Now Playing Presents: The Marvel Comics Movie Retrospective Series

Peter Parker fears there's No Way Home to his happy life with MJ (Zendaya) after Dr. Strange casts a magic spell that brings all the previous Spider-Man heroes and villains into the MCU. Is it Tom Holland's responsibility to fix the messes made by Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Dr. Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Lizard (Rhys Ifans), and Electro (Jamie Foxx)? And were the spoiler-phobic right to avoid all social media before watching? Find out on another unforgettable Marvel podcast. {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Spider-Man Series} {Venom Series}

Eons before the assembly of the Avengers, ten celestial caretakers known as Eternals came together to protect and guide human development on Earth. Did Oscar-winning director Chloe Zhao (Nomadland) deviate too much from the Marvel formula in telling the secret history of the planet's first superheroes? And should Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek get credit for bestowing culture on mankind with Hackers and Grown Ups 2 on their resumes? Find out if Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob share a Uni-Mind about the latest MCU installment. Listen Now. {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob played a nasty trick on listeners when they pulled Loki from the Summer 2021 schedule at the last minute. Now they make up for lost time by diving into the first six episodes of Tom Hiddleston's quest to conquer all of existence (or at least Disney Plus). Can the Norse God dethrone the three space lizards who currently police the future and promote the popularity of his nemeses The Avengers? And are the podcasters fated to review a never-ending stream of Marvel now that they've said “yes” to a TV series? Listen and Find Out! {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Tom Hardy was struggling to make room for Venom in his life even before natural born killer Woody Harrelson, his screaming mad girlfriend Naomi Harris (Skyfall), and a blood red baby symbiote crashed their picture. Does sequel Let There Be Carnage bring an end to the reporter's unconventional marriage to the gooey, black alien parasite? And is Michelle Williams proof that things get better once you're out of the “Eddie closet”? Discover if Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart lose their heads over, or call the whole thing off, when you Listen Now! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Venom Series}

Could the next Legend of the Marvel Cinematic Universe be an unassuming San Francisco parking valet who prefers late night karaoke to taking down his father's infamous Ten Rings terrorist cell? Martial artist Shang Chi is ready to answer the call for a modern Asian American superhero. But do comedienne Awkwafina, Crouching Tiger star Michelle Yeoh, and the Man Who Would Be The Mandarin (aka Ben Kingsley) offer enough protection for a magical gated community besieged by soul-sucking serpents? Hop aboard the Now Playing bus to find out! {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Find over 1,000 in-depth movie reviews at NowPlayingPodcast.com

Scarlett Johansson breaks away from the Avengers after seven Marvel movies together so that her Russian secret agent Black Widow can finally headline her first solo adventure. Will Natasha Romanoff wipe the red from her ledger by hunting down the man who confined her childhood to war games in a Red Room? And does super soldier father David Harbour, scientist mom Rachel Weisz, and tag along little sister Florence Pugh back the trained assassin the way Cap, Thor, and Hulk would? Find out when you join the Now Playing family reunion and Listen Now! {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Anthony Mackie shields himself from the pressure of becoming the next Captain America by taking to the sky as The Falcon for Marvel's second Disney+ miniseries, and it's made Sebastian Stan angry enough to relapse back into The Winter Soldier. Can these two set aside their differences long enough to save the world from a group of political extremists enhanced by super-soldier serum? And do these six episodes go by in a Blip, or is the MCU better suited to the big screen? Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart smash a lot more than flags when you Listen Now. {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Captain America Series}

It wasn't so long ago that Elizabeth Olsen was blowing up the big screen in epic films like Avengers: Endgame. What curse has befallen her career that Scarlet Witch is now slumming it in a cheesy sitcom called WandaVision? Is Marvel experiencing some Growing Pains while trying to raise the TV profile of their superheroes? And is Paul Bettany merely a special guest star on the series, or has his cyborg Vision found a way to live on without an Infinity Stone? Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart broadcast their thoughts on a massive podcast airing now! {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

After ghosting audiences for the last three years, The New Mutants are finally ready to shut the history books on a half century of Boomer adventures, and let today's generation have their say about the X-Men. Will the five central Millennials prove to be superheroes or snowflakes once nightmare creatures pop the protective bubble surrounding their world? And is she-wolf Rahne (Maisie Williams) the next Hugh Jackman, or do expectations flame out like Berto (Henry Zaga) when these kids are compared to MCU icons? The struggle is real so Listen Now! {X-Men Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Peter Parker leaves his friendly neighborhood Spider-Man alter ego behind for a journey Far From Home meant to alleviate the loss of mentor Tony Stark. But S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Nick Fury won't let the 16-year-old tourist shirk his Avenger duties while on European holiday, rebranding him “Night Monkey” so that Peter can fight elemental monsters alongside new superhero Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). Can the web-slinger still make time to kiss Zendaya on the Eiffel Tower while keeping Venice afloat, or London Bridge from falling down? Listen and find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Avengers Series}

Before the Marvel Cinematic Universe overhauls the X-Men, those first movie mutants rise up from the ashes of the Fox franchise for a last stand with Dark Phoenix. What happens when a space mission leaves Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) surging with energy, and blowing her stack at Professor X (James McAvoy), Cyclops (Tye Sheridan), and all mankind? Will she be attracted to the newfound zen of Magneto (Michael Fassbender)? And does space alien Jessica Chastain come in peace... or just want a piece of her glow? School's in session when you Listen Now! {X-Men Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

It was inevitable that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would reach an Endgame after producing 21 blockbusters over the course of 11 years. Can Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye undo the devastation of Thanos' Infinity War by implementing Ant-Man's crazy "time heist" plot? And are IMAX screens big enough to contain the hordes of superheroes fighting for the spotlight in the sprawling final battle? Hosts Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart aim for the heart and the head as they assemble once more for a gigantic, in-depth review. Hear it now! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Avengers Series} {Iron Man Series} {Hulk Series} {Captain America Series} {Thor Series} {Guardians of the Galaxy Series} {Ant-Man Series}

Before they reach their End Game, Marvel Studios takes audiences back to where it all began for S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Nick Fury (Samuel “Mother-Flerken” Jackson) - a 1995 close encounter with Captain Marvel. Can Brie Larson's space invader rectify where her loyalties lie when warring factions of Kree and Skrulls descend upon Earth to claim Annette Bening's lightspeed technology? And when will the femalien be ready to use her flaming fist power? Find out if Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob had a Mar-Velous time revisiting the Grunge Era when you Listen Now! {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain Marvel Series}

Thanos may have turned Tom Holland and half the Marvel Universe into ash last summer, but you can still find a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man on the big screen when you enter Into The Spider-Verse. Sony Pictures Animation brings together no less than nine different incarnations of the comic book webslinger - including Miles Morales, Peni Parker, and porcine punchline Spider-Ham - for an amazing mixed media showdown with Kingpin. Does this inter-dimensional crossover get the Spidey Senses tingling for Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart? Listen and find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

WE are Now Playing, and this week WE are watching Venom - the gooey space alien who tries to survive a new movie without Spider-Man as his host. WE will see if reporter Tom Hardy and his black-and-white parasite can bring down unethical tech guru Riz Ahmed, repair a broken relationship with lawyer/fiancee Michelle Williams, and stop a second symbiote named Riot from eating the heads of everyone in San Francisco. (But WE will be the ones spitting venom if this character hasn't received an upgrade from his Spider-Man 3 debut). WE will Listen Now! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Venom Series}

The box office for 2015's Ant-Man might be considered small in comparison to other Avengers films, but Marvel banks that the second Paul Rudd adventure will make a bigger impact on the big screen thanks to The Wasp. Are the two pint-sized superheroes simply chasing a Ghost when they shrink to a subatomic level and hunt for long lost scientist Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer)? Podcasters Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob don't need truth serum to tell listeners what they really think of the 20th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Listen now! {Avengers Series} {Ant-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

This show description is guest written by Deadpool. You know who's big? I am! Not in that way, get your mind out of the gutter! (Okay, I'm big in that way too.) But my first movie was more popular than Jesus! So take that John Lennon! But even with my healing factor I'm not immune to...performance anxiety. The dreaded sophomore slump can happen to anyone. I've got a second movie out and I pulled out the big guns. (Literally. Cable has a ginormous rifle. How does he hold that with those tiny hands?) But even with Cable and X-Force I'm worried-- will Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart think it's as good as the first one? I'm scared...why don't you listen now and let me know? {X-Men Series} {Deadpool Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Ten years ago Marvel Comics gambled their entire existence, using all their remaining IP as collateral, on the idea that they could make superhero films better than anyone else. 18 movies later, Marvel Studios makes their biggest bet yet - a billion dollars that audiences will love “the most ambitious crossover event in history” and one gaudy gold glove! Is more the merrier when it comes to superheroes on screen, or are Earth's Mightiest Heroes set up for an epic fail? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob now as they review Avengers: Infinity War! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Avengers Series} {Iron Man Series} {Hulk Series} {Captain America Series} {Guardians of the Galaxy Series} {Doctor Strange Series} {Thor Series} {Black Panther Series}

Chadwick Boseman bounds to the screen as Black Panther - the latest Marvel superhero to leap from comic pages into his own blockbuster movie. Will the newly crowned African Avenger continue to hide his technologically-advanced kingdom from the exploitative Western world? Or will Oakland militant Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) usurp the vibranium throne and use Wakandan firepower to finally Kill Whitey? The revolution will not be televised… but colonizers Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart will certainly podcast about it all on this epic show. Listen now! {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Black Panther Series}

The God of Thunder was ready to change his image after Now Playing and so many others hammered his solo films as the silliest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Third effort Ragnarok not only puts Thor in the arena with longtime frenemies Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston), but pits him against powerful new characters Hela (Cate Blanchett), Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), and Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum). Should the studly superhero have been so quick to chop off his golden hair, or would those shears have been better served cutting out some jokes in this 130 minute epic? Find out if hosts Arnie, Jakob and Stuart rain on Marvel's latest parade by listening now! {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Thor Series} {Hulk Series}

Fledgling spy Eggsy Unwin (Taron Egerton) barely had time to assume his place as Galahad before chirpy drug czar Poppy Adams (Julianne Moore) reduced the whole Kingsman Round Table to rubble. Now the English gentleman must dust off his suit and accept assistance from newfound American allies Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Channing Tatum, and Pedro Pascal. How many shots of whiskey will it take to ply recommends from Yank hosts Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob? Their review of this highly anticipated sequel is finally available to listeners who missed the September live-stream podcast! {Kingsman Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Marvel's Inhumans are the result of combining alien DNA with humans. In that way they're neither human nor alien, they're inhuman. Likewise Marvel's Inhumans is a halfbreed--it's neither television nor film. It is the TV series pilot premiering this weekend on IMAX screens. Is it worth the IMAX ticket price to see a shorter version of network television four weeks early? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob in this hair-raising review to find out! {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Avengers Series}

Spider-Man has finally come home! While Marvel Studios started without its most popular characters, an agreement between studios (aided by some North Korean hackers) has now made it so Marvel's most super of heroes, Spider-Man, can stand alongside the other cinematic Avengers. But this is this third big-screen incarnation of the wall crawler in 10 years. Does this one swing higher than Raimi's and Webb's movies? Listen to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Avengers Series} {Iron Man Series}

James Gunn defied all expectations. 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy was the first Marvel studios film to go cosmic, and with stars like a raccoon and a talking tree, it could have easily crashed. Instead it has become many fans' favorite entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Now Gunn is back, as are all the Guardians. The stakes are higher. Does this movie rock as much as the first? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out! {Avengers Series} {Guardians of the Galaxy Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

For eighteen years Hugh Jackman has played Logan - the popular X-Men hero also known as Wolverine. His first appearance in 2000's X-Men helped launch the modern age of cinematic superheros. But now, after playing Wolverine nine times Jackman is ready to hang up his claws. His planned final performance is in Logan -- a violent and dour film that reteams Jackman with The Wolverine director James Mangold. Did Jackman save the best Wolverine for last? Join the Now Playing Podcast hosts to find out! {X-Men Series} {Wolverine Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Fourteen movies into the Marvel Cinematic Universe comes the Strangest movie yet -- Doctor Strange. This film eschews all the other movies' science fiction basis to bring that magic feeling to the franchise. Can lauded actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, and Tilda Swinton cast their spell on our reviewers? Listen now to find out! {Avengers Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Doctor Strange Series}

Is this movie Captain America 3 or Avengers 3? Cap is back and he's brought the whole team. Iron Man, Ant-Man, Black Widow, Vision, Scarlet Witch, and half a dozen other costumed heroes appear–to fight! At issue is the UN wanting to control The Avengers, and Captain America going rogue to save his friend Bucky, The Winter Soldier. Can even an IMAX screen hold this many heroes and give a satisfying story? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out! {Avengers Series} {Iron Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Captain America Series} {Spider-Man Series} {Black Panther Series}

This show description is guest written by Deadpool. Oh, hello there! Deadpool here. It took ten years but I've finally got my own solo film! Now, I know I'm awesome, but even I'm shocked at how many box office records it broke. I have to give a lot of credit to the marketing, but the movie stars me, so it has to be awesome. The real question, though, is what Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob think. So whatever you're doing -- STOP! You need to just put your life on hold for the next 100 minutes and listen to this show to hear the guys review of my first movie! {X-Men Series} {Deadpool Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

It's been 20 years since Roger Corman first made (but never released) the world's first Fantastic Four film, and now we get our fourth. Gone is the humor of the Tim Story duology; instead, Chronicle director Josh Trank created a grim and gritty version of Marvel's First Family, more based on the Ultimate Comics version than any other. But behind the scenes squabbles and internet gossip led to this movie's record low audience and critic ratings. Can this film be, if not Fantastic, any good at all? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out! {Fantastic Four Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

The second phase of Marvel Studios' Cinematic Universe is going out small. Compared to their other Phase 2 films, the hero is smaller, the budget is smaller, the box office is smaller. But it's a big moment as comics' final founding Avenger arrives on the big screen. The film was fraught with production delays and creative changes, but can Marvel prove good things come with small packages? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out! {Avengers Series} {Ant-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

The 2015 summer movie season kicks off in a big way with the next Marvel Cinematic Universe film Avengers: Age of Ultron. Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Hawkeye are back in front of the camera, all again under the direction of geek god Joss Whedon. But with three super-powered baddies and a new Vision for these heroes there is more Avengers to assemble than ever before. Now join Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out how super these heroes were! {Avengers Series} {Iron Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Hulk Series} {Captain America Series} {Thor Series}

From the director of X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass comes Kingsman: The Secret Service. Like Kick-Ass, this film is also based on an original comic by Mark Millar, but now the pair are focusing on a young man trying to join an independent group of spies who pose as tailors. With a combination of new faces and established actors like Colin Firth and Samuel L. Jackson, does this new movie also kick ass? Join Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out! {Kingsman Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Ever since Disney purchased Marvel Comics a family-friendly superhero cartoon was all but guaranteed. But it's not the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, or the X-Men who star in Disney's first Marvel animated feature, it's the little-known Asian team Big Hero 6. Many changes have happened adapting the team from the page to the screen, but is the result super? Join the Podcast Hero 3 of Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob to find out! {Big Hero 6 Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

When teased at the end of Thor: The Dark World, the Guardians of the Galaxy looked like a bunch of a-holes. But this past weekend Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot proved their worth with a heroic opening weekend at the box office. More than just money, the film has been a hit with audiences and critics alike. What is the magic that made this film blow up like a ch-ch-ch-ch-cherry bomb, and were the hosts of Now Playing won over by this charming band of outlaws? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob in this review to find out! {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Guardians of the Galaxy Series}

Marvel's Avengers film upped audience expectations by bringing four solo cinematic superheroes together for one explosive adventure. Now Fox tries to go one better by bringing two entire superteams together! The catch: they're both the X-Men. In X-Men: Days of Future Past the original X-Men and the First Class cast share the screen with a dozen new mutants to try and save their species from annihilation at the hands of giant robot sentinels. Does this giant cast lead to X-treme confusion or, in the hands of returning director Bryan Singer is this X-ceptional entertainment? Listen to Now Playing's review to find out! {X-Men Series} {Wolverine Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Rhino. Electro. Green Goblin. In 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man the web head had a hard time defeating one bad guy, but now he is up against three. With The Amazing Spider-Man 2 director Mark Webb has an even harder challenge than rebooting the film series--he has to up the stakes while setting the stage for Sony to launch an entire Spider-Man cinematic universe of films. With all the movie moguls planning annual films and three bad guys on screen, can Andrew Garfield's Peter Parker still get a story of his own? And after a polarizing first film, does The Amazing Spider-Man 2 show a hero on an upswing, or a downward fall? Listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart's review to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

The First Avenger is back in the latest film from the unstoppable Marvel Cinematic Universe. With a mysterious new assassin out to kill Captain America and S.H.I.E.L.D. turning on him, it's up to the Star Spangled man along with his friends Black Widow and new hero The Falcon to save the day. Is this a good installment in Marvel's Avengers series or just a stalling tactic until we get The Avengers: Age of Ultron in 2015? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out! {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain America Series}

It will be 2015 before the Avengers assemble on the big screen again, but Disney and Marvel will fill that time with films focusing on individual Avengers and their disassembled heroics. Earlier this year we had Iron Man 3, and now Disney hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again with the help of a thunder god in Thor: The Dark World. The mighty Avenger must once again fighting an ancient enemy of Asgard, continue arguing with Odin over how best to rule the kingdom, and all the while try to romance his human love interest Jane Foster. Are the Now Playing hosts excited for Thor's return, or just glad to have Loki back on screen? Listen to our review to find out! {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Thor Series}

At the end of the first Kick-Ass film Red Mist plotted his revenge while Kick-Ass enjoyed high school with girlfriend Katie and Hit Girl, orphaned with the death of Big Daddy, had to adjust to normal high school life under the watch of new guardian Marcus. It was an ending that begged a sequel, and now it has one! With a city full of costumed heroes, including Jim Carey joining the cast as new hero Col. Stars and Stripes, can Kick-Ass still kick ass? Listen to find out! {Marvel Misfits Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Kick-Ass Series}

Wolverine cannot be killed, and it seems neither can his film franchise. Despite tepid fan response to X-Men Origins: Wolverine a second solo film featuring Hugh Jackman was quickly put into production. With creative changes behind-the-scenes and a change to make The Wolverine a sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand, it was released with the promise of being "The Wolverine film you've been waiting for." Does it live up to that hype? Listen to Arnie, Jakob, and Stuart's latest X-Men movie review to find out as we bide our time until 2014's X-Men: Days of Future Past! {X-Men Series} {Wolverine Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

The Avengers broke box office records taking in more at the US box office in the opening weekend than any other film. With such popularity the world was primed for a follow-up. Now, almost one year to the day later, Marvel Studios' next film Iron Man 3 has been delivered, and came in second only to The Avengers in its opening weekend. The new film features a Tony Stark solo mission against his comic book nemesis The Mandarin in a storyline taken from the Warren Ellis Extremis comic arc. But without Jon Favreau directing and without a Hulk can the armored Avenger still shine? Listen to Jakob, Arnie, and Stuart's review to find out!   {Marvel Series} {Iron Man Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Series}

It was to be the biggest Spider-Man movie yet! 3 villains! Green Goblin 2! Sandman! Venom!! If that's not enough trouble for Peter Parker, Mary Jane is also jealous of the new girl Gwen Stacy. It had fanboys squealing with anticipation, and then crying in anguish, as Arnie did in Now Playing's first-ever movie review. Now Arnie revisits Raimi's third Spider-Man film, joined this time by Jakob and Stuart. Has time changed Arnie's view of this film? Listen to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

It was to be the biggest Spider-Man movie yet! 3 villains! Green Goblin 2! Sandman! Venom!! If that's not enough trouble for Peter Parker, Mary Jane is also jealous of the new girl Gwen Stacy. It had fanboys squealing with anticipation, and then crying in anguish, as Arnie did in Now Playing's first-ever movie review. Now Arnie revisits Raimi's third Spider-Man film, joined this time by Jakob and Stuart. Has time changed Arnie's view of this film? Listen to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Raimi's 2002 film Spider-Man went on to be the highest grossing superhero film of all time, and so a sequel was swinging into theaters just 2 years later. Spider-Man 2 brings back all the primary characters from the original, and introduces a new foe in the form of Doctor Octopus. Did Spider-Man suffer a sophomore slump? Listen to Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Spider-Man is one of the best known comic book superheroes in the world, but his road to the silver screen was a bumpy one. Rights issues, bankruptcy, and technological challenges kept Spider-Man webbed up for over a decade despite numerous attempts to launch a theatrical series. But in 2002 cult director Sam Raimi's vision of Spider-Man lept into theaters and broke box office records, climbing to the top of the charts, becoming the highest grossing superhero movie of all time and even besting Star Wars: Attack of the Clones for opening weekend and total dollars. As we near The Amazing Spider-Man series reboot, Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob look back at Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy starting with the 2002 original. A decade later does the film still hold up? Listen to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

Despite being green lit for a television series, Spider-Man did not live long on CBS before being squashed under the boot of network executives. But the series was given a final hurrah with a two-hour movie Spider-Man: The Chinese Web, known in its theatrical release as Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge. To help clear J. Jonah Jameson's college friend from conspiracy charges, Spider-Man must travel to Hong Kong. Did the series end leaving our hosts wanting more? Listen to Stuart, Jakob, and Arnie's review and find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

For over a year the hosts of Now Playing have watched and reviewed every movie based off a Marvel Comics series, but now they enter into their last Marvel review series with the most popular Marvel Comic character of all time -- Spider-Man! His red and blue spandex suit is iconic, outshining even Mickey Mouse in global brand awareness, and his 2002 movie even bested Star Wars in the box office. But before Tobey Maguire became the face of Spider-Man, there was Nicholas Hammond. Continuing their roster of prime time superhero shows, CBS ordered a two-hour pilot movie featuring Spider-Man, a college student and part-time photographer. Can the production budget of a 70s television show do justice to Spider-Man's amazing powers? Listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review to find out! {Spider-Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series}

THE AVENGERS! Breaking worldwide box office records this super-hero team-up is a film that seems impossible to make, and yet they did! After a year of reviewing movies based on Marvel Comics characters, listen to Arnie, Stuart, and Jakob's review of this blockbuster film! Did it make a year's worth of viewing worth it, or did it fail to come together? Listen to find out! {Avengers Series} {Iron Man Series} {Marvel Series} {Comic Book Movie Series} {Hulk Series}

By the summer of 2011 fans were ready for Avengers, but Marvel Studios still had some groundwork to lay before they could assemble. And in July the final character, the First Avenger, was introduced to audiences. But the fifth film in Marvel's series might be the hardest sell yet, a World War II period piece with a goody-goody hero. With Fantastic Four's Chris Evans donning the red, white, and blue outfit, did Captain America: The First Avenger stand alone, or was it just biding the time for ten more months until The Avengers was released? Listen to hear Jakob, Stuart, and Arnie's review of this film as well as the short A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor's Hammer. {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Captain America Series}

In three films Marvel had created a cinematic universe based on science. Iron Man used advanced technology to power an armored suit; Bruce Banner used genetic manipulation and medicine to create The Incredible Hulk. But in their fourth film leading up to The Avengers they brought in a new element straight out of Norse mythology--Thor, the god of thunder. With a mighty hammer, a winged helmet, and a flowing red cape, Thor and his fellow Asgardians fought off the evil Ice Giants, but for his cocky war-mongering Thor was banished to earth, stripped of his powers. Can a thunder god fit in with an otherwise science based Cinematic Universe, and is his story a compelling one? Listen to Stuart, Arnie, and Jakob to find out as they review Thor, and the Blu Ray bonus short The Consultant! {Marvel Series} {Avengers Series} {Comic Book Movies Series} {Thor Series}