Glen Powell is one of Hollywood's top A-list actors, and one influencer might've cracked the code as to why. As the actor talks about meeting people who gifted family photos of him to sign and other odd things, a viral video got into why some may not be able to resist his charm, and the actor actually reacted to it.

What is it about Powell's movies and TV projects that have made him such a gift to the world? @Joshpray has a theory, and while I'm skeptical he was actually constructed in a lab for divorced women, I have to say the evidence is hard to dispute:

The content creator then went on to list a litany of things you'd expect from a partner in one of the best romantic comedies, and how Glen Powell checks off all the boxes and even earned extra credit. The actor may or may not agree with all of those claims, but he did like the post, which has me in stitches that he actually saw it and engaged in some way.

While it may not speak to the video itself, Glen Powell did talk about one trait all of his characters tend to have in common, which could factor into why people enjoy his roles so much. He talked about how each character has a duality or some sort of secret, so maybe that's what the key is to his success.

Whatever the case may be, he's certainly in demand, and popping up in everything from the dark comedy How to Make a Killing to animated movies voicing a space-faring Fox to Chad Powers, 'nuff said. I'd wager the only thing he can't do is play an undesirable man, but I'm sure he'll prove me wrong soon enough and take on a role in which that's required.

By the way, for those who haven't seen the video, here is it below:

You gotta love the kind of world we live in where a man can go on a rant about an actor and how they have this wild appeal to women, and said actor can get online and engage with it. Even if it's just a like, it's great to see Glen Powell has a sense of humor about it. I'm not sure I'd feel the same way if a video was made about me, but I'm also not starring in blockbusters left and right.

Catch Glen Powell in plenty of movies, as the 2026 movie schedule rolls on with other movies that don't feature the A-lister. I promise they're just as good, even if the men that appear in them aren't allegedly created in a lab.

In 2018, Glen Powell got a sad call that led to some serious conversations with Tom Cruise about his role in Top Gun: Maverick. Tragically, he got that phone call the week of the Fourth of July, and it made that holiday the “worst.” Ultimately, everything worked out. And Powell’s post about this year’s Independence Day certainly proves that he’s doing fantastic.

Glen Powell Found Out He Lost The Rooster Role Right Before The Fourth Of July

At this point, it’s well-known lore that Glen Powell auditioned for Rooster in Top Gun: Maverick, but lost the role of Goose’s son to Miles Teller. What you might not know is that the Twisters actor found out about this on July 3. Recalling how that ruined his Fourth of July on The Rich Eisen Show, the actor said:

Well, that sucks. While I’m one to rewatch Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick with my Paramount+ subscription to celebrate the holiday, said movies certainly ruined it for Powell eight years ago.

However, it all turned out OK in the end, as he ended up playing Hangman in the beloved sequel. Before that happened, though, he had some important conversations with Cruise and Jerry Bruckheimer. It began with a phone call from the Maverick actor, and Powell was told they still wanted him in the movie. The Chad Powers star was still on the fence, though, so he went in for a meeting. Here’s how that conversation went:

That led to Tom Cruise giving Powell some advice that really stuck with him. Recalling the conversation he had with the lead of Top Gun: Maverick, the Anyone But You star explained:

I think we’re all glad he listened too. As we all know, Powell did end up saying yes to Top Gun: Maverick, and his performance as Hangman helped his career go sky-high. Now, he’s spending his Fourth of July partying rather than mourning the loss of a role.

Glen Powell, His Loved Ones And His Girlfriend All Partied Together This Year

While the primary emotion on the Fourth of July in 2018 was sadness for Powell, 2025’s emotion seemed to be fun. The actor took to Instagram to post a photo dump about the day, calling it one “hell of a Fourth.” Take a look:

Well, this looks like an absolute rager, and one hell of a good time. It was pretty star-studded too. In the dump, Powell tagged his girlfriend Michelle Randolph (they went IG official with this post), Chord Overstreet, Jimmy Tatro, Zoey Deutch (they need to have an on-screen Set It Up reunion ASAP), Madelyn Cline, his mother, Cyndy Powell, his sisters, Lauren and Leslie and many more.

All that’s to say, I think Glen Powell had a much better Fourth of July than he did all those years ago.

However, I also bet he’s happy that sad call happened, because it's helped shape his career and life into what it is today. Since Maverick, Powell has turned into quite the leading man, starring in projects like Hit Man, Twisters, Anyone But You and Chad Powers. There’s a lot more on the way too. So, all in all, I’d say life (and the Fourth of July) was very worth celebrating the way he did this year with his loved ones.

If you’re a rom-com fan, chances are you've already laughed and cried over Zoey Deutch’s new movie, Voicemails For Isabelle (currently streaming via Netflix subscription). But this isn’t her first hit in the genre. Back in 2018, she and Glen Powell had electric chemistry in a movie called Set It Up, and no, thankfully they haven’t forgotten how great of a duo they were in that movie.

Glen Powell’s career kind of blew up since starring in Set It Up, with roles in Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You and Twisters. But, the actor still wants to do another romantic comedy with Zoey Deutch. Here’s what he said earlier this year while at the How To Make A Killing premiere:

It’s been eight years since it came out, but Set It Up is still one of the best romantic comedies Netflix has ever made, and it sounds like Glen Powell knows it. He mentioned a deep interest in teaming back up with his friend Zoey Deutch on another movie, and he even dropped the “s” word (sequel). Here’s how Deutch recently reacted to USA Today when made aware of his comments:

Get these two another meet-cute, stat! Both of them are very on board to be co-stars again, and they’ve apparently been "actively" trying to find the right project to reunite on. While that project hasn’t been found quite yet, they are both game for a Set It Up sequel, specifically.

The pair have talked about this before, but what’s the holdup? I imagine it has a little something to do with both actors being booked and busy on a slew of other projects since Set It Up. Powell has become a big movie star, and Deutch has been in all sorts of movies herself including the Christmas rom-com Something From Tiffany’s, the Clint Eastwood-directed Juror No. 2 and voicing a role in the upcoming animated film, Minions & Monsters – it’s called range, honey!

While we’re tapping our feet waiting for their next movie, definitely check out Voicemails For Isabelle if you haven’t already. It has Deutch playing a young woman who loses her sister to cancer, and decides to still leave messages to her number, not knowing there’s a man on the other line who’s inherited Isabelle's digits. The leading man is Nick Robinson, who famously has us swooning Love, Simon.

The premise has a super uncomfortable secret between its love interests, and somehow is super romantic (and critically-acclaimed, too) anyway. And, that’s the power of a Zoey Deutch rom-com! Here's hoping the next one has Glen Powell next to her.

Back in November 2025, Texas native and current mega-star Glen Powell garnered dating rumors after he was seen in public with Landman star Michelle Randolph. They reportedly spent New Year’s together on a group vacation, and the vibes have apparently only become more and more romantic since then. To the point where we can now officially-ish think of the pair as an exclusive couple.

At least, that’s the word around the rumor mill, with inside sources sharing details about how close the two actors have gotten, even if they aren’t always in the same city.

How Serious Are Michelle Randolph And Glen Powell?

When they aren't filming for upcoming movie releases or for series set to hit the 2026 TV schedule, it sounds like Randolph and Powell make a point to get together. And according to one US Weekly source, they've only got eyes for each other.

Neither Powell, 37, nor Randolph, 29, were married previously, and while it's obviously too early to start projecting wedding bells onto this relationship, the level of smitten-ing here does seem to be pretty lofty.

Why Michelle Randolph Is A Good Fit For Him

While many celebrity couples seem intent on putting every second of their shared lives together on social media, Glen Powell and Michelle Randolph reportedly aren't aligned with that frame of thinking. Instead, they're allegedly more focused on building the relationship up in private without the public eye peering in, which both seem to agree is the best move.

What's more, they are also both reportedly on the same page when it comes to dealing with busy schedules. As the source put it:

For instance, Powell has been in Georgia filming the upcoming comedy The Comeback King, which he co-wrote with director Judd Apatow. Meanwhile, Randolph is filming the Amazon MGM holiday movie Clashing Through the Snow with Paris Hilton and Julia Fox. So they obviously aren't able to spend every waking moment together. Speaking of...

Confirmed: They Definitely Love To ‘Bop Around' New York

Despite both actors being busy with their day jobs, they've made the moves to make sure they're still able to meet up during any available off-time. Case in point, the couple was spotted in New York City a couple of times this past week, sharing meals and getting quite chummy in public, as seen in pics on Instagram. (In this case, chummy means making out, even if that act wasn't in the pic drop in the above link.)

According to US' source, the Big Apple is one area where the couple makes a point to spend time together, with Texas being their other destination.

Much easier to bop around town in NYC than in Texas, where one might sweat through their clothes before even exiting a vehicle. I'm guessing they like to spend time in air-conditioned spots when they're in more Southern regions. Whatever the case, though, here's hoping they can keep that happiness going for the long run. Maybe even to the point where they appear in a movie together?

Michelle Randolph can be seen in the first two seasons of Landman, currently streaming via Paramount+ subscription, while Powell’s small-screen work in Chad Powers is available to stream in full via Hulu subscription.

I grew up watching Top Gun on a loop, and when Top Gun: Maverick came out, it became a frequent rewatch. However, I had never watched the films back-to-back. That all changed, though, when the Top Gun movies returned to theaters alongside the releases on the 2026 movie schedule. And it was during this experience that I finally picked up on two very obvious parallels – one involving Iceman and Rooster, while the other involves Maverick and Hangman – that I can’t believe I missed.

I Can’t Believe I Never Noticed How Similar Iceman And Rooster Are

Re-watching Top Gun (which you can do with a Paramount+ subscription), I came to the realization that Iceman is actually very pragmatic, realistic and reasonable. The entire movie, he’s just trying to tell Maverick that his way of flying is reckless and could get someone killed.

Now, while Goose’s death was not Maverick’s fault, it certainly was a wake-up call. It also emphasized the point Iceman was making about what could go wrong in the plane. Up to this rewatch, I had always seen Val Kilmer’s character as an antagonist, when really, he was just trying to point out Maverick’s biggest flaw.

Then, in Top Gun: Maverick, it’s Rooster who does just that. He’s the safest flyer of the aviators brought back to Top Gun for this special mission, and he spends most of the movie playing it safe. Also, like Ice, Miles Teller’s character is unafraid to call out Maverick.

In a lot of ways, Miles Teller’s character serves as Tom Cruise’s foil in Maverick, which is what Iceman is in the first movie. However, the dynamic is even more complex in the beloved Top Gun sequel, because Rooster is also Goose’s son. So, he has qualities of both Mav’s biggest rival and his best friend, making their relationship very complicated.

However, circling back to Rooster and Iceman, this parallel is so meaningful and obvious that I’m kicking myself for letting it fly over my head.

I Also Realized Maverick And Hangman Are A Lot Alike

Watching Top Gun: Maverick right after Top Gun, I also realized Glen Powell’s Hangman was acting a whole lot like a young Maverick. He’s cocky, a bit reckless and very driven to do whatever he can. I do think he’s more egotistical than Maverick, thanks to his team leader comments. However, generally speaking, his way of flying parallels his teacher’s in a wild way.

That’s because Hangman’s relationship with Rooster is framed a lot like Iceman and Maverick’s in the first movie. I had always thought that Hangman was Iceman and Rooster was Maverick, simply because Hangman is more of an antagonist, while Rooster is a protagonist. However, that was because I didn’t see the deeper parallels.

In the end, Rooster is more like the pragmatic and calculated Iceman, while Hangman is spontaneous and confident like Maverick. I’m happy I realized this, too, because it makes the movies even better. I just wish I had realized it earlier.

Glen Powell may have had his early struggles jumpstarting his Hollywood career, but these days, his status in Hollywood continues to skyrocket. Just this year, the A-lister’s 2026 movie releases include the A24 flick How to Make a Killing, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and the upcoming sci-fi film The Great Beyond. Now, he's looking back on the earlier days of his career and recalling advice he got that helped him a lot. Specifically, he got to tell Harrison Ford about a great Hollywood lesson he learned from him while at Cannes.

Before Glen Powell became a sought-after leading man, he played a smaller part in the cast of The Expendables 3, which also starred Harrison Ford. While promoting that movie, Powell, Ford and their co-stars got to go to Cannes in tanks. Now, years later, the Chad Powers actor recalled this story to the Indiana Jones star during a roundtable with THR. He also noted the lesson he learned from this experience, saying:

Yeah, that’s how it’s done! Harrison Ford’s method of blending in is spot on. If you walk into a big event like anyone else, compared to a grand entrance, most people will just go about their day as usual. I love the Shrinking star's reaction to Powell's story, too, as he jokingly said that people at Cannes thought he was the young actor. Imagine that!

Harrison Ford isn’t the only veteran actor that Glen Powell learned from. He got advice from Tom Cruise during Top Gun: Maverick about how envisioning himself as the “underdog” of a story can bring out a memorable performance. The Twisters actor also received helpful advice from Denzel Washington about not comparing himself to other actors.

Even Matthew McConaughey gave him guidance to move back to Texas to be with his family and not be stuck in the “fake world” of Hollywood. With each piece of advice given to him, it’s no wonder Powell has been continuing to take the entertainment industry by storm.

While being an easily recognizable figure in Hollywood can be challenging, Harrison Ford taught Glen Powell how to walk the walk at Cannes without anyone noticing. As A-list celebs have to endure the attention of paparazzi, fans, and critics, take it from the Star Wars actor that walking into an event like anyone else can help you feel like a normal person before the spotlight sets in again.

Glen Powell is a certified star these days. After breaking big with the cast of Top Gun: Maverick, he’s solidified himself as a Hollywood star and heartthrob thanks to movies like Anyone But You and Twisters (among others). However, with fame and success comes a level of attention that can be scary, as the actor proved with two stories about obsessive fans.

Glen Powell Recalls Meeting A Fan Who Asked Him To Sign A Family Photo

Now, this all came up when Powell participated in a THR Roundtable with Harrison Ford, Owen Wilson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Riz Ahmed, and Zach Braff. They were there to talk about their roles in comedies on TV (Powell stars in Chad Powers), and they were also asked to recall “the wildest thing a fan” had come up to them and said. After a few answered, the interviewer specifically asked Powell if he’s had “some wild ones.” He confirmed he has, saying:

Harrison Ford then asked Powell to clarify that it was an image of the Powell family, while Abdul-Mateen wondered if they really asked him to sign said photo. The Top Gun: Maverick actor confirmed all of that and reiterated that there was no logical reason why the fan should have had access to this image in the first place:

Riz Ahmed noted that this whole situation is “scary,” and I couldn’t agree more. How did this person get access to a personal family photo, and what drove them to ask Powell for his autograph on this image that they probably shouldn’t have had? We don’t have those answers. What we do have is another unsettling fan encounter that the Anyone But You actor had to deal with.

That Time Glen Powell Was In The Same Place As Someone Who Has ‘Eaten’ His ‘Face Every Day’

Well, that first story made me think it’d be perfectly understandable if Powell would rather go out in public in disguise or in full Chad Powers prosthetics to avoid encounters like that. This second one made me think that, too, as the actor recalled going to an event where a woman who printed pictures of his face and ate them was also in attendance:

To quote Owen Wilson, these are “really chilling encounters.” However, thankfully, it sounds like Powell did not have to interact with this person who ate a paper version of his face, as he explained:

Zach Braff then asked how this person got red carpet access, which is something I was wondering too. In response, Powell said:

Well, this story is certainly creepy, and I’m happy it all turned out OK.

Overall, Glen Powell is very happy to work; he’s not burnt out, and he shows no signs of slowing down, with projects on both the 2026 TV schedule and the 2026 movie calendar. So, his star is likely going to keep rising.

However, hopefully, he encounters fewer people like the obsessive fans above. These are truly instances that creep me out; however, I’m very happy they ultimately were not harmful interactions, and Powell is doing just fine. Now, hopefully, people who meet him do so with kindness and care and not with personal photos or images of him that they eat.

If I had to guess who one of the busiest actors in Hollywood is right now, I’d immediately say Glen Powell. This year alone, we’ve seen the release of How to Make a Killing and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on the 2026 movie schedule, and The Great Beyond will come out later this year. He’s also been working on both Season 2 of Chad Powers and Judd Apatow’s new movie, The Comeback King. It always feels like he’s always working, and it’s gotten to the point where people have asked if he’s burnt out. Well, he’s not. In fact, he’s thriving, and he explained why while recalling the advice Denzel Washington gave him.

While Powell has been consistently working for many years, things kicked into high gear after Top Gun: Maverick. Since 2022, he’s been in eight movies (six of which he was a lead), two TV shows and a podcast series. He also has quite the slate of work lined up, with movies directed by J.J. Abrams and Apatow coming down the pipe. So, when he appeared on the Awards Circuit podcast, he talked about how busy he is, saying:

Admittedly, looking at Powell’s filmography and thinking about the work that goes into it, I’m overwhelmed. However, he’s always handled the workload with grace and a whole lot of enthusiasm.

He also made it clear that the advice he’s received in the past has really helped him. In fact, some advice he got from Denzel Washington has really stuck with him, as he explained:

In the past, Powell has called these words of wisdom “the truest piece of advice [he’s] ever gotten.” His admiration for Washington has also been well documented. Literally, the Top Gun: Maverick actor has said, “I want to be Denzel Washington.” He’s also been clear that the legendary actor was the one who really pushed him to pursue acting after they worked together on The Great Debaters in 2007.

Well, that advice manifested itself in a very successful career, and these days, Powell is having a blast working on projects he’s both leading and loving, as he explained:

There you have it. While a busy workload like Powell’s could be cause for burnout, the love he has for the work is helping him stay away from that. It also helps that he took Washington’s advice, found his lane, and focused on it.

Clearly, it’s paid off. He’s been working nonstop for a very long time, and he shows no signs of slowing down, with Season 2 of Chad Powers expected to premiere for those with a Hulu subscription on the 2026 TV schedule, and his movie, The Great Beyond, set to hit theaters on November 13.

There’s been chatter about a Top Gun 3 for years now. After the smash hit that was Top Gun: Maverick, it’s felt like the right move to make. Well, now it’s officially, finally being made, as Paramount announced that the movie is in the works and has a writer. So, now that I’ve had a full day to sit with that news, I’ve thought of four things I need to see happen in Top Gun 3.

It was announced that Top Gun 3 is in the works during Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation (via Variety), and it was confirmed that Tom Cruise would be back as Maverick, while Jerry Bruckheimer will be back as a producer. Along with that, it was revealed that Ehren Kruger, who co-wrote Top Gun: Maverick with Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie, would be returning to write the new movie.

So, with all that in mind, I've been wondering what might happen during Maverick's next adventure, and I've realized there are four things I need to see.

I Need An Update On Rooster, Hangman And The Young Pilots From Top Gun: Maverick

One of the biggest highlights of Top Gun: Maverick was the new class of pilots. I loved seeing Miles Teller and Glen Powell as Rooster and Hangman, and it was remarkable to watch them and their co-stars flourish in these parts that have now become defining pieces of their careers.

So, I’d like to see them back. I need to know where they’re at. Are Rooster and Hangman friends? Did any of the young pilots go on to teach at Top Gun? Could any of them work with Maverick? The opportunities feel endless, and I feel like it’d be a missed opportunity to not show us these characters in Top Gun 3.

Thankfully, Powell has given an update that makes me hopeful he’ll be back as Hangman, and Teller has said he’s down for Top Gun 3 as long as he has enough time to get in shape for it. So, it seems like they still feel the need for speed; we just need to hope they get written into the story.

I Need To See Some Kind Of Groundbreaking Airplane Stunt From Tom Cruise

Now, Maverick’s director, Joseph Kosinski, did tease that Top Gun 3 could tackle an existential crisis for Maverick that is “much bigger than himself.” That’s all fine and dandy, and I’m all for a big personal story. However, I also want stunts, and I want big ones.

I’m talking Mission: Impossible level plane stunts. While I don’t necessarily want to see Cruise and co. climbing around the outside of a plane while it’s in the air, I do want a level of innovation and thrill in Top Gun 3 that’s synonymous with Mission: Impossible. They did it for Maverick, so I’m sure they can come up with some wild, crazy, and heartpounding action sequences for this new movie.

Obviously, We Need Some Kind Of Shirtless Sports Montage

First, it was volleyball, then it was football on the beach, so clearly, Top Gun 3 needs some kind of summery, shirtless sports sequence. There's a precedent to maintain. I know a lot of work went into the football scene, and the cast got in tip-top shape for it, and I have no doubt they could do it again.

Maybe this time, they could be playing beach soccer, or potentially they could move the montage to a basketball court. I don’t really care what sport it is; all I know is I want to see the pilots having some fun in the sun.

At Least One Song Needs To Be Sung (Preferably By Rooster And Maverick)

In Top Gun, Maverick and Goose sang “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” in the bar, and we also got the always iconic “Great Balls of Fire” moment. Then, in Maverick, Rooster sang “Great Balls of Fire” again. However, Tom Cruise’s character did not partake in the singing.

So, in Top Gun 3, I’d love to see Maverick and his best friend’s son singing together. It could be “Great Balls of Fire” again. However, it’d also be fun if they found a new song to jam out to. Ultimately, I simply want this new movie to continue to pay homage to what makes Top Gun, Top Gun.

Now, will any of these things happen? I don’t know. However, I do know that Top Gun 3 is preparing for takeoff now, and I’ll be sitting in the theater the day it flies onto the big screen to see if these dreams come true.

It’s a well-known fact that people think Top Gun: Maverick and Twisters star Glen Powell looks like Tracker and This Is Us star Justin Hartley, but I have to be honest, I think there's a better doppelgänger pairing out there. In fact, there’s another TV actor I think looks much more like Hartley than Mr. Powell does, and he’s a current Hallmark TV star you probably know.

The Internet Loves Talking About How Glen Powell And Justin Hartley Look Alike

Listen, sometimes there are subtopics the Internet loves to talk about, and Glen Powell and Justin Hartley looking alike is one of them. At this point, the two actors are aware of the discourse, and the Twisters star even joked about it when THR once literally (and seemingly accidentally) mixed up Hartley with Powell on the red carpet. During the incident, Powell cheekily responded:

The outlet apologized for the incident writing,, “apologies! We have our glasses on now!” At the time, fellow celebrity Patrick Schwarzenegger also joked he “wanted in” on the body swap movie idea.

This has been going on forever, too, as fans on Reddit often think Powell and Harley look alike. The Internet is honestly very bad about mixing up celebrities. There are the people who think Burt Reynolds – RIP– and Tom Selleck are each other. Natalie Portman and Keira Knightley are also commonly mixed up for one another, which makes sense give their Star Wars arcs ages ago. There’s nothing like a good Internet switcheroo to prove a theory, but I still think Justin Hartley looks way more like Andrew Walker than he does the movie star a-lister.

I Actually Think Justin Hartley Looks More Like Andrew Walker

As evidence, let's take a look at this picture of Andrew Walker, an actor known for a slew of past and upcoming Hallmark projects, including popular series like Curious Caterer, Three Wise Me And A Boy and the recent Holiday Touchdown movie. If you aren’t familiar with any of these fun titles, this is what he looks like.

And this is Justin Hartley at the event in which he was literally mixed up with Glen Powell. Uncanny, right?

I appreciate they all have their own looks and styles and are totally different ages: Powell is 37, Justin Hartley is 49, and Andrew Walker is 46. Honestly, though, I stand by the fact it’s easy to mistake Glen for Justin and Andrew for Justin (though less so Glen and Andrew). In fact the first couple of times I saw Walker on my screen, I thought he was the guy who had played Green Arrow in Smallville, a guy who just so happens to be Justin Hartley.

The intriguing thing about this whole narrative is that Powell has worked his way up to doing big budget movies, Justin Hartley is a major tour de force on the network TV schedule and Andrew Walker is one of the most in-demand Hallmark actors. They all fill their niches at this point, despite people on the Internet (and myself) occasionally still clearly mixing them all up.

I’m not sure a body swap movie will ever be in the cards, but this situation always amuses me, and to be honest, the hard work of casting has already been done, here. Give the people what they want!

Despite failing in Hollywood over and over again in his younger days, Glen Powell has become one of the most popular and prolific actors in show business over the past few years, and it doesn’t look like he’s slowing down anytime soon. In fact, he’s working on a new comedy with Judd Apatow called The Comeback King, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what this is all about. However, it’s not just the idea of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s scene-stealing star playing a country singer that has me pumped for this one.

Based on everything I’ve been able to track down on this movie, which didn’t have a title until this April, it sounds like it could be yet another great Apatow film and one that could be made a whole lot better with Powell’s involvement. That said, that’s not the only reason I’m excited for this one…

What We Know About The Comeback King So Far

Before I get into all the reasons I’m excited for The Comeback King, I thought it’d be best to break down everything we know about the upcoming comedy so far. Here are all the nitty-gritty details, including the release date, cast, and information about the production.

• The Comeback King will be released in theaters on February 5, 2027.
• The movie will follow a country western star in free fall
• Glen Powell, Cristin Milioti, Madelyn Cline, Stavros Halkias, and Li Jin Hao star
• Judd Apatow is directing based on a script he co-wrote with Glen Powell
• Production started in April 2026, per ABC.

With that out of the way…

Okay, I’m Sold On The Idea Of Glen Powell Playing A Country Singer

There have been a lot of great Glen Powell movies in recent years, with the versatile actor playing everything from a college baseball player in Everybody Wants Some!! to a cocky pilot in Top Gun: Maverick, to a man-of-a-thousand-faces in Hit Man, to a cowboy stormchaser in Twisters. However, we’ve never seen him play a country singer. Well, that will change when The Comeback King opens in theaters next February.

If I’m being honest, a country western singer seems like the perfect role for the famous Texan. He looks the part, he has that perfect blend of good looks and vulnerability (while also being able to pull off a jerk), and he’s from one of the country music hotbeds: Austin, Texas. Now, I’m not expecting Powell to pull off a Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley, or Guy Clark type of performance (though I’d kill to see him sing “Waiting Around to Die,” “Clay Pigeons,” or “L.A. Freeway”), but I’m fully sold on him playing a country singer of some type. It could be like Tender Mercies but with more laughs…

I Don’t Know Much About The Story, But The Premise Sounds Like Classic Judd Apatow

Admittedly, not much has been said about the plot, but when announcing The Comeback King’s title in April 2026, Universal Pictures revealed the movie will center on a “country western star in free fall.” With Glen Powell leading the movie’s cast (more on the supporting players in a bit), it seems like a safe bet to assume that the Anyone But You and The Running Man star will be playing that country singer facing his demise and possible rebirth.

This whole concept of a once-famous and well-respected artist having a “falling back to Earth” is something that Judd Apatow can pull off quite well, both when it comes to writing and directing. We’ve seen it in movies like Funny People and even Heavyweights when you think about it. Finding that perfect balance between humor and heart and comedy and drama has long been a gift of Apatow’s, and I cannot wait to see how that translates to a movie set in the world of country music.

A Movie Penned By Powell And Apatow Piques My Interest

Not only is Glen Powell a full-fledged movie star at this point in his career, but he’s also starting to do more and more behind the scenes as well. From being a credited co-writer with Richard Linklater on the director’s Hit Man to producing the 2024 Blue Angels documentary, he’s slowly becoming a bigger force on both sides of the camera. Well, we can add another screenwriting credit to his name, as Powell wrote The Comeback King alongside Judd Apatow.

When speaking about the movie in a January 2026 interview with Deadline (when the project was still untitled), Apatow talked about the tone of the film and hinted at finding comedy in tragedy before singing Powell’s praises as a writer:

This pairing piques my interest in several ways, but there are two that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since learning about the project. First, how much of Powell’s life experiences in Texas and becoming a massive star in Hollywood will be worked into the script. Secondly, how will these two mesh as collaborators? Could this be the next great pairing? We shall see.

The Supporting Cast Could Steal The Show, Especially Stavros Halkias

What has me even more excited for The Comeback King is the supporting cast. I’ve already gone over how Glen Powell will be leading the show, but I just have to gush about this group of actors that’ll be joining in on screen: Cristin Milioti, Madelyn Cline, Stavros Halkias, and Li Jin Hao. Each of these actors has shown off their scene-stealing talent in recent years, and I honestly think they can bring out the best in Powell and the movie’s script. That said, there’s one name on that list that has me the most excited: Stavros Halkias.

A Baltimore native who sounds like a wise-cracking character in The Wire, this foul-mouthed, over-the-top, and unique comedian has been tearing up comedy clubs for the better part of two decades now, and I love that he’s finally reaching mainstream audiences. From his appearances on Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney (his riffing with fellow Baltimorian John Waters is comedy gold) to his brief yet unforgettable performance in Bugonia, this guy is on top of the world right now. You love to see it. I know I do.

One last thing… There have been some great country music movies over the years, but a fair chunk of those have been biopics or gut-wrenching dramas (or sometimes both). That said, it’ll be nice and refreshing to see a more comedic approach to the world of country music, its tears-in-my-beer ballads, and colorful cast of characters. That’s what I’m excited about.

Now that The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is officially out in the world on the 2026 movie schedule, audiences are digging into everything from its stacked voice cast to its surprisingly deep bench of Nintendo characters. But one of the more entertaining behind-the-scenes stories has nothing to do with Easter eggs or hidden references. It’s how Donald Glover and Glen Powell ended up in the movie in the first place. Because neither of them exactly followed the traditional Hollywood playbook.

Speaking with Forbes, producer Chris Meledandri emphasized that Nintendo, led by Shigeru Miyamoto, worked closely with Illumination on every aspect of the film to preserve what makes these characters work in the first place. That collaborative environment seems to have created the perfect opening for actors who already loved the material. Enter Glover and Powell.

Glen Powell Called His Shot With Star Fox

After the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Meledandri said actors started reaching out directly, hoping to get involved in whatever came next. One of those actors was the Top Gun: Maverick breakout who wasn’t too subtle about what role he wanted in particular: Fox McCloud.

Glenn Powell became a real possibility during the first movie, when the Twisters star expressed his love for Fox McCloud. The Mario Galaxy producers explained:

When Meledandri followed up with the actor, he made it clear the project had to remain secret, especially given how closely guarded the Star Fox reveal was. He continued:

And that meeting paid off as Star Fox made his big screen debut in Super Mario Galaxy, with the Powell attitude intact. But what about Donald Glover? How did he make it in the film?

Donald Glover Asked For The Role

If Powell’s path into the film feels like a strange bit of timing, Glover’s approach was much more direct. Speaking with ScreenRant, the Atlanta star openly admitted that he went out and got the role of everyone's favorite little dinosaur himself. The rapper and performer explained:

There’s something refreshingly simple about that. No elaborate pitch, no long campaign. Just a clear ask and a willingness to meet the character where it already exists. Glover essentially nominated himself for the role and spoke it into becoming reality.

Why This Approach Actually Fits The Movie

What makes both of these casting stories work is how closely they align with how the movie itself was made. As Meledandri explained, this wasn’t a typical licensing situation in which a studio adapts a property from a distance. Nintendo was involved at every level, working directly with Illumination to ensure the film reflected the “core DNA” of the games.

That same mindset seems to carry over into casting. Powell and Glover weren’t just recognizable names being slotted into a franchise; they were true Nintendo fans who understood the characters and actively wanted to be part of that world.

Now that the new video game adaptation is out and is a massive success, having the biggest box office weekend of the year thus far, those choices are easier to appreciate in hindsight. What could have sounded like shameless self-promotion at the time ended up fitting the project's tone almost perfectly.

And if nothing else, it’s a reminder that sometimes the best way into a billion-dollar franchise is to just ask. Well, at least if you're Donald Glover and Glen Powell.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is playing in theaters now, so be sure to check your local listings for showtimes. Fans can also catch up with the first movie as it's streaming with a Peacock Subscription.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. If you have not yet seen the film proceed at your own risk (or check out CinemaBlend's spoiler-free review)

In the run-up to the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, the response has already proven to be exceptionally divisive. Critics have panned the sequel, many pointing to its prioritizing of fan service over storytelling, while early general audiences have applauded it as fun and for Nintendo-lovers. It's clear that different people are looking for different things from the new 2026 movie, but I am thinking there is common ground to be mined. Specifically, I think we can all agree that Fox McCloud, long rumored to be in the movie and voiced by Glen Powell, is the best thing about the film. Putting him front and center in the immediate future of the Nintendo franchise would be the best possible decision.

The Bowsers may now be under lock and key, and the sequel's post-credits scene teases a future with Princess Daisy joining fellow Princesses Peach and Rosalina in the big screen canon. But after his scene-stealing part in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Fox McCloud should next feel the glow of the spotlight in a Star Fox spinoff.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Performs A Speed Run Of Everything You Need To Know About Star Fox

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie doesn't offer much in the way of character development for its main collection of protagonists, but the film does take a brief moment to give Fox McCloud a proper introduction, and it's the most exciting thing that happens in the movie. With the swagger that made him so popular in both Top Gun: Maverick and Twister, Glen Powell delivers a killer monologue about the ace pilot's history, his team (including Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare and Falco Lombardi), and his deep love for performing barrel rolls. It's a preview that's also a tease, and it does a lot of heavy lifting in advance of the franchise potentially further exploring the character's world.

On top of all that, the flashback features an awesome stylistic change (which would be amazing to see explored more), and perhaps most importantly of all, a door is left wide open for an adventure at the end of the movie.

Fox McCloud Is On His Way Back Home, But He'll Need To Find A Wormhole To Get Back To His Universe

At the end of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Fox does Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Peach and Toad one last favor by transporting the Bowsers to prison, but the next stop for him is traveling home… and it's not entirely clear how easy that will be for him. He didn't exactly fall through a wormhole on purpose, and while it's possible in-canon that wormholes are everywhere and easy to find, it might also be a major challenge that takes him on a wild journey through the cosmos.

Either way, one would think audiences would win: either Fox quickly gets back to his home universe, rejoins his team, and finds a new battle against a classic foe (like Andross or Wolf O'Donnell), or he ends up on a life-changing trip to find his way back to his friends and loved ones. The story opportunities are really limitless after what has been set up.

While we keep our fingers crossed waiting for news from Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment that a Star Fox spinoff is a go, audiences can go see him in action in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in theaters now.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie just confirmed that Star Fox's Fox McCloud is in the movie, after rumors circulated on the internet about his involvement. That was exciting alone, but not nearly as exciting as the A-lister Nintendo and Illumination tapped to voice the character. That's because Glen Powell will apparently voice the space maverick, and his announcement video celebrating it is completely bonkers.

Powell, the latest big-name celebrity to join Nintendo's animated universe, cryptically shared the announcement over on Instagram. Check it out below, and see him wearing the iconic Star Fox vest while doing his best impression of mimicking someone frantically trying to complete a level on Super Mario Bros.:

If that weren't exciting enough, it appears Glen Powell is well-versed in the lore, based on his caption referencing the iconic Star Fox 64 meme "Do a barrel roll." I mean, obviously, someone on his team could've told him to say that, but given he's in his late 30s, I'd bet on the fact that he played the game back in the day.

It's also exciting that Illumination was able to get Powell because of his connection to the hit movie Top Gun: Maverick. Not that it's necessary, but they found someone who played a pilot in another movie to play a space pilot in this movie, which will surely help the audience unfamiliar with the Star Fox games remember (or figure out) what the character is about.

Powell's casting as Fox McCloud is a big one, and leads me to wonder whether this means Nintendo is considering a spin-off Star Fox movie. I would love to see an upcoming video game adaptation of the space adventure games, perhaps with a bit more edge than what the Super Mario Bros. franchise can provide.

I also have to wonder whether this adds any weight to the growing speculation that Illumination and Nintendo are ultimately planning a Super Smash Bros. movie that combines all the characters for one big adventure? We also learned the Pikmin franchise will be represented in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and a live-action Legend of Zelda movie is in development. So, it feels like anything could be possible.

It seems like Nintendo is rapidly introducing many of its beloved characters to the silver screen, though there are still many big names like Kirby and Samus Aran left off the list. Rosalina voice actress Brie Larson was touted for years as a perfect choice to play Samus, so I'm crossing my fingers that her working relationship with the game company eventually leads to her becoming the live-action space bounty hunter. Ugh, I can't wait to see where all of this is eventually headed.

For now, I'm just content to see Glen Powell is likely playing Fox in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which comes out on April 1st. I need to go ahead and purchase my tickets, because I have a feeling this sequel is going to be another billion-dollar box office pull once again.

It has been nearly four years since Top Gun: Maverick swooped in and supercharged the box office with the biggest movie since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie, which saw the return of Tom Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell while also introducing instantly iconic characters played by Miles Teller and Glen Powell, was a crowd-pleaser in every sense of the word with its drama, intensity, and those amazing flying sequences.

Well, I recently learned about what the Top Gun: Maverick cast had to go through whenever they filmed those visually stunning and heartpounding midair scenes, and it was honestly much more intensive (and procedural) than I was expecting. I mean, I had a feeling they went through a lot to capture those dogfights and exhilarating moments, but I didn’t expect all that paperwork.

The Top Gun: Maverick Crew Had To Give Daily Briefs To The Navy

In a somewhat recent episode of The Rewatchables podcast, Hollywood A-lister Glen Powell came on as a guest to discuss the 1998 dramedy The Truman Show. In the episode, which is a must for fans of movie podcasts, iconic Jim Carrey movies, and the Running Man and How to Make a Killing star, Powell was asked about working on projects with a lot of people involved, and he shared a great and surprising story from Top Gun: Maverick:

Considering the cast and crew were flying in real fighter jets while making the movie (in the ballpark of $80 million apiece) and were flying them how they weren’t normally flown, it makes total sense why they’d have to do this each day. But this is just part of it…

Glen Powell And Company Also Had To Map It All Out With The Production Heads

On top of working with the real-life Navy to clear all the flight plans for each day of filming, the actors and pilots also had to have similar meetings with the production crew so that everything was in sync when the planes got in the air. Powell would go on to explain how meticulous they had to be in order to pull it off seamlessly:

Getting everyone on the same page makes total sense, especially when you’re working on a big-budget picture with so many moving parts, but I was honestly surprised to hear there was so much paperwork that had to be taken care of to make it all happen.

Top Gun: Maverick, which is streaming for anyone with a Paramount+ subscription, is one of the most intense, exciting, and unforgettable movie experiences of the past decade, and I guess it’s thanks to the attention to detail by everyone involved.

Glen Powell is 37-years-old, a young man by most people’s standards, but already rather old by Hollywood standards. This is compounded by the fact the actor has only been a notable name for a few short years now, and grinded it out for well over a decade before landing his breakthrough role in Top Gun: Maverick (though some may credit Netflix’s Step it Up).

It was not an easy road to the top. Though Glen Powell’s alleged net worth is in the several million dollar range at this point, at varying points, he was simply the guy who got pushed around in the background of a scene in The Dark Knight Rises. He also nearly passed on Top Gun: Maverick until Tom Cruise convinced him to join after losing the role he really wanted to Miles Teller.

He’s been open about failing in Hollywood over and over again early on, and learning along the way. What he’s said about the process and getting to where he is now.

Auditioning In Hollywood Is A "Luxury."

A couple of years ago, Powell was asked how hard auditioning over and over again is in Hollywood and he told Vanity Fair it’s a “luxury.” The real hard part is grinding it out to even get invited to the table:

Going to bars and clubs may not sound like hard work, but lots of doors were shut on Powell early on. Yet, he kept showing up, and auditioning for a lot of gigs he didn't actually get, including Friday Night Lights and Glee.

When Things Are Going Poorly, “Lie To Yourself.”

Powell would land small roles, then feel like he was in a barren desert for a while. Then, he’d see another tiny tidbit of success, and then it would rinse and repeat. He also told VF it got to a point where he was trying to help limited budget projects get off the ground so he could appear in them. What kept him going though? He simply lied to himself…

Powell moved to LA in 2008, and landed a few roles that nabbed him attention, but not enough to string together a consistent career for some time. Still, hooking up with Richard Linklater for Everybody Wants Some! in 2014 was a notable turn, as did filming Netfix's Set It Up in 2017.

He Did Get Some Encouragement From Denzel Washington Early On.

Glen Powell had early successes in the Spy Kids franchise, and also appeared with Hollywood great Denzel Washington really early on during the making of the 2007 movie The Great Debaters. It was Denzel who encouraged the young actor to keep going, and gave him a piece of advice that stuck with him…

Top Gun: Maverick wouldn't begin production for another 11 years after the movie's release, and wouldn't hit the movie schedule until 2022.

Powell Made Some Mistakes Personally, Too.

One of the most memorable stories Glen Powell ever told had to do with lodging he'd managed to secure thanks to a family friend. The living situation was in a pool house in the posh Beverly Hills neighborhood, and instead of being grateful for the situation, he decided to leverage it by throwing a party that he thought would hopefully improve his career.

He was kicked out by the family afterward, a move he later said felt like "the worst hangover ever." But, he learned from it.

He’s Not Even Close To Ready To Slow Down, Yet.

These days, he knows he won’t be on the top forever in Hollywood. His plan? He’s making as many movies as he can for as long as he can, and really does not want to “press the brake.” In fact, he told CinemaBlend he feels like he is finally “getting started.”

The hard work has paid off. Glen Powell’s got several upcoming projects in the pipeline, these days. You can catch him in How To Make A Killing, in theaters now, or see him in The Great Beyond, The Natural Order, or the currently still untitled music comedy from Judd Apatow he has coming up. Doubtless, there will be plenty more to come from the actor as he approaches the big 4-0 in Tinseltown.

In the last five years, few stars have experienced a rise quite like what we’ve seen from Glen Powell – the actor going from being the breakout of Top Gun: Maverick to make hits like Anyone But You and Twisters. In that time, he’s played a lot of different roles in a lot of different projects… but I have picked up on a funny pattern in some of his character choices, and I decided to ask him about it.

I sat down with Powell alongside Jessica Henwick and Topher Grace earlier this month during the Los Angeles press day for their new movie How To Make A Killing, and it gave me the opportunity to point at a trend in his filmography: the new A24 movie, Edgar Wright’s The Running Man, Richard Linklater’s Hit Man and the Hulu original series Chad Powers all feature him as characters who find themselves donning disguises. Powell said that isn’t something he has done on purpose, but he does find it funny that it reflects a particular quality he looks for in potential projects. He told me,

As Jessica Henwick pointed out in response, it adds a fun kind of meta level to the performances, as it allows the audience and the protagonist to share something together that isn’t specifically shared with other characters.

Powell clearly has an affinity for those complex characters, and in following up, he practically echoed a famous quote from author Jim Thompson: “There is only one plot: things are not as they seem. He added,

Topher Grace had his own take on it. While How To Make A Killing marks the first time that he has worked with Glen Powell, they have known each other for a while now, and he is of the opinion that Powell’s in-character disguises are simply a reflection of the man’s gift as a performer. He said smiling,

Also featuring the talents of Ed Harris, Zach Woods, Bill Camp and Margaret Qualley, How To Make A Killing is now playing in theaters everywhere.

I can imagine that a significant number of young actors in Hollywood right now are feeling a smidge of envy directed at Glen Powell. After all, the guy is definitely having a moment right now, playing leads on screens big and small following his breakout turn a few years ago in Top Gun: Maverick. But just because Powell is soaring high right now doesn’t stop him from being wowed by the work of his colleagues – an example being Topher Grace’s performance as an enthusiastic megachurch pastor in their new A24 movie How To Make A Killing.

I sat down with Powell, Grace and Jessica Henwick earlier this month during the Los Angeles press day for the 2026 movie, and in the spirit of Kind Hearts And Coronets (which the new film is a remake of) and the multiple roles played by Alec Guinness, I opened the interview asking the trio what part they would have loved to play in How To Make A Killing in addition to their own. Powell gave a lot of credit to the actor sitting to his right, saying,

In the new film, Powell stars as Becket Redfellow, a descendant of one of the richest families in America who has been cut off from the family tree but is still lined up to inherit a sizable trust. The only thing standing in between him and the money are various relatives ahead of him in the succession order, and so he sets about quietly knocking them off. One of these cousins is Grace’s Pastor Steven J. Redfellow, who we meet in the story while he is in the middle of a work day.

Powell had the chance to simply observe his co-star doing his thing up on a stage preaching to a packed audience, and he was taken aback by the energy he was putting out:

Topher Grace recalled the day in question, looking out on a large and engaged crowd, and he freely admitted that he got a real kick out of the whole experience:

He got the chance to really live in the shoes of his character, which must have been a super cool thing to do when filmmaking can often be a stilted process… but there apparently were some side effects to all of the actor’s exhibited passion.

According to Grace, what he was saying on stage weirdly got through to some people, and he had to do a bit of awkward de-escalation:

Care to see if you too might be ensnared by Topher Grace’s gospel? How To Make A Killing – featuring Margaret Qualley, Bill Camp, Zach Woods, and Ed Harris in addition to the aforementioned Glen Powell, Topher Grace, and Jessica Henwick – is playing in theaters everywhere now.

Glen Powell has played everything from a storm chaser to a fighter pilot to a football player to a hit man, and for his latest role in the upcoming A24 movie How to Make a Killing, it looks like he’s returning to his murderous ways. Critics saw the film ahead of its release on the 2026 movie calendar, in which Powell’s Becket Redfellow goes after the inheritance he thinks he’s owed after being disowned at birth by his disgustingly wealthy family, so what are they saying about the revenge thriller?

How to Make a Killing stars an ensemble cast, including Margaret Qualley and Jessica Henwick as Becket’s childhood friend and girlfriend, respectively, as well as those who make up the Redfellows standing in the way of his fortune: Bill Camp, Zach Woods, Topher Grace and Ed Harris, to name a few. According to Alexander Mooney of Slant, the humanity in these characters gives a grim sense of irony to Becket’s plight. The critic scores the movie 3 stars out of 4, writing:

Previously titled Huntington, Glen Powell’s dark comedy is “watchably weird,” according to Owen Gleiberman of Variety, who writes that its take on the depravity of greed keeps it afloat. The critic continues:

Jacob Oller of AV Club writes that despite the many different roles Glen Powell has played, this movie yet again shows him as smirking, quippy and strikingly put together. Add to that the script's loose grasp of the haves and have-nots and inability to find the tonal balance between outlandish and self-serious, and the critic can’t grade it higher than a C. Oller says:

Ouch! Although IndieWire’s Kate Erbland also gives it a C, saying the film lacks the fun required to pull off such a kill-the-rich dark comedy. The critic attributes this to two missteps: First, the voiceover narration makes the film exposition-heavy, depriving us of what should be the most deliciously devious scenes, and secondly, Glen Powell isn’t believable as a rage-driven bad guy, especially when the director doesn’t seem able to decide whether we should want to root for him or not. Erbland continues:

Kristy Puchko of Mashable feels Glen Powell was miscast, as he’s unable to match the humor of the ensemble around him. Also, he’s playing an underdog but has the suavity of a leading man, Puchko says, and his thinly written character comes off as “bland.” After seeing so many compelling eat-the-rich comedies in the past few years, How to Make a Killing is tame by comparison, the critic says:

This is a tough one to call, as critics are split right down the middle on Rotten Tomatoes, giving How to Make a Killing 50% on the Tomatometer. If you want to check out Glen Powell’s latest role amongst a killer supporting cast, this dark comedy revenge thriller is in theaters as of Friday, February 20.

There are some great Hollywood friendships out there, but my new favorite is the somewhat unlikely pairing of Nick Jonas and Glen Powell. The duo has been friends for quite some time, and they’re close enough that they’re able to give each other advice, as the singer has apparently been doing for the actor. What's surprising about all this, though, is the fact that the musician of this duo was the one giving acting advice.

Glen Powell and Nick Jonas are both incredibly successful in their chosen careers, so one wouldn’t necessarily expect there to be a lot of advice for either one to give the other. However, speaking with ET, Powell reveals that he’s gone to his friend for help on an upcoming role, as Jonas has a unique perspective on it that few others would have. The Top Gun: Maverick actor explained…

Glen Powell knows how to be a movie star, but if you need to be a rock star, I suppose it helps to be good friends with one. Nick Jonas isn’t only a rock star, but he’s a guy who has been one for most of his life, having grown up as a “Disney kid” making music with his brothers. Jonas probably has a very unique view of being a rock star that few other rock stars have.

It's also worth noting that while Jonas is better known as a musician, he is an actor too. So, really, he was the perfect person to give Powell advice.

The friendship between Glen Powell and Nick Jonas reached a new, and hilarious, level recently when we learned that the two stars are so close that they share clothes, even when they don’t do it on purpose. Jonas recently posted an Instagram video that revealed that a pair of pants he had been given to wear for a public performance had previously been worn by Powell, as proven by the fact that his airline boarding pass was still in the pocket.

And from there, the Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants was born. Powell’s reaction to discovering the connection was probably the same thing the rest of us were thinking, as he couldn’t believe that loaned clothes like that don’t get washed between uses.

Not a lot is known about the Judd Apatow movie that Powell is referring to. It doesn’t have a confirmed title, and the plot synopsis actually references a country music singer who suffers some sort of career downfall. It’s unclear if the music has shifted from country to rock or if the artist Powell is playing is one of those who straddles the line between the two genres. The pair is also working on a comedy with a very NSFW title.

ET suggested that The Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants needed to be a movie starring Glen Powell and Nick Jonas, and the actor about to play a rock star wasn't against the idea. Jonas and Powell were confirmed for a buddy comedy together a few years back, but it has yet to materialize.

However, this whole saga about their friendship is certainly a reminder that I need to see these two on screen together.

Friends help out friends when they can. The closer you are to somebody, the more you’re willing to do for them. Good friends will even share each other's clothes, so to hear that Nick Jonas recently wore Glen Powell’s pants wouldn’t be that unusual a situation. However, the circumstances are not that simple.

Nick Jonas just dropped a video on Instagram where he reveals that during a recent appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, he wore a pair of pants that were provided to him by an unnamed brand. When putting them on before the show, however, he discovered a piece of paper in one of the pockets. That paper was an airline boarding pass belonging to, of all people, The Running Man actor Glen Powell.

This means that, apparently, Powell had been given the same pair of pants for some previous public appearance, and after he did it, he returned them to the company, who then sent the same pants to Nick Jonas. Of course, the elephant in the room here is that the pants must not have been washed in between celebrity uses. Glen Powell himself is a bit weirded out by this as he commented on the post, saying…

What makes the whole situation weirder is that while Glen Powell is shocked that nobody washed these pants, Nick Jonas apparently is not. He indicates that this is not the first time that he’s reached into a pocket of the provided pants and found something belonging to the last person who wore them. Apparently, it’s a normal thing. The free stuff celebrities get feels a lot less cool now.

Now, Powell and Jonas are friends who are supposed to make a buddy comedy together at some point. So, it's nice to know that they wear the same size pants if anything goes wrong in wardrobe on the set.

To be fair, they are nice pants. Check out Nick Jonas’ performance on The Tonight Show and get a look at the pants in question, which were once worn by Glen Powell on an airplane.

At this point, we don’t know how far The Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants extends. If Glen Powell and Nick Jonas have worn the pants, there’s a good chance other celebrities have as well, or they will in the future. These pants could end up going all over the world.

I hope Nick Jonas left something in the pocket so that the next celeb to wear them knows that these pants were once on The Tonight Show. It would be cool to wear pants once worn by Nick Jonas and Glen Powell, though if I somehow ever discover I have those pants, I’m still going to wash them first.

If you follow pop culture, you’ve seen your fair share of showmances and fauxmances, and at the moment, the internet is debating whether Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are in one. So, as the release of their book-to-screen adaptation of Wuthering Heights draws near on the 2026 movie schedule, let’s talk about why these accusations are coming up and how it compares to the situation Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney were in.

Margot Robbie And Jacob Elordi Have Not Held Back Their ‘Mutual Obsession’ With Each Other

In the lead-up to Wuthering Heights’ release, it’s become very clear that Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie adore each other. In fact, according to them, they have a “mutual obsession” with one another, as the Euphoria star told Fandango:

After that, Elordi went on to praise Robbie’s talents as an actress and producer. Meanwhile, in the same interview, the Barbie star explained that she becomes “codependent” with the people she works with, and that included the Frankenstein actor.

Other comments like this have surfaced as well, and the I, Tonya star has not been shy when talking about how much she loved working with Jacob Elordi.

Now, further showing how close these co-stars have become, it was reported by British Vogue that Robbie gifted Elordi matching signet rings for the press tour they’re currently on. The gold rings from Cece Jewellery feature two skeletons holding each other, much like the two actors do on the Wuthering Heights poster, the Emily Brontë quote “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same,” their characters' initials, and the years of the book’s publication and the movie’s release, 1847 and 2026.

Of course, Robbie’s commitment to method dressing for the Wuthering Heights press tour has been incredible, and this plays into it. However, between these rings, the aforementioned comments, and other things these two have said, people are wondering if they’re “affair-bating.”

Of Course, Now People Are Talking About Affair-Baiting

Now, amid all this, people are analyzing Robbie and Elordi’s comments about each other as well as things they've done for each other. There’s a clear admiration they share, and at times, it feels like they’re swooning over one another. So, some are talking about how it feels like they’re affair-baiting.

Podcasts, like Mamamia Out Loud and Shameless, have covered the topic, and their clips on TikTok feature comments debating whether this is all “shameless marketing,” as commenter nt91 put it, if they’re simply two actors who are friends, or if this is actually a relationship to wonder about. Meanwhile, outlets like Star are publishing rumors about how Robbie’s husband, Tom Ackerley, feels about all this. So, in short, this has caused quite the stir.

While I’m Here For Them As A Movie Duo, This Isn’t Giving Sydney Sweeney And Glen Powell Energy

Overall, this is all reminding me of the Anyone But You press tour. Back in 2023, rumors about Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell dating went viral as they promoted their rom-com. This was a masterclass in getting the Internet to talk about an "are they or aren't they" situation, beginning with an appearance at CinemaCon and continuing through break-ups with their respective others. Eventually, it probably helped Anyone But You make a ton of money at the box office, too.

Then, after the movie came out, the Top Gun: Maverick star admitted they had leaned into those affair rumors to sell their project. As far as we know, the two were never in a relationship. However, the chatter about the potential for it has persisted. We knew, but we didn't know, you know?

This Wuthering Heights situation feels so very different. Sweeney and Powell were shiny new actors on the A-lister scene with Anyone But You, and they weren't in marriages. While Elordi is (presumably) single, Margot Robbie is significantly more established, and she has famously been married to Tom Ackerley for a decade. They welcomed a baby toward the end of 2024, and she's been bringing the baby on press tours.

Adding to all that, Ackerley and Robbie work closely together as producing partners. In fact, he’s an executive producer on Wuthering Heights, while his wife is listed as a producer. They also co-founded their production company, LuckyChap, with Josey McNamara, and have produced movies like Barbie, Saltburn, My Old Ass and more together. People are rooting for them as a little family.

So, that adds a layer of complexity to this situation. So when it comes to the "obsession" Elordi and Robbie share, and their undeniable chemistry, I agree the two were a good casting fit, and their press bent fits in with Wuthering Heights themes. However, the fauxmance feel of the interviews is working for me less than Anyone But You, and for good reason.

Glen Powell’s acting career continues to be impressive. His performance in The Running Man further cements his status as an action star, and his role in Chad Powers landed him a 2026 Golden Globe nomination. Now, with the talented actor becoming a household name, he shares his honest take on how it feels to be compared to his Top Gun: Maverick co-star, Tom Cruise. And, needless to say, he's not putting too much stock in that assumption.

Before Top Gun: Maverick, Glen Powell was doing smaller supporting roles in films like Everybody Wants Some and The Dark Knight Rises. He was also leading smaller, but beloved, movies like Set It Up. Then, after losing the role of "Rooster" to Miles Teller for the Top Gun sequel, Tom Cruise insisted he take on the part of “Hangman.” Now, Maverick is one of the movies that has helped skyrocket Powell's career. So if anything, you can thank Cruise for helping his co-star become the star he is now.

But are these two actors one and the same? With Powell being labeled as “the next Tom Cruise,” he got real with Deadline at the Golden Globes about how he feels about that comparison, and he makes a great point:

As easy as it is to compare actors with other big names, it is true that there’s only one Tom Cruise. Just like there’s only one Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Bruce Willis, or Keanu Reeves. They’re one of a kind. Sure, there are times Powell sounds like the Risky Business actor, like when he previously talked about how to handle stuntwork. And even Powell’s approach about making movies for the fans sounds very Tom Cruise of him. But ultimately, the two bankable stars do things their own unique way.

The Twisters actor truly is lucky to have a friend and mentor in Tom Cruise. He immediately gave him sage words of advice about telling yourself, “you’re the underdog,” which helped make him quite a stand-out in the long-awaited sequel, with a similar energy Val Kilmer gave as “Iceman.”

The same was said when Cruise told Powell about “how to survive” doing a fast-paced action movie like The Running Man without breaking any bones. The Mission: Impossible star was even the Anyone But You actor’s first phone call about his approach to prosthetics for Chad Powers. It’s sweet to know that the Jerry Maguire actor is always there whenever Powell needs direction to continue giving memorable performances.

Fans may be quick to compare Glen Powell to Tom Cruise, but that doesn’t mean the Hit Man actor plans to replace Cruise in the Mission: Impossible films anytime soon. It appears that Powell wants to rightfully make a name for himself while still looking up to Cruise as a mentor and friend. This makes me all the more excited to see these two reunite someday.

You can watch the rising star in Top Gun: Maverick and The Running Man with a Paramount+ subscription.

As the 2026 Golden Globe winners were announced, there was a lot of chatter about Jennifer Lopez’s sheer look, Jennifer Lawrence’s floral gown and more marvelous fashion moments from the women in attendance at the ceremony. However, the men brought their A-game to the red carpet as well, and I think we should give some of them, including Glen Powell and Michael B. Jordan, their flowers.

Glen Powell Looked Classy In Navy Blue

Alright, let’s start with Glen Powell. He was at the Golden Globes to celebrate Chad Powers. Wearing an incredible navy blue velvet suit by Brunello Cucinelli, the actor and his stylist, Warren Alfie Baker, paired the suit with a matching bow tie and cumberbund. Take a look:

According to Baker’s Instagram, Powell is also wearing an Omega watch. However, it’s the sunglasses that make the look for me.

All around, this fit was perfect, and the blue was classy. I also loved the different textures featured in this suit that was all navy blue (which also happens to be one of the colors for the football team Powell’s character plays for in Chad Powers).

It was classic, while also being so much more than the typical men's suits we see. Plus, it celebrated Chad Powers (which you can stream with a Hulu subscription) in such a cool way.

Michael B. Jordan Rocked A Classic Suit With Chic Glasses

At first glance, Michael B. Jordan’s suit looked like a sleek classic double-breasted outfit. However, I love how unique it is with its deep brown color that was paired with a lovely shining brooch, an off-white shirt, and a black tie. Plus, like Powell, he rocked some killer sunglasses too, take a look:

To get into the details, the Sinners star’s suit was custom Prada, per GQ. According to the actor’s stylist, Jason Bolden, this look was inspired by the movie Jordan was nominated for and his characters, Smoke and Stack. Meanwhile, those cool sunglasses were actually found by Jordan at a family-owned boutique in Japan, and his jewelry was David Yurman.

So, overall, the actor and his stylist created a 5-star look that fits right in with the 5-star reviews Sinners got.

I’d Also Like To Shout Out Colman Domingo, The Heated Rivalry Boys, Snoop Dogg And Duke McCloud

Now, obviously, the two aforementioned stars were not the only guys dressed to the nines at the ceremony. So, let’s go over a few other highlights.

Colman Domingo: If you have been paying attention to red carpets for the last few years, you know Colman Domingo kills any carpet he steps onto. He is truly a fashion icon, and he proved that again with this custom black Valentino suit.

The Sing Sing star actually told Vanity Fair this was one of his more “laid-back” looks, which is true. However, that impeccably tailored suit and the stunning silver Boucheron jewels sprinkled up the right side of the blazer are undeniably gorgeous.

Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams: On the heels of Heated Rivalry’s Season 2 renewal and pop culture domination, its stars appeared on the red carpet of the Globes, ready to stun. According to Vogue, Hudson Williams, who plays Shane, wore a Giorgio Armani peak-lapel dinner jacket, a silk shirt, black pants and a beautiful gold Bulgari necklace. His co-lead, Connor Storrie, went for a classic black suit and tie by Saint Laurent, and the Ilya actor paired it with some rockstar sunglasses and a Tiffany and Co. brooch. They really dressed to impress as they continue to make a fantastic first impression on Hollywood.

Snoop Dogg: The pop of red in Snoop Dogg’s suit is perfect, and that mixed with the double-breasted cut and the otherwise all-black look is so sleek. Along with that, according to WWD, his shoes are by Stacy Adams and only cost about $100. Overall, it was a fun play on the classic black look, and it was perfect for the beloved rapper.

Duke McCloud: Last, but certainly not least, is Duke McCloud. The 6-year-old star of All Her Fault rocked a light teal suit and paired it with an exquisite emerald brooch. While chatting with ET, the young actor said he picked this particular fit, because “it was blue, and he could putted this jewelry on.” It also came with a pocket square. Those are all great reasons to pick this stand-out look!

All around, the guys came to play at the Golden Globes, and it was so fun to see. Now, as the awards season continues on the 2026 TV schedule, I’m looking forward to seeing how these men and other attendees continue to rock the carpets.

Before the 2026 Golden Globes winners were announced, host Nikki Glaser obviously got the ceremony started with an opening monologue. In addition to making the obvious joke about Leonardo DiCaprio and sneaking in a non-approved CBS joke, Glaser also dropped quite the “lust”-filled comment about Sinners actor Michael B. Jordan while his mom was seated right next to him. It was a much different kind of ‘actor and their parent’ moment than the ones we frequently talk about regarding Glen Powell and when his mother and father are at red carpet events, and Jordan opened up about his mother’s reaction to the comedian’s comment.

In case you missed it, Nikki Glaser pointed at the Golden Globes that “we got two Michael B. Jordans” in Sinners, referring to him playing twin brothers Smoke and Stack, and that when she saw this, she was “Nikki B. Jerkin’.” This clip, which included Jordan’s amused reaction to the comedian’s crack and his mother, Donna, taking a sip of some unidentified beverage at the same time, was played during the actor’s visit to Jimmy Kimmel Live!. When the title host asked if Jordan’s mother gets uncomfortable when women “openly lust” after him, he answered:

While Michael B. Jordan’s been professionally acting since 1999, with some of his notable early roles including stints on All My Children, Friday Nights Lights and Parenthood, his career really got a boost in the mid-2010s with movies like Fruitvale Station and Creed. So let’s just assume Jordan’s mom has been hearing these comments for at least over a decade. I don’t blame her for just wanting to quickly move past those moments when they happen, but I’m also glad the camera caught her visible discomfort at the Golden Globes. It paired nicely with Jordan’s smiling embarrassingly after Nikki Glaser shouted out how hot he is to the world.

Sinners (which can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription) won the Golden Globes for Best Original Score and Cinematic and Box Office Achievement, but Michael B. Jordan lost the Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama category to The Secret Agent’s Wagner Moura. Nevertheless, Jordan and his mom had a fun night, with the Black Panther alum sharing that Donna “can hang” and was dancing at the afterparty. Jordan also called him mom his “partner in crime” during events like this, so maybe we’ll see them together at the Academy Awards in March or at next year’s Golden Globes.

At this point, maybe Michael B. Jordan should take a page from Glen Powell’s book and start giving his parents cameo roles in his movies. Granted, it’s too late to do that for Swapped, which opens on a yet-to-be-announced date on the 2026 movies schedule, as well as his remake of The Thomas Crown Affair that comes out in 2027. I’ll keep my fingers crossed this happens in future movies, though.

Both Glen Powell and Miles Teller have exciting things coming on the 2026 movie schedule. However, to celebrate the new year, they threw it back to 2022 and Top Gun: Maverick. That’s right, during New Year’s, Keleigh Teller caught a Maverick cast reunion on camera, and it involved the Rooster and Hangman actors getting into a dance-off.

Capturing the energy I know I felt when I watched the “Great Balls of Fire” scene in the movie that you can stream with a Paramount+ subscription, it looked like Powell, Miles and their friends were having a blast on this trip. To make matters better, Keleigh scored this moment to a Top Gun classic, “Danger Zone.” Take a look at her TikTok:

It would seem that this video was taken on the New Year’s trip to St. Barths that the Tellers, Powell, and others, like Michelle Randolph, were on. A day before posting this clip on TikTok, Keleigh uploaded a group picture on her Instagram that featured her, Miles, Glen Powell and other famous folks, like Randolph, Alix Earle, Nina Dobrev and Chord Overstreet (who can also be seen in the video). So, it would seem that they rang in the new year in a very fun way.

Overall, I’m so here for the fact that this whole thing was described as a “Rooster and Hangman dance off.” Considering their characters were always at odds with each other (up until the end), I love a little nod to their storyline in Maverick.

I also adore how this clip reiterates how close the Top Gun cast is to this day. Miles and Powell roomed together on the carrier they filmed on, and called each other “Hangy” and “Roo.” And in the years since the movie came out, it’s been made clear that they’ve stayed close. Along with them, Lewis Pullman and Danny Ramirez are best friends, and it’s always delightful whenever the Fanboy actor hypes up the Bob performer.

Now, this has got me thinking about Top Gun 3, which does not have a script, but is being talked about. Seeing Powell and Miles back in action as Hangman and Rooster would be the best, and I’d be particularly interested to see how their relationship has evolved since the events of Maverick. I don’t know if they’re at a dance-off phase of friendship, but I’d like to think that they’re at least not enemies anymore.

All in all, this little reunion and dance off just reminded me how much I adore Top Gun: Maverick and its cast. It wound up being a fantastic moment in these actors' careers, and ever since it came out, their stars have grown exponentially.

Case-in-point, both Glen Powell and Miles Teller have been staying very busy since 2022. Take 2025 alone as an example. For Powell, he spent the year starring in the series Chad Powers (which you can watch with a Hulu subscription) and the movie The Running Man. As for Miles, she appeared in the Apple TV film The George and the rom-com Eternity (which was named one of the best movies of 2025 by CinemaBlend).

Now, going into 2026, they both have highly anticipated work lined up, as the Hangman actor is set to star in How to Make a Killing, and the Rooster performer will play John Branca in the Michael Jackson biopic, Michael. So, yeah, they had good reason to dance and pay homage to the “Danger Zone” that helped turn them into the stars they are now.

Both Glen Powell and Michelle Randolph have made quite an impact on the 2025 TV schedule and pop culture in general. As both had wildly successful years professionally with shows like Chad Powers and Landman, personally, a rumor started that the actors might be dating. Now, as some continue to wonder what’s going on between them, an insider has made claims about their shared New Year’s plans.

Back in November, Powell and Randolph were spotted in Texas together. They were seen dancing at a bar, and since then, rumors have been swirling about whether they’re a couple or not. While the status of their relationship is not confirmed, the insider who spoke to Us Weekly claimed that this is a “casual” romance and they’re spending New Year’s Eve together. They’re going to be with lots of friends too, as the source claimed:

Powell’s Top Gun: Maverick co-star, Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Teller, are on this trip too, and so are Alix Earle and Nina Dobrev, as IG Stories (via Us Weekly) showed. Along with that, on December 29, Deux Moi posted photos of the Hit Man star opening a car door for the 1923 actress, showing that they are in the same place.

According to the insider, Powell and Randolph allegedly traveled to St. Barths together, and they each have friends present on the trip. The source claimed:

Apparently, the big group they’re with has been “partying the last few days in a huge group.”

In terms of their relationship status, this insider alleged that they’re “dating” but “keeping things casual and lowkey.” Speaking about what apparently draws the two actors together, the source said:

As I mentioned, while claims are being made that they’re dating, it’s not confirmed. To that point, the source explained that keeping their relationship “off social media” was an “intentional” choice. According to them, the pair have been traveling a lot and are not “trying to define it too fast.”

All of this comes in the years following rumors that Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney were dating (his mom debunked that) and that he was allegedly seeing Lily James. He’s no stranger to a dating rumor, and at the moment, it seems like this reported relationship with Randolph is in the early stages.

Now, thinking about what we do know (and to celebrate the new year), make sure to check out the 2026 movie schedule, because both Glen Powell and Michelle Randolph will be featured on it. The actor is set to release How to Make a Killing on February 20, while the actress will star in Scream 7, which hits theaters on February 27. So, we will be seeing more of these two in a professional capacity soon, and as we learn more about their personal lives, we’ll keep you updated.

One of the most action-packed movies released in 2025, Edgar Wright's adaptation ofThe Running Man dropped Glen Powell's Ben Richards into a world where signing up for reality TV can be a life or death decision. Thankfully, no such dramatic threats existed for Colman Domingo's Bobby T., the hostest with the mostest style and flair who is never not debonaire. As the host of the titular competition (i.e. manhunt), Bobby T. is an attention-magnet, with his fancy footwork factoring heavily into his appeal.

Appropriately enough, the film features Bobby T. pulling off the titular dance that hit its heyday in the 1980s. (At least they're keeping that part of culture alive in the near future.) As part of the special features for The Running Man's digital release, which goes live on December 16, Colman Domingo talked about taking the stage along with other talented dancers for the bombastic opening to the fictional show, as well as sharing how he came to do the dance on camera. Check it out in the clip below!

For those unable to watch, the Rustin star first gave props to the film's choreographer for giving him the room to create. As he put it:

Domingo, who's part of Steven Spielberg's upcoming mystery film, explained that he put his moves to work to appease co-star Glen Powell. He continued:

While it's not entirely clear what the context was for Glen Powell asking about the running man dance I like to picture it as the Maverick actor shyly walking up and inquiring about it in the same way a kindergartner might ask an in-uniform baseball player if they know how to play baseball. Of course Colman Domingo knows how to do the running men. He probably handles it better than any of the people who started doing it in the first place.

What we really need now is the follow-up video where Glen Powell takes a few (hundred) shots at nailing the dance. I guess that's an entirely different reality show though.

At a time when home entertainment releases can feel quite lacking compared to the golden age of Blu-ray/DVD extras, The Running Man's digital release comes with gobs of special features that will give audiences more than 2 hours of in-depth insights, interviews, additional footage and more. The rundown can be seen below.

The Running Man: DIgital Extras

• Feature Commentary By Writer/Director Edgar Wright, Actor Glen Powell, And Writer Michael Bacall
• 4 BTS Featurettes
  • The Hunt Begins (Story)
  • The Hunters And The Hunted (Cast)
  • Welcome To The Running Man (Visual Style)
  • Surviving The Game: Shooting The Running Man (Production & Stunts)
• The Running Man's In-World Promos And Shows
  • 5 Commercials
  • Opening Titles, Hardest Hits, Rules Video
  • The Runners' Self Tapes
  • Speed The Wheel Clips
  • The Americanos Ep & Promos
  • The Apostle Clips
• Stunts Compilation
• Hair, MakeUp And Costume Test
• Deleted And Extended Scenes
• Trailers & Digital Spots

The Running Man will be available to rent and purchase from digital retailers on Tuesday, December 16. You don't actually need to do any running yourself to secure Edgar Wright's latest, and you technically don't even have to leave your couch, even if that's probably healthy to do at least once a day.

There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it, Glen Powell has been on a roll for years now. While he’s been working consistently for over a decade, it was playing Hangman in the Top Gun: Maverick cast that kicked off his rise to A-list fame. Now, he’s been dominating, with projects on the 2025 movie schedule and 2025 TV schedule. However, he knows moments like these don't last forever, so he opened up about getting bigger and better roles and the mentality it takes to try and maintain a career in this industry.

In 2025, Glen Powell released the comedy Chad Powers, which was recently renewed for Season 2 and can be streamed with a Hulu subscription, and the big Edgar Wright action movie, The Running Man, which is based on Stephen King’s novel. Both we big deals, and further solidified the actor as a leading man in Hollywood. Now, he has opened up about that success and what comes after it. He knows it’s not something that lasts forever, so he’s doing what he can to do the best work possible, as he told Vanity Fair:

Of course, some stars have been stars for decades and have maintained consistent success. However, careers for most actors ebb and flow, and there are plenty of stories that feature a performer reaching incredible levels of fame, then not being heard about for a while. Then sometimes they rise again, and other times they don’t.

Think about Brendan Fraser; he was a major leading man in the late '90s and early '00s thanks to movies like The Mummy. Then, there was a period of time where we didn’t hear much about him and his work. He had a career comeback, tough, in the 2020s -- the Brenaissance was upon us, he won an Oscar for The Whale, and he has continued to work consistently since.

It’s also common for actors to have one big hit, then work consistently on lesser-known properties. Then sometimes they break big again. Take Noah Wyle, for example. He was a household name thanks to ER and got many Emmy nominations for it. Then, it took 25 years for The Pitt star to get back to that award show.

Those are two stories of stellar comebacks; however, sadly, not every actor can do that or consistently maintain success.

As Powell pointed out, nothing is guaranteed in Hollywood, and in a lot of ways, success isn’t something that can easily be predicted, controlled, or maintained. So, he’s doing what he can to ensure a long and fulfilling career, which means working as hard as he can. He plans to keep doing that, too, because he wants a very long career. In his words:

Well, it certainly seems like he’s well on his way to doing just that. After quite a few great years – with Anyone But You in 2023, Twisters and Hit Man in 2024, and Chad Powers and The Running Man in 2025 – he’s proven his staying power. Now, the projects he’s got coming up seem to imply that he’ll be around for a very, very long time.

I think his mentality about fame and the roles he can get play into that, too. He’s got a good mindset, and he works very hard, and with those two things, it seems like he’s got what it takes to not just make it in Hollywood, but last in Hollywood.

Glen Powell will be putting on those prosthetics and the Catfish football uniform again, because Chad Powers has been renewed for Season 2. However, he’s not the only big name I want to see in this Hulu comedy following its run on the 2025 TV schedule. That’s because the Top Gun: Maverick actor proposed a way for Taylor Swift to get involved in the series, and now that Chad Powers is coming back, I need to see this happen.

Chad Powers Has Been Renewed For Season 2

After Season 1 of Chad Powers ended on a major cliffhanger, as Ricky found out Chad’s true identity, I was hoping it would get to play another quarter. I need to know how their season will continue, and more importantly, I’m desperate to see what happens now that more people know that Chad is actually Russ. Thankfully, we’ll get to watch what happens next, because Hulu has renewed the series for a sophomore season.

Chad Powers was co-created by Glen Powell and Michael Waldron, and it’s based on Eli Manning’s ESPN and Omaha Productions segment “Eli’s Places.” It’s a hilarious expansion on the idea originated by the former NFL player, and overall, Chad Powers was met with positive reviews.

It was also popular among fans, as it debuted at No. 34 on Luminate’s Top 50, per Deadline, moved up to No. 19 during week two, and then stayed in the rankings as all six episodes aired. So, it makes perfect sense that it was renewed.

Now, let’s talk about what could happen in Season 2…

Glen Powell Has An Idea For How Taylor Swift Could Be Involved

It seems clear to me that when Chad Powers returns for Season 2, we’ll likely see the same cast return since Season 1 ended in the middle of the football season. However, Glen Powell and his co-star have a fun idea for someone who could make a cameo. They're dreaming big, too, as The Running Man star told Variety:

Notably, the story clarifies that Powell and his co-star, Perry Mattfeld, were joking when they had this conversation about Taylor Swift. However, I think we should actually think about this. Considering Swift is engaged to Travis Kelce, the football connection is there. Plus, she’s no stranger to a fun bit or cameo, as we’ve seen her do on Saturday Night Live.

Mattfeld noted that connection too, telling the outlet:

Listen, I know I’d love to see this, and I think fans would too. Considering the impact Taylor Swift has had on the NFL, and the fact that her partner is a star in the league, it doesn’t feel like this is out of the realm of possibility. They’re connected to football in a big way, and they both love silly things – like Kelce’s cameo in Happy Gilmore 2. So, I think we should all dream big here.

Plus, we’re already one step closer to making this dream a reality, because Chad Powers was renewed for a second season. Now, we just need to get T-Swift on board. And while they hopefully are figuring out how to do that while they craft new episodes, you can stream Season 1 with a Hulu subscription.

Before finding out Glen Powell is currently in school, I had already considered him one of the busier men in Hollywood simply because he’s released multiple projects on both the 2025 movie schedule and 2025 TV schedule. However, that thought became even more true when I learned he was in college too. His co-stars were baffled by that fact, as well, and as they learned this information, he explained why he’s getting a degree while working full-time as an actor.

Colman Domingo Didn’t Know Glen Powell Was In College

In the lead-up to the release of The Running Man – which got pretty good reviews and is in theaters now – some of Glen Powell’s co-stars learned about his education while on the press tour. This included Lee Pace and Josh Brolin, who were in shock when they found out the leading man of their movie was attending the University of Texas.

The list also includes Colman Domingo, who plays the host of the fictional show The Running Man, who had the following reaction to learning about Powell’s education during an interview with Capital:

Overall, this was a silly back-and-forth where Powell revealed to Domingo that he’s studying Radio, Television and Film at UT. The Sing Sing actor was clearly impressed by the man sitting next to him. And when the Top Gun: Maverick star said he wanted to give the commencement speech at his own graduation, Domingo hyped him up about that, too.

Why Glen Powell Is Committed To Getting His Degree

This year alone, Glen Powell has released the show Chad Powers (which is available with a Hulu subscription), the movie The Running Man, and a condiment brand called Smash Kitchen. He has also been filming J.J. Abrams' new movie with Jenna Ortega, and he has various other projects in the works. So, in short, he’s busy, and it’s hard to comprehend how he also has time for school.

However, during an interview with CBS Mornings, he explained why he’s so committed to getting a degree, saying:

He went on to say that he started this journey in 2007, and now he’s projected to finish school in 2027. Talk about a full circle moment! However, it sounds like it’s more than that to him; he really wants to earn the title and finish what he started, further explaining:

Well, there you have it. Glen Powell doesn’t like shortcuts, and he’s committed to getting his degree the way most people get it: by going to class and doing his homework. However, while he’s doing that, he’s also a full-time working actor.

So, like his co-stars, I will continue to be utterly baffled by the fact that Glen Powell is both a college student and an A-list actor.

You’ve got to love Glen Powell, not only because he’s transitioned from small roles to becoming a major A-lister. One other adorable fact? He also for letting his parents cameo in his projects. I just found out his mom’s latest cameo in Chad Powers had her learning to “moan,” and the story is wild (and also involves his dad).

The 2025 TV schedule saw the release of Chad Powers, and Texas Monthly confirmed Glen Sr., plays an assistant coach, a role not too far away from his former position as an executive coach. His mother, Cyndy, on the other hand, plays “moaning woman,” specifically a patient sitting next to Russ Holliday/Chad Powers in the ER. After learning how to moan for the small part, here was Glen Sr.’s A+ joke to his wife’s efforts that’s cracking me up!

There you go! Moaning is a concentrated art that not everyone can pull off for the camera, so you gotta give Mama Powell props for that! The outlet also noted Cyndy Powell had no professional experience moaning, so her singer daughter Leslie gave her some actually coaching for 10 minutes a day. Based on Glen Sr.’s joke, clearly, all of that dedicated coaching paid off.

Signing his parents on is just another example of how the actor is clearly a family man. Whether he joins the Powell clan dressing up as Buddy the Elf or gets emotional at his sister’s wedding, he’s always there for family, and family is there for him—even on screen. Normally, you see parents doing things like this for their own kids. So it’s nice the Spy Kids 3-D actor is changing the narrative.

In the box office rom-com Anyone But You, the A-list actor’s parents also cameoed, and Powell called his dad a “real method actor” for playing a convincing sleeping plane passenger. They also appeared in Twisters, where they were featured in the rodeo scene. Other cameos include The Expendables 3, Everybody Wants Some!! and Hidden Figures. In every cameo appearance, it shows a level of support that all aspiring actors would love to have from their parents.

Powell's parents are oft around doing funny things. They hilariously trolled him on the Hit Man red carpet as they held Mean Girls-referencing signs. They also did the same to help promote Twisters with signs that said things like, “I changed Glen Powell’s diapers.” While it may be out of the norm to invite your parents to promote your movies, Powell told the publication that he's not kicking them out anytime soon:

There’s nothing like your loved ones tagging along for the journey. And if you have a family as cool as the Powells, I’m sure it’s a real compliment when they cheer for him on the sidelines... or hold up embarrassing signs.

Glen Powell’s mother’s dedication to learn to “moan” for Chad Powers shows what a team player she is for her son. With all of the committed cameo performances the Powells carry for their son’s movies, maybe they ought to inspire the Academy to open up a special category for that. Make sure to watch the Powell family on Chad Powers streaming with your Hulu subscription.

Glen Powell may be coming off the disappointing box office returns for the latest of the Stephen King movies, The Running Man, but the actor/producer is getting right back up and back to work with a new project. This time, the leading man is turning to make the next hilarious teen-driven raunchy comedy, and the amazing title says it all.

The movie is called The Fuckboat, and per an exclusive from Variety it seeks to embody other movies of its genre, like Risky Business and Easy A. It’s not only being produced by Powell, but Paramount Pictures is involved after working with the actor on The Running Man and Top Gun: Maverick.

You have to wonder if the movie will be able to keep its original title, be rebranded as F**kboat or receive a completely new title down the line. As is, it definitely pulls you in, doesn’t it? Is it about a literal boat, or is the title referring to the more metaphorical “boat full of fucks.” I cannot wait for the day we learn more information about this. Powell wasn’t named as a cast member, but I'd be surprised if he didn’t have a role.

For the time being, no details have been provided revolving around what the movie will be about, other than it being “high concept” and comparing it to those other teen comedies. The script was written by Caroline Glenn and Sean Doherty, who are college friends, but hadn't been able to write a movie together prior to this.

Per the report, the script was acquired “in a competitive deal,” and Powell helped finalize the script once his production company Barnstorm bought it. Keep in mind, the actor just launched his company earlier this year! Powell has produced projects before from Hit Man to Chad Powers or his documentary The Blue Angels. Coming up, he’s been building his profile with even more projects on his plate.

In March, Powell signed up to be in one of the upcoming book adaptations, The Natural Order, which is a science fiction novel by Matt Aldrich alongside Moonlight director Barry Jenkins. In April, it was reported that Powell and Judd Apatow are writing a comedy script together for Universal. And over the summer, it was announced he’s doing a firefighter movie with legendary director Ron Howard.

But that’s not all! Powell is also appearing in a couple 2026 movies. He’s the star of A24’s How To Make A Killing coming February, as well as the J.J. Abrams-produced movie Ghostwriter, which also stars Jenna Ortega. When CinemaBlend spoke to Powell about his busy career, he said he wasn’t looking to take a break anytime soon, and now that he’s signed on for this next movie already, he’s certainly walking the walk.

While Glen Powell ascends within Hollywood by landing high-profile projects, his personal life also remains a topic of conversation. There’s been considerable interest surrounding the 37-year-old actor’s love life, and he remains quite private on that front. However, Powell has been linked to several notable women over the past few years, and that’s not including his ex-girlfriend, Gigi Paris. Now, Powell’s been spotted alongside a Landman star in his native state of Texas, a development that might spark more chatter.

Glen Powell Is Seen Alongside A Landman Star At A Bar

A social media user captured video of Powell at a bar and, at the time, he was dancing with a blonde-haired woman. When the user zoomed in on the woman, she was revealed to be none other than Michelle Randolph, whose identity was confirmed when the video poster replied to a commenter. The 28-year-old actress is arguably best known for her roles as Elizabeth Strafford on 1923 and Ainsley Norris on Landman. Said video was shared to TikTok and was tagged with the caption “Benefits of going to university in Austin, TX.”

The fan who uploaded the 17-second clip also said both Powell and Randolph “were both super sweet” when they crossed paths last weekend. Of course, the notion of someone running into either of the actors in the Lone Star State isn’t unfathomable. Powell actually lives in Austin, while Randolph also films Landman in Texas.

As of this writing, neither Glen Powell nor Michelle Randolph have confirmed nor denied that they’re an item. That ultimately leaves room for fans and industry insiders alike to speculate on the nature of their relationship. Overall, this just marks yet another chapter in the Powell romance rumor saga.

Which Other Stars Has Glen Powell Been Linked To?

In 2020, Powell began dating model Gigi Paris, and they broke up in 2023 amid the promotional campaign for his and Sydney Sweeney’s rom-com, Anyone but You. For some time, Paris remained mum in regard to what led to the split. This past June, though, Paris revealed that the breakup was, at least in part, sparked by the film’s press tour, during which Powell and Sweeney – who was engaged to Jonathan Davino at the time – played into rumors about them dating.

The Powell/Sweeney romance rumors persisted even over a year after their movie hit theaters. Given their close friendship, the two stars had been spotted hanging out on multiple occasions. Powell’s mother, however, definitely stated this past April that there was nothing going on between Glen and Sweeney.

Back in February, the Running Man star was also linked to another high-profile actress — Lily James. At that time, James and Powell both attended the Charles Finch and Chanel BAFTA Party and reportedly ended up leaving together. Speculation regarding a Powell/James pairing didn’t last all that long.

Although speculation still occasionally swirls around Glen Powell’s romantic entanglements, not much has been said about his dating life (as a whole) since the Sydney Sweeney situation. An insider claimed that was due to Powell’s desire not to have another public relationship, considering that even his platonic bond with Sweeney garnered him attention. Time will tell if Michelle Randolph is simply a friend to Powell like Sweeney or another romantic partner like Gigi Paris.

When a new episode of Saturday Night Live airs on the 2025 TV schedule, I always know to expect the unexpected. Well, that’s true for the show’s afterparties too. That’s because details about the party that happened after Glen Powell’s SNL episode were revealed, and they involve the actor bringing condiments to the event and Marcello Hernández reuniting with Tate McRae.

Why It Makes Sense That Glen Powell Brought Condiments To The Party

First of all, let’s talk about the ketchup in the room (literally). While seemingly very random, it actually makes sense. Glen Powell, who was asked to be one of Season 51’s hosts during a dinner with Lorne Michaels (and Mick Jagger), isn’t just an actor. He is also the co-founder of the condiment brand Smash Kitchen.

Apparently, he supplied the afterparty with his brand’s products, according to Page Six. So, that’s why he brought his own condiments to the party.

Meanwhile, Marcello Hernández Reunited With Tate McRae

The party for Powell’s SNL episode, which was held at Noho’s Jean’s, wasn’t just attended by him and the cast and crew. Some of his friends and their guests were also there. This included the Top Gun: Maverick star’s pal, Jake Shane, who came with singer Tate McRae.

This is where cast member Marcello Hernández comes in. Reportedly, he spent a lot of time with McRae, specifically. A “spy” who was at the party alleged that they talked to each other for a long time, explaining:

Apparently, one person thought they were “flirting.” However, the report noted that the Domingo performer might be dating Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral.

This all comes after Hernández and McRae made a video together earlier this year where they were dancing to Bad Bunny’s “Voy A LLevarte PA PR.” Fans liked the duo then, so the fact that they were spotted together at this party was exciting. However, nothing is confirmed or denied when it comes to the status of their relationship. It’s perfectly possible that they were just two friends catching up. However, if we learn anything else about this interaction, we’ll keep you posted.

All around, the A-list and surprising encounters at this SNL afterparty are par for the course. As Amy Poehler once said, they start very late (because the show ends very late) and they’re “packed,” “crowded” and star-studded. Anyone can show up, it seems, and it sounds like everyone has a blast celebrating another episode.

Now, while we don’t get to see the inside of these afterparties, you can see the thing that precedes them. To stream Glen Powell’s episode of Saturday Night Live (or any episode for that matter), you just need a Peacock subscription, and to see what the next host gets up to, you can catch new episodes of SNL on Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.

Director J.J. Abrams' next movie is in the works, and he’s landed two stars for the cast. Glen Powell, coming off his star turn in The Running Man on the 2025 movie schedule, and Jenna Ortega, who has been crushing it on Wednesday on the 2025 TV schedule (you can watch it with a Netflix subscription), are co-starring in the movie that, at least for now, has the working title Ghostwriter.

The title of the movie may not end up being Ghostwriter. Some reports indicate that is just a working title, and at least one source, the Providence Journal, has said the name of the movie could be Providence. That’s something we’ll just have to wait to find out, at least for a little while longer. Title or not, here’s everything we know about the movie so far.

When Will Ghostwriter Be Released?

This is a big question about this somewhat mysterious movie. In addition to not knowing what the title is for sure, we’ve also heard nothing about when the movie could be released. It has been reported, again by the Providence Journal, that the movie has wrapped filming as of August 2025, so it’s not unreasonable to guess that the movie could be released as part of the 2026 movie schedule, but that is far from confirmed.

Who Is Starring In Ghostwriter?

Here is where we do have solid information. We do know some big names that will star in the movie.

Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega’s stardom is rising fast in Hollywood, most notably as the titular star of Wednesday. The show is easily one of the most popular titles streaming on Netflix, as it follows the Addams family member as she attends boarding school at Nevermore Academy. Ortega’s performance in Season 2 has been praised by fans and critics alike.

2025 has been a big year for Ortega on the big screen, too. Earlier this year, she co-produced and starred in the dark comedy Death of a Unicorn, alongside Paul Rudd and Will Poulter. She also starred in Hurry Up Tomorrow with The Weeknd, which wasn’t all that well received, but her role was a real bright spot in the uneven movie.

Glen Powell

It’s fair to call Glen Powell one of the biggest stars in Hollywood right now. Over the last few years, he’s shown that he’s not only great for box office numbers, but that he’s versatile. He’s starred in action flicks like 2025’s The Running Man and 2024’s Twisters, not to mention co-starring in the 2022 megahit Top Gun: Maverick. He’s also starred in comedies like Anyone but You and Hit Man (which he also co-wrote). He also had a hit TV show in 2025 with Chad Powers, which you can stream with a Hulu subscription. We don’t know his role in Ghostwriter, but we’re confident he’ll be great, whatever it is.

Emma Mackey

British-English actress Emma Mackey scored her breakout role in Netflix’s Sex Education and has not slowed down. Since then, she’s co-starred in Death on the Nile and Barbie, and she’s been a part of three movies in 2025, including the upcoming Ella McCay. She is in the titular role for the latest movie from Hollywood legend James L. Brooks, which hits theaters in December 2025. Like the other cast members, we don’t know who she’ll be playing.

Samuel L. Jackson

One actor that truly needs no introduction is the great Samuel L. Jackson. Over the last 40 years or so, few actors have appeared in as many movies as Jackson, and with his role as Nick Fury in the MCU movies, he’s right at the top of the all-time box office numbers for an actor.

What Is Ghostwriter About?

I’m going to be honest here, you’re guess is as good as mine here. It’s been billed as a “fantasy film,” but otherwise, no one has any solid info on the film’s plot. Ortega told The Cut in May:

According to The Providence Journal, it appears that Ortega and Powell are playing a couple, and Jackson is a fantasy author. But take that with a grain of salt, as nothing has been officially disclosed.

Ghostwriter Has Filmed In Scotland And Rhode Island

In addition to filming around Providence, Rhode Island, the movie has also reportedly been shot in Scotland, in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. We know the movie has wrapped, or at least it appears as though it has wrapped, but like so much else surrounding this movie, there is an air of mystery to that, too.

J.J. Abrams Is The Writer And Director

It’s hard to believe that J.J. Abrams, once the hottest director in Hollywood, hasn’t written or directed a movie in six years. His last movie was Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That feels like a lifetime (and a pandemic) ago. He’s produced a handful of projects, including next year’s Flowervale Street, which is part of a huge upcoming year for Anne Hathaway. He also produced a great documentary about the Blue Angels that was narrated by Glen Powell in 2024.

Abrams created the TV show Duster with Josh Holloway for HBO Max in 2025, but it was met with middling reviews and viewership, and was canceled after just one season. It’s safe to say that after a meteoric rise, Abrams hit a pretty major bump in the road of his career, so a hit movie would be just what the doctor ordered to get things back on track. Maybe Ghostwriter (or whatever the title ends up being) will be that hit.

There’s no doubt that Glen Powell has had a stellar year. He’s had plenty of projects in the works including a highly anticipated 2025 movie calendar entry finally released along with his show, the Mrs.Doubtfire-adjacent Chad Powers. Yet, the star’s biggest crowning achievement goes to hosting Saturday Night Live (his episode is available to stream with a Peacock subscription now). And he revealed that it’s been an adventure from the get go with Lorne Michaels (and Mick Jagger).

Still riding high off being SNL’s latest host, Powell took to Instagram to recap his November 15 show. As he shared in his monologue, the road to Studio 8H has been a saga that included inviting his UPS driver onstage. With the successful weekend in the rear view, he reflected on the milestone achievement in a series of fun pictures encapsulating his week. Accompanying it was a sweet but surprising caption of how his NBC experience began:

Powell’s year has been full of incredible heights. His 2025 TV schedule entry garnered a lot of buzz and it hasn’t stopped with the praise he’s gotten for the newly released The Running Man. Regardless though, the Twisters alum truly seems to be a 30 Rock diehard and has died and gone to heaven over his experience. A dinner with Lorne Michaels, Mick Jagger and an invite to host sounds like dream scenarios.

I’d frankly love to know more about the invite, and if the A-lister knew the memorable musical guest would be joining. The thing I’m not surprised about is Michaels having him to dinner, especially with Powell's expanding resume. But, if Jagger is anything like Clooney, who’s complimented Powell’s star power, I can reason why he was at the table. However it came together, this life-changing ask is pure SNL lore fodder we hear about years after.

Here’s to hoping that we hear plenty more about Glen Powell’s Saturday Night Live experience over the coming years. But especially, where it all started during that dinner date with Lorne Michaels and Mick Jagger. As mentioned, I would love to know why the duo had the iconic rocker as their third. Fingers crossed it’ll be in a future anniversary show of some sort!

Catch Season 51 of SNL on the eponymous night at 11:30 pm EST or stream it the following day with a Peacock account. The Running Man is in theaters nationwide, and Chad Powers is available for streaming with a Hulu subscription.

While Paramount must have had hopes for The Running Man to be a big blockbuster, the movie failed to perform in its opening weekend. The Glen Powell-led action thriller had a disappointing global debut of $28 million against a reported $110 million budget, meaning it will likely go down as one of this year’s flops. Amidst these figures, the original The Running Man screenwriter shared one aspect of the release he thinks might have contributed to this result.

Steven E. de Souza, who wrote the script for the 1987 adaptation starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (which wasn’t exactly a money-maker either), shared his thoughts to The Hollywood Reporter about its box office performance. Here’s one thing he noted in the interview:

The box office winner of this past weekend was Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, which opened to $75.5 million worldwide. Per Variety, one thing that particularly edged the sequel over The Running Man is the fact that over 50% of ticket holders were women, whereas the Stephen King remake was led by 63% men.

So The Running Man didn’t end up appealing to women as much as men. However, there’s definitely other factors to consider that led to The Running Man tumbling commercially. For one, it’s rated R, which lowered the margin of younger audiences able to attend screenings. Another is its mixed reception from critics – including through CinemaBlend's The Running Man review, which gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars. Our own Eric Eisenberg cited feelings of being “disappointed” especially for what it changes from the source material’s ending.

Steven E. de Souza commented on the new Running Man finale, which he felt was “working” on paper when he had read the new script done by Michael Bacall and Edgar Wright. Given the response, he said “something went wrong between the page and the stage again,” and suggests that “maybe the third version in 2045 will stick the landing.” He also said this:

For comparison’s sake, the first film adaptation of The Running Man ended up making $38 million total ($109 million today) against a $27 million budget, making it the 30th highest grossing movie of the year. It’s looking like the original might end up being the more profitable of the two, but we’ll have to see how it does.

Can it make back some of its money as more 2025 movie releases like Wicked: For Good comes to theaters this weekend? We’ll have to wait and see, but Box Office Pro is reporting The Running Man will move down from No. 2 to No. 3, meaning the movie will very likely keep its "flop" title.

When it comes to the movies, and the stars who star in them, there are some names like Adam Driver whon’t watch his own work. But there’s plenty more variations to the actors coming into contact with their work, whether they’re viewing it directly or not. Glen Powell recalled an instance while he was traveling that he sat next to a passenger streaming Anyone But You. And the experience seems more amusing than a traditional watch.

The anecdote arose while Powell and The Running Man director Edgar Wright visited Hits Radio UK to promote the 2025 movie calendar entry. After being asked if either had instances where they’ve seen someone consuming a past project of theirs, the Twisters star jumped into the story. As seen on their Instagram, he recalled realizing the guy sitting next to was watching the 2023 rom-com. After watching him for a bit, he eventually asked the moviegoer if he was enjoying it, and got a curt response:

What a funny experience that must’ve been. I for one would love to know if this dude was so into the flick he didn’t notice the star, if he doesn’t like to chat on airplanes or something more. Many fans have been dying over the possibility of an Anyone But You sequel, and he likely could be one of them based on this interaction. But Wright’s assumption of Sweeney’s presence may likely play a large part, too.

It’s no secret that the Euphoria star has plenty of fans after the past few years. And she's shared her refreshing opinions of being seen as a 'sex symbol.' After the trio shared a good laugh about Powell’s brief reenactment, the Shaun of the Dead director proposed it had to do with the bombshell’s appearance. He humorously chalked up the seatmate’s disgruntled nature that the A-lister was interrupting his viewing experience, saying:

I’m sure on most levels Wright is right about the assumption, I’d just love to know to what extent. Based on our Anyone But You review, moviegoers tuned in for the names over the story. I don’t think anyone could deny Sweeney’s (or Powell’s) good looks, so it makes sense why their spicier Hulu watch got so much buzz, including randos opting for it in the sky.

Here’s to hoping there are more stars like Glen Powell experiencing funny interactions while watching others watch their projects. Let’s just hope they aren’t all as curt as the man watching him and Sweeney in Anyone but You. If you’d like to tune into the 2023 hit, you can stream it with a Hulu subscription.

I’m sure Glen Powell doesn’t want to only be known for reboots and sequels of classic franchises, but after seeing him (and loving it) in The Running Man on the 2025 movie schedule, I had a thought: he’d be perfect to carry the torch of Die Hard into the future. With the retirement of Bruce Willis, we haven’t heard much from the Die Hard franchise. However, knowing how Hollywood works, it’s probably only a matter of time before we’re immersed in John McClane (or a new officer) up to his neck in trouble, in a place where he shouldn’t even be. Glen Powell could be that cop.

The Die Hard Franchise Is Currently In Limbo

After a few attempts to get a sixth Die Hard movie going over the years, Bruce Willis and his family announced his retirement from acting after being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia in 2023. That, along with some Hollywood business-related issues after the sale of Fox to Disney, pretty much meant the future of the franchise was completely up in the air. In the couple of years since then, there hasn’t been much about it.

Of course, this is Hollywood we’re talking about, and a successful franchise like Die Hard is never really dead, it’s just dormant for the time being. I love the franchise. I’ve watched the original Die Hard many, many times over the years. I’ve watched every other movie in the franchise at least a couple of times, even the ones that I don’t really like (I’m not naming names here). It would be a shame for the franchise to…die… out, so while watching the latest reboot of an ‘80s action property, The Running Man, it stuck out to me as to why Powell would be great.

Powell Could Be A Better Action Star Than Willis

I know this might be a hot take, but Powell has shown that he’s perfectly willing to take on risk with some of the stunts he’s performed in recent years. From filming in a fighter jet in Top Gun: Maverick to swinging naked on the side of a building in The Running Man, Powell loves doing practical stunts. With all due respect to Bruce Willis (whom I also love as an action star and did the most famous stunt in Die Hard), Powell seems willing to go a little further for a great stunt.

What made Willis perfect for the role of John McClane wasn’t his willingness to jump off buildings, but his charm and humor. Here is where I’m not quite ready to give Powell the edge over Willis, but Powell is great. He is charming, witty and disarming, just like Willis. The ability to play a snarky smart-ass would be key for anyone leading a new incarnation of Die Hard, and Powell’s got it. I loved him in Anyone But You, which you can watch with a Hulu subscription, and he was also great in Hit Man, which is accessible with a Netflix subscription. Powell’s got the complete package needed to pull this off, so let’s make it happen!

Between it being another Edgar Wright-directed movie and starring recent Hollywood favorite Glen Powell, The Running Man remake has been one of those especially exciting 2025 movie releases throughout the year. Now that it’s arrived and I’ve seen it, there’s one idea that I can’t shake about what could have been for the latest of Stephen King adaptations. SPOILERS are ahead.

I Think The Running Man Could Have Been Even Better As A TV Show

While on one hand I think Edgar Wright’s vision for the movie was absolutely made for the big screen, as I found it to be a fun popcorn movie full of nail-biting action and such, I can’t stop thinking about a missed opportunity that could have elevated the concept. Given that The Running Man is partly a commentary on reality television, and the lengths desperate contestants might go to and TV producers might push for the sake of entertainment value, one predominant thought I have is how it could have thrived even further as a television series.

I think it would have been really clever if The Running Man were a weekly TV show that partially used its reality TV framing to make viewers feel like they are watching the titular series, as Ben Richards is also trying to survive it. It would have been a lot more meta to feel like we’re tuning into the show … which could be compared to a very twisted and violent take on network shows like Survivor and The Amazing Race.

Some Of My Issues With The Running Man May Have Improved

Overall, I do like the movie as is. I mostly agree with our The Running Man review, which highlights its big changes to the story’s ending. However, the problems I do have with the Glen Powell-led movie could have been improved if The Running Man were a TV show. It’s over two hours, and it felt rushed to me, and I don’t love leaving a theater and feeling like there were too many ideas and not enough time to flesh it out on the big screen.

There are a few threads that I think, if they were explored more, would have made me enjoy The Running Man a lot more. For one, I felt like the movie didn’t do the best job of setting up the stakes of Ben Richards' life. It was briefly suggested that his baby daughter, Kathy, was sick, and he felt desperate enough to try out for the high-stakes competition show, but I didn’t really feel this need from the movie itself.

Also, I really liked what was briefly established between Ben and William H. Macy’s Molie when he helps get him a disguise before revealing that he had planned to get him his next job. I was surprised to see that the only follow-up for his character was him possibly getting tortured without anything more. If this were a TV show, something like this relationship could have had more depth to it, rather than it feeling like Macy was giving basically a nothing cameo-ish role. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the third act! It felt a bit rushed to me.

Anyway, like I alluded to, I think The Running Man works as a movie. I had a blast watching it on the big screen. But watching it made me realize how solid this story would be as a TV show. Hey, maybe someday! Tons of upcoming book adaptations are taking the serial route these days.

Spoilers below for The Running Man, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

At long last, Edgar Wright’s The Running Man shifted away from being an upcoming Stephen King adaptation and joined the ranks of 2025 movie releases. One’s mileage may vary when it comes to enjoying the action-packed chase flick from beginning to end — here’s what other critics are saying — but when it comes to the director’s love of peppering pop culture references, it’s a winner.

Wright’s love of classic horror movies shows up in spades throughout his and Simon Pegg’s A+ series Spaced, and his first live-action take on a King story features a number of on-screen nods to the author’s career. And not just a softball reference like The Shining’s signature carpet pattern. Given that The Running Man was originally published under the author’s Richard Bachman pseudonym, I was especially pumped that several of the easter eggs were indeed specific to that section of King’s career. Let's dig in (while making sure we aren't digging on old Micmac burial grounds).

Bachman's Restaurant

No better way to give a shout-out to the author's alter ego than to very specifically name-check it. This location appears soon after Ben Richards hits the road after his time starts. You know what I hear, though? The more you eat there, the THINNER you get. Somebody give me a rim shot.

(Also, that joke is not going to work nearly as well if it's revealed Bachman's is a loan office or a vape shop.)

"Stark" And Other Familiar Last Names

When Ben Richards is at the Network and starting the process of auditioning for myriad reality shows, a central locker room/staging area is shown, with a variety of surnames above each hopeful's spot, and the bulk of them were easy to place. (Though I was admittedly clueless about one of them.)

The one worth highlighting earliest, though, is the "Stark" reference, as that alludes to a multi-headed connection to the King-verse. Ostensibly, it's a nod to prolific author Donald Westlake's crime-centric pseudonym Richard Stark, the name behind the Parker novel franchise. The first half of Stephen King's Bachman identity was itself a homage to Westlake's alter ego.

Beyond that, King also homaged the surname via The Dark Half's George Stark, the pen name used by the novel's protagonist that soon transcends from an innocuous fiction to a distinctly evil reality.

Other names shown in the scene are noted below:

• KING - Obviously pointing to the man himself, Larry King. No wait, I mean Stephen King.
• BATES - Kathy Bates is the Oscar-winning actress who headed up Misery as Annie Wilkes, played the titular character in Dolores Claiborne, and made a memorable appearance in The Stand miniseries.
• SPACEK - Sissy Spacek was the O.G. King Scream Queen, having starred as the vengeful teen in Carrie years before making a return to the fold as Ruth Deaver in Castle Rock.
• SHEEN - Before West Wing, Martin Sheen played a less moralistic POTUS for David Cronenberg's The Dead Zone.
• DUVALL - Shelley Duvall is as iconic as anyone in a King adaptation, having suffered Stanley Kubrick's directorial whims as Wendy Torrance opposite Jack Nicholson in The Shining.

Past Contestant Charlie Decker

When The Running Man looks back at a past contestant who seemed like he might go the distance, he's noted as being named Charlie Decker. That's another huge Richard Bachman reference, as Charlie is the dual protagonist and villain of the novel Rage. It's a story that King has since distanced himself from, as it centers on a high school student who shoots his teacher and holds his class hostage. No such padlocks were available to save The Running Man's Charlie from certain doom, however.

Tabby's Sign

Just before fans get to watch the ridiculousness of Glen Powell temporarily trying to convince the world he's a blind priest, the camera passes by a local spot called Tabby's, which is no doubt a reference to Stephen King's significant other, author Tabitha King (née Spruce), whose nickname is indeed Tabby.

Kudos to Edgar Wright and co-screenwriter Michael Bacall for making my easter egg antennae go crazy throughout the movie. For those who read along without actually watching yet, it's in theaters now.

Response to Glen Powell hosting Saturday Night Live has been extremely positive. Many fans are calling last night’s episode the best of the season, and others are talking about how it’s likely we’ll see the burgeoning movie star return to Studio 8H a ton more times. Given where his career seems to be going, it’s very possible we see him enter the esteemed 5 Timers Club at some point. In fact, if it wasn’t for Covid, he’d already be almost half way there.

Apparently Powell was supposed to host the Christmas episode of SNL back in 2021, but it all fell apart when Top Gun: Maverick was delayed. Longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels felt like he wasn’t well known enough without the movie, and he was replaced by show favorite Paul Rudd. Powell was, of course, devastated, both because he’d dreamed of hosting the show and because he felt awkward about an exchange he had with a UPS driver.

During his monologue, Powell told the story about getting the call to host the show for the first time. Apparently he was spending time with his whole family when the show called and offered him the hosting gig. That led to a raucous celebration that was interrupted by a random UPS driver who showed up to deliver a package. He asked what everyone was so excited about, and Powell told him he was hosting SNL. The driver was ecstatic for him, and they ended up taking a happy picture together.

Here’s a portion of the story in Powell’s own words…

Unfortunately, that picture got retroactively awkward when Powell lost the hosting gig. He joked to the audience that the UPS driver has probably been telling everyone he’s a liar, as he's only appeared in a brief cameo since the encounter.

So, after he got offered a chance to host again, his sisters, who were in the original picture, made it their mission to track the UPS guy down. They eventually got a hold of him, and Powell flew him out to SNL to celebrate with him.

Even better, he brought the guy, whose name is Mitch, on stage and had a really likeable moment with him again. You can watch the entire thing below, which SNL fans cannot get enough of…

Part of why Glen Powell has gotten so popular is he has an everyman charm about him. He’s obviously in better shape and more handsome than most of us, but there’s something about his mannerisms and general outlook that feels really relatable. This story is sort of the perfect encapsulation of that. He feels like a guy that would celebrate with a UPS driver after getting offered SNL, and he also feels like a guy that would get famous and spend his money on flying someone to New York City.

I definitely expect to see Powell back at Studio 8H at some point in the future, and whenever he does, I expect no one will be happier for him than Mitch from UPS.

As for SNL, it'll be on a short break for Thanksgiving before returning on December 6th with its next guest host Melissa McCarthy. It should be a fantastic episode.

There is no greater indication that someone is getting old than seeing movies you grew up watching getting remade. Such is my feeling with the brand new version of The Running Man starring Glen Powell that hit theaters on November 14. The original Arnold Schwarzenegger movie is one that I saw countless times on television as a kid. It’s possibly the Schwarzenegger movie I’ve seen more than any other.

I was excited to see the new remake from director Edgar Wright. It’s a much more faithful version of Stephen King’s original dystopian nightmare, but with some of Edgar Wright’s trademark style thrown into the mix. There are a lot of reasons to appreciate a more faithful remake, but there is one part of the first film that was absolutely brilliant that I wish the remake had borrowed.

The Original Running Man Had An Inspired Piece Of Casting

While the first adaptation of The Running Man is drastically different from Stephen King’s story, the most wildly different take is the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a massive human being, to play Ben Richards, much more of an everyman in the book. There is, however, an absolutely brilliant piece of casting in the film that goes a long way to making the movie, Richard Dawson as Damon Killian.

In the novel, as in the new movie, Dan Killian is the producer of The Running Man while the show is hosted by Bobby Thompson (or Bobby T as played by Colman Domingo in the new movie). The original film combines these roles into Damon Killian, both producer and host, who was played by Richard Dawson, who had only recently left as the actual host of Family Feud.

The decision to bring in an actor who was known primarily as a game show host, and to make that host, generally well-loved by audiences, absolutely despicable and the ultimate villain of the movie, was genius. It was an absolutely amazing subversion of expectations. It’s one of the earliest memories I have of seeing an actor work “against type” in a big way, and the new film could have really had some fun if it had gone the same route.

The Running Man Remake Should Have Brought In A Modern Game Show Host

Colman Domingo plays the host of The Running Man in the new film, and, because he’s Colman Domingo, he’s great. It’s a small role without a great deal of depth, but it’s a character who only needs to be charismatic, and Domingo has that in bunches.

That said, I can’t help but think the movie could have had some real fun if it had gone the same route as the original Running Man and cast an actual game show host in the role of Bobby T. Imagine if the movie had gone with Steve Harvey, the current host of Family Feud, but made him a truly terrible person. Personally, I would have loved to see Ryan Seacrest, the host of, I think, everything on TV except Family Feud, play the most awful version of himself that he possibly could.

Overall, the new Running Man is still a solidly good movie without this, and changing the casting of the show’s host wouldn’t have saved the movie from its tragically bad ending. But it could have added something more to the movie and paid a bit of homage to the original beyond a brief Arnold Schwarzenegger cameo. Maybe next time.

Glen Powell has been in quite a few projects over the past few years, and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. That’s particularly true of his latest film to hit the 2025 movie calendar, Edgar Wright’s remake of The Running Man, which sees his character Ben Richards join a reality show in which he has to elude people for 30 days who are trying to hunt and kill him. So what are critics saying about the upcoming Stephen King adaptation?

The author himself, who published the novel of the same name in 1982 under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, has seen the film and called it “fantastic,” while audiences’ first reactions praised the fun dystopian action thriller. In CinemaBlend’s review of The Running Man, Eric Eisenberg agrees it is a great Stephen King adaptation … until it’s completely ruined by its ending. He rates it 3.5 stars out of 5 and says:

He’s not the only critic talking about the massive changes to the ending. While Jesse Hassenger of AV Club calls the movie more successful than not, the critic says it overstays its welcome with its “distended, herky-jerk” final 30 minutes. Edgar Wright can’t quite find the balance between thrilling action and being a vehicle for social comedy, Hassenger says, giving it a B- and writing:

David Rooney of THR agrees, saying the director seems “almost constrained” by the film, which isn’t as compelling or as entertaining as it could be. The Running Man rarely gets the pulse racing, Rooney writes, and fails to prove Glen Powell’s viability as a leading man. The critic continues:

Clint Gage of IGN, meanwhile, says the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It's not absurd enough to feel like biting satire, it’s not subtle enough to be a melodrama, and it’s not inventive enough to be a great action film. Still, Gage says, it’s fun enough to warrant its “Good” 7 out of 10 ranking. He continues:

David Fear of Rolling Stone seems more than happy with The Running Man, saying it’s got plenty of action, Edgar Wright’s warped sense of humor and an ace in the hole in Glen Powell — all of which is cut with a justifiable dose of anger. Fear says:

Critics definitely have some nitpicks about this book-to-screen adaptation, including how it balances its tone and an apparently polarizing ending. However, it looks like the positive outweighs the negative, as the movie stands at 65% on Rotten Tomatoes. If you can’t wait to see Glen Powell in The Running Man, the good news is you don’t have to. It officially hits theaters on Friday, November 14.

As the latest iteration of Stephen King’s The Running Man, which stars Glen Powell, will soon be playing on the 2025 movie calendar, the A-lister’s returned to the spotlight. Powell's next big stop is Studio 8H as Saturday Night Live Season 51's next host! It seems that he’s excited for it based on his iconic choreographed teaser he did to promote his episode for the NBC staple. The best part–to me is that the musical number homages a Christopher Walken one.

After leaving the extreme Running Man set conditions behind, Powell’s SNL promo showcases a much lighter side of the star. His teaser, though, pays tribute to one of the best celebs featured in top sketches, Christopher Walken. But as you’ll see, there’s no cowbell to be found, just a 37-year-old dancing throughout the set, leading up to the stage door. Check it out below:

As you can see, it fits Powell’s fun and goofy MO pretty perfectly, but the nod to Walken puts it over the edge over here. It certainly pulled off the job they were hoping for since I’ll be tuning in this weekend. What I loved most of all was the gag of the tumble gone awry and two returning cast members of Season 51, Sarah Sherman and Andrew Dismukes, watching their host get totted away.

But back to the Christopher Walken part. If you aren’t familiar with the bit’s reference, the “Weapons of Choice” video features the Hollywood vet dancing from start to finish. Although this promo uses a different song, I quickly realized he was immediately going all in on the Fatboy Slim video reference, which he delivered on. Take a look at how even the beginning frames and outfits mirror the classic:

Personally, I’d love to know what the OG dancer thinks of the modern day highlighter’s rendition. For me, I think those moves are so good it could elicit a musical getting added onto Powell's ever-growing resume. Though who knows if that would pan out since he already has five projects lined up (I’m hoping this random fan’s idea will get the traction).

As mentioned, Glen Powell's latest title, The Running Man, is on its way. Unsurprisingly, the first reactions of the modern Stephen King adaptation praise the Hit Man star’s performance. His presence has exponentially grown over the past couple of years, including his Mrs. Doubtfire-esque Chad Powers, which premiered earlier this year on the 2025 TV schedule.

So all of this to say, if Glen Powell is already taking on Christopher Walken references, Saturday night can’t come soon enough! You can catch his episode live on the eponymous night, November 15, at 11:30 pm EST on NBC. Alternatively, it’ll be available to stream the following day via a Peacock subscription.

Being a celebrity is a tricky thing. While being a movie star is a dream for many, it can also make one's personal life into a very public matter. Just look at Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck and Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, who have made countless headlines as a result of their fame. Fans will remember that rumors swirled about Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell while they filmed and promoted Anyone But You (which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription). And an insider made a claim about why the Top Gun: Maverick star's personal life has been making less headlines as of late.

As rumors swirled about the two stars of Anyone But You, Glen Powell and his longtime partner broke up in April of 2023. This only increased chatter about Powell and Sweeney having an affair. But an unnamed insider spoke to Us Weekly about where the Running Man star stands with his personal life, offering:

Honestly, can you blame him? Glen Powell's career is really thriving right now, with acclaimed projects hitting theaters and television. As such, he seemingly wants that to be the focus, rather than rumors and chatter about his romantic life. But smart money says that the Scream Queens alum will turn heads whenever he does end up in another relationship.

While Glen Powell admitted he and Sydney Sweeney leaned in to rumors while promoting Anyone But You, it sounds like he might not have loved all the extra attention that surrounded him as a result. At least, if this anonymous insider is to be believed.

Glen Powell's movies and TV shows have been thriving lately, so it makes sense that he might want to focus the public's discourse on his career, instead of his personal life. While the rumors about Sweeney helped to get more eyes on Anyone But You, it seems like he didn't love all the public scrutiny. Perhaps he learned a lesson from his experience with that rom-com.

As previously mentioned, Powell's career has been on fire lately. Over the last month he's seen the release of The Running Man (which Stephen King loved), as well as his new show Chad Powers, which is available with a Hulu subscription. He's also attached to a number of upcoming movie projects, so he's showing no signs of slowing down.

The Running Man hits theaters November 14th as part of the 2025 movie release list, and Chad Powers is streaming now. We'll just have to wait and see what comes next, and if he ends up getting into another public relationship.

If it weren’t for the existence of Brett Leonard’s The Lawnmower Man, Paul Michael Glaser’s The Running Man would easily earn the title of “loosest movie adaptation of a Stephen King story.” (King actually sued to have his name legally removed from the former). Elements of the author’s story remain – including the dystopian setting, deadly government-sponsored game shows, and a few character names – but the 1987 film is first and foremost an “Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Flick.” As a Schwarzenegger fan and recognizing the production for being very much of-its-day, I take no real issue with it for being that (and I particularly appreciate its endless deluge of puntastic one-liners)... but I’ve also wanted to see a proper faithful take on the source material ever since I first read The Running Man years ago.

Thankfully, I’ve never been alone in this want, and writer/director Edgar Wright has taken it upon himself (in collaboration with co-writer Michael Bacall) to make that desire a reality. Since the film’s inception, the stated raison d'être has been to properly bring King’s novel to the big screen, and that is very much what he’s done… up to a point. Faithful as most of the movie is, aspects that are changed in the third act end up having a detrimental effect to the story. It leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth even after enjoying the vast majority of the runtime.

Glen Powell stars as Ben Richards, a destitute man who is blackballed from work, but needs money so that he can care for his wife (Jayme Lawson) and sick infant daughter. Bereft of options, he volunteers himself for one of the dangerous state-sponsored game shows – hoping to win money while risking his health – but he catches the eye of smarmy, sadistic producer Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), and he winds up being recruited for the most popular and dangerous program of them all: The Running Man.

Hosted by the charismatic Bobby T (Colman Domingo), the show sees contestants sent into society and challenged to survive for 30 days as a fugitive. A team of Hunters, led by the notorious Evan McCone (Lee Pace), tracks Richards from city to city armed to the teeth and ready to execute, but the rebellious protagonist must also be wary of anyone and everyone, as cash rewards are given to those who provide tips to his whereabouts.

The Running Man very much is the story from Stephen King’s book – in sometimes great and unexpected ways.

First published in 1982, The Running Man is one of the select novels that Stephen King opted to publish under his pseudonym Richard Bachman, and while the reasons for him making that call are too complicated to fully explain in this space, the standout legacy of the Bachman books is a bear-hug embrace of darkness and cynicism. This was on proper display just a couple months ago with the release of Francis Lawrence’s staggering adaptation of The Long Walk, and for the most part, Wright honors it as well while also splicing in a welcomed level of fun. The movie has mostly been sold with bombastic action and rebellious protagonist, but the actual feature sports plenty of dystopian drama.

Charisma is a must for the character of Ben Richards, as his energy must be powerful enough to sway the opinions of the Running Man’s massive audience. Glen Powell is a great fit for the part in that respect – but the actor also impresses by maintaining the hero’s ever-simmering rage, which is what truly fuels him to survive. It’s effective because it’s an earned rage directed toward a world with only slightly more advanced issues than our own, including outrageous class disparities, limitless corruption, ceaseless propaganda, unaffordable healthcare and more.

Over the course of his journey, meeting allies and revolutionaries of various ilks along the way, Richards attains an ever-deeper understanding of everything that is wrong about his society, and it has the fire in him constantly growing. This is the most vital aspect of King’s book, and it’s actually surprising at points just how much makes it from the page to the screen.

As faithful as much of The Running Man is, it ends up lacking the vitally important bite of the book.

The tragedy of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man is that its faithfulness to its source material isn’t sustained through to the closing credits and creative choices that are made in the final 15 minutes prove to be disastrous. To be totally fair, I knew going into my screening that the ending was going to be changed, as Wright has been open about pivoting from the book’s conclusion as a way of skirting controversy, but I had faith based on his stellar track record that a satisfying alternative would be developed. It turns out that I should have been far more worried.

This isn’t a venue for spoilers (I’ll be writing a more in-depth piece about the ending later this week), but it can be said that the end of the movie is a let down in every single way. As dark and incisive as most of the film is, the way it wraps things up is preposterously safe and a betrayal of everything that comes before it. Not only is it deeply unsatisfying on a purely entertainment level, but the choices don’t even make sense in the context of the story, and that makes it worse and worse the more you think about it.

The Running Man looks great and has a lot of flair but also feels like the least “Edgar Wright-y” Edgar Wright movie

Being a massive fan of Edgar Wright’s since the days of Spaced and Shaun Of The Dead, I find myself legitimately shocked by how bad The Running Man’s final scenes are – but I’ll add that a another feeling I had throughout my screening was that the movie doesn’t feature the same kind of special flair that has long made the writer/director’s work stand out. There are a number of exciting and explosive action sequences, Wright making regular and enjoyable use of the eponymous show being filmed with drone cameras, but many of his trademarks are either absent or not as prominently represented.

His latest collaboration with editor Paul Machliss noticeably lacks the snap of their work on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver, the clever foreshadowing the director likes to employ is minimal, and there are far fewer needle-drops than one expects. This can’t really be described as a detriment, as the movie has a great number of standout sequences and delivers high-energy cinema, but it does lack the bonus of being a definitive Edgar Wright film.

I never would have believed at the start of 2025 that I would end up calling The Running Man my least favorite Stephen King movie of the year, but following in the wake of Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey, Mike Flanagan’s The Life Of Chuck and Francis Lawrence’s The Long Walk, I can’t help but feel disappointed – and the ending is entirely to blame. It’s a “B+” adaptation that gets demoted to a “C” purely because of its awful final scenes, and it’s ultimately a unique species of bummer.

As part of Sydney Sweeney’s role in Christy, one of the most heavily discussed titles on the 2025 movie schedule, the lead actress had to train so that she’d be ready to play the titular boxer. She ultimately crafted a Rocky-esque gym to prepare in and, by the time the cameras started rolling, she was ready to take some hits in the ring. It also seems she managed to throw a few jabs of her own, according to co-star Katy O’Brian. In fact, O’Brian recently recalled to CinemaBlend how she texted with Glen Powell about that while on set.

Both Katy O’Brian and Sydney Sweeney have developed professional and personal relationships with Glen Powell at this point. Sweeney worked with Powell on the hit rom-com Anyone but You, while O’Brian co-starred with him in Twisters and the upcoming adaptation of The Running Man. With that, O’Brian – while alongside Christy director David Michôd – humorously told CinemaBlend she’d send texts to Powell about the hits she took. When asked about her and Powell playing love interests to Sweeney, O’Brian said:

Sweeney previously talked about her approach to the film’s fight scenes, explaining that she and her co-stars were not faking the hits. It definitely appears O’Brien was a beneficiary of that amid training, and she previously said it actually “felt good” getting hit by her co-star. It seems that even if she’d realized the love interest connection early on, O’Brian still would’ve rather discussed the fight training while talking to Powell:

Katy O’Brian – who plays Christy Martin’s rival-turned-lover, Lisa Holewyne – is also a force to be reckoned with. She began studying martial arts at a young age and also participated in bodybuilding figure competitions. With all of that in mind, I’m sure she could pack a punch herself. I can’t say I’d be eager to be in Sydney Sweeney’s shoes in that regard and, when speaking about the immersive experience as a whole, Sweeney discussed how physically taxing the shoot was.

The Euphoria star previously spoke about the “physically bruising” process of making this sports biopic. When talking about the most taxing scene to shoot, Sweeney gave the Laila Ali fight that particular distinction. That portion of the shoot apparently left the actress with some “gnarly bruises,” and she later “drowned [her] face in ice buckets for hours all night.” What actors won’t do for the sake of their art.

Of course, there don’t seem to be any hard feelings at all over the jabs Sweeney and O’Brian exchange, as they were just acting after all. I’d still love to know, though, exactly how Glen Powell responded to the photo O’Brian sent him. Personally, I’d imagine Powell could understand being in a position to put one’s body through it (especially given his work on his and O’Brian’s latest flick.)

See Sydney Sweeney and Katy O’Brian exchange jabs in Christy, which is now playing in theaters nationwide.

This weekend, Glen Powell is going to enter history alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as he becomes the second Hollywood star to lead a film based on Stephen King’s The Running Man. It will certainly keep the two stars linked in cinema history forever, although that link had already been set up, technically.

It’s only been in recent years that Glen Powell has truly achieved a “movie star” level of fame, which makes it easy to forget that he’s been making movies for a long time. Nearly 10 years ago, Powell was part of the ensemble cast of The Expendables 3, which included Arnold. As a recent post on The Running Man’s Instagram account shows us, it put Powell and Arnold on a tank together once. In the clip, Powell talks about the experience, saying:

The Expendables 3 may not be the sort of movie one would necessarily associate with the Cannes Film Festival, but that’s indeed where the movie celebrated its premiere, and as part of the film’s promotion, the cast rode a tank down the main thoroughfare. It’s clear from Powell's video of the experience that it was a wild time for him.

To be fair, The Expendables 3 wasn’t exactly the most memorable of movies. There’s a reason it took nearly a decade for The Expendables 4 to even happen. Not that any of that was the fault of either Arnold or Glen Powell. It was Powell’s biggest role to date, and the video shows just how excited he is to be part of this group of stars, including seeing his face on a banner.

While Powell indicates the experience was the high point of his career at the time, not all of it was so great for him. Powell has also talked about getting into a fight with a bouncer at Cannes because, not being a movie star at the time, nobody recognized him, and somebody didn’t think he belonged in the VIP section of a club, leading to a physical altercation.

Powell didn’t make a lot of money for his Expendables 3 role, but it was a lot more money than he had seen at the time. It seems making a movie connected to Arnold Schwarzenegger was very good for Powell’s career, as it would be again many years later.

It’s still pretty wild to realize now that Powell and Schwarzenegger were once sitting next to each other talking about riding on a tank, and a decade later, Powell would be reprising the role of Ben Richards in one of Schwarzenegger’s most famous action roles. The two movies will clearly be very different, with the new Running Man movie being a much more faithful adaptation of Stephen King’s original story, but we can be sure there will be plenty of comparisons between the two once the new movie hits theaters this weekend.