Many people prefer manga to anime because of its strong storytelling, unique art, and complete, uninterrupted narratives. Manga allows readers to use their own imaginations to fill in details, rather than being shown a specific interpretation by an animation studio. Luckily, there’s a huge variety of manga available, offering engaging stories that even those who don’t usually read comics can enjoy.
The Scooby-Doo franchise is getting a fresh start with a new Netflix series called Scooby-Doo: Origins. This show is a prequel that reveals how the original Mystery Inc. team first came together. While the gang’s beginnings have been explored before – in the 2020 movie Scoob! and the critically praised 2010 series Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated – this new series offers another take on their origin story. Mystery Incorporated was particularly noted for blending the show’s classic comedy with elements of spooky, atmospheric horror and intriguing mysteries.
2026 is shaping up to be a great year for video game adaptations! The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has been a huge success, already earning over $834 million worldwide and heading towards the $1 billion mark. Iron Lung, directed by Markiplier, also performed well, bringing in over $51 million on a small $3 million budget. Several more video game movies are planned for release later in the year, including Mortal Kombat II, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, and The Angry Birds Movie 3.
Like Stranger Things, many viewers were disappointed with how Netflix ended that series, creating a strong divide among fans and sparking online outrage. It’s often difficult for even highly-rated shows to deliver a perfect ending. That’s what makes the success of Cobra Kai – the Karate Kid spinoff – so remarkable. After six seasons, it concluded with a flawless finale, creating a completely satisfying story.
The Warner Brothers’ Harry Potter films left out significant character backgrounds, like the story of the Marauders in Prisoner of Azkaban, sidelined important themes such as Hermione’s S.P.E.W. campaign in Goblet of Fire, and even completely omitted some characters from the books. The new HBO series, however, will have more time and space to include these detailed and complex parts of the story.
Many viewers anticipated that The Acolyte would primarily explore the Sith during the High Republic period of Star Wars, a time when they were secretly gaining strength. However, the show unexpectedly focused on the characters of Mae and Osha Aniseya, and Jedi Master Sol. The central plot revolved around the enigma of Brendok, his unusual Force-related birth, and the role the Jedi played in his origins.
Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles became close friends while filming Supernatural, which makes their continued public appearances together feel natural. They still attend fan conventions, sometimes joined by Misha Collins. The show itself remains popular, with both longtime fans rewatching and new viewers discovering it for the first time. Interestingly, Supernatural is also referenced in season 8 of Nathan Fillion’s show, The Rookie.
The upcoming movie, Avengers: Doomsday, is bringing together the core Marvel Cinematic Universe heroes and adding some familiar faces from the X-Men films. Actors like Patrick Stewart and James Marsden are returning as Charles Xavier and Cyclops, respectively. Surprisingly, Chris Evans is back as Steve Rogers, even after his character’s story concluded in Avengers: Endgame. And in a major twist, Robert Downey Jr. will be playing the villain Doctor Doom instead of his iconic role as Tony Stark.
The popularity of Kenner’s Star Wars toys encouraged other companies to create their own action figure lines. Some, like Hasbro’s GI Joe: A Real American Hero, made figures the same size as the Star Wars ones, while others, like Mattel’s Masters of the Universe, went with larger figures. These lines also became popular and inspired even more companies to join the market. By the mid-1980s, LJN had released Thundercats, which was another big hit. However, other toy lines like Centurions and Sky Commanders weren’t as successful.
If you enjoyed Ryan Gosling’s space survival story, Amy Adams’ critically acclaimed sci-fi film, Arrival, is a great next watch. While both movies offer exciting adventures and explore connections between humans and aliens, Arrival stands out for its hopeful message and focus on the power of communication. These films represent a new wave of thoughtful, emotionally powerful science fiction – often called ‘hopecore’ – that emphasizes intelligence, language, and high stakes.