When I first heard we were getting another big-screen adaptation of Street Fighter, I wasn’t really looking forward to it. But, after seeing the epic first full trailer, I’m totally hyped. The upcoming video game adaptation has become one of my most anticipated 2026 movie schedule releases because it looks like it’s going to be a blast. Recently, Noah Centineo and 50 Cent shared some behind-the-scenes stories, including a funny moment where the Ken actor says Fiddy “punched (him) in the face.” It sounds like there were just as many shenanigans happening on set as there will be in the movie.

In a video shared on Entertainment Tonight’s official Instagram account, we get to see the infectious off-screen chemistry between three of the main cast, Challina Liang, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and Noah Centineo. As the interview begins, Centineo describes how he and the rapper-turned-actor had a bit of a mishap on set, jokingly saying:

Although everyone was laughing, the "In Da Club" performer quickly clarified the situation. Jackson added:

Not wanting to leave the long-time "Candy Shop" musician hanging out to dry, Centineo elaborated on the situation, reassuring everyone that it was an accident and his own fault. The All the Boys I’ve Loved Before actor clarified:

According to 50 Cent, he was initially concerned about his future job prospects after he punched the film's star. Centineo plays the lead fighter, Ken Masters, in the upcoming action film. Fiddy humorously remarked:

Honestly, the punch in the face is pretty par for the course, given that the Grammy-winning rapper 50 Cent is portraying Balrog, a disgraced boxer turned M. Bison’s lackey. Balrog is a character introduced in the iconic video game Street Fighter II in 1991, and it's clearly where the new movie is mostly drawing from for its character roster and lore. Interestingly, in the latest trailer, we see Balrog delivering a slow-motion punch to Centineo’s Ken. Is this the scene where that incident occurred? I have to imagine.

The new Street Fighter movie centers on the intense rivalry between Ken Masters, portrayed by Noah Centineo, and Ryu, played by Andrew Koji. They are drawn into the World Warrior Tournament by Chun-Li, depicted by Callina Liang, while also confronting a hidden conspiracy, likely orchestrated by M. Bison. The trailer offers a glimpse of the star-studded cast, including WWE superstars like Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns. Additionally, Jason Momoa portrays Blanka, and David Dastmalchian is perfectly cast as the formidable villain, M. Bison.

It’s pretty clear, mishaps aside, the cast of Street Fighter were having a blast of a time behind the scenes, and that energy seems to be perfectly translated to the screen, at least if the trailer is to be believed. I may not have been excited on first hearing about this flick, however, call me surprised because I’m looking forward to seeing this motley crew of fighters go head to head when the movie hits theaters on October 16, 2026.

The latest trailer for Street Fighter is here, and this may be premature to say, but it looks like it could be one of the best video game adaptations of 2026. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is going to be a behemoth to topple in terms of easter eggs and entertainment, but I'm already locked in after seeing a few references in this Street Fighter footage that have me absolutely beaming.

Decades after the panned 1994 movie, Street Fighter is back and paying homage to the '90s. The footage for this Legendary film that's being distributed by Paramount is packed with not just songs and references to the era, but stuff from earlier games in the franchise that are just so silly I never imagined they'd make the cut in the big screen adaptation. Here's what stood out.

Ken Destroying The Car

If there's one thing I remember the most about playing Street Fighter II growing up, it was the bonus stage where you'd get to destroy a car. It's so random compared to the fighting that happens in between, so I'm glad the movie found a way to pay homage to it in the best way possible.

Based on Chun-Li's dialogue, it sounds like Ken broke apart a car as part of some paid publicity stunt, which makes way more sense than why it ever happened in the games.

The Classic Announcer's Voice Being Spiked Into The Trailer

The music helps, but nothing gives me that feeling of being back in the '90s more than hearing Street Fighter II's announcer say "Fight", "Perfect", and "You Win" in that grainy 16-bit audio. Granted, I'm not sure if this voice will be featured in the actual Street Fighter movie, or if it's just spliced into the audio of the trailer, but I love its inclusion all the same.

The Special Moves Look Incredible

Street Fighter is an action movie, but I did have questions about whether there were plans to make the fight scenes more grounded or over-the-top, like they are in the game. This trailer delivered that answer in spades as we see scenes of Ken sending someone several feet into the air with a "Shoryuken" and Zangief getting ready to slam someone into the ground with his "Spinning Piledriver."

I also have to give a shoutout to how awesome Ryu's "Hadouken" looked, as one of the most iconic fighting game moves in video game history. This latest look hasn't answered every question I have about this upcoming movie, but I feel like I know a good deal more.

The latest Street Fighter movie revolves around longtime rivals Ken Masters (Noah Centineo) and Ryu (Andrew Koji), who are recruited by Chun-Li (Callina Liang) to participate in the World Warrior Tournament. The trailer shows glimpses of this all-star cast, which includes everyone from WWE superstars like Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns to Grammy-winning rap artist 50 Cent. Oh yeah, I can't forget actor Eric Andre, who's screaming throughout only elevates the chaos in this awesome trailer.

Street Fighter arrives in theaters on October 16th, and may just be at the top of my list of movies I'm most excited for on the 2026 movie schedule. I'm excited to see if this film lives up to the hype of that insane trailer, and I may need to up my heart medication if the whole movie is that wild.

I feel like I’ve been writing a lot about Gen X nostalgia lately, and now we know that a new Rambo movie is on the way. This time, we’re getting a prequel to the original film in the series, First Blood, called simply John Rambo. With all due respect to Sylvester Stallone, he won’t be starring as the title character because that simply would be too unbelievable, even for this franchise. In the starring role this time is Noah Centineo, and the director is Jalmari Helander (more on this exciting development below).

We don’t know a whole lot more, but we do know who will co-star with Centineo, and some hints about what's to come based on the early days of the production. Here’s everything we know.

Release Date For John Rambo

As of March 2026, there is no release date yet for John Rambo. In January 2026, Deadline reported that the movie had just begun production in Thailand, so it seems pretty unlikely that we’ll see it on the 2026 movie schedule. However, 2027 does seem pretty likely at this point.

What Is John Rambo About?

This is a big question, and right now, all that's been announced has been in the vaguest of terms. Obviously, we know this is a prequel, so it’ll take place sometime before the events of First Blood, which happened in December 1981. It’s also been hinted that this will follow the young Rambo as he becomes the soldier we know him to be in the Rambo franchise.

Furthermore, in the Deadline article, it was revealed that production on the movie has begun in Bangkok, Thailand, and that some of the announced cast members are Southeast Asian actors. Obviously, this all seems to point towards the movie being set in Vietnam, where Rambo became a killing machine during the Vietnam War.

John Rambo’s Cast

As I said in the introduction, we know that Noah Centineo will be playing the younger version of the character, before he got into trouble in First Blood. We also know who a few other cast members are, and although we don’t know what characters they are playing, we do know the names of some of the people they could be playing.

Noah Centineo

As a Gen Xer, you might suspect that I’d be wary of a younger actor like Noah Centineo (or honestly, any actor not named Stallone) taking over the iconic role, but I think he’s a great choice. The Recruit, which you can watch with a Netflix subscription, was a great show with Centineo in the lead role. He’s also got the highly anticipated Street Fighter reboot coming later this year. I think he’s a great fit for a young Rambo in Vietnam.

Yao

Yao had a big year in 2025 with an important supporting role in one of the biggest hits of the year, Sinners, where he played Bo Chow. The Malaysian actor is one of several Southeast Asian actors in the cast, but who he will play is unknown so far.

Tayme Thapthimthong

Tayme Thapthimthong was a breakout star of The White Lotus Season 3, where he played the occasionally hapless security guard Gaitok. Thapthimthong, who served in the Thai military for several years before becoming an actor, also appeared in 2025’s Alien: Earth.

Jefferson White

Fans of Yellowstone know Jefferson White as Jimmy, the newbie ranch hand, at least in the beginning of the show. He was a main cast member for the show’s entire run; one of the few who survived the murderous show. He’s also in the cast for another upcoming prequel in a popular franchise, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which hits theaters later this year.

Quincy Isaiah

Best known for his breakout role as Magic Johnson in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, Quincy Isaiah is looking to break out on the big screen in John Rambo. Like most of the others on this list, we don’t know who Isaiah is set to play, but one intriguing person from Rambo’s life in Vietnam that we do know of is Delmar Barry. Barry’s family is the one Rambo visits in the opening moments of First Blood, who we discovered died of cancer as a result of exposure to Agent Orange in the war. Could Isaiah be playing Barry? We’ll be sure to update this when we know!

Jason Tobin

Hong Kong native Jason Tobin is best known for playing the role of Young Jun on the Cinemax series Warrior (which is now available with an HBO Max subscription), and as Earl in the Fast franchise.

Jalmari Helander Is Directing

Maybe the most exciting news about John Rambo is that it will be helmed by Finnish director Jalmari Helander. Helander is responsible for Sisu and its sequel, Sisu: Road to Revenge, the latter of which was one of the best action movies of 2025. Herlander proved he really knows what he is doing with the under-appreciated Big Game, starring Samuel L. Jackson, in 2014. If you’re not familiar with his work, I highly recommend any of those three movies. I think you’ll agree that he is the perfect director for a Rambo film.

We’ll be sure to keep this updated as more news about John Rambo comes in, but we can leave it for now on a high note, as Sylvester Stallone, while he isn’t expected to be in the movie, has joined as an executive producer, which tells us that he believes in the project, and that is enough for us to have faith in it.

After years of uncertainty, the long-discussed Rambo prequel is finally moving forward and headed toward the movie release calendar. Noah Centineo is set to play a young John Rambo, but Sylvester Stallone once had a very different vision for who would wear the red headband and dog tags. Some fans may even be surprised to learn that Stallone's idea involved a major Hollywood A-lister.

Stallone, who originated the role in the iconic 80s film First Blood, has been open about stepping away from Rambo, much like he has with Rocky Balboa. In a resurfaced clip from The Tonight Show, recently shared by OutstandingScreenplays on YouTube, the action icon revealed that Centineo wasn’t his original pick to take over the character. That distinction, somewhat unexpectedly, went to Ryan Gosling. Explaining his reasoning to the late-night host, Stallone said:

It’s a pretty funny image, Gosling, of all people, running around as a pint-sized Vietnam vet. The Tulsa King star went on to explain why that passion stuck with him, adding:

That baton, however, won’t be going to Gosling, seeing that the role is set to be taken on by Noah Centineo. The Expendables veteran previously admitted he didn’t know much about Centineo personally, but he’s been open to the idea of the forthcoming Rambo prequel and what it could explore if handled the right way. As he put it, it would be “quite a challenge,” but one that could be “fantastic” if the filmmakers “hit all the marks.”

That’s no small task. The Rambo franchise has been a fixture of pop culture for nearly 50 years, and the character has only ever been played by one actor: Sylvester Stallone. But, with the man who originated the character officially stepping away and the film finally moving forward, that long-standing status quo is about to change.

With Centineo’s Rambo now officially a "go," there’s a real opportunity to explore what it actually means to become that hardened war veteran we met in First Blood. Stallone may not be directly involved, but his comments offer cautious optimism. If the prequel works, it won’t be because it replaces what the Tango & Cash star did in the original, but because it understands why Rambo mattered in the first place, long before a young Ryan Gosling ever decided to dress up as him and chase that feeling.

And, if this has you itching to revisit the action movie franchise, you’re in luck. The Rambo films are currently free to stream on Pluto TV and are among the best movies available, making it easy to jump back into the action.

A new year is upon us, with lots of exciting things to come over the next 365 days — and I’m not just talking about the 20+ sequels that are set for release on the 2026 movie calendar. We’ve got Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding date reportedly in June, and Zendaya will turn the big 3-0 in September, as she and Tom Holland plan their own nuptials.

In fact, there are quite a few former child stars who were born in 1996 and will celebrate a milestone birthday this year. Let’s take a look at some of the celebrities who will be “30, flirty and thriving” in 2026:

Zendaya

After working as a fashion model in commercials and singing for KidzBop, Zendaya kicked off her career on the Disney Channel, starring in the 2010 sitcom Shake It Up. That has blossomed into a career that’s won her two Emmys and a Golden Globe for the HBO drama Euphoria, and as she approaches her birthday on September 1, she’s got a number of projects in the works, including Dune: Part Three and The Odyssey.

Tom Holland

Also celebrating a full three decades is Zendaya’s fiancé, Tom Holland, who will have his big day on June 1. Holland transitioned to film from dance and theater in 2012, when he starred in The Impossible with Naomi Watts. He then broke big in 2016 when he made his first appearance as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. This year, he will star in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey and will be reprising his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

Hailee Steinfeld

Hailee Steinfeld had her breakthrough performance in 2010, when she starred in the Coen brothers’ True Grit and earned an Academy Award nomination. In addition to turning 30 on December 11, the Sinners star will welcome her first child with husband Josh Allen this year. The NFL star will also celebrate the big 3-0 on May 21.

Hailey Bieber

I can only imagine that self-proclaimed nepo baby Hailey Bieber (of Baldwin family fame) will do it big when she marks her 30th trip around the sun on November 22. The model, who shares a son with husband Justin Bieber, began modeling as a teenager and has become quite a successful influencer and skin care mogul.

Paul Mescal

Paul Mescal’s career has really taken off over the past few years, including his latest role in Hamnet, which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for the upcoming awards show. He’ll know whether or not he won by the time he turns 30 on February 2.

Mescal got his start in the theater before transitioning to TV in 2020 for Normal People. He will star as Paul McCartney in the upcoming Beatles movies, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event.

Normani

After coming to fame as part of Fifth Harmony, Normani will celebrate her big day on May 31, nearly a year after the release of her first solo studio album, Dopamine.

Lili Reinhart

We likely know Lili Reinhart best for portraying Betty Cooper in the teen drama Riverdale, but the actress, who will turn 30 on September 13, had roles in movies like The Good Neighbor, The Kings of Summer and even an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit before that.

Abigail Breslin

It’s crazy to think Abigail Breslin is only 30 years old, since she’s been on our screens forever. Or, maybe I should just feel incredibly old since the little girl from Signs will have a big birthday come April 14. Breslin’s career since then has included Oscar and BAFTA nominations for Little Miss Sunshine and roles in Zombieland, Scream Queens and even an episode of Grey’s Anatomy.

Dove Cameron

Another former Disney kid will celebrate three decades of life, as Dove Cameron — who got her start playing the titular dual roles on Liv and Maddie before starring in the Descendants movies as Mal — turns 30 on January 15.

Bella Hadid

Bella Hadid, who has been modeling since she was 16, will mark her 30th birthday on October 9, undoubtedly surrounded by her famous family members — including fellow model Gigi Hadid — and celebrity friends.

Skyler Gisondo

Known most recently for his role as Jimmy Olsen in 2025’s Superman, Skyler Gisondo may be best recognized as the nerdy neighbor Eric from Santa Clarita Diet. He’s compiled around 75 credits as he turns 30 on July 22, dating all the way back to episodes of Everybody Loves Raymond in 2005. This year he’ll star opposite Ariana Grande in Focker In-Law, the latest in Ben Stiller and Robert DeNiro’s Meet the Parents franchise.

Anya Taylor-Joy

Getting her acting start in her late teens, Anya Taylor-Joy has starred in projects like The Queen's Gambit — for which she won a Golden Globe — and The Menu. This year, in addition to turning 30 on April 16, she’ll reprise her role as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Three.

Florence Pugh

Florence Pugh has become quite the celebrated actress since making her debut in 2014. At 30 years old (as of January 3), Pugh has been nominated for an Oscar for Little Women with other credits including Midsommar, Don’t Worry Darling, Oppenheimer, We Live in Time, and the second and third Dune movies, to name a few. She also managed to find time to terrify people with her nipples.

Sophie Turner

It’s kind of hard to believe Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones is hitting the big 3-0 in 2026 on February 21. The HBO epic was her first screen credit, but she’s gone on to other projects and is set to star as Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider series.

Noah Centineo

Noah Centineo’s recurring role as Dallas on Austin & Ally kicked off his career with the Disney Channel in 2011. He continued with small roles with the House of Mouse until joining The Fosters in 2015 and ultimately landed the role of Peter Kavinsky in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies and the XO, Kitty spinoff. He’s also recently starred in The Recruit and has a couple of projects in the works for 2026, not including whatever is in store for his 30th birthday celebration on May 9.

There are a surprising number of celebrities hitting their milestone three-decade birthday this year. We may have known a lot of them from work they did as a child actor or teenager, but their careers will continue into their 30s. In addition to keeping your eye out for them on the big screen, be sure to also check out the 2026 TV schedule to find some of the thirty-somethings there.

Sylvester Stallone’s two major franchises appear to have both moved on without him. Stallone has walked away from playing Rocky Balboa ever again, though that franchise seems to be in the capable hands of Michael B. Jordan. Stallone’s other franchise, Rambo, also looks like it will be continuing without him, and the actor thinks that this could be a good thing as well.

It was recently reported that a Rambo prequel is currently in development, with Noah Centineo currently attached to play the young John Rambo in a Vietnam War-era story. Speaking with ET, Stallone admits to not knowing a great deal about Centineo as an actor, but he thinks the idea of a Rambo prequel has a lot of possibilities. Stallone said...

Stallone makes reference to his own idea for a Rambo prequel, which he floated a while back, though this new project isn’t related to that one in any official capacity. Stallone already had a strong vision for what a young John Rambo would have looked like, and thinks the story of a kid with incredible promise who finds himself stuck in the quagmire of Vietnam would make for a compelling narrative. Stallone described it, saying…

While the Rambo movies are, overall, a fairly traditional “one man against the world” action franchise, the first movie, First Blood, saw John Rambo as a Vietnam veteran clearly suffering from PTSD who finds himself in a new kind of warfare in the Pacific Northwest when he inadvertently runs afoul of a biased sheriff. The trauma of his war experience is clear there, so any prequel would have to show those events and how they turned Rambo into the man he became.

The most recent movie in the franchise was 2019's Rambo: Last Blood, which, despite its title, left the door open to more sequels. Last Blood wasn't a critical winner, nor was it a box office success. It doesn't seem like there's much call for another Stallone movie, but a prequel has the potential to use the franchise name to create something new.

There are a handful of specific references to Rambo’s time in Vietnam throughout the films. Stallone hopes that the prequel makes a point to really show what he calls the “madness” of the experience for Rambo, saying…

With Noah Centineo currently working on the Street Fighter movie, he’s already in Rambo shape. It’s unclear when this prequel will go into production, but whether or not Sylvester Stallone is involved, he’ll clearly be watching.

The Street Fighter franchise is getting another shot to shine in a cinematic setting following 1994’s Street Fighter and 2009’s Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li. Over the last several months, there have been various reports and rumors about the Street Fighter reboot’s cast, and now we finally have the official lineup. Even better, this announcement was made in a wonderfully nostalgic way.

The good folks over at Paramount Pictures and Legendary Entertainment put a twist on the screen where you selected your player in 1991’s Street Fighter II, one of the most successful arcade video games of all time, to unveil which actors will be featured in the next Street Fighter movie on Instagram. See for yourself by going through the slides below:

While I wish that the accompanying music could have been added, this is nonetheless an A+ effort with announcing the Street Fighter cast in a unique way. Here’s the list of the starring actors:

• Andrew Koji as Ryu
• Noah Centineo as Ken
• Callina Liang as Chun-Li
• Cody Rhodes as Guile
• Orville Peck as Vega
• 50 Cent as Balrog
• Jason Momoa as Blanka
• Vidyut Jammwal as Dhalism
• Olivier Richters as Zangief
• Hirooki Goto as E. Hinda
• David Dastmalchian as M. Bison
• Roman Reigns as Akuma
• Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki
• Eric André as Don Sauvage
• Mel Jarnson as Cammy
• Rayna Vallandingham as Juli
• Alexander Volkanovski as Joe

As mentioned earlier, some of these individuals we already knew about. It was reported in May that Koji, Momoa, Reigns and Centineo were all in talks to join Street Fighter. Word of Peck, André, Liang, Schulz, Dastmalchian, Jammwal and Rhodes’ potential involvement followed not long after. Momoa even posted a fun Aquaman-adjacent response to Schulz when he shared that he would indeed appear in Street Fighter.

In addition to the casting announcement, we also know that Street Fighter will now punch its way into theaters on October 16, 2026. The movie was previously going to be released March 20 of the same year, back when it was still set up at Sony Pictures, but it was taken off the calendar this past March. As reported by Variety, Street Fighter will be the first release in a three-year deal that sees Paramount distributing and marketing Legendary-produced movies around the world, excluding China.

With its new slot carved out on the 2026 movies schedule, Street Fighter will compete against 20th Century Studios’ Whalefall on the same opening day, and it will follow a week after the arrival of The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender. Behind the scenes, Kitao Sakurai is directing Street Fighter, and Dalan Musson reportedly wrote the latest draft of the script. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for continuing coverage.

Sylvester Stallone became one of the top draws in Hollywood in the ‘80s and ‘90s thanks to two major franchises, Rocky and Rambo. Both franchises have continued to serve the actor well into the modern era. However, Stallone had already said goodbye to the Rocky movies, and now it appears that we will have a new Rambo.

It had been previously rumored that there was interest in revitalizing the Rambo franchise via a prequel movie. It now appears that the project has taken a significant step forward. A screenplay written by Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani is set to be directed by Sisu director Jalmari Helander. More importantly, the new John Rambo has been found in a Netflix heartthrob.

Noah Centineo Will Play A Young John Rambo

According to Deadline, Noah Centineo, known well to those with a Netflix subscription for romances like To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, as well as more action-oriented series like The Recruit, is currently attached to take on the role of John Rambo. The new film is hoping to begin filming in early 2026 in Thailand, which will stand in for Vietnam.

The original John Rambo movie, titled First Blood, sees Rambo, dealing with PTSD following the Vietnam War and inadvertently crossing a small town sheriff, which leads to a standoff between the Green Beret and the local police. The new movie will tell the story, or at least part of the story, of Rambo’s time in Vietnam.

While First Blood was a more dramatic and complex story, each of the Rambo sequels that followed were more straightforward action movies. Stallone starred in the most recent entry in the franchise, the poorly-reviewed Rambo: Last Blood, in 2019. Despite the title, the movie left itself open to additional sequels.

Sylvester Stallone Reportedly Isn’t Involved In The New Film

According to the report, while Sylvester Stallone is aware of the project, he’s not involved in it in any way. It’s unclear if this is by choice or not. Stallone has indicated in the past that he doesn’t own any part of the Rocky franchise, a fact he’s unhappy about, and it appears that it directly contributed to his walking away following Creed III.

Stallone's lack of involvement is potentially interesting considering he has been one of the most vocal proponents of a Rambo prequel in recent years. Stallone himself had indicated he thought Ryan Gosling should lead future Rambo movies.

The marks the second major franchise opportunity for Noah Centineo coming up. He’ll also appear in the upcoming Street Fighter movie in the role of Ken. He had previously been attached to play He-Man in a live-action Masters of the Universe movie. That project ultimately fell through, but was later revived with Nicholas Galitzine in the lead. Ceninto also played Atom Smasher in Black Adam.

To quote the band Queen: “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” I only ask because not only am I extremely optimistic for the next Mortal Kombat movie, but after seeing the recent casting for Legendary's upcoming Street Fighter film, I’m also extremely enthusiastic for that movie as well!

And like, how did this happen? I mean, yes, I do have a soft spot for the ‘90s Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat movies, but I’m also perfectly okay with calling them “bad” (I mean, so-bad-they’re good, sure, but still “bad”). So, to think that I might get a really good Mortal Kombat movie, AND a really good Street Fighter movie in the not-too-distant future? Well, like I said before, it just doesn’t seem real.

But, while Mortal Kombat 2 has already screened (and apparently knocked it out of the park), we only really have some of the cast confirmed for this upcoming Street Fighter film. Be that as it may, I still have extremely high hopes, and I think that this might finally be the time when they get it right when it comes to a Street Fighter movie. Here’s why.

First Off, They Are Putting Dan Hibiki In This Movie, Which Means They're Going For The Deep Cuts

Look, when I initially heard that Ryu (Andrew Koji), Ken (Noah Centineo), Chun-Li (Callina Liang), Blanka (Jason Momoa), Vega (Orville Peck), Balrog (50 Cent), and Akuma (Roman Reigns) were all going to be in this film, I thought, okay, that’s cool. I mean, it all points to the movie featuring several of the series mainstays, and it gives it a Street Fighter II vibe, which makes sense since that’s the most popular game in the long-running series.

However, when news dropped that the comedian, Andrew Schulz, would be portraying the pink gi-wearing Dan Hibiki, my interest level did a Shoryuken! Because even though we have a lot of legendary (pun not intended) characters from the franchise already included, the fact that Dan has already been cast when we still don’t have anybody playing M. Bison, Zangief, or Sagat yet just tells me that the tone for this movie is going to be very interesting.

It also tells me that the movie is going to be pulling from multiple periods of the franchise, which is something that I really wanted to see with this movie. You see, Dan first debuted in the Alpha series (which makes it even clearer to me that Sagat will probably be in this film, given Dan’s history with the character).

But, I love that Dan is going to be in this movie. While he isn’t quite the “deepest cut,” as most fans of the series are familiar with the joke character, the fact that they’re putting him in the film (and that they got such a talented comedian to play him), really makes me feel like any character is fair game now.

Like, could we possibly get more lesser-known characters (to the general public, anyway), like Sean, Makoto, or Juri? Hell, could we get Final Fight characters like Guy, Cody, or Poison? Honestly, I never would have thought it possible before, but now that Dan has been cast in this film, the sky really is the limit.

Not All Of The Actors Are Super Megastars (Yet), Which I Hope Means They're Looking To Cast Who They Think Is Best For The Roles

Here’s another reason why I’m super hopeful for this movie now. So far, the biggest star is Jason Momoa, and he’s going to be playing Blanka of all characters. Blanka! (Though, I don’t know why I'm so surprised given that he’s also going to be playing Lobo).

Aside from him, the second most notable person in this film is the wrestler, Roman Reigns, who will be playing Akuma (which I’ll speak about soon). That said, the rest of the cast (so far, anyway) consists of up-and-comers like Noah Centineo and actors who've yet to reach the fame as some of the other mentioned cast members. But, that just makes me even more confident in this film.

Because I highly doubt that Akuma is going to be the main character in this movie. He might be the main villain, sure, but I’m almost positive that he won’t be the protagonist. That will likely be either Ryu or Chun-Li, who are being played by Andrew Koji and Callina Liang, respectively.

Koji is probably most known for his role as Ah Sahm from the Cinemax series, Warrior. If not there, then probably as Storm Shadow from the G.I. Joe movie, Snake Eyes. He honestly would be an awesome Ryu, and I’m happy that somebody like him was picked for the role rather than some mega celebrity.

Callina Liang is another interesting choice. So far, the Steven Soderbergh movie, Presence, might be the first time people have seen her. Either that, or as the lead role in Bad Genius, both of which came out in 2024. That said, the fact that she was chosen just makes me think that the powers that be feel she is the best choice to play Chun-Li, and if that's the case, I’m overjoyed that they could be looking to cast people who fit the parts, rather than just going for the big names. Be that as it may…

Akuma Was One Of The First Confirmed Characters For This Movie, Which May Mean He'll Play An Important Role In The Story

I’m going to be honest with you. When I first heard that Roman Reigns was going to be playing Akuma, I kind of cringed.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of Reigns as a wrestler, and I really had a hard time trying to envision him as the great demon. That said, what I did like was that Akuma was one of the first characters cast in the film, which tells me that he must be an important character in the story.

And, do you know how happy this made me? So far, we have gotten two live-action Street Fighter movies, and they both feature M. Bison as the main antagonist. I mean, this movie could, too (Shadaloo likely plays a part given that we already have Vega and Balrog in the cast), but the fact that Akuma was cast so early (and with Roman Reigns, no less!) leads me to believe that he's going to play a pivotal role in the story.

For those who don't know, Akuma has a history with Ryu and Ken, and he's constantly trying to get Ryu to embrace his evil side (known as the Satsui no Hado in the story), which creates a wonderful inner conflict for the series protagonist.

Could this be the direction that the movie is heading in? I don't know, but with Akuma in the story, it's certainly possible!

Lastly, There Are Already Two Live-Action Street Fighter Movies, So They Should Know By Now What NOT To Do

I once wrote an article on the best video game movies. And, do you know what movies DIDN'T make the list? That's right! Neither 1994's Street Fighter starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, nor the absolutely abysmal Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li.

And look, even at the time of both of their releases, I wasn't expecting either of them to be the best video game movies of all time like I'm expecting with this upcoming Elden Ring film. No. All I merely wanted out of either of them was a DECENT representation of one of my favorite video game series. And, while I've grown to like the 1994 film over the years, The Legend of Chun-Li is inexcusably bad, and there is literally nothing to like about it.

So, if I have one final reason why I'm looking forward to this movie, it's that there are already two arguably bad Street Fighter movies, so they should now know what not to do.

I think we're already seeing that they've learned their lesson by the fact that they're focusing on key characters first (Ryu, Ken, Chun, and Akuma), and aren't making Guile the main character like in the ‘94 movie, or making this some weird origin story that doesn't even include most of the series’ mainstays (but somehow features Nash, a.k.a. Charlie).

It's for all these reasons and more that I think they're finally going to get this Street Fighter movie right, whereas in the past they've failed miserably.

But, what do you think? Do you also believe that this is finally going to be the time for there to be a good Street Fighter movie? I'd love to hear your thoughts, fellow World Warriors!

Movies based on video games are hot once again as Sonic the Hedgehog and other filmshave shown studios how successful they can be. Even the reboot of Mortal Kombat was successful enough to warrant a sequel. So it was only a matter of time before the other major fighting game franchise got its own reboot, and the Street Fighter movie is looking like it might be even bigger.

One thing the Mortal Kombat movie didn’t have a lot of was star power. Karl Urban, who is appearing in the upcoming MK2 , is arguably the biggest name attached to that franchise When it comes to Street Fighter, however, Deadline reports that the reboot is eyeing some big names including Jason Momoa and the WWE’s Roman Reigns, which has my interested piqued.

Jason Momoa, Roman Reigns And More Could All Join Street Fighter

The list of stars that are reportedly in talks includes Momoa and Reigns as well as Noah Centineo and Andrew Koji. While there’s no official word on which characters these actors could play, the rumors indicate that Koji and Centineo are being considered for Ryu and Ken, respectively, two of the core characters of the franchise. It's also alleged that Reigns is being eyed for Akuma, Ken and Ryu's trainer. Momoa's supposed role is seemingly unknown but, considering how many Street Fighter characters there are, the possibilities are extensive.

“In talks” is a fairly nebulous phrase, and it means that no deal has been made and that these castings may not happen. However, those two words usually do mean that a deal is likely and thus there’s a good chance those four, big names could be part of the new film.

The Street Fighter Cast Is Looking Strong, And That's Exciting

Casting is arguably the most important part of any Street Fighter flick. Fans want to see these characters come to life, and the bigger the names being cast, the more interested people will likely be. The first Street Fighter movie, which is terrible, was primarily a vehicle for Jean-Claude Van Damme, though it also i a movie-stealing turn by Raúl Juliá, who plays the villain.

The fact that the reboot is reportedly looking at numerous big names and not just one or two stars makes this production much more exciting. While stars aren’t necessarily needed, Mortal Kombat showed that fighting games could be successfully adapted without huge names; the fact that we’re getting several indicates a movie that will be designed as an ensemble rather than a showcase for a single actor or even a single character.

Back in 2023, Talk To Me directors Danny and Michael Philippou, were announced as the directors of the Street Fighter movie. However, earlier this year, Kitao Sakurai took over as director. The shift led to the movie losing its previously set 2026 release date but, with casting discussions reportedly happening, it appears things are now moving forward.

I’m certainly looking forward to Street Fighter now more than I was. Should the rest of the cast is solid, we could really end up with something special.

The 2025 Netflix schedule plays host to a number of new and returning shows, with The Recruit having been one of them. Following a lengthy hiatus, the Noah Centineo-led dramedy returned this past January, and it was officially canceled after two seasons in March. The exact reason for the decision hasn’t formally been revealed by the streamer, as of this writing. Now, however, Centineo is now speaking out on this turn of events, and the rising actor was quite open about his show’s demise and those of others on the platform.

Noah Centino discussed the series’ demise while at the premiere of his latest film, Warfare. I’d imagine that it can’t be all that easy for an actor to experience the loss of a job. However, when addressing the matter, Centineo shared a refreshing take, one that was marked by gratitude and not exasperation. He also shared his take on Netflix’s rationale for pulling the plug and effectively landing this title on the list of canceled 2025 shows:

That’s a very mature and classy way for the To All the Boys alum to respond to the cancellation. Based on the comments that the actor shared with THR (which can be heard on TikTok), he understands that this is a business, and such situations come with the territory. Good on him for being such a professional. Despite that, though, the star’s sentiments may not cushion the blow of the show’s cancellation for potentially frustrated fans.

It was in December 2022 that The Recruit debuted for Netflix subscription holders, and it was met with much fanfare. Created by The Rookie’s Alexi Hawley, the show centers on newbie CIA lawyer Owen Hendricks. The first season sees Owen get wrapped up in an international affair after crossing paths with an imprisoned Eastern European asset. As for Season 2, Owen finds himself in an even more explosive situation revolving around South Korea.

While critics shared mostly positive reviews on both seasons of the show, one would think that viewership factored into its cancellation. It’s also interesting that Noah Centineo mentioned a “mandate” while talking about why the show was axed. While Netflix doesn’t provide specifics on analytics, it’s become well known that the streamer is quite shrewd when it comes to making renewal and cancellation decisions. What can be said is that Recruit saw highs and lows interest-wise during its run. It was one of two shows that dethroned mega hit Wednesday in the standings years ago, though it also dropped from that same Top 10 list somewhat soon amid Season 2.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t one of the many people who wished the public had more insight into Netflix’s methods. Alas, like other fans, I can only wonder and mourn the shows that are cut. As for Noah Centineo and his particular frame of mind, though, his comments give me the impression that we won’t see him crying foul about this matter or any others he might face down the road.

You can still stream both seasons of The Recruit now on Netflix, and those currently in need of something else to watch can peruse the 2025 TV schedule for fresh options.

Though network television’s May cancellation bloodbaths are still on the horizon, that doesn’t mean everything else on the small screen is guaranteed safety. Case in point: Netflix has pulled the plug on one of its higher-profile releases on the 2025 TV schedule, with Noah Centineo’s spy thriller The Recruit now going the way of the wooly mammoth. At least the axe dropped after fans got two full seasons though, which is a sentiment that creator Alexi Hawley shared in his response to the decision.

Co-Star Colton Dunn Reveals The Recruit Cancellation News

Studios, networks and streaming platforms are rarely quick and eager to go public with cancellation reports, and so it’s probably no surprise that The Recruit’s downer of an update didn’t come straight from the source, but from one of the show’s stars. Colton Dunn took to Threads to not only pass along the message, but also to amusingly cast a wide net for his next potential gig. In his words:

Understandably, hearing the bad news from one of the actors does kind of make it all the more heartbreaking, since you just know he's feeling worse about it than any of us who watched from home are. But fans still shared their shocked and disappointed comments in the comments.

In fact — and this wasn't relegated to just the comments on Dunn's post — the Recruit fanbase has made a point of pointing fingers at Gabriel Basso's The Night Agent and saying that Netflix screwed the pooch by releasing sophomore seasons for two of its core government thrillers too close together. And it presumably didn't help that Night Agent's second season didn't spark nearly the same amount of positive criticism as the first.

Fan Reactions To The Recruit's Cancellation

• This was so much better than Night Agent!!! - @poisauce
• That is so NOT okay!!! Why does @netflix cancel all the amazing shows? So, we just never have any closure. What happend to Hannah. If he grows up or quits! This makes me society level angry! Yet , we pay $25 a month for Netflix now to watch old shows they bought from other networks. Cool. Actually, it is BS! Put me in charge! - @leannlay09
• Are you effin kidding me?!?! This show is brilliant! I’m sick and tired of them sucking us in to these amazing shows and then just cutting the cord out of nowhere Netfix - @hairbyerinmichelle
• That’s a bummer. Just watched the 2nd season last week! Season 2 didn’t miss a beat and was great pacing the whole time. Good luck to all impacted. - @icemasterberry

Creator Alexi Hawley Shares Emotional And Positive Response To Cancellation

As a creative behind Nathan Fillion's beloved crime procedural Castle, Alexi Hawley has some experience with highly disappointing TV cancellations, and losing The Recruit will certainly stack up high on that last throughout his career. When the show premiered in 2022, it was popular enough to knock Wednesday out of the #1 spot, but its stay on the streamer's Top 10 list was shorter for Season 2, which no doubt influenced the execs' decision to cancel it.

Hawley jumped onto BlueSky to share a lengthy and impassioned message with both the fans who watched and the talented people who helped make the show a success for its two seasons. He shared a truncated history of the project's journey from being pitched to USA to Centineo joining and Netflix picking it up, to the first season's difficult filming schedule and the second season's easier (though strike-delayed) production.

He summed it all up by saying he would love to have the chance to continue telling stories with these characters, and by continuing to promote the series as a good time for anyone who still hasn't yet given it a shot. As he put it:

At this point, it doesn't sound like any other streaming services or network studios have stepped up to potentially pick up The Recruit for a third season, but anything can happen.

Everyone with a Netflix subscription can still watch both seasons of The Recruit now just like Alexi Hawley asked, even if those in charge may not be paying that much attention to viewership numbers anymore. Sigh.

Noah Centineo's big break in the streaming scene came with Netflix's To All the Boys I've Loved Before, followed by its two sequels, but he went in a very different for his next project for the streamer. The Recruit is an action-packed drama that quickly generated buzz with its first season in 2022, and even helped dethrone Wednesday from the #1 spot on Netflix's Top 10 that year. Season 2 released earlier in the 2025 TV schedule and placed The Recruit back on that Top 10 list, but Centineo's show has since dropped off.

I spoke with Centineo at SCAD TVfest in Atlanta this month while his show was still ranking at #3, and he opened up about so many people using their access to a Netflix subscription. The actor, who found the time to appear in XO, Kitty while filming The Recruit, shared:

I can't say that I expected Noah Centineo to cite the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event, but fans had a lot to say about the tech problems that basically – to quote The Recruit leading man – "broke the internet." While Season 2 of his show didn't quite reach internet-breaking levels of viewership, it did rank at toward the top for a time, and holding the #3 spot more than a week after going live isn't too shabby with how quickly Netflix releases content. He went on:

At the time of writing, Netflix hasn't announced a renewal or a cancellation for The Recruit, so the future remains unclear. The actor was enthusiastic about wanting to play lawyer-turned-CIA asset Owen Hendricks in a third season, though, and creator Alexi Hawley has plenty of experience with long-running shows after creating The Rookie (now in Season 7) and working as executive producer on Castle (which ran for eight seasons).

Centineo had an existing fanbase thanks to the To All the Boys franchise that he starred in opposite Lana Condor between 2018 - 2021. Given that he was receiving SCAD TVfest's Distinguished Performance Award, I asked how it feels for him to have found success in going in a completely different direction with The Recruit:

For now, it's a waiting game to find out if Centineo will get a third season of The Recruit. Season 2 did well in the weeks following its debut in January, but Netflix also has a long list of cancellations, most of which happened after shows' first or second seasons. That certainly doesn't mean The Recruit is doomed just because it hasn't been renewed yet, and Centineo expressed high hopes when speaking to press at TVfest.

And there are still two full seasons to enjoy as the wait continues. Or, if you're more in the mood for a rom-com, you can give any or all of the To All the Boys movies a shot as well.

January is coming to an end and February is just about to get underway. This means a major shake-up in the offerings of all the best streaming services and many library titles disappear from one place, possibly appear elsewhere, and an entirely new library of new content arrives.

There's always a crazy amount new on Netflix at the start of every month but this week one popular series returns for a second season. Upcoming on Disney+ we have a brand new animated series that will like have Marvel fans crawling the walls with joy.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - January 29 (Disney+)

We’re still waiting for Spider-Man: No Way Home to make it onto Disney+, but until then, basically every other Spider-Man movie and animated series ever conceived can be viewed if you have a Disney+ subscription. And now there’s one more, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is a brand new animated series that will give us a fresh take on Spidey’s early years as a wall-crawling hero who also has to navigate high school.

Paradise January 29 (Hulu)

A lot of people with a Hulu subscription got to know Sterling K. Brown on This is Us. Brown has continued to show just how great an actor he is in film and TV but rarely does he get a chance to truly lead. Hulu’s new series Paradise sees Brown play a secret service agent who joins a community of some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the world, only to become wrapped up in a sinister investigation after another member of the community is murdered.

Mythic Quest Season 4 - January 29 (Apple TV+)

In an era when so many streaming shows rarely make it past Season 1, the fact that Mythic Quest has made it to Season 4 is a pretty impressive milestone. Clearly, a lot of people with an Apple TV+ subscription have been fans of this workplace comedy set at a video game developer. The new season looks to be just as funny as ever.

The Recruit Season 2 - January 30 (Netflix)

The Recruit’s first season on Netflix got a strong response from viewers and that reaction has now translated into a second season for the show that stars Noah Centineo as a lawyer working for the CIA who becomes a field agent. It's balance of action and humor was a win the first time around. In Season 2 the action travels to South Korea.

You're Cordially Invited - January 30 (Prime Video)

Weddings are certainly stressful affairs but in You’re Cordially Invited we see just how funny that stress can be. When two destination weddings get double booked at the same location, the two groups try to coexist. Instead, chaos ensues Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon co-star in the year's first great reason to have a Prime Video subscription.

The first month of 2025 has been a solid one for streaming so one hopes that it's an indication of what is to come over the next 11 months.

The beloved To All the Boys franchise is finally continuing with the second season of XO, Kitty on Netflix's 2025 schedule. Filled to the brim with subtle TATB Easter Eggs, the spinoff series takes fans back to the Korean Independent School of Seoul for Kitty’s second semester with plenty of drama, romance, and family history. This all means Anna Cathcart is taking the lead in the franchise again as Kitty Covey, and now, the OG film's leads, Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, are gushing about their on-screen sister and her show like proud parents.

Condor and Centineo were the faces of the beloved teen rom-com trilogy as Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky. Both of them are also coincidentally promoting new projects at the same time as XO, Kitty’s release -- Condor stars in the 2025 film release, Valiant One, while Centineo is about to premiere the second season of his own Netflix show, The Recruit. So, of course, To All the Boys and XO, Kitty have been brought up during their interviews, and they couldn’t stop saying great things about it.

What Lana Condor Said About Her On-Screen Sister And XO, Kitty

Condor and Cathcart just so happened to reunite while promoting their respective projects on New York Live, and it was quite the sight to see. The two actresses could not stop waving at each other and the Lara Jean actress had quite a lot of praise for her on-screen little sister. Basically, the TATB franchise is in good hands, and Condor couldn’t agree more:

Considering Cathcart was just about 14 years old while filming the first movie, it’s probably pretty crazy for Condor to see her at 21 carrying on the franchise with her own show. It’s also sweet hearing how supportive she is, proving that they are sisters not only on-screen but off, and the in-person reunion makes it even better.

What Noah Centineo Said About Reuniting With Anna Cathcart

Speaking of in-person reunions, Noah Centineo guest-starred on Season 2 of XO, Kitty, and fans were as excited as ever to have Peter Kavinsky gracing their screens once again.

While speaking with People, Centineo also couldn’t sing enough praises for Anna Cathcart and seeing her in her element while filming XO, Kitty. And just like that, it’s like I’ve fallen in love with him and Peter all over again:

Isn't that just the sweetest thing? It's so wonderful to see these two actors spotlighting Cathcart and praising the work she's doing in the franchise their characters' story started. Truthfully, their comments make them look like proud parents, and I frankly feel the exact same way.

It’s been six years since To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before hit Netflix, and nearly four years since To All the Boys: Always and Forever closed out the trilogy. Now, XO, Kitty is pushing the Covey's stories forward, and we all love to see it!

Of course, fans can always rewatch the films and XO, Kitty with a Netflix subscription to relive that magic, but seeing the love and support from the cast for Cathcart and XO, Kitty might be even better.

After a successful first season, Netflix’s XO, Kitty, is finally returning as part of the 2025 TV schedule. A spin-off of one of the best romantic comedies of all time, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, the young-adult dramedy follows Kitty (Anna Cathcart) as she gets acclimated to her new life in South Korea and attempts to juggle school, love, and discovering more about her mom’s past. Now, with Season 2, all the characters will be back, and it was just announced that a fan-favorite from the OG movies will be there too!

The first season really focused on Kitty’s journey and kept guest appearances to a minimum, allowing fans to fall in love with her new friends. Most fans expected the same to be true about Season 2, but Netflix just released the official trailer, and with it came a shocking surprise appearance from fan-favorite Peter Kavinsky. Yep, Peter is back, and I have some theories about why.

Peter Kavinsky Is Headed To South Korea

The Season 2 trailer for XO, Kitty sets up what fans can expect nicely, including teasing a “friendly face from home” before showing a smiling Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), decked out in a Stanford sweatshirt, of course. For those who aren’t obsessed with the To All The Boys trilogy and don’t rewatch it every chance they get, Peter is Kitty’s older sister, Lara Jean’s (Lana Condor) boyfriend.

Kitty is a big part of the reason why Peter is in a relationship with her sister, having sent out Lara Jean’s love letters in the first film. Initially, Kitty was skeptical about Peter, but he quickly won her over by giving her rides to school and never making her feel like a third wheel when she tagged along with them. And even though she’s much younger, she often gave the best relationship advice to both Peter and Lara Jean to help make their relationship stronger.

Over the course of the three films, Peter quickly became the internet’s favorite fictional boyfriend, and judging by fan reactions to the news of his guest role, he still is.

I Have A Few Theories As To Why Peter Is Back

At the end of To All The Boys: Always and Forever, Peter headed off to Standford while Lara Jean went to NYU. Despite the long distance, they managed to stay together, which Kitty mentions in Season 2. The timeline between the final movie and XO, Kitty is a bit muddled, but considering Peter appears wearing his Stanford sweater, it’s safe to assume that he and LJ are still in college themselves.

Which begs the question, why is he in South Korea if he should be in California?

Admittedly, my first thought was that he was participating in a study abroad program that took him to South Korea in the hopes of understanding Lara Jean’s background more. However, that would give Centineo a major role in XO, Kitty and that doesn’t seem likely given the rest of the trailer.

After giving it some thought, the only explanation I could think of is that he’s purposely paying Kitty a visit for some more relationship advice. After all, Kitty is a pro on long-distance relationships, having been in one with Dae while still in middle school. Of course, he could have just called, but Peter is known for his grand gestures, and showing up in person for advice from his girlfriend's sister is about as grand as it gets.

Speaking of his relationship with Lara Jean, there’s also the possibility that he hopped on a plane to South Korea to ask for Kitty’s blessing to marry her. Sure, they’re still young, but it's clear from the trilogy that the two are meant to be together. Plus, Peter knows how important Kitty is to Lara Jean, so it makes sense that he’d want to ask for her opinion in person.

There’s also the possibility that Peter is there to help Kitty with something. It’s totally believable to think that she calls Lara Jean to vent about some relationship trouble, and she, in turn, tells Peter. Maybe Lara Jean can’t get time off her busy school schedule, but Peter’s is more flexible, so he decides to pay his favorite little sister a visit.

Whatever the case may be, Peter’s cameo is sure to be a highlight of what should be an exciting season full of drama and teenage hijinks.

Season 2 of XO, Kitty will be available to Netflix subscribers on January 16th. Until then, you can stream the first season and all three To All The Boys movies to prepare.

Streaming titan Netflix may have begun as a convenient way for people to watch theatrical releases from the comfort of their homes, but it quickly established itself as a powerhouse studio capable of releasing some of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed media of the streaming age. And as Netflix originals continue to be released, exponentially it seems, they launch waves of previously unheard actors into stratospheric stardom. Here are 32 stars who gained massive fame after landing a role on a Netflix show or movie.

Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown burst into the mainstream at age 11 for her portrayal of Eleven, a mysterious girl with psychokinetic abilities, in the hit series Stranger Things. Eleven was so popular in fact, that her iconic look became a viral Halloween costume. Brown has landed many roles since starring in Stranger Things, including the titular role in Enola Holmes and its sequel, and Elodie in 2024’s Damsel, all of which are also Netflix originals.

Drew Starkey

Drew Starkey is best known for his role as Rafe Cameron, a turbulent character who struggles with anger issues and addiction, in the teen drama Outer Banks, which details a group of teens from different socioeconomic backgrounds living on the barrier islands of North Carolina. Starkey has gone viral for bringing Rafe to life, especially on TikTok, and has since landed roles in major films like Queer.

Cooper Koch

Cooper Koch gained notoriety and acclaim for his portrayal of Erik Menendez in the second season of Monsters, a true crime anthology series developed by Ryan Murphy. The second season tells the story of Erik and Lyle Menendez, two brothers who were convicted and sent to prison for ending the lives of their wealthy parents in the early ‘90s. Many of Koch’s moments from the Monsters press tour went viral, including his appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.

Chance Perdomo

Before his tragic passing in early 2024, Chance Perdomo was making a name for himself as one of Hollywood’s most exciting young actors, with his most recent role as metal manipulator Andre Anderson in The Boys spinoff, Gen Z. Before that, the role that put him on the map was the charismatic and hilarious Ambrose Spellman, cousin of the titular witch in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Tom Sturridge

Oftentimes, celebrities can experience great success in one specific area of the entertainment industry that does not translate to mainstream appeal. For example, Tom Sturridge had received two Best Actor Tony nominations before appearing as Morpheus / Dream in the fantasy drama The Sandman, but it wasn’t until his haunting and commanding portrayal of Dream that the Internet started buzzing about him.

Jenna Ortega

Jenna Ortega stands out as one of the few Gen Z former Disney stars who chose to pursue acting instead of pop music, and doing so has proven to be a smart career move for her. Her first Netflix gig was a supporting role in the hit psychological thriller You, which proved that she had the acting chops to take on more adult material. However, the show that made her a household name and earned her a much-deserved Emmy nomination was the leading role as Wednesday Addams in Netflix’s adaptation for Wednesday.

Louis Partridge

Louis Partridge’s breakout performance was as Viscount Tewkesbury, the love interest to Millie Bobby Brown’s Enola in Enola Holmes and its sequel. Since then, his jobs have included reimagining Peter Pan in The Lost Girls and working with Alfonso Cuaron in his thrilling miniseries Disclaimer.

Victoria Pedretti

The derangement of You’s Joe Goldberg, portrayed by Penn Badgley, had been unmatched until he met Love Quinn in Season 2, brought expertly to life by Victoria Pedretti. Pedretti’s ability to match, and in many instances outpace, the insanity of Badgley’s Joe with her haunting face acting and theatrical meltdowns is beyond impressive. Her performance stands out so much that, in a show with a cast of continuously rotating characters, she is second only to Badgley in how popular her character is.

Phoebe Dynevor

The talk of the ton, the Diamond of the Season, Daphne Bridgerton of the large, illustrious Bridgerton family in the self-titled series made Phoebe Dynevor a household name. Season 1 of Bridgerton, where Dynevor is a lead, quickly became a top 10 most-viewed season of a Netflix series of all time, when it was released. Since Bridgerton, she has continued to impress in films like Fair Play.

Madelyn Cline

Another standout from Outer Banks is Madelyn Cline, who portrays Rafe’s younger sister Sarah, who is embedded in a group of wealthy social elites but forms a relationship with the leader of the group of working-class locals. Since starring in Outer Banks, Cline has taken on more film roles, including a supporting role in Glass Onion; A Knives Out Mystery and the 2025 remake of I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Nicholas Alexander Chavez

Nicholas Alexander Chavez had already developed a cult following for portraying Prince Spencer Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital when he was cast as Lyle Menendez in Monsters. Not only did Chavez’s explosive performance produce countless viral clips and memes, but he was also honored by becoming the Internet Boyfriend of the fall of 2024. Since Monsters, Chavez has continued with his television roles with an appearance with fellow Ryan Murphy project Grotesquerie, and he made his major feature film debut in the 2025 I Know What You Did Last Summer remake.

Simone Ashley

Phoebe Dynevor handed the reigns over to Simone Ashley to become the female romantic lead for Season 2 of Bridgerton. Ashley brings Kate Sharma to life, a headstrong, protective older sister who harbors complex feelings toward Viscount Anthony Bridgerton, who is betrothed to her younger sister. In the wake of her Bridgerton success, Ashley has continued to stun in her numerous red-carpet appearances and has appeared in big-budget films like the live-action Little Mermaid remake.

Glen Powell

Glen Powell quickly established himself as a modern Hollywood leading man, demonstrating his comedic sensibilities in the romantic comedy Anyone But You and his action capabilities in the disaster flick Twisters. But Netflix’s Hit Man is the film that made audiences and critics alike begin to take Powell seriously as a versatile actor, as the admittedly bizarre role, which centers around a college professor posing as a fake hitman, requires Powell to adopt many different, quirky personas, which he does with prowess.

Walker Scobell

Acting opposite Hollywood royalty Ryan Reynolds would be intimidating for any new actor, but to do it at age 12 with the prowess Walker Scobell did demonstrates how much talent he harbored from a young age. After his breakout role as the younger version of Reynold’s character in The Adam Project, Hollywood clearly took notice, because the following year he was cast as the lead in the Disney+ Percy Jackson and the Olympians television adaptation.

Aidan Gallagher

Many child actors fade into obscurity after they age out of the series that put them on the map. The same cannot be said for Aidan Gallagher who proved that he wasn’t just another Nickelodeon kid and had the range to hold his own against acting titans like Elliot Page and Emmy Rossum in The Umbrella Academy. What makes Gallagher’s portrayal of teleporter and time jumper Five so memorable is the believability with which he portrays living as a middle-aged man trapped in a pubescent boy’s body.

Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox’s portrayal of Sophia Burset in Orange Is the New Black balanced the line between being heartfelt and hilarious and made her the first transgender person to be nominated for an acting Emmy. With the acclaim and notoriety that Cox received from Orange, she has gone on to make enormous strides for transgender people in Hollywood and has remained a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.

Lana Condor

Lana Condor endearingly brought to life one of the most likable young adult fiction protagonists to life in the film adaptation of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Lara Jean Covey’s stylish outfits, confident yet kind demeanor, and plentiful cutesy moments with Peter struck a chord with audiences, developing a fanbase for the franchise far beyond that of its source material.

Jonathan Bailey

In a show with so many eligible bachelors ready to become the next Hollywood Heartthrob, Jonathan Bailey’s ability to capture Bridgerton viewers’ hearts with his repressed yearning and devotion as Viscount Anthony Bridgerton is commendable. Bailey has continued to win the hearts of men and women alike, bringing to life crushworthy characters like Tim Laughlin in Fellow Travelers and Prince Fiyero in Wicked.

Charlie Cox

Before it moved to Disney+ and became MCU canon, Daredevil was a gritty, violent Netflix series depicting the life of one of Marvel’s most captivating vigilantes, with Charlie Cox at the helm. Cox’s performance was quickly singled out, as the work he put in to sensitively and accurately depict a blind character as a sighted person was visible on screen. He also showed off his impressive physicality in the series’ numerous action scenes, which have been clipped and shared across the web numerous times.

Jaz Sinclair

Before reuniting with Chance Perdomo on Gen V, Jaz Sinclair acted alongside him in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina as one of Sabrina’s best friends, Roz. Jaz’s depiction of Roz’s inner turmoil in coming to terms with her own magical abilities set her up wonderfully to portray a tortured character like Marie Moreau in Gen V.

Uzo Aduba

Uzo Abuba’s off-the-walls performance of Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange Is the New Black made her one of the only people in history to win Emmys in both the Drama and Comedy categories for the same role. Aduba has continued to receive many accolades on and off screen, including a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

Kit Connor

Kit Connor became a household name after starring in queer, teen romance Heartstopper as schoolboy Nick Nelson. For his performance, Connor won the inaugural Outstanding Lead Performance Emmy at the first Children’s and Family Emmy Awards. He has since lent his voice to the beloved animated film The Wild Robot and portrayed Romeo in the Broadway musical adaptation of Romeo & Juliet.

Jacob Elordi

If there’s one actor who should be singled out for his range, it’s Jacob Elordi. While most might recognize Elordi for his role as Nate Jacobs in Euphoria, he first became a household name portraying Noah Flynn in The Kissing Booth, and though both projects are set in high school, tonally, they could not be more different. Elordi’s success from the Kissing Booth franchise helped catapult him to A-lister status, and he has stayed booked and busy.

Joseph Quinn

Few recurring characters from Stranger Things have left as lasting of an impact as Season 4’s Eddie Munson, brought to life by Joseph Quinn. Eddie is zany and charismatic, but also deeply misunderstood and empathetic, which makes audiences fall in love with him. Since Stranger Things, Quinn has booked many high-profile gigs, including a major role in A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2.

Ho-Yeon Jung

Ho-Yeon Jung gives a scene-stealing, supporting performance as North Korean defector Sae-Byeok Kang in Squid Game. Watching Sae-Byeok’s cold, reserved demeanor slowly melt in the presence of a genuine friend is truly gripping, making her fate in the show all the more heart-wrenching, and Jung captures this arc beautifully. It’s no wonder her performance had such a lasting impact on Squid Game's millions of viewers.

Noah Centineo

Noah Centineo’s charming portrayal of adorkable schoolmate Peter Kavinsky made him an Internet Boyfriend back in 2018. Centineo realized he struck gold with this archetype because he continued to take roles that were very Kavinsky-esque, including acting as Sierra Burgess’s crush in Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and the lead in the romantic comedy The Perfect Date.

Maya Hawke

Having superstars like Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman as your parents definitely doesn’t hurt your chances of making it big in Hollywood, but it takes a special talent to transcend “nepo baby” status and be celebrated for your own work, which Maya Hawke has successfully done through her role in Stranger Things. Hawke’s character, Robin Buckley, is so funny and down to earth, that you can’t help but love her, and, by extension, Hawke herself.

Joe Locke

Joe Locke gained notoriety for his sensitive portrayal of love-struck teen Charlie Spring in Heartstoppers, which garnered him a Children’s and Family Emmy Award nomination. His subsequent roles include Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street on Broadway and William Kaplan in Agatha All Along.

Richard Gadd

Richard Gadd had a devastating early start to his career as a screenwriter, and he somehow managed to spin those awful experiences into a comedic and harrowing limited series based on his own experiences called Baby Reindeer. Baby Reindeer has received mass viewership and acclaim and earned Gadd multiple Emmy awards and nominations for creating and starring in it.

Emma Myers

Emma Myers’s bubbly, energetic character Enid Sinclair is the perfect Golden Retriever best friend to compliment Wednesday Addams’s standoffish, black cat energy, quite literally in fact, considering Enid is a werewolf. And the Internet loves it when opposites attract, so Emma Myers quickly went viral for her character’s cheerful disposition and rainbow color palette.

Noah Schnapp

In many ways, Will Byers, brought to life by actor Noah Schnapp, is the heart and soul of Stranger Things. It is the search for Will, the desperation to release him from the monster’s grasp, and the longing to reconnect with him that drives the series forward. And Schnapp’s acting chops added so many textures to Will’s character, from his trauma and paranoia to his nerdiness and deep love for his friends, so it’s no surprise he became a fan favorite.

Jessica Gunning

As Penn Badgley knows, it takes a talented actor to compellingly portray a stalker so well that you compel viewers to watch you rather than repulse them, and Jessica Gunning proved that she was the best choice for the chop with her unhinged performance as Martha in Baby Reindeer. The performance was such a standout, in fact, that it earned Gunning her first Emmy award.

Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam movie was, according to the actor, going to change the balance of power in the DC universe. Unfortunately, that didn’t exactly happen. Black Adam failed to take off at the box office, and Johnson himself has revealed there’s no place for his Black Adam in the new DCU, at least for right now. However, every movie has fans, and Black Adam is no different. In fact, even among those who didn’t love the movie overall, there are apparently many who would still love to see more from, if not Black Adam, then at least the Justice Society of America. 

A number of tweets have gone viral in recent weeks where many have suggested that the JSA was actually the best part of the Black Adam cast.  The team was made up of Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan's Dr. Fate, Quintessa Windell's Cyclone and Noah Centinio's Atom Smasher, all of whom were entirely new additions in Black Adam, which only included one member of the original Justice League in the Black Adam post-credits scene. While it seems likely they have suffered the same death as Black Adam himself, there are fans who would love to see more.  

 It was a somewhat strange setup with all these new heroes, which ended up being antagonists for the anti-hero Black Adam. It felt like there was a plan to make a new Justice League and just sort of soft reboot the superhero team in universe. But clearly the JSA struck a chord, as many fans thought the team worked and would like to see more. 

Of course, part of the problem was that all these new heroes had to share the screen with Black Adam, so there wasn’t a great deal of time to develop them. This meant that while we got bits of pieces of details about the characters and their relationships, there wasn’t much depth. At least one fan is wondering if Black Adam might have worked better as a straightforward superhero battle between the title character and the JSA. 

At this point, the new DCU Chapter 1 is moving forward, and while we don’t know with certainty that absolutely nothing from the previous universe will make the jump to the new one, it seems more and more unlikely with every passing day. As such, the return of the JSA is the longest of shots, even though there is clearly an audience for it… 

The JSA certainly aren’t the only things fans would love to see survive the DC Universe reboot. At this point, we’re not expecting new versions of these characters to appear on screen anytime soon, so maybe the return of the JSA as seen in Black Adam isn’t impossible.  

On August 17, 2018, Netflix released one its most beloved original movies, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, and it became a phenomenon almost instantly. The coming-of-age movie based on Jenny Han’s bestselling novel of the same name was a huge hit that helped lead the recent comeback of the rom-com and became a trilogy. To celebrate the original movie’s five-year anniversary, the streaming service paid tribute to All The Boys with a Hollywood billboard. 

As Netflix shared on Twitter this morning, the studio decided to pronounce its continued love for the All The Boys franchise with a Sunset Boulevard billboard. It’s not only a sweet way to commemorate the anniversary, it also seems to confirm what’s going on with Lana Condor’s Lara Jean Covey and Noah Centineo’s Peter Kavinsky these days. Check it: 

The billboard reads “Five years later, Lara Jean & Peter, still going strong.” It sounds like Netflix wants the world to know that the movie couple are always and forever even though the movies concluded back in 2021! As you may recall, the end of the third All The Boys movie had Lara Jean and Peter graduating high school and going to college 3,000 miles away from one another. While the movie ended with some open-endedness about whether the couple would survive, Lara Jean was hopeful their regular letters to one another would assist their continued romance. 

Netflix’s bold proclamation seems to offer hope for fans of the couple staying together years following the end of To All the Boys: Always and Forever. It’s not a great day to be Team John Ambrose, but it’s definitely a sweet tribute to the romantic comedy couple for an exciting milestone for the first movie. It’s also a good reminder that the summer 2018 release is still right there for those with a Netflix subscription to stream, especially if the endless scrolling is getting you down. 

Since the end of All The Boys, the franchise’s author Jenny Han has been keeping busy on a couple of big series, between being the showrunner for The Summer I Turned Pretty and spinning off All The Boys with XO, Kitty, which arrived to Netflix back in May. XO, Kitty also confirmed the couple are still together in a scene in the third episode. 

While the trilogy may be over, the billboard ignited some interest from fans to see more of Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky after high school. They are definitely among the rom-com pairings we’d love to see in another movie together. I imagine the pair of Netflix stars coming together to continue the story for the high schoolers 10 or 15-year reunion. After both characters have had some time to grow up more and live life, it’d be so interesting to learn where they stand. Anyways, Happy Five Years to To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before! 

It often feels like rom-coms are a dime a dozen, but the truth is that the best romantic comedies are ones built on several things. Fans of the genre enjoy snappy dialogue, inventive and/or realistic complications for the central couple, a swoon-worthy love story, and, of course, main characters portrayed by actors who have more than enough on-screen chemistry to make all of those pieces come together. 

What’s great about romantic comedies is that we’ve gotten more than enough couples like this over the past two plus decades, but some of them have either only partnered one time (which, granted, may be because their pairing is still relatively new), or haven’t been in a film together for many years now. So, let’s take a look at the (mostly) rom-com partners that we really think should make another movie together!

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

This duo probably feels like a no-brainer to you, and, well, it should! Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks have memorably joined forces for two rom-com hits, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail, plus the 1990 cult favorite romantic comedy, Joe Versus the Volcano, so there’s no reason for them not to really round things out with a fourth film. I’d be down for a second chance romance where they learn to love again, wouldn’t you?

Diane Keaton And Keanu Reeves 

Yes, yes… Already I’m cheating here, but only a tiny bit. While the magnetic on-screen coupling of Diane Keaton and Keanu Reeves wasn’t the main focus of Something’s Gotta Give, I have spent the past 20 years wishing they were. So, let's get these adorably crazy kids back together! They could play any kind of couple (bickering marrieds who are clearly still hot for each other, two folks who shouldn’t get together but can’t help themselves, etc.) and I’d be in the theater on opening night.

Lana Condor And Noah Centineo

Honestly, there might not be a cuter couple on this list. The dreamy teen romance movie pairing of Lana Condor and Noah Centineo was, obviously, gifted to everyone with a Netflix subscription in the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy, and there’s a reason that so many people fell head over heels for them. These two sorta sparkle together on screen, and I’d love to see them reunite in a romance (or any comedy) that’s got more of an adult edge to it.

Alison Brie And Jason Sudeikis

We all adore it when a rom-com gives us something different, and 2015’s Sleeping with Other People does just that with its story of friends who openly acknowledge their sexual tension, but purposely avoid doing anything about it so as to not screw up what they have. Alison Brie and Ted Lasso cast lead Jason Sudeikis are amazing as the friends in question, and I’d love to see them bring their casual, but still sexy, chemistry to another film. 

Jenny Slate And Jake Lacy

A true pleasure of watching Obvious Child was seeing the relationship between Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy’s characters develop as she has trouble revealing that she’s getting an abortion several weeks after their one-night stand. They work great as a duo with a clear attraction that’s impeded by a secret, and we’d really appreciate it if we could watch him warm her butter and make her tea in a movie that sees them as fully coupled characters.

Constance Wu And Henry Golding

I cannot tell a lie; some of the reason for Constance Wu and Henry Golding making the list is simply because we are all dying for the Crazy Rich Asians sequel we’ve been promised for several years now. While we wait, I’m hoping we can at least get those two into another fun rom-com where he can bring his posh, suave energy to meet her adorably spunky, girl-next-door verve.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

What’s not to love about Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, especially when they star opposite each other in a romantic story? They were sweet, sexy, bantery, and slightly goofy together in Crazy, Stupid, Love, then had all of that with more emotional depth in La La Land, and also had the same chemistry in Gangster Squad, but with an added veneer of danger. It’s been a rough few years; the world needs more of their exact thing, OK?

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

I know, I know! Matthew McConaughey doesn’t make rom-coms anymore, but that’s honestly no reason why he can’t re-team with Kate Hudson, 20 years after they first hit the screen together in How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. The engaging push-and-pull of their romance in that film can easily be translated to, say, a movie where each is portraying a lawyer on the opposite side of a big murder case. There! Someone make that movie!

Queen Latifah And Common

Just Wright might not be the first movie you think of when it comes to Queen Latifah or romantic comedies, but it’s hard to deny that watching her play off of Common as they slowly go from not-quite-enemies to lovers was a genuine treat. Now all we need is the right vehicle for them so their individual easygoing charm can show us how well-matched they are on screen.

Jennifer Garner And Mark Ruffalo

There’s a reason that 13 Going On 30 is still so popular almost two decades later. That reason is Jennifer Garner’s joyful, weirdo energy as a teen suddenly transplanted to her adult life, sure, but it’s also how Mark Ruffalo calmly reconnects with the childhood friend he’d long ago lost touch with. They're just sweet together, OK? We saw them in The Adam Project. We need more!

Sandra Bullock And Channing Tatum

The luminous and hilarious pairing of Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum was definitely not on my rom-com bingo card, but damn, it was a joy to behold once we got it. In The Lost City, they were perfect as a starchy and grieving romance novelist and her incredibly sweet but somewhat dim cover model who get caught in a life-or-death situation in the jungle, and all I can hope for is that we someday have a sequel to enjoy.

Billy Eichner And Luke Macfarlane

If an opposites attract energy is your thing, there’s no way for you not to enjoy the pairing of Billy Eichner and Luke Macfarlane. The Bros stars only just met up on screen in 2022, but we’d love to see them reunite in a rom-com that switches Eichner’s intense characterization and Macfarlane’s laid-back vibe around for additional laughs.

Meg Ryan And Hugh Jackman

Kate & Leopold is the rare romance where Meg Ryan’s character is less than sweet for much of the film, but watching her early ‘00s driven career woman begin to soften with the attentions of Hugh Jackman’s fancy man from the 1870s was a delight. Now if we can just get them to play off of one another when both are from the modern day, all will be right in the world.

Anne Hathaway And Chris Pine

We all know that The Princess Diaries 2 is so beloved that fans have wanted to bring the cast back for the now in development third movie for nearly 20 years, and part of that was because of the sweet, (sorta) slow burn love story between Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine’s characters. While everyone would love to see them as a long-married couple in a sequel, we’d also take them as, oh, I don’t know, bickering co-workers who can’t deny their attraction, so let’s stop stalling and get this coupling back on the big screen!

Julia Roberts And Hugh Grant

Look, I know that Hugh Grant is fully in his slimy villain era right now and is hilariously against even attempting rom-coms again. But! I think that makes the potential of this Notting Hill pairing coming back together even more appealing. Let him play a con-man who tricks Julia Roberts into falling in love, only to steal all her money and force her to track him down with a hilarious vengeance. I’d buy a ticket for that, OK?

Jennifer Lopez And George Clooney

Sure, sure. I’m cheating this entry a bit because, technically, Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney didn't star in a traditional rom-com together, but who among us can deny that they were HOT in Out of Sight? No one, that’s who! I say we get these two into a proper romantic comedy, but maybe one that’s not another Lopez wedding movie, just to switch things up.

Sanaa Lathan And Omar Epps 

Yes, this is another, more direct, fudging of this article’s concept, because Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps were a romantic drama pairing in Love & Basketball… but they were SO GOOD TOGETHER. Watching them play out a long-term path to eventual happiness was extremely satisfying, but maybe this time we can use that chemistry of theirs for a couple that has more good times than stressful ones.

Cristin Milioti And Andy Samberg

The chances that Cristin Milioti and Andy Samberg will strike time loop movie gold again after Palm Springs is incredibly unlikely, and we wouldn’t want them to try. Instead, why not let these two portray criminals on the run for separate crimes who accidentally cross paths and fall in love while they’re on the lam? They can give us that same adorably wacky enthusiasm that we all loved the first time around that way!

Kristen Stewart And Aubrey Plaza

If you saw Happiest Season, then you saw the undeniable spark between Kristen Stewart and Aubrey Plaza as their characters (Who weren’t even dating!) dealt with a lot of toxicity during Christmastime. They managed to genuinely bond (and look great doing it) over their similar relationship trauma, so I say we go ahead and give these two an even bubblier romantic comedy where they can actually freakin’ end up as a couple! 

Gemma Chan And Harry Shum Jr. 

Obviously, we didn’t get a real romance between the characters played by Gemma Chan and Harry Shum Jr. in Crazy Rich Asians, but the movie sure did set up the promise of fulfilling the epic love story that was a part of Kevin Kwan’s novel trilogy. Fans got a very brief scene of them looking all cute and dreamy with each other and dancing during the mid-credits scene, so hear me now: WE NEED THAT ASTRID AND CHARLIE SPINOFF, ASAP!

Issa Rae And Kumail Nanjiani

It may be hard to cast two people who have perfect romantic chemistry, but it could be even harder to find a duo who can portray the first glorious blush of falling in love, that same couple once they’ve begun to fall apart, and then play them as they start to get closer… because they’re on the run after being accused of murder. Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are those people, and we’ve been wanting them back on screen since The Lovebirds to do something just as crazy and rom-commy again.

Reese Witherspoon And Josh Lucas

If you’re looking for a bickering duo who are hot together no matter what, that’s Sweet Home Alabama’s Reese Witherspoon and Josh Lucas, for sure. I’m sure they’d be great doing anything on screen, but also doubt anyone would mind if they paired for a story that would let them fight (and fight through) their attraction until they finally admit their feelings for each other.

Rachel McAdams And Domhnall Gleeson

You know what’s coming, right? After being apart for a decade, it’s About Time that Rachel McAdams and Domhnall Gleeson join forces again to bring fans another lovey dovey couple, and we don’t even care what the set up is!

Sarah Hyland And Tyler James Williams

Never has it been more enjoyable to watch a woman who’s not sure about the whole marriage thing date a man who’s very much ready for a long-term commitment than in The Wedding Year, and that was because of the well-matched chemistry/comedic energy of Sarah Hyland and Tyler James Williams. I think these two would be fantastic in an action/adventure rom-com like The Lost City!

Kristen Bell And Dustin Milligan 

Though Kristen Bell and Dustin Milligan starred in The People We Hate at the Wedding, which was more of a straight ahead comedy, they had a definite romantic comedy storyline and played off of each other beautifully. I’m imagining a cinematic rematch for them that involves both of their characters being messy and a bit angry this time, and I think they’ll be a delight to watch once again.

Vivian Oparah And David Jonsson

Even though Vivian Oparah and David Jonsson are a very new rom-com pairing, as their starring vehicle, Rye Lane, debuted in early 2023, there’s no doubting the fizzy joy one gets from watching their characters meet cute and end up slowly becoming attracted to each other over the course of one eventful day. These two can do anything together next, but I don’t think anyone would mind a sequel where we get to see this romance progress!

If nothing else, while we wait to see if these rom-com partners get back together on the big screen, we can all at least go back and enjoy the amazing films they’ve already given us!

The first thing you need in my opinion to make a great rom-com is a pair of actors with great chemistry. If the leads don’t vibe, the audience won’t jive. The common denominator among all the best rom-coms of all time is a couple of actors who have fantastic chemistry and complement each other beautifully. So, with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey’s iconic rom-com, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days celebrating its 20th anniversary, and with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, and lots of rom-coms on the 2023 movie schedule, we thought we’d look back at some legendary acting duos who really need to make another romantic comedy together. 

Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey 

Talk about a duo that just oozes charm and chemistry. Both Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are two of the most charismatic, charming and outgoing actors working right now, in my opinion, and it felt inevitable that they’d end up in a rom-com together. I think McConaughey said it best in a live stream on Hudson’s Instagram, when he described their personalities and chemistry in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days like this:

Hudson then said they are both “free” and “spontaneous” souls which allowed them to play on set back in 2003, and they really found their funny and electric chemistry. So, I’m so happy McConaughey took the role after an interaction with a psychic, because it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the two of them playing Ben and Andie.

Considering it’s been 20 whole years since How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, I think we’re due for two of the most charismatic characters in Hollywood to “play” together again as the actors put it. 

Stream How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days with a Paramount+ subscription. 

Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell  

In my humble opinion, Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell are the Millenial versions of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. They are both uber-charismatic, extremely funny, and have mad chemistry. Lightning really struck with their Netflix rom-com Set It Up as the two actors played assistants trying to, as the title implies, set their bosses up so they didn’t have to work so much. 

Seeing as the director of Set It Up already has a sequel in mind, Deutch and Powell have remained good friends, and both their careers have flourished because of movies like Not Okay and Top Gun: Maverick, respectively, I think it’s time we see them re-team for another rom-com. Maybe this time they could be the bosses.

Stream Set it Up with a Netflix subscription. 

Joel Kim Booster and Conrad Ricamora  

One of the best under-the-radar movies from 2022 was Fire Island, and Noah and Will quickly became one of my favorite rom-com couples. It’s the classic case of opposites attract. With Joel Kim Booster’s extroverted and sassy character and Conrad Ricamora’s quieter yet equally sarcastic love interest, they made for a great match on screen. 

Fire Island was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice, and Kim Booster and Ricamora played a great parallel to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, and it would be amazing to see the two together again. Maybe it could be another modern adaptation of a classic work, a la 10 Things I Hate About You. Or maybe it could be an original story that capitalizes on their comedic timing and wholesome chemistry. 

Stream Fire Island with a Hulu subscription. 

Anne Hathaway and Chris Pine 

Now, Anne Hathaway has some iconic rom-coms and some magnificent screen partners, but nothing comes close to the absolutely legendary pairing of her and Chris Pine in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Growing up with this movie, and watching these two actors go from enemies to lovers was incredible, and set a high bar for all other rom-com pairings moving forward. I mean nothing tops that fountain scene.

Luckily, there is a Princess Daires 3 in the works, however, it’s unclear who will be involved. Hopefully, we’ll get to see Hathaway and Pine together again, because it’s been almost 20 years since they've been on screen together. I think it's time for another Royal Engagement, if you will, from these two powerhouses.

Stream Princess Diaries 2 with a Disney+ subscription.  

Noah Centineo and Lana Condor 

I was a sophomore in college when To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before came out, and let me tell you, it was a mega-hit among us Zillenials, and remains one of my favorite recent rom-coms. The reason this movie is so good is mostly because of how fantastic Noah Centineo and Lana Condor are together. 

The two shined as Lara Jean and Peter, and led the To All The Boys cast fantastically. Now, the two have taken on other roles, and their stars have grown significantly. Now that it’s been a few years since this rom-com trilogy ended I think it’s time the adorable pair picked up another project together. They’re funny and have so much chemistry people actually thought they were dating, however, they decided to keep things platonic, and they seem to have a blast working with each other. So, bring on another rom-com!

Stream To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before with a Netflix subscription. 

Henry Golding and Constance Wu 

Crazy Rich Asians proved to be a crazy rich hit in 2018. And while the entire ensemble was incredible, Henry Golding and Constance Wu were at the heart of the story, and they were perfect together. While the two are set to reprise their roles in a sequel as Rachel and Nick, it’s unclear when that will happen, so it would be great to see them in another movie together. 

What was interesting about Crazy Rich Asians, is when we meet Golding and Wus’ characters they are already in a long-term relationship. They worked so well, that I didn’t doubt Nick and Rachels' relationship for a second. I think it’d be fun to see the two play out a new relationship in another movie, however, I’m also hoping they reunite for Crazy Rich Asians 2 sooner rather than later. 

Stream Crazy Rich Asians with an HBO Max subscription. 

Jude Law And Cameron Diaz

There’s nothing cozier to me during the Christmas season than sitting down, putting on The Holiday, and watching Cameron Diaz and Jude Law fall in love. Kate Winslet and Jack Black’s relationship is oh, so wholesome. However, the big stars of the show are Diaz and Law, whose chemistry jumps off the screen, and their relationship feels like a warm hug.

While our dreams were dashed of ever seeing a sequel to The Holiday, when Kate Winslet turned the rumors down, a girl can dream. And I think it’s about time we see Diaz and Law in another comforting rom-com together. 

Stream The Holiday on Showtime, or rent/buy it on Amazon.

These are just a few pairs of actors who I’d love to see together on screen again. From early aught classics, to more recent pairings that have already made their mark, there are so many couples I’d love to see together again. And hopefully, someday all my dreams will come true.

For weeks we’ve been talking about Wednesday Addams, her viral dance moves, iconic gothic fashion, and her very own Netflix series Wednesday. The show dominated Netflix’s top ten series for quite a while, but now it’s been dethroned from the top positions by two entries on the 2022 TV schedule. One is Noah Centineo’s latest show The Recruit, and the other is Season 3 of Lily Collins’ fashionable dramedy Emily in Paris. 

According to CinemaBlend’s record of Netflix’s trending shows Wednesday’s final day at No. 1 was December 15. It was then overtaken by the second part of Harry & Meghan, however, it held strong at No. 2. Then on December 17, The Recruit came flying up the charts to No. 3, and took the No. 1 spot on December 18, where it stayed until Season 3 of Emily in Paris dropped. Today, December 22, Wednesday fell to its lowest slot in weeks, No. 3, and Emily in Paris took the first slot, with The Recruit at No. 2. 

While it’s a bit of a bummer to see the Addams Family spin-off fall, this happens to every show, even Netflix’s most popular series like Stranger Things, Bridgerton and Squid Game. However, the Top Ten gives us all a chance to see what everyone else is into on Netflix. This is so when we finish the latest greatest show, we can move on to another hit as we wait for new seasons of our favorites, like a possible Season 2 of Wednesday. 

So, with all that being said, here’s what you should know about the two shows that overtook the longtime No. 1 Wednesday and caused it to drop, for the first time, down to No. 3. 

Noah Centineo’s CIA Thriller The Recruit 

In The Recruit Noah Centineo makes his return to Netflix as a rookie CIA lawyer who gets dragged into the world of international espionage. The action-packed show puts Centineo, a once Netflix heartthrob, in a new genre, unlike anything he’s ever done before. Turning him from one of the boys you loved before into a lawyer trying to stop an international crisis. 

The show has been welcomed by Netflix subscribers, who have shared all their thoughts about The Recruit as well as how much they like Centineo in this genre. It's safe to say The Recruit is a hit, and people are very happy to have the To All the Boys I Loved Before alum back on the streamer.

Lily Collins Returns For Season 3 Of Emily In Paris  

As for Emily in Paris, the fan-favorite show returned to Netflix on December 21, and it immediately went to the top of the trending charts. In this third season of the Paris-based show, Lily Collins’ title character is faced with lots of choices in love, life and work. 

Collins has spoken about how she hopes people see the show as a form of “escapism” while talking about her hopes for Season 3. Well, now fans of the fashionable series can escape the cold winter world we currently live in, and travel to the colorful and bubbly world of Emily’s Paris. 

With all that being said, whether you are a Wednesday watcher, a fan of Noah Centineo, or are looking to travel back to Paris with Emily, you can watch all three of these series with a Netflix subscription. 

As the year winds down, Netflix is still dropping major pieces of content. Just last week, the service dropped the new title The Recruit, a spy dramedy series starring Noah Centineo. The show has received mostly positive reviews from critics, and audience scores on certain aggregator sites are trending upward as well. This past weekend, the program even managed to hit the top of the streamer’s Top 10 list. Of course, Twitter can serve as a major gauge of viewer engagement, and fans have unsurprisingly taken to the platform to share their honest thoughts on the freshman series. 

If the company isn’t already, Netflix will probably be pleased to know that a sizable number of the Twitter posts aimed at The Recruit are skewing positively. That has to be a relief for those involved in the production because, when something doesn’t doesn’t connect with an audience, they have no qualms about sharing negative feelings. But check out the positive sentiment that this one user shared: 

The show, which was created by Castle and The Rookie producer Alexi Hawley, centers on Owen Hendricks (Noah Centineo), a newly installed CIA lawyer. The well-meaning young man’s professional life quickly kicks into high gear after he crosses paths with an asset who wants to be exonerated from the agency. He’s subsequently thrust into a wild adventure that requires him to make difficult choices. As far as can be seen, not too many people have significant problems with the general premise. However, one user did pose a question about the pilot:

That’s a fair question, but the storytelling decision doesn’t seem to have thrown off too many people. And something that doesn’t appear to be in question at this point is the performance of Noah Centineo. The actor has had a relationship with Netflix for several years now, as he starred alongside Lana Condor in the To All The Boys trilogy. Those films gained Centineo so much notoriety that one time, fans tracked his flight and followed him home. The reaction from one fan on Twitter opted to admire the star from a distance:

The 26-year-old actor is definitely one the come-up. Just a few months ago, he suited up as Atom Smasher in DC’s Black Adam and is set to appear in Jackie Chan’s The Diary. Many are clearly here for his rise in Hollywood and his work on the new show, as you can see in this next post: 

If there’s any common critique that some commentators do have about The Recruit, it’s the season finale. We won’t discuss spoilers here but, as you can imagine, the series treats viewers to a few last-minute surprises. As a result, some have apparently been left gathering their thoughts, like this one user: 

It remains to be seen as to whether Netflix will renew the show. The strong critical performance and apparently steady viewership would have one assume that the future is bright. But then again, it’s hard to say what this cancellation-heavy streaming platform has up its sleeve. I suppose, in the meantime, both fans and the creatives behind the program will just revel in the positivity surrounding this inaugural season.

You can stream The Recruit by grabbing a Netflix subscription, and check out CinemaBlend’s 2023 TV schedule for info on shows that are arriving in the coming year.

Needless to say that with a movie called Black Adam, the chief purpose is for the title character played by Dwayne Johnson to shine brightest, and this was certainly accomplished. However, the latest addition to the DC movies library is also notable for featuring the Justice Society of America, which was introduced to 1940, making it the comic book medium’s first superhero team. The JSA has previously been seen in live-action in Smallville, Legends of Tomorrow and Stargirl, but Black Adam marks its theatrical debut, meaning this is the first time a lot of people are learning about the team.

For Black Adam, the Justice Society consisted of Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone and Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher. As a longtime JSA fan (I read their Golden Age stories as a kid and enjoyed the JSA and Justice Society of America comic book series that ran back-to-back from 1999 to 2011), I was jazzed to see this property finally get its due on the big screen, but walking out of Black Adam, I had mixed feelings about how these four characters were handled. So let’s go over how this 2022 movie release did rightly and wrongly by each Justice Society member.

Black Adam SPOILERS are ahead!

Hawkman

What Black Adam got right: Right off the bat, Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman costume looks tremendous. While I might’ve gone for a splattering of green rather than red, the golden armor, mask and wings constructed from Nth metal make the character look like he was peeled right off a comic book page, along with the mace and shield he wielded in battle. Hodge also did a great job portraying Hawkman as the Justice Society’s leader, who goes way back with Doctor Fate and is ready to show Atom Smasher and Cyclone the ropes of protecting the innocent. 

What Black Adam got wrong: Hawkman is never one to shy away from a fight, and rightly so. However, he was treated like too much of a punching bag in Black Adam. Obviously Dwayne Johnson’s character significantly overpowered Carter Hall, but it would have been nice to see the winged superhero either get in a few more decent blows against Teth-Adam or at least not get tossed around as much in comparison to his teammates. More importantly, I was bothered that absolutely none of Hawkman’s backstory was explored in Black Adam. I realize the character has a convoluted history in the comics, but moviegoers could have easily been tipped off to how Carter has reincarnated many times over the millennia stretching back to ancient Egypt. Then this could be explored more in-depth in a Black Adam sequel or a Justice Society spinoff movie.

Doctor Fate

What Black Adam got right: I won’t mince words, Pierce Brosnan gives Black Adam’s best performance. The James Bond actor excelled at playing Kent Nelson, a.k.a. Doctor Fate, a magic-conjuring superhero who’s walked the Earth for a century and struggles with seeing potential futures regularly play out before him. Fate’s spells looked amazing, the helmet looked badass without the traditional eyeholes and Kent’s death in the climactic conflict was one of Black Adam’s most emotionally resonant moments. Fortunately, Dwayne Johnson said on Twitter that we’ll see more of Fate in upcoming DC movies, although he didn’t clarify whether this means more Brosnan (which is never a bad thing) or someone else will inherit the mantle.

What Black Adam got wrong: My main gripe with Doctor Fate in Black Adam doesn’t concern Pierce Brosnan’s Kent Nelson, but rather his helmet. In the comics, the Helmet of Fate is so much more than the tool from which Kent Nelson and the other individuals who’ve been Doctor Fate draw their powers. It also contains the spirit of Nabu, the Lord of Order who mentored Kent, but has also been shown to be ruthless in his conflict against the Lords of Chaos, to the point he even once took complete control over Kent’s body and mind. I don’t think Black Adam should have gone that far, but it would have been interesting to see Kent push back against Nabu’s cold-blooded tendencies.

Cyclone

What Black Adam got right: It would have been was enough to show Maxine Hunkel’s wind powers in a more conventional manner, but thankfully, Black Adam thought outside the box when bringing its Cyclone to life. The green and purple from Cyclone’s costume melding with the wind and sound currents she controlled was a dazzling display. Quintessa Swindell also effectively captured the enthusiasm of a young woman who’s just getting started in the superhero game and eager to show what’s capable of, and it was good to see that the DCEU’s Maxine is highly intelligent like her comic book counterpart.

What Black Adam got wrong: My issue with Cyclone in Black Adam is the same one I have with Atom Smasher: outside of their powers and basic personality quirks, there’s no dimension to these characters. In Cyclone’s case, her enthusiasm could have been kicked up a few notches; not to the point where she was annoying, but it would have been endearing to watch her geek out about getting to be part of the Justice Society. Black Adam also would have benefitted from shedding a little more light on the circumstances surrounding how Maxine got her powers and how she deals with that traumatic experience.

Atom Smasher

What Black Adam got right: While Black Adam taking creative liberties with Cyclone’s costume paid off, the movie’s team made the right call crafting a faithful Atom Smasher suit for Noah Centineo. Black Adam also nailed Albert Rothstein’s size-increasing ability, and the cherry on top of the proverbial sundae was Henry Winkler cameoing as Al Pratt, better known in the comics as the Golden Age Atom and Albert’s godfather. In this reality, Al is Albert’s uncle and was the first Atom Smasher.

What Black Adam got wrong:  As I said in the previous section, there’s really no dimension to Atom Smasher in Black Adam. He’s there to become massive, throw some punches, accidentally knock some things over in his gargantuan form and snack afterwards to regain energy. At the very least, the movie should have actually explored Albert looking to honor his uncle’s legacy as the new Atom Smasher. Also, in the comics, Black Adam and Atom Smasher started off as rivals before forming a brotherly relationship. Since there’s only so much to accomplish in a movie runtime, I didn’t expect Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam and Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher to form that deep a relationship, but had they been able to face off against each other, maybe a little more begrudging respect could have been established.

Though Black Adam has received more negative reviews from professional critics than positive ones, Dwayne Johnson has touted how much audiences love the latest DC movie, which has made over $150 million worldwide at the time of this writing. Now that we’ve covered the Justice Society, read through our breakdown of Superman appearing in the Black Adam end-credits scene.

Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam has plenty of elements that are sure to excite hardcore fans of the DC Extended Universe. Something that had many excited early on was the fact that the movie introduces classic DC superhero team the Justice Society of America to the interconnected film franchise. In the movie, one of the heroes on its roster is Atom Smasher, played by Noah Centineo. This was the 26-year-old actor’s first time playing a superpowered being and, as such, he had a cool reaction when he saw his costume for the first time. 

Noah Centineo, who got ripped for Black Adam, spoke with CinemaBlend’s own Sean O’Connell about his turn as fresh hero Albert Rothstein. During the conversation, which also included Cyclone actor Quintessa Swindell, talk turned to supersuits. When asked about trying on his Atom Smasher duds for the first time, Centineo revealed that he wasn’t on the set when it happened. However, that didn’t make the moment any less “cool” for him: 

Seriously, if you’re an actor, how could you not turn into a kid when trying on a superhero suit for the first time? Many of us grow up reading about classic comic book characters and even dressing up as them. But getting to wear a legitimate outfit for a massive production like this one has to be a whole other level of crazy. It’s great to hear that the To All the Boys star was able to have such a truly sweet moment.

Noah Centineo’s enthusiasm is actually very similar to that of his DCEU character. This time last year, Black Adam producer Hiram Garcia explained that Atom Smasher would be established as one of the JSA’s newer (and younger) members. With that, Albert seeks to prove himself to two of the organization’s veterans: Carter Hall/Hawkman (Aldis Hodge) and Kent Nelson/Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan). That youthful energy is something that makes this version of Albert different from his comics counterpart, which is something that Centineo pointed out a while ago.

The Charlie’s Angels alum seemed to enjoy his time working on the big-budget superhero flick and had nothing but praise for leading man Dwayne Johnson. In his estimation, Johnson is a class act, who is “99 percent more present than most people.” That’s high praise, for sure,and it probably helped create a positive work environment during the film shoot.

Should things work out in their favor, the stars could be working together for quite some time. It’s possible that we could see a Black Adam sequel, and The Rock told CinemaBlend that he wants his powerful character to go up against Superman in such a film. Noah Centineo and co. could even return for a Justice Society-centered movie franchise. That’s mostly speculation of course but, still, I’d be surprised if this were to be the only time that Centineo ever gets to suit up as Atom Smasher.

Black Adam is now playing in theaters (and is one of the biggest titles on the schedule of upcoming movies). Be sure to also keep an eye out for other DC movies that are dropping in the near future.

Fans have been excited about Black Adam for a long time, but possibly not as long as the movie’s star, Dwayne Johnson. The actor confirmed his casting as the anti-hero in 2014, but his expressed interest in the character dates way back in 2007. The rigorous training began in 2020, and finally, FINALLY the next chapter of DC Movies is upon us. With atom smasher-sized expectations at the box office, Black Adam will show the titular character freed after thousands of years of imprisonment, with the Justice Society called in to try to neutralize him. Critics have screened the movie ahead of its October 21 release, and unfortunately, it looks like they aren't too pleased.

Alongside Dwayne Johnson, Aldis Hodge, Pierce Brosnan, Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo star as the members of the Justice Society, and director Jaume Collet-Serra brings his background in both horror and action/adventure. First reactions to Black Adam were mixed, with some viewers raving that The Rock ushers in a new DCEU era, while others criticized the “dull CGI.” Now that their full reviews are out, we can expand what we know about Dwayne Johnson’s blockbuster, and we’ll start with CinemaBlend’s review of Black Adam. Eric Eisenberg rates the movie 2.5 stars out of 5, saying it struggles to stand out in a crowded genre and is underwhelming, despite some interesting ideas: 

For more from CinemaBlend, you can also check out Managing Editor Sean O’Connell’s spoiler-free video review of Black Adam.

Mike Ryan of Uproxx agrees with Eric Eisenberg that there’s potential in the movie, but says it’s ultimately disappointing. The critic argues that choosing to keep the title character so stoic strips away all of Dwayne Johnson’s charisma, saying: 

Matt Singer of ScreenCrush also wonders why such a charming actor would feel so passionate about playing a one-dimensional character. He rates the movie 4 out of 10, saying this one wasn’t worth the wait: 

Alonso Duralde of The Wrap says Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam is “stiff,” and by the time he develops a sense of humor late in the film, it’s too late. But of all the letdowns it has to offer, the visuals may be the worst offender. More from the review: 

That critic wasn’t the only one to comment on the visuals. Witney Seibold of SlashFilm rates it 3.5 out of 10, calling it a jumbled mess of a movie that feels like it wants us to anticipate what project comes next rather than enjoy this one. The filmmakers fail to establish a mood or stakes for the fights that have to happen, he says: 

David Ehrlich of IndieWire notes, as other critics have, that one of Black Adam’s main issues is that Dwayne Johnson and all involved aren’t willing to let the main character be all that bad. He grades the movie a D+, saying: 

If you’ve been excited for this movie for a long time, or if you’re a fan of DC or Dwayne Johnson in general, less-than-stellar reviews aren’t likely to keep you planning a trip to the theater. If you’re still game for this one, Black Adam will be released in theaters on Friday, October 21. 

In the meantime, be sure to check out CinemaBlend’s interviews with the Black Adam cast, including Johnson, Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge and more. See what’s next for The Rock, as well as all of the action that’s in store for the DCEU with a look at our list of upcoming DC movies. 

There are few Hollywood figures who work as consistently as Dwayne Johnson. The wrestler turned accomplished multihyphenate wears many hats, especially for his upcoming DC movie Black Adam. Of course The Rock was a class act on the comic book movie’s set, and Noah Centineo reveals why.

Netflix heartthrob Noah Centineo is making his big blockbuster debut in Black Adam, playing Justice Society of America hero Albert "Al" Rothstein / Atom Smasher. His many fans are eager to see him going toe to toe with Dwayne Johnson’s title character, who seems like a brutal antihero. But the To All the Boys actor revealed to Vanity Fair that The Rock is anything but villainous IRL. As he put it,

I mean, how awesome is that? Despite Dwayne Johnson wearing so many hats during Black Adam’s principal photography, he was still extremely present with the folks he was collaborating with. That includes Noah Centineo himself, who revealed that The Rock was one of his idols. Now we just have to wait and see how this chemistry ultimately translates to the contents of the long-delayed DC blockbuster.

Considering how busy Dwayne Johnson is on his various movie projects, it’s definitely awesome to hear how present he was on the set of Black Adam. And for a younger talent like Noah Centineo who was working with living legends like the Rock and Pierce Brosnan, this was no doubt a comfort. It’ll be interesting to see if these feelings influence the movie’s performances, as Centineo’s character Atom Smasher is fairly early into his superhero career during Jaume Collet-Serra’s upcoming blockbuster. So it might be a case of art imitating life, even if there are superpowers involved.

Noah Centineo’s comments about Dwayne Johnson’s character helps to show how the actor-producer has been able to create such an entertainment empire over the years. Basically everyone who works with The Rock has nothing but good things to say about the experience, and that includes those who worked on his long-awaited DC debut. As a reminder, you can check out the first trailer for Black Adam below, including the pair of actors in their comic book roles.

Dwayne Johnson has been attached to the Black Adam for around a decade, so this project has been a long time coming. But despite this long journey, fans are definitely excited about seeing his title character finally make his DCEU debut. The Rock has consistently teased that the hierarchy of power in the DC world is about to change, and the footage definitely shows how badass Black Adam will be. We’ll just have to wait and see when he shows up in the shared universe next; there’s a ton of excitement behind his eventual crossover with Shazam.

Black Adam will hit theaters on October 21st. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Black Adam, the next entry in the lineup of DC movies, isn’t just delivering the long-awaited debut of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as the title character; it’s also bringing the Justice Society of America to the big screen for the first time following previous live-action appearances in Smallville, Legends of Tomorrow and Stargirl. The DC Extended Universe’s JSA consists of Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone and Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher. Regarding the latter hero, Centineo has explained how his version of Atom Smasher will be different than his comic book counterpart.

Although Atom Smasher was previously played by pro-wrestler Edge in the Season 2 premiere of The CW’s The Flash, that version of the character was a villain from Earth-2 carrying out the orders of Zoom. Black Adam is giving us a properly heroic Atom Smasher, although as Noah Centineo told ScreenRant, this take on Albert Rothstein isn’t as experienced when the original DC Comics version joined the JSA. The To All the Boys alum explained:

When Albert Rothstein was introduced in 1983 as the superpowered godson of Al Pratt, the Golden Age Atom, and grandson of the supervillain known as Cyclotron, he went by Nuklon and was a member of Infinity Inc. But when the Justice Society was relaunched in the late ‘90s as a blend of its original members and newer heroes, Albert took on the Atom Smasher identity (which had previously been used in the alternate continuity story Kingdom Come) and was one of the more experienced members in that latter category. In contrast, the Albert Rothstein we’ll see in Black Adam has only just gotten started with his superhero journey and learning how to harness his ability to increase his size, strength and density. Noah Centineo also had the following to say about Black Adam exploring Albert’s family connections:

Cyclone is another Justice Society member from the comics who has Golden Age ties, as Maxine Hunkel’s grandmother was the original Red Tornado. Under the mentorship of Hawkman and Doctor Fate, combined with their experience going up against Black Adam, these two will take big steps forward in their superhero careers. In Atom Smasher’s case, it’s especially important for him to be a force for good since he doesn’t want to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, even though in the DCEU, it sounds like Cyclotron is a more tragic figure.

We’ll get to see Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher unleash his power when Black Adam opens in theaters on October 21. Our 2022 release schedule is available for those interested in what other high-profile movies are left to come out this year.

The DC Extended Universe is consistently expanding, with the most recent release being The Suicide Squad. One of the most highly anticipated movies coming down the line is Dwayne Johnson’s long-awaited Black Adam movie. And it sounds like Pierce Brosnan was super popular on set while filming as Doctor Fate.

While Black Adam will obviously revolve around The Rock’s title character, the villain will be battling a team of heroes. This includes Pierce Borsnan’s Doctor Fate, who will be part of the Justice Society of America. And it seems he also lead that ensemble off set, as producer Hiram Garcia shared:

Well, that’s just awesome. While Pierce Brosnan has had a long and successful career including his historic tenure as Jamed Bond, he seemingly remains humble. And he quickly established a bond with Black Adam co-stars like Noah Centineo as a result. What a class act.

Hiram Garcia’s comments to ScreenRant show some of the fun that happened off of the set of Black Adam. While the cast and crew likely had to form their own bubble thanks to strict Covid protocols, it seems they made the most of it, including some cast golfing trips. Because who doesn’t want to say they went golfing with James Bond?

It should be interesting to see how this bond formed by Black Adam’s cast ultimately factors into their performances. The personal dynamics of the JSA remain a mystery for the time being, but there will be five very different heroes making up the team. This includes a mixture of powers and ages, with Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman reportedly serving as the leader. As such, it should be fun to see how Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate contributes to the story.

Black Adam wrapped principal photography back in the summer, with fans eager to learn how the post-production period is working out. Dwayne Johnson revealed that the current cut is coming together, with the first footage recently arriving thanks to the DC Fandome event. And it looks like The Rock is going to be thoroughly badass.

Black Adam is currently expected to arrive in theaters on July 29th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam has been a project in development for so long that’s hard to believe it’s actually on the way. We only just got our first real look at what Black Adam will look like in a recent teaser, but when he arrives next summer, he’ll be bringing several other heroes with him. And now we’re starting to get a bit more detail about what some of them, including Noah Centrino’s Atom Smasher, are going to be like. 

Black Adam producer Hiram Garcia recently spoke to the Illuminerdi about the movie, and specifically about two of the members of the Justice Society of America, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone. They will be among the youngest members of the JSA that we meet, but even being young, they will complex origins which the movie will explore. According to Garcia... 

While the movie is certainly going to be about Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam, it appears he won’t be the only character who is fully realized. In addition to Noah Centrino’s Atom Smasher and Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone, Aldis Hodge will play Hawkman and Pierce Brosnan will play Dr. Fate. It sounds, from what Hiram Garcia says here, that we’ll learn something about where all the major players are coming from. 

Based on the teaser that we saw of Black Adam one certainly gets the impression the movie is going for something of a darker tone than some other DC films like Shazam! But Black Adam will have a bit of a lighter side as well. As the younger characters of Atom Smasher and Cyclone will apparently provide much of the movie’s humor. Garcia continues...

This all sounds great, now we just need to see it for ourselves. Black Adam just recently finished filming and is now in post-production. With the movie set to open next July, we’ll likely see our first real trailer sometime early next year.  

Shazam (or Captain Marvel, if you prefer) and Black Adam have been adversaries in the comics for decades, and originally the plan was for their cinematic incarnations to collide in the first Shazam! movie. However, then it was decided that Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam should debut in his own movie first, and there’s still no word on when him and Zachary Levi’s Shazam will cross paths. Instead, the DC Extended Universe’s Black Adam will first face off against the Justice Society of America, which includes the size-changing Atom Smasher, played by To All The Boys star Noah Centineo.

Atom Smasher is unquestionably the most physically imposing of the DCEU’s Justice Society’s lineup, so it stands to reason that he and the man once known as Teth-Adam will come to blows in Black Adam. How will that look? Obviously we won’t know until the movie comes out, but Instagram user datrintiart has come up with a pretty cool concept sketch for such a fight:

Oh yeah, now that looks like an epic clash between Black Adam and Atom Smasher. The latter’s strength may also increase as he grows in size, but Black Adam’s strength is on par with Superman’s, alongside the other magical abilities he boasts. So while I give Black Adam the edge in a one-on-one fight, at least Noah Centineo’s Atom Smasher won’t have to face the Kahndaqian powerhouse alone, as he’ll be accompanied by Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman, Quintessa Swindell’s Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan’s Doctor Fate.

Black Adam and Atom Smasher have history going back to Geoff Johns’ run on the JSA comic book series, with the two men initially developing a rivalry when the former joined the superhero team and the latter doubting that he’d reformed. However, as time passed, they developed respect for one another, and Atom Smasher ended up becoming one of the meta humans who helped Black Adam overthrow the oppressive regime ruling Kahndaq. Eventually though, Atom Smasher left Black Adam’s side and rejoined the Justice Society in their efforts to apprehend Adam. It’s unclear if Atom Smasher and Black Adam will establish close ties with one another in the DCEU, though given how Black Adam is more often depicted as an antihero nowadays rather than a straightforward supervillain, I can’t imagine they’ll remain legitimate enemies for too long.

The eleventh DCEU movie marks Atom Smasher’s second depiction in live-action, with Adam Copeland playing the character in the Season 2 premiere of The Flash. However, that version of Albert Rothstein was an antagonist working for the sinister speedster Zoom, whereas Noah Centineo’s Albert in Black Adam will be a superhero just like his comic book counterpart. Centineo was previously set to play He-Man in the live-action Masters of the Universe reboot, but he dropped out of the film this past April.

Black Adam also stars Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz, as well as Marwan Kenzari, James Cusati-Moyer, Bodhi Sabongui, Mo Amer, and Uli Latukefu in undisclosed roles. The Dwayne Johnson-led feature will hit theaters on July 29, 2022, so keep your eyes locked on CinemaBlend for more news about it and other upcoming DC Comics movies.

Spoilers are ahead for Netflix’s To All The Boys: Always and Forever.

One of Netflix’s biggest runaway hits came in 2018 with To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before. The adaptation of Jenny Han’s best selling YA novel ushered in a high-profile trilogy starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo as high school couple Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky, who are brought together by secret love letters. The story officially concluded earlier this year with LJ and Kavinsky getting ready to stay together long distance in college, but left open the question about whether they would truly be “always and forever”.

Fans of Netflix’s teen franchise who have lived through high school and college might be more skeptical of their fate. The high school sweetheart to staying together ratio does happen, but it's uncommon. Lana Condor shared her thoughts on if she thinks her iconic character would stay with Noah Centineo’s Kavinsky following the end of the trilogy. As she put it:

Long distance is not easy, especially when college opens a whole new world of opportunity outside one’s hometown, so Lana Condor is not betting on LJ and Peter to make it through another graduation as a couple. But of course, Always and Forever does leave things open ended, as she ultimately decides to go to school in New York. Meanwhile, her boyfriend stays on track with his plans to move to Northern California, where she had planned to join him before she changes her mind to benefit her own desires.

However, Lana Condor does still have hope for the couple from All The Boys. During her interview with Us Weekly, the 23-year-old actress spoke about what she imagines is next for them in more detail:

I know we’re talking about fictional characters here, but I think Lana Condor is dead on. It wouldn’t only be uncommon, but perhaps unfair to Lara Jean if her first and last boyfriend was Peter Kavinsky. We all grow through having different experiences, and college and one’s 20s are great times to understand what works best for us. Condor continued:

Wouldn’t that be perfect? I’d love to see Lana Condor’s vision come true, because the idea of this older and mature Lara Jean would be so much fun to see after following the character in high school. The actress wants to revisit the character years from now when she and Noah Centineo’s Peter have broken up, but somehow find each other again and fall in love again as adults once they’ve lived life apart. It’s an adorable idea! Netflix, are you taking notes?

Considering how willing Hollywood is to adapt (and readapt) popular franchises from television, video games, or film, it's sort of surprising when a popular franchise has trouble getting rebooted. And yet, we still haven't seen a big screen He-Man adaptation since Dolph Lundgren played the role in Masters of the Universe in 1987. That was supposed to change after Noah Centineo was cast to play He-Man in a new film, and the actor even started to put the work in to get in He-Man shape. But it seems that was all for naught as Centineo has now reportedly left the project.

While no details have been given, Collider is reporting that a representative for Noah Centineo told them the To All the Boys I've Loved Before actor was no longer attached to the new Masters of the Universe movie. It's unclear why Centineo left the project, or how long he's actually been out of it. What is apparently clear is that the movie will need a new He-Man.

Masters of the Universe is one of those projects that seems to hit one road block after another. The movie has been through multiple directors over the last several years. Aaron and Adam Nee are still, as far as we know, the pair set to helm the project. The movie also had other behind the scenes questions that have never been clearly answered as at various times the expectation was that the movie would be theatrical, or possibly end up going to a streaming service like Netflix. The streaming giant already has a separate reboot series in development

Additionally, there was a little thing about a global pandemic that kept a lot of movies from getting in front of cameras. The physical work that Noah Centineo did to het into He-Man shape had to basically be put on hold and he would have either needed to keep it going all through the pandemic, or stop and then start again when production was ready to get underway. Neither option was probably all that enticing.

It's also simply possible that the delays in production resulted in Noah Centineo being unable to play the role of He-Man. He's set to play Atom Smasher in the upcoming DC movie Black Adam with Dwayne Johnson, and he's got other projects set to follow that. So it could simply be that he was forced to bow out of Masters of the Universe.

Since it's not 100% clear how long Noah Centineo has been out as He-Man, this could be a recent development or old news that simply hadn't been discovered yet, it's possible the search for a new He-Man is already underway. If Masters of the Universe is an active concern we could get a new casting announcement soon. Of course, if the reason Centineo left is that the movie just isn't moving forward, then this could be news that the whole thing has fallen apart.

For over a decade, The Rookie creator Alexi Hawley has worked with both ABC and Nathan Fillion. Hawley was an executive producer on the crime dramedy Castle, which starred Fillion and lasted eight seasons. Hawley then created police procedural The Rookie, which also stars Fillion and is currently airing Season 3. Now he’s teaming up with a new lead actor for a new crime drama on a completely different platform.

Netflix golden boy Noah Centineo, who is mostly known for his role as Peter Kavinsky in the streaming platform’s To All the Boys trilogy, will be leading the new project which is an espionage drama, according to Deadline. Besides To All the Boys, The Fosters alum has also been in Sierra Burgess is a Loser and The Perfect Date on Netflix. The news comes off the heels of the announcement that Centineo will be playing Atom Smasher in the Dwayne Johnson DC/New Line film Black Adam.

Noah Centineo will play a fledgling CIA lawyer who becomes involved in dangerous international power politics when a former asset threatens to expose the nature of her long-term relationship with the agency, unless they exonerate her for a serious crime. The working title was Graymail, which refers to “the threatened revelation of state secrets.” Although Netflix hasn’t set an official title yet, it has given the project a straight-to-series order with eight hour-long episodes.

Alexi Hawley will serve as showrunner and executive producer, along with Noah Centineo and Doug Liman, Gene Klein and David Bartis. The drama will also come from Entertainment One and Hypnotic. So far, no one else is attached to the series and it’s not known when it is expected to premiere, but more news is likely to come within the next several months.

With the To All the Boys trilogy coming to an end back in February, some other projects Noah Centineo has in the works include his role as Albert Rothstein/Atom Smasher in 2022’s Black Adam, portraying He-Man in a new Masters of the Universe reboot, and starring in a new GameStop stocks movie at Netflix. It is possible, however, that Centineo could reprise his role again as Jesus Foster in Freeform’s The Fosters spinoff, Good Trouble, as he appeared in an episode in 2019.

Alexi Hawley will be busy between The Rookie and this new untitled series. Given Hawley’s history of having actors who were in his previous shows appear in his current ones, fingers crossed that Nathan Fillion will be appearing in this new series. Or better yet, that Castle’s Stana Katic will be a co-star. With The Rookie’s third season coming to a close very soon and the future still yet unknown, Hawley is making sure that either way, he has another project on hand. But with this Netflix series being a crime drama, there’s no doubt it will be a good one since it seems that is Hawley’s specialty.

The excitement for the DCEU’s Black Adam continues to grow as more news comes out. While the film is poised to be another blockbuster for Dwayne Johnson, it could jumpstart the next phase of Netflix star Noah Centineo’s career. Seeing Johnson’s preparation for the superhero film clearly motivated Centineo. He’s been posting his progress on social media for months. But the latest post showed how massive the actor looks ahead of filming as Atom Smasher.

The DC film is shaping up to be a huge moment in Noah Centineo’s career post-To All the Boys success. Centineo appears ready to be Hollywood’s next big-budget film star (if the film is a success). To match, or at least approach, the level of Johnson’s physique, the To All the Boys star has been going hard to play the DC superhero. His trainer Kirk Myers posted a series of videos and photos of the heartthrob working out on Instagram. Check out Centineo’s intense workout below:

Kirk Myers’ Instagram post showed just how committed Noah Centineo is to meet the physical demands of playing Atom Smasher. While Centineo seemed quite fit beforehand, there’s an obvious difference between his physique in the To All the Boys series and prepping for Black Adam. Given Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam posts, Centineo wanted to match the Jumanji star (as much as he could) before the production started.

But honestly, Noah Centineo’s workout post has been months (if not years) in the making. Along with Black Adam, the Netflix star is set to play He-Man, which is just as physically demanding. Unlike the DC film, the actor will be headlining Masters of the Universe. After doing so many projects for Netflix, the actor seems ready to prove his worth as a box-office draw. And Centineo is showing his readiness to be Hollywood’s next big action star.

With the constant posting of his workouts on social media, Noah Centineo seems to enjoy the results of his progress. Due to the pushback of both films, the actor seems to have lost and gained the muscle a few times to fit his other projects. Having two physically demanding films lined up requires a certain physique. The actor has proven he willing to do the work. But after those films, only time will tell if the actor will maintain his new body or let it go.

Seeing how intense Noah Centineo’s workout regime is proved just how much he’s ready to level up in Hollywood. Hopefully, doing Black Adam and Masters of the Universe will help him to achieve that goal. Besides Centineo’s physique, there have been more exciting news related to the DC film. But DC fans will have to wait to see the To All the Boys star in action as Black Adam currently has no release date.

So here’s the thing: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo were seriously adorable together in the To All the Boys movies. Their chemistry really shines through the Netflix franchise, from beginning right up to the end. What they experienced together with the rom-com phenomenon is prime breeding ground for a real life romance, but they intentionally decided to remain professional early on and decide not to date.

Lana Condor recently recalled that right before filming the first movie To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (which became an overnight hit for its young stars), she went to a hot yoga class and grabbed pizza with Noah Centineo when she realized sparks could seriously fly between them if she didn’t set boundaries. Then and there, she told the actor that it "was not going to happen" between them, and he agreed. Now that they’ve wrapped the trilogy, Condor stands by their no-dating pact. As she told ET:

When the two actors initially made the first film, they had no idea the To All The Boys movies would become as popular as they are. Their professional relationship has thrived four years since Lana Condor drew that line, and she believes the movie is better for it. The odds of them maintaining their relationship for all that time may have been difficult, and there would have been a lot more focus on their personal relationships than the movies. Condor continued:

When a couple of actors like Lana Condor and Noah Centineo get cast in a movie series like All The Boys, it seems as though it would be easy to fall in love. The two were already placed in romantic situations together, and they clearly have genuine chemistry off screen. Also, in terms of their lives, both of them were going through an insane change, during which they were both in the process of becoming major stars. It’s exactly what happened to Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, or High School Musical’s Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens and The Amazing Spider-Man’s Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.

They’d also be spending time in interviews navigating relationship questions. But instead they get to make a case for not dating your co-stars. Sure, there’s a cute aspect to the idea from the outside looking in but, when it comes down to it, acting is a job and, when two actors get together in real life (especially under contract), it can cause a lot of heartache and drama. Noah Centineo echoed Condor’s perspective with these words:

Centineo and Condor sound like they have a really great friendship with one another, which will likely remain for years to come. And if they had dated in an alternate universe, as Condor called it, we may not have treasured the final chapter Always And Forever as deeply.

On Valentine's Day weekend, romantic Netflix users celebrated the holiday by watching To All The Boys: Always and Forever, the third and final installment in Netflix's popular YA romance trilogy. Starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, the movie adaptations of Jenny Han's best-selling novels sparked a lot of interest in the promising careers of its up-and-coming stars, who also include To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You's Jordan Fisher. So, now that Netflix has closed the book (or, rather, sealed the letter) on this franchise, what's the To All The Boys I Loved Before cast doing next? Let's find out!

Lana Condor (Lara Jean Covey)

As Lara Jean Covey, the lovelorn high schooler who became Peter Kavinsky's fake girlfriend, then his real one, Lana Condor found her star-making role as the romantic protagonist in Netflix's To All the Boys trilogy. Away from starring in this streaming franchise, the young actress had notable supporting roles in X-Men: Apocalypse, Patriots Day, Lifetime's High School Lover, and Alita: Battle Angel. Additionally, Condor starred in Syfy's short-lived Deadly Class and the ensemble comedy, Summer Night. Furthermore, she did voice work in Rilakkuma and Kaoru and BoJack Horseman's final season. Outside of acting, Condor started a prominent YouTube channel last February.

Next, Lana Condor will star in Netflix's limited series, Boo Bitch. She'll also serve as an executive producer. Also, Condor is headlining Girls Night and HBO Max's Moonshot.

Noah Centineo (Peter Kavinsky)

In the role of Peter Kavinsky, a popular kid who forms a fake relationship with Lara Jean Covey, only to develop real feelings, Noah Centineo stole a lot of hearts with his lovey-dovey romantic lead in the To All The Boys trilogy. Outside of this film series, Centineo is known for his starring roles in two other Netflix movies, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser, and The Perfect Date. He also appeared in Disney Channel's How to Build a Better Boy, the final three seasons of Freeform's The Fosters, Disney Channel's Austin & Ally, and Hulu's T@gged. His other film credits include Charlie's Angels (2019), Can't Take It Back, Swiped, and SPF-18. Outside of acting, Centineo served as a writer and producer for #TheAssignment. He also directed ARTY's "Save Me Tonight" music video.

Next, Noah Centineo stars in Jackie Chan's The Diary. He's also slated to play He-Man in Masters of the Universe and Atom Smasher in DC's Black Adam. Additionally, it was recently announced that Centineo will appear in Netflix's still-untitled GameStop drama.

John Corbett (Dr. Daniel Covey)

Playing the part of Dr. Daniel Covey, the widowed father of Margot, Lara Jean, and Kitty, John Corbett provided a dutifully caring paternal figure. Outside of this film series, Corbett is known as the romantic lead in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and its 2016 sequel. Additionally, on TV, the actor starred in CBS's Northern Exposure and Showtime's The United States of Tara. Furthermore, Corbett had recurring roles in Sex and the City, Parenthood, and Undone, while also starring in FX's short-lived Lucky and Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. His other film credits include Tombstone, Serendipity, Raising Helen, Street Kings, Ramona and Beezus, I Hate Valentine's Day, The Boy Next Door, and Sex and the City 2. Outside of acting, Corbett is also a musician and released two country albums, 2006's John Corbett and 2013's Leaving Nothin' Behind.

Next, John Corbett will co-star in ABC's Rebel, which is set to premiere on April 8th.

Madeleine Arthur (Christine Donati)

As Christine Donati, Lara Jean's best friend, Madeleine Arthur plays a supportive free spirit in the franchise. Outside of this series, Arthur is notably known for her roles in Color Out of Space, Big Eyes, and ABC's The Family. Additionally, she appears in The Killing, The Tomorrow People, Supernatural, Legends of Tomorrow, The X-Files, The Magicians, R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour, and TNT's Snowpiercer. Next, Arthur is expected to star in the indie drama, Tell Me Why I Don't Like Mondays.

Israel Broussard (Josh)

In the role of Josh Sanderson, Lara Jean's childhood friend and potential love interest, Israel Broussard played a prominent part in To All The Boys I Loved Before, but his character was missing from the sequels. Broussard is known for Happy Death Day and Happy Death Day 2U. His other notable film credits include The Bling Ring, Flipped, Earth to Echo, and The Chaperone. Additionally, Broussard starred in Perfect High and guest-starred in Sons of Anarchy and Fear the Walking Dead. He also appeared in M83's "Claudia Lewis" music video. Following To All The Boys I Loved Before's Netflix debut, Broussard drew controversy when insensitive tweets resurfaced online. He apologized, though this media firestorm could be the reason for the actor's absence in the sequels.

Recently, Israel Broussard was seen in Hulu's Into the Dark and this month's Fear of Rain. His next project isn't known, though Happy Death Day 3 could be happening soon.

Jordan Fisher (John Ambrose McClaren)

Playing the part of John Ambrose McClaren, Lara Jean's childhood friend and potential love interest, Jordan Fisher had a starring role in To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You. Most notably, from 2016-2017, Fisher appeared in Broadway's production of Hamilton. Starting in 2020, he played the title character in Dear Evan Hansen. Also, Fisher won Dancing with the Stars' 25th season and hosted 2018's Dancing with the Stars: Juniors. His other acting credits include The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Liv and Maddie, Teen Beach Movie 1 and 2, Grease Live, Teen Wolf, iCarly, and Rent Live.

Fisher appeared in Netflix's Work It and Quibi's Royalties. He also does voice work for She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Archibald's Next Big Thing. Next, the actor stars in Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between, where he also serves as an executive producer.

Anna Cathcart (Kitty Covey)

As Kitty, the youngest Covey daughter who sent out all of Lara Jean's secretive letters, Anna Cathcart played a crucial part in establishing the core fake-then-serious relationship in the movies. Outside of this franchise, Cathcart starred in PBS Kids' Odd Squad Season 2, as well as Odd Squad: The Movie, OddTube, and Odd Squad: World Turned Odd. She also appeared in Disney Channel's Descendants 2 and 3. Additionally, Cathcart played the title role in Zoe Valentine. The child actress reprised this character for Spring Breakaway. Her other TV credits include Once Upon a Time, Fast Layne, and Dino Dana. Additionally, Cathcart hosted the web series, Letters To.

Next, Anna Cathcart stars in the Disney Channel Original Movie, Spin.

Janel Parrish (Margot Covey)

In the role of Margot, Lara Jean and Kitty's older sister, Janel Parrish played a key character in To All The Boys I Loved Before, and had a supporting part in the sequels. Most notably, Parrish is known for starring in ABC Family's Pretty Little Liars and 2019's spin-off, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, which was canceled after one season on Freeform. Additionally, the actress starred in Bratz, Triple Dog, Trespassers, and Tiger. Her other film credits include Celeste and Jesse Forever, Fired Up!, April Showers, and Mighty Oak. Additionally, on television, Parrish was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars Season 19 and appeared in Heroes, Baywatch, True Jackson VP, The O.C., Zoey 101, and Lifetime's I'll Be Watching. Outside of film and TV, Parrish was seen in 1996's Broadway and touring productions of Les Miserables.

Most recently, Janel Parrish starred in Hallmark Channel's Holly & Ivy. She also recently guest-starred on CBS's Magnum P.I. Next, Parrish will be seen in Until We Meet Again.

Sarayu Blue (Trina Rothschild)

Playing the part of Trina Rothschild, the next-door neighbor who begins a relationship with Dr. Covey, Sarayu Blue, also known as Sarayu Rao, adopted a key character. Most notably, Blue is known for her starring role in NBC's I Feel Bad. She was also in the main cast for The CW's short-lived No Tomorrow. Some of her other television credits include Sons of Tucson, Monday Mornings, NCIS: Los Angeles, Medical Police, The Unicorn, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Additionally, on the big screen, Blue is best known for her supporting turn in Blockers. The actress also makes appearances in Dealin' with Idiots, Lions for Lambs, and November's Happiest Season.

Next, Sarayu Blue will be seen in Apple TV+'s limited series, The Shrink Next Door.

Ross Butler (Trevor Pike)

As Trevor Pike, Peter and Lara Jean's childhood friend, Ross Butler played a prominent supporting character in To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, andcan also briefly be seen in To All The Boys: Always and Forever. Most notably, Butler was known for his main role on Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. The film and television actor can also be seen in Disney Channel's K.C. Undercover, Teen Beach 2, Riverdale, Perfect High, The Internship, Chasing Life, Teen Wolf, and Shazam!, as well as the music videos for Steve Aoki's "Waste It On Me" and Juice Wild's "Graduation."

Butler was set to star in Quibi's Swimming with Sharks, though the short-form show's status is unknown after the company folded. Next, Butler will be heard in Disney's Raya and the Last Dragon, which arrives in theaters and on Disney+ on March 5th. Additionally, the actor will lend his voice to Netflix's Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas.

Emilija Baranac (Genevieve Mitchell)

In the role of Genevieve Mitchell, Peter Kavinsky's popular ex-girlfriend, Emilija Baranac played a preppy personality in the trilogy. Most notably, Baranac is known for her prominent part in The CW's Riverdale Season 2. The actress/model can also be seen in Beyond, Supernatural, and Charmed. Additionally, Baranac starred in a pair of Lifetime movies, Tempting Fate and Deadly Second Chances.

Recently, Emilijia Baranac reprised her role as Heidi in The CW's Charmed. Following her performance in To All The Boys: Always and Forever, the actress will star in There's Someone Inside Your House. She's also expected to appear in the short film, Dead End.

Trezzo Mahoro (Lucas Krapf)

Playing the part of Lucas Krapf, Lara Jean's former crush-turned-close friend, Trezzo Mahoro was seen as a caring and supportive confidant in all three To All The Boys movies. Some of his other film credits include Dragged Across Concrete, 2016's Adventures in Babysitting, and A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish. Also, on television, Mahoro appeared in Van Helsing, The Magicians, The X-Files, Motive, and iZombie.

This past November, Trezzo Mahoro was seen in Netflix's Operation Christmas Drop. Additionally, Mahoro appeared in this month's The Right One. Following To All The Boys: Always and Forever, the actor will star in The Four Fathers and Syfy's Day of the Dead.

Do you love the To All The Boys movies? Which one is your favorite? Tell us below!

After years of movies, the final installment in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film series is here. To All the Boys: Always and Forever is the third film in the series, and features Lana Condor’s Lara Jean and Noah Centineo’s Peter as they get ready to head to college. After some complications arise, Lara Jean must figure out what she really wants for her future.

Lara Jean Covey and Peter Kavinsky’s romance fired up the YA fan in all of us with the first two films, which led to both actors becoming famous overnight (which apparently was a huge adjustment that neither of them could prepare for). After the release of the first film in 2018, Noah Centineo’s social media follower count went from 300,000 to 11 million in just one week (and he had a pretty terrifying fan encounter). Now we get to watch how it all ends for Lara Jean and Peter in To All the Boys: Always and Forever.

If you're trying to decide how to spend your Valentine’s weekend, To All the Boys: Always and Forever just debuted on Netflix today, and critics have already started to post their reviews for the film.

CinemaBlend’s own Sarah El-Mahmoud rated the film three out of five stars. She applauds the genuine chemistry between Lana Condor and Noah Centineo and the way Always and Forever ties up all of the narratives from the franchise. She says:

Kimber Myers of the Los Angeles Times complements the series’ ability to develop characters, pointing out how the series allows Lara Jean and the characters around her to grow with surprising depth. She said:

Kate Erbland from IndieWire remarks on the overstuffed nature of the film, saying that “There’s just too much here,” but admits that To All the Boys: Always and Forever still keeps the audience invested in the lead pair of actors. She comments on the franchise as a whole, saying:

Peter Debruge of Variety was impressed by the development of the supporting cast, such as Janel Parrish, Anna Cathcart, and Sarayu Blue, as well as the growth of the main couple. He also noted:

Mary Sollosi of Entertainment Weekly was not very impressed with To All The Boys: Always And Forever. She notes that the film doesn’t really know what to do with the main couple now that they are firmly, well, a couple. Mary comments that the film reduces each of the main actors to their quirks, “as if to remind its viewers that these are the characters they loved once before, rather than trying to make anyone love them at this moment in their lives.” They go on to say:

Well, you can judge To All The Boys: Always And Forever for yourself on Netflix as it debuts on the streaming platform today. You can also check out the rest of the movies coming out this year after you've finished watching the conclusion to Lara Jean and Peter's story.

For those of you who haven’t been following why GameStop has been part of the news cycle lately, it has nothing to do with the buying and selling of video games. To put it as simply possible, with hedge funds having bet against companies like GameStop and AMC, numerous day traders banded together online (particularly on Reddit) to buy said stocks, resulting in GameStop shares increasing 135% in just one day and delivering major consequences for the aforementioned hedge funds. It’s a complicated subject that was already set to be explored in one movie, but now Netflix is getting in on the GameStop stocks action, and Noah Centineo is involved.

According to Deadline, Netflix is working on a yet-to-be-titled GameStop movie that The Hurt Locker screenwriter Mark Boal is in negotiations to pen. Noah Centineo, who’s a big player in the Netflix realm in recent years thanks to the To All the Boys movies, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and The Perfect Date, is said to play a “major role” in this project, while Scott Galloway, who co-hosts the tech, politics and business news-focused Pivot podcast, will consult on the script.

This news follows just a day after it was announced that MGM acquired the film rights to author Ben Mezrich’s book proposal The Antisocial Network. Mezrich also wrote the book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal, which was later adapted into The Social Network. Given how much critical acclaim and accolades David Fincher’s 2010 movie earned, it makes sense why MGM wanted to snag the rights to Mezrich’s forthcoming story, but now the studio will have to contend with Netflix as competition on the same subject.

Netflix hasn’t officially commented on its GameStop project, but Deadline’s write-up also mentioned that the goal is for the Mark Boal-penned narrative to “shine a light” on how social media users have “leveled the playing field and allowed the masses to challenge status quo gatekeepers, for good and bad.” Both this project and MGM’s movie are reportedly also expected to be modeled after 2015’s The Big Short, which delved into how the U.S. housing bubble trigger the financial crisis that lasted from 2007 to 2008.

While it’s possible that both Netflix and MGM’s respective GameStop projects could see the light of day, the former streaming platform is apparently looking to be the first one to cross the finish line. Mark Boal certainly has experience with quick turnarounds, as a decade ago, he and director Kathryn Bigelow were working on a movie about the Battle of Tora Bora in December 2001, which was among the early attempts to capture or kill Osama Bin Laden post-9/11. However, once it was announced in May 2011 that bin Laden was killed, they scrapped that project and started a new one from scratch, which became the Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty. Boal’s other notable credits include Detroit and Triple Frontier.

As for Noah Centineo, it’s unclear who he would play in Netflix’s GameStop movie, although I can’t help wondering if the streaming service has him in mind for Keith Gill, the financial advisor and YouTuber known Roaring Kitty who helped rally people online to but GameStop shares. Granted, Gill is 34 and Centineo turns 25 in May, but there’s enough wiggle room for the casting to work. In any case, this marks yet another way for Centineo to keep a firm foothold on the Netflix front. The actor is also still attached to star as He-Man in the Masters of the Universe reboot, as well as play Atom Smasher in Black Adam.

Obviously Netflix’s GameStop movie is in the earliest stages of development, so keep your eyes locked on CinemaBlend for more updates. If you’re curious about what movies are supposed to come out in theaters this year, you can find that information in our 2021 release schedule.

Noah Centineo’s life changed the moment To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before debuted on Netflix back in summer 2018. In just a week, his social media follower count went from 300,000 to 11 million. The former Fosters actor became a huge star as the rom-com based on Jenny Han’s bestselling series dazzled streamers. The 24-year-old actor is getting ready to move up to the DC universe as Atom Smasher in Black Adam and play He-Man in Masters of the Universe, but first he’s reflecting on where it all started.

Noah Centineo’s breakout moment turned the actor into an instant Hollywood heartthrob, something he never expected when he signed on to play the Kovinsky to Lana Condor’s Lara Jean. That job description often comes with a crowd of screaming fans, which the actor apparently experienced early on. According to Centineo, shortly after To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was released, he was located by five fans to JFK International Airport, where he landed and they had tracked him from.

While speaking to GQ, Noah Centineo recalled how the five fans (two guys and three girls) “scared the shit” out of him at the New York airport after he noticed their too-close-for-comfort presence while he was looking out for his luggage. When he decided to strike a conversation with one of the guys who was standing dangerously close to him and ask about his flight, he said something like this:

Welp, that’s super terrifying. It does get a tad worse too. After finding out the five All The Boys fans had tracked him to the airport somehow, they proceeded to try to follow him home too. Thankfully, Noah Centineo had a good driver to whisk him away when he turned out to be equipped to deal with the situation. As the actor remembered it:

The story does give us a peek into just how massive To All The Boys became right away. Being stalked and followed isn’t something one imagines will happen when signing up for a coming-of-age role, but it's a rare anomaly that Noah Centineo has been blessed and cursed with. To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before has become one of the most celebrated rom-coms of the decade, and it will come to an end next month with Always and Forever. The Netflix trailer just dropped:

Always And Forever will officially wrap up Lara Jean and Peter Kovinsky’s love story as the pair gear up to head to college. We’ll have to wait and see if the couple’s plans for the future end up aligning when To All The Boys: Always and Forever premieres on Netflix on February 12. Check out Netflix’s full 2021 movie calendar here on CinemaBlend.

It is a tale as old as time: a young heartthrob receives the chance to break out from his rom-com stardom and into the big leagues by accepting a role in an upcoming comic book movie. Such is the case for Noah Centineo, who, in addition to being as cast as He-Man, was more recently tapped to play Atom Smasher in Black Adam, alongside Dwayne Johnson as the title character. As much as we can say that we are proud to see him taking a big step like this in his career with a DC Comics adaptation, we still cannot help but wonder what the Marvel movies could have used him for.

To be perfectly fair, the 24-year-old star of countless Netflix exclusive teen dramas, including both installments of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise, has landed a most excellent gig with his Black Adam role - an on-and-off-again friend of the off-and-on-again Shazam villain and modern day member of the much overlooked Justice Society of America. However, lest we forget how many beloved Marvel characters still remain strangers to the Marvel Cinematic Universe continuity, or at least have no one to play them yet. Not to mention, for a good chunk of these unsung heroes (or villains), Noah Centineo fits the bill quite appropriately.

While the chances for the Atom Smasher actor to co-exist within two shared cinematic universes is a bit of a stretch (but, hey, anything can happen), we figured that there is really no harm in using our imaginations. The following are our top six choices of intriguing personalities ripped from the pages of Marvel Comics whom Noah Centineo would be a great candidate to breathe life into on the big (or even the small) screen.

Namor

The DC Extended Universe already has its own Aquaman with Jason Momoa, Drew Van Acker took the role of the Atlantean warrior king’s young protege Aqualad for the live action Titans series, and Chase Crawford plays a creepy parody of him on The Boys. Therefore, if Noah Centineo were ever interested in playing a vigilante with close ties to the deep blue sea, the best choice to go with would be Namor, whose MCU debut has been the subject of many rumors over the years, but to no avail as of yet. An alpha-level mutant with impressive aquatic and amphibious physiology, but quick-tempered among surface dwellers, the Sub-Mariner is role that could prove challenging for Centineo, but that is just what an actor of his pedigree and age should be chasing.

Hyperion

While Namor is often assumed to be Marvel’s answer to Aquaman, the DC character actually first appeared two years after the Sub-Mariner’s 1939 debut. However, the character commonly referred to as “Marvel’s Superman” (due to his extraterrestrial origin, near identical abilities, and vulnerability to “argonite radiation” as opposed to Kryptonite)” has nothing on the true Man of Steel, who was introduced more than three decades prior to the first iteration of Hyperion - initially a villain called Zhib-Ran. In fact, I believe it might be more fun to bring the original Zhib-Ran (a.k.a. “Mr. Kant”) into the MCU and just use as many opportunities as possible to poke fun at his similarities to Kal-El, which Noah Centineo’s comedic experience may lend to perfectly.

American Eagle

Not many people may know this (save the actor’s more obsessively committed fans, perhaps), but among Noah Centineo’s vastly diverse ethnic background is “a little bit of Native American” according to his episode of GQ’s “Actually Me.” Learning that got me thinking about how little representation there is of Native Americans in the MCU at the moment despite the surprising amount of characters written as such in the comics, including Jason Strongbow - a Navajo who gained superhuman abilities from exposure to radiation and became a vigilante called American Eagle. He is also a part-time Agent of Wakanda, which means his ties to the MCU continuity have pretty much been written already and casting Centineo could be a great help in making that a reality.

Morlun

For those who are excited to see Jared Leto’s take on Marvel’s “living vampire” in the upcoming Morbius, I have some information that may interest you: he is not the only creature of the night whom Spider-Man has taken on. In fact, there is a chance that a bloodsucker known as Morlun could become a part of Sony’s developing web of Spidey spin-offs if Cindy Moon happens to be the title character of Olivia Wilde’s supposed upcoming Spider-Woman movie, as a major comic book arc sees him chasing after her. Even if plans for a Silk (Cindy’ official alias) movie is never resurrected, bringing in Morlun (leader of bloodthirsty half-human, half-animal hunters the Inheritors) would make for one epic and refreshingly original film that Noah Centineo would undoubtedly have fun playing the bad guy for.

The Beyonder

On the other hand, if a rich complexity would be an especially important trait to convince Noah Centineo to play a villain, he should look no further than the Beyonder, who even bears a slight resemblance to the actor. Most may cite Galactus as the natural successor to Thanos as the MCU’s next big bad, but I would argue a more interesting and surprising choice would be this being, who happens to be the [sentient manifestation of an entire reality](https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Beyonder_(Earth-616). Not only is this the kind of high-concept sci-fi we do not see enough of in comic book movies, but who could refuse playing god-like tyrant whose fascinating with the worth of humans inspires him to see what they are really made of in gladiator-style death matches?

Moon Knight

One of the more eagerly demanded characters by Marvel fans to see adapted for live action is Moon Knight, who has actually been compared to Batman for his billionaire playboy guise, but with more supernatural abilities and even worse mental health at that. The alter ego of mercenary Marc Spector, who gained magical abilities powered by the moon after a vengeful Egyptian god brought him back from the dead, will join the MCU continuity in his own Disney+ exclusive series, but has yet to be cast. Despite the many in support of having Daniel Radcliffe play the lead, I would imagine Noah Centineo would not only be the more visually accurate choice, but might even be more willing to play a character with magic powers as Radcliffe has already spent most of his life doing that.

What do you think? Should Noah Centineo go ahead and ditch his Black Adam role and beg Kevin Feige to play any of the aforementioned heroes, or would you wager that the He-Man reboot is more likely his best bet at this point? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the up-and-coming action star in the making, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting calls, here on CinemaBlend.

Most viewers know Noah Centineo for his role as Peter Kavinsky in the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before film franchise. However, the rising star is also set to take on some major roles in a few upcoming blockbusters, including the long-awaited Masters of the Universe reboot. As you would expect, Centineo has been working hard to build muscle for his starring role as He-Man. Well, the actor has now given us a look at the result of his hard work and, needless to say, he’s ripped.

In an Instagram post, Noah Centineo revealed pictures of his physique, complete with abs. The post also came with a cheeky caption in which he asked followers if he should start training again. You can check out the post for yourself down below:

When moviegoers think of He-Man, they likely still envision Dolph Lundgren, who was physically imposing when he played the role back in the ‘80s. Noah Centineo may not be on his level just yet, but he’s definitely close. All in all, you have to applaud him for putting in the work to get that fit.

If we’re being honest, Noah Centineo already seemed to be in relatively good shape before he was cast in the role. Still, the actor reportedly put on 30 extra pounds of muscle in preparation for the part and stuck to a regimen that included eating as many as 11 eggs per day.

The Masters of the Universe reboot has been in development for some time, though Centineo was cast in the titular role just last year. It’s no surprise that he’s fully committed to the physical aspect of the role, as he’s previously referred to playing the character as a “really big responsibility.”

It’s likely that Noah Centineo will want to hold on to his physical and mental determination as he prepares to take on his first superhero role. The heartthrob is currently slated to play the hero Atom Smasher in Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. As of right now, it’s unclear as to what the character’s role will be in the highly anticipated film, but chances are he’ll come to blows with Johnson’s titular antihero at some point. So it’s probably best that Centineo does keep that muscle as long as he can.

With Centineo moving into more blockbuster projects, it wouldn’t be surprising if he decides to maintain this particular body type. Actors like the newly ripped Kumail Nanjiani have even stated that it’s easier to keep the muscle than it is to gain it.

Regardless of what he decides to do off camera, it’s clear that Noah Centineo is doing everything he can to prepare for his immediate on camera projects.

The Masters of the Universe reboot doesn’t currently have a set release date, but Black Adam is set to hit theaters on December 22, 2021.

In a rare instance of new information about Black Adam coming to light, the much anticipated spin-off from the surprise 2019 hit DC Extended Universe Shazam! just got one smashing update. Netflix’s go-to heartthrob for rom-coms, Noah Centineo, will appear alongside Dwayne Johnson as Atom Smasher.

I would not hold it against you if you admitted that this was the first time you had ever heard of Atom Smasher before, though. In fact, even if the name did a ring a bell or two, unless you were a lifelong, devoted follower of DC comic book lore, there is probably still not very much you might know about this recently announced Black Adam movie character, whose history with the Shazam adversary is poised to make for one interesting dynamic in the upcoming film, potentially.

Do you care to hear more in-depth details about that relationship? Read on to learn all about how he and Black Adam relate to each other, as well as five other intriguing facts about Atom Smasher that might have slipped past your memory, especially if the character’s existence had slipped past your own awareness until Noah Centineo's name was attached.

Atom Smasher Has The Ability To Increase His Size

While the image of a man with the ability to destroy the smallest unit of matter does sound impressive, atoms are actually the most important factor to all of what Atom Smasher (née Albert Rothstein) is able to do. While he does possess a number of the more common superpowers, including your typical super strength, speed, and durability, all of that stems from his central feature of atomic dispersal, which allows him to change his own mass for a variety of purposes, most notably growing to a maximum height of 28 feet. Rothstein can also pilot and repair aircraft and attended the University of Southern California on a basketball scholarship.

Atom Smasher Originally Debuted Under The Alias Nuklon

When Albert Rothstein (the creation of Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway) first appeared in a September 1983 issue of DC's All-Star Squadron, he emerged under a name that sounds far kinder to the main source of his power. Having inherited the metahuman abilities of his evil grandfather Terrence Kurtzberger (a.ka. Cyclotron), Rothstein donned a sick mohawk the same shade of red as his suit to fight crime as Nuklon, during which time he also had an ability to phase through objects. However, you almost have to imagine that, if it had not been taken, he might have opted to take on the superhero identity of his godfather.

Atom Smasher Is The Godson Of The Original Atom

Today, the person who is best known as The Atom is Dr. Ray Palmer, whose Arrowverse iteration is portrayed by former Superman actor Brandon Routh. The first, however, is Al Pratt, whose skills in boxing and atomic physiology due to a strange accident made him into the incredible shrinking superhero during the Golden Age of DC comics. It was actually Pratt's legacy that inspired his godson, Albert Rothstein, to use his powers for good as Nuklon and aspire to follow in his footsteps by joining the Justice Society of America, at which he would adopt the name Atom Smasher and a new, intimidating look to match.

Atom Smasher And Black Adam Have Been Both Friends And Enemies

While his name seems like a threat to Black Adam (phonetically speaking), Atom Smasher is actually someone the god-like Egyptian thinks of as a brother, especially after he turns good and they fight alongside each other in the Justice Society of America. However, given Adam’s tendency to play both sides, things are not always so buddy-buddy between these two. Once, after Black Adam resurrected a dead Albert Rothstein (who was then imprisoned for helping him achieve rule of Kahndaq), Amanda Waller recruited him into a reformed Suicide Squad to track down and capture Adam.

Atom Smasher Is One Of Few Known Jewish DC Characters

Another thing that has put Atom Smasher at odds with colleagues is his religious beliefs and, in fact, he is actually one of the few DC characters who are openly Jewish. Albert Rothstein's devout practices actually informed his decision to refuse romance with fellow DC crime fighter Fire and almost cost him his friendship with openly gay superhero Obsidian, until he discovered his crush at the time was a bisexual woman, allowing him to accept his friend as he is. Coincidentally, Noah Centineo is not Jewish in real life, but actually has a small, unique following in the community particularly for his role in the Netflix original To All the Boys I've Loved Before and its 2020 sequel, even though his character, Peter Kavinksy, is not Jewish either.

Black Adam Will Be Atom Smasher’s Big Screen Debut

Noah Centineo's casting in Black Adam marks the first time that Atom Smasher will grace the silver screen, although it will not be the first time the comic book character has been adapted for a different medium. Albert Rothstein's alter ego made multiple appearance in the series Justice League Unlimited (a counterpart to animated favorite Justice League with a much bigger cast) and also makes a cameo in the massively popular DC-based video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. Atom Smasher made his official live action debut, however, in the second season of the Arrowverse spin-off series The Flash, as played by pro wrestling star Adam Copeland, otherwise known as Edge in the ring.

What do you think? Now are you excited to see Atom Smasher (possibly) take on Dwayne Johnson in Black Adam, or were you until you heard Noah Centineo was cast? Tell us how you really feel in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the long awaited DC film, as well as even more in-depth looks at the backstories of your favorite comic book characters here on CinemaBlend.

Last November, it was revealed that Black Adam, which will finally see the debut of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s iteration of the eponymous character, will also include the Justice Society of America, DC Comics’ oldest superhero team. Now word’s come in that one of Netflix’s rising talents is joining the Shazam! spinoff as a JSA member, with Noah Centineo being cast as Atom Smasher.

This casting update comes from THR, although the outlet didn’t provide any details about how Atom Smasher will fit into the story. While Atom Smasher has previously been rumored to appear in Black Adam, now we have a face we can attach to the DC Extended Universe version of the character.

Following his time on the then-ABC Family series The Fosters and appearances in Disney Channel projects like Austin & Ally and How to Build a Better Boy, Noah Centineo was catapulted to a higher level of fame for starring opposite Lana Condor as Peter Kavinsky in Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Centineo reprised the role earlier this year in To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You and will be back as Peter for the upcoming To All the Boys: Always and Forever, Lara Jean.

In addition to Noah Centineo showing up in movies Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and Charlie’s Angels, Black Adam also marks his second superhero-related movie coming up, as he’s been cast as He-Man for the Masters of the Universe reboot. Given that Black Adam has a release date and Masters of the Universe is currently undated, one would imagine Centineo will play Atom Smasher before He-Man, although filming on Black Adam might also end up being delayed due to the global health crisis.

Debuting in 1983, Albert Rothstein is the godson of Al Pratt, the Golden Age Atom, and has the power to increase his size, strength and durability. Originally Albert’s superhero moniker was Nuklon, but he’s been going by Atom Smasher since 1999 and has been one of the more prominent JSA members over the last few two decades. Outside of the comics, Atom Smasher appeared a handful of times in Justice League Unlimited and was played by Adam Copeland in the Season 2 premiere of The Flash, although that latter series depicted the character in a more villainous light.

Atom Smasher and Black Adam have a complicated relationship in the comics, from initially clashing with one another to Albert Rothstein briefly becoming one of Teth-Adam’s closest allies, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of dynamic they have in the Black Adam movie. At the very least, it’s easy to imagine these coming to blows in one fight, if not several.

As for the other Justice Society members who will be joining Atom Smasher in Black Adam, officially speaking, we don’t know who they are yet. Unofficially speaking, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Stargirl and Doctor Fate have all been previously rumored to show up, so we might be getting casting information on them soon. A JSA movie is also supposedly in development, with Black Adam serving as a testing ground to see if audiences want more of these superheroes.

Along with Dwayne Johnson and Noah Centineo in front of the camera, Black Adam’s talent includes Jungle Cruise’s Jaume Collet-Serra as director and Adam Sztykiel having written the script. No specific plot details have been revealed yet, though it’s possible that movie will delve into Black Adam’s origins in ancient Egypt/Kahndaq, which was briefly teased in Shazam!. Should most, if not all of Black Adam be set millennia in the past, it’ll be interesting to see how these JSA members are thrown into that time period.

Black Adam is dated for December 22, 2021, and filming is expected to be begin either next month or in September, although as mentioned earlier, that could change. Keep track of other DC movies on the way with our comprehensive guide.

We’re well in the throes of Noah Centineo being a Hollywood heartthrob after the actor became a part of the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before franchise as well as signing on for other Netflix rom-coms like The Perfect Date. In the time since, he’s appeared in Charlie’s Angels and is set to star in Masters of the Universe, but he’s now revealed his path to success, particularly through the streaming service, was not something he anticipated ahead of time.

In a recent profile, Noah Centineo talked about how his talent agency were really the one most excited for To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, noting,

Speaking to Variety, it seems as if Noah Centineo had some hopes his career might take off, but he had no idea it would all play out the way it did. By “the way it did” I mean To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before was a huge Netflix success. The streamer went so far as to greenlight two sequels to the movie, which filmed back to back. The most recent of those To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You just came out on Netflix this month.

It’s been a whirlwind time for the now 23-year-old actor. While Netflix didn’t officially launch his career (credit goes to Disney Channel originals or The Fosters), it was following his success in the series of Netflix movies that Noah Centineo has broken out as someone with a notable fanbase who is currently working to transition more to the big screen.

His first big role in that line was expected to be in Masters of the Universe, in which Noah Centineo is supposed to play He-Man. Unfortunately, just a few weeks ago, Sony delayed Masters of the Universe for a second time, this time pulling it from its March 5, 2021 slot and taking it off the schedule entirely. What is good news for Tom Holland’s Uncharted is not great news for Noah Centineo.

Allegedly, Noah Centineo had already put on 30 lbs of muscle for the role when it got delayed the first time. He’s lost the weight since then, but if these delays keep cropping up, I’d expect to see some yo-yoing.

Regardless of what happens with He-Man, Netflix is still a go-to place for Noah Centineo content and there is still a third movie in his go-to franchise to look forward to. Beyond this, the actor does not seem to be forgetting the boost that Netflix really gave him, also telling the outlet that if Jenny Han eventually writes a fourth book in the popular To All The Boys series, he hopes he’ll be back.

If you have already caught P.S. I Still Love You, you should already know about the new character competing for Lara Jean’s (Lana Condor) affections in the new movie. But Peter is still a popular character and we can't wait to see him back when Netflix eventually premieres Always And Forever, Lara Jean. For now, the pro of binge-watching is that flicks are available whenever you want. Catch Noah Centineo in Sierra Burgess Is A Loser or To All The Boys I've Loved Before right meow.

Noah Centineo has made a name for himself starring in hit romantic comedies on Netflix, the latest of which, To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, hits the streaming service today. But the actor has even bigger things in his future as he has been cast to play He-Man in the new Masters of the Universe adaptation. In preparation for the film, Noah Centineo actually put on a ton of weight to play Eternia’s greatest champion.

How much weight you ask? Last year the actor put on an extra 30 pounds of muscle to help him attain the physique that the role of He-Man absolutely requires. To bulk up, Noah Centineo took a page out of the book of Rocky Balboa and Gaston by eating eggs and a lot of them. Noah Centineo would regularly eat 11 eggs for breakfast as part of his bulking process.

That is a lot of eggs and a whole lot of extra weight, and it goes to show that Noah Centineo was serious about getting into shape to play He-Man. He-Man and his alter-ego Prince Adam are traditionally portrayed as huge and muscle-bound, with a bodybuilder-like physique. The feature film He-Man may not be that cartoonishly big, but he can’t and shouldn’t be small either.

Becoming He-Man is about more than just getting a goofy pageboy haircut, you’ve got to really look the part and you can’t just thrust a sword into the air and shout ‘I have the power!’ and get the requisite gains.

A lot of fans weren’t sold on the actor when he was cast, in part due to him not having the muscle-bound physique of He-Man, but based on the amount of weight Noah Centineo put on, it’s clear that he was working to address that concern and look like someone who could go toe-to-toe with Skeletor. He’s previously said that he understood what a huge responsibility the role is and this is testament to that.

Hopefully Noah Centineo enjoyed the process, and eating all those eggs, though because he’s going to have to go through it all over again. As noted by Harper’s Bazaar, the actor shed those 30 pounds of muscle he put when production on Masters of the Universe got pushed back, just the latest in a series of delays for the film. So with production now set for this summer, it’s back to an egg breakfast for Noah Centineo to get into beach and He-Man shape.

Masters of the Universe, which has been delayed and gone through countless creative changes behind-the-scenes over the years, was previously scheduled for release on March 5, 2021. Sony’s Uncharted has now been shifted into that spot and Masters of the Universe has been taken off the calendar entirely.

Last year it was reported that Sony might sell Masters of the Universe to Netflix, which is shaping up to be the go-to destination for He-Man content with the She-Ra and the Princesses of Power series, the Masters of the Universe: Revelation continuation of the original series from Kevin Smith and a new separate rebooted series. Rumors of a move to Netflix continue now that Masters of the Universe is off of Sony’s calendar.

There are pros and cons to putting Masters of the Universe on Netflix in my estimation, but either way, it seems that Noah Centineo is still attached to play He-Man and he’s got a lot eggs and a lot of time in the weight room to look forward to.

We’ll keep you updated on directors Aaron Nee and Adam Nee’s Masters of the Universe as news develops. In the meantime, check out our 2020 Release Schedule to see what movies you can look forward to this year.

Another day, another meme. If you somehow missed David Spade licking his lips during Netflix star Noah Centineo’s big People’s Choice Award win, it’s OK. Because today Spade addressed the meme and now we know what was going on during the moment the cameras caught the comedian.

During a recent episode of David Spade’s Comedy Central show Lights Out with David Spade, the actor and host addressed what happened during the awards ceremony head on.

So, that’s the real explanation from David Spade. However, Lights Out also takes it a step further with a bunch of jokes regarding Adam Sandler, and some cuts of David Spade the show allegedly didn’t use. It’s an amusing bit if you’ve caught the meme that went ‘round the Internet yesterday. Take a look.

Meanwhile, it’s actually pretty interesting to hear this reaction from David Spade was a total accident. Clearly, that was always a possibility, but as our own esteemed Adrienne Jones pointed out yesterday, it was only one of several possibilities, the others being Spade was trying to be funny and, finally, that Spade has a thing for Noah Centineo, who, let’s be honest, makes lots of people swoon. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing David Spade has ever been involved with, that's for sure.

And because a viral reaction this good can’t die out yet, I’m going to just go ahead and include it below. If you haven't given it a watch, yet, it's definitely a classic awards moment, right up there with Jennifer Lawrence tripping at the Oscars. Alright, alright, maybe not quite that iconic.

Some days the Internet may suck out your soul, but other days it gives you glorious David Spade moments to ponder over and laugh at. Intentional or not (he says not), the footage is everywhere right now, and I’m really glad he addressed it on his show and cleared up the matter for fans and casual People's Choice Awards watchers alike.

Now, I just wonder how Noah Centineo feels about the whole thing…

Well, if you weren't aware, last night saw the reveal of this year's People's Choice Award winners, and, as one might expect, there were a lot of surprises, touching moments and laughs to be had from the ceremony. But, there is one instance in particular which has captured the hearts and minds of award show viewers everywhere. The internet's current favorite boyfriend, Noah Centineo, won an award last night for his work in the Netflix film The Perfect Date. While everyone loves to ogle them some Centineo, it turns out he may have gotten some unexpected attention from another star in attendance.

Now, we know how these awards shows work, right? Noah Centineo was announced as the winner and as he made his way slowly to the stage (due to an injured knee) we were shown different members of the audience applauding the hot young rom-com superstar's win. Well, just take a look at what happened when an unsuspecting cameraperson gave us a shot of comedian / actor / talk show host David Spade:

Oh, my, Mr. Spade! We didn't know you had it in you! In case you couldn't see the clip clearly, David Spade was caught, as Noah Centineo walked to the stage with the help of presenter Sarah Hyland, licking his lips with an intensity normally reserved for, well, movies that come on streaming services. Bow Chicka Wow Wow!

So, this has led to some big questions from many fans who watched the show. Namely, what exactly the hell is David Spade doing? As I see it there are only three real potential answers, so let's run down each of them. First, isn't it possible that Spade had no idea what was going on and didn't even realize someone was accepting an award right then? I mean, who among us hasn't spaced out during an awards ceremony? Those things are looooong, friends. He could have just had...dry lips and no lip balm. We've all been there!

Secondly, let's remember that David Spade is a comedian. This is the man who helped keep Saturday Night Live relevant in the early 1990s, and went on to star in Tommy Boy, The Emperor's New Groove, Just Shoot Me, 8 Simple Rules, The Benchwarmers and Grown Ups, among other big and small screen comedies. This is Joe Dirt, people! Can we really put it past him to see a camera and respond with something funny, no matter how odd and out of left field it seems?

Third, and, of course, most importantly, we have the option that everyone is hoping for (as noted in the above tweet). It's not impossible that David Spade has the hots for Noah Centineo. Honestly, just look at the guy. He was partially broken when he accepted his People's Choice Award, not wearing anything fancy, and his full head of beautiful, man-curls were shaved down to military standards, yet he's still an adorable dream-scenario hottie.

And, not only did Noah Centineo continue to fuel fantasies with his award show look, he also seemed so surprised and humble, admitted he was nervous about being in front of so many people and said really nice things about helping others. It's all enough to make me...uh, us stay at home and binge The Perfect Date and To All the Boys I've Loved Before five more times. But only five more times, because we keep saying we're going to cook dinner on Wednesday and we're really going to do that this week, dammit.

It's not impossible that David Spade was thinking the same thing in that moment at all. Noah Centineo is about to be He-Man, after all. Who can resist the beauty and magnetism that's capable of that when it's right in front of them? This thirst might just be real, friends.

Noah Centineo can next be seen in Charlie's Angels, which hits theaters on November 15. David Spade can be seen in the upcoming film The Wrong Missy, and for more of what you can watch on the big screen this year, check out our 2019 new movie release guide. In the meantime, vote in the poll below and let us know what you think was going on with David Spade!

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The long-awaited big screen reboot of Masters of the Universe finally has a 2021 release date, directors in Adam and Aaron Nee and a star in Noah Centineo. The actor has broken out in the past couple of years thanks to roles in Netflix romantic comedies like The Perfect Date, Sierra Burgess Is a Loser and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, and now he will be taking on his biggest role yet as He-Man.

Starring in such a massive film as a beloved character is not something Noah Centineo takes lightly. The actor made it clear he understands the burden, saying:

Noah Centineo is under no illusions about Masters of the Universe being just like any other role. He knows that the role of He-Man is not like a character in a Netflix rom-com; it comes with lots of baggage and the weight of expectation. So there is a major responsibility to get it right and do the character and the property justice for the legions of fans that have loved Masters of the Universe over the years.

The actor seems to understand that that responsibility will in many ways fall on his shoulders, and as such he has to work extra hard on a level of production he never has before to deliver. He may not have been alive when He-Man was at his pop culture height, but Noah Centineo still understands that this movie is a big deal for him and for the fans.

As he tells MTV News, he knows it’s a big opportunity for his career, and fortunately, Noah Centineo sounds ready for the challenge, confident that he has the power.

He’ll need to have the confidence of He-Man and not Prince Adam because as is the case with the casting of a role in any major genre adaptation, Noah Centineo will face tons of scrutiny (and already has). Some have complained that the actor isn’t muscular enough to play He-Man, a condition he appears to be remedying by bulking up for the role.

Noah Centineo may not look the part quite in the way Dolph Lundgren did in the 1987 Masters of the Universe, but Lundgren’s He-Man likeness didn’t make that a great movie (it had its charms though), and as we’ve seen with Heath Ledger, Ben Affleck, Hugh Jackman, etc, it’s best to wait and see before casting a final verdict.

The big question now is what sort of movie Masters of the Universe will be and what the tone will be like. It seems like the property could be played like more serious, grand, high fantasy in the vein of Star Wars or The Lord of the Rings or more colorful and light like Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: Ragnarok. Noah Centineo wasn’t able to shed any light on what tone Masters of the Universe will be going for, but we’ll be eagerly awaiting details on that front.

Masters of the Universe is directed by Aaron and Adam Nee and based on a script by Matt Holloway and Art Marcum. It hits theaters, to face off with Mortal Kombat, on March 5, 2021. That’s a long time to wait, so check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see what’s headed to theaters this year.

It seems like a feature film reboot of Mortal Kombat has been talked about for a long time, and even once James Wan was brought aboard to produce a few years ago, it still seemed like it was quite a ways off. Then few days ago, we heard that the new Mortal Kombat had finally started pre-production. Now we know when Mortal Kombat will arrive and the powerful competition it will face when it does.

According to Variety, Warner Bros. has picked March 5, 2021 as the date the next Mortal Kombat tournament begins in theaters. In keeping with the spirit of the property, Mortal Kombat is ready to fight some formidable competition -- because just days ago, it was announced that March 5, 2021 is also the new release date for the latest Masters of the Universe adaptation.

Masters of the Universe was at one point supposed to release this year, but that obviously isn’t happening. Now the Sony film from directors Adam and Aaron Nee and starring Netflix heartthrob Noah Centineo as He-Man will arrive in 2021. It will do battle with producer James Wan’s Mortal Kombat, which is being directed by Australian director Simon McQuoid, who has done commercial work for popular video games including Halo and Call of Duty.

Other films with their flag planted on March 5, 2021 are the animated Nimona and an Untitled Universal Event Film. The latter may make this one-on-one fight into a triple threat depending what it is, but at the moment the story of March two years from now will be Mortal Kombat testing its might against Masters of the Universe.

It’s an interesting bout given that both properties hold nostalgic sentiment for kids of the '80s and '90s. Both properties have also had previous feature film adaptations. The 1980s cartoon He-Man and the Masters of the Universe was adapted into Masters of the Universe starring Dolph Lundgren in 1987, and Midway’s video game series, which first debuted in 1992, received a feature film in 1995. That film is still held up as one of the best video game adaptations to date.

Anecdotally, I think Mortal Kombat has maintained more cultural relevance and awareness than Masters of the Universe and that may help it in this fight. In fact, the latest Mortal Kombat video game, Mortal Kombat 11, was just released to rave reviews back in April.

We don’t know much about either film yet, and neither directing team -- Aaron and Adam Nee vs. Simon McQuoid -- has enough of a track record to say one film has the competitive advantage creatively. I will be curious to see if Mortal Kombat goes the R-rated route, as its bloody source material would dictate and many fans might hope for. That would certainly impact its chances to defeat the almost assuredly PG-13 Masters of the Universe.

Of course, two years from now is a long time and it is entirely possible that one of these films will blink and seek greener pastures elsewhere on the calendar. Regardless of ratings, I feel these two films are essentially competing for the same millennial audience and would probably be better served not cannibalizing each other. Because whoever wins, it won’t be a flawless victory.

With pre-production beginning soon and filming starting later this year, hopefully we’ll begin to hear more details about Mortal Kombat, like which characters will be showing up and who will be playing them.

Mortal Kombat looks to fatality Masters of the Universe when both open in theaters on March 5, 2021. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of this year’s biggest movies and let us know in the poll below what ticket you’ll be buying in 2021.

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