Month: March 2021

To paraphrase Syrio Forel, there is only one thing HBO says to Game of Thrones spinoffs: yes please. The network is developing three more prequels based on George R.R. Martin’s universe — that’s along with House of the Dragon, which is scheduled to premiere next year, and a series based on the Dunk and Egg novellas.

The most intriguing of the three new projects is 10,000 Ships. It follows the warrior queen Nymeria, an ancestor of House Martell who ruled Dorne (not to be confused with the direwolf Nymeria or Sand Snake Nymeria, although both characters are named after her). According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Her story is set roughly 1,000 years before the events in Game of Thrones, making it much older on the Westeros timeline than any of the other previously announced projects.” The prequel would likely be set in Dorne, which could use rehabilitation after its disappointing depiction on Game of Thrones.

As for the other two series in development:

One of the projects, working title 9 Voyages, is from Rome creator Bruno Heller and follows Lord Corlys Velaryon, a.k.a. The Sea Snake, the Lord of the Tides and head of House Velaryon… The third project is set in the notorious King’s Landing slum of Flea Bottom – the maze of tight streets in the capitol city where characters like Davos Seaworth and Gendry Baratheon were born.

If the Flea Bottom show is the Muppet Babies version of Game of Thrones, it deserves a straight-to-series order. The world needs to hear Baby Davos sing a doo-wop song. Anyway, HBO is that GIF of Homer Simpson being forced to eat all the donuts in the world, except instead of donuts, it’s Thrones shows — and like Homer, I’m OK with that.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

(Spoilers from Disney+’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere will be found below.)

With the comic book community starved for movies, Disney+ shows (and, in its own way, the Snyder Cut) will be the closest thing we’ll get to cinematic experiences for at least a few months. Already, WandaVision hit a home run by giving fans a super weird experience, and a character-focused story that’s quite unlike many Marvel Cinematic Universe entries, but we’re back in action mode with the The Falcon and the Winter Soldier premiere. The show’s picks up shortly after Steve Rogers travels back in time to spend decades with his best girl, Agent Peggy Carter. So, we’re in a post-Endgame world, and a major MCU priority is to choose a new Cap.

This development felt inevitable. Chris Evans was done with the Cap role, and so was Steve Rogers after going through so much. He took that super serum, ended up frozen like a Capsicle for decades, and woke up to deal with the Internet and of not-so-dulcet tones of Nirvana. He encountered his best friend as a brainwashed HYDRA assassin, watched Peggy die in modern times, became a fugitive due to the Sokovia Accords, and pretended for years to be not worthy of lifting Thor’s hammer, only to whip out that thunder while fighting Thanos. Steve deserved a nice retirement of his choosing, but that sure puts the MCU in a tough spot, albeit an interesting one.

Look, there’s been a ton of speculation about who will be the next Captain America, and all eyes have been on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier to make that reveal. And there damn well was a reveal in the final moments of the series premiere. What did this reveal mean, though? Wes, I’m talking about the dude in the Captain America suit. Is this guy, you know, the real new Cap?

We’ll talk it out, but recall that MCU fans hold a fresh memory of WandaVision Mephisto hints that went nowhere. Not immediately trusting that John Walker is the new Cap is probably a wise move. After all, Kevin Feige recently revealed that this show might get a second season, so the “Who is the new Cap?” question might be a long game, even though the show’s final trailer directly calls for a new Captain America. With that said, we can have some fun with this question, too, so let’s discuss the two most obvious candidates (the pair who once squabbled over legroom to set up their buddy-comedy vibe) to carry Cap’s vibranium into Phase Four. Then we’ll talk about that a few other candidates, including that new guy, John Walker/U.S. Agent, and my dream candidate.

1. Sam Wilson/Falcon (Anthony Mackie):

With Endgame, Marvel Studios teed up Sam Wilson as the rightful heir to the Cap mantle in the most obvious way, given that aged Steve Rogers bestowed the shield upon him as the Infinity Saga drew to a close. At the time, Wilson did not tell Steve “no” because, seriously, what mere mortal says no to the current Captain America when he declares his choice for the position’s honor? Then there’s the matter what actually happened in the premiere, which began with Mackie’s previous words (“It feels like it belongs to someone else”) echoing before he apparently stepped aside from the Cap mantle, and the government did not argue with him.

Previously, Anthony Russo stated that Steve saw a “kindred spirit” in Sam and a “similar ethic,” given that they’re both military guys who (I guess) think that contemporary beds feel like marshmallows. I’m being silly by adding that last detail, but seriously, Sam Wilson does become Cap in the comics at one point, yet we have seen zero confirmation that Sam ends up being the new Captain America in the MCU. As far as the debut episode of this show goes, it doesn’t seem like Falcon’s the new Cap. Yet the series is only beginning, so we must be patient for real results.

The only thing we know for sure is this: Sam Wilson as the new Cap is anything but set in stone, now that we’re living in a post-Steve Rogers world. Anthony Mackie recently very cryptic by pointing out [while using “I” in place of his character] that “at no point in time did I agree to or say that I would be Captain America.” Mackie further stated that “the show walks the line of who is going to take up the shield,” and he suggested to Uproxx’s Mike Ryan that Sam is working on figuring out whether he’s gonna be Cap. To muddy the waters further, Mackie recently pointed out (via Comic Book) that Sam is still essentially a Steve Rogers fanboy, so take this as you will:

“There’s still people out there that still appreciate comradery and friendship…just like everybody else, you don’t want to see Steve Rogers go away…just like he was your Cap, Steve Rogers was Sam Wilson’s Cap,” Mackie adds. “That’s why he says at the end of Endgame, ‘It feels like it’s someone else’s.’ He’s a fan just like everyone else…Sam is just a regular guy who won the lottery when Black Widow knocked on his door and he fell in love and was hoping to have a spinoff with Black Widow.”

Basically, Mackie is giving fans many reasons to believe that Sam will not be the new Cap, but it’s as likely that, yes, Sam will pick up that damn shield in the end. Who knows? Hell, maybe he’ll turn into Mephisto, which you gotta admit, would be highly entertaining. What I’m saying here is that we should embrace the mystery and trust in the journey.

2. Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan):

Granted, I’ve got a soft spot for both James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes and Sebastian Stan (who is often the most underappreciated presence alongside flashier co-stars in well-received films like I, Tonya and The Devil All The Time), and I strongly disliked seeing Bucky stand by while Steve handed Sam the shield. Of course, I understand Steve’s reasons for picking Sam, but there are still a few reasons to root for Bucky getting it together to be Cap. For one thing, there’s comic book canon on his side, just like there is for Sam Wilson, and back in the Captain America: The Winter Soldier days, many fans saw the above moment as foreshadowing.

There’s also a lot of sentimentality at work here. Steve and Bucky were lifelong, “until the end of the line,” best friends, and if Bucky hadn’t fallen off that train and into HYDRA servitude, then he’d have never been brainwashed. Bucky wouldn’t have gone on to be HYDRA’s top assassin, even taking out Tony Stark’s parents in the process. All of those years of having his mind wiped, over and over again, left Bucky’s mental state seriously suspect at best; after all, he’s still able to be turned back into HYDRA agent mode if someone (like Daniel Brühl’s Zemo) simply speaks the correct words. And equally damningly, it’s clear from everyone’s willingness to believe that he killed Wakanda’s King T’Chaka that Bucky as Cap would be a public relations nightmare.

Still, there’s a certain contingent of the fandom who would no doubt enjoy seeing Bucky holding the shield. Kevin Feige damn well knows that this is the case, which is probably why the show’s Super Bowl trailer show both Sam and Bucky apparently training with the shield. In the series premiere, Sam and Bucky are not hanging together yet, and Bucky’s stuck in a strange limbo where he goes to therapy and tries online dating. That last part’s funny, and any Cap dreams (if the MCU Bucky ever had them) seem to be non-existent.

However, not all is lost. A new Falcon and the Winter Soldier clip shows Bucky declaring, “I read the hobbit in 1937 when it first came out.” That’s some serious nerd-flexing. I’m not drawing any significance to this line, but it’s endearing as heck and must mean that the Marvel gods are smiling upon Bucky in some way. (Also a bit of trivia: multiple Lord of the Rings actors, including Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman, have appeared in the MCU, so Bucky’s fandom is a cool nod, if nothing else.)

3. and 4. A New MCU Character From The Comic Lore:

— The Mystery Carl Lumbly Character (Carl Lumbly, obviously)

This one’s a bit tricky. Early in 2020, Lumbly (of Supergirl and Altered Carbon) officially joined the cast, and details on his role have remained a mystery. As Deadline noted last year, however, speculation ran rampant that Lumbly will portray the Isaiah Bradley, a.k.a. the “Black Captain America.” Granted, he took the super-soldier serum decades ago and, although he first surfaced in comic form with 2003’s miniseries, Truth: Red, White and Black, his backstory goes back to 1940 and acts as scathing commentary upon the Tuskegee Syphilis Study that took root during that era, so his cultural resonance would be heavy. If Lumbly (who is 69 years old) is actually playing Bradley, however, one would certainly expect him to be playing an older (un-serum-ed, and that’s possible because it happened to Steve in the comics) version of the character. Still, there’d be a lot of story-massaging to make this happen. Surely, he won’t be the new Cap.

— John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell)

Alright, so we need to talk about what the hell happened in the premiere’s closing moments. Some seemingly random person, John Walker, was held out to America as the new Cap. Is this really the case, and who the hell is John Walker? He’s actually a character from the comics who temporarily did the Cap thing, and his character popped up on the show’s IMDb page (and, apparently, in at least one of the trailers, as seen below) as portrayed by Wyatt Russell (son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn).

In the comics, Walker moved from being a vigilante, Super Patriot, into being the government-approved Cap replacement, but I question whether that will happen here, or whether he’ll be more of a bad dude. And honestly, I was wary of reading too much into his presence in the trailer, since Marvel Studios (and now Disney+) are both so good at pulling the wool over people’s eyes. Remember how we saw Thor sitting next to a bread bowl in a trailer — totally out of character for the ripped God Of Thunder — and we never suspected that “Lebowski Thor” was the character erased from an Endgame trailer during the suited-up group walk? It’s semi-diabolical, but Kevin Feige is really talented at hiding things while pretending to reveal things; he’s so talented that people can’t even get mad when Marvel Studios trailers lead us astray. Whatever the case, comic readers know that John Walker’s got super strength on his side, and he trained with Taskmaster, who we’ll see at some point in Black Widow, on how to handle the Cap shield.

And there’s no ignoring the flat-out fact that John Walker was introduced as the new Cap. Yet will he remain that way on a permanent basis? My gut feeling says no, and again, reading into trailer stuff could prove counterproductive, but there’s probably no way that we saw Sam and Bucky practicing with the shield for no reason. To not actually explain that in the show would go too far, even for Marvel Studios-style teasing. Stay tuned here is all I’m saying. When it comes to whether John Walker will or won’t last too long as Cap, there must be much more revealing to come.

While I’ve got you here, I’d like to talk about my own far-fetched hope for who will really become the new Captain America…

5. Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp)

Alright, there’s about 95% chance of me being wrong by pushing Sharon Freaking Carter as a Lady Cap (she was absent from the series premiere, too), but hear me out. We haven’t seen Sharon since she violated the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War by aiding then-fugitives Cap, Falcon, and Bucky before apparently disappearing into the wind and abandoning her Agent 13 title. In Endgame, she was recorded as a victim of Thanos’ snap but, obviously, she would have been resurrected by the end of the film. She didn’t surface as part of the grand Avengers: Endgame battle, yet all of a sudden, she’s busting into this show’s Super Bowl trailer around the 1:00 mark, wielding a gun, kicking ass, and sounding like she’s not entirely thrilled with Cap or Bucky.

So, what’s she been doing all this time, and is she working for the good guys or the not-so-good ones? That’s a tough call to make for a few reasons. There are alternate versions of Sharon’s character that saw her fall under HYDRA mind control, but I would really hate to see that happen here, like say, if she had anything to do with Zemo at all. Then again, Baltroc actor Georges St-Pierre has told us all to prepare for some extra wild fan theories inspired by this season, so god help us all.

What I’d like to happen is this (although it surely won’t happen because it’s simply too good to be true): Sharon comes back and acts a little bit crabby with Sam and Bucky because she previously saved their asses, and look at what a fine mess has been made. Her previous love interest, Steve Rogers, traveled back in time to marry Sharon’s aunt. It’s not as though anyone could have stopped Steve from doing what he did, but it’s still gotta be an awkward situation for Sharon. And my dream would be for something to happen that’s similar to what we’ve seen in Marvel’s animated What If…? trailer, which showed off an alternate version of Peggy Carter after she took the super serum instead of Steve and became Captain Carter. Is there any damn reason in the world why we couldn’t see Sharon Carter become a live-action Captain Carter?

Well, this would obviously enrage those who live and die by comic book canon, but seriously, this is all make-believe. I would love to see Sharon as Captain Carter-America, but mostly, I simply want to see a lot of Sharon. Yes, I’ve joked about how the title of this show should have been The Falcon and Winter Soldier and Sharon Freaking Carter, but I’d like to see this ancillary character gain more of the spotlight and have a chance to be superheroic. As drawn by the MCU so far, Sharon’s a tough lady who’s sacrificed a lot in the name of the Captain America mantle. Even if there’s a 5% chance of her holding the shield in the end, I wouldn’t be mad at if it happened.

Disney+’s ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ will premiere on March 19.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live on Thursday night where he revealed that he accidentally bought a Tesla after taking too many or the wrong kind of CBD gummies. The Walking Dead star is currently doing night shoots in Georgia, which isn’t always conducive to feeling rested when you have a toddler in the house as Morgan and his wife Hilarie Burton do. The Negan actor also down and out with flu — Don’t worry, it’s not COVID. He’s been tested “800 times.” — so to help him get some rest, he’s been taking the gummies that were sent to him from a friend. However, he learned that they might be stronger than he realized.

After popping a few gummies one evening, Morgan woke up feeling pretty good after a solid night’s rest, but he noticed that his phone had an awful lot of messages on it. As he explained to Kimmel, he figured someone just had the wrong number. Eventually, he listened to one of the voicemails, and he knew something was up as the voice congratulated him on the purchase of a new Tesla. Turns out, at some point after ingesting the gummies, Morgan went on Tesla’s website and built a brand new car “stacked from top to bottom,” he said. Even worse, he made a down payment on the six figure vehicle. “This was a very bad mistake,” Morgan told Kimmel.

After sheepishly calling Tesla and explaining the situation, Morgan got his deposit back, but minus a few hundred dollars. “Once you start the build process on the website, you start spending money,” he told Kimmel. However, he was fine losing a couple hundred dollars instead of dropping $137,000 on a car. After Morgan wrapped things up, a laughing Kimmel told The Walking Dead actor that none of this sounds like a “CBD story,” and Morgan confessed that he thinks his buddy might have sent him “a couple different things.”

(Via Jimmy Kimmel Live)

A month ago, Lord Huron shared a new single, “Not Dead Yet.” That didn’t come with news of a new album, but since the band’s latest effort was 2018’s Vide Noir and they tend to release a full-length project every few years, it seemed like they were due for a new one. Indeed, those instincts were correct: Today, the group has announced that their latest album, Long Lost, is set for release on May 21. They also shared a new song, “Mine Forever.”

Fans of the band have already gotten some tastes of the new album, as the band has been offering early looks at fresh material during their Alive From The Whispering Pines livestream concert series, the final installment of which is set for April.

Listen to “Mine Forever” above and check out the Long Lost art and tracklist below.

1. “The Moon Doesn’t Mind”
2. “Mine Forever”
3. “(One Helluva Performer)”
4. “Love Me Like You Used To”
5. “Meet Me In The City”
6. “(Sing For Us Tonight)”
7. “Long Lost”
8. “Twenty Long Years”
9. “Drops In The Lake”
10. “Where Did The Time Go”
11. “Not Dead Yet”
12. “(Deep Down Inside Ya)”
13. “I Lied” Feat. Allison Ponthier
14. “At Sea”
15. “What Do It Mean”
16. “Time’s Blur”

Long Lost is out 5/21 via Whispering Pine Studios Inc./Republic Records. Pre-order it here.

For one reason or another, it seems Cardi B is always facing some sort of criticism for one thing or another. The latest topic of Cardi criticism is her and Megan Thee Stallion’s recent Grammys performance of “WAP.” The song has earned plenty of critics due to its explicit nature and some people were floored that the track made it onto national television. Cardi is taking the criticism in stride, though.

Yesterday, she shared a video of a person sharing a tearful reaction to the song and added, “Really ? Over Wap?” Megan took to the comments to write, “She keep wiping her eyes and it ain’t even no damn tears [crying laughing emoji].”

She also responded from a tweet from cinematographer and Republican California gubernatorial candidate Errol Webber, who shared the video from earlier this year of Cardi turning off “WAP” when she noticed her daughter Kulture enter the room. He noted, “Cardi B cuts off WAP when her daughter, Kulture, walks into the room. She looks embarrassed. This is how you know Cardi B knows right from wrong, yet STILL deliberately chooses to do wrong by girating and scissoring her WAP on national TV… in view of other people’s kids.”

Cardi fired back, “The Grammies are PG .That means parental guidance.Meaning is your job like it is to mine to my child to monitor what they watch.My performance was around 10 pm on a Sunday Your child should be in bed ready for school the next day why are they up watching Wap?”

She also retweeted another response to Webber that read, “see how easy it is to turn off inappropriate music in front of ur kids instead of complaining and keeping it on.”

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion a Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Remember the Alamo? Nah. Remember the Trump statue that everyone kept punching.

The San Antonio Express reported this week that Louis Tussaud’s Waxworks (located across the street from Texas’ historic Alamo Mission) had to remove a waxy statue of the former-president from public display because everyone kept hitting it. “They punched and scratched the figure, inflicting so much damage that management had it pulled from public view,” the paper wrote. “The scratches to Trump’s face were deep.”

It’s unclear when the wax museum will repair Trump and put him back on display. Stewart said it likely won’t happen until after the museum receives a wax figure of President Joe Biden, currently in the works at Ripley Entertainment’s headquarters in Orlando, Fla.

Jimmy Kimmel used the Trump statue as his proverbial punching bag during Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. “This should tell you something. Look at the other two guys he’s posed with: Putin and Kim Jong-un. And the one getting punched in the face every day? Trump! It’s our own guy,” he joked. “And what a likeness… Why he has Heather Locklear’s hair, I don’t know.” Kimmel thinks it’s a shame that the statue had come down. “Why not just fill it with candy and give everyone a bag?” he wondered.

You can watch the monologue above.

Daylight savings arrived last week, and that may have thrown your bingewatching into disarray, but you can reboot those plans because there’s even more to add to the list of possibilities. Netflix knows that the people demand fresh content, so they’ve got a charming edudocuseries (starring two soon-to-be-beloved puppets and a former first lady) and a film that digs deep into the shadowy sketchiness of the college admissions scandal. Finally, there’s some stand-up comedy to being that corner of the streamer roaring back to life. Will we ever be able to watch stand-up comedy in person again? Oh, it’ll happen, but in the meantime, you can enjoy those laughs in your living room.

Here’s everything else coming to (and leaving) the streaming platform this week.

Waffles + Mochi (Netflix series 3/17)

Michelle Freaking Obama stars in this show about two curious puppets, (obviously) Waffles and Mochi, who explore the world through food and culture. This also doubles as an educational series about fresh-ingredient cooking, so learn how to become a chef, along with the puppets and a former first lady. Don’t resist this one! It’s ridiculously charming, and the series travels the globe (by way of the kitchen) to help kids and grown-ups connect with far-flung traditions. From the Miso soup in Japan to spices in Italy and potatoes from the Andes of Peru, the food here might actually be more interesting than the celebrity guests.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (Netflix film 3/17)

Matthew Modine stars as Rick Singer, the man standing at the center of the enormous storm cloud that rocked the Ivy League world. Once all was said and done, Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman received prison sentences for their participation in an elaborate scheme to get children of wealthy parents into elite colleges, and yes, there’s still plenty of scandal left in this saga to entertain.

RebellComedy: Straight Outta the Zoo (Netflix stand-up special 3/15)

Netflix is swinging back into the fresh stand-up game with this comedy collective full of versatile comedians, all of whom bring different perspectives that tie into a unique group identity.

Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American (Netflix stand-up special 3/18)

The Tennessee-born funnyman launches his second Netflix special, which is chock full of Oregon Trail throwbacks and talking about all the ways he’s relatable as a father and husband.

Here’s a full list of what’s been added in the last week:

Avail. 3/12
Love Alarm: Season 2
The One
Paper Lives
Paradise PD: Part 3
YES DAY

Avail. 3/14
Audrey

Avail. 3/15
Bakugan: Armored Alliance
The BFG
The Last Blockbuster
The Lost Pirate Kingdom
Zero Chill

Avail. 3/16
RebellComedy: Straight Outta the Zoo
Savages
Waffles + Mochi

Avail. 3/17
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal
Under Suspicion: Uncovering the Wesphael Case

Avail. 3/18
B: The Beginning Succession
Cabras da Peste
Deadly Illusions
The Fluffy Movie
Nate Bargatze: The Greatest Average American
Skylines

Avail. 3/19
Alien TV: Season 2
Country Comfort
Formula 1: Drive to Survive: Season 3
Sky Rojo

And here’s what’s leaving next week, so it’s your last chance:

Leaving 3/20
Conor McGregor: Notorious

Leaving 3/22
Agatha and the Truth of Murder
I Don’t Know How She Does It

Leaving 3/24
USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage

Leaving 3/25
Blood Father
The Hurricane Heist

Leaving 3/26
Ghost Rider

Leaving 3/27
Domino

Leaving 3/30
Extras: Seasons 1-2
Killing Them Softly
London Spy: Season 1
The House That Made Me: Seasons 1-3

Leaving 3/31
Arthur
Chappaquiddick
Enter the Dragon
God’s Not Dead
Hedgehogs
Inception
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
Kung Fu Hustle
Molly’s Game
Money Talks
School Daze
Secret in Their Eyes
Sex and the City: The Movie
Sex and the City 2
Sinister Circle
Skin Wars: Seasons 1-3
Taxi Driver
The Bye Bye Man
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The Prince & Me
Weeds: Seasons 1-7

The streaming services are kicking into superhero high gear this week, well, at least two of them are doing so, and that synchronicity (while awkward) is perfectly welcome. After all, movie theaters obviously couldn’t bring us blockbusters for the past year, and everyone could use a little Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Comics escapism right now. Well, there’s a lot of it. Not only is HBO Max bringing us four hours of Zack Snyder’s Justice League cut, but the MCU is shifting back into action mode with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. With that said, these two services are pretty much tied for offering the best options this weekend, although HBO Max has a slight edge here because they have additional fresh offerings like a QAnon-focused limited series and the entirety of Allen V Farrow for viewers to enjoy. Still, we’re calling it a tie this week, and the practical difference for which you’ll prefer probably has to do with your comic book preferences. Enjoy them both! There’s plenty of room for that indulgence.

Elsewhere, Hulu has new episodes of FX on Hulu series like Mayans M.C. and Snowfall. Apple TV+ has a spooky new series from the Don’t Breathe and Evil Dead reboot director. And Netflix has a reliable variety of new options including the Operation Varsity Blues documentary and Michelle Obama in the ridiculously charming Waffles + Mochi series. You definitely won’t be bored with streaming TV this weekend, so let’s get rolling.

Disney+

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+ series) — After WandaVision proved that Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige could still bring their A+ game, even on the small screen, we’re getting the (begrudging) buddy comedy for Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes that was forecast when they grumbled over a back seat in Captain America: Civil War. Baron Helmut Zemo (portrayed by Daniel Brühl) is the big bad, but what Marvel viewers will truly love to see is the return of Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), who’s kicking ass and making her aunt’s Peggy’s spirit proud. Also, yes, “Who will be the next Cap?” will be the question on everyone’s mind, so get ready.

HBO Max

Zack Snyder’s Justice League (HBO Max) — Fans hoped this day would come, and finally, “we live in a society” where the fabled “Snyder Cut” is fabled no more. This four-hour installment is a vast improvement on Joss Whedon’s much maligned theatrical cut, and there’s a smidge of Jared Leto’s Joker to add some “WTF” flavor. Finally, there’s loads of character development, which the hard-core nerds will appreciate, so even though Joss’ version remains canon, the Snyder Cut is here to satisfy the hearts and minds of DC Comics fans.

Q: Into the Storm (HBO Max limited series) — You’ve heard all of those wild QAnon conspiracy theories, and this weekend, thia six-part documentary series begins to chronicle the movement’s evolution. Filmmaker Cullen Hoback drives into the rabbit hole to reveal how the mysterious “Q” wields conspiracies as information warfare to manipulate thinking and influence American culture. In the end, this series will touch upon the Internet’s darkest corners and explore how “unfettered free speech” (according to the synopsis) can go to dangerous places.

Allen V. Farrow (HBO limited series) — This four part documentary series is now streaming in full while digging into the notorious and still-raging scandal of what, exactly, happened with Woody Allen and his family. That includes daughter Dylan Farrow’s allegations of sexual abuse against her father along with Allen’s relationship with Farrow’s daughter, Soon-Yi, and the custody trial that grew especially ugly. In the aftermath, a sprawling family fractured, and that divide continues to this day with continuing disputes that revolve around the allegations.

Last Week Tonight (HBO Series, Sunday On HBO Max) — Everyone’s favorite sarcastic and satiric late-night host finally returned a few weeks ago (after blowing up 2020 and getting weird with sweet Adam Driver), and not a moment too soon.

Hulu

Mayans M.C.: Season 3 Premiere (FX on Hulu) — This biker drama’s second-season finale aired in late 2019, and we’ve been waiting all this time to find out the identity of the SAMCRO member who was killed at the Vatos Malditos party. EZ is now a fully-patched member, so he can stress out even more this season, and basically, the whole club starts this season a few months after that party (and the purposeful killing of Dita) in a rough place. Fortunately, this season looks to be a lot less about personal conflict and more about club maneuvering that could lead to war. Not only are the two rival M.C.s coming no closer to peacefully coexisting, but the Galindo cartel is essentially f*cked in multiple ways, and real-world issues intrude to make a fine mess for all characters. Showrunner Elgin James is officially taking the show into the post-Kurt Sutter era of the Sons Of Anarchy franchise, and he’s promised plenty of fallout involving one of my favorite words, “reckoning.” Let’s ride.

Snowfall: Season 4 episode (FX on Hulu) — The John Singleton-co-created series sees Franklin’s struggling to dance between business and authority while tragedy strikes. Meanwhile Teddy’s bailing out Gustavo as the show continues tearing through the mid 1980s, Reagan-era streets of America, although now, his missteps put Leon in danger. Meanwhile, Teddy’s attempting to avoid fallout from Tijuana, and Irene’s in investigative mode.

Kid 90 (Hulu movie) — Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye has been playing the long game with this film. Ever since the 1990s, she carried a video camera throughout her adventures — while hanging out with fellow teen stars David Arquette, Stephen Dorff, Balthazar Getty, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Brian Austin Green, and more — as they navigated Hollywood and New York City fame. Then she stuffed this footage away for over two decades, which means that this documentary is a time capsule of what it was like to come of age in the public eye before the whole internet thing. Frye presents her very own spin on the coming of age story, and yes, expect some Punky Power.

Staged: Series 2 (BBC One series on Hulu) — This is the rare COVID-era comedy that’s worth tuning into because who can resist David Tennant and Michael Sheen shooting the sh*t together while playing somewhat fictional versions of themselves? This second installment spans eight episodes and basically follows the two Brits losing their minds during this crisis that’s also making the rest of lose our minds, too. The guest lineup includes Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Schwartz, Jim Parsons, Simon Pegg, Cate Blanchett, Christoph Waltz, Ken Jeong, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

Netflix

Waffles + Mochi (Netflix series) — Michelle Freaking Obama stars in this show about two curious puppets, (obviously) Waffles and Mochi, who explore the world through food and culture. This also doubles as an educational series about fresh-ingredient cooking, so learn how to become a chef, along with the puppets and a former first lady. Don’t resist this one! It’s ridiculously charming, and the series travels the globe (by way of the kitchen) to help kids and grown-ups connect with far-flung traditions. From the Miso soup in Japan to spices in Italy and potatoes from the Andes of Peru, the food here might actually be more interesting than the celebrity guests.

Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (Netflix film) — Matthew Modine stars as Rick Singer, the man standing at the center of the enormous storm cloud that rocked the Ivy League world. Once all was said and done, Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman received prison sentences for their participation in an elaborate scheme to get children of wealthy parents into elite colleges, and yes, there’s still plenty of scandal left in this saga to entertain.

Sky Rojo (Netflix series) — Three ladies are on the run and working towards freedom while attempting to evade the henchmen of a pimp. It’s a darkly humorous and adrenaline race against many seen and unseen dangers, and they’re taking this race five minutes at a time.

Apple TV+

Calls (Apple TV+ series) — Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) aims to present an immersive TV experience with nine short-form stories based upon dark mysteries that unfold through unconnected phone conversations that shatter the lives of these characters. The season features Lily Collins, Rosario Dawson, Pedro Pascal, and Aubrey Plaza, so get ready for the spine-chilling suspense to begin.

It’s not like the members of Griselda to let too much time in between projects as the rap collective is known to deliver quality projects over a short period of time. Looking to keep that up in 2021, Benny The Butcher returns with his new effort, The Plugs I Met 2. In addition to sharing the Harry Fraud-produced body of work, the Buffalo rapper also dropped a new video for “Plug Talk” with 2 Chainz.

The visual begins with Benny in the midst of an on-camera interview as he reflects on his turbulent 2020 year. The scene then switches to a group of men that includes Benny and 2 Chainz seated in a circle for a “Hustler’s Anonymous” meeting where the rappers deliver honest raps about their past.

The Plugs I Met 2 arrives with contributions from Fat Joe, French Montana, Jim Jones, and Rick Hyde in addition to 2 Chainz. It’s also the second release from the Griselda camp after Conway The Machine teamed up with Big Ghost Ltd for their If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed project in February. It was just five months ago that Benny dropped his Burden Of Proof album, which many labeled as one of the best hip-hop projects of 2020. He also starred in Griselda’s first film, Conflicted, which they released in mid-December.

Watch the “Plug Talk” video above.

The Plugs I Met 2 is out now via Black Soprano Family. Get it here.

Lil Tjay, Polo G, and Fivio Foreign are some of the more popular newcomers on today’s rap scene. Each act has seen improved success in their career over the past couple of years, so it’s only right that they bring their talents together for a boastful collaboration. The trio dropped off their “Headshot” track and the new release lives up to its name without a doubt. The sinister song presents a clear warning from the three acts that any attempt to attack them will not only fail but be met with swift retaliation.

While it’s the first time the three artists have worked together on the song, the rappers are not unfamiliar with each other when it comes to studio time. Last year, Lil Tjay teamed up with Fivio and the late Pop Smoke for their “Zoo York” effort. Fivio also called on Tjay for their “Ambition” collaboration which can be found on his 2020 effort, 800 BC. Polo G’s breakout hit came alongside Tjay thanks to 2019’s “Pop Out” and on a more recent note, he linked with Fivio for their light-hearted track, “Bop Out.”

The new song comes after Tjay’s last song, “Calling My Phone‘ with 6lack, became his highest-charting release after it debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart. Polo G recently dropped his “GNF (OKOKOK)” track, which preceded his “Fashion” effort with Pop Smoke. Lastly, Fivio released his “Trust” collaboration alongside the late King Von with a video that captured a raucous party.

Press play on the new track in the video above.