The past week has been filled with new announcements, from a slew of new films from Fox, actual Mario Karts at Target, and news about the upcoming Captain Marvel film. Get ready for another dose of Nerd News!

5. New Podcast from Dave and Joren

Be sure to check out our latest Podcast! Dave and Joren tackle the latest The Last Jedi trailer, Rick and Morty, Iron Fist, and more. The discussion also includes Batgirl with Joss Whedon, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, Thor: Ragnarok, Bojack Horseman, Josh Brolin, Squirrel Girl, Dumbledore, and the new Transformers movie. Alas, there’s no Lightning Round, but the new podcast is packed with content, nonetheless. If you haven’t already, feel free to follow, subscribe, and share!

4. Fox Announces Three New X-Men Movies

Over the weekend, Box Office Pro announced that Fox has confirmed three new X-Men movies slated for next year. New Mutants is set to release on 4/13/18, followed by the hotly anticipated Deadpool 2 on 6/1/18, and then Dark Phoenix on 11/2/18. At this time, fans are filled with speculation about New Mutants. X-Men: The New Mutants is helmed by director Josh Boone, and is currently rumored to star James McAvoy as Professor X. Boone's recent film credits includes the heartbreaking teen drama, The Fault In Our Stars (2014) and Stuck in Love (2012).

When Deadpool hit theaters last year, few knew what to expect from the merc with a mouth's debut on the silver screen. While Ryan Reynolds is confirmed to reprise his titular role, the original Deadpool director, Tim Miller, will not return. Have no fear, director David Leitch will take his place. Leitch is known for his lengthy resume as a stuntman, and for his uncredited directing stint with John Wick. Vanessa (Morena Baccarin) and Blind Al (Leslie Uggams) will return, along with two new characters, Zazie Beetz as Domino and Josh Brolin as Cable.

Interestingly enough, Dark Phoenix will also be released towards the later half of next year. While the end of X-Men: Apocalypse gave fans a hint of Jean Grey's power on screen, most are still left wondering about which direction Dark Phoenix will head.

3. Real-life Mario Karts at Target

According to The Verge, Target is diving off the deep end and converting their signature shopping carts into Mario Karts. IN celebration of the upcoming launch of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the Nintendo Switch, the chain will add Mario Kart themed shopping carts in over 650 stores across the nation. While there's still no word about Bowser, shoppers can grab "Super Target Karts" including Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. In honor of the new game release, stores will also feature the memorable Super Mario Bros. theme song and a checkered starting line at each store's entrance. Let the racing commence, but don’t say we didn’t warn you!

2. Captain Marvel directors announced

Last year, Marvel confirmed that actress Brie Larson will play the lead role in "Captain Marvel". While the film is slated for a release on March 8, 2019, as confirmed last year at San Diego Comic-Con, there hasn't been any word about who would direct. While there were some rumors that Disney and Marvel execs were searching for a female director, they finally announced who will the helm. Directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck are set to direct the upcoming Marvel release. The pair certainly knows drama, and film credits include Half Nelson (2006) and Mississippi Grind (2015), along with television credits for "The Affair" and "Billions".

1. Fate of the Furious breaks box office records

The Fate of the Furious has ignited box office records, shattering the previous record held by Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens. While the film fell short domestically, there were plenty of Fast and the Furious fans that helped push the film to break international box office records.

In a surprise upset, The Fate of the Furious annihilated the competition with the biggest international box office opening of all time. The title was previously held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but The Fate of the Furious cashed in at $532.5 million from its first weekend, barely beating the record-shattering $529 million from The Force Awakens.

Variety notes that the film made most of the sales from international box office numbers. Starring Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, and Michelle Rodriguez, the film also introduced Charlize Theron as the new baddie, Cypher. With little competition in theaters at the moment, The Fate of the Furious is still leading the way in box office sales from last weekend. A bloated blockbuster, the latest addition to the Fast and the Furious franchise is filled with insane stunts and a ridiculous plot but remains true to its theme of family. Although The Fate of the Furious didn’t have a post-credits scene, the ending clearly set up room for another sequel.

Amusingly enough, a fifth grader literally won the internet with a compare and contrast chart involving Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and an actual rock. Dwayne Johnson gave his stamp of approval, tweeting, "My abiotic brother. (great job to the very cool 5th grader who did this) Very cool and creative 5th grader who will become a future science leader. Unlike myself in 5th grade who got suspended for using the middle finger in class."

Stay tuned to more nerd news and geek related buzz on our blog!

Written by Jade Nicolette

Twitter: @nicolette_style