Jackson Hayes is a Freelance Writer at The Direct. Starting his writing career in 2017, he quickly rose through the ranks and became an editor. He’s spent the last seven years working at outlets such as CBR, The Escapist, and Comic Book, where he’s covered major franchises like the MCU, DCU, Harry Potter, and Game of Thrones.
About The Direct
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Jackson Hayes's Latest The Direct Articles
Disney Officially Reveals the Star Wars Counterparts to Marvel’s Biggest Heroes & Villains
Star Wars and Marvel have a lot in common, including plenty of good guys with similar personalities.
DC Studios Just Introduced Its 5th Legion Of Doom Member
Forget the Justice League, DC Studios finally has everything it needs to build a real Legion of Doom.
Following Marvel’s Historic Villain Decision in Brand New Day, Tom Holland's Spider-Man 5 Movie Needs to Consider These Five Villains
Spider-Man 5 is sure to be fast-tracked after Brand New Day's opening, and Sony has a few villains to choose from.
Marvel Studios’ Adam Driver Villain Announcement Hints At Major Origin Change For Cyclops (Theory)
Adam Driver will join the MCU in X-Men as Dr. Nathaniel Milbury, a character who signals a major change for Cyclops.
James Gunn's DCU Just Introduced Its Own Version Of Marvel's Ego The Living Planet (& It's Even More Dangerous)
James Gunn's DCU is borrowing a page out of the MCU's book by introducing its own take on Ego the Living Planet.
Avengers: Doomsday Merch Reveals Gambit’s Comic-Accurate Upgrade
Avengers: Doomsday is putting the X-Men through the wringer, but at least Gambit will have an upgrade to fall back on.
HBO's Harry Potter Show Just Announced Its 3rd Returning Cast Member
HBO's Harry Potter show is getting reinforcements in the form of an actor with previous experience with the franchise.
Man Of Tomorrow Will Fix The Most Controversial Aspect of Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern
Guy Gardner is back for James Gunn's Man of Tomorrow, and he's going to have an entirely new vibe.
Harry Potter’s Original Main Cast Just Made A Hilarious Cameo In HBO’s Latest Show
With the Harry Potter reboot right around the corner, the original movie cast just made an unexpected TV appearance.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Erases A Key Part Of The Punisher's Identity With a Simple Change
Spider-Man: Brand New Day shows Punisher in a new light, thanks to a small change that makes a world of difference.
Doctor Doom’s Ominous Avengers: Doomsday Trailer Line Makes 1 Guardians of the Galaxy Member's Absence Rather Puzzling
Doctor Doom calls out a specific group of heroes in Avengers: Doomsday's newest trailer, even one who's not present.
Marvel Studios’ New Cyclops Actor Can Finally Break A 26-Year X-Men Movie Streak
Things haven't gone Cyclops' way since he made his movie debut in 2000. Marvel Studios can right all the wrongs.
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther Replacement Announcement Shakes Up Letitia Wright's MCU Future as Shuri
Marvel Studios is rolling out the red carpet for its new Black Panther, leaving Letitia Wright's MCU character on unstable ground.
Avengers Doomsday: Doctor Doom Statue Reveals His Weapon That Rivals Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet
A mesmerizing Doctor Doom statue for Avengers: Doomsday teases a powerful weapon in the villain's arsenal.
Lanterns’ Big Twist May Have Revealed The DCU Flash’s Identity
The first episode of HBO's Lanterns changes the landscape of the DCU, even giving us our best idea yet about the identity of the DCU's Flash.
Marvel Studios' New X-Men Lineup Announcement Is Still Missing 3 Founding Mutants
Marvel Studios unveiled its X-Men lineup at D23, which didn't include a few founding members of the team.
Professor X Just Received a Massive Upgrade Ahead of His Avengers: Doomsday Appearance
Professor X isn't known for his fighting prowess. Marvel Studios fixed that while preparing him for Avengers: Doomsday.
Lanterns Episode 1 Already Set Up A Major Justice League Hero's DCU Debut
Episode 1 of HBO's Lanterns goes out of its way to tease the arrival of a major Justice League hero.
Avengers: Doomsday Debuts Nightcrawler’s New Comic-Accurate X-Men Look
All of the X-Men are getting comic-accurate looks in Avengers: Doomsday, including Nightcrawler, who's ready for action.
15 Years Later, Star Wars Is Officially Bringing Back Its Most Controversial Jedi From The Clone Wars
The Clone Wars era of Star Wars was full of Jedi, and the franchise is bringing back its most controversial one.
Marvel Studios Confirms The Strongest X-Man Ahead of MCU Reboot
When Marvel Studios' new X-Men team arrives, they'll all be fighting an uphill battle for the title of strongest.
Marvel Studios Just Paved The Way For The Eternals’ MCU Return
A sneaky breadcrumb left behind by Marvel Studios sets the stage for more of the Eternals in the MCU.
Star Wars’ Next Movie Trilogy Finally Makes Progress; Lucasfilm Writer Shares Photo At Iconic Skywalker Location
The future of Star Wars on the big screen includes a new trilogy that's gaining momentum.
Marvel Studios Finally Has All The Villains To Form Tom Holland Spider-Man’s Own Sinister Six
It's taken four solo movies for Marvel Studios to give Tom Holland's Spider-Man the blueprint for his own Sinister Six.
DC Studios’ Risky 2026 Casting Approach Has Succeeded Before for Warner Bros
At a crucial time in its history, DC Studios is taking a risk that worked out for Warner Bros. decades ago.
Avengers: Doomsday's First Full Trailer Is Still Hiding 4 Confirmed MCU Characters
The Avengers: Doomsday isn't lacking when it comes to star power. But several MCU characters somehow missed the cut.
Marvel Studios Officially Abandons 5 Key Spider-Man Trilogy Characters in New Sequel
Spider-Man: Brand New Day picks up after the events of the hero's last trilogy, with a few familiar faces missing.
Star Wars Confirms Next Actor To Voice Han Solo After Alden Ehrenreich
Han Solo is one of Star Wars' most important characters. And a new actor is preparing to put their stamp on him.
DC Studios Might’ve Just Cast Its First Batman Supporting Character
Despite The Brave and the Bold still being on the back burner, DC Studios could be building Batman's supporting cast.
T’Challa’s Son Is Being Aged Up in Black Panther 3, and These 5 MCU Characters Should Be Too
T'Challa's son will be grown up when Black Panther 3 arrives. A few other MCU characters should get the same treatment.
Where Does Jean Grey Go At The End Of Spider-Man Brand New Day?
Spider-Man: Brand New Day ends with Jean Grey heading off on her own. But what is her destination?
Marvel Studios Canonizing 1 Netflix Villain Team Just Made Daredevil’s Future Spider-Man Team-Up Far More Likely
Marvel Studios is going full steam ahead with the Netflix integration, canonizing a team that teases more for Daredevil.
DC Studios’ New Green Lantern Villain Will Redeem a Flawed Arrowverse Adaptation
DC Studios peeled back the curtain on Lanterns, revealing a villain that will make up for a messy Arrowverse adaptation.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Returning To An Important Tobey Maguire Trilogy Location (Confirmed)
Despite forging a new path for its titular hero, Spider-Man: Brand New Day includes an important location from Tobey Maguire's Marvel trilogy.
X-Men 97's Two Apocalypses Theory Explains How En Sabah Nur Resurrects After His Apparent Death In Episode 7
Apocalypse meets a mysterious end in X-Men '97 Season 2, Episode 7, opening the door for a wild fan theory.
Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider Movie Already Has 5 Perfect MCU Characters It Can Bring Back
Ryan Gosling's Ghost Rider movie is a go at Marvel Studios, and he may already have a stellar supporting cast.
DC Studios Just Confirmed The 4th Superman 2025 Spinoff
Superman was clearly a great starting point for the DCU, as DC Studios has just confirmed the movie's fourth spinoff, this one focused on Mr. Terrific.
Disney's Star Wars Movie Failures Can Finally Be Fixed With These 4 Film Adaptations
Star Wars might be struggling to make impactful movies, but these stories would help right the ship.
Marvel Studios Debuts Ian McKellen's New Magneto Suit in Avengers Doomsday
Magneto returns to live-action in Avengers: Doomsday. And Marvel Studios is finally ready to unveil his new costume.
DC Studios Officially Hits 1 Failure Point That Took the MCU 13 Years to Reach
DC Studios' latest movie failed to hit a benchmark that Marvel Studios' films reached comfortably for over a decade