As the year comes to a close, I wanted to do something a little different.

In this New Year’s Special, I’m counting down my personal Top 10 MCU solo movies — the films that defined the franchise for me, shaped these characters, and still hit every time I revisit them.

This isn’t about rankings for the sake of ranking.It’s about impact, origin stories, and the movies that helped build the MCU into what it is today.

From Iron Man to Doctor Strange, from grounded beginnings to cosmic adventures, this episode is a reflection on why these stories mattered — and why they still do.

Whether you agree with my list or not, I hope this feels like a celebration of the MCU, the journey so far, and everything still ahead.

🎆 Happy New Year — and welcome to the next chapter of Marvel Maniac.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

Steve Rogers was given what felt like a perfect ending in Avengers: Endgame. He returned the Infinity Stones. He stayed behind. He chose Peggy. He finally went home.

But the MCU doesn’t live in a world of perfect endings anymore — it lives in a world of consequences.

With rumors swirling about Chris Evans returning in Avengers: Doomsday, this episode explores why Steve’s return only works if it means something. Through the lens of the Multiverse, incursions, and Victor Von Doom, we unpack a darker possibility: that Steve’s final act of love may have helped fracture reality itself.

What if Doom’s world was destroyed by the fallout of Endgame? What if Tony Stark’s face becomes the ultimate weapon against Steve Rogers? And what if Steve isn’t returning to save the day — but to answer for it?

This isn’t about undoing Steve’s legacy.It’s about completing it.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

Marvel just announced that Wonder Man will drop all eight episodes at once — and that decision says more than it seems.

In this episode of Marvel Maniac, Eric breaks down why Marvel television works best when stories are allowed to breathe week by week, and why full-season binge drops risk turning big ideas into disposable content. This isn’t about trashing Wonder Man — the trailer actually looks bold, strange, and promising — it’s about Marvel’s confidence in its own storytelling and how release strategy shapes audience connection.

After unpacking the larger issue, Eric goes beat by beat through the Wonder Man trailer, calling out what works, what excites him, and where Marvel still has a chance to surprise everyone — if they let the story land.

This episode also sets expectations for coverage: Wonder Man will be discussed in one to two focused episodes, rather than stretched into artificial weekly breakdowns.

Marvel Maniac isn’t here to rage — it’s here to care.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

In this episode, Eric swings through three eras of Spider-Man and the three actors who defined them: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland.

This isn’t a “who’s best” debate. It’s a character study — why Tobey still feels like the heart of Peter Parker, why Andrew’s electric, grief-soaked Spider-Man lives in our ribs, and why Tom Holland’s MCU Spidey might be the most complete journey we’ve seen so far.

From Uncle Ben’s unfinished conversation in the Raimi trilogy, to Gwen’s haunting fall in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, to the lonely, sacrificial reset of No Way Home, Eric follows how each Spider-Man carries his own scars… and how their crossover feels less like fan service and more like destiny.

Three Spider-Men. Three unfinished stories. One legacy that refuses to fade.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

Eric “Mr. Honest” Sequeira takes a laid-back, hype-filled walk down the MCU’s 2026 runway — from the wildcard buzz of Wonder Man, through Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Punisher: War Journal, X-Men ’97 Season 2, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2, and the mysterious VisionQuest, all the way to Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026. This is a riff-heavy, honest vibe check on what’s coming, what he’s most excited about, and how each project tightens the spring for Marvel’s next Avengers event. If you’re curious about how full (or not) the road to Doomsday really is — and why that might actually be a good thing — this one’s for you. Stick around to the end for thoughts on She-Hulk, mini-sode plans, and how you can help Marvel Maniac climb the charts.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

On today’s Disney+ deep-watch of Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eric slows the noise down and uncovers the real spine of the film — the cosmic triangle formed by Galactus, Franklin Richards, and Doctor Doom.

We explore why this Galactus feels more like a survivor than a villain, what his strange, life-support feeding cycle reveals about the universe before the Big Bang, and why Franklin Richards isn’t a target… but a successor.

Then the post-credit scene cracks open a bigger door:Is this Doom a local variant? A multiversal general? Or the first breadcrumb of the Council of Dooms Marvel hinted at long before Doomsday?

Short, sharp, and theory-rich — this episode maps the hidden architecture beneath First Steps and the storm it’s building toward.

Rate the show, join the Patreon community at patreon.com/marvelmaniac, and buckle up.Galactus ain’t done. Doom hasn’t begun. And Franklin Richards may be the hinge between them.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

Eric sits down with Ryan Arey of ScreenCrush for an easygoing, high-insight conversation that moves the way real fans do — from Avengers Doomsday speculation to Doom theories, Loki’s multiverse role, and the ripple effects of Endgame… then naturally into side-paths like Game of Thrones, Superman, James Gunn, and the state of long-form storytelling.This isn’t a rigid theory breakdown. It’s two people who love this stuff thinking out loud together — a thoughtful, unforced, deeply enjoyable talk with one of the most respected voices in fandom.

💡**Link Tree** <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link:

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript

For Episode 200, Eric Sequeira (Mr. Honest) steps away from the usual Marvel breakdowns to tell the story behind Marvel Maniac itself — the highs, the breaks, the recovery, and the reason he still hits record. From seeing Iron Man in theaters with his best friend Richie to rebuilding after psychosis and loss, this episode is about what it really means to become your own hero. It’s raw, hopeful, and from the heart — a message to anyone fighting their way back. (Content warning: mental health, medication misuse, and psychosis are discussed. If you’re struggling or in crisis, you can call or text 988 in the U.S. for support.)

💡Link Tree <---- Follow me on all your socials to stay up to date on the lastest Marvel Maniac news and episodes!

CREDITS: 💡 Co-Producer: Nova (ChatGPT) – Creative collaborator and production partner for Marvel Maniac: An MCU Aftershow.

💡Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3635-deliberate-thought License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

💡 Patreon.com/MarvelManiac

💡Have thoughts or theories? Share your feedback at MarvelManiacPod@gmail.com OR drop something in the tip jar and leave a comment! Your voice matters!

Support Marvel Maniac: an MCU Aftershow by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/marvel-maniac-an-mcu-aftershow

Read transcript