Samsung is swinging into theaters this summer.

Ahead of the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Samsung announced a new collaboration with Sony Pictures. It puts its Galaxy devices directly into the world of Marvel’s friendly neighborhood hero.

At the center of the campaign is the Spidey Tracker, an interactive experience inspired by the upcoming film. In the movie, Ned Leeds develops the tracker on a Samsung Galaxy device to help locate Spider-Man. Now, fans can use a real-world version through a dedicated website.

The tracker will serve as a hub for Spider-Man-themed content throughout the summer. Fans can follow sightings, discover hidden easter eggs, view cast appearances and interviews, and participate in community-driven activities.

Samsung says the Spidey Tracker will be available in 35 countries worldwide through SpideyTracker.com and on X via @SpideyTracker.

Galaxy devices join Spider-Man’s world

The partnership extends beyond marketing.

In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Samsung’s Galaxy devices will be featured throughout the story. Spider-Man will be seen using a Galaxy Z Flip, while Ned Leeds relies on Galaxy Z Fold devices and Galaxy Watch wearables as he searches for the web-slinger.

According to Samsung, the collaboration highlights how its devices help users stay connected, whether they’re sharing moments with friends, keeping in touch with family, or, in Spider-Man’s case, saving New York City.

The company also said the campaign reflects the importance of human connection and self-expression, themes that have long been part of Spider-Man’s story.

More Spider-Man sightings this summer

Sony Pictures says the partnership helps expand Spider-Man’s connection to his community beyond the movie screen.

Throughout the summer, fans can expect Spider-Man-themed appearances across live events, creator content, special activations, and even select Samsung Experience Stores.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens exclusively in theaters on July 31.

Meanwhile, fans can start tracking their favorite wall-crawler through the Spidey Tracker beginning June 17 at 3PM ET.

Marvel Animation’s Emmy-nominated X-Men ’97 is returning to Disney+ for a second season, starting July 1.

Along with this announcement, a trailer and poster have been made available. The first season of the animated series was one of the most-watched Disney+ originals, and a hit with fans and critics alike.

Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home.

Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the protagonists’ absence.

The second season will be comprised of nine episodes. The voice cast includes:

• Ross Marquand as Professor X
• Matthew Waterson as Magneto
• Ray Chase as Cyclops
• Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey
• Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm
• Cal Dodd as Wolverine
• Lenore Zann as Rogue
• George Buza as Beast

The series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Julia Lewald, Eric Lewald, Larry Houston, and Beau DeMayo.

Jake Castorena serves as the supervising producer. Episodes were written by JB Ballard, Beau DeMayo, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson.

The episodic directors are Emmett Yonemura and Chase Conley.

It’s been a while since a Star Wars movie made me walk out of a cinema feeling genuinely pumped. Not necessarily emotional nor mind-blown. And not even scrambling to re-evaluate the entire franchise. Just… pumped.

The Mandalorian and Grogu feels like a proper Star Wars blockbuster again. The kind built for crowded cinemas, loud reactions, and collective gasps during action sequences. More importantly, it feels approachable in a way the franchise hasn’t always managed to be lately.

As someone whose interest in Star Wars slowly waned after The Rise of Skywalker, this movie felt oddly refreshing.

I watched the film alongside occasional GadgetMatch contributor Dawn, whose relationship with Star Wars sits somewhere adjacent to mine. Familiar with the Skywalker Saga and select spin-offs, but not necessarily deep into every corner of the lore either. Not because it reinvented the wheel. Quite the opposite, actually. It understood exactly what kind of movie it wanted to be.

I came into the film fairly blind. No rewatches, just a little prep work, and no “required viewing” marathons beforehand. And somehow, none of that really mattered.

Even without context from multiple seasons of Disney+ shows, Din Djarin and Grogu’s bond clicks almost immediately. You don’t need a detailed explanation for why these two care deeply about each other. The movie trusts viewers enough to simply accept their connection and move forward.

Grogu also remains ABSOLUTELY THE CUTEST. No further notes.

Well, maybe one more note.

That little guy carries an absurd amount of emotional weight throughout the movie. Whether he’s unintentionally causing chaos, silently reacting to situations, or simply existing onscreen, he consistently draws laughs and reactions from the audience.

There’s one sequence in particular where Grogu takes care of Din that managed to get a few giggles. It’s a small moment, but one that perfectly captures why this duo works. They don’t feel manufactured. They just feel natural.

Safe storytelling done right

One thing we kept coming back to after the screening was how easy the movie was to watch. Not “easy” in a dismissive way. More accessible and comfortable.

It’s the kind of blockbuster that lets you settle into the experience without requiring homework beforehand.

One observation that stood out during our post-movie discussion was describing the film as a “palate cleanser spin-off.” Despite growing up with the Skywalker Saga and several Star Wars spin-offs herself, she appreciated how welcoming the film felt.

“It’s interesting enough to lure you back into the lore and fall back into love with the franchise,” she said.

That really captures the movie’s biggest strength.

The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn’t spend its runtime obsessing over lore density or trying to prove how important it is within the larger Star Wars timeline. Instead, it focuses on delivering a straightforward adventure with familiar emotional beats.

Sometimes, that traditional recipe is enough.

There are definitely moments where the story feels predictable. We found ourselves correctly guessing certain developments well before they happened. But surprisingly, that never hurt the experience.

If anything, the predictability made the movie feel oddly comforting.

The film knows when to slow down for tender scenes, when to ramp things up with explosive action, and when to simply let viewers breathe inside its world. There’s also very little visual fatigue throughout the runtime. The pacing stays clean and the movie rarely overstays its welcome.

One of my favorite sequences involved Rotta the Hutt in a gladiator-like setting that weirdly reminded me of Thor: Ragnarok. It was chaotic, funny, and surprisingly entertaining.

Also, I need it on record that I identified with Rotta look-wise.

That comparison was apparently questionable according to my companion for the screening.

A low-friction way back into Star Wars

More than anything else, The Mandalorian and Grogu reminded me why people fell in love with Star Wars in the first place.

Not through endless callbacks or franchise homework. But through companionship, adventure, and a healthy helping of heart.

Underneath all the sci-fi spectacle and action sequences is a story about choosing to care for people even when it might not be the smartest thing to do in the moment. Din and Grogu’s relationship may often get described online as father-and-son, but honestly, they felt more like disproportionately-sized bros constantly looking out for each other.

And somehow, that dynamic works incredibly well.

By the end of the movie, we arrived at almost the same conclusion. We wanted more.

Not necessarily because this was the greatest Star Wars story ever told. It isn’t trying to be. But it successfully reignited interest in a franchise that can sometimes feel daunting from the outside looking in.

One immediate effect of the movie was successfully convincing my co-viewer to finally start The Mandalorian Season 1 once schedules calm down a bit. In the meantime, Grogu doomscrolling on Instagram will apparently suffice.

Meanwhile, I’m suddenly considering diving back into Star Wars shows I skipped over the years. I might check out The Acolyte. Maybe Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe even tap into gaming with the adventures of Cal Kestis if time and workload permit.

That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give this movie. It made me want to care again.

For longtime fans, The Mandalorian and Grogu delivers good, clean Star Wars fun with heart and hype.

For newcomers, it offers a surprisingly low-friction entry point into a universe that can otherwise feel overwhelming.

That might be exactly what Star Wars needed right now.