The Umbrella Academy season 3 has finally received a release date – and it's coming to Netflix on June 22.

Announced at SXSW 2022, the hit Netflix show will end its two-year hiatus when it returns to our screens this summer. The Umbrella Academy 's second season aired on the streaming service in July 2020, so it's high time that its next instalment arrived (pandemic-induced delay aside).

Not content with just revealing season 3's official launch date, Netflix showered (see what we did there?) us with some extra tasty Umbrella Academy treats. First up, the streaming giant released a 15-second clip of our favorite dysfunctional superhero family facing off with their new arch-rivals, aka The Sparrow Academy:

Alright, so that clip doesn't give much away, but it suggests that the Umbrella and Sparrow Academies are going to be duking it out for their father's attentions for much of season 3.

Of more importance, though, is the plot synopsis for The Umbrella Academy season 3. Released alongside the release date and clip, Netflix revealed more information about the third season's overarching narrative – including a tease concerning its villain.

"After putting a stop to 1963’s doomsday, the Umbrella Academy return home to the present, convinced they prevented the initial apocalypse and fixed this godforsaken timeline once and for all," the synopsis reads . "But after a brief moment of celebration, they realize things aren’t exactly (okay, not at all) how they left them.

"Enter the Sparrow Academy. Smart, stylish, and about as warm as a sea of icebergs, the Sparrows immediately clash with the Umbrellas in a violent face-off that turns out to be the least of everyone’s concerns. Navigating challenges, losses, and surprises of their own – and dealing with an unidentified destructive entity wreaking havoc in the universe (something they may have caused).

"Now all they need to do is convince Dad’s new and possibly better family to help them put right what their arrival made wrong. Will they find a way back to their pre-apocalyptic lives? Or is this new world about to reveal more than just a hiccup in the timeline?"

So, who could the latest antagonist be? We'll dive into that in just a moment. The Umbrella Academy season 3 will launch in full on Netflix on Friday, June 22.

Analysis: who is The Umbrella Academy season 3 villain?

Spoilers follow for The Umbrella Academy's comic series.

We can definitely rule The Sparrow Academy out. Yes, the new superhero group will be a great counterpoint to the Hargreeves family – after all, the synopsis suggests that they're more competent than The Umbrella Academy in many aspects.

However, they're clearly being positioned as heroes, and the smart money says they'll eventually team up with Luther, Vanya and company to avert yet another world-ending apocalypse. So we can file The Sparrow Academy under the 'good guys' section.

What, then, does season 3's plot synopsis actually tell us about its villain? We know it'll be an "unidentified destructive entity wreaking havoc across the universe", but not much else.

On the surface, anyway. There are plenty of villains in The Umbrella Academy's graphic novel series who could fit the above description. But there are two in particular who we'd consider to be the most likely candidates.

The Scientific Man is one such individual. In the comics, he's a mysterious superpowered individual who watches over the Hotel Oblivion, a space prison for the universe's worst criminals. He may be viewed as a good guy, but his morally gray motives – and desire to maintain the status quo – root him in the 'anti-hero' camp. He's even fought The Umbrella Academy in the comics, so he could do likewise in the TV show.

If he figures out that the Hargreeves have traveled to this reality from another dimension, he may consider them to be villains who are disrupting the fabric of time. As such, he could be traveling across the universe, destroying anyone who stands in his way, as he tries to locate them. The Scientific Man would be a difficult foe to overcome, so he'd be a prime candidate for the Umbrella and Sparrow Academies to take down together.

Another formidable adversary could be Doctor Terminal. In the comics, he's a scientist with a rare disease that slowly kills the individual by eating their nervous system and brain. To stay alive, Doctor Terminal invents a device that can convert matter into energy to feed the disease. His insatiable hunger, then, could force him to traverse the universe, consuming everything in his path. He'd certainly fall into the "world-ending apocalypse" angle of the synopsis and, again, a villain like this could force the two superhero groups to team up and attempt to stop him.

There are other antagonists who may cause the two supergroups to put their differences aside. The Perseus Corporation may be one, while a wholly original villain could be another option. The Umbrella Academy's fourth graphic novel volume hasn't been released yet, so there might be a superpowered foe in the comic series' next instalment – who we haven't seen yet – that could be utilized in the show.

Our guess? The Scientific Man and Doctor Terminal fit the bill of being a destructive entity, so we're nailing our colors to these masts. We wouldn't be displeased if a new, non-comic antagonist appears instead, though.

For more Netflix-based content, check out our best Netflix movies and best Netflix documentaries lists.

Marvel's Fantastic Four movie has reportedly found its new director

Major spoilers follow for Doctor Strange 2. You have been warned.

Marvel Studios' Fantastic Four movie has reportedly found its new director – and Star Wars fans are sure to be intrigued by the potential hire.

According to an anonymous user on Not Safe For Work (NSFW) website 4chan – yes, this makes us very sceptical about the rumor, too – the upcoming Marvel movie will be directed by The Mandalorian 's Bryce Dallas Howard.

Howard's rumored appointment has been discussed at length on Reddit , with many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Star Wars Fans suggesting that she would be a great fit for the Marvel Phase 4 project. Given that Howard directed two superb entries in the Mandalorian, plus the best episode in The Book of Boba Fett , we're inclined to agree.

The rumor goes on to suggest that Howard would also star as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman in Marvel's Fantastic Four film. Meanwhile, John Krasinski – whose appearance as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange 2 sent fans wild – is also rumored to portray the MCU's version of the Fantastic Four's leader.

Howard's possible instalment as Fantastic Four's new director comes two weeks after Jon Watts stepped away from the project. Per Deadline , Watts, who helmed the billion dollar-spinning (and multiverse-centric) Spider-Man: No Way Home , simply needed a break from the superhero genre following his MCU's Spider-Man movie trilogy directing exploits.

Even if Howard is set to direct Marvel's Fantastic Four flick, we're taking this rumor with a huge pinch of salt right now. Prominent MCU leakers, including Charles Murphy and MyTimetoShineHello, haven't commented on the prospect of Howard being handed the reins to the Marvel flick. Although, MyTimetoShineHello has suggested that Krasinski hasn't signed on to portray Reed Richards in a Fantastic Four film just yet.

Given the usually good track records of these insiders, we're holding off on believing this rumor until someone more reliable can corroborate it. Or, alternatively, Marvel Studios officially announces Howard's hiring. 4chan is the internet's wild west, where anyone can be make a speculative post without a shred of evidence to back it up. For now, then, believe this one at your peril.

Analysis: will Marvel's Fantastic Four be part of the studio's Phase 4 line-up?

That's up for debate. The superhero film reboot was announced by Marvel Studios at Comic Con in July 2019, alongside other forthcoming MCU movies including Thor: Love and Thunder , The Marvels, and Blade.

While Thor 4 and The Marvels – the latter being a sequel to Captain Marvel, WandaVision , and Ms Marvel – have confirmed release dates, though, Fantastic Four doesn't. That's unsurprising, given that it still appears to be in early development.

Similarly, Blade doesn't have an official launch date either but, according to Production Weekly magazine , the Mahershala Ali-starring Marvel film is reportedly set to start filming in summer 2022. Production Weekly is almost always on the ball with movie and TV show filming start dates, so we're expecting principal photography to begin on Blade shortly. As long as that's the case, Blade may arrive in theaters in late 2023. Halloween falls on a Tuesday next year, so we could certainly see Blade getting an October 27, 2023 release date.

But we digress. With Fantastic Four still yet to hire a director or any cast members – speculation suggested that Marvel was gearing up to cast its iconic quartet in January , though – its production (and subsequent release date) seem a long way off at this point.

It's unclear when Marvel's Phase 4 slate will end, too. The studio is set to release five (six if you include Blade) movies, seven TV shows, and two Disney Plus specials over the next two to three years. Add in the fact that five further MCU Disney Plus shows were announced in November 2021 , and Marvel has its hands full.

The prospect of seeing a Fantastic Four movie before 2024, then, seems unlikely. That may change if Marvel has a director, writer, and cast in place – they just haven't announced them yet if they do. But, in our view, it'll be a while before Reed Richards and company return to the big screen. Unless the film enters production before the year is out, we'd be surprised if it ends up being part of Marvel's Phase 4 plans, too.

Gex Jr. is the unreleased Gex spinoff we never knew we needed

A demo for an unreleased (and unannounced) Gex spinoff has appeared online  – and we have a lot of questions.

Gex Jr. is a previously unseen spinoff of the Gex series for PlayStation 1, focusing on the wise-cracking gecko's son. This spinoff was never announced, nevermind released, so remained a well-hidden secret until recently, when user justz00t posted a demo of the game on Hidden Palace (via Kotaku ).

The Gex Jr. demo sees Gex's offspring making his way through, what appears to be, a television/ movie-themed level – which could be set within The Media Dimension from the original trilogy – and picking up cans of soda pop.

The colorful platforming level has a sign for a 'Media Museum' and television sets are littered all over the place, displaying fuzzy pictures, Gex himself, and some guy's face (that we can only assume is one of the developers). The level also includes television controllers spinning around blasting beams and a popcorn machine platform of some sort. Check it out below:

Like his old man, Gex Jr. seems to have a love of pop culture references, reeling off lines from TV shows and movies that were popular at the time, like Star Wars, Blues Clues and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (the build is from 2001).

The game's story remains a mystery for now and the unpolished demo is short, consisting of only one level, but it's enough to get us yearning for a Gex game we never got.

What happened?

It seems Gex Jr. was abandoned by developer Crystal Dynamics, with this demo remaining the only playable (albeit short) version of the game. It's unclear why Gex Jr. was scrapped, or what the overarching plan for the game was, leaving us with more questions than answers about the Gex spinoff.

But it's certainly got us yearning for a Gex comeback. The last entry in the original Gex trilogy was released in 1999, making it 23 years since the smooth Geko last graced our consoles. However, we may yet see the pop-culture-loving lizard making a return yet, as Square Enix (which now owns Crystal Dynamics) filed a trademark for the name 'Gex' in late 2021, leading to rumors a reboot of the series may be on the cards.

What's more, Gex could be introduced to a whole new generation thanks to Sony's revamped PS Plus subscription, which will allow those subscribed to its premium tier to play a library of retro PlayStation games. While the library lineup hasn't been confirmed, we're certainly hoping the original Gex trilogy is among them.

TRG has contacted Square Enix for comment.