An acolyte, advocate, a mayor, Kpop demon hunter, and Superman: People we love in TIME100 Next

We picked our favorites from each of TIME100 Next’s five categories: Manny Jacinto, Vico Sotto, Maggie Kang, David Corenswet, and Elliston Berry.

Every year, Time magazine releases its TIME100 Next list or the world’s most influential rising stars. Published on September 30, the 2025 list is divided into Artists, Phenoms, Innovators, Leaders, and Advocates.

Admittedly, many of the rising stars are not known globally (yet), but two of our own made it on the list: Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, and actor Manny Jacinto.

Time editor in chief Sam Jacobs says, “Six years ago, when we launched the TIME100 Next, it marked our first step in growing the TIME100 from a single moment into a year-round project. As we’ve added new chapters to the TIME100 story, our mission has remained consistent: to use the TIME100 as a lens to better understand our world. We’ve taken a wider perspective on influence, and taken deep dives into the worlds of AI, Climate, Creators, Health, and Philanthropy.”

Jacobs describes the list as one of the magazine’s favorite moments of the year. “The TIME100 Next is an opportunity to recognize those still on the rise.”

So we picked our own favorites, one each from TIME100 Next’s five categories. Here they are.

Manny Jacinto, artist

*Photo by @diggzy/Vanity Fair, from Manny Jacinto’s Instagram*

Known for his breakout role as the stupid goof in The Good Place and his more recent lead roles in The Acolyte and Freakier Friday, Manny Jacinto is redefining what a leading man can look like in Hollywood. In his tribute, writer and producer Alan Yang (Master of None) called him “one of the kindest, most quietly powerful presences on set.”

“One of the greatest joys of my time working in film and TV has been the revelation that talent and kindness aren’t mutually exclusive. Manny Jacinto is the perfect example. Sure, he has incredible range as an actor—from performing so-dumb-it’s-smart comedy in The Good Place to pulling off how-did-he-do-that physical feats on The Acolyte to effortlessly charming Lindsay Lohan and moviegoers worldwide in Freakier Friday.”

Jacinto’s story—from immigrant roots to intergalactic hero—captures the ascent of Filipino representation in mainstream entertainment. His influence isn’t loud, but it lingers: subtle, soulful, and strikingly human.

Vico Sotto, leader

Unsurprisingly, Time tasked Nobel laureate and Rappler founder Maria Ressa to write about Vico who, during the pandemic (and beyond), left all residents of Metro Manila wishing they were his constituents.

Ressa writes, “In the Philippines, fighting corruption feels like death by a thousand cuts—each small victory eroded by the system’s capacity to regenerate. But Vico Sotto is proving it can be done. At 36, Pasig City’s mayor has toppled a 27-year family dynasty not through money or machinery, but through radical transparency: a 24/7 information and complaints hotline, public procurement that’s livestreamed, and the slashing of project costs by eliminating kickbacks.”

Maggie Kang, innovator

Arguably the most influential filmmaker this year, Maggie Kang’s imagination thrives at the intersection of music, animation, and myth. As the creative force behind K-Pop Demon Hunters, Kang showed big studios what pop storytelling can be.

Daniel Dae Kim, whom we first met on the TV series Lost, writes that it took Kang seven years to make Kpop. “That’s not even to mention the more than a decade she’s spent honing her craft, from positions on the lowest rung of the ladder to where she is today. I’ve heard some say this movie came ‘out of nowhere,’ but for visionaries like Maggie, it’s hardly the case. She knew exactly where it was coming from right from the start: great storytelling imbued with a spirit of love and hope, as well as empowerment for a whole new generation.”

David Corenswet, phenom

Nicholas Hoult, who writes about David Corenswet, should be on this list too! Anyway, long before donning the Superman cape, Corenswet had already shown his range in The Politician and Pearl, where his quiet charisma and introspective intensity set him apart from Hollywood’s flashier leading men.

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Hoult writes: “I’ve learned so much from David Corenswet—as an actor, as a father, and from the time we took a lie-detector test together. He has this rare ability to be completely present with the people around him and to truly understand them. His awareness and caring make him both a brilliant actor and a natural leader. He’s curious, intelligent, and firm when it comes to what’s right. I think my fondest memory of David is of seeing him on set, Superman cape still on, pushing his daughter in a stroller in circles as she slept.”

Elliston Berry, advocate

You may not know Elliston Berry, but if what she advocates for spreads around the world, we owe her a huge debt of gratitude. When she was 14, a classmate of hers used a social media photo to create a deepfake—turning her own likeness into an explicit image and a tool for harassment. Rather than retreating, she stepped forward. She shared her story widely, joined advocacy efforts alongside legislators, and helped drive momentum for the Take It Down Act, a bipartisan bill in the US aimed at curbing nonconsensual deepfake pornography.

US Senator Ted Cruz writes, “She showed incredible bravery by choosing to share her story on a national stage—before she even got her driver’s license. Because of Elliston, we have a safer digital space for Americans now and for generations to come.”

View the full list of 2025 TIME100 Next here.

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