Planet She-Hulk series ending with issue #6

Marvel’s Planet She-Hulk is being cancelled, with issue #6, on sale April 29, 2026, set to be the final instalment.

Writer Stephanie Phillips revealed the abrupt end comes after a cliffhanger in issue #5, calling it “incredibly disappointing and really unexpected”. It is hinted that it wasn’t due to the story itself but likely a business or editorial decision. Issue #6 will wrap up the series.

Despite the short run, Phillips thanked fans for their support and said she’s proud of the story they were able to tell.

Live-action Cinderella’s Stepsisters film update

Disney is putting a new spin on Cinderella with a live-action film focused on her stepsisters, Anastasia and Drizella, tentatively titled Stepsisters.

The movie will explore their lives before Cinderella’s fairy tale ending, likely with a comedic angle. Akiva Schaffer (Chip and Dale: Rescue Rangers) will direct, with Dan Gregor and Doug Mand rewriting a script by Michael Montemayor (Tangled). Producer Ali Bell is also attached. No release date has been announced yet.

Jumanji 4 pushed to Christmas

Columbia Pictures has delayed Jumanji 4, now set to release on Christmas Day 2026. The move places the sequel alongside Robert Eggers’ Werwulf and an untitled John Tuggle biopic, intensifying an already crowded holiday box office.

The Jumanji franchise has historically thrived during December releases, demonstrating the series’ ability to compete alongside major blockbusters.

However, the new release date puts Jumanji 4 directly into a Dunesday box office clash, coming just a week after Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three, with the latter already locking out IMAX screens for three weeks.

Analysts are questioning whether the franchise can replicate its past holiday success in a post-pandemic landscape with such heavy competition.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 16th, 2026

It was a bright, sunny morning. The sky was clear and I was up early. My head was throbbing and I felt a bit dizzy. To relieve this agonising pain, I decided to look for some painkillers.

Writhing in discomfort, I clambered noisily downstairs and started searching for medicine. I checked all the cabinets, drawers and even the first aid box, but to no avail. I could not find anything.

I stomped around the house looking for Mum. I didn’t see her anywhere, so I started calling out loudly; my own voice felt like someone hitting my head with a bat. Still, there was no answer.

Suddenly, I remembered that when my dad, a scientist, went to work in his small personal lab in the basement, he would always take some medicine with him.

The pain was now excruciating. I tiptoed downstairs. Dad didn’t allow us to go there in his absence, but I had no option. I thought I might find some painkillers there. Surprisingly, the door wasn’t locked. Carefully, I opened it. Inside, it was dark, but the switchboard was right beside the door, so I turned the lights on.

As the lights came on, I saw papers scattered on the table, along with glass containers filled with liquids and powders. There were bulky objects and machinery too. But I didn’t pay attention. My eyes searched the shelves and tables for familiar tablets.

Just then, I tripped and banged my head on the table, falling to the floor. One of the glass jars toppled over, hit my head and shattered into pieces. I started coughing as the powder got into my mouth, eyes and hair, basically all over me. This trip to the basement lab proved unsuccessful as I couldn’t find any medicines. Annoyed, I got up and went back to my room.

I went to the washroom and splashed water on my face, hoping the cold water would make me feel better. As I looked up into the mirror, I froze. I didn’t find my reflection in the mirror!

For a moment, I just stared, trying to make sense of it. I touched the mirror. It felt normal, solid and real. The door behind me was clearly reflected, but there was no sign of me.

Panic set in. I grabbed a towel, but it seemed to float in mid-air in the mirror. No hands were holding it, yet it moved as I wiped my face. That’s when it hit me — the powder in the lab! I had messed up.

The headache was forgotten as I rushed back to the lab and picked up the scattered pages. My heart sank as I read them. The powder was part of my dad’s experiment, and somehow, I had made it work. I had turned invisible!

Frantically, I searched through the papers, hoping to find a solution. After going through sheet after sheet, I finally found it. The effect would wear off in an hour.

I ran back to my room, shaken and full of regret. That one hour felt endless. Fear kept creeping in. What if I never came back? I paced restlessly, unable to sit still.

When my mother finally came home, I ran towards her in relief. But then I remembered — she couldn’t see me. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, a strange tingling spread through my body. Slowly, bit by bit, I began to reappear.

When I was finally back to normal, a wave of relief washed over me. Right then, I made a promise to myself: I would never meddle with my father’s things again.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 18th, 2026

From Kirk Alyn to David Corenswet, the Man of Steel has had a long cinematic history. So in honour of Superman Day today, April 18, which celebrates the Man of Steel’s debut in Action Comics #1 on April 18, 1938, let’s take a look back at the cinematic history of Superman.

Since making his first appearance in Action Comics #1, Superman (created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster) has inspired generations. By using his superhuman abilities to help ordinary people, he became a symbol of hope, kindness and strength, building a fandom rivalled by few other superheroes. Generations of fans have followed his journey across comics, films, television and animation.

Superman enjoyed success in comic strips and even a hugely popular radio series, The Adventures of Superman, but it took a decade for the man from Krypton to appear in live-action motion pictures. Columbia Pictures released a 15-part film serial, Superman, starring Kirk Alyn as the titular character, with Noel Neill as Lois Lane. Going over his origin, the serial was a commercial success and led to it receiving a sequel.

Kirk Alyn returned in 1950’s Atom Man vs. Superman, another 15-part film serial, where Superman faces his iconic arch-nemesis, Lex Luthor. Here, Luthor takes on the persona of the Atom Man as he plans to reduce Metropolis to atoms. As Superman saves the day, he is accompanied by his colleagues at the Daily Planet, Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White.

From black-and-white serials to billion-dollar blockbusters, Superman has come a long way. Let’s revisit the films and faces that brought this iconic hero to life

Following the success of the Superman serials, 1951’s Superman and the Mole Men was the first feature film based on a character from DC. George Reeves portrayed the Man of Steel, as the Mole Men emerge from the oil well, terrifying the townsfolk. Clark realises that they mean no harm and protects them from the paranoid townspeople.

Superman and the Mole Men served as the pilot for The Adventures of Superman TV series, with George Reeves returning as Superman. It ran for six seasons, but with the sudden death of the star George Reeves, the show had to be cancelled in 1959.

After the end of The Adventures of Superman, it took many, many years for Superman to hit the big screen once again. Finally, in 1975, a new Superman movie went into production with Richard Donner set to direct. After long auditions, unknown actor Christopher Reeve was cast as Superman in 1978’s Superman (sometimes referred to as Superman: The Movie).

Reeve starred alongside Gene Hackman’s Lex Luthor and Marlon Brando’s Jor-El. Donner’s unique take on Superman, focusing on both his Kryptonian heritage and life in Smallville/Metropolis, connected viewers with Clark and his inner conflict as a hero. Further, the iconic John Williams score filled hearts with hope.

Whilst breaking records at the box office, Superman also went on to win the Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. Bringing out both the humour and gravitas of Superman to the big screen, people fell in love with Reeve’s take on the big blue, leading to it receiving a sequel in 1981’s Superman II.

Following the release of Superman, tensions developed between producer Pierre Spengler and director Richard Donner, leading to Donner’s firing and the hiring of Richard Lester to direct. The majority of the cast returned as the film focused on the arrival of General Zod from Krypton, who seeks revenge against Superman for imprisoning him.

Despite the off-screen conflicts, Superman II was released to strong acclaim from both fans and the press, continuing the inspirational tone of Superman while reconnecting Clark with his Kryptonian heritage. Following the success of Superman II, Lester returned to direct Christopher Reeve in 1983’s Superman III.

In the third instalment, Superman faced CEO Ross Webster, who used computer programmer Gus Gorman’s supercomputer to kill the Man of Steel. However, as the computer gained sentience, Superman had to destroy it before it could end the world.

Superman III did not do as well as its predecessors, repeating the tropes of the first two movies. Despite this, it still received a sequel in 1987’s Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, with Christopher Reeve returning as the titular character.

In this movie, Superman has to fight Nuclear Man, a genetically modified clone of himself, created by Lex Luthor. Superman traps Nuclear Man in the core of a nuclear power plant, converting him into energy for the power grid.

As these movies began to bore audiences, with the latter two less well-received than the first, Bryan Singer, director of 2000’s X-Men, was brought on to helm 2006’s Superman Returns, which retconned the events of Superman III and Superman IV and continued the story post Superman II, with Brandon Routh playing the version of Superman originally portrayed by Christopher Reeve.

Superman Returns follows Superman as he returns to Earth and witnesses how everyone close to him has moved on. As Lex Luthor, portrayed by Kevin Spacey, is released from prison, he plans to steal Kryptonite and Kryptonian crystals to form a new landmass in the Atlantic Ocean, killing billions along the way.

Superman confronts Luthor, but is weakened by the Kryptonite. As he regains his strength, Superman lifts the entire landmass as Luthor escapes. Although Superman Returns was more successful than the previous few films, the sequel was cancelled when Superman was rebooted in 2013 with Man of Steel, launching the DC Extended Universe.

With director Zack Snyder, Man of Steel starred Henry Cavill as Superman. It depicts Superman’s origin from his birth on Krypton to his life in Metropolis. He faces General Zod, played by Michael Shannon, who plans to terraform Earth into Krypton. Superman has to battle with himself as he decides whether to have a part of his home planet on Earth while risking humanity’s extinction.

Upon destroying Zod’s ship, Superman is forced to kill him as he planned on ending the human race. Scored by Hans Zimmer, Man of Steel depicted Superman as the saviour of Earth. The movie received mixed reviews from viewers, with some appreciating its cinematography and filmmaking, whilst others argued it veered too far from Superman’s character, making him edgier than usual.

The commercial success of Man of Steel led to a 2016 sequel in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. The film focused more on Batman as he faced the consequences of the events of Man of Steel, swearing revenge on Superman. Whilst Batman prepares to fight the Man of Steel, mastermind Lex Luthor creates a threat bigger than them both.

Finally, when all the heroes came together in 2017’s Justice League, Superman teamed up with his fellow heroes to defeat Steppenwolf. Henry Cavill’s Superman also reprised his role in 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League, a retelling of the theatrical cut that aligned with Snyder’s vision. However, as the DCEU came to an end, Superman was once more rebooted with a new actor taking on the mantle.

In 2025’s Superman, director James Gunn brings the character back to its roots as the bright beacon of hope we’ve come to expect. Superman, played by David Corenswet, has to stop a clone of himself while Lex Luthor, played by Nicholas Hoult, uncovers a secret from his past. This time, Superman is also supported by the Justice Gang, laying groundwork for the future DC Universe.

The score from John Murphy and David Fleming exudes hope and humanity, immersing you in the world of Superman. With the success and popularity of this film, a follow-up is in production in the form of 2027’s Man of Tomorrow.

Ultimately, over the decades, Superman has appeared on the silver screen in many different forms, from the hopeful tone of the Reeve-era movies to the darker themes of Zack Snyder’s films. As the years go on, Superman will continue to brighten our hearts across all mediums.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 18th, 2026