Reacher season is my favorite time of year, and season 4 will account for much of my screen time over the next few months.
If you remember, the end of season 3 saw Reacher (Alan Ritchson) finally kill Quinn (Brian Tee) point-blank with a shotgun after reminding him of how he murdered Kohl (Mariah Robinson).
Reacher then, as is is way, leaves town... but does that mean that the drama stops? Of course not — it's just a new beginning (especially as season 5 has already been confirmed).
I haven't even seen any previews yet, but my advice is to strap in for what could be the wildest ride yet. But when do Reacher season 4 episodes 1-3 arrive on Prime Video?
What time can I watch Reacher season 4 episodes 1-3 on Prime Video?
We're expecting episodes 1-3 of Reacher season 4 to be available on Prime Video on August 12 at 12am PT / 3am ET in the US.
Internationally, look out for the below times:
US – 12am PT / 3am ET
Canada – 12am PT / 3am ET
UK – 8am BST
India – 12:30pm IST
Singapore – 3pm SGT
Australia – 6pm AEST
New Zealand – 8pm NZDT
When do new episodes of Reacher season 4 come out?
(Image credit: Prime Video)
After its three-episode premiere, Reacher season 4 episodes will be airing on a weekly basis. This gives us the following season schedule:
Episode 1: August 12
Episode 2: August 12
Episode 3: August 12
Episode 4: August 19
Episode 5: August 26
Episode 6: September 2
Episode 7: September 9
Episode 8: September 16
Interestingly, the Reacher season 4 finale coincides with the day that all episodes of spinoff Neagley will arrive on Prime Video.
I’ve always been a fan of premium formats at the cinema, and thanks to the combination of a large screen, rich visuals, and sound that really packs a punch, Dolby Cinema has long been my go-to choice — even over IMAX.
This week, I ventured to a local AMC in New Jersey for Spider-Man: Brand New Day in Dolby Cinema. The theater featured stadium-style seating and was practically sold out, with only a handful of seats remaining in the front row. Considering the film has grossed more than a billion dollars globally, including over half a billion dollars in the US alone, it’s no surprise that tickets for Dolby Cinema and theaters in general have been hard to come by.
So, while my screening came a few days after opening, it was well worth the wait and ended up being one of my favorite Dolby Cinema experiences in a while.
For starters, the dual 4K laser projectors that power Dolby Cinema did a fantastic job with Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Colors were rich and vibrant, while the finer details in darker scenes remained visible without losing that cinematic contrast. Yes, a Dolby Cinema screen is typically smaller than a true IMAX screen, but that didn’t bother me here. Between the picture quality and the audio, I still felt completely immersed in the world of Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
I was pulled into the action almost immediately, and the combination of the screen, seating, and sound made the theater itself almost disappear.
You could, of course, opt for ScreenX, which wraps the image around you across the side walls, or catch Brand New Day on select IMAX screens in the US for a limited time. Just remember that those screenings aren’t necessarily the same as seeing a film presented in true 70mm IMAX — an important distinction when talking about premium cinema formats.
But for me, the real highlight was the Dolby Atmos sound.
Dolby Cinema’s audio setup is an expansive, full-range system designed to deliver sound throughout the theater, and Brand New Day makes particularly good use of it. It can pack a serious punch when the action kicks in, but what impressed me most was the low end. The bass wasn’t simply loud; it had weight and presence, adding another physical dimension to explosions, movement, and the film’s bigger action sequences.
Spoilers lie ahead
Spoilers for Spider-Man: Brand New Day ahead
(Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)
As noted above, the real highlight for me was the sound. While the entire mix was well done and made excellent use of Dolby Cinema’s audio capabilities, there is one scene in particular that stands out — hence the spoiler warning, as it revolves around a pretty major plot point.
As Peter Parker begins to deal with the rise of arachnid traits in his genes — see a taste in the image above — he starts experiencing heightened senses. When he heads onto a rooftop, the sequence becomes a fantastic showcase for what a well-designed cinema sound system can actually do.
You hear the rush and bustle of New York City around Peter. Footsteps take on a heightened presence. An empty bag of chips scraping and tumbling along the ground suddenly becomes an important part of the soundscape. Instead of simply hearing these sounds as background noise, you’re placed inside Peter’s heightened perception of them.
And this is where Dolby Atmos really shines, especially when it all rushes together.
From a spatial perspective, the mix does a tremendous job of pinpointing where sounds are coming from and matching them to what’s happening on screen. Sounds move around the theater in a way that feels deliberate rather than gimmicky, helping put you directly into Peter’s headspace. The result is a sequence that feels less like you’re watching someone experience heightened senses and more like you’re experiencing them alongside him.
It’s a real tour de force for the sound team — and arguably one of the better demonstrations I’ve experienced of what premium cinema audio can add to a movie beyond simply making things louder.
When I head in for my second viewing of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it’ll most certainly be in Dolby Cinema again. The picture is excellent, the seating and presentation are fantastic, and the overall experience is incredibly immersive.
But ultimately, it’ll be for the sound.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day reminded me that when Dolby Cinema is firing on all cylinders, the audio can be just as important to the cinematic experience as what’s happening on the screen.
After falling in love with Disneyland Handcrafted, I was excited to dive into the studio's latest documentary movie, Disney Worldbuilders. Directed by Leslie Iwerks, the new movie has a tiny runtime of 58 minutes and call me greedy, but I really wanted more.
Disney Worldbuilders gets up-close-and-personal with some of Disney's most influential voices, where we learn about creative processes and their lasting impact on both cinema and the Disney Parks around the world.
Even though I loved what I saw, I did feel as though Worldbuilders tries to squeeze too much into its runtime. Unlike Handcrafted, which solely focuses on Walt's vision for Disneyland in Anaheim, this jumps around between subjects, and I wish we'd had an episode for each person interviewed so we could've taken a deeper dive.
The stacked line-up is made up of Bob Iger, James Cameron, Jon Favreau, Kevin Feige, Jennifer Lee, Pete Docter, Dave Filoni, Jared Bush, and Josh D’Amaro. That's a lot of people to talk to in under an hour, so I really wish we'd had more time with all of them!
Bob Iger in particular deserves a documentary of his own, and I hope we get one so we can properly examine the huge impact he's had on the Walt Disney Company, because it's not to be sniffed at. His segments didn't seem to fit with the rest of the interviews.
Still, that doesn't mean Worldbuilders is not worth your time. Far from it, in fact; I think it gives some really valuable and inspiring insights from some of the biggest names across Disney properties like Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, and it's hard not to smile when you're greeted with this footage.
Jennifer Lee and her sister have an emotional scene in Disney Worldbuilders. (Image credit: Disney)
The scale of the Disney Parks really is fascinating, and I liked how we were able to see the early days of areas such as Hollywood Studios' Galaxy's Edge and Animal Kingdom’s Pandora, especially how the directors of those movies responded to seeing their creations come to life. Now, fans get to walk through the worlds we see on screen, and the constant innovation going on across the global parks is jaw-dropping.
I found myself getting emotional during certain parts, particularly Jennifer Lee's reaction to World of Frozen at Disneyland Paris. Seeing her wandering around with Olaf and reflecting on her relationship with her sister is incredibly touching, given how Anna and Elsa are such inspirational figures to a lot of people out there.
Even though the interviews with each subject are short, we do get a lot of heartfelt anecdotes which I found to be very interesting. As someone who has been enamored with filmmaking from a young age, it's inspiring to see how these amazing creatives can help shape future attractions for all ages. In Worldbuilders, they reflect on their own childhoods and how they ended up working for one of the biggest media companies in the world.
Ultimately, this would have worked so much better in an episodic format because I could have happily watched eight hours of this, as opposed to the one hour we did get. I am hopeful that Disney will do more long-form Parks-focused documentaries like this, especially ones that talk to the creatives responsible for writing these worlds we know and love.
Spotify wants to introduce new ways for listeners to engage with the artists they love the most, all while expressing their own creativity.
The streamer’s audio mixing feature for playlists has sky-rocketed in popularity, introducing a new way for listeners to modify their playlists. Now Spotify is working on a new AI-powered fan-made covers and remix tool — and it’s seeking the help of Merlin.
Spotify’s upcoming remix tool will come as a subscription add-on, though we don’t know when it’s due to drop or how much it will be on top of the current $12.99/ £12.99/ AU$15.99 monthly Spotify Premium plan.
Despite knowing very little about it, we do know that the remix feature will garner significant attention across the board of users, artists, organizations, and analysts alike. So what’s the end-goal for Spotify, and what are people saying about its potential knock-on effects for musicians and listeners?
What is the agreement?
(Image credit: Spotify)
On August 4, Spotify and digital licensing partner Merlin announced a new agreement that would give artists on labels under the Merlin name the option to lend their music to Spotify’s remix feature. Merlin is the second organization to sign on to the deal, following Universal Music Group in May.
For Spotify, the goal is simple: to ‘give listeners a new way to engage with the music they love from participating artists and songwriters,’ as stated in the announcement. Spotify also says the tool ‘will create an additional revenue stream for participating artists’.
However, despite knowing the tool will be AI-powered, Spotify hasn’t gone into detail as to exactly how it will allow listeners to create their own remixes of their favorite songs. The discourse around AI-generated slop is still a hot topic, and Spotify is still bearing the brunt of harsh criticism, so its venture into launching AI-powered music add-ons has left everyone scratching their heads.
What are Spotify’s competitors saying?
(Image credit: Qobuz)
As far as rival music streamers go, it’s safe to say the top dogs aren’t too interested in integrating AI throughout their respective UXs. While the likes of Apple Music and Tidal use algorithmic recommendations to fuel discovery, the number of generative AI tools is nowhere near as saturated as Spotify.
Listening to an artist’s music in the way it was released is the only concern for most companies, particularly for Dan Mackta, Managing Director at Qobuz, who gave us the following statement: “Qobuz isn’t looking at anything like this. The finished music that great artists release is good enough for us and our community”.
The desire to keep the traditional listening experience in place is quite prevalent on the one hand. Some users just want to kick back with an album or playlist, hit the play button, and let the music do its thing. But as music analyst and founder of MIDiA Research Mark Mulligan points out, the yearning for active participation is growing.
Mulligan detailed this in a comment shared with us: “A growing share of consumers want to do more than just listen. Audio modification is an opportunity both to tap into consumer creativity and fandom. Playing around with your favourite artist’s song is an ultimate expression of fandom”.
Additionally, he backed this up with his own findings from the recent MIDiA Q1 2026 consumer survey: “The potential of audio modification is significant. Consumer demand is clear, with 54% of consumers interested in some form of audio modification, from changing speed to swapping vocals, rising to 80% for 16–19-year-olds”.
Participatory music is a rising phenomenon, and software labels like A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya want to create experiences that go beyond just listening to a song. However, AI is out of the question, and the creativity is placed in the hands of the user, not generated by a machine.
What are artists/ organizations saying?
(Image credit: Musician's Union)
In light of Spotify’s announcement, it’s not just competitors that are having their say on the AI-powered remix tool. Additionally, artists and music organizations are questioning the long-term financial effects the feature could have.
Musician’s Union is a UK-based organization that represents artists in all areas of the music industry, and its General Secretary Naomi Pohl views Spotify’s partnership with two minds.
“The Merlin and Spotify announcement sounds positive as it suggests artists will have the choice to participate in licensing deals or not and, crucially, that they will share in any revenue generated by the use of their works. This is better than the blanket approach taken by some major labels,” she tells us, but she also raises concerns about how artists will be paid, adding the following:
“However, as with music streaming royalties, there is a question over how artists signed to independent labels will be paid by their label. Artists should in theory get 50% of any revenue their label receives, but in practice this may not happen in all cases as it will depend on the label’s interpretation of the artist’s contract. Many artists signed before AI deals were even conceived of. And, as with music streaming, session or backing musicians on tracks currently stand to receive no share of revenue”.
When it comes to royalties, Spotify has faced severe criticism due to its payment model. Because Spotify pools money generated from subscriptions, it means the most streamed artists over the year will receive a higher percentage of the profits made. So, even if you spend an entire year supporting and streaming an up-and-coming indie band, your subscription money is still going to artists like Taylor Swift.
Royalties aside, the other concern lies within the protection of music in its original form. PRS for Music, who handle the rights and royalties behind music, feel this strongly. “More generally, streaming services are embracing new technologies, including AI, to give fans new ways to engage with the music they love,” a PRS spokesperson told us.
But despite these emerging consumer tools, what could easily get lost is the care for the music itself. PRS fears this will become less of a priority, adding “Creators, and their work, must be central to the development of these new tools. They must be designed specifically to protect the integrity of the work above all else, and to ensure creators are fairly paid for the value they bring to each and every platform”.
At the end of the day, these platforms are there not only for fans to listen and engage with music, but they're there for artists to allow fans to hear music the way they intended. Though Spotify's AI-powered remix tool would be a creative addition to the service, how long will it be before everyone reverts to streaming AI-generated mashups instead of the real thing?
A Google user has had the LOTR movies pulled from their account
Licensing changes are the most likely reason
It's another argument for physical media — or for piracy
We've seen multiple incidents over the years where users have had movies and shows in their digital libraries unceremoniously yanked due to changes in licensing rules, but that doesn't make it any easier to swallow when it happens again.
This time a user posting to Reddit (via Neowin) has had their Lord of the Rings Extended Editions removed, after paying good money for them four years ago. As per a Google support representative, these films are "no longer available in our catalog".
The unlucky user doesn't say how much they paid for the three movies, but they're unlikely to have come cheap — and now they're left with nothing. It's a galling turn of events, even if it's not that surprising any more.
Buried in the small print of pretty much all the digital content services you use will be warnings about changes in catalog availability, and unfortunately that applies to purchases as well as libraries rented month to month (as on Netflix).
The affected user didn't even get a refund or a gift card for their troubles, as the purchase falls outside the standard 120-day window when these offers are available. They're just going to have to find it and watch it somewhere else.
As you might expect, the general Reddit reaction is one of dismay. "This is why physical media matters," says one commenter, while another says "you will own nothing and be happy" (while pointing out that they own the Blu-rays).
It's certainly strong evidence that physical media is the way forward at this stage. As convenient and simple as digital purchases might be, they're always vulnerable to changes in the policies and agreements of online stories and the production studios.
Many of the Redditors responding to the case argue that these kinds of actions essentially legitimize piracy too. You also have the option of putting together a Plex library, which works like your own personal Netflix — and is yours to keep.
I still haven't got my head around the new Sky TV thriller Possession, with all five episodes now available to stream.
We follow Claudia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), an ambitious biracial lawyer who travels to Jamaica to challenge an inheritance claim made by a local man against a wealthy white aristocrat.
However, she arrives to find the disputed estate is a former plantation that has long haunted her dreams. Cue a terrifying slew of 1800s flashbacks, curses, and misunderstood spiritual connection.
It's colonial horror with a fresh 2020s take, and the supernatural tone might remind you of one of the biggest box office hits of the last five years.
In fact, it's the cast's immediate answer when I ask for their opinion on what would be best to double bill with Possession, but there's one connection that I didn't see coming.
Stream Sinners on HBO Max after binging Possession on Sky TV
"It was being made at the same time we were making this show, so we didn't realise that there was a connection, but Sinners keeps getting brought up," director Storm Saulter tells me when I put the double bill question to him and Mbatha-Raw.
"It's different, but it's also speaking about certain histories: about Afro-spiritualists, voodoo, magic, connection to Obeah (a monster from West African folklore).
"So I think those are two pieces in two different worlds, but they speak to the history, tradition, forward-thinking, and that the past is present."
Once Saulter says this, I don't know why I didn't make the same connection sooner. Though Sinners is more concerned with vampires in a more traditional sense, director Ryan Coogler's vision was so uniquely steeped in cultural history that's usually not done justice in mainstream media — and Possession fits that same criteria.
In fact, I think that Sinners is a much better fit than Belle, Mbatha-Raw's 2013 film critics have already compared to Possession.
She plays the titular character Dido Elizabeth Belle, who was a mixed-race illegitimate daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral raised in 18th Century England.
But does Mbatha-Raw see the connection that everybody else has?
"Obviously, to me, they're very separate projects, but I can see that there's some common themes," she responds. "Belle was a period drama that, was about one of the fewer known biracial aristocrats in England whose uncle was the Lord Chief Justice of England. In Possession, I'm playing the lawyer, so I definitely see, some of the comparisons there.
"It's a privilege to have a canon of work behind me where occasionally you have the privilege to really confront some of these issues in your work. It's not lost on me."
And if watching Possession, Sinners and potentially Belle is too much for some? "Get outside... go for a walk," Mbatha-Raw jokes.
FaceTime Dual Capture is bringing simultaneous front-and-rear camera streaming to video calls in iOS 27, allowing compatible iPhones to show the caller and their surroundings without repeatedly switching between cameras.
The feature expands technology Apple introduced with the iPhone 17 family. Dual Capture already allows the Camera app to record through the Center Stage front camera and a rear camera at the same time. iOS 27 brings a similar capability directly into live FaceTime calls.
During a call, the front camera can continue showing the speaker while the rear camera displays whatever the iPhone is pointing toward. Someone attending a concert can share the performance and remain visible. A parent can show a child playing without disappearing from the conversation. A person asking for technical assistance can remain on screen while directing the rear camera toward the equipment causing the problem.
Dual Capture removes the awkward sequence of switching to the rear camera, showing something, and switching back to continue speaking face to face. Both perspectives remain available inside the same call.
Image Credit: Thomas Trutschel Photothek/Getty Images
FaceTime Dual Capture Changes Camera Switching
The normal FaceTime camera control changes from a simple front-or-rear choice on supported iPhones. When the caller activates the rear camera, iOS 27 keeps the front camera visible by default.
The main view displays the rear camera feed while a smaller window contains the front camera image. This picture-in-picture arrangement gives the other participant a continuous view of the caller’s reaction, commentary, or explanation.
To activate both cameras during a supported FaceTime call:
FaceTime > Start a video call > Tap the Flip button
Tapping the Flip button turns on the rear camera without immediately removing the front view. The other participant begins receiving both perspectives as part of the FaceTime stream.
The caller can disable the front view when it is no longer needed. This provides a conventional rear-camera presentation for situations where the surroundings should occupy the complete image.
To return to a single camera view:
FaceTime > Tap the camera view > Disable the front camera
The exact labels and placement may change before the public release of iOS 27 because the feature is still being tested in beta software. Its basic behavior is already established: the Flip control activates the rear camera while retaining the front camera feed.
Dual Capture does not create two independent FaceTime calls. Both images belong to one video stream, so the caller does not need a second account, device, or invitation.
The feature also differs from screen sharing. FaceTime screen sharing transmits applications and interface activity from the iPhone display. Dual Capture transmits live video from two physical cameras.
Image Source: Google
Which iPhones Support Dual Capture
Apple has limited FaceTime Dual Capture transmission to the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. Each model includes Apple’s 18MP Center Stage front camera and the Dual Capture capability introduced in the Camera app.
An older iPhone that supports iOS 27 cannot originate a Dual Capture stream. It continues to use the normal option of selecting either the front camera or a rear camera during a call.
Older models can still receive and display a Dual Capture feed when they are running iOS 27. This allows an iPhone 16 or another supported device to see both views transmitted from an iPhone 17, even though it cannot send the same presentation back.
Both participants need iOS 27 for the new FaceTime layout to work as intended. The transmitting device must also be one of the supported iPhone 17-generation models.
This limitation is based on Apple’s official feature support rather than the simple presence of front and rear cameras. Earlier iPhones have camera hardware capable of operating in several multi-camera applications, but Apple has not extended its native Dual Capture implementation to them.
Third-party applications have offered forms of simultaneous multi-camera recording for years through Apple’s developer frameworks. The difference is that iOS 27 integrates the experience into FaceTime, where users can activate it through the familiar camera-switching control.
iPhone 17 Owners Receive a Second Dual Capture Feature
Describing FaceTime Dual Capture as retro-compatible with the iPhone 17 does not fully explain its relationship with the hardware. The iPhone 17 family introduced Apple’s native Dual Capture recording in 2025, and iOS 27 now gives that existing camera system another purpose.
Inside the Camera app, Dual Capture produces a saved video containing front and rear views. Apple lists support for recording at up to 4K Dolby Vision at 30 frames per second on the iPhone 17.
FaceTime uses the camera pairing for live communication instead. Network quality, bandwidth, device temperature, and FaceTime processing can affect the transmitted resolution, so users should not assume that a call will preserve the Camera app’s maximum 4K recording specification.
The Center Stage front camera also contributes more than resolution. Its square sensor gives the iPhone greater freedom to adjust framing without requiring the device to be physically rotated. Center Stage can help keep the caller positioned inside the smaller front-camera view while the rear camera follows the subject being shared.
That combination makes Dual Capture more useful than placing two untreated camera feeds beside each other. FaceTime can preserve the speaker’s presence while directing most of the screen toward the event, object, or location being discussed.
The feature may require more processing power and energy than an ordinary single-camera call. Running two camera sensors while encoding and transmitting live video can increase battery consumption and device temperature, especially during long calls over cellular data.
Apple has not published separate battery estimates for Dual Capture FaceTime calls. Users planning extended sessions may want access to power and a stable Wi-Fi connection.
iOS 27 Prepares FaceTime for iPhone 18
FaceTime Dual Capture arrives shortly before Apple’s expected iPhone 18 generation, making it likely to become part of how the company demonstrates the new phones’ camera and communication abilities.
Apple has not announced the iPhone 18 lineup or confirmed its final camera specifications. Compatibility with FaceTime Dual Capture is therefore expected from the software’s “iPhone 17 and newer” positioning, but individual iPhone 18 models should not be treated as confirmed until Apple presents them.
The software release gives existing iPhone 17 owners access without requiring another hardware purchase. That approach also provides Apple with a working FaceTime feature before the next iPhone launch rather than introducing the camera mode and communication interface at the same moment.
Future hardware could improve the experience through faster processors, stronger image stabilization, upgraded sensors, or more efficient video encoding. None of those additions is required for the supported iPhone 17 family, which already contains the camera system needed to transmit both views.
Dual Capture is only one part of the FaceTime update. Apple is also improving video-call quality when the network connection is weak, addressing a problem that becomes especially relevant when two live camera views require transmission. Traditional Chinese support is joining FaceTime Live Captions as well.
The weak-connection improvement may determine how dependable Dual Capture becomes away from Wi-Fi. A feature designed for travel, events, repairs, and outdoor calls needs to tolerate changes in cellular bandwidth without freezing both views or forcing the session to end.
FaceTime Dual Capture remains part of the iOS 27 beta as Apple prepares the public update for September. Apple can still adjust the interface, performance, device requirements, and picture-in-picture behavior before the completed software reaches iPhone 17 owners.
Disney is “exploring a free product” for streaming customers, CEO Josh D’Amaro confirmed in a call with investors today.
D’Amaro, who succeeded Bob Iger as Disney’s chief in March, said that a free Disney-owned streaming service would help Disney reach more “price-sensitive” customers, which is a “strategic priority” for Disney, according to a transcript of the call.
A free streaming service would also generate more ad revenue, which has become increasingly important for streaming services challenged by plateauing subscriber numbers, subscriber churn, and competition from cheaper and free rivals.
A Maçã liberou recentemente uma trinca de novos comerciais no formato vertical para divulgar a sua plataforma de streaming de músicas, o Apple Music, e alguns de seus principais recursos.
Dois deles focam em uma ferramenta relativamente recente: o recurso de transferência de bibliotecas entre serviços de streaming, lançado no ano passado para facilitar a migração de usuários para a plataforma da Maçã.
O primeiro comercial mostra um iPhone 17 Pro gigante com o app do Apple Music aberto sendo transportado por um caminhão em uma rodovia. Ao observar a tela do aparelho, é possível constatar que há um processo de transferência em andamento, em uma clara alusão a uma mudança de lares.
The easiest move you’ll ever make. Switch to Apple Music and bring your playlists with you. pic.twitter.com/ZOuBqGsUf7
A mudança mais fácil que você vai fazer na sua vida. Troque para o Apple Music e traga suas playlists com você.
Com um conceito parecido, o segundo comercial mostra uma mulher relaxando em um sofá apoiado sobre três skates enquanto o móvel desce por uma rua. Assim como no comercial anterior, um iPhone 17 Pro ganha destaque — de novo, com a tela de transferência do Apple Music aberta.
Switching to Apple Music is easy. Bring your playlists withyou and get access to over 100 million songs, ad-free. pic.twitter.com/Bt0KfOrcJk
Trocar para o Apple Music é fácil. Traga suas playlists com você e obtenha acesso a mais de 100 milhões de músicas, sem anúncios.
Além de ir por outra direção, o último vídeo dessa nova leva é um tanto… perturbador, lembrando um pouco os comerciais de consoles de videogames (com destaque para os da Sony PlayStation) do início dos anos 2000. Feito para divulgar o recurso Playlist Playground, ele mostra uma pessoa — que está usando EarPods, diga-se — inserindo uma fita cassete em um compartimento na sua testa, o que faz uma música começar a tocar.
From an idea in your head to a playlist you press play on. You write the prompt, Playlist Playground takes it from there. pic.twitter.com/wjya7Y3tDZ
De uma ideia na sua cabeça pra uma playlist na qual dá play. Você escreve um prompt e o Playlist Playground assume o controle.
Como é possível notar, todos os três vídeos são bem curtinhos, girando em torno de 15 segundos. Já disponíveis em redes sociais como X e Facebook, é bem provável que eles acabem dando as caras também em plataformas como TikTok e Instagram Reels — inclusive acompanhados de novos comerciais.
O Apple Music conta com um catálogo de mais de 100 milhões de músicas e 30 mil playlists — muitas delas com suporte a Áudio Espacial (Dolby Atmos) e em altíssima definição, com áudio Lossless. Para quem ama música clássica, há um app dedicado com mais de 5 milhões de faixas, tudo em uma interface simplificada! No Brasil, são três tipos de assinatura: Universitária (R$12,90/mês), Individual (R$23,90/mês) e Familiar (R$40,90/mês). Caso você não seja um assinante, pode testar o serviço de forma gratuita por um mês. Ele também faz parte do pacote de assinaturas da empresa, o Apple One.
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The current state of music streaming is interesting, yet unpredictable. The shift from the CD era into the streaming era has made access to music more ubiquitous, but it’s also thrown up problems: some users aren’t interacting with music like they did before, and the explosive spread of AI is threatening the entire streaming model. Enter Mauhan M. Zonoozy, former Head of Innovation at Spotify, who has plans to tackle both these problems.
Zonoozy left Spotify in 2023, and since then has set up his own music software label, A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya, a record label-meets-production studio that releases playful music apps the way labels drop records, including jetset.fm and Stacks. Essentially, it’s creating digital music playgrounds.
While Shibuya’s products don’t have extensive libraries of music like typical streaming platforms, they offer users different ways to create new sounds, even if you only use them for a couple of minutes. But despite the label still being in its infancy, Zonoozy knows exactly where he wants to take it.
I chatted with Zonoozy about where his post-Spotify career is heading, and his ambitious plans to insert his music services into a streaming world in which AI is becoming a growing presence.
Music is participatory
Bop is an interactive DJ music app that lets you mix and mess around with music (Image credit: A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya )
In a short period of time, Mauhan and his “small team of creative technologists” have released a slew of casual, interactive music platforms across web and mobile — but this is only the beginning.
“I spent years at Spotify and I loved it,” Mauhan tells me. “Incredible company, incredible team. But I think I spent most of my time effectively thinking about what comes next. I started A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya around a simple belief that music is a verb, that the next major music platform should give people something to do with the music. It should be more participatory, more engaging”.
Streaming has certainly made music a lot more accessible, but there was always one thing missing for Mauhan: interaction. “With streaming, you can hear almost anything, anywhere instantly, but the dominant interaction is still effectively sorting through folders and pressing play,” he continues. “There's an entire generation that was growing up playing with music through different mediums and different devices. I think their relationship with everything felt a lot more interactive.”
This sparked a lightbulb moment for Mauhan, and his mission statement is simple: “to empower more people to express themselves with music, or feel self-expressive with music”. This is where his latest project, Bop, comes into play.
(Image credit: A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya )
Bop is a pocket DJ app, currently in beta, that lets you mix, mash, and mess with music. Its interface is like an MPC workstation, allowing you to create remixes of popular songs by dragging and dropping effects and sounds onto its grid. “We're not all about replacing the creative process,” Mauhan adds. “We're more about building instruments and new ways to express yourself.”
When it comes to the best music streaming services, tools like this aren’t a new concept — Spotify has its own DJ-style mixing feature — but Mauhan believes there’s still more room for music services whose focus is user expression.
“I think there's a yearning for creative expression (in music platforms),” he says. “I think listening to music the way artists created and intended is absolutely a big part of it, but I also think having Legos that you play and interact with, engage with is also very important.
“The next step in our journey is packaging that up into something that is platform scale, and we can actually deploy it and build a larger community of users and fans around it.”
Next stop: a larger music platform
In addition to Bop, borrowmyipod.com is a music service that lets you customize a classic iPod, and you can enter links for your Spotify and Apple Music playlists (Image credit: A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya)
It’s clear that Zonoozy has had a blast developing Shibuya’s array of sonic playground tools, but what I want to know is if there’s a larger music platform on the horizon — and turns out, there is.
“I think there's a bigger platform at the end of the tunnel for sure,” he tells me. “A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is working actively on building it. I don't think it's gonna look or feel like any streaming platform you've seen before.” Now I’m intrigued — how will this platform compete with the likes of the music streaming big dogs? Turns out Zonoozy has thought about that too.
“We believe it's going to be more participatory,” he shares. “We're not building something that puts the music in the background, we want to put it in the foreground”. And it's as simple as that. “The hints are in the products, and we want things that feel more playful and approachable. I don't think anyone's going to accuse us of building a DSP,” he adds.
(Image credit: A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya )
Despite it still being in early stages of development, Zonoozy has a lot of faith in Shibuya’s bigger project; but music streaming tools are evolving rapidly as is tech in general, so he’s had to do a lot of thinking ahead.
“My personal belief was that a lot of the cues around where media is going were in the gaming space,” he continues. “And I think interactive media was always a little bit ahead of the rest of the world in terms of film and music. I think because it was closer to technology, it was exploring the more creative technological boundaries of what you could do with media.
“I think now with what's going on and how powerful these computers in our pockets are becoming, there's so much new, cool stuff you can do. It's a responsibility for all of us working in music and tech to figure out ways to do it that supports the industry, the community, and more than anything, the art form.” It occurs to me that Zonoozy is as interested in conserving as he is in innovating.
Will music streaming survive without AI?
(Image credit: A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya )
It wouldn’t be a discussion about where the music-streaming industry is going without me bringing up AI, and Zonoozy sounds dismissive about AI at first, telling me: “You know what I like about AI? It's easy to spell”.
AI is having a big influence on music platforms in many ways, with algorithmic recommendations and tools such as AI playlist generators now pretty much part of the package. Because these features are right at users’ fingertips, I ask, will there come a time where listeners won’t be able to use services without the help of AI?
Zonoozy has hope, saying, “It's hard for me to imagine a world where people are building things completely void of touching some semblance of AI, but I do believe that there will be products that are not purely driven by generative media.” While he doesn’t necessarily favor the reliance on AI tools to enhance the UX, Zonoozy isn’t against AI altogether. If anything, he acknowledges its benefits, and how it’s helped provide the foundations to his services.
“It's enabling technology for us, it's just not the consumer proposition,” he adds. “Shibuya doesn't build LLMs or ask anyone to prompt music and wait for a finished song, but we do use it as a co-pilot for coding and development. I'd be naïve to say that there's no AI somewhere in the stack there. But on the music side, all the stems are all hand produced”.
He continues, “I'm not anti-AI. I think AI is an incredible, powerful future-facing infrastructure. I think it can build so many cool things and empower so many cool things. I’m a traditionally strong techno optimist in that sense, I think it will lead to incredible discoveries and advancements — it makes coding infinitely easier. But AI is not our product thesis on our side.”
When it comes to streaming services, there’s a huge focus on churning out tools designed to make the listening experience more personalized, more convenient, and more interactive. Given the pace of this evolution, I find it difficult to envisage where streaming culture is headed — Zonoozy shared my uncertainty.
“In terms of streaming specifically, I don't know what's going to happen,” he admits. “The extreme levels of personalization to custom content made for you — I don't know where that line ends. Is it being personalised, or is it being generated for you?”
Fun fact: whenever I have days that I work remotely, I'll always have an episode of Bob's Burgers on in the background. In fact, I watch all 16 seasons of the hit Hulu and Disney+ animated comedy so often, that I could tell you exactly what episode was on without directly looking at it.
I felt incredibly prepared for the handful of Bob's Burgers quizzes already on the internet claiming to be the hardest, but nobody has yet been able to truly test the reams of random knowledge I've acquired from watching the series so often.
Should I be able to tell recite the lyrics to the song that plays over Tina and Tammy's first time collectively ditching class in season 2? Probably not.
So, behold — the genuinely most difficult Bob's Burgers quiz that I have played to date (because I made it). If you get more than 80%, I'll assume that you're actually a Wharf resident who's somehow found their way into the real world.
I have left out anything that happens in The Bob's Burgers Movie, but you'll need to have seen seasons 1-16 in order to answer all of the questions.
Check back when Bob's Burgers season 17 (hopefully) airs in early 2027... you know that the above will be updated accordingly.
The 31-minute animated special follows Snoopy after his doghouse disappears during a yard sale. Charlie Brown attempts to help his devastated friend by organizing a search, but recovering the missing home becomes more difficult once it has left the neighborhood.
The story uses Snoopy’s doghouse as more than a familiar red prop. It is the place where he sleeps, stores his possessions and begins the imaginary adventures that transform him into a World War I flying ace, author and explorer.
Losing it removes the physical center of that private world. Charlie Brown and Snoopy must determine whether home depends on recovering the exact building or remaining close to the people and memories connected to it.
The Apple Original is rated TV-G and includes Dolby Atmos audio in supported languages and configurations. An Apple TV subscription is required, with availability extending across the Apple TV app and the service’s supported devices.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy Begins at a Yard Sale
The central problem begins with an ordinary neighborhood event rather than one of Snoopy’s elaborate fantasies.
His doghouse is mistakenly treated as an item that can be sold. By the time Charlie Brown and the others understand what happened, Snoopy has lost the one place he regards as entirely his own.
The premise creates a recognizable childhood fear. A treasured object can appear unimportant to another person while carrying memories and emotional meaning for its owner.
Snoopy cannot explain that attachment through conventional dialogue. His reactions, imagination and physical comedy must communicate why the loss feels larger than a missing piece of outdoor furniture.
Charlie Brown responds by doing something he rarely manages for himself: taking charge with enough confidence to help someone else. His search gives the special momentum while preserving the uneven friendship at the center of many Peanuts stories.
Snoopy frequently ignores Charlie Brown, takes his meals for granted and escapes into fantasies. Charlie Brown continues caring for him even when the beagle’s behavior makes that affection difficult to return.
The missing doghouse reverses their normal relationship. Snoopy needs practical help, while Charlie Brown becomes the person capable of guiding him through the disappointment.
Why Snoopy’s Doghouse Matters
Charles M. Schulz turned Snoopy’s doghouse into one of the most flexible locations in the Peanuts comic strip.
From the outside, it is a simple red structure with a black entrance. Snoopy rarely sleeps inside it, preferring to rest on the pointed roof despite the physical impossibility of remaining balanced there.
The interior follows no ordinary rules. Comic storylines have suggested that it contains a pool table, television, library, guest rooms, paintings and other possessions that could not fit within its exterior dimensions.
Schulz generally avoided showing the complete interior. That decision allowed the doghouse to expand according to Snoopy’s imagination without requiring one definitive layout.
The roof also becomes the Sopwith Camel flown by the World War I flying ace. A few changes in posture and sound can transform a suburban backyard into an aerial battle with the Red Baron.
For Snoopy, the building is simultaneously a bedroom, stage, aircraft, writing desk and portal into imaginary lives. Selling it removes the starting point for nearly every identity he creates.
There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy can therefore explore loss without introducing a permanent tragedy into the Peanuts world. The doghouse is physically replaceable, but Snoopy’s attachment to the original makes the search emotionally credible.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
Charlie Brown Voices Lead the New Special
Riley Vargas voices Charlie Brown, while Terry McGurrin returns as Snoopy. McGurrin has become closely associated with the modern animated version of the character through Apple’s Peanuts programming.
Rob Tinkler voices Woodstock, the small yellow bird who frequently joins Snoopy’s adventures. Although Woodstock’s speech appears as rapid bird sounds, Snoopy understands him, allowing the pair to communicate without conventional dialogue.
Grace Nicolaou-Wood voices Sally, and Jo-Hannah Atchison performs Lucy. Kitai O’Garro plays Franklin, Josephine Nisbett voices Marcie and Lexi Perri voices Peppermint Patty.
Athan Giazitzidis appears as Linus, while Diego Whalen voices Rerun. Noah Paisley plays Milo.
The larger ensemble gives Charlie Brown access to the neighborhood network needed for a search without shifting the story away from Snoopy. Each character can respond differently to the problem according to an established personality.
Lucy may approach the situation with certainty, Linus with reflection and Sally with her own interpretation of what occurred. Woodstock has the closest connection to Snoopy’s private world and understands what the doghouse represents without requiring an explanation.
There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy Behind the Scenes
Ridd Sorensen directed There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy, with Rob Boutilier serving as series director. Rob Hoegee wrote the special.
Executive producers include Josh Scherba, Stephanie Betts, Logan McPherson, Paige Braddock, Chris Bracco and Mark Evestaff.
The production continues Apple’s collaboration with WildBrain, Peanuts Worldwide and Lee Mendelson Film Productions. Those organizations combine modern animation production with the characters and creative legacy established by Schulz.
The special was produced in Canada and is available with extensive dubbing and subtitle support.
Apple lists audio options spanning languages including:
Arabic
Cantonese
Danish
Dutch
French
German
Hindi
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin
Portuguese
Spanish
Thai
Turkish
Vietnamese
Audio descriptions are included across many of those language options. English playback supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby 5.1 on compatible equipment.
The wide localization reflects the international reach Peanuts developed long before streaming. Schulz’s comic strip appeared in more than 2,600 newspapers and reached readers across 75 countries.
Apple can now release one new animated story simultaneously across more than 100 countries and regions without waiting for separate broadcast schedules.
An Original Song Gives the Story Its Emotional Center
There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy includes the original song “Home, Where Your Heart Found Me” by singer-songwriter Allen Stone.
Music has always occupied an important place in animated Peanuts productions. Vince Guaraldi’s jazz compositions became inseparable from the classic television specials, creating a musical identity that later productions must acknowledge without simply reproducing the same material.
An original song allows the new story to develop its own emotional language around home and attachment. It can express ideas that Snoopy cannot communicate verbally while avoiding the need for Charlie Brown to explain the complete meaning of the adventure.
The title connects home with an emotional discovery rather than an address or possession. That idea supports the special’s central distinction between the missing doghouse and the relationships Snoopy still has around him.
Apple previously expanded the musical side of its Peanuts catalog through Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical, the first Peanuts musical special in decades. The addition of Allen Stone continues that willingness to use original songs rather than treating music only as background.
Image Credit: Apple Inc.
How to Watch There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy
The special is available through the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K and Apple Vision Pro.
It can also be watched on supported smart televisions from manufacturers including Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio and TCL. Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox devices provide additional access.
Web playback is available through tv.apple.com after signing in with an Apple Account carrying an active subscription.
Apple TV currently costs $12.99 per month in the United States and includes a seven-day trial for eligible new subscribers. Customers activating a qualifying new iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV 4K may receive three free months, subject to Apple’s promotional conditions.
There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy is presented as one complete special rather than an episodic series. Its 31-minute running time makes it closer to the length of traditional Peanuts television programs than a feature film.
Parents can locate it within the Kids & Family area of Apple TV. Its TV-G classification indicates that it is designed for a general audience, although rating systems and descriptions can vary by country.
Apple Builds a Permanent Peanuts Library
Apple has served as the principal streaming home for Peanuts since 2020, combining classic holiday programs with new specials, series and documentaries.
The agreement has sometimes received attention because programs such as A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown spent decades appearing on broadcast television.
Apple has provided limited free streaming windows for major holiday titles, allowing people without a subscription to continue watching selected specials during their associated seasons.
The wider library includes The Snoopy Show, Snoopy in Space and Camp Snoopy. Original Snoopy Presents specials have focused on characters and subjects that received less attention in the earliest television productions.
One-of-a-Kind Marcie centered on Marcie’s quiet approach to leadership. Welcome Home, Franklin expanded Franklin’s introduction to the neighborhood, while Lucy’s School explored the group’s anxiety about change.
Apple also carries the documentaries Who Are You, Charlie Brown? and Peanuts in Space: Secrets of Apollo 10.
The service added This Is America, Charlie Brown and The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show during July 2026, bringing more material from the 1980s into the same streaming catalog as the latest production.
Snoopy’s Next Search Heads to the Big City
Apple’s Peanuts partnership extends through 2030, giving WildBrain and Peanuts Worldwide several more years to create original series and specials for the service.
The most ambitious announced project is Snoopy Unleashed, an animated feature film currently in production.
That story will reverse the situation presented in There’s No Place Like Home, Snoopy. Instead of Charlie Brown searching for the doghouse, the Peanuts gang will search for Snoopy after he runs away to the Big City.
The larger setting will move Snoopy beyond the familiar neighborhood and require Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and the others to navigate an environment rarely explored in the comic strip.
Apple plans to release Snoopy Unleashed in 2027. Until then, Snoopy’s missing doghouse provides a smaller journey built around the same question the film will approach from another direction: what remains of home when the person or place associated with it disappears?
"It takes close to eight months to produce the topiaries," explained Debbie Mola Mickler, area manager at Disney's Horticulture — for installations that were on display for just a few weeks.
On that clock, Disney's horticulture team is likely already deep into next year's lineup — even though this year's International Flower & Garden Festival at EPCOT only wrapped June 1. Mola Mickler oversees production of the living character sculptures that define the festival at Walt Disney World in Orlando. What look like decorative topiaries from a distance reveal themselves up close as something far more complex.
Underneath, engineered steel frames, a moss growth medium, and tightly integrated irrigation work together so that whether it's Mickey, Buzz, Lightning McQueen, or any other character, the topiary presents itself exactly as it should. They're closer to architecture than landscaping, and the timeline to build one reflects that.
(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
That timeline starts long before any planting begins. Disney's horticulture team works directly with Walt Disney Imagineering to decide which characters can even be translated into living structures — a process that blends creative direction with real-world constraints like weight, scale, and maintenance. Once a character is selected, Mola Mickler goes straight to the source and thinks about scale — how big the topiaries need to be, and what plant material can tell that story.
From design, Disney's digital team produces a maquette — a small 3D-printed physical model of each topiary — that serves as the reference guide for everything that follows, from fabrication through final trimming.
That translation from screen to structure is where Disney's topiaries stop being just landscaping and become systems design problems. "Our Imagineers are so creative, they've pushed us towards getting these topiaries with more movement," she explained. The dresses have folds; legs may be bent like a character is mid-dance. That push toward motion and expression has forced a redesign of how internal structures are built — especially as characters become more dynamic and less symmetrical.
Once a design is approved, Disney builds a full production pipeline that starts with digital modeling and ends with custom steel fabrication. "You can't just go to the yellow pages and find a welder to make the frame," Debbie said.
(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
Each topiary begins as a custom-engineered stainless steel structure designed to support weight, shape, and long-term outdoor exposure. Built into each frame are engineered pick points — load-bearing anchors that allow heavy equipment like cranes and forklifts to position the finished topiaries into their beds in the park. Some characters arrive in multiple pieces and are assembled on-site.
Once the steel frame is in place, it's filled with sphagnum moss, which acts as the primary growth medium. For larger characters, Disney builds a secondary cage of chicken wire inside the frame first — since plants only need about two to three inches of growing area, the inner cage reduces the amount of moss required while maintaining the structure's shape.
The moss retains moisture, supports plant plugs, and forms the core structure that everything else grows into. Built into each frame is a segmented irrigation system that allows Disney to control water distribution at a surprisingly granular level.
"We can do arms, we can do the head, we can do the feet," Debbie said. "And then we'll turn it off as needed." That segmentation isn't just for efficiency — it's environmental control. Florida's climate can shift rapidly, and different parts of a topiary may require different hydration levels depending on sun exposure and airflow.
(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
As the plants grow in, the maquette becomes the trimming guide — helping maintain pose accuracy and character shape across months of active growth before the festival opens.
Behind the scenes, Disney operates continuous environmental monitoring across 12 greenhouse facilities, each subdivided into controlled environments that simulate different growing conditions depending on plant type and stage. Debbie described automated alerts that notify her directly if temperatures fall outside safe ranges — a system her team relies on enough that they refer to themselves as "weather watchers."
The foundational methods, though, have deep roots. "Many years ago when I first started in Disney horticulture, we did not have sphagnum topiary," Debbie said. "We only had woody topiaries with single shrubs being trained in a frame, and it can take seven to 10 years to grow one."
Those traditional systems, still used at Disneyland, rely on shrubs trained over lightweight frames and take several years to mature. At EPCOT, the sphagnum system enables faster production cycles and far more expressive designs — but still requires nearly a year of preparation per installation.
(Image credit: Jacob Krol/Future)
Some heritage pieces remain in rotation, including a more than 50-year-old elephant topiary originally built for Magic Kingdom that now makes a special appearance just for Flower & Garden in EPCOT's United Kingdom Pavilion.
Modern festival builds, meanwhile, sit at the intersection of horticulture and fabrication engineering. Materials like palm fiber replicate textures such as Woody's hat and boots; coconut coir matting handles facial detailing. Props like belt buckles and sheriff badges are 3D printed and integrated directly into the structures.
Even animation principles feed into final assembly. "We want to make sure the eyes are always looking at the guest when they take a picture," Debbie said.
It's that kind of detail — designed not just to be seen, but to be experienced — that makes the topiaries something more than seasonal decoration. They're living installations built to hold up across an entire festival, in Florida heat, one carefully engineered character at a time.
Apple's CarPlay is a convenient way to listen to music or safely use navigation, but it can be a finnicky system that requires the occasional troubleshooting.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day has spun its way into theaters — and there's something about the Marvel movie's end credits scene that's dominated my thoughts since I left my screening.
I've already written about the post-credits stinger in my Spider-Man: Brand New Day ending explained piece, but I didn't elaborate on what it could be teasing. That's because, based on a new theory I have about this Spider-Man film's end credits scene, I deemed that discussion worthy of its own article.
It goes without saying, but full spoilers immediately follow for Spider-Man: Brand New Day. If you haven't seen it yet: bookmark this page, read my Spider-Man: Brand New Day review to see if it's any good, and then watch it at your local theater. Once you've completed those steps, re-open this page — it'll be worth the wait, I promise.
Alright, let's first review what happens in Spider-Man 4's post-credits scene, which centers on the Spidey Tracker app developed by Ned Leeds.
Initially, a flashing marker, accompanied by an automated voice message that says "New Spider-Man sighting", indicates that the titular hero is still in New York City. However, the message soon starts saying "Location unknown", which highlights that Spider-Man's actual whereabouts are, well, unknown. Cue the app zooming out to try to find Peter Parker.
Eventually, the app zooms out far enough that it not only shows us the entire Earth, but also that the popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) character can't be found. That's until the app moves away from our world, lays down a new pin that indicates Spider-Man is somewhere in space, and ends with the voice message saying "Location found."
Where'd you go, Peter? (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)
What does that mean? The obvious answer is that Spidey is no longer planet-side. I know, shock, horror. What isn't clear, though, is why he's in space. Again, there's an easy answer for this: it's got something to do with Avengers: Doomsday and/or its sequel Avengers: Secret Wars.
That pair, which come out on December 18, 2026 and December 17, 2027, mark the end of Marvel Phase 6 and the divisive Marvel Multiverse Saga. And, while current Spidey star Tom Holland isn't confirmed to appear in Doomsday, the fan-favorite A-lister will, by virtue of his popularity, feature in one or both of the aforementioned films. So, it would make a ton of sense if Brand New Day's end credits stinger is teasing his involvement in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars.
Nonetheless, what if — and I realize this is a huge if — the Spidey Tracker isn't picking up Holland's Spider-Man, but one of his fellow webheads?
All three live-action iterations of Spider-Man joined forces in 2021 MCU movie Spider-Man: No Way Home (Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Entertainment)
Now, I know that's a stretch, but hear me out. After all, everything we learn about the Spidey Tracker in Brand New Day suggests it's tailored specifically to the MCU's Spider-Man, so why would it detect another wallcrawler, such as Tobey Maguire or Andrew Garfield's, instead?
Well, for one, we don't actually know that the Spidey Tracker has been custom-built for Holland's version. If it hasn't, there's no reason why it wouldn't detect one of his multiversal variants.
That multiversal aspect is perhaps the most crucial part of my theory, too.
The next two Avengers movies will be the culmination — and celebration — of every Marvel Universe we've seen on the big screen. That includes the MCU, the original Fox X-Men franchise, and — based on myriad rumors that have been circulating online for months — the realities inhabited by Maguire and Garfield.
It would be a huge opportunity missed if we don't see Andrew Garfield again before the Multiverse Saga ends (Image credit: Sony Pictures)
Furthermore, Avengers: Doomsday's story synopsis has already confirmed that it'll revolve around the threat posed by Incursions.
These multiversal calamities occur when the barriers between two universes break down, and lead to a collision that permanently destroys one or both worlds. As such, Doomsday will feature heroes from three distinct universes — the MCU, original FoX-Men, and The Fantastic Four — battling to save their realities.
But are these the only universes we'll visit in Avengers 5? It would be a glaring error if Marvel overlooked Maguire and Garfield's worlds in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars, and I don't think anyone believes that the comic giant would.
It's for that very reason, then, that I believe Brand New Day's post-credits scene isn't actually showing us that Holland's Parker has gone off-world. No, I'm convinced that the Spidey Tracker is actually picking up Maguire or Garfield's Spider-Man — and, of the two, it's the former that it's detected.
Think about it. Doomsday's first proper trailer appears to suggest that the FoX-Men have successfully navigated an Incursion. I speculate more on this in my Avengers: Doomsday trailer breakdown article, but essentially, the teaser's first few seconds show Charles Xavier/Professor X shielding his eyes from a humungous, blinding explosion. Of course, this might not be the final moments of the FoX-Men destroying another world to save their own, but what else could cause such a massive and bright blast if not the destruction of an entire universe?
And what's that got to do with Maguire's Spider-Man? Well, maybe it's his reality — aka the Sam Raimi Spider-Verse — that's being annihilated in that scene. If so, it's possible that a giant mega-Incursion involving the MCU, Fantastic Four-Verse, FoX-Men universe, and Raimi-Verse happens at the same time in Doomsday, which results in the FoX-Men proactively destroying the Raimi-Verse because their reality is most at risk of colliding with it.
Should that be the case, it would explain why the Spidey Tracker detects Maguire's Peter Parker instead of Holland's and subsequently backs up my admittedly wild theory.
I wouldn't be shocked if Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker shows up in Avengers: Doomsday
There's the tiniest shred of evidence that I might be onto something, too. During a cute chat with kids on the Celebrity Surprise YouTube channel, Holland was asked if Maguire would appear in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Holland's reply? "He's not in the movie [Spider-Man 4], but... yeah, I... yeah, careful now."
The implication here is that Holland knows something about when and where Maguire's version of the character could show up next. Holland is famous for having loose lips when it comes to MCU spoilers, too, so the fact that he stops himself here before he reveals something is, in itself, revealing.
Does he know that Maguire will feature in Doomsday and/or Secret Wars? I wouldn't be shocked if he does. After all, Holland, Maguire, and Garfield all shared the screen in 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. If they still keep in touch, it's plausible they've discussed their possible involvement in one or both forthcoming Avengers films, with Maguire potentially telling them — in the strictest confidence — that he's in Avengers: Doomsday. For the sake of my offbeat theory, I hope that's the case.
Netflix has been sued after admitting that an unencrypted drive containing an unreleased, hotly anticipated 2026 blockbuster starring Nicolas Cage was stolen from its offices.
In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, Netflix was accused of waiting a week to warn the production company, Op-Fortitude, that the movie, Fortitude, was swiped, along with other drives that were “stolen right off a Netflix desk.”
“Someone stole a good amount of drives from our office desks this past week,” Sean Berney, director of Netflix Original Film, said in an email to a production company representative after several attempts to get Netflix to return the drives were allegedly ignored.
Fighting a traffic ticket. Hanging a curtain. Installing an air-conditioner. With his cult-hit online series, Noah Blau has made the mundane fascinating.
Daniel Blumstein, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at U.C.L.A., faced a funding issue amid federal cuts to scientific research. To raise money for its marmot research, his team started “OnlyMarms,” a free, G-rated account of cute videos that collects money through tips.
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