This week on Distance NERDing, nostalgia grabbed the Infinity Gauntlet and snapped half of Hollywood into sequel mode! Yung Phil and Jahmez dive into Spider-Man: Brand New Day rumors, Grey Hulk theories, X-Men casting speculation, George Lucas becoming a Minion (somehow), Austin Powers 4 finally stirring to life, Toy Story 5 smashing the box office, Lilo & Stitch 2 getting the green light, and ThunderCats making a comeback. Along the way, they debate Emma Frost casting, wonder how Skaar got invited to the Hulk family cookout, pitch Josh Gad as Snarf, and discover that George Lucas may have a deep and unexpected love of bananas.
Whether you’re here for Marvel rumors, movie news, comic con adventures, or just the chaos of Conformity Gate, this chapter is packed with enough nerd fuel to power a Quinjet.
⏱️ Timestamps & Topics
00:00 Welcome to Chapter 279
03:06 Episode Preview: Spider-Man, Grey Hulk, George Lucas & Nostalgia Overload
05:00 Marvel Special Presentations Return?
10:12 Hulkling Rumors & Young Avengers/Champions Discussion
13:09 X-Men Casting Rumors: Beast & Emma Frost
19:04 Spider-Man: Brand New Day Detective Mystery
23:00 Grey Hulk Theory & World War Hulk Speculation
25:13 Is Sadie Sink Really Jean Grey?
47:12 Austin Powers 4: Yeah, Baby! Yeah!
50:40 Toy Story 5 Breaks Franchise Records
52:37 Lilo & Stitch 2 Officially Moves Forward
57:05 ThunderCats Return to Animation
01:00:25 Netflix Cancels The Burrows After One Season
01:05:18 George Lucas Joins the Minions Universe
01:09:08 Disney & Higher Ground’s New Animated Series “Journey”
01:25:39 Keep NERDing Together!
🔑 Key Takeaways
- Marvel fans may finally be getting Grey Hulk.
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day rumors continue to dominate nerd discourse.
- Sydney Sweeney as Emma Frost remains one of the internet’s hottest debates.
- Austin Powers 4 appears to be happening after years of speculation.
- Toy Story 5 proved the franchise still has serious box office power.
- Lilo & Stitch 2 is being developed as an original story rather than adapting previous sequels.
- ThunderCats refuses to stay dead and is heading back to animation.
- George Lucas now voices characters in Minions projects because 2026 is weird.
- Nostalgia remains Hollywood’s favorite superpower.
💬 Favorite Quotes
“How do you introduce Skaar at a cookout? You just bring Son of Hulk to a picnic and act like it’s nothing.”
“George Lucas is just pushing himself into Minions movies.”
“What if the banana was a lightsaber?”
“Give me Austin Powers. Let’s go have fun at the movies again.”
“Josh Gad as Snarf might actually work.”
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❓ Listener Question
What sequel are YOU most excited for?
Austin Powers 4? Toy Story 5? Lilo & Stitch 2? ThunderCats? Something else entirely?
Send us your thoughts, questions, and future topic suggestions. You might hear them featured in an upcoming chapter!
Apple Podcast Tags:
Distance NERDing, Nerd Podcast, Marvel Podcast, Spider-Man Brand New Day, Grey Hulk, World War Hulk, X-Men Reboot, Emma Frost, Sydney Sweeney, Sadie Sink, Jean Grey, Austin Powers 4, Toy Story 5, Lilo and Stitch 2, ThunderCats, George Lucas, Minions, Pop Culture Podcast, Geek Culture, Comic Books, Movies, TV Shows, Comic Con, Marvel News, Disney News, Nerd News, Entertainment Podcast