Every streaming service has hit shows, and for Netflix, Stranger Things is arguably its biggest success story. The Duffer Brothers' series was wildly popular and remains one of the best Netflix shows to binge-watch. Those with a Netflix subscription were treated to the fifth and final season back in November, and there's been a ton of discourse about the finale and what happened to Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven. David Harbour recently weighed in on the cliffhanger, and he made some solid points.

The Stranger Things finale saw Eleven seemingly sacrifice herself to destroy The Upside Down, but the last scene offered another perspective. Mike and his friends believed that she actually escaped and was able to finally live a private and free life. While The Duffer Brothers refuse to reveal if El is actually alive, Harbour spoke to Variety and offered his two cents. The actor said:

Ouch. Despite playing Eleven's adopted father for years on Stranger Things, it sounds like David Harbour knew that she was eventually going to bite the bullet. These comments are sure to go viral, especially among the fans who "believe" like Mike and the rest of The Party.

While Harbour spoke about admiring the young Stranger Things actors, that doesn't mean that he wanted the show's hero to get her happy ending. He went on to share how long he expected Eleven to die in the popular series, saying:

As depressing as this outlook is, he makes some serious points. Millie Bobby Brown's signature character was never going to be able to have a happy normal life in Hawkins. Dr. Kay and the US government were determined to use her abilities, so it's not like she could just live with Hopper in their cabin and all would be well. She was going to have to leave, either by running away or by dying before Stranger Things ended.

Eleven's sacrifice ended the Upside Down forever and also protected her friends and family from further trouble. It was a noble moment that cemented her as a true superhero, so having her live anonymously somewhere else in the world would cheapen that a bit. I personally get why she had to die, although there are plenty of fans out there who believe Mike's alternate ending, and want to see her return to their screens sometime in the future.

Stranger Things is streaming in its entirety over on Netflix. The streaming service also expanded the universe with the animated series Stranger Things: Tales From '85, which is also streaming as part of the 2026 TV schedule.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been going for over a decade, and fans are hyped about one upcoming Marvel movie in particular. Namely, The Russo Brothers' Avengers: Doomsday, which will be the shared universe's next big crossover event. The Doomsday cast includes David Harbour's Red Guardian, and his recent comments about seeing footage are helping to quell my worries about the title.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is super limited, leading to tons of theories and rumors arriving online. The only people who really know what to expect from the movie are those who were on set, and during a clip from Collider's TikTok, Harbour spoke about the scale of the forthcoming blockbuster, offering:

Honestly, can you blame him? The Russo Brothers' last two movies were huge, and it looks like the same can also be said for Avengers: Doomsday. Those of us who haven't run a film production that big might be overwhelmed by its size, and confused about how all the pieces fit together. Although there is precedent in both Infinity War and Endgame (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription).

Fans who have watched the Marvel movies in order know that The Russo Brothers did the impossible with their previous two Avengers movies (as well as Captain America: Civil War). They somehow cracked the code to servicing a huge cast of characters, while also creating an emotionally impactful story. And while David Harbour had original doubts (and... same), his tune changed after seeing some footage for himself. As the Stranger Things star went on to say:

Honestly, these comments are making me feel better too. While The Russo Brothers' resume speaks for itself, the MCU is in a very different place than it was during Infinity War and Endgame. There have been a ton of peaks and valleys over the years, including box office bombs like The Marvels. Marvel movies are no longer guaranteed for success, and the concerns about superhero fatigue have only gotten louder.

But it sounds like The Russo Brothers have hit gold again. At least, according to David Harbour. But since he had his own doubts, I'm definitely feeling relieved to hear how impressed he is with the next Avengers movie.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see if audiences head to theaters in droves as they did for the last two Avengers flicks.

One of the biggest wins to come out of Stranger Things' own massive success has been David Harbour becoming a household name after decades of putting the work in. The actor took the role of Sheriff Jim Hopper against the advice of friends and loved ones, and kept with it despite having a miserable time filming Season 1. He's come out of filming those five seasons with tons of memories, including a surprising source of appreciation for his younger co-stars.

As it turns out, Harbour was a bit in awe of Stranger Things' teen stars for being able to fart in the middle of a performance, and then to continue with the scene without becoming a total mental case of shame. Speaking at a Los Angeles event showcasing the Duffer Brothers' creation, the actor gave his co-stars major props (not poops), saying:

For all the problems and challenges that can come with younger actors on a high-profile series like this, the flip side is that they can often deliver perfectly childlike performances without having to stretch their skills. And, ipso facto, that childish behavior can obviously rear itself in other ways, such as letting one rip while cameras are rolling. And who am I to argue against farts always being funny?

On the one hand, I can love and appreciate this assessment that kids are gonna be kids and fart wherever they want. Especially if they're passing gas while filming and are then still able to finish a scene without launching into hysterics. I like to think I'd keep a straight face, but my thoughts are wrong often enough.

Just to tie things together: David Harbour's co-star Millie Bobby Brown acted opposite Chris Pratt in Netflix's The Electric State, where the Parks and Rec vet allegedly farted so loudly it "messed up the audio" for the scene. I dunno if any of the Stranger Things kids have that kind of power. But I would put good money on Derek Turnbow portrayer Jake Connelly being able to empty a room. Maybe saying "good" money is wrong there.

Harbour continued, giving his co-stars praise for making his time on the show stand apart from other projects, and for helping him get over the hump of his Season 1 journey. In his words:

I'll just assume he wasn't talking about "having a blast" right out of his a-s, amirite?

David Harbour has a slew of new movies on the way, from the Russo brothers' Avengers: Doomsday to the upcoming action movie sequel Violent Night sequel to the Courteney Cox-directed thriller Evil Genius to the prequel John Rambo to the Paul Tremblay horror novel adaptation A Head Full of Ghosts.

All five seasons of Stranger Things, farts and all, can be streamed via Netflix subscription.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched DTF St. Louis’ season finale on HBO or via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

When a TV episode features Peter Sarsgaard blissfully skating through blinking roller rink lights to the good-time rhythms of The Archie’s “Comes the Sun,” you just don’t naturally expect that episode to end on one of the most gutting “murder” mystery reveals in recent memory. DTF St. Louis is all about such juxtapositioning, though. Thankfully, the finale was also all about delivering answers, and with minimal threads left dangling in the end.

Creator Steven Conrad did manage to buck some of my expectations throughout DTF St. Louis’ concluding chapter, titled “No One’s Normal. It Just Looks That Way From Across the Street.” Not all of my expectations, however, even though the episode’s reveal did indeed eclipse what my darker theories were about. Let’s take one more trip ye olde communitye poole house to go through some of the questions answered.

How Did Floyd Actually Die?

Back in Episode 3, I first questioned whether a twist was even imminent to answer for Floyd’s death, so fully thinking at the time that Carol would be revealed as an insurance-scamming murderer, or something along those lines. At the time, I speculated about the off chance that Floyd was intentionally responsible for his own death by poison, though I didn’t yet have all of the details necessary to support that thought process.

The successive episodes and finale filled in those blanks, however, as Floyd essentially had all of his love-based hopes and desires blown up in his face at every turn. Despite attempts to make the opposite happen, Carol seemed to have lost all sexual desire for her husband. Clark’s attempt to set him up via the titular app went belly-up, literally, when Chris Perfetti’s character rejected Floyd based on sight. Then, when it looked like his BFF Clark might be willing to engage in more than just friendship and dancing around in tighty-whities, even that fell apart.

The heartbreaking last straw for Floyd — something I definitely didn’t see coming — was seeing his stepson Richard outside the pool house, with the boy clearly disturbed by everything he’d just witnessed with Clark. At that point, Floyd realized all avenues to happiness had been tarred over, and he signed an “I Love You” to Richard before downing the rest of his over-medicated drink. Which, in the scheme of things, is perhaps the most f--ked up thing Floyd could have done in that moment, considering the potential trauma involved.

Who knows what might have happened if Richard never showed up that night? If he’d just confessed to his mom early on about hearing Floyd plans, could she have stepped in for a last-ditch effort to revive his will to live? It’s impossible to know.

What Was Carol's Sealed Record About?

Throughout watching Carol's struggles with love, work and money, I've held strong to my belief that some event from her past would play heavily into her role in Floyd's death. I was convinced that it had something to do with Richard's father, and had all the confidence in the world that Episode 5 revealing Carol's sealed record would be the set-up to a gamechanging reveal. Not so gamechanging as opinion-changing, though.

As it turns out, Carol's record revealed her to be the Jean Valjean of DTF St. Louis, as she was caught shoplifting food as a youth, though for nourishment and desperation purposes, as opposed to her being any kind of a troublemaker. The finale doubled-down on Carol's financial perspective when some of her happiest moments were spent buying things to redecorate RIchard's room, something that she'd previously been unable to afford. (I can imagine she'd be just as happy to hear her umpiring evaluation from her teen supervisor Stephen Queece.)

So it would seem that many of Carol's actions throughout the season were committed with mostly a financial upswing (and her son's comfort) as her motivation. I'm sure the sex with Chuck wasn't the worst bonus, but she definitely made money a focus of that relationship by bringing up her debt and Floyd's life insurance on multiple occasions.

Honestly, I'm not 100% sure what Carol's life insurance angle was if she wasn't trying to get that payout sooner rather than later. Was it that she genuinely expected Floyd's health to plummet without the added boner meds?

I also still think Carol hit "What a bitch" territory every time she ran with her "Can you speak up?" ploy that came from her self-help tapes. So that didn't change here, especially when she gave up on it immediately after Det. Jodie called her out on it.

What Was Clark's Motivation In All Of This?

Perhaps it wasn't so surprising to learn that Jason Bateman's Clark, whose only desires on display throughout the season have been tied to banging Carol and hanging out with Floyd (as opposed to his own family), was just...lonely. Like, the loneliest kind of lonely.

Instead of harboring even an iota of ill will towards Floyd, Clark seemingly only wanted the best for his friend, to the point where serving that goal helped to fill the void in his own life. Unfortunately, while Clark's brain was behind the idea that fooling around with Floyd might be helpful, his physical reactions were not nearly as strong.

I think the rest of the Forrest family collectively counts as the most tragic character in this show, since they were all victims of Clark's infidelity. But something about the weatherman's journey feels similar, in that it was after he finally voiced his feelings about loneliness that literally everything in his life was stripped away. He might be a "free man" in the end, but at what cost?

What Actually Happened To Floyd's Bent Penis?

At face value, DTF St. Louis doesn't seem like the kind of show that would lean into the recurring gag of Floyd telling a long and winding Aristocrats-esque story about his bent-penis injury. And yet...

Thankfully, after multiple false starts, David Harbour's character finally landed the anecdote plane, sharing that his early-day job search, which transitioned into an embrace of sign language instruction, led to an evening argument with Carol that left her in tears. Carol herself described that day as one of the worst, but with Floyd's genitals having nothing to do with it; he might have other thoughts.

As it turns out, Richard took major offense to seeing his mother crying, and took a baseball bat to Floyd's groin later that night. Which presents a strange cycle where Richard was tangentially involved in two of Floyd's lowest moments. Hopefully nobody lets him be a pall bearer, or that casket is getting dropped and flipped open.

Now that DTF St. Louis' biggest questions have been answered, we can look forward to other mysteries hitting the 2026 TV schedule and beyond. Such as...why hasn't HBO branded a line of Modern Love Roller Rinks yet?

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the latest episode of DTF St. Louis on HBO or via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

When DTF St. Louis first arrived on the 2026 TV schedule, I wasn’t expecting its episode-ending corpse reveal to be one of the small-screen mysteries I’d think about the most over the next month and change. Yet here we are, a week away from the dramedy’s finale, and I pretty much NEED to know all the answers behind what happened to David Harbour’s lovable oaf Floyd Smernitch, and I’ll crash a recumbent bicycle into the shins of anyone who tries to get in my way.

Though creator Steven Conrad refrained from giving viewers any direct answers in "The Denny's Plan," the episode seemed to more or less close the door on all of the once-promising leads that made this case seem like an easy win early on for Detective Donoghue Homer. Which, as I theorize below, likely leaves us with a solution where murder wasn’t involved at all. Not that this idea will be a lot less dark than that outcome.

What I Now Theorize Happened With Floyd

From the jump, I assumed Linda Cardellini’s Carol was the culprit, and that assumption has yet to completely vacate my system, especially after Episode 5 revealed Carol’s secret conviction from her past. (Though without sharing what it was, annoyingly enough.) I started to hypothesize about Clark possibly killing his best buddy when Episode 4 made it seem like he’d be upset about Floyd and Carol rekindling their sex life. After everything that played out in Episode 6, though, here’s what I think happened.

Every episode of this show has showcased Floyd’s need for connections and affection, whether it be from Carol, Clark or stepson Richard. (Or crowds of concert-goers, or his dance instructor, etc.) By this point, though, Carol destroyed his ego, Clark usurped the sexual pleasures Floyd sought, and also falsely bolstered Floyd’s confidence and self-worth by creating the Tiger Tiger social profile and setting up a fake date. His kinship with Richard is seemingly better than ever, but that may not be enough.

Tying back to one of my earlier left-field ideas, I think that Floyd reached a point where his body and mind had been put through the wringer enough by his loved ones that he couldn’t take it anymore, and he maybe- purposefully took too many of the meds that Clark gave him, knowing that it could have a detrimental effect on his heart. So I don’t believe anyone killed Floyd in the sense that they were physically responsible for his death, and I think he took his own life.

Does that make Clark and Carol 100% innocent? Not one iota, since Floyd would no doubt still be alive if he and the weatherman’s paths never crossed, miserable as that life may have stayed. Let's talk about the other side of that below.

Why I Still Think Carol Is Partially Guilty

One of the biggest hang-ups that the detectives have dealt with remains the driver of the recumbent bike that was known to be around the scene of the crime. It seems clear that Carol was the one who took it there, though the details get fuzzy around there, since nothing around Floyd's body indicates she was involved.

While I don't have any beyond-the-norm guesses for why Carol showed up, I'm guessing she went there knowing that Floyd was an emotional wreck, and that he was already dead when she went inside. Rather than reporting it as a suicide, however, I think that Carol's first instinct was to redress the scene to make it look more like someone killed Floyd.

Why go through such a horrible ordeal before being able to properly mourn her husband? Because life insurance policies often won't pay out to beneficiaries when deaths are self-inflicted. Carol had already put the time and effort into convincing an already eager Clark to take out an insurance policy on Floyd, and there has to be something behind that impetus, other than just her thinking ill about his weight gain.

If Floyd's suicide led not to a million-dollar payout, but rather another pile of finance-wrecking funeral bills, Carol's life would be in even worse shambles. So I don't see any issues with believing her capable of cleaning up a crime scene to set it up more in her favor.

Do I think that Carol knew about Floyd's boner pills and purposefully insulted his weight in front of Clark just so her hubby might be browbeaten enough to off himself? That's some widlly f--ked up psychological warfare...but I'm not saying she's incapable of it. We'll have to wait and see.

DTF St. Louis' Season 1 finale is set to air on HBO on Sunday, April 12, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the fifth episode of DTF St. Louis on HBO or via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

I’m quite pleased that with each week that passes, DTF St. Louis has managed to address and downplay several of the criticisms I aimed at the first pair of episodes, and I’m now at the point where I can stop judging every single awkward conversation these characters have. I’m still paying attention to those convos, of course, but more so now to help figure out the core mystery at the endangered heart of this series and its central love triangle: who’s responsible for Floyd’s death?

I’m amending my previous mental phrasing of “Who Killed Floyd?” to allow for situations where the character’s death wasn’t the result of a premeditated and/or malicious act. In part because the title of the latest episode references a prescription drug that Floyd himself said could have adverse affects on his body; but also because I’m still not 100% convinced that only a single party was behind it all. But my money is still on Linda Cardellini’s Carol being the driving force, with "Amphezyne” seemingly addressing one of the biggest unexplored details regarding the character: her past.

Carol Has A Prior Conviction On Her Record

Had Carol's prior arrest come up when the first or second episode hit the 2026 TV schedule, it might have already been glossed over as a somewhat insignificant detail by now, but completely different implications are in play with it surfacing in the back half of the season. I think it's even more interesting that it pops up in an episode that seems to erase all forms of jealousy-related guilt by revealing Floyd was aware of Carol and Clark's infidelity from the jump, and that him watching their sex acts from the hotel closet (the shocking ending from Episode 4) was consented to by all. He also knew Carol was bilking Clark for money.

For all that this new information could water down the suspicions I have about Carol, the arrest detail knocks all that water out of the equation. (Carol's "Can you talk louder?" behavior with the detectives is another bizarre red flag that cannot be explained away with the reveal of a hearing problem.) Unfortunately, any details related to Carol's legal troubles have been sealed away and are unavailable, which likely alludes to the severity of the crimes, or to someone of import also being involved that wouldn't want the news going public.

Obviously more info is needed, and I have all the faith that Joy Sunday's Jodie Plumb will get those redacted details out in the open posthaste, and that they'll have a major impact on how other characters (and viewers like me) see her. Sucks if she goes through all of this and the conviction is completely irrelevant.

My Ongoing Theory Is That Carol's Previous Relationship(s) Is Key To Understanding Her

The fact that audiences have learned next to nothing about Carol's prior relationship with Richard's father isn't the strangest thing, I suppose, if Richard's entire purpose in the story is just to earn Floyd more empathy points as a caring and non-judgmental stepfather. After all, we've probably seen more screentime between those two than between Richard and Carol. So is he really her biological son from a previous marriage, or are there even more complicated circumstances?

The episode did feature Floyd telling Clark via sign language that her "first" husband was a real asshole, but she chided them for not speaking aloud before any further details could be unveiled. We don't even know for sure if she's only had one ex-hubby. I trust nothing and no one.

The storytelling side of me kinda enjoys viewing Carol as a Black Widow killer, silencing a string of husbands for their insurance money to bolster a life of luxury. But Carol's life isn't so luxurious, which is a big part of why she's a prominent suspect in the first place, since Floyd's life insurance payout will seemingly change her life for the better, assuming she gets it. As well, I can't see someone who's killed her exes being a ongoing listener of self-help audiobooks. She'd have already conquered a lot of that.

Plus, that scenario probably wouldn't end in her walking free post-murder conviction.

So unless that prior relationship involved her failed attempt at a Black Widow-esque murder, something else must have gone down, and I am purposefully connecting the dots between Carol's previous coupling and her arrest, even though the show hasn't made that entirely clear. (Yet.) It's gotta be all connected, right?

I don't have a slew of predictions about how the details Carol's sealed conviction could help to make her any less suspicious. As such, I can only believe that her past directly informs her current life, and that Floyd's tragic fate is connected to her life before he came around.

Here's what I don't necessarily want, however: Carol's ex being some kind of a jealous maniac who's been following Floyd with the intention of killing him. Although I guess if there's really smart stunt-casting, I'll buy anything.

With a unique talent of being able to infuriate certain St. Louis residents, DTF St. Louis airs new episodes Sunday. nights on HBO at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the fourth episode of DTF St. Louis on HBO or via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

After three episodes of making me think some particularly harsh things about Jason Bateman’s hornball weatherman Clark and Linda Cardellini’s scheming umpire Carol, DTF St. Louis has delivered the expository life moments I needed for both of those characters to feel like real people, and not just plot advancers. In doing so, this fourth installment, titled "Missouri Mutual Life & Health Insurance Company," also potentially threw a wrench into the works of my going theory behind Floyd’s death.

In this case, however, I’m more than happy for my expectations to be upended, since it previously seemed like DTF St. Louis was heading for an overtly predictable outcome. Now, I’m no longer quite so sure how the narrative will end, though my predictions are slightly darker now than they were before this ep hit the 2026 TV schedule.

Clark's Genuine Love For Both Carol And Floyd May Be A Motivating Factor

If it wasn't already made clear before now, Clark is endeared by Floyd, and appears to fully embrace the way his inner child comes out when they're together. He really did hit the social jackpot here, finding both a BFF and someone to fulfill his kink-filled bucket list. And it looks like Clark is also taking full advantage of both Floyd and Carol's need for financial assistance, helped along by the fact that the husband and wife wish to keep it all hush-hush.

But while I'd previously assumed that Carol was duplicitously setting Clark up by having him take responsibility for Floyd's life insurance, I'm no longer so convinced. Indeed, this fourth episode made me start to think Clark suspects something potentially nefarious in Carol's request to keep her out of the insurance conversations. And that, combined with Carol's insistence that she wants to reignite her romance with Floyd, makes me wonder whether or not Clark set something up that will eventually point the arrow of guilt back at Carol.

If Clark was pushing Floyd to the DTF app to get him to stray from his marriage, that plan came to a halt already, so where will Tiger Tiger reenter the story?

Carol's Struggles Are Real And Plentiful

It's not like I thought Carol and Floyd had a brilliant home life, but Episode 4 flipped up just about everything I'd assumed about their relationship. (Mostly due to this show's intentional pacing and editing causing viewers to believe certain things.) I thought Carol was an active cause for sexual frustration, which is more on Floyd. I thought she entered the relationship with Clark as a means to a financial end, but she may have also been authentically lonely. I thought she was 100% conniving and...well, that observation has yet to be flipped around.

Buried by financial grief, her son's inexplicably destructive actions, and a husband who stopped caring about his physical appearance, Carol took on an umpire gig she could have cared less about simply to bring in more money. And for all that she's entirely consensual with her and Clark's sexual encounters, she made it clear multiple times in this episode that her endgame goal is to get Floyd's mojo rising again (figuratively and literally) and to get him back to a place where his health isn't such a concern. Which isn't the kind of goal one has when they're aiming to kill the other person, right?

It's Looking More Likely That Floyd Ended His Own Life

"Missouri Mutual Life & Health Insurance Company" confirmed the idea that Floyd kept his issue of Playgirl around to reinforce his poor self-esteem. (And not because he gets turned on by Indiana Jones, Detective Donoghue Homer, you dumb bastard.) The ep also had Floyd saying he didn't want any more DTF app encounters after his awkward parking lot kiss, implying he wasn't that interested in stepping out on his marriage.

But it was that final reveal, that Floyd was hiding in the motel room closet during at least one of Carol and Clark's trysts, that provided the first truly convincing evidence that he could have taken his own life without a murder being involved at all. To be betrayed by the two adults he loves the most would be earth-shattering to a soul as sensitive as Floyd's, so it's possibly he went to that poolhouse that fateful night with his own demise in mind. (Possibly with the sub-scheme to make both Clark and Carol look guilty for it.)

We still have another three episodes to go, though, so we may very well discover ten more details that make all of the above observations completely moot and irrelevant. Unless they don't.

DTF St. Louis airs Sunday nights on HBO and streams on HBO Max at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Spoiler warning for anyone who hasn't yet watched the latest episode of DTF St. Louis on HBO or via HBO Max subscription.

Three episodes into DTF St. Louis, and I'm having more and more trouble with this show landing on the 2026 TV schedule sold as a "dark comedy." For all that I adore the entire cast, scenes come across more as laughably written than legitimately funny, and there's way too much emotional complexity and a big honking mysterious death to deal with for that much comedy to shine through. The biggest question at the heart of it all is "Who killed Floyd?" and that answer seems pretty cut and dry by the end of "The Go-Getter."

Unless that's just what the creative team wants us to think. Which, yes, is probably the case. (Just like they want us to think this show is located in St. Louis, which enrages CinemaBlend's Hugh Scott to no end.) So let's zip through things.

The Cops Think Clark Did It, So He Definitely Didn't

Richard Jenkins' Detective Donoghue is a malleable caricature of a cop, bringing an Occam's Razor approach to every detail of the case, while Joy Sunday's Jodie Plumb is far more invested in evidence over gut instincts. Everything Donoghue has assumed has been mostly wrong, and seemingly nothing that Jodie's discovered actually points to Clark being responsible. That secret key will likely have some effed-up story behind it, but it doesn't seem like Clark is hiding that info from a guilty perspective.

Plus, Clark's initially suspicious silence has been broken up by what appears to be a genuine love for Floyd that may have more in common with the motel trysts than we think. Bateman's character seemed to be at his most vulnerable when trying to put any articulation behind his specific feelings for Harbour's kindhearted goober, which doesn't support him being responsible. So at this point, I have lost all motivation to believe that Clark is guilty of murder in any sense.

Carol Is Prime Suspect #1

With one apparent red herring out of the way, DTF St. Louis is planting all kinds of guilt-bearing seeds that I can only presume will sprout arrows pointing directly at Linda Cardellini’s Carol. Let’s talk about some of the details we now know about the character, shall we?

1. Carol instigated the affair with Clark.
2. Carol’s motivations for having the affair now appear to be more about money than kink-laden sex.
3. Carol also lied to the cops about her regular Jamba Juice order, and not just Floyd, which suggests a deeper sense of guilt.
4. Carol’s son Richard reacts to Floyd’s death not with grief, but with concern about the family’s financial situation.
5. Carol is very clearly manipulating Clark to supply financial support.
6. Despite the infidelity, Carol does seem to genuinely care for Floyd.

Speaking to the money situation, arguably the most damning circumstantial evidence against Carol is that she is obviously coercing Clark into taking out a life insurance policy on Floyd, while also convincing him not to tell her about it. The goal there, one would assume, is to make it look like Clark set the policy up specifically to kill Floyd for the payout. (A weird move for someone who doesn’t need the money, sure.)

Without any involvement or having actual proof of the policy’s existence, Carol can claim ignorance and plausible deniability without leaving much room to argue against it. I can’t figure out a way for the insurance situation to be explained away as anything other than a sign of Carol’s guilt, so why did the show already reveal this key piece of information to viewers in Episode 3?

This is where the casting choices really shine, since Linda Cardellini has been portraying strong, sweet and lovable characters for her entire career, going back to the Freaks and Geeks and Scooby-Doo days of yore, right up through her more recent work in Dead To Me and Nonnas, among others. (Sure, she played a self-proclaimed “badass b--ch” in No Good Deed.) It’s a smart move to play with the actress’ largely protagonistic career choices, especially ahead of her debut as the iconic horror villain Pamela Voorhees in Peacock’s Crystal Lake series.

I would love to see Cardellini get a big Bond villain breakdown scene where she lays out everything that went into her actions. Only if she's actually responsible, of course.

Will There Be A "Carol Isn't Guilty" Twist?

Maybe DTF St. Louis is setting up a different kind of reveal, where viewers are led to believe that Cardellini’s character is fully guilty of murder, only to discover she’s even more conniving than that. It’s possible that Carol is preying on Floyd’s very clear insecurities about himself, his physical appearance and his injury-bent genitalia, in a way that could drive him to potentially take his own life.

I don’t necessarily think that Floyd went to that community pool house with fully formed suicidal intentions, and I get that it’d be weird for him to poison his own drink. But I do think that whatever transpired that night between Floyd, Clark and anyone else was particularly devastating, and that life would have been all the more complicated for everyone had he survived. I’m obviously not sure why his nudie mag was there, but his feelings about it were made clear with the scratch marks.

Maybe Floyd’s kiss with Peter Sarsgaard’s “Modern Love” set off a full self-evaluation of his sexuality and emotional core that tipped more towards bisexuality or homosexuality. Maybe he found out about Carol and Clark’s affair, and that Clark wasn’t interested in also exploring Floyd’s newly untapped feelings. Would that be enough to do it? Not that it would explain where the poisoning comes into it, but still.

If DTF St. Louis somehow flips the story to make Carol 100% innocent through and through, the life insurance policy on my disbelief will kick in. Find out along with me and other viewers as new episodes hit HBO every Sunday night at 9:00 p.m. ET. If only we could get Jason Bateman’s Batman on the scene for his stellar detective skills.

Ok, I have a bone to pick with DTF St. Louis, the latest Jason Bateman-led show available with an HBO Max subscription (at least that's what it's called for now). I’ll admit, this bone is irrational, and I shouldn’t be as upset over it as much as I am, but I am. This is a show that is very obviously supposed to be set in St. Louis, my hometown. They even stuck the name of the historic city in the title, to make it very clear.

Why, then, are they getting basically everything wrong about the city? Have the writers and producers ever even set foot in St. Louis, or did they simply Google “things about St. Louis” and then completely ignore whatever they learned? They get a lot wrong, but one thing is driving me the most nuts: the geography.

The Geography Is Just All Wrong

The fictional suburb where Clark (Bateman) and his friends and family live is called “Twyla.” There is no suburb of St. Louis with that name, but that isn’t the problem. The problem is where Twyla is supposed to be, and what that means for Clark’s choice for his commute to work. Towards the end of the first episode, a weather map highlights where Twyla is, and it looks to be roughly in the area of western St. Charles County, on the outer edge of St. Louis’ exurbs, around the towns of Wentzville and Lake St. Louis.

That in and of itself is actually reasonable. Plenty of people live out there and commute to downtown St. Louis for work, as Clark does to get to his job at the TV station where he is the weatherman. What isn’t reasonable is that Clark seemingly rides his recumbent bike to work most mornings. Wentzville is roughly 50 miles from the heart of downtown St. Louis. According to a quick check on Google Maps, it’s about a 4-hour and 45-minute bike ride. Call me crazy, but even putting aside how tiring 100 miles of back-and-forth would be every day, nine-ish hours of commuting every day is just silly.

I Don’t Expect It To Be A ‘Love Letter’ To My Town

Let me be clear: I don’t need the show to throw in a bunch of easter eggs. I don’t care if they never eat toasted ravioli or get a roast beef sandwich from Lion’s Choice. I don’t care if none of the characters ask, “What high school did you go to?” at a barbecue (a local trope that St. Louisans love to poke fun at themselves over). No, what is making me, albeit irrationally, mad, is that they get so much wrong about the city.

I can forgive a lot of stuff if they were one-offs, even if it completely distracts me from the show. The show was filmed in Georgia, so the topography looks nothing like St. Louis, but that doesn’t bother me. No one calls a tornado a “cyclone,” as Clark repeatedly does in the show. Like, no one ever says that, ever, but fine, it’s not technically incorrect. They managed to shoot B-roll in Chicago, but couldn’t even get B-roll of Busch Stadium for the second episode? It's annoying, but hardly a deal breaker.

None Of This Is Critical To The Plot, So Why Not Get It Correct?

However, things start to add up. For instance, I think there is one Jamba Juice in St. Louis, and it’s way out in a mall in the ‘burbs. Carol (Linda Cardellini) works at Purina. Okay, that makes sense, but she says her office is on Central St. There is no Central St. in downtown St. Louis. Carol later explains that her husband, Floyd (David Harbour), is going “down state” for the weekend. That’s not a term that is ever used in St. Louis or Missouri.

None of these factors into the plot of the murder mystery. If Clark and Floyd lived a little closer to downtown, it wouldn't affect anything. If they get a street name correct (Purina is Chouteau Ave), it doesn't change where it is. The Jamba Juice thing is whatever, but maybe that's when you could slip in a local easter egg, like getting a coffee at a local spot like Kaldi's instead of a smoothie at a national chain. Why not just take the extra 30 seconds to get the little facts right?

All Of This Is Fixable

There are other things that I’ve noticed, but in the interest of not making this list 100 items long, I’ll just finish by saying, all of this is easy to double-check with a one-minute Google search. I get that the writers want to set this show in “Anytown, USA,” but if you’re going to put the name of a city in the name of the show, you should at least try to be true to that city. Otherwise, just call it DTF Twyla or something.

DTF St. Louis is a good show. It’s uncomfortable (in a good way), and the mystery it has set up is interesting. It’s hard to gauge the motivations of the characters, and it keeps the viewer guessing. The acting performances are fantastic, especially from Harbour and Cardellini. The show has some really dark humor that I really dig. There’s a lot to praise about the show. That’s exactly why I have to nitpick all these mistakes about St. Louis.

Why Put The Name Of The City In The Title Of The Show?

For me, if you’re going to put the name of the city in the name of the show, the city has to be a character in the show. Imagine Fargo without the accents. Or WKRP in Cincinnati with call letters that set it west of the Mississippi. Sometimes the little things make a difference. In DTF St. Louis, those things add up.

I get that the show wasn’t filmed in the Gateway City, and I get that compromises and changes are necessary, but come on, no one could take a quick second to double-check how far Clark would need to ride his bike to get to work every morning? I’m not expecting something on the level of the way The Wire injects Baltimore into the DNA of the show, but at least get what you do try to make local correct.

DTF St. Louis is a great addition to the 2026 TV schedule, and I’ll be tuning in every week. However, I’ll probably still wince at the things, little and big, that the show gets wrong about the city it’s set in.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe consistently provides fans with new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Arguably the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movie is Avengers: Doomsday, which has already begun its marketing campaign. Since we've already been treated to a number of Doomsday teasers I thought the movie's filming was complete. But that's actually not the case.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but those brief clips teased some of the crossovers that are coming. The Doomsday cast announcement confirmed that the Thunderbolts* stars will appear, and during a recent conversation with Extra TV, David Harbour revealed that he's gearing up for reshoots. In his words:

Despite post-production work happening on the next Avengers movie, it sounds like there's still some necessary footage that needs to be filmed. So even though we've seen Chris Evans' Captain America teaser, production hasn't officially wrapped. Bring on the reshoots!

This news from the Stranger Things star surprised me since marketing for Doomsday is in full effect, with fans hoping to see a full trailer sooner rather than later. Still, fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that reshoots happen for every major blockbuster. But is the next Avengers movie's reshoots happening later than normal?

How Late Did Other Marvel Movies Do Reshoots?

The teasers for Avengers: Doomsday are a big reason why I assumed that filming for the project was done. We're still nine months away from that title arriving in theaters, so there's plenty of time for reshoots. Although it made me curious about when these usually happen for Marvel movies.

I did some research and here's what I found. Thunderbolts* did reshoots in December of 2024, with that movie releasing that coming May. That's just five months before it hit theaters, which is way quicker than Doomsday. Then there's Captain America: Brave New World, which had MONTHS of reshoots from May to November of 2024, with the film being released that February. That's a really quick turnaround, and shows just how much was being changed behind the scenes. Then there's Fantastic Four: First Steps, which had minor reshoots in May of 2025 just two months before it hit theaters in July. So by comparison, Doomsday seems way ahead of the game.

All will be revealed when Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully a full trailer will arrive soon, even if reshoots are underway.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched the three Stranger Things Vol. 2 episodes via Netflix subscription, so be warned!

My brain already hurts thinking about the 2026 TV schedule arriving without any future seasons of Stranger Things to look forward to. (Save for the animated Tales from ‘85 spinoff that’s on the way.) But we still have to make it through the impending series finale, which will tie up all the loose strands set up thus far, from the Upside Down’s wormhole reveal to Vecna’s grand plan for Dimension X to (hopefully) what was in the soldier’s case that kept Henry from returning to that cave for so many years.

Of course, a series finale on this scale is expected to deliver some massive casualties, and Vol. 2 hinted very heavily at two high-profile deaths that would likely leave a lasting sting well after the credits are done. But I think fans should probably start worrying harder about four other characters that are more likely to kick the bucket in more tragic (or at least more harrowing) ways.

Eleven And Kali Appear Destined To Sacrifice Themselves, But...

I'm currently unable to say with conviction whether or not Kali's claims to Eleven are totally on the level when it comes to her blood being injected into pregnant women's bodies with the goal of producing more children with telekinetic abilities. I want to believe her, in the sense that I want to believe anyone sharing revealing plot details in this convoluted storyline. But Kali telling the truth would also mean her suggestion that the only way to stop the scientists from replicating the process in the future is for all of the lab experiments to be killed off, Kali and Eleven included.

If Hopper knew that was the case, his high horse would poke up into the stratosphere, given all the distrust he’s (David) harboring for Kali. Granted, her reasoning is pure and virtuous if true, not that Hopper would care. But by pointing so large an arrow directly at Eleven and Kali, I think the Duffer brothers using that to distract us from worry about the characters who are actually doomed. Such as....

Jim Hopper

That's right. Stranger Things Season 5 previously threw a stick in the spokes of Hopper and Eleven's relationship when he went on his secret mission into the Upside Down without telling her there was a chance he might not return. Which of course made him multitudes more protective of her whenever they found Kali.

I think Hopper is going to discover that Eleven is contemplating sacrificing herself for the greater good, and I think he's going to find a way to take care of that problem without her death being necessary. Which would likely require a dozen or so large-scale explosions across both labs in Hawkins and in the Upside Down, as well as any secret locations audiences haven't learned about yet. This theory would have felt even more emotional had Hopper and Joyce shared any truly worthwhile scenes together in Season 5, which sadly hasn't been the case. But I still think Hopper is doomed.

Jonathan Byers

Until "Chapter Seven: The Bridge," I didn't have Jonathan anywhere near my list of go-to death predictions for the final episode. But then came the one-two punch that sealed the deal. First, his and Nancy's panicked captivity in the melting room brought them to the point where all of their squabbling grievances were aired out, and he finally brought out the engagement ring that's been burning a hole in his pocket and brain. Only without an actual propsal, but rather a shared understanding that they're perhaps not meant to be together.

As well, Will finally got his big coming-out scene in front of the entire group, with the idea being that embracing his true nature will make him impervious to Vecna's advances. So Jonathan no longer needs to serve as an inspirational big brother at this point. And it's not like he's got a ton of other friends or future life options to devote his time to when things go back to normal, so... R.I.P. Jonathan, probably.

Murray Bauman

If Stranger Things ever sparked its own Expendables-branded spinoff, it would no doubt be headed up by Brett Gelman's Murray Bauman, since he is the living embodiment of an expendable character within this world. He's not a total waste of space or anything, as his efforts, vehicles, weapons and supplies have been a huge help for everyone. But then Murray also does things like use the nickname "Snookums" a surprisingly annoying amount of times in short order, and I find myself actively wishing for him to take one of Vecna's viney extensions through the back of his head.

Sure, there would be mild amusement had if Murray ended up being the only character from this season that survives and lives to see another day. But it wouldn't be worth losing everyone else, so let's send Murray off to that big...thing that Murray likes in the sky.

Lucas Sinclair

I know, I know! Nobody actively want anyone from the core D&D group to lose all their HP before the figurative dungeon has been mastered. It’s not like these choices are culled just from who I want to see shuffle off. Murray, sure, he’d be on both lists, and my first choice on the Kill ‘Em Off ranking would be that disrespectful and dead-eyed soldier that Linda Hamilton’s Dr. Kay womanhandled accordingly. Neither Lucas nor Caleb McLaughlin deserve that fate, but that’s precisely what makes him suitable finale fodder.

For the bulk of this season so far and then some, Lucas’ solo journey outside of plot-pushing activities has been providing distant emotional and musical support for Sadie Sink’s Max. A noble duty, no doubt, and one that was addressed in a heartfelt manner by Max herself, who gave him more credit than Kate Bush for pulling her through her Vecna-induced coma. Now that she’s back, though, it opens the soul-crushing door for Lucas to meet his maker while keeping both Max and Erica safe. After which, both of them would rip ass and save the day in his honor, naturally.

Whether I'm right or I'm wrong about the victims' identities, millions of fans will be watching SOME characters get ripped open and bled out when Stranger Things' series finale hits both theaters and Netflix on Wednesday, December 31.

Although Violent Night piqued my interest when I saw the trailer for it back in 2022, I never got around to seeing it in theaters and failed to watch it during the following two Christmas seasons. This year, however, I finally carved out some time to watch the action flick starring David Harbour as Santa Claus with my Peacock subscription, namely because I want to be ready for Violent Night 2’s release on the 2026 movies schedule. Overall, I enjoyed watching Harbour’s Santa bash in bad guys’ heads as he navigated a Die Hard-like situation, but I also have a nitpick with this depiction of Jolly Old Saint Nick.

One of the ways that Violent Night channels Die Hard is by having its main protagonist coordinating a strategy over a call with someone he’s never met before, just like John McClane did with Sergeant Al Powell. In this case, Santa ends up communicating on a walkie-talkie with Trudy, the little girl being held hostage with the rest of her family by mercenaries looking to steal $300 million from her obscenely wealthy grandmother. At one point, after she’s escaped from the villains and is hiding out in the mansion’s attic, Trudy tells Santa that she can set up booby traps where she is, like in Home Alone, to which he says, “Ok, I don’t know what that means, but yeah, do that.”

I’m sorry, Santa Claus doesn’t know about Home Alone, one of the best Christmas movies of all time? I can suspend disbelief for all the Christmas magic on display in Violent Night and easily embrace David Harbour’s version of Santa being one who was once a ruthless Viking warrior. But not getting a simple Home Alone reference? I’d argue this is the most unrealistic aspect of the movie.

I get that Santa keeps busy most of the year planning out each forthcoming Christmas, so he doesn’t have a lot of free time to watch movies. But come on! Home Alone came out in 1990, and you’re telling me he’s never watched it once in the following decades or even heard any references to it. When Santa does have some time to kick back and relax to watch movies, you’d think that he’d made a point to watch the most beloved Christmas classics. That feels like it should be part of his duties for roughly the last century.

Again, this doesn’t detract from the fun time I had watching Violent Night, I’m just disappointed Santa didn’t pick up on what’s arguably the most well-known element of Home Alone outside of the title premise that Kevin McAllister finds himself in. I’m hoping that by the time Violent Night 2 is released on December 4, 2026, the man once known as Nicomund the Red will have watched the movie (even if it means signing up for a Disney+ subscription) and filled in any other major Christmas-y cinematic gaps in knowledge he has.

The emotional end of Stranger Things is almost here. The show has defined the careers of many actors, making the finale bittersweet for them. Many of the stars of the show attended a special finale event at the Paley Center last night to celebrate the end, too, but one conspicuously absent actor was David Harbour.

Harbour had previously been scheduled to attend the event, but was removed from the slate at the last minute due to scheduling conflicts, according to People. However, Harbour’s removal follows a bizarre report of multiple incidents involving the actor, including stealing a man’s hat.

David Harbour Reportedly Stole A Stranger’s Hat

The strange story reportedly happened this past Saturday in northern San Diego County. TMZ has the report of an incident that allegedly took place at the Encinitas Ale House. According to unnamed sources, a man inside the pub saw David Harbour walking by with a friend and went out to speak to him, apparently just because he recognized the actor. The pair had a brief, somewhat odd conversation, and the man went back inside.

There is allegedly a video of what happened next, though it has not been published. It purports to show Harbour walk inside the restaurant, and come out a moment later with the hat of the other man. The man then exits after Harbour, throwing his hands in the air, saying, "What the fuck did I do to you, dude?" The actor reportedly said to the man, “C'mon, dude, fucking get me.” From here, the men apparently leave the field of view of the camera, but the man returns a few moments later with his hat.

Other Incidents In The Area Involving David Harbour Were Also Reported

The strange reports don’t end there. SanDiegoVille reports that a now-deleted post on Reddit told a story of an incident at a gas station in nearby Vista in which a man, purported to be David Harbour, was aggressive to the point that a sheriff’s deputy got involved. A report of a man suffering a mental health crisis has been confirmed by People, though the identity of the man has not been released.

Another post on the same Reddit thread comes from somebody who claims to have had a strange interaction with David Harbour at a Barnes & Noble store in Escondido. Photos of Harbour that were reportedly taken inside that store would seem to at least confirm his presence there, though the rest of the incident is unconfirmed.

While all these details remain unconfirmed, they follow another unusual, but unrelated, alleged incident from the final season of Stranger Things. Reports claimed that Millie Bobby Brown had filed a complaint against Harbour for bullying during production. However, at events promoting the show, Brown and Harbour were seen together and were quite friendly, making the entire report even more unusual.

Now, as we wait for more information on this, the second volume of Stranger Things Season 5 episodes arrives on Christmas Day. The finale will hit on New Year's Eve, and will be available either with a Netflix subscription or in theaters.

Minor spoilers for Stranger Things Season 5 are ahead. You can stream the first part of the final season with a Netflix subscription, and then catch Volume 2 and the finale on December 25 and 31, respectively.

In the weeks leading up to the premiere of Stranger Things Season 5 on the 2025 TV schedule, reports emerged that David Harbour was facing bullying claims that were filed by Millie Bobby Brown. However, now that the first volume of the final installment is out, the Eleven actress has opened up about what it was like to work with the Hopper actor this season.

The Enola Holmes actress has opened up to Deadline about collaborating with her co-star on Season 5, specifically. Speaking highly of him and their relationship, she said:

For context, at the start of November, news broke that Brown allegedly filed a complaint against Harbour that was related to bullying and harassment. It was reported that Netflix investigated the claims; however, the streamer did not release a statement about that.

After that news broke, however, Brown and Harbour combatted the discord by smiling and posing for photos together at the premiere. Following that event, where the two co-stars appeared to be getting along great, sources made claims to Variety about what happened to the bullying complaint. Apparently, after the investigation, the matter was resolved.

Now, Millie Bobby Brown shares a lot of her scenes in the first volume of Stranger Things Season 5 with David Harbour. They had to work together in the Upside Down, and they had to get vulnerable and emotional for their scenes, which involved Eleven not being able to use her powers.

Speaking about how excited she was for fans to see these scenes between the father-daughter duo, Brown said:

The actress also specifically spoke about her relationship with the Thunderbolts* actor. She clarified that she “felt safe” working with him. She also noted that due to their characters’ father-daughter relationship, they’ve grown quite close. Millie Bobby Brown explained:

So, based on these comments, it seems Brown and Harbour had a good working relationship on this final season. In terms of the bullying complaints, Netflix has not formally commented on the situation, and there are still questions about it. However, the actors have been seen together, and they’ve spoken about collaborating this season.

As this situation develops, we’ll be sure to keep you posted. In the meantime, you can stream the first volume of Stranger Things’ final season on Netflix now.

As Stranger Things Season 5 nears its release amid the 2025 TV schedule, two of its biggest cast members have been engulfed in rumors and reports. It was reported nearly a week ago that Millie Bobby Brown (known for playing Eleven) filed a bullying complaint against co-star David Harbour (who plays Jim Hopper). Both Harbour and Brown were all smiles when they appeared together at the show’s premiere, though. Now, insiders are dropping claims about what really happened with the complaint.

The initial report that came down about the bullying and harassment complaint didn’t provide any specific details about what supposedly went down between the two ST actors. It was said, however, that the complaint did not pertain to any sexual-related behavior. A source also said at the time that Netflix – which produces Stranger Things – launched an inquiry into the matter accordingly. The streamer also hasn’t formally addressed the matter, as of this writing.

Sources have since claimed to Variety, however, that the streaming giant did indeed launch an investigation into the bullying complaint and that the situation was ultimately resolved. Public relations experts also spoke to the trade about the situation, explaining that the warm Brown/Harbour moment that unfolded on the red carpet could be part of the streamer’s strategy to help smooth everything over. Ultimately, PR officials believe the company wants to convey that the cast is showing a united front as they bid farewell to their show.

Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour have both starred on Stranger Things since its first season, which premiered in 2016. Their characters notably share a surrogate father-daughter relationship and, as a result, they’ve shared a considerable number of scenes together. Trailers for Stranger Things Season 5 have also teased that they’ll have more screen time together. Fans have come to relish that on-screen dynamic, which may be why many were pleased to see Harbour and Brown embracing each other at the premiere.

Nevertheless, David Harbour reportedly will not be participating in the press tour for his 2025 Netflix release. While it was initially speculated that this was due to the reports surrounding him, Variety’s sources claim that was always the plan. As noted by the trade, Harbour is in the midst of a busy production schedule, which has recently included projects like Avengers: Doomsday and the HBO show DTF St. Louis.

Reports of the bullying complaint against the Gran Turismo actor also coincide with claims made against him by his estranged wife, singer Lily Allen. Via her new album, West End Girl, Allen – who married Harbour in 2020 – accused her spouse of infidelity. Variety also notes that the source cited in Daily Mail’s original reporting of the bullying claim was a “friend” of Allen’s. That same report also includes claims that Allen supported Harbour throughout the situation.

It’s far from certain whether the bullying/harassment complaints will ever formally be addressed by Netflix, Millie Bobby Brown or David Harbour, especially since the matter has apparently been resolved. Per reports, though, it seems that the ST team’s biggest objective right now is to promote their show accordingly. All the while, the public at large will also have to wait and see if sources shed further light on the matter.

All of that aside, Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1, is still set to drop for Netflix

The final season of Stranger Things is almost here. And while fans are excited, curious, and concerned about how it will all end, over the last few days, they were just as curious and concerned about something that could derail everything. Some reports state that Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour had some problems, with claims that Brown had filed a complaint against her on-screen father figure.

However, last night’s red carpet event for Stranger Things Season 5 would seem to indicate that all is well in Hawkins, Indiana. Not only did Brown and Harbour both attend the event, but they appeared on the red carpet together, all smiles.

While these two are certainly actors and could have been putting on a show, the look on their faces doesn't indicate any issues at all. Perhaps it was all much ado about nothing.

Last week, a report broke that claimed Millie Bobby brown filed a complaint against David Harbour with accusations of bullying and harassment. It was claimed that Netflix did a full investigation. However, there were reasons to question the initial report as it was light on specifics and the discussion of any results of the investigation.

Everything seems good as the cast of Stranger Things gets ready to say goodbye. Check out Brown and Harbour on the red carpet. When ET asked Millie Bobby Brown on the red carpet about appearing with Harbour, she certainly didn’t indicate any problems, smiling and saying…

While the claims are not addressed directly, and thus have not been completely debunked, what does seem clear is that accusations were seemingly not as bad as had been reported. Whatever issues there may have been are now behind them, or at best, not actually true at all. The only interview with Harbour published since the accusations was clearly conducted prior.

Stranger Things has been an incredibly popular show since it debuted, and the majority of the cast has literally grown up in front of the camera. To be honest, if the entire cast made it through without some sort of conflict, it would be a shock.

If there was anything at all to the allegations, some details may come out eventually. At least for the foreseeable future, fans can get back to being excited about the upcoming new season and wondering just what will happen to this crew of characters before the end. The first batch of Stranger Things Season 5 episodes arrives with your Netflix subscription on November 26. The final episode will debut on Netflix and in theaters on New Year's Eve.

We’re only a couple of weeks from the beginning of the end of Stranger Things, and one imagines that the show itself and what will happen to the characters is where everybody expected to be focusing their attention. However, right now, there's a lot of attention on David Harbour following reports that he was allegedly bullying and harassing one of his younger co-stars.

In an interview published by Esquire around the same time the report of the allegations was coming to light, Harbour was specifically asked about the young actors, who were all kids when Stranger Things first began. Fame came to them at a young age, which has a history of being problematic, but Harbour seems to feel this group is handling it well. He said...

They're all pretty good kids. Maybe it's just because I'm sober, I'm sure everyone's doing them, but it just feels like kids are not as substance-abusive as my generation was. But I think there were other pitfalls that I was really worried about. One of the real ropes to hang on to in this business for me has been the artistry of what you're doing. There are things that are just so beyond your control – whether or not you get box office, or whether or not people like you. All of these things are way beyond your control. But one of the things that you can control is your particular passion for storytelling, for art, for what you want to say, your voice. How you see the world.

Fame has certainly arrived for Millie Bobby Brown. She was the real breakout star of Stranger Things, and it's her who allegedly filed a complaint against Harbour at the beginning of production of this final season of the series. At this point, there’s been no official acknowledgement that the complaint even exists, and even if it does, no specifics of what it says have been reported, so we have to take everything with a grain of salt, but the allegations are still upsetting.

Whatever the relationship between Harbour and Brown, in the interview, the Hopper actor says he hopes to see long, successful careers from all the young actors. While they started Stranger Things as “child actors,” they are all adults now, and the Thunderbolts* actor hopes they are still performing well into old age. He continues…

David Harbour divorced singer Lily Allen last year, and that relationship has also fallen under scrutiny following Allen’s latest album, which included songs that seem to accuse the actor of violating the terms of their marriage. The pair never had children, though Harbour seems to see his role in the lives of the Stranger Things “kids” as that of a father. He indicates that he does his best to help steer them, but ultimately can’t do anything but watch and hope. He said…

With Stranger Things having wrapped production, the show is officially in the rearview mirror for most of the actors. It’s unclear at this point if there will be any potential fallout from the alleged complaint or if the fact that the show is now over ultimately ends the issue.

The final season of Stranger Things will be available with a Netflix subscription starting November 26, with Part 2 and the finale to follow on the 2025 TV schedule on December 25 and December 31.

David Harbour is embroiled in a situation involving one of his Stranger Things co-stars. It’s been alleged that Millie Bobby Brown leveled harassment and bullying claims against Harbour (50). As of now, neither Harbour nor Brown (21) have formally commented on the report. During this time, sources have shared purported details on the situation, including a rough estimate of when the alleged harassment supposedly occurred. There are also claims regarding how Harbour’s estranged wife, Lily Allen (40) reportedly handled the matter.

What’s Been Said About The Alleged Bullying And Harassment Claims Made Against David Harbour?

News of Brown’s reported complaint was broken by Daily Mail, which didn’t provide specifics on what allegedly transpired between the two actors. However, the outlet did specify that the claims made against Harbour – who plays Jim Hopper on ST – were not sexual in nature. Apparently, after the complaint was filed, Netflix launched an inquiry into the harassment, which reportedly began before filming for Stranger Things Season 5 started. A source for the outlet also shared the following comments:

As noted by Daily Mail, Netflix has also not provided an official statement on any kind of investigation. It’s also claimed, though, that Brown – who plays Eleven – had a personal representative with her when she was filming the latest season of the Duffer Brothers’ acclaimed science-fiction/horror show. When it comes to whether or not the streaming giant will ever comment on the matter, the source doesn’t seem to bullish about the notion of that happening:

Because no official legal documents have been obtained or released at this time, this information can only be taken with a grain of salt. The news also coincides with allegations that Lily Allen has made against the Avengers: Doomsday star.

How Lily Allen Allegedly Responded To The Complaint Against Her Husband

When it comes to the complaint Harbour reportedly faced, Lily Allen was allegedly in his corner. The insider claims “Lily supported him throughout it all. It was a brutal time.” At this point, the singer herself has yet to publicly comment on this information, which comes shortly after she accused her husband of infidelity during their marriage.

When it comes to the complaint Harbour reportedly faced, Lily Allen was allegedly in his corner. The insider claims “Lily supported him throughout it all. It was a brutal time.” At this point, the singer herself has yet to publicly comment on this information, which comes shortly after she accused her husband of infidelity during their marriage.

After they met in 2019, Harbour and Allen were married in Las Vegas (by an Elvis impersonator) in September 2020. By December 2024, it was reported that the two had separated, with Allen ultimately confirming that last month amid the release of her latest studio album, West End Girl. Through Allen’s musical compilation, she lays out the dissolution of her and Harbour’s marriage, which she partially attributes to unfaithfulness on his part. Harbour himself has not explicitly addressed the infidelity rumors leveled at him, as of this writing.

This latest allegation against David Harbour notably comes just weeks ahead of Stranger Things Season 5’s debut amid the 2025 TV schedule. A prime Netflix release this year, the season – which is being broken up into three parts – is set to conclude the beloved show. Whether Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown or reps for the streamer provide any response to this alleged bullying and harassment complaint in the meantime is unclear.

David Harbour and Pedro Pascal have known each since they were 17, with the former having joked about being “mad” at the latter for 30 years because he scored the lead role in a Northwestern play. These two will share screen time in December 2026 for Avengers: Doomsday, but that’s not the only movie they have coming up together. What’s even better is that this other movie is being put together by Andor creator Tony Gilroy.

Fresh off Gilroy bringing one of the best Disney+ Star Wars TV shows to a close after two seasons earlier this year, he’ll next write and direct Behemoth! for Searchlight Pictures. According to Deadline, David Harbour is currently in talks to star opposite Pedro Pascal, and the movie will begin filming in Los Angeles later this fall. The only plot detail for Behemoth! that’s been revealed is it will focus on a cellist.

This news comes just a month before David Harbour will wrap up his time as Jim Hopper in Stranger Things Season 5. The popular science fiction/horror series that’s viewable with a Netflix subscription catapulted him to worldwide popularity when it premiered in 2016, and later netted him two Emmy nominations and one Golden Globe nomination. Season 5 will be released in three parts, with two volumes releasing November 26 and December 25, respectively, on the 2025 TV schedule, followed by the finale on December 31. Pedro Pascal already made his big exit as Joel Miller in the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us.

Of course, 2025 has been a big year for both David Harbour and Pedro Pascal on the Marvel front. Harbour reprised Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian, in Thunderbolts* (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), and he can also now be heard voicing an alternate version of the character in Marvel Zombies. Meanwhile, Pascal debuted as Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and I look forward to seeing these characters interact with each other when the events of Avengers: Doomsday roll around.

Still, as much as I like the prospect of Harbour and Pascal working together outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Behemoth! coming from the mind of Tony Gilroy is the cherry on top of this metaphorical sundae. He hasn’t directed a movie since 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, the sole installment in the action film series to not star Matt Damon, and he helmed Michael Clayton and Duplicity before that. That’s not to say he hasn’t been keeping busy with writing and producing stuff besides Andor, but I’m intrigued to see what he has cooking with Behemoth! Along with his writing and directorial duties, Gilroy is producing with Sanne Wohlenberg.

No release date has been set yet for Behemoth!, but we’ll keep you apprised on that information and more updates as they come in. Looking to next year before Avengers: Doomsday arrives, David Harbour will star in Goat and Violent Night 2, and Pedro Pascal will reprise Din Djarin in The Mandalorian & Grogu.

David Harbour’s time as Hellboy proved to be a one-and-done affair, but he managed to find comic book movie success shortly thereafter. The Stranger Things star debuted as Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian, in 2021’s Black Widow, and then after voicing an alternate version of the character last year in What If… ? Season 3, he reprised Red Guardian onscreen on the 2025 movies schedule for Thunderbolts*. Now Harbour is in the midst of playing his MCU character once more for December 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday, and the actor opened up by how shocked he was to see the massive scale of this upcoming Marvel movie.

With a little over a year to go until Doomsday hits theaters, Harbour shed light on his experience working with directors Joe and Anthony Russo on what will be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 39th movie. He started off by saying to ScreenRant:

Joe and Anthony Russo entered the MCU to direct 2014’s Captain America: Civil War, and from there they tackled Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, three of this franchise’s most consequential installments. So having already seen their quality work in the franchise, David Harbour wasn’t concerned that Avengers: Doomsday wouldn’t follow suit, and so far he hasn’t been proven wrong. Doomsday began filming in late April, and the production is expected to last six months.

Even knowing he was in good hands with the Russos, David Harbour was still impressed by the sets constructed for Avengers: Doomsday, as well as the caliber of talent acting alongside him and the accommodations provided to them. As he put it:

Red Guardian will jump back into action alongside his New Avengers teammates Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), John Walker/U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ava Starr/Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and Bob Reynolds/Sentry (Lewis Pullman). They’ll join forces with the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men and other characters against the multiversal threat that is Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom. In fact, Thunderbolts*’ post-credits scene teased this coming team-up by showing the New Avengers witnessing the arrival of a spaceship with the Fantastic Four logo on it.

While we wait for more updates on Avengers: Doomsday, remember that Thunderbolts* can now be streamed with a Disney+ subscription. David Harbour will also be back on our small screens in the next few months when Stranger Things’ final season is released in three parts to Netflix subscription holders.

Even though it’s still hot enough outside to break a sweat just thinking about it, Netflix’s massive Stranger Things Season 5 trailer is now here to put everyone in a holiday state of mind. Being gifted with this new footage may make it feel like Christmas in July, but that’s not Santa and his reindeer out there. It’s Vecna and a bunch of extremely agile Demogorgons. I don’t know why I’m still trying to make that metaphor work.

Probably because I’m so damned excited after watching all this new footage for the final season after months and months of having to subsist on limited new clues about Eleven’s origins and other mysteries, while also gleaning any information possible from the final batch of episode titles. With all this excess excellence to get consumed by, it feels like a great time to excitedly jump from one topic to the next, and I’ll keep my ramblings in mostly sequential order.

The WSQK Radio Station

Clearly this will be a major catalyst location for the season, given how things start off here with Steve. STEVE! And for those unaware, the faux Hawkins broadcaster has been active on social media recently, specifically when it comes to the song "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" which was key to the Season 1 storyline.

The Bunker Of Younger Kids

The trailer makes it look like a whole bunch of characters are worriedly waiting for something major to go down that could potentially affect the majority of characters that we're aware of and then some. It's hard to tell exactly what's happening within that bunker of mostly children, though I don't imagine this represents a fun trip to Camp Central Park.

The Government Is Totally Taking Over Hawkins

It's pretty chilling seeing the kids biking down the road away from town as multiple helicopters and larger vehicles fly towards it. Once you see more than one helicopter in the air, that's it, Jack. Only monsters can follow that.

Eddie’s Defaced Tombstone

How they gonna do Eddie like that? I mean, I'm sure there will still be viewers who question if Eddie is dead or not after watching this trailer, but the insult-emblazoned grave marker does seem to be a good indicator. But that's what they'd WANT us to think.

Jonathan Gets The Trailer's Meaningful Voiceover Narration

Even though one might have expected Millie Bobby Brown's Eleven or Finn Wolfhard's Mike to be dishing out the dialogue in this first big look at the final chapter, it's instead Charlie Heaton's Jonathan talking to Natalia Dyer's Natalie. It's gotta have big implications, no doubt.

Demogorgons Can Climb Trees And Jump Around Like Superheroes

Just in case anyone was under the false impression that Demogorgons AREN'T among the most athletic threats in the universe, there's a shot in the trailer that seems to defy easy logic, with one character leaping from one treetop to another as one of the Upside Down's deadly creatures is reaching upwards while gripping the dead branches. Some real Last of Us vibes happening there. But if I hear one click...

Linda Motherfucking Hamilton

Terminator franchise legend Linda Hamilton previously shared that she'd considered retirement before Stranger Things came knocking, and I think we're all the better for her making the choice to stick with it. Granted, we still don't know very much about what she'll be doing, but THAT HAIR. It's enough to get me watching regardless of anything else.

That Massive Portal To The Upside Down

I love when horror or sci-fi sets up a moment where size and scale become slightly incomprehensible, and that's pretty much what happens here with the two characters standing in front of that gargantuan portal. Burn them all! Burn them all!

Major Jurassic Park Vibes

Considering Jurassic World Rebirth is currently making box office bank, it's pretty fitting that Stranger Things' trailer would feature a moment that seemingly pays homage to a hectic scene in Steven Spielberg's OG blockbuster. I'm talking of course about the bit where Lucas and others are trying to stay quiet as a Demo-dog (assumedly) lurks nearby.

The Radio Tower Of Doom

Linking everything back to the beginning of the trailer is the radio tower that looks as if it's been through better days. The structure looks every bit as ominous as the Mind-Flayer-in-the-sky images from seasons past, and I really hope nobody has to actually climb that thing. It's enough to make the entire lower half of my body pucker in discomfort.

So Much Emotional Sobbing

Obviously the final season of any globally renowned series is going to get emotional for the characters, which goes double for shows that have legitimate life-or-death stakes. Which means I'm not feeling very optimistic about...well, anyone. Natalie, Dustin, Steve and several others are seen to be overwhelmed by tearful feelings. I can certainly hope that those are "Thank God we all got out of this alive" reactions, but that wouldn't be the wisest move.

“Found You”

He's ba-a-a-a-a-ack! Stranger Things' true big bad, Vecna, makes a late-stage appearance, and not in full-frontal fashion. Instead, we only hear his voice and see his gnarly body from behind. Does that mean he'll be looking a little different in Season 5?

With one of the most bizarre TV schedule plans to ever exist, Stranger Things Season 5 will debut on Thanksgiving, will continue on Christmas, and will wrap with its series finale on New Year's Eve.

If you watch the Marvel movies in order, you’ll see Scarlett Johansson make her debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2, and then you will watch her final film many movies later with 2021’s Black Widow. She was an integral part of the MCU for about a decade, and after Endgame and her solo film that followed, she hasn’t returned. Now, she’s opened up about what it was like being “wrapped up” in the same franchise for so long and the challenges that came with it.

During a conversation with David Harbour for Interview Magazine, Johansson asked about Stranger Things Season 5 and if the Hopper actor was relieved that it was ending this year. He noted that “after 10 years, it’s like, ‘Okay,’” which came after he said that it can feel like you’re playing “the same beat” when you’ve worked on the same project for a long time. He then pointed out that his Black Widow co-star was in the MCU for a decade, too. In response, the actress said:

That’s a valid point to make. If you watch the films Johansson appeared in, her roles in them vary. She plays a massive part in some of Marvel’s best movies, like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame, and she leads Black Widow. However, there are others, like Iron Man 2 and even Avengers, where she has less significant roles in the story.

However, no matter how big or small the part in the movie, she still has to be fully committed to the project and her character’s look. While the Lost in Translation actress said this seems like a “silly problem,” it can really impact your life, as she explained:

Harbour agreed with his co-star’s sentiments. While he dosen’t paint his nails, he could understand her point about not being able to change your look, because when he’s playing Hopper he joked that he “cant shave [his] freaking mustache."

With long-running television shows, it’s normal to see stars leave the projects after so many years. That happens for a variety of reasons; however, an urge to take on other roles and not play the same person over and over again can be part of it.

It makes sense, too, having the freedom to change your look and not be committed to one thing for so long has to be a relief, especially after playing the same character for years and years.

Now, Scarlett Johansson is in a place where she doesn’t have to think about shaping her life and look around a Marvel movie, and she’s able to take on whatever projects she wants.

Meanwhile, David Harbour is about to end his time on Stranger Things, but he is just getting his Marvel career started. That’s because starring in Black Widow and Thunderbolts*, he’ll appear in the cast of Avengers: Doomsday.

Overall, what these comments point out is the double-edged sword that is working on a very long-running franchise. While it has major benefits, it can also get repetitive and hard. So, I do get why Scarlett Johansson hasn’t appeared in a Marvel movie since her exit in 2021. However, you can always go back and watch her time as Black Widow with a Disney+ subscription.

It’s been a few years since Scarlett Johansson retired from her role as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow. Still, the actress is asked whether she’ll reprise the role in upcoming Marvel movies. On that front, Johansson has been adamant about not playing the beloved character again. That subject came up again (albeit in a jokey way) when David Harbour humorously teased Johansson about Romanoff being a “secret character” in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, leading the actress to give a retort that I love.

The two Black Widow co-stars participated in a fun conversation for Interview Magazine, which saw Scarlett Johansson interview David Harbour about Thunderbolts* and more. Eventually, talk turned to the upcoming Avengers films, the first of which is currently filming in the UK. Johansson mentioned it, as some of her old buddies (like Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr.) are filming it now. After joking that she’s still keeping secrets even though she’s no longer under contract, Harbour dropped a funny quip:

Black Widow’s tragic death takes place in Avengers: Endgame (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription). Natasha ultimately sacrifices herself on the planet Vormir in order for her teammates to retrieve the Soul Stone. Ultimately, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are successful but at the cost of Nat’s life. Considering all of this, I was really delighted by the way in which Scarlett Johansson reacted to her friend and colleague:

Honestly, I have to respect a star who’s committed to continuity, and she’s absolutely right. It’s hard to say just what kind of damage could be done to the sacred timeline if Romanoff’s death were to be reversed. Half the population could indeed be killed all over again if her sacrifice is taken back. Of course, I don’t want to get too deep here as, above all else, I just can’t help but chuckle over the fact that the Oscar nominee reacted to her former co-star by dishing out Marvel Cinematic Universe facts like a fan would.

Scarlett Johansson’s commitment to Black Widow’s fate is admirable, considering many people’s desire to see her back in the fold. While she’s admitted to missing being with her “buddies” on set, Johansson also appreciates that her character’s story “is complete.” Of course, there are other ways in which Nat can return. Marvel is dabbling in the multiverse right now, and a Romanoff variant could definitely show up at some point in the upcoming Avengers movies.

That’s only a theory, though as, at this point, it seems that Scarlett Johansson truly has no plans to don her black, leather suit and stingers in an upcoming superhero movie. Chances are she’s still going to receive questions and comments – whether they be serious ones or non-serious ones like David Harbour’s. If that happens, I’d expect Johansson to simply point out the details of Endgame as necessary.

In any case, Avengers: Doomsday opens in theaters on December 18, 2026, while Avengers: Secret Wars drops on December 17, 2027.

It’s been a long, scary, freaky, monster and Upside Down-filled road, but after nearly a decade the end of Stranger Things (which you can catch up on with your Netflix subscription) will come to the 2025 TV schedule later this year. The fifth and final season of the supernatural hit will see Eleven, Will, Lucas, Mike, Dustin, Max and all their friends face down the incredibly powerful Vecna and his creepy minions for the last time. Obviously, El’s gruff but loving adoptive father, Jim Hopper, will be along for that dangerous ride once again. His portrayer, David Harbour, has opened up about how friends gave him a warning about starring in the series that he didn’t believe for many years.

What Did David Harbour’s Friends Tell Him About Starring In Stranger Things That It Took Him Years To Believe?

David Harbour had certainly landed notable roles in TV and movies prior to beginning his run as Chief Hopper on Stranger Things, which debuted in 2016, but the show catapulted him and its many child actors to definite stardom very quickly. For all his previous success, the current Marvel movies superhero (who’s filming the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday now) hadn’t yet landed a long-term role on a major hit series. Apparently, as he recently told erstwhile Black Widow Scarlett Johansson for Interview Magazine, some of his friends had warned him about what would happen if he stayed on one series for a long time. As he said:

It’s been very clear over the years that the cast of Stranger Things is pretty close, which is the kind of thing that can easily happen when you literally grow up together/watch kids grow up/spend so much time working on something that’s made everyone famous. Season 5 finally finished filming in December 2024, and several stars spoke about how emotional those last days were. Finn Wolfhard said he had an “emotional hangover” after wrapping on the show, while Millie Bobby Brown admitted to bursting into tears on her penultimate day on set, and by this April, Joe Keery was already talking about being “nostalgic” for his time on the horror series.

With all of that emotion around their last days on set, it makes sense that the closeness of the bunch would lead the Red Guardian actor to thinking, early on anyway, that he would never be tired of the work he got to do with all his ST buddies as Hopper. But, it turns out that his friends who had been in his position before were accurate in their assessment. It took a while (likely because most series don’t take basically a decade to complete only five seasons), but Harbour is now definitely ready to move on.

Luckily, the fans don’t have to move beyond our Hawkins crew just yet, as Stranger Things Season 5 will debut on November 26. And, while David Harbour is ready to leave this chapter behind, it does sound like everyone will be able to do so after a “satisfying” ending.

Whenever new Marvel movies come out, they are the result of years of collaboration between all sorts of departments in filmmaking, and it’s always interesting to learn about what changes happen over time. Well, a concept artist for Thunderbolts* has shared an alternate suit for David Harbour’s Red Guardian, and while it’s quite different, I really like it.

It’s kind of running joke that Red Guardian has kept his old suit from many years ago and brings it out to play when it’s time to save the day, which has been in Black Widow and Thunderbolts* thus far. However, as the movie’s Aleksi Briclot shared on Instagram, he was toying with a new look for Harbour’s character. Check it:

Oooh, black looks good on Alexei! The concept artist, who has also worked on a load of Marvel movies over the years, including Black Widow, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Avengers: Infinity War, shared that he initially thought Alexei might need a “darker vibe” for Thunderbolts* that involved less red and more dark to go with the “tone of the movie.” He described it as “less Santa Claus and more Spec Ops.”

While I think there’s something really fun about Alexei using his good old suit over and over, it’s hard not to see how slick this version of Red Guardian’s suit looks. Check out what the fans had to say in the Instagram comment section:

• “Probably the best superhero suit that i've seen in my life, amazing!!” @edward_willenberg
• “I really like this! I appreciate the comic accuracy of the suit and wish they had gone this route! Though, I think the design they used makes sense for Red Guardian's role/story in the film” - @isaacgrah13
• “That looks like a good upgrade for Red Guardian in Doomsday and Secret Wars as the Avengerz #1 super soldier mascot! 🔥” - @vbgear
• “Honestly, I would've preferred this suit to the one we got 🔥” - @udofian.ink
• “What the heck!!?!?! This suit should've been in the film” - @twincastx

Yeah, it’s a winner. Opinions are kind of divided regarding whether it should have been in the movie or not, but more often than not, people are dealing with some FOMO over Red Guardian’s darker suit not making it in the movie. But as one fan pointed out, it would be a good idea (and make sense story-wise) for Red Guardian to get a suit upgrade specifically for Avengers: Doomsday. Because by then, he’ll be a real Avenger, and one would assume there’s a bit of a budget for the character to get a new suit.

As we learned through the viral chair announcement, David Harbour will be part of the Avengers: Doomsday movie alongside the rest of the Thunderbolts team, who were named the New Avengers at the end of the movie. He’ll also be joined by characters he’s never interacted with before, like the X-Men, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Thor and Shang-Chi. Red Guardian is going to be over the moon.

While we wait for Doomsday, which isn’t coming until December 2026, check out David Harbour meeting Red Guardian at Disneyland and our thoughts on the Thunderbolts* ending. The next MCU movie is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, coming out on July 25.

Critics praised Thunderbolts* (or The New Avengers), and I’m a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe-set flick as well. As fun as this particular 2025 movie schedule entry is though, what I’ve really enjoyed is the press tour, during which the stellar cast has been sharing fun, BTS secrets. That habit of divulging tidbits was even exercised by Sebastian Stan at the film’s red carpet premiere, as he called out colleague David Harbour’s “nut” obsession. And, believe it or not, this isn’t the first time an MCU star has referenced a co-star’s love of nuts.

It’s not out of the ordinary for actors to field fun questions at a movie premiere, but I’m not sure who could’ve predicted that nuts would come up on the Thunderbolts* red carpet. Sebastian Stan – who plays Bucky Barnes in the movie – was asked about secret fun moments from the set. In the video, which was shared to Instagram by Marvel Studios, Stan recalled Alexei Shostakov actor David Harbour apparently stuffing cashews and almonds into his costume. Separately, Harbour humorously addressed his “addiction”:

Can we blame the actor for being so big on nuts, though? As he said, they provide protein, and I know that I occasionally enjoy some good salted peanuts. I can honestly relate to the Stranger Things actor in regard to having an “addition” of some sort to a certain kind of food. (I may or may not have an unhealthy obsession with Sour Patch Kids, but that’s a conversation for another day.)

As a whole, this discussion over nuts is just another keen example of the camaraderie that appears to exist amongst the Thunderbolts* cast. It’s been particularly enjoyable for me to watch David Harbour and the “cranky and handsome” Sebastian Stan mix it up over the past several weeks. Ironically, I actually wanted their newest MCU film to further explore the relationship between their characters. I’m not sure that’ll happen in upcoming Marvel movies but, at the very least, I’m glad the actors themselves have such a jokey relationship.

It’s really funny how things work out because, several years ago, Anthony Mackie (lightly) called out Sebastian Stan, in a way. The always-jovial Mackie provided a bit of advice for David Harbour in regard to working with Sebastian Stan. Mackie surmised that in order to get in good with a “nice” guy like Stan, you give him “some almond butter” and then chat with him a bit. The irony of a situation like this coming back around is certainly nutty. (I’m sorry, the pun was right there, and I had to go for it.)

All three of the aforementioned actors are all a part of the much-anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to open in theaters in 2026. Of course, at this point, it’s unclear just how much the trio will work together amid production on the massive blockbuster. However, there’s a firm chance they could share some very funny moments during the eventual press tour. Oh, the funny secrets that are sure to get spilled then.

I wouldn’t be surprised if David Harbour’s nut addiction or Sebastian Stan’s apparent fondness for almond butter come back into play at some point. And, even if that doesn’t happen, I still chuckle at the thought of the two actors chopping up about any humorous topic while promoting an upcoming movie together.

Check out Thunderbolts*, which is playing in theaters nationwide now. Also, grab a Disney+ subscription to stream various MCU movies and TV shows.

It’s hard to believe, but Fantastic Four: First Steps is the only title left among upcoming Marvel movies before we get our first Avengers movie since Endgame, Avengers: Doomsday. And while I probably wouldn’t have believed you if you told me before seeing it, Thunderbolts* is my favorite MCU movie in years, and I have to say a lot of that is thanks to Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. Never mind the actress already being some of my favorites in movies like Dune: Part 2 or Midsommar, her character is quickly rising in the ranks in the current superhero lineup. And when I rewatched her first appearance in Black Widow, it only made me appreciate her more.

I remember digging Black Widow when it came out, but I’ll be honest, I’ve kind of forgotten about it since I saw it. Of course, there’s the fact that it probably came out at the wrong time, given the COVID-19 pandemic was still heavily affecting theaters and Disney was experimenting with its Disney+ service, perhaps to the detriment of the movie’s performance. But, I need to talk about how seeing Thunderbolts* reminded me to go back to the 2021 release and deepen my love for Yelena Belova further. SPOILERS are ahead for Thunderbolts* and Black Widow.

As Soon As I Watched Thunderbolts* I Wanted To Revisit Black Widow Right Away

There’s a lot to love about Thunderbolts* in my opinion, but the biggest highlight of the movie for me is the relationship between Yelena and her “dad,” the Red Guardian. My favorite scene was definitely in the third act of the movie when Yelena gets honest with him about how she’s been feeling really alone and having a lot of regrets about her life. In response, Red Guardian tells Yelena that when he looks at her, he “doesn’t see” her mistakes. Instead, he remembers who she was as a kid, and how she wanted to be the goalie on her childhood soccer team in order to be the “person everyone relies on when they make a mistake.”

Without that scene in the movie, I just don’t think Thunderbolts* would be as good as it is. It had me thinking back to when Yelena and Red Guardian’s relationship was established in Black Widow. I remember the two actors being just as funny and grounded in the 2021 movie, and yet I hadn’t placed the movie high in my mind to realize this going into seeing Thunderbolts*. So I made it my mission to revisit Black Widow after seeing the latest Marvel movies.

I’m Happy I Did, Because It Made Me More Emotional About Yelena Belova Becoming An Avenger

When it comes to Marvel movies in order, I had actually forgotten that the movie takes place in 2016 in the MCU timeline, two years prior to the events in Infinity War and the events of Thunderbolts* takes place a little over a decade after Black Widow (with the five-year gap of the snap in between to think about). And after seeing Black Widow again, I think the movie does a good job of establishing an older Yelena who has dealt with a lot more life and loss, and having the context of her upbringing with the Red Guardian and Melina really helped me understand her better. It was so much fun to see how the character was introduced in the movie, because Pugh very much stays true to who Yelena is between them. Oh, and it slipped my mind how quotable Yelena was in Black Widow to the point of actually stealing the thunder off of Scarlett Johansson’s MCU sendoff.

But the one thing that really caught me off guard is how much Yelena clearly looks up to Natasha Romanoff throughout the movie, even if she’s always taking shots at her Avengers position and "posing". While I read it more as MCU banter the first time I saw it, this time I noticed how much that relationship really gives sister energy, and while Natasha kind of brushes Yelena off (as big sisters often do), Natasha means a lot to her. I realized getting to do a mission with her and reunite with their “parents” is kind of the best thing for Yelena, because she's spent a lot of time alone. Throughout the movie, you see how, while Natasha has kind of lost her respect for her parental figures, Yelena is still attached to them. As she says in one memorable line: "It was real to me."

It made me extra sad about the death of Natasha in Endgame, and how in Thunderbolts*, Yelena feels like she wants to make a difference like her sister did, but she’s having problems making the transition (inwardly and outwardly). So, when I finished Black Widow, knowing that her second MCU movie ends with her becoming a new Avenger, I found it especially poignant. She still clearly feels the loss of Natasha, now she’s going to get the chance to serve with the Avengers and be the person she has always looked up to: her sister! I’m not crying, you are.

It Also Made Wish Natasha Romanoff Made A Cameo, But Oh Well, I Guess

While the Thunderbolts* director has suggested the movie isn’t a Black Widow sequel, I would argue the new Marvel film wouldn’t have worked for me as well as it did if it weren’t for the 2021 movie. If I hadn’t seen the scene where Yelena and Red Guardian sing “American Pie” together, I wouldn’t have bought into their continued father-daughter dynamic as much, and there’s a kind of twisted found family element in the Kate Shortland film that spiritually carries over into Thunderbolts*, I think.

The only thing that really bummed me out after seeing Black Widow is how the movie perfectly served Thunderbolts* the chance to feature Scarlett Johansson one more time through the shame rooms created by Sentry. I think it would have been really beautiful if she had shown up for a moment and allowed Yelena to get some closure or something. But, I also understand that Johansson is hesitant to return to the MCU after her long stint, and I was kind of into the fact that Thunderbolts* wasn’t packed full of cameos.

Because while Yelena Belova kind of sees herself as not as good as Natasha, the fact is she’s being given way more to do in the MCU already than her sister was. Sure, it was different times, but I’ve always felt so conflicted about how Black Widow was handled as a character. She’s very much in the center of things going into Doomsday, and I love that for her, but now I’m never getting out of my mind how the character will be constantly missing her sister as she becomes a hero in her own right.

Spoilers ahead for Thunderbolts*.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, thanks to titles debuting in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest movie to hit theaters is Thunderbolts*, which was one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies ahead of its release last weekend. The Thunderbolts* cast has great chemistry, and a funny video dropped online of them arguing about who was or was not snapped away by Thanos.

The ending of Thunderbolts* was thrilling, with the movie's asterisk finally explained as the motley crew of antiheroes was dubbed the New Avengers. But just because they've got this title doesn't mean they've been watching the Marvel movies in order like fans. Just look at a video from EW's Instagram, where the cast debated The Snap vs The Blip, and exactly who got turned to dust by Thanos. Check it out below:

So maybe this cast doesn't have to act that hard to bring their funny group dynamic to life. Because it's on display right here, where David Harbour argued with Florence Pugh and company about her character Yelena's fate. And just like they all discount Red Guardian, the same thing happened to the Stranger Things star. Poor guy.

While Florence Pugh originally argued that she didn't get snapped (or blipped), she eventually remembered a flashback from Hawkeye which showed those moments from Yelena's perspective. We saw The Blip through her eyes, with years having instantly passed as she returned thanks to Hulk's snap in Avengers: Endgame.

Some of the confusion happening in this adorable video is related to the verbiage use. Namely The Snap vs The Blip. While fans started calling Thanos' destruction of half of all life by the former, in the MCU the event's official name is The Blip. Namely because those lost ones returned to the world as if nothing has happened. And shows like Hawkeye and WandaVision have shown how chaotic that moment was throughout the shared universe.

Of course Yelena wasn't the only member of the New Avengers who met this fate. Sebastian Stan's Bucky turned to dust at the of Avengers: Infinity War, right before Steve Rogers' eyes. The fate of the rest of the team during this universe-changing moment hasn't been officially revealed just yet, but maybe that'll happen in Avengers: Doomsday.

Marvel's live stream for Doomsday confirmed that the Thunderbolts/New Avengers will be part of the cast, and it should be fascinating to see how they interact with the former Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. Perhaps we'll learn more about who was blipped and who was not.

Thunderbolts* is in theaters now, and will be followed by Fantastic Four: First Steps on July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list. And we'll see these characters all interact next year when the Avengers franchise finally returns to the big screen.

There are a couple of upcoming Marvel movies set to hit the 2025 movie calendar, and the first of those puts the villains front and center. Thunderbolts* will close out Phase 5 of the MCU when it hits theaters May 2, and fans will finally learn the endgame plan for Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Critics had the opportunity to screen the film ahead of its release, and they can’t stop talking about how good Florence Pugh is.

Marvel fans are naturally excited about the MCU’s Thunderbolts*, especially after director Jake Schreier released that explosion-filled behind-the-scenes footage. The film centers around a grieving Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) as she teams up with other antiheroes against a common enemy. In CinemaBlend’s review of Thunderbolts*, Eric Eisenberg says the film is among the better of the MCU’s recent offerings, mostly checking the boxes it needs to before next summer’s Avengers: Doomsday. He rates the movie 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing:

Nicholas Barber of the BBC also calls it one of Marvel’s best of the past few years, giving it 4 stars out of 5. The critic calls it “scrappy, scruffy-looking, down-to-earth fun" and says it’s so neatly plotted that you can get the gist and enjoy the ride whether you're a Marvel nerd or not — mostly thanks to Florence Pugh. Barber continues:

Jesse Hassenger of AV Club grades the upcoming superhero movie a B, saying Marvel gets some of its mojo back with this semi-Black Widow sequel, as Thunderbolts* brings these antiheroes to the forefront with surprising ingenuity. Hassenger says:

Peter Debruge of Variety writes that the blockbuster balances self-deprecating comedy with mental health concerns and relies on deep knowledge of obscure characters (better get to watching those Marvel movies in order) to make sense of the MCU going forward. Debruge agrees with the others that it’s Florence Pugh’s film, writing:

Clint Gage of IGN rates it a “Good” 7 out of 10, saying the father/daughter dynamic between David Harbour and Florence Pugh is a blast to watch, but Thunderbolts* truly excels with its darker, more upsetting subject matter. All in all, Gage says it’s the most solid MCU movie in a while, concluding:

The critics seem to agree that Florence Pugh’s performance is a big reason why Thunderbolts* is some of Marvel’s best work in recent years. The movie has been Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 89% on the Tomatometer. Luckily, you don’t need to wait any longer to check it out for yourself, as the MCU Phase 5 flick hits theaters Friday, May 2.

The upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts* is in many ways a direct follow-up to 2021’s Black Widow. Three of the movie’s major characters, Yelena, Red Guardian and Taskmaster, debuted in that film, and this is the first time we’ve seen the latter two since then. It is, of course, not surprising that Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha doesn’t appear, but considering the rest of Black Widow’s “family” is here, it makes one wonder what happened to Melina.

Rachael Weisz joined the Black Widow cast as Melina, a Red Room operative who also played the role of mother to Natasha and Yelena during their days undercover. At the end of Black Widow, the family comes together, but Melina is nowhere to be found in Thunderbolts*. Speaking with THR, David Harbour is surprisingly open that he doesn’t know where Melina is, but he absolutely wants to see her back, and has even been talking to Marvel about making that happen. He said…

While Harbour's Alexei and Weisz’s Melina were only playing an undercover husband and wife in Black Widow, the movie reveals that there was real affection between the pair, and there’s even a Black Widow deleted scene (viewable with a Disney+ subscription) where the two kiss at the end of the movie. But Red Guardian is very clearly a bachelor during Thunderbolts*.

While Yelena and Red Guardian are not particularly close in Thunderbolts*, they have remained in touch. It’s unclear if the same is true with Melina. It could be that she is simply elsewhere during the events of the film, or there could be something else going on.

The fact that Melina isn’t anywhere in Thunderbolts* could be an indication that her story is simply seen as over, and the MCU will move on without her, as it has with so many other characters over the years. However, David Harbour thinks there’s a real chance we could see Melina again, and he thinks it would certainly make for some real drama for his character. He continued…

We know that David Harbour and the rest of the Thunderbolts* cast will be joining the cast of Avengers: Doomsday, and as long as Red Guardian and Yelena are a significant part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the door is likely open for a return for Melina. Florence Pugh was in the same interview with Harbour, and it seems clear that both of them would love to see Rachel Weisz return. Maybe it really could happen.

Fans of upcoming Marvel movies are no strangers to speculation, leaks, and coded denials, but what’s it really like being on the other side of that airtight secrecy? According to stars of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, David Harbour and Wyatt Russell, it’s part comedy, part hostage situation, and they’re only half-joking.

While promoting the pair of actors’ upcoming flick Thunderbolts*, David Harbour and Wyatt Russell were asked a deceptively simple question by ComicBook.com: Is performing physical stunts scarier than keeping one's mouth shut about Doomsday? Neither actor hesitated when confirming that holding onto secrets scares them more.

Harbour, back again as the gruff but lovable Red Guardian, shared his take that being asked about Marvel's future is akin to a mega-stunt all on its own, saying:

Russell, never one to miss a deadpan punchline, went a little darker with his take. The U.S. Agent portrayer added:

It’s fun to imagine the dark-suited, baseball cap-wearing producer being mafia-like regarding cast spoilers, but whether that knife is metaphorical or something only Kevin Feige knows remains a mystery.

It’s interesting to note that although both actors were announced during Marvel's 5.5-hour cast announcement stream, it hasn't been officially confirmed whether they will play significant roles in the plot. This is typical for The House of Ideas; even being associated with one of their upcoming superhero movies means adhering to strict non-disclosure agreements, almost like undergoing metaphorical hostage training, albeit with safer resolutions.

Marvel has kept most of Avengers: Doomsday under tight wraps. All we officially know? The cast is stacked, and yes, Robert Downey Jr. is returning, not as Iron Man, but as Doctor Doom. That alone is enough to send fan theories into overdrive. Add the potential appearance of the Thunderbolts* after facing off against the reality-bending powerhouse Sentry, which has been spoiled in recent marketing, and the secrecy makes more sense.

The MCU movie Universe is a franchise that relies on surprises and those cool connections between stories, so knowing that Russell and Harbour are in the next Avengers movie kind of gives away what’s happening in Thunderbolts* — at least for their characters. I bet there’s a lot of pressure to keep things quiet, but as the MCU stars show, the stress of accidentally spilling something, like saying the wrong thing or dropping a hint, can be just as intense as any big showdown in a superhero finale.

Thunderbolts* hits theaters this Friday, May 2, 2025, and Avengers: Doomsday drops exactly a year later. Fans have a ton of teaser interviews, awkward moments, and quick hints to look forward to in the next year, so get ready for a wild ride!

While you're waiting to hear more about the next Avengers movies, why not check out the rest of the MCU? You can also catch up on all the connections by streaming the films with your Disney+ subscription.

Avengers: Doomsday has a massive cast that’s filled to the brim with some top tier talent. David Harbour, who plays Red Guardian, is among the cast members and, as part of the upcoming Marvel movie, he'll be working with Reed Richards actor Pedro Pascal. I already liked the idea of the two actors possibly sharing screen time, yet what I didn't know was that Pascal and Harbour have actually known each other for 30 years. Funny enough, Harbour has apparently been “mad” at Pascal due to something that went down way before they were both famous.

The phrase "it's a small world" can definitely relate to Hollywood, as it sometimes seems like a very closed ecosystem in which many people know each other. However, it's surprising whenever a pre-fame link between stars is revealed. During his interview with ET, Harbour humorously divulged details about his decades-long beef with the star of The Last of Us:

I'd imagine that it can't be easy for an actor to lose a role, no matter what level they're at. Honestly, I can understand the frustration of not receiving a desired role. What I'm still trying to wrap my brain around, though, is the fact that these two stars are linked by this interesting piece of history. Of course, it seems that David Harbour is mostly just joking in regard to any true animosity. However, I can't help but wonder if he'll bring up that missed role to his co-star amid production on Avengers 5.

Despite the way that play turned out at Northwestern years ago, it's fair to say that both Pedro Pascal and David Harbour have found immense success in the years since then. Pascal's roles have been celebrated and, in many circles, he's been dubbed the Internet's "daddy." Even Harbour's Thunderbolts* co-star, Florence Pugh, is a Pascal fan. As for the Stranger Things star, he's become something of a pop culture icon, with fans even lauding him for his signature "dad bod."

Considering how talented both of the actors are, I'm incredibly hopeful that they'll actually appear in scenes together in the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday. The notion of Harbour's boisterous Alexei Shostakov shooting the breeze with Pascal's cerebral Reed Richards is so fun to think about. I'd imagine that Reed would be somewhat thrown for a loop by the somewhat vivacious Russian super soldier. However, I'd imagine Alexei to be friendly to the reserved scientist.

What I'm in need of now is an account of the Northwestern situation from Pedro Pascal's perspective. I'd imagine that the jovial actor might offer some apologies for landing the role over David Harbour. On the other hand, Pascal may throw in a playful jab at Harbour's expense, adding another fun layer to this funny, 30-year-old beef.

There aren’t many movie franchises that keep secrets (or at least try to) the way that nearly 20 years of MCU movies have been known to keep secrets. This has continued for upcoming Marvel movies, as well, and with Thunderbolts* stars (and dozens of other MCU vets) preparing for work on the highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday, there’s a very good reason that they are all “sussing each other out” when it comes to the new film.

What Is The Thunderbolts* Cast Wondering About Their Roles In Avengers: Doomsday?

Obviously, fans who love the many movies and shows that take place in the Marvel multiverse got some major news in March 2025, when a livestream revealed the names of the Avengers: Doomsday cast. Most of the main characters from Thunderbolts* have been announced to return for the first, post-Infinity Saga, Avengers film, but as stars David Harbour and Wyatt Russell tell it, they are still in the dark on a lot of things.

The duo recently spoke to GamesRadar, and when asked if they’ve been on set for Doomsday yet, the Stranger Things star responded:

Man! This is an insane level of secrecy, right? Neither actor could give an answer to whether or not they’ve begun filming on the new Avengers movie, because they can’t let the other know whether or not they’ve actually started work yet. The Red Guardian actor continued, speaking to Russell:

Look, we all know by now that Marvel actors contend with a level of secret-keeping that could come close to breaking most actual secret agents. In fact, Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland, is infamous for spilling the beans, as has been the case for Hulk actor Mark Ruffalo. In fact, Doomsday star Simu Liu recently blamed those two for the current level of Marvel secrecy, with all of them going into these movies not knowing who else will be in them until they either film with that person or find out when the public does. Knowing that you’re in a movie, but not having the script or even the story is crazy-pants!

U.S. Agent/John Walker’s portrayer, Wyatt Russell, added that part of how they keep things on the low-low now involves switching things up…a lot. He said:

You know what? Congrats to all the people involved in these movies in any capacity for keeping whatever they know to themselves so that we can all be surprised. Because this level of “WTF is happening?” can only be carried by some true superheroes among us.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is all about giving fans incredible superhero action. Some of the biggest action scenes in recent memory have come from Marvel movies. Hearing the cast of Thunderbolts* talk about one sequence in the upcoming Marvel movie, it sounds like it could have a contender for coolest action scene of the year, but apparently, actually filming it was far from cool.

If you’ve seen the Thunderbolts* trailers then you’ve certainly seen a sequence that has the main Thunderbolts* cast driving through the desert in a car, when Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes comes up behind them on a motorcycle. This is part of a major action sequence that David Harbour tells Fandango is an “incredible” one. But apparently it was quite silly to film. He explained…

When we see the action scene in the movie next month, it will surely look incredibly cool. The Winter Soldier, arguably one of the coolest characters in the entire MCU, will show us all just what a badass he is. The sequence certainly looks in the trailers to be incredibly exciting.

But now I just know that when I’m sitting and watching Thunderbolts*, I’m going to be sitting there watching Bucky the entire time. Or more specifically, I’m going to be watching his hair and trying to figure out which shots are of Stan and which are of the stunt rider. If I am actually successful, I’m going to likely ruin the scene for myself because I’ll notice the wig.

Tom Cruise may insist on doing all his own stunts, but there’s a limit when it comes to many other actors doing theirs. It sounds like this Thunderbolts* scene had some very specific motorcycle stunt work. That sort of thing would have likely meant a long period of teaching Stan in order to do it, and Marvel movies are very much a machine that probably don’t have time for that.

Thunderbolts* will have at least one other major stunt sequence, as we know Florence Pugh's Yelena will be jumping off the second-highest building in the world. Pugh did some of her own stunt work here as well, though she says she had to fight for it.

If I’m lucky, I won’t even notice the strange Bucky wig, which will be a testament to the digital effects masters and the cinematographer that the sequence was seamlessly put together. Even if I can see it, the scene will hopefully end up blowing me away so much that I won’t even care.

If you thought sitting through Marvel’s 5.5-hour Avengers: Doomsday chair reveal stream was a wild ride, just know—you weren’t alone. It turns out that even Florence Pugh and David Harbour were right there with us, navigating the chaos, caffeine, and confusion of a never-ending lineup of director chairs, with names slowly being unveiled for the upcoming Marvel movie. And just like us, they weren’t 100% sure they were even in the film.

In a recent interview shared via Fandango’s official Instagram account, the super cast of the upcoming Thunderbolts* was asked about their reactions to the now-infamous Marvel livestream event. The stream revealed the entire cast of Avengers: Doomsday by showing personalized director chairs one by one throughout five and a half hours. The host posed the million-dollar question: “What was your reaction to the Marvel livestream? Did you know by that time that your name was announced?” What followed was gold, as Florence Pugh shared:

Tea? Heck, Pugh could have had an entire dinner and returned before her name was revealed. David Harbour was even more like the rest of us, as he shared:

The host hilariously asked which number Harbour was in the seemingly never-ending line of star announcements. He continued:

Just to clarify, Harbour's name popped up a little over two hours into the stream. It’s nice to know that even Black Widow and Red Guardian were feeling the same confusion as the rest of us while watching. What started as a big marketing stunt by Marvel—making us wait almost six hours for the Doomsday cast announcement—quickly turned into an experiment in patience, speculation, and total chaos.

The live stream, which trended for hours, had fans theorizing, memeing, and, in some cases, live-blogging as they waited to see names slowly unveiled on chairs. While the approach was divisive, it was undeniably effective: people were watching to the bitter end—including, as we now know, people actually in the movie.

Avengers: Doomsday is set to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, and if it includes even half the personality these two bring to a press junket, we’re in for something special. Until then, keep the tea hot, and maybe next time, give Florence and David a heads-up, Marvel.

Florence Pugh and David Harbour can be seen next, suited up for the Thunderbolts*, hitting the 2025 movie release schedule on May 2. Until then, be sure to check out our schedule of upcoming superhero movies coming to a theater near you.

If there’s one person who will always keep it refreshingly honest in the Hollywood movie-making machine, even when they have a high-profile upcoming Marvel movie, it’s David Harbour. The Stranger Things and Black Widow star—returning as Red Guardian in the upcoming Thunderbolts*—recently reacted to the film’s long-awaited trailer drop, and his response is equal parts cheeky, self-aware, and 100% on brand.

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Harbour reacted to his upcoming superhero movie’s most recent arthouse-inspired trailer, which plays more like a film festival teaser than a Marvel blockbuster. The trailer leaned heavily into highlighting its cast and crew's prestige, showcasing past credits and artistic collaborators more commonly seen in A24 projects. But the former Hellboy star thinks things could have gone a bit further, noting:

That’s right: Red Guardian is putting some respect on the résumés. And he’s not wrong. The Thunderbolts* cast includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, and Wyatt Russell—all of whom bring serious acting pedigree. And rather than shy away from the idea that this MCU flick might be “too artsy,” Harbour is all in on that chaos. The Creature Commandos voice star continued:

While the full plot of Thunderbolts* is still tightly under wraps, the tone being teased so far feels more subversive, grounded, and character-driven than anything coming from the MCU in some time. With Beef director Jake Schreier at the helm, and an offbeat lineup of conflicted heroes and villains, the film is shaping up to be less Avengers: Assemble and more Shameless with superheroes.

Harbour’s comments seem to confirm what fans have suspected since the first trailer dropped, continuing through the Superbowl spot, and now the A24-inspired third trailer: this isn’t MCU business as usual. This is Marvel swinging in a new direction—and leaning into its weirder, darker corners. And if David Harbour’s this excited, maybe we should be too.

Thunderbolts* hits the 2025 movie schedule, releasing on May 2, 2025. Until then, consider screaming all the MCU movies in order with your Disney+ subscription.

Wishful thinking would motivate a lot of people to hope for the 2025 movies schedule to be the future home of long anticipated box office surprises. After David Harbour’s Violent Night 2 script tease recently made the rounds, that project is one that I have in the “TBD” column, as who knows when it’ll be ready.

However, that clearly hasn’t stopped people from talking about what to expect next, as writers Pat Casey and Josh Miller went one step further and teased some interesting directions for the sequel. And yes, Mrs. Claus did come up in the conversation.

Violent Night 2 Sounds Like It’s Got Everything Fans Want, And A New Genre Influence

Speaking with Casey & Miller on behalf of the release of their recently-scripted Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the conversation found itself bookended with the spirit of Violent Night. The latter instance of this discussion gave us the opportunity to tear into how the 2022 smash hit’s still developing follow-up will continue David Harbour’s tenure as one of the coolest movie Santas.

In talking towards that point, there was a firm line between what could and couldn’t be said. When it came to co-writer Josh Miller, here’s what he shared with CinemaBlend about Violent Night 2:

To me, “Western story elements” sound like a vague promise of a grudge long unfulfilled and an invitation to a showdown that cleans up the past. Feeding more into the vague, but promising description of Violent Night 2, co-writer Pat Casey added to the discussion with the following note:

That promise might be the bare minimum for Violent Night 2, but the temptation to stray from the holiday is probably stronger than one would think. I mean, just because it’s the return of David Harbour’s Santa doesn’t mean we’ll be catching up with him during the busy season.

What if the next chapter was to happen during a vacation retreat where Mr. and Mrs. Claus try to strengthen their marriage? Although now that we’re on the subject, prepare for the vaguest bit of this chat to ever exist, as there’s a pretty huge question in which Violent Night’s writing team has wrestled with.

What Violent Night 2’s Writers Can And Can’t Say About Mrs. Claus

As we saw in Violent Night, Santa and Mrs. Claus seemed to be having a small patch of difficulty. The unseen better half of Pere Noel led me to ask about David Harbour’s perfect Mrs. Claus actor, which put on the board the intriguing suggestion of 87North alum Charlize Theron playing the role down the line.

When even mentioning the possibility of Mrs. Claus having a place in Violent Night 2, I followed up that prospect with not only Ms. Theron’s name, but also a rather popular new candidate. Addressing the matter as tactfully as possible, here’s what Josh Miller could, or rather couldn’t say, to CinemaBlend:

Now I’m having trouble deciding who the truly perfect Mrs. Claus would be for Violent Night 2. Which, to be fair, is probably a blessing for Pat Casey and Josh Miller, as that debate will buy some time for the production to decide whether or not Santa’s wife will even be in the picture.

There is also the option of distracting oneself with the firstViolent Night, a gift that keeps on giving year round! That title is currently streaming on the Starz digital library, and you can easily check it out with a Prime Video subscription add-on or however you gain access to that provider’s treasure trove of options.

Hold onto your Christmas stockings, ya filthy animals—David Harbour just made the holidays a little bloodier. The Stranger Things star recently took to social media to announce a sequel to one of the coolest movie Santa outings and one of my favorite Christmas movies. The delightfully twisted Christmas movie Violent Night is officially getting a sequel, and the internet is here for it! The tease is A+, but I’m still more here for the fans’ comments.

Harbour’s announcement–which you can see below–was shared on Instagram, complete with the perfect caption to fuel excitement: “Merry Xmas, ya filthy animals 🎅🏻🎄🤶.” And I’m beyond excited, considering despite many different unconventional iterations of Chris Kringle, the Hellboy star has become one of my favorite versions of Santa ever.

If there’s one thing I love more than a solid movie announcement, it’s seeing the enthusiasm from fans who are just as hyped as I am. And trust me, Harbour’s followers delivered some A+ reactions and haven't shied away from letting the A-lister know what they’d like to see in a Violent Nigth 2. Here are some of the best comments from the sequel announcement:

• @mw_woods: “Hell yeah! And oh how much I would love the opportunity to audition for a small part in VIOLENT NIGHT 2!”
• @dailyharbour: “OMG! A Violent Night 2 script!! I’m so excited for the sequel David!!!!! 😃🎉❤️”
• @mrrandyhavens: “Slay Bells ring, are you listening? In the snow, blood is glistening! As you can tell I am VERY EXCITED”
• @sophie_belleee: “Santa should bring us all some Jopper content for Christmas since we’ve all been extra nice this year
• @giulia.landena: “Winona as Mrs. Claus please.”
• @cowboylikeluciaa: “🕯️🕯️WINONA AS MRS CLAUS🕯️🕯️”

The Black Widow star’s fans are making their wish lists for Violent Night 2, and I have to say, the ideas are kind of amazing. Winona Ryder as Mrs. Claus? Genius. The former Hollywood “It Girl” hasn’t done–checks notes–any Christmas movies, so this would be a fun addition to her filmography. She and Harbour have incredible chemistry on Stranger Things, so this just makes too much sense.

As the buzz around the upcoming movie builds, one thing’s for sure: this action movie sequel is already shaping up to be the gift that keeps on giving. Whether you’re here for the brutal action, the dark humor, or just some festive bloodshed, it’s clear that fans—and David Harbour—are ready to sleigh again.

Harbour’s next big flick, the upcoming Marvel Movie Thunderbolts*, hits the 2025 movie release schedule on May 2, 2025. Of course, fans are also counting down the days until Stranger Things Season 5 finally arrives on Netflix and finishes the story of Hawkins.

The new DC universe that’s being piloted by James Gunn and producer Peter Safran got underway with the launch of the first two episodes of the animated Creature Commandos, available to anyone with a Max subscription and an interest in gory, grisly, hilarious superhero comedy. Similar to what he did in his own live-action DC story The Suicide Squad, Gunn assembles a team of absolute misfits and sends them on a controversial mission that’s controlled by the vile Amanda Waller (Viola Davis). But as we got to know Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr., The Bride (Indira Varma), G.I. Robot (Sean Gunn) and more, there was a subplot involving Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour) that will develop as the full season rolls along.

After the first two episodes of Creature Commandos premiered on Max, here’s what you think you know about Frankenstein. He basically forced his creator, Victor, to create The Bride so that this monster would have a mate. The Bride, instead, fell in love with Victor, so Eric killed him. Then, as we saw in an amusing montage, Eric spent centuries pursuing The Bride, trying (and failing) to win her over.

But there’s even more about Eric Frankenstein that is alluded to in these opening episodes. For starters, when we first meet him, he’s on a chartered yacht, surrounded by bikini-clad ladies. Eventually, he hires a helicopter pilot so he can spy on The Bride, and we will see more indications of Frankenstein’s wealth in later episodes. So when I got the opportunity to interview David Harbour, the voice of Eric Frankenstein, about his contributions to the new DC universe, I asked if he knew where Frankenstein got all of his money! Harbour laughed, and elaborated for CinemaBlend:

In the montage that concludes Creature Commandos Episode 2, we see some of the lengths that Eric went to in order to win back The Bride. They seem relatively harmless: Surprising her with flowers at a market, or showing up to her punk rock show. But David Harbour believes that within that montage, Frankenstein was fully capable of some “sophisticated” crimes. And now I just want a spinoff show of Eric over the years, amassing a fortune like Oz in The Penguin. Different universe, but you get the same idea.

Creature Commandos will continue with its third episode, dedicated to the Nazi-hating G.I. Robot, beginning on Thursday, December 12. So make sure that you are up to date on your Max subscription to see how James Gunn’s universe expands in upcoming DC movies and TV shows.

Filming for Season 5 of Stranger Things began in January, which was undoubtedly a relief to many considering filming for the Netflix series was postponed due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA strike. Now that filming is near its end, David Harbour brings us a mind-boggling tease of Stranger Things 5 but refuses to say whether its conclusion will be “happy or sad.”

David Harbour has been pumped about Stranger Things’ fifth season since before filming even started. When it was announced that one of Netflix’s best shows would end after five seasons, the American actor’s thoughts on the show’s conclusion were that he was excited to wrap up the show and see the “payoff” for all beloved characters. It’s no wonder that Harbour was “depressed as hell” during the Hollywood strikes when filming was put on pause and was waiting for news.

Now that filming is ending soon, David Harbour continues to give audiences his two cents on what to expect from Stranger Things’ final chapter. In his interview with Screen Rant, the Primetime Emmy nominee refused to say whether Season 5 would be “happy or sad,” but there are other teases from Harbour that make me look forward to the 2025 Netflix TV release:

Hearing David Harbour talk about all of the “meaty end stuff” of Season 5 already tells me we’re in for an emotional ending. This could mean we’ll experience happiness, sadness, or a mix of both.

Each season of Stranger Things has done a great job of giving us a blend of emotions. We got heartwarming moments in Season 4 like hearing Mike finally tell Eleven he loved her, a cute sibling bonding scene between Will and Jonathan, and the friendship between Eddie and Dustin. But the Season 4 finale was a lot to take in with Max falling into a coma after her almost-fatal interaction with Vecna and Eddie’s sacrifice. Based on David Harbour’s tease, something tells me Season 5 is going to give us ten times the amount of emotion more than any other season has done.

David Harbour continued to tell Screen Rant that the long-awaited season plans to have a lot of “moving” moments that already make me want to stock up on tissues:

My curiosity is more piqued than ever! With Stranger Things ending, there’s a good chance that not everyone is going to make it out alive battling Vecna. Noah Schnapp hyped up the final season teasing that the show “started with Will, and will end with Will.” Could that mean Hawkins residents will have to say goodbye to one of the hearts of the series? The Duffer Brothers also shared tidbits that have me worried about comatose Max, saying they filmed a “heartbreaking” scene involving her. We better brace ourselves for what’s to come of the characters we’ve grown to love for the past eight years.

We may not know if Stranger Things will end on a “happy or sad” note, but I’m confident Season 5 will be an easy standout in giving each character a final sendoff. The Golden Globe-nominated series has succeeded in bringing an emotional tone not only through each doomed character’s death, but with all of the hugs, laughter, and chemistry the cast of characters have shared. I know we’ll be in for one last emotional journey with the fan-favorite Hawkins residents. Expect to see Season 5 hit your Netflix subscription in 2025.

In a few days, the upcoming DC TV show Creature Commandos will debut David Harbour as Eric Frankenstein, a member of the title team whom the Stranger Things star will likely play on camera someday too given DC Studios’ preference of having its actors play their characters in both animated and live-action projects. Additionally though, Harbour is reprising Alexei Shostakov, a.k.a. Red Guardian, in Thunderbolts*, which we know will be the second MCU theatrical installment on the 2025 release schedule. While the public is roughly half a year from getting to see this upcoming Marvel movie, Harbour has already seen a cut of it, and after sharing his reaction to the flick with CinemaBlend, it’s getting me very excited for its arrival.

Our own Sean O’Connell spoke with David Harbour for the Creature Commandos junket, but as their conversation was winding down, Sean asked the actor, who’s played in both Marvel and DC’s proverbial sandboxes, how storytellers working within the superhero genre can keep things fresh. When it comes to Marvel, Harbour had this to say:

I was already intrigued after watching the first Thunderbolts* trailer, but David Harbour’s comment has be looking forward to what will be the 36th of the Marvel movies in order even more. It’s no secret that the MCU’s movies and TV shows have been a mixed bag in recent years, particularly when it comes to the overabundance of content, but Harbour believes that his next MCU appearance will have no trouble hooking people in. When Sean O’Connell mentioned how he saw the Thunderbolts* Hall H footage at this past summer’s San Diego Comic-Con and was impressed with the conversations shown between Alexei and Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova as “father” and “daughter”, Harbour perked up and said:

Alexei and Yelena are two of the anti-heroes who comprise the titular team, with the others include Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Wyatt Russell’s John Walker/U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ava Starr/Ghost and Olga Kurylenko’s Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster. David Harbour continued by saying how it’s the tram dynamic that makes Thunderbolts*, which was directed by Jake Schreier, such a compelling watch. In his words:

Other important members of the Thunderbolts* cast include Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Lewis Pullman as Bob/Sentry, Geraldine Viswanathan as Mel, Laurence Fishburne as Bill Foster and Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff, as well as Wendell Pierce and Chris Bauer in undisclosed roles. At one time it was also reported that Harrison Ford would reprise Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” ross in the movie, but now there are conflicting reports about this. You can revisit Alexei and Yelena’s MCU introductions now by streaming Black Widow with a Disney+ subscription.

Thunderbolts* hits the big screen on May 2, 2025, three months after the arrival of Captain America: Brave New World. And for all the people who have a Max subscription, you’ll be able to hear David Harbour’s Frankenstein in Creature Commandos starting on Thursday, December 5.

In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the projects announced for Phase One were hardly considered slam dunks. You’ve heard all of this before, but it bears repeating. Iron Man wasn’t a household name, and Robert Downey Jr. was considered damaged goods… to the point that Jon Favreau had to fight to cast him as Tony Stark. Thor and Captain America were considered risky films, digging into fantasy and period-action at a time when Marvel needed guaranteed hits. And no one knew who the Guardians of the Galaxy even were – forget about the fact that they’d be led by the chubby comedian from the NBC sitcom Parks and Rec.

Obviously, Guardians of the Galaxy succeeded as a team and a franchise, and remains one of the best Phase One movies in the MCU. The secret ingredient? Writer-director James Gunn, who joined Marvel Studios after cutting his teeth on exaggerated genre storytelling with 2010’s Super and 2006’s Slither (two awesome films that absolutely are worth your time).

Even back in the first Guardians movie, you could tell that Gunn understood characters, and had a gift for casting. By injecting heart, pathos, and humor into his material, he helped audiences to relate to a volatile, damaged raccoon, an orphaned derelict Earthling, and a tree who only speaks the same three words: “I am Groot.”

Gunn refined his skill for rich character development and world building over the rest of the Guardians movies, a musical Christmas special, two Avengers team ups (to which he contributed), and his first DC feature, The Suicide Squad. And it’s Gunn’s ear for attitude-soaked dialogue, his understanding of recognizable human pain, and his phenomenal casting instincts that now elevate the animated Creature Commandos, the first step into the anticipated DCU that arrives on Max on December 5.

Creature Commandos has an eclectic, unforgettable roster

Think back to the time before James Gunn’s 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy. No one knew Groot, Drax, Rocket, Nebula, Gamora, or Star-Lord. But their strengths, weaknesses, highlights, and flaws helped them to form a loveable team. The same happens almost instantly with Creature Commandos, which will drop Episodes 1 and 2 right out of the gate on December 5.

On the surface, Creature Commandos mirrors Gunn’s The Suicide Squad. Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has a problem, so she recruits a leader (Frank Grillo’s Rick Flag Sr.) and an ensemble of misfits to head behind enemy lines and clean up a possible mess. Only this time, thanks to the disaster that was Project Starfish, Waller is forbidden from using Belle Reve prisoners for her military missions.

So, she uses monsters.

CinemaBlend sat down with Frank Grillo ahead of Creature Commandos dropping on Max, and when we asked what his initial reaction to the show and to the material was, he instantly praised Gunn’s writing as the clear standout. Grillo, who eventually will also play Rick Flag Sr. in next summer’s live-action Superman movie, told us:

Creature Commandos started as a DC comic in 1980, originated by J.M. DeMatteis and Pat Broderick, and set during World War II. Eventually, the team was modernized in 2000, but there isn’t a hard and fast roster to which Gunn is married. This allows him to get creative with the choices of who he wanted under Rick Flag Sr. – and boy does he think outside of the box. We get the return of Weasel (voiced by Sean Gunn), as well as the introduction of The Bride (Indira Varma), Dr. Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk), Nina Mazursky (Zoe Chao), and G.I. Robot (also Gunn). It’s a motley crew you can’t help but embrace.

Creature Commandos is super bingeable, and rewards a repeat viewing

I’m really glad that DC decided to drop two episodes of Creature Commandos on December 5, because it takes until the end of the second episode for the full story to kick into gear. Episode 1 is a table setter, where we meet Rick Flag Sr., his new team, and embark on the mission. By the end of Episode 2, though, you start to get the sense of the way that Creature Commandos will handle backstories for each member of the team. And from that point on, you are simply holding on for dear life as the wild ride hits higher gears.

Even Zoe Chao, who voices Nina Mazursky in the show, ripped through the scripts once she received him. During an exclusive interview with CinemaBlend, the actress told us:

I have to echo Chao’s sentiments. I have been lucky enough to see the entire season of Creature Commandos. And as soon as it ended, I went right back to the beginning, and started it over. Then? I did it a third time. And it only got better each time.

Creature Commandos is hilarious and heartfelt

When you give James Gunn enough time, he’s going to dig beneath the surface of his characters and surprise us with unexpected depth. Think about how different our perception of Peacemaker (John Cena) is from the moment we met him at the start of The Suicide Squad, to the place where he’s rescuing Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), saving the world from Project Butterfly, and telling off the members of The Justice League. It’s a complete reinvention of the character. It makes him more identifiable, more flawed, more human, and therefore more accessible. It also gives Cena plenty to work with.

This, to me, is very encouraging for the upcoming DCU projects, because most of what Gunn has done in the past – including this season of Creature Commandos – is rooted heavily in character. You will learn so much more about each of the Creature Commandos in subsequent episodes. And they will surprise you. Especially my favorite member of the ensemble: Frankenstein, as played by David Harbour.

Harbour has plenty of experience playing heroes and monsters. The MCU, he is Natasha Romanoff’s adopted father, Red Guardian. He also played Hellboy in a movie that didn’t take off. But I truly believe he is doing his best work as the lovelorn Frankenstein monster, who can’t comprehend why his Bride (Indira Varma) has rejected him.

Grillo, whose character has several scenes with Frankenstein, raved to CinemaBlend:

I am obsessed with Creature Commandos. It is my favorite Gunn work in the comic book field, ahead of all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and his foray into The Suicide Squad. If this is the level of quality that Gunn plans on bringing to all upcoming DC projects, I’m completely on board with this reinvention of the DCU, and the arrival of Superman, Supergirl, the Teen Titans, the Authority, the Lanterns, and beyond.

Stranger Things Season 5 is on the way, and once it becomes available for people with a Netflix subscription to watch, it will be the end of an era. While the franchise as a whole will live on through spinoffs and other media, the popular sci-fi horror series has just eight episodes left to go, and it still remains to be seen when they’ll arrive on the 2025 TV schedule. However, now Jim Hopper actor David Harbour has described the Stranger Things series finale as the show’s “best episode,” I need the Netflix show to return ASAP… you know, more than I already needed it before today.

While speaking with reporter Josh Horowitz for a live recording of the Happy Sad Confused podcast (via Deadline), Harbour proclaimed that Stranger Things will end on the highest of notes, and that’s coming from someone who’s occasionally had gripes with the show that propelled him to worldwide stardom. As the actor put it:

That’s some high praise to heap onto the final Stranger Things episode. Even with an undetermined amount of time to go until Season 5’s premiere, David Harbour was confident enough to proclaim that the series finale will bring the show to a wonderful close, with him especially being impressed by those last 20 minutes and how Noah Schnapp does performing Will Byers. Harbour then said the following about why the cast was so overwhelmed by emotion:

Like the wait time between Stranger Things Season 3 and 4, the wait time between Seasons 4 and 5 is expected to be three years, which is frequently the time that passes between entries in a blockbuster franchise. So needless to say I’m not the only one who’s itching to see what Season 5 holds in store, and Harbour has only made that desire grow. Specific plot details are still being kept under wraps, but among the confirmed things we can look forward to are Linda Hamilton in an undisclosed role and The Shawshank Redemption’s Frank Darabont coming out of retirement to direct two episodes.

We’ll keep passing along updates on Stranger Things Season 5 as they come in, but for now, you can pass the time by looking over the other best shows on Netflix. David Harbour will next be heard voicing Eric Frankenstein in the animated DC Universe series Creature Commandos, which premiere to Max subscription holders on December 5.

Who owns Avengers Tower? It has been a lingering question that has plagued a subset of the Marvel Studios fandom. And in a recent interview during the Deadpool and Wolverine press day, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige confirmed that the answer as to who (or what) bought Avengers Tower was going to be revealed soon. If you asked me to guess, though, I didn’t expect the answer to come in next summer’s upcoming Marvel movie, Thunderbolts*. Following the release of the first full trailer for Thunderbolts*, Marvel fans took to the internet with their theories that Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) meets with the team in the open-air bar/lounge area that once was part of Avengers Tower.

Which, to me, means that this is going to become a Dark Avengers movie. And that’s PROBABLY what the asterisk refers to in the title.

Let’s dig into the theory.

That’s Avengers Tower, Right?

Above is the photo that most fans are pointing out as appearing to take place in a renovated Avengers Tower. The view of Manhattan in the background. The large expanse of floor-to-ceiling windows. The bar that is off to the left of the photo. If you go back and watch scenes from The Avengers, or even the infamous hammer scene from Avengers: Age of Ultron, you likely will come to the same conclusion that Valentina set up her base of operations in what started off as Stark Tower, then became the official headquarters of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes before they moved out in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) sold the tower when the Avengers moved to a larger campus in upstate New York. That location was decimated in the final battle against Thanos. At the same time, the concept of the Avengers has been defunct since Tony Stark sacrificed himself at the conclusion of Avengers: Endgame. It’s my belief that the Avengers are going to be coming back, in some important format. For starters, we got a glimpse of Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) recruiting Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) for a possible Young Avengers team up. And we have two Avengers movies in Doomsday and Secret Wars to look forward to.

But that’s not what I think is happening here.

I Think The Asterisk In The Thunderbolts Title Will Change This To ‘Dark Avengers’

And above, I think, is your first look at the official Dark Avengers roster. In the comics, the Dark Avengers are formed by Norman Osborn. They are a team of super-powered villains (Bullseye, Venom, etc) who all have natural Avengers counterparts. That gets a little confusing here, as Yelena is a natural Black Widow, but John Walker, Bucky, and Red Guardian all seem like the “Evil” Captain America. Then there’s Taskmaster, who basically can mimic the fighting styles of any hero. So, you know, this isn’t a simple A to B translation.

Still, seeing the Thunderbolts recruited by Valentina makes it seem like Marvel is setting up either a Dark Avengers or possibly a Secret Avengers roster. This happens at the same time that Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) was seen asking Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) if he’ll help him reassemble the Avengers in Captain America: Brave New World. Global politics are on the agenda in the MCU in 2025.

There Are Other Avengers Connections In The Trailer

Did you guys see this moment? I don’t think this is Avengers Tower. It more looks like a Washington, DC fundraiser attended by Valentina (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan). But there are banners commemorating “The Battle of New York,” the first official time that the Avengers needed to assemble. And there’s paraphernalia from that event, including Loki’s scepter. Someone wants the audience to be thinking about The Avengers, and the sacrifices they made to keep us safe.

And then Val is going to put together a different roster, for an alternate mission.

The cast for Thunderbolts has me most intrigued for this movie, and I was thrilled to see the trailer launch with character moments between Florence Pugh and David Harbour. The action looks good, but when you bring these personalities together, I want them to have moments to shine. Particularly Lewis Pullman, because his character – Sentinel – has the chance to be a real wild card.

Thunderbolts will be the second Marvel movie arriving in theaters in 2025, behind Captain America: Brave New World, but ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps. We’ll have more information on the movie as it gets closer to release.

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to release new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription, there are a few projects that fans are really hyped for. Thunderbolts* is arguably one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies, featuring various antiheroes and villains from the shared universe. But the movies' title has moviegoers a bit puzzled, specifically the late addition of an asterisk. And David Harbour's thoughts about the title have me convinced there's a big twist coming.

What we know about Thunderbolts* is limited, but fans are definitely hyped to see this motley crew of characters unite against a common enemy. The Thunderbolts* cast is stacked, and will feature a reunion between Red Guardian and Yelena. Harbour recently spoke to ComicBook about the movie title's unique use of punctuation, and he said:

Honestly, now I'm even more intrigued about WTF is going on with Thunderbolts*. While added late in the game, it certainly seems like adding an asterisk was a very purposeful choice by the studio. So I think it maybe linked to a big twist from the forthcoming blockbuster.

Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that the movie's title is a first for the shared universe, and highlights how much experimentation has been going on in the post-Endgame MCU. So what could the asterisk mean?

Personally, I think Thunderbolts* is hiding the true name of the team of heroes, with the asterisk denoting this. Perhaps they're truly the Dark Avengers, especially since Earth's Mightiest Heroes have been out of commission for years now. Or they could even become the New Avengers, called in to protect the Earth since the OGs haven't been working together. The possibilities are pretty endless.

The slight title change for Thunderbolts* was definitely done for a reason, so we'll just have to wait and see what that reason is when it finally hits theaters next year. Whatever is happening narratively, smart money says the blockbuster will have some thrilling action sequences. It'll be fun to see how each of the different characters approach battle, as they have unique sets of abilities.

All will be revealed when Thunderbolts* finally hits theaters on May 2nd, 2025. While Marvel fans not-so-patiently wait for more information, check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to theaters in the New Year.

While Marvel Cinematic Universe fans are still going bonkers over the confirmation that Robert Downey Jr is returning to the franchise, a few other movies are still taking place between now and then that we shouldn't ignore. SDCC also gave fans in attendance a peak at other upcoming Marvel movies, such as next year’s Thunderbolts* which has a release date less than a year away. Florence Pugh now has us even more excited for the new team-up movie as she got emotional discussing the movie and her co-star David Harbour.

Florence Pugh and David Harbour played a surrogate family when their characters were introduced in Black Widow. It turns out that was the case for the actors as well. CinemaBlend caught up with Florence Pugh at SDCC following the big Marvel panel and she talked about the experience of reuniting with David Harbour for Thunderbolts* and the relationship the pair now have. She even got emotional when discussing how he “protected” her while on set. Check out her full comments from Instagram below.

It’s quite touching to hear Florence Pugh talk about her relationship with David Harbour. It sounds like they enjoyed the experience of working on Black Widow as they quickly started talking about potential futures for their characters.

The two certainly had expectations to possibly appear in the MCU again while making Black Widow, though they likely had no idea exactly when that might happen, or even if they would appear together. It sounds like making the new film was quite special for them both. Pugh compliments both Harbour's talent, as well as who he is as a person.

Black Widow was designed to be a story for Scarlett Johansson’s character, so while the movie explored the relationship between Natasha and Yelena and Natasha and Red Guardian, there wasn’t time for the film to dig deeper into the relationship between Red Guardian and his other daughter. It sounds like Thunderbolts* will give us that, which Florence Pugh appreciated.

Thunderbolts* is practically a Black Widow sequel as no less than three characters from that film are part of the Marvel anti-hero team. Florence Pugh Yelena, David Harbour’s Red Guardian, and Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster are all part of the Thunderbolts* cast. They will be joining up with Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, and Hannah John-Kaman as Ghost. The first Thunderbolts* trailer for the film was shown at Comic-Con to attendees but the rest of us will have to wait to see what the movie is all about.

2024 gave us just one MCU movie, the already smash hit that is Deadpool & Wolverine. The 2025 movie schedule will give us three, and while many are likely focused on Fantastic Four, the most emotional of the new MCU movies may be found elsewhere.

The Law & Order franchise goes back all the way to 1990 when the very first show premiered on NBC, and has gone on to span six series with well over a thousand episodes between them. As such, a surprising number of actors who would become franchise icons and/or go on to become major stars actually appeared in the shows as more than one character. Read on for the biggest and most notable who weren't held back by just playing one person!

Kelli Giddish

Kelli Giddish is best known for playing Law & Order: SVU's Detective Amanda Rollins as a series regular from 2011 - 2023, and she even took the character over to Law & Order and Law & Order: Organized Crime for crossovers. Her first role in the franchise was as Kara Bawson in a Season 8 episode of SVU in early 2007, however, followed by playing Dana Stipe in a Season 7 episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent in late 2007.

Peter Scanavino

While Peter Scanavino has been playing Detective-turned-ADA Carisi on Law & Order: SVU since Season 16 in 2014, he got his start in the franchise as Robert Hassel in the first season of Trial by Jury in 2005, followed by playing Johnny Feist later that year on Criminal Intent. In 2013, he made his pre-Carisi SVU debut as Johnny Dubcek.

Camryn Manheim

Camryn Manheim's series regular gig in the franchise started with the Law & Order revival in 2022, and she spent three seasons as Lieutenant Kate Dixon. The lieutenant was Manheim's fourth character in Law & Order, however, as she appeared as Leila in Season 1 in 1991, Martha Rollins in Season 3 in 1993, and Beatrice Hines in Season 4 in 1994.

Diane Neal

Diane Neal joined SVU as a series regular in Season 5 in 2003 to play ADA Casey Novak. She would go on to become one of the Law & Order cast members who appeared in the most episodes by the time of her last installment in 2012. Her first episode was in Season 3 in 2001, though, when she played Amelia Chase.

Raúl Esparza

Franchise fans undoubtedly know Raúl Esparza best as ADA Rafael Barba, who he played on SVU for more than 100 episodes from 2012-2022 and would reprise for an SVU/Organized Crime two-parter. Years before debuting as Barba, he played Kevin Mulrooney in a 2009 episode of Criminal Intent and Dennis Di Palma in a 2010 episode of Law & Order.

Mehcad Brooks

Mehcad Brooks has been playing Detective Jalen Shaw on Law & Order since late 2022, when he joined the show to replace Anthony Anderson's Kevin Bernard. His franchise origin goes back to 2011, however, when he played Prince Miller in a Season 13 episode of SVU.

Jeremy Sisto

Jeremy Sisto may be best known in the nine-show Dick Wolf TV universe nowadays for playing Jubal Valentine across CBS' three FBI shows, but he was a series regular as Detective Cyrus Lupo for Law & Order's final three seasons before its initial cancellation in 2010. His first appearance in the show happened in Season 17 in 2007, when he played Clint Glover.

S. Epatha Merkerson

S. Epatha Merkerson may be most often found in NBC's One Chicago over the last decade thanks to her role on Chicago Med, but she's credited with nearly 400 episodes of Law & Order as Lieutenant Anita Van Buren, from 1991-2010. Her first character in the show was in the very first season, when she played Mrs. Denise Winters.

Jerry Orbach

Jerry Orbach's Lennie Brisco is arguably one of the franchise's most iconic detectives after nearly 300 episodes of Law & Order and another handful on SVU and Criminal Intent between 1991-2004, but you can first find him on the original Law & Order in the second episode of Season 2, where he played Defense Attorney Frank Lehrman.

Kevin Kane

Kevin Kane was promoted to series regular status on SVU for Season 26 for his role as Detective Terry Bruno, which he originated in Season 24. That wasn't his first SVU role, as he played Scott Ryland in Season 9 in 2008, Officer Greg Wilcox in Season 13 in 2012, Major Bowman in Season 17 in 2016, and Gary Kent in Season 20 in 2018. As if those aren't enough, he appeared in two episodes of Law & Order, first as Matt Preminger in 2002's Season 12 and then as a uniformed cop in Season 16 in 2005.

Jeffrey Donovan

Jeffrey Donovan helped launch Law & Order's 2022 revival as Detective Frank Cosgrove, who he played for Seasons 21 and 22 as a series regular. Fans can also find him much earlier in the series in other roles, first as Eddie Nicodos in Season 6 in 1995 and then as Jacob Reese in Season 17 in 2007.

Anthony Anderson

Anthony Anderson portrayed Detective Kevin Bernard for the last three seasons of the original run of Law & Order between 2008-2010, then reprised the role in the 2022 revival for one season. Before that, he played Detective Lucius Blaine in a memorable 2006 episode of Law & Order: SVU Season 7.

Tony Goldwyn

Law & Order introduced Tony Goldwyn as the new DA Nicholas Baxter in the second half of Season 23 in 2024 as the replacement for Sam Waterston's DA Jack McCoy. That wasn't his introduction into the larger franchise, however, as he played Frank Gorden across four episodes of Criminal Intent's sixth and seventh seasons, from 2007-2008.

Rick Gonzalez

Before Rick Gonzalez spent some time in the Arrowverse, he played Alfonso Cardenas way back in the very first season of Law & Order: SVU in 2000. More than twenty years later, he returned to the franchise to play Detective Bobby Reyes on Law & Order: Organized Crime, starting in 2022.

Dean Norris

Dean Norris kicked off a key role as Randall Stabler in Law & Order: Organized Crime's fourth season as the first of Elliot Stabler's siblings to appear on screen. His first franchise appearance happened more than a decade earlier, in the finale of the short-lived Law & Order: LA as Bob Kentner.

Betty Buckley

Betty Buckley is a Broadway legend, but she made the time to play two different characters over the years of Law & Order: SVU. Between Seasons 7-10, Buckley appeared in multiple episodes as Attorney Walsh. Starting in Season 23, she began playing Trial Division Chief Lorraine Maxwell, which she continued into Season 24.

Michael Trotter

Michael Trotter arrived on Law & Order: Organized Crime Season 4 to play the youngest Stabler brother. Before he debuted on OC in 2024, Trotter played Teddy Muncy in an episode of Law & Order: SVU Season 24 the previous year. In a fun bit of trivia, he's also married to former SVU series regular Jamie Gray Hyder.

Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal may be a big name in TV nowadays thanks to his lead roles in The Mandalorian and The Last of Us, but he made his rounds on the Law & Order circuit earlier in his career. He played Tito Cabassa in a Season 18 episode of Law & Order in 2008, visited Law & Order: Criminal Intent to play Reggie Luckman in Season 6 and Kip Green in Season 8, and dropped by Law & Order: SVU to play Agent Greer in Season 12.

Bradley Whitford

Following the end of The West Wing, Bradley Whitford arrived in the one and only season of Law & Order: LA to play Attorney Miklin in 2011. His two roles on SVU are more memorable, as he played a criminal named Frank Maddox in Season 15 back in 2014 before returning in Season 24 in 2023 to play the ailing husband of a victim in an episode directed by Mariska Hargitay.

Sarah Hyland

Sarah Hyland appeared in three different franchise shows as four characters, all before landing her part in Modern Family. Her first role was as Lily Ramsey in the Season 3 premiere of SVU in 2001, followed by playing Kristine McLean in Law & Order Season 15 in 2004. That was followed by Brianne Colby in Trial By Jury Season 1 in 2005, and then by Jennifer Banks in Season 10 of SVU again in 2009.

Cynthia Nixon

Cynthia Nixon won the Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama for playing Janis Donovan in the Season 9 premiere of SVU in 2007. That was only one of her three characters in the franchise, as she played Laura Di Biasi in Law & Order's first season in 1990 and Amanda Rollins (who is not the same as the SVU character) on Criminal Intent in Season 10 in 2011.

Ellen Pompeo

Before she landed her longtime role as Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy, Ellen Pompeo appeared as two characters on Law & Order. She played Jenna Weber in a Season 6 episode in 1996, followed by Laura Kendrick in Season 10 in 2000.

David Harbour

Prior to joining Stranger Things, David Harbour appeared as five different characters in Dick Wolf's TV franchise. First was Mike in a 1999 episode of Law & Order, followed by Terry Jessup in a 2002 episode of SVU''s fourth season, which he then followed by playing Wesley John Kenderson in Criminal Intent Season 4 in 2008, Jay Carlin in Law & Order Season 18 in 2008, and then finally Paul Devildis in Criminal Intent Season 8 in 2009.

Paget Brewster

Criminal Minds' Paget Brewster found time for another network TV crime procedural with two characters across three installments of Law & Order: SVU. First, she played Sheila Tierney in a Season 8 episode that aired on NBC in 2007, followed by two episodes of Season 14 in 2012 as Bureau Chief Paula Foster.

Allison Janney

Before she became an Emmy winner for the first time with The West Wing in 2000, Allison Janney was a repeat actor on Law & Order in the '90s. Her first episode was as Nora in the second season in 1992, followed by Ann Madsen in the fourth season in 1994.

Jeremy Allen White

Prior to joining Shameless and more than a decade before The Bear, Jeremy Allen White appeared in two consecutive seasons of Law & Order as two separate characters, starting with playing Jeremy in 2007 and then Andy Steel in 2008. In 2010, he moved over to SVU to play Michael Parisi in Season 11.

Paul Wesley

Ahead of his debut as a Salvatore brother in The Vampire Diaries, Paul Wesley landed a role as Danny Burrell in the Season 2 premiere of SVU in 2000, followed by playing Luke Miller in Law & Order: Criminal Intent Season 2 in 2002. Then he headed back to SVU in 2005 to play Luke Breslin in an early Season 7 episode.

Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere's name may be more synonymous with Heroes and Nashville than anything else, but she can be found in two episodes of SVU earlier in her career. First, she was Ashley Austin Black in a Season 2 episode in 2001, followed by a return to play Angela Agnelli in Season 6 in 2005.

Pablo Schreiber

While it's safe to say that Pablo Schreiber's most memorable Law & Order role was as William Lewis on SVU from Season 14-15, that certainly wasn't his only part. He previously played Dan Kozlowski in an SVU Season 8 episode in 2007, as well as Sean Hauser and Kevin Boatman in Seasons 16 and 19 (respectively) of Law & Order, and TJ Hawkins and Ed Lang in Seasons 4 and 7 of Criminal Intent.

Ann Dowd

Better known now for The Handmaid's Tale, Ann Dowd may hold the record for the most characters in the Dick Wolf franchise. On Law & Order, she played Teresa Franz in Season 1, Dorothy Baxter in Season 4, Patricia Smith in Season 6, and Dr. Beth Allison in Season 14. On Criminal Intent, she played Laurie Manotti in Season 4. For Trial by Jury, she played Karen Ames in Season 1. On SVU, she played Louise Durning in Season 2, Sally Wilkens in Season 4, and Lillian Siefeld in Season 10.

Chandra Wilson

Future Grey's Anatomy star Chandra Wilson arrived in the Law & Order franchise in 1992 to play Serena Price in the original show's second season. A decade later, she came to SVU as Nurse Jenkins in Season 4 and then returned in Season 7 in 2005 as Rachel Sorannis.

Elizabeth Mitchell

Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell appeared in two memorable episodes of Law & Order: SVU. She first portrayed Andrea Brown in a Season 4 episode that aired in 2003. She returned nearly ten years later in 2011 to play June Frye in a Season 12 episode.

Filming on Marvel's Thunderbolts* is winding down for some of the actors, and as David Harbour wraps up his time on the upcoming Marvel movie, he's given us a parting gift. The Red Guardian actor shared a little set photo and message commemorating the end of his work, and it's intriguing, to say the least. 

Harbour, who needed some alterations to his Red Guardian suit since his previous appearance in Black Widow, took to Instagram to note that he is officially finished filming Thunderbolts*. To celebrate that, he shared a picture that featured what looked to be an old-school propaganda poster and also typed a brief message in the captions: 

If the translation app on Google is accurate, the Russian text says, "We are indomitable as the Red Guardian." My base assumption is that this poster is featured as a prop in the Thunderbolts* movie, perhaps as a relic from the past housed wherever the Red Guardian is living at the moment. It certainly does not appear to be of the times, and something I would've seen more in the Cold War era when he first became a super soldier in service of the Soviet Union. 

Red Guardians' arrival in the movie is intriguing, especially given who else is part of Thunderbolts* cast. With Yelena also appearing in the film, Harbour teased the upcoming superhero movie to dive deeper into the family dynamic they had living in the Midwest. I'd love to see Black Widow referenced more, seeing as I haven't seen much mention of it anywhere since I streamed it with my Disney+ subscription. 

There's still an air of mystery surrounding Thunderbolts*, as we're still waiting for insight on what the whole point of the added asterisks is. Kevin Feige said it won't be addressed until the movie is out. While we don't know anything for certain, the most obvious theory is that the "Thunderbolts" team will be another iconic Marvel team instead. The current popular theory is that this team will end up being the Dark Avengers, and we'll finally see them in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. 

Until the mystery of the asterisk in Thunderbolts* is revealed, we still have a long way to go and a couple of other Marvel movies to precede it that could provide insight into what's happening in the movie. Deadpool & Wolverine, I'd imagine, likely won't provide much context, but I could certainly see Captain America: Brave New World giving us some idea of what it will contain or what the overall reveal for the title may be. After all, wouldn't it be a better sell to a mainstream audience if the team was called the Dark Avengers? I would think so and wouldn't be surprised in the least if the title was changed after some post-credits reveal in Captain America or something of that nature. 

Thunderbolts* is currently set to premiere on May 5th, 2025. That still feels like a long way out, but as Marvel begins to roll out its 2024 lineup of movies, I'm sure it won't feel like any time by the time it finally arrives. 

Between a host of lovable characters, skin-crawling monsters and the mysterious underworld of the Upside Down, Stranger Things is one of the most obsession-worthy shows imaginable for fans of science fiction. As we prepare to say goodbye to one of Netflix’s best creations with Stranger Things Season 5, it’s a great time to show your love of the TV show in your living space (or give a great gift to a fellow fan) with the show’s many available Funko Pops.

Across the four seasons of Stranger Things that have been released thus far, so many iconic character moments and they’ve been immortalized through Funko Pops. If you’re shopping for the best Stranger Things Funkos, look no further to become a master of Pop-pets. 

Eleven With Eggos And Mike With Walkie Talkie (From Season 1) 

Friends don’t lie! Our love of Stranger Things all started back in 2016 when the first season introduced us to Eleven and the gang of friends who help her. Eleven and Mike create a special bond from the start, and those beginnings have been turned into a pair of Funkos you can buy together, because as we know, Eleven and Mike don’t like to be apart for long.

Will The Wise (From Season 3) 

It’s safe to say the Stranger Things boys may not have become the best of friends that they are without the power of Dungeons and Dragons, which they would play every week together before their life kind of became a game of survival on its own. In the spirit of that, a unique Funko to own is this glow in the dark “Will The Wise” figure! 

Hawaiian Shirt Hopper (From Season 3) 

David Harbour’s Jim Hopper is one of the best parts of Stranger Things, between his character arc and funny moments with the cast. His best fit of the series has to be in Season 3 when he rocked a Hawaiian shirt and does some action-packed investigating. Hopper fans will love this find. 

Max with Walkman (From Season 4) 

I don’t think we’ll ever forget the emotional “Running Up That Hill” sequence starring Sadie Sink’s Max in Season 4 of Stranger Things. The moment that made Kate Bush’s ‘80s song go viral decades after its release has been tributed though this Funko Pop. She looks a lot more content as a frozen figure than how she appeared in the show, that’s for sure. 

Joyce with Christmas Lights (From Season 1) 

When we first fell for Stranger Things, Joyce’s sequence with the Christmas Lights in an effort to communicate with Will from the Upside Down was one of those big moments that got us there. This Funko Pop's price has lit up a big higher over the years as it's become more rare, so snatch it up before you have to communicate by otherworldly means to get your own! 

Robin In Scoops Ahoy Outfit (From Season 3) 

It’s hard to believe Maya Hawke’s Robin has only been around for two seasons on Stranger Things, because she’s become a favorite of ours so quickly! While she’s worn a lot of great fits since her introduction, her most identifiable outfit remains from Scoops Ahoy, where she was once a coworker with Steve Harrington at the mall. A lot of mileage comes from that hat font.

Eddie Munson & Dustin With The Demobats (From Season 4) 

The last we saw of the series was the Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 2 ending, where Dustin and Eddie came across some pesky Demobats in the Upside Down and had to fend them off. Ultimately, Eddie fended them off and lost his life saving everyone doing so by playing Metallica’s “Master of the Puppets” on his guitar. Funko made this special set of both Eddie and Dustin coming against the Demobats. It’s a great keepsake for an all-time great moment in the series. 

Steve Harrington with Spiked Baseball Bat (From Season 2) 

I say with confidence that Joe Keery’s Steve Harrington remains the No. 1 heartthrob of Stranger Things in many of our hearts, and him swinging his spiked baseball bat with Demogorgon-destroying rage was most certainly a highlight of the character’s arc on the show thus far. This Funko Pop was a San Diego Comic Con exclusive, so it’s pricer than the others, but we’re not bat-ting any eyelashes at that, since it’s a great figure!  

Alexei with Slurpee (From Season 3) 

Another iconic slice of Season 3 (arguably the most iconic of anything free from danger and romance) was Alexei’s Slurpee moment. The Russian scientist quickly became a beloved character during the 2016 season of the show. Sadly, Alexei did not make it long enough to try new flavors, but this Funko Pop can keep him alive forever. 

Barb (From Season 1) 

The first famed casualty of Stranger Things was Barb. Anyone and everyone who saw Season 1 of Stranger Things needed a few business days (or business years, honestly) to cope with the sudden death of Nancy’s best friend so early in the series. She was gone too soon…but at least the character found justice in Funko form. 

Billy On Halloween (From Season 2) 

No list of ST characters would be complete without the hellacious Billy Hargrove, who first arrived in Season 2. The older step-brother of Max Mayfield was used as a vessel by the Mind Flayer, making him a sizable villain in Stranger Things. Perhaps his most memorable fit was on Halloween when he wore the leather jacket without a shirt. It’s one of the most sought after Funkos as well, given the price tag.  

Black Light Vecna (From Season 4) 

Speaking of villains, the big bad of Stranger Things is Vecna of course. With the release of the fourth season of the series, Funko released a special black light version of Vecna that will add some creepy coolness to whatever space you place it in. Is it Number One? That's up to the buyer.

Camo Lucas (From Season 3)

Caleb McLaughlin’s Lucas Sinclair has had tons of great moments in the series (and plenty of Funko editions as well), but our favorite is this sweet fit he wore in Season 3. As you may recall, Lucas wore the same camo bandana in Season 1, so it was fun to see him bring it back for Season 3 with an upgrade to his ‘80s sense of style. 

Hunter Nancy (Season 4) 

Another OG Stranger Things character to add to your collection is Nancy Wheeler. While there’s many versions of the high schooler in Funko form, we argue the best is from Season 4 when she went into badass mode, gun and all! She might also have the best plastic 'do of anyone.

Jonathan With Camera (Season 1) 

And to finish out our collection of best Funko Pops, check out this Season 1 figure of a glaring Jonathan holding his camera. It’s going for $70 these days because it’s more rare than a lot of other figures, and presumably not because of what's on the camera's film. Treat yourself to Funko treasure! 

As you go down the Funko Pop rabbit hole, check out what movie Funko Pops we cannot believe hasn’t been made yet! You can also catch up on Stranger Things now with a Netflix subscription. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to both movies and original content streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts. That blockbuster will unite various villains and antiheroes from the shared universe, including Black Widow's Alexei/ Red Guardian and Yelena, played by David Harbour and Florence Pugh respectively. And Harbour teased their relationship in Thunderbolts. 

The cast of Thunderbolts is stacked, and it should be fascinating to see how the motley crew interacts on the big screen. What we know about Thunderbolts is limited, but there are already stakes with the upcoming reunion of Red Guardian and Yelena. The Stranger Things star spoke with ScreenRant about what to expect from his MCU crossover event, offering:

He's not wrong. Black Widow featured a flashback of this makeshift family's life in the states, and how it all got taken away from them. But there's so much about that time the audience doesn't know, and it looks like Thunderbolts will help to fill in some of the blanks for that unit. 

Those of us who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order patiently awaited the release of Black Widow, which finally revealed the title character's mysterious backstory. But there's still plenty of time unaccounted for, including what happened to Harbour's character during The Snap and The Blip. As we learned in Hawkeye, Yelena was snapped out of existence and only returned thanks to her sister's sacrifice.

Yelena has quickly become a fan-favorite MCU character, so moviegoers will likely be quite focused on her story in Thunderbolts. David Harbour spoke more about the way she and Alexei will interact in the villain-centric project, offering: 

In addition to this two characters, there will be another major Black Widow connection in Thunderbolts. Namely Olga Kurylenko's Taskmaster, who was one of the solo movie's big villains. And there's no telling what this trio's interaction will be like.

Unfortunately for hardcore fans, Thunderbolts ended up being delayed as a result of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. But fan excitement seems buoyed thanks to its killer cast, including Harrison Ford.

Thunderbolts is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 25th, 2025. In the meantime, check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.