" Hardy, and Lamorne Morris as Joe "Robbie" Robertson!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like Team USA winning over Paraguay in the World Cup, some comics background on Silvermane, not getting an explanation for why Janet returned to work after Silvermane's goons tossed Ben's office, the mystery over Lonnie Lincoln being in the World War I photo with white soldiers, Ben noticing that Silvermane marks his money, Ben going undercover with an Edward G. Robinson speech affect, Flint and Lonnie fighting off a swarm of police officers as Robbie takes photos, clearing up the Carmedy loose end, Cat still being evasive, Vera blackmailing Ben for $1,000 in exchange for not calling Silvermane, Ben quoting Bette Davis from Beyond the Forest, Robbie's first attempt to get his job back at the Daily Bugle, Frankie dressing up as Ben to convince Silvermane's men that he's still in his apartment, The Spider breaking into Silvermane's hotel room, Cat and Flint's melodramatic reunion, Robbie being naive that his editor changed the story he submitted, Mayor Morris wanting to make a deal with The Spider, characters always moving after someone tells them not to move, Ben confronting Cat about being the rat, Ben setting up Winston to take the fall for Cat, the cliffhanger of not knowing who Silvermane shot, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, my tease for next week's episode, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "A Mistake I'll Never Make Again", the fourth episode of Spider-Noir, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

DC Studios Announces ABSOLUTE BATMAN Animated Series

 
This Batman animated project sounds like an absolute no-brainer.

Earlier today at a joint presentation at the Annecy International Film Festival, DC Studios announced that they and Warner Bros. Animation are partnering on a series adaptation of DC's best-selling comic book series Absolute Batman.

Reinventing the Batman myth for a new generation of fans, Absolute Batman reimagines the Dark Knight as a working-class hero up against impossible odds on a mission to prove that even in an era of wealth, power and corruption, one good person can change the world.

The presentation was hosted by Warner Bros. Animation President Sam Register, with Peter Safran, DC Studios Co-Chairman and Co-CEO alongside James Gunn, joining him on the stage. According to the article by Deadline, Absolute Batman writer Scott Snyder will serve as executive producer and showrunner, while artist Nick Dragotta will be a producer on the new animated series.

"We could not be more excited about this. We are in very early stages of development on this with executive producer and writer Scott Snyder and the artist, Nick Dragotta," said Register. "It is a full CG show…It’s going to be a whole different tone and a whole different take again on Batman as well."

Absolute Batman has only been around since 2024, when it became the first title in DC's Absolute Universe imprint. It launched alongside Absolute Wonder Woman and Absolute Superman as one of three founding titles in the line. The series stars a 24-year-old blue-collar civil engineer named Bruce Wayne, who operates at night as the vigilante Batman, fighting crime with his self-designed equipment and armor. While doing so, he is stalked by an MI6 agent, Alfred Pennyworth. Unlike the mainstream DC continuity's Bruce Wayne, this version grew up without family wealth in Crime Alley, and many of his classic enemies, including Killer Croc, the Riddler, and the Penguin, are childhood friends, while the Joker is reimagined as a billionaire.

Absolute Batman #1 became the best-selling comic in the direct market for 2024, selling just under 400,000 copies across multiple printings. The series received an Eisner Award nomination for Best New Series and reached number five on the New York Times Best Seller list in September 2025. By the end of 2025, the title had sold close to three million copies and accounted for approximately 35 percent of the Absolute line's total sales for the year.

THE FANDOM ZONE 352: "Tread Lightly" Is Up!

 
"I don't like surprises."
"I'll remember that when your birthday rolls around."
-- Ben Reilly and Felicia "Cat" Hardy, Spider-Noir: "Tread Lightly"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for a new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Tread Lightly", the second episode of Spider-Noir, featuring Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/"Finn" Byrne, Li Jun Li as Felicia "Cat" Hardy, and introducing Abraham Popoola as Tombstone/Lonnie Lincoln!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my wife and I spending the weekend in my old hometown, Nik making friends with his air conditioning, the introduction of Tombstone, people with spider powers having crappy lives, some comics background on Joe "Robbie" Robertson, Ben dressing up as 1920s film comedian Harold Lloyd, Mayor Morris paraphrasing Scarlet O'Hara from Gone with the Wind, femme fatales hiding something, Ben and Janet working well together, Winston not being intimidated by Silvermane, Robbie's desperation to sell his story, wondering why Winston gave up trying to open the closet so easily, Janet's role being more developed than it would've been in the actual 1930s, Janet bribing the police with food, Cat feeling trapped by Silvermane, Ben and Cat's verbal sparring, Ben's performance issues and his anachronistic tai chi reference, Robbie's first encounter with Lonnie Lincoln, Janet being at her most vulnerable, Ben's realization that he has to become The Spider again, Ben posing as a plumber to get his Spider mask back, Vera Addison being a piece of work, Ben warning Silvermane as the Spider to leave Ben Reilly alone, the episode having a pulp vibe, that awkward moment when Ben realized that his conversation with Silvermane prevented Silvermane from being arrested by the police, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, my tease for next week's episode, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Double Cross", the third episode of Spider-Noir, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 372: "The Curse of the Black Spot" Is Up!

 
"Ignore all my previous theories!"
"Yeah, well, we stopped paying attention a while back!"
-- The Eleventh Doctor and Amy Pond, Doctor Who: "The Curse of the Black Spot"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I joined by special guest Holly Mac as we discuss "The Curse of the Black Spot", the third episode of Doctor Who Series Six from 2011, featuring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and introducing Hugh Bonneville as Captain Henry Avery!

In this episode, Jesse, Holly and I discuss things like Jesse celebrating his birthday, talking like a pirate, Holly heading into summer break, writer Stephen Thompson writing for both Sherlock and Young Sherlock, Holly and Jesse enjoying "The Curse of the Black Spot" more the second time, Jesse revealing his Karen Gillan pirate fantasy, Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham/Robert Crawley on Downton Abbey, Steven Thompson being inspired by a popular Cornish legend about "The Mermaid of Zennor", his initial budget-conscious script, some historical background on Henry Avery, the black spot being a pirate's death sentence, the episode being reordered in Series 6, the story having none of the guest cast dying and with no villain, original plans for the Siren to appear to Toby Avery, wondering why the Doctor has never taken the time to learn medicine, the possibility of seeing Matt Smith, Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill reunited on Doctor Who someday, Amy and Rory keeping the Doctor's "death" at Lake Silencio from him while the Doctor keeps Amy's quantum pregnancy scans from her, my wondering when Amy learned how to swordfight, Captain Avery and the crew of the Fancy, wondering what Avery's plans were when going out into space, Avery's greed ultimately exposing his son to the Siren, the twist of the Siren being beneficial, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Sandi from Oregon and Dave Proctor, our ambitious plan to discuss all 12 episodes of "The Daleks' Master Plan", and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I discuss Episodes 1 through 4 of "The Daleks' Master Plan", the fourth serial of Doctor Who Season 3 from 1965-66, featuring William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Peter Purves as Steven Taylor, Adrienne Hill as Katarina, and introducing Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom!

THE FANDOM ZONE 351: "Step Into My Office" Is Up!

 
"I suppose you think you're pretty clever."
"No, actually, most days I think I should just stick my head in the oven and get it over with."
"Well, what's stopping you?"
"Simple. I'm a coward."
-- Ben Reilly and Felicia "Cat" Hardy, Spider-Noir: "Step Into My Office"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Step Into My Office", the first episode of the Marvel Spider-Verse series Spider-Noir, introducing Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/Finn Byrne, Li Jun Li as Felicia "Cat" Hardy, and Karen Rodriguez as Janet Ruiz!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like our sports teams letting us down, both of us watching Spider-Noir in black and white, being fans of noir films, some differences in the period setting, differences from the original comic book characters, Nicolas Cage being a Humphrey Bogart version of Spider-Man, film noir tropes, Nik getting vibes of Frank Miller's Sin City, some comics background on Spider-Man Noir and Black Cat, the decision to not start the series with the Spider's origin, Ben having no desire to don the Spider costume and fight crime again, the reference to the Standard Oil Company and Sohio gas stations, Janet being a great supporting character, Robbie Robertson trying to convince Ben to become the Spider again, the introduction of Frankie the child pickpocket, Janet being ready for Winston pulling a gun, Janet suggesting to Ben that he should blackmail Cat, Eddie Valiant seeing Jessica Rabbit for the first time in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Brendan Gleeson as Mad-Eye Moody and appearing in The Banshees of Inisherin, Cat not being fazed by people with superpowers, Sony making Sam Raimi use Venom in addition to Sandman in Spider-Man 3, Ben pointing out that Janet is taking a family heirloom, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Dave Proctor and Jesse Jackson, my tease for next week's episode, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back next week when DJ Nik and I discuss "Tread Lightly", the second episode of Spider-Noir, right here on The Fandom Zone Podcast!

DOCTOR WHO 2026 Christmas Special Cancelled, BBC Moving Forward Without RTD & Bad Wolf

 
Welcome back to the Wilderness Years, Whovians.

It wasn't the announcement Doctor Who fans wanted, but the BBC has FINALLY provided an update on the status of the world's longest-running science fiction TV series. In short, the planned Doctor Who 2026 Christmas Special has been cancelled, showrunner Russell T Davies and the Bad Wolf production team are out, and the series is being put out to bid for a new production team.

Here's the official statement from the BBC...

As part of securing the next phase of the show for future generations, and in line with the BBC’s Charter and Agreement requirements, the BBC will put Doctor Who out to competitive tender this year. Doctor Who remains an important part of the BBC and this tender underpins the BBC’s continued commitment to Doctor Who ensuring audiences will enjoy the show for years to come.

After careful consideration, the BBC, Russell T Davies and Bad Wolf have collectively decided not to go ahead with the previously announced Doctor Who Christmas episode. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know it will be disappointing for fans, but in order to set the show up for future series, it was decided that rather than bridge the gap with a one off special, we are choosing to push forward to invest in the long-term future of the show which ensures that when the TARDIS lands once more, it does so in all its glory.

The previously announced new Doctor Who animation series for CBeebies is currently in production.

Details of the tender will be announced in due course.

The BBC retains all IP in Doctor Who. BBC Studios will continue to lead the global distribution of Doctor Who as well as licensing, consumer products, digital and immersive experiences on behalf of the BBC. 

Russell T Davies confirmed the news on his Instagram account with the following post...

And so GOODBYE from me to Doctor Who but HELLO to a big new future for the show, as the BBC announces it’s putting the show out to tender. As a result, there won’t be a Christmas Special - we only cooked that up to guarantee a future when no one knew what would happen, but now we do know, there’s no need for it. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for new Doctor Who… but you’ll be waiting for MORE Doctor Who than a one-off. So it’s worth it! For the record: there was no script, I never wrote it, and no actor was ever approached to play the next Doctor. You may disagree; fine, sit in that chair and wait to be proved right. You’ll wait a lonnng time 🪑 Now I’m as excited as anyone to see what comes next! Will they keep the theme tune? Will they lose the blue box? Will they bring back the Drahvin?! It’s all up for grabs, which is so Doctor Who, exciting and unpredictable and new! Here comes the future, vworp vworp 

NEXT STOP EVERYWHERE 371: "Meglos" Is Up!

 
"I think you're a fraud and a liar."
"Well, that makes even less sense."
"Oh? Why?"
"Well, I just don't do that sort of thing."
-- Lexa and the Fourth Doctor, Doctor Who: "Meglos"

Hello again, everyone! My partner in time Jesse Jackson and I discuss "Meglos", the second serial from Doctor Who Season 18 in 1980, featuring Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Lalla Ward as the Second Romana, John Leeson as the voice of K9, and Jacqueline Hill as Lexa!

In this episode, Jesse and I discuss things like Jesse finding out his Dallas Mavericks coach was sacked, the Cleveland Cavaliers making it to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Terence Dudley directing instead of writing, being in the mood to enjoy Classic Who, Jacqueline Hill returning to Doctor Who as Lexa, Frederick Treves appearing in David Lynch's The Elephant Man, Jesse spoiling the frustrating ending of Outlander, Tom Baker becoming the third actor to have played both the Doctor and one of the main antagonists in a story, Jacqueline Hill regretting her appearance in "Meglos", this serial being the only use of a camera-linking system called Scene-Sync, Brotadac being an anagram of "bad actor", Bill Fraser only agreeing to take the role of Grugger if he was allowed to kick K9, Tom Baker being the only person to have appeared twice in Madame Tussaud's wax museum, Tom Baker's announcement that he was leaving the series, Romana being horribly underwritten, the sequence where the Doctor and Romana are stuck in a Chronic Hysteresis time loop, K9 being written out of most of the serial, Tom Baker being in cactus makeup as Meglos, feeling bad for Zastor having to deal with the Tigellans' religious and scientific castes, Lexa and the Deons trying to sacrifice the Doctor by squishing him with a big rock, the decision to have a cactus plant as the villain, wondering how Meglos found out that the dodecahedron could be used to destroy planets and why he wanted it, Brotadac coveting the Doctor's coat, wondering how long the Earthling was traveling with the Doctor and Romana before he finally got home, Jesse cooking bacon the oven instead of on a griddle, our favorite quotes of the episode, my Reverse the Reverse the Polarity segment, new listener feedback from Sandi from Oregon, Dave Proctor and Holly Mac, talking like a pirate in our next episode, Jesse deserving to listen to Jason Isbell, and more!

If you'd like to check out our latest episode, you can find us on...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct MP3 downloads/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE

Next Stop Everywhere's Facebook page

Next Stop Everywhere's Twitter account

Next Stop Everywhere's Instagram account

We have a NEW Next Stop Everywhere t-shirt, which you can find on TeePublic right HERE!  This spiffy shirt looks great when you're listening to your favorite Doctor Who podcast and travelling through time and space! Or you could order all sorts of cool Next Stop Everywhere merch there as well!

Be sure to come back in two weeks for the next episode of Next Stop Everywhere as Jesse and I are joined by special guest Holly Mac as we discuss "The Curse of the Black Spot", the third episode of Doctor Who Series Six from 2011, featuring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor, Karen Gillan as Amy Pond, Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams, and introducing Hugh Bonneville as Captain Henry Avery!

THE FANDOM ZONE 350: "One Last Kill" Is Up!

 
"You made your bed, now rot in it. And when that final moment comes, know it was the Gnuccis who did it. You didn't finish anything, Frank. I'm the one who's doing the punishing now."
-- Ma Gnucci to Frank Castle, The Punisher: One Last Kill

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we celebrate our 350th episode and discuss The Punisher: One Last Kill, the Marvel Special Presentation TV Special, featuring Jon Bernthal as The Punisher/Frank Castle, Judith Light as Ma Gnucci, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and Jason R. Moore as Curtis Hoyle!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my getting to meet Twin Peaks actor Michael Horse, Nik hoping his Montreal Canadiens will advance to the next round of the NHL playoffs, One Last Kill feeling hollow and more like a first-person shooter videogame, the Punisher as John Wick, Jon Bernthal needing to stick to acting instead of writing, the purpose of this TV special, wondering if the TV special was intended as a pilot for a new Punisher TV series, One Last Kill putting any doubts about Disney+ watering down the Punisher to rest, some comics background on Ma Gnucci, Frank killing Tony Gnucci in the series premiere of The Punisher (2017), Jon Bernthal's real-life daughter Addie playing Frank's dead daughter Lisa Castle, Jon Bernthal being really good at grunting and rubbing his scalp, Mickey the punk's dick move to kill Johnny the Old Veteran's dog, Frank trying to put the Punisher behind him, Frank being checked out and tuning out the violence around him, the ghosts of Frank's family still wanting Frank to continue as the Punisher, Judith Light as Angela Bower on Who's the Boss?, Ma Gnucci's trauma about her family mirroring Frank's trauma about his family, Maria's ghost speaking to Frank through a hallucination of Karen Page, the Punisher teaming up with John McClane from Die Hard, Jon Bernthal's fire stunt, the great use of Louis Armstrong's version of "La Vie En Rose", One Last Kill being the most metal Marvel production ever, Frank rescuing Dre and his family, Frank's decision to continue being the Punisher, Mickey the punk being the Punisher's last kill, wondering if we'll see Ma Gnucci again, Frank being the defender of Little Sicily, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fan Mail from Aaron Case, our upcoming discussions of the Prime Video series Spider-Noir, and more! 

You can check out episodes of The Fandom Zone using...

Apple Podcasts -- RIGHT HERE
Direct Download MP3s/Libsyn -- RIGHT HERE
Spotify -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on Facebook -- RIGHT HERE
The Fandom Zone on X/Twitter -- @FandomZoneCast
The Fandom Zone on Instagram -- HERE

And if that isn't enough for you, you can pick up an officially official Fandom Zone Podcast t-shirt that all the cool kids are wearing from TeePublic HERE as well! Show your Fandom Zone fandom by posting a picture on our Facebook page of you or some other cool person you know wearing the shirt!

Be sure to come back in two weeks when DJ Nik and I discuss "Step Into My Office", the first episode of the Marvel series Spider-Noir, introducing Nicolas Cage as The Spider/Ben Reilly, Brendan Gleeson as Silvermane/Finn Byrne, Li Jun Li as Cat Hardy, and Jack Huston as Sandman/Flint Marko!