X-Men ’97 Teases a Hidden Connection Between Wolverine and Captain America

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 4.

Most of the X-Men ’97 episode “Rise of Apocalypse Part II” focuses on, well, Apocalypse and the X-Men sent back to Ancient Egypt to prevent his transformation from En Sabah Nur into the big blue supervillain we know and love. But in the Mighty Marvel manner, the episode ends with a post-credits scene, one that sets up a new storyline that has nothing to do with the characters in the rest of the episode. Wolverine, dressed in black, meets up with Captain America and Black Widow, who give him a file marked “Weapon X.”

The trio’s meet-up nods toward Jim Lee‘s cover for 1990’s Uncanny X-Men #268, and the folder that Cap gives Logan recalls the cover of 1991’s Wolverine #50. And when Wolvie says he’s “Getting the band back together,” he may very well be referring to Team X, the group of adamantium-infused soldiers that includes Sabertooth, Silver Fox, and Maverick, seen in the Original Series. But given X-Men ’97‘s attention to stories published after the end of X-Men: The Animated Series, the post-credits may be setting up a different arc, one that changed the way we think about Captain America.

Even the most casual X-Men fan probably knows the gist of Weapon X. Introduced alongside Wolverine in 1974’s Incredible Hulk #180, Weapon X was the secret government program that conducted experiments in the super-metal adamantium. As seen in X-Men: The Animated Series, the program not only gave Wolverine his metal skeleton, but also enhanced Sabertooth and gave Deadpool his healing factor. Furthermore, “Weapon X” also refers to Wolverine, considered the program’s greatest achievement.

Almost everything about Weapon X is shrouded in secrecy, even to readers, because Wolverine could not remember his past until the 2005 storyline House of M. That secrecy meant that information about Wolverine’s past was doled out in small, and often contradictory, chunks. For example, Wolverine has no real name for his first several appearances in Incredible Hulk and Uncanny X-Men, and even after a leprechaun calls him “Logan” in 1977’s Uncanny X-Men #103 (yes, you read that right), it takes a while for his teammates to find out this information and start using the name regularly. Likewise, Wolverine originally said that his claws were part of his costume, and then later says they were given to him with his adamantium skeleton, only to reveal that he has had bone claws he was a child.

All of that is a long way of saying that even though the original X-Men series did sometimes delve into the history of Weapon X, that history has changed a lot in the thirty years since the show ended.

One of the most important changes occurs in Assault on Weapon Plus, a four-part storyline by Grant Morrison and Chris Bachalo that appeared in New X-Men #142–145 (2003). The story begins with Cyclops in a bar, trying to shed his boy-scout persona and drown his sorrows after Jean Grey learned about his psychic affair with Emma Frost. He finds Wolverine sitting across the bar, who has come with a masked man called Fantomex to look for Cyclops. Wolverine needs Cyclops’ help to come with him and Fantomex and find Weapon Plus. The evolved version of Weapon X, Weapon Plus holds the files of its predecessor, and Wolverine wants to find what’s in them.

The quest takes the trio into the World, an advanced metauniverse (it is a Grant Morrison comic, after all) operated by Marvel superscientists. Within the World, Wolverine and we readers learn important information about Weapon X. First, it’s not “Weapon X,” it is “Weapon 10,” as in “the tenth version of the Weapon Plus program.” Fantomex comes from Weapon XIII, the storyline builds to a battle against the super-sentinal Ultimaton from Weapon XV, and several other characters have been retconned as projects of previous Weapon Plus Programs. For example, 2019’s Wolverine & Captain America: Weapon Plus reveals that Ted Sallis was turned into Man-Thing through Weapon IV and the procedure that gave Luke Cage his powers stems from Weapon VI.

But the biggest revelation points to the source of the whole debacle. Weapon I, the first of the Weapon Plus programs, was led by Dr. Abraham Erskine in World War II, and led to the transformation of Steve Rogers into Captain America. In that moment, we realize that all the lies, suffering, and destruction caused by the Weapon Plus program occurred because Captain America exists.

Of course, this is yet another retcon to the two characters’ pasts. But it’s one that deepens them both, in opposite directions. For Captain America, it reminds him that all the good he does carries the taint of governments willing to destroy people in pursuit of power. They made him to be a weapon, and he must continue to overcome that intention. Conversely, that same fact provides hope for Wolverine, who has always worried that he’s an irredeemable beast. If Captain America can transcend from a weapon into something good, maybe he can as well.

Will X-Men ’97 delve into all of these details? It’s hard to say. Weapon X did show up in a few original series episodes, a very different program from the one that Morrison imagined. But if it does, the show can make for a more morally-complicated Wolverine, and further bring the rest of Marvel into the world of the X-Men.

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

Evil Dead Burn Review – Grueling Horror, But Not in the Good Way

No one would ever accuse Sam Raimi’s original The Evil Dead of being a particularly deep movie, or a picture concerned with matters of taste. It was quite literally marketed as “the ultimate experience in grueling horror” nearly a half century ago and sought to deliver on that hype train. It was violent, grotesque, and so happily gonzo in its depravity that it became the case to study in UK censorship battles during the Video Nasties debacle of the 1980s.

It was also, we should add, full of youthful ingenuity and an almost mirthful sense of play. Whether you knew the backstory or not, the sensation of former school-day chums innovating new camera techniques in the woods of Tennessee was palpable and giddy. There was slaughter, sure, chainsaws, of course, and gore galore. But even that OG film—which played the scares with a straighter face than Raimi’s outright camp sequels—still did it nearly all with a smile on its face and a twinkle in its eye.

Since its inception, this series has been as much about amusement, if in an often bleak, gallows fashion, as chills. Recent 21st century attempts have sought to steer the series back to its more gruesome roots, but be it Fede Alvarez’ beyond-credulity buckets of blood and demonic banter with a sing-songy Jane Levy in neon contacts, or Lee Cronin’s wicked portrait of a family in dissolution, they had thus far sought to retain that dark sense of mischief that makes it go down smooth.

In which case, Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn is here to break the mold. Out later this week, this one is also about a family in collapse, and it’s got demons and buckets of blood aplenty. Yet the mischief is gone, the twinkle faded, and the only thing grueling is the slapdash aesthetics applied to a series once renowned for turning bloodletting into a visual art form of swooshing cameras and bemusing gags. There remain a few neat tricks at play in Vaniček’s variations, but by and large Evil Dead Burn is simply crude and cruel, a movie full of misanthropy and as unpleasant to sit through as the scatological splatter of mid-2000s torture porn. 

There are still a handful of aesthetic flourishes, including a solid third act one-er where hell literally breaks loose in a family’s lakeside home, but they are exceptions to the rule of what is a deeply ugly film, inside and out. It’s a movie that begins in earnest during a beleaguered funeral and only sees its vibe plummet from there.

The funeral in question is for one William (George Pullar), a barely-drawn crap husband and presumably crap brother, who inside of 90 seconds berates his French wife Alice (Souheila Yacoub) and his milquetoast sibling Joseph (Hunter Doohan) during the latter’s birthday party. Shortly afterward, Will is blessedly burned alive by the Deadite forces of the Nine Circles, who taunt their proverbial pig on the spit that they have been searching for him so he can lead them “to your family.”

Hence the discount shelf sendoff the character gets in a depressing service attended only by his estranged and guilt-ridden spouse, brother and prospective sister-in-law (Luciane Buchanan), as well as parents Susan and Edgar (Sandi Wright and Erroll Shand), plus a dementia-addled grandmother (Maude Davey). All parties are part of a family condemned to a grim legacy by Grandpa (squint at the family photos for a cameo), who apparently enjoyed summoning the Devil in their dilapidated vacation home’s attic during his leisure time. And now those distant, spiritual in-laws have come to pay their respects.

There is ostensibly a metaphor about toxic families and the generational scars they spread in the screenplay, which Vaniček co-wrote with Florent Bernard. Via exhausted and despondent Alice as our requisite final girl, hers is a perspective both within and without three generations of bad choices festering a family from within, damning them long before the demons show up. We slowly discover that a violent and abusive marriage has corroded the soul of poor Susan, who in turn had learned long ago from her own parents how to turn a blind eye to acts of deviltry, great and small. How that’s influenced the men William and Joseph grew up to be, and the women who put up with them, becomes its own dark prophecy. The metaphor in all this is technically meatier than anything approaching a plot in the first couple of Evil Dead cult classics, but it’s also rote and delivered without conviction.

When a movie is this filled with piss and venom for the characters, of whom it basks in the suffering and misery of, any tacked-on concessions to an elevated subtext amounts to the only hint of farce present. Evil Dead Burn is an inferno of nihilism too consumed with contempt for its characters, its setting, and possibly the audience, to have any emotional or cathartic heat. It exists as a gross-out, shock machine wherein human bodies are destroyed, dismantled, and defiled in as putrid a manner as possible.

Of course the desecration of characters has always been Evil Dead’s meat and potatoes, but this one is not college kids at play or fanboys emulating a cult classic in wry good humor; it’s a sadist picking at the wings of flies in extreme, endless closeup, be it of what Papa Edgar is so obviously about to do to the family dog during a tense family dinner, or how grandma’s mental decline from Alzheimer’s is glibly mocked and exploited as the only source at attempted—and wildly misjudged—humor in an otherwise quite funereal endurance test.

There is little to nothing to redeem this empty exercise in franchise extension, not its performances, not its production design, definitely not its cinematography, and not necessarily even its gore, lest seeing people disemboweled in dreary closeup is the lone threshold for your idea of entertainment.

Forty years after being so wrongfully accused, Evil Dead has finally attached something irredeemably nasty to its name. Unnecessarily too.

Evil Dead Burn opens on Friday, July 10.

The Odyssey: Christopher Nolan’s Guillermo del Toro Connection Promises a More Complicated Adventure

Even if you don’t have a degree in ancient literature, you probably know the broad strokes of Homer’s epic The Odyssey. It’s an adventure story about a guy sailing along to fight witches and giants and sea monsters, right? And even if that’s a simplistic take on The Odyssey (spoiler: it is), then surely the giant Hollywood blockbuster has to streamline the plot to appeal to the masses. Matt Damon‘s Odysseus is the good guy, and he’s going to beat up the bad guys to win and get home.

However, in a recent conversation with the LA Times, The Odyssey director Christopher Nolan intimated on a more complicated approach to the story. When discussing the monstrous Scylla, Nolan admitted, “I was very inspired by Guillermo del Toro.” He continues, “What I learned from him is that a monster is not a monster. You have to approach them the way you approach any other character.” If even a tentacled creature who threatens to destroy Odysseus’s crew while they try to avoid the horrifying Charybdis gets sympathy, then Nolan’s take on The Odyssey will be anything but simplistic.

On one hand, it’s not too surprising to learn that Christopher Nolan wants a complicated story. After his 1998 student film Following, Nolan broke out with the noir Memento, a film sold on the structural gimmick of being a story told in reverse chronology. Since then, Nolan has made numerous blockbusters with fractured, labyrinthine narrative structures.

However, that complexity tends to only extend to the plots of Nolan’s movies, specifically in relationship to time. On a character level, Nolan tends to be pretty simplistic. Bruce Wayne dresses like a bat because he wants to harness the fear caused by his childhood trauma. Cobb from Inception wants to get back to his wife. Coop from Interstellar wants to get back to his children. Even Oppenheimer, a more nuanced figure than most of Nolan’s protagonists, is at his core, a guy who wanted to pursue his vision and then felt guilty about what it cost.

It’s easy to see how Odysseus falls in line with these characters. A cunning but devoted warrior, Odysseus wants only to return home to Ithaca, to reunite with his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Throw in the flashbacks to the Trojan War and a 10-year journey that must be truncated, and The Odyssey feels ready-made for Nolan.

But the fact that Nolan looks to del Toro for the monsters suggests that he’s trying something new. As seen in everything from Pan’s Labyrinth to Hellboy to The Shape of Water, del Toro prefers monsters to people, and presents even the most frightening creature as a figure of beauty and compassion. Where Scylla could be nothing more than a beast that Odysseus and his crew must defeat to get past Charybdis and get back to Ithaca, the del Toro connection suggests that Nolan wants the monster to be real, to be a living creature deserving of empathy.

Scylla lends herself to such a story, as later myths described her as a beautiful nymph who was transformed into a monster after a curse. But the casting of Bill Irwin, a Tony award-winning actor and incredible physical performer who puppeteered TARS in Interstellar, as the Cyclops Polyphemus indicates that he’ll be humanizing all of the monsters.

Thus far, audiences have turned out in droves to support Nolan’s complex narrative style. Hopefully, they’ll be just as excited to see him complicate The Odyssey‘s monsters.

The Odyssey plays in theaters on July 17, 2026.

The Sad Truth Behind Vin Diesel’s Latest Fast & Furious 11 Update

Vin Diesel has given Fast & Furious fans real Nathan Fielder vibes this past week after posting a new video in which he strolled around the iconic 1970 Dodge Charger R/T that his character, Dom Toretto, drives in the franchise. “I’m on set,” he said in the video as crew members visibly toiled behind him. “People are grinding. Incredible crews are working. Over the past three and a half years we have been grinding to try to make the most amazing finale.”

Naturally, many people took the phrases “incredible crews are working” and “grinding to try to make the most amazing finale” to mean that Diesel was indeed on the set of the final Fast & Furious installment, Fast Forever, but it turns out that the long-awaited movie was just out of frame, laughing too, because Fast Forever has not in fact started filming, nor does it seem to be anywhere close to kicking off production.

The Wrap has confirmed the film’s current status and pointed out that Diesel’s update was actually from the set of a Fast-themed World Cup promo for the USA-Belgium match that aired on July 6. The outlet added that Universal Pictures declined to comment on the matter.

Fast Forever has been eyeing a 2028 release date since January 2026. Before that, it was eyeing an April 2027 release date. Before that, it was eyeing a March 2026 release date. Before that …well, you get the picture. It’s been in development for some time. The last we heard, Michael Lesslie (Now You See Me: Now You Don’t) was working on a new version of the Fast Forever script, but that update also came from Diesel on social media, and last year The Wall Street Journal reported that the franchise-capper was even facing cancelation due to Universal’s lack of interest in greenlighting a $200 million budget for it.

It remains unclear when (and if) Fast Forever will arrive. More of Diesel’s updates are sure to follow, but we would advise waiting for a more “studio official” announcement in the future. In the meantime, please feel free to meditate on this 1994 video of the actor showcasing Street Sharks for a toy fair in New York.

Moana Review: A Remake That’s Most Unwelcome

The way water moves always has a kind of magic to it, so in the hands of Walt Disney Animation Studios, it’s unsurprisingly spellbinding. How the blue translucence dances in the light of day, mimicking the sways of a wee Polynesian child during the opening moments of Moana, is unforgettable stuff. The liquid weaves and bobs, twitching its cresting wave like a feline, and enveloping a South Pacific beachside as if it were the universal expanse of every kid’s collective imaginary BFF.

It’s enchanting.

It’s also, I should add, a scene that I’m describing from the original 2016 Moana. (And yes, it is odd having to distinguish a movie not quite a decade old as “the original.”) Theoretically though, this same scene is in Friday’s new and decidedly un-improved Moana. A child still finds a magical tide on the shore of her idyllic island—one that now fully resembles the Instagram magnets on Hawaii’s Kauai island—and it still attempts to swirl and swing with tiny Amaya Masoli, standing briefly in as pint-sized Moana when she’s eight years old. But while the water moves in pristine, digitally enhanced blue, it never shimmers or shines. It knows the steps but not their poetry. In fact, it just sits there like a gelatinous blob, 30 years removed but still not far from the uncanny valley of Disney’s Flubber flub with Robin Williams back in 1997.

It is in an eyesore, and emblematic of nearly every other half-hearted and only halfway-to-satisfying choice in Moana 2026, a remake as redundant and unnecessary as any to come out of the Mouse House factory over the last 10 years. Indeed, it’s kind of numbing to realize that the original Moana released back before even Beauty and the Beast‘s tepid redo with Emma Watson bowed to a billion dollars and turbo-charged this into a whole genre of creatively diminishing, yet financially stupendous returns. 

None of which is to say that this Moana ’26 is the worst offender. For starters, other than that water and the inexplicable need to turn the titular heroine’s sidekick rooster into yet more CG animation (presumably so it matches the gags, but not the laughs, of the original), almost all of the characters are played by human actors. So that’s already a leg up on the stiff and stuffed cartoons from The Lion King (2019). Furthermore, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Opetaia Foaʻi’s songbook from the original movie of nine years and eight months ago remains wall-to-wall bangers. And they’re all capably sung by a new(ish) cast, including Catherine Laga’aia as the latest Moana. Pleasant and clear-voiced, if still noticeably green at handling the heavier emotions in her first film role, Laga’aia’s voice radiates during “How Far I’ll Go,” matching and meeting the expectations left by Auli’i Cravalho’s own powerhouse vocals of 2.5 presidential administrations past. So that automatically puts this above 2017’s Beauty and the Beast too.

But maybe it’s the mere fact that director Thomas Kail is such a wizard of the stage, mounting unforgettable tableaus of kinetic movement and pageantry on Broadway via Miranda’s Hamilton and the 2023 revival of Sweeney Todd, that one could be expected to have at least modest hopes of some energy in this retread. It’s Kail’s first narrative feature, but even his editing and camera placements in the Hamilton recording of several 2016 performances conveyed the urgency and movement of his direction. Yet depressingly, Moana is another remake devoid of kineticism or life. It sits on a soundstage, often surrounded by blue walls or Volume screens, while poor young Laga’aia and a wholly checked-out Dwayne Johnson shuffle around for a couple of two-steps in medium wide shots. 

It is, in other words, a product where the system of painstakingly, mechanically recreating your child’s favorite moments for a glorified theme park reenactment won out.

Hence right down to the same scenes, the same shots, and nearly all of the same dialogue—screenwriter Jared Bush is credited with penning both—2026’s Moana is a movie you and your child have seen many times previously. It is the story of young Moana, a teenage girl being prepared to inherit the title of chieftain from her father on an idyllic but secluded Pacific island. For generations their family and people have never left this tropical paradise due to the unruly and dangerous disposition of the sea. Yet those seemingly tranquil waters call to Moana—quite explicitly when the ocean gives her the literal heart of the goddess Te Fiti, which must be returned to the deity.

In order to do this, Moana will need the help of demigod Maui (Johnson, sheepishly embarrassed by the Fabio wig Disney insists on). Maui is the one who stole Te Fiti’s heart a thousand years ago and has since been marooned on a desert island. Still, even after all that time, his swagger and ego haven’t dimmed as he attempts to smolder his way out of any situation—except playing wayfinder mentor to the kid who doesn’t buy the hype. Together they’ll brave the horizon, colossal talking crabs, and sail right into the heart of the sea.

The most frustrating thing about Moana is how competently, and even staggeringly, it’s executed. While there is an aforementioned excess of Volume and blue-screen work, the film production really set sail on the waters around Hawaii and the South Pacific. You can see that expense on the screen, along with some elaborate production design by John Myhre. It’s competently edited and professionally photographed, albeit beneath the same beige, desaturated filter Disney bizarrely insists on in most of their live-action fare. Yet in practice and effect, it is all reenactment; talented artists and artisans recreating beloved and dazzling animated sequences like entertainers at a child’s birthday party putting on clown clothes.

Nearly every shot, each song, and all the comedy beats are remixes of something that sparkled in animation. It’s one veritable medium dutifully confusing transliteration for translation.

What’s odder still is when even the performances that are supposedly being transferred from one milieu to another also lose their charm in the migration. And yes, that is very explicitly about Dwayne Johnson, a performer and star who was at the peak of his popularity in 2016. He then saw that renown only grow when he brought oceans of charisma to a vocal performance that got Johnson the opportunity to trade bars of “You’re Welcome” on the Oscars stage opposite songwriter Miranda.

In 2026, however, Moana comes again at a different, and one might suppose more delicate, time in the star’s career after Black Adam failed to change the hierarchy in the DC Universe in the way Johnson intended. That failure likely had more than a small reason to do with Moana jumping the line in front of Tangled and Frozen for the remake treatment. But the spark and vigor that made Johnson’s vocal turn last time so winsome, or makes him such a delight on SNL, is absent. The voice is there, as is the smile and demigod bod, but the performance is missing, with the actor’s countenance seemingly distracted by the romance novel wig on his head. The movie demands the Rock but what it got was just a rock.

Jemaine Clement fairs better while reprising the vocal role of Tamatoa, the devious giant crab besotted by everything sparkly, but given the character is still a digital creation, one might wonder whether they even bothered to rerecord the song “Shiny” for a second lap round the track. Then again, Moana 2026 exists to precisely run in circles. I imagine most children with fond memories of the 2016 picture (if from only a few days ago) might enjoy it, and if you could look past how empty The Little Mermaid (2023) or Lilo & Stitch (2025) turned out, you’ll probably enjoy this one more than I did. Nonetheless, Disney’s increasingly eager walk down memory lane feels like it’s finally running out of road.

The millennial nostalgia trips are exhausted, and Gen Z is still too young to need to be reminded of classics they’re still growing up with via infinitely inferior knockoffs; and with the exception of maybe Maui’s bopping tattoos during “You’re Welcome,” nothing retains the joy of life from the last go-round. And as a colleague helpfully pointed out after my press screening, this lone grace note was literally designed by Walt Disney Animation Studios. Perhaps the whole thing should’ve stayed in their archipelago in the first place?

Moana opens in theaters Friday, July 10.

New Releases Make It Clear Netflix Has YouTube in Its Sights

Netflix has announced that it is partnering with a host of digital publishers in a quest to bring “fan-favorite” videos to various regions, including the U.S. and the U.K. These short-form videos will be between three and 20 minutes long, and include popular series like BuzzFeed Celeb’s 30 Questions, Vanity Fair’s Lie Detector, Billboard’s 24 Hrs With, and Tastemade’s Struggle Meals.

The streamer’s latest move comes after it has already tested adding live events, mobile clips, and even video podcasts like The Puzzle Room With David Kwong and The Rewatchables. Though industry insiders have branded Netflix’s video podcasts “low engagement,” around 13% of households are thought to have given them a whirl for a minimum of one minute on their smart TVs over a three-month tracking period by Samba TV.

Yet, adding more short-form videos unfortunately speaks to the dwindling popularity of Netflix’s old-school “binge model,” which is fading fast as more viewers struggle to commit and feel their free time is at a premium. Netflix seems to be hoping that its experiment with shorter videos will at least help keep people on the platform longer after they’ve finished watching its new releases.

“Members don’t just want to watch a show or film and move on – they want to keep exploring the stories and personalities they love long after the final credits roll,” John Derderian, Vice President of Netflix’s Animation Series and Kids and Family TV division, said in a statement. “These partnerships help us deepen fandom and create more ways for members to carry those stories with them throughout their day.”

It’s an interesting step for Netflix because the streamer is no longer just competing with similar subscription services, such as Prime Video or Apple TV, but also short-form video platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Many people are just as likely to spend hours scrolling through videos there as they are to watch a show or movie, and Netflix now appears interested in grabbing a share of that doomscrolling audience. In an age where audiences will willingly watch two minutes of a random episode of The Rookie on TikTok, then switch to the latest Italian Bach video on YouTube rather than commit to a new TV show with a questionable future, embracing some new short-form video content isn’t necessarily a bad shout.

YouTube remains one of the biggest platforms on the internet. In the U.K., 94% of online adults used YouTube last year, and in January 2025 alone, its ads reached around 2.53 billion users worldwide. For those willing to watch those ads, YouTube was absolutely free to use. In contrast, Netflix just raised its subscription prices for the second time in just over a year. Given comparisons like that, it’s hard to imagine how Netflix could realistically compete with YouTube.

Still, it’s possible that if viewers were already on the platform and saw their favorite YouTube series readily available to watch, they might dwell there rather than switching apps. We can safely assume that Netflix is banking on it.

X-Men ’97 Establishes Professor X and Magneto as the Greatest Superhero Romance

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 4.

By the end of the latest of episode of X-Men ’97, “Rise of Apocalypse Part II,” Magneto has died. Again. At this point, no one who likes Marvel‘s superheroes can get too upset about any of the mutants meeting their end, as their round-tip ticket from the afterlife is so well-used that the comics made them canonically unkillable for a few years. But Charles Xavier doesn’t know that, so when he sees Apocalypse kill Magnus in front of him, he is inconsolable.

Yet, even with that bit of disbelief dutifully suspended, Charles is really upset about seeing his archenemy die, a guy who just a few episodes earlier ripped the entire skeleton out of one of his students. So enraged is Charles that he actually praises Apocalypse’s mother for trying to kill her son as a child. Obviously, then, Charles had a different relationship with Magneto, one that has long been present in the comic. Charles and Magneto have one of the most complex and romantic relationships in all of comic book history.

Romantic Genesis

Although the two debuted alongside one another in 1963’s Uncanny X-Men #1, we did not learn the depth of their connection until Uncanny X-Men #161 (1982), written by Chris Claremont and penciled by Dave Cockrum. They first met when Xavier, then a young psychologist, visited a hospital in Israel to work with survivors of the Jewish Holocaust. There, he meets Magneto, who was going by the name Magnus and volunteering at the same hospital. For readers, Magneto had only just begun to develop into something deeper than the usual Silver Age villain he’d been since first appearance. In fact, his Holocaust survivor backstory had only been revealed a year earlier, in Uncanny X-Men #150.

Xavier first impresses Magnus by curing a catatonic woman called Gabrielle Haller, employing his unique psychology technique—that is, using his telepathy to remove mental blocks, which Cockrum represents by sending a naked, glowing Xavier inside her head to duke it out with demon Nazis. For his part, Xavier realizes Magnus’ mutant status and the two bond over their desire to advance the condition of their people. Despite their stark disagreements, the ideas remain theoretical at that point, as neither has yet taken action to realize them. When Hydra soldiers attack the hospital and kidnap Haller, Xavier and Magnus join forces to rescue her and must confront their opposing philosophies.

Yet, even in that story, the clash between Magneto and Professor X wasn’t just about different ways of looking at the world. The two men had genuine affection for one another, a bond that went deeper than anything they shared with their respective female partners.

Nothing demonstrates this better than when one of those frequent partners, Moria MacTaggart, reveals herself to be a mutant in the complimenting series House of X and Powers of X, the 2019 launch of the ambitious (but ultimately unsatisfying) Krakoa Era of X-Men comics. Writer Jonathan Hickman retcons longtime supporting character MacTaggart from a human scientist sympathetic to mutants to a mutant herself, who has the ability to reset her life after death, being born again at the same time and to the same parents, but with her memories of past lives in tact. Thanks to those memories, Moria knows that Magneto and Xavier have failed time and again to implement their plan and she pushes them to found the sovereign nation of Krakoa as the best solution.

Given that Xavier has been romantically involved with Moria in the past, and given that she has now revealed both her status as a mutant and a deep desire to improve the lives of mutants, one might think that Xavier’s passions for her would only increase. And yet, it’s Magneto to whom Xavier turns, and the two spend the era united in a way they’ve never been before, proving that their soulmates to each other in a way that no one else can match.

Hidden, No More

At this point, we do need to allow for some rebuttals. Chris Claremont has been quite open about the limitations of Marvel editorial and the Comics Code Authority, which prevented him from directly portraying queer relationships. The most famous example is the love between Mystique and Destiny, but only the most obtuse reader would miss the longing between nearly every female character in the X-Men and most of the men.

That said, when Claremont visited the queer comic convention FlameCon in 2016, he did not admit to anything other than friendship between the two men. “My thinking was ‘God bless ambiguity,'” he told panel attendees. “Sexual orientation in that instance is irrelevant, they are best friends.”

Furthermore, the Krakoa Era made a lot of the subtext of previous comics into explicit text. Mystique’s quest to resurrect Destiny drive much of the plot—and she even openly identifies Destiny as “my wife,” something disallowed in previous comics.

Likewise, the love triangle between Cyclops, Wolverine, and Jean Grey becomes a proper throuple; or, at least, Jean is shown on the page to be sleeping with both Scott and Logan (and Scott sleeps with both Jean and Emma Frost). And yet, even in this milieu, we don’t see any physical affection between Charles and Magneto. Heck, Charles hardly removes his weird Cerebro helmet at all in that period.

All of that aside, it’s impossible to see these two characters as just best friends, especially while watching “Rise of Apocalypse Part II.” The way that Magneto embraces Charles before sending his friend to safety and stopping Ship’s attack is warm and caring, in contrast to the violence about to unfold. The hurt that voice actor Ross Marquand plays when Charles calls out the name “Magnus” feels more like Xavier is losing part of himself than he even a close friend and ally. Even the last line that Magneto delivers before leaving Charles—”I gladly play the devil who pushes sinners to embrace the saint”—transcends supervillain dialogue to acknowledge an intimacy that foreshadows the loss about to occur.

Evolving Love

Is that enough to say that Charles and Magnus are romantically linked, especially given the rebuttals above? Maybe not in the same way we talk about, say Superman and Lois or Spider-Man and Mary Jane. But the love that Magneto and Professor X has for one another is something deeper, different, and unique. They have a love that looks unlike anything we find anywhere else in superhero fiction.

And that’s as it should be. Because mutation and evolution are, after all, what the X-Men are all about.

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

15 Games That Punish You for Trying to Be Nice

Several video games have systems where you can make choices, often divided by fans between the good and the bad choice. Not because one choice is more optimal than the other, but because morally, it feels like the right thing to do. But is it?

You see, simply helping everyone you see can work in some games, but not all of them. Trust the wrong individual and the other people you were saving might get punished. At times, simply doing ‘the right thing’ is hard enough to feel like a punishment to yourself. These games are the biggest examples of that.

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Undertale

Choosing mercy is the heart of Undertale, but it also demands patience and trust. Spare the wrong enemy too early or underestimate certain encounters, and kindness can leave you facing far more difficult battles than simply attacking.

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Dark Souls

NPC questlines often reward generosity with tragedy. Helping characters like Knight Lautrec or trusting seemingly harmless strangers frequently leads to murder, betrayal, or the permanent loss of important merchants and allies.

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Bloodborne

Sending survivors to the seemingly safe Oedon Chapel feels compassionate, but not everyone who arrives has good intentions. One rescued NPC can secretly murder the others, turning an act of kindness into disaster.

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Geralt’s attempts to help strangers regularly produce unintended consequences. Many side quests reveal that even well-meaning decisions can worsen situations, reinforcing the game’s morally gray approach to heroism.

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Frostpunk

Showing mercy by relaxing laws or avoiding harsh policies often leaves your city less prepared for increasingly brutal conditions. Compassion can cost precious resources, productivity, and ultimately the survival of your entire population.

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Papers, Please

Allowing desperate refugees or sympathetic travelers through immigration checkpoints may feel morally right, but every unauthorized approval risks fines, lost income, and consequences for your own struggling family.

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Pathologic 2

Trying to save every sick citizen is admirable, but resources are intentionally scarce. Spreading medicine too generously often leaves you unable to help those who truly need it later.

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The Walking Dead

Telltale’s series constantly challenges acts of kindness. Sharing supplies, trusting strangers, or trying to save everyone frequently results in betrayal, additional deaths, or impossible choices with heartbreaking consequences.

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This War of Mine

Giving away food or medicine to neighbors may feel like the humane choice, but doing so can leave your own civilians starving, sick, or unable to survive the next few days.

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Baldur’s Gate 3

Acts of mercy don’t always pay off. Sparing certain enemies or trusting suspicious characters can trigger future betrayals, difficult battles, or quest outcomes that complicate the adventure far more than immediate action would have.

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Dragon’s Dogma 2

Accepting escort missions and helping nearly every NPC often sends players across dangerous territory for modest rewards. Good intentions can easily lead to exhausting detours and encounters far beyond your current abilities.

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LISA

The game repeatedly forces impossible moral decisions where compassion comes at tremendous personal cost. Choosing to protect companions or help strangers frequently requires sacrificing valuable resources, abilities, or even permanent party members.

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Fallout: New Vegas

Trying to satisfy every faction rarely ends well. Offering help to one group can damage your standing with another, making diplomacy surprisingly difficult despite your best efforts to remain fair.

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Detroit: Become Human

Choosing peaceful, restrained responses often places android protagonists in greater immediate danger. While nonviolence can shape the broader narrative, individual moments frequently punish mercy with imprisonment, injury, or death.

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Spec Ops: The Line

Players are encouraged to believe they’re making heroic choices, only to discover many compassionate intentions contribute to even greater suffering. The game deliberately challenges assumptions about what it means to be the good guy.

15 Details Movies Keep Getting Wrong

Movies often make the impossible look believable, but even grounded stories can stumble over small details that pull viewers out of the experience. Some mistakes are made for dramatic effect while others come from outdated research or simple convenience. Audiences have become more observant than ever, catching everything from legal procedures to medical myths and everyday habits that never happen in real life. These recurring inaccuracies appear across every genre and have become familiar enough to spark endless discussions among fans. Looking closer at them reveals how often fiction bends reality in ways most people never notice until someone points them out.

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Silencers That Make Guns Nearly Silent in No Country for Old Men (2007)

Real suppressors reduce noise but they do not turn gunfire into a soft whisper. Movies regularly exaggerate the effect, creating one of cinema’s most persistent myths even in otherwise realistic thrillers.

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Defibrillators Restarting a Flatline in Casino Royale (2006)

Defibrillators are designed to correct dangerous heart rhythms, not restart a heart that has completely stopped. Countless films use this dramatic moment despite it being medically inaccurate.

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Instant Computer Hacking in Swordfish (2001)

Hollywood often portrays hacking as something that takes seconds with flashy graphics and endless pop ups. Real cyber intrusions usually involve planning, patience, and far less visual excitement.

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Cars Exploding After Minor Crashes in The Dark Knight (2008)

Vehicle fires can happen, but a simple collision rarely ends in a massive explosion. Films rely on spectacular blasts because they create instant tension and memorable action scenes.

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Fingerprints Appearing Instantly in Se7en (1995)

Dusting for fingerprints is a careful forensic process that does not immediately reveal perfect prints on every surface. Crime movies often skip the slower reality for the sake of pacing.

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Quicksand Acting Like a Bottomless Trap in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Real quicksand is dangerous but it is very difficult to sink completely beneath it. Movies turned it into a terrifying death sentence that generations of viewers believed.

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Endless Ammunition in John Wick (2014)

Action heroes frequently fire dozens of rounds without reloading. While this series pays more attention than most, many sequences still stretch magazine capacity beyond what real firearms allow.

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People Staying Conscious After Severe Head Injuries in Skyfall (2012)

Characters are knocked unconscious, wake up minutes later, and continue fighting without lasting effects. In reality, repeated head trauma can have serious and lasting consequences.

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Lock Picking Taking Only Seconds in Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation (2015)

Movies often show skilled characters opening complex locks almost instantly. Real lock picking usually requires time, practice, and the right conditions.

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Chloroform Working Immediately in Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Films often show someone losing consciousness after only a second or two of exposure. In reality, rendering someone unconscious with chloroform takes much longer and carries significant risks.

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DNA Results Arriving Almost Instantly in Jurassic Park (1993)

Laboratory analysis is rarely completed in minutes or hours. Movies compress scientific timelines to keep stories moving, making advanced testing appear almost magical.

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Air Ducts That Can Hold Full Grown Adults in Die Hard (1988)

Most real ventilation systems are far smaller and not built to support a person’s weight. Cinema transformed air ducts into secret passageways for generations of action heroes.

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Every Phone Call Ending Without Saying Goodbye in Heat (1995)

Characters exchange important information and simply hang up. Real conversations usually include some form of closing, but movies trim those moments to maintain momentum.

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Explosions Throwing People Across Rooms in Lethal Weapon (1987)

Blast waves are extremely dangerous, yet they do not usually send people flying through the air the way action movies love to portray.

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Witnesses Remembering Every Tiny Detail in The Usual Suspects (1995)

Eyewitness memory is far less reliable than movies suggest. Stress, time, and suggestion can easily alter recollections, making perfect testimony much rarer than fiction implies.

15 Movies Your Grandparents Still Try to Make You Watch

Every family seems to have at least one movie that an older relative insists everyone should see. These films have earned a permanent place in many grandparents’ collections, no matter what genre was their favourite. And for how much our grandparents spoiled us as children, we like to indulge in their cravings as well.

They often come with stories about seeing them in theaters, favorite performances, or the claim that “they just don’t make movies like this anymore.” While younger audiences may not always share the same enthusiasm, these enduring favorites continue to be passed from one generation to the next with genuine affection.

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The Sound of Music

Few films have become as synonymous with family movie nights as The Sound of Music. Its memorable songs, uplifting story, and timeless performances have made it a favorite that grandparents enthusiastically recommend to every new generation.

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Casablanca

Often considered one of Hollywood’s greatest romances, Casablanca remains a perennial recommendation from older movie lovers. Its unforgettable dialogue and iconic performances have helped it endure for more than eight decades.

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The Wizard of Oz

For many grandparents, The Wizard of Oz was an annual television tradition. Its colorful fantasy, unforgettable characters, and classic songs continue to make it one of cinema’s most cherished family films.

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Gone with the Wind

Despite its controversial legacy, Gone with the Wind was long regarded as essential viewing. Many grandparents still recommend it for its sweeping romance, epic scale, and importance in Hollywood history.

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Singin’ in the Rain

Frequently cited as one of the greatest movie musicals ever made, Singin’ in the Rain delights audiences with dazzling choreography, infectious music, and Gene Kelly’s legendary title performance.

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To Kill a Mockingbird

Gregory Peck’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Atticus Finch helped make this literary adaptation a lasting classic. Its themes of justice and empathy continue to resonate with generations of movie fans.

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Ben-Hur

The enormous sets, thrilling chariot race, and biblical storytelling made Ben-Hur one of the defining epics of classic Hollywood. Older viewers often recommend it as an example of filmmaking on a grand scale.

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The Bridge on the River Kwai

This acclaimed World War II drama combines suspense, memorable performances, and moral complexity. It’s exactly the kind of prestigious classic many grandparents insist every serious movie fan should experience.

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12 Angry Men

Almost entirely confined to one jury room, 12 Angry Men proves compelling storytelling doesn’t require elaborate effects. Its sharp dialogue and timeless themes have kept it a favorite across generations.

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It’s a Wonderful Life

Although now a holiday staple, It’s a Wonderful Life became especially beloved through decades of television broadcasts. Many grandparents consider it essential Christmas viewing and an enduring lesson in compassion.

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Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn’s breakthrough performance and the film’s charming romance have made Roman Holiday a favorite recommendation from classic movie enthusiasts. Its warmth and humor remain remarkably timeless.

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Lawrence of Arabia

David Lean’s sweeping desert epic is frequently praised for its breathtaking cinematography and ambitious storytelling. Grandparents who saw it on the big screen often encourage younger viewers to experience its grandeur.

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The African Queen

Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn’s unlikely partnership gives The African Queen lasting appeal. Its blend of adventure, romance, and humor has made it a beloved recommendation for decades.

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My Fair Lady

Lavish production values, unforgettable songs, and Audrey Hepburn’s starring role helped make My Fair Lady one of the defining musicals of its era. Many older viewers still consider it required viewing.

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The Great Escape

Featuring an all-star cast led by Steve McQueen, The Great Escape combines suspense, humor, and unforgettable action. It’s the kind of classic war film grandparents happily revisit and eagerly introduce to younger audiences.

15 Movie Mistakes It’s Hard to Believe Made the Final Cut

Even the biggest Hollywood productions aren’t immune to mistakes. Despite massive budgets, countless crew members, and months of editing, some surprisingly obvious errors still slip into the final version of a movie. They aren’t deal breakers, not to mention how they fly past us during action scenes, but they’re still there.

Most don’t ruin the films, but once you notice them, they’re impossible to ignore. These memorable movie mistakes somehow survived every stage of production and editing before making their way onto theater screens around the world. It just goes to show how much work is needed to make even a single frame of these productions.

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Spider-Man, Changing Tray

During Peter Parker’s cafeteria scene, the contents and position of his lunch tray noticeably change between shots. The continuity error is subtle but becomes obvious once viewers know to watch for it.

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Titanic, Rose’s Mole

Kate Winslet’s beauty mark changes position between some shots due to the film being horizontally flipped during editing. The continuity inconsistency has been noticed by attentive viewers for years.

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The Goonies, The Missing Octopus

Near the film’s ending, Data mentions “the octopus was really scary.” The scene had been deleted from the theatrical cut, leaving audiences confused by a reference to something they never saw.

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The Dark Knight Rises, The Vanishing Extras

During Batman’s street battle with Bane’s forces, several background fighters can be seen standing around without engaging anyone. Once noticed, the supposedly massive brawl looks strangely underpopulated.

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Twister, The Undamaged Pickup

A red pickup truck is repeatedly battered by debris during one tornado sequence. Between cuts, however, the damage mysteriously disappears and reappears, creating a noticeable continuity error.

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Die Hard, The Changing Ambulance

Hans Gruber’s gang secretly hides an ambulance inside the truck used for the robbery. Earlier shots of that same truck clearly show there wasn’t enough interior space for the vehicle.

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Commando, Bennett’s Shirt

During the climactic fight, Bennett’s chainmail vest repeatedly changes from intact to torn and back again depending on the camera angle. The continuity error is impossible to miss once spotted.

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The Untouchables, The Baby Carriage

As the famous train station shootout unfolds, the baby carriage repeatedly changes position between shots, despite moving continuously down the staircase. The sequence remains iconic despite the glaring continuity mistakes.

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The Mummy Returns, The Scorpion King CGI

The unfinished-looking CGI used for the Scorpion King somehow remained in the final film. It has since become infamous as one of blockbuster cinema’s most criticized visual effects.

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Speed, The Camera Shadow

During the freeway jump, the shadow of the aircraft used to film the stunt can briefly be seen crossing the ground below, accidentally revealing part of the production itself.

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Grease, Danny’s Changing Jacket

In several scenes, Danny Zuko’s leather jacket appears, disappears, and changes position between camera angles. The continuity mistakes are especially noticeable during group scenes involving the T-Birds.

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Back to the Future, The Guitar That Changes

During the “Johnny B. Goode” performance, Marty McFly’s guitar strap and hand positions noticeably change between shots. The energetic editing helps hide the mistake, but attentive viewers can spot it.

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The Avengers, Captain America’s Suit Repairs Itself

During the Battle of New York, Captain America’s costume is visibly damaged in one shot and suddenly appears far less damaged in the next. The continuity issue slips by amid the massive action sequence.

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Casablanca, The Empty Champagne Glass

In one famous scene between Rick and Ilsa, champagne levels change dramatically between cuts. Glasses that are nearly empty suddenly appear partially full again during the same conversation.

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The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo’s Missing Sting

After the cave troll attack in Moria, Sting briefly disappears from Frodo’s hand between shots before reappearing moments later. The continuity error slipped through despite the film’s famously meticulous production.

15 Horror Villains it Feels Like We Could Have Fought Off Ourselves

Oftentimes, when we see a horror movie, we wonder what we would do in a given situation. And that answer tends to be ‘not much,’ since the impossible odds the characters face in those films are nothing to envy. However, certain horror movie villains feel less than invincible.

In the real world, a determined group of ordinary people might actually stand a reasonable chance against them. All it seems to take is organization and common sense. Of course, that’s often easier to say from the safety of a couch than when facing them in a dark hallway.

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Ghostface (Scream)

Unlike many slasher villains, Ghostface is an ordinary human beneath the mask. Throughout the series, the killers are knocked down, injured, and occasionally outmatched, making them feel far more beatable than supernatural horror icons.

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The Strangers

The masked intruders rely heavily on surprise and psychological intimidation. While still dangerous, they’re ordinary people without any remarkable abilities, making it easy to imagine a coordinated defense or successful counterattack.

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Brahms Heelshire (The Boy)

Despite the supernatural marketing, Brahms is ultimately just a man living inside the walls. His success depends largely on secrecy and surprise rather than overwhelming physical abilities or additional powers.

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Mick Taylor (Wolf Creek)

Mick is ruthless and experienced, but he’s still human. His victims are usually isolated travelers, and much of his advantage comes from controlling the environment rather than possessing extraordinary physical abilities.

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Josef (Creep)

Josef manipulates victims through charm instead of brute force. Watching the film, it’s difficult not to imagine simply leaving after the first disturbing interaction rather than continuing to indulge his increasingly bizarre behavior.

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The Firefly Family (House of 1000 Corpses)

Captain Spaulding’s family is terrifying because of numbers and unpredictability, not anything else. Outside their carefully controlled territory, they’re ultimately just violent criminals who could be overwhelmed by sufficient resistance.

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Pearl

Pearl is dangerous because she’s emotionally unstable, not physically unstoppable. Much of her success comes from victims being caught off guard rather than her possessing exceptional strength or combat ability.

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Billy Chapman (Silent Night, Deadly Night)

Billy is intimidating in his Santa suit, but he’s still an ordinary man. Outside isolated encounters, determined resistance or multiple opponents would likely overwhelm him before he amassed such a high body count.

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The Collector

The Collector’s elaborate traps are deadly, but they require extensive preparation. Without complete control over the environment, he’s simply a resourceful criminal rather than an unstoppable force.

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The Grabber (The Black Phone)

The Grabber relies on abducting isolated children and keeping them imprisoned. Once his victims gain information and opportunities to fight back, his lack of physicality becomes increasingly apparent.

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Art the Clown (Terrifier)

In the original Terrifier, Art appears to be largely human, relying on weapons and brutality rather than overwhelming strength. Before later films expanded his supernatural nature, he felt surprisingly vulnerable to determined resistance.

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The Purge Participants (The Purge)

Most attackers during the annual Purge are simply armed civilians exploiting legalized crime. Their menace comes from numbers and circumstance, not unique abilities, making organized neighborhood defense seem entirely plausible.

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Babyface (The Hills Run Red)

Babyface is imposing and relentless, but his threat comes primarily from physical intimidation. He lacks much resilience, making him seem more like an exceptionally dangerous criminal than an unbeatable horror monster.

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The Killer (Hush)

The masked attacker deliberately removes his mask early in the film because he believes victory is inevitable. His confidence repeatedly creates openings that make him seem far less invincible than he imagines.

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The Tethered (Us)

The Tethered overwhelm society through sheer numbers and surprise rather than superior abilities. Individually, they’re physically similar to the people they mirror, making many of their one-on-one confrontations seem winnable with preparation and determination.

15 Horror Movies Where the Monster Wasn’t the Biggest Problem

Horror movies often have a central creature (or creatures) that hunt the protagonists throughout their runtime. These tend to be the main threats and hurdles to beat, although they often aren’t the biggest issue. Greed, paranoia, cults, corruption, and plain human cruelty often create far bigger problems than any ghost, demon, or beast ever could.

In many of these films, defeating the creature wouldn’t even solve the central conflict. These horror movies remind us that while monsters may start the nightmare, humanity often finds a way to make it much, much worse.

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The Mist

The creatures outside are deadly, but the real danger quickly becomes the terrified survivors trapped inside the grocery store. Fear, mob mentality, and Mrs. Carmody’s growing influence prove even more destructive than the monsters themselves.

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28 Days Later

The soldiers led by Major Henry West become the film’s greatest threat beyond what any infected can do. Their plan to imprison the female survivors demonstrates that civilization’s collapse has unleashed humanity’s darkest instincts.

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The Descent

The expedition is doomed long before any cave creatures appear. Juno’s decision to hide the cave’s true location and her betrayal of Sarah create the disaster that traps everyone underground.

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The Babadook

Beyond the Babadook, the family’s crushing grief and emotional isolation are the deeper menaces. Amelia’s deteriorating mental state threatens both herself and her son long before the supernatural entity fully emerges.

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The Witch

Suspicion, guilt, and fanaticism steadily destroy every relationship inside the isolated household before supernatural forces, represented by Black Phillip, finally prevail. The family’s rigid religious extremism tears them apart first.

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Candyman

Helen’s life spirals long before the terrifying Candyman enters the picture. This is due to institutional failures, prejudice, and public perception. The legend exploits wounds that already exist within the surrounding community.

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The Fly

The real issue in The Fly is Seth Brundle’s arrogance, not the mutation. His decision to recklessly test experimental teleportation technology on himself creates the monster, making human hubris the film’s true villain.

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Jaws

The shark isn’t the only one responsible for all of the film’s deaths, since Mayor Vaughn’s refusal to close Amity Island’s beaches dramatically increases the danger. His determination to protect the tourist economy repeatedly places innocent people directly in harm’s way.

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Alien

The Xenomorph is a perfect predator, but the Nostromo’s crew is ultimately betrayed by the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Company orders to preserve the alien at all costs, along with Ash’s secret mission, place profit above human lives.

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Train to Busan

Selfish businessman Yon-suk repeatedly sacrifices others to save himself. He wouldn’t do this without a zombie outbreak, sure, but his cowardice and willingness to endanger fellow survivors make him one of the film’s most hated characters.

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The Host

The mutant creature wreaks havoc across Seoul, yet government incompetence and misinformation continually worsen the crisis. Bureaucratic failures repeatedly prevent effective responses while innocent civilians suffer the consequences.

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The Ritual

Luke’s overwhelming guilt over his friend’s death shapes every decision he makes. The ancient creature lurking in the forest may be terrifying, yet his unresolved trauma is what leaves him emotionally vulnerable throughout the ordeal.

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Barbarian

The mysterious tunnels suggest a supernatural nightmare, but the film ultimately reveals that human cruelty created the true horror. The monster exists because of generations of abuse, captivity, and unimaginable violence.

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An American Werewolf in London

David’s real obstacle in the film is that no one fully believes or understands what’s happening until it’s too late. Medical skepticism, disbelief, and his own reluctance to accept the truth allow the curse to run its course.

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The Cabin in the Woods

The monsters are intentionally unleashed, making the real villains the technicians manipulating every event behind the scenes. The victims never stand a chance because the entire nightmare has been carefully engineered from the beginning.

X-Men ’97 Revives a Botched MCU Storyline

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 4.

You might expect the big bad of the X-Men ’97 two-parter “Rise of Apocalypse” to be Apocalypse, the immortal blue-lipped mutant who culls the weak from the strong. The episodes do indeed trace Ancient Egyptian outcast En Sabah Nur’s transformation into Apocalypse, but he isn’t really the villain of the story. Instead, that honor belongs to Rama-Tut, a warlord from the future who came to the past to conquer Egypt.

Ask even the most devoted MCU fan about Rama-Tut, and they’ll probably give you a blank stare. But they have heard of him, just not by that name, something that he acknowledges in the episode. When Xavier demands that Rama-Tut identify himself, he answers (in the deliciously catty voice of John de Lancie of Star Trek: The Next Generation fame), “I  have had so many names, Nathanial, Kang, Victor… Finding one’s self can be so confusing.” And for those who didn’t pick up on it, Rama-Tut exits the episode by pulling on the distinctive purple mask of Kang the Conquerer and returning to the future.

But the moment isn’t just a fun Marvel easter egg. Combined with other nods throughout X-Men ’97, Rama-Tut’s story ties back to a major plot line that the MCU abandoned.

Kang’s Dynasty

Hard as it might be to remember in these days leading up to Avengers: Doomsday, Doctor Doom wasn’t intended to be the primary antagonist of the next Avengers film. Instead, Marvel originally planned to pit Earth’s Mightiest Heroes against Kang the Conqueror, more of an Avengers villain than the Fantastic Four‘s nemesis Victor Von Doom, in a film called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Marvel began laying the groundwork for that movie with the first season of Loki. In that season’s finale, Loki and Sylvie meet the founder of the TVA, He Who Remains, played by up-and-coming actor Jonathan Majors. He Who Remains explains that he formed the TVA to prevent a multiversal war that occurred when variants of himself started traveling across realities. He Who Remains and other variants may be benevolent, but some, he warned, are not.

We met one of those cruel variants in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Kang the Conqueror tries to escape the Quantum Realm and expand his rule to our reality, but he’s thwarted by Ant-Man and his allies. In the movie’s post-credits scene, the Council of Cross-Time Kangs convene to plan a counter-attack, led by variants Immortus, Centurion, and, yes, even Rama-Tut, all played by Majors. Majors played yet another variant in Loki‘s second season, helping Loki and Mobius M. Mobius restore the timeline as the kind and retiring Victor Timely.

And then Kang and his variants disappeared. Why? Not because of the heroics of Ant-Man, Loki, or any Avenger, but because of misbehavior by Majors himself. After being charged with assault, Majors was dropped from his contract with Disney, and Kevin Feige changed directions, casting Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom and replacing The Kang Dynasty with Doomsday, never to mention Kang again… until now.

The Cross-Show Kangs

Of course, it makes sense for Rama-Tut to bring up Kang in X-Men ’97. The series prides itself on its deep-cut comic book references, and Kang has been a variant of Rama-Tut (who was introduced as a separate character in 1963’s Fantastic Four #19) since his first appearance in Avengers #8 from 1964.

But X-Men ’97 doesn’t just gesture toward the comics. Instead, it embraces the MCU version of the character, by integrating some imagery from the live-action universe into the cartoon. The hieroglyphics around Rama-Tut’s throne room recall the figures that He Who Remains used to explain his backstory in Loki, and we see He Who Remain’s symbol, which is also integrated into the TVA’s iconography, on the walls of his fortress.

This isn’t the first time that X-Men ’97 has gestured back to the mainline MCU, nor that the MCU has acknowledged the cartoons. In Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Patrick Stewart played less an older version of his character from the X-Men movies, and instead one closer to the Professor Xavier on X-Men: The Animated Series. The same may be true of the version of the Beast who Kelsey Grammer plays in the post-credits scene of The Marvels, and possibly the X-Men slated to show up in Avengers: Doomsday. Storm, as voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith, appeared in a season three episode of What If…, and that series’ overseer the Watcher appears just before the destruction of Genosha in the X-Men ’97 episode “Remember It.”

Taken together, it appears that Kang has returned to the MCU, just in a very different form.

He Who Remains

Even though he seems to serve a relatively minor role in the grand scheme of X-Men ’97‘s second season, Kang the Conquerer deserves a second chance after the Majors debacle. Kang is one of the Avengers’ most compelling foes. Mind-boggling as his backstory (or frontstory, when talking about his futures selves? side story when talking about variants?) might be, Kang presents a unique threat that leads to compelling stories.

Perhaps X-Men ’97 is the first steps on a path to bring Kang the Conqueror back to the MCU, even if it’s in a different form and, yes, with a different name.

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

X-Men ’97 Season 2 Episode 4 Review: Fit to Survive

This article contains spoilers for X-Men ’97 season 2 episode 4.

When Magneto first appeared in 1963’s Uncanny X-Men #1, he had one goal, which he declared in Stan Lee’s typically melodramatic dialogue: “To make homo sapiens bow to homo superior!” Throughout the Silver Age, Magneto pursued that goal like any other self-aggrandizing baddie of the era. But when writer Chris Claremont started his transformational 17-year run in 1974, he reimagined Magneto into a more complex person, capable of kindness and empathy as much as he is acts of violence.

That’s a lot harder to do with Apocalypse, the centuries-old first mutant who lives his whole life according to a survival of the fittest ethos. Even when receiving amnesty and joining the leadership of Krakoa in recent years, Apocalypse had the task of beating the ever-loving life out of depowered mutants, so that they could be resurrected with their powers intact. How do you make someone so alien, so single-minded and strange, relatable? That’s the task that X-Men ’97 attempts with its fourth episode, the conclusion of the two-parter, “Rise of Apocalypse Part II,” a task that it achieves with remarkable nuance for a 30-minute cartoon.

On a plot level, “Rise of Apocalypse Part II” continues the previous episode’s plot, focusing on Xavier, Magneto, and the other X-Men in Ancient Egypt. As we recently learned, Mother Askani pulled half the team into the distant past in hopes of preventing En Sabah Nur from ever becoming Apocalypse. Complicating matters is the presence of Rama-Tut, a warlord from the future who has come to conquer the past (before eventually becoming Avengers villain Kang the Conquerer, as seen here). Magneto and Xavier have been trying to En Sabah Nur a better way to use his powers, albeit each through his own conflicting perspective. With the death of his mentor Baal, En Sabah Nur arrives at the breaking point.

It’s no spoiler to say that En Sabah Nur rejects the entreaties of Magneto and Xavier and becomes Apocalypse. Nor is it much of a spoiler to say that he does so by embracing technology brought to him the Celestials, the godlike aliens who the general public knows from MCU entries Guardians of the Galaxy, Eternals, and Captain America: Brave New World. Other episodes from this season have showed us Apocalypse’s reign in the future, and his appearances on the original X-Men: The Animated Series were a highlight.

Yet, “Rise of Apocalypse Part II” works because of the tension it builds between the three central characters, all of whom possess great power and all of whom know that they can shape the world. The debates between them, both verbal and in the form of action set pieces, examine the central question driving every superhero story: who should have power and what should they do with it?

The action set-pieces are, of course, brilliant. X-Men ’97 continues to use its anime influences and Disney budget well, allowing a sequence of Magneto preventing the sentient Ship from destroying a nation feel appropriately epic. They have a fluidity and urgency that couldn’t be achieved on the comic book page, fully justifying the adaptation, even if the plots themselves draw directly from the comics.

Likewise, the series retains all the heightened language of Silver Age comics. Xavier, Magneto, and Apocalypse don’t have conversations like normal humans, nor do they even debate like philosophers at an academic conference. Instead, they shout mottos at one another, declarations that no regular person would ever say, because, of course, they aren’t regular people. Apocalypse’s speech from the original series, “I am the eternal shore; crash against me and be broken!” gets repurposed into both a visual metaphor and a statement of purpose, one that clashes with Xavier’s dream of coexistence and Magneto’s desire for domination. The heightened stakes of superheroes battling for control over history call for heightened language.

A lesser show would crumble under those stakes, which is why most series wouldn’t even attempt it. Part of the joy of X-Men ’97‘s first season came from the way it unabashedly showed the endless hatred that the ruling classes have for minorities, mirroring our real-world in vibrant, four-color fashion. The first episodes of the season seemed to lack that relevancy, but they’re back here in episode 4. Apocalypse’s belief that security comes through the rule of the strongest can be found on certain television news networks and YouTube channels, in language that isn’t so different from the supervillains here.

That relevance might be the most impressive part about “Rise of Apocalypse Part II.” As much as it shows us why Magneto wants to conquer the world, and shows us how a human being might embrace a “Survival of the Fittest” ethic, it also reminds us that only bad guys think that way, that only a villain would choose violence over kindness.

X-Tra Thoughts

  • Although I acknowledged Gates McFadden voicing Mother Askani in the first batch of episodes, I neglected to praise her Star Trek: The Next Generation co-star John de Lancie’s work as Rama-Tut here. Yes, he’s once again playing a capricious trickster with seemingly endless power, but can you name anyone who does it better?
  • I really love how cleanly drawn all the side characters are. Beast hasn’t had much to do in these first few episodes, but he makes his moments count. Shouting “Oh my heavens!” when he figures out that the temple is Ship was enough to tide us over until his next big scene.
  • Conversely, I’d be glad if Rogue sits in the background for this season. She got a lot of screen time in season 1, and with good reason. But giving her space to mourn Gambit would also let the show pay attention to some of the other characters and give us a chance to miss her.
  • Professor Xavier sure is a jerk in those last moments, huh? Yeah, he’s mad because Apocalypse just killed the love of his life, but even then, supporting infanticide? It’s almost like there’s an evil voice in his head… maybe fallout from his decision to strip the evil out of Magneto last season? Maybe something that could lead to an Onslaught?

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

Children of Blood and Bone Controversy Reveals the Perils of Adaptation

A major movie adaptation of a buzzy YA book series is set to arrive in theaters on January 15, 2027 but it will do so without the enthusiastic participation of its author. 

Tomi Adeyemi published Children of Blood and Bone, the first book in her “Legacy of Orïsha” series, in March 2018 and it quickly became a canon #BookTok fantasy favorite. The novel follows heroine Zélie Adebola as she lives under a corrupt monarchy that kills her mother and destroys the presence of magic in Orïsha. Zélie works to restore magic back to her kingdom and rebel against the oppressive monarchy.

The novel has all the makings for a fantasy sleeper hit, with its loyal fandom, unique magic system, and celebration of Black culture. The film – directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and starring Thuso Mbedu (Mufasa), Amandla Stenberg (The Hate You Give) Cynthia Erivo (Wicked), Viola Davis (The Woman King), Damson Idris (Masters Of The Universe), and Regina King (Shirley) – has the potential to expand the fandom and further the Legacy of Orïsha franchise.

But when the cast and crew of the film adaptation showed sneak peeks at CinemaCon back in April, the previously-involved Adeyemi was noticeably absent, according to Deadline. Then, on July 4, Adeyemi took to TikTok to clarify why she no longer promotes the project on her social pages. In the video she provided screenshots of texts from her instagram channel stating, “There is a reason I will not post anything about the adaptation of my book” along with “I have not seen the film, and I will not watch it.” She also shared a text message she sent to Stenberg [set to play Princess Amari], “Do not ever use my name in an interview or a video ever again. Do not text me. Do not call me.” 

The screenshot shows that Adeyemi had blocked Sternberg after sending this message back in February 2025. Around that time Stenberg posted a TikTok video addressing the colorism allegations over her casting in the movie. Stenberg discusses going to dinner with Adeyemi and claims that Adeyemi took inspiration behind the racist backlash Stenberg received for her role as Rue in The Hunger Games for this book series. Stenberg deleted this post from her TikTok page. 

The specific details that influenced Adeyemi’s full departure from the project are unknown but is possibly a dispute over her involvement in the film’s script. The Hollywood Reporter previously reported on her win in the fight to write the screenplay amid the film’s shift from Lucasfilm to Paramount back in 2022, a shift Adeyemi heavily advocated for after Lucasfilm continually denied her request to write the script. When signing with Paramount, her writing the screenplay was reportedly a nonnegotiable term. Adeyemi posted multiple TikToks in March and April of 2025 sharing sneak peeks into her “life as a writer whose books are being turned into movies” seeming to be heavily involved and excited for the film. This makes her departure from the film unexpected for fans. Decisions must have been made between 2025 and now that made Adeyemi unhappy with the outcome of this film. 

Today, Adeyemi posted another TikTok following stating that “Everything that has been occurring has been occurring behind the scenes since I was 24 years old. Young gifted child + Hollywood + massive capital interests = tragedy always. Add dark skin + natural hair and you have even more people who will do whatever they can to destroy you.” 

The struggles of book to movie adaptations are not unique to Adeyemi, and many authors have historically been left unhappy or excluded from the production of their book’s take on film. When asked in 2004 if the 2003 adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time met her expectations, author Madeleine L’Engle  replied, “Oh, yes. I expected it to be bad, and it is.” 

Stephen King, an author who is no stranger to book adaptations, famously disowns The Shining despite it being a fan favorite. King had written a screenplay of The Shining but told The Paris Review  “I doubt [Stanley] Kubrick ever read it before making his film.”

The processes of writing a book and producing a film are vastly different, sometimes making it hard for film producers and authors to completely mesh in these projects. The editing of a screenplay is also often more collaborative than a novel. The original script is edited heavily by multiple different aspects of the filming process like improv scene cuts, and the stakeholders involved are motivated by the film’s financial success, making the decisions making processes more of a group task rather than individual. Perhaps Adeyemi’s original screenplay was edited to an extent that she no longer recognized it as her own work, leading to her decision to remove herself from the promotion of the film and the people involved in the project. 

Adeyemi clarified in her TikTok comments, “I do not mind anyone going to watch the film. I wrote this for us. I fought for us. I’m just laying down my sword and officially separating my name because I can’t keep being hurt and attacked behind the scenes.” 

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass Review: Good Wholesome Hollywood Filth

Los Angeles lives at a weird intersection in the American psyche. Located somewhere near the second star to the right and straight on till Gomorrah, it’s a fantasy land that’s birthed more than a century of our greatest dreams, as well as most shameless thirst traps. It’s R-rated Oz full of sunshiny citadels, friendly folks of good cheer, and idols of relentless sex appeal. It is, in other words, ridiculous nonsense.

So leave it to writers David Wain and Ken Marino, the maximalist absurdists who between them gave the world Childrens Hospital, They Came Together, and Wet Hot American Summer, the latter two of which Wain directed, to pinpoint the epicenter of this contradiction in Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass. Like the title suggests, the movie is going to have its way with the quirk of fame-worship that causes some couples to create “sex passes” where cheating is theoretically condoned, provided it’s consummated with your greatest celebrity crush.

Take Zoey Deutch’s wholesome and chipper Gail Daughtry (emphasis on writing both names together, always). She has one such pass based on her adolescent crush on Jon Hamm. Presumably it came from binging Mad Men a few too many times in adolescence. But the teenage dream must become a reality when she discovers her doofus fiancé, Tom Soursap McNoodleman (Michael Cassidy), actually was able to sleep with his last-minute celebrity crush when she comes to their small, podunk Kansas town on a book tour (no spoilers as to who that celebrity is).

In the aftermath of this betrayal, plucky Gail Daughtry™ tags along with her sassy BFF Otto (Miles Gutierrez-Riley) to the City of Angels. They’re technically here because Otto is supposed to attend a hairdresser convention, but the only strands getting cut are the obstacles in Gail Daughtry’s way to save her impending marriage by getting hot and heavy with Mr. Don Draper… who yes, does appear in the film while playing an aloof and silver-foxed variation of himself.

The pretext of Gail Daughtry is the obvious silliness of the “celebrity sex pass” concept, but the actual joy of the movie comes from unadulterated silliness, full-stop. Like Wet Hot American Summer mocking teenage sex comedies of yore by casting a lot of late 20s and thirtysomethings as camp counselors in 2001—making their encore prequel series shot more than a decade later even more delicious—Gail Daughtry is flush with self-awareness and mirthful absurdity. It’s a movie that begins with Gail Daughtry’s mailman (and stalker?) staring directly into the camera to explain why she is his favorite person in their two-horse town. And like another Kansan who found herself in a magical land, Gail Daughtry’s adventure eagerly becomes about a young woman and her sidekick meeting a collection of enthusiastic helpers and tag-alongs who can think of nothing better to do than aiding in Gail Daughtry’s need to do the deed with the Wizard of Sterling Cooper.

There’s Caleb (Ben Wang), the young and hungry administrative assistant at real-life talent agency CAA. He is only too happy to risk his career and open the company’s files to find Hamm’s local abode; there is also Vincent (Marino), a former paparazzo photographer whose career faded to ashes when he failed to land a photo of AMC’s biggest star 15 years ago; and then of course remains none other than Mad Men co-star John Slattery, brilliantly playing a version of himself as a craven hanger-on who has lost all sense of confidence and identity after Hamm ghosted him by refusing to answer Slattery’s roughly 5,000 texts in the last decade.

If it wasn’t obvious from Gail Daughtry and Otto’s names being virtual anagrams for Dorothy Gale and Toto, this is a literal Tinseltown reworking of The Wizard of Oz, complete with Slattery as the Cowardly Lion. It’s also a love letter to, if not the real-life LA, then that shallow, merrily lascivious version daydreamed by so many tourists fresh off the bus. In fact, Gail and Otto’s own veritable fairy godmother is a concierge at a Hollywood Hills hotel who is thrilled to recommend these yokels to some of the finest local cuisine in the neighborhood (McDonald’s), an authentic artisanal coffee shop (Starbucks), and a back alley where happy endings and dreams really do come true (a crackhead who will do anything for $5 a pop). Ms. Daughtry and Otto cheerfully partake in each of these recommendations during a sprightly montage sequence.

It’s all balanced precariously on the edge between indulgent farce and twee camp, but it never really falls too far in either direction thanks in large part to winsome cast, most especially Deutch. As an actress with oodles of charisma and a game fearlessness when it comes to risking the appearance of inanity, Deutch pours just enough rainbow optimism into the center of the movie to blind out the occasional jokes that don’t work. As with any other mile-a-minute comedy, there are more than a few gags that come and go with nary a chortle, but there are about two bits to every one that hit right in the belly.

Gail Daughtry and Celebrity Sex Pass is slight, frivolous, and more often than not wickedly funny with its navel-gazing mockery of the entertainment industry, inside baseball winks and nods that will play like gangbusters in New York and LA, and its endless parade of actual celebrity cameos and friends whom Wain has cracked open the rolodex of favors for. Look out for his Wanderlust muse Jennifer Aniston in one scene, and Wet Hot American Summer alums Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks in others. There is finally that appropriately enigmatic Jon Hamm as the inevitable straight man rock upon whose shores Gail Daughtry and her tidal wave of insanity and sidekicks must eventually crash. 

That’s Hollywood hokum at its finest, and fairy dust that will give you a case of the giggles.

Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass premiered at Tribeca on June 10 and opens nationwide on July 10.

TV Premiere Dates: 2026 Calendar

Wondering when your favorite shows are coming back and what new series you can look forward to? We’ve got you covered with the Den of Geek 2026 TV Premiere Dates Calendar, where we keep track of TV series premiere dates, return dates, and more for the year and beyond. 

We’ll continue to update this page weekly as networks and streamers announce dates. A lot of these shows we’ll be watching or covering, so be sure to follow along with us! 

Please note that all times are ET. 

Note: These are U.S. releases. For upcoming British releases, head on over here.

DATESHOWNETWORK
Tuesday, July 7Better Late Than SingleNetflix
Wednesday, July 8I’m Not AfraidNetflix
Wednesday, July 8Thunder 3Netflix
Wednesday, July 8Salcedo, Leather, and BoogalooNetflix
Wednesday, July 8Trying Season 5Apple TV
Thursday, July 9Little House on the Prairie Season 1Netflix
Thursday, July 9The Man Will Burn (9:00 p.m.)HBO
Thursday, July 9The Five Star WeekendPeacock
Saturday, July 11The Apartment JobNetflix
Sunday, July 12Live Is Blind UK: After the AltarNetflix
Sunday, July 12The Westies (9:00 p.m.)MGM+
Monday, July 13Hot Ones: Extra HeatNetflix
Monday, July 13Rabbit HoleHulu | Disney+
Tuesday, July 14Quarterback Season 3Netflix
Wednesday, July 15The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On Season 4Netflix
Wednesday, July 15Ride or DiePrime Video
Wednesday, July 15LuckyApple TV
Thursday, July 16The HawkNetflix
Friday, July 17The East PalaceNetflix
Friday, July 17The Map of LongingNetflix
Saturday, July 18Spooky in LoveNetflix
Monday, July 20King of the Hill Season 15Hulu
Wednesday, July 22Elite ForceNetflix
Thursday, July 23Kaulitz & Kaulitz Season Season 3Netflix
Thursday, July 23Ransom Canyon Season 2Netflix
Thursday, July 23Stuart Fails to Save the Universe (9:00 p.m.)HBO Max
Sunday, July 26President Curtis (11:30 p.m.)Adult Swim
Sunday, July 26The Walking Dead: Dead City Season 3 AMC
Monday, July 27FuriousHulu
Wednesday, July 29Final ProjectNetflix
Wednesday, July 29WrathNetflix
Wednesday, July 29Diarra from DetroitParamount+
Thursday, July 30The Bombing of Pan Am 103: Limited SeriesNetflix
Sunday, August 2Lioness Season 3Paramount+
Monday, August 3Futurama Season 14Hulu
Wednesday, August 5Ted Lasso Season 4Apple TV
Wednesday, August 5The Shards (9:00 p.m.)FX | Hulu
Friday, August 7Alley CatsNetflix
Sunday, August 9The Chosen in the Wild with Bear GryllsPrime Video
Wednesday, August 12Reacher Season 4Prime Video
Thursday, August 13Tires Season 3Netflix
Sunday, August 16LanternsHBO Max
Thursday, August 20Outer Banks Season 5Netflix
Wednesday, August 26One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part TwoNetflix
Tuesday, September 8The Drop: A Snowfall Saga (9:00 p.m.)FX
Wednesday, September 9Last SeenApple TV
Wednesday, September 9The Paper Season 2Peacock
Wednesday, September 16NeagleyPrime Video
Wednesday, September 16Slow Horses Season 6Apple TV
Wednesday, September 16South Park Season 29 (10:00 p.m.)Comedy Central
Thursday, September 24A Different WorldNetflix
Thursday, October 15Crystal LakePeacock
Wednesday, October 21The Terminal List Season 2Prime Video
Friday, October 23Lupin Part 4Netflix
Wednesday, November 11The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of PowerPrime Video
Thursday, November 12The Good DaughterPeacock
Friday, December 25Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s StoneHBO Max

If we’ve forgotten a show, feel free to drop a reminder in the comment section below!

Want to know what big movies are coming out in 2026? We’ve got you covered here.

Avatar Aang Trailer Only Makes Paramount’s Theatrical Dodge Even More Frustrating

The Last Airbender has returned… just not in the way you wanted. For those who did not watch the full movie that recently leaked online, the trailer for Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender was fan’s first chance to catch up on Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Zuko, several years after the end of the hit series Avatar: The Last Airbender (but before the sequel series, The Legend of Korra).

The trailer looks gorgeous, filled with character moments and dazzling action. It sees the core characters, now young adults, finding Tagah, a frozen Airbender voiced by Dave Bautista. Tagah offers Aangs the possibility of reviving his lost culture—provided they can recover a hidden relic before a group known as the Denied can locate it. It’s a perfect plot for a feature adaptation of a beloved television series. But it will have to stay on television, because Paramount once again prioritizes its flagging streaming service over the theatrical experience.

At first glance, Paramount has been a consistent presence in movie theaters. Just last year alone, the studio put everything from small genre films such as Heart Eyes and Friendship in theaters, alongside bigger plays, such as Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning and The Running Man. But the studio continues to push Paramount+, trying to grow the streaming platform beyond its myriad Yellowstone and Star Trek offerings. Movies such as Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, Dear Santa, Apartment 7A, and Vicious skipped theaters altogether.

One might understand why those movies would get the streaming treatment. A holiday kid’s movie and a couple of mid-tier horror flicks seem like the sort of thing that Netflix and HBO Max use to fill out their libraries. But as the runaway success of Backrooms and Obsession has demonstrated, there’s a hunger to watch small-scale horror movies in theaters, especially when made by filmmakers as talented as Apartment 7A‘s Natalie Erika James and Vicious‘s Bryan Bertino.

Despite that fact, Paramount clearly sees streaming as a place for films that don’t have an audience, given that it still puts low-prestige flicks with strong fan support into theaters, such as the recent Scary Movie reboot, Jackass: Best and Last, and the upcoming Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie. By sending Avatar Aang straight to streaming, Paramount signals to its longtime fans that they aren’t as important, that the beauty and artistry of the story doesn’t matter if the film can’t guarantee a certain box office return.

The decision is annoying for Avatar fans. It’s downright horrifying for lovers of cinema. Paramount, of course, has purchased Warner Bros., combining two of the oldest and most respected studios in all of Hollywood, two of the studios that helped make movie theaters into a cornerstone of our culture. Amidst fears of monopolies and another media hub being owned by openly-right-wing billionaires, our one silver lining was the fact that Paramount at least understood theaters, unlike its competition in the Warner Bros. bidding war, Netflix. Yet, if Paramount treats a franchise as beloved as Avatar like streaming fodder, then it clearly doesn’t think theaters are all that important.

Judging by the trailer, Avatar Aang will be an incredible visual experience. But maybe its story will also offer hope that, even after those in power make horrible decisions that destroy the culture, something can be eventually recovered.

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender streams on Paramount+ on October 9, 2026.

The Walking Dead’s Most Essential Negan Episodes

As The Walking Dead: Dead City continues its story with a third season on AMC, we’re bringing you a comprehensive guide to the most essential Negan Smith episodes.

Looking back on Negan’s Walking Dead journey to date, the reformed villain has been the focus of some incredible franchise installments, from his introduction as the baseball bat-wielding leader of the Saviors to his current position at Maggie Greene’s side, as the pair navigate their ongoing survival in an apocalyptic New York and beyond.

Over the years, Negan has earned his place as one of The Walking Dead’s most enduring and compelling characters. Let’s rewind and remember how he became one of the main protagonists in a new era of the beloved franchise.

“The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be” 

Season 7 Episode 1

Although Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) already made his first appearance in The Walking Dead’s season 6 finale, he finishes his deadly game of “Eeny… meeny… miny… moe” in the season 7 premiere, “The Day Will Come When You Won’t Be.” This is where we see how far Negan is willing to go to make a point, and how much violence he is ready to dish out. Having already killed Glenn and Abraham, Negan isn’t satisfied that Rick is scared enough of him and seeks to utterly break Rick so he will succumb to him completely.

“You answer to me, you provide for me, you belong to me, right?” he asks Rick after almost forcing him to cut off his own son’s arm. When Rick agrees, most of the group are finally allowed to depart, but Glenn’s wife Maggie will never be the same again. The act of killing Glenn will kick-start one of the show’s longest beefs between Negan and Maggie and also one of its longest redemption arcs, as character after character has to ask themselves whether Negan can ever possibly be forgiven for his reign of terror.

“The Big Scary U”

Season 8 Episode 5

“The Big Scary U” is the first episode to try to humanize Negan rather than portray him as a more one-dimensional villain. The installment starts with Negan dismissing a plan from his Savior subordinates that would see many of Hilltop’s denizens attacked and killed, telling them that “people are a resource” and that he intends to be more selective and strike at people whose deaths would have the most impact on the group’s morale.

However, when Rick’s group attacks the Sanctuary, Negan’s plans go awry and he gets trapped in a trailer with Gabriel, whom he ends up connecting with. He also reveals a key part of his background: he cheated on his wife when she was sick and couldn’t directly kill her after she got bitten. The show will later unveil the finer details of this era in Negan’s past, but in “The Big Scary U,” we begin to understand that Negan has a genuine philosophy (albeit a twisted one): fear creates order. He isn’t just getting off on the pleasure of eliminating anyone who gets in his way; in his mind, he is trying to prevent further bloodshed by using pointed executions that put people in line.

“Wrath” 

Season 8 Episode 16

The season 8 finale of The Walking Dead sees Rick’s army head into what they hope will be a final battle with Negan’s Saviors. Rick and Negan end up going toe-to-toe, with Negan seemingly gaining the upper hand and taunting Rick about his parenting. Even as Negan seems to delight in the opportunity to finally take out his enemy, Rick asks Negan to imagine Carl’s vision for a future where the cycle of revenge finally ends, exploiting his fatherly feelings for Carl and slashing Negan’s neck while he pauses, unsure and gripped by grief for a brief moment.

The slash isn’t enough to kill Negan, and he is saved. Rick suggests that mercy should triumph over wrath, but he demands that everyone stop following Negan’s lead, and he imprisons Negan as a reminder that change is possible. Negan and Maggie definitely aren’t fans of Rick’s decision, but this episode starts Negan on a real path to redemption. It does not quell Maggie’s desire to kill him herself, however.

“Adaptation”

Season 9 Episode 9

In this season 9 episode, Negan quickly takes advantage of the trust that Rick’s young daughter, Judith, has begun to place in him by escaping from Alexandria and heading back to the Sanctuary, where little remains of his dominance. Sensing that his time as a leader and his relevance in general have dissipated, he eventually returns, telling Judith there’s nothing out there for him anymore.

It’s an important step for the character. He no longer feels trapped by circumstance and realizes that he is heading toward an unknown future. The world has simply moved on without him, and the old Negan is firmly in the past. By the end of the episode, he has confronted the truth of his current position and returns to Alexandria, willing to work for any trust the people he’s hurt place in him, rather than exploit it for his own gain.

“Here’s Negan”

Season 10 Episode 22

The Walking Dead’s season 10 finale offers us a long glimpse at the man Negan was before he became a villain. It’s largely considered the best episode about the complex character, and for good reason: by exploring how the tragedy of his wife’s death affected and hardened him, we can see that he is capable of change and that there was once a man inside him who would do anything for love.

After Negan is banished from Alexandria, he is told, point-blank, that Maggie will never forgive him for Glenn’s death. He reflects on his life before the fall as an unemployed, entitled man, and also on his marriage to his faithful wife, Lucille. He betrayed her trust by cheating on her with her best friend at a time when she was being diagnosed with cancer. Though Negan swears he will redeem himself with Lucille, risking everything to keep her chemotherapy going, he ultimately fails.

The circumstances of his marriage and his wife’s tragic suicide plague him in the present, and he returns to Alexandria despite being warned away, understanding that Maggie may kill him and that might be what he deserves. In a way, Negan has given Maggie an open opportunity to be an avatar of his destruction, leaving his fate in her hands just as his wife’s fate was in his. Negan has truly surrendered.

“Walk With Us” 

Season 10 Episode 12

“Walk With Us” marks the start of Negan’s real transition to a potential hero from just a struggling former villain. As Hilltop is overwhelmed by hoards of walkers that the villainous Whisperers have guided to them, Negan uses his influence and connection with their leader, Alpha, to turn the tide in favor of his old foes, slitting Alpha’s throat and bringing her decapitated head to Carol.

The episode uses the audience’s uncertainty about where Negan’s loyalties will ultimately lie after he captures Alpha’s daughter and uses her as a pawn. Negan’s Achilles’ heel has always been his care for children. He was a teacher before the apocalypse and has continued to look out for the likes of Carl and Judith, even when they’ve technically been his enemies. Alpha’s determination to kill her own daughter is simply the last straw in his mind.

A key episode in Negan’s journey, “Walk With Us” is where many of our heroes start to realize that having Negan on their side is a lot better than fighting him, and that there are some lines that he won’t cross.

“Rest in Peace” 

Season 11 Episode 24

The mainline series closes out with Negan leaving our ragtag band of heroes as they celebrate their final victory of the show. Here, he earnestly apologizes to Maggie for killing Glenn, but although Maggie acknowledges Negan’s positive and heroic actions in the years since his crimes against her family, she can’t look at him without reliving the horrors of that day.

After hearing this, Negan accepts that he must leave the group so Maggie can find peace. He departs as Daryl gives him a nod of respect. Negan has earned their trust, and while he will never be forgiven or excused for his past actions, he has fought at their side and become a changed man, much more selfless and willing to adapt for the greater good.

“People Are a Resource” 

Dead City Season 1 Episode 3

“Talk is cheap anyway, kid. Believe me, I oughta know. It doesn’t matter what people say. It only matters what they do,” Negan tells his young companion Ginny during one of the many flashbacks in “People Are a Resource,” though he might as well be talking to himself as he recommits to being one of the good guys.

Maggie and Negan try to navigate their complex history and work together in this third episode of The Walking Dead spinoff series Dead City, and she also learns that Negan had a new family and sent them away in the hope that they’d be safer without him.

He was potentially quite right to do so, as his reputation as a violent leader continues to haunt him. Negan may have evolved past viewing people as having worth beyond what they can provide as “a resource,” but his old ways still seek to drag him back into the darkness, and it becomes clear that the battle to redeem himself is far from over, especially in Maggie’s eyes.

“Doma Smo” 

Dead City Season 1 Episode 6

Ginny doesn’t want to leave Negan in the season 1 finale of Dead City, so Negan tells her some harsh truths to rebuff her, admitting he killed her father. As Ginny finally departs, Negan is devastated about hurting her so badly, which Maggie notices as the two go to rescue Hershel, Maggie’s son. Once again, it’s obvious that Negan’s instinctive care for children and his desire to protect them make him much more vulnerable than Maggie had imagined, and she feels confident ushering him into a deadly trap in which she trades his life for Hershel’s.

Negan suggests that he expected her betrayal. “The fact is, Maggie, it doesn’t matter what excuses I give you, or how many apologies I offer, you can’t get over it. And you shouldn’t,” he says. But after an argument with Hershel, Maggie realizes that her obsession with Negan has damaged her relationship with her son, and she starts a new chapter in her life.

While this is an important part of Maggie’s journey in The Walking Dead franchise, her trade with the violent Burazi group also forces Negan to confront the reputation he once created for himself as a violent leader, as the group looks to get him back on that diabolical track.

New Netflix Data Suggests the Streamer Has a Season 2 Problem

Many of us have been disappointed when Netflix decided not to renew one of our favorite new TV shows for a second season. 1899, Archive 81, Kaos, and I Am Not Okay with This were all “one and done” for the streamer despite plenty of story left to tell, and just last month, popular sci-fi series The Boroughs was added to the list. But even some of the shows that have been lucky enough to be granted second seasons seem to be an issue for Netflix at the moment.

A new Bloomberg report digs into a persistent Netflix trend that probably won’t give the streaming service any reason to celebrate: while it might have hoped viewership would grow with fresh seasons of its hit shows, that hasn’t been the case recently. Data from the streamer reveals that One Piece season 2 dropped more than 30% of its season 1 audience. A second serving of Beef lost 70%, and The Night Agent hasn’t fared well either. Season 2 of that thriller series lost 50% of its viewers, and season 3 took another 35% hit, while Avatar: The Last Airbender reportedly lost 60% of season 1 viewers in the first week of season 2’s release. Running Point and The Four Seasons also halved their audiences with season 2.

With only a general look at how some second seasons have fared in the first four weeks of release and without more detailed viewing figures from Netflix (which it typically doesn’t share), we can only speculate about why it’s experiencing a season 2 slump. Was the popularity of a first season down to audiences “trying out” a new show, only to fall off after a few episodes and never return? Was the gap between seasons too long? Did they find something better to watch, and perhaps just add season 2 to their list for the future? Was the ending of season 1 exciting enough to keep viewers interested until season 2? Had the second season been well received or decently marketed? All questions that the people behind the scenes at Netflix will probably ask themselves and each other at some point.

It’s possible that if the season 2 trend continues, Netflix might invest in more limited series. Bloomberg’s report notes that the Jon Bernthal-starring thriller His & Hers was a breakout hit for the streamer, as was Harlan Coben’s latest limited-series mystery, I Will Find You. In the past, Mike Flanagan provided the streamer with a string of intriguing limited series in the horror genre, such as Midnight Mass and The Haunting of Hill House, before hopping into a shiny new deal with Amazon MGM Studios. The Duffer Brothers also delivered a quick, limited-series hit for Netflix with Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen before they drifted into Paramount’s arms. And we all know how big Adolescence was.

So let’s turn it over to you as a viewer. What was the last Netflix series that you were hyped for a second season of? And what was the last series you decided to quit after season 1? Tell us in the comments!

14 Actors Who Somehow Ended Up in Every Franchise

A franchise often follows a strict timeline, meaning that actors can come back and play the same character even if said character isn’t a main one. It’s a way to give continuity to a world, so if you’ve seen every movie in the series, you’ll get more out of it.

Some faces in a franchise are iconic, like Robert Downey Jr. and his portrayal of Iron Man. Other famed actors tend to pop up more than you’d expect, ending up in so many things they seem to want to be part of everything. These are the performers that keep popping up in cinema.

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Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Shaft, Kingsman, The Incredibles, and the Unbreakable trilogy. Few actors can match his blockbuster franchise résumé.

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Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford became an icon through Star Wars and Indiana Jones, later joining Blade Runner, The Expendables, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s been a fixture of blockbuster franchises for nearly five decades.

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Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña has played major roles in Avatar, Star Trek, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Pirates of the Caribbean. She’s helped launch or expand several of the highest-grossing franchises in cinema history.

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Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis became legendary through The Lord of the Rings, Planet of the Apes, Star Wars, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His motion-capture performances helped redefine blockbuster filmmaking.

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Idris Elba

Idris Elba has appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek, Fast & Furious, and even Sonic the Hedgehog. Whether live action or voice acting, he seems to appear everywhere.

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Christopher Lee

Christopher Lee’s remarkable career included Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and James Bond. Few actors successfully bridged so many beloved franchises across multiple generations.

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Hugo Weaving

Hugo Weaving has left his mark on The Matrix, The Lord of the Rings, Transformers, and Marvel through Red Skull. His commanding voice and presence make him a natural franchise favorite.

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Karen Gillan

Karen Gillan has become a familiar face through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Jumanji, and Doctor Who. She has quietly assembled one of Hollywood’s strongest modern franchise careers.

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Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac has appeared in Star Wars, Dune, Marvel’s Moon Knight, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and X-Men. He regularly moves between some of the industry’s biggest genre properties.

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Ming-Na Wen

Ming-Na Wen has earned the nickname “Queen of Franchises” thanks to roles in Star Wars, Marvel, Mulan, and The Karate Kid. Her career spans animation, superheroes, and science fiction alike.

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Benedict Cumberbatch

Benedict Cumberbatch has starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Trek, The Hobbit, and voiced characters in major animated franchises. He has become one of modern Hollywood’s most dependable blockbuster actors.

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Michelle Yeoh

Michelle Yeoh has appeared in Star Trek, James Bond, Kung Fu Panda, Transformers, and Avatar. Her versatility has allowed her to move effortlessly between action, science fiction, animation, and fantasy franchises.

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Keanu Reeves

Keanu Reeves has anchored The Matrix, John Wick, and Bill & Ted, while also appearing in Toy Story and the wider Sonic the Hedgehog film universe through Shadow the Hedgehog. Few stars have led so many enduring franchises.

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Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett has appeared in The Lord of the Rings, Marvel, and Indiana Jones. Her ability to move between prestige dramas and massive franchises has kept her in constant demand.

15 Celebrities Who Became Unexpected Nerd Icons

Just appearing in nerd media doesn’t make a celebrity a nerd icon. Their performances are appreciated and celebrated, sure, but an icon represents a community and shares their interests earnestly. We nerds tend to be more on the introverted side, so seeing extroverts like actors be into what we like is always a nice surprise.

However, these icons don’t just enjoy our hobbies, they make them part of their everyday lives. As much as they stay visually and physically fit for their roles, they also enjoy spending afternoons gaming and having their own D&D groups, becoming unexpected icons of the fandom.

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Henry Cavill

Henry Cavill became a nerd icon through his genuine love of PC gaming, Warhammer 40,000, and The Witcher. He famously nearly missed the call offering him Superman because he was playing World of Warcraft.

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Vin Diesel

Long before geek culture became mainstream, Vin Diesel openly embraced Dungeons & Dragons. He has played for decades, wrote the foreword to a D&D anniversary book, and even based aspects of The Last Witch Hunter on one of his campaigns.

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Robin Williams

Robin Williams was an enthusiastic gamer who loved video games, tabletop gaming, and fantasy. His admiration for The Legend of Zelda was so great that he named his daughter Zelda, cementing his status among gaming fans.

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Joe Manganiello

Joe Manganiello became one of Hollywood’s biggest ambassadors for Dungeons & Dragons. He has hosted celebrity campaigns for years, collected rare memorabilia, and frequently speaks about the game’s influence on his life.

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Stephen Colbert

Long before hosting late-night television, Stephen Colbert developed an encyclopedic knowledge of Tolkien’s works. His passion for Middle-earth has repeatedly impressed authors, filmmakers, and even lifelong fans of The Lord of the Rings.

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Megan Fox

Despite her glamorous public image, Megan Fox has openly discussed her love of comic books, anime, fantasy, and video games. Her enthusiasm for geek culture surprised many fans and helped reshape perceptions of celebrity fandom.

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Felicia Day

Felicia Day built an entire career around celebrating geek culture. Through The Guild, gaming communities, streaming, and tabletop role-playing, she became one of the most recognizable faces associated with modern nerd entertainment.

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Terry Crews

Terry Crews surprised fans by openly discussing his lifelong passion for video games. His energetic enthusiasm for franchises like World of Warcraft and his willingness to embrace gaming culture earned widespread admiration among players.

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Brie Larson

Brie Larson’s genuine enthusiasm for Nintendo games, Animal Crossing, and streaming gameplay helped her connect with gaming communities. Rather than treating gaming as a publicity stunt, she has consistently shared it as a personal hobby.

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Deborah Ann Woll

Known for True Blood and Daredevil, Deborah Ann Woll has become a favorite among tabletop gamers. She regularly participates in streamed Dungeons & Dragons campaigns and is respected for both her storytelling and rules knowledge.

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Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis unexpectedly became a gaming icon after revealing she spent years playing World of Warcraft. Although she eventually quit, her candid stories about raiding and online friendships resonated with longtime MMO players.

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Wil Wheaton

Already beloved by Star Trek fans, Wil Wheaton expanded his influence through tabletop gaming. Hosting TableTop introduced countless viewers to modern board games and made him one of geek culture’s most recognizable personalities.

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Rahul Kohli

Rahul Kohli has embraced nerd culture through his outspoken love of Warhammer 40,000, Star Wars, comic books, and gaming. His humorous online interactions have made him especially popular among genre fans.

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Jack Black

Jack Black’s infectious enthusiasm for gaming, fantasy, and pop culture has made him a natural favorite among nerd audiences. He has created YouTube content and streamed the Minecraft game before his work on the movie, showing that his excitement has always felt completely genuine.

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Dolph Lundgren

Best known as an action star, Dolph Lundgren surprised many fans with his impressive academic background in chemical engineering. Combined with his interest in science and technology, he became an unlikely icon among intellectually minded movie fans.

15 Times Movies & Shows Pretended The Confederacy Was Ok

For decades, Hollywood and television often treated the Confederacy as little more than colorful historical scenery or a symbol of rebellious charm. Confederate uniforms, battle flags, and even former Confederate soldiers appeared as sympathetic or heroic figures with little acknowledgment of the institution of slavery that defined the Confederacy itself.

While many of these productions reflected the attitudes of their own eras, modern audiences often view them very differently. These movies and television shows largely present Confederate imagery or characters without meaningfully questioning what those symbols represented.

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Gone with the Wind

The 1939 classic romanticizes the antebellum South through Scarlett O’Hara’s perspective, portraying Confederate characters sympathetically while largely embracing the Lost Cause interpretation of the Civil War and minimizing slavery’s central role.

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The Dukes of Hazzard

The General Lee’s Confederate battle flag was presented as harmless Southern flavor rather than a controversial symbol. The series rarely addressed race or the historical meaning behind the imagery prominently displayed every week.

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The General

Buster Keaton’s silent comedy follows a devoted Confederate railroad engineer as its unquestioned hero. The Civil War serves mainly as an adventurous backdrop, with little interest in examining what the Confederacy was actually fighting to preserve.

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Song of the South

Disney’s controversial film presents an idyllic Reconstruction-era Southern setting while avoiding the realities of slavery and racial oppression. Its nostalgic portrayal has long been criticized for sanitizing the historical context surrounding the Confederacy.

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The Birth of a Nation (1915)

D.W. Griffith’s landmark film depicts the Confederacy sympathetically while portraying Reconstruction as disastrous. Its celebration of concepts that shouldn’t see the light of day has made it one of cinema’s most controversial works.

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The Outlaw Josey Wales

Clint Eastwood’s Confederate guerrilla is portrayed as a sympathetic antihero seeking peace after the war. Although the story condemns violence, it largely avoids confronting the Confederacy’s underlying cause.

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Shenandoah

James Stewart plays a Virginia farmer attempting to remain neutral during the Civil War. While emphasizing the tragedy of war, the film presents Confederate communities sympathetically and spends little time addressing slavery itself.

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The Gray Ghost

This 1957 television series follows Confederate cavalry officer John Singleton Mosby as a heroic protagonist. Produced during the height of the Lost Cause’s cultural influence, it presents him almost entirely as a noble patriot.

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The Littlest Rebel

Shirley Temple stars as the daughter of a Confederate officer during the Civil War. The film affectionately depicts the Confederate family while largely sidestepping the conflict’s deeper moral and political issues.

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The Undefeated

John Wayne and Rock Hudson play former Confederate and Union officers who eventually unite against common enemies. The film emphasizes mutual respect while largely treating the Confederacy as simply another side in the conflict.

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The Blue and the Gray

This 1982 television miniseries attempts to show both sides of the Civil War, but many Confederate characters are portrayed primarily as honorable soldiers, with relatively little emphasis on slavery’s role in the conflict.

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Gods and Generals

Focusing heavily on Confederate commanders such as Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, the film has been criticized for presenting an overwhelmingly sympathetic view of Confederate leadership and Lost Cause themes.

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The Sun Shines Bright

John Ford’s drama celebrates a small Kentucky community still deeply shaped by Confederate memory. Former Confederate veterans are portrayed warmly, with their wartime service treated more as noble heritage than political rebellion.

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Smokey and the Bandit

The film isn’t about the Civil War, yet Confederate imagery appears as a symbol of carefree Southern rebellion rather than its historical association with slavery. That treatment helped normalize the flag in popular culture.

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The Rebel

Nick Adams stars as a young Confederate soldier in this 1959 television western. The series presents his military service as an honorable backdrop for frontier adventures, rarely questioning the cause he originally fought for.