The movie’s footage was released online Tuesday and features voiceover from Shuri (Letitia Wright), who took up the mantle of Black Panther in 2022’s Wakanda Forever following the death of brother T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman).
“I’ve lost everyone that matters to me,” Wright says in the new trailer. “A king has his duties to prepare our people for the afterlife. I have mine.”
The teaser also shows M’Baku (Winston Duke) introducing himself as the King of Wakanda, after Shuri opted not to challenge him for the throne in Wakanda Forever. That film also included the MCU debut of Namor (Tenoch Huerta), who appears in the trailer for Avengers: Doomsday.
“King M’Baku of Wakanda,” Duke tells Ben Grimm, aka The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The Fantastic Four member responds, “Ben, Yancy Street between Broome and Grand.”
The rest of the MCU’s Fantastic Four — Mr. Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), the Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) and the Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) — will also appear in Doomsday after debuting in last summer’s 1960s-set The Fantastic Four: First Steps.
This is the fourth teaser that Marvel has shared online for the forthcoming film. The previous clips focused on scenes with Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and the X-Men’s Cyclops (James Marsden).
Marvel Studios revealed an extensive list of castmembers from the film in March during a lengthy livestream. The centerpiece of the project is Downey, who previously starred as the MCU’s Iron Man before the character died in the most recent Avengers movie, 2019’s Avengers: Endgame.
Simu Liu said in a new interview with Collider that Robert Downey Jr. had a “convoy of trailers” on the set of “Avengers: Doomsday,” which the film’s cast and crew hilarious named “Downey Land.” Liu returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Shang-Chi in the 2026 tentpole opposite Downey as the villainous Doctor Doom. Downey’s return to Marvel as a villain and not in his iconic Iron Man role is fueling the majority of interest in “Doomsday.” It appears the studio pulled out all the stops on set for the Oscar winner’s grand return.
“Downey famously has this convoy of trailers and this whole area in base camp that we affectionately called Downey Land,” Liu said. “And I remember getting invited to Downey Land for the first time and just showing up in this tent, and it’s all this beautiful Andy Warhol-esque artwork, except all the characters are Downey. I mean, he’s so self-aware.”
“So, he greeted me, and then I didn’t realize that Downey Land has its own chefs, but I had brought my set lunch, and he was like, ‘Oh, no, no, no. We don’t do that here,’” Liu continued. “The chefs had come and laid out this full buffet, and I was like, ‘Oh, I’ll put this away.’ And then just the people walking through, I was like, ‘I cannot believe I’m having lunch with these people.’”
Liu and Downey are just two members of the sprawling “Avengers: Doomsday” cast, which mixes Marvel stalwarts like Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, and Tom Hiddleston with returning X-Men actors like Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn and James Marsden, plus new MCU favorites like Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby and a lot more. It’s unclear which actors Liu shares scenes with in the film, but it’s safe to say he was a big admirer of every scene partner.
“For me, it was very imperative that I put that fan side away,” Liu told Collider. “I compartmentalized that side of me because I was like, ‘I have a job to do. I have a job to do, and the worst thing that I can do right now is be a fan. I’m not a fan. I’m a coworker.’ As ridiculous as that sounds, or as ridiculous as it sounded to me at the time, I was like, ‘No. I have to treat these people as my equals, even though I’m literally like a little boy right now.’”
“Avengers: Doomsday” opens in theaters Dec. 18, 2026 from Disney.
David Fincher’s Zodiac is arriving on Paramount+ next month.
According to a report by Comicbook.com, the Robert Downey Jr.-led movie will land on the streaming platform on January 1, 2026.
While Zodiac was a big critical success, it failed to perform satisfactorily at the box office. Released in 2007, it is inspired by true events and took inspiration from the books written by Robert Graysmith.
As per Box Office Mojo, the movie was made on a reported budget of $65 million. It made an opening collection of over $13.3 million in the US theaters. At the domestic box office, Zodiac managed to earn over $33 million, and grossed $51.7 million in the international market. This took the movie’s total worldwide collection to $84.7 million.
Despite the disappointing box office performance, Zodiac received immense praise from the critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 90 percent on the Tomatometer based on 264 critic reviews. On the other hand, it received a score of 77 percent on the Popcornmeter based on the audience’s verdict.
In December 2023, Robert Downey Jr. reunited with Mark Ruffalo on Variety’s Actors on Actors and recalled working with David Fincher on Zodiac. He said, “I called Fincher recently because in retrospect, everything changes.”
The Avengers: Endgame star further added how working with Christopher Nolan on Oppenheimer made him develop “a new respect for Fincher.” He added how it was the first time he and Ruffalo were working under an “exacting director. A real director, who does things a certain way.”
Drugs, alcohol, and fame have long been intertwined in Hollywood’s industry. The constant pressure to perform, maintain a public image, and navigate global scrutiny often drives stars toward self-destructive habits, which are often disguised as a form of relief. For decades, the entertainment industry has glamorized excess, but the reality behind the scenes is far more sobering. It’s a reality that sometimes includes addiction, public breakdowns, and tragic losses. From music icons to movie legends, sober celebrities have found themselves at the crossroads between fame and freedom, choosing recovery as their greatest comeback.
The industry’s culture of indulgence can lead to dark spirals, mental health struggles, ruined relationships, and even death. It doesn’t always have to end that way, though. Countless stars have fought their way back from addiction, redefining themselves through sobriety. They’ve proven that strength and vulnerability can coexist, and that healing isn’t weakness, but rather a form of power.
Recently, Offset and Allen Iverson have become the latest public figures to open up about their journey to sobriety. Offset revealed that he’s been four years clean from codeine, saying his son inspired him to quit after realizing drugs weren’t necessary for creativity. Meanwhile, NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson announced he’s been six months sober from alcohol, calling it one of the best decisions of his life. Both men’s stories show how breaking free from destructive habits can spark a new era of clarity, health, and purpose.
Their stories mirror a growing wave of celebrities who are redefining what strength looks like. Sobriety isn’t just about quitting; it’s about reclaiming control, mental clarity, and emotional stability. From those who hit rock bottom to those who simply wanted better for themselves, their decisions to change prove that redemption is always possible, regardless of fame or fortune. They also further emphasize that recovery and self-control can coexist with success. Check out a list of 20 sober celebrities whose journeys reflect the courage it takes to walk away from addiction, temptation, and old habits in pursuit of peace and purpose. Congrats to all of these people for making a tough but essential decision for the greater good.
1. Robert Downey Jr.
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Once one of Hollywood’s most infamous addicts, Downey Jr. spent years battling heroin and cocaine before finding recovery in 2003. Through therapy, meditation, and family support, he rebuilt his career and life…ultimately becoming Iron Man and one of cinema’s greatest comeback stories.
2. Offset
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The Migos rapper opened up about being fur years sober from codeine, saying he quit after realizing how it affected his family and creativity. He credits fatherhood and self-discipline for helping him stay focused and grounded.
3. Steve-O
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Known for his chaotic Jackass stunts, Steve-O’s partying spiraled into heavy drug use and near death experiences. After an intervention from friends in 2008, he entered rehab and has been sober ever since, now using his platform to help others in recovery.
4. Lena Waithe
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The Emmy-winning writer and producer decided to give up alcohol to prioritize her mental clarity and creative flow. She’s spoken about how sobriety has sharpened her focus and deepened her storytelling.
5. Mary J. Blige
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The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul endured years of alcohol and cocaine abuse while hiding behind fame and success. Over a decade sober, she credits faith, therapy, and music for her healing, calling recovery her “greatest victory.”
6. Eminem
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The rap legend nearly died in 2007 after a methadone overdoes during his battle with prescription pill addiction. Now more than 15 years sober, he says his kids and music gave him purpose to fight for life again.
7. Macklemore
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The Grammy-winning rapper has long been open about his struggles with alcohol and relapse. He continues to live sober and uses music to inspire others to stay strong through addiction recovery.
8. Samuel L. Jackson
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Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most respected actors, Jackson fought heroin and cocaine addiction in the 1980s. Now more than 30 years sober, he credits his wife and family for helping him stay grounded.
9. Demi Lovato
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The pop star’s battles with addiction, overdose, and recovery have been public and painful. Lovato has since found a balanced path, embracing therapy, music, and faith as key parts of their sobriety and mental health journey.
10. Anthony Anderson
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The Black-ish star quit drinking to improve his health and manage diabetes. He says sobriety has given him renewed energy and helped him live more intentionally.
11. Allen Iverson
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Once known for his hard-living lifestyle, the NBA Hall of Famer revealed he’s now six months sober from alcohol. Iverson says the change has brought him peace and a clearer sense of direction.
12. Russell Brand
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The British comedian spent years addicted to heroin and alcohol before entering rehab in 2002. More than 20 years sober now, Brand advocates for recovery, mindfulness, and purpose through his books and podcasts.
13. Fantasia Barrino
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The American Idol winner once leaned on alcohol to cope with pain and pressure after early fame. Today she’s years sober, crediting prayer, family, and self-love for helping her heal.
14. Brad Pitt
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After his public divorce from Angelina Jolie, Pitt sought help for his heavy drinking and depression. Since getting sober, he’s spoken about the power of therapy and emotional honesty in his recovery.
15. Chris Rock
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The comedian revealed he quit drinking and started therapy to manage depression and trauma. He says sobriety has brought him calm, focus, and a deeper sense of personal peace.
16. Doja Cat
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In 2024, Doja Cat shared that she quit drinking after realizing alcohol made her feel “out of control.” She says sobriety has sharpened her creativity and made her feel more in tune with herself.
17. Ben Affleck
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Affleck’s long struggle with alcoholism has led to multiple stints in rehab and public relapses. Now asober and self-aware, he continues to focus on family, acting, and long-term recovery.
18. Doechii
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The rising rapper revealed she was constantly drinking and partying early in her career until she lost sight of herself. After quitting alcohol, she says her creativity and confidence returned stronger than ever.
19. Naomi Capmbell
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The supermodel faced addiction struggles in the early 2000s, entering rehab for cocaine and alcohol abuse. Now sober and focused on health, she’s become an advocate for wellness and emotional recovery.
20. Charlie Sheen
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Once known for his wild partying and public meltdowns, Sheen’s addictions to drugs and alcohol nearly destroyed his career and family life. He’s now been sober since 2017, crediting fatherhood and self-reflection for helping him find peace and stability.
NEW YORK (AP) — There are so many Hollywood stars on New York theater stages or on the way that you might want to level up your stargazing game. Why not play some bingo?
Sure, Robert Downey Jr., Daniel Dae Kim, Jim Parsons, Mia Farrow, and Katie Holmes are currently in New York, and George Clooney, Denzel Washington, Nick Jonas and Jake Gyllenhaal are on deck for spring.
But if you really want to impress, why not connect the stars, like playing bingo with the stars of “Frasier”? Catch Bebe Neuwirth (who played chilly Lilith) now in “Cabaret” on Broadway; Dan Butler (who played Bulldog on the TV show) in the off-Broadway play “Another Shot;” and then in a few months, see David Hyde Pierce (who played Niles) in “The Pirates of Penzance.”
This combination of photos shows actors, from left, Dan Butler, David Hyde Pierce and Bebe Neuwirth. (AP Photo)
“I love that it would bring people there, and you would just hope that they get bitten by that thing theater can do that no other medium can do,” he says. “Hopefully, it brings you in the doors again.”
Laura Stanczyk, a veteran casting director and producer who has cast dozens of Broadway, off-Broadway and international plays and musicals, knows many shows secure a bankable star to try to stand out.
“When you have actors like Robert Downey Jr. who are finally showing up and participating in the New York theater scene, it becomes even more important to have someone who has some kind of notoriety,” she says.
She is producing the play that Butler is starring in by Spike Manton and Harry Teinowitz, in which a deadpan Butler plays a radio DJ in recovery. “It’s sort of like Bulldog goes to rehab,” jokes the actor.
A wave of stars
Movie and TV celebrities have been part of Broadway’s DNA for decades — one recent big wave was in 2010 with the arrival of Robin Williams, Chris Rock, Kiefer Sutherland, Daniel Radcliffe, Pee-wee Herman, Vanessa Redgrave, Ben Stiller and Edie Falco — but their presence this season is particularly striking.
Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler are starring in “Romeo & Juliet,” Nicole Scherzinger has “Sunset Boulevard,” Peter Gallagher and Julianna Margulies are in “Left on Tenth” and Sean Astin is playing Santa in “Elf the Musical.”
Dan Butler appears on stage during a performance of the off-Broadway play “Another Shot,” in New York on Oct. 13, 2024. (Joan Marcus via AP)
Stanczyk says it’s not too surprising to see so much star wattage since many of the TV and movie stars have their roots in theater. Margulies studied stage, and that’s also where Connor and Zegler got their starts. Scherzinger studied musical theater at Wright State University.
“People forget that these great actors got a lot of their start in theater,” she says. “I do think some directors gravitate towards that because they know those folks — it’s in their bones and there’s a common language.”
The reason “Frasier” Bingo is possible is because so many associated with the show are theater veterans, starting with James Burrows, the director who helped craft the “Cheers” spinoff. Burrows started in the theater and is the son of the legendary playwright and director Abe Burrows, behind “Guys and Dolls” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
Butler — who was recently cheered on by Pierce during a visit to “Another Shot” — said “Frasier” often had a stage feel. “It sort of felt like doing a short play in front of a live audience every time we filmed,” he said.
Other TV shows — like “Law & Order,” “The Good Wife,” “The Gilded Age,” ”Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” and “Only Murders in the Building” — share that stage vibe since they also have leaned into casting from the theater.
So hot is New York that the stars are even coming off-Broadway, like Adam Driver in “Hold On to Me Darling,” Marisa Tomei in “Babe,” Kenneth Branagh in “King Lear,” T.R. Knight in “The Merchant of Venice” and Christian Slater and Calista Flockhart in “Curse of the Starving Class.”
The influx of Hollywood types aren’t squeezing out Broadway stars: Audra McDonald, Sutton Foster, Jonathan Groff, Patti LuPone, Megan Hilty, Jennifer Simard, Adrienne Warren and Darren Criss have all booked parts.
The lure of the stage
Louis McCartney, a rising screen star who will be bringing the play “Stranger Things: The First Shadow” from London to Broadway in spring 2025, didn’t train as a stage animal, but he’s mesmerized.
“It’s sort of this back and forth where you give yourself up,” he says. “You give your soul every single night. And I think that’s beautiful.”
If “Frasier” Bingo isn’t your speed, there’s always “Succession” Bingo: Jeremy Strong was on Broadway in a revival of “An Enemy of the People,” Kieran Culkin will be in a revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross” and Sarah Snook gets the stage all to herself as she plays all 26 parts in an adaptation of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” this spring. Or play a long game: With Clooney and Margulies, you can start on “ER” Bingo.
This combination of images shows the cast of HBO’s “Succession,” from left, Kieran Culkin, Sarah Snook, and Jeremy Strong. (AP Photo)
Stanczyk thinks Hollywood interest in the stage may be driven by the stars attempting to push themselves professionally and to capture that unique buzz that life theater can give.
“Every night you’re in the theater that thing that happens hasn’t happened before. It’s a unique exchange of energy,” she says. “There’s nothing else like it in the world.”
The MCU’s favorite web-crawler will return to theaters in 2026. Spider-Man 4 will debut shortly after Avengers: Doomsday that year, with star Tom Holland confirming that production will begin mid-2025.
Spider-Man 2’s New Web Wings Make It Feel Like A Proper Sequel
“Next summer we start shooting. Everything’s good to go, We’re nearly there,” Holland said in an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this week. “Super exciting. I can’t wait!” Spider-Man 4, the follow up to 2021’s No Way Home, will officially release on July 24, 2026.
That puts it just a couple months after Avengers: Doomsday, which debuts on May 1 of that year, and stars Robert Downey Jr. as the titular Fantastic Four villain, as was revealed earlier this year at San Diego Comic Con 2024. That grouping recreates the previous one-two comic book punch when Far From Home released shortly after Avengers: Endgame, capping off the multi-year, multi-movie MCU saga.
The sequel will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who made Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and presumably have some tie-in with the greater MCU, though it’s not clear how exactly yet. “I’ve been speaking to [Robert Downey Jr.] a lot, especially about him making his [Marvel] return, which is super exciting,” Holland said on the Rich Rollpodcast earlier this month. “That was a tough secret to sit on because I have a reputation for ruining things and I strategically have done no press.”
The young actor, who also starred in 2022’s Uncharted, an adaptation of the hit PlayStation games, said the script for Spider-Man 4 had him excited. “We have a creative and we have a pitch and a draft, which is excellent. It needs work, but the writers are doing a great job. I read it three weeks ago and it really lit a fire in me,” Holland told the Rich Roll podcast. “Zendaya and I sat down and read it together and we at times were bouncing around the living room like this is a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect.”
“[Kevin Feige] and I have kept in touch. We’re pals. [Jon] Favreau and Feige and I have kept in touch. I’m close with the Russo Brothers; we have other business we’re doing. So there’s this little kind of group of fellow travelers,” Downey explained on the Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. “And I had this instinct that I wanted to go to Bob Iger, and I had an idea outside of the [Marvel] Cinematic Universe for how I could be of service to what’s going on in the parks and all their location-based entertainment.”
But before that meeting, Downey recalled, he and his wife and producing partner Susan Downey were chatting with Feige, and the Marvel boss brought up the idea of Downey returning to the MCU. “Susan was like, ‘Wait, come back as what?’ And I was like [speechless confusion]? And then we both realized over time that it was another thing that just disproves any doubt anyone could ever have about that guy—a very sophisticated creative thinker—about how can we not go backwards? How can we not disappoint expectations? How can we continue to beat expectations? And he brought up Victor Von Doom.”
Intrigued, Downey took a look at Victor Von Doom as a character. “I was like, ‘wow.’” he recalled. “Later on, [Feige] goes, ‘Let’s get Victor Von Doom right. Let’s get that right.’ So then I said to Kevin, ‘Can I go talk to Bob Iger?’ He goes, ‘About [what]?’ I go, ‘About everything.’ And I [went] to Bob’s house, which—I don’t know how to describe that experience. I’ve had a lot of really cool experiences. We go to Iger’s pad and we sit down and start saying, ‘I just really want to be…’ He goes, ‘I like it.’ He likes it,” Downey said. Then, Iger invited Feige and Downey to visit Disney’s Imagineering Campus, Disney’s research and development hub.
“[We] go to the imagineering campus, and you want to talk about two guys that they’re not easy to have their minds blown, let alone at the same time—I can’t say too much about [it], but what is going on there right now is so beyond my expectation of what was possible,” he teased. “It’s also the only way that I felt like I can give a certain entertainment-seeking audience something that they may have a hankering to have an experience of, in a way where I can continue to develop my interest in the future of entertainment … so it’s this crazy, weird thing that’s going on.”
Mysterious—but also intriguing! Perhaps we’ll realize what he’s hinting at here when the Russo Brothers-directed Avengers: Doomsday arrives May 1, 2026.
Listen to the Hollywood Reporter’s full Downey interview, in which he also shares memories of being cast as Iron Man nearly two decades ago, right here.
If you’re still confused about the whole “Robert Downey Jr. being cast as Doctor Doom” thing, then get in line. Although we don’t exactly know what awaits us in Avengers: Doomsday, here are a few possible explanations (and comic book deep dives) as to why RDJ, of all people, is playing the MCU’s next big bad.
In case you missed it, this year’s San Diego Comic-Con was a bit of a doozy for fans of all things Marvel Entertainment. Studio head Kevin Feige took to Hall H on Saturday night to tease the next wave of MCU content, from Captain America: Brave New World to Thunderbolts to Fantastic Four. But perhaps the most head-scratching announcement of all was the confirmation that Robert Downey Jr., who of course played genius-billionaire-playboy-philanthropist Tony Stark, would be returning to the franchise after his “death” in Avengers: Endgame—this time, to play supervillain Victor von Doom, a.k.a. Doctor Doom.
As someone who was in the room when it all went down, the immediate reaction of the crowd when Downey Jr. took off his mask went a little something like “woooouhuhhhhh?” Gauging the temperature of the fanbase has been somewhat of an impossible task (even Gwyneth Paltrow is confused), with one side ecstatic to see the man responsible for “saving” the MCU taking on a new role, and the other side being downright puzzled that of all the popular fancasts for Victor von Doom, the studio landed on Downey. But regardless of how you feel about his return, it’s going to require a degree of mental gymnastics to explain how Iron Man and Doctor Doom are the same person—well, maybe, that is.
What Is Infamous Iron Man, and why are people convinced it’s the plot of Avengers: Doomsday?
Okay, if you’ve watched all 34 MCU movies (yes, 34) and the accompanying slew of Disney+ TV spinoffs, then you know that all roads lead to the Multiverse. Not only does this give Marvel the perfect excuse to add dozens of “member berries” and fanservice-y moments, but it also gives the MCU power to introduce alternate versions of beloved characters from different timelines, a.k.a. Variants. We’ve seen this trope play out in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Loki, and most on-the-nose in What If…?, so it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that Doctor Doom might be an (evil) Tony Stark Variant in Doomsday.
And there might just be the perfect comic storyline to back this up. The 2016 Infamous Iron Man comic book run, written by Brian Michael Bendis, follows a version of Doom trying to turn over a new leaf. To become the best version of himself, Doom drops the whole bad guy act and adopts the mantle of Iron Man, though his longtime foes the Fantastic Four wonder if he’s truly reformed, or if his new identity is part of an elaborate scheme. Oh, and there’s a really cool Doctor Doom/Iron Man hybrid suit.
Oh we’re getting the Infamous Iron Man suit, aren’t we? Maybe we start with their version of the classic look, but they’re totally going here. (I think it rocks.) #DoctorDoompic.twitter.com/5LOZh0HzlU
Promising theory, right? Except there’s one teensey-weensey problem. The Doctor Doom in Infamous Iron Man isn’t Tony Stark. Yes, he might have taken up the Iron Man moniker, but he’s not the man we all know and love from the Infinity Saga. Because of this, I’m extremely doubtful that Feige and Co. would choose to adapt this comic book run in the next Avengers movie, as Downey Jr.’s casting for this iteration of Doom just … wouldn’t make sense. Is there a way Marvel could explain it? Probably. But if this new and not-so-improved Iron Man isn’t Tony Stark, then surely, why would the MCU recruit the same guy?
Okay, what about Anthony Stark of Earth-11029?
Another theory is that Doomsday will follow Anthony Stark of Earth-11029, as depicted in the 2010 What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor #1 comic. In this story, a college-aged Victor von Doom convinces Tony to partake in an experiment that results in their minds being switched, with Doom walking around in Tony’s body and vice versa. This leads to a big confrontation where Tony eventually one-ups Doom, but it’s too little, too late: Doom has already soured Tony’s reputation and his company, Stark Universal.
Not only would seeing an “evil” Anthony Stark becoming Doctor Doom be ridiculously fun, but it would also make sense for Downey Jr. to play the part. I know what you’re thinking: Didn’t the Russo Bros. outright say that Downey Jr. would be taking on the role of Victor von Doom, not Stark? Yes, but technically, he would be Doom in this scenario. There’s certainly some rich comic book lore for Marvel to pull from here, but again, it might not be the direction they decide to go in for Doomsday.
These aren’t even their only options, though Demon in an Armor is the only one where there’s actually a Victor von Doom with Tony Stark’s face.
What if it’s not that deep, really?
Perhaps the least satisfying explanation of all is that Downey Jr.’s iteration of Doom has absolutely zero connective tissue to the Tony Stark of MCU past. While it would be kind of baffling to see Marvel re-introduce the same actor to play a different character within the same franchise, without there even being a reason it’s the same actor, it’s not like this hasn’t happened before. Although it was the 20th Century Fox universe, Chris Evans, for one, did play Johnny Storm in the Fantastic Four movies long before he picked up the shield for Captain America.
After all, this is the Multiverse Saga, so maybe we’ll just have to sit back, relax, and put our trust in Kevin Feige and the Russos. Doom’s not exactly known for showing his face, so maybe it doesn’t even matter that the man playing him looks exactly like the MCU’s Tony Stark, and all the varied Iron Man x Doom source material provides plenty of material to draw on, since the MCU is going to make changes to anything it adapts. Plus, we all know Robert Downey Jr. is an extremely capable actor, so dare I say it might be … fun? to see him wearing a different hat in the MCU—this time, as one of Marvel’s most formidable comic book villains. Either way, here’s hoping we get a more concrete answer soon.
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According to Variety, however, there’s nothing to fear as Marvel has smashed the panic glass by announcing Roberty Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU. During Saturday’s San Diego Comic-Con, RDJ returned to Hall H and announced he would return as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.
“New mask, same task,” Robert told the stunned crowd. “I like playing complicated characters,” he said as fans chanted his name.
Thanks to the source material, they can take several routes with RDJ portraying Victor Von Doom. It’s unclear if he will play a Tony Stark variant that becomes the iconic villain, or if he will be a new version of the character.
Regardless, fans can rejoice as the MCU seems to have a solid path forward after a disappointing string of past releases.
Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters in May of 2026 and will also feature the return of the Russo brothers behind the camera.
Watch Robert Downey Jr. during Marvel’s Hall H presentation below.
The one surprise at Marvel‘s Comic-Con Hall H presentation Saturday it saved for last: Robert Downey Jr is returning to the Marvel Universe as Victor Von Doom in the Russo Brothers’ Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Along with the Russos returning to helm a two-part Avengers movies, they mentioned they’d need to tee up before Avengers: Secret Wars, a dream project of theirs, with another movie: Avengers: Doomsday. This clearly replaces Avengers: Kang Dynasty.
Essentially Kang Dynasty was deflated in the wake of the actor who played him, Jonathan Majors, getting fired from the MCU after being found guilty of reckless assault and harassment.
Since the start of the MCU with 2008’s Iron Man, Oscar winner Downey Jr. played that title character who finally died in Avengers: Endgame.
At that point an actor stepped onstage as Dr. Doom, with a steel mask and green cape and hood. Unmasking, it was none other than Downey, who many know as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the MCU.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marvel Studios returned to San Diego Comic-Con with dancing Deadpool variants and a choir for a panel that included news about the next two “Avengers” films and surprise guests, including Harrison Ford and Robert Downey Jr.
Downey is returning to Marvel’s films, but not as Iron Man. He’ll play the villain Victor Von Doom, or Doctor Doom, in at least one of the upcoming “Avengers” movies. Downey kicked off Marvel’s movie successes in “Iron Man” and played the popular character in nine films, but on Saturday appeared wearing Dr. Doom’s mask and a green cloak.
“New mask, same task,” Downey said to frenzied cheers.
The Russo brothers, who will be directing the movie featuring Downey, said his appearance in the film is “proof of the unimaginable possibilities in the Marvel multi-universe.”
The reveal capped a jubilant return by Marvel to Comic-Con’s Hall H.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige kicked off the panel by saying that due to this weekend’s success of “Deadpool & Wolverine,” the sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe had now topped $30 billion in box-office earnings. In a nod to a scene in the movie, a choir sang Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” before Feige spoke.
“Deadpool & Wolverine,” released Thursday, has already broken one record and could shatter more in its opening weekend. Feige used Saturday’s panel to chart the course ahead for the MCU, revealing Ford’s character in the next “Captain America” film and revealing “Avengers: Secret Wars and “Avengers: Doomsday” as the titles of the next two films in the epic superhero team-up series. “Doomsday” will hit theaters in 2026.
Feige said all the actors introduced Saturday would appear in the upcoming “Avengers” movies, which will be directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The brothers guided the “Avengers” franchise through its sprawling storyline capped by “Avengers: Endgame” in 2019 that included the death of Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man character.
“When we directed ”Avengers: Endgame,” Joe and I truly believed that it was the end of the road for us in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because we had put all of our passion, our love, our imagination into “The Winter Soldier,” into “Civil War,” into “Infinity War,” climaxing all of it with “Avengers: Endgame,” Anthony Russo said. “That four movie run was incredible and it left us creatively spent with all of our emotions on the film. In the time since, through a very special story, Joe and I have come to potentially see a road forward with you.”
They called “Secret Wars” the “biggest story that Marvel Comics ever told,” and Joe said it was the first comic book run he read as a child that made him “fall in love with comics.”
Saturday’s session comes after Marvel skipped the convention last year due to the Hollywood strikes, which prevented writers and actors from speaking on panels.
The cast of “Captain America: Brave New World” — Giancarlo Esposito, Tim Blake Nelson, Danny Ramirez and Anthony Mackie — joined the stage first and teased details about the upcoming film. Esposito revealed that he will be playing the villain, Seth Voelker, also known as Sidewinder.
When asked about what it was like to join a Marvel project, Esposito said it was a “dream come true.
“When your dreams come true and you get the call, you walk through the door,” he continued. “I have a great deal of gratitude for all the fans who really had this dream come true, because it was fan casting that linked us together.”
The cast then stepped aside to share a scene from the movie on the big screen, which revealed that President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, played by Ford, is hoping to rebuild the Avengers with Mackie’s Sam Wilson. It also showed Ford’s character transform into the Red Hulk.
Ford joined the panel after fans were treated to clips from the movie and flexed his muscles to the roaring crowd. He also expressed excitement over his latest role, saying, “I am delighted, and proud to become a member of the Marvel Universe.”
The cast and director of “Thunderbolts(asterisk)” also surprised fans with a short clip from the movie. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour (in full costume and speaking in character as the Red Guardian at first) stormed the stage and shared some more details about their characters.
The film is slated to be released in May 2025.
The final film teased at the panel was “The Fantastic Four,” starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The movie will begin filming on Tuesday in London, Feige said.
He said the film will hit theaters in almost exactly one year in July 2025.
Following a video director Matt Shakman created specifically for Comic-Con that featured the cast in full ’60s glory, he and Feige revealed the official title of the film, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps.”
The session included no mention of Jonathan Majors, who played the villain Kang the Conqueror and was previously a major part of Marvel’s “Avengers” plans. The actor was fired by the studio after he was convicted in December of assaulting a former girlfriend. He was sentenced to a yearlong counseling program in April and avoided jail time.
Marvel already took over Hall H on Thursday with an electric panel celebrating “Deadpool & Wolverine,” in which the audience was treated to a full screening and surprise guests joining stars Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman on stage.
The mounting enthusiasm for the film at Comic-Con was reflected across the country as the fans rushed to see it in theaters, securing the film as the new record holder for the Thursday preview for an R-rated movie. The comic book film sold an estimated $38.5 million worth of movie tickets from preview screenings Thursday.
The “Deadpool & Wolverine” success woke up a sleepy year for Marvel and assuaged worries about its box-office underperformance in late 2023. The superhero factory hit a record low in November with the launch of “The Marvels,” which opened with just $47 million.
The upcoming HBO series “The Sympathizer” is bringing an unsung voice to a story that has been told and retold from the American point of view, providing actors like Sandra Oh a chance to finally be involved in a project that puts the Vietnamese refugee experience into focus.
“This perspective has been missing for 50 years,” said Oh, who plays the recurring role of Sofia.
Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, the miniseries boasts a majority-Vietnamese cast and crew, including celebrated “The Handmaiden” director and screenwriter Park Chan-wook and esteemed “The Joy Luck Club” actress Kieu Chinh.
Many of the acclaimed talent included are making their American film debuts, and others are getting their big breaks on the international stage. Duy Nguyen was raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, and later immigrated to Montreal, Canada. His story encapsulates Oh’s commitment to the series.
“He has such a deep emotional connection to this project,” Oh related. “He moved to Canada 10 years ago. Then he read ‘The Sympathizer’ when it came out and [he was] 15 or 16. Because he was learning English, he read it like 10 times. His journey from that to this momentous moment right here – to be fulfilling his potential and the depth that he brought [to the role] – that kind of stuff is what I’m all about.”
She added that the authenticity brought by actors like Nguyen allows portrayals that “metabolize very, very deep, painful stories on behalf of many people.”
Nguyen said that being in a project that includes “Vietnamese language and culture [was] a dream.”
“[The cast and creative team] all felt this responsibility to make this the best that it could be, because we finally have a moment to shine,” he continued.
“The Sympathizer” follows the character of Captain (Hoa Xuande), a North Vietnam operative who is a plant in the South Vietnam army. After he is forced to flee to America and take up residence in a refugee camp, he continues to spy for the Viet Cong.
“It’s really nice to finally see a story that’s led by a Vietnamese cast – to be able to tell their stories in their own way, and to have them at the forefront of this project,” Xuande said, going on to explain that as serious as the topic is, the show is a unique meld of a black comedy and a spy thriller. “These stories that [audiences are] about to see are just as devastating, just as riveting, just as traumatic, but also just as exciting and wonderful and funny.”
A producing collaboration that included A24, Rhombus Media and Robert Downey Jr.’s Team Downey spent years bringing the project to fruition.
“Reading the [novel] just [showed] how history books have only told one point of view, the American point of view … And the thing that was so exciting about the book was it was [another] point of view, and it was actually about real, ideological conversations,” executive producer Amanda Burrell said. “It felt urgent that we had to get out there and tell it.”
The story was especially personal for Chinh, whose life includes fleeing the Viet Cong twice – first when relocating from North to South Vietnam at the beginning of the war, then later to America when North Vietnam was about to invade Saigon. Her journey is one of many experienced by Vietnamese refugees in the 1960s and 70s, real-life struggles that “The Sympathizer” shines a light on.
“So many stories have not been told,” Chinh said. “We should make history alive again to remind people what [cruelty] war has made.”
“The Sympathizer” premieres on HBO and Max April 14.
Jeremy Renner says Robert Downey Jr played a big role in his accident recovery
Updated: 10:20 AM PDT Mar 17, 2024
Marvel star Jeremy Renner has revealed that co-star Robert Downey Jr. aided him in his recovery from his accident.Renner, who plays Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was hospitalized in January 2023 following an incident with a snowplow, with the star requiring surgery after suffering 30 broken bones. The actor has spoken candidly about his recovery in the ensuing months and has now revealed that Downey Jr, his Marvel co-star who played Iron Man, regularly checked in with him during the aftermath of the accident.”We ended up having really great chats on FaceTime like we were dating or something,” Renner recalled to PEOPLE. “He’s like, ‘Dude, the most important thing is you look good. I don’t care how you feel, as long as you look good that’s all that matters.’”He’s like, ‘You’ve got to get back to do ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ because we need to see what happens.’ His ways are very heartwarming,” added Renner. Renner recently returned to work following the accident, and offered an update on his character from the MCU, revealing that he is always willing to dip his toe back into the superhero genre. “I’m always game,” he said. “I’m going to be strong enough, that’s for sure. I’ll be ready. All those guys come to my bedside and they’ve been with me all along through this recovery, so… if they want me, they could have me. It would be something.”The star also used his accident as inspiration for a new venture, with the actor turning to music to detail his experiences, explaining: “A collection of music we wrote about different milestones in my journey of recovery since Jan 1st this year.”‘Love and Titanium’ has been painful, deeply healing, and ultimately cathartic for me to create. I hope I get the courage to share with you all.”
Marvel star Jeremy Renner has revealed that co-star Robert Downey Jr. aided him in his recovery from his accident.
Renner, who plays Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, was hospitalized in January 2023 following an incident with a snowplow, with the star requiring surgery after suffering 30 broken bones.
The actor has spoken candidly about his recovery in the ensuing months and has now revealed that Downey Jr, his Marvel co-star who played Iron Man, regularly checked in with him during the aftermath of the accident.
“We ended up having really great chats on FaceTime like we were dating or something,” Renner recalled to PEOPLE. “He’s like, ‘Dude, the most important thing is you look good. I don’t care how you feel, as long as you look good that’s all that matters.’
“He’s like, ‘You’ve got to get back to do ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ because we need to see what happens.’ His ways are very heartwarming,” added Renner.
Renner recently returned to work following the accident, and offered an update on his character from the MCU, revealing that he is always willing to dip his toe back into the superhero genre.
“I’m always game,” he said. “I’m going to be strong enough, that’s for sure. I’ll be ready. All those guys come to my bedside and they’ve been with me all along through this recovery, so… if they want me, they could have me. It would be something.”
The star also used his accident as inspiration for a new venture, with the actor turning to music to detail his experiences, explaining: “A collection of music we wrote about different milestones in my journey of recovery since Jan 1st this year.
“‘Love and Titanium’ has been painful, deeply healing, and ultimately cathartic for me to create. I hope I get the courage to share with you all.”
The former Fox News host Megyn Kelly is speaking out to slam the “classless” Jimmy Kimmel for the way he hosted the Oscars on Sunday night after he used the show to shamelessly bash Donald Trump. Kelly fired back by torching Kimmel and bringing up his documented history of blackface.
Kelly Eviscerates Kimmel
Though Kimmel initially avoided politics while hosting the Oscars, he took a shot at Trump at the end of the show after the former president bashed his hosting style on social media.
“Thank you, President Trump,” Kimmel said, according to CBS News. “Thank you for watching. I’m surprised you’re still up. Isn’t it past jail time?”
This didn’t sit well with Kelly, who fired back at Kimmel on her eponymous SiriusXM talk show.
“He found time to take a shot at Trump, he found time to take a shot at Katie Britt, he did not find any time to make fun of Joe Biden who is the sitting president of the United—I just guess there’s no fodder there, nothing to joke about,” Kelly said.
Kelly’s guest Andrew Klavan, a conservative political commentator, responded by saying that Kimmel “just following what the news media is doing.” He added that he was surprised that Kimmel never mentioned President Joe Biden, who had just given “the worst State of the Union address in my lifetime,” which he called “ugly and divisive.”
👇🏻WATCH: Megyn Kelly goes🔥SCORCHED EARTH🔥on Jimmy Kimmel, Robert De Niro, and George Stephanopoulos, “Sanctimonious Leftists.”
🔥On Stephanopoulos: “Remember when you created a whole command center designed to smear Bill Clinton’s sexual assault and rape accusers so you could… pic.twitter.com/QLwh8fAQHz
Earlier in the show, Kelly criticized the Oscars audience, “who laughed and curried favor with the man who wore blackface so many times, he’s second only to Justin Trudeau in his fondness for the practice.”
Kelly went on to say that the Hollywood stars “absolutely ate up the performance by Hollywood darling Mr. Kimmel” even though “some of the very same celebrities who wanted you to believe they were horrified — horrified — after yours truly said in 2018 that people used to don dark makeup to imitate well-known black celebrities and it wasn’t a big deal.”
The New York Post reported that this was a reference to Kimmel wearing blackface to portray the black Utah Jazz star Karl Malone in a skit on “The Man Show” back in the 1990s. He also wore dark makeup to portray Oprah Winfrey in another skit. In contrast, Kelly was fired by NBC in 2018 after she simply weighed in on those wearing blackface, saying that “in the 70s/80s, it used to be viewed differently.”
“Obviously Kimmel’s love of blackface was not a deal-breaker for ABC — which already employs him as a late-night host and which, in addition to its many blackface awards shows, also produced and promoted many shows and stars in blackface,” Kelly lamented.
“It appears the real sin with blackface, you see, is talking about how standards on it have changed, not actually wearing it,” she continued. “You can still win Oscars and host the Oscars after doing that.”
Check out her full comments on this in the video below.
Kelly also ripped into Kimmel for a joke he made at the expense of Robert Downey Jr., who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar on Sunday night for his work in Oppenheimer.
“This is the highest point of Robert Downey Jr’s career… well, one of the highest points,” Kimmel said during the opening monologue. When Downey Jr. responded by tapping his nose in a sign of recognition, Kimmel asked: “Was that too on the nose or a drug motion you made?”
A visibly annoyed Downey Jr. reacted to this by signaling Kimmel to move on from the joke.
“What Kimmel did last night, was he tried to mock people’s weaknesses and things they had genuinely fought hard to overcome, like he did to Robert Downey Jr, who wound up being a favorite of the night,” Kelly said.
“But before he won Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer, Kimmel, in his opening monologue, decided to take a shot at—everyone knows about Robert Downey Jr’s long history with drugs and alcohol,” she continued. “It’s something no one celebrates but he needs to be given credit for overcoming.”
After Kelly played a clip of the exchange, she added, “What was that? That was just classless.”
Kelly concluded by comparing the way Kimmel hosted the Oscars to the way the British comedian Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes on five separate occasions in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2020, according to Newsweek.
“Last night, one of the things I think stood out about Kimmel’s hosting was, he didn’t get it. The reason Ricky Gervais did so well when he hosted those Golden Globes and just eviscerated everyone in that room is because he was making fun of them on things that we knew were true,” Kelly explained.
“Y’know kind of, their abuse of their own power, their self-importance and that kind of thing and he was punching up, which is okay,” she stated.
Check out Kelly’s full comments on this in the video below.
George Stephanopoulos’ Gross Hypocrisy, and Kate Middleton Fake Photo Controversy, with @andrewklavan and @DM_Maureen_ Callahan
Plus, Kimmel at the Oscars, Biden apologizes for calling Laken Riley’s killer “illegal,” and more. Watch today’s FULL show, here on X: pic.twitter.com/5aFtVB3nbg
The hypocrisy of Kimmel and the rest of Hollywood never ceases to amaze, and good for Kelly for calling them all out. No wonder the Oscars has been struggling to get anyone to watch for years!
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LOS ANGELES — All eyes were on “Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt, at the Oscars on Sunday. The film dominated throughout awards season.
Now, it’s been named Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards.
The top prize of the night was presented by “The Godfather” star Al Pacino – who seemingly jumped the gun by announcing the winner before listing the nominees. But Pacino and his team say that was the plan all along.
Al Pacino presents the award for best picture during the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award,” Pacino said in a statement. “I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony.”
Rather than listing all 10 nominees while presenting the best picture Oscar, or offering an “And the Oscar goes to,” Pacino said “Here it comes” before slowly opening the envelope.
“And my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer,’” Pacino said, before the camera quickly panned to the winners in the audience.
Cillian Murphy won his first-ever Oscar, taking home the trophy for Best Actor for his performance in “Oppenheimer.”
People were, of course, quick to take to social media to comment about the bizarre announcement. The ceremony had presenters honor each nominee before unveiling the winner throughout the evening, so it was natural for viewers to wonder why Pacino chose not to.
“I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful,” Pacino said. “I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors and producers so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”
“Oppenheimer” won seven Oscars Sunday night, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. It also won for Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography. Ludwig Göransson also took home the Oscar for Best Original Score.
It was the first Oscar win for Murphy, Downey and Nolan.
The film earned a leading 13 nominations and has earned nearly $1 billion worldwide.
LOS ANGELES — All eyes were on “Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt, at the Oscars on Sunday. The film dominated throughout awards season.
Now, it’s been named Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards.
The top prize of the night was presented by “The Godfather” star Al Pacino – who seemingly jumped the gun by announcing the winner before listing the nominees. But Pacino and his team say that was the plan all along.
Al Pacino presents the award for best picture during the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
“There seems to be some controversy about my not mentioning every film by name last night before announcing the best picture award,” Pacino said in a statement. “I just want to be clear it was not my intention to omit them, rather a choice by the producers not to have them said again since they were highlighted individually throughout the ceremony.”
Rather than listing all 10 nominees while presenting the best picture Oscar, or offering an “And the Oscar goes to,” Pacino said “Here it comes” before slowly opening the envelope.
“And my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer,’” Pacino said, before the camera quickly panned to the winners in the audience.
Cillian Murphy won his first-ever Oscar, taking home the trophy for Best Actor for his performance in “Oppenheimer.”
People were, of course, quick to take to social media to comment about the bizarre announcement. The ceremony had presenters honor each nominee before unveiling the winner throughout the evening, so it was natural for viewers to wonder why Pacino chose not to.
“I realize being nominated is a huge milestone in one’s life and to not be fully recognized is offensive and hurtful,” Pacino said. “I say this as someone who profoundly relates with filmmakers, actors and producers so I deeply empathize with those who have been slighted by this oversight and it’s why I felt it necessary to make this statement.”
“Oppenheimer” won seven Oscars Sunday night, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. It also won for Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography. Ludwig Göransson also took home the Oscar for Best Original Score.
It was the first Oscar win for Murphy, Downey and Nolan.
The film earned a leading 13 nominations and has earned nearly $1 billion worldwide.
LOS ANGELES — All eyes were on “Oppenheimer,” directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt, at the Oscars on Sunday. The film dominated throughout awards season.
Now, it’s been named Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards.
The top prize of the night was presented by “The Godfather” star Al Pacino – who seemingly jumped the gun by announcing the winner before listing the nominees.
Al Pacino presents the award for best picture during the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Rather than listing all 10 nominees while presenting the best picture Oscar, or offering an “And the Oscar goes to,” Pacino said “Here it comes” before slowly opening the envelope.
“And my eyes see ‘Oppenheimer,’” Pacino said, before the camera quickly panned to the winners in the audience.
“Oppenheimer” closed out the night with an Academy Award win in the Best Picture category during the 2024 Oscars.
People were, of course, quick to take to social media to comment about the bizarre announcement from Pacino but admitted it did make for a hilarious way to end the ceremony.
“Oppenheimer” won seven Oscars Sunday night, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. It also won for Best Film Editing and Best Cinematography. Ludwig Göransson also took home the Oscar for Best Original Score.
It was the first Oscar win for Murphy, Downey and Nolan.
The film earned a leading 13 nominations and has earned nearly $1 billion worldwide.
Now that all the Academy Awards have been handed out, it’s time to party!
Watch “Live With Kelly and Mark: After the Oscars,” live from the Oscars stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on Monday at 9 a.m.
Cillian Murphy as J. Robert Oppenheimer in Oppenheimer. Universal Pictures
From major Oscar nominees to a massive new Netflix series, this week boasts some exciting new titles across streaming. Action, thriller, musical and more—it’s all available to watch this week, so make the most out of your streaming subscriptions.
What to watch on Netflix
Warrior
A gripping historical crime drama that mixes martial arts with gangsters, Warrior is an excellent blend of genres that’s worth watching for its fight scenes alone. The show comes from a long lost pitch from the late Bruce Lee, and it’s brought to life by his daughter Shannon Lee and a dedicated team. The series takes place in 1870s San Francisco, where the burgeoning Chinatown sees brewing gang wars. Meanwhile, Chinese immigrants in the city are facing threats from a white establishment that’s growing increasingly hostile. All three seasons of Warriorwill begin streaming Friday, February 16th. Read Observer’s review.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
One of the most anticipated live-action television adaptations in recent memory, Avatar: The Last Airbender is a new fantastical adventure series based on the mid-’00s cartoon of the same name. The show takes place in a world where nations tied to the elements (water, earth, fire, and air) are at war. The Fire Nation is on a path of conquest, helped by those who can wield and bend the element, and only the mystical figure known as the Avatar (who can control all four elements) can stop it. The problem? The Avatar, Aang, is only a child, but he’s been hiding from his responsibilities for years. Avatar: The Last Airbenderpremieres Thursday, February 22nd.
Amy Schumer returns with Season 2 of Life & Beth, a dramedy about grappling with love, loss, and buried trauma. Schumer stars as Beth, a woman who ditched her fairly comfortable (but fairly boring) life to deal with the death of her mother and all of the feelings that it stirred up. Along the way, she discovered a charming farmer (Michael Cera) and decided to really try to live her life rather than just exist in it. Now, they’re a happy couple, but personal realizations and rushed proposals threaten to derail that relationship. Season 2 of Life & Bethpremieres Friday, February 16th.
What to watch on Amazon Prime
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have long been sources for middling movies, so it’s a good thing that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem finally realized the fun that could be had with these characters. The animated film takes the kind of creative visual swings that made the two Spider-Verse movies such hits, oozing with bright, clever animation. Mutant Mayhem follows the heroes in a half shell as they work to bust a mysterious mutant crime syndicate and get some good press (with the help of Ayo Edebiri’s April O’Neil) for mutants at large. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhemstreams Wednesday, February 21st.
What to watch on Max
The Color Purple
A new take on an American classic, The Color Purple puts Alice Walker’s riveting story of self-discovery and empowerment (and, more specifically, its Tony Award-winning Broadway musical adaptation) on the big screen. American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino stars as Celie, who suffers abuses of all kinds as she struggles to find her voice. The rest of the cast is overflowing with musical and acting talent, with Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, and Ciara making up the sprawling ensemble. The Color Purplepremieres on streaming Friday, February 16th.
What to watch on Apple TV+
Constellation
From Invasion to For All Mankind, no platform loves a space show as much as Apple. Constellation is the newest space-set series from the streamer, though it leans a bit more into psychological thriller than sci-fi or drama. Noomi Rapace stars as Jo, an astronaut whose mission goes awry. When she returns to Earth, she discovers that key parts of her life are different, from an inexplicable new ability to play the piano to Jo’s altered relationship with her daughter. Jonathan Banks and James D’Arcy also star. The first three episodes of Constellation premiere Wednesday, February 21st.
What to watch on Peacock
Oppenheimer
The biggest addition to streaming this week comes in the form of one of 2023’s biggest and best movies. Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer made a massive splash in theaters last summer, combining the director’s affinity for richly realized filmmaking and an intricate story about one of history’s most notorious figures. It’s a heavy favorite to walk away with plenty of Oscars come March 10th, given that it’s the most-nominated film of the year. With stellar performances from Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr., this period piece about the science and politics of war is near-perfect. Oppenheimerpremieres Friday, February 16th. Read Observer’s review.
What to Watchis a regular endorsement of movies and TV worth your streaming time.
An HBO series from Park Chan-wook, A24, and Robert Downey Jr. hardly needs selling. But the new trailer for The Sympathizer, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Viet Thanh Nguyen, does a great job of making me mad that I can’t watch every episode of this thing immediately.
Though Robert Downey Jr. produced and co-stars in The Sympathizer, the real lead of the series is Hoa Xuande as a communist spy from Vietnam who moves to Los Angeles, where he’s unable to extricate himself from the espionage biz. Unsurprisingly, given the names involved, the series looks great—Robert Downey Jr.’s wacky spy disguises included.
It’s been a star-filled weekend in Santa Barbara, with a dozen of A-listers — including numerous Oscar nominees — making their way to the American Riviera for events at the 39th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.
On Friday night, inside the 2,000-seat Arlington Theater, which was sold out, the fest celebrated Robert Downey Jr. with its Maltin Modern Master Award, which is named after the film critic/historian Leonard Maltin. Maltin moderated a brisk career retrospective conversation with the Oppenheimer best supporting actor Oscar nominee, who charmed the audience with his self-deprecating humor and imitations of everyone from Richard Attenborough to his late father Robert Downey Sr., prior to Downey’s costar Cillian Murphy presenting him with the award itself.
During the interview, the honoree, 58, reflected on growing up as the son of an independent filmmaker who cast him in a movie, 1970’s Pound, when he was just five. “I think this is what I was supposed to do,” the younger Downey said of acting, deadpanning, “I didn’t really have the panache to be a waiter, I was told, so I had to resort to theater.”
Downey was a fast-rising star of ’80s and early ’90s American cinema. He discussed with Maltin 1985’s Weird Science, 1987’s Less Than Zero (“a ghost of Christmases Future”), 1989’s Chances Are and True Believer, and 1992’s Chaplin (for which he received his first Oscar nomination, noting that directorAttenborough “changed my life”). The actor Rob Lowe, a high school classmate and fellow ’80s heartthrob who is still a friend, made a surprise mid-interview appearance to compliment his friend’s work from that era.
Infamously, Downey, in the mid-1990s, began a major battle with addiction. But he re-emerged in the mid-2000s, clean and as talented as ever, in films like 2005’s Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (on which he met his future wife, Susan Downey), 2007’s Zodiac and 2008’s Tropic Thunder (for which he received his second Oscar nom), before exploding to superstardom as Marvel’s Iron Man, a character he played in numerous films released between 2008 through 2019.
Then, in 2022, Downey and his wife produced Sr., a documentary about his complicated relationship with his father, who died in 2021. He now reflects, “That was really the beginning of this new kind of phase that I’m in,” which is widely expected to culminate with his first Oscar win.
Murphy, who was introduced to a huge ovation, told the crowd: “I’ve never worked with or met anyone like Robert Downey Jr., truly. Aside from his staggering talent and his otherworldly range, he has managed to awe us with both his character and his leading man performances, his searing dramatic performances and his gut-busting comedic performances, he’s taken on and triumphed in every imaginable kind of role… It’s just mind-bending what this man his done. In my opinion, he is the most versatile actor of his generation, most likely of many generations… Robert works incredibly hard to make it look so easy, as all the great ones do. But he’s not just a great actor, he’s a kind of a unicorn, because he’s a great actor who has also risen to the level of superstardom that few of us can comprehend. I think that is because he is one of the kindest, funniest, most generous actors I have ever worked with, and all of that comes out on the screen. You see it in every single performance.””
On Saturday night, TCM host Dave Karger, for the 14th consecutive year, emceed the fest’s Virtuosos Award evening, a celebration of performers who achieved breakthroughs over the past year, which was another Arlington Theatre sell-out. Before Karger took the stage, though, Scott George and a host of fellow Osage singers and drummers performed a rousing rendition of “Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People),” George’s Oscar-nominated original song from Killers of the Flower Moon.
Then Karger introduced six of the eight pre-announced honorees for brief individual interviews: Barbie best supporting actress Oscar nominee America Ferrera, All of Us Strangers lead actor Andrew Scott, May December supporting actor Charles Melton, The Holdovers best supporting actress Oscar nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Past Lives lead actress Greta Lee and Killers of the Flower Moon best actress Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone — Rustin best actor Oscar nominee Colman Domingo and The Color Purple best supporting actress Oscar nominee Danielle Brooks had to pull out of the event due to filming obligations — noting that, by happenstance, all were performers of color and/or members of the LGBTQ community. He cracked, “In other words, you are not going to see one straight white person on stage all night long.”
Ferrera spoke about the celebrated monologue that she was asked to deliver in Barbie (“I’m just so glad I didn’t eff it up”) and what her Academy recognition means to her (“an Oscar nomination has been on the list of dreams since I was like five — let’s not pretend that I haven’t practiced that speech a thousand times”).
Scott discussed how meaningful it was for him to show All of Us Strangers, which depicts a same-sex relationship, in his native Ireland, where it used to be illegal for men to hold hands. Melton responded to questions about his level of anxiety going into May December (“I was really nervous going in — I mean, it’s Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore“) and gaining 40 pounds to play his role (“It was fun for me, I got to eat whatever I wanted”).
Randolph said that she shot The Holdovers more than two years ago (it was held back after being bought by Focus Features following a private screening at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival). Lee, meanwhile, said she had spent 20 years playing supporting roles prior to Past Lives, which she described as “everything I had been searching for my whole life” and, in a reference to the film itself, “inyun.”
And Gladstone reflected on becoming the first Indigenous American best actress Oscar nominee, noting that she was personally gratified, but also frustrated that Indigenous Americans have gone so long without such recognition: “It’s long overdue — this is the 96th Academy Awards,” she said, adding, “The Super Bowl’s tomorrow. We haven’t come that far if you look at one of the teams that’s playing [the Chiefs].”
On Sunday, the fest squeezed in one final tribute ahead of the Super Bowl. At the Arlington, Jazz Tangcay moderated the Variety Artisans Award tribute to a host of Oscar nominees: Barbie songwriters Billie Eilish and Finneas (the siblings behind “What Was I Made For?” were certainly the main draw), Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 VFX supervisor Stephane Ceretti, Oppenheimer composer Ludwig Göransson, Barbie production designer Sarah Greenwood and set decorator Katie Spencer, Maestro hairstyling/makeup artist Kazu Hiro, Oppenheimer film editor Jennifer Lame, Killers of the Flower Moon cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse sound re-recording mixer Michael Semanick and Poor Things costume designer Holly Waddington.
Speaking of Poor Things, the film’s best supporting actor nominee Mark Ruffalo will be at the Arlington on Sunday night for a career-retrospective conversation ahead of the presentation to him of the fest’s American Riviera Award.
