Keke Palmer is one of the funniest and hardest-working actresses out there right now, delivering great titles over the past couple of years including Nope, One of Them Days and a reimagining of The ‘Burbs, to name just a few. She’s keeping her foot on the gas for the 2026 movie calendar, too, teaming up with Boots Riley for I Love Boosters. Reviews are in as the film hits theaters May 22, and I’m intrigued by critics’ reactions to the “deranged” crime comedy.

In I Love Boosters, Keke Palmer’s Corvette leads a group of shoplifters — aka “boosters” — against fashion maven Christie Smith (Demi Moore) after she steals their designs. The ensemble cast boasts too many big names to list, and in his review of I Love Boosters, Joseph Tomastik of Loud and Clear says Riley brings the same chaos and big twists to this as he did to Sorry to Bother You. The critic gives it a perfect 4 out of 4 stars, writing:

Bill Bria of SlashFilm rates it 8 out of 10 and says I Love Boosters is one of the most visually innovative comedies in some time. It draws colorful inspiration from ‘90s cult movies, music videos, fashion and street culture to drive home its message, even incorporating stop-motion animation and a monstrous creature. Bria continues:

Alyssa Mora of IGN also rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, calling it a “cheeky takedown of capitalism served up in signature Boots Riley bizarre fashion.” I Love Boosters is equal parts romp and political statement, the critic says in her review:

Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire gives it a B, writing that even as I Love Boosters “spins wildly out of control,” Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige are able to ground the “dizzying, entertaining acid trip.” That’s especially true of Palmer, as Lattanzio says:

Jacob Oller of AV Club also gives I Love Boosters a B in his review for how Boots Riley paints an amusement park ride in the bright colors of his politics. The style is like a “Marxist Pee-wee Herman run wild,” Oller says, that “weaponizes silliness of all flavors.” Some choices are more overbearing than exhilarating, but the critic loves how Riley uses classic animation to inform his vision, writing:

Boots Riley clearly has some things he wants to say, and these reviews suggest he’s using all forms of humor, animation, colorful sets and some highly comedic actors to get those messages across. Critics have rated it 92% on Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing, so if this movie sounds at all interesting or intriguing to you, take Riley’s suggestion and see it opening weekend.

I Love Boosters hits theaters on Friday, May 22.

It’s hard to believe we are exactly one month out from the end of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on the 2026 TV schedule, ending an era of late night interview programming on CBS as a whole. It makes me sad and uncomfortable to think about, but Stephen Colbert is clearly getting used to the idea, and is even joking about it with his Late Show Band this week. He’s fine. I’m not.

Don Cheadle was on The Late Show early this week in support of his new Broadway show produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, Proof. If you are interested in his relationship with the Obamas and more, the video is quite delightful, but I personally was distracted almost immediately by the joke Colbert made as the actor was getting settled. Take a look.

In the clip, Colbert referred to the house band as “national treasures,” and Cheadle asked Colbert if the band “tours.” The band confirmed they have a tour lined up, to which Colbert then quipped, “Alright, great, if you need someone to introduce you, I’m free.” He continued the bit, confirming if he signed on, it would be an “even split” between the host and the band.

It was a short moment that happened right up front, but I honestly could hardly pay attention to Colbert and Cheadle exchanging stories after that. Of course, we’ve known Stephen Colbert’s late night show will be ending – and not by his own volition – for months now. It's also true that I’ve already seen him have several heartfelt moments about his exit with other celebrities, most notably Emma Stone. So, we've had time to start getting used to the idea.

While he seems totally OK in the video about the outcome, the honest truth is he hasn’t processed his feelings about CBS bailing on The Late Show, possibly because the end has not occurred yet. His former Daily Show producer recently mentioned what Colbert “doesn’t say” is sometimes “better than what can be said,” and I think this video is a clear example of one of those moments. Like many comedians before him, it seems like the jokes are masking the real, human feelings behind the ending of the show, but also the ending of an era of television on CBS.

Look, Colbert’s going to be OK. For a while we didn’t know what his post CBS-retirement plans were, but then Peter Jackson announced he’s going to write an LOTR project. Great, he’s an LOTR fan, it’s a great next chapter, and I can’t wait. Before I can process that fully, though, first I need to get through another month of this emotional rollercoaster.

Stay tuned, as the last episode of The Late Show airs on May 21st.

There have been talks and rumors, and hopeful wishes for a possible Ocean's Fourteen movie for years. Those rumors have been heating up in recent months, and now we can confidently say that it looks like a new installment in the Ocean’s franchise is on the way. We don’t have a ton of details on the movie, and it’s not going to be part of the 2026 movie schedule, but we have learned a little bit, including whether stars George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, and the other cast members will be returning (the answer seems to be ‘yes’). Here’s what we know, and why I’m excited.

When Will Ocean’s Fourteen Be Released?

There is no release date as of yet for Ocean’s Fourteen. George Clooney was quoted in October 2025 as saying that Warner Bros. has approved the budget and that filming could begin in “nine or ten months.” Keeping that schedule on track might prove tricky, given all the big stars with busy schedules who are hopefully going to return for this.

It’s challenging to predict when the movie might be released, but a late 2027 date doesn’t seem impossible if the schedule remains intact.

The Big Stars Will Likely Be Returning

Obviously, it looks like George Clooney (Danny Ocean) is a lock, as he’s been the one doing the most talking about it in pubic. The Jay Kelly star also intimated that he expects Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle to be back. Pitt hinted at his own involvement back in June, though Damon has been playing it more coy.

Of course, the cast is more than just those huge stars. Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Qin Shaobo, and Eddie Jemison have all been part of the gang in the previous three movies. I think they would be likely to return. Elliott Gould, who had a guest spot in 2025’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, which you can watch with a Netflix subscription, is an OG cast member and could be back. Andy Garcia also appeared in each of the first three movies.

Al Pacino and Catherine Zeta-Jones weren’t in the first film, but appeared in the second (Zeta-Jones) and third (Pacino) movies. The franchise has also seen the likes of Eddie Izzard, Ellen Barkin, and Vincent Cassel (all of whom were in Ocean’s Twelve and Ocean’s Thirteen), plus there is the entire cast of Ocean’s 8. Could Sandra Bullock, who plays Danny Ocean’s sister in the spinoff, appear? The sky’s the limit here, I think.

Sadly, we’ve lost some of the original cast members since Ocean’s Thirteen’s release in 2007. Hollywood legend Carl Reiner (father of the late Rob Reiner) died in 2020, and the great Bernie Mac passed away at age 50 in 2008. Robbie Coltrane and Albert Finney, who both appeared in Ocean’s 12, have also since passed away.

We’ll keep a close eye on any casting announcements in the coming weeks and months.

David Leitch Is Expected To Direct Ocean’s Fourteen

It has been reported that David Leitch will be helming the fourth installment of the series. Leitch has been building quite a resume since making his (uncredited) debut as a director with John Wick in 2014. Over the last decade or so, he’s directed Atomic Blonde (2017), Deadpool 2 (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Bullet Train (2022), starring Brad Pitt, and The Fall Guy (2024). He even has a heist movie coming out in 2026, How to Rob a Bank, starring Zoë Kravitz, Pete Davidson, and Nicholas Hoult, so he has some experience with movie thieves.

Steven Soderbergh, who directed all three of the original trilogy, will serve as a producer. Soderbergh has been on quite a run recently, releasing at least a movie a year, every year, since 2017, including two in 2025, The Christophers and Black Bag, so it’s understandable that he might want to take a little break from directing.

What Will The Plot Of Ocean’s Fourteen Be?

As of yet, there is no word on who might be writing the script, but Pitt has said what's being developed is “pretty damn tasty.” Given Pitt’s fondness for eating in movies, that’s an encouraging description.

Clooney has also hinted that the script won’t ignore that the Ocean crew is aging, after all, it’s been almost 20 years since we last checked in with the thieves. The star also said he was inspired by the ‘70s heist movie Going In Style, about aging thieves, in an interview with Variety in December 2025.

So long as the movie has a fun heist and some excellent one-liners, I’m confident it’ll be great.

There Is Also An Ocean’s Prequel Starring Margot Robbie In The Works

Ocean’s Fourteen isn’t the only movie to look forward to for fans of the franchise. Word first leaked out in early 2024 that an Ocean’s prequel movie set in the 1960s and starring Margot Robbie was in the works. Ryan Gosling was rumored to be teaming up with Robbie again, and they would be playing Danny Ocean’s parents in the film.

The latest news on the possible prequel came in October 2025, when it was revealed that Gosling wouldn’t be starring, but Bradley Cooper was in talks to take over in the role. Either way, that’s a win, right? Frankly, I may be just as excited about this as I am about Fourteen, after all, the Ocean’s franchise was born in the 1960s with the original Ocean’s 11, starring the Rat Pack, in 1960.

It sounds like we’re still a ways away from either movie being released, but in the meantime, it’s always a good time to rewatch 2001’s Ocean’s Eleven, which you can do with a Paramount+ subscription. I know that I’m planning on diving back in soon.

It would seem that we’re actually pretty close to getting the band (and by that I mean the Ocean’s cast) back together, as George Clooney has finally shared a very positive update about progress on Ocean’s 14. Along with sharing where they’re at in terms of conversations with the studio, he also explained when he thinks the long-awaited movie might start filming, and let’s just say, the heist is getting closer to beginning.

At the moment, Clooney is promoting his project on the 2025 movie schedule, Jay Kelly. While at the New York Film Festival, where the new flick is being screened, E! News asked him about the Ocean’s Eleven continuation. In response, he actually gave a pretty big update, explaining:

Wow! What an update! For quite some time now, we’ve gotten vague comments here and there about what’s going on with this fourth Ocean's film. However, this feels like the most solid news we’ve received about the upcoming movie in a long time.

An approved budget and an actual timeline for filming tell me this film is probably well on its way to being made; talk about great news!

A little over a year ago, in September 2024, we got an update about the Ocean’s 14 script from Clooney. He explained at the time that there was a “good script” that everyone liked. Then, earlier this year, Brad Pitt called it “pretty damn tasty.” Before that, we didn’t have much to go on, with Matt Damon even saying in August of 2024 that he hadn’t heard much about the project.

Now, though, it sounds like the crew is very close to their next heist. After sharing the update that filming could start in nine or ten months, Clooney also gushed about reuniting with his co-stars. When asked specifically about working with Pitt again, he enthusiastically responded with an answer about the ensemble as a whole, saying:

It would be fun for them and us! I need more Ocean’s one-liners and smooth and hilarious moments from this stellar ensemble. Plus, I’ve been dying to catch up with this crew. While we did get Ocean’s 8 in 2018, that wasn’t super connected to the original trilogy. So, it’s really been 18 years since we’ve seen Ocean’s Eleven on our screens. Personally, I can't wait to see how these characters have evolved over the last almost two decades.

By the time Ocean’s 14 comes out, it will have been likely over 25 years since that first Las Vegas heist, and I’m sure fans will be more than ready for another con – I know I will be. So, stay tuned, folks, this movie is in the works and on the move, and hopefully, sooner or later, it will be on the big screen for all of us to see.

Like millions of people around the world, I spent five hours watching Marvel slowly roll out all those Avengers: Doomsday names in March 2025, and like a lot of people, I was bummed a few of the biggest MCU stars, including Ryan Reynolds, didn’t have a chair. While it may be true that we will see more additions as we work toward the release of the upcoming Marvel movie, I was shocked by some of the names left out of the excruciatingly long cast announcement.

That said, here’s a list of some of those beloved MCU actors I really hope we see when the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday opens on the big screen in May 2026. It’s a long list (no, not as long as that video), so let’s get started…

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds, who has played Deadpool since the Fox days, has made a habit of teasing his return to the MCU ever since the release of Deadpool & Wolverine in 2024. I totally thought we’d see his name on one of those chairs in that seemingly endless lineup, which is why I’m so bummed the wise-cracking, R-rated, and lethal hero wasn’t included.

In an ideal world, Reynolds’ return would also include the likes of Dafne Keen, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Garner, and Leslie Uggams (you can’t have Deadpool without Blind Al).

Tom Holland

With the Spider-Man 4 release date so close to the Avengers: Doomsday rollout, it would be shocking if Tom Holland doesn’t show up in the massive crossover film a few months before his new Web-Slinger adventure. The highly in-demand actor seemed like a shoo-in to be included in the gargantuan list filled with all his MCU buddies. There are rumors that Holland won’t be in the next Avengers film, but I’m not totally convinced at this point.

Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson has been a part of the MCU since he showed up in Tony Stark’s house and revealed himself as Nick Fury way back in Iron Man. Since then, he’s popped up in all of the Avengers movies, so I was a little saddened and surprised by his omission from the absurdly long cast list for Doomsday. I mean, Fury is still alive on the Marvel Cinematic timeline after the events of The Marvels.

Chris Evans

Even though his version of Captain America retired during the Avengers: Endgame ending, Chris Evans has reappeared in the MCU (Johnny Flame in Deadpool & Wolverine), so I wouldn’t be shocked if some character played by the franchise mainstay shows up by the time it’s all said and done. Evans has been cagey about a possible return in the past, but not seeing his name on the back of a chair is a little disheartening, if I’m being honest.

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo has been one of my favorite MCU actors ever since he took on the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk in 2012’s The Avengers. He’s been there for all the major moments in the franchise since then, but now I’m starting to think his iconic character won’t be saving the planet, galaxy, universe, or multiverse with his old buddies next summer. This can’t happen. I mean, who’s going to give Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man an extra taco?

Benedict Cumberbatch

Is Benedict Cumberbatch bringing back Doctor Strange (third eye and all) for Avengers: Doomsday? I don’t know because the longtime Marvel staple wasn’t included in the longest line of chairs I’ve ever seen. The actor’s comments about his return to the MCU have been all over the place, with his most recent comments to Business Insider in January 2025 making it sound like he could possibly return.

Don Cheadle

Though the Armor Wars project seems to be up in the air, I thought Don Cheadle would for sure be a part of the upcoming Avengers movie. James Rhodes has been a part of the franchise since the very beginning, and Cheadle’s version of the character has had a part in three of the four crossover films to date.

Brie Larson

Another big name missing from the “Infinity Scroll of Chairs” was Brie Larson, whose Captain Marvel has long been one of the strongest heroes in the entire MCU. We last saw her in The Marvels back in 2023, so she’s due for a return at this point. The same can be said about co-stars Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, who play Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan, respectively. I’d be shocked if they didn’t appear.

Jeremy Renner

Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye has had one of the craziest journeys in the MCU over the years. The underrated Avenger has been through it all, and I’ll be bummed if he’s not part of Doomsday next year. He famously wasn’t part of the Avengers: Infinity War cast, so maybe, just maybe, we’ll see him in Avengers: Secret Wars in a few years.

Charlie Cox

With Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdoch very much a part of the MCU again with the recent arrival of Daredevil: Born Again, I will be shocked if the actor doesn’t appear in Avengers: Doomsday. His name is on the rise (both the actor and character), so his absence could be felt a great deal.

Also, I would love to see Cox’s Defenders co-stars like Mike Colter, Finn Jones, and Krysten Ritter have some kind of role in what appears to be the biggest Marvel movie in years.

Halle Berry

Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, and several other major players from the original X-Men movies were all announced for Avengers: Doomsday, but there was one actress whose absence really bummed me out: Halle Berry. Whenever the music would change and the camera would pan to the right, I kept hoping to see the Storm actress listed on a chair, but it never came.

The same can be said about Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, and Hugh Jackman, three other major names from the franchise who are oddly missing from the cast list.

The Guardians Of The Galaxy

Though Dave Bautista and Pom Klementieff seem to be finished with the MCU after the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the rest of the actors should still be in play moving forward. With Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Karen Gillan, and Vin Diesel being major parts of the last two Avengers movies, it will be odd not to see them in the upcoming Doomsday. I really hope that changes, as I’d love to see that ragtag group of space scoundrels save the day again.

The Eternals

After Captain America: Brave New World referenced Eternals earlier in the year, it felt like maybe this oft-forgotten MCU movie would be getting some attention again. However, none of the actors from the 2021 epic were included in the Avengers: Doomsday rollout. I guess we’ll have to wait longer to figure out what’s going on with the group played by Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, and Barry Keoghan.

Other Marvel Stars I Want To See In Avengers: Doomsday

On top of all these names and various groups, I would love to see even more actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe show up in Avengers: Doomsday. From longtime staples like Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Hayley Atwell, and Scarlett Johansson (nobody stays dead forever, right?) to other fan favorites played by the likes of Benedict Wong, Dafne Keen, Lupita Nyong’o, Awkwafina, and Danai Guirara to actors introduced in post-credit scenes like Brett Goldstein and Charlize Theron, there are just so many familiar faces that could show up.

Will any or all of these actors show up in Avengers: Doomsday or its sequel? I really hope so.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a giant franchise, one that keeps fans on their toes with new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen what electric chemistry the cast has, and love to hear the hi jinx that happen on and off set. And Anthony Mackie recently revealed which of his super powered co-stars he'd like to see kicked out of the Avengers group chat.

The Hurt Locker actor has been doing a ton of press as he leads the cast of Captain America: Brave New World. While appearing on Hot Ones Versus alongside co-star Danny Ramirez, Mackie mentioned that infamous Avengers group chat that we'd all like to join. He joked about wanting Paul Rudd kicked out of it, offering:

Shots fired. Honestly it sounds like Paul Rudd is a bit of a shady assassin in the group chat. He's able to poke fun at his co-stars without them even knowing, bringing new meaning to the phrase "slow burn." And it's because of that Mackie is ready to kick the Clueless icon to the curb.

It's fun seeing this faux feud between Mackie and Rudd, considering their character's somewhat contentious history in the MCU. Falcon had a brief but memorable role in the first Ant-Man movie, where Scott Lang attempted to steal from the Avengers Compound. We'll just have to see if they get to share the screen again in any upcoming Marvel movies coming down the pipeline.

Of course, Rudd isn't the only one that Anthony Mackie would like to see voted out of the Avengers group chat. He named another one of Earth's Mightiest Heroes in the same Hot Ones appearance, namely:

While he didn't offer any reasons as to why Cheadle needs to get the boot, it's fun getting a peek behind the curtain at the interpersonal dynamics at play with the Avengers. Mackie shared more about what these relationships are like off camera, saying:

How sweet is that? As much as they might like to poke fun at each other, it's clear that there's a ton of love shared between the cast of The Avengers. Many of these names are expected to reunite on screen in The Russo's next big crossover events Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. While the studio is keeping its plans under wraps, hopefully we'll get more information sooner rather than later. For now, Captain America: Brave New World is still in theaters.

I love a good sports drama, and while there are surely some great options coming up on the 2025 movie calendar, one in particular from last year caught my eye recently when I was perusing the offerings of my Prime Video subscription. Unstoppable is the story of Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg and overcame a number of obstacles — physical, financial and otherwise — to win an NCAA Division I wrestling championship. This movie left me so inspired by what Robles was able to accomplish, not just as an athlete but a man with the cards stacked against him.

The thing is, I didn’t hear much about Unstoppable before it hit streaming, and what I did know about the movie was in reference to how Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck would navigate the movie’s premiere amid their divorce. JLo stars as Anthony Robles’ mom Judy, while Affleck and Matt Damon’s Artists Equity produced the film. I’m here to say this movie is more important than what happened when Lopez and Damon ran into each other at a film festival. Robles’ story deserves to be told, and while that’s the biggest reason I recommend this movie, it’s not the only one.

I Knew Anthony Robles Was Going To Be Impressive, But I Was Absolutely Blown Away By What He Was Capable Of

Going into Unstoppable, it was no secret that we were about to see some incredible physical accomplishments from Anthony Robles — played in the movie by Emmy Award winner Jharrel Jerome (When They See Us). However, that was far from the only thing standing in Anthony’s path. A large family, an abusive stepfather and the looming threat of eviction meant that the wrestler had to fight to even get to college — and it didn’t help that no viable programs were willing to take a chance on him for an athletic scholarship.

The process of Anthony walking onto the Arizona State wrestling team was the best part of the movie for me. The drive that he had — played by Jerome without an ounce of self-pity — was unbelievable, and several times I found myself thinking, “No way they’ll make him run bleachers. No way they’ll make him do a relay race while carrying a weight. No way they’ll make him climb a mountain on crutches.”

Not only did he do all those things (see the photo above), it was never a question whether he was going to. His coaches didn’t give him an out, and Anthony didn’t ask for one. His undeniable skill and relentless hard work earned him the respect of his teammates — who, according to the movie, fought for his place on the team when budget cuts threatened the wrestling program — as well as his coach Shawn Charles (Don Cheadle).

Unstoppable Features An Amazing Cast, Including Jennifer Lopez and Don Cheadle

Another reason I was surprised I hadn’t heard more about Unstoppable was because of its cast. Jharrel Jerome, known for his roles in Moonlight, Mr. Mercedes and the aforementioned When They See Us, gives us a hero to root for. Despite having a two-legged actor playing Anthony (a green legging was used during filming, with Jerome’s right leg being edited out in post-production, and Robles actually acted as Jerome’s stunt and body double), I never once questioned the actor’s portrayal of an athlete with one leg.

Then there’s Jennifer Lopez, who showed Judy Robles’ own unstoppable spirit in championing her son. I’d hate to have been any of the people in the crowd making jokes about the wrestler's leg in front of her or any of the opponents who had the gall to argue Anthony had an unfair advantage because it was easier for him to make weight.

It wasn't just her unwavering love and support, though. We also saw Judy escape her abusive marriage, find a way to keep the roof over her children’s heads and ultimately pursue her own education. It’s not hard to see where Anthony Robles got his can-do attitude from.

Other highlights are, of course, Don Cheadle as the Arizona State wrestling coach, Bobby Cannavale as Judy’s husband and Michael Peña as Anthony’s high school wrestling coach Bobby Williams. Cheadle is so inspirational and charismatic, I’d probably follow him into war. Speaking of charisma, Cannavale oozed it out of every pore... until his face would go dark at the flip of a switch, signaling trouble for — at the very least — Judy.

Unstoppable Provides Everything You Want In A Sports Drama

Unstoppable doesn’t break the mold when it comes to biographical sports dramas, but it doesn’t really need to. There’s a reason we love a great inspirational movie. We love to see the underdog come out on top (though I hesitate to even call the athlete an underdog, because he never once made me question whether he was talented enough or deserving enough to get everything he worked so hard for).

Jerome really drives Anthony’s motivation home in a moving speech to Bobby Williams, where he lays out exactly why winning the NCAA wrestling championship is so important to him. He has no delusions of a post-college wrestling career. He says he knows the first thing people notice about him is the thing that is missing. Going into his senior season, he’s worked so hard for his one chance to change people’s perspective of him, and even if you know (or can guess) how his story ends, I guarantee you’ll be better for having watched it play out.

Critics and viewers agree that Unstoppable is a movie not to miss, with a Certified Fresh 77% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Tomatometer and 87% on the audience’s Popcornmeter. It’s a fairly by-the-book sports drama with a great cast, but the main reason I think this is one of Amazon Prime Video’s best movies is because this real sports star deserves to be known and to be known for his character, drive and talent.

As the characters joke a couple of times in the movie, you might even find yourself forgetting Anthony Robles only has one leg, and I have to imagine that’s exactly what he wants. Unstoppable is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video.

Between both upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows, there is no shortage of Marvel Cinematic Universe projects on the way in the coming years… but there are announced titles that remain a bit more mysterious than others. One of the standouts within that group is Armor Wars, which was first announced all the way back in late 2020 and has undergone some major behind-the-scenes changes as it has made its way through development.

So what is going on with Armor Wars and where do things presently stand? What we do know about the project is admittedly limited, but between that information and machinations unfolding in the near future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there are reasons to be a touch concerned that it will be a production that never starts rolling cameras.

What We Know About Armor Wars

Right off the bat, it should be noted that Armor Wars has never had a release date (it’s not a case of Marvel Studios regularly postponing a project a la what has been going on with the Blade movie). That being said, it has had a complicated development history. When the title was first announced as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s upcoming slate, the plan was to make it as a Disney+ original series. But while other titles announced at the same time as Armor Wars have either been completed (Secret Invasion, I Am Groot) or are on the way soon (Ironheart), the journey for the Iron Man spinoff has been much more complicated.

I point out that the original plan for Armor Wars was to make it as a series because that’s no longer the direction that has been set. At D23 Expo in 2022, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced that the idea for the project was pivoting and that instead of being a show, it would instead become a movie. It was said at the time that medium would be a better fit for the story… but that was pretty much it, as it wasn’t given a release window or specifically integrated into plans for Phase 5 and Phase 6.

As for what we’ve heard about Armor Wars in the time since then, there are reasons to wonder if the movie is ever actually going to get to the production stage.

• Yassir Lester Remains Attached As A Writer, But The Project Still Doesn’t Have A Director
• Don Cheadle Is Set To Star… But What About The Events Of Secret Invasion?
• The Iron Man-Shaped Hole In The Marvel Cinematic Universe May Be Getting Otherwise Filled

Who Is Making Armor Wars?

When a project at a major studio undergoes a change as big as changing mediums, it often coincides with shakeups on the creative side – but to the credit of Marvel Studios, Armor Wars is a project that has kept the same vision in play from pretty much the start. Yassir Lester was hired to be the head writer for the series in August 2021, and it was confirmed by Kevin Feige at D23 Expo 2022 that he would be staying onboard to write the screenplay. Lester has remained attached, having commented on the blockbuster’s development as recently as October 2024.

What Armor Wars doesn’t have presently, however, is a director attached who will bring the script to life, and you don’t have to be an obsessive cinephile to know that the hiring of a director is a pretty damn integral part of a movie’s development. The fact that there isn’t one on board suggests that there isn’t a firm story that is ready to have a particular vision applied, and that’s a troubling look from an outside perspective.

How Will Armor Wars Be Impacted By The Fallout From Secret Invasion?

If you’re a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan who watches everything within the canon, you know that the status of Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes is very complicated presently. When Armor Wars was first announced as a TV series, the last time we had seen the character was in the final scenes of Avengers: Endgame; he hadn’t even yet made his cameo in the first episode of The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Since then, however, Cheadle played a key role in 2023’s Secret Invasion – which includes the revelation that the real James Rhodes was kidnapped by Skrulls at one point and replaced by a shapeshifting alien doppelgänger.

It should go without saying that this development has to have a huge impact on Armor Wars, and it very much feels like a wrench in the gears. Based on the Marvel Comics story of the same name, the story is meant to concern the effort by Rhodey a.k.a. War Machine to stop the proliferation of Tony Stark’s incredible Iron Man technology – but that gets a bit muddled when you have to shoehorn in information about the protagonist’s alien abduction and absence from the world for an unclear number of years. I can easily imagine this being a creative roadblock around which the movie can’t navigate.

Could The Mix Of Ironheart And Robert Downey Jr.’s Return To The MCU Render Armor Wars Unnecessary?

Let’s now address the elephant in the room. When Armor Wars was first announced as a new Marvel Cinematic Universe project, there existed an Iron Man-shaped hole to fill. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark died in Avengers: Endgame, and the franchise understandably didn’t want to squander all of the love that exists for the character and his spectacular technology. A new series with War Machine at the center made for a logical project to develop… but with everything that has happened in the last few years, the time for it may be gone.

In this conversation, the first project to keep in mind is Ironheart starring Dominique Thorne as the titular hero a.k.a. Riri Williams. Announced at the same as Armor Wars, the Disney+ original series has had some delays of its own (it was shot all the way back in mid-2022, prior to the character’s big debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever), but the six episode series is finally set to arrive in June 2025. And the character using Iron Man-esque equipment arguably makes Rhodey’s story somewhat redundant.

The other part of this element of the discussion is the return of Robert Downey Jr. to the MCU. He won’t be back as Tony Stark, as it was announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 that he will be playing Victor Von Doom a.k.a. Doctor Doom, but I still contemplate it having a big picture impact on Armor Wars. Between Ironheart and Downey Jr.’s return, one could argue that the aforementioned Iron Man-shaped hole has been filled in the aggregate… and Armor Wars is still stuck in development hell.

At present, the project’s future is hazy. Comments made by those involved in recent months have suggested that the film remains in active development, but one doesn’t get the sense that a great amount of resources are being put toward it, and it’s certainly not being emphasized as one of the MCU’s big upcoming titles on the road to Avengers: Doomsday (coming in May 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (coming in May 2027). Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about the project in the coming months/years.

The smashing success of Deadpool & Wolverine notwithstanding, a lot of people think the MCU isn’t quite what it used to be. It’s certainly true that the franchise has been trying to find itself in the post-Avengers: Endgame productions, and while I think a lot of what we’ve seen in the last few years is perfectly good, I’m probably not alone in the feeling that the low point so far was probably Secret Invasion.

The Disney+ Marvel series that starred Samuel L. Jackson was disappointingly bad. It simply told a story that was more boring than interesting. It killed off Maria Hill seemingly just for the shock value of it. It only had one interesting story element, and now it looks like there’s a significant question as to whether that will ever get paid off.

Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes had a significant role in Secret Invasion. At the time, we knew we’d see Rhodes again in the planned Armor Wars Disney+ series. However, since it was announced Armor Wars would be a film rather than a series, we’ve heard nothing about it. Speaking with TVLine, even Cheadle knows nothing about its status, making the series a big question mark. The actor said…

Midway through Secret Invasion we learned that James Rhodes was a Skrull in disguise. In the final episode, the real Rhodes was rescued. While it was unclear just how long he had been a captive, the implication was that Rhodes had been there for a long time. He may have been replaced following the paralyzing injury he received in Captain America: Civil War, meaning the War Machine we saw in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame wasn’t really him.

Whatever is going on with the character, Don Cheadle says that the plan when the Skrull idea was presented to him was that what happened in Secret Invasion would be setting the table for Armor Wars, but now that Armor Wars is a big question mark, it makes Secret Invasion even more frustrating if the pay off never happens. Even Cheadle would seem to agree, saying…

Marvel had two big opportunities to talk Armor Wars this past summer, with major presentations at both SDCC and D23. But the series or movie (or whatever it is) was never brought up. It’s unclear if the project is even still in development or if it has just been dropped. Hopefully, the film will still happen so that this potentially interesting plot thread can be dealt with completely, rather than it becoming another Marvel idea that just gets dropped.

Fans who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order definitely noticed when Don Cheadle made his entrance in Iron Man 2, taking over his role from Terrence Howard. Since then he's starred in a ton of MCU projects, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. And the 59 year-old actor recently revealed his hilariously on brand reaction to Robert Downey Jr.’s MCU return as Doctor Doom.

RDJ broke the internet when it was revealed that he's returning to the MCU not as Iron Man, but as the villainous Doctor Doom. He's presumably going to be the big villain of Avengers: Doomsday, and the public is curious about how it's all going to shake out. That remains to be seen, but in a conversation with Collider, Cheadle explained his personal reaction to that news, offering:

Honestly, same. While there were rumors about the OG Avengers returning, no one was expecting Robert Downey Jr. to actually end up going from hero to villain. But thats exactly what's happening, and even Cheadle was shocked by the announcement that came out of D23.

While Don Cheadle's reaction was super relatable, his comments also show how much actors in the MCU are often kept in the dark. Marvel security is notoriously tight, so it makes sense that he wouldn't know much about what's happening with upcoming Marvel movies.

It should be fascinating to see how RDJ's debut as Doctor Doom ultimately goes down in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He'll seemingly be a variant of Tony Stark, where things go terribly wrong. And that means his former friends (including bestie Rhodey) react to seeing someone who resembles their former friend and ally causing trouble. Smart money says some of them are going to have trouble coming to blows with someone with Tony's face.

From the looks of it, Kevin Feige and company decided to bring Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom into play after Jonathan Majors was fired by Marvel from his role as Kang. While some fans debated if Majors could be replaced as Kang, it now appears that the studio is abandoning that plot point entirely, despite it being set up during two season of Loki and Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania.

After some box office bombs in the post-Endgame period of the MCU, it makes sense that the studio would bring back a heavy hitter like RDJ in order to renew excitement about the shared universe. The stakes feel high, and it should be fascinating to see how things ultimately shake out.

Avengers: Doomsday is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 1st, 2026. For now, check out the 2025 movie release dates.

The 2024 TV schedule has been filled to the brim with some truly entertaining titles, and they’re still coming. September is off to a great start, as a new streaming show just hit the scene. It’s making quite the impression, based on the fact that it not only has over 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences are also incredibly high on the show as well. There are plenty of reasons to check out the show, with the mustache game of Samuel L. Jackson and Don Cheadle being among them.

What’s The Show That’s Seemingly Striking A Chord With Viewers And Critics?

TV pundits and general audiences seem to be in agreement over Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist. Now one of the best shows on Peacock, the streamer’s original offering currently boasts a 93% critics score on RT. If that weren’t impressive enough, the Will Packer-produced limited series also possesses a 92% audience score. I’d say that’s a relatively impressive accomplishment for any kind of program.

On top of the aforementioned accomplishments, the period piece fought its way (no pun intended) to the number one spot on Peacock’s top TV shows list. Samuel L. Jackson – who joined Kevin Hart and more for the show – seemed to be particularly pleased with that accomplishment, as he posted about it on his Instagram story. Take a look at the post down below:

Fight Night, which is based on the 2020 podcast of the same name, takes place in 1970s Atlanta. The crux of the story is an armed robbery that occurs on the night of Muhammad Ali’s 1970 comeback fight against Jerry Quarry. As the description for the series teases, the incident serves as the spark that leads to the ATL becoming known as the “Black Mecca.” Given the ‘70s setting, there are some seriously eclectic looks on display, and Don Cheadle and Sam Jackson’s mustaches are just the tip of the iceberg.

Samuel L. Jackson’s Post Is Giving The Best Bushy Facial Hair Vibes

This weekend, Samuel L. Jackson, who can deliver a cool line, also took to his Instagram account to share some behind-the-scenes photos from the show. His snapshots show him, Don Cheadle, Kevin Hart, Terrence Howard and more sporting some seriously funky threads. The afros, mutton chops and mustaches (oh my) were also on point. Check out the images that the Avengers icon shared:

You’d be hard pressed to find an ensemble of actors that looks as fresh as those guys do. Also, I just can’t take my eyes off Terrence Howard’s outrageous wig, which he even wore to the show’s premiere this past week. The costumers’ dedication to the finer details associated with the time period is definitely admirable, and one of the reasons why people should consider checking out the groovy and gritty show. Seriously, if high marks from critics and audiences paired with impeccable mustaches don’t sell you, then I don’t know what will.

You can stream the first three episodes of Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist now using a Peacock subscription, with the subsequent five chapters hitting the streamer on Thursdays. Also, read up on Samuel L. Jackson’s upcoming projects.

Although Terrence Howard got first crack at the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s James Rhodes in 2008’s Iron Man, Don Cheadle has inhabited the role since 2010’s Iron Man 2, which saw Rhodey becoming War Machine. 14 years later, Cheadle has played the character in 10 MCU projects, including the Disney+ subscription-exclusive shows The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, What If… ? and Secret Invasion. Additionally, Cheadle’s been set for years to finally take center stage for Armor Wars, which was originally conceived as a TV show and will now be an upcoming Marvel movie. The actor joked about the project when recently asked about its status, but if I’m being real, I am legitimately worried about where things stand with Armor Wars.

How Don Cheadle Joked About Armor Wars

Don Cheadle has been doing the press rounds for his new miniseries Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, which can now be streamed with a Peacock subscription, and one of his stops was TODAY. During the conversation, Al Roker asked Cheadle if there was anything he could tell him and the other hosts about Armor Wars, and the Boogie Nights alum responded:

Cheadle immediately smiled after making that joke, then dropped the classic line of, “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” So yeah, no one’s going to be prying answers out of him about Armor Wars. In fairness, Marvel makes it abundantly clear to its actors that they’re not to share spoiler-y information under any circumstances, and various people have amusingly talked about Marvel sending snipers to follow them to ensure they’re following this rule.

Is Armor Wars Even Still Happening?

I can understand Don Cheadle not wanting to share any specific information about Armor Wars, but at the same time, I am concerned about whether it’s actually still happening. It’s been three years since the project’s existence was revealed in its TV form, and two years since it was decided to turn it into a movie. In case you’re unaware, Armor Wars is inspired by the same-named storyline from the Iron Man comics will follow James Rhodes having to deal with Tony Stark’s worst nightmare coming true: the late, great scientific genius’ technology getting into the wrong hands.

Considering that Rhodey has been part of the MCU since the beginning, he’s more than earned the opportunity to lead his own movie. Frankly, I also need Armor Wars to clear up what exactly that Secret Invasion twist means for the character’s life. And yet, this movie, which is being written by Yassir Lester, still doesn’t have a release date assigned yet, and there also hasn’t been any word on who will direct. This year’s San Diego Comic-Con or D23 would have been great times to provide an official update on Armor Wars. Although make no mistake, the announcement of Robert Downey Jr. playing Doctor Doom still would have been the highlight of the night.

Because Marvel Studios has never officially announced Armor Wars as part of its film slate, taking these lack of updates into account, I can’t help but worry that Marvel may end up silently shelving the project. At this point, it’s doubtful Armor Wars would be ready in time to shoot and be ready to take that February 13, 2026 slot Marvel grabbed. The November 6, 2026 may be doable, thought I’d rather that go to something like Doctor Strange 3. Then there are the two post-Avengers: Secret Wars dates reserved in 2027, but I’m hoping Spider-Man 4 and the X-Men reboot snag them instead.

I’m not ready to throw in the towel entirely on Armor Wars yet, but it is strange that after all this time, it hasn’t really made any significant progress moving forward. But hey, maybe Don Cheadle is privy to some positive news on its status that just isn’t to be disclosed to the public yet. If that’s the case. I await with bated breath that he, Kevin Feige or anyone else over at Marvel can share it with us commoners.

Sometimes, all it takes is one joint appearance in a movie or television show for two popular actors to become known as an acting duo, and sometimes they prove to work so well together that they go on to star in even more projects together. We’ve come up with a list of 32 acting duos who have worked together multiple times, so you can see if you’ve watched all of the times these talented stars have been on screen with each other.

Tina Fey And Amy Poehler

Obviously, this funny duo began their most famed time together while starring on Saturday Night Live, but Tina Fey and Amy Poehler didn’t let the good times end there. The women were both in Mean Girls, starred in the movies Baby Mama and Sisters, and used their talents to great effect when co-hosting the Golden Globe Awards for several years.

Robert De Niro And Al Pacino

Two legendary actors make for a legendary acting duo, and while Robert De Niro and Al Pacino are frequently mentioned in the same breath, they’ve only been featured in four films together. Two of those movies, however, are absolutely the reason people often talk about them together as they count The Godfather Part II, Heat, Righteous Kill and The Irishman as their joint efforts.

Julia Roberts And George Clooney

Now, these two actually have made quite a few movies with one another, and largely with both in on-screen roles. Of course, it’s hard to forget that George Clooney and Julia Roberts are in all three of the Ocean’s Eleven films, but they’ve also starred in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney also directed), Money Monster and the 2022 rom-com Ticket to Paradise. The erstwhile Danny Ocean also produced August: Osage County, while Roberts starred.

Jane Fonda And Lily Tomlin

Frequently we see an acting duo together multiple times because they really are buddies in real life, and that’s true for Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin. After first starring together in the 1980 hit 9 to 5 (with Dolly Parton, of course) they eventually re-teamed for the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (which ran for seven seasons), as well as the dark comedy Moving On and 80 for Brady.

Emma Stone And Ryan Gosling

This duo has produced some well-known and beloved comedies and dramas over the years, as Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling first starred together in Crazy, Stupid, Love in 2011, moving on to Gangster Squad in 2013 and the Oscar-winning musical La La Land in 2016. Stone even once said she couldn’t “imagine” her life without Gosling, so these two will probably be friends forever.

Salma Hayek And Antonio Banderas

Salma Hayek and Antonio Banderas sharing the screen in Desperado caused considerable heat, along with igniting a very real friendship, so it’s no surprise that they’ve now worked together a number of times. They’ve also been in the casts of Four Rooms, Frida, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 3: Game Over, Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard and both Puss in Boots animated movies. That’s a lot!

Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart

We’ve already born witness to a rather lengthy history of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart ripping on each other during their (apparently) laugh and roast-filled friendship, and the two megastars have, indeed, brought that chemistry to the big screen multiple times. The duo counts Central Intelligence, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its sequel, Hobbs & Shaw and DC League of Super-Pets as the titles they’ve appeared in together.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck

If this isn’t a classic acting duo by now, there are none. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck have been “bizarrely close” friends since childhood, and they first joined forces to great effect by penning and starring in Good Will Hunting (after having both appeared in School Ties), which won them the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. They also worked on Dogma in the 1990s, then, after nearly 25 years, they joined forces again to write and star in The Last Duel, and since then have also worked together on Air and the upcoming RIP for Netflix.

Denzel Washington And Don Cheadle

If only these two powerhouse stars had already been in more movies together…Denzel Washington and Don Cheadle’s first pairing was as P.I. Easy Rawlins and his loyal but unpredictable friend, Mouse, in 1995’s Devil in a Blue Dress. While their work in the film garnered critical acclaim, it would be over 15 years before they teamed again for Flight.

Sanaa Lathan And Taye Diggs

We should never underestimate the power of a franchise when it comes to popular on-screen pairings. Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs appeared in The Wood together in 1999 and then went on to star in The Best Man, its sequel and the Peacock mini-series, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. The duo also played the lead couple in the rom-com, Brown Sugar in 2002.

Scarlett Johansson And Chris Evans

Co-starring in a franchise with the same people will take an acting duo far, but Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans have surpassed even the typical standard where that’s concerned. Thanks to their joint time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they’ve appeared in a whopping seven movies together (including their mid-end credits cameo in Captain Marvel), and prior to their time as blockbuster movie-making superheroes they starred in The Perfect Score and The Nanny Diaries, bringing their current total to nine.

Anthony Mackie And Chris Evans

If you did enjoy many of those MCU movies, then you know that Chris Evans rubbed elbows with Anthony Mackie quite a bit there. But, did you also know that the two have been in XX non-Marvel movies together? Playing It Cool, What’s Your Number, and Ghosted also star/feature both actors and if you add in all their shared time in tights on screen, their total is also at nine.

Emily Blunt And Dwayne Johnson

The first time was a hit, so why not join forces again, right? Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson famously delivered winning chemistry in Jungle Cruise, and are coming back together for the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine. The two are also said to be willing to return for Jungle Cruise 2, whenever that can finally get off the ground.

Chris Pine And Ben Foster

The third time has been the charm so far for Chris Pine and Ben Foster. The duo famously portrayed bank-robbing brothers in Hell or High Water, joined up for The Finest Hours, and made it a three-peat in 2022 for The Contractor.

Margot Robbie And Will Smith

If it seemed that there could have been a little something extra going on between Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn and Will Smith’s Deadshot when you watched 2016’s Suicide Squad, then it might have been because you picked up on the chemistry the duo first built in Focus from the year before.

Margot Robbie And Brad Pitt

This big screen coupling made quite a showing for themselves across less than a decade, as Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt have starred in The Big Short, Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood and Babylon. 

Margot Robbie And Leonardo DiCaprio

Just imagine, had it not been for this pairing, we might not have the megastar who is Barbie actor/producer Margot Robbie right now. Her role in Wolf of Wall Street as the second wife of Leonardo DiCaprio’s corrupt fraudster propelled her career, and by the time they starred in Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood together Robbie was a major star.

Halle Berry And Hugh Jackman

We, again, have a superhero franchise to thank for bringing two great talents together, as Oscar winner Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman both have four of the X-Men movies among their credits. The duo also starred in Swordfish and Movie 43.

Awkwafina And Michelle Yeoh

This duo counts two megahits in their joint credits, with Awkwafina and Everything Everywhere All At Once Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh both having starred in Crazy Rich Asians (and we’re still waiting for that rom-com sequel) and the MCU entry Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Michelle Yeoh And Jackie Chan

Michelle Yeoh has been a star for several decades, and part of that reason is because of her breakout role in the 1992’s Supercop, which also starred Jackie Chan. But, they’ve made a number of other films with each other, including Supercop 2, and Hong Kong action films Twinkle, Twinkle, Lucky Stars, Project S, and both voiced characters in Kung Fu Panda 2, along with having starred in a 1984 watch commercial together.

Angela Bassett And Laurence Fishburne

While Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne were famously nominated for Oscars for their lead roles as Tina Turner and Ike Turner in 1993’s What’s Love Got to Do with It?, the duo was actually first together on screen for Boyz n the Hood in ‘91. They then later teamed up for Akeela and the Bee in 2006.

Julia Roberts And Richard Gere

If this isn’t a famous acting duo, then none are, despite their only making two movies with each other. Of course, Julia Roberts and Richard Gere starred in the mega-hit classic rom-com Pretty Woman and teamed up again for Runaway Bride in 1999.

Jennifer Aniston And Jason Bateman

For a while there, Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, who are friends in real life, were kinda on a roll. Their first joint film was The Break-Up in 2006, and since then they’ve filmed four additional movies with one another: The Switch, Horrible Bosses and its sequel, and 2016’s Office Christmas Party.

Kate Hudson And Matthew McConaughey

Who can forget the glorious chemistry created by Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days? No one, that’s who! This is why they made a second rom-com, Fool’s Gold, just five years later.

Kirsten Dunst And Jesse Plemons

It’s not unusual for an acting duo to become friends in real life, but Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons took that a few steps further after working on the TV series Fargo together. Not only have they since starred in the film The Power of the Dog (which netted each their first Oscar nomination) and the A24 drama Civil War, but they married in 2022 and have two sons.

Meg Ryan And Tom Hanks

We could hardly leave Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks off of this list, as the famed actors have co-starred in two of the biggest romantic comedies of all time. Everyone knows them for making Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail hits, but before all of that, they led one of the weirder rom-coms made with Joe Versus the Volcano, and reunited for the 2016 drama Ithaca, which Ryan directed.

Drew Barrymore And Adam Sandler

People often mention Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler as an acting duo they want to see more of and with good reason. The two have made magic in the classics The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates and Blended.

Adam Sandler And Chris Rock

This pairing goes back decades, to the time when Adam Sandler and Chris Rock starred on Saturday Night Live together in the ‘90s. Since then, the real-life buddies have appeared in seven movies together, with The Longest Yard, Grown Ups and its sequel, The Week Of and Top Five counted among that number.

George Clooney And Brad Pitt

Of course, George Clooney and Brad Pitt helped to make the Ocean’s Eleven franchise a hit, but the friends additionally teamed up for the live TV movie 8, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (which Clooney directed), Burn After Reading and the 2024 films If and Wolfs.

Keegan-Michael Key And Jordan Peele

The duo of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who first became recognizable during their time on MadTV, eventually went on to their own acclaimed sketch comedy series, Key and Peele. But, while making names for themselves on other series and in a number of movies, they continue to work with one another on projects like Keanu, Toy Story 4 and Wendell & Wild.

Awkwafina And Simu Liu

It was the MCU that first brought Awkwafina and Simu Liu together in the hit film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and while we’re still waiting to see when that franchise will bring them back together, 2024 saw them team up again for the action comedy, Jackpot!.

Jane Fonda And Robert Redford

Dedicated film fans probably know that legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford starred together in Barefoot in the Park and The Electric Horseman, but their joint movie appearances do go beyond that. They also starred in The Chase in ‘66 and reunited for Our Souls at Night in 2017, and both had their film debuts in 1960’s Tall Story.

As you can see, film history is packed with acting duos who’ve worked together more than once, and that will probably always be the case.

From the moment it debuted with a two-hour pilot episode in September of 1994 until it left the air in 2009, ER was a ratings monster. It regularly topped the ratings for the year during its 331-episode run and launched careers left and right. George Clooney for goodness sake! Not only did it have big stars in its regular cast like Clooney, Anthony Edwards, Maura Tierney, and Eriq LaSalle, but it also had a huge amount of guest stars and up-and-coming actors roll through the show. Here is our list of some of the biggest. 

Nick Offerman

Nick Offerman is most well known for playing the great Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation where he regularly delivered some of the funniest lines on the show. He didn't have anything funny to say in his one role on ER where he played a bandmate of a bass player in distress in the emergency room.  

Taraji P. Henson

The accolades for Taraji P. Henson's acting have come fast and fierce in recent years, but she's been showcasing her talent on screen since the late '90s. One of her earliest roles was in a Season 4 episode of ER, and then in Season 5, she returned in a different role. She kept landing guest roles for years on shows like CSI and Boston Legal before landing her starring turn in Empire and the rest is history. 

Bradley Whitford

A few years before the role of Josh Lyman on The West Wing would make him a star, Bradley Whitford appeared in two episodes of ER in 1995. He'd been working regularly for almost a decade at that point and would find small roles here and there for another few years before The West Wing. He's been an in-demand actor ever since. 

Kristin Davis

Before she was a regular on Melrose Place, and before she was one of Jerry's many girlfriends on Seinfeld, Kristin Davis played a woman who was very into George Clooney's character very briefly in one episode of the first season of ER. While she only showed up once on the show, it clearly opened some big doors - and big martini glasses - in the future. 

Zac Efron

Before becoming a star in High School Musical, Zac Efron was almost type-cast as a troubled teen. On ER he played a teenager who turned up in the emergency room after being shot. He was also a troublemaker in an early role on NCIS. These days he's one of the biggest stars to grace the screen, but he used to just be in trouble on screen! 

Ewan McGregor

Ewan McGregor is something different to different generations. For some, he'll always be Renton in Trainspotting. Of course, for many, he'll always be a young Obi-Wan Kenobi. For even others, he's known as the guy who drove his motorcycle around the world in Long Way Round. You can't help but wonder if that name was inspired by his guest spot on ER in a Season 3 episode called "The Long Way Around" in 1997. 

Julie Bowen

While Julie Bowen is best known these days for playing Claire Dunphy in Modern Family, her career stretches way further back. Her first TV role came in the early '90s and her breakout role came in the 1993 Adam Sandler smash hit Happy Gilmore. In the late '90s, she had a nine-episode run on ER as the reoccurring character named Roxanne Please, who was John Carter's (Noah Wyle) girlfriend. 

Ving Rhames

1994 was a big year for Ving Rhames. Not only did he star in Pulp Fiction, but he also landed a reoccurring role as Walt Robbins, father-in-law to Dr. Peter Benton (Eriq La Salle). In total, he appeared in eight episodes over three seasons, but by then he'd also starred in Mission: Impossible and the rest is history. 

Lucy Liu

Lucy Liu is no stranger to hit television shows. She was a star of Ally McBeal in the '90s and '00s, and in Elementary in the teens. Early on, she also appeared in cameos and supporting roles on big shows like NYPD Blue and The X-Files. She also made it onto three episodes of ER, in 1995. 

Chris Pine

Believe it or not, there was a time when Chris Pine wasn't one of the "Chrises" and wasn't one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He was, in his early days, just like so many other actors, just looking to snag any role they could. Luckily for Pine, it was on a show like ER. In fact, the show he appeared in during Season 9 of the show was his first credited acting performance. 

Don Cheadle

When Don Cheadle appeared as a doctor in a 4-episode arc in 2002 on ER, he was already well-established as an actor. In fact, it came not long after he was established enough to take his name off the credits of Ocean's Eleven, despite delivering some of the best one-liners in the movie. 

J.K. Simmons

Any fan of Law & Order knows just how ingrained J.K. Simmons was in prime-time television around the turn of the century. He was a regular on that show, and he turned up in a bunch of others as well, including an episode of ER in 2004. you can always count on a great J.K. Simmons performance, no matter what he is in. 

Christina Hendricks

While she had been cast in a number of shows before Mad Men, Christina Hendricks had never really broken through as a star. That changed with the AMC show, but before that, she was just a regular hard-working actress in Hollywood. One of her earliest gigs was on ER in 2002. 

Adam Scott

Adam Scott is not the only Parks And Recreation star to appear in ER early in his career, but he did have a pretty intense role as an injured man clinging to life in the emergency room way back in 1995. It's hard to imagine it took 15 more years to get the big-time attention he deserves when he landed his role on Park & Rec. 

Glen Howerton

In 2005 Always Sunny In Philadelphia took the world by storm and went on to become one of the longest-running sitcoms of all time. Glen Howerton played a huge part in that, as one of the stars and co-creators. A couple of years earlier, he was playing a very different role as a doctor in six Episodes of ER during its 10th Season. 

Keiko Agena

Gilmore Girls regular and co-star of Prodigal Son, Keiko Agena is one of the few actors who played two different characters on ER. She first appeared on the show very early in her career, in 1998, then later appeared in the final season in 2009. 

Jessica Chastain

With three Oscar nominations and one win, Jessica Chastain has proven she's among the best Hollywood has to offer. She proved her acting years ago though, in shows like ER. In only her second credited role, she appeared on ER in 2004 in an episode called "Forgive and Forget."

Aaron Paul

For most people, Aaron Paul is best known for his legendary role in Breaking Bad but years before that show would become a hit, he played a pretty similar character on ER in an episode called "A Saint in the City," way back in 2003. 

Octavia Spencer

In 1998 when Octavia Spencer appeared on ER, it was the latest in a string of supporting roles she landed early in her career. That string would continue for a little while longer before she emerged as one of the most beloved stars of the teens and '20s after her star-making role in The Help.

Mena Suvari

As it was for a lot of cast members, American Pie was huge for Mena Suvari. She had been working for a few years in Hollywood before that, picking up roles here and there in shows like Boy Meets World and movies like The Slums of Beverly Hills. Another early role came in a 1998 episode of ER where she played a high school cheerleader who didn't want to listen to her doctors. 

Kirsten Dunst

As a child actor, Kirsten Dunst's career started when she was just six years old. It would be a few years before she landed a brief reoccurring role as a troubled teen in six episodes of ER in the show's third season. 

Dakota Fanning

Quite a few child actors who went on to greater fame came through the doors of the emergency room at Cook County General Hospital, including a young Dakota Fanning. Fanning played a young girl named Delia who came in after a car accident and viewers find out she's a cancer survivor. 

James Cromwell

One of the ultimate "that guys" in Hollywood, James Cromwell has been acting for decades. His career really started in earnest in the mid-'70s and he's been playing supporting and starring roles ever since. On ER, he played a drug-seeking priest in four episodes in Season 7. 

Josh Peck

Josh Peck was a breakout Nickelodeon star as half of Drake & Josh. That wasn't his first role though. After a few small roles and a reoccurring spot in The Amanda Show (which led to Drake & Josh), he landed a small role in an episode of ER in 2002 as a kid with heart problems. 

Eva Mendes

Before Eva Mendes semi-retired to raise her family with Ryan Gosling, she was one of the biggest stars on the planet. You can trace her career all the way back to her very first role which came in 1998 on an episode of ER. It's wild to look back and watch her doing her first on-screen performances with George Clooney and not think about what lay ahead for both of them. 

Shia LaBeouf

Without a doubt, Shia LaBeouf has had one of the wildest careers of the 21st Century. There have been times when he was on top of the world, and others when he... definitely wasn't. One high point early in his career was of a kid in the emergency room of Cook County General in 2000, during Season 6. 

Milana Vayntrub

Milana Vayntrub eventually became one of the most recognizable actors in commercials as the AT&T pitchwoman. Long before that though, she was like a lot of child actors who got their start on ER. She appeared in three episodes, her first three credited roles, as a Russian girl, way back in Season 1. 

John Mahoney

Before scoring the role of a lifetime as Martin Crane on Fraiser, John Mahoney had been a steadily working actor going back to the '70s. After Frasier, he could pretty much write his own ticket. One role he chose to take was that of a self-professed "drag queen" whose long-time boyfriend was in rough shape in the hospital on ER in 2006, making a strong statement about gay marriage before many were brave enough to join him. 

Janel Moloney

One of the many great actresses who found early work in their career on ER was Janel Moloney. Moloney scored only a handful of roles between that and The West Wing, but boy was the West Wing lucky to have her - as was ER in its first season when she appeared in one episode. 

Amy Ryan

One of the most underrated characters in The Wire has to be Beadie Russell, played by Amy Ryan. About a decade before she joined The Wire in Season 2, she starred in a single episode of ER in the show's first season. She's been in many TV shows and movies since, including a beloved recurring role on The Office and in the underrated Netflix original Worth.

Rosemary Clooney

George Clooney isn't the only famous person in his family. His aunt is, of course, the inimitably Rosemary Clooney, who was one of the most beloved singers of her generation. She only had about a dozen acting credits on her impressive resume, but one was ER during the show's first season. What a great experience for her and her nephew. Her son, actor Miguel Ferrer, also appeared in an uncredited role in the series premiere of the show. 

Dan Hedaya

If you grew up in the '90s, Dan Hedaya was seemingly everywhere, but he's probably best remember by that generation as Cher Horowitz's angry but loving father in Clueless. On ER, he plays a lawyer with... questionable ethics, but a heart of gold. He appeared in four episodes over the length of the whole show. remembered

Accents are incredibly difficult and to be clear, this isn't knocking any of the people on this list's acting talents. Some of the best actors in the world often struggle with accents. In fact, everyone on this list should be praised for taking the risk and even attempting one. That said, this is still a list of actors with bad accents in a role. 

Dick Van Dyke – Mary Poppins

Quite possibly the most notorious of an actor messing up an accent is Dick Van Dyke in Mary Poppins. The Midwest native's take on a London Cockney accent is... rough. The rest of his performance is legendary, of course, but boy, it's rough to hear him talk sometimes. 

Keanu Reeves – Bram Stoker's Dracula

Keanu Reeves is an icon, but let's be real, some of his acting performances in the past haven't been the best. The most glaring example is his performance in Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's a stilled example of an English accent that comes across as really unconfident. He's much better in the John Wick movies, to say the least. 

Don Cheadle – Ocean's Eleven

Don Cheadle is one of the best actors in Hollywood and is proof that even the best get it wrong sometimes. His cockney accent in Ocean's Eleven is brutal. In a way, it can be excused, as everyone in the movie is just chewing the scenery the whole time, but still, you expect more. Especially because we've all seen him do amazing accents like in Hotel Rwanda, a movie so good you never want to see it again. 

Daniel Craig - Knives Out

This one might get some pushback from fans – and I am a huge fan of Daniel Craig and Knives Out – but the accent is distracting. Cajun accents are tough, so for even attempting it, Craig gets credit, but he's been much better at other accents, like his straight southern accent in Lucky Logan. 

Kevin Costner – Thirteen Days

Thirteen Days is one of the best movies about the Cold War we've ever seen, but Kevin Costner's Boston accent isn't what makes it great. Costner's performance outshines the accent, but it's still pretty distracting, as it's way off. Boston accents are hard to do, so we'll forgive him. 

Tom Cruise – Far And Away

Another one of the most notorious accents in Hollywood history is Tom Cruise's attempt at an Irish accent in Far And Away. The movie itself is a lot better than its reputation would have you believe, but Cruise, one of the biggest movie stars of the last few decades, has a rough go of it. He's not alone in that, either. 

John Malkovich – Rounders

John Malkovich's career is filled with amazing, and often over-the-top performances. Maybe his most over-the-top is that of the Russian "KGB" in Rounders. His accent is presumably supposed to be Russian, but wow, who knows what it really is? It's wild, that's for sure. He even joked to co-star Matt Damon that he is a "terrible actor," which, of course, is false, even here. 

Brad Pitt – Meet Joe Black

This one is on the list because it's a popular choice as one of the worst ever, but I'm here to defend it...sort of. His Cajun patois is not great, that's true, but, for one, that's a really hard accent to nail, and some have defended it. It also could be argued that it fits his character to not quite understand how to speak normally, as he talks about in other parts of the film. Pitt gets a pass here. 

Mickey Rooney – Breakfast At Tiffany's

In one of the most indefensible roles in the history of Hollywood, Mickey Rooney's bad accent is actually the least offensive part. You can argue about 1961 being a different time, but it wasn't that different, and having Rooney play an offensive caricature of a Japanese man was called out even at the time for how offensive it was. 

Julia Roberts – Michael Collins

The beloved Julia Roberts has been in some of the best movies of the last 30 years. Michael Collins isn't a bad movie, but it's also not among Roberts' best films. While she can usually be counted on for great performances, her Irish accent here misses the mark. 

Anne Hathaway – One Day

Anne Hathaway is an Oscar winner for good reason. She's consistently great in her movies, and in roles that range from rom-coms to comic supervillains. In One Day, she adopts a British accent...sort of. It's not bad when she nails it, but it's wildly inconsistent. 

Brad Pitt - Seven Years in Tibet

Seven Years In Tibet is an underrated movie in my opinion. In all honesty, I don't know if Brad Pitt's accent is truly bad, or if it's just really annoying. I tend to think it's a combo of both. Her performance otherwise is great, and the movie's visuals are stunning, making it well worth suffering through the iffy accent. 

Jack Nicholson – The Departed

This is one that might get some pushback, but I think Jack Nicholson's Boston accent in The Departed is terrible. Given all the great accents in the movie, some by Boston natives, some not, this one really sticks out as not being all that great. Nicholson is awesome as the menacing Frank Costello, but he should have just played it straight. 

Angelina Jolie – Alexander

Okay, what in the ancient world is going on here? Angelina Jolie's accent in Alexander is just wild. It's sort of Greek, sure, but we're not even sure what the ancient Greeks sounded like, so why even go here with this acting choice? Jolie is a wonderful actor and director, but this is not her finest moment. 

Emma Watson – The Bling Ring

Emma Watson's biggest accent sin in The Bling Ring is how inconsistent it is. Maybe the hardest part for an actor is staying consistent, but this one still needs to be highlighted here. A Valley Girl, Watson is not. 

Ewan McGregor – Black Hawk Down

Black Hawk Down has an amazing cast, many of whom are not American, all playing American servicemen. To be honest, all the accents in the movie, from Orlando Bloom, Tom Hardy, and others are a little dicey. It probably isn't fair to only call out Ewan McGregor, but it's not his finest work, either. 

Kevin Costner – Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

What can be said here? It's the bad accent that beats them all. Kevin Costner's accent (or sometimes lack of) in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves has been knocked ad nauseam over the years and there isn't much more to say about it. It's not just poor, it's not even there sometimes. 

Cameron Diaz – Gangs Of New York

Let's be clear, Cameron Diaz is not alone with her poor accent in Gangs of New York. Leonardo DiCaprio isn't at his best, either. It's maybe a little more striking in Diaz's case though. It's hard though, when you are going up with Daniel Day-Lewis, who probably spent months and months perfecting his American accent for the role.  

Blake Lively – The Town

If you're not from Boston, it had be a deceptively difficult accent to master. It's not as simple as dropping the Rs, though that is hard to do consistently also. It's also the long vowels and other more nuanced parts of the accent that make it very tricky. Blake Lively is great in The Town, but her accent leaves a lot to be desired. 

Vanessa Hudgens – The Princess Switch

In one of the weirder choices on this list, Vanessa Hudgens decided to go with what is ostensively a British accent in The Princess Switch when she easily could have just gone with her regular accent. Sure, she needed to differentiate herself from...herself as she was also playing the other role in the movie in this Parent Trap-like movie, but still, she was a princess of a fictional country, the accent could have been anything 

Scarlett Johansson – Don Jon

Scarlett Johansson is from New York, and is an excellent actor. That's why it's such a surprise that she missed with a New Jersey accent in Don Jon. Once again, it's an example of a great performance losing a point or two because of the dodgy accent.

Jared Leto – House Of Gucci

Most of the actors in House Of Gucci struggle a little with the Italian accents. Jared Leto, however, sounds like a cartoon character. It's more like Mario than Paolo Gucci. I give him props for trying, heck I give them all props for trying, but it just doesn't work. 

Mel Gibson – Braveheart

I have a lot of problems with Braveheart. The history is notoriously poor, and the acting by Mel Gibson is so over the top, that it's comical, hence all the memes, right? Often lost in that is how sketchy Gibson's Scottish accent is in the movie. 

Quentin Tarantino – Django Unchained

Quentin Tarantino is arguably the best director of the last 30 years with nine (or ten, depending on how you count Kill Bill) great movies out of nine directed. Django Unchained is no exception, but you can't excuse the Australian accent Tarantino tries to pull off in his acting role in the movie. It's not good - and it's not like he's a bad actor, either. 

Harrison Ford - K-19: The Widowmaker

With all due respect to the Gods of the 1970s and '80s, I don't want to besmirch the great Harrison Ford. Sadly, I have to for his messy attempt at a Russian accent in K-19: The Widowmaker. We all love Ford's gruff voice, but it's better when he sticks with his natural accent. 

Nicole Kidman – Far And Away

Tom Cruise gets a lot of gruff for his Irish accent in Far and Away, but that shouldn't distract from Nicole Kidman's sketchy work. The Aussie struggles as much as the American in the film. 

Alan Rickman - The Butler

Alan Rickman, who is one of my favorite actors ever and responsible for some amazing performances, has one of his most uneven in The Butler as President Ronald Reagan. It's not just the accent, though that is part of it. He speaks weirdly softly and it feels like a shallow performance, which was unlike Rickman, most of the time.  

Michael Caine - On Deadly Ground

The great Michael Caine has but one accent – the Michael Caine Accent. It's so iconic, that it's as imitated as Christopher Walken's. When he gets away from it, it gets a little bizarre, as it does in On Deadly Ground. Now, the semi-retired Caine is co-starring in a Steven Seagal movie, so you can't blame him for really going over the top, even if he misses. 

Brad Pitt – The Devil's Own

In The Devil's Own, Brad Pitt makes a go at an Irish accent. I'll always applaud Pitt for going for tougher roles, but he really does struggle with accents, and here is no exception. It is distracting, but I appreciate that he goes for it. 

Jennifer Lawrence – Red Sparrow

As the winner of one Oscar and owner of three more nominations, Jennifer Lawrence is clearly one of the best actresses so far in the 21st Century. Red Sparrow is not her best work though. The movie is surprisingly boring, and her Russian accent, while far from the worst here, is in and out throughout the whole film. 

Ana De Armas – Blonde

Make no mistake, Ana De Armas made a bold decision to play not only an American actress but one whose voice is very familiar to movie fans everywhere, Marilyn Monroe. Blonde was a challenging choice for the Cuban actress and for that she should be celebrated, but when the brass tacks were down, her accent was not the best part of her performance. 

Charlie Hunnam – Green Street Hooligans

If you want to understand how hard accents can be, look no further than Englishman Charlie Hunnam's attempt at a cockney accent in Green Street Hooligans. While Hunnam is English, he's from Newcastle, not East London, and boy does it show. Hunnam was decent doing an American accent in Sons of Anarchy, but he doesn't kill the cockney accent here, in fact, he's so inconsistent it's distracting in an otherwise super fun cult classic. 

Don Cheadle’s movie career is more than Tony Stark's sidekick-turned-superhero James “Rhodie” Rhodes in multiple Marvel movies. Playing a superhero is the culmination of decades of outstanding movie performances, starting with 1985’s Moving Violations. Cheadle has captivated audiences with his vast acting range, from acclaimed films like Boogie Nights and Crash to franchises like Iron Man and Ocean’s to cult classics like Bulworth. 

One would think garnering critical praise and numerous honors over his decades-long career would translate into an Academy Award or two on Don Cheadle’s mantel. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case for the actor, who scored one Best Actor Oscar nomination for Hotel Rwanda. That doesn’t mean the MCU star hasn’t delivered more Oscar-worthy performances. So, here are some Oscar-worthy Don Cheadle performances.

Devil in a Blue Dress (1995)

Don Cheadle proved he could play against acting heavyweights in the book-to-screen adaptation Devil in a Blue Dress. Cheadle served as Easy Rawlins' (Denzel Washington) right-hand man and small-time hood Raymond “Mouse” Alexander.

Cheadle performed the rare feat of stealing scenes from Washington as he tapped into the essence of the neo-noir and thriller genres. He played into the genre’s tropes while subverting them with his acting choices. He served as a vehicle for Rawlins’ first case by giving a fleshed-out and nuanced performance.

Of course, the actor worked best with Washington in every scene. His time with leading lady Jennifer Beals was worthwhile as well. Cheadle’s performance received critical acclaim and film festival recognition with NAACP Image and SAG award nominations for his beloved performance. Unfortunately, this fanfare and praise didn’t translate into a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

Watch the intriguing and twisty neo-noir classic streaming with a Netflix subscription.

Miles Ahead (2016)

Don Cheadle hopped on the musical biopic-about-Black-musicians train with Miles Ahead. Cheadle became influential and acclaimed jazz musician Miles Davis for the 2016 film.

Don Cheadle became the influential jazz artist while handling every aspect of Davis’s life as both performer and director. Drawing from Davis’s 1970s comeback allowed the MCU star to show the troubled musician’s multi-layered life. It proved necessary as he developed a nuanced performance of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer during a difficult time.

His onscreen chemistry with his co-stars strengthened the Ocean’s Eleven star’s performance. Cheadle was amplified by co-stars Emayatzy Corinealdi and LaKeith Stanfield as the film examined his turbulent professional and personal life. His performance received critical acclaim from viewers and critics alike, but that didn’t translate into a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

Don’t forget to catch the unconventional biopic with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Talk To Me (2007)

Before he took on the legendary Miles Davis’s life story, Don Cheadle dipped his toe in the biopic waters with 2007’s Talk to Me. Cheadle balanced comedic and dramatic elements when playing iconic radio personality Ralph “Petey” Greene.

The Oscar nominee channeled the late radio jock’s personality as Greene’s story interwoven with manager Dewey Hughes (played by fellow Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor). Cheadle gave the radio legend layers as the film explored the good, bad, and ugly of Greene’s personal and professional life. His layered performance proved crucial as the film documented his rise and eventual fall. 

Again, Cheadle shined best with his co-stars. The Hollywood A-lister showed impeccable chemistry with Ejiofor in multiple scenes while blending a romantic and toxic relationship with Taraji P. Henson. His performance received critical acclaim and paved the way for NAACP Image, Satellite, and Independent Spirit Award nominations. Despite love from reviewers, he failed to secure a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

You can watch the portrait of a radio pioneer by getting a Hulu subscription.

Rosewood (1997)

Don Cheadle found his niche by diving into history, and Rosewood -- the historical dramatization of the 1923 Rosewood massacre -- was no exception. As Rosewood resident and victim Sylvester Carrier, the actor brought the tragic event to life in the 1997 historical drama.

Like many real-life-inspired stories, Cheadle took some liberties with his character since he served as a representative for residents of the disseminated Black town. The Hollywood veteran played a small but powerful role in Mann's (played by Ving Rhames) revolt against the white mob. Sylvester became the film’s backbone as Mann’s associate and catalyst.

The scenes shared by Cheadle and Rhames were palpable as they played off each other. The historical drama and its cast received critical recognition despite not being a box-office success. The acclaim translated to a single NAACP Image Award nomination but not a Best Supporting Actor nom from the Academy Awards.

Get into the retelling of this historical massacre through an Amazon Prime Video subscription.

Traffic (2000)

While delving into history served as his niche, Don Cheadle wasn’t afraid to tackle modern issues in the Oscar-nominated film Traffic. He tapped into the world of drug trafficking as DEA agent Montel Gordon.

Cheadle drew from the real-life crisis by giving a fleshed-out portrait of a DEA agent’s work and home life. He walked the delicate line between law enforcement and the drug game as his character’s story evolved. The actor stood out amongst an all-star ensemble as he gave a nuanced performance throughout the movie.

While multiple Hollywood stars made an impression, the Oscar nominee did his best work with co-star Luis Guzman. They were believable as law enforcement partners. The historical drama and its cast received critical recognition despite not being a box-office success. The cast received acclaim, translating to multiple Oscar nominations and a SAG Award. However, Cheadle failed to secure a Best Supporting Actor nom from the Academy, with his co-star Benicio del Toro winning the category.

Get a Netflix subscription to watch the acclaimed Steve Soderbergh-directed crime drama.

The above performances proved that Don Cheadle has delivered Oscar-worthy roles for the Academy recognition. The No Sudden Move actor racked up film projects despite no recognition at the Academy Awards, beyond the one nomination. The actor has multiple projects lined up, including the biopic Unstoppable. Maybe one of those films will finally see him receive a well-deserved Oscar. And, of course, Cheadle isn't done with the MCU. He’ll play Rhodie again in the TV series-turned-film Armor Wars. 

The brand new, revamped and rebooted DC Universe (DCU) has opened up endless possibilities. A new Superman has already been cast and is ready to take flight in the first movie in the new universe, which is replacing the old DC Extended Universe (DCEU). 

Producer James Gunn has shown he has a clear vision to wipe away most of the past and move forward with new actors and new stories, so for the purposes of this daydreaming, we're going to leave out the great actors who have appeared in DC-related films in the past, including the most recent movies starring the likes of Jason Momoa, Gal Gadot, and Ben Affleck, though we're not against them returning, too. 

Ryan Gosling

Ryan Gosling is one of the biggest stars in the world, and also one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood. He's the kind of actor you could cast in almost any role and you just know he'd hit it out of the park. He could play a hero or a villain and audiences would be transfixed no matter what. We probably want him as one of the most famous heroes though, someone befitting his star status. 

Daisy Ridley

We know she can carry a franchise, and we know she's a tough woman, so Daisy Ridley just has to find her way into the DCU. Of course, she'd have to be a hero, but who knows, maybe a change of pace from the Star Wars movies could be cool and she could play a villain. Either way, she has to have powers greater than The Force. 

Tom Cruise

It's time. It's hard to believe Tom Cruise has never been in a superhero movie. One of, in not the, biggest action stars of the last few decades still has that "hole" on his resume and it's time it got filled. Of course, we'd all love to see Cruise as a hero, but it would be awesome for him to be in any role, even a cameo like his turn in Tropic Thunder. Just get him in there, James Gunn! 

Jennifer Lawrence

Sure, Jennifer Lawrence appeared in the X-Men franchise, but that was years ago, and the comic book movie scene is a whole lot different today. Lawrence is a perfect fit for any number of roles, and even though she's great as Mystique, what about a hero as big as Wonder Woman or Black Canary? Surely she'd be fantastic. 

John Krasinski

John Krasinski delighted fans with his cameo as Dr. Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. MCU fans have been dying to see him as Mister Fantastic in the Fantastic 4 in the future, but so far, there's only been cold water thrown on the idea. That opens up the DCU for the former The Office star and he needs to step in. 

Zendaya

There isn't a bigger star on the scene right now than Zendaya. Sure, she's played MJ in the MCU and Spider-Man movies, but let's give her some real superpowers and let her run wild in the DCU. 

Jacob Elordi

Sure, Jacob Elordi says he's not interested in playing a superhero, having turned down an opportunity to read for Superman in the new DCU, but that doesn't mean we can't dream, right? There are so many heroes in the universe he could play. Elordi has been a hit in recent years with his role on HBO's Euphoria and movies like Saltburn and Pricilla, so he doesn't really need to be in the DCU, but we need him to be. 

Timothée Chalamet

Timothée Chalamet has a knack for picking great roles for himself. At this point, he can pick and choose anything he wants, given how often his movies are hits. Chalamet could probably just tell James Gunn what role he wanted and they'd find a way for it to happen. So let's do it! 

Meryl Streep

Let's be real, there is nothing Meryl Streep can't do. The greatest actor of her generation, bar none, and yet, she's never appeared in a superhero movie. She's flirted with the idea, according to some reports, and she even did the Wakanda salute at the 2024 Golden Globes, but alas, we still haven't seen her in one. The new DCU must have a spot for her, right?

Patina Miller

Patina Miller has won a Tony and she's starred in two hit shows (Madam Secretary and Power Book III: Raising Kanan), but she hasn't broken big on the big screen, aside from an important but too-brief role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, and it's time that changed. She looks like a superhero and can act her socks off, so let's make it happen, let's make her a star in the DCU. 

Adam Driver

As Kylo Ren in the Star Wars sequels, Adam Driver showed he could play a first-rate villain. Now it's time to see him play a hero. Any hero, pick one, it doesn't matter, he'd kill it. Batman? For sure. Superman? Well, that role is taken, but yes. Aquaman? Oh yes. Martian Manhunter? Check. Wonder Woman? Sure, why not, he's got the hair for it. Let's go! 

Mark Wahlberg

Mark Wahlberg may be aging gracefully and while he says he's ready to play grandpa roles, we think he'll never be too old for a spot in the DCU. Somehow he's never been in either the MCU or any of the DC-related properties, so the time is right. 

Cailee Spaeny

She may not jump off the page as a possible superhero, but don't forget that Cailee Spaeny starred in Pacific Rim Uprising and clearly has the chops to be in a big action flick. She's an up-and-coming superstar and jumping into the DCU now would be perfect timing. 

Alan Ritchson

Reacher's Alan Ritchson is over six feet tall and built like a monster truck, is there anyone in Hollywood more perfect to play an intimidating villain in a comic book movie? Sure, he could play a superhero, too, but being a villain would be an awesome departure from his character on Reacher and it would be a ton a fun. And again, just look at the guy! 

Sterling K. Brown

Sterling K. Brown had an all-too-brief role as T'Chala's traitorous brother N'Jobu in Black Panther and it's high time he gets a chance to sink his teeth into a bigger superhero role. How about John Stewart/Green Lantern in the DCU? Brown has even campaigned for the role, so really, it's a perfect opportunity to get him into the DC Universe, it needs to happen, so we're putting it out there into the universe again. 

Peter Dinklage

Peter Dinklage has dabbled in superhero movies in the past, playing the villain, Bolivar Trask, in X-Men: Days of Future Past, as Eitri in Avengers: Infinity War, and as the Toxic Avenger, but it leaves us all wanting more. Let's be honest here, anything Dinklage does is awesome, so getting him into the DCU somehow would be amazing. He's also pretty good at carrying a wildly popular franchise, as he proved with Game of Thrones.

Taraji P. Henson

Taraji P. Henson has done it all, except star in a comic book movie. Henson is one of the best actors of her generation and yet, she's got this hole in her resume that, let's be honest, we all want to see filled. The DCU would be a perfect place for her to land, in just about any role, superhero, villain, regular human... anything, just get her in there! 

Charlize Theron

Audiences were teased with a Charlize Theron character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and the actress stars in the Old Guard franchise, but she's not appeared in any DC-related projects yet and she sure deserves to. We'd love to see her in any number of roles, as she can play just about anything. 

Jason Statham

He's one of the biggest action stars in the world, and yet Jason Statham hasn't appeared in the MCU or anything DC-related. This is something that must be remedied! How about Cliff Steele/Robotman, whose origin story comes out of a race car crash, which would dovetail perfectly with Statham's past work as star of The Transporter movies and in the Fast franchise?

Jodie Comer

Jodie Comer has been taking the world by storm over the last few years and that means it's time to find her way into the DCU. Comer could be great in the MCU, but the possibilities in the DCU are endless and for someone like her, on the rise in Hollywood, the sky's the limit. 

Don Cheadle

Don Cheadle is pretty entrenched in the MCU, where he's played James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine 10 times in various movies and TV shows. Still, Cheadle is awesome, and there has to be a way to get him into the DCU, too. He'd need to play a completely different kind of character, like a villain, but we're for it. 

Jenna Ortega

Wednesday star Jenna Ortega is clearly ready for the big time. She'd be great as Aquagirl, or, even better, the villain Lourdes Lucero/Encantadora. There are a lot of options, let's hope she fits into one, because it would be great. 

Zoe Saldaña

Zoe Saldaña is another star that most fans immediately associate with The Guardians of the Galaxy and the MCU, but with the Guardians franchise possibly winding down, and the franchise's director, James Gunn, now in charge over at DC, this could be a good time to switch it up for Saldaña, as there are a lot of different heroes she would be great for. 

Josh Gad

Hear us out. Josh Gad may not be the first person you think of when you think of an action movie or a comic book movie, but some of the best casting decisions are sometimes the ones you least expect. Think Michael Keaton as Batman or even Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man. Gad, with his blend of humor and "everyman" qualities, can be pretty chameleon-like and that could make him perfect for the DCU. 

Gwendoline Christie

How has this happened? How have we gotten dozens of superhero movies in the last couple of decades and Gwendoline Christie hasn't been in any of them? Sure, she's got the physique to play any hero out there, but it's her wit and comedic timing combined with that that makes the Game of Thrones star a no-brainer. This seems too easy.

Naomie Harris

Naomie Harris jumped into the comic book world by playing Shriek in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. She was predictably great, so why not have her cast as a character with a multi-film arc? She should be. With the James Bond Universe in flux with the departure of Daniel Craig, this would be a great time for Harris to find a new franchise to get attached to. 

Daniel Kaluuya

Black Panther star Daniel Kaluuya (who also starred as a real-life Black Panther in Judas and the Black Messiah) is an actor who could fit into the DCU in just about any role. He could be a charming hero, or an evil villain, or even a government bureaucrat. Kaluuya's acting toolbox has a lot of options, the DCU will do well to take advantage of that somehow. 

Natalie Dormer

Natalie Dormer is a veteran of a lot of big-time franchises. Game of Thrones, Hunger Games, and even the MCU. Unfortunately, she was in fewer Game of Thrones episodes than you would think, and her appearances in the other two were also fairly brief. The DCU has a great opportunity to feature her in a much larger role. 

Donald Glover

This is another absolute no-brainer. Donald Glover is one of the most talented and charming actors in the business, there are an endless amount of roles he could fill in the DCU, so someone out there needs to find a spot for him. 

Diego Luna

With Andor (and his other projects) Diego Luna showed the world how great he can be in a franchise. His performance was gripping, and bringing that same energy to the DCU would be fantastic. 

Jack Quaid

Let's take a sec to lament that despite starring in one of the wildest superhero franchises of all time, The Boys, Jack Quaid hasn't really had an opportunity to be a proper superhero (V-24 notwithstanding). So let's give him a proper chance here! Put him in the DCU! 

Hayden Panettiere

Save the cheerleader, save the world. It was a mantra for Heroes and it's time to see Hayden Panettiere play another superhero. She was so great in Heroes, there's no way she wouldn't be great in the DCU

The DC Universe is James Gunn's oyster, these are some of the pearls out there just waiting to be plopped onto his beach. 

Have you ever caught a rerun of an older TV show and during the opening credits sequence, you spotted someone who made you say, “Hey, I know that person!”? This is actually a more common occurrence than you may realize, as there many A-list celebrities whose first IMDb credit (or one of the first) was a supporting role on a series long before they earned the honor of being a leading presence on the big (or small) screen. The following are some of our favorite examples of famous actors who appeared a bit further down the the line on the call sheet on a TV show when they were starting out.

Chris Pratt (Everwood)

Before Guardians of the Galaxy made him a leading man, Chris Pratt really began to gain traction from starring in the Parks and Recreation cast as Andy Dwyer. However, even earlier than that, he starred on a WB family drama called Everwood as high school joke Bright Abbott alongside fellow future MCU star Emily VanCamp, who played his sister, Amy.

Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show)

Before her Academy Award-nominated performance in 2010’s Winter’s Bone, her star-making role as Katniss in The Hunger Games and Oscar-winning turn in Silver Lining’s Playbook, Jennifer Lawrence was a sitcom star — specifically a cable network sitcom star. On The Bill Engvall Show, which lasted three seasons on TBS, she starred opposite the eponymous stand-up comedian as his on-screen alter ego’s teenage daughter, Lauren Pearson,

Austin Butler (Zoey 101)

The musical talents that earned Austin Butler the title role of Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis can be traced back to his part on Ruby & the Rockits, which lasted 10 episodes on ABC Family (now Freeform) in 2009. However, the Oscar nominee’s first major TV role was on the final season of Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101 as James Garrett — a character missing from Paramount+’s feature-length follow-up, Zoey 102.

Margot Robbie (Pan Am)

While her earliest role was actually the long-running soap opera, Neighbours — much like many other Aussie A-listers — we thought we would highlight American audiences’ first true introduction to Margot Robbie on Pan Am. An interesting fact about Robbie is that the future Oscar nominee and DC movies star was actually roommates with co-star Christina Ricci while playing 1960s-era flight attendant Laura Cameron on the short-lived ABC drama from 2011 to 2012.

Seth Rogen (Freaks And Geeks)

While still part of the main ensemble, Seth Rogen’s role as the initially arrogant Ken Miller pretty much got the short end of the stick amongst the Freaks and Geeks cast, for the most part. Ironically, Rogen, arguably, went on to become the painfully short-lived coming-of-age dramedy’s biggest star, which is really saying something, given his co-stars include Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini, and John Francis Daley.

Brie Larson (Raising Dad)

A notable moment in Academy Award winner Brie Larson’s evolution from child star to modern A-list actor was her role as the late Bob Saget’s youngest on-screen daughter on Raising Dad — a sitcom that ran for one season on The WB (now The CW) in the early 2000s. Following her success as the MCU’s Captain Marvel, Larson returned to TV in 2023 — reprising her Scott Pilgrim vs. the World role for Netflix’s animated series reboot, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and leading the Lessons in Chemistry cast for Apple TV+.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains)

While doing press for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt recalled how they both appeared on the hit ABC sitcom Growing Pains much earlier in their career. Of course, Pitt had a one-episode guest appearance while the Oscar-winning The Revenant star and Titanic cast member had a prominent role as Luke Brewer — a homeless teen taken in by the Seavers in Season 7. 

Ana De Armas (The Boarding School)

One of the films that earned Academy Award nominee Ana de Armas a spot on the A-list was Rian Johnson’s hit whodunit, Knives Out, from 2019. More than a decade earlier, the Cuban-born actor landed a role on a coming-of-age mystery TV show called El Internado (or The Boarding School), which originally aired in Spain from 2007 to 2010.

Michael B. Jordan (The Wire)

After getting his start as a Toys ‘R Us kid, the fascinating Michael B. Jordan made his official acting debut on an episode of The Sopranos, but later landed a more prominent role on another acclaimed, gritty HBO series in 2002. He appeared amongst The Wire cast as Wallace — an orphan whose tragic story had a profound impact on the Emmy-nominated series beyond his 13-episode stint.

Anne Hathaway (Get Real)

Anne Hathaway fans should know that before she broke into the mainstream by leading Disney’s The Princess Diaries cast, the Academy Award winner made her acting debut on a 1999 Fox TV show called Get Real as a high school senior who shocks her family with the decision to refuse college. Coincidentally, the short-lived dramedy was also the debut of Hathaway’s Rio co-star, Jesse Eisenberg, and was an early gig for NCIS' Eric Christian Olsen as well.

Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere)

With two Oscars to his name, it’s hard to imagine a TV screen big enough to contain the talent of one Denzel Washington, yet it was a TV show that helped launched the young actor’s career in the early 1980s. Following his official debut in the 1977 TV movie Wilma, the future Training Day lead played Dr. Philip Chandler on NBC’s hit medical drama, St. Elsewhere.

Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek)

For years, Michelle Williams was known best from the Dawson’s Creek cast as Jen Lindley. Now — after receiving multiple Academy Award nominations for acclaimed dramas like Manchester by the Sea and Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans — that role on the hit teen drama is, typically, among the last things mentioned in regards to her career.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (3rd Rock From The Sun)

As a child actor, Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in some good movies and made a few notable TV guest appearances before landing his first successful series regular gig with 3rd Rock from the Sun. He played the eldest member of a group of extra-terrestrial visitors, and the character resembles a teenager in human form on the Emmy-winning sci-fi sitcom.

George Clooney (The Facts Of Life)

As a TV star, George Clooney is best known from his main role on the popular ‘90s show, ER, on which he played Doug Ross. Much earlier, however, the future two-time Oscar winner had a memorable recurring role on Diff’rent Strokes' (very different) spin-off, The Facts of Life, as George Burnett — a carpenter who would become close to the girls living under Mrs. Garrett’s roof.

Woody Harrelson (Cheers)

With multiple Academy Award nominations to his name, Woody Harrelson is known today as one of Hollywood’s most versatile movie stars, but his first big break came when he joined the Cheers cast in the mid-1980s. In fact, he won his first Emmy Award for playing the naive, but lovable, Woody Byrd, whom Sam (Ted Danson) hires on as a new barkeep following he death of Coach (Nicholas Colasanto).

Jason Bateman (Little House On The Prairie)

At least before he led Netflix’s Ozark cast, Jason Bateman has always best known on the small screen as a sitcom star, with his roles as David Hogan on Valerie (later changed to The Hogan Family) and Michael Bluth on Arrested Development being the famous examples. However, his very first gig was playing James Cooper Ingalls for 21 episodes of Little House on the Prairie during the early 1980s.

Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace)

An early Don Cheadle role you may have forgotten about was featured on a TV show spin-off you may not have heard of, either. The future Academy Award nominee and MCU actor starred alongside most of the Golden Girls cast on The Golden Palace as Roland Wilson — the young manager of the titular hotel where the short-lived sitcom took place. 

Jason Momoa (Baywatch)

Even long before he landed the role of Aquaman in the DC movies, Jason Momoa was no stranger to saving lives in the water. The Hawaiian-born actor made his debut in his home state when he joined the Baywatch cast as a character also named Jason from 1999 to 2001.

Marisa Tomei (A Different World)

We know her from her Academy Award-winning role in My Cousin Vinny as Mona Lisa Vito (who she'd love to revisit) or as Peter Parker’s (reinvented) Aunt May in the MCU, to name a few examples. Yet before many people knew who Marisa Tomei was, she was on the first season of The Cosby Show spin-off, A Different World, as Hillman student Maggie Lauten.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down)

One interesting fact about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: before he was an Emmy-winning DC TV show star (for playing Cal Abar on HBO’s Watchmen) and a scene-stealing DC movie villain (Black Manta in Aquaman), he worked as a San Francisco city planner until he was laid off in 2010. The role that first helped him make a name for himself as an actor was night club owner Clarene “Cadillac” Caldwell in Netflix’s musical period drama series, The Get Down, from co-creator Baz Luhrmann.

Alexandra Daddario (All My Children)

Speaking to Women’s Health in 2022, Alexandra Daddario recalls that she was fired from the long-running daytime soap opera, All My Children, which she actually found to be a liberating, educational experience. It led to seek improvement in her acting skills and pave the way for her to breakthrough in the Percy Jackson movies, give an Emmy-nominated performance as part of the HBO’s The White Lotus cast, and star in many other notable works.

Adam Driver (Girls)

Without Lena Dunham, there might not be a Kylo Ren — or at least, the memorable version of the Sith Lord we got in the hands Adam Driver. The former Marine’s scene-stealing role on HBO’s Girls as Adam Sackler is what got Hollywood to take notice of his talent, leading to his casting in the Star Wars movies and his Oscar-nominated performances in BlacKkKlansman and Marriage Story.

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

Gilmore Girls proved to be a launch pad for many A-listers — few of which would blow up quite like Melissa McCarthy, who played Sookie St. James on the hit dramedy.  She later won an Emmy for her leading role on the CBS sitcom Mike & Molly and received an Academy Award nomination for her supporting role as a member of the Bridesmaids cast. And that film skyrocketed her to the A-list as a trusted name in comedy and more.

Drake (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

One of the most memorable and important characters from Degrassi: The Next Generation is Jimmy Brooks, who served as an inspirational representation for wheelchair users on the long-running Canadian coming-of-age drama. The role was played by an actor named Aubrey Graham, who still acts on occasion — an Anchorman 2 cameo, for instance — but primarily performs as a rapper under the moniker Drake.

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men)

At just eight years old, Kiernan Shipka proved to be a stand-out alongside AMC’s Mad Men cast with her performance as Sally Draper. She later went on to lead her own TV show (Netflix’s Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and headline movies like Amazon Prime’s horror-comedy, Totally Killer and The Silence.

Ryan Reynolds (Fifteen)

Despite his many earnest roles over the years, it may be hard to picture Ryan Reynolds as anything other than the smarmy goof he plays in the likes of the Deadpool movies and National Lampoon’s Van Wilder, for instance. Perhaps watching him make his debut in the Canadian coming-of-age drama Fifteen will help audiences see another side of him.

Tommy Lee Jones (One Life To Live)

It is amazing to think about how many acclaimed and even legendary actors started out on soap operas, such as Tommy Lee Jones. One of the earliest roles for the Academy Award-winning star of The Fugitive and the Men in Black movies was the ill-fated Mark Toland on One Life to Live from 1971 to 1975.

John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter)

Before his Academy Award-nominated role in 1977’s Saturday Night Fever — and its fantastic movie soundtrack — made him one of the biggest stars of all time, John Travolta was better known by another name: Vinnie Barbarino. That was the future Pulp Fiction cast member’s character on Welcome Back, Kotter — a hit sitcom that never made it to 100 episodes. He practically stole the show from star and co-creator Gabe Kaplan with his famous catchphrase, “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kids Incorporated)

Her role as Sarah Reeves on the original Party of Five may have made Jennifer Love Hewitt a teen idol, but it was not her first major TV gig. The Ghost Whisperer star was 10 when she demonstrated her multiple talents on Disney Channel’s Kids Incorporated, which focuses on the lives of a group of young artists who perform live music at a club for children.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Fortysomething)

It was his eponymous role on the modern crime drama Sherlock that made Benedict Cumberbatch a nigh-unpronounceable household name, but his first starring role on a TV series was Fortysomething. The MCU’s Doctor Strange actor played the on-screen son of none other than House’s Hugh Laurie on the English dramedy that lasted six episodes.

Jared Leto (My So-Called Life)

In one of the best ‘90s shows that ended too soon, My So-Called Life, Jared Leto portrayed what would become his first iconic role: high school heartthrob Jordan Catalano. The much celebrated coming-of-age drama also marked one for the first times the future Academy Award winner acted alongside his sibling and Thirty Seconds to Mars bandmate, Shannon.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Passions)

Movie star Mary Elizabeth Winstead has more than a few very notable small-screen roles — such as a leading stint in Fargo Season 3 and Hera Syndulla alongside the Ahsoka cast for Disney+. The Scott Pilgrim vs. The World cast member’s earliest major TV gig, however, was on the supernatural soap opera Passions.

For any TV actors out there hoping one day to make it onto the big screen, let these stories serve as proof that your dreams may not be far away from becoming a reality.

If you’ve watched the Marvel movies in order, then you surely know they collectively make up a massive tapestry of storytelling – one that includes a vast array of characters. Viewers have been introduced to countless faces by way of the interconnected superhero franchise, including valiant do-gooders, nefarious villains and courageous allies. Of course, throughout the series’ history, some actors have played their respective roles more frequently than others. There are a select few Marvel Cinematic Universe stars who’ve appeared in the most films set in the fictional world, and we’re going to discuss them. 

Before we talk about these performers (some of which are amongst the highest-paid MCU stars), let’s clarify a few things. First off, this list only includes credits for films in the Disney-produced franchise. The TV shows were not taken into account but are mentioned here and there. Also, the actors considered for this ranking have at least seven films under their belts. Blockbusters in which these stars make cameos in mid or post-credits scenes are also included in their tally of credits. Though that doesn’t include sequences that are scenes from other productions. (Think of the Civil War tag at the end of Ant-Man.) Finally, upcoming Marvel movies aren’t included here. So with all of that out of the way, let’s talk about the veterans of this lucrative shared universe.

Don Cheadle (7 Films)

Don Cheadle wasn’t given much time to decide whether he wanted to play Col. James Rhodes (a.k.a. War Machine). However, years later, he may not regret the decision. Cheadle debuted as Rhodes in 2010’s Iron Man 2 and reprised the role in 2013’s Iron Man 3. Two years later, he popped up in Avengers: Age of Ultron and, just a year later, he returned in Captain America: Civil War. Cheadle can also name Avengers: Infinity and Endgame as parts of his filmography and, between those movies, he briefly appeared in Captain Marvel’s mid-credits scene. It’s also worth noting that Cheadle played Rhodey in a couple of MCU TV shows and is set to lead the upcoming film Armor Wars, of which few details are known.

Paul Bettany (7 Films)

Fans have both heard and seen Paul Bettany throughout his tenure in the Marvel movies (which have been ranked). The British actor originally served as the voice of Tony Stark’s artificial intelligence system, J.A.R.V.I.S., first lending his vocals to the role in Iron Man. Bettany reprised that role in the movie’s two sequels as well 2012’s The Avengers. He also portrayed the character in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in which he also made his on-camera debut as Vision. As the android, Bettany went on to appear in Civil War as well as Infinity War, which marked the hero’s demise (ahead of WandaVision).

Mark Ruffalo (8 Films)

Like his colleague Don Cheadle, Mark Ruffalo succeeded someone in his respective role and has since shown up in eight MCU flicks. His version of Bruce Banner/The Hulk appeared in all four of the Avengers flicks from 2012 to 2019. Ruffalo’s most prominent outing as Banner outside of the crossover movies occurred in 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok. The star can also claim mid or post-credit cameos in Iron Man 3, Captain Marvel and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. This isn’t too shabby for Ruffalo, who’s dropped a few spoilers in his time.

Chris Hemsworth (8 Films)

Chris Hemsworth’s stint in the franchise has been particularly impressive, especially when you consider that he became its first star to accomplish a major feat – leading four solo movies. After making his debut as the God of Thunder in 2011’s Thor, he played the character in its sequels: The Dark World, Ragnarok and most recently, Love and Thunder. Of course, the Australian performer was also a part of the Infinity Saga’s four Avengers films. Hemsworth’s future with the franchise remains unclear, though the end of his fourth solo outing did tease that his beloved Asgardian warrior would return.

Scarlett Johansson (9 Films)

A fan could argue that no one could’ve played Natasha Romanoff the way Scarlett Johansson did. She made a real splash when she arrived on the scene in Iron Man 2 and later gave a masterful performance in The Avengers. Two years after the team-up movie, Johansson truly shined when she portrayed Nat in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. She’d go on to star in three more Avenger movies as well as Civil War and made a cameo in Captain Marvel’s mid-credits sequence. Finally, she capped off her journey as Romanoff in 2021’s Black Widow. It seems Johansson doesn’t have plans to play Nat again, but she is serving as a producer on a yet-to-be revealed Marvel project.

Chris Evans (10 Films)

Chris Evans’ Sentinel of Liberty was also a mainstay within the MCU for close to a decade. His first starring turn in the franchise was Captain America: The First Avenger, which hit theaters in 2011. The Knives Out alum also portrayed the character in the two sequels – Winter Soldier and Civil War. Of course, Evans’ Steve Rogers was also a major player in all four Avengers movies. Additionally, he made a small cameo in Thor: The Dark World, in which Rogers was briefly impersonated by Loki and also popped up in Captain Marvel’s mid-credits scene. And finally, who could forget those memorable appearances he made via training videos in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming?

Robert Downey Jr. (10 Films

Although there are many stars who managed to make their mark on the massive IP, Robert Downey Jr. arguably made the biggest impression. That’s in great part because he was able to flesh out genius, billionaire, playboy and philanthropist Tony Stark over so many movies. Downey first took flight as Stark in the franchise’s inaugural installment, Iron Man, eventually leading its two sequels as well. He also more than made his presence known in the quartet of team-up features centered around Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Downey also made that memorable cameo as Tony at the tail end of 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and starred in Captain America: Civil War as well as Spider-Man: Homecoming. It’s really no wonder that he was one of Marvel’s highest-earning talents.

Samuel L. Jackson (10 Films)

Where does one even begin when it comes to talking about Samuel L. Jackson’s numerous appearances as Nick Fury. Well, I guess you could start at the beginning with his post-credits cameo in Iron Man, which was preceded by Jackson’s more substantial role in its 2010 follow-up. One can’t forget that he also briefly played the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. director in Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. As time went on, the fan-favorite actor appeared as Fury in The Avengers as well as Age of Ultron and also had brief appearances in Infinity War and Endgame. Jackson also played a younger version of Fury in Captain Marvel and, more recently, he reprised the role in its sequel, The Marvels. Needless to say, the actor has been all around this fictional universe.

These actors certainly have impressive bodies of work as far as the MCU is concerned. It’s somewhat bittersweet that some of them no longer have commitments to the franchise. Still, their work within it will surely be remembered for years to come. 

You can check out the work of these stars by streaming the released MCU films using a Disney+ subscription.

On Friday, October 13, 2023, Hollywood icons George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Eva Longoria, and Kerry Washington descended upon Clooney's Roybal School of Film and Television Production Magnet in Los Angeles. This LAUSD school, specializing in film and TV production, was celebrating its second year and, amidst the festivities, these A-list celebrities came together for a moment of sheer hilarity. In a star-studded viral video, the fabulous foursome displayed their wit and charm while playfully poking fun at the younger TikTok generation in an A+ video.

The TikTok clip, which was posted to Kerry Washington’s official account, starts with the quartet of stars gathering around Eva Longoria as she reads from Washington's memoir, Thicker than Water. At the same time, a popular TikTok sound starts playing. The popular track features a young person addressing "the older generation” on the social media platform, who the voice claims are folks “born in the '90s." Just when you think it's business as usual, the fun takes an unexpected twist as the viral sound seamlessly transitions into the iconic beats of "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio. The group’s reactions are nothing short of comedic brilliance, and you can see all of the antics down below:

The video, which the Django Unchained actress playfully captioned, “Are we too old to be here… @Roybal Learning Center?!” is both humorous and impactful. The event provided a platform for the stars to address significant concerns. George Clooney took a moment at last year's opening to throw shade at Ben Affleck and call himself the best Caped Crusader. However, this time around, the 62-year-old Ocean's Eleven star took the stage to raise awareness about the institution's mission of inclusivity for underrepresented students in the film and TV industries. 

Students are said to receive industry insights from guest speakers, specialized curricula co-developed with industry professionals, field trips and direct pathways to jobs at top entertainment companies like Amazon, Fox, NBC and Netflix. While they are also expected to fulfill high school academic requirements and are strongly encouraged to pursue post-secondary education, who knows? Perhaps one of the students could soon grace the 2024 movie release schedule or beyond.

Reuters reported that the ER veteran also called for renewed negotiations between Hollywood studios and striking actors to resolve their differences over a new labor contract. Talks between studios and the SAG-AFTRA actors' union were halted after studios rejected a bonus linked to streaming TV subscribers, a move George Clooney found "worrisome.” He urged execs to “get in the room” and not to “take a vacation.” The Batman & Robin actor has been at the forefront of the ongoing situation, releasing a statement about joining the strikes earlier this year while also joining at least 15 stars who have donated at least $1 million to the actor's relief fund. 

Eva Longoria -- accompanied by the real-life inspiration for her directorial debut, Richard Montañez -- and Kerry Washington delivered motivational speeches to the students. Don Cheadle was a returning attendee and Roybal Advisory Board Member and previously attended in 2022 with Mindy Kaling.

Amidst the online circus of zany and offbeat viral content, this TikTok video of the A-listers is a breath of fresh air that effortlessly bridges generational gaps. Whether you hail from the '90s or beyond, this video promises to make you smile. On top of all that, while the group may have humorously poked fun at today's kids, their collective presence at the event indicates that they truly want the younger generation of thespians to succeed. And quite frankly, you love to see it.

Make sure to check out our schedule of 2023 new movie releases to read about what flicks are headed to a theater near you.

Purposefully or not, Antoine Fuqua has done a nice job in recent years reteaming Denzel Washington with some of his best co-stars of the past. In 2016, the director reunited Washington and Ethan Hawke in The Magnificent Seven, the two actors having previously done phenomenal work together in Fuqua’s 2001 film Training Day, and now The Equalizer 3 is arriving in theaters with the two-time Oscar winner working opposite Man On Fire’s Dakota Fanning for the second time.

So who should be next? Fuqua has a couple ideas.

I interviewed the filmmaker earlier this month during the virtual press day for The Equalizer 3, and it was after discussing his take on the future of the franchise that I asked about more Denzel Washington collaborations he would like to orchestrate. After some thought, the director not only pitched one of Washington’s co-stars from The Magnificent Seven, but also another performer who he’d like to see work opposite the Tragedy Of Macbeth star for the first time. Said Fuqua,

With their trademark on-screen energies, Denzel Washington and Benicio del Toro could be incredible together in the right project – and it actually seems somewhat crazy that they’ve never collaborated together just because of their overlapping decades of work in the industry. As for Vincent D’Onofrio, he and Washington had the chance to share some scenes as part of the titular team in Antoine Fuqua’s remake of The Magnificent Seven, and it seems the filmmaker would like to see even more of the two actors in front of a camera together.

Putting my own two cents out there, my suggestion to Antoine Fuqua was reuniting Denzel Washington with Don Cheadle – the two actors having previously done some of the best work of their respective careers together in director Carl Franklin’s fantastic neo-noir mystery Devil In A Blue Dress. It was an idea met with enthusiasm by Fuqua, who responded,

While we wait to see who Denzel Washington may reteam with next – be it Vincent D’Onofrio, Don Cheadle, Julia Roberts, or Morgan Freeman – fans everywhere will be able to see the star back in action with Dakota Fanning tomorrow, as The Equalizer 3 arrives in theaters everywhere on Friday. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interview with Antoine Fuqua, and get a look ahead at all the films arriving in theaters in what remains of the year with our 2023 Movie Release Calendar.

SPOILERS are ahead for Secret Invasion, now streaming with a Disney+ subscription. 

Disney+’s latest Marvel series, Secret Invasion, threw a major MCU curveball last month when we learned that Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes has been a Skrull parading as the War Machine hero for years in the Marvel timeline. The revelation is going to have us watching the Marvel movies in order with brand new eyes on the character for some time. Well, in a recently resurfaced interview from 2022, Cheadle was dropping some small hints on the subject. 

When Cheadle walked the press line at the D23 Expo around this time last year, the actor was asked about where Rhodey might be during Armor Wars, one of the upcoming Marvel movies. Don Cheadle actually got quite candid with the journalist with a warning that we finally understand. Check it: 

As ComicBook’s Brandon Davis shared in the the Instagram video, nearly a year ago, long before Secret Invasion’s release, Cheadle explained that Rhodey was going to be “in a very different place” by the time that Armor Wars rolls around and predicted the “very surprising” revelation that would be made about his longtime MCU character. Now, of course, we know that he was concealing the fact that Rhodey has been a Skrull as far back as Captain America: Civil War and we had no idea! 

Following the character development, or more like full-on swap, we’re so curious what Armor Wars, which was changed from being another Disney+ series to a movie back in September, is going to be like for Don Cheadle and his continued role as Rhodey, whom he has played since Iron Man 2. We imagine this is going to be a plotline that will be continued to be explored, especially considering the real Rhodes has been out of commission and held captive for such a long time.

Back in May, also before Secret Invasion revealed this new information about Rhodes, Don Cheadle teased that Armor Wars is going to “see what makes” the character tick and dig more into his “emotional and psychological” challenges. Rhodey has been a secondary character for over a decade of being part of the MCU, and we’re excited to see how Marvel decides to put the spotlight on the character and really flesh him out. 

Armor Wars gets its title from a seven-issue Iron Man story-arc by David Michelinie and Bob Layton that was published from 1987 to 1988. Given the movie doesn’t yet have a director attached to it, filming is not quite underway. We will keep you updated here on CinemaBlend with all Marvel developments, including the future of Rhodey, a.k.a. War Machine, in the MCU. 

The following gets into massive spoilers for the finale of Secret Invasion, so you might want to bail out now if you haven’t yet seen the last episode of the series.

Marvel’s latest series, Secret Invasion (which is available to anyone with the Disney+ subscription), trained audiences not to trust anything they were being shown. Identities were mistaken. Crosses were doubled. And we learned that two key members of the “Good Guys” in the MCU have been Skrulls for an undetermined amount of time: James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) and Everett Ross (Martin Freeman). These heroes were being detained in a holding cell with some of the smartest people on the planet, while shape-shifting Skrulls pretended to be them. 

By the end of the Secret Invasion finale, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) had figured out how to save President Ritson (Dermot Mulroney), while Gi’ah (Emilia Clarke) faced off with Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in a CGI fight that showed off the full powers of the Super Skrulls. When Rhodey was rescued, however, it was asked how long he had been detained … but no answer was given. Luckily, we got to sit down with Secret Invasion director Ali Selim, and when we asked him how long James Rhodes had been held captive, he told us: 

There were some people on social media who recognized the hospital gown that Don Cheadle was wearing in the scene, saying that he last was seen in a gown in Captain America: Civil War.

And as some people pointed out, if Rhodey has been held captive since then, then that means that War Machine was a Skrull in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. And this means that Rhodes doesn’t know that Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has died. That better be a massive plot reveal that gets explored in an upcoming MCU story moving forward. Probably Armor Wars, which is now going to be a movie instead of a series.

There will be other ramifications from the events of Secret Invasion playing out in the MCU, perhaps as early as with The Marvels in November. So tune in then and see who the ripples from the MCU event play out. 

Major spoilers for Marvel’s Secret Invasion finale, “Home,” lie ahead, so read on at your own risk.

After several weeks, Marvel Studios’ latest small-screen production – Secret Invasion – reached its conclusion. The series centered on Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, as he teamed up with allies to prevent a full-on Skrull invasion from consuming the planet. The quality of the storytelling varied from episode to episode, but the finale did manage to wrap up the story, with Fury emerging triumphant. However, after watching the capper, I’m still left with a concern regarding one of the major characters – James “Rhodey” Rhodes. 

What Did Fans Learn About Rhodey Thanks To Secret Invasion’s Final Episode?

Viewers learned, at the series halfway point, that Don Cheadle’s stoic Col. Rhodes was one of the many public figures of Earth who’d been replaced by the villainous Gravik’s sect of Skrulls. Ahead of the reveal, the faux Rhodey had a heated discussion with Fury, which resulted in the then-eyepatchless Fury being fired by the U.S. government. (The twist subsequently added new layers to that scene). So presented with the information that Rhodes had been swapped with an extraterrestrial, it was almost a given that he was being held in New Skrullos with other captives. 

That indeed proved to be the case as, during the season finale, young Skrull Gi’ah freed Rhodey, Everett K. Ross and others from their pods. (She was able to do so after empowering herself with the Harvest alongside Gravik and killing him in battle.) So the good news is the man also known as War Machine lives. And that means Nick Fury didn’t lose yet another ally, following the devastating losses of Maria Hill and Talos. However, considering the position Rhodes was in, I’m worried about what that means for past MCU events. 

I’m Concerned About The Length Of Rhodey’s Skrull Imprisonment And What It Could Mean For Past Events

James Rhodes is one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s OGs and has been around for some of its biggest moments, from the rise of Iron Man to the war against Thanos. Now that we know he had an alien counterpart, some of his history is thrown into question. I mean, was the real Rhodes actually the one who helped the Avengers take on the Mad Titan in Infinity War and Endgame? Was Sam Wilson actually speaking to the genuine colonel during the Falcon and Winter Soldier series premiere? And those are just more recent events in the MCU timeline. Believe it or not, a few fans are pondering the notion that the character has been out of commission since 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. You can see why in the social media post below: 

As of this writing, that’s yet to be confirmed by any of the powers that be at Marvel Studios. It’s an idea, however, that should be considered at the very least. The thought of Rhodes having been out of action that long is disappointing, as it would take away from the major moments he’s been a part of. He played a significant role in the last two Avengers movies and had some major scenes. I mean, can you imagine how heartbreaking it would be if it were confirmed that he wasn’t really present for Tony Stark’s death in Endgame? Heck, even his brief convo with Sam in the aforementioned Disney+ show held some emotional resonance. (Yet I wouldn’t be totally upset over that sequence involving a Skrull, to be honest.) 

All in all, it’d be a shame if the armored hero’s appearances in other MCU entries were to be undercut by this Skrull reveal. While he’s never gotten a massive amount of the spotlight, James Rhodes has slowly evolved over the years, and that progression should remain intact.

This development also comes at an interesting time, as Don Cheadle is set to reprise his role for (and lead) Armor Wars, which was changed from a TV show to a movie. Like Secret Invasion, that production will put a spin on a classic storyline from the comics. Not many details are known about the plot, but Cheadle teased the War Machine tale, promising that it’s going to dig into Rhodes like never before. Amid the exploration of his psyche, we’ll likely get clarity regarding how long he was held hostage. Hopefully, my concern is just overblown but, until then, I’ll remain somewhat uneasy about the situation. 

All episodes of Secret Invasion are now available to stream alongside other MCU fare with a Disney+ subscription. Those who want to know when Armor Wars might finally be released should keep referring to CinemaBlend’s schedule of upcoming Marvel movies.

Spoilers ahead for the latest episode of Secret Invasion, called "Betrayed."

While Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is the star of Secret Invasion, Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, has also been given a prominent role in this Marvel Cinematic Universe chapter. At this point in the timeline, Rhodey is working closely with President Ritson, and in last week’s episode, “Promises,” he discharged Fury from being the head of S.A.B.E.R. on behalf of the U.S. government, blaming him for the Unity Day bombing and the death of Maria Hill. However, a possible twist has been introduced that would add new layers to this pivotal scene.

Some Disney+ subscribers had already suspected that the Rhodey we’re watching in Secret Invasion is actually a Skrull, and now there’s even more evidence to back that up. At the end of the latest episode, “Betrayed,” Charlayne Woodard’s Varra, the Skrull who’s been revealed as Nick Fury’s wife, was seen receiving a call from an unidentified individual while retrieving a gun from a safety deposit box. This caller told Varra, who’s known as Priscilla Fury in her human guise, to meet her at St. James Church in one hour, and when she said she needed to speak to Kingsley Ben-Adir’s Gravik, the caller responded, “Yeah, well, you’re talking to me.” Here’s the kicker: the voice on the other end of the line sounded a lot like Rhodey.

As if there wasn’t already a lot to chew on from “Betrayed,” including Extremis being shown off as a Super Skrull power and Emilia Clarke’s G’iah being shot by Gravik, possibly fatally, now there’s a solid lead pointing towards Secret Invasion’s Rhodey being a Skrull. But wait, there’s an extra piece of possible proof to take into account. During “Betrayed,” we also saw Nick Fury suss out that another Skrull was pretending to be Ben Mendelsohn’s Talos because he referred to the one-eyed spy as “Nick,” when anyone who’s remotely close to him calls him “Fury,” as was first shared in Captain Marvel. During Rhodey and Fury’s conversation in “Promises.” the former called the latter “Nick,” but considering how far back these two go, you’d think there’s enough familiarity that Rhodey wouldn’t have any issue calling him by his last name.

Now keep in mind that we don’t have a 100% guarantee that Secret Invasion’s Rhodey is a Skrull just yet, but between the “Nick” thing and the voice who spoke to Varra on the phone, not to mention how brutally Rhodey treated Nick Fury in “Promises,” there’s more to indicate there’s a shapeshifter pretending to be one of the MCU’s longest-running characters. Should this be the case, then that would mean that the real Rhodey is unconscious and hooked up to one of those Skrull machines giving the aliens continuous access to their victims’ memories. 

The good news is that if the real Rhodey has indeed been replaced by a Skrull, we don’t need to worry about him not making it out of Secret Invasion alive. Don Cheadle is on deck to lead Armor Wars, which is now being developed as a movie after first being envisioned as a TV series. So things are looking good for the character in the long-term, but for right now, there’s definitely cause for concern about someone potentially taking his place. On top of that, now we also have to wonder what’s going on with Varra. Is she secretly affiliated with Gravik, or has she infiltrated his ranks to obtain intel for Fury and/or Talos? Fingers crossed that next week’s episode provides some clarity about that.

New episodes of Secret Invasion drop Wednesday on Disney+. Keep track of what else the MCU has slated for the coming years with out guides covering upcoming Marvel TV shows and upcoming Marvel movies.

Trust no one. That seems to be the driving narrative behind the latest Marvel Studios show Secret Invasion, available to anyone with a Disney+ subscription. By the end of the first episode, we’d learned that a significant member of the MCU was really a Skrull posing as this person (no spoilers, just in case you aren’t caught up). And then we lost another key figure in the MCU when they THOUGHT they were looking at Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), even though it was the villainous Skrull, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir). But a line in episode two of Secret Invasion has several Marvel fans speculating on who might else be a Skrull that is hiding in plain sight. Let’s sort through these rumors and come to a conclusion.

The line in question comes when Gravik is meeting in private with the Skrull Council Meeting. He’s asked, in light of his coup plans, what he’d do if the Avengers were to return. And Gravik confidently replies:

This suggests a back up plan. Perhaps  Skrull who has been embedded in a position of power, who Granik can rely on if the Calvary appears. Maybe even someone who just fired Nick Fury during one of the tensest dramatic scenes in the program so far? That’s right. Marvel fans are starting to wonder if James “Rhodey” Rhodes is a Skrull in hiding.

For others, it was the moment that Rhodey admitted he volunteered to fire Nick Fury, blaming him for the mess that was made in Moscow. That’s not team loyalty. 

This one is also pretty sick. Is that green arrow in the background pointing out the reality that Rhodey is a Skrull in disguise? 

Do I believe this? Actually, yes. I do. I think in order to convey the severity of the Skrulls infiltrating our planet’s positions of power, then it’ll be crucial for the Avengers (or S.H.I.E.L.D.) to have been infiltrated by the shape-shifting Skrulls. In the comics, a slew of heroes were revealed to be Skrulls. That’s harder to do on a Disney+ adaptation of Secret Invasion, but using Rhodey, and making him a Skrull, sets up a lot of moral quandaries. Does the real Rhodey know that Tony Stark has died? What effect might this have on Armor Wars, when that happens? Especially now that it has changed from a show to a movie?

We still have several episodes of Secret Invasion to come, so these theories could change. Or solidify. We know that Carol Danvers isn’t part of Secret Invasion, but she’s up next in The Marvels, one of several upcoming Marvel movies that we anticipate will expand on this storyline, and beyond.  

Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can get swept up in Easter Eggs, and teases for upcoming stories that might happen in future Phases, that they sometimes overlook the simple fact that Marvel projects have outstanding actors making the most out of powerful dramatic material. Secret Invasion is one of the best Marvel TV shows available on Disney+ at the moment, and is a welcome respite from the Multiverse Saga that’s expanding in the movies. It’s a grounded spy thriller, similar in tone to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, that pits an aged Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) against shape-shifting Skrulls who have infiltrated positions of power around our planet. But the Secret Invasion cast is incredible, and Episode 2 of the show made great use of both Jackson and Don Cheadle in a spectacular scene. 

Let me set the moment. As Secret Invasion got off to a start, Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) made it clear to Nick Fury that the Skrull infestation was much larger than S.H.I.E.L.D. realized or believed. And a young Skrull who Fury knew back in 1997, Granik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), was rebelling because he believed Fury broke a promise made to the Skrulls at a pivotal time. Only, Fury doesn’t have sway with the government anymore. First, he “dusted” away. And when he got back, he all but retreated to S.A.B.E.R., his floating space station in the Earth’s orbit. 

So when Nick Fury is in Russia at the moment Gravik activates a devastating bomb, the nations of the world demand answers from the U.S. And Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes has to defend his friend one last time. But in a terrific face off between the acting powerhouses, Rhodes makes it clear that Fury has played every card with him, and burned all bridges. And it’s a magnificent two-hander scene between two of the best actors working in the MCU. So when I got the chance to interview the Secret Invasion cast, I asked Samuel L. Jackson about shooting that scene and working with Don Cheadle, and he lit up, telling us:

We have come to associate these actors with their Marvel characters over the years. You can’t separate Robert Downey Jr. from Tony Stark, or even Sam Jackson from Nick Fury. But in scenes like this, easily one of my favorite from Secret Invasion so far, we are reminded of just how wonderful these actors are with the right material. If you aren’t watching Secret Invasion, you are missing out on some incredible work by Jackson, Cheadle, Kingsley-Adir, Olivia Coleman, Ben Mendelsohn, and Emilia Clarke. Tune in now, and watch as you wait for the other Upcoming Marvel Movies, like The Marvels and next year’s The Thunderbolts.

The MCU is a behemoth force that’s always growing. Those of us who have been watching the Marvel movies in order know the characters well, especially those who have been around since Phase One. That includes James Rhodes, who has been played by Don Cheadle since Iron Man 2. He’s got roles in Marvel’s TV and movie projects that are coming down the line, which will surely excite fans. One of those upcoming Marvel movies is Armor Wars, which should presumably put Rhodey in the spotlight. And Cheadle recently teased War Machine’s story in that Marvel flick.

While Don Cheadle has been an Avenger since back in 2010, he hasn’t gotten the chance to lead his own project yet. But that’s expected to change with Armor Wars, which is currently in development at Marvel Studios. The 58 year-old actor recently spoke to EW about his tenure in the MCU, teasing what’s coming with his upcoming movie, saying:

Honestly, sign me up. War Machine has always been a favorite Marvel character of mine, even before the big screen cinematic universe was formed. What can I say, I always prefer the sidekick to the main hero. Although given Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, it’s the perfect time for Rhodey to take up more space in the shared universe. Cheadle makes it sound like we’ll be seeing deeper sides to his signature character in Armor Wars.

Cheadle’s comments about that developing movie come as he’s promoting his role in the Marvel show Secret Invasion, which will be available for those with a Disney+ subscription. But fans are already looking to the future, specifically the movie that’ll put War Machine front and center for the first time. I’m especially curious to see how he’s been coping since the death of Tony Stark.

We're currently in the midst of Phase Five of the MCU, and there are countless questions about how the events of various movies and TV shows will influence the shared universe as a whole. Hopefully more answers are coming, and will build to the next big crossover moment: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Although it’s unclear if the same actor will still play the title role, given Jonathan Majors’ legal troubles.

Armor Wars doesn’t currently have a concrete release date. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

It’s no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth force in the entertainment industry. The franchise continues to grow thanks to upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows, and some of the starring actors have been around for a long time. That includes War Machine himself Don Cheadle, who spoke about what it’s like to have “grown up” with the Avengers cast for over a decade.

Cheadle made his MCU debut in 2010’s Iron Man 2, taking on the role of James Rhodes from Terrence Howard. Since then he’s been seen on both the small and silver screens, and will appear next in Secret Invasion opposite Samuel L. Jackson. The Crash actor spoke with People about his time as an Avenger, and the bond he shares with his castmates. In his words:

Some points were made. It’s almost hard to believe it, but it's been over 10 years since the MCU began entertaining audiences. That’s a lot of time for anyone to spend with one role, and the original lineup of Avengers have grown with each other. And that includes big life events like marriages, divorces, and kids. Celebrities: sometimes they really are just like us.

Don Cheadle’s comments are a touching peek behind the curtain about what it’s actually like working in the giant machine that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But it’s ultimately just a group of people who are making each new blockbuster, and there have clearly been some very strong bonds made in the process.

While some Marvel favorites like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlet Johansson have retired from their signature roles, some long-standing heroes are still in play including Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Don Cheadle. As a reminder, you can check out the latter actor in the Secret Invasion trailer below: 

Aside from that forthcoming MCU series that’ll be available with a Disney+ subscription, Cheadle will also be playing War Machine in the big screen blockbuster Armor Wars. Fans are also hoping to see him in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, but it remains to be seen how Rhodey’s story goes down in the first two projects. Moviegoers are also concerned about that upcoming Avengers movie thanks to Jonathan Majors’ recent arrest.

Given Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, I’m eager to see Cheadle’s hero step into the spotlight. While we got a few scenes of him in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, we haven’t seen much of Rhodey since the good guys beat Thanos for good. Luckily that should change soon.

Secret Invasion will premiere on Disney+ June 21, while Armor Wars doesn’t have a release date just yet. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

While most people think of the continuing universe of new Marvel movies when they hear the name Don Cheadle, there’s an even wider universe of roles the iconic actor has banked on his resume. Among the most memorable is that of Basher Tarr, the eccentric munitions expert in the Ocean’s trilogy directed by Steven Soderbergh. 

It’s a role that’s seen Cheadle finding out that people love to confess to him personally that the middle installment Ocean’s Twelve “sucks.” That doesn’t matter to the MCU vet, despite the fact that playing this card is about as rude as saying he "Aunt Viv'd" his Marvel movie role.

As the actor spoke with GQ about the vast array of parts played in his career, the man known as Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes since 2010’s Iron Man 2 also told the story of why it was Ocean's Twelve was the most fun chapter of the ensemble based franchise for him and Matt Damon to film. But first, here’s what Cheadle had to say about those rather uncouth moments: 

It’s not that hard to push past whatever reservations you have with the 2004 sequel to the beloved remake of Ocean’s Eleven and just not mention it at all. Why waste your breath hating Ocean’s Twelve when you can tell Don Cheadle that you loved him in Out of Sight? Or maybe you’re psyched about Armor Wars being turned into a movie experience, which will put Cheadle’s Col. Rhodes back on the big screen. 

Unpleasantries aside, the fact still remains that the Ocean’s trilogy of thievery is absolutely the epitome of a hangout movie. It was obviously hard work to get Ocean’s Twelve in the can, as making movies isn’t just a walk in the park. Appearances can be deceiving though, as the George Clooney-led ensemble cast always look like they’re having fun on and off camera.

Fun stories involving pranks during Ocean’s Twelve’s production have proven that point to be true. Don Cheadle has his own tale to tell about that European jaunt, and as you’ll read in his continued remarks, not all of the fun depended on those sorts of shenanigans:

Though Cheadle was also pranked on the Ocean’s Twelve set, it was in good fun like the rest of the stories that came from making this divisive adventure. It’s memories like those that’ll make the experience worthwhile to Don, and more than likely his fellow on-screen thieves too. That’s something that not even rude movie opinions can take away. 

If you’re open to revisiting Ocean’s Twelve in the name of reappraisal, you can head to TBS, TNT, or truTV and watch the film now. Meanwhile, Don Cheadle can currently be seen in White Noise, which is streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription. 

Getting cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a decision that basically means your dance card is going to be full of movies for the next several years. If nothing else it brings a certain amount of job security. However, there have been a couple of high profile recastings within the MCU. But Don Cheadle, who took over the role of James Rhodes from Terrance Howard after the first Iron Man movie, denis it was an “Aunt Viv” situation.

Recasting an existing role are somewhat rare but they do happen both in movies and TV. One of the more famous recasting decisions was the replacement of Janet Hubert as Will Smith’s Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Hubert has claimed she had no idea her role was being recast until it happened, but Cheadle recently told GQ that’s not what happened in his situation. He explained…

Rather than replacing an actor who had no idea they were being replaced. Don Cheadle explains that the decision for Terrance Howard and Marvel Studios to part ways had already been made, and it was only then that he got a call offering the role to him. Cheadle says he was given an hour to decide if he wanted the job, which was a six-movie deal, despite the fact that nobody could tell him what the plans for the character were in those six movies, because nobody knew yet.

It doesn’t sound like the fact that Cheadle was going to be taking over an existing role was part of his decision making process. For him it was simply a question if he wanted to commit himself to six movies over the next several years. In the end he did decide to do that and he has certainly made the role of James Rhodes his ever since.

Don Cheadle’s six movie deal ended with Avengers: Endgame, but he’s far from done with the character. He’ll be appearing on Disney+ in the Marvel Secret Invasion series, and Cheadle’s own planned Disney+ series Armor Wars, has gone through some changes and will now be a feature film instead.

Certainly, the decision to take over the Marvel role and become War Machine has resulted in DOn Cheadle being kept quite busy, and the fact that he continues to do even more Marvel work would seem to show that he quite likes it. For him, the fact that Terrance Howard and Marvel parted company has paid off in a big way.

As the 2022 movie schedule draws to a close, Netflix has released one of its most anticipated titles yet: White Noise. The new Noah Baumbach movie, which centers on a family trying to stick together (and keep their wits about them) in the wake of a mysterious and incredibly deadly airborne toxic event, sees the filmmaker once again work with life and creative partner Greta Gerwig as well as frequent collaborator Adam Driver.

And while those two Academy Award-nominated actors are instantly recognizable by most, it’s a different story for other members of the White Noise cast. That being said, we have put together a quick yet comprehensive guide to all the major stars of the Golden Globe nominated movie that became one of the new titles on Netflix in the final days of the year. 

Adam Driver (Jack)

Noah Baumbach’s absurdist dramedy puts its primary focus on Jack (played by Adam Driver), a professor of “Hitler studies” whose life and career are thrown into disarray when a train crash brings a toxic cloud of chemical waste to his town.

Driver has worked with Baumbach a total of five times, including White Noise, with the most widely recognizable movie being 2019’s Marriage Story. One of the biggest movie stars of the past decade, the former Girls actor has been front and center in multiple Star Wars movies with his portrayal of Kylo Ren, Ridley Scott movies like The Last Duel and House of Gucci, and various comedies including Logan Lucky, BlacKkKlansman, and The Dead Don’t Die, to name only a few. 

Greta Gerwig (Babette)

Next up for the White Noise cast is Greta Gerwig, who takes on the role of Jack’s (fourth) wife, Babette.

Over the course of the past decade, Gerwig has gone from being one of the most promising up-and-coming voices in front of the camera to one of the most exciting filmmakers with highly-decorated movies like Lady Bird and Little Women, both of which earned her Academy Award nominations in the two screenplay categories. Gerwig has also appeared in and written movies like Frances Ha and Mistress America. Her other movie appearances include Greenberg, Jackie, 20th Century Women, and Isle of Dogs. Gerwig is also directing the upcoming Barbie movie.

Don Cheadle (Murray)

Don Cheadle appears in the White Noise cast as Murray, Jack’s colleague and a professor of American Culture attempting to start an “Elvis studies” field before the mysterious calamity makes a mess of things.

Cheadle, whose Armor Wars Disney+ series will instead be turned into a movie, has remained quite busy the past few years, even outside of his multiple appearances as James “Rhodey” Rhodes, aka War Machine. Throughout his career, Cheadle has given commanding performances in movies like Boogie Nights, Hotel Rwanda, Traffic, Crash, and the Ocean’s trilogy, portraying munitions expert Basher Tarr. 

Raffey Cassidy (Denise)

Playing Denise, one of the children in Jack and Babette’s blended family in the White Noise cast, is Raffey Cassidy.

Although not as recognizable as the three major stars at the top of the list, Cassidy has built up a nice resume for herself the past decade-plus, including recurring roles on shows like Mr. Selfridge and 32 Brinkum Street. During that same stretch of time, Cassidy has landed roles in movies like Dark Shadows, Tomorrowland, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and Vox Lux, to name a few. 

Sam Nivola (Heinrich)

Taking on the role of Jack’s son Heinrich in White Noise is Sam Nivola, who is a relative newcomer compared to other members of the cast.

Prior to landing a role in the White Noise cast, Nivola appeared in the 2021 anthology film With/In, with small roles on Doll & Em and River of Fundament. 

May Nivola (Steffie)

May Nivola shows up in White Noise as Steffie, one of Jack’s children from a previous marriage.

Nivola has only been acting for the past decade, and during that time has appeared in movies like the anthology piece With/In, the Amazon original series The Pursuit of Love, and Head Full of Honey. 

Jodie Turner-Smith (Winnie)

Next up for the White Noise cast is Jodie Turner-Smith, who takes on the role of a chemist named Winnie.

Since coming into prominence with her portrayal of Sgt. Azima Kandie on the TNT action-drama series The Last Ship, Turner-Smith has appeared on TV shows like Nightflyers and Anne Boleyn, as well as a list of decorated movies that includes the fantastic crime drama Queen & Slim and After Yang. She has also appeared in titles such as The Neon Demon, Lemon, The Independent, and Without Remorse. 

André L. Benjamin (Lasher)

André L. Benjamin, better known by his stage name André 3000, shows up in White Noise as Lasher, one of Jack’s colleagues at the College-on-the-Hill.

The co-founding member of Atlanta hip hop duo Outkast was one of the many musicians-turned-actors who found success on the silver screen in the early 2000s, including roles in movies like Be Cool, Four Brothers, Idlewild, and Semi-Pro, as well as a number of different TV series like The Shield, American Crime, and Class of 3000. In 2013, André 3000 portrayed the late trailblazer Jimi Hendrix in Jimi: All Is by My Side. 

Sam Gold (Alfonse)

Sam Gold appears in White Noise as Alfonse, the head of the American Environments department at the same college where Jack works. 

Although he appears in an acting role in the White Noise cast, Gold is known more as a theater director, both on and off Broadway. In 2015, Gold was awarded a Tony for his direction of the musical Fun Home, a production that earned him multiple other prestigious awards and nominations, according to Playbill. 

Carlos Jacott (Grappa)

Carlos Jacott shows up in White Noise as Grappa, one of Jack’s fellow professors with a habit of engaging in odd conversations with his colleagues.

Jacott has been working with Noah Baumbach since 1995’s Kicking and Screaming, which served as the feature film debut for both actor and director. Since then, Jacott has appeared in movies like Grosse Pointe Blank, Being John Malkovich, and Marriage Story. During that stretch of time, Jacott has also landed roles on a list of TV shows that includes Seinfeld, The West Wing, Medium, Psych, and Big Love. 

Lars Eidinger (Mr. Gray)

Taking on the role of Dylar (a drug that eliminates the fear of death) developer Mr. Gray in White Noise is Lars Eidinger.

Fans of the incredibly expensive Netflix show Sense8 will probably recognize Eidinger from his four-episode run on the sci-fi series, and if not, then maybe the 2022 HBO series Irma Vep. He has also appeared in movies like Dumbo, High Life, Personal Shopper, and Clouds of Sils Maria, to name a few. 

Francis Jue (Dr. Lu)

Playing the role of Dr. Lu in White Noise is Francis Jue.

Longtime fans of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (especially when it comes to side characters) will most likely recognize Jue from his portrayal of Judge Steven Ong on the long-running crime procedural. His other TV appearances include Hightown, Madame Secretary, Elementary, and The Good Wife. 

Barbara Sukowa (Sister Hermann Marie)

And then there is Barbara Sukowa, who appears in White Noise as Sister Hermann Marie.

Over the years, Sukowa has received praise for performances in movies like Two of Us, Gloria Bell, Hannah Arendt, Vision, Europa, and Voyager, to name only a few. She also appears on the Apple TV+ series Servant. 

White Noise is currently streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription. If you have yet to sign up for the popular streaming service, now would be a good time to do so, as the 2023 Netflix movie schedule is shaping up nicely.

Stream White Noise on Netflix.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it launched in 2008 with Iron Man, and while Terrence Howard originated the role, it’s belonged to Don Cheadle since 2010’s Iron Man 2, which saw the character taking on the War Machine mantle. After more than a decade of being one of the MCU’s most important supporting characters, the time has finally come for him to take center stage, as he’ll be leading Armor Wars. However, instead of moving forward as a Disney+ show like originally planned, it was announced in late September that Armor Wars is being turned into a movie, and Marvel producer Nate Moore recently explained why this change happened.

Nate Moore, who’s been making the press rounds to promote Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, stopped by The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, and the eponymous host inquired about the Armor Wars shift, asking how that decision came about and what the “guideposts” are for figuring out if a Marvel project should be a movie rather than a show accessible exclusively to Disney+ subscribers. Moore answered:

At the time it was revealed that Armor Wars would be a movie instead of a Disney+ show, the reason for this was simply attributed to the powers-that-be at Marvel Studios feeling going the feature route was the better course of action. Now we know from Nate Moore that the budget was the main issue, because although Marvel pours plenty of money into its Disney+ shows, they’re not on the same level as what’s shown in theaters.  For something like Armor Wars, it became clear that the small screen wouldn’t cut it with the first project to put War Machine front and center, particularly when we’ll be seeing various armored suits in action beyond just the one James Rhodes is wearing.

That would also explain why Ironheart, which is spinning out of the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will still be a Disney+ show, because Dominque Thorne’s Riri Williams will likely be the only one wearing an armored suit. But aside from the shift from streaming to theatrical, it sounds like not much has changed about Armor Wars. In addition to Don Cheadle obviously still being attached to star, Yassir Lester is still on writing duties. Inspired by the same-named comic book arc, Armor Wars will follow Rhodey having to grapple with the technology developed by the late Tony Stark, his best friend, falling into the wrong hands. No release date for Armor Wars has been set, but it will take place after what goes down in Disney+’s Secret Invasion.

Given how Marvel’s Phase 5 is already packed on both fronts, it stands to reason that Armor Wars won’t be released until sometime during Phase 6, but once a concrete date is announced, we’ll let you know. Until then, head to Disney+ to watch the Marvel movies in order, or look through our guide detailing the other upcoming Marvel movies.

There are a number of upcoming Marvel movies on the docket and, just recently, another was added to the list. Armor Wars, which was set to be a show over at Disney+, will now be a full-blown motion picture. And don’t worry, Don Cheadle is still returning as Col. James Rhodes, and this will mark the first time that he’s led a Marvel Cinematic Universe production. The recent announcement is exciting but, if I’m being completely honest, I now have one significant concern regarding this War Machine story.

Why Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars News Is Something To Be Hyped About

“Armor Wars” is a beloved story arc – and one that’s ripe for a live-action adaptation. The original 1987-1988 comic book limited series, which was written by Bob Layton and David Michelinie, sees Tony Stark’s worst nightmare come true. The Avenger is forced to contend with various enemies when his Iron Man technology falls into the wrong hands. (Obviously, since the MCU’s Tony died in Avengers: Endgame, the story will be altered accordingly.) It’s a massive story that’s filled with plenty of cool suits of armor. As reported, Marvel believed that this tale would be better adapted as a film, and I agree with that assessment.

Such a massive story practically screams “big-screen adventure” and, with a budget befitting a feature film, the producers won’t be limited when it comes to the spectacular sequences they can showcase. It’s also worth noting that amid Disney’s 2022 D23 Expo, Marvel teased a number of new War Machine suits for Rhodey. So said armor should look stunning with a feature-level budget at play. All in all, the cinematic shift should ensure that the production is a true spectacle that could match any of the Iron Man movies. Yet there’s still one thing I still can’t help but question.

Will Armor Wars Still Be Able To Truly Examine Rhodey As A Character?

One of the things that’s had me excited about Armor Wars from the jump is the prospect of seeing Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes step into the spotlight. With that, Cheadle also promised that the production will reveal “a lot” about Rhodey. However, I’m now left wondering whether that’ll still be the case since the project is being condensed into what will likely be a two-hour+ movie. As previously stated, this is a big story with a lot of moving parts – and likely a sizable amount of characters. So that could have some kind of impact on the amount of time that’s devoted solely to fleshing out Rhodey, who’s mainly served as a supporting character up to this point. 

Thanks to their 6 to 9-episode runs, the Disney+ MCU shows have had more than enough time to sit with characters and add the necessary layers to them. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier did a lot when it came to filling out Sam Wilson’s personal life and his general mindset as a person and superhero. Ms. Marvel did a masterful job of presenting the various facets of Kamala Khan and her world, and need we even mention what WandaVision did for the Scarlet Witch? Admittedly, some would argue that a number of these shows might’ve worked better as feature films, but it’s hard to argue that they were able to take their time and give their lead characters’ their due.

Please don’t misunderstand me here. I’m definitely still looking forward to Armor Wars, and the fact that I’ll likely be able to check it out on an IMAX screen is even more exciting. All the while, I will still be hoping that the movie manages to service Don Cheadle’s War Machine, who’s more than deserving of his time in the sun. But given that Marvel Studios surely has affection for the character as well, I’m confident that the producers will do him justice.

Though a release date has yet to be announced for Armor Wars, check out what we do know about it so far. You can also stream Don Cheadle’s past work in the MCU by streaming Marvel TV shows and films with a Disney+ subscription.

Between San Diego Comic-Con and D23 Expo, Marvel Studios has made a lot of moves and announcements in the last few months... and they just keep coming. In the last few days, we've learned big new details about Deadpool 3, and Blade, which is only weeks away from starting production, is now searching for a new director. And as though those news drops weren't significant enough, we're now learning that the planned Disney+ Armor Wars series is changing mediums and is now going to become a movie.   

The Hollywood Reporter has provided the information on this big change, noting that Yassir Lester, who was originally hired as head writer on Armor Wars, is still on board to handle the screenplay and Don Cheadle is still attached to star. According to the trade, the decision to change directions with the project was decided by Marvel Studios due to feelings that it was the best treatment for the story that is being told. There is presently no director attached.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige spoke very briefly about Armor Wars at the aforementioned D23 Expo, and not much was said about it. Don Cheadle was confirmed to be the main star of the six-episode limited series, reprising the role of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, and it was confirmed that the plot will center on the nightmare that is the idea of Tony Stark's proprietary technology getting out into the world and into the wrong hands. There was no release date confirmed, nor was it said whether the show was going to be in Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Phase 6.

Armor Wars now being a movie surely changes their plans, if not particularly because Marvel Studios has in the past expressed reticence about releasing an overabundance of blockbusters in a single calendar year. As things stand, 2023 is going to be the franchise's busiest big screen year yet, as there are four titles set to hit theaters: Peyton Reed's Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (February 2023), James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 2023), Nia DaCosta's The Marvels (July 2023) and the director-less Blade (November 2023).

After that, Marvel Studios has another four movies planned for 2024: Julius Onah's Captain America: New World Order (May 2024), Jake Schreier's Thunderbolts (July 2024), Shawn Levy's Deadpool 3 (September 2024), and Matt Shakman's Fantastic Four (November 2024). Unless some kind of shift happens – which is totally possible – we may not actually get to see Armor Wars on the big screen until 2025 a.k.a. the year of Destin Daniel Cretton's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.

Keeping track of everything coming from the MCU seems to get more complicated every day, but the good news is that CinemaBlend has you covered. Our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides will help you keep track of everything that is on the way, and our Marvel Movies In Order feature will help you make sense of the ever-expanding timeline and canon.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe looks a lot different these days, as key figures like Iron Man, Black Widow, and Captain America are now out of the picture. Phase Four has been dealing with their absences in the present-day timeline. Of course, Anthony Mackie’s Falcon has taken up Cap's mantle. So it’s only natural that some might wonder would think that Don Cheadle's James Rhodes -- Tony Stark’s right-hand man, could succeed him as the Armored Avenger. With that Cheadle, who's set to return as War Machine in the Armor Wars series, weighed in on potentially replacing his former co-star in the role.

The veteran Marvel star addressed the notion during his interview with Extra. Don Cheadle was addressing his return in the Samuel L. Jackson-led Disney+ series Secret Invasion (which we know a few things about) when talked turned to him possibly becoming Iron Man in the MCU. And based on the Oscar nominee's comments, it doesn't seem like he's totally sold on the idea of his character taking on the Iron Man mantle:

Apparently, he's not worried about replacing RDJ or having Rhodey try to fill the void left by Iron Man. If anything, the fan-favorite actor appears to be a level of respect for his on-screen best friend. Clearly, he has a similar kind of reverence for the Tony Stark actor that so many fans have.

But like any MCU star, the 57-year-old actor could be throwing viewers off his trail. Don Cheadle even hinted that he couldn’t reveal everything about his MCU future. And Marvel is definitely known for keeping such developments under wraps, so the notion of the star deflecting with his comments is feasible. Of course, viewers won’t know what’s true or not until Cheadle's series hits the small screen.

Don Cheadle seems more concerned about viewers getting to know Rhodes as more than just Stark’s best friend and second banana. During his time in the MCU, Rhodey has played an important role in certain moments but is usually a supporting player to Tony and the other Avengers. Through his MCU show, viewers will finally get to know James Rhodes as a person and will likely see him carve out his destiny. Cheadle has been harking on this aspect for some time while also teasing other information about Armor Wars. A release date has yet to be announced for the Disney+ production as is the case with other upcoming Marvel shows.

The prospect of Rhodey getting the spotlight is exciting and, regardless of whether he becomes Iron Man, the powers that be at Marvel Studios surely have exciting things planned for him. Ahead of Armor Wars' premiere, grab a Disney+ subscription so that you can see Rhodes in Secret Invasion, which streams sometime in 2023.

Marvel Studios pulled out all the stops for their D23 Expo 2022 Showcase! Watch our interviews with the stars of the MCU including Brie Larson, Iman Vellani, Teyona Parris, and Nia DaCosta of “The Marvels,” Tenoch Huerta of “Wakanda Forever,” Don Cheadle of “Secret Invasion,” David Harbour of “Thunderbolts,” Charlie Cox of “Daredevil: Born Again,” Gael García Bernal, Michael Giacchino, and Laura Donnelly of “Werewolf by Night” and Director Julius Onah of “Captain America: New World Order.” Are you ready for the next stage of the MCU?

Video Chapters

0:00 Intro - Brie Larson reacts to Fan Theories
0:25 Brie Larson shares what she’s excited for fans to see in “The Marvels”
0:54 Teyona Parris and Director Nia DaCosta talk about playing with Monica’s powers
2:29 Iman Vellani praises Nia DaCosta, and reflects on Kamala’s journey
3:10 Tenoch Huerta explains the pressure of injecting culture into his character, and how the Marvel team helped his performance
3:52 Will David Harbour have to put weight back on for Red Guardian? He teases what’s next.
4:48 Charlie Cox reflects on a time when he thought he’d never be Daredevil again
5:18 Don Cheadle on being “surprised” by Marvel and “Secret Invasion”
5:57 Director Julius Onah shares why Sam Wilson embodies what Captain America stands for
6:45 Michael Giacchino and Laura Donnelly discuss how “Werewolf by Night” may surprise fans
7:38 Gael García Bernal talks about  possibly sharing the screen with Moon Knight for a future beatdown

Boogie Nights was an incredibly packed ensemble experience from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson. The critically acclaimed drama featured the story of a dishwasher who ends up becoming famous by making pornographic films, and shows his rise and fall in the porn industry.

But, with such a large ensemble, one might be wondering where the Boogie Nights cast is now and what they’ve been up to after nearly twenty-five years. Well, look no further, as we aim to answer that question today and let you know exactly where stars like Mark Wahlberg, Julianne Moore, and others are now. 

Mark Wahlberg (Eddie Adams/Dirk Diggler)

As the star of Boogie Nights, Mark Wahlberg received wide-spread acclaim for his role as Eddie Adams, otherwise known as Dirk Diggler. Since his role in the film, Wahlberg has been up to so much. 

Wahlberg’s biggest film roles so far have included a major role in The Transformers series, an Academy Award-nominated role in The Departed, directed by Martin Scorsese, The Italian Job, The Perfect Storm, the Daddy’s Home series, and many more. He’s also had success in television too, producing shows like Boardwalk Empire, Entourage, Ballers, and others. 

Some of his upcoming work are the films Father Stu, Me Time, Arthur the King, Our Man From Jersey, and The Six Billion Dollar Man, so he’ll surely be appearing in more awesome movies. 

Julianne Moore (Maggie/Amber Waves)

Next up, we have Julianne Moore, who played Maggie/Amber Waves in Boogie Nights and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Since her performance in the movie, Moore has become an even bigger star. 

While she has had some small roles on television, such as an appearance on Sesame Street and a minor recurring role on the classic series, 30 Rock, Moore has mainly kept her talents to the big screen. Some of her biggest roles thus far have included Still Alice, for which she won an Academy Award, The Big Lebowski, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Maps to the Stars, Far From Heaven, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Hunger Games series, which recently just turned ten years old. 

Coming up, Moore will be in many new movies, including Sharper, Mothertrucker, May December, and Fruitcake, so I’m sure the next couple of years are going to be jam-packed for this amazing actress. 

Burt Reynolds (Jack Horner)

Burt Reynolds was a legendary name in Hollywood, and he earned rave reviews for his performance in Boogie Nights as Jack Horner, including a nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 

After his role in the film, Reynolds would go on to have a prominent film career, just as he did before, appearing in movies like Crazy Six, Hotel, Driven, The Longest Yard, Grilled, In The Name of the King, Deal, and others. He also had a recurring role in the TV series, My Name is Earl, as well as playing Ron Wilcox in Hitting the Breaks. 

Unfortunately, Burt Reynolds passed away in 2018 at the age of 82, but we have the rest of his amazing legacy in Hollywood to look back on to remember him.

Don Cheadle (Buck Swope)

Playing Buck Swope in Boogie Nights was Don Cheadle, someone who's only gotten more and more popular over the years. Cheadle has had a prominent career in both movies and TV. 

One of his biggest roles that he has reprised many times is playing James Rhodes, otherwise known as War Machine, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for more than ten years, and he will reprise that role in the upcoming Armor Wars series on Disney+. Some of his other big films roles include Hotel Rwanda, which scored him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor, Traffic, Out of Sight, No Sudden Move. Space Jam: A New Legacy, and more. 

He’s also had a great career in television, with a main role in the Showtime series, House of Lies, as well as a main role on Black Monday. Currently, he actually stars in the series, The Wonder Years. 

Soon, he’s going to be appearing in many new movies, including White Noise and Black Stallions, so he certainly has a good line-up for the next couple of years. 

John C. Reilly (Reed Rothchild)

Next up, we have Reed Rothchild in Boogie Nights, played by John C. Reilly. The actor has had quite the career since Boogie Nights took off, and has appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows. 

Some of his biggest movies were appearing in Magnolia (another Paul Thomas Anderson film), The Thin Red Line, the musical film, Chicago, The Aviator, Step Brothers alongside Will Ferrell, Kong: Skull Island, The Guardians of the Galaxy, and so many more.

He’s also had a prominent career in television too, including a voice role in Stone Quackers, a starring role in Check It Out! With Dr. Steve Brule, a recurring role in Moonbase 8, a voice role in Ultra City Smiths, and more. His latest project is playing Jerry Buss, owner of the L.A. Lakers, in Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, on HBO. 

William H. Macy (Bill “Little Bill” Thompson)

Another big name in Boogie Nights is William H. Macy, and while he had already made a name for himself years before with movies such as Fargo, Macy has had a huge career in the last twenty-five years. 

Some of his biggest film accomplishments have been starring in Magnolia, as well, Psycho, The Cooler, the Studio Ghibli film, The Wind Rises, Cake, Room, The Layover, Krystal, and so much more. However, his longest-running project thus far was portraying patriarch Frank Gallagher on the popular Showtime series, Shameless, for a 11 seasons, becoming a character fans loved to hate on the series.

His latest project is The Dropout on Hulu, where he plays Richard Fuisz, so keep an eye out for him. 

Heather Graham (Brandy/Rollergirl)

Next up, we have Heather Graham, who played Brandy/Rollergirl in Boogie Nights. Graham has appeared in many other movies since, with some of her biggest roles being in Bowfinger, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, The Hangover and The Hangover Part III, the Daniel Radcliffe-led film, Horns, The Last Son, and more. 

Graham has also done some television work as well, appearing in shows like Bliss, Angie Tribeca, Get Shorty, Law & Order True Crime, and others. Coming up, she’s going to be in many new movies, including Oracle, On a Wing and a Prayer, and more. 

Nicole Ari Parker (Becky Barnett)

Playing Becky Barnett in Boogie Nights was Nicole Ari Parker, who has had a huge career in television. While she has appeared in many movies as well, including Remember the Titans, Brown Sugar, Almost Christmas, How It Ends, and more, she’s mainly kept her talents to TV. 

Parker appeared as a recurring cast member on Cosby, was a part of the main cast on Soul Food, as well as The Second Time Around and The Deep End. She was a recurring cast member on Revolution, as well as on I’m Dying Up Here, Empire, and Chicago P.D. Most recently, she was a part of the recurring cast of the Sex and the City spinoff, And Just Like That…,which just got renewed for a second season. 

Soon, she’s going to have a role in two new movies, We Are Gathered Here Today and HeadShop, as well as appear in a new TV series called At That Age. 

Philip Seymour Hoffman (Scotty J.)

Moving on, we have Philip Seymour Hoffman, who played Scotty J in Boogie Nights. After his role in the film, Hoffman appeared in many movies. 

Some of his biggest roles were in Patch Adams, The Big Lebowski, Magnolia, Charlie Wilson’s War, Doubt, The Master, The Savages, and more, alongside a bigger role in The Hunger Games series. He did have some minor appearance on TV, including two episodes of Empire Falls, but mainly stuck to movies. 

Sadly, Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away in 2014 at the age of 46. 

Luis Guzman (Maurice Rodriguez/T.T. Rodriguez)

Next up is Luis Guzman, who played Maurice Rodriguez/T.T. Rodriguez in Boogie Nights. After his role in the film, Guzman has appeared in many movies, including Magnolia (like many of his other castmates) Traffic, Punch-Drunk Love, War, We’re the Millers, The Last Stand, 9/11, The Birthday Cake, and several others. 

He’s also had a great career in television as well, with several main roles and recurring appearances. Some of his most-known were playing the titular role in Luis, Rene Calderon in How to Make It in America, Jesse Salander in Code Black, Jose Gonzalo Rodriguez Gacha in Narcos, Mikey O’Shea in Shameless (usually alongside William H. Macy) and Jorge Cuevas in Hightown. Talk about a stacked resume. 

Coming up soon, he is going to be portraying one of the most iconic TV characters ever, Gomez Addams, in the upcoming series, Wednesday, so definitely be on the lookout for this Netflix series to drop.

Philip Baker Hall (Floyd Gondolli)

Floyd Gondolli in Boogie Nights was played by Philip Baker Hall, who has had a great career in both movies and television. Some of his biggest roles include Psycho, The Insider, Magnolia, Rules of Engagement, The Amityville Horror, The Last Word, and more. 

Some of his most-known television roles have been a recurring role on Pasadena, as well as work on The Loop, Second Change, and Messiah. 

Thomas Jane (Todd Parker)

Last but not least, we have Thomas Jane, who played Todd Parker in Boogie Nights. Since his appearance, Jane has popped up in many movies and television shows. Some of his biggest movies include, but aren’t limited to, The Punisher, 1922, Deep Blue Sea, The Mist, The Predator, Vice, Hot Summer Nights, and many others. 

He’s also had some major roles in television, including playing Ray Drecker on Hung, James Wykoff in Texas Rising, Joe Miller in The Expanse, and Ted Conkaffey in Troppo. Coming up soon, he’s going to be in several new films, including Vendetta, Slayers, and Bad Hombres, among many others. 

There are still plenty of other names that you might recognize from Boogie Nights, such as Alfred Molina, Michael Penn, Robert Downey Sr., and more. However, this updates you on the main stars who have been active to this day with some amazing film and TV work. 

Throughout Hollywood’s history, there’s been a bias toward white audiences that has bled into the industry today. While there is a concerted effort for movies and television to better reflect the experiences of more people than ever before these days, there’s much more progress to be made. In spirit of being perceptive to the need for continued representation, let us celebrate how the most iconic Black voices in film broke through into the Hollywood mainstream. 

From Whoopi Goldberg’s start in the ‘80s to Michael B. Jordan just under a decade ago, let’s talk about some of the unforgettable film performances by Black actors that helped really catapult them into super fame. 

Whoopi Goldberg In The Color Purple (1985) 

Whoopi Goldberg is currently a seasoned performer who co-hosts The View following becoming one of the few entertainers in history to receive an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony wins). The actress got her start on the stage where The Graduate director Mike Nichols discovered her and assisted in a transition to Broadway which led Steven Spielberg to learn of her and cast Goldberg in The Color Purple. 

At the age of 30, Whoopi Goldberg found her breakthrough with Spielberg’s book adaptation that became commercially and critically successful and earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination. Since then, Goldberg has been continually successful, also finding many memorable roles in Ghost, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Sister Act. 

Denzel Washington In Cry Freedom (1987) 

Denzel Washington is among the most respected and beloved actors in movie history today. The actor got his start in theater as well after studying acting classically. Shortly after graduating, he nabbed a role in the comedy Carbon Copy alongside George Segal before becoming part of the medical drama St. Elsewhere. In terms of the actor’s breakthrough into the decorated actor he is now, it all started with his role in Richard Attenborough’s Cry Freedom alongside Kevin Kline. 

The 1987 film based on a true story saw Denzel Washington playing Steve Biko, a South African anti-apartheid activist. The movie that opened up a discussion about discrimination and political corruption led to Washington’s first Oscar nomination and a career packed full of challenging and important roles like Glory, Malcolm X, Training Day and many more. 

Laurence Fishburne In Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Laurence Fishburne is another all-time great Black actor who continues to star in incredible movies and TV shows today including his role in the forthcoming John Wick movie. Fishburne got started in Hollywood at the age of 11, finding roles in ABC soaps before being part of Apocalypse Now as a teen. Throughout the ‘80s he found roles here and there, including a minor role in The Color Purple with Whoopi Goldberg. He starred in Spike Lee’s second film, the under-the-radar School Daze, but 1991’s Boyz n the Hood really brought the actor to the forefront. 

John Singleton’s now modern classic Boyz n the Hood starred Cuba Gooding Jr, Ice Cube, Nia Long, Regina King and Angela Bassett in a crime drama that kickstarted all their careers. At the time Fishburne was recognizable for his nearly 20 year career, but Boyz n the Hood was the first mainstream successful movie that showcased Fishburne’s talent when he played the father figure, Furious Styles (one of many performances he should have received an Oscar for).  Following that performance he started receiving acclaim for a number of roles and of course became Morpheus in The Matrix. 

Angela Bassett In What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993) 

Angela Bassett is an icon, full stop. Before the actress assumed that title, she graduated from Yale University with a degree in African-American studies and went back to study acting for her MFA. She then moved to Los Angeles and found early key roles in Boyz n the Hood and Malcolm X. She received attention for playing Malcolm X’s wife in the film, but it was 1993’s What’s Love Got To Do With It that allowed her to breakthrough and become the star she is today. 

Bassett portrayed Tina Turner in the biopic, which became a well-loved film and led Bassett to receive major award attention, along with becoming the first Black woman to win the Golden Globe for Best Actress. She went on to star in other major films including Strange Days, Waiting To Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back and tell Rosa Parks’ story in Ride To Freedom. 

Don Cheadle In Devil In A Blue Dress (1995) 

Don Cheadle is one of the coolest and most interesting actors of our day along with him being notably part of the Marvel family as James Rhodes/War Machine as well. After graduating with a BFA in theater in 1986, he got his start in small roles in Hollywood. He found early roles in movies like Colors and an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air alongside Will Smith. Things started really heating up for the actor when he starred in Devil in a Blue Dress with Denzel Washington. 

The 1995 neo-noir movie based on the Walter Mosley novel instantly got people talking about how Cheadle stole the show in the role of Mouse. The role led Cheadle to level up in Hollywood, leading to roles in Boogie Nights, Out Of Sight and the Ocean’s films leading to a continually illustrious career. 

Gabrielle Union In Bring It On (2000) 

The breakthrough performances we’ve talked about thus far are mainly dramatic performances, making Gabrielle Union’s big moment notable to shed light on. The actress started on TV, finding roles in series such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Sister, Sister, 7th Heaven and Friends before finding small roles in teen movies She’s All That and 10 Things I Hate About You. Union became a big name when she starred as Isis in 2000’s Bring It On alongside Kirsten Dunst. 

The cult classic about rival cheerleading teams caught the attention of Hollywood and led the actress to be cast in CBS medical drama City of Angels and find more leading roles, such as in 2003’s Deliver Us From Eva and Bad Boys II. Over twenty years later, she remains a prominent name who is never short of a new role. 

Viola Davis In Far From Heaven (2002) 

Viola Davis is a prolific actress with a number of great performances we love. How did she get here? Davis was a graduate of Juilliard and got her start on the stage, finding her first Broadway role at 31 for an August Wilson play, which has continued to be a notable part of her career. Her early roles were brief in big movies like Ocean’s Eleven, Kate & Leopold and Antwone Fisher. Her breakthrough role was in 2002’s Far From Heaven as Sybil, the housekeeper and confidant to Julianne Moore’s lead character. 

A few years later, Davis’ prominence grew with her role in Doubt and other movies like The Help and Suicide Squad. Nowadays, when a Viola Davis movie comes out, we sit up and pay attention. 

Jamie Foxx In Collateral (2004)

Jamie Foxx got his start telling jokes at a comedy club’s open mic night in 1989 thanks to a girlfriend’s dare. Later, he became part of the cast of In Living Color before nabbing a sitcom of his own called The Jamie Foxx Show. As we know in the '90s, TV and movies were a different game. Foxx broke out into the movie business in 1999 with Any Given Sunday but the movie that really cemented his continued popularity is 2001’s Collateral. 

He starred alongside Tom Cruise in an action thriller that earned him his first Oscar nomination. Just a few months later, his portrayal of Ray Charles led the actor to also nab a Best Actor nomination in the same year and win. 

Taraji P. Henson In Hustle & Flow (2005)

Taraji P. Henson studied drama at Howard University before starting off as a background performer in the early '90s. After finding a first movie role in 1991’s Baby Boy, her breakthrough role was in 2005’s Hustle & Flow, alongside Terrence Howard, Anthony Anderson and Ludacris. The independent film about a hustler and pimp who becomes a rapper was a huge success at the time, putting Henson on the map. 

Henson then received buzz for starring in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button along with starring in big movies including I Can Do Bad All By Myself and The Karate Kid remake. She later reunited with her Hustle & Flow star for the Fox hit series, Empire alongside a vast career in Hollywood. 

Michael B. Jordan in Fruitvale Station (2013) 

One more recent performance by a Black actor that has turned an actor into a big star is Michael B. Jordan’s in Fruitvale Station. The Ryan Coogler film premiered at Sundance in 2013 to high acclaim before making a mark on Hollywood in other ways. Thanks to the movie’s big splash, Coogler and Jordan partnered up again to make Creed alongside Sylvester Stallone and then for 2018’s Black Panther. 

There’s a lot more incredible breakthrough performances we certainly missed, but it’s interesting to see how some of Hollywood’s biggest Black stars got their start. Here’s to celebrating more great actors in the years to come. You never know where the next major star will pop up first in upcoming movies. 

Hollywood lost a true titan last week when Betty White passed away at the age of 99. The loss of the actress, comedienne and TV personality is sad, but it’s been incredible to see the outpouring of love for her and her legacy. Everyone from Ryan Reynolds to William Shatner has paid tribute to the late star. Don Cheadle, who worked with White on the Golden Girls spinoff, was among those to share memories of White. And he specifically shared a sweet story from their time working on the series. 

After The Golden Girls was cancelled by NBC in 1992, CBS quickly revived the show for a sequel series called The Golden Palace. The show saw Rose Nylund, Blanche Devereaux and Sophia Petrillo, now without the newly married Dorothy, move from their home and invest in a Miami hotel. Don Cheadle played the role of hotel manager Roland Wilson and, like the other characters, he had some chuckworthy exchanges with Betty White’s Rose. 

The Emmy-winning actress was much more cognizant of her environment than her scatterbrained character. To that point, in a recent Twitter post, Marvel’s War Machine actor recalled a lighting problem that the show was having. And ultimately, the Rose actress kindly found a solution to the situation: 

Most have already known that Betty White is a class act, but this is just further evidence of that assumption. While the woman could certainly dish out a joke (as she did when she roasted Sandra Bullock), she could also lend a hand when it was needed. Don Cheadle went on to mention how she she also provided assistance when it came to his pets: 

Many found themselves instantly drawn to Betty White’s charm over the years. Ryan Reynolds even seemed to have a bit of a crush on his co-star from The Proposal. Likewise, his on-screen alter ego, Deadpool, also had a lot of love for the TV legend.

It goes without saying that the actress lived a life that many can only dream of. There’s so much to her career that predates her work on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. She’ll certainly be missed by her loved ones and the millions of fans who adored her, but we can take comfort in the fact that we had her as long as we did and that her legacy will live on. 

We here at CinemaBlend continue to extend our thoughts to the loved ones of Betty White during this time

The Ocean’s films are fun all-star romps that put Matt Damon and Don Cheadle on the same playing field, but it wasn't just screentime that the two actors were sharing in the movies. Shooting the trilogy together allowed Damon to peek into what fatherhood in Hollywood is like from Cheadle. Damon witnessed what it looked like to be away from his family, and his observations led to The Last Duel star creating a personal rule for being away from his wife and kids for work.

Of course, Don Cheadle would give Matt Damon parenting advice, as one can imagine co-stars forming a bond over multiple movies would give one a peek into another's private life. So, eventually, the conversation of raising a family might come up – and Cheadle was more than ready to give some insight to a then-childless Damon. The Bourne star spilled what his Ocean’s co-star told him about being a parent with a Hollywood career during an appearance on Showtime’s Desus and Mero, saying,

The way Don Cheadle explained filming on location to his kids seems so on-brand for him. He was just so forthright about the situation. As an actor, when they are busy, there’s no full stop. But the lull times allow them to spend the time with their family most working parents crave to achieve. Of course, Cheadle would know how to make that work long-term.

Matt Damon apparently studied how his co-star handled being a father and husband while being away for long periods, and he took what he perceived to heart, as he has adopted a similar philosophy when it comes to navigating family and professional life.

As a family man, Matt Damon spoke on how he deals with being away from his family during the recent interview. Damon went on to reveal the special deal he made with his wife and daughters regarding filming on location. The Stillwater star spoke on his well-known two-week rule, explaining,

Matt Damon’s logic made sense given his love for being a husband and father. A sense of comfort can settle in once someone gets used to being alone. But at least Matt Damon puts his family above his job at this point in his career. He did notably end up breaking the rule in the making of Stillwater, but he's clearly trying to make the effort.

Matt Damon seems to be doing his best to put his family first, and has worked to prove that having a Hollywood career doesn’t mean sacrificing time with his wife and children. This work-life balance seemed to have worked for him given the multiple projects he is committed to. Hopefully, his daughters will look back someday and cherish all their time together.

The partnership between Noah Baumbach and Netflix has produced two of the streamer’s most highly regarded movies in recent years with 2017’s The Meyerowitz Stories and 2019’s Marriage Story. At some point in the near future, the two parties will team up once more for White Noise, a new film starring Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig as a couple who find themselves at the center of an environmental disaster in their small Midwestern town. If this is the first you’re hearing of the new Netflix movie, fear not, as we have compiled a quick yet comprehensive list of everything you need to know before the long-awaited adaptation of Don DeLillo’s postmodern classic finds its way to your streaming library.

White Noise Is Shooting For A 2022 Release

Back when White Noise was first made official in September 2020, Discussing Film reported that not only had Noah Baumbach signed on to write, direct, and produce his third Netflix movie, the filmmaker and his streaming partner were shooting for 2022 release, though neither a specific date or even release window were revealed. Baumbach’s previous two movies — The Meyerowitz Stories and Marriage Story — landed on Netflix in fall 2017 and 2019, respectively, so it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for White Noise to follow suit.

The White Noise Cast Includes Adam Driver, Greta Gerwig, Don Cheadle And More

The White Noise cast, like the rest of Noah Baumbach’s more recent movies, is filled with amazing and talented actors from top to bottom. Adam Driver, who was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actor category for his turn as Charlie Barber in Marriage Story, and Greta Gerwig, the Oscar-nominated actress/filmmaker behind Lady Bird and Little Women and Baumbach’s life and creative partner, sit at top of the film’s cast as Professor Jack Gladney and Babette Gladney, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Joining them will be Don Cheadle, Jodie-Turner Smith, André Benjamin (aka Outkast’s André 3000), Raffey Cassidy, Sam Nivola, and May Nivola, per AV Club.

White Noise Centers On A Professor And His Wife Who Confront Death When Their Town Becomes Flooded With A Toxic Chemical

White Noise tells the story of Jack Gladney, a professor of Hitler studies at The-College-on-the-Hill, husband, and father of four children and step-children, who becomes obsessed and terrified of a cataclysmic train accident that spreads chemical waste, known as “The Airborne Toxic Event” throughout their small town, per The Film Stage. With a combination of humor, drama, horror, paranoia, and abject fear, White Noise will tell a unique and unforgettable story.

White Noise Is An Adaptation Of Don DeLillo’s 1985 Postmodern Novel Of The Same Name

Noah Baumbach’s new Netflix movie is based on Don DeLillo’s 1985 postmodern classic of the same name, which Time previously declared one of the best English-language novels from 1923 to 2005. DeLillo’s book spent a year in the life of Jack Gladney as he goes from a seemingly normal professor of Hitler studies (despite not knowing any German until shortly before the narrative begins) who is afraid of death to someone at the center of the potentially deadly environmental disaster. The satirical black comedy sinks its teeth into contemporary American culture, the world of academia, and the institution of marriage, creating a wild and sprawling narrative.

A Film Adaptation Of White Noise Has Been In The Works For Decades Now

White Noise, the novel, was released in the 1985 and the Netflix movie won’t come out until at least 2022, but a film adaptation has been in the works as far back as 1999 when filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld first optioned the novel while still with Disney. In 2004, Variety reported on the Men in Black and The Addams Family director’s plans to finally get the movie off the ground, but as we know now, the movie never materialized. Prior to Sonnenfeld’s 2004 attempt to bring his passion project to the big screen, HBO and James Brooks’ Gracie Films were both looking at adapting White Noise.

There was another attempt at taking White Noise from the page to the screen in 2016 when Michael Almereyda announced plans to adapt the novel, according to The Guardian. Those plans, however, went by the wayside at some point in the past few years.

Production Began On White Noise In June 2021 Outside Cleveland, Ohio

After decades of failed attempts, White Noise finally exited the purgatory that is development and pre-production and finally entered production in June 2021 just outside Cleveland, Ohio. According to News 5 Cleveland the several blocks in downtown Wellington, Ohio, had been transformed into a movie set with barricades, sets, and actors like Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig walking around filming scenes. The news report also pointed out that this was the second time Wellington had been become the site of a film production as The Marksman, starring Liam Neeson, was filmed there several years prior. There has been no word on when White Noise will wrap up production at this time.

White Noise Is The First Film In A New Partnership Between Noah Baumbach And Netflix

Although White Noise will be Noah Baumbach’s third movie to land on Netflix, it is the first to come from the filmmaker’s multi-year deal with the streaming giant and kicks off an official partnership between the two parties. This new deal was announced by Netflix in January 2021 and comes off the success of Marriage Story, which was nominated for six Academy Awards, with Laura Dern taking home an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of divorce attorney Nora Franshaw.

At the time of the announcement, Noah Baumbach said he always “dreamed of having a home” in the film industry and after 25 years he found one at Netflix. Ted Sararndos, the co-CEO and Chief Content Officer at Netflix, stated that Baumbach immediately felt like family when they first worked together on The Meyerowitz Stories and was “thrilled” to make it official with the new deal.

White Noise won’t be released until 2022 at the earliest, but there are still plenty of great Netflix movies coming out in the meantime.

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James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Tony Stark’s best friend, has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it launched in 2008 with Iron Man, with Don Cheadle taking over the role from Terrence Howard in 2010’s Iron Man 2. That was also when that version of the character suited up as War Machine for the first time, and since then he’s been a supporting superhero in the MCU across numerous movies. Now Cheadle’s Rhodey is finally getting the spotlight to himself for Armor Wars, and it’s been announced that the upcoming Disney+ series has taken a big step forward behind the scenes.

Yassir Lester, who’s already crossed worked with Don Cheadle on the Showtime series Black Monday, has been hired to be Armor Wars’ head writer. Along with his work behind the scenes on Black Monday as a writer and executive story editor, he’s also recurred on the series as Yassir X. Lester’s other writing credits include Girls and Earth to Ned, while his on-camera resume includes Making History, Champions, Duncanville, black-ish and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

While Armor Wars is still early into the development process and a director still isn’t attached yet, Yassir Lester being hired as the series’ head writer is a notable update. Deadline reports that Lester’s pitch for Armor Wars “excited execs as well as Cheadle,” so he’s already off to a good start with his time in the MCU. Armor Wars was one of three MCU series announced for Disney+ last December, alongside Ironheart and Secret Invasion.

This news comes five months after Don Cheadle appeared as James Rhodes in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s premiere episode, which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. Before that, War Machine was one of Avengers: Endgame’s starring characters, as he survived Thanos’ snap and embarked on the Time Heist with his fellow superheroes to undo the Mad Titan’s genocide. He was also by Tony Stark’s side as he died after using the Infinity Stones to wipe out Thanos and his army.

All that’s been announced so far about Armor Wars’ plot is that it will explore what would happen if Tony Stark’s technology ended up in the wrong hands. The original Armor Wars storyline from the comics unfolded across Iron Man #225-#232 from 1987 to 1988, although in that instance, it was Tony himself who was hunting down the perpetrators. With Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony gone in the MCU, so it’ll be up to Rhodey to ensure that his late friend’s technological creations aren’t used for malevolent purposes.

While we await more updates on Armor Wars’ progress, you can watch WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki Season 1 on Disney+ now, so make sure you’re subscribed. The first two episodes of the animated series What If… ? are also on the streaming service. Learn what else the MCU is sending to the small screen with our upcoming Marvel TV shows guide.

Let me introduce you to my new favorite duo: Kevin Hart and Don Cheadle. You read that right, move aside Dwayne Johnson and well… Robert Downey Jr already did his Marvel scooting. These two are incredible together, and this has unexpectedly blown up the internet thanks to a recent collaboration together that got playfully dicey. Sometimes you know the chemistry between two people is real when they can bicker like an old married couple, and let me just say, Hart and Cheadle’s viral argument is hilarious in the best way.

Don Cheadle was a guest on Kevin Hart’s new talk show Hart To Heart, which is streaming on Peacock (for free by the way). Ever since a tweet involving a segment of their conversation was shared, people can’t stop talking about it. Even Hart joined in on the fun after noticing his recent guest was gaining some extra attention:

During the segment of the 40-minute conversation between Kevin Hart and Don Cheadle, the Avengers: Endgame actor revealed he is 56 years old, and the standup comedian cut him off mid-sentence with a loud “Damn!” before saying he was sorry. The two actors then get into a funny back and forth about what he intended when he said the expletive. Because it’s a little intense, it got people talking.

The exchange was deemed awkward and cringey, but come on, it’s clearly a bit! Both of these men are brilliant comedic actors and they knew where they were going with it. Nonetheless, let the meme-ery commence:

After his name was being called out left and right, Don Cheadle took to Twitter to assure folks that the interview was done in good fun, and what they saw out of context was just how they “play.” In his words:

If you do check out the Hart To Heart episode, you’ll see it more clearly. At the beginning of the episode, Kevin Hart denies Don Cheadle wine and has the show’s personal sommelier pour him a glass in front of him and give Cheadle two sips worth of water next to him instead. Hart then goes into some odd questions, like asking if he does drugs, and Cheadle also makes fun of the actor for wearing a vest and being into jazz. They take digs at each other the entire interview and it’s just fun to watch, okay?

The actors have apparently known each other since 1998. They previously worked together on Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. Cheadle directed and starred in the project, and Hart worked on the film as an executive producer. Cheadle also appeared in Hart’s 2016 comedy special What Now? as himself. Hart just started his show and is finding his groove as a talk show host, so it definitely makes sense that fans might not understand right away, but hey, now you do.

Don Cheadle is a rare Hollywood gem. He’s an actors’ actor, who seems just as at home on screen in a huge Hollywood blockbuster or a compelling indie drama. With a wide array of roles under his belt, he’s earned the right to be a little bit cocky. However, he may have gotten a little bit too confident when he squared off against international superstar Jackie Chan ahead of his iconic cameo in Rush Hour 2.

These days, Don Cheadle is busy sharing the screen with basketball legend Lebron James in Space Jam 2. But twenty years ago, he was better known for his work in movies like Boogie Nights and Out of Sight when he signed on to face off against another legend, in another sequel. The actor’s brief appearance in Rush Hour 2 remains one of his most uncomfortable. That’s mostly because his character Kenny, the owner of an L.A. Chinese food restaurant, not only shared some witty banter with Chris Tucker, but he also engaged Jackie Chan’s Inspector Lee in some hand-to-hand combat and it ended up in a draw. Not many people can say that -- especially those who aren’t professionally trained stuntmen.

Don Cheadle recently told Entertainment Weekly that when the cameo appearance was pitched to him, he was originally supposed to get his butt kicked. He says he agreed to do it as long as his character put up more of a fight. While that’s ultimately how it plays out on screen, it turns out that the preparation for the scene played out a little less in the actor’s favor:

It’s not a surprise that Jackie Chan took even his funniest scenes so seriously. He earned his status as one of Hollywood’s best action stars with decades of amazing stunt work to his name, after all. Still, it’s amusing to imagine Don Cheadle being unexpectedly faced with such an intense training session. You can check out the final product of their work down below:

While it sounds like the scene was a little more stressful than Don Cheadle expected, it also created an unexpected legacy. The actor told EW that when Kendrick Lamar referred to himself as Kung Fu Kenny in his Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning album, DAMN, the musician was paying homage to his Rush Hour 2 character.

Both Don Cheadle and Jackie Chan have done some amazing work in the years since Rush Hour 2. Cheadle joined the MCU -- and even earned an Emmy nomination for his two-minute stint in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (He really is an expert at making the most of minimal screen time). Jackie Chan is still kicking butts, other than Don Cheadle’s, and doing his own stunts even as he’s well into his 60s.

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Space Jam: A New Legacy brings a new protagonist to the franchise in the form of NBA superstar LeBron James, who teams up with the Looney Tunes for another epic basketball game. Their opponent: Al-G Rhythm, a scheming algorithm who wants to utilize James’ social media clout to his advantage. Don Cheadle plays the role of the delightful foil to James, and it’s a bit of a change-up for the actor, who’s largely known for his heroics in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Cheadle doesn’t quite believe his character is a basic, cut and dry villain.

Seeing as the animated Monstars of Moron Mountain were the antagonists of the first Space Jam movie, A New Legacy’s Al-G Rhythm represents a live-action threat for the Looney Tunes. And those who’ve seen the film no doubt know just how powerful and dangerous the character is. I recently had the opportunity to chat with Cheadle about the role, and he has no trouble acknowledging that Al-G is the movie’s antagonist. Yet he can also understand how the character wouldn’t view himself as one:

It’s true that in many films, a villain doesn’t actually view themselves as the villain. I mean, as far as Thanos was concerned, he was actually doing the universe a favor by wiping out half of all life. Even Darth Vader was, for a while, convinced that he was helping to bring order to the galaxy while serving the Empire. So Al-G Rhythm’s thinking certainly lines up with what we’ve come to expect from a number of big-screen baddies.

Still, Don Cheadle’s character does get to have some fun along the way. Al-G gets some notable moments, which allow Cheadle to chew up some serious scenery. And while the actor didn’t actually get to play against LeBron James behind the scenes, their characters certainly get to mix things up in the film.

Don Cheadle has played morally questionable characters before, but Space Jam: A New Legacy really gives him the opportunity to stretch his muscles as an antagonist. Hopefully, he’ll get the chance to play an equally delicious role sometime soon.

Space Jam: A New Legacy is currently playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

As with anything over a long period of time, social norms surrounding marriage have changed and are still changing. Fifty years ago, the nuclear family was still normal, and people were expected to marry in their early 20s and settle down. Now, couples may be together for decades without marrying at all. This is true with Marvel star Don Cheadle and his longtime partner, Bridgid Coulter, as the couple got married last year, after spending 28 years together beforehand. While you may think the marriage would be only a romantic gesture, there's actually a pretty funny (and practical) reason behind the union as well.

Apparently, there wasn’t some planned, grand romantic proposal from either of the lovebirds. In an interview with ET Online, where he spoke about his new film Space Jam: A New Legacy, Don Cheadle explained that it actually wasn’t even his or his now-wife’s idea to get hitched but someone else close to the couple. Here’s what the actor says exactly:

That's one hell of an accountant. While it may be unexpected that a marriage proposal comes from someone outside of the couple getting married, it sounds like it’s just what the pair needed to take the plunge. Even though Don Cheadle and Bridgid Coulter had plenty of love in their life together without the piece of paper, there are perks that come from marriage, which their accountant undoubtedly pointed out in his proposal.

Apparently, this final proposal was not the only time the couple’s accountant would bring up the possibility of marriage to the two. In the same interview, Don Cheadle went on to explain that his accountant had actually been pretty persistent when it came to bringing up an official union between the two. Here’s what Cheadle says on that front:

Getting married 20+ years into a relationship can still absolutely be romantic, though. Don Cheadle says the romantic love story between him and his wife happened in the first year, so maybe the marriage last year would be more comparable to a vow renewal some couples have years after their wedding. So even though their accountant technically proposed, it doesn’t at all mean the romance was dead surrounding their “practical” marriage. And as they embark on this new chapter, we'll them nothing but happiness in the years to come.

Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran Don Cheadle made a brief but memorable guest appearance in the series premiere of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as James Rhodes, and Cheadle's first turn as Rhodey on TV was enough for him to score a nomination for the 2021 Emmys. He's up for the trophy in the Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series category, up against some formidable competition, but there are already some fans arguing that Cheadle didn't deserve the nomination at all. And Don Cheadle is clapping back.

Don Cheadle, who will star in his own Disney+ MCU series as Rhodey down the line, initially hit Twitter to acknowledge his Emmy nomination in a pretty fun way, before he started clapping back at who he dubbed the "haters." Take a look!

The main objection that fans online seem to have with Don Cheadle being nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor (up against the likes of Courtney B. Vance of the sadly cancelled Lovecraft Country, Charles Dance of The Crown, and Timothy Olyphant and Carl Weathers from The Mandalorian) is that Rhodey didn't actually have much screentime on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, particularly compared to the competition in the category. Cheadle responded to a fan who suggested that he "step down" to make room for a different actor:

Considering the nominations are in and have been announced, Don Cheadle seems to have a much better handle on the Emmy process than the person telling him to step down on social media. It's a bit late for Cheadle not to be nominated for his latest performance as Rhodey! Another person on Twitter took a different tack regarding his divisive Emmy nomination:

According to that particular fan, Don Cheadle deserves the accolade, and it's the fault of the "moronic Emmy committee" that Cheadle scored a nomination for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Not quite the most passionate defense of Cheadle, if you ask me, and the actor himself didn't seem to know what to make of it. To contrast, his reaction to another person suggesting that he try to give the nomination to somebody else is pretty entertaining:

That Twitter fan may not have gotten the reaction they were looking for, but at least they can say they made Don Cheadle laugh! And there was somebody on social media who pointed out what some of the people complaining about Cheadle's nomination evidently missed, and Cheadle gave a gif of approval:

As Don Cheadle's supporter noted, not being in the running isn't really an option once the nominations are in, unlike when former Grey's Anatomy actress Katherine Heigl withdrew her own name from Emmy consideration before the nomination process was finished because she felt the material wasn't Emmy-worthy. And Marlon Brando also famously did not attend the 1973 Academy Awards to make a statement, but he still won the Oscar for his role in The Godfather.

All things considered, Don Cheadle seems more amused than offended at the people on social media who are already complaining at the Outstanding Guest Actor nomination. And it's worth noting that there are plenty of people on Twitter supporting Cheadle and congratulating him for the nomination, which helped put superhero series on the map for awards contention when the genre is usually ignored by the major TV awards events.

Don Cheadle's nomination was the only one for Falcon and the Winter Soldier, although fellow MCU series WandaVision scored several nominations in big categories, and Amazon's The Boys is in the running for Outstanding Drama Series. If you want to check out Cheadle's latest appearance as Rhodey, you can find The Falcon and the Winter Soldier streaming on Disney+ now!

This year's round of Emmy nominations have arrived and, while this can be an exciting time for many, it can be a mixed bag for fans of superhero shows. For years, the Television Academy has seemed hesitant to give genre shows love, aside from technical awards (which are also important). However, we’re starting to see a major shift due to the evolution of the superhero genre, which is arguably making the academy give such shows a second look. Now with the nominations for the 2021 Primetime Emmy nominations, WandaVision and The Boys and other series are proving that comic book superheroes are finally getting the recognition they deserve.

Today, it was revealed that Marvel Studios’ WandaVision, Disney+'s first Marvel Cinematic Universe-set series, has scored several major nominations. Leading lady Elizabeth Olsen received a nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Meanwhile, co-lead Paul Bettany scored a nod for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Scene-stealer Kathryn Hahn also grabbed a nod for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series. And if that weren’t exciting enough, the Disney+ series also landed a nomination for Limited or Anthology Series.

WandaVision’s behind-the-scenes talent also managed to get some recognition from the Television Academy. Director Matt Shakman earned himself a nod for Outstanding Directing in a Limited or Anthology Series. The show also picked up three separate nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Limited, Anthology or Movie. Chuck Hayward and Peter Cameron scored nods for “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!,” Laura Donney earned a nod for “Previously On” and head writer and producer Jac Schaeffer landed a nomination for her work on “Filmed Before A Live Studio Audience.” Also, the show brought in nominations for makeup and hairstyling, costuming, music and other technical honors.

Amazon’s The Boys may not have picked up as many nominations, but it still has plenty of reason to celebrate. The hilarious, violent, raunchy and politically astute superhero series earned a nomination for Drama Series, putting it alongside shows like The Crown, The Handmaid’s Tale, Pose and The Mandalorian. In addition, Rebecca Sonnenshine, who penned the Season 2 finale “What I Know,” scored a nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama. Not too shabby for a show featuring a baby that shoots laser beams from its eyes.

On a more low-key note, another Marvel series also managed to snag a nomination. Don Cheadle, who appeared as James Rhodes in the premiere episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, earned an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series. The Disney+ series also picked up noms for stunt coordination and stunt performance.

And if you thought these were the only comic book shows to get love from the Emmys, you'd be wrong. Netflix's The Umbrella Academy earned special effects honors for a Season 2 episode. In addition, DC's underrated superhero romp, Doom Patrol, was also nominated in the category of stunt coordination.

All of the aforementioned shows have received positive reviews during their respective seasons/runs. WandaVision, in particular, seemed to be assured a shoo-in for at least one category. However, I’m not sure many would’ve expected this much recognition for them, yet you love to see it.

It’s hard not to consider what this could mean going forward, especially as superhero shows continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with the genre. It’s a lengthy conversation to have but, at the moment, let’s just bask in the glow of these nominations.

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Space Jam: A New Legacy is nearly here and will see LeBron James lead the Looney Tunes in a high-stakes game of basketball. But they won’t be going up against a gang of extraterrestrials this time. A New Legacy introduces audiences to Al-G Rhythm, Don Cheadle’s scheming algorithm (get it?), who challenges King James with his own Goon Squad. James and Cheadle’s characters may have gotten to play against one another in the movie, but such a matchup didn’t actually happen off camera. However, Cheadle has a great reason for never playing the NBA star in a real game while on the set.

For many, working with an athlete has to be a dream come true, especially one of LeBron James’ caliber, and some may be tempted to challenge said athlete to a game. So when I had the opportunity to speak with Don Cheadle about Space Jam: A New Legacy, he was sorry to say he didn’t get the chance to hoop it up with James. But as he explained, this was due to one of the production’s biggest objectives: keeping LeBron James safe during the shoot:

It’s hard to argue with Don Cheadle and the production team on that front, as an injury to LeBron James would’ve been unfortunate on a few levels. In addition to potentially delaying production on Space Jam: A New Legacy, it also could’ve had an impact on James’ main gig with the Los Angeles Lakers. And what likely added to the precautions is that James was already semi-nursing an injury from the 2018-2019 NBA season. Luckily though, everything turned out just fine, as neither James nor his co-stars were hurt while making the movie.

Interestingly enough, off-camera basketball games are kind of a tradition for the Space Jam franchise. In an effort to keep in shape for the upcoming NBA season while working on the 1996 film, Michael Jordan held evening scrimmages with fellow NBA players of the time, who were either starring in the movie or exclusively invited. Hall of famer Reggie Miller even remembers them as “some of the best games” he’d played in. The only downside is that, apparently, none of those games featured Space Jam scene-stealer Bill Murray. The original Space Jam is available to stream on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

Don Cheadle and LeBron James may not have been able to have experiences like that but, based on what’s been shown from the film, their climactic basketball game is primed to be one for the ages. We’ll see who comes out on top at the Space Jam!

Space Jam: A New Legacy hits theaters and HBO Max on July 16th.