This week’s new entertainment releases include season two of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” on Paramount+ as well as the return of Chris Hemsworth’s gun-for-hire anti-hero in Netflix’s “Extraction 2.” There’s also a new Disney+ documentary that explores Marvel comic creator Stan Lee’s life and cultural impact, and “The Wonder Years,” about a middle-class Black family in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1960s, returns for its second season on ABC.
‘Extraction 2′
Clinical death is just a minor obstacle for Chris Hemsworth’s action hero Tyler Rake, who audiences can see again in “Extraction 2,” debuting on Netflix on Friday. In this outing, he’s assigned the dangerous task of rescuing a Georgian gangster’s family from a prison. Director Sam Hargrave promised twice as much action and more emotion in this outing, produced again by the Russo brothers. And Hemsworth has said that they opted for practical stunts and set pieces over green-screen fakery, which could be a bit frightening filming a sequence atop a train going 40 miles per hour through the snowy Czech Republic while a helicopter hovered 23 feet in front of him flying backwards. DETAILS
‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds '
Season two of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” arrives on Paramount+ on Thursday. If you haven’t watched yet, the show takes place about a decade before “Star Trek: The Original Series,” so it features younger versions of some of the “Star Trek” characters viewers know and love. “Strange New Worlds” stars Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike when he led the USS Enterprise, with a crew that includes Ethan Peck as Spock, Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley (otherwise known as Number One), and Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura. The season one finale introduced Paul Wesley in the role of James T. Kirk and the actor reprises the role in this new season. DETAILS
‘Chevalier '
“Chevalier,” a lush, dramatic biopic of an accomplished Black man in Marie Antoinette’s France who was all but erased, came and went in theaters without a lot of fanfare. But it’s now headed to Hulu starting on Friday where audiences can learn about Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, the son of a wealthy French plantation owner and an enslaved Senegalese teenager who rose through the ranks of French society due in part to his extraordinary musical talents as a composer and a violinist. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays the title role in the Stephen Williams-directed film. DETAILS
‘Stan Lee '
And on Disney+, a new original documentary about the late Stan Lee premieres on Friday. “Stan Lee,” directed by David Gelb, promises to explore Lee’s life and cultural impact. Lee, who died in 2018 at age 95, co-created an army of comic book characters including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, Ant-Man and many more who have in the past 15 years become household names thanks to the popularity of Marvel films, many of which feature fun Stan Lee cameos. DETAILS
‘The Wonder Years '
The new “The Wonder Years” about a middle-class Black family in Montgomery, Alabama, in the 1960s, returns for its second season on this week on ABC. The show is told from the point of view of 12-year-old Dean Williams (played by Elisha “EJ” Williams) with Don Cheadle narrating as the adult version of Dean. It’s already been announced that season two will feature several guest stars including Donald Faison, Bradley Whitford, Phoebe Robinson, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Patti LaBelle. DETAILS
‘Outlander’
Caitriona Balfe and Sam Heughan are star-crossed lovers in the time-traveling romance drama, “Outlander.” It begins with a British nurse named Claire visiting Scotland after World War II who accidentally falls back in time to the 18th century when Scotland and England are at war. Claire has left her husband behind in the future, and feels like she will never get back there, so she begrudgingly marries a Highland warrior named Jamie. The two end up falling in love and embark on an epic romance. Season seven, premiering Friday on Starz, take place during the American Revolution. The story is based on the book series by Diana Gabaldon. DETAILS
‘Hoffman Family Gold '
“Gold Rush” fan favorite Todd Hoffman is trying to turn his fortune around by rehabilitating a rundown mine in Alaska in Discovery Channel’s “Hoffman Family Gold.” In season two, Todd has a small crew to help him including his father, Jack, and son, Hunter, but even with the familial assist, it’s a major task and success is not guaranteed. On top of the pressure, Todd and Hunter are very competitive and no one pushes your buttons quite like family. “Hoffman Family Gold” season two debuts Friday. DETAILS