Geeky Regards

2025 had a lot of interesting movies from many different genres. Superheroes, documentaries, vampires, and murder mysteries all made the list, just to name a few.

The first half of 2025 has felt long, with everything going on. And there weren't as many powerful releases as some of the past years. Still there have been some fun ones that offer great escapes.

2024 had a wide variety of films that made a splash, and this year more than others seemed like it had something for everyone.

We are only 6 months into the year, and the cinematic landscape has been jam packed. I felt like I was at the theater more in the first half of this year, than all of the last couple of years. The exciting part is, we still have so much more to experience.

Thor is the only original Avenger to get a 4th solo movie, and has appeared in every Avengers movie to date. So what reason would there be to warrant a 4th solo outing (and an 8th adventure)? The answer it turns out, is love (and some thunder). Taika Waititi returned to the MCU after the colorful tonal shift he made to the character in Thor: Ragnarok . A lot of the same vibes return here to Love and Thunder which begins with Thor trying find his place in the universe post Endgame , while physically finding himself with the Guardians of the Galaxy. The film is a brisk (by MCU standards) 1 hour and 59 minutes, and wastes no time in setting up the villain, and plot of the entire movie. After a bit of catch up from the various players in the story and some larger MCU housekeeping, the movie takes off at a comfortably fast pace, and Waititi always keeps things moving without leaving anyone behind. The most interesting parts of the film are the deep emotional cores of the main players: T...

Marvel's first brand new hero in Phase 4 came in at an uncertain time for movies, but the Marvel brand and the charisma of star Simu Liu proved to be enough. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of the MCU's strongest origin stories, and gives us a plethora of new characters and possibilities for the future of this shared universe.

Marvel's first female Avenger finally got her due in a solo project. After meeting her demise in Avengers: Endgame , it seemed like Natasha Romanoff's journey was at an end. But Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios make prequels also, so we were able to jump into a very personal journey for Scarlet Johansson's Black Widow.

It was a long week to wait for a payoff to that post credit scene, but man did it deliver. We got even more answers, and Loki and Sylvie got ever closer to getting the answers that they want.

After the cliffhanger of episode 3, this episode wasted no time in picking up where it left off. Loki creating his own Nexus event is what got him rescued, which was quite clever. I thought there would be temp pad tricks, but this was much more straightforward.

The third episode of Loki was a departure from the first 2, but it was a necessary episode in order to flesh out the characters, and even revealed some information that will be important later on.

Episode 2 hit the ground running and didn't look back. After an exposition-laden premiere, "The Variant" was finally able to get down to business! This episode provided answers, but also more questions, and possibilities for the MCU down the line.

The third Marvel series to premiere belongs to that of the God of Mischief. And right off the bat, the story felt like it was going to have major implications in the larger MCU. The first episode established a lot of rules, but was also allowed to have fun as well.

The second half of the movie called The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has aired, and it gave Marvel fans something that we never thought we would see. It is moving the narrative forward, and all of a sudden we now find ourselves looking toward the penultimate episode of this 6 hour movie.

The halfway point of the series also marked the apex of the series so far. The best episode came with a lot of added layers, familiar faces, and enough mystery to let the series ride this wave until the end of the line. There will be spoilers throughout.

Episode 2 of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier finally brought both titular characters together. Their relationship is a strained one, and it is predicated on the legacy of Steve Rogers. While Steve Rogers didn't appear in the episode, his presence is felt throughout the whole show in many different ways.

Marvel's second Disney+ show is much more in line with what fans expected to see when they hear "Marvel Cinematic Universe". The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tells the story of both of Steve Rogers' friends and sidekicks, and the legacy they have to deal with.

Marvel is vastly expanding their universe by giving supporting characters their own stories on Disney+. Things like WandaVision , The Falcon and the Winter Soldier , and Loki all are able to explore their characters deeper than the movies they featured in. The possibilities are endless, as the MCU has many characters rich for exploration. Here are 5 stories the MCU should explore in the future.

The first television show set firmly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to a conclusion. For all intents and purposes, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. It broadened the story of Wanda Maximoff, and explored grief and loss in a way that was not explored in the universe previously.

The penultimate episode provided a ton of answers, and didn't disappoint. Wanda had to relive her past traumas, and she unlocked as many answers as we did. This episode framed the past ones in a totally different light. They are much more tragic than fun now.

These last 3 episodes have a lot going for them. They introduced Pietro, kept the sitcom format, but also expanded into the larger MCU story. The acting in this show is some of the MCU's best, as are the call backs and Easter eggs. Olsen and Bettany are truly doing Emmy worthy work, changing tones on a dime. However, the MVP of the show is quickly becoming Kathryn Hahn. Agnes has been there since day one, but her tonal shift and commitment to each line is absolutely perfect. The reveal at the end of episode 7 of her as the villain, Agatha Harkness is one of the shows best moments. The "Agatha All Along" jingle is one of the most catchy tunes in the MCU. Bringing Evan Peters on to play Pietro is a stroke of genius. He played the same character in the X-Men movies, and regardless of whether this is the same version of the character or not, it was a smart move to "recast" him since it was not Wanda that created him. It also plays into the sitcom trope of the siblin...