Marvel’s X-Men are officially coming to the MCU on May 5, 2028, with an entirely new cast and this could be the beginning of Marvel’s next major era.

Adam, Hector, and Agustin break down the casting of Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, Kit Connor as Cyclops, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, Maya Boyd as Storm, and Adam Driver as Mister Sinister.

We discuss how the X-Men could emerge from the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, why Mister Sinister may be the perfect villain to introduce the MCU’s mutants, and where Marvel could take the story across multiple sagas. Could this new franchise eventually lead to the Phoenix Saga, Apocalypse, Krakoa, or Avengers vs. X-Men? Let’s speculate about the future of mutants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

We begin with our spoiler-free thoughts on Spider-Man: Brand New Day before diving into a full spoiler discussion about the biggest moments in the film.

In this episode, Adam Hlavac, Hector Navarro, and Agustin Rios share their full review of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the latest chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After giving our non-spoiler impressions, we dive deep into the film's biggest reveals, discussing Tom Holland's performance as Peter Parker, the return of Frank Castle/The Punisher, Hulk's role in the story, the long-awaited introduction of Jean Grey into the MCU, and how the movie begins setting the stage for the future of the X-Men alongside Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.

We also discuss the film's stunning 3D presentation, its action sequences, comic book influences, Easter eggs, post-credit scenes, and where Spider-Man's journey goes next. If you're a fan of Spider-Man, Marvel Comics, or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this is a spoiler-filled conversation covering one of the year's biggest superhero films and what it means for the future of Marvel storytelling.

In this episode of the Heroes Reforged Podcast, we sit down with director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) to talk about his bold new vision for the Predator universe in Predator: Badlands. Dan opens up about the expectations of making another Predator movie after Prey and Killer of Killers, and the massive creative leap of making the story’s main protagonist a Yautja—a Predator. We discuss how this shift changes the perspective of the hunt, and what it reveals about the franchise’s deeper mythology.Dan also breaks down key visual effects moments, the themes of masculinity and honor woven into Yautja culture, and the intricate process of maintaining creative consistency across the Alien and Predator timelines. He shares how he collaborated with Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez and Alien: Earth creator Noah Hawley to make sure both universes feel cohesive yet distinct. It’s an in-depth, passionate conversation about storytelling, legacy, and the evolution of cinematic monsters.

CHAPTERS

0:00:00 - Like & Subscribe

0:00:29 - Predator Premiere Experience

0:03:32 - The Pressues of Making a Movie

0:06:02 - Predator Tie-In Media

0:11:29 - "Toyetic" Movies

0:14:39 - The Mythical Third Predator Idea

0:17:16 - Predator in Multiple Theatrical Formats

0:19:04 - VFX and Sound Design

0:20:31 - Possibilities of a Yautje Dub

0:22:04 - Reworking the Movie in Post-Production

0:26:06 - Practical Suit and VFX

0:27:35 - Themes of Masculinity

0:35:45 - Taking Bold New Swings

0:39:00 - Incorporating the Alien Franchise

0:40:22 - Expanding the Fanbase

0:41:46 - The PG-13 Rating

0:45:48 - "What if he throws it?" Collaborative Filmmaking

0:48:53 - Working with Fede Alvarez and Noah Hawley

0:55:22 - What's Next / Did Dan's Parents like the movie?

0:56:55 - What to Expect on the 4K UHD Blu-ray

1:00:25 - Thanks to our Patrons