Hello, friends, and welcome back to The Sunday Post, where the biggest news of the week had nothing to do with the MCU but instead with the newest addition to the Friends From Work family. Kandace and Robby officially welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world, and Robby reports that she’s already begun her first journey through the MCU (as Robby embarks on a fresh rewatch!). Congratulations!

As a result of this wonderful news, there likely won’t be any new pods this week, but Robby’s interview with Ryan North will premiere on FFW+ soon. The Fantastic Four: First Steps also premieres on Disney+ this week, providing another way to fill the void until the podcast returns.

Make sure to stick around to the end of The Watercooler today because the new dad himself has a fresh new recommendation from Panel Bound Comics.

Now let’s get into the news, which was pretty sparse again this week. Over to…

THE WATERCOOLER

THIS WEEK IN THE MCU

• Famke Janssen became the latest actor to deny any involvement in Avengers: Doomsday (joining the likes of Andrew Garfield, Brie Larson, and Jeremy Renner). Janssen told Entertainment Weekly that Marvel “never, ever” even asked her to reprise her role as Jean Grey.

• Damson Idris appeared alongside Angela Bassett at Vogue World: Hollywood a week ago, reigniting speculation that he could be the next Black Panther (Bassett, as well as Danai Gurira, appeared in full Wakandan regalia at the event). For his part, Idris denied the rumors, telling Time, "No, no. I don't know anything about it."

• Rebel Ridge star Aaron Pierre was profiled last week in Men’s Health magazine and talked about the experience of being hired for Blade, which is still yet to get off the ground at Marvel Studios. Pierre was subsequently let go from the project due to the delays. Marvel’s loss is DC’s gain, as Pierre is now set to appear in the 2026 DC series Lanterns as the Green Lantern John Stewart.

BEYOND THE MULTIVERSE

• The first full story trailer for the final season of Stranger Things arrived last week, and it was worth the wait. The first four episodes will premiere the day before Thanksgiving.

TRUE BELIEVERS RUMOR OF THE WEEK

• We have our first hint as to when Avengers: Secret Wars will start filming. A production listing in “Hollywood North Buzz” claims that the movie will film under the working title Apple Pie 2 and start shooting in April 2026.

• Marvel Zombies is reportedly moving ahead with a second season, after positive feedback and viewership for September’s four-episode event.

PANEL BOUND COMICS PICK OF THE WEEK

Mister Miracle by Tom King and Mitch Gerads

Am I thinking about this book this week for a very specific reason? Maybe. Is this story rooted in one of the more obscure bits of DC lore? Maybe. Is it also one of the most moving, human stories I’ve ever experienced in any medium? Yup.

Before I get any further, I should note that this book deals with some really heavy stuff, including suicide. The way Mister Miracle deals with this stuff is what makes it such a beautiful comic, but if that’s something you don’t need in your brain right now, there is no shame in that.

Ok, with that warning out of the way, this is easily my favorite Tom King story, but it’s what Gerads does that makes the Absolute edition my preferred version. Mitch’s nine-panel structure really benefits from the oversized treatment, and his cover/slipcase art is top-tier stuff. This was the most fun I had unboxing a book in a long while.

If that’s a bit too rich for your taste, though, you can find the deluxe edition (which is still a great way to read and 1/2 the price) here.

Whichever way you want to read it is fine with me. Just read it!

RE

Thanks, Robby, and congrats again on the new addition to the family! Readers- don’t forget to use code “FRIENDSFROMWORK” to receive an additional discount on your PBC purchase!

Thanks also to all of you for continuing to come back week after week to read our newsletter. It is appreciated.

Have a great week,

-Greg