NOC Week in Review #7: 8/15-21/2026

Disney’s annual D23 Expo went down in Anaheim last week, and we had the NOC crew onsite to cover all the panels, announcements, and news we’ve been sharing all week. From X-Men’s official MCU cast to previews of shows and theme parks, Nikita, Mike, and Michael have all the coverage here.

One announcement Disney held to after D23 involved their collab with the popular comedy podcast The Basement Yard as they just announced an Avengers: Doomsday podcast with Frank Alvarez and Iman Vellani. Fortunately, Keina’s got you covered there.

On the interview beat, Sophia caught up with the cast of Outer Banks as it wrapped its fifth and final season, Nikita talked drumming and Camp Rock nostalgia with Camp Rock 3 star Casey Trotter, and Mike chatted with breakout star Jordan Alexa Davis about her role in The End of Oak Street. Also, before you catch the second episode of Lanterns on HBO this Sunday, make sure you check out Dominic’s conversation with the show’s stars Kelly Macdonald, Poorna Jagannathan, and Garrett Dillahunt.

On the review side, Ed praised the fantastic direction of A Few Thoughts Theater Company’s L.A. production of Slava Ukraini!, Valerie covered the arthouse cinema front with both Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner and Jane Schoenbrun’s queer slasher Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, and Michael found the heart beneath the anvils in Coyote vs. Acme. Plus, Mike made the case for why Laika’s Wildwood should be on your most-anticipated list of upcoming movies.

That’s a wrap on this week’s coverage — thanks for reading, and we’ll see you again next Friday.

— Keith

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