There's always big news that comes out of the annual D23 Ultimate Disney Fan event, and 2026 was no different. Yeah there were new rides and park attractions announced, and a plethora of sequels (plus the Bluey movie!). But the biggest news (for us anyway) was the shock announcement that Marvel had finally bagged their white whale-Adam Driver.

That's right, our ride-or-die Adam Driver has been cast in the upcoming untitled X-Men reboot as Mister Sinister. We dive deep into what may have been going on behind the scenes for this development, including our theories on how this all ties back to the tragically (but maybe not permanently) shelved The Hunt for Ben Solo.

Follow us on social media and let us know what you think about everything that came out of D23!

The Nerds didn't attend San Diego Comic Con this year (because life), and the FOMO was real. But we still had to talk about all the exciting details that came out, so here is everything we missed when we were missing out on SDCC!

Joined by friend-of-the-pod Annette, we chatted activations, The Rings of Power news (helloooo Celeborn), the joy of the Spaceballs 2 reunion and of course, Marvel and its infamous Hall H Saturday panel. Plus, all the other little things about SDCC that make it so special.

Find us on social media and chat all things Comic Con and pop culture with us!

Dearest Gentle Listeners, we can't believe Bridgerton is already over for the next two years. But it's not really over until we break it down, so let's get into it.

Joined by frequent-friend-of-the-pod Andee, we discussed all the things from Season 4 Part 2. Was Benophie our favorite Bridgerton couple? How did we handle Francesca's heartbreaking scenes? Who do we think the next Lady Whistledown is? Tune in to find out!

Find us on social media and let us know what you thought about Bridgerton Season 4 Part 2!

Dearest Gentle Reader...The Bridgerton family and their steamy hijinks are once again gracing our Netflix accounts, and you KNOW we had to talk about it.

We teamed up with Big Gold Belt Media to break down the first four episodes that make up Part 1 of Season 4. In this episode we give our thoughts on the main couple Benedict and Sophie, the numerous side plots, and what we hope to see in Part 2. Spoilers abound so make sure you've watched the episodes beforehand!

Find us on social media and let us know what you think of this season! You can also watch a video version of this episode on YouTube.

In a world where music transcends boundaries and connects people, few artists have achieved the level of impact that Taylor Swift has. From her early beginnings as a country singer to becoming a global pop sensation, her career is a testament to talent, resilience, and connection. Julie is joined by her best friend and fellow Swifitie, Shannon, to celebrate Taylor's newest documentary, End of an Area, the Final Show, and the community that has formed around her music.

Are you a Swiftie? Which Taylor era is your favorite? Find us on social media and tell us!

It's been a hell of a week for Ben Solo fans.

In a recent AP interview, our fav Adam Driver dropped an atomic bomb on the Star Wars fandom: he had been secretly working on a Ben Solo movie for two years. Titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, it took place after The Rise of Skywalker and would have explored the mystery of what might have happened to Ben after he disappeared into the Force. The worst part? Disney execs Bob Iger and Alan Bergman had said no.

In this episode we take break down the drama, including our theories for why Adam released this information now, plus the amazing efforts that Star Wars fans are going to try and get this movie made.

Do you think a Ben Solo movie was a good idea? Are you also sticking pins in a Bob Iger voodoo doll? Find us on social media and let us know!

Marvel dropped-albeit very, very slowly-a massive announcement about the cast of Avengers: Doomsday this week, and we had to immediately talk through our feelings about it!

Julie and friend-of-the-pod Andee talked all about the electrifying cast list and everyone it included (and everyone it mysteriously didn’t). They also talked theories, recent projects and the future of Marvel.

What did you think of the casting announcement? Are you excited for the re-vamped future of Marvel? Find us on social media and tell us!

Every once in a while at The Nerds Awaken we sit down with no plan, no outline, no agenda; we just hit record and let the pop culture gossip flow. And that's what this episode is, our stream-of-consciousness thoughts on all the recent pop culture and entertainment happenings, plus all the books/movies/tv shows we're loving lately and the ones we're looking forward to.

Hear our various hot takes on the Oscars, the upcoming 20th anniversaries of Revenge of the Sith* and Pride and Prejudice, Janna's C-Drama addiction, Julie's obsession with Paradise on Hulu, and why Mate by Ali Hazelwood is our most anticipated book of 2025.

*in the recording we mistakenly call it the 25th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith- we're old and it was past our bedtime, okay?!

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