Nerdy News Special #30: The Road to Doomsday & the Comeback of MySpace

We run through the week’s biggest nerd news across movies, TV, gaming, and internet culture, from Marvel’s next slate to the weirdest headlines we cannot ignore. We also get real about spoiler etiquette, digital-only futures, and why people seem desperate for more personal spaces online again. 
• Avengers Doomsday trailer reactions and MCU casting updates 
• Spider-Man Brand New Day preview record and billion-dollar pace 
• Thoughts on spoilers, review timing, and respecting first-time viewers 
• YouTube Premium adding Peacock and what bundles mean for streaming 
• Wonderman cancellation and frustration over stalled Armor Wars plans 
• Disney Plus testing TikTok-style user content and creator-led TV 
• God of War live-action casting change and other franchise TV moves 
• GTA 6 premiere chatter, digital-only backlash, and GameStop’s numbers 
• Bethesda roadmap talk, remakes hopes, and DnD crossover announcements 
• Machine Gun Kelly anime references and when it feels forced 
• Manga creator dream dinner and who fans want invited next 
• MySpace relaunch details and escaping algorithm-heavy feeds 
• After dark gossip and a quick reality check on celebrity cheating 
please subscribe to the Patreon if you're interested in knowing what we're gonna be up to in the upcoming months and next year 

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Setup

SPEAKER_00 0:01

What up, gang? It's JB and the Zone Podcast. Got some nerdy news for you. As

Marvel Trailers And Movie Records

SPEAKER_00 0:08

per usual, we're going to start with movies. So, the official trailer for Avengers Doomsday has been revealed. We got Doom blocking Thor, Stormbreaker with two fingers. We got Shang-Chi fighting Gambit. We got Yelena Baloba fighting Mystique. We got Steve Rogers, Loki, and a lot of known characters returning. And I am excited for that. Spider-Man Brand New Day has made $72 million in previews, meaning Tom Holland's movie has broken a record previously held by Avengers Endgame, which made 60 million in Thursday previews. Brand New Day has now made over a billion dollars in less than a week, and the Russo brothers congratulated them on that record-breaking achievement. Congratulations to that. Announced during Marvel San Diego Comic-Con, uh a whole bunch of casting for the MCU going forward, such as David Johnson from Alien Romulus and The Long Walk has been announced as the new Black Panther and the Son of T'Cala. For the third movie, they're gonna age him up to where by the time we get Black Panther 3 in 2028, because it's December 2028. Haley Atwell will be officially returning as Peggy Carter in Avengers Doomsday. Uh Marvel's Ghostbart. Excuse me, goddamn. Marvel's Ghost Rider is set to hit theaters in 2028 with Deadpool Wolverine director Sean Levy at the helm reuniting with Ryan Gosling following 2027 Star Wars Starfighter. So he's gonna have a busy two years being in Star Wars and being Ghost Rider now. Marvel Studios also tapped Kid Connor to play Scott Summers, aka Cyclops, and his upcoming X-Men movie held by Thunderbolts director Jake. Also starring Samar Weaving as Emma Frost. Great kids. And considering it's a multi-picture deal, I'm guessing that there's gonna be sequels to the Zelda movie. Obsession is now the biggest original horror movie of the 21st century. The horror has now grossed over 426 million to passing titles such as Get Out, The Conduit, and Sinners. Uh, speaking of Obsession Obsession, uh Andy Note November has been named as Mystique in the Marvel Universe, the MCU with uh director J Swire. So cool. Like, we got a whole bunch of cool people doing in the MCU now. This year's live action Mortal Kombat 2 movie, which was considered a major improvement from the first one, will be available to stream on HBO Max on July 24th. Following her Eternal Sunshine Tour, Ariana Grande will be taking a step back from public life, including an exit from the Sunheim Musical Sunday and the part with George on in London's West End. Some say it was due to the remarks and memes of fans that are concerned about her body. And you know what? I'm just not gonna speak on that. Uh honestly, I don't think this meant to be for movies, but then again, it was like something based off I don't know, like my bad on that. I guess I just throw that in there in the wrong section, but uh keeping it going. So it looks like Sony's Spider-Man spin-off universe may have come to an end after films like Madame Webb, Morbius, and Craven the Hunter failed to satisfy audiences um as Sony is observing, and I'm like, well, yeah, like I mean, they could have been a lot better, but that's just the thing, is like the way the the Marvel IP is being divided between Sony Universal and Marvel Studios, where you can't really use a whole lot in the movies. So, yeah, I'm not surprised that they didn't do well because the main person that needs to be involved is not involved. But keeping it going, uh, surprising enough, Robert Pattinson is playing Chris Hansen in Primetime, an A24 crime drama about the to catch a predator series arriving in theaters on September 25th. Uh, Warner Brothers confirmed that Ace Ventura and Sonic the Hedgehog star Jim Carrey will front a live action movie advertisement of the Jetsons. So cool, nice, interesting. That

Spoilers And Review Timing

SPEAKER_00 5:53

will conclude movies. And like I said before, I'm excited for Avengers Doomsday. I'm planning on reviewing Spider-Man brand new day. Um that's coming out eventually. Like, but main thing is I'm trying not to spoil it for anybody. So if it comes out months later, like maybe like in September or so, then to be fair, I was trying not to spoil the movie for anybody who still wants to see the movie. Because Lord knows the internet is already trying to spoil the movie, even though it's only been a week. And then again, I think that's kind of the point of a community where you want to talk about certain things, especially if they're like new, and by the time the spoiler ban is up, it's like eh, I don't know if we gotta talk about it now. Because it's not new, it's not fresh on the mind anymore. We have other things going on, so like, yeah. It's like, yeah, it'll be polite and considerate to let people be able to enjoy the movie without spoilers, but at the very least, you just need to go around and find somebody who wants the movie so you can just geek out about it with them, and then okay, there you go. Satisfied, no need to ruin everybody else's experience just because you want to talk to somebody about it. But moving

TV Deals And Marvel Cancellations

SPEAKER_00 7:20

on to television, uh, we got YouTube premium subscribers in the U.S. will soon get access to Peacock at no extra cost. It will include the NFL, NBA, and Blockbuster movies, which is great. And at the same time, I didn't even care for Peacock that much, anyways, but they do have some good movies and whatnot. So I think it's a good thing to wear. I do have YouTube Premium, so I think it would be great to wear like, okay, now I can access certain movies. If I want to watch a game, then I can on YouTube Premium, and that'll be cool. Uh Marvel's Wonderman TV series has been canceled and will not return for its planned second season. There's also been no news or developments on Armor Wars led by Don Cheeto's War Machine, which is unfortunate because I do want War Machine to make combat, but here's my thing. Hear me out. This doesn't have to happen, but based on it being like comic book canon or like in a certain run, I'm thinking either get somebody to be Carnell Jacobs as the new war machine, or just temporarily give Frank Castle the war machine suit, or like not the war machine suits, like you know, like canonically speaking, it's like it's like a uh alteration, like a variant of the war machine suit. Because you know, they actually happen in the comics, and like with John Berthall, his version of the punch where he's doing pretty well with that role. I'm thinking, hey, like, give him a war machine suit. Like, I can see him with it. But of course, I can only imagine it being like a movie or whatnot. And that's also a sad thing, too, because Armor Wars was set up to be a TV show, but then they made it try to make it to a movie, and now it's they're kind of treating it like Blades where they just don't really know what to do with it. And that's to be fair, because it's mainly based on Iron Man and his tech being in the wrong hands, you can still do something with that. Like, there's certain like under the radar type characters in the Iron Man storylines like Firepower, Titanium Man, Beatle, uh, some other guy that I'm forgetting about. But it was a bunch of people with suits that pretty much was abusing Stark Technology, and you mainly need Tony for that, but it could have still worked with Roadie. But at the same time, I'm like, okay, well, if y'all can't think of anything to go for, I'm like, all right, well, then just hang it up then.

Disney Plus Meets TikTok Culture

SPEAKER_00 10:33

It's unfortunate, but it is what it is. Keeping it moving. Disney Plus will soon feature user-made content from TikTok, the company has announced. So will that mean like can like if I have a TikTok, like, does that mean that your content could pop up on Disney? Or is it more like uh certain people, like people who have like millions of followers already? Uh are they just gonna cherry pick whose content's gonna show up on Disney Plus? Uh that's what I'm trying to figure out. Speaking of Disney, Twitch streamer Extra Emily now has her own 15-episode show streaming on Hulu and Disney. This series will repackage her old vlogs and streams into traditional TV episodes. Okay, um, I have no personal beef with Extra Emily, but it's more like I seen some of the clips. I I know of her, like I know about the driving, I know about her uh not paying her dad back for pretty much not using her college degree. I know about that shit, I know the some of the lore, and I'm like personally, I got nothing against her, but at the same time, it's like why? Why does this need to be a thing? It's that's like the whole thing with uh that one stream, Melinity, all over again, to where she got like a Netflix special, and I'm sitting there like, so the same girl that threw her cat, gave her cat, vodka, did a whole bunch of shady immoral shit, like marrying a Canadian for a green card and then divorced him um soon afterwards, just so she can get into the states, or or not the states, uh, just to get into North America, like is that where we're at right now? Let's keep moving.

God Of War Casting And Netflix Shifts

SPEAKER_00 12:58

Dave Bautista is supposed to be in toss to replace Ryan Hearst as Kratos MD, Amazon MGM's upcoming live action God of War series, which I can see it. I can see it. As you many of you may already know, this comes after Hearst had to leave uh the project due to a bicep tearing while performing the stunt. It should be that Batista has also been one of the most popular fan casts for the role since the series has originally announced. So, yeah, it's unfortunate for Ryan Hearst, but kind of a blessing in disguise. Rockstar did announce that a special Grand Theft Auto 6 attended Love World premiere on Netflix on Thursday, August 27th, but I also heard that's been pulls, they're not doing it anymore because you know, ever since the whole backlash with PlayStation not doing physical discs anymore, it's almost like we kind of don't want to hear it from Rockstar. Like, it's like ever since you made that move to make the game digital only, it's almost like we're just not hearing it from the family. I mean, you probably still gonna get sales. Like, I know Professor Tuck already pre-ordered the game, so he don't care. Like, there's probably a lot of people that's not gonna care, they're probably still gonna play it, but I think on principle, there's a lot of people that's not going to play the game. Netflix has reportedly shelved David Finter's American Squid Game spinoff series, according to sources close to the project, which is kind of unfortunate because I was gearing up to redo the whole Squid Game review because we only reviewed season one way, way back during our podcast days, but I just never got around to season two or three, and I was gonna wait until it's American spinoff, but if that's been canceled, then uh well, it is what it is, and also I feel like the hype for Squid Game died after season two. Like it was like it was almost like a lot of hype in season one, then it was kind of hype in season two, and then by season three, it's almost like people just stopped caring. I don't know why, but I mean I didn't see season three yet, but now oh yeah, since we're talking about PlayStation, so check this out.

Gaming Goes Digital And What We Lose

SPEAKER_00 15:47

The GameStop CEO, by the way, we're now into game the game session now, the GameStop CEO said that PlayStation going all digital doesn't matter to the business because physical game sales now account for just 12 of what they actually sell. And I actually believe that because ever since the whole PS5 hunt, I noticed how they put more emphasis on the accessories attached to the console rather than the console itself. So I honestly believe they're more concerned about the game accessories, the Funko Pops, uh teachers, the trading cards. Like it's almost like you're not even a video game retailer anymore. It's like you're a holo shell of what you're supposed to be. So this makes me miss the days of rhinos, where I feel like rhinos would never do a disturbance, and honestly, this is why I dare say there needs to be competition for companies like this to where we need companies that actually give a shit about the gamers, not consumers, not customers, gamers. You know, like from a gamer to a gamer, we're gonna work with you. Like we're not trying to be on some bullshit, like we want you to enjoy video games, like you know, uh keeping it going. So Bethesda has laid out his roadmap for the foreseeable future with Elvis Scrolls 6, Fallout 5, a new um Fallout game. I think it's like uh from Obsidian. So I think it's gonna be a variant, like either a variant or a remake. Like people are really hoping for Fallout New Vegas to be remastered. So I'm like, if it does, cool. And yeah, there will be several remake projects and more, all confirmed. So we'll see. Uh, new zoo analysis showed that GTA 6 generated approximately 180 million in digital pre-orders. See, that's what I was talking about, like pre like alluding to earlier, to where there's still gonna be people buying the game, and this just shows right here his numbers right here, to where he already made 180 million in digital pre-orders, and in the US and the five biggest European markets during the first week of pre-order, and the estimates that globally that number is approximately 260 million. So at this point, it really kind of don't matter, like uh Rockstar is still gonna do what they do because there's still gonna be people buying the game, but yeah, I guess this is how it is, and that's why I'm not gonna even be surprised if by the time we get the new PlayStation and physical is gonna be phased out, chances are there probably still gonna be people buying the new PlayStation and buying digital games, like they're gonna be mad about it, yeah. And hell, like I feel them. Like, even if my games are all digital, like I still like the idea of people being able to buy physical. I still like the idea of people owning their games. But even if I can say that all my games are digital, like I just feel like some people are just gonna be mad about it. And maybe they might stick to the guns, but chances are some folks are just gonna be like, eh, well, yeah, I was mad about it, but at this point, I'm just gonna get one anyways. Like, I'm just gonna get the new PlayStation anyways. Like, especially if what they do is, yeah, the new PlayStation is gonna be digital, but there's gonna be some features and bells and whistles where it kind of makes it worth it, especially depending on the launch title. Like, if you have some very strong launch titles for this new PlayStation, especially if they're exclusive, then yeah, you're definitely gonna have people playing, like buying up the new um PlayStation regardless. Uh two more things under gaming. Uh Dungeons and Dragons having two crossovers, one with World of Warcraft coming in November 17th, and then we're gonna have a crossover uh collaboration

DnD Crossovers And Anime Rap Debate

SPEAKER_00 21:00

with Star Wars somewhere in 2027, which actually it makes a whole lot of sense. Uh not much on books. There is one thing on music to where uh Machine Gun Kelly did put out a new song called JJK, you know, like referencing JJ Wukaizen and Hunter Hunter and uh other anime. And while some folks were digging the songs, some folks just felt like just came off cringe. I uh I'm not gonna because that's the thing. A lot of people were like trying to do the whole gatekeeping thing to where they think, oh, he's not really about anime. It's just he's just doing it because it's just popular to rap about anime nowadays. And I don't think that's the case. I'm not accusing, assuming, or judging on that aspect. I mean, it can be like that. Like a lot of people who fuck with anime, they were like kind of closeted about it until it became mainstream, and now they feel free to actually talk about it. I don't think that's the case, but I will say it felt like he was trying too hard. That was the thing. That's what makes it kind of cringe, where it felt like he was trying too hard with the references. See, I like shit like with uh Childish Gambino when he did uh Bonfire and he made an Invader Zim reference where it just felt very subtle. Uh when he said, I'm a beast bitch girl, Invader Zim. And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hey, hey, what you don't do? Because you didn't kind of because the way he kind of segued into it, that was kind of cool. That was kind of cool, not gonna lie. Um, another example in recent time, I'm gonna say Titan Man, where this one song I like. Uh fuck uh not me, that's what it's called. And essentially he made a reference to Full Metal Alchemist, and the way he did it though was kind of cool. But this song is just felt like so on the nose and almost like trying too hard. That's in my opinion. But outside of that, I'm not really trying to judge too much, but I kind of see where they're coming from with it being a little cringe. Now

Manga Dream Dinner And Pop Culture Weirdness

SPEAKER_00 23:44

let's move on to the miscellaneous. So, HR Oda invited a group of legendary manga creators to what is being called a dream dinner, fulfilling a promise he had made to them a year earlier. This includes Masashi Kishimoto, who was the creator of Naruto, uh Takahito Inoi of Slam Dunk, co-head Hori Toshi, who did Maira Academia, uh Geiji Akutami, obviously Juju Zukaisen, uh Richiro Inagaki, who did Dr. Stone, uh Hiro Yuki Take, who did Shaman King, uh Masakazu Katsura, who did Zetman, and Masonori Morita, who did Rokunashi Blues. Uh now Morita, who attended the dinner, later shared an illustration capturing the group casually heading toward their taxes afterwards. And as fans celebrated the rare gathering, many also pointed out that several legendary creators were not part of dinner, names like Yoshi Hiro Togashi, who made Hunter Hunter, Taite Kuro, who made Bleach, and Hirohiko Araki, who made Jojo Adventure, were among the most mentioned in that discussion. There was no indication that anyone was intentionally left out. The conversation simply reflects how many iconic manga creators exist today and how impossible it would be to fit every legend in one dinner. So if Oda hosted another dream dinner, which manga creator would you want to see invited next? Honestly, at this point, I would say get the people who are making Dungeon Messi, Freerun, uh, which uh uh Telier, Black Torch, Kabaki, I mean, excuse me, uh, Kabachi, Black Clover, and of course, you know, the OGs, of course, but like all I'm saying is I want to say as long as like a mix of both the OGs and the people who are making the new hotness out, it'll be great to where it's like, okay, you imagine you're like rest out of oh um damn, I forgot his name, but I can forget his name already. But the guy who made Attack on Titan, another great example already. Um I want to say just have a whole bunch of people who made like very successful, like iconic anime in the same room with people who make the newcomer anime that's like kind of popping off, like with Danadan and uh some others, uh, to be hero X. Like that'll be like a good mix where it's almost like the new school is being schooled by the old school. Yeah, I would love that. Now keeping it moving, Spencer Spirit Holdings, the people who own uh Spencer's and Spirit Halloween is acquiring Box Lunch and Hot Topic. So they're gonna be part of a bigger family. And I'm kind of interested to see how that will work out because I like Spencer's, I like Spirit Halloween, I like Box Lun and Hot Topic. So I'm kind of curious how that'll play out. Uh, crazy enough. Tokyo police have arrested a woman for obstructing the business of anime company Suatia after she allegedly ordered, then canceled more than 4.3 billion worth of Naruto and One Piece merchandise. So talk about wasting their time 2026. Now, in series news, Japanese officials have repeatedly requested that the US government stop its meme posting with involving characters and franchises such as Mario, Pokemon, and Naruto. Because honestly, that is getting kind of cringe and a little distasteful when you have your politics and you're not only using these characters to try to brainwash the general public to go along with the bullshit, like, oh hey, they're using Naruto, like they're using Pokemon characters, like, oh, so the government is kind of cool. I hey, no, no, stop that. Stop it. Now, this is the most interesting news out of the miscellaneous, in my personal opinion.

MySpace Relaunch And Algorithm Burnout

SPEAKER_00 28:44

MySpace is coming back with profile HTMLs. Uh, MySpace is planning a full relaunch. Its owners have confirmed. Uh, Chris and Tim Vanderhoek revealed that it'll be a new documentary titled Facebook. I mean, no, what the fuck? Titled MySpace, directed by Tommy Avalon, pitching the revived platform as an ultimate alternative to today's algorithm of heavy apps. The idea leans into everything modern social media has drifted from. That means a deliberately old school design. The network was run entirely on a chronological feed rather than addictive engagement loops, providing customizable profile, HTML, background music, plus the classic top 8 friend ranking. The focus falls on creativity, personal spaces, and music discovery over endless rolling. The timing is not locked in yet. Uh, the band of hooks say that they are waiting for the right moment for a full rollout, but the underlying numbers suggested real momentum. Uh, monthly active users reportedly grew from 200,000 in 2023 to 6 million in 2026, driven largely by millennial nostalgia plus app burnout. That growth has translated into very good news. MySpace reportedly reached its first profitable year in over a decade, a notable turn given its long history. The brothers previously sank more than 150 million trying to revive the site by buying it from Newsport, and they are vowing to keep trying. So, yeah, like I remember having a MySpace way back then, and I think it would be great because scrolling through Facebook and Twitter and whatnot, I'm like, uh, like it's like great if you like. My main thing is I like using social media kind of like an online newspaper, but at the same time, I'm just kind of getting tired of seeing the same things, especially if it's like all because it's getting engagement, you just keep seeing it over and over and over, especially some people like rehashing and posting the same memes over and over and over and all, bro. Maybe I have a little too much internet, but like at the same time, I don't know, just something else. Like a good mix of things to where it's like it's not as annoying, it's not that obvious that we're just recycling memes and whatnot. And the last thing I got, which is technically after dark information,

After Dark Relationship Chaos

SPEAKER_00 31:40

but fuck it. Uh, I'm just gonna mention it anyways. Uh, we got Tatiana Chanel, uh former spiritual reader, Jamie Jam Collection, exposed the 20-year-old TikTok influencer for teening on Boston Richie with other rappers like Lil Baby, Rod Wave, Quavo, Offset, NBA Youngboy, and others. These hoes ain't loyal. I was alright. What else is new? Like water's wet, sky's blue, the world's gonna keep turning, people are born and dead every day, like you know, like at this point, it's like it's not even news exactly. I just think it's like, I just think it's just interesting how all these rappers are like going through the same girl, like not just this girl, but like in general, to where you know, you just got a whole bunch of people like going around having affairs and whatnot with the same people. It's one of those things where it just makes me wish, like, imagine having one person in a room, and then you bring in every person that they ever dated, and then you bring in every person that first person's exes have ever dated and just network from there, and I'm just trying to curious to see when we'll get to a point where just about everybody recognize everybody in that room to where I'm like y'all all fucking around with the same people. It's almost like imagine having any one of these rappers, and they have every girl that they ever smashed, and then we bring in a whole bunch of rappers, and we see if they also slept with the same girl, and I'm like, and it can go either way, so it's like the girls could have been fucking around with all these different rappers, and all these rappers could be fucking around with the same girl. I just think it's funny and crazy in that aspect, but yeah, that's pretty much it. That's the dirty news, like, and yeah, normally I have people on for this, but I didn't have a whole lot to say. We didn't have a whole lot going on, and a whole lot of things have been going on. But hey, listen, I know I'm still done this at the beginning, but I didn't want to be one of those people that's like kind of predatory about it.

Patreon Push And Farewell

SPEAKER_00 34:54

But listen, for real, please subscribe to the Patreon if you're interested in knowing what we're gonna be up to in the upcoming months and next year, because we got some projects that we're trying to work on, like some video projects. We're trying to do a whole bunch of different things, and I want to say you can subscribe for a minimum of five dollars, but I might bring it up to ten dollars just to make sure that everyone involved with the project is getting paid fairly. Like, I want to make sure that because not just me, it's just a whole bunch of teams, like a whole bunch of people on the team, and we're trying to make things happen, but not gonna lie, a little money would help. So, at the very least, we're asking for about five, ten dollars out of the month, and the best part is just tell your people about us and see if they will be interested in supporting. We even got like I would say cash app, buy me a coffee or whatnot. If you want to do one time donations if you're interested in that, but yes, we got Patreon, we have a Discord, we're on Facebook, Instagram. Uh, we do have Twitter, but I don't really care for Twitter that much. So at the very least, we'll try to have a presence on Twitter, at least when it matters. I'm on TikTok at ChefBlack Stream. I'm also on YouTube. By the way, our podcast can be listened to on YouTube. So check out the Zone Podcast, nerding news and reviews on YouTube. We are on just about every major platform. So please show your support, and we will highly appreciate that as we get new computers, uh, new equipment, so that way we can do better things and show our appreciation to you guys for supporting us so far. But until the next uh nerdy news session, until the next review or whatever we got going on. Have yourself a good morning, good afternoon, good evening, good night. But ultimately, stay nerdy, stay faithful, remember that great things are coming, and uh take it easy on yourself. I'm gonna zone apologies.