Nathan Johnson

Nathan Johnson

Writer

Nathan is a writer at The Direct where he covers Star Wars, the MCU, and DC news. He joined The Direct in April 2021 and currently writes news and feature articles about all three brands mentioned above, but his main specialty is his knowledge about anything and everything Star Wars.

Nathan recently graduated from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville in December 2022 where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Communication with a major in Journalism & Electronic Media.

You can follow Nathan on Twitter (@nathansmalls_13) to keep up with his thoughts on Star Wars, fantasy books, and pro wrestling.

About The Direct

The Direct is a leading independent entertainment news outlet covering the biggest franchises in pop culture. The Direct reaches over 10 million page views a month on its website, thedirect.com, and millions more on social media. Learn more about The Direct here!


Nathan Johnson's Latest The Direct Articles

2 Big Marvel Movies Expected to Kick Off Phase 7

Phase 6 of the MCU will end with Secret Wars, but fans already know which two movies will be kicking off Phase 7.

By Nathan Johnson -


Disney Reveals Why Dogs Aren't Allowed In Zootopia

Man's best friend has no place in the Zootopia universe, and it's intentional.

By Nathan Johnson -


Hunt For Gollum’s Place on The Lord Of The Rings Timeline Reportedly Revealed

Fans finally know when the next movie in the Lord of the Rings franchise will take place.

By Nathan Johnson -


Avengers Doomsday Trailer 4 Brings Back 2 Key MCU Villains

Find out which two of the MCU's Phase 4 villains are returning in Avengers: Doomsday.

By Nathan Johnson -


HBO Officially Unveils Jon Snow's Game of Thrones Replacement

Kit Harington's Jon Snow is being replaced in HBO's newest Game of Thrones series.

By Nathan Johnson -


James Gunn Confirms the 4 Most Important Cities In the New DCU

A DC Studios executive confirmed which locations are the most important for the future of the DCU.

By Nathan Johnson -


Star Wars Director Confirms Tom Cruise’s Involvement In Starfighter

Yes, THE Tom Cruise played a key role in bringing Shawn Levy's Starfighter to life.

By Nathan Johnson -


Disney+ Confirms 3 Marvel Releases for January 2026

Disney+ will be adding some Marvel (and Sony) content to the service to start the year off.

By Nathan Johnson -


Dave's Hot Chicken Fallout Meal Includes a Stimpack That Actually Works

Fallout has collaborated with Dave's Hot Chicken, and fans' dreams have finally come true.

By Nathan Johnson -


Stranger Things 5 Conformity Gate Deep Dive: 8 Reasons Fans Think Netflix Has A Secret Episode

Get your tinfoil hats on, because the wildest Stranger Things conspiracy is taking over the internet.

By Nathan Johnson -


Lucasfilm Confirms 1 Issue With Ryan Gosling's Star Wars: Starfighter Movie Plot

Fans are excited about Ryan Gosling's Star Wars movie, but it may contain a major issue.

By Nathan Johnson -


2026's DCU Series Will Be More R-Rated Than We Thought

An upcoming DCU series will be much more adult than fans previously thought.

By Nathan Johnson -


HBO Max Announces 5 New DC Superhero Releases for January 2026

Green Lantern and the Teen Titans will be making their way to HBO Max at the beginning of the year.

By Nathan Johnson -


2026's Live-Action Spider-Verse TV Show Confirmed to Include 4 Marvel Actors

Four actors who have appeared in past Marvel projects will be returning for Spider-Noir.

By Nathan Johnson -


James Gunn's DC Studios Just Abandoned Its First TV Show

Fans shouldn't get their hopes up for one of the earliest DCU TV shows to be released anytime soon.

By Nathan Johnson -


Disney+ Says Goodbye to Its 5th Star Wars Show

Andor was not the only Star Wars Disney+ series to end in the year 2025.

By Nathan Johnson -


Ahsoka Season 2 Officially Breaks a 49-Year-Old Star Wars Timeline Rule

Ahsoka Season 2 is doing something no other live-action Star Wars project has done before.

By Nathan Johnson -


Marvel Studios Confirms 1 Spider-Man Actor Will Appear In 'Wonder Man'

An actor who has portrayed the same character in multiple MCU projects will be joining Wonder Man.

By Nathan Johnson -


The Steve Rogers Avengers: Doomsday Return Controversy Is Overblown

Fans have not been too happy about Steve Rogers coming back to the MCU, and those reactions are entirely overblown.

By Nathan Johnson -


X-Men '97 Season 2: All 6 Villains Confirmed to Appear, Ranked By Power Level

Some extremely strong villains will be returning in X-Men '97 Season 2, such as Magneto, Apocalypse, and Omega Red.

By Nathan Johnson -


2026's The Punisher Reboot Just Unveiled the 8th MCU Netflix Villain

Marvel Studios just found its main villain for the Punisher Special Presentation.

By Nathan Johnson -


Disclosure Day's Animal Twist Hints at the Movie's True Plot

Steven Spielberg's upcoming film could be more sinister than fans realize.

By Nathan Johnson -


IT: Welcome To Derry Finale Timeline Twist Explains How The Series Is Actually A Sequel To IT 2 Movie

A massive twist in IT: Welcome to Derry revealed that the show is not a prequel to the films.

By Nathan Johnson -


Disney Confirms 7 MCU Movies & Disney+ Shows Releasing In 2026

Disney has finally told fans which Marvel projects will be released in 2026.

By Nathan Johnson -


Super Mario Movie 2: Nintendo Teases New Character Announcements On the Way

More Mario characters are on the way for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

By Nathan Johnson -


Fallout Season 2 Confirmed to Include 5 Key Villains

Fans now know which five characters will be the villains of Prime Video's Fallout Season 2, including the infamous Mr. House.

By Nathan Johnson -


Star Wars Just Released Its 6th Disappointing Sequel

Star Wars recently released a new sequel project, but it is nowhere near as good as its predecessor.

By Nathan Johnson -


DC Studios Officially Abandons Canon With New Streaming Release

The DCU just started, but James Gunn and co. are already moving away from canon.

By Nathan Johnson -


Ahsoka Season 2 Replaces Its Main Villain Actor, Rosario Dawson Speaks Out

Rosario Dawson made sure to praise Rory McCann for carrying on Ray Stevenson's legacy.

By Nathan Johnson -


IT: Welcome To Derry Marge Theory Makes Richie’s Heroic Sacrifice Even More Heartbreaking

If this is revealed in the Welcome to Derry finale, fans will be in shambles.

By Nathan Johnson -


DC Studios Confirms Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern Ring Will Live On In the DCU Reboot

Many fans will be shocked to learn that Ryan Reynolds will be making his mark on James Gunn's DCU.

By Nathan Johnson -


X-Men '97 Season 2 Confirmed to Include 15 X-Men from the Fox Movies

X-Men '97 Season 2 is assembling quite the lineup of familiar faces, most notably from the Fox universe.

By Nathan Johnson -


Netflix Reveals 13 Biggest TV Series Releasing In December 2025

Many major TV shows will be debuting on Netflix during the last month of 2025, including Stranger Things, that viewers won't want to miss.

By Nathan Johnson -


Disney+ Just Unveiled Star Wars' Andor Follow-Up (And It Looks Great)

One of Star Wars' latest releases channeled some elements of Andor in the best way.

By Nathan Johnson -


FNAF 2 Movie: Official Posters for 7 Main Characters Unveiled

Seven of Five Nights at Freddy's 2's main characters were finally given some eerie character posters.

By Nathan Johnson -


2026's The Mandalorian Movie Will Abandon The Show's Original Promise (Confirmed)

The entire premise of The Mandalorian is being thrown out the window in Star Wars' new movie.

By Nathan Johnson -


George R.R. Martin Unveils Stunning New Cover for 'A Song of Ice And Fire'

New official art from A Song of Ice and Fire was officially revealed ahead of a new release.

By Nathan Johnson -


House of the Dragon Season 3 New Official Photo Reveals Controversial Canon Change

House of the Dragon Season 3 will continue to distance itself from the source material.

By Nathan Johnson -


Star Wars Officially Unveils Its First-Ever Jedi Clone Trooper Design

A recent piece of content in the Star Wars canon featured a Jedi in clone trooper armor for the first time.

By Nathan Johnson -


Marvel Studios Just Released the Best Poster for Its Netflix Reboot

A new poster for Daredevil: Born Again may be the best one that has ever come from the franchise.

By Nathan Johnson -