Here’s the breakdown of the latest news in nerd culture: 

Mads Mikkelson to be the New Grindelwald

Mads Mikkelson, who has starred in Doctor Strange, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Hannibal, will be filling the recently-vacant role of Grindelwald in the upcoming Fantastic Beasts sequel. This comes after the news of Johnny Depp being asked to resign from the role of the evil wizard by Warner Bros. after he lost his libel case against Britain’s Sun Newspaper. 

Although Johnny Depp did well in the role and fans are outraged by his leaving, Mad Mikkelson has proven that he’s an outstanding actor and is expected to be successful in the role as well.

A New Van Helsing Movie is in the Works

Universal Studios is reportedly working on a new Van Helsing movie. This will be an original movie set in the world of the vampire hunter, rather than a continuation of the Hugh Jackman film. 

There are no further plot details or release date announced for it yet, but it will be directed by Julius Avery, who directed Overlord, and produced by James Wan. This follows The Invisible Man, Universal’s most recent classic monster reboot, after the scrapped Dark Universe’s failed Mummy movie.

The DuckTales Reboot Series Comes to an End

The 2017 reboot of DuckTales will soon be ending, with next season being its last. The series finale of the hit animated series will air in 2021, and production on the series has already been completed.

The fan-favorite cartoon will be reaching its end as another animated duck, Darkwing Duck, is said to be receiving a reboot series of his own. Both the classic and new versions of DuckTales will continue to be available on Disney+ and other Disney TV channels.

Warner Bros. Announced it Will Release its Entire 2021 Movie Lineup on HBO Max

Warner Bros.’ entire slate of movies set to come out in 2021 will be released on HBO Max the same day they will release in theaters. They are set to be available on the streaming service for a one-month exclusive window once they release. This list of films includes The Suicide Squad, Dune, The Matrix 4, Godzilla vs. Kong, and more. 

This comes as a result of theaters in various locations across the country (and the world) being shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This may hurt the theater industry further, but some lucky few may get the chance to see these films on the big screen. Plus, those who live in areas where theaters aren’t open will have a chance to see the films when they release. Only time will tell how this decision will affect the overall movie industry moving forward. 

That wraps up this round of Nerdy News. Make sure to check back at nonstopnerd.com for more on all things nerdy!