Marvel Studios has not yet introduced the MCU’s new X-Men lineup, but the internet has already started casting actors in capes and helmets. The latest mutant casting rumor places Adam Driver beneath Magneto’s familiar headgear for the highly anticipated Marvel films, and two pieces of fan art make a surprisingly convincing case for the Star Wars actor as the Master of Magnetism.

Popular fan art maestro BossLogic shared his interpretation on Instagram, noting that the casting was still only a rumor he “wanted to try out.” The artwork, which you can see below, gives Driver long silver hair, a dark red suit and a flowing purple cape, with Magneto’s helmet floating beside him as scraps of metal twist through the air.

The art is dramatic, moody and just close enough to Kylo Ren to make the comparison unavoidable. But, where exactly are these rumors coming from?

Where Did The Adam Driver As Magneto Rumor Come From?

The chatter began after scooper MyTimeToShineHello claimed Driver had been cast as the villain in Marvel’s X-Men reboot. The post did not name a character, but another online source, Apocalyptic Horseman, responded that the Marriage Story star would play Magneto. The report remains unconfirmed, and Marvel has not announced the Girls alum as part of the movie.

So this belongs in the rumor pile. Driver has been linked to Marvel roles before, including Reed Richards during the long Fantastic Four casting process, so his name appearing in another round of MCU speculation is hardly shocking. Still, Magneto feels more plausible than some of the other possibilities. The actor is particularly good at playing wounded men whose convictions harden into something frightening. And, with two new pieces of fan art to visualize how it could look, I'm seeing it more and more.

The Fan Art Makes A Strong Case For The Casting

BossLogic’s image emphasizes Magneto’s destructive power, but artist Spdrmnkyxxiii took a more regal approach. The second design places the Kylo Ren performer in the classic red-and-purple colors, seated behind Magneto’s helmet with glowing eyes and the posture of someone deciding whether the room deserves to remain standing.

Both images understand that Magneto needs more than a recognizable costume. Ian McKellen brought weary authority to the role, and we get to see him one more time in the 2026 movie schedule release of Avengers: Doomsday, while Michael Fassbender played Erik Lehnsherr with anger that always seemed ready to split the screen. Driver has the height, voice and bruised intensity to follow them without simply copying either performance.

There is a possible downside, though. After Kylo Ren, casting Driver as another gifted, emotionally scarred antagonist dressed in dark colors might feel a little too familiar. Magneto would need to become more than Kylo, with better posture and a bit more control over his anger.

What We Know About Jake Schreier’s X-Men Reboot

Thunderbolts* filmmaker Jake Schreier is directing Marvel’s new X-Men movie. He has described the material as complex and suggested the reboot will look recognizably different from the previous Fox franchise. Beef creator Lee Sung Jin and The Bear co-showrunner Joanna Calo are working on the screenplay, although Marvel has not announced the cast or a release date for the upcoming Marvel movie.

Kevin Feige has also described the project as youth-focused, which raises questions about where an established actor such as Driver would fit. Magneto could remain older than the core team, of course, giving the younger mutants a formidable ideological opponent rather than another classmate.

For now, the artwork is doing far more work than the evidence. Yet if The Man Who Killed Don Quixote lead eventually walks onto a Comic-Con stage holding that helmet, fans will already know the look works.

You can revisit Marvel’s cinematic adventures, along with Driver’s run in the Star Wars saga, with a Disney+ subscription.

Adam Driver doesn't seem too concerned about Lena Dunham's story in Famesick about their intense rehearsal on the set of Girls. When asked about the stories where he threw a chair near Dunham and later punched a hole in a wall over a haircut, Driver dropped a joke.

Driver was at Cannes recently, attending a press conference for his latest movie, Paper Tiger. Variety reported that Driver offered a joke rather than a serious comment about his former co-star's comments. Here's what he said:

It's possible Adam Driver isn't too concerned because there's nothing to be worries about. While Lena Dunham wrote those things and expressed regret that his character in Girls was seen as a romantic hero, she also paid a lot of compliments to the actor. In addition to talking about his short temper and condescending attitude, she also talked about how protective and loving he could be as well.

Lena Dunham doesn't hold any grudges against Adam Driver, who also shared his own thoughts about working on Girls way back. There were many trials for those who worked on that show, but it all culminated in a series that holds up for those who want to revisit it with an HBO Max subscription.

All this to say, I don't think Adam Driver is serious about clapping back at Lena Dunham with his own memoir. I do wonder if he'd sign on for a Girls movie, which Dunham teased while she was doing press for Famesick. His star power has risen quite a bit after some fantastic movies, so who knows if he'd be available amid various jobs.

For those wondering what a Girls movie would look like, Lena Dunham teased what the characters would be up to if she checked in on them in the modern day. Dunham said that Adam would be a cult theater actor living off somewhere in Berlin, and while I couldn't see the real Adam Driver doing anything like that, I totally see it for his character.

For now, Driver seems more focused on promoting Paper Tiger, which received a six-minute standing ovation following its screening at Cannes. The movie also made headlines over the weekend when director James Gray tried to Facetime actress Scarlett Johansson during the ovation, but was unable to reach her. Perhaps that's a story he'll be saving for his autobiography one day, and we'll get to see her make a funny joke about it at a press conference.

It seems like the saga is over between Adam Driver and Lena Dunham, but I'm keeping an eye on it in case it results in a Girls reunion down the road. We're also waiting on an official release date for Paper Tiger, especially after the response at Cannes.

Lena Dunham's Girls is definitely on the list of HBO shows that got the world talking, and the discourse hasn't really slowed in the years since the 2017 series finale aired. Folks with an HBO Max subscription regularly re-watch the award-winning series, and that's happening even more as a result of her new memoir. And while Dunham's accusations about on-set conflicts with Adam Driver have gone viral, what has the House of Gucci actor said about working with her?

Lena Dunham recently released her new memoir Famesick, which includes details about her time working as showrunner/star/writer/director on Girls. Her comments about Driver quickly went viral, including claims he threw a chair and punched a wall during a disagreement with her. An interview with the 42-year-old actor for The Daily Beast has since resurfaced, where she spoke about working with Dunham on the Season 3 episode "Role-Play." In his words:

This certainly paints a different picture, with Driver gushing over his time working with Lena Dunham. Obviously, the show would continue for another three seasons, and during that time he became a movie star after debuting as Kylo Ren in the Star Wars movies (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). Still, his above comment will stand in juxtaposition to the incident she described in her new memoir.

Elsewhere in her memoir, Lena Dunham admitted she was surprised by the public's response to the character of Adam in the show. Because while Hannah's love interest was fairly unwell throughout the early seasons, folks still found Adam Driver's performance charming. The two characters would go on to be one of Girls' biggest will-they-won't-they couples throughout the show's run on the air.

Even if there were some explosive conflicts during filming, the above quote seems to show how much fun Adam Driver had working with Lena Dunham on Girls. For her part, she doesn't seem to fault him, and instead was trying to talk about the challenge of being the boss on a major TV show at such a young age.

Later in the same interview, Adam Driver spoke about the unique challenges og being an actor, and what it's like diving into new roles. As he put it:

This comment might turn heads after Lena Dunham's allegations about his behavior on set, especially the way that he talks about boundaries and being self-involved. Although to be clear, she maintains that she doesn't hold any major grudges against Driver.

While doing press for her new book, Dunham admitted she has some ideas for a Girls movie. I have to wonder if it would include the return of Adam, especially since he was last seen in an explosive relationship with Jemima Kirke's Jessa. Fingers crossed we get to see that follow-up project sometime in the future.

Girls is streaming in its entirety over on HBO Max. As for Adam Driver, he's attached to a number of upcoming film projects, both on the 2026 movie release list and beyond. You can buy Lena Dunham's memoir Famesick now.

Shortly upon its release, Girls joined the ranks of HBO shows that got the world talking. The movie helped to make a star of out Adam Driver, and folks with a HBO Max subscription have been regularly re-watching the series since it wrapped back in 2017. Creator Lena Dunham has recently gone viral thanks to an excerpt from her book which detailed tension she had with Driver on the series. And now an interview Daisy Ridley did about her time working on the 42 year-old actor has resurfaced as a result of the discourse.

Dunham recently celebrated the release of her new memoir Famesick, which includes her experience filming Girls across six seasons. In addition to being surprised at how audiences responded to Adam Driver's character, she also wrote about some conflict she had with him on set, including an incident where he punched a wall and threw a chair. That quickly went viral, leading an old interview with Star Wars' Daisy Ridley to resurface.

Lena Dunham's Memoir Included Some Conflict With Adam Driver

Despite being the creative force between one of the best HBO shows to stream, Lena Dunham has been somewhat of a controversial figure. So it should come to no surprise that the parts of Famesick where she writes about having conflict with Adam Driver quickly went viral. In a follow-up interview with People about the book, she clarified her intention in including those stories, saying:

Indeed, Lena Dunham was catapulted into fame as a result of Girls, where she was the star, writer, director, creator, and showrunner. And her book Famesick spoke about the challenges of being the boss at age at just 25 years-old, with her professional relationship with Driver being one of its many challenges. For his part, the House of Gucci actor hasn't responded to the story going viral.

What Daisy Ridley Previously Said About Driver

Driver is an A-list actor, who catapulted into superstardom after debuting as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription). Folks who spent years watching the Star Wars movies in order know that he had a ton of scenes with Daisy Ridley, and in a resurfaced interview opposite Driver for V Magazine (via Tumblr), she gushed about their working relationship. In her words:

It sounds like they had great chemistry immediately, standing in opposition to Ridley's discomfort with meeting people. Adam Driver echoed her comments, as well as his own struggles with small talk. Overall this resurfaced interview is juxtaposed to what Lena Dunham wrote about her time opposite Driver on Girls.

Despite Adam Driver's Ben Solo movie being scrapped, there are still fans hoping he reunites with Daisy Ridley on her developing Rey movie. Additionally, only time will tell if he ends up responding to the claims made about him in Famesick.

Lena Dunham's book is out now, and Adam Driver is attached to a number of upcoming projects on the 2026 movie release list and beyond.

To this day, Girls remains one of HBO's best originals and is influential for many reasons. Beyond its then-timely portrayal of millennial women in the United States, the series effectively made actor Adam Driver a household name. Viewers really took a liking to his character "Adam," which surprised star and creator Lena Dunham, given she didn't write him to be liked at all.

Dunham talked about this in depth with the New York Times, and how Hannah and Adam's relationship was meant to highlight their toxicity as a couple, and yet it wasn't always received that way by the fans. She talked about it below:

It's interesting to hear Lena Dunham remind people about how Adam was received, because it is wild when given just a couple examples of how he wasn't a great boyfriend to Hannah. This was illustrated particularly at the end of the series, when she realized she had matured enough to want a partner who valued her more than he had in the past.

Lena Dunham's comments about the character stemmed from her learning to accept that she can't help how the public responds to her writing. Dunham and the writing staff's work on Girls occasionally even made HBO uncomfortable, and the network had to shoot down a sex scene the show originally planned.

The lasting cultural impact of Girls can't be denied, with people calling modern NFL stars a "Shoshanna," and Dunham's more recent works being compared to the hit series. Even A-listers like Florence Pugh have talked about being fans.

And while his character wasn't the beacon of the ideal man, it feels like Adam Driver has made a career out of roles that embody that flawed betrayal. Ben Solo certainly had his fair share of issues and was arguably fighting greater demons than his Girls character.

I also feel like Adam's "rage" moments in Girls influenced his casting in roles like BlackkKlansman and Marriage Story, and maybe even Star Wars. The guy has a great screaming voice, and if you were watching him on the HBO series back in the day, he was screaming quite a bit.

Girls is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription, and I've already convinced myself that it's time for a rewatch. Those who watched already know, but for anyone who hasn't, now is the time to jump in and strap in for a wild ride.

There are several upcoming Star Wars movies that are on the docket, while the fates of others remain unclear. What’s known with certainty, for now, though is that Steven Soderbergh and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren-centric film isn’t happening. Driver went viral after revealing he was developing The Hunt for Ben Solo alongside the acclaimed director. Ultimately, the powers that be passed on the project, and it simply remains a pipe dream for now. Despite that, Soderbergh has an admirable take on crafting the scrapped flick.

While Soderbergh hasn’t shared many specific story details on Hunt for Ben Solo, he has been clear about the fact that a lot of work went into getting the script off the ground. That screenplay came up again while the Black Bag helmer was speaking with Variety. During the interview, Soderbergh was asked about what he learned from the process of trying to get that Star Wars movie off the ground. Soderbergh shared a lovely perspective while also revealing that Driver “felt bad” about getting him involved once the cancellation down:

Now, this sounds like someone who just appreciates the opportunity to work alongside other motivated creatives. I love that Soderbergh doesn’t view the experience as having been “wasted” time and is happy to have worked with Driver, Blunt and Burns. And, of course, another aspect of these comments that’s sweet is the reveal of Soderbergh telling Driver not to feel upset over bringing him into the project only for it to get scrapped. This honestly sounds like the kind of collaborator someone would want to have in their corner.

Adam Driver was the one to reveal The Hunt for Ben Solo during an interview given last fall and revealed that he, Soderbergh and co. presented the idea to since-retired Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy along with executives Dave Filoni (now co-president) and Carrie Beck. While the trio was apparently ecstatic about the idea, Bob Iger and Alan Bergman at Disney passed on the movie. Steven Soderbergh later revealed that he and Driver talked about the latter discussing the project publicly, and the No Sudden Move helmer simply advised him not to “editorialize” what led to their film being scrapped.

Next to nothing has been shared in regard to plot details on the Ben Solo movie, which is reportedly on the back burner now. Still, it was revealed that the film was to take place after the events of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Even faced with only a few details, more than a few fans eventually started campaigning for the Kylo Ren movie.

By the looks of it, though, Steven Soderbergh has put the kibosh on the SW movie, recently saying that “if it was gonna happen, it would have happened.” It’s a shame fans will probably never get to see this big-screen idea for Kylo Ren realized. Nevertheless, I still love that Soderbergh doesn’t regret his time working on the ill-fated movie. In the meantime, franchise devotees can theorize about what would’ve been next for Ben had the film been made.

Fans can currently check out Adam Driver’s performance as Ben Solo/Kylo Ren by streaming the Star Wars sequel trilogy with a Disney+ subscription.

Star Wars is one of the biggest franchise of all time, with generations of moviegoers brought up on the galaxy far far away. Fans are always looking for update about the Star Wars movies (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription), especially since the franchise hasn't been on the big screen since The Rise of Skywalker hit theaters. The fandom has been campaigning for the scrapped Kylo Ren movie, but could it actually still happen?

The internet exploded when Adam Driver revealed he had worked on Kylo Ren movie with Steven Soderbergh which would have been titled The Hunt For Ben Solo. There's been non-stop chatter from fans ever since, and in a recent interview with The Playlist, the Erin Brockovich director got honest about whether or not the discourse was helping. He said:

Womp womp. While I appreciate Soderbergh's candor, it's a real bummer that the fan campaigns for The Hunt For Ben Solo aren't actually making a difference. Despite the ongoing discourse about how great it would be to see Adam Driver back as Kylo Ren, it seems like the project won't join the ranks of upcoming Star Wars movies. Although whether or not this actually discourages fans from making their voices heard remains to be seen.

Soderbergh previously revealed that the studio couldn't get behind behind the idea of Ben Solo somehow being alive, especially after he perished at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. But fans were holding out hope Disney and Lucasfilm might change their minds. Later in the same interview, the filmmaker shared his feelings about the scrapped blockbuster, offering:

It sounds like the iconic director doesn't have any hard feelings, despite the work he put into The Hunt for Ben Solo. While the movie will seemingly never see the light of day, it sounds like he learned some lessons from crafting the pitch alongside Adam Driver. Still, I really wish we got to see the project come together, and get another entry in Kylo Ren's story.

Star Wars will return to theaters with The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will be released May 22nd as part of the 2026 movie release schedule. As for Driver's Ben Solo, I'm going to hold out hope that he makes an appearance in the developing Rey movie... even if its as a Force Ghost.

When Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice hit theaters back in 2016, plenty of fans had strong opinions about the movie. One of the loudest debates centered on Jesse Eisenberg stepping into the role of Lex Luthor, especially since audiences were used to a very different version of the villain. Now, nearly a decade later, director Zack Snyder is opening up about fans' reaction to that film and how that casting decision came together as well as why he chose Eisenberg over the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Adam Driver.

During a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, Snyder recalled how a few major names were part of early discussions before Eisenberg ultimately landed the part. As mentioned in past interviews, DiCaprio and Driver were among the performers he could imagine shaping the role of Luthor. As he tells it:

Snyder has talked before about wanting a different kind of Luthor for his now-defunct DC Extended Universe. Instead of the classic older corporate mastermind popularized by actors like Gene Hackman, the filmmaker envisioned a younger, tech-era billionaire whose intellect came with a dangerous edge. That’s where Eisenberg clicked for him. The 300 director continued:

The choice was bold and, as Snyder has acknowledged in other interviews, it wasn’t universally embraced at the time. Many had been fan-casting everyone from Bryan Cranston to Daniel Day-Lewis as the iconic DC villain. As a result, Eisenberg’s jittery, tech-bro interpretation caught many people off guard.

Even the studio reportedly needed some convincing before fully getting on board with the casting. Of course, another factor may have shaped how audiences reacted. Snyder noted that Eisenberg’s Luthor doesn’t appear with the character’s traditional bald look until the final moments of the film. Finally, he added:

I believe BvS does a lot of things well but, love or hate Eisenberg’s version of Lex Luthor, one thing is sure: it was definitely not the safe option. Of course, that was largely the point. Snyder has often said the goal with Batman v Superman was to swing big with a mythic, operatic tone. That approach extended all the way down to his reimagining of one of Superman’s most famous enemies.

The new DC universe is currently moving forward with James Gunn in charge, but if you want to catch Eisenberg in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, along with all the Snyderverse films, stream them with an HBO Max subscription.

While there are a handful of upcoming Star Wars movies to look forward to, one focused on Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren, a.k.a. Ben Solo, isn’t among them. Last October, Driver revealed that he’d teamed up with Steven Soderbergh, who directed him in Logan Lucky, and Rebecca Blunt to put together a story following Ben after he’s somehow resurrected post-Rise of Skywalker. Alas, Lucasfilm didn’t bite at the project, but when the time came that Driver decided he wanted to talk about this scrapped attempt to bring back Kylo Ren, Soderbergh gave him some advice.

During Soderbergh’s interview with BKMag, it was brought up how it sounded that the Kylo Ren movie was close getting greenlighted by then-Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and the rest of the company’s leadership, only for the even higher-ups at Disney to put the kibosh on that for “story reasons.” When the Ocean’s trilogy filmmaker was asked if he was aware how disappointed Kennedy was that this happened, he answered:

Per what Adam Driver said in October, it was Disney heads Alan Horn and Bob Iger specifically who understand how Ben Solo could still be alive after The Rise of Skywalker, hence why the movie didn’t move forward. The actor was willing to share that information, but it also sounds like he took Steven Soderbergh’s advice and didn’t share his personal opinion on these events. From his end, Soderbergh is certainly still displeased with how all that work he poured into the Star Wars project with Driver and Rebecca Blunt ultimately didn’t pay off, saying:

While I’m sure there will be other opportunities to see Kylo Ren in action in novels, comic book series and maybe even video games, this movie would have been Adam Driver’s last chance to reprise the character. Admittedly, I’d raise an eyebrow at most people trying to bring Ben Solo back to life after he nobly sacrificed himself in The Rise of Skywalker. However, if Driver, Steven Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt were willing to dedicate two and a half years into figuring out this twisty return without being paid, then I’m annoyed we’ll never learn what they came up with for Lucasfilm.

With Dave Filoni and Lynwen Brennan now running Lucasfilm together, and Josh D’Amaro set to succeed Bob Iger as CEO of The Walt Disney Company, perhaps there’s a chance this Kylo Ren movie could be revived in this new era, just like what was planned for the character. For now, though, we can look forward to The Mandalorian & Grogu, the first Star Wars movie since The Rise of Skywalker, being released in theaters on May 22. The Ryan Gosling-led Star Wars: Starfighter will follow on May 28, 2027.

I have been following the entire Heat 2 development saga since I first heard that Michael Mann was adapting his 2022 novel of the same name into a big screen affair. Over the past few months, it has started to look like the sequel to one of the best ‘90s movies will feature a cast that’s just as stacked as the epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and the late Val Kilmer that came out 30 years ago this December.

While I am excited about the possibility of Leonardo DiCaprio and fellow Oscar winner Christian Bale getting major roles in the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation, all this recent news has me wondering about something. What’s happening with a pair of actors who were rumored to be starring in Heat 2 when the project started picking up steam, when the hotly-anticipated sequel was announced well over a year ago?

The Idea Of Leonardo DiCaprio And Christian Bale Leading A Crime Epic Has Me Excited

First, the idea of Leonardo DiCaprio and Christian Bale sharing the screen is something that has me even more excited about Heat 2. It’s like our generation’s version of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino finally having a scene together after all those years, with the only difference being that these two have never been in the same movie. Both have worked with directors like Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg and Paul Thomas Anderson, but never on the same picture.

Back in October 2025, Deadline reported that DiCaprio, hot off the decorated One Battle After Another, was in talks to play Chris Shiherlis, the character first brought to life by Val Kilmer in the original Heat. The following month, Deadline published a report stating that Bale, who’s set to appear in The Bride! next March, would be playing an undisclosed part. Could he be playing Neil McCauley? Vincent Hanna? Waingro? We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.

Also, What Does This Mean For Those Rumors About Adam Driver And Austin Butler?

Though I am excited to see two of the greatest living actors tear it up on screen and be involved with some high-stakes heists, I can’t help but wonder what this means for those rumors about Adam Driver and Austin Butler being in Heat 2. Over the past couple of years, outlets like The Hollywood Reporter have brought up Driver and Butler’s names as possibilities to play central characters, but nothing’s come of it.

I mean, Driver, who has worked with director Michael Mann on Ferrari, would be perfect as a younger Neil McCauley (the movie has two timelines – one before the events of Heat, the other after the 1995 film). Something similar could be said about Butler, whose skills would be perfect to play Chris Shiherlis. However, there haven’t been any updates about these two, and Butler is now being eyed to lead Joseph Kosinski’s Miami Vice adaptation alongside Michael B. Jordan. As much as I want these to happen, I just don’t know if they will.

It’s not yet known if Heat 2 will take up a spot on the 2026 movie schedule or later on. That said, I’ll be there the day it opens, even if my early actor wishlist doesn’t happen.

Star Wars is one of the biggest franchises of all time, and generations have followed the galaxy far, far away's adventures in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The fandom recently exploded when Adam Driver revealed he pitched a scrapped Kylo Ren movie titled The Hunt for Ben Solo, although Disney turned it down. As fans campaign for the studio to change its mind, it turns out that The Acolyte also could have featured a connection to that fan favorite villain.

Fans immediately started complaining about the Kylo Ren movie being rejected, and they've even begun appealing to Disney to change its mind. While one fan flew a plane over Disney to ask for the Ben Solo movie, it was revealed that The Acolyte was also going to offer some connective tissue to Driver's signature role. In the book The Art of Star Wars: The Acolyte (via Twitter), creator Leslye Headland spoke about how the show's villain The Stranger was inspired by Kylo, particularly the design of his mask. As she put it:

Those of us who watched the series will recall that Darth Plagueis was introduced in the cliffhanger finale, which was huge news for longtime fans. Unfortunately The Acolyte was cancelled after Season 1, so we might never get to see where that storyline was going. Still, these comments are going to turn some heads, especially after the news of The Hunt for Ben Solo. Bring on the Kylo Ren-related content!

Fans who watched the Star Wars movies in order will recall that Darth Plagueis was Palpatine's mentor, who taught him the powers of the Dark Side, including how to cheat death. In the same book, Headland spoke more about why she included him in the finale, and how it could have connected to the Knights of Ren. As she put it:

If the Stranger is the very first Knight of Ren, that would offer a unique connection to Adam Driver's signature character. And since the fandom is collectively re-focused on Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, I have to assume that these comments will quickly go viral.

Another contributor to The Acolyte who mused about the Stranger and Kylo Ren was composer Michael Abels, who hinted at Kylo Ren with the live-action show's music. In his words:

Unfortunately, the cancellation of The Acolyte after just one season meant that the cliffhangers and larger story won't get a chance to meet their conclusion. While most of the Star Wars TV shows are limited series, Andor and The Acolyte were both set up to span multiple seasons. In the end, only one of them got to complete its narrative.

Of course, the real focus right now for some Star Wars fans is trying to convince Disney to change its mind about The Hunt for Ben Solo. A fan recently put a billboard about the Kylo Ren movie in Time Square, so folks are going to extreme length to try and convince the studio to change its mind. Only time will tell if its successful.

George Lucas' entire franchise is streaming currently on Disney+ and the next upcoming Star Wars movie hitting theaters is The Mandalorian and Grogu on May 22nd as part of the 2026 movie release list.

Star Wars is one of the most beloved movie franchises of all time, with generations of fans catching every release in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who spent years watching the Star Wars movies in order will recall that we haven't seen the IP on the big screen since The Rise of Skywalker's ending. Actor Adam Driver recently broke the internet when he revealed that he pitched a Kylo Ren solo movie, and now fans can't stop campaigning to see that project, titled The Hunt for Ben Solo.

A ton of Star Wars projects have been announced since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, a number of which will seemingly never see the light of day. Driver revealing he not only worked on a Ben Solo movie pitch but that it would be directed by Stephen Soderbergh is mind-blowing, and fans want to see the scrapped title. After one fan had a plane fly over Disney asking for the studio to change its mind, now a billboard has popped up in Time Square. Check it out below:

Talk about some dedication. I can only imagine how much it must have cost to put this image on the the giant screens that loom above Time Square. But that shows just how passionate the Star Wars fandom continues to be. And it's clear that they really want to see the Ben Solo movie, despite the studio initially turning it down. Make it happen, Disney!

In April of 2023, Lucasfilm announced a new trilogy on the way, starting with Daisy Ridley's Rey movie. But it's been a long development, and we still haven't seen any of those titles on the big screen. But another project is in the works: Shawn Levy's Starfighter movie, which is filming now. Still, the idea of Driver's Kylo Ren movie is what the fandom seems to be collectively focused on. Specifically the fact that Disney turned down the project, despite how popular Driver's villain continues to be.

When the Girls actor revealed his scrapped plans for The Hunt for Ben Solo, he revealed that Lucasfilm loved the idea, but Disney's powers that be turned it down. Specifically, because the couldn't get into the ida of Kylo Ren somehow being brought back to life. Although considering Palpatine was resurrected to serve as the antagonist for The Rise of Skywalker, plenty of fans aren't buying this reasoning. And as such, billboards and planes with banners have already started popping up. I have to assume that this is just the start of fan campaigns to bring back the scrapped title.

Only time will tell how long these fan responses continue, and whether or not they make a difference with the studio. The next upcoming Star Wars movie hitting theaters is Starfighter on May 28, 2027. There are no titles on the 2026 movie release list, so we'll have to be patient before seeing the galaxy far, far away on the big screen.

The movie branch of the Star Wars franchise has been in an interesting position over the past several years, as no theatrical films have been released since 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker. Some films have since entered production, thankfully, though fans were recently met with the news of a scrapped production – a film about Adam Driver’s Ben Solo. Fans lit up social media when sharing their thoughts on the since-rejected script, and it marks yet another big-screen SW production that’s bitten the dust in recent years.

Ben Solo’s Story Would’ve Been Continued In A Film From An A+ Director

Adam Driver recently revealed he teamed up with acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh to develop a story called The Hunt for Ben Solo. The movie would’ve been set after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and focused on the mysterious resurrection of Solo – formerly known as Kylo Ren. Soderbergh and Rebecca Blunt produced an outline and pitched it to the Lucasfilm execs, including company president Kathleen Kennedy. Scott Z. Burns was initially commissioned to write a script, but the project ultimately didn’t happen.

Per the Marriage Story alum, it was Disney executives Bob Iger and Alan Bergman who shot down the idea, as they were unclear as to how Solo could still be alive. Burns’ screenplay received some massive praise from Driver, who referred to it as “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.” Driver also said he felt he had some “unfinished business” with Ben.

For his part, Steven Soderbergh – Out of Sight, Traffic, the Ocean’s Trilogy and more – explained on Bluesky that he “did not enjoy lying about the existence of THE HUNT FOR BEN SOLO” but that “it really did need to remain a secret…until now!” In a separate post, Soderbergh added further details regarding the corporate side of the situation:

Star Wars fans have been sounding off on the scrapped project, with many now campaigning for it to happen. Devotees even arranged for an airplane with a banner reading, “Save The Hunt for Ben Solo” to be flown over the Disney offices. The House of Mouse itself has yet to formally respond to the buzz, though a recent video posting of TROS’ final battle convinced some that the studio was trolling fans. This honestly feels like another blow for a fanbase that’s already seen other projects fall by the wayside.

What Other Star Wars Projects Ended Up Being Scrapped?

There’s quite a history of scrapped or discarded Star Wars projects, particularly when it comes to films. In 2018, it was reported that David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, the creators of Game of Thrones, would write and produce a new trilogy of SW films, which would theoretically focus on the rise of the Jedi Order. In 2024, Weiss and Benioff didn’t seem bullish about the movies happening due to James Mangold’s (later-announced) movie overlapping with theirs in some ways narratively.

In 2020, it was also reported that Lucasfilm tapped Sleight and Devotion director J.D. Dillard to helm a Star Wars movie. Plot details were (unsurprisingly) kept under wraps at the time. Plans changed by 2022, though, as it was at that time it was reported that Dillard’s film had been dropped, making the SW franchise’s movie future more uncertain.

At present, there are a few other productions that remain in limbo in some ways, including James Mangold’s film about the origins of the Jedi as well as Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s film about the new Jedi Order, which would mark the return of Daisy Ridley’s Rey. Also, this year, Last Jedi director Rian Johnson said he’s still open to making his trilogy of films, which was originally announced in 2017 but was later said to be unprioritized by Lucasfilm. The status of films from Patty Jenkins and Taika Waititi are also unclear.

Fans can, at the very least, look forward to The Mandalorian and Grogu and Star Wars: Starfighter, which are set to be released in 2026 and 2027, respectively. Still, some would likely argue that information doesn’t take away the sting of losing The Hunt for Ben Solo or any other scrapped SW fare. For now, let’s pour one out for those projects, and those who want to check out movies and TV shows set within the galaxy far, far away can stream them with a Disney+ subscription.

Star Wars fans are known for being super passionate, thanks to generations who grew up with George Lucas' franchise. That passion for the franchise, which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription, hasn't slowed down in recent years. Case in point: after Adam Driver revealed he developed a scrapped Kylo Ren movie, fans have begun campaigning for the studio to change their mind. And an airplane was involved.

Fans who watched the Star Wars movies in order saw Ben Solo's redemption arc over the sequel trilogy. Fans already sounded off online about the Kylo movie, and now they're taking things a step further. A report by Collider revealed that fans flew a plane over Disney with a banner reading:

The Hunt for Ben Solo was the planned title for this cancelled Star Wars movie, which Driver was developing to be directed by the great Steven Soderbergh. Between the talent involved and the idea of Kylo Ren's story continuing after the end of The Rise of Skywalker, news of the flick broke internet. It's also got fans galvanized and hoping Disney changes its mind about bringing the character back to life in this way.

The plane over Disney is similar to the way fans campaigned for Zack Snyder's Justice League prior to its release. But it remains to be seen how effective these calls for The Hunt for Ben Solo end up being. Still, the stunt has inspired even more discourse about the Star Wars flick that Adam Driver tried to get off the ground.

Collider spoke to Lianna Al Allaf, the fan who commissioned the banner to be flown over Disney. She explained why she made this bold move, offering:

If nothing else, this stunt has gotten fans talking even more about the Kylo Ren movie. But whether or not it actually convinces Disney to change its mind remains to be seen. For now, Lucasfilm does have a few upcoming Star Wars movies that are actually heading to theaters.

Per Adam Driver's comments, Lucasfilm loved the idea of The Hunt for Ben Solo, but Bob Iger, Alan Bergman, and the powers at Disney didn't like the idea of his signature character somehow coming back to life after The Rise of Skywalker. But fans are passionate about the character, who is also heavily featured at Disney theme parks.

Star Wars will finally return to theaters with Shawn Levy's Starfighter on May 28, 2027. Daisy Ridley's Rey movie is also in development, but neither title will arrive with the 2026 movie release list. So we'll have to be patient.

A few days ago, some surprising news came out not about one of the upcoming Star Wars movies, but rather something that could have been part of that slate. Adam Driver revealed that he’d tried to get a Kylo Ren movie made a few years back, and fans quickly sounded off about how disappointed they were that this project was scrapped. Now they’re accusing Star Wars itself, or rather the people behind the franchise’s YouTube channel, of trolling them following Driver’s comments, and honestly, I can’t help but agree with them.

Just a few hours ago, the Star Wars YouTube channel uploaded the below clip from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription) where Rey used her Force dyad with the freshly-redeemed Ben Solo to pass along Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber to him. He used that to cut down the Knights of Ren, then join Rey after she’d eliminated Palpatine’s guards, only for the two of them to be incapacitated by the former Emperor.

If you think the timing of this clip being posted is suspect, you’re in good company. Here’s just a few of the comments of that Rise of Skywalker clip from fans who think this is some grade-A trolling in response to what Adam Driver shared with the public:

• "Are you guys trolling us with the Ben Solo stuff after what Adam said? 💀" - @yancarlos5377
• "Guys…seriously 😂 we know what you’re doing" - @Ham_Films
• "what a suspicious thing to share out of nowhere..." - @kylodem
• "The Star Wars social media guy was working overtime on getting this approved over night 😂" - @BroBastii
• "this is either the funniest coincidence ever or a very smart move" - @psychedbypat
• "Wow, Ben Solo is cool and I'd watch a whole Steven Sodenbergh movie about him." - @RayOfTruth

While not impossible, I find it very hard to believe that this was just a coincidence. In case you missed the news, Driver said that a few years ago, he came up with a concept for a post-Rise of Skywalker movie that would have seen Ben Solo somehow resurrected from the dead. The actor took this concept to his Logan Lucky director, Steven Soderbergh, who then crafted a story outline with Rebecca Blunt, and Scott Z. Burns was recruited to write the script after Lucasfilm executives responded positively to what Driver, Soderbergh and Blunt pitched them. And thus, The Hunt for Ben Solo was born.

Unfortunately for those interested in this idea, Bob Iger and Alan Horn, Disney’s respective CEO and then-CCO, nixed greenlighting The Hunt for Ben Solo, with Adam Driver saying that “they didn’t see how Ben Solo was alive.” So yeah, this clip definitely seems like a knowing wink to Driver’s news drop without directly acknowledging it. Well, to whoever thought of this, you’ve just riled up the Star Wars fans even more.

Although Driver said in 2024 that he’s “done with the Star Wars franchise,” perhaps the fan interest that’s emerged over the last couple days might result in Lucasfilm reconsidering The Hunt for Ben Solo, and Driver could in turn be coaxed back. I’m probably getting ahead of myself, but this could end up being similar to when the Deadpool test footage was leaked in 2014, prompting 20th Century Fox to greenlight the Merc with the Mouth’s first movie (by the way, Ryan Reynolds finally admitted to doing the deed). The Force finds a way.

There are popular movie franchises, and then there's Star Wars. Entire generations grew up with the galaxy far, far away (streaming with a Disney+ subscription), resulting in a massive group of passionate fans. While the Star Wars movies have been missing from theaters for years, a number of projects are in the works. But after Adam Driver revealed that he developed a scrapped Kylo Ren movie with director Steven Soderbergh, fans are expressing their frustration online.

While there are a bunch of exciting upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows, we seemingly won't be treated to Driver's Kylo Ren movie. And after the Girls alum revealed that he tried to get a movie made directed by Soderbergh, fans started sounding off on Twitter. Plenty used memes and GIFs to describe their feelings, with a prime example being:

As a hardcore fan of both Mean Girls and Star Wars, I have to admit that this one hit me where I live. To share their anger over being deprived of Driver's Kylo Ren movie, they used a scene where Rachel McAdams' Regina George is raging through her room and adding Cady Heron to the infamous Burn Book. Given how much folks love George Lucas' franchise, it be like that sometimes.

While a Kylo Ren movie is an exciting enough prospect, the fact that Adam Driver personally developed the project and crafted its story is a big reason why moviegoers are having so much FOMO right about now. Another funny response online used footage of the actor's Oscar-nominated performance in The Marriage Story (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription) to highlight Driver's passion for his signature character. See for yourself:

Star Wars fans are known for being vocal online, and not really holding back. This has manifested in ugly ways like how Kelly Marie Tran was bullied on social media, as well as criticism of both the franchise and Disney overall. Below is an example of the latter, reading:

The title for Driver's scrapped movie was The Hunt for Ben Solo, which is Kylo Ren's real name. He said the script was cool, and that he continues to have love for the character. All of this information is likely going to haunt the dreams of Star Wars fans who would have loved to see what the House of Gucci actor had up his sleeve. Another person on Twitter called him out for giving us a reason to crash out, posting:

Moviegoers are already theorizing about what might have gone down in The Hunt for Ben Solo. The title itself is intriguing, especially since the character famously perished at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. Driver revealed that the studio didn't see a way to bring the character back to life, which killed the project. Those fans who ship Kylo and Rey (aka Reylo) think that their romantic connection could have factored in, with one tweeting out:

Ben Solo's long-awaited redemption happened deep into the runtime of The Rise of Skywalker, following a near-death experience and a vision of his father Han. He and Rey fought together to destroy Palpatine once and for all, including their controversial kiss. But some fans wanted to see more of that relationship, and with Daisy Ridley's Rey returning with her own movie, a Kylo Ren flick could have potentially brought back Reylo.

Star Wars is expected to finally return to theaters with Shawn Levy's Starfighter on May 28, 2027. That's pretty far away at this point, so fans will have to be patient before we get more information about what the galaxy will bring to the big screen.

History repeats itself, even in the Star Wars universe. While Kylo Ren started out as the main villain in the Sequel Trilogy, like his grandfather Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Ben Solo turned away from the Dark Side and died a hero in The Rise of Skywalker. But as it turns out, Adam Driver didn’t want his character’s story to end there. The actor’s revealed that he tried to get a post-Rise of Skywalker Kylo Ren feature on the upcoming Star Wars movies slate, and he even had a stellar director attached to helm it.

While speaking with The Associated Press, Driver mentioned that he’d been interested in doing another Star Wars movie since 2021, as he felt there was “unfinished business” with Kylo Ren. Driver took a concept to director Steven Soderbergh, who then crafted a story outline with Rebecca Blunt to pitch to Lucasfilm. When executives Kathleen Kennedy, Cary Beck and Dave Filoni responded positively to the idea, Soderbergh and Blunt recruited Scott Z. Burns to write what Driver described as “one of the coolest (expletive) scripts I had ever been a part of.” However, the project was killed off soon afterwards, with the Ferrari star recalling:

Adam Driver didn’t reveal any specific plot details about The Hunt for Ben Solo aside from the fact that it would have seen the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa somehow resurrected. Although there have been a handful of instances where Star Wars characters thought dead were revealed to be alive, including Palpatine transferring his consciousness into a clone body, having Ben Solo’s body reconstituted in full is would have been quite the sight. And with a title like The Hunt for Ben Solo, evidently there would have been many interested parties after him, for better or worse.

I’m not that surprised Adam Driver reached out to Steven Soderbergh to help work on The Hunt for Ben Solo, as the two previously worked together on 2017’s Logan Lucky. I certainly would have welcomed seeing his filmmaking sensibilities applied to a galaxy far, far away, but Disney head honchos Bob Iger and Alan Horn felt it didn’t make any sense to tell this kind of story. Soderbergh said the following in a statement to AP:

So unlike what Adam Driver hoped would happen with Ben Solo, it doesn’t sound like we can ever expect for this particular Star Wars movie idea to be resurrected. Unfortunately, although the Rey movie set 15 years after The Rise of Skywalker is still in development, don’t expect Driver to cameo in that as a Force Ghost. The Girls alum said in 2024 that he’s finished with the Star Wars franchise.

The next Star Wars movie up is The Mandalorian & Grogu, which opens May 22 on the 2026 movies schedule. Then Star Wars: Starfighter will follow on May 28, 2027. Adam Driver can next be seen in Father Mother Sister Brother, which opens in theaters on December 24.

As of late, there’s been a trend of books that started as fan fiction of movie couples becoming films themselves – and it’s not stopping now. Ali Hazelwood’s bestselling 2021 novel The Love Hypothesis, which was inspired by Star Wars’ “Reylo”, has joined the list of upcoming book adaptations, with Amazon MGM Studios producing and Lili Reinhart playing Olive Smith. But what's really surprising is that the movie just cast its Adam Carlsen, and there’s an amazing connection to the galaxy far, far away.

There’s Already A Star Wars Connection Within The Love Hypothesis Casting

It was back in 2022 when we heard The Love Hypothesis was going to become a movie, but it’s now finally getting off the ground. After Riverdale’s Lili Reinhart announced her role in the project on Instagram on Wednesday, we’ve also learned that Tom Bateman has been cast to play the movie’s love interest, per Deadline. And you know what’s funny? Bateman is the real-life husband of Daisy Ridley, who played Rey, aka one half of the “Reylo” ship from the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Check out the co-star’s announcement on TikTok:

The “Reylo” ship is, of course, a relationship with the Star Wars sequel trilogy that had a huge fanbase behind it while those movies were coming out. Daisy Ridley’s Rey and Adam Driver’s Kylo were pitted as enemies in The Force Awakens, especially since Rey was a force of good and Kylo killed her friend/his own father, Han Solo, and sought to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Darth Vader.

With each Star Wars movie, the relationship picked up steam, and ultimately Rey and Kylo Ren’s controversial kiss in The Rise of Skywalker only encouraged fans further. Now, it should be noted that The Love Hypothesis is a very different story than its inspiration. It’s about a third-year Ph.D candidate named Olive and the hotshot professor named Adam who agrees to fake a relationship with her until things get steamy for real between them.

The name Adam is obviously a nod to Adam Driver, and the pair look very closely like Ridley and Driver on the book’s cover. The official synopsis of the novel also nods to its connection by saying that it's “going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks” to get Olive her happily ever after (though the novel itself no longer has overt Star Wars references).

Fans Have The Best Reactions To Tom Bateman’s Casting News

As you can imagine, the internet is all over this casting news. As one Twitter user shared:

Another person suggested perhaps Daisy Ridley had something to do with it. Her and Bateman have been collaborators as well as romantic partners, given Bateman wrote and produced one of Ridley’s recent starring roles, Magpie. Check out this tweet:

Tom Bateman and Daisy Ridley met on the set of The Murder on the Orient Express back in 2017, and have been together ever since. Bateman’s other credits include Death on the Nile, Snatched, Cold Pursuit and starring in the new Peacock series Based on a True Story. Here’s one more amazing reaction on X:

What a perfect little nod to The Love Hypothesis’ origins. Reylo fans can get excited for this new adaptation along with the Rey movie on the way from the slate of upcoming Star Wars projects.

Adam Driver is one of the most versatile actors out there. Whether his best movie performances can make you laugh, like in What If?, or break your heart, like in Marriage Story, Driver knows how to win over an audience. Even if fans love seeing him onscreen, Driver still vowed not to watch himself in his movies until he had the chance to do so with Star Wars co-stars Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley. On the other hand, it doesn’t mean he still doesn’t have regrets about that.

With the help of Star Wars, House of Gucci and BlacKkKlansman, Adam Driver’s movies have grossed over $2 billion. Fans may be lining up to see the American actor, but it doesn’t mean Driver is doing the same. The Girls actor explained on The Howard Stern Show why he can’t watch his own movies, and his reasoning makes sense:

I feel like I would be my own critic as well, constantly seeing all of the flaws in my performance that I wish I could change. But like Adam Driver said, what’s in the final product is out there with no way to call for a do-over. Maybe that’s why a lot of great actors become great directors of their own movies; to have that control of doing multiple takes of their own performance.

The Hollywood leading man wouldn’t be the only actor to stay away from their own films. Keira Knightley only watches her movies once for the same reason as Adam Driver, in that she only sees the bad in her performance and doesn't like to hear the sound of her voice. Denzel Washington also doesn’t rewatch his old movies, feeling he’d rather look forward than back. Driver got real about what movies made him break his vow not to watch himself and see if you can guess which movie:

The Star Wars movies truly were a standout time for Adam Driver. His performance as Kylo Ren was so haunting with uncertainty and longing in his eyes. Compared to the “angry bad guy” stereotype we see in a lot of villains, Driver was able to show that Kylo Ren was a confused and misdirected guy trying to live up to the impossible legacy of Darth Vader. Even with each drastic choice the Sequel Trilogy’s antagonist makes, you can’t help but feel sorry for him.

Even though Adam Driver was dead set on staying away from seeing his movies, Star Wars: The Force Awakens was clearly the exception. The talented actor said the heartwarming reason he gave the movie a chance was due to seeing it with Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley. However, it doesn’t mean he still wasn’t his own critic. Since Driver’s vow is broken, does that mean he’ll continue watching his movies? Here’s his honest answer to Howard Stern on why he won’t:

That’s understandable, not to continue watching your own movies due to knowing you have no control over the outcome. Previously, Adam Driver said he’s changed the way he watches his own movies by defending his acting choices compared of criticizing them. I feel like that would be the only way to view your movies in trusting that a director knows what works well for their film.

It may have been painful for Adam Driver to watch Star Wars: The Force Awakens after vowing not to watch his own works, but at least it’s nice he had Carrie Fisher and Daisy Ridley there to take in the awkward experience. Even if Driver continues to stay away from his films, the legacy he left behind as Kylo Ren will continue to resonate with fans.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is a strange and unique cinematic experience in many ways, but one of the true standouts is that original screenings involved a special live-action component. During these screenings, the theater lights would come on in the middle of the movie and an actor would seemingly host an impromptu Q&A session with Adam Driver’s Caesar Catalina (on the screen). It was a wild thing that I personally got to witness when I saw the film this past fall prior to its theatrical release, and it was something that Driver himself really loved when he first got to experience the completed work.

As captured in the video above, I had the chance to interview Adam Driver during Megalopolis’ pre-release junket in Toronto in September, and in addition to discussing the way he watches his own work and his collaboration with Francis Ford Coppola, we also specifically talked about the movie’s live-action component. He explained that it was part of the presentation when the feature premiered in the summer at the Cannes Film Festival, and he told me that the original idea was for that part to be even “bigger.” Said Driver,

It’s a much different way of breaking the fourth wall than audiences are used to seeing (a la Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool talking to the screen), and Adam Driver sees the special Megalopolis scene as a reflection of the writer/director’s background in theater. The actor additionally saw the moment as a representation of how Francis Ford Coppola works behind the scenes, and he was emotionally taken aback witnessing it, even though he was watching himself on screen:

Obviously having an actor at Megalopolis screenings was a unique aspect of the film’s theatrical release, but if you’re curious about watching the movie sans-in-person Q&A, the movie is currently available for digital rental.

Picture this, readers: a member of the 2024 movie schedule that’s arrived to pans and jeers from reviewer and fan alike. A picture that is a long-awaited follow-up to the previous works of wonder from a director heralded as a visionary, only to crater in its opening weekend. That description could be applied to two very prolific films that have taken center stage in the last couple of weeks, but the one I’m here to specifically defend is Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis.

After seeing the film last week prior to my Joker: Folie à Deux screening, I came out of the theater ready to defend this much maligned work of utopian fantasy. However, the case I’m about to make isn't without regard to the various controversies at which Francis Ford Coppola has been at the center.

While those are troubling caveats that are present on the man’s record, I’m here to talk about Megalopolis and its merits as a feature film. With that in mind, here’s why I think Coppola’s latest career-risking project is better than our own Megalopolis review says it was.

Of Course Those Megalopolis Looks Hysterical Out Of Context

Ok, I have to start us off with the fact that two clips from Megalopolis showed up online just as the film was opening, and of course they were viral sensations. One of those moments involves a conversation between Adam Driver’s Cesar and Nathalie Emmanuel’s Julia. I’m not even going to bother describing it, as you can watch it for yourself out of context, thank to that moment being officially released:

The other scene I saw is one that involves Jon Voight’s Hamilton Crassus III, Aubrey Plaza’s unmissable performance as Wow Platinum, and a crossbow. Again, the less said about this, the better, but even if you watch those scenes out of context, they’re natural fits for laugh riots. Going back to Adam Driver playing a frosty intellectual against Nathalie Emmanuel, that scene is clearly going to look ridiculous without the proper context that Megalopolis gives for that moment.

Can I still chuckle at those scenes, even in the proper context? Absolutely, But that doesn’t overwrite the fact that Francis Ford Coppola kind of set up the expectation for this entire movie in a simple subtitle that everyone seems to forget.

Everyone Forgets That Megalopolis Is A Fable

This movie is literally billed as Megalopolis: A Fable. If you look at the typical definition of such a story, it’s a tale that holds a moral and is typically told with animals. Now while there are no donkeys in the Megalopolis cast, we’re still treated to heightened human characters that fit the fanciful bill that one would expect from a narrative that’s more adjacent to a fairy tale than The Godfather.

Influenced by Roman history and his current viewpoint on America, Francis Ford Coppola has told a story removed enough from our reality that it’s spectacle laden fiction. Using “A Fable” as the film’s subtitle, Megalopolis is something we should have known from the start would be ridiculous to a point. There may not be animals, but the humans of this crumbling dystopia certainly act like they’re running on their basest impulses at times.

After Seeing Megalopolis, I Think The ‘Immersive Experience’ Is A Requirement

Something else that people have talked about leading up to Megalopolis’ release is “the immersive experience.” You may have seen clips of this displayed online as well, as Adam Driver’s big press conference scene is where an “immersive” screening allows an audience member to recite the questions aloud, as if they were playing the journalist interviewing Cesar.

If you ask me, this is something that should be required in every screening, solely because it drops the viewer into the world of Megalopolis for a brief moment. That moment is a pretty huge one, as it’s a pivot point for Adam Driver’s character, as he starts to become more human.

For the audience member holding this “conversation” with Cesar, the point of the film could be much more potent when they engage it as a participant, rather than a spectator. It's a realization that makes The Wrap's report of a scrapped Alexa experience meant to mimic the same thing all the more desirable.

Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis Is The Latest Underrated Utopian Blockbuster

It warmed my heart to see writer/director Brad Bird included in the Special Thanks credits for Megalopolis; and I think it’s a hint towards why this movie landed so favorably with me. In its own way Francis Ford Coppola’s intellectual/sociopolitical fairy tale is a companion piece to some other utopian blockbusters that I’ve championed in the past.

Most notably, thanks to the invocation of Mr. Bird’s name, Tomorrowland is one such movie that comes to mind, and The Wachowski’s IMAX ready masterpiece Speed Racer also fits that bill. I couldn’t have imagined that the man that made The Godfather would craft such a grand and colorful spectacle such as Megalopolis. That said, it totally fits in with these other favorites of mine because of the message of people pushing past cynicism for a better tomorrow.

Yes, There Is A Clear Moral In Megalopolis’ Messy But Moving Fable

I’ve read a lot of reactions stating that Megalopolis is a mess of varying degrees, and I can’t disagree with that. However, I think that’s part of the point that Francis Ford Coppola is trying to make, especially in the earlier acts. Populating New Rome with memetic spectacle, petty celebrity drama and looming disaster through false populism, that mess could be seen as an allegory for the modern world.

So does the solution, as Cesar’s utopian vision requires that “great debate” on the future. It also requires people to come together and work towards that vision’s execution and preservation. Even in the final moment of seeming victory, Adam Driver’s utterance of “We have no more time” suggests that this great work isn’t finished, but just getting started. If the world can put aside the noise and focus, it can solve its problems and save itself.

I can totally see why some wouldn’t appreciate Megalopolis, as it’s basically run into the same problem that Brad Bird's 2015 picture ran into - right down to our in-house Tomorrowland review. The story may feel too colorful and too untraditional for people who aren’t used to optimistic fables on the big screen. It's a movie that wears its heart on its sleeve, and that's the sort of tale that's almost always an acquired taste waiting to be made into a fan favorite.

If you have an open mind and want to see something that’s undoubtedly new and unusual, Megalopolis is still showing in theaters. Who knows? You might like it better than Joker: Folie à Deux! And while you're at it, check out ReelBlend's Francis Ford Coppola interview, as there's plenty of further insight into what makes this picture so unique.

There are many standout aspects of Adam Driver’s career, from his standout role in the HBO series Girls (which really launched his career) to his time as a principal villain in the Star Wars franchise, but recent years have been defined by him working with some of the greatest filmmakers alive. It’s a list that includes Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, Jim Jarmusch, Noah Baumbach, Michael Mann, Steven Soderbergh, and Spike Lee.

That’s a remarkable track record of collaborators – but it was while working with the legendary Francis Ford Coppola on the new film Megalopolis that Driver got what he sees as the best direction he’s ever gotten.

I sat down with Adam Driver earlier this month during the Megalopolis press day at the Toronto International Film Festival, and in addition to talking about his habits watching his own movies, we also discussed his history working with renowned filmmakers. I inquired about the level of intimidation that comes into play, particularly given Francis Ford Coppola’s singular vision for his sci-fi epic, and he explained that all of the best directors share something in common that negates it:

In essence, it’s not a one-way street creatively; the filmmakers hire Adam Driver because they want to see and hear his choices and thoughts.

Continuing, the actor discussed the atmosphere that Francis Ford Coppola established on his very first day making Megalopolis. In addition to giving his performers a lot of freedom, the director also provided some wisdom that significantly stands out in Adam Driver’s memory:

Very much built on metaphors reflecting the modern world, Megalopolis sees Adam Driver play Cesar Catilina, an architect with an immense vision for the future that will forever change the city of New Rome. However, his efforts are impeded by those who would prefer to see the world remain the same. It’s a bold and artistically unimpeded work (thanks to Francis Ford Coppola financing the film himself), and while the film has gotten divisive reactions – which you can pull from our Megalopolis CinemaBlend review – it can’t be argued that the film doesn’t take big swings at every opportunity.

Further discussing the precious direction Francis Ford Coppola offered, Adam Driver noted that it wasn’t just for him after a take, but for everybody involved with the production. He added,

The cast of Megalopolis is full of veteran performers, including Giancarlo Esposito, Dustin Hoffman and Laurence Fishburne, but Francis Ford Coppola didn’t want his actors leaning on their experience. Instead, he wanted Adam Driver and all of the actors to help him try and push the art form forward. Said Driver,

Megalopolis is now available for as many viewings as you desire, as it is playing in theaters nationwide – nabbing sixth place in the box office Top 10 this past weekend.

Actors have varying takes when it comes to watching their own work, but it’s easy to sympathize with those who try to avoid their own performances. Everybody is their own harshest critic, so why invite the opportunity? Stars like Denzel Washington have said that they never look back at their old movies – but for Megalopolis’ Adam Driver, his perspective is currently in the midst of a shift. While he previously avoided watching his own films, he has started to change that behavior as of late.

I interviewed Driver earlier this month up in Toronto during the Toronto International Film Festival, and it was at the end of our conversation about his new collaboration with director Francis Ford Coppola that I asked about his viewing habits when it comes to his own movies. He explained that he hasn’t watched his own performances in the past, but that has changed of late:

It’s an interesting point. Any given scene in a movie is generally filmed from multiple angles and with multiple takes of those multiple angles. What stands out in an actor’s memory from set may not be what is ultimately presented in the finished film – and the only way for recollection and reality to line up is for the performer to witness the magic cooked up during the post-production process.

In the case of Adam Driver, it’s worth noting that not watching his own movies means missing out on films made by some of the greatest directors working today. In recent years, he has been collaborating with the likes of Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Noah Baumbach, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann and more, and there is something sad in the fact that he can’t enjoy the works of the master filmmakers like the rest of us.

As noted, his latest legendary collaboration is with Francis Ford Coppola in the ambitious upcoming sci-fi epic Megalopolis. In the heavily metaphorical film, Driver plays an artist named Cesar Catilina who has an optimistic vision for recreating the world but finds his ambitions challenged and undercut by forces that want to see the status quo remain. The vast ensemble cast includes Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Aubrey Plaza, Laurence Fishburne, Dustin Hoffman, Jason Schwartzman, Grace VanderWaal, and more.

With his new self-watching philosophy, Adam Driver is also part of Megalopolis’ audience – though he noted that there is a caveat involved: in order to develop a more objective perspective, multiple viewings are required. Said Driver,

After receiving some fascinatingly divisive reactions at the Cannes Film Festival in the summer, Megalopolis arrives in theaters this Friday, September 27, and you can preview all of the films arriving on the big screen in the coming months with our 2024 Movie Release Calendar.

There has been a lot of talk about "nepo babies" over the last few years, and while it may seem like every actor has famous parents. That is hardly the case though, of course. Many of our favorite actors come from much more humble roots. So let's celebrate those stars with this list of actors who came from blue-collar backgrounds. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

Growing up in Ohio Sarah Jessica Parker had a huge family, with seven siblings and step-siblings. She's talked about how there were times her parents struggled to pay the bills and were even on welfare for a time. Though her mom ran a nursery and her stepdad was a truck driver, they still found a way to support Parker's show business dreams and eventually moved to New York so she could star on Broadway. 

James Dean

James Dean is one of the most tragic stories in Hollywood history, and his upbringing was pretty rough too. His father left when he was a toddler and his mother supported the two of them as a single mother during The Depression. That is until she passed away when Dean was only nine. He moved to Ohio and lived with his aunt and uncle where things stabilized for him. After graduating high school, he moved to LA and embarked on his all-too-brief career. 

Maisie Williams

Though she found fame at early age with Game of Thrones Maisie Williams' family struggled when she was younger. She was raised in a council house (public housing in the UK) until she was cast in the hit HBO show at age 12. 

Jeremy Strong

Jeremy Strong may play a scion to one of the wealthiest families on TV in Succession, but in real life, he had a much more humble upbringing. Strong grew up in the blue-collar area of Jamaica Plain in Boston and his father was a guard in juvenile jails in town. Eventually the family moved to the more upscale town of Sudbury, where he went to high school and discovered acting. 

Samuel L. Jackson

For most of his career, Samuel L. Jackson was a blue-collar actor working as much as he could. That makes with his upbringing as the son of a single mother who worked in a factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Shania Twain

Shaina Twain is best known as a country singer, of course, but she's done a little acting over her impressive career as well. It's a career that has taken far away from her humble roots outside Toronto, Ontario, where the family struggled. Those struggles led to her finding gigs as a singer at a young age and the rest is history.

Samantha Morton

Samantha Morton had a rough upbringing in the UK. Nine of her formative years were spent in foster care when her parents, who were addicts, weren't able to care for her. She had a couple of scraps with the law herself but started getting acting work in her teens and it all came together. 

Dolly Parton

There is no more revered person in Hollywood (or Nashville) than the great Dolly Parton. She's often talked about her humble beginnings in rural Tennessee as one of 12 children. She has always praised how her mother kept the family together through hard times and when Parton was 18 she moved to Nashville and hit the big time pretty quickly as a songwriter and a singer. 

Adam Driver

Megalopolis star Adam Driver moved around a lot as a kid, living all over from San Diego to Indiana. His stepfather was a Baptist preacher, but he was mostly raised by his mother in Indiana. After the September 11th attacks, he joined the Marines and served, like many other actors have over the years, for a few years before being discharged for a medical reason and starting his acting career. 

Al Pacino

Al Pacino grew up mostly in the South Bronx, and anyone from New York can tell you that the South Bronx in the '40s and '50s was a tough place to live. By his own admission he got in trouble a lot, as often happens with kids with hard working parents. Even as a actor early in his career he couch-surfed with friends until he started landing gigs regularly. 

Dax Shepard

Dax Shepard's family experienced the American Dream, according to the actor and podcast host. His mom worked at GM while he was growing up near Detroit and the family struggled, but as he got older, his mom's career grew and she moved up the ranks from janitor to executive, so by the time Shepard was in high school, she was quite successful. 

Ice Cube

Any fan of N.W.A. knows about Ice Cube's roots in South Central LA as the son of a janitor and a groundskeeper. As a result of desegregation, Ice Cube had the opportunity to get bussed out of Compton and out to the suburbs, where he thrived in English class, something he would make good use of later in life as the principal lyricist for one of the most successful rap acts of all time. 

Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson, who has won the famed EGOT, was raised with her two siblings by a single mother on the South Side of Chicago. She started working in local theater at a young age and famously worked on the Disney Cruise line before auditioning for American Idol in the show's third season, which was, of course, her big break. 

Mel Brooks

The legendary Mel Brooks, like so many of his generation, was the child of immigrants. He was raised very poor in Brooklyn surrounded by people who worked in the garment industry. Instead of following in their footsteps, he went into show business and the world is luckier for it. 

Joan Crawford

Screen legend Joan Crawford would die a very rich woman, but she started life as the daughter of a construction worker in Texas. After her parents split up and her mother remarried, her stepfather got in trouble in Texas and the family moved to Kansas City where Crawford attended Catholic school as a work student. 

Jim Carrey

At one point Jim Carrey was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, which is far cry from his humble beginnings in and around Toronto. For a time, Carrey has admitted, they were even homeless. Eventually his father found more stable employment and after dropping out of high school Carrey worked on his stand up routine and took shifts at a nearby factory. 

Misha Collins

Supernatural star Misha Collins grew up working class in Boston and he has said in the past that his family spent some time unhoused. He was lucky enough to gain admission to a prep school, which led him to the University of Chicago and eventually an internship at The White House during the Clinton administration before he concentrated on his acting career. 

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson has been a part of two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood, Star Wars and the MCU. It wasn't always the big time for her though. Her mother was a teenager when she was born and never married Dawson's father, but did marry another man, from whom Dawson takes her last name. He was a construction worker first in New York and later in Texas. 

Jessica Chastain

Though she doesn't talk much about her upbringing, we do know that Jessica Chastain's stepfather was a firefighter and that her family life was a struggle growing up. She grew up in Sacramento with four siblings, though she lost one to suicide when she was in her early 20s. Chastain started acting as a kid and her career would eventually take off and she would become one of the most beloved and acclaimed actors of her generation. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Born of Uganda immigrants in London, Daniel Kaluuya was raised on a council estate in one of the city's most famous blue-collar areas, Camden. He didn't know his father growing up, but he excelled in school and started acting in plays while there. he started landing paying gigs in his teens and the rest is history.

Hilary Swank

Though she has humble roots as the daughter of an army soldier, Hilary Swank grew up in a stable household and even after her parents split up when she was 15, her mother moved with Swank to the LA area so she could try her hand at Hollywood. That bet paid off as Swank has been one of the best actresses around for decades. 

Charlie Chaplin

It could be argued that Charlie Chaplin was the first bonafide superstar of the silver screen. While he would eventually become Hollywood's biggest star and one of the most financially successful moviemakers of his era, his childhood was a hardscrabble upbringing in central London. His parents had no capacity to raise children and he bounced around reform schools and other group homes as a kid before finding his way, first in the theater then later in silent films. 

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez famously grew up "on the 6," meaning the 6-Train through the Bronx in New York City. Her father had a job as a computer technician and Lopez had a solid, yet definitely blue-collar upbringing. 

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson has starred in some of the best roles in Hollywood over the last four decades, and one of them, Woody Boyd on Cheers, reflected his actual blue-collar roots in Indiana. The story of Woody Boyd and Woody Harrelson are pretty similar, as both were raised in rural Indiana. Harrelson was famously locked up in prison for most of his upbringing, and he eventually died in prison after Harrelson's career had taken off. 

Viola Davis

Viola Davis was actually born on plantation in South Carolina, if you can believe it. She was raised mostly in Rhode Island, however, but it was a hard upbringing which has described of being very financially unstable. 

Daniel Craig

Daniel Craig may be famous for playing suave, debonair, and sophisticated characters, but that's nothing like his upbringing. His father was a construction worker and bar manager, though Craig does have aristocratic ancestors. 

Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix (and his late brother River) had a wild upbringing. His parent were part of a cult called the Children of God and Phoenix spent much of his early life living in South America as his parents traveled as missionaries for the religious group. Eventually, the family left the cult, adopting the name "Phoenix" as a sign of their rebirth as a family in a new life.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is famously one of the richest people in Hollywood, but that's not how she started out. Her mother was a teenager in Milwaukee, but before long Winfrey found herself in Nashville living with the man she considers her father. While still a teen in Nashville, she started working in radio, which would eventually lead to her media empire. 

Bella Thorne

The whole reason Bella Thorne became a professional actor was to help support her family growing up. After her father was killed in a car wreck when she was ten, Thorne's mother was left to raise four children on her own. It was a tough upbringing, but the acting gigs started coming more and more often and got her big break on the Disney Channel's Shake It Up in 2010. 

James Caan

James Caan was in some of the best movies in Hollywood history. The list of Caan's best movies is incredible. His father was a deli meat salesman and he grew up in the blue-collar neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, in New York City. He found acting while he briefly attended Hofstra, where he would also meet Francis Ford Coppola, who would give the role of Sonny in The Godfather years later. 

Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez was raised by a single mother who had Gomez when she was just 16. Gomez has never been resentful, it seems, and credits her with raising her under such trying conditions. Gomez caught the acting bug at a pretty young age and ws soon landing shows on kids shows, leading to the insanely successful career we all know and love. 

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington had the definition of a blue-collar upbringing as the son of a beautician and an employee of the water company in his hometown of New York City. His parent worked hard to make sure he got a good education and after graduating from Fordham, he embarked on one of the most successful Hollywood careers of all time. 

Hollywood has a long history with the military. During World War II many actors and directors served and aided in the war effort in different ways. It goes way beyond that, however. Here is a list of actors who have served in the military, either in the US or in other countries. 

Drew Carey

Funnyman Drew Carey is not someone you expect would be a marine, but that's exactly what he was before making it big on television. The Price Is Right host served six years as a field radio operator in the Marine Reserves in his home state of Ohio after dropping out of college. You have to imagine being a radio operator would be a good experience for talking into a microphone, right?

Bea Arthur

During World War II, an entire generation of men were expected to do their part in the war effort. Women, on the other hand, were not expected to join the service. Bea Arthur thought differently and enlisted in the Marines. Of course, the world being what it was at the time, meant she served stateside, doing jobs like typing and later working in the motor pool. 

Jamie Farr

Though he is most famous for playing a corporal in MASH who did all he could to undermine the authority of his superiors, Jamie Farr served with distinction in the 1950s after being drafted in 1957. He was already in show business at the time, so much of his work involved USO shows. 

Mel Brooks

EGOT winner Mel Brooks served in the US Army during World War II and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. He joined almost straight out of high school in 1943 and was sent to Europe at the end of '44. He was honorably discharged in '46 and embarked on one of the most legendary careers of all time. 

Adam Driver

Like many in his generation, Adam Driver was inspired to join the military in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Shortly after the attack, Driver signed up for the Marine Corps. The Star Wars actor is very proud of his service, though it was cut short after he injured himself off-duty and was medically discharged due to his injury. 

Robert Duvall

One of Robert Duvall's most famous roles was as the psychopathic Colonel Kilgore who loved the smell of napalm in the morning in 1978's Apocalypse Now. He probably drew on his experience in the United States Army, where he served for a year in the 1950s, just after the Korean War. 

Don Knotts

Don Knotts might be most famous for goofballs on The Andy Griffith Show and Three's Company, but his time in the army was anything but goofy. Knotts served three years in the army during World War II and earned a slew of medals for his service in the Pacific theater. After the war, he embarked on what would become a legendary career in Hollywood. 

Morgan Freeman

It took a long time for Morgan Freeman to get famous, but once he did, he's been an ever-present voice in everyone's head. After high school Freeman enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he served for four years in the 1950s. After leaving the service, he moved to LA and got into acting, though it would really be another couple of decades of hard work before he found fame. 

Paul Newman

Few actors define "movie star" like Paul Newman. As one of the biggest stars of his generation, he is beloved for all of his roles over the years. Before heading to Hollywood, Newman served in the Navy during the Second World War, mostly on the aircraft carrier Bunker Hill. 

Richard Pryor

Comedy legend Richard Pryor made his business to ruffle feathers whenever and wherever he could. That includes during the two years he served in the army in the late 1950s. According to The New Yorker, he spent much of those two years incarcerated in a military jail after he and other soldiers stabbed a white soldier for a racial incident. 

Rob Riggle

Comedian Rob Riggle is one of the most dedicated Marines in Hollywood history. He joined in 1990 and served overseas multiple times throughout his 23-year career, including his time in the reserves. While most stints in the military were only a few years for the people on this list, Riggle served well enough and long enough to retire as a lieutenant colonel.

Jennifer Marshall

Jennifer Marshall might not be a household name yet, but fans of Stranger Things, know her as Max's mom Susan. Before becoming an actress, Marshall served five years in the Navy, including on the USS Theodore Roosevelt during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Jimmy Stewart

Jimmy Stewart was already one of the biggest stars in the world, having won an Oscar for The Philadelphia Story before he joined the army after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Unlike some actors like Ronald Reagan, Stewart was in the thick of the fighting as a member of the Army Air Force and was well-decorated for it, including winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. He remained in the reserves until well after the war, retiring in 1968 with the rank of brigadier general. 

Ice-T

Ice-T is not only an actor but one of the pioneers of hip-hop. He first got interested in music in the late '70s, while serving in the army. His time in the army wasn't exactly filled with glory, however. He was charged with theft while serving and eventually was found in dereliction of duty as a result. He cut his time short because he was already a single father and was honorably discharged in 1979. 

Gal Gadot

In Israel, most citizens are required to serve in the Israeli Defense Force and Gal Gadot was no different when she was drafted at age 20. She served her mandatory two years in the army as a combat fitness instructor. She was famously part of a Maxim Magazine spread of female Israeli soldiers during her time in the service before trying her hand at acting and landing her breakthrough role in Fast & Furious. 

Bob Ross

Famous for his calm demeanor and his big hair (a hairstyle he came to hate), Bob Ross doesn't seem like the military type. For most people, Ross is all about vegging out and destressing while watching him paint like magic on TV. Before all that though, he was a master sergeant in the Air Force. 

Robin Quivers

Robin Quivers is most famous for being Howard Stern's sidekick on his notorious radio show and co-starring with him in Private Parts, but long before she became a key part of Stern's team, she was an officer in the Air Force. She joined after college in 1975 and eventually rose to the rank of captain before leaving the military and starting her radio career. 

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Like a few actors, Arnold Schwarzenegger's time in the army was somewhat undistinguished. He, of course, served in his native Austria, which required one year of service from all young men. During his time, he was already a rising star in the bodybuilding world and he even went AWOL to compete. After he was discharged, he entered his first Mr. Universe competition, placing second, and the rest is history. 

Sean Connery

Though he just missed World War II, Sean Connery joined the Royal Navy in 1946 at just age 16. No, he didn't serve on a submarine, and the James Bond star wasn't a spy. His time in the service was somewhat short-lived as he was discharged for a medical issue less than three years later. He remained proud of his service for the rest of his life, however. 

Caitlin Bassett

Quantum Leap star Caitlin Bassett is a rarity in Hollywood, a female combat veteran. Bassett served for seven years in the army, including three overseas deployments to Afghanistan before being honorably discharged in 2017 and embarking on her acting career. 

Gene Hackman

Hollywood legend Gene Hackman enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1947 at just age 16. He served for almost five years as a radio operator, including for a year in China. After he was honorably discharged, he went to college and finally at age 30 started acting. it was a long road, but Hackman couldn't have imagined the success he'd find as one of the most beloved actors of his generation. 

Tom Selleck

Tom Selleck served for six years in the California Army National Guard during the height of the Vietnam War. By serving in the National Guard, it meant he didn't end up going overseas to fight, but that should diminish his service. The Blue Bloods star began his career with bit parts on TV shows and in commercials while serving, though it was years before he famously had to turn down the role of Indiana Jones. 

Marlene Dietrich

Though she never formally served in the armed services, we could not make this list without Marlene Dietrich's fascinating story. The German-born actress renounced her German citizenship in 1939 when World War II began and she worked vigorously for the USO during the war years, supporting American GIs. Later in the war, she was recruited by the OSS to record songs used for propaganda against German soldiers. After the war, Dietrich was awarded the Medal Of Freedom for her service. 

Gregory Gadson

Battleship star Gregory Gadson is more famous for his service than his acting, which is unique on this list. Gadson is a West Point graduate who was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007. He lost both legs but learned to walk again using cutting-edge prosthetics and later, incorporating his injury into his character in Battleship. 

James Doohan

Star Trek legend James Doohan served bravely with the Canadian army during World War II and participated in the Normandy invasion on D-Day in 1944. He collected a number of medals for bravery during his time in the war and was even shot six times in the battle on Juno Beach on that fateful day. He later flew planes during the war as well. 

Charles Bronson

One of Charles Bronson's most beloved roles is that of an officer in one of the best war movies ever, The Great Escape. Though he was Polish in the movie, he served in the US Army Air Force during World War II as a gunner on a bomber. He served with distinction, flying on 25 missions in the Pacific during the war and earning a Purple Heart. 

Kris Kristofferson

As a singer-songwriter and actor, Kris Kristofferson has usually been connected to the counterculture, but it wasn't always that way. Kristofferson grew up an army brat and despite being a Rhodes scholar in college, he was pressured by his proud military family to join the service. He was commissioned as an officer and served in Germany after completing Ranger training. He left the army in '65 and moved to Nashville, and the rest is history.

Mark Valley

Fox's Human Target was a short-lived, underrated TV show with an all-star that included  Chi McBride, Jackie Earle Haley, Indira Varma, and Janet Montgomery. It was led by Mark Valley, who played Christopher Chance, based on a DC comic character from a book also called Human Target. Valley himself is a graduate of West Point who saw combat in the first Gulf War.  

Jake McLaughlin

One of the more interesting stories on this list belongs to Quantico star Jake McLaughlin. McLaughlin joined the army after high school and served in the Iraq war, seeing combat in the earliest days of the invasion. After getting out, he worked a few odd jobs before landing a role in In the Valley of Elah. From there, he's never looked back, landing roles in multiple TV shows and movies. 

Jesse Ventura

While Jesse Ventura, star of the wrestling squared circle and movies like Predator, never saw combat in Vietnam, he did have an impressive service career. He completed BUD/S school, which is SEAL training, and served as part of an Underwater Demolition Team, the predecessors to the SEALs. Later he would become a politician and a member of the WWE Hall of Fame. 

J.W. Cortés

Fans of the Fox Batman prequel show Gotham will recognize J.W. Cortés as Detective Carlos Alvarez, who works with Jim Gordon in the Gotham PD. Cortés served for 13 years in the Marine Corps, including during Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

Remi Adeleke

2023's Plane is somewhat under-appreciated because it's a great action flick. Part of what makes it great is the breakout performance from Remi Adeleke. Adeleke plays part of a private military unit charged with rescuing passengers in a disabled plane stuck in the Philippines. Adeleke plays the part well because, well, he's a former SEAL in real life. 

The $2 billion lifetime box mark for all their movies is a major milestone for actors and only the most popular ones have reached that level. The full list, per The Numbers, includes a lot of names you'd expect, and a few you wouldn't. Many on the list play major characters in the MCU, though we've limited those somewhat here, to get a fuller picture. So here it is, our list of actors who've topped the $2 billion mark all-time at the box office.

Daniel Radcliffe

There are some huge franchises out there, and few are bigger than the Harry Potter series, so naturally, the actor who played its protagonist, Daniel Radcliffe, is going to find his way onto this list. With a box office total climbing north of $2.6 billion, Radcliffe has supplemented Harry Potter with big movies like Now You See Me 2 and The Lost City.

Tom Cruise

For four decades Tom Cruise has been one of, if not the, most bankable stars in Hollywood. The biggest chunk of the more than $4 billion he's earned has come from the Mission: Impossible movies, but almost every one of his movies, from Top Gun to War of the Worlds and beyond are usually big money makers. 

Harrison Ford

When you star in two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, you're going to make this list. As Han Solo in the Star Wars movies and as the titular character in the Indiana Jones series, Harrison Ford has been raking in box office receipts for decades.  He's also had big money earners outside those series as well, like the two Jack Ryan movies he starred in, and movies like The Fugitive and the two Blade Runner flicks.  

Tom Hanks

It's hardly a surprise to see Tom Hanks on this list. With a total box office of over $5 billion, Hanks has consistently crushed it in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history. The list of Hanks' best movies includes Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Big, and many more, but the movies that make the biggest contribution to that box office number come from the Toy Story franchise. 

Jack Black

Jack Black movies have brought in more than $2.7 billion. Before you wonder where that has come from, you have to remember just how huge the Kung Fu Panda series of movies have been. They all have collected huge box office numbers. Throw in School of Rock, and the Jumanji series, and all of a sudden, you're climbing in some pretty rarified air. Oh - and it might surprise you that the Super Mario Bros. Movie earned more than a billion on its own.  

Morgan Freeman

Is there a more beloved actor in Hollywood than Morgan Freeman? With movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, and Unforgiven he's proven he's one the best actors, and with huge movies like The Dark Knight trilogy, he's brought in a ton of money, with over $2 billion total. 

George Clooney

There isn't anyone in Hollywood who quite personifies a classic movie star than George Clooney. He's brought in more than $2 billion lifetime, with only one superhero movie on his resume (and a forgettable one at that, with Batman & Robin). Of course, the Ocean's movies have been his biggest box office successes, but he mostly has just put out great movie after great movie. 

Liam Neeson

While Liam Neeson isn't alone in actors we'd like to see in the MCU one day, he's still earned bank at the box office. He's appeared in a number of other big franchises, like Star Wars, The Dark Knight, and The Chronicles of Narnia, and the franchise he's most known for, the Taken movies. 

Steve Carell

It may surprise you to see Steve Carrell on this list until you remember how huge the Despicable Me franchise is. Those movies print money and Carell has been a monster piece in that puzzle. Of course, he's also had huge hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the Anchorman movies. 

Meryl Streep

It's hard to argue against Meryl Streep being the finest actress of a generation, and perhaps even ever. With more than 20 Oscar nominations, she's built a career that is unparalleled. She has also managed to kill it at the box office despite not being a part of any huge franchises. The Mamma Mia! movies are the closest she's come to something like that, which makes her $2 billion+ that much more impressive.  

Eddie Murphy

Year after year Eddie Murphy just cranks out hit after hit. Sure, he's a long way away from his peak as a comic in the '80s, but you can't argue against the results, with over $3.5 billion in total receipts. The biggest contributors, of course, are the Shrek movies. 

Johnny Depp

Of course, Johnny Depp has to be on this list. Depp led one of the biggest franchises of the early 21st Century with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He's had a lot of hits outside of his work for Disney, but the role of Jack Sparrow has translated to a big chunk of his more than $3.6 billion total box office. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence hasn't been in the MCU proper, but in full disclosure, she did appear in the X-Men franchise when it was outside of the MCU proper. So there is that. Still, she's also got another franchise under her belt with the Hunger Games movies. Outside of that, she's known for taking on serious roles in movies like Winter's Bone and Mother. It all adds up to more than $2.6 billion.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro has been one of the most famous actors in Hollywood for more than 50 years and with that has come a lot of success at the ticket window. in total, his movies like Cape Fear, The Godfather II, Killers of the Flower Moon, and, the films that have contributed the most to his more than $2.6 billion lifetime box office sales, the Meet The Parents movies. 

Emma Watson

As one of the key cast members of eight Harry Potter movies, it's hardly a surprise to see Emma Watson on this list. That franchise alone has made billions. She also appeared as Belle in the Disney live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, which made a cool billion as well. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

The great Leonardo DiCaprio is another actor on this list who has built remarkable box office numbers – well over $2 billion – without the benefit of a major franchise. It helps to have Titanic on your resume though. 

Julia Roberts

Since the late '80s, Julia Roberts has been box office gold. In all, her movies have made more than $2 billion, and without the benefit of a major franchise, aside from the first two Ocean's movies. Instead, she's built her legendary career on movies like Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, and Eat Pray Love.

Bruce Willis

There are few action stars as loved as Bruce Willis. Before he retired due to aphasia and dementia, he not only starred in the Die Hard series, but he consistently churned out hits like Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, and one of his biggest movies, Armageddon. He also popped in two of the Expendables movies, earning an overall $3 billion or so. 

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson may have started out in professional wrestling, but he's owned Hollywood since making the transition to acting. In addition to the Fast and Jumanji franchises, Johnson's box office totals include two Mummy movies and a slew of other hits. It all adds up to well over $3 billion. 

Owen Wilson

There is a small caveat here. Owen Wilson has technically appeared in the MCU, but it was on the Disney+ show Loki and he's never been in one of the movies, so nothing in the MCU is reflected in his box office numbers. What does count is movies like Meet The Parents, Night At The Museum, and The Cars franchise. It all adds up to more than $2.3 billion.

Adam Driver

While he may not have the MCU on his resume, Adam Driver does have three huge Star Wars movies on it. That's a great way to pad your box office numbers. Driver is hardly a one-hit wonder though. House of Gucci, BlacKkKlansman, and others all add up to more than $2.3 billion.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock has put together an impressive career that's spanned over three decades. Despite not starring in many major franchises aside from Ocean's 8 and Minions. Still, over her career, she's generated more than $2.6 billion in box office totals. Impressive, to say the least. 

Kevin Hart

Everyone loves Kevin Hart, but it's sort of surprising just how successful his movies have been over the years. He's in rarified air here with over $2.4 billion in tickets sold to movies he's appeared in. It certainly helps that's his popped up in the Fast franchise, as well as the Jumanji movies, of course. 

Jim Carrey

Other than Batman Forever Jim Carrey has avoided major franchises over the years. Still, at one point, he was Hollywood's highest-paid actor because his movies almost always make big bucks, bringing in more than $2.9 million overall. Movies like Bruce Almighty and the Sonic movies have contributed greatly to that haul. 

Will Ferrell

What can you say about Will Ferrell that hasn't already been said? Frankly, he's the premier comedic actor over the last couple of decades. With movies like the Anchorman series, Elf, Step Brothers, and maybe his biggest contributor to his more than $2.8 billion in receipts, the Lego franchise, Farrell movies continue to clean up in theaters. 

Will Smith

Before the infamous "slap" at the Oscars in 2023, Will Smith was one of America's most beloved movie stars. His reputation has taken a hit, but his box office numbers over the years don't lie. With franchises like Bad Boys and Men In Black, in addition to a huge number of other hits over the years, Smith's total take is among the highest ever at over $3.8 billion. 

Keanu Reeves

You don't need comic book movies when you've got monster franchises like John Wick and The Matrix. Those two series have contributed a huge part to Keanu Reeves' amazing box office numbers, which stretch over $2 billion now. Throw in one of the Toy Story movies and a handful of other big hits and you're on top of the world. 

Denzel Washington

Until The Equalizer series, Denzel Washington had never even starred in a sequel, much a franchise. He has still managed to rack up more than $2.5 billion in box office numbers though. Washington has been one of the world's most famous actors for decades and has won a slew of awards, including two Oscars, so it's hardly a surprise, but it's still darn impressive. 

Brad Pitt

If Brad Pitt's Ocean's franchise co-star George Clooney isn't the most famous movie star in the world, Brad Pitt might be. Like Clooney, he's mostly built his box office record without the help of any major franchise, aside from Ocean's. It is worth mentioning that he had that infamous cameo in Deadpool 2, but that's still technically outside of the MCU. 

Adam Sandler

He's not everyone's cup of tea, sure, but Adam Sandler has put together one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood history with his unique brand of humor. Movies like Big Baddy, Mr. Deeds, You Don't Mess with the Zohan and Grown Ups have all tucked away huge amounts of money, as have others, meaning Sandler's overall box office is up over $2.8 billion. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck does benefit from his time as Batman in the ill-fated DCEU, which has since been replaced with the reboot DCU. Those movies, despite mostly middling reviews, did all make a lot of money. When you add in movies like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Gone Girl, it's easy to see how his total haul adds up to more than $2.4 billion. 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg might be the most surprising person on this list, believe it or not. Then you remember he was in some of the Transformer movies, and think about how much the Ted and Daddy's Home movies made, and you realize it's not actually all that shocking. In total, his movies have brought in well over two and a half billion dollars. 

Francis Ford Coppola is responsible for some truly iconic movies, including The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. His newest creation, Megalopolis, could very well end up in that same conversation, at least in terms of scope, as the esteemed filmmaker has apparently been working on this passion project since the 1980s. That labor of love — and $120 million of Coppola’s own money — has finally been witnessed by an audience, as Megalopolis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, and critics are sharing their views on the science fiction drama.

Megalopolis is set in New Rome (an alt-universe NYC) following a huge accident that destroyed the decaying metropolis. As an architect with the power to control time — Adam Driver’s Cesar Catilina — aims to rebuild, he faces opposition from New Rome’s corrupt mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). The cast is brimming with stars like Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight, so let’s see what critics think, starting with IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, who grades the movie a B+, writing: 

Damon Wise of Deadline says the movie bulldozes several filmmaking rules — including an audacious fourth-wall-breaking gimmick — but love it or hate it, this was the film the writer/director set out to make. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis reinvents the possibilities of cinema, Wise writes, and it’s sure to inspire as many people as it will inevitably alienate. The critic continues: 

Bilge Ebiri of Vulture says Megalopolis might be the craziest movie he’s ever seen, and he enjoyed “every single batshit second of it.” To illustrate the point, Ebiri writes: 

While some critics are embracing the absolute madness of this new world, others just can’t get behind the project. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, for instance, calls Francis Ford Coppola’s epic “megabloated and megaboring,” saying that despite its compelling question about the future of the U.S. empire, nothing can save the movie from bad acting and bad visual effects. Bradshaw gives the Megalopolis 2 out of 5 stars, saying: 

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair calls the drama “the junkiest of junk drawer movies” and a “passion project gone horribly wrong.” Lawson says for all of its faults, its datedness is what really tanks the movie, with only a few glimpses of a computer, no cellphones and people getting their news from newspapers. As for the plot, the critic says: 

Megalopolis is a polarizing movie, to be sure, and with 26 critics weighing in on Rotten Tomatoes following its Cannes premiere, the film is rated 46%. It will be interesting to see how the conversation surrounding this project that was decades in the making continues to evolve as we wait for a release date. Keep an eye on the 2024 movie calendar for that and all of the other upcoming releases. 

Some actors are best known and even defined by a single character that has captured the hearts of audiences all over the world. However, in many cases, said iconic character does not necessarily reflect the performer’s strongest performance, which they often tend to save for the role that they hope will earn them an Academy Award nomination or, at least, challenges them the most. The following is our attempt to distinguish the most iconic roles from our choices picks for the absolute best roles of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Chris Evans

The role that skyrocketed Chris Evans to the A-list and the one he will always be most famous for is Steve "Captain America" Rogers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, his talents are even better utilized in his scene-stealing performance in the Knives Out cast as the hilariously smug and conniving Ransom Drysdale.

Amy Adams

The world first fell in love with Amy Adams when she absolutely nailed the Disney Princess schtick as Giselle in 2007’s Enchanted. Yet, she is truly a captivating, commanding, and heartbreaking force to be reckoned with in Denis Villeneuve’s powerful 2016 alien invasion movie, Arrival, as linguistics expert Louise Banks — which, surprisingly, is not one of the six roles that earned her an Oscar nomination.

Kurt Russell

For many people, when they see Kurt Russell, they see the dystopian anti-hero Snake Plissken in Escape from New York from 1981 or helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in another great John Carpenter movie, 1982’s The Thing. Yet, even the actor’s biggest fans might agree that those performances pale in comparison to his acclaimed portrayal of Wyatt Earp in the 1993 Western movie classic, Tombstone.

Margot Robbie

Margot Robbie first captivated audiences everywhere as Naomi Lapaglia in 2013’s The Wolf of Wall Street and her portrayal of Harley Quinn in the DCEU immediately became one of the Batman villain’s most essential iterations. However, the Australian actor gave, arguably, her most captivating and essential performance as infamous figure skating champion Tonya Harding in the 2017 biopic, I, Tonya, which also earned her her first Oscar nomination.

Nicolas Cage 

Nicolas Cage is at his most iconic when he is at his most unhinged and few characters define that better than Castor Troy — a ruthless terrorist who switches faces with FBI agent Sean Archer (John Travolta) in Face/Off. Of course, it is Cage's performance as severe alcoholic Ben Sanderson in Leaving Las Vegas that earned him an Oscar win.

Julia Roberts 

Having been referred to as the Queen of rom-coms, it would make sense to call Julia Roberts’ strongest contribution to the genre — Vivian Ward from 1990’s Pretty Woman — the most iconic of her career. Yet, her strongest contribution to cinema might actually be her Academy Award-winning performance in the title role of 2000’s Erin Brockovich, which is based on the true story of a legal assistant’s crusade in a California water pollution scandal. 

Tom Hanks

Our choices for both the most iconic role and the best role of Tom Hanks’ career each earned him an Academy Award. While the lovable title hero of 1994’s Forrest Gump is easily the more famous, the actor is at his most gripping and moving as gay, HIV-positive lawyer Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia from the previous year.

Ryan Gosling

Playing Noah in 2004's romantic instant classic The Notebook broke Ryan Gosling into the mainstream and playing the nameless wheelman protagonist of 2011's Drive showed his action star potential. The first time critics and audiences truly began to notice his strengths as a versatile performer, however, was when he played a teacher wrestling with his vices in 2006's Half Nelson.

Robert Downey, Jr.

There was no better choice to play Tony "Iron Man" Stark — the role that effectively resurrected Robert Downey Jr.'s career — in what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yet, has the actor truly ever been better than when he played Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer cast in 2023? Just ask the Academy.

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence breathed refreshing new life into the cinematic version of YA dystopian novel hero Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games movies. She especially breathed refreshing life into the already beautiful story of love and self-acceptance at the center of Silver Linings Playbook with her Oscar-winning performance as the widowed Tiffany Maxwell.

Jim Carrey

The one role that best represents Jim Carrey’s one-of-a kind erratic style of physical comedy is the ceaselessly goofy title hero of 1994’s Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. There are certainly traces of that persona in unwitting TV star Truman Burbank from 1998’s The Truman Show, but the performance brought out a certain emotional depth and devastating earnestness we had not yet seen from the actor.

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson was already a top A-lister when she was cast as Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff for the MCU — a role that, arguably, became bigger than the actor herself. Yet, her infectious, Oscar-nominated performance in 2019’s Jojo Rabbit as Rosie — the mother of a young aspiring Nazi who is secretly hiding a young Jewish woman — is the heart and soul of Taika Waititi’s dazzling World War II-era satire.

Matt Damon

Is there anything better than watching Matt Damon kick butt in the Jason Bourne movies as the titular amnesiac spy? How about watching him pour out his heart and soul as a young and brilliant, but emotionally troubled custodian in 1997’s Good Will Hunting, which he also co-wrote the Academy Award-winning screenplay for?

Jamie Lee Curtis

Playing Laurie Strode in Halloween may have made her the ultimate horror Scream Queen and playing IRS inspector Deirdre Beaubeirdre in Everything Everywhere All at Once may have finally earned her an Oscar, but neither reflect her absolute best work in our opinion. Her Golden Globe-winning role as Helen Tasker — a woman who discovers her husband (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a spy — shows the extent of her versatile range and is easily the performance from 1994’s True Lies.

Michael Keaton

When you think of Michael Keaton, the first character you picture could be Bruce Wayne from Tim Burton's live-action Batman movies or the title role of another Burton classic called Beetlejuice. Yet, the actor's defining role might really be the one that earned him his first Academy Award nomination: down-and-out actor Riggan Thomson in Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).

Adam Driver

Typically, any Star Wars actor can call their role in the celebrated sci-fi franchise the most famous character they have ever played and Adam Driver’s Kylo Ren is certainly no exception. His performance as the Sith Lord is an essential highlight of the sequel trilogy, but his rich, emotionally devastating, and uniquely funny performance as Charlie Barber in 2019’s Marriage Story — his second Oscar-nominated role — really proved he was a force to behold.

Clint Eastwood

The Mount Rushmore of Western Movie Stars undeniably includes Clint Eastwood, whose own carving into the monument would probably be dressed like his three roles from Sergio Leone's "The Man with No Name" or "Dollars" Trilogy — made of up A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly. Well, forgive us, but we believe that coldblooded-killer turned mild-mannered family man William Munny from 1992’s Unforgiven — which he also directed — is his stronger and deeper contribution to the genre.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams is transcendent as the ultimate ruthless teen queen, Regina George, in the 2004 high school movie classic, Mean Girls. Yet, she is at her most grounded and most captivatingly understated in her Oscar-nominated portrayal of Boston Globe investigative journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in 2015’s Spotlight.

Tom Cruise 

Among Tom Cruise’s many iconic roles — especially Maverick in the Top Gun movies and Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible movies — we are not sure that we would include Ron Kovic in that least. Yet, we do believe the actor has never been better than in his impassioned, Academy Award-nominated portrayal of the real-life Vietnam vet-turned-war-protester in Oliver Stone’s Born on the Fourth of July.

Emma Watson

Most people — especially Harry Potter fans — still see Hermione Graigner whenever they see Emma Watson. However, one role that came closest to replacing the talented wizard as the British actor’s most celebrated work is Sam Button from the tender 2012 coming-of-age drama, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford is the face of two of cinema’s most iconic action movie heroes: Indiana Jones and Han Solo from the Star Wars movies. Yet, we have seen the legend give a performance as intense, grounded, and human as Detective Captain John Book in Witness, which also earned him his sole Academy Award nomination.

Jeff Bridges

Jeff Bridges had already achieved a storied and widely acclaimed career by the time he landed his definitive role as freewheeling burnout, The Dude, in Joel and Ethan Coen’s 1998 cult favorite comedy classic, The Big Lebowski. It would take another 12 years before he gave his definitive performance as disillusioned country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, which made him an Oscar winner.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Jack Dawson from James Cameron’s high-grossing Best Picture Oscar winner, 1997’s Titanic, remains the one role Leonardo DiCaprio is most often associated with despite winning his Oscar for 2015’s The Revenant. However, it is his remarkable portrayal of Howard Hughes, from his rise as an inventive aristocrat to his falls as a disturbed recluse, that earns the highest praise from us. 

Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman has an extraordinary collection of unique characters under her belt, but none are quite as distinct or recognizable as Satine in Baz Luhrmann’s 2001 musical smash, Moulin Rouge! Yet, the following year saw her give a transformative, Oscar-winning performance in The Hours as renowned author Virginia Woolf during a dismal time in her life.

Christian Bale

Christian Bale had audiences floored by his performance as Bruce Wayne in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy, which solidified him as one of the best Batman actors in cinematic history. However, we believe we already saw him at his best in 2000’s American Psycho, giving a brilliantly nuanced performance as a strangely compelling sociopath named Patrick Bateman.

Natalie Portman

Rewatching the Star Wars prequel trilogy is made easier for even its harshest critics by Natalie Portman’s empowering, grounding, and ultimately heartbreaking performance as Naboo’s queen-turned-senator, Padmé Amidala. Yet, we have it on good authority that even those fans of a galaxy far, far away would rather rewatch 2010’s Black Swan and experience her unsettling, bravura, Academy Award-winning turn as Nina Sayers — a ballerina driven mad by her devotion to the lead role of Swan Lake.

Daniel Radcliffe 

Daniel Radcliffe certainly made for a great “The Boy Who Lived” in the Harry Potter movies, but even some of the franchise’s biggest fans might agree that the English actor has only gotten better since exiting the Wizarding World. In fact, some might say he has gotten better as the roles got weirder, and none have been weirder than when he starred in 2022’s Weird: The Al Yankovic Story as a hilariously exaggerated version of the legendary musical parodist.

Kate Winslet

Much like Titanic made Leonardo DiCaprio a star, starring in the blockbuster historical tragedy as Rose Bukater turned Kate Winslet into one of the top actors of her time. In spite of her wonderful performance there, many would agree the role mainly paved the way for even better opportunities, such as her Oscar-winning performance in 2008’s The Reader as Hanna Schmitz.

Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac was certainly on the path to achieving A-list status before joining the cast of 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but playing the charming resistance pilot was his one-way ticket across the bridge. That same year, however, he delivered a captivatingly complex and intriguingly layered performance as tech innovator Nathan Bateman in Alex Garland’s classic A24 sci-fi drama, Ex Machina

Reese Witherspoon

As Elle Woods in 2001’s Legally Blonde, Reese Witherspoon brings warmth, humor, and authenticity to a character who could have easily been an annoying, one-note stereotype. As June Carter Cash in 2005’s Walk the Line, she absolutely steals the show from Joaquin Phoenix’s Johnny Cash with her powerful, Oscar-winning portrayal of the legendary singer.

Henry Cavill

Being, essentially, the spitting image of Clark Kent made Henry Cavill an ideal choice to play Superman in 2013’s Man of Steel, but not quite the perfect choice. The English actor’s signature charm, charisma, and sense of humor shine through much stronger as American secret agent Napoleon Solo in Guy Ritchie’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E., which we think is gleaming proof of his 007 material.

Brie Larson

You could say that Carol Danvers has become such a popular character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because Brie Larson is the one portraying her in Captain Marvel and subsequent films. For that, we can likely thank her magnificent, heart-wrenching, Oscar-winning performance in 2015’s Room as a single mother held captive with her son.

There are the characters we cherish and the performances we adore. Both are equally important reasons for why we love our favorite actors.

Of all the mysteries of life, one that continues to confound us is what, exactly, lies beyond our planet. After thousands of years of peering into outer space as far as we could, we began to look for those answers in a very concrete way by sending people to the stars, and our movies have reflected our desire to know more, meaning that a number of humanity’s biggest and brightest stars have played space-faring individuals on screen. Here for you now are 32 famous actors who’ve played astronauts.

Sandra Bullock (Gravity)

Let’s start with one of the more harrowing views of space travel, Gravity, which garnered a number of Academy Award wins after its 2013 release. Sandra Bullock stars as Dr. Ryan Stone, who’s on her first space mission in order to help upgrade a telescope. But, things very quickly go wrong when she’s doing a spacewalk, and debris from a recently deactivated satellite hits the shuttle and leaves her stranded with many of her crew dead, Ryan floating through space, and desperate to find a way back to earth all on her own.

Brad Pitt (Ad Astra)

A space trip that doesn’t go too much better involves Brad Pitt’s Roy McBride in 2019’s Ad Astra. When Roy is tasked with traveling to Mars to see if the crew of a mission that was searching for other intelligent life, which was led 29 years earlier by his father, is still alive, he’s unwittingly thrust into a situation that’s far more dangerous than even standard space travel is known to be.

Ryan Reynolds (Life)

Noted comedic actor and big-screen superhero talent Ryan Reynolds has also donned a space suit for the very much not comedic Life, a 2017 ode to terror in space. After a probe returns to the International Space Station with soil samples from Mars, what is at first a dormant cell quickly turns into, well, life, and begins to cause a lot of horrific trouble for Reynolds’ engineer and the rest of the crew.

Halle Berry (Moonfall)

If you’re starting to sense a theme here, that outer space is dangerous, congratulations, because you really are paying attention. In the sci-fi disaster epic, Moonfall, Halle Berry’s NASA deputy director has to investigate when the moon begins to leave its orbit and come closer to Earth, threatening all of civilization. When she digs deeper into the mystery, however, she finds a government cover-up that goes back many decades and is forced to head back into space with a small crew to take care of the growing problem herself.

Michael Peña (A Million Miles Away)

Considering the incredible number of films we have where those who head into space are prominent characters, there are actually relatively few based on the lives of real people. A Million Miles Away stars Michael Peña as José M. Hernández, a Mexican-American engineer who served as a migrant worker when he was a child and went on to become an astronaut who worked aboard the International Space Station.

Viola Davis (Solaris)

There are many sci-fi films of the mind-trip variety and Solaris is no different. Viola Davis portrays one of the last surviving members of a space station crew orbiting the titular alien world, who must then try to help George Clooney’s visiting psychologist understand the truly strange phenomena that led to the death or disappearance of most of the crew. If you enjoy a twisty ending that leaves you with lots of questions, you’ll enjoy this one.

Mark Wahlberg (Planet Of The Apes)

You know this story; you love this story. Planet of the Apes saw Mark Wahlberg take over the role of an astronaut who crashes on a foreign planet, only to find that apes are now the dominant species, while humans are mostly without speech and used as slave labor. 

Chris Evans (Sunshine)

And here we have yet another space movie where a mission does not quite go as planned. Sunshine features stars like Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh and a pre-Captain America Chris Evans as the crew of a ship that’s been tasked with traveling to our dying sun to deliver a bomb in the hopes of reigniting it so that our planet can avoid another catastrophic ice age.

Adam Driver (65)

Ever wonder what Earth was like about 65 million years ago when dinosaurs still ruled the land? Well, that’s what alien astronaut Mills (Adam Driver) accidentally finds out when his ship is struck by a large field of asteroids and crashes on our planet, leading him to have to protect the only other survivor as they flee many dangerous beasts in an attempt to get to a faraway escape pod so they can return home.

Sigourney Weaver (Alien)

It’s possible we’d have far fewer of these “if it can go wrong on a space mission it will” science fiction films without what many consider one of the best horror movies of all time, Alien. The classic stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of a seven-person crew who unknowingly stumble upon the ultra-dangerous xenomorphs that would go on to become legendary in sci-fi horror, which quickly leads to pretty much nothing but increasingly bad times on their doomed mission.

Tom Hanks (Apollo 13)

We’ve hit upon another story based on some real-life adventures! In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks stars as Commander Jim Lovell who, along with Command Module Pilot Jack Swigert (Kevin Bacon) and Lunar Module Pilot Fred Haise (Bill Paxton), board their 1970 mission to the moon in order to become the third American crew to land there. However, trouble starts almost immediately.

Natalie Portman (Lucy In The Sky)

While not completely a true life story, 2019’s Lucy in the Sky is billed as being “loosely inspired” by the life of NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak. The plot concerns Natalie Portman’s Lucy, who has just returned from her first space mission, which had such a huge impact on her that she no longer feels connected to her family or life here. As she pushes herself to return on the next mission, she undergoes a mental breakdown that sends her life into a tailspin.

Glen Powell (Hidden Figures)

While the amazing biopic, Hidden Figures, focuses on three Black women (Katherine Goble Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) who worked as NASA mathematicians during the height of the Space Race in the 1960s, we do still get an astronaut in this film. Twisters star Glen Powell plays John Glenn, who became the first American in orbit in 1962.

Robert Pattinson (High Life)

You’d think a movie called High Life would finally focus on some good times in space, but…nahhhhh. Robert Pattinson is a member of a crew of convicts on death row who’ve been sent to retrieve energy from a black hole, with the experiments of their commander leading to a child being born on board while crew members spiral out of control.

Tom Cruise (Oblivion)

Tom Cruise’s 2013 film, Oblivion, features him in a twisty plot that involves a post-apocalyptic Earth, evil A.I., even more evil aliens, and his character trying to figure out exactly what’s going on with his assigned mission. This is a good one that people hardly ever talk about.

Jodie Foster (Contact)

Based on the 1985 novel by Carl Sagan, Contact stars Academy Award winner Jodie Foster as a scientist who specializes in the search for extraterrestrial life, and finds a big clue toward that goal when she locates a radio signal that appears to be sent from a distant star, and is eventually chosen as the person to make first contact with the alien race behind the signal. Contact is an amazing film that is a must-see for sci-fi and space movie lovers.

Colin Farrell (Voyagers)

This movie is a real (space) trip. Voyagers stars Colin Farrell as the leader of a crew of very young adults who were bred away from humanity and had some of their hormones and emotions suppressed in the hope of keeping them manageable. But, when two of the crew realize what’s been done to them and convince everyone to stop taking the chemical, well, the proceedings get extremely emotional and tension doesn't let up for quite some time.

Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar)

By now, it’s probably pretty clear that our idea of space travel and exploration is mainly one of danger, especially from the unknown, and Christopher Nolan’s wildly successful Interstellar is certainly another addition to the film canon that shows us that. In it, Matthew McConaughey plays a former NASA test pilot who’s chosen to lead a mission through a wormhole that is hoped to lead to at least one habitable planet for humanity, which is dealing with a global famine that’s threatening an extinction event. 

Idris Elba (Prometheus)

Those Alien xenomorphs just won’t leave us alone, will they? In Prometheus, we get their origin story as a crew following an ancient star map searches for the beginnings of humanity, but instead finds…you know, a secret plot and lots of terror. Idris Elba portrays Janek, the heroic captain of the doomed spaceship.

Adam Sandler (Spaceman)

If you’ve ever gotten the sense that space travel can be kind of lonely, Adam Sandler’s Spaceman turns that idea up to 11. His astronaut is six months into a solo mission that sees him missing his wife and the unborn child he left behind, when he realizes he has a stowaway: an alien creature who can communicate telepathically with him, and seeks to understand humans while helping alleviate the astronaut’s loneliness.

Ryan Gosling (First Man)

This biographical drama sees Ryan Gosling play Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon in 1969. The story follows Armstrong, his wife Janet (Claire Foy), and other astronauts and NASA figures as they prepare for the famed Apollo 11 mission that led to Armstrong making history.

Angela Bassett (Supernova)

Even two-time Oscar nominee Angela Bassett has taken a turn at playing a space explorer whose time there does not go as planned. When she and her crew answer a distress call from thousands of light years away during their deep space mission, things go from bad to worse at, well, the speed of light.

Matt Damon (The Martian)

Matt Damon famously starred in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, playing astronaut Mark Watney, who’s forced to survive on Mars alone after being accidentally left behind when he’s presumed dead by the rest of his crew as they’re forced to evacuate. 

Bruce Willis (Armageddon)

Possibly the best non-traditional astronaut movie ever made, Armageddon stars good guy Bruce Willis as an oil driller recruited to go into space with a team of his mean so that they drill into a massive asteroid, implant a nuke in it and blow it up in the hope of stopping it from destroying the planet and human civilization as we know it. I got excited just writing that!

Laurence Fishburne (Event Horizon)

In space, no one can hear you scream. Unless you’re on a spaceship with other people that’s destined to run into loads of trouble, then, you know, all of those people will probably be able to hear you. There’s lots of screaming in 1997’s Event Horizon, which stars Laurence Fishburne as the captain of a rescue ship that goes to answer a distress call sent by a ship that disappeared several years prior. There’s a vivisection in this one. I’m starting to think we should just leave space alone.

Robert Duvall (Deep Impact)

You must remember Deep Impact, as it was released about two months before the more popular Armageddon, but featured a comet being on a collision course with our precious homeworld. Robert Duvall plays the pilot for the crew that’s dispatched to (you guessed it) drill into the comet and nuke it to smithereens. The mission does not go off without a hitch, and that’s why they call this a disaster movie.

Ethan Hawke (Gattaca)

In a society where most babies are created with genetic altering to make sure they have only the best traits of each parent, a man (Ethan Hawke) who was born without that practice poses as a man who was altered so that he can reach his dream of becoming an astronaut without all of the discrimination that people like him suffer in a society where people are expected to be “perfect” to have the best opportunities in life.

Sam Rockwell (Moon)

Ok, so maybe being in space, in general, isn’t always terrible. But it definitely seems like being alone in space for an extended period could be a bad sign for your future. Such is the case with Moon, where Sam Rockwell plays the lone human operating a mining facility on the titular celestial body, who comes to a startling revelation as he nears the end of his three-year work term.

Clint Eastwood (Space Cowboys)

Clint Eastwood has portrayed a number of (basically) good guys, so it makes complete sense that he would have stepped into the shoes of an Air Force pilot who retired long ago, but ends up leading a mission of other retired pilots to fix an old Soviet communications satellite that’s in danger of crashing to Earth.

Liv Tyler (Space Station 76)

As you’ve likely noticed, there are not a lot of comedies among this bunch, but Space Station 76 is definitely one of them. This “retro-futuristic” parody stars Liv Tyler as the newly arrived station’s co-pilot, who soon comes to realize that the apparently utopian lives of those on board are hiding some very real problems.

Alan Rickman (Galaxy Quest)

Here is another comedy that’s been a cult hit pretty much since its release in 1999. Galaxy Quest focuses on the cast of a fictional Star Trek-like series who are pulled into a hilariously real war between alien races, when the kind, gentle aliens have seen their show and believe it’s a documentary.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw (The Cloverfield Paradox)

The Cloverfield franchise grew with this 2018 entry, which stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as an engineer aboard an orbiting space station where the plan is to test a particle accelerator in the hope of using it to provide the planet with infinite energy. You know what happens, right? Things don’t go as planned.

Many of our finest actors have pretended to travel in space for our entertainment, and this list gives you a number of amazing options should you decide to launch an astronaut movie binge session.

Don’t let the name fool you: Michael Mann’s Heat is cold as ice in its delivery. Filled with almost three hours of violence, thrills, and looks into the unfortunates of the human condition (infidelity and poor mental health just to name a few), Heat is 100% unapologetic in its directness. It’s the quintessential 90’s crime movie that is just as grand as it was almost three decades ago. Now, Michael Mann, who is fresh off Ferrari starring Adam Driver and has since given an update on the status of Heat 2, isn’t sugar coating why he’s excited for the prequel sequel.

It’s obvious that Michael Mann is a total connoisseur of thrill and how time makes things sweeter. In an interview with NME, it’s mentioned he not only fell in love with Ferraris (the actual car), but he even participated in amateur races himself, which of course helped inspire him for the Ferrari project that he’s been a part of since the 1990s. So, with how epic Ferrari turned out, it’s not shocking that he is spending just as much time to make the follow-up to Heat come to life in the best way. But, his motivation for Heat 2 isn’t just through his own love for the story – it’s also through how viewers’ tastes have (and haven’t) changed, and yes commentary on superhero movies is involved with this. 

Here’s what the legendary director had to say:

If the news about Heat 2 itself wasn’t exciting enough, in the interview, Adam Driver shared that he has already talked to Michael Mann, and would be willing to team up again so he could play a young version of Robert De Niro’s Neil McCauley. That means if he is willing to jump right into such a role, there are endless possibilities of who else could be included to take on what many consider one of the best films of 1995. It’s all speculation for now on who would play the iconic role, but this just adds to the hype of Heat 2 going back to basics with the coolness, toughness, and humanness that has kept the original so popular and viewers seem to want more of.

It’s no secret how influential Heat is, and that it’s coming to fruition during a time when superhero movies haven’t been revered as much as they once were. In fact, some of the most recent poor performers like The Marvels and The Flash seemingly show that audiences have superhero fatigue and are looking for different types of movies and new storylines. This, despite there being plenty of upcoming Marvel movies still in the pipeline. If Michael Mann’s predictions are correct, Heat 2 can be the thing that reinvigorates audiences and sets off a new era for crime and action thrillers.

The brand new, revamped and rebooted DC Universe (DCU) has opened up endless possibilities. A new Superman has already been cast and is ready to take flight in the first movie in the new universe, which is replacing the old DC Extended Universe (DCEU). 

Producer James Gunn has shown he has a clear vision to wipe away most of the past and move forward with new actors and new stories, so for the purposes of this daydreaming, we're going to leave out the great actors who have appeared in DC-related films in the past, including the most recent movies starring the likes of Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ben Affleck, though we're not against them returning, too. 

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling is one of the biggest stars in the world, and also one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. He's the kind of actor you could cast in almost any role and you just know he'd hit it out of the park. He could play a hero or a villain and audiences would be transfixed no matter what. We probably want him as one of the most famous heroes though, someone befitting his star status. 

Daisy Ridley

We know she can carry a franchise, and we know she's a tough woman, so Daisy Ridley just has to find her way into the DCU. Of course, she'd have to be a hero, but who knows, maybe a change of pace from the Star Wars movies could be cool and she could play a villain. Either way, she has to have powers greater than The Force. 

Tom Cruise

It's time. It's hard to believe Tom Cruise has never been in a superhero movie. One of, in not the, biggest action stars of the last few decades still has that "hole" on his resume and it's time it got filled. Of course, we'd all love to see Cruise as a hero, but it would be awesome for him to be in any role, even a cameo like his turn in Tropic Thunder. Just get him in there, James Gunn! 

Jennifer Lawrence

Sure, Jennifer Lawrence appeared in the X-Men franchise, but that was years ago, and the comic book movie scene is a whole lot different today. Lawrence is a perfect fit for any number of roles, and even though she's great as Mystique, what about a hero as big as Wonder Woman or Black Canary? Surely she'd be fantastic. 

John Krasinski

John Krasinski delighted fans with his cameo as Dr. Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. MCU fans have been dying to see him as Mister Fantastic in the Fantastic 4 in the future, but so far, there's only been cold water thrown on the idea. That opens up the DCU for the former The Office star and he needs to step in. 

Zendaya

There isn't a bigger star on the scene right now than Zendaya. Sure, she's played MJ in the MCU and Spider-Man movies, but let's give her some real superpowers and let her run wild in the DCU. 

Jacob Elordi

Sure, Jacob Elordi says he's not interested in playing a superhero, having turned down an opportunity to read for Superman in the new DCU, but that doesn't mean we can't dream, right? There are so many heroes in the universe he could play. Elordi has been a hit in recent years with his role on HBO's Euphoria and movies like Saltburn and Pricilla, so he doesn't really need to be in the DCU, but we need him to be. 

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet has a knack for picking great roles for himself. At this point, he can pick and choose anything he wants, given how often his movies are hits. Chalamet could probably just tell James Gunn what role he wanted and they'd find a way for it to happen. So let's do it! 

Meryl Streep

Let's be real, there is nothing Meryl Streep can't do. The greatest actor of her generation, bar none, and yet, she's never appeared in a superhero movie. She's flirted with the idea, according to some reports, and she even did the Wakanda salute at the 2024 Golden Globes, but alas, we still haven't seen her in one. The new DCU must have a spot for her, right?

Patina Miller

Patina Miller has won a Tony and she's starred in two hit shows (Madam Secretary and Power Book III: Raising Kanan), but she hasn't broken big on the big screen, aside from an important but too-brief role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, and it's time that changed. She looks like a superhero and can act her socks off, so let's make it happen, let's make her a star in the DCU. 

Adam Driver

As Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequels, Adam Driver showed he could play a first-rate villain. Now it's time to see him play a hero. Any hero, pick one, it doesn't matter, he'd kill it. Batman? For sure. Superman? Well, that role is taken, but yes. Aquaman? Oh yes. Martian Manhunter? Check. Wonder Woman? Sure, why not, he's got the hair for it. Let's go! 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg may be aging gracefully and while he says he's ready to play grandpa roles, we think he'll never be too old for a spot in the DCU. Somehow he's never been in either the MCU or any of the DC-related properties, so the time is right. 

Cailee Spaeny

She may not jump off the page as a possible superhero, but don't forget that Cailee Spaeny starred in Pacific Rim Uprising and clearly has the chops to be in a big action flick. She's an up-and-coming superstar and jumping into the DCU now would be perfect timing. 

Alan Ritchson

Reacher's Alan Ritchson is over six feet tall and built like a monster truck, is there anyone in Hollywood more perfect to play an intimidating villain in a comic book movie? Sure, he could play a superhero, too, but being a villain would be an awesome departure from his character on Reacher and it would be a ton a fun. And again, just look at the guy! 

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown had an all-too-brief role as T'Chala's traitorous brother N'Jobu in Black Panther and it's high time he gets a chance to sink his teeth into a bigger superhero role. How about John Stewart/Green Lantern in the DCU? Brown has even campaigned for the role, so really, it's a perfect opportunity to get him into the DC Universe, it needs to happen, so we're putting it out there into the universe again. 

Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage has dabbled in superhero movies in the past, playing the villain, Bolivar Trask, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, as Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War, and as the Toxic Avenger, but it leaves us all wanting more. Let's be honest here, anything Dinklage does is awesome, so getting him into the DCU somehow would be amazing. He's also pretty good at carrying a wildly popular franchise, as he proved with Game of Thrones.

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson has done it all, except star in a comic book movie. Henson is one of the best actors of her generation and yet, she's got this hole in her resume that, let's be honest, we all want to see filled. The DCU would be a perfect place for her to land, in just about any role, superhero, villain, regular human... anything, just get her in there! 

Charlize Theron

Audiences were teased with a Charlize Theron character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the actress stars in the Old Guard franchise, but she's not appeared in any DC-related projects yet and she sure deserves to. We'd love to see her in any number of roles, as she can play just about anything. 

Jason Statham

He's one of the biggest action stars in the world, and yet Jason Statham hasn't appeared in the MCU or anything DC-related. This is something that must be remedied! How about Cliff Steele/Robotman, whose origin story comes out of a race car crash, which would dovetail perfectly with Statham's past work as star of The Transporter movies and in the Fast franchise?

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer has been taking the world by storm over the last few years and that means it's time to find her way into the DCU. Comer could be great in the MCU, but the possibilities in the DCU are endless and for someone like her, on the rise in Hollywood, the sky's the limit. 

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle is pretty entrenched in the MCU, where he's played James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine 10 times in various movies and TV shows. Still, Cheadle is awesome, and there has to be a way to get him into the DCU, too. He'd need to play a completely different kind of character, like a villain, but we're for it. 

Jenna Ortega

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is clearly ready for the big time. She'd be great as Aquagirl, or, even better, the villain Lourdes Lucero/Encantadora. There are a lot of options, let's hope she fits into one, because it would be great. 

Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña is another star that most fans immediately associate with The Guardians of the Galaxy and the MCU, but with the Guardians franchise possibly winding down, and the franchise's director, James Gunn, now in charge over at DC, this could be a good time to switch it up for Saldaña, as there are a lot of different heroes she would be great for. 

Josh Gad

Hear us out. Josh Gad may not be the first person you think of when you think of an action movie or a comic book movie, but some of the best casting decisions are sometimes the ones you least expect. Think Michael Keaton as Batman or even Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man. Gad, with his blend of humor and "everyman" qualities, can be pretty chameleon-like and that could make him perfect for the DCU. 

Gwendoline Christie

How has this happened? How have we gotten dozens of superhero movies in the last couple of decades and Gwendoline Christie hasn't been in any of them? Sure, she's got the physique to play any hero out there, but it's her wit and comedic timing combined with that that makes the Game of Thrones star a no-brainer. This seems too easy.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris jumped into the comic book world by playing Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. She was predictably great, so why not have her cast as a character with a multi-film arc? She should be. With the James Bond Universe in flux with the departure of Daniel Craig, this would be a great time for Harris to find a new franchise to get attached to. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Black Panther star Daniel Kaluuya (who also starred as a real-life Black Panther in Judas and the Black Messiah) is an actor who could fit into the DCU in just about any role. He could be a charming hero, or an evil villain, or even a government bureaucrat. Kaluuya's acting toolbox has a lot of options, the DCU will do well to take advantage of that somehow. 

Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer is a veteran of a lot of big-time franchises. Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and even the MCU. Unfortunately, she was in fewer Game of Thrones episodes than you would think, and her appearances in the other two were also fairly brief. The DCU has a great opportunity to feature her in a much larger role. 

Donald Glover

This is another absolute no-brainer. Donald Glover is one of the most talented and charming actors in the business, there are an endless amount of roles he could fill in the DCU, so someone out there needs to find a spot for him. 

Diego Luna

With Andor (and his other projects) Diego Luna showed the world how great he can be in a franchise. His performance was gripping, and bringing that same energy to the DCU would be fantastic. 

Jack Quaid

Let's take a sec to lament that despite starring in one of the wildest superhero franchises of all time, The Boys, Jack Quaid hasn't really had an opportunity to be a proper superhero (V-24 notwithstanding). So let's give him a proper chance here! Put him in the DCU! 

Hayden Panettiere

Save the cheerleader, save the world. It was a mantra for Heroes and it's time to see Hayden Panettiere play another superhero. She was so great in Heroes, there's no way she wouldn't be great in the DCU

The DC Universe is James Gunn's oyster, these are some of the pearls out there just waiting to be plopped onto his beach. 

To say the Star Wars prequels were divisive is putting it mildly. While Star Wars: The Force Awakens was broadly embraced, largely by simply being a return to the franchise, both The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker have become movies that fans have very passionate feelings about. If there's a movie that rivals the levels of The Last Jedi hate, it may only be the Rise of Skywalker hate. If you’re a Star Wars fan there’s a pretty good chance that you really love one of them, and dislike the other, but which one is brilliant and which one is terrible is a topic of much debate.

One of the particular moments that tends to get a strong response from fans is the kiss shared between Rey and Ben Solo at the end of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Since the day the movie was released, this has been a topic of contention, with fans feeling passionately, whether they loved it or hated it. Though Daisy Ridley now has a unique take on it.

How Fans Feel About The Rise Of Skywalker Kiss 

If you care about The Rise of Skywalker at all, and if you’re reading this I’m guessing that you do, then you probably feel strongly about the kiss. For many, who had hoped to see Rey and Kylo Ren get together, the kiss was exactly the moment they had been waiting for.  

For others, however, the kiss was something else. For some, the fact that the “shipping” community had gotten their kiss was exactly the problem. There was a feeling that movie had pandered to a particular fanbase. And there were some that felt the moment was imply a shock for shock’s sake that just didn’t make sense. 

There’s a feeling from some the kiss hadn’t been earned. While Rey and Kylo Ren certainly had a unique relationship, it hadn’t been indicated to be romantic in the film itself. Up until the moment of Ben Solo’s redemption, the character had killed his father, who had been a friend to Rey, and tried to kill her more than once.

The moment certainly looks like the movie’s hero and villain sharing a romantic moment, and fans either love the kiss or hate it for exactly that reason. However, Daisy Ridley has a bit of a different take on all of it. 

What Daisy Ridley Says About The Kiss Today 

In a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Daisy Ridley implies that the kiss was earned, but not because it was romantic. Instead, she sees the kiss as a farewell moment between Rey and Ben. It works because it’s the end of the story. Ridley said… 

It's certainly true that Rey and Kylo Ren have been through a great deal up to that point. And in the moment of the kiss, the story is coming to an end, and Ben Solo is dying. It is a moment of ending, that would be emotional for the two, and and as Daisy Ridley says, you can call a kiss a thousand things, and this is certainly one of them. While it seems unlikely this explanation will change anybody’s opinion of the moment, it is a different way to look at the story that is worth considering.  

With an upcoming Star Wars movie planned around Daisy Ridley's Rey, perhaps the story will include a reference to the kiss, giving it more context. If it does, it will almost certainly result in strong reactions from fans. 

Watch the Star Wars movies in order and the accompanying TV shows, and you’ll find a handful of dead characters who’ve later returned, whether it’s because they were resurrected, their deaths never actually happened or, in the case of a few lucky Force users, they’ve popped back up as Force users. In that third category, one wouldn’t be faulted for thinking Kylo Ren might fall into it following his demise in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. However, Adam Driver has confirmed that he’s finished with the Star Wars franchise and also explained why playing Kylo, a.k.a. Ben Solo, in the Sequel Trilogy was “exhausting” for him.

During his visit to the SmartLess podcast, Driver was asked by Sean Hayes, who hosts the podcast will Will Arnett and Jason Bateman, about if the actor has had any more talk about “Star Wars stuff.” Driver made it clear that he’s “not doing any more” in a galaxy far, far away because of Kylo Ren’s ultimate fate. Later on in the interview, Bateman inquired about what the momentum of working on The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker was like for him, which Arnett followed with a more general question about his approach to momentum in a movie set, and here’s what Driver had to say:

For those who haven’t viewed Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker in a while, be it with a Disney+ subscription or their own copy of the movie, the redeemed Ben Solo transferred his life essence to Rey to revive her following her showdown with Palpatine, her grandfather. After they shared a kiss, Ben’s body faded away, a tell tale sign that someone could return as a Force Ghost, just like his mother, Leia Organa, and his uncle, Luke Skywalker, did at the end of the Skywalker Saga’s final chapter. 

And yet, per this interview, we won’t be seeing Force Ghost Ben appear in the coming years. Part of me wonders if Adam Driver might be convinced to change his mind given that Daisy Ridley has the Rey movie coming up, which will catch fans back up with her 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker as she’s building the new Jedi Order. For now though, Driver sounds content leaving this chapter of his career behind him.

Besides, given all the people who still mention to him that Kylo Ren killed Han Solo, it’s not Driver will ever that far away from Star Wars. The actor also recently talked about the original arc for Kylo Ren across the Sequel Trilogy was much different than how things ultimately capped off for the character in The Rise of Skywalker. Regardless, if you’d like to see more of Driver onscreen, his latest movie, Ferrari, is still playing in theaters. And as always, keep visiting CinemaBlend for the biggest news about upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

There are popular movie franchises, and then there's Star Wars. Generations grew up on the galaxy far, far away, and it continues to produce new content, both in movies and shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. It's been a few years since the space opera was on the big screen, with the last movie that hit theaters being The Rise of Skywalker. Adam Driver recently revealed the original plans for his character Kylo Ren, and they're way different than what went down in Episode IX. 

Driver became a household name when he debuted as Kylo Ren/Ben Solo in The Force Awakens, portraying a villain who was pretty unstable. He'd reprise that role for two sequels, with Rise of Skywalker's ending finding him sacrificing himself and getting a redemption similar to Vader. But the Girls alum spoke on The Rich Eisen Show (via Collider), and revealed that Kylo Ren's redemption wasn't originally the plan. As he put it,

Well, now I've got FOMO. Because while Ben and Rey's connection was further explored in The Rise of Skywalker, it would have been badass to see him completely consumed by the Dark Side, perishing as Kylo Ren rather than Ben. Alas, that's not how things ultimately shook out, despite J.J. Abrams directing both The Force Awakens and The Rise of Skywalker. 

Driver's comments help to peel back the curtain on what it's actually like working within the galaxy far, far away. While we signed on to bring one Kylo story to life, it was ultimately scrapped. And I have to wonder if this shakeup will influence whether or not he returns as Ben Solo in an upcoming Star Wars movie or show.

In the end, Ben Solo would get his redemption in The Rise of Skywalker. After seeing a vision of his late father Han, he turns his back on the dark side. He and Rey unite to take down the Knights of Ren and Palpatine, and he eventually sacrificed his life force to resurrect Daisy Ridley's hero. And not before Rey and Ben kissed each other goodbye.

It's been a few years since Star Wars was in theaters, although Lucasfilm recently revealed plans for a new trilogy. Each movie will be set during different parts of the timeline, and Daisy Ridley's developing Rey movie might be the perfect excuse for Kylo Ren to appear.

It's currently unclear when Star Wars will return to theaters. Be sure to check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Saturday Night Live prides itself on its astute political commentary and at times, high brow subject matter, but a lot of the long running comedy show’s most famous sketches don’t exactly have that high of ambitions. Sometimes they’re just excuses for its cast members and/ or A-list celebrity hosts to act as silly as possible. Enter Adam Driver. The two-time Oscar nominee hosted SNL last night, and while the show tackled the recent college president congressional hearings on anti-Semitism, it’s a sketch of Driver playing a screaming baby that everyone is talking about.

The hilarious bit features Driver as a baby flying for the first time. He stayed in his mother’s womb for a full two years, and while she doesn’t think he overcooked, other passengers aren’t so sure. From playing with his iPad to dealing with his ears popping to using the bathroom, the sketch covers all the usual baby on an airplane situations, and Adam’s unrelenting commitment to the bit makes it so much better than it should be. Check it out…

We just talked earlier this month about Emma Stone joining the Five-Timers Club and rightfully so. Adam Driver will almost certainly get his own jacket sooner rather than later too. Last night marked his fourth time hosting live from Studio 8H in 30 Rock, and given his career trajectory and how good he is at comedy, Lorne Michaels and company will almost certainly extend him another invite within the next few years. After all, his Undercover Boss Kylo Ren sketch is still one of the most viewed in SNL history almost a decade later.

Of course, the enjoyment of this sketch doesn’t just stop and start with Adam Driver. There’s also a sense of catharsis watching, as everyone who flies on a regular basis has experienced the frustrations of being seated right by a baby that won’t stop screaming. Both Kenan Thompson and Heidi Gardner are excellent at reaction shots; so, it’s nice to see them play a couple of passengers that go through the full range of emotions of first being sympathetic, later being annoyed and finally being creeped out by the whole thing.

We’ll just have to wait and see when Adam Driver returns for his fifth hosting appearance down the line, but fortunately, fans won’t have to wait very long for the next exciting guest host. Longtime SNL staple Kate McKinnon is returning next week, a year and a half or so after she left the hit show she was on for more than a decade. It’ll be fantastic to see her back where she belongs. She’ll be joined by Billie Eilish in what could well go down as the most talked about episode of the entire season. I can’t wait. 

While Adam Driver was hardly an unknown name in Hollywood prior to 2015 thanks to appearances in movies like Lincoln and Inside Llewyn Davis, plus his role as Adam Sackler in the TV show Girls, there’s no question that Star Wars: The Force Awakens significantly boosted his profile. As one sees when they go through the Star Wars movies in order, Driver played Kylo Ren in all three of the Sequel Trilogy’s entries, and we’re just a few years away from The Force Awakens celebrating its 10th anniversary. Yet all this time later, Driver continues to be reminded by Star Wars fans of one of Kylo’s biggest moments in that movie, with it even feeling to him sometimes like this is mentioned “every day.”

Driver stopped by Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace? (which can be streamed with a Max subscription) to talk about his career with the title host ahead of the arrival of his latest cinematic endeavor, Ferrari, one of the final 2023 movie releases. On the topic of Star Wars, Wallace brought up how Kylo Ren killed Harrison Ford’s Han Solo, the character’s own father, in The Force Awakens, lead the actor to say (via CNN):

The Force Awakens opened to the masses on December 18, 2015, so we’re coming up on eight full years of Adam Driver being continuously reminded of how Kylo fatally stabbed Han Solo, one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars franchise, if not all of cinema. I can imagine this gets annoying after a while, though at least this is something that Driver only has to deal with once a month now. Still, should you run into the man out in public, maybe mention a different Star Wars reference instead since Han Solo’s death has clearly been overdone.

Mike Wallace then asked Driver if it was “tough” dealing with the idea that he was going to “off Harrison Ford,” and Driver explained how the experience of shooting that Force Awakens scene went for him as follows:

It is important to mention that while Harrison Ford wanted Han Solo to die going as far back as Return of the Jedi, it wasn’t as though he mandated the character’s ultimate fate as a condition for reprising the role. Rather, director J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy made that decision, though Disney CEO Bob Iger also had a say. In any case, the final chapter of Han’s story unfolded in The Force Awakens, although Star Wars fans did get to see Adam Driver and Ford together one last time in The Rise of Skywalker when Kylo Ren saw a vision of his father, which led to him reclaiming his Ben Solo identity.

You can stream The Force Awakens with your Disney+ subscription, and keep visiting CinemaBlend for news about the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows. Adam Driver’s performance as Enzo Ferrari can be seen on the big screen starting December 25.

Have you ever caught a rerun of an older TV show and during the opening credits sequence, you spotted someone who made you say, “Hey, I know that person!”? This is actually a more common occurrence than you may realize, as there many A-list celebrities whose first IMDb credit (or one of the first) was a supporting role on a series long before they earned the honor of being a leading presence on the big (or small) screen. The following are some of our favorite examples of famous actors who appeared a bit further down the the line on the call sheet on a TV show when they were starting out.

Chris Pratt (Everwood)

Before Guardians of the Galaxy made him a leading man, Chris Pratt really began to gain traction from starring in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer. However, even earlier than that, he starred on a WB family drama called Everwood as high school joke Bright Abbott alongside fellow future MCU star Emily VanCamp, who played his sister, Amy.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show)

Before her Academy Award-nominated performance in 2010’s Winter’s Bone, her star-making role as Katniss in The Hunger Games and Oscar-winning turn in Silver Lining’s Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence was a sitcom star — specifically a cable network sitcom star. On The Bill Engvall Show, which lasted three seasons on TBS, she starred opposite the eponymous stand-up comedian as his on-screen alter ego’s teenage daughter, Lauren Pearson,

Austin Butler (Zoey 101)

The musical talents that earned Austin Butler the title role of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis can be traced back to his part on Ruby & the Rockits, which lasted 10 episodes on ABC Family (now Freeform) in 2009. However, the Oscar nominee’s first major TV role was on the final season of Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 as James Garrett — a character missing from Paramount+’s feature-length follow-up, Zoey 102.

Margot Robbie (Pan Am)

While her earliest role was actually the long-running soap opera, Neighbours — much like many other Aussie A-listers — we thought we would highlight American audiences’ first true introduction to Margot Robbie on Pan Am. An interesting fact about Robbie is that the future Oscar nominee and DC movies star was actually roommates with co-star Christina Ricci while playing 1960s-era flight attendant Laura Cameron on the short-lived ABC drama from 2011 to 2012.

Seth Rogen (Freaks And Geeks)

While still part of the main ensemble, Seth Rogen’s role as the initially arrogant Ken Miller pretty much got the short end of the stick amongst the Freaks and Geeks cast, for the most part. Ironically, Rogen, arguably, went on to become the painfully short-lived coming-of-age dramedy’s biggest star, which is really saying something, given his co-stars include Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, and John Francis Daley.

Brie Larson (Raising Dad)

A notable moment in Academy Award winner Brie Larson’s evolution from child star to modern A-list actor was her role as the late Bob Saget’s youngest on-screen daughter on Raising Dad — a sitcom that ran for one season on The WB (now The CW) in the early 2000s. Following her success as the MCU’s Captain Marvel, Larson returned to TV in 2023 — reprising her Scott Pilgrim vs. the World role for Netflix’s animated series reboot, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and leading the Lessons in Chemistry cast for Apple TV+.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains)

While doing press for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt recalled how they both appeared on the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains much earlier in their career. Of course, Pitt had a one-episode guest appearance while the Oscar-winning The Revenant star and Titanic cast member had a prominent role as Luke Brewer — a homeless teen taken in by the Seavers in Season 7. 

Ana De Armas (The Boarding School)

One of the films that earned Academy Award nominee Ana de Armas a spot on the A-list was Rian Johnson’s hit whodunit, Knives Out, from 2019. More than a decade earlier, the Cuban-born actor landed a role on a coming-of-age mystery TV show called El Internado (or The Boarding School), which originally aired in Spain from 2007 to 2010.

Michael B. Jordan (The Wire)

After getting his start as a Toys ‘R Us kid, the fascinating Michael B. Jordan made his official acting debut on an episode of The Sopranos, but later landed a more prominent role on another acclaimed, gritty HBO series in 2002. He appeared amongst The Wire cast as Wallace — an orphan whose tragic story had a profound impact on the Emmy-nominated series beyond his 13-episode stint.

Anne Hathaway (Get Real)

Anne Hathaway fans should know that before she broke into the mainstream by leading Disney’s The Princess Diaries cast, the Academy Award winner made her acting debut on a 1999 Fox TV show called Get Real as a high school senior who shocks her family with the decision to refuse college. Coincidentally, the short-lived dramedy was also the debut of Hathaway’s Rio co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, and was an early gig for NCIS' Eric Christian Olsen as well.

Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere)

With two Oscars to his name, it’s hard to imagine a TV screen big enough to contain the talent of one Denzel Washington, yet it was a TV show that helped launched the young actor’s career in the early 1980s. Following his official debut in the 1977 TV movie Wilma, the future Training Day lead played Dr. Philip Chandler on NBC’s hit medical drama, St. Elsewhere.

Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek)

For years, Michelle Williams was known best from the Dawson’s Creek cast as Jen Lindley. Now — after receiving multiple Academy Award nominations for acclaimed dramas like Manchester by the Sea and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans — that role on the hit teen drama is, typically, among the last things mentioned in regards to her career.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun)

As a child actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in some good movies and made a few notable TV guest appearances before landing his first successful series regular gig with 3rd Rock from the Sun. He played the eldest member of a group of extra-terrestrial visitors, and the character resembles a teenager in human form on the Emmy-winning sci-fi sitcom.

George Clooney (The Facts Of Life)

As a TV star, George Clooney is best known from his main role on the popular ‘90s show, ER, on which he played Doug Ross. Much earlier, however, the future two-time Oscar winner had a memorable recurring role on Diff’rent Strokes' (very different) spin-off, The Facts of Life, as George Burnett — a carpenter who would become close to the girls living under Mrs. Garrett’s roof.

Woody Harrelson (Cheers)

With multiple Academy Award nominations to his name, Woody Harrelson is known today as one of Hollywood’s most versatile movie stars, but his first big break came when he joined the Cheers cast in the mid-1980s. In fact, he won his first Emmy Award for playing the naive, but lovable, Woody Byrd, whom Sam (Ted Danson) hires on as a new barkeep following he death of Coach (Nicholas Colasanto).

Jason Bateman (Little House On The Prairie)

At least before he led Netflix’s Ozark cast, Jason Bateman has always best known on the small screen as a sitcom star, with his roles as David Hogan on Valerie (later changed to The Hogan Family) and Michael Bluth on Arrested Development being the famous examples. However, his very first gig was playing James Cooper Ingalls for 21 episodes of Little House on the Prairie during the early 1980s.

Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace)

An early Don Cheadle role you may have forgotten about was featured on a TV show spin-off you may not have heard of, either. The future Academy Award nominee and MCU actor starred alongside most of the Golden Girls cast on The Golden Palace as Roland Wilson — the young manager of the titular hotel where the short-lived sitcom took place. 

Jason Momoa (Baywatch)

Even long before he landed the role of Aquaman in the DC movies, Jason Momoa was no stranger to saving lives in the water. The Hawaiian-born actor made his debut in his home state when he joined the Baywatch cast as a character also named Jason from 1999 to 2001.

Marisa Tomei (A Different World)

We know her from her Academy Award-winning role in My Cousin Vinny as Mona Lisa Vito (who she'd love to revisit) or as Peter Parker’s (reinvented) Aunt May in the MCU, to name a few examples. Yet before many people knew who Marisa Tomei was, she was on the first season of The Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World, as Hillman student Maggie Lauten.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down)

One interesting fact about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: before he was an Emmy-winning DC TV show star (for playing Cal Abar on HBO’s Watchmen) and a scene-stealing DC movie villain (Black Manta in Aquaman), he worked as a San Francisco city planner until he was laid off in 2010. The role that first helped him make a name for himself as an actor was night club owner Clarene “Cadillac” Caldwell in Netflix’s musical period drama series, The Get Down, from co-creator Baz Luhrmann.

Alexandra Daddario (All My Children)

Speaking to Women’s Health in 2022, Alexandra Daddario recalls that she was fired from the long-running daytime soap opera, All My Children, which she actually found to be a liberating, educational experience. It led to seek improvement in her acting skills and pave the way for her to breakthrough in the Percy Jackson movies, give an Emmy-nominated performance as part of the HBO’s The White Lotus cast, and star in many other notable works.

Adam Driver (Girls)

Without Lena Dunham, there might not be a Kylo Ren — or at least, the memorable version of the Sith Lord we got in the hands Adam Driver. The former Marine’s scene-stealing role on HBO’s Girls as Adam Sackler is what got Hollywood to take notice of his talent, leading to his casting in the Star Wars movies and his Oscar-nominated performances in BlacKkKlansman and Marriage Story.

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

Gilmore Girls proved to be a launch pad for many A-listers — few of which would blow up quite like Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie St. James on the hit dramedy.  She later won an Emmy for her leading role on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly and received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role as a member of the Bridesmaids cast. And that film skyrocketed her to the A-list as a trusted name in comedy and more.

Drake (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

One of the most memorable and important characters from Degrassi: The Next Generation is Jimmy Brooks, who served as an inspirational representation for wheelchair users on the long-running Canadian coming-of-age drama. The role was played by an actor named Aubrey Graham, who still acts on occasion — an Anchorman 2 cameo, for instance — but primarily performs as a rapper under the moniker Drake.

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men)

At just eight years old, Kiernan Shipka proved to be a stand-out alongside AMC’s Mad Men cast with her performance as Sally Draper. She later went on to lead her own TV show (Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and headline movies like Amazon Prime’s horror-comedy, Totally Killer and The Silence.

Ryan Reynolds (Fifteen)

Despite his many earnest roles over the years, it may be hard to picture Ryan Reynolds as anything other than the smarmy goof he plays in the likes of the Deadpool movies and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, for instance. Perhaps watching him make his debut in the Canadian coming-of-age drama Fifteen will help audiences see another side of him.

Tommy Lee Jones (One Life To Live)

It is amazing to think about how many acclaimed and even legendary actors started out on soap operas, such as Tommy Lee Jones. One of the earliest roles for the Academy Award-winning star of The Fugitive and the Men in Black movies was the ill-fated Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.

John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter)

Before his Academy Award-nominated role in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever — and its fantastic movie soundtrack — made him one of the biggest stars of all time, John Travolta was better known by another name: Vinnie Barbarino. That was the future Pulp Fiction cast member’s character on Welcome Back, Kotter — a hit sitcom that never made it to 100 episodes. He practically stole the show from star and co-creator Gabe Kaplan with his famous catchphrase, “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kids Incorporated)

Her role as Sarah Reeves on the original Party of Five may have made Jennifer Love Hewitt a teen idol, but it was not her first major TV gig. The Ghost Whisperer star was 10 when she demonstrated her multiple talents on Disney Channel’s Kids Incorporated, which focuses on the lives of a group of young artists who perform live music at a club for children.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Fortysomething)

It was his eponymous role on the modern crime drama Sherlock that made Benedict Cumberbatch a nigh-unpronounceable household name, but his first starring role on a TV series was Fortysomething. The MCU’s Doctor Strange actor played the on-screen son of none other than House’s Hugh Laurie on the English dramedy that lasted six episodes.

Jared Leto (My So-Called Life)

In one of the best ‘90s shows that ended too soon, My So-Called Life, Jared Leto portrayed what would become his first iconic role: high school heartthrob Jordan Catalano. The much celebrated coming-of-age drama also marked one for the first times the future Academy Award winner acted alongside his sibling and Thirty Seconds to Mars bandmate, Shannon.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Passions)

Movie star Mary Elizabeth Winstead has more than a few very notable small-screen roles — such as a leading stint in Fargo Season 3 and Hera Syndulla alongside the Ahsoka cast for Disney+. The Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast member’s earliest major TV gig, however, was on the supernatural soap opera Passions.

For any TV actors out there hoping one day to make it onto the big screen, let these stories serve as proof that your dreams may not be far away from becoming a reality.

Actor Adam Driver is one of the more acclaimed talents of this generation, appearing in both tentpole movies like Star Wars and prestige films like Spike Lee’s BlackKklansman. He’s got another highly anticipated drama project coming to theaters with Michael Mann’s Ferrari (which is one of Driver’s best movies), which will arrive in theaters for the holidays. But some early screenings have appended, and now we can see Adam Driver’s F-bomb response when critiqued by a fan over “cheesy” Ferrari scenes. 

While the new sports drama won’t be in theaters until December, there are lucky moviegoers who have caught early screenings, some of which included a Q&A with the creative involved. That’s exactly what recently happened in a viral Twitter video, where a fan criticized the driving sequence to the actor’s face, resulting in the Girls actor telling him “fuck you.” Check it out below:

Well, he certainly didn’t mince words. While the video is short and cuts off the rest of Driver’s interaction with this moviegoer, it seems like he wasn’t a big fan of that query. Especially since the fan talked smack, and then turned the question over to Kylo Ren himself. He wasn’t exactly going to agree with the criticism, especially in front of an audience of people.

Adam Driver’s F-Bomb has begun circulating online, thanks to his unfiltered response to this question about Ferrari. He may very well have been joking, mostly because there was no real way to respond to that question without the movie’s visuals, which the audience member thought “looked pretty harsh, drastic and I must say cheesy for me.” We’ll just have to wait until December to see if a wide audience agrees with this assessment of the movie’s crashes. 

While what we know about Ferrari is fairly limited, the upcoming movie boasts a strong cast, in addition to Adam Driver’s role as Enzo Ferrari. He’s joined by the likes of Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey, and Sarah Gadon. We’ll just have to see if the movie’s marketing campaign creates more awkward moments like this one. 

Ferrari premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and the response was somewhat mixed. But smart money says no one at that premiere had the courage to criticize the movie right to the star’s face– especially since he didn’t actually have control over how crash sequences look on the big screen. He’s just an actor, after all! But after his years in the galaxy far, far away, Driver is no doubt used to fielding strange questions about his movies.

Ferrari will hit theaters on December 25th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

There are long-running movie franchises, and then there’s Star Wars. Generations were brought up on the galaxy far, far away, so there’s a massive (and vocal) fanbase. Some of those fans want to see Adam Driver and Alden Ehrenreich in a Star Wars movie together, despite what challenges this might cause for the timeline. And the Solo: A Star Wars Story star has a funny take about the sci-fi idea.

Alongside the wildly successful sequel trilogy, Disney originally experimented with standalone Star Wars movies, starting with Rogue One. Ron Howard’s Solo followed quickly, with Alden Ehrenreich taking on the mantle of the title character from Harrison Ford. Some fans want to see him and Adam Driver in a Star Wars movie, which might be challenging. Afterall, Ehrenreich played a younger version of Ben Solo’s father. But the Cocaine Bear actor spoke to Esquire about that possibility, and offered a humorous way it could be done:

Honestly, sign me up. While Star Wars keeps expanding on the small and silver screens, it’s yet to produce a raunchy intergenerational comedy. But if the people keep wanting to see Driver and Ehrenreich together in the franchise, that might be the only way it could work. Not to mention that Ben Solo would somehow need to connect with a version of his father who is his same age. Is anyone’s head spinning yet?

Alden Ehrenreich was obviously kidding, and his comments point out the many roadblocks that would prevent him with sharing the screen opposite Adam Driver in the galaxy far, far away. Another is the fact that the Girls alum is likely happy to have some space away from the galaxy far, far away (although Diver isn’t opposed to playing Kylo Ren again). Then there’s Ehrenreich’s own experience, and the box office failure of Solo.

Still, it seems more possible than ever that Ehrenreich might once again play everyone’s favorite scruffy looking nerf herder. It was just revealed that Donald Glover’s Lando show is now becoming a movie, which could be the opportunity for young Han Solo to return to the galaxy far, far away. Either way that story is finally continuing, after years of fans calling for Solo 2 to happen.

Lucasfilm recently announced its plans for a trilogy of new Star Wars movies, which take place over the course of different moments in the timeline. We’re also getting the Lando movie, and Shawn Levy is still attached to helm his own installment of the franchise. So it seems like just about anything could happen.

The Star Wars franchise is streaming on Disney+. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.  

Ferrari has been a long time coming for Michael Mann. The director reportedly started looking into adapting Brock Yates’ 1991 book Enzo Ferrari — The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine back at the turn of the 21st century, and not only did he lose Christian Bale as the lead in 2016, but his replacement Hugh Jackman dropped out in 2022. At long last Ferrari, starring Adam Driver, premiered on August 31 at Venice Film Festival, and those who were able to screen the movie are weighing in on Mann’s longtime passion project. 

As can be expected from Michael Mann, Ferrari features an A-list cast, and along with Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, we will see Penélope Cruz as his wife, Shailene Woodley as his longtime mistress, a white-haired Patrick Dempsey, Sarah Gadon, and Jack O'Connell. The critics seem split following the film’s Venice premiere, so let’s take a look at what they have to say. 

Critics Praise Michael Mann’s Ferrari As ‘High-Intensity’ And ‘Impactful’ 

David Rooney of THR says Adam Driver brings gravitas and intellect to his character, and Penélope Cruz provides passion in this “turbo-charged portrait.” The critic writes: 

Stephanie Zacharek of Time says Michael Mann’s first flick since 2015’s Black Hat zooms along with sleek energy, and it’s exactly what you’d expect from the “vigorous” filmmaker. Zacharek also notes the movie’s masculinity, writing: 

Siddhant Adlakha of Mashable calls the biopic “scattered but impactful,” creating a deft balance between the comedic and tragic. Adlakha commends Adam Driver’s performance, noting the subtlety he brings to character. In the critic’s words: 

Not all of the critics had such a positive experience with Michael Mann's Ferrari, however.

Others Call Ferrari ‘Unessential’ And Point Out Unauthentic Italian Accents 

Jane Crowther of GamesRadar rates the movie 3 stars out of 5, saying the film feels “unessential and uncharacteristic.” While still classically rendered, Crowther writes that Ferrari lacks a certain something under the hood to make it fly. In the critic’s words: 

Nicholas Barber of BBC says Ferrari is “stuck in the slow lane,” also noting that the Italian accents delivered by non-Italian actors is something that “probably should have been confined to a Super Mario Bros movie.” Barber continues: 

The critics can’t come to a consensus on this one, but it’s worth noting that the positive-leaning assessments admitted to Ferrari having faults, and the negative-leaning critics all found some good in the movie. If this Adam Driver-led biopic from Michael Mann is one you’re looking forward to, you’ve unfortunately still got a while before its December 25 release to theaters. In the meantime, take a look at our 2023 movie release schedule to see what else is coming to the big screen.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, both on the small and silver screens. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Matt Shakman’s Fantastic Four, which will finally bring the titular team of heroes into the shared universe. Fans have been wondering who might play the four superheroes, and the casting process is seemingly ongoing. And while Adam Driver reportedly isn’t playing Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic, a new rumor claims another A+ talent might.

When Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties, it finally opened the door for characters like the X-Men and Fantastic Four to join the MCU. There has been plenty of chatter online about which actors will make up the latter team, and Kevin Feige has stressed they’ll be an important part of the shared universe. It was reported that Adam Driver was offered the role of Reed Richards but passed on the opportunity. Now Comic Book Movie is claiming that The Crown’s Matt Smith has been offered the role. 

Since this hasn’t been confirmed by the studio or Smith’s reps, we should probably take this rumor with a grain of salt for the time being. Still, it would make sense that Shakman and Marvel Studios would be looking for a major name to occupy the role of Mr. Fantastic. And Matt Smith has a long career and experience in genre work like Doctor Who, House of the Dragon, and Venom 2. 

From all reports it seems like Marvel is focused on finding the right quartet of actors to bring Fantastic Four to life on the big screen. It was previously reported that the studio was focusing on finding Sue Storm and then building the rest of the cast around her. One contender online for that role is Vanessa Kirby, who expressed her interest in becoming the Invisible Woman. But perhaps Reed Richards will be the first member of the team that’s cast after all. 

The conversations online about the MCU’s Mr. Fantastic have been ongoing for years already at this point. The most popular fan choice was John Krasinski, with some even hoping he starred alongside his wife Emily Blunt. The chatter got so loud that the Office alum played Reed Richards in a small but memorable role in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But given the various casting rumors, it doesn't seem like Krasinski will be reprising that role in a significant way. We’ll just have to see if Matt Smith ends up being the lucky one.

As previously mentioned, Smith has done plenty of genre work, so he seems like a great choice to play Reed Richards. Although his ongoing role as Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon has the potential to make scheduling Marvel projects quite complicated. We’ll just have to wait and see if this rumor shakes out.

The next MCU movie hitting theaters is The Marvels on November 10th. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Fantastic Four casting rumors have been heating up the internet. Of course, there have been fan favorites and surprise suggestions thrown out to play Marvel’s First Family. With multiple casting rumors floating around, a new Fantastic Four rumor claimed a popular Reed Richards choice isn’t involved with the movie after all.

Multiple A-list actors have come up when casting the Marvel superhero team’s de-facto leader. Casting Mr. Fantastic has proven hard for MCU despite fan-favorite John Krasinski popping up as a Reed Richards alternate in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. While Krasinski appeared in the movie, he hasn’t been announced as the top choice. However, another rumored contender reportedly passed on the coveted role: Adam Driver. According to the YouTube series The Hot Mic. The streaming series said about the alleged development:

So, the Adam Driver rumors might be false. Unfortunately, the Oscar-nominated actor was never put out there as a potential frontrunner for Mr. Fantastic. This rumor contradicted fan art portraying Driver as Doctor Doom following his time as Kylo Ren. However, given the stoic characters he gravitates toward, casting him as Reed might make sense. The alleged script wasn’t up to his standards if he reportedly passed on playing the Fantastic Four’s ever-present father figure. He might get on board with the intriguing way the MCU will use Doctor Doom.

Casting Reed Richards is a tricky one as an actor must play a believable leader. Outside of Adam Driver and John Krasinski, the show alleged the source brought up Oppenheimer star Josh Hartnett as a potential Reed Richards. Josh Hartnett has been slowly creeping back onto Hollywood’s A-list with the success of the blockbuster biopic and his Black Mirror episode. Even You star Penn Badgley was imagined as a probable Mr. Fantastic through some fan art.

However, the real lynchpin in the Fantastic Four casting has been Sue Storm as the movie is reportedly looking to cast her over her team members first. Similar to Reed Richards, multiple A-list actresses were brought up to play the Invisible Woman. Of course, fans have long proposed Emily Blunt as Richard’s spouse (in a package deal with real-life husband John Krasinski). She’s shot down the rumors several times. Other big names like Mission: Impossible star Vanessa Kirby and Barbie’s Margot Robbie were tossed in as possible Sue Richards. Kirby addressed the rumors while fan art transformed Robbie into the Invisible Woman. Even the Human Torch has proved difficult to cast as potential frontrunner Paul Mescal may already be out due to scheduling conflicts.

With the writers and actors’ strike grinding Hollywood to a halt, casting the Fantastic Four might not happen for some time. The MCU adaptation is still set to arrive in theaters on May 2, 2025. In the meantime, look out for upcoming Marvel movies coming down the pipeline with The Marvels opening in movie cinemas on November 10.

The Star Wars fandom was sent into a full-on tizzy when Lucasfilm announced its plans for three movies set in the galaxy far, far away. Things got even more interesting, though, when it was confirmed at this year’s Star Wars Celebration that Daisy Ridley would be returning as Rey Skywalker in one of the upcoming flicks. As expected, following the exciting revelation, the Internet has exploded with speculation about what this could mean for other beloved sequel trilogy characters. But one individual, in particular, is currently on fans' minds, and that’s none other than Ben Solo, a.k.a. Kylo Ren. 

While details on the new movie are still scarce, fans are already in full speculation mode, as they try to determine what Rey’s return plays into the franchise’s future. Many Star Wars devotees took to Twitter to express their desire for Adam Driver to return to the franchise, and this even caused Kylo Ren to trend on the social media platform. Despite Ben’s Rise of Skywalker fate, one user named @elle_pond pointed to a canonical piece of info that could pave the way for the character’s big-screen return:

Is it true that Ben Solo never really left, or is it just a fan theory? There's canon to support this idea, specifically by the concept of dyads in the fictional universe. This term refers to two Force-sensitive beings who are so deeply connected that they form a unique bond. In The Rise of Skywalker, it was revealed that Rey and Kylo Ren were a dyad, which ultimately allowed them to defeat Palpatine. So maybe this idea isn’t just wishful thinking and is a real possibility. 

Meanwhile, Twitter user @reylobalance evoked director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s name, citing their hope that she’s a fan of Kylo Ren. The user also had a hilarious gif to accompany their plea:

Who knew an emotionally pleading Lea Michele could pair so nicely with Star Wars? Other fans of Adam Driver’s character seem to hope one big game of social media “telephone” will be enough to conjure it into existence. @galatians_4_6 shared an appropriately repurposed Rise of Skywalker meme to get the ball rolling:

While most fan calls to bring the villain-turned-hero back were serious, user @StarWarshipper had a perfect, and possibly very divisive, Easter Sunday joke to sound off their support of the idea. I’ll hint at what it is: it evokes a particular religious figure:

Of course, quite possibly the best tweet on the subject came from The Nerds Awaken Podcast. According to the show’s account, only one person has the power to bring Ben Solo back to the series, and that’s Rey Skywalker herself. The podcast account also shared an excellent video of Daisy Ridley proudly taking the Star Wars Celebration stage.

The information about the upcoming Rey-focused story is super limited. However, what we do know about the project is that Ms. Marvel director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy will helm it from a script penned by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, following Damon Lindelof's departure. It was revealed during the aforementioned event that the story will be set 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker and will see Rey rebuild the Jedi Order. The premise alone lends itself to the possible return of Adam Driver in some form or fashion. 

While it’s unclear if Ben Solo will physically appear in the new movie, the idea that his spirit lives on within Rey has clearly given people hope for the character’s return. Only time will tell what the future holds for the franchise and its beloved characters, but one thing is for sure -- the passion and excitement of the fans will continue to serve as fuel for the universe for years to come.

While you wait for additional information about the upcoming Star Wars films (and possibly Ben Solo/Kylo Ren's return), keep yourself entertained with the past movies and all the latest content, such as The Mandalorian season 3, which are available through a Disney+ subscription. You can also take a look at the schedule of 2023 new movie releases to plan your next cinema outing.

Last year, fans of Michael Mann’s Heat were treated to something special: Heat 2, a novel the director co-wrote with author Meg Gardiner that served as both a prequel and a sequel to the 1995 crime drama. But even long before the book’s release, Mann expressed interest in adapting it for film. Now it’s been revealed that Warner Bros. looking to move forward with the Heat 2 movie, and a Star Wars favorite is being eyed to play Robert De Niro’s role from the original.

According to Deadline, Adam Driver, who played Kylo Ren in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, is in discussions with Michael Mann to play a younger version of Neil McCauley in Heat 2. While both his involvement and Warner Bros.’ isn’t set in stone just yet, given that Heat was a WB release, that gives the studio a pretty good chance of releasing the sequel too. Should that happen, the outlet mentioned that New Regency “would be given opportunity to co-finance production,” just like with the first movie.

In Heat, Robert De Niro’s Neil McCauley led the crew that was pulling off the bold heists around Los Angeles, with his allies including Val Kilmer’s Chris Shiherlis and the late Tom Sizemore’s Michael Cheritto. McCauley’s illegal activities soon drew the attention of Al Pacino’s Lieutenant Vincent Hanna, and while they built a begrudging respect for one another, the movie ended with (SPOILER alert) the latter shooting the former as he attempted to escape from the police. Heat was met with largely positive reviews and made over $187 million worldwide off a reported $60 million budget.

In addition to following along with what happened to Chris Shiherlis in the years after the events of Heat, Heat 2 follows Neil McCauley and his crew pulling off heists in Chicago in 1988, while Vincent Hanna is investigating a gang of home invaders in the same series. Again, Driver playing Neil isn’t set in stone yet, but considering he’s already worked with Michael Mann on the upcoming Ferrari, that certainly bodes well for him coming aboard. As of this writing, there’s no word on who’s being looked at to play Vincent Hanna and Chris Shiherlis.

This Heat 2 news comes a few weeks after Adam Driver led the sci-fi movie 65, and his other notable credits from recent years include Black KkKlansman, Marriage Story, The Last Duel and House of Gucci. In addition to Ferrari and potentially Heat 2 coming up for him, Driver is also part of the star-studded ensemble cast for Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. Ferrari will be Michael Mann’s first movie since 2015’s Blackhat, though he did direct an episode of Tokyo Vice, which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.

Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more updates on Heat 2’s progress, including if/when it’s confirmed Adam Driver will take over as Neil McCauley. Make sure you’re also up to speed on the movies slated for this year by looking through our 2023 release schedule.

Opening up opposite two proven franchises in Scream and Creed seemed like it might present a problem for Adam Driver’s sci-fi thriller 65. Outside of the lead actor’s presence, and his reputation for playing Kylo Ren in three Star Wars movies, 65 didn’t have a ton to hang its hat on. It was original sci-fi. It had a clever premise. And it had a killer Super Bowl commercial that revealed 65 to be a dinosaur movie. Awesome. But the movie surprised analysts by making north of $12 million in its opening weekend, falling short of Scream 6 and Creed 3, but still doing well for a mid-budget adventure. And Adam Driver thinks he might know why the story appealed to a wider audience. 

We spoke with Adam Driver on behalf of 65, which also did well with critics heading into the weekend. In the film, he plays a space pilot on a lengthy transport mission whose ship encounters an unexpected asteroid field, causing him to crash land. We eventually learn that he has landed on Earth… only, 65 million years ago. But at the heart of 65 is the story of a father in distress about possibly never seeing his family again, and doing everything possible to protect a surrogate daughter (Ariana Greenblatt) he finds on his ship. I asked Driver, himself a father, if those aspects of the production and the character appealed to him even moreso than the action sequences, and he told CinemaBlend:

There has to be in a movie like 65. You can aspire to just be Jurassic Park meets Aliens, as the co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods described their film. But if you put in extra effort by properly developing your characters and giving them emotional stakes, then you can elevate above simple genre fare, and connect with a larger audience, as 65 did.

The official CinemaBlend review wasn’t crazy about 65. But I personally plugged in to the difficult journey facing Adam Driver’s character, and thought it was more compelling than just watching a soldier and pilot running around prehistoric Earth, staying away from dinosaurs. I’d hope that 65 would continue to find new audiences, and that is possible. But with Shazam: Fury of the Gods heading to theaters this weekend, expect competition for moviegoing eyeballs to only increase. So let’s see where things settle as box office plays out in March.

It seems like there’s a lot to like about Adam Driver’s new movie, 65. The Star Wars actor plays the pilot Mills, who, along with Ariana Greenblatt as Koa, finds himself 65 million years in the past and forced to use futuristic weapons against the dinosaurs and other deadly threats. Audiences who were paying attention to the Super Bowl LVII commercials got a peek at what to expect from this sci-fi action, which is in theaters now.

Reviews are in for the prehistoric thriller, and while Jurassic Park meets Alien sounds like an intriguing enough idea in theory, the critics seem to mostly have a different opinion. Let’s see what they have to say, starting with CinemaBlend’s review of 65. Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2 stars out of 5, wondering how a movie with such a high concept could turn out to be so dull? He says the movie is more “disappointing” than “awful,” but at least “awful” would be interesting. Eisenberg continues: 

Christy Lemire of RogerEbert.com echoes the above question: How could this movie possibly be boring? The critic rates the movie 1.5 stars out of 4, arguing that directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods would have been better off leaning into the silliness of it all. Lemire says: 

Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times calls 65 a “thudding hack job,” on par with watching someone on the Jurassic Park ride at Universal. But like the above reviews, this critic agrees it’s more boring than bad, saying: 

Todd Gilchrist of Variety says the movie feels cobbled together from numerous films that came before, including Jurassic Park, The Descent and Armageddon, and therefore fails to break new ground. However, the critic says staging, shadows and misdirection contribute to the dinosaurs being frightening, and the movie comes together thanks to its star. The review continues: 

Belen Edwards of Mashable agrees that it isn't all bad, saying he fully embraced 65's ridiculousness and had the time of his life: 

While the ratings for 65 fall on the lower end overall, this movie may be right up your alley, especially if you can do like the last critic and just embrace the core concept. If you’re interested in seeing this one in theaters, you can check it out now, and be sure to also take a peek at our 2023 movie release schedule to see what other films are headed to the big screen soon. 

Scott Beck and Bryan Woods’ 65 is a film with an excellent high-concept premise and a great deal of on-paper potential. Adam Driver has thoroughly proven himself in the last decade to be one of the better talents of his generation, the filmmakers were the screenwriters of the thrilling and successful A Quiet Place, and the idea of having a humanoid alien who crash lands on Earth 65 million years in the past has a lot of exciting promise. Driver vs. Dinosaurs – how bad could it be? As it turns out, the answer to that question isn’t “it’s really bad” so much as it is “it’s surprisingly boring.”

After a clunky, on-screen text-filled opening that sets up the general plot, 65 is never able to move out of neutral and do much with its conceit. Instead of featuring Adam Driver dramatically and creatively fighting for survival and escape while using extraterrestrial technology to fight off our world’s carnivorous, monstrous lizards, the movie settles for developing overused plot devices and character dynamics to unfurl a familiar story with nothing identifiably original to offer audiences.

In 65, Driver plays Mills, a spaceship pilot from the planet Somaris who agrees to take a two-year long trip across the stars so that he can make enough money to afford treatment for his terminally ill daughter (Chloe Coleman). On the journey back home, the ship Mills is flying encounters a flurry of asteroids that cause it to crash land on an uncharted world. Because the movie can’t find a way to properly communicate the information to movie-goers, a title card delivers the necessary exposition: “65 Million Years Ago, A Visitor Crash Landed On Earth.”

Just as you get excited starting to wonder how the movie is going to narratively function with Mills being all alone on a planet filled with flesh-eating monsters that see him as an exotic meal, the film opts to not even try. It turns out that the protagonist isn’t actually alone, and that there instead is one passenger on the ship whose cryo-pod managed to survive the crash. Mills rescues and wakes up Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), a nine-year-old girl who doesn’t speak the same language as the hero. A la recent shows like The Mandalorian or The Last Of Us or recent movies including James Mangold’s Logan, George Clooney’s Midnight Sky, and Clint Eastwood’s Cry Macho, Miles if forced to become a surrogate parent for the helpless child and do everything he can to shepherd them to safety.

65 is devoid of any exciting, original, or compelling plot points; it’s all by the numbers action.

A high-tech guidance system tells Mills and Koa that a functioning shuttle is on the top of a nearby mountain and can be used to escape the planet – and while there is nothing inherently wrong with the simplicity of that narrative, the problem is that the movie offers nothing to spice things up and make the story compelling beyond the basics of the circumstance. There are moments where they are attacked by dinosaurs and they temporarily get stuck in places, but they are the plot equivalent of speedbumps because there is no effort made to develop more advanced stakes.

You’d think that at the very least alien technology would be able to spice things up a bit, but the movie is unable to strike a balance between implementing cool, futuristic tools and making sure that Mills and Koa always seem desperate and in danger. The most clever usage of anything is using metal marble-like explosives to try and excavate a cave in which the characters are stuck… and even the results of that are underwhelming and undramatic.

Getting excited about dynamic, different dinosaur action in 65 would be a mistake.

With 65 unable to deliver on the more sci-fi side of the story, one would hope it could hit the gas pedal with the dinosaur action, but it’s just another area where the film falls flat. It’s arguably unfair to compare the movie to the high standard that is Jurassic Park, but you’d think that it would take some lessons about what works in that classic and apply them. A big part of the fun in that franchise is seeing the diversity of species and identifying them from memorable fossils seen in natural history museums. Aside from one herbivore that the characters rescue from a tar pit and a few flying dinos that have no significant presence, there are basically just three kinds of dinosaurs: tiny carnivores, medium carnivores, and giant carnivores.

None of them have special qualities that make them stand out; they might as well just be alien lizards with sharp teeth and claws… which kind of defeats the whole point of the film. To the film’s credit, there is one attempt made at trying to add an extra layer of depth to Mills’ conflict with the dinosaurs, with 65 setting up a “rematch” in the third act with what may or may not be a T-Rex from the second act, but the effort is so minimal and ultimately blink-or-miss-it that I wouldn’t be surprised if a large percentage of audiences don’t pick up on it.

If 65 predated the Jurassic World trilogy and Hollywood’s present obsession with the Lone Wolf And Cub dynamic, it would perhaps be seen to have a lot more merit – but as is, it missed its sweet spot release period by a decade, and as such doesn’t have much to offer. It leans more toward “disappointing” than “awful,” but at least “awful” would have made it more interesting.

On paper, the new science-fiction movie 65 sounds awesome. A pilot (Adam Driver) transporting a community of strangers in cryosleep encounters an unexpected asteroid storm, forcing him to crash land on an alien planet… which turns out to be Earth, during the time of the dinosaurs. It’s Jurassic Park meets Land of the Lost, with a splash of Ridley Scott’s Alien and any other great sci-fi feature you can think of. But while watching 65, I started thinking, “Man, how long would I actually last in this particular situation?” And so, I asked Driver the same thing.

Adam Driver is no stranger to gruelling physical conditions. The man actually served in the armed forces, then went on to hold a special role in the Star Wars universe. He knows his way around sci-fi. But when asked, during a recent press junket, how long he’d personally survive in the conditions presented in 65, the leading man honestly proclaimed:

Amen, Adam Driver. There’s a huge difference between watching an action movie, or even starring in an action movie, and actually DOING the things that people do in an action movie. I love Bruce Willis, and I think Die Hard is one of the greatest action movies ever made. But you won’t find me wrapping a fire hose around my waist and jumping off the top of the Fox Plaza building in Los Angeles, pretending to be John McClane from this scene.

To be fair, the more that Adam Driver explained it, he made it sound like 65 co-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods did things on set to amplify the terror. As Driver remembered it:

And it works on screen, better than you would anticipate. Basically, there are two ways that you can do 65. You can cast Ryan Reynolds, and probably get something closer to The Adam Project. Or you can cast Adam Driver, and come away with something a bit more intense, a  bit more enthralling, and again, with dinosaurs. Listen to our ReelBlend conversation with the 65 filmmakers Beck and Woods, which we dropped earlier this week. And watch 65 when it opens in theaters on March 10.

Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the writers behind “A Quiet Place” join the show to discuss their new film 65, starring Adam Driver and Ariana Greenblatt. They discuss the challenge of differentiating their film from something as iconic as Jurassic Park, being inspired by the likes of Star Wars, Alfonso Cuarón, and more. We also discuss their upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s Boogeyman and its triumphant shift from a streaming release to now getting a full theatrical run this summer.

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People love dinosaurs. People also love science fiction. Finally, people love Adam Driver movies. Knowing these three things one wonders how it has taken so long to get Adam Driver in a science fiction dinosaur movie, but that is finally about to happen. A new look at Driver's 65 gives us plenty of dinosaur science-fiction action and drama in what looks to be an exciting film.

The premise of 65 sees Adam Driver and a young girl, played by Ariana Greenblatt, who is putting together an incredible career at such a young age, both survivors of a spacecraft crash, discover that they have somehow found themselves on earth 65 million years in the past. And it looks like the humans will need all the technology at their disposal in order to survive this biological threat. 65 is one of the movies set to wow people during the Super Bowl this year and we have an early look at the spot. Check it out above.

Based on this brief 30 seconds, 65 looks like it's going to have just about everything that movie fans would want. While the ad spot gives us no dialogue, the basic plot is made clear in the visuals. Those looking for a tense action movie look to have everything they'd want, who doesn't love the idea of fighting dinosaurs with futuristic weapons? But there also looks to be a strong dramatic story here, as Driver's character is trying to keep a young girl alive in an environment that is clearly trying to kill them both.

Dinosaurs have always been fascinating creatures, one of the great mysteries of our world that we're always trying to learn more about, and the idea of being able to actually see them has always been an idea that's as magical as it is terrifying. There's so much we still don't know about them, which is a big part of what would make the creatures so dangerous. We're always learning new things about dinosaurs. One wonders if this new movie will be using the best current science to give us the most realistic dinosaurs on film to date.

In something like the Jurassic Park franchise, the humans at least have the advantage of the fact that the dinosaurs are strangers in the modern world. Humanity has the home-field advantage, to use a sports term since we're discussing a Super Bowl ad. But here Adam Driver's character will find himself with the odds stacked that much more against him, because he is in their world. 

With 65 being the creation of Scott Beck & Bryan Woods, the minds that brought us the truly unique A Quiet Place, we can expect this new movie to be an equally tense drama and one that might perhaps have a few surprises in store. The duo is also directing this one. We'll certainly be looking forward to seeing more than just a 30-second ad for this one. 65 is set to open in theaters on March 10.