Vanessa Kirby is phenomenal as Sue Storm a.k.a. The Invisible Woman in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, but let's not forget the star she succeeded in the role, but we can’t forget about the star she succeeded, Jessica Alba. During the early 2000s, Alba played pre-MCU version of Sue in Tim Story's FF duology, and the actress is still recognized for her role in the superhero flick. Alba herself also seems to have love for her version of Marvel's first family, and it seems there's a Stan Lee-related reason why she think it's the best.

The late Stan Lee was a fixture on the sets of Marvel-related films, as he'd make his famous cameos. Among the movies Lee appeared in was 2005's Fantastic Four, which saw Ioan Gruffudd, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis play the titular heroes alongside Alba. During an appearance on SiriusXM, which was shared to YouTube, Alba recalled working on the film and remembered a sweet moment she shared with Lee:

That is amazing! Some might argue, fantastic even. There are many reasons to love Jessica Alba’s Sue Storm. Whenever Johnny, Reed, and Ben have their spats in the films, Sue is the one who serves as the voice of reason. The Invisible Woman is also a brainiac, using her scientific knowledge as chief genetics researcher.

Sue Storm’s superhuman abilities are very relatable, too, in that her emotions helped drive the intensity of her powers. Also, Alba’s casting as Sue remains significant, given she's a Hispanic actress, and she's since shared her thoughts on diversity in the ongoing MCU. All in all, though, I can definitely understand why Alba would be so flattered by Stan Lee's comments.

Jessica Alba previously reflected on her time as Sue Storm, calling it a “fond” experience. She relished the opportunity to portray a superhero who was “nurturing and feminine” but also a “fearsome badass.” The American actress/businesswoman continued to talk about what else makes her Fantastic Four experience so memorable to her:

That “vibe” that Jessica Alba was talking about must have been really strong. With that, it’s no wonder she previously said she’d “jump at the chance” to play Sue again. While Vanessa Kirby brings her own energy to the MCU's iteration of the character, Alba’s early portrayal of the superheroine is great (and Stan Lee-approved, too).

I think the chances of Alba reprising Sue Storm seem slim to none at this point. However, fans can still revisit her Lee-praised portrayal. Watch her memorable performance in her two Fantastic Four movies, which are streamable with a Disney+ subscription. And, with that same membership, fans can stream First Steps as well.

Jessica Alba made history by playing a pre-MCU version of the famous Marvel superhero Sue Storm in Fantastic Four. Her character was important not only for her invisibility and force field, but also for being the heart of the team. But despite her time as Sue Storm being a positive one, Alba gets real about having “dreaded” the scene where the heroine had to strip down.

At the Red Sea Film Festival (via Variety), Jessica Alba said the best part about being in the Fantastic Four movies was being a female role model in the superhero genre. However, the American actress got real about one scene she “dreaded for weeks” from the superhero flick that involved stripping down:

The scene Alba’s referring to is when Sue Storm wants to be part of a bridge rescue mission, but her powers of invisibility don’t work on her clothes. So, she’s forced to take them off, only for her powers to make her very visible for a bit when she’s in her bra and underwear.

I completely feel for the Honey actress. Not everyone is comfortable having to take their clothes off on-screen for the whole world to see. Especially when you’re thinking about your family the entire time. While that Fantastic Four scene was clearly meant to be there for comedic effect, it’s not always funny for the actress who has to take part in it.

In the past, Jessica Alba has spoken about her struggles of being seen as a sex symbol early in her career. This Hollywood label forced upon her entailed being on the sexy covers of magazines to satisfy the male audience.

On the other hand, the Good Luck Chuck actress found ways to control the narrative with a surge of female empowerment to make it happen. Alba said she would make sure that for each men’s magazine she had to pose for, she would also do three to four women’s magazines too. The Little Fockers actress also made sure to have her sex scenes removed from Machete due to being uncomfortable with them. At the end of the day, no one can make you do something that makes you uneasy.

It’s completely relatable to dread “for weeks” a scene where you’re required to strip down if it’s not something you’re comfortable with. However, Jessica Alba went through it like a champ, delivering an overall truly powerful portrayal as The Invisible Woman. Feel free to revisit Alba as Sue Storm in the Fantastic Four movies streaming on your Disney+ subscription.

The highly anticipated The Naked Gun reboot just dropped this weekend, and I’ve been super excited to catch the 2025 movie release in theaters. It’s as funny as I expected, but what surprised me was the chemistry between Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson—both on and off the screen! It’s been all over the news, and now there are rumors that they might be dating for real. It looks like their relationship is the real deal, and celebs like Jessica Alba and Macaulay Culkin are sharing their sweet reactions to the new power couple.

The former Baywatch star took to her official Instagram account to share some wonderfully artistic and fun, black-and-white images of her with her co-star, and potential new man, Liam Neeson (for You Magazine), to promote The Naked Gun. Anderson included the caption “The Naked Gun is finally in theatres! Bring your friends, family, lovers… whoever… just go and have a laugh… It’s good for you! I’ll see you there 🤍🍿”

Some of the most cynical amongst us might think that this budding romance is just a "fauxmance" intended to promote the couple's new movie, but friends and insiders seem to disagree. The comments on Anderson's social media post are filled with fellow celebrities expressing their support for the two. Let's take a look at some of the best comments:

• Jessica Alba: “❤❤❤”
• Macaulay Culkin: “Want it. Have it… So very happy for you.”
• Patti Smith: “You two are great💜”
• Emma Slater: “I’m obsessed with these two 😍”
• The Naked Gun Movie: “Our favorite duo on and off-screen!”
• Joely Richardson: “❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️”

One of the comments that's particularly sweet is the one above from Joely Richardson, the sister of Neeson's late wife, Natasha. As heartwarming as the comments on social media are, the best came from Andy Cohen. On his SiriusXM show Radio Andy, Cohen weighed in on the rumored romance between his good friend, Liam Neeson, and his co-star, Pamela Anderson. Cohen, who was also a close friend of Natasha, shared:

The Bravo host recalled speaking with the Kinsey star at The Naked Gun premiere party, highlighting the similarities between Anderson and Richardson. Cohen remembered saying to Neeson:

Natasha Richardson and Liam Neeson were married from 1994 until her tragic passing in 2009. She died at just 45 as a result of a skiing accident in Quebec. Since then, the A-Team alum has stayed single, but many people, including Cohen and other celebrities, believe he deserves to find happiness again. Also, if his chemistry with Pam Anderson is any indication, he might be finally finding it.

You can experience the “budding romance” for yourself, as their comedy is now playing in theaters. The movie was generating significant buzz ahead of its release this weekend, with early reactions declaring it the “funniest film” in quite some time. CinemaBlend’s review confidently affirms that The Naked Gun “sticks the landing” in reviving the franchise. Whether the lead actors' romance is real or part of the flick’s brilliant marketing strategy, this is undeniably one of the must-see action movies of the year. Check it out in theaters now!

This year, some high-profile Hollywood relationships have come to an end. Jessica Alba and film producer Cash Warren are divorcing, and Orlando Brown and Katy Perry broke up as well. A source alleges how Alba feels about the rumors circulating of the two single stars dating.

Meeting her future husband on the set of 2005's Fantastic Four, Alba and Warren were together for 16 years and share three kids. Five months after their split was announced, the actress was reported to be on vacation in Cancun with Top Gun: Maverick’s Danny Ramirez.

But according to what a source told Daily Mail, the Trigger Warning actress allegedly isn’t looking for anything serious. In fact, Jessica Alba may reportedly be hitting it off with her The Mark co-star, Orlando Bloom:

Based on the allegations, it looks like Jessica Alba is reportedly embracing her new chapter with some fun times with friends and dates. When sharing her divorce on Instagram, the Valentine’s Day star spoke about being on a journey of “self realization and transformation for years” and how it was time “to embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals.”

Cash Warren has previously spoken about jealousy having played a role in their four-year break. Jessica Alba said on Katherine Schwarzenegger’s 2004 Before, During And After Baby podcast episode about the struggle of juggling her responsibilities and making sure her husband “feels tended to.”

Orlando Bloom has become newly single as well, as he and Katy Perry broke off their engagement in June. An insider claimed their daughter factored into their decision to separate to avoid her “feeling the tension and animosity.” As for whether the British actor has now set his sights on Jessica Alba, Daily Mail's source gets honest on where the two reportedly stand:

This wouldn’t be the first time that Orlando Bloom had been the subject of dating rumors since his split with Katy Perry. Rumors swirled about him and Sydney Sweeney, who were spotted together at Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s wedding. A source said the “Firework” singer has allegedly felt “disappointed and sad” about her ex rubbing shoulders with Sweeney and other female celebrities. It would appear that Jessica Alba and Bloom are both just looking for fun among friends, compared to any serious relationships.

According to a source’s claims, sparks are reportedly not flying between Orlando Bloom and Jessica Alba as they’re just co-stars. Now, I’m curious what the chemistry between the two will be like as they share the screen in The Mark. Check out our 2025 movie releases in case their spy thriller shows up there.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced an entire generation of superhero movie fans to some of the comic book publishing giant’s most iconic characters, such as Iron Man and Thor. However, many of the heroes and villains we know from those Marvel movies in order have found their way to the big or small screen. Let’s honor some of the actors who brought them to life before they were inducted into the MCU.

Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man)

Some Marvel Comics fans have criticized the casting of Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, considering he was far older than when Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive arachnid at the time. While Tom Holland certainly fit the bill of a teenage vigilante better years later, Maguire is still remembered today as one of the best to play the role. Not to mention, he wore, arguably, the best cinematic Spidey outfit of all time.

Jessica Alba (Invisible Woman)

Following her Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough role on Dark Angel, Jessica Alba could be seen just about everywhere in the early 2000s. Ironically, she made her comic book movie debut in Tim Story's Fantastic Four as a superhero known for being unseen: Sue "Invisible Woman" Storm, who would be inducted into the MCU with Vanessa Kirby's portrayal.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Ben Affleck would make an amusing, if not polarizing, impression when he joined a long line of live-action Batman actors for Zack Snyder's short-lived DC Extended Universe. More than a decade earlier, the Oscar winner cut his teeth in the world of superhero acting by playing the title role of 2003's Daredevil before Charlie Cox took over the role for the MCU in his own hit series.

Djimon Hounsou (Black Panther)

Djimon Hounsou has a small role in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as Korath the Pursuer, but had voiced the Black Panther in a BET original animated series four years earlier. The Academy Award nominee would later share the screen as Korath with the MCU's T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman, for an episode of the animated anthology series, What If...?

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

Marvel's popular vampire hunter character would, technically, make his MCU debut when Mahershala Ali made a vocal cameo as Blade in the post-credit sequence of 2021's Eternals. However, the first actor to play the Daywalker in his own trilogy of Blade movies, Wesley Snipes, beat him to the punch by making a full, live MCU appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher)

It is hard to imagine Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren with jet black hair, but he donned it to play Frank Castle in a straight-to-video feature adaptation of The Punisher in 1989. The role of the vengeful vigilante would be passed down a couple more times before Jon Bernthal took over as the MCU's official iteration, but the Swedish actor would later return to comic book movie acting as King Nereus in the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman movies.

David Hasselhoff (Nick Fury)

Samuel L. Jackson's performance as Nick Fury has become so definitive that Marvel would use his likeness in the Ultimate universe comics. However, the eye-patched secret agent's main iteration better resembles David Hasselhoff, who would, indeed, play him in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a made-for-TV movie that was intended to be a pilot for an original series on Fox.

Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios)

Jennifer Garner played a lighter interpretation of Matt Murdock's assassin lover, Elektra Natchios, in 2003's Daredevil and in her own spin-off film from two years later. While the Alias star would also reprise the role in Deadpool & Wolverine, the official MCU iteration, introduced in Season 2 of the Daredevil series, is played by Élodie Yung.

Chris Evans (Human Torch)

Chris Evans is one of the few MCU actors who can say he previously played a superhero from a different corner of the Marvel Multiverse. Years before he was cast as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, he starred in the 2000s Fantastic Four movies as the Human Torch, which he referenced to hilarious effect in Deadpool & Wolverine. The MCU later introduced its own official iteration of Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn.

Lou Ferrigno (Hulk)

Before Bruce Banner's mean, green alter ego became the product of putting Mark Ruffalo in a performance capture suit, he was brought to life in live-action on the hit TV show, The Incredible Hulk, by Lou Ferrigno, standing in for David Banner actor Bill Bixby whenever he would get angry. The legendary bodybuilder also lent his voice to the role in the Incredible Hulk animated series and made a cameo as a security guard in both 2003's Hulk and the Edward Norton-led MCU debut.

J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson)

One of the few actors known for playing the same Marvel character both in and outside of the MCU is J.K. Simmons. The Academy Award winner stole the show as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies before reimagining the role as a conspiracy theorist and podcast host in the Tom Holland-led films.

Doug Jones (Silver Surfer)

The MCU would introduce a unique version of the Silver Surfer played by Emmy winner Julia Garner in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doug Jones, a master of roles requiring performance capture and heavy makeup transformations, shares credit for portraying the first "live-action" iteration of the metallic-skinned alien from 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with Laurence Fishburne, who provided the voice.

Robert Hays (Iron Man)

It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Tony Stark other than Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr., but Iron Man was the star of his own animated series years earlier in the mid-1990s. Voicing the wealthy vigilante was Robert Hays, who is best known for starring in the classic spoof movie, Airplane!, as Ted Striker.

Neil Patrick Harris (Spider-Man)

In 2003, MTV aired a TV show very loosely connected to Sam Raimi's Marvel movies called Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. Instead of Tobey Maguire, the actor providing the voice of Peter Parker was none other than future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris, who later contributed to the 2010 video game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Eric Allan Kramer (Thor)

Years before Chris Hemsworth's definitive performance as Thor in the MCU made him a household name, Eric Allan Kramer of Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Good Luck Charlie fame became the first actor the play the role in live-action in the 1988 TV movie, The Incredible Hulk Returns. However, I feel obligated to mention that Vincent D'Onofrio's role in Adventures in Babysitting as Dawson, who bears a striking resemblance to the God of Thunder, predates Kramer's portrayal by a year.

Rosemary Harris (Aunt May)

With all due respect and admiration for Marisa Tomei, the Oscar winner is certainly not the first person you would picture to play Peter Parker's Aunt May, as she does in the MCU. However, Rosemary Harris is not only the spitting image of the comic book character, but also gives a moving, iconic performance as May opposite Tobey Maguire's Peter in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

Matt Salinger (Captain America)

One of the most notable screen iterations of Steve Rogers that pre-dates Chris Evans' portrayal comes from 1990's infamous straight-to-video feature, Captain America. Playing the title role is Matt Salinger, who, believe it or not, is the son of The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger, as the actor discussed with The Guardian.

James Avery (War Machine)

Most people know actor James Avery best from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Philip Banks. Around that same time, however, the actor lent his voice to the animated Iron Man series as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, years before Tony Stark's buddy was portrayed in the MCU by Don Cheadle... and Terrence Howard, of course.

Nicholas Hammond (Spider-Man)

Before the role was brought to life by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, the first actor to play Peter Parker in live-action was Nicholas Hammond. The Sound of Music star led CBS' Spider-Man series and its two made-for-TV companion films in the late 1970s.

Jennifer Connelly (Betty Ross)

Liv Tyler appeared in 2008's The Incredible Hulk as Betty Ross, the colleague and love interest of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner. Years earlier, in 2003's Hulk, she was played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, who was also subtly inducted into the MCU as the voice of Karen, the AI built into Peter Parker's high-tech suit in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Thomas Jane (The Punisher)

Three actors were brought in to play Frank Castle before Jon Bernthal was cast in the role for the MCU. The second, after Dolph Lundgren and before Ray Stevenson, and first to bring the vigilante into the 21st Century, was Thomas Jane in 2004's The Punisher, which sees the anti-hero take on a corrupt businessman responsible for his family's tragic deaths.

Cree Summer (She-Hulk)

Cree Summer is the prolific voice actor behind many well-known animated roles, such as Susie Carmichael from Nickelodeon's Rugrats. She was also the second person to voice Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, on the animated Incredible Hulk TV show almost a couple of decades before Tatiana Maslany was cast in the lead role of Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Michael Chiklis (The Thing)

Jamie Bell and Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (who also appeared on Jon Bernthal's The Punisher series) both played CGI versions of Ben "The Thing" Grimm in their respective cinematic adaptations of the Fantastic Four comics. However, Michael Chiklis admirably went the old-fashioned route and donned a heavy amount of prosthetics to play the orange, rock-skinned superhero in Tim Story's movies from 2004 and 2007.

Sam Elliott (Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross)

Following William Hurt's passing, Harrison Ford stepped in to play Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross for the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World, in which the military general-turned-U.S. president becomes the Red Hulk. However, you could argue that the most intimidating portrayal of the character is still that of Sam Elliott in 2003's Hulk.

Peter Hooten (Dr. Strange)

With the title's otherworldly, psychedelic imagery, it is not very surprising to learn that Marvel's Doctor Strange comics were first adapted for live-action in the 1970s. CBS attempted to launch a series focused on the Sorcerer Supreme with a pilot led by actor Peter Hooten, who was, of course, succeeded decades later by Benedict Cumberbatch as the MCU's official iteration.

Lisa Rinna (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine)

While better known today as a star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Rinna also has the honor of being the first actor to portray Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in live-action in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the MCU, the Italian-American noblewoman and CIA director is played by Seinfeld cast member Julia-Louis Dreyfus.

Conan Stevens (Man-Thing)

In 2005, SyFy aired a scary "movie of the week" inspired by the Marvel comic book character Man-Thing, played by Conan Stevens, who is essentially the publisher's equivalent to DC's Swamp Thing. The humanoid plant creature was painted in a far more sympathetic light in the Disney+ original Halloween special, Werewolf by Night, in which he was portrayed in motion capture by Carey Jones.

Ed Asner (J. Jonah Jameson)

Emmy winner Ed Asner's definitive TV role for years was cantankerous journalist Lou Grant on beloved TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the character's more earnest self-titled spin-off. In other words, he was a perfect choice to voice J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s.

Eric Bana (Bruce Banner)

The first live-action, theatrically released feature film adaptation of Marvel's The Incredible Hulk comics, director Ang Lee's Hulk, cast Australian actor Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. The brilliant physicist would later return to the big screen as part of the MCU, first portrayed by Edward Norton in his 2008 solo flick before Mark Ruffalo took over the role in subsequent installments.

Ed Gale (Howard The Duck)

Howard the Duck, one of the most bizarre characters in Marvel Comics' history, exists in the MCU, having first appeared in the post-credit sequence for Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Seth Green. The fowl extraterrestrial crimefighter made his feature debut, however, in a self-titled film from producer George Lucas, in which Ed Gale, a little person also known for playing Chucky in Child's Play, wore a duck costume on set while Chip Zien provided the voice.

Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic)

Before Pedro Pascal added the MCU to his ongoing list of franchises by playing Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, English actor Ioan Gruffudd played the stretchy superhero otherwise known as Mr. Fantastic in Tim Story's Fantastic Four movies.

Sticky Fingaz (Blade)

Mahershala Ali is actually not Wesley Snipes' direct successor to the role of Blade. Rap artist Sticky Fingaz played the vampire hunter in a short-lived TV series from 2006.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is heading underway with an updated cast list that makes us look forward to the upcoming Marvel movie even more. Not only do we have The Last of Us’ Pedro Pascal as Reed, Stranger Things’ Joseph Quinn as Johnny, and The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben, but Vanessa Kirby will take on the role of Sue Storm. Jessica Alba, who played the first ever Invisible Woman in the Tim Story-directed movies, gives some—wait for it— fantastic advice for Kirby’s new role.

Jessica Alba certainly wasn’t invisible playing Sue Storm the first time around. With her early status as a sex symbol in her career, Alba played a brainy kick-ass superhero who could not only become invisible but fight off her enemies by creating a force field. Her Marvel superhero role gave her MTV Movie Award nominations for Best Hero and Best On-Screen Team. For the third time around, Sue Storm will be brought to the big screen again in The Fantastic Four: First Steps played by British actress Vanessa Kirby. The Sin City star gave some advice on Collider to the new Sue Storm that, of course, is absolutely fantastic:

The Dark Angel actress is correct that portraying a Marvel superhero is the best way to meet a bunch of adoring fans. When Jessica Alba thinks back on her time playing Sue Storm, she remembers having a lot of fun and how life-changing it was to contribute to the superhero world with a nurturing badass character. With Marvel movies not stopping anytime soon and the studio being one of the most successful ones out there, it’s easy to achieve a fanbase through them. Everyone will surely know Vanessa Kirby’s name now more than ever before playing one of Stan Lee’s iconic characters in the first movie of Marvel’s Phase Six.

Marvel’s new Fantastic Four movie reportedly prioritized the casting of Sue Storm before anyone else. I personally believe they picked a winner in Vanessa Kirby. The talented actress is best known for being awesome in Netflix’s Pieces of a Woman as a grief-stricken woman who has a traumatic childbirth experience. She also won the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Princess Margaret in The Crown and recently portrayed Empress Joséphine in Napoleon. With all of the strength and emotions Kirby has brought out in her well-known roles, I’m confident she’ll bring those same superb skills to her new Marvel role.

Other than the stellar casting, other important things to know about The Fantastic Four: First Steps is that we’ll be getting an origin story set in the ‘60s. So the movie will start with the dynamic quartet already having their powers. But it looks like we’ll be getting a brand new story that we haven’t seen with this superhero team on the big screen before. WandaVision’s Matt Shakman will also be set to direct his first Marvel flick with Snowpiecer’s Josh Friedman writing it. With filming beginning in July, we’re expected to get a 2025 summer release.

As Vanessa Kirby films her new role as Sue Storm for The Fantastic Four: First Steps, OG actress of the series, Jessica Alba, gives fantastic advice for Kirby to have fun and be psyched by all of the fan experiences she’ll be having. Get ready to see the Best Actress nominee in the 2025 movie release coming to theaters on July 25, 2025.

The superhero genre has become commonplace, but there was a time when these types of projects were both rare and financially risky. The pair of Fantastic Four movies (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription) pre-dated the MCU, and  it's about to get rebooted for the shared universe. It tuns out an OG Fantastic Four actor wants in on the new version, being quoted saying "I would jump at the chance". Let's break it all down.

What we know about Fantastic Four is super limited, but it's still one of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies. Fans are eager to see how that project will fit into the MCU, especially since Kevin Feige confirmed it was a period piece. Actress Jessica Alba played Sue Storm/ The Invisible Woman in the original first two movies, and recently spoke to ET Online about the possibility of joining the MCU. In her words:

There you have it. While she doesn't currently have any plans to return to the superhero genre, the Sin City actress would seemingly be down to clown. We'll just have to wait and see what director Matt Shakman has up his sleeve for the long-awaited blockbuster. No pressure!

Only time will tell who joins the Fantastic Four cast list, alongside its quartet of leading actors. Vanessa Kirby is taking on the role of Sue Storm, preceded by Kate Mara and Jessica Alba. In the same interview, the latter actress expressed love for her signature superhero role, saying:

Fans have been waiting years for characters like the Fantastic Four to finally join the MCU. While legal reasons prevented this for a long time, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox finally opened the door for that team, as well as the X-Men and Deadpool. After the last Fantastic Four reboot bombed, the pressure is definitely on for the new one to deliver. And that includes Vanessa Kirby's take on the role previously portrayed by Jessica Alba.

Vanessa Kirby is a stellar talent who seems like a no brainer to enter the superhero genre. She's done action sequences before in projects like the Mission: Impossible franchise, while also doing prestige work like The Crown. But Alba crushed as Sue Storm, so it'll be interesting to see what the fans think of this new Invisible Woman.

Fantastic Four is expected to arrive in theaters on July 25th, 2025. While we wait, check out the 2025 movie release dates.

While the superhero genre is everywhere nowadays, these types of movies used to be kind of rare. Case in point: the Fantastic Four movies, which came out in 2005 and 2007, before the MCU had even begun its reign in theaters. That same team is going to finally join the shared universe in an upcoming Marvel movie, thanks to Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its properties. After the MCU’s Fantastic Four casting, Jessica Alba is reflecting on her time as Sue Storm.

What we know about Fantastic Four is limited, but a killer quartet of actors were cast to play the titular team. Vanessa Kirby is the new Invisible Woman, Jessica Alba played that role in a pair of blockbusters (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). She recently spoke to ComicBook about her feelings about that character, saying:

How sweet is that? It sounds like her time as Sue Storm has continued to affect her life in the years since stepping away from the role. She took home real bonds with her collaborators, and clearly has a love for her character. And it should be interesting to see what Kirby brings to the table as the beloved hero.

The cast list for Fantastic Four is coming together, and director Matt Shakman has been making some inspired casting choices. Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have not-so-patiently waiting for the team to finally join the MCU, so the pressure is on for the ensemble to really deliver when appearing on the big screen. 

Jessica Alba's comments offered her observation about how female superhero characters have been handled in the years since she retired as Sue Storm. While there have been plenty of badass women, she doesn't think that they balanced all of the sides that Alba brought to Invisible Woman. As such, there are big shoes to fill with the forthcoming MCU version.

Luckily for fans, the wait for the new Fantastic Four movie shouldn't be all that long, considering. The movie is currently expected to arrive on July 25th, 2025. While we wait, check the 2025 movie release dates. 

There’s no denying that a lot of Jessica Alba’s early roles were incredibly sexy ones. Her big screen debut, Honey, saw her doing a lot of sexy dancing, she was part of Marvel superhero movie history by playing Sue Storm in her skin-tight suit, and then there were more sexy dance moves from playing a stripper in the cast of Sin City. The California native spoke candidly about the struggles she faced being classified as a sex symbol early in her career.

When young actresses come into the film scene with striking sex appeal, they face the struggle of getting typecast based on their physique compared to playing a well-developed character. Trevor Noah asked Jessica Alba on his podcast What Now? if the Spy Kids 4 actress was ever “pigeonholed” into “sex bomb” types of roles throughout her career. Here was her honest response:

I can definitely see Jessica Alba taking a stand in the business to ensure she wasn’t just seen as eye candy. Just like she made sure to appear in women’s magazines as well as men’s, the Golden Globe nominee has also taken a stance against doing nude scenes. Her reasoning is that she would be embarrassed if her family saw her on-screen in her birthday suit, and I can’t say I blame her on that front.

Alba also wasn’t on board with the sex scenes she was supposed to do for Machete. So, she asked the film’s director Robert Rodriquez to remove them. The Good Luck Chuck actress clearly isn’t afraid to speak her mind on what she is and isn’t willing to do in a movie, and I commend her for that.

Trevor Noah continued to throw back to Jessica Alba about how in early interviews, she spoke about wanting to do more behind-the-scenes roles so she had more control of her environment. This made the Valentine’s Day actress admit that she felt she couldn’t be everything she wanted to be in the industry:

I can understand where Jessica Alba is coming from. When you’re labeled a sex symbol, people see you as just a body without noticing you have a brain to go with it. Like Alba referenced, she’s the co-founder of The Honest Company which sells baby, household and personal products. Running your own business requires major brain power the A-list actress undoubtedly has.

The Little Fockers actress will also star in and co-executive produce the Netflix action movie Trigger Warning. In this Netflix new release, Alba plays a kick-ass Special Forces commando who finds herself mixed up with a violent gang after she takes over her late father’s bar. Based on what’s shown in the trailer, it looks like her character Parker is in no way a sex symbol, as she’s too busy using knives, machetes and guns against her enemies compared to anything else involving her body.

The early part of Jessica Alba’s career may have classified her as a sex symbol, but she’s shown in recent years that she’s got so much more to offer. With her Honest Company and headlining a strong heroine character for a new Netflix movie, I have a feeling we’re about to see a new chapter forming in the talented actress.

Make sure to see a whole new side of Jessica Alba in Trigger Warning, coming to your Netflix subscription on June 21st.

As much as we like to see Hollywood as a dream factory, some projects can be total nightmares. Maybe people realize that fact during production, or maybe it’s a big case of hindsight providing 20/20 vision; but eventually there comes a time when an entertainer decides that their own movie is the enemy. For one reason or another, the list we’re about to share with you is a bunch of cases where that sort of takedown was warranted by the talent that had to endure making them in the first place. 

Jamie Lee Curtis - Virus

No matter how many times the 1999 sci-fi horror movie Virus comes up, it seems that Jamie Lee Curtis has a colorful variety of responses that detail just how flat-out horrible the finished product was. And depending on which interview you read, the language can get just as cheeky, so reader discretion is definitely advised. 

Michael Caine - Jaws: The Revenge

If you ever want a lesson in destroying a cinematic turkey with great wit and class, look up Michael Caine’s remarks on Jaws: The Revenge. Simultaneously admitting he’d never watched the film, but loved the personal enrichment that came from it, it’s one of the best moments of Sir Michael’s legendary charm at work.

Charlize Theron - Reindeer Games

How bad is the perennial punchline Reindeer Games? Well, if you ask Charlize Theron like Esquire did back in 2008, the Ben Affleck co-starring film is "a bad, bad, bad movie." So that question's pretty much asked and answered. 

George Clooney - Batman and Robin

George Clooney’s continued Batman regrets will never stop being entertaining. Playing that very DC hero in 1997’s Batman & Robin, the infamously campy Joel Schumacher picture holds a very special place in the ER veteran’s heart; and it’s one of intensely self-deprecating comedy. 

Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up

The story about Katherine Heigl and her apparent lack of love for Knocked Up is one that’s circulated pretty much since Judd Apatow’s 2008 comedy mega-hit landed. However, it seems that years after the star seemed to slam her own movie, Heigl’s 2016 comments on the matter painted a different picture.

Christopher Plummer - The Sound of Music

How an actor like the late great Christopher Plummer could grow to despise a musical like The Sound of Music is still a mystery. Well, it’s puzzling in the sense that his apparent criticism of its sentimental and emotional nature feels a bit rough. Despite his misgivings, the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation remains one of Christopher Plummer’s best roles. 

Sally Field - The Amazing Spider-Man

Comic book movies aren’t for everyone, and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Sally Field admitted just that when talking about her role as Andrew Garfield’s Aunt May. Field’s reason for taking the role as a favor to her friend, late producer Laura Ziskin, is still sweet. But digging into Sally’s comments about the Marvel role, it would seem that there isn’t enough money in the Multiverse to bring the Academy Award winner back for any hypothetical follow-ups.

Edward Norton - The Italian Job

One of the most infamous stories of modern movie feuds, Edward Norton’s reluctance to play the villain in The Italian Job remake came down to two words: contractual obligations. As Observer covered in the lead-up to the movie’s production, Norton fulfilled his duties; but did so while taking every chance to put the project down. 

Jessica Alba - Fantastic Four

When your director tells you that CGI tears are better than the actual waterworks you’re providing on set, to say things are problematic is a bit of an understatement. That’s the scenario that Jessica Alba faced on Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which she revealed to Elle Magazine (via Today) as the reason she almost quit acting. 

Bill Murray - Garfield: The Movie

Confusion is something that even a legendary comedian like Bill Murray can admit to falling into from time to time. It just so happens that one of those times saw the legacy cast member of Ghostbusters accidentally assume one of The Coen Bros. wrote Garfield: The Movie. Thankfully for Murray, he only had to make one sequel before the franchise shifted gears to another iteration.

Jennifer Lawrence - Passengers

When Adele tells you to skip a movie like Passengers, that’s a sign you should take to heart. Unfortunately, Jennifer Lawrence ignored this advice, and what resulted was a movie that is as questionable as it is baffling. On the plus side, hearing Ms. Lawrence trash that movie means that the project is technically a valuable source of entertainment.

Channing Tatum - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

We’ve all kind of known that Channing Tatum despises G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra; and rightfully so. But just how horrible was the man’s opinion of this past franchise starter? Well, not only did he pass on this project seven times, but when G.I. Joe: Retaliation came about, Tatum requested to be killed off in that very sequel. 

Viola Davis - The Help

Despite the contemporary hoopla that saw The Help become an Academy Awards darling at 2012’s Oscars, Viola Davis’ opinion on the movie is far from golden. Indeed, the project has become more and more scrutinized as time goes on, and Davis’ upset with the movie has only developed more nuance over time. 

Ryan Reynolds - Green Lantern

Even if you knew nothing about Ryan Reynolds starring in the much-maligned Green Lantern adaptation, his dislike for the picture is legendary. Especially when part of Deadpool 2’s wild time travel-correcting ending saw the Marvel anti-hero icing his reality-bound actor before even getting to make the film. 

Halle Berry - Catwoman

The downside to Halle Berry being in Catwoman is that she, unfortunately, had to actually make the movie. However, the upside to this painful experience is that Berry’s quips and jabs at her unfortunate DC Comics entry continue to show her impeccable sense of humor. 

Oscar Isaac - X-Men: Apocalypse

While Oscar Isaac doesn’t outright disown his X-Men movie, he does express serious regret for taking on the titular role in X-Men: Apocalypse. Though if you were cast to act up against James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender, only to have your abilities hampered by an abundance of prosthetics, you’d probably be pretty steamed too. 

Dame Judi Dench - Cats

Not many actors would consider a Razzie nomination entertaining, or even valid. But then again, Cats' Dame Judi Dench isn't "most actors." Proud to have not seen the film, or read its reviews, the famed performer laughed off her own nomination, and even compared her character's final look to a bunch of foxes engaged in some not-so-family-friendly activity. 

Matt Damon - The Bourne Ultimatum

For as much cultural cache as the Jason Bourne movies still have in the world, it’s kind of astounding that the subpar reaction to some of the sequels doesn’t seem to have dampened that pedigree. That’s an especially good question after Matt Damon’s trashing of The Bourne Ultimatum script somehow didn’t prevent the worst sin that franchise has committed, 2016’s Jason Bourne. 

Megan Fox - Transformers

Megan Fox’s relationship with the Transformers franchise saw her putting the Hasbro toy franchise on blast after the release of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. More specifically, her comments comparing Michael Bay to Hitler allegedly helped distance her even further from the series that she apparently has no particular love for. 

Matthew Goode - Leap Year

In remarks to The Telegraph about his role in the rom-com Leap Year, Matthew Goode fully admitted that the Amy Adams starring vehicle wasn’t exactly ideal for his tastes. Taking a page out of Michael Caine’s proverbial book on silver linings, Goode did admit that one of the reasons he did enjoy being part of the project was the fact that he could go home easily on the weekends. 

Kate Winslet - Titanic

While the world fell in love with Kate Winslet after her role in Titanic, the actor herself didn’t exactly love watching herself put in, what she feels, was a performance full of errors. Even in a legacy interview with CNN, Winslet criticized everything, even her American accent.  

Mark Wahlberg - Boogie Nights

Boogie Nights was a star making performance for Mark Wahlberg, and to this day it’s a role that’s aged well on his resume. And yet, Wahlberg has asked God to forgive him for making the Paul Thomas Anderson masterpiece, regarding it the biggest mistake of his career. 

Michelle Pfeiffer - Grease 2

Allegedly, Michelle Pfeiffer was cited to have chalked up her experience with Grease 2 as a case of being young and not knowing how to pick a good script. While those stories persist, Pfieffer has apparently started to set the record straight, attributing her supposed Grease sequel bashing to misreported remarks that grew a life of their own.

Sir Alec Guinness - Star Wars

While Sir Alec Guinness’ reaction to watching Star Wars was one of being refreshed, his outlook on taking the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi wasn’t as rosy. Actually making George Lucas’ sci-fi opus was a different story, with Guinness’ on-set feelings seeing the legendary actor less than pleased in the middle of production.

Miriam Margolyes - The Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter fans have been a frequent source of discussion for actor Miriam Margolyes. The performer who brought Madame Sprout to live in the film adaptation of the series not only has no personal connection with the franchise but she’s also shared some thoughts on adult Potter fans that have kicked up more dirt than one of her Herbology classes.

Sylvester Stallone - Stop, Or My Mom Will Shoot!

The widely reported story of how Sylvester Stallone became the action lead in Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! is thanks to his feud with action star Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, Arnie tricked him into thinking he wanted the movie, which led Stallone to lobby for the part, and win it. His enduring torment can still be heard to this day, and Sly has even suggested the film as a form of interrogation enhancement. Yikes.

Dakota Johnson - Madame Web

Madame Web seems to be an experience that barely anyone enjoyed, even the actors who starred in the movie. Dakota Johnson’s skewering of the finished product, while extremely erudite and empathetic towards herself and the rest of the cast, cuts to the core problems that some feel superhero movies have possessed since day one. 

Daniel Radcliffe - Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Out of all the Harry Potter movies Daniel Radcliffe has fronted, the one that comes in as his least favorite is the sixth entry, The Half Blood Prince. Radcliffe called his own performance “one-note,” especially when compared to his own personal favorite: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Jennifer Aniston - Leprechaun

Jennifer Aniston’s performance in Leprechaun makes her cringe to this day. So much so that in a 2019 interview on The Howard Stern Show, she mentioned that she tried and failed to stop her then-boyfriend Justin Theroux from watching the film; much to her dismay. 

Brad Pitt - The Devil’s Own

“20 pages of dog…” You can fill that phrase in for yourself, but Brad Pitt’s Newsweek interview about 1997’s The Devil’s Own said all that needed to be said about the actor’s feelings for the Harrison Ford co-starring drama. 

Sandra Bullock - Speed 2: Cruise Control

Some experience will stick with you, no matter how hard you try. Sandra Bullock’s no-sequel rule was an echo of such a trauma, thanks to her displeasure with Speed 2: Cruise Control. Admittedly, her concerns about a large cruise ship not being as perceptively speedy as a city bus were part of the equation as well, and can you blame her? 

Robert Pattinson - Twilight

Robert Pattinson’s hate affair with the Twilight Saga is as well-documented as the memes that have committed the franchise’s dialogue to memory. Thankfully, the man didn’t develop an aversion to bats, otherwise The Batman wouldn’t have happened; which is probably one of the best things that actually came out of Twilight when you think about it.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this trip in the trenches with stars who had to tell it like it is. Judging by some of the movies mentioned here, it might be safe to say that for the most part, these reactions were spot on. But if you’re ever wondering why a movie you're fond of might be slammed by an actor or entertainer involved, keep these tales of woe in mind, and try not to take it too personally.

If there's any actor we'd gladly take words of wisdom from, it's the ever-soulful Oscar winner Viola Davis. She's a performer who is as capable of being a fount of warmth in The Help (even if she has good reason for regretting that role) as she is a force of nature in The Woman King. 

The acting legend offered up some sage advice through a recent Instagram post, in which she posited this question to her 12 million followers: 

The 58-year-old star captioned the post with her own answer: "You are worthy," and the fan-favorite Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes star was far from the only celebrity to respond to the wistful prompt, with many taking to the comments section of Davis' Instagram post with their own advice for their younger selves.

Many echoed Viola's heartful sentiment, with Davis' United States of Tara co-star Toni Collette offering herself an all-caps reminder: 

Grammy-winning R&B singer SZA added the always-helpful admonition: 

And Trigger Warning actress–slash–baby brand mogul Jessica Alba referenced how the passing years can help soften those youthful dramas and disappointments. 

But other commenters took the more comedic route, with quips about everything from SPF to student loans:

• "Don't marry Greg" - @glendahorodyski
• "NO STUDENT LOANS" - @tonybaker
• "Don't overpluck eyebrows" - @gailyhyl70
• "Always wear sunscreen!" - @alicia.b
• "You are gay" - @itsmeabesh_
• "Slow down, Sparky" - @spencergarrett1
• "Listen to adults" - @cassiecrumps
• "Wear the condom!!!!!!" - @glauciamarolla

Celebrity stylist and costume designer Karla Welch, who dresses everyone from Olivia Wilde to Tracee Ellis Ross to Justin Bieber, had a particularly hilarious addition: 

But even better was the hilarious response from The Roots drummer and The Tonight Show bandleader Questlove, who replied to Welch:

Along with that reply, Questlove (a.k.a. Ahmir K. Thompson) added his own advice for young Ahmir, jokingly writing: 

Given that the multimillionaire musician-filmmaker has scored an Oscar alongside a slew of Grammys, we think Quest is doing pretty well with or without those Uber investments.

Things are clearly going well for O.G. poster Viola Davis, too, with the actress having several upcoming projects in the can, including the upcoming action thriller G20, the animated flick Kung Fu Panda 4, and the DC Comics-based TV series Creature Commandos, which will reportedly hit Max later this year. 

Prior to her stirring Instagram post, David previously discussed what she would tell her younger self while chatting to ET's Kevin Frazier about her memoir Finding Me:

Given the powerhouse that Viola Davis would grow up up to become, we're all glad she did!

While only two years passed between the release of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, the public is still waiting for Deadpool 3’s arrival. To be fair, there was initially uncertainty if the threeqeul would even move forward following Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox, but by late 2020, it was clear that it would indeed be included on the upcoming Marvel movies slate. Cut to the present day, we know quite a but more about what Deadpool 3 holds in store, but there’s also much about this movie that’s being kept officially secret. Unofficially, however, it’s a different story.

Rumors surrounding superhero movies are nothing new, but there’s been an especially high number of wild claims about Deadpool 3, specifically on the casting front. That’s because like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Loki, Deadpool 3 looks like it will delve into the Marvel multiverse, which will supposedly open the door to not only reunite with other familiar faces from past Marvel movies, but also include some big-name actors playing notable roles. 

To be clear, none of the names mentioned are remotely close to being a sure thing, and some are less plausible than others. Still, as we wait for Deadpool 3 to resume production, it’s worth going over the wildest casting rumors surrounding the Merc with the Mouth’s third theatrical adventure. Also, we aren’t covering alleged character identities for confirmed members of the Deadpool 3 cast, like who Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfayden are supposedly playing.

Karl Urban And Taron Egerton As Other Versions Of Wolverine

A year ago, it was announced that Hugh Jackman will reprise Wolverine in Deadpool 3, a 180 turn from when he’d once said Logan would be his last outing in the role. It’s since been reported that Jackman will play multiple versions of Wolverine, and a more recent rumor claimed that Ryan Reynolds’ Wade will be traveling through the multiverse to find the “perfect Wolverine.” However, as established by No Way Home and Loki, not all variants look the same, which can range from slightly different facial features to being a member of a different species.

With that in mind, Karl Urban and Taron Egerton are both rumored to be playing alternate versions of Wolverine, with Giant Freakin’ Robot sharing the former’s supposed inclusion and the latter casting coming from The DisInsider. Both actors have been suggested by fans to take over as Wolverine in the MCU, and considering that John Krasinski, a popular fan choice for Mister Fantastic, was selected to play the stretchy superhero in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it wouldn’t be completely out of left field for Deadpool 3 to do something similar with Urban and Egerton.

Lots Of Other Established Fox-Era X-Men Characters

Deadpool 3 won’t be lacking in X-Men characters, because along with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine reprisal, we’ll also reunite with Stefan Kapičić's Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Shioli Kutsuna's Yukio. But that may just be the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In May 2023, Twitter user @CanWeGetSomeToast claimed that James Marsden, Famke Janssen and Halle Berry were on deck to respectively reprise Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm, making this threequel sound like it would be the mutant version of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Then the following August, the aforementioned DisInsider video shared a bunch of other surprising Marvel cameos in Deadpool 3. As far as the established X-Men and Deadpool characters went, along with Janssen and Berry being mentioned again, the list included Brian Cox as William Striker, Lewis Tan as Shatterstar, Dafne Keen as X-23, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Ian McKellen as Magneto. It was clarified that all these appearances remain “unconfirmed,” and frankly, it would be bonkers if all these people showed up. And we’re only on Entry #2 of this list!

Various Fox-Era Fantastic Four Characters

The Fantastic Four didn’t have as much luck under the 20th Century Fox umbrella, but there are fans of 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer out there (2015’s Fantastic Four, not nearly as much). So between that and all the other Fox-era Marvel movie coverage Deadpool 3 is rumored to have, it’s not terribly surprising to hear that this version of Marvel’s First Family might be getting some attention, per scooper DanielRPK (via Deadpool Updates). 

Assuming this is true, it’s unclear if the entire quartet would appear, or if we’d only see a few of the members, such as Chris Evans’ Human Torch and Michael Chiklis’ Thing. Additionally, one of the other characters mentioned in that DisInsider video was Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom. Whether we would actually see him actually fighting the Fantastic Four again or if Wade Wilson would visit him separately is also unclear.

Ben Affleck As Daredevil

More than a decade before he was selected as the DC Extended Universe’s Batman, Ben Affleck first jumped into the superhero genre by playing the title protagonist of 2003’s Daredevil, a.k.a. Matt Murdock. Well, in June 2023, Twitter user KC Walsh shared that Affleck was seen on the Deadpool 3 set, which understandably kicked off speculation that he’d be reprising Marvel’s Man Without Fear, which Walsh said in a separate tweet was “likely,” though it couldn’t be verified at the time.

Now it’s looking like this particular casting rumor won’t pan out. In September, Walsh tweeted that Affleck was actually on the set to visit his kids and ex-wife Jennifer Garner, not suit back up as Daredevil. Why would he be seeing them there? Well, that brings us to the next person on this list.

Jennifer Garner As Elektra

Shortly after the rumor of Ben Affleck’s Daredevil reprisal started making the rounds, THR shared that Jennifer Garner will reprise Elektra, who first appeared in Daredevil, then led her own spinoff movie in 2005. Garner previously worked with Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy on The Adam Project, but when Levy was asked about if he would indeed re-team with the actress, he simply said that he’d “rather not weigh in on that.”

Of all the casting rumors on this list, this one seems the most likely to be accurate given that it originated from a major Hollywood trade publication. That’s not to say all scoops from such sources end up being true, but more often than not, if a place like THR is reporting it, then it’s likely to be the real deal. Also, one could argue Levy’s reluctance to comment on whether or not Garner is involved rather than just debunk the claim adds authenticity. 

Elizabeth Olsen As Scarlet Witch

When we last saw Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, specifically the Earth-616 version of Wanda Maximoff, she was being buried by the collapsing Mount Wundagore, seemingly sacrificing her life to destroy all the copies of the Darkhold in the multiverse. However, it still hasn’t been officially clarified if Scarlet Witch is dead, and many fans believe we’ll see her again someday. However, evidently a different version of Wanda will appear in Deadpool 3.

That DisInsider video mentioned Wanda as one of the cameos, but a later report from Cosmic Circus alleged that we’ll see the Earth-838 version of the character instead. Deadpool 3 will supposedly return to Earth-838 to explore how that reality has become a dystopian landscape following the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This report also mentioned that Ian McKellen will be playing the 838-Magneto, who is Wanda’s father like in the comics, and together they are members of the new Illuminati. This feels like a storyline that should be saved for another Marvel project rather than crammed into Deadpool 3, so it’d probably be worth taking this rumors with a bigger grain of salt.

Various Loki Characters

Loki Season 1 ended with the multiverse being unleashed once Sylvie killed He Who Remains, and while Season 2 will explore the direct consequences of that action, apparently some of its leading characters will find themselves meeting the Merc with the Mouth sometime afterwards. The DisInsider video mentioned that both Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson will respectively reprise Loki and Mobius, with the latter having been previously reported to appear by The Hot Mic in March 2023.

Additionally, it was reported that the Time Variance Authority mascot Miss Minutes will be in Deadpool 3, although the character’s voice actress, Tara Strong, later told Agents of Fandom she hadn’t heard about this. Whether or not Loki and/or Mobius will pop up remains to be seen, but it’s not like it would be entirely unprecedented for them to somehow be drawn into the multiversal shenanigans unfolding in the movie.

Channing Tatum As Gambit

For many years, Channing Tatum was in deck to play Gambit in Fox’s X-Men franchise, taking over the role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s Taylor Kitsch. Unfortunately, the Gambit movie was kept getting hit with setbacks and delays, and once Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the project was shelved. And yet, Tatum may get the opportunity to play the card-throwing mutant after all.

The aforementioned @CanWeGetSomeToast claimed the actor will appear in Deadpool 3 wearing a “comic accurate” Gambit suit. If this rumor ends up being accurate, this cameo will be similar to how Nicolas Cage appeared in The Flash as Superman, a reference to the un-produced Superman Lives. In Tatum’s case though, he obviously won’t need to be digitally de-aged.

Taylor Swift As Dazzler

Following speculation that Dazzler would appear in Dark Phoenix, the character did indeed show up, albeit as a minor player brought to life by Halston Sage. But if the word on the proverbial street is true, then Dazzler is about to get some much bigger exposure, as the DisInsider video from earlier mentioned that Taylor Swift will play her in Deadpool 3.

Now to be fair, Swift does have a few acting credits, including The Lorax, Cats and Amsterdam, and obviously casting her to play a popular mutant singer would be a no-brainer. But for now, it’s hard to say if this rumor has any merit, and even if it does end up being true, like most of the other people on this list, she’ll presumably only briefly appear rather than have a major supporting role.

Daniel Radcliffe In A “Secret” Role

Following the conclusion of the main Harry Potter film series in 2011, Daniel Radcliffe has steered clear from big franchise movies, but perhaps Deadpool 3 will end that streak. Daniel Richtman (via ComicBookMovie) alleged that the actor has snagged a “secret” role in the threequel. There’s been no shortage of thoughts on who this mysterious character might be, but one theory seems to be getting more traction.

Like Karl Urban and Taron Egerton, may fans believe Radcliffe is playing a Wolverine variant since he’s another actor who’s been frequently fancast in the role. And just like those two, along with John Krasinski as Mister Fantastic, this would give the Harry Potter actor an opportunity to bring Wolverine to life for a short spell, rather than commit to playing the character for multiple movies. It’s the best of both worlds, but for now, we simply don’t know if Radcliffe will indeed be in Deadpool 3, let alone who he’s playing.

Rest assured that if any of these casting rumors are verified, we’ll let you know. Deadpool 3 is still officially set for May 3, 2024, though that will likely change given how principal photography remains paused.

There was a time when Dane Cook was a household name. He broke through the world of stand-up comedy and became a full-fledged movie star, appearing in films alongside Kevin Costner, Steve Carrell and Jessica Alba. This major run on the silver screen was short-lived though, and while he put in some decent work, the outcome of this over-exposure was a few not-so-great romantic comedies. One such film was Good Luck Chuck, which was notoriously panned by critics, and now Dane Cook has revealed to us what he thinks went wrong with the film.

I recently caught up with the comic to discuss his new special Above It All, and when I asked if there was anything in his career he regrets, he said this:

Good Luck Chuck stars Dane Cook as Charlie, a young man with a very unusual curse. When he sleeps with a woman, she ends up finding the love of her life… and it’s never him. When he falls for Jessica Alba’s Cam, he becomes worried that he’s going to lose her too, and shenanigans ensue. It’s kind of a silly premise, sure, but that’s not what sank the film. After all, as Cook said, they weren't trying to set the world on fire, but even for a sex-romp, it may have been unnecessarily raunchy. Right now, the film sits at 5% on Rotten Tomatoes.

As previously mentioned, Dane Cook was very famous at this point in time. He was being referenced on Jeopardy!, praised by Steven Spielberg, and even auditioned to play Captain America, though he did get in some trouble with Marvel for that one. Because of this whirlwind moment in his life, he had some crazy early 2000s stories to tell during our conversation, like the time he kissed Charlize Theron’s ass on national television. 

Although Dane Cook’s career has changed since then, he’s still truckin’ and just released his new stand-up special Above It All. While other comedians like Gabriel Iglesias are bringing huge specials over to Netflix, Dane Cook prefers to have full ownership over everything he does at this stage of his career. This is why Above It All is currently available exclusively on his website, despite receiving offers for the special to live permanently on streaming platforms. In fact, Dane Cook feels so passionately about maintaining ownership over his work that he went on to say it’s a major factor he wishes he’d have done differently with Good Luck Chuck:

Check out Above It All on Dane Cook’s website right now! If stand-up comedy isn’t your jam, see what movies are coming our way this year with our 2022 movie release schedule.

The superhero genre is a powerful force in the entertainment industry, with various studios in charge of their own cinematic universe. But there was a time before this was commonplace, where comic book movies were a bit more risky. 2005’s Fantastic Four was definitely in that category, but it ended up being a box office smash after hitting theaters. Jessica Alba starred as Susan Storm/ The Invisible Woman in that movie and its sequel (opposite Chris Evans), and recently offered her honest thoughts about the state of diversity within the MCU.

The Fantastic Four are expected to make their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in 2024 (after a few speed bumps), and fans are psyched. It’s unclear who is taking on the role Jessica Alba played in the previous franchise, where she made history as a Latina superhero long before conversations surrounding onscreen representation were happening. Alba recently spoke to Glamour about diversity within the behemoth shared universe, saying:

Well, there you have it. While Marvel Studios has amplified more underrepresented voices in the last few years (especially within Phase Four), Jessica Alba seems to think there’s more work to be done. What's more, she acknowledges the similarities to how things are being run with her years in the Fantastic Four franchise.

While Jessica Alba’s story in Glamour covers a variety of aspects about her career as an actress and entrepreneur, it also touched on her time in the superhero business. While the genre definitely suffered from a lack of diversity in the early 2000’s, Alba doesn’t seem satisfied with the way the industry has been handling these stories when it comes to onscreen representation. Indeed, this is a critique that has followed superhero movies for quite some time. 

For instance, one of the biggest critiques about the early stages of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the lack of diversity; the movies in Phases One and Two focused almost entirely on white male protagonists. Kevin Feige promised to make the universe more accurately represent the real world, and there have been way more stories surrounding women, queer folks, and variety of cultures. Just a few recent examples from Phase Four include Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, Eternals, and Moon Knight among others. Still, there continues to be a conversation about representation in the business as a whole. 

As previously mentioned, Marvel Studios is currently cooking up plans for a new Fantastic Four reboot. The beloved group of heroes finally became available for the MCU after Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties. It’s currently unclear who will make up the cast, or which filmmaker will be behind the camera…but there are plenty of rumors including Bryce Dallas Howard. After all, Kevin Feige teased he wanted a big name to helm the project.

Usually, the job of comic book movie actors is to smoothly transcend their character away from the pulpy graphics and bring them into the real world. However, that was not quite the case for Jessica Alba, Bruce Willis, Alexis Bledel, and the rest of the Sin City cast, because Frank Miller and co-director Robert Rodriguez did more than just adapt his series of gritty, noir-inspired graphic novels into a film. They brought them to life.

The critically acclaimed 2005 hit stays remarkably faithful to the source material - not just to the stories and character motivations, but also (and most importantly) the minimalistic, grayscale aesthetic that results in one of most refreshingly original and visually stunning films of its time. Many Sin City cast members would later appear in more straightforward superhero movies, including Rosario Dawson and Benicio del Toro, to name a few. To see what else the star-studded ensemble has been up to, read on.

Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan)

After rising to fame with the 1999 horror-comedy Idle Hands and the sci-fi series Dark Angel, Jessica Alba played Nancy - a club dancer with a disturbing past - in Sin City the same year she starred in the first of two Fantastic Four movies as Invisible Woman. She would re-team with Robert Rodriguez for 2010’s Machete, the fourth installment of the Spy Kids movies in 2011, and Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, in which she returned as Nancy. 

The mother of three and founder of The Honest Company more recently partnered with Gabrielle Union on the Bad Boys movies spin-off series, L.A.’s Finest, and is currently starring in and producing the upcoming thriller Trigger Warning.

Bruce Willis (Det. John Hartigan)

Also appearing in the Sin City sequel, once again as Det. John Hartigan, was Bruce Willis, who seems to be busier now than ever. He already released six titles in 2021 alone (such as Midnight in the Switchgrass with Megan Fox), with three coming out later in the year (including Fortress, which already has a sequel in the works). 

The Die Hard movies star also had a busy and successful 2019, reprising David Dunn in Glass, playing Edward Norton’s mentor in Motherless Brooklyn, and playing himself in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Between Two Ferns: The Movie. Willis has five 2022 movie releases scheduled, including A Good Day to Die (not to be confused with A Good Day to Die Hard) which also features his Cosmic Sin co-star, Frank Grillo.

Devon Aoki (Miho) 

“Deadly little Miho” was recast in the sequel with Jamie Chung, but was portrayed in the original Sin City cast by Devon Aoki. She broke through two years earlier as Suki in 2 Fast 2 Furious before playing one of the four main teen heroes of D.E.B.S. in 2004. 

In 2006, she played another samurai-sword wielding warrior in the video game movie D.O.A.: Dead or Alive, had a small role in the lighter comic book movie, Zoom, appeared alongside Jason Statham and Jet Li for War in 2007, and entered a future war in Mutant Chronicles the following year. After 2009’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, the model and mother retired from acting, but has appeared in a few music videos - most recently one for her half-brother, Steve Aoki.

Benicio Del Toro (Lt. Det. Jack “Jackie Boy” Rafferty)

Miho’s most memorable kill in Sin City would have to be the crooked cop known as “Jackie Boy,” played by Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro in his comic book movie debut. Years later, he appeared in the Marvel movies as “The Collector,” whom he reprised most recently on Disney+’s What If…? in 2021. 

That same year, he re-teamed with Traffic director Steven Soderbergh for HBO Max’s No Sudden Move, and worked with Wes Anderson for the first time in The French Dispatch. Del Toro has a couple of dramas in the works (including White Lies from Oliver Stone), a comedy from writer and director Jamie Foxx called All-Star Weekend, and a Cuban Mafia biopic called The Corporation.

Rosario Dawson (Gail)

Also part of the MCU (if Netflix’s Marvel TV shows still count) is Rosario Dawson. She actually made her comic book movie debut with Josie and the Pussycats four years before playing Old Town’s Gail in Sin City. 

The “Geek Goddess” has since become especially prolific for comic book character roles, including Wonder Woman in several DC animated movies, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in The LEGO Batman Movie, Catwoman in HBO Max’s Batman: The Audio Adventures podcast, and Ava DuVernay’s upcoming DMZ series adaptation. The Dopesick cast member is is re-teaming with Kevin Smith for Clerks III and will soon lead her own Ashoka Tano TV show - a miniseries spun-off from The Mandalorian - on Disney+.

Clive Owen (Dwight McCarthy)

Gail’s lover - the mysterious, hard-nosed Dwight McCarthy - was first played in the original Sin City by Academy Award nominee Clive Owen. He has probably never played a more badass character, even though his earlier role in The Bourne Identity and later performance in Inside Man offer worthy options. 

After returning to comic book adaptations with 2017's Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and playing the enemy of two Will Smiths in 2019’s Gemini Man, the British actor reunited with his Children of Men co-star Julianne Moore for Apple TV+’s Stephen King-inspired miniseries Lisey’s Story in 2021 and, that same year, joined the Impeachment: American Crime Story cast as Bill Clinton. Owen is reportedly planning to head to France to shoot a new TV series called Monsieur Spade, on which he will play Humphrey Bogart’s famous detective character from The Maltese Falcon, Sam Spade.

Alexis Bledel (Becky)

One of the more notably younger Old Town girls is Becky, played by Alexis Bledel - who was best known at the time as Rory from the Gilmore Girls cast, and from her debut film Tuck Everlasting in 2002. This past year, she reprised her Emmy Award-winning role as Emily Malek in The Handmaid’s Tale cast for Season 4 and will reportedly reprise her character from the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies in a third installment.

Jaime King (Wendy/Goldie)

The twin sisters who led Old Town in Sin City, Wendy and Goldie, were both played by Jaime King, who would also star in another visually unique comic book movie from director Frank Miller called The Spirit. A year later, 2009’s 3-D My Bloody Valentine remake made her a bit of scream queen (further proven by her lead role on the Netflix original zombie show Black Summer). 

Of course, the model and actress is also known for lighter roles, such as Lemon Breeland in the Hart of Dixie cast or in 2018’s Ocean’s Eight as herself. King recently reunited with Bruce Willis for the 2021 action movie Out of Death and will play the title role in the upcoming assassin thriller Banshee. 

Mickey Rourke (Marv)

Moments before her untimely death at the beginning of Sin City’s first segment, Goldie captured the heart of an extremely tough, but compassionate, criminal named Marv. I would personally rank this character right underneath Mickey Rourke’s Academy Award nominated role in director Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler on a list of his strongest performances. 

After returning to comic book movies with 2010’s Iron Man 2 and the Sin City sequel in 2014, the Angel Heart star would also return to horror movies, such as the Shudder original anthology Nightmare Cinema in 2015 and upcoming titles like The Seeding and She’s Still Here alongside Dexter: New Blood cast member Jennifer Carpenter. Of course, his biggest role in recent memory would have to be on The Masked Singer Season 4 as Gremlin. 

Carla Gugino (Lucille)

Marv’s parole officer, Lucille, is played by Carla Gugino in her fourth collaboration with Spy Kids director Robert Rodriguez. She also did several comic book adaptations directed by Zack Snyder, including Watchmen as Sally Jupiter and all of his DCEU installments as the voice of the Kryptonian ship. 

The Jett star is best known lately for appearing in several projects from Mike Flanagan, including Gerald’s Game, his Haunting Collection on Netflix, and a brief cameo in the Midnight Mass cast as a judge. The Gunpowder Milkshake cast member’s next project, a TV series thriller called Leopard Skin, is now in post-production.

Elijah Wood (Kevin) 

Giving one of Sin City’s creepiest performances (without saying a word) as the cannibalistic Kevin is Elijah Wood. The former child actor became an icon as Frodo in the Lord of the Rings movies, a sitcom star with FX’s surreal American remake of Wilfred, and a horror movie actor (i.e. his inventive 2012 remake of Maniac) and producer (i.e. the brutal revenge tale Mandy from 2018 starring Nicolas Cage). 

In 2021, he played the FBI analyst to whom Ted Bundy revealed the details of his crimes in No Man of God and leant his voice to the video game Psychonauts 2. Speaking of video games, he has a movie about the dark side of video game programming called L.A. Rush in the works, along with his upcoming Toxic Avenger remake.

Nick Stahl (Yellow Bastard)

Perhaps the creepiest and undeniably grossest character in Sin City, however, is Roark Jr., otherwise known as “Yellow Bastard” due to his unique complexion, who is played by Nick Stahl. Also a former child actor who made his film debut in 1991 with Mel Gibson’s The Man Without a Face, he is best known as John Connor in 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines or as the lead of HBO’s Carnivale cast. 

In 2021, he joined the Fear the Walking Dead cast in a recurring role and made a guest appearance among the ruthless Animal Kingdom characters on the TNT drama. He is currently filming a live action adaptation of the hit anime, Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac, expected for 2023.

Josh Hartnett (The Salesman)

The first character we meet and the one who first refers to the film’s setting as “Sin City” is the mysterious, deadly “Salesman.” He is played by The Faculty cast member Josh Hartnett, who would star alongside Bruce Willis in Lucky Number Slevin in 2006. 

The following year, he appeared in a more brutal comic adaptation called 30 Days of Night and then, after an acting break, became the lead of the Penny Dreadful cast. After playing himself on Quibi’s Die Hart in 2020, Hartnett appeared in two cool 2021 thrillers (Wrath of Man and Ida Red), and is now working on the TV series The Fear Index.

There are many Sin City cast members who have, unfortunately, passed away in the years since the film was released - including Powers Boothe (Senator Roark), Michael Clarke Duncan (Manute), Rutger Hauer (Cardinal Roark), and Brittany Murphy (Shellie). However, they will forever be seen as a bright, delightful memory from an otherwise beautifully bleak and deliciously dismal masterpiece. 

I commend Blumhouse for how well they casted the new coven in The Craft: Legacy, a sequel to the 1996 cult classic about teenage witches. Also, if you ask me, Zoey Luna gave the standout performance among the four main leads in her first of many memorable feature films, I predict. In fact, I think the transgender actress has a good chance at the Marvel movies in the near future.

It was in early 2020 when Kevin Feige, in the midst of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s early stages of LGBTQ+ representation, promised that a trans character would show up in a future film. Admittedly, there are not that many transgender characters in Marvel Comics (or, at least, openly so) at this current time. However, many of the ones who do exist seem like a perfect choice as the next big movie role for Zoey Luna, who first broke into acting on the FX drama Pose and Rosario Dawsons’ short film Boundless after she was profiled in two documentaries on the subject of gender identity.

So far, Kevin Feige has not yet specified what transgender character will appear in the MCU or in which movie they will appear, which means now is our chance to do some dream-casting with Latina actress Zoey Luna as our muse this time. Keeping the range of her acting talent her cultural background in mind, I have collected five Marvel characters whom Luna is the ideal choice to play, starting with one of the publisher’s most famous names in the trans community.

Sera

There have been some reports in the past year that Loki, the upcoming Disney+ exclusive series led by Tom Hiddleston reprising Thor’s mischievous adoptive brother, may apparently be setting up to introduce this “Hevenly” sorceress into the MCU just a few years after her initial creation. Originally an Anchorite (a rare male angel born without wings), Sera eventually was [able to transition into her true sexual identity](https://transcendents.fandom.com/wiki/Sera(MarvelCharacter), with help from her lover and eventual wife Angela, Queen of Hel - Marvel’s reinterpretation of Norse goddess Aldrif Odinsdottir, who actually made her comic book debut in Image’s Spawn series by Todd MacFarlane. Since her Marvel Comics debut in 2014, Sera has been the transgender character fans have been waiting to see in the MCU and now all we are waiting for is Zoey Luna to bring her to life.

Jessie Drake

On the other hand, Zoey Luna is merely 19 years old at this time and, in the case that Sera may more likely require an older actress to portray her, we are not out of options for the actress to play just yet. In fact, the first character to openly come out as transgender in Marvel Comics was a teenage mutant named Jessie Drake, whose ability to alter her appearance and emotions based on the characteristics of others is what allowed her to officially transition from a boy to a girl. She is not a very well known X-Men character, with only four appearances in 1990s to her name thus, but putting her on the big screen with Luna in the role would be more than enough to help change that.

Firebird

There is also still plenty of room for Latino representation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Zoey Luna would be an ideal candidate to cast as one one of the comics’ many characters with said cultural background who have yet to be given the live action, big screen treatment. For instance, there is Bonita Juarez, who has been known to fight under a number of aliases, but the first (depending on the continuity you go by) and best known is Firebird - referring to the immense, bird-shaped mass of energy that she has been known to summon (possibly by her own will) after she was struck by a ball of fire that came out of the Albuquerque sky. She can also project energy at various levels of intensity, fly at high speeds, and could be immortal, which is just a step above the spells Luna would cast in The Craft.

White Tiger

That being said, another character with a mystical background more similar to Zoey Luna’s previous experience with witchcraft is Ava Ayala, who is the current holder of the White Tiger moniker (originally held by her older brother - Puerto Rican-born Hector Ayala). After her entire family was murdered, Ava was inspired to follow in her sibling’s footsteps by donning a white, feline-esque costume to fight evil with the help of a supernatural amulet that gives her extraordinary abilities such as enhanced strength and speed, animalistic instincts, and camouflage. This character’s tragic backstory alone is engaging enough to earn my interest for a future MCU installment.

Ms. America

If there is one teenage, Latina superhero whose MCU debut is more highly anticipated than any other, it would have to be America Chavez, better known as Ms. America - but not for the same reason young women on our planet earn that title. In fact, Chavez is not even a natural citizen of the main Marvel Universe, but a parallel dimension that she ran away from to be a hero in the central continuity (referred to as Earth-616), which is easy for her with an ability to fly and travel between space and time, block all lethal attacks, and be hyper-aware of the cosmos. Despite her penchant for independence, Ms. America has been known to fight alongside the Young Avengers, who have yet to be given their own movie which might be the perfect vehicle for Zoey Luna.

What do you think? Is joining the Young Avengers as Ms. America the next step for Zoey Luna, of should she debut in her own solo movie first? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information an updates on the up-and-coming actress, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting calls, here on CinemaBlend.

Netflix just saw a streaming record following the release of the Russo Brothers-produced action flick Extraction. The relentless epic starring Chris Hemsworth broke the most-watched premiere milestone earlier this month. The platform is wasting no time lining up more big names for more high-octane action, and has now enlisted L.A.’s Finest star Jessica Alba for an upcoming movie called Trigger Warning.

The Fantastic Four actress will play the lead and serve as executive producer in the action thriller being made by Netflix. Jessica Alba will play a veteran who inherits her grandfather's bar. She is faced with a “moral dilemma” after uncovering how he unexpectedly died, Variety reports.

Trigger Warning will be directed by Indonesian filmmaker Mouly Surya. Her 2017 film Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts received accolades from the Cannes Film Festival and was selected as Indonesia’s entry for Best Foreign Film for the Academy Awards. The action movie will be written by The History of Violence’s Josh Olsen and The Game’s John Brancato.

Jessica Alba has been busy working on various projects (including her own brand The Honest Company), but it’d be exciting to see the actress take on a high-profile movie role years after her notable appearances in the Sin City and Fantastic Four films. She has recently been back in action for Spectrum’s Bad Boys spinoff series L.A.’s Finest alongside Gabrielle Union.

The movie could be the beginning of a Netflix franchise for the 39-year-old actress if it does well among the streaming audience. The studio has announced a slew of exciting projects from big names this month, including a post-apocalyptic thriller starring Blake Lively called Dark Days of Magna Carta. It’s also expected to be a franchise vehicle for Lively.

Netflix’s success with Extraction has also resulted in a sequel deal already in the works. Another heavy-hitter for the platform this year was Spenser Confidential starring Mark Wahlberg. This week, the actor also signed to another Netflix movie called Our Man In New Jersey, which will be about a blue collar spy.

In addition to Trigger Warning, Jessica Alba will be hosting a Disney+ documentary series called Parenting Without Borders. It's a travel show where Alba immerses herself in the lives of families from around the world and discusses various parenting beliefs. Alba is the mother of three children with her husband Cash Warren, who are aged 16, 12 and 9.

Netflix is bringing in more star power everyday. The streaming service’s next high-profile releases include The Lovebirds starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae, Space Force starring Steve Carell and the streaming debut of Uncut Gems. Be sure to check out what else is coming to the site in May, as well as our 2020 release schedule.

Things had been looking positive for the upcoming action drama L.A.'s Finest, a televised offshoot of the Bad Boys film franchise. Set for a mid-May debut, L.A.'s Finest actually had to shut down production this week after a fairly major on-set vehicular accident resulted in multiple injuries.

The accident, which was confirmed by the Los Angeles Port Police, occurred on Thursday afternoon around Warehouse One at the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro. According to Deadline, a scene was being filmed where a stunt car had to crash into a cargo crate, but the crash was more destructive than everyone was expecting.

After the car hit the crate as planned, the crash then continued on into video-viewing station that was set up behind the crate. This was the area where video monitors were placed for the producers and directors to view filming and footage on the day, and it sounds like there were at least a few people back there when the crash occurred.

According to Los Angeles Port Police authority Lt. Philip Heem:

Both of the injured parties, which were unidentified at the time of this writing, were taken to hospitals by ambulance. One of them went to San Pedro Peninsula, while the other was transported to Harbor UCLA; one of them was reportedly released from the hospital on Thursday evening. Philip Heem also confirmed that OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) was informed about the accident. It's likely that an investigation of some kind is to follow shortly.

The L.A.'s Finest production was reportedly planned to continue through Friday, and was possibly set to wrap over the weekend. However, filming was shut down after the accident happened, and it's currently unclear when filming will resume.

This is the just latest publicized on-set accident at a time when the industry is started to get viewed more judiciously over the workplace safety of stunt professionals. The issue really got put under the large-scale microscope for the tragic death on the set of the unfinished Gregg Allman biopic Midnight Rider, but television shows such as The Walking Dead and Power have both had members of their stunt crew die after accidents that occurred during production.

L.A.'s Finest, which would be the first high-profile release for Charter Communications' Spectrum cable service, features Bad Boys star Gabrielle Union as both a lead actress and an executive producer. Union's Syd Burnett now has her drug cartel-stopping past behind her, and is now working as an LAPD detective partnered with the well-rounded working mom Nancy McKenna, played by Jessica Alba.

Though the two partners don't have a lot in common, they're both dedicated to the job. And as time goes on, Syd starts to realize that her specific lifestyle choices may be hiding a greater truth somewhere below the surface.

You can watch the first full-length trailer for L.A.'s Finest below.

Originally set up at NBC, L.A.'s Finest is still currently set for its end-of-midseason premiere on Spectrum on Monday, May 13. The first three episodes will be available to subscribers on Spectrum's On Demand service, and new episodes will release every Monday thereafter.

A Bad Boys spinoff for the small screen has been in the works ever since October 2017, and the show originally got an order for a pilot at NBC, but NBC dropped the pilot back in May. The good news for folks who had been looking forward to seeing the Bad Boys world get the TV treatment was that production company Sony Pictures Television decided to shop the project around for a new home. Now, the show -- called L.A.'s Finest and starring Bad Boys 2 alum Gabrielle Union and franchise newcomer Jessica Alba -- has a U.S. home, and it will be streaming.

L.A.'s Finest will premiere exclusively on Spectrum and marks the first major series order for Spectrum Original Content, from Charter Communications. The deal marks a content partnership between Spectrum and Sony Pictures Television that will provide Spectrum customers with "dynamic, authentic and unique programming," driving "value for their Spectrum subscription," according to Senior Vice President, Head of Original Content, Charter Communications Katherine Pope. The news comes after Charter's announcement last year that it was looking for partnerships for co-financing and developing original series to be available for Spectrum customers before release on other platforms.

Details are still scarce about when L.A.'s Finest will premiere on Spectrum, but we have an idea of how many episodes will comprise the first season thanks to a deal between Sony Pictures and Bell Media for Canadian distribution. When that deal was announced on June 1, it was established that the first season will run for 13 episodes, each of which will run for one hour.

In case you'r'e not up on all the details of what to expect from L.A.'s Finest, here's what you need to know. The project will follow Gabrielle Union's Syd Burnett, who made her Bad Boys franchise debut back in 2003 as a player in Bad Boys 2. Her life has changed drastically in the last 15 years after taking down the drug cartel in Miami. By the time L.A.'s Finest kicks off, Syd has decided to leave her complicated past in her rearview mirror and move to L.A. to take a job as an LAPD detective. She enjoys a more fun-filled life in Los Angeles than the one she left behind, but not everything is as carefree as she strives to show. She'll have to consider whether her new lifestyle functions to mask a personal secret.

By Syd's side will be her new LAPD parter Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), who is quite different from Syd, although she does also have a past with a lot of leftover complications. Nancy is a single mom who doesn't agree with Syd on a lot of issues, but they'll have to work together if they're going to take down the most dangerous bad guys L.A. has to offer.

Only time will tell how L.A.'s Finest will compare to the two Bad Boys movies. For what you can watch while we wait for more news on L.A.'sFinest, check out our summer TV premiere guide. If streaming is more your style, swing by our Netflix premiere schedule and our Amazon Prime rundown.

A number TV reboots, remakes, and sequels to feature films have hit the airwaves in recent years, and some have been more successful than others. NBC had a sequel to Bad Boys in the works that had the potential to win a big audience, as it was slated to star Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba. Sadly for TV fans already looking forward to seeing what the Bad Boys spinoff had in store for the small screen, NBC ultimately decided to pass on the pilot, and that could have been the end of the project altogether. Now, the spinoff has been picked up by another outlet, and not just for a pilot. The Bad Boys spinoff is officially happening.

The spinoff will be called L.A.'s Finest and star Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba, both of whom apparently decided to stick with the project despite losing the support of NBC. Canadian broadcaster Bell Media finalized a deal with production studio Sony Pictures Television that will bring L.A.'s Finest to one of its specialty entertainment channels. The series has received an order for 13 episodes at this point. Deadline reports that Sony is in talks with with Charter Communications to pick up the series as the U.S. home in the wake of NBC's passing on the project. Details as to why NBC ultimately decided to pass on a high-profile project with a potential built-in audience are scarce, but it's possible that the $12 million price tag for the pilot alone was a problem for the Peacock Network.

L.A.'s Finest is hardly the first show to be rescued after cancellation from its original outlet. In fact, it's not even the first show of the last few weeks. Fox sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine was picked up by NBC, of all places. The pickup of the Bad Boys spinoff is good news, although American audiences still have to wait and discover if and when the show will make it to U.S. markets. Still, progress is progress!

The Bad Boys sequel spinoff will see Gabrielle Union reprising her role as Syd Burnett, which she originated back in 2003's Bad Boys II. By the time L.A.'s Finest picks up, Syd has left her life in Miami in favor of becoming an LAPD detective. Her more fun-filled life in Los Angeles conceals a personal secret that she definitely does not want getting out, which is complicated when her new LAPD partner Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba) gets an idea that Syd isn't all that she sees. A single mom with a complicated past of her own, Nancy is about as different from Syd as can be, but they're united in their drive to take down the worst criminals that L.A. has to offer. The show will combine character development with action.

No timeline has yet been released about when the first season will get into gear, so there's no saying at this point when L.A.'s Finest will hit the airwaves. In the meantime, check out our summer TV premiere guide and 2018 Netflix schedule for your upcoming viewing options.

It's been an especially brutal week for TV fans. Networks are cleaning house, with shows dropping like flies all over the place. Shows like Designated Survivor, Last Man on Earth, Lucifer, Quantico, Inhumans, and Rise have all faced the chopping block -- not to even mention the emotional roller coaster that's been Brooklyn Nine-Nine. It's been an exhausting few days but perhaps one of the biggest surprises is the news that NBC has opted not to move forward with the Bad Boys spin-off project, L.A.'s Finest.

According to Deadline, NBC has decided to pass on L.A.'s Finest, the TV spin-off of the Will Smith and Martin Lawrence-starring Bad Boys movie franchise. No real reason is given for why NBC has decided to let the project go, but Deadline speculates that's a mix of creative and business decisions, as NBC is in negotiations with SonyTV on three other projects. The price of the pilot was likely another contributing factor. The budget for the pilot of L.A.'s Finest was rumored to be at $25-16 million, making it one of the most expensive pilots on the season. The producers are apparently fielding the project to other networks.

The news is still fairly shocking though, considering the talent alone that was involved with the pilot. The show would have been lead by Bad Boys star Gabrielle Union and fellow movie star Jessica Alba, making this the rare broadcast action drama led by two women. The project follows Special Agent Syd Burnett (Union, reprising her role) as she moves to Los Angeles and joins the LAPD. The free-spirited Burnett is partnered with Nancy McKenna (Alba), a working mom who can't help but be a little envious of Burnett. The two have totally different personalities and lifestyles, but that just makes for a better action heavy buddy-cop show.

This marks just the latest Bad Boys project that can't get off the ground. Bad Boys 3 has been in development hell for years now, with a seemingly never-ending list of directors and writers attempting to tackle the project, with Adil El Arbi and Bilal Fallah being just the latest names attached. That film seems to be picking up steam, with a synopsis having recently leaked, but it's unclear if L.A.'s Finest will be able to do the same yet.

It's been a rough few days for TV fans, but there are still plenty more shows that are up in the air right now. Be sure to keep checking back in with CinemaBlend and we will keep you updated on all the latest cancellation news. To find out which broadcast shows have already gotten the ax, here's a list of the currently cancelled shows from the last few days.

It has been months since NBC announced it would produce a TV series spin-off to the popular Bad Boys movie franchise. Since the announcement, the series has not been given an official title. After months of trying out quite a few, NBC has finally unveiled its name. The drama starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba will be called LA's Finest.

Deadline shared the news of the Bad Boys' spin-off's official title. LA's Finest is still in the pilot stages, but early buzz indicates it is a confident bet for NBC's fall schedule. The official pick-up announcement may not be made until the network's upfront presentation in May. It's around this time when most of the networks officially announce their schedule for the upcoming broadcast season. LA's Finest receiving an early green light is not entirely out of the question; may is just a month away.

LA's Finest will focus on Gabrielle Union's character from Bad Boys II, Special Agent Sydney "Syd" Burnett. The NBC show will pick up with Syd (Gabrielle Union) as she is making the move from DEA agent to LAPD detective. Before long, she is partnered with Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba), whose life is a lot different than Syd's. Nancy is a working mom. While they do not share their lifestyles in common, both women share that they are the best at what they do.

Bringing Gabrielle Union's character Syd in offers a crucial touchstone to the Bad Boys franchise. Union is not the only Bad Boys cast member returning for the TV show. Instagram posts by the cast indicate John Salley will star in the series. IMDB has not added a credit for him though. If Salley stars, he would presumably reprise his role as Fletcher, an expert computer hacker from both movies. New to Bad Boys cannon is Jessica Alba's character.

There is no word if Will Smith or Martin Lawrence will do a cameo as their Bad Boys characters in LA's Finest. It would be an incredibly cool treat for fans, who have been waiting for 15 years and counting, for a sequel to Bad Boys II. Fans had to wait eight years after the original film's release in 1995 for Bad Boys II to arrive in 2013.

LA's Finest marks Gabrielle Union's first live-action TV series, since Being Mary Jane. In the fall of 2017, BET announced that the popular drama would end with Season 5. A two-hour movie is set to conclude the story. No exact air date has been announced for the TV movie. All that's known is that it is set to premiere sometime this year.

LA's Finest also marks a return to television for Gabrielle Union's co-star Jessica Alba. Alba has not starred on a TV show since she guest starred on Barely Famous in 2015. The same year she starred in the miniseries spoof The Spoils of Babylon. Alba rose to fame playing Maya Graham in the great 90's TV series Flipper, before her role in the FOX drama Dark Angel took her to the next level.

If it is picked up, and it is highly likely it will be; LA's Finest could premiere on NBC as early as the fall of 2018. For more info on other TV shows that are coming up on NBC, check out our guides to TV's midseason and summer premieres.

For the first time since her guest-starring role in VH1's Barely Famous, Jessica Alba is headed to a television series. Not just any television series, however, as the actress is joining NBC as it continues to develop its pilot for a spinoff based on the Bad Boys film franchise. Alba will join the pilot as Nancy McKenna and star in the potential series alongside Gabrielle Union in what is beginning to become a star-studded affair.

Jessica Alba's Nancy McKenna is new to the Bad Boys franchise, and will play the partner to Gabrielle Union's Syd Burnett, who is not. McKenna is an Army veteran who enlisted fresh out of high school and spent a majority of her military service in the Afghanistan and Iraq war. McKenna wasn't allowed to serve in combat over there, so she joined the military police in an attempt to get closer to the action. When the story joins her, she's working as an LAPD detective and Syd's partner as and raising two pre-teen sons with her husband.

Variety reports Jessica Alba also joined the pilot as an executive producer. She'll be joined by the project's writers Brandon Sonnier and Brandon Margolis, and producer of the Bad Boys films Jerry Bruckheimer. Gabrielle Union is not listed as an executive producer on the potential series, but is one of the franchise's carryover characters and star as Syd Burnett. In the films, Syd was the sister of Marcus Burnett, and was also played by Union. The series will see Syd ship off from Miami and head to L.A. to enter the world of law enforcement there, and hopefully bring some bad guys to justice.

NBC's Bad Boys spinoff pilot already had a positive chance of getting a series order due to its name recognition and Gabrielle Union, and Jessica Alba may have just made this a sure thing. With Alba set to star in the project, this could be the first television series the actress has starred in since her breakout role in the early 2000s series Dark Angel. Alba has managed to lead a successful film career since then, but with her roles in projects beginning to slow down, now might be the perfect time for the actress to have a long stint on network television.

The Bad Boys pilot is still in development, so no release date or series order has been planned as of yet. For a look at what television has been confirmed to air in 2018 so far, head on over to our midseason premiere guide. For more on Jessica Alba and what she's been up to as of late, check out this picture she snapped of herself breastfeeding in a Target dressing room.

Jessica Alba is going to feed her baby wherever she wants, whenever she wants. And she's not afraid to share a photo of the occasion on social media. While shopping at Target, the Sin City actress had to take a moment to feed her son, Hayes. In the process, she decided to document the feeding live.

The snapshot, which was taken from Jessica Alba's Instagram story, is a raw, humorous moment from the everyday life of the celebrity mom. It's one that notably highlights her "tired eyes," along with some filters and various emojis, as she does what she needs to do for her infant child. As someone who likes to the make the mundane trials of motherhood public, this photo is part of Alba's ongoing photo journey of showing the day and life of a mother. Sometimes, that involves sitting down and breastfeeding your son in the Target dressing room, and Alba is happy to fill us all in on those little occasions.

Hayes is the very new addition to Jessica Alba's life. She gave birth to little one on New Year's Eve, just barely making the cutoff for being a 2017 baby. He is the third child of Alba. The Fantastic Four actress is also the mother of nine-year-old Honor and six-year-old Haven. She shares these children with her husband, film producer Cash Warren. They were married back in 2008, with their ten year anniversary arriving in May.

Since becoming a mother, Alba founded The Honest Company in 2011, a mission-baby company that strives to provide safe and effective products for babies and personal care. A few years ago, it was the source of controversy over a major lawsuit, which she considered "baseless" and "without merit." It was settled not long after for $1.55 million. That said, the company found itself in a second lawsuit battle just last year, for similar reasons. Alba also founded the company Honest Beauty, which focuses on providing safe beauty products. She continues to promote the company on her social media, alongside her mommy mishaps.

As an actress, Jessica Alba was last seen in the Netflix comedy El Camino Christmas, which was released during the holidays. She currently doesn't have anything else scheduled at the moment, though considering she just gave birth, it's perfectly understandable if she needs to take some time before she gets back into the swing of things. With that said, it appears Alba is perfectly willing to let the world know about how things are going online. So, even if you can't see her in any upcoming movies, fans should feel comforted that they can keep up with her at any old time via social media.

2011's The Mechanic may have been lost somewhere in Jason Statham's endless parade of action movies, but that hasn't stopped a sequel from being made. The trailer for Mechanic: Resurrection has reminded us of one thing, however. Those Jason Statham action movies are fun. This one looks to be a very enjoyable action film with some of our favorite actors along for the ride. Check it out.

If you don't remember The Mechanic all that well, and you'd be forgiven if that's the case, Jason Statham stars as Arthur Bishop. Bishop is a professional assassin who's specialty is taking people out in a way that makes it look like an accident, suicide, or really anything other than a professional hit. In Mechanic: Resurrection, our hero has retired from the life, but is forced back in by people who want him to perform some key assassinations for them. In order to convince him to do the jobs, they've kidnapped his girlfriend, played by Jessica Alba. Not before she has a chance to don a bikini of course, in case you were worried about that.

It's certainly not the most original setup for a movie, but does it matter? We're not here for original concepts. We're here to see Jason Statham beat the crap out of people, and enjoy elaborate assassination set pieces that hopefully involve explosions. We get to meet at least one of these assassination targets in the trailer as well. He's played by Tommy Lee Jones, who looks like...actually, we're not sure what he looks like. He looks ridiculous, but we mean that in the nicest way possible.

The movie theaters used to be packed full of this simple style of action movie but it feels like it's been missing for awhile. In recent years, Jason Statham's career has been focused on being part of the Expendables ensemble, and more recently the Fast & Furious team, so he's had less time to shine on his own in this classic action formula.

We're excited to have Jason Statham back doing what he does best. What do you think? Is Mechanic: Resurrection the action movie you've been waiting for, or is it a formula that's past its prime? Let us know in the comments.

Ah, Halloween, where we all get to embrace our inner weirdo and express our hidden desires to be someone or something else, if even only for a night. Us normals aren’t the only ones fond of this annual practice, and even folks who make a living pretending to be other people want to get in on the action. To celebrate the season of Jack-O-Lanters, wart-nosed witches, black cats, and skeletons, we’ve compiled a collection of some of the best celebrity costumes. There are a few doozies, so let us know which is your favorite in the comments below.

Nicki Minaj As A Fairy Princess

Jessica Alba As Romy From Romy And Michele’s High School Reunion

Robert Downey Jr. As Tigger From Winnie The Pooh

Justin Bieber As Jackie Moon From Semi-Pro

Ariana Grande As A Cow

Miley Cyrus As A Pot-Smoking Cinderella

Rihanna As A Sexy Ninja Turtle

Channing Tatum As Winnie The Pooh

Channing Tatum And Wife Jenna Dewan As Cats In The Hat

Kevin Durant As Martin Lawrence In Blue Streak

Chrissy Teigen As Guy Fieri

Josh Duhamel And Fergie As Karl Lagerfeld And Choupette

The Today Show Cast As Peanuts Characters

John Stamos And Josh Peck As Devils

Kourtney Kardashian As Wonder Woman

Ellen DeGeneres As “The Other” Kardashian Sister

Miranda Kerr As Marilyn Monroe

Neil Patrick Harris And Family In A Galaxy Far, Far Away

If it isn’t already in existence, I think there should be a clause in every actor’s agency contract that they must inevitably appear in a Jason Blum production, as established performers provide his films with more legitimacy when things go weird. One of the latest on the Blumhouse Productions slate is the religious cult horror The Veil, and Jessica Alba is in negotiations to join the previously cast Thomas Jane. Beauty and brawn tend to go well in horror films, but this doesn’t sound like a flick that will be utilizing either of those traits.

Universal will be distributing The Veil, in which Alba will play a documentary filmmaker who travels to a compound formerly used by a group that called themselves Heaven’s Veil. All of the cult’s members simultaneously committed suicide, leaving behind only a five-year-old girl. As an adult, the survivor will accompany Alba back to the compound, where they will uncover some kind of a terrifying secret. No word yet on what kind of role Jane will be playing.

I’m hoping they find ten arks of the covenant that melt everyone’s faces, but I’m guessing it’ll have more to do with either an end of days message, or something closer to the Heaven’s Gate cult led by Marshall Applewhite. No one is counting out comet-following UFOs in a Blumhouse movie.

There’s also no word on whether this will be a traditionally shot film or if the documentary aspect means that the found-footage tactic will be used, but I’m really hoping it doesn’t go that route. Either way, this is the first genre film for director Phil Joanou, whose last feature was 2006’s juvie football drama Gridiron Gang. The script was written by Robert Ben Garant (Reno 911), who is laying down a thriller scripting side career away from his Night at the Museum comedic writing partner Thomas Lennon. (He also has Universal and Kevin Greutert’s Jessabelle coming out in August.) Joanou and Garant are not the most obvious choices for The Veil, but I’m all for surprise.

Alba hasn’t had a lot of luck with darker material in the past, but she has a slew of films coming out over the next year that should reestablish her with audiences, after taking much of the last few years to spend time with family. She was great in Funny or Die and IFC’s recent faux historical epic The Spoils of Babylon, and will have a chance to pull off more comedic moves in Joe Carnahan’s action comedy Stretch and Kyle Newman’s Barely Lethal. She also has the poetry-themed rom-com How to Make Love Like an Englishman and Robert Rodriguez’s much-anticipated sequel Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.

Expect more casting soon, as the film is looking for an April production, according to THR. One of the more exciting aspects of this project is Joanou’s last production was actually the gritty short film Punisher: Dirty Laundry, with Jane reprising the muscled mountain. It was a reminder of how effective the director is, and you can see it below.

A couple of months ago, we learned that Will Ferrell, frequent partner in crime Adam McKay, and several other Funny or Die guys were bringing an original series to IFC called The Spoils of Babylon. The parody of a television miniseries could potentially make a big impact for the little network and very well may, thanks to the all-star cast that has now signed on for The Spoils of Babylon.

The show has been greenlighted for six episodes at the network and will follow a fake book written by fake author Eric Jonrosh (Ferrell). The story will span multiple generations in the oil industry, also looking at multiple locations, from New York City to Texas. Because it will follow so many different storylines over different time periods, a large ensemble cast will be needed and on Monday, IFC announced a few of the names involved with the production. Tim Robbins, Kristen Wiig, Michael Sheen, Tobey Maguire, Haley Joel Osment, Jessica Alba, Val Kilmer, Steve Tom and Ferrell are all signed on to participate in the short series. You can read more about the The Spoils of Babylon, straight from IFC, below.

Production on the series actually began yesterday in Los Angeles, and The Spoils of Babylon is set for a 2014 premiere. With all of the talent involved in the series as well as a wild premise, the show should have no trouble attracting attention for IFC. Hopefully, it can even manage to find a broader audience than the network’s niche program, Portlandia, and will be able to put IFC on the map. We’ll let you know when IFC’s newest mini gets an official premiere date at the network.

Everyday, Twitter users collectively send a stupid number of angry, aggressive and mean-spirited tweets to celebrities. I’m not sure why so many people find said activity to be an acceptable use of time, but regardless, it does happen and thanks to Jimmy Kimmel, it’s now an incredible source of entertainment for everyone.

Rather than getting upset about the comments, Kimmel decided last year to bring together as many celebrities as he could to read a vicious tweet they’d received. The segment was hysterical, and it wound up getting such a good response he’s brought it back three more times. This week was the latest installment, and the new version features a wide assortment of famous faces including Jessica Alba, Jessica Simpson, Kid Rock and Julie Bowen.

Some celebrities think the best way to deal with Twitter criticism is to retweet the comments, but more often than not, that only adds fuel to the fire. This, on the other hand, is a great way to own the hate in a good-natured manner without seeming desperate or jilted.

Kimmel has many talents, but one of them is most definitely dealing with tricky subjects without coming across as mean. His Lie Witness News segments always come off like they’re in good fun and Mean Tweets definitely treads over the same ground. Here's to hoping the show does it again.

The number of A.C.O.D.s (Adult Children of Divorce) out there in the world is probably pretty sizeable, and gathering them all in one room would probably lead to a plethora of difficult and emotional conversations. We’ll be sharing a theater with two of them soon, but luckily it’s just Adam Scott and Clark Duke.

The popular Sundance film A.C.O.D. has found its distributors in The Film Arcade and Paramount Home Media Distribution. Deadline reports The Film Arcade will handle all the North American theatrical duties while Paramount will handle international theatrical rights, as well as the Blu-ray, VOD and TV licensing. It seems like this all-star cast would have attracted more buyers by now, but maybe they’re aiming more towards a holiday release, seeing as how this is basically a (dysfunctional) family movie at its core.

A.C.O.D. is the debut feature for Stuart Zicherman, who co-wrote the script with ex-Daily Show writer/producer Ben Karlin. The films finds laughs in the life of Carter (Scott), the titular child of divorce, whose normal life with a good job and a good girlfriend (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is disrupted when his younger brother (Clark Duke) gets engaged. This means Carter is forced to reunite with his bitter parents, played by Richard Jenkins and Catherine O’Hara, and all the emotional problems of his childhood rear their figurative heads as well. Also starring in the film are Jane Lynch, Amy Poehler and Jessica Alba, who will we expect to be the weakest link in this comedian-filled cast.

“A.C.O.D. is one of the funniest Sundance films we’ve seen and the audience at its premiere laughed the whole way through,” wrote partners from The Film Arcade. “Stu and his incredible cast have shown us that divorce hurts until you laugh. We look forward to bringing this entertaining film to audiences and adding ‘A.C.O.D.’ to the pop-culture lexicon.”

Unfortunately, no release date was mentioned, but as soon as it finds one, we’ll let you know. Assuming we’re still together that is.

Jessica Alba finally figured out how to help sell tickets – lots and lots of tickets – to her upcoming movies: Tell the press that she’ll be dancing, likely in skin-tight stripper pants, then sit back and watch the men knock each other over en route to the ticket window.

That’s the tactic Alba’s taking with regards to Robert Rodriguez’s Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, which the directing is cobbling together as we speak. You’ll likely remember that Alba played kind-hearted stripper Nancy Callahan in the original film. And the image of Alba decked head-to-boot-heel in black leather was a dominant theme of the movie’s marketing campaign. What’s that? You need a refresher course? OK, fine. Don’t ever say we didn’t do anything for you:

So Alba spoke to Vulture at the Sundance Film Festival recently and opened up about her preparations for the sequel. It’s going to include more dancing. And more bizarre moves. Here’s Alba:

The perfect tease. Now you just have to wait for Oct. 4, when Rodriguez plans to have his Sin City sequel in theaters. Alba will be joined by Bruce Willis, Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson, as well as franchise newcomers like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Josh Brolin and Ray Liotta. Ideal casting. Let’s hope very few of them wind up dancing, though. That would be a sin.

Pretty much as soon as Grindhouse his theaters, Robert Rodriguez was pushing to make a movie based on one of that film's fake trailers, the Danny Trejo-starring Machete. I was skeptical the entire time that he would ever make it happen, and now even years after Machete really did hit theaters, it seems almost impossible that it actually existed. Improbable as it is, Machete did well enough for Rodriguez that he's ready to make its sequel, and unlike all the other projects he's promised over the years, the sequel Machete Kills is gearing up to start production this spring, with financing in place and everything.

Obviously Danny Trejo is returning in the titular role, but he won't be the only returning cast member it seems. Bloody Disgusting reports that both Jessica Alba and Michelle Rodriguez are looking to reprise their roles, Alba as the immigration agent who starts up a romance with Machete and gives him a green card, and Rodriguez as the rebel leader Luz, a.k.a. She, who helps him in his fight against the bad guys. Both characters make sense to return for the next adventure, though it's unclear where they might fit into the story, which finds Machete working with the U.S. government to take down a Mexican drug cartel leader. There are also still plans to round out the trilogy with Machete Kills Again, which Rodriguez has said will take the hero to space, but I guess we should just tackle the sequel before getting ahead of ourselves.

With Alba and Rodriguez on board, will Lindsay Lohan be the next one to reprise her role? Is there anyone else you'd like to see sign on this time? Let us know in the comments

Half the fun of going to see a new installment of the Meet the Parents franchise is getting to hang out with the families you’ve grown to love over the past few years, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more crazy characters. She isn’t a Focker or a Byrnes, but in Little Fockers, Jessica Alba steps in as series newcomer Andi Garcia.

Andi is a peppy drug company rep who asks Greg (Ben Stiller) to represent their latest product, Sustengo, an erectile dysfunction medication. The promotional campaign kicks off and Andi gets a little too close for comfort. When a chance meeting in a hospital results in Andi and Pam (Teri Polo) meeting face-to-face, Jack (Robert De Niro) grows increasingly concerned that Greg may not be a faithful husband and unworthy of the title “The Godfocker.”

This is a big production for Alba not only because she stars alongside some of the greats like De Niro and Dustin Hoffman, but also because this is her first attempt at slapstick comedy. Alba spilled on everything from face planting in an empty pool with Stiller to what it’s like being the new recruit on set and even addressed that whole debacle caused by comments she made about screenwriting.

Your character is so bubbly. When you went to work each day, was that something to look forward to or was it ever a drag having to pretend to be that excited?

Jessica Alba: Well, I was taking meth and speed and shooting Red Bulls. I was snorting it actually. No, I’m kidding. No I’m not. Yes I am. [Laughs] No, it was great because no matter what mood I was in, she was so enthusiastic and so happy and excited that it was nice. It turned every day into a funny, silly day. And also, I was kind of the joker, so I just got to make people laugh. If I could just make people giggle, that was fun. It was very satisfying.

As a married woman, what do you think about Ben Stiller’s character’s interaction with yours? Did he cross the line?

Not at all and I don’t think my character was trying to maliciously do anything. She wasn’t manipulative, she wasn’t malicious and I think that’s what made it so great was that she was just having fun and she was just in the moment and she wasn’t really trying to screw anything up. She was just a big fan, she just loves her job so much and she has no filter, she really doesn’t have any boundaries and she’s completely unedited and not self aware. She’s just a ball of fun, so it was fun playing somebody like that because it was very liberating. I might be a little bit of a control freak in my real life. Maybe.

How comfortable were you on set as the newcomer?

And it’s not like they had fruitful careers prior to this movie either, huh? [Laughs] It’s certainly a pretty intimidating group of actors, icons, my heroes and an incredible franchise and they do all know each other and they’ve known each other for so long that it’s almost so scary and intimidating, you kind of just have to let it go and just have fun and that’s exactly what I did.

What kind of guidance did Paul Weitz give you in terms of your character, specifically when she attacked Ben Stiller?

He was really great because I would go off into the deep end so much because I did really have fun and I really was kind of a clown. I’m inspired by Lucille Ball and Peter Sellers and the National Lampoon movies in the 80s, the John Hughes movies and I love that stuff; I love slapstick. So I would go way over there and [Paul] always made sure that I kept it grounded and we would always do a more grounded, more centered take once I went off the deep end.

This is going to be the first time a lot of people see you do slapstick comedy, so what surprised you the most about doing this type of comedy? Also, can you clarify the comments you recently made about screenwriters?

Oh yeah, that wasn’t true. Just so it’s clear, films don’t even get made and nothing ever gets a green light unless there’s great material, so that goes without saying and that’s always a #1 thing before you can get a director, actors or a studio even interested in anything. There was an article written recently where I was completely and totally paraphrased and things were taken out of context and mushed together and it just simply wasn’t true. It was a four-hour interview that got condensed into a page and a half for a fashion magazine.

So, that’s just not true and I have the utmost respect for screenwriters and in fact, the point of it was even when I was doing my first job where I was talking to dolphins in The New Adventures of Flipper when I was 13 – it was a fake dolphin, we had a great relationship [laughs] - when he would go off script, the dolphin, I didn’t know how to. He would squeak and I couldn’t squeak back. It took me like 15 years to learn to do that and lots of therapy. So, basically I was saying that I didn’t have the courage and didn’t really understand how to bring my own thing to the table and I would never veer away from the script, ever, no matter what. Even when actors would go off book, I didn’t know what to say. And in this, it’s encouraged. Once you got it and you say exactly what’s in the script, then it’s like, ‘Okay, we got it. It was awesome. Now let’s have fun and do something else, do something crazy.’ And so that’s what it was; it was amazing to think on your feet. I have so much respect for people who do stand up comedy, live theater, any sort of live performance. It’s hard and it’s hard when you’re on the spot and you have to have that back and fourth. It was like ‘Okay, this is Ben Stiller throwing zingers at me. I’ve got to throw them back! Oh my gosh!’ And so I just tried not to disappoint him because he was sort of the boss as well.

Did you use a stunt double for the scene where you two dive into the empty pool? That scene looked painful.

Oh! Spread eagle? All me. It was all me. I channeled my Dark Angel days. Who knew that was going to come in handy – in underwear – in a mud pit?

What do you find more challenging, the dramatic or comedic roles?

There’s definitely a vulnerability when you’re doing drama and you never know what’s going to happen next and you’re really open, but it’s the same in comedy actually. The thing about dramas, you can kind of indulge in the drama of the moment and no one’s really going to criticize you because it’s like, ‘Oh, that’s that. The angry emotion just isn’t right.’ No one’s going to say that. But if you’re not funny, that’s terrible. You know that right away. People either have the visceral reaction or they don’t and then you’re exposed and you’re open and you failed. So I think comedy might be more difficult – for me at least. But it’s fun when it works.

Just last month, Jessica Alba rubbed screenwriter John August the wrong way. August, whose resume includes Charlie’s Angels, Corpse Bride, the new Frankenweenie and more, wasn’t happy with what Alba said to Elle about film scripts. She told the magazine “Good actors never use the script unless it’s amazing writing. All the good actors I’ve worked with, they all say whatever they want to say,” and August fired back on his blog to defend his fellow writers and denounce Alba’s comments. To Alba, August said, “Following your logic, you’ve never been in a movie with both good actors and amazing writing,” and accused her of setting “dangerous expectations” for aspiring actors in suggesting they should say whatever they want to say.

While promoting Little Fockers, Alba seized the opportunity to clear the air about this issue. When asked about her comments, she began by firmly stating, “That wasn’t true.” She went on to say, “Just so it’s clear, films don’t even get made and nothing ever gets a green light unless there’s great material,” and added, “that’s always a #1 thing before you can get a director, actors or a studio even interested in anything.”

From there, Alba pointed a finger at Elle. “There was an article written recently where I was completely and totally paraphrased and things were taken out of context and mushed together,” Alba explained. “It was a four-hour interview that got condensed into a page and a half for a fashion magazine.” She went on to cite her own difficulty adlibbing to exemplify the importance of good writing. “When I was doing my first job where I was talking to dolphins in The New Adventures of Flipper when I was 13 – it was a fake dolphin, we had a great relationship [laughs] - when he would go off script, the dolphin, I didn’t know how to,” she joked. “He would squeak and I couldn’t squeak back. It took me like 15 years to learn to do that - and lots of therapy.” All joking aside, Alba wrapped things up by explaining, “Basically I was saying that I didn’t have the courage and didn’t really understand how to bring my own thing to the table and I would never veer away from the script, ever, no matter what. Even when actors would go off book, I didn’t know what to say.”

It’s quite clear to see what Alba was attempting to get at with this response; she was referring to her trouble with adlibbing, but the magazine assembled her statements in a manner that suggested she thought scripts are useless. While Alba’s original intentions may have been to express this feeling in the first place, it’s hard to imagine that quote as being constructed from bits taken out of context. Perhaps the two sentences were sewn together from different parts of the interview, but if that’s how that first sentence came to be, it’s Elle that has the major issue, not Alba.

I’ll never understand Robert Rodriguez’s obsession with Jessica Alba. She shows up in nearly all of his recent movies but never seems to actually want to do any of the things he’s written for her to do in them. In Sin City she refused to be nude while playing a stripper and she now admits that she made Rodriguez change Machete for her too.

If you’ve seen Machete you know that the entire film is pretty much soaked in sex and random nudity. In the movie’s opening moments a woman literally pulls a cell phone out of her vagina. But Jessica Alba wasn’t on board with that and even though she has a semi-nude shower scene, she wasn’t actually nude while filming it, and they just CGI’d all the nudity in. That wasn’t the only change Rodriguez made to accommodate Alba. She tells Metro, “I read the script for Machete but there was a lot of sex stuff for my character and I’m really conservative. I’d say to him: ‘You know the scenes where this is happening? I just feel really uncomfortable doing that.’” The result is a movie in which Alba’s character has almost no sex stuff, in fact she’s just about the only person in the movie without any.

Machete makes up for Alba’s uptightness it with all the insanity going on around her, but you have to wonder what it might have been like if Rodriguez had cast someone more on board with his original vision, and simply done the entire thing his way.

The surprising thing about the trailer for director Michael Winterbottom’s The Killer Inside Me isn’t that Casey Affleck seems brilliant. I’ve seen The Assassination of Jesse James. I’ve seen Gone Baby Gone. I know how good Ben Affleck’s little brother can be. No the surprising thing here is that Kate Hudson is in it, and the trailer at least, seems good.

Kate Hudson hasn’t been in a good movie, an even halfway bearable movie, since Almost Famous in 2000. It’s one of the most reliable track records in Hollywood. If Kate Hudson’s in something, you know it’s going to suck. So even though the trailer seems kind of brilliant, it’s hard to believe The Killer Inside Me will be anything but terrible. Hudson has taken down bigger talents than Affleck and she’s perfectly capable of ruining a little independent film like this one. Our own Katey Rich’s review from Sundance earlier this year seems to support that notion. She called The Killer Inside Me “clichéd” and “overly familiar” and “nasty”, ranking it one of the worst movies she saw in Park City this year.

Still, there’s this seductive trailer which, looks almost as though it’s for a Coen brothers movie. The film stars Affleck as a small town sheriff’s deputy who becomes entangled with a prostitute (Jessica Alba) and in the process unleashes his own dark urges. Watch The Killer Inside Me trailer below or in HD on Apple and let us know what you think.

You’ve seen the Machete trailer they made before filming the movie, now get a look at the first Machete trailer put together afterwards. Robert Rodriguez has unveiled what he’s calling his “Illegal” trailer for Machete, so named because, somewhat unexpectedly, Machete’s getting all political.

I’m not sure this is the right format for political commentary. What happened to all the blood, guts, and boobies? Rightheaded or not Rodriguez put this trailer together and handed it over to AICN as a way of commenting on or cashing in on (you be the judge) the immigration debate raging in Arizona. You can guess which side Machete comes down on.

Except does anyone care what side he comes down on? The last thing I look for in a Machete movie is an immigration rights protest rally, but this trailer contains more than one. If you can look past that, it does some pretty badass things, seamlessly melding together footage lifted from the pre-shooting trailer with footage shot for the feature film which gives us our first look at Jessica Alba, Robert De Niro, Lindsay Lohan, Michelle Rodriguez, and Steven Seagal wielding a crazy ass Samurai sword. Click the image below to check out the trailer on AICN.

For comparison purposes, here's the Machete trailer shot for Grindhouse, before it was turned into an unexpectedly political feature film:

It was just earlier today that we reported Jessica Alba's potential participation in the comedy First Wedding, Then Marriage, in which she'd star opposite Blythe Danner. Now Variety is reporting that Alba may also be part of the cast of Little Fockers, the third movie in the Meet the Parents series-- which also stars Blythe Danner.

Coincidence? Or did someone get their wires crossed to put Alba in the other movie? All Variety is saying is that Alba will play a "key role" in the comedy, which also brings back original cast members Ben Stiller, Teri Polo, Robert DeNiro and Owen Wilson. I'm guessing there has to be some kind of plot in which Stiller's character is tempted to stray, especially given the presence of kids in his life. But I'm way more interested to see if Alba and Danner are somehow going to become the new comedic duo, starring in two movies together in a row.

When casting agents are looking for a young female lead, presumably they have dozens upon dozens of relatively famous young actresses who can star in a movie. So why do they all keep settling on Jessica Alba? According to Production Weekly's Twitter, Alba is in talks to star in First Wedding, Then Marriage, a comedy that will serve as actor Dermot Mulroney's directorial debut.

You may remember our report from last May, which announced that Christopher Walken and Blythe Danner had signed on to play the parents of a marriage counselor whose worldview is rocked when they decide to get divorced. Now, Jessica Alba has played some roles that stretch credulity-- a professional violinist in The Eye, for example-- but for some reason marriage counselor seems like the craziest of all. Not to mention the notion of Alba, the child of Mexican and French-Danish parents, playing the kid of WASP poster girl Danner and Walken. But hey, maybe this is that Hollywood magic everyone's always talking about.

Robert Rodriguez's Machete has been a strange project from the beginning. It's based on a fake trailer that ran before the little-seen Grindhouse, it stars Danny Trejo of all people, and somehow, amid all of Rodriguez's projects that he teases and then never actually makes, it's going into production this week.

Adding to the weirdness is the cast, which was confirmed this week in Variety. In addition to Trejo, the cast is a veritable grab bag of A-listers and nobodies and washed-up starlets: Robert De Niro, Jessica Alaba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Seagal, Lindsay Lohan, Cheech Marin, Don Johnson and Jeff Fahey have all taken roles in the film. How in the world all these people can possibly be part of the same project is beyond me, but I would love to be on set to see the fights about who gets the biggest trailer.