We are now coming to the end of what has been a stellar year for Stephen King adaptations. A total of six different projects premiered either on the big screen or on television, and they have spanned just about the entire calendar – from Osgood Perkins' The Monkey back in February, to HBO's IT: Welcome To Derry, which will air its Season 1 finale this Sunday. As great as it is to look back at what came out in 2025, however, there is also what seems to be a never-ending flow of new King adaptations in the works, and now joining that list is a project that is being personally developed by Giancarlo Esposito.

The Breaking Bad star has some interesting history with King, as he had a small role in 1986's Maximum Overdrive (the author's notorious directorial debut) and starred in the premiere episode of the anthology series Creepshow (which is based on King's short story "Gray Matter"). Now, according to Deadline, he is working to make a movie based on "The Dreamers" – which happens to be my favorite novella included in the 2024 omnibus You Like It Darker. Esposito says that a deal is presently being finalized to make the adaptation, and he collaborating with screenwriter Guy Busick, with whom he had the chance to work on the 2024 horror movie Abigail.

Easily the scariest story in Stephen King's most recent collection of short stories, "The Dreamers" is about a skilled transcriptionist who lands a gig working for an eccentric scientist in the town of Castle Rock, Maine. His employer is working to discover what exists beneath dreams, and experiments see test subjects given a hypnotic drug before studying a picture of a house built in a forest, which they are told to mentally explore. The tests at first result in strange happenings, but before too long, it escalates to full-on Lovecraftian nightmare.

Some of the imagery in the book is deeply shocking, and I am beyond excited to see them brought to life on the big screen. Horror fans should keep their fingers tightly crossed for this one.

In addition to co-writing the aforementioned Abigail, Guy Busick is best known for being part of the writing teams that brought us Ready Or Not, 2022's Scream, Scream VI and Final Destination: Bloodlines. Like Giancarlo Esposito, however, he also has his own past with Stephen King, as he was a writer/story editor on Season 2 of the Hulu original series Castle Rock. His upcoming projects include both Scream 7 (which will be released in February 2026) and Ready Or Not: Here I Come (April 2026).

As far as upcoming Stephen King projects are concerned, the only one presently expected to be released next year is Mike Flanagan's Carrie series for Amazon Prime Video... but things can develop quickly in Hollywood, and we'll have to wait and see if that changes. Stay tuned for more news here on CinemaBlend about developing King movies, TV shows, and limited series – which will hopefully include updates about The Dreamers.

Everyone loves a ruthless TV villain. From Cersei Lannister to J.R. Ewing to Mr. Burns, great villains come in all kinds of ways on our television schedule. They may be cold and calculating, or they may be impulsive and crazy, but a great villain always makes for a much better show. This is a list of just a few of my favorite and most ruthless villains in TV history. Enjoy! If you don't, they may come for you.

J.R. Ewing (Dallas)

J.R. Ewing (Larry Hagman) was a villain who was so cunning and so ruthless that when he was shot on the Season 3 finale of Dallas, literally all of America waited months to find out who shot him. It wasn't just one of the best cliffhangers ever; it was a cultural moment that I don't think will ever be matched.

Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

When you're a mob boss and your worst enemy is your mother, you know you're in a bad spot. Livia Soprano, Tony's domineering and, frankly, nasty, mother, played by the late Nancy Marchand, was a brilliant antagonist for the powerful boss of the family. She was so underhanded and so unhinged at times, you never knew just what she was capable of or if there was any good in her at all. It would have been amazing to see where her character went, had we not tragically lost Marchand during the show's run.

Kilgrave (Jessica Jones)

Kilgrave, played by David Tennant in Jessica Jones, just might be my favorite comic book villain in the modern era. The fact that his ability to change the reality you understand in your own head is diabolical and terrifying. Tennant's performance is flat-out amazing.

Gus Fring (Breaking Bad)

Giancarlo Esposito's performance as Gus Fring, the mortal enemy of Walter White (Bryan Cranston) in Breaking Bad, is simply terrifying. He's calm and cold while exacting terrible violence. He's ruthless in his pursuit to control the game, and he's completely without remorse. It's the perfect combination to make an amazing villain.

Nina Myers (24)

There is nothing more ruthless than turning on your co-worker and country, like Nina Myers (Sarah Clarke) did in Season 1 of 24. It was a moment that completely blew viewers' minds, who never could have predicted that Jack Bauer's right-hand woman would end up the villain.

Negan (The Walking Dead)

I'll make a confession here: Negan (Jefferey Dean Morgan) was too much for me. I started to tune out of The Walking Dead right about the time he entered. He was just too violent and too mean for me to keep going. The Walking Dead had a number of great villains, but for me, he's the king of the worst.

The Trinity Killer (Dexter)

The only person to actually match wits with Dexter on the show of the same name was, of course, Arthur Mitchell, aka The Trinity Killer, played by the brilliant John Lithgow. He was an unbelievable foe for everyone's favorite anti-hero/serial killer and a big reason the show was as successful as it was over the years.

Aunt Lydia (The Handmaid's Tale)

The Handmaid's Tale is one of the hardest shows to watch, ever. There is just so much evil throughout virtually every moment of the show. That evil is personified by Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd), the "aunt" who is "caring" for June Osborne/Offred and her fellow handmaids. It's impossible to sum up just how evil she is.

Moriarty (Sherlock)

One of the greatest villains in Western literature is Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes books. On the show Sherlock, Moriarty is portrayed perfectly in a modernized way by Andrew Scott. He is a master criminal, sure, but really, he just wants to torment our hero, Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch)

Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)

Any villain who once tried to block out the sun to drive up profits for his company belongs on this list. Mr. Burns' attempt to shroud Springfield in darkness on The Simpsons led to dozens of suspects after he was shot. Of course, it was actually CM Burms' attempt to steal candy from a baby that actually got him shot. It's a toss-up as to which is worse.

Homelander (The Boys)

One of the most disturbing villains you can watch with a Prime subscription has to be Homelander from The Boys. He finally answers the question: "What if Superman were evil?" Luckily, he's as funny as he is scary, which makes him as watchable as any other baddie on this list.

Cersei Lannister (Game Of Thrones)

One show that gave us all multiple villains that could be on this is Game of Thrones. Perhaps the most coniving, most ruthless, and most disturbing of them all was Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). She made it (almost) to the bitter end of the show after setting herself up as the villain very early on. She wasn't alone, but she was the most dangerous in the game.

Vern Schillinger (Oz)

Vern Schillinger (J.K. Simmons) is the personification of evil on Oz. The racist prisoner was ruthless, but he was also weak in a lot of ways, making him even more dangerous.

Al Swearengen (Deadwood)

There are no villains on this list with the verbal panache of Al Swearengen on Deadwood. Ian McShane's performance, delivering those amazing lines like only he could, made Swearengen a fan favorite, despite just how awful he could be. Just hope he doesn't turn that silver tongue on you, or you might get fed to the pigs next.

Ben Linus (Lost)

This first season on Lost saw the castaways mostly fighting among themselves. There was no real "villain" until the 14th episode of the show's second season. That is when Henry Gale is captured by Rousseau. Soon, we would all learn his real name, Ben Linus, and his real motive, and they weren't benevolent. Actor Michael Emerson played the role perfectly.

Wilson Fisk (Daredevil)

Matching his brains with tremendous brawn, Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) has everything he needs to be one of the most powerful baddies on this list. In both the original Daredevil, which streamed on Netflix before moving to Disney+, and Daredevil: Reborn, Kingpin is as formidable as any villain ever. It doesn't hurt to have the talented D'Onofrio playing the supervillain, one of Marvel's best.

Alexis Carrington (Dynasty)

What J.R. Ewing did for Dallas, Alexis Carrington (Joan Collins) did for Dynasty. The show was a direct response to Dallas, and it had the same vibe, and Alexis was just as conniving and ruthless as J.R.

Skeletor (He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe)

This one is personal. When I was a kid, I was actually a little scared of Skeletor in the original He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe cartoon. He's been the central villain throughout all of the various versions of the franchise. He was thwarted most of the time, but he never stopped coming at He-Man and his cohorts.

Hannibal Lecter (Hannibal)

One of the most ruthless and terrifying villains on TV and on the silver screen has to be Hannibal Lecter. The cannibal psychiatrist was played by Mads Mikkelsen on the show Hannibal, after Sir Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar playing the role in The Silence Of The Lambs. Whomever plays him, he's pure evil.

Marlo Stanfield (The Wire)

One of the things that makes The Wire such an amazing show, one of the best shows ever in the peak era of television, was that there were very few pure villains. Every character, cop or criminal, was presented in shades of gray. Some good, some bad. One character that was pretty much all bad, however, was Marlo Stanfield (Jamie Hector). His takeover of the drug trade in Baltimore was as ruthless a takeover as you could imagine. He was cold and calculating, but he wasn't afraid to be as violent as he could.

Sue Sylvester (Glee)

Sue Sylvester might not be the most violent or the most criminal villain on this list, but that doesn't mean that she is any less ruthless in the pursuit of her goals than anyone else on this list. The great Jane Lynch was born to play the role, too. She was not only ruthless, she was hilarious. The perfect example of a character we all love to hate, and that's a complete compliment to the great Ms. Lynch.

Damon Pope (Sons Of Anarchy)

It wasn't often that SAMCRO ran up against a foe that they couldn't take out pretty easily in Sons of Anarchy. Damon Pope, played by Harold Perrineau, was one exception to that rule. Pope was the main antagonist in Season 5 of the show, and he was responsible for one of the most brutal deaths in SOA history when he arranged Opie's death in front of his brothers. I still get sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

Joffery Baratheon (Game Of Thrones)

In a show full of villains, Joffrey Baratheon was the most unpredictable and the most ruthlessly violent. He was a terrible sadist, as shown over and over, and he had absolutely no morals. He is among the most hated TV villains of all time.

Thomas Barrow (Downton Abbey)

Downton Abbey isn't a show that jumps out as having any ruthless villains, but Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) definitely fits the bill here. He's conniving, sniveling, and awful. Sometimes his motives don't even seem reasonable, but that doesn't stop him from trying to undermine his perceived enemies.

Ralph Cifaretto (The Sopranos)

The Sopranos never really found a villain quite as evil as Livia Soprano, but when Ralph Cifaretto (Joe Pantoliano) returns from Miami in Season 3, we did get a formidable foe to Tony. He was rash and violent, but he also always found a way to justify his questionable decisions, even when they went against Tony's orders.

Amanda Woodward (Melrose Place)

As a spinoff of Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place was decidedly more "adult," not just in the age of the characters, but in the way those characters acted and were treated. 90210 didn't really have villains, but Melrose had Amanda Woodward, played by the wonderful Heather Locklear. While she did garner some sympathy as the seasons rolled on, in the beginning, she was 100% villain.

Newman (Seinfeld)

There aren't a whole lot of villains in sitcoms, at least, not any as devious as Jerry's neighbor Newman (Wayne Knight). He was buddies with Kramer, but a sworn enemy of Jerry's, and it made every single interaction between the two characters hilarious. The disdain they had for each other was palpable every time they met. Newman and Jerry got along.

Sideshow Bob (The Simpsons)

While Mr. Burns is a villain to everyone in Springfield (even Smithers most of the time), Sideshow Bob (voiced by Kelsey Grammer) is a villain to just one poor kid in town, Bart Simpson. Over the years, the Bond Villain-like Bob has come up with all kinds of schemes to take out who he thinks is his nemesis, but he is thwarted each time. It's made for some of the best episodes of The Simpsons.

Sylar (Heroes)

Sylar (Zachary Quinto) was not only ruthless on Heroes, but he was insanely powerful, and that made him one of the scariest villains on this whole list. Zachary Quinto played the role masterfully,

The Governor (The Walking Dead)

Of all the villains in The Walking Dead, The Governor, played by David Morrissey in Seasons 3 and 4, is one of the most menacing. Maybe it's the eye patch, but there was always something very unsettling about him, even when he wasn't being totally awful (which was rare). The villains got more violent as the show went on, but they didn't get any scarier than The Governor.

Villanelle (Killing Eve)

Villanelle's cat-and-mouse game with Eve (Sandra Oh) is what makes the show so great. Jodie Comer, who plays Villanelle, and Sandra Oh have great on-screen chemistry, which is often underrated when it comes to great villains on TV. Sometimes, the back-and-forth is what makes the adversaries great.

Rowan Pope (Scandal)

It's always bad when your most ruthless enemy is part of your family. For Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington), her father, Rowan Pope (Joe Morton), was the one enemy who knew how to really twist the knife in the normally unflappable Olivia.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article gives away a detail from The Fantastic Four: First Steps that honestly will not ruin the new 2025 movie for you at all. However, if you still wish to go into every cinematic release with the absolute freshest of eyes, proceed with caution.

Marvel Studios seems to have an unspoken goal of inducting as many names from Hollywood’s A-List into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as possible, even if that means casting them in a small part of little to no significance. This has actually happened on more than one occasion, including in the latest Marvel movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. I’ll start there as I recall some of the big stars who took on decidedly minuscule roles in the MCU.

Natasha Lyonne In The Fantastic Four: First Steps

CinemaBlend’s Adam Holmes suspected that Natasha Lyonne would be voicing H.E.R.B.I.E., a robotic assistant, in The Fantastic Four: First Steps prior to its release, but she ended up playing a love interest to The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) named Rachel. The teacher only shows up for a couple of brief scenes and is never brought up again, which makes me wonder if Marvel is keeping an opportunity open for Ben Grimm to meet Alicia Masters in a later film. However, that also makes me wonder why the Poker Face star’s role was introduced in the first place.

Wendell Pierce In Thunderbolts*

Twice in 2025, Wendell Pierce appeared in a new superhero movie for what amounted to a few, relatively inconsequential minutes, the most recent being in the new DC movie, Superman, as The Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White. A couple of months earlier, he showed up in Thunderbolts* as Gary, a Congressman who, in a subplot that I have almost completely forgotten about, has it out for Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and wants to see her impeached.

Giancarlo Esposito In Captain America: Brave New World

One issue I had with 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World is how it makes Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder a throwaway side character. How does one cast an actor who has perfected the art of villainy (i.e. Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian, The Boys) and make him the secondary antagonist to Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel “The Leader” Sterns? I just hope the claims that we will see more of the terrorist leader are true.

John C. Reilly In Guardians Of The Galaxy

At the time Guardians of the Galaxy was released in 2014, John C. Reilly was one of the biggest names in the cast. Yet, the Academy Award nominee’s Corpsman Dey is one of the hilarious space adventure’s most forgettable characters, which might not have been the case if he had been brought back in at least one of the sequels.

Idris Elba In Thor

I would not say that Heimdall is really a random or unimportant role in the Thor movies, considering he does guard the Bifrost and shows up in six MCU installments, not counting a What If…? episode. However, it is a pretty small role for an actor as popular and acclaimed as Idris Elba, especially when compared to his other, more prominent comic book movie roles in The Losers, The Suicide Squad, and more.

Benicio Del Toro In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Speaking as a huge fan of Guardians of the Galaxy, I think we can all agree that The Collector’s sole purpose in that film, and ultimately the MCU as a whole, is to provide exposition. Quite frankly, I believe Academy Award winner Benicio del Toro deserves more chances to make this bizarre character really stand out.

Hannibal Buress In Spider-Man: Homecoming

Donald Glover’s role in Spider-Man: Homecoming is surprisingly small for an artist of his magnitude, but still noteworthy for his previous connections to the webslinger and his reprisal cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse as Aaron “The Prowler” Davis. The one who really gets the short end of the stick in the 2017 hit is acclaimed comedian Hannibal Buress, who appears just twice and for mere seconds at a time as Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) gym teacher, Coach Wilson. He would show up again in No Way Home, but for even less time.

Just to reiterate how little of an impact Buress’ character makes on Homecoming, the comedian couldn’t make it to the premiere and hired a lookalike to pose as him, and barely anyone noticed. I don’t think it should be that easy for an actor to pull off an otherwise brilliant stunt like this at a red carpet event for a huge blockbuster they are appearing in. In other words, Marvel, if you can get the best, give them the best.

It was just three months ago that Captain America: Brave New World was released onto the 2025 movies schedule, and it’s been available on home media for a month. Now the time has come for those of you who’ve been waiting to watch Brave New World with a Disney+ subscription to do just that, as the 35th MCU movie is finally available on the Mouse House’s streaming platform. To commemorate this big day for the Captain America fans out there, CinemaBlend has the above exclusive clip to share of Harrison Ford and other talent from the superhero flick sharing their thoughts on being in the MCU.

What It’s Like Being A Part Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe?

You may recall how in mid-April, we shared a behind-the-scenes video going over Sam Wilson fighting enemies “way above his weight class” in Captain America: Brave New World. Now we have this video that starts off spotlighting Harrison Ford, Giancarlo Esposito and Shira Haas discussing why they enjoyed getting to take part in the MCU.

Ford, who played President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, kicked off by saying how he signed on to take over the role previously played by the late William Hurt signed onto Brave New World because he was enticed by the actors who appear in these movies and the quality of the work they do while having fun. It looked “attractive” to him, and he was “delighted” to have the opportunity to be a part of it. This marked Ford’s superhero movie debut, and it was made an even bigger deal with how he did the motion capture work for portraying the Red Hulk-transformed Ross.

Giancarlo Esposito, who played Sidewinder in scenes from the Captain America: Brave New World reshoots, described being in the movie as a “dream come true.” Not only does he admire what Marvel Studios does, he described his daughter as a “Captain America freak,” so of course he was going to accept this opportunity. Shira Haas, who played Ruth Bat-Seraph, also described being in Brave New World as a “dream,” as well as a privilege, and described her experience as being part of a “family.”

What’s It Like Working With Harrison Ford?

Going back to Harrison Ford, this clip also shows director Julius Onah and producer Nate Moore talking about what it was like for them to work with the Indiana Jones actor. Onah acknowledged that it was initially “intimidating” because he’s such an “icon,” but then soon realized how “down to Earth” he was and enjoyed talking with him about what needed to be done with Thaddeus Ross. Moore called Ford a “legend” and was impressed by how seriously the actor took the process of making sure Ross and Red Hulk felt like real people.

Considering that Captain America: Brave New World ended with Ross still alive and incarcerated within The Vault so that he couldn’t endanger anyone if he Red Hulk-ed out again, I’m crossing my fingers that he’s secretly set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. The kind of muscle he’s packing would come in handy against Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom. Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie will for sure fly back into action as Sam Wilson when Doomsday comes out on December 18, 2026.

Shonda Rhimes has a new series on the 2025 TV schedule called The Residence, in which Uzo Aduba’s Cordelia Cupp, the detail-oriented, bird-loving police consultant, is called to the White House to investigate the murder of Chief Usher A.B. Wynter. The great Giancarlo Esposito portrays the fallen staffer, but that wasn’t the original plan. Andre Braugher was the first actor cast as Wynter, and Esposito spoke candidly about the “difficult decision” to step in following Braugher’s death.

Fans were devastated when Andre Braugher died in December 2023 after a battle with lung cancer. The Juilliard-trained actor was known for both dramatic roles and comedic ones like the beloved Raymond Holt on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Giancarlo Esposito had known and worked with Braugher for years. He told the AP that connection was on his mind when deciding if he wanted to take over the role on The Residence, saying:

It’s obvious that the Better Call Saul actor holds Andre Braugher in the highest regard, and I can’t imagine how tough that was on him and the rest of The Residence cast to have to reshoot the late actor’s scenes when production restarted following the shutdown.

It certainly wasn’t a decision Giancarlo Esposito took lightly, and he explained how he ultimately realized he could honor his friend through his performance. He continued:

Giancarlo Esposito has stayed in demand lately, even boasting a couple of credits on the 2025 movie calendar already, and he’s appeared on multiple series including The Boys and The Mandalorian. He may have been a late addition to the new Netflix series, but he fit right in with impressive names like the previously mentioned Uzo Aduba, Susan Kelechi Watson (after a disappointingly short stint on Will Trent), Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Randall Park, Taran Killam and many more.

The Residence, which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription, centers around a fictional murder, but Shonda Rhimes used the book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower as her guide. The source material offers a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the president’s home through interviews with real-life maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen and other former staffers.

As upsetting as the situation must have been to lose Andre Braugher, I love that Giancarlo Esposito is honoring him through the character, and I’d say Wynter is in good hands.

While there is only a deluge of new Marvel movies to come, "superhero fatigue" has been becoming more and more apparent. Not because we the audience is tired of supes, but more because the stories within these movies have been feeling flat recently. They haven’t been terrible, but recent entries like Captain America: Brave New World just feel like the stories are held back by writing choices, that don’t land. And that feels more apparent when entries like Brave New World are given massive reshoots and rewrites mid-production. Actor Giancarlo Esposito gives some insight on his character, and how it came together.

Previously, the producers of Brave New World have given some insight into why Giancarlo Esposito’s character was added so late in the production of the movie, as for the producers it was an attempt to try and "find the perfect political thriller tone". Now, in an interview with Empire, The Mandalorian star gave his perspective to the addition of his character. (Spoilers Ahead if it wasn’t already obvious.)

It was revealed in Brave New World that we have seen the MCU version of the Serpent Society, led by Esposito as Sidewinder. Something that was confirmed officially for us, offscreen, at San Diego Comic-Con. When building the character of Sidewinder and how they wanted to tackle his depiction in the movie, Esposito had this to say:

Now, reviews of the movie itself have been a mixed bag, for some the movie has made long-time fans a little nervous about the future of the MCU. While others found the movie alright, but the specific addition of the Serpent Society was viewed to be mishandled. Something I can agree on myself, mainly because for me it really did feel like they just added it in last minute... because they did.

But all in all, I don’t think that’s where the movie fell flat. In most critiques of the film, my own personal one included, the main issue across the board is that Brave New World didn’t try much in the bravery or new world aspect of the title.

Brave New World doesn’t really try anything too ambitious or new, at times it felt as though I was just watching Sam be a passive player in the continuation of other people’s stories, rather than his own. The trailers painted this as Sam finding his footing as being the new Captain America after Steve leaving, and what it means to take up a mantle that has been dominated by one person for such a long time. However, at times, it felt as though in a attempt to not step on the toes of any real life political conflicts, Brave New World threw in a plotline at the last minute to separate itself.

And while I know people are going to say for me to watch Falcon and The Winter Soldier, for a movie that was meant to be a focus on Captain America, it really didn’t feel like it at times.

This is especially because some of Brave New Worlds major twists were already spoiled in the promotional material, or already confirmed to us offscreen in real-world cast meetups. Even in its own marketing, the movie didn’t feel confident in the story, and I think that’s the biggest folly even though the casting was really good, and the actors had really good performances.

Overall, I am keeping my fingers crossed for The Fantastic Four: First Steps and some of the upcoming Marvel entries will be able to learn, and be able to pick up on some of the fumbles that other entries have been having recently. There are already some things that Brave New World has done, that fans already want to be changed before the bigger Avengers movies come out.

Warning: SPOILERS for Captain America: Brave New World are ahead!

The 2025 movies schedule has delivered its first MCU offering in the form of Captain America: Brave New World, which sees Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson taking over the film series following Steve Rogers’ tenure as the Star Spangled Avenger. However, the 35th of the Marvel movies in order also serves as an indirect sequel to The Incredible Hulk, which is best showcased by Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (who becomes Red Hulk) and Samuel Sterns, a.k.a. The Leader, being its main antagonistic figures. The 2008 MCU flick is definitely worth streaming with a Disney+ subscription before heading into this new movie.

But that’s not to say that Brave New World is entirely devoid of Captain America villains, as we also see Sam fighting the Serpent Society, led by Giancarlo Esposito’s Seth Voelker, a.k.a. Sidewinder. Unfortunately, while I thought this movie was a fine enough watch (I’d give it a higher score than what our own Eric Eisenberg gave it in his Captain America: Brave New World review), one of the first thoughts I had while exiting the theater was how underwhelming the Serpent Society was handled.

The Serpent Society Feels Incredibly Generic In Brave New World

The MCU’s use of this supervillain team amusingly pays off on a joke over a decade old. Back in 2014, the title of the third Captain America movie was first announced at a special event to be Captain America: Serpent Society, only for this to be declared fake mere moments later and Captain America: Civil War to be revealed as the main title. Alas, this payoff didn’t really stick the landing in my book, as the Serpent Society end up being incredibly generic.

I’ll talk more about this later, but one of the most notable changes that came from the Captain America: Brave New World reshoots was the redevelopment of the Serpent Society. Instead of being a team of costumed supervillains, they’re now just a rogue black ops group, also referred to as SERPENT, that came into conflict with Captain America when he foiled the sale of an adamantium sample that they’d stolen from Japan. We later learned that Sterns was the buyer, but he never intended to show up, as he was enacting a plan that he’d calculated 10 steps ahead.

With the exception of SERPENT being uttered a few times, a few snake-themed code names and some of the colors on Sidewinder’s clothes calling back to his comic book counterpart’s costume, there’s nothing about these gun-toting bad guys that remotely resembles the Serpent Society. In fact, on the subject of code names, the only other SERPENT member who gets one is Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson’s Copperhead, and I don’t think it’s actually said in Brave New World, only how he’s credited. The point being, there’s nothing to make this take on the Serpent Society stand out from the black ops groups we saw in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War respectively led by Batroc the Leaper and Crossbones.

Giancarlo Esposito’s Scenes Feel Noticeably Separate From The Rest Of The Movie

Giancarlo Esposito wasn’t around for Captain America: Brave New World’s principal photography. He only joined the movie when his schedule became open for the reshoots period, with his inclusion meant to add an a extra infusion of star power and help with giving Brave New World the “perfect political thriller tone,” as producer Nate Moore described it. Esposito replaced the WWE’s Seth Rollins and Alita: Battle Angel’s Rosa Salazar, which, again, we’ll talk more about later.

I don’t mind that Esposito was added to Brave New World, although I’m still curious what his take on Professor X would have looked like. The problem is that not only is he the only memorable aspect of SERPENT, as even Copperhead’s fight with Sam was pretty cookie cutter, he doesn’t share any screen time with significant characters other than Sam. They fight two times, and then Sam later visits Sidewinder to learn information that helps him deduce what Samuel Sterns is plotting. Sidewinder also promised to escape incarceration, setting up his eventual return in one of the upcoming Marvel TV shows.

I get that it’s a challenge to make reshoots footage blend in seamlessly with what was shot during principal photography, but Giancarlo Espositio’s scenes ended up feeling weirdly separated from the rest of the movie. Maybe I’d have felt differently if we’d seen Sidewinder at track down Samuel Sterns, as that way Espositio could have performed opposite Tim Blake Nelson. As it stands now, while I won’t mind seeing Sidewinder again at some point, I couldn’t care less if he’s still affiliated with the Serpent Society or not.

I Wish We Could’ve Seen The Original Incarnation Of The Serpent Society

Had the original version of Captain America: Brave New World made it to theaters, we would’ve seen Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback leading the Serpent Society and Seth Rollins allegedly playing Cobra. While no official footage of them was ever released, leaked set photos revealed that they would fought Sam Wilson in an airport battle. Furthermore, according to scooper @CanWeGetSomeToast (via Reddit), Constrictor, Rattler and Asp were also on the team, and all five members had special powers from cybernetic enhancements.

I thought the MCU had reached a place where it didn’t feel the need to shy away from colorful, costumed supervillains, even in something like Brave New World. After all, while I understand that this is one of the more grounded entries in the MCU, this is still a movie where a super intelligent, green-skinned guy with his brain showing arranges to have the president of the United States transformed into a crimson-colored rage monster. Would it really have been too out there to have the original Serpent Society causing trouble as well?

I’m not saying that first version of the team would have gone down in the pantheon of great MCU villains, but at least they would have stood out more than the team we got. Then I’d have a slightly improved opinion of Captain America: Brave New World. If Sidewinder is leading the Serpent Society when he reemerges, I hope the team is represented in a way that’s more faithful to the comics.

When Captain America: Brave New World began filming in early 2023, Giancarlo Esposito was not involved with it in any way. This was back when he was still expressing interest in playing Professor X, but then when May 2024 came around, the Breaking Bad alum confirmed he’d be taking part in the Brave New World’s additional photography, more commonly known as reshoots. We’ve since learned that Esposito is playing Seth Voelker, a.k.a. Sidewinder, and Captain America 4 producer Nate Moore opened up about why the actor was added so late into the making of the upcoming Marvel movie, which boiled down to wanting Brave New World’s political thriller tone to be properly reflected.

In an interview with The National, Moore, who will be leaving his position as Marvel Studios’ Vice President of Production and Development next month, explained that prior to Brave New World’s reshoots, the movie had “tonal inconsistencies,” resulting in the creative team deciding to “focus on its political thriller ambitions.” Recruiting Esposito was one of several ways this was accomplished, with Moore saying:

In the comics, Sidewinder is the leader of the supervillain group known as the Serpent Society, which has been antagonizing Captain America and his allies stretching back to 1985’s Captain America #310. Amusingly, when Captain America: Civil War was announced in 2014, the title was initially jokingly revealed as Captain America: Serpent Society, but now the time has come for several of its members to make their big screen debut. However, how they’ll be depicted in Captain America: Brave New World differs heavily from what the plan was for them during principal photography. In the case of the WWE’s Seth Rollins, his scenes as a Serpent Society member were completely cut from the movie.

Nate Moore’s explanation of taking steps to ground Captain America: Brave New World in its core political thriller vibe echo what director Julius Onah said earlier this week about how their came a point where things just weren’t working out with the “individuals dressed up as snakes and have snake-adjacent powers,” Once Giancarlo Esposito became available, that resulted in the stronger push towards the “grounded tone and vision” that Onah wanted for his movie. As things stand now, Esposito’s Sidewinder (whom we may see more of in the MCU) and Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback are the only confirmed Serpent Society characters appearing.

Obviously, though, Captain America: Brave New World won’t be lacking in fantastical elements, as evidenced by Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross transforming into Red Hulk and Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns having transformed into The Leader since we last saw him in The Incredible Hulk. We’ll see how the final product turns once it opens in theaters next Friday, February 14.

Be it Gus Fring from Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul, Moff Gideon from The Mandalorian, or Stan Edgar from The Boys, Giancarlo Esposito's on-screen villainy is usually of the shot caller variety, but we will get a fresh type of antagonism from the veteran actor in Captain America: Brave New World. Not just a chess player, Seth Voelker a.k.a. Sidewinder makes moves – and based on Esposito's recent comments about the part, it sounds like he won't just be a one-and-done Marvel Cinematic Universe star.

New York's ABC affiliate interviewed Giancarlo Esposito about his role in Captain America: Brave New World this past fall at LA Comic Con, and the recently published quotes suggest that his first appearance as Sidewinder won't be his last. The reporter asked about the look of the character compared to the comic book counterpart (who wears a red and purple costume and has a large orange neck frill), and he hinted at a potential evolution of the style going forward. Said the actor,

As far as the style is concerned, you can actually see what he means in the still at the top of this article. Specifically, it would appear as though the aforementioned orange neck frill sported by the Marvel Comics villain has been translated by the costume to department and become a more grounded style element: a tan jacket collar.

But let's focus in on that "movies to come" part of that response. We don't actually know a lot about how Sidewinder plays into the larger story of Captain America: Brave New World, but this quote would suggest that he will have unfinished business when everything is wrapping up in the third act. Perhaps the Serpent Society (a group that he leads) will have a significant presence in upcoming MCU movies leading into the big capstone projects waiting at the end of Phase 6: Avengers: Doomsday (arriving in May 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (coming in May 2027).

It's also equally possible that Giancarlo Esposito is simply messing with us here. If he is talking about appearing in future Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, that has the effect of lowering our guard and making Sidewinder feel "safe" as we watch Captain America: Brave New World. If it turns out he dies in the film, it will be that much bigger a surprise given his comments.

It won't be much longer until everyone in the world gets to discover the character's fate. Starring Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly and Shira Haas in addition to Giancarlo Esposito, the fourth Captain America blockbuster will be flying into theaters everywhere on February 14, 2025.

Giancarlo Esposito’s Moff Gideon has been one of the highlights of The Mandalorian on Disney+. The character was one that the actor was given almost complete freedom to create himself, That led to the fan-favorite actor him making one specific request of creators Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni. And I have to say, he was so right to ask for this creative detail.

Speaking at Los Angeles Comic Con (via People), Giancarlo Esposito revealed that when he was first brought on the first Star Wars series on Disney+, Filoni and Favreau were still very tight-lipped about the show, meaning that he didn’t have a great deal of direction as far as how to portray his character. Esposito did his own research, which resulted in one particular request regarding Moff Gideon’s wardrobe. The actor said…

I think we can all agree this was an excellent decision. It’s difficult to walk around wearing a cape and not look, and feel, larger than life. Giancarlo Esposito clearly saw this. He knew the cape would impact the way he carried himself on screen, and that was what he wanted.

Moff Gideon is one of the last vestiges of the old Empire. He’s a man who used to be important but now finds himself in a world that has moved on without him. Gideon still sees himself as important and carries himself that way. He’s dedicated to bringing back a world in which the Empire and he himself are at the center. That cape coveys all of that in a single look.

The Boys actor says he did go back and watch other characters in Star Wars while looking for inspiration for his own. Specifically, he looked to Peter Cushing, who played the first Grand Moff character, and of course, Darth Vader. Perhaps it was the way that Vader carried himself with a cape that inspired Moff Gideon’s look. Esposito continued…

While Giancarlo Esposito doesn’t credit David Prowse, the actor inside the Darth Vader costume, it’s clearly the way he carried himself that inspired the actor and likely led to Moff Gideon’s look. Though sounding like James Earl Jones would certainly help with the overall feeling of power in the character.

Whether we’ll get to see Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian again is unclear. He appeared to have died at the end of Mando Season 3, but the man previously tried to clone himself, and the actor has made it clear he’d be more than happy to return for the upcoming Mandalorian and Grogu movie that is set for release next year. Hopefully, we'll see the School Daze actor play this role -- cape and all again.

Check out Giancarlo Esposito's performances as Moff Gideon by streaming The Mandalorian's three seasons with a Disney+ subscription. is done with Star Wars as a franchise, he'll be plenty busy with another as he'll debut in the upcoming Marvel movie Captain America: Brave New World early next year.

Back in May, Better Call Saul and The Mandalorian alum Giancarlo Esposito revealed he was joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though not as Professor X, who he’d hoped to play for a while. Instead, he’d been tapped for a mystery role in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World, and earlier this month, the actor shared that no one had “guessed correctly” who he’s playing. Well, now we have the answer, because it’s been revealed that Esposito has been tapped to play Sidewinder, King of the Serpent Society, and this is a great choice for the upcoming Marvel movie.

This news comes straight out of San Diego Comic-Con from Marvel’s Hall H panel, where Esposito was on stage with other members of Captain America: Brave New World’s cast. He shared that the fans actually helped him get into the MCU, as fancasting was what linked the actor to Marvel Studios. The announcement of Esposito bringing Sidewinder to life in the MCU was met with cheers from the audience, and it’s nice to have a little bit of context to accompany the snippets of footage shown of him in the Brave New World trailer.

Officially speaking, this is the first confirmation we’ve gotten that the Serpent Society will be involved in Captain America: Brave New World. However, if you’ve been following along with this movie’s news cycle, the terrorist organization’s involvement shouldn’t come as a surprise. Various reports and leaked set photos had pointed to Seth Rollins playing King Cobra, one of the Serpent Society’s founding members. While it had been rumored in January that the Serpent Society had been cut from the movie, now we know not only know this isn’t true, but that Giancarlo Esposito’s Sidewinder will be leading the group, just like in the comics.

Given that the Serpent Society has antagonized Captain America in the comics for decades, including them in Captain America: Brave New World is a good call. However, here they’ll be facing off against Sam Wilson rather than Steve Rogers, as Anthony Mackie’s character finally embraced the star-spangled mantle at the end of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Let’s also not forget that a decade ago, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige announced at a special event that the third Captain America movie would be called Captain America: Serpent Society, only to say he was kidding and reveal the actual Captain America: Civil War title.

Of course, you need a charismatic actor to play the man who’s calling the shots in the Serpent Society, so I’m glad to hear that Giancarlo Esposito was tapped for the job, and that he’s not playing George Washington “G.W.” Bridge as had previously been rumored. I’m also hoping Sidewinder puts on an actual comics-faithful costume rather than just cause trouble in civilian clothes and sunglasses. Whatever goes down with Sidewinder in Brave New World, we can at least count on him surviving the movie, as Esposito has also said he’ll appear in an upcoming Marvel TV show.

Captain America: Brave New World premieres February 14 on the 2025 movies schedule. Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s other Marvel-related coverage coming from San Diego Comic-Con, including The Fantastic Four’s new title and Robert Downey Jr. returning for the next two Avengers movies.

There are few franchises quite as popular and beloved as Star Wars. While fans are still waiting for it to return to theaters with upcoming Star Wars movies, the franchise keeps expanding with live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. The Mandalorian was the first of these shows, and it'll be getting a movie adaptation directed by Jon Favreau. But will Giancarlo Esposito be back as Moff Gideon in that blockbuster? Here's the latest from the actor himself.

What we know about The Mandalorian and Grogu is slim, as the project is still very much in the development stage. Fans are eager to see the beloved characters go from TV to to the big screen, and how the story might be wrapped up. While in an interview with GQ, Esposito spoke about his possible future in the galaxy far, far away, offering:

Interesting. Esposito admitted that he hasn't been contacted by Favreau or Lucasfilm to reprise his role for the forthcoming Star Wars movie. But he seems to love his role as Gideon, and would be down to clown. Are you listening, Kathleen Kennedy?

A ton of Star Wars projects were announced in the years since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, many of which have since been scrapped. But it sounds like The Mando movie its actually happening, especially with the Jon Favreau behind the camera. It's just unclear what the story will be, especially as The Mandalorian Season 4 is expected to arrive before the property pivots to the big screen.

Of course, the biggest question surrounding if/when Giancarlo Esposito returns to Star Wars is whether or not a version of Moff Gideon is still alive. While he seemingly perished in The Mandalorian's Season 3 finale, it was also revealed that he was attempting to clone himself. In the same interview, the Breaking Bad actor addressed this question, offering:

There you have it. It sounds like Esposito thinks he was actually portraying a clone in the Season 3 finale, and that Moff Gideon might still be alive and well. This would certainly make sense, and would allow for a more epic conclusion when he once again battles Mando and Grogu. We'll just have to wait and see what Lucasfilm is cooking up for the beloved series.

The Mandalorian and Grogu is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 22nd, 2026, so fans are going to have to be patient. In the meantime, check the 2025 movie release dates.

Poker Face, which debuted on Peacock (one of the best streaming services) back in 2023, proved to be one of the best shows of the year. The mystery series, which comes from the mind of creator Rian Johnson and stars fellow EP Natasha Lyonne in the lead role, was praised for its wit, charm and compelling stories. What fans also enjoyed was the star-studded roster of actors that spanned those first 10 episodes. Anyone who’s been wondering if Season 2, which is currently in production, will include high-profile talent will be happy to know that will be the case. It’s been reported that Giancarlo Esposito, Katie Holmes and a couple of other talented stars will be joining the fray, and I’m too pumped!

News of the new cast additions comes by way of Variety, which listed a total of four stars that have been tapped for the series. In addition to Giancarlo Esposito and Katie Holmes, Kumail Nanjiani and Gaby Hoffmann will appear as well. The quartet’s exact roles were not revealed by the news outlet, which isn’t all that surprising. And, quite frankly, I’m not too concerned. That’s because I’m just pleased to know that these four stars will play roles in the continuing adventures of one Charlie Cale. 

All of these stars have some impressive credits to their names. Katie Holmes is, of course, a veteran actress whose work includes Disturbing Behavior, Batman Begins and Ray Donovan. Kumail Nanjiani’s star has risen in recent years, thanks to starring roles in The Big Sick, Silicon Valley, Eternals, Welcome to Chippendales and more. Meanwhile, seasoned performer Gaby Hoffman has Transparent, Girls, C’mon C’mon and Winning Time: The Rise of the Los Angeles Lakers on her resume. And, of course, Giancarlo Esposito is seemingly snatching up roles here and there in various mediums. When it comes to TV, he’s arguably most famous for Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, The Mandalorian and The Boys. So, yeah, none of these stars are slouches.

The first 10 episodes of Poker Face (which we’ve ranked) weren’t lacking when it came to talent as previously alluded to. Joining Natasha Lyonne for that string of installments were Judith Light, Nick Nolte, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Clea DuVall, Ron Perlman, Lil Rel Howery and more. What’s most impressive about the slate of stars is that each one perfectly slid into their role, which is a testament to the casting directors. It’s for that reason that I’m confident that these newcomers will be well served. 

Right now, plot details on the second season are slim, though the overall premise will likely remain intact. Each episode sees Charlie Cale, who’s on the run from the mob, crossing paths with different people. In the process of doing so, she finds herself tangled in mysteries, which she has a knack for solving due to her uncanny ability to detect when someone is lying. It may seem like a quirky premise, but I can’t recommend this show enough to Peacock subscribers.

The thought of these stars appearing on the hit show is just so exciting, and I have no doubt that each of them will play their respective roles to perfection. Here’s hoping that they all get to chew a bit of scenery (and that the second season gets here soon). 

You can stream the entire first season of Poker Face now alongside the best shows on Peacock. And, if you’re in need of something to watch now, check out the 2024 TV schedule, and it should give you some ideas.

Although Giancarlo Esposito’s desire to play Professor X in the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t end up becoming a reality, he will still get to participate in the popular superhero franchise. At the end of May, it was revealed that The Boys alum will appear in Captain America: Brave New World, and last week, the Captain America 4 trailer included a few shots of his character. The identity of this individual, however, remains a mystery, and while teasing his role in the upcoming Marvel movie, Esposito mentioned that “no one has guessed correctly” who he’s playing yet.

Esposito attended a panel this past weekend at the Fanboy Expo in Knoxville, Tennessee, and when a fan brought up his appearance in the Captain America: Brave New World trailer, here’s what he said to the audience (via @ResonantJustice):

This isn’t the first time that Giancarlo Esposito has described his MCU character as a badass. More importantly, not only will he not divulge any details about his rifle-toting player, but supposedly no one’s come close to figuring out who he is. This follows chatter on the internet that Esposito’s MCU character is George Washington “G.W.” Bridge, who was part of the mercenary group Six Pack and later joined S.H.I.E.L.D.

@MyTimeToShine, the outlet that originally shared the claim about Bridge, as since responded by saying that their sources confirmed Esposito’s character was referred to as “Bridge” on set. As they see it, this leaves one of two options: either the actor hasn’t seen the rumors about George Washington Bridge or “Bridge” was just a “codename.” If Esposito has been following the Captain America 4 news cycle closely, then the first option doesn’t seem plausible. Regardless, I suspect we’ll have to wait for the movie’s arrival on the 2025 release schedule for this mystery to be solved, though I’d certainly welcome this character’s identity being officially shared with a publication/outlet beforehand.

Unlike the majority of Captain America: Brave New World’s cast, Giancarlo Esposito wasn’t around during principal photography, instead joining during the reshoots in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s said to be playing a “villainous role,” which definitely comes across in the Brave New World trailer. Esposito also teased earlier this year that his character will have a bigger role in an upcoming Marvel TV show.

Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters on February 14, 2025. Stream the previous adventures of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson with your Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always growing, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is Captain America: Brave New World, which will feature Giancarlo Esposito in a mysterious role. And the Breaking Bad icon recently reacted to MCU rumors he’s playing Professor X and more. 

The cast list for Captain America: Brave New World is stacked, featuring a mixture of new and returning actors. The Mandalorian actor's role hasn't been confirmed yet, leading to a number of fan theories. Some fans particularly want to see Esposito as Professor X, as the X-Men are expected to have a major role in the shared universe moving forward. While recently speaking with ComicBook, Esposito addressed the ongoing discourse, offering:

There you have it. It sounds like Giancarlo Esposito has loved seeing the ongoing chatter about who he could/should play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And apparently that even includes DC characters like Batman villain Mr. Freeze. Sometimes when it comes to fan castings, we shouldn't think too hard about the details.

Esposito's comments show just how many characters fans have put out for him to play in the MCU. That includes both Professor X and Magneto, which is a testament to his versatility as an actor. Although personally I've always loved his more villainous side in projects like Breaking Bad, The Boys, and The Mandalorian. 

Whoever Esposito is playing in the MCU, we'll finally meet him when Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters in 2025. That movie has a ton going for it, including the return of characters from The Incredible Hulk, as well as Anthony Mackie's version of Cap. 

Ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties, moviegoers have been not-so-patiently waiting for characters like the Fantastic Four and the X-Men to join the MCU. Kevin Feige and company have spent a few years slowly teasing mutants' existence, including Ms. Marvel's ending and the credits scene of The Marvels. And it should be fun to see who ends up as Professor X and Magneto.

The next MCU movie hitting theater is Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26th. Check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater next year. 

Did you catch the news earlier this week this week that writer/director Osgood Perkins’ The Monkey is going to be both family-friendly and feature people exploding? That was a surprising update about the upcoming Stephen King movie from the director of Longlegs... but what isn’t surprising is that it’s not the only King-related development from this past week – providing me the opportunity to deliver a rich new edition of The King Beat.

In addition to my regular Recommendation of the Week, I also have for you Giancarlo Esposito’s reflections on the making of Maximum Overdrive (Stephen King’s one and only directorial effort) and an exciting update about Welcome To Derry that gives me hope that it won’t simply be a one-and-done streaming series. Let’s dig in!

Giancarlo Esposito Looks Back On His Time Working With Stephen King In The Making Of Maximum Overdrive

Over the last 50 years, Stephen King has established an incredible legacy as one of the most beloved fiction writers of all time – but not nearly as storied is his history as a feature film director. In the mid-1980s, the author took a shot at helming the movie Maximum Overdrive, an adaptation of his short story “Trucks,” and it’s not exactly remembered as a success. It has developed a cult audience in the decades since its release, and sports a kick-ass soundtrack by AC/DC, but it was a box office flop that got critically panned upon its theatrical release.

King hasn’t directed another movie since – which evidently came as a surprise to Giancarlo Esposito, who had a small supporting role in the film and thought during his time on set that it was going to launch a second career for the writer-cum-filmmaker.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing the actor earlier this week during the Los Angeles press day for his upcoming horror film MaXXXine, and when I realized during my preparation that the setting of the movie (the summer of 1985) lined up with Esposito’s time on the Maximum Overdrive set, I felt compelled to ask him about his experience. While he has made many fantastic films and television shows in the decades since then, he looks back on his time making the feature in North Carolina fondly, saying,

If you don’t remember Giancarlo Esposito’s part in Maximum Overdrive off-hand, that’s excusable, as it’s not exactly a large role. Credited as “Videoplayer,” he is hanging out at Dixie Boy Truck Stop playing arcade games at the beginning of the film when all the world’s trucks and electronics in the world develop consciousness and homicidal tendencies. For a brief moment, he feels blessed, as a cigarette machine starts pumping out packs and quarters, but he gets hypnotized by a Star Castle cabinet that electrocutes him to death when he touches it.

The part was small, but the actor still remembers being impressed by Stephen King’s ability to coordinate the film production despite his amateur status, and he also can still recall his character’s one line. Esposito continued,

Further proving Giancarlo Esposito’s fanhood, Maximum Overdrive is actually one of two Stephen King-related project that he has been a part of. A few years ago, he starred alongside Tobin Bell and Adrienne Barbeau in an adaptation of the short story “Grey Matter” that was made as half of the first episode of Shudder’s Creepshow series.

While Stephen King has not directed anything since Maximum Overdrive, that doesn't mean that he hasn't continued to take an active role in bringing his work to film and television. He has written over a dozen screenplays/teleplays in the 38 years since his directorial debut hit theaters, including 1989's Pet Sematary, the 1994 miniseries adaptation of The Stand, and the 2021 Apple TV+ limited series Lisey's Story.

If you have never seen it or perhaps want to give it a rewatch Maximum Overdrive is presently available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription, and Giancarlo Esposito fans will be able to see him in MaXXXine when it arrives in theaters everywhere on July 5.

Welcome To Derry Moving To HBO Gives Me Hope For Its Longevity

This week delivered some exceptional news for Welcome To Derry – the upcoming series that serves as a prequel to director Andy Muschietti’s IT and IT: Chapter Two. Following the news from late May that Bill Skarsgård is set to reprise his role as Pennywise The Dancing Clown, it was revealed on Tuesday that the show will no longer be a Max exclusive; instead, it will debut on HBO before becoming available to stream by Max subscribers.

And though that weren’t enough, news has arrived via Deadline that 10 new actors have been announced as part of the Welcome To Derry cast. It was back in April 2023 that we learned about the first additions to the Welcome To Derry ensemble (namely Chris Chalk, Jovan Adepo, James Remar, and Taylour Paige) but now we have learned that the following stars will also be a part of the show:

• Morningstar Angeline: Morningstar Angeline has developed an impressive small screen resume in recent years, appearing in the HBO series Westworld and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Echo, but they have most recently been playing Martha Hawk in the Prime Video series Outer Range.
• Alixandra Fuchs: The wife of Welcome To Derry showrunner Jason Fughs, Alixandra Fuchs’ resume includes titles such as the 2012 Hatfield & McCoys miniseries and episodes of shows including Scream Queens, Chicago Med and The Chi.
• Dorian Grey: Sporting a name straight out of classic literature, Dorian Grey played Charles Curtis played Charles Curtis in four episodes of the Canadian medical drama Transplant, and more recently, he played Breen Lt. Arisar in the most recent season of Star Trek: Discovery.
• Kimberly Guerrero: With a career going back to the early 1990s, Kimberly Guerrero may be familiar if you’re a Seinfeld or Northern Exposure fans, but more recently she has been on shows including Reservation Dogs, Station 19 and Outer Range
• BJ Harrison: Another veteran character actor, BJ Harrison’s credits are wide ranging, including The X-Files, Lucifer, Maid and Family Law on the small screen.
• Shane Marriott: Toronto-based Shane Marriott has been all over the small screen in recent years, with roles on shows including Fargo, Reacher, and the Kim’s Convenience spinoff series Strays. He most recently appeared in an episode of  Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent.
• Thomas Mitchell: Going into Welcome To Derry, Thomas Mitchell already has some notable horror credits on his resume, including the Saw spinoff Spiral and the anthology film V/H/S/94. On the small screen, his credits include single episodes of The Umbrella Academy, Locke & Key and the miniseries Five Days At Memorial.
• Joshua Odjick: Joshua Odjick’s name may not be familiar to audiences from the United States just yet, as most of his credits – including shows like Three Pines and Little Bird – have been productions from north of the border, but perhaps Welcome To Derry will prove to be his big breakout.
• Peter Outerbridge: Like Thomas Mitchell, Peter Outerbridge also has been featured on both The Umbrella Academy and in the Saw franchise (in Saw VI, to be specific). More recently, he’s been playing Walter in the CTV original series Sullivan’s Crossing.
• Chad Rook: Chad Rook should be a familiar name if you are a Joe Pickett fan, as the actor played Deputy McLanahan in 19 episodes of the Paramount+ original, but his filmography also includes TV credits including The Flash, Lethal Weapon, Virgin River and Billy The Kid.

Sadly, we don’t yet know about any of the characters that the actors will be playing on Welcome To Derry, but that’s something to anticipate as we get closer to the show’s release.

The bad news on the release front is that we’re likely still more than a year away from the show arriving on HBO, as an unspecified date in late 2025 has been targeted. Needless to say, I’ll be keeping a close eye on the project as it continues to move through development, so stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more news.

Recommendation Of The Week: “Finn”

I think it would be fair to say that there are a lot of Stephen King characters who can be described as unlucky. After all, a great number of his stories are about ordinary people who find themselves thrust into unordinary and extreme circumstances full of peril and danger, and I would qualify that as unlucky. The protagonist in “Finn,” however, is in a special club of his own, as his luck is so bad that it just about drives him to madness.

First published on Scribd before being included in 2024’s You Like It Darker, “Finn” joins “Crouch End” as one of Stephen King’s few Earth-set stories set outside of the United States. The titular protagonist is a young man living in Ireland who has been plagued by misfortune his entire life, and things hit their peak when he is running home one day and gets abducted by mysterious men riding around in a van. It’s a case of mistaken identity, with the kidnappers looking for someone named Bobby Feeney, and Finn has to somehow convince them of their mistake while withstanding cruel treatment and torture. There’s humor in the tale, but also a whole lot of darkness.

That wraps up this week’s edition of The King Beat, but as always, I’ll be back next Thursday here on CinemaBlend with my latest roundup of everything related to Stephen King. Meanwhile, you can explore my Adapting Stephen King column – chronicling the history of King works being brought to film and television.

There are few franchises as popular as Star Wars, which is often expanding in both movies and via live-action shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most highly anticipated upcoming Star Wars movies is Jon Favreau's The Mandalorian and Grogu, which will continue the story that started on the small screen. But could Moff Gideon somehow return as the villain? Here's what actor Giancarlo Esposito thinks.

What we know about The Mandalorian and Grogu is limited, but fans are eager to see the story travel to the big screen. The Mandalorian's Season 3 finale saw the villainous Gideon seemingly perish, but some fans aren't convinced that's the last of him. After all, he's shown an interest in cloning technology. While recently speaking with Deadline, Esposito addressed his possible return to the galaxy far, far away, saying:

There you have it. Per the man himself, it doesn't sound like Moff Gideon's return is totally out of the question. We'll just have to see what happens in The Mandalorian Season 4, and how that affects the developing movie. 

As previously mentioned, it was revealed during The Mandalorian that he was trying to use Grogu to create force-sensitive clones of himself. So even if the OG version of Esposito's character did die at the end of Season 3, it would be easy for a clone to pop up and cause chaos throughout the Galaxy. 

The Rise of Skywalker's ending completed the Skywalker Saga as we know it, and it's been years since the beloved franchise has been seen in theater. While the franchise continues to expand with live-action shows, fans have been not-so-patiently waiting for production to begin on a big screen installment. 

Aside from The Mandalorian and Grogu, there are a number of other movies in the works at Lucasfilm. The studio announced a new Star Wars trilogy in the work, with each movie set in a very different part of the timeline. Taika Waiti is also attached to a project, while Patty Jenkins is still committed to Rogue Squadron. Unfortunately, it's unclear when any of these projects will actually arrive in tehaters. 

Giancarlo Esposito has been doing a ton of genre work lately, even outside of the Star Wars franchise. He was previously seen in the dark superhero drama The Boys, and Esposito also has a mysterious role in Captain America: Brave New World. We'll just have to wait for news about Moff Gideon's future.

The Star Wars franchise is streaming on Disney+. Check out the 2025 movie release dates to plan your trips to the theater next year. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to be a behemoth franchise, spanning both films and shows that are available with a Disney+ subscription. There are a number of upcoming Marvel movies that fans are looking forward to, including Captain America: Brave New World, which will be the first installment of the franchise without Chris Evans. The cast of Captain America 4 is still strong, and Giancarlo Esposito recently teased his "badass" mystery character.

What we know about Captain America: Brave New World is super limited, as the studio is known for keeping its secrets. Fans are eager to see Sam Wilson's Cap, as well as both new and returning characters. Giancarlo Esposito has an unknown role in the blockbuster, and he teased Deadline about what's going to come when he joined the MCU. As he put it:

Well, that's certainly intriguing. Esposito has played beloved villains in a number of iconic franchises already, including Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian and The Boys. While he didn't reveal if he's a good or bad guy in Captain America 4, it sounds like his character is definitely going to make a splash when he arrives.

Whatever Giancarlo Esposito will be up to in Captain America: Brave New World, it'll seemingly be a very physical role. At least, according to his tease about what's to come. Those of us who have spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know how important action sequences are to the shared universe, so perhaps this means he'll be really in the fray.

The Better Call Saul actor's words are sure to inspire some more fan theories about what go down when Captain America 4 finally arrives in theaters in 2025. There's already plenty of chatter about the blockbuster, including rumors that Red Hulk will heavily factor into the story. Specifically, people think that Harrison Ford's version of Thunderbolt Ross might become the creature throughout the film's runtime. This is also supported by a number of Incredible Hulk actors returning, including Liv Tyler's Betty Ross. 

All will be revealed when Captain America: Brave New World arrives in theaters on February 14th, 2025. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates to plan your other trips to the theater next year. 

Two years after X and its prequel Pearl introduced us to Maxine Minx, Mia Goth is back to wrap up the trilogy of her budding adult film star in MaXXXine. The upcoming horror movie from writer/director Ti West is a direct sequel to X, sticking Maxine in 1980s Los Angeles following the massacre in Texas. MaXXXine hits theaters July 5, and those who have caught an early screening are taking to social media with their first reactions. It seems they all think the film provides a fitting end to the trilogy.

With the first two offerings in the series considered among the best of A24 horror, expectations for the threequel are pretty high. Adding to the excitement is the cast that will surround Mia Goth, as big names like Giancarlo Esposito, Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Debicki, Bobby Cannavale and more join the franchise. The trailer for MaXXXine looks downright sleazy, and that’s a word that comes up several times in moviegoers’ initial thoughts. Junior Felix of That Hashtag Show writes:

The Hollywood Handle agrees MaXXXine is a fitting end to Max Minx’s story — even if a fourth installment could happen — providing more of what we’ve come to expect from Mia Goth and A24 in general. The site tweets:

Courtney Howard likes the bite of satire infused into this third installment, and it sounds like re-familiarizing yourself with the first two movies wouldn’t be a bad idea in order to pick up on the fun references. The critic says:

Genre-wise it sounds like MaXXXine takes a step in the direction of thriller, rather than straight horror. Russ Milheim of The Direct likes the new aesthetic, saying Ti West’s latest project strikes a refreshing tone. In the critic’s words:

Simon Thompson agrees the threequel brings something new to the franchise and even leans into the Satanic panic of that era. The critic writes:

As for how the 1980s slasher stacks up against its predecessors, some people are listing it as their least favorite of the three; however, none of them think that should deter moviegoers. Says Jamie Jirak of ComicBook.com:

Film critic Jeff Nelson praises Mia Goth’s performance and agrees with others that it’s a great end to the trilogy. Nelson tweets:

Others are also praising the lead actress — no question that she’s a star — as well as those around her including Elizabeth Debick and Kevin Bacon (who one critic described as “delicious.”) Anthony Gagliardi of The Movie Podcast wraps up why fans of this series should be excited, as he says:

With X and Pearl being celebrated as two of the best horror movies of this decade, it’s no surprise that there’s so much hype surrounding the latest project from Ti West. Mark your calendar if you want to catch this when it hits theaters on Friday, July 5, and not only can you check out all of the upcoming A24 movies, but be sure to take a glimpse at everything that’s hitting the big screen soon with our 2024 movie release calendar.

While Giancarlo Esposito’s desire to play a walking Professor X won’t come true, fans of the Breaking Bad actor can take comfort knowing that he’ll soon be seen in the MCU. Earlier this month, Esposito revealed that he’s joining the popular superhero franchise in a mystery role that’s coming "sooner rather than later," and "better than you can imagine." Now another piece of the puzzle has fallen into place, as it’s been revealed which of the upcoming Marvel movies he’ll appear in first.

Back in December it was reported that Captain America: Brave New World would go through reshoots during the summer. Well, cameras are now rolling again in Atlanta, Georgia, and according to THR, Esposito is on the call sheet, making him the newest addition to the Brave New World cast list. The outlet’s sources say that the actor is playing a “villainous role,” but no other details were provided on how this character fits into the new scenes being shot over the course of 22 days.

That said, there is extra information to take into account. Some of the additional material being shot for Captain America: Brave New World will be new action sequences, and there’s a good chance Giancarlo Esposito’s character will be part of one or more of them, because Atlanta Filming capture a picture of the actor’s stand-in. In a separate Instagram post, the same source also shared a crude drawing of the costume Esposito’s character will allegedly wear in Captain America 4, which includes a cape, an axe, a gun and what may be three knives.

While this doesn’t come close to clearing up who Esposito is playing, if that drawing is indeed accurate, then there’s a good chance it could be some kind of mercenary who’s hired to attack Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, who inherited Steve Rogers’ shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame and officially became Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’s final episode. There is one final detail to consider: a few days go, Esposito said at the 2024 Phoenix Fan Fusion convention (via Collider) that his MCU character would first be “teased,” and then have a bigger role in an upcoming Marvel TV show.

Considering that Giancarlo Esposito only just came aboard the MCU, we can reasonably rule him out of appearing in shows that have already shot like Agatha, Ironheart, Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again. So that would leave Vision Quest, which recently scored a new showrunner, or maybe a series that the public doesn’t know about yet. It’s also possible that Esposito’s character could continue appearing in Marvel movies, like perhaps Thunderbolts*, which already shares Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross with Brave New World. But working off the available information, you’ll want to make sure your Disney+ subscription is in working order to see what awaits this character after the next Captain America movie.

Directed by Julius Onah, and with Matthew Orton writing the material in these reshoots, Captain America: Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, 2025. If any major updates about Giancarlo Esposito’s mystery MCU character surface, we’ll pass them along.

We are at a very interesting intersection for Marvel Studios. The company has decreased its input to focus on quality control, and while there are plenty of exciting upcoming Marvel movies to look forward to, including Blade and The Fantastic Four, Shawn Levy’s Deadpool and Wolverine is the only movie hitting theaters in 2024. This period of “rest” is giving the MCU time to retool, and reconfigure its path forward… a path that reportedly is going to heavily feature the brilliant Giancarlo Esposito, of The Mandalorian and Breaking Bad fame.

Giancarlo Esposito is an incredible actor, who would be a remarkable addition to the MCU in any role. He has been hinting at Marvel Studios having interest in him for several months now, and why not? He’s in the Disney fold thanks to Star Wars, so Marvel should use him. And you also don’t add Esposito unless it’s for a major role… which has had several fans speculating that he’d make an excellent Charles Xavier in the eventual live-action X-Men movies. But Esposito’s recent comments lead me to believe he’s playing someone else in the MCU. Someone who indeed will be very important to the future of Marvel storytelling. Let’s break it all down. 

What did Giancarlo Esposito say? 

During a recent appearance at Phoenix Fan Fusion, Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul standout Esposito once again spoke about joining the MCU in a future project. And while he didn’t name anything specific, he was able to add a few more small details about his involvement, courtesy of Legion of Sand. 

Said Esposito:

Now that’s exciting. A series, better exploring who Giancarlo Esposito is playing? That indicates that he will play someone significant, strong enough to carry a program. However, if you scan the titles of upcoming Marvel shows, no one stands out as part of the previously announced Eyes of Wakanda, Ironheart, or Wonder Man shows, leading me to believe that it’s a future show that hasn’t yet been confirmed. Given the fact that Esposito says his character is going to be teased and THEN explored in a series, it leads me to predict where he’s going to initially show up… and who I think he’s going to be playing. 

Who I Think Giancarlo Esposito Will Play

Here’s my best guess: Giancarlo Esposito will be the MCU’s Victor Von Doom, aka Doctor Doom – aka, arch nemesis to The Fantastic Four. Is it lazy to cast Esposito as a bad guy, after he’s already made his name creating Gustavo Fring and Moff Gideon? Perhaps, but still, he’s the right choice. I can easily see Doom being teased in the third act, or possible end credits, of Matt Shakman’s The Fantastic Four, setting up a series that establishes his backstory, and connections to Reed Richards (Pedro Pascal). The series could even work as a bridge between The Fantastic Four movie and the announced Avengers: Secret Wars… a story that is going to need Doom’s participation.

Why do I think Giancarlo Esposito is being tapped for Doctor Doom? Well, given the fact that Marvel had to move on from Jonathan Majors and the presence of Kang, the MCU is going to need a significant “Big Bad” to carry it forward. Mr. Sinister is a possibility for the X-Men universe, but Doctor Doom is a powerful villain who’s worthy of opposing virtually every hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Yes, he’s primarily a Fantastic Four adversary, but he’s also tackled the Avengers, and countless heroes in between. 

There’s one other reason why I think Esposito will play Doctor Doom. At 66 years of age, the actor isn’t really primed to sign on to a Marvel role where he’ll be front and center for the next 10 years. BUT, if you can introduce Esposito and show him occasionally, then use his voice to amplify Doom’s presence from behind a mask, that’s an effective hire. It allows Marvel to use Esposito the way that Star Wars coincidentally uses Pedro Pascal in The Mandalorian. And Doom could absolutely benefit from a standalone Disney+ series that connects dots laid out in The Fantastic Four, setting up Secret Wars.

We shall see what comes of Giancarlo Esposito’s teasing, as eventually he will have to confirm the role that Marvel is dangling – possibly at San Diego Comic-Con this summer, or D23 in Anaheim in August.

Francis Ford Coppola is responsible for some truly iconic movies, including The Godfather and Apocalypse Now. His newest creation, Megalopolis, could very well end up in that same conversation, at least in terms of scope, as the esteemed filmmaker has apparently been working on this passion project since the 1980s. That labor of love — and $120 million of Coppola’s own money — has finally been witnessed by an audience, as Megalopolis premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 16, and critics are sharing their views on the science fiction drama.

Megalopolis is set in New Rome (an alt-universe NYC) following a huge accident that destroyed the decaying metropolis. As an architect with the power to control time — Adam Driver’s Cesar Catilina — aims to rebuild, he faces opposition from New Rome’s corrupt mayor, Franklyn Cicero (Giancarlo Esposito). The cast is brimming with stars like Nathalie Emmanuel, Aubrey Plaza, Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight, so let’s see what critics think, starting with IndieWire’s David Ehrlich, who grades the movie a B+, writing: 

Damon Wise of Deadline says the movie bulldozes several filmmaking rules — including an audacious fourth-wall-breaking gimmick — but love it or hate it, this was the film the writer/director set out to make. Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis reinvents the possibilities of cinema, Wise writes, and it’s sure to inspire as many people as it will inevitably alienate. The critic continues: 

Bilge Ebiri of Vulture says Megalopolis might be the craziest movie he’s ever seen, and he enjoyed “every single batshit second of it.” To illustrate the point, Ebiri writes: 

While some critics are embracing the absolute madness of this new world, others just can’t get behind the project. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, for instance, calls Francis Ford Coppola’s epic “megabloated and megaboring,” saying that despite its compelling question about the future of the U.S. empire, nothing can save the movie from bad acting and bad visual effects. Bradshaw gives the Megalopolis 2 out of 5 stars, saying: 

Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair calls the drama “the junkiest of junk drawer movies” and a “passion project gone horribly wrong.” Lawson says for all of its faults, its datedness is what really tanks the movie, with only a few glimpses of a computer, no cellphones and people getting their news from newspapers. As for the plot, the critic says: 

Megalopolis is a polarizing movie, to be sure, and with 26 critics weighing in on Rotten Tomatoes following its Cannes premiere, the film is rated 46%. It will be interesting to see how the conversation surrounding this project that was decades in the making continues to evolve as we wait for a release date. Keep an eye on the 2024 movie calendar for that and all of the other upcoming releases. 

Giancarlo Esposito is an actor who knows his way around the superhero genre thanks to roles like Lex Luthor in Harley Quinn, Ra’s al Gaul in Son of Batman and Stan Edgar in The Boys. However, he has yet to leave his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe side of things, though it’s not for a lack of interest, as Esposito has said he wanted to play Professor X in the upcoming Marvel movies. While that casting won’t end up happening, there is still some good news for MCU fans who would like to see him in this franchise.

Giancarlo Esposito Is Joining The MCU

Although he won’t be the one to succeed Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy in bringing Charles Xavier to life on the big screen, Giancarlo Esposito has confirmed that he has signed on to play a mystery role in the MCU. At a panel being held on the Thunder Stage at CCXP (via Collider), the actor informed the crowd that he’s set to play a different role in the franchise, and that it’s coming "sooner rather than later," and "better than you can imagine."

This reveal comes a few months after Esposito had shared that he wanted to play Professor X without being in the wheelchair. Whether or not that factored into the Marvel Studios brass deciding not to cast him in the role, assuming they were even aware of his comment, it wasn’t meant to be. But on the bright side, now seeing Esposito in the MCU is not a matter of ‘if,’ but when, and going off that comment, not only does it sound like his appearance is coming up in the near future, but it’s a bigger deal to him than the man who founded the X-Men. However, don’t start compiling a list of other major Marvel characters for whom he’d fit the bill just yet.

Who Is Giancarlo Esposito Playing In The MCU?

Upon first hearing this news, I immediately started speculating about if Giancarlo Esposito might have been cast as either Doctor Doom or Galactus, as it’s only a matter of time before the former is introduced to the MCU, and the latter is expected to appear in The Fantastic Four following the news that Julia Garner is playing a female version of The Silver Surfer. However, according to @LouAlpizar, Esposito said at that CCXP panel that he’s playing (as translated into English) a “new and original character.”

Right off the bat, it sounds like he’ll be following in the footsteps of actors like Clark Gregg and Kat Jennings, who respectively played Phil Coulson and Darcy Lewis, by playing someone who was specifically created for the MCU. But on the other hand, it’s possible his comment shouldn’t be taken that literally, and maybe he’s playing someone who’s never been adapted on screen before. So they would be “new” in a sense, yet still hail from the source material. While I imagine it will be a long time before Esposito’s character is officially identified, hopefully he either he or someone from Marvel can clarify soon exactly what the deal is with his character’s status.

Meanwhile, remember that the majority of the MCU’s movies and TV shows can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription. That’s also how you can see Giancarlo Esposito’s performance in The Mandalorian.

Giancarlo Esposito is one of those Hollywood actors that seems to constantly be booked and busy. In 2024 alone, he has a whopping four films on the docket, including Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis and the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State. And, when it comes to TV, he’s also had Godfather of Harlem, The Boys, The Mandalorian and more on his plate. Now, Esposito is marking his big small-screen follow-up to Better Call Saul – fellow AMC production Parish. The show just premiered this past weekend and has a low critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences seem to disagree.

The crime drama’s critic approval rating currently sits at 31%, which is admittedly on the lower side. Said score is calculated from a total of 13 reviews that have been aggregated by Rotten Tomatoes as of this writing. Although that may be disappointing to those who are considering checking out the show, they also need to know what the general public thinks. While there are only a handful of reactions to make it up, the audience score is at 90%, which is very impressive. 

It’s not unheard of for there to be a disconnect when it comes to an audience’s reaction to a movie or TV show and those from critics. After all, people have varying tastes and evaluate media in different ways. Also, it’s fair to say that Giancarlo Esposito has built up a significant following over the years, and there are plenty of fans who love his approach to acting. So, while I’m surprised that his show hasn’t been well received by pundits, it doesn’t surprise me that general audiences have been more positive in regard to his work. 

Based on the BBC One series The Driver, Parish sees the seasoned actor play the eponymous role of Gray Parish, an ex-criminal who has moved away from shady dealings for the sake of his family. However, Gray eventually finds himself succumbing to his old ways after his son is murdered. The series’ ensemble also includes Paula Malcomson, Ivan Mbakop, Zackary Momoh, Dax Rey, Arica Himmel and Skeet Ulrich. Also, among the recurring cast is The West Wing alum Bradley Whitford. 

This new show actually isn’t the only fresh entry that Giancarlo Esposito has on the 2024 TV schedule. He also has a starring role on Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen, which became available to Netflix subscribers in early March. The action comedy series has notched some solid reactions from critics and general viewers alike. As of right now, its RT score in the former camp is 71%, while the number from the latter is 86%. 

While the in-demand actor remains busy, plenty are surely wondering about his plans for the next few years. He’s long been open about the fact that he’s had talks with Marvel Studios and revealed in 2022 that he wants to play Professor X, who he’s still down to portray. Something that’s set in stone, though, is his role on Shonda Rhimes’ new Netflix series, The Residence, on which the Breaking Bad alum is taking over for the late Andre Braughter. 

More immediately though, viewers will want to strap themselves in and check out Parish as the season progresses. There are likely people who are on the fence, given how critics have reacted via Rotten Tomatoes. But, of course, at the end of the day, what matters most is that you give it a watch for yourself and form your own opinion. 

New episodes of Parish air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on AMC, and you can also stream episodes using an AMC+ subscription.

Having already left his mark on the Star Wars universe by playing Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian, Giancarlo Esposito is looking to get in on another Disney-owned franchise. Back in August 2022, the Better Call Saul alum shared that he’d talked with Marvel Studios about potentially joining the franchise, and he specifically shared his interest in playing Professor X. Nearly two full years later, Esposito is still down to play the leader of X-Men, but now he has a big condition set in place for the role.

While chatting with Empire’s Amon Warmann about his role as Stanley Johnston in the TV show The Gentlemen, which Netflix subscribers can stream now, Esposito addressed the fan interest in him bringing Professor X in an upcoming Marvel movie, and had this to say when asked if he’d given any thought to how he’d play the role:

A walking Professor X would be a radical departure from how the character is traditionally presented. While Charles Xavier was able to walk in his younger years, in the comics, he lost the use of his legs when an alien named Lucifer dropped an enormous stone block on them. In the X-Men movies universe, James McAvoy’s Charles was crippled towards the end of X-Men: First Class when Magneto accidentally deflected a bullet at his close friend that Moira MacTaggert had fired at him. 

On the other hand, the X-Men comics from recent years have shown Professor X walking again thanks to his mind being downloaded into a clone body created by the advanced technology on the living island of Krakoa. That’s not to say he won’t be put into a wheelchair again at some point, but at least there would be precedence for Giancarlo Esposito playing a Professor X who can talk around. Still, that’d be a pretty big ask on the actor’s part, and I have to imagine there’s a strong chance that even if Esposito’s Professor X does start out walking in the MCU, he wouldn’t stay that way for long.

For now though, it remains to be seen when the MCU’s main version of Professor X will be introduced, let alone if Giancarlo Esposito will play him. It’s also possible Marvel Studios may court the actor for another big role instead, or maybe he’ll jump over to DC instead. After all, he already has history with that company from voicing Black Spider in Batman: Assault on Arkham and Lex Luthor in Harley Quinn, and since he spoke with James Gunn last year, perhaps something’s already been lined up for him in the DC Universe shared universe.

Whatever happens with Giancarlo Esposito on the upcoming superhero movies front, if anything at all, we’ll let you know about it. Meanwhile, stream nearly all of the MCU’s movies and TV shows with your Disney+ subscription, and keep an eye out for Esposito on the 2024 release schedule in movies like Abigail, MaXXXine, The Electric State and Megalopolis. 

The world lost a number of incredible actors in 2023, from the witty Matthew Perry to the lovely Suzanne Somers. Andre Braugher also sadly passed away at the age of 61 due to lung cancer. The Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum was greatly mourned in Hollywood, with many praising not just his abilities as an actor but also his character as a person. The actor was still working up until his death, as he had joined the cast of the Shonda Rhimes-produced Netflix drama The Residence. Due to the unfortunate turn of events, Braugher’s role has been recast, and Breaking Bad alum Giancarlo Esposito is stepping in.

A political drama, The Residence tells a fictional account of a murder scandal that takes place at the White House and its impact on the location’s various personnel. Giancarlo Esposito is set to succeed Andre Braugher in the role of A.B. Wynter – the chief usher at the WH. Per Deadline, scenes will be reshot with Esposito playing the role This casting serves as a full-circle moment of sorts, given the history that exists between the two actors. Esposito actually replaced Braugher on Homicide: Life On the Street after Braugher exited the NBC show ahead of its final season. Both later appeared together in the follow-up TV movie that aired after the series' run.

The Mandalorian actor – who’s been in the business for years now – has been highly sought after as of late. Aside from appearing on the aforementioned Star Wars show for the past few years, he also finished up his stint as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad spinoff Better Call Saul in 2022. Additionally, he has played the villainous role of Stan Edgar on Prime Video’s The Boys and has several upcoming movies on the docket, including The Electric State and MaXXXine. His first true TV follow-up to BCS, AMC’s Parish, is also on the way and apparently won’t be impacted by his involvement in this Netflix series. The TMNT: Mutant Mayhem star spoke out about replacing his late friend and co-star, and his sentiments were sweet: 

Giancarlo Esposito is certainly a formidable actor in his own right, but you can’t help but respect the praise that he has for his colleague. Andre Braugher was indeed a force, as many who’ve been fortunate enough to watch his work can tell you. It was sweet to see so many pay tribute to him after his passing. A number of sweet anecdotes came from a Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s writer and the cast. Among the latter, Terry Crews shared a particularly love tribute, in which he got candid about how much it hurts to lose Braugher, who he viewed as a mentor. On a separate occasion, Crews also fondly remembered their “iconic” dance scene from Season 7. 

As for The Residence, the series includes a star-studded cast. Joining the Godfather of Harlem star is Uzo Aduba, who’s playing the lead role, as well as Senator Al Franken, Andrew Friedman, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jane Curtin, Randall Park and Julian McMahon. Following the end of the Hollywood strikes, filming was set to resume on January 2, though that was moved following the Hack alum’s passing.

It’s been said before, but the late actor is surely going to be missed by his fans and fellow actors alike. It’s really sweet that a friend of his will be picking up the baton for him on this upcoming show, and I have no doubt that Giancarlo Esposito will knock it out of the park.

A release date has yet to be announced for The Residence, but keep your eyes locked on the 2024 TV schedule in case it lands there, Netflix subscribers.

When I think about the fate of Universal’s Dark Universe — a franchise cancelled way before all planned installments were made — I am, admittedly, of two minds about it. On one hand, I find it sad that the studio which, essentially, invented the shared cinematic universe could not recapture the same magic with their classic monster movies line-up again amid the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, on the other hand, if not for the failure of 2017’s The Mummy, we would not have gotten more inventive and refreshing reimaginings of these characters and their iconic lore, such as with Abigail.

For a while, this upcoming horror movie was only known as “Untitled Universal Monsters Movie” and only so much was known about it — including Radio Silence being at the helm, Melissa Barrera leading the cast, and scant other behind-the-scenes details. Now, following the announcement of its official title and the release of its first trailer, there is much to discuss about the intriguing story that this thriller has to behold. So, let’s take things one step at a time as we sink our teeth into everything we know about Abigail so far.

What Is The Abigail Release Date?

Horror fans will be free to fly into their local theater to see Abigail when it opens on Friday, April 19, 2024. The thriller was given this spot on the upcoming 2024 movies schedule even before its official title was revealed. The film has already been screened for critics, who have been praising it as one of 2024's best horror movies so far.

The Abigail Trailer Teases A Darkly Funny Twist On Kidnapping Stories

For anyone who is still unfamiliar with exactly what kind of “Universal Monsters Movie” this is, fear not. That, and more about this new funny creature feature, is revealed in the first official trailer for Abigail, which you can check out for yourself right now below:

When the teaser starts, we are under the impression that this is just another simple story of a kidnapping, with a group of individuals tasked with holding a wealthy man’s young daughter captive for ransom in their employer’s mansion for 24 hours. Soon, however, they discover that they will be spending that 24 hours fighting for their lives against the girl, who not only turns out to be a vampire, but has excellent ballet skills which make her a force to be reckoned with. The clip suggests that Abigail will be the kind of horror film that has a dash of everything in it, based on the cheeky humor and intense action choreography seen throughout.

Abigail Reimagines Classic Monster Lore By Putting A “Young” Bloodsucker In The Spotlight

While the trailer answers the question of just what type of monster movie Abigail is, the question that remains is how it connects to Universal’s famous line-up of horror movies inspired by classic gothic literature. The answer to that lies in an early report by THR which says this project was, at one point, referred to as Dracula’s Daughter. That is also the name of a 1936 sequel to Universal’s original adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel starring horror movie icon Bela Lugosi in the title role.

So, by putting these clues together, we are led to believe that Abigail is not just any vampire and her very rich father mentioned in the teaser might be the most powerful one there is. If that turns out to be the case, even if the kidnappers do manage to survive a night trapped in a mansion with what appears to be a little girl (she could centuries old for all we know), they will still have to face the wrath of Dracula himself. This is the kind of clever expansion of a beloved horror movie classic that die-hard fans of the genre can get behind.

The Star-Studded Abigail Cast Includes Scream’s Melissa Barrera

I realize that I should probably avoid getting too attached to any of the human characters, but that does not have any bearing on how excited I am to see the stars of the Abigail cast come together. Let’s take a look at who plays the vampire ballerina and who plays her food one-by-one, below.

Melissa Barrera (Joey)

As the central human protagonist (who is identified as Joey and shows sympathy for her captor in the Abigail trailer) we have Melissa Barrera, who previously worked with Radio Silence in the last two installments of the Scream movies — a franchise that is set to go on without her following a controversial exit in late 2023. The Mexican-born actor is also known from the cinematic In the Heights cast, Netflix’s hit survivalist miniseries Keep Breathing, and the Starz original drama, Vida.

Alisha Weir (Abigail)

Irish actor Alisha Weir stars as the ballet-dancing, blood-sucking title character of Abigail, which is not her first foray into horror, having made her acting debut in Shudder’s 2018 thriller, Don’t Leave Home. This isn’t her first time playing a mischievous dancer either, having played the title role of Netflix’s musical adaptation of Roald Dahl’s Matilda in 2022.

Dan Stevens

Not only is Dan Stevens already no stranger to horror — known for Adam Wingard’s The Guest, leading a Netflix original horror movie called Apostle, and starring in one of the best episodes of Cabinet of Curiosities, to name a few — he previously starred in an adaptation of Dracula for Masterpiece Theatre in 2006. The English actor is also known for Downton Abbey, Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast remake, and leading one of the best modern superhero TV shows, Legion.

Kathryn Newton

Yet another established Scream Queen starring in Abigail is Kathryn Newton, whose best performances include her lead roles in Paranormal Activity 4 and Christopher Landon’s body swap slasher, Freaky. She also earned raves from HBO’s Big Little Lies, joined the MCU as the new Cassie Lang in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and starred in another modern take on a classic horror story in 2024 called Lisa Frankenstein.

Kevin Durand

Perhaps the most experienced vampire hunter in the Abigail cast is Kevin Durand, who was a main character on one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu, FX’s The Strain, for four seasons. He has also contended with zombies in Resident Evil: Retirbution, aliens in various titles, and even played a mutant (namely Fred “Blob” Dukes) in 2008’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Angus Cloud

Abigail marks one of the final acting credits of Angus Cloud, who passed away at 25 in 2023. The Euphoria cast member was also recently seen leading a thriller called Your Lucky Day and had a role in an upcoming coming-of-age drama called The Line.

William Catlett

William Catlett did not contend with too many strange things during his brief role in HBO’s Lovecraft Country, but played someone with a strange ability (reanimation) on Black Lightning. He also appeared opposite Samuel L. Jackson in an episode of Apple TV+’s The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey and is best known from the big screen so far for A.V. Rockwell’s acclaimed 2023 drama, A Thousand to One.

Giancarlo Esposito

Who better to play the brains behind Abigail’s kidnapping than Giancarlo Esposito, whose most acclaimed roles are all bad guys? For instance, the five-time Emmy nominee chilled us to our core with his riveting performance in the Breaking Bad cast as Gus Fring and, later, was a worthy adversary against Pedro Pascal’s Din Djarin in The Mandalorian.

Abigail Is The Latest Movie From Radio Silence

As established, the creative force behind Abigail is Radio Silence — the acclaimed filmmaking collective comprised of directors Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett and producer Chad Villella. The trio broke into the mainstream and earned the chance to take over one of the most beloved horror movie franchises with 2022’s Scream and Scream VI after releasing one of the best horror-comedy movies in recent memory, Ready or Not, in 2019. While this marks their first vampire tale, the first story they helmed (and also starred in) about criminals spooked by a supernatural encounter was their wraparound segment from the horror anthology movie favorite, Southbound.

The screenplay for Abigail is credited to two writers: Guy Busick and Stephen Shields. Busick is a frequent collaborator of Radio Silence, having co-written Ready or Not and their two Scream installments, but is also known for penning episodes of Hulu’s Stephen King-inspired anthology Castle Rock, and is working on the forthcoming Final Destination 6 at the moment. Shields’ best known work up to this point is 2019’s unsettling thriller, The Hole in the Ground, which he co-wrote with director Lee Cronin, who went on to revive another beloved horror franchise — the Evil Dead movies — on the big screen with Evil Dead Rise in 2023.

I can’t think of a group of creators better suited to contribute to Universal’s reinvention of their classic monster lore than Radio Silence. Thus, you can count me in on seeing Abigail when it comes out!

Giancarlo Esposito is a man who knows his way around starring in popular projects, from his time as Gus Fring in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, to bringing Moff Gideon to life in The Mandalorian’s first three seasons. He even has various types of superhero media experience under his belt, including playing Stan Edgar in The Boys, but one thing the actor still has yet to do is star in anything live-action for Marvel or DC. But that may change, as in addition to confirming last year that he’s had talks with Marvel, it looks like Esposito may also be in the running for a DC movie too.

While appearing at Comic Con Panamá, Esposito was asked during a Q&A about if he’ll have a chance to appear in any of the upcoming DC movies, and here’s what he said (via @swshriv):

It’s important to note that Giancarlo Esposito isn’t a newbie to DC Comics-related media in general, as Max subscribers can hear him as Lex Luthor on Harley Quinn, and he also voiced Black Spider in the animated movie Batman: Assault on Arkham. Needless to say, though, that starring in a DC movie would be a major step up, and the actor meeting with James Gunn, who co-runs DC Studios with Peter Safran, bodes quite well for that happening. This would also be a great time for Esposito to come on board considering the changing DC landscape.

Once Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom concludes the DC Extended Universe era this December, the new DC Universe will launch with the animated series Creature Commandos sometime in 2024, though both Gunn and Safran consider the franchise’s first movie, 2025’s Superman: Legacy, to be this continuity’s “true beginning.” Other confirmed DC movies on the DC Universe Chapter One slate include The Authority, The Brave and the Bold, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow and Swamp Thing. However, we shouldn’t discount the possibility of Esposito becoming involved in one of the TV shows on deck, like Waller, Lanterns, Paradise Lost and Booster Gold. 

So there’s no shortage of possibilities for Giancarlo Esposito on the DC table, and from the way he spoke at the convention, it sounds like it’s more a matter of when he’s cast in something DC /Marvel-related rather than if. That being said, the actor also reaffirmed that he’s more interested in playing a superhero rather than a supervillain, so maybe that’s a stipulation either company would have to consider to hire him. Esposito has previously expressed a desire to play Professor X in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it’s unclear if he has a specific DC hero in mind he’d like to play.

Rest assured that if Marvel and/or DC announce that they’re adding Giancarlo Esposito to their talent lineups, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, the actor’s latest movie, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, is still playing in theaters and will become available to watch digitally starting tomorrow, September 1. His latest TV series, Kaleidoscope, can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Animated movies like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem usually boast how they’ve scored an amazing cast of familiar voices you’ve heard. To say that director Jeff Rowe had achieved that same feat would be an understatement, as the voice talent for Paramount’s new reboot on the half shell is truly stacked. 

Whether you've seen the movie already or want to double check your assumptions on who's in the cast, we've got you covered. So if you thought you heard a familiar voice or two in this entry of the 2023 movie release schedule, then take a look at the list below and see if your instincts were right. 

Micah Abbey (Donatello)

With two episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, as well as the role of Leaf in Cousins For Life, under his belt, Micah Abbey landed the role of Donatello in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles family. Those experiences have helped Abbey’s portrayal, as his spot as the quick thinking genius of the group benefits from such performances.

Shamon Brown Jr. (Michelangelo)

Ever the prankster, Michelangelo is the class clown when it comes to these brothers in arms. Taking up that role is actor Shamon Brown Jr., who can be seen in the Showtime original series The Chi in the role of Papa. According to Variety, Brown will also be reprising his role as Michelangelo, along with his on-screen brothers, in the the upcoming series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which will serve as the connective tissue to a greenlit sequel to Mutant Mayhem. 

Nicolas Cantu (Leonardo)

Actor Nicolas Cantu’s collection of roles ranges from the voice of Charlie on Netflix’s Skull Island to Elton on The Walking Dead: Worlds Beyond. With guest spots on Family Guy, The Rookie, and 9-1-1: Lone Star also in the mix, Cantu’s role as the de facto leader and occasional “narc” in the family comes with a lot of experience behind it. 

Brady Noon (Raphael)

Ever the hot head, Raphael is the Ninja Turtle you’d most likely get into a fight with. It’s ok, because his anger totally isn’t a problem; especially when it comes to Brady Noon’s colorful performance! Previously seen on HBO’s Boardwalk Empire as young Tommy Darmody, Noon has recently been a fixture for those with a Disney+ subscription thanks to playing Greg in the animated Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies and Evan Morrow from Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.

Ayo Edebiri (April O'Neil)

You might recognize the voice of April O’Neill in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem thanks to Ayo Edebiri’s previous voice work on Netflix’s Big Mouth. Or you might remember her as Sydney from FX’s The Bear. In either case, Ms. Edebiri has had an amazing run in her recent resume, preparing her to play the hard-hitting teenage journalist to great effect.

Jackie Chan (Splinter)

Traditionally, Splinter has been portrayed as both a master of martial arts and a concerned father. So tying those two factors together by casting Jackie Chan in the role is a pretty ingenious stroke when you think about it. A veteran of action/comedies like Rush Hour, Chan has also built a pretty impressive career in voice-overs through work in the Kung-Fu Panda movies, as well as The Lego Ninjago Movie. Though you may have also seen Jackie Chan in the flesh recently, thanks to the Netflix success of his movie Hidden Strike.

Ice Cube (Superfly)

It takes a villain as cunning, yet charming, as Superfly to terrorize the world of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. That’s exactly what audiences have gotten out of the experience thanks to rapper/actor Ice Cube playing this part with both of those qualities front and center. Cube made a name for himself through acting in the Friday and Barbershop franchises, as well as jumping in on the action/adventure thrill ride xXx: State of the Union. 

Giancarlo Esposito (Baxter Stockman)

Scientist Baxter Stockman isn’t as villainous as you’d think in Mutant Mayhem, as he doesn't turn into Superfly in this incarnation. (Despite that version of Stockman, from the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, being pictured above.) This turn is just as shocking as learning that Giancarlo Esposito is the voice behind this fatherly presence. 

As Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, Esposito’s more menacing side got a true workout. However, there are more ruthless characters in this universe, some of which are connected to his work with “the ooze.”

Maya Rudolph (Cynthia Utrom)

Cynthia Utrom wants all of Baxter Stockman’s research, and she wants it now! The overarching antagonist who wants to milk the Turtles and capture all of Stockman’s creations, Cynthia’s unique voice comes from SNL vet Maya Rudolph. Also known for voice work in The Mitchells vs. The Machines' cast (which was co-directed/written by Mutant Mayhem’s Jeff Rowe), Rudolph is also notable for her role in Paul Feig’s comedy masterpiece Bridesmaids.

Seth Rogen (Bebop)

Speaking of Baxter Stockman’s experiments, they too have formed a superpowered family under the watchful eye of Superfly. One of the most iconic has to be Bebop, one half of a team that’s long terrorized the Turtles, but actually befriends them in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Played by producer and co-writer Seth Rogen, this “permanent teenager” kicked off his acting career with Knocked Up, and has been in everything from Superbad to Steve Jobs since then.

John Cena (Rocksteady)

If you have Bebop, then you definitely need to have Rocksteady by his side. Completing this dynamic duo is an unlikely, but awesome scene partner: John Cena. Most recently seen in Barbie and Fast X, this WWE veteran is up for pretty much anything… even playing the live-action scene partner to Mutant Mayhem co-star Jackie Chan in that Netflix hit we discussed earlier, Hidden Strike!

Hannibal Buress (Genghis Frog)

Be it in his role as Coach Wilson in Spider-Man: Homecoming or as an exaggerated version of himself in The Eric Andre Show, Hannibal Buress is a fan favorite in the world of comedy. Taking on Genghis Frog is a perfect opportunity for his talents, as Buress’ deadpan delivery and comedic threats are a solid fit for this character’s role in Superfly’s gang.

Rose Byrne (Leatherhead)

An alligator with an attitude, Leatherhead is just as likely to threaten to bite you as she is to make you an onion-based treat that practically blooms on the table. Voiced by Rose Byrne, she’s yet another Bridesmaids cast member on the Mutant Mayhem team. Though you may have also seen her in live-action through the Peter Rabbit movies, as well as in Apple TV+’s Platonic with Seth Rogen.

Natasia Demetriou (Wingnut)

Depending on who you are, casting Natasia Demetriou as the batty Wingnut is either on the nose or clever casting. Thanks to her role as vampire/bat Nadja on What We Do In The Shadows, hearing a flying creature with Demetriou’s familiar voice is certainly going to have her fans recognizing her presence faster than you can say, “Bat!”

Post Malone (Ray Fillet)

Ray Fillet is a creature that loves to sing, and rightfully so, as Mutant Mayhem scored the talents of rapper Post Malone to give him those soulful melodies. Credited under his real name, Austin Post, Malone has also been featured in movies like Guy Ritchie’s Wrath of Man, as well as playing the role of Squeeb in the Netflix film Spenser Confidential. 

Paul Rudd (Mondo Gecko)

Don’t let the “introducing” credit fool you, as that scrappy up-and -omer Paul Rudd has been making a name for himself for some time. Appearing in various comedies like Clueless, and even Knocked Up with fellow mutant vocalist Seth Rogen, Rudd is probably best known as the MCU’s cinematic Ant-Man. Though, to be honest, Mondo Gecko’s vibes could put him in contest with Scott Lang for “best Paul Rudd role of all time.” 

With such a deep bench of talent in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, there are a lot of voices to recognize. So we’re glad to be able to help identify the lot, and keep you from racking your brain too hard over who’s who; as a lot of the lines throughout this exciting action/comedy were bound to ring some bells in the minds of all who have seen it. 

If you haven’t had a chance to experience the Mutant Mayhem for yourself, don’t worry. Turtle Power has returned to a theater near you, and will more than likely wind up as part of the perks to having a Paramount+ subscription at some point in the future. 

We are about to dive into some serious spoilers for The Mandalorian Season 3, so you might want to head to another article somewhere else on the site if you haven't yet kept up top date with the current season on Disney+.

Some Star Wars fans were confused this week when a standard episode of The Mandalorian, which featured Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) and Bo-Katan Kyrze (Katee Sackhoff) avoiding a fleet of TIE fighters as they exited Mandalore, suddenly switched gears to catch up with a character we hadn’t seen on screen since the Season 2 finale. Dr. Penn Pershing (Omid Abtahi) participated in the experiments on Grogu that were initiated by The Client (Werner Herzog) but ordered by Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito). What feels like a detour to Coruscant, and an education lesson on the New Republic’s amnesty program, feels more to me like a major tease for the return of a major Mandalorian villain: Moff Gideon.

Moff Gideon was detained at the end of The Mandalorian Season 2, after Luke Skywalker appeared and destroyed an army of dark troopers. The villain attempted to commit suicide, rather than be taken captive, but Cara Dune (Gina Carano) stopped him, then took him into custody for the New Republic. There’s mention of Moff Gideon in this week’s episode of The Mandalorian, when a group of former Imperial workers speculate about the horrible things that might have happened to him after being turned over to the New Republic. G-68 (Katy O’Brian), who was part of Gideon’s crew, dismissed all the rumors and said:

She directs that sentiment to Dr. Pershing, who is growing acclimated to life outside of the Empire. Only, the more I rewatch the scene, the more I believe that G-68, or Elia Kane, is lying. Throughout the episode, she encourages Pershing to continue pursuing the cutting-edge work that he was doing with regards to cloning. She argues that the advancements he was making on behalf of the Empire can be just as valuable to the New Republic, and all but convinces him that it’s his civic duty to continue experimenting. The New Republic would require that.

Again, I think that she’s manipulating him. She convinces this weak-willed scientist to go on an expedition to retrieve a mobile lab system so that he can continue his research. She’s very clearly pushing his buttons, and eventually betrays him once they lay claim to the material that he needed for his research. At the end of their story, when Pershing is facing a mind-wiping procedure, she sneakily raises the amps to make sure he can’t share any role that she might have had on his secret mission. 

Why would she be doing this? It could be for her own nefarious reasons. But I think that ultimately, she is still working for Moff Gideon, and has infiltrated the New Republic’s amnesty integration program to take the system down from within. 

Moff Gideon has been a thorn in Mando’s side since appearing in the show. He’s wanted to get his hands on Grogu. And Mando bested him for the right to the Darksaber… which should have granted him the right to control Mandalore, only Mando wasn’t worthy. Until now. Because he bathed in the waters beneath Mandalore, and reclaimed his destiny. That also means that he and Moff Gideon have unfinished business. And so I very much believe that the detour to Coruscant in The Mandalorian Episode 3 was a reminder that former loyalists to Gideon’s army exist, and this is where they are, for now. Doing his bidding, and possibly setting him up for the chance to experiment on cloning himself. Or cloning something much worse. 

Netflix is helping to change the game once again by way of how we consume our entertainment. The streaming service, which has already produced a number of interactive series and movies, kicked off the new year with Kaleidoscope, a unique heist drama starring Giancarlo Esposito of Better Call Saul and The Mandalorian fame. Inspired by the real-world case in which billions of dollars were lost in the floods of Hurricane Sandy, creator Eric Garcia delivered eight color-titled episodes that can be viewed in any order — save for "White," which serves as the finale. The gimmick seems to be working, and fans have taken to Twitter with some fun feedback and a variety of recommended viewing orders.

With the freedom to watch all eight episodes of Kaleidoscope in whatever sequence the viewer pleases, of course people are starting to pop up with opinions on the best way to go about it, or simply their reasons for making specific choices. Mikaela Miyamoto, who apparently had a small part in the series, encouraged those with a Netflix subscription to start with the episode she’s in: 

Kaleidoscope centers around master thief Leo Pap (Giancarlo Esposito) and his crew attempting an epic heist with a $7 billion payday. With so much money at stake, however, factors including betrayal and greed work to thwart their plot. In addition to Esposito, the series stars Rufus Sewell, Paz Vega, Rosaline Elbay, Jai Courtney, Tati Gabrielle and Peter Mark Kendall.

Other Netflix subscribers weighed in with their own recommendations for what order to view the series, with one person tweeting that while “Yellow” would be a great place to start, they recommended going “Green”:

Every episode of Kaleidoscope reveals a piece of an elaborate puzzle of corruption, greed, vengeance, scheming, loyalties and betrayals, as Eric Garcia has said, so the viewing order will inform how the audience thinks about the different characters and situations, even without them realizing it. Which, presumably, helps to provide a different experience for the majority of viewers. Here was another preference: 

While “White” is intended to be the final episode, many people had other ideas, with this Twitter user giving different recommendations based on what kind of story you’re looking for: 

Many on Twitter helpfully posted the chronological order of the episodes, though it's important to note that there are some whose events take place after what goes down in the episode intended to be saved as the finale. So keep that in mind when deciding how rebellious you're feeling. Here's how the episodes play out in relation to the heist:

The concept of being able to watch the episodes in any order is unique, but it’s not totally new. The then-titled CBS All Access tried it back in 2020 with the true crime series Interrogation, which can now be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. You can also check out what other series will hit Netflix this year, and see what premieres are headed our way with the 2023 TV schedule. 

The 2023 Netflix TV schedule is kicking off in spectacular fashion with the arrival of what sounds like one of the most unique and inventive shows to land on the popular streaming platform in quite some time: Kaleidoscope. Eric Garcia’s eight-episode crime saga with a story spanning 25 years (which can be watched in different orders) has put together an incredible cast with wonderfully talented actors on both sides of the show’s central heist played by the likes of Giancarlo Esposito, Rufus Sewell, and Paz Vega, to name just a few.

And while some of the more prominent members of the Kaleidoscope cast are almost instantly recognizable, other actors from the new Netflix show will be more of a mystery for most. That being said, we have put together a quick yet comprehensive rundown of the main cast so that you have one less mystery to uncover while you watch the epic heist unfold before your eyes. Let’s crack it open and see what’s inside, shall we?

Giancarlo Esposito (Leo Pap)

Leading the Kaleidoscope cast, as well as the crew of thieves at the center of its mysterious and uniquely presented story, is Giancarlo Esposito, who takes on the role of Leo Pap, a career criminal who is seen as the mastermind of the impossible operation.

Throughout his career, Esposito has given some truly amazing performances, including iconic villainous roles on shows like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and The Mandalorian, the latter of which will see his return as Moff Gideon in its upcoming third season. Over the years, Esposito has also appeared in movies like Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Okja, and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man. 

Paz Vega (Ava Mercer)

Next up for the Kaleidoscope cast is Paz Vega, who takes on the role of Ava Mercer, a member of the crew who works as an attorney for a day job but also a highly-trained and extremely dangerous weapons expert tasked with coming up with the firepower the team will put to use during their seemingly impossible mission.

Following a string of movies in her native Spain, Vega broke into English-speaking markets with her portrayal of single mother Flor Moreno in the 2004 Adam Sandler-led dramedy Spanglish. Since then, she has appeared in films such as 10 Items or Less, Burning Plains, Rambo: Last Blood, and 13 Minutes.  

Rosaline Elbay (Judy Goodwin)

Rosaline Elbay appears in one of the major roles in the Kaleidoscope cast with her portrayal of Judy Goodwin, a demolitions expert who helps come up with the ingenious ways the crew will need to use if they are going to be successful in breaking into the massive and intricate vault.

Prior to joining the Kaleidoscope cast, Elbay made a name for herself with roles in movies like Fork & Knife and Diamond Dust, as well as a string of TV appearances that includes a recurring role on the Hulu original series Ramy. 

Jai Coutney (Bob Goodwin)

Jai Courtney shows up in the Kaleidoscope cast as Bob Goodwin, a brash yet incredibly intelligent safecracker with a certain propensity for breaking into intricate systems and getting under people’s skin.

One of only a few members of the Suicide Squad cast to return for James Gunn’s 2021 sequel/reboot The Suicide Squad as Captain Boomerang, Jai Courtney has built a nice career for himself the past decade-and-a-half, appearing in massive action franchises with roles in A Good Day to Die Hard, Terminator Genisys, and the Divergent movies. He has also popped up on TV shows like Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Wet Hot American Summer: Ten Years Later, and The Terminal List over the years. 

Peter Mark Kendall (Stan Loomis)

Peter Mark Kendall appears in the Kaleidoscope cast as Stan Loomis, an expert smuggler who is willing to do anything and everything to help out the group of thieves pull off their impossible mission, even if it means risking everything he has built.

Prior to joining the Kaleidoscope cast, Kendall appeared on a series of TV shows that includes everything from The Leftovers to The Americans and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit to Chicago Med, and so much more. His film appearances include Time Out of Mind, Louder Than Bombs, and The Ticket. Kendall also had a small role in Top Gun: Maverick, which broke Paramount+ records upon its streaming debut in December 2022. 

Jordan Mendoza (RJ Acosta Jr.)

Rounding out the crew of thieves at the center of Kaleidoscope is Jordan Mendoza, who portrays RJ Acosta Jr., the team’s technically proficient yet socially-inept driver and engineer.

Throughout his acting career, which is admittedly brief up to this point, Mendoza has appeared on shows like Your Worst Fears Confirmed, Eva vs. Anxiety, ZIWE, and Maurice on Mars. However, Mendoza has worked in the writers room for shows like Dave, Big Mouth, Human Resources, and the 2022 Beavis and Butt-Head reboot. 

Rufus Sewell (Roger Salas)

Leading the security team tasked with preventing the “unbeatable” vault from being cracked on Kaleidoscope Roger Salas, a former thief and one-time partner of Leo Pap played by Rufus Sewell.

Over the course of the past 30-plus years, Sewell has appeared in movies like Hamlet, Dark City, A Knight’s Tale, The Illusionist, The Holiday, and The Father, to name just a few. His list of TV credits is just as impressive, with shows like John Adams, Victoria, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and The Man in the High Castle all coming to mind. He has also had a rather successful stage career, with decorated performances in Rock ‘n’ Roll, Old Times, and Old Times. 

Tati Gabrielle (Hannah Kim)

Working alongside Salas in preventing a massive amount of money from being taken on their watch is Hannah Kim, a mysterious, intelligent and ambitious character played by Tati Gabrielle. 

A Netflix mainstay at this point in her career, Gabrielle has been featured on the main casts of shows like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and You the past few years, with Kaleidoscope being the most recent addition to that list. Fans of the 2022 video game adaptation Uncharted will also recognize Gabrielle from her portrayal of the villainous Jo Braddock. Her other notable appearances include The Owl House, The 100, and The Emoji Movie. 

Soojeong Son (Liz Kim)

Soojeong Son shows up in the Kaleidoscope cast as Liz Kim, Hannah’s younger and more free-spirited sister.

In the past few years, Son has landed roles on shows like Servant (pictured above), Succession, and Stuff for Women, as well as a list of movies that includes The Outside Story, Submission, and Two Little Bitches. 

Hemky Madera (Carols Sujo)

Rounding out the corporate security side of the Kaleidoscope cast is Hemky Madera, who takes on the role of Carlos Sujo, Salas’ intense and intensely loyal right-hand man who will do anything and everything to keep the crew of thieves from pulling off their big heist.

Throughout his career, Madera has landed prominent roles on shows like Weeds, Queen of the South, and Brockmire, as well as one-off appearances on everything from Law & Order to NCIS: Los Angeles and The League to The Shield. He has also appeared in a few dozen movies over the years, including Spider-Man: Homecoming, in which he played Mr. Delmar. 

Niousha Noor (Nazan Abbasi)

There is more to the Kaleidoscope cast than just thieves and highly-trained and sophisticated security teams, as federal agents are also on the case, including Niousha Noor’s driven FBI agent Nazan Abbasi, whose investigation could bring down a crew of master thieves but also her along with them.

Prior to landing a major role on Kaleidoscope, Noor made a name for herself with appearances on shows like Here and Now and Stitchers, as well as in movies like the 2020 Iranian psychological horror movie The Night. 

Bubba Weiler (Samuel Toby)

And then there is Bubba Weiler, who rounds out the Kaleidoscope cast as FBI special agent Samuel Toby, a "by the books" investigator whose admiration for Abbasi could potentially lead to a major internal conflict with the power to change not only his career but his life in general.

Weiler's role on Kaleidoscope is one of his first major TV gigs, but this is far from being his first rodeo. Over the course of the past few years, Weiler has made brief appearances on shows like Pose, Murphy Brown (the 2018 reboot, Blue Bloods, The Good Fight, and Chicago P.D. Weiler also played Scorpius Malfoy during the 2020 run of the Broadway stage production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

All eight episodes of Kaleidoscope (which are color-coded) are now available to stream for anyone with a Netflix subscription, but please take note, there is more than one way to watch the inventive crime saga unfold. 

If you are looking for more shows to watch (not just those exclusive to Netflix) after watching Kaleidoscope (once, twice, or multiple times), check out our 2023 TV schedule for all the latest on those new and returning series that we'll all soon be talking about.

Stream Kaleidoscope on Netflix.

Between the Extraction franchise and budding universe for The Gray Man, directors Joe and Anthony Russo have their hands full with plenty of Netflix productions. And their work with the entertainment company is far from done. The sibling filmmaking duo has already lined up another movie with the streamer in the form of upcoming movie The Electric State. This is primed to be a high-profile motion picture and, unsurprisingly, an all-star cast that includes Hollywood heavy-hitters like Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt has been assembled.

The Electric State was announced by the Russo Brothers back in 2017 and is based on Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel of the same name. The book was adapted for the screen by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who worked with the directors on Marvel films like Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame.

The movie is set during the 1990s of an alternate United States, in which a civil war has broken out between humans and robots. It tells the story of a young woman who receives a robot from her brother and, ultimately, the heroine and her machine embark on a journey to find her sibling. An eclectic assortment of actors are helping to bring this story to life and, for your convenience, we’ve listed them here.

Millie Bobby Brown

Millie Bobby Brown is set to play the lead character, Michelle, who’ll face dangers in an attempt to find her brother. Though she's not quite 21 yet, the fan-favorite star has been acting for nearly a decade now. However, she truly broke through in 2016 through her Emmy-nominated role as Eleven in Netflix’s highly popular sci-fi series Stranger Things. She’s since parlayed that notoriety into a budding film career and has already starred in the MonsterVerse movies Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong. Brown also serves as the stars in and produces the Enola Holmes film franchise, in which she plays the titular fourth wall-breaking sleuth. She's also in the fantasy flick Damsel. One would expect the star to bring her signature wit and charm to this latest role.

Chris Pratt

Playing the role of Keats is Chris Pratt. The character is described as a smuggler that Michelle meets during her travels. Many fans likely still recognize Pratt for his role as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation, and others may even remember him for his role on Everwood. He’s come a long way since then, though. In the early days of his film career, the star took on supporting roles in films like Wanted, Zero Dark Thirty and Her. It was in 2013, however, that he emerged as a leading man, thanks to his role as Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. From there, he’s starred in the Jurassic World franchise, The Lego Movie and its sequel, The Magnificent Seven and The Tomorrow War, just to name a few. He also voiced Nintendo's beloved, mustachioed plumber in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and voices the lead role in The Garfield Movie.

Giancarlo Esposito

Any film or TV production would be lucky to have Giancarlo Esposito as a member of its cast. It would probably surprise no one to hear that the actor is set to voice a villainous drone known as Marshall. To say that Esposito has played a plethora of characters in his time would be an understatement. The seasoned performer is famous for his roles in classic Spike Lee films like School Daze and Do the Right Thing and also gained recognition for his roles in The Usual Suspects, Waiting to Exhale, Ali and much more. But his most famous character, however, is arguably drug kingpin Gustavo “Gus” Fring, who he played on Breaking Bad and its spinoff prequel series, Better Call Saul. Right now, Esposito also starred (as villainous characters) on Star Wars series The Mandalorian and superhero show The Boys.

Anthony Mackie

For this cinematic endeavor, Joe and Anthony Russo will be reteaming with Anthony Mackie, who they worked with on the Captain America and Avengers films. The actor has been tapped to voice a sentient robot, who’s described as an ally to Chris Pratt’s character. Mackie has been a Hollywood actor for quite some time, as he made his acting debut as “Papa Doc” in the 2002 drama film 8 Mile. The A-lister has also starred in acclaimed films like Half Nelson, Million Dollar Baby and The Hurt Locker. In 2014, he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the role of Sam Wilson/The Falcon, who took on the mantle of Captain America in 2021’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Mackie will reprise that role in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. On the small screen, he's also the lead of the Twisted Metal series.

Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton has collaborated with the Russos before, as he starred in The Gray Man. In that film, he played a veteran CIA agent and, for this upcoming sci-fi production, he’ll voice a key figure in the civil war, who just happens to be a robot. Thornton, like many of his co-stars, has a resume that speaks for itself. His body of work includes Sling Blade (which won him an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay), One False Move and Armageddon. Of course, who could forget his turns in Friday Night Lights, The Alamo and Monster’s Ball. He’s an elder statesman within this ensemble and can certainly bring a level of gravitas.

Stanley Tucci

Speaking over capable veterans, Stanley Tucci also stars in the movie, and his role has yet to be revealed. The always-delightful actor has an extensive filmography that’s stuffed to the brim with notable big-screen productions. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, the actor appeared in Prizzi’s Honor, A Midsummer’s Night Dream among other films. And by the 2000s, Tucci landed roles in Road to Perdition, The Terminal, The Devil Wears Prada and The Lovely Bones, which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The viral sex symbol’s visibility has expanded into blockbuster fare over the past decade, such as Captain America: The First Avenger, the Hunger Games franchise and some Transformers films. Though he hasn’t forgotten his dramatic or comedic roots as evidenced by Easy A, Burlesque and Spotlight. He's also starred on the Russo brother-produced Amazon show Citadel, which called upon him to perform a brutal scene.

Ke Huy Quan

Fresh off his Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All At Once, Ke Huy Quan is joining the Russos for their next cinematic outing. Quan is said to be playing a doctor that Millie Bobby Brown’s character must locate. And interestingly enough, the actor replaced Michelle Yeoh, his co-star from the aforementioned movie, in the role, as she dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Quan is widely loved by so many, who remember him for his iconic roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and The Goonies. Though he’d star in a few movies like Breathing Fire and Encino Man in the years that immediately followed, Quan was forced to step away from acting due to a lack of opportunities. After spending years as a successful stunt choreographer, he began to act again a couple of years ago, starting with Finding ʻOhana. As mentioned, he gave a strong turn in Daniels' multidimensional dramedy and played a role in Disney+’s American Born Chinese, and Quan is also starred in Loki Season 2 and has the action film With Love.

Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate makes for another strong addition to this cast. The star will reportedly lend her voice to a CGI character, who I’d wager is a robot of sorts. Slate is a student of comedy, who possesses a strong improv background, and that arguably helped her land a spot in Saturday Night Live’s Season 35 cast. After working on the show for one season, she went on to star in other high-profile shows, from Parks and Recreation and Kroll Show to House of Lies and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. She’s also been featured in Gifted, Venom, I Want You Back and other movies. Slate has a particularly strong reputation in the realm of voice acting through Bob’s Burgers, Big Mouth, Zootopia, The Lego Batman Movie, and so much more. She absolutely broke viewers’ hearts in 2022 with her performance as the titular character in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On and will lend her voice to The Ark and the Aardvark.

Jason Alexander

Another intriguing pick-up for the film is veteran actor and comedian Jason Alexander, who’s been cast in an undisclosed role. A widely beloved star, Alexander began his career as a stage performer before making the jump to TV. It was in that medium that he’d find his signature role, that of the bumbling, but well-meaning, George Costanza on Seinfeld. Alexander has appeared on countless shows in the years since the hit NBC sitcom ended. Curb Your Enthusiasm, Star Trek: Voyager, Two and a Half Men and The Orville are just a few of his credits. In terms of film, he’s held roles in flicks like Pretty Woman, Coneheads and Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Woody Norman

Amid the flurry of Hollywood veterans, Electric State will also showcase some up-and-coming talent in the form of Woody Norman. The 13-year-old English actor is set to play the younger brother of Millie Bobby Brown’s character. Though he hasn’t been in the industry as long as his peers, Norman does have some respectable credentials. When it comes to TV, he’s appeared on Starz's The White Princess and the BBC’s Poldark along with a few other programs. He truly broke out in 2021 as a result of his role in the Joaquin Phoenix-led drama C’mon C’mon. He also played a supporting role in the 2023 horror flick The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Norman’s going to need to bring it for the Russos’ sci-fi film, as his character is definitely crucial to the plot.

 Martin Klebba 

Like many of his co-stars, Martin Klebb has certainly been around the block in Hollywood. He’s done stunt work on a myriad of films from Van Helsing and Evan Almighty to Zombieland and Hancock. He even served as a mo-cap performer on 2015’s Jurassic World. However, moviegoers probably know him best for playing Marty in four of the five Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He’s not done with the House of Mouse, either, as he’s also set to appear as Grumpy in the upcoming Snow White film. While his role in the Russos’ sci-fi film is currently unknown, I have no doubt Klebb will put in a solid effort as per usual.

Brian Cox

So why don’t we end this list with one more veteran: Brian Cox. The name by itself is pretty intimidating. Reports point to the celebrated actor, like some of his co-stars, is said to be voicing a CGI character. Where to even begin with Cox’s career? He’s an acclaimed stage veteran, who was praised for his turn in King Lear. His filmography spans various genres and includes movies like The Long Kiss Goodnight, Rushmore, X-Men 2, Zodiac, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Churchill. (Hold up, I need to catch my breath.) More recently, he’s captivated audiences through his Emmy-nominated performance as the cold and calculating Logan Roy on HBO’s Succession. Given his body of work, I could see Cox playing a villain in the Russos’ film, but that may not end up being the case. Whatever the case, let’s hope it’s a role he can sink his teeth into.

The Electric State debuts on March 14 amid the 2025 movie schedule and, if you're aiming to check it out, be sure you have an active Netflix subscription.

A good way for an actor to start out is by making a guest appearance on a TV crime procedural series like Bones — the Emmy-nominated show starring Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz that ran for 12 seasons on Fox. In fact, the fun, clever, and romantic drama inspired by the life of forensic pathologist Kathy Reichs was an early credit, or even first credit, for many actors before really making a name for themselves. Take a look at the 18 actors below and see if you remember when they crossed paths with Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and Agent Seeley Booth.

Michael B. Jordan (Perry Wilson)

Before becoming one of the most popular and respected actors of his generation with stellar performances in Fruitvale Station, the Creed movies, and Black Panther as one of the MCU’s most memorable villains, Michael B. Jordan was best known for television roles of varying magnitude, such as the time he was guest star on House. Earlier than that, however, he appeared on Season 5 of Bones as a young man who encounters Booth’s protective side when he starts dating Camille Saroyan’s (Tamara Taylor) adoptive daughter, Michelle (Tiffany Hines).

Jaimie Alexander (Molly Briggs)

Another Marvel movies star who guested on Bones just a few years before playing Lady Sif in the Thor franchise was Jaimie Alexander. In the Season 4 episode “The Beaver in the Otter,” Brennan and Booth eventually learn her character knows more than she would let on about the body of a fellow college student found inside the school mascot uniform.

Sean Gunn (Dr. Howard Fitch)

Yet another Marvel movie veteran with a Bones episode on his resume is Sean Gunn, who plays both Kraglin and provides the motion capture for Rocket Raccoon in his brother James’ Guardians of the Galaxy films. Actually, Gunn had already completed his stint in the Gilmore Girls cast and made his MCU debut when he a made a small appearance as a forensic science convention attendee in the crime procedural’s tenth season.

Jennifer Holland (Nicole Twist)

Another actor with both personal and professional connections to James Gunn is his real-life romantic partner and Peacemaker cast member Jennifer Holland. In 2011, the former model also had a brief role on a Season 6 episode of Bones as the sole social media friend of a recent murder victim, with whom she had suffered a falling out regarding a counterfeit handbag.

Aldis Hodge (Jimmy Merton)

Speaking of DCEU actors, Black Adam cast member Aldis Hodge is also known for the TNT series Leverage, Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man, and the Oscar nominated movie, One Night in Miami…, to name few. He also starred on the first season of Bones as a military veteran still struggling to overcome painful memories when he is questioned by Booth and Brennan about the death of his former comrade.

Laz Alonso (George Warren)

Speaking of comic book adaptation stars, Laz Alonso is best known today for taking out corrupt supes as Mother’s Milk on Amazon Prime’s hit series based on Garth Ennis' The Boys. Years earlier, he appeared on Bones Season 1 as the brother of a woman whose mummified remains were found, along with a bag of methamphetamines, by Brennan inside the wall of a night club.

Giancarlo Esposito (Richard Benoit)

Speaking of The Boys cast members, Emmy nominee Giancarlo Esposito is also known for many other legendary (and very sinister) roles in TV series like Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian. One of his lesser-known (but still pretty sinister) TV characters is that of a New Orleans voodoo shop owner who threatens to curse Brennan when she suspects him of murder in Season 1 of Bones.

Aaron Paul (Stew Ellis)

Speaking of Breaking Bad cast members, three-time Emmy-winning Jesse Pinkman actor Aaron Paul just happened to appear on the first season of Bones before he was cast on the hit AMC series as well. He played a comic book store owner whom Brennan and Booth confront about the murder of a teen who was so obsessed with superheroes that he tried to become one.

Dean Norris (Don Timmons)

Aaron Paul’s Breaking Bad co-star and DEA Agent Hank Schrader actor, Dean Norris, also appeared on Bones — and not just once, but two times. In Season 4, he played the owner of a pitbull who may have been responsible for the death of his own veterinarian, and would return in the uncredited and unrelated role of a court juror in the following season.

Michael Cudlitz (Lucky)

Speaking of actors from hit AMC shows, Michael Cudlitz would join The Walking Dead cast in Season 4 as military veteran Abraham Ford, which is just about his best-known role to date. Years before then, he had a guest spot on Bones Season 3 as the operator of a lodge where people indulge in a unique form a sexual role play involving one person pretending to be a horse and the other their “rider.”

Kyle Gallner (Jeremy Farrell)

In addition to a very brief stint on The Walking Dead (one episode), Kyle Gallner is a bit of an underrated Scream King for his appearances in Jennifer’s Body and the fifth installment of the Scream movies from 2022, most notably. However, his role on the Bones Season 2 episode “The Girl with the Curl” as the older brother of a 9-year-old beauty pageant star harboring a dark secret was not particularly scary, albeit a bit upsetting.

Theo Rossi (Nick Arno)

Theo Rossi of Sons of Anarchy cast and Luke Cage fame dealt with a very different kind of zombie horde when he was cast in Army of the Dead — writer and director Zack Snyder’s Netflix original action-horror flick that was set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas. Coincidentally, the actor also appeared on a Season 2 Bones episode that took place in Sin City, playing the owner of a fight club that Brennan and Booth infiltrate by posing as a couple.

Indira Varma (Inspector Cate Pritchard)

There are also members of the Star Wars universe who have made appearances on Bones — such as Obi-Wan Kenobi cast member Indira Varma, who played Tala Durith on the Disney+ original limited series. The actor played a Scotland Yard inspector  whom Brennan refers to as the “British version of Booth” while working a case together in a 2008 two-part episode set in the United Kingdom.

Jordan Fisher (Ian Johnson)

While he was already well on his way to securing himself as one of his generation’s most exceptional, multi-talented young performers, actor, singer, dancer, and Work It star Jordan Fisher got to put his best talents on display when he appeared on Bones. In a Season 11 episode that is easily one of the more musical of the whole series (not to mention how Pentatonix stars Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying also guest star), Fisher plays a member of collegiate a cappella group whose leader is found dead.

Justina Machado (Lupe Rojas)

Also known for busting some epic dancing moves (particularly with her successful stint on Dancing with the Stars) is Netflix’s One Day at a Time star Justina Machado, who had previously had a major role on HBO’s Six Feet Under. In between, she appeared on a Season 6 Bones episode as the ex-girlfriend of a man who was found dead in a cave along with the woman he left her for, which automatically makes her a prime suspect in the case.

Ariel Winter (Liza)

Fellow sitcom star Ariel Winter (who played Alex Dunphy in the Modern Family cast for 11 seasons) also has a recurring voice role on Disney Channel’s animated series, Elena of Avalor, in common with Justina Machado, in addition to both guest starring on Bones episodes. Actually, the then-8-year-old also appeared alongside Kyle Gallner in the aforementioned Season 2 episode “The Girl with the Curl” as a young dancer.

Taylor Kinney (Jimmy Fields)

Also known for playing a solder in the Oscar-winning 2013 film, Zero Dark Thirty, Taylor Kinney is best known from his recurring role on The Vampire Diaries cast and on Chicago Fire as regular character Kelly Severide. Before any of these credits came about, the actor played a collegiate basketball player whose hot-shot teammate is found dead underneath the gym bleachers on a Season 3 episode of Bones.

Ryan Michelle Bathe (Erin Miller)

Speaking of NBC drama stars, Ryan Michelle Bathe had a memorable recurring role alongside her real-life husband, Sterling K. Brown, in the This is Us cast before becoming the heroic lead of The Endgame cast in 2022. Much earlier, she had a guest appearance on Bones in a Season 4 episode as a woman with a “Cleopatra haircut” who serves as the estate lawyer to a family whose recently deceased loved one is discovered by Brennan to have been murdered when she attends his funeral. 

How many of these guest appearances by Hollywood’s soon-to-be stars rang a bell for you? If you still feel the need to refresh your memory by revisiting these episodes, you can stream Bones on Hulu, or stream Bones on Amazon's Freevee app for free, now.

Giancarlo Esposito is one of the strongest working actors in our industry, and every time he pops up in a new project, it’s all but guaranteed that he’s going to make it that much better. That’s why we made this list of his best movies and TV appearances. After setting up one of the baddest characters in drug-crime history in Breaking Bad, Esposito continues to explore the legacy of Gustavo Fring in the superior Better Call Saul. And Esposito also introduced Star Wars fans to a completely formidable new villain when he took the part of Moff Gideon on the Disney+ series The Mandalorian. This brilliant actor doesn’t always have to play a bad guy, however. He just revealed that he has been in talks with Marvel Studios, and he hopes to eventually play one of their heroes. 

Giancarlo Esposito was speaking to fans at the TJH Superhero Car Show & Comic Con in San Antonio, Texas when he started to open up on camera (via TikTok user @countdowncitygeeks) about roles he has been rumored to play lately for Marvel Studios. Given the fact that Marvel is ramping up production on Phase 5 and 6, with big news expected to arrive during the D23 celebration in Anaheim in September, Esposito started to tease the crowd, before revealing:

Yes. Yes, very much so, yes. Marvel Studios reportedly is working on a plan to bring mutants into the MCU, especially after Kamala Khan was revealed to have a “mutation” in the season finale of Ms. Marvel. Marvel’s Phase 6 kicks with Fantastic Four. That much has been confirmed. But can an X-Men movie fill some of the other slots on that big chart?

We recently caught back up with a very familiar Professor Charles Xavier when Sir Patrick Stewart returned to the role for a small part in Sam Raimi’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That Professor X belonged to an alternate universe, as explained in the sequel. So why couldn’t Giancarlo Esposito play a version of Charles Xavier from a new Marvel multiverse that we haven’t yet visited?

As mentioned, we believe that Giancarlo Esposito makes everything better, so casting him as the next actor to play Charles Xavier would be a stroke of genius. Perhaps this will be confirmed at D23, if and when Kevin Feige drops more details about the Upcoming Marvel Movie slate. In the meantime, scratch your X-Men itch with episodes of the animated X-Men ‘97, which will be returning with new episodes soon.

Major spoilers below for anyone who isn’t completely caught up with Better Call Saul, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Better Call Saul’s sixth and final season wasn’t initially written with a six-week hiatus in mind, which didn’t seem so evident after “Plan and Execution” shockingly took Howard Hamlin out of the equation. The urgency oozing out of the midseason premiere “Point and Shoot,” however, more clearly indicated this episode was conceived as more of a quick follow-up, with the creative team surprisingly (and rather brutally) killing off the drama’s most electrifying antagonist, Lalo Salamanca.

Okay, so it was technically the overarching franchise baddie Gustavo Fring who unleashed a bullet shower on Lalo, turning the tables just as the mustachioed brute thought he had Fring backed into an inescapable corner. The only corners that Lalo will know from now on, though, are the ones surrounding his and Howard’s corpses in their shared dirt grave beneath Fring’s in-development meth lab. That detail, as dark and morose as it is, adds a new shade of context to every Breaking Bad scene that takes place within the underground lab.

Even Tony Dalton himself was disturbed by how things played out for his character. When interviewed by Variety about the devastating episode, Dalton was asked about the weirdness of seeing his dead body on screen (so to speak), and he reflected on its Breaking Bad ties with his answer, saying:

It’s not necessarily a revisionist game-changer to picture Walt and Jesse handling their meth-cooking duties above the rotting corpses of Fring and Saul’s most bitter rivals, considering neither of the Breaking Bad characters ever met Lalo or Howard (as far as we know). That said, this episode’s events will absolutely put Fring in a brand new light for anyone going back to watch Breaking Bad again. 

“Point and Shoot” delivered a Gus Fring that audiences (and other characters) were not used to seeing: one who was ostensibly outsmarted and outclassed, and one who was scared that it could very well be his last day on earth. Had it not been for Lalo’s sky-high self-confidence and his video camera, the villain likely wouldn’t have kept Fring alive long enough for the crime boss to get to his secret gun. But now that he has lived through what is no doubt one of his top three nightmare scenarios, Fring is better suited to become the unwavering tyrant that takes Walt and Jesse under his wing. 

Dalton said he and Giancarlo Esposito did have discussions about how their final tête-à-tête’s outcome would affect Fring’s ascent to power going forward. In his words:

After one takes down a massive grizzly bear, other animals (even potentially dangerous ones named Walter White) just don’t seem nearly as intimidating. And since no one else in this universe was quite like Lalo, Fring will more or less be resting easy until half of his face gets blown off years later. 

As much as it sucks to see Lalo go — and I cannot imagine a more gut-scrambling way for it to happen than him and Howard together eternally — at least Tony Dalton’s film and TV career isn’t nearly as dead as his character is. I cannot wait to see what kinds of high-profile roles he’ll get next, though it’s with regrets that he didn’t get to share the screen with the yet-to-arrive guest star Carol Burnett.

With Station 19’s Pat Healy set to pop up in upcoming flash-forwards as the recast cab driver, Better Call Saul airs Monday nights on AMC at 9:00 p.m. ET. While waiting for new episodes, join me in celebrating superstar Rhea Seehorn FINALLY earning an Emmy nomination this year for her endlessly stellar work as Kim Wexler, after years of being unfairly ignored.

The cast and crew behind "The Mandalorian" and "Ahsoka," including Jon Favreau, Pedro Pascal, Rosario Dawson, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, and more, joined CinemaBlend at Star Wars Celebration 2022 to chat about the future of "The Mandalorian" and the characters that have sprung from the Disney+ hit.

Video Chapters:

00:00 - Intro
00:14 - Pedro Pascal on 'The Mandalorian’s' Emotional Journey
01:02 - Jon Favreau on 'The Mandalorian' Season 4 and Beyond
02:30 - Giancarlo Esposito on Moff Gideon’s Big Plans
04:56 - Katee Sackoff: Who’s The Better Pilot, Starbuck or Bo-Katan?
05:41 - Rosario Dawson and Natasha Liu Bordizzo on What Not to Expect from 'Ahsoka'
05:55 - Carl Weathers on the Challenges of Directing 'The Mandalorian'
06:31 - Emily Swallow on Armorer’s Supposed Backstory
07:13 - Temuera Morrison Wants to Bring Back Badass Boba

When it comes to some of the best villains in television history, there are few that I think top that list. I could talk about Negan from The Walking Dead, or maybe even Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones, but nothing quite hits like Gus Fring from one of the best AMC series, Breaking Bad, and its prequel spinoff, Better Call Saul. 

From the moment he appeared on our TV screens, Gus Fring captured our attention and demanded our respect as a TV villain. While not seeming that scary at first, we quickly learned just how threatening of a villain Gus is, and honestly, I’m here to say that he’s truly one of the best TV villains of all time. Here are five reasons why. 

First Off, Giancarlo Esposito Was The Perfect Casting 

Let me just start off by saying that there are few characters in this world that I believe could never be played by different actors. Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, for example, or Alan Rickman as Severus Snape in Harry Potter. Giancarlo Esposito as Gus Fring is another fantastic example of how an actor is born to play a character. 

Esposito has fantastic movies and TV shows, on his resume, including many other villain parts that he plays just as well, but nothing quite beats his portrayal of Gus Fring in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. The way in which he plays the villain always shakes me to my core, from his easy-going smile to his terrifying moments that always make me quiver in my seat, wondering what his next move is going to be.

There are few TV villains who truly invoke that response in me, but Gus Fring is one of them. And, I am positive that if Giancarlo Esposito was not the one portraying him, I would not have the same reaction. 

Gus Can Be Surprisingly Subtle When Intimidating Others

There are sometimes villains in shows who I feel are overly intimidating. Don’t get me wrong, that kind of intimidation works, like for Negan in The Walking Dead. But, for a show like Breaking Bad, we didn’t need a villain who was super intimidating, and we got the perfect bad guy in the form of Gus Fring, who is subtle in the ways he intimidates people.

Gus doesn’t need to be super scary to be intimidating. For example, in one of the latest episodes of Better Call Saul Season 6, “Carrot and Stick,” it’s shown that before Gus even made his big debut in Breaking Bad, he still had just as much power, especially when threatening Mike. He doesn’t even need to be the one holding the gun. He instead just has one of his associates hold it for him while he threatens him from a distance with that calm look on his face. It’s the perfect use of subtle intimidation. 

But When He Is Scary, He’s Terrifying

But, that doesn’t mean that Gus isn’t sometimes terrifying to watch. 

While Gus himself has been a little more hotheaded in Better Call Saul, that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still usually very subtle in the ways in which he threatens and intimidates people. Sometimes, Gus throws out that intimidation tactic, instead leaning towards violence, and we see this in the Breaking Bad episode, “Box Cutter,” during the premiere episode of Season 4. 

Gus, who is angered at Walt and Jesse going against his orders, killing Gale, and being all-around disobedient jackasses, comes to their lab, where they think they are going to be killed by him. Instead, Gus pulls a 180, and while still using that calm face of his, he instead slits the throat of the man that had worked on their batch when they were supposed to be working on their batch. 

He uses that as a warning to them - that if he’s okay literally killing off his own men, he’ll have no trouble killing them. He is horrifyingly scary in the best way and there’s not another villain who truly frightens me like him. 

Fring Is Legitimately Great At Running A Business, Legal Or Otherwise

Let’s be honest - you wanted to try Los Pollos Hermanos from the Breaking Bad universe. I do, too. 

Jokes aside, another big reason I love Gus Fring as a villain is that the man is smart. Like, super smart. There are so many moments where you watch villains in TV shows have a lapse of judgment that completely ruins their character, but with Gus, he is so meticulous in every single damn thing he does that you can’t help but have respect for him with the way he runs both his regular business and his drug business.

Los Pollos Hermanos is a completely legitimate restaurant, with workers, normal food, and everything else, that Gus makes sure is always in tip-top shape, but even with that in mind, he still uses his legit business as a front for his illegal operations. That way, no one ever questions what he’s doing. 

I mean, there is no way that we, as the audience, had any idea that the man with that yellow shirt and that smile was going to end up being a big baddie when we first saw him in Breaking Bad. And, it’s because he plays the part of a businessman so well that you nearly forget that he can be so scary. I’ll always be sad that they killed his character off before Season 5 of Breaking Bad. 

His Backstory Is Fascinating - Even If We Don’t Know Everything

The last thing I want to touch on is Fring’s backstory - most of which we really know nothing about. 

Sure, both Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad have sort of touched on aspects of Gus’ backstory, from the time with his partner and trying to pitch to Don Eladio in the “Hermanos” episode of Breaking Bad, to his supposed childhood in Chile when he cultivated a lucuma tree in Season 4's “Piñata” episode of Better Call Saul. But, the prequel has pretty much kept Gus’ past a secret.

And oh my God, thank the lord they did. 

Having a character with a mysterious past who is as subtly terrifying and calculating as Gus is was the perfect move, because we never really know how Gus became the way he did. We don’t know if Gus has a family, how he started off seriously in the drug business, who he’s been in contact with - it’s all a mystery left up for the viewer to decide, which is what makes him such a good villain. Because we, in a way, get to paint out how Gus ended up the way he is. 

Even with the few bits of his past we do know, it's fascinating, from his feud with Don Eladio to his early moments of violence in his childhood, showing the small little steps that he has taken to get where he is now without revealing too much. He always gives away these teeny tiny bits of info that help us understand his mental process, but other than that, we know nothing else about him. And, that’s just perfect. 

Truly, I don’t think there will ever be another TV character, villain or otherwise, who will quite capture my attention like Gus Fring did. From the moment he stepped on that screen, I was enamored with his skillful business style, his calm demeanor, and his scary rage, and no one else will ever quite surpass that. I’ll be sad to see him go once Better Call Saul's very well reviewed season brings the series to an end.  

Since the day that Disney+ debuted, The Mandalorian has been one of the streaming service’s most popular shows, and so you can be sure there are a lot of people looking forward to the forthcoming third season. The only question now is when we’ll get to actually see it. Co-star Giancarlo Esposito seems to think we might be getting it very soon, but it might be wishful thinking.

The man who plays Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, Giancaro Esposito, recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show, and the host asked when we’ll all be blessed with new episodes of The Mandalorian. While the actor was sure to be clear that no specific date had been set, he said that he thought we would see more Mandalorian as early as this summer. Esposito said…

Fans would certainly love to see The Mandalorian drop Season 3 this summer, it’s without question one of the best shows on Disney+, but that seems a bit early all things considered. Both seasons of The Mandalorian, as well as The Book of Boba Fett, which functioned as a bridge between Mandalorian seasons, came out closer to the end of the year, so it would seem a release between October and December is more likely.

Disney+ also already has a major Star Wars show set to debut this summer, with Obi-Wan Kenobi dropping its first episode in late May and running into June. At first glance it would seem unlikely that we would be getting two Star Wars series both released this summer.

Of course, it’s also not entirely impossible that we could get The Mandalorian Season 3 as soon as Giancarlo Esposito is indicating. There have been times in the last couple years where we have only seen a few weeks between the final episode of one Marvel series on Disney+ and the first episode of another. It’s happening soon with Ms. Marvel set to debut only a month after Moon Knight wraps. So there's no reason Star Wars could not do the same.

And Ms. Marvel will also see some of its episodes debut alongside episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, so Disney+ is apparently so full of high profile original series that the streaming service can’t release them one at a time anymore. That Disney+ subscription is certainly showing its value.

There is a third Star Wars series, Andor, which we expect to debut on Disney+ this year. It’s possible that it could end up taking the slot at the end of the year that we would expect to see The Mandalorian. Either way, with three series set to hit this year, there's a chance we could get a second one before summer is over.

We don’t know what the plan is yet. There’s a good chance we’ll have answers soon. Star Wars Celebration will be taking place at the end of May, and we can be sure there will be some Mandalorian talk. We may find out when the next season will hit then. 

The time we’ve been waiting for with equal parts anticipation and dread is finally upon us (almost), as Better Call Saul’s final season is set to premiere on Monday, April 18. As Bob Odenkirk’s Saul Goodman gets chronologically closer to Walter White’s Breaking Bad universe, we’re finally about to find out the fates of characters including Kim Wexler (Rhea Seehorn), Nacho Varga (Michael Mando) and Lalo Salamanca (Tony Dalton), among others who weren’t featured in the flagship series. Critics got the jump on the rest of us and have viewed the first two episodes, and to be expected, they aren't keeping mum about what they think of the beginning of the end.

Season 6 will be divided into two parts, with the first seven episodes premiering on April 18, and the second six coming July 11. Anticipation has been high, especially since the production suffered a huge scare when Bob Odenkirk collapsed from a heart attack on set. It’s been a couple of years since Season 5 ended, so if you need a refresher, check out these things to remember before Better Call Saul Season 6. Now that we’re all caught up, let’s check out the reviews.

Darren Franich of EW grades the first two episodes an A-, saying the series continues to introduce tantalizing mysteries even while hurtling toward its finish, and only the best artists can pull a con like that. 

Steve Greene of IndieWire gives it an A, saying it’s an “exquisite” start to the final season, and that the Breaking Bad prequel continues to maintain an impossibly high bar for itself with wicked humor, a trademark visual vocabulary and metric tons of dread:

Another critic who uses the word “exquisite” is Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence. She says every element of the first two episodes is working hard to make sure the audience is engaged in the show’s biggest questions, including the mystery of how it’s all going to end:

Drew Dietsch of Giant Freakin Robot rates the beginning of the final season 5 out of 5 robots. He says while Breaking Bad will always be classic TV, Better Call Saul has eclipsed its predecessor, and we should be thankful to be alive in a time when this show was airing:

Daniel D’Addario of Variety is the rare critic who found faults in the first two episodes, as he continues to struggle with the series’ tone. However, he says Season 6 is ultimately worth watching, if mainly because Bob Odenkirk and Rhea Seehorn’s acting together is as strong as it’s ever been:

Only nine critics have offered their judgments on the first two episodes on Rotten Tomatoes, but as of this writing, Better Call Saul’s final season is rated 100% Fresh. I don’t know about you, but these reviews made me more excited than ever to see what happens next — especially after the recent confirmation that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul will reprise their Breaking Bad roles at some point this season! 

The first two episodes of Better Call Saul Season 6 will air at 9 p.m. ET Monday, April 18, with one episode per week airing in that timeslot thereafter. While we wait (impatiently), be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what other new and returning shows are premiering soon.

You want to know who I think of when someone asks me who the best television villain of all time is? I think of Gus Fring, from Breaking Bad. You want to know who plays that man? Giancarlo Esposito. 

While Giancarlo Esposito has been around for decades with plenty of movies and TV shows, there are certain roles that stand out among the rest, from villains who are off in space to those in a dystopian world. Esposito has done it all. If you’re looking for the best Giancarlo Esposito movies and TV shows, here is where you can find them streaming, or available to rent. 

Breaking Bad/Better Call Saul (2009 - Present)

As mentioned in the intro, I was introduced to Giancarlo Esposito through Breaking Bad. In this famous AMC series, we primarily follow Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who's diagnosed with cancer, and turns to drug dealing (primarily making meth) in order to provide for his family after his death. 

From Season 2, up until the end of Season 4, Giancarlo Esposito played Gus Fring, and man does he know how to act. Gus Fring was the first TV villain I saw where I was genuinely interested as hell in his character, because he was so terrifyingly normal, but could kill you in seconds. Giancarlo Esposito was killer (pun intended) in his role, and honestly, he made me want to try Los Pollos Hermanos more than once. 

He’s also reprised his character in Better Call Saul, the spinoff of Breaking Bad, which is coming back for its sixth and final season in 2022, so if you want to see the brilliance that is Gus Fring, please, watch these shows. 

Stream Breaking Bad on Netflix.
Stream Better Call Saul on Netflix.

Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials/Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2015/2018) 

Next up, we have The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials and The Maze Runner: The Death Cure. These two films in the Maze Runner trilogy follow the same group from the first movie on more dangerous life or death trials, trying to survive while also exposing secrets about why they are in The Maze. 

While there are many reasons to watch The Maze Runner series, from its stunning visuals to the entertaining story, another great reason to watch is because Giancarlo Esposito actually has a role in two of them, playing Jorge, a berg pilot for WICKED in the film. While his part is relatively small, I’ve always loved his character and the twists that follow, but I won’t reveal them here. You’ll just have to watch the trilogy to find out. 

Rent Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials on Amazon.
Rent Maze Runner: The Death Cure on Amazon.

The Mandalorian (2019 - Present)

I’m sure you’ve at least heard of The Mandalorian. This popular Disney+ show follows Din Djarin, a lone Mandalorian who acts as a bounty hunter, until one of his assignments leads him down a very different path. 

Giancarlo Esposito plays Moff Gideon, another villain in his repertoire who was on the hunt for Mando's latest target. I’ve always seen Esposito as a brilliant character actor. He truly becomes the character and portrays them in a way that really makes me believe that they’re real, and that’s the same with Moff Gideon. While he’s only appeared in seven episodes of the two seasons, he’s made a prominent mark and is a worthy adversary for Din Djarin. 

Stream The Mandalorian on Disney+.

Okja (2017)

In this Netflix original film, Okja tells the story about a modified pig of the same name, who's raised by a young girl. But, when this animal is suddenly kidnapped and taken for testing, it’s up to her and some allies to try and get her pig back. 

This movie has a ton of stars in it, and Giancarlo Esposito is one of them. He plays Frank Dawson, one of the executives of the Mirando Corporation - the main corporation that was experimenting on the pig in the first place. Even with so many big stars in this movie, Esposito stood out with his great performance. 

Stream Okja on Netflix.

Once Upon A Time (2011 - 2017)

In this popular fantasy show, Once Upon a Time tells the story of a young woman who ends up moving to a small town, but as she learns very quickly, the fairytales she always thought were fake as a child are very real, and throw her life for a loop.

Giancarlo Esoposito is one of those names from a show like this you wouldn’t expect, just because it feels like such a different role from what he normally does, but in Once Upon a Time, he plays the Magic Mirror - while in the real world, he’s known as Sydney Glass, a journalist. His story is interesting and his acting is great and I really wish we had gotten to see more of him before the show had to come to an end. 

Stream Once Upon A Time on Disney+.

The Jungle Book (2016)

Of all the Disney live-action remakes, this has to be one of my favorites. The Jungle Book is a retelling of the original Disney story of Mowgli, a child who was raised in the jungle by wolves and has to face serious threats as he grows older.  

The Jungle Book voice cast was stacked, with so many talented actors who signed on, and Giancarlo Esposito voiced Akela, the alpha of the pack that Mowgli is in. And, man, his voice gives me chills every time I watch this film. He has such a presence even just through voice-acting and you know instantly who it is. He was the perfect choice to play a leader like this. 

Stream The Jungle Book on Disney+.
Rent The Jungle Book on Amazon.

Godfather Of Harlem (2019 - Present)

In this TV series, Godfather of Harlem captures the story of the real-life Bumpy Johnson, a man who served several years in prison and emerged from his time only to find his home, Harlem, now run by Italian mobsters. And now, he has to try and get control again. 

This show is so good; it's one of the best crime dramas I have seen in years and it's so entertaining from beginning to end. Starring Forest Whitaker, it’s brilliantly acted, wonderfully told, and has some amazing performances - including Giancarlo Esposito as Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a local Baptist pastor who was actually the first African American ever to be elected to Congress from New York. Truly, one of his best acting performances yet that deserves much more credit. 

Stream Godfather of Harlem on Hulu.

School Daze (1988)

You can’t have a Giancarlo Esposito list without mentioning School Daze. This socially relevant Spike Lee movie follows undergraduates in college that are in Greek life, and how one homecoming weekend where the groups clash ends up turning their lives upside down at a historically black college. 

This was hands down one of Esposito’s biggest roles that really boosted him into the spotlight. School Daze was where he really got to shine as Julian Eaves, otherwise known as “Dean Big Brother Almighty,” showing just how amazing of an actor he is. The movie also touches on several serious issues, such as class, racism, and more, and is thought-provoking in the best ways. 

Stream School Daze on Showtime.
Rent School Daze on Amazon.

Dear White People (2017 - 2019)

This popular Netflix series, Dear White People, based on the film of the same name, follows several Black students at a prestigious, fictional Ivy League university, and touches on topics that affect their everyday lives, from typical coursework and personal relationships to racism and discrimination in the classroom. 

Giancarlo Esposito was on the show for the first three seasons, primarily as the narrator - which is perfect because his voice is smooth like butter. But, he also played Dr. Edward Ruskins, a former professor who worked at the university and played an important role in the kids' lives, further showing his skill as an actor. The show ended in 2021 after four seasons, but it’s certainly worth the time to binge if you haven’t seen it yet. 

Stream Dear White People on Netflix.

Stargirl (2020)

You want a fun movie jukebox musical? Check out Stargirl, a Disney+ original movie, which follows a coming of age story about jumping into high school and learning about love, life, and everything in between. 

Stargirl is one of those films where it’s hard to explain exactly what goes on in it except for the fact that it’s a great movie musical, and you have to watch it for yourself. Giancarlo Esposito plays Archie Brubaker, mentor to Leo, one of the main characters of the film, and what I love the most about his performance in this is his charisma, and chemistry with Graham Verchere (who plays Leo). Their moments are truly some of the best in the movie. 

Stream Stargirl on Disney+.

The Boys (2019 - Present)

Last but not least, we have the amazing Amazon original series, The Boys. This superhero series turns quite diabolical as we get an inside look into what life is really like for these supposed morally-good superheroes, and what goes on behind the scenes when saving people is turned into a business by mega-company, Vought International.

Giancarlo Esposito plays Stan Edgar who is - you guessed it - the CEO of Vought International and the big baddie - or one of the many big baddies, in this show. And let me tell you - I love Esposito in regular dramatic roles or playing a good guy, but man does he play a villain so well. His role as Edgar is just so good and has me pumped for summer 2022 and The Boys Season 3, because I can’t wait to see him return as a villain once more. If superheroes - or just pure chaos, as this show tends to be sometimes - are your thing, this is the series for you. 

Stream The Boys on Amazon Prime.

With a career that has spanned decades, it’s not surprising that Giancarlo Esposito has so much wonderful stuff to watch. And, I’m sure that in the next couple of years, we’ll only continue to see what more he has to bring in terms of his amazing acting talent. Now, if The Mandalorian Season 3 could just get here already, that would be great.  

Considering how Christopher Nolan’s goal with his live-action Batman movies was to bring Batman into the real world, it was always safe to assume we would never see Mr. Freeze face off against Christian Bale. However, as Matt Reeves’ approach appears to be making Batman’s world real, it does not seem like too much of a stretch that we could see the chilling foe face off against Robert Pattinson.

The director of The Batman has even said that he sees potential for the tragic villain - whose real name is Dr. Victor Fries - to have a place in his grounded, new vision for the Dark Knight. If Mr. Freeze’s return to the big screen for the first time since Arnold Schwarzenegger’s very campy and punny portrayal in Batman & Robin is destined to happen under Matt Reeves’ watch, I have a few idea of who might be a perfect choice to bring the role to life, staring with someone well-versed in playing tragic figures already.

Bryan Cranston

Like many of the best faces in Batman’s rogues gallery, Mr. Freeze is a villain by circumstance - driven to crime in order to find a cure for his ailing wife, whom he has put under cryogenic slumber with the same chemicals that accidentally turn him, literally, cold-blooded. Another iconic example of a character whose desperate commitment to his family led him down a path of destruction is Walter White, played brilliantly in the Breaking Bad cast by four-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston - who might also be good as a Marvel villain some day. If there is one person best equipped to portray Freeze’s tragic evolution, it has to be him.

Giancarlo Esposito

Bryan Cranston is not the only former Breaking Bad cast member to cross my mind when considering who could be the next Mr. Freeze. Ever since Giancarlo Esposito played drug lord Gus Fring on the hit drama and later on its prequel spin-off, Better Call Saul, he has become a reliable go-to for playing TV bad guys, from Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian to Vought CEO Stan Edgar on The Boys. I think it’s time his knack for portraying villainy gets the big screen treatment, and his potentially frightening Freeze he would be the perfect entry point.

Mads Mikkelsen

An actor known for frightening audiences on both the small screen (such as in the Hannibal cast in the title role) and the big screen (including as Kaecilius in Doctor Strange or the new Grindelwald in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) is Mads Mikkelsen. However, in his lighter roles - like in the Oscar-winning dramedy Another Round - the Danish actor has shown he can effortlessly tap into an audience’s fuzzier side and earn its sympathy. Channeling both sides of his acting range would be key to pulling off Mr. Freeze, making him an excellent choice.

Christoph Waltz

We have also seen Christoph Waltz play both honorable and unscrupulous characters, and to Academy Award-winning glory (each time in a Quentin Tarantino movie, too). However, between the charming bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz in Django Unchained and the dastardly Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, I think the latter remains his defining role and Tarantino’s favorite of the characters he has written. I think it also provides a glimpse at what a more cunning and calculating Mr. Freeze could look like, and that is an interpretation I would kill to see.

Ben Mendelsohn

You may remember all of Ben Mendelsohn’s great, antagonistic performances in Star Wars: Rogue One or Captain Marvel (which turned out to be a misdirect, of course) or his Emmy-winning role on Netflix’s Bloodline. What you might not remember is that he also played a bad guy in The Dark Knight Rises - namely a construction company owner who attempted to assume control of Wayne Enterprises with the help of Bane (Tom Hardy). I think it would be fun to see the Aussie return to Gotham City as a more prominent villain, and with his penchant for playing blood-curdling bad guys, nailing Mr. Freeze, for him, would be a breeze.

Benicio Del Toro

Another veteran of both the Star Wars movies (as DJ) and the Marvel movies (as The Collector) is Benicio Del Toro, who brought a distinct eccentricity to each of his standout roles in those respective franchises. Eccentricity is not a word often associated with Mr. Freeze, who has typically been portrayed as over-the-top silly (such as on the 1960s Batman TV series) or stone cold serious (most famously in some of the best Batman: The Animated Series episodes as voiced by Michael Ansara). I am curious to see an iteration that finds that sweet spot in the middle and the Academy Award winner might be able to make that work really well in Matt Reeves’ Batman universe.

Michael Fassbender

Another actor you may remember from the Marvel movies (just not of the MCU continuity), but may have forgotten was also in a DC adaptation, is Michael Fassbender. The German-born, English-raised actor’s villainous roles from each are entirely different, with the X-Men movies’ Magneto being very sophisticated and driven by a morally questionable sense of righteousness, and Burke from the 2010’s misbegotten western Jonah Hex being a sadistic freak. The former of those character traits is already essential when portraying Mr. Freeze, while the latter could be an interesting one for the Academy Award nominee to also experiment with for a new interpretation. 

Mark Strong

I will admit that this choice is almost a little too easy since Mark Strong already has extensive experience with comic book movie roles. In fact, two of them are notable DC villains - namely Sinestro (before going bad, that is) in 2011’s Green Lantern and Dr. Sivana in Shazam! from 2019. However, that and his physical appearance alone (I mean, does he not look exactly like Mr. Freeze from Batman: The Animated Series brought to life?) are enough for me to consider him as a fantastic choice for the role.

The mere idea of any of these tour de force actors cast as Mr. Freeze makes me even more excited and hopeful for his big screen return. If he is destined to be one of the potential villains in the sequel to The Batman, I cannot wait to see what ideas Matt Reeves has in mind.

Better Call Saul has been absent from our televisions for so long, I’m starting to forget what it’s like to be in awe of Rhea Seehorn’s Kim Wexler. (Yeah, right, as if that could ever actually happen.) Thankfully, the sixth and final season has finished filming, and will debut for viewers at some point sooner rather than later. But we don’t even need for it to arrive to already know what star Giancarlo Esposito’s next big TV role will be. After perhaps bidding a permanent farewell to the chilling crime boss Gus Fring — barring any new spinoff ideas — Esposito will be sticking with AMC for a brand new crime drama.

AMC formally announced that it has given a greenlight to the new drama project The Driver, which will see Giancarlo Esposito starring as the titular character, who goes by the name Vince. (Not a connection to Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, assumedly, but fun to mention all the same.) In the show, Esposito’s tax driver finds his life upended after he takes a job as chauffeur for a Zimbabwean gangster in New Orleans. The criminal in question is known for “exploiting undocumented immigrants at the U.S. southern ports,” according to the synopsis. 

Sounds like Giancarlo Esposito is up to the challenge of not playing the most dangerous person in the room, too. Here’s what he had to say about it: 

Not that Esposito has spent all of his time in recent years solely portraying the deadliest gentleman on TV as Gus Fring. The actor has been quite prolific in terms of projects with genre appeal, from the Star Wars universe (where he plays The Mandalorian’s Moff Gideon) to the DC superhero-verse (where he voices Lex Luthor for Harley Quinn) to Disney toons (as DuckTales’ Phantom Blot) to the sordid world of The Boys (as Vought’s big boss Stan Edgar). Not to mention his work in Godfather of Harlem, the Far Cry 6 video game, and two upcoming features (The Long Home and Beauty). It’s a wonder he ever has time to take new roles, but thankfully for everyone else on the planet, he does. 

With six episodes coming in its first season, The Driver is being developed by Sunu Gonera and Danny Brocklehurst, with the latter having created the original UK series on which this one is based. Theo Travers, a writer/producer known for his work on Billions, Power and House of Lies, will serve as the showrunner for Giancarlo Esposito’s new show, and even cited the actor’s past work in Do the Right Thing as the starting point of his fandom.

The Driver obviously doesn’t yet have a premiere window in place, but take comfort in knowing it will arrive on AMC in 2023, or we’ll be calling that driver’s service posthaste. This new project will join the just-announced Walking Dead spinoff Isle of the Dead, with Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Negan and Lauren Cohan’s Maggie at the center of the New York City storyline. While waiting for all this cable TV goodness, head to our 2022 TV premiere schedule to see what’ll be debuting in the meantime.

The Mandalorian is going to look a bit different when it returns to Disney+ for its third season, as it’ll be without one of its key stars, Gina Carano (who played Cara Dune). As many probably remember, the star was fired from Lucasfilm earlier this year following controversial social media posts. Since then, the actress has still come up in conversations related to the show, though. As a matter of fact, when discussing his work on the Star Wars series at a recent convention, Moff Gideon actor Giancarlo Esposito referred to Carano as his favorite co-star. With this, the actress has now responded her former co-star’s praise. 

It was during his appearance at Fan EXPO Denver (via Joe Turner) that the Breaking Bad alum made his feelings known. Eventually, those comments made their way to the actress herself, and she took to her Twitter account to send some love back to her former collaborator. Check out the tweet for yourself down below: 

After being asked about his favorite co-star, Giancarlo Esposito seemed to subtly acknowledge that his answer could be a bit controversial. Nevertheless, he went on to discuss what he enjoyed most about working with his colleague:

Gina Carano was let go from The Mandalorian and Lucasfilm as a whole after sharing social media posts that were deemed “abhorrent and unacceptable” by the studio. Shortly after, the actress alleged that she was “bullied” by the company and its parent corporation, Disney. She claimed that she was being “head-hunted” and seemed to insinuate that the studio was looking for a reason to fire her. 

Prior to the post that led to the termination of her contract, Carano had previously come under fire for other posts. On one occasion, she published messages in which she seemed to mock people’s use of pronouns. She also shared anti-mask and social distancing sentiments in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

After her firing, the former MMA fighter actually saw an increase in her social media following, as it was reported at the time that she’d gained 150k followers since being let go. At present, she’s teamed up with conservative news outlet The Daily Wire to produce and star in film projects. The first on that slate, Terror on the Prairie, is now in development and will mark the performer’s first post-Mandalorian acting gig.

It would seem that Gina Carano holds no ill will towards her co-stars following everything that’s happened. She also previously showed love to the show’s lead actor, Pedro Pascal, after her departure from the series. All in all, it would seem that there’s mutual respect among the current and former residents of the galaxy far, far away. It’s currently unclear as to how the producers plan to handle the absence of Carano’s character for Season 3, and it’ll be interesting to see how things pan out in that regard.

Television has given us a number of intimidating characters over the years, such as The Sopranos’ Tony Soprano and The Shield’s Vic Mackey. Breaking Bad alone has produced a number of tough guys, including Bryan Cranston’s Walter While and Jonathan Banks’ Mike Ehrmantraut. And of course, there’s also the ruthless Gustavo Fring, played by the incomparable Giancarlo Esposito. When you play a role as well as Esposito has Gus, it’s only natural that a few people may get the idea that the actor has the same personality as his character. But this led to an awkward situation, in which the actor unintentionally intimidated a fan while for the bathroom.

Anyone who’s seen Breaking Bad or spinoff series Better Call Saul knows that when Gus Fring wants something, he gets it. So when one fan encountered Giancarlo Esposito waiting in line for the bathroom on an airplane, she responded in a pretty fitting way. While appearing at this weekend’s GalaxyCon in Raleigh, North Carolina reflected (via WRAL) on the unexpected situation:

The lady hit the wall. She literally hit the wall for me. And I went, 'No you've been in line.’ She said, 'You can go before me.' Guys, I was like, what's wrong with this lady? I thought she was like sick or having a heart attack or something. And I realized, oh my gosh, she thought I was the character (from Breaking Bad).

I think we can all agree that Giancarlo Esposito certainly has one of the most memorable (and unusual) fan encounters of any celebrity. One can only hope he was able to put the fan at ease, though. Having the lady be nervous around him is likely the last thing Giancarlo Esposito wanted.

Honestly, some may be able to understand why the fan reacted in that manner. Giancarlo Esposito is an incredibly talented performer, and he just so happens to take on a multitude of intense roles. He’s currently still playing the role of Gus Fring on Better Call Saul, and he also plays the roles of Stan Edgar on Amazon’s The Boys and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. on Godfather of Harlem. And then of course, there’s also his fan-favorite role as the villainous Moff Gideon on The Mandalorian, which holds a particular amount of significance to Esposito.

Interestingly enough, there’s a flip side to Giancarlo Esposito’s fan encounters, too. The actor himself is actually a relatively laid back and personable individual, though he previously explained that this can actually disappoint some fans, who want to see him in his intense element. Well, more power to them for wanting to face the actor when he’s in the villainous zone, because I’d honestly be pretty shaken to be in his presence when he’s in villain mode.

There’s no telling how fans will continue to react to Giancarlo Esposito, but it’s a safe bet that no matter what comes his way, the actor will continue to be jovial when meeting his admirers. And it’s just one of the many reasons why we love him so much.

To see Giancarlo Esposito in peak Gus Fring form, you can stream Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul on Netflix.

Think of a villain. Any villain. One of the best villains you can imagine. For me, I instantly think of Gus Fring, from Breaking Bad. A villain that is strangely likable, but viewers also know that if they screwed with him, it would be game over within a couple of minutes. And that is portrayed by the excellent Giancarlo Esposito.

Since the premiere of the first season of The Mandalorian, Giancarlo Esposito has been making rounds as Moff Gideon, one of the main overarching villains of the last two seasons. What he’s also known for is, of course, portraying Gus Fring, a meth overlord who runs the business well, appearing in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He’s truly an outstanding actor and deserves all the recognition he has been getting.

However, like many successful actors, fame wasn't instant for him, and that’s what this list is for. These are some of the roles that Giancarlo Esposito had (or has) that fans may have forgotten about.

The Jungle Book (2016)

Sometimes with voice roles, it's hard to remember the actors who play them. When The Jungle Book came out, I admittedly didn’t see it because I thought the very idea of a live-action Disney film was horrible (eating my words nearly five years later). However, what I didn’t know was that Giancarlo actually played someone in it, the character of Akela, the leader of the wolf pack that the main character is connected to.

Giancarlo is what many might call a character actor, and in The Jungle Book, he practically becomes the role, embodies it, and even with voice-over roles, he does an incredible job with this as well. Hopefully, he comes back for the sequel.

Sesame Street

I know, I could hardly believe it either, but he was on Sesame Street, way back in 1982, before really anyone knew who he was. In the couple of episodes that he was in, Giancarlo Esposito portrayed Mickey, Big Bird’s camp counselor. Keep in mind this was one of his first roles, so you can see a young man just starting out in the film industry.

In November 2020, Esposito actually posted on his Twitter to celebrate the 51st anniversary of Sesame Street, celebrating how long it has been around and thankful that he got to play a character on the show.

Waiting To Exhale

Waiting to Exhale is a romance movie released in 1995, starring big names like Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston, and was directed by Forest Whitaker. But did you know that Giancarlo made a very small and brief role in this popular romance movie?

He portrayed David Matthews, the ex-husband of Gloria (Loretta Devine’s character) and a father to Tarik (Donald Faison), Gloria’s son. In the scene, he rejects her advances and reveals to Gloria that he's gay in an uncomfortable but honest and heartbreaking scene in the film. However, because the role was so brief it was not included in the credits of the film. Talk about a “blink and you miss it” type of cameo, which usually means many might not remember that he had a role in it.

Ghost Whisperer

My mother was the biggest fan of Ghost Whisperer, and actually, on some re-watches of the series with her, I noticed that Giancarlo Esposito actually made an appearance on the popular show, only a couple of years before his breakout role on Breaking Bad.

The episode, titled “Fury,” was in Season 1, stars Giancarlo Esposito as an African-American man who comes back from the dead to haunt the prosecutor who failed to convict his white attacker, nearly thirty years before. It’s a heavy episode that focuses not only on the issues of spirits but race as well but considering it was so long ago in 2006, that sort of role is usually forgotten about.

Fun fact: Aaron Paul, Esposito's future co-star on Breaking Bad, guest-starred on this episode as well.

Bones

In the same year that he guest-starred on Ghost Whisperer, Giancarlo Esposito also picked up a role in Bones, the crime drama that focused on forensic anthropology and archeology.

In the episode he was in, titled “The Man in the Morgue,” Esposito plays Richard Benoit, a man who runs a voodoo shop down in New Orleans, who helps Booth figure out what to do with the evidence that seems to be connected to the voodoo world. Another episode in a widely popular show. I wish he was on it for more.

There’s more to the episode – however, I won’t reveal too much, as Esposito was killer in this one as well.

Law And Order

I swear, every single actor or actress has had a role on Law and Order at some point in their career, and Giancarlo is no exception to this. In fact, he had two roles in the series. In first his role, he played Mr. Baylor in a 1996 episode. He returned in 2004 when he portrayed Rodney Fallon, a defense attorney who is working on the New York Exoneration Project, a special program that specializes in assisting people suspected of being wrongfully convicted of crimes.

Honestly, this project sounds like something that is needed in the real world. It’s a shame he’s just portraying a character in this – but he does a fantastic job doing so, if only for a couple of episodes.

Trading Places

A classic comedy film staring not only Dan Aykroyd but the comedy legend, Eddie Murphy. Everyone who knows comedy has heard of, if not seen this movie due to how famous it is, but what fans of Giancarlo Esposito might not know is that he also had a minor role in Trading Places, which was again one of his first roles ever, but very hidden in the scene.

He played a cellmate in the movie when Eddie Murphy’s character was in jail. If you look at the picture you can see how much younger he was. A bit different from the Moff Gideon everyone knows him as now.

The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects took to screens back in 1995, following the story of the interrogation of Roger Kint, more commonly known as “Verbal,” who is one of the only survivors of a massacre and a fire on a ship that was docked in the Port of Los Angeles.

From that, we get the story of events, from his own mind. Giancarlo Esposito portrays FBI Agent Jack Baer, a man that is on the case. While he isn’t one of the starring roles (with the likes of big-time stars at the time like Kevin Spacey and Stephen Baldwin), it’s one of the bigger roles later on in his career that leads him to become the actor that he is now.

The Boys

While I know that fans of the comics most likely haven’t forgotten, Esposito's role in the superhero show, The Boys, is small but powerful. In the show, Giancarlo portrays Stan Edgar, the CEO of Vought American that handles all of the superheroes.

While he was only in The Boys for five episodes (so far), he rules with an iron fist, hiring people without any of the super’s consent because honestly, he doesn’t have to, because he is the CEO, and what he says goes. He’s not afraid of Homelander, or anyone else.

Watching him in this calls back really to his role as Gus Fring, showing how even though someone can be cool and contemplative, they can also be terrifying, and that’s exactly how Stan is in The Boys. I just wish his character had more screen time. He's so good, but because he doesn't appear that often, viewers will most likely forget about him until he shows up again.

Community

Community was my quarantine show, and I loved every single second of it, but what I hadn’t known was that Giancarlo Esposito actually has a minor role in two episodes of the show, Gilbert Lawson. It’s hard to imagine this serious actor taking a role in a ridiculous show like Community, but he does an excellent job.

He was Pierce’s father’s assistant for 30 years, but his backstory is just outstandingly funny that I’m not even going to get into it here. If readers are fans of Community and Giancarlo Esposito, it’s worth going back to watch this episode. Just ridiculously comedic. The two episodes ("Digital Estate Plannng," "Paranormal Parentage") he is in are so stupidly funny but in a show like Community, they can get lost in the cycle of chaos it is. If a movie is made, I hope he makes a guest appearance.

While it’s unknown now how long Giancarlo Esposito will be in The Mandalorian after the season finale of the second season, fans of his work still have many TV roles and movies to look back on, some of which I didn’t even put in this list. What’s your favorite role?

As AMC's Better Call Saul nears its final season, we're getting to the end of a spinoff that has been just as good, if not a bit better at times, than its predecessor, Breaking Bad. With its end comes the question of whether or not Vince Gilligan will continue to expand on his show's universe with more stories and spinoffs, especially when actors like Giancarlo Esposito speak about ideas they've had for spinoffs with their characters.

Esposito has portrayed evil drug lord Gustavo Fring in both Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, so, obviously, he has some thoughts as to his character's headspace. The actor shared his thoughts on a potential spinoff of Breaking Bad called The Rise Of Gus with Esquire, and how it would expand on the fearsome character who has haunted both franchises with his presence.

Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul teased Gus' past from when he was in South America, but to date neither series has given a full explanation as to how he became one of the biggest meth suppliers in the southwestern United States. Better Call Saul has told more about his story in regards to his dealings with the Salamancas and drug cartel, but teases about the character have revealed he was already a feared man before coming to America.

Past information from Breaking Bad alleged Gus Fring was a Chilean general under General Augusto Pinochet, but records from his time living there were scrubbed and couldn't be found by the DEA. Giancarlo Esposito's tease about the character's past may indicate he does know some things about the character, or he may just be going off the same information presented to the audience. In either case, the amount of backstory he gave the character has me optimistic that Vince Gilligan will one day revisit this man and his origins, though, given the events of Breaking Bad, it would have to be a prequel.

Esposito isn't the only person who has wanted a Gus Fring spinoff, and it would be fair to say there was some surprise he wasn't selected for a spinoff over lawyer Saul Goodman when the series was first announced. Gilligan's curveball move in telling a more minor character's story could mean that if there's another spinoff coming, it may be with another character more obscure than Fring. Maybe the next spinoff (if it happens) could be about Saul's secretary or a dirty cop drama about Jonathan Banks' Mike?

Better Call Saul Season 6 is slated to air on AMC in 2021. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more updates on the series, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

Spoilers below for The Mandalorian's Season 2 finale, so you know what to do!

With its eye-popping finale, The Mandalorian brought out the big guns (or the big lightsabers, as it were) for Season 2's most game-changing reveal yet, with Baby Yoda being retrieved from Mando's care by none other than Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker. Everyone's mileage will vary on how cool (and awkward) that sequence was, but it can at least be considered a positive moment within the narrative itself. On the flip side, however, is the finale's biggest disappointment: Moff Gideon's Dark Troopers.

On the outset, the humanity-free army of Dark Troopers truly looked like they could become the most dangerous threat in the galaxy, especially with Giancarlo Esposito's clever and dominating Moff Gideon being responsible for deploying them. Yet, in the end, the Dark Trooper army did essentially nothing to stop Mando's and the others from achieving #SquadGoals aplenty. At first, I felt only remorse thinking about how much more impactful the Dark Troopers could have been, but then I realized their whole existence is basically just riffing on a classic Star Wars trope. Let's discuss.

The Set-Up: Stormtroopers Are Ineffective Villains

Every Star Wars fan knows the deal when it comes to Stormtroopers. They look awesome, but their blaster accuracy has always been abysmal, making them as useful in battle as a jar of jelly that you just cannot get the lid off of, even if jelly was actually a hot-fire weapon. Stormtroopers are only reasonably considered a threat at all because there are so goddamned many of them, and they all appear comfortable being vacuum-sealed together to fit into vehicles.

The Mandalorian is completely aware of the helmeted soldiers' shortcomings, too, and has poked fun at Stormtroopers in some of the most amusing moments from the first two seasons. So it's not out of the question that Jon Favreau & Co. would have wanted to address that long-standing criticism in an interesting way with their TV series. Which brings us to...

The Rising Action: Moff Gideon Put Together A Badass Dark Trooper Army

As it goes with the Galactic Empire, rather than trashing the Stormtrooper blueprint and starting over, Moff Gideon set up an even-better-than-other-better-versions type of trooper that would seemingly have none of the fallbacks of their human counterparts, cloned or otherwise. Droids are able to compute, assess, and react in ways people cannot, after all, and their accuracy is ideally second to none in most situations. So these sleek mofos should have been a lethal wrecking crew to everything that faced them.

With the Dark Troopers, The Mandalorian's creative team were building upon prior lore, sure, but they were also reconfiguring the Empire's "if at first you don't succeed" decision to make Death Star 2.0, just on a minor scale. Remember the thing that the badass looking villain made that should have been way harder to take down than it actually was? Here's another version of that, but guess what? Now everything will definitely go according to pla... Oh, wait, that's not what happened.

The Punchline: Dark Troopers Are Ineffective Villains

To be fair, Moff Gideon's army did what it was supposed to do in the sense of being incredibly strong and agile and capable of surviving within the vacuum of space. And it was pretty awesome to watch that one Dark Trooper smash Mando's head deeper into that wall. But because Mando was the only non-Jedi character that faced one of the mega-droids in combat, The Mandalorian once again upended an extremely deadly threat via Mando's stronger-than-shit beskar armor. It's that age-old situation where an unstoppable force meets an im-Mando-able object.

Then, just when it looked like the Dark Troopers might seriously do some damage to those whose faces and organs weren't protected by beskar, in came Luke Skywalker to point out the Empire's lack of foresight in not making the droids Jedi-proof. Once again, a seemingly all-powerful enemy army was quickly reduced to rubble without having made all that much of an impact. I mean, at least the Death Star blew some shit up before succumbing to its own explosions.

Though I may be disappointed that a bunch of Dark Troopers never went ultra-ham on someone, I can appreciate how both the Dark Troopers and Moff Gideon himself are really just The Mandalorian's takes on a well-known Star Wars formula. Which isn't to say I think it's recycling or copying those tropes in a lazy way. Rather, I think Jon Favreau & Co. successfully introduced Giancarlo Esposito as an intelligent and intimidating villain, making him appear capable of producing an opposing faction that could actually take down the good guys. And then delivered an end result that proved Gideon's ego overshadowed his abilities – which almost has to be Requirement #1 in the Empire's hiring process – and that Mandalorians and Jedi ain't nothing to fuck with. Who am I to argue against such notions?

Plus, Moff Gideon and the Dark Troopers were both successful during the most vital part of the mission. They kidnapped Baby Yoda from and Gideon gained access to the creature's Midi-chlorian-enriched blood, so even if he gets killed off and the Dark Troopers are no more, their efforts were not in vain, but were rather "in vain." (That pun might now be the most disappointing thing about the episode to me.) We'll have to wait until Season 3 to see what becomes of Gideon's cloning plans, however, so let the speculation continue!

The Mandalorian is now finished with Season 2, though we know there are tons of other Star Wars TV series on the way to Disney+ for many years coming, and the finale's post-credits sequence even set up a new Boba Fett spinoff. But while waiting for some Season 3 news, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our Winter and Spring 2021 TV lineup to see all the new and returning shows to dive into until more Star Wars content gets here.

Spoilers below for the penultimate episode of The Mandalorian Season 2, so be warned!

With only one episode left to go before viewers discover the fate of "the little green guy" known to some as Grogu, and to many others as Baby Yoda, The Mandalorian gave viewers one last side mission to watch Mando take care of before he'll presumably taking on Moff Gideon in some kind of an explosive showdown. Amusingly enough, the mission paired Pedro Pascal's hero with Bill Burr's sprung-from-prison Mayfield, which made for quite a few interesting conversations throughout the runtime of "The Believer." But most importantly, the episode allowed Mando several chances to prove exactly how much Baby Yoda means to him.

Let's take a closer look at the two biggest ways that Mando showcased his adoration and protective fatherly love for Baby Yoda. And it all would have been 100% more adorable, too, if it wasn't for Richard Brake's meddling Imperial officer Valin Hess, who made everything feel slimy just by looking at it. (Definitely an excellent performance, though, from the Absentia and Game of Thrones vet.)

Mando Had To Remove His Mask, And He Didn't Hesitate

Naturally, the five characters' trip to the planet Morak was extremely problematic, thanks initially to a bunch of "pirates" with thermal detonators attempting to blow up the transport vehicle that Mando and Mayfield commandeered. (So much suspended disbelief during this sequence.) But then things got complicated on a much more minute and personal level when the duo made it inside the Imperial mining base. The tech hub needed to determine Moff Gideon's ship coordinates required a facial scan as a security check, and of course Mayfield wasn't able to do it himself. Which only left Mando, who'd already been forced to remove his signature helmet in order to pose as one of the transport troopers.

Here's the thing, though. While Mando might have made a bigger spectacle of having to take his helmet off earlier this season, he barely made a peep when Mayfield chided him about his mask situation earlier in the episode. Plus, Mando rather quickly volunteered to get the coordinates himself after Mayfield balked, knowing full well he'd need to have his face scanned in order to succeed. I won't say our brave hero was especially eager to take the mask off, but it seemed clear he went into that base fully aware how decent the chances were that he'd have to show his face at some point.

Perhaps Mando was content with removing his mask given all of the things that he's learned about his family's past from Katee Sackoff's Bo-Katan, as well as Boba Fett's own past. Perhaps he realized that one of the biggest rules in his life was more self-imposed than anything else. But even if those notions are indeed true, Mando's decision to show his face was The Mandalorian's most logical story-based proof that the character will now do just about anything in order to ensure Baby Yoda's safety. Awww, you guys! [Insert emoji of heart bursting at the seams with love.]

Mando Went All Liam Neeson In Threatening Moff Gideon

While it has been made clear that Mando is willing to punch, kick and blow up whatever it takes to keep The Child safe, he has more often than not been forced to play defense against opposing forces. But in the final moments of "The Believer," Mando showed off his bottomless gall by sending a threatening hologram message to Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon, which is the kind of move you usually see from a revenge-fueled parent (or spouse) in an action-thriller. Seriously, Mando was essentially Liam Neeson from Taken in that moment, and I'm almost surprised he didn't bring up all the special skills that he can use to get Baby Yoda back.

Rather than borrowing dialogue from any of the Taken films, however, The Mandalorian much more poetically had Mando echoing Moff Gideon's own words about Baby Yoda back at the devious villain. In my mind, that's a completely badass (though possibly naive) move that proves not only to audiences but also to Gideon and his henchmen that Mando's bond with Baby Yoda is unbreakable and worth protecting at all costs. Especially from people who want to exploit the creature's midi-chlorian organics. Here's how Mando put it:

I'm sure that any message sent by Mando would have pissed Moff Gideon off, but the villain hearing his own words thrown back at him was as much of an insult as getting threatened in the first place. Surely, Mando, Boba Fett, Fennec and Cara could have had a solid shot at setting up a secret attack on Gideon's ship, but the titular character obviously wanted to make a clear statement to his nemesis that he's not afraid to step up and take back what was stolen. (Or Grogu-napped, in this case.)

There's no way Mando would have pulled either of the aforementioned moves at any point in Season 1, but his bond with Baby Yoda has definitely evolved in big ways throughout Season 2, and it's going to be a strange situation whenever the li'l dude goes away for Jedi training and Mando doesn't have to keep him safe anymore. Is there even a show at that point?

The Mandalorian will debut its Season 2 finale on Disney+ on Friday, December 18, at 3:01 a.m. ET. Stay tuned for all of our theories and hopes and dreams here at CinemaBlend, and check out the two new Mandalorian spinoffs that are coming to the streaming service in the future. While waiting to see how things turn out, check out our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring TV guide for all the new and returning shows popping up on the small screen soon.

When one looks back over the impressive film and TV career that The Mandalorian's Giancarlo Esposito has built up over the years, one doesn't come across a ton of happy-go-lucky rube characters living carefree lives. Especially after Breaking Bad solidified him as a must-cast actor, Esposito has become very well known for playing intelligent and morally questionable heavies that you do not want to fuck around with. It appears he's so convincing in these roles that many people are sincerely surprised to learn that he's not at peak intensity 100% of the time.

Since becoming a pop culture superstar, Giancarlo Esposito has become a regular at San Diego Comic-Con and lots of other fan-heavy expos, not to mention just meeting people in his every day life. So he's had more than his share of experiences meeting people in awe of his work. And the way he puts it, some people are even disappointed that he isn't danger incarnate like Gus Fring and Mandalorian's Moff Gideon. Here's how Esposito put it while on Late Night with Seth Meyers:

Now why would anyone want to meet up with Giancarlo Esposito if they expect him to be as cold and ruthless as a drug kingpin? Well okay, maybe not ruthless, but steely and murderous as a Galactic Empire stooge. Well, okay, maybe not murderous, but harsh and murderous as... Oh, crap, there's that word again. Please don't kill me, Moff Gideon! [clears throat and fixes tie]

Having interviewed him multiple times myself, I fully endorse Giancarlo Esposito as truly being one of the most enjoyably breezy and fun-loving actors out there. And though he doesn't reflect the dark nature that his characters are often imbued with, he definitely shares their intelligence. So hearing him talk about Star Wars or superheroes is like hearing a friend geek out about such things, and it's what one might wish was the case for everyone in showbiz, though that is certainly not how it always goes.

So for anyone who happens to run into Giancarlo Esposito somewhere in the future, take heed in knowing that he's a genial person who won't smother you to death with a plastic bag, Gus Fring-style, regardless of how stern-faced he might look at the time. However, if he happens to be carrying a darksaber when you see him, then run away as fast as you possibly can, and protect The Child at all costs!

You can check out the clip from Late Night with Seth Meyers below.

Giancarlo Esposito's Moff Gideon only recently returned to The Mandalorian, so be sure to check him out in the rest of Season 2 when new episodes hit Disney+ on Fridays at 3:01 a.m. ET. While waiting to head back out into other galaxies, head to our Summer 2020 TV premiere schedule and our 2021 Winter and Spring TV rundown.