Welcome to Popped Bites, where we serve up the biggest movie and TV stories of the week in bite-size pieces — Hollywood hors d’oeuvres, if you will. This week we have updates on the LA fires, Daredevil: Born Again, the passing of David Lynch, and all the latest castings, still, trailers, and reveals. So without further ado, here’s what’s been popping in entertainment the week of January 11-17.
Los Angeles Fire Updates
After devastating fires broke out in the Los Angeles area last week, firefighters are thankfully gaining ground on containing the couple remaining ones. The Palisades Fire has now been 52% contained, with the Eaton Fire being 81% contained. Hopefully we’ll continue to see the fires contained further throughout the next week, so those affected can make a safe return to their lives.
As far as its impacts in the entertainment industry go, the Severance Season 2 red carpet premiere has now been added to the list of cancelled events. The announcement of Oscar nominations has faced another delay to January 23, and the Critics Choice Awards has delayed its ceremony to February 7. Several TV productions in the Hollywood area are starting to resume, with the exception of a few series such as Fallout and Grey’s Anatomy.
‘Daredevil: Born Again’ & More: Marvel Minute
Speaking of the fires, early in the week Wilson Fisk actor Vincent D’Onofrio posted that the trailer for the long-awaited Daredevil: Born Again had been delayed due to the tragedy. After a few days however, Marvel finally dropped the trailer, where we got a good look at Charlie Cox returning as Matt Murdock, opposite D’Onofrio of course. The Disney+ return to Hell’s Kitchen sees Fisk campaigning for mayor with Murdock giving up vigilante life, all while flanked by a cast of characters old and new, including Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), Bullseye (Wilson Bethel), White Tiger (Kamar de los Reyes), Muse, and The Punisher (Jon Bernthal). If you’re looking to learn more about the series, make sure to check out our article on everything we know about Daredevil: Born Again.
Some miscellaneous MCU news was sprinkled throughout the week, starting with the Russo Brothers commenting on how their involvement with Avengers: Secret Wars came to be. “Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us,” says Anthony Russo. He actually asked writer Stephen McFeely how he’d feel going back to Marvel Studios to adapt Secret Wars, but was met with a reluctant response along the lines of “F*ck no.” 24 hours later, McFeely suddenly had a bright idea on how to adapt the story. We’ll be able to see that story play out in theaters on May 7, 2027.
A bit of deep cut casting news hit the trades this week, as Faran Tahir was announced to reprise his MCU role in the upcoming Disney+ series Vision. Tahir previously Raza, the leader of the Ten Rings terrorist organization that captured Tony Stark all the way back in Iron Man. Speaking of Disney+ series, the upcoming animated Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man had its release schedule revealed, and it’s quite different than usual, seemingly to ensure there’s no overlap with Daredevil: Born Again’s release. Ep. 1 & 2 will premiere January 29, followed by Ep. 3-5 on February 5, Ep. 6-8 on February 12, and Ep. 9 & 10 on February 19. As for Marvel’s theatrical release in February, Captain America: Brave New World tickets have just gone on sale, alongside the debut of new posters for various theatrical formats (seen above).
Celebrating David Lynch
On Thursday, January 16, David Lynch’s family took to social media to share news of the beloved painter-turned-director’s passing. Lynch was renowned for the dreamlike qualities he imbued his films with, from Mulholland Drive to Inland Empire. He also famously created the 1990 series Twin Peaks, and returned to it for a third season in 2017 – which ended up being his last project. As an avid smoker throughout his life, he ended up developing emphysema, which he was diagnosed with in 2024, resulting in him having to stay home at all times.
“There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’” – Lynch’s family
Several of Lynch’s frequent collaborators and friends have posted thoughts and memories of him in the following hours and days. “David was in tune with the universe and his own imagination on a level that seemed to be the best version of human,” wrote Blue Velvet and Dune star Kyle MacLachlan. Mulholland Drive star Naomi Watts wrote, “Every moment together felt charged with a presence I’ve rarely seen or known. Probably because, yes, he seemed to live in an altered world, one that I feel beyond lucky to have been a small part of.” Lynch’s family once more took to social media to make one final request: “On Monday, January 20th—what would have been his 79th birthday—we invite you all to join us in a worldwide group meditation at 12:00pm NOON PST for 10 minutes.”
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ ‘Scream 7’ & More – The Latest In Casting, Stills, And Trailers
The stream of preview content for this year’s film slate is steadily flowing… even for a movie that’s not due out until December. Empire offered a couple new looks (seen above) at Avatar: Fire and Ash – the third entry in James Cameron’s monumental blockbuster franchise. The first image shows Oona Chaplin as Varang, the leader of the Ash Clan, and main antagonist of the film. The second reveals the nomadic Wind Traders. Alongside revealing these stills, Cameron promises to take the audience to “places they won’t expect, but that will feel earned.” New looks at Pixar’s Elio and Stephen King adaptation The Monkey (both seen above) rounded things out this week with a trailer released for the latter as well.
As for castings, a couple big blockbusters have been busy filling out their call sheets, namely Scream 7 and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. After some troubled development, Scream 7 is moving along with Jasmin Savoy Brown returning. Joel McHale has also been cast as Sidney Prescott’s husband, Mark. Meanwhile, Supergirl sees David Krumholtz and Emily Beecham coming aboard as Kara’s parents, Zor-El and Alura. Milly Alcock is actually now set to debut in the role of Kara in James Gunn’s Superman, later this year.
Back to another late-2025 release – Anaconda is building out its cast with Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Selton Mello, and Ione Skye. This reboot/reimagining already had Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Daniela Melchior attached, so it’s adding up to be quite the ensemble. Over on the TV side, Silo Season 2 just ended, but we already have two names joining for Season 3 — Ashley Zukerman and Jessica Henwick. And to wrap things up, this week saw the release of a few trailers, including Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar, the final season of You, as well as Warner Bros. film The Alto Knights and PlayStation adaptation Until Dawn (seen below).
