Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered all of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, all 14 films in Fox’s X-Verse, and a collection of Marvel Films from the 2000s.

This month, Alex & Bill giving you a special bonus episode discussing their hopes and dreams and greatest fears surrounding Avengers: Doomsday, now that all four teaser trailers have been released. The pair speculate on what might be coming based on what they saw in the teasers, what reveals may be left to come, and debate whether this was an effective play by Marvel to drum up enthusiasm and hype for the new Avengers film.

Come back later this month as they kick off their Podding the Spider-Verse miniseries with reviews of Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man 3 (2007), now streaming on Disney Plus!

Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship.

Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard.

In this episode, Allie and Tyler tackle the remake of a movie they initially avoided doing early on in their podcasting lives. Join them as they discuss the 2025 thriller “The Hand that Rocks The Cradle.” Does it stack up against the impeccably campy 1992 original? Is it sexy enough to be considered a romantic/erotic thriller? Is there a reason at all for the two leading women in this movie to have a flirtation beyond giving the people what they want? All these questions and more are answered in this positively wild episode.

Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music.

Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Podcasts Editor Alex Marcus is joined by editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television.

Here’s the format of the show:

The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month – Alex, Bill, Josh and special guest TV Editor Avani Goswami talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including HBO’s I Love LA & The Chair Company, AppleTV’s Pluribus, Prime Video’s Fallout, Disney Plus’s Taylor Swift: The End of An Era, and Netflix’s Stranger Things & Death By Lightning.

Streaming Wars – Alex, Bill, & Josh pick a streamer they think “won the month” based on new shows airing/upcoming shows announced etc. All three hosts plus their special guest handed the month’s honors to Netflix after their successful acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, their hugely successful Stranger Things Season 5 rollout, and their NFL Christmas Day telecasts.

New Series Spotlight – This month, we are reviewing HBOMAX’s Heated Rivalry The series, based on the Game Changers queer romance novel series by Rachel Reid and adapted for the small screen by the Canadian TV powerhouse behind Letterkenny and Shoresy Jacob Tierney, stars Hudson Williams and Connor Story as Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov, the top two picks in the 2008 Major League Hockey Draft, who strike up a secret affair the summer before their rookie season. The series first season follows roughly seven years of their closeted love affair, and also features a subplot following a veteran hockey player Scott Hunter, played by Francois Arnaud, and his love affair with art history grad student and smoothie barista Kip, played by Robbie GK, who are the focus of one of the other novels in the book series.

Most Anticipated Series of 2026 – Alex, Bill, Josh, and Avani break down their five most anticipated series of the year, along with some runners-up as they kick off 2026.

Avani

1. Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End S2

2. Blue Eye Samurai S2

3. Yellowjackets S4

4. Spider-Man Noir

5. Blade Runner 2099

Josh

1. One Piece S2

2. Lanterns

3. House of the Dragon S3

4. Daredevil: Born Again S2

5. Avatar: The Last Airbender S2

Bill

1. Blue Eye Samurai S2

2. X-Men ’97 S2

3. Daredevil: Born Again S2

4. One Piece S2

5. Lanterns

Alex

1. VisionQuest

2. The Comeback S3

3. The Pitt S2

4. Euphoria S3

5. Shrinking S3

This is Podelay, a podcast dedicated to alternative rock pioneer Beck Hansen! After completing their Pod of Doom series, Randy Allain (Media/Lit) and Justin Mancini (TheCineMaverick.com) are back to take on a whole new genre. Our resident music podcasters are joined by Kris Ingersoll of Batman by the Numbers and the Media/Lit podcast, and this time, Randy steps into the host chair so that Justin can discover something new.

In the second episode, the hosts explore the humble beginnings of Beck’s storied career, covering albums from 1993 to 1994. From lo-fi roots rock and noise experiments to Satanic tacos and burrito-devouring Sasquatches, it turns out there’s something for everyone even this early in Beck’s catalogue.

In every episode, each host will spotlight the following:

· Where It’s At: a track they really like.

· It’s A Loser, Baby: a track they don’t.

· Sing It Again: a favorite lyric.

· Such A Beautiful Way: a favorite musical moment.

Join them as they travel to a destination a little up the road from the conversations and the pods you know. Please join us for the show that poses one simple question: I’m a podcast, baby, so why don’t you stream me?

Host Picks:

Where It’s At (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like)

Justin – Asshole

Kris – The Fucked Up Blues

Randy – Totally Confused

It’s a Loser, Baby (A Song We Don’t Like So Much)

Justin – Bogus Soul

Kris – Salmonella Shizergeist (Utopia)

Randy – Aphid Manure Heist

Sing It Again (A Favorite Lyric)

Justin – Ozzy

Kris – Sleeping Bag

Randy – Rowboat

Such a Beautiful Way (A Favorite Musical Moment)

Justin – Gettin’ Home

Kris – Noise 3 (start of Aphid Manure Heist)

Randy – He’s a Mighty Good Leader

Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To:

Justin – Tori Amos

Kris – Spin Doctors

Randy – The Hu

Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga.

Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered all of Netflix’s The Defenders Saga, the first four seasons of ABC’s Agents of SHIELD, all 14 films in Fox’s X-Verse, and a collection of Marvel Films from the 2000s.

This month, Alex & Bill are closing out their tour through Marvel Animation with a review of their two major releases in 2025, Eyes of Wakanda & Marvel Zombies.

In this episode, Alex & Bill also announce their 2026 Podding the Spider-Verse miniseries, which kicks off next month with their episode on the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, and previews the MCU 2026 slate of TV and film projects, including an in depth discussion of how hyped (or not so hyped) they are for each upcoming project.

Come back next month as they kick off their Podding the Spider-Verse miniseries with reviews of Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man 3 (2007), now streaming on Disney Plus!

There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman. No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender. With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank! This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters.

Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight. From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned. Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening.

Well, we have come to the end of 2025, and what a year it was for DC, as we celebrated our theme of World’s Finest with many episodes dedicated to the Man of Steel.

As big as 2025 was though, 2026 for DC is shaping up to be massive! We couldn’t think of a better way to close out 2025 than by looking ahead to 2026.

It’s just Daniel and Kris in the Batcave today, as they break down many exciting projects for DC in 2026, as well as 2027. You know we had to close it out with some of the Matt Reeves The Batman: Part II news.

Aside from Batman, the bat crew break down what to expect with Supergirl, Lanterns, Clayface, and what’s next for Superman in the 2027 announced sequel, Man of Tomorrow!

Oh. They also open the show giving their thoughts on that whole WB-Netflix news, as well as some of the Paramount developments in conjunction with this. It does involve DC, after all. We got to talk about it!

Also, please keep in mind, this was recorded before the Supergirl and Lanterns trailers were dropped.

And…at the end of the show, the duo TEASE next year’s Batman by the Numbers theme! You don’t want to miss it!

There’s never a dull moment in the world of anime and Pop Break is diving right into the action! Join anime enthusiasts Amanda Rivas and Josh Sarnecky as they geek out monthly with dedicated experts and special guests on exciting anime news, trending anime in TV and/or movies, and anime recommendations spanning different genres that everyone should be watching. If you are a lifelong anime lover or taking the initial leap into the genre that has something for everyone, this is the podcast for you!

Join us as we hand out our vaunted Anime x Pop awards for anime that we loved in 2025. The Elder Emo, The Flamingo King, and Pop Break’s favorite Short King Branden Vice joins Amanda and Josh in this celebration of all things anime that dominated 2025. Check out who we thought was the best returning anime, best new anime, must protect at all costs character, best fight scene and more.

In Anime News, they discuss Amazon’s failed experiment of using AI voice English and Latin American dubbing in lieu of hiring voice actors for several new anime

Join us next month as we kick off 2026 with Hell’s Paradise Season 2 and Jujitsu Kaisen Season 3 Part 1!

Josh and Aaron Sarnecky are here to celebrate The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe for its 20th anniversary.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a children’s fantasy film directed Andrew Adamson. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name, the first published volume in C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia series. It opened in theaters on December 9, 2005.

In the film, Lucy Pevensie (Georgie Henley) and her siblings Peter (William Moseley), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Edmund (Skandar Keynes) happen upon the mythical realm of Narnia. The four children are destined to aid the wise lion Aslan (Liam Neeson) in his fight against the evil White Witch (Tilda Swinton).

Other characters include Professor Kirke (James Broadbent), Mr. and Mrs. Beaver (Ray Winstone and Dawn French), and Mr. Tumnus (James McAvoy).

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was a critical success and the third highest-grossing film of 2005, making $745 million on an estimated $180 million budget. It won Best Makeup at the Oscars and was also nominated for Sound Mixing and Visual Effects. It was followed by only two sequels, leaving the film series incomplete.

Josh and Aaron discuss their histories with the film and franchise before going into the movie’s plot, characters, action, and legacy. Josh and Aaron also talk about Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Narnia adaptation for Netflix.

For another podcast on a beloved book, you can listen to last month’s podcast on Pride & Prejudice.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and Wardrobe is streaming on Disney+