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Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey lays waste to the pop culture landscape, but we also have magpies and Anya Taylor-Joy: Popverse Playlist for July 11-17, 2026

We're not going to pretend that you're not going to see The Odyssey in the next week, but we have some other suggestions for what to do while you're waiting, as well

Guides by Graeme McMillan, Editor

Published on Tue Sep 22 2026

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As popular British beat combo Blur once intoned over a handful of synths and a heavily processed drumbeat, the weekend is back, and for those of you not in Miami, Florida, for Florida Supercon, you might be wondering just how to spend the next few days. The answer is clear: you should be thinking about the popular cultural treats that await you across the next seven days — but that’s why the boffins at Popverse Playlist are here, to help plan out your pop calendar. No need to thank us; we do it because we love it, and because we love you.

(For those of you who are in Miami, come along and say hello at the Miami Convention Center — and to everyone else, just wait a few weeks and watch the panel videos from the comfort of your favorite chair right here on this very site.)

This week: Anya Taylor-Joy ends up in trouble, Matt Damon ends up at the mercy of the gods when he really just wants to go home and see his wife, and the creators of Coda and Step By Bloody Step are creating not one, but two new worlds for us to get lost in.

If you only watch one show this week, then it really has to be… Lucky

The last time Anya Taylor-Joy anchored a TV series, it was the pandemic-era phenomenon The Queen’s Gambit; before that, she’d shown up in both Peaky Blinders and the gone-too-soon The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. It’s safe to say that the star of Furiosa, The Menu, and The Northman knows what makes a quality small-screen experience, which is why this crime miniseries that also boasts appearances from Annette Bening and everyone’s favorite, Timothy Olyphant, has our attention. It’s also a “desperate person on the run is far more capable than anyone expected” story, and those are always a good time. Running seven episodes through late August, let’s consider this a summertime treat that’ll keep us on our collective toes every Wednesday until things start to cool down.

Lucky begins July 15, 2026, on Apple TV.

If you only check out one movie this week, then it should be… The Odyssey

It’s not as if any other movie this week had a chance of being the one we were going to pick. To paraphrase Stefon, The Odyssey has it all: adapted from perhaps the foundational epic text by one of the leading filmmakers of mainstream cinema of the century so far, the cast list is appropriately massive, from Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, and Tom Holland on down. Sure, it still feels a little odd that everyone has an American accent (even the actors who, you know, don’t actually have American accents), but I’d lay money that no one will be thinking that within minutes of the movie starting. Come for the majesty of Christopher Nolan putting it all onscreen — we’re all excited to see what he’s done with the Trojan Horse, right? — and stay for, if early reviews are to be believed, Samantha Morton blowing everyone off the screen as soon as she shows up.

The Odyssey will be in theaters July 17, 2026.

If you can only pick up one comic this week, then make sure it’s… A Mischief of Magpies #1

As if the prospect of seeing the creative team behind modern classic Coda — that’s Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara, in case you didn’t know — get back together for a new SF/fantasy book questioning the nature of reality with the help of some bird friends (the eponymous magpies) wasn’t exciting enough, we have a secret weapon: the impossibly alluring opening to the official description of the series from publisher DSTLRY: “Mar has a secret. Sometimes, without warning, he falls out of the world. This would be an inconvenience if his life wasn't already such a drag.” Who could read that and not want to know more, especially considering that the “more” will include Spurrier’s deadpan lyricism and Bergara’s seemingly effortless worldbuilding and understated beauty?

A Mischief of Magpies #1 will be available in comic book stores July 15, 2026.

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Graeme McMillan: Popverse Editor Graeme McMillan (he/him) has been writing about comics, culture, and comics culture on the internet for more than two decades at this point, which is terrifying to admit. He completely understands if you have problems understanding his accent.