After nearly two decades of trying to replicate the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, DC Studios is once again starting over. James Gunn, who was brought in four years ago to reboot the franchise, is being pushed out after overseeing just a handful of movies and TV shows. His departure raises a larger question about DC's future: Should it continue trying to build an interconnected cinematic universe, or would it be better off allowing filmmakers to develop standalone stories that don't require audiences to keep up with dozens of other projects? And given Marvel's own recent struggles, is the MCU even a model worth emulating anymore?

To discuss this, I invited back Jason Krebs, a media industry veteran who's held senior roles at companies including Disney, Google, and The New York Times. We discussed why DC has struggled to replicate Marvel's success, whether interconnected franchises have become too complicated for casual audiences, and how the next generation of DC movies and shows might balance creative freedom with the commercial benefits of a shared universe.

We also turned our attention to CBS News, where Ross Douthat's recent 60 Minutes interview with Donald Trump has earned praise from some of the same critics who questioned Bari Weiss's decision to hire him. Douthat's willingness to press Trump on uncomfortable topics has been hailed as a journalistic success, but does that mean Weiss's controversial leadership is finally paying off? Jason and I discussed whether the interview represents a meaningful turning point for CBS News, why 60 Minutes continues to struggle with declining ratings, and whether Weiss can rebuild the network's credibility while transforming it into a digital-first news organization.

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When Minute Media launched 15 years ago, it was essentially a platform for soccer fans to publish their own content. Over the next decade, it evolved into a sports media conglomerate, acquiring properties like The Players' Tribune and FanSided before taking over operations of Sports Illustrated. But its most interesting evolution has arguably been on the technology side. The company, which recently shortened its name to Minute, began licensing the publishing tools it had developed for its own media properties to other publishers. Rather than charging hefty software fees, it offered those tools for free in exchange for a share of the advertising revenue they generated. Today, Minute's business is split roughly evenly between its consumer-facing media properties and its B2B technology division, the latter of which generates nine figures in annual revenue.

In a recent interview, Minute president Rich Routman walked me through the company's evolution and explained how it's adapting to a media landscape increasingly dominated by platforms that don't send traffic back to publishers. We discussed why Minute's revenue-sharing approach succeeded where other publishers' technology licensing businesses struggled, how Sports Illustrated diversified its revenue to the point where its website and print magazine account for just 20% of its business, and why Minute sees partnerships with creators as a major growth opportunity.

Democrats scored sweeping victories in the midterm elections, handing them control of both chambers of Congress and significantly weakening Donald Trump's political influence. But what will this shift in power mean for the media industry? For starters, media executives who spent the past two years cozying up to Trump could soon find themselves hauled before congressional committees to answer uncomfortable questions about their business dealings. Meanwhile, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr may find that his threats against broadcasters no longer carry the same weight. And the election results could further accelerate the rise of a Democratic media ecosystem that's increasingly capable of competing with traditional news outlets for audience attention.

To discuss these developments, I invited back Jason Krebs, a longtime media executive who's held senior roles at companies including Google, The New York Times, and Disney. We talked about how the election could reshape the relationship between Washington and major media companies, why independent news creators are becoming an increasingly important force in political coverage, and whether the poor performance of prediction markets on election night will cause news organizations to rethink their lucrative partnerships with gambling platforms.