Danny McBride Drew Inspiration for His GI Joe Movie From a Cartoon Deep Cut

You wouldn’t think it would take too much to make a good G.I. Joe movie, right? The concept’s pretty simple: you’ve got the Joes, an American military unit filled with people who each have their own gimmick fighting a terrorist organization also filled with people who each have their own unique, and also a legion of faceless soldiers and/or robots. Just make them fight! And yet, even though directors The Mummy‘s Stephen Sommers and Wicked‘s Jon M. Chu squeezed plenty of that goofiness into their films, no G.I. Joe flick has managed to connect with the public.

Paramount is hoping to right that ship by going to a famous superfan. Comedian Danny McBride has written a new G.I. Joe movie with his The Righteous Gemstones collaborators Jeff Fradley and John Carcieri, and he’s gone back to the cartoons for inspiration. “You’re following Duke and a group of other Joes,” McBride told Josh Horowitz. “There’s that town in the comics, Springfield, which is a town that’s secretly all Cobra. That is where our film takes place.”

Even longtime G.I. Joe fans who don’t read the comics will find the name Springfield compelling, and not just because it reminds them of The Simpsons. Springfield comes from the 1985 two-parter “There’s No Place Like Springfield,” written by comic book legend (and Howard the Duck creator) Steve Gerber.

The episode begins with the naval-themed Joe Shipwreck getting… uh, shipwrecked, and waking up in a sedate hospital. The nurse and doctor explain that he’s a married man, who used information given to him by a respected scientist to help the Joes defeat Cobra once and for all. With the war over, Shipwreck’s free to return to his family in the suburban town of Springfield. Despite the domestic bliss, Shipwreck cannot shake the feeling that something’s wrong, nor can he understand why his wife and neighbors keep asking him about the secret formula he gave to the Joes.

Turns out, Cobra was channeling their inner Ethan Hunt and had set up an elaborate farce in order to trick Shipwreck into spilling the secret of the formula. Of course, this being a ’80s kids cartoon, Shipwreck stays resolute and discovers the ruse in time, eventually reuniting with the Joes and defeating Cobra once again.

Despite the simplicity of the plot, “There’s No Place Like Springfield” does have potential to make for a compelling movie with widespread appeal. Similar premises occur regularly in popular culture, as in The Twilight Zone episode “The Monsters are Due on Maple Street,” the series The Prisoner, and the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Future Imperfect.” Furthermore, by starting with a familiar neighborhood, the movie could introduce the more outlandish elements at a measured pace.

Maybe with that starting point, McBride and his co-creators can finally make a G.I. Joe that appeals to the masses while also including wonderful weirdos like Chuckles, Dr. Mindbender, and Ice Cream Soldier.

Stepping Out of Sherlock’s Shadow: Why Enola Holmes Works as a Detective Hero

Sherlock Holmes is a name that has dominated the mystery genre since the late 1880s, taking on many new incarnations and seeing many canon changes in the past 140 years. One notable recent change to the Sherlock universe has been the introduction of the rest of the Holmes family. American author Nancy Springer joined in on this Holmes expansion in 2006, with the creation of the book series The Enola Holmes Adventures.

Enola, the rambunctious younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, was raised by their mother Eudoria Holmes in a progressive household that valued independence and intelligence, a rare upbringing for women in the Victorian Era. A captivating character in her own right, Enola’s identity has long been associated with her relation to Sherlock.

With the recent release of Netflix’s Enola Holmes 3, however, the youngest of the Holmes’ tribe has seemingly stepped out of the shadow of her older brother, showing that detectives aren’t defined by only unmatched intellect but also a sense of adaptability, empathy, and the willingness to challenge powers causing harm.

Sherlock Holmes is arguably the most famous detective in fiction. That makes any character connected to him at risk of being sidekicked or pushed to the background in the wake of Sherlock’s analytical genius. When Netflix first introduced the live-action film version of Enola (Millie Bobby Brown) in 2020’s Enola Holmes, there was a risk of that happening to Enola and being marketed as a film about “Sherlock’s teen sister.” Enola’s identity as a Holmes was wrapped in following the footsteps of her older brother, especially with her older brother actually appearing in the film, played by literal Superman Henry Cavill.

In her first film, Enola’s journey is about establishing her place in the real world after her mother’s disappearance. She has her “brother’s wittiness,” and her similarities to Sherlock assist her sleuthing prowess. Yet, Sherlock’s stoic logical nature is not something Enola shares. Enola is emotional, her empathy being the defining trait of her character — this leads to many comparisons of her to Sherlock by characters in the series of films. It can also be added that Enola’s place as a young girl, now young woman, in society inhibits her from having Sherlock’s “non-emotional” mentality.

Throughout the first film, Enola is introduced to the realities of being a woman in Victorian society. Having been raised in an isolated paradise centering freedom, it isn’t until she is away from her mother’s protection that she has to fight to keep that freedom for herself. Her eldest brother, Mycroft Holmes (Sam Claflin), does his best to confine her to the constraints of being a “proper lady” by sending her to Miss Harrison’s Finishing School for Young Ladies — telling a then 16-year-old Enola that her lack of desire for a husband was something that she “needs to have educated out” of her.

This is what makes Enola so distinct from her brothers. Sherlock can operate autonomously, engaging with society as he pleases as an almost neutral body, desiring nothing but a game of intellect. Mycroft engages in society with the goal of gaining privilege and prestige, wanting to gain a place of notability. Enola’s options are not as freely given — being a female detective, and in turn a troublemaker, her identity intersects with the systems of classism and sexism that make her susceptible to unjust and harsh treatment. The role of Victorian women was to keep house; girls didn’t need education as their duty was to learn to be wives and mothers.

This is the antithesis of Enola’s character, yet she uses it as both an advantage and a disguise. She also uses sexism as a cloak. As a woman, she is often underestimated and looked down upon — which allows her to get ahead of many of her male adversaries. This also allows her to navigate in places that Sherlock cannot. Often relying on women and female spaces, Enola has a network of underground radical feminist women that have helped her along her journey. This was a focal point in Enola Holmes 2, as her mother (Helena Bonham Carter) and mentor, cafe and secret women’s dojo owner Edith (Susan Wokoma), introduce her to that network who have each other’s backs.

The second film showcases not only Enola’s grit and determination to get out of Sherlock’s shadow, but her willingness to help people simply because they need help. In the third film, Enola even marks the difference between her brother and her as Sherlock helping “those with means” while she helps “those with needs.” Enola prioritizes understanding people — her comprehension of social dynamics, emotional patterns, and personal motivations being the way in which she solves her cases.

She helped the Matchstick girls, which tied into the real-life Matchgirls’ strike of 1888, when no one else would define her place in detective work. These girls were being poisoned by the chemicals used to make the matches, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of young girls working in these factories. She helps those whose lives are seen as disposable. She understands what it means to have no one defend you, to fight for your own freedom, and to keep going when you think no one believes in you. She knows what it feels like to be alone, yet understands the moral responsibility of persevering when you are the only person in the room who represents more than your own desires.

Sherlock is a vastly different character. He is anti-social, profoundly introverted, and unapologetically himself. That personality has understandably captivated readers for over a hundred years now. However, Enola’s opposingly earnest yet complimentary nature has been a breath of fresh air.

While Sherlock is chasing the thrill of solving complex mysteries, Enola is fighting against systems of inequality; sexism, classism, elitism, and racism are all cultivated into her greatest antagonists. In Enola Holmes 3, Enola is battling against herself, her desire to marry Tewksberry (Louis Partridge), whom she loves, and her hesitance to enter the confines of being a lady, having now officially “joined the pantheon of great Victorian detectives.” Simultaneously, Enola is faced with the prospect of saving a kidnapped Sherlock, who is the distraction for a mystery surrounding the people of Malta and the incredible suffering and wrongdoing they have faced at the hands of the British crown. Enola takes on this challenge, not only to save her brother, but to find out the truth that the people of Malta deserve as they remain under the oppression of the British monarchy.

Enola isn’t perfect in her methods, but she works harder than anyone else to get the desired result. Enola feels scrappy in nature. She takes risks. She makes emotional decisions, while fighting first and asking questions later. She is occasionally kidnapped, relies on the allies and connections she makes along the way, and she isn’t the loner superhuman deductionist that her brother is. Yet every win feels earned — watching Enola evolve and grow throughout the films, learning lessons and seldom making the same mistake twice. Enola works hard and embraces her circumstances while doing everything in her power to change them.

Enola’s nature and navigation of life is so strikingly different from her brother’s, but it just works.

She represents the amazing storytelling that comes with changing the angle inside of a popular story. Focusing on the “underexplored” (using that term extremely loosely) or creating new characters to examine perspectives that weren’t previously considered can birth amazing films and inspirational characters.

Enola Holmes 3 is now streaming on Netflix.

15 Movies That Don’t Answer Their Own Questions

Movies don’t necessarily need to answer every single question they pose, since what we can imagine can often fill the gaps. These mysteries stay with us far longer than any definitive answer can, letting fans discuss the film for decades rather than just having an opinion on the solution.

We do admit that, sometimes, that can be frustrating. Some mystery is fine, but when you don’t have anything to hold on to form a theory, you’re just shooting in the dark. These following movies present questions without clear answers, although if they do it well or not, that’s up to you.

The Thing

John Carpenter’s sci-fi horror classic ends without revealing whether MacReady, Childs, both, or neither are actually the alien imitation. The film deliberately leaves the fate of its final survivors unresolved, fueling decades of fan debate.

Inception

Christopher Nolan famously ends Inception with Cobb’s spinning top wobbling but never definitively falling. The audience is left to decide whether Cobb has truly returned to reality or remains inside a dream.

Pulp Fiction

The glowing contents of Marsellus Wallace’s briefcase are never revealed. Quentin Tarantino intentionally leaves the mystery unsolved, allowing the briefcase to function as one of cinema’s most iconic unanswered questions.

Lost in Translation

As Bob whispers something to Charlotte during their final goodbye, the audience never hears his exact words. Sofia Coppola intentionally keeps the moment private, preserving the intimacy and ambiguity of their relationship.

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece presents the Monolith, the Star Gate sequence, and the Star Child without straightforward explanations. Rather than spelling out their meaning, the film encourages viewers to interpret its cosmic symbolism themselves.

No Country for Old Men

Anton Chigurh disappears after surviving a violent car accident, and Llewelyn Moss dies off-screen before Sheriff Bell arrives. The Coen brothers intentionally deny audiences the conventional confrontations many expect from a thriller.

The Lobster

The film ends just before David makes a life-altering decision in a restaurant bathroom. Director Yorgos Lanthimos never reveals what choice he ultimately makes, leaving the conclusion entirely open to interpretation.

Enemy

Denis Villeneuve’s psychological thriller concludes with a giant spider appearing in Adam’s apartment. The startling image is never literally explained, remaining one of modern cinema’s most discussed and symbolic endings.

Picnic at Hanging Rock

Three schoolgirls and a teacher vanish during a Valentine’s Day outing in 1900. The film never reveals what happened to them, preserving the central mystery that has fascinated audiences for decades.

Donnie Darko

While the film offers clues about time travel and alternate realities, many aspects of Donnie’s visions, Frank’s identity, and the mechanics of the Tangent Universe remain intentionally open to interpretation.

The Shining

The final photograph showing Jack Torrance at the Overlook Hotel’s 1921 ball remains unexplained. Stanley Kubrick never provides a definitive answer for how or why Jack appears in the decades-old image.

Mulholland Drive

David Lynch’s surreal mystery resists a single definitive interpretation. The relationships between Betty, Diane, Rita, and the film’s dreamlike structure remain intentionally ambiguous, encouraging endless analysis rather than concrete answers.

Under the Skin

Scarlett Johansson’s mysterious alien is never fully explained. The film reveals little about her species, mission, or origins, choosing atmosphere and implication over direct exposition throughout the unsettling story.

The Blair Witch Project

Despite the title, the audience never actually sees the Blair Witch. The film relies entirely on suggestion, found footage, and the characters’ growing fear, leaving the nature of the supernatural threat unresolved.

Cache

Michael Haneke’s thriller never definitively identifies who is sending the anonymous surveillance tapes. The unresolved mystery reinforces the film’s themes of guilt, memory, and accountability instead of offering a satisfying culprit.

Minions & Monsters Easter Eggs and Hollywood History Explained by the Director

This article contains some Minions & Monsters spoilers.

Minions & Monsters is the third Illumination film to bear the title of the devious, banana-shaped critters who were first dreamed up by filmmaker Pierre Coffin and collaborators Chris Renaud and Eric Guillon. It is also the seventh film to showcase these animated hybrids between Oompa-Loompas and the Keystone Cops. Yet while devising a new film about the little guys, writer-director Coffin wasn’t so much thinking about their future as he was their past. Plus his own. It’s a fact that becomes obvious before the finished film even starts.

When families and fans enter the cinema for Minions & Monsters this holiday weekend, the first thing they’ll see is Eadweard Muybridge’s 1878 motion picture of a horse running (albeit Minions style). The second is a literal walk back through time via every Universal Pictures title card since the studio’s 1912 founding.

“I had the idea from the start,” Coffin confides to us with a wry smile over Zoom. “I even went on YouTube and got all the Universal logos.” With the exception of the earliest version from the salad days of studio founder Carl Laemmle, they were all online and easy to mash up and reverse. “I didn’t know if it was going to work, so I stole those off of YouTube, edited them, put it backwards, edited that little effect, and it’s in the movie.” It serves as a cute easter egg but also a statement of intent.

For Coffin, the whole appeal of Minions & Monsters has been this walk down memory lane, both as a cinephile who loves the building blocks of the moving image, as well as someone who was once a kid growing up on Universal’s catalog of monsters from nearly a century ago. Minions & Monsters represented a chance to explore the past, even while creating something new for the next generation.

“The goal of the movie is that it’s a Minions movie but it feels different,” Coffin admits. “[It needs to be] funny… but I didn’t want it to be more of the same. So the era, and everything that we put in there, was stuff that felt relevant and also that motivated me into wanting to do it.” Below are a handful of those biggest motivators and inspirations, for Minions, Monsters, and more…

Hollywood History, Gods and (Universal) Monsters

The new Illumination film’s framing device is designed to get moviegoers of every generation feeling nostalgic. Inside an apparent Hollywood History museum, a snappy tour guide voiced by Allison Janney walks families and school children by familiar—and often Universal copyrighted—sights. The hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II (1989); E.T. and the fateful bicycle from the Steven Spielberg movie of 1982; there’s even a deeper cut of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds (1963). Oh, also, no less than George Lucas himself.

But in the corner that sets the plot in motion is an area dedicated solely to the memory of Henry and James, the Minions from a different tribe who broke into Hollywood in a big way during the 1920s and ‘30s. And as a testament to their legacy are three specific movie posters: one for the Fritz Lang German silent film classic Metropolis (1927), and two that directly riff on iconic Universal Monsters The Mummy (1932) and Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), albeit with a certain Minions styling. The latter two specifically represented monumental moments in Coffin’s childhood introduction to American culture.

“I didn’t know those movies existed before moving to the States in ’77,” Coffin reveals. “I moved to the States for three years, and there were so many horror movies that I didn’t know existed. So when I discovered them on TV—[movies like] The Fly and Frankenstein—at the time I was just in awe of these movies. They weren’t aired on French TV at the time, so I was just like, ‘Whoa, how come I can’t see them in my local theater?’ I had to chase them on those TV channels they were on at the time.”

Indeed, while The Mummy appears to be a personal favorite with a version of the Boris Karloff undead sorcerer showing up before quickly unraveling later in Minions & Monsters, one non-Universal beastie that had special significance on the film and young Coffin is Paramount’s original The Blob from 1958.

“I remember going to the movies in France to see The Blob… in the ‘70s,” says Coffin, “and I was terrified by it, really terrified. And just because of that I had the idea [on Minions & Monsters] for Irene.” The writer-director is referring to the ultimate monster that a Cthulu-like creature summons in the third act of the film (and which is on all the posters).

Says Coffin, “I was like, ‘Let’s make Irene this blobby thing with eyes.’ I then said we should all go look at that movie again.” The filmmaker pauses and a grin spreads across his face. “And horrible, just horrible. The Blob doesn’t even move in that movie! It’s just like standing there with everybody yelling and that was it! So the perception of it as a kid and knowing what it is as an adult, it’s a different thing.”

Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd, Buster Keaton, and the Building Blocks of Comedy

Yet while the monsters of the title are one of the selling points of the movie, the real centerpiece of its muses comes during the grandest animated set piece. It’s the scene where the Minions Henry, Ed, and James quite literally break into Hollywood by way of a runaway locomotive that explodes into the film like a prop from The Great Train Robbery (1903). Meanwhile in hot pursuit is no less than the Keystone Cops, the titular slapstick law enforcement buffoons who appeared in a series of comedies produced by the Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917.

According to Coffin, all of the mayhem that ensued, including the Minions meeting their veritable ancestors in comedy stars like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd, originally sprang from Coffin and his team trying to imagine a humorous way to introduce the Minions crossing over from ancient history to the relatively recent backstory of cinema.

“I go by visual cues,” Coffin admits. So when he and his team drew up what it would look like if there were so many Minions climbing atop a stagecoach in the Old West, Coffin knew they were on the right track by how humorously jarring it was when they started forming into giant balls of yellow. After that, it became about escalation.

“I knew that I needed to create a little bit of surprise,” Coffin explains, “so we added the train, and then we referenced The Great Train Robbery. And then the whole moment was for me to say, ‘How do I get from the audience thinking we’re in the Western era to the moment where we’re discovering that, no, that’s totally wrong, we’re in 1920s Hollywood. So we [decided] we need to trickle out the clues. And so from the train, we go to the Keystone Cops, which is ‘whoa, what are the cops doing here?’”

Eventually, though, it became specifically about recreating—and perhaps affectionately desecrating with Minions mayhem—three iconic moments in physical comedy: Harold Lloyd hanging from a clocktower in the vertigo-inducing silent rom-com classic, Safety Last! (1923), Buster Keaton surviving a literal house falling down around him in a shot that would make insurance men sweat bullets during Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928), and most especially the bit where Charlie Chaplin gets gummed up in the bowels of industrial America during Modern Times (1936).

“When I was thinking about a factory [setting], I said, ‘Maybe we should do that Modern Times quick reference and have our take at it?’” Coffin recalls. “And the conceit of those three little moments—Chaplin in Modern Times, Harold Lloyd in Safety Last!, and Buster Keaton in [Steamboat Bill Jr.]… is just not to give a reference. It was just to say maybe what we know of history is wrong? Maybe it’s the Minions that actually provoked those accidents?!”

Kidding aside, for Coffin it was about paying homage to his forebears.

“I think the Minions come down from every one of those geniuses that did slapstick at the time,” says Coffin. “Like before doing this movie, we were already referencing those guys just because in animation we go for slapstick, which is a form of physical comedy. So cartoons, in terms of an animated genre, is only referencing those guys who have invented slapstick: non-talking characters, physical violence, you name it. It’s Tom and Jerry, it’s all the Tex Avery movies.”

Babylon, Singin’ in the Rain, and All That Jazz

While Minions & Monsters isn’t (quite) another parable about the cataclysmic culture shock of sound being introduced to silent pictures in the 1920s, the movie nonetheless moves and bustles through quite a bit of Hollywood history, showing the Minions rising to the top of silent comedy cinema in the Jazz Age and getting completely decked out how we might expect.

Indeed, there’s a scene where James and Henry win an Oscar and a line of sequined flappers in pink dresses come bounding on the stage behind them. Coffin freely admits they’re modeled after Debbie Reynolds’ iconic cake-girl outfit and routine in the definitive Hollywood musical-comedy about Hollywood itself, Singin’ in the Rain (1952).

“Yeah, totally,” Coffin laughs. “She has the same hairstyle and stuff.” But then he admits he is playing in the same sandbox as every film, recent and old, that has revisited this monumental moment in Hollywood history. “I mean it’s the same subject matter, right?” Coffin considers. “Babylon, Singin’ in the Rain, and The Artist, they all speak about that era and the arrival of sound, obviously.” By his own admission, the party sequences in Minions & Monsters were more specifically modeled after the epic shindigs written down by F. Scott Fitzgerald in the seminal 1925 novel The Great Gatsby. Yet even by almost accident, he found himself echoing the immense bacchanal of Damien Chazelle’s Babylon, which imagined Hollywood debauchery culminating in an elephant running through Los Angeles house parties.

“The Babylon thing came after the fact, but my initial thing was Blake Edwards more than Babylon,” says Coffin. “It was just a general collectivist thing where let’s have crazy animals in there to show these guys are so rich they can get anything they want.” The filmmaker is specifically referring to the Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers comedy The Party (1968), wherein ‘60s go-go swingers and flower children throw down at a party that also includes an Asian elephant running wild. Still, when the connection to Babylon became apparent, Coffin and his team happily brought it into the merrymaking.

Casablanca, Citizen Kane, and the Brothers Warner

Of course no exploration of the Golden Age of Hollywood, especially when sound is introduced, can occur without a nod to two poles that frequently wind up at the top of all rankings of the greatest American movies: Michael Curtiz and Warner Brothers’ gold standard example of the Hollywood system of yore being able to produce masterpieces, Casablanca (1942), and the iconoclastic film that broke that mold and bucked industry trends and cinema vernacular, Orson Wells’ Citizen Kane (1941).

One of the latter’s several easter egg nods in the film has been partially released online, in which one of the Minion performers continuously flubs a pivotal moment for his director (Christoph Waltz) by being unable to say the fateful word “rosebud” on his deathbed. Once you see the finished film though… it ain’t “rosebud” that comes out of James’ mouth!

“Citizen Kane is obviously the ultimate thing,” Coffin admits, and it was one of the movies from the earliest concept art and meetings that was always going to be referenced in a montage of the Minions struggling with sound.

“That survived the test of time, but we tweaked it slightly, because we used to end it on just one word, a nonsense word. It used to be ‘bikini,’ which I think now is second. But in the end, it’s just, ‘Oh poop!’ And then ‘bikini.’ Then all of them.” It’s the culmination of a gag that was always supposed to show, like for the characters of Singin’ in the Rain, that the talking pictures were hard, man.

“We tried, I think, a dozen ideas,” Coffin explains. “I know that I wanted a moment where the Minions would screw up with sound. I didn’t know how yet. I didn’t know if it was going to be because they’re saying the English words wrong or if they just can’t speak. I didn’t know. So we did a lot of stuff.” At one point, the Minions were going to mess up on the set of a Western, at another they were going to fumble on the set of James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931), and also a Ten Commandments-esque biblical epic. What survived this process though was Citizen Kane being the ultimate punchline, a nondescript World War I epic that Coffin claims he picked just because he liked the aesthetics—albeit I see quite a bit of The Big Parade (1925) in it—and of course Casablanca, with maybe a little bit of The Maltese Falcon (1941) sprinkled in.

Both of those last two star Humphrey Bogart, which is the name that James’ miscast Minion goes by while chatting up a dame in an office that looks suspiciously like a film noir private eye’s humble abode.

Says Coffin, “Casablanca was really the thing that felt like it started slowly. Like ‘Okay, it established the principal and cue cards, and all that stuff.’ We needed something that slowly grew.”

Yet it wouldn’t be the only Casablanca nod in the film which also seems to be taking special aim at Jack Warner and Harry Warner, two of the Warner brothers who gave WB its name. Theirs was the studio that produced Casablanca with its iconic use of the song “As Time Goes By.” In Minions & Monsters, we meet the Bright Brothers of slightly diverging sensibilities on a studio lot that looks like a cross between WB and the iconic Paramount Pictures gate. Coffin freely admits he modeled both Bright Brothers on Jack and company.

“If I was a cartoonist at the time, that’s how I would draw them,” Coffin says of the Warners. “That image of the director stuck between those two big guys is actually a drawing for me where, when I started doing the beat boards and for this movie, that was one of the images I wanted to see in the movie. So it’s there. If I could have done like cigars and stuff, I would have done it, but I was not allowed.”

With that said, he wanted to at least nod to the legacy of what they could create as well.

“I wanted to have the cliché of those mean, scary guys, and then ultimately, we made them slightly different. One really ruthless, like mean, and the other one is just as ruthless but in a nice way. And adding that little Casablanca moment made them very human, which was very important to me. I didn’t want them to be all the way through caricature. I still wanted them to have this soul, this sensitivity, and them asking that Sam, the piano player, to play that music felt like a good way to humanize those guys.”

The Power of Movies

There is a line of thinking that might question why any of these sometimes hundred-year-old films are being homaged and revered in a Minions movie. The target audience will undoubtedly be children who likely never have heard of Citizen Kane, much less the infamous revelation that “rosebud” is the name of Charles Foster Kane’s sled.

“I get asked that question,” Coffin concedes. “‘But kids don’t know Citizen Kane’ and dah dah dah. I don’t think you need to know. You just need to know that it’s a guy, or Minion, that looks like he’s dying and his last words are, ‘Oh poop.’”

That’s the gag, but truthfully, Coffin hopes Minions & Monsters will be the start of some kids discovering more.

“So whether it’s Citizen Kane or all these moments of ‘who are those guys? Why is everybody laughing, hopefully, at the Modern Times moment, at the Harold Lloyd moment?,’” Coffins begins, “I don’t think kids know that, or maybe they do. But then it’s sort of a TikTok thing where it’s ‘poof,’ and ‘Harold Lloyd was a genius,’ and then moving on. So I’m hoping that if they don’t know, they’ll ask and then they’ll find an answer, and then they’ll realize that, yeah, Buster Keaton, when you see his stunts, they’re incredible. And then you fall on a video where you see a collection of all his stunts, and then all of a sudden you’re interested in his film career, and then you plunge into it, and you find The General, The Cameraman, and then you find all these movies that are still working to this day.”

By the Minions maestro’s accounting, these are the kind of classics that will always hold up.

“When you look at them, they’re just brilliant,” he says. “And when I showed it to my kids, they were reacting to the black and white, and saying, ‘Oh, what is this?’ But then 10 seconds in, they were totally forgetting that it was in black and white, and they were struck by the storytelling, which is still working these days, particularly Chaplin, by the way.”

It can be a new world of old gods and monsters.

Minions & Monsters is in theaters now.

15 Movie Heroes Who Only Made Their Own Lives Harder

A hero or protagonist of a film is often the one that solves the problems being thrown at them by the plot, and seeing how they can triumph at the end tends to be the point of the story. Some tales, however, involve heroes that, through their very own actions, made their lives so much harder than needed.

The way they act is oftentimes why their tales are so successful, but it doesn’t stop us from feeling frustrated at how their lives could’ve been much easier. An easy life doesn’t make for good content, but we like these characters enough to wish they had a break.

Scott Pilgrim (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World)

Scott’s reluctance to be honest about his relationships creates unnecessary conflict with nearly everyone around him. His romantic indecision complicates situations that would have been far simpler with straightforward communication.

Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Peter’s desire to handle every crisis alone frequently backfires. Whether hiding the truth from loved ones or refusing assistance from fellow heroes, his secrecy often creates bigger personal problems than the villains themselves.

Marty McFly (Back to the Future)

Much of Marty’s trouble stems from his inability to ignore insults. His habit of reacting whenever someone calls him “chicken” repeatedly pushes him into dangerous situations that could have been avoided entirely.

Woody (Toy Story)

Woody’s jealousy of Buzz Lightyear leads him to make impulsive decisions that leave both toys stranded. His rivalry creates the very crisis he spends the rest of the movie desperately trying to fix.

Bruce Nolan (Bruce Almighty)

After receiving divine powers, Bruce initially uses them for personal gain instead of helping others. His selfish choices create chaos in his career, relationships, and community before he finally understands the responsibility he’s been given.

Chris Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness)

Chris’s determination is inspiring, but his decision to invest heavily in expensive bone-density scanners before securing reliable buyers leaves his family in severe financial hardship that becomes increasingly difficult to escape.

Carl Fredricksen (Up)

Carl isolates himself after losing Ellie, pushing away people who genuinely want to help. His refusal to let go of the past complicates his journey until Russell gradually helps him reconnect with the world.

Lightning McQueen (Cars)

McQueen’s arrogance causes him to prioritize winning over everyone else. His impatience leads him off course, stranded in Radiator Springs, where he ultimately learns lessons that could have come much less painfully.

Andy Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada)

Andy accepts the demands of a prestigious fashion job but gradually sacrifices her relationships and personal values. Many of the difficulties she faces come from choices she continues making long after recognizing the consequences.

Dr. Richard Kimble (The Fugitive)

Kimble repeatedly risks capture by conducting his own investigation while evading authorities. Although he eventually uncovers the conspiracy, cooperating with trustworthy allies sooner might have shortened his ordeal considerably.

Jack Dawson (Titanic)

Jack repeatedly puts himself in greater danger after the ship strikes the iceberg, first by returning to rescue Rose and later by risking precious time helping others. His selflessness is admirable but undeniably costly.

Buster Moon (Sing)

Buster’s optimism borders on recklessness. By promising prize money he doesn’t actually have, he creates financial and personal problems that threaten both his theater and the dreams of everyone participating in his competition.

Po (Kung Fu Panda)

Po initially refuses to take his training seriously, frustrating Master Shifu and slowing his own progress. Much of his early struggle comes from doubting himself instead of embracing the potential others already see.

Luke Skywalker (The Empire Strikes Back)

Ignoring Yoda’s warnings, Luke cuts his training short to confront Darth Vader before he’s ready. His impatience leads directly to a devastating defeat and one of the most painful revelations in cinematic history.

Daniel LaRusso (The Karate Kid)

Daniel often escalates conflicts with Johnny and the Cobra Kai students instead of walking away. While he’s hardly the sole cause of their rivalry, several confrontations become much worse because of his impulsive reactions.

15 Sitcom Characters Who Would Be Awful Neighbors

Sitcom characters aren’t meant to be realistic, they are a constant source of conflicts that make us laugh through their antics. They don’t solve problems the obvious way, have communication problems and are, in a general sense, not great to be around.

But what if you don’t live with them, but next door to them? Well, with such vocal personalities, what makes audiences laugh would make neighbors want to kick them out of the hood. These are just a few sitcom characters whose neighbors would likely spend more time complaining than borrowing a cup of sugar.

Cosmo Kramer (Seinfeld)

Kramer treats every apartment in the building like it’s his own, barging in uninvited, launching bizarre business schemes, and accidentally creating chaos. Living next door would mean constant noise, surprise visits, and unpredictable emergencies.

Charlie Harper (Two and a Half Men)

Charlie’s beachfront home hosts loud parties, overnight guests, and frequent arguments. Between the constant drinking and late-night activity, anyone living nearby would probably lose plenty of sleep and patience.

Michael Scott (The Office)

Michael desperately wants everyone to like him, but his lack of boundaries would make him exhausting as a neighbor. Expect awkward conversations, ill-advised neighborhood events, and constant interruptions at the worst possible moments.

Barney Stinson (How I Met Your Mother)

Barney’s apartment is the setting for elaborate parties and an endless parade of romantic conquests. The constant stream of visitors and late-night celebrations would make him difficult for any neighboring tenant to tolerate.

Sheldon Cooper (The Big Bang Theory)

Sheldon values rules above almost everything else. He’d likely complain about minor noise, parking, trash placement, or thermostat settings while expecting everyone nearby to follow his incredibly specific standards.

Lucy Ricardo (I Love Lucy)

Lucy’s endless attempts to break into show business usually end in spectacular disasters. Whether she’s causing commotion in the building or dragging others into another scheme, peace and quiet would be hard to find nearby.

Frank Gallagher (Shameless)

Frank’s reckless lifestyle brings police officers, arguments, and questionable visitors to his doorstep on a regular basis. Even by sitcom standards, he’d be one of the most unpredictable and troublesome neighbors imaginable.

Karen Walker (Will & Grace)

Karen’s loud personality, extravagant parties, and complete disregard for social etiquette would quickly wear on anyone living nearby. Her wealth might solve some problems, but it certainly wouldn’t make her quieter.

Joey Tribbiani (Friends)

Joey is friendly enough, but his apartment often becomes the site of loud gatherings, constant visitors, and late-night celebrations. Add his tendency to forget responsibilities, and he’d make for a frustrating neighbor.

Ron Swanson (Parks and Recreation)

Ron generally keeps to himself, but his extreme desire for privacy would make neighborly interaction nearly impossible. Borrowing a tool or making small talk would likely be met with visible annoyance.

Kelso (That ’70s Show)

Kelso’s lack of common sense means almost every situation becomes an accident waiting to happen. Whether damaging property or causing neighborhood mishaps, he’d unintentionally create endless headaches for those living nearby.

Bender (Futurama)

Bender drinks constantly, throws wild parties, steals almost anything not nailed down, and has little regard for other people’s property. Even in the 31st century, he’d be the resident everyone complains about.

Kimmy Gibbler (Full House)

Kimmy’s over-the-top personality, constant unannounced visits, and loud enthusiasm regularly test the Tanner family’s patience. Living next door would mean little privacy and an endless supply of unexpected interruptions.

Dennis Reynolds (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

Dennis presents himself as charming, but his manipulative behavior and inflated ego make him deeply unsettling. Most neighbors would probably avoid eye contact entirely after only a few uncomfortable interactions.

Arthur Spooner (The King of Queens)

Arthur is loud, argumentative, and constantly inserting himself into other people’s lives. His unpredictable behavior and habit of creating unnecessary drama would make sharing a property line an exhausting experience.

The 15 Most Pointless Movie MacGuffins

A ‘MacGuffin’ is a storytelling device that keeps characters moving, even if the object itself barely matters in the end. Alfred Hitchcock popularized the term to describe the mysterious briefcases, artifacts, and secret documents that motivate entire plots without being the real point of the story.

It is understandable that they aren’t a focus, rather an excuse, but as audiences we do feel they need to be able to do something. If the movie is going to revolve around a single item, we should at least understand its purpose. These are some of the most memorable movie MacGuffins that, in hindsight, were surprisingly pointless.

The Briefcase (Pulp Fiction)

Everyone wants the glowing briefcase, yet the audience never learns exactly what’s inside. Quentin Tarantino deliberately leaves its contents a mystery, making the case one of cinema’s most famous examples of a true MacGuffin.

The Rabbit’s Foot (Mission: Impossible III)

The Rabbit’s Foot is treated as a world-changing bioweapon throughout the film, but its exact nature is never explained. What matters isn’t the device itself, but Ethan Hunt’s mission to recover it before the villains do.

The Heart of the Ocean (Titanic)

The enormous blue diamond motivates treasure hunters decades after the Titanic sinks. In the end, Rose quietly throws the priceless jewel back into the ocean, rendering the entire search effectively meaningless.

The Falcon (The Maltese Falcon)

Detectives, criminals, and collectors betray and kill one another over the legendary jeweled statue. After all the bloodshed, it turns out to be an expertly crafted fake, making everyone’s obsession completely futile.

The Rosebud Sled (Citizen Kane)

The mystery of Charles Foster Kane’s final word drives the entire investigation, yet no character ever learns that “Rosebud” refers to his childhood sled. The revelation changes nothing for the people searching for answers.

The Silver Briefcase (Ronin)

Nearly every major player in Ronin double-crosses someone else to obtain a mysterious metal briefcase. Its contents are never revealed, emphasizing that the object itself is irrelevant compared to the intrigue surrounding it.

The Government Files (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang)

Several characters risk their lives pursuing a set of supposedly valuable government files. The specifics of what’s inside are largely beside the point, as the mystery serves mainly to fuel the film’s twists and betrayals.

The Grail Diary (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade)

Everyone races to obtain Henry Jones Sr.’s diary because it contains clues to the Holy Grail. Once the Grail is found, however, the diary’s practical importance quickly disappears.

The Tesseract (The Avengers)

The Tesseract changes hands repeatedly across multiple Marvel films as factions seek its incredible power. Ultimately, it serves mostly as a container for the Space Stone, making the cube itself expendable.

The Red Ryder BB Gun (A Christmas Story)

Ralphie’s dream of owning a Red Ryder BB gun drives the entire story. Once Christmas finally arrives, the coveted gift functions mainly as the punchline to the film’s long-running anticipation.

The Declaration of Independence (National Treasure)

Nicolas Cage’s character steals the Declaration not because he wants the document itself, but because it supposedly hides a clue. The priceless historical artifact is ultimately just another step toward the real treasure.

The Formula (The Formula)

The entire thriller revolves around a secret synthetic fuel formula that multiple factions are willing to kill for. By the end, the formula’s actual contents and potential impact matter far less than the conspiracy built around it.

The Ruby (Romancing the Stone)

Joan Wilder’s adventure revolves around delivering a priceless ruby while avoiding criminals. By the conclusion, the relationships formed and experiences gained prove far more important than the gemstone everyone was chasing.

The One Ring (The Lord of the Rings)

The One Ring possesses immense power, yet no hero can safely use it. The Fellowship spends three films protecting an artifact whose ultimate purpose is simply to be destroyed rather than wielded. Granted, it is of great use to Sauron, but pointless to the heroes.

The Orb (Guardians of the Galaxy)

Most of the film centers on competing factions trying to obtain a mysterious Orb. It is eventually revealed to be little more than a protective casing for the Power Stone, making the container itself largely irrelevant.

Absolute Wonder Woman Team Is Adapting One of the Best Genre Films Ever

Writer Kelly Thompson and artist Mattia De Iulis, who gained recent success in DC’s Absolute Universe with Absolute Wonder Woman, are transitioning from stories inspired by twisted Greek mythology to a story from dark film mythology. Thompson and De Iulis will be taking their talents to a new adaptation of the Bride of Frankenstein story as a part of the Universal Monsters comic anthology series based on the Universal Monsters franchise.

Universal Monsters: Bride of Frankenstein joins Skybound and Image Comics’ pantheon of adaptations centering on classic Hollywood movie monsters, including Dracula, The Mummy, and Frankenstein’s Monster himself, hitting comics shelves Oct. 28.

The newest story focuses on the titular monster who first appeared in the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein. Despite only being in the film for the final scene, the Bride has been a fixture in horror iconography for decades. and her feature film debut is considered to be one of the greatest horror films of all time and a pivotal moment in silver screen and Universal Pictures history.

Bride of Frankenstein is director James Whale’s crown jewel. It’s a sequel to Whale’s other film, simply titled Frankenstein, which adapted the first half of Mary Shelley’s foundational novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. Bride follows the second half of the novel, as Frankenstein’s Monster (Boris Karloff) demands that Henry Frankenstein (a renamed Victor Frankenstein played by Colin Clive) create a mate (Elsa Lanchester) for him. Its cinematography, performances, and story have all aged beautifully since its release nearly a century ago. The film was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1998, cementing it as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Whale, one of the most successful directors of the 1920s and ‘30s, also directed a slew of other Universal Pictures monster movies, including Frankenstein (1931) and The Invisible Man (1933), films which have been the source for the Skybound and Image Comics adaptations. He was known for his expressionist sensibilities, prioritizing extremely expressive performances and a visual style that rejected realism. Whale was also openly gay throughout his career, and many of his films have been revisited by scholars and fans alike with this in mind.

Bride of Frankenstein is the most revisited in this way, and film scholars have been applying a gay viewing of the film routinely for decades. Its campiness, themes of procreation and religion, and intentional use of gendered and sexually ambiguous language surrounding certain characters have all spawned academia and new readings.

In the Absolute Universe, Diana was raised in Hell instead of her typical home of Themyscira, the mythological home of the Amazonians. Absolute Wonder Woman, similar to Bride of Frankenstein, is similarly defined by thematic complexities. Diana’s existence is a sin against the gods, and the tension of her existence pulls between her role as a violent warrior princess and her innate goodness.

Thompson and De Iulis’ experience on Absolute Wonder Woman make them the perfect pair for bringing a story with such a captivating history to the page. Early looks at their first issue hint at a take on the character that captures the same thematically complex energy of Whale’s masterpiece from a new perspective, in which we finally get to hear the Bride’s thoughts and feelings.

Both Bride of Frankenstein and Absolute Wonder Woman share narrative depth and tap into a mythos of powerful stories that define their success, and the comic will almost certainly be a must-read.

PlayStation Is Abandoning Physical Media, to the Detriment of Consumers

Sony announced Wednesday that it will stop making discs for its PlayStation games beginning in 2028, in the name of “consumer preferences.” Instead of finding their releases in retailers, PlayStation fans will have to purchase games in the PlayStation store on their consoles. This announcement came right after Rockstar Games informed fans that GTA 6, the biggest incoming release of the year, will not have a physical release and instead will only be available digitally (though they will sell game boxes with codes inside for those who want a box).

By doing this, PlayStation is not only betraying the tradition of physical media that has been the heart of the gaming industry for decades, but also harming the buyers who have made their company successful.

The shift to digital is unfortunately in line with recent consumer behavior. The 2025 Sony corporate report revealed just 3% of PlayStation sales came from discs. Some video game business analysts have even claimed digital sales account for 80-90% of PlayStation and Xbox game sales.

Despite this shift, there are numerous problems associated with digital purchases that will ultimately cost gamers more. Purchasing a physical disc ensures its owners are able to hold onto it long-term. For example, buying a Halo 4 Xbox 360 disc allowed you to play Halo 4 on all future Xbox consoles, even if for some reason servers would shut down or its publishers would stop selling it. Purchasing the same game digitally does not allow this preservation to exist; if you purchased Halo 4 digitally, its publishers can revoke your ability to play the game at a moment’s notice. You bought Halo 4, but you don’t really own it. Even if you digitally transfer it over to every Xbox console you buy, at any point you could be locked out from playing it.

Additionally, gaming companies are making it increasingly difficult for people to purchase consoles with disc drives. A PlayStation 5 with a disc drive costs at least $649.99, and an Xbox Series X with a disc drive will cost $799.99. Unless players want to spend exorbitant amounts of money, they are essentially locked into this lack of ownership.

We have not yet lived in a world where digital stores are the only option for buying games. Every current video game fan has memories of going to Game Stop or another local store and purchasing a new release they were looking forward to, or just browsing for something new and grabbing the game with the flashiest box art.

For some fans who relied on purchasing used discs from these stores in order to play games in the first place, that is no longer going to be an option. Buying a used disc is going to be impossible for any games that are sold exclusively on digital for their full market price, which is not exactly affordable.

Those memories are always going to stay memories, but the ability to make new ones is slowly atrophying. Gaming companies are locking people out from buying discs and preserving their passions while also limiting who can actually participate in the gaming industry. Resisting the recent trends in purchasing games online rather than in stores is no longer about personal preference, but rather now about ensuring the gaming industry remains accessible and fun.

X-Men ’97 Finally Gives Jubilee the Gambit Treatment

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 2.

X-Men ’97 isn’t just concerned with adapting comic book stories from the ’90s or telling stories about the X-Men in 1997. The animated series also gives attention to characters who reached their peak in the 1990s, characters who embodied the edgy attitude that defined the era, guys like Gambit, Bishop, and Cable. As popular as these characters were in their heyday, they were divisive, drawing just as many haters, who resented characters like Bishop and Cable for drawing attention from their favorites in New Mutants and Uncanny X-Men.

The first season of X-Men ’97 seemed fully aware of the controversy surrounding Gambit and seemed determined to settle it once and for all. Season 2 turns its attention toward Jubilee, making the chili-fries-eating mall baby briefly the coolest person at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.

The scene occurs episode 2, “A Force to Be Reckoned With,” in which Jubilee and Sunspot join Cable, Psylocke, and Archangel to form the reactionary X-Force. X-Force clashes with the government-sponsored group X-Factor, who captures Jubilee and takes her to a holding facility. However, X-Factor member Polaris, who once served on the X-Men with Jubilee, has a change of heart and uses her magnetism to set her old teammate free. Instead of sneaking out, Jubilee intentionally sets off the alarm to draw armed guards towards her, and that’s when the fireworks start… literally.

Pulling on her headphones and pressing “play” on her walkman, Jubilee faces off with the guards while “Volcano Girls” by Veruca Salt blasts on the soundtrack. She uses her fireworks powers to propel herself around the guards and amp up her punches. When a guard grabs her and pushes her against a wall, Jubilee shoots a colorful blast from her feet, effectively making herself into a rocket.

The scene might be the best moment in Jubilee’s history, which has been weird and varied, even by X-Men standards. She made her debut in 1989’s Uncanny X-Men #244, written by Chris Claremont and penciled by Marc Silvestri, in issue in which, appropriately enough, a bunch of characters go to a mall. She soon started hanging around the Xavier Mansion and really found her place once Jim Lee came aboard as the regular artist. Lee paired Jubilee with Wolverine, making him the Batman to her Robin (why do you think she wears a yellow jacket, a red shirt, and green glasses?).

Although a mainstay in ’90s X-Men comics, Marvel hasn’t always known what to do with Jubilee. She really came into her own in Generation X, the ’90s teen book that filled the hole left when New Mutants became X-Force. But after that book ended and a 2004 solo series failed to give her a compelling new status quo, Jubilee was picked as one of the mutants her lost her abilities when the Scarlet Witch depowered thousands in the House of M storyline. Later, she became the adopted mother of a son, Shogo, and she also became a vampire after getting doused with an exploding monster’s blood. Worst of all, she used tech to replicate her powers and take on a new superhero name, Wondra, to join the New Warriors, a fate worse than death.

These days, Jubilee has her powers again and has been cured of all vampirism. She still has Shogo, though, because Jubes isn’t the type to abandon a kid. She played an active part on the mutant nation of Krakoa, working with the magical group Excalibur. But since the island’s destruction, Jubilee has faded into the background, making X-Men ’97 not just her best appearance, but also one of the few appearances in recent years.

It’s a good thing that she made that appearance count. Now, if only the show can do the same thing for another polarizing character, also seen in “A Force to Be Reckoned With,” the snot-nosed telekenetic punk, Quentin Quire.

X-Men ’97 streams new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

The Odyssey Final Trailer Just Spells Out the Plot For Non-Classics Majors to Enjoy Too

Look, you’re going to see The Odyssey. Universal knows it, you and I know it, and Christopher Nolan knows it. Nolan’s first movie after the triumph of Oppenheimer? A big, old-school epic with gods and monsters and warriors and big ships? Up-and-coming movie stars like Zendaya and Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson, alongside established greats such as Matt Damon and Anne Hathaway? Also, John Leguizamo, returning to his Romeo + Juliet roots to once again adapt a work of classic literature?!?

But here’s the thing: does anyone know what The Odyssey is actually about? Is there a modern version of Ducktales to educate the public about Sirens and Circe and Helen of Troy? Clearly, Universal isn’t taking any chances, as the final trailer lays out the basic plot beats. For those who could use a little more explanation, let’s break down the storylines set up in the trailer.

The trailer opens with Zendaya exercising the “ethereal perfume commercial” muscles she built for the first Dune, as the goddess Athena urges the shipwrecked Odysseus to remember his home in Ithaca. Played by Matt Damon, Odysseus has been fighting under King Agamemnon in the Trojan War for 10 years, and is ready to return home, but has been captured by the nymph Callisto (Charlize Theron). Odysseus’ decade-long journey back to Ithaca makes up the main plot of The Odyssey, as he’s constantly waylaid by monsters and witches and dumb crew people who open magic bags of air too early.

Next, we see what Odysseus has left behind, namely his wife Penelope (Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Holland). The trailer leans hard into the romantic and familial longing of those who miss their husband and father, as you’d expect from a modern blockbuster. However, the source text was less concerned about romantic feelings, something the original audience wouldn’t have thought about in the individualistic terms we use today, and more about the social implications.

The trailer gives us a sense of those implications too, especially in Holland’s plot. The young Telemachus feels a responsibility to step into his father’s place as the king, if only because the people need a leader and Odysseus’s absence would have threatened to plunge the city into anarchy. However, Telemachus’ youth and devotion to a king who seems to have abandoned the people raises questions about his ability to rule.

The trailer shows us the most notable challenger to Telamachus’s position, Antinous, played by Pattinson. It’s not entirely clear from the trailer, but Antinous is one of the suitors, a legion of men who visit Odysseus’ home in his absence and stay for several years—hospitality is a big thing in Greek culture, so Penelope couldn’t just kick them out. Antinous and the other suitors want to convince Penelope that Odysseus has gone for good, and that she should choose from the group. She will, but with a special test that involves the bow that she holds in the trailer, leading to a thrilling climax that we won’t spoil now.

Of course, a lot more happens across The Odyssey‘s ten-year span, and Nolan will certainly collapse the timeline in interesting ways, as is his wont. But thanks to the trailer, at least the most uninformed viewer will have a sense of what’s going on as Matt Damon battles his way back to Anne Hathaway.

The Odyssey arrives in theaters on July 17, 2026.

Netflix Facing Wonka Reality Show Backlash After Using AI to Recreate Gene Wilder’s Voice

A new Wonka-themed reality competition series has used AI to recreate Gene Wilder’s voice. The Golden Ticket, a nine-part Netflix series premiering September 23, debuted its first trailer this week, unveiling an AI-generated Wilder narration that promises a “life-changing prize” for the show’s winner.

Netflix partnered with AI audio company ElevenLabs for the project, according to Deadline, and Wilder’s estate has given its consent to the controversial move. ElevenLabs also recently made headlines in a deal with the Stan Lee Universe, resurrecting the voice and likeness of the Marvel Comics legend for a series of audiobooks and more.

“More than five decades after Gene brought Willy Wonka to life, people of all ages and backgrounds around the world continue to find joy, laughter and inspiration in his performance,” the late Wilder’s wife, Karen B. Wilder, said in a statement for the Gene Wilder Estate. “Gene had a remarkable ability to bring humor, wonder and heart into people’s lives, and that connection has endured for generations. We are delighted that Wonka’s The Golden Ticket celebrates the warmth and imagination that he brought to the role, introducing that magic to a new generation while honoring the fans who have cherished it for decades.”

Despite the estate’s backing, Netflix’s use of the AI-created voice was swiftly criticized across social media platforms, with a popular response both mimicking Wilder’s Willy Wonka in the original 1971 film and referencing the competition itself—“You lose! Good day, sir!”—while others had some more nuanced commentary on the matter.

“Using dead people’s voices through AI is just so creepy,” one person posted, while another wrote, “It’s maddening to me that anyone could be okay with this. Five years ago, everyone would have called it horrific and disrespectful. Now we’re just ressurecting [sic] the dead for ‘content.’” Another voiced their thoughts that “Gene Wilder died in 2016 and never, ever gave permission for his voice to be used in AI shit like this. I am so much angrier than I should be.”

Twilight franchise star Jackson Rathbone also responded to the news, posting parody lyrics of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’s iconic “Oompa Loompa” song: “Oompa Loompa Doompity Doo/I’ve got another puzzle for you/If you die and don’t sign a will/They will lie and profit from you,” which got the response “It looks like a lot of fun, and plenty of people who grew up with the movie are genuinely excited for it. If Karen Wilder signed off on it, that’s good enough for me. He loved his wife. God forbid some people see the letters ‘AI’ anywhere without completely losing a gasket,” among others.

Stranger Than Heaven Dials Up the Intensity for Sega’s Brawler Franchise

The Sega game to generate the most buzz online coming out of Summer Game Fest 2026 was the upcoming period piece action brawler Stranger Than Heaven, arriving this coming January. A standalone prequel to the Yakuza/Like a Dragon franchise, the game follows Japanese American protagonist Makoto Daito at five different points of his life spanning 1915 to 1965 as he makes his way through the Japanese criminal underworld. In addition to featuring Snoop Dogg playing one of its characters, the game’s SGF trailer raised eyebrows by revealing the inclusion of Tupac Shakur, with the late rapper and actor’s likeness being used for another character.

At Summer Game Fest, we were invited to play an early build of Stranger Than Heaven by Sega, with the demo showcasing different fighting styles employed by Daito given the context of the combat, which was set within three different time periods throughout the game and Daito’s life. This demo gave us a strong idea how varied and original the gameplay mechanics in Stranger Than Heaven are shaping up to be, making it very clear that this isn’t like any number of Yakuza/Like a Dragon games before it. Though, to be clear, we did not play any sequences that featured Snoop Dogg or Tupac’s characters in it, so we have no new details to share on that front.

Played from a third-person perspective, Stranger Than Heaven has its attack and guard inputs linked to the shoulder buttons in a relatively unique way for a game of its genre. Left-handed blows and blocks are handled by shoulder buttons on the left side of the controller while right-handed blows and blocks are handled by shoulder buttons on the right side of the controller; we didn’t check out a PC mouse and keyboard setup for the demo to see how that was handled. Daito can also arm himself with melee weapons and, in two out of three of the sequences we played, he does, each with their own gameplay nuances.

The first sequence is the easiest and most straightforward, with Daito taking on a gang of crooks with his bare hands. After a couple of seconds of fisticuffs, we got the hang of throwing punches by alternating between both shoulder buttons to rack up combos and switch to blocking as other enemies came charging into the fight. This is the sequence that feels the most like a Yakuza game, both with its environmental presentation and its chaotic melee combat, with us breezing through the fight briskly once we got the fighting mechanics down.

The second sequence had Daito using a weighted staff-like weapon, better suited at sweeping blows to handle crowd control but making us move noticeably slower. The enemies in this scene were more aggressive and led by a large bruiser character who would regularly charge at us like a bull and knock us around like a ragdoll. This heightened difficulty along with the new handling with a heavier melee weapon made us relearn how to approach a fight, adapting to the pressure and how to take down a much more formidable lead adversary.

But this demo build of Stranger Than Heaven saved the best for last with its third and final sequence, with Daito taking on a grizzled swordsman in the middle of a city street at dusk. Armed with only a knife, this is a particularly precise duel, with the enemy able to dodge and parry just as well, if not better, than Daito, making us take timing and strategy into greater account when attacking and defending. This was an especially grueling fight and one that left us utterly defeated on multiple attempts, but never to the point where we felt overly frustrated or that the challenge wasn’t a fair one.

With that level of intensity, we could really see what Stranger Than Heaven is all about and how it more saliently distinguishes itself from a mainline Yakuza game experience. If anything, this is a Like a Dragon title for the soulslike fanbase, rewarding timing and precision and punishing mindlessly button-mashing for hack-and-slash combat. No matter how soundly we were cut down, we kept going back in for more, doing a little better each time and refining our approach until we finally emerged victorious.

Just when players have grown accustomed to what a Yakuza or Yakuza-adjacent title can be, Stranger Than Heaven rethinks what’s possible for the Sega franchise. Much of this is tied to its innovative combat system but the glimpses of Saito at different stages of his life and the correlating modernization of Japan also underscores those differences. Now understanding how the fighting works, we’re ready for a more immersive deep dive into the world of the game and its other mechanics to get a better idea of its breadth.

And, at the very least, we want to figure out what the heck Tupac is doing in this thing.

Developed by RGG Studio and published by Sega, Stranger Than Heaven launches January 15 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

X-Men ’97 Revives the Hottest Comic Book Store Debate of the 1990s

This article contains light spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 2.

In most ways, X-Men ’97 captures the spirit of Marvel in the 1990s. It has all the obvious stuff—the ostentatious pouches and belts and headsocks, as well as the convoluted plot lines of the comics of the time. And it nails the feeling of Marvel‘s X-books of the era, the constant soap operatics that moved at a faster pace than they did when writer Chris Claremont established the archetypes throughout the ’70s and ’80s.

The second episode of X-Men ’97‘s second season, “A Force to Be Reckoned With,” brings in another important part of X-Men books in the ’90s by introducing X-Factor and X-Force. Both of these teams were part of Marvel’s plan to expand the line through spinoff books, adding to the mainline series X-Men and Uncanny X-Men, as well as the Wolverine solo series. Furthermore, the tension between X-Factor and X-Force shown in “A Force to Be Reckoned With” mirrors the debates happening outside of the fictional universe, as nerds in comic book shops across the country argued for and against the flashy, extreme series X-Force, or the character-driven and sitcom-funny book X-Factor.

A Force For Change

Although X-Factor mainstay Lorna Dane a.k.a. Polaris, did pop up in a handful of episodes in the original show, as did the rest of the team in a single shot, viewers of X-Men: The Animated Series know X-Force better. X-Force founder Cable showed up in several installments, and with good reason. He was one of the most popular characters of the ’90s, thanks to his gigantic gun, his Terminator 2–style cybernetic features and glowing eye, and his general bad attitude.

However, in the comics, Cable cannot be separated from either X-Force or its predecessor, the New Mutants. Introduced in the 1982 graphic novel The New Mutants by Claremont and Bob McLeod, the New Mutants were the second class of gifted youngsters who came to study at Xavier’s school. Most of their series focused on teenage adventures, as people like Cannonball or Sunspot balanced developing their powers with navigating crushes, going to parties, and more run-of-the-mill body changes.

Everything changed when Cable arrived in 1990’s New Mutants #87. Well, things had already started to change, when the popularity of up-and-coming hot artist Rob Liefeld allowed him to wrest creative control from longtime writer Louise Simonson, who left the book a few issues later. Under Liefeld’s guidance and Cable’s leadership, the New Mutants became more militaristic, a violent strike force that would attack problems before they began. In June of 1991, New Mutants was canceled and X-Force #1 hit shelves.

X-Force was a huge hit, filled with big narrative swings and over-the-top characters. Liefeld filled the ranks with characters with gigantic weaponry, illogical sartorial choices, and (it must be said) tiny little feet. He sacrificed anatomy, sound composition, and basic storytelling chops for the most extreme choices imaginable. Nothing illustrates this more than 1991’s X-Force #4, a crossover with Spider-Man that pit the team against the Juggernaut and was in landscape form, requiring the reader to hold the comic on its side, but offering widescreen action.

Even after Liefeld left the book, giving co-writer Fabian Nicieza more room to craft coherent narratives, X-Force remained incredibly silly and incredibly popular, a point not lost on those who loved its sister book, X-Factor.

X-Aminations

Like X-Force, X-Factor—or at least the version discussed here—has its roots in the ’80s. 1985’s X-Factor #1, by Bob Layton and Jackson Guice, reunited the original five X-Men: Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Iceman, and a recently-resurrected Jean Grey. After a bumpy beginning, the book found its footing when Simonson came aboard, and enjoyed a well-admired six-year run.

But in 1991, Marvel introduced an entirely new team in X-Factor #71, written by Peter David and penciled by Larry Stroman. This new X-Factor was an extension of the American government, designed to repair relations between the U.S. and its mutant population. The lineup consisted entirely of B-listers. It was led by Cyclops’ well-meaning but empty-headed little brother, Havok, who took the job to reunite with former finance Polaris, who was still regaining her sense of self after several years of possession by the evil mutant Malice. Joining them was Wolfsbane, the shy Catholic Scottish member of the New Mutants who wanted more adult experiences (in every sense of the word) with X-Factor; the arrogant speedster Quicksilver; Jamie Madrox the Multiple Man, a wisecracking scientist who could make endless duplicates of himself; and hulking bodyguard Guido Carosella, who refused to take a superhero codename until someone observed that he was the strong guy, and referred to himself as Strong Guy ever since.

That brief plot description captures the central appeal of X-Factor. The stories were character-driven and often very funny. In addition to penning some of the greatest Star Trek novels of all time, completely reinventing the Hulk, and creating Miguel O’Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, the late, great David brought the quick-wit of sitcom level dialogue to superheroes, paring them with a novelist’s sense of interiority.

Nothing demonstrates that ability better than the legendary X-Factor #87, penciled by future Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada. The issue consists of nothing but the members having individual therapy sessions, a conceit that allows David to reveal simple character tics as deep pathologies. Wolfsbane’s crush on Havok is in fact her desire for a father figure taking on a confusing, adult form. Strong Guy never stops joking because it keeps people from making fun of his grotesque physique. Quicksilver is arrogant and irritated because he moves at superspeed, and all of existence is to him what standing in line behind a doofus at a fast food counter is to everyone else.

X-Factor‘s first several arcs paired David with penciler Larry Stroman. An expressive and expressionistic artist, Stroman also prioritized effect before sound anatomy or traditional compositions. But unlike Liefeld, Sroman has a coherent design sense that complimented David’s humanistic writing. It felt like we were reading real people who happened to live in an over-the-top world.

Mutant vs. Mutant

As a government-sponsored team, X-Factor clashed with the outlaws in X-Force time and again. But the battles on the page paled in comparison to the fights among fans.

No one could deny that X-Force gave the audiences what they wanted. Every issue promised shooting and stabbing and quipping, to say nothing of the convoluted time-travel plots or the sexy flirting between members, usually with the no-nonsense Boomer involved. The series remained a bestseller, leading to spinoffs starring Cable and Deadpool, as well as trading cards, T-shirts, and posters.

X-Factor always played a part in crossovers such as X-Cutioner’s Song, but remained a distant third in sales. Neither tenures by flashier artists such as Quesada and Jae Lee, nor additions such as gritty anti-hero Random turned things around, and within a year, X-Factor had a different creative team and another new lineup. Yet, despite that ignominious end, David returned to the characters in 2004, first with a Madrox limited series and then several new X-Factor ongoings.

So as we watch X-Men ’97 in 2026, looking back at these two books, we once again have to ask, which was better? X-Force or X-Factor? The clear answer: Excalibur! But you need to subscribe to Den of Geek‘s comics newsletter to learn more about that. In the meantime, enjoy “A Force to Be Reckoned With” and then head to Marvel Unlimited to read X-Force #4 or X-Factor #82 and make your own decision.

15 Sequels That Took Their Sweet Time

Movies these days are less and less self contained, ending with cliff hangers that set up multiple sequels, or franchises depending on how well a movie did. We didn’t used to be prepared for an endless sea of sequels, and now we want less of them, yet certain franchises took their sweet time before arising again.

These aren’t the usual “a sequel was bound to happen,” since decades separate one movie from the next. Still, we were more than happy to return to the stories of these beloved characters, diving deep into what made them special in the first place.

The Incredibles 2

Pixar fans waited 14 years between The Incredibles (2004) and The Incredibles 2 (2018). Despite the lengthy gap, the sequel famously picks up just moments after the ending of the original film.

Top Gun: Maverick

Released 36 years after Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick finally reunited audiences with Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. The long wait paid off, as the sequel became one of the highest-grossing and most acclaimed films of 2022.

Blade Runner 2049

Thirty-five years separated Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner from Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049. The sequel expanded the original’s universe while bringing Harrison Ford back as Rick Deckard decades after his first appearance.

Finding Dory

Pixar waited 13 years to follow Finding Nemo with Finding Dory. The sequel shifted focus to the forgetful blue tang while reuniting audiences with many familiar characters from the beloved underwater adventure.

Tron: Legacy

Disney returned to the digital world 28 years after the original Tron. Tron: Legacy combined cutting-edge visual effects with Jeff Bridges reprising his role as Kevin Flynn for a new generation.

Mary Poppins Returns

More than 50 years after the 1964 classic, Mary Poppins Returns brought the magical nanny back to Cherry Tree Lane. Emily Blunt stepped into the iconic role first made famous by Julie Andrews.

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps

Oliver Stone revisited Gordon Gekko 23 years after Wall Street. Michael Douglas returned to his Oscar-winning role, exploring how the legendary financier fit into the world following the 2008 financial crisis.

Zoolander 2

Ben Stiller’s dimwitted supermodel returned 15 years after Zoolander. While anticipation remained high for years, the sequel ultimately received a far more mixed reception than its endlessly quotable predecessor.

Independence Day: Resurgence

Twenty years after aliens first attacked Earth, Independence Day: Resurgence continued the story with many returning characters. Will Smith did not return, but the long-awaited sequel finally arrived in 2016.

Dumb and Dumber To

Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels reunited as Lloyd and Harry exactly 20 years after the original comedy became a cult favorite. Fans had spent years hearing rumors before the sequel was finally produced.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Although not a direct continuation of the previous films’ storylines, Mad Max: Fury Road arrived 30 years after Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Production delays stretched for years before George Miller finally completed the acclaimed action epic.

Doctor Sleep

Nearly 39 years after The Shining, Doctor Sleep adapted Stephen King’s sequel novel. The film follows an adult Danny Torrance while revisiting the psychological scars left by the Overlook Hotel.

Coming 2 America

Eddie Murphy returned as Prince Akeem 33 years after Coming to America. The sequel revisited Zamunda decades later, bringing back much of the original cast alongside several new characters.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice

Fans waited an astonishing 36 years for Beetlejuice’s return. Released in 2024, the sequel reunited Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara while introducing a new generation to the mischievous bio-exorcist.

Bambi II

Perhaps one of Disney’s strangest delayed sequels, Bambi II arrived 64 years after the original film. Rather than continuing the story, it serves as an interquel, taking place during events from the 1942 classic.

14 Movie Characters Who Would Be HR Nightmares

Every workplace has that one employee who keeps Human Resources awake at night. Movies, however, take those personalities to absurd extremes. These characters would generate enough complaints to fill an entire filing cabinet, and sadly, there’s enough real people to represent them beyond fiction.

They may be entertaining on screen, but sharing an office with them would be an absolute nightmare, if not leading to a mass exodus of employees. These movie characters would keep any HR department permanently overwhelmed, assuming that the company in question would bother with the humane part of their resources.

Miranda Priestly

Miranda’s impossible standards, emotional manipulation, and constant intimidation would trigger endless workplace complaints. Brilliant though she may be, HR would spend every day investigating allegations of bullying and creating hostile work environment reports.

Jordan Belfort

Between rampant harassment, drug-fueled office parties, and outright financial crime, Jordan Belfort creates perhaps the least HR-compliant workplace in movie history. Every day would end with another emergency meeting.

Buddy Ackerman

Buddy treats his assistant with nonstop verbal abuse, humiliation, and impossible demands. Modern HR would likely suspend him before lunch on his very first day.

Les Grossman

As a studio executive, Les Grossman relies on profanity, intimidation, and outrageous threats to solve problems. His meetings alone would generate enough complaints to overwhelm an entire HR department.

Bill Lumbergh

Lumbergh’s passive-aggressive management style, constant overtime requests, and complete disregard for employee morale make him the textbook example of a boss everyone dreads working for.

Harry Ellis (Die Hard)

Ellis spends work hours partying, snorting cocaine in the office, and trying to negotiate with terrorists. HR would have several conversations with him long before the hostage situation even begins.

Frank Costello (The Departed)

Any employee secretly running organized crime while mentoring corrupt subordinates would be an HR catastrophe. Frank creates an environment where ethics violations are practically part of the onboarding process.

Danny McBride – This Is the End

Playing an exaggerated version of himself, Danny constantly insults coworkers, steals supplies, ignores boundaries, and creates conflict. He’d become the office’s most frequent subject of disciplinary meetings.

Tony Stark

Tony’s genius doesn’t excuse his habit of ignoring corporate procedures, making inappropriate workplace jokes, and publicly embarrassing employees. Stark Industries probably employs an entire HR division just to manage him.

Ace Ventura

Ace solves cases brilliantly but ignores virtually every rule of professional conduct. His invasive behavior, constant impersonations, and complete lack of workplace etiquette would horrify any HR representative.

Derek Zoolander

Derek’s workplace distractions, astonishing lack of awareness, and constant drama would frustrate every manager. Even without the brainwashing conspiracy, he’d still require endless meetings with Human Resources.

Ron Burgundy

Ron casually engages in sexist workplace behavior that was inappropriate even in the 1970s. HR would spend every broadcast fielding complaints from coworkers and issuing mandatory sensitivity training.

Walter Sobchak

Walter escalates minor disagreements into explosive confrontations, threatens people over trivial issues, and refuses to follow basic social norms. One team meeting with him would likely end in formal complaints.

Frank Drebin

Frank’s spectacular incompetence causes accidents wherever he goes. While his intentions are good, the constant property damage, safety violations, and accidental chaos would make him an HR department’s worst recurring headache.

15 Photos Remembering Hollywood’s Princess

Long before royalty became part of celebrity culture, there was one woman who seemed to embody both at once. Grace Kelly was elegance, mystery, and classic Hollywood glamour in its purest form. She rose quickly through the golden age of cinema, starring in unforgettable films and becoming one of the most admired women in the world before leaving it all behind for real royalty. Her beauty felt timeless, but it was her poise, intelligence, and quiet magnetism that made her unforgettable. These photos capture the life, style, and lasting legacy of the woman Hollywood still remembers as its favourite princess.

Grace Kelly at the Oscars (1955)

Fresh off her win for The Country Girl (1954), this photo captures the exact moment she became Hollywood royalty.

On the set of Rear Window (1954)

Dressed in one of cinema’s most iconic costumes, she brought elegance and suspense together in perfect balance.

During the filming of To Catch a Thief (1955)

The French Riviera, Cary Grant, and Grace Kelly at her peak made for pure old Hollywood magic.

Walking the streets of New York in the early 1950s

Before Monaco, before royalty, just a rising star with the kind of style everyone wanted to copy.

With Alfred Hitchcock on set

Their collaboration created some of her most unforgettable performances and helped define her cinematic image.

The Cannes Film Festival appearance (1955)

One of the photos that helped turn her into an international icon beyond Hollywood.

Her engagement announcement to Prince Rainier III (1956)

The moment her real life story became even more unbelievable than the movies.

Wedding day in Monaco (1956)

A ceremony watched around the world that cemented her transformation from actress to princess.

Behind the scenes of Dial M for Murder (1954)

Even in candid moments, her screen presence never seemed to disappear.

Public appearance with Princess Caroline (1960s)

One of the rare glimpses of Grace balancing royal duty and motherhood.

Portrait session during her Hollywood years

The kind of image that explains instantly why she became a global symbol of beauty.

Returning to the public eye at charity events (1970s)

Even years after retiring from acting, her presence still carried the same star power.

Final public photographs in Monaco (1982)

A reminder of how timeless her image remained until the very end.

Casual family photo in Monaco during the 1960s

Far from Hollywood, but still carrying the same effortless grace that made her famous.

The portrait that defined Grace Kelly forever (1950s)

The image most people still picture first, a perfect symbol of old Hollywood glamour and the woman who became a real life princess.

15 Characters Who Needed Therapy, Not an Adventure

Movies love sending troubled characters on epic quests, dangerous missions, and life-changing adventures. In reality, many of them probably would have benefited from a few honest conversations with a licensed therapist instead. Their problems often stem from unresolved grief, childhood trauma, unhealthy obsessions, or an inability to process emotions in healthy ways.

Instead of working through those issues, they fight monsters, chase treasure, or save the world. That makes for entertaining stories, but it doesn’t always make for emotionally healthy protagonists. Looking back, these characters might have solved far more by unpacking their feelings than by embarking on another adventure.

Bruce Wayne

Bruce Wayne channels the trauma of losing his parents into a lifelong crusade against crime. While Gotham certainly needs Batman, it’s difficult to ignore that years of therapy might have been equally transformative.

Indiana Jones

Much of Indy’s emotional journey revolves around his strained relationship with his father. Chasing the Holy Grail helps, but decades of unresolved family issues probably deserved professional attention long before Nazis entered the picture.

Anakin Skywalker

Anakin spends years suppressing fear, grief, and attachment until everything explodes catastrophically. Nearly every tragedy in the prequel trilogy suggests he needed emotional support far more than another dangerous mission.

Walter Mitty

Walter spends years escaping into elaborate daydreams instead of confronting his loneliness and lack of confidence. His adventure ultimately helps him grow, but a therapist probably would have identified the underlying issues much earlier.

Elsa

Elsa isolates herself out of fear and anxiety after accidentally hurting her sister. While self-acceptance eventually helps, years of emotional repression clearly leave lasting scars that therapy could have addressed sooner.

Don Draper

Don constantly reinvents himself to escape a painful past instead of confronting it. His adventures through advertising are compelling, but nearly every season demonstrates the cost of avoiding emotional healing.

Max

Max is haunted by survivors’ guilt and traumatic memories that follow him everywhere. His heroic actions save lives, but they never fully address the psychological wounds driving his solitary existence.

Bilbo Baggins

Bilbo clearly enjoys the comfort and routine of home, yet spends much of the adventure overwhelmed by anxiety and self-doubt. His journey changes him for the better, but emotional support wouldn’t have hurt.

Carl Fredricksen

Carl isolates himself after losing Ellie, refusing to move forward with his life. Flying his house to South America is memorable, but processing his grief in healthier ways may have been the better first step.

BoJack Horseman

BoJack repeatedly sabotages relationships while refusing to confront his depression and childhood trauma. The series eventually acknowledges therapy’s importance, but only after years of self-destructive decisions.

Willy Wonka

Wonka’s eccentric behavior and extreme distrust of other people trace back to his childhood relationship with his father. Instead of processing that pain, he builds the world’s strangest candy factory.

Sarah Connor

Sarah’s paranoia is understandable given her experiences, but years spent preparing for Judgment Day leave her emotionally isolated. Her warnings are correct, even if her trauma completely dominates her life.

Shrek

Shrek insists he prefers isolation, yet much of his behavior stems from years of rejection and loneliness. His adventure eventually helps him heal, but his emotional walls run remarkably deep.

Ebenezer Scrooge

Before three ghosts intervene, Scrooge has spent decades consumed by grief, regret, and emotional isolation. A therapist probably would have recommended reconnecting with loved ones before supernatural intervention became necessary.

Peter Parker – Spider-Man 2

Peter tries to shoulder every responsibility alone while neglecting his own mental health, relationships, and happiness. His burnout is understandable, but learning to ask for help could have spared him plenty of suffering.

15 Movies Where Nobody Seems to Care About Property Damage

Exploding buildings, flattened city blocks, totaled cars, and smashed storefronts are all part of movie magic. What often gets overlooked is that someone eventually has to pay for all that destruction. In many films, heroes and villains tear through public and private property without anyone stopping to ask about insurance claims or repair bills.

Entire neighborhoods are left in ruins, yet the story moves on as if nothing happened. It’s one of cinema’s funniest recurring blind spots. These movies feature so much collateral damage that it’s almost comical how little anyone seems concerned about cleaning up the mess afterward.

The Blues Brothers

Jake and Elwood destroy shopping malls, police cars, and city streets during their mission to save an orphanage. By the end, hundreds of vehicles have been wrecked, yet the movie barely acknowledges the staggering repair costs.

Man of Steel

Superman’s battle with General Zod levels enormous sections of Metropolis. While later DC films address the aftermath, this movie largely treats citywide devastation as an unavoidable part of the climactic action.

The Avengers

New York suffers an alien invasion that leaves skyscrapers damaged and infrastructure shattered. After the battle ends, the film quickly celebrates the victory rather than dwelling on the monumental rebuilding effort ahead.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon

Chicago is nearly obliterated during the Autobots’ final battle with the Decepticons. Entire buildings collapse while the action continues uninterrupted, with surprisingly little concern for the city left behind.

Fast & Furious 6

The franchise turns highways, tanks, and airports into demolition zones. Despite millions of dollars in destruction, the focus remains squarely on the next chase rather than who is footing the bill.

Godzilla vs. Kong

Two gigantic Titans fight their way through Hong Kong, reducing skyscrapers to rubble. Once the dust settles, the movie is far more interested in the monsters than the devastated city beneath them.

Pacific Rim

Every Kaiju battle leaves coastal cities in ruins. The films acknowledge rebuilding efforts in passing, but humanity seems remarkably accepting of entire districts being destroyed on a regular basis.

Ready Player One

The virtual destruction is immense, but the real world isn’t spared either. Chases and battles leave plenty of physical wreckage, yet the story rarely pauses to consider the consequences.

The Mask

Stanley Ipkiss, while wearing the Mask, tears through nightclubs, streets, and businesses with cartoonish abandon. Property damage becomes part of the joke, and nobody seems particularly interested in sending him the bill.

True Lies

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pursuit of terrorists destroys bridges, hotels, police equipment, and countless vehicles. The sheer scale of the damage is treated as another exciting set piece rather than a financial disaster.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

The title fight itself causes widespread destruction, adding even more damage to a city still recovering from previous events. Surprisingly little attention is paid to the civilians or businesses caught underneath.

Independence Day

The alien attack wipes out entire cities and famous landmarks in spectacular fashion. Once humanity wins, the movie ends triumphantly without spending much time on rebuilding civilization from near-total destruction.

The Matrix Reloaded

Neo’s highway rescue sequence leaves dozens of destroyed vehicles scattered across the freeway. The spectacular action overshadows the fact that someone will eventually have to clear away the massive pileup, since the Matrix is real for the people living in it.

Bad Boys II

Mike and Marcus flatten houses, vehicles, and parts of Miami during one of the franchise’s biggest chase scenes. Their superiors complain about paperwork, but the unbelievable property damage is mostly played for laughs.

Die Hard with a Vengeance

John McClane’s race across New York leaves a trail of wrecked taxis, exploding buildings, and damaged public spaces. By the finale, the city has taken an incredible beating with barely a mention of the cleanup.

14 Movies We Love in America, But Nowhere Else

We’re quite used to Hollywood movies being watched worldwide, letting us say quotes all around the world and know that they will be understood. It is quite unrealistic to expect every single movie made in America to be popular worldwide, though, and there are some home-based heavy-hitters that, surprisingly, didn’t quite land abroad.

In many cases, international audiences recognize the actors but have never actually seen the films themselves. These movies found devoted fans in their home soil, yet never achieved the same cultural footprint across Europe, Asia, Latin America, or other parts of the world.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Will Ferrell’s NASCAR comedy is endlessly quotable in America, where stock car racing is deeply ingrained in the culture. Outside North America, many of its jokes and references simply don’t land the same way.

Remember the Titans

A staple of American classrooms and sports culture, Remember the Titans is beloved for its inspirational football story. International audiences, however, are often unfamiliar with both the film and the sport itself.

The Sandlot

For countless Americans, The Sandlot is childhood in movie form. Its nostalgic celebration of neighborhood baseball resonates deeply in the United States but has never developed the same following abroad.

Field of Dreams

Baseball’s mythology sits at the heart of Field of Dreams. While Americans often consider it one of the greatest sports films ever made, its emotional impact doesn’t always translate internationally.

Rudy

The underdog story of Rudy Ruettiger remains an American favorite, particularly among college football fans. Outside North America, the significance of Notre Dame football is often completely lost on audiences.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

This holiday classic returns to American television every December, but it lacks the worldwide Christmas tradition enjoyed by films like Home Alone or Love Actually.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Many of Anchorman’s jokes became part of everyday American pop culture. Despite its success, the film never reached the same iconic status in many international markets.

Friday Night Lights

High school football means everything in parts of the United States, making Friday Night Lights deeply relatable. Elsewhere, the intensity surrounding scholastic sports often feels difficult to understand.

Dazed and Confused

Richard Linklater’s portrait of 1970s American teenagers has achieved cult status at home. Its celebration of U.S. high school traditions gives it a much smaller footprint overseas.

The Great Outdoors

John Candy and Dan Aykroyd’s family comedy remains a cable television favorite in America. Despite its popularity domestically, it never became a widely recognized comedy in most international markets.

Hoosiers

Often ranked among America’s greatest sports movies, Hoosiers celebrates small-town basketball culture. Its legendary status in the United States far exceeds its recognition elsewhere.

Smokey and the Bandit

Car chases, CB radios, and Southern culture helped make Smokey and the Bandit a blockbuster in North America. Those same elements have limited its appeal in many other countries.

American Graffiti

George Lucas’ coming-of-age classic perfectly captures early 1960s American car culture. While critically acclaimed worldwide, its nostalgic cultural impact is far stronger in North America than elsewhere.

Napoleon Dynamite

The film became a cultural phenomenon in the United States through endlessly quoted dialogue and awkward humor. Outside North America, its deliberately offbeat style has generally remained more of a niche curiosity than a mainstream favorite.

America’s 10 Geekiest Presidents, So Far as We Know

American presidents are usually remembered for wars, elections, and major historical events. Less often discussed are the hobbies, obsessions, and intellectual quirks that made some of them surprisingly nerdy. This might come as a shock, but they were people, too, with their own dreams, aspirations, and ways to pass the time.

Some filled entire rooms with books. Others spent their free time studying nature, inventing gadgets, or diving deep into specialized subjects. While ‘geeky’ means different things to different people, these commanders-in-chief all displayed a level of curiosity and enthusiasm that would feel right at home in a modern fandom.

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt may be history’s most energetic nerd. He obsessively studied wildlife, collected animal specimens, wrote dozens of books, and could discuss natural history for hours. Before becoming president, he was the kind of person who turned personal interests into lifelong scholarly pursuits.

Thomas Jefferson

Jefferson’s interests seemed endless. He collected books, studied architecture, designed inventions, experimented with agriculture, and maintained one of the largest personal libraries in America. His curiosity about science, engineering, and knowledge in general makes him almost a stereotypical nerd.

John Quincy Adams

John Quincy Adams kept an incredibly detailed diary for most of his life, producing one of the most extensive personal records in American history. He was also deeply interested in astronomy and advocated for a national observatory.

James Garfield

Before becoming president, Garfield could write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other simultaneously. A lifelong scholar who loved classical languages and mathematics, he might be one of the most academically gifted presidents ever.

Herbert Hoover

Most people remember Hoover for the Great Depression, but he was also a highly accomplished mining engineer. He translated a medieval Latin mining text into English and remained fascinated by engineering and technical subjects throughout his life.

Woodrow Wilson

Wilson’s passion for political science bordered on obsession. Before entering politics, he was a respected academic who spent years writing and teaching about government. Few presidents approached politics with such a professor’s mindset.

Jimmy Carter

Carter’s engineering background and lifelong love of learning have defined much of his public image. Trained in nuclear engineering while serving in the Navy, he maintained a reputation for intellectual curiosity long after leaving office.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln was largely self-taught and spent countless hours reading whatever books he could find. His fascination with mechanics even led him to receive a patent, making him the only U.S. president to hold one.

John Adams

John Adams had a lifelong passion for history, political philosophy, and classical literature. He exchanged thousands of letters with fellow intellectuals, especially Thomas Jefferson, debating everything from ancient governments to human nature with unmistakable scholarly enthusiasm.

Barack Obama

Obama’s well-documented enthusiasm for comic books, science fiction, and fantasy literature sets him apart from many predecessors. He has openly discussed reading authors like Tolkien and has frequently embraced pop-culture fandoms in public.

15 Actors Only Your Boomer Meemaw Could Name

There was a time when certain actors were household names, showing up in living rooms, movie theaters, and magazine covers so often that older generations could identify them instantly. They were dependable stars, familiar faces tied to westerns, melodramas, war films, and classic television. Today, many of those names have faded outside of older audiences, even though they once carried serious weight in Hollywood. Mention them now and younger viewers might draw a blank, while someone’s grandmother could probably list half their filmography without thinking twice. These are the kinds of actors whose fame lived loud, even if time moved on.

Rock Hudson

A giant of romantic dramas and comedies whose name once carried instant recognition in every household.

Tab Hunter

A clean cut heartthrob of the fifties and sixties whose fame has faded hard with younger generations.

Troy Donahue

A staple of melodramas and teen films who once had a massive fan following.

Robert Stack

Known for crime dramas and later television, his face was once impossible to miss.

Loretta Young

An Oscar winner and television fixture who stayed relevant for decades in old Hollywood.

Victor Mature

One of the defining tough guy faces of biblical epics and noirs in the forties and fifties.

June Allyson

A familiar and beloved face in classic Hollywood whose films were once staples of television reruns.

Robert Mitchum

A legend of noir and westerns whose cool screen presence shaped an entire era.

Ann-Margret

A singer and actress who brought huge star power and remained unforgettable to older audiences.

Burt Lancaster

A towering Hollywood figure whose career stretched across decades of prestige films.

Debbie Reynolds

A bright and beloved star whose charm made her one of the most recognizable names of her era.

Van Johnson

One of MGM’s most bankable stars who dominated wartime Hollywood.

Dana Andrews

A respected leading man in noir and drama who carried major films in the forties.

Claudette Colbert

A true classic era icon whose name still lights up older film lovers instantly.

Tyrone Power

A massive matinee idol whose fame was once so big it is hard to explain now.

X-Men ’97’s Dark Future Explained: Mother Askani, Nathan Summers, Apocalypse, and More

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 1.

As bleak as things get for the X-Men, they can find always hope in the dream of their founder, Professor Charles Xavier, that there will be a time when humans and mutants can live together in peace. Until then, they must fight to save a world that fears and hates them. At least, that was the case up until the end of X-Men ’97‘s season 1 finale, when a mysterious force sends half the team to the past and the other half to the far future of 3960, a desolate world ruled by Apocalypse.

Of course, the X-Men have been to unpleasant realities before. But the one that Cyclops and Jean Grey visit in the premiere of X-Men ’97 season 2, “Days of Past Future,” is unique because of the way it unfolds the Summers family tree and for what it reveals about Apocalypse. So let’s take a look at the most important parts of the bad days to come for Marvel’s Mighty Mutants.

Nathan Summers

At the center of the entire story stands Nathan Christopher Charles Summers. Fans of the show met the infant Nathan last season, the son of Scott Summers a.k.a. Cyclops and a clone of Jean Grey. Thanks to the shenanigans of Mister Sinister, who both made the clone and infected baby Nathan with an incurable techno-organic virus, Cyclops and Jean had to send their son into the future with the time-traveler Bishop. Of course, fans also met Nathan last season, and in the original X-Men animated series, in the form of the adult warrior Cable.

The young Nathan of “Days of Past Future” hasn’t quite become Cable, and isn’t sure that he can. Still being raised and trained by the Askani Cult (more on them in a minute), Nathan’s gaining the skills he’ll need to battle Apocalypse across time. Cyclops and Jean push him even farther, helping him control his optic blasts and considerable psychic abilities, as well as his techno-organic parts.

Despite the time-travel complications, Nathan has a fairly clean plot in X-Men ’97. The same cannot be said of his comic book counterpart, who has taken multiple forms. Most notably, Mother Askani creates a clone of Nathan who gets kidnapped by Apocalypse and raised to become Stryfe, the leader of the Mutant Liberation Front. In another timeline, Mister Sinister creates a version of Nathan who become Nate Grey a.k.a. X-Man, a young, good-looking guy who transports to the mainline Marvel universe and, uh… makes out with a clone of his mom. And, in yet another universe, Nate became the savior of a mutant utopia, ushering in the Age of X-Man.

If that’s not weird enough, in the mainline Marvel Universe, Cable came to the present as a teenager and, disgusted that his older self hasn’t yet stopped Apocalypse, killed the older Cable. The teen Cable hung around with the X-Men for a bit until he realized that his older self had experience he lacked, and restored the familiar silver-haired Cable to the timeline.

Mother Askani

When Cyclops and Jean sent Nathan away, they trusted Bishop to care for him. Upon arriving in the future, they learn that he’s passed the job onto someone else, a hooded woman who calls herself Mother Askani (voiced by Star Trek legend Gates McFadden) and leads the Askani Cult. Mother Askani refuses to identify herself, but when she pulls back her hood, revealing a scarred face and her background from a different bleak future.

Mother Askani is Rachel Summers. If that name means nothing to you, sit down, because it’s about to get weird—yes, even weirder than it already is.

Rachel first appeared in 1981’s Uncanny X-Men #141 by Chris Claremont and John Byrne, part of one of the classic storyline Days of Future Past. In that reality, mutants and other superpeople were rounded up into concentration camps. The daughter of Cyclops and the non-clone Jean Grey, Rachel suffered a fate worse than death. She was captured by the hunter Nimrod and turned into a “hound,” treated like a dog and used to search out mutants.

Eventually, Rachel made her way to the mainline present, where she joined the X-Men and the UK-based team Excalibur. Moreover, Rachel gained control of the same Phoenix Force that her mother possessed. Yet, the Phoenix Force could not change her status as a time-displaced figure, a condition that eventually sent her deep into the future. There, she joined the resistance against Apocalypse and learned of a hero prophesied to overthrow the villain: her half-brother, Nathan.

Since then, Rachel took the name Mother Askani and formed the Askani Cult, dedicated to preparing for Nathan’s arrival and training him to become the hero Cable.

Apocalypse and His Horsemen

At this point, we need to pause to ask why Apocalypse matters at all. The hulking baddie certainly isn’t new, as he’s existed in the comics since 1986 and appeared not only in the original X-Men: The Animated Series, but was also played (badly) by Oscar Isaac in the 2016 movie X-Men: Apocalypse.

Later episodes of X-Men ’97 season 2 will unfold more of Apocalypse’s backstory and ethos, but “Days of Past Future” reintroduces us the Horsemen, to one of the most important elements of the character. To cull the weak, Apocalypse sends out four Horsemen before his arrival: Famine, Death, Pestilence, and War. We met the Horsemen in the first season of the original series, an arc that saw the X-Man Angel captured by Apocalypse and transformed into Archangel, the new Death.

In “Days of Past Future,” a whole new set of Horsemen appear, lead by a mysterious figure who can transform into sand. That is Ozymandias, first introduced in 1996’s Uncanny X-Men #332, by Scott Lobdell and Joe Madureira. Originally an ancient Egyptian warlord who sought to prevent the young En Sabah Nur from gaining power, Ozymandias was transformed into living stone when Nur became Apocalypse and forced into service. Ozymandias acts as a liaison between Apocalypse and the Horsemen, something between a field general and a messenger.

Over the centuries, Apocalypse’s Horsemen die and get replaced by new servants, which explains why the Horsemen in “Days of Past Future” look nothing like those we met back in the original series. This particular group are the Final Horsemen, from 2010’s Uncanny X-Force #2 by Rick Remender and Jerome Opena. In that story, the Final Horsemen were designed as a failsafe if Apocalypse were to be completely destroyed or removed from the timeline, allowing his work to continue.

The X-Men ultimately defeat this group, but Apocalypse always has plans within plans, so we may see more of them yet. Because if there’s one thing we learn from just this one episode, nothing is straightforward when the X-Men start traveling through time.

X-Men ’97 season 2 streams new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

X-Men ’97 Season 2 Premiere Review: Back to the Past, But Also the Future and Further Into the Past

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episodes 1-3.

After its blistering first season, X-Men ’97 fully established itself as much more than a nostalgic continuation of X-Men: The Animated Series that ran between 1992 and 1997. Sure, the classic team was back, all decked out in the same Jim Lee-designed costumes from the ’90s series, along with much of the first voice cast. But the new show immediately set itself to making up for lost time by not just adapting some of the stories form the past thirty years of Marvel Comics, but also by making explicit the social relevance only hinted at in the cartoon series. Add in cleaner, anime-influenced animation, and X-Men ’97 became one of the most thrilling shows on television, a rare recent win for the otherwise underpowered MCU.

However, the high bar set by season 1 became absolutely daunting when Disney fired showrunner Beau DeMayo, replacing him with head writer Matthew Chauncey. Worse, season 1 ended with a delicious cliffhanger, splitting the team into two groups, one to a dark future controlled by the villain Apocalypse and the other to Ancient Egypt, where Apocalypse had not yet embraced his survival of the fittest ethos. Could X-Men ’97 continue to mutate, letting season 2 be the next step in Marvel Animation’s evolution?

Based on the first three episodes, we can answer the question with a qualified “Yes.” Episodes one through three not only take the baton left by the predecessor, but they actually resolve most of the time travel arc, following the breakneck pace established in season one. Yet, while the show still delivers all the ’90s mutant soap opera one would want, the series shows none of the political relevance that made the X-Men so important in the first place.

Episode 1, “Days of Past Future,” follows Forge to the year 3960, where Cyclops (Ray Chase) and Jean Grey (Jennifer Hale)—along with Storm (Alison Sealy-Smith), Morph (JP Karliak), and Wolverine (Cal Dodd)—have been reunited with their son Nathan (Michael Johnston). As shown last season, Cyclops and Jean sent the infant Nathan into the future, as the only hope to cure him of a deadly techno-organic virus. Here, we learn that Nathan has been in the care of the mysterious Mother Askani (Gates McFadden), who trains him to become the grizzled X-Force leader (and, yes, another time traveler) known as Cable (Lawrence Bayne). When Forge (Gil Birmingham) arrives to bring them home, Cyclops and Jean must wrestle with the possibility of abandoning their son a second time.

Episode 2, “A Force to Be Reckoned With,” returns to the present, where two teams form to take the X-Men’s place. Cable recruits Sunspot (Gui Agustini) and Jubilee (Holly Chou) to join Psylocke (Naoko Mori) and Archangel (Christopher Barger) in X-Force, a military-style team that takes the fight to the bad guys. Conversely, there’s X-Factor, a government-sponsored team led by Cyclops’ brother Havok (Teddy Sears). The two groups come to blows over their wildly different approaches, showing how the conflict between Xavier (Ross Marquand) and Magneto (Matthew Waterson) repeats among the next generation of heroes.

That conflict comes to the fore in “Rise of Apocalypse Part I,” in which Professor X and Magneto try to prevent the outcast En Sabah Nur from ever becoming Apocalypse (Marquand). When Bishop (Isaac Robinson-Smith) locates the duo, as well as Rogue (Lenore Zann), Beast (George Buza), and Nightcrawler (Adrian Hough), Nur is on the precipice of a major decision, as another time-traveling conqueror has made his presence known.

Three episodes may sound like more than enough time to tell three quarters of a full story, but with runtimes of less than thirty minutes, the story must move fast to cover all the necessary ground. The episodes draw inspiration from multiple comic book arcs, including the four-issue series The Adventures of Cyclops and Jean Grey and The Rise of Apocalypse, and introduce dozens of new mutants. Further, each episode must tell a complete story, with coherent arcs for its main characters.

For the most part, the three episodes succeed admirably. Dividing the main team into two halves breaks them down into manageable chunks, making room for the action set pieces that have become the series’ hallmark. Even in these three episodes, every main mutant—and a surprising amount of the side characters—get time to shine. Chauncey and his animators take glee in finding new ways for the team to show off their powers, from Storm controlling the sun (while delivering an incredible monologue, of course) to Nightcrawler kicking and flipping as he teleports around enemies. In particular, episode 2 gives Jubilee a sequence that holds up to Nightcrawler’s Oval Office attack in X2 or the Quicksilver set-pieces from Days of Future Past and Apocalypse.

Moreover, the episodes include healthy amounts of fan service. In addition to X-Force and X-Factor, “A Force to be Reckoned With” gives screen time to members of Generation X and the New X-Men. Apocalypse’s origin brings in deep Marvel cuts like the Celestials and the Fantastic Four villain Rama Tut, who has his own ties to a famous abandoned MCU character. Most impressively, the episodes make a motif of Apocalypse’s famous “eternal shore” speech from the original series, turning it into a prophecy that spans centuries.

That attention to detail gives hope to anyone frustrated by the short shrift given to some of the heavy hitters. In particular, none of the first three episodes really acknowledge the huge change in Wolverine’s power set. While we see him pop his bone claws, and comic fans know what’s going on under the bandana he now wears as a mask, Logan seems like the same old hairy mutant we saw last year. Rogue barely has time to mourn the death of Gambit, reduced to making a few worried expressions when Magneto starts acting imperious.

Surely, these and other characters will have their time in the spotlight over the next six episodes. The first three episodes leave us less confident about the political themes that marked the first season. X-Men ’97 season 1 was a masterclass in using the mutant metaphor to highlight real-world oppression, showing how minority populations live in constant danger of those who will kill to maintain the status quo. The destruction of Genosha hit not just because we saw some beloved characters die, but because it reminded us of countless acts of violence against marginalized people, members of the LGBTQ+ population in particular. With a main story that spans centuries, season 2 doesn’t find space to speak about our current moment. Even the conflict between the resisting X-Force and the assimilationist X-Factor lacks the spark of the 30-year-old stories that inspired it, to say nothing of 2026.

It would be a shame for Chauncey and company to drop the social relevance ball. Chris Claremont and his co-creators transformed X-Men from perennial Marvel C-listers to the world’s most popular superhero team precisely because they explored the mutant metaphor to its full potential. X-Men ’97 season 2 admirably continues the first season’s lead in carrying over the dense storytelling, the soap operatics, and the inventive fight seasons that began with the Claremont run. Making the show apolitical would be the worst kind of mutation, a devolution in quality instead of another evolution.

The first three episodes of X-Men ’97 season 2 premieres are available to stream on Disney+ now.