‘Hey, Buddy! Eyes Up Here!’ New ‘Superman’ Trailer Showcases Heart and Heroics

There’s really no reason why Superman shouldn’t be one of the biggest movie franchises on the planet. He’s instantly recognizable, he’s charismatic, his powers are fantastic and he represents humanity at its best. In short, he’s hope personified. Unfortunately, it’s that “golly gee” Silver Age optimism that’s been largely absent from the Man of Steel’s cinematic outings since Christopher Reeve donned the cape decades ago.

James Gunn aims to change all that with this summer’s Superman, which flies into theaters July 11. A new three-minute trailer dropped today, featuring Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane doing her first interview with David Corenswet’s Man of Steel. She grills The Big Blue Boy Scout on intervening – and stopping – an overseas war, which has sparked criticism about using his abilities unchecked and outside the law. Superman’s place in the geopolitical landscape is complicated, but the Smallville farmboy simplifies it. He did what he did because “people were going to die.”

We’re then treated to shots of Superman battling a giant monster, an assortment of friends and foes – including Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, Nathan Fillion’s Guy Gardner, Anthony Carrigan’s Metamorpho, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Terrific, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, María Gabriela de Faría’s Engineer and, of course, Krypto the Superdog.

There’s a lot to love in this trailer, and I’m fairly certain that Fillion’s Guy Gardner is going to be a lot of fun – the shot of him nonchalantly flipping over a military vehicle with a flick of his wrist tells me everything I need to know about him. There’s a lot of energy here, and I just can’t get over how vibrant it all is. This is a comic book brought to life … and that’s kind of the point.

Check out which action figures I’m going to buy this summer by watching the full trailer below! 

Marvel Gets its Mojo Back with Witty, Fun ‘Thunderbolts*’

 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe was pretty untouchable in the years leading up to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame but, unfortunately, the fervor over the franchise has cooled a bit in the years since. Save for pop-culture highlights like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Deadpool & Wolverine, the films have felt obligatory. “We go to Marvel movies because they’re Marvel movies” has been the overall vibe.

Thunderbolts* kicked off this year’s summer movie season in earnest this weekend, and I would be lying if I said my expectations were exceedingly high. And yet, the same could have been said about a certain 2014 film about C-list misfits coming together to form a surprisingly effective superteam – the first Guardians of the Galaxy – and that wound up being one of my favorite MCU films to this day. Thunderbolts* doesn’t quite hit the highs of James Gunn’s first Guardians, but it delivers a charming, funny, action-packed and surprisingly heartwarming story with characters I can’t wait to spend more time with.

Directed by Jake Schreier (Robot & Frank, Paper Towns), Thunderbolts* features a group of broken heroes brought together by fate (and the machinations of Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine) in a mission that forces them to confront their dark sides and find a path forward together. Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova gives the film its emotional core, and her incredible performance provides some of the film’s most heart-wrenching moments – a story about her decision to become the goalie for her childhood soccer team in particular – but everyone gets a chance to shine here. David Harbour ably balances comedy and tragedy as has-been hero Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker hides familial and professional pain behind a tough exterior, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes finds his footing as a leader and Ghost, who’s been absent from the MCU since Ant-Man & The Wasp seven years ago, shows off new sides of her personality that we didn’t see in her last outing.

The film’s biggest surprise is Will Pullman as the enigmatic Bob, whose unexpected emergence as Valentina’s cast-aside test subject presents some unique challenges for our heroes and villains alike. His struggle with The Void – metaphorical emptiness that becomes terrifyingly literal – presents the film’s primary conflict, and I’m interested to see how Bob plays into Avengers: Doomsday, since he’s very much a game changer in the MCU.

Speaking of game changers, I’ll come out and say it: If you’re tired of MCU’s quippy humor, Thunderbolts* might not be for you. The punchlines are nearly constant – especially whenever Red Guardian is around – so if you’re of the mind that Marvel movies should be more serious, you probably won’t have as much fun with Thunderbolts* as I did. Speaking for myself, though, I had a blast. This is exactly the type of escapist entertainment I look for in my superhero movies, and I left the theater with a big, stupid grin on my face.

There is a mid-credit sequence as well as a post-credit scene, but I would advise you to avoid reading the credits too closely. There’s a song credit that spoils the surprise of the post-credit scene, which hints at something major for Avengers: Doomsday. Consider yourself warned. 

Shawn Levy’s ‘Star Wars: Starfighter’ Gets a Release Date at Celebration Japan

 

Here’s where the fun begins.

Not only is the anticipated second season of Andor hitting Disney+ Tuesday, April 22, but the announcements are already flowing out of Star Wars Celebration Japan like hate from a Sith.

During a panel for next year’s The Mandalorian and Grogu, Deadpool & Wolverine director Shawn Levy made a surprise on-stage appearance to announce that his upcoming film, Star Wars: Starfighter, will hit theaters May 28, 2027 and will begin production this fall. Set five years after The Rise of Skywalker, the film will star Ryan Gosling as a never-before-seen character.

There have been plenty of Star Wars projects announced that have yet to materialize – for example, the Rey Skywalker movie that was announced at Star Wars Celebration two years ago – but it’s encouraging that this one is close to becoming a reality.

Check out the announcement via the Star Wars X account below.

Star Wars: Starfighter comes to theaters on May 28, 2027. #StarWarsCelebration pic.twitter.com/dsbVb3VdBY

— Star Wars (@starwars) April 18, 2025

That’s a Stretch! Marvel Unveils New ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ Trailer

 

The MCU is still a wonderful thing, despite what the worst corners of the internet tell you. Just two days after Marvel Television showed a major villain gruesomely crushing a man’s head in Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel Studios has delivered a whimsical new look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps, complete with peeks at Galactus, Silver Surfer, Mr. Fantastic’s stretchy superpowers and … a new addition to Marvel’s First Family?

Indeed, four will become five in the anticipated film, which hits theaters July 25.

Taking place in an alternate universe from typical Marvel Studios fare, The Fantastic Four: First Steps seems set against a refreshing clean slate, and hopefully won’t be overly bogged down by multiversal shenanigans and gratuitous cameos. There will be plenty of time for that when these characters appear in Avengers: Doomsday next spring.

In the meantime, to quote the trailer, “Thank you, Fantastic Four!” Watch it below!

‘Superman’ Sneak Peek Goes Inside the Fortress of Solitude

 

So, I’ve just watched the newly released sneak peek at James Gunn’s Superman, hitting theaters July 11, and I had two immediate takeaways.

1.      Krypto is a good dog. A Superdog, even.

2.      I love James Gunn.

On Point 2, it’s amazing to me that Gunn – whose similarly slick and polished Guardians of the Galaxy films are among my favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – got his screenwriting start in the delightfully schlocky and gloriously violent world of Troma Entertainment, cowriting Tromeo & Juliet alongside the mastermind behind The Toxic Avenger himself, Lloyd Kaufman. So, with this new film, one could draw a direct line from Toxie to Superman. That’s nuts.

Also nuts is how Supes’ Fortress of Solitude isn’t all that, well, solitary. Between Krypto and a small army of adorably caped Kryptonian robots, Superman’s got a lot of backup whenever he gets his butt kicked all the way to the North Pole and needs a solar-powered recharge.  It’s charming. It’s colorful. It’s decidedly Superman.

The clip – which features the iconic John Williams score – concludes with a variety of shots featuring David Corenswet’s Man of Steel in action along with glimpses of Rachel Brosnahan’s Lois Lane, Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor, Isabela Merced’s Hawkgirl, Edi Gathegi’s Mister Miracle and others.

Expectations are up, up and away as July approaches faster than a speeding … you know the rest.

Watch DC Studios’ Superman sneak peek below!

 

Scum and Villainy Abound in ‘Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld’

 

If there’s one thing Star Wars fans can agree on, it’s that bounty hunters are awesome. Also awesome? The Dark Side. So, millions of voices suddenly cried out in glee and were suddenly excited when Lucasfilm unveiled the trailer for Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld, a series of shorts premiering on Star Wars Day, May the 4^th, exclusively on Disney+.

The series will revolve around gunslinging mercenary Cad Ban and Count Dooku’s former lead assassin Asajj Ventress, two fan-favorite baddies from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. They’re in some of the best episodes of that series, and I often credit Bane’s first appearance, Season One’s “Hostage Crisis,” as the moment The Clone Wars went from being a simple kid’s show to some of the best Star Wars storytelling out there.

Watch the trailer for Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld below.

Fourth MCU ‘Spider-Man’ Film Gets a Title, Release Date

 

If you saw the news Tuesday morning you might have thought it was a bizarre April Fool’s joke, but Sony Pictures wasn’t foolin’ when they revealed that their anticipated follow-up to smash-hit Spider-Man: No Way Home would be called Spider-Man: Brand New Day and that it would be hitting theaters on July 31, 2026.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day 🕷️ July 31, 2026. pic.twitter.com/R6OY8tAHOb

— Spider-Man Movie (@SpiderManMovie) April 1, 2025

The Brand New Day subtitle might be slightly triggering for longtime Spidey fans, as it references a mostly maligned story arc that began in 2008. You see, in the comics, Peter Parker’s beloved Aunt May was shot, and Peter made a pact with the actual Marvel devil – Mephisto if you’re nasty – in order to keep her alive. In exchange for May’s life, Peter sacrificed his marriage to Mary Jane Watson. To this day, Peter and MJ’s marriage has yet to be restored. So, yeah, it’s a bit of a sore spot.

The ”Brand New Day” storyline served as the hardest of soft reboots for the comic book Web-Slinger, introducing new romances, characters and villains in a reset continuity. Given the events of No Way Home, during which Tom Holland’s Peter sacrificed his non-Spidey life to save his universe, it seems like the MCU could be pushing the character in a similar clean-slate direction: low-tech suit, street-level storytelling and new relationships. And this could be a fantastic change of pace, since Holland’s Peter has unfortunately been often overshadowed by other Avengers and other Spider-Men in his prior MCU outings. With the promise of a more Spidey-centric narrative I’m excited to see what’s “Brand New” for my favorite superhero  in 2026.

In other Wall-Crawler news, Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is officially hitting theaters on June 4, 2027.

Marvel Studios Reveals ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Cast as Production Kicks Off

 A series of empty chairs whipped comic book social media into a frenzy earlier today as Marvel Studios’ employed a slow-drip live-stream approach to reveal many – but all – cast members set to appear in the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday, now officially in production. Marvel’s cross-platform stream unveiled a new cast member’s chair every few minutes for more than five hours, concluding with Doctor Doom himself, Robert Downey Jr., appearing at its conclusion.

In addition to MCU mainstays like Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man, Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, Sam Wilson’s Captain America, Letitia Wright’s Suri/Black Panther and Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, we also saw chairs for each member of the Fantastic Four –  whose debut film drops this summer – as well as X-Men series actors Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, James Marsden, Rebecca Romijn, Alan Cumming and Kelsey Grammer. Plus, it looks like Deadpool & Wolverine scene stealer Channing Tatum is back as Gambit!

This cast is absolutely stacked, but I also feel like the aforementioned Deadpool & Wolverine said pretty much everything that needed to be said about the Marvel Multiverse. This could just be a bunch of action figures being dumped onto the carpet and smashed into each other for three hours. Having said that, I not only love action figures but feel strongly that the Russos’ efforts are among the strongest stories in the MCU. This could be something really special. 

Notably, no Spider-Mans (Spider-Men?), members of the Guardians of the Galaxy, and neither Deadpool nor Wolverine were confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday but, then again, May 1, 2026 is a long time from now ... multiversally speaking. 

Check out the full list below!

• Chris Hemsworth as Thor
• Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman
• Anthony Mackie as Captain America
• Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
• Letitia Wright as Shuri/Black Panther
• Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
• Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
• Tenoch Huerta Mejía as Namor
• Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
• Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
• Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
• Kelsey Grammer as Beast
• Lewis Pullman as Sentry
• Danny Ramirez as Falcon
• Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
• David Harbour as Red Guardian
• Winston Duke as M'Baku
• Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
• Tom Hiddleston as Loki
• Patrick Stewart as Professor X
• Ian McKellen as Magneto
• Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
• Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
• James Marsden as Cyclops
• Channing Tatum as Gambit
• Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
• Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom

‘Andor’ Season 2 Trailer Instant Reaction

 

“The revolution starts now.”

So, before I get into it, if you have ever liked Star Wars – or even if you don’t – you need to watch Andor Season 1. Hard stop. It’s by far the best Star Wars show on Disney+ and it stands as an excellent companion piece to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which is widely regarded as the best Star Wars film Disney has produced since acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012. So yeah, expectations are high.

More than two years after its outstanding first season, Andor is back April 22 – now called Andor: A Star Wars Story – and its new trailer kicked us in the teeth just a few hours ago as of this writing. Like its first season, it looks raw, it looks emotional, and it looks, dare I say it … rebellious. And the modern-day music in the trailer that accompanies the bold visuals just feels right.

But don’t just take my word for it. Check out the Andor Season 2 trailer below!

‘Captain America: Brave New World’: Non-Spoiler Review

 

Following widely publicized production woes and extensive reshoots, Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World has arrived, and although it’s not as disappointing as social media or Rotten Tomatoes might have you believe, it’s a shaky flight for the winged Avenger.

Featuring Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, having taken up the Cap mantle from Steve Rogers at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame and solidifying himself as the star-spangled hero in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, this film unfortunately only feels like a Captain America sequel sometimes. Mostly, it’s a follow-up to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk, with many plotlines and characters carried over from that film 17 years later. It’s also a follow-up to notorious Marvel miss The Eternals, finally addressing the massive dead Celestial in the Indian Ocean that one would think would play into the MCU over the past 4 years. I give the film credit for picking up the pieces and pulling these elements back into continuity, but it all starts to feel more like housekeeping than storytelling – especially when these elements pull us away from Sam.

The pacing is a bit rough as well, and the two-hour film feels longer than that. The action scenes are fun when they aren’t generic, choppy fistfights – especially an aerial dogfight and the thrilling-but-brief battle between Cap and Red Hulk – but the rest of the film is mostly exposition-heavy and feels more procedural than powerful. It seems like Julius Onah is trying to replicate the political intrigue of the Russo brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but it often feels like a serviceable episode of Law & Order instead.

Despite feeling flat and disjointed overall, there were some good performances. Mackie brings a lot of charm to Sam’s Captain America, while Harrison Ford – stepping into the role of “Thunderbolt” Ross following William Hurt’s death – brings new vulnerability and urgency to the character, especially when he finally “Hulks out” in the third act. Danny Ramirez provides warmth and humor to the role of Joaquin Torres/Falcon, and Giancarlo Esposito oozes his trademark measured menace as Sidewinder, the leader of the villainous Serpent Society, even though it often feels like he’s in a different movie altogether. Everyone else does fine enough with what they’re given, although one returning character from The Incredible Hulk who winds up being the film’s primary antagonist elicited a lot of unintended laughs from my screening due to sheer goofiness.

All that said, I wouldn’t say Captain America: Brave New World is among Marvel Studios’ worst outings, but it’s solidly middle-of-the-road. It hints at big things for The Avengers and the MCU as a whole, but to me felt like a hollow, brief, occasionally enjoyable experience in and of itself. I should note, however, that this film has one of the worst post-credit sequences in the history of the MCU. If you need to race to the bathroom as soon as the credits start, it’s not worth the wait.

Trailer Showdown: ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ vs. ‘Jurassic World: Rebirth’

 

We all assumed we would be getting trailers for Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Universal Pictures’ during Super Bowl LIX this Sunday, but both franchises kicked things off a bit early, giving fans of summer blockbusters a lot to discuss and dissect this week. But which trailer packs the most punch? Has the bigger bite? Scarletts the most Johanssons? OK, that last one is pretty obvious.

Let’s see how they match up.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Let’s be honest: There has never been a good Fantastic Four movie. There are some fun moments in the 2005 Tim Story film, but from the 1994 Roger Corman schlock flick to the 2015 reboot misfire, the silver screen has been unkind to Marvel’s First Family. But the debut Marvel Studios film for Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, The Human Torch and The Thing shows promise, placing the characters against a reimagined 1960s backdrop that’s separate from the established Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, The Fantastic Four: First Steps also features John Malkovich and Natasha Lyonne in its star-studded cast, with Ralph Ineson voicing The Devourer of Worlds himself, Galactus. The retro-futuristic aesthetic in this is a lot of fun, and the visual effects bringing The Thing to orange, rocky life are exceptional. If the MCU is “at a bit of a low point” – as stated by Deadpool in a certain billion-dollar team-up flick earlier this year – this might be the splash of freshness and color the nearly 20-year-old movie universe needs.

Jurassic World: Rebirth

Jurassic World Dominion wasn’t great. In fact, it wasn’t even good. Overstuffed with characters and lacking any of the awe factor that made Jurassic Park a classic, Dominion felt like an extinction point for the prehistoric franchise. I remember hearing that the next film in the series would be a soft reboot, and it seems like that comes by way of a new human cast, ramped-up horror elements and the emergence of a new mutant dinosaur threat. It’s also directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and written by Jurassic Park co-writer David Koepp so, yeah, I’m in. 

The Rebirth trailer features Scarlett Johansson’s Zora Bennett joining Jonathan Bailey’s Dr. Henry Loomis and Mahershala Ali’s Duncan Kincaid on a dangerous expedition to extract dino DNA from several dinosaurs at Jurassic Park’s original research laboratory so it can be used to create a miracle drug. Things obviously go wrong, and the group is attacked by Velociraptors, Spinosauri, at least one Tyrannosaurus Rex and a hideous mutant dinosaur that will likely be a pretty cool toy.

The plot doesn’t veer too far away from the working formula for all things Jurassic – put humans and dinosaurs together and see what happen – but Rebirth looks like a massive stomp in the right direction after the underwhelming Dominion. Let’s hope there are no giant locusts this time.

The Verdict?

It’s close, but when it comes to The Thing taking vs. The Rex, “It’s Clobberin’ Time!” Fantastic Four: The First Steps wins in a battle of fresh vs. familiar. Jurassic World: Rebirth’s trailer seems to tread familiar ground to bring the series back to basics, while First Steps aptly showcases what sets these characters apart from the 30+ prior Marvel Studios films.  

Writer George Nolfi Joins Rey Skywalker ‘Star Wars’ Film

 

Daisy Ridley’s return as Rey Skywalker is one step closer to becoming a reality, with Ocean’s 12 and The Bourne Ultimatum writer George Nolfi joining the film set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker, according to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision.

The unnamed Star Wars standalone film will be helmed by documentary filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and will feature Rey – who adopted the Skywalker surname at the conclusion of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy.

Nolfi’s addition comes after a string of writers joined and left the project, including Damon Lindelof, Justin Britt-Gibson and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. It has yet to be revealed when production will officially begin.

As was the case with the Prequel Trilogy 20 years ago, conversation around the Star Wars sequels is decidedly mixed and at times contentious, with some pockets of the fandom calling for Disney to de-canonize them entirely. Speaking for myself, I appreciate The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi more and more as time goes on. The Rise of Skywalker, though, feels like a lot of missed opportunities and compromises culled from Reddit forums, but it’s still a mostly fun watch. I’m curious to see where Rey’s story goes from there, and which other Sequel Trilogy characters could be joining her. My fingers are crossed for Babu Frik.

For the full story, click here.

SUBLIME! Ryan Gosling Could Star in Shawn Levy’s Upcoming ‘Star Wars’ Film

 His job was beach. Now, it’s space.

Ryan Gosling, Barbie’s scene-stealing Ken and the immensely likeable star of such films as The Notebook, The Big Short, Drive, Blade Runner 2049 and La La Land, is in talks to star in Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Coming off the $1.3 billion success of Deadpool & Wolverine, Levy will helm a feature set in that galaxy far, far away that will reportedly have no connection to the Skywalker Saga. The as-yet-unnamed film has been in development for two years and will go into production this year, being the next in an increasingly long list of potential Star Wars films that have yet to (kyber) crystallize. It would follow the release of The Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to hit theaters in May 2026.

I’m always on board for more Star Wars, and Gosling is always fun to watch, but it’s going to be a real heartbreaker if this never sees the light of day. After all, where’s the Rey movie, the James Mangold “first Jedi” project, the rumored Episodes X-XII, and all the other films that have been announced/teased for the past 5 years? When it comes to Star Wars at the movies, I can only quote Yoda: “Impossible to see, the future is.”

For the full story, click here.

Got it Where it Counts: ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ Season 1 Reaction

 

Star Wars fans are a hyperbolic bunch. Whenever a new project debuts – whether it’s a theatrical film or a streaming series – it’s either the best thing to happen to the franchise in years or it’s the catastrophic death knell for that galaxy far, far away. Admittedly, my reactions tend to be more positive when it comes to Disney’s near-constant output of Star Wars content. You can call me a shill if you must (it wouldn’t be the first time), but I was a kid during the “Dark Times” of the early-mid ‘90s when all we had were the original three films on well-worn VHS tapes, a handful of PC games and a stack of novels and comics of varying quality to satisfy our fervor for the Force. I’m OK with being spoiled with so many Star Wars stories these days, even if they don’t all hit the figurative two-meter thermal exhaust port.

But where does that leave Skeleton Crew, the eight-episode Disney+ pirate yarn featuring a Force-sensitive and swarthy Jude Law, a group of plucky young adventurers and a host of furry, feathery and sometimes squishy alien creatures? In short, it’s damn good.

 Skeleton Crew is a love letter to many things, namely 1980s Steven Spielberg coming-of-age stories, practical visual effects, swashbuckling adventure films and, yes, childhood. It all blends together to form the most accessible Star Wars streaming series since The Mandalorian’s debut season in 2019, devoid of required reading/viewing as long as you’re familiar with the basics of Star Wars (and who isn’t?). As such, I’ve been excitedly recommending this show to just about everyone, not only those who know the difference between a Mon Calamari and a Quarren.

Starring Jude Law as the mysterious Jod Na Nawood and a quartet of kid actors – Ravi Cabot-Conyers as the starry-eyed Wim, Ryan Kiera Armstrong as the headstrong Fern, Kyriana Kratter as the analytical KB and Robert Timothy Smith as the bashful blue alien Neel – Skeleton Crew features stronger performances than you might expect from what many perceive as a “kids’ show.” Joining the flesh-and-blood cast is the tough-as-nails droid SM-33 voiced by Nick Frost, who brings a lot of heart and humor to a broken-down bot with a rat living in its skull.

Series creators Jon Watts and Christopher Ford crafted this season alongside a murders’ row of directors, including Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once) and the always game Bryce Dallas Howard, who really needs to be directing Star Wars movies as soon as possible. It all comes to a close in satisfying fashion in this week’s finale, but there’s more adventure to be had with these characters if the viewership demands it. After The Acolyte ended after just one season, I’m not getting my hopes up too high but, as has always been the case with me and Star Wars, I’m choosing to look on the Light Side.