Time to look back at the past week of pop culture headlines… slightly delayed because we needed to find time to write up our Mickey 17 review for release last Friday.

Before we jump into the film, TV, gaming and geek lifestyle news that stood out from the period, there’s been a follow-up to last week’s announcement that actor Gene Hackman (95) was found deceased in his home along with his wife Betsy Arakawa (65) and one of their dogs. It wasn’t a gas leak, as initially suspected, but rather a series of tragic events, starting with Arakawa’s passing from hantavirus, and an Alzheimer’s-affected Hackman pottering around alone potentially for a week before succumbing to heart disease.

Lifestyle

Comic Con Cape Town 2025, in conjunction with FanCon Comic Con (no Cape Town International Animation Festival cohabitation this year), is happening at the CTICC from 1-4 May, and slowly but surely international guest announcements have been ramping up. We’re still not on par with last year’s jaw-dropping set of appearances. but over the past week or so, revealed industry figures have included:

Voice actor Zach Aguilar, who is the English dub Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Aether in Genshin Impact, Byleth in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and who contributes many more anime series and JRPGs, will be at CCCT on 1-3 May (Thursday to Saturday).

Content creators and couple Akidearest & The Animeman are returning to South Africa, having last made an appearance at Comic Con Africa 2023. With literally millions of YouTube followers, the pair are known for their discussions of anime, otaku culture and Japanese contemporary life in general. They will be appearing on all 4 days of CCCT.

Comic editor and writer Rob Levin will be around from 2 – 4 May (That’s Friday to Sunday). Levin is Group Editor on the Batman books, and along with DC Comics, has worked for Top Cow, Image Comics, Valiant, and more. As a writer, just one notable series he’s penned is Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

Series

Just over a month to go until The Last of Us returns to the small screen. And that means it’s official trailer time.

In the second season of this dystopian survival drama – based on PlayStation and Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us game series – the past will come back for Joel (Pedro Pascal), following his actions at the end of Season 1. The settled life he’s leading with Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in Jackson is upended with the appearance of driven and vengeful figure Abby (Kaitlyn Dever). The seven-episode S2 covers the first part of 2020’s The Last of Us Part II. It premieres on 13 April, with episodes coming to South Africa express from the US through Showmax.

Remember that live-action Powerpuff Girls series that was supposedly coming to The CW circa 2023, before being binned un-aired? Turns out there was very good reason for the Cartoon Network adaptation not going forward.

This past week, a trailer for the show’s pilot episode surfaced online, and the “comedic take” on the superhero trio as disillusioned twentysomethings is every bit as misguided as it sounds, disrespecting its beloved source material at every turn. The trailer keeps being pulled down by Warner Bros. but right now you can watch it in its entirety here.

Gaming

The Oscars may wrap movie awards season but the gaming industry isn’t done with dishing out accolades. The nominees for the BAFTA Games Awards 2025 have been announced, and, as expected for this England-based body, excellence in British game design has been singled out beyond the dedicated British Game category.

Though it didn’t score a Best Game nod, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II topped the leaderboard with 11 nominations, followed by Astro Bot and Still Wakes the Deep with 8 , Thank Goodness You’re Here! (7) and Black Myth: Wukong (5).

For the record, the nominees in the Best Game category here are:

  • Balatro
  • Black Myth: Wukong
  • Helldivers II
  • The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom
  • Thank Goodness You’re Here!

The results will be announced at an award ceremony on 8 April.

Hideo Kojima, and his work, may be an acquired taste, but there’s no denying the iconic Japanese game developer’s inventiveness. Well, Kojima appeared at SXSW 2025 in Austin, Texas with a trailer to announce the release date of upcoming PS5 exclusive Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, a continuation of the story started in trippy 2019 cinematic adventure Death Stranding.

In On the Beach, Freelance courier Sam (Norman Reedus), with new companions, sets out on a new journey to save humanity from extinction. There are dangers to be face, obstacles to be overcome and one key question to be answered: should we have connected?

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launches on 26 June, with preorders opening on 17 March.