5 More Marvel Movies to Watch Before Avengers Doomsday

It’s a little over six months until the Avengers, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and other heroes crossover on the big screen in Avengers Doomsday. In the last year I’ve done two blog posts about preparing for this epic story: Infinity Saga movies and Disney Plus series. Now it’s time for Multiverse movies (and some extra credit) to watch before December. 

Extra Credit - Spider-Man: Brand New Day

As this movie hasn’t been released yet, we don’t know if/how it’ll play into Doomsday. After all, Tom Holland hasn’t been confirmed as part of the Avengers cast this time. Rumor has it that the ramifications of Doomsday will impact this movie or vice versa. All the same, it’s the last Marvel project to release before Doomsday. If any Spidey movie will directly affect the Avengers and company, it’ll be this movie.  

Spider-Man

The inclusion of Tobey McGuire’s Spidey is mostly based on rumor. No confirmation yet that he’ll appear, but you never know since he’s already reprised his roll once. Plus it kind of shows what the multiverse is made of outside of our major players in Doomsday

Extra Credit - The Amazing Spider-Man

Unlike Tobey, I haven’t seen any rumors about Andrew Garfield returning. That being said, we are heading into a multiverse movie and this would round off the variants of Spider-Man. I’m not saying I expect him to appear necessarily, but it would give him a chance to fight an alien. Or at least encounter one.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

It wasn’t the best received movie of post-Endgame MCU, but characters from this movie are confirmed for Doomsday and will likely play a major role. We are set to see Shuri, M’Baku, and Namor. I wouldn’t be surprised if we also see some of the Dora Milaje.

Extra Credit - Spider-Man No Way Home

I didn't originally intend for there to be so many Spidey movies, but that's just how it played out. In some ways, this one may be the most crucial Spider-Man movie before Doomsday, simply because it portrays multiversal heroes and villains. I’m not sure any project featuring the multiverse had been as epic as this one (except maybe Loki).

Thor: Love and Thunder

Like Black Panther, this movie wasn’t received as well we might’ve hoped. However, this movie shows what Thor had been up to since Endgame. Besides leaving the Guardians and getting in shape, he recovered Mjolnir and became an adoptive father. In addition, there are rumors of Doomsday’s trailer featuring Thor in battle. Maybe it’ll just turn out to be rumor, but we’ll see. 

Extra Credit - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Seeing as none of the Guardians have been announced as cast, but we know Star Lord will return at some point and that he’s on Earth (last we know). There’s no reason to think he couldn’t play a part in this battle. Plus, this was possibly the best received movie of the Multiverse Saga. Always worth a watch.

Thunderbolts*

This was the biggest crossover of the Multiverse Saga. Obviously, that's about to change with Doomsday. With these New Avengers headed into the multiverse, it'll be interesting to see how this band of misfits handles the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and the other heroes of Earth-616. All I can say is that Bob better be okay by the end of Doomsday and Secret Wars.

Extra Credit - Spider-Man: Brand New Day 

As this movie hasn’t been released yet, we don’t know if/how it’ll play into Doomsday. After all, Tom Holland hasn’t been confirmed as part of the Avengers cast this time. Rumor has it that the ramifications of Doomsday will impact this movie or vice versa. All the same, it’s the last Marvel project to release before Doomsday. If any Spidey movie will directly affect the Avengers and company, it’ll be this movie. 

Fantastic Four: First Steps

We finally got the Fantastic Four into the MCU and they did not disappoint! Though in another corner of the multiverse, this movie hit home. I wrote before about the impact this movie had on me and I'm excited to see how this family fights with or alongside the Avengers. The credit scene broke the heart of every parent watching. We have Doctor Doom and the family is on the line.

Extra Credit - Deadpool & Wolverine

Many of our readers probably skipped this movie due to its R rating, but it changed things for the X-Men franchise. Instead of a hard reboot of Fox Marvel movies, Deadpool brought the mutants into the existing multiverse in an emotional and crazy way that only Deadpool could. Now the mutants from the original X-Men movies are headed into Doomsday, all because of Deadpool.

You have your homework now. Ten movies and five series to watch before Doomsday (plus fifteen extra credit movies). The clock is ticking and I'm anxious to see what chaos RDJ will bring as Doctor Doom. 

LDS Geeks Podcast #64: Pokemon Kanto Region

Michael and I decided to start another podcast series. This time it's about Pokemon and the various regions around the world. Naturally we chose to start with the Kanto region, where it all began. I hope you enjoy it!

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 64 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent content: click here

Check out Michael's recent content: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
01:21 - Spencer's Recommendation: The IT Crowd
        Available for streaming on Britbox
02:17 - Michael's Recommendation: Milo Murphy's Law
        Available for streaming on Disney Plus
03:51 - Kanto video games
04:29 - Professor Oak
06:43 - Starter Pokemn
        Michael's favorite: Charmander
        Spencer's favorite: Squirtle
11:21 - Kanto's geography
12:40 - Kanto's Pokemon League
        *Fuschia City's second gym leader is Janine*
18:20 - Kanto Legendary Pokemon
        Ditto theory: "Pokemon Theories" by Spencer
22:05 - Team Rocket
        Team Rocket theory: "Pokemon Theories" by Spencer
24:50 - Favorite Kanto Pokemon
        Michael: Growlithe, Mankey, Vulpix
        Spencer: Sandshrew, Growlithe, Nidoran (M)
27:54 - Game Freak trivia
29:15 - Conclusion

Pokemon Nicknames: Animorphs

Russell and I are about two-thirds of the way through the Animorphs series. It's been an exciting ride and I've been keeping notes on more than just our reading--I've been keeping notes on some ideas for more Pokemon nicknames. Technically speaking I suppose you could name any iconic morph based on the Animorphs (Jake for dog, Rachel for elephant, etc.) but I tried to make these nicknames go beyond morphs (for the most part).

Ursaring as Rachel

Arcanine as Homer

Purrloin as Fluffer

Skuntank as Cassie

Garchomp as Dak Hamee

Wailord as Aftran

Houndoom as Champ

Rapidash as Max

Arbok as Spawn

Geek Tech 101: Sonic Screwdriver

Nearly every incarnation of the Doctor has utilized a version of this iconic gadget. With few exceptions, a Doctor Who cosplay is incomplete without a sonic screwdriver—my broken screwdriver is one reason I won’t do my Eleventh Doctor cosplay right now. The sonic has a long and somewhat contradictory history. 

The first appearance of the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver was during the Second Doctor’s era. And it was possibly the only time the sonic was used to drive screws. In that version, it didn’t do much beyond screws. 

The sonic screwdriver was a consistent feature of Doctor Who for the lives of the Third and Fourth Doctor and into the Fifth Doctor era, until the Tereliptils destroyed it. He was “hands free” until the Seventh Doctor returned for the TV movie. Since that time, each Doctor had a version of the sonic screwdriver (even if it was in the form of the sonic sunglasses designed by the Twelfth Doctor). 

Designed to never maim or injure, the sonic had plenty of other uses. The Third Doctor could detonate bombs with his. The War Doctor was able to complete complex computations in the background over thousands of years. The Ninth Doctor used it as a medical scanner. And pretty much all the Doctors used it for opening doors, locks, hatches, and anything else openable (unless it was wooden). 

With its versatile nature, the sonic screwdriver can be a deus ex machina. That was one of the reasons it was removed play under the Fifth Doctor. But at the same time it’s iconic for a reason. While not a magic wand, it can be whatever the Doctor needs it to be. Point and think. Essentially it’s a plot device; whatever the story, the sonic can push things along. Plus they’re just cool… which reminds me… I need to figure out where to buy a new sonic screwdriver for my Eleventh Doctor cosplay. 

LDS Geeks Podcast #63: Animorphs Re-Read (10)

We're getting into some good stuff with this reading! We've come full circle back to Visser since our first discussion about Animorphs. I've been excited to get to this part because it also begins the portion of our reading in which Russell hasn't read any of it before.

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 63 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent blog posts: click here

Check out Russell's recent blog posts: click here

Show notes:

0:00:12 - Introductions
0:01:33 - Spencer's Recommendation: Thunderbolts*
        Available for streaming on Disney Plus
        "Thunderbolts: What About Bob?" by Spencer
        "Legends, Misfits, and (Small and Simple) Stranger Things" by Spencer
0:03:36 - Russell's Recommendation: The Chosen
        Available for streaming on Amazon Prime and BYUtv
        Dallas Jenkins on Follow Him Podcast
0:07:04 - TV Show Announcement
0:17:02 - #34 - The Prophecy
0:27:03 - #35 - The Proposal
0:39:41 - Visser
1:03:10 - #36 - The Mutation
1:14:08 - Conclusion

7 Disney Songs for Your Workout

A while back on the podcast, Russell and I discussed Disney songs for your running playlist. I have dabbled with running (especially during the pandemic, when Russell and I ran together) but I'd rather dive straight into strength training. If you're like me, you might like some Disney music to keep yourself motivated while lifting weights. I'm working on a larger playlist, but here are a few recommendations so far. I've put these songs (and others) on our Spotify recommendations, so check out the full ongoing playlist here.

One Last Hope (Hercules)

It's a bit of a goofy one, but Hercules literally trains to this song.

I’ll Make a Man Out of You (Mulan)
If this isn't on your workout mix, you're not ready to "get down to business".

Dig a Little Deeper (The Princess and the Frog)
For those times you need to dig deep inside to get those last few reps.

Show Yourself (Frozen 2)
Just a reminder to show up for yourself and find your motivation. 

Surface Pressure (Encanto)
There's some unhealthy people-pleasing in this, but just focus on being as strong as Luisa.

Can I Get a Chee Hoo? (Moana 2)
It's a musical pep talk from the muscled Maui. What's not to like?

Kick It Up a Notch (Phineas and Ferb the Movie)
Another pump up/pep talk song. A great choice for when you need to reach that next PR.

Reaction to HBO Harry Potter Trailer

     

            
The new trailer for “Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone” on HBO Max has been shared. These are my thoughts about it. My first reaction is, “Wait, why are they remaking the Harry Potter Series? It’s only been out for like 5 years!” And then I have to look back and remember that the first movie came out when I was a freshman in high school and like it or not, that was 25 years ago. Boy, time can surely fly by can’t it?  There have been plenty of franchises that have done reboots in less time than 25 years.

I love the Harry Potter books. My wife and I listen to them regularly. Jim Dale remains one of the best narrators of audiobooks, in my opinion, and I will forever be comparing his voice to the characters in film. Speaking of comparisons, I think that is what is going to inevitably happen with this series. It is going to be compared to the books and to the movies, both of which have had 25+ years to be read, viewed, listened to, discussed, and dissected by fans of the Wizard world. That doesn’t make it good, bad, or otherwise, it is just the nature of how things work. 

        I admit that I watched the trailer at first without sound so I was able to take in the visual aspect of things and I will say that I look forward to the details that are going to be available with a tv series compared to a movie. The fact that the haircut scene is in the trailer is telling of that. It’s also weird to see how young the actors and actress are, but then again, Harry turns 11 in the book before going to Hogwarts. 

I also have no idea who any of the actors and actresses are in the trailer. That was somewhat the case with the movies, but there were also some known faces (Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman to name a couple), where I feel like there is no one that I recognize in this trailer. It is very likely that they will become very well known over the next few years. Going back and watching the trailer with sound was also interesting because everyone sounds different than how Jim Dale portrays them or how they were portrayed in the original movies. 

Overall, I am excited to see what the series will add to the Harry Potter experience and see if it sparks a new generation’s interest in the boy who lived.

Thunderbolts: What About Bob?

I finally watched Thunderbolts (only took me a year) Cause I worked my way, preparing for Doomsday. I can see why it was such a big hit. I love a good story about a group of underdogs and "small and simple things". Not only did we get more of Bucky, Yelena, and Alexei, but we got introduced to a brand new star: Bob.

Bob's backstory is pretty crazy: abuse, drug addiction, and other mental health issues. No matter where you are on the spectrum of mental health, there's something relatable in Bob. One line in particular hit hard from Void, his dark alter ego: "You can't outrun the emptiness."

As someone who has struggled with mental health and self-esteem for most of his life, this and other lines from Void resonated. And it resonated with Yelena too. Throughout the movie, Yelena felt doubts and emptiness. Though her life was full of trauma, manipulation, and abuse, she longed for something more than being Valentina's pawn. 

All of us have a past and we've made mistakes. That's a fact of the gospel. That's why the Savior gave Himself and performed the Atonement. The lies of the enemy hit like the Void. “The most shameful thing of all was thinking that you could be anything more than nothing.”

The adversary would love for you to be alone. But we are never alone. That's hard for me to believe in the moment, but this movie was a good reminder. The temptation is to hide and mask and pretend that everything is okay. Constantly. Yelena said it wonderfully in Thunderbolts: "You can't stuff it down. You can't hold it in all alone. No one can. We have to let it out. We have to spend time together. And even if it doesn't make the emptiness go away, I promise it will feel lighter."

As Elder Gong said in the October 2025 General Conference, "On the dusty roads to Jericho, each of us has been laughed at, embarrassed and hurt, perhaps scorned or abused. And with varying degrees of intent, each of us has also disregarded, not seen or heard, perhaps deliberately hurt others. It is precisely because we have been hurt and have hurt others that Jesus Christ brings us all to His inn. In His Church and through His ordinances and covenants, we come to each other and to Jesus Christ. We love and are loved, serve and are served, forgive and are forgiven."

It wasn't until the Thunderbolts worked their way out of the Void together that they were strong. It's hard to remember (trust me) but life is so much lighter when we live it together. It won't take away the emptiness--we live in a fallen world after all. But Elder Gong also said, "In His restored Church, we are all better when no one sits alone. Let us not simply accommodate or tolerate. Let us genuinely welcome, acknowledge, minister to, love. May each friend, sister, brother not be a foreigner or stranger but a child at home."

So what about Bob?

Just as he and the Thunderbolts learned, we are meant to live this life together.

LDS Geeks Podcast #62: Slytherin House

Rounding out our series about the Hogwarts Houses, we have Slytherin. The evildoers and the unexpected heroes. And this was all recorded before the release of the HBO Max Harry Potter trailer. So let's go at it!

--Spencer

Listen to Episode 62 on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube

Check out Spencer's recent content: click here

Check out Michael's recent content: click here

Show notes:

00:12 - Introductions
00:48 - Spencer's Recommendation: Animorphs Graphic Novels
03:06 - Michael's Recommendation: Simply on Purpose on Instagram
04:49 - Slytherin House overview
        "Our Hogwarts Houses" by the LDS Geeks Team
07:21 - Favorite Slytherins
        Spencer: Horace Slughorn
        Michael: Lucius Malfoy
10:49 - Least Favorite Slytherins
        Michael: Bellatrix Lestrange
        Spencer: Severus Snape
        "Why Snape Is the Absolute Worst (Besides Umbridge)" by Spencer
        "Unpopular Opinions: Harry Potter" by Spencer
        "Heroes of Slytherin" by Spencer
14:58 - Slytherin Best Friend
        Spencer: Leta Lestrange
        Michael: Horace Slughorn
18:38 - Slytherin Theme Song
        Spencer: "Good to Be Bad" (Descendants)
        Michael: "Bad Boys Reply" by Inner Circle
21:14 - Analysis of Slytherin House
23:53 - Slytherin from Other Fandoms
        Zuko and Iroh (Avatar the Last Airbender)
        Vanellope von Schweetz (Wreck-It Ralph)
        Emperor Kuzco (Emperor's New Groove)
        Tony Stark (Marvel)
        Rumpelstiltskin/Mr. Gold (Once Upon a Time)
        Hades (Hercules)
29:14 - Conclusion