Entertainment
How Star Trek Was Destroyed By Hollywood, The Full History Of Its Ruination
By Joshua Tyler
| Updated
Star Trek has never been at a lower point. The franchise’s current batch of shows receives almost no ratings, and the brand’s total mismanagement has been so bad that it’s driven away existing Trekkies while failing to attract any new viewers.
This is far worse than having no show on the air at all, since a lack of content often builds anticipation and hunger for more. On the other hand, year after year of producing terrible content that actively seeks to alienate fans, breeds hatred and contempt, while destroying any trust or interest in the brand.
What happened? What went wrong? How did we end up in this Star Trek hellscape? To find the answer, we have to look into the past.
Paramount Began Planning Star Trek’s Destruction In 2017
The year is 2017. Star Trek had been off television for 12 years. The last Trek release, Star Trek: Beyond, turned out to be a box-office disappointment.
So, Paramount devised a bold new plan to revitalize Star Trek with a prequel series. Oh, wait, they’d just done that. The entire 2009 Star Trek movie franchise was a prequel.
But that was on the big screen; this time, the twist was that the prequel would be a series. Oh, wait, they already did that, too. It was called Star Trek: Enterprise, and Paramount pulled the plug after four seasons.
That very recent past seemingly forgotten, Paramount moved forward with another prequel, their third attempt in a row at making a Star Trek prequel happen. Third time was not the charm.
Brian Fuller And The Rise Of Alex Kurtzman
The Disco era began with the debut of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017. Discovery was created by a man named Brian Fuller.
Fuller was a well-known television writer and producer. He’d written for both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager in the 90s. Since then, he’d established himself as a much sought-after talent, creating critically acclaimed series like Pushing Daisies and Hannibal.
He had the right resume, and so, Paramount hired him to create a new Star Trek series. His initial pitch was to do something serialized, with “diversity” as a focus, and a dark and gritty tone inspired by Game of Thrones. If you’re a Star Trek fan, you probably already see the problem. That’s right, Brian Fuller wanted to turn Gene Roddenberry’s bright and hopeful view of the future into a Game of Thrones knockoff.
Fuller worked on the show for 9 months. His tenure was marked by missed deadlines and ever-expanding budgets. Paramount clashed with him over his desire to reboot Star Trek into a Game of Thrones series. The company wanted its brand to stick with the traditions that made Star Trek work, and Fuller wanted to warp it into something entirely different. After these struggles and amid much controversy, Fuller essentially left the production while maintaining credit for the show.
Up til this point, Paramount had made good decisions. Hiring Fuller didn’t work out, but on paper, it should have. When Fuller failed to get what Star Trek was as a brand, Paramount made another good decision by getting rid of him.
Getting rid of Fuller was the last good Star Trek decision Paramount would ever make.
They replaced Fuller with Gretchen J. Berg & Aaron Harberts. Berg & Hoberts were Fuller’s people. They’d worked with him on past projects and were already helping him make Star Trek: Discovery. The ideas Fuller was implementing, the terrible ideas that got him essentially fired, were also their ideas. So they stayed the course and kept working on their Game of Thrones-ification of Star Trek.
Eventually, Berg & Hoberts were also fired, but not for trying to ruin Star Trek. It happened amidst accusations of abuse towards the show’s writers.
Still, this was Paramount’s chance to course-correct and save Trekkies from the Game of Thrones-ification of Star Trek. Instead of doing that and fixing things, Paramount did something worse.
Alex Kurtzman was put in their place. Kurtzman was the man most responsible for the worst of the recent Star Trek movies, Star Trek: Into Darkness. He now held the future of the entire franchise in his hands. He would remain in charge not just of Discovery, but of the entire Star Trek franchise, throughout the Disco era.
Star Trek: Discovery Launches And Is Hated
By the time Alex Kurtzman was hired, production was pretty far along on Star Trek: Discovery. Kurtzman made tweaks to satisfy some of Paramount’s concerns, but much of what the show would be was already written in stone.
Star Trek: Discovery was the most expensive Star Trek series ever produced, at the time. Paramount could have trashed it and taken a tax write-off, but that’s tough to do with so much money on the line. So they released it.
The show was poorly received by fans. Critics initially praised it, but critics rarely watch shows beyond the first one or two episodes. They ignore it after that, which makes their reviews meaningless.
Reports of Discovery’s ratings were vague and unreliable. Most indications were that after an initially strong debut, people began abandoning the show.
Paramount and their new best friend, Alex Kurtzman, took note and tried making big changes for season 2. They brought in Anson Mount to play Christopher Pike, and Mount was fantastic. Unfortunately, the rest of the show was still the show it was always designed to be. Adding one good character to a terrible show cannot save it.
Paramount Activates Quarantine Protocols For Star Trek: Discovery
Stuck with a show no one liked, Paramount did the only thing they could do besides cancel it: They quarantined the entire series, separating it from the rest of Star Trek. They did that by time-jumping Star Trek: Discovery so far into the future that nothing it did could have any further impact on the franchise.
They created a spinoff called Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Pike to rescue him from Discovery’s sinking ship. Though his new series was technically an extension of the Disco-verse, it quickly set out to differentiate itself from Discovery and the mistakes it had made.
Unfortunately, Alex Kurtzman was still in charge, and he simultaneously set out to make Strange New Worlds his own, which meant he made it stupid. He made it his stated mission to work only with people who didn’t actually like Star Trek, intending to hollow out the brand and wear it like a skinsuit.
So, instead of hiring serious science fiction writers who might have a fondness for Gene Roddenberry’s work, he hired Strange New Worlds and Discovery writers based on diversity quotas. Those writers, who care nothing about Star Trek or science fiction, then turned the show into a playground for theater kids rather than Star Trek fans. After a strong first-season debut, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds devolved into a series of joke episodes and ridiculous plot arcs, which chased away initially optimistic Trek fans.
Star Trek Starts Winning Razzies
That should have been it for the Disco era. The franchise forked away from it; Paramount was working on other Star Trek shows. Discovery limped onward but was soon canceled after five seasons of disinterest.
However, Alex Kurtzman had been trying to make a Star Trek: Section 31 spinoff since the first season of Discovery. His plan centered on a widely disliked Star Trek: Discovery character, played by actress Michelle Yeoh.
Fans hated the idea, and no one at Paramount seemed particularly excited about it. They prioritized Strange New Worlds over it, and while a Section 31 series was announced, it never went into full production. Kurtzman’s last update stated clearly that Section 31 was now a very low priority.
And then, in March of 2023, Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar. In April of 2023, Star Trek: Section 31 entered full production as a feature film. Oscar-winning tends to have that effect.
In January of 2024, Star Trek: Section 31 arrived as a direct-to-streaming movie on Paramount+. It was the first Star Trek movie released in nearly a decade. It’s now the worst-reviewed movie in the entire Star Trek canon, with audiences giving it an appalling 16% fresh score. It received three Razzie nominations: Worst Picture, Worst Actress, and Worst Screenplay.
Star Trek: Section 31 begins when a spitwad flies across the screen, tracing the shape of the Starfleet logo. Viewers would later learn that Spitwad is actually the movie’s hero ship, but that knowledge doesn’t make it any better. The movie revolves around Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou, a character responsible for numerous acts of genocide. And she’s not sorry about any of it.
There are other characters in Section 31, but they’re no better. The super cool Section 31 spy team introduces itself by shouting at each other, issuing threats, and posing for the camera. Like Georgiou, they’re also mostly serial killers, and they’re all pretty upset they aren’t able to do more killing.
Luckily, this mission to do a thing takes place in the exact same space bar they’re already standing in. Paramount didn’t need to build any other sets for their heist. What a financially fortuitous coincidence.
There’s a confusing fistfight in front of a bad green screen rendering of a blurry tunnel. A murder mystery that no one cares about. A robot gets incapacitated by being kneed in the crotch.
Star Trek: Section 31 ends when Phillipa Georgiou genocides an entire universe on suspicion of possible mischief and then tells her team she’s going to kill them. If you still have doubts about the quality of Star Trek: Section 31’s writing, please enjoy this actual line of dialogue from the movie: “She died like she lived. By that you know what I mean.”
Star Trek Becomes A Zombie Franchise Thanks To Starfleet Academy
A disaster on the scale of Star Trek: Section 31 should have been the end of Alex Kurtzman. Paramount, however, continues funding his disasters. So enabled, Alex Kurtzman continued moving forward on one of his worst pet projects, Starfleet Academy.
The idea of a show centered around the Academy had been floating around for decades. It’s not something Trekkies ever really wanted, though, because the point of Star Trek is to be about professionals out exploring and not watching kids sitting in classrooms or flirting with each other in the cafeteria. Alex Kurtzman, however, having clearly demonstrated he didn’t really want existing fans, perhaps saw this as an opportunity to finally be rid of them.
Ratings for the show are self-reported by Paramount and so can’t be relied on. However, most evidence suggests no one is watching it. Some estimates have its total viewership as being under a million. Fans hate it beyond all measure, and Starfleet Academy has some of the lowest audience scores of anything currently airing on streaming.
Yet, somehow, Starfleet Academy was renewed for a second season and will continue. Why? I suspect money laundering. If you have a better explanation, I’d like to hear it.
Heroes Arose, But Alex Kurtzman Struck Them Down
It didn’t have to be this way. Even after Fuller’s plans failed, Paramount had ways to correct course.
Developing in parallel with the Disco-verse was a Star Trek animated series called Lower Decks, helmed by Rick & Morty alum Mike McMahan. Mike McMahan is a serious, lifelong Star Trek fan, and while technically his show was produced under Alex Kurtzman’s auspices, all indications are that Kurtzman had nothing to do with Lower Decks.
That allowed McMahan to stack his staff with serious writing talent, who knew the genre and knew everything about Star Trek. They took Star Trek seriously, and as a result, Lower Decks was a huge success, and it had nothing at all to do with the Disco-verse.
Alex Kurtzman rewarded McMahan’s success by canceling his show after five seasons and firing him. Paramount did nothing to stop him.
Tangential to the Disco-verse was the Picard-verse, a series vanity project Alex Kurtzman developed around Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard character. The show was a disaster for two seasons until the third, when Paramount somehow convinced Kurtzman to turn the whole thing over to veteran TV showrunner and legit Star Trek fan Terry Matalas.
Matalas delivered the best Star Trek season of the modern Trek era. Matalas lobbied to be given more work, doing more Star Trek. Fans launched petitions to try and convince Paramount to hand the entire franchise over to him.
Alex Kurtzman, still with an iron grip on the franchise, responded by passing on Matalas and hiring more people who don’t like Star Trek to replace him on the franchise’s next projects, Section 31 and Starfleet Academy.
And that’s the current state of Star Trek. We’re left with dancing Klingon boy bands and rainbow vomit. Sure, the .001% of humans who spent their formative years as theater kids may like it. Is that really a demographic worth pursuing? It’s like five people, and four of them are named Skylar.
The Legacy Of Star Trek’s Disco Era
Brian Fuller achieved what he set out to achieve. He erased Star Trek and replaced it with an outer space Game of Thrones.
His plan culminated in a horrible Suicide Squad/Guardians of the Galaxy ripoff mashup with the Star Trek name slapped on it in hopes of tricking people into giving them money. Then it blossomed into a Dawson’s Creek knockoff with combadges.
Alex Kurtzman’s attempt replace Trekkies with new Trekkies who would like his slop, totally failed. He didn’t find replacements, because those replacements would have to be young women. Newsflash: Young women are never going to watch something called Star Trek.
And yet, despite no longer having an audience or a point for existing, Star Trek keeps going anyway. It’s become a zombie franchise that Paramount keeps making because that’s what franchises are supposed to do. Keep going.
Maybe it will keep going for a while. There doesn’t seem to be any way to stop it. So Star Trek fans have beamed away, and after years of abuse, they’re unlikely to return. No need to set the auto-destruct on your way out, Trekkies. Alex Kurtzman blew it up a long time ago.
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Entertainment
Brandi Glanville reveals what caused her facial parasite: 'Sucks to age, like, 20 years overnight'
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The “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” alum has been battling an aggressive and invasive parasite for three years.
It seems like NBA YoungBoy can’t escape having his name dragged into the mix. For some time now, rumors have continued circulating online, with the internet constantly attaching different women to the married rapper’s alleged roster. This time, some even claim that a few known influencers were involved. Well, it looks like he caught wind of the speculation and is ready to set the record straight.
RELATED: Social Media Users Think Yaya Mayweather Shaded NBA YoungBoy While Reflecting On Love & How People Change After Incarceration
NBA YoungBoy Puts An End To Rumors About His Alleged Finsta Account
The rapper took to his Instagram account late Tuesday, February 17, to clear the air on rumors that have surfaced about him. NBA YoungBoy uploaded a video ready to put an end to rumors claiming he’s been messaging other women from an alleged “finsta,” a term used for a fake or secondary Instagram page someone runs privately under a different name.
He addressed the accusations by saying, “Last time I’m telling you… y’all stupid a** boys can get yourselves hurt behind a h***. I’m talking to you like a man. I don’t play on no fake page. I ain’t got that to do, man. I’m too up. I’m too G’d up, man. They want a n***a to f*** a b**** bad. I don’t even talk to half these weird h*** y’all keep bringing up. I wouldn’t dare talk to ’em. Never spoke to them. All jokes aside, I don’t think y’all know how bad I can’t stand y’all. I’ll spit on one of y’all girlfriends.”
In his message, he made it clear he’s fed up and warned those who continue playing on his name. Over on X, YoungBoy also tweeted “At this point” with a laughing emoji as he reacted to Tbvnks claiming his ex-girlfriend used to call YB her “husband” and allegedly had multiple phone cases with his face on them during their relationship.
Social Media Reacts
Many gathered under The Shade Room’s comment section, trying to dissect what NBA YoungBoy was clearing up. While some understood what he meant and came to his defense, others brought up his marriage. A few even suggested the situation might be a case of catfishing.
Instagram user @vonjaee wrote, “I believe YB, He a real Mack he doesn’t need to do all that”
Instagram user @t_o_r_o2000 added, “That man literally cheats in peace so why would he have to use a fake account to do it lol”
While Instagram user @itsstyqueana wrote. “why he ain’t messaging me….”
Instagram user @calzne wrote, “is he trying to convenience us or himself 😂😂cause why is he even speaking on this”
Instagram user @chrisdaasshole added. “he married and tryna be with his family, and yall spreading all these rumors. how else he posed to feel 😂”
While Instagram user @effortlesslyerika wrote, “He didn’t clear up shit be nobody knows wth he even saying”
Instagram user @prettypaid_dee wrote, “Translation: he don’t want your chick & if he did he wouldn’t have to use a fake page to get her. Don’t get yourself hurt behind a female that would give it up to him as soon as he smiles!”
Instagram user @teridixon_32 added, “It’s so many NBA Young boy fan pages. I believe him! It’s giving catfish episode.
While Instagram user @millkk.marie added, “Y’all better leave Kentrell alone”
Yaya Mayweather Clears Her Father’s Name As She Seemingly Addresses Rumors With NBA YoungBoy
While the internet is still debating about NBA YoungBoy’s alleged social media accounts, Yaya Mayweather, the mother of one of his sons, entered the chat. She asked folks to leave her dad, Floyd Mayweather, out of the drama, especially as rumors began circulating that streamer Summyah Marie was still in communication with him and now allegedly YB as well. One person reacted, “So Summyah f****** with the grandfather of YB son and also YB himself? Horrible a** b**,” while another defended her, writing, “who tf gaf tho? can’t she talk to whoever she wants?”
If y’all recall, Floyd previously went viral after getting dragged into the mix a few months ago are rumors suggested that he allegedly tried to get streamer Summyah Marie’s number while she was live. She turned him down, as she was dating rapper NoCap at the time. When some continued to press the issue that Floyd and Summyah were still talking, Yaya clapped back, saying, “How y’all going to try to tell me about MY dad? Last time I checked, I’m pretty sure I’ve known him my whole life and I’m around him regularly… and we talk so I know what’s going on. Like are y’all ok?”
She even laughed off the situation, calling out those allegedly engaging with fake pages amid YoungBoy clearing the air. Summyah Marie also addressed the chatter, denying that she’s been talking to either NBA YoungBoy or Floyd.
RELATED: DJ Akademiks Clears The Air After Viral Post Suggested He Fueled Rumors About Kai Cenat’s Ex Gabrielle Alayah & NBA YoungBoy (VIDEOS)
What Do You Think Roomies?
Madi Prewett and Grant Troutt almost missed their love connection.
During the Wednesday, February 18, episode of her “Stay True” podcast, Prewett, 29, opened up about who she was really supposed to go on a date with back in the day while chatting with Troutt, 29. She revealed that her family friend initially attempted to set her up with the wrong Troutt brother.
“We have a family friend who was trying to set me up —“ Prewett said before Troutt finished her sentence, interjecting with, “And my brother!”
“By the way, you had talked to my mom about launching your book at our house,” Troutt recalled. “What are the [odds]? That is insane. You were looking for a space to drop your book.” Prewett added that she had “just moved to California” at the time. “We had mutual friends. That’s who connected me to your mom because the Troutts host events at their house sometimes.”
She continued, “I had a conversation with your mom for, like, an hour. I’m like, ‘This woman is amazing. We’re on the same page. She loves truth … I think I literally texted her and was like, ‘We should grab coffee.’ I don’t think she texted me back.” While laughing, Troutt pointed out that the “amazing woman” is now Prewett’s mother-in-law.
“It was a great conversation,” Prewett gushed. “Then next thing I know, [my friend says] there’s a single Troutt son. You guys should get connected. Preston Troutt. So my only understanding of the Troutt family was Lisa and Preston Troutt.”
Grant then joked that God was “hiding [him] away” from Prewett and “preparing” him to meet his “wife.”
Prewett explained that “it did not go anywhere with Preston” and the duo “didn’t even text” [or] “go on a date.”
The Bachelor Nation star recalled finding out that she was set up on a blind date with Grant, which was her first time learning there was another Troutt family member.
“Up until this point, I had seen you one time in church,” Grant gushed. “I had dropped to my knees — not literally — but I was like, ‘Who is this woman? I want her to be my wife.’”
Six months later, Grant came back home from a trip and reconnected with Prewett on their date and hit it off.
Elsewhere in the episode, Prewett opened up about their dating life together, calling it “not perfect.”
“It really wasn’t,” Grant agreed.
Prewett explained, “I think there are things that we did well and things that we didn’t do well. Things that we now get to share.”
After looking for love in Bachelor Nation, Madison Prewett is head over heels for husband Grant Michael Troutt. Fans met Prewett when she competed for Peter Weber’s affections on season 24 of The Bachelor. After he ended his engagement to winner Hannah Ann Sluss because he still had feelings for Prewett, the pilot and his runner-up […]
Looking back, Troutt wished they had gone “slower on the emotions” and talked about their future.
Grant also revealed that he was so nervous to ask Prewett out that he wasn’t going to until a friend convinced him otherwise.
Prewett and Grant tied the knot in 2022. Two years after their wedding, the couple announced via Instagram that they were expecting their first baby together.. In January 2025, Prewett gave birth to daughter Hosanna Rose.
Entertainment
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans’ MCU Returns Are a Betrayal of Everything ‘Endgame’ Accomplished
Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans, the two pillars of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, are set to make their return to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday — and it’s going to be a tremendous mistake. As the sprawling cinematic universe moves forward into uncharted territory, the instinct to rely on familiar faces for stability makes sense, but it lacks the spirit that the characters, or the franchise as a whole, always represented. Among the expansive roster of performers in the MCU, Downey and Evans stood out as the two figureheads of the cinematic franchise.
Both actors had the most prominent roles in the entire cinematic universe; as Iron Man and Captain America, they not only starred in completed standalone trilogies but came together to lead the Avengers whenever they would assemble for their shared films. Among a cast full of stars, they were the two brightest. However, returning to Evans and Downey so soon after their intended finale exemplifies the current lack of trust between fans and the MCU, representing a lack of faith in the new actors, characters, and storylines in favor of maximizing nostalgia and familiarity.
Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. Represented the Underdog Spirit of the MCU
The importance of Downey and Evans to the MCU is supported by how the actors’ own professional journeys ideologically represented what the studio was trying to accomplish. The MCU was a crazy experiment— such a large and interconnected film franchise had never been made before— and so, it needed actors that were capable of fulfilling those lofty ambitions. Downey, now considered the godfather of the MCU, was just returning to Hollywood stardom after years of personal issues kept him from working at his true potential. Downey was in search of a second chance— just like Tony Stark. While it’s important to separate the art from the artist, it’s hard to fully untangle RDJ from Stark when the narrative parallels are so apparent, and the results are so effective. When audiences first saw Iron Man, they didn’t see a controversial actor or a B-list comic book hero; they saw Downey at his most captivating, embodying Tony Stark with such charm and vitality that no other actor could dare encroach on the character. Downey’s performance was so charismatic that it launched an entire cinematic universe.
I’m Sorry, but It’s True — ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Ruined the MCU, and Here Are 8 Reasons Why
Avengers, disassemble.
While Chris Evans had an altogether distinct path to becoming Captain America, he, too, seemed to represent a similar story to his fictional role. Evans wasn’t new to Hollywood, nor was he new to playing a superhero, but the actor had yet to truly establish himself as a leading man. Better known for more classic jock roles, like the Human Torch or Lucas Lee from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Evans clearly displayed the potential to be super, but did he have the heart to be a leader? The answer was a resounding yes, as Evans’ performance as Steve Rogers proved to be exactly what the MCU needed. Serving as the perfect accompaniment to Tony Stark’s sass and snark, Evans highlighted Captain America’s resilience and loyalty, the exact traits that made him the necessary leader of the superhero team. Both Evan and Downey had feel-good stories that reflected the underdog nature of the MCU and its characters, making the entire experience exciting for audiences on multiple fronts. We weren’t just watching characters overcome the odds, we were seeing artists and performers defy expectations. However, their return to the MCU, especially under these circumstances, dismantles everything.
‘Avengers: Endgame’ Concluded their Narrative Journeys
A common criticism of comic book storytelling is the lack of sufficient stakes. Between fake deaths, resurrections, and other narrative hijinks, characters in comic books often get stuck in revolving journeys with little actual progress. Just think about how many Spider-Man stories still see the web-slinger stuck in high school and with no money? However, that issue is directly what Avengers: Endgame successfuly overcame. Endgame was a love letter to the original Avengers cast; it was a farewell tour that gave their characters conclusive narrative endings that thematically aligned with their arcs that spanned several films.
In this chapter, the MCU gave these comic book characters bittersweet but earned endings to their stories. Tony Stark, once a selfish and cavalier weapons manufacturer, proved that his humanity and selflessness were essential to the world’s survival. His destined path of becoming Iron Man wasn’t just to save his own life, but for the entire universe. In complementary juxtaposition, Steve Rogers, the man who couldn’t help but volunteer his own life at every opportunity, finally chooses to prioritize himself after years of fighting. To get to this point in their journeys, both characters went through entire trilogies and four Avengers movies, each with character development and growth to get to this point. Unlike in comic books, the MCU built off each installment and made sure that each addition had lasting influence and consequences. It’s that accumulation of audience time and commitment, one that spanned an entire decade that made Endgame such a unique movie, complete with one of cinema’s most satisfying endings.
The New Avengers Roster Deserves the Spotlight
It’s no secret that the MCU has been going through a rough patch in the past few years, as reception to Phase Four paled in comparison to the near-universal positive hype surrounding the franchise during the previous two Avengers movies. The return of Downey and Evans in Avengers: Doomsday feels like a response to this waning interest, but it also feels like waving the white flag. Kevin Feige‘s ingenious marketing strategy of outlining different phases in the MCU was one of the premier reasons why fans kept returning to the franchise, as each year brought new movies and new excitement. But it was that daring and experimentation that made this cycle feel innovative rather than repetitive. Back in 2019, Endgame was meant to serve as a closing chapter to the first three phases, but rather than end the MCU as a whole, it was also meant to be the symbolic passing of the torch from one Avengers cast to the next. Steve Rogers passed down his shield to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Tony Stark’s sacrifice ensured that future generations of heroes would live on. Yelena Belova found her own team to lead in Thunderbolts* and they’ve taken on the moniker of the New Avengers.
The following few movies even introduced new characters poised to take the spotlight, such as Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), but the MCU has failed to maximize these fresh faces. In reality, Shang-Chi hasn’t been seen in years, and he’s supposed to be one of the main members of the new Avengers roster. The MCU did something no other movie franchise could have accomplished, but its own fear is now leading to its self-imposed implosion. After years of anticipation and narrative development, the return of Evans and Downey is emblematic of how the MCU might have lost the audacious spirit that made it so beloved in the first place.
Avengers: Doomsday
- Release Date
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December 18, 2026
- Writers
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Stephen McFeely, Michael Waldron, Jack Kirby, Stan Lee
Tensions between Prince Harry and Prince William remain unresolved years after the Duke of Sussex’s decision to step down as a senior royal.
Despite an alleged attempt by Harry to reconnect through an “intermediary,” the effort reportedly went unanswered, leaving their relationship at a standstill and casting doubt on the prospects for reconciliation without change on both sides.
New books and interviews continue to offer insight into their fallout, from Prince William’s reported hurt over Prince Harry’s royal exit to disputes surrounding claims made in the duke’s “Spare” memoir.
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Prince Harry Tried To Reconcile With Prince William Through An ‘Intermediary’
A new report has revealed that Harry made an attempt to establish communication with his estranged brother, William, through a mutual acquaintance.
Royal commentator Omid Scobie revealed during a chat with Us Weekly that, while working on his 2023 book “Endgame,” he learned that the duke had quietly tried to reconnect.
According to Scobie, Harry “had reached out to an intermediary, kind of mutual friend between himself and his brother, hoping that would allow them to have some kind of conversation together, maybe with someone present, or through whatever channel.”
However, Harry’s request apparently went unanswered, with Scobie noting that the duke’s effort failed to gain traction, leaving the brothers’ relationship at a standstill.
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The Duke Of Sussex’s Attempt To Reach Out To His Brother Was Met With A ‘Stone Wall’
Royal commentator, Scobie, also noted that meaningful reconciliation seems unlikely between Harry and William, unless both sides are willing to shift their positions.
“It wasn’t received in any way whatsoever,” the royal expert said, explaining, “and so from what I see now from the outside, it looks like that stone wall is still up.”
“Unless the attitudes change on both sides, we’re never going to find any way to resolution,” Scobie added.
The brothers’ strained dynamic dates back to 2020, when Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped away from their senior royal duties and relocated to the United States. The move marked a major turning point within the royal family and widened the rift between the siblings.
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Prince William Was ‘Intensely Saddened’ By His Brother’s Royal Exit
In his book “William and Catherine: The Monarchy’s New Era: The Inside Story,” journalist Russell Myers revealed that William was “intensely saddened” by Harry’s departure.
As reported by The Mirror, Myers shared that the future king had already sensed growing distance between him and his younger sibling for years, but the decision to leave confirmed his belief that their bond might never fully recover.
The author highlighted how the brothers’ “fond memories,” especially those of them helping each other cope with the loss of their mother, Princess Diana, and navigating childhood in the public eye, were now “tarnished by the division at the heart of the family.”
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Myers also claimed that William’s wife, Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, accepted Harry’s exit as “inevitable” and “had less interest than her husband in trying to persuade Harry to stay in his current role.”
Harry addressed the family tensions publicly during a May 2025 interview with the BBC, acknowledging longstanding disagreements but saying he has chosen forgiveness.
More recently, Harry met with his father, King Charles III, during a September visit to London. The meeting at Clarence House reportedly lasted about an hour. William, however, was not part of that reunion.
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Book Disputes Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ Fight Claim, Calls Incident ‘Massively Overblown’
Myers’ new book on William and Kate Middleton also challenges one of Harry’s most explosive allegations from his 2023 memoir “Spare.”
In “Spare,” Harry recounted a 2019 confrontation with William that allegedly took place at Nottingham Cottage, his residence at the time on the grounds of Kensington Palace.
According to the duke’s account, the argument began when William referred to Meghan Markle as “difficult,” “rude,” and “abrasive.”
Harry wrote that he accused his brother of “parrot[ing of] the press narrative” about his wife. This disagreement, he claimed, escalated into a physical altercation.
However, sources cited in Myers’ book disputed that Harry’s claims, describing the episode as “massively overblown.” While acknowledging that tensions were high and harsh words were exchanged, one source insists there was no physical violence.
Another insider cited in the book adds that palace staff were under immense pressure during that period, pushing back against the idea that concerns about internal issues were merely tabloid-driven narratives.
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Former Royal Butler Claims Prince William Is Deliberately Maintaining Distance From Prince Harry
Meanwhile, fresh commentary suggests the divide may be intentional on William’s part.
Paul Burrell, a former royal butler who previously served Queen Elizabeth II and worked closely with Princess Diana, claims the Prince of Wales has purposefully created distance from his younger brother.
In his new memoir, “The Royal Insider,” Burrell argues that William’s responsibilities as heir to the throne require a tightly controlled environment.
As heir, the former butler notes that William “can’t let things leak out,” and has to limit any risk of internal conflict spilling into the public sphere, prioritizing stability around the crown above all else.
According to Fox News, he explained, “William doesn’t want to live in a world that can’t be controlled because, to be a monarch, you have to control the environment. You have to look after the crown.”
Entertainment
FCC chair says agency is looking into 'enforcement action' against “The View” over James Talarico appearance
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Brendan Carr cited the federal requirement that broadcast stations give equal time to political candidates.
Haley Kalil On Matt Kalil Penis Size
My Sexual Pain Isn’t Invasion of Privacy
Published
Haley Kalil is doubling down on her effort to get a judge to throw out a lawsuit her ex-husband Matt Kalil filed against her after she shockingly claimed his massive penis torpedoed their marriage.
In new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Haley says she never mentioned the former NFL player by name when she went on the podcast and claimed her marriage was marred by her husband’s massive member — which she described as two, maybe three stacked Coca-Cola cans.
Twitch/Getty
Haley says Matt’s lawsuit alleged “viewers could and did readily infer” who she was referencing … but Haley says that’s because she and Matt are both public figures. Haley was an SI Swimsuit model and former Miss Minnesota USA and Matt played 7 seasons in the NFL.
In his lawsuit, Matt claimed Haley’s “invasive commentary” ruined his attempt at keeping out of the public eye after retiring from football … but she says he is very much a public figure and his argument doesn’t hold water.
Haley also claims there’s no case law where a woman’s truthful account of her own sexual pain has been found to be an invasion of someone else’s privacy.
A judge has yet to rule on Haley’s motion to dismiss Matt’s lawsuit.
Haley’s lawyer, Matthew Bialick, tells TMZ … “A woman’s right to provide a truthful account of her own relationships and her own past sexual trauma lies at the very core of First Amendment protections. Mr. Kalil’s brief mentioned the First Amendment a grand total of three times and offered no constitutional analysis whatsoever. We are more confident than ever that this case will be dismissed and that Ms. Kalil will be awarded her attorneys’ fees.”
Barack Obama‘s offhand alien comments lit up the internet this week, but it was Haley Nicole who turned the viral frenzy into comedy gold.
After the former president’s podcast moment sparked wild speculation, the OnlyFans creator jumped in with a tongue-in-cheek offer that had social media laughing and conspiracy theorists buzzing.
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Haley Nicole Reacts To Obama’s Viral Alien Clip
The buzz began during a lightning round on Brian Tyler Cohen’s “No Lie” podcast when Barack Obama appeared to confirm that aliens exist.
Social feeds erupted almost instantly. Conspiracies multiplied and memes flooded timelines.
Enter Haley Nicole. On February 17, the 22-year-old influencer, known online as Hazey Haley, reposted the clip and added her own twist.
Her caption read, “Obama confirmed it [alien emoji] I’m making my page free for all aliens who come in peace.”
The post quickly gained traction, with fans debating whether she was serious or simply leaning into the chaos.
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Obama Clarifies His Comments On Aliens
In reality, Barack Obama’s comments were far less dramatic than the internet suggested.
Roughly a day after the clip went viral, the former president clarified his remarks on Instagram.
He wrote, “Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there. But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!”
Still, that clarification did little to slow the online frenzy. The idea of aliens was simply too irresistible.
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Obama has addressed the topic before. During a 2021 appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” he joked that one of his first presidential questions was: “Is there a lab somewhere where we’re keeping the alien specimens and spaceship?”
The answer, he revealed at the time, was no.
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Haley Nicole Says The Internet Took It Too Seriously
Speaking to The Blast, Haley Nicole made it clear her viral caption was pure satire.
She said, “Everyone kept messaging me asking if I was being serious. I’m obviously joking, but the reaction showed how fast the internet runs with anything involving aliens or politics. My page is where I try to keep things light. People forget influencers deal with heavy, stressful moments too. So when something funny goes viral, I use it as a break from the chaos.”
For Nicole, humor was the point. She leaned into the absurdity of the moment rather than fueling the conspiracy fire.
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She shared, “When I said my page was free for aliens who come in peace, it was me poking fun at how extreme the internet gets. Every day feels like a conspiracy theory marathon. If extraterrestrials ever visit, I hope they at least have a sense of humor, because they would need one.”
From Viral Laughs To Real World Boundaries
The playful alien joke stood in stark contrast to a recent and much more serious headline involving the influencer.
Earlier this month, she shared doorbell footage of her self-described “#1 OF spender” arriving uninvited at her home with roses and a mariachi band during Valentine’s Day weekend.
Afterward, Nicole addressed the situation directly, stating that when she says no, “it does not mean try harder. It does not mean surprise me. It does not mean show up at my house.”
The incident highlighted the darker side of online fame, making her alien-themed humor feel like a deliberate pivot toward something lighter.
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Haley Nicole Keeps The Joke Going
Despite the online overanalysis, Haley Nicole has no regrets about the viral moment.
She told The Blast, “I saw that Obama clip and thought, if the former president is out here talking about aliens on a podcast, you might as well have some fun with it. People online take everything so seriously. It felt good to joke about something harmless. The caption was playful, but if any aliens show up in peace, they get a free subscription. I feel like we all deserve a little laugh right now.”
In a digital world where politics, conspiracy theories, and celebrity culture collide daily, one thing is certain. If extraterrestrials are scrolling through social media, they now know exactly where to find a free subscription.
Entertainment
Jason Bateman says 'tension' with his wife led him to finally get sober: 'Let's just f‑‑‑ing do it'
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The “Arrested Development” star said he’d seen others hit “chilling” lows with drinking that he sought to avoid.
Team USA’s Ilia Malinin had a sweet moment with Tara Lipinski’s daughter.
Lipinski, 43, took to Instagram on Tuesday, February 17, with a wholesome moment between Malinin, 21, and her 2-year-old daughter, Georgie, whom she shares with husband Todd Kapostasy. In the pic, Malinin beamed for the camera while placing his gold medal, which he won in the figure skating team event, over Georgie’s head. He then picked her up and placed her on his lap.
“This moment 🥺,” Lipinski captioned the post. “You can tell Ilia is a great big brother; he was just so sweet with Georgie. 🥇.” (Malinin is the older brother of Elli Beatrice, 10, and son of Olympian figure skaters Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov.)
More Olympic athletes and celebrities gushed over the moment in the comments section. “🥹🥹🥹,” ice dancer Madison Chock wrote. Lisa Rinna, who Lipinski competed against on The Traitors season 4, also commented, “Cutest!❤️.” A fan praised, “Eeeek!!! So so special.”
Team USA figure skater Ilia Malinin’s peers rallied behind him after the gold-medal hopeful finished in a disappointing eighth place during the men’s singles competition. “I was not expecting that,” Malinin, 21, told NBC Sports on Friday, February 13, after his final 2026 Winter Olympics performance. “I felt so ready getting on that ice. Maybe […]
After taking home gold for Team USA, Malinin also competed in the men’s single short program and free skate. He was predicted to win an individual gold medal, as he’s been undefeated for two consecutive years, but he came in eighth place on Friday, February 13, after falling twice on the ice. Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov won the gold medal and Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama and Shun Sato took home silver and bronze, respectively.
Following his performance, Malinin told NBC that he “blew it.”
“That’s honestly the first thing that came into my mind — there’s no way that just happened,” he shared. “I was preparing the whole season. I felt so confident with my program. To go out and have that happen … there’s no words, honestly.”
Malinin, a.k.a. the “Quad God,” told Today on Tuesday that the pressure going into the Olympics was “not a pleasant feeling.”
“The most honest way to say it is just a lot on you, so many eyes, so much attention not only from people, or fans, media, it’s just so much and it really can get to you if you’re not ready to fully embrace it,” he explained.
“I think that might be one of the mistakes I made going into that free skate,” Malinin added. “I was not ready to handle that to a full extent, so I think looking back at that, now I’ll be able to kind of understand how that feels so I’ll be able to take a full approach leading up to the next games hopefully.”
Malinin also revealed that he’s received “so much love” and “support” from fans and other athletes, including Tom Brady and Simone Biles.
Biles, who withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after experiencing the twisties, told NBC on Tuesday, “I’ve definitely had a chance to bump into him. I’ve sent him messages on Instagram as well, obviously, it’s all been private because I know what he’s going through and I know most athletes might not be able to relate, and it’s really, really hard to watch.”
Biles added, “I see him coming out on top after this. We’re all just cheering for him.”
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