I want to kick off this week's newsletter by highlighting Friends From Work+. If you are not a subscriber, there may never be a better time to consider signing up. The triumphant Daredevil: Born Again finale just aired, and over the next 100 days, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Ironheart will all be released, closing out Phase 5 of the MCU.

And for just $8 a month, you can get numerous bonus podcasts, 25% off official FFW merchandise, exclusive art prints, and access to additional premium Discord channels. For example, Plus subscribers received a bonus MCU Deep Dive into the new trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps just last week, and a Comics Corner podcast a week earlier covering an issue of Jonathan Hickman’s epic run on “Avengers” in preparation for Avengers: Secret Wars.

In the coming weeks, there will be additional FFW+ podcasts covering the three previous Fantastic Four films, a Screensaver+ episode covering the Mission: Impossible franchise, and much more. So please consider supporting the podcast if you can.

ALL listeners should check out Kyle and Robby’s initial reaction podcast breaking down the Daredevil: Born Again finale last week. This Thursday the guys will have a Thunderbolts* “Saga So Far” episode and bookmark the FFW YouTube page because the next “Screen Recap” (everything you need to know heading into Thunderbolts*) is coming very soon.

Two final reminders before moving into The Watercooler- Kyle and Robby will be at Austin Books & Comics on Saturday, May 3rd (Austin, TX listeners please come out and say hi!) and please continue supporting our newest apparel partner, Homage. Their entire Marvel collection is 20% off for a limited time only RIGHT NOW. Use our exclusive link below to get some awesome merch and support the pod at the same time.

Now…

THE WATERCOOLER

THIS WEEK IN THE MCU

• Rumors had been swirling ever since CinemaCon, and Marvel Studios finally came through with a brand-new trailer for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This new look provided a little more insight into the movie’s plot and gave fans their first look at how Reed Richards’ stretching powers will be actualized on-screen.

• Marvel Studios also released the final trailer for Thunderbolts* and announced a series of fan screenings around the world this coming Tuesday (April 22nd) that quickly sold out. The social media embargo on the film also drops on Tuesday, at 4:30 pm ET.

• In the aftermath of the Daredevil: Born Again season finale, several key creatives gave post-mortem interviews and previewed what to expect in season 2. Vincent D’Onofrio spoke to Variety about THAT scene, and also teased the comic storyline “Shadowland” as integral to season 2. Entertainment Weekly sat down with showrunner Dario Scardapane about the post-credits scene, and also the possibility of more members of the Defenders showing up in season 2. Finally, The Hollywood Reporter hosted a roundtable discussion with directors Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, and David Boyd to discuss how they were able to marry the two different versions of the show into one cohesive whole. All three interviews are insightful and worth your attention.

BEYOND THE MULTIVERSE

• Friday was Superman Day, and DC Studios celebrated by releasing a new behind-the-scenes look at their summer blockbuster Superman. Superman opens on July 11th, just two weeks before The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse comes to Disney+ for the first time on Thursday, May 1st.

• According to Nexus Point News, the upcoming Spider-Noir series starring Nicolas Cage will be released on Amazon Prime Video in early 2026.

TRUE BELIEVERS RUMOR OF THE WEEK

• As with all rumors, take this with a grain of salt, but I am hearing that Liza Colon-Zayas (The Bear) is being circled by Marvel Studios to play Rio Morales in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

ORGANIC PRICED BOOKS PICK OF THE WEEK

New Avengers Omnibus Vol 1

If you're reading this newsletter, you're probably aware that The Sentry is set to make his MCU debut via Lewis Pullman in next month's Thunderbolts*. And if you're looking for an easy introduction to the comic-book character... you might be looking for a while. The Sentry's backstory is intentionally opaque, so picking up with him at any point will come with some level of confusion. That said, Brian Michael Bendis's New Avengers is undoubtedly the best place to start. That's because the book assumes you've never read anything about Sentry before, a choice that holds up since Bendis' version of the character is (at least to this point) far and away the most famous.

I've waxed poetic about early Bendis stuff too much over the years to take more time on it now. But know that the New Avengers Vol. 1 Omnibus is not only the best introduction to this character, it's arguably the best introduction to modern Marvel Comics, period. Though classic Marvel stories remain canon and are continually referenced, this was designed to be a starting point of sorts. It's a team-up book with some of Marvel's most famous characters (then and now) fighting some of its craziest villains. It's fun! It's fast-paced! It (mostly) ages well! It's not my favorite Bendis book or even my favorite book called New Avengers, but it's essential reading -- especially if you want to know more about Sentry.

You can snag the whole first half of the series here. And you should! (The second half is on its way later this year, and I'd hazard a guess that Dark Avengers will be following close behind.) As always, use code “FRIENDSFROMWORK” for an even bigger bargain.

RE

Before I go, one final reminder to check out our partners at Homage and Organic Priced Books. Please come to our Discord server and join the discussion. With Easter Sunday winding down, summer is right around the corner and there are many good things to come.

Have a great week.

-Greg