HeyJaredOnce Upon a Franchise
A weekly podcast where film critics Manuel São Bento and Ren Vieira revisit every installment of major movie franchises. From iconic blockbusters to hidden gems, each episode dives deep into one title, blending critical insight with passionate, friendly banter.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 5
- Latest publication
- Sep 15, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 3, 2026
Latest episodes
MCU Episode 24 - Black Widow (2021) (opens the original)
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Better late than never: this week, Manel and Ren finally give Natasha Romanoff her due with Black Widow . We dig into the fractured, fabricated family at the film's core, Florence Pugh's scene-stealing debut as Yelena, the most brutal hand-to-hand action the MCU had produced to that point, and why updating the Red Room for the modern world (kinda) works. Plus: personal ratings, hot takes on Dreykov, and why this overdue farewell should have arrived a decade sooner.
MCU Episode 23 - Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) (opens the original)
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Peter Parker trades New York for a European class trip in Spider-Man: Far From Home — and finds Elementals, a mysterious hero named Mysterio, and the crushing weight of Tony Stark's legacy waiting for him instead. Manel and Ren dig into Jake Gyllenhaal's all-in performance, two of the best action sequences the wall-crawler has ever had, while also discussing the haphazard city-hopping and a Stark throughline that finally makes the “Iron Man Jr.” critique stick.
MCU Episode 22 - Avengers: Endgame (2019) (opens the original)
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Manuel and Ren assemble for the culmination of a decade-long cinematic journey to unpack the massive spectacle that is Avengers: Endgame. They break down how Anthony and Joe Russo’s film balances the heartbreaking aftermath of Infinity War with an emotionally charged time-heist that honors eleven years of storytelling. From the tragic, beautifully earned character arcs of Iron Man and Captain America to the thematic weight of grief, sacrifice, and legacy, they analyze how Earth's Mightiest Heroe
MCU Episode 21 - Captain Marvel (2019) (opens the original)
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Did Captain Marvel stick the landing, or did it get lost in the 90s nostalgia? Manuel São Bento and Ren Vieira unpack Carol Danvers' origin story while discussing the film's thematic core, character arcs, and its overall place within the Infinity Saga.
MCU Episode 20 - Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) (opens the original)
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Manel and Ren shrink down to dissect Marvel’s attempt at a superhero palate cleanser, Ant-Man and the Wasp . They break down whether this low-stakes adventure successfully provides a lighthearted breath of fresh air after the emotional devastation of Avengers: Infinity War , or if it ultimately settles for a formulaic, non-urgent narrative structure that functions more like an inconsequential filler episode.
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