io9’s December 25, 2024 year-end roundup collects 26 staff-selected stories across film, television, games, immersive entertainment and theme parks. It is a cross-section of the team’s coverage—not a ranked “best of” list or a guide to what is available to watch, play or visit today.
What the 2024 io9 roundup covers
The selections reflect io9’s broad entertainment remit: Marvel Studios, anime, Star Wars, Warner Bros. and DC Studios, Indiana Jones, Universal’s then-upcoming Epic Universe, and coverage of collectibles, toys, books and comics. The stories range from on-the-ground reporting and interviews to criticism, explainers, episode analysis and retrospectives. The roundup groups them into three sections: Film; Television; and Games, Immersive Entertainment, and Theme Parks. Read the original io9 roundup.
Film: reporting, interviews and reconsiderations
The 13 film selections move between current releases, franchise questions and looking back at older films. Set reporting appears in Germain Lussier’s “15 Things We Learned From James Gunn on the Set of Superman,” based on a visit in Cleveland. Interviews include Cheryl Eddy’s conversations with Jennifer Kent on the 10th anniversary of The Babadook and with Osgood Perkins about Longlegs, as well as Germain Lussier’s interview with Paul Reiser about Carter Burke’s return in Aliens. Gordon Jackson interviews Peggy Lu about Mrs. Chen, the character io9 calls the real hero of the Venom franchise.
Other pieces use criticism and retrospective analysis to revisit how films work or how they have aged. Justin Carter considers the MCU sequel pattern through Captain America: The Winter Soldier and revisits Tenet in the context of its pandemic-era release. The roundup reports Tenet’s gross as $365 million against a $200 million budget; those are figures reported in the roundup, not independently verified here. James Whitbrook reads Madame Web through its camp and period setting, while Sabina Graves connects a reveal in Moana 2 to the first film and reviews the third Sonic movie.
#1 Best Overall
The remaining selections show io9’s appetite for niche questions and follow-ups: Lussier’s spoiler FAQ for IF follows a negative review; his Dune story asks where thumpers come from, who makes them and whether they are one-use devices, reporting Denis Villeneuve’s answer; and Cheryl Eddy covers Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm-related short-story fiction project.
Television: animation, perspective and standout scenes
The seven television stories include coverage of controversy, craft, character and individual episodes. Isaiah Colbert examines harassment and culture-war framing around the anime Dan Da Dan, and discusses animation production with the creators behind Netflix’s Castlevania. Sabina Graves reports on the U.S. online release context for the “Dad Baby” episode of Bluey as described in 2024, and interviews Andrea Martin about playing Sister Andrea in Evil, including the show’s engagement with AI.
Rank #2
Two pieces focus closely on specific episodes: James Whitbrook analyzes a punch left unthrown in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s “In the Pale Moonlight,” and considers how The Acolyte’s third episode uses perspective and trust. Graves also covers the season-two finale of Interview with the Vampire, identifying showrunner Rolin Jones as the episode’s writer.
Games, immersive entertainment and theme parks
The six selections extend beyond screen criticism. James Whitbrook offers a sharply negative response to Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, while Justin Carter considers the identity and evolution of the Borderlands franchise and covers BioWare’s return to Dragon Age with The Veilguard. The roundup features the game but does not recommend a platform, edition or purchase.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Theme-park coverage includes Sabina Graves’s retrospective on Disney Parks’ closed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, framed around the idea that guests helped make the experience, and her look at Universal’s Dark Universe land in the context of the then-upcoming Epic Universe. Graves also writes about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and its story connection to The Princess and the Frog, describing the attraction as breaking an 87-year Disney Princess canon.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to use this list
Think of the roundup as an editorial sampler rather than a definitive ranking: it captures what the io9 staff chose to revisit from its 2024 output, across different formats and subjects. For a follow-up read, pick by interest—set reporting and interviews, franchise criticism, close episode analysis, game commentary or theme-park retrospectives. The page is dated December 25, 2024; its descriptions of releases, online availability and park developments belong to that publication context, not a current itinerary or availability check.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
