YOUR NERD SIDE

The biggest box-office nerd story right now is Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which added about $153 million worldwide this weekend and pushed its global total to roughly $629 million, making it one of the year’s biggest theatrical stories so far. On the Marvel side, Spider-Man: Brand New Day now has its official release date locked for July 31, 2026, which keeps the MCU conversation hot going into summer. Marvel is also pushing fresh hype around The Punisher: One Last Kill, and its site is actively promoting Wonder Man Season 2 as part of the wider Marvel TV pipeline. For Star Wars, the current headline item is Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord. The series began with a two-episode premiere on April 6, 2026, and new episodes are rolling out weekly on Disney+, with the finale set for May 4. That gives you a clean “Star Wars is leaning darker with Maul again” angle. DC also has fresh movement today: Dark Knights of Steel II was announced on April 13, and DC says Superman/Spider-Man #1 is already going back for a second printing arriving May 27, which tells you crossover demand is strong. Marvel’s new-comics list for April 15 includes titles like Godzilla: Infinity Roar #3, Magik & Colossus #3, Ultimate Wolverine #16, Venom #257, and X-Men United #2. That gives you a nice “Marvel’s leaning hard into mutants, monsters, and cross-brand energy” read. A second useful comics beat is that Marvel recently rolled out books like Daredevil #1, Wonder Man #1, Marvel Rivals: Duel of Kings #1, and Alien: King Killer #1, which shows how they’re mixing evergreen heroes with game tie-ins and genre IP. DC’s oddball-but-fun digital crossover lane is also alive: Supergirl/Blade debuted on April 8 as a vertical-scroll crossover on DC Universe Infinite / DC GO!. That is a good “comics are getting weirder in a fun way” talking point.

Big headline of the week: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is the current box-office monster. Deadline reports it is tracking to more than $370 million worldwide and Variety says it pulled $48.3 million Friday domestically, with a projected $129.4 million traditional weekend, making it the biggest opening of the year so far. That gives you a clean lead story: game adaptations are still gold, and Nintendo/Universal look like they’ve turned Mario into a true event franchise. Star Wars buzz: Disney+ launches Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord on April 6, 2026 with a two-episode premiere, then two episodes weekly through the May 4 finale. Even bigger for fans, Lucasfilm already confirmed Season 2 before Season 1 even premieres, so the confidence level is high. Also, The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters May 22, 2026, which is a strong “Star Wars is back on the big screen” talking point. Marvel movie/TV angle: Marvel’s next Spidey film, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, is set for July 31, 2026, while Avengers: Doomsday remains one of the biggest tentpoles on deck for December 18, 2026. On the TV side, The BoysSeason 5 premieres April 8, 2026 on Prime Video and is the final season, so superhero fatigue is not killing interest when the hook is “final chapter.” DC watch: DC has Supergirl landing in theaters June 26, 2026, and the new teaser push gives you a nice compare/contrast segment against Marvel’s 2026 slate. A good on-air question is whether DC’s newer, cleaner rollout under Gunn is finally becoming easier for casual fans to follow.

Spider-Man is dominating chatter again. A first look at Spider-Man: Brand New Day dropped today, which is putting Tom Holland back at the center of movie conversation and boosting Marvel buzz heading into the next phase. Marvel hype is getting an Oscars/Summer-event lift. Marvel also got a visibility bump from a high-profile RDJ/Chris Evans Avengers reunion at the Oscars, which Variety explicitly framed as stoking anticipation ahead of Avengers: Doomsday. Pokémon’s 30th anniversary is a huge fandom wave. Pokémon is in full anniversary mode: The Pokémon Company launched official 30 Years of Pokémon celebrations, anniversary merch, Pokémon Day programming, and themed activations, so the franchise is having a major nostalgia-plus-merch moment. Nintendo / game-adjacent hype is strong because Mario is looking massive. Early box-office tracking for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie points to a potentially huge opening, which is making Mario one of the hottest crossovers between gaming and film right now. 5. Anime fandom is hot on new announcements and event releases. Fresh anime news includes a newly announced Tank Chair TV anime, a new trailer for Sekiro: No Defeat, and continuing Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle theatrical momentum in North America. That combination of new adaptation reveals plus big franchise sustainment is very “online anime fandom in March 2026.”

There isn’t a direct 1-to-1 episode of Justice League that perfectly mirrors the plot of Captain America: The First Avenger, but a few episodes from the DC animated universe capture very similar themes—especially World War II heroes, frozen soldiers, and someone waking up in the modern era. The trailer for Spider-Man: Brand New Day hasn’t been released yet mainly because of marketing strategy and scheduling decisions, not because the movie is in trouble. Several factors are involved:1. Sony and Marvel Are Following a Late-Trailer StrategyStudios sometimes release the first teaser only 3–4 months before the film. For example, the first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home dropped about 116 days before the movie came out. So in Hollywood terms, it’s not actually “late” yet. Pixar’s 10 Biggest Opening Weekends (Ranked)RankFilmOpening Weekend1Incredibles 2$182.7M2Finding Dory$135.1M3Toy Story 4$120.9M4Toy Story 3$110.3M5Inside Out 2$154M* (internationally huge; depending on domestic ranking it slots near the top)6Monsters University$82.4M7Cars 2$66.1M8The Incredibles$70.5M9Cars 3$53.7M10Hoppers$46M

Dina Sherman is an American voice actor and voice-over artist who has worked in animation, anime dubbing, video games, commercials, and live events for over three decades. She is based in Los Angeles and has developed a versatile career in the entertainment industry. 🎙️ Career Highlights When Pixar released the full trailer on Feb. 19, 2026, one of the first details that caught widespread attention was Woody’s bald spot — visible when he takes off his hat — and it quickly became a viral talking point across social platforms.

Dante Basco American actor. He is known for his role as Rufio, the leader of the Lost Boys, in Steven Spielberg's Hook, Dolph in the cult film But I'm a Cheerleader, the lead character Ben Mercado in the independent film The Debut, and for voicing the titular protagonist of American Dragon: Jake Longand Prince Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender. His voice acting roles also include Zuko's grandson General Iroh II in The Legend of Korra, Quoc Wong in The Proud Family, Jingmei in The Boondocks, Tuck in Generator Rex, Scorpion in Ultimate Spider-Man, and Jai Kell in Star Wars Rebels. Supergirl (2026 film)Spider‑Man: Brand New DayAvengers: DoomsdayQUICK BUZZ

On The Show this week: Dan Woren is an American voice actor who is known for providing voice work for anime, television, and video games. His role was voicing Roy Fokker in the Robotechseries in the 1980s.[Other major voice roles include Jagi in Fist of the North Star, Byakuya Kuchiki in Bleach, Yang Newman in Macross Plus, and Caster in Fate/Zero.[He has narrated over 60 audiobooks and won various awards from AudioFile magazine

Fonseca talks with: Jamieson K. Price is an American actor, best known for his deep and booming voice in numerous anime and video game projects. He is known as the voice of the Count of Monte Cristo in Gankutsuou, Sojiro Sakura in Persona 5, Ovan in .hack//G.U., and Galbalan, and Milton Grimm from Ever After High. Price also had a part in the 2000 movie The Patriot. He portrays Dark Mayhem in The Thundermans.

Robert Frederick Paulsen American voice actor and voice director, known for his roles in numerous animated television series and films. He received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program and three Annie Awards for his role as both Yakko and Pinky in the Animaniacs franchise. His other voice roles include: Hadji in The New Adventures of Jonny Quest (1986–1987) and The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest (1996–1997); Raphael in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987–1996); P.J. Pete in Goof Troop (1992), A Goofy Movie (1995), and An Extremely Goofy Movie (2000); Jaq in Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002) and Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007); and Mac in The Looney Tunes Show (2011–2013) and Looney Tunes: Rabbits Run (2015).

Christian Borle American actor and singer. He is a two-time Tony Award winner for his roles as Black Stache in Peter and the Starcatcher and as William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!.[2] Borle also originated the roles of Prince Herbert, et al. in Spamalot, Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Joe in Some Like It Hot on Broadway, earning Tony nominations for the latter two. He starred as Marvin in the 2016 Broadway revival of Falsettos, which also earned him a Tony nomination. His first leading role on Broadway was Jimmy Smith in Thoroughly Modern Millie. He would later also star as Bert in Mary Poppins and Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also portrayed Orin Scrivello in the Off-Broadway revival of Little Shop of Horrors. Borle starred as Tom Levitt on the NBC musical-drama television series Smash and Vox in the adult animated black comedy musical series Hazbin Hotel.He has been nominated for five Tony awards and won twice, and he also won a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album for the original cast recording of Some Like It Hot in 2024. Holiday Movies to Watch (Theatrical + Streaming) In Theaters:• Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 • Moana 2 • Wicked: Part 1 • Sonic the Hedgehog 3 • Kraven the Hunter • Gladiator II Streaming:• Disney+ – Wish, Percy Jackson, The Santa Clauses • Netflix – Family Switch, Leo, Rebel Moon • Prime Video – Candy Cane Lane • Peacock – Trolls Band Together, FNAF • Apple TV+ – Spirited, Napoleon (coming) 3. Holiday Gift Guide For Kids/Tweens:• Pokémon sets • LEGO sets • Nintendo Switch games • Mini arcade cabinets For Partners:• Smart mug • Vinyl turntable • Streaming bundles • Custom comic portraits For Yourself:• LED lightsabers • Gaming headset • Nerd subscription boxes • Collectibles 4. Hottest Games Right Now• Spider-Man 2.5 DLC • Fortnite Chapter 6 • Super Mario RPG Remake • Call of Duty: New Black Ops • Zelda: Echoes of Hyrule • Minecraft Legends Top Consoles:• Nintendo Switch OLED • PlayStation 5 Slim • Xbox Series S/X • Meta Quest 3 • Steam Deck OLED 5. Current Movie Box-Office Records• FNAF 2 breaking post-Thanksgiving records • Moana 2 dominating animated box office • Gladiator II strong adult turnout • Godzilla x Kong breaking IMAX monster records 6. AI & Hollywood (CBS Sunday Morning Highlights)• AI used in pre-visualization • Actor likeness rights concerns • New WGA/SAG rules: consent + compensation • AI won’t replace actors but will replace technical labor 7. Netflix x Warner Bros. / DC DealFan reactions:• Excitement for exposure • Concerns about WB’s financial strategy • Hopes for revived animation Exec statements:• Not a merger • DCU storyline still controlled by DC Studios • Goal: global audience expansion 8. Top Video Games to Buy Now• Super Mario Bros. Wonder • EA FC 25 • Spider-Man 2 • Roblox • FNAF: Help Wanted 2 • Lego Fortnite 9. Top Consoles for Holiday 2025• Switch OLED • PS5 Slim • Xbox Series X • Meta Quest 3 • Steam Deck OLED 10. Recommended Old Christmas Movie“The Muppet Christmas Carol” (1992) 11. Recommended Comic Book“Superman: Last Days of Krypton” (2025)

This week Fonseca talks with Megan Hollingshead: Best known for her anime dubbing work, Megan's most famous roles include Nurse Joy, Cassidy in the first 6 seasons of the Pokémon anime series and Mai Valentine in the first 3 seasons of Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters. She also lent her voice to the Enix role-playing game series Valkyrie Profile as Lenneth. During the start of Pokémon's 7th season, she left New York City to relocate to her new residence in Los Angeles, and continue her voice acting career, voicing characters such as Shizune in Naruto and Naruto Shippuden, Rangiku Matsumoto and Nemu Kurotsuchi in Bleach, Hilda in Eureka Seven, Villetta Nu in the Code Geass series, and Re-l Mayer in Ergo Proxy. Megan's theatre résumé is as extensive, if less so, with roles in performances of The Duchess of Malfi, Baptizing Adam, Spacegrrrls, and Vinegar Tom, to name but a few. Megan studied acting at the William Esper Studio, and is a founding member of the Adirondack Theatre Festival. She serves as a yoga instructor in her spare time. Hollingshead currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her family. Stranger Things how was season 5, Home 3 can happen! Christmas movies and so much more.

Fonseca talks with Barry Knapp Bostwick American actor. He is best known for portraying Brad Majors in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and Mayor Randall Winston in the sitcom Spin City (1996–2002). Bostwick has also had considerable success in musical theatre, winning a Tony Award for his role in The Robber Bridegroom and performing the role of Danny Zuko in the original Broadway production of Grease. We talk about new comic books this month, movies we like, Gremlins 3 and Goonies.

Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party Tickets for this event are sold out, but there is still plenty of frightful fun to be had during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort. Enjoy spirited touches throughout the parks, ride Haunted Mansion Holiday and step on over to Cars Land for Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree. A Grim, Grinning Good Time The spell’s been cast! On select nights in August, September and October, don a costume and join the Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party at Disney California Adventure Park. At this separate ticketed event, the park transforms into a family-friendly, frightfully fun after-hours event filled with tricks and treats! Enjoy 5 hours of mischievous fun—including special Halloween-themed entertainment, immersive treat trails, spellbinding attractions and more.Whether you’re a poised princess, galactic defender or fearless hero, there’s something incredible for all. Ticket availability is limited—be sure to get yours while supplies last!Event Details Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween PartyThe ticket to this event also includes admission to Disney California Adventure Park as early as 3:00 PM—that’s 3 hours before the party begins—on the valid date of your ticket. During this time, enjoy Halloween-themed attractions like Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree, Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween and Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark! Guests with a ticket to this event do not need to make a theme park reservation to enter Disney California Adventure Park at 3:00 PM or later.Parking fees are not included in the ticket price. Lightning Lane Multi Pass, Premier Pass and Single Pass are not available during the event.

This week with Fonseca on Your Nerd Side Omri Katz American retired actor. His television and film credits include the television series Dallas and Eerie, Indiana, and the movies Matinee, Adventures in Dinosaur City, and Hocus Pocus We talk about Tron Aire Toys and the movie, Video games and we play Your Nerd Side Trivia!

Louis Diamond Phillips (né Upchurch; born February 17, 1962) is an American actor, director, and writer. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film La Bamba (1987). For his performance as Angel David Guzman in Stand and Deliver (1988), he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture and won an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.Phillips made his Broadway debut with the 1996 revival of The King and I, earning a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of King Mongkut of Siam. Phillips' other notable films include Young Guns (1988), Young Guns II (1990), Courage Under Fire (1996), The Big Hit (1998), Brokedown Palace (1999), Che (2008), and The 33 (2015).In the A&E/Netflix television series Longmire, he played a main character named Henry Standing Bear. He played New York City Police Lieutenant Gil Arroyo on Prodigal Sonon FOX from 2019 to 2021MCU heroes that could show up in spiderman Brand new day MCU heroes that could show up in spiderman Brand new dayCaptain America and Spider-Man Have Great Chemistry The Black Cat May Finally Make Her Live-Action Debut Shang-Chi Has an Intriguing Connection to Brand New Day MCU Fans Need an Update on Doctor Strange Sorceress clea Brand New Day Could Introduce the MCU's Jean Grey (Sadie Sink's casting in Spider-Man: Brand New Day ) Theories run the gamut, from relatively believable postulations that she could play Peter Parker's new love interest, perhaps Gwen Stacy or Felicia Hardy, to outside-the-box ideas that she could be the time-travelling Mayday Parker, Peter and MJ's daughter from an alternate future. One theory that falls squarely in the center of this broad range is that Sink has been cast as the MCU's Jean Grey. Moon Knight Deserves to Return to the MCU As a street-level vigilante with a penchant for fighting organized crime, Moon Knight would fit remarkably well in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Luke Cage Could Continue the MCU's Latest Street-Level Trend Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man Is Rumored to Return in Brand New Day Daredevil Is the Only Hero Fans Need to See in Spider-Man: Brand New Day With Jon Bernthal's Punisher already confirmed to play a major role in the film, it seems more than likely that Daredevil will also show up, uniting three of Marvel's most iconic street-level heroes for the first time on the big screen. Peace maker Fortnite has pulled the Peacemaker "Peaceful Hips" emote following the latest episode of the hit DCU series, entitled "Ignorance Is Chris," which confirmed Season 2's biggest fan theory. Specifically, the alternate dimension showcased throughout Season 2 of Peacemaker is in fact the Nazi-ruled timeline of Earth-X. Subsequently, the "Peaceful Hips" emoji, which is based on a dance sequence from Season 2's opening dance number, has come under intense scrutiny, leading some to speculate that it is in fact a reference to an anti-Nazi Donald Duck short and/or the Nazi swastika.In a statement released via Twitter on Sept. 28, the official Fortnite Status account noted, "We're disabling the Peaceful Hips Emote in Fortnite as we inquire into our partner's creative intentions in this collab emote. Assuming it's not coming back, we'll issue refunds in the next few days. Sorry folks."

On this weeks show Fonseca talks with Pete Capella American actor, stand-up comedian, producer and artistic director, who is best known for voicing Silver the Hedgehog in the Sonic the Hedgehog video game franchise from 2006 to 2009 a NJ native, began studying acting and comedy at the age of 16 and graduated with a BA in Theatre and Film. He honed his craft studying in NYC and performing in over 3000 live shows; all while booking TV, film and voice over - most notably as the voice of Silver the Hedgehog in the Sonic the Hedgehog games for SEGA. In 2007, Pete made the cross-country trek to Los Angeles, where he has been a regular on NFL's Riggle's Picks, has various TV and Film credits and is an accomplished producer and writer, as one half of Good Boy Treat Productions. When not on stage or film, Capella can be found surfing, rock climbing, painting or obsessing over his vinyl collection. Fonseca and AMV talk about the Wednesday Show, 2026 movies,4D and Halloween.

Fonseca and AMV talk about the movies and James Gunn on the show this week voice actor Sean Chiplock who is known for his work in English versions of Japanese video games and anime, as well as in numerous indie games. Based in Los Angeles, California, Chiplock is known as the voice of Rean Schwarzer in the Trails series, Revali in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Kiyotaka Ishimaru in Danganronpa, Yuuki Mishima in Persona 5, Diluc in Genshin Impact, Shiki Granbell in Edens Zero, Subaru Natsuki in Re:Zero, Guido Mista and Sex Pistols in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Golden Wind, Spider-Man in Marvel's Avengers, Pewter in AI: The Somnium Files, Noob Saibot in Mortal Kombat 11, and Kinger in The Amazing Digital Circus.

Superman or Fantastic Four? Spiderman Brave New Day, Marvel Zombies. Kevin Fiege is going check with Marvel

Joe Ochman is an American actor who is most active in voice over roles in various animation shows, films, and video games. He is the fourth and current voice of Jiminy Cricket since 2014. Within a mural of a Ghorlectipod, or Ghorman spider from the planet Ghorman, if one looks closely, the body of the spider is the face of an iconic Star Wars villain - Darth Maul. X (formerly Twitter) user Jammin333 noted that the mosaic design is a deliberate homage to Darth Maul.“Andor production designer Luke Hull shared one of the gorgeous Ghorlectipod spider mosaics from the Ghorman cafe. This one appears to embody Darth Maul, who at one point in The Clone Wars became half cyber-spider. Love the design details down to the inverted crescent moon chin,” Jammin333 said in their post. During the Saturday update, Rebirth received another prediction, with the film looking at a worldwide opening of $312.5 million, ahead of the initial projection of $260 million. That leads to the second-biggest global opening of the year, just behind A Minecraft Movie, which dangerously neared $1 billion and ended its run at $953.1 million, and ahead of Lilo & Stitch, which is soon set to surpass the former as it has already grossed $951.5 million worldwide.Rebirth won't have the biggest opening in the Jurassic franchise, as it trails behind Jurassic World's $525 million. The film also has the second-best offshore opening so far, behind the Chinese animation Ne Zha 2, and ahead of Lilo & Stitch. Jurassic World Rebirth also had the best Fourth of July haul for a No. 1 film post-COVID-19, and it outranked 2024's Despicable Me 4.

Lauren Tom is an American actress. She began her career on stage, winning an Obie Award, and gained recognition for her role in The Joy Luck Club(1993). On television, she is known for her roles in the NBC sitcom Friends (1995–96), the ABC shows Grace Under Fire (1997–98) and Men in Trees (2006–08), The CW series Supernatural (2012–14), and the Disney Channel series Andi Mack (2017–19).In animation, Tom has voiced Amy Wong in Futurama, Dana Tan on Batman Beyond, Jinx and Gizmo in Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go!, Minh and Connie Souphanousinphone on King of the Hill, Numbuh 3 in Codename: Kids Next Door, and Mrs. Maybank and Dr. Jamanpour on Hamster and Gretel. Tenn Graneet John Sner from San Ramon emailed Us: whats the back story I’ve been seeing about the gunner In Star Wars who fired the death Star:Tenn joined the Republic Navy as an assistant gunner when he was 20 years old, serving throughout the Clone Wars and continuing to do so after the Galactic Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire. He was eventually promoted to the rank of master chief gunnery officer and transferred to the Death Star. Tenn was ecstatic about this at first; he was a staunch supporter of the Empire who reveled in the opportunity to wield such a powerful weapon. He did not expect it to actually be used against inhabited planets. He assumed that the Empire only built it as a fear tactic, which was partially true, but Grand Moff Tarkin believed that the greatest way to inspire fear was to make an example of Alderaan. As soon as Tenn fired the superlaser, he was wracked with guilt and suffered a mental breakdown. With the pull of a lever, he had wiped out two billion lives.