Our Sidelined 2 Review praises Noah Beck's wild ride sequel. Edge-of-seat fights mix with fun vibes. Pros, cons, and watch tips inside. See it! Read more visit website!
Sidelined 2: Intercepted hits you out of nowhere before you even know what’s going on. What seems like a bumpy, dumb college kid romance on the surface quietly morphs into a sharper, more self-conscious follow-up — one that knows exactly what it wants to do with Noah Beck, with Tubi’s brand, with its Gen Z audience. This isn’t a movie aspiring to be high-brow; it’s a movie knowing what kind of movie it is and playing to those strengths.
From the willfully chaotic emotions to its influencer-driven star power, Sidelined 2 straddles the line between melodrama and digital-era escapism, establishing a larger, more audacious universe that could (please!) continue on in Sidelined 3. It’s loud, it’s flawed, it’s melodramatic—and for some reason, that’s exactly what makes it work. The ambiguous ending of Sidelined 2 is a blatant strategic set up for a third movie. By keeping Dallas in New York and Drayton in L.A., this franchise provides a “reunion” hook for Sidelined 3.
The performance of Sidelined 2, is also a good way to Tubi’s brand enhancement. It shows the platform can grow a franchise, hold onto talent (like Van Der Beek and Beck), and create original buzz on social media. This begins to separate Tubi from the blight of the “digital discount bin” and towards being a destination for certain demographic groups.
Life After High School is what the film opens with. Dallas and Drayton are now three different men, in two different places, physically and emotionally. Dallas, a third-generation navy dancer, is attending dance school on a partial scholarship at CalArts and dealing with hard classes, self-doubt and financial woes. Drayton, on the other hand, is at USC as a highly recruited freshman quarterback, cloaked in anonymity as he prepares for the NFL.
The physical separation of their campuses in Los Angeles becomes a metaphor for the emotional rift between them. With busy college schedules, their biggest hurdle is just making time to meet up. This sets up a believable and relatable conflict, moving the story beyond high school angst to a realistic exploration of how young adults juggle priorities, responsibility, and relationships.
The final act is the biggest departure from the standard rom-com template, in which reality—not romance—wins. Dallas comes to Drayton’s first game post-injury to root for him one last time, and voilà, the audience gets the emotional sports moment they’ve been waiting for. But after the match, instead of rekindling their relationship or committing to making a long-distance relationship work, they just share one last kiss and decide to go their separate ways — Dallas is headed to New York with her career, while Drayton intends to stay put in L.A.
Their conversation about being “the right person at the wrong time” is what holds the film, and Drayton’s line about fate leaves the door slightly ajar for what comes next without obligating a false happy ending.
This down-to-earth ending have generated a lot of chatter and both Noah Beck and Siena Agudong have commended it for being authentic to their characters. The movie aligns with the “realistic romance” trend of late a la La La Land, where personal growth and career aspiration come before staying together, a message that strongly resonates with Gen Z.
Noah Beck’s spin on the world Sidelined is built around is, obviously, its biggest draw, with 33 million TikTok followers making him one of the biggest names in the creator world and his transition into acting indicative of the industry trend of casting stars with established online audiences. His reviews were mixed but getting better – some reviewers think he looks “too nice” to be the bad boy, while others say his natural TikTok charm translates well to screen, particularly in the lighter moments. The film also taps into his real-life persona by including footage of him exercising, shirtless and acting flirty in a way that mimics TikTok thirst traps. It’s a kind of fan service – and the film never pretends its audiences aren’t as interested in watching Noah Beck as they are in watching Drayton.
Meanwhile, Siena Agudong is the “working actor” type. Coming from Nickelodeon and Disney, she has the technical ability to handle the emotional weight of the film. It is her performance that grounds Beck’s more raw presence. Their chemistry is part acting technique, part influencer collaboration—it seems engineered to be clipped, shared and memed by fans.
Sidelined 2 takes place somewhere between the wholesomeness of Prom Pact and dramatic chaos of After. It doesn’t have the graphic nature of After or the budget of The Kissing Booth, but it makes space for itself by being, arguably, more “realistic” about the jump from high school to college than either.
Sidelined 2: Intercepted is a victory of utility over polish. It is a “mindless dose of Tubi entertainment,” much like a Big Mac is a “mindless meal” – it has been designed, is predictable, and resembles what the customer expects. That tells us that the movie of the future is going to be not just about the art on the screen but about the ecosystem surrounding it: ads, apps, influencers and the holiday weekends when we all want something to watch that doesn’t require us to think too much.
It ends with Dallas and Drayton walking away from each other, their futures unwritten. But for Tubi, the future is written in code, and looks a lot like this: bright, loud, free, and endless.
The Batman: Part II brings together Matt Reeves and Emmy-winner Luke Hull to redesign Gotham City with a darker, more realistic style starring Robert Pattinson.
Matt Reeves’ hotly anticipated The Batman: Part II has reached an exciting new high with the reveal of its production designer, an Emmy-winning artist whose lineages in cinematic world-building is unparalleled. As the city of Gotham prepares for another trip to the theater, the film’s scope has been expanded to include Luke Hull, known for his revolutionary work on Disney+’s Andor and HBO’s Chernobyl.
Bringing Hull Showrunner Matt Reeves on board to direct, Reeves looks to create more grounded and immersive Gotham. According to Collider, He’s known for his meticulous attention to large, practical sets. He built entire worlds for Andor using a blend of traditional Japanese designs, minimalist Nordic styles and rugged Scottish strongholds. This fusion breathed new life into the Star Wars landscapes. His acclaimed sets for Chernobyl constructed an entire power plant. He emphasized gritty, authentic details that would add substance to the story’s emotions and themes.
Fans in DC and Star Wars communities have already been singing praises of Hull’s casting. They appreciate his knack for making locations into important characters.
Gotham is at the heart of Batman’s story. It will darken and become more deeply felt inside. Hull’s previous work indicates a city that depicts Bruce Wayne’s battle against its decay and moral drop.
Besides this major offscreen change, the film also brings back the core cast: Robert Pattinson as Batman, Colin Farrell as Oz Cobblepot/The Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis. Production is set to begin in January next year. The script is done.
The story begins immediately following the hit HBO max series The Penguin. It provides a consistent pace and intensity for fans of the original film and the complete Gotham narrative.
In comparing the look of The Batman to that of the forthcoming The Batman: Part II, there are notable differences in the production design, as well as in Gotham City’s artistic direction. Part II wants to take world-building even further and perhaps embrace more traditional comic book iconography while the first film is celebrated for its mood, desaturated, neo-noir look.
| The Batman (2022) | The Batman: Part II (2027) |
| Palette of Colors and Atmosphere: Muted/desaturated to the extreme on all levels, consisting of a very limited desaturated palette composed mainly by dusty deep tones with occasional pops of red, or orange. | Color Scheme and World-Building: There will be deeper colours, with more shades, but a dark intention. This is the plain and old-fashioned places of Hull. Gotham’s architecture will be more defined: There will be windows, and roofs on some of the buildings, as CBR says. |
| Cinematography: A close, tactile camera feel was achieved through the use of Arri ALFA lenses. It focused on harsh reality and silhouette imagery a-la Roger Deakins. | Visual Ideas: Initial discussions on Reddit are that the next movie will be even more strongly influenced by vintage Batman comics. There are also shots of him on gargoyles and grand, bold scenes. The camera is close and intimate but non-pornographic. |
| Urban Environment: The streets always appeared wet, to suggest perpetual rain and a somber mood. The city pressed down hard and felt harsh. Night scenes gave Gotham a gritty feel and Bruce Wayne’s secretive nature. | Production Designer Swap: Andor and Chernobyl’s Luke Hull takes over duties from James Chinlund. Everything He Touches Turns to Real, Physical Space He excels at creating real, tangible, physical worlds, with sets you can touch. This transformation gives a whole new perspective to the buildings, and overall feel, in Gotham. |
| Symbolism: It conveyed desolation and little optimism, at times portraying Batman as a creature of the darkness. Warm orange from the flares lightened the colors only in a few places, such as the end. This was hope arising out of loss. | Comic Tribute: Sequel looks to snatch iconic comic book panels for Batman’s look. That against the muted truth of the first film in picked classic poses. |
| Riffing: Some of your crew spots may change, but Matt Reeves keeps close-to-the-vest stories and tailspin tone. Hull’s elegant set pieces will elevate it. |
In Short, The Batman is distinguished by its muted colors, wet surfaces, and urban stress forged in shadows.
The Batman: Part II is to expand upon Gotham’s style through Luke Hull’s immersive, practical sets. It could be a tribute to vintage comic illustrations too. This gives a fresh spin which remains just as moody for the cape-wearing hero.
The fact that Matt Reeves went out and hired Luke Hull means that Matt Reeves wants literally every person in Gotham to be filled with the inner pain and dark thoughts that is at the core of Batman’s world. Hull has demonstrated that he can make locations come to life on the page in stories such as Star Wars’ Chandrila or the Chernobyl plant, where setting is integral to plot.
His Gothamville is in decline and ready to roar on October 1, 2027 as the making of the film starts in 2026. The Batman: Part II holds the promise of a film trip that the long wait will make all too right.
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Welcome to FandomFans — your source for the latest buzz from Hollywood’s creative underworld. Here, we explore the art of filmmaking, knowing about how visionary directors, designers, and actors shape the worlds we escape into. Today we break down Matt Reeves’ ambitious direction for The Batman: Part II, Emmy-winner Luke Hull (Andor, Chernobyl) steps in to reinvent Gotham’s shadowy skyline for its next cinematic evolution.
Marvel shocks fans by firing Jonathan Majors and replacing Kang with Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. MCU Phase 6 reimagined!
The MCU underwent one of its biggest back-end shakeups in recent memory, with massive ramifications for not only the direction of Phase 6 but the entire Multiverse Saga. What started as a grand design revolving around Kang the Conqueror has shifted into an entirely different story, with Doctor Doom emerging as the main Villain.
The change began with dire legal problems for Jonathan Majors, who was set to be the MCU’s next big villain after Thanos. In March 2023, Majors was taken into custody on charges of assault and harassment against his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari. The matter intensified when in December 2023 he was convicted by a New York jury of reckless assault and second-degree harassment, The Guardians stated.
Marvel Studios fired Jonathan Majors just hours after his conviction to be charged with assault and harassment in his ex-girlfriend’s case associated their charges Jonathan Majors was facing a similar hammer blow to his career as the next MCU big bad villain after Thanos. The actor had already played multiple Kang variants in Loki seasons 1 and 2, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. His termination presented a monumental storytelling issue for Marvel, as Kang was supposed to be the overarching menace throughout Phases 4, 5 and 6.
The consequences of Majors’ termination were much more than the removal of a single actor. Marvel entirely dropped the Kang-centric plotline which had been developing since 2021. The fifth Avengers movie, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, was renamed Avengers: Doomsday. This was a radical departure from multiversal villainy centered on Kang to dealing with a more “realistic” but just as threatening antagonist.
Marvel had originally centered the entire Multiverse Saga on Kang after being impressed with Majors’ turn as He Who Remains in Loki. The time-traveling, reality-altering villain’s age made him a perfect choice for a story that would take place across multiple timelines and dimensions. However, it has been reported that Marvel Studios had reservations about Kang and the Multiverse Saga even prior to Majors’ legal troubles, suggesting there were some doubts internally as to the direction.
In one of the most surprising MCU news of all time, Robert Downey Jr. was confirmed to be returning to the franchise as Victor von Doom/Doctor Doom at San Diego Comic-Con 2024. Downey’s dramatic unmasking of himself onstage during the announcement sent shockwaves through the entertainment industry.
The casting decision is a “daring creative pivot” as the former Iron Man actor now embodies one of Marvel’s most iconic villains. Iron Man 3 director Shane Black predicts this casting will “singlehandedly reignite the entire comic book movie industry”. Black said, “I think he’s going to singlehandedly reinvigorate the entire comic book movie industry with that. At first, it seemed like a cynical move, you know, like “Oh, let’s just go back to the well of the one guy that seems to always save us.” But it’s going to be. It’s going to be great.
The entertainment industry has been cautiously optimistic about these seismic shifts. Marvel waited until Majors was convicted to fire him, an act of restraint compared to the industry norm of immediately dismissing actors on the basis of accusations as shared.
A number of MCU alumni have voiced their enthusiasm at Downey’s return, although many were surprised by the news. Jeremy Renner disclosed that he had “no idea” about the casting, and that Downey “said nothing” to his MCU colleagues. Tom Hiddleston described the casting as “remarkable” and “absolutely extraordinary”.
Some fans have complained about the casting, fearful of Doom being given a revised origin that includes Tony Stark.Still, the bar is set extremely high, with a lot of people seeing this as Marvel’s shot at recapturing the magic of the Infinity Saga.
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Doctor Doom will be the main villain of Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). The Russo Brothers, who helmed Infinity War and Endgame, are back to direct both movies. This is a massive deviation from the original Kang-centric narrative, however there are rumors that Marvel might still find a way to finish off the story for Kang via a potential recast.
The changes are not just about swapping out the villain. Marvel is slashing its content output drastically`, with as few as two films a year, rather than up to four in recent years shared by Screenrant. The change is part of a larger Disney strategy to prioritize quality over quantity after some mixed feelings about recent MCU offerings.
The Phase 6 overhaul is arguably the most significant plot twist the MCU has ever seen. What was meant to be a multiverse story focused on Kang has now become something else entirely, with Doctor Doom seemingly going to end the Multiverse Saga. Early reviews from the cast are that Downey’s performance as Doom is outstanding, with Vanessa Kirby calling it “some of the most amazing work I’ve seen” in. The success of this recalibration will ultimately dictate the MCU’s future path. With Marvel now proceeding with Avengers: Doomsday in December 2026, the entertainment world wonders if the breathtaking turn of events behind the scenes is going to lead to a resurgence of creativity or become a cautionary tale about the perils of planning franchise far ahead in a volatile world.
The Marvel Phase 6 storyline changes entirely and gives everyone a big shock with its new plot. The decision of changing the biggest villain of the Multiverse Saga is tough for Russo Brother but they came back with a surprise casting after Jonathan Majors got fired, Robert Downey Jr. is returned as a villain in Avengers next film Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel entirely dropped the Kang-centric plotline that was supposed to be the overarching menace throughout Phases 4, 5 and 6 and adopt renamed it with Doomsday.
