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.

THE FANDOM ZONE 342: "Yucca Valley" Is Up!

 
"I'm gonna let you take the fall, Slattery, but my eyes are on Simon."
"I do not know what the hell you are talking about, you dolt."
"Drop the act."
"Slattery was the act. Get it through your thick skull. I have always been The Mandarin, and you never saw me coming."
-- Agent Cleary and Trevor Slattery (as The Mandarin), Wonder Man -- "Yucca Valley"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Yucca Valley", the Season 1 finale of Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, and Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like celebrating 11 years of The Fandom Zone Podcast, whether Wonder Man Season 1 stuck the landing, the series being about the friendship between Simon and Trevor, Wonder Man being more of a drama series than a superhero series, some comics background on The Mandarin, the two homages to Wonder Man super-suits from the comics, Simon's father Sanford encouraging Simon to use his talent to become an actor, Simon panicking over the explosion on the studio lot, Trevor assuming the role of The Mandarin once again to protect Simon's future, Trevor telling Agent Cleary that Slattery was the performance, another example of Simon's self-loathing, our being surprised that Trevor assumed the Mandarin role once again, Von Kovak telling Simon to channel everything he's feeling about Trevor into his Wonder Man performance, wanting to see a Wonder Man (2026) movie trailer, not knowing if Wonder Man (2026) was a box office success, whether Simon invited his ex-girlfriend to the Wonder Man (2026) premiere, Simon admitting that having dinner with Chuck Eastman's family is weird, initially wondering where the episode was going with the Chuck Eastman thing, Simon anonymously paying a generous amount of money to the Eastmans to get them out of their financial debt, wishing we would've had a post-credits scene, Trevor immediately asking Simon who replaced him in the movie, the finale bringing the season full circle by using Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'" from Midnight Cowboy, hoping this series encourages Marvel Studios to step outside their formula more often, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, next week's discussion of the Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 premiere, 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 "The Northern Star", the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, featuring Charlie Cox as Daredevil/Matt Murdock, Vincent D'Onofrio as The Kingpin/Wilson Fisk, Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page, and introducing Matthew Lillard as Mr. Charles!

THE FANDOM ZONE 341: "Kathy Friedman" Is Up!

 
"You work on being more charming, and I find it helpful to use people's names. You know, ask them about themselves?"
"That kind of bullshit actually works?"
"Yeah, you'd be amazed."
-- Trevor Slattery and Simon Williams, Wonder Man -- "Kathy Friedman"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Kathy Friedman", the seventh episode of Wonder Man Season 1, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, and Lauren Weedman as Kathy Friedman!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like waiting for the penny to drop with Trevor and Simon, the episode's conflict being about trust instead of action, some background on The New York Times newspaper, the flashback where Simon's father Sanford Williams takes Simon to see the original Wonder Man movie to help get over being bullied, why superhero and sci-fi movies mean just as much as serious drama films, Simon's father being Simon's hero, the temptation of fame starting to creep into Simon's life, Simon and Trevor looking out for one another's interests during the production, Janelle Jackson and her team getting annoyed with Trevor advising Simon not to take all of the offers being thrown at him, Simon being terrified of investigative reporter Kathy Friedman wanting to profile Trevor and him, Simon reconnecting with Vivian to find out what she told Kathy, Simon being surprised that Vivian knew he has superpowers, Kathy revealing that Trevor was her real target instead of Simon, Simon finally learning that Trevor was collecting information on him for the Department of Damage Control, Hans Landa's interrogation at the beginning of Inglourious Basterds, Simon being overcome with rage by Trevor's betrayal and destroying the Wonder Man film set, Nik's theory on how Simon gets out of the cliffhanger ending, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, next episode's revelation of a very big secret, the upcoming Wonder Man season finale, 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 "Yucca Valley", the Season 1 finale of Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, and Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary!

THE FANDOM ZONE 340: "Callback" Is Up!

 
"The world is going to fall in love with the two of you. We are going to make the last movie on Earth because no one else will have the balls to make another."
-- Von Kovak to Trevor Slattery and Simon Williams, Wonder Man -- "Callback"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Callback", the sixth episode of Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, and Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my getting a taste of springtime, Simon's emotional whiplash, the episode being transitional, watching Simon twist in the wind, how I got into Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Midnight Special" being a great choice to open Von Kovak's Wonder Man film, some background on the movie Pretty Woman, seeing the Mandarin audition tape, the Mandarin being Trevor's most important role, Trevor finding the Mandarin character, Simon overanalyzing a pair of shoes and falling into his own character flaws, Von Kovak showing off his "Wall of Inspiration", Simon freaking out by not being paired with Trevor, Simon disappointing Von Kovak by reenacting a scene from Pretty Woman, the improv comedy show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Nik being shocked when Simon punched through Richard's face, the effective dream sequence fakeout, Trevor talking Simon down and giving him advice to be himself without letting his powers define him, Simon and Trevor thinking they both failed the final audition, Trevor getting scooped up by Damage Control mere seconds after Simon drops him off at the Talmadge, my preference for Robert Palmer over Chaka Khan, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, next episode's revelation of a very big secret, 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 "Kathy Friedman", the seventh episode of Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, and Lauren Weedman as Kathy Friedman!

THE FANDOM ZONE 339: "Found Footage" Is Up!

 
"Simon, you've got to try one. I feel like Stevie Nicks having coke blown up her bunghole."
-- Trevor Slattery to Simon Williams, Wonder Man -- "Found Footage"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Found Footage", the fifth episode of the Marvel TV miniseries Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Brandon Wardell as Jayden, and Carlito Olivero as Esteban!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my being on antibiotics, Trevor having unresolved drug debt issues, "Found Footage" being a contrast to "Doorman", some information on the box breathing technique and the condiment Chamoy, my recommendation for putting a thin ring of salt around the edge of chocolate chip cookies, Simon and Trevor going out to celebrate their callbacks, Deputy Secretary Heyerdahl acting like Bill Lumbergh in Office Space, Trevor being low-key about Simon having superpowers, the metaphor of Barnaby betraying Wonder Man in the Wonder Man script, that awkward moment when a kid with a GoPro camera records Simon using his powers in public, Simon being sad at Barnaby's betrayal of Wonder Man, Trevor having zero trust in Jayden, Esteban and his crew being excited that the Mandarin showed up at their house, Patrick Connor and his henchmen somehow tracking Simon's car to Esteban's house, Trevor having the presence of mind to ask if it's possible to upload footage directly to YouTube from a GoPro camera, the episode having a very Quentin Tarantino level of craziness, Trevor being the MVP of the episode, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, Simon and Trevor having their final auditions for Wonder Man, 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 "Callback", the sixth episode of Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, and Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary!

THE FANDOM ZONE 338: "Doorman" Is Up!

 
"'Ding dong.' I mean, who is that? That's not me, is it? I mean, I'm much more than just a catchphrase."
-- DeMarr Davis to Earl Reed, Wonder Man -- "Doorman"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Doorman", the fourth episode of the Marvel TV miniseries Wonder Man, featuring Byron Bowers as Doorman/DeMarr Davis, Charlotte Ross as Bridget Bailey, Josh Gad as Josh Gad, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like powering through my nasal congestion, having to wait until Episode 5 to find out what happened after Episode 3, getting the explanation for the Doorman Clause, the episode being shot in black-and-white as a cautionary tale, wondering if Josh Gad's skeleton is inside DeMarr, some comics background on Doorman and the Great Lakes Avengers, Josh Gad singing "In Summer" from Frozen, Dolly Parton performing "The Johnny Carson Show" on a 1979 episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Bridget Bailey and DeMarr Davis having very Stan Lee character names, Doorman's secret origin of touching Roxxon's toxic waste from a dumpster, DeMarr's big superhero moment of saving Josh Gad and a bunch of clubgoers from a fire, Josh Gad seeing DeMarr's potential and hiring him as his personal valet, Josh Gad approaching DeMarr to appear in his heist comedy Cash Grab, the homage to Doorman's costume from the comics, DeMarr reluctantly going ahead with a comedic bit on the talk show Midtown Tonight, DeMarr feeling the other side of being a celebrity, the awkward moment when Josh Gad dives through Doorman's body but doesn't come out the other side, not getting an explanation if DeMarr still has his Doorman powers or not, Simon Williams learning about the Doorman Clause designed to ban superpowered individuals from film and television productions, our favorite quotes of the episode, standing up for Cleveland, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, finally getting back to Simon and Trevor, 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 "Found Footage", the fifth episode of Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Brandon Wardell as Jayden, and Carlito Olivero as Esteban!

THE FANDOM ZONE 337: "Pacoima" Is Up!

 
"Did bits and bobs in the West End."
"Weren't you The Mandarin?"
"Then I took a role, posing as an international terrorist to pay my drug and prostitution debts."
-- Trevor Slattery and Eric Williams, Wonder Man -- "Pacoima"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Pacoima", the third episode of the Marvel TV miniseries  Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, and introducing Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams and Shola Adewusi as Martha Williams!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like recording on Valentine's Day, meeting Simon's family and getting a feel for what Simon went through growing up, some comics background on Eric Williams a.k.a. the Grim Reaper, the sources of the quotes that Trevor and Simon recite, Simon's powers manifesting at the age of 13 and making him a potential mutant, Nik's love of The Beast, Simon's decision to take up acting as a profession, the Department of Damage Control having quotas to fill up their supermax prison, Trevor having a conflict between his friendship for Simon and gathering intel on him for Agent Cleary, Agent Cleary altering Trevor's deal, Eric not seeing Simon's acting career being productive, Eric feeling resentment toward Simon, Eric berating Simon until Simon shatters his mother's kitchen island, wondering how Martha explains the shattered kitchen island to her relatives, Simon being at his lowest point and considering giving up acting, Trevor deciding that he can't wear a wire to spy on Simon anymore, Simon telling Trevor that they both got callbacks for the Wonder Man movie, our favorite quotes of the episode, standing up for Cleveland, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, the upcoming side-trip with "Doorman", 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 "Doorman", the fourth episode of Wonder Man, Byron Bowers as DeMarr Davis, Charlotte Ross as Bridget Bailey, and Josh Gad as Josh Gad!

THE FANDOM ZONE 336: "Self-Tape" Is Up!

 
"You suck, Joe Pantoliano. Baby's Day Out is garbage. Even that dumb baby couldn't make you funny."
-- Simon Williams to Joe Pantoliano, Wonder Man -- "Self-Tape"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Self-Tape", the second episode of the Marvel TV miniseries Wonder Man, featuring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary, and Joe Pantoliano as Joe Pantoliano!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like the 2026 Winter Olympics opening in Milan, Joe Pantoliano as Cypher in The Matrix, Agent Cleary appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home and the Ms. Marvel TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of Joe Pantoliano, Wonder Man being a self-contained story under the Marvel Spotlight banner, some comics background on Damage Control, some background on the 1985 Ben Kingsley film Turtle Diary, Ben Kingsley really appearing on the British soap opera Coronation Street, the "I'm walkin' here!" crosswalk from Midnight Cowboy, learning that Agent Cleary from Damage Control is the one putting the squeeze on Trevor, Trevor caring so much about his craft, Janelle Jackson not being happy that her client auditioned for Wonder Man without her knowledge, Simon creating a big hole in his wall, the show not bogging everything down with exposition, Trevor taking his time before texting Simon back, Simon and Trevor bonding as friends, Marcy at Ahoy Tapes insisting on reading the lines for Simon's self-tape video, Trevor's one-sided rivalry with Joe Pantoliano, the criticism of some actors acting for the paycheck, Trevor placing the ring device to hack Simon's laptop, Trevor discovering the major chunk missing from Simon's wall, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson and Dave Proctor, our next episode meeting Simon's family, 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 "Pacoima", the third episode of Wonder Man, introducing Shola Adewusi as Martha Williams and Demterius Grosse as Eric Williams!

THE FANDOM ZONE 335: "Matinee" Is Up!

 
"Nah, that's not my process."
"Well, your process can go blow a spider."
-- Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, Wonder Man -- "Matinee"

Hello again, everyone! DJ Nik and I are finally back for another new episode of The Fandom Zone Podcast! This time, we discuss "Matinee", the the first episode of the Marvel TV miniseries Wonder Man, introducing Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams and X Mayo as Janelle Jackson, and featuring the return of Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery!

In this episode, DJ Nik and I talk about things like my being able to talk with Nik again, Nik watching one episode per week, my impressions of the first episode, the parallels with the film Midnight Cowboy, the show's love of cinema, some comics background on Wonder Man, some background on Midnight Cowboy, Ben Kingsley playing Edgar Allan Poe, the ugly but faithful Wonder Man costume featured in the fictional Wonder Man movie, the TV version of Simon Williams having more depth than the comics version, Simon discovering his love of film, Simon getting himself fired from the set of American Horror Story, Simon meeting Trevor Slattery during a screening of Midnight Cowboy, Yahya's great performance as Dr. Manhattan in the Watchmen (2019) miniseries, Vivian leaving Simon because he won't tell her who he is, Simon learning that Von Kovak is remaking Wonder Man, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley having a great dynamic, Simon having to work around his own agent to get an audition for Wonder Man, Janelle Jackson being a terrible agent, Trevor giving Simon good advice on how to give a good audition, Simon having to sign a Doorman Waiver, the revelation that Trevor is working for Agent Cleary from the Department of Damage Control, Marvel fanboys needing to lower their expectations for Simon fighting supervillains, Wonder Man addressing superhero fatigue and Marvel stepping out of its formulaic comfort zone, our favorite quotes of the episode, new Fandom Zone Fanmail by Jesse Jackson, the upcoming appearance by Joe Pantoliano, 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! Feel free to post 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 "Self-Tape", the second episode of Wonder Man, featuring Arian Moayed as Agent Cleary and an appearance by Joe Pantoliano!

First Trailer for Marvel's WONDER MAN Tackles Superhero Fatigue

 
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is suffering from superhero fatigue. How adorably meta.

Debuting at the 2025 New York Comic-Con, Marvel Studios has officially released the first trailer for Wonder Man, the upcoming 8-episode miniseries based on the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. The series stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Wonder Man/Simon Williams, Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery, Demetrius Grosse as Grim Reaper/Eric Williams, Zlatko Burić as Von Kovak, Ed Harris as Neal Saroyan, Josh Gad, Arian Moayed, Lauren Glazier, Byron Bowers, Béchir Sylvain, Manny McCord, X Mayo, Olivia Thirlby, and Simon Templeman.

The trailer opens in the MCU's version of Hollywood, with a news voiceover announcing, "The entertainment world is stunned today, when internationally celebrated and reclusive filmmaker Von Kovak sprung out of retirement to sign on for a remake of Wonder Man."

Asked to say more on the subject, Kovak remarks, "Everyone is tired of superheroes. There is an opportunity to reimagine a whole genre of storytelling."

We see various collectibles from the original Wonder Man film, including a Wonder Man lunchbox and thermos, along with a VHS tape (still wrapped in plastic) that reveals the film starred Brent Willard and Jackie Kay. This is followed by a brief clip of the original film, showing Willard wearing the green-and-yellow version of Wonder Man's costume from the comics during the period he was with the West Coast Avengers.

Next, we cut to Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery, who meet up on the street to discuss a big audition opportunity. Trevor says he's auditioning for Wonder Man.

Simon goes to his agent, saying he needs to be in the movie. His agent is surprised that he's serious and tells him they're already talking to Leonardo DiCaprio.

We see Simon in a trailer, physically preparing for the audition and telling himself that he needs to go out there and crush it.

Later, we see Simon telling Trevor that he's trying to come up with a backstory for the character. Trevor advises him, "Well, trust the words, just show up and say them."

"Nah, that's not my process," Simon replies.

"Well, your process can go blow a spider," counters Trevor.

During the auditions, another actor tells Simon that Trevor is killing it during his audition. One casting director asks another where she's seen Trevor before. The other casting director replies, "Pretty sure he used to be a terrorist," alluding to Trevor's previous acting job as The Mandarin in Iron Man 3.

Next, we see Simon about to give his audition for the role, followed by a call from his agent that "the callback is happening now" and "the breakdown is...go method."

Simon and Trevor are invited over to Kovak's mansion to meet with the director. Inside, they find other actors also invited. Kovak enters and tells them that he wants to explore the place between fiction and nonfiction."

Privately, Kovak tells Simon and Trevor, "We are going to make the last movie on Earth. No one will have the balls to make another."

In the final scene, we see Simon calling his agent to find out if there was any news from Kovak. She replies, "If there is any news, you'll be the first to know, unless you call me again, in which case I will never tell you." She promptly hangs up.

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

Wonder Man debuts January 27, 2026 on Disney+.

Marvel's VISION Series Casts T'Nia Miller as Jocasta

 
The Bride of Ultron is coming to the small screen.

Deadline is reporting that the upcoming untitled Marvel TV series based on Marvel Comics' The Vision has cast T'Nia Miller as the android Jocasta.

Miller joins Paul Bettany, reprising his role of the Vision in the series, which will be set after the events in 2021's WandaVision and follow the Vision as he tries to regain his memory and humanity. Other cast members include James Spader, reprising his role of Ultron, Todd Stashwick, and Ruaridh Mollica.

Miller, 40, is a British actress known for her role as The General on Doctor Who. She's also appeared in The Fall of the House of Usher (2023), The Haunting of Bly Manor, The Peripheral, Foundation, and Sex Education.

Created in 1977 by Jim Shooter and George Pérez, Jocasta first appeared in The Avengers (vol.1) #162 as an android built by Ultron in an abandoned aerospace research center, so that Ultron could have a mate. In order to develop Jocasta's sentience, Ultron based her mind and brain patterns on the Wasp and brainwashed his creator Hank Pym into transferring the Wasp's lifeforce into the feminine android shell. Ultron named Jocasta after the wife/mother in the legend of Oedipus. Realizing that the Wasp would have to die for her to live, Jocasta alerted the Avengers. The team defeated Ultron and reversed the process, leaving Jocasta a mindless husk.

Pym retained custody of the inanimate Jocasta, intending to study her. On the Wasp's urging, Pym had her moved from their residence to the Avengers Mansion. There, Ultron revived Jocasta with a remote link, activating the Wasp's mental "residue" left behind. She escaped from Avengers custody and led the Avengers into Ultron's trap. Jocasta was programmed to be loyal to Ultron, but couldn't abide her master's evil. Jocasta eventually betrayed Ultron, choosing to help the Avengers defeat her "mate" again.

Jocasta resided at Avengers Mansion for a time and soon developed feelings for the Vision due to their similar backgrounds. However, the Vision was happily married to the Scarlet Witch and could not return Jocasta's feelings. Jocasta continued having adventures with the Avengers but never felt accepted, and left them just before she, unbeknownst to her, was about to be made an official member. Wandering the country, Jocasta was controlled by a pre-programmed suggestion to rebuild Ultron. She did, but soon teamed up with the Thing and the robot called Machine Man to defeat Ultron once again. Sacrificing herself in an attempt to kill Ultron, Ultron survived nevertheless until Machine Man reached down Ultron's throat to tear out vital circuitry. The Avengers held a memorial for their fallen ally, with the Machine Man attending, realizing his love for Jocasta. Jocasta was later rebuilt and continues aiding the Avengers from time to time.

First Trailer for THE MARVELS Teases a Marvel Team-Up and Baby Flerkens

 
They're not a team. Not yet, anyway.

Marvel Studios has released the first teaser trailer for The Marvels, the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe sequel to the 2019 movie Captain Marvel, featuring Brie Larson's Carol Danvers joining forces with other Marvel superheroes Photon and Ms. Marvel.

In The Marvels, following an investigation into a wormhole linked to the Kree, Carol Danvers' powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), with the trio swapping places with each other every time they use their powers, forcing them to team up to determine why.

The 2-minute teaser opens with the S.A.B.E.R. space station in orbit around Earth, with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) radioing Monica and asking, "Captain Rambeau...what the hell are you doing?"

"Entering the jump point perimeter," Monica radios back through her spacesuit as she investigates a mysterious wormhole nearby. "I'm gonna get you some readings, Fury."

The conversation between the two quickly becomes distorted as Monica approaches the wormhole. She begins to use her powers acquired during the character's debut in the WandaVision TV series and is abruptly bounced backwards away from the wormhole.

However, it turns out that Kamala Khan has suddenly swapped places with Monica inside her spacesuit. Understandably panicked, Kamala starts crying "Oh, my God!" over and over as she somersaults through space back toward the S.A.B.E.R. station.

Fury sees Kamala coming towards his window aboard the station, wondering what happened to Captain Rambeau. Kamala, recognizing Fury, waves "Hi" to him and asks, "Is this an Avengers test?" We then hear a voiceover from Fury asking, "Where's Captain Rambeau?"

As the classic rap song "Intergalactic" from Beastie Boys begins to play, Monica crash lands on a moon somewhere and is immediately attacked by a group of Kree warriors. Monica defensively uses her powers and...

We cut to the post-credits scene from the final episode of Ms. Marvel Season One, where Captain Marvel unexpectedly materializes into Kamala's bedroom, looks around at Kamala's fangirl worship of her, and mutters, "What the...?!"

Fury and Monica show up at Kamala's parents' home, where Yusuf Khan (Mohan Kapur) opens the front door. "We're looking for Kamala Khan," says Nick.

Kamala rushes over and gasps excitedly, "Did I get in?"

Sitting down in the Khan's living room, which looks damaged from an unseen fight, Monica remaks, "Okay, so our powers are entangled. I can manipulate light energy and you..."

"I can totally show you!" exclaims Kamala, only for Fury and Monica to quickly tell her no. It's too late, though, as Kamala snaps her finger and disappear, only for Captain Marvel to suddenly replace her and crash into the Khans' dining table. "Aaaagh! Not again!" exclaims an exasperated Carol before turning around and awkwardly saying hi.

"Where is our daughter?" asks Muneeba Khan (Zenobia Shroff).

"Wherever you were," explains Monica as she looks over at Carol.

Ms. Marvel materializes on a spaceship somewhere, landing right next to Goose, Captain Marvel's pet Flerken (who resembles a cat). Seeing two approaching alien warriors, Goose opens her mouth, unleashing her tentacles and devouring the attackers right in front of Kamala, who understandably freaks.

In another scene, Carol, Monica and Kamala head into space, with Carol piloting the ship. They arrive on some alien planet and are shown engaging in fights and a strange dance number.

A bunch of fleeting images follow, including Monica catching someone in mid-air, Nick Fury ordering "Shields up!", Park Seo-joon's mysterious character, a litter of baby Flerkens heading down a set of stairs, Zawe Ashton as Kree warrior Dar-Benn wielding an Accuser hammer, and a training session with Captain Marvel, Photon and Ms. Marvel attacking one another.

In the final scene, Kamala asks, "We're a team?"

"Oh, no, no, no," replies Monica quickly. "We're not a team."

"We're not a team," confirms Carol.

Kamala, regardless, fangirls at the idea with excitement.

If you want to check out the trailer for The Marvels, you can view it below thanks to the official Marvel Entertainment account on YouTube...

The Marvels is scheduled to arrive in theaters on November 10, 2023.

WONDER MAN Casts Demetrius Grosse as the Grim Reaper

 
The Grim Reaper is coming for Wonder Man.

TVLine is reporting that the upcoming Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series Wonder Man, based on the Marvel Comics superhero, has cast Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams, better known to Marvel fans as the supervillain Grim Reaper.

Wonder Man will explore Hollywood actor Simon Williams, who is thrust into the world of superheroes as he gets powers of his own, and becomes the new superhero Wonder Man. The cast also includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Wonder Man/Simon Williams and Sir Ben Kingsley, reprising his MCU role of Trevor Slattery.

Grosse, 42, is probably best known as Emile and Josiah LaRoux on the AMC series Fear the Walking Dead, and has appeared in episodes of Dexter, Bones, Heroes, The Cape, Justified, Banshee, Westworld, The Rookie, and Lovecraft Country. In addition, Grosse has appeared in the films Straight Outta Compton and Rampage.

Created in 1968 by Roy Thomas and John Buscema, the Grim Reaper first appeared in The Avengers (vol.1) #52 as Eric Williams, the brother of Simon Williams and black sheep of his family. As they grew older, Simon grew studious while Eric was an athlete. Eric also became more rebellious, and tried to get Simon to join in his petty thefts. Eric eventually became a gambler, joined the Maggia and moved to Las Vegas, while Simon took over the family business, Williams Innovations. When Williams Innovations began to fail, partly due to competition with Stark Industries, the desperate Simon turned to Eric's mob ties for help. Simon embezzled money from the company to invest with Eric, but Simon was caught and jailed. Simon was freed from jail by Baron Heinrich Zemo, induced by an offer of revenge on Iron Man and the Avengers to which Eric's brother was transformed into Wonder Man.

Learning of his brother's death, Eric was inflamed with guilt and anger. Through his Maggia contacts, he contacted the Tinkerer to provide him with his scythe weapon, which was further enhanced by Ultron with coma-inducing abilities. Taking the "Grim Reaper" name, he became a professional criminal and defeated Hawkeye, Goliath and the Wasp, placing the three Avengers in comas, but was beaten by the Black Panther's surprise appearance.

The Grim Reaper later had Wonder Man resurrected as a zombie by the Black Talon to attack the Avengers, leading to Wonder Man being restored to true life. Grim Reaper then captured the Avengers, and staged a trial to determine whether the Vision, who had Simon's brain patterns, or Wonder Man was his true brother. Later still, the Grim Reaper with Ultron, Nekra and other allies, captured the Avengers. Grim Reaper attempted a recreation of "Simon Williams" as a zombie. He was pursued by the Vision and Wonder Man in a cave, and died in a fall from the cave ledge. Grim Reaper was resurrected by Nekra as a zombie, but he believed himself to be alive. The zombie battled Wonder Man and Magneto, but when he realized he was actually dead, he "died" once again.

The Grim Reaper was later restored to life by the Scarlet Witch's magic. When Ultron attempted to create a new "family" for himself, Grim Reaper was abducted as one of the six individuals that came closest to being Ultron's "family" - the others being Hank Pym, Wasp, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Wonder Man. Ultron regarded Grim Reaper as the first human connection made apart from Pym, as well as the connections to Wonder Man and Vision. While Vision distracted Ultron, Eric was able to escape his bonds and free the other prisoners, although he subsequently fled, informing Vision that he only released the others to save himself rather than any more noble goal.

Grosse will be the first actor to portray the Grim Reaper in live action, although the character has appeared in various animated projects, including The Avengers: United They Stand (voiced by Allan Royal), The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (voiced by Lance Henriksen), and Avengers Assemble (voiced by Roger Craig Smith).

Wonder Man is expected to arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2024.

WONDER MAN TV Series Casts Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams

 
At least he won't be blue and glowing this time...or will he?

Deadline is reporting that the upcoming Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series Wonder Man, based on the Marvel Comics character, has cast Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as lead character Simon Williams, a.k.a. Wonder Man. Abdul-Mateen joins Ben Kingsley, who will be reprising his recurring MCU role as Trevor Slattery.

The Wonder Man series was first announced in development back in June, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton directing and serving as executive producer, and Hawkeye co-producer Andrew Guest serving as head writer. Filming is expected to begin sometime in 2023.

Abdul-Mateen, 36, is probably best known as Dr. Manhattan/Cal Abar in the HBO miniseries Watchmen, for which he won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. In addition, he's known for playing DC supervillain Black Manta/David Hyde in the two Aquaman movies, Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections, and Candyman in Candyman (2021), He's also appeared in the films The Greatest Showman and Us, along with episodes of The Handmaid's Tale and Black Mirror.

Created in 1964 by Stan Lee, Jack Kirby and Don Heck, Wonder Man first appeared The Avengers (vol.1) #9 as Simon Williams, the son of rich industrialist Sanford Williams, owner of Williams Innovations. Simon inherited the munitions factory after his father's death, but the company's profits fell due to its biggest competitor Tony Stark and his company Stark Industries. On the advice of his brother Eric Williams, Simon tried to embezzle funds from his company but was caught and incarcerated. Simon blamed Stark for this and accepted the proposition of master villain Baron Heinrich Zemo to become a pawn to infiltrate the Avengers. The desperate Simon Williams agrees and was transformed into an ion-powered being with great superhuman strength and durability.

Called Wonder Man by Zemo, he was then sent to meet and join the Avengers, with instructions to betray them at a critical moment so that Zemo's Masters of Evil could destroy the Avengers. Zemo ensured Wonder Man's loyalty by advising him that as a result of the treatment, his body now required periodic doses of a serum to survive—a serum that only Zemo could provide. The Avengers were lured into a trap and captured, but the plan failed when Wonder Man decided to save the Avengers and aid them against Zemo, apparently at the cost of his own life.

Hank Pym recorded Wonder Man's brain patterns in the hope that one day he could be revived. Unknown to the Avengers, Wonder Man's body had simply entered a catatonic state as it adjusted to the effects of the treatment. In the meantime, Eric Williams became distraught over the apparent death of his sibling and, blaming the Avengers, assumed the identity of the Grim Reaper in an effort to destroy them. The Grim Reaper stole Simon's body at one point, and attacked the Avengers three times before Wonder Man finally returned.

Wonder Man was briefly revived by Kang the Conqueror to battle the Avengers as part of his Legion of the Unliving, and later "resurrected" as a zombie by Black Talon and the Grim Reaper to attack the Avengers once more. On the final occasion, the Living Laser hypnotized a now-awake but still very weak Wonder Man, as part of an unsuccessful attack on the Avengers. After this encounter, Wonder Man was restored to true life and chose to remain with the Avengers, aiding them against Attuma and Doctor Doom. He soon defeated the Grim Reaper, who was intent on destroying the Vision as he was "artificial" and a "mockery" of his brother's brain patterns. At this point, Wonder Man was revealed to have become a being of ionic energy.

This will be the first time Wonder Man will appear in live-action, although the character has appeared in various animated projects, including The Avengers: United They Stand (voiced by Hamish McEwan), The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (voiced by Phil LaMarr), and M.O.D.O.K. (voiced by Nathan Fillion).

Wonder Man is expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024.