5 Movies & TV Shows That Are Better Than The Originals

Charlene Badasie

Franchises are as powerful as they are unpredictable. These days, sequels, remakes, and spin-offs have become the norm, and usually, they're a pale echo of the original. But every so often, one of these recycled stories doesn't just match expectations, it surpasses them.

From sharp, sophisticated sitcoms to deeply moral origin stories, a fresh take on a wedding classic, and a much smoother heist story, when done properly, this reinvention can often become a bigger hit than the original. This list examines why each do-over or offshoot earns a seat at the top of the franchise hierarchy.

Cheers (1982) - Good Original Series

Cheers premiered in 1982, and although it struggled at first, the sitcom eventually found its audience. Although the story, set in the titular Boston bar, centered on the relationship between Sam Malone and Diane Chambers, it also thrived on the witty banter and workplace camaraderie of its supporting cast (Norm, Carla, Cliff, and others). While Cheers remains a foundational sitcom, Frasier built on that legacy with elevated wit, psychological nuance, and refined character arcs, making the spinoff feel like an evolution rather than just a continuation.

Frasier (1993) - Better Spinoff Series

Frasier Crane, the licensed psychiatrist we first met in Boston's Cheers, gets his own radio talk show in Seattle when he relocates in the Cheers finale. Aptly titled Frasier, the series explores his relationships with his equally refined, but neurotic, brother Niles, his blue-collar father Martin, and his colleague Roz and employee, Daphne. Primarily set in Frasier's posh apartment, the sitcom is filled with razor-sharp, highbrow humor about family dysfunction, ego, and class. The show also has far more emotional and intellectual depth than Cheers.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) - Decent Original Film

The 1992 Buffy the Vampire Slayer film follows Kristy Swanson as Buffy Summers, a fashion-obsessed, valley girl cheerleader whose life revolves around shopping and school dances until a mysterious man named Merrick tells her she's destined to fight the forces of darkness. Initially resistant, Buffy gradually accepts her calling when vampires begin to infiltrate her social circle. The response to the movie was mixed due to its superficiality and tonal misfires. Today, the movie is seen as a novelty which, while historically important, lacks mythic scope and relatability.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) - Iconic Reboot Series

After being largely unsatisfied with the film, Joss Whedon turned his source material into the iconic Buffy the Vampire Slayer television series that premiered in 1997. Rather than a satirical teen comedy, Buffy became a serialized feminist forward saga about a teenage slayer and her friends battling demons and vampires, while navigating the ups and downs of high school life. The show pioneered season-long "big bad" arcs, blending standalone monster episodes and deeper mythology in a way that helped usher in the modern era of prestige television storytelling.

Breaking Bad (2008) - Great Original Series

Breaking Bad chronicles the life of high school chemistry teacher Walter White. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Walt decides to partner with his former student, Jesse Pinkman, to cook and sell crystal meth to secure his family's future. This life choice sets off a chain of moral decay, violence, and collapse. Due to its dramatic premise and unforgettable supporting characters (like Skyler, Hank, Saul, Gus, and Mike), the series established itself as one of television's masterpieces, a transformational, larger-than-life tragedy of ambition gone wrong.

Better Call Saul (2015) - Excellent Spinoff Series

Better Call Saul takes us to 2002, where Saul Goodman still went by his real name, Jimmy McGill. Working as a struggling public defender with hustler dreams, Jimmy slowly morphs into the morally flexible lawyer seen in Breaking Bad. The series carefully builds Jimmy's evolution through his fraught relationships with his brother Chuck, girlfriend Kim Wexler, and side characters like Mike and Howard. Loaded with moral ambiguity and dark comedy, the series is a study of ambition and ethical erosion, which culminates in a tragic arc that rivals that of its predecessor.

Father of the Bride (1950) - Fine Original Film

The 1950 Father of the Bride is a classic old Hollywood comedy that explores a father's whirlwind of emotions as he comes to terms with his daughter's sudden engagement. Told as a flashback, the story follows Stanley Banks (Spencer Tracy), a successful middle-aged lawyer, as he recalls the moment his daughter Kay casually announces over dinner that she is engaged. The news shakes Stanley to his core. While his wife Ellie immediately springs into wedding-planning mode, Stanley is reluctant to accept that his little girl is growing up.

Father of the Bride (1991) - Hillarious Film Remake

At the time, the 1991 Father of the Bride remake re-imagined the story for contemporary audiences, adding physical comedy, sharper dialogue, and an emotional arc rooted in modern family dynamics, making the new version feel livelier. Steve Martin plays George Banks, a loving but overwhelmed father who is dreading his daughter's wedding. As Annie excitedly prepares for her big day, George spirals into full-on panic, losing his grip during a meltdown at the grocery store. The film plays out as a light-hearted domestic comedy about letting go and family bonds.

Ocean's 11 (1960) - Lacking Original Film

The 1960 Ocean's 11, starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr., is more of a vibe than a fully realized film. The plot loosely follows 11 World War II veterans who plan to rob five Las Vegas casinos on New Year's Eve, but the story takes a backseat to Rat Pack banter and mid-century cool. The film spends large chunks of time lingering on lounges, tuxedos, and Vegas nightlife, with far less focus on heist intricacies. It's a movie made more for fans of its stars than fans of storytelling, as it desperately lacks structure.

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - Competent Remake Film

The 2001 version of Ocean's 11 takes the premise of a Las Vegas casino heist and transforms it into a masterclass in ensemble filmmaking. With George Clooney and Brad Pitt leading the cast, the film assembles a team of 11 specialized criminals to rob three casinos on the same night. What could've been a flashy caper turns into a tightly choreographed ballet of strategy and spectacle, involving tech geniuses, disguises, and elaborate misdirection that keeps you guessing until the final twist. Unsurprisingly, the film became one of the most successful remakes of all time.

Where To Watch The Movies And TV Shows That Are Better Than The Originals Online

To discover more about TV shows and movies currently streaming in the US, check out the JustWatch streaming guide! You can filter your search by streaming service, genre, price, age rating, and score. Be sure to build your watchlist and receive helpful notifications on what to watch next based on your preferences!

Bradley Cooper's 'Superman' Cameo Might Not Be Who You Think - And That Changes Everything

Rachel Ulatowski

JustWatch Editor

Director James Gunn filled Superman with plenty of exciting cameos that teased the DC Universe’s future. One of the most unexpected cameos was Bradley Cooper’s appearance. Just minutes into the movie, Cooper appears alongside Angela Sarafyan as Superman’s (David Corenswet) biological parents, Jor-El and Lara. The pair appears in a video message they sent to Earth with their infant son.

It was a pleasant surprise as Cooper fits the role of Jor-El well, channeling Marlon Brando’s iteration of the character. However, the twist regarding Superman’s parents’ message has left some viewers questioning the true identity of Cooper’s character.

Superman’s Big Twist Casts Jor-El In A New Light

Early in Superman, Superman listens to the video his parents sent him, although part of it was lost in transit. The beginning of the video describes their love for him and their decision to send him to Earth because it was where he could do the most good. However, later in the movie, Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) and The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) recover the last part of the message, which is quite unexpected.

In the final part of the message, Jor-El and Lara reveal that their true hope for their son is to rule over Earth, lording over the planet as “the Last Son of Krypton” and taking numerous wives to continue the Kryptonian bloodline. Jor-El concludes, “Rule without mercy.”

Jor-El and Lara sending Superman to Earth with the hope that he would become a merciless ruler is a significant departure from Superman lore. While some comics have explored alternate versions of Jor-El that were more antagonistic, the original story is that Jor-El and Lara simply sent Superman to Earth to save him, not so that he could become a ruler. The change in Superman’s origins works well in Superman because it drives home the idea of him choosing for himself what kind of man he will be.

However, one can’t help but wonder if there’s another explanation for Jor-El’s changes in Superman other than just thematic reasons.

What If Bradley Cooper Isn’t Playing Jor-El?

Superman’s Jor-El’s ideology and desires for his son seem to align more closely with General Zod. In the comics, General Zod is a megalomaniac Kryptonian, desperate to grasp control of Krypton. His actions led to Jor-El banishing him to the Phantom Zone. Upon his release by Superman, he immediately set his sights on bringing Earth under his power.

Hence, fans have begun proposing the theory that Cooper is portraying General Zod. In the comics, Zod becomes Superman’s arch-enemy, mainly due to wanting vengeance on Jor-El. Perhaps, in Superman’s version of events, Zod managed to escape the Phantom Zone before Krypton’s fall and posed as Jor-El to trick Superman with the phony video message.

There’s a chance he wounded or killed Jor-El before forcing Lara to record the message, or that he employed another random Kryptonian to pose as Superman’s mother. He would have the motivation for this; he’d essentially pave the way for his takeover of Earth by having Superman go ahead of him, subjugating Earth and establishing a Kryptonian kingdom on it.

Meanwhile, the Superman theory that Cooper is Zod is hard to disprove. No one, including Superman, actually knows what Jor-El looks like or would be able to identify Zod. The message also strongly mirrored Zod’s imperialistic nature. Lastly, it would make more sense to employ an actor of Cooper’s stature for a role like Zod, rather than a role like Jor-El that doesn’t have much room for growth, given that Jor-El is deceased by the time of Superman.

What Would Bradley Cooper Portraying Zod Mean For The DCU?

If Cooper is Zod, it would be far from the first time the character has appeared in live-action. Zod (Callum Blue) had a recurring role in Smallville, where he develops Kryptonian clones to advance his plot to take over Earth. In Superman (1978) and Superman II, General Zod (Terence Stamp) escapes the Phantom Zone before Krypton’s Destruction, and allies with Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) to defeat Superman and rule Earth.

More recently, General Zod (Michael Shannon) appeared as Man of Steel’s main villain, where he’s intent on creating a new Krypton on Earth, even seeking Superman’s (Henry Cavill) DNA to create genetically pure Kryptonians. General Zod’s actions in Man of Steel eerily parallel Jor-El’s vision in Superman of creating a new Krypton on Earth.

If Cooper is Zod in Superman, it means Zod is already in the DCU and presumably survived the fall of Krypton. After learning his video message failed to sway Superman, he may decide to take matters into his own hands. He’d presumably be a major villain in future Superman or Justice League projects. Meanwhile, the fact that Superman believes him to be Jor-El could create an interesting dynamic in which Zod continues the charade, forcing Superman to choose once more between his perceived family and Earth.

Where To Watch General Zod's Movie And TV Show Appearances Online

Is Galactus Marvel's Most Powerful God? The Fantastic Four Villain, Explained

Jesse Lab

JustWatch Editor

Since Fantastic Four #48, Galactus has been one of the most imposing villains in all of comics. A being of gargantuan size, Galactus travels from world to world and devours planets. He’s a nigh omnipotent being, and whenever Galactus approaches Earth, it’s such a large crisis that multiple groups of heroes usually need to band together to stop him.

While his live-action appearances have been sparse, really only featuring prominently in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, it seems like he’s finally getting his due in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The trailers have presented him as this monumental threat, constantly looming over Marvel’s First Family, and the sheer destruction he’s capable of will most likely reinvigorate the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the same way that Thanos did in Avengers: Infinity War. In fact, it may very well be the case that Galactus wins and The Fantastic Four are defeated. It certainly wouldn’t be out of the question.

There is also the chance that The Fantastic Four can win. The odds are slim, but not impossible, since Galactus is actually a being that can be defeated in multiple ways. He’s powerful, but not quite as omnipotent as he seems to be, which begs the question… is there a god more powerful than Galactus?

How Powerful Is Galactus Really?

To figure out how powerful Galactus really is, you first need to answer a strange, but relevant question: Has Galactus eaten recently?

Galactus is a being who hails from an earlier incarnation of the universe. He was gifted omnipotence before the collapse of his old universe, but back then, he was a mortal being with fairly standard abilities. After surviving the death of the old universe, he was imbued with the Power Cosmic, which gives him the ability to do virtually anything. He can absorb energy, change his size, power-up other beings, and even bring back the dead. You name it, the Power Cosmic can do it.

Because of this, when Galactus is at full power, very few things can defeat him. He’s defeated numerous Celestials, with each Celestial having strength equivalent to the Big Bang. And Galactus once defeated four of them at once. However, Galactus’ strength is tied to how much energy he consumes, since maintaining the Power Cosmic and his extraordinary size requires a sizeable amount of energy.

Galactus needs to constantly consume planets to keep his strength up, though he doesn’t need to eat daily. He can survive off the energy of one planet for weeks and feel satiated. It’s important to note that Galactus doesn’t see what he’s doing as evil, since it’s a necessary biological function for him. He needs to eat to stay alive, and planets are the only thing that can satisfy his hunger. He’s indifferent to the life that he snuffs out on each world, so he’s callous about his actions. After he consumes a planet, that’s when he’s at his strongest, but when Galactus hungers, that’s when he’s at his most vulnerable.

Has Galactus Been Defeated Before?

So, if a person were going to attempt to fight Galactus, fighting him when he’s hungry would be the most optimal time. He has died of hunger before, showing that despite his claims of invincibility, he can be weakened. Granted, because he still wields the Power Cosmic, it would still be an immensely difficult fight for anyone, unless they had some outside assistance.

Fortunately, there are a few weapons in the universe that are capable of harming Galactus, with the most notable one being a device called the Ultimate Nullifier. While it may seem like a weird little gadget, the device actually has the power to completely eradicate its target, eliminating all of their mass, energy, and physical being from existence. There is a great risk in using the Ultimate Nullifier, like the strong possibility it destroys the wielder as well, and the chance that if used by a person of notable power, it could potentially annihilate a large percentage of the known universe.

The Infinity Gauntlet is also a viable weapon against Galactus, since its properties allow the user to reshape all of reality. In the comics, Thanos famously wielded the Infinity Gauntlet in the event comic of the same name and was able to defeat not only Galactus, but several other major cosmic entities in the Marvel universe. While the Infinity Gauntlet is no more in the MCU (Earth-199999), there technically would be an Infinity Gauntlet in the universe that The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in (Earth-828), since each universe in the Marvel multiverse tends to have their own version of the infamous gauntlet.

But realistically, defeating Galactus is very hard, if not impossible, unless you have those items. In truth, the best way to defeat Galactus is to either delay him or redirect him. In Fantastic Four #48, despite possessing the Ultimate Nullifier, The Fantastic Four were able to repel Galactus without firing it by simply threatening him with it. Other heroes and villains have also simply redirected Galactus’ focus to other planets, like how Squirrel Girl, who has the power to control squirrels, simply convinced Galactus to devour another planet instead of Earth after befriending him in her miniseries, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

Is There Anyone Stronger Than Galactus In Marvel Comics?

So Galactus is capable of losing, provided his foe has some frankly overpowered weapons on their side. But are there beings that are simply more powerful than him? Yes. Several.

While Galactus is considered to be a cosmic being, several other entities are far stronger than him in terms of capabilities and abilities. Take, for example, the Phoenix Force, a cosmic energy being that can drain energy from the universe itself. Given that Galactus is fueled by the Power Cosmic and gains his strength from consuming the energy of other planets, the Destroyer of Worlds and the Phoenix Force have come into conflict several times, with both beings have won and lost against each other previously.

Then you have beings like Order, Chaos, Love, and Hate, who embody metaphysical concepts that can easily circumvent Galactus’ powers. While these beings have never come into direct conflict with Galactus, they are significantly more powerful than him. Then there’s Eternity, who fans of the MCU may remember from Thor: Love and Thunder. While he was presented as this enigmatic, wish-granting being, in the comics, Eternity is the living embodiment of not only the universe, but of time itself, making it a being that even Thanos, powered by the Infinity Gauntlet, balks at fighting.

And yet, there are still beings far beyond Eternity! One of the most powerful beings in all of the Marvel multiverse is The Living Tribunal, a being that interprets and reshapes the laws of the universe. While that may sound unconventional, its powers, when utilized, are broken. With a simple snap of its fingers, it can render the Infinity Gems worthless, meaning it could potentially rewrite reality wherein Galactus has no powers and is a mortal once more. Plus, The Living Tribunal is a servant to One-Above-All, the God of the Marvel Multiverse, who can do whatever it wants. It usually presents itself as notable writers within Marvel like Stan Lee or Jack Kirby, making it a metaphysical being that represents the nature of fiction itself, therefore overcoming Celestials like Galactus without any difficulty.

So yes, Galactus is powerful. Unbelievably powerful to the point where very few beings could hope to stand a chance when his hunger gets the better of him. But there are ways to counter him, whether it’s through acquiring weapons, redirecting his efforts, or simply allying oneself with a nigh omnipotent god. It’s not likely any of those things could happen, but it goes to show that while Galactus is strong, he’s not Marvel’s most powerful god.

Where To Watch Other Movies With Galactus Online

The Best YA Dramas Like 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'

Gissane Sophia

JustWatch Editor

There are many reasons why viewers are drawn to Prime Video's adaptation of Jenny Han's trilogy, The Summer I Turned Pretty. Whether it's the quaint beach town, the delightful characters, the teenage nostalgia, or, more importantly, the love stories, there's something in it for most romance fans. For some viewers, it might even be the love triangle between Lola Tung's Belly Conklin and Fisher brothers, Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno's Conrad and Jeremiah, respectively. Regardless, it's an incredible teen drama, now in its third season and featuring a stellar soundtrack that's equally as significant as the plot.

For viewers itching for more YA shows like The Summer I Turned Pretty, here are 10 great teen dramas to watch for various similarities, along with where to stream them on platforms like Prime Video, Netflix, and more.

Dawson’s Creek (1998)

The teen drama that started it all, and the one that's become a cultural paragon for what it means to set up a love triangle and deliver an earned payoff. Few TV series could ever top Dawson's Creek. Set in the small titular town, the intimate storytelling between characters who grow up together and follow their dreams includes a number of genre favorite archetypes that fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty would enjoy. If for nothing else, it's worth knowing why Katie Holmes' Joey Potter choosing Joshua Jackson's Pacey Witter is still one of the most iconic moments on TV.

One Tree Hill (2003)

While the iconic teen drama does indeed feature two very different brothers like the ones in The Summer I Turned Pretty, the love triangles on One Tree Hill look a bit different, too. For starters, they're more short-lived and don't last beyond a season. However, the series features what might just be the greatest TV soundtrack of all time, and for fans who love the music in Jenny Han's adaptation, One Tree Hill is a must-watch teen drama that does it best. Plus, Tree Hill as a town feels just as cozy as Cousins Beach and features a ton of angst to satisfy every type of viewer.

The O.C. (2003)

The O.C. might not exactly be a small town drama, but it certainly feels like one with its ensemble cast and contained narratives. As yet another quintessential teen drama, the angsty series is certainly worth watching, and especially for viewers looking for deliciously messy relationships and wild arcs. Adam Brody's Seth Cohen is the dreamboat, and he might be particularly intriguing for viewers hoping Belly chooses Christopher Briney's Conrad.

Heartstopper (2022)

Though the drama in Heartstopper doesn't focus on love triangles, the LGBTQIA+ focused series, based on Alice Oseman's graphic novels, is the perfect YA, coming-of-age romance. Sweet and tender at every turn, the series thoughtfully explores the pangs of being a high schooler, all while gorgeously showcasing an ever-blooming romance between Nick and Charlie. The show features a number of romantic relationships involving characters with diverse identities that allow viewers to understand the broad spectrum that fortifies the LGBTQIA+ community. The drama in Heartstopper is mostly external, and as one of the most well-written inclusive shows on air right now, it's the perfect teen drama to dive into.

Never Have I Ever (2020)

Loss is an enormous part of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and another teen drama that does a beautifully healing job of representing grief is Netflix's Never Have I Ever. Following Indian-American teenager Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan), the series delivers teenage angst, healing from grief, and the woes of a love triangle, resulting in an earned ending that's easy to appreciate. It's refreshing, profoundly moving, and does a beautiful job of ensuring that the characters are consistently in the driver's seat.

Gilmore Girls (2000)

As another seasonal, coming-of-age small town drama that focuses on the relationship between mothers and daughters, Gilmore Girls is a blueprint for a reason. While a bit cooler as fall vibes are known to be the show's aesthetic, the small town antics are charming, and the love triangles are just as thrilling as they are in The Summer I Turned Pretty. Gilmore Girls is especially worth watching as the number of similarities between Alexis Bledel's Rory and Tung's Belly can be surprisingly comforting.

XO, Kitty (2023)

As a spin-off to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, XO, Kitty is a delightful gem worth watching. With a primarly Asian cast and filmed in South Korea, XO, Kitty shines with its gorgeous cultural representation and authenticity. Anna Cathcart's Kitty Covey is one of the standout characters in the original trilogy, so the fact that viewers get to follow her on her own adventures is a gift that keeps on giving. Fun, charming, and all around well-written, The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are bound to adore this gem, too.

My Life With the Walter Boys (2023)

Based on Ali Novak's novel of the same name, My Life With the Walter Boys, like Never Have I Ever and The Summer I Turned Pretty, thoughtfully explores grief with teenagers while simultaneously telling an exciting story with familiar tropes. It follows Nikki Rodriguez's Jackie as she moves from New York to Colorado to live with family friends after the death of her immediate family. Adjusting to the changes in her new life comes with the realization of romantic feelings for two brothers, Cole and Alex.

Outer Banks (2020)

While a lot more dramatic than The Summer I Turned Pretty, Outer Banks might scratch the itch for viewers specifically looking for the summer aesthetic and a group of friends with blooming romances between a number of them. Featuring a search for treasure, loads of familial angst, romance, and more hijinks, surprises are in every corner within the series. Outer Banks especially shines with its found family vibes, and it delivers all the necessary angst to ensure that the sweet romantic moments hit hard because of all the drama.

The Vampire Diaries (2009)

If the thrill of one woman in a messy, complicated relationship with two completely different brothers is what you're looking for, then look no further than The Vampire Diaries. While the series obviously features fantastical elements, the drama and angst are wildly addicting, as the series provides all the excitement of watching romantic relationships unfold as it's meant to. Also based on a book series, if there's any vampire adaptation featuring the love triangle trope that's worth watching, The Vampire Diaries is undoubtedly it.

Where To Watch The Best YA Shows Like The Summer I Turned Pretty Online

All Marvel Movies In The MCU Phase Two, Officially Ranked
Noelle Corbett
JustWatch Editor
Phase Two is where the Marvel Cinematic Universe really started to take shape and expand into the massive world it is now. Phase One introduced core characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor through solo films and brought them all together in The Avengers, but Phase Two included even more crossover appearances and cameos from other heroes. It also expanded the MCU’s scope beyond The Avengers, introducing new heroes who would become important players in the overarching Infinity Saga during Phase Three.

As we enter the start of Phase Six with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, let’s take a look back at the MCU Phase Two and rank all six movies from worst to best.

6. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

It’s not controversial to say that Thor: The Dark World is the worst movie of Phase Two and one of the weaker films of the MCU at large. It suffers from an unexciting villain and a pretty typical fantasy story overstuffed with sub-plots, but its biggest issue is making Thor (Chris Hemsworth) feel like a secondary character in his own movie. There are some high points, including some cool action sequences and a great performance from Tom Hiddleston, who is always a treat to watch as Loki, but overall, Thor: The Dark World is clearly the weak link in Phase Two’s chain.

5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Though it’s generally regarded as the weakest of the team-up films so far, Avengers: Age of Ultron is probably better than you remember it being. This is the movie that introduced fan-favorite characters like Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) who continue to be relevant to the MCU’s overall story, and The Avengers’ actions in Sokovia set the stage for the events of Captain America: Civil War and all that follows. Beyond that, Age of Ultron is the only Avengers movie where the heroes both start and end as a team, allowing for sweet, domestic moments like everyone taking turns trying to lift Thor’s hammer.

The movie does have some shortcomings, not the least of which is a painfully shoehorned romance between Bruce (Mark Ruffalo) and Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) that even Marvel seems to want us to all forget. But if Age of Ultron’s main flaw is not being as epic as other Avengers films, that speaks more to the overall quality of the MCU than anything else.

4. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Iron Man 3 is one of the MCU’s more divisive films. It’s, overall, darker than past Iron Man films, showing how the events of The Avengers continue to impact Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) as he struggles with PTSD from the experience. Tony doesn’t spend all that much time in an Iron Man suit in this film, having to rely on his brain and willpower to survive and save the day.

The movie suffers from a weak villain, and whether The Mandarin twist is a disappointment or sharp commentary on US foreign policy and xenophobia remains the subject of debate. Still, Iron Man 3 is one of the MCU’s best character-driven stories, allowing Tony Stark to prove that he is Iron Man, with or without the armor.

3. Ant-Man (2015)

Ant-Man is, pun intended, a smaller-scale movie in MCU terms, so perhaps it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the film snuck up on audiences and impressed them enough to give Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) two sequels and a key role in Avengers: Endgame. The fact Ant-Man is a comedy with lower stakes gives it a distinct identity from other MCU films, and its charming cast turns what could be a just okay script into a hilarious adventure. The appearance of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) also makes it clear where the film fits into the wider Marvel, setting the stage for Scott Lang to team up with other heroes in Captain America: Civil War.

2. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

It’s easy to forget a decade later, but when Guardians of the Galaxy released in theaters, the cosmic team was largely unknown to all but die-hard Marvel Comics fans. The Guardians were not an obvious choice for the MCU, but the film defied all expectations and catapulted the team out of obscurity. Guardians of the Galaxy balances an irreverent sense of humor with genuinely heartfelt moments that make you care about its characters, even ones that could easily be treated as jokes like Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel). Above all else, though, the movie is simply fun to watch, and it proved that the MCU could expand far beyond the Earth and The Avengers.

1. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Plenty of MCU movies have epic action sequences, powerful stories, and shocking plot twists, but few combine all of them as successfully as Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Not only is it a good superhero movie; it’s also a riveting political thriller full of spies, assassins, and betrayal.

But what really makes it stand out is Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and how high the personal stakes are for him. In a strange modern world where Steve can’t trust anyone, the revelation that the deadly Winter Soldier is actually his long presumed-dead best friend shakes Cap to his core. The reintroduction of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), now broken from decades of Hydra manipulation, shapes the rest of Captain America’s story and extends beyond that as Bucky continues to play an important role in the MCU to this day. Captain America: The Winter Soldier manages to be both an important piece of the wider Marvel world and a genuinely riveting action movie in its own right, and that’s why it’s the highlight of Phase Two.

Where To Watch MCU Phase Two Movies Online

To discover more about TV shows and movies currently streaming in the, check out the JustWatch streaming guide! You can filter your search by streaming service, genre, price, age rating, and score. Be sure to build your watchlist and receive helpful notifications on what to watch next based on your preferences!
Best Chad Michael Murray Movies & TV Shows (And Where To Watch Them)
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
Chad Michael Murray was the heartthrob in the early 2000s. Most teenage girls remember where they were and what they were doing when the opening credits of One Tree Hill first brought him to our screens, and how A Cinderella Story became everyone's romantic comedy obsession. Between his objectively good looks and the distinct ability to play a brooding, tortured hero people can't help but root for, Murray's got plenty under his belt.

With the return of his character, Jake, in Freakier Friday, now's a great time to look back at Chad Michael Murray's best movies and TV shows, along with where to stream them on platforms like Hulu, Netflix, and more.

One Tree Hill (2003)

From the moment Chad Michael Murray steps onto the frame and walks over the bridge, bouncing a basketball as the brooding Lucas Scott in One Tree Hill, to his final scene in the Season 6 finale, it's easy to appreciate the character's incredible heart and goodness. As one of the main characters in a story centered on two half-brothers with vastly different upbringings, the high school-turned-college adult drama was a cultural phenomenon in the early 2000s. With Lucas' readings of popular poems to end and begin each episode, along with the many romances he had until his beloved endgame with Peyton Sawyer, it's still, to this day, the series that features Murray's best performance.

A Cinderella Story (2004)

Waiting for Austin Ames might be as useless as waiting for rain during a San Fernando Valley drought, but A Cinderella Story is still a top-tier YA romantic comedy. Starring Hilary Duff alongside Chad Michael Murray, the Cinderella-inspired tale follows a relatively simple narrative, but where it genuinely shines is in the performances and chemistry between Murray and Duff. The final, very public kiss at his football game is what high school nerdy girl dreams are made of, and the satisfying culmination of two pen pals getting together makes for a solid trope to explore.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Before viewers were swooning over Bucky Barnes on a motorcycle, Chad Michael Murray's Jake was the ultimate (see what we did there?) bad boy teenagers, including Lindsay Lohan's Anna Coleman, were gushing over in Freaky Friday. Brooding, long-haired, and delightfully off-limits, everything about Anna's crush made sense, and Murray became the kind of actor viewers wanted to see more of in romance-centric roles. Whether he'll still be the same mysterious hunk from the original film in the sequel, only time will tell, but regardless, it's a good thing he's returning.

Agent Carter (2013)

While Jack Thompson was an extremely unlikable and frustrating character in Marvel's Agent Carter, Chad Michael Murray was excellent in the role. Crude, ruthless, and snarky, he was an ideal foil to Enver Gjokaj's Daniel Sousa, and it was often thrilling to watch Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter go head to head with him. Murray is a series regular throughout the show's two-season run, and as one of the best shows in the MCU, the historical piece is one that still holds up, thanks to its incredible means of adding layers to the lore and fantastic performances from every actor involved.

Dawson's Creek (1998)

Chad Michael Murray's role in Dawson's Creek is as small as his time in Gilmore Girls, but his character, Charlie Todd, is a bit more intriguing, and the series as a whole is one worth fully diving into for its nostalgia and teenage angst. If his character in One Tree Hill were more unapologetically a womanizer, then he'd be Charlie Todd. Here for the drama and very little else, as his time on the show is brief, it's still a thrilling season he's a part of, moving the plot forward to get characters with the right men they're supposed to be with.

Christmas Cupid (2010)

In the span of his relatively decent acting career, Murray has been in a number of Christmas movies. And while many of them are, unfortunately, not that great, Christmas Cupid is a load of fun and worth watching. Starring Christina Milian and Ashley Benson alongside Murray, it's a pleasant twist on A Christmas Carol, delivering romance and fun beats of longing along with all the festivities that most holiday aficionados appreciate in their movies.

Sullivan’s Crossing (2023)

Based on the novel series by Robyn Carr, Sullivan's Crossing sees Chad Michael Murray return to his TV roots as the leading hero Cal Jones. As a quintessential small-town drama with a big city girl returning to her hometown, Sullivan's Crossing follows Morgan Kohan's Maggie Sullivan in an attempt to start over. Full of romance, hijinks, and all the angsty drama one can imagine, the series feels tailor-made for a star like Murray and his mysteriously brooding brand of acting.

The Merry Gentlemen (2024)

As one of the more recent Christmas movies to air during Netflix's yearly line-up, The Merry Gentlemen is yet another wild ride worth watching for those who appreciate the holiday schmaltz. It's a PG version of Magic Mike and not nearly as compelling as the film that has acquired a trilogy and larger following, but it's a decent film that sees Murray in a role unlike anything he's ever done. One word: dancing. Period.

Where To Watch The Best Chad Michael Murray Movies & TV Shows Online

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The 10 Best True Crime Series On Netflix Right Now
Jeanette White
JustWatch Editor
Netflix is home to a plethora of original content, ranging from dramas and romances to thrillers and horror. However, if you love true crime, Netflix offers some of the best true crime series available when compared to other streaming services. Making a Murderer might be the streamer's most well-known series, but it only scratches the surface of what lurks in Netflix's extensive library.

From an inside look into the dark minds of America's most notorious serial killers to the web of mysteries and exploitation the internet can create, here are the 10 best true crime series streaming on Netflix right now, listed in order of release date. Viewer discretion advised, but also highly recommended.

The Keepers (2017)

The Keepers might be one of Netflix's most compelling true crime docuseries to date. It centers on the unsolved murder of Catherine Cesnik, a Catholic nun first reported missing in 1969 and then found murdered in 1970. Those who like a neat ribbon at the end of their true crime stories won't get that here. However, if you dig sprawling mysteries that keep getting deeper, The Keepers fits the bill to a tee.

While Cesnik's former students at the all-girls high school she taught at seem to think the prime suspect is a priest removed by the ministry for sexually abusing minors, the investigation ultimately creates more questions. Cover up? Conspiracy? Watch the seven-part series and decide for yourself.

TIME: The Kalief Browder Story (2017)

True crime typically covers sadistic serial killers, sketchy heists, and long-simmering cold cases, but in the case of TIME: The Kalief Browder Story, it delves into the story of an innocent high school student held hostage by a corrupt justice system. Throughout six mind-boggling episodes, the docuseries lays out the unjust imprisonment of 16-year-old Kalief Browder, whose biggest mistake seemed to be a case of wrong place, wrong time.

After receiving 700 days of solitary confinement for allegedly stealing a backpack housing assorted valuables, what follows for Kalief is nothing but heartache and tragedy. Although The Kalief Browder Story may leave you in tears, it is an eye-opening look into the dark corners of America's justice system and how racial and socioeconomic privileges can make a difference in who gets fair treatment.

Wild Wild Country (2018)

Like Making a Murderer, Wild Wild Country is one of Netflix's more well-known releases. However, for anyone who hasn't given it a shot yet, consider changing that… immediately. The six-episode docuseries covers Indian guru and, let's just call him what he is, cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the devoted following he amassed in Wasco County, Oregon. Known as Rajneeshpuram, the community rose to prominence as a result of its many criminal activities, including assassination attempts, immigration fraud, and bioterrorism, to name a few.

Wild Wild Country might start as a slow burn, but those that stick with it are in for a docuseries loaded with twists, turns, and shocking reveals. It's rare for a true crime series to feel as riveting as a scripted show, but Wild Wild Country manages to do just that while delivering an informative storyline that remains relatively unbiased.

Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes (2019)

Ted Bundy is arguably America's most notorious serial killer. While there have been countless movies and TV series made to understand his crimes and psychology, what's better than hearing about them straight from his own mouth?

Over the course of four episodes, creator and director Joe Berlinger offers an intimate look into the dark, twisted mind of Bundy, drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews and archival footage. Coupled with interviews from friends, law enforcement, and surviving victims, Conversations With a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes is one of the most thorough docuseries about the killer to date. As a warning, it might also be one of the scariest.

The Trails of Gabriel Fernandez (2020)

As a word of warning, The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez is a brutally heartbreaking watch. The six-part miniseries delves into the abuse and murder of eight-year-old Gabriel Fernandez at the hands of his very own mother and his mother's boyfriend. The graphic nature of Gabriel's abuse is hard to hear. Still, it offers an important reminder about how society's most vulnerable people can all too frequently slip through the cracks of social services and law enforcement.

Really, The Trails of Gabriel Fernandez functions as a cautionary tale of institutional failure. You won't walk away from this docuseries the same. It will change you for the better, even if it shatters your heart in the process. Made with absolute respect for Gabriel, this docuseries is a great match for viewers who enjoy crime but not the sensationalism and exploitation that often comes with it.

Tiger King (2020)

During the early days of the pandemic, Tiger King took the world by storm. Directed by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, this true crime docuseries knows how to get weird. The main subject of Tiger King is the eccentric zookeeper turned felon Joe Exotic, who feels like he has been training to be on TV all his life—although probably not quite like this. Exotic's zoo, particularly his treatment of wild big cats, led to a feud with big cat conservationist Carole Baskin and a murder-for-hire plot.

If you've only seen the memes, it's time you watched the show. What lurks inside Tiger King's three seasons is truly stranger than fiction. You never quite know what to expect next, and that's what makes Tiger King so engrossing and bingeable for true crime fans searching for something a little different.

Athlete A (2020)

The USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal first received news coverage in 2016, but the horrific truth of these crimes extends back to the 1990s and involves a staggering number of victims, most of them minors. At the center of it all is Larry Nassar, the USAG team doctor who sexually assaulted hundreds (that's right, hundreds!) of girls during so-called "medical treatment." Athlete A tells the accounts of these victims, including the story of Maggie Nicholas, the gymnast who kickstarted the investigation into Nassar and the USAG while sparking a powerful and painful "Me Too" movement among the affected athletes.

Unlike some true crime docuseries where the perpetrator is the shining star, Athlete A takes care in how it presents this web of abuse and ensures the victims remain the focus. While it delivers a critique of the USAG as a whole, its message transcends beyond gymnastics, reminding audiences how sexual abuse can be overlooked when it involves people in power, no matter the setting.

Unsolved Mysteries (2020)

If you grew up between 1987 and 2010, then you probably already know the addictive staying power of Unsolved Mysteries. Always on TV, the series explored everything from cold cases to supernatural phenomena. In 2020, Netflix revived the series, with an Unsolved Mysteries reboot tackling a new set of mysteries. While not every episode features true crime in the traditional sense, the paranormal entries offer a nice change of pace from the grisly murder investigations that so often dominate the genre.

From mysterious vanishings and unidentified bodies to extraterrestrial encounters and ghostly entities, there's something here for everyone to enjoy. If you're looking for hard answers, you won't find them here. But you will get thought-provoking theories that are sure to keep you intrigued.

Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer (2021)

For those who like serial killer docuseries, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer is one of Netflix's best offerings—and yes, it even rivals The Ted Bundy Tapes, previously mentioned on this list. The Night Stalker, aka Richard Ramirez, had a relatively short killing spree—as far as serial killers go—but still managed to kill 15 victims and plunge Los Angeles and San Francisco into total chaos.

The four-part miniseries chronicles the desperate search to capture the killer who used the cover of darkness to chilling advantage. While Ramirez certainly gets the spotlight at points, Night Stalker: The Hunt for a Serial Killer keeps the majority of its focus on law enforcement and the victims, which is how it should be.

Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing (2025)

In the digital age, Bad Influence: The Dark Side of Kidfluencing works as a cautionary tale. Whether you're a layperson interested in learning more about the dangers of "kidfluencing" or a parent seeking information about the types of trouble your child can encounter online, this is the docuseries for you.

Primarily following the story of "kidfluencer" Piper Rockelle, The Dark Side of Kidfluencing uses interviews and online receipts to paint a picture of exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Given the current relevance of the source material, The Dark Side of Kidfluencing is a timely watch that will, hopefully, spur regulations for online content involving minors, similar to the Child Actor Protection Act.

Where To Watch More True Crime Series Online

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All 'Smurfs' Movies And TV Shows In Order
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
The Smurfs are back on the big screen after an eight-year hiatus. Following Sony’s Smurf film series, the Smurf brand agreed to partner with Paramount Animation to produce additional movies and continue expanding the franchise. Now, the first film in the partnership, Smurfs, has arrived.

Viewers interested in catching up on the Smurf franchise can use our guide to find out where to watch every Smurfs movie and TV series in order on platforms like Paramount+, Hulu, and more.

The Smurfs (1961)

The Smurfs is the very first TV adaptation of The Smurfs comic book series. The black-and-white series, which ran from 1961 to 1967, follows the adventures of the Smurfs in Smurf Village, often featuring magic and fantasy elements. Unfortunately, many of the episodes were lost; however, Peyo restored several episodes in honor of The Smurfs' 65th anniversary in 2023. Five episodes were also selected for a Smurf compilation movie.

The Adventures of the Smurfs (1965)

The Adventures of the Smurfs was the first film adaptation of The Smurfs. It’s a compilation film comprising five separate black-and-white episodes from the The Smurfs series. Each short sees the Smurfs get into some shenanigans, whether it's finding magical eggs, meeting a dragon, searching for a way to fly, or dealing with a mysterious malady. The Adventures of the Smurfs was highly faithful to the source material, featuring the comics’ penchant for randomness, zany adventures, and magical phenomena. It’s an excellent watch for viewers interested in the origins of the Smurfs on-screen and experiencing the old-school Smurfs.

The Smurfs and the Magic Flute (1976)

Inspired by the 1958 comic book of the same name, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute features a Medieval king acquiring a magical flute that causes everyone to dance whenever it’s played. However, when the villainous Matthew McCreep steals the flute, it’s up to court jester Peewit to track him down and save the day, though his adventure takes an unexpected turn when he happens across a Smurf. The Smurfs and the Magic Flute is very comic book-accurate, especially considering Smurfs creator Peyo’s involvement in the screenplay. While some viewers may be disappointed that the Smurfs don’t appear on-screen until partway through the film, it boasts strong animation and intriguing dynamics between the Smurfs and humans.

The Smurfs (1981)

The Smurfs animated TV series marked the characters’ on-screen debut in the U.S. and their breakthrough into pop culture. The series follows the Smurfs’ daily adventures in Smurf village, where they live comfortably under the leadership of Papa Smurf (Don Messick) and fend off the evil wizard Gargamel (Paul Winchell) and his cat Azrael (Messick). It quickly became a staple of the Saturday morning cartoon lineup, garnering interest with its heartwarming, charming stories and the comedic, goofy antics of the Smurfs. The Smurfs, which ran for an impressive nine seasons, became so popular that the characters quickly expanded into merchandise, solidifying the Smurfs as pop culture icons.

The Smurfs (2011)

The first modern Smurfs feature film adaptation, The Smurfs, is a hybrid of live-action and animation, with the Smurfs appearing in computer animation and the humans portrayed in live-action. In The Smurfs, three Smurfs are driven from Smurf village by the evil wizard Gargamel (Hank Azaria), landing in Manhattan, where they seek the help of marketing executive Patrick Winslow (Neil Patrick Harris) to get back home. The film started the trend of tapping A-list actors and celebrities to voice the Smurfs, dazzling fans with its cast and the sophisticated animation of the beloved characters. It even included a few adult jokes to solidify its universal appeal.

The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol (2011)

The short film The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol was released in December 2011, accompanying the DVD release of The Smurfs (2011). Based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the film sees Grouchy Smurf (George Lopez) attempt to ruin Christmas for the Smurfs with his nasty attitude. However, the Smurf Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future visit him, challenging him to appreciate the holiday. The Smurfs: A Christmas Carol is a special treat for fans of A Christmas Carol adaptations, offering a fun and lighthearted spin on the classic story through a Smurf lens.

The Smurfs 2 (2013)

Following its box office success, The Smurfs (2011) received a sequel, The Smurfs 2. The sequel sees Gargamel (Azaria) kidnap Smurfette (Katy Perry) as part of his latest evil plans to take down Smurf village. Desperate to save their friend, the Smurfs call on their human friend Patrick (Harris) for help once more. Most of The Smurfs’ voice cast returned for The Smurfs 2, while the film also welcomed newcomers Christina Ricci, Brendan Gleeson, and Jacob Tremblay. The Smurfs 2 capitalized on the nostalgia and pop culture appeal of The Smurfs, while aiming the film more directly at younger audiences, making it a light, amusing watch.

The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow (2013)

The short film The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow serves as a sequel to The Smurfs 2 and is loosely based on “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving. In the short, Gutsy Smurf (Alan Cumming) is determined to find out how Brainy Smurf (Fred Armisen) keeps winning the annual Smurfberry Hunt, but unwittingly ends up in the eerie Smurfy Hollow where legend claims the Headless Horseman resides. The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow is another kid-friendly and charming take on a classic story. Tthe short boasts just as dazzling animation as the feature-length films, making it a hidden gem for Smurfs fans.

Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)

Following the disappointing box office performance of The Smurfs 2, Sony opted to reboot the film series with Smurfs: The Lost Village. The film centers on Smurfette (Demi Lovato), the only female Smurf in Smurf village, who was created by the wizard Gargamel (Rainn Wilson). Feeling out of place among the Smurfs, Smurfette becomes determined to find a legendary, hidden village with mysterious inhabitants. Unlike the other Smurfs films, Smurfs: The Lost Village is wholly animated. Meanwhile, critics gave it much more favorable reviews, especially praising the depth the film provides to the franchise’s sole female character, Smurfette.

The Smurfs (2021)

The Smurfs (2021) serves as a reboot of the 1981 animated series. Like Smurfs: The Lost Village, the series is fully computer-animated. Featuring 15-minute episodes, The Smurfs tackles numerous adventures of the Smurfs in Smurfs village, drawing inspiration from many comic book storylines. It boasts the sophisticated animation of Smurfs: The Lost Village, as well as the nostalgia and comic book accuracy of the 1981 series. Additionally, The Smurfs is fast-paced, with short, neat episodes that are perfect for entertaining young audiences.

Smurfs (2025)

Smurfs marks the second reboot of the film series. In the film, brother wizards Razamel and Gargamel (JP Karliak) kidnap Papa Smurf (John Goodman), leading No Name Smurf (James Corden) and Smurfette (Rihanna) to form an expedition to rescue him. In keeping with tradition, Smurfs has a stacked cast, including Rihanna, Nick Offerman, Sandra Oh, Jimmy Kimmel, and Kurt Russell. It retains the franchise’s penchant for humor and zany adventures, while also adding a musical element to further appeal to young audiences.

Where To Watch The Smurfs TV Shows And Movies Online

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'Black Panther' Movies In Order (And Where To Watch Them)
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
Ryan Coogler stepping into the Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the best things to have happened in the history of superhero filmmaking. The inclusion of Wakanda not only changed the state of technology as the characters know it, but the incomparable production level of Black Panther gave the MCU its first-ever Academy Award Best Picture nomination, along with a few wins in Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, and Best Production Design.

While T'Challa makes an appearance in Marvel's What If…? (which can be watched out of order given the nature of isolated storytelling within each episode), the films are where he shines. Here are all Black Panther movies in order and where to watch them.

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The first introduction to the late and inimitable Chadwick Boseman occurs in Captain America: Civil War. He isn't Team Cap or Team Tony, but rather there to avenge his father, fueled by the belief that Bucky Barnes' bomb killed him. With a sleek costume design, thrilling strength, and an incredible entrance, the character's introduction is among one of the best moments in the film. With it and the end, it adds exciting anticipation of seeing more of him and the Wakandans.

Black Panther (2018)

Now set to become king after his father's death, T'Challa grapples with his new responsibilities, grief, and the interference brought on by his cousin demanding his inheritance to the throne. Rich in storytelling and gorgeously shot from start to finish, there's a reason Black Panther is a top-five Marvel film for countless viewers and one of the most critically acclaimed films in the genre. It isn't merely an origin story for the hero we'll get to see more of, but it's an introduction to a world that's beautifully modeled to protect and shine with the technology that strengthens them and improves the world. It's a love story in more ways than one, showing T'Challa as the kind of hero whose heart is bigger than he can carry.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

While T'Challa as the Black Panther doesn't show up until halfway into Avengers: Infinity War, his role is tremendous in the film: Wakanada is the reason why Bucky Barnes is fully cleared of Hydra's brainwashing, and The Avengers also need the help of T'Challa's sister, Shuri, to take the mind stone out of Vision before Thanos finds them. The battle at Wakanda results in Marvel's biggest war to date, ending with the final snap that wipes half of humanity from Earth, including T'Challa.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

T'Challa returns in one of the most widely-revered and satisfying moments in Avengers: Endgame as the portals open and every "snapped" person comes back to life to fight Thanos for one more battle. Though Sam's voice is the first one we hear from Cap's point of view, Okoye, T'Challa, and Shuri are the first three people who step out from one of the portals, prompting a quiet but viscerally evocative nod from T'Challa that still hits like a ton of bricks to indicate that Wakanda is in this battle to end.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever looks different from what most people imagined it would be as the sudden and heartbreaking passing of Chadwick Boseman impacted both creators and viewers. The sequel then became a film about grief and an incomparable legacy, allowing the characters to celebrate the lives that both the actor and the fictional hero lived. It left viewers with a semblance of hope and a reminder that, despite the insurmountable loss, T'Challa was able to find a bit of joy with Nakia and their son, who may someday become the new Black Panther in future films.

Where To Watch Black Panther Movies In Order Online

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The Fantastic Four Will Be The Most Powerful MCU Team For One Reason
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
The Fantastic Four make their official Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. They join several other pre-established MCU teams, including The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, and The Thunderbolts. However, The Fantastic Four stand apart from these teams because they are poised to be the most powerful by far, although their power level is contingent on just one team member.

The Fantastic Four Has A Secret Weapon

The original Fantastic Four team—Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards), the Invisible Woman (Sue Storm), Human Torch (Johnny Storm), and Thing (Ben Grimm)—is fairly robust on its own because there’s more to their powers than meets the eye. For example, Mister Fantastic isn’t just stretchy; his elasticity can be utilized to absorb significant damage and radically alter his body, size, and mass, giving him significant advantages in battle. Additionally, his intelligence enables the team to consistently achieve a technological edge in most fights.

When The Fantastic Four mix their intelligence, Thing’s superhuman strength, Sue’s power of invisibility, and Johnny’s pyrokinesis, they’re pretty formidable. Even so, viewers may be skeptical if they truly measure up to The Avengers, which includes a Hulk, a Norse god, and a supersoldier in The Avengers, and later adds a Sorcerer Supreme in Avengers: Infinity War. However, there’s one secret weapon that puts The Fantastic Four above all teams: Franklin Richards.

Even before its release, The Fantastic Four: First Steps revealed the inclusion of Franklin (Ada Scott), the newborn son of Reed (Pedro Pascal) and Sue (Vanessa Kirby). The inclusion of Franklin sets The Fantastic Four: First Steps apart from previous Fantastic Four films, which have never featured Reed and Sue’s son. Although he’s only an infant in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, in the comics, that baby grows up to become one of the most powerful figures in the entire Marvel universe.

Franklin Richards Lives Up To His Alias: Powerhouse

The Fantastic Four received their powers through exposure to cosmic radiation, which also affected Sue’s body during pregnancy and labor. As a result, Franklin was born with a genetic mutation, making him a mutant. However, he’s not just any mutant. He is an Omega-level mutant, the most potent class of mutants with powers that know no upper limit. Meanwhile, his specific mutant ability is reality warping.

As an Omega-level mutant with the power of reality warping, there’s really not much Franklin can’t do. He can warp reality up to a cosmic level, meaning he can manipulate matter, energy, and time at will. His powers are strong enough for him to create entire pocket universes. In addition to his reality-warping skills, he also has Omega-level psionic abilities, including telekinesis, telepathy, and astral projection. His psionic abilities are so potent that they could wipe out all life on Earth if he ever fully unleashed his psionic energy.

Unlike most mutants, Franklin’s powers manifested at a very young age. Even as a toddler, he began utilizing his powers to help his family in battle. As he grew up and gained control over his powers, he continued to assist The Fantastic Four and took on the codename Powerhouse.

What Is Franklin’s Future In The MCU?

Although he’s just an infant in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Franklin holds immense power that is just waiting to manifest. Once it does, he’s poised to become one of the most powerful figures in the MCU and an asset that no other superhero team boasts. The fact that he is in the MCU suggests the franchise has plans for him, though it remains unclear what those plans could be.

However, Franklin’s psionic and reality-warping powers certainly fit well with the direction of the MCU as a whole. As the MCU delves deeper into the multiverse and reportedly toward a whole universe reboot, it’s quite convenient to have a universe-altering or universe-creating individual on hand.

Where To Watch The MCU’s Superhero Teams Online

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10 Celebrities You Never Realized Guest Starred On 'South Park'
Brandon Zachary
JustWatch Editor
South Park famously relies on a very tight cast of performers, with series creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone playing most of the characters in the show, but, every once in a while, guest stars make a visit to the sleepy mountain town. While many celebrities have been infuriated by the long-running Comedy Central show, some have joined in on the fun and been a guest star.

Compared to other mainstays of modern animation like The Simpsons or Family Guy, there have been far fewer cameos from big guest stars. However, a handful of modern comedy stars, genre-defining musicians, and legendary comic creatives have appeared in the show. Some even got full episodes dedicated to them, like Korn. Here are the best (and maybe unknown) South Park guest stars, which episodes they appear in, and where you can find them on streaming platforms like HBO Max and Paramount+!

George Clooney

Season 1, Episode 4, "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride"

George Clooney was an early champion of South Park, with his two cameos making him the show's first notable guest star. Like many early fans of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's original animated short "The Spirit of Christmas," Clooney shared the animated parody in the early days of the internet.

Clooney, in the middle of a meteoric rise to fame thanks to shows like ER, then appeared in Season 1's "Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride" as Sparky. The dog belongs to Stan and eventually finds love amid Big Gay Al's collection of creatures. Clooney also appeared in South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut in a brief but memorable gag role. Clooney plays a surgeon (seemingly a parody of his ER role) who tries to save Kenny but accidentally swaps his heart for a baked potato.

Elton John

Season 2, Episode 14, "Chef Aid"

Elton John is one of the most prolific musicians of the 20th century, with plenty of guest roles in shows and films over the years (never forget his gloriously goofy appearance in Kingsman: The Golden Circle, where he fights villains in a bowling alley). One of his silliest cameos is definitely in South Park, where he is joined by several other high-profile singers like Joe Strummer, Rancid, Ozzy Osbourne, Ween, Primus, Meat Loaf, and Rick James in Season 2's "Chef Aid."

The episode focuses on a record company suing Chef for a song he made, leading the boys to assemble a benefit concert for him. The assembled musicians are all revealed to have been inspired or influenced by Chef in some way, leading to a fun sense of unity between some very disparate musical guests. Elton John is the one who feels most out of place in the world of South Park, but he's just silly enough to work. Special mention should also go to the recently departed Ozzy Osborne, who even gets the dubious honor of being the one to carry on the tradition of killing Kenny.

Jennifer Aniston

Season 3, Episode 1, "Rainforest Shmainforest"

At the height of her popularity as one of the stars of Friends, Jennifer Aniston made an unexpected but hilarious one-off appearance in South Park's third season. In Season 3's "Rainforest Schmainforest," Aniston appears as Miss Stevens, the founder of the "Getting Gay With Kids" environmentalist choir tour. A parody of liberals who preach respecting nature while also wildly underestimating its dangerous qualities, Miss Stevens leads the troupe into the Amazon rainforest, which quickly turns deadly and overwhelming.

It's a silly turn from Anniston, especially once her patience finally snaps and the initially holier-than-thou Stevens starts cursing up a storm about her problem with the rainforest. The episode even seems to sneak in a reference to Anniston's role on Friends, putting Ms. Stevens into a cheerleader outfit that resembles the one she wore as Rachel.

Malcolm McDowell

Season 4, Episode 14, "Pip"

A minor character in the early seasons of South Park who eventually fades from prominence (before being killed off in the show's 200th episode two-parter), Pip's biggest stand-alone episode of South Park features Malcolm McDowell in a prominent (and even briefly live-action) role. McDowell, who is perhaps still best known for his performance as Alex in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, lends his voice to the episode as the narrator of Season 4's "Pip."

A parody of Charles Dickens's Great Expectations, the episode serves as the final big showcase for Pip before he's more or less replaced by Butters in the show's regular dynamic. McDowell, playing a character only ever referred to as "a British person," offers dramatic narration to the episode, with the ridiculous elements of the South Park approach gaining a deadpan comic edge thanks to McDowell's performance.

Radiohead

Season 5, Episode 4, "Scott Tenorman Must Die"

At the height of their success, Radiohead made a brief gag appearance in Season 5's "Scott Tenorman Must Die" that remains one of the show's most darkly hilarious turns. "Scott Tenorman Must Die" focuses on Cartman's feud with the titular Scott, a vindictive older kid who initially seems to outthink Cartman at every turn. Cartman eventually ruins Scott's life, tricking him into eating his own parents before introducing him to his favorite band, Radiohead, who immediately think he's lame because he is crying in public.

It's a quick scene, but a memorable turn from Radiohead, whose exaggerated delivery makes the harshness of their judgment all the more childish and silly in direct contrast to the sheer horror of the episode. It's one of the shortest cameos in the show's history, but it's also one of the most memorable, given the infamous episode.

Norman Lear

Season 7, Episode 4, “I'm A Little Bit Country”

To celebrate South Park's 100th episode, Season 7's "I'm A Little Bit Country" brought in the legendary Norman Lear for one of the show's most striking political moments. Norman Lear is one of the most revered comedy creators in television history, creating sitcoms like All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons. This explains why South Park afforded a surprising amount of reverence to his guest role as Benjamin Franklin.

After Cartman knocks himself out and revisits the Continental Congress that eventually helped spur on the American War for Independence, he witnesses Lear's Benjamin Franklin make a case for America's contradictory mix of peaceful ideals and warlike tendencies. Franklin's arrival is met with a certain amount of awed reverence by the other national founders, with even Cartman taking a real lesson from Lear's Franklin. Given All in the Family's influence on South Park, it's a perfect guest star appearance for the show's 100th episode.

Peter Serafinowicz

Season 10, Episode 1, "The Return Of Chef"

Peter Serafinowicz only appears briefly in Season 10's "The Return of Chef," but it finalizes the punchline for South Park's two-part send-off for Chef. After Chef's voice actor Isaac Hayes had a falling out with the show's creatives over the prior parodies of Scientology, South Park's tenth season debuted with Chef falling in with the Super Adventure Club. This eventually leads to Chef's apparent death, at least until the club brings him back in a new Darth Vader-inspired form.

Serafinowicz appears in the episode as the new Darth Vader version of Chef, itself a sly reference to how Peter Serafinowicz provided the vocal performance for Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. Chef has not since returned in the show proper, so Serafinowicz hasn't reappeared as Chef, although the character briefly return for South Park: The Stick of Truth video game as the final boss for the storyline.

Brad Paisley

Season 16, Episode 7, "Cartman Finds Love"

Brad Paisley is a notable country musician who has one of the rare distinctions of appearing as himself in South Park—one of the few times that has happened outside of Korn's episode or "Chef Aid." Paisley factors into the climax of Season 16's "Cartman Finds Love."

As part of a scheme to keep Kyle from dating Token and Nicole, Cartman frames it as if he and Kyle are in a romantic relationship. This prompts him to go to a Denver Nuggets game and get on the jumbotron to profess his love for Kyle and deliver his own version of "I Swear" by John Michael Montgomery. Paisley joins him for the performance, performing a duet with Cartman that comes across as a genuinely heartfelt and also a goofy showcase for Cartman and Kyle's perpetually antagonistic relationship.

Bill Hader

Season 17, Episode 1, "Let Go, Let Gov"

Bill Hader has become one of South Park's most consistent guest stars, even serving as a writer on the show for a period. Still, one of his most memorable appearances is in Season 17's "Let Go, Let Gov." The Saturday Night Live veteran delivers a parody of Alec Baldwin in an episode that pokes fun at the actor's social media habit.

Hader also briefly appears in Season 15 as a farmer and then subsequently appears in Season 17's "Taming Strange," Season 18's "Grounded Vindaloop," and "#HappyHolograms." He then guest stars as Tom across three episodes of Season 19. Beyond his appearances in the show as a voice actor, Hader worked as a South Park writer and is cited as the source for many of that era's most memorable gags, including the Kanye West punchline from Season 13's "Fishstick."

Josh Gad

Season 21, Episode 5, "Hummels & Heroin"

Josh Gad is one of South Park's best guest stars, delivering a great performance in Season 21's "Hummels & Heroin" as Marcus Preston. When a Chuck E. Cheese birthday performer dies at his birthday party of an overdose, Preston sets out to discover the guilty party that provided the drugs.

In a role that only works if Preston feels like an innocent child and a morally driven detective, Gad delivers arguably one of his funniest performances to date. Gad might be better known for his appearance as Olaf in the Frozen films, but his South Park character is a highlight of the season and one of the best examples of how an outside performer can easily fit into the comic world of Stan, Kyle, Cartman, and Kenny.

Where To Watch South Park Online

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The 6 Best Rachel Brosnahan Movies & TV Shows (And Where To Watch Them)
Noelle Corbett
JustWatch Editor
Rachel Brosnahan is in the middle of a huge career moment. Not only does she star in summer blockbuster Superman, but she has some big projects lined up like the Al Pacino-led King Lear adaptation Lear Rex and succeeding Jake Gyllenhaal as the lead of Presumed Innocent Season 2.

While she may not have as many big-name credits like co-star Nicholas Hoult, Brosnahan has shown off her range in comedic and dramatic roles alike on both film and television. Whether you’re a longtime fan or just being introduced to her through Superman, this guide will go over the best Rachel Brosnahan movies and shows and where to watch them on streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video.

Superman (2025)

Rachel Brosnahan is the latest actress to play the role of Lois Lane, Superman’s love interest and co-worker at the Daily Planet. Her Lois is, fittingly, an incredibly competent journalist who takes her time falling in love with Clark Kent (David Corenswet). Superman (2025) makes sure Lois is far more than just the hero’s love interest, and the result is one of the best romances in a superhero film to date. Brosnahan and Corenswet’s on-screen chemistry is undeniable, and fans can only hope we see the two reunite in future DCU projects.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017-2023)

Rachel Brosnahan’s clear breakthrough came in 2017 with the debut of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, best known for Gilmore Girls, the show follows Midge (Brosnahan), a 1950s housewife who stumbles into a stand-up comedy career after her husband (Michael Zegen) leaves her for his secretary. This allows Brosnahan to show off her chops as a performer, balancing Midge’s developing comedic style with the character’s personal struggles as she navigates life as a mother and female comedian in an age where women were expected to stay at home. For her performance, Brosnahan earned five Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series—one for every season—and won in 2018.

I’m Your Woman (2020)

Superman (2025) may be Rachel Brosnahan’s most high-profile film yet, but it’s far from her only starring role in a movie. Among her film credits is the neo-noir crime drama I’m Your Woman, which Brosnahan also produced. In it, she plays a 1970s housewife who is forced to go on the run after her husband—who is, unbeknownst to her, involved in a crime syndicate—disappears. The film was well received by critics and audiences, who found the film’s focus on the mobster’s wife to be a refreshing take on the genre brought to life by Brosnahan’s powerful performance.

House of Cards (2013-2018)

While House of Cards is now largely associated with the controversies surrounding lead actor Kevin Spacey and a tour de force performance from Robin Wright, the series is one of Brosnahan’s first major roles. In the early seasons, she plays a prostitute Frank Underwood (Spacey) uses to bring down a rival politician. While originally only meant to appear in two episodes, Brosnahan’s performance inspired the writers to expand her role to 19 episodes over the course of three seasons. The role also earned Brosnahan her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series in 2015.

The Courier (2020)

Benedict Cumberbatch-led historical drama The Courier tells the true story of British businessman Greville Wynne, who was recruited by MI6 during the Cold War to serve as a messenger between the CIA and disillusioned Soviet official Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze). Brosnahan plays Emily Donovan, a CIA officer who helps convince Wynne to help smuggle information, including intel that gives the Americans an advantage during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Courier is a good old-fashioned crime thriller anchored by some great performances, particularly from Cumberbatch and Ninidze.

Manhattan (2014-2015)

Before she was Mrs. Maisel, she was Mrs. Isaacs. Brosnahan stars in Manhattan, a historically inspired but mostly fictional drama about the scientists who created the first atomic bomb during World War II and the family members who accompanied them to Los Alamos. The sensitive nature of the Manhattan Project furthers the tension, as the military withholds information from the civilian scientists who, in turn, must keep secrets from their wives. All that leads to a show that’s more soap opera than Oppenheimer, but Brosnahan and the rest of the ensemble cast create a compelling world for fans of period dramas. Manhattan was well-received by critics, but low ratings resulted in it being canceled after just two seasons.

Where To Watch Rachel Brosnahan Movies And TV Shows Online

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How To Watch 'Kaiju No.8' In Order
Jesse Lab
JustWatch Editor
Since its release in 2020, Kaiju No. 8 has slowly but steadily become one of the most popular manga of the past decade. It’s a weird blend of kaiju and sentai action and puts them both together in a grim and bleak world. Yet, it managed to find a sizeable following thanks to its great action and the large and likable cast of characters, notably its middle-aged protagonist Kafka Hibino.

Its popularity in the West really took off when the anime premiered. It’s clear that Crunchyroll had worldwide ambitions for the series, thanks to the appearance of Western bands and artists in the show's opening and ending sequences, like Yungblud and OneRepublic. Because of this, there are plenty of fans of Kaiju No. 8 all around the world, so if you’re interested in getting into the series for the first time, here’s how to watch Kaiju No. 8 in order.

Kaiju No. 8 Season 1 (2024)

Like most Shonen action series, the bulk of Kaiju No. 8’s first season is spent introducing us to its world. In this alternate version of Japan, giant monsters, known as kaiju, frequently attack the country, so the government introduces the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force (JAKDF) to combat them. Obviously, if a bunch of normal humans run around, the kaiju would easily squish them, so JAKDF members are outfitted with combat suits that not only unleash their hidden physical prowess, but also grant them powerful weapons that can obliterate large kaiju depending on who’s wielding them.

The first season mostly centers around Kafka Hibino, a middle-aged man who wants to join the JAKDF but fails the entrance exam every time. After a recent kaiju attack, he gains the ability to transform into a powerful kaiju and uses those skills to help pass the exam but is fully aware that if anyone discovers that he can transform into a kaiju, he’ll be hunted by the JAKDF. Despite the palpable terror that’s present throughout Japan, the first season is honestly very light, and the situations are never shown as being as grave or as dire as Attack on Titan. It’s a great beginner’s anime, with a lot of easy-to-understand characters, plot beats, and emotional moments that are bound to please most people who watch it.

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon (2025)

A common trend among modern anime releases are “recap films,” or films that take an arc or season of a show and condense it into a feature-length movie. You tend to see this in series that have been going on for a long time or for shows that are getting a new installment to catch fans up on what they missed, but they’ve become more prevalent in recent years. They’re honestly pretty easy for studios to churn out, given how it’s mostly just reconstituting footage and stitching them together without a lot of additional fluff, and an easy way to make a little extra profit.

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Reconn is a recap film that takes the 11-episode first season and condenses it into about half of the runtime. While it hits a lot of the same beats as the first season, it includes some new original footage and uses its more restricted time to focus on the two things that the series does best: action and comedy. The action is plentiful and contains all of the highlights from the first season, and the comedy is just as plentiful with all of the goofy moments and expressions that make Kafa so endearing. It’s a matter of preference whether a person prefers the first season or Mission Recon as the ideal way to experience Season 1’s story, because they’re both great.

Hoshina’s Day Off (2025)

A special was released alongside Mission Recon in theaters that was considered to be its own separate entity, mostly because it contains all original footage and doesn’t follow up on the events of Season 1. Hoshina’s Day Off is an original video animation (OVA) that doesn’t move the plot of the series forward per se, but instead spends time fleshing out a fan-favorite character, Vice Captain Hoshina. The special shows what he does on his day off, leading to a lot of decent comedic moments, as we also see what other members of the JAKDF do on their days off.

While it’s technically not essential to the story, is made of almost entirely anime original content, and doesn’t set up anything for Season 2 despite being labeled as a part of Season 2 online, Hoshina’s Day Off lets the viewer spend more time with the characters. It is a simple bit of slice-of-life fun and is a nice breather in between all the giant monster slaughtering in the main series.

Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 (2025)

Season 2 of Kaiju No. 8 continues right where the first season ended with its dramatic cliffhanger. Without getting into too many spoilers, the members of the JAKDF are still reeling from their most recent fight as Kafka tries to figure out how to move forward in the JAKDF, given his unique kaiju powers and the destruction they’re capable of unleashing. To make matters worse, the JAKDF still have to contend with Kaiju No. 9, an intelligent Kaiju that is aiming to take down the JAKDF and usher in a new reign of monsters.

While the second season contains only 11 episodes as opposed to the first season’s 12, the arcs being adapted by Season 2 contain some of the best fights in the entire manga, which means that fans who love the action of the first season are in for a treat when the series decides to go all out in depicting these clashes.

Where To Watch Kaiju No. 8 In Order Online

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All Marvel Movies In The MCU Phase One, Officially Ranked
Christopher Baggett
JustWatch Editor
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is beginning the slow march toward the end of its current phase with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as the long-running Multiverse Saga finally winds down. It’s a make or break moment for an MCU that has been slowly declining in popularity after Avengers: Endgame, despite big films like Deadpool & Wolverine and Thunderbolts*.

It’s all a lot, and it seems so quaint when you consider where it all began—way back in 2008 with Iron Man and the Marvel films that released in its wake. Before you dive into Fantastic Four and the road to Avengers: Doomsday, here’s Phase One of the MCU, ranked, and where to watch the movies on TV and streaming.

6. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Is it bizarre that so many people forgot for years that The Incredible Hulk is actually in the MCU until recently? Starring Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, The Incredible Hulk was a tumultuous release, with reports of behind-the-scenes drama and an ongoing rift with The Hulk rights, wherein Paramount owns a portion of them. It shows, too, in its dismal 68% Rotten Tomatoes score. In recent years, however, this film has become increasingly important, with its iteration of “Thunderbolt” Ross returning to kick start Captain America: Civil War, and its Leader tease, unresolved for nearly 20 years, serving as the driving factor for 2024’s Captain America: Brave New World.

5. Iron Man 2 (2010)

How do you follow up one of the biggest comic book movies ever made? If you guessed a tightly plotted, raucous sequel that gives viewers more of what they want, then you didn’t see Iron Man 2. The 72% Rotten Tomatoes score may not seem that bad, but Iron Man 2 is an infamously troubled film. It’s trying to balance being a sequel while setting up Tony Stark’s place in the universe, a thing that was still very much in its infancy, all while finally teasing the future of the MCU. While many agree Iron Man 2 has aged pretty well, the muddied plots aren’t helped by the multiple set pieces which were given away in the trailer before release.

4. Thor (2011)

2011’s Thor is such an odd beast compared to where the character and franchise are today. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Thor was clearly meant to evoke a much more epic, Shakespearean feel than its raucous space adventure follow-ups. The film currently sits at a comfortably 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, thanks to stellar performances from both its established stars like Anthony Hopkins and newcomers Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston. However, audiences at the time didn’t necessarily connect with its thin plot and bizarre narrative. One has to wonder where the character would be today if the eventual course correction with Thor: Ragnarok never took place.

3. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

For a World War II-set action/adventure superhero origin, the MCU made the decision to go with director Joe Johnston. After all, he’d already made a beloved WW2-set action/adventure superhero origin with 1991’s The Rocketeer. If you knew that going in, you likely recognized his hand in Captain America: The First Avenger. The penultimate entry in Phase One, The First Avenger’s action and romance sub-plot proved incredibly popular with fans, netting it an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s not the highest for Phase One, but it was a sign of just how popular the Captain America character was going to become.

2. The Avengers (2012)

There will never be another experience like The Avengers in our lifetime, and rightfully so. For the time, The Avengers was a big swing: Take all the disparate characters introduced across five movies, each with wildly different tones, plots, and settings, and make them hang out for one massive adventure. It sells itself almost entirely on spectacle alone, but it works because the characters are just so good. Somewhere in the thick of all of this, when Captain America and Iron Man are bickering as everyone else rolls their eyes, everyone realized this was something magical. The Avengers, which has a stunning 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and sequels are forever going to be trying to recapture this magic.

1. Iron Man (2008)

The first Iron Man feels like it was so long ago, to the point that it’s almost quaint to rewatch it. Stellar performances, a top-notch cast, and restrained action and special effects made this one a gem, which has netted it a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score. But many have likely forgotten those awkward months leading up to release, in an era where the most prominent Marvel films were the awkward Spider-Man 3 and the middling X-Men: The Last Stand. Iron Man released in an era when comic book movies were changing for the better, and it more than deserves its spot as the most-beloved MCU Phase One film.

Where To Watch Every MCU Phase One Movie Online

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10 Sci-Fi Movies Romance Fans Will Absolutely Love
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
Whether the primary focus or spread out throughout trilogies in crumbs, since the start of filmmaking, romance has always had a place in every sub-genre. Interestingly, there has always been a surprisingly larger focus on it in sci-fi films and TV shows, breaking ground in franchises like Star Wars or even underrated TV series like The Expanse. Whether the couple begins in a slow burn workplace relationship or their love becomes the one thing that saves the day, it's always fun and refreshing when there's a romance to root for, along with the idea of saving the world from bad guys.

From films like The Empire Strikes Back to the latest Apple TV+ gem, The Gorge, here are the 10 best sci-fi movies romance fans will love, along with where to stream them on platforms like Disney+, HBO Max, and more.

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

As a franchise, Star Wars is brimming with romantic relationships, both canon and not, that have made a tremendous impact in pop culture, including the literary publishing world. But the best of all relationships will always boil down to the ones who started it all—Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa. While the princess and scoundrel officially meet in A New Hope, it isn't until the trilogy's second film that the tension between them blooms into something bigger, resulting in one of the best first kisses in any sci-fi film, as well as the most iconic love declaration in history: "I love you"/"I know." Swoon.

The Matrix (1999)

The Matrix films are inarguably a cornerstone of sci-fi filmmaking, delivering some of the most thrilling and unique blend of world-building that set a standard for how to tell universally human stories. And all throughout the films, the tension between Keanu Reeves' Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity serves as a blueprint for how to carefully weave a romantic relationship into a film's central theme to emphasize the importance of partnership as a saving thread when all else fails. From the first film that sets the stage to the latest, The Matrix Resurrections, the romance between Neo and Trinity never fails to supply emotional beats.

The Gorge (2025)

Apple TV+'s latest feature, The Gorge, is a surprising gem that gorgeously captures a budding romance between two snipers in forced proximity sent to guard a gorge. As a true romance with multiple character-building beats that deliver small, but monumental ways in which two people fall in love, The Gorge is a rarity in the genre, where romance is generally a secondary plot. Here, it mostly takes precedence, allowing the film's plot to develop in a way that adds to their relationship. With stunning and picturesque cinematography that serves as an intriguing backdrop to a world of mutating plants and animals, The Gorge is an underrated must-watch.

Jurassic Park (1993)

Come to Jurassic Park for the genetically engineered dinosaurs and stay for the swoonworthy relationship between Laura Dern's Ellie Sattler and Sam Neill's Alan Grant. The subtle romance that develops between them and later turns into a second chance romance in Jurassic World Dominion is no small feat. In more ways than one, their relationship is the beating heart of Jurassic Park, as Alan quite literally does all that he does because it's what Ellie would want. With an intriguing partnership right from the start and thrilling chemistry, their relationship is one that most romance fans will undoubtedly gobble up.

The X-Files Movie (1998)

Whether you watch The X-Files or not, everyone knows the names Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. And everyone is also aware of the compelling chemistry between the two that's kept viewers locked to their screens for both the TV show and movies. In the 1998 The X-Files movie, a single confession between Scully and Mulder makes it clear that the partnership between them transcends even space and time. Full of longing, tension, and unapologetic honesty, Mulder makes it clear that Scully's the most important person in his life, adding romance to a film that's already excellent.

Superman (2025)

Most superhero films in the Marvel and DC universes come equipped with romance as a secondary plot, yet there's something indescribable about how James Gunn's Superman delivers the romance between Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Soft, endearing, and brimming with chemistry, this one's the one to beat. While most portrayals of the two of them in various adaptations are extraordinary, the kisses they share throughout this particular film are among the best in the genre. In addition, the honest and heartfelt conversations they have, topped with the precious banter, gorgeously fortify them as a couple in a film with limited screen time.

Stardust (2007)

Before he was stealing hearts as Matt Murdoch, Charlie Cox was the boy of everyone's dreams in Stardust. A significantly stronger adaptation than the source material it's based on, Cox and Claire Danes are a match made in heaven. As a unique blend of sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure, the forbidden bond between Tristan and Yvaine is the film's primary focus, allowing their fight for one another to shine throughout the film as they do everything in their power to find the happy ending written in the stars for them. Sweet, surprisingly funny, and a tale that still holds up, it's a must-watch for romance fans.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

Tom Hiddleston as a vampire, need we say more? Only Lovers Left Alive is a stunning and layered love story about vampires, pulsing with extraordinary chemistry between Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton. Unconventional in more ways than one, as far as the mythical creatures are concerned, the film's emphasis on their love above all things is where it stands out. Gorgeously written and directed by Jim Jarmusch, the enthralling plot and love story are reasons enough to appreciate every beat of the film.

Spring (2014)

As an underrated film, Spring isn't one that's on everybody's radar, but it's a quintessential sci-fi romance with shapeshifting and monster relationships to showcase the power of love. It's dark, gritty, and not for the faint of heart, with questionable motivations driven by understandable selfishness, but it carefully explores tough topics with nuance and care. With a relatively intriguing ending, there's no debating the happy ending that's possible between Evan and Louise after everything they go through to reach it in the film.

Dune: Part Two (2023)

Although romance is not a primary focus in Dune: Part Two, like the Star Wars trilogy and other sci-fi properties that have come before it, the romance still shines. Here, it’s largely due to the fact that an actress like Zendaya has chemistry with everyone, but a single scene in the franchise’s second film is full of such longing, that the shot alone is something romance fans would appreciate tremendously. Both Dune films thus far are great in general, so the added relationship between Paul and Chani is a bonus.

Where To Watch Best Sci-Fi Movies For Romance Fans Online

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Where Else To Watch Krypto The Superdog After James Gunn's 'Superman'
Brandon Zachary
JustWatch Editor
Audiences have been flocking to James Gunn's new version of Superman, with one of the big takeaways being a newfound appreciation for Krypto the Superdog. Krypto was introduced in Adventure Comics #210 all the way back in 1955. Superman's loyal canine companion quickly became a fan-favorite character in the Superboy stories of DC's Silver Age. While Krypto hasn't appeared in every adaptation of the Man of Steel, there have been plenty of shows and movies that feature versions of the character.

Often, it's a one-off appearance as in Superman & Lois. Other times, it's alongside his fellow superheroes in shows like Justice League Action. Sometimes, Krypto even takes center stage and drives the story forward, as in Superman. If you loved Krypto in Superman, there are plenty of other DC adaptations that are worth checking out across streaming apps like HBO Max, Netflix, and more!

The Adventures of Superboy (1966)

Debuting in 1966 as segments in other animated shows, The Adventures Of Superboy marks the animated debut for Krypto. The shorts feature a young Clark Kent growing up in Smallville, with each segment focusing on Superboy racing off into an adventure. Krypto heavily factors into many of these stories, like "The Spy From Outer Space" and "Krypto, K-9 Detective."

Pulling directly from the bombastic comics of the era, the shorts are very much of their time (often paired with Super Friends) but make for an enjoyably goofy superhero story in retrospect. The show is also infamously hard to track down due to rights issues pertaining to the estate of Superboy co-creator Jerry Siegel, and it isn't available on streaming at the time of writing. However, it's worth remembering if for nothing else featuring some pretty fun Krypto storylines.

Smallville (2001)

Debuting in 2001, Smallville brought Clark Kent and Lex Luthor back to TV in the vein of teenage dramas like Dawson's Creek. Over the course of 10 seasons, the show incorporated dozens of characters from the comics, including a reimagining of Krypto.

Introduced in the aptly titled Season 4 episode "Krypto," Smallville's version of the Superdog is the Kents' golden retriever who briefly gains super strength after being exposed to Kryptonite. The dog eventually loses its powers but remains a part of the show for the rest of the run as the Kents' pet. Although the dog is formally named Shelby, an Easter egg reference in the episode has Clark consider naming the dog Krypto. It's a clever way of incorporating Krypto into the show in a way that doesn't overcomplicate Smallville's relatively grounded focus.

Krypto the Superdog (2005)

Debuting 50 years after his comic counterpart made his first appearance, Krypto the Superdog is an adventure-filled and kid-friendly take on the superhero genre. The animated show, which ran for 39 episodes, is a deliberate throwback to the Hanna-Barbera cartoons of the 1960s and was developed by Alan Burnett and Paul Dini, two of the major creatives behind the highly successful DCAU (which includes Batman: The Animated Series and Justice League Unlimited).

The series focuses on Krypto and his owner, a nine-year-old boy named Kevin Whitney. Krypto protects the town as a superhero, working alongside other animal heroes (like Streaky the Supercat and Ace the Bat-Hound) to confront all sorts of threats. It's a light-hearted and cute cartoon that highlights the inherent appeal of a superhero dog.

Batman: The Brave And The Bold (2008)

Batman: The Brave And The Bold is a purposefully campy and colorful take on the Dark Knight, bringing the larger DC Universe into the kind of wacky but authentic superhero setting that Adam West's Batman codified. One of the best episodes is Season 3's "Battle of the Superheroes," which serves as the show's biggest Superman storyline.

After being corrupted by Red Kryptonite and becoming a huge jerk, Superman is confronted by Batman and Krypto. The team-up follows the show's standard practice of pairing Batman with different heroes in every episode while also letting a version of Krypto show off his abilities alongside Batman and even hold his own against Superman in a fight. The Brave and the Bold is a great and self-aware riff on the superhero genre that's well worth a watch—and fans of the 2025 Superman movie will find plenty to love about "Battle of the Superheroes."

DC Nation (2012)

DC Nation was a great experiment courtesy of Cartoon Network, serving as an informal programming block that featured various DC shorts. These cartoons varied vastly in terms of character focus and artistic style, ranging from the super stylized "The Bat Man of Shanghi" to the charming aesthetic of Aardman Animation.

One of the most consistent of these shorts is "DC Super-Pets!," which focuses on characters like Krypto and Ace the Bat-Hound. Animated in the style of Art Baltazar, the cute cartoons lean into the clear personalities of the superheroes and play with the premise to great effect. Krypto is a highlight of the shorts, a well-meaning goof who will just as quickly save a sinking ship as he will chase a squirrel. The shorts are available to stream on YouTube and are perfect for kids who love Krypto.

Teen Titans Go! (2013)

One of Cartoon Network's longest-running shows, Teen Titans Go! is a madcap take on the DC Universe. Krypto is one of the many DC characters who has made the leap to the series, debuting with a cameo in Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. Various episodes also feature Krypto in gag appearances and short bursts.

His biggest showcase in the show so far comes during Season 8's "Toliet Water," where the Titans are hired by Superman to dog-sit for him. Their lax attitude toward his bad behavior ends up turning Krypto briefly into a villain, although the heroes are able to save the day by the end of the story. It's a subversive and silly take on the character, just like with everything else in Teen Titans Go! that will likely get some laughs from anyone who enjoyed how unruly Krypto was in Superman.

Titans (2018)

Titans is a gritty and dramatic take on DC's younger superheroes, which finds a way to incorporate Krypto into the story. Krypto is reimagined in Titans as a regular Earth dog that was experimented on by Cadmus Laboratories. Krypto debuts in the Season 1 finale "Dick Grayson," setting him up to informally join the Titans as their pet.

After being saved by Conner, the dog develops a deep loyalty to Superman's clone. While Krypto doesn't have the most important role in the show, he is a reliable ally for the Titans to call upon in emergencies. It's also a good reminder that even when DC adaptations are taking things deadly seriously, there is still room for a good dog who can use laser eyes to protect his people.

DC Super Hero Girls (2019)

Although Krypto is only a minor character in Lauren Faust's DC Super Hero Girls, it is a great showcase for the Superdog. In this follow-up to the animator's super successful My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic!, DC Super Hero Girls reimagines the DC Universe with a focus on six young women—Supergirl, Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Zatanna, Green Lantern, and Bumblebee—as they attend high school in Metropolis.

Krypto is Supergirl’s dog, a friendly and rowdy hound that feels very similar to the way the pair is portrayed at the end of Superman. "#BeastsInShow" is DC Super Hero Girls' best showcase for Krypto, pitting him against a reimagined version of Ace the Bat-Hound in a dog show that Supergirl and Batgirl take far more seriously than they do.

DC League of Super-Pets (2022)

Krypto fully takes center stage in 2022's DC League of Super-Pets, an animated film that focuses largely on Krypto. When Lex Luthor's guinea pig test subject Lulu enacts a plan to capture the Justice League, Krypto teams up with a group of shelter animals who have been granted superpowers in a bid to save them.

Krypto is at the heart of the film, which largely focuses on his bond with Superman, which he fears is being threatened by Lois Lane. Voiced by Dwayne Johnson, this version of Krypto gets the most focus of any incarnation of the character, although given the popularity of Krypto in Superman and his expected role in the upcoming Supergirl movie, it might not be long before the Superdog gets another starring cinematic role.

Scooby-Doo! And Krypto, Too (2023)

Scooby-Doo has had plenty of adventures over the years with guest star characters, with the DC Universe at large factoring into the events of Scooby-Doo! And Krypto, Too!. The film pairs up Scooby-Doo with Superman's canine partner, throwing Scooby and his friends into a big superhero adventure against the likes of Lex Luthor and Solomon Grundy.

The film sees Mystery Inc. recruited by Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen to help investigate the missing Justice League, throwing them into a Silver Age-inspired adventure. The gang encounters Krypto during their investigation, with the Superdog quickly befriending Scooby-Doo and developing a cute dynamic. It's a fun throwback adventure for fans of Super Friends and Scooby-Doo!, with a light-hearted tone that perfectly fits both iconic cartoon dogs.

Where To Watch Krypto The Supderdog Movies & TV Shows Online

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Every MCU Character Who Defeated Galactus In Marvel Comics
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
Galactus (Ralph Ineson) is making his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The cosmic entity known for devouring planets to sustain its immense life force is one of the most powerful villains to ever arrive in the MCU.

However, hope isn’t lost for the MCU’s heroes, considering a few of them have histories of besting Galactus. Viewers can use our guide to find out which MCU heroes defeated Galactus in Marvel Comics.

The Fantastic Four

While viewers will have to watch The Fantastic Four: First Steps to find out if the team defeats Galactus, it bodes well for the heroes since they’ve bested him in Marvel Comics multiple times. Aside from Doctor Doom, Galactus is one of The Fantastic Four’s archenemies, resulting in numerous instances where the team defeated him or foiled his plans. In the original Fantastic Four series, The Fantastic Four defeat Galactus by threatening him with “The Ultimate Nullifier,” a weapon powerful enough to destroy the universe. In a later storyline, Reed Richards’ son, Franklin, used his powers to control Galactus, becoming his “herald.” Silver Surfer, set to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, has also aided The Fantastic Four in Galactus’ defeat.

The Avengers

From defeating Thanos (Josh Brolin) in Avengers: Endgame to taking down Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in TThe Avengers, The Avengers have taken on many larger-than-life threats in the MCU. In the comics, they’ve also come up against Galactus. In The Trial of Galactus, a weakened Galactus comes to Earth to search for his former herald, Terrax, and decides to consume the planet. Of course, this puts him in direct conflict with both the Fantastic Four and Avengers, who fight him to the point of death, though Reed Richards opts to save him. Usually, The Avengers wouldn’t have stood much of a chance against Galactus, but in his weakened state, even Spider-Man and Daredevil could hold their own against him.

X-Men

The X-Men are slowly making their way into the MCU, with a Wolverine variant (Hugh Jackman) appearing in the multiverse movie Deadpool & Wolverine, and the original Beast (Kelsey Grammer) making a cameo in The Marvels. Most of the original X-Men team is also confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday. Meanwhile, the team is arriving in the MCU at just the right time, considering they once defeated Galactus, although it was in an alternate timeline. An issue of What If…? follows the Age of Apocalypse X-Men team in a timeline where the world didn’t end. When Galactus shows up, The X-Men team up with Tony Stark and defeat the cosmic entity with Weapon X, leaving him mortally wounded.

Marvel Zombies

Marvel Zombies made their debut in the MCU through an episode of What If…? and proved so popular that Marvel greenlit a Marvel Zombies miniseries for Fall 2025. Not only are these undead heroes unsettling, but they are also powerful enough to defeat Galactus in the comics. In the Marvel Zombies comic series, the zombie superheroes eat humanity into extinction. When Galactus arrives to consume the planet, the zombies see him merely as another food source, killing The Silver Surfer before attacking and overcoming Galactus. Some of them even acquire his power and become Zombie Galacti, traveling the galaxy in search of more life to devour.

Thor

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) has been a staple of the MCU since Thor (2011) and has faced some formidable enemies. In Avengers: Endgame, he deals the blow that kills Thanos while also defeating Hela (Cate Blanchett) in Thor: Ragnarok and Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) in Thor: Love and Thunder. He’s possibly the MCU’s biggest hope to defeat Galactus, considering he did so in the comics through quite a unique method. Thor was so formidable against Galactus that he earned the entity’s respect, with Galactus seeking him out to defeat Black Winter. Galactus entrusted Thor with his cosmic powers, which Thor then used to kill Galactus before turning his corpse into a bomb and detonating it to defeat Black Winter, too.

Thanos

Thanos is the overarching villain of the MCU’s Infinity Saga, with his plans reaching their culmination in Avengers: Infinity War. In the Infinity Gauntlet comic series, Thanos acquires the infinity stones, as he does in the MCU, and becomes the most powerful being in the universe. However, in the comics, he takes his power further than wiping out half the population. Sensing his immense power, Galactus and Adam Warlock confront him, only for Thanos to easily defeat and imprison them. Thanos typically wouldn’t be on par with Galactus’ power, but even the cosmic entity is no match against the Infinity Gauntlet.

Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) is quite a force in the MCU, considering he bested Dormammu in his eponymous MCU debut. In the comics, Strange proves magic can be even more potent when he aids The Fantastic Four against Galactus. Although he doesn’t directly defeat Galactus, he performs a powerful spell in The Trial of Galactus that distracts the cosmic entity long enough for The Fantastic Four and Avengers to beat him. The spell caused Galactus to see all of the tormented souls he’d killed, nearly driving him mad on top of his weakened state. Doctor Strange doesn’t boast a lot of brute strength, but his intelligence and sorcery even the playing field between him and Galactus.

The Living Tribunal

The Living Tribunal has yet to appear in the MCU in a substantial role, though Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a non-speaking cameo of the being. If the MCU is gearing up to introduce The Living Tribunal, it will have one force that can easily defeat Galactus. The Living Tribunal is arguably the single most powerful entity in the Marvel Universe, maintaining balance by serving as the judge of the universe. Even Galactus can’t escape The Living Tribunal’s judgment. A variant of Galactus from Earth-982 disrupted the balance of the multiverse too much, drawing The Living Tribunal’s disapproval. The Living Tribunal oversaw the situation until Galactus merged with The Silver Surfer to become a builder of worlds rather than a destroyer.

Where To Watch More Marvel Movies online

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The Most Popular Animated Movie Of All Time Is Not The One You Think
Jesse Lab
JustWatch Editor
Animation is a popular genre, and there are plenty of films that tend to dominate the discussion whenever animation is brought up. Spirited Away was recently named the greatest animated movie of the 21st century by The New York Times. Frozen and its sequel were massive hits for Disney and spawned a media franchise. Then, you have beloved series like Toy Story that defined the childhoods of several generations of kids.

But the most popular animated movie of all time isn’t actually any of them. It’s not an anime, or a Pixar movie, nor a Disney movie in general. No, it’s a movie called Ne Zha 2, and you’ve probably never heard of it or even seen it before in your life.

What Is Ne Zha 2?

For people in the West, it’s not surprising that they haven’t heard of Ne Zha 2 before. The film was released on January 29, 2025, in China and serves as a sequel to the 2019 original film, Ne Zha, and its impact in the West has been minimal, at best.

The original film is an adaptation of the Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods, which is itself a fictional retelling of the fall of the Shang Dynasty, the first recorded dynasty in Chinese history, and the rise of its successor, the Zhou Dynasty. While the novel is popular within China, its impact outside of China has been minor when compared to the Four Great Classical Novels, which include Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West. Outside of some of the mythological characters that appear in the novel, like Ne Zha, Daji, and Jiang Ziya, most people in the West probably aren’t aware of the contents, or even the plot, of Investiture of the Gods.

Given that Investiture of the Gods is over 2,000 pages (depending on your translation), Ne Zha adapts only a portion of the book, specifically the portion detailing the birth of Ne Zha himself. In the film, Ne Zha was born from a powerful item called the Demon Orb. It was originally a part of the Chaos Pearl, but due to the Chaos Pearl’s overwhelming power, the gods split it into two halves: the Spirit Pearl and the Chaos Orb. Because of the demonic energy flowing within him, and in an effort to save him from a curse, Ne Zha’s parents tell him that he was actually born from the Spirit Pearl and needs to use his powers for good to protect those in need.

It’s a story that focuses a lot on the ideas of nature versus nurture. Is Ne Zha meant to become a monster solely because he was born with demonic power, or can he be taught to use that power for good and make himself into a hero? The sequel follows up on these ideas more, as well as putting more of a focus on the friendship between Ne Zha and his brother, Ao Bing. It also differs significantly from the original novel, instead focusing more on telling an original story within the same universe, making it more of an accessible sequel to the first film than another adaptation in what has now become an animated cinematic universe aimed at adapting Investiture of the Gods.

Is Ne Zha 2 Really That Popular?

Just from that brief introduction, it would be easy to think that both Ne Zha and Ne Zha 2 would be fairly popular hits within China, but nothing more. And to an extent, you would be right. The first film had a total gross of nearly $750 million in its run, which is a pretty sizeable profit no matter how you slice it. At the same time, its success is somewhat deflated when you consider that it was released in 2019, which was arguably the biggest year ever for the box office, with nine movies earning over a billion dollars. The box office was also a lot healthier back then, since the COVID-19 pandemic the following year would basically cause a widespread shift from theatrical releases to streaming platforms, making a success like Ne Zha notable, but not revelatory.

But it’s exactly because of that shift that Ne Zha 2’s success in 2025 is so noteworthy. Despite releasing in a much weaker cinematic landscape, Ne Zha 2 has grossed over 2.2 billion dollars so far in its theatrical run, making at least three times the original amount its predecessor did. It is quite literally the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time, within striking distance of both Titanic and Avatar: The Way of Water’s lifetime box office take, and easily sitting as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, surpassing the previous title holder, Inside Out 2, and its 1.7 billion dollar haul

To try and make sense of just how big of a hit Ne Zha 2 is in China, you’re going to have to consider a few facts about its release. First, the general critical reception of Ne Zha 2 was much stronger than the original film. General audiences in China praised its improved animation and how much more personal the story was, making it more of a hit with younger audience members. It was also released at the beginning of the Chinese New Year, which is one of the biggest holidays in China, so many families most likely used that time to go see it. Plus, the film didn’t really have any competition at the time, with the only major box office rival being Captain America: Brave New World, which didn’t exactly light the box office on fire and had negative word of mouth in China when compared to Ne Zha 2’s ongoing positivity.

Why Western Audiences (Probably) Haven't Heard Of Ne Zha 2

With a movie that’s made that much money and has amassed a loyal following in China, it’s fair to ask why nobody in the West has ever heard of Ne Zha 2 despite all of the acclaim. And the truthful and honest answer is that despite the power of the Chinese box office, that doesn’t exactly translate into Western success.

While Hollywood has been eager to penetrate the Chinese box office and rake in tons of money from them, Chinese films don’t often do well commercially outside of China. That isn’t always the case, as films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon have had successes in the West, but most films rarely, if ever, make their way from China to the United States. Sometimes they will get limited theatrical releases, like The Battle at Lake Changjin, but other times studios will be content to simply pick up the rights to make Western versions of those stories, like in the case of Hi, Mom.

Ne Zha 2 actually did get a limited theatrical release in the US back in February, where it earned a little over $20 million, but due to its status as a sequel to a film that only earned a little over $3.5 million back in 2019, it wasn’t the earth-shattering hit like it was in China. However, due to the huge cultural impact it left in its wake, Ne Zha 2 is being rereleased again in the United States, this time through A24 with an English dub that has Michelle Yeoh attached. So while you may not have heard of Ne Zha 2 before, you’ll probably hear a lot more about it sooner rather than later as it tries to make a push not only to further cement its status as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, but also the overall highest-grossing film of all time.

Where To Watch Ne Zha 2 Online

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10 Best Romance Movies Streaming For Free
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
Whether popular classics or hidden, long-forgotten gems, there are always a myriad of incredible romances to stream for free. There are countless tropes that make up the fabric of the stories, and while the genre might not be for everybody, there's one thing that's mandatory for it to earn the romance credit: There must be a happy ending for the main couple. So, no, Romeo and Juliet is not a romance. But a classic like 13 Going on 30 sure is.

From new book-to-screen adaptations like The Hating Game to early 2000s treasures like She's the Man, here are the 10 best romance movies streaming for free on platforms like Plex, Hoopla, and more.

Letters to Juliet (2010)

As one of the most romantic films with two relationships at the center, Letters to Juliet is a must-watch. Set in the beautifully picturesque Verona and various other locations in Italy, the film is both a second chance romance and a tender strangers to lovers that leaves a mark. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) responds to a lost letter tucked in the crevices of Juliet's wall, allowing the late Vanessa Redgrave's Claire to make contact with her in order to follow her heart back to her long-lost love. As the search for Lorenzo commences, Sophie and Claire's nephew, Charlie, quietly fall for one another in the background. With a gorgeous soundtrack, thrilling banter, and heart-melting love declarations, every frame is what romantic comedy dreams are made of.

Mr. Malcolm's List (2022)

As a fantastic and incredibly thoughtful book-to-screen adaptation with a refreshingly inclusive cast, Mr. Malcolm's List is a gorgeous historical romance and an absolute joy ride from start to finish. Featuring stunning, swoonworthy shots in every frame, the romance between Freida Pinto's Selina and Sope Dirisu's Mr. Jeremy Malcolm quietly develops with the type slow burn tension that's so deliciously enamoring. Every beat of the film feels earned, and the entire cast, along with the platonic relationships, make it an adaptation to remember.

Serendipity (2001)

Inarguably one of the most romantic movies to exist, Serendipity is not only a rom-com staple, but it's essential Christmas-time viewing as well. When Sara and Jonathan meet and are quickly enamored by each other, they decide to leave their next meeting/date to fate, adding their phone numbers to a five-dollar bill and Sara's favorite book. It's not until years later, when Jonathan is preparing for his wedding, that we learn he keeps remembering the woman from the department store he met years ago. As fate allows, a search commences, and all the signs lead them back to one another, proving that invisible threads and serendipitous meetings happen for a reason.

Northanger Abbey (2007)

A little spooky and entirely cozy, Northanger Abbey is not only an underrated Jane Austen adaptation, but it's a quaint little romance that deserves more hype. Starring Felicity Jones as Catherine Morland and JJ Feild as Henry Tilney, the delightful love story is set primarily in Bath and features a stunning portrayal of the strangers to friends to lovers trope. Directed by Jon Jones, the adaptation is a charming feature that checks every period drama box while simultaneously delivering something intriguing for those who generally aren't fans of the historical setting.

She's the Man (2006)

She's the Man is now a classic rom-com for countless reasons. Starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, the Twelfth Night adaptation hits every evocative trope with the type of humor that still holds up. With hilariously quotable lines like "I'm allergic to the sun" and "my favorite's gouda," the college-based film has something for every kind of viewer. And to top things off, the romance that develops between Viola and Duke genuinely feels earned at the end, eliciting butterflies and every giddy emotion that only amazing romances are capable of.

13 Going on 30 (2004)

As the quintessential childhood-best-friends-to-lovers romance, 13 Going on 30 still holds up gorgeously. When a heartbroken Jenna makes a wish on her thirteenth birthday to fast forward through time, she learns that the thirties aren't all their cracked up to be, except for one part of it, which is reuniting with her best friend Matty. With sweet and captivating chemistry between Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, the angsty yet poignant love story shines from beginning to end, telling a story that still manages to hold up today.

Emma (2020)

There are a number of Emma adaptations at this point, and Autumn de Wilde's is among the best. Colorful and whimsically shot, it tells Jane Austen's story through a beautifully vibrant lens while allowing the chemistry between Anya Taylor-Joy and Johnny Flynn to shine as Emma and Mr. Knightley. The age gap, friends-to-lovers romance features plenty of delicious banter and a tender appreciation for each other's good qualities and bad. In addition, the lighter approach to the film allows for some relatable and gif-worthy moments to shine, making it as hilarious as it is romantic.

Ella Enchanted (2004)

Fantasy, a musical, and romance? What more could anyone want than the dazzling and star-studded Ella Enchanted? Cursed to obedience from birth, Anne Hathaway's Ella embarks on a quest to undo the stripping of her agency, falling in love with Hugh Dancy's Prince Char in the process. Achingly romantic and surprisingly nostalgic, there's something special about the movie that boils down to the costumes, the music, and the cast adding a charming veil to every scene. Criminally underrated, it's one that deserves far more hype.

Plus One (2019)

An underrated friends-to-lovers story, starring Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine, Plus One sizzles with banter and chemistry from beginning to end, even with its flaws. Opposites attract in more ways than one, as both Ben and Alice have their demons. However, when they decide to be each other's plus ones at the weddings they're invited to, sparks torch, taking their friendship from platonic to achingly romantic in a way that's fully organic. With sweet moments and hilarious bits of banter, too, Plus One is the type of rom-com that even fans outside of the genre could appreciate.

The Hating Game (2021)

Based on Sally Thorne's novel of the same name, The Hating Game is a worthy adaptation and an even better workplace rivals romance. Starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell as Lucy and Josh, the movie is stacked with the best tropes, longing, and plenty of antics to make you wish it were a trilogy of sorts. So many of the best contemporary romance novels follow a similar pattern of rivals becoming lovers, meaning there's a reason it's so popular. Here, we have the perfect office romance that gradually morphs into something bigger and better.

Where To Watch The 10 Best Free Romance Movies Online

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'Superman' Isn't The Start Of James Gunn's DC Universe - It Already Exists
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
James Gunn’s Superman recently premiered in theaters, dominating at the box office and stirring excitement for the new DC Universe. While many viewers have hailed Superman as the beginning of a new cinematic universe following the DC Extended Universe’s closure, Gunn’s DCU has already begun via the small screen and the DC Elseworlds brand.

What Is James Gunn’s DC Universe?

Gunn’s DCU is the current DC Cinematic Universe. Similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s a shared universe of films and TV shows featuring characters and stories inspired by DC Comics. Almost every movie and TV show under the DCU takes place in the same universe, except for those that fall under DC Elseworlds. DC Elseworlds is a part of the DCU but consists of shows and films that occur outside of the central timeline/universe. These could be standalone films or animated DC projects that boast their own continuity.

What Shows And Movies Currently Exist In The DCU?

When Gunn took over the DCU in 2023, several DC projects, both within and outside the DCEU, were already in development and were quickly brought under the DCU umbrella. Hence, the first DCU installment is technically Peacemaker. The series, created by Gunn, serves as a spin-off of The Suicide Squad, centering on Peacemaker (Josh Cena) in the aftermath of the film, as he decides to take on a new mission for A.R.G.U.S. to avoid returning to prison.

Gunn was developing Peacemaker Season 2 when he was installed as DCU head. Although initially conceived as part of the DCEU, Peacemaker is now considered part of the new DCU, with Season 2 set to premiere on August 21, 2025.

In 2022, Matt Reeves’ The Batman premiered on the big screen. The series introduces Robert Pattinson as Bruce Wayne (aka Batman) and serves as a standalone Batman movie. Following its success, plans to expand The Batman with spin-offs and sequels quickly arose from Reeves. So, The Batman also came under DCU as part of DC Elseworlds. In addition to The Batman, its spin-off series, The Penguin, is a part of DC Elseworlds.

Several other projects in progress or released since Gunn took over DC Studios are also considered DC Elseworlds, including:
By 2024, Gunn’s Creature Commandos premiered on HBO Max. The animated TV series is set within the DCU and centers on a ragtag team of monsters assembled by Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) to aid the nation of Pokolistan.

Most recently, the main DCU continuity received its first official film: Superman. The film introduces David Corenswet as the DCU’s Superman and follows him as he attempts to stop Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) while navigating precarious global tensions.

Where Is The DCU Headed?

Like the MCU, Gunn’s DCU will operate in phases, which are groups of distinct, interconnected movies. Currently, it is in Phase 1: Gods and Monsters, which began with Creature Commandos and Superman. Peacemaker Season 2 marks the next Gods and Monsters project. The interconnectivity is already rearing its head as Peacemaker Season 2 will feature Superman’s Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), and Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). Meanwhile, the star of the next DCU movie also boasted a cameo in Superman: Supergirl (Milly Alcock).

After Supergirl, Clayface, featuring Tom Rhys Harries as the titular character, will premiere on September 11, 2026. On the small screen, the next DCU project after Peacemaker is Lanterns, featuring two Green Lanterns (Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler) in a detective role. Afterward, the Peacemaker spin-off series, Waller, is set to arrive at an undetermined date.

DC Elseworlds will continue to expand through Reeves’ Batverse, with The Batman Part II slated for release in 2027. However, the DCU continuity will also receive its own, separate Batman, set to star in The Brave and the Bold, which currently lacks a confirmed release date or lead actor.

As the DCU continues, the movies and shows in the main continuity are expected to tie into the theme of the phase, Gods and Monsters. Creature Commandos and Superman already featured some fantastic monsters, as well as figures both good and bad, such as Superman and Waller, who have god-like abilities or have a propensity for playing god. Only time will tell, though, where the DCU’s exploration of the duality of gods and monsters will lead.

Where To Watch DCU Shows And Movies Online

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This Sci-Fi Show Inspired 'Star Wars' - But You Probably Haven't Seen It
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
Star Wars is one of the highest-grossing film franchises in the world, but it might not exist without the influences of many other storytellers. While Star Wars creator George Lucas has cited Akira Kurosawa and Flash Gordon as some of his inspirations, there’s another strong influence that doesn’t get as much attention from fans: Foundation.

Foundation Season 3 recently premiered on Apple TV+, enamouring its fan base with its hard sci-fi premise and epic scale. Unfortunately, it remains one of the streamer’s more underrated series. Although it hasn’t received the attention it deserves, the story it adapts inspired a plethora of major space epics, including Star Wars.

Foundation's Influence On The Space Opera Subgenre

Over two decades before Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope arrived on the big screen, Isaac Asimov published the first book in his Foundation series. Asimov initially planned the stories as a trilogy, consisting of Foundation (1951), Foundation and Empire (1952), and Second Foundation (1953); however, the series would later expand to include four more novels.

Foundation is often considered a cornerstone of sci-fi because it introduced so many groundbreaking sci-fi concepts that continue to influence the genre to this day. The series is a space epic centered on the final days of the Galactic Empire. As the ruling body of the galaxy, the Empire oversees numerous planets and trillions of people. When psychohistorian Hari Seldon predicts its fall, he also foresees the centuries of darkness its end will herald. Desperate to minimize the impact of the fall, Seldon creates the Foundation, an Institute dedicated to preserving civilization and paving the way for a new empire.

Asimov’s story was far from the first space opera. Still, its tale of a Galactic Empire reigning over the galaxy is something that has seeped into the DNA of the space operas that followed, including Dune, Star Wars, and Rebel Moon. However, it’s not just the concept of a Galactic Empire that sci-fi stories have borrowed from Asimov, but also the overarching themes of power, oppression, and the building blocks of civilization.

The Parallels Between Foundation And Star Wars

Upon reading Foundation, it’s not hard to notice the many ways in which it parallels Star Wars. There’s the most obvious similarity, which is that each story's premise revolves around a pre-established Galactic Empire and sets its demise as the primary conflict. Although the Star Wars prequel trilogy would later delve into the establishment of the Galactic Empire, it initially shared Foundation’s formula of a pre-existing empire. Both Foundation and Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi also feature the collapse of the Empire.

Even as Star Wars expanded into its own, distinct franchise, its stories still mirror Foundation. For example, the Foundation faces challenges from remnants of the Empire after it falls, much like the Imperial Remnants that surface in Star Wars’ newer projects, including The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and Ahsoka.

Asimov’s Foundation is also credited with popularizing the concept of hyperspace for traveling at the speed of light, which figures prominently in Star Wars and most major space epic franchises. Star Wars’ Coruscant, introduced on-screen in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, also parallels Trantor in Foundation, as both are the politically significant Capitals of the Empire that took the form of a planet-wide city. However, Timothy Zahn created Coruscant rather than Lucas, suggesting multiple creatives in the Star Wars franchise potentially drew inspiration from Foundation.

Meanwhile, it’s not just story elements that Star Wars and Foundation share, but also the heart of the story. Both are tales of how just one individual has the power to change the fate of an entire galaxy, and about the resilience and evolution of civilization in the face of oppression and dramatic changes.

Did Foundation Inspire Star Wars?

Interestingly, Lucas has never directly confirmed if Foundation served as his inspiration for Star Wars, although he has praised Asimov’s work, including his exploration of robots. Asimov, however, stated that he believed Foundation did inspire Star Wars. In one introduction from 1983, he noted how Star Wars “here and there, offered rather more than a whiff of the Foundation.” However, he conceded that he didn’t mind the similarities and even professed himself to be a fan of Star Wars, noting that he himself pulled extensively from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

Ultimately, it’s likely that Foundation played some role in inspiring Star Wars, Dune, Star Trek, and practically every major sci-fi franchise that explores galactic empires and space travel. Foundation itself wasn’t without inspiration, as it's virtually a sci-fi rendering of a history book. Every story starts somewhere, and Star Wars did as well, drawing inspiration from an existing tale and evolving into something more original.

Where To Watch Star Wars And Foundation Online

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10 Niche Streaming Services All Film Nerds Should Know About
Keith Langston
JustWatch Editor
Sure, there’s the big streamers like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max. But there’s also an increasing number of smaller streaming services offering up great content. Known as “niche streamers,” these smaller streaming platforms are gaining popularity thanks to their libraries of excellent, often tailored, shows and movies.

Whether they’re catering to a certain niche, like horror fans or lovers of British television, or they’re devoted to high-end, premium originals, these niche streamers absolutely deserve your attention. Plus, many offer free trials, making them perfect to try out without paying a penny. From Shudder to MGM+ and more, here are 10 niche streamers you need to check out.

Shudder

Must-Watch Originals: Late Night With the Devil, In a Violent Nature, Creepshow

Launched in 2015, Shudder actually predates many of streaming’s biggest platforms. The streamer is designed for fans of terror and suspense and specifically caters to the ever-growing horror fandom. Shudder offers its own original shows and movies, like Late Night With the Devil, Host, and The Beach House, while also providing a large library of other horror content as well. From classic slashers to cult indie hits and more, it’s got everything diehard horror fans want. Plus, with user reviews, watch parties, and more, it also does a great job at creating community.

MGM+

Must-Watch Originals: Godfather of Harlem, The Institute, From

While Amazon already has its own streaming service with Prime Video, it also has another with MGM+. In 2022, Amazon acquired the legendary film studio MGM, which also included the acquisition of its streaming service known as Epix. Since then, Amazon has turned it into the new streamer MGM+ to provide high-quality premium movies and shows. Think of MGM+ as Amazon’s version of HBO. It has its own film library of hits, like Gladiator II and Better Man, while also producing its own original movies and series, like its fan-favorite horror hit From, which has become a standout and is universally praised by critics. MGM+ also produces the original crime thriller Godfather of Harlem, which stars Forest Whitaker. For great premium content, MGM+ is one to watch.

Mubi

Must-Watch Originals: The Substance, Magic Farm, Bring Them Down

Mubi has been gaining attention over the last decade as a home for hardcore cinephiles. Loaded with indie hits, arthouse films, experimental cinema, and more, Mubi is the place to go for deep, daring movies. But everything changed in 2024 when Mubi released its original film The Substance, which took the world by storm and earned Demi Moore a slew of awards and nominations, including a Best Actress nomination at the Oscars. Suddenly, Mubi became one of the hottest studios and streaming services around, even being valued at over $1 billion in early 2025. On top of its originals, it has other hit, thought-provoking films like Paris is Burning, Mysterious Skin, Carol, and more.

Crunchyroll

The popularity of anime continues to grow, and so does the impact of the streamer Crunchyroll. It is absolutely the go-to destination for anime fans, offering up everything from shonen to shojo to seinen and more. It’s loaded with hits like Dan Da Dan, One Piece, and Attack on Titan, but it’s also got a huge library of more under-the-radar anime to discover and enjoy. Just like Shudder, Crunchyroll also does a great job at creating community thanks to its blog posts, game section, vibrant social media community, and appearances at various in-person events like Comic-Con.

BritBox

BritBox doesn’t technically have original content, but it does have content that—outside of the UK and Ireland—can only be streamed on the platform. BritBox is the international streaming home to hits like Outrageous, The Tower, and The Bay. But it’s also got tons of classic British and Irish hit series from throughout the years too, like Mrs. Brown’s Boys, Father Ted, and Downton Abbey, among many others. If you love scripted series from the UK and Ireland, then BritBox is absolutely the streaming service for you.

Starz

Must-Watch Originals: Power, P-Valley, Mary & George, Outlander

Starz has been around a while, and while it’s never boomed into a huge streaming service, it’s managed to carve out its own place with a devoted fanbase. The streamer is known for its iconic hits like Outlander and Spartacus, and, more recently, spawned an entire media universe with its Power franchise. On top of that, it has a large library of hit movies like M3GAN, The Holdovers, and Fast X, among others. Starz is perfect for fans who enjoy cinematic hits and originals that are different, quirky, and not afraid to push boundaries.

Screambox

Must-Watch Originals: Terrifier 3, Street Trash, Tales From the Void

Shudder isn’t the only streamer for horror fans. Screambox is a smaller streaming service than Shudder, but for hardcore genre fans, it’s a sure bet. Most notably, Screambox is the streaming home of Terrifier 3, but it’s also home to tons of other horror hits, like the Japanese remake of Cube, the infamous Audition, and tons of horror documentaries like Pennywise: The Story of It. If you’re a huge horror fan and love seeking out films you can’t find anywhere else, like foreign horror movies, arthouse horror, and low-budget grindhouse films, then Screambox is definitely worth checking out. Screambox is also unique in that it’s owned by Cineverse but operated by the iconic horror publication Bloody Disgusting.

Revry

Must-Watch Original: Unconventional

Revry is a newer streaming service devoted to LGBTQ content. The streamer is loaded with iconic queer favorites like Trick, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Mulholland Drive, among others. But the streamer also has fun original webisodes like Versus, which is hosted by Mrs. Betty Bowers actress Devin Green, as well as original series like Unconventional, a dramedy that centers around the lives of two different queer couples. Revy also streams exclusive events like drag balls and comedy roasts of iconic queens like Sherry Vine and Thorgy Thor.

BET+

Must-Watch Originals: First Wives Club, Ruthless, All the Queen’s Men

Launched in 1983, BET became the premier network for Black entertainment. In 2019, it launched its own streaming service BET+. The streamer is loaded with all of BET’s hits, including Gabrielle Union’s Being Mary Jane and College Hill, but it’s also loaded with tons of original content, including many series created by Tyler Perry, like Ruthless. Another must-watch original is the BET+ re-envisioning of First Wives Club, starring Jill Scott. Just like the film, the series is a comedy that follows three divorced women who find strength in their friendship.

AMC+

Must-Watch Originals: Gangs of London, No Way Up, Silent Night

AMC+ is a bit of a weird streaming service. Instead of focusing on its own original content, it’s essentially a massive conglomerate of all of AMC’s properties. That means viewers can watch everything from the AMC network, along with all things IFC, Sundance, BBC America, and yes, even the entire Shudder library. On top of that, AMC+ also acquires the exclusive streaming rights to numerous UK series like Gangs of London and films like Silent Night. For a niche streamer that offers lots of versatility, like hit docuseries from Sundance like Jonestown: Terror in the Jungle to iconic IFC favorites like Documentary Now! and, of course, all things The Walking Dead, this is a great streamer to try out.

Where to Watch The Best Niche Streamer Originals and Exclusives Online

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10 X-Men Villains We Still Haven't Seen In Live-Action
Christopher Baggett
JustWatch Editor
While all eyes are currently on the upcoming release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, die-hard Marvel fans are all patiently awaiting the return of one team: the X-Men. Though a variation of the team was last seen in 2019’s disastrous Dark Phoenix, we’ll see them again in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which is almost certainly a precursor to the next live-action film.

But who should serve as the foe for that film? It’s mostly been X-Men vs. Magneto ever since X-Men in 2000, but there are decades worth of villains to pick from. Before you dive into your next merry mutant streaming adventure to watch every live-action X-Men movie and TV show, why not consider this list of villains we still haven’t seen the X-Men fight in live action?

Mojo

A lot of X-Men villains haven’t made their way to the big screen for one simple reason: They’re just really weird. Take, for instance, Mojo. A recurring villain since the ‘80s, Mojo is a spineless (literally) alien who runs his own entertainment world, the aptly titled Mojoworld. He’s been a thorn in the X-Men’s side for decades, regularly pulling them into his bizarre world to live out television fantasies for the twisted residents of Mojoworld. Though he’s been a regular fixture of animated fair, such as X-Men ‘97, the character just hasn’t found a place in live-action to make his mark.

Sauron

A major hurdle of X-Men villains appearing on film has to be just how expensive they would be to portray. Sauron, ironically, is one with a built-in means of making him somewhat budget-friendly. See, Sauron has a dual persona of sorts. He’s normally Karl Lykos, a physician who was bitten by mutant pterodactyls. As a result, Lykos is now an energy vampire who feeds on life force, and when he absorbs mutant life force, he turns into the half-man, half-pterodactyl known as Sauron. While Lykos is somewhere around chaotic good, Sauron is one of the most evil X-Men villains there is, using mind-control powers in a bid to take over the world.

Proteus

Ask any X-Men fan who the most tragic X-Men villain is, and they’ll almost certainly say Proteus. The son of longtime X-Men ally Moira MacTaggert, Proteus/ Kevin MacTaggert is born with bizarre reality manipulation powers, but his emotional state means he seldom has them under control. As a result, he’s a wildcard that even the X-Men can’t prepare themselves for. Imprisoned for years by parents who didn’t know what else to do, the freed Proteus is a tragic nightmare scenario, and the ending of his first arc sets up years of heartbreaking trauma for the team to work through. He’s the perfect emotional through point for an early days X-Men movie.

The Imperial Guard

While their role as ally or foe is typically tied closely to the nature of the story they’re in, there’s no denying that The Imperial Guard—the elite soldiers working at the behest of the bizarre aliens known as the Shi’ar—are enemies when they first debut. The Imperial Guard are also enemies when they’re a pivotal element in the all-time classic The Dark Phoenix Saga, where they’re pitted against the X-Men in a battle royale, all with team mate Jean Grey’s life on the line. X-Men films have largely kept away from the iconic cosmic stories of old, but introducing the Imperial Guard and the Shi’ar would certainly make a lot of fans happy.

Daken

Daken’s mellowed out a lot these days (or, at least, as mellow as someone currently operating as the hybrid Ghost Rider/Wolverine, Hellverine, can get) to the point that he’s been a card-carrying member of the X-Men, but he was once something much darker. The long-lost son of Wolverine, Daken debuts with a burning hatred for his father and spends much of his first few stories trying to kill him. It escalates to the point that he becomes the Wolverine of Norman Osborn’s Dark Avengers, but following the creation of the mutant paradise Krakoa, Daken and Wolverine seemingly make amends. He’s relatively new and closer to an anti-hero these days, but he’s still a fan favorite, and someone fans would love to see Wolverine fight on-screen.

Vulcan

One of the recurring mysteries of the X-Men throughout the ‘90s was the identity of the third Summers brother. After years of teases and handwaves, it was finally revealed that Cyclops and Havok had a half-brother, Vulcan, who had been stolen from their kidnapped mother’s womb by pirates and raised in space. Vulcan’s origin is a tragic one, which saw Xavier erased from everyone’s memory after he was believed to have died on a mission to rescue the original X-Men. These days he’s a recurring thorn in the X-Men’s side, most recently coming to blows with Storm over the right to rule the mutant haven on Mars, Arakko.

Omega Red

So far as Wolverine villains go, they don’t get much more sinister than Sabretooth, but Omega Red is a close second. A creation of the ‘90s, Omega Red is a Russian mutant who can secrete fatal “death spore” pheromones and has a pair of unbreakable whips implanted into his wrists. Like many other villains on this list, he’s been a regular in animation and is a fan favorite who always comes up in discussions of who should be in the next movie. He did almost make the jump to movies, though, having appeared in a Deadpool 2 deleted scene as one of the Ice Box’s mutant inmates. You can only see it in the film’s extended cut, paving the way for his real live-action debut in a future film.

Arcade

On paper, Arcade sounds like a huge joke. He’s a recurring villain who has shown up off-and-on for years across multiple books, but for a spell in the ‘70s and ‘80s, he was a notorious X-Men foil. Arcade is obsessed with games and builds elaborate death traps that resemble games and funhouse rides. Believe it or not, he’s nearly beaten the X-Men on multiple occasions, and once proved to be so effective that even Doctor Doom teamed up with him. He’s treated more like a joke today, but there was once a time that Arcade was a deadly threat, and his eccentric style is perfect for a live-action movie.

The Brood

The X-Men have already fought a lot of foes they can physically fight, but what about one that embodies the concept of body horror? The Brood are an alien-race who infect their prey with larvae that violently hatches from their bodies, not unlike Alien’s Xenomorphs. To date, the Brood have been a notorious and horrifying threat to the X-Men, and if anyone other than Wolverine is infected, that character is almost certainly marked for death. Their presence would certainly shift the tone closer to straight horror than adventure, but it would make for an exciting change of pace as well.

Mr. Sinister

We have almost gotten Mr. Sinister so many times in live-action, with his presence teased in both X-Men: Apocalypse’s post-credits scene and throughout the plot of The New Mutants, with many reports indicating that a post-credits cameo was cut from The New Mutants during its lengthy production. A longtime X-Men foe and one of Marvel’s greatest haters, Mr. Sinister is a seemingly immortal geneticist who was mutated by Apocalypse to have total control of his genetic structure. Since then, he’s stalked the Summers family for years, slyly manipulating Scott and Alex’s lives from childhood. A mainstay of X-Men animation, it’s long overdue for this ominous figure to make his live-action debut, and he would be a perfect slow-burn foe for the MCU’s iteration of the X-Men.

Where To Watch X-Men Live-Action Movies & TV Online

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Every Marvel Movie You Need To Watch Before 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps'
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s latest film, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is just around the corner, marking the iconic superhero team’s official entrance into the cinematic universe after previously falling under Fox’s ownership.

According to The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ director, Matt Shakman, the film takes place in its own universe separate from the MCU’s history. Its self-contained universe means there aren’t many films directly tied to The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but viewers can still use our guide to find a list of recommended Marvel movies to watch beforehand for additional context.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Avengers: Endgame follows Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) and his fellow surviving Avengers teammates on their mission to bring back the population wiped out by Thanos (Josh Brolin). It’s one of the most defining moments of the modern cinematic universe and The Avengers, which could be useful for The Fantastic Four: First Steps viewers, considering the Fantastic Four are not expected to stay in their own universe and are confirmed for Avengers: Doomsday.

Avengers: Endgame is also potentially important because it explains Stark’s fate in the MCU. While Stark won’t be a part of the MCU going forward, Downey will return as Fantastic Four villain Doctor Doom, rumored to appear in the Fantastic Four: First Steps. So far, it’s unknown if the MCU will tie Stark to Doom or if Downey will even appear in the new movie, but it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared by knowing Stark’s MCU fate.

Eternals (2021)

Eternals is one of the most relevant films to The Fantastic Four: First Steps because it set the stage for Galactus’ MCU entrance. Chloé Zhao’s Eternals introduced the Celestials to the MCU, as these cosmic entities were responsible for sending the immortal Eternals to Earth. Throughout the film, the Eternals learn startling truths about the Celestials' true plans for them and Earth. The film paved the way for Galactus by introducing cosmic beings into the MCU and bringing the Celestials, Galactus's enemies, into the fold. With Galactus (Ralph Ineson) appearing in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eternals offers a great introduction to cosmic beings closely related to the villain.

The MCU’s Multiverse Movies

Viewers interested in understanding how The Fantastic Four: First Steps takes place in its own universe may want to watch the MCU’s multiverse movies. Spider-Man: No Way Home is the first MCU film to significantly feature the multiverse, as it sees Peter Parker (Tom Holland) accidentally open a multiversal breach through which variants of Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire) and his enemies arrive. The film serves as a good introduction to the multiverse. At the same time, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness delves deeper into explaining alternate universes by featuring Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) traveling through the multiverse itself in pursuit of the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).

Lastly, Deadpool & Wolverine features the multiverse and the transition of several characters previously under Fox ownership, including Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), into the MCU via variants and parallel universes. All of the multiverse movies are a great way for viewers to get a feel for how the cinematic universe has been slowly bringing Fox’s and Sony’s heroes under the MCU umbrella, paving the way for the Fantastic Four’s highly anticipated debut.

Thunderbolts* (2025)

Thunderbolts* is the most recent MCU movie and sees Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and an unlikely crew of anti-heroes join forces to investigate Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and her mysterious Sentry experiments. It is the only MCU movie with a direct tie-in to The Fantastic Four: First Steps via its post-credits scene. In the scene, the Thunderbolts team receives a distress signal from an inter-dimensional spacecraft with the Fantastic Four logo on it. The scene seemingly depicts the Fantastic Four’s entrance into the MCU timeline, with most viewers theorizing that it takes place after The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While it’s not entirely clear when the scene takes place, it teases the Fantastic Four’s future in the MCU.

Where To Watch Marvel Movies Online

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The 8 Best Ayo Edebiri Movies & TV Shows (And Where To Watch Them)
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
With widely relatable performances and excellent range, Ayo Edebiri is undoubtedly one of the best actors of this generation. Including three record-breaking Emmy nominations as the first young Black actress and a win under her belt, among countless other awards, she consistently proves that not only is her breadth as a performer incomparable, but so are her skills in directing. Now, she's also the first woman to be nominated in both the acting category and as a director in the same year for The Bear's "Napkins."

From animated voice work like in Big Mouth to FX's hit culinary dramedy The Bear, Edebiri's reign is only just beginning as an actor, comedian, writer, and director. Here are the eight best Ayo Edebiri movies and TV shows, along with where to watch them on platforms such as Hulu, Disney+, and more.

The Bear (2022)

With compelling writing and directing, plus a brilliant cast all around, it's understandable why FX's The Bear would be the series that'd ensure an actress like Ayo Edebiri consistently shines. Sydney Adamu might be the character many people will get to know her as, but it's the star's inimitable work in the show's four seasons thus far that inspires viewers to explore her entire filmography further. From the moment she steps onto the screen, Edebiri brings her A-game, showcasing a profound understanding of the immensely caring and gentle chef that allows Sydney to become the heart of the series.

Bottoms (2023)

As a unique coming-of-age comedy about two teenage girls who start a fight club to meet other girls and subsequently lose their virginities, Bottoms shines as a hilarious tale that feels like a classic '80s feature. Ayo Edebiri stars as Josie, an ambitious LGBTQIA+ teen, trying to find her way with her best friend. Hilarious, distinctive, and well-written, Edebiri escapes into the role with her comedic chops on full display.

Inside Out 2 (2024)

Every character in Pixar's animated duology about the emotions inside a teenage girl's head matters, and Ayo Edebiri is an astounding voice actor for Envy in Inside Out 2. While she doesn't take center stage like Maya Hawke's Anxiety, Edebiri's quips from Envy break molds with both hilarious beats and shockingly relatable nuance that add depth to Riley's emotions. Voice acting is often tough with recognizable stars, but Edebiri does an incredible job of ensuring that in this film, viewers only hear and get to know Envy.

Big Mouth (2017)

Edebiri wasn't always a part of the hit animated series, Big Mouth, as she came into the picture in Season 4 to replace Jenny Slate as Missy. Still, it's as though she's been there all along. Like in Inside Out 2, Edebiri ensures that viewers hear a unique character, and not someone else they can associate with her, adding humor and absurdity to the nerdy girl with a big imagination and an even bigger heart.

Clone High (2023)

MTV's Clone High, developed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Bill Lawrence, centers historical figures in a fictional universe that evidently differs from the real-world figures we know them as. As a parody of classic teen dramas, the series takes multiple liberties to contribute to its unique premise. Edebiri plays Harriet Tubman, and effortlessly makes the role a unique standout from everything else she's in, threading humor and heart to deliver one of her strongest voice performances.

Theater Camp (2023)

A feature film inspired by the short film of the same title, Theater Camp is an authentic and wildly niche depiction that allows theater kids to find immeasurable joy and relatability in. Ayo Edebiri plays Janet Walch, one of the camp counselors, and delivers something hilariously quotable in every scene she's in. Managing to squeeze in beats of humor into the limited screen time she has in an ensemble cast, Edebiri is one of the best parts in an already well-rounded film.

Abbott Elementary (2021)

Although Ayo Edebiri has only been in two episodes of Quinta Brunson's hit mockumentary, Abbott Elementary, she plays the type of significant character whose position means she can always return. Edebiri embodies Janine's rebellious little sister and manages to bring something incredible every time we see her. And sure, she's only been around twice, but not only does her role give us plenty about Janine, but it also makes her an intriguing character to want more of.

Opus (2025)

While A24's Opus didn't have the same impact as most A24 films do, Ayo Edebiri's performance as the journalist Ariel Ecton, who finds herself in the middle of a missing pop star's compound, is incredible and proof of her range. The thrilling events of the film propel Edebiri from her general comedic expertise to a different genre, proving that there's indeed nothing that the actress can't master.

Where To Watch The Best Ayo Edebiri Movies And TV Shows Online

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Marvel's Most Disturbing MCU Weapon Is Still Out There Somewhere
Charlene Badasie
JustWatch Editor
There likely wouldn't be an Avengers Initiative or a Loki redemption arc without the Tesseract. This glowing blue cube first made its mark in Captain America: The First Avenger, but its legacy stretches across nearly every phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It houses the Space Stone, one of the six Infinity Stones capable of rewriting reality.

But before it became the centerpiece of intergalactic wars and multiversal meltdowns, the Tesseract had a far more cryptic origin, and its journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe is as unsettling as its power.

The MCU Origins Of The Tesseract

Long before it was stashed in a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility or hijacked by Loki, the Tesseract was hidden on Earth by the King of Asgard, Odin. As one of the oldest cosmic artifacts in the MCU, what looks like a glowing cube is actually a containment vessel for the Space Stone, which was forged during the creation of the universe.

The Tesseract was eventually discovered by humans and ended up in the hands of HYDRA during World War II, when Johann Schmidt (aka Red Skull) used it to power experimental weapons in Captain America: The First Avenger. After Red Skull's defeat, the cube sank into the ocean, only to be recovered by Howard Stark, studied by Project PEGASUS, and later passed to S.H.I.E.L.D.

From there, it became a central object of obsession, corruption, and war. The Kree sought it, Thanos destroyed worlds for it, and Loki used it as a bargaining chip more than once. But what's most disturbing is that the cube has never stayed put. It keeps slipping through hands, slipping through time, always returning when it's least wanted. And in a universe now fractured by timelines and variants, it may not be alone.

The Tesseract Is The MCU's Most Dangerous Weapon

In The Avengers, the Tesseract brought an alien invasion to Earth. In Captain Marvel, it accidentally created one of the MCU's most powerful heroes. In Avengers: Infinity War, it was one of the first stones Thanos claimed (technically, it was handed to him by Loki, who stole it from Asgard before the planet was destroyed). But it was Avengers: Endgame that truly set the stage for its return when the Avengers bungled their time heist, 2012 Loki seized the cube and disappeared into a splintered timeline.

That one impulsive act kicked off Loki Season 1 and unraveled everything we thought we knew about the MCU's version of space, time, and destiny. Even after the TVA scooped up that variant and filed the Tesseract away like it was nothing more than office clutter, its story probably didn't end there. In a multiverse filled with infinite branches and unchecked consequences, we'd be foolish to assume every version of the Tesseract is safely locked away.

The Tesseract's Trail Went Cold But 'Loki' Made It More Dangerous

Loki didn't just show us what happened to the Tesseract, it redefined what it meant. When the TVA treated the cube as just another paperweight, it underscored a chilling truth behind it. In a place beyond time, even the most powerful weapons lose their meaning. But outside the TVA? That power still very much applies.

Loki's journey made one thing clear. Timeline branches can't be contained. As Loki Season 2 unfolded, the Tesseract faded into the background, but its consequences didn't. The variant Loki, who once craved the cube's power, grew into a god who understands the burden of shaping entire realities (or glorious purpose, depending on who you ask).

Yet that leaves a massive question hanging in the air. If this more evolved Loki isn't using the Tesseract, who is? Because we've seen what it does in the wrong hands, and with the multiverse now spiraling with variants lurking in the shadows, the Space Stone's capabilities may be more vital than ever.

What Makes The Tesseract So Disturbing?

Other MCU weapons have limitations. Mjolnir needs worthiness. The Iron Man suits need a reactor and a genius to operate them. Even Thanos needed all six Infinity Stones to carry out his evil plans. But the Tesseract bends space at will and provides its user with the ability to instantly teleport. It doesn't require a password or a blood sacrifice—just the wrong intentions. The cube has been responsible for mass destruction, genocide-level invasions, and multidimensional instability.

And even when it isn't being used, it lingers in the background like a loaded gun waiting for someone to pull the trigger. More than that, it leaves a mark on those who chase it. Loki's obsession with the Tesseract defined his downfall and his rebirth. The Red Skull was cursed by it. The TVA was created, in part, to contain the very chaos it helped unleash. And now, in a reality where time branches are infinite, the potential for the cube to resurface in terrifying new ways is higher than ever.

The Multiverse Saga Could Be Setting Up A Tesseract Return

With Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars on the horizon, Marvel is heading into its most chaotic, reality-breaking chapter yet. Universe collisions, collapsing timelines, legacy crossovers are all on the table, and if there's one artifact that could fuel (or fix) that chaos, it's the Tesseract.

Imagine a multiversal war where someone unearths a variant of the cube that's somehow evolved, corrupted, or combined with another stone. Or picture a Secret Wars scenario where the Tesseract becomes the only tool that can stitch realities back together, or blow them apart. The cube may not think for itself. But its legacy and potential make it more dangerous than any villain.

Where To Watch All MCU Movies And Series Featuring The Tesseract Online

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The 5 Best James Gunn Movies And TV Shows (And Where To Watch Them)
Jesse Lab
JustWatch Editor
James Gunn is a director who has only gotten more and more popular in recent years. Thanks to his time with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he was able to earn mainstream recognition and eventually became the new head of DC Films and shepherd the studio’s latest attempt at a cinematic universe, the DC Universe (DCU). So far, it seems to be a success thanks to the stellar box office numbers of Superman.

Gunn, as a writer and a director, has a unique voice that blends drama and comedy in a way few can match. He’s not afraid to shy away from making weird decisions that tend to lead to powerful and emotional character moments, even if they seem odd at first glance. It’s not uncommon to see tears roll in a James Gunn movie because of it, but Gunn isn’t just known for his films, having a hand in several television shows and even helping to write a video game back in 2012 called Lollipop Chainsaw. If you just finished Superman and want to explore the director’s library in more detail, here are the five best James Gunn movies and TV shows for you to watch that best epitomize him.

Scooby-Doo (2002)

Before James Gunn was a producer or even a director, he was a screenwriter, and one of his first big projects was adapting Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! into a movie. The end result was 2002’s Scooby-Doo, a movie that not only showed respect for the brand but also injected plenty of James Gunn’s unique eccentricities. The casting for each of the main characters was on point, with Matthew Lillard, in particular, being the perfect live-action Shaggy, and a lot of the fun that was present in the cartoon managed to make its way into the film despite the shift from animation to live-action.

But James Gunn managed to make the script his own, adding some meta jokes here and there, but most importantly, absolutely destroying Scrappy-Doo as a character. Make no mistake—James Gunn absolutely loathes Scrappy-Doo, and one of the joys of watching Scooby-Doo nowadays is seeing how Gunn systematically assassinates Scrappy-Doo as a character, which is totally fine because Scrappy-Doo is literally the worst. Whether you’re an adult or a young kid, there’s at least something to crack a smile about in Scooby-Doo.

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

It’s funny hearing fans trying to pit Zack Snyder and James Gunn’s vision of DC Comics against each other when, in reality, the two of them seem to be on good terms. In fact, the two have worked together on projects like Snyder’s debut film, Dawn of the Dead, a remake of George Romero’s classic zombie film of the same name.

Gunn serves as lead writer for this remake, and while there are some issues with bland characters here and there, Dawn of the Dead excels at action, especially with its visceral opening scene that’s still shocking today. The special effects and makeup are also solid, helping to give the zombies a much bloodier aesthetic and violent presentation that wasn’t seen at the time. In many ways, it's Snyder’s best film, and it would be fantastic watching Snyder reunite with Gunn for a film that mixes Gunn’s skills as a writer with Snyder’s eye for cinematography.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

Gunn’s popularity exploded when he directed 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and while the trilogy of films centering on Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot are all great, the second film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, is the best.

With the character introductions from the first film out of the way, the film focuses on exploring them more in depth and having them begin to develop more as characters. You can really feel that the team has grown from a group of outlaws brought together by happenstance in the first film to a found family, supporting and criticizing each other in ways that are meant to help one another. There’s still plenty of humor to be sure, but there’s a much greater emotional core that all comes together in a final scene that’s sure to put a tear in your eye.

The Suicide Squad (2021)

Gunn was quickly picked up by DC Films following his forced exit from Marvel in 2018, and almost immediately, he began production on a follow-up to Suicide Squad as his DC debut. Titled The Suicide Squad, which isn’t hard to distinguish from its predecessor at all, while there were some continuing elements from David Ayer’s 2016 film, such as having Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn return to reprise the character, stylistically and tonally, it was a vastly different beast.

The film earns its R-rating with a whole host of violence, foul language, and a sense of brutality that wasn’t present in its predecessor. Gunn leaned heavily on non-traditional characters, like Bloodsport, Peacemaker, and Polka-Dot Man, but was able to personalize and elevate them into fan-favorite characters, giving the film a certain charm that Snyder’s DC films couldn’t achieve. It flopped at the box office, but that has less to do with the quality of the film and more so the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, making this an extremely underrated film that begs to be seen with friends.

Creature Commandos (2024)

With Gunn taking creative control of the future of DC Films, now christened DC Studios, following the critical success of The Suicide Squad, Creature Commandos serves as a mission statement of sorts for everything that James Gunn has become. It’s a series that focuses on an oddball and unconventional group of foul-mouthed heroes that are tasked with saving the world, whether they like it or not.

What helps set Creature Commandos apart from The Suicide Squad and any of the Guardians films is the amount of time spent with each character and how dark their stories can be. The show runs for seven episodes, and each episode tends to focus on a new member of the eponymous group amid their mission to Pokolistan to defeat the sorceress Circe. It’s also far more raucous and excessive than any of those films, leaning heavily into Gunn’s earlier career at Troma Films, making Creature Commandos a pure distillation of everything that James Gunn is as a creative entity. It’s odd, violent, and a little bizarre, but ultimately an emotionally fulfilling little series.

Where To Watch James Gunn’s Best Movies And TV Shows Online

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8 Sci-Fi Movies And Shows You Didn't Know Were Inspired By 'Foundation'
Lissete E. Lanuza Sáenz
JustWatch Editor
Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, which has now been adapted into an Apple TV+ show of the same name, is perhaps one of the most influential works of science fiction ever written. It’s not overestimating it to say that most of the ideas that make up the genre as we know it today were introduced by Asimov, and that the ideas in the series have influenced some of the most popular science fiction works of the last century.

But which works, in particular, were inspired by Foundation? And what themes do they share with Asimov’s epic saga? Here are 8 sci-fi movies and shows you didn’t know were inspired by Foundation and where to watch them.

Star Wars

Yes, Star Wars was indeed inspired by Foundation. And very obviously so, too. The parallels between the Galactic Empire of Cleon II and that of Emperor Palpatine are clear, and Foundation even has a character called Captain Han Pritcher who gives, what one would call, Han Solo vibes. Even the ability to manipulate “the Force” is an idea that comes from Asimov’s books. This is one of those cases where the person in charge doesn’t even deny the influence of a previous work, with George Lucas himself admitting he was inspired by Foundation. So, if you love that galaxy far, far away… you now know where the idea came from.

Star Trek

Can a single work inspire Star Wars and Star Trek? The answer is yes, considering Asimov basically set the basis for science fiction as we know it today. The concept of hyperdive (or warp drive)? Yes, Foundation went there first. And though the influence here isn’t as obvious as it is with Star Wars, the exploration of galactic empires and societal structures is very much an idea that Asimov introduced first and franchises like Star Trek continued to explore later in their own way. Think of Star Wars as Foundation’s firstborn son and Star Trek as the cousin.

Dune

The Dune franchise is another one where the influence of Foundation is obvious, and writer Frank Herbert has explicitly said so. This is especially apparent in the Denis Villeneuve adaptations, Dune and Dune: Part 2, which are most people’s most direct contact with the material. But, in many ways, Dune wasn’t just inspired by Foundation, Dune is presented as a counterpoint to it. The basis of the conflict is the same—a decaying galactic empire—but Dune takes it somewhere completely different than the work it was inspired by, giving fans a different solution and an actual hero. Two sides of the same coin, but the influence is obvious nonetheless.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Considering how different the vibe is from the very serious Foundation to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and its adaptations, it’s hard to see how one could have inspired the other. But this work is actually pretty obvious about the inspiration, mentioning the encyclopedia at the basis of Foundation by name and even remarking that it is rather dry and boring, which is why it sells fewer copies than the guide. Yes, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. It’s a joke within a joke, but an obvious nod to a work that shaped science fiction.

Futurama

This is another one that feels like a reach, but it actually has a direct mention. Everyone knows Futurama as a space travel show, so perhaps in that regard it’s easy to see the inspiration. There’s also a lot of futuristic space technology, as is to be expected considering the name of the show. But Matt Groening was directly inspired by Foundation, and the proof is in the oboe-like holophonor in the series, which is based on the Visi-Sonor Magnifico plays in Foundation and Empire, the second book in the original Asimov trilogy. Now, that’s a deep cut.

Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica sticks pretty close to the central theme of Foundation, which makes its influence even more on the nose. The series presents humanity on the brink of extinction, not only searching for a new home but also preserving its knowledge and culture. Pretty familiar, right? Then there are the Cylons, a force that could radically destroy society as we know it, pretty much like the crises that threaten the Empire in Asimov's novels. Even as it goes on, the search for Earth feels similar to the search for the Second Foundation, including the philosophical debates about democracy.

Blade Runner 2049

Blade Runner 2049 is also very clearly inspired by Foundation. A world where artificial memory, knowledge preservation, and the manipulation of history are paramount feels very much like the one Asimov created. Throw in a society in decline that doesn’t sound that dissimilar to a Galactic Kingdom in its final stages and the small groups working in secret, which are very similar to the Second Foundation, and the influence becomes obvious. It’s not the same story, but perhaps, at this point, all science-fiction is interested in telling the same kind of tale and Asimov just did it first?

The Expanse

Another pretty recent show that proves Foundation’s impact was likely what actually convinced Apple TV+ to try to finally adapt the actual books into their own show. The Expanse is basically what you would get if you meshed Foundation’s themes with modern sensibilities. There’s a colonized solar system with different factions, which mirror the political dynamics of Asimov's Galactic Empire. Then there’s protomolecule technology, which works as a disruptive element similar to the crises in Foundation. If you also throw in decisions with consequences that will affect generations and historical forces larger than individuals who can only occasionally influence events, then the parallels are undeniable.

Where To Watch More Shows Inspired By 'Foundation' Online

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All Versions Of 'Pride & Prejudice,' Ranked
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
As a 200-year-old novel that is public domain, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is among one of the most popular stories to adapt, with countless versions and modern reimaginings, such as Bridget Jones' Diary, or even daring tales of what comes after, like the brilliant Death Comes to Pemberley. Even the Hallmark Channel has taken wild liberties with numerous Christmas adaptations that are impossible to keep up with.

From an unfortunately failed stage production to a myriad of shows and films, here are all Pride and Prejudice adaptations, ranked from worst to best, and where to watch them on platforms such as BBC, Netflix, and more.

10. Pride and Prejudice (1952)

As a live production with no footage for viewers to currently stream, the 1952 Pride and Prejudice doesn't leave much room for any criticism or praise either. Somewhere in the ether is a version of the book that could have been either great or woefully terrible, but few know how to really tell the story and vouch for its impact. With a runtime of three hours, the BBC production is something that's actually haunting with its what-ifs since the footage is presumed to be lost.

9. Pride and Prejudice (1967)

As a limited series, with more time to adapt, the 1967 Pride and Prejudice fumbles the bag entirely with its decision to leave out Mary Bennet. While sure, the choice can be understandable when examining just how much the novel explores and how little she's present in it, it's still an incredibly odd and slightly offensive choice to leave behind the quiet sister who often feels left out in the first place. As one of the earlier adaptations in this form, this version could've been great, but it instead feels entirely unnecessary.

8. Pride and Prejudice (1980)

As another limited series, Cyril Coke's Pride and Prejudice is relatively decent in adapting the novel with a memorable cast, but it doesn't include anything particularly unique or riveting to grasp onto. Still, as it manages to fit a large chunk of the novel in, it's the cast's portrayal of the main characters that makes the series an easy watch for those who are already fans of the story.

7. Pride and Prejudice (2003)

The 2003 version of Pride and Prejudice should have worked as a college day twist, but it unfortunately fumbles as the film neglects the heart of the novel and also doesn't take its own world-building too seriously. As funny as the book is, when matters of wealth and social status are at the center, the toxicity is also important to explore. Yet, the film does none of this, serving instead as a reimagining that doesn't allow itself to really shine in the unique premise it's attempting to set up.

6. Pride and Prejudice (1940)

Of all the classic, old Hollywood adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, Robert Z. Leonard's starring Laurence Olivier and Greer Garson is the best one yet. Bold and hilarious, it's surprising that the adaptation isn't among the popular ones. While few are aware of its existence, the adaptation manages to give important beats of the novel their due, while the chemistry between the stars sells the classic hate-to-love story. With some new scenes and a lovely twist, it's one worth checking out at least once.

5. The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012)

Few people are actually aware of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, yet that doesn't make it any less significant in a sea of Pride and Prejudice adaptations. As a modern adaptation that emerged in the early days of vlogging, the web series took various Austen fans by storm when Ashley Clements first stepped in front of the camera to tell a version of the story that maybe shouldn't have worked as brilliantly as it does. Hilarious, clever, and genuinely well-developed, it's proof that any adaptation can work so long as there's heart and care attached to the original property.

4. Bride and Prejudice (2004)

As another unique and gorgeously shot modernization, Bride and Prejudice succeeds entirely because it weaves in a Bollywood musical with the renowned story to tell an even richer tale that explores South Asian customs amid the text's exploration of different classes. Romantic, fun, and lush with every scene, Bride and Prejudice is the kind of adaptation that also belongs on every Broadway stage. As one of the most stunning versions, it's criminally underrated, too.

3. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016)

Based on the novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is proof that you can adapt a classic piece of literature and give it a unique twist while still allowing the story's core themes to shine. While the film isn't for every Austen connoisseur, it's certainly the most well-rounded adaptation with a fantastic narrative that makes the film entertaining and perfect for spooky season. Starring Lily James and Sam Riley as Elizabeth and Darcy fighting against a zombie apocalypse, every beat of the film works to honor the original story as it provides high-stakes entertainment and a hauntingly, grotesque veil to the Regency classic.

2. Pride and Prejudice (1995)

BBC's limited series gives viewers the iconic scene of Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy emerging from the water, all while managing to capture the essence of Jane Austen's novel by filling in as much of the story as possible. There's a reason countless fans view it as the adaptation, and it's entirely because it accurately delivers every significant narrative beat while simultaneously managing accuracy in costumes, scenic shots, and a time-accurate cinematography that feels like it was made in the 1800s. Whip sharp and featuring some of the most brilliant English stars, the 1995 Pride and Prejudice is as close to perfect as a limited series comes.

1. Pride and Prejudice (2005)

For the rest of all time, fans will argue about whether Joe Wright's Pride and Prejudice is indeed better than the BBC limited series, and that's a large part of its appeal, too. Still, the beauty of this adaptation comes not only from the incredible chemistry between Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, but also from Wright's directorial vision and the timeless original score from the English Chamber Orchestra and Jean-Yves Thibaudet. It stems from the magnetism of the hand flex and every beat of the film that is utterly picturesque as it captures the heart of Austen's novel through moments of character development that feel earned, even with the short runtime.

Where To Watch 'Pride and Prejudice' Adaptations Online

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All 'Shaft' Movies In Order
Charlene Badasie
JustWatch Editor
Donning a timeless leather jacket, John Shaft has strutted through five decades of cinema with undeniable swagger. From Richard Roundtree's street-smart original to Samuel L. Jackson's bombastic portrayal and the techno-savvy 2019 reboot, this franchise has leapt boldly across eras. Even the often-overlooked 1973 Shaft television series, which only lasted seven episodes, deserves respect, having brought unprecedented style to small screens despite losing some of the film's edge.

Based on the novel series by Ernest Tidyman, what began as a private detective's mission in Harlem evolved through jet-setting kidnappings, family reunions, and generational alliances, always wrapped in attitude. Each entry brought a fresh energy to the franchise, rooted in classic cool. So, let's step into the Shaft canon to appreciate how each entry builds on the legacy. Here's how to watch all Shaft movies in order.

Shaft (1971)

The story begins with private detective John Shaft prowling Harlem with purpose and a whole lot of attitude. When a notorious crime boss hires him to find his kidnapped daughter, Shaft dives deep into the criminal underworld, taking on the Italian mob, rival gangs, and the NYPD with equal parts brains and bravado. The film weaves through smoky bars, cluttered backrooms, and shadowy rooftops, where Shaft uses fists, wit, and pure presence to get what he needs.

More than just a detective story, Shaft redefined cool at a time when Hollywood rarely handed Black leads this kind of power. Shaft became a cultural milestone, with critics praising its style, Richard Roundtree's performance as the titular hero, and the unforgettable score, which earned the film an Oscar and a place in cinematic history. It's still considered a foundational film for both the blaxploitation era and modern Black action heroes.

Shaft's Big Score! (1972)

This time around, Shaft isn't solving a kidnapping. Instead, he's diving into a deadly power struggle in the Harlem underworld. When a close friend is murdered, and $250,000 goes missing, Shaft finds himself caught between rival gangs, dirty cops, and mobsters looking to cash in. He navigates upscale apartments, seedy funeral homes, all while keeping his cool and dodging bullets. As the stakes rise, so does the action.

Shaft's Big Score! traded in some of the first film's noir grit for sleeker, bigger set pieces and more explosive confrontations. As a result, it received a more mixed response, with some critics stating that the film missed the original's tighter storytelling, while others appreciated the amped-up action and gloss. Still, audiences showed up, and Roundtree remained a magnetic central character. It's a super fun, fast-moving follow-up that doubles down on scale, if not intimacy.

Shaft in Africa (1973)

In his third big-screen outing, Shaft goes international. Recruited by a mysterious agency, he heads to Africa to expose a human trafficking ring smuggling laborers into Europe. Disguised as a local, Shaft infiltrates the operation from within while dodging assassins, navigating betrayals, and outwitting sadistic villains with spy gadgets and unshakable confidence. Shaft in Africa trades Harlem's familiar streets for espionage-style storytelling.

While not as well-received as its predecessors, the movie, which basically turns the titular hero into a globe-trotting operative, has earned a cult following for taking a bold swing with the story. At the time of its release, critics were split on its tone, but many praised its ambition. While it may stray from the franchise's roots, it offers a refreshing (if uneven) change of scenery.

Shaft (2000)

Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and John Shaft II (Samuel L. Jackson), nephew of the original character, is running things now. After a racially motivated murder, Shaft quits the NYPD to pursue justice on his own terms, targeting a privileged killer and a ruthless drug lord. As he hunts them down, he crosses paths with his uncle (Roundtree), and together they bridge generations to confront corrupt systems and family legacy.

It's slick, fast-talking, and full of that early-2000s action flair, with street chases, shootouts, and Jackson's signature verbal takedowns. The Shaft reboot was a box office hit, which was due in large part to a solid story complete with an homage to the 1971 film, and Jackson brilliantly taking the lead as the titular character. Critics had a mixed response to the film's change in tone, but fans embraced the update, crediting the movie with bringing the franchise back into the spotlight.

Shaft (2019)

This Shaft movie follows millennial FBI analyst John "J.J." Shaft III (Jessie T. Usher), who reconnects with his estranged dad, John Shaft II (Jackson), when a friend's suspicious overdose becomes a suspected murder. Reluctantly teaming up to investigate, the father-son duo uncovers a conspiracy tied to cybercrime, drug cartels, and a shady rehab empire. Along the way, they recruit the OG Shaft (Roundtree), turning the investigation into a family affair.

It's a buddy-comedy-action hybrid that leans into generational culture clashes and playful jabs, which results in the stakes sometimes taking a back seat to banter. Critics weren't sold on the tonal mashup, calling it uneven and overly comedic. But audiences found fun in the generational dynamic and sharp dialogue. Though it stumbled at the box office, streaming and an overall love for the Shaft legacy has kept it alive.

Where To Watch All 'Shaft' Movies In Order

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The 10 Best Nicholas Hoult Movies And TV Shows (And Where To Watch Them)
Noelle Corbett
JustWatch Editor
Whether you instantly recognize his name or not, odds are, you’ve enjoyed a Nicholas Hoult performance. The English actor has been working since a young age, first earning acclaim at age 11 for his performance in About a Boy before growing into more mature roles in both film and TV.

Now, Nicholas Hoult is taking on an iconic character in one of the most anticipated movies of the year: Lex Luthor in Superman (2025). Here are the best movies and TV shows of Hoult’s career so far and where to find them on streaming services like Disney+ and Netflix.

Superman (2025)

Nicholas Hoult takes on the role of the titular hero’s archnemesis in Superman (2025), joining the likes of Gene Hackman and Jesse Eisenberg in bringing Lex Luthor to life. While he doesn’t have any superpowers, the CEO of LuthorCorp still poses a major threat to Superman thanks to his genius intellect and massive amounts of power and influence. Hoult’s take on Lex Luthor takes inspiration from kinds of billionaire tech bros currently making headlines, ensuring the character is as timely as he is menacing.

About a Boy (2002)

Hoult’s breakout role came in About a Boy, a comedy-drama based on a 1998 book by Nick Hornby. In it, he plays a socially awkward child who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a wealthy man (Hugh Grant) as his mother (Toni Collette) struggles with depression. At just 11 years-old, Hoult’s performance as a lonely schoolboy impressed critics and audiences, making it a great watch for fans who want to see where the actor got his start.

Skins (2007-2013)

After getting his start as a child star, Nicholas Hoult transitioned into more mature roles with the topical and controversial teen drama Skins. He plays Tony Stonem, who starts out as a popular and manipulative teen but becomes more mature and vulnerable after a traumatic accident. Hoult, along with the rest of the original main cast, left the show after Season 2, at which point the series moved onto a new group of teens that included Tony’s sister, Effy Stonem.

Warm Bodies (2013)

One of the stranger films of Nicholas Hoult’s career, Warm Bodies is a supernatural rom-com based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that casts the star-crossed lovers as a human and a zombie. Hoult plays R, a zombie who only feels alive when eating human brains until he meets Julie (Teresa Palmer). It sounds like a silly premise to take advantage of the zombie craze reignited by The Walking Dead, but the performances from Hoult and his co-stars take what could be a shallow parody and give it plenty of charm.

X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)

While he may be getting a lot of attention for playing Lex Luthor, Superman (2025) is far from Nicholas Hoult’s first time in a superhero movie. Hoult plays Hank McCoy/Beast in the 20th Century Fox X-Men movies starting with X-Men: First Class, succeeding Kelsey Grammer for the prequels. Of these, special mention has to go to X-Men: Days of Future Past. Based on an iconic comic storyline, it follows Logan/Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) as he goes back in time to prevent an event that leads to the destruction of mutants and humans alike, culminating in mutants past and future working together.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Another massive blockbuster hit to star Nicholas Hoult is Mad Max: Fury Road, in which he plays a terminally ill slave named Nux. The role involved Hoult shaving his head, losing a lot of weight, and performing various stunts, all of which clearly paid off. Fury Road remains the highest-grossing Mad Max film to date and won six of the 10 Academy Awards it was nominated for, including prizes for editing and production design. It’s widely considered among the best action movies ever made, making it a must-watch for any Nicholas Hoult fans.

The Favourite (2018)

The Favourite is mostly known for its leading women and their political and physical entanglements. After all, it earned Olivia Coleman an Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Anne and both Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz earned Best Supporting Actress nominations for playing her scheming courtiers. However, Nicholas Hoult plays an important supporting role as Robert Harley, a political opposition leader who seeks to use Abigail (Stone) to influence the Queen. The Favourite earned plenty of praise for mixing humor with a commentary on power, gender, and sexuality led by three multifaceted women, and Hoult and his male co-stars do a commendable job of giving the actresses what they need without overshadowing them.

The Great (2020-2023)

Nicholas Hoult returned to television for the first time since Skins in The Great. This darkly comedic series tells, as the title card puts it, the “Occasionally True Story” of the rise of Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning). Over the course of the show, Catherine plots to kill her cruel husband Emperor Peter III (Hoult) so she can take the throne herself. The show ran for three seasons and was warmly received by fans and critics for its humor and strong performances from its leads, and Fanning and Hoult both earned Emmy nominations for Season 2.

The Menu (2022)

In the black comedy The Menu, Nicholas Hoult plays a man who brings a date (Anya Taylor-Joy) to an exclusive restaurant on a private island. However, the evening quickly takes a dark turn when the celebrity chef (Ralph Fiennes) preparing the meal serves his guests some uncomfortable—and increasingly violent—surprises. The Menu is a not-so-subtle commentary on wealth, inequality, and the nature of art that’s full of shocking twists, and Hoult is in great company as part of an ensemble cast that also includes John Leguizamo and Judith Light.

Nosferatu (2024)

Recently, Nicholas Hoult starred as Thomas Hutter in Nosferatu (2024), adding to the list of iconic properties the actor has left his mark on. In this remake of the 1922 silent film based on Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula, Hoult’s character is married to Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp), a woman with a strange connection to the mysterious nobleman Count Orlok, who is, of course, actually the eponymous vampire. Nosferatu (2024) was widely praised for its writing, directing, and performances, which combine to make this gruesome Gothic horror story both beautiful and disturbing.

Where To Watch Nicholas Hoult Movies And TV Shows Online

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The 10 Most Gruesome Deaths In 'Jurassic Park' & 'Jurassic World'
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
The Jurassic Park franchise expanded recently with the premiere of Jurassic World Rebirth. As is standard with Jurassic Park movies, one of the aspects of Jurassic World Rebirth that audiences anticipated most were the death scenes.

The franchise is known for its spectacular dinosaur attacks, which most often befall the villains. Viewers interested in the death scenes can use our guide to find out where to watch the 10 most gruesome deaths in the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World movies.

Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park (1993)

Dennis Nedry boasted one of the worst and most memorable deaths in the original Jurassic Park. In the film, Nedry is a disgruntled Jurassic Park employee who attempts to steal dinosaur embryos during a power shutdown. However, he gets lost in the rain and realizes a dinosaur is stalking him. The dinosaur reveals itself to be a small juvenile Dilophosaurus with colorful frills framing its face. However, it has a nasty surprise for Nedry, unexpectedly shooting venom into his eyes and temporarily blinding him before mauling him. The dinosaur's unexpected and extremely painful ability adds to the gruesome and shocking nature of Nedry’s death.

Dieter Stark in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park boasts the highest number of gruesome deaths, including Dieter Stark’s (Peter Stormare). Stark makes the poor choice of going off alone in the park to use the bathroom and antagonizes a few little Compsognathus dinosaurs. However, the Compsognathus soon return in a pack, overwhelming Stark with hundreds of tiny, painful bites all over his body. Although he gets away several times, he ultimately falls to the Compsognathus, who slowly pluck all the flesh off his body bit by bit. It’s one of the slowest, most agonizing, and painful deaths in the franchise.

Eddie Carr in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff) has one of the most gruesome and saddest deaths in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, considering he’s one of the good guys. As a tech specialist at the park, he tries to protect the visitors, including distracting two T. rex until the visitors can reach safety. Unfortunately, the dinosaurs turn their attention toward him, smashing through the car he’s in until one grabs him by the legs, flipping him in the air, and biting down on his head. The other dinosaur grabs his legs, and the two play tug-of-war with his body until it tears in half. It’s a gruesome, graphic death wholly undeserved by Eddie, who made a heroic sacrifice.

Peter Ludlow in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

In The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Peter Ludlow (Arliss Howard), the nephew of Dr. Hammond, wants to build a new Jurassic Park in San Diego. Hence, he has the brilliant idea to bring an adult and infant T. rex on a ship to transport them to San Diego. Of course, the dinosaurs get loose and instantly kill everyone onboard, except Ludlow. The adult T. rex decides to play with him, first breaking his legs and then dropping him on the deck for the infant, which gleefully tears off his face. Ludlow’s prolonged death in The Lost World: Jurassic Park is quite torturous and agonizing.

David Koepp in The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp cameos in the movie as an unnamed civilian in San Diego. After killing Ludlow, the T. rex on the ship makes its way to San Diego, terrorizing all the unfortunate people who happen to be in the city, including Koepp. While most of the civilians narrowly escape death, Koepp turns and runs toward a building, only to find it locked. The T. rex quickly snatches him up and eats him. While it’s not the goriest or most painful death in the franchise, it is quite nightmarish considering he was just an innocent civilian who died the most absurd death at the hands of a random T. rex in San Diego.

Udesky in Jurassic Park III (2001)

Udesky (Michael Jeter) is a booking agent in Jurassic Park III, hired by the Kirby family to find their son, who went missing near Isla Sorna. During the mission, he becomes separated from his group, and two raptors corner him, taking their time killing him. The raptors appear sadistic, as they cause him pain without eating him, including clawing his legs and back and stabbing him with a toe claw in the spine to paralyze him. Finally, after an agonizing, prolonged attack, the raptors break his neck, killing him. It's a terrible overkill death seemingly done out of sheer sadism, making it particularly gruesome and disturbing.

Zara Young in Jurassic World (2015)

Zara Young (Katie McGrath) is the reluctant assistant of Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Jurassic World. When the Pteranodon attack the Jurassic World guests, Young is one of the people swept away by them. As she struggles to free herself, she’s tossed from Pteranodon to Pteranodon and thrown from the sky into a park lagoon, where the Pteranodon try to drown her. While trying to get away from them, the Mosasaurus emerges from the lagoon’s depths and swallows her in one gulp. She’s one of the few people in the Jurassic Park franchise to be genuinely eaten alive, making her death very unsettling.

Ken Wheatley in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Ken Wheatley (Ted Levine) is a hunter in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom who has a dark habit of collecting the teeth of dinosaurs he has taken down. When he comes across the genetically engineered Indoraptor, he’s desperate to get its teeth, shooting it with a tranquilizer dart before entering its cage. However, he didn’t realize the experimental dinosaur was extremely intelligent and capable of feigning sedation. After luring him into the cage, the Indoraptor bites his arm off and eats it in front of him before killing him. Seeing one’s own body parts consumed by a dinosaur is as gruesome as it gets in the Jurassic World series.

Rainn Delacourt in Jurassic World Dominion (2022)

In Jurassic World Dominion, Rainn Delacourt (Scott Haze) is involved in the illegal black market dinosaur trade. After a confrontation with Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Delacourt tries to flee but accidentally falls into the dinosaur fighting pit at the market, where a Lystrosaurus and Carnotaurus pin him down by each biting one of his hands. The dinosaurs continue holding him as a Baryonyx breaks free and lunges at his face, mauling him to death. Delacourt’s death is painful, considering the teamwork of the dinosaurs who left him completely incapacitated and unable to defend himself whatsoever.

Martin Krebs in Jurassic World Rebirth (2025)

Martin Krebs is a pharmacist in Jurassic World Rebirth, who believes he can cure heart disease with dinosaur DNA. He nearly gets away with his DNA samples until the mutated, nightmarish Distortus rex unexpectedly pops out of the shadows and attacks him. The attack is so gruesome that nothing is left of Krebs, save for one arm still clutching onto his precious samples. The jump scare of the Distortus rex’s entrance, along with its distorted appearance and fierce attack, makes Krebs’ death the most gruesome and shocking of Jurassic World Rebirth.

Where To Watch The Most Gruesome 'Jurassic Park' Deaths Online

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The 77th Emmys' Best Nominated Shows (And Where To Watch Them)
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
Awards season is now in full swing with Harvey Guillén and Brenda Song announcing the nominees for the 77th Emmy Awards, featuring record-breaking recognition like Harrison Ford's first-ever Emmy nomination in his career, and Bella Ramsey making history as the first non-binary actor to be nominated more than once. Dystopian sci-fi hits and original properties in their debut seasons continue to emphasize the significance of new and exciting content finding its place in the industry, and some snubs naturally have critics and fans alike frustrated by the outcome.

With new shows like The Pitt and The Studio racking up multiple awards and unsurprising candidates like The White Lotus, here are the best series nominated for the 2025 Emmy Awards, along with where to watch them on platforms such as HBO Max, Netflix, and more.

Andor (2022)

The two-season Star Wars series took the world by storm with its debut and heightened the stakes in its sophomore run, effectively becoming one of the best additions to the expansive franchise. Nominated for 14 awards, including Best Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Directing For A Drama Series, Outstanding Writing For A Drama Series, and countless technical nods, Andor, the brilliant Diego Luna-led series is brimming with heart, empathy, and a narrative that's especially relevant in this day and age.

The Diplomat (2023)

Netflix's The Diplomat is the sleeper hit that now proves any series starring Keri Russell is bound to be an unquestionable success. (See FX's renowned The Americans.) Nominated for two awards, including Best Outstanding Drama, as well as an acting nod to Keri Russell as Kate Wyler, the series' small but mighty impact is proof that an original series with no IP can indeed make a vast impact on viewers. Created by Debora Cahn, the show is a political thriller centered on an American ambassador and her high-profile, tumultuous marriage.

The Last of Us (2023)

HBO Max's hit, The Last of Us, based on the renowned video game series, continues to be an indomitable triumph with 16 nominations, including Best Outstanding Drama and various production nods, as well as acting nominations for both Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. The post-apocalyptic sequel follows unlikely pairs in a high-stakes battle for survival, but it stands out due to its powerful themes of found family, vulnerable displays of compassion, and compelling narrative arcs that honor the video game it's based on.

Paradise (2025)

With four nominations, including Best Outstanding Drama, as well as recognition for Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, and Julianne Nicholson, Hulu's new original series, Paradise, like The Diplomat, proves that unique thrillers are still very much appreciated by critics and fans alike. Created by Dan Fogelman, the doomsday nail-biter centers on political elites, those hired to protect them, and the perilous outcomes of secrets and lies tormenting people at a time when mere existence is challenging.

The Pitt (2025)

HBO Max's unique and incredibly nuanced medical drama The Pitt is now nominated for 13 awards, including Best Outstanding Drama, various writing credits, as well as acting attributes for Noah Wyle as Dr. Robby and Katherine LaNasa as Charge Nurse Dana. The Pitt's distinctive one-day, hour-by-hour approach made it the series to turn to in the last year, becoming an instant success with its compelling and realistic depictions of medicine and its powerful display of empathy at the heart of human interactions.

Severance (2022)

Apple TV's dystopian sensation, Severance dominates the 77th Emmy Awards with 27 nominations, including (and not at all surprising) Best Outstanding Drama, multiple nods to cast members Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, Tramell Tillman, John Turturro, and Patricia Arquette. Nominations also include numerous writing and directing credits, including Jessica Lee Gagné's brilliantly directed "Chikhai Bardo," proving that the series' sophomore season is even more lusciously exhilarating than its first as it breaks down the inner workings of Lumon to potentially set these characters free and explore what's keeping their innie and outie worlds separate.

Slow Horses (2022)

Slow Horses isn't a show for every viewer, yet it remains one of the more compelling dramas on streaming as it consistently raises its stakes and delivers something rich and nuanced in every upcoming season. Nominated for five awards, including Best Outstanding Drama, Best Casting for a Drama Series, a Best Actor nomination for its leading star, Gary Oldman, and more, the series based on Mick Herron's novel shines as an underrated hit, following dysfunctional MI5 agents that are hugely impactful in small but monumental ways.

The White Lotus (2021)

The once meant to be a limited series, The White Lotus is now a consistent awards contender, racking up 23 awards, including a variety for actors like Carrie Coon, Parker Posey, Natasha Rothwell, Aimee Lou Wood, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, and Sam Rockwell, as well as a Best Outstanding Drama Series. For three consecutive seasons now, the series keeps its premise while changing its cast and location to continue showcasing that its appeal stems from exceptional casting every time.

Abbott Elementary (2021)

Quinta Brunson's Abbott Elementary also resumes conquering awards season as a true comedy with its nomination for Best Outstanding Comedy and five other nominations, including acting credits for Brunson herself, Janelle James, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The mockumentary-style series set in an underfunded elementary school consistently and thoughtfully improves with each passing season, becoming the type of comedy that's both profoundly moving and tastefully hilarious.

The Bear (2022)

Fans and critics alike will likely turn to social media to once again air their grievances about how The Bear isn't a comedy, yet that discourse isn't stopping the Academy from recognizing it as one. With 13 nominations, the series continues to be a standout in every category. The Chicago-based culinary series aired its most dramatic and harrowing season yet, and every performer within, whether wrongfully categorized or not, is still deserving of the recognition for the stunning work they brought to the kitchen this year.

Hacks (2021)

As yet another underrated series, Hacks floors us all with 14 nominations, including Best Outstanding Comedy, nominations for Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder, as well as various technical achievements. Lucia Aniello's dark comedy is indeed properly categorized and consistently manages to become a roaring success thanks to its compelling writing and thoughtful characterizations that effectively tell an endearing story.

Nobody Wants This (2024)

Netflix's unexpected romantic comedy, Nobody Wants This, starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, is additional proof that the genre is effective, still revered, and award-worthy when it's done right. Following an aspiring Jewish Rabbi and a rebellious atheist in their journey toward falling in love, the romantic comedy is now a three-time Emmy nominee, including Best Outstanding Comedy as well as lead acting nominations for both Bell and Brody. The second season is set to air on October 23, 2025.

Only Murders in the Building (2021)

With seven nominations, Hulu's clever and genuinely hilarious hit, Only Murders in the Building, continues to rack up award nominations for Best Outstanding Comedy and one for Martin Short as Oliver Putnam. The delectable series, which follows an unlikely multi-generational friendship among podcast hosts who solve crimes in their apartment building, aired its most star-studded season yet, and with it, delivered one of the most exceptional comedy seasons to date.

Shrinking (2023)

Bill Lawrence, Brett Goldstein, and Jason Segel's heartfelt and brilliantly compelling Shrinking featured its most emotionally moving season yet in 2024 and, with it, garnered seven Emmy nominations, including Best Outstanding Comedy, and nominations for Segel, Harrison Ford, Michael Urie, and Jessica Williams. Following an unconventional therapist as he works through his lingering grief, Shrinking is a thought-provoking triumph that explores various themes such as parenthood, unlikely friendships, and more through an achingly realistic and vulnerable lens, packed with humor at every turn.

The Studio (2025)

Apple TV's boldest comedy to date, The Studio gives viewers a front-row seat to the decision-making process in Hollywood as it recognizes the problems with sequels and IP content, awards distribution, and the system as a whole, with celebrities guest-starring as themselves and one wild plot point after another. With 23 nominations, it lands itself in the third spot of most award nominations during the 77th Emmy Awards, including Best Outstanding Comedy.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019)

What We Do in the Shadows goes off with a shrill in its last season with six Emmy Award nominations, including Best Outstanding Comedy. The vampire mockumentary featuring unlikely roommates, which was originally based on a film of the same name, is yet another underrated hit that consistently hits the nail on every coffin (pun intended) with some of the most hilarious jokes to date. Ambitious, laugh-out-loud funny, and surprisingly endearing, acknowledging shows like this is a big win for more inclusivity with niche content.

Adolescence (2025)

The thrilling limited series, Adolescence, took viewers by surprise earlier this year, landing 13 nominations, including one for up-and-coming young star Owen Cooper. The British thriller follows a 13-year-old boy after he's arrested on suspicion of murder and, through four episodes, tells a gripping story that's impossible to look away from. With its Best Outstanding Limited Series nomination, it lands Netflix yet another hit that showcases the importance of contained stories.

Black Mirror (2011)

The now well-known anthology series earned 10 Emmy nominations, giving it time to finally shine after a bit of a slow run due to changes in the system. With it, Rashida Jones lands herself a nomination as well as one for Best Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Writing for "Common Place." The season of Black Mirror took bigger hits to continue telling thrilling Twilight Zone-esque tales that keep the season fresh and layered in its powerful themes.

Dying for Sex (2025)

Dying for Sex, starring Michelle Williams and Jenny Slate, the limited series based loosely on the real-life experiences of Molly Kochan is nominated for nine Emmy Awards, with acting nods to Williams, Slate, and Rob Delaney, as well as a directing nomination for Shannon Murphy. The provocative series rose to popularity with its honest depictions of female pleasure and bold storytelling, allowing it to become yet another series to accurately portray narratives that aren't always given proper time on screen.

Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story (2024)

Ryan Murphy's second installment of the true crime anthology series, Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story, follows the titular Mendez brothers after the killing of their parents and publicized trials. Stacked with an impeccable cast and excellent management, the series is nominated for 11 Emmy Awards, including Cooper Koch for Outstanding Lead Actor, Javier Bardem for Outstanding Supporting Actor, Chloë Sevigny for Outstanding Lead Actress, Outstanding Casting For A Limited Or Anthology Series Or Movie, and more.

The Penguin (2024)

HBO Max's hit limited series The Penguin follows the titular character after the events of Matt Reeves' The Batman in his rise to power. Starring Colin Farrell in his most unrecognizable and thoroughly compelling form, the bold crime drama is the second highest nominated series, with 24 nominations, including Best Outstanding Limited Series, acting nominations for Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, and Deirdre O'Connell, as well as various technical achievements to showcase the series' thoughtful means of honoring the comics.

Where To Watch The Best Emmy Nominated Shows Online

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10 Best Superhero Kisses For Romance Hungry Marvel And DC Fans
Gissane Sophia
JustWatch Editor
Live-action films, TV shows, animated features, and countless shorts—the Marvel and DC universes are considerable and expansive, brimming with countless relationships from their comic book origins. With this in mind, it's made it significantly hard to keep up and keep track of all the iconic relationships that've graced our screens, resulting in famous kisses like Spider-Man's upside-down kiss or the ones that've spanned for seasons in TV shows.

With James Gunn's Superman hitting theatres and stealing fans' hearts, it's time to look back at some of the best superhero kisses in Marvel and DC films, along with where to stream them on platforms such as Disney+, HBO Max, and more.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent - Superman (2025)

James Gunn's Superman not only features one breathtaking kiss between David Corenswet's Clark Kent and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane, but two. And while they're bound to become iconic gems that fans will tirelessly look back on, it's their second toward the end of the movie that's a stunning display of adoration, joy, and profound longing. As Lois confesses to Clark that she loves him, too, he swoops her in the air with the biggest grin on his face, and the two of them fly while their mouths stay locked on one another. Longer than typical superhero kisses, the two scenes are currently banned in various countries because of how risque they're considered.

Batman and Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992)

Though it's not exactly a traditional kiss, Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman licking the face of Michael Keaton's Batman in Batman Returns is unquestionably one of the most memorable scenes in any superhero movie. Whether it's been days or years since a viewer has revisited one of the most popular live-action adaptations, the gesture is one that has certainly rewired brains and stirred plenty of conversation, forcing people to flock to fan fiction sites. In every universe, every Batman and Catwoman have their thing—a language that they speak and no one else understands, which underscores the fact that they're kindred spirits through everything. Here, it's this.

T’Challa and Nakia - Black Panther (2018)

Black Panther isn't just one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the relationship between T'Challa and Nakia is also a standout for the softness and empathy that both characters carry in everything they do. At the end of the film, they share not one kiss, but two, as T'Challa pleads with Nakia to stay in Wakanda, promising her that she can fulfill the dreams she wants with the resources provided. With gorgeously vulnerable performances from the late Chadwick Boseman and the incomparable Lupita Nyong'o, the tender kiss leaps off the screen, becoming one of the sweetest displays of adoration still to this day.

Logan and Jean Grey - X2 (2003)

Interestingly, superhero films before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as we know it today, were far more racy in how they displayed affection between characters. The X-Men trilogy and Mark Steven Johnson's Daredevil are two primary examples that showcase intimacy in ways that go far beyond a simple kiss. And while Logan "Wolverine" and Jean Grey have quite a few moments that are fiery hot, there's something achingly memorable about their kiss in X2 as she attempts to fight against her feelings for Wolverine while she's still with Cyclops. Full of longing, forbidden angst, and a plethora of chemistry, it's one that still leaves a mark.

Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

While relatively chaste as first kisses go, what makes Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter's kiss stand out is the scene's execution. It occurs right as he's about to go after Red Skull, and she stops him just as he's about to leave the car with a kiss that momentarily stuns him. As a relatively sweet story about first loves, Steve and Peggy's first kiss feels like the quintessential kiss in the midst of a battle that's meant to give the superhero the motivation he needs to come back to something. That might not be the case at the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, given Steve's fate, but it's still a worthy moment that feels timeless.

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

As one of the most iconic couples in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark and Pepper Potts have a number of amazing moments, topped with delicious banter that makes their relationship memorable. While their first kiss is glorious, there's something about their kiss in Avengers: Infinity War right before Doctor Strange interrupts them that cements that this relationship is it for them. After this moment, there's no going back, especially considering the fact that Tony actively voices that there should be no more secrets between them. Casual displays of intimacy are sometimes just as powerful as big, heated moments, and this kiss is the perfect example of that.

Spider-Man and MJ - No Way Home (2021)

Move over, upside-down kiss, because every scene between Tom Holland's Peter Parker and Zendaya's MJ is top-tier. While their first kiss in Spider-Man: Far From Home is wholesome and sweet, their angst-filled goodbye kiss in Spider-Man: No Way Home is the one that authenticates just how deeply they love one another. With a tearful goodbye and a promise to reconnect despite the memory loss she'll experience, the final kiss between Peter and MJ is gorgeously moving, palpable, and stunning with the red hues all around them. Every beat of their longing is felt, deepening the heartbreak and ensuring this kiss is remembered long after the credits roll.

Thor and Jane Foster - Thor (2011)

Like Peter and MJ's kiss but without the memory loss, Thor and Jane Foster's first kiss in Thor is all about ensuring that the feelings between the Asgardian god and mortal scientist are real. His promise that he'll find her and the return is thoroughly swoonworthy. Secluded in a desert, emotions on full display, and with a conversation happening entirely in silence due to fantastic performances from Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman, their kiss seals the deal in a way that's both easy on the eyes and rich in context.

Wanda Maximoff and Vision - Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Similar to Tony and Pepper's casually intimate kiss in Avengers: Infinity War, what viewers get with Wanda Maximoff and Vision as they're hiding in Edinburgh is proof of their love and a tender display of adoration. After a brief moment of comfort and a kiss to her hand, the scene brings to life the "I just feel you" line and ends with the type of achingly tender kiss that hurts twice as hard when viewers remember Vision's inevitable fate. Sweet and gentle, yet thoroughly transcendent, there's no denying it's one of the most memorable first kisses.

Batman and Catwoman - The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Christian Bale's Batman shares more than one kiss in Christopher Nolan's trilogy with different women, but none stick out quite like his kiss with Anne Hathaway's Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. Like many of the kisses on this list, it occurs amid what both characters believe to be a goodbye, yet it's loaded with emotions and angst that transcends off the screen. And in true Batman and Catwoman fashion, their banter sizzles with a frustration that fuels their admiration for one another, making that final kiss a promise in every way.

Where To Watch The Best Superhero Kisses In Marvel And DC Movies Online

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How To Watch 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark?' In Order
Lissete E. Lanuza Sáenz
JustWatch Editor
Horror for kids and adolescents wasn’t yet as popular as it would later become when Are You Afraid of the Dark? first premiered in 1992. The children’s horror anthology was the gateway for a generation of kids—and parents—to a genre that, before it, went a little too hard and was geared toward adults. This same generation would grow up to lift up the genre, and many franchises would be born out of millennials fascination with horror.

But, if you wanted to watch the horror series today, what order should you watch it in? And does it even matter, considering they’re adaptations. Here’s how to watch Are You Afraid of the Dark? in order.

Are You Afraid Of The Dark (1992-1996)

The original Are You Afraid of the Dark? lasted five seasons, premiering in 1992 and ending in 1996. The premise is pretty simple, a group of teenagers, who refer to themselves as "The Midnight Society," meet at a secret location in the woods, where every episode, a different member tells a scary story to the group. Each episode focuses on the story being told, and not the meeting, which means every episode is a different story. In this original series the storytelling is usually tied to the personalities of each of the members of the club.

Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (1999-2000)

Only a few years after the original ended, the show got a revival in 1999. The first Are You Afraid of the Dark? revival only went on for two seasons, but it was very successful. Once again, the format is an anthology, though the narrative worries a lot less about tying the story being told to the member of the club telling it. Instead, the characters tell stories that have to do with things that happened when they’re away from the meetings and not their personal likes or dislikes. That made the series a little more random, but also allowed the show to tell the kind of stories narrative constraints didn’t really allow them to in the original series.

Are You Afraid Of The Dark? (2019-2022)

Once again, another revival of Are You Afraid Of The Dark?! This time it took a little bit longer, but the combination of nostalgia for a generation that grew up with the Midnight Society and an increased appetite for horror brought the story back one more time for three seasons. The first season of this revival is known as "Carnival of Doom," the second season as "Curse of the Shadows," and the third season as "Ghost Island." The series was originally meant to be a miniseries, but the success of the first season meant it came back for a second and third season. And if we’ve learned one thing about it is that you can never count the Midnight Society out.

Where To Watch All 'Are You Afraid Of The Dark?' Shows In Order

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All 'Hell House LLC' Movies In Order (And Where To Watch Them)
Charlene Badasie
JustWatch Editor
The Hell House LLC film series has quietly burrowed into horror fans' psyches since the original's 2015 found footage release. It went on to carve out a cult following with its eerie minimalist aesthetic and creeping supernatural dread. What began as a simple documentary-style investigation into a deadly haunted attraction has blossomed into a multi-installment fright fest with an overarching mythology you need to know.

Mood-setting scares, clever world-building, and a super creepy cultist named Andrew Tully anchor the franchise's growing popularity. The films are as much about mounting dread as they are about the jump-scares, and that's why each new chapter delivers. So, let's take a walk through each Hell House LLC movie in order to see why they keep viewers hooked.

Hell House LLC (2015)

Hell House LLC begins in 2009 when a ragtag team sets up a haunted house-type attraction in the derelict Abaddon Hotel, only for their first night to turn into a nightmare when 15 people die under strange circumstances. Sometime later, a documentary crew interviews survivors and compiles raw footage to reconstruct the terror-inducing night. But in true horror fashion, things take a frightening turn.

Viewers get to follow along through a first-person lens as the story goes from the setup down scary hallways while running into the lore of dark rituals and ominous piano music. Audiences praised the movie for its realism and the way it made everyday things feel sinister. Hardcore horror fans enjoyed the stripped-down aesthetic and its startling effectiveness.

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel (2018)

Hell House LLC II: The Abaddon Hotel is set after the terrifyingly tragic events of the first movie. The story follows a team of journalists and investigators who ignore official warnings and return to the Abaddon Hotel to live-stream their findings. The group uncovers disturbing voicemails, mutilated mannequins, and the remnants of a cult hidden in the hotel's walls.

With each passing moment, the line between paranormal and psychological horror starts to blur. This film leans deeper into franchise lore, focusing on ritualistic symbols and creating tension with clever camerawork. While the intimate scarcity of the first is lost, fans appreciated the expanded mythology and fresh scares. The movie earned praise even though some fans missed the simplicity of the original.

Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire (2019)

Abaddon's hauntings take a theatrical turn in Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire when a wealthy impresario invites a theater group to perform inside the hotel as a Faustian immersive experience. Doors slam with unflinching force, mannequins move around overnight, and the presence of Andrew Tully looms larger than ever before. When one of the actors vanishes, it sets the stage for cult ceremonies, violent apparitions, and a final mass killing.

The third entry trades intimacy for scale, opting for elaborate drama over subtle tension. As a result, audience responses were polarizing this time around. While some enjoyed the audacious change in scope and mythology, others felt the eerie subtlety of the first two was lost, and the effects occasionally undermined its creepiness.

Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor (2023)

Hell House LLC Origins: The Carmichael Manor shattering expectations in the best way. Billed as a prequel, the story transports viewers to Carmichael Manor, where an online sleuth, her girlfriend, and her brother investigate a 1989 family murder tied to Abaddon. Viewers get to follow their descent through split-screen conference calls, home video reels, and eerie manor corridors where clown mannequins lurk and digital glitches reveal whispers of the past.

The group endures flickering lights, spectral figures, and horrifying home footage of the Carmichael children under occult influence. The response from viewers was largely positive, with many praising its fresh atmosphere, haunting visuals, and seamless tie-in to earlier entries. It's claustrophobic when needed and expansive when it counts, which makes for excellent viewing.

Hell House LLC: Lineage (2025)

Set to hit theaters on August 20, 2025, Hell House LLC: Lineage follows Vanessa Shepherd, who appeared in Hell House LLC III: Lake of Fire, as she unravels a conspiracy that links Abaddon to Carmichael. Fans can look forward to things like ritual altars, ghostly visitations, and more of the elements that made the first entries in the franchise popular. If it nails the blend of mythic closure and real horror, it will deliver a satisfying horror offering.

Where To Watch All 'Hell House LLC' Movies In Order

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10 New Anime To Discover In Summer 2025
Jesse Lab
JustWatch Editor
The Summer 2025 anime season is absolutely bursting with shows to watch. While the summer scene is almost always one of the busiest of the year for the anime community, the amount of sequels this time is absolutely wild, with fan favorites like My Dress-Up Darling and Dandadan airing much-anticipated second seasons. But just because there’s a ton of returning series doesn’t mean that there’s a lack of new and original anime premiering during the summer.

While it’s hard to say if most or all of these anime will turn out to be smash hits, all of these shows have potential in one way or another. Maybe it is because of a great premiere that instantly hooked audiences. Maybe it’s because of the strength of the source material that the show is adapting from. Maybe it’s because of the studio involved and their pedigree. Regardless, out of all of the new anime premiering this summer, these are the ten most exciting new anime releasing in the Summer 2025 season that you should watch.

The Summer Hikaru Died

Horror anime are surprisingly hard to come by, so when a title like The Summer Hikaru Died comes along, it turns heads. The series follows Yoshiki, a teenager who discovers that his best friend Hikaru died six months ago and was replaced by something that claims to be Hikaru and retains his memories and personality, but is distinctly not him. To make things more complicated, Yoshiki also harbors feelings for Hikaru, but now knowing that the Hikaru he loved isn’t around anymore, he struggles with what to do and how to approach the new Hikaru. Add in some grim unease thanks to other mysterious supernatural beings in the woods, dead bodies, and shady organizations entering town, The Summer Hikaru Died is going to be a show that’s hard to ignore.

Takopi’s Original Sin

Dark subversions are nothing new to anime, and while Takopi’s Original Sin may subvert child-friendly shows in the same way Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction did in 2024 it’s far, FAR darker than that show could ever be. It starts out simply enough, with a cute alien octopus called Takopi coming to Earth to help make a little girl named Shizuka’s life happier, but within 15 minutes, it becomes absolutely bleak, and that’s just within the first episode. It only gets darker from there, but the show offers an excellent look at child abuse, domestic abuse, neglect, and a whole host of other triggering topics. You’ll feel for each of the characters after each shocking twist, and afterward, you’ll just want a nice hug to feel better about what you just saw.

City: The Animation

Kyoto Animation is one of the best animation studios in the anime industry, so any new project it announces is sure to generate a fair amount of buzz. The studio excels at creating slice-of-life shows, and City: The Animation does a great job of capturing the quirky lives of the people living within CITY, whether they be typical people or eccentric oddballs talking about manga with intense facial animation. But what’s most exciting about City: The Animation is how it's a spiritual successor to Nichijou and its surrealist humor still stands as one of the best slice-of-life comedies of the early 2010s. It remains to be seen if lightning can strike twice for Kyoto, but the signs are there that this will be a cute and fun comedy that hits more than it misses.

Gachiakuta

Gachiakuta is a bold series, and you’re either going to love it or hate it because of that. The series, made by Kei Urana, a former assistant on Soul Reaper and Fire Force, is a grimey series about trash and the emotions we put into objects that are important to us. You would expect the series to focus on class warfare given how much the premiere centers on it, but the bulk of the show is actually watching our hero, Rudo, and his allies, the Cleaners, use trash powered by affection to defeat monsters and enemy hunters. The focus on punk and graffiti artwork is striking, to say the least, making it a visually memorable experience.

Clevatess

While there are plenty of fantasy Isekai anime that release each and every season, standard fantasy stories are becoming more and more uncommon, but when they do appear, they’re usually pretty special. Clevatess is an interesting fantasy series, wherein an overwhelmingly strong monster, Clevatess, decides to raise a human child to learn more about humanity with the assistance of a female warrior he kills, revives, and then enslaves to work for him. The world of Clevatess is very dense and already feels fully lived in, with plenty of alliances, races, and social dynamics that go beyond your typical fantasy anime presented to the viewer in the first episode. It’s an ambitious series and looks to be a good blend of action, comedy, drama, and political intrigue.

Tougen Anki

Shonen titles are almost always guaranteed to provide some entertainment and be modest hits when done competently, and Tougen Anki looks to be solid combination of modern-day Shonen action tropes. The story follows Shiki, a young man who discovers that he’s descended from an oni and is being hunted down by descendants of the great oni killer, Momotaro. He also learns that he has sick blood manipulation abilities, and he uses these powers to fight against Momotaro’s descendants. Tougen Anki is the kind of simple Shonen action series that isn’t trying to reinvent the genre, but instead just delivers cool fight scenes, which is sometimes all you need to make a fun action show.

Nyaight of the Living Cat

Horror comedies may not be too common in today’s anime industry, but when they do appear, they’re silly in all of the right ways. Nyaight of the Living Cat decides to parody zombie films, with the series focusing on a deadly virus that spreads across the planet and turns whoever is infected by it into a cat. Oh, and if you touch a cat, then you’ll become one as well. The jokes are plentiful with just how cute these cats are and how everyone wants to pet them, despite how fatal doing so can be. It never takes itself seriously whatsoever and seeing all of these cute cats has got to be good for the soul.

Leviathan

It’s always interesting watching a show focused on alternative world history, and Leviathan is nothing if not unique. The series mixes alternative history with fantasy, steampunk, and wraps it all up in a package that feels like a classic adventure novel. If anything, the series feels very geared toward a young adult audience, which makes sense given it was adapted from a series of YA novels. That’s not a bad thing, though, because the thrills are pretty straightforward and easy for anyone to get invested in and enjoy.

Lord of Mysteries

Over the past few years, China has begun to produce their own high quality anime series that have gotten mainstream appeal. Last season there was To Be Hero X, and now there’s Lord of Mysteries, a supernatural mystery series set in a steampunk world where a Chinese man awakens in the body of a young Victorian man and learns about both the new technology of the time, as well as the magical potions that grant him power. It’s a lot to take in to be sure, but after a few episodes, the world starts to click into place, and the mysteries become more compelling and fascinating. Plus, the animation is simply to die for, especially once the show decides to get a little esoteric. Trust me, this is a world you want to get invested in for the long haul.

New PANTY & STOCKING With GARTERBELT

While it is technically a sequel, given the fact that it’s been 15 years since the first season and how New PANTY & STOCKING With GARTERBELT has shifted studios from the defunct Gainax to Trigger, it’s only fair to spotlight a show that will most likely fall through the cracks. To put it mildly, New PANTY & STOCKING With GARTERBELT is vulgar, crude, and rude in the best way. The series follows two sinful angels as they kill demons, but the number of curse words, sexual moments, and borderline offensive humor make it stand out from virtually all other anime this season. The series was inspired by Western animation, and it shows in nearly every shot. It may be a bit much for some, but those who are willing to meet it on its terms may find an unforgettable experience, for better or worse.

Where To Watch The Best New Anime Of Summer 2025

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'Squid Game' Season 4: 5 Ways The Show Can Continue
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
Squid Game Season 3 recently premiered on Netflix, which the streamer has marketed as the final season in the hit dystopian series. However, considering Squid Game season 1 is the most-watched Netflix programming of all time, and the show remains highly popular, there’s always a chance for a surprise fourth season.

Although creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has denied interest in expanding the original story, Squid Game Season 3 left just enough loose ends to stir some possible season 4 theories.

American Squid Game

Squid Game Season 3’s ending strongly hinted at the games continuing in America. By the end of the season, the Korean games fall out of commission. However, the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) happens to come across an American recruiter (Cate Blanchett) playing a game of Ddakji with a potential American contestant. The scene strongly suggests that the games have already arrived in America, perfectly setting the stage for Squid Game Season 4, with the same games but a new setting and characters. Hwang Dong-hyuk didn’t intend to explicitly set up a Season 4 or American spinoff with the tease, but the inclusion of it remains the most straightforward path to continuing the critically acclaimed series.

Gi-hun’s Daughter

In Squid Game, Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae) has a young estranged daughter, Seong Ga-yeong (Jo A-in). In Season 1, she’s part of the reason why he enters the game, as he wishes to win enough money to visit her when she moves to America with her mother. Unfortunately, by Seasons 2 and 3, his primary focus is on stopping the games, and Ga-yeong is scarcely mentioned until the very end, when the Front Man delivers Gi-hun’s belongings to her. Given that Ga-yeong hadn’t heard from her father in years, it seems likely she’d want to know what happened to him, especially considering the Squid Game paraphernalia and enormous inheritance he left her. Season 4 could follow her journey to understand what happened, and it could even lead her to the American games.

Player 222’s Baby

Another loose thread at the end of Squid Game Season 3 is Player 222/Jun-hee’s (Jo Yu-ri) baby. The baby takes her mother’s place as Player 222 after Jun-hee dies and goes on to win the games. Orphaned and worth 45.6 billion won, the Front Man places the baby with his brother, Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon). Similar to Gi-hun’s daughter, the baby will no doubt have questions when she’s older about what happened to her parents and the unusual circumstances of her birth. Meanwhile, her proximity to Jun-ho, who is also determined to end the games, means that if the games ever started again, she would be a likely candidate to take up her adoptive father and Gi-hun’s mission to end them.

The Front Man

Squid Game Seasons 2 and 3 delved deeper into the Front Man. While he primarily observed the games in Season 1, the second season saw him disguise himself as a participant in the games. In Season 3, he continues trying to sway Gi-hun to his side, but fails. Although it’s hard to gauge his feelings, it appears Gi-hun’s final sacrifice had an impact on the Front Man, potentially enough to change his feelings on the game. Perhaps, when he spots the American recruiter, it sets him on a path similar to Gi-hun’s and Jun-ho’s to stop the games once more and atone for his past mistakes. Regardless of the specific direction of his story, the Front Man’s power and elusiveness mean he has the most potential to be a protagonist of Squid Game Season 4.

Gi-hun’s Secretly Alive

Whenever a protagonist of a series dies, viewers never quite want to accept it. Gi-hun’s ending in Squid Game Season 3 seemed very final, but some Redditors have already begun proposing theories that he somehow survived and the Front Man swapped him with a wax figure to fake his death. The theory is relatively outlandish. At the same time, Squid Game wouldn’t be Squid Game without Gi-hun, and for those unwilling to accept his demise, it’s fun to imagine Season 4 is on the way with Gi-hun teaming up with baby 222 and stopping the American games.

Where To Watch 'Squid Game' Online

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How To Watch The 'Charlie's Angels' Franchise In Order
Lissete E. Lanuza Sáenz
JustWatch Editor
Very few franchises have had as much staying power as Charlie’s Angels, conceived as a female empowerment show but still very much made for the male gaze. Subsequent versions have made it less about how men perceive the women and more about them, which proves that this is the type of idea that has enough staying power that its different versions reflect the times we live in.

But what if you wanted to watch them all? What order should you watch the movies and TV shows in for better enjoyment? Here we bring you all you need to know about watching Charlie’s Angels in order.

Charlie’s Angels (1976)

The show that started it all. Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson, and Jaclyn Smith were the original Angels, following an invisible boss who we—and they—only know and recognize by his voice. The show premiered at a time where action sequences and a group of smart women figuring things out wasn’t the norm, and it quickly made how competent they were the standard. And the male gaze of it all was ever-present, in how good they looked at every second.

Charlie’s Angels lasted five seasons, with big cast changes almost every season. But that first season remains what every remake has been trying to recapture in not just vibes, but chemistry.

Charlie’s Angels (2000)

It took over two decades for the first Charlie’s Angels movie, and though it once again brought three different actresses to work for an invisible boss, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu were not just new versions of the show’s characters. Instead, this version was much more action meets comedy with big fight choreography and stylish special effects than the series.

The movie’s success proved that the original formula could be adapted, with the right cast and the right chemistry. Charlie’s Angels (2000) also set the standard for an even goofier sequel that wasn’t nearly as popular as the first movie in the series.

Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003)

Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle did what all sequels do, bring more of the things that worked before: more action, more budget, and more goofiness. This time, despite the proven chemistry and the silly and almost larger-than-life fight sequences, the movie wasn’t as well received at the box office. Perhaps it was the absence of Bill Murray, substituted here for Bernie Mac. But for whatever reason, the higher budget and lack of commercial success left the franchise in limbo for years after the movie was released.

There’s, however, no arguing. The movie is still very fun and the cast chemistry is still very much apparent.

Charlie’s Angels (2011)

If you’ve forgotten this ABC series even existed, we won’t blame you. Charlie’s Angels (2011), which was meant to reboot the original show, only lasted four episodes before the network cancelled it, and of the eight recorded episodes, only seven ever aired. But if you want to be a completionist, you can check out this more serious and grounded version of the franchise, starring Annie Ilonzeh as Kate Prince, Minka Kelly as Eve French, Rachael Taylor as Abby Sampson, Ramon Rodriguez as John Bosley, and the voice of Victor Garber as Charlie.

Perhaps it was too soon for another remake, or the vibe was too serious for audiences at the time, because the cast was certainly not the problem.

Charlie’s Angels (2019)

Hollywood wouldn’t even wait another decade before trying the formula once again, this time back on the big screen. The idea is modernized, with Elizabeth Banks directing and acting in a Charlie’s Angels (2019) that focuses on one team of Angels—with different teams working simultaneously all over the world. Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott, and Ella Balinska are the new team in a movie that has a feminist, self-aware tone, but that doesn’t forget about the fun.

Audiences, sadly, didn’t respond well to a movie that was a great attempt at widening the scope of the franchise without losing its essence. But that doesn’t make it any less worth the watch.

Where To Watch All 'Charlie's Angels' Movies In Order Online

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The 10 Scariest Dinosaurs To Cross Paths With In The 'Jurassic Park' Franchise
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
Jurassic World Rebirth recently premiered, returning to the franchise’s horror roots. Although not often considered proper horror films, the original Jurassic Park series incorporated horror elements, including terrifying dinosaurs and jump scare scenes. Now, the latest Jurassic World movie leans further into the horror by debuting numerous mutated dinosaurs.

Viewers interested in the dinosaurs that evoke the most horror and chills can use our guide to find the top 10 scariest dinosaurs based on appearance, behavior, and deadliness.

Tyrannosaurus rex

The one dinosaur consistently responsible for the grisliest deaths and biggest chills across all of the Jurassic Park films is the classic Tyrannosaurus rex. This dinosaur doesn’t need any modifications or mutations to make it terrifying. As one of the largest land carnivores of all time, standing around 13 feet tall and weighing several tons, the Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the last dinosaurs you would want to run into unarmed. From the Tyrannosaurus rex duo’s tug-of-war attack on Eddie Carr (Richard Schiff) to the Tyrannosaurus rex unleashing terror in San Diego in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, these dinosaurs are responsible for most of the biggest, grisliest scares in the franchise.

Dilophosaurus

The Dilophosaurus is one of the most notorious dinosaurs in the franchise, known for its iconic albeit terrifying attack in Jurassic Park. Nearly 23 feet in length, the Dilophosaurus is a reasonably large yet slender predator, which gives it the advantage of stealth and speed. Jurassic Park added a few extra touches to the dinosaur, including colorful frills framing its face. However, its pretty appearance is just a façade, as the dinosaur also hides the ability to eject poisonous venom at its prey, temporarily blinding and paralyzing them before attacking. The Dilophosaurus’ surprise ability, which it uses on Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), has terrified audiences for decades.

Spinosaurus

In Jurassic Park III, the Spinosaurus takes over from the Tyrannosaurus Rex as the main dinosaur antagonist, and it's a worthy successor. The Spinosaurus' appearance is terrifying, with its large, signature spines running down its back and its abnormally long jaw and tail. Its long jaw, filled with razor-sharp teeth, and hunched-over stature add a good deal of creepiness to the dinosaur. The Spinosaurus’ extremely high aggressiveness and relentlessness in pursuing Alan Grant (Sam Neill) make for countless jump scares and heart-pounding stalking and attack scenes in Jurassic Park III. It has both the appearance and deadliness to make it a true nightmare to behold.

Velociraptor

Like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Velociraptor has been a staple of the Jurassic Park franchise. However, with each movie, its intelligence has become more prominent, adding to the dinosaur’s terrifying nature. Velociraptors are some of the most intelligent dinosaurs, as evidenced by Owen Grady (Chris Pratt) successfully training some in Jurassic World. Its intelligence is scary, though, considering the dinosaur can use it for evil. In Jurassic Park III, the Velociraptor’s penchant for sadism shines through when a pack brutally kills Udesky (Michael Jeter) to lay a trap for the other survivors. It doesn’t get much more terrifying than a large, quick, deadly dinosaur that’s intelligent enough to torture its prey.

Indominus rex

The Tyrannosaurus rex and Velociraptor are already among the scariest dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, but what if someone combined them? That’s precisely what happens in Jurassic World when the Indominus rex is artificially created by mixing a Tyrannosaurus rex’s DNA with several other dinosaurs and animals, including the Velociraptor. Essentially, it boasts the size and deadliness of a Tyrannosaurus rex, but with a longer jaw, longer arms, spines on its back, and heightened intelligence. Some viper DNA also gives it the ability to unhinge its jaw to a 90-degree angle, and it can camouflage itself, leading to several excellent jump scares. There’s not a single aspect of the Indominus rex that isn’t terrifying.

Scorpios rex

The Scorpios rex is another hybrid dinosaur, produced from the combined DNA of a Tyrannosaurus rex, Carnotaurus, and Velociraptor. It is the main antagonist in Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous Season 3, having silently stalked the characters for two seasons straight. With beady red eyes, grayish skin, a prominent overbite, and spines on its elbows and back that it can shoot like porcupine quills, the Scorpios rex boasts an unsettling and grotesque appearance. Adding to its terror is its unpredictable behavioral patterns, as it can go from calm to aggressively rampaging in a split second. It’s a dinosaur that’s not just deadly but also frighteningly unhinged.

Indoraptor

If viewers thought the Velociraptors' intelligence was terrifying, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom tops it with the Indoraptor. It is a hybrid of the Indominus rex and Velociraptor, boasting raptor-like qualities and nearly all black coloring. Like the Scorpios rex, much of the Indoraptor’s terror comes from its behavioral traits. The Indoraptor is intelligent enough to trick and manipulate its victims and also boasts a sadistic streak, engaging in torture of its prey, such as eating its limbs before killing it. In Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, the Indoraptor’s surprises and tricks make for some very horror-esque moments for its unfortunate victims.

Giganotosaurus

The Giganotosaurus is the largest known land carnivore, standing up to 20 feet tall and weighing up to 10 tons. In Jurassic World Dominion, the Giganotosaurus stalks Owen and his gang, terrifying them with the sheer scale of its presence. Unlike some of the dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park franchise, the Giganotosaurus isn’t overly aggressive, but it will fight for its food and to establish its dominance. There are few scarier moments in the franchise than when the characters are hiding from the hungry Giganotosaurus as it shakes the earth with every step, blocks out the sun, and boasts jaws that are bigger than a human.

Mutadon

The Mutadon is one of the mutated dinosaurs in Jurassic World Rebirth, a hybrid of a Velociraptor and a Pteranodon. It’s essentially a Velociraptor with bird-like characteristics, including a beak-like jaw and wings, although it walks like a Velociraptor and possesses its intelligence. In Jurassic World Rebirth, the Mutadons are responsible for numerous jump scares, as their method of killing is to swoop from the sky, taking their prey by surprise and killing it with one strike before carrying it off to be eaten. Whether in the sky or on land, one is not safe from the Mutadon.

Distortus rex

In Jurassic World Rebirth, the Distortus rex is a mutated Tyrannosaurus rex with, arguably, the most terrifying appearance of any dinosaur in the franchise. With an oversized forehead, a barely discernible neck, and six limbs, including two oversized, gorilla-like arms, the Distortus rex looks more like a horror film monster than a dinosaur. It’s also extremely aggressive, attacking humans as soon as it becomes aware of them, though its poor eyesight means it usually has to feel for its prey before attacking. When this monstrous dinosaur suddenly emerges from the shadows, it’s one of the scariest scenes in the franchise.

Where To Watch The Scariest Dinosaurs In 'Jurassic Park' Online

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The 10 Best Zombie Movies Of The Past Decade (And Where To Watch Them)
Brandon Zachary
JustWatch Editor
Zombie movies have become one of the standard pillars for horror in the 21st century, with the last decade alone having plenty of films that highlight the versatility and frightening potential of the genre. Many zombie movies have built off the legacy of Night of the Living Dead, and in the early 21st century, movies like 28 Days Later and shows like The Walking Dead revitalized the concept for a new generation.

The best examples of zombie movies from the last decade represent a wide breadth of projects, ranging from painfully human dramas, absurdist dark comedies, and surprisingly beautiful ruminations on the meaning of life. The best zombie movies are able to tell human stories without forgetting why audiences have spent decades terrified of the undead. Here are the 10 best zombie movies of the last decade and where you can find them on apps like Hulu, Netflix, and more.

10. Army Of the Dead (2021)

Army of the Dead is a good example of how the zombie movie has evolved in the 21st century, with one of the directors who defined the modern interpretation of the subgenre returning for a wild riff on the titular monsters. The undead are roaming the neon colored halls of Vegas casinos, serving as the major complication for a planned heist in the city.

Zack Snyder, who helped popularize the idea of fast zombies with his Dawn of the Dead remake in 2004, returns to the subgenre with bigger ambitions and a more developed cast. While it might not have the same mean and lean energy that made Dawn of the Dead such a shot in the arm, Army of the Dead’s commitment to the over-the-top action movie hybrid gives it an entertaining quality that many other more thematically dramatic or overtly silly zombie films have.

9. Zombieland: Double Tap (2019)

The sequel to 2010’s unexpected horror-comedy hit Zombieland, Zombieland: Double Tap revisits the survivors from the first film as their found family begins to go through some serious changes in their internal dynamic—all while still codifying the zombie apocalypse and dispatching the undead with a sardonic edge. Much as in the previous movie, the zombies are mostly used as a vehicle for splatter humor and character development, often in effective ways.

The new breeds of zombies increase the danger for the cast, but never so much that the comedic underlying elements of the film get overwhelmed. Even if the charm of the original hasn’t been quite replicated, Zombieland: Double Tap still boasts an impressive cast, adding Rosario Dawson, Luke Wilson, and Zoey Deutch to the chemistry of Jessie Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and Abigail Breslin.

8. Unhuman (2022)

A Gen-Z zombie flick with as much to say about high school as it does the end of the world, Unhuman is a stylish high school horror movie that plays with conventions of the subgenre in some surprising ways. In this film, the zombies are teenagers transformed by a powerful drug that quickly spreads through a high school field trip, forcing a pair of best friends to try and scramble to stay ahead of their corrupted friends, as well as a dangerously realistic manipulator working behind the scenes.

At its best, Unhuman is a clever riff on high school tropes that feels like an authentic exploration of teenage angst and expectation—all wrapped up in a grisly package that boasts plenty of twists and turns by the time the credits roll.

7. Pet Sematary (2019)

The second film to directly adapt the Stephen King horror novel of the same name, 2019’s Pet Sematary plays with the undead in a far more cerebral way than most other zombie films. After one of his children dies in a tragic accident, Louis Creed uses a supernatural plot of land to revive them. However, his denial about the nature of his resurrected kid—now an undead and supernatural monster—serves as the primary focus of the film’s second half.

While the original movie wasn’t exactly a pleasant time for the characters, 2019’s remake is a compelling character study about the lengths grief can take someone, and the cost it can incur. The zombies in this film are different from almost any other. Cruel and malicious in their actions before slaughtering and corrupting you into a form like them, these zombies are some of the creepiest ones to hit the big screen in the last decade.

6. Little Monsters (2019)

What happens when you throw Dawn of the Dead in a blender with Little Miss Sunshine? Something like Little Monsters, a consistently hilarious and surprisingly charming take on the zombie genre. As with many films in the subgenre, the movie centers around a group of people caught in a tight location—only this time, it's a kindergarten teacher, a musician, a children's entertainer, and a bunch of children who are at risk.

The lighthearted character dramedy never takes away from the genuinely good scares and typical zombie twists, even while delivering a sweet romance story. While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, Little Monsters plays with the zombie tropes in a creative and winning way that makes it one of the most charming recent entries in the subgenre.

5. Outside (2024)

A grim drama about the cycles of trauma that can fester within a family, Outside is a compelling zombie drama from the Philippines. The film focuses on Francis and his family as they flee a zombie apocalypse by returning to the farm that Francis grew up on.

A claustrophobic drama that is most intense when it moves away from the zombies, Outside uses the backdrop of an apocalypse as the set-up for a story about the lingering danger posed by a deep emotional hurt that's never healed, and how even a well-meaning man can let his paranoia and pain turn him into a monster far worse than the undead horde. Bolstered by heartbreaking performances, Outside is a reminder that the zombie tropes are a perfect backdrop for all kinds of stories.

4. Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

On the opposite end of the tonal spectrum from Outside, Anna and the Apocalypse is a catchy musical and hilarious dark holiday comedy that feels like the love child of Glee and Shaun of the Dead. Set in a small Scottish town just around Christmas, Anna and the Apocalypse plays with teenage coming-of-age conventions to hilarious effect, with just as much weight given to the emotional revelations of unrequited feelings as to the danger posed by an undead horde.

The musical and Christmas touches add an absurd quality to the comedy, especially in standout scenes like the gleefully dark “Turning My Life Around” number as the zombie infection quickly spreads. A one-of-a-kind comedy that blends multiple genres together to create something truly unique, Anna and the Apocalypse is the best zombie comedy of the last decade.

3. Blood Quantum (2019)

A gritty take on the zombie genre, Blood Quantum’s social commentary gives the movie a thematic weight that few other entries in the subgenre have been able to match. Blood Quantum focuses on the residents of a First Nations Reserve in Canada. Discovering they are immune to the virus as a result of their genetic heritage, the Indigenous citizens find themselves wrestling with what to do within their borders, and how to handle the influx of white refugees who come to Red Crow Indian Reservation seeking shelter.

A powerful thriller that explores heavy themes, Blood Quantum never relents in terms of brutality or horror. It’s the human characters who prove to be the scariest, however, with an all-time great “humans are the true monster” performance by Kiowa Gordon. One of the last decade’s most underrated horror films, Blood Quantum is a terrific reminder that social satire doesn’t need to be funny to be gut-wrenching.

2. 28 Years Later (2025)

The long-awaited follow-up to the 28 Days Later franchise, 28 Years Later reunites the original film’s Danny Boyle and Alex Garland for an expansion on their Rage Virus-decimated world. Focusing on a young boy who embarks on two journeys to the dangerous mainland (first alongside his hunter father and then trying to guide his ill mother to help) where he must survive more than just the corrupted Infected.

Beautifully shot and quietly meandering in all the right ways, the film is a thoughtful rumination on life and death. A quieter movie than either of the two that preceded it, 28 Years Later is a shockingly somber movie that never loses sight of the human experience at the core of the story. There’s genuine beauty at play in 28 Years Later, marking it as arguably the most ambitious entry to the genre in years.

1. Train To Busan (2016)

A prime example of the zombie genre as a universal horror staple, the South Korean Train to Busan is a nearly perfect example of this style of horror movie. Train to Busan focuses on the passengers of a bullet train in South Korea who find themselves racing to escape a zombie outbreak. The movie is full of the stock characters audiences have come to expect from the genre but with enough depth and personality to feel authentic. The zombies themselves are a perfection of the “fast zombies” trope, an unyielding threat that comes to life in effectively frantic bursts.

Throughout, Train to Busan’s social commentary and character focus bring a moral weight to the proceedings, which is only elevated by some great characters (like Sang-Hwa, who is an all-time great zombie movie protagonist). Train to Busan isn’t just one of the best zombie movies of the last decade, it’s one of the best examples of the subgenre in cinematic history.

Where To Watch The Best Zombie Movies Of The Past Decade Online

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Mister Terrific And Every New Character In 'Superman,' Explained
Rachel Ulatowski
JustWatch Editor
James Gunn’s Superman arrived on the big screen and brought with it a whole slate of exciting new characters not included in the old DC Extended Universe. It even included a few characters never seen in a live-action film before.

Viewers interested in learning about the new characters in Superman can use our guide to discover more about them and their other appearances in film and TV.

Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi)

Mister Terrific (Edi Cathegi) easily steals the show in Superman. He’s the smoothest, most incredible, and smartest superhero in the movie, with a laid-back personality and quiet moral convictions. In the comics, Mister Terrific (aka Michael Holt) is one of the most intelligent individuals in the DC universe, utilizing his engineering and scientific brilliance to even the playing field between himself and superpowered beings. It was especially awe-inspiring to see him on the big screen, considering Superman marks his live-action film debut. While an iteration of Mister Terrific, Curtis Holt (Echo Kellum), appeared in Arrow, his only other appearances have been animated, including in the Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths trilogy.

Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion)

Most viewers still infamously associate Green Lantern with Green Lantern (2011), the failed live-action film from 2011 starring Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan. However, Superman redeems one of the Green Lanterns, Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), who adds some much-needed comic relief to the film with his cocky, self-assured manner and comic book-accurate bowl cut. As a member of the Green Lantern Corps, he boasts a ring that gives him powers like energy projection and hard-light construct generation. Green Lantern’s inclusion in Superman is a nice warm-up for the DCU’s upcoming TV show, Lanterns, featuring the Green Lanterns Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre).

Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced)

Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) is part of Superman’s Justice Gang, alongside Mister Terrific and Green Lantern. Her grumpiness and sarcasm add further comedic relief to the movie, while her power of flight and array of weapons make her a strong candidate for further development in the DCU. In the comics, she’s a reincarnated alien who retains knowledge from each of her lifetimes. Hawkgirl will return for Peacemaker's second season. Viewers can also find another live-action iteration of Hawkgirl (Ciara Renée) in the Arrowverse shows The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan)

Metamorpho (Anthony Carrigan) is one of the most unique new characters in Superman. He is a metahuman with the ability to transform his body into a wide variety of elemental compounds, including kryptonite. In the film, he’s held captive by Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult), who controls him by threatening his son, Joey. Metamorpho adds emotional depth to Superman, as he grapples with concerns over his power and the conflict between doing what’s right and saving his son. The film marks his first live-action appearance. Previously, he appeared in the DCAU’s Justice League series and DCAMU’s Teen Titans Go! To the Movies.

The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría)

In Superman, The Engineer (María Gabriela de Faría) is part of Luthor’s team and boasts nanotechnology powerful enough to contend with Superman (David Corenswet). As in the comics, she gained her abilities by replacing her blood with nanotechnology. She’s also a prominent member of the anti-hero team The Authority, which will reportedly get a self-titled film in the DCU’s future. The Engineer’s inclusion in Superman was quite epic, not only because of her fierce nature and incredible powers, but also because it marks the first on-screen appearance of a member of The Authority.

Ultraman (David Corenswet)

Superman features Ultraman (David Corenswet), another ally of Luthor. Masked and clad in black, viewers who aren’t familiar with the comics may have been surprised when Superman removed Ultraman’s mask and realized Ultraman was a clone of him. However, it makes sense because in DC Comics, Ultraman is an evil counterpart to Superman from an alternate universe. He’s supposed to be more of a variant of Superman, though the film makes him a clone. Ultraman has appeared in live-action before, as an iteration of the character appeared in Smallville as a variant of Superman adopted by the Luthor family.

Superman Robots (Alan Tudyk, Grace Chan, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, and Jennifer Holland)

A host of robots appear in Superman, residing at the Fortress of Solitude to assist the hero. Viewers may have recognized several of the voices, as Alan Tudyk, Michael Rooker, Pom Klementieff, and Jennifer Holland have all collaborated with Gunn on past projects. The humanoid robots protect the Fortress and serve Superman, including helping him heal when he’s injured. They are similar to several robots that have appeared in the comics, including those in All-Star Superman. These specific robots in Superman haven’t appeared on-screen before, as they are a composite of various comic book robots.

Eve Teschmacher (Sara Sampaio)

Eve Teschamcher (Sara Sampaio) is Luthor’s girlfriend in Superman. Although she initially appears vain and clueless, her secret plan ultimately proves to be quite brilliant and vital in taking down Luthor. Teschmacher was created for the screen rather than comics, as she first appeared in Superman (1978) and its sequel, Superman II. Later, a very loose iteration of Teschmacher, Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey), appeared in Superman Returns. As in Superman, Teschmacher is always depicted as an assistant/lover of Luthor, who grows disillusioned by his actions.

Krypto (Jolene)

Krypto also steals the show in Superman as the cutest, most mischievous character in the film. Krypto the Superdog appears in DC Comics as Superman’s pet, a superpowered dog who was the original test subject of the pods Superman’s parents would send him to Earth in. He eventually reunited with a teenage Superman on Earth and became his loyal companion. Krypto, who has behavioral issues in Superman, is mostly CGI, but a real-life dog named Jolene served as his stand-in. Krypto will return for Supergirl and has appeared in countless animated projects, including Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! and DC League of Super-Pets.

Where To Watch The New 'Superman' Characters Online

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All 'Riddick' Movies In Order
Charlene Badasie
JustWatch Editor
From the moment Pitch Black lit up screens in 2000, the Riddick franchise captured our imagination, pairing gritty sci‑fi with Vin Diesel's unforgettable antihero. Over the next decade, the series evolved spectacularly, moving from claustrophobic terror to epic space opera in The Chronicles of Riddick, then returning to raw, survivalist roots with Riddick.

Its loyal fanbase kept the fire burning, even through studio dips, creative reinventions, and whispers of a fourth chapter. There's a steadfast devotion to this universe, and it's only grown stronger as Diesel and director David Twohy prepare to bring the franchise back to the big screen once more. But before that happens, here's how to watch Riddick in order.

Pitch Black (2000)

Weirdly tense and beautifully bleak, Pitch Black introduces Richard B. Riddick (Diesel), a notorious criminal with surgically altered eyesight, being transported on a prison ship. When meteorite debris crashes the vessel onto a barren planet, darkness descends, and the planet's native, light‑avoidant predators emerge. Cut off from help, the survivors must rely on Riddick's murderous instincts and his ability to see in the dark. A life‑or‑death gamble forces uneasy alliances and terrifying sacrifices.

This isn't flashy blockbuster fare. It's lean, mean planetary horror that earns its chills. The stripped down setting cranks tension to 11, and Riddick is an outsider you root for even when he's stabbing your sympathies. The movie was praised for its visual grit, even if some character arcs felt cliché, becoming the perfect launching pad for a franchise.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (2004)

The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury is a 35‑minute anime‑influenced short that bridges the gap between the first and second live-action feature films. The story shows Riddick rescuing survivors, surviving a zero-gravity melee in the hangar, and choosing exile over submission. Visually, it's a thrilling blend of classic and CGI animation. The luminescent threats and visceral fight sequences pay homage to the franchise's dark aesthetic.

Despite its minimalist runtime, Dark Fury gives fans exactly what they crave, a deeper dive into Riddick's brutal moral code and survival edge. Although the critical response was mixed, viewers appreciated the animated short, which is essentially a compact dose of Riddick's violence, wit, and survival skill while preparing for the space opera scale of what comes next.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)

Five years after escaping Pitch Black's horrors, Riddick remains hunted, his fugitive status escalating. When bounty hunters led by Toombs betray him, he escapes to Helion Prime, reunites with Imam, and learns of the encroaching Necromonger crusade, a species-spanning cult bent on converting or annihilating humanity. Guided by Aereon, he accepts his destiny as a Furyan warrior. The Necromongers invade, and Riddick is captured and sent to the volcanic prison planet Crematoria.

There, he reunites with an old ally, breaks free, and fights through the sun-scorched wasteland. Soon, he's navigating galactic faith, dueling for prophecy, and clashing with a whole army. Despite its ambition and Diesel's popularity, critics weren't thrilled with The Chronicles of Riddick, calling it narratively muddled. Yet, it remains a cult darling, with fans loving its cosmic scale and the entire space adventure.

Riddick (2013)

Returning to the franchise's roots, Riddick strands its antihero on a strange planet. Betrayed by the Necromongers, he's left for dead until bounty hunters arrive, drawn by his colossal reward for his capture. Classic predator‑prey dynamics ensue as Riddick fights both beast and bounty, forging uneasy alliances to survive and escape the world's brutal wildlife.

This entry feels more Pitch Black than Chronicles, thanks to its grounded story and claustrophobic vibe. Diesel's performance is at peak Riddick, with brutal efficiency and a twisted moral code. Critics generally welcomed the film as a return to form for the franchise. Packed with star power and a dark core, it's a rebound that reminds fans why they fell for Riddick in the first place.

Riddick: Furya (upcoming)

Picking up where Riddick left off, the fourth chapter in the franchise will see Richard B. Riddick finally return to his homeworld of Furya, which he barely remembers. Once ravaged by the Necromongers, Furya was thought to be a dead rock, but Riddick discovers a world teeming with survivors hardened by war and generational trauma. But the planet is far from safe as a new threat prepares to emerge. Although Riddick: Furya has no official release date at this time, it is rumored to hit screens sometime in 2027.

Where To Watch All 'Riddick' Movies In Order

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All 'Spy X Family' Movies And TV Shows In Order
Noelle Corbett
JustWatch Editor
If you’re a fan of fun and wholesome anime, then look no further than Spy x Family. Based on a manga by Tatsuya Endo, the series follows a spy, an assassin, and a child telepath as they masquerade as a family while hiding their secret identities from the others. If that weren’t enough, the trio live in a world inspired by East and West Germany, and their little experiment could determine whether the rival nations stay at peace or descend into war.

Spy x Family is beloved by critics and fans alike for brilliantly blending a sweet family comedy with spy action and darker themes like the horrors of war and its impact on children. If you’re looking to get into the series, here is how to watch all Spy x Family movies and TV shows in order.

Spy x Family (2022-present)

As mentioned, Spy x Family tells the story of a dysfunctional false family put together by the Westalian master spy Twilight, currently going by the alias Loid Forger, in an effort to complete a mission called Operation Strix. In order to spy on a reclusive Ostania politician, Loid adopts a young girl named Anya to pose as his daughter and attend an exclusive private school with the political leader’s son. Completing the family is Yor, who quickly agrees to marry Loid as a way to avoid suspicion and keep her career as an assassin a secret.

So far, the anime has covered the first 59 chapters of Endo’s manga over the course of two seasons. Spy x Family’s third season is scheduled to begin airing in October 2025.

Spy x Family Code: White (2023)

Spy × Family Code: White is the first, and so far only, movie based on the action-comedy series. Even for a series with no shortage of wacky hijinks, Code: White’s plot is pretty silly. In short, it starts with Loid finding out about a cooking competition at Anya’s school that could help him make progress on Operation Strix, and that, somehow, leads to Anya accidentally eating important intel that could trigger a war. Yes, a major plot point of the film involves everyone waiting for a child to poop.

Spy x Family Code: White is certainly a fun movie with enough humor and cool action sequences to appeal to fans, but don’t expect it to match the storytelling of the manga or anime series.

Where To Watch 'Spy X Family' Movies And TV Shows

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The 5 Best Horror Movies For 'Jurassic World' Fans
Jeanette White
JustWatch Editor
Jurassic World took what made Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park so special and cranked it up a couple of notches. Now, the dinosaurs are bigger and the stakes are higher. And while all that action is cool, the franchise works best as a cautionary tale about humans playing God and pissing off nature in the process. Truthfully, there’s nothing quite like the Jurassic World series or the preceding Jurassic Park movies, but if you’re craving more creature feature encounters with plenty of suspense, scares, and wonder, you’ve got options.

From morality lessons in scientific overreach to silly dinosaur fun, here are the five best horror movies for Jurassic World fans to watch next, listed in order of release date.

Jaws (1975)

It feels cliche even to put Jaws on this list, but out of Steven Spielberg’s entire filmography, it might be the movie closest to Jurassic Park when it comes to adventure, suspense, and sheer terror. When Brody (Roy Scheider), Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), and Quint (Robert Shaw) ship off into open water to hunt the movie’s man-eating shark, it mirrors the isolation the characters face in nearly every Jurassic World movie when they find themselves pitted against a massive creature with way more teeth than them. If you haven’t seen Jaws yet, watch it. There’s a reason people are still talking about it 50 years later.

Pitch Black (2000)

Even though it’s part of the successful Riddick franchise, Pitch Black remains somewhat of a cult classic sci-fi spectacle. This 2000s sleeper hit stars notable names like Vin Diesel (Riddick himself), Keith David, and Radha Mitchell, who find themselves stranded on an alien planet with an abundance of twisted, creepy creatures that prefer to attack under the cover of darkness. While its low-budget shows these days, Pitch Dark is a fitting companion watch to Jurassic World. It carries a similar brand of mayhem meets sci-fi, as the group faces off against creatures they had no business ever encountering in the first place.

The Host (2006)

The Host is Parasite director Bong Joon Ho’s love letter to monster movie franchises like Godzilla. Here, the monster in question stems from the Han River in Seoul, Korea, and wreaks havoc on any humans that cross its tentacled path. While the movie lacks dinosaurs, its underlying message feels akin to Jurassic World. With the creature created by the illegal dumping of toxic chemicals, The Host provides ample commentary on the dangers of contaminating nature. Just like the Jurassic Park and Jurassic World franchise, the real villains aren’t the monsters, but the people who irresponsibly brought them to life.

The VelociPastor (2018)

Listen, nobody said these had to be critically acclaimed recommendations, which is why The Velocipastor rounds out this list as one of those “so bad, it’s good” movies. Everything you need to know is right in the title. After sustaining an injury from an ominous Chinese artifact, a pastor gains the ability to transform into a Velociraptor. In some ways, the movie has more in common with The Hulk than Jurassic World. However, The VelociPastor has enough dino action and stupid fun to delight B-movie lovers. If that’s not really your thing, give it a try anyway. Who knows? Maybe a broken, butt-kicking dino-priest is exactly what’s missing from your watch-list.

Godzilla: Minus One (2023)

Godzilla: Minus One being a horror movie may be up for debate. Some argue it’s more of a thriller, while others maintain that it’s a suspense-heavy horror movie on par with Jaws. Regardless, it might be one of the best films of 2023, and if you have any affection for Godzilla or giant monster movies in general, then you’re going to love this one. Like Jurassic World, Godzilla: Minus One evokes fear with its giant reptilian Kaiju while pointing the finger at humanity’s hubris. Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Minus One carries a strong anti-war message and thrusts our protagonists (and Godzilla) right into the tail end of World War II. It’s equally beautiful and heart-wrenching. And while it might not be as scary as Shin Godzilla, it’s arguably more compelling.

Where To Watch Horror Movies Like 'Jurassic World' Online

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The 10 Best Toonami Cartoons (And Where To Watch Them)
Jesse Lab
JustWatch Editor
For an entire generation of American anime fans, Toonami was the mecca of anime. Before the age of streaming, if you wanted to watch anime on television, Toonami was the place to go, introducing and popularizing some of the most iconic anime of its era. Even if you’re not an anime fan, Toonami also had its own slew of original programming that catered to Western tastes that have gone on to become cult classics among millennials and Gen Z.

While most people think that several of the block’s most prolific titles, like Yu Yu Hakusho or Sailor Moon, premiered on Toonami, that isn’t entirely the case. Many titles also premiered on Toonami’s sister programming block, Adult Swim, or moved to Toonami from Saturday morning cartoons. Because of that, we’re going to take a look at the 10 best Toonami cartoons that are most associated with the block and let you know where and how to watch them.

Dragon Ball Z (1989)

Probably the most important show to appear on Toonami has to be Dragon Ball Z. While it premiered on other channels before making its way to Toonami, it wasn’t until it reached Cartoon Network’s anime block in 1998 that its popularity finally took hold and more people began to watch it. The story of Son Goku has become intrinsic to the entire anime community, with iconic moments, like Goku’s Kamehameha, Spirit Bomb, and Super Saiyan transformation, ingraining themselves in popular culture around the world. Dragon Ball has always had a home on Toonami, from the original to Z, GT, Kai, Super, and the recent Daima. You simply can’t have Toonami without Dragon Ball Z.

Mobile Suit Gundam: Wing (1995)

There’s no denying that Mobile Suit Gundam is one of the most prolific anime franchises of all time, but while it has existed since 1979, it wasn’t until Mobile Suit Gundam: Wing premiered on Toonami in 2000 that the series actually became popular in the West. It was the first entry in the series to air on television in the West and was a smash hit for Cartoon Network. It aired in two different time slots, an edited version for daytime television and an uncut version for late-night airings. It was a massive hit, leading to several future Gundam series to appear on the block and endearing an entire generation of otaku to the quintet of protagonists and the intergalactic war they’re forced to fight in.

Teen Titans (2003)

Toonami wasn’t just the home of anime. Cartoon Network would also debut several teen-oriented shows over the course of its history, and one of the most popular titles was Teen Titans. The show is a reinvention of the superhero team of the same name, injecting an anime aesthetic into classic superhero fare and modernizing the line-up of heroes that popularized the team in the 1980s. Each week, viewers watched Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy use their powers to defeat a whole host of villains, sometimes in one-and-done episodes, and other times, in multi-episode arcs, becoming a smash hit on the block thanks to its successful blending of Western and Eastern animation styles.

Justice League Unlimited (2004)

One of Cartoon Network’s most successful shows in the early 2000s was Justice League, and while that series did not originate on Toonami, its sequel series, Justice League Unlimited, did. The original series was supposed to end after the second season, but because of its popularity and an attempt to get new viewers interested, Justice League was rebranded into Unlimited, switched over to Toonami, and continued to receive critical acclaim and adulation from fans. There was a shift in focus from each show, though, with Unlimited spending more of its time on the expanded Justice League members, like Black Canary, Aquaman, and Mister Terrific, and the adventures they would get involved in as opposed to the core League members, like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Megas XLR (2004)

Arguably one of the most underrated shows on Toonami, Megas XLR is the perfect embodiment of what made the block so desirable. Like Teen Titans, it blended anime aesthetics with Western sensibilities and combined what people love most about Mobile Suit Gundam: Wing and American cartoons. It follows two slackers from New Jersey, Coop and Jamie, as they find a giant robot from the future called Megas and outfit its cockpit with Coop’s car, allowing Coop to drive Megas and fight against alien invaders and giant monsters. While the series was never as acclaimed as its contemporaries, it has a strong cult following, and fans have been craving its return since its cancellation in 2005.

Naruto (2005)

Another Shonen anime that was introduced to the West thanks to Toonami was Naruto, a series about a plucky ninja named Naruto Uzumaki who wants nothing more than to become the leader, or Hokage, of his village. Unlike Dragon Ball Z, which had earlier dubs and releases before appearing on Toonami, Naruto debuted on the block in 2005, meaning it had a sizeable hand in exposing the series to the West. Its sequel series, Naruto: Shippuden, also appeared on the block, but an entire generation of anime fans tuned in every week to watch Naruto and the rest of Team 7 fight powerful foes and save the world.

Space Dandy (2014)

In 2008, amid declining ratings, Toonami went off the air, but it returned with a vengeance in 2012 with a renewed interest in airing anime. By this point, most anime fans were streaming the latest titles on platforms like Crunchyroll as they were releasing in Japan, so Cartoon Network began to commission several original titles to premiere exclusively on Toonami. One of the first, and biggest titles, to be released was Space Dandy, which Shinichirō Watanabe, the creator of Cowboy Bebop, directed. While Bebop was more poignant and character-driven, Space Dandy prioritized comedy first and foremost as it follows Dandy throughout the universe, mostly trying to earn enough money to go to his favorite sex-themed restaurant and oftentimes failing in the process. The series doesn’t take itself seriously in the slightest, and that easygoing sense of fun permeates throughout each episode.

FLCL (2018, 2023)

While FLCL originally debuted on Adult Swim instead of Toonami, after the block’s revival in 2012, FLCL made its way over and served as the home not only for the original six-episode series, but also for the four sequel series that premiered on Toonami from 2018 to 2023. The five seasons that make up FLCL are all coming-of-age stories, usually assisted or kick-started by the eccentric ball of energy Haruko, that lambast Western tropes and typically feature a lot of weird and surreal imagery, like giant irons, robots growing out of people’s heads, and Vespas. Each season varies wildly in terms of tone, with the first season being a mile-a-minute comedy and a season like FLCL: Progressive being more quiet and contemplative. Still, each season leaves you with a lingering feeling of satisfaction for its oddball cast of characters.

Samurai Jack (2017)

Much like FLCL, Samurai Jack didn’t actually premiere on Toonami but on Adult Swim. Its popularity would cause it to leave that block and appear all over Cartoon Network in the mid-2000s, including Toonami, but nearly a decade later, it was announced that Samurai Jack would return for a fifth season, and it would be exclusive to Toonami. The season picks up half a century after Season 4, with Jack, unable to age, slowly going mad with no means of defeating the demon Aku. The fifth season is noticeably darker than any of the earlier seasons, but it also contains some of the show’s most triumphant and beautiful moments, mostly centering on the romance that develops between Jack and Ashi, an assassin who worships Aku.

Ninja Kamui (2024)

The impact of Toonami has diluted in recent years, but it still can produce several shows that manage to be a hit not only on TV but also when they appear on HBO Max shortly after their debut. Case in point, Ninja Kamui. Created by Sunghoo Park, the series follows a ninja named Higan, who attempts to escape his clan and start a new life for himself with his wife Mari. His clan eventually tracks him down and kills his wife and child, sending Higan, now known as Joe, on a path of bloody vengeance, which leads to some excellent action set pieces and wonderful fight choreography. Due to its success, multiple additional seasons have been greenlit, showing that Toonami still has relevancy and sway even to this day.

Where To Watch The 10 Best Toonami Cartoons Online

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All 'Teen Titans' Movies And TV Shows In Order
Christopher Baggett
JustWatch Editor
In the 1960s, two things were huge at DC Comics: team books and the Justice League of America. To that end, a one-off pairing of a handful of sidekicks would capitalize on both, leading to one of DC’s most popular superhero teams: the Teen Titans. Originally comprised entirely of sidekicks to League members, the team has since developed its own lauded identity and become one of DC’s most popular brands.

Its luck outside of comics has been a mixed bag. While animated outings have produced some of the most beloved series ever, the Teen Titans just haven’t had that live-action hit…yet. A new film is in development, and the potential success of Superman (2025) makes it increasingly likely we’ll see it. While you get ready for that, here’s every Teen Titans TV show and movie and where to find them on streaming.

The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure (1967)

Airing as part of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, the Teen Titans made their animated debut just a few years after their comic book one. The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure focused on pairing continuing story from the previous year’s The New Adventures of Superman with brand new adventures in Aquaman. The show would also include a rotating series of “guest stars.” One such segment would be Teen Titans, who appeared in three of the guest segments rotated alongside segments starring the Justice League, the Atom, and more. This was still the original incarnation of the Teen Titans, so the team actually omitted traditional team leader Robin, instead featuring Kid Flash, Speedy, Wonder Girl, and Aqualad.

Teen Titans (2003)

Perhaps the most well known iteration of the Teen Titans to this day, the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon was something of a revelation. The series, based largely on the genre-defining The New Teen Titans run of the ‘80s, wasn’t attached to the then-current Justice League extension of the DCAU, but it nonetheless became incredibly popular. The team, consisting of Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven, headlined a surprisingly dark and mature show that wasn’t afraid to balance its random and sarcastic humor with bitter character development and intense fight sequences. Even today, 20 years later, Teen Titans remains the measuring stick for new-and-adjacent Titans properties.

Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo (2006)

After five seasons, it was time for Teen Titans to draw to a close, but it went out with a bang. Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo serves as the send-off for the series, sending the Titans on an international adventure after their base is attacked by a ninja. Critics and fans alike loved the movie, praising its tone and action, though many also felt it was missing some of the secret sauce that made the animated series so beloved. Nonetheless, it was the final installment of the 2003 series for some time, though fans didn’t realize it would not be the last time they saw them.

Teen Titans Go! (2013)

Naturally, if something is incredibly popular, you have to milk it a little bit. Following a successful run in the DC Nation Shorts interstitials, a variation of the 2003 Titans would return in Teen Titans Go!, a more comedic spin-off with an animation that leaned heavily into a chibi influenced style. It cannot be overstated just how massively popular Teen Titans Go! was at launch, even among fans who had been holding out hope for a revival of the original series. The show’s popularity is so enduring that it’s actually still running today and has amassed a staggering 400+ episodes in the more than a decade it has aired.

Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016)

Following the relaunch of the DC Animated Movie Universe in 2023, DC quickly filled out the roster with supporting character. The inevitable endgame was a pair of Teen Titans movies, each of which loosely followed key plots form the comics. 2016’s Justice League vs. Teen Titans is the closest to an original tale, but it adopts several key plot points from both the original relaunch of The New Teen Titans and the various conflicts the team has had with the Justice League over the years. The film sees the Titans and their newest member, Damian Wayne, at odds with the League when Raven’s demonic father, Trigon, mounts an attack on Earth.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)

If you’ve already adapted a Teen Titans origin story, the next logical step is its most infamous story: The Judas Contract. Based on the landmark and wildly controversial tale of the same name, the Titans find themselves fighting off Brother Blood with the help of their newest member, the Earth-bending Terra. Little do they realize that Terra is a double agent, having joined the Titans at the behest of their archenemy Deathstroke so that he could reclaim Damian for Ra’s al Ghul. Though Teen Titans: The Judas Contract departs heavily from the story it was based on, fans appreciated the changes, making this one of the higher rated DCAMU entries.

Titans (2018)

For years, Warner Bros tried to get its vision for a Teen Titans series off the ground, with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds co-creator Akiva Goldsman eventually developing the project alongside former Teen Titans scribe Geoff Johns and Arrow mastermind Greg Berlanti. Finally, with the launch of the ill-fated DC Universe streaming service, Titans would make its debut. And it was…not great. The show is a wild departure from the source material; a jaded Dick Grayson has long since abandoned Robin, becoming a detective in Detroit, but the arrival of Rachel Roth calls him begrudgingly back into action. The show ran for four seasons between DC Universe and HBO Max with mixed reviews, with many criticizing its excessive, over-the-top violence and cliched storytelling beats.

Teen Titans Go! To The Movies (2018)

Like its predecessors, Teen Titans Go! would eventually get a movie to capitalize on the success of the show. Unlike its predecessors, though, it would be a big-screen affair that celebrated not just the Titans but films in general. Teen Titans Go! To The Movies saw the team trying to get a big-budget Hollywood movie made about themselves after Robin is mocked for not having his own movie. However, the plan goes awry when their nemesis Slade turns back up. Teen Titans Go! To The Movies proved to be a critical hit, but it was arguably more popular thanks to its end-credits scene teasing the return of the original team.

Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans (2019)

It’s not often a post-credits scene pays off so well and so quickly, but leave it to the Teen Titans to make it happen. As the name implies, Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans sees the 2003 animated version of the Teen Titans find a way back. Pit into a fight against their Teen Titans Go! counterparts, the two teams quickly realize their situation and band together as one powerful team to save the multiverse from the threat of two Trigons. Though the film didn’t receive a big-screen release, it was nonetheless incredibly popular, especially with fans eager to see the return of the 2003 team.

Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam (2021)

Okay, so you’ve had a big-screen Teen Titans Go! adventure, and then you had the crossover in Teen Titans Go! Vs. Teen Titans, so what’s next? Probably something big, right? Something with a ton of action and drama to cap off the trilogy? How about instead you get a thinly veiled promotional tool in the tradition of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Teen Titans Go! See Space Jam is literally what it says on the tin. Released as a promotion for the then-upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy, the film sees the team literally watching Space Jam with the film’s villains, the Nerdlucks, occasionally taking breaks for hijinks like seeing Nerdluck versions of the Titans.

Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse (2022)

The latest Teen Titans Go! movie as of this writing, Teen Titans Go! & DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem in the Multiverse, pulls double duty once again. This time, the film serves as a series finale to DC Super Hero Girls, a series which features young versions of various DC characters as they attended a super hero high school run by Amanda Waller. The film spends much of its runtime in the DC Super Hero Girls universe, but the Titans eventually appear following a multiversal mishap, teaming up the defeat Cythonna, a Kryptonian Goddess of Darkness. The film is hailed as a fun crossover with entertaining characters, though it didn’t make a huge splash on release.

Where To Watch All 'Teen Titans' Movies And TV Shows In Order Online

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The 5 Best Batman Movie Suits, Ranked
Christopher Baggett
JustWatch Editor
While DC’s most important hero may be returning to the big screen in Superman (2025), most fans are looking for the Batman’s most popular movies. It’s been three years as of this writing since Batman last appeared on the big screen, and it’s likely to be as many before he’s seen again. Fans are eagerly waiting for casting choices, script developments, and most importantly, costume updates for whichever Batman film hits the big screen next.

The costume is, arguably, the most important part. Batman cuts an iconic silhouette, and the discussion about the costume and how it changes from film to film is a major topic among fans. We don’t know what Batman will be wearing when we see him next, but maybe we can infer something by ranking the five best Batman movie suits.

5. The Dark Knight (2008)

By the time of 2008’s The Dark Knight, everyone was tired of the same exhausting jokes about Batman being unable to move his neck in the movies. Christopher Nolan didn’t just address it head on (no pun intended), he made it a plot point. Concerned about being unable to move in combat, Batman gets an upgraded suit with a cowl more akin to a biker helmet, giving him a tremendous range of motion. The suit looks great, but at the same time, it also ditches a lot of the traditional trappings for a more militaristic take, robbing it of a lot of its charm.

4. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

Look, let’s just get it out of the way: There are a lot of problems with and divisive opinions about Zack Snyder’s DCEU, but the one thing you can’t deny is the man knows how to make things look good on screen. The Batsuit first donned by Ben Affleck in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a peak example of this. It brilliantly adapts the classic suit from The Dark Knight Returns, but it’s just so bulky that it looks impossible to move around in. The suit was slimmed down for 2017’s disastrous Justice League, but reshoots in broad daylight really tarnish the reputation. Check out Zack Snyder’s Justice League for the definitive version of this suit; streamlined, fierce, and shot in the moody lighting it deserves. It’s genuinely beautiful.

3. Batman Returns (1992)

The Batsuit featured in 1989’s Batman is perhaps the most important one ever made, not only lending an air of credibility to Tim Burton’s dark take on Batman but shifting the public perception across all media that The Dark Knight wore black. But that 1989 suit has aged weird; the texture looks very soft, the fake muscles stick out like a sore thumb, and the fit is so awkward that you could probably fit a full hand inside the cowl. Batman Returns took what work and improved it. The fit is tighter, the muscles are replaced with a more mechanical-inspired art deco look, and the material looks much more solid. It’s hard to improve a classic, but this era of Batman arguably never looked better than he did in Returns.

2. Batman Begins (2005)

It took a long time to get a new Batman after Batman & Robin salted the Earth, but 2005’s Batman Begins brought Gotham City back with a bold new vision. Christopher Nolan took Batman back to basics, and that included an in-depth examination of the Batsuit and how it was made. The suit here still has a lot of superhero trappings while leaning into Nolan’s more realistic world than what came before, but honestly it works so perfectly in this film. As great as the suit from The Dark Knight looks, the Batman Begins suit is a beautiful update to Tim Burton’s work while still taking Batman into the 2000s.

1. The Batman (2022)

The Batsuit featured in 2022’s The Batman is a stark departure from what we’ve seen before. Depicting a Batman in his second year of crimefighting, the suit looks like it was cobbled together as he went, with pieces added to counter his weaknesses as he fought. And it honestly works. This is a Batman who thrives on instilling fear, who embraces the idea of living in the shadows. Previous Batmen could survive a gunshot, but Robert Pattinson’s Batman is a walking tank. It’s not as sleek or refined, but it’s the most visually interesting Batsuit we’ve ever seen, and it narratively tells us more about Batman than any movie suit before it.

Where To Watch The Best Batman Movie Suits Online

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The 10 Best Guest Stars in 'It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia' (And Where You Know Them From)
Brandon Zachary
JustWatch Editor
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has spent 20 years as a highlight of the comedy world, with a massive number of big-name stars making an appearance at Paddy’s Pub. That extends to the show’s Season 17 premiere, which continues the crossover with Abbott Elementary and shifts the focus to the Gang and their antics. However, the cast of Abbott Elementary is far from the first stars to run afoul of Dennis, Dee, Mac, Charlie, and Frank.

Some of the best guest stars have matched the comic energy of the Gang, bringing their own unrestrained energy to the show. Others have played realistic or calm characters, naturally contrasting the extremes of the rest of the main cast. A few have even been genuinely emotional, delivering real human moments in a show mostly about awful people. Here are the best 10 guest stars in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and where you can find their other movies and TV shows on apps like Apple TV+, Netflix, and Hulu!

Judy Greer

Season 3, Episode 5, "The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty Magoo"

An early but memorable guest star in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Judy Greer was a great early addition to the universe of the darkly hilarious sitcom. Greer has been a fixture of the comedy world for years, with starring roles in shows like Archer and memorable supporting turns in films like 13 Going on 30.

Greer plays a uniquely straightforward character in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, opposite a far more unstable Dee. An old friend of Dee who has risen up in the world, Greer’s Ingrid finds herself the target of Dee’s scorn and the rest of the Gang’s ambitions. Ingrid is a perfect counterbalance to Dee, a comically blunt but never condescending contrast to the comically awful Dee. It’s a bit of a departure for Greer, who specializes in playing her own brand of off-kilter behavior for comedy, but a memorable one.

Jason Sudeikis

Season 6, Episode 8, “The Gang Gets a New Member"

Season 6’s “The Gang Gets a New Member” played with the history of the Gang by introducing Schmitty, a member of the Gang who had been phased out years before the beginning of the show. Effectively a normal but sleezy guy who can’t help but poke fun at the absurd aspects of the Gang’s antics, Schmitty is played with casual charm by Jason Sudeikis.

Coming long before he’d be best known for playing the title role in the sweet Apple TV+ hit Ted Lasso, Sudeikis made a name for himself playing comedic dirtbags in films like We’re the Millers. Schmitty fits neatly into that mold while also having a unique enough perspective on the Gang that it subverts expectations in a clever manner.

Alexandra Daddario

Season 8, Episode 4, “Charlie and Dee Find Love”

One of the most surprisingly emotional supporting characters in the history of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Alexandra Daddario’s role as Ruby is a somber one when introduced as a new love interest for Charlie, drawing his attention away from the Waitress, Ruby Taft.

Daddario, who has also starred in searing dramas like True Detective and The White Lotus, gives a genuinely emotional performance that bounces perfectly off the constantly uncouth Charlie. This builds to the episode’s brutal final turn that lets Daddario use the full scope of her dramatic abilities to play against a shockingly villainous Charlie. It’s a moment that even catches the other members of the Gang by surprise and is one of the best unexpected plot twists in the show’s history.

Seann William Scott

Season 9, Episode 5, “Mac Day”

Season 9’s “Mac Day” is one of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s funniest episodes and an extended punch-line about the pathetic nature of the Gang’s self-proclaimed “badass bodyguard,” Mac. Serving as the perfect contrast to the blowhard and judgmental Mac is his laidback cousin, dubbed Country Mac. Played by American Pie and Dude, Where’s My Car? star Seann William Scott, Country Mac is everything the Gang could ever want, wrapped up in a calm, confident package.

The fact that Country Mac is then disposed of so unceremoniously is a darkly hilarious reminder that the Gang can never escape one another. Scott delivers one of the show’s best deadpan performances in the one-off appearance, making him one of the show’s best guest stars.

Keegan-Michael Key

Season 10, Episode 8, “The Gang Goes on Family Fight”

One of modern film and television’s best comedic actors, Keegan-Michael Key channels all of Steve Harvey’s frustrations into his game show host character in Season 10’s “The Gang Goes on Family Fight.” Grant Anderson is a typically cheery gameshow host who finds his patience quickly put to the test by the Gang. Their antics and bizarre answers quickly frustrate him, letting Key tap into the outbursts of rage that made his Luther character such a breakout hit on Key & Peele.

The episode largely focuses on the game show and the Gang’s inexplicable lead, which increasingly pushes all of Anderson’s buttons. One of the few guest stars to match the Gang’s chaotic energy with his own brand of absurd anger that he perfected on shows like Schmigadoon!, Keegan-Michael Key’s guest spot on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a hilariously unrelenting beat taken as far as it will go.

Guillermo del Toro

Season 11, Episode 7, “McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century”

One of cinema’s most prominent genre directors, Guillermo del Toro worked with Charlie Day on Pacific Rim before making a cameo appearance as Pappy McPoyle in Season 8. While this was a grimly hilarious beat, Pappy got a much more memorable (and hilarious) appearance in Season 11’s “McPoyle vs. Ponderosa: The Trial of the Century.”

Called to the stand during a trial between many of the show’s most consistent supporting characters, Pappy’s chaotic performance builds to a surprisingly (and hilariously) cartoonish turn when he unleashes his pet bird on the defense attorney. The director of films like Pan’s Labyrinth gets to go big on screen in a way he rarely does from behind the camera, and it’s a very funny appearance from one of modern Hollywood’s best filmmakers.

Mindy Kaling

Season 13, Episode 1, “The Gang Makes Paddy's Great Again”

Coming on the heels of Glenn Howerton seemingly leaving the show at the end of Season 12’s “Dennis’ Double Life,” the Season 13 premiere introduced The Mindy Project’s Mindy Kaling as a surprisingly great addition to the Gang. “The Gang Makes Paddy’s Great Again” deals with the fallout of Dennis’ departure to help raise the son he didn’t know he had, with Kaling’s Cindy taking his place as a major schemer of the group.

Kaling fits neatly into the dynamic of the group, utilizing them to the best of their strengths, even as the Gang’s flaws threaten to destabilize the work she’s put into her plans. As a one-off character who a returning Dennis quickly usurps, The Office star fits easily into the show’s sardonic style. Fans disappointed they didn’t get to see much of Dennis and Cindy going back and forth can check out Velma, which Howerton and Kaling co-starred in.

Dolph Lundgren

Season 14, Episode 2, “Thunder Gun 4: Maximum Cool”

Paying off a set up from seasons prior, Dolph Lundgren’s appearance in Season 14’s “Thunder Gun 4: Maximum Cool” is a very fun extended gag about the nature of the action genre. Established as one of the biggest action franchises in the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia universe, Thunder Gun’s latest movie gets a few clips shown in-universe as an example of an action franchise rebooting for a new generation.

The Rocky IV/Creed II star has a lot of fun poking fun at the kind of action movie roles he played in films like The Expendables and The Punisher, delivering some solid laughs throughout. Lundgren has always been a deceptively funny actor, especially in films like Tour de Pharmacy. It makes perfect sense to cast him as Thunder Gun for the episode. A minor but memorable payoff for Season 7’s “Thunder Gun Express,” Dolph Lundgren is a great pick to return.

Colm Meaney

Season 15, Episode 6, “The Gang's Still In Ireland”

One of the most surprisingly emotional guest stars in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Colm Meaney’s appearance in multiple episodes of Season 15 as Charlie’s biological father Shelley gives the show one of its best ever dramatic scenes. Portrayed as a well-meaning dope much in the same vein as his son, the Gangs of London and Hell on Wheels star brings a lovely grounded element to the character. The sweet rapport that grows between him and Charlie is undercut by the clear pain it causes Frank and the trauma that Charlie has to unpack, forcing typically non-stop joke machines to actually become humans.

Meaney makes Shelley a compelling character who never distracts from the actual focus of the story. Delivering a sweet performance that never stops being funny, Meaney brings some true weight to the show’s extended Ireland storyline.

Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul

Season 16, Episode 5, “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab”

One of the only times the guest stars in the episode were actively playing themselves, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul’s cameo in Season 16’s “Celebrity Booze: The Ultimate Cash Grab” stands out as one of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s most absurd episodes in a while. The episode reunites the Breaking Bad stars as the targets of the Gang’s newest scheme, by which they hope to get a celebrity endorsement for their newly concocted liquor.

The self-aware comedy picks up when it turns out the Gang only knows Cranston from Malcom in the Middle (and mistakes Paul for a grown Frankie Muniz), along with the discovery that their dynamic as Walter and Jesse have been flipped for these fictionalized versions of the actors. It’s one of the comedic highlights of Season 15, and one of the best celebrity cameos in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Where To Watch 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Best Guest Stars Online

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How To Watch 'Twin Peaks' In Order
Jesse Lab
JustWatch Editor
Not many people were expecting Twin Peaks to earn the critical acclaim and cultural recognition that it did when it originally aired in 1990, but over time, the love and adoration for the series only grew. The show was undeniably strange, mostly thanks to the odd quirks of the characters, the strange arcs they took, and the metaphysical nature of concepts like “The Black Lodge,” but people loved it regardless. To this day, many consider it to be the best work of the late, great David Lynch.

Given the acclaim of the series and its penchant for non-linear storytelling, deciding a proper viewing order of Twin Peaks may be somewhat up for debate, especially when you factor in elements like the feature film Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me, but if you’re interested in giving one of the most unconventional and emotionally poignant TV shows of all time a try, here’s how to watch all of Twin Peaks in order.

Twin Peaks Season 1 (1990)

The first season of Twin Peaks introduces us to the main thrust of the show. In the small town of Twin Peaks, Washington, the naked corpse of a high school girl named Laura Palmer is found washed up on a river. FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper is called in to investigate and quickly determines that her death may have been caused by a serial killer who lives within Twin Peaks and has killed before. The majority of the first season introduces the eccentric residents of Twin Peaks, including the Horne brothers who run the Great Northern Hotel, the various members of the Twin Peaks Police Department, and several unsavory characters like the juvenile delinquent Bobby Briggs.

Over time, we learn that not everything is as it seems within Twin Peaks, with the presence of supernatural beings and locations cropping up around town. Cooper frequently visits a place known as the Black Lodge and has one-sided interactions with the beings within it, who offer vague clues to help Cooper and the rest of the police figure out who the killer is. By the end of the first season, the killer remains at large, but several suspects have been eliminated as Cooper and the TPPD inch closer to the truth.

Twin Peaks Season 2 (1990-1991)

The second season of Twin Peaks is polarizing when compared to the first, mostly due to its length. The first season ran for eight episodes, and by the end of the first eight episodes of Season 2’s 22-episode run, the central mystery of the show is solved. Dale Cooper is able to deduce who murdered Laura Palmer and figures out what their connection to the Black Lodge is. There are still some lingering threads, but those threads are primarily with the supporting cast.

The remainder of the season shifts the focus the show from being a murder mystery to a game of cat-and-mouse between Cooper and his former mentor turned criminal, Windom Earle. Most of Season 2 was made without Lynch’s oversight, leading to a season that was still perfectly fine, but wasn’t as focused as it was during Laura Palmer’s arc. Still, the ending sets up a striking status quo shift that would leave the series on an agonizing cliffhanger for 25 years.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)

Following the cancellation of the series after Season 2, Fire Walk With Me is a prequel that expands upon the events leading up to Laura Palmer’s death. The film primarily has us follow the last week of her life as she interacts with her friends and family. While the TV show was relatively straightforward and easy to follow for a David Lynch production, Fire Walk With Me brings in a lot of the eccentricities you would expect from the director, making this less of a soap opera like the main series and more of a character deconstruction like Eraserhead.

The film has earned critical acclaim for its cinematography and the dreamlike nature of it, as well as how it offers context to the first season of the show and completely reframes Laura as a character, making it an essential part of the Twin Peaks saga.

Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014)

Released over two decades after Fire Walk With Me, Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces is a companion piece to the original film and an epilogue of sorts to Season 2. The film consists of deleted scenes and alternative takes from the film that enhance moments present within it. It’s not the same experience as the film, so The Missing Pieces should be viewed as supplemental material after you’ve already watched Fire Walk With Me, because without it, many of the scenes and moments won’t make sense.

However, it does offer insight into characters that were not present in the prequel, like Josie and Nadine, so seeing their cut scenes is a decent curiosity, as well as following up on the aftermath of the Season 2 finale.

Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)

Back in 1991, Laura Palmer proclaimed that she would see us again in 25 years, and even though she was off by a year, Twin Peaks graced our TV screens once more with the limited series Twin Peaks: The Return. Set 25 years after Season 2, we catch up with Dale Cooper as he attempts to finally end the supernatural shenanigans that have spread beyond Twin Peaks and into the world at large.

The limited series is more in line with the strangeness of Fire Walk With Me than the original series, but each episode is utterly captivating. Many new concepts are introduced, and viewers are treated to complicated imagery and ideas whose meaning is still being debated to this day. We also touch back on most of the characters from the first two seasons, miraculously played by the original cast, with a few notable omissions here and there. It’s a worthy continuation of the original series and is oftentimes considered to be one of the most avant-garde and ambitious television seasons of all time.

Where To Watch All Of 'Twin Peaks' In Order

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