Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley are set to reunite on screen for the first time since starring together in “The Vampire Diaries.”

The former co-stars, whose characters shared a beloved romantic storyline in the hit supernatural drama, will collaborate again in the upcoming Hulu series “You Deserve to Know.”

The project also marks a reunion with Kapital Entertainment founder Matt Kaplan, with whom both Dobrev and Wesley have previously worked on separate projects.

More than eight years after “The Vampire Diaries” ended, Nina Dobrev and Paul Wesley are set to reunite on screen in a brand-new television project, according to Deadline.

The former co-stars have signed on to lead “You Deserve to Know,” a Hulu adaptation of Aggie Blum Thompson’s 2025 novel of the same name.

Written by “Grand Hotel” creator Brian Tanen, the series follows three suburban couples whose close-knit friendships begin to unravel after one of the husbands is murdered.

Dobrev stars as Gwen, while Wesley takes on the role of Scott. Their characters are neighbors who end up on opposite sides of a murder investigation, forcing them into an increasingly tense, high-stakes conflict.

A premiere date and trailer have not yet been announced and will likely be revealed after production wraps.

The Duo Also Reunite With A Familiar Producer

In addition to starring in the series, Dobrev and Wesley will serve as executive producers alongside creator Brian Tanen, author Aggie Blum Thompson, Unwell’s Alex Cooper, Matt Kaplan, Mina Lefevre, Paul Kim, and Kendall Boucher.

Also joining the project are Kapital Entertainment’s Jaiden Kaplan and Dylan Hammalian, representing one of the studios behind the series.

Both Dobrev and Wesley also share a history with Kaplan. Dobrev previously starred in the CBS comedy “Fam,” playing the lead role of recently engaged Clem.

Meanwhile, Wesley appeared in both seasons of “Tell Me a Story,” first as bartender and low-level drug dealer Eddie Longo, and later as Tucker Reed, an aspiring writer with a dark secret.

How Their Chemistry Won Wesley The Original Role

When “The Vampire Diaries” was first being cast, Dobrev was selected to play Elena Gilbert. Producers then began searching for an actor to portray her love interest, Stefan Salvatore, placing a strong emphasis on finding someone who shared undeniable chemistry with her.

Although many actors auditioned for the role, Wesley ultimately secured the part after impressing producers with the chemistry he shared with Dobrev during casting.

“It’s the kind of thing where you can see it on screen, and you get an energy from the room that I maybe didn’t have a barometer on, but he was absolutely the right choice and the best person for the role,” Dobrev said in an interview.

Nina Dobrev Says Their Friendship Will Last Forever

Looking back on their time on “The Vampire Diaries,” Dobrev said she could not imagine anyone else playing Stefan Salvatore. She added that she was especially grateful Wesley was cast, as working together ultimately led to the close friendship they share today.

“I couldn’t imagine anyone else being Stefan, and I’m so grateful that they chose him because now he’s one of my closest friends and we have a friendship that will last forever — vampire pun intended,” she said.

True to her words, Dobrev has often demonstrated the close friendship they share by posting tributes to her former co-star on social media, including heartfelt messages on his birthday and other special occasions.

Nina Dobrev Once Admitted She Didn’t Like Paul Wesley

Ironically, the pair did not get along during the early days of filming, as Dobrev revealed on the “Directionally Challenged” podcast in 2019.

“I respected Paul Wesley, I didn’t like Paul Wesley,” the actress said. “We totally clashed [the] first couple years in terms of just getting on each other’s nerves, and then developed this wonderful friendship,” Dobrev revealed.

At the time, she also said that, out of all her former “The Vampire Diaries” co-stars, Wesley had become the one she was closest to.

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“Of everyone, I think I probably see him the most and hang out with him the most,” she said. “We’re probably the closest.”

After 18 months, it’s now mere hours until Apple TV’s critically acclaimed sleeper hit Silo returns with a vengeance on July 3. With the trailer teasing Juliette Nichols’ (Rebecca Ferguson) amnesia as well as a past timeline that depicts how exactly the world ended, Season 3 is venturing into even bolder territory for one of streaming’s most thoughtful and painstakingly assembled genre series. Given the major events, reveals, and Season 3 set-ups Graham Yost delivered during Silo‘s sophomore season, a refresher is more than warranted.

Juliette’s Time Inside Another Silo Uncovers Giant Secrets in ‘Silo’ Season 2

Minutes after Season 1’s cliffhanger finale, Juliette approaches the closest silo. Thousands of corpses surround its exterior, but she manages to enter just as her environmental suit’s limited oxygen runs out. Exploring, she finds the structure abandoned aside from Solo (Steve Zahn), an outgoing but nervous man driven by an overwhelming need to keep the vault door to the IT department locked at all costs. He wants a friend; Juliette wants to return home as soon as possible, worried about the potentially rebellious ramifications of her failed cleaning. She undergoes multiple dangerous challenges to retrieve the parts necessary to assemble a new, functional environmental suit.

During her time with Solo, Juliette learns humanity created 50 different silos before their dystopian days. Solo’s is designated as Silo 17, and Juliette’s is Silo 18. Silo 17 rebelled when Solo was a child, an event partially shown in Episode 1’s opening scene. His father, Russell Conroy (Nick Haverson), the IT leader, locked his son inside the password-sealed Vault to protect him. When Russell refused to surrender the code, a raider executed him. Witnessing his father’s murder traumatized Solo into agoraphobia and a desperate commitment to honor Russell’s instructions — which weren’t to protect the Vault’s resources, but to protect his son. Solo, born as Jimmy, also adopted another resident’s name to avoid the constant painful reminders.

As it turns out, the pair aren’t as alone as Juliette presumes. Three young adults — Audrey (Georgina Sadler), Rick (Orlando Norman), Hope (Sara Hazemi) — and two young children have been hiding from Juliette’s view and consider her intrusion a threat. They’ve been seeking revenge against Jimmy for a long time; he killed their parents when they tried to break into the Vault. It was a frightened act of self-defense for him, a need for the food-starved parents, and a tragedy for the children. Juliette talks sense into everyone by sharing her experiences with loss. Eventually, Jimmy opens the Vault doors for everyone. Combined with handing Juliette a sturdy environmental suit, it’s his clearest sign of growth and trust. Juliette promises to try her best to come back to her newfound friend.

Before Juliette departs, Jimmy frantically recalls his childhood memories about the Safeguard protocol — a pipe designed to flood any silo with poisonous gas, should all other anti-rebellion measures fail. His parents had capped the pipe and prevented Silo 17’s premeditated slaughter. Armed with vital knowledge, Juliette races back to Silo 17. Mechanical sees her arrival on the screens and rejoices, although they’re puzzled by her note warning them to stay inside. Mayor Bernard Holland (Tim Robbins), her would-be executioner, stops her just past the main doors. Their tense stand-off reaches a surprising truce, only for the incinerator room to activate while they’re both trapped inside.

Silo 17 Declares an Uprising in ‘Silo’ Season 2

Concurrent with Juliette’s quests, her public refusal to clean and potential survival have indeed sparked Silo 18 into a slow-burning but organized uprising. Shirley Campbell (Remmie Milner), Juliette’s closest friend, Knox (Shane McRae), the head of Mechanical, and Juliette’s long-time mentor, Martha Walker (Harriet Walter), lead Mechanical in strategically plotting their offensive and defensive strikes. Shirley and Knox grow convinced their silo is no stranger to frequent revolutions or receiving the blame, manufactured or otherwise. (Their combative tension eventually morphs into an excellent kiss, too.)

As for the Mayor, Bernard operates with a sort of composed panic. He races to crush descent according to the instructions laid out in the Pact, an ancient document that doubles as a religious text. Their primary edict: make Mechanical the scapegoat for all rebellious activity. Bernard’s psychological and brute force tactics include launching a false flag attack, trying to force compliance through starvation, and building a barricade between Up Top and the Down Deep. His cruelest moves, however, are poisoning Judge Mary Meadows (Tanya Moodie) despite their former closeness and his own reluctance, framing Knox and Shirley for Meadows’ murder, and using Martha’s captured ex-wife Carla McLain (Clare Perkins) to force Martha into being his spy. But Mechanical competently keeps up with his overconfidence and foils several of his plans. Once Paul Billings (Chinaza Uche), conflicted by the corruption he’s witnessed and moved by the old picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains, switches sides, Bernard seethes with rage.

Bernard also rescinds his promise to Robert Sims (Common) due to Robert’s public push to impeach Meadows. Bernard enlists IT analyst Lukas Kyle (Avi Nash) as his shadow instead. He instructs his new protégé to fix the damaged hard drive Juliette stole during Season 1, then decode its contents — a 140-year-old message penned by then-head of the IT department, Salvador Quinn. Bernard paints the silo’s routine civilian rebellions as destabilizing to humanity’s survival and reveals Judicial’s history of systematically suppressing said uprisings by lacing the water with memory-erasing drugs. Meanwhile, Robert and his wife Camille (Alexandria Riley) choose to prioritize their family’s survival by appealing to both sides of the conflict.

Mechanical’s Triumph Over Bernard Unleashes a Greater Threat in ‘Silo’ Season 2

Image via Apple TV

As Mechanical launches their climactic strike, Martha plays Bernard for a fool. Due to the nature of the Down Deep’s job — i.e., working directly near the silo’s loud generator — Mechanical developed an unspoken language. She’d used their established signals to communicate her situation, and everyone played to the cameras like Bernard wanted to hear. With Bernard distracted, Deputy Hank (Billy Postlethwaite) and Juliette’s father, Dr. Pete Nichols (Iain Glen), plant a bomb on the stairs; the detonation would trap Judicial Security’s raiders below. Sneaking past the barricade cost them key equipment, and that accident cost them a life. Pete passes along his watch and a message of love for Juliette to Hank before sacrificing himself.

Lukas tracks down Quinn’s preserved copy of the Pact through one of his descendants, Terrance Penbrook (Stuart Milligan), and uses it to break the message’s encryption. He ventures to the silo’s lowest level and discovers the Algorithm AI program, as well as the revelation that made the younger Meadows resign from her position as Bernard’s shadow — the Safeguard. He passes along the knowledge to Bernard. His worldview shaken, Bernard essentially surrenders and decides to see the outside before he dies, hence his presence inside the exit-entry tunnel. Robert, Camille, and their son Anthony (Oscar Coleman) approach the Algorithm. They all want to save their Silo, but the Algorithm only agrees to speak with Camille.

As for the season’s final scene, Silo flashes back centuries earlier to an unspecified year that’s slightly different from our own, but familiar enough to pass as an average evening in Washington, D.C. A journalist named Helen (Jessica Henwick) meets Daniel (Ashley Zukerman), a Georgia congressman, in a bar. She presses him for the truth about a horrific bombing on American soil, allegedly carried out by Iranian forces. Daniel deflects her questions. As he leaves, he hands Helen a last-minute gift he’d snatched from a nearby store: the same duck-head Pez dispenser Juliette received in Season 1, and which made its way into the hands of Anthony Sims as a forbidden relic-turned-toy.

Silo Season 3 premieres July 3 on Apple TV.

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Silo

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Release Date

May 5, 2023

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Apple TV

Showrunner

Graham Yost

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Directors

Morten Tyldum, David Semel, Michael Dinner, Aric Avelino

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Former college football player Blaise Taylor was convicted of killing his former girlfriend Jade Benning and her unborn child.

On Wednesday, July 1, a Nashville jury found Taylor, 30, guilty on all four counts related to the deaths of Benning and her unborn baby in 2023, per WSMV 4 News.

The athlete was convicted of second degree murder and first degree felony murder during commission of a felony in Benning’s death, as well as first degree premeditated murder and first degree felony murder during the commission of a felony for the unborn child’s death.

Later, the jury recommended a sentence of life imprisonment for the first-degree murder chargers, per WKRN. Taylor will be sentenced on September 9 for the second-degree murder charge.

Related: How Long Does Cheerleader Laken Snelling Face In Prison?: Everything to Know

Laken Snelling, a former competitive cheerleader at the University of Kentucky, has been arrested after allegedly giving birth and hiding her newborn’s body in a closet.  Snelling, 22, was initially taken into custody on August 30, 2025, after a third party called the police and reported finding an infant’s body that was “cold to the […]

Per local reports, the jury reached its guilty verdict within two hours of closing arguments concluding in the eight-day trial on Wednesday.

Taylor sat silent as the jury foreperson read out the verdict at the Davidson County Criminal Court.

Us Weekly has reached out to Taylor’s attorney and the Nashville District Attorney’s Office for comment on the verdict.

Taylor’s lawyer Letitia Quinones-Hollins told WKRN of Wednesday’s court ruling, “While we respect the jury system and the process, we must also respectfully disagree with today’s verdict and plan to appeal the decision because Blaise did not do this.”

“[Taylor] maintains that he is innocent and we will continue working to prove that,” the lawyer went on. “We understand and respect the pain that Ms. Benning’s family and friends feel over her tragic death and the death of her unborn baby, but putting an innocent man behind bars is also a tragedy.”

During the trial, the prosecution accused Taylor of administering a fatal dose of cocaine to Benning through a drink during a date night at her apartment on February 25, 2023.

Nashville Assistant District Attorney Jan Norman told the court on Wednesday, June 24, that Benning called a friend that February night to say that she feared Taylor may have spiked her drink because he did not want her to carry her pregnancy to term. (Per the prosecution, Taylor suspected the unborn child was his.)

“What did you put in my drink?” Benning demanded to know, according to friend Nijaiha Jackson. “‘I knew my drink tasted funny. You did this because you didn’t want the baby.’”

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Benning died on her 25th birthday on March 6, 2023, having lost her unborn baby several days earlier on February 27, 2023. An autopsy found that Benning had 1,787 nanograms of cocaine per milliliter of blood at the time of her death.

For his part, Taylor has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorneys argued at trial that Benning’s death was caused by her own alleged drug use.

Taylor played college football at Arkansas State University from 2014 to 2017 before joining Duke University as a graduate assistant coach. He later worked as a scout for the Tennessee Titans from 2021 to 2023.

Lizzo says she has come to terms with her recent album flop, despite initially being saddened by its reception.

The singer previously criticized Atlantic Records for allegedly failing to properly promote the project. However, her apparent explanation for its poor performance has drawn pushback after netizens brought Bebe Rexha’s numbers as an indie artist into the conversation.

Lizzo said that despite the poor performance, the album, titled “B-TCH,” remains some of her “best stuff” to date.

Lizzo’s fifth studio album, “B-TCH,” did not reach the commercial heights many had expected and has recently made headlines over claims that it underperformed.

Amid the conversation surrounding the album’s performance, the singer offered a “non-PR” response during a recent appearance on the Swiftologist podcast, per NME.

“I was really stressed and really sad for a few days because this is some of my best stuff,” the rapper said on the podcast.

She added, “I had to come to terms with the fact that not only is the music industry different – we need to talk about the radio aspect – but also my relationship and my connection musically with the world is different. And I think I had to mourn that.”

Fans Question Label Argument After Sales Flop

Lizzo’s comments about her label have only intensified the conversation around her album’s poor performance, with some fans not buying the idea that promotion was the main issue.

On X, one critic brought Bebe Rexha into the debate to challenge that argument, writing, “lizzo tryna blame her album selling 2.6k on the lack of support from her label when bebe rexha just sold 20k as an indie artist.”

The comparison appears to stem from reports around Rexha’s independent album “Dirty Blonde.” While some fans rounded the figure up to 20,000, chart accounts reported that the project debuted with about 19,000 total units on the Billboard 200, after earlier projections placed it near 20,000.

Responding to a related post on X, one fan said, “Mind you Lizzo missed 200 spots,” while another added, “Not she out selling Lizzo, oh the downfall needs to be investigated.”

SZA Reached Out To Comfort The ‘Juice’ Singer

Following its release, Lizzo’s latest album failed to enter the UK Top 100 Albums Chart. It also posted a disappointing performance in the United States, her biggest market.

By comparison, her previous album, “Special,” debuted at No. 2 on the U.S. Albums Chart following its release in 2022 and peaked at No. 6 in the UK.

Fortunately for the singer, says she received support from loved ones, including a fellow artist, as she came to terms with the album’s reception.

“Thank God for Solána [SZA], she called me and was like. ‘You’re on my mind.’ I was like, ‘Am I a failure?’ and she was like, ‘Oh my god, no!’ – she’s so sweet,” Lizzo said elsewhere on the podcast.

Lizzo Addresses Former Employees’ Lawsuit

In her personal life, Lizzo continues to deal with a harassment lawsuit filed by former employees Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams, and Noelle Rodriguez. Some of the claims in the lawsuit have since been dismissed, including allegations that she fat-shamed the plaintiffs.

Speaking with “Today” host Craig Melvin earlier this month, the four-time Grammy winner said she could have settled the case out of court but chose to fight it because she is “not a woman who’s afraid of the truth coming out.”

“I’m not afraid to fight,” she added. “I’m really excited for all the claims to be dropped and for us all to just move forward.”

Lizzo Says Settling The Case Would Be An ‘Easy Out’

Last month, Lizzo also discussed her decision not to settle the case while promoting her album during an interview with TV personality Gayle King for “CBS Mornings.”

“I think it is an easy out,” Lizzo said about not settling. “I’m fighting the case because I know that it’s not true.”

What remains now are the sexual harassment claims, which the singer said she is ready to fight. She also said she is prepared to take the stand and testify if her accusers refuse to drop the suit.

“I would look fabulous while doing it,” the rapper joked. She added at the time, “I’m not afraid of the truth. The truth is less salacious than the headlines.”

Henry Cavill came into the year hard at work filming his long-awaited Highlander reboot, which also features big stars like Russell Crowe and Dave Bautista. The movie is reportedly in the final stages of filming, expected to wrap any day now, but it’s still unclear when it will be released. For Cavill’s first project of the year, he reunited with director Guy Ritchie for In The Grey, the new action thriller co-starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Rosamund Pike from The Wheel of Time. The film opened with mediocre reviews on its way to an underwhelming performance at the box office, but it has since gone on to find at least a small sort of redemption on VOD platforms like Prime Video. It’s even getting a new physical media release later this month.

Cavill’s second film of the year quietly dropped on Netflix yesterday, and fans around the world can’t stop talking about Enola Holmes 3. Cavill plays Sherlock Holmes in the three-part Netflix detective saga, but it’s a more unorthodox take on the story, where the signature detective and his partner, Watson (played by Himesh Patel) take a backseat to Sherlock’s younger sister, Enola. Part of the reason the Enola Holmes movies have become such a sensation is due to the casting of Millie Bobby Brown as the titular character, who is famed for her role as Eleven in Stranger Things. Reviews for Enola Holmes 3 began pouring in yesterday around the same time that the film was released, and it’s officially the lowest-rated movie in the franchise with a 70% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. This might not seem like a low score, but it is when compared to the first two films, which hold scores of 91% and 93%, respectively.

Collider’s David Caballero gave the film a 5/10 in his review for the film, praising the supporting characters but citing the predictable mystery as a massive drawback. ScreenRant’s Molly Freeman aligned with Caballero’s 5/10 review with the same score, but she admits that Millie Bobby Brown’s performance as Enola Holmes has “lost its charm.” She also said it’s a great case for why “Millie Bobby Brown shouldn’t lead her own franchise.” CBR’s Rachel Leishman reviewed the film at an 8/10 clip, saying that the film finally fixed its biggest problem in allowing Enola to take center stage and step out of the shadows of her counterparts.

What Is ‘Enola Holmes 3’ About?

Netflix’s official synopsis for the third and likely final Enola Holmes movie reads as follows: “The latest installment in the adventures of the young detective sees her tackling another mystery, this time on the island nation of Malta. As Enola heads to the altar to wed Lord Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge), she learns the distressing news that Sherlock (Henry Cavill) has been kidnapped. The gumshoe is immediately on the case, all while grappling with her complicated feelings around marriage.” While it’s yet to be confirmed, all signs point to Netflix closing the door on Enola Holmes after three movies. Brown does have a new project coming to Netflix soon, though, when she reunites with her Stranger Things co-star David Harbour for a new spy thriller from the writer of Adolescence.

Check out all three Enola Holmes movies on Netflix and stay tuned to Collider for more updates and coverage of Henry Cavill’s future projects.

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Release Date

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July 1, 2026

Director

Philip Barantini

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Writers

Jack Thorne, Nancy Springer

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Taylor Swift is reportedly preparing for one of the biggest personal changes of her life, and it has nothing to do with music. 

As anticipation builds around her lavish wedding to Travis Kelce, new details suggest the global superstar plans to embrace a more traditional path after saying “I do.” 

While the billionaire singer’s professional identity isn’t going anywhere, insiders claim her private life could soon look very different once the celebrations officially begin.

Taylor Swift has spent nearly two decades turning her name into one of the most recognizable brands in entertainment. From chart-topping albums and sold-out stadium tours to merchandise and worldwide headlines, “Taylor Swift” has become synonymous with global success.

Despite that, insiders now claim the singer is ready to make a deeply personal change following her marriage to Travis Kelce.

The couple is expected to tie the knot during an elaborate multi-day celebration at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. 

Festivities are reportedly scheduled to begin with an intimate rehearsal dinner on Thursday, July 2, followed by a larger celebration the following day, attended by roughly 1,000 guests.

According to an insider, Swift intends to become Mrs. Taylor Kelce after the ceremony, though fans shouldn’t expect to see the change reflected in her career.

“Professionally, she’ll always be Taylor Swift. The name has become one of the biggest brands in entertainment, and there’s really no reason to change that,” the insider told the Daily Mail.

Swift Views The Name Change As A Meaningful Milestone

Although her public identity will reportedly remain unchanged, sources say Taylor Swift feels strongly about adopting Kelce’s surname in her personal life.

The insider described the Grammy winner as someone who still values tradition despite her modern career, saying the decision carries emotional significance beyond paperwork.

“‘Very traditional’ Swift sees taking Kelce’s name as a ‘very meaningful step’ in their relationship,” the source shared.

They continued, “Personally, it’s a different story. Taylor is very traditional, and when it comes to marriage, she’d love to take Travis’ last name.”

The source also noted that in Swift’s personal life, the idea of taking on her future husband’s last name is something the star looks forward to.

According to the insider, Swift also believes sharing the same surname represents an important step toward building a future together. “She sees it as a meaningful step, especially knowing it would also be the family name their future children would share,” they explained.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Reportedly Agree On One Family Name

The insider also dismissed speculation that the couple might combine or hyphenate their surnames after the wedding. Instead, sources claim that Swift and Kelce both prefer to keep things simple by sharing one family name.

“Both she and Travis think there’s something incredibly special and beautiful about sharing the same last name, even if the world will always know her professionally as Taylor Swift,” the insider revealed.

While the prospect of becoming Taylor Kelce may excite the singer personally, industry insiders insist there is no chance she will abandon the name that helped build her record-breaking career.

A second source reinforced that distinction, explaining that her legal identity and professional identity will remain separate.

“She will take his last name when they wed, but for work she will still go by Taylor Swift. Jennifer Aniston did this when she married Brad Pitt,” they said.

Swift’s Wedding Mystery Appears To Be Solved

Months of speculation surrounding Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s wedding recently reached a turning point after fresh activity around Madison Square Garden strongly suggested the iconic arena will host the highly anticipated celebration. 

According to a report from The Blast, Swift’s longtime security team was spotted outside the venue while production crews, delivery trucks, and event staff continued transforming the building ahead of the rumored festivities. 

Additional clues, including temporary street closure permits, heightened security protocols, and large-scale event preparations, only fueled confidence that the couple’s big day is imminent. 

Taylor Swift’s Wedding Security Reportedly Comes With A Massive Six-Figure Price Tag 

As the big day draws closer, Swift and Kelce are reportedly taking no chances with security. 

As The Blast reported, the wedding is expected to come with a staggering security price tag, with claims that the couple’s police presence alone could exceed six figures. 

According to the report, more than 130 members of the NYPD, including over 70 detectives and more than 50 police officers, are scheduled to work the two-day celebration at Madison Square Garden, with costs estimated to surpass $160,000. 

Detectives are said to be working overtime shifts, while additional supervisors are also expected to be deployed, pushing the overall total even higher. 

However, it remains unclear whether the celebrity couple will cover the security expenses themselves or if taxpayers will foot part of the bill.

For nearly two decades, Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) has left fans chasing the same feeling; not another elemental fantasy or another coming-of-age adventure, but another story where the action means something. Every bending duel in Avatar reflected a character’s personality, culture, and values just as much as their fighting style. Politics mattered. Family mattered. Even the biggest battles were usually about people before they were about power.

That’s exactly what makes Fonda Lee’s Jade City such an easy recommendation. On the surface, they look very familiar. They have a lot of East Asian influence, and both stories revolve around combatants who first acquire their awesome fighting abilities by years of martial arts training, rather than being naturally endowed with the ability to use magic freely. However, while Jade City draws on these elements, they are not what make it a great story to read, nor is it because it is reminiscent of Aang’s story, but that it realizes that in having power, also come the responsibilities, traditions, and impossible decisions associated with wielding that power, which is also evident in Avatar.

‘Jade City’ Treats Martial Arts as Culture, Not Just Action

Image via Fonda Lee

A key aspect of understanding Jade City is that jade not only replaces bending but also enhances the already trained abilities of Green Bone warriors on the island of Kekon; they have their strength, speed, reflexes, and senses increased by wearing jade. However, it is dangerous when used improperly by someone untrained or unable to handle jade, and it is also a very powerful item. Not everyone can safely wear jade, and therefore must undergo years of training or practice to control its use so that it does not overtake them.

That relationship with jade feels remarkably similar to the way Avatar approached bending. Neither content treats extraordinary abilities like flashy superpowers handed out for spectacle. They’re cultural traditions shaped by discipline, history, and expectation. A fight isn’t won because someone unlocks a convenient new ability. It’s won because they understand themselves — and their opponent — a little better than before.

Lee writes combat with the same philosophy. Every duel feels physical and deliberate, whether it’s a clean blade fight between rival Green Bones or a street brawl that erupts without warning. The action is exhilarating, but it’s never there simply to fill pages. Every punch, knife strike, and impossible leap changes relationships, shifts political alliances, or pushes a character closer to becoming someone they never wanted to be.

The Kaul Family Carries the Same Emotional Weight as Team Avatar

Image via Nickelodeon

For all the praise Avatar receives for its world-building, its greatest strength has always been its characters. Fans fell in love with this show because every member of Team Avatar brought a different perspective on duty, loss, forgiveness, and what it meant to build a better future. Lan assumes a leadership role during a tumultuous time as peace continues to erode; as he leads with compassion, he also has to make hard decisions called for by his current role. His brother Hilo is a famous warrior, and loyalty to his family is both Hilo’s greatest strength and his biggest weakness. Likewise, their sister Shae returns home to avoid clan politics, but finds that family obligations always pull you back in. Anden is also one of the strongest characters in the book, grappling with his identity and sense of belonging.

None of these characters fit neatly into the role of hero or villain. They make mistakes, lash out, and protect each other even when they’re furious with one another. Their relationships evolve naturally, and that’s what gives Jade City its emotional punch. It’s the same reason Zuko’s redemption remains one of fantasy television’s defining character arcs. Growth isn’t presented as inevitable, but it has to be earned.

One of Avatar‘s smartest decisions was refusing to separate personal stories from political ones. For instance, Ba Sing Se was fascinating because every political decision affected ordinary people living inside the city. Jade City‘s central conflict is a struggle over the future of Kekon itself. Foreign powers want access to the island’s most valuable resource; tradition collides with modernization; old heroes give way to a younger generation that no longer agrees on what their country should become.

If those themes sound familiar, it’s because they’re the same questions ATLA and, later, The Legend of Korra repeatedly asked. How much should a society change? What traditions deserve preserving? When does protecting your culture become holding it back?

Lee never pauses the story to lecture the reader. Those questions emerge naturally through boardroom negotiations, family arguments, gang rivalries, and spectacular martial arts confrontations that always have consequences beyond the fight itself. This story doesn’t attempt to repeat or recreate bending, nor does it introduce another chosen one who will save the world; instead, it gives the characters enough agency and power that they carry the full weight of the narrative, and builds a fantastical world in which, for example, loyalty to one’s family can be as dangerous as a weapon and every victory has a price. This is also how Avatar: The Last Airbender has become an unforgettable animation in its storytelling. Jade City tells the same kind of story, but from a different point in life, and it is an equally compelling narrative.

Taylor Swift’s wedding is already shaping up to be one of the biggest celebrity events in years, and the guest arrivals are proving just how massive the celebration will be. 

As famous faces continue pouring into New York from around the world, excitement surrounding the pop superstar’s upcoming wedding to Travis Kelce has reached another level. 

From A-list actors and music icons to sports stars, the growing guest list is making the Madison Square Garden ceremony look more like Hollywood’s biggest night than a wedding.

The early signs of chaos around the Taylor Swift wedding were already visible at JFK Airport, where guests began arriving in waves ahead of the ceremony. 

Swift had once joked during her engagement announcement that she would invite “anyone I’ve ever talked to,” and the arrivals suggest she may have meant it literally. 

The atmosphere around the airport has been described as unusually busy, with international flights bringing in familiar faces tied to music, film, and television.

According to the photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Graham Norton was among the first guests spotted. He arrived alongside his husband Jono McLeod. 

The images showed Norton looking exhausted but composed, luggage in hand as he entered New York. 

Swift Guest List Grows With Graham Norton Arrival And VIP Friendships

Norton’s arrival is no surprise to those who remember his BBC chat show appearance, where Taylor Swift openly discussed her engagement and the stress of narrowing down her guest list. 

It was during that interview that she mentioned inviting “anyone I’ve ever talked to,” a line that has now taken on new meaning as guests continue to arrive.

Also seen landing was Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who arrived with family in tow. Waller-Bridge has long been part of overlapping social circles with the Grammy winner and has attended several of her major public events, including the Eras Tour in London. 

Meanwhile, pop star Dua Lipa was already in the city, adding further weight to the growing lineup of global celebrities converging in New York ahead of the ceremony.

Taylor Swift Hollywood Names And Music Stars Converge In New York

The guest list continues to expand with major names from film and music arriving or being spotted across New York. 

Domhnall Gleeson, who once joked on-air about appearing in one of Swift’s videos, ended up starring in her “Opalite” project alongside figures such as Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Lewis Capaldi.

That same creative circle is now expected to extend into the wedding, with Swift maintaining close ties with collaborators and friends who have appeared in her music videos and live performances. 

Music industry insiders also point to the presence of Ed Sheeran, who was recently seen dining in upstate New York with producer Aaron Dessner.

Swift has even joked in the past that it would be “hard to stop” Sheeran from grabbing the mic at the reception. 

With Stevie Nicks and Tim McGraw also reportedly set to perform, the reception could easily become an unforgettable concert featuring some of music’s biggest stars.

Swift Expands Her Wedding Guest List Beyond Hollywood

Taylor Swift’s invitation list extends well beyond Hollywood and the music industry. 

According to reports, she has also invited the five New York Knicks starters who recently helped lead their team to NBA championship glory.

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart are all reportedly expected to attend the ceremony and celebration in Manhattan. 

Brunson has previously made no secret of being a devoted Swift fan, making his invitation especially fitting.

Earlier this year, reports revealed that the Knicks players reacted more enthusiastically to Swift attending one of their games than to Donald Trump attending Game Three.

Taylor Swift Madison Square Garden Preparations And Secret NDA Measures

Behind the celebrity arrivals, extensive preparations have been underway at Madison Square Garden.

An insider previously told the Daily Mail that Swift and Kelce embraced the idea of creating a “spectacle” wedding, selecting the iconic venue for their ceremony.

Workers have already been seen moving what appeared to be pieces of a fairytale castle, including a massive white staircase, into the arena as construction continues ahead of the celebration.

The secrecy surrounding the event is equally elaborate. Sources shared that invited guests must sign a nondisclosure agreement before receiving full wedding information. 

Family members and close friends are also reportedly being asked to sign NDAs, with guests receiving a link to the agreement after confirming their attendance.

Christopher Nolan‘s Dark Knight trilogy was the defining superhero movie phenomenon of the 2000s. Before the MCU actually took shape, Nolan’s gritty, grimy, hyper-realist take on Batman revolutionized the way we saw superheroes. By turning the Caped Crusader’s gothic tale into a criminal saga, the movies proved that the genre could be so much more than men in tights fighting supervillains, and Hollywood was never the same.

A huge reason behind the trilogy’s success is Nolan’s inspired and instantly iconic adaptation of Batman’s rogues gallery. Taking some of the hero’s most distinct and famous enemies and giving them a new, somber, and realistic coat of paint, the trilogy turned itself into a parade of incredible villainy, the liked of which we seldom see in the superhero genre. But who is the best villain in the Dark Knight trilogy? The top of this list should be easy enough to guess, but every other villain in the series is quite compelling, making the rest of the ranking quite interesting.

7

Miranda Tate/Talia al Ghul (Marion Cotillard) – ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Image via Warner Bros. Pictures

Poor Marion Cotillard; an actress of her stature deserved much, much better than what she got in The Dark Knight Rises. The last film in the trilogy is inherently flawed, but perhaps its biggest crime is doing Cotillard so damn dirty. The plot sees Christian Bale‘s Batman come out of retirement to face the threat of Bane (Tom Hardy), a terrorist who literally breaks his body in half before sending him to a foreign prison. Bane then holds Gotham hostage with the threat of a bomb.

Cotillard plays Miranda Tate, the CEO of Wayne Enterprises who, to the surprise of absolutely no one, turns out to be Talia al Ghul, R’as’ daughter who wants to finish her father’s work. The reveal is unsatisfying because it’s telegraphed from a mile away (a rare miss from the king of twists), and Cotillard gives a rather weak performance, as if she’s bored with the material — and who can blame her. Talia is a one-note figure without an ounce of characterization, a walking plot device with one of cinema’s goofiest deaths.

6

Carmine Falcone (Tom Wilkinson) – ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Image via Warner Bros

Batman Begins has an overabundance of villains and even name-drops a few others. However, only three actually play a meaningful role in the story, and the first is Carmine “The Roman” Falcone. Played by the late Tom Wilkinson, Falcone is a powerful mob boss in Gotham, whose corruption spreads to the city’s highest levels. He’s in cahoots with both Ra’s al Ghul (Liam Neeson) and Jonathan Crane (Cillian Murphy) in their plan to poison Gotham’s water supply with the fear toxin.

Narratively, Batman Begins deals with weighty themes about fear and the nature of heroism. In this scope, Wilkinson’s Falcone feels like small peanuts, and he should. In broad terms, he’s just a pawn in Ra’s’ larger game, and his presence is a symptom of Gotham’s sickness, not the cause. Wilkinson is doing his best Tony Soprano, and he’s rather good at it. He also shares quite a good scene with what’s supposed to be an early-twenties Bruce, even if the film’s attempts to make Bale look younger are somewhat goofy.

5

Henry Ducard/Ra’s al Ghul – ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Image via Warner Bros.

Next in line is Ra’s al Ghul, the actual main villain of Batman Begins, played by Liam Neeson. Introduced as Henri Ducard, he acts as a mentor and fight instructor during Bruce’s time with the League of Shadows, seemingly in service to Ra’s al Ghul (Ken Watanabe). Ducard reappears at the end of the film, revealing himself as the real Ra’s and hellbent on destroying Gotham by releasing the fear toxin into the water supply and having the city turn on itself.

Neeson is solid in the role, bringing the same stern and dignified behavior he dons in most of his movies. However, the film’s version of Ra’s al Ghul is ultimately less compelling, largely because the twist deprives him of the kind of development he would’ve had if the film revealed his identity from the get-go. There’s also the fact that Nolan whitewashed the character; listen, it was 2005, different time and whatever. Still, it’s jarring to see such a prominent East Asian and Arab character played by an Irishman.

4

Bane (Tom Hardy) – ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ (2012)

Image via Warner Bros.

The Dark Knight Rises uses Bane as the main villain for much of the plot before killing him off in the most unceremonious way possible. Tom Hardy’s villain is introduced as a terrorist and self-declared “revolutionary” who was excommunicated by the League of Shadows. Bane is a massive fighter who uses a nuclear bomb to seclude Gotham from the outside world, effectively holding it hostage. The film adapts the famous “Knightfall” storyline, in which Bane literally breaks Batman, cracking his spine and effectively taking him out of commission.

Visually, Hardy’s Bane is as good an adaptation as he can be while still fitting into Nolan’s hyper-realist approach. He also offers a more faithful version of his comic book counterpart, particularly in the intelligence department. For most of the film, Bane is an effective antagonist, even if he lacks much of the panache that previous villains brought to the trilogy. Hardy is great, as he always is, but the voice does become grating midway through the plot. Not a perfect villain, but a solid one.

3

Harvey Dent/Two-Face – ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

The Dark Knight is the best in the trilogy, largely because of its incredible villains. First, we have Aaron Eckhart‘s Harvey Dent, Gotham’s DA who wants to clean Gotham from all the criminals terrorizing the streets. He seeks Batman and Gordon’s (Gary Oldman) help before eventually succumbing to villainy when the Joker (Heath Ledger) kills his love, Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal). The explosion also disfigures his face, breaking his mind and turning him into the villain Two-Face.

Eckhart’s Dent is a great adaptation of the character, especially during the film’s first half, when he’s still Gotham’s knight in shining armor. Once he becomes Two-Face, he becomes somewhat less interesting because he plays the character as an angry Harvey Dent rather than a whole new personality combining both light and dark. Still, as far as villains go, this Two-Face is quite an effective one, even if he only acts like one in the last act.

2

Jonathan Crane/The Scarecrow (Cillian Murphy) – ‘Batman Begins’ (2005)

Image via Warner Bros.

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Batman Begins has an excess of villains, and while Ra’s is the main one, Cillian Murphy’s Jonathan Crane steals the show. In what was his first collaboration with Nolan, Murphy plays the psychiatrist-turned-supervillain with a mix of panache and creepiness. In the film, Crane works at Arkham Asylum and conducts experiments on the inmates, using the toxin produced by Ra’s as the key ingredient in his fear-inducing gas. Crane also works with the Gotham mob to declare Falcone’s enforcers insane so they can be spared from prison and moves to Arkham instead.

In many ways, Jonathan Crane is perfect for Nolan’s version of Batman and should’ve arguably been the film’s main villain. His MO — using fear to weaken his enemies — fits in perfectly with Batman Begins‘ main themes, but the movie doesn’t do nearly as much with him as it could’ve because it needs to set up the bigger plot with the League of Shadows. Murphy excels at playing these types of creepy yet alluring characters, and Crane is no exception. The film’s version of the Scarecrow mask is also quite good, far more comics accurate than most of the trilogy’s other villains.

1

The Joker (Heath Ledger) – ‘The Dark Knight’ (2008)

Image via Warner Bros.

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As mentioned in the interview, the top spot on this list was a no-brainer: Heath Ledger’s Joker is the all-time best superhero movie villain, setting an absurdly high bar that no one has been able to match, let alone surpass. In The Dark Knight, the Joker is an anarchist terrorist who seeks to throw Gotham into disarray just for the sake of it. He sees himself as a force for chaos, with Batman as his counterpart and the embodiment of order.

Ledger completely disappears into the role, giving the performance of a lifetime, the type of work that makes legends out of actors. The late Australian redefined the role entirely, turning the Clown Prince of Crime into a fascinating and layered force of nature that is as destructive as he is engaging. For his work, Ledger won a posthumous Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and his legacy only keeps improving with each passing year.