ICv2: Marvel Layoffs; 'Star Trek' Renewal, Cancellation; 'Doctor Who' Companion; 'Transformers One' Trailer; Netflix Cancellation; 'Aang' Delayed

NEWS

MARVEL LAYOFFS; 'STAR TREK' RENEWAL, CANCELLATION; 'DOCTOR WHO' COMPANION; 'TRANSFORMERS ONE' TRAILER; NETFLIX CANCELLATION; 'AANG' DELAYED

Showbiz Round-Up

Posted by Milton Griepp on April 22, 2024 @ 1:28 am CT

Lots of movie and streamer news this week, which we round up here.

Marvel laid off 15 employees in Marvel Entertainment in New York and Marvel Studios in Burbank last week, according to Deadline. The cuts were due to a reduced slate, and efficiencies gained when Marvel Entertainment was integrated into Marvel Studios after Marvel Entertainment Chairman Ike Perlmutter was cashiered last year (see "Perlmutter Out"), according to the report.

Paramount+ has renewed Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for a fourth season, and announced that Season 5 of animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks will be the final season (see "SDCC ‘Star Trek’ First Looks"). Strange New Worlds is currently in production on Season 3, and Lower Decks on S4.

BBC has named Verada Sethu (Cinta Kaz in Andor) as the companion to Fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa, joining Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday, the network announced. BBC has released a trailer for the new season, which will hit Disney+ on May 10, 2024 (see "'Doctor Who’ Trailer").

Paramount has released a trailer for the animated feature Transformers One, which has an all-star voice cast including Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm (see "’Transformers One’ Voice Cast"). The release date was moved one week later to September 20 this week.

Netflix will end The Witcher after the fifth season, the streamer announced. Production has begun on Season 4; the fourth and fifth seasons will be filmed back-to-back. The final two seasons will adapt Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and Lady of the Lake, volumes three through five of the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. Season 3 dropped last year (see "’The Witcher’ S3 Clip").

Paramount is moving the release date for Aang: The Last Airbender from October 2025, when it was up against Tron: Ares (see "Best in Shows – 2025"), to January 20, 2026, according to Variety. Lauren Montgomery, who worked on the original series, is attached to direct; Dave Bautista has been cast as the villain (see "Animated Casting").