Dragon Ball is coming back with a brand new anime series, but the big question the series still needs to answer is whether or not Dragon Ball Daima fits into the canon. And if it does, where in the timeline will Dragon Ball Daima take place? Dragon Ball is celebrating its 40th Anniversary with a brand new anime series that's going to make some massive changes to Goku and the rest of the Z-Fighters as a wild new way to commemorate the occasion. Goku and the others will be de-aged into kids, and it's gotten fans wondering what could be coming in the new series.

Dragon Ball Daima's debut trailer and original creator Akira Toriyama's involvement in the new series does offer a few clues over whether or not this will be canon, however. First of all, since Toriyama is the one who created the new story and setting (which has never been seen in the manga or anime before), it's canon whether fans like the idea or not. So the big question then is where exactly this new anime can slot within everything that's happened before.

What Is the Dragon Ball Daima Timeline?

When announcing the new Dragon Ball Daima anime, Toriyama said the following about his involvement in the new series, "I'm currently working on a new Dragon Ball. The title is Dragon Ball Daima. Daima is a made-up term... [which] in English would be something like Evil." Teasing its impact on the canon, Toriyama teased we'll get new details of the franchise's world, "Things will unfold that close in on the mysteries of the Dragon Ball World. Hope you all enjoy these different-from-usual battles that are cute and powerful."

Just as how Dragon Ball Super is slotted in during the ten years before the end of Dragon Ball Z, this seems to be slotted right before Dragon Ball Super. The footage seen in the trailer shows a mysterious new figure watching the events of the past with the most recent seen is the Majin Buu arc. It seems that Goku and Vegeta are alive once more, and without Beerus and Whis around, this seems like this is also before the events of Battle of Gods.

Giving the timing, there's quite a bit of gap to explore before even the events of Dragon Ball Super begins. But do you hope to see where Dragon Ball Daima fits into the timeline? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty made a major change ahead of Season 6 as Adult Swim parted ways with co-creator and voice behind its two leads, Justin Roiland, but the showrunner behind the series explained that the creative plans for the series didn't really have to change with Roiland's exit. While Rick and Morty Season 7 was in production, Adult Swim had announced they were partying ways with Roiland amidst recent allegations and charges. It was then announced they would be recasting his roles for the new season, and with the first episode, fans have gotten to hear these new voices in action.

Rick and Morty Season 7's premiere debuted the new replacement actors for Justin Roiland, Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden as Rick and Morty respectively, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter about those changes, Marder opened up about the lengthy process in bringing the new actors in. But while the recasting of the voices was a challenge, Marder revealed that creatively Roiland's exit didn't have much of an impact as "When he left, he only really left by name."

How Justin Roiland's Exit Affected Rick and Morty

"No. We were already seasons ahead," Marder responded when asked about whether or not Roiland's exit changed anything creatively about Rick and Morty. "[B]efore the writers strike, we didn't work on anything while we were on strike -- but we were already far ahead. Since I've been part of things, it's been Harmon and me and our team and we've been motoring ahead on our own without him. When he left, he only really left by name."

But even with the changes and challenges of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Marder is excited for fans to see Rick and Morty Season 7, "I'm so excited fans get to see it this year. This show has weathered so much. The irony of the strike these curveballs has been that we feel like we've been sitting on this amazing season of TV with all hurdles in the way of it getting out there. I'm just grateful we found these guys and that they sound the same and that everyone can enjoy what we know, what we've had for a while, which is maybe one of our best seasons."

What did you think of Rick and Morty's Season 7 premiere? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

HT - THR

Voice actor Tara Strong has been recast for a new animated project amid a recent controversy over some of Strong's recent statements on social media. Strong was spotted on X (formerly known as Twitter) with activity that sparked a controversy among fans around the Isreal-Palestine conflict, and amidst this controversy it has been announced that one animated project she was formerly attached to will be recasting her role. The independent animated project Boxtown announced on social media that they will be moving ahead with open auditions to refill the role once held by Strong, Bill the Orphan, following her debut in promotional materials.

Boxtown's original concept was such a success with fans that it's now currently in the works with a partly crowdfunded animated project from Bandit Mill Studios, and it featured Strong in the lead role alongside Alex Hirsch. But as the official Twitter account for Boxtown has announced, they will be moving forward without Strong in the cast and will start open auditions soon, "Hello all! Just wanted to offer a quick update on Boxtown. We will be recasting the role of Bill (previously played by Tara Strong). We'll have more info soon on open auditions. Thanks for y'all's understanding as we re-orient and figure out the next steps."

Why Was Tara Strong Recast?

Boxtown has not announced why Strong has been recast, but it is likely due to Strong's recent social media controversy. Strong herself responded to the Tweet and revealed that this is how she found out she was recast with, "Just found out on twitter! This is what happens when you help fans get shows made I guess," Strong began. "Fired for being Jewish. Glad I helped you get your kickstarter money. Please lose my email address & pray for my family in Israel and in Gaza."

Boxtown is now in the works, and Bandit Mill Studios teased the animated project as such on its Indiegogo page, "Set in a fictional, crime-ridden neon city, Boxtown is an adult animated show following Tim, a so-so detective with a knack for conning both clients and suspects alike, as he teams up with Bill, a squishable and earnest orphan obsessed with true crime. Although they're an unlikely duo, Tim and Bill share one common goal: solving cases--even if for Bill, it's more altruistic than Tim's main motivators, which are (1) to make money, and (2) to stick it to the city's prestigious corporate detective agency."

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War introduced fans to some of the strongest Soul Reapers ever with the members of Squad Zero, and one awesome cosplay is helping to highlight the original creator behind the Zanpakuto, Oetsu Nimaiya! Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War kicked off a new wave of fights between the Soul Reapers and the Quincy forces, and it was soon revealed that there was actually a much stronger group of Soul Reapers out there who live in the Royal Palace and protect the Soul King specifically. Taking Ichigo to their region, each of them helped to make him stronger for the fights to come.

It wasn't until Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 2 - The Separation that we got to see the members of Squad Zero in action, but they made it clear just how involved they were with bringing the elements of Soul Society to life. Oetsu Nimaiya was the one who originally forged the Zanpakuto blades the Reapers have been using all this time, and had a very unique personality to boot. Now this superstar has come to life through some awesome cosplay from artist rinnegoddess on TikTok. Check it out:

@rinnegoddess

#1 Zanpakuto Creator ?#anime #bleach #oetsunimaiya #nimaiyaoetsu #bleachanime #bleachcosplay #oetsunimaiyaedit #oetsunimaiyacosplay #animejawn

? original sound - rinnegoddess ?

How to Watch Bleach: TYBW Part 3

The members of Squad Zero didn't make it to the final episode of Part 2 unscathed, but the next phase of the fight against Yhwach is gearing up to kick off next year. Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Part 3 - The Conflict has been announced to be in the works for a release some time in 2024, but there has yet to be a concrete release date revealed as of the time of this writing. The fights against Yhwach and the Quincies has really only begun, and its 2024 release means there is plenty of time to catch up with everything that's happened in the anime so far.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War's first two parts are now available to stream with Hulu in the United States (and Disney+ in international territories) with both English and Japanese dubbed releases. The entire original Bleach anime is also available to stream with Hulu as well if you wanted to use this time to go back and re-experience Ichigo Kurosaki's journey from where it first began.

Who was your favorite member of Squad Zero in Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 has kicked off the first wave of fights for the Shibuya Incident arc, and fans have gotten the first look at what to expect from the next episode with the promo for Episode 13! Jujutsu Kaisen's anime is now running full steam ahead into the real heart of the Shibuya Incident with Satoru Gojo being sealed away into the Prison Realm thanks to "Suguru Geto"'s long brewing plan. This means Yuji Itadori and the others will have to deal with some tough fights from this point on as it's only going to get messier.

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 has seen Yuji, Nobara, Megumi, and even Nanami getting into their first fights of the arc, but this is only the beginning as the end of the latest episode teased Yuji's next big challenge. It saw Yuji approaching Choso, who is out to get revenge for his Death Painting Womb brothers, and the promo for Episode 13 gives fans the first quick look at what to expect from the anime as this major fight begins. You can check out the Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 13 promo below:

How to Watch Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 13

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 Episode 13 is titled "Red Scale," and it will be premiering on Thursday, October 19th in Japan before then being exclusively available to stream on Crunchyroll. You can catch up with everything that's happened in the second season so far (and the first season along with the Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie) streaming with Crunchyroll as well. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 teases the Shibuya Incident Arc as such:

"Starting on October 31st, a curtain is suddenly lowered around the Shibuya station, which is busy on Halloween. A large number of civilians are trapped... and the civilians begin asking for Satoru Gojo. In order to minimize damage, higher-ups choose to handle Shibuya by having Gojo work there alone. Geto, Mahito, and other curses set traps and wait while Gojo arrives. Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, Nanami, and many others wait outside the curtain. An unprecedented battle of curses begins soon after as sorcerers and curses converge in Shibuya."

What are you hoping to see in Jujutsu Kaisen's next Season 2 episode? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty made a massive change to the series following its firing of co-creator and voice star Justin Roiland from the production ahead of Season 7, and the minds behind the series opened up about why replacing Roiland was a difficult and lengthy process. Rick and Morty Season 7 had a lot of fans curious to see the new episodes as it would be the first season without Roiland voicing the titular duo, but those behind the scenes were definitely feeling the stresses of the proposition as it was tougher to find new voice actors than they had originally thought.

Speaking about the casting process for Rick Sanchez and Morty Smith with The Hollywood Reporter, Rick and Morty Season 7 showrunner Scott Marder explained that replacing Roiland ended up being a tricky process that they needed to audition thousands of people for as "No one sounded exactly like Rick." Even tougher was finding those who could maintain the voices through lengthy periods and all of the character demands that Rick and Morty has of its stars moving forward.

Rick and Morty: Why Replacing Justin Roiland Was Difficult

Rick and Morty has announced that Ian Cardoni will be the new voice behind Rick and Harry Belden will be the new voice behind Morty, and showrunner Scott Marder revealed how tough of a process to find them it really was, "It was harder than we thought. I thought it'd have been easier. Rick was a lot harder than I expected; everyone sounded like Macho Man Randy Savage or like a cousin of his. No one sounded exactly like Rick. It was tricky. People had it in splashes but once you bring them back in, they couldn't do it conversationally, which is what we needed. It was exhaustive."

Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon also spoke on this difficulty as the new actors needed to find a right balance for their respective characters for what's to come for them in the future, "It's one thing to match an impression -- can you do George W. Bush as well as Dana Carvey but can you then do it if you're not saying, 'Not gonna do it.' It was trying to strike this crazy balance; this character has to be angry, sad, despondent and all those things."

Rick and Morty debuted its new voice stars with Season 7's premiere, so what did you think of them so far? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

HT - THR

Bocchi the Rock is making a comeback next year with a big new movie, and fans have gotten a new look at what to expect with a new teaser trailer and poster! Bocchi the Rock was one of the surprisingly big anime standouts of last Fall, and fans had been asking for the anime to come back with a proper second season in the future. While that has yet to be announced as of this writing, the anime will be continuing with a new set of two movies helping to highlight the biggest moments from the anime's original TV series run.

Bocchi the Rock is returning with a new set of two compilation movies highlighting the biggest moments from the TV anime's first season, and the first half will be releasing in the Spring 2024 anime schedule with the second half releasing in Summer 2024. To celebrate the release of the upcoming movies, you can check out the newest teaser trailer for the Bocchi the Rock movie in the video above and new poster for the movie below.

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-- TV?????????????!??? (@BTR_anime) October 14, 2023

What to Know for the Bocchi the Rock Movie

Bocchi the Rock's new two movie project will be releasing across 2024, and will feature a returning cast and staff from the TV anime. If you wanted to check out the series and see why's it has been such a hit, you can find it streaming with Crunchyroll. They begin to tease the anime as such, "Hitori Gotoh, 'Bocchi-chan,' is a girl who's so introverted and shy around people that she'd always start her conversations with 'Ah...' During her middle school years, she started playing the guitar, wanting to join a band because she thought it could be an opportunity for even someone shy like her to also shine. But because she had no friends, she ended up practicing guitar for six hours every day all by herself."

The synopsis continues with, "After becoming a skilled guitar player, she uploaded videos of herself playing the guitar to the internet under the name 'Guitar Hero' and fantasized about performing at her school's cultural festival concert. But not only could she not find any bandmates, before she knew it, she was in high school and still wasn't able to make a single friend! She was really close to becoming a shut-in, but one day, Nijika Ijichi, the drummer in Kessoku Band, reached out to her. And because of that, her everyday life started to change little by little..."

Are you excited for the new Bocchi the Rock movies? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

My Hero Academia has kicked off the real final fights that fans have been waiting to see in the manga, and the cliffhanger from the newest chapter of the series has finally reunited Izuku Midoriya with Katsuki Bakugo after so much time! My Hero Academia's now working its way through the truly final of the final fights between the main heroes and villains, and the focus has shifted from All For One's final fight with All Might to the fight between Deku and Tomura Shigaraki. As these two important fights collide, one explosive hero has finally made a comeback.

My Hero Academia has seen Bakugo out of action ever since he took what looked to be a lethal hit from Shigaraki in the floating battlefield above U.A. Academy, and since it's been a year in real-time since Bakugo was killed off in Chapter 362 of the series, it seemed like he was out for good. But the end of the newest chapter blew all of that out of the water as Bakugo has officially returned to the series and had an even more surprising reunion with Deku as the chapter came to an end.

My Hero Academia: How Is Bakugo Alive?

My Hero Academia Chapter 403 sees All For One bring a defeated All Might to Deku and Shigaraki's battlefield, and interrupts All Might before he's able to sacrifice himself in a blaze of glory. Instead wanting to eliminate All Might right in front of Deku, All For One was trying to make a grand display out of killing the hero. When Deku cried out, a surprising explosion of light appears from the floating U.A. Academy and Bakugo rises to his feet all of a sudden.

It's here that Deku and Bakugo see one another in this instant, and it's clear that Bakugo will be joining the fight in full to save All Might before the worst can happen. It's a big comeback for the hero at just the right time, but it's still far from enough to get All Might out of danger just yet. It's now on Bakugo's shoulders to help despite of his also injured condition.

What do you think of Deku and Bakugo's reunion in My Hero Academia? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty Season 7 has premiered its first full episode with new voice stars behind the titular duo, and the showrunner behind the series opened up about why they chose to cast soundalikes for the role rather than take a big swing in the opposite direction! Rick and Morty Season 7 had a lot of eyes on the premiere as before its premiere, it was announced that former co-creator and star behind Rick and Morty, Justin Roiland, would be fired from production ahead of the new episodes. But it wasn't until it premiered on Adult Swim that the new actors themselves were announced.

Rick and Morty's voices were revealed to be pretty much seamless, and that was by design. Adult Swim announced that Ian Cardoni would be the new voice for Rick, and Harry Belden would be the new voice for Morty, and the both of them are essentially paralleling Roiland's performances for those characters. When asked about whether or not this seamless transition was a choice so viewers wouldn't notice the change in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rick and Morty showrunner Scott Marder revealed that it was "One hundred percent" the plan.

Why Rick and Morty Used Soundalikes

Rick and Morty showrunner Scott Marder revealed that he and co-creator Dan Harmon had auditioned thousands of potential new actors for the two titular roles, and when asked whether or not the seamless change was by design Marder stated, "One hundred percent. I felt like a lot of people didn't necessarily know what went down this year so for all those people who are just tuning in to the show as if nothing has changed, I wanted them to have the maximum fan experience they could have without any distraction. The goal was always to try to preserve the viewing experience and give them the same show they've had every other season."

Those behind the series had been open about the choice to cast soundalike actors for Rick and Morty following Roiland's exit ahead of the new casting announcements, and reactions to the new stars so far has seemed to have lived up positively as there really hasn't been a noticeable change from what came before. But as Rick and Morty Season 7 continues, the real tests will come later.

How do you feel about Rick and Morty's new actors so far? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

HT - THR

The Boy and The Heron is gearing up for its full international release across theaters later this year, and Studio Ghibli is getting ready for its next movie with a new international poster! Hayao Miyazaki previously touted The Boy and The Heron as his final movie project before it was announced that the prominent creator would be continuing with new movies for the foreseeable future. But that intrigue has made Studio Ghibli's newest project all the more interesting as it was initially released in Japan without the help of promotional trailers, posters, or even images released previewing the film.

But with The Boy and The Heron's successful release in Japan and an upcoming release across theaters across the globe, fans have gotten plenty of new promotional materials for the upcoming movie that have shown off more of what is to come in the latest Miyazaki project. The Boy and The Heron is getting ready for its release in France later this November, and Wild Bunch (the international distributor for its France release) has shared a new poster that you can check it out below.

Une nouvelle affiche pour LE GAR?ON ET LE H?RON, deux semaines avant la sortie au cin?ma de ce nouveau chef-d'oeuvre d'Hayao #Miyazaki !
Au cin?ma le 1er novembre ?#Ghibli #LeGar?onEtLeH?ron pic.twitter.com/9FSzSviqKX

-- Wild Bunch (@WildBunch) October 16, 2023

How to Watch The Boy and The Heron

The Boy and The Heron previously made its way through theaters in Japan, and will be releasing in the United States and Canada beginning on December 8th with GKIDS. It's Hayao Miyazaki's first major feature film in ten years with the famed creator handling the writing and directing duties for The Boy and The Heron with Takeshi Honda serving as animation director, Toshio Suzuki as producer, and Joe Hisaishi composing the music.

Starring the likes of Soma Santoki, Takuya Kimura, Masaki Suda, Kou Shibasaki, Aimyon, Yoshino Kimura, Keiko Takeshita, Jun Fubuki, Sawako Agawa, and more, Studio Ghibli teases The Boy and The Heron as such, "A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki."

Are you excited to see Studio Ghibli's next big movie from Hayao Miyazaki? How are you liking the look of The Boy and The Heron so far? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Chainsaw Man is one of the biggest anime series in the world, and now it has taken the stage in Argentina. If you did not know, the country is gearing up for a big presidential election. There are three candidates at the front ahead of the vote, and now Pochita is going viral after ending up in one candidate's arms on the trail.

The whole thing hit social media recently when presidential candidate Javier Milei ended up showing support for Chainsaw Man. As you can see below, the member of La Libertad Avanza came to a city in Argentina to sway voters. It was there someone gifted Milei a plush of Pochita, and the candidate was quick to thrust the Devil Dog into the chair in victory.

candidate for president of Argentina holding pochita during an event pic.twitter.com/kDYyQuw19m

-- Chainsaw Man Daily Shots (@ChainsawShots) October 15, 2023

The video has since gone viral as Chainsaw Man fans globally caught wind of the cameo. After all, it isn't every day you see Pochita show up with a presidential candidate. There is no telling whether Chainsaw Man could help Milei in the polls, but each candidate in this election faces a tough road ahead.

Argentina is slated to vote in its new president on October 22 as the nation's current leader is not seeking reelection. As for the candidates, Milei represents the libertarian party while Sergio Massa is representing the UP coalition. Finally, Patricia Bullrich is polling for the center-right coalition Juntos for el Cambio.

Obviously, Chainsaw Man is huge, so it isn't too wild for a fan of the anime to appear at Milei's rally. In the past, plenty of other politicians have used anime to platform themselves. A number of Japanese politicians have used anime to nab votes while some mangaka themselves have retired to join politics. So while this Pochita cameo may have caught fans by surprise, it isn't that strange in the grand scheme of things!

If you have not checked out Chainsaw Man for yourself, the hit series is easy to find. Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga can be read on Manga Plus as well as the Shonen Jump app. As for the anime, Chainsaw Man season one can be binged on Crunchyroll.

What do you think about this viral Pochita post? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will see Godzilla stomping across screens later this Fall, and fans have gotten a new look at what to expect from the returning Titan with a new poster for the upcoming Apple TV+ series! Legendary's Monsterverse is expanding with some brand new Godzilla focused projects as they have teamed up with TOHO once more. This includes a new movie team up in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire currently in the works, and a new TV series that will be focusing on Monarch's side of things as they deal with finding out the Titans exist.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will be winding the clock back a bit to fill in the gaps of when Monarch first started researching more of the Titans following their initial arrival, and teasing the next steps for Godzilla's role in the Monsterverse overall. It won't be too much longer before the new series makes its way to Apple TV+ this Fall, and the newest poster places Godzilla front and center for fans wondering whether or not the Titan would play a big part. Check it out below:

When to Watch Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will premiere its first two episodes on Friday, November 17 on Apple TV+ with one episode releasing every Friday after through January 12. Produced by Legendary Television with TOHO licensing Godzilla as part of an extended partnership with Legendary, the Apple TV+ series stars the likes of Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, Elisa Lasowski, and more. Apple teases what to expect from the new Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series as such:

"Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters tracks two siblings following in their father's footsteps to uncover their family's connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell), taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga - spanning three generations - reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives."

What are you hoping to see in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Netflix's One Piece made its debut in August and brought a breath of fresh air to the fandom. After all, the live-action adaptation managed to wow fans with its careful characterization and action. With a top-tier crew overseeing the show, Netflix's One Piece is ready to tackle season two. And in a recent chat, showrunner Steven Maeda stressed the hit series would not have been possible without Monkey D. Luffy's new actor.

Speaking ComicBook, Maeda was clear when talking about the recipe for success the One Piece team followed. The entire process was complex, but at its foundation, Maeda and series creator Eiichiro Oda agreed finding the perfect Luffy was crucial. So luckily, the team was able to get actor Inaki Godoy onboard.

"That's a really tough thing for Luffy in particular, the live-action Luffy could be really annoying if you don't cast right. And I think we found the most genuine, nicest young man who embodied this character. I've said this before and I will stick by this, if I?aki does not do this show. I don't know. We didn't have a backup for him that we were all really excited about and was very good. So once we saw I?aki, we were praying that we could get him to close this deal and make this happen," Maeda said.

"He is really the glue that holds everything together. I think Taz and Emily and Mackenyu and Jacob and everybody else, I think really rounded out in a really wonderful way and embodied those characters, and it was such a pleasure to watch them grow and inhabit the characters and do that. But yeah, and I?aki's the glue that holds it all together."

As it turns out, Godoy is the same kind of glue that Luffy brings in One Piece. The Mexican actor brought that special something to the screen that pulled Netflix's One Piece together, after all. Luffy does the same for the Straw Hats in the universe, and as you can imagine, this quality is hard to find. There is no telling what would have happened to this live-action adaptation if Godoy had passed on Luffy. But thankfully for us all, the actor was all too happy to step into the captain's shoes.

If you have not seen Netflix's One Piece, you can find the hit series streaming now. For more info on the show, you can read One Piece's official synopsis below:

"As a child, Monkey D. Luffy was inspired to become a pirate by listening to the tales of the buccaneer "Red-Haired" Shanks. But Luffy's life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Devil Fruit and gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, still vowing to become the king of the pirates, Luffy sets out on his adventure...one guy alone in a rowboat, in search of the legendary "One Piece," said to be the greatest treasure in the world..."

Do you think Netflix found the perfect actor to play Luffy? What do you want to see from One Piece season two? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Rick and Morty Season 7 has kicked off its run of new episodes with Adult Swim, and the series has dropped the first look at what's coming next in Episode 2! Rick and Morty probably had one of the most active breaks in between seasons in the series' history as not only did Season 6 end with the tease we'd be seeing more of Rick Prime, but series co-creator and voice of the two titular characters, Justin Roiland, was removed from the production ahead of the new season's release. With these roles recast for the new episodes, the show is fully in gear.

Rick and Morty Season 7 premiered with an episode that saw Rick reuniting with his group of friends for a surprisingly big party that led to appearances from Hugh Jackman and the Predator, but that's only the start of the wild events we'll get to see over the new season from this point on. Now we can guessing what to expect next with the promo for Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 2 that you can check out below as spotted by @swimpedia on X (FKA Twitter).

Tune into #AdultSwim on Sunday, October 22nd at 11:00 PM to catch the next brand new episode of Rick and Morty Season 7, "The Jerrick Trap"! pic.twitter.com/Iqt82gyobq

-- Swimpedia (@swimpedia) October 16, 2023

How to Watch Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 2

Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 2 is titled "The Jerrick Trap" and will be premiering on Sunday, October 22nd on Adult Swim at 11:00PM EST. The episode is teased as such, "Gotta be mindful Broh, big brain stuff here." While the episode title seems to tease more of Jerry, the promo for the episode instead teases a look at what Morty's been up to. It's clear that he and Rick have developed such a reputation across the universe over the years that a mafia boss is scared of even messing with Morty, and that's a fun dynamic we haven't seen play out.

But as fans know by now, the episode could take a wild swerve with this idea so it's still hard to gauge what could be coming next. As for what to expect from the new season as a whole, Adult Swim teases Rick and Morty Season 7 as such, "Rick and Morty are back and sounding more like themselves than ever! It's season seven, and the possibilities are endless: what's up with Jerry? EVIL Summer?! And will they ever go back to the high school?! Maybe not! But let's find out! There's probably less piss than last season. 'Rick and Morty,' 100 years! Or at least until season 10!"

What are you hoping to see in Rick and Morty's next new episode? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Jujutsu Kaisen season two is on a roll with the Shibuya arc. After season two got started in the summer, we all knew it would be a matter of time before Pseudo-Geto got things rolling in Shibuya. Now, the arc is well underway, and the voice actor behind Nanami Kento has fans doing a double-take over a new letter.

The post comes courtesy of Kenjiro Tsuda as the Japanese voice actor has overseen Nanami since Jujutsu Kaisen began. Not long ago, the actor took center stage in the anime as the Shibuya arc folded Nanami into the mix. The sorcerer's comeback left fans buzzing, but now Tsuda has fans rather nervous given his cryptic post.

After all, Tsuda simply wrote on X (Twitter) a note thanking fans for all their support up until now. "Thank you for watching Jujutsu Kaisen," he shared. "Thank you for supporting Nanami Kento."

The letter sounds a little too much like a farewell, so Jujutsu Kaisen fans are feeling tense. Nanami is a very popular character with fans, but of course, Jujutsu Kaisen cares little about such things. It has killed a number of popular heroes and villains to date. So if Tsuda is hinting at Nanami's downfall, he has done well.

And of course, Jujutsu Kaisen manga readers know how the arc turns out. If you are caught up Gege Akutami's hit manga, then you know Nanami does die in this arc. The character is an absolute machine as he tears through Shibuya, but Nanami does hit his limit at some point. During his fight with Mahito, Nanami is eventually killed, and readers are now convinced Tsuda has recorded his fighter's final lines. So if you are ready to take a gut punch to the feels, well - Jujutsu Kaisen is winding up for you now.

If you are not caught up with Jujutsu Kaisen, the anime is easier to binge now than ever. The hit series can be found on Crunchyroll. So for more info on Jujutsu Kaisen, you can read its official synopsis below:

"For some strange reason, Yuji Itadori, despite his insane athleticism would rather just hang out with the Occult Club. However, her soon finds out that the occult is as real as it gets when his fellow club members are attacked! Meanwhile, the mysterious Megumi Fushiguro is tracking down a special-grade cursed object, and his search leads him to Itadori..."

What do you think about Nanami's part in Jujutsu Kaisen season two so far? Are you keeping up with the anime? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

It won't be long now until the Justice League teams up with RWBY once more! Rooster Teeth Animation and Warner Bros. Animation are working with DC on the crossover event's second installment. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part Two is on schedule to debut digitally on October 17, and we've got an exclusive new look at the project!

As you can see above, the new clip shows Batman in action as he fights an elephant-like monster in the middle of the city. It doesn't take long before Cyborg shows up with a high-tech strategy to defeat the beast, but it is clear the solution is only temporary.

If you are not familiar with this RWBY x Justice League collab, the whole thing kicked off in a previous film. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One got everything going as it brought Grimm to Earth with all-new power. The epic crossover forced heroes like Vixen and Cyborg to work alongside RWBY to save the world. And now, there are even more Justice League members joining in on the fun.

Jamie Chung will star in this new film as Black Canary while David Dastmalchian brings the Flash to life. Laura Bailey (Wonder Woman), Troy Baker (Batman), Travis Willingham (Superman), and more will come to life in this new animated feature. Written by Meghan Fitzmartin, Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part Two is co-directed by Yssa Badiola and Dustin Matthews. So if you want to know more about the upcoming release, you can read the synopsis for Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part Two below:

"On the heels of successfully escaping a deadly digital trap, the members of the Justice League emerge in their own world to discover that Grimm, ravenous creatures from Remnant, have overtaken Earth! In order to defeat the monsters, they must call on their new friends - Team RWBY - for help!"

Will you be checking out this latest Justice League x RWBY crossover? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Rick and Morty is back, baby. After a long wait, the Adult Swim original returned to the air with season seven. With a slew of new episodes on the way, all eyes are on Rick Sanchez's family ahead of their adventures. Rick and Morty also went to air this season with new voice actors in tow, and the show's executives admit they listened to thousands during the casting process.

The commentary comes from Rick and Morty co-creator Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder as the pair spoke with The Hollywood Reporter as of late. It was there the pair discussed the hard process of finding new talent to voice Rick Sanchez and his grandson. After all, the pair were voiced by Justin Roiland who was removed from Rick and Morty earlier this year. So when asked about casting, Marder said the process was extensive.

"We heard thousands. It went on for six months. It was really wide. It almost went so wide that we debated doing a global hotline though we knew it would wind up being a prank line," Marder explained.

"We felt like we needed to go that far and wide. It was harder than we thought. I thought it'd have been easier. Rick was a lot harder than I expected; everyone sounded like Macho Man Randy Savage or like a cousin of his. No one sounded exactly like Rick. It was tricky. People had it in splashes but once you bring them back in, they couldn't do it conversationally, which is what we needed. It was exhaustive."

Adding in, series co-creator Harmon talked about the complexities of finding a soundalike for Roiland's roles. "It's one thing to match an impression - can you do George W. Bush as well as Dana Carvey but can you then do it if you're not saying, 'Not gonna do it.' It was trying to strike this crazy balance; this character has to be angry, sad, despondent and all those things," he explained.

Of course, Roiland's volatile exit from Rick and Morty left many unsure of where the series would take his roles. The show's season seven premiere went off without a hitch as Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden brought Rick and Morty to life. Their performances were met with high praise from even the most wary of fans, so now we will have to see how season seven fares moving forward.

My Hero Academia has done it again. The manga is known for emotional cliffhangers, and the superhero series really delivered this week. Just as hope for All Might was lost, My Hero Academia gave us a long-awaited spark. Bakugo Katsuki is back in the picture after more than a year away, and one assistant at My Hero Academia is celebrating.

The artwork comes from X (Twitter) courtesy of Shoutaro Noguchi who goes by nstime23 online. The artist has long been an assistant on My Hero Academia, and they are known to share special sketches with fans. It was there Noguchi helped celebrate Bakugo's return to the manga, and the tribute is gorgeous.

After all, you can see the artwork for yourself. The two-piece tribute reunites Bakugo with Izuku in the heat of battle. Noguchi's art mirrors the spread done by series creator Kohei Horikoshi at the end of chapter 403. We can see Bakugo looking worse for wear but alive as Deku looks towards his friends. There is little doubt the pair will have one hell of a reunion before long, but first, Bakugo has a mission and that is to save All Might.

If you have not gotten to read up on Bakugo's comeback firsthand, you have to check it out. My Hero Academia's manga can be read easily on Manga Plus or the Shonen Jump app. So for more info on Horikoshi's story, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn't got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny..."

What do you think about this latest Bakugo tribute? Where should My Hero Academia take Dynamight next? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Argentinian soccer superstar Lionel Messi is set to star in Messi and the Giants, a series that centers on a 12-year-old Messi. The star, now 36, is the captain of the Argentinian football team, and seems to be preparing for life after the sport, reaching into the entertainment space not just with this cartoon but also with an upcoming docuseries.

Acccording to TheWrap, who first reported the story, Messi and the Giants "depicts a 12-year-old Messi as he confronts various obstacles while traveling throughout a video game on a quest to go home."

"We can't wait to share the vision and creative direction behind this inspirational series with full support from Leo and his incredible team," said Sony Music Entertainment's Fernando Cabral in a statement.

"Football is the only sport around the world that can inspire excitement and connection in the same way that storytelling does," Sony Pictures Television - Kids' Joe D'Ambrosia added. "What makes this series special is that it focuses on the same principles of good sportsmanship... it's about perseverance, resilience, teamwork and believing in yourself."

"A work in progress...," Messi said, sharing a short video (seen below) to his social media pages.

You can probably take the combination of that "work in progress" and Sony's unwillingness to share details to suggest there isn't much information yet known about the series. so keep your eye on ComicBook.com and other entertainment sites as more information becomes available in the coming months.

Sony says that Messi and the Giants will be available in English, Spanish and "many other languages." More details on that will come before it premieres. Sony Pictures Television -- Kids and Leo Messi Management serve as producers. Messi is also set to appear in Apple TV+'s Messi Meets America.

Last night on ABC, Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed Once Upon a Studio, a nine-minute short film that crammed in more than 500 cameo appearances by characters ranging from Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Asha from Wish. Along the way, most of those stayed pretty quiet, only reacting to the events around them, but there were a fair number of characters who did speak up -- some of which were played by new actors, but over 40 of whom were played by original stars who came back to reprise their roles.

They even brought back some actors -- like Alan Young (Scrooge McDuck) and Robin Williams (Genie), who had passed away...but left some unused audio behind.

Below, you can find the full cast list, which includes folks who returned to reprise their roles, as well as those who had to take on the part from actors who are no longer with us:

Baymax - Scott Adsit
Flower - Stan Alexander
Bowler Hat Guy - Stephen J Anderson
Donald Duck - Tony Anselmo
Sisu - Awkwafina
Nick Wilde - Jason Bateman
Trusty - Bill Baucom
Thumper - Peter Behn // Ian R'Mante
Anna - Kristen Bell
Ariel - Jodi Benson
Beast - Robby Benson
Mr. Toad - Eric Blore
Antonio - Ravi Cabot-Conyers
Pinocchio - Griffin Campbell
Ursula - Pat Carroll
Moana - Auli'i Carvalho
Baloo - Jim Cummings
Winnie the Pooh - Jim Cummings // Sterling Holloway
Asha - Ariana DeBose
Mickey Mouse - Chris Diamantopulos
Peter Pan - Bobby Driscoll // Lee Slobotkin
Jimmy Cricket - Cliff Edwards
Little John - Richard Epcar
Goofy - Bill Farmer
Pluto - Bill Farmer
Flora - Verna Felton
Prince Charming - Keith Ferguson
Hans - Santino Fontana
Olaf - Josh Gad
Judy Hopps - Ginnifer Goodwin
Jim Hawkins - Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Kristoff - Jonathan Groff
Rafiki - Robert Guillaume
Cinderella - Jennifer Hale
Scuttle - Jess Harrell
Cheshire Cat - Sterling Holloway
Kaa - Sterling Holloway
Quasimodo - Tom HUlce
Scar - Jeremy Irons
Dodger - Billy Joel
Maui - Dwayne Johnson
Cogsworth - Bob Joles
Stromboli - Charles Judels
Pocahontas - Judy Kuhn
Timon - Nathan Lane
Flounder - Luke Lowe
Merryweather - Barbara Buddy
Jaq - James MacDonald
Gus - James MacDonald
Elsa - Idinia Menzel
Eeyore - Jim Meskimen
Merlin - Jim Meskimen
Iago - Piotr Michael
Rapunzel - Mandy Moore
Donald Duck - Clarence Nash
Bernard - Bob Newhart
Belle - Paige O'Hara
Flash - Raymond S Persi
Wreck-It-Ralph - John C. Reilly
Mowgli - Phoenix Reisser
Minnie Mouse - Kaitlyn Robrock
Tiana - Anika Noni Rose
Mulan - Lea Salonga
Stitch - Chris Sanders
Vanellope - Sara Silverman
Cuzco - David Spade
Snow White - Natalie Babbitt Taylor
Grumpy - Josh Robert Thompson
Raya - Kelly Marie Tran
Mad Hatter - Alan Tudyk
Rhino - Mark Walton
Aladdin - Scott Weinger
Abu - Frank Welker
Joanna - Frank Welker
Gaston - Richard White
Carl - Harland Williams
Genie - Robin Williams
Haded - James Woods
Robin Hood - Daniel Wolfe
Louis - Michael-Leon Wooley
Scrooge McDuck - Alan Young

The short, written and directed by Dan Abraham and Trent Correy, features a new version of "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins -- and in fact, Disney brought back songwriter Richard Sherman to be a part of the re-recorded song, which was reportedly a favorite of Walt Disney's.

"Yeah, there were moments [that made us emotional]," producer Yvett Merino said of the short's creation. "I mean throughout, it was really every once in a while we'd just look at each other in the room. I'm like, 'We're doing this.' And really, I think being in Walt's office and recording with Richard Sherman was probably, I don't know, there's a lot of favorite days, but that was a big one for me."

You can see the full short now on Disney+.

As many predicted, Pokemon has been forced to take action regarding its new Van Gogh collaboration. This month marked the big crossover's debut, and it began with The Pokemon Company teaming with The Vincent Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands. Shortly after beginning, videos and photos of the launch went viral as scalpers went feral for the event's exclusive merchandise. So to prevent such a mob from happening again, well - Pokemon is removing its Van Gogh cards from the museum.

Recently, the Van Gogh Museum posted a notice on its website regarding the Pokemon event. It was there fans learned the museum is no longer going to carry the promo Van Gogh Pikachu card, and this is due to safety concerns on the museum's part.

"The Van Gogh Museum and The Pok?mon Company International take the safety and security of visitors and staff very seriously. Recently, a small group of individuals has created an undesirable situation that has led us to take the difficult decision to remove the Pikachu with Grey Felt Hat promo card from the museum. In this way, visitors will be able to experience this special collection of Pok?mon paintings and the rest of the museum in a safe and enjoyable manner," the museum shared.

As you can imagine, the update was bound to happen given what happened when the Pokemon x Van Gogh collaboration launched. From the start, the much-anticipated collaboration has been a nightmare. Its in-person debut was marred by mobbing scalpers, and its online launch did not fair any better. The Pokemon Company shared placeholder URLs for its Van Gogh merchandise before it went live online, so bots were able to preload purchases. As such, the collaboration's online stock sold out instantly which left fans upset.

However, the event hasn't been all bad news. The Pokemon Company confirmed it will have a new way to distribution its Van Gogh Pikachu promo card soon. Fans who purchase any TCG product from the Pokemon Center shortly will get the promo card for free. So if you don't want to pay insane secondhand prices for Van Gogh Pikachu, this new route will help you out.

What do you make of this latest Pokemon debacle? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Jujutsu Kaisen really is that manga. Since it began, the supernatural shonen title has been a hit, and creator Gege Akutami knows it. These days, the manga is going wild as its Sukuna feud put Gojo down like we've never seen. And in the wake of a major death, Jujutsu Kaisen prompted another big manga to go on hiatus because of the shock.

And yes, we're being very serious here. Kenjiro Hata, the author of Fly Me to the Moon, is taking a one-week hiatus to deal with his Jujutsu Kaisen feels. The series caught him off guard with chapter 236, and Hata needs some time to recuperate from the "shocking" event.

If you are caught up with Jujutsu Kaisen, you will know what shocking event took Hata by surprise. The big update began eerily as readers checked in on Gojo in the afterlife, and their fears were confirmed before long. Jujutsu Kaisen confirmed Sukuna had killed Gojo by slicing the sorcerer in half. Of course, Jujutsu Kaisen fans are split on whether Gojo is dead for real, and it seems Hata is part of that worried fanbase.

Luckily, Fly Me to the Moon will be on hiatus for a single week, so Hata can gather his wits. As for Jujutsu Kaisen, the manga is about to return from a short break itself. Akutami will release a new chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen this weekend, and it has big expectations. After all, the series' last cliffhanger teased the reveal of Yuji's new cursed technique, so the fandom is eager to see what the hero has up his sleeves.

If you are not caught up with Jujutsu Kaisen, you should know the series is easier to read now than ever. The manga can be found on the Shonen Jump site. So for more info on Jujutsu Kaisen, you can read its official synopsis below:

"For some strange reason, Yuji Itadori, despite his insane athleticism would rather just hang out with the Occult Club. However, her soon finds out that the occult is as real as it gets when his fellow club members are attacked! Meanwhile, the mysterious Megumi Fushiguro is tracking down a special-grade cursed object, and his search leads him to Itadori..."

What do you think about this wild Jujutsu Kaisen update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

It seems a potential tragedy has been prevented in Japan. A new report by Mainichi confirms a popular anime director is now breathing easy after a crazed anti-fan was dealt with in court. After all, the director of Sailor Moon and Revolutionary Girl Utena was being targeted by the suspect, and their harassment played out similarly to what Kyoto Animation experienced ahead of its deadly arson.

The situation came to light publicly as Kunihiko Ikuhara chose to speak out on the issue. As it turns out, Ikuhara confessed he had become the target of a dogged harassment campaign last year. It seems the suspect believes their work had been plagiarized by Ikuhara, and their harassment only got worse.

Reports suggest the unnamed suspect sent threatening messages to Ikuhara, his co-workers, his employers, and anyone in his inner circle. As these threats escalated, Ikuhara called the police which sparked regular patrols at his address. This situation eventually prompted Ikuhara to file legal action against the woman, and a verdict from the court was given last December.

As for why the police were brought in, well - you can hardly blame Ikuhara. The suspect's harassment sounds eerily similar to what Kyoto Animation endured before an anti-fan set fire to one of its studios. Back in 2018, more than 30 employees were killed and dozens more injured after a suspect set fire to one of Kyoto Animation's buildings. The suspect, who is just now on trial for the event, said their attack was sparked by a simple act of plagiarism. The suspect incorrectly believed Kyoto Animation had taken one of their story ideas without credit, so you can understand Ikuhara's hesitations.

What do you make of this latest anime industry update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

The filmmakers behind the just-released Disney short Once Upon a Studio knew that any "family photo" that brought together dozens of characters from throughout the studio's history would be incomplete without an appearance by Robin Williams's beloved Genie from Aladdin. They did not want to recast the character for the short, though, which means a lot of digging around for unused lines that could be assembled into something viable. In the short, Genie pops out of a page of drawings, knocking over Olaf from Frozen, who falls apart.

"I haven't seen a fall like that since Rome," Genie quips, then uses his magic to put Olaf back together, saying, "That's better." And, yes, those are lines from Williams -- and his involvement was approved by his family and estate.

According to Variety, directors Dan Abraham and Trent Correy were aware from the start that they needed Genie. After digging throught he archives to find some lines that they could use, Producers Bradford Simonsen and Yvett Merino reached out to the Williams Estate.

"We tried to take them on the journey with us to say, 'We've got this very special short that we're doing. Robin as the genie means so much to so many people and we would really love to involve him,'" Simonsen explained. "So Dan listened to the outtakes from the original recording and he found those little bites that we could use. We went back to the estate and said, 'This is what we hope to do.' Eric [Goldberg], who originally animated the genie is on the show, and he's going to be part of it.' And it was wonderful to see that happen."

Williams had a famous conflict with Disney following the release of Aladdin. While he was excited to be a part of the project, he took a significant pay cut in order to get a deal where his voice would not be used to promote products. The cut was so enormous -- he got $75,000, rather than the $8 million that was his asking price at the time for live-action parts -- that it certainly seemed like Disney would be motivated to take the deal.

"Then all of a sudden, they release an advertisement--one part was the movie, the second part was where they used the movie to sell stuff," Williams told Today in 1993. "Not only did they use my voice, they took a character I did and overdubbed it to sell stuff. That was the one thing I said: 'I don't do that.' That was the one thing where they crossed the line."

As a result, Williams didn't return for the direct-to-video sequel Aladdin: The Return of Jafar, with the part of the Genie being played by The Simpsons star Dan Castellaneta, who also appeared in the Aladdin TV series.

It wasn't until Jeffrey Katzenberg left Disney, replaced by a new chief executive who was willing to apologize to Williams for the way Disney mishandled the situation, that the actor mended fences with the studio, appearing in the series' third and final animated movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves. In 2009, Williams was awarded the title of Disney Legend at the D23 Expo.

Mr. Poopybutthole has returned to Rick and Morty for Season 7's premiere, and the new voice actor behind the fan favorite character has been revealed! Rick and Morty Season 7 made some big changes behind the scenes with Adult Swim cutting ties with former co-creator and voice behind the main duo, Justin Roiland, ahead of the new episodes. But while Roiland was most notable for voicing the titular two characters, there are a number of smaller side characters Roiland had voiced that would need replacements as well. And alongside the announcement for the new Rick and Morty voice actors, Mr. Poopybutthole's new voice star has been announced as well.

Rick and Morty Season 7 premiered on Adult Swim, and it featured the first full episode for its new Rick and Morty voice actors, but also revealed a new voice for Mr. Poopybutthole. It was the character's first extended role in the series after popping up a few times over the years, and in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Rick and Morty showrunner Scott Marder revealed that an actor named John Allen provided the new voice for the fan-favorite, who "came in late in the game."

Rick and Morty: Mr. Poopybutthole New Voice Explained

When asked whether new Rick Sanchez actor, Ian Cardoni, or new Morty actor, Harry Belden, would also be providing the new voices for Roiland's other characters like Mr. Poopybutthole, Marder explained that while they are happy for the duo to take on the smaller characters the time crunch they were under would have put more pressure on the new actors more so than they were already under, "We are happy for them to take on more of these smaller characters. In the time crunch we were in, it was a lot to ask either of them to fully take on Poopy as well because it's the most expanded role Poopy has had."

Elaborating further, Marder explained how they found a new actor for this expanded Mr. Poopybutthole role, "We ultimately found another guy, John Allen, who came in late in the game. He took pressure off of Ian and Harry who were both working on Poopy but it felt like too much for either of them to be doing him in an episode of the show that they had to completely re-do."

What did you think of Mr. Poopybutthole's new voice in Rick and Morty's Season 7 premiere? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty Season 7 has finally kicked off its run with its first episode airing on Adult Swim, and it went all out with Rick Sanchez taking on the Predator for the season's first big fight! Rick and Morty Season 6 ended with the tease that things would be bigger than ever before as Rick Prime was officially introduced to the series as a new overarching villain, and all eyes have been on Season 7 to see how the series continues the story. While the premiere doesn't really have a major follow up to this, it does have a big fight to help ease fans in to what's next.

Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 1 sees Rick partying with Mr. Poopybutthole, Gearface, Birdperson and Squanchy when they get together to try and help Mr. Poopybutthole, and it's revealed that Poopybutthole ended up hiring a Predator to hunt down his ex-wife and keep track of what she's been up to. When it's revealed that Poopybutthole's ex is now dating the Predator sent to hunt her down, this leads to a big fight that tests Rick's gadgets against the Predator's.

Who Wins the Rick vs. Predator Fight?

Rick's group of friends is full of alcohol and various drugs, so they are pretty much quickly defeated by the Predator when the fight begins. Despite their abilities, each of them are hindered by how much they've partied until Rick starts to really fight. It's here that he quickly counters the Predator's attacks, and soon the group dogpiles on Predator and nearly kills him until Mr. Poopybutthole puts a stop to him (to which Rick argues against it because he wants the Predator's skull).

Mr. Poopybutthole decides to stop fighting and let his ex and son be happy with their new guardian while he tries his best to get his life back together. The fight ends with Hugh Jackman then getting a surprise hit on the Predator and it lies on the ground motionless. So Rick was able to beat the Predator with the help of his friends and Wolverine as the show points out.

What did you think of the fight between Rick Sanchez and the Predator in Rick and Morty's Season 7 premiere? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty has returned to screens with Season 7 of the series on Adult Swim, and Hugh Jackman made a surprise appearance to party with Rick and his friends in the way only Jackman can! Rick and Morty Season 7 is touting itself as a bigger season than ever before as now that Rick Prime has been introduced to the series as a new villain, there are going to be all sorts of challenges ahead. But the premiere episode is more focused on handling a character who's been through some tough times as Rick really needs to be there for his friend, Mr. Poopybutthole.

Rick and Morty Season 7's premiere sees Rick reaching out to Mr. Poopybutthole as he's now in worse shape than ever before, and instead of having an intervention for his friend, they end up partying instead. Soon they come across Hugh Jackman (Deadpool 3, Logan, The Greatest Showman) in a club for bees, and it turns out that he's actually related by marriage to Rick's neighbor Gene. It's here that he invites Rick's group to party, and does so without limits.

Hugh Jackman's Role in Rick and Morty Season 7

Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 1, "How Poopy Got His Poop Back," brings in Hugh Jackman towards the middle of the premiere as a heightened version of himself. Not only does he call his house the "Jack Shack," but he decorated it with X-Men memorabilia and nude portraits of himself (with Wolverine's claws to boot). As promised by Gene, Jackman ends up loading them up with a mystery drug and then tries to help Mr. Poopybutthole win his ex-wife back.

Trying to serenade his ex-wife with "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)," (which Jackman says he wrote), and ends up playing a crucial part in the finale when he surprisingly deals the final blow to a Predator Rick and the others fight before the episode comes to an end. As for Jackman, he exits their lives as quickly as he came into it after a party well done. A move that Mr. Poopybutthole points out will "put a bullet" in all future Wolverine appearances thanks to his appearance in Rick and Morty at all.

What did you think of Hugh Jackman showing up in Rick and Morty's Season 7 premiere? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty Season 7 is finally here, so here's everything that went down during the first episode of the new season! Rick and Morty Season 6 ended with some massive implications for the future. Not only has there been some major shake ups behind the scenes, but the end of the previous season teased that Rick Prime would serve as the new overarching villain for the series moving forward. With the new season picking up right after this reveal, there is actually something else important the series needs to address before moving on, how Mr. Poopybutthole is doing after we saw him last.

Last time we had seen Mr. Poopybutthole he had broken both of his legs after trying to exercise and get control back over his life, and Rick and Morty Season 7 teased we'd be seeing the character return for the new episodes to follow up that last terrible status update. And as the title suggests, we've gotten that much needed update. Here's everything that happened in "How Poopy Got His Poop Back."

What Happens in Rick and Morty Season 7 Episode 1?

• The Smith Family begins to question when a house guest of theirs will leave as they are beginning to overstay their welcome, this is revealed to be Mr. Poopybutthole who is fallen on even harder times since we've last seen him as he explains that his life really went downhill since Beth shot him in his first appearance. Following the cold open, Rick reveals he's made no progress in finding Rick Prime just yet and Morty tells him that Rick needs to get Mr. Poopybutthole to leave.
• When Rick's initial plan of trying to invent robot ghosts to scare Poopybutthole away, he begrudgingly agrees to an intervention for Poopybutthole. He refuses it to call it as such and recruits his friends Birdperson (who is revealed to have saved Birddaughter since his last appearance in Season 6), Squanchy (who's not dead), Gearface, and even Gene (whose lawnmower keeps running after Rick takes him away).
• When they hang out, Poopybutthole reveals he's been keeping tabs on his ex-wife and even hires a Predator to track her while he's under a restraining order. Poopybutthole then reveals it's his birthday, and Rick and the others decide to party and help celebrate Poopybutthole instead as it's made him happy when he's already on the end of his rope. Although this all started with wanting to talk to Poopybutthole about his drinking, they each end up drinking more and partying instead.
• When heading to a club full of honey and bees, they come across Hugh Jackman, who's revealed to be married to Gene's cousin. Inviting all of them to party with him, Gene warns them that Hugh parties hard without limitations. After taking some mystery pills, the group then heads to Jackman's house (filled with X-Men memorabilia) completely out of their gourds. When Jackman hears about Poopybutthole wanting to get his ex-wife back, they all want to go get her.
• Rick refuses this, however, and they end up fighting over the fact that Poopybutthole doesn't seem to see Rick as his friend. Even going as far as pretending it was his birthday to get out of the intervention, Poopybutthole, Jackman and the others head to his ex-wife's house. Rick instead heads back to his lab, and after talking with a failed robot ghost he tried to make earlier, he decides to rejoin Poopybutthole's group. Wanting to see it through all the way after bringing all of them out there, Rick decides to help.
• It's revealed that Poopybutthole's ex-wife is actually know dating the Predator investigator that Poopybutthole had sent after her. Taking his son from her house, the Predator is now hunting all of them down in a forest. Poopybutthole ends up getting them caught when he opens a can of beer, so a fight ensues with Rick's drunk friends all instantly losing. Rick joins the fight and is on an equal level with the Predator thanks to all of his gadgets.
• It turns the tide and they're nearly going to kill the Predator until Poopybutthole stops them. Seeing his son scared, he decides that's at least best that his ex-wife and son are being taken care of when he gets his life together. But while Poopybutthole is sorry, his ex-wife then decides she and the Predator are a happy family. It's until Hugh Jackman comes along and takes out the Predator in a surprise attack that it takes a turn. But afterwards, it's a new sunrise.
• Rick and the others look out at the sunrise as they all say goodbye to one another, and Poopybutthole is more self-actualized than before as he prepares to get his life back to a good place. In the post-credits scene, it's revealed that Gene's lawnmower (that got left running after Rick took him away in the beinning) had been running ever since had been destroying the town until it runs out of gas (after killing one last person in a dramatic fashion).
  

What did you think of Rick and Morty's Season 7 premiere? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Rick and Morty has announced the new voice actors replacing Justin Roiland for Season 7 of the animated series! Adult Swim had announced they were parting ways with Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland ahead of Season 7's release, but also confirmed they were committed to releasing the new episodes due to the work of the rest of the team behind it. Leading into the premiere of Rick and Morty Season 7, this ended up becoming one of the biggest mysteries as to how the Rick and Morty team would be handling the replacement of its two titular characters.

After previously revealing their intention to cast soundalike actors to replace Roiland as Rick and Morty, the first trailer for Rick and Morty Season 7 revealed their voices for the first time. But Adult Swim had been holding back the announcement for the new actors behind the characters themselves, and with the premiere of the first episode and an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, have revealed that Ian Cardoni will be the new voice for Rick Sanchez and Harry Belden will be the new voice for Morty Smith for Rick and Morty Season 7 (and likely beyond).

What to Know for Rick and Morty Season 7

Rick and Morty Season 7 is now airing on Sundays at 11:00PM ET with Adult Swim. The release schedule for Rick and Morty Season 7's episodes (along with their titles and synopses) breaks down as such:

• Oct. 15 - "How Poopy Got His Poop Back" - "Broh, come out with us, you're being so boring dude"
  
• Oct. 22 - "The Jerrick Trap" - "Gotta be mindful Broh, big brain stuff here."
• Oct. 29 - "Air Force Wong" - "Virginia is for lovers Broh"
• Nov. 5 - "That's Amorte" - "Broh, That's-A Some Good Spaghetti"
• Nov. 12 - "Unmortricken" - "Rick And Morty Wilding Out, Broh. They getting up to stuff."
• Nov. 19 - "Rickfending Your Mort" - "Gotta keep those receipts, Dawg."
• Nov. 26 - "Wet Kuat Amortican Summer" - "High School, Broh. Morty and Summer hang out in this one."
• Dec. 3 - "Rise of the Numbericons: The Movie" - "Action! Adventure! It's a whole movie, Broh!"
• Dec. 10 - "Mort: Ragnarick" - "Heaven is for real, Broh. I saw it, Broh, I swear."
• Dec. 17 - "Fear no Mort" - "Only thing to fear is fear itself, Broh."

How do you feel about the new voices for Rick and Morty in Season 7 so far? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is now in the midst of some massive fights as the Shibuya Incident heats up, and one awesome cosplay is helping to highlight how scary Hanami was in the new episodes! Hanami was first introduced to the series as one of the Special Grade curses that Suguru Geto had gathered to help team up against Satoru Gojo, and the Kyoto Goodwill Event arc showed off just how strong Hanami was with their control over nature. It took Yuji Itadori and Aoi Todo everything they had to win, and Hanami still was able to get away after the fight.

Hanami was one of the returning villains seen in Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 when Geto and his group enacted their long in development Shibuya Incident plan. It was ultimately successful in taking Gojo out of the equation by sealing him away for the foreseeable future, but Hanami unfortunately didn't make it out of the fight. Taken out by Gojo with a single direct attack, Hanami's not going to see the rest of the plan play out. But artist sailorkayla on TikTok is tapping into how scary Hanami was with an awesome cosplay. Check it out:

@sailorkayla

HANAMI ? happy jjk thursday #hanami #hanamicosplay #jujutsukaisen

? sonido original - ?????

How to Watch Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2

Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 is only going to heat up from this point on as now that Gojo has been sealed within the Prison Realm, Yuji and the others need to step up to the plate in order to handle all of the intense new opponents that are now free to act in Gojo's absence. You can also currently catch up with everything that's happened in Jujutsu Kaisen's first two seasons so far (and Jujutsu Kaisen 0 movie) now streaming with Crunchyroll too. Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 teases the Shibuya Incident Arc as such:

"Starting on October 31st, a curtain is suddenly lowered around the Shibuya station, which is busy on Halloween. A large number of civilians are trapped... and the civilians begin asking for Satoru Gojo. In order to minimize damage, higher-ups choose to handle Shibuya by having Gojo work there alone. Geto, Mahito, and other curses set traps and wait while Gojo arrives. Yuji, Megumi, Nobara, Nanami, and many others wait outside the curtain. An unprecedented battle of curses begins soon after as sorcerers and curses converge in Shibuya."

How are you liking Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 so far? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments!

Dragon Ball Daima will be kicking off a new phase of the Dragon Ball anime franchise next year, and the new series will be making a major change to Trunks and Goten alongside many of the other characters! Dragon Ball is celebrating the 40th Anniversary of when Akira Toriyama's original manga first made its debut in the pages of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and one of the big new projects coming next year is a brand new anime series that will feature a story not seen in the previous manga or anime releases. It's taking some very big swings.

Dragon Ball Daima is currently scheduled to release some time next year, and one of the big surprises for the series was revealed with its first look debuted over the New York Comic Con 2023 weekend. It was revealed that the big twist of this new anime series is seeing how Goku and the Z-Fighters have all been de-aged into kids somehow, and for younger members of the cast such as Trunks and Goten, they've regressed all the way back into being babies again.

Why Does Dragon Ball Daima Turn Everyone Into Kids?

Dragon Ball Daima's big mystery for now is why Goku and everyone else has been turned back into children, and it seems like this is the launch for the next major phase of the franchise. Kid Goku will be taking center stage of this new entry, and because it seems like it takes place before the events of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (as Whis and Beerus are nowhere to be seen in the trailer) it also means that Goku will likely not have any access to any of the new forms introduced in Dragon Ball Super.

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama is going to be very involved with the new Dragon Ball Daima anime's story, and is playing coy about what kicks off this newest phase of the series. But Toriyama teases Dragon Ball Daima as such, "Due to a conspiracy, Goku and his friends are turned small. In order to fix things, they'll head off to a new world! It's a grand adventure with intense action in an unknown and mysterious world. Since Goku has to make up for his petite size, he uses his Power Pole to fight, something not seen in a long time."

What are you hoping to see from the Dragon Ball kids in Dragon Ball Daima? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Adult Swim has recently announced some new seasons and series now in the works for the near future, but gave an unfortunate update for fans who might have been hoping to see Ballmastrz return for a Season 3. Ballmastrz made its return to screens earlier this year with a new special set after the events of the Season 2 finale, and went even further with it as it was a fully anime studio produced project. Ballmastrz: Rubicon also teased a potentially bright future for the series from then onward, but there had not been any word on whether or not it could continue.

Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen hit the stage during New York Comic Con 2023 to help tout some of the new projects the network has in the works for the near future, and was asked about whether or not Ballmastrz Season 3 was in the works. As for the new update, it unfortunately sounds like Season 3 might not happen but Adult Swim is still hoping to work with the series' creator on potential future projects.

Will Ballmastrz Return for Season 3?

"Currently we're not thinking about Ballmastrz," Ouweelen responded when asked by a fan about whether or not a Season 3 of the series was in the works. "[B]ut we're always...we love to work with creators over and over again over time. So we'd love to see what [Christy Karacas]' got next or what other things he's doing...We were glad to put up Ballmastrz, but there could be another new thing." So while Ballmastrz: Rubicon teased a potential bright future for the series, it might be the finale for it instead.

When asked by ComicBook.com earlier this year about whether or not Ballmastrz: Rubicon might be the finale, Karacas responded, "I hope it's not it because there's so much stuff we haven't answered or resolved or explored enough. I mean, we were making all these jokes about things we could do. Would Ace start hitting puberty and growing up on the ship? And would Dee Dee and Leto, what is their relationship going to turn into being in space? And Gaz isn't really a mess anymore. She's really responsible and the new leader. There's just all these new things and again, even explains the team."

So while Ballmastrz might not be returning for Season 3 right now, perhaps the creator has another idea that could take off too! Would you want to see Ballmastrz return for a new season? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

My Hero Academia's manga is currently making its way through the final fights between the heroes and villains, and the cover art for the newest chapter of the series is sharing a full color look at All Might's power armor seen in his fight against All For One! One of the big final fights fans have gotten to see play out over the course of the last few chapters was between All For One and All Might, but it was in much different circumstances from their fight the first time around. All For One has been getting stronger, so All Might had to pull out all the stops.

My Hero Academia kicked off its final fight between All Might and All For One with the reveal that All Might had been doing extra work to prepare for this final round by reaching out to Melissa Shield for help to craft a new suit of armor that would give him the quirk like weapons that could keep him on All For One's level...if only a little while. With the cover art for My Hero Academia Chapter 403, fans got a full look at this suit of armor to reveal its jet black coloring with bright yellow streaks to represent All Might's famous hair. Check it out below.

My Hero Academia, Ch. 403: Is this the end of the All Might era?! Read it FREE from the official source! https://t.co/rIwnPwtydU pic.twitter.com/Io9bMoieKJ

-- Shonen Jump (@shonenjump) October 15, 2023

My Hero Academia: Armored All Might Explained

As My Hero Academia kicked off the final fight between All For One and All Might, the former number one hero revealed that he had been readying for this fight with a full suit of armor that allowed him to fight at nearly the same level he had before. But while All For One tore through this armor with relative ease, the real trick of the new power suit was all of the other abilities All Might had stocked within it that was modeled after all of the students in Class 1-A.

All Might had been inspired by watching Izuku Midoriya and the other young heroes' fighting for their lives and goals, and used each of their quirks to help level the playing field against All For One. This only delayed the powerful villain at the end of the day, unfortunately, so it was a short lived time in the series for this cool looking suit of armor.

What did you think of Armored All Might's debut in My Hero Academia? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

It looks like another major Weekly Shonen Jump magazine series is getting an anime next as a new listing for an apparent Blue Box anime adaptation has been spotted online! Fans might have noticed how a more recent era of Shonen Jump series have started to make their anime adaptation debuts, and it seems like the next of the last few years' hits is coming our way. Kouji Miura's Blue Box manga originally kicked off its run back in 2021, and has since been a major hit with fans for blending its sports stories with an ever growing romance between its two leads.

Blue Box has kicked off a new era of its manga as those two leads navigate a new phase of their romance, and there's a good chance that even more fans will get to see how it all shakes out with a potential anime adaptation now in the works. As spotted by @MangaMogureRE on Twitter, there has been a domain registered for a Blue Box anime. But with one not officially announced to be in the works or even potentially teased, it could be a while before we get confirmation one way or the other.

Is Blue Box Getting an Anime?

Blue Box is being teased as one of the franchises Shueisha will be highlighting during the Jump Festa 2024 convention later this year overseas, so if there is a potential anime to be announced that would be the time to do so (or flesh it out if it gets announced beforehand). With the manga having plenty of material for an anime to cover, now is the best time for Blue Box to branch out too.

If you wanted to check out Blue Box's manga ahead of its potential anime debut, you can check out the three most recent chapters completely for free (and the entire back catalog with a paid subscription) with Viz Media's digital Shonen Jump library. They tease Blue Box's first volume as such, "Taiki admires Chinatsu from afar, but he doubts that she sees him in the same way. Yet somehow, he musters up the courage to tell her to never give up on her dreams! After such a bold declaration, will Taiki's fleeting high school romance finally begin?"

Do you want to see Blue Box come out with an anime? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Adult Swim expanded its programming block earlier this Summer with a slate of Cartoon Network classic shows, and it turns out that the Checkered Past block has been a surprising success that's living up to the expectations of those running the network. It was announced earlier this year that Adult Swim would be expanding two extra hours into the early evenings, and part of this expansion is used for a new weekday block that brings back some of the major Cartoon Network classic original series for new reruns. Ratings for the block have been a success with the target demo, and Adult Swim has taken note.

Adult Swim president Michael Ouweleen opened up about Checkered Past's debut on the network this Summer during their New York Comic Con 2023 panel, Ouweleen explained that the block started as a result of the response to Cartoon Network's 30th Anniversary celebration and had since expanded into a full programming idea of its own that the network kind of just rolled with. And seeing its success is a big boon to those involved bringing it to life.

How Did Checkered Past Happen at Adult Swim?

"Kim Manning and the programming team, they work on both Cartoon and Adult Swim and thought. 'Let's just bring back the original, so this is going to get muddied, maybe not," Ouweleen explained how Turner handled its original programming at first. "Ted Turner bought the [Hanna-Barbera] library, bought the MGM library, and he said to us, 'Use those libraries.' And the programming team at the time wanted to make an original series and he said, 'Don't. I spent all my money...And out of that frustration came Space Ghost Coast to Coast, which is the beginning of Adult Swim."

Continuing further, "Meanwhile though, I don't know what changed, but something changed and the first wave of Cartoon Network Originals started at the same time. So that's Dexter's Lab, and Cow and Chicken and then quickly Billy and Mandy and all those...They had the What-a-Cartoon program and there was shorts every week that we would air and such a great hit ratio. The first three or four series all worked, which is that's kind of amazing." Then it led into the anniversary celebration.

"So for the 30th anniversary as a stunt, we just sort of like let's [air] these and it did really well, did well with adult audiences. So Kim and I were like, 'Geez, we should just be bringing these back for more.' And then someone at William Street came up with the name Checkered Past, which is just so funny...The way we view running these networks is, 'Oh, people out there like the same stuff we do. And so why don't we put this stuff out there and it's in our minds,' It's a conversation with you all and we thought you would love to watch Dexter or whatever.

And this look into the past is helping the future too as Ouweleen stated, "Those shows are more mature than probably we thought at the time. We probably ruined your neuropathways back then when you were growing up. And it's all one thing to us and leads in naturally. It has been helping us introduce some new series on Adult Swim. It feels totally natural to us. Even when those originals were made, we didn't think of them as being for kids and we always thought of them as being for anyone who liked animation, and that's where we are now."

How have you been liking Checkered Past on Adult Swim? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Dragon Ball Daima will be kicking off a whole new era for the Dragon Ball anime next year, and it's getting fans ready for this new take on the franchise with its first character design highlighting its new Kid Goku! Dragon Ball took the stage during New York Comic Con 2023 to announce a new anime series now in the works for next year, but it's going to be dramatically different than any fans had ever expected to see. Touting a brand new story not seen in the manga or anime before, Goku and the others will be turned into kids.

Dragon Ball Daima debuted the first look at its new anime over the weekend and revealed that some kind of magic will be transforming the Z Fighters and their families into children once more. This comes with reworked designs for each of their child selves, and this is especially true for Goku who's becoming a kid all over again. This design is the first one Dragon Ball Daima is sharing a close look at, and you can check it out below as spotted by @DbsHype on Twitter.

Goku Visual and Toriyama full message in HQ

Daima begins: Fall 2024 pic.twitter.com/lGckWWVcbS

-- Hype (@DbsHype) October 13, 2023

What Is Dragon Ball Daima?

Dragon Ball Daima is a brand new Dragon Ball anime series currently in the works for a release some time in Fall 2024. There has yet to be a concrete release date for the new series as of this writing, but it will be part of the celebration for the 40th Anniversary of Akira Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga making its debut in the pages of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Toriyama himself is noted to be very involved with the original story in the new anime and had the following to say about what to expect.

"Due to a conspiracy, Goku and his friends are turned small," Toriyama began. "In order to fix things, they'll head off to a new world! It's a grand adventure with intense action in an unknown and mysterious world. Since Goku has to make up for his petite size, he uses his Power Pole to fight, something not seen in a long time." Goku voice star Masako Nozawa also shared her surprise about seeing Kid Goku in action too, "Goku was so adorable and wonderful! I wonder about the conspiracy behind Goku's new appearance. I'm very curious, but I'm told the details are still a secret! I'll be waiting for the new anime along with all of you! I hope you look forward to it too!"

What are you thinking of Kid Goku's new design for Dragon Ball Daima so far? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

My Hero Academia has had tons of emotional highs over the years, and few get to fans like those involving parents. From Mama Midoriya to Enji Todoroki's redemption arc, creator Kohei Horikoshi is ambitious with his stars. Now, All Might is getting his own emotional side, and it has introduced the fandom to Yagi Toshinori's mother.

As you can see below, the whole thing came to light in My Hero Academia chapter 403. The update kickstarts with All Might looking at his past, and it is there Yagi's mom is shown. To put things lightly, All Might's mom is gorgeous, and she supported Yagi just as Inko Midoriya did Izuku.

Ok I know this is serious but CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT ALLMIGHT'S MOM??!#MHA403 #MHASpoilers pic.twitter.com/n9X7mAc6ZY

-- Birdie??? (@Birdie36011576) October 11, 2023

The shot where we meet Yagi's mom looks like it was ripped from Izuku's past, after all. We can see the young toddler rocking back and forth with a crazed smile as he holds a comic in hand. While he fawns over Anpanman, Yagi's mom helps read to him with a smile. Gifted with long hair, Yagi's mother is stunningly beautiful, and she has nothing but love in her eyes for her son.

We don't know much about All Might's family, so this peek at his mother is a huge deal. We've known for ages that Nana Shimura was a mentor to All Might, and the same went for Gran Torino. But when it comes to his bloodline, well - All Might has kept up guessing. Now, we have learned the hero's mom was just as lovely as we had hoped, and it is her love that helped push Yagi to become the Symbol of Peace.

If you are not caught up with the My Hero Academia manga, the series is easier to read now than ever. The hit series can be binged on Manga Plus or the Shonen Jump app. So for more info on My Hero Academia, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn't got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny..."

What do you think about this latest update on All Might's past? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Adult Swim has gone through a number of changes and experimentations over the course of the last few years specifically, and those behind the network opened up about how Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal has proven to be an important milestone in the programming! Adult Swim fans first recognized Primal as one of the most distinct releases with the programming block of the last few years because not only did it eschew jokes in favor of telling a more dramatic story, it ended up being prominent creator Genndy Tartakovsky's finest works. So much so that more episodes of the series are now in the works.

Those behind the network are very aware of the kinds of changes Primal has made to its programming as well as the president of Cartoon Network, Michael Ouweleen, opened up about it during the Adult Swim panel at New York Comic Con 2023. Noting that with shows like Primal under their belt, Adult Swim is becoming known for more than just comedy and that's begun to expand the kinds of projects that they are currently working on and looking into. It's all expanding.

What's Next for Primal?

This impact has already been seen in two of the new projects Adult Swim announced during New York Comic Con as well with the upcoming Women Wearing Shoulder Pads, which is going to be the first-ever Spanish language project for the network that also features a return to stop-motion animation. At the same time, YOLO is also coming back for a third season along with many of the new seasons for Rick and Morty, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and of course, Primal now in the works.

Primal has been announced for a third season, but a release window or date has yet to be announced as of the time of this writing. The second season seemed to end Spear and Fang's story, but there are plenty of other potential stories to be told in this world, or maybe even a continuation of Season 2's finale should the series choose to do so with its new episodes.

What did you think of Primal and how it stacks with the rest of Adult Swim's programming? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!

Adult Swim has been through it over the years, and it is now getting the respect it deserves. Following a recent time slot expansion, Adult Swim is living large with big premieres and new films. The Venture Bros. helped add to its reputation recently as the hit series put out its finale film. And in the face of renewal rumors, Jackson Publick is now addressing the chances of a Venture Bros. comeback.

Spoiler alert: the chances are not good. Publick is ready to leave the series be, so Adult Swim fans will need to find a new obsession.

If any word of this was true, we'd be making The Venture Bros. right now, and probably would have been at NYCC to say so. https://t.co/bMqBf6qeH4

-- Jackson Publick (@jacksonpublick) October 15, 2023

The whole situation came to light on social media after reports from New York Comic Con surfaced regarding The Venture Bros. It was there fans said panelists at the Titmouse Inc. panel suggested Adult Swim is interested in continuing The Venture Bros., but Publick says none of that is true.

"If any word of this was true, we'd be making The Venture Bros. right now, and probably would have been at NYCC to say so," the creator shared.

Of course, we're sure the panelists at the Titmouse Inc. panel want more Venture Bros., and they are not alone. Fans of the Adult Swim original have flown their banner for The Venture Bros. since its launch in 2003. They rallied in mass this summer when the show made a major comeback with The Venture Bros.: Radiant is the Blood of the Baboon Heart. The movie, which debuted digitally to start, was a hit with fans. However, the feature also acted as a finale to the series, and the end of The Venture Bros. left many fans bereft.

Adult Swim might not want to continue with The Venture Bros., but the late-night block does have other projects in the works. From Uzumaki to Women Who Wear Shoulder Pads, the cutting-edge program has lots going on behind the scenes. And maybe one day, The Venture Bros. will rejoin those projects in progress.

What do you think about this latest update on The Venture Bros.? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

My Hero Academia knows its way around the kitchen, but this week, the series is cooking up a full-blown feast. The manga has kept fans on edge for weeks now as All Might and All For One have continued their showdown. As the final act of My Hero Academia goes on, all eyes have been pointed toward our favs as scores of them were put out of commission. But thanks to chapter 403, My Hero Academia has finally brought back Bakugo Katsuki.

Oh yes, you heard that right. My Hero Academia just did what some felt was impossible. The manga just revived Bakugo Katsuki after more than a year, and we have never been happier to see the explosive hero.

Katsuki Bakugo was dead for 434 days. He's officially back. pic.twitter.com/L7BH6HqPXw

-- Bakugo Archive ? (@legionbakugo) October 11, 2023

My Hero Academia chapter 403 teed up Bakugo's comeback with delicious tension, of course. The entire update put All Might on the line as fans faced his mortality. It seems All For One was finally given the upper hand against his foe. You can see why everyone from Deku to Gran Torino and the public thought All Might was about to die... but Bakugo is not about to let that fly.

After all, My Hero Academia ended its new chapter with a spread detailing Bakugo's return. We are shown the explosive hero in rags as he finally stands up from his care. Despite being declared dead, Bakugo's mentor tied the boy back to the living, and it seems the hero is now ready to throw down with All For One.

It is hard to put into words how hyped fans are for Bakugo's comeback. The character was first killed by Shigaraki more than a year ago, and even Bakugo's most avid fans weren't convinced he would survive. Now, Bakugo has proved the world wrong, and the My Hero Academia manga is all the better for it.

If you are not caught up with My Hero Academia, the manga is easy to read. The series can be binged on Manga Plus as well as the Shonen Jump app. So for more info on My Hero Academia, you can read its official synopsis below:

"Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn't got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny..."

What do you make of this latest My Hero Academia cliffhanger? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Dragon Ball Daima is on the horizon. After years of no updates, Toei Animation finally gave fans an update on where Dragon Ball was going on television. The fandom has been without for years now, but Dragon Ball Daima hopes to satisfy their cravings. And now, we have been given new details on the anime thanks to its trademark application.

After all, the official trademark inquiry for Dragon Ball Daima is up and public. It turns out the application was put in last minute just like executives said at New York Comic Con. The show's final title was decided this month as Dragon Ball Daima filed its copyright application on October 6th. So if you like this show's name, it came down to the wire.

Filed on behalf of Shueisha Inc., Dragon Ball Daima put in simple application parameters. This initial filing seems to pertain to the anime's logo, and you can read the application's blurb about the text below:

"Color is not claimed as a feature of the mark. The mark consists of three words DRAGON BALL DAIMA in all capital letters. The letter O in the word Dragon is a circle with a five-pointed star comprising the center of the letter. The word DAIMA appears below the words DRAGON BALL in a different and smaller font. The three words are imposed over a Japanese calligraphy-styled ink splash mark."

The anime's official logo was shown at NYCC this month, and now the team at Toei Animation is hard at work on Goku's comeback. Series creator Akira Toriyama has said they are putting unusual focus on this new series, so Dragon Ball Daima has his clear blessing. Now, we can only wait and see how the Fall 2024 comeback does with fans. But given how desperately we've missed Son Goku, fans are going to be happy to see the Saiyan in any way.

What do you think about Dragon Ball Daima so far? Will you be tuning into the new anime? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Oh, it's time. After a long wait, tonight will mark the return of Rick and Morty. The show is slated to debut its seventh season, and Adult Swim has all eyes on the hit. After all, Rick and Morty season seven will mark a new era for the sitcom, and a new clip from its premiere has gone live with Rick in tow.

As you can see below, the clip comes courtesy of Adult Swim. The reel brings Rick center stage as he approaches his friends about an intervention. It seems Rick Sanchez is worried about Mr. Poopy Butthole, and the gang strikes up plans from there.

Best Birthday ever. Rick and Morty Season 7 premieres tonight @ 11pm #rickandmorty pic.twitter.com/pyz66mqPem

-- Rick and Morty (@RickandMorty) October 15, 2023

The clip ends with Rick and his friends at a restaurant with Mr. Poopy Butthole in tow. It is the latter's birthday, after all. We can only assume the guy has plans for the big day, but as for Rick? Well, he decides it is time to host a big intervention for his wayward friend.

If you are eager to check out Rick and Morty, the series will go live on Adult Swim at 11:00 pm EST. Rick and Morty season seven has overtaken headlines as of late as the show will launch its new leads. Rick, Morty, Mr. Poopy Butthole, and others have been gifted new voice actors as writer and series co-creator Justin Roiland was removed from Rick and Morty this year.

For those who aren't familiar with the drama, Roiland found himself in hot water this year when a news report uncovered his arrest in 2020 for domestic assault. The case, which was dismissed eventually in California, opened the floodgates for fans and industry professionals who knew Roiland. A barrage of allegations surfaced regarding harassment on Roiland's behalf, and this led the writer-actor to be removed from his hit projects. At this point, Rick and Morty has not announced the actors who are stepping in for Roiland's roles, but fans will learn this evening after season seven wraps its premiere.

What do you think about this latest look at Rick and Morty season seven? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

If you have watched Arcane, you must get why the show is such a big deal. Released IN 2021, Arcane made waves at Netflix as Riot Games brought the League of Legends world to new heights. In fact, Arcane has grown its own vibrant fandom separate from the hit game, but a recent update from one Riot executive confirms the two titles are canon.

Over on Reddit, a dev by the name RiotMeddler got fans buzzing when they posted to the League of Legends community. In a thread dedicated to a lore update, it was there RiotMeddler told fans Arcane is very canon to the main series.

"Arcane is canon," they wrote. "League is also in that same canon... Can't go into exact details, can say there has been more than one rune war/conflict though, some bigger, some smaller."

In the same post, several other devs chimed in with their take on Arcane. It was there RiotPraeco shared the following when asked how the Arcane creators will work with League of Legends.

"Games vs. truly narrative efforts (like TV/Film) are developed very, very differently. Game development team structures (for games like League(!)) tend to be a lot flatter than a film or tv-show. Finding the right parameters/answers is a lot more iterative. Movies, tv-shows require a somewhat singular vision. The creative needs of League are very different than the needs of something like Arcane. So you have to impose quite a few changes to align certain decision-making, while also trying to maximize the potential of both expressions," RiotPraeco shared.

"This shit is very, very hard, and there is no studio in the world that has done this well yet. Arcane was the first time Riot ever tried to put together something purely narrative -- especially at that scale."

Given the sheer popularity of Arcane, you can understand why the teams at Riot Games are keeping a close eye on the IP. The show broke records at Netflix within a week of its premiere, and a number of fans still herald Arcane as the greatest video game adaptation to hit television. There was never any doubt on Arcane season two, and the series is being worked on quietly behind the scenes. But as that work continues, this update has reassured fans Arcane and League of Legends are far more tied than some expected.

What do you think about this latest Arcane update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is nearing its big debut. After years out of the spotlight, the franchise is ready to reclaim its status as a cult favorite. Scott Pilgrim's foray into anime will launch on Netflix next month. And following an update from its writers, we have learned just how important casting was for this project.

After all, it is no secret that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off had a rare kind of chemistry. The cast of Scott Pilgrim vs The World nailed their roles, and if one of them could not return for this anime, the entire cast would have been redone.

Speaking with Den of Geek, Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley confirmed the hunch when talking about the series' anime."The spell would be broken if any component was missing," he shared.

"I think the special feeling from the show comes from having a lot of the cast return, and that's all thanks to Edgar and his magic the first time around. The enduring friendship between the cast has led us here, and it's beautiful."

Of course, the cast of Scott Pilgrim vs The World was all too happy to return to work. It has been decades since the cast teamed up on the big screen, and stars like Chris Evans and Michael Cera have long praised Scott Pilgrim. It was no issue recruiting the stars, and according to writer BenDavid Grabinski, the next challenge was penning new jokes for the actors.

"The stuff that was really hard was writing scenes that already existed in the movie and book and trying to not do the same joke but also do something that still works because the pressure is that you have to do something that's as good or better," Grabinski says. "We have a lot of new stuff because it's just not exciting to me to do a cover band version of it; it's actually stressful," he shared.

Given what we've seen of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, O'Malley and Grabinski have done an excellent job with their scripts. Now, it won't be long before Scott Pilgrim Takes Off makes its debut. The show is slated to debut on November 17th, and it will be streaming exclusively on Netflix.

What do you think about this latest update on Scott Pilgrim Takes Off? Will you be watching the anime? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

The MonsterVerse is a vast place. From old-school titans to new MUTO, there is always something to fear in the franchise. Not long ago, the IP decided to branch out with its exploration of King Kong's early years. And according to the anime's creator, Skull Island is ready for a new season.

The update comes amid New York Comic Con after creator Brian Duffield answered a fan's question. When asked about the future of Skull Island, the creator said they wanted more for certain. This is why work on season two has gone the distance, but Skull Island has yet to secure a new season order.

According to Duffield, Skull Island season two is fully written. The only thing the team needs to get the show on the road is a season renewal. Netflix has yet to pass on word about Skull Island's fate. And as we all know, Netflix isn't all that forthright about the metrics it uses to cancel shows.

Of course, the reviews for Skull Island are nothing short of solid. The 2023 show was met with tons of praise, and its exploration of the MonsterVerse was a joy for fans. After all, Skull Island goes back to the 1990s and follows a group of explorers on the hunt for a friend. Their journey leads the team to Skull Island, and they learn just how perilous the island is. From huge bugs to dinosaurs, the strange land has it all, and that includes the titanic ape we know best as Kong.

Hopefully, Duffield and the rest of the Skull Island team get an update soon. There is no telling if or when the MonsterVerse anime will get a renewal. So in the meantime, you can watch Skull Island season one to prepare for what comes next.

What do you think about this latest Skull Island update? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

Chainsaw Man can do little wrong now. After being released by Shonen Jump, the apocalyptic series put creator Tatsuki Fujimoto on the map. These days, the Chainsaw Man fandom spans the globe, and it has only become bigger in light of Chainsaw Man's anime. And now, it seems the manga is celebrating after being acknowledged by the Harvey Awards.

Yes, that is right. The Harvey Awards just went down, and the 2023 event put Chainsaw Man center stage. After all, Fujimoto won Best Manga at the Harvey Awards this year and this prize is very much deserved.

After all, Chainsaw Man has been on its top game for months now. After winning Best Manga at the Harvey Awards in 2021 and 2022, Fujimoto's manga is still thriving. Following a brief hiatus, Fujimoto kicked off Chainsaw Man part two with a vengeance several months back. So of course, Shonen Jump must be elated to count Chainsaw Man as one of its own given its renown.

The Harvey Awards were quick to nominate Chainsaw Man this year, and it isn't the only organization to do so. The Japan Expo Awards also nominated Fujimoto's series. In the past, other award organizations like the Eisner Awards and Shogakukan Manga Awards have acknowledged the series. So if you have not read Chainsaw Man yet, you can find the manga right now on Manga Plus and the Shonen Jump app.

Want to know more about Chainsaw Man? No sweat! You can read its official synopsis below:

"Denji's a poor young man who'll do anything for money, even hunting down devils with his pet devil Pochita. He's a simple man with simple dreams, drowning under a mountain of debt. But his sad life gets turned upside down one day when he's betrayed by someone he trusts. Now with the power of a devil inside him, Denji's become a whole new man - Chainsaw Man!"

What do you think about this latest Chainsaw Man award? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

The first season of Invincible on Prime Video was a big enough success that two more seasons were ordered by the streamer. Invincible season 2 will premiere next month on Prime, and the wait for Invincible season 3 will be even shorter than that. Earlier today came word that the third season is already being worked on, but now we have an exclusive update on ComicBook.com caught up with Robert Kirkman at New York Comic Con today and got a full update on him about the progress of Invincible season 3, and it sounds like things are coming along very nicely.

"I've seen animatics of every episode (in season 3)," Kirkman confirmed. "So I've seen things moving. I've seen the actors all edited together. I've seen our amazing directing crew and all the board artists have some form of the show together. And so I've seen the entire season in rough form, laid out. I've seen all the movements I've seen where the season ends up and it's really cool. Like I say, it, it's an escalating show. Season one was where it's at, season two is where it's at. Season three is a little bit higher. And so it's tough talking about season three now because no one's seen season two yet, but it's really cool being as far along as we are and having the confidence to know, 'Oh, you like season one? If you like season one, you're going to love season two and if you really love season two, you're really, really going to love season three.' So yeah, we have that kind of like broad view of what we've been doing behind the scenes. And so now it's just a process of wrapping it all up so we can finally share it with the world."

Invincible season 2 voice cast

The Invincible season 2 voice cast has mostly been confirmed by Prime Video, featuring returning stars Steven Yeun as Mark Grayson aka Invincible, J.K. Simmons as Nolan Grayson aka Omni-Man, Sandra Oh as Debbie Grayson (Mark's mom), Zazie Beetz as Amber Bennett, Gillian Jacobs as Atom Eve, Andrew Rannells as William Clockwell, Walton Goggins as Cecil Stedman, Jason Mantzoukas as Rex Splode, Zachary Quinto as Robot aka Rudy Conners, Seth Rogen as Allen the Alien, Clancy Brown as Damien Darkblood, Khary Payton as Black Samson, Mahershala Ali as Titan, Lennie James as Darkwing, and Kevin Michael Richardson as The Mauler Twins. Confirmed newcomers headed to Invincible season 2 include Ben Schwartz as Shapesmith, Tatiana Maslany as Queen Lizard, plus Peter Cullen as Thaedus and Sterling K. Brown as Angstrom Levy.

Based on the Skybound/Image comic of the same name by Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, Invincible is an adult animated superhero show that revolves around 17-year-old Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun), who's just like every other guy his age - except that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, Omni-Man (J.K. Simmons). But as Mark develops powers of his own, he discovers that his father's legacy may not be as heroic as it seems.