Wonder Man is one of the best things Marvel has released in a while, and those who haven't watched it with a Disney+ subscription are missing out. Part of that is thanks to Yahya Abdul Mateen II, who recently revealed he wouldn't take the role as Simon Williams without speaking to Marvel's Kevin Feige first.

The actor spoke about the conversation during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, and how he insisted on speaking to Kevin Feige before accepting the role as the MCU hero. It may sound silly to think about, given the mass acclaim for the series and excitement for Season 2, but the Watchmen vet wanted assurance from Feige that this was THE MCU role he should be invested in, as opposed to other potential options. As he put it:

Yahya Abdul Mateen II wanted to make sure he was getting a quality role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I don't blame him. Even for as long as the comic book giant'smovie universe has been around, there are still plenty of Marvel heroes that need to make big-screen debuts. I, too, would be skeptical about taking on a character like Wonder Man, especially if the chance was available to possibly play one of the X-Men in the future.

Kevin Feige indeed took time from his busy schedule to meet with the actor and assure him that working on Wonder Man was the right call. Abdul Mateen II just gave an overview of the conversation:

In the end, I'm sure the actor has no regrets, considering how Wonder Man pulled in an audience who may have been suffering from Marvel fatigue. It also created one of the best bromances of the MCU we've seen yet, in Simon teaming up with disgraced actor Trevor Slattery. I'm excited to see how or if these two feature into the greater story being told in the universe.

It does have me wondering if Simon Williams factors into Avengers Doomsday at all, with conflicting information out there about whether he's involved. Simon has some devastating power that he has trouble controlling, and I have to think heroes or villains would love to exploit that to turn the tables in a big super showdown.

We'll just have to wait for more updates, keeping our fingers crossed that we'll see more of Trevor and Simon in upcoming Marvel movies and shows before Wonder Man Season 2 comes out. All this talk about the series has me eager to watch it again, so it's a good thing it's so bingeable.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly putting out new content, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest live-action show to arrive on the streaming service is Destin Daniel Cretton's Wonder Man, which told the story of method actor Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Matteen II) as he tried to get his big break in Hollywood. I absolutely loved the series, but I did find myself super triggered as an actor myself.

The finale of Wonder Man provided great closure, and surprisingly didn't feature any cliffhanger connections to upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows. I adored Wonder Man and its short episodes, although the way Simon carried himself on set made me cringe so hard.

Simon's Lack Of Social Skills On Set Lowkey Made Me Crazy

When we meet Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's character in episode 1 of Wonder Man, he's about to film an episode of American Horror Story (streaming with a Hulu subscription). His passion for the role originally impresses his co-star and director, but he ends up getting way too in the weeds. He bothers everyone about his backstory, the lighting and even the lines he's saying. In the end, this ends up being too much of a hassle, and he's promptly fired from the production.

As an actor myself, I was super triggered by this sequence, as well as any other time that Simon's lack of social skills put his career in jeopardy. I've worked with plenty of "difficult" actors, who bring things to a screeching halt because of their personal process. So seeing this so accurately brought into the MCU had me clenching every muscle in my body.

This even happened again in Episode 7 "Kathy Friedman", when Simon and Slattery are working on the Wonder Man set. Mateen's protagonist once again put his foot in his mouth when arguing about a line of dialogue, but luckily Slattery managed to bail him out. This is obviously who Simon is as a character, as his lack of social skills is mentioned over and over again. But because I've worked with so many similar personalities, these moments truly sent me.

I felt similarly triggered when La La Land came out years ago, especially in the audition scene where the table is basically ignoring Emma Stone's Mia. I appreciate how accurate these depictions of the industry are, but it also makes me super uncomfortable. They just hit too close to home!

Overall, I thought Wonder Man was a blast, and I'm really hoping we get to see its story continued in one way or another. Although I might need a glass of wine handy if more awkward actor moments are included.

Wonder Man is streaming in its entirety on Disney+ as part of the 2026 TV schedule. I have to wonder if any other actors felt the same amount of industry-related anxiety when watching the latest Marvel series.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Wonder Man in its entirety via Disney+ subscription, so be warned!

As the first MCU entry on the 2026 TV schedule, Wonder Man had a lot to live up to, and without the kind of massive global promotions that the studio’s films get to enjoy. Despite that, the Yahya Abdul-Mateen II-led super-dramedy is one of the most critically acclaimed MCU shows to date. It’s funny, it’s introspective, and unlike anything else we’ve seen in that world. But will we see Simon Williams return after that shockingly sweet Season 1 finale?

Unsurprisingly, the general answer across the board seems to be, “We sure hope so,” by way of Wonder Man’s stars and co-creators. Speaking to EW, Abdul-Mateen said he’d “absolutely” love to get another chance to play his powered-up supe, whether it’d be for a second season or as part of another hero’s story. He obviously couldn’t speak to any real conversations that have been had, as not to give away potential surprises. But the actor did address a general desire he has for his character’s next chapter, saying:

I could not agree with that more. While I fully understand the impetus to jump forward in time enough that Simon would logistically be able to convince a high-security guard that he was shadowing him for an upcoming acting role, there’s so much we don’t see during that skipped-over span. From the build-up to the Wonder Man movie’s release to how Simon coped with the early onrush of fame to how it might have changed his family dynamics.

In the scheme of things, it would be an interesting conceit for Season 2 to kick off by jumping back to Simon's initial brushes with fame and fortune, with his misson to break Trevor out of jail not coming until the middle of the season. Because for all that I loved the unpredicable conclusion, I wasn't entirely into the idea that Simon would go from a power-hiding stipulation stickler to someone who could ad-lib his way through living with people he'd never met before. So I would need that shift in personality laid out more directly in full.

Whatever the case, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has no doubts that Simon Williams will keep a steady head on his shoulders, saying:

Considering a lot of things can happen before Simon gets to a point where he's "going to be all right," it seems like a good time to throw out some informed theories about what we could see from Wonder Man next, both in a possible Season 2 and beyond.

Quick Theories About Wonder Man's Future

Wonder Man hit all the notes I’d love the MCU to embrace more, so it probably won't surprise anyone to learn that I don't foresee a second season shifting course to become more of a traditional and streamlined superhero story. Instead, I'm hoping co-creators Andrew Guest and Destin Daniel Cretton lean even further into self-reflective meta narratives and appreciation for the entertainment industry.

Wonder Man Theories

1. Simon is controversially cast as Trevor Slattery in a true-crime project about The Mandarin.
2. After fully outing his super-strength and other abilities, Simon convinces studios to reverse the Doorman Clause, and he starts a union for powered-up stunt performers.
3. Simon and Deadpool meet each other and spend decades trying to adapt the Avengers' heroics into movies.
4. Simon is happy to vacate Hollywood forever so long as he has his good buddy Trevor, but Trevor ruins everything by being convinced to return to acting.
5. Demetrius Grosse's Eric Williams inexplicably becomes the Grim Reaper, since that didn't get any serious nods.
6. Simon will be the most impactful hero in Avengers: Doomsday. Like, by a lot.

Will any of those light theories and hyperbolic predictions come true? Probably not, but the fact that any of them are even vaguely possible is a sign of how interesting and offbeat Wonder Man is. So I'll be holding onto that conjecture for the long haul, and hopefully we'll hear something about Season 2 sooner rather than later.

SPOILER ALERT! This story discusses all eight episodes of the new Marvel series Wonder Man. The entire season is available to stream now with a Disney+ subscription.

There are several highly-anticipated upcoming Marvel movies hitting theaters this year, but thankfully fans don’t have to wait until this summer’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day for their next MCU fix. Wonder Man hit the 2026 TV schedule this week starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley, and not only was I captivated by its fun meta story and MCU bromance, but I was taken aback by two all-time great cameos — especially one that made brilliant use of Marvel’s Disney connections.

Wonder Man centers on Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a superpowered actor who’s desperate to win the titular role of the in-series remake of Wonder Man, and Trevor Slattery (Ben Kingsley), who is also up for a part in the movie, but has ulterior motives in helping Simon. Critics praised these performances — and I agree they were great — but I daresay Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano threatened to steal the show by playing exaggerated versions of themselves.

Josh Gad Brought Big Humor And Huge Stakes To The World Of Wonder Man

Marvel has slipped some amazing cameos into its films over the years (you may have even needed a rewatch to catch all the surprise appearances in Deadpool & Wolverine) but it’s hard to picture many hitting as hard as Josh Gad and “Joey Pants.” This is especially true with Wonder Man falling under the Marvel Spotlight banner, meaning you don’t have to have watched every MCU movie in order to understand the joke.

Josh Gad appears in the series’ fourth chapter, “Doorman,” which is effectively a bottle episode, shown in black-and-white, as we flash back to the events that resulted in “The Doorman Clause” that plagues Simon Williams. Gad plays himself, the life of the party at the height of his Frozen fame, as he frequents the nightclub that employs DeMarr Davis (Byron Bowers). A bartender teases what’s to come when she tells DeMarr at the end of one shift:

The actor ends up having a huge impact on the series’ story, as after DeMarr uses his new, ooze-enabled superpowers to save the club’s patrons from a fire (more on that later), Josh Gad convinces him to become an actor, hilariously brushing off DeMarr’s protestations by saying:

Josh Gad becomes a tragic figure in this alt-Hollywood, ultimately disappearing inside The Doorman when a stunt goes wrong on set. This results in the creation of The Doorman Clause, which makes it all but impossible for superpowered individuals like Simon Williams to get work in Hollywood.

Before things got dark, though, Gad was responsible for one of the most delightful scenes in the whole series.

Josh Gad Singing ‘In Summer’ At A Raucous Nightclub Was Absolutely Unhinged

It would seem Josh Gad was a regular performer during his visits to the club, regaling patrons with songs by the Frozen snowman who likes warm hugs, and I couldn’t get enough of him fully rocking out to “In Summer.” A club remix of the tune pumps over the speakers as the voice of Olaf sings along and works the crowd by shouting things like:

What makes this scene so great is that it’s not exactly portraying this beloved Disney character in his typical family friendly light, especially as the pyrotechnics accompanying J-Gad’s performance started the fire that would ultimately lead to The Doorman’s rise and fall.

His pouring his drink on that guy (pictured above) was also definitely a choice, and I loved it. I mean, what are you even doing if you’re Marvel and you’re not taking advantage of Disney IP like this?

Joe Pantoliano Was A Hilarious Rival For Ben Kingsley’s Trevor

Before Wonder Man even hit Disney+, fans were excited to see what role Joe Pantoliano would have in the MCU series. Despite playing some of the most ruthless villains in entertainment history, he’s a favorite of both fans and fellow actors — well, except for Trevor Slattery.

Ben Kingsley’s character’s disdain for Joey Pants is established early in Episode 2, “Self-Tape,” when the woman sitting next to Trevor on a plane recognizes him from South Shore Hospital and says she loves Pantoliano. This is met with an eyeroll from Trevor and an exhausted, “Yeah, people do.”

We learn soon after that Joey Pantoliano had Trevor’s character killed off of the medical series after three episodes, so you just know things are going to go down when the Wonder Man wannabes are forced to film their audition tapes at Pantoliano’s house.

The Sopranos star is over the top from the jump, showing off his luxury home, complete with skylights for his indoor tree, a shelf of trophies and a spread of delicacies that include “mozz flown in from Hoboken.” He’s so deliciously charming with his microaggressions, praising the art of the audition process before telling Simon:

But Joe Pantoliano takes it a step too far by telling his former co-star that he’s jealous that Trevor is done acting because he can eat what he wants and not worry about the trades. Simon snaps and delivers the most hilarious takedown, saying:

The use of Joe Pantoliano’s full name twice in that rant is everything, and wow, he goes hard at Baby’s Day Out. Simon and Trevor stormed out of the lavish mansion, but that’s not the last we’d see of “Joseph Trousers,” as Ben Kingsley apparently called the actor on set.

Joe Pantoliano’s Cameo Pays Off In Finale Surprise

In the finale, "Yucca Valley," Trevor returns to prison after taking the fall for an explosion caused by Simon in a fit of rage. We see Trevor film his scenes as Wonder Man without a Barnaby, only to learn via time jump to the movie’s premiere that it was none other than Joe Pantoliano who replaced Trevor in the role.

It was a laugh-out-loud reveal, made only funnier when Simon went to break Trevor out of prison and faced a barrage of questions:

• Trevor: So? Who replaced me?
• Simon: Oh, it's not important.
• Trevor: Pierce Brosnan?
• Simon: Let's not get into it.
• Trevor: De Niro?
• Simon: No.
• Trevor: Antonio Banderas? We always get mistaken for each other.

In so many TV shows and movies, cameos can just be throw-away appearances — fan service through face recognition. In Wonder Man’s case, though, I love how seamlessly Josh Gad and Joe Pantoliano fit into the meta storylines and make major contributions to Simon and Trevor’s journeys.

Relive these great performances by streaming all eight episodes of Wonder Man on Disney+.

Major spoilers for the season finale of Marvel’s Wonder Man, “Yucca Valley,” lie ahead.

After a long wait, Wonder Man has finally arrived amid the 2026 TV schedule, introducing audiences to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Simon Williams. This season saw the character (a super-powered actor) experience highs and lows alongside actor-turned-Mandarin-turned-court jester Trevor Slattery. All of that comes to a head in the finale, which I honestly find incredibly sweet. What’s even more impressive, though is that the show manages to avoid a key trope that’s synonymous with MCU fare.

What Happens In Wonder Man’s Season 1 Finale?

The season’s penultimate episode saw Simon realize that Trevor had been spying on him on behalf of the Department of Damage Control. In his frustration, the ionic-powered Williams then caused an explosion on the set of Wonder Man, the movie in which he and Trevor would play the lead roles. “Yucca Valley” picks up in the aftermath, with Simon expecting to be taken into custody by the DODC. However, to save his friend’s life and career, Trevor reprises his role as the Mandarin, publicly takes credit for the explosion and is arrested.

It’s a bittersweet development, and the positive ramifications really hit when the show flashes forward months into the future. At that point, Simon screens the Wonder Man remake at the premiere with his family and friends and is met with praise for his performance in the lead role. (A returning Joe Pantoliano is also revealed to have replaced Trevor in the role of Barnaby.) Despite his success, Simon still laments Trevor’s arrest, and that concerns leads to what I see as one of the most satisfying moments in this entire season.

Sometime later, Simon tracks Trevor down to a DODC facility in Yucca Valley and manages to get in, thanks to weary and financially strapped security guard Chuck Eastman, who Simon claimed to be studying for a role. Once inside, Simon – who’s now more in tune with his powers – finds Trevor and blasts the two of them out, while Chuck’s wife calls to tell him he can quit his job thanks to an anonymous deposit into their bank account.

This is a sweet ending all around, and the sight of Simon and Trevor flying out of the prison together is truly lovely and puts a fine point on the bromance they forged over the season. Something else needs to be acknowledged here as well.

Why I Was Further Impressed With Wonder Man's Finale In Relation To The MCU

As big a fan as I am of the MCU and am looking forward to upcoming Marvel shows and movies, I’m aware that many of them conclude in similar ways. Those third acts and finales usually involve massive battles with a considerable amount of visual effects. In terms of the TV shows, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Moon Knight, Secret Invasion and even WandaVision (inspired by classic TV shows) all fit that bill.

So I’m pleasantly surprised that Wonder Man co-creators Andrew Guest and Destin Daniel Cretton stick to their lower-scale vision and in the process, break the jam-packed finale trend. What’s more is that this finale makes perfect sense for this particular show, given Simon and Trevor’s friendship is at the heart of it. Not only that, but that final act may or may not also constitute Simon’s first real heroic deed. If that’s not a strong way to end a season of a superhero show, then I don’t know what is.

Kudos to everyone involved for crafting such a low-key, but strong, closing episode. Also, here’s hoping this isn’t the last fans see of Simon Williams and Trevor Slaterry in the MCU. For now, stream Wonder Man in its entirety now via Disney+ subscription.

There’s a lot for MCU fans to be excited about, with upcoming Marvel movies like Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Avengers: Doomsday headed to the big screen later this year, but you don’t have to wait that long for your next superhero fix. Wonder Man is set to hit the 2026 TV schedule on January 27 with a delightfully meta story about Simon Williams (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) trying to land the lead role in an in-universe Wonder Man remake.

Ben Kingsley co-stars in the eight-episode miniseries, reprising the role of Trevor Slattery, who we first met in Iron Man 3. Critics have gotten their hands on the show ahead of its release, and CinemaBlend’s Nick Venable says Wonder Man is an easy binge that’s funny, satisfying and sticks the landing. In his words:

Falling under the “Marvel Spotlight” banner, CinemaBlend’s critic and others point out that you don’t have to have seen every MCU movie in order to follow Simon Williams’ story. So while Tasha Robinson of Polygon thinks die-hard fans might not fully buy into the scaled-down, character-driven series, she says Wonder Man is one of the best shows Marvel has put out. The critic writes:

Aidan Kelley of Collider rates the upcoming MCU series 9 out of 10, and he is confident it will appeal to hardcore MCU fans, as well as those unenthused by the superhero genre or who are suffering superhero fatigue. Kelley calls Wonder Man “a truly phenomenal start for Marvel's ambitious 2026 slate,” and says:

Amon Warmann of Empire gives it 4 stars out of 5, writing that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley make this one of the best shows in the MCU to date. In Warmann’s words:

BJ Colangelo of SlashFilm rates Wonder Man 7.5 out of 10, calling it the antithesis of the MCU’s typical multiverse-hopping adventures for how it brings humanity to its superhumans. The series gives the critic hope for Marvel’s future, because while Colangelo was barely familiar with this character before, Simon Williams became an instant favorite. The review explains:

It’s not just the above critics who are enjoying Wonder Man. The MCU show has accumulated 94% on Rotten Tomatoes from 31 reviews so far. So if you’re ready to dive into this series — even if you have no knowledge of the MCU at all — all eight episodes will be available to stream with a Disney+ subscription on Tuesday, January 27.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has had one of the more fascinating career trajectories in recent years when it comes to new superhero movies. He’s moved fluidly between prestige TV with Watchmen (streaming with an HBO Max subscription), blockbuster franchises like Aquaman, and now the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he’s set to headline Disney+’s upcoming Wonder Man series. In a recent interview, the established leading man told a hilarious story about a hazmat suit that he was sure made him a failure when it came to winning an award for Watchmen.

While appearing on Live with Kelly and Mark, Abdul-Mateen recalled the surreal night he actually won an Emmy for playing Doctor Manhattan in Watchmen, and how a lack of hazmat suits outside his apartment convinced him he hadn’t won at all. As he explained:

As dark as that period was, it’s worth remembering just how strange things had become. With red carpets and live audiences off the table, Emmy winners were being notified in unconventional ways, including trophies being physically delivered to winners' homes by masked couriers in full protective gear. Almost everyone, that is. Abdul-Mateen added:

If you somehow skipped Watchmen the first time around (or only half-watched it while doomscrolling), it’s worth a proper revisit. Damon Lindelof built the 2019 HBO series as a "remix" and sequel to the Alan Moore/Dave Gibbons comic (not a reboot), pushing the story 34 years forward and anchoring it in modern-day Tulsa, where masked cops, the Seventh Kavalry, and the legacy of racist violence collide in a way that’s equal parts superhero myth and American reckoning. It’s ambitious in the way of big swings that feel particularly prescient today, and it commits to that ambition from the opening Tulsa massacre sequence onward.

And Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a huge reason it lands. What starts as a grounded, tender performance gradually becomes something stranger, heavier, and genuinely haunting once the full scope of what he’s playing comes into focus. It’s the kind of work that makes you appreciate how the show balances big genre ideas with intimate character pain. Between the performances (Regina King is unreal), the Reznor/Ross score, and the way it expands the Watchmen world without feeling like cosplay, it’s still one of the best arguments for what “superhero TV” can be.

Despite the empty hallway, the Candyman actor had actually won Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance as Dr. Manhattan. The award was his first Emmy, a major career milestone, and came after he spent part of that evening certain that he wouldn't win.

It’s a perfect snapshot of how surreal that year was, even for people working at the highest levels of the industry. Winning one of television’s top honors without an audience, without a ceremony, and without a physical trophy to grasp feels almost unbelievable now. But for Abdul-Mateen, it’s part of the story.

Since then, Abdul-Mateen’s career has only continued to grow. Between Watchmen, The Matrix, Candyman, Aquaman, and now his upcoming method-acting turn for Marvel as Simon Williams in Wonder Man, he’s become one of the most versatile actors working today. The fact that one of his biggest wins arrived quietly, wrapped in pandemic absurdity, somehow makes it even more fitting.

Wonder Man hits the 2026 TV schedule on January 27. All you need to watch it is a Disney+ subscription.

Talking about MCU projects often comes with conversational baggage right out the gate, be it qualifying one’s fandom, addressing successes vs. failures, or supplying backstory exposition. The upcoming Marvel TV series Wonder Man is more than capable of sparking such insights, but to me, it’s not really that kind of show. What Destin Daniel Cretton and Andrew Guest crafted is a fun and free-flowing blast that everyone from Marvel newcomers to full-on fanatics should have a great time with.

As someone who is always fully on board with the studio’s more esoteric, post-modern efforts like WandaVision and Agatha All Along — lookie there, I DID qualify my fandom rather quickly — I realize not everyone will be as fully aligned with loving Wonder Man as much as I did. It’s not a straightforward superhero story, and is largely unlike the bulk of Marvel’s efforts thus far, even with Sir Ben Kingsley reprising his maligned Iron Man 3 and Shang Chi role of Trevor Slattery. Think of that as a plus and not a disadvantage, and enjoyment will follow.

Regardless of any big-picture opinions, though, I think Wonder Man's biggest strength is in how many foundational qualities it boasts that Marvel hasn't wholly adhered to with a lot of its cross-media content, for better or worse. To that end, here are several laudable elements from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's latest superhero effort that I wish were more of the norm in other MCU projects. (Perhaps that'll be the case for others hitting the 2026 TV schedule and beyond.)

Episodes Are Short, Light And Extremely Easy To Binge

Few TV shows these days are completely innocent of excess bloating, especially on the streaming side, but Wonder Man's creative team does everyone a blessing by sticking to "30 mins. or less" runtimes. This may be the only Marvel project where every time the credits start rolling, I'm legitimately shocked by how quickly time passed, and it's never been easier to hit play on the next episode, knowing that it'll be just as breezy.

Wonder Man Is More Character Study Than Plotty Superhero Storytelling

Simon Williams is a complicated guy with dreams of becoming a movie star, who also sports a very meticulous way of approaching roles (and life altogether) that makes him somewhat difficult to work with. But even though this is a comedic show, Simon’s mental issues and social behavior isn’t played for laughs, and the main throughline of the show is exploring the character’s finely threaded balance between inner peace and outer chaos.

His dream of starring in a Wonder Man film is in place for an emotionally sound reason, with others wanting to exploit that, and as with past explorations of Wanda Maximoff’s and Agatha Harkness’ respective griefs and grievances, Simon’s journey is easily as engaging as something more conspiratorial and comic book-y.

It's Funny As Hell WIthout All The Usual MCU Snark

It's wild to me that this is Ben Kingsley's third Marvel project, and it's arguably the one that truly turns Trevor Slattery into a three-dimensional character. It's additionally wild that the buddy-hero bromance between Simon and Trevor is as playful and enjoyable to watch as nearly any other Marvel pairings are. Both lead actors are clearly having a great time, and that energy extends to just about everyone they share the screen with. (Including A+ appearances from celebs such as Joe Pantoliano.)

On top of that, Wonder Man's humor is almost always situational and inherent to whatever inadvisable behavior Simon and Trevor are displaying, as opposed to the MCU's usual snark-driven and self-referential humor. Showrunner Andrew Guest has worked on stellar TV comedies like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community and 30 Rock, so he's well-versed in being funny regardless of context. Thus, even with exceptions, it's the rare MCU show where swapping out Marvel references with generic ones wouldn't necessarily ruin it.

The Scaled-Down Threat Doesn't Put The Entire World In Danger

One of the most-voiced complaints about the MCU, even from longtime fans, is how many times the movies and TV projects center on villains and plots that put the fate of entire cities, countries, and planets at risk. It would be extremely exhausting to be a normal citizen in this reality. So any time Kevin Feige & Co. allow for projects to shink the scale down to something more personal and direct, I always have an easier time buying into the threats.

Wonder Man brings back Succession vet Arian Moayed as Damage Control's Agent Cleary, who'd previously popped up in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Ms. Marvel. Per usual, Cleary isn't a "blow it all up and ask questions later" kind of a guy, and it's clear early on that he's more of a background nuisance than a front-line antagonist. In many ways, Simon's biggest enemy is his own emotional state. It's a very Hulk-esque issue to have, but without the entire U.S. military trying to contain him.

The Ending Is Satisfying Without Going Overboard

Few things are as disappointing as a great TV show or movie that drops or flat-out mangles the ball in the final act, which can often be the case in the MCU when character development and any modicum of nuance give way to giant CGI action sequences and an abundance of destruction. That's not at all the case with Wonder Man, though, which delivers a season finale that is not only shares the same level of quality as the rest of the episodes, but also wraps things up satisfactorily, and doesn't overstep its scale.

To say too much about the end is obviously inadvisable, but I do think it's worth noting that even though Wonder Man exists as a Marvel Spotlight series that isn't meant to be. a major force within Phase 6, there's room for this character to have more adventures and acting auditions down the road. So I can only hope that enough people with Disney+ subscriptions watch the show and help spread the word as I'm trying to do, so that Kevin Feige and other Powers That Be feel confident enough to order another season.

Wonder Man will debut on Disney+ on Tuesday, January 27, with all eight episodes available to stream at once.

Since the beginning of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel Cinematic Universe has been churning out TV shows that stray from the typical blueprint for the franchise’s fare. From the trippy WandaVision to the fourth-wall breaking She Hulk: Attorney at Law, a number of these shows have been quite unique. The long-awaited Wonder Man promises to be quirky as well and, thanks to the first trailer, fans have a true taste of its meta take on Hollywood. As great as that is, I’m also really loving that this may be the start of a new MCU bromance.

Wonder Man Looks Like It’s Going To Skewer The Entertainment Industry In Fun Ways

Over the years, MCU fans have had a look at the high school experience via the Spider-Man trilogy, explored the realm of politics through the Captain America movies and gotten varying looks at the legal system through She-Hulk and Daredevil: Born Again. So it’s quite interesting that we haven't had a good look at what Tinseltown is like in the shared universe, until now. Wonder Man focuses on Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), an actor seeking to play the show’s eponymous character in a film reboot.

The brief sneak peek that dropped late last week teased the heavy show business vibes this upcoming Marvel series would have, and the new trailer – which premiered during New York City Comic Con expands on that tone. With this new footage, fans get a look at Simon’s experiences, which include auditions, chats with managers and even a heavily desired callback. The sight of Williams also doing acting exercises is also very funny, but also true to what some real-life thespians have described over the years.

Anyone looking for superhero action in this footage may be somewhat disappointed, but I’m really loving the comedic and somewhat satirical approach that’s seemingly being taken here. But, of course, this is an MCU set show, so fans should definitely expect to see some spectacle at some point during this eight-episode show. I’m excited for what lies ahead when it comes to the thrills and the commentary on the inner workings of Hollywood. At present, though, I need to acknowledge a new character duo I think I’m going to love.

There’s A Friendship In Wonder Man That Has The Potential To Be Very Entertaining

Simon Williams won’t be alone as he seeks to earn the part in Von Kovak’s (Zlatko Burić) new, big-screen take on Wonder Man. Joining Williams in his journey will be actor-turned-faux terrorist-turned-court jester Trevor Slattery, who’s played by the returning Sir Ben Kingsley. Audiences last saw Slattery in 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it seems that since the events of that film, he’s jumped back into the acting game proper. In fact, the trailer reveals that Trevor is also in the running to play WM.

It doesn’t seem like there’s any true competition between Trevor and Simon, however, as they seem to be guiding each other through the process, which I love. The MCU has already had some strong bromances between the likes of Steve Rogers & Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark & James Rhodes and Peter Parker & Ned Leeds. I can’t say I was expecting to see Simon forge a bond with Trevor but, based on the new footage, it’s both funny and endearing. I look forward to seeing the relationship between this pair develop over the course of the show.

There’s reason to be excited about Wonder Man not just because Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Ben Kingsley are fronting it but because of the strong creative team behind it. Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton serves as co-creator, director and executive producer and, thus far, Cretton (who’s also directing the upcoming Spider-Man: New Day) has proven he knows how to craft a superhero story. In terms of the cast, the ensemble also includes Demetrius Goose (who plays Simon’s brother), Ed Harris, X Mayo and Arian Moayed.

I’m still eager to see more of this new MCU show, but this first trailer has me excited and intrigued by what’s to come. Here’s hoping the Hollywood vibes, funny character dynamics and other elements translate into a wholly entertaining and compelling piece of TV.

Wonder Man is set to premiere on January 27, 2026, so be sure you have a Disney+ subscription to stream it. In the meantime, check out offerings that lie ahead on the 2025 TV schedule.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has been busy as of late, as the A-lister has been working on a show that will eventually be available to Netflix subscription holders. He’s been cast as the lead of Man on Fire – a TV show adaptation of two thriller novels from A.J. Quinnell, one of which inspired Denzel Washington’s 2004 film of the same name. Amid production on the show (which may be a 2025 TV schedule entry), it's been reported that Abdul-Mateen II was injured on set. With that, we have some details on the situation.

The Aquaman actor reportedly injured his hand while filming the Netflix series in Mexico. According to Deadline, the injury was minor, though it still caused production to be halted temporarily. The good news is that the leading man – who also serves as an executive producer on the show – is expected to return to the set before the shoot wraps for the holidays. Said break is expected to begin on December 20, and a return date for the new year was not given by the trade. As of this writing, the streamer has not commented on the matter.

What’s also been noted is that the show’s filming schedule did have to be re-adjusted due to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s injury. As a result, the crew will attempt to continue the work while he remains out of commission. Ultimately, it’s good to hear that Abdul-Mateen II’s injury isn’t severe and that he’ll be able to return to action soon. Let’s hope that he’s feeling fine when he finally does make his way back to the set.

As far as the show itself goes, the upcoming season is reportedly set to include eight episodes. Fear Street alum Kyle Killen serves as the showrunner and EP alongside others including director Steven Caple Jr. The filmmaker – known for helming films like Creed II and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts – is helming the first two episodes of the action series. Caple Jr.’s involvement as both a director and an EP ensures that someone with blockbuster-leaning sensibilities is helping to lead the creative charge.

The series will see Yahya Abdul-Mateen play the role of ex-Special Forces mercenary John Creasy, who suffers from PTSD. Ultimately, Creasy finds himself embroiled in another situation that he must fight his way out of. And, at the same time, John also seeks out some way to find redemption for his past transgressions.

When it comes to Denzel Washington’s most famous movies, Man on Fire is certainly one of his most beloved flicks. So the upcoming show is surely facing some expectations ahead of its release. I’d imagine that the series will indeed take inspiration from the movie but will remain closer to A.J. Quinnell’s MoF and The Perfect Kill books. All in all, fans could be in for a fresh take that not only honors the source material but also adds fresh elements to the thriller genre.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is a strong casting pick for this role, as the Emmy winner has more than proven that he has strong acting chops. On top of that, he’s also more than proven that he possesses the level of physicality needed for an action-oriented production. We here at CinemaBlend wish him well as he rests up and prepares to return to work.

A release window has yet to be announced for Man on Fire, so time will tell if it debuts in 2025 . However, if you’d like to watch it alongside the best shows on Netflix, you’ll want to grab a subscription.

Often, sequels or reboots of classic films have little to no connection to their predecessors, much to the ire of critics and diehard fans. There have been a few exceptions to this rule, most recently the 2021 Candyman sequel/reboot. Despite initial trepidation over the original film’s connection to the reboot, early fan reactions quelled those fears by speaking on both movies' throughlines. The 2021 sequel carved out its lane while paying homage to the 1992 original horror classic.

Released during the COVID pandemic, those connections worked well for the Candyman reboot, as it raked in over $77 million. Its commercial success echoed the sentiment of film critics’ positive response, including a glowing review from CinemaBlend. After watching the spiritual sequel, I found four connections between the two Candyman movies I need to talk about.

The Importance of Tony Todd and Vanessa Williams’ Appearances

The horror reboot could’ve forged ahead without acknowledging its classic predecessor. However, producer Jordan Peele and director Nia DaCosta decided to reach back and include OG stars Tony Todd and Vanessa Williams in the new film. Of course, every horror fan equates the long-running franchise with OG Candyman Tony Todd. So, it was great seeing him unexpectedly reprise his iconic role. What was even more unexpected was seeing Vanessa E. Williams return as Anne-Marie McCoy. While she survived the carnage and chaos of the original film, Anne-Marie hadn’t appeared in the franchise since the first film. Her inclusion in the reboot came with an explanation from DaCosta for reintroducing her character.

Bringing back Todd’s Candyman and Williams’ Anne-Marie allowed the reboot to fit within the horror franchise’s legacy. Their presence served as a full-circle moment to the spiritual sequel, which I’ll get into later. Having both actors reprise their roles decades after the original film was a nice nod to longtime fans.

Touching on Race in America

Diehard horror fans know the genre isn’t all jump scares. They can be a hotbed for sociopolitical commentary, and the Candyman franchise is no exception. Since its inception, the horror franchise has placed a spotlight on race, class, and people’s fear of Black America, especially Black men. Incorporating such heavy subjects captured the reality of being a Black American.

Of course, the original film centered around Todd’s Daniel Robitaille being burned alive for having an interracial relationship. While not as dire, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Anthony McCoy faced racism and classism in the notoriously fickle art world. The disconnect between the patrons and artist displayed the long-held narrative of Black culture and imagery being deemed either “inferior” or “not palatable” to their white counterparts.

Things only get worse once McCoy begins spiraling out of control, culminating in Candyman fanatic Billy Burke (played by Colman Domingo) setting him up to be killed by the police. Burke’s nefarious plot to revive the Candyman hive was selfish (if not, honest), which Todd mentioned as a fantastic way to evolve the story. In this instance, his justification was a twisted way of addressing Cabrini-Green’s gradual gentrification. This angle bled into the finale’s police brutality and lack of empathy for Black Americans in vulnerable moments.

Making the Reboot a Beautiful Tribute to the Original

The 2021 Candyman reboot carved out a lane while paying tribute to the original film. Incorporating the original setting of Cabrini-Green and the Candyman lore made the sequel feel more like a powerful tribute to the first film. Nia DaCosta made a great choice in interpreting and understanding the Candyman legacy through both plot and visual storytelling, including Anthony McCoy’s transformation into a new hive member. Using imagery allowed the film to pay homage to the first film’s overarching themes and story. Making the protagonist a visual artist drove this factor home.

As mentioned, incorporating Todd and Williams into the reboot was a significant nod to the OG movie. Adding them heightened the reboot’s trauma and tragedy as the story and interconnectivity began furling for viewers. Each character experienced the Candyman lore uniquely, just like in previous entries. Having characters directly connected or adjacent to the story enhanced the experience as viewers fell more into the legacy, like the first film.

Keeping the supernatural factors intact while heightening them was something for new and old fans. Bees were prominent in the 2021 sequel as they were in the 1992 original film, which was a nice cash cow for Todd. Of course, they were the catalyst for the reboot while serving as an ominous factor for the OG Candyman. The otherworldliness of the franchise makes them a must-watch for horror fans.

The Connection Between the Original Candyman and Reboot’s Origin Stories

The 2021 Candyman reboot carved out a lane while paying tribute to the original film. Of course, making Abdul-Mateen II’s Anthony the protagonist and, by the finale, the newest Candyman served as a full-circle moment. Seeing Todd’s surprise cameo only made the moment sweeter. It was the genius of the reboot’s writers to create that interconnectivity.

However, the most genuine connection began before the reboot, as Anthony was the original film's kidnapped baby, as illustrated in the confrontational scene between him and his mother, Anne-Marie. Even bringing Virginia Madsen’s Helen Lyle into the fray created this intangible link between the OG Candyman and the new one. It grounded Anthony’s initial bee sting and growing Candyman obsession. Both Anthony and Daniel being misunderstood artists further connected the men.

These elements made the lead character’s psychological breakdown and physical transformation even more compelling as he gradually joined the hive. It only strengthened the OG movie and its spiritual sequel’s legacy, especially the sequel's open-ended ending.

Both Candyman movies were allowed to be separated while blending and sharpening each other to strengthen the horror franchise’s legacy. Each film provided the scares to keep the audience's attention while sticking the social commentary medicine in the glossing film candy, which I appreciated as a viewer. The 2021 reboot didn’t mind calling out the obvious, while the original film focused on the spooky (if not deadly) supernatural factor.

Find out why the 2021 sequel/reboot is a worthy successor by streaming with an Amazon Prime Video Subscription. If you want to revisit the remaining Candyman franchise, watch the original film with a Peacock subscription, and its original sequels are available streaming with a Max subscription. Despite the reboot’s success, there have been no talks of reviving the long-dormant horror franchise. In the meantime, check out why Candyman is considered one of the best Black film villains.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Netflix had plans to adapt a fan-favorite Denzel Washington movie for TV, and it now seems the project is moving right along. The company is working on a small-screen interpretation of Man on Fire, the 2000s blockbuster – which was in turn, adapted from A.J. Quinnell’s novel of the same name. Up to this point, details on the production had been relatively scarce, but the streaming giant just dropped some exciting updates. Among them is the reveal of who’ll be playing the lead role and, quite frankly, I think he’s a worthy successor to the Oscar winner.

Who’s Been Cast To Play Man On Fire’s Lead?

The producers of this show certainly had a massive task in front of them in regard to casting the lead role. Yet they’ve, thankfully, landed a talented star by the name of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, according to Deadline. In addition to portraying the main character, Abdul-Mateen II will serve as an executive producer on the show. He’ll play John Creasy – an ex-Special Forces mercenary dealing with PTSD due to his past experiences. And, while seeking some sort of redemption, Creasy ultimately finds himself in another dangerous situation.

It’s important to note that the Matrix Resurrections actor will be the third person to headline a Man on Fire adaptation. The first to do so was Scott Glenn, who portrayed Christian Creasy in Élie Chouraqui’s 1987 big-screen take on the book. The Denzel Washington-led movie, which was directed by the late Tony Scott, hit theaters in 2004. While it arguably may not be amongst Washington’s most iconic movies, it has developed a firm following in the years following its release. Said movie also notably starred a young Dakota Fanning, who reunited with Washington for 2023’s The Equalizer 3.

Needless to say, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has some big shoes to fill, and I personally can’t imagine having to follow two talented actors. Still, I’m more than confident that he has what it takes to carry the torch.

Why Is The Actor Right For The Role Of John Creasy?

If you’re not familiar with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, you should know that he’s a skilled performer, who’s been putting in work for a while now. Only in recent years, though, has he truly emerged as a formidable player in Hollywood. When it comes to film, The Greatest Showman, the Aquaman movies, Us, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Candyman are just a few of his credits. He’s also held down roles in TV shows like The Get Down and Watchmen. The latter critically acclaimed show actually earned Abdul-Mateen II a Primetime Emmy. As for what he has coming up, the former DC star is playing the lead role on Wonder Man – one of Marvel’s upcoming shows.

His credits are certainly impressive, but his actual skills are even more attention-grabbing. The star possesses incredible range, as he has the ability to play over-the-top characters as well as ones that are a bit more tangible. And, even when he’s portraying the latter, he can provide a grounding presence. A prime example of that is his turn as Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan, which was a major twist during the show’s run. Man on Fire will see the actor playing in a heightened reality of sorts, though I’m confident that his cerebral presence will help to keep Creasy relatable.

It’s yet to be revealed just when Netflix subscribers can expect to see the upcoming show. What has been confirmed, though, is that the series will run for eight episodes and adapt elements from A.J. Quinnell’s eponymous novel and the second book in the series, The Perfect Kill. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts director Steven Caple Jr. is also set to helm the first two episodes and hold down EP duties. Meanwhile, Fear Street’s Kyle Killen will serve as writer, showrunner and EP. All in all, Yahya Abdul-Mateen seems to have a firm set of collaborators, and I’m eager to see what they bring to this mythos.

While you wait for more information about Man on Fire, you can check out some great titles that are on the 2024 TV schedule. You can also stream Denzel Washington’s MoF using a Max subscription.

The DCEU had been keeping audiences on their toes for years, thanks to shake ups both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. The next upcoming DC movie hitting theaters is James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which will seemingly be the final installment of the shared universe as we know it. All eyes are on what the blockbuster will include, and Holy Aquaman 2 spoiler! Star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II seemingly just spoiled a surprise villain appearance. Let’s break it all down.

Despite its long road to theaters, what we know about Aquaman 2’s contents is pretty limited. The cast of Aquaman 2 includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s return to Black Manta, and it looks like he’s going to be way more powerful this time around. When speaking with DC Nation (via ComicBook), the 37 year-old actor shared:

Well, there you have it. It seems like a big aspect of Aquaman 2’s plot has been revealed, explaining a key part to Black Manta’s characterization. Because it seems that Kordax is the real villain of the movie, who is using dark magic to possess the antagonist and take his revenge against Atlantis. And one can only imagine what sort of destruction is coming down the line.

The trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom showed Manta getting and using the power of the Black Trident, now it’s clear that King Kordax will have a big part to play in the antagonist events of the DC sequel. Luckily for fans who are curious for more information, Aquaman 2 will be in theaters shortly. And I’m definitely curious to see how the final DCEU installment performs.

Since James Gunn was announced as co-CEO of DC Studios and introduced plans to introduce an entirely new shared universe, there have been a slew of box office flops, including Shazam 2 and The Flash. But the first Aquaman is the highest grossing DC movie of all time, so perhaps it has the power to change this trend.

The first slate of projects in the new DCU is titled Gods and Monsters, and features movies, TV shows, and animated projects. There are rumors that Jason Momoa might be playing a new character, the cosmic antihero Lobo. But the studio has been keeping its cards close to the chest.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom hits theaters December 22nd. In the meantime, check out the 2024  movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

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

Chris Pratt (Everwood)

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

Jennifer Lawrence (The Bill Engvall Show)

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

Austin Butler (Zoey 101)

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

Margot Robbie (Pan Am)

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

Seth Rogen (Freaks And Geeks)

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

Brie Larson (Raising Dad)

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

Leonardo DiCaprio (Growing Pains)

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

Ana De Armas (The Boarding School)

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

Michael B. Jordan (The Wire)

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

Anne Hathaway (Get Real)

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

Denzel Washington (St. Elsewhere)

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

Michelle Williams (Dawson's Creek)

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

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

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

George Clooney (The Facts Of Life)

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

Woody Harrelson (Cheers)

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

Jason Bateman (Little House On The Prairie)

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

Don Cheadle (The Golden Palace)

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

Jason Momoa (Baywatch)

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

Marisa Tomei (A Different World)

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

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (The Get Down)

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

Alexandra Daddario (All My Children)

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

Adam Driver (Girls)

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

Melissa McCarthy (Gilmore Girls)

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

Drake (Degrassi: The Next Generation)

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

Kiernan Shipka (Mad Men)

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

Ryan Reynolds (Fifteen)

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

Tommy Lee Jones (One Life To Live)

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

John Travolta (Welcome Back, Kotter)

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

Jennifer Love Hewitt (Kids Incorporated)

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

Benedict Cumberbatch (Fortysomething)

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

Jared Leto (My So-Called Life)

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

Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Passions)

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

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

It’s been a long wait for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, but while there had been speculation about if the upcoming DC movie might be delayed in response to the SAG-AFTRA strike, that’s not the case, at least for right now. More importantly, the first Aquaman 2 trailer finally is arriving later this week, and Warner Bros. Pictures hyped it up with a 30-second teaser. Accompanying that video was the official plot synopsis for The Lost Kingdom, and there’s a key plot point confirmed within it that has me even more worried about Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta in the sequel.

At the end of the first Aquaman movie, Jason Momoa’s Arthur Curry and Amber Heard’s Mera were officially a romantic item, and while it’s unclear if they’re married by the time Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom begins, the synopsis describes Mera as being Atlantis’ queen. More importantly, she’s also “mother of the heir to the throne,” indicating that she and Arthur already have a child or it will be born during these events, as had been previously rumored. Furthermore, Arthur will need to team up with his half-brother, Patrick Wilson’s Orm, to “protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction” at the hands of Black Manta, who now wields the power of the Black Trident.

Like his comic book counterpart, the DC Extended Universe’s Black Manta, real name David Kane, has a major bone to pick with Arthur Curry, which stems from him blaming the water-breathing superhero for the death of his father. Manta struck up an alliance with Orm in Aquaman to kill Arthur using Atlantean technology, but failed in his assassination attempt and nearly died out at sea until Randall Park’s Dr. Stephen Shin rescued him at the end of the 2018 DC movie. Now Manta is back in play and will use the Black Trident to unleash “an ancient and malevolent force.” All of Atlantis is in danger, but if original DC Comics source material is any indication, there’s a distinct possibility that Manta will try to personally kill Arthur and Mera’s child.

The story arc Aquaman: The Death of a Prince, which originally began as a backup feature in the pages of Adventure Comics and continued into the main Aquaman title from 1974 to 1978, depicted Black Manta kidnapping Arthur Curry Jr. and leaving him to suffocate in oxygen. Filled with fury, Aquaman nearly killed his arch-nemesis in retaliation, but changed his mind at the last minute. Their son’s death also nearly destroyed Arthur and Mera’s relationship. The good news is that these days in the main DC continuity, Arthur and Mera have a child again, albeit a daughter named Andy.

Whether Amber Heard’s Mera has a son or daughter, I’m extremely concerned for that child’s wellbeing in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Clearly Black Manta will do whatever it takes to exact revenge on his foe, no matter how many innocent lives are lost. Killing the child would be the ultimate crushing blow, with Manta opting to commit this heinous act with his own hands rather than leaving it to an underling or having the little one perish from the widespread destruction.

Now, Black Manta trying to kill Arthur and Mera’s child in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is one thing, but would the movie actually have them die. I’m inclined to say no; after all, like its processor, the sequel will almost certainly be rated PG-13, meaning a lot of kids will be seeing in theaters with their parents. If we were getting a hard R-rated Aquaman movie set in an Elseworlds continuity, then it would most certainly be on the table, but having an infant/toddler die in the last DCEU movie might be taking things a bit too far. Mera, on the other hand, might make an effective substitute, particularly since Amber Heard doesn’t have as much screen time in The Lost Kingdom.

In any case, until I’m seated for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which opens in theaters on December 20, my concern for this child, and anyone in Arthur Curry’s close circle, will continue to linger. Check back with us later this week to watch the first Lost Kingdom trailer, and feel free to stream Aquaman with your Max subscription.

While Nathan Fillion never ended up appearing as Simon Williams, a.k.a Wonder Man, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, plans are now in motion for the character to spotlighted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe through his own project. However, instead of the star of ABC’s The Rookie returning to play Simon, an A+ DC star has instead been cast in the role. Welcome to the MCU, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II!

Four months after it was revealed that a live-action Wonder Man show is in development for Disney+, Deadline is reporting that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will bring Simon Williams to life in the series. Abdul-Mateen has previously contributed to the comic book media space by playing Black Manta in Aquaman and Cal Abar, later revealed to be Doctor Manhattan, in HBO’s Watchmen, which netted him the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie. His other major credits include Us, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Candyman, The Matrix Resurrections and Ambulance.

Given how popular Marvel movies and DC movies are nowadays, Yahyah Abdul-Mateen II is just the latest actor to work within both franchises. Before we see the actor as Wonder Man, though, he’s reprising Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which was recently pushed back to December 2023. Because Abdul-Mateen will soon find himself operating within the MCU, does this mean that Black Manta’s story in the Aquaman sequel ends on a.. shall we say, permanent note, or could he return for the currently-hypothetical Aquaman 3? It will be a long time until that mystery is solved.

As far as Wonder Man is concerned, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the second actor to be cast in the show that will be exclusive to Disney+ subscribers, just like the other small screen offerings direct from Marvel Studios. Ben Kingsley is also on deck to reprise Trevor Slattery, who was introduced in Iron Man 3 as the actor AIM hired to play its faux Mandarin, and we reunited with him last year in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Behind the scenes, Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton (who’s also directing Avengers: The Kang Dynasty) is putting together Wonder Man with Hawkeye’s Andrew Guest, with Cretton directing and executive producing, and Guest being the head writer.

In the comics, Simon Williams was initially introduced as a supervillain who was transformed into an ion-powered being by the Masters of Evil to infiltrate the Avengers and exact revenge on Tony Stark, whom he believed was responsible for him being caught for embezzling funds from his own munitions company. However, years later he reformed and joined Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, as well as found a second source of fame through acting. We’ll have to wait and see how much of Simon’s comic book backstory will be squeezed into Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s version, but just like with Tatiana Maslany’s She-Hulk, it’s easy enough to envision him joining the MCU’s Avengers after debuting on Disney+.

Ahead of Wonder Man, along with Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be seen in projects like the FX limited series Scent of Burnt Flowers, the Amazon Studios movie I Helped Destroy People (which he’s producing alongside Michael B. Jordan) and the Dwayne Johnson-led action thriller Emergency Contact. MCU fans can keep occupied until then by watching the Marvel movies in order, as well as looking through our guides covering upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows.

It’s no secret that comic book movies are everywhere, with various studios creating their own cinematic universe which competes for box office supremacy. Getting a gig in one of these projects as a hero or villain is a dream gig for many, and Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has an ongoing role as Black Mantis in the DCEU (although some fans want to see him in the MCU). And the Aquaman star recently responded after his “clown work” comments went viral.

Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will return to the DCEU in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, presumably serving as the primary antagonist. He recently went viral for referring to his work in James Wan’s franchise as “clown work”, while comparing his work on Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7. And after that circulated around social media, he took to Twitter to offer a response, posting:

Talk about having a sense of humor about yourself. While Yahya Abdul-Matteen II could have defended his comments or attempted to clarify what he meant, instead he poked fun at the situation. Posting a photo of himself with a clown nose on the set of The Trial of the Chicago 7, Mateen also plugged the new release date for Aquaman 2. So clearly he’s got love for both projects.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s tweet comes as countless folks on social media have shared his comments about Aquaman being “clown work.” While the term might have offended hardcore comic book fans out there, that doesn’t mean he isn’t happy about his ongoing role as Black Mantis. Acting opposite tennis balls doing action sequences without visual effects likely does feel clown-ish at times for the actor, who also recently joined the Matrix franchise as Morpheus.

For those who don’t remember, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s now infamous comments about working on the Aquaman franchise come from a chat with Vulture about his flourishing career. Outside of playing Black Mantis, Mateen actually worked within the genre as Dr. Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen show, winning an Emmy in the process. When discussing his job as an actor, he said:

These comments quickly circulated around online, piquing the interest of comic book fans who are patiently awaiting the release of James Wan’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. While the term “clown work” might be a controversial one, his comments about finding something real to cling to within the genre make a great deal of sense. His performance in the first Aquaman movie felt authentic and emotional, despite also dealing with Atlantis and a helmet that shoots laser beams.

Fans will be able to see Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s performance as Black Mantis in Aquaman 2 on its new release date December 25th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

In 2018’s Aquaman, Yahya Abdul Mateen II delivered us with one of the most memorable DCEU villains with his portrayal of Black Manta, and in the upcoming DC movie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, he’ll return in the role. Since many of us were introduced to the talented actor through him entering into the superhero world, he has starred in all kinds of films and TV shows, like Watchmen, Candyman, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Matrix Resurrections. The actor has recently referred to his DC role as "clown work" while explaining how it fits into his blossoming career.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s most recent role has the actor venturing to Broadway for 16 weeks this fall in the play Topdog/Underdog alongside Corey Hawkins. While contrasting his recent experience with starring in Aquaman movies, he had this to say: 

During the actor’s interview with Vulture, Yahya Abdul-Mateen shared that each project he stars in is different because he has to remain aware of the genre he’s embodying each time. When it comes to the DCEU, he said he had to “get over” himself and surprise the audience and his peers in the best way he can. 

The actor certainly did just that with his role as Black Manta. The villain could have easily been laughable, especially with his not-necessarily menacing costume, but when Yahya Abdul-Mateen II took on the role, he really deepened the role of David Kane, who becomes vengeful of Aquaman after his father dies. There’s a grounded-ness about Black Manta that Abdul-Mateen captured, likely because of this approach he brings to sets. 

While the return of Black Manta was previously set to hit theaters in spring 2023, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom was recently delayed down to December 2023, making the wait for the sequel over a year away now. The move comes as Warner Bros. deals with numerous behind the scenes shakeups following its recent merger with Discovery and the CEO shift. 

The Aquaman sequel finished filming back in January, and along the way, the actor has been sharing his Black Manta body transformation as the ruthless pirate and his Atlantean-powered suit gets ready to face off against Jason Momoa’s superhero character. And as Momoa recently revealed, Batman and Aquaman may reunite in the sequel as well. 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Broadway runs begins on September 27, and the next DC movie hitting theaters Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Black Adam, which arrives on October 21.

It frequently gets glamourized, but filmmaking can be a tedious process for actors. On top of the repetition that comes with doing take after take of a single shot, there is also a great deal of time spent between shots setting up lighting, sound, blocking, and more. This general atmosphere can be exacerbated in productions where performers are confined to contained primary locations – and Michael Bay’s Ambulance is a great example, with the majority of the movie’s runtime featuring Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza Gonzalez, and Jackson White inside the titular emergency vehicle.

Nobody could blame the actors for getting that long road trip feeling of “I need to get out of this car” late into production, but Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II had their own ways to make peace with the tight environment.

As captured in the video at the top of this article, I interviewed the two stars earlier this month during the Los Angeles press day for the movie, and during the conversation I asked them about their experiences inside the eponymous ambulance. For Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, the key for him was in just adapting to his space and making a kind of home in it. Rather than constantly getting in and out of the truck between set ups, he found his “own space” in it. He explained.

In the film, Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II play a pair of bank robbers who see their heist go awry when their exit is beset upon by a team of waiting, undercover Special Investigation Section agents. Looking for an escape, the criminals take a police officer (Jackson White) hostage, and the cop gets shot when trying to get away. They end up hijacking an ambulance with an EMT (Eiza Gonzalez) on board, and she tries to save the officer’s life while the fugitives try to figure out a new getaway plan.

Jake Gyllenhaal’s character, Danny, does a lot of screaming and gun-waving in Ambulance, but what kept the actor from feeling any kind of claustrophobia during production was reminding himself what typically happens in an emergency vehicle like the one they were riding around in. The movie was shot between January and March 2021, which was a time when COVID-19 cases were spiking in the United States, and Gyllenhaal was cognizant that the back of the vehicle he was making a movie in was usually a space where lives were really being saved:

This is a sentiment that surely Eiza Gonzalez can relate to, given that she had a panic attack while just pretending to perform surgery in the back of an ambulance.

Among the best Michael Bay movies, Ambulance is a ridiculous thriller that knows exactly what it is, as I note in my CinemaBlend review. It stars Garret Dillahunt, Keir O'Donnell, Moses Ingram, A Martinez, and Cedric Sanders in addition to Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza Gonzalez, and Jackson White, and it’s now playing in theaters everywhere. You can check the official website for local listings.

To learn about more films on their way to the big screen and streaming between now and the end of the year, head over to our 2022 Movie Release Calendar.

The following contains major spoilers for Ambulance.

Ambulance is the newest film by Michael Bay, and while the movie is much smaller in scope, and budget, than many of the accomplished director’s projects, it has all the “Bayhem” one could ask for, so much it even made Michael Bay nervous. At the core of the story, however, is a character driven plot that is as engaging as the ambulance chasing action. The story of bank robbers and their hostages has a chaotic conclusion that we’ve come to expect from Michael Bay but the Ambulance ending is perhaps not as positive as it might seem. 

Ambulance follows two brothers, Danny (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Will (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who rob a bank, and then are forced to steal an ambulance to make their escape. The ambulance is occupied, however, as it contains EMT Cam (Eiza González) and rookie cop Zach (Jackson White) who was shot by the brothers. What follows is a nearly endless car chase. But at some point the chase must come to an end, and it does in epic fashion.

How Ambulance Ends  

Danny and Will appear to have successfully evaded the police when they enlist the help of Papi (A Martinez), a former partner of their bank robbing father. With his help they’re able to lose the cops by filling the roads with ambulances running in every direction. Will and Danny’s ride makes it to Papi’s hideout, where they plan to simply pay him half of the $16 million they escaped with, and ride off into the sunset.

Unfortunately, there’s a problem. Papi’s son has died in a fight with police as part of the plan, and so Papi wants more than money, he wants blood. He insists that the EMT and the injured cop be left behind. Danny is ok with this, but Will, who got roped into this whole plan at the last minute and has never been comfortable with it, says no.

In the end, when forced to either fight or support his brother, Danny chooses to back his brother, and a firefight ensues. They fight their way back to the ambulance, but when Will gets there, he is inadvertently shot by a nervous Cam, the EMT, with Checkov’s glock, which has been under the injured cop since he first ended up on the stretcher. 

Cam plays off the shooting, claiming that she doesn’t know who shot Will and Danny, with no other choices, races to the hospital. Injured Will takes a package of the stolen money, and asks Cam to be sure his wife gets it. The ambulance is surrounded by cops outside the ER entrance. 

There, Danny realizes the gun that shot his brother belongs to the cop, and he threatens to shoot the cop until Cam admits she accidentally shot Will. Cam then becomes Danny’s hostage and he holds her at gunpoint. With a plan to use her to get out and get his brother help. There are police snipers in play looking for a shot, but they never get it off, as the bullet that takes down Danny comes from behind him, as Will shoots his brother in the back.

Both men end up on the ground bleeding out. Danny dies there, but Will holds on. Initially, he is left to die, as the cops have little interest in helping the bank robber whose chase led to the death of several officers, but when Cam tries to help, and points out to Zach’s partner that he would be dead were it not for Will, Will is helped into the emergency room.

Will is next seen under police guard, but alive. His wife has the money that Cam slipped to her. When officer Zach is asked who was the one who shot him, he says that Will saved his life, despite the fact that it was actually Will who shot him in order to protect Danny.

In the final shots we see Cam, somebody who had previously only seen her occupation as a job, without emotionally investing in it (although Eiza González reportedly got very emotional while making Ambulance). She visits a girl who she helped save early in the film, and clearly has a new outlook on her own life following this ordeal.

Why Ambulance Doesn’t Have The “Happy Ending” It Seems

At first, Ambulance looks to have a pretty happy ending. Three of the four characters in the ambulance survive, with only Danny, the one who was clearly the true “bad guy” actually being killed. When Zach fails to accuse Will of having shot him, we’re even given the impression that Will might avoid the worst possible punishment for his crimes, but is that really the case?

Even if we give Will the largest possible benefit of the doubt, he’s going to be in a lot of trouble. Just off hand we have the crimes of bank robbery, theft of the ambulance, and the kidnapping of the two people inside the ambulance. On top of that, while Zach may have survived this movie, a lot of police officers did not. Many, including LAPD’s Captain Monroe (Garret Dillahunt) were killed as part of the diversion that allowed Will and Danny to initially escape.

Even if a lawyer was able to successfully argue that Danny was primarily responsible for all of that, there is no argument in the world that will absolve Will completely. As such, the man is probably going to spend the rest of his life in jail. Every death that took place would presumably become an added count of felony murder. Even if Cam and Zach testify on Will’s behalf and lay all the blame on Danny, it’s difficult to imagine a jury would let him go. 

The only good thing that comes out of all this is that we can assume Will’s wife will get her surgery. And there’s even no guarantee that Will’s goal in doing all this will be successful. Whatever is wrong with Will’s wife, we’re told he needs the money for experimental surgery, and if it’s experimental there’s certainly no guarantee it will work. And if it doesn’t we have to start thinking about what will happen to their young child.

It’s all very depressing because we’re told that Will left home and joined the military specifically because he wanted to avoid going down this path. And now Will is probably going to spend the rest of his life in prison. We can only hope it was worth it. 

Ambulance director Michael Bay and stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Eiza González discuss the making of their new action film. They talk about the intimate nature of shooting an action movie like Ambulance, working with an intense director like Michael Bay, and more.

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 00:27 - The Surprisingly Intimate Nature Of Shooting An Action Movie Like Ambulance 
• 02:10 - How Ambulance Approached Shooting A “Real” Surgery In the Back Of An Ambulance 
• 03:51 - Michael Bay On Honoring Sean Connery With A Reference To The Rock 
• 04:40 - Eiza González, Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II On Working With Michael Bay
• 07:55 - Michael Bay Talks Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Quitting Pain And Gain A Week Before Production Began

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

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

Jason Momoa

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

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

Amber Heard

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

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

Patrick Wilson

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

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

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II

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

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

Dolph Lundgren

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

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

Nicole Kidman

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

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

Temuera Morrison

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

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

Randall Park

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

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

Vincent Regan

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

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

Indya Moore

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

Jani Zhao

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

Pilou Asbæk

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

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

In the making of Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections, Yahya Abdul Mateen II and Jonathan Groff were given some pretty damn huge shoes to fill. Respectively playing new versions of Morpheus and Smith, they were given the opportunity to be a part of one of modern pop culture’s standout franchises, but the parts came with the knowledge that fans would undoubtedly compare their performances to Laurence Fishburne’s and Hugo Weaving’s from the original trilogy.

Naturally, this built-in challenge had an influence on their individual approach to the roles, and what results in the finished film is the actors both working to match expectations and create something new.

As captured in the video above, I had the pleasure of interviewing Yahya Abdul Mateen II and Jonathan Groff earlier this month during the virtual press day for The Matrix Resurrections, and my first question was in regard to how they referenced the work of Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving in the previous movies. Answering first, Mateen II said that there wasn’t any kind of specific mannerism or physicality he tried to recreate in his own performance, but he did note that there was a certain familiar energy that was demanded for certain scenes in the film. Said the actor,

What’s key to acknowledge -- and minor spoilers -- however, is that the version of Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections isn’t the same one as Laurence Fishburne’s in the Matrix trilogy – hence the recasting of the role. We get to see this incarnation’s “origins” start at the very beginning of the movie, and that fact created a special opportunity for Yahya Abdul Mateen II to make the character his own.

Continuing, he added that there are scenes in the sequel that are emotionally miles away from any scene with the character in The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded or The Matrix Revolutions, and he leaned into that aspect of the performance when he could:

Making The Matrix Resurrections was a similar experience for Jonathan Groff. Obviously there is a great deal of history with Smith, as the character is one of the most memorable villains in sci-fi history, and the actor found his moments when he could specifically play that side of the role. Said Groff,

For his performance, Jonathan Groff says that he used the original Matrix trilogy as important reference material, and then worked with Lana Wachowski to further evolve the role. He explained,

The Matrix Resurrections marks a new era for the beloved sci-fi franchise, and it is now widely available for your consumption. In addition to playing on the big screen around the world, the blockbuster is also available to stream at home with an HBO Max subscription.

The Matrix Resurrections stars Keanu Reeves (Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Morpheus), Jessica Henwick (Bugs), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (Sati) and Jonathan Groff (Smith) discuss The Matrix 4 in this spoiler-free interview with CinemaBlend’s Eric Eisenberg.

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 00:30 - How Keanu Reeves And Carrie-Anne Moss Prepared For The Most Insane Stunt In The Matrix Resurrections
• 01:48 - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II & Jonathan Groff Praise Keanu Reeves' On-Set Behavior 
• 03:45 - Jessica Henwick Reveals The Cool Prop She Kept, And Teaches Priyanka Chopra A Lesson 
• 05:16 - Keanu Reeves And Carrie-Anne Moss On Revisiting The Original Matrix Trilogy Prior To Resurrections 
• 06:07 - Jessica Henwick & Priyanka Chopra Talk First-Day Jitters Joining The Matrix Franchise 
• 07:08 - How Yahya Abdul-Mateen II And Jonathan Groff Reflected On Laurence Fishburne And Hugo Weaving’s Work 
• 09:10 - Lana Wachowski Wanted Jessica Henwick’s Bugs To Give Clint Eastwood Energy 
• 09:53 - Priyanka Chopra Discusses Inspirations And Approaches To Playing Sati 
• 10:58 - How The Matrix Resurrections Came To Feature That Fun Chad Stahelski Cameo

The DC Extended Universe is a unique franchise, one that has been mostly focused on director-driven projects over recent years. James Wan’s Aquaman is a prime example of how this method could succeed, and fans can’t wait to see what the horror legend has in store for the mysterious sequel. One Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom writer has revealed Black Manta’s new suit, and wow.

There’s a ton of anticipation for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is expected to greatly expand the underwater franchise that James Wan established with the 2018 original. The upcoming sequel was written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who also wrote the screenplay for the last movie. He shared a set photo of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s villainous Black Manta, and he’s rocking a new look. Check it out below,

I mean, how cool is that? Black Manta’s origin story played out throughout the course of the original Aquaman, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II having a brief but memorable role in the Jason Momoa flick. He’ll be back with a vengeance, including some killer new gear. Is it December 2022 yet?

The above image comes to us from the Twitter of David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, and is sure to turn a few heads. The secrets of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom have been guarded by the cast and crew, so there’s really no telling where the story might go. But with Black Manta getting an upgrade, I have to admit I’m a little nervous for Arthur Curry and his allies.

This new look for Black Manta is much more sleek, and less bulky than the prototype that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s character constructed in the original Aquaman. I have to wonder if he had help from Randall Park’s Dr. Stephen Shin, who appeared in the mid-credits sequence of the last movie. The two are seemingly forming an alliance, which could mean dangerous things for Jason Momoa’s hulking title character.

As previously mentioned, Black Manta had a memorable but relatively limited role in the original Aquaman. Much of the movie’s conflict was focused on Atlantean politics and Oceanmaster’s quest for power. But the armored villain did provide arguably the most thrilling action sequence of the entire first movie.

Of course, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has plenty of experience in genre work. He recently won an Emmy for playing Dr. Manhattan in HBO’s Watchmen series. He’s also got a role in the highly anticipated The Matrix Resurrections and was the protagonist of Nia DaCosta’s Candyman sequel. 

James Wan has teased that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom would greatly expand the world of the underwater franchise, which is an intriguing concept. With the Trench spinoff officially cancelled by Warner Bros., the Malignant director should presumably put all of his creative focus on the upcoming sequel. 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is currently set to arrive in theaters on December 16th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Instead of exploring a post-Fury Road landscape, the next chapter of the Mad Max franchise is turning the clock back to show the origins of Charlize Theron’s Furiosa. The Queen’s Gambit star Anya Taylor-Joy will play the younger version of that character in the spinoff, and Aquaman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was supposed to be one of her costars. However, word’s come in that Mateen has exited Furiosa, but someone else has already been hired to take his place.

Tom Burke, arguably best known for playing Comoran Strike in the BBC series Strike, has been brought aboard Furiosa to fill the role Yahya Abdul-Mateen II had been hired to play. Regarding why Mateen departed the spinoff, Deadline reports that there was a scheduling conflict with an unidentified “secret passion project” for the actor that moved up its production. As such, Mateen decided to prioritize that, paving the way for Burke to be recruited for Furiosa.

In addition to the aforementioned Strike, Tom Burke is also recognizable from UK TV projects like Utopia, The Musketeers and War & Peace. While Furiosa will mark Burke’s first time starring in a major studio movie, folks who watched Netflix’s Mank might remember him playing Orson Welles, and his other film credits include Only God Forgives, The Souvenir and True Things. Along with Anya Taylor-Joy, Burke will perform alongside the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Chris Hemsworth in Furiosa.

As he’s done with all the prior Mad Max movies, George Miller will be directing, co-writing and producing the Furiosa spinoff, which was announced to be in development in early 2020. Miller will be joined on the producing front by his partner Doug Mitchell. Filming is reportedly expected to begin shooting in South Wales next year, delivering roughly $350 million (in Australian jobs) to the local economy and creating around 850 jobs. Outside of it being an origin story for the title protagonist, no specific plot details for Furiosa have been revealed yet, although I wouldn’t be surprised if the moves showed how she lost her original arm.

Up until this past September, the plan was for Furiosa to come out on June 23, 2023, but it’s since been delayed to May 24, 2024. It wasn’t revealed at the time why the movie was pushed back almost a full year later, but whatever the reason, George Miller and his cast and crew have extra time to make Furiosa the best product possible. If cameras will indeed start rolling in 2022, hopefully we’ll learn who Tom Burke and Chris Hemsworth soon are playing to get a better idea of what this story holds in store.

Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on Furiosa’s progress, including who else will be added to the main cast. You can keep apprised of movies arriving in the near future with our 2021 release schedule and 2022 release schedule.

Matrix Resurrections is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and its fantastic trailer has fans excited and asking questions in a true Matrix fashion. The film is only a few weeks away from being available to watch, and it’s getting ready for its December 22nd release with some super cool promotional images. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is confirmed to be playing Morpheus, and he looks cooler than ever in the latest Matrix Resurrections image.

Matrix Resurrections seems to be continuing and rebooting the franchise simultaneously, and the most apparent evidence of that is the casting of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Morpheus. The movie is rebooting the franchise in some ways and rebooting one of its iconic characters, getting one of the best actors available for the role. The latest image of the new look Morpheus is amazing has fans excited to see him in action in the film. Here is the post from his Instagram:

The stylishness that you would expect from a Matrix movie is on full display in the image of Morpheus, and Abdul-Mateen II looks the part in a genuinely phenomenal suit wielding guns while, of course, running on a wall. The original Matrix films were revolutionary with their action and stylistic choices. Resurrections looks to continue that trend with some out-of-this-world visuals different from any other movie out.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has addressed taking over as Morpheus after Laurence Fishburne, saying that the new film provides a new narrative that makes a new Morpheus possible. Fishburne was constantly asked if he would be returning ever since the film was announced, was unsure why he wasn’t brought back. With Resurrections assumingly starting a new wave of Matrix films, there is always the possibility that Fishburne could return in some capacity since literally anything is possible with these movies. 

Morpheus isn’t the only character who has a new look, with Keanu Reeves sporting long hair as seen in the new poster for the film, in what would be a much different-looking Neo than in the originals. The film looks to have some lighter moments shown in the trailer that gives a slightly different vibe to the original, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has stated that there are some comedic elements to the film. 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has some major upcoming movies coming out to stack on top of an already growing portfolio of big movies like this year’s Candyman, including the upcoming Aquaman 2 and, of course, Matrix 4. Warner Brothers is open for more Matrix films, and hopefully, the film lives up to the hype so we can get more of Abdul-Mateen’s Morpheus and all the returning and new characters the film promises. 

Matrix Resurrection will be available to see in theaters and stream on HBO Max on December 22nd. Here is where you can sign up for HBO Max, so you don’t miss the chance to see the new Matrix movie. 

Sci-fi fans aren’t the only ones excited for The Matrix Resurrections. While the long-awaited sequel is gearing up for a holiday release, the film’s stars are dressing to the nines for a marathon of promotional events across the globe. The most recent? Priyanka Chopra and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. 

In between hanging out with her husband Nick Jonas and modeling for Bvlgari, Priyanka Chopra has been promoting The Matrix Resurrections alongside her fellow cast members. She kicked off her obligatory round of interviews with an appearance in London alongside Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who will play a version of Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus. Check out her celebratory Insta post below: 

The pair was joined by co-star Jessica Henwick, who portrays new character Bugs. Priyanka Chopra and Jessica accessorized with simple gold jewelry, but opted for a black tuxedo bustier (no word on the designer, but it’s giving Tom Ford-meets-Mugler energy) and a neutral off-the-shoulder top respectively. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II wore a top from Look 23 of the Bottega Veneta Fall 2021 Ready-To-Wear collection by Daniel Lee. His love for the designer seems to be an ongoing affair -  he donned several Bottega looks when he covered the December issue of British GQ, including a fabulous green leather button-up. He’s also been known to sport luxe streetwear brands like Fear of God. 

The fashion of The Matrix was well known for its signature aesthetic, a mix of pleather on pleather, black on black, and tiny sunglasses. Costumes for the first three films were designed by Kym Barrett, who went on to work on films like Aquaman and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While she’s not returning for The Matrix Resurrections, her futuristic influence is evident in the film’s trailer - it only takes one look at the sleek shades on Jessica Henwick or Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s long black coat to prove that. 

The Matrix Resurrections will mark the first appearance in the sci-fi saga for Priyanka Chopra, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Jessica Henwick. Other series newcomers include Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff (whose mouth was sewn shut in the trailer in a manner eerily similar to Neo’s from the first film), and Christina Ricci. Of course, it just wouldn’t be The Matrix without Neo or Trinity, but not to worry - Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss receive top billing. Series alum Jada Pinkett Smith will also return as Niobe. The Wachowskis are represented by director Lana, making The Matrix Resurrections the first film in the series to not be directed by both sisters. 

The Matrix Resurrections will hit theaters on December 22, 2021. Hesitant to make the trek to the local cinema? You can also watch the movie that same day with your HBO Max subscription. 

The Matrix film series is known for a lot of things. Revolutionary special effects, thrilling action sequences, and sick pleather outfits, to name a few. But comedy? Not so much. The first three films are sci-fi adventures that don’t boast a whole lot of jokes. According to The Matrix Resurrections star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, however, the upcoming fourth installment might just make you bust a gut. 

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II made headlines when he snagged the role of Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections, taking over for original actor Laurence Fishburne. In a reflective profile for GQ, the Watchmen Emmy winner discussed his career thus far and his role in the highly anticipated sequel. In its promotional content, The Matrix Resurrections looks to be a bit funnier than its past incarnations, a notion that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II corroborates. When asked if he thought the movie was actually funny, he said: 

There are a few moments in the trailer for The Matrix Resurrections that hint at a lighter, splashier vibe, including a shot of Keanu Reeves as Neo sitting in a bathtub with a yellow rubber duck on his head. It’s a moment that would have seemed entirely out of place in the original The Matrix, yet seems to fit right in amongst the vibrant color palette of The Matrix Resurrections. Director Lana Wachowski returned to helm the project, but her sister Lilly opted to sit this one out. It’s possible that the comedic tone is due to Lana’s singular influence as opposed to her previous collaborations with her sister. 

The Matrix Resurrections actually makes several distinctions from its predecessors. In addition to the tonal shift and Lilly Wachowski’s directorial absence, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II isn’t exactly playing the Morpheus fans would be familiar with from the first three movies. So far, it’s presumed that his interpretation of Morpheus will be a younger version of Laurence Fishburne. 

Were The Matrix Resurrections a prequel, this would make sense. However, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are clearly playing present day versions of their characters Neo and Trinity, throwing a wrench in the whole prequel theory. Then again, the duo also didn’t make it to the end of the third film, so there’s got to be some sort of sci-fi trickery going on. It wouldn’t be the first time the Matrix series has broken your brain, and it probably won’t be the last. Fans will just have to wait to see Resurrections to find out if their predictions come true. 

The Matrix Resurrections will arrive in theaters on December 22, 2021. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Keanu Reeves will share the screen with Carrie-Anne Moss, Neil Patrick Harris, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Jonathan Groff. 

With his recent stunning performances in The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele’s Candyman sequel, as well as forthcoming roles in The Matrix Resurrections and Ambulance (to name a few), Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has quickly established himself as one of Hollywood’s top leading men, which makes his absence from the Marvel movies a little perplexing. 

Of course, it's likely it has something do with his role in 2018’s Aquaman (and its upcoming sequel) as Black Manta, and in HBO’s Watchmen cast as Dr. Manhattan, which earned him an Emmy Award in 2020. However, he would not be the first DC movies actor to transition into the Marvel Cinematic Universe so, just in case, I had a few characters in mind - such as one with a similar aesthetic to his DCEU character.

Grasshopper

In April 2021, DC decided to give James Wan’s proposed Aquaman spin-off, The Trench - along with Ava DuVernay’s New Gods movie - the boot and, the following October, the director revealed in an Instagram comment (via Nerdist on Twitter) that it was a secret Black Manta solo movie all along. That news certainly makes the cancellation a lot more disappointing, because I think Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is one of the best things about Aquaman and the one of the few who might have actually deserved his own DCEU spin-off. 

Well, if he cannot have his own movie as Black Manta, perhaps he could have his own MCU installment as Grasshopper - another character with insect-like armor, but also a more heroic agenda and goofier personality, which the actor has rarely had the chance to try out on screen yet.

Cardiac

On second thought, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is really good at playing serious characters, and perhaps he should be able to continue that reputation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by playing more serious characters with serious backstories, such Dr. Elias Withram. Debuting in a 1990 issue of Amazing Spider-Man, the doctor (following the tragic, untimely death of his brother) would start calling himself Cardiac after he developed an artificial skin made of Vibranium to protect himself while fighting crime, with the use of an artificial heart that can project concussive energy blasts. 

The character actually exists in the MCU (if you still count Netflix’s Marvel TV shows as canon, that is), having been mentioned in The Defenders series. Now, all he needs is a proper introduction, and Abdul-Mateen II certainly has the talent and the “heart” to really make an impression.

Blue Marvel

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s talent was put on full display (among other things) on HBO’s Watchmen as Dr. Manhattan (essentially the “Superman” of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ groundbreaking graphic novel), who assumes the appearance of a Black man in this continuation. When Underworld cast member and comic book writer Kevin Grievoux had the idea to reimagine Superman as a Black man and set his story during the Civil Right movement, the result was the creation of Blue Marvel (a human given superhuman abilities, including flight, hyper-cosmic awareness, and anti-matter manipulation) in 2008. 

Bringing Adam Bernard Brashear’s alter ego to the big screen sounds like a recipe for the most powerful MCU period piece yet and, as someone with experience in both superhero movies and biopics, Marvel should look no further than Abdul-Mateen II.

Silver Surfer

As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is part of the The Matrix Resurrections cast as a “resurrected” Morpheus, who was played in the original trilogy by Laurence Fishburne. The 60-year-old Academy Award nominee (who is also a veteran of both the MCU and the DCEU) previously starred in the 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, as the voice of the titular, shiny alien, while beloved horror movie actor Doug Jones provided the motion-capture performance. 

Whenever Marvel Studios decides to bring Norrid Radd (which the Silver Surfer is otherwise known as) into the MCU, I think they should cast somebody who can match both the voice and the physique of the character and, right now, my top choice for that role just happens to be Fishburne’s replacement for the Matrix movies.

Bishop

Another Marvel character who I think deserves to be revamped for the MCU (especially in the hope of getting a little more screen time than before) is Lucas Bishop - an Alpha-level mutant born in the 21st Century A.D. of alternate timeline Earth-1191. He has strong abilities in energy absorption that make him capable of plenty more than what is just on paper, in addition to impeccable skills in hand-to-hand combat and expert marksmanship after years of police training. 

The undeniably badass character was first played by French actor Omar Sy in X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, and we would need an undeniably badass actor like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II for if / when the character comes back after Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot. Hell, give him his own movie this time. 

Brother Voodoo

However, in the case of bringing Brother Voodoo into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I am open to the idea of seeing him team-up with Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in a Doctor Strange sequel before he gets his own movie, since fans already hoped that might be the case with director Sam Raimi’s upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Anyway, I do not necessarily care how the MCU chooses to bring the Haitian-born Jericho Drumm into its continuity, because I definitely want to see because his ability of inter-dimensional travel throughout the Marvel Multiverse and his reputation as the Sorcerer Supreme in the world of Voodoo sounds amazing. The fact that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was originally born in New Orleans, Louisiana (a city rich in its history of voodoo practices), is only one of several reasons his candidacy to play this character is solid.

You know, I think I might have just convinced myself that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is the best (if not the only) one who can pull off the role of Brother Voodoo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is it bad that I am now wondering how long he has until his contract with DC expires?

Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s starpower has been steadily growing over the past few years. He’s got a number of highly anticipated film projects coming down the line, including The Matrix Resurrections. And Abdul-Mateen recently recalled going out and celebrating that casting while in the middle of press for Watchmen.

HBO’s Watchmen series was universally acclaimed, as was Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s dual performance as Cal/ Doctor Manhattan. He would win an Emmy for this role, making way for even more work from the actor. Abdul-Mateen recently opened up about auditioning for the part of Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections, saying:

And just like that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was able to join yet another massive franchise with The Matrix 4. It sounds like he really put the work into the material, and also had good chemistry with creator/director Lana Wachowski. We’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out in the mysterious fourth movie.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s comments come from his recent appearance on the podcast Jemele Hill is  Unbothered. Now that The Matrix 4 has released its first trailer, there are even more questions about what Lana Wachowski has in store for fans in the new sequel. Abdul-Matteen was careful to continue guarding the secrets of the blockbuster, and there’s no telling what he’ll be bringing to the table as Morpheus-- the role originated by the great Laurence Fishburne.

Later in his same interview, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II went on to share how he celebrated landing a dream job in The Matrix Resurrections. There was just one complication: he was in the middle of press for Watchmen when he landed the role. As he explained,

It was the fall of 2019 when Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was cast in The Matrix 4, the same time that Watchmen was gearing up for its series premiere. And while he originally wanted to stay home and get to bed early, Abdul-Mateen II is now glad that he went out to celebrate. After all, it sounds like a very exciting time in the 35 year-old actor’s life.

As previously mentioned, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is taking on the mantle of Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections. It’s currently unclear how/why Lana Wachowski is putting a new spin on the character, but she found a killer actor to step into those shoes. Even if Laurence Fishburne is bummed he wasn’t asked to join the cast.

Our questions will be answered soon as The Matrix Resurrections will arrive in theaters and HBO Max on December 22nd. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

What would happen if you crossbred Jan de Bont’s Speed with Michael Mann’s Heat? Apparently, no one but Michael Bay thought to ask that question, as he’s blended both of those ‘90s classics into the wild result that is his latest film, Ambulance. Dropping Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya-Abdul Mateen II into a heist gone horribly wrong, the action goes mobile, with a very sensitive ticking clock scenario in the mix.

Adopted brothers Will (Yahya-Abdul Mateen II) and Danny Sharp (Jake Gyllenhaal) are the heart of Ambulance’s crazy, kinetic drama, courtesy of Universal Pictures’ first full look. With Will in desperate need of money to pay for his wife’s life saving operation, he turns to his brother for some help. Though instead of a simple loan, Danny offers Will the opportunity of a lifetime: $32 million, in the largest robbery LA history has ever known. The course of Bayhem never runs straight and true though, as what was supposed to be a simple task turns out to be a reckless race against time, thanks to the theft of the titular Ambulance. 

The reckless part of the equation isn’t just because Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal have stolen an ambulance; but rather it’s who’s in the vehicle that complicates things. As it turns out, Ambulance sees Will and Danny Sharp commandeering a wounded police officer’s ride to the hospital. With an EMT (Godzilla vs. Kong’s Eiza González) along for the ride as well, a life is in the balance, and Will looks like he’s about to have a crisis of conscience.

Dramatic weight aside, Ambulance looks like it does what any good Michael Bay directed film should do. The man who helped land franchises like Transformers and Bad Boys has his fingerprints all over this movie, right down to that special tint of orange sunlight that hits Yayha Abdul-Mateen II’s face in an early scene. Oh, and in case you missed it for some reason, there’s that extremely dangerous looking scene where the ambulance explosively plows into some cop cars.

What more could you want from a trailer for a movie like Michael Bay’s Ambulance? Looking like a cinematic child possessing the momentum of Speed combined with the intense action and pathos of Heat, it’s got that charm that looks to disarm all that stand in its path. And if that doesn’t work, then the tons of speeding metal death barreling down the highway and Army of the Dead’s Garret Dillahunt, waiting to finish the job. Talk about a potential summer blockbuster.

Only, you won’t have to wait that long for Ambulance to crash into theaters, as it’s set to debut on February 18th, 2022. You’ve still got some time to prepare, and two options standing right in front of you. For a quicker boost of adrenaline, check out the rest of what 2021’s movie selection has to offer, as there’s plenty of action left to discover. Or, if you’re willing to wait, you could zoom over to the 2022 release schedule, and see what’s going on in the year to come.

After a year of delayed movies, studios are back in the habit of releasing major blockbusters. And for fans of sci-fi there are few upcoming titles more exciting than The Matrix Resurrections. Moviegoers were thrilled to learn that Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss would be back, although there have been some casting changes. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is playing Morpheus, and recently opened up about taking on the mantle from Laurence Fishburne.

Laurence Fishburne starred as Morpheus in all three installments of the original Matrix trilogy. But as the 60 year-old actor revealed, he wasn’t asked to return for Resurrections. That honor goes to recent Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who opened up about continuing Fishburne’s legacy. As he put it,

Well, there you have it. It certainly seems like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a ton of respect for what Laurence Fishburne did with the role of Morpheus across three different movies. But Lana Wachowski seems to be telling a different story for The Matrix Resurrections. It remains to be seen how this recasting will play out on the big screen.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s comments to EW come in a new interview that’s all about his upcoming role in The Matrix Resurrections. He’s got some very big shoes to fill, and fans can’t wait to see the Aquaman and Watchmen star join another beloved franchise. Abdul-Mateen certainly is pulling off Morpheus’ signature sunglasses in the first mysterious trailer for the sequel.

Indeed, the majority of the cast of The Matrix Resurrections is made up of newcomers to Lana Wachowski’s iconic franchise. But while most are seemingly playing new characters, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has the distinction of stepping into an established character. In that same interview he explained his continued reverence for the franchise’s past, saying:

Given how much The Matrix has influenced the film world, it’s almost impossible not to appreciate the history of the sci-if property. Countless movies have emulated the franchise’s signature cinematography, and it should be interesting to see what new concepts Lana Wachowski introduces in The Matrix Resurrections. 

The first trailer for The Matrix Resurrections basically broke the internet, and certainly piqued interest about the franchise’s return to the big screen. And while some trailers are known for giving too much away, the plot is still a complete mystery after this first footage. Although one thing is clear: there’s a new Morpheus in town.

The Matrix Resurrections will arrive in theaters and HBO Max on December 22nd, 2021. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

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It is hard to believe that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has only been acting professionally since 2016 - after losing his city planner job six years earlier. The 35-year-old New Orleans, Louisiana, native has already accomplished challenges that many actors take a lifetime to achieve.

He has tried his hand at musicals (Netflix’s The Get Down and 2017’s The Greatest Showman), horror movies and horror TV shows (Jordan Peele’s Us, the lead role in the new Candyman cast, and an acclaimed Black Mirror episode), and has already played two different DC Comics characters, one of which earned him an Emmy Award (Dr. Manhattan on HBO’s Watchmen). He will also be reprising his Aquaman character in an upcoming sequel, which is just one of the many exciting movies he has on the horizon, such as The Matrix Resurrections, in which he will take over yet another iconic role.

The Matrix Resurrections (December 22, 2021)

I previously mentioned that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II starred in one of the best Black Mirror episodes in the introductory paragraph. The Season 5 tale from the technophobic Netflix exclusive anthology series was called “Striking Vipers,” and starred Abdul-Mateen II and fellow superhero movies star Anthony Mackie as straight friends who indulge in a bizarre and unexpected romance through their avatars in an extremely life-like virtual reality game. I wonder if walking in the shoes of someone who knows what it is like to get caught up in a vivid, digital simulation proved to be very useful when preparing for one of the most anticipated 2021 movies on record.

When Yahya Abdul-Mateen II joined the Matrix 4 cast (as the film was still known as at the time), fans speculated that he would be playing a younger version of Laurence Fishburne’s wise, rebellious leader, Morpheus. The first official trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, the fourth installment of the groundbreaking sci-fi movie franchise, confirmed that theory in September 2021. Despite Fishburne apparently not getting “invited” back, franchise veterans Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity in the film (expected to come out in theaters and on HBO Max in winter 2021), along with director Lana Wachowski, who originally created the iconic series with her sister, Lilly Wachowski, in 1999.

Ambulance (February 18, 2022)

Another one of the most prolific filmmakers to come out of the 1990s who also specializes in action movies is Michael Bay. With the exception of the 2013 true crime comedy Pain and Gain and his retelling of an infamous attack on a Libyan CIA base in 2016’s 13 Hours, it seemed as if the Transformers movies had consumed his career, until he and star Ryan Reynolds released 6 Underground on Netflix in 2019. Well, the man behind the original Bad Boys and 1996’s The Rock is returning to his roots (post music videos, that is) with a new thriller without any shapeshifting robots (that we know of, so far, at least).

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jake Gyllenhaal lead the cast of Ambulance as a pair of armed thieves who hijack the titular emergency medical vehicle in a desperate attempt for a clean getaway, after a bank heist does not go as planned. This remake of a Danish thriller from 2005 is currently set for a February 2022 release, and also stars Baby Driver and Godzilla vs. Kong actress Eiza Gonzalez, and Garrett Dillahunt, whose most recent action movie experience was the Netflix original hit Army of the Dead - another heist flick, but with a zombie twist, from director Zack Snyder.

Oddly enough, Ambulance marks the second time Gyllenhaal has starred in a movie based on a Danish thriller after Antoine Fuqua’s The Guilty, and the latest of several times Abdul-Mateen II has played a “bad guy” - most notably in the hit predecessor to his next big screen comic book adaptation.

Aquaman And The Lost Kingdom (December 16, 2022)

Here is another fun fact for you: superhero star Jason Momoa was once one of the main cast members of the hit lifeguard drama Baywatch, the star-studded big screen reboot of which was one of the first movies starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in 2017.

Just a year later, the actors would both return to an entirely different area of the water as co-stars in Aquaman - the story of Arthur Curry (Momoa) discovering and accepting his destiny as the rightful ruler and protector of the underwater city of Atlantis - which many comic book fans consider to be one of the best superhero movies in the DC Extended Universe so far. I would consider one of the most essential reasons for its modest critical and astonishing commercial success to be Abdul-Mateen II’s performance as vengeful mercenary David Kane, otherwise known as Black Manta.

Luckily, the 2018 blockbuster was the not the last we will see of the DC villain on the big screen, as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is reprising the role in the upcoming follow-up, along with Jason Momoa in the title role, Amber Heard as Mera, Patrick Wilson as Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.

James Wan, additionally known for helming Furious 7 and horror movies like 2021’s Malignant, is also returning to the director’s chair for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, which is currently marked down on the 2022 movies schedule for a theatrical release that December. The plot of the sequel is being kept under wraps at the moment, but, apparently, Abdul-Mateen II already likes it better than the original just by going off of the script alone.

Furiosa (May 24, 2024)

In addition to the aforementioned sequels the actor is lending his talents to, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also has a prequel in his future. Said film will serve as an origin story for one of the most badass female action movie characters in recent memory (or of all time, I would say), Imperator Furiosa. The rebellious, one-armed road warrior was played by one of the most badass female action movie stars of all time, Academy Award winner Charlize Theron, opposite Tom Hardy as the less-talkative title character of the thrilling, Oscar-winning masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road, which itself was soft reboot of the influential, post-apocalyptic action franchise pioneered by George Miller.

For his first feature since the 2015 hit, the Australian physician turned visionary filmmaker is returning to dive deeper into the stories surrounding the mysterious character, who will be portrayed as a younger character this time by Anya Taylor-Joy.

George Miller was inspired to cast the British, Golden Globe-winning The Queen’s Gambit star as the lead of this spin-off (which is set for a release in the late spring of 2024) after seeing her performance in Last Night in Soho - an upcoming time-hopping thriller from writer and director Edgar Wright. Fellow Australian native and Marvel movies star Chris Hemsworth will also star in the Furiosa prequel along with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II - both of whom have been cast in currently undisclosed roles.

Emergency Contact (TBA)

Someone who has yet to join Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on the list of DC movies alumni (but is getting very close to it) is his Baywatch co-star Dwayne Johnson, who has been attached to lead the Black Adam cast as the anti-heroic title character since 2014. That being said, it is very possible that the actor and the former professional WWE wrestler could cross paths in a future DCEU installment as the respective characters, Black Manta and Black Adam, at some point in the future. However, we may also see another collaboration between Abdul-Mateen II and The Rock that is currently in the works before that happens.

It was announced in June 2021 that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Dwayne Johnson will both serve as executive producers on the film Emergency Contact, which has been described as a fast-paced, action-packed drama which uses Austin, Texas’ underground music scene as an unlikely backdrop.

The film, which still has yet to lock someone into the directorial position, comes from the minds of Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani, the screenwriting duo behind Black Adam who are also known for penning the acclaimed drama The Mauritanian, which came out earlier in 2021 and earned Jodie Foster a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe win. So far, Abdul-Mateen II is also the only actor who has been cast in the project, which is currently in pre-production and still has yet to determine a release date.

At the moment, it seems that all of the upcoming movies starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have one thing in common: they are all action movies. I am certainly not complaining about this revelation, considering how the actor has already proven a number of times that he is a great fit for the genre.

But, it also makes me wonder about the next time we might see him show up in another horror movie like Candyman, or another powerful historical drama like Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 (in which he plays Bobby Seale), or what his next award-winning small screen role could be after wowing us on The Get Down, Watchmen, and an episode of The Handmaid’s Tale. For the time being, though, which confirmed project are you most excited to see the star appear in?

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I believe that we are witnessing one of the most fascinating success stories in Hollywood in recent years as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II continues to rise in fame and acclaim. Believe it or not, acting was only the second career choice for the supremely talented, award-winning, 35-year-old Candyman cast member and only became his main gig after he was laid off from his job as a city planner in San Francisco.

Well, it appears we have living proof that when one door closes, another opens, with this star of superhero movies and TV shows alike, which is where we will begin in our breakdown of his most notable credits thus far.

Watchmen (HBO Max)

Years after costumed vigilantes have become a thing of the past (and against the law, at that), a detective (Academy Award winner Regina King) decides to adopt her own superhero identity while investigating a group of white supremacists modeled after the infamous crime fighter Rorschach.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Without giving too much away, when Yahya Abdul-Mateen II joined HBO’s Watchmen cast, no one could have guessed the true identity of his Emmy-winning role, much like how few audiences could have expected the strength and powerful relevance of this 2019 miniseries continuation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ groundbreaking graphic novel from executive producer Damon Lindelof.

Stream Watchmen on HBO Max.

Buy Watchmen on Amazon.

Aquaman (HBO Max)

After a man (Jason Momoa) discovers that he is of Atlantean descent, he struggles to accept his destiny as the heir to and protector of the underwater kingdom in order to save it from the tyrannical ruling of his evil half-brother (Patrick Wilson).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: A year before starring in one of the most acclaimed DC TV shows of all time, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played one of the main antagonists in one of the most commercially successful DC movies of all time, director James Wan’s Aquaman. He will return as Black Manta in the upcoming sequel, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, set for a 2022 release.

Stream Aquaman on HBO Max.

Rent/Buy Aquaman on Amazon.

Baywatch (Paramount+)

An experience lifeguard (Dwayne Johnson) from Emerald Bay, California, butts heads with his new, younger recruit (Zac Efron), until they decide to join forces in order to investigate a drug epidemic hitting the beach.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Before joining the Aquaman cast, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II took a dive into more humorous waters in the 2017, big screen reboot of Baywatch (only his second feature length acting gig) as a police officer who struggles to explain to Johnson, Efron, and Alexandra Daddario’s lifeguard characters why they have no authority to investigate a drug epidemic hitting the beach.

Stream Baywatch on Paramount+.

Rent/Buy Baywatch on Amazon.

The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall (Showtime)

A detective (Kyle Chandler) embarks on a long journey to track down a best-selling author (Logan Lerman) after copies of his controversial debut novel are found as evidence in a string of destructive arsons across the country.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s very first feature-length acting gig was Oscar-winning filmmaker Shawn Christensen’s A24-produced, 2017 drama, The Vanishing of Sidney Hall, in which he plays a former teacher of the title character who was quick pick up on his talents before his illustrious career as a writer began to take off.

Stream The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall on Showtime.

Rent/Buy The Vanishing Of Sidney Hall on Amazon.

The Get Down (Netflix)

In the late 1970s, a group of impoverished youths from the South Bronx pass the time by performing a new art form that would unwittingly change the face of music.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s first big break as an actor came in 2016 in the form of Baz Lurhmann’s fictionalized exploration of the birth of hip-hop with Netflix’s The Get Down, in which he plays the dancing aspiring drug kingpin and night club owner Clarene “Cadillac” Caldwell.

Stream The Get Down on Netflix.

The Greatest Showman (Disney+)

A man with a big heart and an even bigger imagination (Hugh Jackman) defies expectations by rounding up a band of “unique” performers to create a form of entertainment that would later define the modern day circus.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II went from playing a disco-dancing criminal in The Get Down to one half of a brother-sister duo of trapeze artists (along with Zendaya) in The Greatest Showman - a stunning, Oscar-nominated musical that boasts a wonderfully inspirational message about acceptance, despite taking quite a few liberties about the kind of person P.T. Barnum really was.

Stream The Greatest Showman on Disney+.

Rent/Buy The Greatest Showman on Amazon.

The Trial Of The Chicago 7 (Netflix)

What was meant to be a peaceful protest of the Vietnam War in Chicago ends in a horrifying conflict with the police, leading a group of political activists to stand trial and prove their non-violent intentions in 1968.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: In Oscar-winning writer and director Aaron Sorkin’s dazzling, fact-based Netflix original drama The Trial of the Chicago 7 - a more historically accurate biopic than The Greatest Showman by comparison - Yahya Abdul-Mateen II gives a stunning performance as real-life Black Panther Party founder Bobby Seale.

Stream The Trial Of The Chicago 7 on Netflix.

Black Mirror (Netflix)

A world in which points earned from playing video games count as actual currency, another in which your social media presence determines how you are accepted in society, and other frighteningly plausible futures are explored in creator Charlie Brooker’s brilliant anthology series that just barely counts as science fiction.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: One of Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s first forays into horror (so to speak) before starring in Candyman was his role as an old friend of Anthony Mackie’s character, whose relationship with one another takes an unexpected turn after he gives him an immersive virtual reality game, in one of the best Black Mirror episodes from Season 5 called “Striking Vipers.”

Stream Black Mirror - Season 5, Episode 1 on Netflix.

Us (Amazon Rental)

While on a summer getaway at a beach house in Santa Cruz, a woman (Lupita Nyong’o), her husband (Winston Duke), and their son (Evan Alex) and daughter (Shahadi Wright Joseph), are stalked and hunted by unexpected visitors who bear a hauntingly identical resemblance to them.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s very first foray into horror and first collaboration with Candyman producer Jordan Peele was the Oscar-winning writer and director’s inventive, terrifying 2019 follow-up to Get Out, Us, in which Abdul-Mateen II stars as Russell, the father of Lupita Nyongo’s character…well, that’s one of the roles he plays, at least.

Rent/Buy Us on Amazon.

First Match (Netflix)

A young woman (Elvirre Emanuelle) channels her frustrations from living in foster care for most other life into a prodigious career on her high school’s boys wrestling team.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: In Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s first Netflix original film (and first collaboration with his Candyman co-star Colman Domingo), he plays the father of Elvire Emanuelle’s character (in her starring debut role as), Mo, whom he begins to have a more invested relationship with after she starts to take an interest in wrestling, in First Match - a powerful, coming-of-age sports movie and winning feature-length debut of writer and director Olivia Newman.

Stream First Match on Netflix.

All Day And A Night (Netflix)

As a young man (Ashton Sanders) comes closer to achieving his dreams of becoming a rap musician, his involvement in a local gang war instead pushes him closer to ending up like his father (Jeffrey Wright), who was convicted of murder years earlier.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: A more recent Netflix original film starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is All Day and a Night - a riveting, grounded drama from Black Panther co-writer Joe Robert Cole about how a hostile environment can interfere with one’s ambitions, in which the actor plays one-such influencer of hostility for our troubled main character.

Stream All Day And A Night on Netflix.

Sweetness In The Belly (Starz)

An English-born woman (Dakota Fanning) who was abandoned by her parents in Ethiopia when she was a child is forced to return to her native country in the midst of a violent civil war, where she and an African refugee (Lovecraft Country cast member Wunmi Mosaku) collaborate on a mission to bring families estranged by the struggle back together.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II: Based on the novel by Camila Gibb, Sweetness in the Belly is a powerful fish-out-of water story in which Yahya Abdul-Mateen II plays an Ethiopian doctor who forms a romantic relationship with Dakota Fanning’s character.

Stream Sweetness In The Belly on Starz.

Rent/Buy Sweetness In The Belly on Amazon.

In addition to his aforementioned role in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has a pretty exciting line-up of upcoming roles. For instance, 2022 will also see the release of his latest Netflix original movie - a star-studded, Michael Bay-directed thriller called Ambulance - and he will star alongside Anya Taylor-Joy for the Mad Max: Fury Road prequel Furiosa in 2024. Arguably, though, his most exciting role is as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections, an iconic character previously portrayed by Laurence Fishburne.

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The Matrix Resurrections is still a pretty solid mystery when it comes to the story that Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Yahya-Abdul Mateen II will be jacking into. Which is just the way any true Matrix fan would want it, as that cloak of secrecy allows us to try and decode what lies ahead. In the spirit of that fact, we have a wild theory about what the fourth Matrix movie is about, so hear us out.

It all begins with a simple question: what if The Matrix is now a massive multiplayer video game built to hide the truth of the universe from humanity? Buckle your seatbelts, dear readers, because Kansas is going bye bye, again.

The Matrix Trilogy Might Exists In The Matrix Resurrections As A Video Game

The doorway to this theory came from an alleged leak from earlier in The Matrix Resurrections’ lifespan. With actors claiming that they auditioned for roles in the film with monologues discussing “The Trilogy,” it was claimed that the previous three films exist in the world of Lana Wachowski’s latest sequel, and as a landmark gaming title. From what little footage we’ve seen in the first trailer, there’s already some evidence that boosts this theory’s foundation.

While it’s hard to tell if Keanu Reeves’ “Thomas Anderson” and the character played by Jonathan Groff are actually working at a game studio, it doesn’t feel far off. The movie already looks to be set on the West Coast, where most businesses of that sort are headquartered. Plus, the line about “going back to The Matrix” doesn’t sound like it’s talking about the physical reality. Mr. Groff’s character just might be suggesting a big reboot/remake to that landmark in-universe game.

Neo Has Started To Notice A Potential Matrix Multiverse

A couple of shots in The Matrix Resurrections trailer seem to open Warner Bros’ legendary universe wide open. Early on, we see Thomas Anderson in the Blue Pill universe he exists in, looking up in an elevator. What he sees is another elevator in a seemingly mirrored image. This works perfectly because The Matrix has always had a thing for mirrors into another world.

Walking between these mirrors just might be the doorway into a hypothetical Matrix multiverse. Which, if you’re a regular in the multiplayer gaming world, almost sounds like the server system that makes matches between players. Those matches form what any particular game’s software might consider an appropriate team for the game ahead. So Morpheus, as well as Jessica Henwick’s mystery character, might be reaching out to Neo from another server/universe, recruiting him for the next war against the machines.

Classic Matrix Characters Look To Have Been Respawned For The Matrix Resurrections

Thanks to Yahya-Abdul Mateen II himself, we’ve basically confirmed that he is indeed playing Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections. It partially explains why Laurence Fishburne’s original incarnation of the character isn’t present, but it doesn’t tell us how Lana Wachowski looks to explain the substitute. The explanation might lie in the classic gaming practice of respawning, where after a character’s death, they’re brought back to life and put back into the game.

An interesting wrinkle in this piece of the theory is that Neo, Trinity and Morpheus have been respawned in The Matrix Resurrections. However, only Morpheus seems to have changed form, unless that other guy Neo sees in the mirror is his true form. For now, the respawning theory is valid, as classic Matrix figures have returned. But to potentially explain Morpheus’ new face, we have to turn back to the original trilogy.

The Matrix Resurrections May Be Taking Its Cues From The Matrix Online

Morpheus isn’t the first character to have respawned with a brand new face in The Matrix history. Originally played by Gloria Foster, The Oracle was recast with actor Mary Alice after Foster’s passing during production of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. The explanation given for this switcheroo in the world of The Matrix? The Oracle’s termination code was sold to The Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), and as a result, he changed her face.

Obviously Laurence Fishburne is alive and well, so surely he could have returned for The Matrix Resurrections if asked. However, in The Matrix Online, [Morpheus was supposedly killed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morpheus(TheMatrix) after waging his own war against machine-kind post-Matrix Revolutions. With The Merovingian returning in The Matrix Resurrections, and The Matrix Online allegedly maintained as series canon, a literal MMORPG may be built into the structure of this latest chapter.

This Time, The Fight For The Matrix Looks Like It’s More Than Just Neo And Trinity

The most literal piece of evidence that supports this latest Matrix adventure being a multiplayer game is the fact that in The Matrix Resurrections’ first trailer, we literally see massive armies of people fighting on the streets. While Neo is definitely going to be important to the fight ahead, it doesn’t look like humanity merely has to rely on “The One” for freedom. There’s also the potential revelation that Trinity may have powers similar to that of Neo, as Carrie-Anne Moss is seen engaging in some sort of abilities in The Matrix Resurrections footage.

Multiple universes/servers would also require just as many teams fighting the machines running the show. So we might even get to see multiple variants of “The One” who are customized to however their world’s variant of savior sees themselves. And what better way to crash a multi-server game than what would qualify as a brute force attack on several digital fronts?

The Matrix Resurrections could very well be taking place in a world where a multiplayer online format may be distracting this generation of humanity from the evils being done. And this time, while Neo, Trinity and Morpheus might still be leading the charge, it’s going to be up to all of us to fight the battle. With an early reaction claiming this fourth Matrix film is going to be one of the most meta experiences ever, this theory would definitely track.

We still have some time before we discover the truth behind The Matrix Resurrections, as the film doesn’t open until December 22. However, you have a choice in how you experience that film, just as Neo did between the Blue Pill and the Red Pill. Should you choose movie theaters, conventional and IMAX showings will show you where the rabbit hole leads this time out. But if you’re an HBO Max subscriber, the first 31 days of the film’s release will allow you to watch it in the comfort of your own home. So check out the latest subscription offer and lock in your portal to both the past and the future of The Matrix universe.

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Warner Bros has sent the internet down the rabbit hole yet again, as the first look at Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix 4, a.k.a. The Matrix Resurrections, was unveiled to the public. Unfortunately, one cannot merely drop a trailer for a movie as huge as this. Any studio in its right mind would have to be ready for the public to question every frame of that product for themselves. Which has given us the perfect opportunity to question everything we’ve seen in The Matrix Resurrections’ first trailer. But before we do, let's take another look at that trailer, just in case you need a bit of a refresher:

You can see why we’re so buzzed about The Matrix Resurrections; so much so that we’ve come up with at least 11 questions that delve into this upcoming sci-fi mind-bender, featuring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. But enough monologuing on our end, as it’s time to jack in and free your minds again, dear readers. The Matrix has us, and these queries are only the start of wherever this path may lead next.

How Much Time Has Passed Between The Matrix Revolutions And The Matrix Resurrections?

As we learned from Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus in 1999’s The Matrix, the time in the digital world isn’t exactly linked with that of the physical realm. The Matrix Resurrections brings this question to mind right from the start, as our first look at whatever reality Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is inhabiting looks quite a bit like the world The Matrix Revolutions saw created in its aftermath. For now, we’re wondering just how has long it’s been since Neo and Trinity sacrificed themselves at the end of that installment.

What Broke The Truce Between Humanity And Machines At The End Of The Matrix Revolutions?

Look, The Matrix Revolutions is a big piece in the puzzle that is our line of questioning about The Matrix Resurrections’ potential story. The finale is also very important to our next question, which is this: what could have happened to have broken the truce between humanity and machines at the end of the previous trilogy? As The Architect (Helmut Bakaitis) and The Oracle (Mary Alice) left the door open when they spoke of the uncertainty of the truce in the film’s closing moments, it looks like it wasn’t a question of if, but when this was going to happen. Score one for The Architect, we suppose?

Could The Matrix Sequels Be Ignored In The Matrix Resurrections?

All of this talk about The Matrix Revolutions and its potential ties to The Matrix Resurrections forces another big question into the light. And this is especially true when reading some of the details released onto the internet alongside the first trailer’s debut:

Reading those details carefully, it seems as if The Matrix Resurrections might skip over The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Resurrections. Or at the very least, that chain of events will be established as a tangent of its own, with Resurrections starting the cycle anew. So how much of The Matrix sequels will we need to keep in mind when heading into The Matrix Resurrections and its potential sequels?

Is Neil Patrick Harris’ Therapist Character Secretly An Agent?

Ok, this might be a bit of wishful thinking/wild theory projection, but hear us out. When The Matrix Resurrections casted Neil Patrick Harris, he seemed destined to be an agent, partially because his image has always been about suiting up. But watching his unnamed therapist character talking to Thomas/Neo about his dreams of the Matrix, he doesn’t seem like a bad person on the outset. This has us even more suspicious, as a machine consciousness would love to have a trusted authority figure to pacify the one person who could break it all apart again. So is Mr. Harris secretly a successor to Agent Smith, or is he just unlucky enough to be an NPC on the wrong side of the issue?

Why Are Clips Of The Matrix Being Played Throughout The World Of The Matrix Resurrections?

This next question is tied into a theory that once presented itself early in The Matrix Resurrections’ hype machine. With those “leaked audition tapes” suggesting that “The Trilogy” exists in this world as a revolutionary video game, there’s already a foundation for the Matrix trilogy to be roped in through some very meta context. And if that early screening reaction that also confirmed the title was legit, things are about to go way into the metaverse.

Seeing clips of The Matrix being played in a mysterious action sequence that involves Morpheus (Yahya-Abdul Mateen II) meeting up yet again with Neo, we are forced to wonder just why clips of the 1999 film are being shown in world. Also, what does The Matrix mean to the people in this world, whether it's a video game or a movie? Maybe we shouldn't have traded in our copy of The Matrix: Path of Neo as soon as we did.

Are We Following Young Morpheus’ Journey This Time, Instead Of Neo’s?

Following Yahya-Abdul Mateen II basically confirming his character is indeed Morpheus, a whole can of worms has been opened pertaining to this fact alone. For now, we’ll merely focus on one that’s linked to a scene in the trailer that suggests Morpheus is the star of the show in The Matrix Resurrections. As we see Mateen’s character have a similarly liquid encounter to that of Keanu Reeves’ Neo in The Matrix, does that mean we’re going to actually be following Morpheus’ journey this time around? Also, if sequel canon is included, does this mean The Matrix Online’s death plot surrounding his character has something to do with that arc?

Does Trinity Finally Have Powers Matching Neo’s In The Matrix Resurrections?

Throughout the original Matrix movies, Neo was the all-powerful figure who found himself growing in strength as the films went on. The Matrix Resurrections seems to have Keanu Reeves’ protagonist retaining those powers, but it also looks like Carrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity also has similarly leveled up powers of her own. Will we see Trinity and Neo finally be a proper team, with crazy abilities to stop bullets in their tracks? If so, this next question is going to be a pretty important one.

Could That Obscured Figure Holding Neo At Gunpoint Be Trinity?

At one point in The Matrix Resurrections’ trailer, there’s an obscured figure pulling a gun on a kneeling Neo. Wearing a look of shock and potentially pure heartbreak, this person is obviously supposed to be a secret. There’s two different possibilities, and one of them happens to involve Trinity, as this looks like it’s taking place in the bank lobby setting they’re seen freezing bullets within.

Could this obscured figure actually be Trinity, ready to kill Neo for an unknown reason? Is Neo’s partner-in-crime making a surprise heel turn, or is some sort of digital possession forcing her to put Neo under the gun? That second case seems really relevant, as staring at that obscured face brings another possibility to mind; especially when paired with another quick shot of Trinity’s face looking to be overrun by green Matrix code.

Is Jonathan Groff The Matrix Resurrection’s Big Bad?

Another new face is introduced throughout this first look footage for the fourth Matrix movie, and Jonathan Groff’s seemingly harmless character feels primed to become The Matrix Resurrection’s big bad. Looking at that obscured shot for quite some time, it almost feels like it’s Groff’s face hiding behind the distortion. So could he be the person who, potentially, is controlling Trinity?

Plus, looking at the “remakes” of iconic Neo moments, like his final fight with Agent Smith at the end of The Matrix, Jonathan Groff’s unnamed character looks to be the new foe facing off against Keanu Reeves. Surely the fact that Reeves looks to be working for Groff at a company that could be named “Deus Ex Machina” wouldn’t have any bearing on that fact, right? The answer to the questions about how The Matrix’s film legacy ties into this world will probably be connected to this very concern.

Who Is Priyanka Chopra Jonas Playing In The Matrix Resurrections?

Out of the new faces coming onboard for The Matrix Resurrections, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas was sadly not present in our initial round of footage to dissect. Which poses a simple question: who is Ms. Chopra Jonas playing in Lana Wachowski’s film? Of course, nothing’s ever that simple in The Matrix, and there is a character that could be earmarked for her to step into: Sati, last seen as a young girl in The Matrix Revolutions.

Linked to The Oracle in the final classic entry, she was smuggled into The Matrix for a very important reason. You deep-dive Matrix lore fans are probably recalling that moment in Enter The Matrix where The Oracle kind of confirms that Sati would be VERY important to the future of both worlds. It’s her hand that created the beautifully colored morning that somehow seems to exist in The Matrix Resurrections, so is Pryanka Chopra Jonas going to be another key character to expanding this new vision?

Does That Matrix Cat Have An Official Name?

We'll close this first line of questioning with something simple, and without any huge theories to make your head hurt. Just as a black cat was featured in the Matrix trilogy, a cute little four-legged void floof has made its way into both a rainy alley, and Neil Patrick Harris’s office, in The Matrix Resurrections. So is this cat important enough to have an official name? The internet is all about cute creatures and latching onto their presence, so if we can officially name this cat “Glitch,” it’d solve a lot of problems when writing about it in the future.

Then again, there may be a specific reason why this black cat is appearing in The Matrix Resurrections. In a world where nothing is ever what it seems, there may be something special about that feline interloper, rather than it just being a beautiful baby. December 22 is the big day the world will find out all of the secrets in The Matrix Resurrections, which will in turn probably inspire at least twice as many questions as a result. Of course, there will be two ways to check out Lana Wachowski and Keanu Reeves’ glorious re-teaming!

As always, you’ll be able to see The Matrix Resurrections in a theater near you, should you feel safe enough to rock yourself with IMAX sound and picture. But if you’re looking to sail into the digital vastness of this iconic pop culture landscape on your own couch, make sure to have your HBO Max subscription ready, as the film will also be streaming for the first 30 days of its release. Check out the latest subscription offer, should you need to sign up for access to this film, as well as the rest of The Matrix franchise. And yes, that does include The Animatrix.

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It seems like from the moment it was announced that Aquaman and Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II would appear in The Matrix 4, a.k.a. The Matrix Resurrections, fans started speculating that he’d be playing Morpheus, Laurence Fishburne’s character from the original trilogy. The first trailer for The Matrix Resurrections, which dropped earlier today, unquestionably strengthened that theory, but now we have it straight from the man himself: Mateen has indeed taken over Morpheus duties.

While Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are reprising Neo and Trinity, respectively, in The Matrix Resurrections, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II confirmed will be filling in as Morpheus, with the below Instagram post:

As if the sunglasses and bald look wasn’t enough, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II writing “MORPHEUS” in the caption finally puts this mystery to bed once and for all. Granted, going off his scenes in The Matrix Resurrections trailer, it was abundantly clear that, at the very least, Mateen’s character will fill a Morpheus-like role in the movie, i.e. being one of Keanu Reeves’ Thomas Anderson’s guides through the Matrix world. But now that we know Mateen is appearing as Morpheus in the next Matrix movie, two questions emerge.

First, why is he playing the character rather than Laurence Fishburne? Fishburne has previously said he wasn’t “invited” back for The Matrix Resurrections, and encouraged people to ask director Lana Wachowski about why that decision was made. It is a bit strange that only two-thirds of the starring trio from the original Matrix trilogy returned for Resurrections, and while it’s a good bet Mateen will kill it in the role, it’ll definitely be weird to not have the first Morpheus alongside Reeves’ Neo and Moss’ Trinity.

Second, will Morpehus’ fate in the Matrix Online computer game be addressed? For those unaware, while Morpheus made it out of The Matrix Revolutions alive, but he was killed in The Matrix Online by the mysterious Assassin. That game was considered officially canon, so unless that decision has been reversed, then Resurrections will need to explain how he’s back among the living. That being said, Morpheus somehow being resurrected could explain his changed appearance, although Neo was thought to have died in Revolutions, yet he still looks the same, albeit older.

In any case, at least this is one less question on our minds as we move closer to The Matrix Resurrections’ release, although there’s still a lot about the plot that’s been kept under wraps. Other familiar characters returning for Resurrections include Jada Pinkett Smith’s Niobe, Lambert Wilson’s Merovingian and Daniel Bernhardt’s Agent Johnson, while the lineup of new faces consists of Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Christina Ricci, among others. Along with directing, Lana Wachowski co-wrote the script with David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon.

With a December 22 release, The Matrix Resurrections will be the last of Warner Bros’ movies to be simultaneously released in theaters and on HBO Max. So if you’d prefer to check out the movie at home, make sure you’re subscribed to its streaming home. Learn what other movies will arrive before the year is over with our 2021 release schedule.

Michael Gracey directed a whole new world of music, fun, and dance when The Greatest Showman hit theaters back in 2017. Its exciting soundtrack, amazing visuals, and everything else combined created a wonderful experience for both musical lovers and film enthusiasts alike. But, while there are plenty of awesome aspects to this wonderful musical film, the cast is really what made it shine.

However, where exactly is The Greatest Showman cast now nearly four years later? Whether you’re thinking about Hugh Jackman, or Zac Efron, or even Zendaya, they’ve all been making their way in the business with more amazing projects and fun films or TV shows that you should catch up on right now. Here is what The Greatest Showman cast has been up to since its release.

Hugh Jackman (P.T. Barnum)

As P.T. Barnum in The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman lit up our lives with his talents, and I can assure you that after the film, we were all singing “The Greatest Show.” Ever since his appearance in The Greatest Showman, Hugh Jackman has been very active in Hollywood.

He capped off his time as Wolverine in the X-Men series with Logan, but also made appearances via archive footage as the superhero in both Deadpool 2 and The New Mutants. Jackman also had starring roles in films such as The Front Runner, the animated Missing Link, and had a voice role cameo in the Ryan Reynolds-led Free Guy.

In 2021, as well, he also led the Reminiscence cast, alongside his The Greatest Showman co-star, Rebecca Ferguson. Jackman has also returned to Broadway, starring in the most current adaptation of The Music Man on stage. With someone as talented as him, it’s not a shocker he has kept active - and I’m sure we are going to see more of him very soon.

Zac Efron (Phillip Carlyle)

I grew up watching Zac Efron in High School Musical, so you bet that when I saw he was returning to musicals with The Greatest Showman, I was so excited, and he rocked it as Phillip Carlyle. Since playing the prestigious partner of P.T. Barnum, Efron has been active in both film and television.

In terms of movies, Efron has starred in several, including the remake of Baywatch alongside Dwayne Johnson, The Beach Bum, the Netflix original film, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, the animated Scoob!, and more. He’s going to be in new films soon, titled Firestarter, Gold, and The Greatest Beer Run Ever, so he’ll be popping up on the big screen again.

Efron has also had roles in TV shows. Not only was a he a part of the main cast of Human Discoveries, Zac Efron also took to hosting and running his own TV show on Netflix, called Down to Earth with Zac Efron, where he traveled around the planet, promoting ecological change.

A second season is already in production, so if you haven’t caught up on that, be sure to check it out soon.

Michelle Williams (Charity Hallett-Barnum)

Charity Hallett-Barnum was a loving, supportive wife who deserved the world, and was played by Michelle Williams in The Greatest Showman. And, she's been very successful in terms of film and TV.

Williams has starred in several films since, including All the Money in the World, I Feel Pretty, After the Wedding and more. The actress also appeared in Venom, and is going to be in the upcoming sequel to the film, Venom: Let There Be Carnage. Afterwards, she'll also be in the movies The Fabelmans and Showing Up.

Williams appeared on television in the miniseries Fosse/Verdon, as dancer Gwen Verdon, for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.

Rebecca Ferguson (Jenny Lind)

Jenny Lind’s voice is one of those voices that you can’t ever forget. I can’t tell you how many times I sang “Never Enough” (very poorly) after this film came out. While Rebecca Ferguson didn’t provide the singing voice for Jenny (which Loren Allred did), she still portrayed the character in all other aspects and did wonderfully in her role.

Since The Greatest Showman, Rebecca Ferguson has starred in several films, including Life, The Snowman, and has a major role in the Mission: Impossible movies, appearing in both Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible - Fallout. She is set to reprise the role in the upcoming Mission: Impossible 7 as well as Mission: Impossible 8. Ferguson has also appeared in the horror film, Doctor Sleep, as well as Men in Black: International, and Reminiscence.

Coming up, Rebecca Ferguson is set to appear in the long-awaited Dune, as well as have a main role in a TV series called Wool. I’m so excited to see these projects and wonder what is to come after.

Zendaya (Anna Wheeler)

Anna Wheeler was a fantastic acrobat and strong-willed woman in The Greatest Showman, and only someone as amazing as Zendaya could play her. These last few years for the young actress have been amazing, and she’s blown up in the media as not only a talented film actress, but an amazing TV actress, as well.

While she got her start on TV starring on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up and later K.C. Undercover, Zendaya became even more famous when she portrayed Rue on the HBO original series, Euphoria, which is poised to return for Season 2. This role won her the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2020. Zendaya also had a recurring role on the Netflix original series, The OA (a show that was cancelled far too soon, in my opinion).

In terms of film, Zendaya has had big parts in plenty of them. Her biggest thus far has been portraying M.J. in the Spider-Man film series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Zendaya has also appeared in several others, including Duck Duck Goose, Smallfoot, Malcolm & Marie, and Space Jam: A New Legacy, where she voiced Lola Bunny. Coming up, she will be in both Dune and Spider-Man: No Way Home, so 2021 is set to be a killer year for this talented young actress.

Keala Settle (Lettie Lutz)

Keala Settle’s voice, I believe, gave everyone chills when she sang “This Is Me” in The Greatest Showman, and she honestly deserves all the praise in the world for her kick-ass performance.

Since her iconic role as Lettie Lutz, Settle has appeared in a couple of TV and film projects. She had a role in the romantic drama film, All My Life, and played a part in Rent: Live when it aired on Fox, singing a classic hit from the Broadway show, “Seasons of Love.” She also had a recurring role in the Disney+ original series, Big Shot, and had a guest role in the Apple TV+ original series, Central Park.

With someone as talented as her, I believe it won’t be long before we get to see her more and more - and hear that beautiful voice again, as well.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (W.D. Wheeler)

While he wasn’t as featured in The Greatest Showman, W.D. Wheeler, the brother to Anna Wheeler, was just as an amazing acrobat as her, and the wonderful Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played him wonderfully. Since his part in the musical, Abdul-Mateen has been working hard and appeared in several films and on TV.

In terms of movies, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II appeared in Baywatch, Aquaman (a role that he will reprise in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom), the Jordan Peele film Us, Sweetness in the Belly, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and (most recently) Candyman. Abdul-Mateen also made appearances on TV as well, with a role in The Get Down on Netflix, a guest role on The Handmaid’s Tale, a guest role on Black Mirror, and a main role on the HBO original series, Watchmen.

In the next couple of years, Abdul-Mateen will be appearing in several new films, including The Matrix: Resurrections and Ambulance, along with the new Aquaman sequel.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Deng Yan)

Deng Yan was another amazing acrobat in The Greatest Showman, who specialized in blades, and she was portrayed by the lovely Natasha Liu Bordizzo. The actress has gone on to star in several films after her role the musical, including Detective Chinatown 2, Guns Akimbo alongside Daniel Radcliffe, the Netflix original film, Wish Dragon, and The Voyeurs.

Natasha Liu Bordizzo also had a main role in the Netflix original series, The Society, which was cancelled after Season 1 (I still believe it deserved another season). However, Bordizzo will be returning to film soon, as she will be in a new movie called Day Shift, although it’s unknown when it will be released. However, I’m sure that if she’s signed on, it’ll be great.

Paul Sparks (James Gordon Bennett)

I think all of us lowkey hated James Gordon Bennett because he was such a critic of P.T. Barnum and his crew, but at the same time, we have to respect him for sharing his opinion and helping out Barnum near the end of The Greatest Showman with his advice. Paul Sparks played the publisher in the film, and while he’s had two film appearances since The Greatest Showman, which were in Human Capital and The Lovebirds, he’s mainly stuck to television.

Sparks had a guest role in the Netflix original series, The Crown, a recurring role in Waco, main parts in the dramas Sweetbitter and the Hulu original series, Castle Rock, and currently is starring as John Breem in the Apple TV+ series, Physical.

Sam Humphrey (Charles Stratton)

A piece of my heart is always going to belong to Charles Stratton just for how awesome he was in The Greatest Showman, as played by Sam Humphrey. Since his appearance in The Greatest Showman, Humphrey has kept most of his talents to TV.

He had a recurring role on the Australian soap opera, Neighbours, and had an appearance in the television film, Jeremy the Dud. Sam Humphrey also had a recurring role in the Star Wars: Self Tapes as the Man with No Name, and had a guest role in the TV series, Reso Rocket.

With how much talent this cast has, it’s not a shocker that they have been in so many films and TV shows since The Greatest Showman came out. I can’t believe it’s nearly been four years now - and yet, I’ll still be singing that soundtrack for a long, long time.

It's a good time to be a horror fan, as the genre has been experiencing a thrilling renaissance for a number of years. Due to this, a number of beloved properties have returned to theaters like Halloween and Child's Play. The latest of these projects is Nia DaCosta's Candyman, which made history as the first #1 movie directed by a Black woman. And Candyman stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II And Teyonah Parris both took to social media to celebrate this occasion, and thank the fans.

This new chapter in the Candyman franchise is a spiritual sequel to the original 1992 classic. The cast and crew is filled with all-star Black talent, including recent Emmy winner Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. And in response to the new movie making history thanks to director Nia DaCosta, Abdul-Mateen took the time to thank everyone who went out to theaters. Check out his sweet message of appreciation below,

What a class act. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II seems thrilled over the success of Candyman, especially during these unprecedented times. And he seemingly wants to tip his hat to both Nia DaCosta and the many film lovers who went out to theaters last weekend to see this new take on Candyman.

The above video comes to us from Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's personal Instagram account. He's fairly active on social media, using it to communicate directly with the public about projects like Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. And while he might be busy filming in the DCEU, he's still psyched about how well Candyman did in theaters. This is especially true since the movie was delayed last year as a result of the pandemic. His caption for the video also shows his appreciation, as it reads:

Of course, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II wasn't the only member of the Candyman cast who is celebrating the movie's success. WandaVision actress Teyonah Parris also posted her excitement on social media, including a video from the set with co-star Colman Domingo. Check it out below:

While Candyman might have been a chilling and serious movie, clearly there was some fun had on Nia DaCosta's set. And just like Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris seems similarly thrilled about the success of their new horror flick. The movie topping the box office is what prompted Parris to share the delightful video from two years ago.

As previously mentioned, Candyman made history as the first #1 movie to be helmed by a Black woman. And since the horror movie was made a on a relatively modest budget, this box office draw helps to make the movie an even bigger success. Following this success, Nia DaCosta is diving into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with The Marvels-- also starring Teyonah Parris.

Candyman is in theaters now. Be sure to check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

Aquaman has been one of the biggest hits in the modern DC film universe, so it was little surprise that the movie was given a sequel almost immediately. And while we've had to wait quite some time to see that sequel, production is now getting underway, and we actually can at least guess what the movie will be about, since it has a title, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. But that title doesn't tell us what's in store for one of the first film's most popular characters, Black Manta. Actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II hopes that the new movie gives us a better look at the man inside the suit.

Speaking with Variety, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II says that he hopes that the new Aquaman movie gives his character a chance to become a bit more well rounded. In the first film we saw a man on a quest for vengeance, so we understood him to some extent, but obviously there's more to the character than that and Abdul-Mateen II wants the new film to show that to audiences. The actor explains...

While most audiences liked Black Manta as a villain in Aquaman, he wasn't a particularly deep or well rounded villain. He was a guy out for vengeance, which, considering there was a lot more going on in Aquaman, was fine for that movie. But you'd be forgiven for not even remembering that Black Manta was a man named David Kane. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II hopes the next film will be able to look at the whole man and create a more complex character. He continues...

How Black Manta will fit into the new Aquaman sequel is anybody's guess, but certainly, if he becomes a more well-rounded character, that's not a bad thing. What Yahya Abdul-Mateen II says about Black Manta is ultimately true of every character in the sequel who was in the first film. We got a chance to meet the character the first time, but now the sequel can build on what the first movie started. We still have a long time to wait to see just what these more mature characters will look like, as Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom isn't set for release until December 2022.

Hollywood stars have learned new ways to promote their projects after pivoting due to COVID-19. Social media has become the go-to way to connect with their fans during promotional runs. Aquaman co-stars Jason Momoa and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II have taken that strategy to heart. But instead of promoting them separately, the two colleagues decided to team up on social media to promote their projects, See and Candyman, together. And the result was a delightful reunion between the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom stars.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II decided to use his Instagram to give some shine to Candyman while letting Jason Momoa give a shout-out to his Apple TV+ series, See. Of course, the cross-promotion strategy was just as nice as you'd imagine. Watch Momoa and Abdul-Mateen II put their promotion skills and their bromance on display in the video below:

Having Aquaman and Black Manta share the same screen with no animosity involved should be a nice treat for DC fans. Seeing Jason Momoa and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II just being casual in their everyday wear is certainly refreshing. And of course, it's sweet to see them promoting the other’s project. You can't help but love when Hollywood stars not only love working together but also take time to support one another.

Of course, Jason Momoa was his usual chill self and couldn’t help but threw a nod to Aquaman and Black Manta. And in Instagram fashion, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II seemed to be caught off guard as Momoa’s camera started rolling. Candid camera moments are the best and, in this case, it made the video feel more like a casual meeting between friends than a paid promotion.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s horror vehicle, Candyman, may surpass industry expectations during its opening weekend. The horror sequel was originally expected to make $15 million, but its Thursday night box office total may signal a larger box office take. Exceeding box office expectations isn’t just a good sign for the film but Abdul-Mateen as well. Candyman marked the first time the actor has led a big-budget film, so it could mark a further shift in The Trial of the Chicago 7 star’s career. And on top of the solid box office start, the film has also earned a mostly positive critical reception so far.

While Abdul-Mateen is holding down the film front, Jason Momoa is coming for television viewers. Momoa has been hyping See Season 2 for months now. Things were taken up a notch when his Dune co-star, Dave Bautista, joined the second season. He even praised Bautista’s performance in the Apple TV+ drama. Hopefully, viewers will find the second season as enjoyable and intense as the first.

Hopefully, Jason Momoa and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Instagram promotion will help push their projects over the top, though they do have strong followings as is. Still, maybe the two actors will team up on social media again to give fans an update on Aquaman 2.

Ahead of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom's release on December 16, 2022, fans can head to theaters to watch Yahya Abdul-Mateen deal with his past in Candyman. And after that, they can see Jason Momoa deal with a deadly family dispute in the premiere episode of See Season 2 on Apple TV+.

It’s not been your average summer box office season, to say the least, but one thing has continued to ring true: it’s a good time to be a horror movie. A Quiet Place: Part II helped open up the box office up again with a huge debut in May, and The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It made some great money in June even with the day-and-date streaming option. As we look the now-released Candyman, it seems to have an eventful weekend ahead.

Candyman is the long-awaited “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 movie of the same name, which stars Watchmen’s Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, WandaVision’s Teyonah Parris and Zola’s Colman Domingo. Coming off the film’s overwhelmingly positive reviews, it's time for the horror movie to brave the box office. Per its Thursday night opening results, it pulled in $1.9 million domestically in 2,750 theaters at screenings beginning at 7 pm. So quite a few people have already said Candyman’s name in a theatrical setting.

Deadline shared the number as the movie heads into its first weekend and it could reportedly signal that Candyman is about to perform over projections. The movie produced by Jordan Peele and directed by Nia DaCosta has been expected to make a modest $15 million on opening weekend, but the $1.9 million is an early sign that it could surpass expectations and become this weekend’s No. 1. Box Office Mojo, for example, has Candyman topping the charts with a $20 million forecast.

It helps that Candyman is an exclusive-to-theaters release, along with being the only major new movie coming to big screens this weekend. Its main competition is Free Guy, which opened two weeks ago, retained its No. 1 spot last weekend and could benefit from the positive word of mouth out there about it. Free Guy is also an exclusive theatrical release with great reviews from critics and audiences. It sounds like Candyman’s opening weekend could be comparable to Free Guy’s $18.7 million.

An interesting tidbit that is reportedly helping certain movies succeed is a key demographic of moviegoers who are the most comfortable getting out and seeing a movie in theaters right now. Men between the ages of 17 to 34 is the big audience that are said to be driving successes as of late, which is more good news for an R-rated horror movie like Candyman.

Interestingly enough, this Thursday opening closely beats out Get Out, which made $1.8 million back in 2017 before making $33.3 million during its first weekend. Its opening night was also compared to 2016’s Don’t Breathe, which had a similar number its first Thursday before scoring $26 million.

The production budget of Candyman has not been reported, but horror movies like these are generally less expensive to make (2019’s Us, made by the same company, Monkeypaw Productions, cost $20 million). This makes a solid opening weekend a bigger success than a film like Free Guy, which was produced for a reported $100 million. Check back here on CinemaBlend to see how the weekend shook out, and see Candyman in theaters now.

SPOILERS are ahead for Nia DaCosta’s Candyman. Meet us here to stare into the fears explored in the horror film once you’ve seen it.

2021’s Candyman is one of those horror movies that has a finale that buzzes in your ears and demands to be talked about, and here we are. Now that the time has finally come for us to see Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele’s horror vision for the iconic franchise, there’s a lot to reflect on regarding what the heck just happened during the Candyman ending.

It’s been 22 years since the last appearance of Candyman in a film and this version goes back to the original story to continue the tale told between Tony Todd’s Daniel Robitaille and Virginia Madsen’s Helen Lyle into a modern day continuation that also redefines who Candyman stands for. The movie centers around Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Anthony McCoy learning about the legend of Candyman and sharing it throughout Chicago via his “Say My Name” art installation. But when murders happen as a result of summoning Candyman, some dark truths begin to come to light. Let’s get to what went down:

What Happened At The End Of Candyman

In the third act of Candyman, Anthony McCoy shares with Teyonah Parris’ Brianna Cartwright that he is afraid he has really summoned the Candyman. Brianna tries to show Anthony he is not real by attempting to say his name five times in a nearby mirror, but he angrily smashes it alongside his in-shambles art studio that features disturbing paintings of Candyman. Brianna runs back to her brother’s to tell him what happened and they decide to later go back to their place to pick up her stuff so she can stay with him for a while. When Brianna realizes that Anthony is effectively missing, she decides to do her own digging and follows the trace left behind via a pen for a laundromat near the Cabrini-Green projects Anthony was at earlier in the film to research “Say My Name.”

When Brianna gets to the laundromat, she soon gets locked in the office of Colman Domingo’s William Burke, who previously educated Anthony on the Candyman legend. William nabs Brianna and takes her to an abandoned church where Anthony is. Anthony had been stung by a bee at the beginning of the film that was becoming infected on his hand, but this scene reveals that the bite has spread to half his body. Anthony looks in a trance as William calls Brianna a “witness” and proceeds to cut off Anthony’s hand in front of her and replaces it with a hook hand. He fits him with a coat identical to Candyman’s and announces that the legend will now live on with him.

Brianna makes a desperate run for it and William follows her. Brianna finds a way to knock William down and repeatedly stabs him. Anthony comes into the room and falls into Brianna’s arms (very likely still in pain) as police sounds blare in the background. The police find them and gunshots indistinctly fire, seemingly at Anthony rather than Brianna. Brianna is then in the back of a police car being questioned by a shady police officer, who threatens that he could name her an accomplice to the Candyman crimes they’ve been following. Brianna asks him if he can turn the car mirror her way and she says “Candyman” five times. Anthony’s Candyman then appears and the police outside the car are all murdered by him. Brianna escapes and finds herself in front of a surprise appearance by the Daniel Robitaille Candyman, who ends the film with the words “Tell Everyone.”

What Is The Real Identity Of Anthony McCoy?

Candyman really starts with the scary story told by Brianna’s brother, that leads Anthony to become curious about the story of Helen Lyle. Once he meets William and learns of the Candyman story, he shares with her that he feels really “connected” to telling the folktale from the Cabrini-Green projects. As mentioned, Anthony gets stung by a bee at the torn down site of Cabrini-Green and throughout the film it continues to get worse. At the same time, Anthony is starting to see more and more visions of Candyman.

When he goes to a hospital for it on the side of town where these legends took place, he learns that he was actually born at that hospital, which he had no idea about. This leads him to finally visit his mother, played by Vanessa Williams, who fans of the original may remember had a key role in the 1992 movie. It’s then that Anthony learns that he was the baby in the first scary story at the start of the film told by Brianna’s brother. This baby was abducted by Tony Todd’s Candyman in the original Candyman with “plans” for him, but when Helen Lyle got him and returned him to his mother, she thought he’d been saved from these dark ties to Candyman. Instead, Anthony surrenders to the title, dies by the police and seems to merge to revitalize Daniel Robitaille.

Why Did William Burke Want Candyman To Live On?

Aside from Anthony learning of his identity, the ending is greatly William Burke’s doing as well. The laundromat owner has his own dark roots with Candyman, as we learn throughout the film. He is the young boy who first came across a version of Candyman prior to the events of the first Tony Todd Candyman, Daniel Robitaille, back in 1977. As he tells it, he one day met a man who came from the walls and offered him candy before the police ambushed this Candyman and apparently murdered him, even though later he was found to be an innocent man. Following his death, the Candyman legend spread, leading his older siblings to say his name in a mirror and be murdered in the other room from a young William Burke.

Colman Domingo’s William Burke is clearly traumatized by his childhood in Cabrini-Green, especially in terms of his experiences with Candyman. After all these years, he believes the violent Candyman legend to be an important part of the community because it’s a way to remind people of these violent acts against innocent Black people. He seemingly convinces Anthony of the importance of him taking the Candyman name and bring him back for real.

How The Final Moments Leave The Candyman Franchise

The end of Candyman is a full circle conclusion in many ways to the original film. The baby that Tony Todd’s Candyman had picked from his cradle reeducated the Chicago public of the legend through his “Say My Name” art installation. With Tony Todd’s appearance, Daniel Robitaille and Anthony McCoy have seemingly converged into the Candyman purpose, as an amalgamation of what this legend stands for. While it’s possible that the story could continue with Tony Todd back as the character, it feels more like the ending served as a way to complete the circle of the original and connect this Candyman with a perspective from the present day.

What did you think about the Candyman ending? Vote in the poll below.

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Move away from all close mirrors, because it’s time to speak my praises for the original Candyman as the new version and “spiritual sequel” from Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele hits theaters. After a round of delays, the reintroduction to one of the best horror movies of the ‘90s is here. Whether or not you’ve checked out 2021’s Candyman yet, let me talk about the best reasons why you should absolutely go out of your way to check out the original 1992 version.

For my spoiler-free thoughts on 2021’s Candyman, you can head over to my review. And quickly I’ll share that both Candyman movies are tied together in a really intriguing way without either of them necessarily needing the other for an audience to understand and enjoy it. In a lot of ways, the new Candyman reestablishes the legend in a way that rights some wrongs that are glaring at a look back at the original. That being said, let’s dive deeper into why I still highly recommend 1992’s Candyman:

Tony Todd’s Performance As The Candyman Is Incredibly Iconic

The absolute best part about Candyman is its titular monster, played by Tony Todd. You may have heard the rumors that the actor, who was 38 at the time, allowed actual bees to sit on his face during the filming of the movie and was stung 27 times over his time playing the character over three years, per THR. But it’s not just his commitment to the role that makes Candyman great. He’s a particularly frightening character because of the iconic performance Todd brought to him.

Candyman is not into theatrics, he’s a quiet and decisive character that can be called upon from anywhere, thus making him a rather inescapable character. There’s a mysticism about him as the film’s protagonist, Virginia Madsen’s Helen Lyle, learns about him and becomes haunted by his mystery as she digs into his origins around Chicago’s infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects. It’d be tough to truly appreciate this franchise and the new film without seeing firsthand what Tony Todd brings to Candyman.

Candyman Was Partially Filmed In The Historic Cabrini-Green Housing Projects

The original Candyman is also a must-watch because there’s a bit of American history in play here. The story revolves around one of the U.S’s most infamous housing projects, Cabrini-Green. If you’re not familiar with public housing projects, they were built by the government to provide housing to people who could not afford it, but in execution, it was not well-kept and greatly segregated Black U.S. residents from other communities. It’s a segment of history not necessarily told in public education, but Candyman does expose audiences to the pitfalls of the Cabrini-Green community.

It should be noted that the original Candyman was made from the POV of white filmmakers and a white protagonist, dating itself a bit whereas nowadays with the 2021 version, perhaps coming from a more constructive perspective. But in 1992, Candyman was actually partially filmed in Cabrini-Green which adds some context to the new movie, which was also filmed on that side of Chicago, but a decade after the housing project was torn down.

Candyman’s Horror Elements Hold Up Over 20 Years Later

Another element of Candyman that makes it worth the watch all this time later is how great the horror elements hold up. In my opinion, the movie is one of the most thrilling modern horror films, especially because it was doing some of the slow-burn, social commentary elements that are more popular today in the genre back in the early ‘90s. Candyman does not fall into a slasher or lean too heavily on the supernatural elements of the legend. It really leans on its performances and the great concept to frighten its viewers.

Even though the effects of today have clearly improved, Candyman employs mostly practical effects that we just don’t see a lot these days in this genre. The impressive makeup, scares, bloody moments and tension built through Philip Glass’ score is not a movie of the genre to miss.

The Ending Of Candyman Does Not Disappoint

I won’t get into it here, because I want you to watch it but man, the Candyman ending is brilliant. Again, it dates itself in some of the perspectives being put to the forefront, but writer/director Bernard Rose knew how to reach the finish line with the 1992 version. The movie tells the story from the POV of Virginia Madsen’s Helen Lyle and really gives her an incredible arc with Candyman.

It was rare at the time to see a female protagonist in horror hold her own and be more than a screaming head and Helen Lyle really has some incredible depth to her. I’d compare her to Jodie Foster’s Clarice Starling (and Silence of the Lambs came just one year before it) in a sense that she is a strong woman who comes face to face with terrors and truly faces them.

Candyman Can Spark Worthwhile Discussions That Bleeds Into The Upcoming Sequel

A great reason to watch the original Candyman if you’re also checking out the new one is to engage in the conversation regarding how the legend has shifted in its storytelling over the years. I’ve touched upon the difference in perspectives from the filmmaking point of view, but there’s more to it. Both Candyman movies display how the cultural perspective on this story has shifted from the early ‘90s to today and it’s really interesting to dissect.

The original Candyman seems to illustrate this fear surrounding the white community toward housing projects and places of poverty like the Cabrini-Green housing projects as Helen Lyle becomes part of the legend. It has a bit of his white savior narrative that makes one appreciate what Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele do to it by bringing their own voices to the story. Overall, the Candyman franchise is really interesting and an underrated horror franchise that more of us should take time to look back and examine.

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You should never underestimate the enduring influence of an urban legend. Case in point: Candyman, director Nia DaCosta and producer Jordan Peele’s soft reboot of the 1992 cult classic (and one of the best horror movies from creator Clive Barker) about a woman investigating a tall tale that turns out to be dangerously real. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris lead the new Candyman cast, which also includes a certain familiar face that die-hard fans of classic horror movies should be excited to see. But, first, let's start with our new central protagonist.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (Anthony McCoy)

After losing his San Francisco city planning job in 2010, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II pursued acting and broke out on the 2016 Netflix series The Get Down before landing parts in movies like Baywatch or The Greatest Showman and an Emmy for playing Doctor Manhattan on HBO’s Watchmen cast. Candyman, in which he plays an artist obsessed with the titular legend, is only the Trial of the Chicago 7 star’s most recent dabble in the horror genre after Black Mirror Season 5 in 2019 and his brief part in Us - his first collaboration with Jordan Peele. 

Abdul-Mateen II will next lead the Matrix: Resurrections cast, appear on the star-studded ensemble of Michael Bay’s Ambulance, is currently filming his reprisal of Black Manta in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and will tour the Wasteland with Anya Taylor-Joy in the Mad Max prequel Furiosa.

Teyonah Parris (Brianna Cartwright)

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s onscreen girlfriend from the Candyman cast, Teyonah Parris, is also no stranger to both superhero movies and superhero TV shows, having made her MCU debut on the WandaVision cast as Monica Rambeau - whom she will reprise when she reunites with director Nia DaCosta for The Marvels (previously known as Captain Marvel 2). After joining the Mad Men cast in 2012 and the Stars original Survivor’s Remorse in 2014, she stole the show in the indie satire Dear White People, played the lead of Spike Lee’s modernized Lysistrata retelling Chi-Raq in 2015, and gave a strong supporting performance in If Beale Street Could Talk, from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins. 

Parris will share the screen with fellow Marvel movies actor Jamie Foxx and Star Wars’ John Boyega in the upcoming sci-fi comedy They Cloned Tyrone, which is now in post-production.

Colman Domingo (William Burke)

Appearing in Candyman as a man who fills Anthony McCoy in on the legend is fellow If Beale Street Could Talk star Colman Domingo, who has a reputation for appearing in biopics (Lincoln, 42, Selma, The Birth of a Nation, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and Zola) or loosely fact-based period pieces (Lee Daniels’ The Butler or Cinemax’s The Knick). He has also starred in comic book adaptations (as a guest star on Netflix’s Lucifer and series regular - and occasional director - of the Fear the Walking Dead cast), Jordan Peele’s Twilight Zone reboot, Sam Levinson’s movie Assassination Nation and HBO series Euphoria, and the Michael B. Jordan-led action thriller Without Remorse. 

During quarantine, Domingo had Yahya Abdul-Mateen II on his Zoom call talk show Bottomless Brunch at Colman’s and is currently producing and starring in the upcoming, star-studded short North Star.

Nathan Stewart-Jarrett (Troy Cartwright)

Playing Brianna’s brother, Troy, is British actor Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, who is best known in his home country (and probably in the States, too) for the coming-of-age superhero dramedy Misfits and the original UK series that inspired Amazon Prime’s Utopia. He would pull the reverse method by starring in Hulu’s American series adaptation of Four Weddings and a Funeral a year before doing an episode of the BBC’s Dracula miniseries, which is a Netflix exclusive in America. Stewart-Jarrett most recently, and notably, appeared on a new coming-of-age TV show, the HBO Max original show Generation, but in the role of an adult mentor.

Kyle Kaminsky (Grady Cartwright)

Actor and musician Kyle Kaminsky plays Troy Cartwright’s husband, Grady, in Candyman, which easily marks his most high-profile role yet. After making his acting debut in 2013 with an uncredited appearance on NCIS Season 10, he made his feature film debut four years later in the low-budget drama DriverX (which is not a Speed Racer spin-off about the Racer X character if you were curious). Much of the other titles on Kaminsky’s filmography include various short films, his gig composing the Pride and Prejudice-inspired series Darcy’s Tales, and the upcoming horror movie I Live Here Now.

Vanessa Estelle Williams (Anne-Marie McCoy)

Reprising her role from the original Candyman (and not the only cast member to do so in the follow-up) as Anthony McCoy’s mother, Anne-Marie, is Vanessa Estelle Williams, who made her feature film debut in 1991’s New Jack City (one of the best Wesley Snipes movies) before joining the original Melrose Place cast and, later, the cast of the Showtime drama Soul Food. Like her onscreen son Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Williams is also a DC TV shows veteran with her recurring role as Francine West on The Flash, has encountered spooky situations on an episodes of FX’s new anthology American Horror Stories, and also appeared on daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives. The actress has a few Christmas movies and a biopic about singer and civil rights figure Mahalia Jackson in the works.

Carl Clemons-Hopkins (Jameson)

One of the first movies starring Candyman’s Carl Clemons-Hopkins was a Christmas movie called Christmas Dreams from 2015 - three years before the actor appeared on Chicago P.D. and later on four episodes of the hospital spin-off Chicago Med as an entirely different character. Clemons-Hopkins also had a recurring role on another series set in the Mid-Western metropolis, Showtime’s The Chi, in 2018 - the same year the actor appeared in the faith-based crime drama Canal Street, which was filmed in Chicago, Illinois. The Lithonia, Georgia, native also guested on an episode of Fox’s technophobic sci-fi drama NEXT, earned an Emmy nomination for playing Marcus Vaughn on the hit HBO Max comedy Hacks, and plays a detective in the upcoming mystery thriller Casual Encounters: Philadelphia True Crime Confessions.

Rebecca Spence (Finley Stephens)

Credited as Finley Stephens on the Candyman cast is Rebecca Spence, who debuted in a TV rom-com called Platonically Incorrect and appeared on a 2005 Prison Break episode soon before landing small parts in otherwise big movies like The Break-Up, Michael Mann’s John Dillinger biopic Public Enemies, another Vince Vaughn comedy called The Dilemma, and the frighteningly timely disaster movie Contagion from Stephen Soderbergh. After a recurring role on Starz’s Golden Globe-winning drama Boss, she became a DC movies “star” by appearing in Man of Steel, dipped into the horror genre with A24’s Slice, and continued to land spots on more hit TV series like Empire, Netflix’s Easy, and Amazon Prime’s Utopia. 

Her upcoming medical thriller Rounding is now in post-production and she is currently filming producer Michael B. Jordan’s AMC series 61st Street and a series adaptation of the Image Comics series Paper Girls.

Cassie Kramer (Librarian)

Playing a role credited on IMDb as “Librarian” is Cassie Kramer, who has guest spots on NBC’s One Chicago franchise in common with some of her fellow Candyman cast members. Known for many short films and TV guest spots and the low-budget 2020 drama The Girls of Summer, she is also the writer, director, and star of the web series Bimbo. Kramer just finished writing, producing, photographing, composing, directing, and starring in a new short drama called Borne, Bottled, and also has two feature-length thrillers called The Boy of Leah and Deep Woods in the works.

Michael Hargrove (Sherman Fields)

Nia DaCosta’s sequel adds another layer to Candyman's mythology with the incorporation of a new character named Sherman Fields, who earns the “honor” of having a nickname synonymous to the legendary horror movie villain for a heinous crime he was falsely accused of. The character is played by award-winning theatre performer Michael Hargrove, who made his film debut in the 2008 musical Were the World Mine the same year he appeared in the acclaimed sports biopic The Express. Like a few of his Candyman cast members, Hargrove has appeared on two different installments of the One Chicago franchise (Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D.) as two different characters and he has also dabbled in writing his own projects such as the story for the upcoming crime film Frank Chase in the Streets of Harlem, which stars rapper turned Law & Order: Special Victims Unit cast member Ice-T.

Tony Todd (Daniel Robitaille / Candyman)

However, the one true Candyman is Tony Todd, who reprises the titular villain in the hotly anticipated new chapter. Since breaking out in Oliver Stone’s Platoon, the actor’s reputation as a beloved Scream King (which he revisited in the Shudder original documentary Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror) really began with 1990’s Night of the Living Dead remake and continued beyond the Candyman franchise with roles in The Crow, Wishmaster, the Final Destination movies, Hell Fest, and, most recently, Scream: The Series. Of course, Todd is known for other genres (he had a recurring role on 24, voiced the villain in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, played a CIA agent on Chuck, and is uncredited as the voice of Zoom on The Flash), but I have no doubt we will see him appear in plenty more horror movies.

One of my favorite behind-the-scenes horror movie secrets is that Tony Todd requested a pay increase of $1,000 for every time he was stung by a live bee while filming the original Candyman. According to The Guardian, he was stung 23 times (you do the math). I would be curious to hear how much he made working Candyman, in theatersas of Friday, August 27, 2021.

The last time that filmmaker Michael Bay tried to capture his signature “Bayhem” on screen, it was for Netflix and the high-octane Ryan Reynolds vehicle 6 Underground. Next February, however, Bay is coming back the big screen (where he belongs, if we’re being honest) for an explosive new thriller set in Los Angeles over the course of one incredibly tense day. The film is called Ambulance, and we just got our very first look at the movie during the Universal Studios panel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas. Here’s what was shown!

Ambulance will star two actors who’ve been at this for a while, but have yet to dive into the world of Bay. Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II hold down the two leads on Ambulance, playing brothers from different mothers who seem to be estranged, but are pulled back together for a difficult situation. Mateen’s character’s wife is in dire need of a surgery, which he can’t afford, even though he served his country loyally as a member of our military. So he approaches his “sibling” (Gyllanhaal) with a request for a favor. He needs several thousand dollars. Gyllenhaal offers more, with a caveat.

Jake needs Yahya to help him pull off a bank robbery in downtown Los Angeles. It should be clean. As Gyllenhaal suggests, “When have I ever done anything that puts you in harm’s way?” If they succeed, they will walk away with $32 million… far more than Abdul Mateen II needs, and plenty of cash to fund Gyllenhaal’s opulent lifestyle. Except, guess what? Things go horribly wrong. A young police officer shows up in the middle of the job, hoping to complete a routine bank transaction. The brothers take him hostage. But when the cop ends up getting shot, the brothers know the only way they survive this day is if they keep the officer alive. Which prompts them to flee the scene in a stolen ambulance.

Ambulance, based on this lengthy look (it was far longer than a standard trailer) boasts the extreme energy and manic pace of Michael Bay’s traditional action pictures, with the claustrophobic hook of the actors being limited to the confines of the ambulance -- once they get into it. The footage looks like Bay is trying to mash Speed, Con Air, his own picture The Rock, and Michael Mann’s Heat into one film. And it works? For now, at least.

Jake Gyllenhaal seems to be bringing the over-the-top sinister tones of Nightcrawler or Southpaw to this character, while Baby Driver’s Eisa Gonzalez is a wild-card addition as the medical tech in the ambulance who is forced to keep the wounded cop alive. Ambulance could take audiences by surprise when it blasts into theaters on February 18. Seeing as how this is the very first time I am even hearing about the film, it certainly took me by surprise at CinemaCon.

Jordan Peele has horror fans on the edge of their seats following the release of the Oscar-winning film Get Out and 2019’s Us. The next movie from the comedian-turned-filmmaker, Candyman, is coming out this weekend, but this time, Peele did not direct it. He turned over that honor to his co-writer and now-Marvel director, Nia DaCosta. Ahead of the film’s release, one of the film’s stars, Teyonah Parris, shared her experience with the up-and-coming director.

Nia DaCosta was approached by Jordan Peele after he saw her first film, Little Woods, and the two filmmakers wrote the Candyman script together before Peele stepped aside and completed his work on Us. The Get Out filmmaker also shared that he felt DaCosta was the better choice to shoot the movie than he was. During the Candyman press conference, Teyonah Parris discussed her own reasons why DaCosta was a better choice to helm the horror movie:

There just are not enough Black women directing movies to begin with, but it was especially helpful for Candyman due to the specific character Teyonah Parris plays in the film. In Candyman, Parris portrays an art gallery director named Brianna Cartwright, who is dating Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s Anthony McCoy. When the couple move to the setting of the Candyman legend, their relationship is tested. Parris continued to share her experience with these words:

That's not to say that Jordan Peele wouldn’t have done a great job communicating these themes with Teyonah Parris, but not as well as Nia DaCosta, who could immediately relate to Parris both as an actor and through her character Brianna. It’s also a great reminder about the importance of representation on projects such as this, especially in circumstances when a Black woman is leading a film like Candyman.

Teyonah Parris is currently reprising her role as Monica Rambeau on the set of The Marvels next to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel after her killer introduction in WandaVision earlier this year, with Nia DaCosta directing her. The pair from Candyman clearly love working with each other, and their rapport will be of benefit to them when making an even larger-scale film together.

Teyonah Parris stars in Candyman, which comes to theaters this Friday, August 27. As far as Jordan Peele goes, the director is set to return to horror for a movie called Nope coming next summer.

The most terrifying big screen tales of horror have always been rooted in real fears, and when 1992’s Candyman came out, it projected a terrifying tale inspired by housing projects in the United States, taking place in Chicago’s Cabrini-Green development. While the scene of the modern folklore of the original film may have been torn down a decade ago, as the new Candyman illustrates, the legend is just as piercing even over layers of buried embers.

Filmmakers Nia DaCosta and Jordan Peele have orchestrated an unnerving continuation of the Candyman legend. This film finally heightens the themes of the story with a sobering and introspective update the horror folklore was in long need of. Yet with that comes a movie that is also incredibly cerebral and therefore wrapped up in its thoughts rather than yielding the fully-realized spiritual sequel for the franchise fans might be expecting.

Candyman follows a couple who is settling in on Cabrini-Green property in its new form, now a fresh and upscale loft condo in a Chicago community that has since been gentrified. Watchmen’s Yayha Abdul-Mateen II plays rough-around-the-edges visual artist Anthony McCoy and WandaVision’s Teyonah Parris is a respected art gallery director Brianna Cartwright. While having their first guests over, they are told the story of Candyman, and Anthony becomes obsessed with digging deeper into the legend.

Nia DaCosta’s direction is superb and highly effective alongside a knockout cast.

Director Nia DaCosta brings in the intriguing voice she introduced on her first film, 2019’s Little Woods, into a slow-burn horror film that is understated, yet incredibly distinct. She guides the audience to the reflections in the mirrors as the story of Candyman gradually creeps under one’s skin. Her Candyman is patient in how it unfolds and often surrealist. Abdul-Mateen II takes a gentle hand to his increasingly troubled character, and Colman Domingo delivers a standout performance as a former Cabrini-Green resident with tall tales to tell. Delicate shadow-puppetry wistfully connects the original to the present day in a precisely eerie way that makes this Candyman movie feel like a true and distant memory to be unlocked rather than lore dumping audiences.

Candyman views the legend through a modern lens in a captivating way.

When 1992’s Candyman was originally told, it was through the eyes of a white woman, Helen Lyle, who was inspired and intrigued by Candyman, came to know him, and eventually became a part of the legend herself. But 2021’s Candyman aligns its point of view with a deep-seated and more multifaceted definition of what the Candyman is. He’s a stark symbol of generational trauma that Black Americans and the country as a whole suffers in different ways due to the racist and troubled history of the land we stand on.

As robust and attractive Cabrini-Green’s replacement housing is, the legend of Candyman cannot be contained for long because it continues to lie in the fabric of the people who grew up there, even if it's not always called upon. It’s through that access point that Candyman becomes a horrifyingly powerful movie about how we process and come to terms with personal and collective pain. Just like the modern development of the legend, we cannot simply bury it deep in the Earth and expect it to mend itself without facing it. Through this context, Candyman becomes an even more vicious monster because he is truly a recurring product of our society – a society where we’re more self aware of the complexities of these demons, and one that can feel revised in our personal bubbles until a horrific event lurks back into the sphere to remind us there’s a lot more we’ve yet to heal from as a whole and within ourselves.

There’s something perplexing and empty about the way Candyman unfolds.

The most nerve-racking element of Candyman is how subdued it is. For all its terror and scares, it’s also paralyzed in delivering honesty. It may be folklore, but the story walks a line of nearly convincing its audience that they’re watching a drama rather than a movie rooted in a long-beloved horror franchise. There’s a lack of adrenaline or fanfare to Candyman that feels guided by its theming and showcasing a movie as disturbed as its story, which can feel anti-climactic in a sense.

At its best, but through a frame of restlessness, Candyman is meant to sit with you. It's meant to creep behind you as you stare into your own reflection and examine the truth being brought to the audience’s attention that we know, but rarely want to remind ourselves. Nia DaCosta affirms her style and proves herself a distinct director who wants to reach out and feel the story being told through every element of her filmmaking. The price of this is a frigid feeling, and perhaps somewhat lethargic in how we look at the legend of Candyman today.

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Many of us would probably relish the opportunity to star in massive Hollywood blockbusters. Doing so would probably pair you with skilled directors and stars and allow you to act out some pretty cool scenes. However, if you’re a staple of big-budget movies, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pack on plenty of muscle and maintain it. This is what bonafide star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who has roles in the Aquaman and Matrix franchises, is experiencing at the moment. So how does he feel about having to keep the muscle for his high-profile roles?

One can absolutely understand why an actor would need to stay in superhero-like shape for a massive movie. Nevertheless, doing so can still be a strain on a performer -- one can only be without cookies for so long. While recently discussing the matter, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II offered an honest and funny response, and it’s the latter portion of his comments evokes a feeling we can all relate to:

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s comments to The Guardian indicate that he’s more than aware of the fitness requirements for blockbusters, and he seems to take it in stride. Still, you can’t blame him for wanting to switch things up a bit in the near future. And seriously, can we at least get this man a small bowl of ice cream, please? He’s earned it.

The public is used to seeing stars like Aquaman’s Jason Momoa and Jungle Cruise’s Dwayne Johnson stay in shape. But in the last several years, we’ve seen plenty of other A-listers join major franchises and build muscle. Many people are probably still shaken by Kumail Nanjiani’s physical transformation for Eternals, and do we even have to mention Natalie Portman’s insane arms for Thor: Love and Thunder?

Despite his rigorous workout routines, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is likely glad to have so much work on his hands. And one would think that Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom director James Wan appreciates the actor’s efforts. The same can surely be said for Lana Wachowski, director of The Matrix 4. Abdul-Mateen II’s role in the latter film will be particularly interesting to see when it arrives later this year in theaters and on HBO Max, which you can sign up for using this link.

As someone who enjoys Yahya Abdul-Mateen’s work, I definitely commend his dedication to the physicality needed for his roles. I’ll also continue to hope that he can one day achieve his dream of landing that coveted ice cream-eating job.