Former NFL star Brian Urlacher is pulling no punches when discussing former quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s headline-making 2016 national anthem protest.

“Politics — I didn’t even know what I was [politically] back then,” Urlacher, a legendary linebacker for the Chicago Bears who competed in the NFL for 13 seasons before his 2013 retirement, said while appearing on OutKick Sport’s “The Craig Carton Show.”

“I didn’t care, man… You can’t have the racial divide in the locker room,” the Hall of Famer, 48, continued. “It’s just not going to work. If you do, your team is going to be s***.”

Urlacher went on to add, “The thing with him taking a knee would have been really, really f***ing hard for me to put up with in that locker room. That would have been something that would have probably been a line in the sand for me when it comes to stuff like that.”

Related: Colin Kaepernick Would ‘Absolutely’ Consider Playing Olympic Flag Football

Colin Kaepernick would “absolutely” consider representing Team USA at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles when flag football makes its Olympics debut.  “I would have a ball going out there and doing that,” Kaepernick, 38, exclusively told Us ahead of the release of his new book, The Perilous Fight, out Tuesday, September 15. “I […]

Kaepernick, 38, was the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers when he made the controversial decision to take a knee during the national anthem to protest ongoing police brutality and racial inequality. The quarterback explained at the time that he made the decision after speaking with former Army Green Beret and fellow NFL player Nate Boyer, who suggested kneeling as a way to respectfully protest while still beginning attention to systemic racism.

The quarterback became a free agent after the 2016–2017 NFL season, and was ultimately passed over by every team in the league. He has not played in the NFL since.

“I’d retired, so I was watching all this happen on TV, and we quit watching,” Urlacher recalled of watching Kaepernick protest on television in 2016. “There were probably two, two and a half, three years where we didn’t watch football. I was like, as long as this s***’s taking place, I’m not watching.”

He further claimed, “My wife was fully on board. She’s all about that as well. So we just didn’t watch pro football for a few years there because of all the s*** that was going on.”

Kaepernick, who has stood by his decision to protest despite it arguably costing him his NFL career, opened up exclusively to Us as he prepared for the September 15 release of his new book, The Perilous Fight.

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When asked how he thought he compared to the current starting quarterbacks in the league, Kaepernick was candid in his response.

“It’s tough to say because I haven’t been watching the games, but I will check the stat lines to see where quarterbacks are at,” he replied. “Based upon that, I think there’s a good amount.”

He added of the possibility of returning to the football field should a struggling team need his services, “We got the cleats by the door. We’ll be out the door.”

Taylor Swift is giving fans a peek behind the curtain of her newlywed life with Travis Kelce. The pop superstar released a lyric video for “Cleveland!” featuring previously unseen, self-recorded footage from the couple’s private time in Kelce’s hometown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio. From relaxed drives around town to romantic imagery seemingly inspired by their marriage, the video offers a personal look at Swift and Kelce away from stadium crowds, NFL games, and red carpets.

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“Cleveland!” is featured on Swift’s deluxe album, “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” which was released on Friday. The accompanying lyric video includes several clips filmed during the couple’s leisurely visit to Kelce’s hometown. In the footage, the Kansas City Chiefs star is seen smiling behind the wheel while Swift records him from the passenger seat.

Swift and Kelce tied the knot in July during a wedding at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The “Cleveland!” video arrives shortly after their marriage and gives fans their first substantial glimpse at footage seemingly recorded during the couple’s personal time together.

The White Dress Is Not Taylor Swift’s Wedding Gown

The roller-skating sequence includes one person wearing a flowing white dress, immediately giving the visual a bridal feel. However, a source confirmed to Page Six that the gown featured in the lyric video has no connection to the dress Swift actually wore when she married Kelce.

Another close-up shows a pair of white roller skates decorated with 13 colorful hearts. The design clearly nods to Swift’s longtime connection to the number 13. One of the skates also features the lyrics “this is the love of my life,” reinforcing the video’s deeply romantic tone.

‘The Encore’ Receives Mixed Early Reviews

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While fans dig into the romantic clues, not every critic has embraced the new music. “Cleveland!” is one of four new tracks included on “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” alongside “Patient Zero,” “Pink Clouding,” and “Babylon.”

Despite the harsh reviews, “Patient Zero” has already made a major impact on streaming. Spotify announced that the track became the platform’s most-streamed song by a female artist in a single day this year. Swift also reportedly became Spotify’s most-streamed female artist in a single day in 2026.

‘Patient Zero’ Video Will Feature Two Hollywood Stars

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Swift’s latest release cycle is only getting started. The music video for “Patient Zero” will premiere Sunday during the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The highly anticipated visual stars Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell, giving Swift’s latest project a major dose of Hollywood star power.

Swift is also preparing to return to the Country Music Awards in November for the first time in 10 years. Her song “I Knew It, I Knew You,” which appears on the “Toy Story 5” soundtrack, earned a Single of the Year nomination.

The upcoming appearance marks another major moment for Swift, whose career began in country music before she fully transitioned into pop. Between the MTV Video Music Awards premiere, her Country Music Awards return, and the newly released deluxe album, Swift has several major promotional moments ahead.

The singer is also finding new ways to bring her music beyond traditional albums and music videos, with one of her latest songs now becoming part of a Walt Disney World attraction.

Taylor Swift’s Music Is Now Playing On A Disney World Ride

“I Knew It, I Knew You” was recently added to the soundtrack of Alien Swirling Saucers at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The attraction received an update inspired by “Toy Story 5” and is now called Alien Swirling Saucers: Lilypad’s Jams. Lilypad, the tablet introduced in the latest “Toy Story” film, now appears outside the attraction’s entrance.

Under the ride’s new storyline, Lilypad has connected to the internet and uses that access to remix and mash up different songs. The updated soundtrack features music from across the “Toy Story” franchise, along with original material created for the attraction.

Disney previously revealed that the lineup would include “You’ve Got a Friend in Me,” “We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3,” and “I Can’t Let You Throw Yourself Away” from “Toy Story 4.” Now, Swift’s “I Knew It, I Knew You” is also now part of the attraction’s music rotation, and clips of the song playing on the ride have already begun circulating on social media.

R&B singer Keke Wyatt is speaking out after she was allegedly arrested on what multiple outlets have reported to be a number of charges, allegedly including suspicion of child cruelty and making terroristic threats, in Georgia.

“Contrary to information currently being circulated, the Henry County court documentation reflects one charge: simple assault,” a statement shared via her Instagram read on Friday, September 26. “It denied that she was charged with cruelty to children, terroristic threats and acts and aggravated assault.”

The statement released on behalf of the singer and mom of 11 children differs from reporting by CBS Atlanta and The Georgia Gazette that Wyatt, 46, faced significantly more serious criminal charges for aggravated assault, making terroristic threats and acts and third-degree cruelty to children as a misdemeanor. (Court records show that Wyatt paid a $1,050 bond to be released from Henry County Jail on Tuesday, September 22.)

Wyatt is a mom to 11 children — sons Keyver, 26, Rahjah, 24, Ke’Mar, 16, Wyatt, 14, Kendall, 8, Ke’Riah, 6, and Ke’Zyah, 4, as well as daughters Ke’Tarah, 18, and Ke’Yoshi, 11, stepdaughter Mickayla and an 11th child whose name was not been publicly revealed. She shares her three eldest children with ex-husband Rahmat Morton, four with ex Michael Jamar Ford and her youngest three with former spouse Zackariah Darring. (Wyatt suffered the loss of daughter Heaven, who was stillborn, in 2009.)

Related: Why ‘Keke Wyatt’s World’ Season 1 Is a Must-Watch

The first season of Keke Wyatt’s reality series, Keke Wyatt’s World, came to an end on Thursday, November 16, and the singer is back on top. Wyatt, 41, proved she can balance it all during each episode of the WE tv series. The six-episode season kicked off last month and gave viewers an inside look […]

“We are particularly concerned by the circulation of allegations involving cruelty to children, as this is an extremely serious characterization and is not a charge reflected in the court documentation in this matter,” her team’s statement read.

Us has reached out to the Henry County Sheriff’s Office for clarification on Wyatt’s alleged charge.

Alongside her Instagram statement was a screenshot of an alleged booking sheet from the Henry County Jail, which appears to list a single charge of “simple assault unindicted.”

“We are not offering excuses or asking anyone to prejudge the circumstances surrounding the case,” her rep said. “We are simply asking that facts be reported responsibly and that inaccurate information-particularly information involving children— not continue to be repeated as fact. Keke will respect the judicial process and address the matter through the appropriate legal channels.”

Friday’s statement concluded with a message to promoters and “event partners” who have booked Wyatt for upcoming events, confirming that her “performance schedule remains unchanged.”

“She will continue to fulfill all confirmed and new contractual engagements and appearances as scheduled,” the statement clarified. “We sincerely appreciate your continued support and partnership.”

The “Nothing in This World” singer (legal name Ketara Wyatt Darring) exclusively told Us in November 2023 that it was “actually not hard at all” to be a mom to 11 children.

“If I have to go to the store, I’ll take one with me and that’s our time. Or if I’m going to the studio to record, I’ll take one, whoever’s asking to go. I just do it like that and I get my one-on-one time in,” she explained.

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At the time, Wyatt was not ruling out the possibility of welcoming a 12th child to the family.

“I thought it was complete at 10 and here’s 11. So I don’t know. I can say yes and then look up and now we got 12. I don’t know, I’ll just say that,” she said.

If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.

Best known for being on iconic romance book covers in the 80s and 90s, as well as being in the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!” commercials, Fabio is lending a hand to help an old friend. 

TUBZ, the face of “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!,” has branched out to write a self-help book titled, “Lifting the Lid: The T.U.B.Z. Method for Unlocking Your Full Potential.” Fabio jumped in to help his old friend out by sharing a personal story in the foreword of the book. 

Fabio had some time to sit down with The Blast to chat about the book, why he felt now was the time to reunite with TUBZ and “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!,” as well as how important it is to him to constantly reinvent himself. 

Fabio Felt Now Was The Right Time To Reunite With ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!’

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During the 90s, TUBZ and Fabio were besties. And now, years later, they’re reuniting to celebrate TUBZ new book. You might be asking why TUBZ decided to write a self-help book, and the answer is actually simple – he learned to love himself and lift his lid without any shame.

“For a while, I wasn’t just forgotten, but nearly invisible,” TUBZ said, according to a press release sent to The Blast. “Behind the milk carton and that forgotten old jar of capers with the peeling label, I could have stayed back there feeling sorry for myself. But in the dark, I finally stopped asking why nobody was reaching for me and started asking a different question: what if it was something in me? This book is my unfiltered truth, and an invitation for everyone else to share theirs.” 

‘The Brand Is Like Family’

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Fabio told The Blast that the “brand is like family” so the time was right for a blast from the past collaboration with them. 

“We started in 1994 and have been around the world. We shot a commercial, and always a great time with the brand and especially because I never take myself too seriously because you can’t take yourself too serious in life, right?” Fabio told The Blast. “It was a perfect fit because it was always like tongue in cheek and let’s have some fun, and they bring out a great product.”

Fabio Is Constantly Reinventing Himself

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Spanning many generations with iconic moments, Fabio is no stranger to reinventing himself to continue to evolve.

“I’m telling you, you always have to evolve in life. It’s like when you’re 5 years old, you like certain things. When you’re 10, you like other things. So life is evolving always and it’s great. It’s good to change in life and discover yourself,” he told The Blast. “It’s also very important to live life day by day because I don’t believe crying over the past is going to resolve anything, so you’re not actually living in the present time. You’re not living in the moment and when you don’t live in the moment, you’re not creating anything for your future.” 

Fabio said that life is a growing process and with each day, you grow a little more. But if you don’t grow, “eventually life is gonna slap you so hard in the face” to force that growth.

“I don’t want that. I prefer to grow every year than not to grow for ten years,” he added. “And all that time, life is gonna hit you so hard that you have to grow in one year for ten, and that’s where people lose it.”

Writing The Foreword In TUBZ New Self-Help Book

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Fabio was happy to write the foreword for TUBZ new self-help book. He said the book will help you strive to be the best version of yourself. 

“When you are the best of yourself, you are an original, and when you’re an original, you can be 100 percent yourself,” he said. “Otherwise, you’re just going to be a copy, and a copy is never as good as the original.” 

Part of the foreword reads, “In 1994, I became the spokesperson for ‘I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!’ It became an unforgettable part of my career and, over the years, part of American pop culture. So when I heard that TUBZ was writing a book, naturally I was curious.” 

He goes on to write how he’s not surprised that TUBZ had “something to say” and shared a little about what the book is all about. He concluded his two-page foreword by saying if he was not Fabio, “This is exactly the kind of book I would pick up.” 

The book is 75 pages of motivational and inspirational words and ideas. The book is currently available on Amazon.

What’s Next For Fabio?

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Fabio, being a big believer in constantly evolving and changing, said he’s thinking about his next chapter and what he wants to do.

“I’m thinking about opening up a wellness center. Today, a lot of people have problems with sciatic nerve,” he said. “So open up a total wellness center, not only for the outside, for the face or the body, but also for the nervous system, muscles, spine, bones. A total wellness center for your entire body.” 

He also shared, “I’m probably gonna have a big TV show next year,” but couldn’t say anymore on that topic just yet.

Hayden Panettiere is still living in the hearts of those she touched, even weeks after her death. In a new interview, “Heroes” creator Tim Kring opened up about how “extraordinary” a person and actress the late Panettiere was, calling her casting in the 2006 sci-fi TV show the perfect fit.

‘Heroes’ Creator Tim Kring Details How Hayden Panettiere Booked The Role

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“Heroes” premiered in September 2006, and Panettiere played the spunky Claire Bennet. She was a popular cheerleader with supernatural powers.

In an Entertainment Weekly interview honoring the show’s 20th anniversary, creator Tim Kring detailed how Panettiere was chosen for the role, revealing the budget wasn’t big, so they had to settle on actors who “felt like they were ordinary people.”

“Yes, they might be a little better looking than you or me, but I was going for that relatability of the everyman quality,” he said, adding that Panettiere’s character was the “cheerleader who you had a crush on, not the one that everybody else had the crush on.”

Finding The Right Actress For The Role Didn’t Take Much Searching

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According to Kring, finding the perfect fit for the role wasn’t hard. He explained that the search was pretty simple, adding that once they saw Panettiere, it was over.

Kring said a combination of Panettiere’s characteristics made her right for the series, pointing to her calm demeanor and acting ability.

“First of all, she was an extraordinary actress,” Kring said. “She just embodied that girl-next-door quality, and then her range was exceptional.”

Panettiere’s audition for the role was so stellar that Kring said he forgot who else may have even been in mind to portray the character.

“It was just pure talent that walked in the door,” he stated. “There’s nobody in my head that we saw other than her. For some of the other parts, I can remember other actors from casting, but no, she was it.”

More About Hayden Panettiere On ‘Heroes’

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“Heroes” ran from 2006 to 2010 and aired 78 episodes. The pilot episode brought in over 14 million viewers, making it a ratings success.

And while Panettiere was grateful to land the role, the actress wrote in her book, “A Reckoning,” that she was struggling with substance abuse behind the scenes.

“I grew up on that set, and I was so lucky to have those people around me,” she said about her time on the show. “Outside of work, I was dealing with paparazzi for the first time and my freedom being taken away, basically overnight. The cast of “Heroes” really kept me grounded at a very pivotal time in my life. I’m not saying I didn’t do some bad things — I definitely was a rebel — but they saved me from getting sucked into all sorts of trouble.”

Panettiere Died In August 2026

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According to a previous report from The Blast, Panettiere died at a South Carolina home in August 2026. Several people spoke out about the actress after learning of the loss, including her mother and father, as well as other esteemed performers, including Viola Davis.

“I saw this beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. Your tests became your testimony, and your testimony became your legacy. You will be remembered. Rest well, Hayden. Sending healing prayers to your family, your daughter, and all who loved you. May they always speak your name,” the “How to Get Away with Murder” actress said.

Child Star Speaks Out After Panettiere’s Death

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Before her death, Panettiere opened up about being subject to alleged mistreatment as a child star. In her book, she claimed that she was “groomed” to be an actress at a young age. At another point, Panettiere wrote about a high-powered Hollywood figure who tried to assault her at 18.

After her death, “Kim Possible” actress Christy Carlson Romano spoke about Panettiere’s experience and said child stars need more protection. “The former child actor exists in a category the world does not know how to hold,” she said. “We are children when the public wants to feel protective of us, professionals when the industry wants to profit from us, and spoiled celebrities when we eventually show symptoms of having been both.”

Brody Jenner’s mom, Linda Thompson, is celebrating the arrival of another granddaughter.

“Another precious angel has entered the world and her name is Dolly!” the proud grandma, 76, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, September 26, shortly after her son, 43, announced his infant daughter’s arrival.

“Honey is already the best big sister… So loving and protective of her little sibling,” Thompson continued. “Dolly Jane was born on international world peace day, September 21! Her gorgeous mama @tiablanco powered through her pregnancy and giving birth like the champion she is! Looking like a supermodel, even moments after giving birth! What a woman @brodyjenner was with her throughout it all..giving her love and comfort. As a good man should be!”

Thompson continued, “I am so grateful to God and all the powers that be to welcome another precious grandchild into the world. I am already so deeply in love with little Dolly Jane Jenner. Thank you to everyone for our wonderful hearts and your good wishes for our family. You are acknowledged and appreciated more than you know.”

Related: Brody Jenner’s Wife Tia Blanco Gives Birth, Welcomes Their 2nd Baby

Brody Jenner and wife Tia Blanco’s family has grown with the arrival of the couple’s second baby. “We welcomed our precious Dolly Jane Jenner on International World Peace Day 9/21/26,” Jenner, 43, wrote via Instagram on Saturday, September 26, announcing his infant daughter’s birth. “Mama & baby are in perfect health after an intense but […]

Earlier on Saturday, Jenner announced his infant daughter’s arrival, sharing some insight into his wife Tia Blanco‘s labor and delivery experience.

“We welcomed our precious Dolly Jane Jenner on International World Peace Day 9/21/26,” Jenner, 43, wrote via Instagram. “Mama & baby are in perfect health after an intense but quick unmedicated labor.”

Jenner continued in the caption, addressing his wife specifically, “Tia, I’m so proud of you. Watching you become a mom all over again reminded me just how amazing you are. Our family is everything to me, and seeing it grow from 3 to 4 is a feeling I’ll never forget.”

Jenner and Blanco announced that she was pregnant and expecting their second baby back in March. (The pair are already parents to daughter Honey, who was born in July 2023 — two years before the couple said “I do” in July 2025 after three years of dating.)

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Related: Linda Thompson Reflects on Son Brody’s Distant Dynamic With Dad Caitlyn

Linda Thompson is offering Us insight into where her son Brody Jenner stands with his father, Caitlyn Jenner. “He was absolutely right. [Caitlyn] was not there,” Thompson, 74, exclusively told Us Weekly at the Cure Addiction Now’s Inaugural Fundraising Evening at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Monday, February 24. “That’s when we knew [her, and […]

“Our little Honey is going to be a big sister this September ♥️,” they captioned their joint Instagram post at the time, announcing Blanco’s pregnancy alongside a photo showing Jenner, Blanco and Honey standing on a beach as he held up a series of ultrasound images while locking lips with his wife and as their daughter kissed her mom’s pregnant belly.

In addition to her own celebratory post, Thompson also commented on her son’s Instagram upload announcing that his baby girl was now Earth-side.

“I can hardly wait to hold another little baby Jenner in my arms!” she wrote in the comments section. “I’m so happy for you, Tia and Honey!! Such a blessing and I’m so grateful! I love my family and measurably … 💜.”

President Donald Trump received a not-so-warm welcome while attending the biggest college football game of the week.

The commander-in-chief, 80, was loudly booed shortly after he was introduced at the highly-anticipated Saturday, September 26, matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 14 Tennessee.

The president first took part in a pregame Air Force One flyover at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, before he took his seat in a secure suit next to gubernatorial candidate and self-proclaimed MAGA supporter Marsha Blackburn.

“Ladies and gentleman, the 45th president and 47th president of the United States — Donald J. Trump,” the announcer said over the intercom and as Trump was shown on the jumbotron. Despite being met with audible boos amid some positive cheers, the president seemed undeterred as the two teams battled it out on the gridiron. (The Longhorns defeated the Volunteers 20-17 on Saturday. The president declined to publicly endorse any team prior to the game.)

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about the possible game-time disruptions the president could pose simply by choosing to attend the game in-person.

“In the fourth quarter, if he decides to leave early, your communication gets cut off and shuts down,” Sarkisian, 52, told reporters ahead of Saturday’s matchup. “A good friend of mine is Mario Cristobal. Last year, when they were playing Indiana in the national championship, they had the drive at the end of that game, they had no communications because he was leaving early before the game ended. And so you get no warning, it just cuts out. You’ve gotta be prepared for that.”

Trump’s Saturday appearance and subsequent reception was far from the first time the command-in-chief has received a cold shoulder from a large crowd.

Related: President Trump ‘Not Expected’ to Attend Game 4 After Getting Loudly Booed

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After getting thunderously booed at Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals, President Donald Trump likely won’t be subjecting himself to potentially more hazing at Game 4.  “President Donald Trump is not expected to attend Game 4 of Knicks-Spurs in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden due to scheduling conflicts and […]

Amid rising gas and diesel prices, rising inflation and an increase in the cost of living, the ongoing war in Iran and a historically low approval rating, Trump was also loudly booed while appearing at this year’s 2026 World Cup Final.

After Jennifer Hudson performed a stunning rendition of the U.S. national anthem on July 19, Trump was shown clapping while standing from his section inside Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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As the camera panned to him, Trump was audibly booed by the audience. He watched the match — where defending champs Argentina faced off against Spain — beside his wife, Melania Trump, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. (Spain emerged victorious, winning 1-0.)

Trump was also met by a loud chorus of boos while appearing at Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs. (The Knicks lost 115-111, with many critics blaming the president’s appearance for the New York team’s only loss of the championship series.)

“It was certainly amazing,” Trump told reporters of his reception at Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ loss. “It was, I think it was mostly cheers.”

Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for Avengers: Endgame Encore.

Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars are shaping up, in many ways, to be a massive shift in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Doomsday is assembling two different generations of Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and a collection of X-Men, marking the first time all three superhero teams have appeared in a movie. If that mighty Marvel mashup wasn’t enough of a draw, directors Joe and Anthony Russo, alongside Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige, have hinted that Secret Wars could potentially serve as a fresh start for the MCU. The biggest shift, though, lies with the character at the center of Doomsday and Secret Wars.

That character is none other than Doctor Doom, portrayed by MCU veteran Robert Downey Jr. Doom has taken center stage throughout Doomsday’s marketing, with a trio of posters focusing on the metal-clad monarch and a special trailer revealing more of his history with the Fantastic Four. Many fans have questioned whether Downey’s take on Doom will be as complex and menacing as the character in the comics, especially since he hasn’t had as much buildup as previous MCU villains. Judging from what’s been shown in trailers and the extra scenes added to Avengers: Endgame Encore, it looks like the Russos might succeed in that regard.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom Couldn’t Be More Different from Iron Man

Image via Marvel Studios

When Robert Downey Jr. unveiled himself as Doctor Doom during Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con presentation in 2024, the reaction was very mixed. Some felt that Marvel made the right pivot following Jonathan Majors‘ ousting as Kang the Conqueror. Others felt that bringing Downey and the Russos back was essentially an attempt to win back lapsed audiences, especially following a downturn in Marvel’s theatrical efforts. The recent trailers for Doomsday show that Downey isn’t returning for a nostalgia play, but is making Doom as compelling a character as he did with Iron Man. Whether he’s staring forlornly at a picture of someone who might be his late mother or talking about taking back “stolen lives” from the Avengers, Doomsday aims to keep audiences engaged with Doom.

Downey’s performance as Doom isn’t the first time that he’s played an antagonist in the MCU. That honor goes to Captain America: Civil War, which saw Iron Man and Captain America coming to blows. Even though Tony Stark was an antagonist, audiences still saw the emotions that drove his decisions, and Anthony Russo recently revealed in an interview on Marvel’s official website that the same impulse drives Downey’s performance as Doom.

“It was a very scary idea to a lot of people that we would sort of put that character in a position of being considered the bad guy. But Robert is brave. He likes to be surprised, he likes to be pushed into difficult places. It was a very similar process thinking about [him] playing Victor Von Doom.”

‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Gives Fans a First Look at Doctor Doom’s Plans

Fans got their first glimpse of Avengers: Doomsday and Doctor Doom’s goals during screenings of Avengers: Endgame Encore. In addition to the original cut of Avengers: Endgame, Encore features four different scenes that set the stage for Doomsday. One of these scenes directly connects Endgame to Doomsday, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) have their romantic reunion interrupted by Loki (Tom Hiddleston). Another confirms that Earth-10005, where the X-Men reside, is the sole survivor of countless incursions. However, the biggest scene involves none other than Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo).

After the events of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Banner works in an underground bunkeron a serum meant to suppress the Hulk. Doom interrupts his work, saying he’s here to “collect” Banner; Banner starts transforming into the Hulk, and the camera cuts out shortly afterward. This scene serves as a dark mirror to Ruffalo and Downey’s previous interactions in the MCU, as Banner and Tony Stark quickly formed a rapport. The same goes for a scene where Doom is forging his iconic armor, hinting that the Lord of Latveria is both similar to, and wholly different from, the hero that kick-started the entire MCU.

Avengers: Doomsday premieres in theaters on December 18, 2026. Avengers: Endgame Encore is now playing in theaters.

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Release Date

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December 18, 2026

Runtime

165 Minutes

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In the 1980s and 1990s, when newspaper comic strips were at their peak, the “funnies” were often quick workplace or family stories meant to elicit a chuckle before we moved on to the next and nothing more.

Some comics, however, were incredibly smart and caused the reader to pause and think more about the themes past the initial laugh. Bill Watterson‘s Calvin and Hobbes was great at this. So was Gary Larson‘s The Far Side, which had the challenge of saying so much with just one panel. These eight examples prove just how brilliant the cartoonist was.

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Monsters on Top of the Bed

Image via Gary Larson

For generations, every kid has feared the monster under the bed. We know there’s nothing under there during the day, and our parents can come in and check at night, but it doesn’t diminish the fear of the unknown. It’s so common that Pixar made Monsters, Inc. about those monsters and what they do away from their night job of scaring children. In this Far Side panel, the twist is that the monsters under the bed aren’t there to scare anyone — they’re there because this is where they sleep. Even they have their fears as well. What waits on top of the bed creeps them out. According to Gary Larson, everyone fears what they cannot see.

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A Dry Fish Basement

Image via Gary Larson

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The Earth is three-quarters water. As humans, we only pay attention to the dry land we live on, where water, if it’s not in a pool or body of water as a place of relaxation, is often a problem, especially in the home. We’ve all had to deal with the annoyance of some sort of water leak, and nothing is worse than when water gets in and ruins a basement. In this panel, Larson sees fish as being just like us, living in their own homes. In their opposite world, water is, of course, needed and ruins nothing. What would be an issue in a fish world is a place of dryness. Here, the entire basement is flooded with dry. Now poor John is going to have to deal with it.

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Superman and the Lighthouse

Image via Gary Larson

Summer is the favorite season for many. Still, as fun as it can be, there’s one part every person hates about it. Go outside at night and turn on a porch light, and you’re sure to be besieged by mosquitoes and other bugs that are pulled to the light, zooming around it constantly. In this strip, two lighthouse operators, like a massive porch light for ships in the night, are besieged by their own annoyance: Superman. Even the Man of Steel, as strong as he is, can’t resist the pull and hypnotizing effect of an electric light in the darkness. Murray better get that light turned off quick!

5

Painting the Fly Woman

Image via Gary Larson

Gary Larson forces the reader to really pay attention to this Far Side strip, with the punch line not so immediately easy to find. In it, an artist paints a portrait of a woman. There’s nothing funny about this. But why in the world is her head half human and half giant fly on the canvas when she looks completely normal in reality? Look closer, and it becomes clear. There is a fly sitting on the lens of the painter’s glasses. He’s so invested in his work and painting everything he sees in his vision that he’s combined his near and far sights into one terrifying painting.

4

Peter Pan Grows Up

Image via Gary Larson

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J.M. Barrie‘s Peter Pan has been adapted many times over the last century plus, from a popular animated Disney film to stage plays. The themes of wanting to stay a child forever and the loss of innocence as we grow up have stuck with generations. But what if Peter Pan, the boy from Neverland who refuses to grow up, actually did just that? Steven Spielberg‘s 1991 Hook imagined this, with Robin Williams as an adult Peter Pan working a normal life as a lawyer. In this similar Far Side strip, however, there’s no saving the day. A grown-up Peter Pan has it all with a wife and kids, but as he sits at his dull office job, even he can’t escape the pull of wanting to go back and live as a kid again.

Image via Gary Larson

It doesn’t get much smarter than meta-humor, as a form of art steps outside itself and looks in, exploring the themes behind its creation. Wes Craven started an entire franchise out of this idea with Scream in 1996 by creating a slasher movie that winked knowingly at the rules of the genre. Comic strips have their own rules, too. Because it’s still life, with no movement or sound, when a character speaks or thinks, their words are shown in a dialogue or thought bubble above their head for us to read. In this strip, there’s no escape. These characters know they live inside a comic strip, so when Lewis’ boss catches his employee having negative thoughts about him, it’s game over for Lewis, who will now have to think about getting another job.

2

God Creates Jerks

Image via Gary Larson

Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? These are the questions that have troubled humanity since the beginning of time. In a search for answers, many of us turn to religion and the idea of god. Whether you’re a believer or not, it can’t be denied that the idea of a creator has soothed billions of people. In this Far Side strip, Larson imagines God as a chef, with Earth a creation being concocted in his kitchen. In the background, God has boxes and jars for bugs and reptiles and different colors of skin for humans. If there is a god, though, why are there bad people who do bad things? Here, it’s simple. God wants to make things interesting, so he dumps in some jerks. Sorry, God, but you may have put in too many.

1

Midvale School for the Gifted

Image via Gary Larson

Arguably The Far Side’s most famous strip, this one is so simple and easily brilliant. The Midvale School for the Gifted takes only the brightest and most gifted students, yet here’s this kid pushing on an exterior door to the school even though there is a sign that obviously says “PULL” in big letters. This boy’s actually not so gifted after all. Is this school a joke where anyone can get in, including this idiot? Or maybe Larson is trying to say something else. No matter how smart we are, all of us are the same. No one has escaped having a mindless moment where they’ve attempted to push their way in through a door that needs to be pulled open. It’s embarrassing.

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Release Date

December 20, 1996

Runtime

112 minutes

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Writers

Kevin Williamson

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Producers

Bob Weinstein, Cary Woods, Cathy Konrad, Harvey Weinstein

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If you think your morning commute seems perilous, spare a thought for Brad Pitt’s Ladybug in the 2022 action-comedy Bullet Train. Currently slicing its way up the Hulu charts, the movie takes the world of assassins and puts it on high-speed rails, as a colorful cast of familiar faces clash in the carriages in David Leitch’s inventive, hilarious adaptation of Kōtarō Isaka‘s 2010 novel. With kinetic action that evokes the John Wick franchise, and a multi-character mystery worthy of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, it’s been a sleeper hit for action fans.

‘Bullet Train’ is a High-Speed Battle Royale

Image via Sony Pictures

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Brad Pitt stars as Ladybug, an assassin with a reputation for being a bad luck charm to all those around him. Drafted in by his handler (Sandra Bullock) as a last-minute replacement on a job, he boards a bullet train departing Tokyo with the aim of retrieving a suitcase. His hopes for a quiet journey are dashed when he discovers the vehicle is filled with fellow killers, all with interweaving motives and orders. What begins as a routine job spirals into a chain reaction of mistaken identities and fate‑driven twists that tie every passenger’s destinies together.

Playing out like a video game come to life, the movie ignites the screen with a knowing wink and self-referential humor. Each carriage, and each stop offers a new ‘level’, with the enjoyment coming in the variety of wild encounters and twists in the tale. There’s never time to get bored as a new challenger comes to meet Ladybug, who usually greets them with a tired sigh. While he may not be happy to see them, it offers one of the most diverse and intriguing casts in modern memory.

An All-Star Cast Makes for a Hilarious Adventure

Image via Sony Pictures

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It feels like every seat on Leitch’s express journey has a character worthy of a film in their own right, played by an actor who makes the most of every moment. There’s English assassins Tangerine and Lemon (Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Tyree Henry), Prince (Joey King), a young hit woman disguised as a schoolgirl, stoic patriarch Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada), and criminal kingpin The White Death, played with menace by Michael Shannon.

Some might think that makes for a train that’s too crowded, but the ensemble offers a tonal spread that keeps the viewer interested. Taylor-Johnson and Henry feel ripped straight from a buddy comedy, while King adds a shiver of mystery that belongs in a paperback thriller. Sanada brings a seriousness and gravitas to proceedings, while Shannon works as the puppet master, manipulating all who come aboard. Each character shifts the energy within the carriage, making for a story made of very different chapters. There’s a feast of familiar faces who make small but significant appearances, such as rapper Bad Bunny and Marvel star Zazie Beetz. It’s their ability to bring individual flavors, and complications, to proceedings that make it all the more compelling to untangle the web.

Brad Pitt Continues His Late-Career Resurgence

At the center of it all, of course, is Pitt, as the charmingly unwilling protagonist who treats each life-threatening duel like an inconvenience. His pacifist assassin is something of a contradiction, and watching Ladybug’s reluctance to dispatch his opponents (even when it means his own survival) is a consistent highlight of the movie. It’s also a notable chapter in his late-career resurgence, as Pitt rushes toward his sixties with an Oscar and a desire to make interesting work.

Having spent much of the early part of his career pigeonholed as a Hollywood heartthrob, age has suited the actor who always chased a variety of different roles. In his late fifties and early sixties, that’s meant creating some truly iconic performances; he won his first Academy Award three years prior as Cliff Booth, the cool and mysterious right-hand man of Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While Ladybug may not have the composure of that role, Bullet Train is another example of the actor’s charisma shining through as he becomes less of a matinée idol and more of a pulp hero. It also gives him the opportunity to be funny in a way that wasn’t possible when he was an up-and-coming leading man.

Four years after its release, Bullet Train remains a fresh and exciting movie with Hollywood favorites at every turn and a momentum that won’t let up until the story reaches its destination. If you’ve ever wondered why Pitt remains a superstar at the age most are looking toward retirement, look no further than this unique cinematic obstacle course.

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Release Date

August 5, 2022

Runtime

126 minutes

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Writers

Zak Olkewicz

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