The Monthly May 2025

Wow, how is May already almost done? We’re about to head into summer, but first it’s time for The Monthly — Popculturology’s guide to the three stories you need to know, two trailers you need to watch and one article you need to read.

3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The letter of the day is “N”

If you’re like me, you grew up watching Sesame Street. It existed on PBS. Maybe you had a VHS with a recording of A Muppet Family Christmas or Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. That changed in 2016 when HBO became the financial backer of the iconic children’s program.

Over the past decade, depending on the whims of Warner Bros. Discovery, Sesame Street was available first on HBO and the company’s streaming app. Maybe you could get all the show’s old episodes. Maybe you could get only a handful of them. Episodes also later aired on PBS and were available on the PBS Kids app.

Then Warner Bros. Discovery dropped Sesame Street this past December. As The Washington Post reported, things were bleak for the show. (Kids these days apparently don’t even know Ernie and Bert!)

Sesame Street and fans of the show got some good news this month when Netflix and Sesame Workshop announced that the streaming service would be the new home of Sesame Street. In the face of the content and streaming crisis facing television, Cookie Monster and company still have a battle ahead of them — but at least they have a home again. (The New York Times)

HBO Max’d out

I’m guessing all that money WBD saved by dropping Sesame Street went to the rebranding of the company’s Max app back to HBO Max? Or were the old logos and icons just sitting in a folder somewhere labeled like “Old logos” or “Don’t use these”?

Yes, after making a huge deal about turning the HBO Max app into the Max app, Warner Bros. Discovery backtracked this month, triumphantly announcing that its streaming app would once again be the HBO Max app.

I assume we’ll be back to HBO Go in a year or two. (The Verge)

Disney shakes up the 2026 and 2027 release calendars with Avengers moves

Since the inception of the MCU, if Disney was releasing an Avengers movie, you could expect it to hit theaters in late April/early May. The four Avengers movies did historic business over and over again in that period, with opening weekends that currently rank No. 1 (Avengers: Endgame’s $357.1 million), No. 3 (Avengers: Infinity War’s $257.7 million), No. 8 (The Avengers’ $207.4 million) and No. 11 (Avengers: Age of Ultron’s $191.3 million) all-time on the domestic box office chart.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars will become the first two Avengers movies to open outside of this window, with Disney pushing Doomsday from May 1, 2026, to Dec. 18 and Secret Wars from May 7, 2027 to Dec. 17.

Disney and Marvel Studios know that they need to get Doomsday and Secret Wars right. That’s why they’ve brought back Robert Downey Jr. and the directorial duo of Joe Russo and Anthony Russo. Giving the films an extra six months is a smart move when it comes to that goal. (TheWrap)

2 TRAILERS YOU NEED TO WATCH

Superman

I don’t know if there’s another film I’m rooting for right now like I’m rooting for Superman. Not only does the future of James Gunn’s new DCU depend on this being a hit, the world needs a good Superman movie. A kind Superman movie. A decent Superman movie.

What we’ve seen so far from Superman’s teasers and trailers has my hopes up.

The Smashing Machine

There was a time when Dwayne Johnson — you know, The Rock — was seen as “franchise Viagra.” He brought new life to the Fast & Furious franchise. He was the action hero who could never lose.

Then he lost at the box office. Bad.

After boasting about how his Black Adam movie would change the hierarchy of power in the DCEU, Black Adam flopped. Henry Cavill was out as Superman. And the DCEU was scrapped in favor of Gunn’s DCU. Looking to change that narrative, Johnson has signed up with director Benny Safdie and A24 for The Smashing Machine, a film and role that should put Johnson into the mix come awards season.

1 ARTICLE YOU NEED TO READ

Disney Wanted More From Marvel. Now It Wants Less.

In Avengers: Endgame, Thanos tells our heroes: “You couldn’t live with your own failure. Where did that bring you? Back to me.”

That was a prescient line for Marvel Studios. The Wall Street Journal published a deep dive into the state of the MCU at the beginning of May, covering everything from how the amount of content fans were expected to keep up with skyrocketed after the launch of Disney+ to how the studio has now put its future back in the hands of Robert Downey Jr.

As Thanos once said, it looks like Downey’s return as Doctor Doom was inevitable. (The Wall Street Journal)

CATCHING UP

Here’s what you might have missed from The Omnicosm this month ...

Friday Newsletter

• I’m sorry, Tom Cruise, but I choose Tim Robinson
• The brand new trailer for James Gunn’s Superman looks super, man
• Did Marvel go too far with its Thunderbolts* spoiler?
• Thunderbolts* is the MCU movie you’ve been missing

Deep SNL Thoughts

• SNL closes out Season 50 with Scarlett Johansson, no clues about future of the cast
• Goggins unhinged, Strong back as Pirro as SNL nears the end of an era
• It’s a soft sophomore SNL hosting outing for Quinta Brunson

The Box Office Report

• Final Destination franchise rises from the dead with Bloodlines
• Thunderbolts* holds better than other recent MCU movies while Sinners passes $200M
• Thunderbolts* is No. 1 with an asterisk
• Sinners puts a stake in its box office competition

Snackology

• Are Frosty Fusions the next frozen dessert breakthrough?
• These Chocolate Covered Pretzel Oreos are making me thirsty
• Go wild on spring break with Mountain Dew Baja Cabo Citrus
• McCrispy Strips end the McDonald’s chicken strip drought
• Snack Chat April 2025
• Marshmallow Crispy M&Ms might be too sweet … but I dare you to stop eating them