2020 has been a year like no other, and despite everything that’s happened, pop culture, uh, found a way, and the small screen managed to keep a lot of us entertained (and sane). An elite squad of Supanova team members have managed to open a quantum tunnel into the past to bring back all our favourites of the year, while looking ahead to our most anticipated titles of 2021.

MADDIE (COMMUNICATIONS)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Despite *gestures broadly*, 2020 was still a pretty great year in media for me. I ummed and ahhed over what to list as my number one, until I looked at the 1,000+ hours on my DIY island, and it had to go to Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I’d never played an AC game before, so to find myself neck-deep in the most wholesome content imaginable was the perfect escape during The Bad Year.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

My most anticipated title of 2021 is the same as last year’s due to *again, gestures*, that being Evangelion: 3.0+1.0. The trailer we received in October catapulted my excitement into orbit, and I will never ask for anything ever again, just please let it be good.

Congratulations.gif, Supa-Fans! Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 is set to be released in Japan on January 23! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Fq5S3nGDUm

— Supanova Comic Con & Gaming (@SupanovaExpo) October 16, 2020

COURTNEY (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

The Mandalorian season two! It’s one of the most epic TV shows I have ever watched. It has a great combination of heart and soul, fan favourites, and the classic stories we love from the Star Wars universe. Plus…

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

The Book of Boba Fett! Can’t wait!

CRISTIAN (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition. Perhaps it’s cheating because this may also have been my favourite release of 2019, but they somehow managed to improve on action game perfection, so I gotta say it again. A fourth playable character, the deep combat mechanics, the 20% speed boost, new modes, it all adds up to a re-release that is now the definitive version of this modern classic.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

No Time To Die. James Bond is a classic series that has seen a lot of highs and lows, and even though Spectre and Skyfall were both good, no recent Bond film has come close to matching the quality of Casino Royale, which will hopefully be corrected by No Time to Die. It’s going to be a little bittersweet if Daniel Craig’s excellent Bond interpretation peaked in the first film, so it’s all riding on this last hurrah now.

MATTIE (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

His House. I really liked how the horror of the real world became far more terrifying than the actual horror elements in the film. It had a great reveal, and the production design was simple but effective. Great work for a debut feature!

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Matrix 4. I adore this series (yes, even the sequels and The Animatrix) and just love the world and characters. So I’m very excited to see any Matrix film up on the big screen again. Definitely going to rewatch the first three before heading to the cinema. Going to the first screening available!

RACHAEL (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. Shadowlands was the new World of Warcraft expansion after just over two years – the anticipation was unreal! After a small delay, Shadowlands launched in late October and did not disappoint. A new feature of this expansion was making players align themselves with a particular covenant, which would shape how they played through the expansion and would even filter the storyline – quite a tough decision for some. If you wanted to give it a go, now is the time (and definitely pick Venthyr).

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Loki. Who said the Marvel hype would end with Endgame?

JAMES (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Gorillaz’s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez. Nothing encapsulates 2020 like Gorillaz’s Song Machine. Much of the album was affected by the need to record remotely, and there’s almost no cohesion between the tracks. Yet it works and the album is incredible, managing to be their best in at least a decade (and I loved 2017’s Humanz). Aries, Désolé, and The Pink Phantom are my standout tracks for too many reasons to list here.

Particular thanks goes to Gorillaz designer Jamie Hewlett and his tireless work animating the music videos. He probably didn’t expect them to rely so heavily on his animation at the start of the year!

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Hellblade 2: Senua’s Saga. The first game was a gruelling journey through Senua’s heartbreak and psychosis. The sequel looks to continue that in some form, but with a bigger budget and, most importantly, it’s set in Iceland. A gorgeous and harsh island with an incredible history and culture.

THEODORA (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Alice in Borderland. While I have not read the manga, this series is crazy! From life and death games, to getting to know the characters, this series was an emotional rollercoaster, and I really hope it gets renewed for another season.

Birds of Prey and The Old Guard get honorary mentions because I went into watching those films with no expectation and came out in love with them!

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Spider-Man 3. While there could be delays to its release, circling [unconfirmed] reports of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have me excited that the Spider-Man universes could potentially be combining!

FRANCES (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

The Umbrella Academy season two. Season two was even better than the first season! The throwback to 1960s Dallas was an ambitious move, but with the brilliant acting from the entire cast, and the perfect mix of humour with dramatic and heartfelt moments, there was an authenticity brought to the weird world they invited us into.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

WandaVision. Just weird, wacky and wonderful. I am very interested to see how the MCU tackles the House of M storyline after Endgame, and what it means for the future. We know that Scarlet Witch is an incredibly powerful mutant, and her ability to shift and bend reality is sure to be a crazy and frightening adventure.

CONNOR (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

The Old Guard. It’s a refreshing take on immortality. It doesn’t pose immortals as these benevolent beings that are somehow above humans, they’re humans who have lived a very long time. They still have flaws, desires, regrets, and hope (or lack thereof).

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Loki. A hero (let’s be honest, Loki is the hero of his own story) that has a questionable morality being sent on what appears to an Oceans-style heist. Throw in a bit of magic and Loki’s flair for the dramatic and we could be in for a wild ride.

ARIAN (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise. It’s a game that blurs the lines between a complete mess and monumental design at every corner. I could understand why someone would hate it and never touch it after seeing one screenshot, but those who play it will discover something truly unique and something that redefines the term ‘quality’ for them.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

The Souvenir Part II. After watching the first Souvenir, the characters were left off still so young that being able to see their dreams play out in the sequel will hopefully be magical.

RYAN (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Birds of Prey. I’m a sucker for a good, fun action flick and Birds of Prey delivered hard. The story was solid, the characters were fun, balanced and incredibly engaging. The standout characters, Huntress (Mary-Elizabeth Winstead) and my favourite, Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett), gave beautiful performances that bounced off Margot Robbie’s charismatic Harley Quinn perfectly, along with Ewan McGregor’s Black Mask. Straight up shameless fun and outstandingly good action.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Uncharted. I’m a huge fan of the Uncharted video game series. I’m also a big fan of Tom Holland. I have a few reservations about how Uncharted might be adapted to film, but I’m incredibly excited to see the end result.

DAN (MANAGING EDITOR/LOCAL SCREEN OUTREACH)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Lucifer. I haven’t binged a show that hard since I stumbled across The Walking Dead (Fear the Walking Dead‘s sixth season this year is also high up on my best of 2020 list!). Although season three of Lucifer was released in 2017-18, Supanova favourite Tom Welling was a highlight as Marcus Pierce. As far as films go, Dylan O’Brien’s Love and Monsters (which filmed in Queensland) was my #1.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

I’m really hoping that Nirvanna the Band the Show‘s third season FINALLY gets released. It’s been stuck in limbo since 2018.

AOIFE (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

The Mandalorian. It’s Star Wars for people who like Star Wars, and a damn good show that’s accessible for people who haven’t seen Star Wars.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

The Handmaid’s Tale season four. People say it’s going downhill, but season three had me more enraptured than ever!

TC (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Season five of The Magicians. I’ve forced my love of all things The Magicians upon everyone around me more than once, and the final season was bittersweet. Not the strongest season for sure, but it was one I was even surprised happened to begin with following [redacted]’s heartbreaking departure in the season four finale.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

The Suicide Squad! There’s so much cool stuff planned for next year but my top pick has to be James Gunn, the man behind Guardians of the Galaxy, giving the Suicide Squad a soft reboot, and Margot Robbie returning as Harley Quinn once more. What’s not to get excited about?

ADEN (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It brought the world together in a way that I didn’t even think was possible. The game released at the exact right time and it gave myself and everyone I know something to look forward to each day.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

In The Heights! This film is an adaptation of my favourite musical and has an all-star cast.

KRISTY (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Onward was deeply heart-warming and beautifully animated, easily one of Pixar’s best films in years. It’s a shame that COVID kept it from a full theatre run.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

WandaVision. I have a soft spot for the character of the Scarlet Witch. It will be great to see the MCU’s take on her more deeply explored.

POKE (2IC, AV/TECH DEPARTMENT)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

♫ Kinda bug and kinda snack,
Try to catch ’em in your trap,
Feed somebody and you’ll see
We are whatever we eat ♫

From a small trailer buried in an extensive Playstation reveal event in June, (and an absolute earworm from Kero Kero Bonito), Bugsnax promised a fun, adorable, critter-collecting game filled with creatures that are half-bug and half-snack.

Venturing around Snaktooth Island investigating the disappearance of renowned researcher Lizbert Megafig, you can find, collect, and feed the other inhabitants of the island a bunch of adorable food critters like the Fryder (French Fries/Spider), Banopper (Banana/Grasshopper), or the giant Daddy Cakelegs (Daddy Long-Legs/Birthday Cake), while at the same time, help the others come to terms with life on the island, and discover the mystery behind the Bugsnax.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Phase 4 of the MCU. Following the Disney Investors Day announcements of the many (many) movies and Disney+ series’ all debuting in 2021, I feel like it’s been a bit of a blessing in disguise giving the wider audience over a year to breathe after the events of Endgame in 2019, because 2021 is going to be stacked with all kinds of good superhero content.

LIAM (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Freaky. What a movie! I honestly wasn’t expecting this to be my favourite release of 2020 back in 2019, but I haven’t enjoyed a movie this much in years! It wasn’t serious and it wasn’t goofy either. It was a pure comedic thriller that had me glued to my seat and a smile stuck to my face! The perfect comedy needed for the year we all had.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

No Time to Die. 007 has been the world’s #1 spy since Ian Fleming first wrote Casino Royale. Since then, we have had 24 Bond movies with each film bringing something iconic to the screens. No Time to Die will be the latest release and also the final film for Daniel Craig, bringing an end to his long run as the British spy. Making his Bond debut in 2006 and concluding in 2021, it really is going to be an unmissable release!

QUINNY (HEAD MC AND GENERAL FRIENDLY GUY)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Ted Lasso. A show that unashamedly embraced being a good human and caring for your fellows whether they want it or not. A joyful and loving salve to the challenges that 2020 presented us.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Everything we missed in 2020! But probably Ghostbusters Afterlife! I’ve loved Ghostbusters since 1984 and I am looking forward to coming home again!

KIEREN (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Cyberpunk 2077 has been the best game I’ve played since Fallout 4. While there are issues and bugs throughout, the overall story, gameplay and world more than make up for any issues. I was completely absorbed and taken in as soon as I started playing, and didn’t even notice the time passing. Cyberpunk 2077 is a beautiful representation of the title genre, even referencing popular movies like Total Recall. There is a surprising amount of heart in the game, which adds to the overall experience.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

The Suicide Squad. I am so excited for this movie! After the lacklustre Suicide Squad movie by David Ayer, I am so excited to see the legendary James Gunn take on this epic story. When the preview footage was shown at the DC FanDome, I lost my mind at how huge and ambitious the movie is going to be. The Suicide Squad looks absolutely packed with characters and epic action scenes, I have no doubt it’ll be one of the best movies of 2021.

SAMMY (CONTRIBUTING WRITER)

What was your favourite release of 2020?

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. Making his long-awaited return, Borat is finally back, GREAT SUCCESS! I like! The day this movie came out, I got Amazon Prime, snacks and sat down to relive the good old days of watching Borat torment people while also showing the good and… interesting… sides of humanity! This movie didn’t disappoint.

What release are you most excited for in 2021?

Hogwarts Legacy. Did someone say an open-world RPG set in the Harry Potter world? Yes, please! I cannot wait for this game so I can live out my dreams, I’m still waiting for my letter and know I’d make a great Hufflepuff.  The release date is yet to be confirmed but I’ll be waiting eagerly, see you at Hogwarts!