This story contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 6 of Dutton Ranch. You can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription and catch new episodes on Fridays.

As we wait for new episodes of Dutton Ranch to drop on the 2026 TV schedule, I’m still reeling over how Jamie Dutton was mentioned in Episode 6. With one savage name-drop by Beulah, the Dutton family’s murky history was brought into the game on this new spinoff. So, I had to ask the cast about it, and Joaquin actor Juan Pablo Raba told me why he loved this Yellowstone reference.

In Episode 6, Beth and Beulah were discussing “wayward sons,” and that’s how the Jackson matriarch brought Jamie Dutton into the conversation. In a cool and calm manner, Annette Bening’s character didn’t just bring up Wes Bentley’s Yellowstone lawyer; she also made sure that Kelly Reilly’s Dutton knew that she was aware of Jamie’s suspicious disappearance. Without overexplaining anything or making a direct threat, she showed Beth that she’s here for a fight. That’s why Juan Pablo Raba loved that moment too, as he told me:

Raba also referenced a scene in Episode 2 where Joaquin tells his mother that the property they wanted was sold to “that Montana couple, the late governor’s daughter.” He knew they were from Montana, and that line implied that he was aware of their history and baggage too.

So, between that and the Jamie name drop, it’s obvious that the Jacksons are not clueless when it comes to Rip and Beth. They use that knowledge too, as the Joaquin actor said:

As someone who loved the original series, it's always exciting to see how the end of Yellowstone weighs on Dutton Ranch. I also love that the Jackson family hasn’t immediately used that information. They’ve dropped it here and there, and now, it’s like we’re waiting for them to pounce.

It’s clear to me that Beth has met her match with Beulah, and I’m looking forward to seeing how she and Joaquin, who is notably easy to compare to Jamie, use what they know against Beth and Rip. However, what I’m most excited to see is how the beloved couple from Montana fight back as they work to outplay this family that seems to be a lot more evil than they let on.

Spoilers for Episode 6 of Dutton Ranch are ahead! You can stream it now with a Paramount+ subscription.

While we know Jamie Dutton was killed at the end of Yellowstone, both spinoffs on the 2026 TV schedule have made it clear that the people surrounding the Duttons have no clue what really happened to him. So suspicions are rising, specifically on Dutton Ranch right now, as the late Dutton sibling got name-dropped in Episode 6. That alone was terrifying; however, after one of the show's stars mentioned Game of Thrones while talking to me about all this, I’m even more scared.

Beulah Brought Up Jamie During A Conversation With Beth

During a conversation at a bar, Beulah told Beth about her boys, Rob-Will and Joaquin, and she said she “had no problem putting a bullet in the skull of anything that threatened” them. She also noted the similarities between the Dutton family and the Jacksons, saying:

I don’t know about you, but mentioning Jamie right after she said she’ll shoot anyone who messes with her family sent chills down my spine. Then, to make matters more dramatic and to really hammer home the fact that the end of Yellowstone very much still matters, Annette Bening’s Beulah responded to Beth saying she doesn’t think about her brother anymore with:

The conversation ended with Beth saying she doesn’t think about that either, and Beulah just making a “Hmm” noise. While no direct threats were made, it’s certainly scary that Beulah is questioning what happened to Jamie, and it further proves why Beth has met her match with the Jackson family matriarch.

Why One Dutton Ranch Star Compared This Moment To Game Of Thrones

Now, when I interviewed Zachariah actor Marc Menchaca, we chatted about his scene with Kelly Reilly, training, and the cliffhanger we’re left on at the end of Episode 6. That’s how Game of Thrones came up. I asked him how he reacted to that moment between Beth and Beulah when he read the script and wondered how this kind of reveal could haunt all the characters on this Yellowstone spinoff. In response, he told me:

I think this is a fantastic point. While there aren’t dragons flying around this universe, the stakes are certainly high, and what happens next is always unexpected.

Overall, what Menchaca’s comment reminded me of was – spoilers for Game of Thrones, which you can stream with an HBO Max subscription – Ned Stark’s death and the Red Wedding. When I watched the fantasy series, both those moments shocked me, as main characters were brutally killed off. On that show, no one was safe, and moments like those left me terrified about what could happen next.

On Dutton Ranch, Beulah name-dropping Jamie shows that she’s in the know about the Dutton family and its demons. It also proves that she’s willing to be ruthless. So, as Menchaca said, like GOT, it feels like "everything is up in the air" as these families battle it out for power and control. So, we’ll just have to tune in every Friday to see who lives to fight for another day as Dutton Ranch continues airing on Paramount+.

Minor spoilers for the first two episodes of Dutton Ranch are ahead! You can stream them with a Paramount+ subscription and catch new episodes every Friday.

Once Beth and Rip met the Jackson family in Dutton Ranch, I quickly realized that they were very easy to compare to the Dutton family. Led by Annette Bening’s Beulah Jackson, this powerful family of ranchers seems to be the antagonists of this series. However, I also couldn’t help but see the parallels between the Jackson matriarch and the patriarch of Yellowstone, John Dutton. Although after chatting with Annette Bening and Natalie Alyn Lind about this new family, I realized there’s another character we need to compare Beulah to.

As I watched the first few episodes of Dutton Ranch, I couldn’t help but draw connections between Beulah and John Dutton. Like Kevin Costner’s character, Beulah is managing a massive ranch that her kids are major power players in. Like John Dutton, she’s trying really hard to keep her family’s legacy alive. And like John Dutton, she’s an absolute boss. So, before the show premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, I asked Annette Bening if that was a fair comparison to make. In response, she said:

Now, it becomes clear across Yellowstone’s five seasons (which you can stream with a Peacock subscription) that John Dutton is doing the same thing. He was trying to keep his father’s dream alive and his family’s land intact. So, he led the Yellowstone in an oftentimes ruthless way that did just that.

However, another character who faced similar challenges in Yellowstone was Beth. After John died, she was working very hard to keep her dad’s dream alive, and she was really the one leading the fight. So, we need to compare Beulah to Beth as well. That’s something Bening implied too, as she told me:

Beth really did have to pick up the pieces as they fell apart, especially in the last episodes of Yellowstone. She also leads with confidence and directness that Beulah seems to have, too. They are two powerful women, and when I spoke to Natalie Alyn Lind, who plays Oreana, about the show, she made that point too, saying this after I asked her about Beulah:

So, yeah, while we can easily compare Beulah to John, the parallels between her and Beth are clear too, and that makes this show so incredibly interesting.

That’s because the Jacksons are so similar to the Duttons, but they’re framed as the antagonists as Rip and Beth enter this new world. However, when you boil it down, Beulah is fighting for the same things John and Beth battled for on Yellowstone. So, in every sense of the word, Beth has met her match. And that, my friends, sets up quite the conflict as we dive into the world of Dutton Ranch.

It’s been about a year and a half since we bid farewell to Yellowstone. John Dutton’s murder was avenged with Jamie's death, and Kayce’s doing his thing over on CBS’s Marshals. As for Beth and her husband Rip, we’re about to see what hijinks they’re up to in Texas when Dutton Ranch hits the 2026 TV schedule. Reviews are in for the latest Yellowstone spinoff, so after viewing the first four episodes, do critics think this feels like a continuation of the hit Taylor Sheridan epic, or does it stand on its own?

Dutton Ranch is centered around Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) who relocate to Texas with their adopted son Carter. According to CinemaBlend’s own Riley Utley, the series perfectly blends what we loved about Yellowstone with new challenges for Beth and Rip. She says:

Nick Schager of the Daily Beast agrees Dutton Ranch is a win, following its predecessor’s formula exactly, except that it’s smart enough to side-step the “culture-war claptrap.” The critic says the result is the best and most satisfying Yellowstone entry since Yellowstone itself. He writes:

Lauren Samer of Page Six says Yellowstone fans will be happy to get more of the same with Dutton Ranch. The writing is clumsy, the plotlines are full of melodrama, but that’s probably just fine for an audience who wants to see cowboys kick ass and take names, Samer says, writing:

Ben Travers of IndieWire gives the new series a C in his Dutton Ranch review, saying that Beth and Rip still have the ferocity we loved in the original series, but Annette Bening and Ed Harris — the latest big Hollywood names to join the Yellowstone universe — may steal the show. In Travers’ words:

Ben Rosenstock of AV Club also gives Dutton Ranch a C, saying it’s the same Duttons, different ranch. Beth’s character is admittedly tempered down a bit, Rosenstock says, but nobody was really asking for more Carter. The critic concludes:

It sounds like there have been some changes made to propel Beth and Rip’s spinoff, but a lot of Dutton Ranch is very similar to Yellowstone, and that’s probably what a lot of fans are hoping for. With 14 critics weighing in so far, Rotten Tomatoes scores the spinoff sequel at 86% ahead of its premiere.

The first two episodes will be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription at 3:01 a.m. ET Friday, May 15, while they will air back-to-back at 8 p.m. ET the same day on Paramount Network.

Two powerhouses are about to face off in Dutton Ranch, as Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton moves down to Texas to a land where Annette Bening’s Beulah Jackson holds a lot of power. In a lot of ways, it feels like Beth will meet her match with Beulah. So, with that in mind, and seeing as Bening is the latest A-lister to join the world of Taylor Sheridan shows while Reilly is a beloved veteran of the Yellowstone universe, I asked them about filming together. Surprisingly, they were both very “nervous” about it.

Ahead of Dutton Ranch’s premiere on the 2026 TV schedule, I spoke to Bening and Reilly about what’s to come in this highly anticipated sequel. Specifically, we chatted about the dynamic between Reilly’s Beth and Bening’s Beulah, and I wondered what it was like to film their first scene together. According to the Yellowstone star, it was quite nerve-wracking, as she recalled:

Well, that certainly makes sense. Annette Bening is a legend, and she’s been considered that for a long time. So, it really was a very big deal that she was joining Dutton Ranch. Plus, alongside her, Ed Harris joined the cast, alongside many others, to round out a whole new ensemble of characters that will surround Rip and Beth.

All around, it’s very exciting. So, I can see why Reilly was nervous, especially when it came to Bening, who plays such a pivotal ranch owner in this show. However, she wasn’t the only one who was nervous. The Grifters actress felt a bit anxious about it as well, telling me:

From Bening’s point of view, I’d assume that joining such a well-established world could be intimidating. Plus, for years, Kelly Reilly has commanded the screen as Beth (you can see her do that in Yellowstone with a Peacock subscription). So, going toe-to-toe with her is quite the ask. However, after the American President actress got to set, she quickly locked in with Reilly, as she explained:

Annette Bening went on to say that working with Kelly Reilly was “such a joy.” She also felt the same way about collaborating with Rip actor Cole Hauser, as well as Harris, who plays Everett McKinney.

I don’t know about you, but most of the time, the most nerve-wracking experiences are the best ones. And that’s the energy I got from Reilly and Bening. While they were nervous to collaborate, they are electric on screen as Beth and Beulah, and it was clear that they adored working together.

Now, to see them go head-to-head on screen, you can stream the first two episodes of Dutton Ranch on Friday, May 15, with a Paramount+ subscription.

It would seem that as Rip and Beth move away from their home in Montana and down to Texas, they’ll be met with a new set of adversaries. Obviously, that’s been assumed since Dutton Ranch was put on the 2026 TV schedule. However, new footage from this sequel series starring Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser gave us a good look at the characters Annette Bening and Jai Courtney will be playing, and I have to say, I think Beth has met her match.

As we inch closer to the premiere of this highly anticipated spinoff about the beloved Yellowstone characters, Paramount+ dropped an ad that featured dialogue and footage from not just Rip and Beth, but the new characters, too. Take a look:

So, to break this down, this video establishes that Rip and Beth moved from Montana to Texas (which we knew). It’s also quickly confirmed that this new place is complex, as Annette Bening’s character, Beulah Jackson, says:

That line is followed by Jai Courtney’s Rob-Will saying that “no one understands what we've done to protect this ranch.” And as that’s being said, we see Rip walking up to a presumably dead body. While it’s unclear if Rob-Will is connected to Bening’s character, we do know he plays an “imposing, unpredictable ranch foreman”. So, I think his words at the bare minimum add to why Rio Paloma is “complicated.”

Then, to add more fuel to this fire, Beth says she needs Carter “ready for the hard parts, because they’re coming.” And as she explains that, it cuts to a few frames of Beulah. Plus, at the end of it all, we get to hear Kelly Reilly’s character tell Bening’s character:

We know that Beulah Jackson is the leader of a massive ranch in Texas. If I had to take a guess based on this footage, she’s the matriarch of it, too, which would create a clear parallel to Yellowstone and the Dutton family. So, to me, it’d make sense if Beth rolls into this world like a tornado ready to rip it apart.

However, based on the trailer for Dutton Ranch, this teaser, and Yellowstone’s history of violence, I’d also operate under the assumption that characters like Beulah and Rob-Will don’t fight clean. Seemingly, Beth will be met with trouble if she tries to stand up to them. However, if I learned anything from watching Yellowstone (which you can do with a Peacock subscription), while Beth and Rip might not win every battle, you better believe they'll fight like hell to win the war.

So, yeah, I think Beth may have met her match, and I cannot wait to see what kind of stand-offs she ends up in when Dutton Ranch premieres for those with a Paramount+ subscription on May 15.

There have been about a bajillion adaptations of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, and in fact, Guillermo del Toro’s version has racked up several Academy Award nominations for next week’s ceremony. Already, however, we’re turning our attention to the next iteration, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!, which promises to be something completely unique, as the monster, "Frank," seeks a companion creation. Critics screened the film ahead of its release on the 2026 movie calendar, and they have strong — but divisive — opinions.

Jessie Buckley — an Oscar nominee this year herself — portrays the titular creation, with Christian Bale playing Frankenstein’s monster and Annette Bening as Dr. Euphronious, the scientist tasked with creating life from the body of a murdered woman. That’s not where the talent or the surprises end, either as CinemaBlend’s review of The Bride! calls it “a masterpiece on every level.” Nick Venable rates it a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, writing:

Tomris Laffly of RogerEbert gives it 3 stars out of 4, calling it “a fantastical creative explosion you can’t look away from.” It’s fun to see Jessie Buckley go fully unhinged, but it may be even more satisfying to see Maggie Gyllenhaal follow up The Lost Daughter with such a big swing that shows her operating with no limits. Laffly says:

Luke Hicks of AV Club gives the upcoming horror movie a B+, noting that Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jessie Buckley are intentionally making the audience uncomfortable, as the latter portrays her character with a brilliant, vile, vigorous, take-no-prisoners attitude that Frankenstein never had. Hicks continues:

To that end, there are indeed some less-than-complimentary reactions, with IGN critic Hanna Ines Flint giving it a "Mediocre" 5 out of 10 and calling Maggie Gyllenhaal’s movie a “gaudy feminist reimagining.” The critic writes:

Johnny Oleksinski of the New York Post straight-up calls it “one of the worst movies I’ve seen in this job,” and awards it zero stars. The script, Oleksinski says, feels like something scribbled down at 4 a.m. in a dream journal. The critic continues:

With critics’ ratings ranging from 0 to 5 stars, you’ll have to use your judgment — with the help of these opinions — to decide if Maggie Gyllenhaal’s second directorial effort is one you want to partake in. The best part is, you don’t have to wait. The Bride! hits theaters on Friday, March 6.

Alongside such literary icons as Sherlock Holmes, Hamlet, and James Bond, one of the most oft-adapted characters for live-action (and otherwise) is the anatomical monstrosity simply known as Frankenstein’s monster. Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel has proven to be a seemingly unstoppable inspiration over the last 116 years, starting in the silent era with J. Searle Dawley’s Frankenstein, with James Whale’s 1931 adaptation and its 1935 sequel Bride of Frankenstein viewed as the true classic iterations. But only because 1930s audiences didn’t get to meet Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride.

If they had, they likely wouldn’t have known how to handle themselves around the whirlwind of Jessie Buckley’s constantly in-motion character, who adopts several different personas throughout the movie. She’s a gangster moll, a supernatural totem to feminism, and an extension of our current understanding of Mary Shelley’s radical (for the time) philosophies and motivations. She’s never only any one of these things, but rather an all-encompassing force to be reckoned with by those who adore her, fear her and wish her dead.

No one feels more strongly about the Bride than Christian Bale’s creature, who has lived a covered-up existence on the fringes of society, with the pangs of loneliness becoming increasingly louder with time. To seek his ultimate mate, he visits Annette Bening’s Dr. Euphronious, a more empathetic and level-headed “mad” scientist in place of Ernest Thesiger’s more clearly antagonistic Dr. Pretorius from The Bride of Frankenstein. Everyone gets far more than they bargained for (audiences included) when this resurrected coupling tears loose.

Maggie Gyllenhaal had more to bring to the screen than just a monster movie remake, and it’s impossible to nail down exactly what the finished product is. “A darkly hilarious true crime monster movie” comes close, but isn’t quite enough. Maybe it’s best to just say The Bride! is a motherf--king masterpiece.

The Bride! pays loving tribute to a wide array of Frankenstein-centric fiction.

While not a direct take on the Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester-starring The Bride of Frankenstein, The Bride! does draw from certain story beats and themes, including the initial conceit of Mary Shelley herself being the character who kicks the narrative off (also played by Buckley). Instead of narrating objectively from the background, Shelley instead injects her raging spirit into the body of the somewhat able, and mostly non-willing host Ida. She goes so far as to use the term "possession," and it's an apt one.

The Bride! is not beholden to its two most obvious pieces of source material , however, and it almost surreally incorporates an inspired assortment of nods to the Monster's pop culture impact as a whole. Without being so exhaustive as a spoof movie in that respect, Gyllenhaal still weaves a surprising number of on-the-busted-nose references into some of this film’s most vital scenes, and such moments left me downright giddy. It’s like when modern Batman stories make sure the infamous Shark Repellant used by Adam West’s Caped Crusade is featured in the background somewhere.

From more obvious projects like Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein to more cult-level films like Frankenhooker, this movie celebrates them all. Was I disappointed to not see anyone eating Frankenberry cereal at a breakfast table? Certainly – though I’m willing to concede that it happened when I wasn’t looking. The love for this universe’s lore carries on right into the credits’ familiar ditty.

Christian Bale is a surprisingly charming and sympathetic monster, but this is Jessie Buckley’s movie from the first minute to the last.

As both Patrick Bateman and Batman — him again? — Christian Bale exuded the same amount of ego through two very different prisms, and his performance in The Bride! comes from the opposite end of that self-confidence spectrum, albeit with similar inclinations to use violence as a means to an end. He is the Monster, after all, so all he's ever been seen as is a freakish outsider when he's not fleeing torch-wielding mobs.

All he's really looking for is a friend to share his interests, the biggest of which is a long-gestating obsession with the singing-and-dancing Hollywood megastar Ronnie Reed, as portrayed by a most debonaire Jake Gyllenhaal. Reed's movies are the buoy that stops Frank from hitting rock bottom, both emotionally and physically, and there's a natural desire to see him get what he wants, even knowing that it will result in a wave of murderous mayhem. Despite so many past iterations out there, Bale's Frank is a beast all his own, inspiring laughter, longing and horror in equal doses.

But let's not beat around the bush(y hair) here. Jessie Buckley could have been acting opposite babies and tennis balls on strings, or opposite the greatest actors of the past 116 years, and The Bride! would still be her movie through and through. As Mary Shelley, the actress is cynical, patronizing and proud, strengthened in those scenes by Maggie Gyllenhaal's black-and-white camerawork, which utilizes shadowy filmmaking tricks from horror cinema's earliest days.

As Ida, both before and after her death and resurrection, Buckley bounces from charismatic to vulnerable with an almost childlike temperament. It's in part due to her loss of memory, which Frank is happy to replace with his manufactured version of their relationship details. I'll let you guess how well that goes in the long run.

The best of all worlds comes when Mary's vindictive spirit takes over Ida's broken brain, causing her to sporadically rattle off at the mouth with rhyming streams of consciousness as one accent morphs into another from across the pond. All the awards buzz that Buckley has earned for Hamnet will not fade away once The Bride! has been awakened.

Ida’s kinetic journey veers down a trail of brutal and influential justice across the country, Bonnie Parker-style.

Not that this movie solely hinges on just those two characters' multi-leveled performances. Once The Bride! brings Frank and Ida together (with Mary), the story shifts in part from creature feature to crime spree thriller. Ida's unlawful connections to Chicago mobster Lupino, which lead to her corporeal conclusion, return to haunt her after Dr. Euphronious brings her back, resulting in a shocking act of violence that cements their fate as fugitives and sets up a dangerous precedent for the rest of the movie.

Enter Detective Jake Wiles (Peter Sarsgaard), whose partner Myrna Mallow (Penélope Cruz) is more adept in every way, despite not being given the proper consideration for earning the badge. The amount of times she has to defensively stand up for herself amidst seas of male cops would be comical if it wasn't 100% drawn from reality. In that way, Myrna's journey works in conjunction with Ida's, as she and Wiles both have reasons to not pursue the pair of monstrous murderers making national headlines.

Frank and Ida easily share space with Natural Born Killers' Mickey and Mallory as sensational cults of personality whose anti-establishment views are embraced by others regardless of their more malicious actions. Perhaps the more pointed comparison would involve the aforementioned film's own inspiration, real-life criminals Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, though The Bride! very pointedly makes sure to ground the public influence in Ida's "I am woman, hear me roar" vibes as opposed to glorifying murders.

Really, everything about this movie works for me. Buckley's hair and black-stained makeup are instantly iconic. The choreography and dance numbers are energetic and never out of place. The way Frank's love of the movies becomes a visual storytelling element is bizarre and magical. Cruz and Sarsgaard are magnetic enough to lead their own two-hander spinoff. (Possibly chasing an invisible man...?)

From the first second to the last, however, the biggest share of the accolades have to go to Maggie Gyllenhaal. From bringing the Riot Grrrl energy to showcasing the unflinching violence to spinning a remotely plausible love story with these two misbegotten souls, the filmmaker pulls off a tour de force with her second feature that won't easily be replicated.

Through all my praise, I know The Bride! isn't for everyone. And to those who speak the loudest against it: watch out for splinters while holding those torches and pitchforks all day long.

With a lot still left to be learned about Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming western drama The Madison and other in-development spinoffs, the lineup of upcoming Yellowstone series is currently fronted by Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser’s Beth and Rip series arriving on Paramount+ near the end of the 2025 TV schedule, and Luke Grimes’ Y: Marshals drama that’ll get a midseason debut on CBS. Though updates about those shows have also been few and far between, we finally have some huge cast and crew additions.

Annette Bening Has Joined The Yellowstone Universe

First and foremost, at least when it comes to on-camera talent, the always excellent Annette Bening was revealed to be the first major new cast member joining the Yellowstone-verse. It marks the latest in a relatively recent embrace of TV projects for the esteemed actress, with 2024’s miniseries adaptation Apples Never Fall being her debut as a small-screen lead. She’ll next be seen opposite Anya Taylor Joy and Timothy Olyphant in the miniseries Lucky, also.

It’s going to take more than luck to keep Bening’s character out of Beth’s crosshairs in the upcoming series. Thankfully the initial description shared by Deadline indicates she’ll be no slouch when audiences meet her.

Her name is Beulah Jackson, and I already cannot wait to hear Beth saying Beulah on a semi-regular basis. She’s the head of a giant ranch in Texas, which grants her quite a bit of power and influence, and she deals equally in charm and guile, which no doubt keeps her friends and enemies alike on their toes.

Beth And Rip's Spinoff Has Added A Showrunner Who Isn't Taylor Sheridan

As the co-creator and main face of Yellowstone and its numerous prequels and spinoffs, not to mention non-Dutton projects like Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King, Taylor Sheridan is the kind of writer who has long chosen to take the reins with as much creative control as possible. As such, I fully expected him to continue leading the charge as the showrunner for the Beth and Rip-led series.

Instead, however, the producers brought in Chad Feehan to guide things behind the scenes as showrunner. Feehan, previously a writer/producer on shows such as Rectify and Banshee, is no stranger to working with Sheridan, at least. He handled showrunning duties on the David Oyelowo-starring western Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which was a top-notch series all around in my book when it comes to story, production aesthetic, casting and more.

So while I'm indeed surprised by this turn of events, I'm not worried or turned off by any means. I'm eager to see how Feehan handles a modern-day Sheridan series. Especially one that's adding Annette Bening to the trio of returning stars Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Finn Little. The only plot information at this point just kind of notes that Beth and Rip will be aiming to make sure Carter becomes a proper man, which of course.

No release date has been set just yet for the new show, but the thought is that it'll be available to stream via Paramount+ subscription in November.

Some of the biggest and best actors have never won competitive acting Oscars. Some of those names might completely shock you as they have certainly put in the performances that make them worthy of winning the awards. There are a few on this list who have won honorary Oscars or won in other categories, like directing or acting, but none of these stars have been bestowed with the one they probably want the most. So here is our list of actors and actresses who have shockingly never won an Oscar for acting.

Glenn Close

At the top of the list of actors who have shockingly never won an Oscar has to be the great Glenn Close. For decades Close has been putting amazing performances on film, and yet that golden statue has eluded her. She has won multiple Tonys, Emmys, and Golden Globe awards, yet, despite an amazing eight nominations for either Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress, she's yet to win one.

Tom Cruise

There is no bigger "movie star" on the planet than Tom Cruise. While no one would realistically expect Cruise to be nominated for his action roles like in the Mission: Impossible movies (though, his stunt work in those movies should really be acknowledged), the Top Gun star has put in the work with Oscar-worthy performances in films like Rain Man, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, and Magnolia. He has been nominated four times, but he's yet to take home the prize.

Angela Bassett

In 1994 Angela Bassett lost out on the Best Actress Oscar for her incredible, transformative performance as Tina Turner in What's Love Got to Do with It. Not to take anything away from the winner, Holly Hunter for The Piano, but it's frankly astonishing Bassett didn't win. Sadly, though she was honored in 2024 by the Academy, she still has yet to win a competitive Oscar.

Johnny Depp

Johnny Depp has gotten a lot of bad press in recent years and that may hurt his future chances to win an Academy Award, but frankly, it's amazing he hasn't already won multiple Oscars, and yet he's never won even one. Despite three nominations and many other amazing performances, the Pirates Of The Caribbean star is still Oscar-less.

Sigourney Weaver

It's hard to believe that Sigourney Weaver hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar since the 1980s, when she was nominated thrice. In spite of wonderful performances in huge hits like Avatar and Aliens, she's still searching for that golden statue.

Bradley Cooper

Honestly, you can almost smell the desperation on Bradley Cooper to win an Oscar and that's completely understandable. Cooper is one of the best actors of his generation and has been nominated five times in an acting category (and another seven times in other categories), but hasn't won...yet. He'll surely get one.

Annette Bening

Five nominations and no wins. That's Annette Bening's resume at the Oscars and that is shocking. For decades she's been crushing it on screen and despite those nominations, most recently in 2023 for her incredible performance in Nyad, a win has eluded her.

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey may have burst on the scene in wild comedies like Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and The Mask - and we can argue that amazing comedic performances don't get nearly enough love from the Academy - but his more serious roles, like in Man on the Moon and even The Truman Show are certainly worthy of Oscars. Despite multiple Golden Globe nominations and wins, the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind actor has never even been nominated for an Oscar.

Amy Adams

When Amy Adams was first nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 for her breakthrough performance in Junebug, a betting person would have bet everything that she would win an Oscar in her career. Yet here we are more than 20 years later and despite five more nominations, Adams is still Oscar-less.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has played every kind of character and starred in every kind of movie. From mega-franchises like Star Wars and the MCU, to more indie films like Pulp Fiction and Do The Right Thing, Jackson has done it all in Hollywood, except win a competitive Oscar and he's shockingly only been nominated once. He was honored by the Academy in 2021 for his body of work.

Scarlett Johansson

In 2020 Scarlett Johansson was nominated in both the Bet Actress category for Marriage Story and Best Supporting Actress for Jojo Rabbit. She lost out in both that year and despite an incredible career, they remain her only nominations.

Laurence Fishburne

Literally, since his breakout movie role when he was only 16 in Apocalypse Now, Laurence Fishburne has been putting in award-worthy performances. One of the most astonishing facts on this list, Fishbourne has only been nominated once, for What's Love Got to Do with It in 1994. Despite roles like Furious Styles in Boyz n The Hood, Professor Phipps in Higher Learning, and countless others, he still hasn't won.

Hugh Jackman

While he's best known for his work as Wolverine these days, the multi-talented Hugh Jackman has a ton of performances that have deserved more attention from the Academy. He's won every other award on the planet, including three of the "EGOT" awards, but he's still missing the "O."

Michelle Williams

Michelle Williams has been nominated for an Academy Award five times, starting with her breakout role in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. She has yet to break through with a win though. Certainly, she will at some point, right?

Saoirse Ronan

Saoirse Ronan was just 13 years old when she landed her first Oscar nomination for her performance in Atonement. The Lady Bird star has been nominated three subsequent times but hasn't been able to nail down an award yet. A win for Ronan at some point seems inevitable, given how she crushes every role she's in.

Matt Damon

Another one of the biggest movie stars in the world who has yet to win an acting Oscar is Matt Damon. His most recent of three acting nominations was for 2015's The Martian, and while he has won an Oscar for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, an acting award has eluded him.

Salma Hayek

Despite her transcending performance in Frida, the great Salma Hayek wasn't able to win an Oscar in a stacked category in 2003 (Nicole Kidman won for The Hours). Despite numerous great performances, that remains Hayak's only nomination. For shame.

Willem Dafoe

Despite being one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood for more than four decades, somehow Willem Dafoe has yet to win an Oscar. It seems like every single role he takes on is award-worthy, and yet, despite four nominations, starting with Platoon, he still has yet to take home an Academy Award.

Carey Mulligan

2009's An Education garnered Carey Mulligan her first Oscar nom, and she's since nominated another couple of times, for Promising Young Woman in 2021 and Maestro in 2024. She's run into some stiff competition, but surely at least one of those performances was Oscar-worthy.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo has been acting his butt off for decades. For that hard work, he's received four Best Supporting Actor nominations, and shockingly, not for his work in Dark Waters, which might be his best performance of all. It's confounding.

Michelle Pfeiffer

The great Michelle Pfeiffer landed her first Oscar nomination in 1988 for Dangerous Liaisons and picked up two more for The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989 and Love Field in 1992. Since then? Nothing. Zip. She has not even received a nomination as one of the best actresses of her generation. That has to be remedied, as it makes no sense.

Ralph Fiennes

Between 1996 when he was nominated for The English Patient and 2025 when he was nominated for Conclave, the great Ralph Fiennes wasn't even nominated for an Oscar despite countless award-worthy performances.

Naomi Watts

With two nominations and zero wins, Naomi Watts finds herself on this list. She was first nominated in 2004 for 21 Grams and again in 2013 for The Impossible, but she hasn't lucked out with a win yet. Surely one is in her future though, she's too much of a force not to win one.

Ryan Gosling

Year after year Ryan Gosling has put up fantastic performances, so his inclusion on this list is among the most surprising. He seems like a shoo-in to have won at least one Oscar, right? In not for Barbie or Half Nelson, both of which he was nominated for, then certainly for La La Land. Alas, he's yet to take home a trophy.

Alfre Woodard

When Alfre Woodard was nominated for her first (and to-date only) Oscar nomination way back in 1983 for Cross Creek, you'd be crazy to predict she would not get another one for what is now more than 40 years. Despite amazing performances in films like 12 Years A Slave and many others, she has been shut out.

Warren Beatty

There was no bigger movie star than Warren Beatty in the late '70s and '80s and despite a slew of hits, Beatty has never won an Oscar. Beatty has been nominated four times for Best Actor, yet his only Academy Award win came for Best Director for Reds in 1982. He didn't even win for Dick Tracy! He wasn't actually nominated for that iconic role though, which is understandable.

Laura Linney

Over her long, impressive career, Laura Linney has been nominated for many awards. She's won multiple Emmys and multiple Golden Globes, but she's never taken home a golden statue from the Academy. Linney has been nominated three times, for 2000's You Can Count on Me, 2004's Kinsey, and 2007's The Savages, but lost out each time. Linney has never been in a movie that has won Best Picture, either.

Ed Harris

Ed Harris is one of the best character actors of the last 50 years and yet he's never won an Oscar. He's been nominated three times for Best Supporting Actor, for Apollo 13, The Truman Show, and The Hours, plus picking a nomination for Best Actor for Pollock, but alas, he's never won. Weirdly, he's also 0-3 on Emmy nominations too. He has picked up two Golden Globes though.

Joan Allen

Joan Allen is an actress flies a little under the radar despite putting in amazing performances in everything she is in. It might because she's been incredibly unlucky at winning awards, despite multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG nominations. That luck includes her Oscar nominations, of which she has three, for Nixon, The Crucible, and The Contender, but sadly no wins.

Richard Gere

Despite being box office gold since the early 1980s, Richard Gere has shockingly never been even nominated for an Oscar. He's been in beloved movies that have stood the test of time like Pretty Woman, An Officer And A Gentleman, Primal Fear, Runaway Bride and so many more, but no nominations. Crazy.

Isabelle Huppert

It might not be a huge surprise that a French actress like Isabelle Huppert hasn't won an Oscar, as obviously the winners are almost always from English-language films. Still, Huppert is one of the most decorated actresses of all time in her native France, having been nominated 16 times (and winning twice) for the César Award (France's version of the Academy Awards). She was nominated for an Oscar in 2016 for Elle but lost to Emma Stone (for La La Land).

Paul Dano

It almost seems pre-ordained that at some point Paul Dano will win an Oscar. In performance after performance, he just crushes it. From There Will Be Blood to Love & Mercy, the list of his amazing performances just keeps growing. Like others on this list, the fact that he hasn't even been nominated for an Oscar is mindboggling.

One of the reasons many of us love following celebrities so much is because they go places and have experiences that many of us simply never will. That includes going to awards shows and getting all gussied up in some of the fanciest, most expensive clothes and accessories around. With the bulk of this year’s award season now over, let’s take a look at 32 great pairs of shoes that stars sported recently as they walked the red carpet.

Annette Bening 

Looks for any award show can vary wildly, but we do typically see ladies in high heels of some sort. Actress Annette Benning did step out in heels, but she chose some of a chunky platform sandal variety that likely added some literal stability to her chic, flowy outfit.

Ryan Gosling

Sure, men’s fashion doesn’t usually lend itself to wild shoewear choices on the red carpet, but that’s OK. Barbie cast member/Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling went with a great pair of shiny black shoes to accent his black (and slightly sparkly) tux and red socks, and they work perfectly.

Danielle Brooks

You’re going to see that black, overall, was a popular shoe color choice for 2024’s award shows, and The Color Purple Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks made a good pick to go with her very glamorous Dolce Gabbana gown. The sandals feature a shapely high heel and pearl accents that kick the look up a couple of notches.

Cynthia Erivo

Not only did Cynthia Erivo and her co-star Ariana Grande decide to represent their Wicked characters via their fashion choices for the Academy Awards, but Erivo took her green Elphaba theme to the hilt with her platform shoes with striated shades of emerald.

Billie Eilish

One cannot deny the importance of comfort when talking shoes, and award winning singer/songwriter Billie Eilish definitely deserves props for choosing a round-toe mary jane style that even allowed her to wear full-on shocks to the Oscars.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh has had no shortage of amazing fashion moments, and it appears that they won’t let up anytime soon. The star looked wonderful at the Oscars, and walked tall in a super chunky, mirrored platform sandal to complete her look.

Colman Domingo

As the star of the lauded civil rights drama, Rustin, Colman Domingo made numerous appearances on red carpets recently, but his decision to head to the Academy Awards in custom Louis Vuitton cowboy boots (in black with gold accents) has absolutely put him near the top of everyone’s fashionable celeb list.

Emily Blunt

Never mind the Oscar dress with the floating shoulders, most would likely say that Emily Blunt’s silver heels with a little half-bow across her toes managed to actually steal the show from her gorgeously constructed cream and silver gown.

Mahershala Ali

Again, men don’t always think to step up their shoe game for red carpets, but Mahershala Ali certainly did. His graphic black and white loafers with a slight heel absolutely helped him stand out in a sea of men with black footwear.

Ava DuVernay

Director Ava DuVernay looked lovely in her powder blue ensemble, and her silver shoes with a little bit of a platform went nicely with the buckled straps of her off-the-shoulder dress.

Carly Pearce

People came out in their finest for the CMT Awards, and country singer Carly Pearce was no different. The black and silver gem-studded stunners she wore on her feet obviously made a fabulous statement. Look at that crazy high stiletto heel!

Celine Song

Just because you’re in black flats, it doesn’t have to mean that your choice of shoe has to be boring. Wearing a flowy, lower-calf length skirt to walk the Oscar red carpet, filmmaker Celine Song was able to show off her chunky footwear and look like the very picture of effortless cool.

Wendy Thembelihle Juel

The South African/Danish model may have put on a fitted, shimmering pink dress for her time at the Academy Awards, but she also chose black as the perfect color for her shoes. Her sandals gave the gown an extra oomph with a pretty crystal (or diamond) bow across each set of toes that helped to make them the real focal point of her glamorous look.

Erika Alexander

To celebrate the Oscar nods received by American Fiction, star Erika Alexander stepped out in a truly original dress. And, her shoes were different as well, seeing as how it’s relatively rare to see ladies on the red carpet in white heels.

Alex Borstein

Black can be very basic, but not, apparently, if you’re The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star Alex Borstein. The talent stepped out to the Critics Choice Awards in delicately laced black pumps that appear to be see-through, which also had a scalloped edge to compliment her sheer dress.

Ke Huy Quan

Ke Huy Quan is clearly enjoying his revitalized time in the spotlight, and the Oscar winner knows how to get all dressed up for the red carpet. Here, he wears a classic pair of glossy black, tie-up dress shoes, and they pair perfectly with his deep red and black tuxedo.

Simu Liu

The People’s Choice Awards saw Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Barbie star Simu Liu hit the carpet in a fantastic oxblood-colored suit. And, not only did his shoes match, but he switched things up from typical men’s shoes and donned suede footwear for the occasion. Love it!

Andrew Scott

It can be so, so nice to buck convention and head to a fancy event in an ensemble that evokes a high/low effect, which is exactly what All of Us Strangers and Ripley star Andrew Scott did when he attended the Golden Globe Awards in January 2024. Instead of going for a full, all-white tuxedo, he went with the jacket, wide-leg pants and a thin t-shirt, which were beautifully accompanied by full-coverage shoes in the same creamy shade with an ultra-low black heel.

Oprah Winfrey

If you paid any attention to the many events that media mogul extraordinaire Oprah Winfrey went to in order to celebrate and promote the release of the musical The Color Purple, well, you’ll know that the many shades of that very hue were her choice for all of them. This included her time at the Golden Globes, where she capped her lovely, custom Louis Vuitton dress (which appears to be a shimmery, optical illusion-like crushed velvet) with grape-colored Manolo Blahnik shoes. So sophisticated, right?

Rachel Brosnahan

Talk about working a look! The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel star (who’s soon to be our new Lois Lane in Superman: Legacy) went all red for the Golden Globes and was a total stunner. She stepped out in a custom Sergio Hudson off-the-shoulder gown, which featured a slinky line of buttons from top to toe that opened about halfway down. Brosnahan is also in satiny, custom-made Christian Louboutin sandals with a thin ankle strap that perfectly sets off her whole outfit.

Selena Gomez

Only Murders in the Building superstar Selena Gomez has been on top since her teens, so she knows how to work a red carpet! Her Globes look featured one of the more intriguing gowns of the night; a glossy, deep red stunner with black accents and a full, hi-low hem that gave everyone a perfect look at her cool shoes in a lipstick shade of red that appeared to feature some holographic effects. Selena can do no wrong!

Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren (who really should be given her own Fast & Furious movie) hasn’t portrayed a queen more than once for nothing. She went to the Globes in a lavender ensemble that featured a bodice that gathered at her side and a sweeping skirt, topped with a two-tone cape (Yes, honey!) and extremely chunky, platform sandals in a shade of silver that perfectly matched her hair. Does glam get any better?

Jessica Williams

Speaking of royalty, Shrinking and Road House star Jessica Williams looked like an absolute princess as a nominee when she attended the Primetime Emmy Awards in January 2024. Williams wore a very ladylike custom-made off-the-shoulder Rodarte gown that was mostly black, with a hi-low hem that exposed fluffy layers of white tulle underneath. Her shoes are black and closed-toe but with netting near the top and three rather large crystal flowers, which only add to the regal look.

Bella Ramsey

Bella Ramsey stepped out to the Emmys in a very clean, professional style that’s far different from what we usually see when it comes to suits at awards shows. The star, who’s currently working on The Last of Us Season 2 for HBO) is wearing four different colors (the forest green suit, a deep purple button-down shirt, a red turtleneck and deep burgundy shoes), but somehow it all works together to make a clean look. Speaking of the shoes, thick black soles and the silver medallion on each help to both make a statement and ground the whole outfit.

Joan Collins

Timeless style is called “timeless” for very good reasons, and that’s because anyone at any age can look good wearing it in any year! Dynasty legend Joan Collins presented at the Emmy Awards, and put on her finest pleated Jenny Packham gown in a silvery sky blue dotted with crystals. To complete her outfit, the longtime star chose a closed-toe shoe in a similar color with a little embellishment right on the top just made to peek out from under her long, caped dress.

Jeffrey Wright

It looks as though colors like red, maroon, and oxblood were kinda popular recently, doesn’t it? American Fiction lead Jeffrey Wright showed up for February 2024’s Screen Actors Guild Awards (where he was nominated for his role and as part of the cast as a whole) in a perfectly tailored tuxedo of the latter color that looked quite sharp. Even better? His sturdy shoes in a similar shade added just enough interest with different colors on the bottom.

Keith David

Shades of aubergine pretty much always help people stand out at events, and that’s even more true when you’re dressed in it head to toe and look as happy as Keith David did at the SAG awards. Also attending for American Fiction’s cast nomination, the star was, indeed, donning the color for his lovely suit with a nice sheen, tie and shirt in slightly different but still within the color family hue and, his shoes. David went with a simple shoe, but in a suede fabric that helps then stand out just a teensy bit.

Tyler James Williams

Again, head-to-toe in one color can work wonders for netting the wearer a truly memorable look, and Abbott Elementary’s Tyler James Williams definitely got the memo. He showed up and showed out for his SAG Awards appearance in a natty baby blue suit with a matching, sheer t-shirt underneath, and complimented the ‘fit with some extremely classy white shoes.

Lauren Daigle

Contemporary Christian music singer Lauren Daigle was able to celebrate her Grammy Award nominations at the ceremony in a standout of frilly navy blue and black tulle gown punctuated with multicolored accents by Shahar Avnet. But, the true winner of this ensemble might just be her shoes: white and blue polka-dotted John Fluevog sandals with a platform and a very cool sculpted heel.

CeeLo Green

Remember, wearing colors in one family from head to toe is gold…especially if you actually decide to wear different shades of actual gold! Former The Voice coach CeeLo Green headed to the Grammys with his lady friend looking like a statuette (as did she; her hair and lips are even gold), and if there was ever a time to do such a thing it’s at a major award show. Green capped off his very comfortable-looking outfit with simply styled gold shoes, because if you’re wearing all gold how many embellishments do you really need, anyway?

Fantasia Barrino

American Idol alum Fantasia Barrino was all set to perform at the 66th Grammy Awards, but first, she had to hit the red carpet. And, it would be fair to say that her style for the night was also a hit, as she stepped out in a nude gown with black accents and paired the whole thing with black platform sandals that had alluring crisscrossing straps for days. 

Kingsley Ben-Adir

The star of Bob Marley: One Love, Kingsley Ben-Adir, also took a turn on the Grammy red carpet, and while his Gucci jacket and shirt in a nearly lime green color with black slacks are nearly casual in flair, anything but can be said about his footwear. The man gave some seriously good shoe in black loafers covered in silver studs, and these just might be the best shoes on the list!

As you can see, this awards season saw a lot of fabulous and daring shoe styles on the red carpet, and we are all the better for it!

Alison Brie is illuminating as the free-wheeling, high-strung mess Amy Delaney in Peacock’s TV version of Liane Moriarty’s popular novel Apples Never Fall. The story is so compelling not only because it is about a missing mother and a father who is the main suspect, but because the Delaney family also have four children who align in different ways and take sides when their mother disappears. Which is what makes the ending so compelling, juicy, and –dare I say it? – upsetting for some critics.

CinemaBlend recently spoke with Brie about the TV series from the author of Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers and more. Of course, Apples Never Fall makes some big changes from the book, and that includes taking creative license with the ending. If you’ve caught the show with your Peacock subscription, you may already be aware of some of the differences, but I will be getting into some spoilers below. But first, how does the actress feel about it?

While Alison Brie claims the show manages to “veer a little bit” from Moriarty’s original ending, there are actually 2 major changes from the books I think are worth pointing out.

1. The setting for Joy's "escape" is different and eerier.
2. The messed up twist at the end of the book is left vague in order to focus on a Delaney reunion.

In Moriarty's version, matriarch Joy ultimately decided she needed a break from the Delaneys and headed with Savannah to a retreat where cell phone use was not allowed, thus allowing her children (and the police) to think she disappeared. She eventually returned home, but in the meantime, we'd learned more about Savannah. She’d suffered abuse under her mother while her tennis star brother left her behind, and had lately become her mother’s abuser, locking her up with limited food and water during the time she’d been with Joy and co.

That’s the real twist of the book. It wasn’t really about Joy’s disappearance, but about what Savannah was hiding after all. Interestingly, this is muted in the series to focus much more on the Delaney bent, which is the "something new" Brie commented on that readers are able to experience.

The streaming subscription version swapped a retreat for a Georgia home Savannah allegedly owned in which she cut the phone lines after getting Joy, who is played by Anette Bening in a TV first, to come for a visit following her fight with Stan (which led to the bicycle accident and the bloody jacket).

The second change came after Joy decided to go home. Savannah and Joy getting in a care accident could have led to a very different ending to this series, but instead, Joy simply returned home to remark on the “mess” the hurricane has caused on the family’s backyard tennis court. Joy came to realize Savannah was tennis protege Harry Haddad's sister who was abused, but when Savannah exited the show, her own secrets were left vaguer than what we get in the book.

As Alison Brie noted while speaking to us: "this show really is about secrets coming to light," and while some of that had to do with Savannah's secrets, I'm happy the show ending came with some closure for the Delaneys. The series is not about the culmination of Joy disappearing, it's more about using Joy's disappearance to confront a lot of familial issues the family thought they had buried but had kept bubbling up to the surface in myriad ways.

Once Joy got home, there was still work to be done, but all in all, I found this ending more satisfying than the book, though if you go into this one thinking it's simply a murder mystery, you're definitely going to get more than you'd bargained for.

Apples Never Fall is currently streaming on the 2024 TV schedule over at Peacock.

Liane Moriarty’s novels have served as the inspiration for some successful TV adaptations, with Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect Strangers. Now her fans are being treated to a new series from her latest book, Apples Never Fall, which is available to stream now with a Peacock subscription. Critics had the chance to stream the seven-episode miniseries ahead of its March 14 release, and they can’t decide if this mystery-drama is a binge of “soapy satisfactions” or just “rotten” to its core.

Annette Bening joins the wave of movie stars heading to TV to star as Joy, the matriarch of the tennis-playing Delaney family, whose lives are thrown into upheaval when she goes missing, and her husband Stan becomes a suspect. Sam Neill plays Stan, with their children being portrayed by Jake Lacy, Alison Brie, Conor Merrigan Turner and Essie Randles. There are always secrets lurking where Liane Moriarty’s stories are concerned, and Cristina Escobar of RogerEbert.com says the “smart script” and Bening’s expertise help the series avoid the pitfalls of other “missing-or-dead woman” plots. The critic gives it 4 out of 4 stars, writing: 

Ben Travers of IndieWire grades the miniseries a B, writing that it delivers the “soapy satisfactions” of the Delaneys’ strife with an interesting mystery that offers motivated payoffs. Its focus on the family’s drama and the overarching mystery without digging too deeply into the effects of media speculation and rumors works to its advantage, according to the critic, who writes: 

Other critics, however, don’t see Apples Never Fall for the visual beach read that the above reviews portray. Time magazine’s Judy Berman calls the acting “inconsistent” and says the script and direction are a “disaster.” Big plot twists can be seen coming several episodes in advance, Berman says, writing: 

Anna Govert of Paste calls the series a “bore,” rating it a 4 out of 10. The cast feels like it’s sleepwalking, the critic writes, and every dramatic moment falls flat because of shoddy pacing and shallow characters who are unlikeable and uninteresting. Govert continues: 

Taylor Gates of Collider also gives Apples Never Fall a 4 out of 10, and though the critic admits that the series has the ingredients for a successful effort, a lack of focus results in the Peacock series being a “snoozefest.” Gates writes that it tries to be a family drama and chilling mystery, ultimately failing at both. The review states: 

Some critics find Apples Never Fall to be a fun binge, with Annette Bening and Alison Brie garnering some praise for their performances, but others think bad pacing, unlikeable characters and an unsatisfying ending doom this latest Liane Moriarty book-to-screen adaptation. 

If you are a fan of the novel or if you want to give this series a try, all seven episodes of Apples Never Fall are available to stream now on Peacock, and be sure to check out our 2024 TV schedule to see what other premieres are coming soon. 

Annette Bening is known as one of cinema's most reliably great and enduring figures, with a whopping five Oscar nominations under her belt. She most recently scored a Best Actress nod this year for her work as the determined distance swimmer Diane Nyad in the Netflix biopic film Nyad. And while she's better known for her film roles like American Beauty's Carolyn Burnham, The Kids Are All Right's Nic Allgood, Captain Marvel's The Supreme Intelligence and Mike Mills' mom in 20th Century Women, Bening is stepping into the world of streaming with her new TV series, Apples Never Fall. 

The limited series streaming to Peacock subscribers marks the movie star's first television project in nearly two decades, since her Emmy-nominated work as convicted murderer Jean Harris in the 2005 HBO movie Mrs. Harris. So what exactly was it about the show—which stars Bening as Joy Delaney, a Palm Beach retiree whose sudden disappearance sends her family (Sam Neill plays husband Stan, with Alison Brie and Jake Lacy as her adult children) into a tailspin—that made Bening want to dip a toe back into TV? The actress summed it up to TV Insider:

After the strenuous physicality required of her for Nyad, the 65-year-old actress told the outlet that she was seeking a change of pace. She found that in the large ensemble of Apples Never Fall, citing the "deliciousness" of both the onscreen Delaney family, as well as the group of performers cast to portray them. 

She revealed that the opportunity to act opposite Sam Neill—whom she calls "one of [her] favorite actors"—was a huge draw for why she signed onto the seven-episode series, which required her to move to Australia's Gold Coast (serving as Florida's West Palm Beach) for more than five months. 

Given that Bening seemingly had a very positive experience in her long-awaited return to the small screen, would she do more TV work in her future? The actress said that though "it's about the writing," she does feel "kind of free" nowadays when it comes to a chosen medium: 

We'll be seated and ready for Annette Bening's big TV comeback in Apples Never Fall. All seven episodes hit Peacock on Thursday, March 14 on the 2024 TV premiere schedule. 

Back in the early aughts, The West Wing had a pretty heady task in winning over American audiences in the wake of the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal. But with an idealized White House, an amazing cast and the musical writing of Aaron Sorkin, the political drama did just that. Before there was The West Wing, though, there was The American President, the romantic comedy starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening that was also penned by Sorkin. That’s no coincidence, either, as it turns out the idea for the NBC series was inspired by Rob Reiner’s 1995 film. 

It’s easy to see the similarities between the two projects. Aaron Sorkin’s quick and witty dialogue is unmistakable, and their two fictional presidents — Michael Douglas’ Andrew Shepherd and Martin Sheen’s Jed Bartlet — are equally beloved for being smart, capable and, above all, good-hearted. So how did a romantic comedy film deliver one of the best television shows of all time? 

How The West Wing Was Inspired By The American President 

In The American President, the story mostly focuses on the president himself and his budding relationship with environmental lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening) in a re-election year. The West Wing was intended to be the opposite — the exploration of the president’s senior staff with very little of the big guy himself — made possible through Aaron Sorkin’s overachieving first script. The writer said in The West Wing (The Official Companion): 

While Martin Sheen’s portrayal of President Bartlet necessitated that he play a bigger role in the series than originally intended, his character’s story never overshadowed those of his staff, as we were gifted with one of the best ensemble casts of all time in John Spencer (chief of staff Leo McGarry), Bradley Whitford (deputy chief of staff Josh Lyman), Richard Schiff (communications director Toby Ziegler), Rob Lowe (deputy communications director Sam Seaborn), Allison Janney (press secretary C.J. Cregg), Dulé Hill (president aide Charlie Hill) and many others over the course of its seven-season run. 

The West Wing’s Pilot Script Came Straight From The American President’s Cutting Room Floor 

It’s funny to think that the first draft of The American President might have included larger stories for chief of staff A.J. (played by a pre-Bartlet Martin Sheen) or staffer Lewis (Michael J. Fox), but apparently that’s exactly what happened. The West Wing’s executive producer John Wells recalled that being part of his conversation with Aaron Sorkin as The West Wing was being developed. Wells told Empire: 

One of those stories that was left on The American President’s cutting room floor became the basis for The West Wing’s series premiere, which aired on NBC on September 22, 1999. In the same interview with Empire, Aaron Sorkin said: 

This should come as no surprise to anyone who’s seen at least The West Wing’s first season and Rob Reiner’s rom-com, as there are some pretty obvious similarities between the two. 

In the episode “A Proportional Response,” Jed Bartlet expresses frustration after being advised to issue a measured attack against forces abroad that shot down a plane carrying U.S. citizens. His question “What is the virtue of a proportional response?” is practically identical to Andrew Shepherd’s in a similar situation in The American President, where he tells his advisors: “Someday, someone's gonna have to explain to me the virtue of a proportional response.”

In The West Wing episode that followed — “Five Votes Down” — Bartlet’s gun control bill is one of the central focuses, particularly how the staff tries to drum up support for their admittedly weak legislation. It’s also the episode where Leo’s wife leaves him, as he tells her that as long as Bartlet is in the White House, his job is more important than his marriage. 

Fans of The American President will surely see similarities to the movie here, as President Shepherd steals votes from Sydney in order to get his crime bill passed. His girlfriend loses her job over it and in her breakup rant she tells the president, “Congratulations, it’s only taken you three years to put together crime prevention legislation that has no hope of preventing crime.” 

Several Cast Members Appeared In Both The Movie And The TV Series 

There are plenty of actors you probably forgot were on The West Wing, but several of them you may have recognized from The American President, because the plot isn’t the only place where the two overlap. Obviously Martin Sheen was promoted to the Oval Office for the NBC series after serving as chief of staff in the movie, but he’s not the only Sorkin player to double-dip. 

Anna Deavere Smith recurred as National Security Advisor Nancy McNally from Seasons 2 to 7 after playing press secretary Robin McCall in The American President; Joshua Malina, who joined The West Wing in Season 4, was a colleague of Sydney’s in the romantic comedy; and Nina Siemaszko, who played Sydney’s sister in the movie, appeared in nine episodes of The West Wing as one of the First Daughters. 

Both of these projects are beloved pieces of work from Aaron Sorkin, and fans of The West Wing are likely more than grateful that the writer was so inspired by his White House research that he created the characters of the Bartlet White House that we love so much. The West Wing is currently one of the best shows streaming on Max, so fire up your Max subscription. While The American President isn’t available to stream anywhere currently, you can rent or buy the movie on digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video or YouTube. 

Batman Returns is seen by many as the best of the first generation of Batman movies, and a big part of that is due to the performance of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. She does an amazing job of stealing every scene that she’s in, so much so that it’s impossible to imagine anybody else as Catwoman. And yet, the actress was only the second choice for the role.

Not only was the role of Selina Kyle/Catwoman first offered to Annette Bening, but Bening accepted the job. Back in the early ‘90s during the making of Batman Returns, Bening had been cast as Catwoman but was forced to drop out of the role. At the time, the reason for the switch was unclear, but as she tells the Happy Sad Confused podcast, she had to leave because she’d gotten pregnant. Bening said…

It had to be a little awkward for Bening. She’s in the early days of pregnancy and doesn’t want to tell anybody yet, but she’s also in the process of getting ready to film Batman Returns. This results in her going to costume fittings for a costume she doesn’t expect to ever wear. The process of the fitting was quite significant at the time, but she went through it. It was only after that she says she informed the director Tim Burton that she would have to leave the film. Bening continued… 

In the end, everything worked out for the best. Annette Bening has a 32-year-old son, and Michelle Pfeiffer killed it in Batman Returns creating one of the best Catwoman performances on screen. Bening would get to play a role in a comic book movie years later when she appeared as the Supreme Intelligence in Captain Marvel.  

We'll almost certainly see Catwoman again on screen. While there are no Batman movies in the 2024 release schedule, there's a good chance Zoe Kravitz could return to her version of the character based on what we know about The Batman 2. And there are always upcoming Batman movies and series where new actors will have a chance to put their stamp on Catwoman.

This year’s Best Actress race is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in years. As more awards contenders reach theaters and streaming services like Netflix, we see talent like Emma Stone (Poor Things), Natalie Portman (May December), Fantasia Barrino (The Color Purple), and Sandra Huller being discussed for the five Oscar slots. But through no fault of their own, this means there are going to be a LOT of very talented ladies left in the lurch the morning they announce the Academy Award nominees. Annette Bening belongs in the Best Actress conversation for her role as Diana Nyad in the Netflix drama Nyad. And according to Bening’s co-director, the actress’s push for realism should help her Oscar cause. 

Nyad, one of the best films on Netflix at the moment, tells the incredible story of determined 64-year-old swimmer Diana Nyad (Annette Bening), who attempted to become the first person to complete the open-water swim between Cuba and Florida. Bening herself is 65, and does all of the swimming in the movie… not an easy feat. In fact, her co-director Chai Vasarhelyi explained to CinemaBlend during an exclusive interview:

That’s remarkable. When you watch Nyad, you realize that this isn’t controlled swimming in a quiet pool. This is ocean swimming, against currents and wave patterns, which require far more physicality than swimming in a tank for a movie. Other Best Actress contenders have gone to great lengths to earn their nomination. But hearing that Annette Bening endured this physicality to maintain the look of Diana Nyad’s swim stroke is beyond impressive to me, and makes me appreciate her performance that much more. 

Nyad made the fall film festival circuit before heading to Netflix, and generated a lot of support for both Annette Bening and her co-star, Jodie Foster. Lately, Foster took shots at the comic book genre, saying in interviews that she hoped the trend was dying, because she prefers movies that challenge audiences, and challenge her. And yes, Foster is an Oscar-winning actor, but I wonder if Bening talked to her about her contributions to Captain Marvel and the MCU? Or maybe Bening vented about it, and that inspired Foster to speak out? We may never know. 

Superhero movies have been a constant in the world of modern Hollywood, and the genre reached its peak popularity with the explosion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With such a storied history, there are obviously going to be stories of actors who didn’t make the cut. But believe us when we tell you the actors on this list who almost played major superhero roles are quite the collection of characters.

Burt Reynolds - Superman - Superman (1977)

A bunch of big name actors turned down the role of Clark Kent/Superman when it came time to make 1977’s Superman feature film. Among those who skipped this early era of cape action is the legendary Burt Reynolds. The decision seemed to work out in the end, as that same year saw Smokey and the Bandit become one of his most iconic hits.

Demi Moore - Supergirl - Supergirl (1984)

Early in her career, Demi Moore had a chance to become a part of the Superman franchise. She auditioned alongside Brooke Shields for the lead in Supergirl, though Helen Slater would eventually win the part. Moore then almost played the supporting role of Lucy Lane but passed, as she was about to go from being on General Hospital to starring in the Brat Pack era of films, including About Last Night…

Pierce Brosnan - Batman - Batman (1989)

There are quite a few actors that have done the dance of fate with both superhero movies and the James Bond movies. One of the most surprising, besides Burt Reynolds turning down 007, was Pierce Brosnan testing for Tim Burton’s Batman. Brosnan admitted he blew it, especially since he criticized the wardrobe choices of Bruce Wayne’s darker alter-ego.

Annette Bening - Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992)

Annette Bening was almost Catwoman, believe it or not. The original choice for that role in Batman Returns, Bening seemed set to be a part of the film. That is until the actress found out she was pregnant and had to bow out of the part. It’s ok though, as Burton found a more than willing successor in Michelle Pfieffer, who practically signed on after reading half of the script. 

Marlon Wayans - Robin - Batman Returns (1992)

Marlon Wayans is the Bobby Bonilla of the superhero movie world. Just as Bobby continues to be paid not to play for the Mets, Wayans still gets royalties for not playing Robin in Batman Returns. Due to the roster of characters in Tim Burton’s 1992 sequel being trimmed, Wayans never took flight as the hero.

Dougray Scott - Wolverine - X-Men (2000)

Out of the 13 actors that almost played Wolverine in X-Men, Dougray Scott was the one that got the closest. Scott was actually cast in the iconic pre-MCU film and was so close to getting to pop those Adamantium claws. If he hadn’t suffered injuries and scheduling conflicts from the tail end of Mission: Impossible II, we would've seen different Logan in action. 

Rachel Leigh Cook - Rogue - X-Men (2000)

Brace yourself for a weird loop of coincidence. She’s All That star Rachel Leigh Cook turned down the role of Rogue in 2000’s X-Men. Who did the role end up going to? Academy Award winner Anna Paquin… the actor who gave Cook's character that memorable makeover in the aforementioned teen comedy. Maybe Paquin has some mutant career powers that nobody’s ever noticed before. As for Cook, she eventually admitted that she totally blew it by passing on this classic adventure.

Leonardo DiCaprio - Spider-Man - Spider-Man (2002)

James Cameron’s unmade Spider-Man movie would have gone in some wild directions. Perhaps what fans discuss most is the fact that if he were to have made the movie, Leonardo DiCaprio would have been his Peter Parker! While that’s not the most shocking aspect, especially if you’ve actually read the script, it’s certainly something that feels pretty interesting considering where Cameron and DiCaprio’s careers would go after that point. 

Kate Winslet - Elektra - Daredevil (2003)

There was a wide net cast when looking to fill the role of Elektra in 2003’s Daredevil. Lucy Liu, Salma Hayek and even Katie Holmes were all considered; as was Titanic alum Kate Winslet. Considering her co-star Leonardo DiCaprio almost played Spider-Man for James Cameron, could Winslet have also been considered for Mary Jane Watson had that movie gotten off the ground? 

Ashley Judd - Catwoman - Catwoman (2004)

Development hell can wreck a movie before it ever shoots a single frame. Michelle Pfieffer's intended Catwoman spinoff, for example, eventually mutated into a standalone film. And somewhere in-between Pfieffer’s variant being iced and Halle Berry’s infamous final product being made, Ashley Judd was meant to play the character in the early aughts. According to the Daily Haggis, Judd dropped out in favor of a stage play; which was probably the better move.

Cillian Murphy - Batman - Batman Begins (2005)

Beginning his stint as one of the actors in the most Christopher Nolan movies, Cillian Murphy played Scarecrow in Batman Begins and was a menacing presence to behold. And yet, the Irish actor initially tried out for the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman; going as far as doing screen tests in and out of the Batsuit. While it was admitted that he wasn’t a good fit for the lead role, Nolan did use Murphy’s audition to cast him as Dr. Jonathan Crane; and the rest was history.

Tom Cruise - Iron Man - Iron Man (2008)

You knew this was coming. When the MCU fired up its arc reactor in 2008, Robert Downey Jr. was there front and center to make Iron Man a mega hit. Of course, the studio needed to be convinced that Downey was the way to go, as there were powers that be who wanted the Mission: Impossible daredevil as the lead. Cruise turned down the part, while at the same time the Tony Stark we knew and loved had enough people in his corner to make it happen. 

Emily Blunt - Black Widow - Iron Man 2 (2010)

It’s time to revisit one of the cruelest villains ever: contractual obligations! Back when Iron Man 2 was getting into gear, the then up-and-coming Emily Blunt was offered the role of Natalie Rushman… who was eventually revealed to be Natasha Romanova, the Black Widow. Unfortunately, this was the first of Blunt’s two Marvel passes; with this part going to Scarlett Johansson after Emily had to fulfill her obligation to star in 2010’s Gulliver’s Travels. 

Daniel Craig - Baldur The Brave - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

The worlds of James Bond and superhero culture have collided before, thanks to Daniel Craig’s rumored Thor casting being debunked. What isn’t as sketchy is the claim that Craig almost played Baldur the Brave in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And if you need anyone to further firm up this claim, just ask Elizabeth Olsen, who actually saw Craig’s costume after it was designed.

Joe Jonas - Spider-Man - The Amazing Spider-Man (2011)

One of the greatest heartbreaks in Joe Jonas’ career as an actor is still that time he almost landed the lead role in The Amazing Spider-Man. Jonas recalled his Marvel auditions as well as the tragic turn the situation took when Andrew Garfield landed the role, and it’s hard not to feel for the dude. Then again, Jonas may have dodged a bullet, considering where that series went.

John Krasinski - Captain America - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

One of the hot prospects for the casting of Captain America was appropriately a man who’s clearly cut out for the role of an American boy scout -- John Krasinski. Though The Office star failed to secure the bag as Steve Rogers, he did go on to play the similarly patriotic lead of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Oh yeah… and he was a Multiversal Reed Richards in Doctor Strange 2 as well. 

Morena Baccarin - Maria Hill - The Avengers (2012)

Joss Whedon sure does have a deep bench of talent he loves to pull from. Firefly alum Morena Baccarin knows that fact, as she auditioned for The Avengers to play the role of Maria Hill. Though she stayed in the extended MCU family through Deadpool, Baccarin admitted she tanked the audition because she didn’t get Hill’s character on the page.

Jamie Dornan - Superman - Man of Steel (2013)

Mr. Kent will see you now. If history shook out a bit differently, maybe Henry Cavill would've played the lead in Fifty Shades of Grey, and Jamie Dornan would have been the Man of Steel lead that kicked off the DC Extended Universe. But that’s not the multiverse we live in, as we’re now wondering if these two will be competing for another massive pop culture role: that of James Bond.

Amanda Seyfried - Gamora - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

If it wasn’t for Amanda Seyfried questioning whether or not Guardians of the Galaxy would be the first Marvel movie to bomb, she might have accepted the role of Gamora. However, it’s those doubts that kept her out of James Gunn’s 2014 blockbuster; a fact that Seyfried admits she was “very wrong” about.

Glenn Howerton - Star-Lord - Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

It’s more than an implication that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Glenn Howerton was almost cast as Star-Lord. It’s been pretty much confirmed by James Gunn that Howerton would have been his next choice, had Chris Pratt not signed on. The only thing more interesting is how “the Golden God” himself wasn’t considered to play Adam Warlock.

Lindsay Lohan - Scarlet Witch - Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015)

Back in the days of her docu-series Lindsay, this Mouse House graduate thought her manager cost her a role in an Avengers movie. Well, if the timing of that 2014 project was any indication, the whispers of Lindsay Lohan being up for the part of Scarlet Witch just may have been true. 

Olga Kurylenko - Wonder Woman - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

If there are two stars that need to be interviewed together about their careers, it’s Gal Gadot and Olga Kurylenko. Apparently, they both competed for lead roles in Quantum of Solace and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice; with Kurylenko ultimately getting the Bond experience and Gadot snagging the Lasso of Truth.

Asa Butterfield - Spider-Man - Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Remember that time the world was convinced Asa Butterfield was the new Spider-Man? It happened, and the Sex Education lead apparently did test for the role in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. Though his bid was unsuccessful, it’s hard not to admit he’d have made a good candidate had Tom Holland not eventually landed the role.

Emma Roberts - Harley Quinn - Suicide Squad (2016)

Apparently, the world has Fox’s now defunct shriek-com Scream Queens for taking Emma Roberts away from Suicide Squad. Roberts chose that TV gig over becoming the living embodiment of mayhem, leaving the role wide open for Margot Robbie to accept, and own, the role of Harley Quinn for years to come.

Josh Brolin - Batman - Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Ben Affleck had some stiff competition for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice’s Caped Crusader; and Josh Brolin was one of those competitors. But just as those hopes of Bryan Cranston as Lex Luthor and Timothy Dalton as Alfred didn’t pan out, Brolin lost the gig. With that, another major "what if" casting scenario was created.

Ryan Gosling - Doctor Strange - Doctor Strange (2016)

Yes, it’s true: Ryan Gosling took a meeting back in the Phase Three days of the MCU. The Mickey Mouse Club alum was considered to play Dr. Steven Strange himself. It’s hard to tell which missed opportunity is the more intriguing what if: this, or Gosling’s failed attempt to make a Haunted Mansion movie with Guillermo del Toro.

DeWanda Wise - Maria Rambeau - Captain Marvel (2019)

Getting cast in a superhero movie like Captain Marvel, only to have to bow out, has to be a painful feeling. DeWanda Wise is another case of such history in action, as she was supposed to play Maria Rambeau opposite Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. But then, commitments to Season 2 of Netflix’s She’s Gotta Have It forced Wise to exit, with Lashana Lynch taking her place shortly after.

Sean Young - Catwoman - Batman Returns (1992)

Sean Young really wanted to be Catwoman in Batman Returns. No, seriously, the Blade Runner actor had such a desire to be cast in the role, that details reported via CBR saw a Warner Bros exec talking about how she burst into his office, in a Catwoman costume of her own design, to try and impress him and Michael Keaton. Needless to say, it didn’t work.

David Duchovny - Batman - Batman & Robin (1997)

There was a bit of a holding pattern between the success of Batman Forever and the accelerated timeline to make Batman & Robin. In that chaos, Val Kilmer exited the role, and a new Bats needed to be found. The X-Files' David Duchovny was one of the candidates considered, but the spooky man lost out on the role to George Clooney. A fate that Mr. Clooney still apologizes for, to this very day.

Armie Hammer - Batman - Justice League: Mortal (2007)

Tax rebates! That’s what caused the cancellation of George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal, which was pretty far along in pre-production for a movie to be given the axe. With Armie Hammer cast as Batman for this big blockbuster, the Caped Crusader scored yet another intriguing “what if…” when the curtain fell.

Anne Hathaway - Black Cat - Spider-Man 4 (2011)

If Spider-Man 4 had actually happened, it could have been a hell of a sight. With folks like John Malkovich cast, the next intended Sam Raimi-helmed movie could have been a return to the heights of Spider-Man 2. And in that pocket of alternate reality, Anne Hathaway probably didn’t play Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, as she would have played a feline of a different stripe: Felicia Hardy herself, Black Cat. 

Christina Aguilera - Invisible Woman - Fantastic Four (2005)

Prepare for quite possibly the most bizarro alternative casting on this list. Amid development on 2005's Fantastic Four, Sean Astin himself wanted to direct the First Family of Superheroes. And as Astin revealed to Collider, he wanted Christina Aguilera to play Sue Storm a.k.a. the Invisible Woman. There’s got to be a “Genie In A Bottle” joke here somewhere, but we just can’t see it.

As you can see, the world of alternate comic castings has led to some stranger than-fiction-possibilities, near misses and truly heartbreaking passes. You can bet that so long as Marvel, DC, and any other comic company is keeping the pedal to the medal to make more superhero movies, there will be even more of these tales to come along in the years to come.

Ever since Murder on the Orient Express released back in 2017, creating a spike in interest for Agatha Christie books everywhere, it was only a matter of time before another movie adapting the stories of Hercule Poirot would be made. Now, Death on the Nile is out in movie theaters and making splashes with an intensely talented ensemble cast. 

But with so many stars, you might be wondering where you’ve seen them before. From long-time stars in the industry to younger actors and actresses making their way, here is where you’ve seen the Death on the Nile cast before.  

Kenneth Branagh (Hercule Poirot)

Returning from the first movie is Kenneth Branagh, playing the main character of Death on the Nile, Hercule Poirot. Branagh has been in the industry for some time, in both movies and TV, so it’s not a surprise that you might have seen him before. 

Some of his biggest works in film include, Henry V, the excellent fantasy movie, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, My Week With Marilyn, the war film, Dunkirk, Tenet, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, the Disney live-action adaptation of Cinderella, and 2021’s Belfast. 

While Branagh keeps his talents mainly to film, he’s also had a career in television as well. He had a main role in the series Lunar Jim, as well as recurring roles in shows such as Wallander, Thompson, Fortunes of War and more.

Tom Bateman (Bouc)

Also returning from the previous film is Tom Bateman, playing Bouc in Death on the Nile. Starting off his career in theatre, Bateman has appeared in a variety of movies and TV. While he also appeared in Murder on the Orient Express, he had roles in the movies Creditors, Snatched, Cold Pursuit and more. 

He’s also had a successful career in television, including roles in shows such as Da Vinci’s Demons, a lead role in Jekyll and Hyde, and parts in miniseries like Vanity Fair, Beecham House, Behind Her Eyes and more. 

Annette Bening (Euphemia)

Playing Euphemia in Death on the Nile is Annette Bening, an iconic actress who has been around for some time, appearing in huge films that have won many awards. One of her most known roles was starring in American Beauty, but some of her other big roles include The Grifters, Being Julia, The Kids Are All Right, Mrs. Harris, 20th Century Woman, Rules Don’t Apply, Captain Marvel and more. 

Bening has kept more of her talents towards movies, but she has appeared in some great TV shows and miniseries. Besides a couple of guest roles, she had a recurring voice role in the show, Liberty’s Kids, as well as an award-nominated performance in Mrs. Harris, where she played Jean Harris in a television movie. 

Russell Brand (Linus Windlesham)

Popping up next in Death in the Nile is Russell Brand, playing Linus Windlesham. While Brand is mainly known for his stand-up comedy, including several TV specials he has done, he’s been in plenty of movies and TV shows. Some of his biggest roles in film include Get Him to the Greek, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, the Despicable Me series, Hop, Trolls, Minions and more. 

Brand has definitely appeared many times as himself in TV, including shows like Saturday Night Live, Big Time Rush, and others. Among his many guest roles on television, he has been in shows like Ballers, playing Lance, as well as a guest role in Hospital People, playing Tyler Watt. 

Ali Fazal (Andrew Katchadourian)

Next up is Ali Fazal, playing Andrew Katchadourian in Death on the Nile. Fazal has been in many popular Indian films, including Fukrey, Always Kabhi Kabhi, 3 Idiots and more, but he’s also appeared in a couple of American films as well. These include Furious 7 and House Arrest on Netflix. 

Fazal has mainly kept his talents to movies when it comes to television, only having a couple of guest roles in Bollywood shows. He also had a recurring role in Bollywood Hero, and a role in the miniseries Bang Baaja Baaraat. 

Dawn French (Mrs. Bowers)

Playing Mrs. Bowers in Death on the Nile is Dawn French. Mainly known for her comedy sketch show, French and Saunders, French has had a pretty active career in television, including roles in Girls on Top, The Vicar of Dibley in which she led, Wild West, Psychoville, Delicious and more, as well as judge stints and hosting gigs on shows such as Little Big Shots and Australia’s Got Talent.  

French has also appeared in many popular movies as well. Some of her most-known roles were the stop-motion animated movie, Coraline, Love and Other Disasters and Animals United. 

Gal Gadot (Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle)

In Death on the Nile, Gal Gadot plays Linnet Ridgeway-Doyle. I’m sure at some point you’ve heard of who Gal Gadot is in the last couple of years. One of her biggest roles thus far has been playing the legendary superhero, Wonder Woman, in two standalone films, Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman: 1984, as well as appearing in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice, and both versions of Justice League. 

Some of her other big roles in movies include the record-breaking Netflix film, Red Notice, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Triple 9 and more - and will soon be playing the Evil Queen in the upcoming Snow White adaptation. While she hasn’t had a main role in any TV shows, she has guest-starred on several television series’, like Entourage, The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live. 

Armie Hammer (Simon Doyle)

Moving on, we have Armie Hammer, who plays Simon Doyle in Death on the Nile, the husband of Gal Gadot’s character. Armie Hammer has appeared in many movies and TV shows. Some of his biggest roles were being a part of The Social Network cast, The Lone Ranger, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Call Me By Your Name, On The Basis Of Sex and more. 

He’s also had roles in many TV shows, including but not limited to the CW series, Gossip Girl, Reaper, and guest roles on many other shows like Veronica Mars or Desperate Housewives. 

Rose Leslie (Lousie Bourget)

Up next is Rose Leslie, who plays Louise Bourget in Death on the Nile. Leslie has appeared in some great roles in movies, including The Last Witch Hunter, The Last Dance, Morgan and more, but television is where she really shines. 

For three seasons, Leslie starred as Ygritte on Game of Thrones. Besides that, she’s also had main roles in shows like Downton Abbey, where she played Gwen Dawson during the first season, portrayed Emma Lane in Luther, played Maia Rindell in The Good Fight, and played Kirsten Longacre in the miniseries, Vigil. 

Emma Mackey (Jacqueline de Bellefort)

Playing Jacqueline de Bellefort in Death on the Nile is Emma Mackey. While she’s younger than many of her other co-stars on this list, Mackey has been making strides in Hollywood through her roles. 

In terms of movies, she’s appeared in the films The Winter Lake and Eiffel, but her biggest role this far is being a part of the Sex Education cast, playing Maeve Wiley in the popular Netflix series.  

Sophie Okonedo (Salome Otterbourne)

Next up is Sophie Okonedo, who plays Salome Otterbourne in Death on the Nile. With a career that has spannwd decades, Okonedo has almost done too many roles to list them all, but rest assured, you’ve probably seen her before. 

Some of her biggest roles in movies have been starring in Hotel Rwanda (which got her a nomination for an Academy Award), Martian Child, The Secret Life of Bees, Skin, Hellboy, Christopher Robin and more. 

Okonedo has also appeared in a variety of TV shows. These include The Governor, Starting Alive, In Defence, Clocking Off, Tsunami: The Aftermath, Criminal Justice, Flack, the Ryan Murphy-created series, Ratched, the Amazon Prime original series, Modern Love and Wheel of Time, His Dark Materials, and many, many other roles. 

Jennifer Saunders (Marie Van Schuyler)

Second to last is Jennifer Saunders, who plays Marie Van Schuyler in Death on the Nile. Saunders is most known for her sketch comedy show, French and Saunders, which she hosted with her comedy partner, Dawn French (as previously seen on this list). However, Saunders has had quite the career in both movies and TV. 

In terms of movies, Saunders has appeared in roles that include Fairy Godmother in Shrek 2, Coraline, Minions, Sing and Sing 2, Patrick, and more.

Saunders has also had quite the TV career. Besides her popular sketch shows with her partner, including Absolutely Fabulous, Parkinson, Dead Boss, Blandings, Josh, The Stranger miniseries and more, alongside many guest appearances in reality and talk shows, examples being Richard Osman’s House of Games and The View, among others. 

Letitia Wright (Rosalie Otterbourne) 

Lastly, we have Letitia Wright, who plays Rosalie Otterbourne in Death on the Nile. Wright has been making her name known these last couple of years with her big appearance as Shuri in the popular Marvel film, Black Panther, a role that she reprised again in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and is reprising once more in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Besides her character in the MCU, Wright was also a part of the Sing 2 cast, and appeared in movies such as Guava Island, The Commuter, and Ready Player One. 

Wright has also had a pretty big career in television, including roles in shows like Banana, Cucumber, Top Boy, Humans, the Netflix original series, Black Mirror and the miniseries, Small Axe. 

With so many stars in this movie, it’s no wonder they’ve been in so many movies and TV shows, but now, they can all add Death on the Nile onto their resume as well. And I for one can’t wait to see what they do next.  

In a month already filled with twists and turns for the MCU, the following news was announced: Kevin Feige is working on a Star Wars movie. Yes, the Marvel Studios chief at the helm of the jaw-dropping, universe-building, box-office dominating MCU over the years is brainstorming for a galaxy far, far away. Now the question is: who will he bring along for the light speed ride across the stars?

Per the initial report about Kevin Feige and Star Wars, he already knows who he wants to cast in the lead role. Could this mean he’s drawing from the expansive MCU family of actors we’ve previously seen don superhero suits and discuss Infinity Stones? If so, Kevin Feige has no shortage of talent to call up for the movie’s various roles. Here are our picks:

Annette Bening

Earlier this year, Captain Marvel enlisted the legendary actress Annette Bening to play the Supreme Intelligence and Dr. Wendy Lawson. The four-time Oscar nominee always brings a certain esteem to her performances, and her work alongside Brie Larson's Carol Danvers was a standout in the ‘90s set origin story. However, her role in the MCU doesn’t look like one that would continue past the first Captain Marvel movie, but we’d still like to see her do more in the sci-fi genre! She has major range – she could pull anything off really.

Winston Duke

The Star Wars franchise has always loved casting fresh talent in its movies, and Winston Duke is about as fresh as it gets! The actor found his big-screen debut as M’Baku in 2018’s Black Panther and has since charmed in Jordan Peele’s Us. Although Duke has been stealing scenes in major projects, it feels like we haven’t seen the full scope his talents just yet. He’s already a familiar name, but now Feige has the power to solidify Duke’s star status.

Chris Evans

Then there’s Captain America. Now, Chris Evans has just wrapped up a decade-long chapter of being in the spotlight as Steve Rogers. But even before that, he was finding roles in big movies such as Fantastic Four. He’s great in indies too, but Evans has always thrived in blockbusters. I can see Evans coming to Star Wars to take on something incredibly different than his boy scout role. He and Feige trust each other. Plus, he’s already shown his direct interest.

Laurence Fishburne

Is anyone else a bit disappointed Laurence Fishburne is in the MCU, but wasn’t given much to do? He had a supporting role in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp as Dr. Bill Foster. The Matrix star is an incredible character actor who has delivered great performances throughout his career, but we’re always itching for another powerhouse role from the 58-year-old actor. He’s established roots with Disney with the Ant-Man sequel, Black-ish and the upcoming Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur series, so now it’s time for him to stun in the Star Wars universe!

Danai Gurira

Ever since Danai Gurira graced the big screen for Black Panther, she speared a scar right into our hearts. She has this unique combination of commanding a powerful presence and injecting heart into scenes. She’s one of the most interesting new actors to join the MCU. Now, we know Black Panther 2 is happening and she could have a larger role in the sequel. Still, put Danai Gurira in Star Wars, Kevin Feige. She’d be an instant favorite!

Daniel Kaluuya

Ok, yes, this is list is stacked with Black Panther actors, but there’s so much talent there! Daniel Kaluuya didn’t really get a large enough role to really shine in the Wakanda-set epic either. He deserves a larger swing in the Star Wars movies. The Get Out actor earning an Oscar nomination for the breakout Jordan Peele horror movie. Whatever big plans Lucasfilm has for the franchise, the actor is in high demand following Get Out and it’d be smart to bring him in!

Brie Larson

It helps to be a big Star Wars fan if you’re going to make one of its movies. Kevin Feige is certainly a longtime one. So is Brie Larson. She has made it known in the past by posting awesome pictures of her at Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge, wielding lightsabers and such. She’s good friends with Samuel L. Jackson (a.k.a. Mace Windu) and looks great in Jedi garb. Following a more restrained performance in Captain Marvel, it would also be nice to see what else she can do on a large scale movie!

Evangeline Lilly

It's time to help Evangeline Lilly complete a record. She’s been in the Lord of the Rings franchise and the MCU, so Star Wars would complete the trifecta! Since becoming a favorite on Lost, the actress has remained iconic with the blockbuster roles she’s accumulated and she’d be a solid addition in Star Wars too! She actually once admitted to approaching J.J. Abrams for a role in The Force Awakens. And hey, her Lost co-star (and LoTR’s Merry) Dominic Monaghan is about to be in The Rise of Skywalker.

Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell in space! Need I say more? The actor is a Disney legend, who got his start with the studio playing a teen in a variety of the studio’s films in the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s always great to see him return to his roots for films such as Miracle, Sky High and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but a turn to the Star Wars franchise would be nothing short of epic. He has the star power to get fans excited. Who knows? He could be the next Obi-Wan Kenobi type for a new generation.

Tilda Swinton

Lastly, the incomparable Tilda Swinton would be a magnificent addition to the Star Wars universe. She’s adept with disappearing into unconventional character roles perfect for the alien world often uncovered in Star Wars. Between her roles in Wes Anderson movies, Snowpiercer, Suspiria or Okja, it only seems like a matter of time before Tilda crosses over to a galaxy far, far away! While she has a vital role to play in the MCU as the Ancient One, there’s always room for more of her talent on the big screen.

There's so much talent in the MCU! Which is your favorite pick? Or what did we miss? Share your selections in the comments below!

This poll is no longer available.

Spoiler Warning: Again, you should see Captain Marvel before reading this article. Come back after you've seen the movie!

Captain Marvel is finally out theaters and it looks like it'll be a healthy opening weekend for the MCU's latest. Fans seeing the movie this weekend finally got the long awaited answers to some questions, including the true identity of Annette Bening's character. She was previously confirmed to play the Supreme Intelligence of the Kree, but there's an extra twist to her character -- or should I say characters.

Annette Bening also plays Wendy Lawson, otherwise known as a Kree named Mar-Vell, the character who most inspires Carol Danvers. In the comics, Mar-Vell is a man (Walter Lawson) who goes by the superhero name Captain Marvel and is a love interest of Carol. Marvel Studios decided to flip the genders for the role, and Kevin Feige shed some light on why they decided to take that route.

As Kevin Feige told ET, it sounds like they were originally bringing Annette Bening on board to only play the Supreme Intelligence. In the film, the S.I. is the AI leader of Kree and takes the form of the person most admired by whoever it's speaking to. Co-director Anna Boden had the idea that Carol's vision should be of Mar-Vell. Thus Mar-Vell would also have to be played by Bening.

Because the role of Mar-Vell was limited to begin with, it was an idea that worked out pretty well for the movie. Gender flipping the character certainly doesn't have a negative impact on Captain Marvel and there's never a reason to turn down adding more Annette Bening to anything.

You can see Annette Bening as Mar-Vell whenever you want because Captain Marvel is in theaters right now. To learn more about the movie before your showing, here's what we know so far.

One of the biggest mysteries surrounding Captain Marvel, alongside Jude Law’s role, has been the question of who four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening is playing in the film. She has been an enigmatic figure in the trailers, clearly playing an important role, but not definitively one character or another. Now that the film has screened, the secrecy has loosened just a bit and Annette Bening can spill some of the beans. She said:

Like Daenerys Stormborn of the House Targaryen rattling off her many titles to intimidating effect, Annette Bening’s announcement of who her Captain Marvel character is on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was an impressive summary and quite a mouthful. Her description is meant to inspire awe and grandeur, and it is right to do so because Annette Bening is playing the Kree Supreme Intelligence.

It was rumored that Annette Bening might be playing Carol Danvers’ mother in the film, but one of the trailers showed that she was in fact a Kree. She appeared to be a high-ranking military officer, but we now know, as many have suspected, that Annette Bening is playing the Kree Supreme Intelligence, though one that looks quite different than its comic book counterpart.

In the comics, the Kree Supreme Intelligence is all of those things that Annette Bening said: a God-like being, the leader of the Kree and an A.I. made up of the greatest minds of the Kree race. However, in the comics it is basically just a giant floating green head. See below:

So the Supreme Intelligence is getting a new look for this film and a much more pleasant and friendly face. In the comics, the Kree Supreme Intelligence is a cold entity, concerned only with the survival and advancement of the Kree race. It is the one who assembles and commands the Starforce during the Kree-Shi’ar War, even acting as a member itself through the android Supremor.

I suspect that the Kree-Skrull War may be standing in for the Shi’ar conflict in Captain Marvel, which would perhaps portend an important role for Annette Bening’s Supreme Intelligence.

It’s definitely a cool role for Annette Bening to play. She is an acclaimed actress who can bring the necessary gravitas to a character that is both wise and calculating. Although Annette Bening admits, she needed a little help understanding her story in the film. Take a look at the video of her Late Show appearance below to hear who she enlisted to help her and a clip of the Supreme Intelligence from the film.

Captain Marvel blasts into theaters on March 8 with a potentially big opening if tracking and pre-sales are any indication. Check out our guide for all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year, and for more examples of supreme intelligence, follow all the writers here at CinemaBlend.

It's been several years since the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Three slate of movies was announced, and we're finally entering the home stretch. Avengers: Endgame will conclude this era of the franchise, but before that, we'll be winding the clock back to the 1990s (approximately a decade before Iron Man launched the modern MCU) and meet Carol Danvers for the first time in Captain Marvel.

Because of its setting, Captain Marvel will be one of the more standalone entries in the MCU, but, not to worry, because there will be plenty of characters from the Marvel Comics universe who will be stopping by, some of whom we've already seen on the big screen. Here are all the heroes and villains who are confirmed to appear in Captain Marvel, as well as some of the actors who are definitely showing up, but their characters haven't been identified yet.

Carol Danvers

Introduced in 1968, Carol Danvers' previous superhero monikers included Ms. Marvel, Binary and Warbird, but since 2012, she's been serving as the current Captain Marvel, making her the seventh individual to have that title in the Marvel Comics universe (let's not forget that DC Comics' Shazam was called that for decades). For the Captain Marvel movie, she will be played by Brie Larson, who was officially confirmed for the role at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con. So far the only official details about the MCU's Carol that have been revealed are that, like her comic book counterpart, she is an Air Force pilot who gains special abilities (super strength, flight, energy projection) after her body is infused with alien DNA during an accident.

Leaked set photos showed Larson wearing a costume that looked just like what she wears in the comics, only it had a green color scheme. However, the concept art shown at last year's San Diego Comic-Con revealed that eventually Carol will don her traditional red, blue and yellow colors. And like the other MCU superheroes, Brie Larson's Carol has a bright future ahead of her, as it's been confirmed that she will participate in Avengers: Endgame, which comes out almost two months after Captain Marvel. Since there's a two decade gap between Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, it will be interesting to learn why Carol hasn't aged at all.

Mar-Vell

In the Marvel Comics universe, the first individual to go by Captain Marvel was Mar-Vell, a Kree agent who was sent by his superiors to spy on Earth and see if it posed any threat to the Kree Empire. Mar-Vell adopted the identity of a recently deceased scientist named Walter Lawson for his civilian cover, but he also started protecting Earth's citizens as Captain Marvel (which came about from someone misunderstanding his Kree name), using his natural strength and a device called the "universal beam" that can project energy. Down the line, Mar-Vell met Carol Danvers, and Mar-Vell's arch-nemesis, Yon-Rogg, kidnapped her to force Mar-Vell into battling him. During the fight, a Kree Psyche-Magnetron device detonated, and that resulted in his DNA being fused with Carol's, thus giving her powers. Eventually Mar-Vell joined the Avengers and turned his back on the Kree empire, but exposure to a nerve gas gave him cancer, and he soon died.

Mar-Vell is rumored to be played in the Captain Marvel movie by Jude Law (with some reports suggesting that he's actually playing Yon-Rogg), though all we know about his role so far is that he will serve as Carol Danvers' mentor and train her to use her new powers. Since he's using the Walter Lawson guise as well, one would imagine that like his comic book counterpart, he was sent to Earth to spy on us. Law is no stranger to major motion pictures, with his credits including the Sherlock Holmes movies, Road to Perdition, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and the upcoming Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.

Nick Fury

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Infinity War are ahead!

Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury has been part of the MCU since the beginning. If it wasn't for him going to Tony Stark's mansion in the Iron Man post-credits scene to talk about the Avengers Initiative, we wouldn't have known that a "much larger world" was being set up. We most recently saw Fury in Avengers: Infinity War's post-credits scene, where he faded away along with half of life in the universe after Thanos obtained the six Infinity Stones. But, before disappearing, Fury managed to transmit a distress signal from a pager-looking device, and while it wasn't outright stated who he was contacting, the device featured Captain Marvel's insignia, thus serving as a nice tease for her upcoming movie.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. briefly touched on Nick Fury's pre-Iron Man life, but Captain Marvel will show us how his first encounter with a superhero went down. In other words, Carol Danvers' origin story will somehow see Fury being drawn in, and that experience will set him on the path that leads to the creation of the Avengers Initiative. The younger Nick Fury in Captain Marvel also still has two eyes, so expect to see him lose one of them before the movie is over. Fury commented in The Winter Soldier about how he lost an eye the last time he trusted someone, and since the shapeshifting Skrulls (more on them later) are appearing in Captain Marvel, I wouldn't be surprised if one of those aliens is responsible for the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent becoming his cycloptic self.

Phil Coulson

Even though Nick Fury popped up in Iron Man's final minute, Phil Coulson served as the movie's main S.H.I.E.L.D. representative. What was originally written as a small part morphed into something much bigger, and Clark Gregg reprised Coulson for supporting roles in Iron Man 2, Thor and The Avengers. That last movie saw Coulson being fatally stabbed by Loki, but just a year later, the everyman agent was brought back to life for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the ABC series that he still leads. However, none of the Marvel movies have mentioned that Coulson is still alive. Fingers crossed Avengers: Endgame remedies that, but for now, it will be nice to see a younger version of Coulson in Captain Marvel. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has dedicated a few episodes to Phil Coulson's exploits before Iron Man, but this will be the earliest we've gone back in his S.H.I.E.L.D. career. Perhaps the events of Captain Marvel are where Coulson proves himself to Fury and becomes one of the spy organization's more valued agents.

Ronan The Accuser

When we met Lee Pace's Ronan the Accuser in Guardians of the Galaxy, he was enraged that, after centuries of conflict, the Kree Empire and Xandar signed a peace treaty to end the war. Determined to see the Xandarians wiped out, Ronan made a deal with Thanos: Ronan would track down the Orb, a.k.a. the Power Stone, and deliver it to Thanos, and in exchange, the Mad Titan would help the Kree antagonist destroy Xandar. However, when Ronan finally obtained the Orb, he decided to use its power himself and reneged on his arrangement with Thanos. He nearly succeeded in his genocidal campaign, but he was destroyed when Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax and Rocket redirected the Orb's energy back at him. Thus ended Ronan's reign of terror, but Captain Marvel will show us what he was up to approximately 20 years before his demise.

Given that the Kree will play a big role in Carol Danvers' transformation into a superhero just like in the comics, it makes sense that Ronan will be involved in the story, although it remains to be seen if he'll actually meet her or will be operating elsewhere. It will also be interesting to learn if Ronan was just as unstable back in the Captain Marvel days or if he was a little bit calmer then. Who knows, maybe something in this movie pushes him on the path to becoming the zealot we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy.

Korath

Dijmon Honshu's Korath served as Ronan the Accuser's main flunky in Guardians of the Galaxy, essentially making him the movie's tertiary villain (Nebula occupying the secondary position). Like Ronan, Korath is a Kree (albeit cybernetically altered), but rather than being a fellow radical, Korath was a mercenary that Thanos sent to aid Ronan in finding the Orb. When Ronan finally obtained that prize and kept it for himself, Korath warned him that Thanos was too powerful for him to betray, but after Ronan reassured him that Thanos would no longer be a threat, Korath stuck around and aided in the attack on Xandar. He was killed soon after by Drax the Destroyer. Evidently, Korath will be another Kree who is somehow involved in Carol Danvers' origin story, though we haven't learned yet if he and Ronan are already familiar with one another during Captain Marvel or if this movie will mark their first meeting (assuming they even cross paths).

Minn-Erva

Humans star Gemma Chan has been cast as Minn-Erva, a Kree geneticist. In the comics, Doctor Minerva was keen on mating with Mar-Vell, as she believed the two of them would produce genetically superior offspring, but her plan was foiled. Afterwards, she worked with Captain Atlas (another Kree) and attempted to steal the quantum-bands belonging to Quasar. In addition to her genetic expertise, Minn-Erva was also augmented by the Kree Psyche-Magnetron, which gave her super strength and flight. Her specific role in Captain Marvel will actually see Minn-Erva as a sniper and member of Starforce along with Carol, but given how antagonistic she's been in the comics, I suspect that she won't be one of her allies for long.

The Skrulls

When Carol Danvers gains her special abilities in Captain Marvel, it won't be long until she has to put them to good use, as it was announced that the movie's main villains will be the Skrulls. Known for their shapeshifting abilities and penchant for repeatedly invading Earth, the Skrulls have been at war with the Kree for centuries in the comics, and that mythology will play into Captain Marvel, meaning that the two species will be at odds with one another in the MCU. The Skrulls are also notable for being one of the few Marvel properties that both Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox can use. Only one specific Skrull character has been confirmed for Captain Marvel (and we'll get to him next), but it's rumored that Titannus, Anelle and Dorrek VII will show up.

Talos

Over the last half decade, Ben Mendelsohn's fame has slowly been rising thanks to roles like Danny Rayburn in the Netflix series Bloodline, Orson Krennic in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and, most recently, Nolan Sorrento in Ready Player One. Mendelsohn was rumored to be joining Captain Marvel back in October 2017, and his casting was finally confirmed five months later. As for who his character is, it was though for a while that he was actually brought on to play Yon-Rogg, a Kree villain who was Mar-Vell's nemesis in the comics and is responsible for the accident that gave Carol Danvers her powers. In actuality, he'll be playing the leading Skull baddie, Talos, who is leading an invasion force on Earth. And, because those villainous Skrulls will be Carol's initial opponents in her theatrical debut, and they have shape-shifting powers, we also know that Talos has managed to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. and will be posing as Nick Fury's boss for part of the film. There's a lot of speculation about how Fury will lose his eye in the upcoming blockbuster, and a lot of signs are already pointing toward Talos.

Maria Rambeau

Originally, She's Gotta Have It star DeWanda Wise was cast in Captain Marvel, but due to a scheduling conflict with Season 2 of the Netflix series, she was forced to drop out in March 2018. Days later, Lashana Lynch was cast as Wise's replacement, and her credits include Atlantis, Doctors and Still Star-Crossed. Back when Wise was still attached to Captain Marvel, I suspected she was playing Monica Rambeau, the second individual to go by Captain Marvel in the comics (her other superhero identities have included Photon, Pulsar and, most recently, Spectrum). However, after Lynch joined the Captain Marvel cast, it was reported that she is playing a "contemporary" of Carol's who also has a young child. Lynch's Maria Rambeau is another Air Force pilot and Carol's best friend, who happens to fly under the call sign "Photon." So, it's incredibly likely that her daughter is actually Monica, and she'll become a superhero in the present day MCU.

Att-Lass

Algenis Perez Soto made his film debut in 2008's Sugar, which was directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, the duo that's also helming Captain Marvel. Evidently, Soto made a good impression with them, because Boden and Fleck brought him back for their Marvel movie for the role of Att-Lass. All we know so far is that Soto will be playing another Kree member of Starforce in Captain Marvel.

Bron-Char

To American audiences, Rune Temte is best known for playing Bjorn in the Hugh Jackman and Taron Egerton-led movie Eddie the Eagle, but Captain Marvel will introduce him to a lot more people stateside. Like Algenis Perez Soto, Temte is playing a Kree Starforce member and teammate of Carol's, and with his large build, I can see him specifically playing a bruiser who puts up a good fight with Carol Danvers by his side.

Young Carol Danvers

At only 11 years old, Mckenna Grace has already assembled quite the acting resume, appearing in The Angry Birds Movie, Independence Day: Resurgence, Gifted, I, Tonya, Once Upon a Time, Fuller House and Designated Survivor, to name just a few. Captain Marvel will be another impressive credit to add to the list, but rather than play a role in the main storyline, it's been confirmed that she's playing a young Carol Danvers either in a prologue sequence or during some flashbacks.

Now that we've covered Captain Marvel's confirmed characters, let's go over the actors who have been officially announced to appear, but we don't know who they're playing.

Unknown Character Played By Annette Bening

Annette Bening isn't exactly known for taking roles in big blockbuster productions... but that could now be said about a few actors who have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Bening has officially signed on for a part in Captain Marvel, though the exact specifics of her character have not yet been revealed. The casting story announcing her involvement with the project said that she is playing a scientist, and from the look of her that we got in the second trailer for the film, she does appear to be a member of the Kree who helped lead Carol through her transformation, but we're not yet sure why they felt that had to happen. The most important thing is that Captain Marvel has signed one of the most talented actresses around.

Unknown Character Played By Robert Kazinsky

Robert Kazinsky is known in the U.K. for his roles in Dream Team and the long-running soap opera EastEnders, but his notable U.S. credits include True Blood, Pacific Rim, Warcraft and Mute. For Captain Marvel, while it's also plausible that he could be playing a Kree or Skrull, given that we'll see Carol Danvers serving in the Air Force, perhaps Kazinsky is playing one of her fellow pilots or a superior officer. Nick Fury's presence in the movie could also mean that Kazinsky is playing a fellow S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, although if that's the case, I worry about his chances of survival.

We now only have a few weeks until Captain Marvel finally hits theaters, so it won't be long until we can find out all the secrets the blockbuster has to offer!

It might not be the exact trailer you've been begging for, but a very awesome preview for Captain Marvel just dropped. The two minutes of footage is stuffed with lots of great images to digest (that mohawk!), including our first real look at Annette Bening's mysterious character. We don't know her name, but at least now we have some clues to begin piecing together about this mysterious Kree figure.

Captain Marvel has a very large and impressive cast, and for the most part, Jude Law has taken the spotlight when it comes to unnamed characters. However, Annette Bening is in the film as well, and while we had an idea that Law would be a Kree soldier close to Carol Danvers, we had no information on Bening's role. That all changed tonight with the release of the second Captain Marvel trailer, which teased a few more story details. As far as it concerns Bening, the trailer confirms that her character is a Kree. This debunks rumors that she would be playing Carol Danvers' human mother, though, she might technically still be a mother figure.

Judging by the trailer, Bening is playing a high-ranking figure in the Kree, the alien race that Captain Marvel lives and fights alongside. As the character explains, the Kree found Carol after an accident on Earth gave her her powers and wiped her memory. The Kree took her in and made her own of their own -- literally. The trailer implies that she has Kree blood, and Bening's character seems pretty proud of the procedure.

Now, the trailer doesn't offer any real hints at the identity of Bening's Kree, but I have a theory or two. As I said, she seems to be a high-ranking figure if Carol is going to directly to her for answers about her origin. She might be the direct overseer of Starforce, the elite warrior heroes of the Kree of which our hero is a part.

However, I have a shot-in-the-dark theory (and I'm talking pitch black), what if Annette Bening is playing the leader of the Kree? As comic book fans may know, the Kree's leader is not a woman who looks like Annette Bening; it's a giant green head called the Supreme Intelligence. It's an artificial intelligence made up of the smartest minds in Kree history, and it rules with cold logic. You can take a look at the trailer and judge for yourself, below.

Could it be that Annette Bening's character might be the MCU's take on that? Perhaps she's a proxy which acts for the Supreme Intelligence or maybe she's a program that looks like a Kree rather than a giant head. I said it was a shot-in-the-dark!

Whoever she is, we're very excited to see Annette Bening and all the rest of the cast in Captain Marvel, which hits theaters March 8, 2019. To learn more about the movie, here's everything we know so far.

Changes in the comics don't always reflect what's happening on the big screen for major superhero movies. For instance, a female Thor in your weekly issue of the Asgardian comic doesn't mean that Chris Hemsworth's being recast any time soon. However, a new change to Captain Marvel in the latest Marvel issues does seem to reflect something we bet they're setting up for the Captain Marvel movie.

Brie Larson is poised to begin playing Carol Danvers in the Marvel Cinematic Universe next year. (Her movie, Captain Marvel, drop March 8, 2019.) And new issues of a Captain Marvel run of comics, The Life of Captain Marvel, is making drastic changes to the character's classic origin... and if we had to project forward, we can basically see how it would fit into the narrative of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck's origin movie.

Carol traditionally receives her powers when she encounters a Kree device that explodes, "blessing" her with the powers of Captain Marvel. In the comics, Carol is trying to get close to Dr. Walter Lawson, the human alias of the Kree hero Captain Marvel, or Mar-Vell. The Life of Captain Marvel's latest issue, according to io9, introduces a new Mar-Vell, though... and it's Carol's mother.

Wait, what?

According to this tweaked origin, Carol's Kree exposure thanks to the blast was not an accident. Instead, it awakened something that was in her already, passed down from her mother, who was the original Mar-Vell (well, actually, Mari-Ell). This makes Carol Car-Ell. And it lends more of a birthright to her powers, strengthening an emotional tie to her origin story.

Carol's mom is a Kree. Carol is a half-human, half-Kree from birth. The explosion from the Kree device triggered something that already was inside of her. The origin has been shifted, and it's major.

How might this spin forward into the Captain Marvel movie? This is ALL speculation, but bear with me as I try to connect a few dots. Marvel Studios has said that when the movie starts, Carol will already be Captain Marvel, and when she lands on Earth, she'll begin to remember her past, but vaguely.

We know that Jude Law plays the combo role of Mar-Vell and Walter Lawson in the upcoming movie, and he will be mentoring Carol in how to be a devout Kree warrior.

But there's a role that has NOT been confirmed in the movie, and it's for a major Hollywood icon. Who is Annette Bening playing in Captain Marvel? Could it be Carol's mom... the original Captain Marvel? Trades, at the time of Bening's casting, made that connection already, though nothing has been confirmed. Now that Marvel Comics is elevating the status of Carol's mother to superhero status, it makes more sense that you would be casting this four-time Academy Award nominee. Why cast Bening if it's for a meaningless supporting part?

What do you guys think? Are the Marvel Comics altering Carol Danvers' origin to fit what the movie is about to do? Will Brie Larson's version of the character be born from a Kree mother, and will that Kree mom be played by Annette Bening? It makes too much sense to us not to be true.

We will know for sure once Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on March 8, 2019. For more on all of the Upcoming Marvel Movies, bookmark our guide and check it often!

Over the past decade or so of filmmaking, the superhero genre has quickly become the most dominating force in filmmaking. With three shared universes currently battling for box office supremacy, it seems like just about everyone is getting in on a comic book adaptation. This includes even the great Anette Bening, who will make her genre debut with Marvel's upcoming blockbuster Captain Marvel. The penultimate movie in the shared universe's Phase Three, the highly anticipated movie will bring Brie Larson's Carol Danvers into the narrative, as well as a cast of new supporting characters. Unfortunately, Bening's role is a complete mystery. In fact, she's not even sure what she's allowed to talk about.

Well, this is certainly intriguing. While Anette Bening is unable to break new news about her role in Captain Marvel, she seems to have had the full comic book movie experience-- which will only increase speculation and theorizing.

Anette Bening's Marvel-ous comments, which come from her recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, are sure to excite the rabid Marvel fanbase-- as well as cinephiles who have followed the actress' long career. Not everyone involved in Marvel movies gets to do the fun stuff, as there are plenty of supporting characters who don't get involved in the big action sequences. Bening seems to hint that she's involved in major conflicts, but who could she be playing?

The most common theory about Anette Bening's Captain Marvel role is that she may be Carol Danver's mother. This seems logical, as the film's first trailer revealed how much of the blockbuster will be focused on Carol's life and psyche. As she attempts to remember her life on Earth before gaining massive powers and joining Starforce, there will be scenes harkening all the way back to the character's childhood. Parents have always played a major role in the MCU, and getting Anette Benning to play Brie Larson's mother sounds like a major win.

Then again, it would be awesome if directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck surprises audiences, and give Anette Bening an action-heavy role. She's among just a few actors with undisclosed roles, so perhaps Marvel has big plans for her secret appearance. The MCU loves plot twists and secrets, so there's really no telling how it'll all go down.

Everything will be revealed when Captain Marvel arrives in theaters on March 8, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has, without question, the brightest stars from the Hollywood galaxy. That's what happens when you cast 19 movies over the course of 10 years. But in particular, the MCU has stacked its deck with iconic talents that hold very special places in the film industry's history, and according to reports, they are about to add one more in the form of Annette Bening.

To paraphrase Harvey Dent from The Dark Knight, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself get cast in a new Marvel movie. THR notes that Annette Bening is the latest legendary film star to throw her name into the superhero game, joining Brie Larson in Captain Marvel, an MCU movie that's due in theaters next March. Details are being kept under wraps, but the trade suggests that Bening might be playing a scientist.

You think I'm exaggerating about the sheer star power in the MCU? Look beyond the fact that major players such as Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Chris Pratt, Chadwick Boseman, Zoe Saldana, Elizabeth Olsen, Dave Bautista and Josh Brolin are lending their talents to Avengers: Infinity War while also juggling countless other projects. The roster of classic Hollywood stars currently holding down important roles in the MCU would make a film lover's head spin.

Jeff Bridges helped kick it off by playing a villain in Iron Man. Anthony Hopkins has played Odin. Tommy Lee Jones was in Captain America: The First Avenger, and Robert Redford challenged Cap in The Winter Soldier. Michael Douglas stepped into the pivotal role of Hank Pym in Ant-Man, and now that series will introduce Michelle Pfeiffer in July's Ant-Man and the Wasp. Angela Bassett and Forest Whitaker were just in Black Panther. This is Hollywood Royalty, all under one roof at Marvel Studios, and to add Annette Bening is no small feat.

And then, look at the Captain Marvel cast that co-directors Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck already have recruited. In addition to leading actress Brie Larson, they have hired Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn and Gemma Chan, and are bringing back Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou, reprising their roles from the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie.

Captain Marvel is currently filming. It's due in theaters on March 8. 2019. Before then, we will see Ant-Man and the Wasp, while after it we get Avengers 4. It's an amazing time to be a Marvel Studios fan, so bookmark our MCU Portal Page and enjoy all the great content coming out involving your favorite Marvel characters!

Tim Burton's Batman Returns has long been hailed as one of the most intriguing titles in the Batman catalog, but it may have been a totally different movie if Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman hadn't been in it. The actress recently revealed that it had been a lifelong dream to play the character on the big screen, but when she found out it was happening in Batman Returns, the movie had already signed on another actress in the role. That actress was none other than Annette Bening. Pfeiffer said:

It has come out prior to this that Annette Bening originally landed the Catwoman role in Batman Returns, but it's not something we really talk about all that often, and we'd definitely never heard Michelle Pfeiffer's take on what happened. Apparently, the actress really wanted the gig, even though she had to be vacuum packed into her super tight costume. The things we do for the jobs we love.

It's still hard for me to imagine Annette Bening in that sort of gig. I always see her as the uptight mom in American Beauty or as the drunk mom in The Kids Are All Right. Earlier in her career, she played up her sexuality a bit more with roles in The Grifters and the ridiculously plotted Love Affair. Her version of Catwoman doubtless would have been different than Pfeiffer's, but fate intervened.

As for Michelle Pfeiffer, she also told THR that she was so pumped for the Batman Returns gig that she threw herself into training immediately. If you've caught the flick, you know that Selina Kyle is really into the whip and those scenes in Batman Returns took a lot of dedicated training, which is not dissimilar to what actors playing superhero movie characters go through today. It wasn't all fun and games though:

A few steps in a different direction, and Annette Bening could have been the one drawing blood while training with the whipmaster. It's funny where life takes you--and doesn't take you--sometimes. Batman Returns recently celebrated it's 25th anniversary. However, if you are pumped for more Batman to come, Justice League is expected to hit theaters on November 17. Here's what else is coming up.

With Beginners, Mike Mills made it clear that he loves blurring the line between the highly personal and a fictional narrative. While Beginners reflected his relationship with his father, who is astonishingly portrayed by Christopher Plummer to such a degree that he won the Best Supporting Academy Award for his portrayal, his new film 20th Century Women focuses on his mother. Of course, finding someone to portray your mother on screen is always going to be a tricky process, but Mike Mills has admitted that it became simple as soon as he met Annette Bening.

Mike Mills made this admission to me when I sat down with the director earlier this month to talk about 20th Century Women, his riveting coming of age drama that's been met with stellar reviews. I quizzed Mike Mills about why Annette Bening possessed the perfect credentials to portray Dorothea. And there were plenty of reasons why, as Mike Mills explained,

Clearly Annette Bening's casting has worked wonders, as the actress has received sterling reviews for her performance as Dorothea in 20th Century Women. She's even been touted to receive at least an Oscar nomination for her performance in 20th Century Women, too, which she would more than be worthy of and would, following on from Plummer's win, be yet further proof that Mike Mills' writing certainly brings out the best of actors.

During my chat with Mike Mills, I revealed to the director just how much I'd love to see Annette Bening's Dorothea Fields from 20th Century Women and Christopher Plummer's Hal Fields from Beginners cross over in any project. But rather than immediately signing up my brief pitch and asking me to detail how the plot would unfold, he simply laughed it off and dismissed it as "hysterical," adding, "I never even thought of that."

Set in 1979, 20th Century Women revolves around Dorothea Fields, a determined single mother in her mid-50s, who is struggling to raise her teenage son Jamie (Lucas Jade Zumann) during a period of great cultural upheaval. She enlists the help of Abbie (Greta Gerwig) and Julie (Elle Fanning) to do so. You can check out the trailer for 20th Century Women below.

20th Century Women is now in limited cinemas across the US, while it will go wide across the country from 20 January.

Screenwriter Dan Fogelman’s directorial debut, Imagine, has been in the works for three years now, first as a Warner Bros. vehicle in 2010 with Steve Carell attached. That went nowhere, and it turned into an indie film. Julianne Moore and Jeremy Renner were going to star in it at one point, but money issues came up again, and they dropped out. Fogelman, who wrote Cars, Tangled and Crazy Stupid Love, got Al Pacino involved late last year, and it has taken until now for Imagine to get anyone else involved. Note the thrilled tone.

Al Pacino is in final negotiations for the project, and now Annette Bening and Bobby Cannavale are both set to join him for Imagine, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bening will next be seen in Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini’s comedy Girl Most Likely, continuing a string of indie films she’s recently starred in. Cannavale, meanwhile, has cable TV in his pocket with roles on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Showtime’s Nurse Jackie. He last appeared in Taylor Hackford’s Parker and will next show up in the biopic Lovelace.

As someone who hasn’t read the script or knows anyone who read it, I’m having severe reservations about this one. Pacino will play a hard-living, aging rocker who discovers a letter that John Lennon wrote a to him when he was younger.. The letter sets his life on a different path. Bening will play a love interest and Cannavale will play Pacino’s estranged son, who doesn’t have much in common with his father.

A July production is planned for Imagine.

Last year at this time, the ever-graceful Annette Bening was at the center of Oscar buzz thanks to her heartbreaking turn in the poignant dramedy The Kids Are All Right. Of course, we all know the award that night went to Natalie Portman for Black Swan, but the loss hasn't seemed to faze Bening. Since then, she has lined up a robust slate of projects, including the Kristen Wiig-fronted comedy Imogene, the in-production, romance-centered biopic Hemingway & Fuentes, and He Loves Me, directing duo Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris's long-awaited follow-up to Little Miss Sunshine. It seems Bening cannot get enough of love stories as Hollywood.com has just unveiled she's signed on to The Look of Love, where she'll star opposite Ed Harris.

The Look of Love centers on a widow named Niki, who believes she's through with love until she meets a man (Harris) who looks exactly like her late husband. We first got word of this romantic feature last year, when writer-director Arie Posin (The Chumscrubber) was prepping to pitch it at the European Film Market. However, at that time, it was Diane Keaton who was attached to star opposite Harris.

There are no details on why Keaton has walked away from the project, but I think Bening is an inspired replacement pick. Sure, she doesn't have Keaton's track record for rom-coms, but for me that's part of the appeal here. With Keaton and Harris, it was easy to picture The Look of Love; it would be enjoyable though possibly predictable. However, with Bening, an accomplished dramatic actress and winsome comedic performer, there's an element of the unexpected when it comes to how she may approach the role. Plus Bening and Harris both possess a kind of effortless sexuality that is sure to sizzle onscreen.

While there's been little mention of the film's genre thus far, it seems certain The Look of Love will be a dramedy. Not only would this be in the vein of Posin's last feature, but also reports that Robin Williams has joined the cast suggest the movie will veer into comedic territory despite its mournful setup.

The Look of Love is looking to shoot this Spring, with plans to hit theaters in 2013.

The Fox Searchlight project He Loves Me is already a pretty safe bet for indie greatness. It's the first film for directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris since Little Miss Sunshine, and reunites them with that film's star Paul Dano, who stars along with his real-life girlfriend Zoe Kazan, an indie actress stalwart on her own who also wrote the script. Now the movie has managed to bump the talent factor up another notch; according to Variety, Annette Bening has signed on to play Dano's mom, a painter named Gertrude who's struggling with the fact that her son hates her new husband, Mort.

I expect there's a serious casting derby right now figuring out who will play Mort, since playing Bening's spouse on film typically works out pretty well-- just ask Kevin Spacey about his role in American Beauty, or Julianne Moore and the acclaim she got for The Kids Are All Right. Of course there's already rampant speculation that her role in He Loves Me could earn Bening the Best Actress she's narrowly lost many times now, but it's way, way early days for that. Little Miss Sunshine was an unlikely Best Picture nominee back in 2006, and trying to predict the Academy's taste even days before the nominations, much less years, is a fool's errands. Still, this project will be one to watch out for, and with production starting next month, we could easily get a look at it as early as Sundance next year.

Just half an hour ago I got out of the Sundance press screening of The Kids Are All Right, the "Julianne Moore and Annette Bening lesbian comedy" that had a lot of buzz going for it on starpower alone. By the time of tonight's screening, though, there was even more incentive to see it-- Deadline Hollywood is reporting that Focus Features snapped up the film's right after last night's screening.

They weren't the only interested buyers-- Summit, Fox Searchlight, Sony Pictures Classics and The Weinstein Company were all gunning for it apparently-- and it would have been a smart buy by anyone. The movie is funny and tender and moves along nicely, telling the story of a fairly typical marriage drama through a pretty atypical union between two women who are the parents of teenage kids. The movie also stars Mark Ruffalo as the sperm donor who created the kids, and rising stars Mia Wasikowska-- phenomenal-- and Josh Hutcherson as the teens. I'll have a full review soon, but now when you read it, you'll know you'll have a chance to see it yourself. Hooray for us all.