26 pop culture things to look forward to in 2019

Congrats to you on surviving 2018. Congrats to us all, really! It wasn’t always easy, but we swore and wept and muddled our way through. 

And now here we are, facing the grand reward of… another freakin’ year on this planet? Damnit.

But don’t retreat back into your cave of despair just yet. There’s every reason to fret about 2019, yes — but there are some really good reasons to get excited about it, too. Here are 26 of them.

1. Meghan and Harry’s royal baby

Don’t tell Prince George or Princess Charlotte, but we think we already love Royal Baby TBD most of all. [Editor’s note: We love *all* Royal Babies The Most.]

2. Beyoncé slaying the Lion King soundtrack

The only way to improve on a bona fide masterpiece? Add more Queen Bey.

3. The Lady Bird team reuniting for Little Women 

Hella tight.

4. Julia Louis Dreyfus’ triumphant return to Veep 

We’d be excited for more Veep regardless, but we’re especially pumped to see star Julia Louis Dreyfus back onscreen after her cancer diagnosis last year. 

5. All the costumes from the Downton Abbey movie

You know this gang is gonna be rocking the very best in century-old fashion. 

6. Finally finding out how Game of Thrones ends

Winds of Winter is still nowhere in sight, but HBO is ready to answer the question we’ve been debating for nearly a decade: Who’s gonna be on that damn throne at the end of it all??

7. Ariana Grande’s breakup album

Because if “thank u, next” proved anything, it’s that the only thing better than Ari in love is Ari after a breakup.

8. Fleabag Season 2 making us feel better about our own lives

No matter how messy your days and nights get, you know Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s unnamed heroine has seen worse. 

9. Lady Gaga at the Oscars

Whatever happens, you know it’ll be high on drama, spectacle, and emotion. Gaga does not do boring.

10. Visiting the Good Place

The real one this time! We think!

11. Goose the cat in Captain Marvel 

An early contender for best movie animal of 2019. Even if he’s probably secretly an alien.

12. The end of The Big Bang Theory  

If you love Big Bang Theory, you can look forward to all these storylines coming to a sweet and hopefully satisfying end. If you hate Big Bang Theory, you can be relieved our national nightmare is finally over. Either way, everyone wins.

13. Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg hosting the Globes

The universe hasn’t quite gotten around to giving us the buddy comedy we begged for after their hilarious bit at the 2018 Emmys, but until then we’ll settle for the next-best thing. 

14. The return of Carrie Fisher in Episode IX

We can already feel the tears coming on.

15. Jordan Peele’s best year ever

If you thought Jordan Peele’s 2017 was good, wait ’til you see his 2019. He’s got Us coming to theaters in March, plus Lovecraft Country on HBO and the Twilight Zone reboot on CBS All Access, and we are so ready to devour it all.

16. The last days of Netflix’s Marvel universe

Leave it to The Punisher and Jessica Jones to go out with a bang. (The explosion kind, and possibly also the sex kind.)

17. A Pokémon with the voice of Deadpool

Forget whether Pokémon are supposed to have fur — are they supposed to sound like Ryan Reynolds? According to Detective Pikachu, yes! And based on the trailer, it’s a surprisingly good fit. At least unless he starts talking about Aviation gin.

18. That resurrection on Jane the Virgin 

TELL US EVERYTHING RIGHT NOW PLEASE.

19. Stranger Things‘ “summer of love”

What’s going to be more awkward: Mike and Eleven trying to understand flirting, or Joyce and Hopper fumbling through a date?

20. Animal Crossing coming to Switch 

Everything about this game is so calming and relaxing and stress-free. It’s a beautiful antithesis to the pressures of real life and seems like the perfect comfort after multiple years of high stress. And now we’ll be able to play it on Switch. Freaking finally. – Kellen Beck 

21. Tessa Thompson in a suit in Men in Black International 

Chris Hemsworth isn’t looking so bad, either. 

22. Deadwood coming back from the dead

The resurrection of Deadwood has been one of those “I’ll believe it when I see it” stories for the past 12 years — but it looks like that dream is finally becoming a reality in 2019. There are photos from the set and everything!

23. Spending all our money at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Or being unable to get tickets and just wishing we could spend all our money at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

24. Guava Island, whatever that is

It involves Rihanna and Donald Glover so obviously we’re all in, even if we have no idea what it actually is. 

25. Tom Hanks playing Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood 

America’s dad playing a different America’s dad is exactly the cinematic comfort food we’re craving right now. 

26. The Losers’ Club, all grown up in It: Chapter Two

Jessica Chastain as Beverly, James McAvoy as Bill, Bill Hader as Richie, Isaiah Mustafa as Mike, and the return of Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise? Talk about perfect casting.