Hey Y’all,

Coming to you a little later this week. Thanks for your patience. We’ll blame it on the m-m-m–m-m-Midterms. Tragically, another winter has meant another March that your boy fell for Fool’s Spring :’) Rest assured, Charlie’s Beach House Relief Fund has been established. HMU if you want to donate! 

In other news:

• Universal Music Group filed to dismiss Drake’s lawsuit. I’d bet money this is one of the most memorable employment disputes SDNY has ever seen. Maybe I should try to get a clerkship? 

• The Boston Celtics were sold for $6.1 billion. This is a record number for North American sports franchises. Jerry, can you hear me? This could be you! 

• Speaking of basketball, Chiney Ogwumike has the greenlight from Peacock for The W. The show will be the first scripted series about the WNBA, following a buzzy rookie and her similarly inexperienced agent. Anyone who still has questions about the commercial viability of women’s sports straight up isn’t looking at this point.

• Quarterback, the Netflix series by Peyton Manning, is coming back for Season 2! Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, and Jared Goff will be the featured players. This is a big deal, considering Manning’s production company initially struggled to find willing participants before ultimately pivoting to Wide Receivers in 2023. These guys are all awesome gets, but I’m most curious to see how the show portrays Kirk Cousins. In Season 1 Kirk was the can’t-lose media darling. Following a rough year in Atlanta, Kirk’s season might look more like the Season 1 Marcus Mariota storyline.

• Is anyone missing $1B? I think Apple might’ve dropped it. A new report says Apple is losing $1 billion a year on Apple TV+. Sizable losses aren’t unusual for companies trying to establish themselves in the Streaming Wars but…gyatt. That’s a lot of money just to be part of the conversation. You can count me as one of the nerds who’ll be watching Apple’s company reports for any news of a change in strategy.

• From vision board to reality, Netflix announced The Four Seasons will premiere May 1. Another TV show by Tina Fey, the series will also star some other favorites: Coleman Domingo, Steve Carrell, and Will Forte. This is the perfect show for those of us in the middle of the Venn diagram of comedy nerds and people who are still upset Friends From College got cancelled after 2 seasons. I’m fine, really!

As you can see, a lot to process this week. Let’s dive in!

How I Tripped And Fell Back Into The MCU

If I’m being honest, I thought my time as a Marvel fan had ended. Post-Endgame, I pretty much tapped out, the odd Black Panther re-screening aside. Years went by, suddenly it was March 2025, and I couldn’t remember the last MCU project I’d seen. Loki maybe?

I was having one of those weeks. You know, the kind where you need a serious comfort binge. Regrettably, my usual go-to shows? All set in D.C. politics. Way too close to reality for comfort. So, I opened Disney+ and BAM! Nostalgia hit me like a vibranium shield. All those familiar Marvel titles, each one a portal to happier times.

Hot summer days. Ice-cold theaters. Icees! Three hours of mind-blowing superhero action and popcorn. Lots of popcorn. It was like stepping back in time. 

I probably don’t have to tell you, but I was that kid. The one with the Marvel encyclopedia and the Mjolnir keychain. It’s safe to say I was a vigorously committed fan.

Long story short, I've crammed six MCU movies into my week. And these aren't quick flicks, either. I'd forgotten how genuinely good they are. It's not just the action. They have an important throughline. Regular people, banding together, overcoming impossible odds. It's a comforting reminder that even when things feel completely hopeless, we're capable of incredible things.

Maybe it's the nostalgia, maybe it's the escapism, or maybe it's just the sheer joy of watching superheroes save the day. Whatever it is, I'm hooked again. Turns out, absence really does make the heart grow fonder.

Why I Changed My Mind About Captain America 

Okay, so, let's keep it real. I was not a fan of Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon. Like, at all. From the jump, I was side-eyeing his character. And yeah, I got the "you gotta support the Black superhero" line. But it wasn't about that. I love T'Challa and Killmonger; they're easily top three for me in the MCU. My issue with Sam? He just felt… lame.

Think about it. In a universe packed with gods, mutants, super soldiers and an actual wizard, Sam's big thing was… wings? Mechanical ones. That he controlled with a remote. Compared to Cap's super-strength or Iron Man's tech, it was flat-out underwhelming. So, when Steve Rogers handed him the shield, I was hot. It felt like he hadn't earned it. Steve was a symbol of unwavering integrity, and we didn't even know enough about Sam to have an opinion. It was backwards. He got the job before the interview. I straight-up boycotted Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Then, I stumbled upon Anthony Mackie's interview on The Pivot Podcast, and I changed my mind. This show is special. It’s not just another group of guys with a microphone and three stories to tell. The Pivot is different. It's real, it's educational, and it's a breath of fresh air. It's become my go-to when I want to hear a genuine conversation with a certain player.

The Pivot creates a space where Black men can be vulnerable and authentic. They have seriously introspective conversations, and sometimes, the honesty is so intense you feel like you're intruding. But always grateful too. People open up on The Pivot in a way they don't on other platforms. Guests understand they’re a rare environment.

Mackie’s episode was such a great interview. He shared advice from Wynton Marsalis on the importance of having an arsenal of skills as an artist, especially as a Black man. No one-trick ponies. He talked about the weight of being selected for an opportunity and the need to be ready for it.

He also delved into imposter syndrome, but from a new angle. Mackie described feeling it even after acknowledging, cognitively, that he had all of the qualifications. This was interesting to unpack, especially in the arts where we more readily acknowledge individuals’ talent. 

Mackie pointed out that no one questions a qualified doctor's ability. He's a professional, a master of his craft. He put in the hours, 10,750 of them, before he got his first job.

He used Denzel Washington as an example of how masters make the work look effortless. It's not easy; they're just that good. And he made an interesting distinction between being a celebrity and being a working actor.

Honestly, Mackie's perspective shifted my entire view on Sam Wilson. I’m rooting for him because I’m rooting for Anthony Mackie. I'm actually looking forward to seeing him as Captain America in Brave New World. 

Who would have thought? In 2025, I’m still being pulled into the MCU. Well played, Kevin Feige.

Of Miranda and Moana

I’ve been putting the family Disney+ subscription to work this week. I finally got to see Moana 2 after missing it in theaters. Overall, I was very happy with it. Moana’s character development seems both thoughtful and organic. And I love how the filmmakers incorporated more Polynesian culture. As far as I’m concerned, Disney added another notch on their belt of ‘Iconic Sequels.’ I’m excited to see where the franchise goes next.

All of the above notwithstanding, I fear the music did not hit.

Everyone knows an earworm soundtrack is the calling card of would-be Disney classics. It made sense when producers got Lin-Manuel Miranda to complete an all-star musical team for Moana (2016). He had the hottest musical in the world and was wrapping his tenure playing the titular Hamilton at the time. Home run.

Lin worked his magic and America’s suburbs entered an unfortunate era of belting. That Hamilton-Moana combo had the people in a chokehold.

So you’ll understand my confusion when I learned that Disney let him walk from Moana 2 because the project went a different direction. (????) The official story is that Moana 2 was going to be a direct-to-streaming series that had composers, Emily Bear and Abigail Barlow, attached. After Disney decided to turn the project into a movie, “they were already cooking.” So the decision was made not to involve Lin. Imagine…

This is like NSYNC going on tour without Justin Timberlake because rehearsals sounded good without him. 

Of course it was good. That’s what professionals are paid to do! I’d just think if I were trying to make another classic Disney Movie, I’d try to involve the talent that made my last one such a success. EVERYBODY, from toddlers to Disney Adults was scream-singing How Far I’ll Go. Another one of those please!

I understand the importance of creative continuity. I’m not suggesting that Barlow and Bear should’ve been replaced. But there were ways to get Lin involved beyond listening to tracks. I’d even say it’s more disjointed to be missing Lin from this movie. 

It also tells me that Disney probably made this move with a mind not to involve him moving forward. The ending of the movie suggests this is only the beginning of what could be an expansive Moanaverse.

I’m entirely speculating here, but if I were a business person eyeing the long-play I might be worried about having to pay Lin-Manuel Miranda’s assuredly handsome fee to compose music for every project. Production budgets are being slashed across Hollywood. Maybe it’s better to rip the band-aid off now and go find young talent that’s hungry for an opportunity? Maybe I could even lock them into a deal for multiple projects on very favorable terms… WRONG!

This move smells to me like what happens when business people get too close to the creative side of the house. Creative chemistry is as delicate as it is inexplicable. You simply don’t mess with it. I thought by now it would be a tale as old as time.

I think the Moana 2 soundtrack doesn’t take the next step for this reason. What do you think? Did you like the new songs?

The Last Word

Fans always get to have the last word. Give us your take. Reply to this message for the chance to be featured.

No new mail last week ☹️ You all get homework now womp womp. Send this to a friend a let me know what they think!