The Ringer-Verse

The Ringer

The Ringer-Verse is your go-to nexus podcast feed for all things nerd culture and fandom, featuring:

'The Midnight Boys': Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman react to the latest in fandom and share their instant reactions to the newest nerd culture releases, all while bringing the banter every week.

'Button Mash': Ben Lindbergh and company discuss the latest in the world of video games, from headline-making new releases, to industry trends, to game swaps and nostalgic re-plays.

Follow the House of R feed for deep dives from Mal and Jo!

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777 episodes
Updated Today
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Episodes777

Newest first

Jul 1, 2025 · 1 hr 18 min
Summer Franchise “Retooling” Draft | Mint Edition
Jomi and Steve are joined by Daniel Chin and Matthew James for their Summer Franchise “Retooling” Draft! With DC, the MCU, and ‘Jurassic World’ all looking to put their pasts behind them with new films this month, they’ll be taking a look back at the movies that caused these franchises to retool. They’ll each draft one movie from each franchise’s most recent era and one wild card! (00:00) Intro (05:00) Rules (08:24) Round 1 (19:15) Round 2 (32:23) Round 3 (45:12) Round 4 (01:03:24) Honorable mentions (01:08:31) Recap Hosts: Jomi Adeniran and Steve Ahlman Guests: Daniel Chin and Matthew James Producer: Carlos Chiriboga Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 1, 2025 · 31 min
Ringer-Verse Recommends: June 2025
Was June slow? Not so! Let Ringer-Verse Recommends tell you what to know. Sit back and enjoy the show. Join your favorite Ringer-Verse and House of R hosts as they salute unsung nerd culture content in the latest installment of the monthly mini-pod about fandom favorites from TV, anime, movies, video games, books, comics, and beyond that were released recently but not yet covered in-depth on a full-length episode. Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Jomi Adeniran, Steve Ahlman, Arjuna Ramgopal, Charles Holmes, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, and Mallory Rubin Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 27, 2025 · 1 hr 47 min
‘Death Stranding 2' and the First Half of 2025 in Games | Button Mash
Ben and Justin Charity have a spoiler-free discussion about Hideo Kojima's acclaimed PlayStation 5 sequel to 2019's 'Death Stranding,' 'Death Standing 2: On the Beach.' Then, after their brief reaction to casting news about the upcoming 'Street Fighter' film, Matt James joins to reflect on the year in gaming. The two construct joint top-10 lists of his and Ben's favorite games of the year so far, as well as their most anticipated games for the rest of 2025. Intro (0:00) ‘Death Stranding 2: On the Beach’ Spoiler-Free Impressions (3:53) Reactions to ‘Street Fighter’ Casting News (46:22) Game of the Year So Far + 2025 Hype List (56:05) Outro (1:43:22) Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Justin Charity and Matt James Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 26, 2025 · 2 hr
'Ironheart' Episodes 1-3 and 'Fantastic Four' Final Trailer Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Midnight Boys suit up to take on the newest Disney+ show, 'Ironheart,' reacting to the big three-episode premiere and diving into how they think the character of Riri Williams is served in this opening. Later, they take a look at the final trailer for 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' and debate how strong Johnny can be and how handsome Pedro Pascal really is. (0:00) Intro (6:42) Spoilers ahead (8:35) Instant reactions to 'Ironheart' Episodes 1-3 (1:17:45) Instant reactions to the final 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' trailer (1:49:23) Outro (1:51:34) Post credits Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Jade Whaley Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 18, 2025 · 2 hr 5 min
James Gunn vs. Matt Reeves, Plus Superman Mailbag | The Midnight Boys
The boys are back to answer your call-in questions for all things coming up in the summer of content! They discuss James Gunn, Superman, the new Batman, and much more! They also answer questions like "Is Marvel hiding 'Ironheart'?" and "What are your favorite movies, games, and comics?" Intro (0:00) Spoilers Ahead (11:02) Nerd News (11:35) Mail Bag (24:06) Outro (2:00:13) Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 13, 2025 · 1 hr 5 min
‘How to Train Your Dragon’ Live-Action Debate (Spoilers) and ‘Predator: Killer of Killers’
The Mint Boys are back, and this time they’re joined by the amazing Jessica Clemons to dive into the 'How to Train Your Dragon' live-action remake! From stunning visuals to emotional beats, they break down what worked, what didn’t, and what this means for the future of live-action adaptations. Heads up: Full spoilers ahead for the remake—skip ahead if you haven’t taken flight yet. They also discuss the exciting 'Predator: Killer of Killers' and what makes the 'Predator' films and lore so enjoyable after all these years. Intro (0:00) Reactions to 'How to Train Your Dragon' (5:15) 'Predator: Killer of Killers' deep dive (36:15) Outro (1:2:00) Hosts: Jomi Adeniran and Steve Ahlman Guest: Jessica Clemons Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 12, 2025 · 1 hr 43 min
'Ballerina' and Reactions to the Final ‘Superman’ Trailer | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back to react to the newest release in the 'John Wick' series, ‘Ballerina.’ They then dive into the latest nerd news, the final trailer for the highly anticipated ‘Superman.’ (0:00) Intro (6:31) Spoilers ahead (8:35) Instant reactions to 'Ballerina' (1:25:19) Midnight Meter (1:29:43) Nerd News Minute: new 'Superman' trailer (1:37:59) Outro (1:39:30) Post Credits Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 9, 2025 · 1 hr 27 min
Switch 2, ‘Mario Kart World,’ and Summer Showcase Reactions | Button Mash
Ben and Matt put down their Pro Controllers long enough to react to a landmark weekend in gaming. First, they discuss the launch of Nintendo’s Switch 2, their at-home experiences with the system, and whether it's worth getting now. Then they share their thoughts on ‘Mario Kart World’—as a sequel to one of the bestselling games of all time, as a reinvention of the franchise, and as a Switch 2 launch title and system seller. Then they break down the top trends and announcements from gaming’s summer showcase season, including PlayStation’s State of Play, Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, and more. Intro (0:00) Reactions to the Switch 2 (2:23) First thoughts on ‘Mario Kart World’ (34:15) Highlights from summer showcase season (55:08) Outro (1:23:37) Host: Ben Lindbergh Guest: Matt James Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 4, 2025 · 1 hr 47 min
The Racist Movie Characters Draft | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back to draft the most racist characters in film history, featuring five categories: action, comedy, Oscar, Tarantino, and wild card. (0:00) Intro (16:45) The draft (1:42:53) Outro Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Jonathan Kermah, and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 2, 2025 · 1 hr 20 min
‘Elden Ring Nightreign’ Reactions and ‘Elden Ring’ Movie News | Button Mash
Ben, Matt, and Steve party up for a three-person podcast about a three-player game! First, they discuss what the cancellation of Electronic Arts' Black Panther project portends for the future of superhero games and Triple-A licensed games. Then they have a spoiler-free discussion of FromSoftware's fascinating 'Elden Ring' spinoff experiment, 'Nightreign,' focusing on its difficulty, its genre-spanning appeal, and its technological drawbacks. After that, they react to the news that Alex Garland is writing and directing an A24-produced 'Elden Ring' movie and try to figure out what the adaptation could look like, before honoring 'Mission: Impossible' by identifying other major media properties that historically have been the most underserved by video games. Intro (0:00) Black Panther + Game Cancellations (2:40) Reactions to 'Elden Ring Nightreign' (11:13) 'Elden Ring' Movie Predictions Most Underserved Franchises in Video Games (56:46) Outro (1:16:48) Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Steve Ahlman and Matt James Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 31, 2025 · 33 min
Ringer-Verse Recommends: May 2025
It's been a busy month in nerd culture—so stacked, in fact, that some quality releases could have slipped through the cracks were it not for Ringer-Verse Recommends! Join your favorite Ringer-Verse and House of R hosts and friends as they gush about geek content in the latest installment of the monthly mini-pod about fandom favorites from TV, anime, movies, video games, books, comics, and beyond that were released recently but not yet covered in-depth on a full-length episode. (And yes, Ben's amateur trailers return.) Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Jomi Adeniran, Matt James, Steve Ahlman, Miles Surrey, Arjuna Ramgopal, Charles Holmes, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, and Jonathan Kermah Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Social: Jomi Adeniran Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 29, 2025 · 1 hr 44 min
The 'Last of Us' Season 2 Finale: The Gamer Guide | Button Mash
Ringer-Verse listeners let Ben and Daniel live, and they don't waste it! First, they give their reviews of Season 2, Episode 7, "Convergence," and then they break down the episode's departures from and additions to the game before assessing the season as a whole. Then they forecast when to expect Season 3 and what it could look like, and they conclude by answering audience emails. Intro (0:00) Reactions to Episode 7 (3:50) Season 3 Predictions (1:10:00) Audience Emails (1:28:13) Outro (1:40:50) Hosts: Ben Lindbergh and Daniel Chin Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 28, 2025 · 1 hr 25 min
'Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning' Reactions | The Midnight Boys
'Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning' Reactions | The Midnight Boys The Boys are back and they’re diving into their thoughts on the final (?) installment of the franchise: ‘Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning.’ (0:00) Intro (10:00) Spoilers Ahead (11:56) Instant Reactions to 'Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning' (35:13) Criticisms of 'Mission: Impossible' (1:05:51) Midnight Meter (1:08:36) 'Mission: Impossible' Rankings (1:17:39) Outro (1:18:52) Post Credits Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 26, 2025 · 1 hr 47 min
'The Last of Us' Season 2 Finale Reactions, Plus 'Doomsday' Delay News
The Midnight Boys are back to give all of their hot takes on and instant reactions to the season finale of 'The Last of Us.' They take a look at where Ellie's revenge tour leads and discuss what they can look forward to in Season 3. Later, they also react to the news of a delay to 'Avengers: Doomsday' that could clash with 'Dune,' and they talk about whether things are all right in the house of Marvel. (00:00) Intro (04:28) 'The Last of Us' reactions (01:12:27) 'Doomsday' delay Hosts: Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, Steve Ahlman, and Van Lathan Social: Jomi Adeniran Producers: Steve Ahlman, Jon Jones, Jonathan Kermah, and Jomi Adeniran Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 23, 2025 · 58 min
‘Murderbot' Check-in, Episodes 1-3 | Mint Edition
Jomi and Steve jump into the world of ‘Murderbot’ with instant reactions to the first three episodes! Later, the guys look at the news of Avatar, Hunger Games, and other series in fandom. (00:00) Intro (05:00) Murderbot (37:00) Nerd news Host: Jomi Adeniran and Steve Ahlman Producer: Jonathan Kermah Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 22, 2025 · 1 hr 36 min
'The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 6: The Gamer Guide. Plus, the Game's Guitarist! | Button Mash
Ben and Daniel "do it all over again." First, they give their reviews of Season 2's penultimate 'TLOU' episode, "The Price," and then they break down the episode's departures from and additions to the game. Then they speculate about what could be coming in the season finale and beyond. Finally, Ben talks to Chris Rondinella, the musician who performed "Future Days," "Take On Me," and other songs in 'The Last of Us Part II,' about how he played Joel and Ellie. Intro (0:00) Reactions to Episode 6 (4:24) Interview with Chris Rondinella (1:19:08) Outro (1:32:59) Hosts: Ben Lindbergh and Daniel Chin Guest: Chris Rondinella Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 20, 2025 · 1 hr 46 min
‘Doom: The Dark Ages’ Reactions and ‘Andor’ Writer Tom Bissell | Button Mash
Ben, Matt, and Steve share their (non-spoiler-y) impressions of the new first-person shooter 'Doom: The Dark Ages,' focusing on the ever-evolving nature of the franchise, whether the series' latest experiments improve upon its tried-and-true formula, how they'd rank the three most recent 'Doom' games, and more. Then, Ben brings on video game writer and screenwriter Tom Bissell, who wrote the three-part finale of 'Andor,' to talk about the 'Andor' writers room; working within story constraints and established universes; tying the finale to 'Rogue One'; the future of 'Star Wars' and IP storytelling in the aftermath of 'Andor'; 'Andor' as a video game; the differences between writing for TV and video games; his work on 'Uncharted,' 'Gears of War,' 'What Remains of Edith Finch,' and 'Masters of Doom'; Hollywood's appetite for video game adaptations; and more. Intro (0:00) Reactions to 'Doom: The Dark Ages' (2:30) Interview with Tom Bissell (35:35) Outro (1:41:53) Host: Ben Lindbergh Guests: Steve Ahlman, Tom Bissell, and Matt James Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 19, 2025 · 1 hr 34 min
'The Last of Us' Episode 6 Reactions, Plus 'Superman' and 'Ironheart' Trailers
The Midnight Boys dive into Joel and Ellie’s father-daughter relationship in their instant reactions to the penultimate episode of Season 2 of ‘The Last of Us.’ Later, they turn their focus to the ‘Superman’ and ‘Ironheart’ trailers in the latest edition of Nerd News. Hosts: Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, Steve Ahlman, and Van Lathan Social: Jomi Adeniran Producers: Chris Thomas, Jamie Yukich, Jonathan Kermah, and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 15, 2025 · 1 hr 35 min
'The Last of Us' Season 2, Episode 5: The Gamer Guide, and Animating 'TLOU2' | Button Mash
Ben and Daniel got here from Jackson just in time to talk about Episode 5, "Feel Her Love." They discuss the specifics of the action and the pivotal closing scene, then pull back a bit to comment on how the effort to adapt the game is going before forecasting what could be coming next. Then, Ben talks to longtime Naughty Dog game developer Almudena Soria Sancho, lead animator on 'The Last of Us Part II,' about her thoughts on the 'TLOU' adaptation, bringing the Stalkers and other infected to life, perfecting performance capture, the advantages and drawbacks of film and TV versus video games, what she's most looking forward to seeing the rest of this season and next season, and more. Intro (0:00) Reactions to Episode (3:50) Interview with Almudena Soria Sancho (1:05:50) Outro (1:32:18) Hosts: Ben Lindbergh and Daniel Chin Guest: Almudena Soria Sancho Producer: Devon Renaldo Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
May 14, 2025 · 1 hr 55 min
Was 'Andor' a Perfect 'Star Wars' Show? ‘Andor’ Season 2 Finale Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back, and they’re diving into ‘Andor’ Season 2, Episodes 10-12, the season’s final episodes. (0:00) Intro (3:30) Spoilers ahead (6:10) Initial reactions (1:43:05) Outro (1:45:26) Post-credits Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Jonathan Kermah, Chris Thomas, and Steve Ahlman Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices