I know that Ted Lasso Season 4 is in the works, but there’s been a Jason Sudeikis-sized hole in my heart ever since this show’s divisive third season concluded in May 2023. Though I love Shrinking and other great shows available with an Apple TV+ subscription, I’ve spent the past couple of years looking for a funny, wholesome, and unafraid show to take its place. Well, I think I found that with Stick, a new 2025 TV show starring Owen Wilson.

Without giving too much away, the show follows Wilson’s Pryce “Stick” Cahill, a former professional golfer given a shot to reenter the golf world and train a young prodigy years after losing his son to cancer. It checks all the boxes when it comes to humor, heart, and awesome sports action, and I think more people should be talking about, or at least watching, what’s quickly become my favorite show on TV right now.

Ted Lasso Was My Comfort Show, But Stick Is Taking Its Place

Ted Lasso used to be my main comfort show during its original run. Yeah, it touched on some heavy topics and didn’t shy away from using mental health as a major plot point, but it also was so damn wholesome and charming. If I needed a boost, it was there. Well, Stick is doing that for me now, to the point where my wife and I watched the first nine episodes in a couple of nights.

The Series Has The Perfect Blend Of Sports Comedy And Drama

Though I can count on one hand how many times I played a round of golf, some of my favorite sports movies are set on the links. Give me golf with some comedy and a touch of drama, and I can watch for hours. Stick does just that with its perfect blend of comedy and drama, both on and off the course. Like Ted Lasso, it doesn’t sacrifice one for the other, which is pretty rare these days.

The Way The Show Handles Grief, Depression, And Anxiety Is So Honest

Considering the main character is a father still coming to terms with his son’s death, it should be no surprise that grief is a major aspect of Stick. The way the series handles topics like grief, depression, and anxiety is so honest and never feels disingenuous or sugarcoated. Each of the characters is dealing with loss in their own unique way, which adds so much to the series.

There Are Like Three Underdog Stories Wrapped Into One In Stick, And It's So Uplifting

I love a good sports underdog story, and Stick has like three wrapped into one. You have Pryce trying to rebound after crashing out, you have his student, Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager), trying to prove himself in the world of golf, you have Santi’s mom, Elena (Mariana Trevino), attempting to make something of herself after decades of putting her dreams on a shelf to die, and that’s just the beginning.

I Hope Apple TV+ Picks It Up For A Second Season, Because This Show Could Go Places

At the time of this writing, there is still one episode to go in Stick’s first season, and I hope there’s more on the way. Apple TV+ has yet to announce if this will be a one-and-done affair, but I think this show has some serious legs. There are just so many directions this show could go, especially if Timothy Olyphant’s Clark Ross, one of the best TV villains in a while, sticks around.

If you haven’t already, I cannot recommend this show enough. Seriously, if you’re looking to laugh, cry, and pump your fist into the sky, Stick is going to do the trick.

While best known for his big-screen comedies, Owen Wilson is currently teeing off on the 2025 TV schedule for Apple TV+’s golf-centric comedy Stick. If only the actor’s wildly meme-friendly exclamation was “Fore!” instead of “Wow!” this show could have been a major jackpot. But it’s indeed his gee-golly expression of awe that’s gained its own mini-fandom around the globe, sparking supercut compilation videos and unique tributes made in Wilson’s honor over the years. But how does he feel about it all?

Considering the Wedding Crashers star has so rarely talked about it publicly that there’s even room to wonder how he feels, one might think Wilson is self-conscious or dismissive of all the attention those three letters have brought him. But when he popped by Pardon My Take to talk about his new show, he was all smiles when asked about being so heavily attached to the word “wow” during his career. Surprising as it may be, he was late to catch on, saying:

I can 100% empathize with the person referenced who was among the first to blatantly point out to Owen Wilson that he'd become a member of meme royalty over such a seemingly innocuous word. It's like asking someone if they realize they've just spent an entire afternoon in public with chocolate smeared around their mouth. Maybe they did, and it was all in good fun, or maybe not.

In any case, one might be confident to think that Wilson reversed course in perhaps too swift a manner, seeing as how the number of "wow" examples in his movies and TV appearances essentially dropped to ZERO after 2017, with Father Figure marking one of the final iterations. Wilson even poked fun at himself over it on Loki with his character Mobius.

Still, even if he's wary about what words he's using to ad-lib scenes, Wilson doesn't sound scornful about being known as the king of "Wows," and can appreciate how much worse it could be. As he put it:

If nothing else, it's a slightly less NSFW fan interaction to have someone say "Wow!" at you, as opposed to the fan comments that Kaitlin Olson has dealt with.

According to Owen Wilson, there are times where he'll still be asked to throw a "wow" into a project, and he finds ways to not appease such requests, saying:

I don't think it's too far outside the realm of possibilities that Owen Wilson's meme-ability could achieve a second lifespan if he suddenly started saying "Whoa!" dozens of times in Stick and other projects over the next few years, Joey-from-Blossom-style.

Currently four episodes into its first season, which is available to stream with an Apple TV+ subscription, Stick is the creation of Jason Keller, and follows Owen’s Pryce Cahill, a former pro golfer making ends meet as a coach. After meeting a promising young prodigy named Santi (Peter Dager), Pryce believes training the athlete can be his ticket back to a better life. Having debuted during the first week of June, Stick drops new episodes on Wednesdays.

June has only just begun, and just as the weather is heating up, so is the world of streaming. From the return of popular series, one coming a decade after the previous season, to new films, there are plenty of ways to beat the heat by staying inside and not leaving the couch.

From the first season of Phineas & Ferb in a decade to the newest entry in the Predator franchise. Here’s a look at the best content to stream from your favorite platform this week.

Stick - June 4 (Apple TV+)

Fans of golf and comedy are probably waiting for next month when Netflix releases Happy Gilmore 2, but if you really love golf and comedy, you might also want to check out Stick. The new series, available with an Apple TV+ subscription, stars Owen Wilson as a failed golf star who finds a final chance at success through coaching a young prodigy.

Ginny & Georgia, Season 3 - June 5 (Netflix)

The first two seasons of Ginny & Georgia were incredibly popular for those with a Netflix subscription, leading the streamer to take the unusual step of giving the comedy-drama series a renewal for not one but two seasons. Ginny & Georgia Season 3 arrives this week and will see Georgia standing trial for murder.

Predator: Killer of Killers - June 6 (Hulu)

Director Dan Trachtenberg showed how well he understood the Predator franchise with the incredible movie Prey, released originally on Hulu. Trachtenberg was then given two more Predator movies to work on. The live-action Predator: Badlands is on the 2025 movie schedule for later this year, but fans can better endure the wait with the new Predator: Killer of Killers, a new animated anthology film also available with a Hulu subscription.

Phineas and Ferb, Season 5 - June 6 (Disney+)

Ferb, I know what we’re going to do today! It’s been almost 20 years since Phineas and Ferb debuted and a full decade since Season 4 came to an end, but in the era of streaming, no show is truly gone forever. Phineas & Ferb Season 5 debuts with a Disney+ subscription, and it looks to have all the wild fun of the original run, with the two title characters doing incredible things, while driving their sister crazy, and while their pet platypus continues to foil the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

Straw - June 6 (Netflix)

Anytime Taraji P. Henson makes a movie, movie fans should take notice. Her new film, Straw, from director Tyler Perry, sees the Oscar-nominated actress play a single mother who finds herself accused of attempting to rob a bank. This thriller doesn’t look like it will be an easy watch, but the performance may be one we won’t want to miss.

Ocean With David Attenborough - June 8 (Disney+)

When a David Attenborough-led nature documentary arrives, even those who don’t generally watch such things tend to take notice. The newest entry in the long-running series from Attenborough focuses on the world’s oceans and how we may be able to save them.

There’s plenty more to be excited about when it comes to streaming in June. Come back next week and we’ll help you find the shows and movies you won’t want to miss.

The next time you watch a comedy movie, see if you can picture the star engaging in fisticuffs with a criminal and taking down their henchpeople in a shootout. You never know: they could be Hollywood’s next great action hero.

It may seem unlikely until you realize that many of the best action movies and TV shows of all time have been led by or featured pivotal roles played by stand-up comedians or actors who broke through in funny flicks or even classic TV sitcoms. See for yourself by taking a look at some comedically talented actors who beat the odds by becoming action stars.

Will Smith

After initially coming to prominence as a rap artist, Academy Award winner Will Smith proved he had a charismatic onscreen presence as the star of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast in the early 1990s. In 1995, he was cast in director Michael Bay's buddy cop movie, Bad Boys, and, the following year, led Roland Emmerich's action-packed alien invasion flick, Independence Day. There would soon be so much more where those came from.

Cheech Marin

Along with his partner, Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin essentially became the face of stoner comedy, especially after co-leading the classic '70s movie, Up in Smoke. His career would take a turn when he appeared in 1995's Desperado, leading him to become a staple of Robert Rodriguez's movies, and, eventually, began portraying a type of character his roles from the Cheech & Chong movies would try to avoid alongside Don Johnson in the hit cop show, Nash Bridges.

Chris Pratt

By channeling much of the same comedic energy from his scene-stealing breakout role in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer, Chris Pratt helped make 2014's sci-fi odyssey, Guardians of the Galaxy, a light breath of fresh air into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His fun, heartfelt performance as Peter "Star-Lord" Quill also convinced Hollywood he was leading man material, opening the door for him to star in the Jurassic World movies and Amazon Prime's The Terminal List, to name a few.

Paul Rudd

Paul Rudd made his major motion picture debut in the hilarious high school movie classic Clueless before later hit comedies like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up made him one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors in the genre. He found the perfect role to become inducted into the MCU in the form of Ant-Man, playing the shrinking superhero with the same everyman quality that made him an A-lister.

Michael Keaton

Because Michael Keaton got his start in stand-up comedy and had been best known for movies like Night Shift and Mr. Mom at the time, comic book fans were up in arms over Tim Burton's decision to cast him in his live-action Batman movies, Batman and Batman Returns. The Oscar nominee has since been regarded as one of the best actors to play the Dark Knight (if not the best) and would even return to superhero movies as one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Vulture, in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Nicolas Cage

It is easy to forget that Nicolas Cage started out in comedies like Valley Girl and Peggy Sue Got Married before blowing us away in high-octane thrillers like Con Air, Face/Off, and Gone in 60 Seconds. Then again, it is also easy to tell that the Oscar winner has a comedy background from some of his action movie credits, including the three listed above and his even Cagier roles, like from Mandy and Willy's Wonderland.

Damon Wayans

You may have forgotten he was on Saturday Night Live, but you should surely remember Damon Wayans from his days on the In Living Color cast and from sitcoms like My Wife and Kids. Hopefully, you did not also forget about his roles in '90s crime thrillers The Last Boy Scout (opposite Bruce Willis) and Bulletproof (opposite Adam Sandler) or when he took over as Roger Murtaugh for Fox's series adaptation of Lethal Weapon.

Robert Downey Jr.

After lasting one season on Saturday Night Live, appearing in several '80s teen comedies like Weird Science, and earning his first Oscar nod for playing Charlie Chaplin, Robert Downey Jr.'s career would hit a snag in the early 2000s. Luckily, he would make an inspiring comeback after leading the 2005 noir thriller Kiss Kiss Bang Bang before kicking off the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the title role of Iron Man and playing Guy Ritchie's version of Sherlock Holmes.

Eddie Murphy

Many credit Eddie Murphy with single-handedly saving Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s, right before making his feature debut alongside Nick Nolte in Walter Hill's 1982 buddy crime thriller, 48 Hrs. Just two years later, the comedian led his own acclaimed action-comedy movie called Beverly Hills Cop, which made him Hollywood's biggest star.

Bruce Willis

In the mid-to-late 1980s, Bruce Willis was best known for playing David Addison on Moonlighting, starring opposite Kim Basinger in Blind Date, and appearing in commercials for Seagram, which is why audiences initially laughed when they saw him as John McClane in the trailer for Die Hard. However, the 1988 action classic would immediately skyrocket the actor to stardom and turn him into a top Hollywood action star, later known for leading thrillers like The Fifth Element, Armageddon, and Sin City.

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx's stand-up career led him to join the In Living Color cast and lead his own self-titled sitcom before his Oscar-winning performance in the 2004 music biopic, Ray, and Oscar-nominated performance in Collateral the same year opened wider doors for him. He went on to star in more thrillers like Jarhead, The Kingdom, Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as Electro, and White House Down.

Alan Ritchson

One of Alan Ritchson's first major acting credits was playing doltish college football player Thad Castle on the uproarious sitcom Blue Mountain State before landing a small role in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, doing performance capture for the 2014 and 2017 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, and playing Hank "Hawk" Hall on Titans. The 6'3" actor's defining, star-making turn came when he was cast in the title role of the hit Amazon Prime TV show, Reacher, leading to his casting in Guy Ritchie's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu landed her breakthrough role on the hit workplace dramedy Ally McBeal as Ling Woo. Soon after, she achieved cinematic stardom in 2000's Charlie's Angels, teamed up with Antonio Banderas in the 2002 spy thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever, and was cast as ruthless assassin O-Ren Ishii in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk wrote for Saturday Night Live for years in the 1980s before co-leading his own acclaimed sketch comedy series with David Cross called Mr. Show, which was his main claim to fame for years. However, he stumbled onto a new career path when he joined the Breaking Bad cast as Saul Goodman, who earned his own prequel spin-off called Better Call Saul, before leading his own action flick called Nobody.

Martin Lawrence

Martin Lawrence led a successful stand-up career that turned into a successful TV career with his hit sitcom, Martin, in between starring in movies like Do the Right Thing and Boomerang. In 1995, he played Det. Marcus Burnett, for the first of multiple times in Bad Boys and even went on to play a cop in a few more overt comedies, namely Blue Streak and Big Momma's House.

Ryan Reynolds

For years, even after starring in more earnest thrillers like Smokin' Aces and Safe House, it seemed like Ryan Reynolds' defining performance would forever be the title role of National Lampoon's Van Wilder, which paved the way for him to star in more raunchy comedies like Waiting... or Just Friends. However, that would change in 2016 when he led Deadpool, which is still very much on the side of silly but is also as action-packed as any other comic book movie.

Sam Richardson

Sam Richardson quickly became a favorite in the comedy landscape for his hilarious performances in shows like I Think You Should Leave, Veep, and Ted Lasso. He would later go on to impress audiences in Amazon Prime's action-packed time travel movie The Tomorrow War opposite Chris Pratt, as the lead of the 2021 horror-comedy movie Werewolves Within, and in Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31.

Keanu Reeves

As the star of franchises like the John Wick movies and the Matrix films, in addition to favorites like Speed and Point Break, Keanu Reeves is one of the most prolific action stars in cinema history. Thus, it is sometimes hard to believe that he is the same actor who, excellently, played one-half of the titular duo from the Bill & Ted movies.

John Goodman

John Goodman began rising to prominence on the groundbreaking sitcom Roseanne as Dan Conner (whom he would reprise in the revival series The Conners). However, he has managed to cover just about every genre you can think of throughout his career, including action films like Kong: Skull Island and Atomic Blonde.

Emily Blunt

It might seem like a stretch to call Emily Blunt a comedy star, but she did find her breakthrough film role with a hilarious scene-stealing performance in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada. She would later prove she could play someone with a rougher exterior when she starred opposite Tom Cruise in the thrilling time loop movie, Edge of Tomorrow, and in Denis Villeneuve's stunning Sicario.

Rick Moranis

Rick Moranis is one of the most treasured comedic actors of his time, from his days at SCTV starring alongside Dave Thomas as the McKenzie Brothers (who led their own 1983 movie, Strange Brew), to appearing in films like Ghostbusters, Little Shop of Horrors, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In the middle of those comedy classics was a role in Walter Hill's dystopian "Rock 'n Roll fable," Streets of Fire.

Bill Burr

Bill Burr used to mock the Star Wars movies in some of his stand-up bits, which gave The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau a funny idea to bring him into the galaxy far, far away. He cast the Massachusetts-born comedian on the series as a mercenary named Migs Mayfield, which Burr has since recognized as one of the highlights of his career.

John Leguizamo

Despite getting his start as a stand-up comedian, many of John Leguizamo's earliest acting roles have actually been in action movies, including Die Hard 2 and Executive Decision. In addition to more humorous credits, like To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar and the Ice Age movies, more thrillers would come his way, such as the John Wick movies and Violent Night.

Owen Wilson

Owen Wilson may be closely associated with comedies like Bottle Rocket, Meet the Parents, and Zoolander, but the actor has diversified his talents over various styles. He has even tried his hand at the action genre a few times, most notably in Behind Enemy Lines, No Escape, and Disney+'s MCU-canon series, Loki

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks' first major show business breakthrough was a sitcom called Bosom Buddies, which led to roles in comedy films like Bachelor Party and Turner & Hooch. It was his Oscar-winning roles in Philadelphia and Forrest Gump that opened the door for him to star in intense dramas like the acclaimed war movie Saving Private Ryan and the sci-fi epic Cloud Atlas.

Val Kilmer

Some of Val Kilmer's most iconic roles include Iceman in Top Gun, Doc Holliday in the Western movie classic Tombstone, and the title role of Batman Forever. However, his breakthrough films were the ridiculous spy parody, Top Secret!, and the college comedy, Real Genius, in the early-to-mid 1980s.

Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis rose to fame as Jackie Burkhart in the That '70s Show cast and as the voice of Meg on Family Guy before acquiring A-list fame. Her action movie credits, namely the video game movie adaptation Max Payne and the Wachowski's ambitious sci-fi adventure, Jupiter Ascending, have not been her most esteemed efforts, but we will still count them.

Randall Park

Randall Park is best known for leading the sitcom Fresh off the Boat, his hilarious cameo on The Office as "Asian Jim Halpert," and for hit comedy movies like The Interview and Neighbors. He has also become a staple of the comic book movie genre with his role in the MCU as Agent Jimmy Woo and as Dr. Shin in the Aquaman movies.

Shia LaBeouf

Shia LaBeouf started making a name for himself when he was a teen as Louis on the Disney Channel original comedy series, Even Stevens. He went on to make a Hollywood breakthrough in the Transformers movies, which led to his roles in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and, eventually, David Ayer's 2014 war drama, Fury.

Malin Akerman

Before she became the first actor to play Silk Spectre II in live-action in 2009's Watchmen, Malin Akerman rose to fame in comedy movies like 2007's The Heartbreak Kid and shows like Children's Hospital.

Jim Belushi

Just like his late older brother, John, Jim Belushi broke out on Saturday Night Live. Unlike John, Jim achieved a brief career in action movies, such as Red Heat with Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Principal, and Oliver Stone's Salvador.

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine was already an Oscar-winning movie star when he was cast as the lead of the hit sitcom, McHale's Navy. Eventually, he would appear in more earnest action-oriented titles, such as a made-for-TV adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, John Carpenter's Escape from New York, and 2010's RED.

The $2 billion lifetime box mark for all their movies is a major milestone for actors and only the most popular ones have reached that level. The full list, per The Numbers, includes a lot of names you'd expect, and a few you wouldn't. Many on the list play major characters in the MCU, though we've limited those somewhat here, to get a fuller picture. So here it is, our list of actors who've topped the $2 billion mark all-time at the box office.

Daniel Radcliffe

There are some huge franchises out there, and few are bigger than the Harry Potter series, so naturally, the actor who played its protagonist, Daniel Radcliffe, is going to find his way onto this list. With a box office total climbing north of $2.6 billion, Radcliffe has supplemented Harry Potter with big movies like Now You See Me 2 and The Lost City.

Tom Cruise

For four decades Tom Cruise has been one of, if not the, most bankable stars in Hollywood. The biggest chunk of the more than $4 billion he's earned has come from the Mission: Impossible movies, but almost every one of his movies, from Top Gun to War of the Worlds and beyond are usually big money makers. 

Harrison Ford

When you star in two of the biggest franchises in Hollywood history, you're going to make this list. As Han Solo in the Star Wars movies and as the titular character in the Indiana Jones series, Harrison Ford has been raking in box office receipts for decades.  He's also had big money earners outside those series as well, like the two Jack Ryan movies he starred in, and movies like The Fugitive and the two Blade Runner flicks.  

Tom Hanks

It's hardly a surprise to see Tom Hanks on this list. With a total box office of over $5 billion, Hanks has consistently crushed it in some of the most iconic roles in Hollywood history. The list of Hanks' best movies includes Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump, Philadelphia, Big, and many more, but the movies that make the biggest contribution to that box office number come from the Toy Story franchise. 

Jack Black

Jack Black movies have brought in more than $2.7 billion. Before you wonder where that has come from, you have to remember just how huge the Kung Fu Panda series of movies have been. They all have collected huge box office numbers. Throw in School of Rock, and the Jumanji series, and all of a sudden, you're climbing in some pretty rarified air. Oh - and it might surprise you that the Super Mario Bros. Movie earned more than a billion on its own.  

Morgan Freeman

Is there a more beloved actor in Hollywood than Morgan Freeman? With movies like The Shawshank Redemption, Driving Miss Daisy, and Unforgiven he's proven he's one the best actors, and with huge movies like The Dark Knight trilogy, he's brought in a ton of money, with over $2 billion total. 

George Clooney

There isn't anyone in Hollywood who quite personifies a classic movie star than George Clooney. He's brought in more than $2 billion lifetime, with only one superhero movie on his resume (and a forgettable one at that, with Batman & Robin). Of course, the Ocean's movies have been his biggest box office successes, but he mostly has just put out great movie after great movie. 

Liam Neeson

While Liam Neeson isn't alone in actors we'd like to see in the MCU one day, he's still earned bank at the box office. He's appeared in a number of other big franchises, like Star Wars, The Dark Knight, and The Chronicles of Narnia, and the franchise he's most known for, the Taken movies. 

Steve Carell

It may surprise you to see Steve Carrell on this list until you remember how huge the Despicable Me franchise is. Those movies print money and Carell has been a monster piece in that puzzle. Of course, he's also had huge hits like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and the Anchorman movies. 

Meryl Streep

It's hard to argue against Meryl Streep being the finest actress of a generation, and perhaps even ever. With more than 20 Oscar nominations, she's built a career that is unparalleled. She has also managed to kill it at the box office despite not being a part of any huge franchises. The Mamma Mia! movies are the closest she's come to something like that, which makes her $2 billion+ that much more impressive.  

Eddie Murphy

Year after year Eddie Murphy just cranks out hit after hit. Sure, he's a long way away from his peak as a comic in the '80s, but you can't argue against the results, with over $3.5 billion in total receipts. The biggest contributors, of course, are the Shrek movies. 

Johnny Depp

Of course, Johnny Depp has to be on this list. Depp led one of the biggest franchises of the early 21st Century with the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He's had a lot of hits outside of his work for Disney, but the role of Jack Sparrow has translated to a big chunk of his more than $3.6 billion total box office. 

Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence hasn't been in the MCU proper, but in full disclosure, she did appear in the X-Men franchise when it was outside of the MCU proper. So there is that. Still, she's also got another franchise under her belt with the Hunger Games movies. Outside of that, she's known for taking on serious roles in movies like Winter's Bone and Mother. It all adds up to more than $2.6 billion.

Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro has been one of the most famous actors in Hollywood for more than 50 years and with that has come a lot of success at the ticket window. in total, his movies like Cape Fear, The Godfather II, Killers of the Flower Moon, and, the films that have contributed the most to his more than $2.6 billion lifetime box office sales, the Meet The Parents movies. 

Emma Watson

As one of the key cast members of eight Harry Potter movies, it's hardly a surprise to see Emma Watson on this list. That franchise alone has made billions. She also appeared as Belle in the Disney live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast in 2017, which made a cool billion as well. 

Leonardo DiCaprio

The great Leonardo DiCaprio is another actor on this list who has built remarkable box office numbers – well over $2 billion – without the benefit of a major franchise. It helps to have Titanic on your resume though. 

Julia Roberts

Since the late '80s, Julia Roberts has been box office gold. In all, her movies have made more than $2 billion, and without the benefit of a major franchise, aside from the first two Ocean's movies. Instead, she's built her legendary career on movies like Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich, and Eat Pray Love.

Bruce Willis

There are few action stars as loved as Bruce Willis. Before he retired due to aphasia and dementia, he not only starred in the Die Hard series, but he consistently churned out hits like Pulp Fiction, 12 Monkeys, and one of his biggest movies, Armageddon. He also popped in two of the Expendables movies, earning an overall $3 billion or so. 

Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson may have started out in professional wrestling, but he's owned Hollywood since making the transition to acting. In addition to the Fast and Jumanji franchises, Johnson's box office totals include two Mummy movies and a slew of other hits. It all adds up to well over $3 billion. 

Owen Wilson

There is a small caveat here. Owen Wilson has technically appeared in the MCU, but it was on the Disney+ show Loki and he's never been in one of the movies, so nothing in the MCU is reflected in his box office numbers. What does count is movies like Meet The Parents, Night At The Museum, and The Cars franchise. It all adds up to more than $2.3 billion.

Adam Driver

While he may not have the MCU on his resume, Adam Driver does have three huge Star Wars movies on it. That's a great way to pad your box office numbers. Driver is hardly a one-hit wonder though. House of Gucci, BlacKkKlansman, and others all add up to more than $2.3 billion.

Sandra Bullock

Sandra Bullock has put together an impressive career that's spanned over three decades. Despite not starring in many major franchises aside from Ocean's 8 and Minions. Still, over her career, she's generated more than $2.6 billion in box office totals. Impressive, to say the least. 

Kevin Hart

Everyone loves Kevin Hart, but it's sort of surprising just how successful his movies have been over the years. He's in rarified air here with over $2.4 billion in tickets sold to movies he's appeared in. It certainly helps that's his popped up in the Fast franchise, as well as the Jumanji movies, of course. 

Jim Carrey

Other than Batman Forever Jim Carrey has avoided major franchises over the years. Still, at one point, he was Hollywood's highest-paid actor because his movies almost always make big bucks, bringing in more than $2.9 million overall. Movies like Bruce Almighty and the Sonic movies have contributed greatly to that haul. 

Will Ferrell

What can you say about Will Ferrell that hasn't already been said? Frankly, he's the premier comedic actor over the last couple of decades. With movies like the Anchorman series, Elf, Step Brothers, and maybe his biggest contributor to his more than $2.8 billion in receipts, the Lego franchise, Farrell movies continue to clean up in theaters. 

Will Smith

Before the infamous "slap" at the Oscars in 2023, Will Smith was one of America's most beloved movie stars. His reputation has taken a hit, but his box office numbers over the years don't lie. With franchises like Bad Boys and Men In Black, in addition to a huge number of other hits over the years, Smith's total take is among the highest ever at over $3.8 billion. 

Keanu Reeves

You don't need comic book movies when you've got monster franchises like John Wick and The Matrix. Those two series have contributed a huge part to Keanu Reeves' amazing box office numbers, which stretch over $2 billion now. Throw in one of the Toy Story movies and a handful of other big hits and you're on top of the world. 

Denzel Washington

Until The Equalizer series, Denzel Washington had never even starred in a sequel, much a franchise. He has still managed to rack up more than $2.5 billion in box office numbers though. Washington has been one of the world's most famous actors for decades and has won a slew of awards, including two Oscars, so it's hardly a surprise, but it's still darn impressive. 

Brad Pitt

If Brad Pitt's Ocean's franchise co-star George Clooney isn't the most famous movie star in the world, Brad Pitt might be. Like Clooney, he's mostly built his box office record without the help of any major franchise, aside from Ocean's. It is worth mentioning that he had that infamous cameo in Deadpool 2, but that's still technically outside of the MCU. 

Adam Sandler

He's not everyone's cup of tea, sure, but Adam Sandler has put together one of the most impressive careers in Hollywood history with his unique brand of humor. Movies like Big Baddy, Mr. Deeds, You Don't Mess with the Zohan and Grown Ups have all tucked away huge amounts of money, as have others, meaning Sandler's overall box office is up over $2.8 billion. 

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck does benefit from his time as Batman in the ill-fated DCEU, which has since been replaced with the reboot DCU. Those movies, despite mostly middling reviews, did all make a lot of money. When you add in movies like Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and Gone Girl, it's easy to see how his total haul adds up to more than $2.4 billion. 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg might be the most surprising person on this list, believe it or not. Then you remember he was in some of the Transformer movies, and think about how much the Ted and Daddy's Home movies made, and you realize it's not actually all that shocking. In total, his movies have brought in well over two and a half billion dollars. 

There are plenty of comedies that have a lot of trouble standing the test of time, be it because of changing societal tastes or outdated references, but David Dobkin’s Wedding Crashers is not one of those titles. Twenty years after the beloved Frat Pack feature first hit theaters, the movie remains as funny as ever – and it’s largely because of a dynamite script and two leads who are outstanding improvisors. The film is full of amazing zingers and hilarious dialogue, and in celebration of its awesome legacy, we’ve assembled this feature highlighting the lines that still make us laugh.

“You shut your mouth when you’re talking to me!”

There are times when one can get so angry that their capacity to put together cogent thoughts completely fails. This line, as delivered by the great Rebecca De Mornay, is a perfect example of this, and it is the first big laugh in Wedding Crashers.

“We lost a lot of good men out there.” “Playing for the Yankees?”

It’s hinted at in the first act of Wedding Crashers that John Beckwith (Owen Wilson) isn’t as into the titular activity as he once was. Not only does this weird slip-up add evidence of these feelings, but it’s also a great mid-montage joke that John successfully rebounds from with aplomb.

“He lived with mother until he was 40! She tried to poison his oatmeal!”

It’s set up early on that Chazz Reinhold is a chaotic individual (a reputation to which he eventually lives up), as John’s declarative statement about him really tells you everything that you need to know about the man and how he lives.

“I happen to know everything there is to know about maple syrup. I love maple syrup. I love maple syrup on pancakes; I love it on pizza. I love to take a little bit and put it in my hair when I’ve had a rough week. What do you think holds it up, slick?”

The early exchange between John and Jeremy about their cover story – the latter pitching that they be the owners of a maple syrup conglomerate – is wonderfully illustrative of the brilliant chemistry between Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. The former’s razzle-dazzle about his syrup expertise is ridiculous, and it gets an equally silly response.

“Grow up, Peter Pan! Count Chocula!”

Why does John call Jeremy “Count Chocula” at the end of his burn regarding outlandish ideas for a cover story? There is no real answer, but it doesn’t matter, because that line gets a chuckle with every viewing of Wedding Crashers.

“Whatever! Make me a bicycle, clown!”

Jeremy has a big personality, and one gets the sense that it’s hard to put him back on his heels… but that’s exactly what happens when he tries his balloon-twisting gambit and runs into an intense young boy.

“Rule #76: No excuses! Play like a champion!”

The whole idea of Jeremy and John having a full list of rules that they’ve not only made but memorized is delightful, but I also just love to think about the past circumstances that saw “No excuses” added to the roster is particularly funny.

“I always knew my first time would be on a beach!”

With those 11 words from Gloria Cleary, Jeremy Grey’s wedding crashing adventure becomes an absolute nightmare, and Isla Fisher’s delivery initiates a cackle every time. If Jeremy’s story is a roller coaster in Wedding Crashers, that’s equivalent to the first big drop.

“I don’t think you’re appreciating the urgency here. Not only is she a virgin, she’s totally off the reservation! I’m terrified of this broad”

The intense fear that Vince Vaughn gets across in his urgency to hit the ejector seat from the Cleary wedding is gold that would properly fit in a horror movie.

“Oh please. You and I both know I’m a phenomenal dancer. Now I know you’re lying through your teeth. You’ll do anything to get me to go on this thing. Even if I have to walk into the lion’s den.”

Jeremy might be petrified of the possibility he might be trapped for a weekend with Gloria Cleary, but he is a man of integrity who will clearly never tolerate someone besmirching his talent for dancing.

“She took me below deck for forty-five minutes. I have no bodily fluids left in me.”

At the start of Wedding Crashers, time has slowly siphoned all of the fun of crashing weddings from John Beckwith, but in Jeremy’s case, it’s quickly drained from him.

“I’m not even going to say it, but you know I’m upset.”

If I had to wear those golf pants, I would be upset too.

“That’s what we call a sack lunch! Nomnomnomnomnom.”

Sack Lodge and his cronies are a bunch of jerks who inspire more teeth-grinding in Wedding Crashers than laughs, but Carson Elrod’s delivery as Flip following Jeremy being tackled in the football game is indisputably hilarious.

“Yeah! Crabcakes and Football. That's what Maryland does!”

I really have to give it up to Flip. The guy knows how to properly celebrate overkill aggression during a backyard game of touch football.

“If I had any air in my lungs, I’d scream at you.”

Poor, Jeremy. He just wanted to have some fun, and instead, he finds himself hooking up with a lunatic and regularly getting pummeled to the ground all in the name of being a good wingman. He’s a trooper.

“Gloria, please. I'm exhausted. I've had a very long day... my leg's cut and bleeding. I'm really not in the mood for this.”

Is Jeremy a cad who lies to women? Yes. Is some of what he experiences during his weekend with the Clearys an example of karmic, deserved retribution? Certainly. But boy, does Vince Vaughn sell pained exhaustion well for laughs.

“Don’t ever leave me. Because I’d find you!”

It’s clear that something is wrong with Gloria from the outset – with behavior like holding her breath and stamping when she doesn’t get her way with her father – but this is the line where she goes from being a weirdo to a terror.

“Call me, “Kitty Kat.”

It’s seriously awkward when Kathleen Cleary starts trying to seduce John, but things definitely get kicked up a notch when she demands her own spicy nickname and starts to growl at him.

“Pervert!”

When you think about it, Gloria Cleary is very obviously the daughter of Kathleen Cleary (Jane Seymour) – as evidenced by the bizarre, seductive cat-and-mouse game that she plays with John throughout their weekend together.

“Hey, what were they like anyway? They looked pretty good, are they real? Are they built for speed or comfort? What'd you do with them? Motorboat? You play the motorboat?”

A big part of what sells this line is Jeremy’s mood change. At the start of their conversation, he is wholly drained and seemingly ready to collapse, but the simple mention of Kathleen coming on to John brings him back to life.

“I’m a little too traumatized to have a scone.”

This line is extra funny when you consider the heaping plateful of food he puts together after arriving in the kitchen the morning after the roughest night of his life. He can eat (especially if it’s all covered in his favorite condiment: maple syrup), but scones are just too much after his traumatic experience with Gloria and her family.

“I'm gonna go see Dr. Finklestein and I'm gonna tell him we have a whole new bag of issues. We can forget about mom for a while.”

It’s nice to know that Jeremy recognizes the importance of good mental health. The guy clearly has a lot of issues before we meet him in the story, but one can especially understand why he would need to talk to a professional following his weekend with the Clearys.

“I mean like, hunt a human being right now, ‘Most Dangerous Game.’ Like a worthy adversary. Not a human being that's armed, but a clever, clever, human being who knows the jungle. Or the woods.”

I’m not going to lie: if this line were to be used as a jumping off point to create a ridiculous 20-years-later sequel to Wedding Crashers, you would not hear a single complaint coming from me. In fact, I downright hope it happens.

“I hope you flip your bike over and knock your two front teeth out! You leave me in the trenches taking grenades, John!”

There’s an argument to be made that John doesn’t ultimately show nearly enough respect for Jeremy in Wedding Crashers… but Jeremy sure does whine a lot (though the talent of Vince Vaughn makes it hilarious).

“Maybe there's something about me that I'm a little cuckoo. I know it's a surprise, I know it's not on the surface. I mean, I had an imaginary friend when I was kid, and his name was Shiloh! We used to play checkers with each other every day, and bless his heart, Shiloh would always let me win!”

Another line that could be the platform for a Wedding Crashers follow-up. Jeremy Grey is a fascinating individual, and the brief insights we get into his wild mind are amazing. I’d watch This Is 40-esque sequel that centers on Jeremy and Gloria’s relationship that is structured with flashback sequences that show their origins – including Jeremy’s bond with Shiloh.

“The painting was a gift, Todd. I'm taking it with me.”

If I were Jeremy, I perhaps wouldn’t want to keep a souvenir from one of the weirdest, most traumatic nights of my life, but it’s very clear that he is wired differently.

“She hasn't returned your phone calls, she hasn't responded to any of your letters, she didn't respond to the candygram. God knows what happened to the kitten you got for her. 'Cause she didn't keep it, and I know you're not raising the thing. I think it's very obvious at this juncture that she just flat out does not wanna see you.”

Vince Vaughn’s rapid fire delivery is best utilized when he can get on a run, and this bit from Jeremy as he tries to get John over his crush on Claire is the actor at the peak of his game.

“Listen, I’m getting married.” “Get out.”

A lot of credit goes to director David Dobkin and editor Mark Livolsi with this one. John’s instantaneous response to Jeremy’s “good” news is top-notch comedic timing aided by smart comedic minds working on the film in post-production.

“I almost nunchucked you. You don’t even realize.”

Will Ferrell was a cameo king in the 2000s, and Wedding Crashers is among his best surprise appearances. His serious arrival out of the shadows is excellent, but then he provides a tension breaker that is somehow both a relief and a red flag.

“Ma! The meatloaf!”

I have to imagine that this is a line that is quoted around the world whenever meatloaf is served. It might be the most quotable Wedding Crashers quote.

“I'm sorry I called you white trash.” “Apology accepted.” “And I'm sorry I called you hillbilly. I don't even know what that means.”

This is not only a funny exchange because of the Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn banter, but because it’s (unbeknownst to John and Jeremy) a callback to the verbal tussle between Rebecca De Mornay and Dwight Yoakam’s characters in the film’s opening scene.

“I’m John Beckwith, by the way.”

John really has to dig himself out a significant hole when it comes to winning the heart of Claire, and this line hilariously illustrates this fact. She doesn’t even know the guy’s real name, and it’s super funny how he drops in that information as an aside.

“I crashed a funeral earlier. It wasn’t my idea, I was basically dragged to it. I went with Chazz who you forgot to tell me is totally insane. He also might be a genius because it actually does work, he's cleaning up.”

The shock that this admission sends through the audience is fully earned. It’s a wildly horrible thing to do, and though it’s funny to witness as a viewer, it’s questionable that Claire instantly forgives him for the atrocious behavior.

“Share that with the Dalai Lama.”

Funny as it may be to see Jeremy get violently tackled in the game of touch football in Wedding Crashers, it is also immensely satisfying to not only see him get his revenge, but to deliver a sharp line to pair with his hit.

“So damn beautiful. With every death there comes rebirth. It’s the circle of life. We’re gonna be alright.”

Using a wedding to further heighten the emotions of a woman picked up while in mourning at a funeral? Chazz might be a moralless sociopath, but there is no arguing that the man is an artist at his horrible, horrible craft.

Now feeling the urge to give Wedding Crashers a rewatch? It’s exceptionally easy to do in the digital age, as the comedy is not only available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD, but it’s also available to buy or rent from all major online retailers.

Everything is bigger in Texas, they say, and that certainly includes the star power of its homegrown celebrities. From the biggest stars in music to the biggest on the silver screen, the biggest celebs in the squared circle, and almost everywhere else, Texas has bred them all. 

California may be home to Hollywood, but there might not be a Hollywood without its biggest legends who hail from the Lone Star State, so here is our list of some of the biggest stars from Texas

Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey was born in Uvalde, Texas, raised mostly in Longview, TX, went to college in Austin, and got his first big break in show business in Dazed & Confused, which was, of course, filmed in Texas. McConaughey still lives in Austin. It makes sense that the proud Texan wants to see more movies made in his home state. McConaughey has also sparked rumors in the past that he might be interested in running for political office in Texas, though he's usually brushed them aside. Politician or not, the man sure loves his home state. 

Renée Zellweger

She may have won accolades for playing an English woman, but Renée Zellweger is Texas through and through. The Bridget Jones' Diary star was born outside Houston in Katy, TX, and grew up there before attending the University of Texas. It was in Austin that she discovered her love for acting and she landed her first on-screen role as an extra in Dazed & Confused. 

Owen Wilson

Dallas-born Owen Wilson has played a lot of fantastic roles over the years, but none better than his many roles in the films of Wes Anderson. Wilson and fellow Texan Anderson have been friends since their college days at the University of Texas. It's also worth noting that both of Owen Wilson's brothers, Luke and Andrew, also hail from Texas, of course. 

Jim Parsons

While some people ooze "Texas," Houston native Jim Parsons doesn't, really. You might guess he'd be from New York or Chicago, but nope, he's a Texan. Born and raised in the suburbs of Houston, he also attended the University of Houston before striking out for Hollywood and making it big. 

Carol Burnett

Comedy legend Carol Burnett grew up in California, attending high school right in Hollywood, but the Annie star was born deep in the heart of Texas, in San Antonio in 1933. Though her vast career has taken her far from Texas, the state can still call her one of its own. 

Beyoncé

If the stars are brighter and everything is bigger in Texas, then it only makes sense that one of the biggest stars would come from Houston. There is no bigger star on the planet than Beyoncé, who was born and raised in Texas along with her sister Solange and her Destiny's Child bandmate, LaTavia Roberson. 

Selena Gomez

Like many other native Texas, Selena Gomez is proud of her Mexican heritage. The Only Murders In The Building star was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, near Dallas, and although her many acting roles and career took her to California early in life, her family's roots are firmly in the Lone Star State. Gomez is named for another Texas native as well, the late Tejano superstar Selena, who was murdered in Corpus Christi in 1995. 

Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson first got famous playing a farm boy-turned-bartender from Indiana on Cheers, and while he moved to Ohio as a teenager, Harrelson was born in Midland, Texas. He's also tight with his occasional co-star and fellow Texan, Matthew McConaughey, and, according to McConaughey, the two could even be brothers! 

Tommy Lee Jones

Sure, he was roommates at Harvard with Al Gore, but Tommy Lee Jones is all Texan. The No Country For Old Men star was born in the small town of San Saba, Texas, and raised in Midland. He's never really strayed far either, as he has resided in Terrell Hills, TX, near San Antonio, for years. He's also a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Texas Film Hall of Fame. There really isn't another actor who screams "Texas" like Jones, is there?

Steve Martin

Waco-born Steve Martin is one of the funniest people in film history. While he grew up mostly in Southern California, his roots are originally in central Texas, where he was born in Waco, on August 14th, 1945, the same day that the Japanese surrendered in World War II. 

Jamie Foxx

The multi-talented Jamie Foxx started acquiring his many skills as a kid in Terrell, TX, outside Dallas, where he was born and raised. As a kid, he played piano and excelled at sports at Terrell High School. He moved to Southern California after school and in 1991, scored a role on In Living Color, and the rest is history. 

Jennifer Garner

Jennifer Garner moved to West Virginia when she was just three, so she probably doesn't remember much of anything from her early life in Texas, but the Daredevil star was born in Houston. 

Kelly Clarkson

Kelly Clarkson exploded into show business by winning the first-ever season of American Idol and she's been a star ever since. It's a journey that started when she was born in Forth Worth, TX, and raised in the suburb of Burleson, just outside the city. While her career may have taken her to LA and New York, her heart (and sports allegiance) has stayed in Texas.

Wes Anderson

People love to debate what the best Wes Anderson movie is, but if you are wondering what is his most personal, it's probably Bottle Rocket, which was filmed almost entirely in Anderson's home state of Texas. It stars a couple of fellow Texans as well, Owen and Luke Wilson. While the Wilsons are from Dallas originally, Anderson hails from Houston. 

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion is a triple threat. She proved herself on the mic, and on the dance floor, first, then she started taking over TV and movies by starring in her first film in 2023. Before all that happened, though, she grew up in and around Houston. The “H-town Hottie” even got her nickname, Stallion, in the city. 

Michelle Rodriguez

Michelle Rodriguez has been in some huge film franchises, like Fast & Furious and Avatar. She kind of grew up all over, including in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, but she was born and lived for a few years of her life in San Antonio, TX. 

Ethan Hawke

Ethan Hawke's parents were high school sweethearts who had Ethan shortly after they were married. Born in 1970 in Austin, TX, Hawke moved to the Northeast with his mother but spent his summers in Fort Worth with his dad. His grandfather even served in the Texas House of Representatives for 10 years. He has deep Texas roots that he is proud of. 

Hilary Duff

Lizzie McGuire star Hilary Duff is another Texas girl. Born in Houston, her family also spent time in San Antonio before moving to California when Duff was still young to pursue her acting career. Boy did that pay off quickly! 

Jennifer Love Hewitt

From a young age, Jennifer Love Hewitt was showing off her talents, singing and dancing across Texas, where she was born in 1979. Eventually, even the Lone Star State could not contain her and she moved to LA with her family, where she soon landed her first starring role on the legendary Party Of Five, after having roles on the Disney Channel and elsewhere as a kid. 

Eva Longoria

Born in Corpus Christi, TX in 1975, Eva Longoria has always been proud of her Tejano roots. In fact, her ancestry and culture are so important to her that she returned to college to earn a Master's degree in Chicano studies from Cal State-Northridge.

Forest Whitaker

Though he went to high school in Los Angeles, Forest Whitaker's life began in Longview, Texas. Every summer of his youth, he spent time with his grandparents in Longview and still has family all over Texas. 

Taylor Sheridan

It's no surprise that Taylor Sheridan is from Texas. While he was actually born in North Carolina, the Yellowstone creator is the definition of a true Texan. Not only did he grow up in Fort Worth, but he owns a working ranch in the Lone Star state called 6666 Ranch. He and his family live in Weatherford, Texas.

Farrah Fawcett

She might have had the reputation of being the all-American blonde from California, but Farrah Fawcett was born and raised in Texas. After high school in Corpus Christi, she attended the University of Texas before heading to Hollywood where she immediately started landing acting and modeling jobs. Once she scored her role on Charlie's Angels, the rest is history. 

Isaiah Washington

Controversial actor Isaiah Washington's most prominent role was in the first three seasons of Grey's Anatomy. Since then, he's worked on numerous films and TV shows, before announcing his retirement in 2023. He was born and raised in Houston. 

William Jackson Harper

Star of The Good Place William Jackson Harper is a native Texan, born in Dallas and raised in Garland, TX, where he first started acting in high school. His Texas-sized determination kept him going when he struggled early in his career, before finding a starring role on the Kristen Bell-led sitcom. 

Dakota Johnson

It might be surprising to learn that despite being the daughter of Hollywood royalty, Dakota Johnson was born in Texas. She was born to Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson in Austin while her father shot a movie in the Lone Star State. The star was then raised in Los Angeles, of course, but Austin will always be where she came into this world. Since then, she's built a great career. 

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin

Steven James Anderson loves his home state so much, that he took a name based on its capital, Austin. Better known as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the WWE superstar was, in fact, born in Austin, though he was raised mostly in Edna, TX. The wrestler still owns property in the state, Broken Skull Ranch, near Tilden, TX. It's not like he hides his love for the state either, as one of his many nicknames is "The Texas Rattlesnake."

Gary Busey

People sometimes forget that Gary Busey was once nominated for an Oscar for playing Texan Buddy Holly in The Buddy Holly Story, and the actor also hails from Holly's home state. Busey was born in the Houston area; Baytown, Texas, to be exact. He moved to Oklahoma in elementary school and it was in Tulsa that the enigmatic actor began his show biz career. One of his first big breaks in Hollywood was a TV show that was set in Texas called, appropriately, The Texas Wheelers.

Gina Carano

Gina Carano was controversially dismissed from The Mandalorian and whether you agree with the decision or not, it's hard to argue that the MMA star brought a little bit of that strong individualism Texas is known for to the role and her career. Something that might be inherent in her, as she was born in Dallas County Texas.

Shaquille O'Neal

Texas is a huge state, with a lot of personality, so it only makes sense that a celebrity who's physically large and has a personality to match would hail from the state. Shaquille O’Neal is an Army brat, so he moved around a lot as a kid, including being born in New Jersey. It's in Texas, however, where the world started to pay attention to O'Neal as he became a standout basketball star, eventually becoming a top college recruit and going to LSU for school. He was drafted into the NBA as the #1 overall pick in 1992, and the rest is history.  

Robin Wright

Robin Wright might be best known for playing a Washington insider on House Of Cards and a Buttercup in The Princess Bride, but before all that, she was born in Dallas in 1966. Her parents divorced when she was young and her family moved to Southern California, but for those two years, she was a Texan. 

Michael Strahan

He first made a name for himself playing football in New York, and now he's known for hosting Good Morning America in New York, but Michael Strahan is a born and bred Texan. He was born in Houston, and went to high school there, though for a little while he lived with his family in Germany where his father was stationed in the Army. 

There you have it, a list that proves everything is, indeed, bigger in Texas. The toast, the steer, the plains, and the stars. Not just the stars in the sky, but the stars in Hollywood and beyond. Few states can compete with the Lone Star state when it comes to star power. 

With the release of Loki's second season, we’ve all had the pleasure of seeing its cast grace our screens from week to week on the 2023 TV schedule. It also likely means a whole new group of people who just found the show are being introduced to actors like Tom Hiddleston, Ke Huy Quan, Owen Wilson and more. Sadly, along with all this positive hype, there’s been a resurgence of mean comments surrounding the Mobius actor’s misaligned nose. However, there’s a story behind how he broke it.

Presumed Loki fans have been being very rude about Owen Wilson’s nose, calling it “distracting” and “crazy,” among other rude descriptions on X.  Some people wrote things like “WTF” about Wilson, and others compared his nose to things like a “bent pen.” Others, were asking questions like: “Why does Owen Wilson always have a wound across his nose?” Overall, it's a brutal discourse. However, there’s a story behind his look, so let’s break it down.

In 2001, the LA Times explained how Owen Wilson was surprised when people were rude about his nose, he said he was shocked when folks would say:

There's a reason it's crooked. He broke his nose twice. Once in high school during a “scuffle” at St. Mark’s in Dallas, Texas, and a second time while playing football with his friends. Speaking about both instances in a Wired interview in 2022, the Bottle Rocket star said:

In the LA Times interview, Wilson joked about his look, saying:

There you have it, that’s how Owen Wilson feels about his nose, and how it broke twice. 

Clearly, it hasn’t had a negative impact on his career, as he’s been working consistently for almost three decades. Both his look and voice are iconic, and Owen Wilson’s movies have made him a very beloved actor. From playing opposite Vince Vaughn in Wedding Crashers to voicing Lightning McQueen in Cars to starring in many of Wes Anderson’s movies, this guy has proved his range, and it’s one of the reasons so many of us love him.

Along with starring in two movies on the 2023 movie schedule (Paint and Haunted Mansion) recently, he’s also been playing Mobius in one of Disney+’s best original shows, Loki, for two seasons now, and fans love him. The mustachioed TVA agent is a great balance to the God of Mischief, and Wilson and Tom Hiddleston make a great pair on screen. 

I’m not sure why so many people have decided to be brutal about Owen Wilson’s nose now, and it’s honestly quite sad. The answer as to why his nose is misaligned is quite simple, it broke twice. Luckily, there are still so many out there who absolutely adore the actor, and comment frequently about his talent.

To see Owen Wilson’s most recent project, you can stream Loki with a Disney+ subscription. As more of his projects come out, we’ll be sure to keep you posted.

Spoilers for Season 2 of Loki are ahead! If you aren’t caught up, you can stream the Marvel series with a Disney+ subscription. 

I’ve become quite the Loki and Mobius shipper during Season 2 of Loki, and a lot of the internet has too. While it seemed like the primary love story of the show centered around the titular character and another Loki variant, Sylvie, I’ve come to the conclusion that the real romance here is between Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson’s characters. And whether you want the two to kiss or remain close friends, there’s no denying that the best love story in Loki is between the God of Mischief and this TVA agent. 

There have been so many moments this season where I've gotten all giddy over a little moment Loki and Mobius had. From Loki's reaction to seeing him again after thinking the TVA he knew was gone, to the two-talking shop while snacking on kettle corn or cooling down over a slice of key lime pie, they're clearly the best (and most entertaining) pair on the show. 

While what I described above is all fun, this relationship and its meaning stems from something deeper: Mobius is the only character who truly has faith in Loki and shows compassion toward him. Over on X, @Lokius384 made this point when the posted:

I couldn’t agree more. I’m so here for this beautiful relationship. When I thought about the Marvel movies in order, and how Loki fit into them, I couldn’t help but notice how most characters weren’t that nice to him, or they always approached him with an air of caution, understandably. For example, while I get why Thor can’t trust his mischievous brother, it also means that even Loki’s own sibling hasn’t shown him much empathy or compassion. 

While speaking with Tumblr, Tom Hiddleston opened up about this idea, the duo’s friendship, and why he loved it. Citing the first episode of Season 1, the actor explained why his character’s first interaction with Mobius was so special, saying that the agent was able to look at the god, and “confront” him “without judgment and with compassion.” Concluding his thoughts, Hiddleston said:

Along with the wonderful meaning baked into this relationship, I also think Tom Hiddelston’s Loki and Owen Wilson’s Mobius have the best chemistry on the show. They balance one another perfectly, and they are genuinely hilarious together. As they bicker like an old married couple, there’s also a deep care they have for each other, like an old married couple. If you watch just about any episode in Season 2, you'll see if effect on full display.

With Loki and Sylvie it feels one-sided, especially after she kills He Who Remains and goes to live on a timeline branch. With Loki and Thor (or anyone in his family really) there’s too much pain and history. Overall, the God of Mischief hasn’t had a chance to start over and find mutual love with another person. That’s what he has with Mobius, and that care is shown time and time again in Season 2 as they work together to save the TVA. 

Whether you see Loki and Mobius’ relationship as romantic or platonic, it’s the most meaningful relationship in one of Disney+’s best shows. So, now that you are also hopefully on board with the greatest love story in Loki, and maybe even the MCU, you can see how it progresses by tuning into the last two episodes on the 2023 TV schedule. They drop every Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+. After Season 2 is over, make sure to stay up to date on Marvel’s upcoming TV shows to see what stories are coming your way next. 

The following is going to get into spoilers for Season 2 of Loki, so stop reading now if you are not caught up through episode four of the current storyline. 

This was the episode that changed everything. It’s what we have been building towards ever since the ending of Loki Season 1. After solving the problem of time slipping, and finding a variant of He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) so that his temporal aura can help to repair the Time Loom, Victor Timely stepped out onto the platform to perform a crucial repair… but the temporal radiation was too high. He was torn apart, essentially turned into temporal spaghetti. And as we watched, The Loom became overwhelmed, and all of the multiverses appeared to explode, taking the TVA with it. 

What the hell happens next? We have been speculating on Ravonna Renslayer’s (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) relationship with He Who Remains, and the influence of Miss Minutes on that couple. But as soon as this episode of Loki Season 2 ended, I started to scour existing trailers for scenes that haven’t shown up yet, and am starting to get a little worried about what’s to come. Basically, I did a full episode analysis breakdown in this video, but there’s a Mobius angle I want to drill down on after you have checked this video out:

We have two episodes of Loki Season 2 remaining, which is sad, because it’s one of the best shows available on the Disney+ streaming service at the moment. And a lot needs to happen in those two episodes, even though we don’t fully know where this season is going to leave us with regards to the storylines waiting in upcoming Marvel movies. But in scouring the footage that’s available to us online, I believe I see where the story is going after the cataclysmic cliffhanger in Episode 4. Here are my thoughts. 

We see, in the trailer footage, a lot of shots of TVA characters in non-TVA situations. B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) is dressed like a doctor in a hospital. Casey (Eugene Cordero) is shown to be hiding somewhere dark and dank, and my gut reaction is that he’s in a prison. And then, finally, we see Loki (Tom Hiddleston) standing in front of a sporting goods store that has two Jet Skis positioned outside. 

The same type of Jet Skis that Mobius (Owen Wilson) dreams about while toiling away in the TVA.

So, what do I think happens? Following the decimation of the Time Loom, I think the TVA is destroyed, and the agents are returned back to the lives they led on the Sacred Timeline, before they were “kidnapped” and ordered to work for the TVA. There has been a lot of conversation this season about restoring free will to people, with some characters coveting an alternate existence on the timeline. Like Hunter X-5 (Rafael Casal), who was very happy living his life as Brad, a famous actor in London. 

With the TVA gone, I’m guessing everyone gets returned. And Loki has to retrieve the team, to mount one last defense against Ravonna, Miss Minutes, and a possible Kang variant. But if he visits Mobius on the Sacred Timeline, and Mobius is a simple Jet Ski salesman, will he want to leave that life? So far, Mobius has resisted learning anything about the life he left behind on the Sacred Timeline. He claims to be happy in the TVA. But I can see him having a wife. Maybe kids. Perhaps a pair of his own Jet Skis. And Loki will ask him to leave it all behind – again – to restore order to the TVA. 

Pass me a tissue.

Maybe I’m off. But I don’t think so. The Jet Skis matter. Mobius matters. And while things look dire at the end of Episode 4, there’s footage left on the table we still have to experience. So strap in, and brace for the worst.

For quite some time, there have been actors who not only bring movies to life by acting on the big screen but also play a major role in crafting the stories. Over the years, multiple Best Picture winners have been written by talented thespians, who also happen to be accomplished wordsmiths. From stars who've pieced together films that would earn them their first Academy Award nominations to those penning passion projects, here are 32 successful actors who are also hit screenwriters.

Ben Affleck

In early 1998, Ben Affleck became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood after he and Matt Damon won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting. The movie made the longtime friends -- who didn't always work together -- into overnight sensations. Since then, he’s written four additional films: Gone Baby Gone, Live by Night, The Town and The Last Duel, which he co-wrote with Damon.

Matt Damon

As mentioned, Matt Damon took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for Good Will Hunting in 1998. The movie, of course, also featured his Academy Award-worthy performance as a troubled young genius. Since then, he’s co-written two additional Gus Van Sant-directed scripts – Gerry in 2002, Promised Land in 2012 – as well as the Ridley Scott historical epic, The Last Duel, which he penned with Ben Affleck.

Jordan Peele

After finding success with Key & Peele, Jordan Peele turned to more behind-the-scenes work, serving as both a director and screenwriter. From his 2016 comedy, Keanu to 2022’s Nope and Wendell & Wild, Peele has cemented his legacy as one of the strongest voices in Hollywood. He won an Oscar for his Get Out screenplay in 2018 and produced two of the best horror movies in recent memory: Us and Candyman.

Tina Fey

Tina Fey will forever be remembered as one of the best Saturday Night Live cast members, and that experience allowed her to fine-tune her writing and acting skills. In addition to starring in movies like Baby Mama, Date Night and Muppets Most Wanted, Fey famously wrote the screenplay for Mean Girls, which is one of the best movies of the 2000s.

Sylvester Stallone

A handful of the best action movies of all time were written by none other than Sylvester Stallone, who has flexed his muscles in front of the camera and behind the scenes. All of the Rocky films (as well as Creed II) were written by Stallone, as were the Rambo flicks and pretty much most of his best big-screen ventures.

George Clooney

George Clooney has plenty of notable movies like Ocean’s Eleven, Syriana, Michael Clayton and even the over-the-top Batman & Robin. But the Academy Award-winning actor has also penned quite a few screenplays over the years, including the ones for Good Night, and Good Luck, The Ides of March, Leatherheads, The Monuments Men and Suburbicon.

Kristen Wiig

Two of the funniest movies of the past decade-and-a-half – Bridesmaids and Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar – not only featured the Saturday Night Live legend Kristen Wiig's on-screen talents, they were also co-written by the actress. And penning those screenplays alongside her was co-star Annie Mumolo.

Tyler Perry

In addition to being a committed philanthropist and all-around great guy, Tyler Perry is also an incredibly successful actor, movie producer, and screenwriter. Throughout his career, Perry has written multiple entries in the Madea film franchise as well as other films like A Jazzman’s Blues, Acrimony, and Why Did I Get Married?, to name a few.

Greta Gerwig

Greta Gerwig has become famous for her Barbie screenplay (which was co-written by Noah Baumbach), but that's only one of the great scripts written by the talented actress. In addition to starring in several dozen movies over the years, Gerwig also penned modern gems like Frances Ha, Lady Bird, Mistress America and Little Women.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

In addition to being a talented actress with multiple scene-stealing performances in movies like Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Solo: A Star Wars Story, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is a talented writer. She created and penned the shows Fleabag and Killing Eve and received a partial writing credit for her contributions on No Time to Die.

Justin Theroux

Throughout his career, Justin Theroux has starred in movies like Mulholland Drive, Miami Vice and American Psycho. However, he also has some impressive screenwriting credits to his name. With work on Iron Man 2, Tropic Thunder, Rock of Ages and Zoolander 2, he has quite the body of work.

Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson is an actress with a great filmography, through which she's worked both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, Thompson has Academy Awards for  Best Actress (for Howards End) and Best Adapted Screenplay (for Sense and Sensibility). She’s also penned movies like Bridget Jones’s Baby, Last Christmas and the Nanny McPhee films.

Billy Bob Thornton 

Billy Bob Thornton is another actor who has won an Academy Award for writing, having scored a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his work on Sling Blade, which he also starred in and directed. Over the years, some of Thornton's best movies -- like One False Move, A Family Thing, The Gift and Daddy and Them were also written by the actor himself.

Emerald Fennell 

After finding success with acting roles in movies like Albert Nobbs, Anna Karenina and The Danish Girl, as well as shows like Call the Midwife and The Crown, Emerald Fennell turned her attention to writing and directing. Her feature film debut, Promising Young Woman, earned her a Best Original Screenplay Oscar. She also crafted the script for the drama film Saltburn.

Tom Hanks 

Tom Hanks is another Oscar winner with a number of screenwriting credits to his name. In addition to leading some of the best movies of all time, Hanks has also penned the screenplays for That Thing You Do, Larry Crowne and the 2020 World War II thriller Greyhound.

Kumail Nanjiani 

Kumail Nanjiani has starred in all kinds of movies over the years, with Eternals, Stuber and The Lovebirds being just a few of them. But Nanjiani also wrote the screenplay for The Big Sick, the 2018 romantic comedy inspired by the battles he and wife Emily V. Gordon faced early in their relationship.

Paul Rudd 

Paul Rudd not only starred in one of the best Marvel movies such as Ant-Man, he was also one the writers given credit for its screenplay (alongside Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish, and Adam McKay). But that wasn’t his first or last script, as Rudd contributed to Role Models and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

Ethan Hawke 

Throughout his career, Ethan Hawke has starred in movies like Reality Bites, Boyhood, First Reformed and The Black Phone, among many others. However, the actor has also written his fair share of screenplays as well, with everything from the second and third installments in the Before film franchise to the gripping biopic Blaze featuring his handiwork. 

 Angelina Jolie 

Over the years, Angelina Jolie has become an instantly recognizable face and name thanks to a number of wonderful performances. The actress has also a few screenwriting credits, including In the Land of Blood and Honey, First They Killed My Father and By the Sea.

Kenneth Branagh 

To some Kenneth Branagh is arguably better known as a screenwriter than actor. That's because he won Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the semi autobiographical coming-of-age drama Belfast and received a nomination for his adaptation of Hamlet back in 1995. The Christopher Nolan collaborator has also written other films like Much Ado About Nothing, In the Bleak Midwinter, Listening and The Magic Flute.

Steve Coogan 

Steve Coogan is famous for his performances in the Night at the Museum movies, Tropic Thunder, 24 Hour Party People, and The Trip, but he’s also a talented writer. Over the years, Coogan has written movies like Philomena, The Lost King, The Parole Officer and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa.

Sarah Polley 

After making a name for herself as an actress with roles in movies like Go, The Weight of Water and the underrated Dawn of the Dead remake, Sarah Polley turned her jumped into the writer/director seat. One of her most well-known scripts is probably 2022's Women Talking, which earned her an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Seth Rogen 

Seth Rogen has written some of the comedies that defined the 2000s, such as Pineapple Express and Superbad, as well as more recent hits like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. This is on top of appearing in all three of those movies, as well as other classics like The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which totally deserved its R rating.

Taylor Sheridan 

Taylor Sheridan is mostly known for crafting Sicario, Wind River, Hell or High Water and other riveting dramas. But the Yellowstone co-creator also had a decent acting career before making the big shift over the past decade. He appeared on shows like Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars.

Lake Bell 

In addition to appearing in movies like No Escape, No Strings Attached, It’s Complicated and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Lake Bell has also written and directed a few projects throughout her career. There are the shorts Worst Enemy and El Tonto, which she followed up with feature-length films, In a World… and I Do… Until I Don’t.

Owen Wilson 

When talking about Wes Anderson's collaborators, few names come to mind as quickly as Owen Wilson, who has appeared in a number of the director’s films throughout his career. But on top of appearing in seven of Anderson’s movies, Wilson also helped write three of them: Bottlerocket, Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums.

Jason Segel 

When it comes to the movie sphere, Jason Segel is probably best known for his portrayal of Peter Bretter in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but some might not know he also wrote it. After that, Segel penned three additional feature films: The Muppets, The Five-Year Engagement and Sex Tape.

Ricky Gervais

On top of creating and starring on TV shows like the original version of The Office, Episodes and Extras, Ricky Gervais has also written some popular movies throughout his career. The British actor and comedian has crafted The Invention of Lying, Special Correspondents, Cemetery Junction and David Brent: Life on the Road.

Woody Allen 

Throughout his career, which goes back the mid 1950s, Woody Allen has written, directed, and starred in dozens of movies, many of which are incredibly well-received. Over the years, Allen has won four Academy Awards, three of which were for Best Original Screenplay – Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Midnight in Paris – on top of all kinds of other accolades. However, Allen has only appeared in four of his own movies the past 20 years.

John Cusack 

Not only did he star in some of the most iconic comedies of the 1980s, some all-time great ‘90s movies, and experience a great deal of success, John Cusack has written a handful of films throughout his career. This short list also happens to include some of his Cusack's best movies like High Fidelity and Grosse Pointe Blank. His other writing credits include War, Inc. and We Are Not Animals.

Rashida Jones 

Rashida Jones is perhaps best known for her roles on NBC comedy hits The Office and Parks and Recreation, but the actress has also written a few screenplays throughout her career. This includes Celeste and Jesse Forever, the 2018 documentary, Quincy, which is about her dad -- music legend Quicy Jones. She also has a story credit for Toy Story 4 and wrote “Nosedive,” one of the best Black Mirror episodes.

Tom McCarthy 

Tom McCarthy is best known for writing and directing Spotlight, the riveting journalism movie that won Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay at the 88th Academy Awards. But while he was in the process of becoming an award-winning filmmaker, McCarthy put together a decent acting resume that included a memorable turn on The Wire (during the final season), Meet the Parents, Good Night, and Good Luck, Syriana and Michael Clayton.

Each of these nearly three-dozen actors has quite the resume, both in terms of on-screen performances and written work, making them more than deserving of any and all praise.

With Secret Invasion as the MCU’s most recent TV series, and The Marvels set as the closest upcoming Marvel movie, that means it’s finally time to enjoy Loki Season 2! Well, not right at this second, but Tom Hiddleston’s return to this particular version of the trickster god is imminent, and we can’t wait to see where the story goes after the wild Season 1 ending. And what better way to get in the mood for more time-jaunting chaos on Disney+ than by looking back at some of the awesome behind-the-scenes details that made Season 1 such a standout slide of the MCU.

Grab your Loki-branded McDonald’s meal, or a Miss Minutes donut if there’s one handy, and join us in looking back at the TVA-approved past for some BTS factoids that may have slipped under the radar. And there’s no better place to start than with the amphibian iteration of Thor himself.

Chris Hemsworth Secretly Provided The Voicework For Throg, Who Had A Deleted Fight Scene

Loki’s fifth episode, which took place largely amidst the reference-filled setting dubbed The Void, featured a heavily celebrated moment that highlighted the jarred-up and buried Frog of Thunder known affectionately to fans as Throg. The CGI character appeared fleetingly, as fans saw him hopping about in angst with the mighty Mjolnir just out of his reach. One cool fact about that scene is that the sounds the character made were recorded by Thor star himself Chris Hemsworth.

At the time, Season 1 staff writer Eric Martin (who took over head writing duties for Season 2) revealed a deleted scene was half-produced that featured Loki getting decked in the face by Frog Thor’s hammer, but it was scrapped for time. And that half-animated Time Theater segment is no longer the stuff of legend, as the official Loki Season 1 Blu-ray released in late September featured the A+ Frog Thor moment as a deleted scene extra! 

David Fincher’s Se7en Was A Big Influence Early On 

While a time-traveling, multiversal, superhero-tinged series like Loki may not outwardly share a whole lot with the endlessly grim and gritty world of David Fincher’s Se7en, there may be more beneath the surface than expected. Upon watching the Season 1 finale, for example, I was particularly taken with the episode’s hairpin spin with the introduction of Jonathan Majors’ He Who Remains, as his early appearance and “the endgame has already been set” perspective were similar to all things John Doe in the 1995 film. When CinemaBlend spoke with director Kate Herron, I asked if the Se7en vibes were intentional, and she said she didn’t think they were, but that the Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman hit was indeed a point of inspiration early on. Here’s how she put it:

I kinda like thinking that there are David Mills variants out there in the multiverse that were able to reach a happier ending than what actually played out in the movie. Like, maybe there’s an Alligator Mills who eats John Doe. 

Many Of Loki’s Massive Sets Were Actually Constructed In Real Life 

At a time when various Star Wars projects have shown off the positive and negative qualities of filming in the digital playground known as The Volume, Loki definitely deserves applause and credit for actually creating several of the massive sets on display throughout the first season. Obviously that includes interiors like the TVA offices and hallways, but also applies to many of the exteriors, from the doomed planet Lamentis-1 to the varied locations that made up the Void. Even when there was a little trickery involved, it didn’t take away from the sets being a place where the actors could live and breathe. When I spoke with Season 1 production designer Kasra Farahani, he confirmed that details like the giant stone heads were practical set dec, and explained how they filmed that episode in the moors of England. In his words:

One can only hope that the team could somehow up the ante in Season 2, although I don't imagine any MCU sequence in the future will be quite like The Voice. But also, check out this this video extra from the Blu-ray that details some of the work that went into bringing Lamentis-1 to life. 

Starship Troopers Heavily Inspired The Live-Action TVA 

Though the TVA is a dense and highly intriguing government organization that largely stands apart from anything else on TV, the unclear motivations behind the group were partly inspired by one of the more polarizing blockbusters of the modern era, Starship Troopers. Paul Verhoeven's deadpanned and hyper-violent sci-fi satire was initially misconstrued by audiences, but has since gained appreciation from those who grasped the undercurrent of the filmmaker's efforts. Director Kate Herron explained to CinemaBlend that Starship Troopers (originally a 1959 novel from sci-fi master Robert A. Heinlein) was a big influence on how she viewed the TVA and those who do its bidding. 

It's easy to see how Starship Troopers would be a stepping stone to get to the TVA, as its militant higher-ups offer up the same kind of "Our way is the best and only way," while employing countless people who are basically brainwashed into taking orders at face value without questioning the intent. 

Kang Wasn’t Originally Meant To Be The MCU’s Main Antagonist For The Multiverse Saga 

Whenever Loki Season 1 was coming together, with the idea that it would cap off with an appearance from Lovecraft Country's Jonathan Majors as not-quite-Kang the Conquerer, there reportedly weren't any solidified plans in place to vault the actor to an overarching role across the bulk of the Multiverse Saga's phases. After Kevin Feige and other Marvel Studios execs saw what he brought to both the Loki finale and to his scenes filmed for Quantumania, only then were the decisions made to flesh out the villain's impact to make it as widespread as possible. A decision whose fallout remains to be witnessed in full, following Majors' legal issues and abuse allegations, with an impeding trial on the way. On an episode of the podcast The Big Picture, author of the upcoming book MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios Joanna Robinson shared the following insights from her behind-the-scenes conversations:

Barring some kind of Sliding Doors effect (involving Pepper Potts herself), fans probably won't ever know what the MCU's Phase 5 and Phase 6 would have been like without Kang as the antagonistic ringleader behind it all. And only time will tell whether Feige & Co. continue moving forward with their previously stated strategy, or if there's a back-up plan in the works.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Approached Ravonna And Mobius’ Relationship Like James Bond And M 

We've obviously already talked about how various pop culture phenomenons were influential to the look, feel, and plotting of Loki's first season. And when Gugu Mbatha-Raw spoke with CinemaBlend about the unique relationship between her TVA official Ravonna Renslayer and Owen Wilson's Mobius, she shared that she viewed that pairing as one similar to James Bond and M. Here's how she put it:

I think we can all agree Mobius is on another plane entirely from James Bond, but he certainly does feature both the integrity and the occasionally rapscallion nature that the secret agent exudes. Albeit more in earlier films over the Daniel Craig era, but still. His Bond and Dame Judi Dench's M are for the ages.

Turns Out Owen Wilson Doesn’t Like Jet Skis As Much As Mobius Does

After watching Season 1, arguably the biggest takeaway that fans got from Mobius' arc is that the dude has a very precise affection for Jet Skis, as well as the act of going out on the water and putting them to use. What fans may not know, however, is that the actor playing Mobius does not share that appreciation. When we spoke with Owen Wilson, he offered up a less joyful take on Jet Skis, saying:

So any Loki fans out there who see someone on a Jet Ski that maybe happens to look like Owen Wilson, you can probably bet on it more likely being a person named Mobius, and not the actor himself.

With each of these facts in mind, hopefully the wait for Loki Season 2 will pass as quickly as possible, as the premiere is set to stream with a Disney+ subscription on Thursday, October 5, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

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

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

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

Karl Urban And Taron Egerton As Other Versions Of Wolverine

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

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

Lots Of Other Established Fox-Era X-Men Characters

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

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

Various Fox-Era Fantastic Four Characters

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

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

Ben Affleck As Daredevil

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

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

Jennifer Garner As Elektra

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

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

Elizabeth Olsen As Scarlet Witch

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

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

Various Loki Characters

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

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

Channing Tatum As Gambit

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

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

Taylor Swift As Dazzler

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

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

Daniel Radcliffe In A “Secret” Role

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

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

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

Unlike most live-action films, which have a (at least mostly) completed script before cameras ever begin to roll, animated films are usually much more in flux. The “story” part of an animated film is never really done, which has resulted in many animated movies going through big changes from their inception to their completion. It’s not unusual for entire characters to be added or removed from stories, or to see plots go through major overhauls. But few films have gone through quite as many changes as The Emperor’s New Groove, which was so different at the beginning that it's fair to call it an entirely different movie. 

Titles change so often in all kinds of movies. Disney’s Frozen was originally going to be called Anna and the Snow Queen, but despite the fact that Elsa went from being a villain to a misunderstood hero of the movie, the core elements of that movie never really changed. However, The Emperor’s New Groove is a movie that was built from the ashes of a very different film called Kingdom of the Sun. 

Kingdom Of The Sun Was Supposed To Be An Epic Follow Up To The Lion King

The story of The Kingdom of the Sun actually begins following the surprise success of another animated Disney film, The Lion King. That and Pocahontas had been in production around the same time, with the animators divided between the two films. However, Pocahontas was largely seen as the top project, with Disney Studios chief Jeffrey Katzenberg seeing it as the film that might finally win the Best Picture Oscar for an animated movie that Beauty and the Beast had made look possible. The Lion King was then largely made by the "B-team." 

However, the "B-Team" would create something amazing. Pocahontas would struggle and certainly wouldn’t be the awards darling that it was intended to be, while The Lion King would go on to become the highest-grossing animated film ever at the time. This made its director, Roger Allers, something of a star, but it also increased expectations for his next project.

Allers was encouraged to look for a movie idea in South American culture, and he decided to set a movie in the Inca Empire. The hope was that Kingdom would be just as epic a story as Lion King had been. In an attempt to make the music suitably sweeping, Sting was asked to join the project to play a similar role as that of Elton John in Allers’ previous film by handling most of the movie's songs.

What The Kingdom Of The Sun Was About 

While Kingdom of the Sun would use the Inca Empire for its setting in time and place, its plot would be significantly more contemporary. The story was inspired by Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper. In this version, Manco (David Spade) would be an obnoxious and conceited emperor who discovers that he looks identical to a llama herder named Pacha (voiced at the time by Owen Wilson). 

The pair would agree to switch places, but High Priestess Yzma (Eartha Kitt), who wishes to resurrect the shadow god Supai, would discover the deception and attempt to kill Manco, but inadvertently transform him into a llama. Meanwhile, Pacha would attempt to keep up his deception with the help of Huaca, an advisor to the emperor who was a talking stone talisman. Pacha would, of course, be a very different sort of leader, and Manco would learn how to rule by watching what the common man did.

Kingdom of the Sun would also include at least one love story. Nina would be the bride-to-be for Manco, but neither one had any particular interest in the other. He was only marrying because he was required to do so as emperor, and she had no choice once he chose her. Pacha, however, would fall in love with Nina, and as the two became closer during Pacha’s impersonation, the feelings would begin to be reciprocated. A later iteration of the story would also include a llama herder named Mata, whom Manco would fall in love with while in his llama form.

As that description makes clear, there was a lot going on in Kingdom of the Sun. This was one of the film’s major problems. Upper-level executives like producer Thomas Schumacher and Walt Disney Feature Animation President Peter Schneider felt the characters were too hard to follow, the tone and pacing didn’t work, and the movie was too similar to countless versions of The Prince and the Pauper that had been made before, including one starring Mickey Mouse only a few years previously. 

How Kingdom Of The Sun Became The Emperor's New Groove 

Two years after production had begun, Mark Dindal was brought in to act as co-director on Kingdom of the Sun in the hopes that he could fill in the gaps and bring the project into better focus.  Unfortunately, Dindal’s style tended to drift more towards comedy than Allers’ epic musical drama, so that didn’t really work out. 

It was decided by 1998 that the movie was likely not going to make its summer 2000 release date. Allers didn’t actually disagree with this assessment, but felt that with an additional year, he would be able to make it all work. Disney refused to give him any more time, and in frustration, Allers quit the project entirely.

At this point, Kingdom of the Sun went dormant, with most of the animators going to work on other projects, including Fantasia 2000. When work resumed under Dindal as the sole director, the movie had shifted from Allers' epic drama to more of a buddy comedy. With the new title The Emperor’s New Groove, the story had been trimmed down, with fewer major characters and a much simpler plot.

With the change in story came several other significant changes. Pacha was no longer a dead ringer for the young Kuzco. Instead, he was an older father figure, and this change in character would necessitate a change in voice actor, resulting in Owen Wilson being replaced by John Goodman.

The movie was also no longer a musical, which meant Sting’s music would be removed from the film. While a few of the songs would still be included on The Emperor’s New Groove soundtrack album, the only Sting songs in the final version of the film would be "Perfect World," sung by Tom Jones in the film's opening, and “My Funny Friend and Me,” which is sung by Sting himself over the closing credits.  

The Legacy Of The Emperor's New Groove

Ironically, the attempted production of one movie we'll never see also led to the creation of another movie you've probably never seen. As part of Sting's deal to write songs for Kingdom of the Sun, his wife, Trudy Styler, produced a documentary film made up of interviews from the chaotic production. The Sweatbox was produced in 2002, and while it was shown in a few private screenings, the film has never been officially released.

In the end, The Emperor's New Groove would make it to theaters in December 2000, only a few months later than originally planned, which a pretty impressive feat all things considered. Still, the movie would largely fail to impress audiences and would be seen as a failure at the box office. However, in retrospect, while The Emperor's New Groove certainly isn't the best Disney animated movie, it has achieved a sort of cult status as it is recognized for its uniqueness as one of Disney's great underrated movies. The buddy comedy formula is one we hadn't seen from Disney before this, and we really haven't seen it since. 

But one certainly has to wonder what Kingdom of the Sun could have been. An epic, dramatic story set in the Inca Empire with the music of Sting sounds, on paper, like an absolutely fascinating movie, it's one that a lot of people would love to see. It's a shame that in order to get one of Disney's most unique animated features, we had to sacrifice another one. 

Marvel's long-held goodwill with fans was seemingly strained beyond normal means with Secret Invasion, which earned wildly dour Rotten Tomatoes scores and delivered a finale that seemed to spur as many jokes as genuinely impressed reactions. Thankfully, the studio is primed to prune that meh-ness from the timeline by way of Loki Season 2, which will finally soon be available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. Just how excited are MCU-leaning audiences? Enough so that the first full-length look at Tom Hiddleston’s return as the God of Mischief managed to break a record for the streaming service.

Loki’s initial Season 2 trailer hit the internet on Monday, July 31, and instantly became a talking point among TV fans who don’t have all that much to look forward to on the horizon, thanks to the WGA writer strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. The fervor was such that the promo quickly became the biggest online trailer release ever for Disney+ across a variety of platforms with more than 80 million views to date, according to Deadline.

That’s a mighty impressive number, even for industry giants like Disney and Marvel. 80 million people all watching the same ad is akin to Super Bowl numbers, and you can bet both companies would love to see that kind of viewership whenever the series returns for its premiere this fall. I imagine the powers that be might even go widely public with those specific details if it happened, despite being fairly non-transparent about ratings otherwise. 

I can absolutely see why this trailer is at the top of the clicks for Disney+, and not just for a single reason. For one, Loki remains the most-watched Marvel series on the streaming service, and it took the COVID-struck world by storm in 2021 as both a critically lauded and a fan-beloved chapter in the MCU’s ever-expanding chronology. Not just because of Tom Hiddleston’s emotionally grounded take on the trickster, but for the entire cast — including Owen Wilson, Wunmi Mosaku, Sophia Di Martino, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Tara Strong and Jonathan Majors, among others — the smart writing, and the pretty stellar production design. (I’ll never forget the episode with The Void and all its magnificent references.)

To follow up on that, Loki Season 2 looks just as madcap and bonkers as the first, and the trailer brings that manic energy to a boil as the titular character unintentionally slips from one timeline to the next. Honestly, all I needed was that shot of Miss Minutes going berserk and I would have been sold, so for that to have been surrounded by other forms of excellence is icing on a complicated cake. 

Get 'em, Miss Minutes! Or wait, who am I supposed to be going for in this show again? I'm pretty sure I'm sticking with Ke Huy Quan's new character O.B. no matter what.

Loki will arrive on Disney+ on Friday, October 6, and I can’t wait to see how many people who watched the trailer end up tuning in for the episode itself. While waiting to see how all the time-jumping shenanigans come together, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming MCU TV shows that will be arriving after Tom Hiddleston’s return to the small screen.

The cast of Haunted Mansion is filled with standout personalities with specific voices. Harriet, the confidence-lacking but highly skilled medium, is ultimately a character only Tiffany Haddish could play, and the same can be said of Danny DeVito’s Bruce Davis, the determined but fragile historian. It’s clear that the performers and their skills had an influence on their roles in the new Disney horror comedy, but according to director Justin Simien, it was Owen Wilson who ended up having the biggest impact on the part through the production process.

Speaking with the filmmaker earlier this month at San Diego Comic-Con, I asked about the development of the Haunted Mansion script and how casting influenced the work by screenwriter Katie Dippold. Simien told me that the characters were molded to fit the stars brought on to the cast, but it was Owen Wilson above all others who ended up having the most significant impact. He explained,

In Haunted Mansion, Owen Wilson plays Father Kent, a priest who is enlisted by a mother and son (Rosario Dawson and Chase Dillon) to help rid their newly acquired home of the ghosts that dwell within it. He’s a confident and optimistic individual, but he’s also a bit of an oddball and not your typical man of the cloth. It’s certainly a character fitted for the star in the role.

Continuing, Justin Simien explained that knowing the voice of Owen Wilson led to the production reworking the script to highlight what the actor does best:

Audiences can now see it for themselves, as Haunted Mansion hit theaters this past Friday and is now playing everywhere. And if you need an additional Owen Wilson fix after seeing the movie, do yourself a favor and check out the brand new trailer for Loki Season 2, which sees Wilson back as TVA Agent Mobius M. Mobius. The season premiere of the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series will be available to stream for Disney+ subscribers on October 6.

It’s been about a week since SAG-AFTRA officially called for an actors strike, and it’s been sending additional shockwaves throughout Hollywood along with the 2023 WGA Writers Strike raging on too. But as it turns out, not every major actor is sitting things out to walk the picket line, as we’ve learned that stars such as Jenna Ortega, Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and more have been given the go-ahead to resume work on their projects thanks to a loophole of sorts. 

On Wednesday, a list of productions were released by SAG-AFTRA that have signed an “interim agreement” with the Screen Actors Guild that allows certain productions to resume work without violating the strike order. These productions that have signed the interim agreement and are posted on the site are reportedly completely independent – meaning they are not operating under a studio contract. Currently, 45 projects are on that list. 

Among the productions that were approved are projects that star some major movie stars. Death of a Unicorn for one, is an A24 film that is set to star Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega as a father and daughter who accidentally run over a unicorn on their way home. The movie was set to start shooting in Hungary from a script by Alex Scharfman, who is also directing, and now will continue to do so. A24 is not part of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which SAG-AFTRA has been in negotiations with, therefore many of the studios productions could resume as scheduled. 

Another movie of note that's been greenlit to continue production is The Rivals of Amziah King, a crime thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, since it's being fully financed by Black Bear Pictures. Additionally, there's David Lowery’s Mother Mary, another A24 movie, where Anne Hathaway will play a fictional musician and Michaela Coel will co-star as an iconic fashion designer. The movie has been described as an “epic pop melodrama” and is being financed by A24 and Topic Studios.

Other movies set to remain in production amidst the actors strike is Owen Wilson’s action comedy Bride Hard, a movie called Dust Bunny starring Mads Mikkelsen and Sigourney Weaver, and another action comedy called The Killer’s Game with Sofia Boutella, Scott Adkins, Dave Bautista, Ben Kingsley, and Ice Cube. Additionally, the upcoming horror movie The Watchers, which is set to star Dakota Fanning and be the directorial feature debut of M. Night Shyamalan’s daughter Ishana Shyamalan, is also set to still roll cameras. 

As actors like Mandy Moore have spoken out from the picket line about not getting residuals for their work, and one report about studios trying to get AI likenesses reminded us too much of a recent Black Mirror episode, it sounds like the independent movie space is getting a chance to resume work as usual at least. Stay tuned for more updates.

Disney has given us several movies based on its theme park rides over the years. And when Justin Simien’s Haunted Mansion hits theaters July 28, it won’t be the first time this particular attraction has been depicted on the big screen. Eddie Murphy starred in The Haunted Mansion in 2003, and then the Muppets took a swing just a couple of years ago with 2021’s Muppets Haunted Mansion. Now, the upcoming Disney movie has held its premiere, and those who were able to attend an advance screening are hitting social media with their first reactions.

This time around it’ll be Rosario Dawson leading an iconic cast that also includes LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, Jamie Lee Curtis and more. From what we know about Haunted Mansion — and what’s shown in the Disney film's trailer — audiences can expect plenty of laughs peppered into the spooky imagery, but let’s see what those who have seen the movie are saying.

Jazz Tangcay of Variety confirms there are plenty of laughs and jump scares in the film, but tweets that the movie’s portrayal of loss and grief was unexpected: 

Shannon McGrew of Nightmarish Conjuring agrees the film is filled with heart, and she credits the writing of Katie Dippold. Dippold’s background is in comedy, working on Mad TV and Parks and Recreation before penning The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy, as well as the 2016 remake of Ghostbusters. That humor is apparent, as McGrew also notes that Haunted Mansion walks a thin line between humorous and spooky:

POC Culture tweets that fans of the theme park are going to love this flick, assuring movie-goers that it pays homage to the famous Disney ride with plenty of easter eggs. However, the thread continues to say the movie’s plot is unnecessarily bloated: 

Russ Milheim of The Direct agrees with the opinion above, saying Haunted Mansion is not without its faults but is a love letter to the ride that will bring fans much joy: 

Steven Weintraub of Collider notes that this movie will scare the kids and entertain adults, which might make it a good gateway horror option in a summer that’s filled with family friendly options at the theater. He tweets: 

Kristen Lopez of The Wrap calls this latest theme park ride adaptation wonderful, specifically shouting out the visual effects and the score from Academy Award nominee Kris Bowers. Lopez writes: 

So far, it seems like those who've screened Haunted Mansion agree that lovers of the ride are going to enjoy this movie. It also sounds like a good one to bring the family too, since the jump scares will be balanced out by plenty of laughs. If this sounds like one that you’re interested in, the movie is set to hit the big screen on Friday, July 28. Also be sure to check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to see what other big summer releases are heading to theaters soon. 

It isn’t that uncommon for a director to build a troupe of actors and continually call on them for the latest and greatest projects. Greats like Martin Scorsese, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Christopher Nolan have done it a lot over the years, working time and time again with the likes of Robert De Niro, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Cillian Murphy, respectively; and so too does Wes Anderson.

In addition to each of his movies featuring a unique sense of style and humor, as well as his signature shots, Anderson’s work has largely featured the same group of actors (though some get off the bus while others get on) taking on various roles. Names like Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, and Owen Wilson quickly come to mind when this discussion is brought up, but who’s appeared in the most movies directed by the quirky and eccentric filmmaker? Well, funny you should ask… 

Bill Murray - 9 Movies 

In a June 2023 interview with Deadline, Anderson said he “can’t imagine not working with” Bill Murray again, and that the only reason the actor wasn’t part of Asteroid City was because he contracted COVID ahead of production. But, even though he didn’t appear in the movie CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg called a “meta, Looney Tunes-esque delight,” he’s still the most prolific of all of Anderson’s collaborators.

In fact, since first working with the filmmaker for his 1998 sophomore effort, Rushmore, Murray has appeared in all of his movies, both live-action and animated, outside of the aforementioned Asteroid City. This comes to a total of nine films. He doesn’t always have the biggest role, but more times than not, he steals the show.

Jason Schwartzman - 8 Movies

Jason Schwartzman, in addition to being on one of the greatest HBO shows that ended too early, has also been one of Anderson’s most called upon stars, including for Asteroid City. Since first landing the starring role in Rushmore (his feature film debut), the former Phantom Planet drummer has appeared in all but two of the director’s movies: The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Schwarzman isn’t always the main attraction, but more times than not, he serves as a nice addition in films like The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom. And, when he’s not around, the actor’s absence can be felt.

Owen Wilson - 7 Movies

The partnership shared by Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson is unlike any other on this list, as the Loki star has not only acted in seven of the director’s movies, but also co-written several of them. They first collaborated on the 1994 short film, Bottle Rocket, which would be turned into their respective feature film debuts two years later. The future “Frat Pack” member would also receive writing credit for Rushmore and The Royal Tenenbaums, though he didn’t act in the former (maybe his spot in the Armageddon cast got in the way).

Since then, the Texas native has been in every Anderson movie save for Moonrise Kingdom, Isle of Dogs, and Asteroid City. His roles have ranged from the lead in The Darjeeling Limited to small parts in the likes of The French Dispatch.

Adrien Brody - 5 Movies

Unlike the first three actors on this list, Adrien Brody didn’t start working with the director until his fifth movie, The Darjeeling Limited. But ever since appearing in the 2007 comedy about three estranged brothers who embark on a “spiritual journey,” the Academy Award-winning actor has appeared in five of Anderson’s movies, missing only two: Moonrise Kingdom and Isle of Dogs.

Some of Anderson’s best movies have featured Brody in roles ranging from minor parts like Mouse in Fantastic Mr. Fox to unforgettable characterizations in the likes of The Grand Budapest Hotel, and everywhere in between. 

Anjelica Huston - 5 Movies

Anjelica Huston, with her Oscar, Golden Globe, and collection of other accolades, is another prolific collaborator of Anderson’s. Since playing Etheline Tenenbaum in 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums, the actress appeared in four additional movies, the most recent being The French Dispatch, which featured her as the narrator for the movie’s introduction.

It should also be noted that Huston does appear in the Isle of Dogs cast, even though she plays a character listed as “Mute Poodle,” as Anderson couldn’t find a proper speaking role for the talented actress. 

Bob Balaban - 5 Movies

Although he is best known for his appearances in Christohper Guest’s movies, Bob Balaban is also a frequent collaborator with Wes Anderson, appearing in a total of five movies over the years.

Ever since he provided the narration in Moonrise Kingdom, Balaban has had some kind of role in Anderson’s films, including the 2023 release of Asteroid City. He’s not the first actor you probably think of when discussing the filmmaker’s work, but Balaban is prolific nonetheless. 

Edward Norton - 5 Movies

Just like Balaban and the actress who follows just below, Edward Norton has appeared in all five of Wes Anderson’s most recent films dating back to Moonrise Kingdom. These appearances have been all over the place, with the talented actor playing every type of character from a boy scout leader in the 2012 coming-of-age comedy to an inspector from a fictional European country in The Grand Budapest Hotel.

Norton most recently appeared in Asteroid City, in which he played Conrad Earp, the legendary playwright who crafted the stage production at the heart of the movie. 

Tilda Swinton - 5 Movies

Including her portrayal of a tenacious and determined social services worker in Moonrise Kingdom, Tilda Swinton has had a sizable role in five of Anderson’s movies. The talented Academy Award-winning actress has helped bring to life some of the filmmaker’s most unforgettable characters during that stretch, including writer J.K.L. Berensen in the first of three main stories in the 2021 comedy film, The French Dispatch.

Swinton brings a fun and unique energy to each of her performances in his movies, which is probably why the director continues to call up on her as often as he does.

Willem Dafoe - 5 Movies

Willem Dafoe first worked with Wes Anderson in 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, which just happens to be one of the actor’s best movies. Since he played Zissou’s deeply devoted first mate, Klaus Daimler, nearly 20 years ago, Dafoe has gone on to appear in four additional Anderson pics, the most recent being Asteroid City.

Though his characters have been all over the spectrum of good and evil, Dafoe has been consistently great in each of his portrayals, creating some hilarious, heartfelt, and unforgettable moments, even when he doesn’t get a lot of screen time.

Jeff Goldblum - 4 Movies

And then there is Jeff Goldblum, who has appeared in a total of four Anderson movies. The partnership started with 2004’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, and has continued sporadically over the years. 

The iconic actor most recently appeared in Asteroid City, but we won’t go into the identity of his character so that we don’t spoil anything for those who have yet to see the movie.

These are Wes Anderson’s most prolific collaborators, but there are many other actors who have appeared in his various releases for the past quarter-century or so. Luke WIlson (3), Tony Revolori (3), Liev Schreiber (3), Fisher Stevens (4), Frances McDormand (3), Jeffrey Wright (2), and countless others have worked with the director on more than one occasion. We can expect this list to change in time, especially with The Phoenician Scheme on the way.

Hollywood may be known as the hub of entertainment, especially when it comes to filming movies and TV shows. However, as productions pop up all around the country, one state that hasn't gotten as much love is Texas, and Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson and more are trying to change that. The state has been the setting and filming location for many prominent movies like Boyhood, Bottle Rocket, Selena, and even the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. However, in recent years it's migrated elsewhere. So, in order to encourage more filming in the Lone Star State, McConaughey, Owen Wilson, and others got together for a PSA to do something about it.

You would think that a state like Texas would be used for filming frequently considering its vast and beautiful landscapes. While everything is said to be bigger in Texas, the film industry hasn’t been as of late, and there's a group of actors who want to change that. So, proud Austin native and actor Glen Powell posted a video on Instagram of a PSA for “Good for Texas” about why we need more filmmaking to be done in the southern state. Take a look at this informative video below:

Other than Powell, other actors featured in the video included Texans Matthew McConaughey, Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, and Billy Bob Thornton (who’s actually from Arkansas but played Davy Crockett in The Alamo). The actors explained there was a time when there were incentives of hundreds of millions of dollars given towards Texas filmmaking. However, those incentives decreased over the years because it was believed the money was going to Hollywood producers. Now, those jobs have migrated to other states like Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico and more. Now, there's new legislation that could help bring productions back to the Lone Star State, and the actors wanted to make the public aware of it to help boost the Texas economy and job market. 

Whether these actors were born and raised in Texas or played Texans before, their passion for the second-largest state in the country reigns true. For example, Glen Powell has collaborated with fellow Texas native Richard Linklater on a number of movies filmed in their home state like Everybody Wants Some!!, Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood, and the upcoming movie Hitman. Owen Wilson’s film debut in Wes Anderson’s Bottle Rocket was filmed in various Texas locations too. And during the filming of the “Good for Texas” PSA, you can see Dennis Quaid in his deputy sheriff’s costume filming the upcoming Yellowstone TV series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, which is filmed in Texas.

Of course, Matthew McConaughey is as Texan as they come as he and his wife, Camila, moved out of Hollywood and uprooted their family to Austin back in 2012 with occasional visits to California. When the Robb Elementary School shooting occurred in McConaughey’s hometown in Uvalde, the Oscar winner was one of many to speak up, and show support for those impacted by the devastating event. There was even a time the Dallas Buyers Club actor considered running for office in Texas. 

So, it’s no surprise these talented actors are standing together to defend Texas filmmaking.

The PSA ends with Glen Powell and the other actors promoting House Bill 3472, which will be voted this week, and offers great incentives towards more film productions happening in the great state of Texas. PSAs like these bring great awareness to the notion that while Hollywood may be a major film production location, it’s not the only one in the United States. 

Take a look at our 2023 movie releases so you’re aware of when Texan actors, directors, and productions will come to theaters this year.

Nostalgia for the '80s isn’t lost on Hollywood, that’s for sure. This past weekend a movie about the origins of Tetris impressed us and fall’s Weird Al movie starring Daniel Radcliffe was an underrated favorite among many. So what’s next, a Bob Ross biopic about his rise to fame as the star of PBS’ The Joy Of Painting? Nope. But, there is a movie called Paint out now, starring Owen Wilson as a Bob Ross lookalike (fro and all) who is clearly inspired by the landscape-composing legend. I know, you have questions… 

The latest 2023 new movie release to come out this weekend is called Paint and it has already earned the reputation of being the “Bob Ross movie” due to so much of the film’s marketing and aesthetic pulling from the iconic man known for calling mistakes “happy accidents.” To clear up some of that confusion, let’s break down what Paint is and why it’s not what most may think. 

Who Is Owen Wilson Playing In Paint? 

No, Owen Wilson’s latest movie does not have him portraying Bob Ross. The actor is instead playing a fictional character called Carl Nargle, who is, of course, inspired by Ross. Paint doesn’t take place in the ‘80s, but rather sometime in the 2000s and centers on a Bob Ross-esque painter after he’s been hosting Vermont’s No. 1 painting show for almost 30 years. The movie explores what happens when a younger, better painter steals the adoring attention Carl has been validated with his entire career. 

Paint was written and directed by Brit McAdams, who watched The Joy of Painting as a kid, and recalls Ross’ show having an “all encompassing” power over his audience. While speaking to MovieMaker, he shared that his idea spawned from asking the question about what the artist would “evolve into if he was never forced to change what he thought when he was 22?” McAdams also cited Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot as a major influence for Wilson’s character, as well. 

Why Isn’t It About Bob Ross Instead? 

With that in mind, McAdams doesn’t sound like he was inspired by telling the real story of Bob Ross, though it’s likely he couldn’t have even if he wanted to. Ross died in 1995, at the age of 52 due to complications from lymphoma, and in the aftermath of that there’s been some complications regarding his estate. It was explored in detail in the 2021 Netflix documentary, Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed. 

In a nutshell, per Bloomberg Law, the beloved host willed the rights to his son and half-brother, but due to the corporate structure of Bob Ross Inc., his intellectual property rights were instead secured by his business partners, the Kowalski family, against his wishes, following the lawsuit that occurred after his death. With his estate so tied up in drama in the past, I imagine most filmmakers and studios don’t want to be wrapped up in it. 

What Do People Think Of Paint So Far?

So, does Paint work as kind of a Bob Ross character study that really has little to do with Ross himself? So far, the reviews are not good, with its Rotten Tomatoes critic score overall at a very rotten 26 percent, with the LA Times, for example, calling it “modestly amusing.” 

You can certainly check out Paint yourself in theaters now, and make your own conclusions about Owen Wilson’s new movie. Following this release, he’ll show up next in this summer’s Haunted Mansion movie. 

Not only is Haunted Mansion one of the biggest upcoming 2023 movies, but this year marks a major anniversary for it. To be clear, I am NOT referring to the popular attraction at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, but the first movie based on that ride – from director Rob Minkoff and starring Eddie Murphy – which was released 20 years ago.

Disney has been hit and miss when it comes to turning theme park attractions into movies but the original Haunted Mansion movie, despite having a lot more going for it than you might remember, is seen as one of the misses. But the ride is still popular, and following the success of Jungle Cruise, Disney has assembled an impressive ensemble for the new Haunted Mansion cast to make it a hit with the public. See what foolish mortals are getting spooky – as classic characters and new ones alike – in director Justin Simien’s new cinematic take on the freaky favorite.

Rosario Dawson (Gabbie)

Leading the impressive cast of Haunted Mansion as Gabbie –  a single mother, doctor, and new owner of the “strangely affordable” New Orleans mansion – we have Rosario Dawson, whose relationship with Disney dates back to her role on Star Wars TV show, The Mandalorian, as Ahsoka Tano, which she is reprising in her own upcoming, self-titled series on Disney+. The actor broke into Hollywood as a teen with her underrated performance in Kids before becoming a “Geek Goddess” by playing multiple comic book characters like Wonder Woman in some DC animated movies, nurse Claire Temple in Daredevil and other MCU-canon shows, and, eventually, narrating Max’s new DC docuseries, Superpowered: The DC Story. Also recently, she received acclaim for her performance in Hulu’s Dopesick cast, reprised her Kevin Smith movies role in Clerks III, and – according to Variety – is lending her voice to an upcoming interactive animated adventure series called Ghosts of Ruin.

Owen Wilson (Father Kent)

If The Exorcist taught us anything, it’s that when you’re dealing with otherworldly beings, call a priest. In Haunted Mansion, that priest will be played by Owen Wilson, who also has previous ties to Disney as the voice of Lightning McQueen in the Cars franchise and playing Time Variance Authority officer, Mobius, in the MCU. The actor – who has an Oscar nomination for co-writing one of the best Wes Anderson movies, The Royal Tenenbaums – also made his debut under Anderson’s direction (one of many times) in 1994’s Bottle Rocket, before going on to an eclectic career involving a few blockbusters like Armageddon, many classic comedies like Meet the Parents and Wedding Crashers, and films that combine drama with comedy fair like Midnight in Paris and the more recent Paint, in which he plays a Bob Ross-like character hosting a public TV art show.

Lakeith Stanfield (Ben Matthias)

Widowed scientist-turned-failed paranormal expert, Ben, will be played by Dawson’s Sorry to Bother You co-star and one of the first people cast in Haunted Mansion, Lakieth Stanfield. After making his debut in the acclaimed 2013 drama Short Term 12, the actor, went on to star on one of the funniest shows on Hulu, FX’s Atlanta, play a memorable role in Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, Get Out, and earn an Oscar nomination for Judas and the Black Messiah, among so many other highlights. Next in the pipeline for Stanfield is an Apple TV+ original sci-fi series called The Changeling and a biblical epic coming out in 2024 called The Book of Clarence.

Tiffany Haddish (Harriet)

Playing a psychic named Harriet, we have Stanfield’s co-star from Jay-Z’s “Moonlight” video, Emmy winner Tiffany Haddish, who has also worked with Jordan Peele to great effect in 2016’s Keanu, in addition to her many great scene-stealing and lead roles in comedies like Girls Trip and The Oath. She has also tried her hand at drama in the likes of The Kitchen and The Card Counter, and a mix of both with movies like Here Today and TV shows like The Afterparty as Detective Danner, whom she is reprising for Season 2 on Apple TV+. She is also known for lending her voice talents to many notable roles, such as Queen Watevra Wa’Nabi in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Netflix original-turned-Adult Swim series, Tuca and Bertie as Tuca.

Danny DeVito (Bruce)

As a “crotchety” college history professor named Bruce – according to D23.com – is an actor more than capable of embodying the concept of “crochety”: Danny DeVito, whose own previous Disney credits include Dumbo (which also reunited him with his Batman Returns co-star, Michael Keaton, and director, Tim Burton) and the One and Only Ivan voice cast in 2020. Years earlier, he was best-known for his Emmy-winning role on Taxi and movies like Throw Momma From the Train, The War of the Roses, and Matilda (all of which he also directed), but the Academy Award nominee (for co-producing Erin Brockovich) has a special fanbase these days that know him as Frank from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Also this year, he lends his voice to Migration and will soon star alongside Chris Pine in his directorial debut, Poolman.

Chase Dillon (Travis)

Rounding out the key cast members as Gabbie’s son, Travis, is Stanfield’s The Book of Clarence co-star, Chase Dillon, who makes his theatrically released filmed debut with Haunted Mansion, as his only other film role was the Netflix original western, The Harder They Fall, in 2021. The young actor has appeared in several TV projects – including his debut on BET’s series reboot of First Wives Club; the Max original sketch comedy, That Damn Michael Che, as the SNL star’s younger self; one of the best Amazon Prime original series, The Underground Railroad; and Apple TV+’s animated series, Pinecone & Pony.

Jared Leto (The Hatbox Ghost)

It wouldn’t be much of a Haunted Mansion movie without some direct references to the popular attraction, and the new film has found some big names to take on some key roles, such as Jared Leto as the Hatbox Ghost, according to EW. The Academy Award winner (for 2013’s Dallas Buyers Club) last played a creepy creature in his Marvel movie debut, 2022’s Morbius, (six years after his DC movie debut as the Joker in Suicide Squad) but has a more longer history with horror, having starred in the 1998 slasher Urban Legend, a memorable scene from American Psycho, and the extremely disturbing thriller, Requiem for a Dream. From his breakout performance as Jordan Catalano on My So-Called Life to his lead role in the upcoming Tron sequel, Ares, the Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman has led a pretty eclectic career.

Jamie Lee Curtis (Madame Leota)

Succeeding Jennifer Tilly in the role of the iconic Madame Leota – the head inside the floating crystal ball – is, arguably, the all-time best Scream Queen, Jamie Lee Curtis. Of course, in addition to being the face of the Halloween movies not named Michael Myers and starring in plenty of other great horror movies, the daughter of Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh has a couple of other Disney movies on her resume – namely Freaky Friday and Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Curtis – who recently won Best Supporting Actress for Everything Everywhere All At Once – will also soon appear in the film adaptation of the Borderlands video game. 

Winona Ryder (Pat)

As a teaser for Haunted Mansion reveals, Winona Ryder is making a cameo as a tour guide named Pat – only her latest role in a long line of creepy credits. After breaking out in the Beetlejuice cast as Lydia (whom she is reprising in the upcoming sequel), she led the dark teen movie, Heathers; starred in a some more classic Tim Burton movies (such as Edward Scissorhands); and played Mina Murray in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula adaptation. Of course, the two-time Academy Award nominee (for Little Women and The Age of Innocence) is also expected to return for Stranger Things Season 5 as Joyce Byers.

Dan Levy (Vic)

Along with Ryder, another actor revealed to be joining Haunted Mansion at D23 Expo in a small, unconfirmed role is Dan Levy, who is best known from the Schitt’s Creek cast as David Rose. The son of his co-star and co-creator, Eugene Levy, first got into acting with a small role on Degrassi: The Next Generation and more recently appeared in Hulu’s Happiest Season cast, lent his voice to Netflix’s Q-Force, and was on an episode of The Idol for HBO. He also created and judges a reality cooking competition for Max called The Brunch. 

Hasan Minhaj (Sketch Artist)

Appearing as a police sketch artist whom Ben and Bruce enlist to identify a ghostly encounter, we have Hasan Minhaj – formerly of The Daily Show and Netflix’s Patriot Act. Some of his most notable acting credits include two of Kate McKinnon’s best movies (Rough Night and The Spy Who Dumped Me), and Jennifer Lawrence-led 2023 comedy, No Hard Feelings, more recently. The comedian also has a couple great Netflix original stand-up specials called Homecoming King and The King’s Jester.

There are plenty more other grim, grinning ghosts to behold, in addition to star-studded Haunted Mansion cast. Any volunteers to see the new film when it hits theaters Friday, July 28th?

With the massive success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s not surprising other studios aside from Disney are creating family-friendly stories about superheroes like Secret Headquarters. But how’d the movie turn out? The reviews have arrived for the 2022 movie release coming to Paramount+ this weekend. Let’s see what critics are saying about Secret Headquarters. 

The Secret Headquarters’ trailer promises a superhero adventure starring the likes of the upcoming lead of the new Percy Jackson series, The Adam Project’s Walker Scobell. The movie follows Scobell as Owen Wilson’s son, who, alongside his friends, discovers the secret headquarters of the world’s most powerful superhero beneath his home. When a villain lurks (played by Michael Peña), the kids must work together to help save the world. 

We’ll start things off with CinemaBlend’s own Mike Reyes review of Secret Headquarters. Our critics gave the movie an unfortunate 1.5 out of 5 stars and called it a “bore” and “pain.” Here’s what else he had to say about it: 

It’s fair to say he really didn’t like this one. While he said it “isn’t a complete train wreck,” the movie completely plays it safe and “fails its task” in a “frustrating” way. There’s quite a few other reviews on Secret Headquarters that also lean on the negative side of the spectrum. AV Club’s Tomris Laffly called the movie an “uninspiring journey,” writing this: 

Laffly focused on the movie’s weak script, where he said Secret Headquarters ignored important elements of storytelling like “world-building, emotional climaxes, or even basic character development.” The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney was also unimpressed with the Owen Wilson-led movie. He said this in his review: 

Jerry Bruckheimer has been the producer behind hit movies like Top Gun: Maverick, National Treasure and Bad Boys, and yet Secret Headquarters doesn’t sound like it impresses like they do. JoBlo’s Alex Maidy continued a common theme with their opinion on the movie, writing this:

Although there’s a lot of disinterest around Secret Headquarters from a majority of reviewers, not everyone recommended audiences skip the feature. IndieWire’s Judy Dry found the movie to be “original” with smart humor and lighthearted action. In their words: 

Secret Headquarters will be available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription on August 12. And Owen Wilson is set to return to the superhero sphere with Season 2 of Loki, which is set to arrive in Summer 2023. 

Every once in a while, celebrity siblings - such as Ben and Casey Affleck or Dakota and Elle Fanning - end up sharing the screen together. Well, apparently it happens a little more often than just every once in a while, given the amount of examples we compiled below.

Jake And Maggie Gyllenhaal (A Dangerous Woman, Homegrown, Donnie Darko)

Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and his twice-nominated older sister, Maggie, are in three movies together: 1993’s A Dangerous Woman, 1998’s Homegrown (both were directed by their father, Stephen), and the eventual sci-fi cult classic, Donnie Darko, in 2001.

Jeff And Beau Bridges (The Fabulous Baker Boys)

Oscar winner Jeff Bridges and his older brother, Beau, also played siblings in The Fabulous Baker Boys - a 1989 comedy in which the titular musicians become rivals after teaming up with a beautiful aspiring singer (Michelle Pfieffer).

Kate And Rooney Mara (Urban Legends: Bloody Mary)

Kate Mara of the House of Cards cast led the 2005 straight-to-video slasher, Urban Legends: Bloody Mary, in which her younger sister, Nightmare Alley’s Rooney Mara, made her acting debut.

Sean And Chris Penn (At Close Range)

Future two-time Oscar-winner Sean Penn and his late younger brother, Chris (best known from the Reservoir Dogs cast) played siblings in the 1986 crime thriller, At Close Range, starring Christopher Walken as their criminal father.

Andrew, Owen, And Luke Wilson (Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums) 

Owen Wilson and his younger sibling, Luke have also acted alongside their eldest brother, Andrew, in 1996’s Bottle Rocket and The Royal Tenenbaums from 2001 - both of which Owen also co-wrote with director Wes Anderson.

Chris And Luke Hemsworth (Thor: Ragnarok)

Chris Hemsworth has yet to star in anything with his little bro, Liam, but the Australian Marvel movie star’s older bother, Westworld star Luke, did show up in Thor: Ragnarok as a dramatized version of the God of Thunder, whom he is set to reprise (along with Matt Damon as “Actor Loki”) in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Dylan And Cole Sprouse (Various)

Twin brothers Dylan and Cole Sprouse (the latter of which went on to join the Riverdale cast) have shared the same role in several TV shows (most notably Grace Under Fire) and movies (such as Big Daddy with Adam Sandler) and have played siblings just as often, most famously as the title characters of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, its spin-off The Suite Life on Deck, and 2011’s The Suite Life Movie.

Tia, Tamera, And Tahj Mowry  (Sister, Sister, Smart Guy, Seventeen Again)

Twin sisters Tia and Tamera Mowry have shared the screen with their little brother, Tahj, several times - most notably as guest stars on each other’s respective sitcoms, Sister, Sister and Smart Guy, and in the 2000 Showtime original movie, Seventeen Again.

James And Dave Franco (The Disaster Artist)

After years finding success in the business in separate projects, James Franco and his younger brother, Dave, played Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero of the infamous cult favorite, The Room, in the 2017 biopic, The Disaster Artist.

Hilary And Haylie Duff (Various)

Haylie Duff would appear on three episodes of her younger sister, Hilary’s, Disney Channel show, Lizzie McGuire, and provided the singing voice of Isabella Parigi in the theatrical spin-off before they both played a singing group on an episode of American Dreams, sisters in the 2006 rags-to-riches story Material Girls, and both leant their voices to the infamous animated movie Foodfight!, which was released in 2012.

Aly And AJ Michalka (Various)

Singer-songwriter duo Aly and AJ Michalka first shared the screen in the 2006 Disney Channel original movie Cow Belles as sisters, again in the MTV original Super Sweet 16: The Movie the next year as rivals, followed by three episodes of Aly’s CW series Hellcats in 2011 as half-sisters. Most recently, they appeared in the 2015 drama, Weepah Way For Now, as what appear to be fictionalized versions of themselves.

Dakota And Elle Fanning (I Am Sam, Taken)

Elle Fanning has portrayed a younger version of her older sister, Dakota, on two separate occasions: first in the 2001 drama I Am Sam and secondly in the Steven Spielberg-produced, Syfy original miniseries, Taken, in 2002.

Spencer And Abigail Breslin (Various)

Academy Award nominee Abigail and her older brother, Spencer, played siblings in both Raising Helen and The Princess Diaries 2: A Royal Engagement in 2004, played elves in The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause in 2006, and later played cousins in the 2014 crime drama, Perfect Sisters.

Jason And Justine Bateman (Arrested Development)

Justine Bateman played her real-life brother, Jason's, sibling in the 1986 TV movie Can You Feel Me Dancing? and a sex worker whom Jason’s Michael Bluth mistakes for his long-lost sibling on Arrested Development.

John, Joan, Ann, And Bill Cusack (Grosse Pointe Blank)

While beloved star John Cusack and his Academy-nominated sister, Joan, have appeared in more films together than most celebrity siblings can claim (including Say Anything… and High Fidelity), the only screen credit that they also share with both their sister, Ann, and brother, Bill, is 1997’s Grosse Pointe Blank, which John also co-wrote and produced.

Bill And Brian Doyle Murray (Various) 

Bill Murray and his older brother, Brian, are both Saturday Night Live veterans (although at different times) and have several classic movies in common - including Caddyshack, Scrooged, Ghostbusters II, Groundhog Day, and The Razor's Edge.

Ben And Casey Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Chasing Amy)

Years before casting him in his amazing directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone, Ben Affleck shared the screen with his younger brother and fellow Oscar winner, Casey, in Good Will Hunting (which Ben co-wrote with Matt Damon) and Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy in 1997.

Macaulay And Kieran Culkin (Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York)

Kieran Culkin (now more famous than ever since starring on HBO’s Succession) made his acting debut alongside his older brother (child megastar Macaulay Culkin) in 1990’s Home Alone cast as his cousin, Fuller - a role he would also reprise in the 1992 sequel.

Rory And Kieran Culkin (Igby Goes Down)

In addition to playing Macaulay’s younger self in Richie Rich, the youngest Culkin brother, Rory, also played a younger version of Kieran as the title role in 2002's Igby Goes Down.

The Wayans Siblings (Various) 

Where do we start with the Wayans Siblings? Well, for instance, several of them (such as Damon and Kim Wayans) were a part of the In Living Color cast with star and creator Keenen Ivory Wayans, who later directed his younger brothers, Marlon and Shawn, in movies like White Chicks, the first two Scary Movie installments, and Little Man.

Zooey And Emily Deschanel (Bones)

In Season 5 of Bones, star Emily Deschanel’s sister (Zooey of the Elf cast fame and later the lead of the New Girl cast) guest starred as Temperance Brennan’s second cousin, Margaret Whitesell.

Fred And Ben Savage (Little Monsters, The Wonder Years, Boy Meets World)

After playing siblings in the family-friendly horror film, Little Monsters, in 1989, Ben Savage made a guest appearance on his older brother, Fred’s, hit dramedy, The Wonder Years, in 1990 and later returned the favor by inviting him to the Boy Meets World cast for an episode in 1998.

Charlie Sheen And Emilio Estevez (Various)

After making several movies together - including Young Guns, Men At Work, and Rated X (the latter two of which Emilio Estevez directed), Charlie Sheen (née Carlos Estevez) reunited with his brother on an episode of his hit sitcom, Two and a Half Men, in 2008.

Vanessa and Laura Marano (Saving Zoë)

Both of these talented ladies had guest appearances on Dexter at different times in the series’ run, but Vanessa Marano and her younger sister, Laura, did appear together in the 2019 mystery, Saving Zoë, as siblings torn apart by one’s unsolved murder.

Nat And Alex Wolff (The Naked Brothers Band, Mr. Troop Mom, Stella’s Last Weekend)

Hereditary’s Alex Wolff and his older brother, Peacock’s Joe vs. Carole cast member Nat Wolff, both debuted as fictionalized versions of themselves in Nickelodeon’s faux rockumentary, The Naked Brothers Band, its series continuation, and the 2009 TV movie Mr. Troop Mom before reuniting in 2018’s Stella’s Last Weekend, which was written and directed by their mother, Polly Draper.

Vera And Taissa Farmiga (Higher Ground, At Middleton, The Nun)

Scream Queens Vera and Taissa Farmiga, who are often mistaken for mother and daughter, played mother and daughter in 2013’s At Middleton after Taissa previously played her older sister’s younger self in Vera’s 2011 directorial debut, Higher Ground. However, interestingly, their characters in the 2018 Conjuring spin-off, The Nun, have no apparent familial ties.

Maude And Iris Apatow (Knocked Up, This Is 40, Funny People)

Euphoria’s Maude Apatow and her younger sister, Iris, have played siblings in 2007’s Knocked Up, its “sort-of sequel” This is 40 from 2012, and 2009’s Funny People - all three of which also starred their real mother, Leslie Mann, as their mother, and were written and directed by their father, Judd Apatow.

Dan And Sarah Levy (Schitt’s Creek)

While Annie Murphy plays co-creator Dan Levy’s on-screen sister in the Schitt’s Creek cast, Café Tropical owner, Twyla Sands, is played by his real-life sister, Sarah.

Mary-Kate, Ashley, And Elizabeth Olsen (How The West Was Fun)

After Full House made the Olsen Twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley, household names and  before the Marvel movies made their younger sister, Elizabeth, an A-lister, all three of them appeared together in the ABC original TV movie How the West Was Fun in 1994.

Bill And Alexander Skarsgård (White Water Fury)

Years before his terrifying performance as Pennywise in It, Bill Skarsgård made his acting debut alongside his older brother, True Blood cast member Alexander, in the 2000 Swedish thriller, White Water Fury.

Blake And Robyn Lively (Simon Says)

Robyn Lively, star of 1989’s Teen Witch, shared the screen with her then up-and-coming half-sister, former Gossip Girl cast member Blake Lively, in a 2006 slasher flick called Simon Says, which also stars fellow ‘80s icon Crispin Glover.

Brian And Domhnall Gleeson (Mother!, Frank Of Ireland)

Despite plenty of years of experience between the them, it was not until 2017 when Star Wars star Domnhall Gleeson and his younger brother, Brian, shared the screen in Mother! before reuniting as co-creators and co-stars of the Amazon Prime original comedy Frank of Ireland - also starring their father, Brendan Gleeson.

Eddie And Charlie Murphy (Harlem Nights, Norbit)

Comedy icon Eddie Murphy worked behind the scenes a lot with his older brother, Charlie, who passed away in 2017, but the two would also share a few acting credits, - namely Eddie’s 1989 directorial debut Harlem Nights (also Charlie’s first movie), and in 2006’s Norbit, in which Charlie voiced a dog named Floyd.

Phylicia Rashad And Debbie Allen (The Cosby Show, Grey’s Anatomy, The Old Settler)

Phylicia Rashad and her younger sister, Emmy-winning dance legend Debbie Allen, have made guest appearances on each other’s shows - The Cosby Show, on which Rashad played Claire Huxtable, and Grey’s Anatomy, on which Allen plays Dr. Catherine Fox (née Avery) - and both starred in a 2001 TV movie called The Old Settler, which Allen also directed.

Ron And Clint Howard (Various) 

You can find Clint Howard in just about every movie directed by his brother, Ron Howard - including his feature-length directorial debut from 1977, Grand Theft Auto, which was also the brothers’ third time acting alongside each other after the 1963 film The Courtship of Eddie’s Father and a handful of episodes of The Andy Griffith Show.

Angelina Jolie And James Haven (Gia, Hell’s Kitchen, Original Sin)

Audiences probably remember Angelina Jolie’s brother, James Haven, better for other reasons than all the times he shared the screen with his younger sister - namely Gia and Hell’s Kitchen from 1998, and 2001’s Original Sin.

Jared And Shannon Leto (Various)

In addition to being bandmates with his young brother, Oscar winner Jared Leto, in 30 Seconds to Mars, Shannon Leto also shared the screen with him on a couple of episodes of My So-Called Life (on which Jared played the iconic Jordan Catalano) and through brief appearances in the movies Prefontaine from 1997, 1998’s Highway, and Sol Goode in 2003.

Chris And Scott Evans (Before We Go, Playing It Cool)

Former Captain America actor Chris Evans has a brother named Scott who has also appeared in two romantic-comedies from 2014 with his older sibling, called Before We Go (which Chris also directed) and Playing It Cool.

Sarah And Laura Silverman (The Sarah Silverman Program, Bob’s Burgers, Masters Of Sex)

Comedian and actress Sarah Silverman and her sister, Laura, played heavily fictionalized versions of themselves as series regulars on The Sarah Silverman Program, made guest appearances on Showtime’s Masters of Sex together, and have recurred on Bob’s Burgers as Jimmy Pesto’s twin sons, Andy and Ollie.

Kevin, Nick, And Joe Jonas (Camp Rock Movies, Jonas)

Back when they were the biggest thing to come out of Disney Channel, Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas played three brothers in a band not named the Jonas Brothers in the Camp Rock movies, and later played themselves to more comedic effect in their own sitcom, aptly titled Jonas.

Looks like talent really does run in the family.

Over the years, Saturday Night Live hosts like Tom Hanks or Melissa McCarthy and musical guests like Paul Simon or Lady Gaga have taken the stage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H to create some of the most iconic moments in live television. The sketch comedy series’ 47th season saw its fair share of memorable moments, courtesy of hosts like Jason Sudeikis and musicians like Billie Eilish, who also made her hosting debut this year. 

There are plenty more memories to relive from Saturday Night Live Season 47 through streaming on Peacock. The following is a list of who joined the cast for a night of laughs and tunes during the 2021-2022 season. 

October 2, 2021 - Owen Wilson With Musical Guest Kacey Musgraves

The latest season of Saturday Night Live kicked off with an episode hosted by Loki and The French Dispatch star Owen Wilson, who finally led the show for the first time in his career. And, even though he has admitted in the past that his nervousness has stopped him from doing something like this in the past, Wilson did a tremendous job with his hosting duties, especially the sketch that saw him reprise his Cars character, Lightning McQueen. The SNL Season 47 premiere also featured Kacey Musgraves making history with her instant-classic performance.

Stream it on Peacock.

October 9, 2021 - Kim Kardashian West With Musical Guest Halsey

On October 9, Kim Kardashian West hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time, and proved that she actually had great comedic timing. The episode, which was watched by millions of viewers, saw the reality TV star poke fun at her ex-husband Kanye West, multiple members of her family, and even O.J. Simpson to make her mark. The second episode of the season also featured musical guest Halsey, who performed on the very popular show for the fourth time throughout her career.

Stream it on Peacock.

October 16, 2021 - Rami Malek With Musical Guest Young Thug

On October 16, Rami Malek, hot off the long-awaited release of No Time to Die, hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time in his career. One of the highlights of the episode was the sketch that saw Malek share the screen with his 007 co-star Daniel Craig, and SNL mainstay Kenan Thompson, in an audition for a Prince biopic. The third episode of the season also featured musical guest Young Thug, who made his SNL debut with a pair of electric performances.

Stream it on Peacock.

October 23, 2021 - Jason Sudeikis With Musical Guest Brandi Carlile

On October 23, Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis returned to his old stomping grounds to host the long running series for the first time since departing the cast in 2013, although he has made multiple cameos during the years since then. The Ted Lasso star was featured in the majority of the sketches, including the cold open that saw three different versions of Joe Biden conversing in the Oval Office. Sudeikis also gave an impassioned opening monologue about the show’s history and what it means to him. Musical guest Brandi Carlile made her SNL debut in spectacular fashion.

Stream it on Peacock.

November 6, 2021 - Kieran Culkin With Musical Guest Ed Sheeran

On November 6, Kieran Culkin hosted Saturday Night Live for the very first time and became the second Culkin brother to take the stage (Macaulay Culkin had the honor of hosting during the 1991 season). In the years since making his acting debut as the soda-loving Fuller McCallister in Home Alone, Culkin has appeared in movies ranging from Father of the Bride to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. He has also been one of the major players on the HBO drama series Succession, for which he has received both Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award nominations for his portrayal of Roman Roy.

Filling the role of musical guest on SNL on November 6 was Ed Sheeran, who took the stage for the third time in his career. Sheeran previously appeared on SNL in April 2014 and February 2017.

Stream it on Peacock.

November 13, 2021 - Jonathan Majors With Musical Guest Taylor Swift

On November 13, Jonathan Majors hosted Saturday Night Live for the first time in his young, yet highly-successful career, delivering an impressive opening monologue and showing off his comedy chops in many of the night's best sketches. This probably won’t be the last SNL appearance by Majors, whose career reached new heights following his portrayal of He Who Remains on Loki in Summer 2021, especially with his continued involvement in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Stepping in as the musical guest on November 13 was Miss Americana herself, Taylor Swift, who broke from tradition and gave a single ten-minute performance of "All Too Well." This marked the fifth time Swift has taken to the SNL stage since she made her first appearance on the show in November 2009. Now, we just need to get T. Swift back on hosting duties.

Stream it on Peacock.

November 20, 2021 - Simu Liu With Musical Guest Saweetie

On November 20, Simu Liu added Saturday Night Live host to his list of 2021 achievements when he appeared on the long-running sketch comedy program. Liu made waves earlier in the year when he portrayed the titular hero in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, making him the third Marvel star (so far) to host SNL this season. Liu is also no stranger when it comes to comedy, as he was a fixture of the sitcom Kim’s Convenience and also made guest appearances on Fresh Off the Boat and Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.

Rap sensation Saweetie served as the Saturday Night Live musical guest for the first time in her career on November 20. In addition to her successful music career, the MTV Video Music Award-winning performer has also been featured on Grown-ish, Wild ’n Out, and Cooking with Paris.

Stream it on Peacock.

December 11, 2021 - Billie Eilish

On December 11, Billie Eilish followed in the footsteps of Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and a few dozen other famous singers who have pulled double-duty as Saturday Night Live host and musical guest. Hot off the July 2021 release of her sophomore effort Happier Than Ever and the long-awaited release of No Time to Die (which features the Grammy-winning title track), Eilish showed off her comedy chops in multiple skits and the impressive opening monologue.

Billie Eilish also took care of the musical duties with renditions of "Happier Than Ever" and "Male Fantasy" alongside her brother and musical partner Finneas.

Stream it on Peacock.

December 18, 2021 - Paul Rudd With Musical Guest Charli XCX

Paul Rudd officially became a member of the prestigious 5-Timers Club when he hosted Saturday Night Live on December 18, but not in the way in which everyone hoped. Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in New York City, Saturday Night Live's Christmas episode became a collection of pre-shot segments filmed throughout the week and classic skits from holidays past. Rudd was joined by fellow 5-Timers Tom Hanks and Tina Fey in studio, as well as Steve Martin and Martin Sheen via video. Fey even stuck around to appear alongside Michael Che in the Weekend Update segment.

Charli XCX was originally scheduled to be the episode's musical guest, but her performance was cancelled due to the decision by Saturday Night Live producers to have a limited cast and crew and no live audience due to the uptick in COVID-19 cases, according to a Tweet the singer made.

Stream it on Peacock.

January 15, 2022 - Ariana DeBose With Musical Guest Bleachers

On January 15, Golden Globe winner Ariana DeBose made her Saturday Night Live debut when she hosted the first episode of 2022. DeBose became the second member of the Hamilton cast to serve as SNL host, and first since the Broadway hit’s creator Lin-Manuel Miranda hosted back in October 2016. To star things off, the West Side Story star was joined by SNL mainstay Kate McKinnon to perform a medley of numbers from Steven Spielberg's 2021 adaptation of the iconic Broadway musical.

Several days before Saturday Night Live was set to air, Roddy Ricch was replaced by Bleachers as that week's musical guest. The Jack Antonoff-led group performed the hit songs "How Dare You Want More" and "Chinatown."

Stream it on Peacock.

January 22, 2022 - Will Forte With Musical Guest Måneskin

On January 22, Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte returned to 30 Rockefeller Plaza’s Studio 8H, and became the latest in a long line of SNL greats to host the show for the first time (even if he was the last of the core 2000s group to do so). Forte was joined by Kristen Wiig and the two went to town with some of their most iconic characters and tons of laughs throughout the night.

Italian rock outfit Måneskin served as the Saturday Night Live musical guest, performing their hits “Beggin” and “I Wanna Be Your Slave.”

Stream it on Peacock.

January 29, 2022 - Willem Dafoe With Musical Guest Katy Perry

Willem Dafoe took to Studio 8H for the first time in his legendary career when he hosted Saturday Night Live on January 29. During his hilarious and endearing monologue, the Spider-Man: No Way Home star touched on everything from his over-the-top facial expressions to comparisons with the Joker.

Serving as musical guest was Katy Perry, who performed “When I’m Gone” and “Never Really Over during her fourth appearance on the long-running sketch comedy program.

Stream it on Peacock. 

February 26, 2022 - John Mulaney With Musical Guest LCD Soundsystem

Former Saturday Night Live writer John Mulaney joined the “Five-Timers Club” in a sketch during his February 26 hosting gig with cameos by Steve Martin, Candace Bergen, Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Elliott Gould, and, most surprisingly, fellow former writer Conan O’Brien. Following a moving, choral tribute to Ukraine, the comedian gave a very personal, but thoroughly hilarious monologue and, later, kept tradition with a new musical sketch that pokes fun at New York’s subway system.

Also appearing in said sketch was musical guest LCD Soundsystem, the Grammy Award-winning rock outfit led by singer James Murphy. For their first appearance on Saturday Night Live since May 2017, the band performed two songs off of their self-titled, 2005 debut album - namely “Thrills” and “Yr City’s a Sucker.”

Stream it on Peacock.

March 5, 2022 - Oscar Isaac With Musical Guest Charli XCX

Just in time for the Disney+ premiere of his Marvel TV show, Moon Knight, later in the month, Oscar Isaac made his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on March 5. During his opening monologue, the actor mentioned his MCU induction as a segue into showing clips from his childhood home movie - coincidentally called The Avenger - and capping it off with some encouragement for kids to be “weirdos” on the chance that they might host SNL one day.

Performing some tunes from her latest album, Crash, in between the humor was  Grammy winner Charli XCX.  This was the British singer’s second time on SNL, which was supposed to happen the night Paul Rudd hosted on December 18 before her appearance was canceled in response to the Omicron variant in New York.

Stream it on Peacock.

March 12, 2022 - Zoë Kravitz With Musical Guest Rosalía

Making her SNL debut on March 12 was Zoë Kravitz, whose role as Catwoman in The Batman became a point of conversation that night. Her monologue saw the return of past Catwomen (Kate McKinnon as Batman Returns’ Michelle Pfieffer and Ego Nwodim as Eartha Kitt from the 1960s TV Series) as well as Aidy Bryant as a “Cat Lady” and Chris Redd as comedian Katt Williams. The actress also starred in a Please Don’t Destroy video (featuring a cameo by Riddler actor Paul Dano) in which the titular trio attempt to give their host a cat.

That night’s musical guest was Rosalía, who became the first in the show’s history to sing entirely in Spanish for both performances. This was also the first Saturday Night Live appearance ever for the singer-songwriter whose sophomore album El Mal Querer won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year in 2019.

Stream it on Peacock.

April 2, 2022 - Jerrod Carmichael With Musical Guest Gunna

It was actually surprising to learn that Neighbors cast member Jerrod Carmichael had never hosted SNL before he hit the stage when the show returned on April 2, 2022. In his monologue, the actor, writer, comedian, and filmmaker commented on recently coming out as gay on his new HBO Max stand-up special, Rothaniel, and his unwillingness to talk about a certain Oscars ceremony incident before later starring in a sketch about it.

The audience was also treated to a pair of performances by Gunna, who released his third and most recent studio album, DS4Ever, in January. The Georgia-based rapper also starred in a music video with Pete Davidson about some people’s preferences for watching “short-ass movies” depending on the time of day.

Stream it on Peacock.

April 9, 2022 - Jake Gyllenhaal With Musical Guest Camila Cabello

The last time Jake Gyllenhaal hosted Saturday Night Live was 15 years earlier, followed by a few memorable cameos - most recently in February 2020 as a “guy who travels in pajamas” at LaGuardia Airport. The Academy Award nominee and Ambulance star actually mentioned his Dreamgirls song performance in drag at that first 2007 gig when he re-entered the Studio 8H spotlight, front-and-center, on April 9.

Also celebrating her sophomore SNL gig was Camila Cabello, who previously appeared as the show’s musical guest during Season 45 in 2019. The Cuban-American Grammy nominee, who made her acting debut with Amazon Prime’s Cinderella cast in 2021, was also joined by Willow Smith for the first live performance of their new song, “Psychofreak.”

Stream it on Peacock.

April 16, 2022 - Lizzo

After making her Saturday Night Live debut as a musical guest on the night Eddie Murphy returned in Season 45, Lizzo made her hosting debut on April 16, 2022, with an opening monologue that she promised would break the record for the most times “bitch” has been said on live TV, and she just might have achieved it. The Grammy-winning artist had previously admitted to being nervous about breaking out in laughter, which did happen often, but actually leant to the appeal of the show and solidified Lizzo as one of this season’s most charming and enthusiastic hosts yet.

The Hustlers cast member also served as musical guest, performing two songs from her new album, About Damn Time (first introduced by herself and secondly by her mother). She also collaborated on a funny track with Please Don’t Destroy and demonstrated her masterful skills with a flute in a sketch that also utilized her twerking talent.

Stream it on Peacock.

May 7, 2022 -  Benedict Cumberbatch With Musical Guest Arcade Fire

For the second time, Benedict Cumberbatch hosted Saturday Night Live while promoting his lead performance in a Marvel movie - namely Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this time. This being Season 47’s Mother’s Day show, the Oscar nominee paid tribute to his mother and his wife in his hilarious monologue and later shared the screen with his MCU co-star, Elizabeth Olsen, for a funny moment from a later sketch.

Joining the Five-Timers Club on May 7, 2022 (if the membership rules also apply to musicians) was the episode’s musical guest, Arcade Fire, who also once performed on the show as special guests with then-host Mick Jagger in 2012.  The Grammy-winning, Canadian indie rock group played the two-part song “The Lightning” and “Unconditional (Lookout Kid)” off of their latest album, We.

Stream it on Peacock.

May 14, 2022 -  Selena Gomez With Musical Guest Post Malone

Former Disney Channel star Selena Gomez, who previously performed on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest in Season 41, made her debut as a host  on May 14, 2022. In her monologue, the Only Murders in the Building cast member made fun of her co-star, Steve Martin (before also appearing in a sketch with him), and paid homage to her days on the children’s program, Barney.

While Gomez did not perform any music that night in Studio 8H, as that gig was secured by Post Malone. This was the first SNL appearance for the Grammy-nominated rapper and Wrath of Man cast member, who was also joined on stage by Roddy Rich and Fleet Foxes.

Stream it on Peacock.

May 21, 2022 - Natasha Lyonne With Musical Guest Japanese Breakfast

Closing out Season 47 of Saturday Night Live on May 21, 2022 was Natasha Lyonne - the former Orange is the New Black cast member and star and co-creator of Russian Doll on Netflix. The actor made her hosting debut on what would also be the last episode for cast members Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney.

Also making their SNL debut as musical guest was Japanese Breakfast. The Grammy-nominated indie rock group, headed by Korean-American singer Michelle Zauner, performed two tracks from their third studio album, Jubilee, called “Be Sweet” and “Paprika.”

Stream it on Peacock.

As someone who thought that Season 47 was, overall, a success, I am excited to see what they have in store with Saturday Night Live Season 48.

With the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home fresh in everybody’s minds and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness looking ready to blow the doors off the multiverse concept in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s easy to forget that the multiverse plotline was born out of the Disney+ series Loki, and that show has already promised us a second season. While there’s a lot we don’t know about what that season will be, we now know a few more things, as Owen Wilson has officially confirmed that his character Mobius will be back, and production is starting soon.

While nobody was really expecting Owen Wilson to not be in Season 2 of Loki, it’s still nice to get the confirmation and make it official. Wilson confirms his participation in an interview with Wired, where he says he’s looking forward to working on the next season as he had a great time making the show the first time around. Wilson explains…  

Owen Wilson says filming on the next season of Loki is set to get under way “pretty soon.” We’d previously been led to believe cameras would start rolling this summer, which probably falls into the “pretty soon” window, but it’s also possible that filming has been moved up and production could start even sooner. 

While Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston may enjoy working together their characters are going to likely have a very different relationship in Season 2. While Loki and Mobius became friends in Season 1, with the death of He Who Remains at the end of the Season, the multiverse has thrown everything out of whack and the version of Mobius Loki last saw has apparently never met him.

While we know that Loki Season 2 is looking to start filming this year, what we don’t know about Loki Season 2 is when the show is set to air on Disney+. And that’s actually a big question because where it fits in the MCU is probably going to be pretty important. Since it will likely continue the larger multiverse storyline. But continue it from where is the question.

Since Loki’s new season is filming after the new Ant-Man movie, one assumes it could be seen after that. This makes some sense since Jonathan Majors, who appeared in Season 1 as He Who Remains will be appearing in that movie as well, one assumes as another version of his character, and that could prove important in the future of Loki. 

Owen Wilson isn’t the only actor to confirm a return for Loki Season 2. Gugu Mbatha-Raw, who played Renslayer, has also confirmed she will be back.  

Romantic comedy movies are always a win. From the sappiness of love to the hilarities that ensue from the romance, you can always count on a romantic comedy to make you laugh and probably also make you cry. Marry Me is the latest addition to that line-up, starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. 

The movie, which is about a pop singer who is set to marry her on-stage partner, but when she discovers that he is having an affair, in the heat of the moment, she chooses to marry a stranger at the wedding/concert. From there, hilarities ensue. 

As part of the 2022 movie releases, Marry Me has come out and my tear ducts are already getting warmed up. Here is how you can see Marry Me streaming.

Where Is Marry Me Going To Be Streaming? 

Since its first trailer, Marry Me was slated to premiere on Peacock, the streaming service that is owned by NBC Universal. As mentioned, Marry Me is available to stream right now on Peacock for all to enjoy. 

Stream Marry Me on Peacock. 

Will Marry Me Be On Any Other Streaming Platforms? 

Unfortunately, Marry Me will not be dropping on the Netflix 2022 movie schedule or any other streaming platform for that matter any time soon, as this rom-com is a Peacock exclusive. As of February 11, 2022, Marry Me is only available to stream on Peacock. The official website for Marry Me even confirms that Peacock will be the only streaming service carrying the film.  

Marry Me Will Also Be In Theaters At The Time Of Its Streaming Release

But, if you don’t want to shell out money for a whole streaming service just to watch one movie, you still have another choice - to see it in theaters. 

While Marry Me has been released on Peacock, you can also go and see it in movie theaters right now. And since it’s coming out during the weekend before Valentine’s Day, now’s the perfect time to take your significant other on a fun date night to go watch Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson fall in love - or just go see it by yourself, no judgment here.

If You’ve Already Seen Marry Me…

If you’re here and wondering what to watch or see next after this fun romantic comedy, be sure to check out some of the best romantic comedies of all time. If you thought that Marry Me was fun, wait until you see the hilarities of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, or Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. 

If you’re looking for some of Jennifer Lopez’s best movies after seeing Marry Me, be sure to watch some of her best rom-coms, since she’s a queen of the genre - one of my personal favorites is What To Expect When You’re Expecting. Lopez has been in the news lately with her own love life and her whirlwind rekindled romance with fellow actor Ben Affleck, so might as well catch up on that too. 

If you were a fan of Owen Wilson’s performance in the movie, check out what the actor has coming up in the next couple of years. Or maybe just watch a supercut of Owen Wilson laughing, because who doesn’t need that in their lives? 

As someone who loves love, admittedly, Marry Me is another entry into the rom-com genre and I for one can’t wait to see what new rom-coms come out not long after this. 

Ben Affleck isn’t the only A-lister reuniting with Jennifer Lopez for a little romance. Owen Wilson has rejoined his co-star from Anaconda more than 20 years later in a completely different genre for the romantic comedy Marry Me. Critics have had a chance to see the movie, which will be released in theaters and on Peacock on Friday, February 11 – just in time for Valentine’s Day viewing. 

In the adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name by Bobby Crosby, Jennifer Lopez stars as Latin pop singer Kat Valdez, who learns her partner has been having an affair and makes a split-second decision to marry Owen Wilson’s Charlie Gilbert, a man she doesn’t know but finds in the audience at one of her concerts. 

Let’s check out what the reviews say about this reunion, starting with our own CinemaBlend review. Sarah El-Mahmoud gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars, saying while the plot is scoff-worthy, somehow between Kat Coiro’s direction and the chemistry of its stars, Marry Me pulls it off, feeling like a rom-com plucked from the golden era of the early 2000s:

Angie Han of THR agrees the movie feels like a throwback, but that it’s so self-aware of how celebrity works in the current day and age that it could basically double as an advertisement for albums from Jennifer Lopez and Colombian singer Maluma (who plays Lopez’s philandering lover Bastian). She writes,

Carlos Aguilar of The Wrap, however, says Jennifer Lopez is too good for this generic screenplay, and although he commends the movie for having two Latino leads in Lopez and Maluma, diversity does not guarantee good storytelling:

Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson  seem to hit a positive note with all of the critics, but Caroline Siede of AV Club, who grades Marry Me a C+, says the screenwriters don’t fully commit to trusting the lead duo. The movie isn’t confident enough to dig into the themes like feminism or social media that are introduced. She writes,

IndieWire’s Kate Erbland is just slightly less critical of the movie’s faults, grading it a B-. She is among the critics who compare the film favorably to the Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant 1999 hit Notting Hill and says Jennifer Lopez makes a case for why rom-coms are still worth making:

Some reviews seem to think the classic rom-com formula is more successful than others, but all agree that the unlikely chemistry between Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson makes this one a charmer.

 If this sounds like a movie for you, make it part of your Valentine’s weekend plans, as it will be released both in theaters and to Peacock subscribers on February 11. You can also check out our 2022 Movie Release Schedule to see what other films are coming soon. 

Before Hollywood thrived on superheroes, end credit sequences, and Easter eggs, a sizable segment of movie fans anticipated the next Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts or Jennifer Lopez romantic comedy. It was a genre of movies that always had its own checklist of clichés attached to them that started with unlikely meet-cutes, passionate arguments (often in the rain), and miscommunications to trudge over to reach that sweet, sweet happy ending – but it was a lovable formula that created a number of hits and modern classics. 

The golden age of rom-coms may have come and gone, with the most celebrated love stories nowadays often looking to challenge its viewers with clever commentary rather than wrap them in soft blanket. Enter Kat Coiro's Marry Me. It’s a 2022 J-Lo romantic comedy that feels plucked from the rom-com collection of yesteryear. 

Based on Bobby Crosby’s 2010 graphic novel of the same name, Kat Coiro’s Marry Me establishes Jennifer Lopez’s Kat Valdez as a character who is very much aligned with the actress’ brand as an iconic pop singer who has millions of adoring fans. Kat’s relationship status is also heavily covered by the media, with Colombian singer Maluma taking on the role of the star’s super-famous partner, Bastian. The movie starts with the famous duo’s plan to have a super public wedding in front of a massive live audience – the event also set to be broadcast around the world,  including song-and-dance numbers and a performance of their chart-topping single aptly called “Marry Me.” 

However, just as Kat, in her designer wedding dress, is being raised into the stage, she learns that Bastian has been cheating on her with her assistant. 

Owen Wilson’s Charlie Gilbert is an attendee at the concert, despite not knowing any of Kat Valdez's hit songs. A middle school math teacher who’s biggest concern is getting his mathletes, the “Pi-thons,” to competition and keeping the peace with his pre-teen daughter, he attends the concert with a co-worker and just so happens to be holding up a sign that reads “Marry Me.” In Kat’s public moment of desperation, with thousands of people watching as she processes her betrayal in real time, she decides to invite Wilson’s Charlie up on stage to say “I do” with her. And he does… 

Marry Me starts with a thin setup and then catches audiences off guard with its cute charm. 

From it’s opening sequence, Marry Me is engaging, but not exactly promising. Why is a pop star choosing this random man from a crowd? Why is this random man from a crowd taking on the pressure of the spotlight? It’s the kind of rom-com setup to scoff at as it feels like it emulates the energy of some sort of fan fiction plotline. 

It remains a rough setup to go along with when Kat and Charlie decide to stay married and take part in awkward press conferences and a TikTok live bowling date  – with J-Lo basically being J-Lo in between, juicing smoothies and doing yoga as publicists around her constantly talk about social media numbers. 

But somewhere, somehow along the way, Marry Me suddenly may find you catching butterflies for its love story. 

The flair of Marry Me is how it takes you along the ride to get to know its characters as the relationship grows between Kat and Charlie. There’s an inherent skepticism about a pair that got married at first sight in front of the world (you’d think some publicist would charge between them), but Kat Coiro’s direction understands this and uses it to its advantage. 

Yes, as the formulaic romantic comedy goes, there’s a familiarity to the type of journey it's odd couple is meant to go on. But Marry Me has that particular secret sauce that somehow gets us to buy into these two creating something everlasting, feeling like a film pulled down from one’s nostalgic romantic comedy Blu-ray library where it is stored next to The Wedding Planner and Two Weeks Notice.

You’d never guess Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson as co-stars, and that’s kind of why it works. 

Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson last worked together back in 1997 in the adventure horror film Anaconda. Obviously, that is very different from being part of a sweeping romance. Upon viewing the film, you realize Lopez and Wilson not being your typical pairing is what works about it. You remember that a commonality between these two are that they both know how to establish electric chemistry, even amidst some some dumb lines and outlandish concepts. The combination of this pair, being not only different talents, but portraying polar opposites who are brought together, is the key ingredient that grounds Marry Me. 

Jennifer Lopez is very much in her comfort zone, sometimes performing scenes that could very well be part of her own routine and everyday life. Because we know Lopez to be such a massive name, it is interesting to imagine how the human elements of her life in between the crowd and paparazzi come into play. J-Lo brought her experiences to the script of the film, and it’s an interesting avenue for the star to go down for the most part. 

Owen Wilson works as the movie’s every man, playing at an awkward dad energy that leans into the lovable. And Sarah Silverman and Michelle Buteau tap into their best friend roles in a way that’s fun to watch and a throwback to the genre’s most iconic features. 

Yes, it’s formulaic and cheesy, but there’s something endearing about Marry Me going back to rom-com basics.

At the same time, there’s a glossiness and commercialness to Marry Me where it can come off as inorganic. There are loads of clear brand endorsements throughout the film, and moments for J-Lo to belt out her original songs that can be hit or miss when it comes to serving the story or feeling like a two-hour long J-Lo commercial. Marry Me is a movie about letting one’s guard down from fame and being more genuine, yet it never ventures out of what you’d expect from it or takes its characters off the beaten path. What makes up for this is the tension Kat Coiro builds that creates a fun experience that leads to investment into the worlds of the romantic leads colliding. 

All and all, Marry Me isn’t an all-time great romantic comedy, but it is one that taps into that dynamic allure that made the genre great during its golden age. The movie gets you to root for its couple against all odds and in that sense it achieves the rare feeling of discovering an early 00s rom-com lost in time. 

Marry Me is a return to form for Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. Both stars haven’t appeared in a romantic comedy since 2012’s What to Expect When You’re Expecting for Lopez and 2015’s She’s Funny That Way for Wilson. Despite their rom-com pedigree, moviegoers didn’t see JLO and Wilson's team-up coming. While the onscreen pairing seemed like a mismatch for some viewers, the film’s director doesn’t believe so. Marry Me director Kat Coiro explained how perfect Lopez and Wilson are in the upcoming rom-com.

Seeing the Hustlers star share a kiss with the Bliss actor may have thrown some viewers off. But that was part of the plan, according to Coiro. The onscreen team-up had more to do with the Marry Me co-stars’ real personas intersecting with their characters’ lives. The Marry Me director broke down to Entertainment Weekly why the odd pairing works.

Visually, the pairing threw audiences for a loop, but on paper, Owen Wilson and Jennifer Lopez made complete sense.Lopez’s flair for spectacle provided the necessary attraction to Wilson’s funny everyman. But being total opposites may require some compromise given their varying backgrounds. In the same interview, Kat Coiro mentioned how that dynamic will play out in the upcoming film.

It appeared the leads in Marry Me will be challenging some rom-com conventions regarding a more experienced couple. Learning to grow and mature is rarely ever seen in couples over 40 in traditional romantic comedies. Given the maturity and career longevity of both stars, Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson might be the right actors for this sea change.

Of course, Marry Me doesn’t start that way. J. Lo’s pop superstar Kat Valdez decides to marry schoolteacher Charlie Gilbert (played by Wilson) after being jilted by her on- and off-stage partner. So, two strangers from diverse backgrounds must learn to love each other after an unconventional start to their relationship. While Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson headline the film, the likes of Sarah Silverman, Jameela Jamil and singer Maluma serve as supporting characters.

Maybe seeing Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson’s chemistry and dynamic will make the comedy-drama a future classic. Of course, the Lopez-Wilson pairing isn’t the oddest duo to star in a rom-com. Audiences won’t have to wait much longer as Marry Me will arrive in theaters and on Peacock on Feb. 11, 2022.

Wow, are these next few months a great time to be a cinephile! There’s something special about finding a distinct filmmaker you really love and catching their next movie. Wes Anderson is the kind of writer/director who has stayed consistent over the years with his style, yet found new ways to tell stories and use his aesthetics in different settings. His latest movie is The French Dispatch, and it stars a host of talented actors he’s worked with before like Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, and Tilda Swinton, along with some new faces to his movies, including Timothée Chalamet and Jeffrey Wright. Let’s see what film fans thought of the whimsical release. 

First of all, critics are loving The French Dispatch overall. It’s not a total surprise, seeing as how Wes Anderson movies have remained critically-acclaimed since the release of his first film in 1996, Bottle Rocket. From the reviews, it looks like the movie isn’t necessarily unexpected if you’re aware of the filmmaker’s style, but it also manages to stay endearing and fresh. Audiences also seemed to really dig The French Dispatch, considering what people are posting online about the release. Here’s what fans are saying about the artsy movie from The Grand Budapest Hotel director. 

It’s Another Winner For Timothée Chalamet Amidst Dune

The biggest movie in the world right now is Dune, which stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in a sci-fi epic. Funny enough, The French Dispatch first hit theaters on the same day as Dune in select theaters, before going wide to more audiences last weekend. It’s very rare for the same actor to double-head a movie theater’s offerings, but here we are! Audiences are of course taking notice of Chalamet’s big weekend. 

The actor is just 25 and becoming a worldwide star after previously finding roles in movies like Call Me By Your Name and Little Women. Apparently, he’s becoming a household name these days and people are taking notice as they see The French Dispatch: 

Timothée Chalamet is among a massive cast in The French Dispatch, also including Benicio Del Toro, Adrien Brody, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand and Henry Winkler. Even so, it sounds like the young actor is a real highlight of the movie. 

It’s also a rare possibility for audiences to go see Dune and The French Dispatch in the same day or week. Let the Chala-week continue at the movies, because both films seem like real winners. 

The Visuals Are Blowing Audiences Away 

Wes Anderson is well known for his distinct visual style, notably often centering his subjects in his images and making use of specific color palettes in his movies. It turns out Anderson did not shy away from the kind of visually gorgeous films people remember him for in The French Dispatch, considering how much people are gushing over it, right down to the posters. 

The French Dispatch is a “love letter to journalists” and set in an outpost of an American newspaper in a fictional French city. Another fan remarked on the visual style of the movie after checking it out, likening the filmmaker to a ‘cartoonist’ who works in live-action. 

Anderson is a rare filmmaker in that you can always tell you’re watching one of his movies, but at the same time, each one of them has a slightly different aesthetic. The French Dispatch makes use of more pastel colors like sky blue, blush pink and bright orange. Even someone who didn’t necessarily like the movie had to take a moment to share their love for the cinematography, as well: 

And there we have it, another Wes Anderson movie that is a feast for the eyes. 

Fans Really Got Into The French Of It All

What’s pretty adorable about the social posts for The French Dispatch is how many people looked to make a day or event out of going to see the movie. There are tons of pictures of people in front of the movie poster and taking other people along to go see it. The movie is also influencing people to buy into the movie’s very French fashion.  

Wes Anderson is clearly an influencer of his day and you know a movie is good when people are basing their own looks on a film after seeing it. The French Dispatch employed a ton of awesome fashion looks throughout, and it seems like fans are grabbing onto that. 

And, there’s just something about the French language and culture that is just so much fun to emulate and be a part of. The French Dispatch seems to be so immersive to some audiences that they are joking about learning French, too. 

Alright, we talked about the performances, the visuals and how it’s affecting audiences, but what about their thoughts on the movie overall? It looks like it’s winning over a ton of people by that measure, as well. 

The French Dispatch Is Another Beloved Wes Anderson Feature

The messages about the movie itself are just delightful. So many people are loving The French Dispatch, and it shows. It may not be a huge blockbuster, but it’s touching a lot of people. One fan shared his love for the script and performances, especially singling out Jeffrey Wright for his performance. 

Another devout fan of Wes Anderson called The French Dispatch one of Wes Anderson’s best movies to date. He also called it quite emotional and even referenced a quote in it that stuck with him. 

We’ll end on one last Twitter user, who absolutely “loved” the movie for so many reasons. These comments make me want to jump out of my seat and buy a ticket right now. It’s great to hear The French Dispatch is another success for Wes Anderson.

The French Dispatch is playing in theaters now. Check out CinemaBlend’s 2021 new movie release schedule to see what else is next for fans to react to. 

Saturday Night Live returned on October 2 for its 47th season on NBC, featuring Owen Wilson in his first-ever hosting role on the show. There were plenty of memorable moments (not the least of which was a nude musical guest), and the episode actually marked a series record. The bad news? It wasn’t the kind of record SNL surely wanted out of a season premiere. The ratings were not great!

The Season 47 premiere of SNL ranks as the lowest-rated episode – not just premiere – in the history of the show in the coveted 18-49 age demographic, according to The Wrap, with just an 0.92 rating. The audience size wasn’t breaking any good records either, with just 4.9 million total viewers. Those numbers represent a 50% drop in the key demo and 41% overall drop from the Season 46 premiere that aired nearly a year to the date ahead of Owen Wilson’s hosting debut. 

For what it's worth, Owen Wilson's 0.92 was only just under the previous series low, which was Keegan-Michael Key’s back in May with 0.93. And Scarlett Johansson's hosting gig from May 2015 still holds the record for smallest audience size of 4.7 million.

The Season 46 premiere, which was hosted by Chris Rock, won a rating of 1.85 in the key 18-49 demographic and more than 8 million viewers, leaving the numbers from the Season 47 premiere in the dust. That’s not to say that Owen Wilson’s first appearance as host was a flop in the context of that week of television. The 0.92 rating was reportedly the second-highest for any comedy of that week, behind only The Simpsons. 

Dramas like NCIS and anything under the Dick Wolf banner fared significantly better, but SNL didn’t do so badly compared to other comedies to start the 2021-2022 TV season. This just wasn’t a good record for SNL to set at the outset of a new season. And it’s unlikely that Owen Wilson as host turned off prospective viewers from tuning in. Although his biggest movie roles were in years past, he was a prominent part of Disney+’s highly-anticipated Loki series, and became a fan favorite. 

In the grand scheme of things, there are plenty of possible explanations for why the numbers dipped for the Season 47 premiere. Those numbers could rise once more delayed viewership can be accounted for, and it’s possible that more people are just checking out the sketches on YouTube rather than watching broadcasts live. At the time of writing, eight sketches from SNL’s Season 47 premiere have accumulated more than 1 million views on YouTube, including one in which Owen Wilson “reprised” his character from the Cars franchise. Take a look: 

Plus, it’s worth noting that Kim Kardashian’s upcoming hosting gig has been more widely publicized, although largely due to the controversy it caused on social media. It’s possible that people didn’t even know that SNL was returning with an episode before Kardashian’s. Throw in the facts that the show is coming off of a hiatus and Saturdays aren’t the highest-rated nights of the week even under the best of circumstances, and the sky isn’t falling because of the disappointing numbers. Even the fact that Season 46 premiered shortly ahead of a presidential election could be a factor, considering SNL’s penchant for popular political parodies. 

All things considered, Owen Wilson’s episode of SNL marking a series record for the lowest ratings isn’t a good way to start a season, but it’ll take a few weeks of ratings to figure out if the Season 47 premiere was a fluke or beginning of a troubling trend. There were some changes in cast for this season, including some notable departures. You can see what happens next with Kim Kardashian’s episode of SNL on Saturday, October 9 at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

In the summer of 2006, the worlds of stock car racing and computer-generated imagery collided, giving audiences around the world the clever and entertaining Pixar movie, Cars. Now, it has been 15 years since we first heard Owen Wilson (who was at the top of the world) lend his voice to the successful, yet overly-confident, Lightning McQueen as the hot-shot race car learned a thing or two about not always taking the fast lane, and you might be wondering what he and the rest of the Cars voice cast have been up the past decade-and-a-half. 

Well, you have certainly come to the right place, as we are about to get on the highway and get up to speed with all those familiar voices and everything they have done in recent years.

Owen Wilson (Lightning McQueen)

Coming out of the gate is Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, the hotshot, red race car who embarks upon the soul-searching journey after getting lost on his way to the final race of the Piston Cup. In addition to reprising his role in the second and third installments of the Cars franchise (as well as various short films), Wilson has gone on to team up with his old filmmaking buddy Wes Anderson multiple times over the past 15 years with another movie — The French Dispatch — on the way. In June 2021, Wilson joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the mysterious Mobius M. Mobius on the Disney+ streaming series Loki. If the shocking Season 1 finale is any indication, we’ll be seeing much more of Wilson in the MCU moving forward.

Paul Newman (Doc Hudson)

Paul Newman’s voice performance as Doc Hudson, the 1951 Hudson Hornet with quite a history, was the last non-documentary appearance by the Hollywood legend before his death in 2008. Archival recordings of the Academy Award-winning actor (The Color of Money) would later be used in 2017’s Cars 3.

Bonnie Hunt (Sally Carrera)

Sally Carrera, the law-practicing Porsche who represents Lightning McQueen when he brings chaos and destruction to Radiator Springs in Cars, is voiced by Bonnie Hunt. The longtime Pixar voice actor followed up her 2006 performance with the second and third Cars movies, as well as Toy Story 3 and its 2018 sequel, and 2013’s Monsters University. In 2021, Hunt lent her voice to the Disney+ streaming series Monsters at Work, reprising her role of Mrs. Flint from Monsters Inc.

Larry The Cable Guy (Mater)

There are few members of the Cars cast who have been connected to the franchise more than Larry The Cable Guy. Since voicing Mader, Lightning McQueen’s right-hand man and biggest supporter, in 2006, the Blue Collar Comedy star has appeared in all subsequent theatrical releases and a total of 11 short films, most of which centering on his character. He has even voiced the character in various video games and theme park attractions. He will reprise Mader once more in the upcoming Cars series on Disney+. Larry The Cable Guy has released multiple comedy albums and specials, documentaries, and reality shows since then. 

Tony Shalhoub (Luigi)

In the years since he voiced Luigi, the yellow Fiat who owns Radiator Springs’ premier tire shop, Tony Shalhoub has concluded his celebrated run on the USA crime comedy series Monk and joined the cast of another successful series: the Amazon original The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. With the Primetime Emmy Award-winning show’s fourth season on the way, expect to see more of the prolific actor in the very near future.

Cheech Marin (Ramone)

Cheech Marin, one half of the iconic comedy duo known as Cheech and Chong, has remained as busy as ever since voicing Ramone, the lowrider with a paint shop, in the first Cars movie. Like much of the voice cast, Marin has reprised his role multiple times over the years, but he has also been up to quite a bit outside of the Pixar universe. In 2019 he appeared in the documentary The Cheech: An American Icon’s Crusade for the Chicano Art Movement, which focused on the actor’s decades-long work to preserve the art style while also bringing it to new audiences. He is also set to appear in the upcoming romantic comedy Shotgun Wedding alongside Jennifer Lopez, Josh Duhamel, and Jennifer Coolidge.

George Carlin (Fillmore)

George Carlin’s portrayal of Fillmore, the Volkswagen Bus in Cars, was one of his final film appearances before the revolutionary comedian passed away in 2008. Even after his death, there have been multiple Carlin releases over the years, including the 2016 comedy album I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die. Carlin’s character Rufus from Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure showed up (through the use of archival footage) in 2020’s Bill and Ted Face the Music.

Paul Dooley (Sarge)

In years since he first voiced Sarge, the old military Jeep that puts Lightning McQueen through a vehicular boot camp in Cars, Paul Dooley has continued to be one of the best character actors in film and television, though the majority of his output has been on the small screen recently. In the past few years, Dooley has popped up here and there on shows like Parenthood, Workaholics, Shameless, and Life in Pieces. 

Jenifer Lewis (Flo)

Jenifer Lewis is another member of the Cars cast that has been busy as ever in the years following the film’s 2006 release. Since taking on the role of Flo, the owner of Flo’s V-8 Café all those years ago, Lewis has appeared multiple times in the franchise as well as other animated movies like The Princess and the Frog and The Addams Family. Since 2014, Lewis has portrayed Ruby Johnson on the successful ABC sitcom, black-ish. On top of all of that, Lewis published an autobiography called The Mother Of Black Hollywood, which featured stories from her life and career, including experiences with everyone from Whoopi Goldberg to Aretha Franklin.

Richard Petty (Strip "The King" Weathers)

Strip “The King” Weathers, the Plymouth Superbird trying to get one more victory before retiring from the Piston Cup circuit in Cars, was voiced by NASCAR legend Richard Petty. Following a legendary career that saw him win a record 200 races, Petty retired from NASCAR in 1992 and has since become one of the brand’s most notable figures whether it be providing commentary during races or being a general presence at race tracks around the country. 

Michael Keaton (Chick Hicks)

In the years following the release of Cars, Michael Keaton, who played the race car known as Chick Hicks, has given some of the best performances of his career and it doesn’t look like he’s going to slow down anytime soon. Within the past decade, Keaton has starred in Birdman, Spotlight, The Founder, and The Trial of the Chicago 7. In 2022, Keaton will once again play Vulture in the upcoming Marvel movie Morbius, and return as Bruce Wayne/Batman in The Flash.

Katherine Helmond (Lizzie)

The role of Lizzie, the Model T Ford in Cars, is just one of the many performances from the late Katherine Helmond, who passed away at the age of 89 in 2019. The legendary actress appeared in movies like Time Bandits, Overboard, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas throughout her career, but the lion’s share of her work was on the small screen. With credits that include Who’s the Boss?, Coach, and Everybody Loves Raymond, Helmond was about as prolific as it gets.

John Ratzenberger (Mack)

John Ratzenberger, who has appeared in nearly every Pixar movie dating back to Toy Story in 1995, voiced Mack, the sleep-deprived semi truck in Cars. In the years following the film’s 2006 release, Ratzenberger has mostly performed voice work on the film side of things with the majority of those being in Pixar movies and shows like the 2021 Disney+ streaming series Monsters at Work. 

Joe Ranft (Red)

Joe Ranft, who wrote, co-directed and voiced Red in Cars, tragically passed away in an accident in August 2005, a little less than a year before the film’s release. The movie and subsequent video game were dedicated to his memory. Ranft was honored again years later in a Soul Easter egg.

Jeremy Piven (US)/Jeremy Clarkson (UK) (Harv)

Depending on where you watched Cars, Harv, Lightning McQueen’s manager (whom you only hear and don’t see throughout the movie) was voiced by Jeremey Piven (United States) or Jeremy Clarkson (United Kingdom). Piven, who won multiple awards for his performance as Ari Gold, a fixture of the Entourage cast, has gone on to star in shows like Mr. Selfridge and Wisdom of the Crowd in recent years. He will appear in a number of upcoming movies, including All-Star Weekend, The Walk, and Last Call. Clarkson, a former host of the British car show Top Gear, currently leads The Grand Tour on Amazon and the UK version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?.

The Cars cast is one of the most insane to be put together, even for Pixar’s standards. However, this is barely making a dent in the list of race car drivers, media personalities, and celebrities who appeared in the movie. With cameos from Bob Costas, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and actors from earlier Pixar films in the Cars end credits scene, there’s just so many names. And who knows, maybe some of these names will pop up in upcoming Disney movies.

It’s hard to remember a time when Vince Vaugh and Owen Wilson weren’t a great comedy duo, or when Rachel McAdams, Bradley Cooper and Isla Fisher weren’t recognizable stars, but that was the case before 2005’s Wedding Crashers. Movie fans quickly grew to love the comedy, and as cast members recall many behind-the-scenes stories you can tell they have a strong love for it as well.

This is why rumors and anticipation persist about a long-awaited sequel for Wedding Crashers. An August report from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Wedding Crashers 2 was listed among active projects by the Georgia Film Office, but we may have to pump the brakes. While there does appear to be interest among former cast members, Owen Wilson denied reports that they were planning to begin shooting in August to Variety in June.

But while all we can do is speculate about a potential sequel, we’ll always have the original Wedding Crashers. Here’s some fun behind-the-scenes facts you may not have known about the classic comedy.

Producer Andrew Panay Conceived The Idea From His Own Wedding Crasher Experience

Usually what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but not if what happens inspires a great comedy. In retrospectives for Wedding Crashers’ 15th anniversary in 2020, producer Andrew Panay told Variety and Mel Magazine how his own experiences put the idea of Wedding Crashers in his head.

While in Vegas with a friend, Panay said on their way to the pool they ended up in a wedding reception just for a few minutes, but the fun experience stuck with him. Add in the excitement that he , and Panay thought there was a movie there.

Eventually, he teamed up with screenwriters Steve Faber and Bob Fisher to write a script, with the duo adding some of their own experiences crashing lobbyist events when they were D.C. interns.

Isla Fisher Gave One Of The Wildest Auditions Ever

One of the three breakout stars of Wedding Crashers along with Cooper and McAdams, Isla Fisher’s biggest credits prior to 2005 were Shaggy’s love interest in Scooby-Doo and a supporting role in David O. Russell’s I Heart Huckabees. So unsurprisingly, she needed to audition for her role as Gloria Cleary.

Fisher recalled to Mel Magazine that many well-known actresses were also up for the role of Gloria, including Shannon Elizabeth and Anna Paquin. She made sure that she stood out among the competition though.

In the mentioned Mel Magazine article, casting director Lisa Beach said:

Needless to say, she got the part, and we've been able to enjoy Isla Fisher movies ever since.

Gene Hackman, Tommy Lee Jones Were Considered For Sec. Cleary Role

Christopher Walken memorably plays the patriarch of the Cleary family in Wedding Crashers, Secretary of the Treasury William Cleary. But there were a handful of other big name actors that director David Dobkin was considering for the role.

Dobkin explained to Variety that he wanted an actor in the role of Sec. Cleary that would be intimidating to Vaugh and Wilson’s characters without ever having to actually threaten them. Options he considered were Gene Hackman, Tommy Lee Jones and, according to a conversation with The Ringer, Burt Reynolds.

Walken was Dobkins' clear number one choice though, and he reached out to him first. The Oscar-winning actor accepted.

Jane Seymour Worried About What Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Fans Would Think Of Her Role

The other half of the Cleary parents is played by Jane Seymour in the film. In the early 2000s, Seymour’s most recent claim to fame was her role on Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, for which she had been nominated for two Primetime Emmys. When she first read the script for Wedding Crashers, she was immediately worried about what fans of Dr. Quinn would think of her in the film.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Film Festival in 2015:

However, Seymour still had to audition for the role, something that she had rarely done in her career. But it was during her audition that she found one of her character’s most iconic moments. Seymour revealed to Entertainment Weekly that the hiss that she adds when she tells Wilson’s character to call her Kitty Cat was an in-the-moment decision and what she credits for landing her the role.

The Opening Wedding Crashing Montage Took A Week To Film

Wedding Crashers starts off with an extended montage of Vaughn and Wilson’s characters having the time of their lives at a series of weddings they crash. It’s a fantastic sequence that gets the energy of the movie rolling right off the bat. David Dobkin knew how important the montage would be for the film and devoted a lot of time to filming it.

The shooting of the montage scenes was the first thing that was shot during production, and would be the only thing they would shoot for a week for a scene that was just one page worth of script. As Dobkin told Entertainment Weekly, everyone wondered why they spent so long on the sequence, including Vaughn, but he says they used just about everything they shot to make the most of the montage.

One way that they did make things a bit easier for the sequence’s production was creating multiple weddings on a single set. Shooting in a conference room, Dobkin said that they would do one side up as an Indian wedding reception and the other as a Jewish wedding reception. This strategy was used with "about half a dozen rooms" to film the receptions.

Vince Vaughn And Owen Wilson Came Up With Most Of The Wedding Crashers Rules

Among the more memorable parts of Wedding Crashers is the list of rules Vaughn and Wilson’s characters cite throughout the film (I’ll cop to having a poster of the rules in my dorm room). However, these rules were not passed down by Chazz Reinhold or even the screenwriters.

In the 15th anniversary retrospectives in Variety and Mel Magazine, Dobkin, Vaughn and Wilson all say they actively worked together to get the script, written by Steve Faber and Bob Fishers, into its final form. In a separate interview with IGN, the two stars revealed that included most of the rules for crashing weddings.

According to the stars, there were only about two rules mentioned in the original script, but whenever they would work on a scene with some improvisation they would often create new rules to go along with their rants.

As far as abiding by the rules, Wilson says he always tries to stick to rule no. 17 when he’s at a wedding: “Blend in by sticking out.”

Dobkin And His Editors Referred To NFL Broadcasts For Editing The Football Scene

Despite the audibles called by Vaughn’s Jeremy and the intensity that Bradley Cooper’s Sack brings to the game, the touch football sequence is far from an NFL game, but that didn’t stop Dobkin and his editors from treating it like one.

In an examination of the scene by The Ringer, Dobkin explained that when he was a film student at New York University a professor told him if you want to see how to edit a great scene, watch the NFL. The professor believed there were few better at knowing when to insert a cut and what emotion to go for in a particular moment.

Dobkin took the lesson and applied it almost literally for the touch football game. He said:

Chazz Reinhold Was Not Originally In The Script

Another instance of Dobkin, Vaughn and Wilson's collaboration paid off with one of the best movie cameos ever.

Chazz Reinhold, the man who invented the rules of wedding crashing, is mentioned in an early scene, but in the original script his character does not appear. As told to Entertainment Weekly, Wilson thought it would be funny if at some point they crash a funeral, then Dobkin thought it could be a perfect opportunity to introduce the Chazz character in the flesh while Wilson’s John is at rock bottom. Wilson ran with it and wrote the scene.

Filming the scene was a bit more difficult. Everyone wanted to have Will Ferrell play the part, but up until midnight before they shot the scene, according to Dobkin, they still were trying to get a commitment from Ferrell (Nicolas Cage was plan B). The former Saturday Night Live star did ultimately arrive on set to play the role, but they only had him for one day. It was a rapid process, but it turned into comedy gold.

Wedding Crashers Shut Down D.C.’s Constitution Ave. During Rush Hour For Final Shots

As John and Jeremy ride off with Claire and Gloria, Dobkin and crew were able to pull off an incredible shot of the Washington Monument as the final image that both symbolizes a point of growth for the characters from earlier in the film when they watched the sunrise over the monument and as well as a bit of immature humor with a phallic-looking building. It’s a great shot, but required a lot of logistics to make it work.

Dobkin told The USA Today that they had more than 40 cop cars on set that day to shut down traffic along Constitution Ave. in D.C. during rush hour (as a D.C.-area native, I can assure you this certainly caused a lot of headaches for the production and daily commuters). Dobkin called it a total mess as they worked to get in four takes of the final shot.

Wedding Crashers Was The First R-Rated Comedy To Break $200M At The Domestic Box-Office

Nowadays it seems like every big comedy is R-rated. But before films like The Hangover, Deadpool or Judd Apatow’s biggest films made bank at the box-office, R-rate comedies weren’t guaranteed successes. In fact, Wedding Crashers was the first R-rated straight comedy to crack $200 million at the U.S. box-office (action-comedy Beverly Hills Cop did gross $234 million).

Wedding Crashers would hold that top spot for highest-grossing R-rated comedy of all-time for just four years until The Hangover topped it in 2009, per IMDb’s Box Office Mojo.

We may be getting a Wedding Crashers sequel in the future, but until then you can watch the original Wedding Crashers for free via the Peacock streaming service, or with subscriptions to Hulu or HBO Max.

Disney clearly sees the potential for success once again in making movies based on theme park attractions, as following the strong performance of Jungle Cruise, and the green light for a sequel, things are now moving quite quickly for the studio's reboot of the Haunted Mansion. Just yesterday it was announced that Owen Wilson had joined the cast, and now another big name has been as added as The Mandalorian's Rosario Dawson is apparently also on board the project.

As with Owen Wilson, there's no announcement from Deadline as to what role Rosario Dawson will actually be playing. Dawson and Wilson join Tiffany Haddish and LaKeith Stanfield, who had already signed on previously. Haunted Mansion is being directed by Justin Simian from a script by Kate Dippold. The movie itself is quite close as filming is set to begin sometime next month.

It's possible that we'll see even more names come on board the new Haunted Mansion before production gets underway. When the news of Owen Wilson's casting arrived, it came with details that the movie would be an "ensemble," so seeing four significant names on board the project makes some sense. Four cast members is a solid number, but we could still see more depending on just how big the new Haunted Mansion movie plans to be. Tiffany Haddish will play a professional psychic in the movie, while LaKeith Stanfield will play a "lifeless" French Quarter tour guide who has lost his wife.

Considering that the Haunted Mansion attractions at Disney Parks around the world are places where a bunch of strangers come together and go wandering through, it's easy to see a similar set up for the new movie. All the various characters end up inside the mansion for one reason or another, and then need to work together to deal with the 999 happy haunts, and find a way out. Of course, there's always my way...

Disney's Haunted Mansion is one of the most popular attractions in its parks and it makes the perfect location for a movie. Based on the fact that the movie is set in New Orleans, it seems the Disneyland version of the attraction will be the primary source of inspiration. While the ride itself is largely the same at Disney World, the exterior structure is designed to match the colonial era of Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square. Haunted Mansion attractions at the international parks are quite different in the story they tell.

The idea of turning the ride into a movie has already been tried once. And while the movie is perhaps better than its given credit for, it was not a hit with audiences. Hopefully this new movie has found ways to fix the problems the last movie had. It absolutely is putting together an incredible cast, which is making a new Haunted Mansion movie perhaps more exciting than I ever would have expected.

Walt Disney Studios is getting ready to make another big movie based on one of the Mouse House's classic rides next month after Jungle Cruise made a splash at the box office and premium streaming. Disney fans can get excited for another Haunted Mansion movie set to star Tiffany Haddish and Get Out actor LaKeith Stanfield. And with production about to begin, the movie has added another big star, most recently seen in Loki: Owen Wilson.

Having starred as the TVA’s Mobius, Owen Wilson has now been brought onto Haunted Mansion to play undisclosed character. The actor known for roles in memorable comedies such as Wedding Crashers, Bottle Rocket and Starsky & Hutch was received with open arms in the MCU, and it’ll be exciting to see how he’ll fit into the studio’s mysterious take on the spooky Disneyland ride.

Word of Owen Wilson’s check-in to Haunted Mansion comes from The Hollywood Reporter, which is describing the movie as a whole as an “ensemble.” In the coming weeks, I’d expect some more casting announcements to follow Wilson's. For now, we know the filmmaker behind Dear White People and Bad Hair, Justin Simien, is directing the movie from a script by Katie Dippold, who previously penned The Heat and 2016’s Ghostbusters.

In late July, Tiffany Haddish and LaKeith Stanfield boarded the Disney movie at the same time. According to THR’s report at the time, Haddish was being eyed to play a psychic, whereas Stanfield would play a “lifeless” tour guide who has lost his wife and has suspicions of the supernatural world. The movie is going to film in Atlanta and be set in the French Quarter in New Orleans, which goes well with the attraction being set in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square.

At this point in time, there’s a wealth of characters Owen Wilson could take on, between being another resident in and around the Haunted Mansion, or a character who visits or moves into the supernatural household. But since he’s just the third actor to be cast in Haunted Mansion, I have an inkling he’ll play a large role in the film.

Disney did make a Haunted Mansion movie back in 2003 starring Eddie Murphy, but it was a flop overall for the studio, making far less earnings than the smash success Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in the same year, along with being buried with negative reviews. The studio has been attempting to put together a remake for the ride for over a decade, with Oscar-winning director Guillermo Del Toro once set to make a film starring Ryan Gosling.

Haunted Mansion will be one of many movies to be inspired by rides from Disney Parks coming from the studio. There are also film adaptations in development based on Space Mountain and a sequel in the works for Jungle Cruise, along with whispers of a Tower of Terror movie and more Pirates of the Caribbean installments.

Jennifer Lopez has been quite the busy bee recently. Of course, you may have already heard about her upcoming movie with Josh Duhamel, given she was filming it as her now-ex A-Rod made a last ditch effort to fix their relationship. However, she has another movie coming opposite Owen Wilson, Marry Me, which will star her as a pop singer who spontaneously marries a man in the audience. It feels a little like a throwback to JLo classics like The Wedding Planner or Maid in Manhattan, but it’s also going to be the first time Jennifer Lopez has sung in a film since her groundbreaking turn in Selena.

Jennifer Lopez introduced her new movie Marry Me in a clip at CinemaCon 2021 in which she spoke out about signing on with a female director again right after working with Lorene Scafaria on her 2019 movie Hustlers. She also talked about how Marry Me was a return to singing form on the big screen, noting,

Marry Me itself has a very rom-com premise. We also got a first look at the movie during the Universal panel. In it, Jennifer Lopez plays a singer who is preparing to marry her beau in front of an audience when news breaks that he’s allegedly cheated on her. On the spur of the moment, she sees a man in the audience with a “Marry Me” sign and decides to marry him instead. The two are from different worlds, but they decide to see if there’s a connection there regardless and if they can make it in the limelight together over the long haul.

Honestly, the movie looks exactly like the light and fluffy fodder that made Jennifer Lopez a household name as a rom-com actress in the early aughts. Owen Wilson has also dabbled in the rom-com genre before and they seem to have that “shouldn’t work, but it works” chemistry Marry Me is going for. JLo’s good for this sort of light comedy every few years (her last was 2018’s Second Act), but I’m particularly interested in her teaming up with Owen Wilson here.

Plus, in general over the past few years, a lot of movies in this genre -- not all, but a lot -- have skipped the big screen and gone straight to platforms like Netflix. There’s been an additional push to shift some of the rom-com audience to places like Hallmark which thrive off of lower budget rom-coms, so it’s just nice to see this sort of star-powered release going to the big screen.

Marry Me isn’t out until February of 2022, just in time for Valentine’s Day, so it may be a little while before fans get to check out much from the upcoming film, but that’s not remotely all the Jennifer Lopez has on the way. She also has several other movies in the pipeline, including Shotgun Wedding (I’m sensing a theme), along with Netflix’s The Mother and more. We’ll keep you updated as she continues to add to her slate.

Being part of the Marvel family means not revealing too much about your role until the film or television series premieres. When Owen Wilson joined Disney+’s Loki, he made a slight error when it comes to keeping all the secrets. Of course, anyone would be excited to join the MCU family, and the Hollywood star decided to talk about his Mobius mustache before any official footage or images released. He inadvertently broke the cardinal Marvel rule without realizing it. Wilson revealed how his mustachegate led to him being called out by someone within Marvel Studios.

Owen Wilson talked about his small brush with the Marvel veil to Esquire (via Insider). Speaking about Mobius’s comics-accurate mustache got him in trouble. The Bliss star gave a true peek into what happens when you don’t adhere to Marvel’s well-documented veil of secrecy.

Speaking on his own experience, Owen Wilson was sending out a warning shot to future MCU prospects. Getting an anonymous text from someone within Marvel isn’t a good sign for anyone. Thankfully, Marvel didn’t swoop down from the sky and snatch up Wilson instantly. Or even worse, recast him with another actor without anyone knowing. The fact that Wilson and his team couldn’t find out who sent the text was a little scary. But hopefully, Wilson was just joking about the scenario.

But Owen Wilson wouldn't be the first actor to face mustache controversy surrounding a project. Henry Cavill faced a mustache-related situation of his own as editors had to work overtime to cover his Mission: Impossible-Fallout mustache for Justice League reshoots. It ended up with some awkward close-ups of Superman. Cavill finally addressed the mustachegate with a bit of humor. At least, the actor was able to laugh it off just like Wilson.

Marvel’s secrecy related to projects is nothing new for MCU stars. Whether it’s Eternals' Salma Hayek or even Marvel head Kevin Feige, everyone involved must resist spilling secrets at any cost. For the most part, Marvel’s Fort Knox approach allows fans to remain surprised by unexpected twists and unannounced cameos. There’s still so much unknown about Marvel’s Phase Four.

Thankfully, Owen Wilson’s loose lips didn’t mess up his place in the Marvel universe. Fans got to see Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius in Loki. If you want to see Wilson go full TVA agent, you can stream Season 1 of the Marvel series on Disney+.

Siblings who live together are not uncommon, but celebrity siblings who work in essentially competing franchises are a different matter. Luke Wilson, who stars as Pat Dugan in DC’s Stargirl, recently opened up about what it was like living with older brother Owen Wilson while he was filming Marvel's Loki as a character by the name of Mobius.

With Luke and Owen Wilson both starring in their respective superhero TV shows filming in Atlanta, the Stargirl actor revealed to TVLine that they lived together. Luke Wilson shared what the experience was like as a DC actor living with his MCU brother:

The brothers were working on their separate superhero shows at the same time so it’s nice knowing that the two of them were able to live together and see how the other lives. Working on a DC project while your brother works on Marvel could theoretically start any argument at a family reunion, but it sounds like the brothers had a good time with it while it lasted. Luke Wilson praised his brother and Loki’s success, knowing how much Owen Wilson enjoyed working on the Disney+ series:

While Loki finished airing its first season earlier this month, Stargirl hasn’t even premiered yet for its second season, as the first episode of Season 2 airs in August. Though that didn’t stop The CW from giving it an early renewal back in May for a third season. The superhero series originally debuted on streaming platform DC Universe, with episodes airing on The CW the following day. The network then renewed Stargirl, making it one of the multiple shows to be moved off DC Universe and onto a different platform.

It would be interesting to get Owen Wilson’s side of the story, considering his brother said that Marvel people are “odd.” But it’s great seeing that the two of them are as close as ever, despite being in competing franchises. Who knows? Maybe the two can make an appearance in the other’s show. One can dream.

So much of the excitement and success of Loki's six-episode first season could be sourced to the bonkers twists and MCU-expanding reveals that were spread throughout each installment. But the series' biggest spoiler-free delights absolutely came through the brilliant and pulse-pounding musical score crafted by composer Natalie Holt. The ever-evolving theme she put together for Tom Hiddleston's trickster god may very well be my favorite MCU composition yet, and it's basically followed by all the other Loki themes heard throughout. And though one might suspect such massive sonic-scapes had equally large-scale conceptions, Holt's process was surprisingly quaint in the best ways.

CinemaBlend recently spoke about all things Loki with Natalie Holt, who'd previously worked on the scores for UK TV projects such as Knightfall, Beecham House and Deadwater Fell. The way she successfully maneuvers between varying projects is by staying "sympathetic to the scale of the drama," so that she's not creating aural masterpieces that end over overtaking what's happening on screen. Luckily for everyone, Loki is a tale on such an epic scale that she was basically in a musical sandbox when creating all the instantly iconic themes. So let's dig into how some of those musical motifs came to life.

The TVA Theme

While the central character's main theme is possibly the one that boosts Loki fans' energy levels the most, the TVA theme is 100% equally memorable, and it just begs for a cappella renditions from viewers watching at home. And you know what? That's essentially how the theme was conceived in the first place. Here's how composer Natalie Holt described coming up with those earliest ideas.

How awesome would it have been to be out and about, perhaps walking one's dog, and to hear Holt humming that slam-banger of a theme nearby. If only Marvel fans had known at the time. And while her process of sounding out rhythms into a recorder is hardly strange behavior for musicians, I just love the fact that it's how the world got the theme that unlocked the whole damn multiverse.

Mobius' Theme

While Natalie Holt did say that a lot of Loki's music was crafted while watching show footage and getting a sense of the universe from what director Kate Herron, Tom Hiddleston and everyone else were putting together, she said that the theme for Owen Wilson's Mobius was another one that she laid the groundwork for based mostly on her own inner influences. And in this case, she connected Mobius' jet ski fandom with '80s hair metal, and somehow another masterfully emotional theme was ushered into existence. In her words:

Considering Mobius' theme sounds far more like Clint Mansell's meticulously soul-crushing "Lux Aeterna" theme from Requiem for a Dream, as performed by the Kronos Quartet, it's rather glorious that the TVA agent's sounds can be sourced back to songs like "You Give Love a Bad Name" and "Wanted Dead or Alive." Both songs with titles that can reasonably be applied to Loki variants, oddly enough.

Loki's Theme

Then there's the man himself, Loki. While Natalie Holt didn't have any adorable stories about coming up with Loki's theme as she rode on an alligator's back through a gathering of giant stone heads, she did talk about what fed into that larger-than-life composition. And it was as much Tom Hiddleston's performance as anything else. According to Holt:

I rather cheekily asked if it was a situation where Tom Hiddleston might have come up to her to ask about adding more flute into the mix, but this was apparently not the way. Here's how Natalie Holt put it:

Here's hoping there's a recorder going if the composer ever melt into a puddle, since that would probably make a pretty unique noise. it'd probably go well with a theremin, too. Maybe for Season 2!

Experience Loki's magnificent souncscape again and again by streaming all six episodes on Disney+. Vol. 1 of the soundtrack has been officially released on platforms like Spotify, and I'm hoping the rest of it will come out soon.

Major spoilers below for Loki's Season 1 finale, so if you're not in a timeline where you know all the answers, be warned!

For any Marvel fans who thought Loki would wait for the last minute to drop its big villain reveal, the finale "For All Time. Always" proved them both wrong and right. The exposition-packed episode sated the wishes for everyone waiting to see Jonathan Majors' MCU debut, while technically still not giving viewers the "real" Kang the Conquerer, as it were. But at least now we know for sure that Loki is the first live-action MCU series to confirm a second season is on the way.

But just because that one particular very important Loki question has been answered doesn't mean all of our brain-shattering inquiries and curiosities were fully explained away. So before the end of time gets here unexpectedly, I'm running through some of the biggest issues I'll be wondering about until Season 2 arrives.

Where Is Ravonna Renslayer Going?

Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Judge Ravonna Renslayer has been a mystery in and of herself throughout Loki's first six episodes, and while the finale gave viewers a look at her past as one "Rebecca Tourminet" before she was taken from her timeline and brought to the TVA, it left us uncertain about her future. Unfortunately for anyone hoping for a loving reunion with Owen Wilson's Mobius, Ravonna is only looking out for Number One, and she used a Time Door to go off "in search of free will." It appears as if whatever documents Miss Minutes downloaded had quite the impact if it caused Ravonna to immediately pack up and leave the TVA behind even as she's still defending its purpose. Is this how the MCU is setting up Ravonna and Kang's comic book relationship?

Did Ravonna Actually Have A Secret Analyst?

While we're on the subject of Ravonna, one of the bigger tangential theory threads revolved around the TVA judge's supposed secret analyst, which Mobius suspected was connected to the non-TVA ink pen she used. However, Wunmi Mosaku's Hunter B-15 proved that pen came from Ravonna's FDR High School past, and no analyst references happened in the finale. So does that mean it was all just misdirection? Or, as it's gone with other MCU projects were every line is put under a microscope, is this just something fans took too far, like WandaVision's ? Considering the show also didn't explain Episode 5's reference to a space ship that can reach the end of time, perhaps this analyst thread is still a knot waiting to happen later in these characters' narratives.

What Happens Next For Sylvie: Villainy Or Heroism?

When it comes to characters getting what they want, Sophie di Martino's Sylvie has a wildly solid success rate, to the point where she bungled the entire universe to get revenge for her misplaced life. Now that she finally succeeded, though, what will be the next motivation to guide the next phase of her life? Will she attempt to atone for murdering He Who Remains by going out and killing all the war-mongering variants? Will she continue attempting to destroy the TVA in addition to direct attacks on that particular version of Kang? How will her reunion with Loki go whenever it happens? In Sylvie we trust...most of the time.

Will Any 'Good' Kang Variants Emerge From The Multiverse?

Perhaps as a reflection of the two Lokis he was facing, Jonathan Majors' He Who Remains was a playful trickster, as opposed to the time narcissist that Kang the Conqueror can be in the comics. And while we obviously know that some super-evil version(s) of Kang are coming in the future - definitely to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and possibly to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - does that automatically mean that every single Kang variant in the MCU's future will be on a destructive tear? Or is there a chance that, similar to how things went in Loki for Tom Hiddleston's character, a fairly decent iteration of Kang will arrive at some point to assist Marvel protagonists in taking the big bad down? Am I looking for "The Matrix Reloaded's Mr. Smith fight, but with Kang" in the end? Probably.

Were The Time-Keepers Other Kang Variants?

This question may not pan out as being important, but certain answers could definitely tie into the previous idea. As Loki and Sylvie go deeper into the castle, they are in a room with three standing statues (dubbed "Sentinels of time" by production designer Kasra Farahani) and one that's been demolished. Would that fourth statue have been of He Who Remains, similar to the lone statue viewers see standing at the TVA in the final scene? I can easily see this lonely AF dude smashing his own face in after so many years. Plus, it's pretty interesting that during the animated backstory, each of the variants was noticeably made to resemble Jonathan Majors EXCEPT for possibly the Time-Keepers, whose faces were blurred out and unseen when they appeared. WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?!?

Where Did That Apple Come From?

Okay, so I know for sure that this one won't be vital to the MCU's future, but where the hell did Kang get an apple from? Does the Citadel have a garden somewhere? Where did the dirt come from? And what about the coffee or whatever it was he was pouring for them to drink? There aren't even any lights in this place, so does he have a battery-powered espresso machine? How long should I spend on this one?

Did One Of Kang's Variants Create Miss Minutes?

Intriguingly, the big backstory from He Who Tells Backstories didn't get into the origin story of Miss Minutes, whom viewers witnessed zipping from the Citadel to the TVA. (That seemingly halted any theories about there being more than one Miss Minutes out there.) She was doing Kang's bidding in giving Ravonna whatever documents that sparked her exit, but she clearly still has some of her own agency that isn't tied to "doing whatever the humans tell her." And because she wasn't seen being particularly chummy with the Loki finale's version of Jonathan Majors' antagonist, does that mean she was actually created by another more duplicitous version? Or was someone else entirely responsible for bringing her artificial (or not) intelligence to life?

Why Didn't B-15 And Mobius' Roles Change?

Surely, part of the point in Loki's final scene was tricking viewers into thinking Tom Hiddleston's character was back in familiar territory, though that notion was quickly upended. But if everything is changed now for the Kang-run TVA, with its myriad timeline splits, then why weren't things different for Mobius and B-15? They seemed to have the same general motivating factors, and also appeared to be in semi-authoritative roles, but isn't that...weird? Wouldn't they either revert back to how things were before all the Loki mess? Is Mobius actually in charge, or does this timeline have Ravonna back in the boss role?

Where Will Loki Season 2 Kick Off Its Story?

Loki's finale fully unlocked the multiverse in ways that we only thought WandaVision would. (I do wonder if the precise moment He Who Remains died is when Wanda heard her children's voices in that finale.) But there are obviously lots of other Marvel projects happening in between now and Loki's second season premiere that have the potential to completely change the MCU around, making it hard to believe Loki Season 2 will be able to just fall back into showing what happened next during that final scene. I think the creative team will need to push the story forward quite a bit and then use flashbacks to fill in the blanks, especially if Quantumania features Kang being defeated (which it probably won't). Which is to say nothing of how Thor: Love and Thunder might affect things, and what might happen if Loki shows up in Doctor Strange's sequel.

Whether all of these questions get answered soon or none of them do, I couldn't have had a better time with Loki's six-episode first season and all the big swings it took. Relive each and every installment on Disney+ as we wait for more news about Season 2 and beyond, with the rest of the 2021 Summer TV season also there for the enjoying.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn't yet watched the fourth episode of Disney+'s Loki.

In a somewhat similar move taken by Marvel's WandaVision, Tom Hiddleston's Loki used its fourth episode to drop a slew of game-changing moments and reveals on audiences. Not only did fans witness Lady Sif's quasi-return and the introduction of several new Loki variants, complete with a non-human iteration, but we also finally "met" the mysterious Time-Keepers and witnessed the tragic pruning of Owen Wilson's TVA agent Mobius, as ordered by Gugu Mbatha-Raw's increasingly villainous Ravonna Renslayer. To be expected, those two incidents sparked many questions and theories, so of course CinemaBlend tried to get some key info out of Loki director Kate Herron.

With two episodes of Loki still left to go, there are still myriad secrets and reveals still in store for viewers regarding, well, just about every major plotline in the MCU drama. And here's what we learned from director and executive producer Kate Herron about the Time-Keepers and the TVA's pruning.

What's Up With Loki's Time-Keepers?

Ever since their collective name was first referenced in Loki's first episode, many fans have had an inkling that there was something potentially fraudulent happening with the Time-Keepers, despite their legitimate existence in Marvel Comics' history. The suspicions were certainly helped along by the seemingly powerful entities not making a physical appearance throughout the first three episodes, and were at last confirmed in Episode 4 when Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie decapitated one and revealed the trio to be robots. And because that Time-Keeper reveal seemed to indicate that someone else is behind the curtain pulling the metaphorical strings, I asked Loki's Kate Herron what she could say about it. In her words:

It would have been something of a miracle had Kate Herron fully laid out the show's narrative scope for the Time-Keepers, but she did at least confirm a few key elements. For one, Loki's creative team was aware that viewers would have doubts about the Time-Keepers throughout the early episodes, so this wasn't like Iron Man 3's notorious Mandarin switcheroo twist. (In any of the ways.) And second, Herron confirmed the show will reveal there's a certain someone who is behind the TVA's actions, as opposed to trying to say the organization was run completely by artificial intelligence for the last however many years. One would think this mastermind needs to be extremely important to this story and to the MCU as a whole if the Time-Keepers' comic book history was snuffed out by bringing them to live-action.

So who's it going to be? Did Ravonna Renslayer take over the TVA at some point after her promotion to judge? Will this be the long-awaited introduction of Kang the Conquerer ahead of his appearance in the upcoming sequel Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania? Could it be a super-evil Loki variant that we haven't met yet? Here's hoping Episode 5 can prove or disprove these guesses.

How Does Pruning Work, And Did Ravonna Set Up Mobius' Exit?

Up until the final scene in Loki Episode 4, it was a foregone conclusion for many fans that getting pruned by the TVA meant getting wiped out of existence. However, Loki's arrival in a destroyed New York during the mid-credits scene implied that pruning does not automatically mean death. So what does it mean? Director Kate Herron was quick to cheekily dodge this question, though she did reveal the answer is coming sooner rather than later.

By all means, Kate Herron & Co. could have stalled on delivering pruning answers until the season finale, similar to the way Sylvie's timeline attack was downplayed during her and Loki's bonding in Episode 3. But it sounds like fans will understand more about that process in Episode 5, where it will hopefully be revealed that Mobius isn't dead at all, but is actually doing some jet-skiing in whatever body of water is nearest to his actual Earthbound hometown (even if Owen Wilson isn't a big fan of jet skis himself).

To that end, I asked Kate Herron if Ravonna was actually preparing for Mobius' eventual pruning during their conversation in her office when she asked where he'd most want to go on the sacred timeline. I can't help but believe Ravonna asked him that question because she recognized a change in Mobius' loyalty to the TVA and was preparing for the worst, but also that her feelings for Mobius were genuine enough that she would allow him to dictate his post-pruning destination. (The pain on her face was definitely present once he was erased, as it were.) But if that is indeed the case, Herron isn't fessing up quite yet. In her words:

I can certainly buy that Owen Wilson's TVA agent was being defiant in his final (or not) moments before Ravonna, but that still doesn't quite explain why Gugu Mbatha-Raw's character brought that line of questioning up in the first place. So for now, we wait.

With two episodes left to close out its magical first season, Loki airs Wednesdays on Disney+ at 3:00 a.m. ET. But keep your eyes open for lots of other awesome shows hitting the 2021 Summer TV schedule as well.

As seen in the first two episodes of Loki, Owen Wilson’s Mobius has a kind of fascination with knick-knacks and everyday objects – but while snow globes and branded pens may catch his eye, there is one thing that he seems to be more passionate about than anything: Jet Skis. In “The Variant,” the character delivers what could be described as a soliloquy about the aquatic conveyances, and laments that more time isn’t dedicated to respecting their awesome-ness. It’s a speech conveyed with a lot of sincerity and heart about an activity that a lot of people enjoy… which is why it may surprise you to learn that the actor in truth isn’t much of a Jet Ski guy.

I interviewed Owen Wilson earlier this month during the virtual press day for Loki, and having seen Episode 2 and heard his lovely tribute to jet skis I asked him if he had gotten the opportunity to ride one since completion of production on the Marvel Studios series. I was curious if his appreciation of the machines had increased as a result of playing the character – but it turns out that there is a particular aspect of the Jet Ski experience that he has a hard time getting over. In his own words,

So if you were planning to get Owen Wilson a Jet Ski and/or a leaf blower for his next birthday, that’s something that you might want to reconsider and get him something else. Or at least pair them with a set of noise-cancelling headphones (preferably waterproof ones).

Not being an individual who hates fun, Owen Wilson continued by adding that he does enjoy actually riding on Jet Skis – throwing in a Greek god reference for good measure – but also further emphasized that they aren’t terrific contributors to a peaceful experience. Said Wilson,

Now I have been on a jet ski; when you're on it, it's great. It's pretty exciting, you feel like Poseidon. The problem is, is if you're standing on the shore being subjected to it, it's not the greatest. It's not Walden's Pond.

Mobius’ love of Jet Skis is just one of many things that Marvel fans have quickly grown to appreciate about the character, and very soon we’ll have the opportunity to watch the next chapter of his story. The third episode of Loki will be going live on Disney+ at midnight PST/3am EST tonight – so be sure to watch, and then come back here to CinemaBlend for our full coverage.

The stars and filmmakers behind Marvel's Disney+ series, Loki, including Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Owen Wilson (Mobius), Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Judge Renslayer), Wunmi Mosaku (Hunter B-15), Kate Herron (Director) and Michael Waldron (Head Writer) discuss their new show with CinemaBlend's Eric Eisenberg. Take an exclusive dive into the inner workings of the TVA and the God of Mischief himself as he wreaks havoc on the Sacred Timeline.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Will Owen Wilson Only Work With Tom Hiddleston on Projects Involving Time Travel?

00:33 - How Tom Hiddleston And The Filmmakers Approached Loki's Big Death Scene In Episode 1

04:44 - Owen Wilson Explains How He Approached Mobius’ Relationship With Loki

05:46 - How James Bond Inspired Gugu Mbatha-Raw's Relationship With Owen Wilson

06:47 - Wunmi Mosaku Breaks Down Hunter B-15 And Her Role At The TVA

07:39 - How The Writers And Owen Wilson Utilized An ‘Encyclopedia’ Of The TVA’s Rules

09:50 - Tom Hiddleston and Kate Herron On Introducing Sophia Di Martino’s Female Loki

11:46 - What Owen Wilson Took From The Set Of Loki

12:16 - Kate Herron On The Inspirations Behind The Awesome Set Designs

14:17 - Owen Wilson Gets Blunt About Jet Skis

In some respects, Disney+'s Loki serves as not merely the return of the titular Marvel malefactor but a comeback for Owen Wilson, who plays a standout supporting role in this popular new program. While the Oscar-nominated screenwriter didn't disappear from the public eye, necessarily, it has been at least a few years since he appeared on screens either big or small. Along with February's Bliss and October's upcoming The French Dispatch, 2021 is promising to be quite a big year for The Royal Tenenbaums actor/writer, and he has a few more exciting projects lined up in the future, including proposed sequels to Wedding Crashers and Shanghai Noon/Knights. Now that Wilson is back in the spotlight, let's take this time to see what's in store for Loki's scene-stealer.

The French Dispatch - October 22nd, 2021 (Completed)

Generally speaking, it's usually a given that Owen Wilson will appear in a new movie from writer-director Wes Anderson. While he was absent for Moonrise Kingdom and Isle of Dogs, the filmmaker's previous film, Wilson will reunite with Anderson to play Herbsaint Sazerac, a magazine writer based on The New Yorker's Joseph Mitchell, in the auteur's latest feature, The French Dispatch. While it's currently unknown how big Wilson's role is in this much-anticipated ensemble piece, he'll be joined by several other famous faces, including (but not limited to) Jeffrey Wright, Timothee Chalamet, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Elisabeth Moss, Saoirse Ronan, and Jason Schwartzman, another frequent Anderson collaborator, to name only a few stars attached to the film.

Previously scheduled for July 24th, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed The French Dispatch back to its current release date, October 22nd, 2021, which follows its scheduled premieres at the Cannes Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Certainly, expectations are always extremely high for a brand new Wes Anderson film, and this one looks like one of the acclaimed filmmaker's most distinguished works yet.

Marry Me - February 11th, 2022 (Completed)

While Jennifer Lopez's eventful love life has been quite a whirlwind of late, her latest romantic comedy, Marry Me, sounds like a bit of a throwback. Paired with Owen Wilson, the actress-musician stars in a romantic comedy about a pop star who is getting ready to marry her fiancé (Maluma), only to discover that he has been unfaithful. In a moment of spontaneity, the world-famous singer decides to pick a random person from her audience (Wilson) and marry him instead. Indeed, it's easy to see how a rom-com with the stars of The Wedding Planner and Wedding Crashers, respectively, could provide audiences with an appealing on-screen wedded duo. Hopefully, that proves to be the case when the new film arrives on February 11th, 2022, i.e. in time for Valentine's Day.

Directed by Kat Coiro, Marry Me is completed but it's waiting for couples to feel more comfortable returning to the movies. Certainly, this type of rom-com could easily be a crowd favorite. It'll be Owen Wilson's first theatrical starring vehicle since 2017's Father Figures. Also, it's fun to see Wilson and Jennifer Lopez reunite after 1997's Anaconda.

Paint - TBA 2022 (Post-Production)

Have you ever imagined what it would be like if Owen Wilson played Bob Ross? Well, that's not exactly what you'll get with Paint, the feature screenwriting and directorial debut of Brit McAdams (Tosh.0), but it might be the closest we ever get to conjuring such an image on the big screen. Per Deadline, this new indie comedy sees Wilson plays Carl Nagle, a Vermont-based public access painter who soothes his devoted viewers with his smooth voice and even smoother brush strokes. His show has resulted in decades of adorning fans, particularly women. But when Carl enters a creative rut, he's dismayed to discover that the station hired a new painter to take over his time slot, in an effort to revitalize the flailing channel. From there, Nagle's insecurities bubble.

Also starring Wendi McLendon-Covey and Stephen Root, Paint is in post-production and it's expected to premiere next year, presumably around the film festival circuits. It should be noted that, along with starring in this new film, Owen Wilson also produced it.

Secret Headquarters - August 12th, 2022 (Filming)

Turns out, Loki won't be Owen Wilson's sole superhero project. Shortly before the Disney+ show's premiere, it was announced that Wilson joined the cast of Secret Headquarters, a high-concept family action movie that follows an ordinary kid who discovers the headquarters of the world’s most famous superhero, which is located underneath his house. Directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (Project Power), this Paramount movie is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and it's currently filming. It's unclear who Wilson plays, but he's joined by Michael Peña in another undisclosed role.

If Owen Wilson is playing a superhero, it'll be enjoyable to see how the actor fares wearing the tights. If he's playing the villain, it'll be entertaining to see him ham it up in a mischievous part. Suffice it to say, Secret Headquarters could easily be a very fun project for Wilson's easygoing screen presence. It's scheduled for August 12th, 2022.

Wedding Crashers 2? - TBA (Reported)

Now that restrictions are loosening a bit, people are slowly but ever surely starting to live their lives to the fullest again. With that, prepare to be invited to a lot of weddings. If you don't get too many RSVP requests but still feel inclined to attend the ceremonies, though, we know a couple of crashers looking to return to the scene — and the screen.

Recently, it was announced that the long-promised Wedding Crashers 2 might finally happen thanks to HBO Max. In June, Twitter was aflutter with reports that the follow-up was finally scheduled to shoot this summer, with production expected to take place in Puerto Rico in August, which is a big turnaround for a sequel that many people didn't know would ever actually exist. Granted, nothing is confirmed just yet, and Owen Wilson dampened expectations a bit by claiming that the movie might not be coming together quite so quickly. Still, it's apparently on the way. Better get your dresses and suits ready.

Shanghai Dawn? - TBA (Rumored)

Likewise, another long-in-the-works, late-in-the-game comedy sequel is Shanghai Dawn, the proposed trilogy conclusion to 2000's Shanghai Noon and 2003's Shanghai Knights. Now that 20 years have passed, it's hard to know how much interest there would be in this long-delayed follow-up, notably as the first two Shanghai films (while well-liked) aren't remembered quite as quickly as other wacky genre-bending comedies from this time. In any case, should the movie come together, it would be nice to see Owen Wilson reunited with Jackie Chan, who shared playful buddy chemistry with the comedy actor.

When Shanghai Dawn was being proposed a few years earlier, it was reported that Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess would direct this long-awaited sequel, based on a script written by Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, who wrote the previous two Shanghai movies. There have been no signs of development (at least publicly) since then, so it's possible that Shanghai Dawn is dead in the water now. Especially in a time when IPs are all the rage, though, maybe we can expect Shanghai Dawn to arrive at a future date.

Loki Season 2? - TBA (Announced)

On June 9th, 2021, Owen Wilson entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Loki, the latest Disney+ show inside the ever-expansive superhero multiverse. Playing the part of the mustachioed Morbius M. Morbius, an advisory agent who uniquely specializes in the investigations of particularly dangerous time criminals, Wilson plays a therapeutic counsel for our mischievous Marvel miscreant in this newly-released streaming series. But how long can someone be truly close to Loki? Morbius may learn the hard way that he's not to be trusted, which should add some spice to their buddy cop-esque dynamic.

Unlike WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki is expected to get another season, though it's unclear what that might entail. The creators are (obviously) keeping mum about what Season 2 might be until closer to the first season's finale; Marvel is all about their secrets. Therefore, we don't know who might return for this proposed new season, though Wilson has expressed interest in returning to this role. We'll have to wait to see what happens between Moribus and Loki in the weeks ahead.

Recent Owen Wilson Projects

Earlier this year, Owen Wilson gave audiences a bit of a mindfuck (if you pardon my french) with Bliss, Amazon Prime's reality-distorting, genre-melting sci-fi drama that follows a dissatisfied middle-aged man (Wilson) who spirals into a reckless lifestyle when a mysterious woman (Salma Hayek) claims that reality isn't how it's perceived. Despite its lofty ambitions and the lead actor's thoughtful performance, Bliss became a disappointing misfire, lacking the genuine intrigue to pull off its intellectual pondering. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Wilson push himself into some soulful dramatic depths.

It should also be noted that Bliss served as Owen Wilson's return to acting, as he was briefly absent from the screen following a string of 2017 movies, including Father Figures, Wonder, Lost in London, and his voice work in Cars 3. During that time, Wilson's only screen credit was a limited role in a pair of episodes of IFC's Documentary Now! The actor also voiced Lightning McQueen in 2018's video game, LEGO The Incredibles.

Stream the latest episodes of Loki on Disney+.

Across its first two episodes, Loki has thrown a lot of interesting stuff at audiences, establishing an expanse that exists outside of time and space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but it hasn’t just been wild sci-fi concepts drawing people in. One of the most curious relationships to be established in the new Disney+ series is between Gugu Mbatha Raw’s Ravonna Renslayer and Owen Wilson’s Mobius – a workplace friendship with a great deal of history in a place where history broadly encompasses past, present, and future.

There’s an exciting dynamic there, and if you’re a big fan of James Bond, you may have picked up on one of the key points of reference for Raw’s performance.

Speaking with the actor earlier this month during the Loki virtual press day, I asked about the fun back-and-forth that Renslayer and Mobius clearly demonstrate in the show’s first two episodes – and while she couldn’t speak for Owen Wilson’s perspective on the matter, Gugu Mbatha Raw noted that she feels that the Time Variance Authority investigator is the 007 to her character’s M. Said Raw,

For those of you not well versed in the James Bond franchise, M is the code name for the person who operates as the head of the Secret Intelligence Service in the United Kingdom. It’s a rotating position, but their primary service in the story is as a voice of authority – albeit a friendly one. They give Bond his orders, and while they have to sometimes bring the hammer down on the heroic agent when he acts a little too brashly, they are also willing to let a few things slide in recognition of his ability to consistently get the job done.

From what we’ve seen from Loki thus far, the comparison is apt. As Mobius hunts the killer variant, he doesn’t want to fully comply with all protocols (by which I mean he wants to enlist the help of Tom Hiddleston’s titular God of Mischief ), and he leans on his personal relationship with Ravonna Renslayer to get the permissions that he needs. Meanwhile, Renslayer clearly has faith that Mobius knows what he is doing, which is why she provides a bit of leniency to his big ideas.

Of course, the relationships aren’t exactly perfect facsimiles of one another, and there definitely is something special about the bond (sorry) between Ravonna Renslayer and Mobius that is different from M and cinema’s most famous martini drinker. Teasing a bit of what’s to come from the characters in upcoming episodes of Loki, Gugu Mbatha Raw said,

Will we get to start seeing more of those layers uncovered in Loki’s third episode? We have absolutely no idea at present – but we don’t have much more time to wait before answers are delivered. The next chapter of the series will be arriving on Disney+ at midnight PST/3am EST this Wednesday. And to see what else is ahead from the MCU on the small screen, be sure to check out our Upcoming Marvel TV guide.

Major spoilers below for Loki's series premiere, so be warned!

After many months of heightened fan anticipation, Disney+ finally brought Tom Hiddleston's Loki out to play with his self-titled streaming show, and the series premiere provided a smorgasbord of memorable moments for Marvel fans to dig their ornamental horns into. To be expected, Loki also left viewers with many questions concerning both this particular God of Mischief's future, as well as what's on the way for the entirety of the MCU.

So do your best to evade Wunmi Mosaku's TVA Hunter and join me in going through some of the biggest unanswered questions left by Loki's series premiere, starting with one of the episode's many flashback elements.

Did Loki Retcon Coulson's Resurrection On Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Two of the biggest respective shocks across any Marvel movies and TV shows came when Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson was killed in The Avengers, and then when he was subsequently brought back to life in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Yet when Owen Wilson's Mobius was calling out Loki's villainous acts, with Coulson's stabbing on full display, the TVA agent keenly left Coulson's resurrection out of the conversation. Considering the way Marvel ticked many fans off by failing to live up to its interconnectivity promise with S.H.I.E.L.D., one has to wonder whether this scene was the MCU's way of retconning the TV series' storylines into another timeline, or if there was another purpose behind the omission. Did Mobius intentionally keep the info hidden, or was the reference meant to foreshadow Coulson's return at some point?

Did Miss Minutes' Video Lay The Groundwork For Marvel's Secret Wars?

One of the Loki premiere's most genius storytelling moves was laying out its complicated TVA exposition via the wonderfully animated instructional video led by the spokes-clock Miss Minutes, as voiced by animation icon Tara Strong. In describing the madness of the multiversal catastrophe, Miss Minutes' casual info-dump seemingly hinted at the extremely far-reaching Marvel Comics arc dubbed Secret Wars. But was the reference meant to imply a Secret Wars film or TV series is on the way, or was it just easier to explain away the Time-Keepers' existence by bringing up a completely unrelated timeline-mashing mega-war? It would be interesting indeed if the TV version of Secret Wars was actually a battle fought long before the present day, but we'll have to wait until things become not so secretive to find out.

Who Is The Hooded Loki Variant, And Are They The Real Villain?

We might as well start this one off with the much-embraced speculation that the hooded character seen in promotional material, and at the end of the premiere, is actually Lady Loki, a comic-originated character that hasn't yet been introduced in the live-action MCU. Such theories were possibly bolstered by the confirmation that Tom Hiddleston's Loki is gender-fluid, not to mention the fact that Comic Loki appeared in many more forms than just man and woman. Personally, I'd be down if the hooded mystery character is revealed to be Unicorn Loki, but I don't think the cloak would fit that version properly. In any case, we know the TVA is tracking this character, but are they in fact a true villain, or will there be a twist along the way that reveals the TVA is actually an antagonistic faction?

What's Up With Those Nightmare References?

Loki's creative team may have unwittingly unlocked several different theory trains that were initially fueled by WandaVision, with one centered on possible references to the freaky Marvel villain Nightmare. First, there was the Kablooie candy the young boy showed to Mobius in the church, which featured an illustrated character's face that shares similar features with Nightmare. Later, Loki called the TVA's vast existence a nightmare, at which point Mobius says that's a different department which he'd be interested in helping destroy. What does that even mean? Why would the TVA have a "nightmare" department in the first place?

Is Loki Going To Introduce Mephisto?

If you looked at the devil in the church's stained glass and your mind immediately went to "MEPHISTO, FINALLY," you are definitely not alone. The demonic Marvel entity was a fan-favorite target of WandaVision speculation, and fans are staying sharp when looking for potential Mephisto-flavored easter eggs. Unfortunately for theorists, the premiere's devil visual was confirmed to be merely a reference to Loki himself, thus the particularly shaped horns. However, that factoid doesn't negate the possibility that Mephisto will still be involved in some way outside of that non-reference. So let's keep hope alive, people!

Will Loki Introduce Kang The Conquerer?

With Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors believed to be playing the time-jaunting Marvel villain Kang the Conquerer in the upcoming sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Loki ramped up the Kang speculation with the introduction of the Time-Keepers. Many viewers found suitable comparisons to make between the middle Time-Keeper and Kang, whose schemes often included trying to take over time itself. Perhaps by setting Kang up as an O.G. Time-Keeper, Marvel is giving him room to fall from grace and cement himself as a frightening force to be reckoned with in the live-action MCU. It could be that the Time-Keeper just bears a passing resemblance, but considering how big Loki is meant to be by way of causing ripples throughout Phase 4, my money is on Kang showing up in one way or another.

There are certainly plenty of other questions to be asked about Loki's series premiere, such as how powerful would Loki be if he stole all the Infinity Stones and other objects from the TVA? As well, I have to wonder if Eugene Cordero's Casey is just naturally missing a few screws or if his mental hiccups are the result of having his memory reset too many times. Thankfully, we have the rest of Season 1 to think about such topics, all while presumably facing even more mysterious moments being introduced in the future. Such is life for Marvel fans.

Loki debuts new episodes every Wednesdays on Disney+ at 3:00 a.m. ET. Be sure to keep up with everything else on the 2021 Summer TV schedule while waiting for new eps.

Everyone’s favorite God of Mischief is back! Loki will finally arrive on Disney+ this Wednesday, June 9, and fans are hyped (myself included). Tom Hiddleston of course reprises his role as the titular character in the TV series, with Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Wunmi Mosaku also starring. In case you need a refresher, Loki stole the Tesseract and created a new timeline during Avengers: Endgame (specifically, in 2012). In this new TV series from Marvel, the alternate version of Loki is brought to the mysterious Time Variance Authority (TVA) and has to face being erased from existence due to being a "time variant" or help fix the timeline and stop a greater threat.

I don't know about you, but I am so ready for this show. Some critics have already seen the first two episodes of Loki and are sharing their thoughts on social media, so let’s take a look.

Our very own Eric Eisenberg was one of those lucky critics who got to see the first two episodes, and it's safe to say that he really enjoyed it! He applauded the "off the charts weirdness" and highly praised Hiddleston's charismatic performance. Here's what Eisenberg had to say:

Collider's Perri Nemiroff also had a very positive first reaction to Loki. She was fascinated by the Time Variance Authority and specifically loved how the story developed our favorite trickster's character. She said:

These early reactions are looking pretty positive so far! Brandon Davis from ComicBook.com had several things to say about the TV show, calling the pairing of Hiddleston and Wilson "glorious." He called Hiddleston charming and brilliant, and was pleasantly surprised with Wilson's "delightful" entrance into the MCU as Mobius. Davis said:

Jenna Busch of Vital Thrills also complimented the pairing of Hiddleston and Wilson, while also pointing out that the biggest hook of Loki is watching the god of mischief's character development. She can't wait to see more, and said:

Germain Lussier from io9 echoed the rest of the reactions we've seen, calling the Disney+ series "catnip for Marvel fans." He complimented Hiddleston's performance and enjoyed the callbacks to previous MCU installments. He also praised Loki for how it expands on the Marvel world that we already know. Though he wished there had been a little more action (granted, these critics only saw the first two episodes, so plenty of time for more action later!), he fell hard for this show, saying:

Wow. (I hope you read that in Owen Wilson's voice.) Critics seem to be loving Loki so far, and we'll soon be able to form our own opinions, as the show releases on Disney+ this Wednesday, June 9.

In the meantime, check out what else is dropping on Disney+ this month.

This June marks a first for Owen Wilson’s career: he’s starring in a comic book project. The longtime Wes Anderson collaborator is taking part in the Disney+ series Loki as the mysterious Mobius M. Mobius, but it turns out that Wilson isn’t just building superhero-related cred by appearing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s also doing so by joining an original superhero movie.

With just a month to go until Loki’s premiere, and following a few months after Owen Wilson’s most recent movie, Bliss, hit Amazon Prime Video, the actor has signed onto Paramount Pictures’ Secret Headquarters. This “high-concept family action movie” follows a kid who discovers the headquarters of the world’s most famous superhero located underneath his home, and from there, he must defend it with a group of friends when supervillains attack. It’s unclear who Wilson will play, although it’s easy enough to imagine him playing the superhero who’s set up the headquarters or one of the villains who’s assaulting it.

Deadline reports that Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, who directed the Netflix original superhero movie Project Power, are helming Secret Headquarters. Thor: Ragnarok’s Christopher Yost wrote the original Secret Headquarters script, but Joost and Schulman are also tackling the current draft with High Fidelity’s Josh Koenigsberg. Jerry Bruckheimer is also attached to produce and will be joined by Chad Oman from Bruckheimer Films.

Marvel and DC may take up most of the superhero movie market, but every now and then, we’ll get something different added to the mix, whether it’s from another comic book company like Valiant (I’m looking at you, Bloodshot) or a completely original project. Secret Headquarters, just like Sylvester Stallone’s upcoming movie Samaritan, falls into the latter category, and I’m curious to see what this particular world of superheroes looks like. Since it sounds like Secret Headquarters is early into the development process, it may be a while until we learn how Owen Wilson is involved in the story.

As far Owen Wilson’s time on Loki goes, Mobius M. Mobius is a member of the Time Variance Authority, which monitors various timelines in the multiverse. Those who saw Avengers: Endgame will remember that an alternate version of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki from the Battle of New York escaped with the Tesseract, but the TVA manages to apprehend him. Mobius and his allies this Loki two choices: be deleted from existence since he’s a “time variant” or help them fix the timeline and stop a greater threat. The Disney+ show’s cast also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku and Richard E. Grant.

We here at CinemaBlend will keep you apprised of Secret Headquarters updates as they come in. In the meantime, Loki premieres on Disney+ June 9, and Owen Wilson’s next movie on the horizon is The French Dispatch, which is expected to come out later this year.

For all the various reasons to be excited for one of the most highly anticipated Marvel TV shows on Disney+, fans are especially jazzed for Owen Wilson’s Loki character - but more for the actor himself joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe than the induction of the man he is playing. A more recent trailer for the upcoming Marvel movies spin-off series, led by Tom Hiddleston as the God of Mischief, revealed just a bit more about how his role as Mobius M. Mobius will fit in with the still somewhat mysterious plot - something that an avid, expert reader of Marvel Comics would likely have been able to pick up on already with ease.

While many fans have had much to say about his grayed hair and mustache and the awesome irony that his co-star, Tom Hiddleston, famously does a wicked impersonation of him, others have been reading up on the history of the role whom Owen Wilson is bringing to life outside of the comics for the very first time on the Loki TV show, and that includes us. In fact, to help better prepare you for when the series becomes available to stream on Disney+ on Friday, June 11, 2021, we have compiled all the most essential information that we could find about Mr. Mobius M. Mobius from the pages of Marvel Comics and, with it, put together the following quick, convenient bio. Quick and convenient and not an exaggeration, by the way, as our list consists of four main facts that may wow you, starting off with a little insight into his occupation.

Mobius M. Mobius Is A Manager At The Time Variance Authority

Created by writer and artist Walt Simonson, the Honorable Mr. Mobius “Moby” M. Mobius is a black-haired, mustachioed bureaucrat who works for the TVA (Time Variance Authority) as a senior executive of middle management. In his Marvel Comics debut (which we will talk about in more detail soon), we learn he originally held a position in junior management before rising up in the ranks at the organization, which has a fascinating purpose.

The Time Variance Authority, also the brainchild of Walt Simonson with fellow artist Sal Buscema, was first introduced in Marvel Comics in a 1986 issue of Thor, coincidentally. As a recent Loki trailer sheds light on, the agency closely monitors the multiverse’s individual realities to make sure things, including time itself, run smoothly. Much like his tampering with events of 2012’s The Avengers in Loki’s Avengers: Endgame cameo, the TVA has cracked down on a few bumps in the space-time continuum in the comics, some created by even the most heroic characters.

Mobius M. Mobius Has Tried Fantastic Four And She-Hulk For Time Violations

Despite the Time Variance Authority’s introduction five years earlier, Mobius M. Mobius would not appear in Marvel Comics until June 1991 in Fantastic Four Vol 1. #353. The issue sees Marvel’s superhero family taken in by TVA agent Justice Peace and prosecuted by Mobius for various offenses, including the destruction of a Time Bubble intended for the ridding of their timeline decades later, before managing to escape and erasing their criminal record, which put Mobius in hot water.

Mobius M. Mobius would also assume a judicial position at the Time Variance Authority, as seen in the February 2006 issue of She-Hulk in which Jennifer Walters is tried for warning Hawkeye about his impending death. In other words, Mobius has a bit of an antagonistic quality in the comics which Owen Wilson’s portrayal in Loki seems to be slightly diverting from. Other than his hair color, that may or may not be the only creative liberty the series is taking with the character.

Mobius M. Mobius Is One Of Many Clones Working At The Time Variance Authority

Something about Mobius M. Mobius that the promotional material for Loki has not revealed is that, like other employees of the Time Variance Authority, he has genetically engineered physiology due to actually being a clone. To better explain this, in the comics, the very bottom of the TVA’s corporate rank system is entirely inhabited by faceless drones performing the more thankless tasks, while everyone in a middle management level position appears more human, but are also identical. As a senior executive, Mobius is essentially in charge of himself.

It is difficult to tell from the trailers if the TVA’s rank system will be portrayed in Loki the same as it is in the comics as most employees who have appeared have faces that are also unique to one another. If writer Michael Waldron and director Kate Herron are just saving that element for the series’ premiere, we may be seeing a lot of Owen Wilsons running around. “Wow,” indeed.

Mobius M. Mobius Was Based On A Real Marvel Writer

The world of the Time Variance Authority and Mobius M. Mobius’ role in it all sounds so bizarre, it is a wonder how Walt Simonson was able to come up with it all as there is no chance this is all grounded in any sort of reality. Well, as it turns out, there is some truth to the inspiration behind the character, whose original design is said to be modeled after fellow Marvel Comics writer Mark Gruenwald.

The comic book legend is famous for writing more Captain America issues than anyone else and creating many notable characters, such as U.S. Agent - whom Wyatt Russell’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier character John Walker is adapted from. He would hold various titles at Marvel Comics until his death of a heart attack in 1996, including Editor-in-Chief and the publisher’s continuity expert. This is where the idea to have clones of Mark Gruenwald managing timelines in the multiverse at the TVA came from.

You know, a fun fact about Mobius M. Mobius’ name that mathematicians might have picked up on is how it pays reference to a Möbius strip. Discovered by August Ferdinand Möbius and Johann Benedict Listing in 1858, it is demonstrated by joining two ends of a rectangular strip at a 180-degree twist to create what appears as a one-sided surface on infinite loop, which, metaphorically, is Owen Wilson’s objective that Loki has made more difficult by stealing the tesseract, it seems. When Loki premieres on Disney+ this summer, we shall then find out how (or, better yet, if) the God Mischief will help repair the damages.