• Joe and Anthony Russo, the directors of "Avengers: Endgame," explained what makes Superman such a difficult character to bring to the big screen.
• "The more powerful a character is, the more difficult to deal with that character on a narrative level," Anthony said. 
• "You have to find an emotional flaw or weakness in the character in order to make them vulnerable," Joe added.

Joe and Anthony Russo know a thing or two about bringing classic comic-book characters to theaters. The brothers have directed Marvel's "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Civil War," and this year's "Avengers: Infinity War." Next year, its follow-up, "Avengers: Endgame," hits theaters.

In those movies, they have juggled over two dozen characters, some of whom are easier to develop for the big screen than others. The Russos told Business Insider last week that the more powerful a character is, the harder that becomes. 

READ MORE: 'Avengers: Endgame' directors on dealing with sky-high expectations, and which characters they want to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe

"The more powerful a character is, the more difficult to deal with that character on a narrative level," Anthony said. "As storytellers, and the way we explore characters, we always look for vulnerabilities in characters because that's where characters become interesting. They're superficially interesting in their strength, but they get much more depth when you find where they don't have that kind of strength. In general, the more powerful a character is, the more tricky that is."

A prime example is Superman. The Russos haven't dealt with the character since he plays for the rival team, DC Comics. But he's one of the most powerful superheroes ever created, and also hasn't had the best luck on the silver screen in recent years.

"He's a very difficult character," Joe said. "You have to find an emotional flaw or weakness in the character in order to make them vulnerable."

READ MORE: 'Aquaman' is the biggest movie in the world, and it hasn't even debuted in the US yet

Superman was most recently played by Henry Cavill in the DC Extended Universe, Warner Bros. and DC's answer to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Cavill starred as the character in "Man of Steel," "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," and "Justice League," but is reportedly not returning to the role as Warner Bros. rethinks its superhero film strategy, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

While "Man of Steel" and "Batman v Superman" performed well at the box office, none of Cavill's movies received glowing reviews. "Justice League" was considered a major disappointment both critically and commercially, and derailed Warner Bros.' future DCEU plans. 

Before the DCEU, Brandon Routh played Superman in 2006's "Superman Returns," a spiritual sequel to "Superman II." It grossed only $391 million worldwide.

SEE ALSO: 'Avengers: Endgame' directors on dealing with sky-high expectations, and which characters they want to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe

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NOW WATCH: The inside story behind the Marvel movie you were never supposed to see

• Disney and Marvel Studios topped the box office this year, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson proved that he's the biggest movie star in the world.
• Meanwhile, Claire Foy starred in three box-office bombs, and Kevin Hart butchered his chance at being Oscars host.

As with any year, 2018 saw ups and downs in the entertainment world. From Disney's box-office domination, to Kevin Hart's swift rise and fall as Oscars host, the year saw records broken and controversies arise.

Former CBS CEO Les Moonves was ousted after a dozen women accused him of sexual assault or harassment. Meanwhile, Queen saw a resurgence as its biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" exceeded expectations at the box office.

We've rounded up nine winners and five losers in Hollywood from 2018 below:

SEE ALSO: 'Aquaman' is the biggest movie in the world, and it hasn't even debuted in the US yet

Winners: Disney and Marvel Studios

Marvel Studios has mastered its cinematic universe, and everything it has worked toward the last decade culminated in "Avengers: Infinity War" this year. That movie grossed over $2 billion worldwide, and is only the fourth movie to ever do so. The studio's "Black Panther" is the highest-grossing movie of the year domestically with over $700 million, and is eyeing an Oscar nomination for best picture. If it gets it, it will be the first superhero movie to ever be nominated in the category.

Marvel's parent company, Disney, released the top three highest-grossing movies in the US in 2018: "Black Panther," "Avengers: Infinity War," and "Incredibles 2." This year was the company's second-biggest year at the box office ever with over $7 billion worldwide, and "Mary Poppins Returns" still needs to debut. 

Disney acquired Fox's film studio and a majority of its other assets this year for $71.3 billion, and the deal is expected to close in early 2019. The merger gives Disney access to Fox-owned Marvel characters like the X-Men and Fantastic Four, along with other popular franchises like "Avatar" and "Alien." 

2019 will be a test for Disney, as it looks to successfully integrate Fox on top of launching its own streaming service, Disney+, to compete with Netflix.

Winners: Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

The Hollywood power couple starred together in one of the year's biggest movies, "A Quiet Place," which Krasinski also directed and wrote. The movie, released in April, grossed over $340 million worldwide off a $17 million production budget. Since then, Krasinski has starred in the Amazon action series, "Jack Ryan," which has already been renewed for a second season, and Blunt is already receiving acclaim for her role as the title character in Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns," which comes to theaters later this month.

Loser: Taron Egerton

Egerton starred in two of the worst-performing movies of the year at the box office. "Billionaire Boy's Club," also starring Kevin Spacey, made just $126 on its opening day and an estimated $600 in its opening weekend. It went on to gross $2 million worldwide, but only $1,300 in the US. "Robin Hood," in which Egerton plays the title character, is the biggest box-office bomb of 2018, premiering last month with $14 million — the worst showing for a movie of the year with a budget over $90 million.

• Instagram rolled out a new walkie-talkie feature globally this week.
• It's as easy as most other voice-messaging features popular on WhatsApp and Telegram. 
• You can record for up to one minute and the messages don't automatically disappear after a set period of time, like Instagram Stories do.

Instagram launched a new direct messaging walkie-talkie feature globally Monday, meaning you can now send personalized love ballads to your favorite celebrity (looking at you, Drake).

The voice messages, which you can send to your friends or anyone with open DMs on Instagram, can be recorded for up to one minute and are stored permanently in both one-on-one or group direct messages. Unlike Instagram Stories, they won't automatically disappear after a set period of time. The move comes just six months after the social media company released its video-calling feature, which competes against similar offerings from Snapchat and Facebook Messenger.

Instagram's new walkie-talkie feature is basically as intuitive as most of the other voice-messaging features from popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, Zello. Here's how to use it: 

Open up Instagram and go into direct messages. Select the person you want to voice message, and at the bottom there will be an icon of what looks like a 1960s microphone. 

Hold down the icon to record a message. You can also swipe up to the lock symbol to record without needing to hold down the button, or swipe left to cancel. Releasing the icon automatically sends your voice message, though you can swipe to the left to send the recording to trash if you stutter — so be ready.

And there you have it. Just keep in mind that the message — whether it be a happy birthday rendition to a friend or a voice message sent to your ex — will forever live on in the app. You can delete the record of it from your phone, but there's no way to retrieve an already-sent voice message once it's delivered. 

You can also use the feature by simply tapping on the messaging icon, holding it to your ear, and once you hear a beep, recording your message. Once you are done, hit the arrow or send button. 

Voice messages can be heard either on the phone's main speaker or through your phone's earpiece.

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NOW WATCH: Why NASA blasts half a million gallons of water during rocket launches

• Shaquille O'Neal spoke to Business Insider about renting out the Atlanta Braves' baseball stadium for a Super Bowl event he's putting on called "Shaq's Fun House."
• O'Neal also discussed his experience in music and DJ-ing, and his career after retiring from the NBA.

In March, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal hosted a lineup of musicians, carnival acts, and food vendors at a private Miami Music Week event he called "Shaq's Fun House."

"Shaq's Fun House" will return in February as a public event to coincide with the 53rd Super Bowl in Atlanta. O'Neal has rented out the concourse of the Atlanta Braves' SunTrust Park stadium for the event and enlisted performers like Migos, Tiesto, Diplo, T-Pain, and Cirque Du Soleil, along with a list of food vendors including STK and Waffle House. 

O'Neal and the event's partners, Medium Rare founders Joe Silberzweig and Adam Richman, spoke with Business Insider about putting on "Shaq's Fun House," which they're billing as "part music festival, part carnival, part circus." 

Shaq also touched on his history of DJ-ing and rapping, his retirement from the NBA, and his contentious working relationship with NBA analyst Charles Barkley. 

Tickets for "Shaq's Fun House" are on sale now. 

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

John Lynch: Your team has billed this event as "part music festival, part carnival, part circus," each of which could be a good time on its own. But why combine those three into one event?

Shaquille O'Neal: Because it's never been done before. Two things that bring people together are sports and music, and I've dominated both. And everyone knows that the Shaq brand is all about fun. I've been to a lot of Super Bowl parties, and, you know, they're all the same. I wanted this one to be different because I live in Atlanta. Atlanta's my town, and the first one I did in Miami was epic. Diplo, Aoki ... Gronk when he jumped on my back and almost broke my back. We want to recreate that fun here. So I'm renting out the Battery, which is SunTrust Park, the Atlanta Braves' stadium, and we're just going to have a great time. Again, it's going to be food by STK, Waffle House. Cirque Du Soleil's Mystére is going to be there. 

It's just something that really hasn't been done before. With me, when Joe and Adam were talking about it, they just asked, "Well, what are the things you like to do?" I was like, "I like to eat. I love to go to a circus. When I'm in Vegas, I love to go to Cirque Du Soleil shows." And they were like, "That's it! That's it! That's what we're going to do." So the first one we created last year, and like I said earlier, it was epic.

Lynch: In March, you had this at Miami's Music Week. This time, you're coinciding it with the Super Bowl. Why the Super Bowl as an event, instead of having it at a larger music festival or something along those lines?

O'Neal: Well, the Super Bowl, it's always going to bring in a hundred million people. Everyone likes to party, and you just have to present people with the best party. Before I met Adam and Joe, when I was a NBA player, I held the title of the best party-thrower in the world. I once rented out the Miami Zoo, the whole zoo, and brought it to my house in Miami. And it was epic. I did a "Scarface" party in Miami. Al Pacino wasn't there, but his best friend was there. And the whole cast of "Scarface" was there. I've been doing parties since 1992, and now I'm just back. Now, I'm doing it bigger, and I'm doing it funner.

Joe Silberzweig: Just to chime in, you know, Shaquille's brand is larger-than-life and over-the-top, and there's nothing bigger than the biggest sports and entertainment weekend of the year, which is the Super Bowl. And it's so fitting for his brand and how we approach the "Fun House" concept. Really that's what makes this event so unique is it's Shaquille's DNA in every vertical. Adam and I work with him to bring his vision to life, whether that be on the music side, with Migos, Tiesto, and Diplo, artists that he loves, or on the food and beverage side, working with STK and Waffle House. Picking out carnival rides, whatever it may be. It's really all his magic touch. And that's what brings the event together so well.

Adam Richman: To add to that, we saw such a big market opportunity around the Super Bowl. There's been tons of parties around the Super Bowl. Maxim, Playboy. These events have existed 10, 15 years. We feel it's really stale and boring, and the question was, how do we do something different? How does Shaquille really bring his party magic to the Super Bowl and do something that's never been done before? And we're really bringing the fun back. That's the attitude here. It's not a concert. You said it before: there's three things going on here. It's a music festival, it's a circus, it's a carnival. We don't just want to be one of those things, we want to be all three and really do something different, not just one of these boring concerts that everyone has "been there done that" a hundred times.

Lynch: Although it is a solid lineup, music-wise. You've got Migos performing, and a lot of people were wanting to see them perform at the halftime show. It's in Atlanta this year, they're from Atlanta. Shaq, do you think the NFL missed an opportunity there, though you guys are sort of taking advantage of it?

O'Neal: I definitely think that they should have had Migos. Atlanta has been dominating the hip-hop scene for many years. They should have had like a 15-minute segment of all Atlanta hot-shots, to at least come and do one song. But yes, I definitely think that's a missed opportunity. Migos is the hottest thing around right now. It's a missed opportunity. But when they miss, Shaq will get the rebound, baby.

Lynch: [Laughs] You're also DJ-ing at this event. I was wondering, what draws you to that as a form of creative expression? What do you like about DJ-ing?

O'Neal: I've been doing it since high school and college, '89. I actually DJ-ed in college to get extra money to buy food and all that. When I got to the NBA, I got away from it and started rapping, but the last ten years I've been doing parties, and I've been doing corporate events. It's just fun. Like I said, music and sports really brings people together. Listen, when you're at a party and you play a song that everybody loves, it brings people together. I have a playlist for when I do my corporate work that's called "White Boy Classics." They love it. [Sings emphatically] "Shot through the heart, and you're to blame / Darling you give love..." Man, they just go crazy. You should see Adam and Joe dancing on tables. 

Lynch: [Laughs] You know, kids these days might not know that you've got a platinum-certified rap album, with '93's "Shaq Diesel." How does your music from the '90s hold up to you? Do you ever go back and listen to it?

O'Neal: I go back and listen to it. Lyrics-wise, it still holds up. And again, whenever I do business, I'm big on the team concept. I realized I probably couldn't do that by myself, so I went out and said, "Let me get Notorious B.I.G. Let me call Jay-Z and Nas, B-Real and Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, DJ Quik, Eric Sermon and Redman. Let me give these guys a call and see if they would do it." And the funny thing about all of them is that, when I first made the call, everybody was like, "Oh, you're a basketball player," but then soon as I got in the studio and showed them, they were like, "Man, let's do it. Let's do it." And it was fun.

Lynch: You retired from the NBA in 2011, but you haven't retired in any other sense of the word since then. You've stayed busy with commercials, commentary — all that you're doing. Do you ever envision what your real retirement will look like or plan that out?

O'Neal: My real retirement will be when I run for sheriff in 2024 and win, and I call all my partners and say, "You know what, it's been real, but now I have another duty to do. Protect the communities and keep people safe. Don't call me every again. I love you. Bye."

Lynch: Do you think 2011 was the right time to get out of the league, in retrospect?

O'Neal: That year, I was obviously very old. Older. And you know, I didn't feel right as an entertainer scoring eight or nine points. That's not the Shaq that people know and love. When I got my career-ending injury, for some people it would have been, "Oh, I'm not done. I'll rehab and come back." For me it was, "Thank you very much. Now it's time to do something else." We expect fans to pay all this money for us to go out and perform, but if you're going to pay all this money, I'm going to give you a great show. That's what I always wanted to do. So my last year, in Boston, when I was averaging eight, nine points, I didn't feel like The Shaq at all. So, when I got my career-ending injury, I was happy.

Lynch: If your prime were today, do you think you'd evolve your game at all to fit the small ball, stretch-fives of today's league?

O'Neal: If my prime were today, I wouldn't need to evolve. They would need to evolve around me. You've got big guys shooting jumpers, that's just telling me one thing: that you don't like the contact. If you don't like the contact, and I'm the contact-bringer, you're already out your game. And then people always say, "Well, you have to defend." If you shoot 10 threes, you're not Steph Curry. See what I'm saying? If you shoot 10, it might be a game where you hit seven out of 10, but you're not going to do that on a consistent basis. And if you're bumping with me, then if you shoot, your arms and legs are going to be tired, and that's going to bring your percentage down even more. And people say, "Oh, you'd step out." I'm not stepping out of nothing. I'm staying in the paint. I'm averaging 50. I'm going to make all these big guys cry, and complain, and quit, like I did when I played before, and I'd average 45 without free throws today. These soft, cupcake puppies in the league they got now.

Lynch: One last thing, you know, a lot of us have to deal with difficult coworkers. But you've got a uniquely difficult coworker in Charles Barkley, who you've had a contentious relationship with. Are you tired of him at all, or how are you putting up with him?

O'Neal: Like I always tell people when it pertains to the Kobe relationship or the Charles Barkley relationship, the key word is "respect." You could say what you want to say. I can say what I want to say, but you better respect me, and I'm sure you feel the same way. So as long as you have respect, the team will always thrive. Once you have disrespect, the team will no longer thrive. Everyone knows Charles is opinionated. I'm opinionated, but we respect each other and love each other. I consider him more of an annoying big brother, and we have that dynamic that works really good for us.

Lynch: Are there any two teams that you'd like to see in the Super Bowl, since you've got this event coincided with it? 

O'Neal: Oh, I'd like to see my Cowboys there. How about Patriots and the Cowboys? I love Tom Brady. Yeah. That'd be a good one. 

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NOW WATCH: The inside story behind the Marvel movie you were never supposed to see

• "Aquaman" is a fun action movie with stunning CGI throughout.
• The movie also has some outlandish costumes, talking crabs, and a scene in which a large octopus plays the drums.
• It is the quintessential 21st-century blockbuster.

The latest release from Warner Bros.' DC Comics Extended Universe is "Aquaman," which has already broken box-office records in China and now looks to put the DCEU back on track following the poor reception of last year's "Justice League."

The legendary DC character comes stateside on December 21, and it's easy to see why the movie is already finding success. The director James Wan ("Saw," "The Conjuring," "Furious 7") has concocted an action-packed story that is partly a redemption tale and partly a coming-of-age story but with an entertaining low-stakes feel that can be best described as a mix between a "Power Rangers" movie and the classic 1982 Disney movie "Tron."

This really is the quintessential 21st-century popcorn movie. Almost every shot in it has CGI surrounding the actors, it has a diverse cast, and there's enough action that you'll never feel bored (though it runs close to 2 1/2 hours).

Jason Momoa returns as Arthur Curry, aka "MY MAN!" Aquaman, the son of the queen of Atlantis, Atlanna (Nicole Kidman) and a lighthouse keeper, Tom Curry (Temuera Morrison). Arthur grows up on land but is the heir to the throne of the legendary underwater kingdom.

We pick up on Arthur's story following the events of "Justice League" (though the only mention of the movie is that he helped defeat Steppenwolf). His Aquaman legend is growing as he finds time to help humans who have trouble at sea when he's not kicking back a few at the bar with his dad. Arthur has zero interest in going to Atlantis, as through his training with Vulko (Willem Dafoe), he's learned that his mother was killed for having him when she was forced to return to Atlantis.

But things change when Mera (Amber Heard) appears from the water to persuade Arthur to come back with her and take the throne from King Orm (Patrick Wilson), who is making a move to wage war on the human race.

Read more: 'Avengers: Endgame' director wants a specific take on Doctor Doom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but the Disney-Fox deal could complicate it

Arthur finally decides to follow Mera when a giant wave washes battleships and pollution onto the shores across the world. But Arthur must get the powerful Trident of Atlan to unite all the factions and become the undisputed king. So Arthur and Mera go on a quest for the trident that leads them everywhere from the Sahara to Sicily and even the center of the Earth.

"Aquaman" is dazzling to watch. For a movie like this, the CGI has to be top notch, and it's one of the highlights. Momoa brings a great mix of charm and comedy to the Aquaman role, where all that was really required was looking good with his shirt off and fighting. Heard is great playing the straight man to Momoa's silliness and gets plenty of moments kicking butt on her own. Plus, there's an '80s-era electronic score through the movie that works well.

But you also can't ignore just how cheesy the movie is. In many ways, I wish it weren't PG-13, because younger kids would love it: talking giant crabs, an octopus playing drums, sharks armed with laser beams, and so on. Meanwhile, the costumes of the Atlantis soldiers are hard to take seriously, as is the armor used by Aquaman's nemesis Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II). It's so big and goofy at one point I honestly felt as if I were watching a stylized "Power Rangers" episode.

But the movie is such a good time it's easy to let all of that pass. And I look forward to the next Aquaman adventure.

SEE ALSO: "Avengers: Endgame" directors on dealing with sky-high expectations, and which characters they want to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe

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• Nintendo's biggest game of 2018 is available now: "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is the latest entry in the long-running fighting game series, and the first on Nintendo's Switch.
• The new game is already being heralded as the best in the series, and it's deserved; the game is excellent.
• Unfortunately, the online multiplayer section of the game is marred by persistent lag and confusing design choices.
• "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is the first major game release with online multiplayer since Nintendo launched its paid service, Nintendo Switch Online, in September. It costs $20 per year and is required for online play.

The biggest Nintendo game of 2018 is, unsurprisingly, an overwhelmingly good game. 

"Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is available for the Nintendo Switch as of December 7 — a massive, sprawling encyclopedia of gaming history. At its heart, the "Smash Bros." series is about Nintendo characters fighting to the death.

"Ultimate" is essentially a fighting game, but it contains so, so much more than that: A 700-plus list of songs spanning three decades of games; a surprisingly deep and expansive single-player campaign; a traditional fighting game "story" mode for each of its 70-plus characters; and, notably in this case, an expanded online multiplayer section.

Nintendo launched a paid online service in September, dubbed Nintendo Switch Online, which is required for online play. "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is the first major Nintendo release since that service launched, and it has a major online component.

Though "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is excellent in nearly every way, its online component is a mess: Persistent lag and bizarre design decisions hamper what would otherwise be a strong argument for Nintendo's new, paid online service.

As a longtime "Smash" fan who's been waiting — hoping! — for a great online experience from the franchise, it's been a tremendous let down thus far.

Here's why:

SEE ALSO: 'Super Smash Bros. Ultimate' brings more than 70 characters to the Nintendo Switch — here they all are

Things start with a lot of promise.

Like so many other fighting games, "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" has to do two things at once: appeal to the ultra-dedicated/extremely critical base of hardcore fans and, at the same time, appeal to the far larger group that encompasses everyone else.

The online mode in "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" is a focal point for this dichotomy. Hardcore fans want custom game settings, and to play against like-minded players, but most people going online with "Smash" are just looking for a fun game. 

In this regard, Nintendo definitely caters to the latter group, but there's plenty for the former as well.

The options are simple, and easy to understand!

You can jump in with "Quickplay," which defaults to matchmaking you with any multiplayer setting, and one to three opponents. It's the "I just want to play some 'Smash' online" option.

"Battle Arenas" offer more customization, allowing you to search for specific game types and player counts. It's intended for people who have strong feelings about how "Smash" should be played. 

But even if you just jump into Quickplay, you're still able to filter by what type of game you'd like to be matched with. Upon first inspection, there's a nice amount of detail to the online section of "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate." 

It's the "online" part that's the problem.

It's impossible to overstate the difference between playing "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate" online and offline — it's like two different games.

Of the dozens of matches I've played online, a shockingly small percentage could be described as "smooth." At some point in every match, and often throughout every match, I've hit crushing lag. 

What do I mean by "lag"? Even if you don't know the term, you've no doubt experienced it: A video buffering in YouTube/Netflix/etc.? That's lag.

In the case of "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate," that disconnect is far more detrimental.

Sometimes it's a stutter in gameplay here or there. Sometimes it's a several second stop in the action. It's unpredictable, frustrating, and — worst of all — it makes the game nearly unplayable.

• CBS News has settled a lawsuit with three women who claimed former host Charlie Rose sexually harassed them.
• The case against CBS News was discontinued Friday, and the terms of the settlement are confidential.
• The lawsuit against Rose remains open.

CBS News has settled a lawsuit with three women who accused former CBS anchor Charlie Rose of "blatant and repeated sexual harassment" and "subsequent unlawful retaliation."

The suit against CBS News was discontinued Friday, and the terms of the settlement are confidential. The suit against Rose remains open. A CBS News spokesperson told Business Insider the matter was resolved and that the plaintiffs requested that the financial amount remain confidential.

The women who filed the suit — Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal, and Yuqing "Chelsea" Wei — worked at CBS between 2016 and 2018. They filed a suit against CBS and Rose in May in the New York Supreme Court. The suit alleged harassment, including unwanted physical touching, that they said they experienced while in their professional jobs.

Rose "sexually touched Ms. McNeal, including placing his hands on her thigh and kissing her cheek," the lawsuit alleged. It said Rose referred to Ms. Wei as "China Doll" and alleged Rose suggested that Harris and McNeal should have sex with each other. The suit alleged Rose threatened to fire the plaintiffs and "verbally abused them as part of his predatory behavior, sexual dominance over them, and retaliation against them."

The complaint also alleged CBS was aware of Rose's harassment but failed to take action and "allowed Mr. Rose and others to continue to engage in sexual harassment for decades."

Bob Bodian, an attorney for Rose, previously told news outlets that claims in the lawsuit were "without merit." Bodian did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

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• Google has unveiled its Year in Search for 2018.
• The annual compilation contains the top worldwide Google searches of the year.
• This year's list includes several tragic deaths as well as the World Cup.

As 2018 draws to a close, Google is looking back on the top searches of the year.

Google narrows down the top-trending searches in the world over the past 12 months, terms that had the highest spike in traffic this year compared with 2017. These are not necessarily the terms that were searched the most often.

The year has been rife with tragedy — with the high-profile deaths of Anthony Bourdain, Kate Spade, and several others. But 2018 also brought a royal wedding and an exciting World Cup.

Here are the top-trending Google searches of 2018:

SEE ALSO: Google just announced it's shutting down its Allo messaging app for good. Here are 18 other Google products that bombed, died, or disappeared

10. Kate Spade

In June, the fashion designer Kate Spade was found dead at 55 in her New York City apartment, apparently of suicide.

Spade launched her namesake brand in 1993, a year before she married her husband, Andy. Over the following years, the couple ran the business together out of their apartment in New York's Tribeca neighborhood, transforming it into a $27 million business by 1998.

The couple eventually sold the business to Neiman Marcus in 2006, but their love of handbags didn't end there. Years later, after the birth of their daughter, they made a second foray into fashion, launching Frances Valentine, a handbag-and-shoe company, in 2015.

• Read more about the life of Kate Spade:
• Here's the story behind the rise of Kate Spade's handbag empire
• Kate Spade's close friend and business partner says the late designer left 4 seasons of completed work for her handbag company
• Kate Spade was detached from her namesake brand at the time of her death, but nostalgic shoppers have flocked to its stores. Here's what the brand's future could be.

9. Stephen Hawking

In March, Stephen Hawking died at the age of 76.

The theoretical physicist made several discoveries that transformed the way scientists viewed black holes and the universe. Though he had Lou Gehrig's disease — the neurodegenerative malady also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS — which impaired his motor functions, he went on to become a mathematics professor and eventually the director of research at the University of Cambridge's Center for Theoretical Cosmology.

Hawking was also known to bridge the gap on complicated subjects by infusing humor and wit during his lectures. His character and personality produced several anecdotes and references in pop culture, including appearances on various TV shows.

• Read more about Hawking's life and career:
• 15 of the most remarkable and memorable things Stephen Hawking ever said
• A brief history of Stephen Hawking's time on planet Earth in one chart
• Stephen Hawking was only expected to live a few years after being diagnosed with ALS at age 21 — here's what the disease is

8. XXXTentacion

In June, the rapper XXXTentacion was shot dead in his car after leaving a motorcycle dealer in South Florida.

At the time of his death, XXXTentacion — whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy — was awaiting trial for a 2016 domestic-abuse case. He faced charges of aggravated battery of his pregnant girlfriend, domestic battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and witness tampering.

Onfroy rose to fame off of his 2016 single "Look at Me!" His debut studio album, "17," reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart and was certified gold in 2017. Onfroy's second studio album, "?," debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart in March.

By August, four suspects accused of killing Onfroy had been taken into custody.

• On Wednesday, Google released its "Year in Search" rankings.
• Demi Lovato, Meghan Markle, and Brett Kavanaugh were among the breakout people searches in 2018, according to Google. 
• Here's a look at the top 10 celebrities, politicians, and public figures who also made the list.

Every year, Google rounds up the top-trending searches for the year. 

Google shared with Business Insider who the trending people searches were in 2018. Notably, this isn't a list of the "most-searched" people in 2018 — rather, it's who spiked in traffic this year, compared to last year. 

Here's who everyone wanted to know more about in 2018:

SEE ALSO: 

10. Cardi B

This year, Cardi B became the first female rapper with two Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s. "Bodak Yellow" topped the charts for three weeks in 2017, then "I Like It" reached top status over the summer of 2018.

9. Rick Ross

The rapper was hospitalized and placed on life support in March 2018. Ross was released from the hospital a few days later.

8. Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande's fourth studio album "Sweetener" received critical acclaim this year. The pop star also generated buzz with her (now broken) engagement with comedian Pete Davidson — as well as her speedy release of the breakup anthem "thank u, next."

A slew of TV shows were canceled in 2017, and the list of shows canceled in 2018 has grown rapidly since May as networks decide their schedules of new and returning shows, and figure out what they're doing in 2019.

The most recent cancelation comes from Comedy Central, which canceled "Detroiters" after two seasons. 

Despite slightly better reception for its second season that dropped in September, Netflix has canceled "Iron Fist" after two seasons, a show that wasn't a hit with critics. Days later, Netflix canceled Marvel's "Luke Cage," leaving many wondering why these seemingly successful superhero shows are getting the axe.  And they were right. In November, the streaming service canceled "Daredevil," too. 

So far in 2018, networks have canceled fan favorites like "The Last Man on Earth" and "Quantico." Fox also canceled its quirky cop comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," but NBC picked it up for another season less than two days later.

ABC also canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC announced a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr that premiered in October.

In 2018, the streaming giants are canceling more shows than ever as well, with many getting cut on Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. 

So if you're wondering why a show you love hasn't returned in 2018, it might have been canceled. (You can also use this list to see what shows are not returning in the fall or in 2019.)

Here are all the shows that were canceled in 2017 and 2018, including those from networks and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon:

SEE ALSO: All the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

Canceled in 2018:

"The Mayor" — ABC, one season

"Chance" — Hulu, two seasons

• Streaming search engine Reelgood provided Business Insider charts that show the overlap between Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video in movies and TV shows.
• There is more overlap between all three in regard to TV shows than movies.
• Exclusive shows and movies have become a key differentiator as the streaming market heats up.

Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video are battling for the attention of viewers and all have extensive libraries of movies and TV shows available to stream at any moment.

Charts provided to Business Insider by streaming search engine Reelgood show that Amazon has the biggest catalog, with 12,764 movies and 2,077 TV shows. Netflix has 3,861 movies and 1,686 TV shows, while Hulu has 1,646 movies and 1,891 TV shows.

But exclusive content has become just as important as quantity as more companies enter the streaming war, and that's evident in how little overlap there is between Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon.

"The way we look at this long term is that our competitors will want that content on their own services," Netflix content chief Ted Sarandos said earlier this year. "That was a bet we’ve made a long time ago when we got into original programming."

Only seven movies currently overlap between all three services.

Hulu and Netflix share 52 movies, Netflix and Amazon share 277, and Hulu and Amazon share 530.

See the chart below:

As for TV shows, all three services share 47 series.

Hulu and Netflix share 149, Netflix and Amazon share 109, and Hulu and Amazon share 245, as seen in the chart below.

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As the year flies by, the list of canceled TV shows piles up.

While there's been somewhat of a quiet period since May, some networks have cut shows throughout the summer and fall.

Comedy Central recently canceled "Detroiters" after two seasons, and "Another Period" after three seasons. 

This fall, Netfix canceled all Marvel shows except "Jessica Jones," which means that "Iron Fist," "Luke Cage," and "Daredevil" are done for good. 

ABC canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival in late May, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC debuted a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr.

In other notable cancellations, USA's critically acclaimed "Mr. Robot" will end with its upcoming fourth season, and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" is ending after 12 seasons. 

We'll update this list as more are announced.

Here are all the shows that have been canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

Amazon

"Jean-Claude Van Johnson" — Amazon, one season

"I Love Dick" — Amazon, one season

• From "A Christmas Story" to "Elf," successful Christmas movies have come in many forms.
• Here, we've compiled the 45 highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time at the domestic box office.

The holiday season wouldn't be complete without a laundry list of Christmas movies and a warm blanket.

Classics like "A Christmas Story" and "Elf" made this list alongside newer titles, including the 2018 version of "Dr. Seuss' The Grinch," which holds the No. 3 spot.

We compiled this list of the highest-grossing Christmas movies of all time at the US box office with data from Box Office Mojo (unadjusted for inflation). We also included each film's Rotten Tomatoes critic score and a review excerpt for each.

Take a look at the list below and check it twice for the 45 most successful Christmas movies of all time at the domestic box office.

Note: Several notable older films, including 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life," are absent for lack of data. 

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45. "One Magic Christmas" (1985)

Domestic box office total: $13,667,222

Critic score: 47%

What critics said: "It's a godsend for parents, a movie you can take the kids to, but which won't leave you gnashing at the armrest halfway through." — Paul Attanasio, Washington Post

44. "All I Want for Christmas" (1991)

Domestic box office total: $14,812,144

Critic score: 0%

What critics said: "Miracle on 34th Street this ain't."— Desson Thomson, Washington Post

43. "Unaccompanied Minors" (2006)

Domestic box office total: $16,655,224 

Critic score: 30% 

What critics said: "Not for the faint of heart, the movie is unsettling and startlingly true to life." — A.O. Scott, New York Times

• Google took a look back on the people, topics, events, and places that trended the most on search as part of its 2018 "Year in Search" series.
• We looked at the top results for the search, "Where is..."
• The most trending queries involved natural disasters, world events, and unexpected people news.

Just Google it.

It's an impulse thought many have when it comes to finding the answer to something one doesn't know.

As the year draws to a close, Google took a look back on the people, topics, events, and places that trended the most on search in 2018 as part of its 2018 "Year in Search" series.

We looked at the top results for the search, "Where is..." to see what locations people were looking for during the past year. The results were certainly reflective of the news of 2018 — three of the searches regard natural disasters, two involved world events (the Olympics and the World Cup), while others were inquired based on a scandal, company announcement, and school shooting.

Note that these items aren't the "most searched" — they're trending queries that increased the most from 2017 to 2018, according to Google.

See below for the year's most trending "Where is" topics, ranked.

SEE ALSO: Spotify's annual year in review playlists are out, and the internet has a lot of questions about their accuracy

10. Where is Prince from?

Musician Prince is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He died in 2016 from an accidental fentanyl overdose, which was brought into the news again in 2018 when his family moved the medical malpractice suit to the county where he died.

9. Where is Paradise, California?

Paradise, California, was located in northern California in Butte County. Home to 27,000 people, the town was completely destroyed by the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in the state's history.

8. Where is Amazon based?

Amazon is based in Seattle, Washington. In 2018, it announced the addition of two new headquarter locations: Queens, New York, and the Crystal City area of Arlington, Virginia.

• According to a new profile in The New York Times, Ellen DeGeneres is considering retiring from her daytime talk show she has hosted for over 15 years.
• The Times said that she has received conflicting advice, and changed her mind several times.
• DeGeneres was the second highest-paid TV host in the world this year, according to Forbes, and the highest-paid talk show host.
• Her first standup comedy special in 15 years premieres on Netflix next week.

Ellen DeGeneres has hosted her daytime talk show, "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," for over 15 years, and that run could be ending soon.

According to a new profile in The New York Times, DeGeneres is considering retiring from the show. The Times wrote that she's received "conflicting advice" from her wife, actress Portia de Rossi, and her brother, comedian Vance DeGeneres, and that she has changed her mind "more than once."

READ MORE: The 5 highest-paid TV hosts of 2018, including almost $150 million for Judge Judy

DeGeneres is the second highest-paid TV host of 2018, according to Forbes, behind only Judge Judy. That makes her the highest-paid talk show host in the world, daytime or nightly. Between June 2017 and June 2018, Forbes estimated that DeGeneres made  $87.5 million.

But even with her wealth and a large fanbase, the Times piece makes it clear that DeGeneres is looking for something different. Netflix will release her first standup comedy special since before her talk show premiered, called "Relatable," on December 18.

"After doing the show for 16 years, it’s second nature," Vance DeGeneres told the Times. "She wanted to break out of, not a rut, but a mold."

"I wanted to show all of me," DeGeneres added. "The talk show is me, but I’m also playing a character of a talk-show host. There’s a tiny, tiny bit of difference."

SEE ALSO: The 9 biggest Hollywood winners of 2018 and 5 losers who wish this year never happened

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• "Mary Poppins Returns" has the feel of the old musicals Disney used to make in the 1960s and 1970s, like the first "Mary Poppins," "Bedknobs and Broomsticks," and "Pete's Dragon."
• Emily Blunt owns the Poppins role with her "stern on the outside, soft on the inside" performance.
• And Lin-Manuel Miranda is fantastic in the song-and-dance numbers.

You know what you’re going to get when you see a Rob Marshall musical. The director of Oscar-winning “Chicago” and “Into the Woods” will deliver a dazzling spectacle with dancing and singing, surrounded by beautiful set design.

And all of that is on display in his latest, Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” (in theaters December 19), which is a sequel to the studio’s 1964 classic, “Mary Poppins.” But what Marshall adds to his arsenal this time is invoking Disney's history of uplifting musicals.

2014’s “Into the Woods,” also a Disney release, was a little too dark for Marshall to really go down this road. But in introducing the magical English nanny (this time played by Emily Blunt, following Julie Andrews in the original) to a new generation, Marshall is able to add the feel and style of Disney’s musicals of the 1960s-1970s.

In that era of Disney movie-making, along with “Mary Poppins,” there were releases like “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” and “Pete’s Dragon” that amazed kids by featuring child actors singing catchy songs (say it with me now, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”), and interacting with two-dimensional animation. Marshall takes that formula and uses it to make “Mary Poppins Returns” one of the most enjoyable movie experiences you’ll have over the holidays.

The movie picks up with Michael (Ben Whishaw) and Jane Banks (Emily Mortimer), the kid characters from the original movie, all grown up. Michael is still living in the house they grew up in. But he now has three kids and Jane often comes by to help, as Michael’s wife recently passed away. And to make things more challenging, Michael is late on paying his mortgage and the bank is looking to foreclose. Then out of the London sky comes Mary Poppins to keep watch of the kids while Michael and Jane try to figure out how to save the house.

Read more: "Aquaman" is an undeniably fun popcorn movie that's a mix between "Power Rangers" and "Tron"

But the plot of the movie is hardly a concern for the audience.

The heart of the movie is the non-stop musical numbers (sometimes with BMX bikes — yeah, we don't get it either), the dazzling CGI, and Emily Blunt just owning the Mary Poppins role. Poppins’ version of a bubble bath is going into the tub and ending up deep in the ocean, playing with giant toys and singing. And when a piece of fine China chips, the kids, Poppins, and street lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) go into the bowl, interacting with the paintings that are on it, which come to life in 2D animation — a nostalgic touch for those who grew up on the first "Mary Poppins."

The movie contains all new original songs, which are as beautiful and catchy as the ones from the first movie, and along with Blunt, Miranda is fantastic in the song-and-dance numbers.

Honestly, after seeing this movie, if you don’t feel like running out of the theater and hugging whoever you cross paths with, something is wrong with you.

SEE ALSO: The 9 biggest Hollywood winners of 2018 and 5 losers who wish this year never happened

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• Facebook was sued for $2 billion by Zenimax Media, the former employer of an Oculus executive.
• A jury awarded Zenimax $500 million, which was subsequently reduced to $250 million. Both parties sought appeals.
• Facebook and Zenimax reached a settlement in December 2018, a little more than four years after litigation began. The terms are private.

Facebook is, by far, the largest social media platform on Earth. Nearly 2 billion people use it — just over 25% of the planet's population.

But the company's vision for the future goes beyond baby photos and shareable headlines: The $2 billion acquisition of Oculus VR in 2014 was a strong indication of what's next for Facebook.

Indeed, CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company see virtual reality as an integral part of Facebook's future. And that future is off to a rocky start.

Weak sales of the company's first VR headset, the Oculus Rift, are just the beginning. Two months after Facebook purchased Oculus VR, Facebook was sued for $2 billion. The company that sued, Zenimax Media, claimed that a former employee-turned-Oculus CTO took trade secrets with him. Moreover, the suit claimed that those trade secrets were integral to the Oculus Rift headset. 

A classic he said/she said litany of statements flowed from both companies, and a two-week jury trial concluded in 2017. Zuck himself even appeared in court for questioning. The result? Facebook was ordered to pay Zenimax $500 million, but no one's to blame. And now, after a 50% award reduction that sparked appeals from both parties, the case was apparently settled for an undisclosed sum out of court.

Here's what's going on.

SEE ALSO: Facebook ordered to pay $500 million in lawsuit against Oculus VR

DON'T MISS: U.S. court halves $500 million verdict in Facebook virtual reality lawsuit

August 2013: Oculus VR, a startup working on a virtual reality headset called the Rift, hires "Doom" creator John Carmack of id Software as its chief technology officer.

From the very first days of the Oculus Rift — when it was little more than snowboard goggles, duct tape, and wires — legendary programmer John Carmack was involved. When the Rift was first demonstrated for press, in 2012 at E3 (an annual video game industry trade show), it was demonstrated by John Carmack.

Carmack showed off a version of "Doom 3" running in the Oculus Rift headset. It would be another year before he officially resigned from id Software, which he cofounded, to become the CTO of Oculus VR. 

Of note: id Software was founded in 1991, and then sold to Zenimax Media in 2009. 

Carmack got the prototype headset from Palmer Luckey, the young poster boy of the Oculus Rift. He was repeatedly held up as the genius inventor behind the headset.

So the story goes: Palmer Luckey was working on the Oculus Rift headset's earliest prototypes from his parents' house. Luckey was a member of several forums dedicated to the world of 3D and, eventually, virtual reality. He was a part of the "mod" community, which is notorious for taking existing hardware and modifying it into something new — a portable Xbox 360, or a GameBoy that plays Super Nintendo games, for instance.

On the journey from ski-goggle prototype to something sellable, Carmack — an idol of Luckey's and, apparently, a member of the same VR forum — got in touch and asked to be sent a prototype. Wired catalogued the exchange in a 2014 story timed to publish soon after the Facebook acquisition:

"Carmack private-­messaged him. Would Palmer consider sending him a loaner unit? Palmer, who idolized Carmack, shipped it off to Texas immediately — 'no NDAs, no signing anything,' Carmack says. 'It was one of two proto­types that he had.'

Carmack got to work on the machine, hot-gluing a motion sensor to it and duct-taping on a ski-goggle strap. But his greatest contribution came in the code he wrote for it. The Rift’s biggest selling point was its 90-degree field of view, which Luckey accomplished by slapping a cheap magnifying lens on the display. The problem was, that lens distorted the image underneath, making it warped and uneven. So Carmack coded a version of 'Doom 3' that pre-­distorted the image, counteracting the effects of the magnifying lens and making the picture appear correct to the viewer. The result was a completely immersive gaming experience, the kind that would other­wise require $10,000 in high-end optics."

March 2014: Facebook buys Oculus VR.

In March 2014, Facebook announced the acquisition of Oculus VR — an independent startup. Unlike Instagram or Whatsapp, it was less obvious why Facebook would buy a fledgling startup that was, at the time, creating the first major VR headset since the technology faded from popularity in the mid-'90s. 

Zuckerberg justified the purchase as such:

"History suggests that there will be more platforms to come. Today's acquisition is a long-term bet on the future of computing."

In Zuckerberg's eyes, the folks at Oculus VR were creating "the future," and he wanted Facebook to be integral in building that vision of the future.

• Digital media startup Brat will release a "Holiday Spectacular" YouTube movie on December 21 featuring two of the biggest teen stars working today: 14-year-olds Annie LeBlanc and Mackenzie Ziegler, both of whom have 3 million YouTube subscribers.
• This will be a blockbuster event for Gen Z audiences, according to Famous Birthdays founder Evan Britton, whose platform tracks digital influencer trends.
• Brat is banking on original IP monetized by ads, and other avenues like licensing and merchandising, to succeed where other teen-focused upstarts have failed.

If you aren’t tapped into the teen media universe, you might not be familiar with 14-year-olds Annie LeBlanc, who has 3.3 million YouTube subscribers, and Mackenzie "Kenzie" Ziegler, who has 3 million.

But they are two of the most famous teens in the world, and their stars are rising fast.

“Annie LeBlanc and Mackenzie Ziegler are the two biggest female Gen Z stars right now,” Evan Britton, founder of the website Famous Birthdays, told Business Insider. Famous Birthdays serves as a compendium of knowledge about celebrities, particular young digital influencers, and gets 19 million monthly unique visitors. “We're able to see in real-time, based on our user activity, which stars have the most excitement right now,” Britton said.

And Britton predicts that the upcoming “Brat Holiday Spectacular,” an hour-long YouTube movie in which LeBlanc and Ziegler will appear in a produced video together for the first time, will be massive. “It's clear to us what Gen Z will be doing on December 21,” the day the movie comes out, Britton said.

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That prediction is music to the ears of Brat cofounder Rob Fishman, whose digital media company is making the movie. Fishman and cofounder Darren Lachtman launched Brat in the summer of 2017 with the goal of making scripted shows for teens that paired high-quality production with Gen Z digital talent. Fishman, who sold his last company to Twitter for around $50 million, has raised $42.5 million in venture funding for Brat.

Fishman said the idea of the “Spectacular” was to bring Brat’s stars from its various shows together in a “Love Actually”-style narrative about an estranged family reuniting for the holidays — all set at a mall.

LeBlanc is the star of Brat's first breakout hit show, “Chicken Girls” (returning for season 4 in March), and Ziegler, who got her start on Lifetime’s “Dance Moms,” anchors Brat’s other biggest hit, “Total Eclipse” (whose season 3 will also come out in March).

All Brat’s shows exist in the same fictional universe, and in it LeBlanc and Ziegler come from rival towns. In the “Spectacular,” their characters will meet for the first time.

Here's the trailer:

'Chicken Girls' and how Brat plans to make money

The “Spectacular” is not the first movie project Brat has done. This summer, Brat made a 1 hour and 10 minute “Chicken Girls” movie with Lionsgate. It currently has 17 million YouTube views and over 300 million minutes of watch time. The average view time was over 20 minutes, with 85% on mobile or tablets, Fishman said.

Because of the high level of engagement, Fishman said Brat is planning to make a movie-length project every quarter.

Brat monetized the “Chicken Girls” movie with YouTube ads running throughout, which, while fairly lucrative, did not cover costs, Fishman said.

“We do these films more to drive audience than revenue,” Fishman said, which is true of much of Brat’s output at this stage. Brat’s general revenue plan is to build a big direct ad sales business while expanding into many types of IP monetization, like licensing and merchandising. “You can’t rely on Google or Facebook to do your business for you,” Fishman said. “They can help you build a big audience but they are not going to do the work for you.”

The road is not easy. A few digital media companies, like Defy Media and Fullscreen, crashed and burned as they attempted to make the transition from a multi-channel network business to one focused on original IP starring YouTubers and other digital talent. Brat hopes that starting from scratch in a “studio” model will be successful, however.

“We look a little bit more like a 1930s studio system than a current-day tech company,” Fishman said, noting Brat just crossed 50 employees.

Netflix and the perils of partnering

Brat isn’t the only digital media company trying to shake up holiday programming.

After Netflix scored a surprise breakout hit with “A Christmas Prince” last year, the streaming company followed it up with a sequel this year, and a slew of other cheesy holiday movies including “The Princess Switch” starring Vanessa Hudgens and “The Holiday Calendar.” Netflix is going up against holiday schmaltz heavyweights Lifetime and Hallmark and holding its own.

Could a Netflix collaboration with Brat be in the future? Awesomeness Films, which has its roots in Gen Z and YouTube and is now owned by Viacom, produced Netflix’s 2018 smash hit rom-com, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” So, at the very least, Netflix seems interested in what digital native companies can offer.

But Fishman said that, for the time being, Brat isn’t entertaining partnerships with any outside platforms, even ones that have done a “fantastic” job programming, like Netflix. “We want our fans to associate ‘Chicken Girls’ or ‘Total Eclipse’ with our brand, and not with a third party." He said “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” actually spoke to the dangers of partnering, since viewers “may not even realize Awesomeness was involved.”

“It’s the difference between building brand equity and providing production services,” Fishman continued. “Obviously as these platforms evolve down the line, we’ll stay in close touch and work together where it makes sense. But for now, we're committed to free and ad-supported.”

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• Netflix revealed in a video teaser that the second season of "The Punisher" is coming soon.
• Netflix recently canceled three of its other Marvel shows, and fans shouldn't expect a season three renewal for "The Punisher."
• Data showed that interest in the shows had dropped dramatically over time, and Disney is releasing its own streaming service next year that will compete with Netflix.

Netflix is cutting down on its Marvel TV shows, but fans can at least look forward to one more.

The streaming giant released a teaser video for its January releases this week, and at the end is a short clip from the second season of "The Punisher," starring Jon Bernthal in the title role. The first season premiered last year on Netflix, and season two finished filming earlier this year.

While the clip appears in the January preview, it only reveals that the series is "coming soon" and not a release date.

READ MORE: Fans are calling for Netflix to renew 'Daredevil,' but data shows interest in the show has fallen off

Fans of Netflix's Marvel universe shouldn't expect a third-season renewal, though. Three of the Marvel-Netflix shows — "Iron Fist," "Luke Cage," and "Daredevil" — were canceled this year, with only "The Punisher" and "Jessica Jones" remaining. It's possible that "Jessica Jones" could return for a third season, but beyond that, it's unlikely that Netflix will continue its Marvel shows.

A social-media analysis provided to Business Insider by consumer-insights company Crimson Hexagon showed that interest in the shows had decreased over time. Twitter and Instagram posts for "Jessica Jones" were cut in half from its first and second seasons.

Disney's upcoming streaming service, Disney+, could also play a factor, as the Marvel parent company looks to build up its own library of content and limit competition. 

Watch the teaser below:

SEE ALSO: As 'exclusives' become the priority for Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, these charts show how many TV shows and movies they still share

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The inside story behind the Marvel movie you were never supposed to see

• 'YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls the Rewind' is on track to be the fastest and most-disliked video in the site's history.
• The annual video put out by YouTube was released six days ago and, as of Wednesday morning, already has over nine million dislikes — less than a million likes behind the current first-place holder, Justin Bieber's 'Baby' music video.
• In an effort to understand what makes audiences band together to dislike a video, we took a look at the 7 most-hated YouTube videos.

In the last six days since the video was released, 'YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls the Rewind' has over 114 million views and 9.1 million dislikes, putting it on track to become the fastest and most-disliked video in the site's history.

Justin Bieber's 'Baby' featuring Ludacris currently holds the first-place title for most-disliked video, at 9.8 million dislikes.

'YouTube Rewind' features hundreds of its biggest stars and celebrities, though people are criticizing the video, and YouTube itself, for not including some creators who experienced strings of controversy. Vlogging duo and brothers Logan and Jake Paul were excluded, as was Felix "Pewdiepie" Kjellberg, a gaming commentator and comedian. The video appears to be an attempt for the company to keep advertisers on its side following a rather rocky 2018. However, this year's attempt, as previously reported by Business Insider, shows "a clear schism between the expectations and reality of YouTube."

Logan Paul, one of YouTube's more popular and notable stars, was left out of the video, probably because of his controversial year that began when he posted footage of a dead body he discovered inside Japan's 'Suicide Forest'. Paul's 'So Sorry' video, a one-minute-long apology about the viral video, is YouTube's 11th most-disliked video, at 2.2 dislikes. 

So what makes a video so hated to begin with? What makes YouTube viewers join forces and collectively bash something someone (probably) put loads of work into?

Let's take a look at the most-downvoted YouTube videos of all time, shall we?

7. Rebecca Black - Friday

With 127 million views and 3.7 million dislikes, Rebecca Black's 'Friday' comes in at #7. But let's cut Black a break: 2011 was a weird time. For example, Nick Jonas was wearing a purity ring and Kim Kardashian was still seen out in public wearing leopard print. If anything, Black's song was an anthem of the times, one everyone still knows all the words to (let's be honest). She has even come into her own as a singer and songwriter, despite the viciousness she faced from this video's release. 

Fun, fun, fun!

6. Luis Fonsi - Despacito ft. Daddy Yankee

If you were alive in the summer of 2017 (or alive now), you may be able to understand why this video has 3.6 million dislikes (and 5.7 billion views). It played on nearly every speaker — from clubs to cabs and restaurants to bridal showers... over and over and over again. It's one of those songs that by the mere mention begins to play in your head. Can you hear it now?

5. PewDiePie - Can this video get 1 million dislikes?

This was YouTuber PewDiePie's attempt to encourage followers to dislike his own video. And it worked. The video has 15 million views and trails behind the Call of Duty trailer with 3.76 million dislikes. The video starts with PewDiePie on the phone (for well over a minute), continues with him drinking a bottle of vodka and then proceeding to ride an orange octopus through a neighborhood. Perhaps it may just be one those "in the know" things dedicated fans and followers understand.