The Pop Break

Alex Marcus
  • 4.0 (8)
  • Entertainment News
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Pop Break is a collection of podcasts executive produced by Pop Break Director Alex Marcus, featuring the very best conversations about television, film, music, anime, wrestling, and more! This includes weekly pods like Roses & Rejections on Wednesdays, providing coverage of the best of reality dating, as well as new episodes of monthly podcasts like The Anniversary Bros, TV Break, Not Couple Goals, Blerd Watchers, Anime x Pop, Batman By The Numbers, & Bill vs. The MCU every Monday and Friday!

  1. 3d ago

    TV Break: August 2026 - Reviews of House of the Dragon, Batman: Caped Crusader, X-Men '97, Spy x Family, Buddy Daddies, & Rurouni Kenshin

    Welcome to TV Break, where Pop Break’s Director of Podcasting Alex Marcus is joined by editor-in-chief Bill Bodkin, and TV Columnist Josh Sarnecky to talk about the happenings in television. Here’s the format of the show: The Best Thing I Saw on TV Last Month  – Alex, Bill, & Josh talk about a show/episode/event they liked from the last month including Prime Video’s Batman: Caped Crusader, HBO Max’s House of the Dragon, and Disney Plus’s X-Men ‘97.  ANIME AUGUST ROUNDUP – This month, your trio of TV triumphantalists take a break from TV news and new series to run through some of their favorite anime series, including Hulu/DisneyPlus’s Spy x Family, Crunchyroll’s Buddy Daddies, and Netflix’s Rurouni Kenshin remake.

    TV Break: August 2026 - Reviews of House of the Dragon, Batman: Caped Crusader, X-Men '97, Spy x Family, Buddy Daddies, & Rurouni Kenshin

  2. 5d ago

    Batman By The Numbers: Emergency SDCC 2026 DC Comics News

    There’s arguably no superhero in existence that has been reimagined, redefined, or reinterpreted more than Batman.  No matter how many times he’s been rebooted, audiences are always willing to come back to Gotham City’s greatest defender.  With so much Bat content out there, there’s plenty to dissect, analyze, and of course, rank!  This podcast is dedicated to a surgical evaluation of Batman’s history, with a focus on ranking several topics in the world of Batman, among other classic Bat themes and characters. Join hosts Daniel Cohen, Pop Break’s former Film Editor, and Kris Ingersoll, co-host of the Media/Lit podcast, as they bring on several guests every month to share their passion for the one and only Dark Knight.  From Adam West to Robert Pattinson, no bat stone will be left unturned.  Bottom-line: If you’re a Batman fan, this is required listening. EMERGENCY EPISODE! We’ve got a special bonus episode this month on Batman by the Numbers, as Pop Break’s Director of Podcasting Alex Marcus made the trip to San Diego Comic-Con this year, where he was able to attend the DC Comics Panel.  It was a star-studded lineup that included Scott Snyder, Matt Fraction, and many others! Alex breaks down all the big Batman comics coming our way, including a special crossover event with Absolute Batman, a comic just recently covered by Kris and Alex on the podcast.  Alex also breaks down a couple other notable comics coming our way, including Batman: Bad Seed, a storyline that takes place over the course of one day. Aside from the comics talk, Alex gives us the vibes, sights, and sounds of San Diego Comic-Con with regards to DC, including all the buzz surrounding Lanterns, in which the crew close out the episode with their thoughts on the new trailer. If you’ve been keeping up with Batman comics, or thinking about maybe, possibly, could be interested in getting back into comics (like Dan!), this episode is a GREAT listen!  Your interest will be piqued!

    Batman By The Numbers: Emergency SDCC 2026 DC Comics News

  3. Aug 1

    Bill vs. The MCU: Phase 6 Part 3 - Spider-Man: Brand New Day

    Hello and welcome to Bill vs the MCU! Each month your hosts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Pop Break Podcasting Director Alex Marcus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pop Break Editor in Chief Bill Bodkin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ are taking another step into the wider Marvel Multiverse as the MCU dives deeper into their Multiverse Saga. Bill & Alex spent all of 2022 rewatching the first four phases of the MCU, and, in the years since, they have covered the first four seasons of Agents of SHIELD, the entire Netflix Defenders Saga, Fox’s X-Men,  Fantastic Four, and Daredevil films, the Blade trilogy, a few Punisher films, Ang Lee’s Hulk, Marvel’s Modern Animation line up of shows, and, most recently, Sony’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man related films. This month, Alex & Bill bring their seven month journey through the web crawling world of Peter Parker and his amazing friends to a close with their instant reaction to Phase 6’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day. To kick things off, your hosts give you some on location audio as they provide final pre-screening predictions for the film in the back of a classic New Jersey Diner. Then immediately after the screening, Alex & Bill ran back to their car in an extremely overcrowded parking lot to give you their instant reaction to all the highs and lows of this astonishing installment of Peter Parker’s journey as he steps into adulthood to contend with past choices and new, unseen threats! Come back at the end of August for the start of their next season of Bill vs. The MCU entitled Agents of SHIELD Doomsday, as your favorite Marvel podcasters breakdown the world ending arcs of Agents of SHIELD’s final seasons while they get ready for Avengers: Doomsday this fall. First up is Agents of SHIELD Season 5 Episodes 1-10, also known as the World Destroyed arc, available to stream on Disney Plus!

    Bill vs. The MCU: Phase 6 Part 3 - Spider-Man: Brand New Day

  4. Jul 31

    Podelay: The Information, 2006

    This is Podelay, a podcast dedicated to alternative rock pioneer Beck Hansen! After completing their Pod of Doom series, Randy Allain (Media/Lit) and Justin Mancini (TheCineMaverick.com) are back to take on a whole new genre. Our resident music podcasters are joined by Kris Ingersoll of Batman by the Numbers and the Media/Lit podcast, and this time, Randy steps into the host chair so that Justin can discover something new. In the ninth episode, Justin, Kris, and Randy dig into a less celebrated record in Beck’s discography that still has its strengths. They find Beck’s anthem to his upset stomach strangely relatable, wonder about the originally proposed Dave Eggers/Spike Jonze commentary track, and find reason to disagree with an otherwise reliable Beck biographer. And as always, they recommend other artists for your listening pleasure. In every episode, each host will spotlight the following: ·        Where It’s At: a track they really like. ·        It’s A Loser, Baby: a track they don’t. ·        Sing It Again: a favorite lyric. ·        Such A Beautiful Way: a favorite musical moment. Join them as they travel to a destination a little up the road from the conversations and the pods you know. Please join us for the show that poses one simple question: I’m a podcast, baby, so why don’t you stream me? Host Picks:   Where It’s At (A Song We Think Is Underrated or Just Really Like) Justin – Think I’m in Love Kris – Strange Apparition Randy – Nausea   It’s a Loser, Baby (A Song We Don’t Like So Much) Justin – 1000BPM Kris – The Horrible Fanfare/Landslide/Exoskeleton Randy – Motorcade (qualified)   Sing It Again (A Favorite Lyric) Justin – Dark Star Kris – Strange Apparition Randy – New Round   Such a Beautiful Way (A Favorite Musical Moment) Justin – Soldier Jane Kris – Dark Star Randy – Cellphone’s Dead   Other Artists We’ve Been Listening To: Justin – Clutch Kris – James Taylor, 311, Led Zeppelin, Blink-182, Styx Randy – Wilco

    Podelay: The Information, 2006

  5. Jul 28

    Bill vs. The MCU: Inside Marvel's SDCC 2026 Hall H Panel (Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, & Black Panther 3)

    In this special episode of Bill vs. The MCU, Alex and Bill give their reactions to all the news related to the MCU that broke out of this year’s San Diego Comic Con, including reactions to new footage from Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day and casting news related to Black Panther 3.  Plus, Alex provides a detailed account of everything he experienced over the two days he spent outside on line and inside Hall H. Wristband melodrama, line cutters, sleeping overnight on sidewalks, concessions fist fights, and Herbie the robots’ surprise appearances are all discussed, as is a detailed run through of the entire panel, blow by blow.Come back later this week for Bill and Alex’s instant reactions to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in theaters this Friday, as they put a cap on their six month tour through the highs and lows of Spider-Man’s filmography!

    Bill vs. The MCU: Inside Marvel's SDCC 2026 Hall H Panel (Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, & Black Panther 3)

  6. Jul 24

    Blerd Watchers: Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2, The Reacher Report, House of the Dragon Mid Season Check In, The Vampire Lestat and The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4

    Welcome to Blerd Watchers! ThePopBreak.com's monthly podcast about TV shows with a Blerdy twist! Come hang out with Courtney & Marshall, two married Blerds, as they navigate all the dopeness on TV and share insights and opinions on the monthly show topics! Marshall and Courtney start, as usual, with Entertainment News and Rumours, including their new sub segment, The Reacher Report! This touches on all the news regarding Amazon's Reacher Universe! After that, they get caught up on new trailers for shows and movies they are interested in, including The Avatar movie coming to Paramount + and a new Pedro Pascal thriller coming to theaters!  From there they get into the shows they are currently watching, including House of the Dragon on HBO Max (Beware of Book Spoilers!) and The Vampire Lestat on AMC+!  Finally, they review Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2, and answer the question of "Was it Good?" before switching gears and covering Season 2 of Bloodhounds, also on Netflix. This month's pod ends with their thoughts on the stellar season 4 of The Legend of Vox Machina on Amazon Prime!

    Blerd Watchers: Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender Season 2, The Reacher Report, House of the Dragon Mid Season Check In, The Vampire Lestat and The Legend of Vox Machina Season 4

  7. Jul 22

    Not Couple Goals: “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999)

    Welcome to “Not Couple Goals” where co-hosts Allie Nelson and Tyler McCarthy do a deep dive into a different ridiculous romantic thriller from the vantage point of their long-term relationship. Allie, a TV writer/producer and actress, has an affinity for romantic thrillers, the more salacious the better. Tyler, an entertainment reporter and critic, often finds himself drawn in despite his better judgment. Join them as they explore all the ways it’s possible to love too hard… like WAY too hard. After last week’s incredibly heavy episode, Allie and Tyler are keeping it light with the heist-oriented film The Thomas Crown Affair. Join them as they talk about all the subtle ways Pierce Brosnan had to pretend this character wasn’t similar to James Bond and discuss the weird amount of times Allie watched this with her family. Did Crown make the right call to become a fugitive? Listen and find out Special thanks to Mallory Johns for the introduction music. Please don’t forget to follow our hosts on Twitter @ANelRetentive & @TylerMcCarthy and Instagram @ANelRetentive and to check out Tyler’s writing at USA Insider and Allie’s at Parade and Business Insider!

    Not Couple Goals: “The Thomas Crown Affair” (1999)

  8. Jul 21

    Bill vs. The MCU: BONUS Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Reaction PLUS SDCC 2026 Preview

    In this special bonus episode of Bill vs. The MCU, Alex and Bill give their instant reactions to the Avengers: Doomsday trailer while wildly speculating about what Alex might see at Marvel's Hall H panel later this week at San Diego Comic Con 2026!

    Bill vs. The MCU: BONUS Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Reaction PLUS SDCC 2026 Preview
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About

The Pop Break is a collection of podcasts executive produced by Pop Break Director Alex Marcus, featuring the very best conversations about television, film, music, anime, wrestling, and more! This includes weekly pods like Roses & Rejections on Wednesdays, providing coverage of the best of reality dating, as well as new episodes of monthly podcasts like The Anniversary Bros, TV Break, Not Couple Goals, Blerd Watchers, Anime x Pop, Batman By The Numbers, & Bill vs. The MCU every Monday and Friday!

Information

  • Creator
    Alex Marcus
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    799
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Alex Marcus
  • Show Website
    The Pop Break