The superhero genre continues to be wildly popular, with a number of shared universes competing at the box office. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order were thrilled when Tom Holland got his movies, and have also watched as the animated franchise Into The Spider-Verse became an Oscar-winning success. There were some early plans for a spinoff starring Daniel Kaluuya's Spider-Punk, and now the actor has offered an update about what's happening behind he scenes.

While there hasn't been much news about Across The Spider-Verse 2, fans are hoping for more information about the upcoming Marvel movie sooner rather than later. Luckily the Get Out star recently spoke to Deadline, and offered some news about what's going on. He teased that script's first draft is in its "finishing stages", claiming:

This is definitely exciting news. There's been a startling lack of information about the animated franchise as a whole since Across the Spider-Verse's ending teased what was coming next. Miles has come face to face with an alternate version of himself, and there's no telling what wild twists are coming with the multiversal property. And that includes the Spider-Punk spinoff.

Daniel Kaluuya first entered the superhero genre with Black Panther, although he was notieably missing from Wakanda Forever. But fans really responded to his character Spider-Punk in Across The Spider-Verse, and fare eager to see what the spinoff might include. Later in the same interview he shared more about what's happening behind the scenes, saying:

Points were made. The Spider-Verse movies offered a unique visual language, and as well as a great multiverse story. Fans are hoping for the franchise to keep going, hopefully through spinoffs for fan favorites like Spider-Gwen and Spider-Punk. The latter is voiced by Kaluuya, who seems thoroughly invested in sticking around for the long haul. The Nope actor spoke more about what's inspiring him to stay involved in the animated property, offering:

With the first draft of the Spider-Punk movie nearly done, the animated spinoff has never felt more real. Hopefully fans are treated to more information about that title, as well as the third Across the Spider-Verse movie, sooner rather than later. I'd hate the excitement from moviegoers who calm down over time.

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse is streaming now on Disney+. The next live-action Marvel movie heading to theaters is Spider-Man: Brand New Day on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list.

While there’s been a surge in talk about Spider-Man: Brand New Day following the reveal of Tom Holland’s new Spidey suit and filming beginning, let’s not forget it’s not the only upcoming Spider-Man movie. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse remains in the works and is currently set for a 2027 release. Today, however, I’m pumped to learn that one of the best characters introduced in Across the Spider-Verse is getting their own spinoff movie.

Today brings word that Sony is in early development on an animated feature centered on Daniel Kaluuya’s Hobie Brown, a.k.a. Spider-Punk. In addition to reprising his role from the 2023 movie, which he’ll also be doing in Beyond the Spider-Verse, Kaluuya is writing the script with Primetime’s Ajon Singh. Deadline reports that no other deals are currently in place, and plot details are being kept secret.

Based on the character created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel, Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk hails from Earth-138, where he uses his guitar and punk rock attitude as his main weapon against the totalitarian regime in control of his world. Hobie teamed up with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, Pavitr Prabhakar and more to combat The Spot, and Hobie in particular helped Miles escape from Miguel O’Hara and the Spider Society after they’d imprisoned him. By the end of Across the Spider-Verse, Hobie was among the Spider-heroes Gwen recruited to help her find Miles in the multiverse (he ended up trapped on Earth-42, the world where the spider that bit him came from).

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about a Spider-Verse spinoff movie being worked on. Shortly before Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released in 2018, Sony announced a feature focusing on three generations of Spider-heroines, including Gwen Stacy, Jessica Drew and Cindy Moon. As of 2023, that spinoff was still in development, but it’s unclear if that remains the case two years later. Given how well received Daniel Kaluuya’s version of Spider-Punk was received, I’d like to think that improves the chances of his spinoff officially being greenlit, because I’m definitely keen on seeing this.

Along with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, 2023 also saw Kaluuya making his filmmaking debut with Netflix’s The Kitchen, when he co-directed with Kibwe Tavares and co-wrote with Joe Murtagh. Looking beyond… Beyond the Spider-Verse, the actor has two A24 projects lined up. The first is co-starring in the untitled Chris Rock movie that began filming last month, and the second is the adult-focused Barney movie, which he’s producing through his 59% banner and has The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri attached.

Assuming there aren’t anymore setbacks, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will swing into theaters on June 25, 2027, and it’s hard to say how long after that the Spider-Punk spinoff would arrive if it does indeed move forward. Meanwhile, you’re welcome to revisit Across the Spider-Verse by streaming it with a Disney+ subscription.

I’m not the world’s biggest fan of horror movies. Even some of the best horror movies of all time are hard for me to get into and appreciate. This is a “me” problem, not an indictment of the genre. However, I recently watched Jordan Peele’s Nope with my Peacock subscription, and I have to admit, it really grabbed me and didn’t let me go. Now I need to consider just why I tend to avoid horror movies.

It Wasn’t My Jordan Peele Movie

Now, I have seen plenty of horror movies in my life. As someone who writes about movies for a living, I’ve always considered it important to my job, even if watching them sometimes feels like a chore. Jordan Peele’s movies and TV shows have never felt that way, though. I loved Get Out, though it doesn’t feel quite like a horror movie to me; it’s more of a mystery than anything else. Us is definitely more of a true horror movie, but still one that had my rapt attention for the whole thing.

The common element of all three, including Nope, is that even when I’m at home watching them on my TV, rather than in theaters, I never get bored or reach for my phone (something I can’t claim for every movie I watch). Even if I do reach for that little black distraction device, I quickly realize that I don’t want to look at it; I have to make sure I know what’s coming next. Peele’s movies reward close watching, and it’s never a chore to get through, just a delight.

Nope Had All The Elements I Love In Any Movie

Oftentimes, especially when it comes to slasher films or ultra-violent and gory horror movies, I get frustrated that they often lack in other key elements that make movies great. Things like character development and interesting plotlines get sidelined in favor of more jump scares or violent fight scenes. The violence doesn’t make me queesy, it just bores me.

Nope sacrifices nothing. There is a well-told back story for the two main characters, OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and his sister Emerald (Keke Palmer), and their friend/rival Jupe Park (Steven Yeun). There is a great story that is enhanced by the fear, not distracted by it. There is some great comic relief, mostly from Palmer, and there is, most importantly, an interesting twist that doesn’t feel forced. And yes, it still manages to be plenty scary.

I Loved The Way The “Twist” Worked

The twist of the movie is that the UFO isn’t a ship, but a living being, an animal. That twist isn’t played for shock value, but it makes the story so much more interesting than just a standard green beings from outer space doing unthinkable things to humans on earth. It’s like Predator, but without the absurd backstory.

I love that it isn’t forced, as happens in so many movies in the genre. It’s not some kind of big reveal, it’s a much more organic discovery that a wildlife expert like OJ would come to naturally. Peele doesn’t dwell on the twist long either. Instead, we’re thrown right into the plan to take it out.

All of that makes for a much better movie than I am used to in the horror genre, and I think it’s time for me to seek out more movies like it rather than only happen upon them while I’m working on my next story. I’m also really excited to see what Jordan Peele’s next project looks like and can’t wait to see it.

Every year, I try to honor Black History by writing about something important that has occurred in the entertainment industry. And, I can’t think of any greater honor than winning the Academy Award.

Yes, there have been achievements in many different categories, including directing, writing, producing, scoring, etc, but today, my focus is going to be on Black actors.

Split amongst the Best Lead Actor, Best Lead Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Supporting Actor categories, there have been a total of 23 Oscars doled out to Black performers. So, here are all 23 of them, chronologically ordered.

Hattie McDaniel - Gone With The Wind (1939)

The very first Black winner for an acting Academy Award, Hattie McDaniel won it for Best Supporting Actress with her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With the Wind.

And, even though it's a racial stereotype role, McDaniel's character was often the most sensible and attention-grabbing character on the screen. It's a landmark victory for Black people in cinema.

Sidney Poitier - Lilies Of The Field (1963)

One of Sidney Poitier’s best movies, Lilies of the Field, which is about a handyman who helps a group of nuns build a chapel, was actually Poitier’s second nomination for Best Lead Actor.

His first was for 1958’s The Defiant Ones, which was a movie that he mostly shared with Tony Curtis. Lilies of the Field, however, was a leading role purely for Poitier, and he ended up becoming the first Black Actor to ever win the award. Great stuff!

Louis Gossett Jr. - An Officer And A Gentleman (1982)

In this romantic drama that also stars Richard Gere, Louis Gossett Jr. plays a hard-nosed drill instructor who really challenges his cadets.

Before there was R. Lee Ermey in one of my favorite Kubrick films, Full Metal Jacket, there was Louis Gossett Jr. berating his troops. He was the first Black man to win a Best Supporting Acting trophy, and it was justly awarded. He’s really good in this.

Denzel Washington - Glory (1989)

Denzel Washington’s first Academy Award was a supporting one for his role as a private in the Civil War drama, Glory.

As both a leader to the men in his regiment, but also a soldier who must follow orders, Washington’s character shows the duality of a Black man in uniform. Him deciding to hold up the flag for the charge is one of the most iconic scenes in late ‘80s cinema.

Whoopi Goldberg - Ghost (1990)

An EGOT recipient (though, not the only one on this list), Whoopi Goldberg received a Best Supporting Actress Award for her role as the medium, Oda Mae Brown, in the hit Ghost.

The romance between Swayze and Moore’s character is what defines this film, but it wouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable without Goldberg’s humor, and seriousness when the moment calls for it.

Cuba Gooding Jr. - Jerry Maguire (1996)

For this sports comedy-drama, Cuba Gooding Jr. received a Best Supporting Actor award for his role as a cocky but steadfast wide receiver who wants to be shown the money.

Gooding Jr.’s performance is full of energy, and it makes this romantic comedy feel even sweeter when his and Tom Cruise’s characters share more than just a player and client relationship and actually become good friends.

Halle Berry - Monster's Ball (2001)

The only Black woman who has ever won Best Lead Actress, Halle Berry, took home the trophy for her role as a conflicted woman who takes on a relationship with the man who helped execute her husband.

Berry’s character is highly vulnerable, and the events of the movie are stressful beyond belief. Still, her character, as flawed as she is (everybody’s flawed in this film) weathered the storm, and earned Berry a Best Actress statue for her troubles.

Denzel Washington - Training Day (2001)

Washington’s second trophy came as the Best Lead Actor, for playing a cop in Training Day who definitely didn’t follow the rules.

Washington’s character was both charming and terrifying, often in the same scene. Say it with me, people: King Kong ain't got nothing on him!

Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Morgan Freeman actually had a supporting role in two of Clint Eastwood’s best movies, those being Unforgiven, and Million Dollar Baby. And, both films won Best Picture.

However, it was in the latter film where Freeman picked up the Best Supporting Actor statue, for playing a grizzled former boxer and gym assistant. It’s a mostly quiet role, but a memorable one.

Jamie Foxx - Ray (2004)

In one of the best music movies of all time, Jamie Foxx scored a much deserved Best Lead Actor award for his role as the famous blind musician, Ray Charles.

Foxx even had his eyes glued shut for the sake of authenticity. Anything for the craft, right?

Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls (2006)

Another EGOT recipient on this list, Jennifer Hudson, scored a Best Supporting Actress trophy in her VERY FIRST ACTING GIG!

It’s little wonder why though. Hudson’s portrayal of Effie White in Dreamgirls is powerful. Going from lead singer to starting all over again, Hudson did a “Supreme” job (Do you see what I did there?) in her very first role.

Forest Whitaker - The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitaker’s best performance is by far his role as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

In a role that netted him a Best Lead Actor award, Whitaker is utterly terrifying, but also somewhat funny, in the way that only Whitaker can be.

Mo'Nique - Precious (2009)

After watching Mo’Nique as the abusive mother in Precious, it’s hard to watch her again in one of the best Black TV shows, The Parkers. It just seems like such a smoke screen.

Anyway, Mo’Nique was awarded a Best Supporting Actress trophy for this performance, and I haven’t looked at her the same way since.

Octavia Spencer - The Help (2011)

Though The Help hasn’t aged well, Octavia Spencer’s role as a maid who was fired for using a guest bathroom is still one of her best performances.

Spencer won Best Supporting Actress for a role where she got to take a dump in somebody’s pie. It’s a feel good film.

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave (2013)

In her career-defining role in 12 Years a Slave, Lupita Nyong'o plays a violently abused slave.

It is one of the most brutal (and likely most realistic) portrayals of slavery ever put to screen, and Nyong'o won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance.

Viola Davis - Fences (2016)

In this adaptation of a play in August Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle, Viola Davis plays a wronged but loyal wife.

The third EGOT recipient on this list, Davis should have several Oscars, but this is her sole win, and it’s in the Best Supporting Actress category.

Mahershala Ali - Moonlight (2016)

Though only in Moonlight for one act, Mahershala Ali’s performance as a caring drug dealer was so powerful that he won the Best Supporting Actor trophy.

It would be his first of two Academy Awards so far.

Regina King - If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)

In If Beale Street Could Talk, Regina King plays the mother of a young woman whose boyfriend has been convicted of rape, and she tries to convince the victim that it wasn’t him.

King won a Best Supporting Actress Award for her quiet, but searing performance.

Mahershala Ali - Green Book (2018)

In Ali’s second Best Supporting Actor win, the skilled performer played real-life pianist Don Shirley in this Best Picture winner.

Ali’s character in this film is completely different from that in Moonlight, but that sense of vulnerability still persists, which was worthy of the award.

Daniel Kaluuya - Judas And The Black Messiah (2020)

Playing the “Black Messiah,” Daniel Kaluuya portrayed the inspirational Fred Hampton in this riveting biopic.

He won Best Supporting Actor, beating out the “Judas” (Bill O’Neal) in this picture, played excellently by LaKeith Stanfield, who was also nominated.

Ariana DeBose - West Side Story (2021)

In this second adaptation of the famed musical West Side Story, Ariana DeBose won Best Supporting Actress playing Anita, who was portrayed by Rita Moreno in the first theatrical adaptation.

DeBose is absolutely magnetic in the role, firmly earning her win.

Will Smith - King Richard (2021)

Though the unfortunate slap is likely what many people remember most about this ceremony and Will Smith's award, his Best Lead Actor-winning turn really does deserve a second look.

Playing the tenacious father to Venus and Serena Williams, Smith definitely deserved the award for his work in the lauded film.

Da'Vine Joy Randolph - The Holdovers (2023)

And finally, the most recent winner, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of a quietly grieving mother in The Holdovers.

This film speaks to me as a teacher, yes, but also as a parent. I can thankfully only imagine the pain that her character Is going through.

That’s all of them! We’ll see if Zoe Saldaña, Colman Domingo, or Cynthia Erivo pick up a trophy at the 2025 Academy Awards.

There are plenty of amazing biopics that have been produced over the years, with each highlighting specific people, usually those who’ve left their marks on the world in a significant way. When it specifically comes to biographical features led by Black talent, Malcolm X, 42 and Selma are among some of the best. Additionally, there’s a superb movie in this category that doesn’t receive its just due — Judas and the Black Messiah. On that note, there are multiple reasons why this particular motion picture is more than worth your time.

Ahead of the 2021 historical drama’s release, late activist and deputy Black Panther Party chairman Fred Hampton was a famous Black figure overdue for a biopic. Director Shaka King highlighted Hampton’s work – and those of his comrades – in a beautiful and heartbreaking way through Judas. So let’s talk out exactly why this film deserves sheer recognition.

Judas And The Black Messiah Doesn’t Follow The Typical Biopic Formula

Many biopics seek to cover the vast sum of someone’s life so, if a person is deceased, they’ll track them from their early life to their death. Shaka King doesn’t do that with Judas and the Black Messiah, as his film covers the last portion of Fred Hampton’s life. That includes his founding of the Rainbow Coalition and surveillance by the FBI. Another key part of this story involves federal informant Bill O’Neal, whose undercover dealings were the catalyst for Hampton’s death.

Keeping the story confined to this specific pocket of time is smart, as it keeps the narrative tight and prevents it from feeling too overwhelming. Think of it as a snapshot of someone’s life as opposed to a massive photo album.

Despite Taking Some Liberties, The Film Effectively Portrays Real-Life Events

It’s no secret that films which dramatize real events sometimes make changes. This typically comes down to what fits into the film from a thematic standpoint. Judas and the Black Messiah is no different. For instance, as noted by PolitiFacts, the film shows FBI director J. Edgar Hoover solely targeting the Black Panthers as a national security threat when, in reality, he was zeroing in on all Black nationalist groups. Per Uproxx, wounded Panther member Jimmy Palmer isn’t actually the name of the man who was hurt at the time.

While changes are made here and there, plenty of the events in the film did indeed happen. One such development is the arrest of Fred Hampton, who served months in prison after being accused of assaulting an ice cream truck driver and stealing $71 worth of ice cream to feed to children. Hampton's collaboration with poor Whites and ethnic groups are also said to have been mostly accurate.

Judas And The Black Messiah Presents A Nuanced Look At The Black Panthers

It’s not uncommon for people to have preconceived notions about the Black Panther Party. At first glance, some may view them as an overtly militant activist group that wasn’t above resorting to violence to get what they wanted. Certain fictionalized depictions of the group don’t always help with that, either. (Just check out Forest Gump’s brief Black Panther scene.)

The Panthers did indeed seek to handle their problems in bombastic ways when necessary, but there’s more to the group than that. As part of their mission, they advocated for wide-spread education, launched the Free Breakfast for School Children Program (which is highlighted in the film) and established health clinics. The film’s writers told CinemaBlend that they wanted to change the general perception of the Panthers. And, because of that, they don’t merely come off as a band of militants but as a group of community organizers.

Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield And More Give Incredible Performances

King’s direction is impeccable, but Judas and the Black Messiah’s cast also deserves a sizable amount of praise. During an interview with CinemaBlend, King himself lauded his “dream” ensemble of actors. Among them are Dominique Fishback, who compellingly plays Deborah Johnson (now Akua Njeri), the girlfriend of “Chairman Fred” who ultimately becomes pregnant with his child. Dominique Thorne also deftly plays BP member Judy Harmon. Jesse Plemons also delivers as stoic FBI agent Roy Mitchell, subtly adding layers to him. Other notable performances are from Ashton Sanders, Algee Smith, Khris Davis and Martin Sheen.

Of course, the two standout performances come from Daniel Kaluuya, who plays Fred Hampton, and Lakeith Stanfield, who portrays Bill O’Neil. Kaluuya is a force, as he embodies the passion, intensity and warmth of Hampton. Meanwhile, Stanfield skillfully portrays O’Neil as a man who’s in over his head and driven by a hunger to survive in a society where the system establishes the rules. It wasn’t surprising to me at all that both were nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor – and even less surprising that Kaluuya won.

The Movie’s Music Is Impeccable And Used To Great Effect

Good music can certainly elevate a film, and that’s the case when it comes to this Fred Hampton-centered film. Mark Isham and Craig Harris composed the score, which is appropriately understated in certain places and more intense in others. One of my personal favorite scenes in which the score kicks happens to involve Hampton’s address to his comrades following his release from prison.

In addition to the score, there's also an excellent original song that’s part of the movie – “Fight for You,” which is performed and co-written by acclaimed singer H.E.R. The song’s lyrics highlight certain societal issues, including racism and police brutality. All in all, those sharp verses (which Tiara Thomas co-penned) and H.E.R.’s sultry vocals make it a track worth playing over and over again. Considering the strength of the tune, it was wonderful when it won Best Original Song at the Oscars and Best Traditional R&B Performance at the Grammy Awards.

There’s certainly a lot to appreciate about Shaka King’s historical drama. In short, it's a well-directed, powerfully acted, lovingly crafted biopic that provides viewers with plenty to chew on. Judas and the Black Messiah’s ending may be a tough pill to swallow, but believe me when I say this is absolutely necessary viewing for anyone who appreciates history or simply a good biopic. As Black History Month continues, be sure to check this one out, as it’s available to rent or buy on multiple digital platforms.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe constantly puts out new content, in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But a few franchises stand out as fan favorites, including Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. The wildly successful first movie starred late actor Chadwick Boseman, with the sequel honoring his legacy. And co-star Daniel Kaluuya recalled the sweet way that Boseman mentored him during that film, being quoted saying: "meeting Chad was a pivotal moment in my life." Let's break it down.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order noticed that Kaluuya's character W'Kabi was noticeably missing from the Black Panther 2 cast list, but he had an important supporting role in the original movie. While speaking at the BFI London Film Festival (via THR), the Get Out actor spoke about the timing of meeting Boseman on the Black Panther set. In his words:

While Kaluuya in a bonafide movie star at this point, getting into the Hollywood scene is somewhat daunting. That includes assembling a team, with Boseman offering some much-needed guidance in that regard. Once again the late actor proved he was a hero in real life.

Being on the top of the call sheet is a big responsibility for actors, especially on a wildly expensive MCU movie like Black Panther. And while he was playing the title character and secretly dealing with health issues, he still took the time to offer guidance to his co-stars. In the same interview, Daniel Kaluuya spoke more about ongoing support from the T'Challa actor, saying:

When Black Panther was released, it became clear that the cast and crew had developed a uniquely strong bond from within Wakanda. Chadwick Boseman was universally loved, which is why his passing was so devastating to those who worked with him. Daniel Kaluuya spoke more about what he brought to those around him, offering:

In the years since Chadwick Boseman's death, the cast of Black Panther have shared plenty of stories about the quality of his character, as well as his talents. This is just the latest example, and shows the legacy he left behind.

The MCU will return to theaters with Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.

The 2010s were a transformative decade for movies as directors like Damien Chazelle, Greta Gerwig and Jordan Peele hit the mainstream, and many actors exploded into stardom or gave career-defining performances in movies like theirs. Now, it’s time to celebrate some of the best films of this decade and the performers who starred in them. 

Emma Stone – La La Land 

This ode to Old Hollywood and modern romance from Damien Chazelle is widely beloved in part because of Emma Stone's performance. If you go back to reviews for La La Land, you’ll see Stone and Ryan Gosling praised for their work as they played Mia and Sebastian, two aspiring artists who fall in love with each other. Notably, Emma Stone won her first Oscar for the film because of the wonderful performance she gave as the up-and-coming actress. 

Kristen Wiig – Bridesmaids

When it comes to Bridesmaids and all its hilarious lines and gags, we all need to say a collective thank you to Kristen Wiig. Not only did the Saturday Night Live alum lead the stellar ensemble cast of this 2011 flick, but she also wrote the movie with Annie Mumolo, and they got an Oscar nomination for it. 

Mahershala Ali – Moonlight

Moonlight, which famously won Best Picture in 2017, is a coming-of-age film that follows Chiron through three stages of his life, focusing on him exploring his sexuality and identity. In it, Mahershala Ali plays Juan, a man who has a pivotal role in Chiron’s early life. Famously, Ali won his first Oscar for his moving performance in this film. 

Daniel Kaluuya – Get Out

Get Out is considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time, and it marked the directorial debut of Jordan Peele. While this film about the deeply dark turn a trip takes after a white woman brings her Black boyfriend home to meet her family is career-defining for its director – as he’s gone on to become quite the name in the genre – it also marked a major breakout for Daniel Kaluuya who played the film’s lead, Chris. 

Amy Adams – Arrival 

Arrival is unquestionably one of Amy Adams’ best movies, and to this day, folks are still livid that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for it. She plays Louise, a linguist assigned to decipher and translate an alien language. However, as Arrival’s ending makes abundantly clear, there’s way more to it than that, and one of the major reasons this movie works is because of Adams’ masterful, emotional and nuanced performance. 

J.K. Simmons – Whiplash

In Whiplash, one of J.K. Simmons’ best films, he plays a brilliant and brutal jazz conductor and instructor named Terence Fletcher. During the film, Miles Teller plays a young drummer named Andrew who is determined to become great, and his intense relationship with Terence and the notion of being the best is what makes Damien Chazelle’s film magnificent. On top of its overall acclaim, Simmons also won an Oscar for his performance.

Hugh Jackman – Logan 

Logan was Hugh Jackman’s last ride as the Wolverine, and it was basically perfect. While he’s returned to the role since in Deadpool and Wolverine, Logan still serves as a wonderful conclusion to the iconic X-Man’s story. It was also a game-changing Marvel film, as it brought a level of grit and intrigue that we hadn’t really seen in a movie from this universe before. 

Ben Affleck – Argo 

Much like Good Will Hunting, Argo marked a major milestone in Ben Affleck’s career. It was one of the films that solidified him as a top-tier director, and on top of that, he also starred in the film about a CIA agent disguised as a producer who goes into Tehran on a mission to save a group of Americans. Oh, also, the film went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars too. 

Jesse Eisenberg — The Social Network

The Social Network cast is stacked, however, it wouldn’t be what it is without Jesse Eisenberg’s performance as Mark Zuckerberg at its center. His nuanced performance which is somehow both collected and chaotic compliments Aaron Sorkin’s fast-talking script perfectly, and he expertly helped build up tension in the film that director David Fincher is known for. All around, that made for a perfect, heart-pounding drama about the rise of Facebook.

Leonardo DiCaprio – The Wolf Of Wall Street  

While Leonardo DiCaprio has a long list of career-defining performances, and he and Martin Scorsese have made many great movies together, you can’t deny that his portrayal of Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street tops that list. 

Brie Larson – Room

The film Room, which is about a mother and her son escaping captivity, is masterfully led by Brie Larson, who plays Ma. Both she and Jacob Tremblay, who played her son Jack, were praised for their performances, and in 2016, the actress won an Oscar for her work. 

Daniel Craig – Knives Out

Now, I know that Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond was still happening in the 2010s. However, an equally important and brilliant role he took on was as detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s first whodunnit Knives Out. Now, after leading the cast of Knives Out, Craig has gone on to reprise his role as the Southern detective on multiple occasions, because he loves it and so do we. 

Ryan Gosling – Drive

If you look over Ryan Gosling’s best movies, on one side you’ll find his brilliant comedic films – like Barbie and The Nice Guys – and on the other side, you’ll find his stoic and dramatic performance, like the one he gives in Drive. Put simply, Drive wouldn’t work without the actor’s lead performance, because the entire film hinges on him and his abilities. 

Ryan Reynolds – Deadpool

After years of working to get it made and some well-timed leaked footage, finally, in 2016, Deadpool came out and we got to see Ryan Reynolds in his element as the Merc with a Mouth. 

Casey Affleck – Manchester By The Sea 

In a film about a man returning home to reckon with his past and grief after losing his brother, Casey Affleck gives an emotional and commanding performance. Not only did he win an Oscar for his work in this drama, but it’s also one of the big defining roles of his career. 

Chris Evans – Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

Chris Evans began and ended his tenure as Steve Rogers in the 2010s. While all his outings as the star-spangled man with a plan were excellent, nothing tops his performance as Cap in the political thriller that is the Russo brothers’ Captain America: The Winter Soldier, which is easily one of the best Marvel movies ever made. 

Ralph Fiennes – The Grand Budapest Hotel 

Under Wes Anderson’s precise direction, Ralph Fiennes occupied the pastel world of the Grand Budapest Hotel with grace and style. His fast-talking M. Gustave went on quite the adventure in this film, and he won over the hearts of audiences with his quick wit, smooth charm and impeccable work ethic. 

Natalie Portman – Black Swan 

Throwing it back to the beginning of the decade, Darren Aronofsky’s 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan showed us Natalie Portman’s talents in a new light. While she had been on the scene and in big movies for years, this film marked a major milestone in her career as her performance as a tortured ballerina got her an Academy Award. 

Matthew McConaughey – Dallas Buys Club

Obviously, for a couple of decades before this, Matthew McConaughey was known and beloved for fun movies like Dazed and Confused and How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, in 2013, Dallas Buyers Club marked a notable shift in his career. Not only did he win an Oscar for this dramatic turn as a man who finds out he has AIDS, but he also went on to star in acclaimed projects like Interstellar and True Detective one year later, cementing himself as a magnificent dramatic actor with serious range. 

Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook

Yes, Jennifer Lawrence leading The Hunger Games cast is one of the biggest triumphs of her career. However, amid all of that, she starred in the beloved dramedy Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper, and that’s the film for which she won her Oscar. This magnificent film about two people learning to live and thrive through grief and mental illness, is a thoughtful and funny film that Lawrence steals with her amazing performance. 

Brad Pitt – Moneyball 

Moneyball is the story about the general manager of the Oakland A’s using his business savvy and what little money his team had to assemble a rag-tag team of MLB players. Brad Pitt plays said manager, Billy Beane, and I mean it when I say the movie really wouldn’t work without him. He’s at the center of it, and he carries it to victory just like his character did with the A’s.  

Chadwick Boseman – Black Panther 

We sadly lost Chadwick Boseman way too early, however, his legacy will live on forever. This is in part because of his performance as the King of Wakanda, T’Challa. Black Panther was a historic moment in modern movie history, and his incredible take on the titular hero is a big reason why. 

Margot Robbie – I, Tonya 

Before I, Tonya, Margot Robbie was beloved for her supporting and ensemble roles in films like The Wolf of Wall Street and Suicide Squad. However, one of the movies that helped solidify her as both a leading lady and super producer was I, Tonya. She played Tonya Harding and produced the film under the banner of her company LuckyChap – which went on to make films like Barbie and Promising Young Woman. 

Florence Pugh – Midsommar

Florence Pugh exploded onto the scene with the haunting Ari Aster film Midsommar. The movie is now considered one of the best horror movies of all time, and a big reason why is Pugh’s performance. 

Saoirse Ronan – Lady Bird

Talk about a dynamic duo. Greta Gerwig and Saoirse Ronan are a match made in heaven, and that was solidified into fact when the actress played the titular Lady Bird in the director’s breakout film. Not only did fans fall in love with Ronan’s performance as the defiant teenage gal, but she also received wide acclaim and an Oscar nomination for it. Plus, it was the beginning of a glorious partnership between her and Greta Gerwig as they then went on to make Little Women together. 

Timothée Chalamet – Call Me By Your Name

These days, when people think of Timothée Chalamet, they likely think of him as Paul Atreides, the leader of the Dune cast. However, before that (and in a different decade) the film that sprung him into the mainstream was Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. The deeply romantic and tender coming-of-age drama was led beautifully by Chalamet, and since then he’s taken on more roles that have helped cement him as one of the top-leading men of his generation. 

Anna Kendrick – Pitch Perfect

If you were a kid in 2012 (like I was), odds are you learned the “Cups” song. The movie about college acapella was a phenomenon in the early 2010s, and it served as a big breakout leading role for Anna Kendrick. Not only was she funny as Becca, but everyone also became aware that she had the singing voice of an angel.  

Lupita Nyong’o – 12 Years A Slave

Lupita Nyong’o’s first feature film was 12 Years A Slave. Her performance in the movie by Steve McQueen won her an Oscar in 2012 and solidified her as a top-tier dramatic performer. Since then, she’s gone on to star in massive blockbusters like Black Panther and A Quiet Place: Day One. 

Joaquin Phoenix – Joker

There have been many amazing takes on the Joker, and Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur Fleck was a totally new one. In Joker, we see the villain’s origin story, and it’s a film that’s unlike any other DC project. The haunting performance ultimately won the actor an Oscar, and he reprised the part again in Joker: Folie à Deux.

Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road

The movie is named after Mad Max, and he’s great, don’t get me wrong, but Furiosa steals the show. Charlize Theron’s performance as the driver in Mad Max: Fury Road is fierce and jaw-dropping, and she’s one of many reasons why George Miller’s movie is considered one of the best action films. 

Michael Cera – Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

You can’t have Scott Pilgrim vs. The World without a perfect Scott Pilgrim and that’s who Michael Cera is. He perfectly played the awkward yet heroic protagonist in Edgar Wright’s beloved film, and to this day, it's considered some of his best work.

Matt Damon – The Martian

This Ridley Scott movie is literally about one man who is stuck on Mars. Yes, there are other people in the film trying to save him. However, overall, The Martian is Matt Damon’s movie. He plays the stranded astronaut and scientist, and the heart, charisma, intelligence and even humor he brings to the space drama is unforgettable. 

All around, the 2010s were full of films that are on their way to becoming all-time classics, and it’s in part thanks to the brilliant actors who starred in them. 

Whether it's in biopics or in other historical movies, playing an important person often leads to some of the most amazing performances put on film. There are far too many to count, much less list here, but we do think you'll agree that this list of 32 actors playing famous people rank among the best. 

Ben Kingsley - Gandhi

The 1982 epic Gandhi starring Ben Kingsley as the revered leader of India and icon to peaceful protestors all over the world is an amazing movie. At the heart is Kingsley's amazing, transformative performance. He looks and sounds just like Gandhi, it's almost uncanny. 

Margot Robbie - Tonya Harding

When the news first broke that Australian Margot Robbie was cast to play controversial US Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, it's safe to say that many were skeptical. It took the actor all of about 30 seconds of screen time in the movie to prove those skeptics very wrong. Robbie is fantastic as the troubled skater with a family life that you wouldn't wish on anyone. 

Paul Dano - Brian Wilson

The Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy seems to have been overlooked by many, but if you're a fan of The Beach Boys, you need to see it. John Cusack plays the older Wilson in the 1980s and it is fantastic. Paul Dano, who plays the Pet Sounds-era Wilson, is simply amazing. He completely disappears into the role. 

Reese Witherspoon - June Carter Cash

Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix are both amazing in Walk the Line as June and Johnny Cash. Really both deserve to be on this list, but we've the honor to Witherspoon if only because she won Best Actress at the Oscars in 2006. 

Robert Downey, Jr - Charlie Chaplin

It took a long time for Robert Downey to win an Oscar, which he finally did for Oppenheimer. More than 30 years before that win, he earned his first nomination for 1992's Chaplin for playing the legendary actor and Hollywood trailblazer. It's a movie that doesn't get talked about much these days, but it's still great. Especially Downey's performance. 

Natalie Portman - Jackie Kennedy

Jackie Kennedy has to be a tricky person to play. She is so iconic and so well known to so many people that the scrutiny would be stressful. Luckily for all of us, Natalie Portman hit it out of the park when she played the former First Lady in Jackie. 

Meryl Streep - Margaret Thatcher

It's hardly surprising to see Meryl Streep's name on any list of great performances. She has been arguably the best actor in Hollywood for 50 years. One of her finest performances came in 2011's The Iron Lady where she played the first female prime minister of the United Kingdom, Margaret Thatcher. 

Rami Malek - Freddy Mercury

You knew we couldn't have this list without including Rami Malek's incredible performance as Freddie Mercury in the biopic about the late Queen singer, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's not all about the prosthetic teeth, as Malek nailed so many nuances and mannerisms of the icon rock star. Just as in real life, the performance at Live Aid at the end of the movie brings down the house. 

Val Kilmer - Jim Morrison

If you grew up in the '90s, The Doors was probably a seminal film for you. Val Kilmer blew audiences away as the late Jim Morrison. It was so good you'd swear you were watching the real Morrison as he rose to fame and then burned out quickly before tragically becoming a member of the "27 Club" in 1971.

Denzel Washington - Malcolm X

A powerful personality takes an actor with equal strength to pull off and in Malcolm X, Denzel Washington is more than up for the task. Playing the combative, controversial civil rights leader could not have been easy, yet Washington brings him back to life in every way. It's the reason everyone should see this biopic. 

Faye Dunaway - Joan Crawford

Faye Dunaway gives the performance of a lifetime in Mommie Dearest. It's scary and mesmerizing. Joan Crawford was one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood in the Golden Age in Hollywood, but this movie changed the public's opinion of her forever - and not for the better. 

Jennifer Lopez - Selena

Before played the murdered superstar Selena in the movie of the same name, Jennifer Lopez had had a few roles in movies, but after Selena, she was the legend we all know today. It's a groundbreaking performance. 

David Oyelowo - Dr, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Everyone in America has heard the powerful voice of Martin Luther King, Jr. hundreds of times. His speeches are part of everyone's education. That makes David Oyelowo's turn as the civil rights leader that much harder - and that much more impressive. It's just fantastic. 

Cate Blanchett - Bob Dylan

Okay, we admit, technically Cate Blanchett is playing a character named "Jude Quinn" in I'm Not There, but c'mon, let's be real, she's playing Bob Dylan. It's an uncanny performance as well. There is actual footage of Dylan from that time in his career in the excellent D.A. Pennebaker-directed Dont Look Back. Compare that to Blanchett and you'll realize just how great she was. 

Daniel Day-Lewis - Abraham Lincoln

Of all the amazing performances on this list, Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln just may be the best. It frankly could be the greatest acting performance of all time. There's an argument for it, at least. He's simply incredible and brings the tragic president to life like no one else has before or since, and likely never will. 

Cillian Murphy - J. Robert Oppenheimer

Cillian Murphy won a well-deserved Best Actor Award for playing J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. It's a subtle, smoldering performance, just like the personality of the real Oppenheimer. Playing the scientist in his greatest moments in life and his lowest, it's a fantastic showing by the Irish actor. 

Cynthia Erivo - Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman is one of the most important people in US history, but one that hasn't been explored on film nearly as much as you might expect. Luckily, when someone did decide to finally tell her full story on the big screen in 2019's Harriet, they had the good sense to cast Cynthia Erivo as the former slave-turned-freedom fighter. She's amazing. 

Forest Whitaker - Idi Amin

Forest Whitaker is pretty great in everything he's in. He cranks his talent up to another level in The Last King Of Scotland as the brutal dictator of Uganda, Idi Amin. He's so good there are even moments where viewers might feel compassion for the man, despite his worst tendencies as the leader of the country. 

Jessica Chastain - Tammy Faye Bakker

If you were around in the 1980s, you remember all the insanity around Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker. Jim Bakker crying on TV with Tammy Faye right next to him is something no one will forget. Jessica Chastain's turn as the evangelical preacher's wife is just as memorable. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman - Truman Capote

it's hard to imagine anyone will ever play Truman Capote as well as the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote. The role completely takes control of the actor in the best way. It might as well been the writer himself. You completely forget there is even an actor behind the role. 

Daniel Kaluuya - Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was a controversial and complicated leader in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s. Casting a Brit like Daniel Kaluuya in the role was a daring choice by the filmmakers of Judas and the Black Messiah, but it paid off brilliantly as Kaluuya nails the role. 

Gary Oldman - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill has been played on the big and small screen by plenty of great actors. John Lithgow (The Crown), Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm), and Albert Finney (The Gathering Storm) have all garnered praise for playing the legendary prime minister. Gary Oldman, who won an Oscar for playing Churchill in 2017's The Darkest Hour may just be the best. His reading of those famous speeches is just mesmerizing. 

Angela Bassett - Tina Tuner

Tina Turner was a fierce woman, who deserved a fierce performance and she got one with Angela Bassett in What's Love Got To Do With It. Bassett's performance is transcendent and certainly deserved the Oscar nomination she received. She should've won it! 

Austin Butler - Elvis Presley

Austin Butler got so caught up in his performance as Elvis Presley in Elvis that critics of the actor complained that even months later he was still talking like the King of Rock and Roll. he wasn't, but that does say something about how good he was in the Baz Luhrmann-directed bio flick. 

Jesse Eisenberg - Mark Zuckerberg

When The Social Network was first announced, many were confused as to how someone could make an interesting movie about the founding of Facebook. It turns out, that if you get a great writer like Aaron Sorkin, a great director like David Fincher, and someone like Jesse Eisenberg to play the Mark Zuckerberg, you can make it look easy. The movie is great, and Eisenberg's performance is pitch-perfect. 

Leonardo DiCaprio - Howard Hughes

Howard Hughes is one of the most mercurial and odd celebrities in US history. In The Aviator, Leonardo DiCaprio fully embodies everything about the director and businessman. He takes on his greatest triumphs and sinks to the depths of Hughes' despair in the lowest points of his mental illness with the same gusto. 

Charlize Theron - Aileen Wuornos

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos was a terrifying person. A true monster, as the name of the movie about her is called. That's not to say a viewer can't have some sympathy for the circumstances that brought her to the point of murder, but you can't excuse her. Charlize Theron does an incredible job bringing all of that to the role in Monster. 

Sean Penn - Harvey Milk

Milk is one of the great political movies of the last few decades and the biggest reason why, besides the inspiring story, is Sean Penn's performance as Harvey Milk. Like Penn has done so often in his career, he completely disappears into the character. It is Harvey Milk.  

George C. Scott - George Patton

George S. Patton was a great, and complicated leader in World War II. He was responsible for some of the greatest military gains in the war, and he couldn't keep himself out of trouble with his controversy. George C. Scott's portrayal of the general in Patton is amazing. Even though the opening scene of him making a speech in front of the flag is fictional, it sets the tone perfectly and the movie never lets up. 

Cate Blanchett - Katharine Hepburn

Leonardo DiCaprio is fantastic in The Aviator as Howard Hughes, but he's not the only great performance in the movie. Cate Blanchett as the iconic Katharine Hepburn is, well, iconic. There's just no better word for either. It's not only a spot-on impression, the portrayal nails everything that was great about Hepburn. 

Robert De Niro - Jake LaMotta

Jake LaMotta was one of the toughest prizefighters of all time. His incredible story and Robert De Niro's performance are the two things that make Raging Bull legendary. Scorsese's direction is pretty great too. 

Helen Mirren - Queen Elizabeth II

it's really hard to play a person who has been on television screens all over the world for decades. Helen Mirren takes on that difficult task in Queen Elizabeth II. The late Queen was an icon in every sense of the word and playing her could not have been easy, yet, when you have the talent of Helen Mirren, it looks easy. It surely wasn't. 

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

Sarah Jessica Parker

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

James Dean

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

Maisie Williams

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

Jeremy Strong

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

Samuel L. Jackson

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

Shania Twain

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

Samantha Morton

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

Dolly Parton

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

Adam Driver

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

Al Pacino

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

Dax Shepard

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

Ice Cube

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

Jennifer Hudson

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

Mel Brooks

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

Joan Crawford

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

Jim Carrey

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

Misha Collins

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

Rosario Dawson

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

Jessica Chastain

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

Daniel Kaluuya

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

Hilary Swank

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

Charlie Chaplin

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

Jennifer Lopez

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

Woody Harrelson

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

Viola Davis

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

Daniel Craig

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

Joaquin Phoenix

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

Oprah Winfrey

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

Bella Thorne

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

James Caan

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

Selena Gomez

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

Denzel Washington

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

Despite a limited number of seasons and episodes, Black Mirror has, since the beginning, killed it with its casting. The Charlie Brooker-led show has landed some of the biggest stars in the world for episodes and chooses some of the best character actors from both sides of the pond as well. Here are 32 casting examples that prove Black Mirror crushes it. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Before Daniel Kaluuya hit the really big time with break-out roles in Get Out and Black Panther, he had a role in just the second episode of Black Mirror, called "Fifteen Million Merits." Kaluuya played a low-level bike rider looking to escape his boring life by performing in a reality TV show. It's a powerful performance and helped set the tone for the series. 

Hayley Atwell

Season 2 of  Black Mirror started with a bang, with an episode called "Be Right Back" starring Hayley Atwell and Domhnall Gleeson in a real mind-bending episode about a couple with a classic Black Mirror twist. 

Jon Hamm

In between Season 1 and Season 2, Black Mirror aired a Christmas special featuring its first big American star, Mad Men's Jon Hamm. It's a super disturbing episode in a ton of ways, not the least of which is just how evil Hamm's character turns out to be. 

Bryce Dallas Howard

Season 3 marked a big change for the show when it moved to Netflix. It also started with a band with the episode "Nosedive" starring Bryce Dallas Howard. It felt a first like a different take on the general premise of Black Mirror, being brighter and seemingly more upbeat. But that didn't last long, of course, and Howard's performance made it all work perfectly. 

Kelly MacDonald

Kelly Mac Donald isn't often the star of her projects but she is consistently excellent in everything she is in. She does star in one episode of Black Mirror, the Season 3 episode "Hated In The Nation" which is the show's take on a police procedural, with  MacDonald playing the main investigator. 

Salma Hayek

There are few stars bigger than the great Salma Hayak and her role in the episode "Joan Is Awful" in the Sixth Season is just perfect. She plays a version of herself, playing the character Joan and her no-BS attitude is just pitch-perfect. 

Jesse Plemons

The first episode of Season 4, "USS Callister" often ranks among the best episodes of Black Mirror, and a big reason why is the performances of the actors in the episode. There is no character more important than manipulative Captain Robert Daly played wonderfully by Jesse Plemons. 

Andrew Scott

Andrew Scott elevates basically everything he is in. Whether it's shows like Sherlock and Fleabag or movies like 1917, he also turns in one of the most memorable performances. Black Mirror is no exception. While the episode he appears in, "Smithereens" isn't well regarded among fans, there's no denying that Scott's performance is excellent and even earned him an Emmy nomination. 

Anthony Mackie

Anthony Mackie has never shied away from playing Gay men, with his first breakout role coming as a Gay art student in the film Brother to Brother. His role in Black Mirror wasn't quite as clear cut, as he played a man clearly struggling with his feelings and identity in the Season 5 episode "Striking Vipers." 

Kate Mara

The Season 6 episode, "Beyond the Sea," is one of the more messed up episodes of Black Mirror and that's really saying something. Kate Mara stars in the show as a woman trapped in the middle of a love triangle by two astronauts, one her husband, and one her suitor. It's a polarizing episode, like many, but there's no question it's as disturbing as the show can get. 

Miley Cyrus

In the final episode of Season 5, Miley Cyrus stars as Ashley O, a pop star not unlike her real-life self. Of all the Black Mirror episodes, it's maybe the least disturbing, but that really makes it underrated, if anything. It still makes the viewer question modern culture and tech, it just doesn't end in tragedy. 

Topher Grace

In Smithereens, Topher Grace plays a Jack Dorsey-type tech CEO who leads a social media company. While the episode is often criticized for its simplistic social commentary, by Black Mirror standards, Grace's performance is actually pretty perfect. All the acting performances are great in this uneven performance. 

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright had been building a solid career in the U.K. before 2018 when she exploded on the world stage with her appearance in Black Panther. Prior to becoming a big part of the MCU, however, she starred in the Season 4 finale, "Black Museum." It's a fun episode with an almost greatest hits-type vibe, as it's filled with easter eggs to previous episodes. 

Benedict Wong

Benedict Wong has low-key become one of the most popular side characters in the MCU as... well... Wong. The same year he joined the MCU, in 2016's Doctor Strange, he also starred in the Season 3 episode "Hated in the Nation." He has a smaller role in the show compared to some of the other stars (like Kelly MacDonald) but he's great, as he always is in his many roles. 

Aaron Paul

Aaron Paul will likely forever be known first and foremost as Jesse Pinkman from Breaking Bad. There's nothing wrong with that, but Paul has had an impressive career outside of the legendary AMC show as well. One very notable role came in Season 6 of Black Mirror when he appeared alongside Josh Harnett and Kate Mara in "Beyond the Sea." It wasn't Paul's first appearance on the show, however. He had a quick cameo in "USS Callister" during the show's 4th Season. 

Zazie Beetz

Zazie Beetz hit the big time as a member of the hit show Atlanta starting in 2016. She later gained an even larger fanbase as Domino in Deadpool 2. In 2023, she got to star in an episode of Black Mirror called "Mazey Day" which broke new ground for the show, dipping into the supernatural for the first time. Though it wasn't the most well-received episode of the series, Beetz put together a great performance as a paparazza. 

Josh Harnett

Over the last 25 years, Josh Harnett has quietly put together one of the most underrated careers in Hollywood. He's played all kinds of roles, from heartthrobs to nuclear physicists. Of course, he also appeared as part of the star-studded cast of "Under The Sea" in Season 6. 

Michael Cera

Michael Cera has never been afraid to play ridiculous versions of himself. Most notably, in This Is The End, but also in the Season 6 episode "Joan is Awful." Everyone in the episode is playing some sort of version of themselves and Cera, as the character Beppe is, of course, over the top in his performance and we're here for it. 

Tobias Menzies

As character actors go, they don't get much better than Tobias Menzies. The English actor seems to pop up constantly in "prestige" shows. He was Brutus in HBO's Rome, he was Edmund Tully in Game of Thrones and he won an Emmy for playing Prince Philip in two seasons of The Crown. In the second season of Black Mirror, he played a British politician running for office against an animated bear named Waldo in "The Waldo Moment."

Domhnall Gleeson

Sure, Domhnall Gleeson is part of two of the biggest franchises in film history as a member of the Weasley family in the Harry Potter movies and General Hux in the Star Wars movies, but he's also been one of the best actors around for a couple of decades now. He appeared in the first episode of Season 2, "Be Right Back."

Wyatt Russell

Even though he has two very famous actors as parents, Wyatt Russell originally strived to play professional hockey. When injuries cut his career short, he fell back on acting. Lucky, huh? Still, he's putting together a really nice career, one that includes an appearance in the 2016 episode "Playtest."

Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker made history when she became the first woman to play The Doctor in three seasons of the modern era of Dr. Who. That wasn't Whittaker's first dabble in  science fiction TV, however, as she appeared in the third-ever episode of Black Mirror called "The Entire History of You." She is excellent in the episode, which ranks tops all-time on quite a few rankings. 

Jerome Flynn

One of the most disturbing episodes of Black Mirror came in its third season. "Shut Up and Dance" is a complicated episode, as viewers are repulsed by the characters, including, most notably, the one played by Game Of Thrones vet Jerome Flynn. Viewers are also taken aback by what those terrible characters have to do. It's a polarizing episode, but that's part of what makes it so great. 

Rory Kinnear

There are two roles that Rory Kinnear is likely most recognized for. One is Bill Tanner in four of the Daniel Craig-era James Bond movies. He's one of the most important characters from the Craig-led Bond films. The second is from the now-legendary premiere episode of Black Mirror called "The National Anthem." His performance as the beleaguered Prime Minister forced to do unspeakable things in the episode is, frankly, legendary.  

Rupert Everett

Rupert Everett has been killing on screen for more than 40 years now and though his role in the second episode of Season 1 is small, he's brilliant. He plays a Simon Cowell-type on a dystopian version of Britain's Got Talent and he, like Cowell, steals the show as a judge. 

Cherry Jones

Season 3's first episode, "Nosedive" is a fantastic episode, and a big reason why is the acting performances, including from Cherry Jones, who appears in only one scene of the show, but it's the pivotal moment in the show. Jones is one of the more underrated character actresses in Hollywood, but she's probably best known for playing President Allison Taylor on 24 and Holly Maddox in two seasons of The Handmaid's Tale. 

Oona Chaplin

Oona Chaplin comes from a family of true film royalty. Her grandfather was the legendary Charlie Chaplin. She's carved out an impressive career as well. She's best known as Talisa Stark, the ill-fated wife of Robb Stark in Game of Thrones, where she was the first death at the infamous Red Wedding. She stars alongside Jon Hamm in the Christmas special of Black Mirror in a smaller role, literally and figuratively, but her performance is sure to freak out everyone who watches. 

Jimmi Simpson

It's hard to believe that Always Sunny In Philadelphia first hit the airwaves in 2005, but it did. Jimmi Simpson has been along for most of the ride, as the oddball frenemy to "The Gang" and member of the McPoyle family, Liam McPoyle. He also appeared one of the most star-studded casts of Black Mirror in the "USS Callister."

Annie Murphy

Annie Murphy is most famous for playing Alexis Rose in Schitt's Creek and in 2023 she appeared as a strange version of herself playing "Joan" in "Joan in Awful" alongside Salma Hayek in the sixth season.  

Kirsten Dunst

"USS Callister" has one of the more star-studded casts and one of the stars you may not have even seen, Kirsten Dunst. Dunst's cameo in Black Mirror is truly a blink--and-you-miss-moment in the episode. She appears as a fellow office worker in the show and it's so brief most people missed it. 

Cristin Milioti

The multi-talented Cristin Milioti started her career on the stage on Broadway where she became a Tony-nominated actress, but made her on-screen breakthrough as "The Mother" in How I Met Your Mother. Since then, she's shined in shows like Fargo, The Resort, and The Mindy Project, as well as starring in "USS Callister" in Black Mirror. 

Will Poulter

Will Poulter seems to like showing in prestige TV shows. In addition to starring in the groundbreaking interactive "choose your own adventure" Black Mirror movie called Bandersnatch, he's also shown up in a cameo on The Bear. That's in addition, of course, to his film roles in The Revenant, Midsommar, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3., among many others. 

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

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

Ryan Gosling

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

Daisy Ridley

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

Tom Cruise

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

Jennifer Lawrence

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

John Krasinski

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

Zendaya

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

Jacob Elordi

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

Timothée Chalamet

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

Meryl Streep

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

Patina Miller

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

Adam Driver

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

Mark Wahlberg

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

Cailee Spaeny

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

Alan Ritchson

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

Sterling K. Brown

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

Peter Dinklage

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

Taraji P. Henson

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

Charlize Theron

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

Jason Statham

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

Jodie Comer

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

Don Cheadle

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

Jenna Ortega

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

Zoe Saldaña

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

Josh Gad

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

Gwendoline Christie

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

Naomie Harris

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

Daniel Kaluuya

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

Natalie Dormer

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

Donald Glover

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

Diego Luna

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

Jack Quaid

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

Hayden Panettiere

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

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

Doctor Who is a British institution, and while it’s made household names of the actors who take on the mantle of The Doctor, it’s also cast many stars in guest roles. So, with that in mind, we took a journey through the iconic modern era run of the beloved BBC show, and found 32 famous actors who played a minor role in this time lord’s journey. 

Jonathan Bailey

While we know and love Jonathan Bailey as Anthony Bridgerton on one of Netflix’s best series, Bridgerton, and as Fiyero in the Wicked cast, you might not be aware that he was in Season 8 of Doctor Who in the episode “Time Heist.” He starred alongside Peter Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor, playing the hacker Psi. 

Brett Goldstein

Brett Goldstein appeared in the Season 11 episode “The Tsuranga Conundrum '' alongside Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. During the episode that saw The Doctor and co. stuck on a spaceship while an enemy tries to destroy it, and the Emmy-winning actor played the head nurse Astos. Then, two years later, Goldstein became a household name when he joined the Ted Lasso cast as the beloved grouchy player-turned-coach Roy Kent. 

Carey Mulligan

Before Carey Mulligan starred in movies like Drive, Promising Young Woman and Maestro, she played the young Sally Sparrow in the Season 3 episode “Blink.” Not only is this episode one with some of Doctor Who’s best quotes, but it’s also one of the most iconic stories in the show’s history as David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor took on the Weeping Angels. 

Olivia Colman 

In one of Doctor Who’s best episodes, and Matt Smith’s first as the Eleventh iteration of the time lord, Olivia Colman played “Mother,” a woman who is taken over by Patient Zero in “The Eleventh Hour.” After that, the actress, of course, went on to win an Oscar for The Favourite, and she starred in various other successful projects including the film The Lost Daughter, and the series Broadchurch and The Crown. 

James Corden

Long before James Corden was hosting The Late Late Show, he guest starred in two of Matt Smith’s episodes as his pal and flatmate Craig, most notably in the Season 5 episode “The Lodger.” 

Andrew Garfield

He may be best known as The Amazing Spider-Man and for films like The Social Network and Tick, Tick…Boom! but before all that, Andrew Garfield starred alongside David Tennant in two Doctor Who episodes, “Daleks in Manhattan” and “Evolution of the Daleks.” He played Frank, a boy who gets the Doctor to help get rid of the Daleks. 

Bill Nighy 

In one of the most moving episodes of Doctor Who, “Vincent and The Doctor,” Bill Nighy plays Dr. Black, who works at the museum where Vincent Van Gogh’s self-portrait is held. Before starring in the emotional Matt Smith-led episode all about the aforementioned painter, Nighy was best known for movies like Love, Actually and Pirates of the Caribbean. Since then, he’s been in films including About Time, Emma. and Living, which he got an Oscar nomination for. 

Daniel Kaluuya

You know Daniel Kaluuya? That’s right, the star of Jordan Peele’s movies Get Out and Nope and the man who won an Oscar for Judas and The Black Messiah. Well, before all of that, he played Barclay in Season 4 of Doctor Who in the episode “Planet of the Dead,” where he helped the Tenth Doctor fix an engine after a double-decker bus they were on got stuck in a very sandy place.  

Felicity Jones

Before she entered a galaxy far, far away in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story or received her Oscar nomination for The Theory of Everything, Felicity Jones guest starred on Doctor Who. In 2008, she played Robina Redmond opposite the Tenth Doctor in the episode “The Unicorn and the Wasp,” which was a fun take on Agatha Christie and her mysteries. 

Ian McKellen

While you don’t see Sir Ian McKellen in Doctor Who, his voice is undeniable, as he was the man behind The Great Intelligence in Matt Smith’s 2012 Christmas special  “The Snowmen.” This special appearance was just another feather in this iconic British actor’s cap in the world of genre as he’s best known for playing Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings films as well as Magneto in the X-Men movies. 

Maisie Williams

Obviously, we know Maisie Williams as Arya Stark, an integral character in the Game of Thrones cast. However, she also starred in another series that’s considered a British institution when she appeared in four of Peter Capaldi’s Season 9 Doctor Who episodes – “The Girl Who Died,” “The Woman Who Lived,” “Face the Raven'' and “Hell Bent” – as Ashildr (AKA Me) the immortal Viking. 

Michael Gambon 

In Doctor Who’s 2010 Christmas special, “A Christmas Carol,” the Eleventh Doctor finds himself with a very Scrooge-like character named Kazran Sardick, played by the late Michael Gambon. The actor also played the antagonist’s father Elliot Sardick. Of course, before this, he also starred in another tentpole fantasy franchise by playing Albus Dumbledore in six of the eight Harry Potter movies. 

John Hurt 

In the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, John Hurt joined Matt Smith and David Tennant as a regeneration of the time lord named the War Doctor, who lived between the eighth and ninth versions of The Doctor. He was, of course, played by the late great John Hurt, who was known for iconic films like Alien and The Elephant Man. He was a legendary British actor, and he played a pivotal role in the long-running BBC series.

Gemma Chan

From the beloved and star-studded rom-com Crazy Rich Asians to Marvel’s The Eternals, Gemma Chan’s star has grown immensely over the last few years. However, before that, she played geologist Mia Bennett in the 2009 episode “The Waters of Mars” alongside David Tennant’s Doctor. 

Michael Sheen

David Tennant plays the demon to Michael Sheen’s angel in Good Omens, but before they shared the screen together, the Aziraphale actor voiced a House on the show that made his co-star a household name. During Matt Smith’s run as The Doctor during the episode “The Doctor’s Wife,” the actor known for Frost/Nixon and Masters of Sex voiced the evil entity that lived just outside the universe. 

Richard E. Grant

With over 140 credits to his name, including Gosford Park and Hudson Hawk, Richard E. Grant is a legendary British actor. In Doctor Who he played an equally iconic role as the antagonist Dr. Simeon in the Eleventh Doctor-led Christmas special “The Snowmen.” After that, the actor who played a variant of Loki in Marvel’s most timey-wimey show, returned to Dr. Simeon for the Season 7 episode “The Name of the Doctor.” 

Jonathan Groff

As one of the first big actors to guest star in Ncuti Gatwa’s run as the Fifteenth Doctor, Jonathan Groff joined the cast for a Regency-era episode. Before making a brief appearance on Doctor Who, Groff made a name for himself on Broadway in shows including Merrily We Roll Along and Hamilton. He also voiced Kristoff in both Frozen films, and starred in David Fincher’s series Mindhunter. Talk about range. 

Stephen Fry

During the Thirteenth Doctor’s run, Stephen Fry played a role in the Season 12 episode “Spyfall" as C, the head of MI6. An iconic character actor, Fry has over 190 credits to his name, and he is best known for films like Wilde and V for Vendetta. 

Simon Pegg

Long before he was choosing to accept missions with Tom Cruise in the Mission: Impossible movies and leading Edgar Wright’s Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy – which is Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End – Simon Pegg guest starred on Doctor Who. He played The Editor in Season 1 of the modern era, and went up against Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth generation of the time lord. 

Kylie Minogue

Yes, you read that right, Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue, singer of “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” and “Chiggy Wiggy,” did star in a 2007 episode of Doctor Who titled “Voyage of the Damned.” During Season 4, she was featured alongside Tennant’s Doctor as Astrid, an alien waitress. 

Helen McCrory

Helen McCrory played Rosanna in the 2010 Doctor Who episode “The Vampires of Venice.” The Peaky Blinders star joined Matt Smith’s Doctor as the leader of the Saturnyns. Along with the two iconic BBC shows, the actress also played Narcissa Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies and starred in The Count of Monte Cristo. 

Toby Jones

In the episode “Amy’s Choice,” Toby Jones played the Dream Lord. This spooky villain that comes from the darker side of The Eleventh Doctor is another fun character in Jones’ cap, as he also voiced Dobby in the Harry Potter films and played Dr. Zola in the Captain America movies as well as Claudius Templesmith in The Hunger Games. 

Neil Patrick Harris

Joining the episode of the three-part 60th Anniversary special, Neil Patrick Harris played the Toymaker and witnessed the historic bi-generation. The How I Met Your Mother alum faced off against David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor as well as Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. 

Timothy Dalton

Yep, you read that right, James Bond was in Doctor Who too. Timothy Dalton – who played 007 in License to Kill and The Living Daylights – guest starred in the Tenth Doctor’s 2009 episodes “End of Time” parts one and two where he played The Narrator and Lord President Rassilon, the founder and first leader of The Doctor’s home planet, Gallifrey. 

Brian Cox

In “End of Time,” Brian Cox wasn’t seen on screen with David Tennant, however, you can hear him, because he voiced Elder Ood, who is of an alien race the Doctor works to protect. While you don’t see Cox physically in the episode, you can see him as the patriarch of the Succession cast, Logan Roy, and you can check out movies of his, including Troy and Manhunter. 

Letitia Wright

Letitia Wright’s future is as the Black Panther, but prior to playing Shuri in the MCU and starring in other fun projects, she appeared in the Season 9 episode “Face the Raven” with Peter Capaldi’s Doctor. In Doctor Who, she played Anahson, an orphan looking for her mother. 

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

While Gugu Mbatha-Raw is best known for travelling through time and space as Ravonna Renslayer in Loki, she also played Tish Jones in four episodes of Doctor Who’s fourth season alongside David Tennant. The actress who played Martha’s sister in these episodes then went on to star in many films, including Belle, and series like The Morning Show. 

Thomas Brodie-Sangster

You likely know Thomas Brodie-Sangster as the kid from Love, Actually or from his work in The Maze Runner movies and The Queen’s Gambit. However, he also starred in a pair of Doctor Who episodes in Season 3 alongside David Tennant as Tim Latimer, a schoolboy from 1913.  

Alan Cumming

The host of The Traitors and star of The Good Wife, Alan Cumming starred as King James I in the Season 11 episode “The Witchfinders.” In the episode featuring the Thirteenth Doctor, this star of stage and screen played the king of a nation that was in the midst of a witch trial when the time lord showed up. 

Iain Glen

Iain Glen played Octavian in the 2010 Doctor Who episodes titled “The Time of Angels” and “Flesh and Stone.” While the actor made a name for himself on Game of Thrones as Jorah, Daenerys’ protector, he was trying to protect his team and The Doctor from the Weeping Angels in this set of Matt Smith-led episodes. 

Anthony Head

Anthony Head played Rupert Giles in 123 episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Uther Pendragon in 43 episodes of Merlin. He also portrayed the evil headmaster Lassar in one episode of Doctor Who – “School Reunion” – back in its second season alongside David Tennant. 

Jacob Anderson 

You likely remember Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm from Game of Thrones or Louis de Pointe du Lac in the series Interview with a Vampire. In the midst of all that, he joined Season 13 of Doctor Who for a recurring role as Vinder, a pilot and guardian who watches from Observation Outpost Rose and worked with the Thirteenth Doctor across seven episodes. 

As you can see, the list of actors who have made minor appearances on Doctor Who is long and wickedly impressive. From legendary actors like Ian McKellen and Olivia Colman and modern TV staples like Jonathan Bailey and Brett Goldstein, it’s hard to believe that all these folks aided (or tried to stop) The Doctor on their wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey journey through time and space, but they all did!

When Barbie was first in talks, audiences were only provided with cryptic teasers about it, like its lead actress Margot Robbie calling it “something totally different.” The next Mattel film that’s making us scratch our heads is Barney. It's mainly that we don’t even know what it’s going to be about. After the Daniel Kaluuya-produced movie was just recently teased again, I’m more confused than ever about what we’re supposed to expect.

All we really know about the live-action Barney movie so far is that it’s an upcoming Daniel Kaluuya-produced movie with early talks promoting it as “surrealistic.” But now, a new teaser for the purple dinosaur film has me questioning what we can expect. Mattel Inc. CEO Ynon Kreiz recently spoke to Semafor Business’s interview series On the Record about what the project and said,

Wait, what? But, that would completely contrast with Mattel Film’s Vice President Kevin McKeon’s interview with The New Yorker! During that particular interview, McKeon compared Barney to an “A24-type film” akin to what you might see in a Charlie Kaufman or Spike Jonze movie. He also said it would be more adult-oriented without it being R-rated and about the challenges of being in your 30s growing up with Barney. However, one of the words that Kreiz used to describe Barney was “fun.” Is everyone behind the movie purposefully misleading us here?

If we think back on Daniel Kaluuya’s awesome reasoning for why he decided to produce Barney, it seems like there will be an underlying serious message from his soon-to-be-released movie. His answer would go with Kevin McKeon’s teaser of what to expect. The Get Out star explained that it is about how a children’s song could be the first song you ever heard of from youth only to forget about it when you get older. 

It kind of reminds me of a Toy Story movie about how good things from your childhood tend to come to an end, but we still have the memories. Kaluuya told The Guardian that the film asks if “I love you, you love me” stands the test of time, and I have a feeling I’ll be reliving my nostalgia days back when I was a huge Barney fan.

Barney’s memorable appearances outside of the adorable children’s show Barney & Friends have either been very light or incredibly dark. There was the 1998 live-action movie Barney’s Great Adventure about the purple dinosaur and three kids who go on a hunt to capture a magic egg before it hatches. Then, there was the Barney docuseries I Love You, You Hate Me  about the rise and fall of the children’s dinosaur (watchable with a Peacock subscription). 

With Barney back on the rise, it looks like this new Mattel Films movie is coming at a good time. And that’s not all. A CGI reboot called Barney’s World is on its way and will appear on Max in 2024.

I may be confused about what to anticipate from Mattel Film's Barney, but my curiosity has been piqued further. It appears that the Daniel Kaluuya-produced Barney will be a mixed-toned film with moments that’ll make us smile but also make us sentimental. Make sure to check into our 2024 movie releases so you’ll know when the anthropomorphic T-Rex will come to theaters.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse introduced a plethora of new characters to the cinematic franchise launched in 2018. Plenty of them had their time to shine and played key roles in the second chapter of Miles Morales’ story. One particular player who made a serious impression, however, is Spider-Punk, voiced by Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya. The ultra-cool, anti-establishment superhero proved to be one of the most complex figures within the multiversal tale. Believe it or not though, he could’ve been left out of the film, and the producers explained the reasoning for that. 

Let’s be honest. There’s a lot going on in this particular 2023 new movie release. It features a packed story and, as mentioned, there are a lot of characters in the mix. So in theory, it would make sense that some would need to be cut for the sake of time and/or to free up narrative real estate. However, you may still wonder how in the world could a hero as awesome as Spider-Punk (a.k.a. Hobie Brown) nearly be omitted from the final cut? Writer-producer Phil Lord explained to EW that it all had to do with how Brown meshed with the creative team’s storytelling plans. He also revealed what ultimately helped keep the hero in the sprawling and colorful tale:

Though it may be hard for some to imagine a version of Across the Spider-Verse that doesn’t feature Spider-Punk (who was tied to a wild Easter egg), Phil Lord’s logic makes sense. Every element of a film must work in harmony if it’s to ultimately convey its story as intended. As mentioned, the Spidey sequel has plenty of moving parts, so even a slight shift could’ve meant a character deletion or narrative change. Thankfully though, the stars aligned for the British web-slinger to remain in the picture.

Hobie Brown is one of the more enigmatic members of the Spider-Society and is established as a friend (and possible love interest) of Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman. While that latter detail initially makes Miles uncomfortable around him, the two eventually form a mutual respect for one another. It’s that relationship that encourages Brown to help Morales escape the society when he seeks to return home to prevent the death of his father, Jefferson, which is said to be a “canon event.” Shortly after, the UK-based superhero quits the society and is last seen alongside Gwen and other costumed do-gooders as they seek to locate Miles.

The writers and animators deserve a lot of credit for crafting this version of Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel’s Spider-Punk. However, Daniel Kaluuya deserves props for helping to further flesh out the role and establish the vigilante’s backstory and more. In fact, the filmmakers ultimately felt compelled to make Camden Town Hobie’s place of origin not only because it’s viewed as the birthplace of punk but also because it’s Kaluuya’s hometown. Writer-producer Chris Miller further emphasized how it was the actor’s approach that convinced them to keep SP in the movie: 

As mentioned, the ending of Across the Spider-Verse essentially confirms he’ll be back in the game for the upcoming trilogy capper. However, it’s currently unclear as to when we’ll get to see more of Daniel Kaluuya’s portrayal. Some wondered if Beyond the Spider-Verse might be delayed from its early 2024 release date and, weeks ago, Sony officially removed it from its schedule amid the SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers strikes. While I’m champing at the bit to see what lies ahead for Hobie, Miles and co., I’m just glad the anti-authoritarian wall-crawler exists in this cinematic form.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now available to own on Digital HD and will be released on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD on September 5.

Major spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

Expectations were sky high for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse ahead of its debut, and many seem to agree that it did not disappoint. Though some may be disappointed with the cliffhanger ending, both fans and critics have praised the latest Spidey flick. Much of the acclaim has been aimed at its emotional story, gorgeous animation and strong performances. But of course, there are also countless Easter eggs that have delighted hardcore fans. One particularly wild one was connected to the scene-stealing Spider-Punk, who was brilliantly voiced by Daniel Kaluuya. Now, the Oscar winner is addressing his character’s connection to that sweet reference. 

To provide some context, after Miles Morales arrives at the Spider-Society’s headquarters in Across the Spider-Verse, he’s alerted to the fact that a number of variants have been popping up in the wrong universes. He eventually learns, while touring the base, that a number of these individuals are being held in house. And in a shocking turn of events, he crosses paths with a live-action version of his uncle, Aaron Davis/The Prowler, who’s played by Donald Glover. Fans may remember that Glover famously played a version of Davis in the Marvel Cinematic Universe-set Spider-Man: Homecoming. (Eagle-eyed fans might also recall that Glover himself was referenced in Into the Spider-Verse.)

It’s further explained that Hobie Brown a.k.a. Spider-Punk was the one to capture that variation of Davis, (and I’d really love to see how that played out). Daniel Kaluuya opened up about the cool development during a wide-ranging interview with The Hollywood Reporter. And funny enough, before watching the movie, he had no idea that his spider-themed rockstar had accomplished the major feat: 

At this point, it’s possible that fans may want to see more of Donald Glover’s Aaron Davis. It’s hard to say whether or not that’ll actually happen for a few reasons, with the first being that the multihyphenate is a busy man. Of course, his path moving forward may also depend on what Marvel Studios might have planned for Miles Morales moving forward. While this Davis doesn’t seem to be the same one that appeared in Homecoming, the latter could eventually evolve into a version of the Prowler that appears in a future MCU movie. Of course, this is all just speculation, for now. 

In the meantime, Donald Glover is working on another Spidey spinoff – a movie based on the comics villain known as the Hypno-Hustler. The highly sought-after actor will reportedly play the titular role and produce the film. Fans can also look forward to next year’s trilogy capper Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (which we know a few things about). So even if a project featuring Glover’s Prowler doesn’t come to pass, franchise devotees should know that they’ll see and hear more from the actor himself and Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk at some points down the road.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now playing in theaters and is one of the prime titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.

Daniel Kaluuya has established himself as a formidable actor through his roles in  Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking horror films and his Oscar-winning turn as American activist Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. Of course, he wasn't always a massive star as, before he became famous, he was a regular person (with buddies) like any of us. Kaluuya pulled back the curtain on his early years a bit by explaining that when he was growing up, his friends would actually call him Donkey Kong. And there's a hilarious story behind that nickname.

There are plenty of people who likely know what it's like to have a childhood nickname, even one that sticks with you well beyond your formative years. Daniel Kaluuya can relate to that, as he hilariously explained during an interview with IGN why of all nicknames, his friends humorously branded him with “Donkey Kong” when growing up in London, and it has to do with a sports jersey:

It's natural that he'd want his name on the back of the jersey. I can understand that, as such a thing personalizes the attire and makes it unique to said person wearing it. And ultimately, he got his wish, and the clothing was designed accordingly. While the star was happy with the way it came out, it ultimately had an unexpected side effect when it came to his friend group. The actor continued:

Can you really be friends if you can't occasionally tease one another with a nickname or two. This is a sweet anecdote from Daniel Kaluuya and one that indicates that he and his old chums still share a warm bond. To be honest though, I'm also imagining  how many jokes the London-born actor received when the Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer gave us a first look at Donkey Kong , who was voiced by Seth Rogen. And if the Widows star himself had been the actor to have taken on the role, I’m sure his friends would have thrown a number of puns and zingers his way.

Of course, that didn't come to pass and, at present, he's promoting his new voiceover role as web-slinging hero Spider-Punk in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. In the highly anticipated sequel, the character hails from the London of an alternate universe and crosses paths with Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy and a host of other Spider-People. I'm sure the actor's chums are proud of everything he's doing and will do (including that upcoming Barney adaptation), and I wouldn't be surprised if they have or will head to the theater to see his latest. Given how good he is in the movie, I also wouldn't be surprised if they send some sweet messages to "Donkey Kong" after they see it.

You can hear Daniel Kaluuya's work for yourself by seeing Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which is on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases, in theaters now. Those who also want in on some Donkey Kong action after reading this can see The Super Mario Bros. Movie now as well. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe recently expanded with the release of Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The acclaimed blockbuster was one of the host hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies ahead of its release, and has been making a ton of money at the box office over the last few weeks. The sequel is a meditation on grief, with a touching real-world connection due to the passing of Chadwick Boseman. And Marvel’s Letitia Wright has opened up about the emotional exchange she had with a Black Panther co-star after learning of Boseman’s death.

Chadwick Boseman passed away in the summer of 2020, after a private battle with colon cancer. This shocked the fans and his colleagues alike, the latter of which have been open about the grieving process that accompanied the process of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Letitia Wright plays Shuri in the franchise, and recently opened up to The Guardian about exactly how she initially learned of Boseman’s death. In her words,

This feeling of confusion can no doubt be echoed by countless colleagues and fans of Chadwick Boseman, who were unaware of his health issues. While Letitia Wright had a close relationship to her on-screen brother, she was blindsided when folks started sending their condolences related to his death. It’s a sobering account of that very real feeling when tragedy strikes, and one can’t wrap their head around it.

Later in that same interview Letitia Wright revealed one Black Panther actor who was there for her in her pain and confusion. Namely Daniel Kaluuya, who was unfortunately absent throughout the movie’s sequel. As she shared: 

What an emotional story. Letitia Wright’s honest recollection of the time following Chadwick Boseman’s death shows just how close the cast and crew of Black Panther truly got while bringing Wakanda to life. And these emotions seemingly translated into the powerhouse performances given by Wright and Angela Bassett in the acclaimed sequel. 

Ahead of Black Panther 2’s release, Ryan Coogler and the cast had been open about how emotional it was to bring the Marvel sequel to life. Chadwick Boseman’s absence was described as a gaping hole, and it was touching to see how he was honored throughout Wakanda Forever’s runtime, including the movie’s ending, as well as the emotional mid-credits scene. Letitia Wright further explained how close the cast/crew of her Marvel franchise are, saying:

Grief is a tricky beast, and it’s super brave and generous for Letitia Wright to offer such an intimate peek into the way she’s been mourning Chadwick Boseman. And it sounds like in addition to finding a way to move on professionally and personally, the loss has changed the way she looks at her relationships to other co-stars like Okoye actress Dani Gurira. 

The contents of Black Panther 2 inspired plenty of new questions, including who is ruling Wakanda. And while it remains to be seen how plot likes like Namor and Prince T’Challa play out, that corner of the MCU has gotten even more intriguing. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters now, and making a ton of money at the box office. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience– just don’t expect any more Marvel movies until Phase Five. 

Miles Morales is coming back to the big screen next year in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and just like in his theatrical debut in 2018, he’ll be teaming up with various Spider-themed heroes from other universes. Some of those faces will be familiar, including Jake Johnson’s Peter B. Parker and Hailee Steinfeld’s Gwen Stacy, but as with any sequel, it’s also bringing new players into the mix. On that note, it’s been revealed that Black Panther’s Daniel Kaluuya will voice one of Across the Spider-Verse’s web-slinging heroes.

The actor who played W’Kabi in Black Panther (but wasn’t able to return for Wakanda Forever) is joining the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse proceedings as Hobie Brown. However, rather than this version of Brown following in his mainstream counterpart’s footsteps and going by The Prowler, like Mahershala Ali’s Aaron Davis did in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, we’re getting the Spider-Punk variation of the character. Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk is described by THR as “a homeless teenager who becomes a hero to the oppressed citizens of New York in his dimensional universe.”

While the original version of Hobie Brown was introduced in 1969’s The Amazing Spider-Man #78, the Spider-Punk version hit the scene in 2015’s The Amazing Spider-Man #10, created by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel. Hailing from Earth-138, Spider-Punk gained his powers from a spider irradiated from the toxic waste dumped on the orders of President Norman Osborn. After creating his masked persona, Hobie led an uprising against Norman and his V.E.N.O.M. soldiers, which culminated in him killing the president by bashing him in with his guitar. Spider-Punk was a prominent player in the Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon crossover events, and he recently led his own limited series.

It sounds like Daniel Kaluuya’s Spider-Punk has the same kind of background in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, although it’s unclear if Norman Osborn is also the source of trouble to the people in his New York or someone else. Either way, the events of the sequel will lead to Hobie Brown meeting other Spider-heroes, all of whom are coming together to face off against Jason Schwartzman’s Spot, who’s able to naturally conjure portals to other realities. Across the Spider-Verse will be Kaluuya’s third comic book movie, as along with Black Panther, he appeared in Kick-Ass 2 as Black Death.

Spider-Punk is the second new Spider-hero who’s been cast in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, with Issa Rae having previously come aboard to play Jessica Drew. We’ll also meet Takuya Yamashiro, a.k.a. the Spider-Man from the 1978 Japanese Spider-Man TV series, but it hasn’t been revealed yet who’s voicing him. Other newcomers for the sequel include Shea Whigham as Captain George Stacy and Jorma Taccone as a Renaissance-variation of The Vulture. Across the Spider-Verse will also see Oscar Isaac’s Miguel O’Hara, a.k.a. Spider-Man 2099, coming to the forefront after cameoing in the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse end-credits scene.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is now set for June 2 among the 2023 movie releases, and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will follow on March 29, 2024. If you’re itching to watch Daniel Kaluuya in something, his latest movie, Nope, can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.

Back in July, Daniel Kaluuya confirmed that he was not part of the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the actor expressed his disappointment with the development – but what was not revealed at the time was the status of his character, W'Kabi, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Truth be told, the answer to this question is not featured in the movie itself either, as there is only a brief mention of him in one scene… but for those curious about what’s going on, writer/director Ryan Coogler has an explanation.

I interviewed the filmmaker during the Los Angeles press day for his new Marvel movie earlier this month, and it was while discussing his vision of events in Wakanda since the end of the first Black Panther movie that I specifically asked about W'Kabi. It was a question that Coogler appreciated and had an answer for, saying,

In case you don’t recall, W'Kabi was not exactly seen as a hero at the end of Black Panther. Furious that both King T’Chaka (John Kani) and King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) failed to provide justice after Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) murdered his father, W'Kabi aligned himself with Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) when the soldier crossed Wakanda’s border with Klaue’s dead body. He fought as part of Killmonger’s army when T’Challa was resurrected and renewed his claim for the throne, and he ended up being on the losing side of the fight.

The end of Black Panther doesn’t address W'Kabi’s punishment for betraying the throne (or, for that matter, the status of his relationship with Danai Gurira’s Okoye), and in addition to not being featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the character isn’t featured in Avengers: Infinity War or Avengers: Endgame either. Because Daniel Kaluuya is such a phenomenal talent, fans can keep hope alive that he will show up in a future MCU movie or show  – particularly because we know he’s not dead. If/when he does return, now we have a base level idea of where he has been.

While audiences wait for the return of W'Kabi, everyone will soon be able to enjoy the brilliance of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever – which arrives in theaters this Friday, November 11 with a stellar cast including Letita Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Winston Duke, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, and Angela Bassett. Our Marvel Movies In Order and Marvel Movies, Ranked features will help you prepare for the latest dive into the MCU, and you can take a look at what’s ahead from the franchise via our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.

Phase Four of The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been pretty wild so far, thanks to ambitious projects on the small and silver screens. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is definitely Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And actor Daniel Kaluuya recently reacted to the sequels’ trailer, and his absence from the upcoming Marvel movie.

Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya played a supporting role in the first Black Panther movie as W’Kabi, who is T’Challa’s best friend, Okoye’s partner and the head of security of the Border tribe. Unfortunately he’ll be missing from Wakanda Forever, as his schedule for filming Jordan Peele’s Nope conflicted with the massive Marvel blockbuster. The first sequel has gotten a ton of views, and Kaluuya was recently asked by Variety if he’d seen the limited footage. He responded enthusiastically with:

Same, though. At the time of writing this story the first trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has a whopping 36 million views. While it was careful not to reveal too much about the movie’s contents, the anticipation for the next Marvel blockbuster is at a fever pitch. And Daniel Kaluuya is just as excited as the rest of us to see it play out on the big screen. Luckily we’re fast approaching that movie’s release this fall.

The emotional stakes of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is clear from the movie’s first footage. We see various characters weeping, seemingly over the death of T’Challa. With the cast mourning Chadwick Boseman’s death in the real world, smart money says these performances are going to be powerful. We’ll just have to wait and see if W’Kabi is referenced throughout the course of its mysterious runtime. 

Later in that same interview with Variety, Daniel Kaluuys was asked how he felt about having to sit out Black Panther: Wakanda Forever thanks to the shooting schedule on Nope. That acclaimed horror movie was a hit at the box office, but came at the expense of his return to the MCU. But Kaluuya doesn’t seem to have any sore feelings, saying:

We’ll just have to wait and see if Daniel Kaluuya ever returns to the MCU. He and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia were noticeably missing from the wild crossover events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. And with no role in Wakanda Forever, fans are going to have to keep being patient. As a reminder, you can see the first trailer for the upcoming sequel below,

Set to Tems’ moody cover of “No Woman No Cry,” the trailer for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever teased both new and returning characters. The titular fictional country will seemingly face an invasion from the sea, led by Tenoch Huerta’s Namor. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Daniel Kaluuya, the star of Nope (the new film from celebrated horror writer/director Jordan Peele) is still doing press for the big-screen production. And in the midst of that, he has finally responded to Logan Paul’s very strongly opinionated social media thread, in which he explained what he thought of the film. So what did Kaluuya, an Oscar winner and one of the biggest stars in the world right now, have to say when discussing the polarizing YouTuber?

Logan Paul posted about Nope on Twitter shortly after the film's release last month. While he praised Daniel Kaluuya as an actor, he took issue with the story structure and tone, among other things. When Capital FM asked Kaluuya about Paul's opinions on the horror hit of the summer, the actor said that he didn’t think it should be taken too seriously:

In other words, the Get Out alum doesn’t understand why the social media star's opinion is being highlighted more than those of others. Dozens of critics have covered the film, so why is the YouTuber's review the one that stands out? One can honestly see where the star is coming from. After all, Logan Paul is known for his YouTube videos and boxing matches, not for his film criticism. And more recently, Paul even made an impression at WrestleMania.

Later in the conversation, Daniel Kaluuya even considered sitting down with the viral star to talk about the movie. However, he soon backed off the notion:

Well, I don’t think we're going to see Daniel Kaluuya on the social media maven's podcast, ImPaulsive, anytime soon. That’s probably for the best, celebrity guests don’t have a reputation for putting their best foot forward on the show. Maybe these two could break bread in a different way. A boxing match, perhaps? (I’m taking bets now.) 

It doesn’t look like Logan Paul’s scathing review is having much of an effect on Nope’s box office success, though as it's become an instant box office hit. With such glowing reception, Paul faced a lot of backlash from fans online. Many pointed out that the Youtube star just didn't understand the film, which Logan Paul admitted to in his review. Thankfully, CinemaBlend has broken down the ending of Nope, for him and others to read when they're ready. 

If you want to see for yourself to see if you agree with Logan Paul or some of the glowing critic reviews of Jordan Peele’s Nope, you can check out the film in theaters now. Or, if you want to know about any of the other films that are releasing this year, check out our 2022 movie schedule. Chances are Paul will have strong opinions on them as well. 

Darkness is usually the best backdrop for a horror movie, as one doesn't know what’s lurking in the corners they can’t see. When it comes to the new movie release Nope, that statement still applies to parts of the narrative but, according to star Daniel Kaluuya, writer, director and producer Jordan Peele has done something "pretty special" with his horror film. As it turns out, the menace that plagues this movie is just as terrifying in broad daylight as it is in relative darkness. 

Daniel Kaluuya was recently a guest on the spicy food talk show that is Hot Ones and, in the early phases of his hot wing journey, the Nope star tiptoed around what exactly is so special about this movie. That being said, here’s how Daniel Kaluuya carefully praised Jordan Peele for his handling of the film’s threat: 

Trailers for Nope have done a pretty good job of keeping the film’s secrets, while providing enough visual clues to back the actor’s assessment above. While there are naturally some sequences that are more nocturnal in nature, playing to the usual darkness you’d find in a horror flick, a good portion of the flick takes place in broad daylight. Without spoiling the fun, some clever plot devices, and a very important stipulation factor into just how this thriller keeps us in the dark while playing in the light. 

Credit has to be given to Daniel Kaluuya for two big achievements. Not only is his performance in this new horror entry a fantastic, subdued presence in the chaos that ensues, but he was able to avoid spilling secrets under the influence of hot sauce. It’s no wonder why he and the Get Out director re-teamed for this movie, which result in Kaluuya having to make the heartbreaking choice to not star in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

How audiences react to the movie is almost as exciting as discovering it s hidden elements. Jordan Peele’s latest mystery box seems to have swung for the fences, with Nope dividing the critics in the process. To some, that could be a sign of potential failure. Whereas others might see the movie as Daniel Kaluuya sees its usage of daytime scares, viewing this lack of consensus as another “pretty special” feat it’s managed to accomplish.

You can have your say on how the film sticks the landing, as it’s currently playing at a theater near you. Should you have already seen the movie, then feel free to read over our analysis of Nope's ending. Also, don’t forget that Universal Studios Hollywood has a new experience based on the movie on its Backlot Tour, which is enough reason to spring for a VIP package. If you haven’t, then go into the picture with an open mind, as the tagline “it isn’t what you think” is more than fitting for what sits at the heart of this new tale.

It’s finally here. After a year-long wait, the public is finally able to experience Jordan Peele’s next horror film, Nope, for all fans of the world to enjoy. The highly-anticipated film has been talked about, hyped up, and now, we get to watch the story of small town residents who are starting to witness strange happenings - things that don’t seem like they’re from our world. 

With so many amazing horror movies that have come out during 2022, from The Black Phone to A24’s horror movie, X, this film only adds to the list with its star-studded cast. Jordan Peele already has a number of great movies and tv shows, and Nope looks like it will easily add to that growing list. Featuring amazing talents such as Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, the Nope cast is full of awesome actors that I am sure you have seen before.

Keke Palmer (Emerald Haywood)

Next up on this list is my girl, Keke Palmer, who I have been watching since I was a child and I was so excited to see her as the leading actress in Nope. Playing Emerald Haywood, she’s O.J.’s sister. Keke Palmer has been in many movies and TV shows, and has acted since she was young. 

While one of her biggest roles was starring in the Nickelodeon hit show, True Jackson, V.P. (where I discovered her years ago), Palmer has since expanded her resume incredibly. Some of her biggest roles on television have been a lead role in the Ryan Murphy-created series, Scream Queens, a big voice role in Winx Club, Berlin Station, Scream (the series), and Turnt Up with the Taylors. 

Palmer has also been in plenty of movies as well, including Akeelah and the Bee, Rags, Shrink, Madea’s Family Reunion, and plenty of others. In 2019, she had a starring role as part of the Hustlers cast, alongside Jennifer Lopez, and in 2022 voiced one of the leads in Lightyear.   

Daniel Kaluuya (O.J. Haywood)

Starring as O.J. Haywood is Daniel Kaluuya in Nope. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Kaluuya also had a leading role in Jordan Peele’s first ever horror film, Get Out, and he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. However, just because he may have been in another amazing Peele movie, that doesn’t mean Kaluuya hasn’t done plenty of other awesome things in Hollywood.

If we’re talking about television, Kaluuya has guest-starred and had roles in plenty of great hits. Some of his biggest parts have been a role in one of the first Black Mirror episodes, “Fifteen Million Merits,” playing Michael Fry in Psychoville, and portraying Posh Kenneth in the popular teen drama, Skins. 

Kaluuya has also been in very successful films. He won an Academy Award for his performance in Judas and the Black Messiah in 2021, but other than that, he’s starred in a plethora of movies, such as Sicario, Black Panther, Queen & Slim, Widows, Kick-Ass 2, and more. 

Steven Yeun (Ricky "Jupe" Park)

Playing Ricky “Jupe” Park in Nope is Steven Yeun, someone who is truly becoming a huge star. Steven Yeun gained worldwide popularity when he starred on the hit AMC series, The Walking Dead, as Glenn for six seasons, but has since starred in several other big-time TV shows and movies. 

Some of his biggest hits in regards to TV are the Amazon Prime original series, Invincible, where he voices the main character, and Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix. He also has had voice roles in Tuca & Bertie, Tales of Arcadia, and more. 

In terms of movies, Yeun has truly been all over the place. His biggest role so far has been playing an immigrant father in Minari, a film which garnered him an Academy Award nomination. Other than that, he’s starred in movies such as I Origins, Okja, Mayhem, Sorry to Bother You, and The Humans. He also starred as Ben in The Burning.  

Brandon Perea (Angel Torres)

Next up on the Nope cast list, we have Brandon Perea, who portrays Angel Torres, a tech guy who helps out the main siblings of the movie. This young actor has appeared in a few movies and TV shows, but one of his biggest roles was where he played Alfonso ‘French’ Sosa in The OA, a very popular Netflix series that was canceled way too soon.

However, Perea has appeared in a variety of other roles, as well. He played Kenton in Dance Camp, an online film, Dr. Tyme in Doom Patrol, and has appeared in the shorts Oh, Sorry, and Delivery. But, with a huge appearance in a film like Nope, it’s surely going to make his career skyrocket, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.  

Michael Wincott 

Moving on, we now have Michael Wincott, who also stars in Nope. If that name sounds familiar, it's because Wincott has been around for decades in the film industry and has starred in plenty of movies and shows that you might recognize him from. Some of his biggest roles in movies include Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Top Dollar in The Crow, Philo Gant in Strange Days, Ed Gein in Hitchcock, Dr. Osmond in Ghost in the Shell, Captain Frank Elgyn in Alien Resurrection, and so many more. 

In terms of television, Wincott has also had plenty of roles, as well. He played Adrian Cross in 24: Live Another Day, Old Bill in the HBO series, Westworld, Georgina in Veni Vidi Vici, and has guest starred on a variety of TV shows, from Crime Story to The Equalizer to Miami Vice. Truly someone who has been all over our movies and television shows. 

Barbie Ferreira 

Last but not least, we have Barbie Ferreira in Nope, who, compared to many of her castmates, hasn’t done as much in the industry, but that’s only because she’s just starting out. If that name does sound familiar, it’s most likely because you heard of her from the hit teen drama, Euphoria, where she plays Kat Hernandez as part of the Euphoria cast. 

Ferreira also had a guest role on the Apple TV+ series, The Afterparty, and had a guest role on Divorce. The only other film the young actress has starred in thus far is the HBO Max original movie, Unpregnant, but I’m sure it won’t be long before we get to see her pop up in a million other projects. 

It’s no surprise that the latest Jordan Peele movie has plenty of stars, and I can only wonder what they’re going to do next after this intense horror film. The real question, as Steven Yeun’s character says in the trailer, is this: Are you ready? 

Jordan Peele joins us to talk about his latest masterstroke, Nope, starring Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun. We chat about his collaboration with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema, their decision behind shooting the film in IMAX, and what advice from Christopher Nolan looks like. The interview and this week’s review are free of spoilers, but we do talk about some of the film’s influences and origins, the topics Peele wanted to explore, and more. 

Stick around through the interview to hear our full review of Nope, as well as our reviews for the Russo brothers new action flick The Gray Man starring Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. 

This week’s interview and BlendGame are sponsored by our friends at AMC Theatres: Thrills and Chills. Check out AMC Theatres' Thrills and Chills program for more on all the great horror and thrillers hitting theaters this year.

And be sure to grab some tickets to see Nope in theaters this weekend.

00:05:11 - Jordan Peele Interview
00:35:51 - Star Wars Tier List: Obi-Wan Kenobi
00:43:49 - Marvel Tier List: Thor: Love & Thunder
00:56:07 - Marvel Tier List: Ms. Marvel
1:05:09 - The Gray Man Review
1:15:40 - Nope Review
1:26:13 - #ScaredBlend
1:41:40 - Outro

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Michael B. Jordan has already had a long career in TV and film, although his star power has elevated him to A-lister status in the last few years. But that level of fame also comes with its downsides, like how the public was keenly aware of his relationship and subsequent split with Lori Harvey. Michael B. Jordan recently flew solo at the Nope premiere, but shared sweet moments with Daniel Kaluuya and Jordan Peele. 

Jordan Peele is releasing his third movie Nope shortly, with the Oscar-winning filmmaker recently celebrating the horror flick's premiere. Michael B. Jordan was in attendance, in one of his first major appearances since the break-up with Lori Harvey. There he reunited with Black Panther co-star Daniel Kaluuya, who is starring in Nope. Check out the moment for yourself below,

Wakanda forever, indeed. The cast and crew of Black Panther developed a strong bond while working on Ryan Coogler's original movie, and this image definitely highlights that. Michael B. Jordan and Daniel Kaluuya shared a number of scenes together as Killmonger and W'Kabi, so it's great seeing them reuniting and sharing this sweet moment of love. This is especially true since Black Panther 2 is the next Marvel movie hitting theaters.

While Michael B. Jordan might be feeling the normal emotions that come with Lori Harvey, he certainly wasn't showing it while attending Nope's star-studded premiere event. Another shot of him on the red carpet shows the actor/ director all smiles, and looking great.

Of course, the man of the night at Nope's premiere was filmmaker Jordan Peele. The comedian turned filmmaker has gained quite the reputation thanks to his acclaimed work on modern horror classics Get Out and Us. The reviews for his third project have similarly praised Peele's vision and talents as a filmmaker, so fans can't wait to judge for themselves.

While Michael B. Jordan hasn't had the chance to work on one of Jordan Peele's projects just yet, the two did share a sweet moment on the carpet for Nope. Check it out for yourself below, and try not to imagine a collaboration for these two talented artists:

Talk about a meeting of the minds. With Michael B. Jordan making his directorial debut in Creed III (which he's also starring in), I have to wonder if he and Jordan Peele got to talk much shop. I'd love to be a fly on the wall during their conversations, especially if they get into the nitty gritty of filmmaking. 

The reviews for Nope have been positive, and it should be interesting to see what audiences feel about the sci-fi horror project. As for Michael B. Jordan, he's currently hard at work on Creed III alongside Tessa Thompson. Nope hits theaters on July 22nd, while Creed III will follow suit on November 23rd. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Jordan Peele appears primed to creep us out and make us think yet again with Nope, his third go-round as director/writer in the horror genre. Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun are set to star in this sci-fi story, whose details remain mostly a mystery to its would-be audience — and that’s totally by Peele’s design. The reviews are in, however, to give us an idea of what to expect, and while they don’t all agree on how successful the movie is, there’s no argument amongst critics that Peele remains a master at creating suspense. 

Audiences’ first reactions to the film were pretty positive, with many praising the brother-sister duo of Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya. Let’s dive right in and see what they have to say about the atmosphere Jordan Peele was able to create and about the movie overall, starting with our own CinemaBlend review of Nope. Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 4.5 stars out of 5, saying Peele continues to make waves in Hollywood in the most remarkable way, and with his third project he again proves successful at dropping jaws and making viewers unconsciously stop breathing:

Robert Daniels of Polygon, however, doesn't agree. He says while Nope will certainly enthrall and frighten audiences, it's unlikely to stick with them. While this critic refuses to call this a "bad" movie, it is the weakest of Jordan Peele's trio, he says:

Matt Rodriguez of Shakefire enjoys the ride that Nope provides the audience, rating it 4 out of 5 stars. The director takes moviegoers on a roller coaster ride, building the tension to a climax before taking it back down to allow people to breathe before doing it all over again. From the review:

Lovia Gyarkye of THR says Jordan Peele proves, as with his previous ventures, that he's unafraid of his imagination. While she admits parts of the movie don't gel, this critic says Nope is as fun as it is ambitous, and Peele does a great job of balancing the humor with the overall suspenseful mood:

Like the critics above, Alonso Duralde of The Wrap notes that the director maintains a masterful level of being able to create suspense, and he does so several times over the course of the film. However, the metaphor he's trying to relay fails to come together, the review says:

Does Nope sound like a movie you’ll be saying “Yep” to? If you’re excited to catch this one in theaters, you don’t have long to wait, as it will premiere on Friday, July 22. You can also check out these other Jordan Peele TV shows and movies, and be sure to take a look at our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what else is coming to theaters soon.

Anticipation has been high for Jordan Peele’s Nope, following his previous two (critically acclaimed) forays into the horror genre: 2017's Get Out 2019's Us. Details of Nope’s plot have been kept intentionally sparse, because the writer/director wants to the film to be an unexpected experience for his audiences. Have no fear – the movie has screened, and now we can possibly glean a little more information from the first reactions to the flick, even as we maintain that delightful dread of the unknown.

Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer star in Nope as siblings who begin to see something (but what??) in the sky over their ranch. Aliens of some sort would be a good low-hanging-fruit guess for what’s piloting the UFO and causing all the creepy incidents teased in the trailer. CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell shared his reaction to exclusive footage of Nope, which was shown at CinemaCon 2022 earlier this year, and now Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend has seen the film for himself, tweeting that with Nope, Jordan Peele has gone 3-for-3: 

Erik Davis of Fandango has high praise for the film, which he says grabs you right from the beginning with its strong storytelling and leaves you wanting to talk about it long after. It's apparently unlike any UFO movie we've ever seen:

POC Culture says Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer are so good as a sibling duo, and Steven Yeun shines as well. While the story may not be as strong as Jordan Peele's previous two movies, the social commentary is as poignant as you'd hope, and Peele remains a favorite filmmaker of this critic: 

Heather Wixson of Daily Dead News tweets that Nope completely surpasses her expectations. She name-checks Keith David and Michael Wincott as things she loves about this "absolutely phenomenal" summer flick:

Simon Thompson says Jordan Peele takes a big swing with Nope, and it was one worth taking, as this critic was left feeling challenged and hungry for more of whatever Peele has to offer us next. See this movie on the biggest screen possible, Thompson says:

Ernest Owens of Philly Mag says, "Run, don't walk," to Jordan Peele's latest offering, and, like a number of other viewers, praises Keke Palmer's performance:

Without giving too much (or anything) away about the plot, these first reactions definitely have me even more excited for Nope to hit theaters on Friday, July 22. Jordan Peele has said his movies are designed to be watched multiple times, with easter eggs layered throughout. He’s also talked about the mischievous pleasure he gets from scaring his audiences, so all signs point to moviegoers being in for a treat when Nope hits cinemas. 

We'll also find out a little more when movie reviews come out Wednesday, so be sure to check back to CinemaBlend for our take. In the meantime, you can check out these other Jordan Peele TV shows and movies, and also be sure to take a look at our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other movies are hitting theaters soon.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a massive place, and Phase Four has been expanding the property on both the small and silver screens. But one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is definitely Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And recently actor Daniel Kaluuya has opened up about his Black Panther 2 exit.

Just last week it was revealed that Daniel Kaluuya won’t be reprising his role as W’Kabi in Black Panther’s upcoming sequel. It turns out that he had a scheduling conflict with Jordan Peele’s Nope, which is why we won’t be seeing him back in Wakanda. Kaluuya was recently asked by ET Online about this Marvel-related turn of events, getting honest by sharing:

Is it November yet? Because while Daniel Kaluuya won’t have a role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, he’s seemingly aware of what Ryan Coogler and the cast are bringing to the table for the mysterious Marvel blockbuster. What’s more, he’s got nothing but love for his collaborators and the upcoming release of the sequel.

Daniel Kaluuya’s comments about Black Panther 2 come as he’s promoting the release of his latest collaboration with Jordan Peele: the new horror movie Nope. He stars alongside talent like Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun in the highly anticipated movie, although it unfortunately kept him from getting in on the Marvel fun in Wakanda Forever. We’ll just have to wait and see if Kaluuya’s character W’Kabi ends up appearing in the MCU sometime in the future, or being referenced in the sequel.

Marvel Studios is known for its tight security, so not much is known about what Ryan Coogler is bringing to the table with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. But it looks like Daniel Kaluuya is one of the lucky ones who is privy to some of those plans, and how the movie will honor the late actor Chadwick Boseman. Coogler has gone on record saying this aspect of crafting the upcoming movie is the most difficult task of his professional life.

Daniel Kaluuya’s character W’Kabi played a supporting role in the drama of the groundbreaking original Black Panther film. On top of being Okoye’s lover, he was also the head of security for the Border Tribe. His hatred for Ulysses Klaue eventually led him to take Killmonger’s side in the quest for the throne. W’Kabi would even fight for the villain in the epic final battle, before eventually learning the error of his ways. He (along with Nakia) was noticeably missing from the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will hit theaters on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, and Phase Four has been a truly wild ride thus far. With Thor: Love and Thunder in the rearview, all eyes are on the next upcoming Marvel movie hitting theaters: Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It was recently revealed that actor Daniel Kaluuya won’t be reprising his role as W’Kabi in the highly anticipated sequel, and the actor has explained why he kept that information a secret for so long.

Marvel Studios is known for its tight security, and the mysterious contents of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are no exception in this regard. As such, fans were shocked when Daniel Kaluuya revealed he wouldn’t be appearing as W’Kabi in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming blockbuster. He recently explained the reasoning behind this secrecy, saying:

He’s got a point. Daniel Kaluuya clearly understands how much the MCU as a whole (especially the Black Panther franchise) means to moviegoing audiences. And as such, he didn’t want to create any drama by revealing that he wasn’t part of the cast of Wakanda Forever. After all, many fans were hoping to see the Get Out actor back in the shared universe.

Daniel Kaluuya’s comments about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever come and he’s promoting his role in Jordan Peele’s upcoming movie Nope. In fact, it was a scheduling conflict with that highly anticipated horror flick that prevented him from returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ll just have to wait and see if/how Ryan Coogler references the character in the long-awaited sequel.

W’Kabi played a fairly important supporting role in the first Black Panther movie. On top of leading one of the country’s tribes and seeking vengeance for fallen Wakandans, he was also the romantic partner of Danai Gurira’s Okoye. While Daniel Kaluuya’s character briefly took the side of Killmonger, he eventually saw the error of his ways and relented. Kaluuya was noticeably missing from the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, despite Wakanda and its forces factoring into the action of both blockbusters. 

While W’Kabi won’t be in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, fans of Daniel Kaluuya’s work will be able to catch him on the big screen in Nope. This reunites him with Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele, in what looks like Peele’s biggest movie yet. We’ll just have to see if this becomes another megahit and Awards Season favorite for the filmmaker.

Nope hits theaters on July 22nd, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will follow suit on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

One year after he made a splash as Chris Washington in the Jordan Peele-written and directed Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya appeared in Black Panther, the eighteenth Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, as W’Kabi, a trusted confidant to Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. We’ll be heading back to Wakanda later this year in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and while it’d originally been reported that Kaluuya would reprise his role, the actor has confirmed he won’t appear in the sequel.

Daniel Kaluuya is currently making the press rounds for Nope, his latest collaboration with Jordan Peele that sees him starring alongside Keke Palmer and Steve Yeun, among others. While chatting with Rotten Tomatoes’ Jacqueline Coley about this 2022 movie release, Kaluuya revealed that he was unable to return for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever due to scheduling conflicts with Nope. So while the upcoming Marvel movie is bringing back a lot of familiar faces, W’Kabi won’t be one of them.

While it’s a shame that Daniel Kaluuya wasn’t able to find time in his schedule to shoot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, narratively speaking, W’Kabi’s absence from the movie makes sense. Although T’Challa and W’Kabi were best friends at the start of Black Panther, their differing views over how to handle Ulysses Klaue, who killed W’Kabi’s parents during his infiltration of Wankanda in the early ‘90s, drove a wedge between them. When Erik “Killmonger” Stevens later laid claim to the Wakandan throne, W’Kabi and his Border Tribe army supported the efforts to distribute Wakandan weapons around the world. W’Kabi fought back against T’Challa, his wife Okoye and the others who came to stop Killmonger, and he ultimately surrendered. So it’s entirely possible that when Wakanda Forever begins, W’Kabi is either in prison for his actions or has perhaps been banished from Wakanda.

Even though we won’t see W’Kabi in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, hopefully he’s mentioned so that we’re in the loop on what’s happened to him. The best way this can happen is via Okoye, as Danai Gurira is definitely reprising the character, who also appeared in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Other familiar faces back for Wakanda Forever include Lupita Nyong’o, Letitia Wright, Wilson Duke, Angela Bassett, Florence Kasumba, Isaach de Bankolé, Dorothy Steel, and Danny Sapani. Wakanda Forever will also introduce Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart, ahead of her Disney+ series.

Sadly, Chadwick Boseman passed away in August 2020, and since T’Challa will never appear in the MCU again through either a recast or digital recreation, it hasn’t been announced yet who will take over as the new Black Panther. That’s said, arguably the likeliest candidate is Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s sister who briefly became Black Panther in the comics. It’s also been heavily rumored/reported/supposedly leaked that Narcos: Mexico star Tenoch Huerta is playing Namor the Sub-Mariner, though this hasn’t been officially confirmed. Behind the scenes, Ryan Coogler returned to direct and co-write Wakanda Forever with Joe Robert Cole.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is still slated for November 11, but you can catch up with past adventures with T’Challa and his cohorts, including the animated What If… ? series, with a Disney+ subscription. Nope drops exclusively in theaters on July 22. 

Based on the ending of The Batman, there is at one villain we can expect to see in director Matt Reeves’ follow-up to his smash hit DC reboot. However, there are a few other characters we also hope will appear alongside Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader at some point in this franchise, and one of them is Harvey Dent, who would also come to be known as Two-Face.

Instead of how Aaron Eckhart’s depiction was handled in The Dark Knight, I would like to see the next movie only explore Harvey’s days as Gotham City’s district attorney and save his tragic evolution into a murderous psycho at war with himself (and Batman) for a later sequel. It is going to take one hell of an actor to portray this good man’s descent into madness and we have a few candidates in mind, including one who has played a similar role before.

Adam Driver

Opinions regarding the more recent Star Wars movies vary, but one thing most agree on is Adam Driver’s performance as Kylo Ren - a Dark Side wannabe wrestling with an inner desire to use his Force sensitivity for good. From the opposite perspective, the arc feels a lot like how Harvey Dent struggles with his latent, menacing split personality before it is fully unlocked by his disfigurement, turning him into Two-Face. By channeling his Kylo Ren performance in reverse, the Academy Award nominee would be perfect for The Batman sequel.

Antony Starr

Someone who is also well-versed in playing two-faced individuals, as well as comic book characters, is Antony Starr - best known as Homelander in The Boys cast. The leader of The Seven is usually good at appearing heroic to the public, but is actually one of the most despicable characters on Amazon Prime’s hit show based on Garth Ennis’ truly graphic series. The New Zealand-born actor could make a great Two-Face by, once again, portraying this struggle to maintain a clean reputation, but with a more sympathetic angle.

Michael C. Hall

As the lead of the Dexter cast, seven-time Emmy nominee Michael C. Hall gave one of the most celebrated performances of his career as a homicidal two-faced individual. Of course, considering his moral code, I think most think of Dexter Morgan as more akin to Batman, but if the Dark Knight never honored his no-killing rule, that is. By playing Harvey Dent, Hall could revisit that duality he mastered on the hit Showtime series while also tapping into the more damaged psyche of an individual who is completely beyond saving. 

Jon Bernthal

Jon Bernthal has played two iconic comic book characters on TV and both give off some serious Two-Face vibes. The former Walking Dead cast member played Shane as the once trusted best friend of the main hero before grave circumstances brought out his true nature, and his vengeful and homicidal Frank Castle on Daredevil and The Punisher was once a kind, everyday individual before losing his family. We also know from both of those roles that he can play unbalanced very well and I’d like to see him lay that on a little thicker in a Batman movie.

Oliver Jackson-Cohen

I think it is clear that Oliver Jackson-Cohen could pull-off Two-Face from his roles in Mike Flanagan’s Netflix miniseries. We saw him wrestle with the demons (sometimes literally) that made him an outcast on The Haunting of Hill House and, on The Haunting of Bly Manor, his character was once a sophisticated and (seemingly) well-intentioned man before he was driven to murder by a violent act committed against him. Not to mention, the Londoner is, kind of, the spitting image of how I would picture Harvey Dent in a live-action setting.

Daniel Kaluuya

Did you ever notice how Daniel Kaluuya rarely plays a character who is not relatively calm and well put-together? For instance, throughout most of 2017’s Get Out, as Chris Washington, he keeps his composure brilliantly before shit really starts to hit the fan in Jordan Peele’s horror masterpiece, at which point he allows himself to let loose and rebel. I want to see the Academy Award winner play Harvey Dent in a similar way in future Batman movies: a cool, trustworthy everyman pushed to the brink of his sanity when he (or, more accurately, the left side of his face) falls prey to a cruel injustice.

Michael Shannon

Some iterations depict Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne as old friends around the same age, such as on Batman: The Animated Series, but I am intrigued by the idea of making the DA older, more experienced, and privately disillusioned by what he has seen on the job - opening the door for his descent even wider. For this, I thought of Michael Shannon, who, surprisingly, received neither of his two Oscar nominations for his mesmerizing performance in 2010’s Take Shelter as a family man trying to keep his life together as he slowly loses his mind. I think seeing him play a Dent who struggles to internalize his maddening discontent would make for an amusing, unique take on Two-Face, which would be his second big DC role after General Zod, whom he is set to reprise in The Flash.

John David Washington

If Matt Reeves was to go with the angle that Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne are old friends, I think he should cast someone who has already proven to have good chemistry with Robert Pattinson. For this, I thought of John David Washington, who previously teamed up with the Batman actor for a mission that exceeds the bounds of time in 2020’s Tenet, from Dark Knight Trilogy helmer Christopher Nolan. Additionally, I think that his portrayal of a charismatic justice seeker in 2018’s BlacKkKlansman would translate very well to a pre-Two-Face Dent, making his post-Two-Face transformation all the more shocking.

Taylor Lautner

If Matt Reeves, instead, reimagined Harvey Dent and Bruce Wayne as rivals, similar to how Christian Bale and Aaron Eckhart played them in The Dark Knight, I think he should cast someone who knows what it’s like to be at odds with the Batman actor. I am talking about the Jacob to his Edward from the Twilight cast, Taylor Lautner, who has not been given the chance to really show his worth as a performer beyond his career-making role as a werewolf in the blockbuster franchise based on the YA novel series. I would be curious to see his take on Two-Face and to see if it could put him on a new career trajectory like Pattinson’s post-Twilight years.

There are so many great storytelling opportunities in the character of Harvey Dent. Maybe we will see one of the actors above portray the best depiction of the tragic DC villain yet in one of Matt Reeves' next Batman movies.

It’s been nearly three years since the release of Jordan Peele’s Us, and moviegoers have since been anxiously awaiting his next feature. Thankfully, his latest terrifying vision, Nope, is finally set to release this summer and, after that crazy first trailer, the excitement is rising. The movie includes an impressive cast, which includes Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun, but it was especially surprising to learn that Peele brought Get Out lead Daniel Kaluuya back for this movie. Now, the actor-turned-director has shared some insight into why we wanted to reteam with Kaluuya. 

There’s no denying that Daniel Kaluuya is one of the most talented stars in Hollywood these days. In the past few years, he’s been a part of notable films like Black Panther, Queen & Slim and Judas and the Black Messiah, for which he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. So on the surface, the British actor is a very bankable name, but Jordan Peele wants him for far more than his professional standing. While speaking with Empire, Peele explained that it’s Kaluuya’s grounding presence that makes him perfect:

In Get Out, the Oscar winner played the role of Chris Washington, an up-and-coming Black photographer who accompanies his girlfriend to her parents’ home. The visit gets off to a somewhat awkward, but relatively normal start, before the young man uncovers the family’s sinister secrets. Even though the film gets (appropriately) fantastical at times, Chris remains a relatable character throughout, which is indeed due to the efforts of the actor playing him. (And Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning screenplay, of course.)

It’s probably fair to assume that the actor and director took a similar approach when crafting the Nope role. This latest movie sees Daniel Kaluuya play the stoic James Haywood, who co-owns a ranch in an isolated town. Haywood seems just as perplexed as everyone else when a giant cloud parks itself above their community. However, based on the few bits of footage we’ve seen, he’s also one of the more cerebral characters within the story. This is definitely made clear when he poses an ominous question: “What’s a bad miracle?”

Jordan Peele seems more than prepared to play with our emotions in his upcoming horror flick, and I can’t wait to see what the actors bring to the proceedings. We’ll see how things shake out for Daniel Kaluuya’s Jim as well and whether or not the role can earn the actor another Oscar nod like his first outing with Peele.

Nope, one of 2022’s biggest new movie releases, opens in theaters on July 22. While you wait for it to arrive, do yourself a favor and check out some other Jordan Peele movies and TV shows and revisit other great performances from Daniel Kaluuya.

In every generation, there is a TV show that authentically defines its youthful inhabitants, and Skins was that series for the later 2000s, early 2010s - especially in the United Kingdom. Created by the father-son duo of Bryan Elsey and Jamie Brittain, the refreshingly honest and witty series following a group of British teens (some played by a few future A-listers, including Kaya Scodelario and Nicholas Hoult) was met with such acclaim that it inspired a remake that aired in the U.S. on MTV in 2011. 

However, fans and critics alike definitely prefer the original Skins cast, many of whom have gone on to some great achievements on the big and small screen. The following is a rundown of what they have been up to since, starting with one of the series’ most iconic leading characters.

Kaya Scodelario (Effy Stonem)

Kaya Scodelario had never acted before playing the troubled Effy Stonem on Skins. The show quickly propelled her to stardom before she appeared in big franchises like the Maze Runner movies or Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales from 2017. 

After her acclaimed return to television on Netflix’s short-lived sports drama Spinning Out in 2020, the Crawl star continued to prove herself as a scream queen by leading the Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City cast the following year. In 2022, Scodelario will share screen with Pierce Brosnan and her real-life husband, Benjamin Walker, in The King’s Daughter, and her upcoming drama Don’t Make Me Go is now in post-production.

Nicholas Hoult (Tony Stonem)

Playing Effy’s selfish and manipulative older brother, Tony, is Nicholas Hoult. He had previously earned attention as the titular boy in 2002’s About a Boy and would also go on to star in some big franchises - most notably the X-Men movies as a young Beast, and 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road as the scene-stealing War Boy, Nux. 

In 2021, he went bad for Taylor Sheridan’s Those Who Wish Me Dead and reprised his role as 18th-Century Russia’s despicable ruler in The Great cast for its second season on Hulu. Hoult has two horror-comedy movies in the works, called The Menu (also starring Anya Taylor-Joy) and Renfield (also starring Nicolas Cage as Dracula), as well as a sci-fi comedy called Alpha Gang. 

April Pearson (Michelle Richardson)

Playing Tony’s girlfriend, Michelle, is April Pearson, who made her feature film debut in 2009’s Tormented. The film was actually described as a slasher for Skins fans by a few outlets (including Total Film) and even starred a fellow Skins cast member we will mention soon. 

Horror movies would actually become a recurrence in Pearson’s career, such as the somewhat more comedic thriller, Sideshow, most recently. After the January 2022 release of her next film, The Kindred, she will appear in the latest of her several collaborations with versatile British filmmaker Jamie Patterson with the crime drama God’s Petting You, which is now in post-production.

Mike Bailey (Sid Jenkins)

Playing Sid (Tony’s hapless best friend who also has a crush on Michelle), we have Mike Bailey, who made his debut in the Skins cast. This actually led to a relatively short-lived acting career. 

After starring on the medieval miniseries 1066: The Battle for Middle Earth and the 2013 teen dramedy, We Are the Freaks, he would return to acting four years later for the more mature, romantic, and unique TV dramedy, Hers and History, opposite Lindsay Shaw of Nickelodeon’s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide fame. As of 2020, Bailey works as a school teacher, which The Sun discovered through a TikTok posted by one of his students.

Hannah Murray (Cassie Ainsworth)

Sid would eventually discover his true feelings for Michelle’s best friend, Cassie. The emotionally vulnerable character was played on Skins by Hannah Murray in her acting debut, years before she joined the Game of Thrones cast as Gilly. 

She is also well-known on the big screen for her award-winning performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s riveting historical drama, Detroit, from 2017 and as the lead of the 2018 Manson Family drama Charlie Says. In 2020, Murray appeared on the Quibi original horror series The Expecting and lent her voice to the multi-platform video game, Shady Part of Me.

Joe Dempsie (Chris Miles)

Chris, a party animal with a crush on his college psychology teacher, is played on Skins by Joe Dempsie. The actor would also find fame on Game of Thrones as Gendry Baratheon, and he starred on Fox’s short-lived espionage series, Deep State, from 2018 to 2019. 

Also in 2019, he reprised his role as the voice of Arbert in the Final Fantasy games, and starred on the miniseries Adult Material (which American audiences can stream on HBO Max) the next year. Following his role on Season 2 of the animated sci-fi anthology series Love, Death & Robots in 2021, Dempsie will star on another Netflix TV show called Pieces of Her, opposite Toni Collette, in 2022.

Larissa Wilson (Jal Fazer)

Chris would later start a relationship with Jal - played by Larissa Wilson. The actress would make her feature film debut alongside her onscreen best friend on Skins, April Pearson, in Tormented in 2009. 

She later had a recurring role on the British fantasy series The Sparticle Mystery in 2011, played a shopper at the supermarket setting of the UK comedy Trollied for three episodes the following year, and appeared on Season 2 of the crime procedural Suspects in 2014. In 2020, she released her directorial debut - a short film called Shift.

Dev Patel (Anwar Kharral)

Anwar, a teen with a “pick-and-choose” approach to his Islamic faith, is played by Dev Patel. He would follow his acting debut on Skins in a big way as the lead of Slumdog Millionaire, which won Best Picture at the 2009 Academy Awards. 

After receiving his own first Oscar nomination for 2017’s Lion, the actor continued to score lead roles in more acclaimed dramas, such as 2020’s The Personal History of David Copperfield as the title character, and the hero of the fantasy epic The Green Knight the following year. Also in 2021, Patel launched his own production company, Minor Realm, which will produce his upcoming feature-length directorial debut, Monkey Man, which is slated to premiere on Netflix in 2022.

Mitch Hewer (Maxxie Oliver)

As Anwar’s openly gay best friend, Maxxie, we have Mitch Hewer. He would follow his acting debut on Skins with another teen drama called Britannia High - which sounds kind of the British pre-cursor to Nickelodeon’s Victorious, considering its titular performing arts school setting. 

After appearing in the 2014 rom-com Behaving Badly opposite Only Murders in the Building cast member Selena Gomez, and the found footage thriller Nightlight in 2015, he landed a recurring role on he long-running UK medical drama Casualty in 2017. In April 2019, Hewer explained in an Instagram post that his absence from the spotlight in more recent years was due to his own struggles with anxiety and depression.

Daniel Kaluuya (Posh Kenneth)

As secondary Skins character Posh Kenneth, we have Daniel Kaluuya. The actor actually wrote a few episodes of the series, as well, before gaining further notoriety in the UK as the lead of one of the best Black Mirror episodes in Season 1, among things. 

These days, he is one of world’s most celebrated actors, thanks to films like 2015’s Sicario, the powerful romantic tragedy Queen & Slim from 2019, and the riveting historical drama Judas and the Black Messiah, for which he won a Best Actor Oscar. Next, Kaluuya will reunite with his Get Out director, Jordan Peele, for 2022’s Nope, is currently reprising his role as W’Kabi in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and is set to star in the sci-fi adventure The Upper World, which he is also producing.

Jack O’Connell (James Cook)

Another party animal in the Skins cast is Cook - played by Jack O’Connell. He was previously known in the UK for his award-winning debut feature This is England in 2006, and the 2008 thriller Eden Lake, which also stars Michael Fassbender and Yellowstone cast member Kelly Reilly. 

A year after Skins ended in 2013, he starred in 300: Rise of an Empire and led Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken before appearing opposite George Clooney and Julia Roberts in the 2016 thriller Money Monster. Following his role alongside Colin Farrell in the historical miniseries The North Water, O’Connell will appear in another World War II-era project (the Stephen Knight-penned miniseries SAS: Rogue Heroes), and is currently filming the 2022 romance Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Lily Loveless (Naomi Campbell)

Cook’s good friend Naomi is played by Lily Loveless, who has a few credits in common with fellow Skins cast veterans. She starred opposite Kathryn Prescott in the British horror series Bedlam, and Daniel Kaluuya on another British horror series, The Fades. 

Since Skins ended, she would appear on the UK cop drama DCI Banks, star in the 2014 teen lesbian romance Fear of Water, and land a recurring role on the hit drama The Royals. In 2020, she starred in the Netflix miniseries The Stranger (based on the book by Harlan Coben), and her most recent acting credit as of late is the 2021 short fantasy film, The Cost of Living.

It is truly inspirational to see what the young cast of one of the most inspirational teen dramas on television has grown up to become. I actually would not mind seeing a reunion with the full cast now.  

It’s been a while since Jordan Peele has shocked the world with a movie like Get Out or Us, though he’s lent a hand on other films like director Nia DaCosta’s Candyman in the process. But for quite some time, there’s been a previously unnamed project lurking in the distance. Amassing one hell of a cast including a starring cast of Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, and Steven Yeun, everyone has been wondering what the name of that movie might eventually be. Brace yourselves folks, because we now have the first poster and the title for that new movie, and it’s a very simple title: Nope.

Displayed boldly on a dark and foreboding poster, Nope accompanies an equally simple image. With a dark storm cloud floating towards a well-lit town, there’s no further indication of what will befall the people on the poster. But if it's anything like Jordan Peele's previous films, it's going to take a mysterious premise and twist it into something quite nightmarish. Try to figure out the mystery of Nope for yourself, courtesy of the poster below, which made its debut on Jordan Peele's Instagram.

There are a lot of questions that Nope already inspires the audience to ask, and all we’re seeing is an image that could very easily teeter into the realm of the ridiculous. A dark storm cloud, making its way to civilization, with a string of bunting you’d find at a used car lot is all we have to go by, along with the one word title that Jordan Peele has chosen. Could this be a lightning fueled disaster movie? Is this cloud going to eat people? Is civilization the cloud, and the town is society at large being destroyed by modern progress?

Answers are in short supply at the moment, but that’s part of what makes awaiting a film like Nope all the more fun. Who can forget the moment Us dropped the creepy and cryptic image of Lupita Nyong'o’s doppelganger, staring out from behind a mask? Part of the anticipation for a movie like Nope is the Jordan Peele brand, as well as the cast of actors he assembles to help tell such stories.

Nope marks a big reunion for Peele and his Get Out star/Academy Award winner Daniel Kaluuya, as well as adding in the likes of Euphoria’s Barbie Ferreira and Doom Patrol’s Brandon Perea. So while there’s no telling where this horror tale may be headed, we at least know there’s an impressive cast that will be put through the wringer. As we’ve seen in the past, if there’s anyone you can trust with a simple title and a stellar cast, Jordan Peele is certainly someone you can put on that list.

Nope will hit theaters on July 22, 2022; so our presently cloudy outlook on the film’s overall picture only serves to become clearer as time marches on. Though now we're thinking that there could be an outside chance that a teaser trailer will be attached with Old, which opens in theaters with early showings tonight. However, 2021’s release schedule is in full view, awaiting the enterprising moviegoer to discover its secrets.

A lot of things can happen after you win an Oscar. New and exciting doors can open up for your career, and you never know where the action will take you. Well, if the oddsmakers are right, then newly-minted Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya just found himself closer to becoming the next 007. But don’t go placing your James Bond betting money on him just yet, because while his odds are slashed in half, they’re still pretty far out.

With this past Sunday seeing the Judas and The Black Messiah actor winning the trophy for Best Supporting Actor, Daniel Kaluuya is now sitting at a 20/1 standing for the odds to play the next Bond. This information was per a statement from betting firm Ladbrokes (via Express), which previously had Kaluuya standing at 40/1 odds to take the role. Though his fortunes have increased, the competition is still as stiff as a well-mixed drink during a round of poker.

Naturally, the rest of the field in front of Daniel Kaluuya sees a lot of old favorites being bandied about. Tom Hardy, James Norton, Tom Hiddleston and Michael Fassbender are all still in the mix. And before you ask where Bridgerton graduate Regé-Jean Page sits in this particular field, he’s still the top contender for this most honored tuxedo fitting. But let’s put all of that aside and talk about Kaluuya’s potential to become the next James Bond.

Obviously there are a lot of pros to hiring Daniel Kaluuya as Ian Fleming’s legendary super spy. Kaluuya has built stellar brand recognition since his debut in Jordan Peele’s Get Out, plus his Oscar win for Judas and the Black Messiah comes from a tour de force performance as slain Black Panther leader Fred Hampton. At 32 years old, Daniel Kaluuya could very well meet the rigors of a production schedule that would more than likely return to a new 007 adventure being released every two years.

Then again, Mr. Kaluuya might not want to lock himself into such a gig, especially after an Oscar win. There’s probably offers already sitting on his desk that may present a more intriguing acting challenge, as well as standing commitments to projects like Black Panther 2. Not to mention, Daniel Kaluuya’s asking price may have just raised thanks to his win.

For an actor to be considered as the next James Bond, it almost feels like they have to be well-known enough for audiences to believe in them, but unknown enough to still build a career off of playing 007. Daniel Craig naturally hit that post rather well, and Daniel Kaluuya still has the potential to do just that. It’s up to the producers in charge at EON Productions to even evaluate this potential, and at this point, the odds seem to point towards other candidates as more favored prospects. Still, No Time To Die is set to arrive in theaters on October 8, and after that’s said and done, we’ll be off to the races for real.

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This year’s Oscars were vastly different in every sense of the word. This year marked a record year for people of color with nominations and wins. In the Best Supporting Actor category, Judas and the Black Messiah’s Daniel Kaluuya ended up taking the win over co-star LaKeith Stanfield and One Night in Miami’s Leslie Odom Jr. Kaluuya’s Oscar win was a high point in an otherwise tame ceremony. But the Black Panther star’s moment took a turn as he was seemingly confused with fellow nominee Odom Jr. The moment went viral, leading to the journalist denying the mistake.

For Daniel Kaluuya, the Oscars was a night filled with excitement and some TMI. While Hollywood’s biggest night was a little different, the tradition of the after-win press conference still happened (virtually, of course). Daniel Kaluuya’s press conference went smoothly until the Leslie Odom Jr. snafu with one member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association occurred. Check out the viral exchange below:

The seemingly awkward exchange between Daniel Kaluuya and journalist Margaret Gardiner appeared to be a moment of unplanned confusion. Gardiner appeared to be asking two questions at the same time. The Oscar winner appeared to be thrown off by the unusual question as seen in the video above. But the internet and media didn’t see it that way. As with many snafus, social media came after the journalist, leading her to clarify her original intent. Gardiner stated on her Twitter:

But the public wasn’t satisfied with her clarification as journalist Margaret Gardiner received more social media backlash. As a response, she hopped on her Twitter again to issue a formal apology to Daniel Kaluuya. Gardiner said to the Black Panther star:

As it was pointed out in Indiewire, journalist Margaret Gardiner appeared to realize her snafu and tried to correct it. Unfortunately, the HFPA journalist was unable to recover, leading to the viral moment. The viral moment was a downturn in an otherwise celebratory moment for the Black Panther star. And of course, the internet has thoughts.

Daniel Kalyuua and Margaret Gardiner’s exchange was another memorable moment at an otherwise bland Oscars. Per Kalyuua’s usual personality, the Oscar winner took the moment in stride. Hopefully, this moment won’t be tainted either his or the journalist's career going forward.

The 2021 Academy Awards was always going to be an odd year for the Oscars considering how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the film industry. Blockbusters were pushed back, more movies went to streaming than ever, and a majority of award ceremonies leading up to the industry’s biggest night largly took place over Zoom. The 93rd Academy Awards became the first major event during the season to happen in person, and while it wasn’t the most flashy of shows in the event's long history, it definitely had its share of moments to remember.

The award show will likely be remembered for Glenn Close getting down, more diversity in winners, and calls of social justice from Hollywood favorites. Let’s break down the most memorable parts of the 2021 Oscars:

Regina King Makes A Breathtaking Entrance Through Union Station

One Night In Miami director and Oscar-winning actress Regina King kicked off the night with a sleek opening moment that had the camera tracking her walking up to the stage at Los Angeles’ Union Station as the opening credits rolled for the show. It was a breathtaking reveal to the Academy Awards’ unique setup. Although King had a small trip on the stage, her tremendous presence in lieu of an Oscar host for the third year in a row more than made up for the small flub. The opening was simple, but started things off on a delightful note nonetheless.

Daniel Kaluuya Hilariously Tells Everyone His Parents Had Sex

Daniel Kaluuya took home one of the early Oscars of the night with his Best Supporting Actor win for his depiction of Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton in Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah. During his speech, the actor gave moving words about portraying the important social justice leader before showing a bit of his sense of humor. He capped off the speech by sharing his excitement to celebrate his win… and reminding everyone that his mom and dad had sex and “that’s amazing.” It created a hilarious reaction shot where his sister covered her face and his mom mouthing, “what is he talking about” in hilarious disbelief.

Chloe Zhao Makes Oscar History With Her Best Director Win

The Oscars have long been criticized for its lack of diversity among its nominees, with a particular emphasis in recent years being placed on the Best Director category. This year was already a historical one for the Academy Awards, with two female directors being nominated in the same year for the first time: Nomadland’s Chloe Zhao and Promising Young Woman’s Emerald Fennell. Zhao took the prize, becoming the second woman to win the Best Director award ever, and the first woman of color to not only be nominated, but take home the prize. Before her, Kathryn Bigelow won for 2009’s The Hurt Locker.

Yuh-Jung Youn's Cute Moment With Brad Pitt

This year’s Best Supporting Actress category was packed with talent, including Olivia Colman, Glenn Close, Amanda Seyfried and Borat 2 breakout Maria Bakalova. The Oscar went to Minari’s Yuh-Jung Youn, a 73-year-old South Korean actress who has been performing for over 50 years. The award was presented by Brad Pitt and as she accepted the trophy she shared how excited she was to “finally” meet the famous leading man. She also gave a moving speech that had us all falling in love with her even deeper following her incredible performance in Minari.

Tyler Perry Urges People To ‘Refuse Hate’ During Honorary Award

Between his Madea franchise and the studio he founded in Atlanta, Tyler Perry has built his own empire within Hollywood over the past 20 years. At tonight's Oscar ceremony, he accepted the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award with a gripping speech about rejecting hate amidst a year that will be gravely remembered for social justice protests. In an especially poignant message during the telecast, he shared the following:

It was a beautiful moment for the writer, actor, producer and director as he accepted the prestigious humanitarian award.

Glenn Close Winning Oscar Trivia And Doing "Da Butt"

This year’s Academy Awards was lacking in comedic bits , but Lil Rel Howery did come out in the third act of the show to challenge Oscar nominees to some trivia regarding famous music from the telecast’s history. First, the comedian picked on Andra Day regarding Prince’s “Purple Rain,” which had her calling out the Oscars with a bleeped out response. After Daniel Kaluuya took a crack at the game, the mic then went to eight-time nominee Glenn Close who correctly remembered the "Da Butt" song from School Daze before shaking her own butt for the dance. It was an unexpected flex from the 74-year-old, but much respect.

Frances McDormand Gives Her Best Wolf Cry For Nomadland Winning The Night

The show closed out with two major wins for Nomadland, with Frances McDormand taking home her third acting Oscar for her role as Fern, along with sharing the Best Picture honor as a producer on the critically-acclaimed movie. While the actress was short and sweet during her acting speech, she took a moment during the Best Picture acceptance to let out a glorious wolf howl into Union Station. It was a lovely moment and fitting considering the movie had the most wins of the 2021 Oscars.

What did you think of the ceremony? Vote in our poll below and check out where you can watch this year’s highlighted films here on CinemaBlend.

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Daniel Kaluuya picked up an Oscar earlier tonight for his incredible performance in Judas And The Black Messiah. The victory was well-earned, and let the record show, his speech delivered too. The talented actor touched on a wide variety of subjects during his thank-you, including all the talented people he worked with, the tragically short life of Fred Hampton, how much work everyone has left to do in the fight for social justice and to add a little comedy, his parents having sex.

Spelled out like that, the whole thing sounds like a disorganized mess, but it was actually quite touching and had a nice flow to it. In fact, it’s probably a testament to how well the speech worked that it led to a ton of tweets about the inspiring social justice content and also a ton of tweets about the sex reference. You can check out the speech in its entirety below…

In Judas And The Black Messiah, Daniel Kaluuya played Fred Hampton, the Chairman of the Black Panther Party. The activist fought for better housing, better access to education and better treatment from the police, among many other things. He was killed during a police raid in Chicago in 1969. He was just twenty-one years old. The City of Chicago, Cook County and the Federal Government later paid more than a million dollars to Hampton's family and others who were killed or injured during the raid.

It's not surprising Kaluuya brought Hampton up during his speech. It's pretty common for winning actors to thank the real life person they're playing, but that's not the only way to do it. There's no single formula to create a good Oscar speech. Some people stay on topic. Some people barely talk about the movie they won for at all. Some people ramble until the orchestra plays them off (though that wasn’t an issue tonight), and some people say as little as possible (shoutout Joe Pesci). Really, the two things I look for are authenticity and trying to make some kind of connection with the audience. Kaluuya’s speech works so well because he clearly does both. He comes off as very humble, relatable and down to Earth. None of it feels like an act. Beyond that, you can really feel the audience hanging on every word.

People definitely responded very well to the content of his speech and particularly the section where he said there’s still so much work left to do. It was getting cut up and passed around social media quite a bit. And of course the sex moment was too, particularly because of the reaction shot of his mother and sister. Check out the gif below…

Daniel Kaluuya is great. He’s incredibly talented, and should have an incredibly long career ahead of him. I’m not going to preemptively predict more awards in his future because you never quite know what people will respond to, but it’s hard to imagine a future in which he’s not churning out incredible performances on a regular basis. He’s just too talented, and with a personality like this, who wouldn't want to work with him?

The Saturday Night Live monologue is the weakest element during a lot of shows. Standing on stage by yourself and talking is not traditionally something many people are comfortable with, and it’s a particularly difficult proposition if you’re more used to drama or basketball or music or anything else that’s not comedy. A small minority of hosts, however, look comfortable almost immediately. Add Daniel Kaluuya to that list. The two-time Oscar nominee absolutely rocked his monologue and in a blistering three and a half minutes or so, took aim at a number of targets including The Royal Family, racism and even his own Golden Globes acceptance speech or lack thereof. He also found time to pay tribute to cast member Kenan Thompson and his Nickelodeon show Kenan & Kel.

The problem is traditionally one of pace. If you’re not used to talking by yourself and connecting with a live crowd, it’s tough to generate any kind of momentum, but Daniel Kaluuya was really able to do that during his speech last night. He told some good jokes about timely topics he’s uniquely fit to speak on (British vs American racism, the Royal Family being scared the baby would look like him) and did so with confidence. He didn’t linger too long on any particular subject, incorporated references relevant to himself (Get Out’s Sunken Place) and got the right level of honest and sentimental at the end. It’s a real crisp and well-performed monologue. You can check it out below...

It’s also nice to see Kenan Thompson get a little love for his influence in the sketch comedy game. He’s obviously very well-respected as the longest tenured SNL cast member in history, but his influence goes all the way back to his work as a teenager on Nickelodeon’s All That and later, Kenan & Kel. I’m sure he influenced a ton of people to get into comedy. It feels right that SNL should call that out every now and again.

Beyond his monologue, Daniel Kaluuya was also great in the rest of the Saturday Night Live episode. He took a key role in a number of sketches and in a tribute to his range and willingness to go with it, played a wide variety of different characters including a sexually adventurous upright bass player and a guy at a dog park who gets into an argument over what dogs sound like. Throughout the night, he maximized the humor in a majority of his lines, as his delivery was mostly excellent. You can see that in particular in this sketch where he plays an angry dad who just found out his son changed his major from pre-med to creative writing.

I have no idea how much this episode will spread outside SNL fans into the larger popular culture since there wasn’t a ton of buzzy political sketches or topical material (apart from Pete Davidson doing a Matt Gaetz impression), but I’d love to see Kaluuya back again as SNL host in the near future. He’s confident, capable of doing a lot of different things and clearly has a willingness to get weird.

Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield are two remarkably talented actors who are only just at the start of their careers, and what's interesting is that they seem to be sprinting together. They first had the opportunity to work together on Jordan Peele's Get Out, and now, four years after that film was released, they have both received Oscar nominations for their respective performances in Shaka King's Judas And The Black Messiah. From an outside perspective they seem to have a cool pair thing going, but that's a funny idea when you consider how different the two experiences were for LaKeith Stanfield during the productions.

As the actor pointed out during a recent interview with NME, his role in Get Out may be incredibly memorable, but it didn't actually take all that long to shoot. Because of this, LaKeith Stanfield didn't spend all that much time on the set of the Jordan Peele movie, hence he didn't have much of an opportunity to strike up a relationship with Daniel Kaluuya. Said Stanfield,

When you put the two movies side-by-side, it's not precisely a challenge to recognize what LaKeith Stanfield is talking about here. He may stand out in your mind as having a big supporting role in Get Out, but in truth he is only in two scenes: the opening sequence where he is kidnapped, and the big party thrown by the Armitages. He does have a big moment with Daniel Kaluuya's Chris, and is the one who gets to say the title of the movie in dialogue, but his total runtime isn't precisely considerable all things considered.

With Judas And The Black Messiah on the other hand, the conversation couldn't be more different. In the film, LaKeith Stanfield plays an FBI informant who is tasked with infiltrating the Black Panthers and getting close to Illinois Chapter President Fred Hampton – played by Daniel Kaluuya. The relationship between the characters is the primary source of drama in the film, requiring the two stars to work together closely.

Of course, if we zoom back to a macro perspective, the developing formula here seems to be that when LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya are in a movie together, that movie gets Academy Award attention. Get Out was nominated in four categories during the 2018 Oscars, winning for Best Original Screenplay; and Judas And The Black Messiah has picked up six nominations, including two in the Best Supporting Actor category for Stanfield and Kaluuya (exactly how that math works out is a mystery, but here we are).

To find out if Judas And The Black Messiah takes home one or more Oscars, you'll just have to tune into the show, which is scheduled to air on ABC on April 25.

Awards season nominations can be weird, especially when it comes to classifying where a particular performance and film should go. The Golden Globes have had their controversies, when movies like The Martian are classified as Comedies, and the Oscars are no stranger to such abnormalities. In particular, the difference between a performance for lead and supporting actors/actresses has led to some interesting scuffles, and the nominations for the 93rd Academy Awards are no exception. While both LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya being nominated for Judas and the Black Messiah is a well deserved honor to their performances, the fact that they’re both nominated for Best Supporting Actor has me wondering what the heck is going on.

The core of Judas and the Black Messiah’s narrative is the true story of Bill O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) and how he infiltrated and compromised the chapter of the Black Panthers led by Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya.) Director/co-writer Shaka King’s telling of this story aims its primary focus on O’Neal’s efforts to undermine the revolutionary group on-behalf of the FBI, while a profile of Hampton’s personal life is more of a supporting focus for the tale being told. In that recap alone, you can see where the potential problem is when it comes to this year’s Academy Awards nominations.

I totally agree that Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield should both be nominated for Judas and the Black Messiah. And there’s always a temptation around Oscar season to blur the lines between which performances to submit for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor honors. Even with that knowledge of strategic submissions, I still can’t get over the fact that Kaluuya and Stanfield somehow both would be nominated as Best Supporting Actors in a film that surely has a leading character.

The way I see it, Judas and the Black Messiah treats Bill O’Neal as its functional lead. Between bookending the film with moments calling back to an interview O’Neal gave about his time in the Black Panthers, and the focus primarily being paid to LaKeith Stanfield’s portrayal of the actual man, his performance should have obviously been submitted for a Best Actor nomination. Meanwhile, Daniel Kaluuya’s Fred Hampton is a textbook case of a prime Best Supporting Actor role, as his sheer magnetism anchors the film with a secondary lead that compliments the story of O’Neal’s betrayal.

Any interpretation of how Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield’s performances in Judas and the Black Messiah should have been nominated would most likely lead to the same conclusion: one of them should have gotten a Best Actor nomination so as to differentiate their contributions to the film overall. By nominating both actors in the Best Supporting category, it’s akin to saying that there was some other performance/character, other than Fred Hampton and Bill O’Neal, at the head of that film’s story. The more I think about that last sentence, the more my head spins. And make no mistake, this isn't an oversight by Warner Bros, as the studio's official For Your Consideration campaign clearly submitted Stanfield for Best Actor, along with Kaluuya and Jesse Plemons for Best Supporting Actor.

The Academy Awards has made some interesting choices when it comes to who it potentially honors as Lead and Supporting Actors. Who could forget last year’s race, when The Irishman had apparently no Lead Actor performance of any sort of importance, but was double nominated for Best Supporting Actor? And then there’s that moment where Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer were obviously swapped in the distinction of who should have been the Best Actress/Supporting Actress nominees in The Help, as Spencer was a functional co-lead, while Davis was a comparatively reduced presence in the film? That last decision handed Octavia Spencer the win, which only highlights the game that’s played when submitting your high power talent for awards consideration.

This time, at least from where I’m standing, the game is lost no matter what happens. Judas and the Black Messiah showcased two powerfully moving performances from actors at the top of their game. With Daniel Kaluuya lighting up the screen as Fred Hampton, and LaKeith Stanfield digging into the nuance and subtle shades to Bill O’Neal, their roles are inseparable in their chemistry and their effectiveness. But according to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, they’re both supporting roles, playing to a larger lead that we’re not privy to know about. Which is a shame, because they’re both actors who deserve to be talked about alongside each other, as opposed to being pitted in direct competition. And if you had any doubt who should be in which position, just look at the film's title, and match those biblically charged names to the characters you saw in the film. It can't get any clearer than that.

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Acting can be an extremely stressful profession. Some of the best in the business commit to their characters so much that it can be difficult to leave them behind. Judas and The Black Messiah star LaKeith Stanfield recently revealed the filming of his latest movie, Judas and the Black Messiah, was so intense that it caused the actor to have anxiety attacks.

There will be major spoilers for Judas and the Black Messiah below, so if you haven't caught the film yet, read on at your own risk!

In a recent interview with LEVEL, Get Out star LaKeith Stanfield discloses that the process of filming one particularly intense scene in Judas And The Black Messiah wound up taking a serious toll on his mental health, ultimately resulting in a physical reaction. As he put it,

Stanfield notes that the whole version of the scene in question didn’t make it into the final cut of the film, but it still caused him some pretty serious mental trauma. He goes on to say that he suspects the filming of Judas and the Black Messiah has something to do with his recent stress and panic attacks.

It makes sense, considering just how intense and tragic the ending of Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah is. LaKeith Stanfield plays William O'Neil, an FBI informant who is embedded with the Black Panther party during the late ‘60s. Despite being considered a close confidant of Black Panther leader Frank Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), O'Neil provided information that led to a police raid and Hampton’s subsequent assassination.

Judas and the Black Messiah has seen some seriously high praise for its talented cast and direction from Shaka King. LaKeith Standfield’s co-star Daniel Kaluuya was recently nominated for a Golden Globe and SAG award for his supporting performance as Fred Hampton to boot.

While it was no walk in the park for LaKeith Stanfield to film such an intense movie, hopefully his commitment to character will pay off, as Oscar nominations are on the horizon and it wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if we saw Judas and the Black Messiah get a lot of love.

Jordan Peele’s Get Out is highly regarded by many as one of the best films of the 2010s. The film was a smash hit, and one of the reasons for its success was Daniel Kaluuya's portrayal of photographer Chris Washington. However, it turns out Kaluuya still missed out on one key component of the film -- an invitation to the actual premiere.

Get Out provided Daniel Kaluuya with his breakthrough role in Hollywood, and it placed him on Hollywood’s A-list, giving him the chance to be in films such as Judas and the Black Messiah. During Get Out's original release, it seemed as though Kaluuya was able to soak in the entire experience but, as he recently explained on The Graham Norton Show, he unfortunately missed the opportunity to attend the premiere. And according to the actor, he was already making room for the event:

It's definitely a surprise to hear that Daniel Kaluuya didn't make it to the Get Out premiere, especially since he was the lead. Even Graham Norton and his guests seemed shocked by the revelation. Still, Kaluuya could only laugh about the situation and attribute to the experience of being in Hollywood. He summed up the the matter with a simple line:

Despite his jokes, Daniel Kaluuya’s may have actually disappointed that he missed out on the event, but his light-hearted attitude on the matter speak to his maturity. One really has to wonder what happened when it came to scheduling for the Sundance premiere. Needless to say, that was a major oversight on someone's part. Still, it's good to see the actor appears to handle it well, and his work was still seen and enjoyed by many, earning him some serious awards recognition in the process.

Daniel Kaluuya is, however, getting more than his just due for his amazing performance as Fred Hampton Judas and the Black Messiah, in which he stars alongsideLaKeith Stanfield. Coming up the actor will likely be reprising his role as W'Kabi in the Black Panther sequel, and he recently spoke about how the cast and crew are moving forwarrd after the death of Chadwick Boseman.

It's a shame Daniel Kaluuya didn't make it to the Get Out premiere, but you can be that with his star power growing (and his reveal of this mistake), it likely won't happen again. And with so many projects lined up, he'll likely have more than a few premieres to attend, once the COVID-19 pandemic eases of course. If you want to revisit his performance, you can stream Get Out on Hulu.

With powerful performances by LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya, Judas and the Black Messiah is a raw look at being Black in America. Not only is the story depicted in the film true, making it that much harder (and relevant) to watch, but it’s set in the 60s and history seems to keep repeating itself. The Lucas Brothers, writers of the film’s story, spoke out about African Americans not being perceived as human.

Judas and the Black Messiah follows William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield) as he becomes a double agent of sorts. Accepting a plea deal to stay out of prison, O’Neal joins the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party to help the police take down (and ultimately kill) Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya). When I sat down with Keith and Kenny Lucas for an interview with CinemaBlend, the three of us discussed Hampton’s age and him not being seen as human by the people who killed him. Here’s what the Lucas Brothers said:

Fred Hampton was a 21-year-old college kid when he was assassinated. He wasn’t a criminal. He was a person who spoke out against police brutality and fought to keep his community safe from being senselessly murdered. He had a family. He was in love. But he was painted as a dangerous threat that needed to be neutralized, by his own government. As the Lucas Brothers shared:

Judas and the Black Messiah humanizes Hampton by taking the time to strip him of the militant Black Panther caricature and depict him as a real, fully developed person. The Lucas brothers have a lot more stories to tell, and they’re just two of the many people working to change the overall perception of African Americans. Although this film hurt my soul and made me cry, I loved it and I’m so glad it’s been told in the way that it has. It gives hope to those of us who have to choose where we live and how we act based on how the people around us perceive the color of our skin.

You can see Judas and the Black Messiah in select theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Let me know in the comments the titles of other films that stirred an emotion deep in your soul like an emotional wrecking ball.

When you think of the Black Panther Party, what comes to mind? No, not Black Panther the film (although it’s one of my favorites), I mean the Black Panther organization. If you’ve heard of this group, you might think them militant, and maybe their uniforms come to mind associated with aggression. The way they have been perceived over the years is far from the party’s mission, and Judas and the Black Messiah seeks to change that.

Judas and the Black Messiah gives an inside look at the Chicago, Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, when it was led by Chairman Fred Hampton. I got to sit down with Keith and Kenny Lucas, the writers of the story, for an interview with CinemaBlend, and they elaborated on how the film gives an accurate portrayal of Fred Hampton and changes how the group is perceived. Here’s what Keith Lucas shared:

The Black Panther party was originally founded in 1966 by Heuy P. Newton and Bobby Seale (you may recognize this name from The Trial of the Chicago 7) to patrol African American neighborhoods and protect residents from police brutality. Fred Hampton fought to keep his community safe, and as Keith Lucas mentioned, to uplift his community. Kenny Lucas touched on Hampton’s demeanor with the following:

While Fred Hampton was a man about unity and love, he was forceful with his message though he never intended to harm. Daniel Kaluuya gives a powerful performance as he portrays Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah. Kaluuya captures that forcefulness, but also the tenderness in ways that will leave audiences speechless.

Judas and the Black Messiah is now available in select theaters and streaming on HBO Max. If you love Daniel Kaluuya like I do, here are more performances of his to check out. Plan your weekends ahead of time with all the new WB movies coming to HBO Max this year.

There are few movies receiving as much as attention as Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah thanks to the biographical drama’s heartbreaking retelling of the events that led to the assassination of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton and the struggles of the African-American community in late 1960s. The Judas and the Black Messiah cast, which includes Daniel Kaluuya as impassioned activist and LaKeith Stanfield as the criminal-turned-informant who provided the FBI with information on the Black Panthers, is another reason the movie is receiving so much buzz.

And outside of the two main leads, Judas and the Black Messiah has a cast that is absolutely stacked with actors who have appeared everywhere from The West Wing to Fargo and from Atlanta to The Wire. But with so many faces — both the known and unknown — being featured throughout the tense drama, keeping up with everyone isn’t the easiest of tasks. That being said, we’ve put together a list of the cast and where you’ve sen them before.

Daniel Kaluuya (Fred Hampton)

Daniel Kaluuya’s portrayal of Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah has already earned the British actor several awards nominations with more surely on the way. This, however, isn’t anything new for Kaluuya, who has previously received recognition for his roles in Get Out and Queen & Slim, with the former earning him an Oscar nomination at the 90th Academy Awards in 2018. In addition the those roles, Kaluuya has also shown up in movies like Black Panther, Sicario, and Widows, which happened to be set in Chicago.

LaKeith Stanfield (William O’Neal)

Prior to showing up as William O’Neal, the FBI informant who infiltrated the Black Panther Party in the in order to get a lightened sentence, LaKeith Stanfield made a name for himself in movies like Selma, Dope, and Straight Outta Compton, but his turn as Darius Epps on the FX series Atlanta and appearance in Get Out kicked things up a notch. Since then, Stanfield has given outstanding performances in everything from the surrealist dark comedy Sorry to Bother You, the anxiety-inducing Uncut Gems, and farcical whodunit Knives Out.

Jesse Plemons (Roy Mitchell)

You can’t have a movie about the FBI taking advantage of someone’s misfortune without having an overbearing handler like Jesse Plemons’ Roy Mitchell in Judas and the Black Messiah. Plemons’ career has taken him from Paul Walker’s younger brother in the 1999 football drama Varsity Blues which he followed with a big role on the 2006 television adaptation of Friday Night Lights. Since then, Plemons has had roles on shows like Breaking Bad and Fargo, as well as in movies like The Irishman and I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Dominique Fishback (Deborah Johnson)

Dominique Fishback has said that taking on the role of Deborah Johnson, the fiancée of Fred Hampton and mother of his son, was a transformative experience that changed her life. And if buzz surrounding her performance is to be believed, this is the start of the next chapter in the young actresses’ already successful career. Since making her acting debut on The Knick in 2013, Fishback has gone on to have a major role on the HBO series The Deuce as well as Jamie Foxx’s 2020 superhero drama Project Power.

Ashton Sanders (Jimmy Palmer)

Ashton Sanders shows up as Jimmy Palmer, a member of the Black Panther Party in Judas and the Black Messiah, but you wouldn’t be wrong if you thought you’ve seen young actor before. Sanders appeared in Straight Outta Compton in 2015, but he properly entered the spotlight the following year with a career-making performance as the teenage version of Chiron in the Academy Award-winning coming-of-age drama Moonlight. Sanders has since gone on to become a series regular as The RZA on Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga, which follows the rise of legendary hip hop group the Wu-Tang Clan.

Martin Sheen (J. Edgar Hoover)

Under all that makeup is Martin Sheen playing former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in Judas and the Black Messiah. Perhaps the most prolific name attached to Shaka King’s moving drama, Sheen has appeared in hundreds of movies, shows, documentaries, and other productions over the course of his decades-spanning career. From Apocalypse Now to The Departed and The West Wing to Grace and Frankie, Sheen has been a longtime fixture of Hollywood, one who continues to turn out great performances even as he turns 80 years old.

Darrell Britt-Gibson (Bobby Rush)

It is rare to see a movie these days that doesn’t feature at least one member of the cast of The Wire, and Judas and the Black Messiah is no exception. Portraying Black Panther Party Chicago chapter co-founder (and future U.S. Congressman) Bobby Rush is Darrell Britt-Gibson, who took on the role of Darius “O-Dog” Hill on David Simon’s crime series in the show’s final two seasons. More recently, Britt-Gibson has shown up in movies like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Just Mercy, and The Unicorn, as well as shows like Barry and You’re The Worst.

Lil Rel Howery (Wayne)

If you didn’t know any better, you would think Judas and the Black Messiah was a reunion for the cast of Get Out considering the presence of the film’s two leads as well as Lil Rel Howery, who played Rod Williams in Jordan Peele’s 2017 socially-charged horror drama. Prior to taking on the role of Wayne in the 2021 biographical drama, the actor and comedian found success in movies like Bird Box, Bad Trip, and Good Boys, as well as roles on shows like Insecure, Lip Sync Battle, and his own 2018 comedy Rel.

Algee Smith (Jake Winters)

Algee Smith, who plays Black Panther Party member Jake Winters in Judas and the Black Messiah has been on a role as of late with his leading role of Chris McKay on the HBO drama Euphoria. This has been a long time in the making for the singer and actor who found success with his portrayal of Ralph Tresvant in the 2017 miniseries The New Edition Story and its 2018 followup The Bobby Brown Story. Besides that, Smith has given outstanding performances in The Hate U Give and Detroit.

Jermaine Fowler (Mark Clark)

Portraying Mark Clark, the other member of the Black Panther Party’s Chicago chapter caught in the crossfire of the December 1969 raid is Jermaine Fowler, the up-and-coming comedian and actor who has been making a name for himself in recent years. Starting with Guy Code in 2012, Fowler has shown up on everything from Crashing to Superior Donuts, and will soon have a role of a lifetime when he portrays Lavelle, the son of Eddie Murphy’s Akeem in Coming 2 America.

Dominique Thorne (Judy Harmon)

Prior to her appearance in the Judas and the Black Messiah, in which she plays Black Panther Party member Judy Harmon, Dominique Thorne only appeared in one movie: If Beale Street Could Talk. The world will soon see much more of the young actress as she is set to take on the role of Riri Williams, aka Ironheart in the upcoming Disney+ original series Ironheart.

Robert Longstreet (Leslie Carlyle)

Robert Longstreet takes up the role of FBI Agent Leslie Carlyle in Judas and the Black Messiah, but you were probably busy wondering if that was the same guy from Doctor Sleep and The Haunting of Hill House whenever he was on screen. Spoiler alert: that was him. Over the years, Longstreet has been a part of the cast of movies like Pineapple Express and The Old Man & the Gun as well as countless smaller roles on shows like Matlock and Dawson’s Creek.

Terayle Hill (George Sams)

Judas and the Black Messiah is full of portrayals of some of the Black Panther Party’s most notable members, including George Sams, who is portrayed here by Terayle Hill. Probably best known for portraying Trey on Cobra Kai, Hill has spent much of the past six years showing up on shows like The Quad and Step Up: High Water.

Amari Cheatom (Collins)

Amari Cheatom, who plays Collins in Judas and the Black Messiah is another member of the film’s cast that has appeared in a number of culturally significant movies over the years. With credits that include Django Unchained, Crown Heights, Detroit, and Night Catches Us to his name, Cheatom has made a name for himself in hard-hitting dramas based on historical events or set in pivotal times in American history.

Caleb Eberhardt (Bob Lee)

Caleb Eberhardt, who plays Bob Lee in Judas and the Black Messiah, only kickstarted his career within the past decade but has already earned roles in some pretty big productions. With roles in movies like The Post and Black Christmas as well as television shows like The Deuce and Happy!, the young actor is making his mark.

With a cast as talented as the one that brings the characters (both real and imagined) to life in Judas and the Black Messiah it is shocking that they weren’t nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast. But hey, the movies that were nominated, including The Trial of the Chicago 7 more than earn their recognition.

Last August news broke that Chadwick Boseman tragically passed away at the age of 43. Since his passing there have been a number of celebrities in the entertainment industry that have spoken out about the legacy and impact the Black Panther star left on Hollywood. Daniel Kaluuya, who also worked on Black Panther, is the latest to share his thoughts on Black Panther 2 moving forward without Boseman.

In a recent interview the Get Out star shared his opinions on how the MCU has decided to continue without Boseman while admiring his commitment to the screen, despite the circumstances. He described those complicated feelings, saying:

On The Ringer’s Higher Learning podcast Daniel Kaluuya shared his respect for Boseman’s quiet fight and the determination to give everything to viewers. He went on to acknowledge that the Golden Globe nominated actor’s legacy is more than just his Black Panther character:

Daniel Kaluuya’s comments come on the heels of Chadwick Boseman’s record-breaking Golden Globe nominations. He recently earned a total of four nominations, the most for a single actor in the history of the ceremony, for his performances in Netflix’s Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods. On top of the historical Golden Globes nominations, he earned similar recognition for multiple categories at the 2021 Screen Actors Guild Awards.

While Hollywood continues to mourn the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman, Marvel has already outlined how it will be moving forward with Black Panther 2. Marvel executive Kevin Feige released a statement promising that there would be no CGI involved and deferred to director Ryan Coogler’s script of the upcoming sequel to handle Boseman’s absence with the respect it deserves.

Multiple MCU co-stars have joined in paying tribute to the late actor, including a heartfelt message from Robert Downey Jr. and Don Cheadle at the MTV Movie And TV Awards. Even though the MCU won’t be the same without Chadwick Boseman as T’challa, one thing is clear based on the outpouring of support, his legacy, much like Wakanda, is forever.

Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield, who previously appeared together in the 2017 film Get Out, have teamed up once again for Judas and the Black Messiah. Judas and the Black Messiah, directed by Shaka King, tells the story of William O’Neal (LaKeith Stanfield), a petty criminal, who agrees to work undercover for the FBI to infiltrate the Black Panther party and take down revolutionary leader Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).

Judas and the Black Messiah debuts in theaters and on HBO Max on February 12th, and now the critiques have started rolling in.

CinemaBlend's own Eric Eisenberg saw the film, and he is mostly singing the movie's praises. He gave Judas and the Black Messiah four out of five stars and praised many aspects of the film, including the lead performances and the HBO Max film's powerful story. He said:

Peter Debruge from Variety calls the film “powerful” and predicts it will be an Oscar contender, while also praising the performances, specifically that of LaKeith Stanfield. Peter continues:

Jimi Famurewa from Empire also praised Stanfield’s performance, as well as many other aspects of Judas and the Black Messiah, including the writing, the cinematography, the score, and, again, the other actors’ performances. (I'm sensing a theme.) He goes on to say:

The performances continue to be commended across the board. David Rooney from The Hollywood Reporter noted the "sensational" performances from Kaluuya and Stanfield, while commenting on the currency of the story's themes. He continues, saying:

Not all critics were overwhelmingly enthusiastic about the film. Robert Daniels of The Playlist touches on Kaluuya's "electric" performance, but says that O'Neal, played by Stanfield, "just isn't a compelling character." He continues, saying:

Though certainly met with some criticism, the response to Judas and the Black Messiah seems to be mostly positive so far, but we'll have to wait until moviegoers see the film to find out if that momentum continues.

Judas and the Black Messiah debuts in theaters and on HBO Max on February 12th, and in the meantime check out CinemaBlends guide to every movie coming out in 2021.

As we look ahead to the early months of 2021, few upcoming releases have us more excited than writer/director Shaka King’s Judas And The Black Messiah. While the movie doesn’t have a specific set release date just yet, it’s expected to hit theaters/HBO Max before this year’s unusual Academy Awards deadline, and the debut trailer that launched during the summer has us thinking that it will definitely be a contender. A big part of what has us filled with so much anticipation is just the outrageously talented cast that has been put together – and only further hyping that aspect is the revelation that every star was King’s first choice.

Though they have no actual direct involvement with Judas And The Black Messiah other than being fans of the film, Gabrielle Union-Wade and her husband Dwyane Wade hosted a special Instagram Live session with Shaka King this afternoon, and during the half hour conversation one subject explored at length was the all-star ensemble that has been put together. Lakeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya play the principals, and there is extreme talent playing the supporting roles, including Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Thorne, Darrell Britt-Gibson, and more. The filmmaker had nothing but great things to say about the cast, and added the enticing detail that he had each and every one of them in mind when he was penning the script:

Described by the director as an undercover thriller in the style of Martin Scorsese’s The Departed or Mike Newell’s Donnie Brasco, Judas and The Black Messiah chronicles the true story of how a small-time criminal named William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield) was convinced by the FBI to work as an informant specifically focusing on the actions of the Black Panther Party and its chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya).

Despite being a massive chapter in the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, this is a story that has never been told in a feature film – though we did just see Fred Hampton portrayed by actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. a couple months ago in Aaron Sorkin’s Netflix film The Trial Of The Chicago 7. That movie only featured Hampton in an extremely minor role, however, and Judas And The Black Messiah is a movie that will put the revolutionary front and center.

According to Shaka King, his entire cast put in extreme effort in the making of the film, and he makes it sound like he is exceptionally proud of their work. The writer/director continued,

In addition to all the names mentioned, Judas And The Black Messiah also stars Martin Sheen, Lil Rel Howery, and Jermaine Fowler.

As mentioned earlier, Warner Bros. has not yet announced a firm release date for the buzzed-about period drama, but just like every film on their 2021 slate it will be getting a day-and-date release in theaters and on HBO Max. We’re eagerly anticipating news of when the movie will arrive, so stay tuned for the latest updates about Judas And The Black Messiah here on CinemaBlend.

Ever since breaking out in Jordan Peele's 2017 dark comedy horror instant classic Get Out, Daniel Kaluuya has become one of the most recognizable and versatile young faces in Hollywood. The English born actor has gone on to take more villainous roles in films like Widows where he played a ruthless Chicago criminal, Black Panther where he played the tortured former best friend of the Wakandan king, and the modern-day Bonnie & Clyde story that was Queen & Slim.

With so many great performances (and nominations at the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Screen Actors Guild for Get Out), some may be wondering right now what's ahead for Daniel Kaluuya. Well, anyone asking that question to themselves right now is in for some great news because the talented and charismatic actor has quite a few projects down the road. With the eventual release of a biographical drama about the Black Panther Party in Chicago, a new version of a classic children's program, and so much more, there future looks bright for the rising star.

A Christmas Carol - December 4, 2020 (UK)

There is no such thing as too many adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, especially versions that sound as interesting as Jacqui Morris' soon-to-be-released theatrical release that uses a combination of talented dancers who are voiced by an all-star cast that includes Andy Serkis, Carey Mulligan, Martin Freeman, and Daniel Kaluuya as the voice of the Ghost of Christmas Present. According to Deadline, this unique re-telling of the classic Christmas story starts with a Victorian family preparing a toy theatre performance of Dickens' masterpiece, with the live-action dancers (and voices) coming from the imagination of one of the children.

Production on this new version of A Christmas Carol has already been completed and the project was originally slated to be released in the United Kingdom starting November 20, 2020, but due to theaters still being closed or forced to only allow limited audiences, the release has been pushed back to December 4, 2020, according to RadioTimes. There is no word on when A Christmas Carol will be released in the United States, but with the timeless story, revolutionary presentation, and all-star voice cast, it should only be a matter of time.

Judas And The Black Messiah - February 12, 2021

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Daniel Kaluuya has a good chance of getting another nomination at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and other major awards shows for his role in Shaka King's upcoming biographical drama Judas and the Black Messiah. In the story based on the Black Panther Party in Chicago in the late 1960s, Kaluuya portrays Fred Hampton, the young activist and chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, as well as the national deputy chairman, who was assassinated in a 1969 raid conducted by the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, the Chicago Police Department, and the FBI.

The movie, which was originally supposed to be released in August 2020, will center around Daniel Kaluuya's Fred Hampton as well as Lakeith Stanfield's William O'Neal, a petty criminal who became a confidential informant for the FBI and was tasked with taking out the revolutionary leader. If the final product ends up being anywhere as tense and poignant as the trailer released over the summer, Judas and the Black Messiah will be a tour de force that no one should miss and one that people will certainly be talking about for quite some time. Also, if Dominique Fishback, who plays Hampton's fiancée Deborah Johnson, said making the movie changed her life, you know it's going to be good.

Production on Judas and the Black Messiah, which also features Jesse Plemons, Ashton Sanders, Martin Sheen, and Lil Rel Howery, got underway in Cleveland in October 2019 before wrapping in December of that year. The volatile drama was going to hit theaters on August 21, 2020, but Warner Bros. decided to postpone the release in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Judas and the Black Messiah is now expected to drop in early 2021, but no date has been confirmed at this point.

The Upper World - TBD

The adaptation of Young Adult novels has been a tried and true model in Hollywood for a number of years now, and it appears Daniel Kaluuya will soon be one of the producers and actors to attempt at reaching new heights with a recently announced Netflix project. In August 2020, Variety reported that Kaluuya would serve as both a producer and star of the adaptation of Femi Fadugba's forthcoming novel The Upper World, which is set to come out in 2021. The film adaptation will see Kaluuya take on the role of Esso, the book's main character who discovers he has the power to catch glimpses of the past and future. Over the course of the novel, Esso meets Rhia, a girl living in the year 2035, who must work with the time-bending lead to avert a disaster that occurred more than decade earlier.

Details on The Upper World's production schedule, as well as who will star alongside Daniel Kaluuya in the upcoming fantasy film, largely remain a mystery at this time, but with Netflix Films vice president Tendo Nagenda expressing to Variety just how excited he is to be able to tell the story makes it seem like the movie will be something we hear about quite a bit in the near future.

Barney (Producer) - TBD

As all of the former '90s kids start to grow up and become adults and parents of their own, it is only a matter of time before every staple of life back then makes its way to the big screen. We have seen it with the Power Rangers movies and most recently and more successfully with Sonic the Hedgehog, but now it looks like another, and less obvious children's program will soon take to the silver screen. Back in October 2019, The Guardian newspaper reported that Daniel Kaluuya and Mattel were teaming up for a live-action Barney & Friends film adaptation. When the project was announced, Kaluuya told the publication he was excited to explore what he called a modern-day hero and to see if his message of love can stand the test of time.

Daniel Kaluuya, who is producing the project alongside the iconic toy manufacturer, gave an incredibly meaningful reason for spearheading the project during a conversation with Entertainment Weekly in 2020, stating:

There is currently no word on what the Barney movie will be about, who will be starring (or if Daniel Kaluuya will be doing more than producing), or when it's set to enter production. That being said, there's a lot of opportunity to bring the iconic purple dinosaur and his friends to modern audiences, no matter which direction it takes.

Black Panther 2? - May 6, 2022

As the world is still reeling over Chadwick Boseman's shocking August 2020 death from complications caused by colon cancer, all eyes are on the upcoming Black Panther 2. It has been reported that the highly anticipated sequel to one of the most successful (financially and culturally) superhero movies of all time will enter production in July 2021, but a lot of questions still remain. There's the question as to how Boseman's death will be handled in the movie, who will be taking on the role of Black Panther, and which members of the original cast will be returning this time around. Daniel Kaluuya, who played King T'Challa's former best friend and second-in-command W'Kabi, has said in the past that he would like to return for a second go, but as to whether or not he'll get that shot remains a mystery at this time.

It would make sense for W'Kabi and Daniel Kaluuya to return for Ryan Coogler's upcoming addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially with so much about his story being left up in the air following the events of Killmonger's takeover of Wakanda in Black Panther. And considering how Wakanda, the world, and universe were all affected by the events of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame (both of which are set after Black Panther), it would be interesting to see how W'Kabi fits into the world now that it has gone through such a major change. His character is ripe for a redemption story and a continuation of his journey. And with casting reveals starting to get announced, it's only a matter of time before we hear more about this upcoming project due to drop on May 6, 2022.

With projects like all of the ones mentioned above, it's important to understand that a lot can change been now and the time they are released in theaters, so make sure to check back for all the latest information. Also, don't forget to check out CinemaBlend's 2021 Movie Guide.