Major spoilers below for the new crime drama Night Always Comes, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched via Netflix subscription.

Vanessa Kirby characters have had a hell of a year so far, having already helped save the planet from getting eaten up by a enormous threat as Sue Storm in Fantastic Four: First Steps. While her A+ parenting skills were on display in the MCU film, the actress’ new Netflix movie Night Always Comes instead sees her as a desperate daughter and brother driven to committing unsavory and malicious acts across a long and winding night.

Rarely does my blood pressure spike vicariously due to a fictional character’s stress, but holy shit, watching Kirby’s Lynette make decisions throughout Night Always Comes is like watching a wedding ring bounce around a sewer drain before falling in, knowing only bad things will ensue, but without being able to stop it. She’s the kind of person whose presence automatically shifts a room’s vibe from “casual” to “sketchy” in half a second, and it gets increasingly harder to watch her as the film goes on.

On the whole, Night Always Comes feels like a wire-tense ‘70s thriller (sex work industry included) that isn’t as interested in thrills as spotlighting one character spiraling out over money, and not for the first time in life. For all that she earns empathy for being a loving sister to her Downs-afflicted brother Kenny (The Peanut Butter Falcon standout Zack Gottsagen), and for still living at home with their mother Doreen (Jennifer Jason Leigh), Lynette is a lightning rod for fucked up chaos, and made my skeleton want to vacate my skin several times while watching. Let’s relive them, shall we?

1. Lynette Speeding Away After Stealing Scott's Car

Going into this movie blind was perhaps not the ideal choice, as it got all the way up to the scene with Randall Park's Scott with me just thinking this was going to be a "hard conversation" movie, where Lynette would be debasing herself through dialogue to try and acquire the thousands of dollars needed to save her family's home. I mean, part of that is true, as debasing is indeed the name of the game for some characters.

But after it's made clear that Scott is one of the sleaziest and nauseating characters Randall Park will ever play, Lynette sees Scott's car key fob, and makes her first move that nearly sent me climbing the walls with second-hand stress. Obviously she steals his car, and she drives away from their hotel way too fast for such pedestrian-friendly streets. I get that she's trying to put quick distance between them, but still, her running over someone in a stolen car would be WAY WORSE than her escaping at a slightly slower speed.

It's not even a case where she wants a joyride or temporary ownership of the car itself. Her whole point is just to leave his car somewhere he won't easily find it as punishment for not even attempting to use his job influence to get her access to the money she needs. I mean, he's 100% on the right side of things for that choice, but he's still an icky sleazeball.

2. Lynette Violently Giving A Dude A Seizure Via Blunt Force Trauma

Lynette's grand theft auto tactics quickly evolve into something more violent, leading to another "GET ME THE HELL-SHIT OUT OF HERE!" situation. Realistically, Lynette's conversation with Stephan James' Cody would be enough to make a longer version of this list, with all of its stereotyping implications. But things soon get worse after they visit Drew (Sean Martini) to get help breaking into the safe Lynette stole from Julia Fox's Gloria.

Nothing about this situation was above the board. Not having to walk in the dark behind buildings to reach the "front" door to the house, nor the face-tatted shitbird kissing his presumably intoxicated mother on the head before handling business, as it were. So it wasn't exactly unexpected when Drew turned out to be a disappointment of a human being by literally breaking into the safe in an irreversible way, all while Kirby's character hung in the balance between righteous action and detatched submission.

Aggression quickly took over, though, after Drew held her at knife point. (Technically box cutter-point.) Once things got physical betwen Drew and Cody, Lynette's shot at escape was hindered by only one thing: Drew's brother Carl (Ben Rezendes). But she took care of that dude by throwing two big-ass wrenches at his lunky head, with her last weaponized throw sending him into a full-on seizure that was serious enough for Drew to stop his own scuffle to stand over Carl in horror. And amidst gather whatever loose money she can get her hands on, Lynette is shocked into hesitation as she considers the weight of her actions. And then she's off!

2.5. Lynette Speaking To Her Unspoken HIstory With Tommy

This doesn't quite stand up to being a full entry, but Lynette's last-hours visit with Michael Kelly's Tommy takes a predictably dark turn when it's repeatedly implied that he was paying her for sex when she was a 16-year-old minor. Given how terribly her conversation with Scott went, I was so nervous she was going to set Tommy's house on fire or some other irreversibly damaging act.

3. The Seconds Just Before Lynette Smashed A Vase Over Blake's Head

In case anyone forgot just how good genre director (and Inglorious Basterds co-star) Eli Roth is at playing a complete douche-nozzle, Night Comes Along could get a magnum opus distinction, give just how transparently slimy he is. By that point in the night, Lynette's was seemingly in permanent shock, and given the scenes placement in the third act, just seeing Roth's Blake smile at Lynette's distress made me want to run out of my living room, my house, and and neighborhood even before things could reach peak havoc. The sound dropping out definitely didn't help my comfort levels.

Even the way he made a point of fixing the earbud in his ear as he grodily embraced her made my skin crawl. I guess that just helped make it slightly easier to watch when Lynette smashed a glass vase over his head before dashing out of the room to try and find her brother. It didn't make watching what followed easier, though.

Basically trapped and surrounded by non-peers, Lynette gets her ass handed to her for a few before smashing a glass table with her back and cutting it up in the process. She miraculously makes it through that ordeal without being sent to the hospital or mortuary, though she likely wished one of those outcomes would have happened when she later realized that all of her desperate efforts were for nothing, and that her mother never intended to join her fight to keep their house.

Had Night Always Comes entered the 2025 movie schedule as a trashy exploitation movie, a darkly comedic crime caper or an over-the-top revenge thriller, it might not have been quite so hard to stomach scenes where shit goes sideways. But Kirby's performance, as well as those of her co-stars, keep the heightened drama feeling almost too genuine, and if anyone needs me, I'll be sweeping up all the fingernails I chewed through while watching.

If you’ve been watching the Marvel movies in order or tracking the upcoming Marvel movies, you know the cinematic universe delivers on big battles and layered storytelling. However, some of its best moments are the quiet ones. Case in point: a simple magic trick that began as a joke in Ant-Man and the Wasp and evolved into a mini character arc. Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang learns close-up magic, and Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo takes that trick and makes it his own across multiple appearances.

This little MCU continuity gem was highlighted by the Instagram user @UnitedEgo, which shared a fan-cut video montage, which you can watch embedded below, connecting the dots. The post in question revolves around the sleight-of-hand magic trick that's performed by both Scott Lang and Jimmy Woo across different Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. Check it out:

Let’s rewind. In Ant-Man and the Wasp (streamable with a Disney+ subscription), Jimmy Woo is tasked with checking up on Scott Lang, who’s under house arrest. Scott, ever the creative dad, has been teaching himself close-up magic to pass the time. He casually shows off a trick, leaving Jimmy both skeptical and secretly impressed. His reaction? A baffled “how’d you do that?” followed by some clear curiosity.

Flash forward to Jimmy's return in WandaVision, during which he flips out a business card like a pro magician when introducing himself to Monica Rambeau. It’s a quick moment but, if you’ve been following his character arc, it’s also a deeply satisfying one. He didn’t just learn magic offscreen for no reason. It’s a full-circle moment rooted in a character beat from years earlier.

In interviews, Randall Park has spoken about how challenging it was to learn the card flip and how rewarding it was to film it. He recalled that while filming Ant-Man and the Wasp, a real magician was on set teaching Paul Rudd the tricks. Park admitted he was genuinely intrigued and thought it’d be cool to learn someday. I'm not sure if Park expected that “someday” would come full circle in WandaVision, where he’d get to show off his own magical chops in a character-defining callback.

These little threads are what make the MCU more than just a collection of new and upcoming superhero movies. They turn even the smallest background moments into long-running character development. It’s MCU storytelling at its sneakiest and sweetest. What's also great is that the trick even comes back into play during a brief lunch scene between Scott and Jimmy in 2023's Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Jimmy Woo mastering a magic trick over multiple appearances may not shift the multiverse, but it’s a quiet nod to continuity, character growth, and, let’s be honest, Paul Rudd’s underrated role as a mentor in the most unexpected ways. Also, can we all just admit that Woo is an MCU character who needs more screen time? Where was his director’s chair in the five and ½ hour-long Avengers: Doomsday cast reveal?

The next MCU movie headed to the big screen is Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is set to hit theaters on July 25 as part of the 2025 movie release schedule.

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.

There are a lot of shows on the 2025 TV schedule worth checking out, and one of them recently premiered on CBS. After watching the premiere of Watson, I can confirm its description as a "doc-tective" series is apt, and I think it has a lot of potential. I say that with extreme confidence after watching the first episode, which featured one thing I'm really excited about.

Morris Chestnut is about as great a leading man as possible, even though his character, John H. Watson, was the sidekick in the famous Sherlock Holmes stories. The end of the pilot episode, currently available with a Paramount+ subscription, shows us another iconic character of the franchise, and it's what I'm most excited about in this series.

Randall Park As Moriarty Was An Unexpected Surprise

Watson does something great early in the episode when we witness a flashback in which the main character sees his former partner, Sherlock Holmes, battling his rival Moriarty before they both plunge into a river. The shot is from so far away it's impossible to see who the actors are playing the two legendary characters, but it's enough to get your mind wondering on who they could possibly be. At the episode's end, we get the answer on one of them, and it's none other than Randall Park.

Readers likely know Park from the litany of shows and movies he's done over the years, including quite a few projects on network television. We've seen him do everything from the family sitcom to the MCU, but Watson is a unique role for the actor. Sure, he played Kim Jong Un in the comedy The Interview, but this will be the first time he's played a villain quite so serious as Professor James Moriarty.

It's an unconventional casting, but one that I don't imagine was taken lightly. As I mentioned, Randall Park is a pretty prolific actor in Hollywood, and I can't imagine bringing him on for the CBS series was the most budget-friendly option. Watson clearly has a plan for Park as Moriarty, and so far I can say I'm ready to see where they go with it.

Randall Park Is More Known For Comedy Than Drama, So How Will This Work?

As I mentioned, Randall Park isn't often playing a villain in his roles. He's the everyman funny guy, even when he has a more serious job like the handler for a superhero. The bulk of his career was built on comedy, and even in his opening Watson scene, there's a sense that his comedic chops are shining through. He has such a cornball smile that one wouldn't expect from a bad guy, especially Moriarty.

Moriarty is a criminal mastermind in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes book, basically acting as the anti-Sherlock in his appearances. He acts more in service to other criminals, helping them strategize and evade law enforcement, all for a cut of their profits in their criminal enterprises.

My gut instinct is to say that Randall Park is too nice and affable to be Moriarty, but the reality is, I'm not sure that's true. Sure, Moriarty was created to be a foil to Sherlock Holmes, but there's actually very little written about him in the original books. He only appears in a couple of adventures, and actually there are more episodes of Star Trek that feature Moriarty as a character than Doyle-penned Sherlock Holmes stories that directly feature the villain.

All this to say, while Randall Park's Moriarty may be different from the portrayals of the character we've seen in more modern adaptations of Sherlock Holmes, I can't sit here and act like that immediately makes it inaccurate. Not only that, but we previously covered how Watson seems to make a lot of key changes to important characters from the franchise, so it's not like he'll be the odd man out in doing something a bit differently than expected.

Who Will Be The Sherlock Holmes To Rival Randall Park's Moriarty?

Now that we know who Moriarty is, I suspect Watson has opened Pandora's Box. While Sherlock Holmes is said to be dead in the CBS series, the fact that we saw Moriarty survive almost has to mean there's a solid chance that the great detective is also around somewhere as well. The gauntlet has been thrown down with Randall Park as the villain, so who will be the polar opposite and play Sherlock Holmes?

I'm curious about the possibilities, but as mentioned, I think it's dangerous territory for Watson. After all, this is a medical detective series centered on Dr. Watson, and bringing in Sherlock no doubt will make the audience interested in the title hero. Such is the risk when making a series about the sidekick, as you can't make a Robin series and then not dangle the carrot of Batman almost immediately.

For that reason, I can't help but think we'll see who is playing Sherlock Holmes by the end of Watson Season 1. If that doesn't happen, I don't think I'll be disappointed, but I can imagine that there will be viewers continuing to question whether the character is alive and if we'll get to see them in future seasons (should CBS renew it).

Let's just hope that if Watson decides to give us Sherlock Holmes, it's an actor as offbeat and surprising as a choice as Randall Park. I think that the only way it works is if we get someone as equally unexpected in the role, but I could be wrong. After all, Morris Chestnut makes for an excellent Watson, and I wouldn't want to see anyone else doing the role. Perhaps a more conventional Sherlock would make for better chemistry between the two of them? We'll just have to wait and see if it happens.

Starting February 16, Watson begins airing Sundays at 9:00 p.m. ET. The series is off to a strong start, in my opinion, especially with this unique casting for its big bad. I can only hope it keeps up the momentum as we watch Season 1, and that audiences respond and give it a lot of love.

For over 15 years now, we’ve been witness to all the Marvel movies in order, and what a journey it has been! We’ve come a long way since Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man first took flight, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe introducing so many characters into its movies and TV shows, that some of our favorites just haven’t had enough of the limelight yet. Let’s talk about the MCU characters that could use more screen time than they’ve currently been given.

Valkyrie

After the dismal reaction to Thor: The Dark World, the God of Thunder had an awesome comeback in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. The third Thor movie was partially awesome due to the debut of Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, who instantly became a fan favorite for her wit and all-around standout performance. Despite all the love for Valkyrie, she’s remained on the sidelines in every one of her appearances.

Captain Carter

OK, so technically Hayley Atwell had a television series on ABC in the early days of the MCU called Agent Carter, but watching that series only made me want to see the character more. Especially when Peggy Carter came back in the Multiverse Saga for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness for a short cameo and in animated form for …What If? Captain America’s great love is one of the most interesting MCU characters who deserves to have her hero’s journey fleshed out more.

Maria Hill

Early in the MCU, Cobie Smulder’s Maria Hill was established as a key part of the universe in The Avengers as Nick Fury’s right hand, but over the years, she’s never really gotten any sort of major arc in either of the movies or TV shows yet, despite sharing she’d love to do more. She was barely in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and has mostly been used for a few jokes here and there over the years.

Morgan Stark

One of the most heartbreaking arcs in the MCU was the death of Tony Stark, especially after it was revealed that the character had a daughter with Pepper Potts, named Morgan Stark. (We’ll never forget the “I love you 3000” line). While it does make sense to wait a bit before we see Morgan Stark again, it would be interesting to catch up with the daughter of Iron Man, and see how her life progresses in the MCU following Endgame.

Jimmy Woo

Randall Park’s FBI agent character Jimmy Woo was first seen in 2018’s Ant-Man and the Wasp as Scott Lang’s parole officer. Woo has since been seen in WandaVision and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in brief roles. Sure, Jimmy Woo isn’t a huge Marvel character or anything, but Park is so hilarious, I’d love it if he earned a larger role in the universe.

Okoye

One of the best Black Panther characters is definitely Danai Gurira’s Okoye, who has had somewhat of a central role in both of the movies, but when you look at the screen time she actually had (about 13 minutes in Black Panther and 16 minutes in Wakanda Forever), she’s still rather a minor character. The former general of the Dora Milaje and head of Wakandan armed forces isn’t just very impressive in her strength and power, but a magnetic character I’d watch a whole movie about.

M’Baku

Winston Duke got on the Hollywood map due to his role in Black Panther, and while he was only in the first movie for about six minutes, he left a lasting impression on fans that had us wanting to see more. Especially following the end of Wakanda Forever, where he actually assumes the role of King of Wakanda. Here’s hoping the next Black Panther project gives him more to do.

Adam Warlock

As soon as Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock was announced to be part of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel fans were excited to see the cosmic being in live action. However, it felt like the third Guardians movie didn’t really know what to do with the character, and is admittedly filed under “the worst thing” in our list of best and worst parts of every Marvel movie. The character deserves some redemption!

Cosmo the Spacedog

In the final Guardians of the Galaxy movie, James Gunn decided to introduce one of the cutest Marvel characters, Cosmo, but she was barely in the film! The Labrador astronaut, who has enhanced intelligence and psychic powers is such a fun and hilarious character, especially as voiced by Maria Bakalova. While it seems like the Guardians movies have wrapped up, I would love to see more of Cosmo.

Lady Sif

In the original Thor movie, Jaimie Alexander’s Lady Sif was brought on board the MCU as an Asgardian warrior and good friend to the God of Thunder. However, the heroic character, who is based on the Norse goddess who is known as the wife of Thor, had an anticlimactic role in the franchise. After showing up for around eight minutes in the first movie, her only other big appearance was in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. She’d be a solid character to show up in the next Thor movie.

Moon Knight

Oscar Isaac’s Moon Knight getting a TV show rather than a big-screen movie will always be a mystery to me. Sure, he’s not the most popular Marvel hero, but given the studio has sold us on all sorts of smaller characters over the years, I don’t see why an antihero with dissociative identity disorder with roots in Egyptian mythology would have pulled in a crowd.

Korg

Not only is Thor: Ragnarok a movie that is so much fun on its own, but it also introduces Taika Waititi’s hilarious character of Korg, a Kronan warrior who Thor meets on Sakaar. Korg has only had short supporting moments in the last two Thor movies, but because he’s so loveable, we’d happily catch his return.

Quicksilver

Aaron Taylor-Johnson played Quicksilver, the brother to Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but had a hero’s death while shielding civilians from gunfire coming from Ultron. We have to wonder if the MCU would ever bring back the actor’s version of the character, especially after the multiverse was opened up. The actor has since jumped to playing another Marvel character for Sony’s Spider-Verse with the Kraven The Hunter movie.

Wong

When Doctor Strange came out in 2016, Benedict Wong’s role of Wong introduced the keeper of ancient books of the mystic arts. Since the MCU has progressed, Wong has been promoted to the Sorcerer Supreme. Following his title shift, we’re thinking about how the character could get a bigger spotlight that follows his own adventures.

America Chavez

When it was announced that America Chavez was coming to the MCU, we were excited to get to know the hero, also known as Miss America. Xochitl Gomez was highlighted in the key plot of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but she deserves a lot more attention in the MCU. Perhaps, she could be in the Young Avengers team we think the MCU is quietly setting up.

Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire)

After Tobey Maguire was the first big-screen Spider-Man in a trilogy of blockbuster films, his Spider-Man joined the MCU in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. While we imagine his appearance was more for nostalgic purposes, we’d genuinely love to see Tobey’s Peter Parker be part of the MCU again, and perhaps see Sam Raimi do the Spider-Man 4 movie that was previously cancelled. Spider-Man 3 ended the character on such a sour note, and the actor makes for such an awesome version of the hero.

Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield)

Andrew Garfield was such a Spider-Man in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man movies, however, they came at the time right before Disney earned the rights to the character. So, the cord was pulled on Garfield’s version and Tom Holland was part of the reboot. Garfield’s version technically joined the MCU when he showed up in Spider-Man: No Way Home. We’d love to see Garfield return to the MCU with his Spidey brothers, and perhaps continue where his movies left off.

J. Jonah Jameson

In Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man movies, J.K. Simmons was perfectly cast as J. Jonah Jameson, so we were unsurprised when the MCU cast him as the character for short cameos in Tom Holland’s movies. Except in the version we’ve seen, he’s only been seen on TV screens across the city. We don’t have a lot of Spider-Man 4 details right now, but wouldn’t it be fun if Holland’s Peter Parker began working for him?

Ned Leeds

Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds has always been such a fun addition to the Spider-Man movies with Tom Holland. Ned is Spider-Man’s “guy in the chair”, but the comic book character has more of a backstory that can be explored in upcoming Spider-Man movies. In the Spider-Man comics, Edward Leeds becomes a supervillain called the Hobgoblin!!

MJ

Mary-Jane Watson has always been an iconic part of the Spider-Man universe, but the character herself has yet to ever get a larger role that surpasses simply being a love interest to Spider-Man. Zendaya’s MJ is a step in the right direction for the character, but we have to wonder if there’s more the MCU could do with her.

Dane Whitman

When it was announced Kit Harrington was joining the MCU in 2019 in the role of Dane Whitman/Black Knight, we thought it was going to be a much bigger deal than it turned out to be. Harrington ended up having a rather anticlimactic role in Eternals, and we’re not even sure if we’ll get the payoff for the awesome character who has been in teams like the Avengers and Defenders in the comics.

Kate Bishop

When it comes to the best Marvel TV shows, Hawkeye is definitely one of the good ones, especially for how perfectly it established the character of Kate Bishop. Hailee Steinfeld hit the bullseye when it comes to portraying the second generation of Hawkeye. After being in her own TV show, Kate showed up in The Marvels mid-credits scene with Kamala Khan, and we hope the MCU does promote her to an Avenger.

The Collector

In the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, Benicio del Toro’s take on The Collector was brought into the MCU. He’s a villain in Marvel comics with a long history dating back to 1966 and tons of storylines with the Avengers and such, however, so far del Toro’s character has only had a few cameos.

Zeus

The king of the gods, Zeus, has even entered the MCU. In Thor: Love and Thunder, Russell Crowe had a small role as the Greek mythology legend. Since it’s such an epic character, and Crowe is an incredible talent, we’d be hyped for Zeus to have more screen time.

Luis

In Ant-Man, Michael Peña brought lots of laughs to the MCU as Luis. The character doesn’t have a comic backstory, and is really just a regular guy who used to be the cellmate of Scott Lang. However, Luis is so genuinely hilarious that we’ve missed him lately. We were especially bummed that he wasn’t in the third Ant-Man movie.

Namor

In the second Black Panther movie, audiences were introduced to the king of the underwater kingdom of Talokan, Namor. Tenoch Huerta did a fantastic job playing the villain of Wakanda Forever, and while he was technically defeated by Shuri in the movie, he’s very much alive, and is an interesting enough character to get more screen time, somehow.

Heimdall

It’s a shame that Idris Elba’s Heimdall died in Avengers: Infinity War, because the Asgardian gatekeeper was never really given much of a role in the MCU. The character could sustain a movie on his own considering what he does on Asgard, but here’s hoping he is still afforded the chance.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes

Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes was introduced in Iron Man 2, after Terrance Howard previously played the character in the first movie. Rhodes has become a member of the Avengers as War Machine / Iron Patriot, but he’s definitely been among the members of the team that’s not highlighted enough. At least the character is still reportedly set to front his own movie called Armor Wars, which would be very much deserved.

Madisynn King

In She-Hulk, a hilarious MCU character was born with Patty Guggenheim’s Madisynn (“with two n’s and one “y”, but it’s not where you think”). She was accidentally sent to a hellish dimension before crossing paths with Benedict Wong’s Wong, which she lovingly calls “Wongers.” She’s a laugh-out-loud addition to the universe that’d be so fun to see pop up again somewhere.

Sharon Carter

The niece of Peggy Carter, Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter has been in two Captain America movies, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and an episode of What If...? But still, it never fully feels like the MCU knows what to do with her. Perhaps if she was interwoven into the plotline more, she could have deeper ties to the universe.

Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine

Julia Louis-Dreyfuss’ Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is the director of the CIA in the MCU, who has been sprinkled in recent chapters in the MCU and is set to be part of the Thunderbolts cast. Currently, she isn’t giving us a lot to care about her, so here’s hoping the MCU does her character right and gives her more screen time going forward.

Hulk

May we remind you that Hulk is the only member of the original Avengers who has never been given his own solo project? It’s so wild! Yes, he left a huge mark on the main Avengers saga, but Mark Ruffalo is so good as Bruce Banner, that he deserves his own arc without being part of a team.

The idea of having roommates has never been more fun thanks to FOX’s comedy series, New Girl. Even though it’s been over and done with for years, it remains one of the most rewatchable TV shows ever. Aside from hitting play on the hilarious sitcom for all the great bits in the loft, it’s also a blast for all the major actors who guest-starred over the years. While there are way too many for this list to hold, we’ve compiled some of the biggest names that appeared on the show.

Jamie Lee Curtis

Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis guest starred as the mother of Zooey Deschanel’s Jess Day in the Season 2 episode, “Parents.” Curtis was a great pick to match the quirky spirit of the sitcom’s leading character, and she returned to the series five more times after her initial debut on the series in Season 2.

Taylor Swift

When one thinks of Taylor Swift, sure, “actor” isn’t the first title that comes to mind, but over the years the phenomenon of a singer/songwriter has racked up numerous acting credits in projects like The Lorax, Cats and Amsterdam along. Oh, and what about all those epic Taylor Swift music videos? Anyways, Swift made an appearance in the Season 2 finale of New Girl when Cece is getting married to Shivrang. At the altar, the groom calls off the wedding to say that he wants to marry Swift’s character of Elaine instead.

Prince

One of the most memorable moments in New Girl has to be when the cast is invited to go to a party at Prince’s house… and they actually meet Prince. The Season 3 episode came about thanks to the iconic artist expressing interest in appearing in the show as a fan of the comedy. There’s nothing like that scene when Nick and Jess have a freakout when he appears.

Tiffany Haddish

Girls Trip actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish had a small role in the Season 3 episode “Exes” as a date of Damen Wayans Jr’s Coach. She is part of the plotline of Schmidt deciding to get his own apartment and encouraging Winston and Coach to use the place whenever they like for their hookups. In the scene, all three of them have used it at once and it freaks out Haddish’s character of Leslie.

Rob Reiner

All In The Family’s Rob Reiner returned to the sitcom fold as Jess Day’s dad, Bob, in multiple episodes of New Girl. The beloved actor (and director of classics like The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally, Misery, This Is Spinal Tap and Stand By Me) was in eleven total episodes of the series, appearing in almost every season of the show.

Lisa Bonet

The Cosby Show’s Lisa Bonet guest starred in the Season 4 episode “Teachers” as an education guru named Brenda Brown. Jess and Coach meet the character while attending together. She calls Coach out for his attitude during the presentation that causes him to stop being Jess’s “buffer” while she tries to ignore her feelings for a British teacher she’s crushing on at her school.

Kaitlin Olson

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kaitlin Olson (who is back for Season 17 of the comedy) guest starred in New Girl for two episodes in Season 4. She plays Bob Day’s much younger fiancée, who happened to be the high school rival of Jess and Cece back in the day.

Josh Gad

The Book of Mormon and Frozen’s beloved snowman voice actor Josh Gad guest starred in three separate episodes of New Girl (in Season 2, 3 and 4) as a delivery man named Bearclaw who falls head over heels with Jess. He first appears in the episode “Katie” as a blind date gone wrong before also being in “Birthday” and “Walk of Shame.”

Dermot Mulroney

My Best Friend’s Wedding actor Dermot Mulroney is “Fancyman” in New Girl. The actor appeared as a guest star in eight episodes of the show throughout its run after becoming a favorite in Season 1. In the two part episode “Fancyman,” he is introduced as the wealthy father of one of Jess’s students who she strikes up a romance with.

Olivia Rodrigo

Yes, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series actress turned massive pop star Olivia Rodrigo was on New Girl, but it was before reaching mega-stardom. In the Season 6 episode “Young Adult,” Rodrigo plays one of the students in Jess’s school who becomes a huge fan of Nick Miller’s novel The Pepperwood Chronicles. In an effort for her students (including Rodrigo’s character of Terrinea) to like her better, Jess sets up a meeting between a few of the students and Nick.

Megan Fox

In Season 5 of New Girl, Zooey Deschanel was pregnant in real life and since that was not in the cards yet for Jess Day, the decision was made to have her character leave for a while on Jury Duty while Deschanel went on maternity leave. The creators decided to bring in Megan Fox’s Reagan to take Jess’s place and she ended up being part of 15 episodes of the series. Fox is of course also known for being in the Transformers movies, Jennifer’s Body and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie.

Alan Ritchson

Before Alan Ritchson starred in one of the best Amazon Prime shows, Reacher, the actor had a memorable guest spot on New Girl in the episode “Micro”. In the Season 4 episode, Ritchson used his comedic chops as a guy Jess is seeing who she struggles with getting past the fact that Ritchson’s Matt has a micro penis.

Henry Winkler

Happy Days and Barry actor Henry Winkler appeared in New Girl (alongside the incredible Julie Hagerty and Taran Killam) in the Season 5 episode “What About Fred.” In the episode, Jess is dating a guy named Fred (Killam), who she finds very boring, but falls for spending time with his charismatic parents Winkler and Hagerty’s Flip and Nancy.

Parker Posey

Parker Posey, aka the “Queen of the Indies,” especially during the best movies of the 1990s, had a great guest appearance in New Girl during the Season 2 episode “Re-Launch.” Schmidt is having a re-branding party for himself and Posey plays a dishevelled shot girl who was not as advertised.

John Cho

Star Trek’s John Cho appeared on New Girl for the Season 5 episode “Jury Duty.” Jess tries to get out of getting on a case for a chance to be acting principal. She asks her friends to help, but fails miserably in front of Cho’s character, who ends up being the man questioning her for the case after they initially have a flirty meet-cute.

Adam Brody

The OC and Nobody Wants This’s Adam Brody was one of Jess’s ex-boyfriend’s, Berkley, in the Season 3 episode, “Exes.” In the episode, Jess tries to prove to Nick that exes can still be friends by introducing him to Berkley, but she’s proved wrong when she finds out his true intentions.

Quinta Brunson

Before Quinta Brunson was the Emmy-winning creator and star of the hit ABC comedy, Abbott Elementary, she had a brief role in New Girl, in the Season 7 episode “Mario.” When Nick is trying to propose to Jess, she unexpectedly adopts a dog, throwing off his plans. Brunson plays a restaurant host that Nick speaks to on the phone as the plans shift.

Stephen Amell

Arrow star Stephen Amell, who played the Green Arrow for eight seasons on The CW, was on New Girl for a couple of episodes in Season 1. He played Cece’s jerk boyfriend Kyle in “The 23rd” and “Valentine’s Day.” Cece ends things with Kyle in the latter episode after realizing she has feelings for Schmidt.

Jessica Biel

7th Heaven and The Sinner actress Jessica Biel stopped by New Girl for the Season 4 premiere “The Last Wedding.” When the gang goes to yet another wedding, Biel plays a single woman who ends up competing with Jess to earn the affection of its best man (played by Reid Scott).

Justin Long

Justin Long had a memorable guest star arc on the first season of New Girl. He plays Paul Genzlinger, a music teacher co-worker of Jess’s whom she starts dating in time for the show’s first Thanksgiving episode. Paul is often thought of as a male version of Jess. After the couple date for about a month and breakup, Long made a re-appearance in Season 4’s “Walk Of Shame.”

Linda Cardellini

New Girl fans got to meet Jess’s sister, Abby Day, in Season 3 through Linda Cardellini’s three-episode arc. The Dead To Me actress plays Jess’s troublemaker older sibling, who is just about completely opposite to the sitcom’s leading actress. Jess is constantly embarrassed by Abby’s behavior when she comes to stay in the loft after Jess saves her from prison.

Alexandra Daddario

Baywatch and The White Lotus’ Alexandra Daddario played one of the neighbors to the New Girl gang in two episodes of the series. Daddario’s Michelle is deemed as one of the “hot” new neighbors that Schmidt, Winston, Coach scramble to impress after their first meeting left something to be desired. Daddario appears in Season 3’s “Mars Landing” and Season 4’s “Goldmine.”

Andy Samberg

For quite a few years, New Girl and Brooklyn Nine-Nine were both big comedies airing on FOX at the same time. So in Season 6, the networks decided to crossover the comedies with a special New York episode for New Girl. While the friends are in the Big Apple, Jess gets some help from Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta and the other cast. (The cast of New Girl was also on an episode of B99 called “The Night Shift” that aired the same week in 2016).

Peter Gallagher

The OC’s Peter Gallagher was in multiple episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s father, Gavin. The vineyard owner first appears in the Season 5 episode “D-Day” when Jess is assisting Schmidt with wedding preparations. Gallagher, who has also been in famous movies like American Beauty and While You Were Sleeping, was a great fit to play Schmidt’s absentee dad.

Randall Park

Before Randall Park became the star of Fresh Off The Boat, Always Be My Maybe and WandaVision, he was briefly in a Season 1 episode of New Girl as an employee at a phone company (with frosted tips), who makes fun of Nick for his crazy low credit score.

Natasha Lyonne

Natasha Lyonne is a famous TV actress for her roles in Orange is the New Black, Russian Doll and Poker Face. Prior to those roles, she had a small role in New Girl’s third episode ever, “Wedding.” She played Gretchen Nelson, an acquaintance of Schmidt, who he ends up sleeping with at every wedding they both attend even though he claims he cannot stand her.

Dylan O'Brien

Teen Wolf star Dylan O’Brien plays the guy Jess Day lost her virginity to on the night of her prom back when she was in high school. In the episode “Virgins” from Season 2, Jess runs into him many years after their first meeting, but what could have been a sexual fantasy turns into an embarrassing moment for the two of them.

Brenda Song

The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody actress Brenda Song was in a few episodes in Season 2 (and one in Season 3) as Daisy, a love interest for Winston. It’s a short-lived romance for Winston, but Song is a guest star in what we consider to be No. 1 of the best New Girl episodes, “Cooler.”

Joey King

Before Joey King was the star of Netflix’s The Kissing Booth movies or the numerous 2024 movies she’s been in like A Family Affair, Uglies and Despicable Me 4, she was a popular child actor who was in Ramona & Beezus with Selena Gomez or the Taylor Swift music video “Mean.” She was also in a Season 1 episode of New Girl called “Bully” as one of Jess’s students.

Carla Gugino

Carla Gugino, known for the Spy Kids movies and being in multiple Mike Flanagan horror projects was in three 2012 episodes of New Girl as Schmidt’s new boss, Emma. In the first episode Gugino stars in “Menzies,” Schmidt gets into a sexual contract with her that doesn’t go as planned.

Nick Kroll

The very funny Nick Kroll is known for starring in The League, along with creating the Kroll Show and Netflix’s Big Mouth. In Season 2’s “Chicago,” where the gang goes to Nick’s hometown for his father’s funeral, Kroll plays one of Nick Miller’s brothers, alongside Bill Burr! You can tell Kroll and Burr had tons of fun with the Chicago accent bringing some levity to a rather emotional New Girl episode.

Fred Armisen

Saturday Night Live favorite (who was behind some of SNL's funniest recurring characters) and Portlandia lead Fred Armisen had a brief role in New Girl for the season five episode “No Girl.” While Jess is at jury duty, the gang rent out her room to random people, and Armisen plays a guy named Brandon. His short time there made a huge impression because of how funny he is with the guys. Remember when he read Schmidt his romance writing or dressed up like Jess at one point?

Though some think Hollywood should hit pause on live-action talking animal movies, it doesn’t look like the trend is going to slow down anytime soon. The latest addition to the collection of talking dog films, Josh Greenbaum’s Strays, is now playing in theaters and brings with it an R-rated story and a star-studded group of actors who bring the adorable (and not-so-adorable) pooches to life.

As seen in the first Strays trailer, this isn’t as family-friendly as the best dog movies on Disney+, but that's okay, as the foul-mouthed canine-centric comedy gives the actors and comedians who portray its main characters plenty of time to do what they do best: make us laugh. If you’ve recently watched the 2023 new movie and want to know where you’ve seen the Strays cast before, look no further…

Reggie (Will Ferrell)

Leading off the Strays cast as Reggie, a recently abandoned Border Terrier, is Will Ferrell in his latest voice role.

Prior to providing the voice for a gullible pup who makes a new life (and a sweet revenge plan) on the streets with a group of stray dogs, the former Saturday Night Live mainstay portrayed characters in animated movies like Curious George, Megamind, and The LEGO Movie. Outside of the realm of animation (and popular SNL skits), the comedic actor has done a little bit of everything, with several of Ferrell’s funniest performances also being some of the best comedies of all time like Elf, Talladega Nights, and Step Brothers. 

Bug (Jamie Foxx)

Taking Reggie under his wing, er, paw, is a street-smart Boston Terrier that goes by the name of Bug, who is portrayed by none other than Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx.

The actor, who played large roles in some of the best movies of the 2000s, has been a major force in Hollywood for decades at this point in his career thanks to unforgettable performances in everything from Dreamgirls to Django Unchained and Booty Call to Spider-Man: No Way Home. Though he took home Best Actor for his unforgettable portrayal of the titular character in Ray, there are also several other Foxx performances deserving of an Oscar. 

Maggie (Isla Fisher)

Next up is Isla Fisher, who joins the cast as Maggie, an Australian Shepherd who runs in the same pack as Reggie and Bug while on their wild escapades. Just like her co-stars, this is the latest in a long line of voice roles for the Australian actress.

Over the years, Fisher has appeared in animated movies like Horton Hears a Who!, Rise of the Guardians, Back to the Outback, and the outstanding Rango, as well as multiple small-screen cartoons. However, the actress is probably best remembered for starring roles in Confessions of a Shopaholic, Now You See Me, and Wedding Crashers, to name only a few. Fisher has also given commanding performances in the likes of Nocturnal Animals, The Great Gatsby, and Blithe Spirit throughout her career.

Hunter (Randall Park)

Rounding out the pack of pooches with mouths like sailors in the Strays cast is a therapy Great Dane named Hunter voiced by Randall Park, who you may remember from a number of his best performances, including a brief appearance as “Asian Jim” in a ridiculous prank on The Office.

Park’s involvement with the movie comes after a string of other voice roles, including a small part in the Paw Patrol: The Movie cast a couple of years ago, which followed other animated movies like The Lego Ninjago Movie and The Samurai of Tsushima as well as a string of animated shows that includes Star Trek: Lower Decks, BoJack Horseman, and Human Resources.

Also, Park is in the middle of an impressive 2023, which has included his directorial debut with Shortcomings, a reprisal of his Jimmy Woo role in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (with The Marvels to follow), and the upcoming release of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. 

Doug (Will Forte)

One of the few human characters to appear in our breakdown of the Strays cast, Will Forte shows up in the movie as Doug, Reggie’s former owner who’s the impetus for the dog’s revenge scheme to begin with.

Like Ferrell, Forte made a name for himself on Saturday Night Live, spending most the 2000s as a member of the show’s cast. In the years that have followed his 2010 departure from the sketch comedy program, the comedian and actor has gone on to appear on shows like The Last Man on Earth, The Great North, The Cleveland Show, 30 Rock, and countless others. His list of film credits is just as impressive, with everything from Nebraska to Booksmart and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story to Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. He’s even appeared in one of the best SNL movies, MacGruber, in which he portrayed his classic character from the show. 

Dennis Quaid As Himself

Continuing the tradition of actors playing themselves in movies, Dennis Quaid appears as, believe or not, himself, or at least a version of himself, as seen in the second teaser trailer.

Quaid’s career is one that goes back nearly 50 years, and during that time, he’s appeared in everything from over-the-top end-of-the-world disaster thrillers like The Day After Tomorrow to funny family movies like the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, and so much more. His versatile list of credits also includes The Right Stuff, Great Balls of Fire, Traffic, and A Dog’s Purpose, another pup-based movie, though also one with a much different tone. 

Other Actors In The Strays Cast

In addition to the main actors who either provide the voice of a character or appear in a live-action role in the movie, the Strays cast also includes some other major stars whose roles weren’t officially disclosed ahead of the films’ August 2023 release. 

This includes Frozen and Beauty and the Beast standout Josh Gad, former Modern Family star Sofia Vergara, Blue Beetle cast member Harvey Guillén, Stranger Things all-star Brett Gelman, legendary Seinfeld actor Rob Riggle, and Fleabag actor Jamie Demetriou.

Strays is currently showing in theaters nationwide. Before heading to the cineplex, check out what CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg had to say in his Strays review.

This box office has provided plenty of family-friendly options for moviegoers this summer, but when Will Ferrell’s new talking-dog comedy Strays hits the big screen on August 18, parents should fight the urge to bring the kids along. Audiences are apparently in for some foul language as terrier Reggie (Ferrell) joins up with a band of misfit dogs to seek revenge on his former owner Doug (Will Forte). Critics have been able to screen the movie, so they’re here to share their expert opinions on what we can expect from the R-rated comedy. And yes, there will be humping.

Will Ferrell will be joined by Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher and Randall Park as the voices of the four-legged characters. Director Josh Greenbaum allowed the cast to record together to take full advantage of their comedic chemistry, so let’s see what the critics have to say. In CinemaBlend’s review of Strays, Eric Eisenberg says the canine performances are impressive, if not hilarious, and the movie is at its best when leaning into its R-rating. However, it relies too much on dog cliches, he says, giving it 3 out of 5 stars and writing: 

Neil Smith of GamesRadar rates the movie 2 out of 5 stars, saying the movie quickly loses its humor amidst its jokes about peeing, pooping and humping. The critic says: 

Leigh Monson of AV Club agrees that there is humor to be found, but in the end Strays is not less tired than movies like Homeward Bound that it seeks to ridicule. Monsoon gives it a C+, saying:

A.A. Dowd of IGN agrees with the critic above, ranking the film an “Okay” 6 out of 10. Strays’ bark is worse than its bite, Dowd writes, pointing out that this movie is just as formulaic and sentimental as the movies it’s looking to lampoon. He continues: 

Brian Truitt of USA TODAY, however, enjoys the “hilarious, heartwarming and outrageously filthy” dog-centered comedy, giving it 3 out of 4 stars. The humor is matched by an emotional storyline, with Truitt saying Strays is “like Homeward Bound with masturbation jokes and randy squirrels.” He writes: 

It sounds like there are plenty of laughs (and plenty of filth) in the upcoming Will Ferrell comedy, as long as audiences aren’t looking for any groundbreaking takes on a dog’s sensibilities. Overall the ratings seem to fall mid-range, with Strays holding a Rotten Tomatoes score of 56 percent from 43 critics’ responses as of this writing. 

If you’d like to check this one out in theaters, you can do so starting Friday, August 18. You can also check out our 2023 Movie Release Schedule to see what other offerings are coming soon. 

For those of us of a certain age, there’s something so nostalgic about Blockbuster Video's entertainment reign. I’m not saying I’d give up the convenience of being able to access nearly any title with a few clicks of the remote, though, and maybe that’s the balance that Netflix is trying to explore with Blockbuster, its new streaming comedy about the last remaining rental store. The series — whose cast includes comedy vets Randall Park, Melissa Fumero and J.B. Smoove — is now available for streaming, so let’s see what the critics have to say about the new Netflix show.

The workplace comedy sees store manager Timmy Yoon (Randall Park) trying to keep his location of the rental store alive, after finding out that his is the last one left. We’ll get straight to the reviews, with Ben Travers of IndieWire grading the series a D. He thinks the show lacks necessary nostalgia, and its scripts aren’t funny enough for the talented cast. The critic posits that this series is the kind of thing a real Blockbuster wouldn’t bother to keep in stock, saying: 

Kenneth Seward Jr. of IGN, expresses disappointment over considering what Blockbuster could have been in an ideal world. The critic also says the series doesn’t take advantage of its unique predicament, and fails to address any of the real hardships that video stores face in today’s world. Instead viewers are granted an unfunny series that could be set in any workplace. He rates it a “Mediocre” 5, saying in the review: 

Angie Han of THR calls Blockbuster “perfectly pleasant,” with the first season yielding a few belly laughs from its solid cast. However, this review states that the series is missing anything to distinguish itself. The critic argues: 

Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence comes to the Netflix series with the perspective of being a past video rental store employee (though not a Blockbuster), and she says the series is never able to escape its ironic and flawed premise. From the review:  

Saloni Gajjar of AV Club says the actors elevate the weak writing, keeping it from being the most disappointing of Netflix’s original series. However, there are still barely any laughs, and the cast can only shoulder so much of the burden, the critic says. 

Blockbuster has accumulated a 17% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 18 reviews. However, the audience score is much higher, at 67% from 24 user reviews as of this writing. Because the series was just released on November 3, that audience score could change significantly as more viewers get through the series, though we probably shouldn't expect the critical score to vault much higher.

You can stream Blockbuster now with a Netflix subscription, and be sure to check out our 2022 Netflix TV schedule to see what new and returning series are premiering soon on the streaming service. 

In a modern world in which home viewing entertainment is dominated by what you find available on streaming platforms, there are still many times when I do miss the days of physically renting movies from a store. Ironically, a streaming platform is where movie lovers can now relive that lost era with the new Netflix original TV show, Blockbuster.

Created by former Brooklyn Nine-Nine writer Vanessa Ramos, the workplace sitcom — one of Netflix’s biggest November TV show releases — stars Randall Park as the manager of what he discovers is the last remaining location of the titular video rental store chain in the United States. Let’s take a look at what the funny series' lead actor, as well as the rest of the Blockbuster cast, are also known for in our breakdown below.

Randall Park (Timmy Yoon)

Leading the Blockbuster cast as Timmy Yoon — a movie lover who has worked at the video store since his teens — is Randall Park, who last led a sitcom when Fresh Off the Boat was still on the air and previously starred in a Netflix original with the recent rom-com favorite Always Be My Maybe, which he also co-wrote. 

The comedian is also known for a few comic book adaptations — including (so far) two MCU movies (Ant-Man and the Wasp and its highly anticipated upcoming sequel), a Marvel TV show (WandaVision), and two DC movies (Aquaman and its upcoming sequel). Park also portrayed a fictional version of Kim Jong-un in 2014’s The Interview (one of many Seth Rogen movies in his filmography) and plays a fictional version himself on Young Rock.

Melissa Fumero (Eliza Walker) 

As Harvard dropout and dedicated mother Eliza Walker, we have Melissa Fumero, reuniting with Blockbuster creator Vanessa Ramos since she and the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast had their final curtain call in 2021. 

Like Randall Park, the former One Life to Live cast member has also starred on a Marvel TV show (the non-MCU-canon, Hulu exclusive cartoon M.O.D.O.K.) in addition to lending her voice to Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor and Netflx’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power in small roles. Fumero has also done some work behind the camera, having directed an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, NBC’s Grand Crew, and Gordita Chronicles for HBO Max.

Olga Merediz (Connie Serrano) 

As the motherly Connie Serrano we have Olga Merediz — another Brooklyn Nine-Nine veteran, having appeared in two episodes as the onscreen mother of Stephanie Beatriz, with whom she also appeared in the Encanto voice cast as Abuela Alma’s singing voice. Also in 2021, the multi-talented performer reprised her Tony-nominated role as another abuela named Claudia in the cinematic In the Heights cast. Merediz’s earlier, most notable credits include 1992’s rom-com classic, Boomerang, the 1996 musical Evita, the 2012 crime thriller The Place Beyond the Pines, and a recurring role alongside Netflix’s Orange is the New Black cast as Lourdes.

Tyler Alvarez (Carlos Herrerra)

Wannabe filmmaker Carlos Herrarra is played by Tyler Alvarez, who is already a Netflix star after leading the American Vandal cast, landing a recurring role on Orange is the New Black as Olga Merediz’s onscreen nephew, and appearing on Never Have I Ever as Malcolm Stone. 

He also has a few Hulu exclusives under his belt, namely the platform’s Veronica Mars revival and the coming-of-age romance, Crush, as well as a few other credits in common with his Blockbuster co-stars, namely a guest spot on Fresh off the Boat and his feature-film debut in The House That Jack Built, starring Melissa Fumero. Alvarez also had a main role on Nickelodeon’s Every Witch Way, a recurring spot on The Fosters, and recently appeared on What We Do in the Shadows.

Madeleine Arthur (Hannah Hadman) 

Young and slightly naive Hannah Hadman is Madeline Arthur’s first starring role on a TV series since she played “Young Willa Warren” on ABC’s The Family in 2016 (not counting her starring role on the Netflix miniseries Devil in Ohio). She does, however, have plenty of notable guest spots and recurring roles to boast, such as Fray on SyFy’s The Magicians, Nikki Genêt on TNT’s Snowpiercer, and Amber on Paramount+’s Guilty Party. Arthur’s impressive film acting career so far includes director Tim Burton’s Big Eyes, the Nicolas Cage-led Color Out of Space (one of the best horror movies on Shudder), and Netflix’s To All the Boys movies cast as Christine Donati.

J.B. Smoove (Percy Scott) 

Percy Scott — owner of the strip mall where Blockbuster is located — is played by J.B. Smoove, who — like some of this co-stars — is also known for comic book adaptations (two Tom Holland-led Spider-Man movies and HBO Max’s Harley Quinn as Frank the Plant, to name a couple) and Netflix originals like the animated 3 Below: Tales of Arcadia and 2018’s The Polka King. The former SNL writer and Curb Your Enthusiasm cast staple has also leant his distinct voice to Nickelodeon’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Hulu’s Woke, and Amazon’s Fairfax, and some of his other most notable film credits include 2001’s Pootie Tang, 2010’s Date Night, 2012’s Think Like a Man, and director and star Jerrod Carmichael’s On the Count of Three.

Kamaia Fairburn (Kayla Scott) 

As Percy’s rebellious daughter, Kayla, we have Kamaia Fairburn, who made her acting debut in Lifetime’s Aaliyah: The Princess of R&B as the late, beloved singer’s younger self in 2014 and made her comic book adaptation debut on Supergirl as “Young Girl” two years later. Two years after that, she landed a starring role on Nickelodeon’s Star Falls, followed by a major role on the musical series Holly Hobbie for Hulu. She later scored major roles on the platform’s coming-of-age sci-fi adventure, Endlings, and another out-of-this-world and funny family-friendly series from Canada called Overlord and the Underwoods.

Considering how Netflix kind of had a major hand in Blockbuster’s eventual demise, I will give the platform some major props for helping prolong awareness of the much-missed video store with this new series, and by including the informative documentary, The Last Blockbuster, in its streaming catalog. Let’s just hope that we do not have to say goodbye to the Blockbuster cast too soon.

Stream Blockbuster on Netflix. 

 Abbott Elementary emerged as one of the biggest surprises of the 2021-2022 TV season. The show – which is produced by, written by, and stars Quinta Brunson – managed to strike a chord with audiences and earn itself a second season as a result. It also landed historic Emmy wins for Brunson and co-star Sheryl Lee Ralph, who gave an incredible speech. Of course, with new episodes on the way, there are a few things folks might be pondering, like what kind of guest stars might pop in. And if you ask me, there are a number of high-profile comedians, such as Anthony Anderson, who’d be perfect for guest spots. 

The school-centric workplace comedy, which has been compared to The Office, has already announced a few guest actors for Season 2. It was recently confirmed that Leslie Odom Jr., Lauren Weedman, and Keyla Monterroso Mejia are set to appear, though one can’t help but wonder who else could show up in the second season (and beyond, should the show continue). There are plenty are stars who would be a great fit for the sitcom, but it would be particularly fun to see a number of notable comedians lend their talents to the proceedings. So, let’s discuss the comedy vets who'd fit into the series:

Anthony Anderson

When it comes to comedy, Anthony Anderson has certainly been around the block, so to speak. He’s starred in notable comedies like Me, Myself & Irene and Barbershop as well as dramas like Hustle & Flow and The Departed. But, in recent years, he’s led the cast of ABC’s Black-ish, which capped off its eight-season run earlier this year. Anderson’s trying new things right now, after having returned for a season on the Law & Order revival. Surely he could pop onto Abbott for an episode. I’d personally love to see him play a high-ranking school exec who comes into conflict with the gang. 

Wanda Sykes 

It almost feels like there’s nothing Wanda Sykes hasn’t done at this point. The Emmy winner has a plethora of comedy films under her belt like Evan Almighty and Bad Moms. She’s also been a major fixture within the TV realm, having headlined her own sitcom, Wanda at Large, and having appeared on the likes of The New Adventures of Old Christine and The Good Fight. She also notably hosted the Oscars this year. At the moment, she’s also one of the stars of the Netflix family sitcom The Upshaws. She could certainly bring her comedic expertise to Abbott Elementary in any kind of role. 

Henry Winkler 

Honestly, what can you even say about Henry Winkler? The man has an illustrious career that spans nearly five decades and is marked with notable film and TV credits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Night Shift, The Waterboy and Parks and Recreation. And then, of course, there’s Happy Days, on which he played the iconic Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli. These days, Winkler stars on the HBO black comedy Barry, for which he won an Emmy in 2018. In short, Abbott would be lucky to have the seasoned actor. And, with his natural enthusiasm, I’d peg him to play the school’s over-the-top performing arts teacher. 

David Alan Grier 

There are plenty of potential ways that Abbott Elementary could utilize someone like David Alan Grier. Many comedy aficionados are probably aware that he rose to prominence in the ‘90s as a cast member on Fox’s In Living Color. From there, he’s starred and appeared on notable shows like Martin, My Wife and Kids, Happy Endings, and The Carmichael Show. Grier, who’s also a veteran of the stage, definitely knows how to get a laugh and could do that very thing on the ABC sitcom in almost any role. It’d be great to see him play the brother of Sheryl Lee Ralph’s Barbara Howard or even an old friend of William Stanford Davis’ lovable janitor, Mr. Johnson. 

Randall Park 

It’s really hard not to like Randall Park. The comedy vet has been at it for years now and has become a fan favorite in both TV and film. Trainwreck, Always Be My Maybe, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Aquaman are only a few of the movie credits under his belt. On the TV side, he was the lead of ABC's comedy, Fresh off the Boat, appeared on HBO’s Veep and returned to Marvel and joined the cast of Disney+’s WandaVision. And yes, he famously played Steve/Asian Jim on The Office. I’d love to see him on Quinta Brunson’s series – and in a role as humorous as the one he played on NBC’s mockumentary. 

Patton Oswalt 

If you’re looking for a funnyman with great comedic chops, look no further than Patton Oswalt. The veteran stand-up comedian has been a comedy staple for some time and has greatly endeared himself to audiences. There’s a good chance you’ve seen him on shows like The King of Queens, Parks and Recreation, Community, Two and a Half Men, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Oswalt has a sharp sense of humor and a sweet core that would make him perfect for Abbott Elementary. If he’s not cast as a substitute teacher at the school, then I don’t know what we’re even doing. 

Donald Glover 

So, this one may be a long shot, but Donald Glover would be a fantastic guest star. He’s been one of the hardest-working people in show business for the past decade, having made a name for himself through NBC’s Community before starring in high-profile films like The Martian, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and The Lion King. The Emmy winner is also the creator of the acclaimed FX dramedy, Atlanta, which is ending after four seasons this year. A fan of Abbott, Glover would be perfect as a potential new boyfriend of Janine Teagues, or even a sibling of hers. 

Whoopi Goldberg 

Speaking of Janine’s family, you can’t tell me that Whoopi Goldberg wouldn’t be a strong pick to play her seemingly negligent mother. Most are pretty familiar with the EGOT’s work, which ranges from movies like Ghost, Sister Act, and The Color Purple to TV shows like Whoopi, Everybody Hates Chris, and Star Trek: The Next Generation. Of course, she’s also been a co-host on The View for the past 15 years. The stand-up comic’s sharp wit would be a great addition to the show – and quite a match for the dry humor of Lisa Ann Walter’s Melissa Schemmenti. 

Carol Burnett 

There’s only one Carol Burnett, and she’d be an amazing Abbott Elementary guest star. The comedy icon’s career is legendary and was launched into the stratosphere with the debut of her self-titled variety show in the late ‘60s. The six-time Emmy winner has also become quite famous for her guest appearances in numerous shows like Mad About You, Hawaii Five-0, and Better Call Saul, which earned her massive love from fans. Right now, some are even campaigning for her to host Saturday Night Live. The 89-year-old actress is showing no signs of slowing down, and Abbott would be a firm addition to her already-illustrious resume. 

Abbott Elementary has the potential to tell some great stories should it remain on TV for years to come, and one would hope that Quinta Brunson and her collaborators utilize these stars and more at some point. But, more immediately, check out new episodes of the comedy when they air on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET as part of the 2022 TV schedule. You can also stream episodes next day with a Hulu subscription. 

It’s finally arrived! After its initial announcement in 2019, Human Resources, the Big Mouth spinoff, has finally come to Netflix, and the series that focuses on the very popular Hormone Monsters from the original series. 

But, with plenty of new names as well as familiar ones, fans of the show might be wondering where you’ve heard the cast before, or seen them. If that’s the question that’s on your mind, we have the answers for you. Here is where you’ve seen (or heard) the Human Resources cast before. 

Aidy Bryant (Emmy) 

As one of the few new characters on Human Resources, Emmy is a Lovebug who gets assigned to her first client, and is voiced by the lovely Aidy Bryant. The actress has been around for some time in Hollywood, but is primarily known for her work on the popular and very long running late-night sketch show, Saturday Night Live. 

Some of the other work that you might have seen her in is her own Hulu original series, Shrill, in which she stars, and she has a voice role on the series, Danger & Eggs. She’s also had recurring roles in TV shows like Girls, Horace & Pete, and more. Some of her movie roles include I Feel Pretty, The Big Sick, and others. 

Nick Kroll (Maurice Beverley, Rick) 

Nick Kroll is a name that should sound very familiar to Big Mouth fans, as this actor is one of the co-creators of the original show and voices one of the original Hormone Monsters, Maurice, otherwise known as Maury. He also voices Rick, and older Hormone Monster that is wise beyond his years, and other characters on the show. 

Kroll has been active in Hollywood for quite a while, creating and starring in several TV shows. These include, but aren’t limited to, The Kroll Show, Oh, Hello on Broadway, The League on FX, and more. His voice is also quite popular as well, as he's used it in several animated movies, like Sausage Party, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Sing, The Secret Life of Pets 2, and more.

Kroll has also had a variety of live-action appearances as well, like Uncle Drew, Olympic Dreams, and The House among others. 

Maya Rudolph (Constance LaCienega)

Maya Rudolph voices another of the Hormone Monsters from Big Mouth in Human Resources, the fabulously odd Constance LaCienega, otherwise known as Connie. Rudolph has done a variety of movies and TV roles. Most people probably know her from her time on Saturday Night Live as a cast member, just like Aidy Bryant. Rudolph also had her own variety series, called Maya & Marty alongside Martin Short, as well as guest starring on The Good Place. 

In addition, Rudolph has done several live action and animated films. She was a part of the Bridesmaids cast, as well as other films, like the Grown Ups series, Sisters, Wine Country, Inherent Vice, and more. Rudolph has also shown her ability as a voice actress with big roles in animated movies like The Mitchells vs. the Machines, Luca, and Big Hero 6, as well as others. 

David Thewlis (Shame Wizard) 

How fitting is it that David Thewlis, who played Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter film franchise, ended up voicing a character known as the Shame Wizard in both Big Mouth and Human Resources? I find that hilarious. 

Besides his role in Harry Potter, Thewlis is a very talented actor who has been in a variety of movies. These include Naked, Wonder Woman, Dragonheart, James and the Giant Peach, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, War Horse, The Theory of Everything, Anomalisa, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, and many more. 

Thewlis has also done some TV work as well, including the miniseries Dinotopia, the third season of Fargo, and recently starred in the HBO miniseries, Landscapers. 

Brandon Kyle Goodman (Walter Las Palmas)

You have to love those hate worms that turned into Lovebugs, and Walter Las Palmas was one of those in Big Mouth, and he is voiced by Brandon Kyle Goodman in Human Resources.

Goodman has primarily kept his talents to television, appearing in a variety of shows. These include Red Oaks, Alive in Denver, Little Italy, Los Angeles, Modern Love on Amazon Prime, Broke, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, among other guest appearances. He’s also appeared in movies like A Simple Wedding, People Just Do Nothing, Papi Chulo, and more. 

Keke Palmer (Rochelle)

Rochelle was another hate worm that turned into a Lovebug on Big Mouth, and she is still voiced by Keke Palmer. Starting off her career early, Palmer appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows during her youth and has only continued to do so. 

Some of her biggest TV show parts thus far have been her star role in True Jackson V.P. on Nickelodeon, the Ryan Murphy-created Scream Queens, the animated series, The Winx Club, and Berlin Station. Palmer has been in many movies, including Akeelah and the Bee, Madea’s Family Reunion, Jump In!, Shrink, Joyful Noise, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Hustlers, and more. She’s also going to star in the upcoming Jordan Peele horror film, Nope. 

Pamela Adlon (Sonya Poinsettia)

Pamela Adlon voices Sonya Poinsettia, another Lovebug from Big Mouth, who is also a part of Human Resources. Adlon has been active in the industry for a long time, appearing in many animated roles as well as live-action ones. 

One of her most prominent animated roles that you might recognize her from is voicing Bobby Hill in King of the Hill. She’s also used her voice talents for shows such as Recess, Time Squad, Milo’s Murphy Law, the video game series Pajama Sam, and several others. 

However, Adlon has also done plenty of live-action work, too. You might recognize her from the dramedy series Californication on Showtime, or her role as Pamela in Louie on FX. Some of her other work includes her FX series, Better Things, Boston Legal, Lucky Louie, and more. 

Adlon has also appeared in both animated and live-action films, some of which are Say Anything…, After Midnight, Grease 2, First Girl I Loved, Bumblebee, The King of Staten Island, The Pirate Fairy, and Dino Time, among many other film roles. 

Randall Park (Peter)

Peter is another one of the new characters in Human Resources, and he is voiced by Randall Park. This actor has been all over the place with both movies and TV shows, so I would not be surprised if you have seen Park in many other projects. 

Park was a part of one of the funniest Dwight jokes on The Office when he played the Asian version of Jim. However, Park has done plenty of other great TV roles, including portraying Louis Huang in Fresh Off the Boat, his recurring role in Veep, and more. He’s also become a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying Special Agent Jimmy Woo in both The Ant-Man films, as well as reprising that character as a part of the WandaVision cast. 

Randall Park has done many other film roles as well, including starring in the romantic comedy, Always Be My Maybe, portraying Dr. Stephen Shin in Aquaman, and playing a dictator in The Interview. 

Ali Wong (Becca)

Another new character on Human Resources is Becca, a mother which all the monsters are assigned to. Voiced by Ali Wong, this voice actress is primarily known for her comedy, as she has plenty of hilarious comedy specials on Netflix that you can stream at any time. 

However, Wong has also done plenty in the acting sphere. In terms of movies, she starred alongside Randall Park in Always Be My Maybe, as well as appearing in movies like Birds of Prey, Onward, and more. 

Wong has also had a prominent television acting career. Even though she voices Becca on Human Resources, she voices Ali on Big Mouth, as well. She also had a recurring role in Love, Victor, a starring role in Tuca & Bertie as Bertie, was a series regular on American Housewife, and was on Are You There, Chelsea? 

Thandiwe Newton (Mona)

Last but not least, we have Thandiwe Newton, who voices Mona in both Human Resources and Big Mouth. Thandiwe Newton has done plenty in her long acting career, from movies to television shows. 

Some of her biggest films have been Mission: Impossible 2, The Chronicles of Riddick, Crash, The Pursuit of Happyness, For Colored Girls, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and more, as well as being a part of the Reminiscence cast in 2021. 

Newton has also done a lot of great television work. One of her biggest roles has been portraying Maeve Millay in the HBO original science fiction series, Westworld, which is expected to premiere its fourth season in 2022. She also had a main role in the miniseries, Line of Duty, as well as a main role in the TV shows, The Slap and Rogue. 

With so many amazing actors stepping into the fray, these are just a fraction of some of the big stars we'll be listening to in the Human Resources cast. Their voices are already iconic in every way.  

With appearances in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC Extended Universe, hit comedies on nearly all of the major broadcast networks, and a few of the best romantic comedies in recent memory, it’s safe to say that Randall Park has etched a place for himself in today’s entertainment world. Over the years, the talented comedic actor has gone from having small and sometimes forgotten roles on shows like Community and The Office to being one of the leads of WandaVision and other high-profile projects.

And, with more on the horizon for one of the hardest working people in show business today, now is a great time to go through the best Randall Park movies and TV shows and break down where you can watch them streaming or buy them outright. Let’s get started.

Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)

With Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) on house arrest for his role in the events of Captain America: Civil War, the down-on-his-luck superhero has to sneak around to help Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) in a race to rescue Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) from the Quantum Realm, while also battling a new enemy with ties to group’s past.

Although it’s not at the top of the Marvel Cinematic Universe rankings, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a fun superhero movie with relatively low stakes but a lot of heart and humor. One of the best introductions to the MCU is Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo, the FBI agent who is always one step behind Scott Lang and who is also obsessed with his magic tricks. 

Stream Ant-Man and the Wasp on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Ant-Man and the Wasp on Amazon.
Buy Ant-Man and the Wasp on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

WandaVision (2021)

Set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Disney+ series, WandaVision, follows Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen), a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, as she takes control of the small town of Westview, New Jersey in a state of grief and confusion as she attempts to have a life with Vision (Paul Bettany), who has been dead for five years.

One of the best things about WandaVision, besides the introduction of Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn), is how it gave smaller MCU characters like Jimmy Woo and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) a lot of time to shine and figure out the mystery surrounding Wanda’s actions. Oh, and the continuation of his fascination with card tricks and magic makes for great long-term character development.

Stream WandaVision on Disney+.

Fresh Off The Boat (2015 - 2020)

The critically acclaimed ABC sitcom, Fresh Off the Boat, spent six seasons following Taiwanese-American couple Louis (Randall Park) and Jessica Huang (Constance Wu) as well as their children and other family members as they relocate to Orlando, Florida, for a new business venture and a new life in the Sunshine State. 

Randall Park had already had some success by the time he was cast as one of the leads of Fresh Off the Boat in 2014, but his portrayal of Louis Huang as he opens a cowboy-themed steakhouse took him to the next level of his career. Charming, funny, endearing, and commanding, Park’s performance over the course of the show’s six seasons on ABC helped introduce the actor to a much larger audience.

Stream Fresh Off the Boat on Hulu.
Buy Fresh Off the Boat on Amazon.

Always Be My Maybe (2019)

After an awkward romantic encounter as teenagers, childhood friends Sasha Tran (Ali Wong) and Marcus Kim (Randall Park) go their separate ways for 16 years before being brought back together by chance. Over the course of Always Be My Maybe the two former besties pick up where they left off while trying to not let their feelings get in the way.

This happy romantic comedy is made all the better with Randall Park and Ali Wong’s on-screen chemistry (the pair also co-wrote the movie) which makes them one of the most likable and adorable couples in recent memory. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that Always Be My Maybe features one of the best Keanu Reeves movie appearances.

Stream Always Be My Maybe on Netflix.

Veep (2012 - 2017)

The long-running HBO political satire comedy series, Veep, spent seven seasons following the political career and personal life of Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), first as Vice President of the United States, and later as Commander in Chief. Over the course of the show, Meyer made friends, enemies, and frenemies with a large number of political figures, including Danny Chung (Randall Park), with whom she has multiple awkward encounters.

Although he was only featured in a handful of episodes of Veep, Randall Park always made the most of his time on the show and was consistently one of the best guest stars, providing some of the show’s best moments.

Stream Veep on HBO Max.
Buy Veep on Amazon.
Buy Veep on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Interview (2014)

Dave Skylark (James Franco) and Aaron Rapoport (Seth Rogen) score the interview of a lifetime with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Randall Park), only to be recruited by the CIA to assassinate the reclusive ruler, who happens to be one of Skylark’s show’s biggest fans.

Often overshadowed by the controversy that preceded the film’s release, The Interview remains one of the funniest movies of the past 10 years and a lot of that is because of Randall Park’s portrayal of Kim Jong Un, which is over-the-top in all the best ways. How he bounces from tyrannical dictator to fanboy throughout the movie really keeps you on your toes.

Stream The Interview on Tubi.
Rent/Buy The Interview on Amazon.
Buy The Interview on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Young Rock (2021 - Present)

Set during Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s fictional 2032 presidential election bid, the NBC sitcom, Young Rock, looks back on the major events of the wrestler-turned-actor’s life with an emphasis on three distinct periods: 1982, 1987, and 1990. In the beginning and end of most episodes, Johnson is shown telling his stories to a fictional version of Randall Park, who was an actor before becoming an interviewer.

Randall Park is absolutely hilarious in all of his interactions with Dwayne Johnson throughout Young Rock Season 1, and the pair have an undeniable chemistry that makes their brief segments some of the best scenes of the show. This is especially impressive when you consider all the wrestlers who have been portrayed on the show thus far. Let’s just hope there’s more of both when Young Rock Season 2 premieres.

Stream Young Rock on Peacock.
Buy Young Rock on Amazon.
Buy Young Rock on DVD/Blu-ray starting March 29 on Amazon.

Aquaman (2018)

When King Orm Marius (Patrick Wilson) makes a claim for the throne of Atlantis and attempts to unite the seven underwater kingdoms to wage war on the surface world, his half-brother, Aquaman (Jason Momoa), is forced to rise to the occasion, defeat his brother, and fulfill his destiny as the true Atlantean ruler. But, King Orm isn’t Aquaman’s only problem, as the ruthless Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is waiting in the shadows and preparing to attack.

James Wan’s 2018 blockbuster, Aquaman, features one of the best casts in a non-crossover DCEU film yet with everyone from Willem Dafoe to Nicole Kidman also sharing the screen with Jason Momoa. Another great addition is Randall Park’s Stephen Shin, a conspiracy theorist obsessed with finding the lost city of Atlantis. Park is brilliant in his portrayal of the obsessed and unhinged character, a role that will hopefully be expanded in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Stream Aquaman on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Aquaman on Amazon.
Buy Aquaman on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

Trainwreck (2015)

Serial dater Amy Townsend’s (Amy Schumer) life changes completely when she meets sports doctor Aaron Conners (Bill Hader) for a writing assignment. What starts out as a quick interview and feature story quickly morphs into a love story for the ages, as the crude and uncommitted writer finds new purpose in life.

Although he has a very minor role with not much screen time in Judd Apatow’s 2015 romantic comedy, Trainwreck, Randall Park makes the most of his time with a hilarious performance as Bryson, Amy’s colleague at S’nuff Magazine who looks absolutely heartbroken when his pitch about Dr. Conners is assigned to another writer. The disappointment that overtakes his face is incredible and incredibly sad.

Stream Trainwreck on Peacock.
Rent/Buy Trainwreck on Amazon.
Buy Trainwreck on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

The Hollars (2016)

The Hollars, one of John Krasinski’s first directorial efforts, follows John Hollars (Krasinski) as he returns to his hometown to help support his mother, who is about to undergo a risky brain surgery. Upon going back to his old stomping grounds, the prodigal son is forced to reconcile with his family, his past, and his place in the world in this emotional comedy.

There are so many good actors in The Hollars — Anna Kendrick, Charlie Day, Margo Martindale, Richard Jenkins — it’s easy to overlook some of the smaller roles like Randall Park’s Dr. Fong, who gives a great performance that is both funny and touching at the same time. And, plus, we get to see Jim Halpert and “Asian Jim” on screen together.

Rent/Buy The Hollars on Amazon.
Buy The Hollars on DVD/Blu-ray on Amazon.

With movies like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom and Strays scheduled for release in 2023, it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the last of great Randall Park performances. If you want to know what else is coming out before then, take a look at CinemaBlend’s schedule of all the 2022 movie releases for the latest.

After briefly appearing in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and then working with his fellow superheroes to defeat Steppenwolf and his Parademon army in Justice League, Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry finally got the cinematic spotlight to himself in 2018’s Aquaman. Like the fictional Aquaman movie helmed by James Cameron in the Entourage universe, the real deal directed by James Wan was a smash hit at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing DC Comics movie with its $1.148 billion haul. So no one should be surprised that Warner Bros. and DC pulled the trigger on Aquaman 2, officially titled Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

With filming on Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom finally beginning in June 2021 and concluding the following December, the sequel is arriving at the end of December 20239. While a handful of plot details have been shared with the public (many of which came from the first Aquaman 2 trailer), this space is reserved for discussing who’s making up The Lost Kingdom’s main cast. So let’s go over the familiar and new faces who will be along for the ride.

Jason Momoa

Although he came to Atlantis’ aid during Justice League, Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry didn’t want anything to do with the underwater civilization going into Aquaman, as he thought they’d executed his mother Atlanna for loving a human man and having a half-breed son. However, Arthur was forced to get involved in Atlantis’ affairs when his brother Orm declared war on the surface, putting him on a journey that led him to discovering that his mother was alive and ultimately becoming the new king of Atlantis. 

By the time Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom begins, while Arthur has a firmer grasp on how to be an effective ruler, it also looks like he's still going through some growing pains, particularly coming to terms with not everyone liking him. Either way, he’ll be kept busy with both the emergence of the sequel’s title location and the emergence of enemies both old and new. But hey, at least he has a new costume to wear and is a proud father (although I am worried about that kid's fate).

Amber Heard

Arthur Curry wouldn’t have come to Atlantis’ aid in Aquaman if it wasn’t for Amber Heard’s Mera, who debuted in Justice League and has the ability to manipulate water. The daughter of King Nereus, the ruler of Xebel, was betrothed to Orm Marius, but when she learned about his plans to destroy the surface world, she turned to Arthur to help her stop this scheme. 

During the course of their journey together, Arthur and Mera developed feelings for each other, and now Mera rules by his side as queen of Atlantis. They've also had a child by the time The Lost Kingdom begins. However, we won't be seeing as much of Heard's Mera in the sequel, though director James Wan says it was always the plan for her to have less screen time as a result of the next character on this list being given a bigger role.

Patrick Wilson

Having already worked with James Wan on two Conjuring movies and two Insidious movies, Patrick Wilson came aboard Aquaman to play its chief antagonist, Orm Marius, a.k.a. Ocean Master, Arthur Curry’s younger half-brother. Following the death of his father, Orvax, and with Arthur wanting nothing to do with Atlantis, Orm was crowned king of the underwater nation, but that wasn’t enough for him. Despising the surface world for polluting the oceans, he attempted to establish an alliance between the other underwater kingdoms so that they could eradicate humanity. 

Had Mera and Willem Dafoe’s Vulko not sought Arthur’s help, Orm might have succeeded, but in the end, he was vanquished. Arthur decided to spare Orm’s life, and during Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, the two brothers will have to join forces in order to defeat a familiar big bad. Wan has described the sequel as a "bromance action-adventure movie."

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s David Kane was already on a bad path when we met him in Aquaman, as he was part of a group of pirates led by his father, Jesse Kane. However, with Arthur Curry foiling their hijacking of a submarine and indirectly causing Jesse’s death, David vowed revenge. Thanks to Orm (who hired the pirates for the hijacking), he was provided Atlantean technology to craft his first Black Manta suit, but that still wasn’t enough to for him to defeat Arthur. 

Fortunately, David was later rescued by Dr. Stephen Shin, and the mercenary agreed to show the marine biologist where Atlantis was located in exchange for his help in exacting vengeance on Arthur. As was long suspected, David will be The Lost Kingdom's main antagonist, and along with wearing a new Black Manta suit, he'll be armed with the powerful Black Trident. With his added firepower and minions, he'll attempt to exact vengeance on Arthur and unleash destruction across Atlantis.

Dolph Lundgren

Although King Nereus was Mera’s former betrothed in the main DC Comics continuity, he was reimagined as her father in the DC Extended Universe. Like his comic book counterpart though, Dolph Lundgren’s version of the character also rules Xebel, which enjoys a better relationship with Atlantis in this reality. In Aquaman, Nereus was tricked by Orm into joining his campaign against the surface world and even arranged Mera to marry Orm. 

But upon learning the truth of Orm’s machinations and witnessing Arthur Curry control an army of sea creatures, including The Trench, in the movie’s climactic conflict, Nereus' allegiances shifted. He is now a loyal follower of King Arthur, and with his daughter now queen, it’s hard to imagine him not still supporting them in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Nicole Kidman

Arthur Curry discovered during the events of Aquaman that his mother wasn’t murdered like he believed. When Nicole Kidman’s Atlanna returned to Atlantis following her time with Thomas Curry, she went through with her arranged marriage to Orvax, and together they had Orm. Years later, Orvax discovered she’d had an illegitimate child with a human and sentenced her to be sacrificed to The Trench. 

Atlanna avoided being torn apart by going through an underwater wormhole which took her to the Hidden Sea, but the downside was that she remained trapped in this other realm for decades. Luckily, upon being found by Arthur and Mera in the present day, she was finally able to escape imprisonment and reunite with Thomas. In Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Atlanna will take over as Arthur's main advisor in place of Willem Dafoe's Vulko, who will not appear, as James Wan informed EW.

Temuera Morrison

Lighthouse keeper Thomas Curry, played by Temuera Morrison, saved Atlanna from perishing in a storm in 1985, and they quickly fell in love and had a son together. However, when Atlanna left her family behind to keep them safe from Atlantean forces, it broke Thomas’ heart, and he would go out every day to see if Atlanna returned. Thomas wasn’t involved with Aquaman’s main events beyond being caught in one of Orm’s attacks in the surface world, but he got a happy ending upon reuniting with Atlanna. 

I won’t lie though, I’m concerned about Thomas’ well being in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In the comics, Thomas died of a heart attack during a confrontation with Black Manta, and with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s version of the villain more desperate for revenge than ever, he could easily put Morrison’s Thomas in his crosshairs. This is strengthened by a moment in the Lost Kingdom trailer where Thomas looks badly injured.

Randall Park

Randall Park only had a minor role as Dr. Stephen Shin in Aquaman, mainly appearing on TV as a marine biologist fired from the United States Institute of Marine Science for his conspiracy theories about Atlantis. It wasn’t until the mid-credits scene that Shin became an important player in the wider Aquaman saga, as he rescued Black Manta after he was defeated by Aquaman. 

Realizing that Manta was using Atlantean technology, he asked the antagonist if he could lead him to Atlantis. David Kane agreed if Shin would help him find Aquaman. So expect Shin to play some kind of role in whatever sinister machinations Black Manta has planned, though if he’s like his comic book counterpart, he may eventually experience second thoughts.

Vincent Regan

Within the DCEU mythology, Atlan was the first king of Atlantis, and led his warriors in battle alongside humanity and the Amazons when Darkseid’s forces invaded Earth millennia ago. However, while running an experiment with his powerful trident, Atlan accidentally sunk Atlantis. Guilt-ridden over what happened, Atlan exiled himself to the Hidden Sea, and before he died, he decreed that only the person capable of properly wielding his trident could “unite all our kingdoms above and below.” 

Atlan was played by The Hobbit trilogy’s Graham McTavish in Aquaman, but Vincent Regan from Clash of the Titans is taking over the role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While Atlan was resurrected as an icy monstrosity in the New 52 continuity, it looks like Regan’s Atlan appearing solely through flashbacks, just like McTavish’s version. His scenes will shed light on the "curse" that the Black Trident left upon Atlantis' seven kingdoms.

Indya Moore

So far only one new established DC Comics character has been confirmed for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and weirdly enough, it’s not someone closely tied to Aquaman’s corner of the DC universe. Oh sure, as a tiger shark mutated by nuclear waste, Karshon would be right as home in Arthur Curry’s rogues gallery, but this villain is traditionally seen fighting Green Lantern. Nevertheless, The Lost Kingdom is bringing Karshon into the fold, and they’ll be played by Pose’s Indya Moore. There still aren’t any details about what we can expect from this version of Karshon, though I suspect the nuclear waste aspect of the character won’t be depicted on film.

Jani Zhao

Usually in comic book movies, most of the starring characters are people who are from the comics, but there’s still some room for brand-new people. In the case of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Jani Zhao has been tapped to play someone named Stingray, and it’s unclear if this will be an ally or enemy to Arthur Curry. With a name like Stingray though, it’s probably safe to say this is someone from one of the Atlantean kingdoms rather than a surface dweller.

Pilou Asbæk

Before Jason Momoa’s fame skyrocketed from his time in the DCEU, he was arguably best known for playing Khal Drago in Game of Thrones. Well, another alum from the hit HBO series is taking part in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Pilou Asbæk, who played Euron Grejoy. Unlike everyone else who’s previously been mentioned though, we don’t even know the name of Asbæk’s character in the Aquaman sequel, so it’s anyone’s guess for now how he fits into the picture.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is set to make a splash in theaters on December 20, and we here at CinemaBlend will keep you informed about more casting details as they come in. Don’t forget to also scan through our upcoming DC movies guide to learn what else this corner of the superhero movie market has on the way.

This December will mark three years since Aquaman was released in theaters, and while we briefly reunite with Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry in Zack Snyder’s Justice League earlier this year, we still have yet to see the next chronological chapter of his journey unfold. Fortunately, Aquaman 2, a.k.a. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, has been filming for several months now and on track to arrive in late 2022. The latest update on the sequel’s progress is all casting-related, and it includes a longtime DC Comics villain entering the picture and an important character from the first movie being recast.

Starting off, Indya Moore, who starred as Angel Evangelista in the FX series Pose, has been tapped to play Karshon, who’s been a Green Lantern adversary for decades in the comics, but can easily be thrown into Aquaman’s corner of the DC universe. For those unfamiliar with the character, Karshon was once a regular tiger shark, but after being bombarded by radiation, it rapidly evolved into an intelligent humanoid predator with psionic powers. It’s unclear if this transformation will be retained for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, or if Karshon will simply be one of the “regular” underwater-dwelling humanoids in the DC Extended Universe.

Next from THR, 300 star Vincent Regan will take over the role of King Atlan, who Preacher’s Graham McTavish played in the first Aquaman movie. For those who need a refresher, Atlan was the ruler of Atlantis before it sank into the ocean. In the present day, Arthur Curry found Atlan’s corpse and retrieved the powerful Trident of Atlantis that was still in its grasp. It’s unclear if Atlan’s presence in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom will once again be through flashbacks or if some kind of resurrection is in store, like what went down in the comics. Either way, this will be Regan’s second superhero movie, having previously appeared in Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

The final new face who’s been unveiled today for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is Portugese actress Jani Zhao, who will be making her English-language debut in the sequel. Zhao will play an original character named Stingray, but it’s unclear if this will be an ally or enemy to our hero and his allies. It’s also been confirmed that WandaVision’s Randall Park will reprise marine biologist Dr. Stephen Shin in Lost Kingdom, having briefly played the character in Aquaman, most notably the mid-credits scene. After rescuing David Kane, a.k.a. Black Manta, Shin asked if the mercenary could show him where Atlantis was located. Manta agreed, provided that Shin help him exact revenge on Arthur Curry.

Along with Jason Momoa, Randall Park and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II returning as Black Manta, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s lineup of familiar faces also includes Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry. It was also reported back in April that Game of Thrones’ Pilou Asbaek was in negotiations to join Aquaman 2, but there’s still no word about his role. Behind the cameras, James Wan and David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick both returned to direct and write the screenplay, respectively.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is expected to premiere in theaters on December 16, 2022. Learn what else is in development for the DCEU with our upcoming DC Comics movies guide.

If you are like any number of parents who have found themselves watching Paw Patrol: The Movie in theaters or on Paramount+ since it was released, you are probably wondering where you’ve seen, or at least heard the voice actors before. While some of the voices — Kim Kardashian, Tyler Perry, Dax Shepard, and even Jimmy Kimmel — may sound familiar, other members of the Paw Patrol: The Movie voice cast probably have you scratching your head trying to figuring out why they sound so familiar. Well, freak out no more (at least not that much), as we have put together a quick yet comprehensive guide of the full cast and why you think you’ve heard their voices before.

Iain Armitage - Chase

Taking on the role of Chase, the German Shepherd police pup in Paw Patrol: The Movie is Iain Armitage. If Chase’s voice sounds awfully familiar it most likely means your are either a fan of Young Sheldon or have watched the show in passing at one point or another since the Big Bang Theory spinoff took to the air in 2017. Outside of his portrayal of a younger yet just as smart and opinionated Sheldon Cooper on the hit CBS comedy series, Armitage has appeared on the hit HBO series Big Little Lies as Ziggy Chapman. The young actor, who has already built up quite a filmography at this point in his career, also provided the voice of a young Shaggy Rogers in the 2020 animated comedy Scoob!.

Marsai Martin - Liberty

Liberty, the savvy Dachshund from Adventure City who becomes the newest member of the elite K-9 task force in Paw Patrol: The Movie, is voiced by Marsai Martin. Prior to the new animated adventure, Martin voiced characters in movies like Spirit Untamed and television programs such as Goldie and Bear, The Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show, Elena of Avalor, and DreamWorks Dragons: Rescue Riders. Not a big children’s animation fan? Well, you will then most likely recognized Martin from her decorated performance on black-ish or the 2019 comedy Little, which earned her multiple accolades, including two NAACP Image Awards.

Ron Pardo - Mayor Humdinger

Bringing to life the villainous Mayor Humdinger (as well as Paw Patrol ally Cap’n Turbot) is voice actor Ron Pardo. A fixture of the franchise for years prior to the release of Paw Patrol: The Movie, Pardo has voiced multiple characters on the popular children’s show going back to its beginnings in 2013. Working mostly in animation voice-over work, Pardo has lent his talents to shows like PJ Masks, The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!, and multiple others over the years. You may also recognize Pardo from the 2007 remake of Hairspray which saw him take on the role of the Good Morning Baltimore TV show host.

Yara Shahidi - Kendra Wilson

Taking on the role of Kendra Wilson, the female scientist who comes up with all the great tech and gear used by the fearless pups in Paw Patrol: The Movie is Yara Shahidi. Over the years, Shahidi has appeared in movies ranging from satirical comedies like Butter to action thrillers like Alex Cross and multiple animated features in between. The actress, model, and activist, however, is probably mostly known for her turn as Zoey Johnson on black-ish, a role which has earned the young star a great deal of praise throughout its run including an NAACP Image Award in 2015. Shaidi also plays Johnson in the black-ish spinoff series grown-ish.

Kim Kardashian - Delores

Delores, the poodle working in an animal shelter in Paw Patrol: The Movie, is voiced by socialite and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, arguably one of the most recognizable voices and names attached to the animated feature film. If you have been on the internet, watched television, read magazines while waiting in the grocery store checkout lane, or have simply been alive the past 15 years, chances are you know Kardashian for one reason or another. Outside of Keeping up with the Kardashians (which finally came to an end in June 2021) and its various spinoff series, Kardashian has appeared on countless other reality programs as well as a few movies, including Disaster Movie and Deep in the Valley.

Tyler Perry - Gus

If you saw Gus in Paw Patrol: The Movie and thought to yourself, “Wow, that sounds a lot like Madea,” you would be right. The truck driver saved by Chase and the gang in the new animated feature is voiced by none other than Tyler Perry, one of the most powerful names in Hollywood as well as one of the most generous names in show business. Over the years, Perry has written, directed, produced, and starred in countless productions including his iconic Madea character, including Diary of a Mad Black Woman, A Madea Family Funeral, and many, many others. Perry has also shown up in movies like Vice, Gone Girl, and Alex Cross over the years and doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Dax Shepard - Ruben

Actor, writer, director, and host of the Armchair Expert podcast Dax Shepard shows up in Paw Patrol: The Movie (or at least his voice does) as Ruben, one of two bodyguards working for Mayor Humdinger who attempt to keep the pups out of downtown Adventure City. Ever since breaking out as the resident prankster on the MTV show Punk’d in 2003, Shepard has remained one of the busiest and most popular names on television, showing up in shows like Parenthood and Bless This Mess to name just a couple. Shepard’s film work has been just as strong over the years, with appearances in movies like Zathura: A Space Adventure, CHiPs, and Idiocracy.

Randall Park - Butch

Voicing Butch, the second of Mayor Humdinger’s bodyguards, is Randall Park, who has been on quite a run the past few years with movies like Always Be My Maybe, Long Shot, and a little something called the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After making his debut in the MCU as Jimmy Woo in Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2018, Park went on to become one of the major players in the WandaVision supporting cast. Outside of that, Park has shown up on everything from The Office to Veep and Fresh Off the Boat to The Mindy Project over the years, as well as others you may have forgotten.

Jimmy Kimmel - Marty Muckraker

Late night talk show host and media personality Jimmy Kimmel shows up in Paw Patrol: The Movie as Marty Muckraker, the news anchor of the Adventure City News Network. Kimmel’s rise to fame got started in 1997 when he became the co-host of the Comedy Central quiz show Win Ben Stein’s Money. After that, Kimmel became the co-host of The Man Show alongside Adam Corolla from 1999 to 2003, at which point he became the host of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, which has been on the air ever since. Over the years, Kimmel has played versions of himself in movies like Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Sandy Wexler, and Dads, as well as major roles in The Boss Baby and The Boss Baby: Family Business.

Will Brisbin - Ryder

Taking on the role of Ryder, the human boy who keeps the Paw Patrol together, is relative newcomer Will Brisbin. Prior to joining the Paw Patrol: The Movie cast, Brisbin appeared in a handful of movie and television projects, including Abducted, Breathing Through a Straw, and Forbidden Playground. He will next appear in the TV movie Life Undercover.

Keegan Hedley - Rubble

Voicing Rubble, the appropriately named construction pup in Paw Patrol: The Movie is Keegan Hedley, who has been portraying the character on the Paw Patrol TV show since 2017. Outside of Adventure City, Hedley has voiced the titular character on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, appeared on Odd Squad, and several other programs over the years. Hedley will also soon appear on SyFy’s Chucky series.

Lilly Bartlam - Skye

Skye, the Cockapoo aviator pup in Paw Patrol: The Movie, is voiced by Lilly Bartlam, who has played the character since joining the show’s cast in 2019. Bartlam also provides voice-work on Total DramaRama and previously appeared on Dot.

Kingsley Marshall - Marshall

Marshall, the firefighting Dalmatian pup in Paw Patrol: The Movie, is voiced by Kingsley Marshall, who has portrayed the character since joining the show’s case in 2019.

Callum Shoniker - Rocky

Taking on the role of Rocky, the recycling-obsessed dog in Paw Patrol: The Movie, is Callum Shoniker. Over the years, Shoniker has provided voice-work for shows like Go, Dog, Go, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, and even the Paw Patrol TV show, thought he played a different character than the one in the movie. He also portrayed James Ginsburg in the 2018 biographical drama On the Basis of Sex.

Shayle Simons - Zuma

And then there is Shayle Simons, who portrays the aquatic rescue dog named Zuma in Paw Patrol: The Movie. In addition to appearing on the TV show that inspired the movie, Simons has also acted on shows like Llama Llama, Corn and Peg, and Let’s Go Luna over the years.

This is just a portion of the Paw Patrol: The Movie cast as there are numerous other actors who provide voice-work throughout family friendly animated feature film. If you want to know what will be following Paw Patrol, check out our rundown of all the 2021 movie premiere dates.

WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for much of what happens in WandaVision. If you are not fully caught up on the Disney+ show, please stand by. If you are caught up, stay tuned!

Well, I would say that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is off to a pretty amusing start with their new line-up of multi-episode Disney+ exclusives. By kicking things with off with the return of Elizabeth Olsen, as Scarlet Witch, leading one of the most bizarre comic book adaptations ever, the franchise, in its typical fashion, resolved a few pressing mysteries while prompting new questions for us to ponder. For instance, how does the WandaVision cast intend to follow-up such a game-changer of a TV series?

Developed by Jac Schaeffer and directed by Matt Shakman, the 9-episode miniseries event brought back a few MCU veterans, newcomers to the live action comic book adaptation scene, and even one surprising cameo suggesting a groundbreaking movie universe crossover to perform this mind-boggling, avant-garde recreation of classic sitcoms throughout history. It also helps that a few stars already had experience acting in television comedies.

That being said, is a return to sitcom glory (or even a more traditional debut of it) to be expected for some of WandaVision’s most notable cast members? We shall figure out the answer to that and more when we take a dive into what the stars of the hit MCU show have next on their plates, starting with the magical, Marvelous main character herself.

Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch)

Ironically, one of Elizabeth Olsen’s first acting gigs was an uncredited 1995 appearance on Full House with her older twin sisters, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, years before sending up other sitcoms of the era as her MCU character on WandaVision. Now officially dubbed the Scarlet Witch, the 32-year-old actress will continue to explore Wanda Maximoff’s journey in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, director Sam Raimi’s upcoming Benedict Cumberbatch-led sequel, which is currently filming and set for a 2022 release.

Paul Bettany (Vision)

Sitcoms have never appeared on Paul Bettany's filmography, so I suppose we can thank his comedically charged performance as a medieval hype man in A Knight's Tale and JARVIS' built-in penchant for sarcasm in the early MCU movies for his smooth transition into the sitcom dad role. The 49-year-old actor, who also played the closeted title character of Amazon Prime's Uncle Frank, will next star in the BBC/Amazon Prime original miniseries A Very British Scandal as Duke of Argyll Ian Campbell during the time of his messy divorce from Duchess Margaret (Claire Foy). However, despite its tearful conclusion, the WandaVision finale hints that we have not yet seen the last of Bettany as Vision (or, perhaps, as White Vision).

Kathryn Hahn (Agnes/Agatha Harkness)

From her hilarious recurring spot on Parks and Recreation, major role in 2015's The Visit, and voicing Doctor Octopus in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Kathryn Hahn was fully prepared to play a nosy neighbor on WandaVision, who turns out to be a witch named Agatha Harkness, whom the 47-year-old Emmy nominee hopes to reappear as someday. Until then, she is set to reunite with her Anchorman co-stars Will Ferrell and (fellow MCU actor) Paul Rudd for a series adaptation of the true crime podcast The Shrink Next Door for Apple TV+, where she will also reprise her role on the animated musical series Central Park in Season 2.

Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau)

Even though Teyonah Parris had already been announced as the MCU's grown-up Monica Rambeau, her identity was revealed on WandaVision in a pretty memorable way. Hopefully, 2021 will be the year horror fans finally see the Dear White People star in the Jordan Peele-produced "rebootquel" of Candyman, helmed by Nia DaCosta, who will also direct Parris in Captain Marvel II, which likely sees the newly super-powered Monica officially debut as Photon (or, as the comics currently refer to her as, Spectrum) in 2022. The 33-year-old is also filming the sci-fi comedy They Cloned Tyrone, with John Boyega and Jamie Foxx.

Randall Park (Agent Jimmy Woo)

Before first appearing in the MCU in 2018's Ant-Man and the Wasp, Randall Park was best known as Louis Huang on Fresh Off the Boat, Kim Jong-Un in The Interview, and, of course, "Asian Jim" on The Office in 2012. While I am sure that we will see more of S.H.I.E.L.D. agent turned Fed, Jimmy Woo, after WandaVision, I cannot be certain of where or when. I can say, however, that the 46-year-old Always Be My Maybe writer and star has a voice role in August 2021's Paw Patrol: The Movie, among a number of other projects in development, including a currently untitled collaboration with Hawaii Five-0's Daniel Dae Kim.

Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis)

Kat Dennings actually joined the MCU in 2011's Thor just months before hitting sitcom glory with 2 Broke Girls and, even more fascinating, landed her first starring role on the short-lived comedy Raising Dad opposite a young Brie Larson in 2001. The 34-year-old actress has been able to confirm that there is more of her as Darcy Lewis to come after WandaVision, but she was not able say much else, other than the slightly disappointing reveal that it will not be in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Josh Stamberg (Director Tyler Hayward)

After many recurring spots and guest appearances on notable series like The Affair and Parenthood, Josh Stamberg landed a major, major starring role on a TV series as S.W.O.R.D.'s ruthless director Tyler Hayward, which also served as a reunion for him and his Afternoon Delight co-star Kathryn Hahn, and Paul Bettany, whom he appeared in the 2010 fantasy action thriller Legion with. At the moment, there is, evidently, nothing to report on what the 50-year-old actor has in store next, but I would be willing to bet his time on WandaVision could be the beginning of one vengeful MCU arc.

Debra Jo Rupp (Mrs. Hart/Sharon Davis)

For all of its heart-stopping cameos, one of the more endearingly heartwarming appearances on WandaVision was that of Debra Jo Rupp as the wife of Vision's boss, Mr. Hart, in a wonderful callback to her best-known role on That '70s Show as the aggressively motherly Kitty Forman. This, of course, would turn out to be nothing more than her sitcom-esque persona under the manipulation of one grief-stricken Wanda Maximoff, but I digress. The 70-year-old Friends actress is swerving a bit further into dramatic acting by starring in the dark comedy Butterscotch, which is currently in pre-production.

Julian Hilliard (Billy Maximoff)

When Eagle-Eyed Marvel Comics fans were able to preemptively put together that WandaVision was taking inspiration from the famous House of M storyline, it became pretty clear that the pair of infants Wanda and Vision held in the trailer were going to be their magically created twin boys, Billy and Tommy. Playing Billy is Julian Hilliard, whom you may recognize mainly from several horror movies and TV shows, including Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House as a young Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and in Color Out of Space as Nicolas Cage's onscreen son. The 9-year-old will retain his early Scream King status when he appears in The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It in June 2021, as a real-life child who claimed his homicidal acts were the result of demonic possession.

Jett Klyne (Tommy Maximoff)

Playing Billy's fraternal twin brother, Tommy, is Jett Klyne, who has also gained quite the reputation for horror from roles such as the real Brahms in 2016's The Boy, a younger Harvey Kinkle on Netflix's Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and a child with a very disturbing imaginary friend in the 2020 Shudder original film Z. I would not be surprised if both Tommy and Billy would one day reincarnate into their superhero personas, but there is no telling if the young WandaVision stars will be there to reprise them when the time comes. However, Klyne does have another project on the horizon, which is not horror, but a crime thriller of horrifying circumstances called 13 Steps, which has completed filming.

Evan Peters (Pietro Maximoff/Ralph Bohner)

As far as I (and likely the rest of the Marvel fandom) are concerned, no addition to the WandaVision cast was more bewildering and exhilarating than Evan Peters, seemingly filling in for his Kick-Ass co-star Aaron Taylor-Johnson's slain MCU character by also reprising his X-Men franchise role of the same speedy superhero. However, some viewers were a little disappointed to learn in the series finale that the actor's Pietro Maximoff was really an ordinary man named Ralph Bohner (pronounced as it appears) under the control of Agatha Harkness, but I thought it was amusing enough. So, despite what we may have hoped, it does not appear that Peters is returning as Quicksilver, but is returning for Season 10 of American Horror Story and will also star opposite Kate Winslet in the crime drama series Mare of Easttown for HBO Max.

There are so many other great performers I wish I could have mentioned from WandaVision, such as David Payton as next-door neighbor Herb, or Asif Ali as Vision's co-worker Norm, or Ithamar Enriquez and Victoria Blade from all those creepy, Easter Egg-laden commercial interludes. Perhaps we will be able to put the spotlight on them another day. Besides, as this series has proven well, at Disney+, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is capable of pretty much anything by now.

Marvel Studios' and Disney+’s WandaVision has come to an end, and fans cannot get over the series. From Wanda and Vision's relationship to the classic sitcom callbacks to that excellent villain-ish twist that everyone saw coming, people can’t get enough. Something many fans can agree on is that Jimmy Woo, played by Randall Park, is TV's latest and greatest FBI agent, and that rejuvenated fandom sparked some appreciation for the actor's other memorable roles, which include Jim Halpert from The Office. While reflecting on his time on the hit NBC series, Park revealed that he may not actually remember it.

The third episode of The Office Season 9, titled “Andy’s Ancestry,” featured one of the best cold opens in the show’s history. With Jim out that morning for a dentist appointment, he and Pam called in their actor friend Steve to play a prank on Dwight. As Steve, Randall Park pretended to be John Krasinski's Jim by listening to some voicemails, telling Dwight about sales he'd made, and even going as far as changing Jim's family picture so it resembled more of an “Asian Jim,” which freaked Dwight out. The role was small and only factored into the cold open, but even at less than two minutes, it’s still memorable to this day. At least to everyone beyond Park.

While on The Conan O’Brien Show recently to promote the final episode of WandaVision, Park talked about that Office guest spot, which has clearly stayed on some fans' minds thanks to years of rewatching episodes. That said, the appearance isn't one that sticks to the forefront of Park's memory banks, since it took so little time to put together. Park said:

Dwight's reaction in the moment is that Randall Park's character isn't Jim, because Jim's not Asian, to which Steve replied, "You really didn’t notice? Hey, hats off to you for not seeing race.” Thus, the awkward nickname Asian Jim was born, though it didn't fare too well with the temporarily oblivious Park, who couldn't understand why people carried on with it. Park explained:

Although it was a role on The Office, and a memorable one for fans at that, it’s not hard to blame Randall Park for forgetting a two-minute role that he filmed in the same amount of time as it takes to watch two episodes. However, it is hilarious to hear his offended gut reaction to someone calling him “Asian Jim," which is definitely not like any reaction Jim Halpert ever had.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially made the jump to TV with Disney+’s WandaVision, and it’s certainly giving viewers plenty to enjoy. When it comes to characters, the show not only marks the return of powerful Avengers Wanda Maximoff and Vision, but it also brings back a few fan-favorite supporting players. One of these characters is Jimmy Woo -- Randall Park's straight-laced, yet friendly, FBI agent who was introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Woo has only appeared in a couple of episodes so far, but he already seems to be making a splash in his return. With this, some may already be wondering where his character may show up next in the MCU.

It’s sometimes hard to say when or how a character may resurface in the MCU, as some may have even been surprised that Randall Park’s Woo found his way into WandaVision. Still, the show is better for having him, and there are a few upcoming Marvel Studios projects that could use his presence as well. So let’s take a look at some MCU movies and TV shows in which Park’s character can play a part in:

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The Ant-Man and the Wasp franchise gifted us with Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo in the first place, and it would make sense that he would return for the third installment in the series, Quantumania. In the film, Woo oversaw Scott Lang’s house arrest and went to great lengths to make sure the superhero fugitive didn’t violate any rules. Lang did ultimately manage to evade Woo and his allies but, in the end, the two seemed to remain friendly. I mean Woo had to have had help with mastering that card trick, right?

While plot details on Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania are currently scarce, the idea of Jimmy Woo appearing isn’t impossible. It’s more than evident that the Quantum Realm is going to play a role somehow and, if the film follows in its predecessors’ footsteps, any resulting chaos will spread into the city of San Francisco -- which is under Jimmy Woo’s jurisdiction. And who knows, if Woo does return, maybe he can use the knowledge he picks up in WandaVision to lend an assist.

She-Hulk

As evidenced by WandaVision, Jimmy Woo’s job with the FBI can place him in some pretty interesting places, and Disney+’s upcoming She-Hulk series could be another. The show is set to focus on Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters, who (in the comics) gained Banner’s powers after receiving a blood transfusion from him. In addition to being green and well over 6 foot 7, Walters is also an attorney, who specializes in superhero-related cases. And this is where Woo can come in.

Jimmy Woo’s involvement in law enforcement could allow him to pop in at any time. Jennifer Walters could handle a high-profile case that involves the FBI. For instance, if Wanda Maximoff is eventually prosecuted for taking over the town of Westview, New Jersey (if she is acting alone), Woo could be brought in as a witness given his connection to the case. And watching him take the stand could add a lot of humor to the legal comedy. Honestly, this kind of show is a perfect fit for someone of Randall Park’s talents.

What If…?

Marvel Studios’ What If…? May be the perfect opportunity to do something truly unique with Jimmy Woo. The animated anthology series will feature stories that consider what would happen if major events in the cinematic universe had occurred differently. As a result, the storytelling possibilities are essentially infinite. Marvel is also making it an effort to bring back plenty of MCU actors for the series, and Randall Park is one of the many unconfirmed actors who would be a great fit.

Given the unpredictability of the stories, Woo could fit in almost anywhere. He could appear in a supporting role but could just as easily get his own starring episode. Imagine what would happen if Jimmy Woo became a superhero or somehow became the head of S.H.I.E.L.D. or S.W.O.R.D. All in all, adding Randall Park would not only give What If…? another big name, it would also provide the show with a firm character to work with.

Secret Invasion

Secret Invasion is another one of the many Marvel TV series headed to Disney+ in the near future. Inspired by the comic book storyline of the same name, the show will star Nick Fury and Skrull Talos, as it’s discovered that Skrulls have infiltrated all aspects of life. And as it so happens, Jimmy Woo actually played a role in the comics’ story arc.

In the original story, Woo worked for the Atlas Foundation, the society behind his Agents of Atlas and, during the ordeal, he firmly worked to hinder Skrull activity on the West Coast. The Atlas Foundation has yet to be introduced into the MCU, but that doesn’t mean Woo couldn’t still play a role. Marvel Studios typically doesn’t do direct adaptations of storylines, as it sometimes alters plot points to fit the MCU. So there’s absolutely a chance Jimmy Woo can be an aid in the fight against the Skrull invasion.

Spider-Man 3

At this point, Spider-Man 3’s story is a relative mystery, and the various rumors surrounding it only pose more questions. Still, based on the ending of Far From Home, one might assume that law enforcement will play a role. Peter Parker has been framed for murder and public destruction, and the FBI (among other major organizations) may be keeping tabs on him.

Jimmy Woo has already assisted in superhero-related situations (i.e. Scott Lang’s house arrest and Wanda and Vision’s “sitcom”). So who’s to say Woo couldn’t be brought in to help investigate the claims against Peter Parker should the need arise? This is, of course, conjecture at this point and the movie and filming has commenced at this point. But anything is possible in the MCU. Plus, who wouldn’t want to see Woo wow Peter Parker with his close-up magic?

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s that the franchise can find a place to reuse almost any character, even after they’ve been absent for a while. Through his role as Jimmy Woo, Randall Park has emerged as a true fan favorite, and the MCU would definitely benefit from having more of him.

But are there any other upcoming MCU movies or shows you think Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo can appear in? Let us know in the comments! And if you want to see more of him, check out new episodes of WandaVision, which drop on Disney+ on Fridays.

WandaVision Episode 4, “We Interrupt This Program,” may have given us a lot of answers, but Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis and Randall Park’s Agent Jimmy Woo are here to give us even more. They sit down with CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg to discuss the blip, Woo’s (amazing) card trick, and if they know what’s coming next.

Video Chapters

00:00 - Intro

00:17 - Did Darcy Lewis And Jimmy Woo Blip?

01:08 - Randall Park Worked Hard To Perfect His Awesome Card Flip

01:50 - How Agent Woo’s Perspective On Superheroes Has Changed Since Avengers: Endgame

02:47 - What Darcy Has Been Up To Since Thor: The Dark World

03:35 - Why Kat Dennings Rewatched Her Old Darcy Footage While Preparing For WandaVision

04:27 - Randall Park and Kat Dennings Reflect On Their Character’s Unique Connection To The Audience

05:58 - How Much Kat Dennings and Randall Park Actually Knew While Filming WandaVision

07:20 - Kat Dennings Predicts Darcy’s Reaction To Jane Foster Being Thor

There are many great aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but arguably among the best is simply the way that the filmmakers pay attention to the continuity. Every story told makes an effort to stand on its own, but there are always great bonuses that pop up reflecting the depth and history of the franchise. Examples of this are practically innumerable at this point, but we did just see a fantastic one this past week with the reintroduction of Randall Park’s FBI Agent Jimmy Woo on the Disney+ series WandaVision.

When the character first shows up on the show, he greets Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau by performing a quick sleight of hand trick with his business card, which fans will recognize as a fun callback to a wonderful moment in Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man And The Wasp (the movie that introduced Jimmy Woo to the canon). It’s a great Easter egg for the die-hards – but it is also funny to recognize that it required the actor to do a bit of extra preparation for his performance.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Randall Park earlier this week during a WandaVision virtual press day, and having been delighted by his little card flip introduction I felt compelled to ask about it. As it turns out, it wasn’t a skill that Park already possessed before the day of production, so it was something that he had to learn how to do in the days before being called to set. Said the actor,

Watching the scene, you wouldn’t think that Jimmy Woo only picked up his skills within the week, so credit where credit is due!

For those whose memories of Ant-Man And The Wasp are a little fuzzy, Jimmy Woo picked up the habit of doing card tricks while being assigned to monitor Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang while the Avenger was under house arrest. Learning sleight of hand was one hobby that Lang picked up to try and combat the extreme boredom that came with the inability to leave his own home, and it made a clear impression on the FBI agent: in one funny scene toward the middle of the film, Woo is shown in his office practicing with cards while on a site called “Online Close-Up Magic University.”

In the Marvel continuity, that was before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, and because Randall Park doesn’t believe that Jimmy Woo got blipped from Thanos’ snap, that means he got to spend five years perfecting his skills – which is a fine explanation for why he does it so smoothly in WandaVision.

Will we get to see more sleight of hand from Jimmy in future episodes? We can’t say, but regardless we are excited to see more of the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s now set up to have a pretty crucial role on the new Disney+ series, so be sure to keep tuning in to new WandaVision episodes weekly – with new chapters of the show arriving on the streaming service every Friday at midnight PST/3:00am EST.

In 2019, half of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe disappeared. As seen in Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos successfully assembled the full Infinity Gauntlet, and when he snapped his fingers half of all life in existence turned to dust. Everyone eventually came back in Avengers: Endgame thanks to the efforts of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but still it has left a big question lingering in the canon: who got “blipped” and who didn’t?

Since the end of Avengers: Infinity War and seeing heroes like Black Panther, Scarlet Witch, Spider-Man, and Nick Fury fade away in the moment, we have gotten confirmation about a number key individuals who did and didn’t go away – including Shuri, The Wasp, Peter Parker’s friends, and WandaVision’s Monica Rambeau – but still there are many whose specific experiences remain unexamined. Kat Dennings’ Darcy Lewis and Randall Park’s Jimmy Woo are two good examples, but at the very least we now have the actors’ own takes on what happened to their characters following the Mad Titan’s snap.

Both Kat Dennings and Randall Park made big Marvel Cinematic Universe comebacks this past week, reprising their respective Thor/Thor: The Dark World and Ant-Man And The Wasp roles on WandaVision, and while their separate arrivals on the show didn’t confirm whether or not Darcy and Jimmy were blipped, I felt compelled to ask them for their thoughts when I interviewed them yesterday afternoon. As seen in the video above, I spoke with them both during a virtual press day for the Disney+ series, and starting with Dennings she confirmed that she believes that Darcy didn’t get blipped:

When you really think about it, Darcy Lewis not being blipped really does make the most sense. Fans may remember that when we first met her in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor she was hanging out with a couple of astrophysicists (a.k.a. Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster and Stellan Skarsgard’s Erik Selvig), but she herself was only an intern, and a political science major to boot. Clearly her time with the God of Thunder made her rethink her life goals, as shown via her increased scientific acumen in Thor: The Dark World, but in WandaVision she is reintroduced as “Dr. Darcy Lewis.”

Getting a degree like that takes a fair amount of time, so it stands to reason that Darcy was not only not blipped, but used the five year gap to further her education and earn her doctorate. Which is objectively awesome.

As for FBI Agent Jimmy Woo, Randall Park was equally curious about whether or not he got blipped. In the making of WandaVision it was something that he too asked the writers about – though he didn’t quite get the same kind of confirmation as Kat Dennings. Said Park,

For those who don’t immediately register the reference, Jimmy Woo’s arrival on the scene in WandaVision sees him do a little sleight of hand trick with his business card – which Ant-Man And The Wasp fans will remember was a little hobby that he was inspired to pick up following his time monitoring Scott Lang.

Joking aside, it certainly would be believable that Jimmy has been around for the last five years just because of how well adjusted he seems in the face of all the craziness that WandaVision is throwing at him. It’s understandable that the official Marvel canon might want to keep his “blipped or not blipped” situation open ended just in case there is a specific idea that a filmmaker wants to pursue, but for now I think it’s safe to take Randall Park’s take on the matter and say that he wasn’t a victim of Thanos.

While it took until the fourth episode of WandaVision for them to arrive, Darcy Lewis and Jimmy Woo both appear to have some key roles to play in the rest of the mysterious Disney+ series, and we can’t wait to see what else they get up to. The next episode will be live on the streaming service at midnight on Friday, and while we have next to no idea what to expect (an extension of the show’s mysterious nature) we can’t wait to watch it unfold.

While Marvel had previously been keeping WandaVision spoilers as limited as possible by way of new previews, the entertainment giant changed courses with the extended Episode 4 promo seen above. Not only does it give fans a look at Teyonah Parris fully in character as "Captain" Monica Rambeau, but it also provides our first big look at Randall Park's Jimmy Woo and reveals the answers to two big mysteries that went down in Episodes 1 and 2. Give it a watch and keep reading!

I'll assume you've watched the clip now, even though I didn't seem to hear anyone's squeals of delight. (Besides my own, anyway.) Let's look at the two biggest mysteries whose answers were confirmed in the preview.

Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis Is The One Watching Wanda

The first episode of WandaVision ended on a stunner of a moment when it was revealed that someone within the S.W.O.R.D. organization was watching Elizabeth Olsen's sitcom existence as Wanda through an actual TV, though viewers were left guessing who that mystery character was. Well, if the clip above is any indication, it was indeed Kat Dennings' Darcy Lewis, who returns to the MCU after first debuting in the Thor films.

Some fans definitely theorized that Darcy was the person watching Wanda's twisted TV drama, but it was hard to confirm those speculations without more concrete visuals. Considering Darcy is shown in the preview with a bunch of computer monitors behind her, I think it's safe to say she's within a S.W.O.R.D. outpost set up outside of Westview, though I can't imagine she's alone in there. And speaking of returning Marvel characters...

Randall Park's Jimmy Woo Was Calling For Wanda On The Radio

Fans were also pretty quick to theorize that Randall Park's Jimmy Woo, who'd already been confirmed as a returning character, was behind the voice that was calling out for Wanda through the radio in Episode 2, when Emma Caulfield's Dottie cut herself after smashing a glass within her hand. Now, we know for sure it was him calling out to Elizabeth Olsen's world-bending Scarlet Witch.

Jimmy is also the character who was apparently working with Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau before she entered (and then exited) the bubble universe that Wanda possibly created for herself in New Jersey. It appears as if she got sucked into it after breaching the perimeter with her hand, though that particular detail remains to be seen in full. Her accidental entrance would probably make sense for why Monica was basically clueless about her real identity within Wanda's world.

Hopefully even more answers are on the way in Episode 4, which will possibly tackle classic TV shows from the 1980s. Let us know in the comments if you were surprised to see Kat Dennings and Randall Park in the promo, or if you were already on the right track with your predictions.

One of my favorite things about House is that, unlike some other popular medical dramas, it seemed to have a clear stopping point in mind. Yet, the Fox series, starring Hugh Laurie in the Golden Globe-winning title role of a cynical, Sherlock Holmesian diagnostics expert, boasts a hefty amount of guest stars after eight seasons. Not to mention the fact that many of these up-and-comers of the time, such as the talented Elle Fanning or Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, are some of the most recognizable names in Hollywood today.

As it tends to be the case when searching for A-listers whose early appearance on a TV show may have slipped your mind, there were many to choose from among those who can say they had the “pleasure” of having their case investigated by Dr. Gregory House and his team. Of course, to save us all some time, we have narrowed down the list to just 17 of our favorite pre-fame House actors, starting with one of the most charismatic and versatile talents of our generation.

Michael B. Jordan (Will Westwood)

While he had already found a steady career with roles on The Wire, Friday Night Lights, and in the film Chronicle, Michael B. Jordan would not become a household name until Ryan Coogler cast him in 2013’s Fruitvale Station, followed by the title role in Creed, and in Black Panther as Erik Killmonger. Right in between that star-making transition was a guest spot on the final season of House as a blind man who experiences a strangely high sensitivity to sound right as he is about to propose to his girlfriend (The Big Bang Theory’s Margo Harshman).

Jeremy Renner (Jimmy Quidd)

Fellow MCU alum Jeremy Renner was once an underrated Avenger, but fans are already bittersweet over his imminent exit once Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop takes over in the upcoming Disney+ series Hawkeye. Prior to his role in The Hurt Locker (his first of two Oscar-nominated performances), the actor and musician appeared on House’s fourth season as a punk rocker whose bouts of coughing up blood may be the least of his problems.

Judy Greer (Morgan West)

If you do not recognize Judy Greer as Scott Lang’s ex-wife, Maggie, in Ant-Man or Bryce Dallas Howard’s sister in Jurassic World, you may recognize her as the voice of Cheryl Tunt on Archer. However, you might not have initially recognized the star of 2018’s Halloween as a House patient convinced that the appearance of a strange cat has sealed her death (something even the skeptical doctor almost begins to believe), on the drama’s fifth season.

Randall Park (Brad)

Judy Greer’s Ant-Man and the Wasp co-star Randall Park has a much bigger role on the Disney+ series WandaVision, in which he reprises his MCU character, FBI agent Jimmy Woo. One of the earliest appearances of the comedian (otherwise known from ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, as a marine biologist in Aquaman, and as Asian Jim on The Office) was on Season 2 of House, as a man who attempted his own circumcision.

Yvette Nicole Brown (Ellen Stambler)

Speaking of House characters making big mistakes, Yvette Nicole Brown starred in another Season 2 episode as an organ procurement agency employee who unwittingly becomes the bearer of bad news for a man previously unaware of his wife’s death. At this time, the actress was already well-known to younger viewers as Helen on Drake & Josh before becoming one of many Community regulars to make an MCU cameo later on.

Evan Peters (Oliver)

Another Marvel movie scene-stealer (but not in the MCU) is Evan Peters, whose first action sequence as Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past is cited as one of the most dazzling in the entire franchise. Before breaking out on American Horror Story, the then 21-year-old played a teenager taken hostage by a man desperate to receive House’s diagnosis in Season 5.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Juan “Alvie” Alvarez)

Composing and starring in the Tony winner In the Heights already made Lin-Manuel Miranda a Broadway star, when he brought his rap skills to the two-hour Season 6 premiere of House as the disgraced doctor’s bipolar roommate at Mayfield Psychiatric hospital. Today, the multi-talented actor / writer is internationally known for creating the blockbuster musical Hamilton, and his recent starring role on HBO’s series adaptation of the His Dark Materials book series.

Skylar Astin (Derrick)

Another actor who started out on Broadway is Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist star Skylar Astin, who broke out into the mainstream in 2012’s Pitch Perfect as Anna Kendrick’s pop culture-obsessed love interest. That same year, he appeared on Season 8 of House as a college cheerleader initially brought into Princeton–Plainsboro for nosebleeds and dizziness, but his case becomes more serious when he claims to hear voices that are not there.

Breckin Meyer (Brandon)

Before playing an artist somehow seeing the world as a Picasso painting on Season 5 of House, Breckin Meyer was best known as Travis in Clueless, a college student desperate to retrieve his own mistakenly sent sex tape in Road Trip, and Garfield's owner, Jon, in the critically reviled live action film with Bill Murray as the lazy cat. Since, the Emmy-nominated Robert Chicken producer starred as one half of the titular attorney duo from Franklin & Bash and more recently appeared in Unpregnant, an HBO Max exclusive dramedy feature.

Jurnee Smollett (Tracy)

Speaking of HBO, working on the network's series adaptation of Lovecraft Country and playing Black Canary in DC flick Birds of Prey brought Jurnee Smollet further into the mainstream than her breakout childhood role on Full House did. In a minuscule coincidence, House, on which she played a married assault victim with massive breathing problems, is the third of five medical dramas she has guest starred on, including (unsurprisingly) ER.

Elle Fanning (Stella Dalton)

ER actually marked the acting debut of Dakota Fanning, but instead of following in her sister's footsteps, the equally talented Elle Fanning landed a spot on a different medical drama, House. The then 8-year-old actress appeared on the series' second season as the daughter of a businesswoman (Julie Warner) suffering from uncontrollable muscle spasms.

Mike Moh (Waiter)

Elle Fanning's sister would also grow up to appear in Quentin Tarantino's dark, Oscar-winning love letter to cinema's Golden Age, Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood, which also features Mike Moh, in a memorable performance as Bruce Lee during his years on The Green Hornet. One of the former stuntman's first legitimate acting gigs was as an unnamed restaurant server on Season 7 of House.

Taraji P. Henson (Moira)

Mike Moh would later score a recurring role on Fox's music industry drama Empire, which stars the incomparable Taraji P. Henson in the Golden Globe-winning role of Cookie. The actress also earned an Oscar nomination in 2008 for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, but three years earlier, she appeared on Season 2 of House as the ambitious agent of a star cyclist, in a plot loosely inspired by early allegations of Lance Armstrong's doping scandal.

Jimmi Simpson (Daniel Bresson)

Another notable David Fincher movie veteran is Jimmi Simpson, who appeared as a grown-up survivor of Zodiac in the director’s 2007 film about the search for the elusive serial killer. Hidden within the Westworld star's many memorable TV guest appearances (such as Black Mirror's "U.S.S. Callister" episode) is a spot on House's fifth season as a priest whose admission to Princeton-Plainsboro after claiming to see Jesus eventually leads to suspicions of sexual abuse.

Felicia Day (Apple)

Also famous for a career full of notable guest spots and recurring roles is Felicia Day, who is best known as Penny in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, the villainous Kinga Forrester on Netflix's Mystery Science Theater 3000 reboot, and from Supernatural as Charlie Bradbury (and her evil doppelgänger). The Geek Goddess paid reality a painful visit on Season 5 of House as a woman who becomes the latest (and sole surviving member) of many who fell ill years after receiving an organ donation from the same man.

Blake Anderson (Ethan)

Netflix has been the home of many recent projects involving Blake Anderson, who is best known today as the co-creator and co-star of Workaholics, which ran for seven seasons on Comedy Central. Right around the time that gross-out sitcom was taking off, the comedian made an appearance on House as a patient who suspects his grayed fingertips are frostbitten, until Dr. House rightfully assumes this to be proof the young man has been stealing from the cash register from work.

Noah Segan (Sir William)

Speaking of criminal activity, Noah Segan has played his fair share of bad guys in nearly everything Rian Johnson has directed (save Trooper Wagner in Knives Out and his X-wing pilot role in Star Wars: The Last Jedi). Among his notable TV guest spots (including a cameo as a firefighter in the Johnson-directed Breaking Bad episode "Ozymandias") is a Season 6 appearance on House as a Renaissance Fair performer admitted after suffering a painful defeat in a jousting competition.

What do you think? Did House have a magic touch when it comes to treating potential future A-listers? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on this popular medical drama, as well as even more inside looks into what your favorite celebrities were up to before they were stars, here on CinemaBlend.

I think many of us can agree that we have gone long enough without seeing a new Marvel movie, especially after the postponement of two films originally scheduled for a 2020 theatrical release. While we still have some time before the next big screen installment of this cinematic universe, WandaVision, the first of many small screen installments coming exclusively to Disney+, will be available very soon.

Thus, it is once again time for a refresher on the entire history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to ensure this series, starring Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda “Scarlet Witch” Maximoff and Paul Bettany as Vision, will make sense (considering the cryptic promotional material has been a great help so far). Of course, no one has the time to marathon all 23 previously released movies before WandaVision premieres on Friday, January 15. Fortunately, you do not necessarily have to.

We took a deep dive back into the MCU timeline and picked out specific events and details that we believe are the most important to remember in time for this quirky and irreverent new show. Hopefully the following six facts provide you with the quick, convenient refresher you need to properly enjoy WandaVision, starting with a reminder of Wanda’s tragic past.

Scarlet Witch’s Brother, Quicksilver, Died In Avengers: Of Ultron

It was in Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s mid-credits scene when we first met twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff (Aaron Taylor Johnson), and in Avengers: Age of Ultron the following year when we bore proper witness to their respective abilities. Unfortunately, our first major encounter with the super fast mutant otherwise known as Quicksilver would be our last (in the MCU, at least) as he sacrificed himself to save Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) during the Battle of Sokovia. I only reopen this painful wound in curiosity, wondering if this truly is the last we have seen of Pietro.

Lately, theories suggest WandaVision could bring Quicksilver back, either reprised by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, or Evan Peters of the X-Men movies. Although evidence has not come from the most reputable sources, the mere idea is absolutely plausible, considering the frequency of revived characters in the MCU or other signs the show could bring the X-Men into the franchise. The most telling hint to me is resurrection of another lost loved one.

Vision Was Killed By Thanos In Avengers: Infinity War

The trauma Wanda must have endured after witnessing her own brother’s death is undeniable. However, after being forced to kill her boyfriend, Vision, in order to destroy the Soul Stone, only for Thanos (Josh Brolin) to bring him back and murder him again soon after, that pain seems unimaginable. Yet, despite that heart-wrenching moment from Avengers: Infinity War, the android is seen alive and appears in various classic TV sitcom settings in WandaVision promos.

So, how can this be? Well, it appears that Scarlet Witch has used her previously unmentioned powers of reality manipulation to bring Vision back and escape into a more, hopefully, ideal reality for the couple to start a new life together. If this is truly the case, it is actually quite a fascinating and endearing way to finally reveal her most famous ability to the MCU, which would not have been possible had the heroine not experienced her own resurrection.

Scarlet Witch Was Blipped Back To Life In Avengers: Endgame

Not long after Wanda witnessed the death of her lover by Thanos’ gauntleted hand, he then completely erased the suffering woman from existence. She, along with several other Avengers and their allies, were among the 50 percent of all living creatures turned to dust with just the snap of the purple tyrant’s fingers.

Fortunately, after five years of hopelessness, the burdened Avengers retrieved all six Infinity Stones via time travel and developed their own Gauntlet to achieve a reversal of the Decimation that came to be known (from Spider-Man: Far From Home) as “The Blip.” This would then lead to Avengers: Endgame’s thrilling third act, which pits Thanos (circa 2014) and the Chitauri against our revived heroes, including a vengeful Scarlet Witch, and other MCU favorites like Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, who has a special connection to another character we can expect to see in WandaVision.

We Met Young Monica Rambeau, Circa 1995, In Captain Marvel

Featured in one of the most heavily analyzed teaser trailers for WandaVision is actress Teyonah Parris, whom you may recognize from the film Dear White People (also starring future fellow MCU star Tessa Thompson) from 2014. However, some fans may not have recognized her from that blink-and-you-miss-it appearance as Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Carol Danvers’ old friend, Maria.

Not noticing this at first would be understandable, both for fans not caught up on the series’ casting updates and those who only remember Monica as an 11-year-old, played by Akira Akbar, in Captain Marvel. Well, it is important to keep in mind that the 2019 blockbuster was set in the mid-1990s and, naturally, the character has since grown up (and may soon become a superhero called Spectrum). While hints of that appearing on WandaVision are scarce, the series will likely touch on Rambeau’s past in law enforcement, as evident by sightings of her and another character with a badge.

Jimmy Woo Was Ant-Man’s Parole Officer

Photos from the set of WandaVision were leaked onto the internet that see Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau walking in a field with Randall Park, star of ABC comedy Fresh Off the Boat, and Always Be My Maybe - the hit Netflix rom-com. Of course, MCU fans might recognize him better from Ant-Man and the Wasp as Jimmy Woo, a former S.H.I.E.L.D agent recruited into the FBI who was fiercely intent on preventing Scott Lang from breaching his house arrest sentence.

In addition to their confirmed appearances on WandaVision, rumors suggest the show will reveal Jimmy and Monica’s ties to S.W.O.R.D. - an alien defense organization heavily involved in Marvel’s Secret Invasion storyline, which is also being adapted into a series on Disney+. On the contrary, something we can mention about Jimmy’s role on the show with more certainty is his connection to another one of MCU’s best-known comic relief characters.

Darcy Lewis Is An Acquaintance Of Thor

Despite all the stirring revelations surrounding WandaVision, I would call the casting of Kat Dennings one of the most fascinating developments. The former 2 Broke Girls star appeared in Thor as Darcy Lewis, an intern of Dr. Erik Selvig (Stellar Skarsgard) and Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), at the time the astrophysicists discovered Chris Hemsworth’s fallen Asgardian on Earth.

Kat Dennings’ much larger role in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World would be the last we would see of her in the MCU until she reprises her character, now “a professional in her field” according to director Matt Shakman, on WandaVision. He also dropped hints of Darcy Lewis’ collaboration with Jimmy Woo for a storyline that has yet to be revealed, but already sounds like a comical treat if both of these memorably funny characters are involved.

What do you think? Are you excited to see Kat Dennings come back for a much deserved return to the MCU, or are you still bummed that she, supposedly, will not appear in Thor: Love and Thunder for a reunion with Chris Hemsworth and Natalie Portman? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on WandaVision, as well as even more news about Marvel, here on CinemaBlend.

Randall Park, the star of movies like Always Be My Maybe, The Interview, and even Ant-Man and the Wasp, has been on a years-long roll as of late and continues to only build up more momentum with each passing project. And with his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ original Wandavision not too far down the road, Park's career only seems to be getting better all the time.

And while everyone remembers some of the Korean-American actor, comedian, and writer's biggest and most notable movies and TV shows like Fresh off the Boat, Aquaman, and Veep, Randall Park has a long list of appearances you may have forgotten; ones like Reno 911!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Five-Year Engagement, and even an episode of ER. Here are just ten of those movies and TV shows…

Steve (Asian Jim) - The Office

Diehard fans of The Office who are probably currently going through their seventh re-watch will remember Randall Park's character, Steve, aka "Asian Jim" from the Season 9 episode "Andy's Ancestry," but we'll break it down just in case someone has forgotten or doesn't know. Basically, Steve was one of Jim and Pam's actor friends who came in to play one hell of a prank on Dwight that leaves him questioning reality. The 2012 episode was released just a couple of years before Park reached the next level of his career with his portrayal of Kim Jong-un in the controversial 2014 comedy The Interview, but the future star had already started to make his mark in movies and TV.

Mailman - Reno 911!

Nearly a decade before Randall Park made a one-off appearance on The Office, the up-and-coming comedian did what most people in his case did in the early 2000s — he showed up on the Comedy Central Cops parody Reno 911!. In the 2003 episode "Dangle's Moving Day," Park plays a terrified mailman who is being attacked by a pair of lunatics armed with paintball guns and an endless supply of pain for anyone and everyone who crosses their path. This is a blink and you'll miss it kind of role, but Park's over-the-top delivery as he's trying to escape the onslaught of paintballs is classic comedy.

Ming - The Five-Year Engagement

The 2012 romantic comedy The Five-Year Engagement has two of the biggest movie stars of the era in Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, but the supporting cast in the story about a San Fransisco chef and PhD graduate putting off their marriage for years on end is equally as impressive. Most will remember Chris Pratt, Alison Brie, and Rhys Ifans, but Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart, Kumail Nanjiani, and Randall Park, who appears as a graduate student by the name of Ming, all show up in before-they-were-famous roles. Ming is mostly seen doing crazy experiments. like the one in Tom's (Segel) birthday email to Violet (Blunt). In just a couple of years, Park would be a bonafide comedy star, like the rest of the supporting players here.

Himself - Wild 'N Out

Nick Cannon's long-running sketch comedy show and improvisational game show Wild 'n Out served as the launching pad for everyone from future Saturday Night Live players Pete Davidson and Mikey Day, Katt Williams, and even Kevin Hart. Another name that is often forgotten is Randall Park, who appeared on the show from 2005 to 2007. With so many episodes and future stars being featured over the years, it's easy to forget a few of them, especially considering Park was in the infancy of his career at the time of his appearances.

Doctor - Curb Your Enthusiasm

There are more awkward encounters on Curb Your Enthusiasm than pretty much any other show in the history of television, and Larry David's run-in with Randall Park's character (Doctor) in the Season 7, Episode 9 episode "The Table Read," is near the top of that list. After a hilarious misunderstanding about David's relationship with a young girl, Park's character calls the cops as the show's theme music kicks in. This brief appearance is probably overshadowed by the insane cast featured in the episode (it's essentially a Seinfeld reunion), but Park's facial expressions and demeanor as he thinks he's dealing with a pedophile is pure comedy.

Trainee Wong - Larry Crowne

The 2011 comedy Larry Crowne probably isn't anyone's favorite Tom Hanks movie, but it's certainly not the worst movie out there either. One thing most can agree on is the talent of the supporting cast, which included Rami Malek, Taraji P. Henson, Bryan Cranston, and even Randall Park, as Trainer Wong, Larry Crowne's (Hanks) coworker on the day he is fired for not having a college degree. It's a brief appearance and came a couple of years before Park hit it big, but it's saying something when his scene is featured in the opening moments of the film's trailer.

Dr. Colin Lee - The Mindy Project

Mindy Kaling's long-running comedy series The Mindy Project featured an insanely talented main cast, but the incredibly deep roster of recurring characters and actors is just as impressive. With Mark Duplass, Chloë Sevigny, Bill Hader, and Ellie Kemper all showing up from time to time, it should come as no surprise that some, like Randall Park, would get lost in the shuffle. Park appeared as Dr. Colin Lee, an ophthalmologist and Mindy's friend on three episodes between 2013 and 2014 (when the show was still on Fox).

Yong-Jo Pak - ER

Randall Park has played a doctor on multiple occasions, but he appeared on the other end of a medical drama very early on in his career on a 2004 episode of ER. Appearing only briefly as Yong-Jo Pak, Park plays the brother of a woman who attempts to hide her pregnancy until the baby is born, and even then bounces between shock and denial.

Brad - House

One year after popping up on ER, Randall Park appeared on House as a character by the name of Brad who was in serious need of medical attention after he attempted to perform an at-home circumcision on himself. That description and the sight of the blood on Brad's pants are enough to make this a memorable moment yet one that you want to forget at the same time.

Crime Boss (Voice) - Community

Fans of Community will probably remember Randall Park's appearance as himself in the final seasons of the cult comedy series, but he also appeared (or at least his voice) in the show's first season back in 2010. In the episode "Romantic Expressionism," Park's voice can be heard in fake science-fiction action flick Kickpuncher as a character by the name of Crime Boss. Not seeing Park in this role is most likely the reason it's often forgotten. But that's not all, Park also appeared in the Greendale Community College webisodes.

This is just a small sampling of all the Randall Park movie and TV appearances you may have forgotten over the years. If your favorite didn't make the list make sure to sound off in the comments.

Marvel Studios dropped a lot of information about its plans for Disney+ at San Diego Comic-Con this year, but if you thought that was all there was to say, think again. Kevin Feige appeared at the Disney+ panel at the D23 Expo today to talk more in depth about those shows, and he revealed that the series WandaVision will see the return of two quite unexpected characters, Randall Park's FBI Agent Woo and Thor's Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis.

Kat Dennings character Darcy hasn't been seen since she was alongside Natalie Portman in Thor: The Dark World. Randall Park played the FBI agent tasked with keeping Scott Lang under house arrest in Ant-Man and the Wasp. Not only was nobody really expecting to see these characters again, we certainly weren't expecting to see them alongside Scarlet Witch and Vision, two characters they had no contact with previously.

Randall Park's Jimmy Woo was one of the comedy highlights of Ant-Man and the Wasp, so it's great to see him back for any reason. While my research has shown that not everybody loved Kat Dennings in the first two Thor films, I'm fairly confident those people are crazy and having her back is going to be excellent.

With both Kat Dennings and Natalie Portman returning to the MCU, one certainly has to wonder if the pair could end up reunited in Thor: Love and Thunder.

Park and Dennings aren't the only actors joining the cast of WandaVision. Teyonah Parris will be playing the role of Monica Rambeau, the adult version of the child we met in Captain Marvel. Kathryn Hahn will also be joining the new series in the role of a "nosy neighbor."

Exactly how any of these characters will be used in the film is anybody's guess.

With Woo, Darcy, and Monica Rambeau all becoming part of WandaVision, the series is becoming a who's who of the MCU. Considering the fact that Paul Bettany will be back playing Vision at all, there's an expectation that the series will deal with altering reality. Perhaps that's why so many faces we know will end up in one place.

The other reason all of these interesting characters appearing in WandaVision is potentially important, is that we also know the series will lead into the MCU movie that follows it, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Elizabeth Olsen will be co-starring in that movie alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. Whatever these characters get up to in the series has the potential to be important in the movie.

WandaVision is certainly shaping up to me an impressive looking show. Now if only we could actually see it. The show currently has a Spring 2021 release date on the Disney+ service, which means it will likely be some time before we really get a chance to get our eyes on it.

While we may never understand just how Netflix manages to develop so many original films and television shows each month, but we’re not complaining. The streaming platform has recently played a part in a resurgence of the romantic comedy with hits such as To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before and Set It Up. Now it’s releasing a rom-com with some seriously funny comedians including Ali Wong, Randall Park and … Keanu Reeves? Check out Always Be My Maybe.

Wait… you watched until the end right? I promised you Keanu Reeves and the only way to deliver is if you’ve see the trailer to the very end, but we’ll get back to him in a bit.

Always Be My Maybe follows Sasha (Ali Wong) a successful celebrity chef with a good-looking fiancé, played by Lost and Hawaii Five-0’s Daniel Dae Kim. When she goes home to San Francisco for business, she runs into her childhood crush Marcus (Fresh Off the Boat’s Randall Park). Will Sasha gets starry eyes for the one who got away? Or in her case, the one who didn’t move as she left and pursued her career goals.

The trailer from Netflix reveals her fiancé skips out on their wedding plans while she’s at home and he’s on vacation, sparking a hilarious line from Wong as she says she hopes he gets Malaria and shits himself to death. Then, it’s revealed a child’s birthday party was in close vicinity to hear her vile burn.

Sasha then finds herself spending more time with Marcus as she pursues dating on the side. Their chemistry is pretty obvious to everyone else but the couple seem oblivious to it on their own. It’s a classic “will-they-won’t-they” scenario for rom-com fans to eat up.

Always Be My Maybe drives down memory lane a bunch with the couple, flashing back scenes of them when they were kids and in a funny scene where the two make jokes about being in the same car where they once had sex as teens. Oh, and of course Mariah Carey’s ‘90s hit “Always Be My Baby” is playing in the background.

Right when it seems Marcus has drummed up the courage to tell Sasha he’s been in love with her for 15 years, Sasha drops a big bomb. She met someone… and yes, he’s played by Keanu Reeves. The actor makes a grand entrance and helps end out the trailer on a hilarious note as he and Ali Wong say things like “I missed your thumbs” closely into each others faces and Marcus’ heart drops.

It’s also perfect for Reeves to show up in the Always Be My Maybe on the heels of John Wick 3 heading to theaters this weekend and his new role in Toy Story 4 soon hitting screens.

While the trailer shows a lot about the movie, this moment serves as a great hook for audiences to watch the release on the streaming platform when it’s released on May 31.

In 2018, James Wan’s Aquaman became a remarkably surprising smash hit. Nobody really knew what to expect from it given that it was following the disappointing release of Justice League, centered on a character who had never had his own live-action solo movie, and was facing stiff competition at the box office in the form of Mary Poppins Returns, Bumblebee, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. To everyone’s shock, however, the film not only became a billion dollar hit, but now stands as the biggest worldwide earner in the history of DC Comics adaptations.

Naturally, the excitement that the project generated immediately led Warner Bros. to solidify a future for the franchise, and within a few weeks of Aquaman’s release we learned about their plans to develop an Aquaman 2. But what will the project be about? Who will be making it? When will we actually get to see it? These are all major questions that we’re here to discuss. We’re going to break down all of the information that’s currently available about Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and provide you with all of the most recent news that we’ve heard about the project. So, without further ado, let’s dive in!

What Is The Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom Release Date?

It’s typical for Hollywood studios to try and produce sequels as quickly as they possibly can. After all, they don’t want to let the heat of a burgeoning franchise die down, and the more time that passes means there’s more opportunities for audiences to be distracted by other big properties. That being said, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – like a few other upcoming DC movies – is taking an extra minute to find its way to theaters and, according to Deadline, is currently scheduled to be released on December 20, 2023.

So, why is the Aquaman sequel coming out so long after its predecessor? For starters, producer Peter Safran has noted that the filmmakers behind the movie did not feel the need to rush the project and there were already a number of exciting films in the pipeline for the larger DC brand at the time. The release date actually jumped back and forth for a while, initially set for more than a year earlier before being moved to March 2023, followed by a delay to Christmas Day before it was pushed up just five days.  

Jason Momoa Reprises The Role Of Aquaman

After first winning a lot of people over with his charismatic turn as Arthur Curry in Justice League, Jason Momoa got to be the star of his own DC movie and is now returning to the title role for its sequel. He will also be joined by most of the original Aquaman cast, including Amber Heard as Mera (despite rumors of the contrary, as reported by EW), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David “Black Manta” Kane (which he confirmed to Uproxx), and Patrick Wilson, who previously hinted that Orm is not the “big bad” this time.

Returning members of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cast also include Dolph Lundgren (who confirmed his reprisal of King Nereus on Instagram) and Oscar nominee Willem Dafoe as Vulko, who was listed among the cast in a report by Collider. That same Collider article confirmed Nicole Kidman and Temeura Morrison are also set to play Arthur Curry’s biological mother and father once again and we know from a different Collider piece that Marvel star Randall Park is coming back to play Atlantis-obsessed marine biologist, Dr. Stephen Shin, supposedly to team up with Black Manta as the last film’s post-credits scene teased.

Ben Affleck Joins The Aquaman 2 Cast As Batman

We can expect to see a number of new faces in the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom cast, including one who is not new to the DC Extended Universe canon, but is new to the individual Aquaman movies. Following his appearance alongside Michael Keaton in the same role in The Flash, Ben Affleck is coming back to play Batman for the sequel – which Momoa revealed in an Instagram post – and, supposedly, for the last time.

Among the newcomers to the DCEU also appearing in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Vincent Regan joined the cast as a younger version of the Atlantean king, Atlan, who was previously played by Graham McTavish. The THR same piece also reports that Indya Moore is starring as the shark-like DC villain, Karshon, and Jani Zhao is playing an original role known as Stingray. A different THR article mentions that Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk will also appear in an undisclosed role.

The Sequel Will Pair Aquaman With An Unlikely Ally

In 2021, Warner Bros. (via ScreenRant) released an official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, hinting that the story would involve our title hero being forced to team up with someone you would not expect him to play nice with. As reported by Deadline, it was officially confirmed that Patrick Wilson’s Orm would be reluctantly joining forces with his half-brother to take on Black Manta when a first look at the sequel was revealed during CinemaCon 2023 in Las Vegas.

The footage also featured Amber Heard as Mera, whose level of involvement in the new film had been a subject of much speculation until then. The sneak peek did not offer enough detail to confirm how much of  the story focuses on her, but did depict her in some amusing action sequences.

James Wan Returns To Direct Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom

Aquaman marked director James Wan’s first foray into the comic book movie genre having launched his career with horror flicks like the first of the Saw movies, before developing the worlds of Insidious and The Conjuring. Of course, he would begin to switch gears into other genres  by helming one of the Fast and Furious movies (2015’s Furious 7), but also revisited his roots for 2021’s Giallo-inspired Malignant before he was confirmed to be returning to the world of Atlantis.

However, as we know from an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wan would take inspiration from his favorite genre when helming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom – specifically citing a campy, Italian sci-fi flick from 1965 called Planet of the Vampires as an influence. Making his Aquaman sequel somewhat horror-inspired sounds like a good consolation for his scrapped Trench spin-off idea.

David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick Pens The Script

On the writing front, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom has the co-writer of the first film, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, holding the pen. According to an interview with Jason Momoa published in Esquire, the movie star was also heavily involved in developing the story of the sequel at the beginning.  

Johnson-McGoldrick has a bit of sequel experience on his resume already, having written Wrath Of The Titans, The Conjuring 2, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. It seems that Warner Bros. trusts him with the responsibility of structuring a proper follow-up to the biggest DC Comics adaptation ever.

Where Is The First Aquaman Movie Streaming?

With there still being plenty of time before Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters, it's understandable if you have a bit of trouble keeping your excitement for the sequel contained. That being said, one of the best ways to satisfy your craving for King Of Atlantis action on the big screen is by watching previous Aquaman and the other canonically related DC movies! 

The even better news: it's really easy to do that as all of the DC Extended Universe titles – including the first Aquaman solo film – are currently available to stream with an HBO Max subscription. You can always rent or purchase all of the titles digitally at all major outlets, or find them in Blu-ray or DVD form.

Stream Aquaman on HBO Max.
Rent/buy Aquaman on Amazon.
Buy Aquaman on Blu-ray Amazon.

We’ll keep updating this feature as we get closer and closer to Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, so be sure to occasionally come back, and stay tuned for all of the latest updates about the production here on CinemaBlend!

The DCEU is about to take off in some fairly significant ways. With Justice League having hit theaters in late 2017, the stage is now officially set for an army of iconic DC heroes and villains to take center stage in their solo movies. One of the most intriguing characters of the bunch is Jason Momoa's Aquaman -- who will finally step into the light almost four years after Zack Snyder first revealed his character to the world. As Arthur Curry has not taken the spotlight in live-action too many times over the years, (at least compared to his DC contemporaries like Batman and Superman), Aquaman will represent his first real opportunity to make a legitimate and profound impression on audiences all around the world.

On that note, we have gone through all of the news and developments that have materialized over the course of the last couple of years to compile a list of everything that we currently know about James Wan's upcoming Aquaman movie. Take a look at our handy guide for this aquatic DC adventure and let us know how excited you are for the film in the comments section below. Now, without further ado, let's kick this guide off with one of the greatest revelations of all: the movie's most recent trailer.

What Have We Seen From Aquaman?

While it seems like it took forever to get some footage from Aquaman, late July 2018 finally offered up a trailer, which, as you can see from the video above, featured a wondrous look at the action, underwater world, characters and costumes in the movie. It also gives fans a pretty good taste of the main storylines, proving that we should be in for quite a treat when the film hits theaters.

What Is The Aquaman Movie Release Date?

Like numerous other entries in the DCEU, Aquaman has experienced a number of shifts and changes to its release date since it was first announced. That said, the film has managed to remain far more stable than other DC projects currently on the horizon. The film was originally slated to hit theaters in summer 2018 but was subsequently pushed back to fall and then winter. Now the film will hit theaters on December 21, 2018, and (barring a major, unexpected setback) it doesn't look like that is going to change anytime soon. That said, this IS DC, so anything can happen at any time.

What Is The Aquaman Movie Rating?

Although it was recently revealed to The Wrap that the folks at Warner Bros. are genuinely considering the possibility of an R-rated DC movie -- particularly after the success of Logan -- it doesn't seem likely that Aquaman will be that film. It seems far more likely that a villain-centric movie like Suicide Squad 2 or even Gotham City Sirens will receive that particular honor. An Aquaman movie is a globe-trotting, big budget VFX adventure, and that stylistic choice inherently lends itself to a more sanitized story. Arthur Curry is one of DC's more brutal and badass heroes (and Jason Momoa has already sold that idea), but you shouldn't expect Aquaman to go any further than a PG-13 rating when it finally hits theaters in winter 2018.

What Is The Aquaman Story?

We still don't know all the particulars of the plot for Aquaman's solo film, but we do have an idea of some of the things the movie is planning to touch on. First and foremost, with the casting of his parents and two actors who will be playing younger versions of the character at different stages, we do know that the movie is going to dig into the character's history. Aquaman will detail how Arthur was left by his Atlantean mom on land to be raised by his father, how he discovered his special abilities and how he never quite felt at home on land or in the sea. As for the modern day portion of the story, at least some of it will focus on ocean pollution, a conflict between those who live in the sea and those who live on land, and the need for Arthur to bring the two worlds together peacefully. And, it's been confirmed that a whopping two-thirds of the action will take place underwater, which should make for a very different superhero adventure.

Who Is Working On The Aquaman Movie?

This is one particular area where the Aquaman solo movie has actually fared better than most DC films. Despite the fact that most other DCEU films have suffered through a wide variety of director losses over the course of the last few years (The Flash being a prime example of that phenomenon) Aquaman has managed to comfortably keep James Wan locked down in the director's chair to shoot a script written by Gangster Squad's Will Beall. Given Wan's knack for shooting practical monster effects in The Conjuring horror series, as well as his proven ability to shoot coherent action sequences in Furious 7, all eyes are on him to produce one of the most expertly crafted DC films to date.

Who Is The Villain Of The Aquaman Movie?

Aquaman has quite a few iconic villains that he could potentially square off against in his first ever solo movie, and James Wan decided to go with two of his most legendary foes for his first film. The 2018 Aquaman solo film will see Arthur Curry go head to head against the one and only Black Manta -- arguably the most well-known member of the King of Atlantis' rogue's gallery. Known for his iconic black suit (and its easily identifiable manta-inspired helmet) Black Manta is a villain with a tragic backstory as an autistic child who can only find comfort in cold water, and he has a personal feud with Aquaman after murdering Arthur Curry's son. To put it simply: he's one of the most badass and imposing bad guys in the entirety of DC lore.

However, although Black Manta will be among the antagonists of the first Aquaman movie, he won't be the main bad guy. It appears that the upcoming film will also do quite a bit of world-building as well, and will use Aquaman's half-brother Orm (also known as the evil villain Ocean Master) as the film's Big Bad. According to Patrick Wilson, who plays Orm, the character will butt heads with Aquaman due to his desire to start war with the surface world over the pollution of the oceans, something that the half-human Arthur Curry, obviously, doesn't want to happen.

Where Does The Aquaman Movie Fit Within The DCEU?

Despite the fact that not much is currently known about the main plot of the Aquaman solo movie, it does sound like it will take place after the events of Justice League -- which apparently is also the case for The Flash solo movie as well. However, DC producer Charles Roven also recently made it abundantly clear that future DC films may follow the example set by Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman and include a number of flashback sequences to flesh out the overall mythology of the live-action DC universe. On that note, while the main Aquaman story will take place after the central team of DC superheroes has assembled to take down Steppenwolf, the film will also include flashbacks to a time when the world didn't actually know about the undersea realm of Atlantis.

Jason Momoa As Aquaman

Of course, as many of you already know, Aquaman will put Arthur Curry front and center for the very first time, and Jason Momoa will step into the role to headline the film. Momoa's version of Arthur Curry already made his first appearance in the DCEU during the events of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice when Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) went through Lex Luthor's (Jesse Eisenberg) files about metahumans, and the character also took a more prominent role when he made his Justice League debut.

Casting an actor like Momoa currently seems like nothing less than a stroke of genius on the part of the folks at DC. The Game of Thrones alum has developed a reputation as one of the most ferocious and physically imposing actors in Hollywood, so bringing him in to portray a more badass version of Arthur Curry will go a long way towards making people forget about their preconceived notions towards Aquaman as a hero. That said, Justice League has already made quite a few jokes at the character's expense ("I hear you can talk to fish") so it seems that the DCEU will maintain a certain sense of humor to complement Aquaman's newfound ferocity.

Amber Heard As Mera

Behind any respectable King is a Queen keeping him in line, and Aquaman's Queen will take the form of Amber Heard's Mera. An iconic DC hero, and badass warrior in her own right, Mera already made her proper debut in a Justice League cameo, and now she'll take on a much more substantial role when the Aquaman solo movie finally debuts.

Although we've only seen a little interaction between Arthur Curry and Mera (in Justice League), everything that we have heard about their dynamic in his titular film promises something that's equal parts hilarious, romantic, and downright cool. These two characters are incredibly hard-headed and self-reliant, and as such they will have to learn to work with one another over the course of their first scenes within the DCEU. Heard has gone on record saying that Mera and Arthur make quite the "unlikely duo," but their partnership will create a "nuanced relationship between them" that leads to a strong bond. James Wan has actually likened the overall tone of the solo Aquaman film to that of Romancing the Stone, which means we can reasonably expect a romantic adventure to play a central role in the aquatic DC movie.

Willem Dafoe As Nuidis Vulko

When the announcement came out that Willem Dafoe would play a character in the DCEU, fans began wildly speculating as to which character he could potentially portray. As a guy known for some truly outlandish roles, it could've been anyone. That said, Vulko seems like a perfect choice. A major member of Aquaman's supporting cast, Nuidis Vulko is a scientific and political advisor to the King of Atlantis, and one of Arthur Curry's closest confidants as he rules the seven seas.

Like Amber Heard's Mera, Vulko was supposed to make his initial debut during the events of Justice League before making a full introduction in Aquaman -- in a move likely somewhat similar to the introduction of Marisa Tomei's Aunt May in Captain America: Civil War. Unfortunately, Dafoe's work on the film had to be cut when it was realized there just wasn't enough time to include the scenes he'd filmed. How he will explicitly factor into the overarching narrative of the Aquaman solo movie remains to be seen, but considering the fact that we absolutely love everything Willem Dafoe does, we have a feeling that Vulko will be one of the standout characters from the DCEU.

Patrick Wilson As Orm

One of the most delightful revelations to come out of the DCEU in recent months is the reveal of Patrick Wilson as Aquaman's half-brother Orm. Also known as Ocean Master, Orm is a full Atlantean who grows resentful of Arthur Curry when his brother returns and rightfully dethrones him. Think Loki and Thor, only with more water. After being unclear exactly how much of a villain Orm will be in Aquaman for quite some time, we now know that he is the film's main antagonist. So, instead of the movie only planting the seeds for him to break bad in a future story, Orm will be an out and out antagonist during this first undersea adventure. And, the epic conflict between these half-brothers should be something to see.

Oddly enough, Patrick Wilson has technically already appeared in the DCEU -- albeit as little more than a voiceover cameo. He is credited as "POTUS" from Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice on IMDB, which means that he is technically the one who ordered a nuclear strike on Superman. With his upcoming role as the villainous Orm, we can tell that his resume of dastardly deeds in this universe is only going to get longer and more diverse as time goes by.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II As Black Manta

Stepping into the role of a character that has never been depicted on the silver screen is a major responsibility -- particularly for an up and comer like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. However, considering the young actor's work on Baz Luhrmann's The Get Down on Netflix, all eyes are on him to pull of Black Manta in exemplary fashion. Not much is currently known about how Black Manta will explicitly factor into Aquaman's overarching narrative, but Yahya Abdul-Mateen II certainly has a look and the physicality to portray Manta in a way that should make fans of the DC lore very happy.

Of all the confirmed members of Aquaman's supporting cast, he is the one we know the least about. While we will have to wait and see how James Wan handles him as more information becomes available to us, we do know that this iteration of the character plays an important part in the story, and is also "part mercenary but full-time pirate," according to Abdul-Mateen. If that description doesn't get you eager to watch him on the big screen, it's possible nothing will. But, from the look of the character in full, comic book costume that we got in the trailer (along with the glimpse of his laser beam-eyed helmet) it seems like just getting to see Black Manta in live action will be worth the wait.

Nicole Kidman As Queen Atlanna

Late January 2017 brought some casting information related to Aquaman which raised the distinct possibility that the film wanted Nicole Kidman for the role of Atlanna. Luckily, by early April of the same year, Kidman had agreed to take part in the film. Not much is currently known about how Atlanna could potentially fit into the Aquaman story (because not much is known about the plot itself yet). That said, the presence of Aquaman's mother in the film's narrative will go a long way towards reinforcing the thematic idea that Arthur Curry is a man stuck between two worlds. Kidman has said that her friendship with James Wan, along with the opportunity to play "a mermaid warrior" are what led her to accept the role. Oddly enough, this isn't Nicole Kidman's first go-around in the DC universe, as she previously portrayed Dr. Chase Meridian in Joel Schumacher's (underrated) Batman Forever back in 1995.

Randall Park As Dr. Stephen Shin

April 2018 brought Aquaman reshoots and the confirmation that an addition to the cast had been present all along in the form of Fresh Off the Boat and Veep actor Randall Park. According to James Wan's tweet, Park is taking on the role of Dr. Shin in the new film, and while we don't know just yet exactly what his character will be like on the big screen, because this is a character who was important to Geoff Johns' work on the comic during the New 52 era, we do have some idea of what he could be doing. In the comics, Arthur's father took him to Dr. Shin, the world's foremost expert on Atlantis, and he helped the youngster develop his special skills. But, later, when Arthur refused to tell Shin where Atlantis was, the doctor tried to kill him. Eventually, though, Shin did become an actually ally to Arthur again, so, it'll be interesting to see how Aquaman uses him.

Michael Beach As Jesse Kane

After months of speculation that actor Michael Beach, of The CW's The 100, might be involved in Aquaman in some way, it was finally confirmed that he'll be playing Jesse Kane in the film. Kane will be part of a group of "high seas hijackers" in the movie, and his membership in that group will somehow lead him to have whats being called a "fateful interaction" with the underseas hero. These details have lead many fans to speculate that he will actually be the father to Black Manta, since that character was a treasure hunter in the comics, but neither Beach nor anyone else associated with the film have confirmed that at this point.

Dolph Lundgren As King Nereus

In an effort to flesh out the underwater world of Atlantis, Aquaman will be bringing in another character from the comics, and that will be Dolph Lundgren's King Nereus. In comic lore, Nereus is the ruler of another aquatic kingdom, Xebel, which is where Mera is actually from. While Mera and Nereus were former lovers in the comics, for the purpose of this movie, their relationship will, instead, be as father and daughter. The character is quite villainous historically, but James Wan has gone on record noting that this version of Nereus will be "not quite a villain," so we'll see how the character works within the narrative of the film when it hits theaters.

Ludi Lin As Murk

Well, after talking a lot about all the villains or potential villains that Aquaman will introduce, we've come back around to the side of the good guys. Actor Ludi Lin, who is best known in the United States for his role as the Black Ranger in the most recent Power Rangers film, will be playing Murk in the movie. The comic version of Murk is the leader of the Men-Of-War, the main army of Atlantis, and also serves as a close ally to Aquaman. The character was just introduced in the comics a few years ago, though, so the film will have a lot of leeway with how Murk is characterized.

Djimon Honsou As Fisherman King

Djimon Honsou's appearance in Aquaman was a bit of a surprise, as we only heard of his role in the movie during the summer of 2018. It turns out that his character is going to be somewhat important, though, as Orm will go to him to seek support in declaring war on the surface world. Apparently, his kingdom is one of the ones that evolved after Atlantis fell, and the community is now mostly comprised of poets, philosophers and other cerebral, artistic types. Would these guys really be willing to help out with a major war effort? We'll just have to wait and see.

Fresh off making his full DC Extended Universe debut in Justice League following his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Jason Momoa's Aquaman will be leading his own movie at the end of the year. Aquaman completed its principal photography last October, but as has become the norm with major Hollywood blockbusters, the DC movie has gone back for reshoots. As part of this extra filming period, Fresh Off the Boat star Randall Park has been added to the Aquaman cast as Dr. Stephen Shin, which director James Wan revealed on social media.

Reshoots on a movie can vary from making minor alterations to overhauling much of the story. Adding a brand new character to Aquaman is certainly a big change, but considering how important Dr. Stephen Shin was to Geoff Johns' run on the Aquaman comic book during the New 52, learning from James Wan on Twitter that Randall Park will play Shin in the DCEU is yet another way the movie will pull from the source material. Along with playing Louis Huang on ABC's Fresh Off the Boat, Park's credits include The Interview, Veep, The Mindy Project, Trainwreck and Office Christmas Party. Aquaman won't be Park's only superhero movie appearance this year either, as he's also playing Jimmy Woo in Ant-Man and the Wasp, making him yet another actor to lend their talents to both DC and Marvel.

In the comics, Dr. Stephen Shin is the surface world's foremost expert on Atlantis, and when Arthur Curry (Aquaman) was a child, his father, Tom Curry, introduced him to Shin, who helped him hone his special abilities. However, Arthur and Shin's relationship fractured when the former refused to tell the latter where Atlantis was located, and Shin subsequently tried to kill Arthur. While he regretted his actions, Shin continued to be obsessed with finding Atlantis, so when Arthur went back to him for help with dealing with The Trench, the aquatic superhero was understandably cautious. In later issues, Shin morphed from being a frenemy to an important ally, but it's unclear how exactly Randall Park's Shin will be depicted in the Aquaman movie outside of being a learned man.

No specific Aquaman plot details have been revealed yet aside from the story being set after Justice League and showing Arthur Curry finally embracing his royal Atlantean heritage. Along with Jason Momoa and Randall Park, the main cast includes Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Nuidis Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Orm (a.k.a. Ocean Master), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as David Hyde (a.k.a. Black Manta), Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Temuera Morrison as Thomas Curry, Ludi Lin as Murk, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus and Michael Beach as Jesse Kane.

Aquaman dives into theaters on December 21, though UK audiences get to see it a week earlier. To learn more about what the DCEU has in development, look through our DC movies guide.

In 2006, the folks at the newly formed Marvel Studios began mapping out a plan of attack for a movie franchise. This endeavor included discussions about films for Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Captain America, and Ant-Man. The last name on that list didn't get his own solo adventure until four years after Captain America's first solo film debuted, but it was such a big hit that Ant-Man is now getting his own sequel in the form of Ant-Man And The Wasp.

The new film is set to be the first Marvel Studios feature with two titular heroes, but that's the least exciting thing about it in comparison to everything else it has going on. As we regularly do for upcoming major blockbusters, we've constructed this What We Know So Far guide to keep track of everything going on with Ant-Man And The Wasp, so read on, learn, and keep checking back for future updates!

What Have We Seen From Ant-Man And The Wasp?

Luckily, since we don't have much longer to wait until Ant-Man and the Wasp is released, we finally have a trailer that lets us in on some of what we can expect from the new film. The above trailer shows off The Wasp's powers, gives us a look at villain Ghost and lets us know that the film takes place after Captain America: Civil War, along with telling us that, because of Scott's actions in that film, Hope and Hank have had to make themselves (and their work) scarce. All in all, it looks like this sequel has a good shot at being as much fun as its predecessor.

What Is Ant-Man And The Wasp's Release Date?

Marvel Studios began a tradition of releasing three movies a year starting in 2017, and that tradition will continue in 2018. The year kicks off with Ryan Coogler's Black Panther in February, and it will be followed by Joe and Anthony Russo's The Avengers: Infinity War in May. Ant-Man and The Wasp will be title number three for Marvel, and is set to come out on July 6, 2018.

Of course, this release date puts the film in a fascinating position. The Avengers: Infinity War is expected to be a two-parter that concludes its story with the untitled Avengers 4, but it's unclear exactly how the movies released in-between will be impacted (especially Ant-Man And The Wasp, given that Scott Lang will participate in Infinity War). Captain Marvel, directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is the only other title set to be released in this specific timeframe, and since it's a prequel set in the 1990s, it won't be impacted by what happens in Infinity War, although Carol Danvers is confirmed to appear in Avengers 4.

What Is Ant-Man And The Wasp's Rating?

The MPAA doesn't get its hands on any movie until shortly before its release -- mostly because the version of the film they are viewing is the one that is likely going to be hitting theaters. Because of this, we can't say with absolute certainty what the rating of Ant-Man And The Wasp will be, but you can feel free to bet every cent you have on it ultimately being labeled with a PG-13 score.

Why? For starters, it wouldn't make a ton of sense for Ant-Man And The Wasp to be R-rated simply because it's not a rating that really fits the character (even if Paul Rudd can be really funny when allowed to curse as much as he wants). More importantly, however, it's been firmly stated by higher-ups at Disney that despite the success seen by titles like Deadpool and Logan, there are no plans to make an 18+ movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For something closer to that, fans are much better off checking out the Marvel Netflix shows like Daredevil, Jessica Jones, or Luke Cage.

The Director

In case you don't remember, there was a bit of a kerfuffle regarding the director job on the first Ant-Man. Writer/director Edgar Wright had been attached to the project for years and years, co-writing the script with partner Joe Cornish, but just a few months before the start of production the filmmaker and Marvel Studios parted ways over creative differences. Director Peyton Reed, who was once almost brought on to make Guardians of the Galaxy, was hired as Wright's replacement -- and the studio was so happy with his work that they brought him back for the sequel.

Pulling in $519 million globally, Ant-Man made a strong showing when it was in theaters back in the summer of 2015, and Peyton Reed was able to ride that success to a gig directing Ant-Man And The Wasp. Of course, an important difference in the making of the sequel is that Reed has had much more than a few weeks for pre-production, and instead has had a much greater amount of time to construct the comic book adventure film he really wants to make.

What Is The Story Of Ant-Man And The Wasp?

Taking place after the events of Captain America: Civil War, where Scott Lang was last seen being broken out of The Raft prison with his other Team Captain America allies by Steve Rogers, Ant-Man and the Wasp will follow Scott as a fugitive. Although he is keeping up his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he is also trying to balance them with his family life. Cue Hope van Dyne and Hank Pym re-entering his life, as they need Scott's help on a new mission, which will require him to learn how to fight in the field alongside Hope, who is now officially The Wasp.

The other plot thread we expect the sequel to explore is the mystery behind the original Wasp, a.k.a. Janet Van Dyne. As we learned in Ant-Man, she and Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) used to operate as a spy duo for S.H.I.E.L.D. -- but she disappeared forever when she exceeded safeguards and overrides her suit's regulator, disappearing into the Quantum Realm (a.k.a. the Microverse). When Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is in the alternate dimension, the shadow of Janet Van Dyne can be seen, and it's been heavily suggested that Ant-Man And The Wasp will follow the endeavor to try and rescue her.

Another plot thread the sequel will have the opportunity to follow concerns the fate of Martin Donovan's Mitchell Carson. He got away with a vial full of Pym Particles at the end of Ant-Man, and while there was a deleted scene that featured him being captured by Scott Lang, that's not officially canon. As a result, we may learn what happened to Carson and his sample of shrinking molecules in Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Scott Lang

Thanks in large part to the never-ending charm of Paul Rudd, Scott Lang has quickly emerged as a fan-favorite character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and the simple promise of seeing him back on the big screen again is exciting. We not only got to see his origin story play out in the original Ant-Man -- which chronicled his path from thief ex-con to shrinking superhero -- but in 2016 fans also got to see him fight as part of Team Cap in Captain America: Civil War (where he made his debut as Giant Man). Of course, that film had some pretty serious consequences for the character, and we'll have to see how Ant-Man And The Wasp deals with them.

Last we heard from Scott Lang, he was being kept as a prisoner on the underwater prison known as The Raft -- but his incarceration didn't last very long. Along with Hawkeye (Clint Barton), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Scott is released by Captain America -- though we don't know where he went from there. This answer very well may come in The Avengers: Infinity War, but there may wind up being so many questions that some of them need to be answered in Ant-Man And The Wasp. For example, what has been up with his ex-wife (Judy Greer) and daughter, Cassie (Abby Ryder Fortson)?

Hope Van Dyne

Hope Van Dyne was originally written to have a role in Joe and Anthony Russo's Captain America: Civil War, but actress Evangeline Lily's pregnancy at the time of production wound up making this a bit impossible. As a result, we've had to wait for her to start flying around while the size of deadly bee -- but, no matter what, we expect our patience to be rewarded in the summer of 2018. Hope is also sitting out Avengers: Infinity War so as not to draw attention away from her big superhero debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp. From the trailer we know that we'll be treated to Hope's standard Wasp incredible shrinking abilities, and see that she'll also some nice offensive weapons to help fight baddies in addition to the hand to hand combat skills she showed off in the first film. What we don't know yet is how long she's been acting as The Wasp (if at all) since the original film.

Hank Pym

It looked like Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) might have been a goner in the third act of Ant-Man -- having been shot trying to save his daughter, Hope -- but that proved not to be the case. Instead, he revealed that the tank he keeps in his pocket is no ordinary key chain, and with the use of some Pym Particles he and his daughter rode the military vehicle to safety and medical care.

Of course, the end of Ant-Man also saw the destruction of Hank Pym's famed company, Pym Technologies, but we now know, thanks to the trailer, that he was able to continue his work courtesy of the building that he can shrink into what is essentially carry-on luggage. Even though Hank and his daughter had to go on the run because of their association with Scott, he continued to work with both of them to help them with their costumed hero work. It was, after all, confirmed in Captain America: Civil War that he had been working with Scott on the whole "Giant Man" trick.

Janet Van Dyne

Going into San Diego Comic-Con 2017, one of the biggest bits of news that could have been revealed was whether or not we'd actually see more than a costumed glimpse of Janet Van Dyne when Ant-Man And The Wasp hits theaters. Well, Marvel did not disappoint fans when they announced that we would, in fact, be treated to a storyline that somehow included the first Wasp. It was revealed that Michelle Pfeiffer had been cast as Hope's mother, meaning that we can likely expect to see some major scenes from her in the film.

We've mentioned Janet Van Dyne a few times now, but this is where we will really dig into the details of who she is. While not actually a spy herself, Janet was Hank Pym's wife and partner during his S.H.I.E.L.D. spy days, and worked with him wearing a special flying shrinking suit. During one particular mission, she and Hank found themselves desperate to stop a launched missile, and Janet sacrificed herself by shrinking too far and entering the Quantum Realm (you can read our full explainer of that dimension HERE). She's been there for decades, but if a rescue narrative plays out in Ant-Man And The Wasp, that may be what results in her return.

Of course, there's no way to know right now if a rescue mission will be what brings Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet to the sequel. It's possible that we could only see her as a figment of Hank or Hope's imagination. But, considering how important the character is to their history and the history of the tech that they and Scott use, it's a lot more likely that an attempt will be made to free her from the Quantum Realm. Right now, we'll just have to wait and see what Ant-Man And The Wasp has in store for her.

Luis & The Gang

The promise of every Marvel solo film is not just the return of a titular hero, but also the return of specific ensembles of supporting cast members. In the case of Ant-Man, this means the big screen return of Luis (Michael Pena), Dave (Tip 'T.I.' Harris) and Kurt (David Dastmalchian). All three of them operate as Scott Lang's thieving partners in crime, and we suspect that they will be given at least one big job to do in Ant-Man And The Wasp.

As is the case in all classic cinematic heist gangs, each member has their own specific job on any given gig. Luis is the man with the plan, always knowing somebody who knows somebody who has a line or a possible mark. Kurt is an expert with computers, able to remotely hack systems and help the man on the inside. And Dave is the reliable wheel-man, who, unfortunately, has to sometimes drive Luis' ratty van around. Together they provided some of the comedic highlights of the first Ant-Man, and we fully expect them to do the same in Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Maggie Lang

In case you were wondering if we'd see Scott's family again, it's been confirmed that Judy Greer is returning as his ex-wife, Maggie, and Abby Ryder Forston will reprise his daughter, Cassie. Maggie will likely be aware of how much trouble Scott has been in, seeing as how we see him with his daughter in the trailer, and also as he gets fitted with an ankle monitor so the authorities can track him. You can bet Maggie will be wary of any open attempts Scott makes to see their daughter, but it looks like she'll be sympathetic enough to let him continue to have a part in Cassie's life, even if it is limited.

The Newcomers

Everybody loves a sequel because it means the returns of characters that audiences fell in love with -- but they're also great because it provides opportunity to introduce some fresh faces to the mix. This is most definitely true when it comes to Marvel movies, as there are thousands of characters from the comics just waiting to be brought to life for the first time. We don't yet know how many we can ultimately expect to appear in Ant-Man And The Wasp, but news out of SDCC 2017 did reveal a few key new players outside of Janet Van Dyne.

Hannah John-Kamen, whose credits include the series Killjoys, as well as episodes of Black Mirror and Game of Thrones, has signed on to be in the Marvel blockbuster as Ghost. In the comics, Ghost is an industrial saboteur for hire who wears a suit of his own design which allows him to become intangible so that he can phase through things, which is a skill the film seems to have kept. As you've probably noticed, the comic book version of Ghost is also male, so clearly Ant-Man And The Wasp is going to reimagine the character a bit. The comic character has also never had his secret identity revealed even though he's been around for 30 years, so it'll be interesting to see if this Ghost has a name or history that we find out about during the course of the film.

Laurence Fishburne

Laurence Fishburne has also joined the cast as Bill Foster, a scientist who would come to be known as the superhero Goliath. In the comics, Foster worked with Hank Pym, and created his own version of Pym's growth formula which led to him using it to become Goliath. Since we've seen Scott use Pym's suit to grow in size in Captain America: Civil War, it's possible that Ant-Man And The Wasp will see Foster show up to lend some assistance with this new found ability. I have to admit, though, that it would be a shame if we didn't also get to see Laurence Fishburne suit up as Goliath, even if it's only temporary. Along with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Fishburne also has another Marvel project in the works, though he hasn't provided any details about it yet, including whether or not it will involve Bill Foster.

Randall Park

Joining in on the fun in the new film as longtime S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Jimmy Woo is Randall Park (Fresh Off the Boat, Veep). In the comics, the former FBI agent specialized in infiltration and information gathering, making him a great asset for covert operations. He's also known for helping take down Godzilla by using Pym Particles to shrink the beast, which worked as a temporary fix. While we don't know exactly what Park's Jimmy Woo will be doing in Ant-Man And The Wasp just yet, it's unlikely that we'll see him fight Godzilla. That would be cool, though, wouldn't it?

Walton Goggins

Some pleasantly surprising casting news came down when we found out that Justified, Vice Principals and The Hateful Eight actor Walton Goggins was joining Ant-Man And The Wasp as Sonny Burch. The character is chairman of Cross Technologies in the comics, and since Ant-Man saw Darren Cross (also known as the first film's big bad, Yellowjacket) die, Burch is likely trying to run the company in his stead. Seeing as how Burch is a bad guy in the comics, we can probably count on his desire to win at business leading to some questionable decisions that put lives in danger.

A big part of creating this guide is to keep up with new casting announcements, so keep checking back to this page as more news comes in about Ant-Man And The Wasp.

Ant-Man appears to be sitting out the craziness that is Avengers: Infinity War, but moviegoers will still be able to see the shrinking hero back on the big screen in 2018. As the title clearly lays out, Ant-Man and the Wasp will see Scott Lang teaming up with Hope van Dyne, who inherited the Wasp identity at the end of 2015's Ant-Man. These two heroes will be accompanied by most of their supporting cast from the first movie, but there will be plenty of new faces to meet, too, including Fresh Off The Boat's Randall Park as a longtime S.H.I.E.L.D. agent from the comics.

According to The Tracking Board, Randall Park has been tapped to play Jimmy Woo, who first appeared in 1956's Yellow Claw #1, but made his official "modern" S.H.I.E.L.D. debut in 1967's Strange Tales #160. It's unclear if Park's Jimmy Woo will be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in Ant-Man and the Wasp or if he's involved in the story in some other capacity. Although the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series has followed along with the spy organization's mission, S.H.I.E.L.D. has barely been mentioned since the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. If Woo is indeed one of the agents serving under Phil Coulson, his appearance would clue in folks who only watch the Marvel movies that S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't completely collapse after the second Captain America movie.

In the comics, Jimmy Woo started out as an FBI agent during the 1950s, and when he was recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D., he joined the Godzilla Squad and was retroactively made a member of the Agents of Atlas. He was also replaced by an LMD (Life Model Decoy) for a time like other high-ranking agents. Similar to Nick Fury and Dum Dum Dugan, Jimmy is a character that has lived much longer than usual thanks to restored youth. Outside of the comics, Jimmy has only appeared in an episode of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the video game Marvel Heroes.

Randall Park, whose credits also include Veep and The Interview, is the second new actor to join Ant-Man and the Wasp. The first was Killjoys' Hannah John-Kamen, who is rumored to be playing a character named Dawn. It's also been reported that Ant-Man and the Wasp is looking for an actress to play Victoria, Luis' new girlfriend who is describe as a bit of a "loose cannon," but has a "dangerous edge." As for familiar faces, in addition to the two eponymous heroes, Ant-Man and the Wasp will see the return of Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Michael Pena as Luis, T.I. as Dave and David Dastmalchian as Kurt.

With principal photography having just kicked off, Ant-Man and the Wasp arrives in theaters on July 6, 2018.