Animated movies are usually associated with family-friendly entertainment aimed at kids because the use of color and creativity appeals to children with heartwarming stories. However, animation is a medium for all ages and can address many topics. As the movie industry grows, studios aim animated movies toward an older demographic, with titles such as the Spider-Verse movies.

However, some animated movies go beyond having an older demographic. They address themes that aren’t afraid to explore the darkest corners of life and the human psyche, even putting adults on edge. Animation also has a secret side that can get extremely dark, even if it doesn’t feature overly dark imagery. Whether it be the terrifying setting, plot, or messages, these movies are unafraid to address darker yet thought-provoking subjects.

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‘Akira’ (1988)

Image via Toho

Thirty-one years after the nuclear destruction of Tokyo, Kaneda goes on a journey to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government program experimenting on him. Kaneda must face the government, the military, and the scientists responsible for the suffering they’re causing Tetsuo until his powers suddenly manifest, leading to a battle between them.

Akira tells a dark story set in a post-apocalyptic world, and while the setting isn’t familiar, the story could very well be. It shows the dark side of the government and its unknown and terrifying antics, which cause an unwitting young man to go through unspeakable pain. The dark story, paired with gruesome imagery, makes it an unsettling yet intriguing watch, contributing to its subsequent legacy. Indeed, Akira has become a cult classic and a prime example of the great heights Japanese anime can often achieve.

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‘Bambi’ (1942)

Image via Disney

There isn’t a soul on this Earth unfamiliar with Bambi, as the classic story of a young doe explores the horrors and wonders of the forest. The story follows Bambi as he experiences life with his mother’s and friends’ help until they are ready to go on a journey of love and terror as the looming threat of man is ever present.

While Bambi isn’t as dark as many other animated efforts, the sheer shock and disparity between darkness and age rating make it infamous. Families and kids went into the movie expecting a fun and wholesome movie about wildlife, but instead, they got a lifetime of trauma from the iconic scene of Bambi’s mother’s death and the continuous horrors man commits, such as burning the forest. Despite its surprisingly dark nature, Bambi is one of the best 1942 movies and a timeless classic that further strengthens Disney’s legacy.

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‘Wizards’ (1977)

Image via 20th Century Studios

Wizards is a uniquely crafted animated movie that was Mark Hamill’s debut film just before his appearance as the titular Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. After his brother, Blackwolf, unjustly takes the throne from their mother, Avatar goes on a journey to end his brother’s tyrannical rule. The film features a creative world and a colorful cast of characters in this bizarre story.

Ralph Bakshi is known for creating dark and mature animated movies, and Wizards continues this trend. The mystical world might leave some believing it to be a family-friendly fantasy, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. With multiple character deaths, explicit imagery, use of actual war footage, and depictions of Nazis, Wizards is far more demanding than the average movie, animated or otherwise. The darkness is subtle and in-your-face, with shocking deaths and ruthless storytelling.

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‘The Secret of NIMH’ (1982)

Image via MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

Known for his oddly dark children’s movies, director Don Bluth made his directorial debut with The Secret of NIMH. The film tackles the sensitive topic of animal testing and its inhumane nature, hoping to teach audiences the horrors that are actually happening. It follows a field mouse as she looks for a new place to move her family due to the extended reach of farmers. However, all she discovers are enhanced rats, which are the result of a testing facility not too far away.

The Secret of NIMH is another movie that is way darker than expected. Because of the age rating, the film doesn’t contain any specific imagery or scenes but has a disturbing tone and unsettling moments that would scare any child. It took a while before Bluth could get the film off the ground, but the wait was worth it. He eventually got it made, and it would become one of his best.

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‘Coraline’ (2009)

Image via Focus Features.

Based on the book by Neil Gaiman, Coraline is another stop-motion masterpiece by director Henry Selick. After moving into a new home, Coraline finds a secret passage leading to another world very similar to hers. Everything seems much better here until her other family tries to force her to stay, and other terrifying secrets emerge.

Despite being PG, Coraline uses stop-motion animation to the fullest, enhancing the creepiness and delivering a horror movie for children. The film’s style is inherently creepy, and the events and the oddly dark villain’s motivations enhance its eerie nature. Even darker than the overt horror aspects are the subtext, hidden messages, and theories about living in an abusive home and the subtleties of character motivations and history.

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‘Watership Down’ (1978)

Image via Warner Bros

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Watership Down has received multiple adaptations, including a Netflix version and a graphic novel based on the book, but the 1978 animated movie perfectly encapsulates the complex story and dark themes. Fiver, a young rabbit, dreams that their land will be destroyed, so he convinces some friends to go on a journey to find a new home. During this journey, they encounter many threats and obstacles, such as evil rabbits, a raging river, and a rat cemetery.

The realistic art style enhances the already disturbing events in the heavy animated movie, such as the bloody war zone and the black rabbit of death. The haunting chases between the protagonists and the rabid evil rabbits are enough to send shivers down the spines of adults. Despite its PG rating, Watership Down is filled with blood and even cannibalism as it kills off some of the cutest creatures. It might never feature anything explicitly, but the suggestion of danger is ever-present, making it more emotionally impactful.

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‘Perfect Blue’ (1997)

Image via Rex Entertainment

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One of Satoshi Kon‘s masterpieces, Perfect Blue, is an anime film about the horrors of celebrity life and the effect fans have on their favorite stars. After singer Mimi decides to move on from music in favor of acting, her life turns upside down, and reality blends into fantasy when her fans abuse her. Soon, Mimi is haunted by a figure from her past and harassed by a stalker.

Unlike Western animated films, anime movies are no strangers to making them dark. The unsettling Perfect Blue slowly shows the protagonist’s downfall and the delusions she experiences. The events of the film are truly disturbing as her paranoia and psychosis develop from the murders surrounding her and the backlash from the public. Perfect Blue is an unsettling story that makes fans reflect on their actions towards celebrities and proves animation isn’t just for kids.

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‘American Pop’ (1981)

Image via Columbia Pictures

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Bakshi made an even more disturbing movie, this time focusing more on the real world and a family of Russian immigrants. American Pop follows several characters with a love for music, which they try to make into a career until something goes wrong. Zalmie, Benny, Tony, and Pete are the generations of the Belinsky family and can never seem to catch a break from tragedy.

Part of what makes American Pop so dark is the constant loop of hope/passion and tragedy, as each character has a rough life but lives through music and ultimately meets some grim fate. Whether it be a dying wife, a death in war, or drug addiction, each member goes through a terrible fate. Watching American Pop gets more depressing and hopeless as it continues to torture every single character. The family’s tragedies are supposed to parallel popular American music in the 20th century, making the film all the more dark as it is based in reality.

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‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (2022)

Image via Netflix

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Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a modern take on the classic novel that leans into brutality and darkness. After the death of his son, Geppetto builds a puppet brought to life by a fairy. Inexperienced but enthusiastic, Pinocchio embarks on an adventure trying to find a place for himself in fascist Italy. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Film as it reimagines Pinocchio into a darker, humanistic story.

As dark as it could get while still being PG, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio features striking moments of exploding fish, war montages, and burning at the stake. Even the creation of Pinocchio is shrouded in darkness, as Geppetto builds him from guilt and depression over the loss of his son. The film, which goes through two World Wars, doesn’t hold back and shows Mussolini and the war effort. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is haunting, and despite ending on a somewhat happy note, it still sees the immortal Pinocchio bury all his friends and family.

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‘Grave of the Fireflies’ (1988)

Image via Studio Ghibli

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Grave of the Fireflies is based on the book of the same name and was inspired by the author’s real life; he wrote it as a coping mechanism because of his guilt for surviving and his sister dying. The film follows Seita and his two-year-old sister Setsuko as they try to survive during the American bombings of Japan. The movie starts with their deaths as their spirits reconnect, recounting their time trying to survive.

Despite being known for their whimsical fantasy stories, Studio Ghibli made one of the darkest movies ever. Any war story is going to be sad to some degree, but focusing on two children and focusing on their survival makes for a heart-wrenching story. To make it even sadder, the author wrote it as what should have happened, giving the audience an insight into his guilt. The film tried to lessen the depression by showing the siblings’ deaths at the beginning, but all that did was ensure the audience that things would never get better. Grave of the Fireflies is a horrific tale of war that highlights the conflict’s atrocities and how little people matter, making it incredibly dark and depressing and one of the best and most influential animated movies ever.

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Grave of the Fireflies

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Release Date

April 16, 1988

Runtime

89 Mins

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Director

Isao Takahata

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Writers

Akiyuki Nosaka, Isao Takahata

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Final Fantasy VII Revelation gave me a world to explore, and I immediately used that freedom irresponsibly. There were plenty of places I could have gone during my hands-on preview with the final chapter of Square Enix‘s remake trilogy. I had less than an hour with the game, which should have encouraged me to see as much of it as humanly possible. Instead, because I apparently have no sense of urgency even when Meteor is involved, I spent almost all of my time poking around Mideel and Wutai.

I regret nothing. Final Fantasy VII Revelation is absolutely gorgeous, its combat feels as smooth as ever, and both locations made it incredibly easy to forget that I was technically supposed to be accomplishing something. I may have only seen a small piece of what Revelation has to offer, but that’s largely because the small piece I saw kept giving me reasons to stick around.

‘Final Fantasy VII Revelation’ Made Me Want To Ignore the Main Quest

Image via SQUARE ENIX

Mideel was the first place I was allowed to simply exist in Revelation’s world. There’s a particular pressure that comes with playing a game like this at a preview event. You know your time is limited and there are things you should probably be seeing, but then you spot something interesting in the opposite direction and wander away anyway. That happened to me constantly. I kept stopping to look around, checking corners, and generally behaving like I had several hours to burn. It’s easy to say a Final Fantasy game is beautiful, particularly when visual spectacle has been part of the series’ identity for decades, but Revelation impressed me most in the smaller moments when I wasn’t doing much of anything.

Mideel feels like somewhere people actually live. The environments are packed with enough detail that slowing down feels worthwhile, and moving through them feels natural. Square Enix has spent this trilogy taking familiar locations and doing more than simply making them bigger and prettier. At its best, it has made them feel like actual parts of a much larger world. Then I went to Wutai, and any remaining hope I had of using my preview time responsibly disappeared.

Wutai Is Going To Be a Problem For My Attention Span

Image via SQUARE ENIX

Wutai was always going to be one of the locations I was most excited to see in Final Fantasy VII Revelation. The remake trilogy has repeatedly demonstrated how much it can do with locations from the original game, but Wutai comes with a different level of anticipation after sitting out the first two entries. It did not disappoint. If Mideel made me want to slow down, Wutai made me want to stop following directions entirely. It’s immediately striking, but what grabbed me wasn’t simply that it’s pretty. Wutai feels like somewhere designed to be explored instead of admired while you’re running toward the next objective. I wanted to know where everything went. I wanted to wander down side paths, look at the architecture, and see what was around corners that clearly had nothing to do with what I was supposed to be doing. Every time I thought I should probably move on and see something else while I still had the chance, Wutai gave me another reason not to.

That’s what makes the location so exciting. There’s a difference between an environment that looks impressive and one that makes you curious about what’s inside it. Wutai did both, and once I had the freedom to wander, I wanted to keep wandering. Considering Final Fantasy VII is rapidly approaching a point in its story where Cloud and company have slightly more pressing concerns than tourism, that could become a problem.

‘Final Fantasy VII Revelation’s Combat Is As Smooth As Ever

Eventually, I did remember that Final Fantasy VII Revelation contains things other than places for me to wander around looking at. The remake trilogy’s combat has always been one of its greatest achievements. Remake found an incredibly satisfying middle ground between real-time action and the command-based systems of the original, while Rebirth expanded it without sacrificing the rhythm that made it work. Revelation immediately feels like a continuation of that evolution. Combat is fast, responsive, and remarkably smooth. Moving between enemies, building ATB, firing off abilities, and switching characters flowed together so naturally that there was practically no period of reacclimation. Even after spending time away from Rebirth, the muscle memory returned almost immediately. That’s important for a third game. Revelation doesn’t need to completely reinvent a combat system that already works exceptionally well just to prove this is a new entry. From what I played, it feels refined instead, with exploration flowing naturally into encounters and combat never getting in the way of my desire to keep moving through the world.

My hands-on time barely scratched the surface of what Square Enix has built, partly because less than an hour was never going to be enough and partly because I made absolutely no attempt to use that hour efficiently. I could have tried to see as many locations as possible. Instead, I went to Mideel and Wutai because those were the places I wanted to see, and once I got there, my decisions were validated. That ultimately told me more about Final Fantasy VII Revelation than racing through a checklist probably would have. The combat remains fantastic, the game is beautiful, and Square Enix has created locations that made me want to ignore both a ticking preview clock and an impending planetary apocalypse just to see what was around the next corner. Cloud may eventually save the Planet, but he’s just going to have to wait for me to finish looking around first.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation launches April 8, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Steam, and Epic Games Store.

Whoopi Goldberg is reflecting on the lasting impact of the beloved Star Trek franchise.

The TV personality and comedian is one of the many stars to have graced the franchise over the years. As Star Trek celebrates its 60th anniversary, she shared what the show has done for representation.

Goldberg also recalled a conversation with creator Gene Roddenberry about why she wanted to join the franchise.

Speaking with Extra TV, Goldberg reflected on the franchise reaching its 60-year milestone since its debut.

For her, one of the show’s most important qualities was its impact on representation. That began when she saw Nichelle Nichols play Lt. Uhura in the original Star Trek series.

“He put all these people on this sci-fi show that he didn’t realize, you know, that for kids like me… I love science fiction,” the TV personality said of creator Gene Roddenberry. “There are no science fiction movies that had Black people in them.”

Goldberg credited Roddenberry’s original vision with helping audiences recognize people’s differences and work through them.

How Whoopi Goldberg Joined The Star Trek Franchise

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Years after watching Nichols play the role, Goldberg also wanted a part in the franchise. She wanted to join the spinoff The Next Generation, which she eventually did, appearing on the show from 1988 to 1993.

However, joining the franchise wasn’t easy, as Roddenberry initially questioned her decision. In response, Goldberg reportedly told him that there were no Black people in the future depicted in those movies and that she wanted to be one.

Roddenberry didn’t believe her at first, but eventually admitted she was right.

Nichelle Nichols Opened The Door For Whoopi Goldberg

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Elsewhere in the interview, Goldberg also credited Nichols with opening the door for the actors who followed her.

“She started it, and I was happy to take up that moniker, and then LeVar [Burton] was the next one to do it,” Goldberg said.

In the franchise, Goldberg played Guinan, a bartender and confidante to Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

She later reprised the role in Star Trek Generations and Star Trek: Nemesis, as well as the television series Star Trek: Picard.

Whoopi Goldberg Returned To The View For Season 30

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Goldberg’s reflections on Star Trek came as she returned to The View for the show’s 30th season.

She discussed what has helped the daytime talk show remain successful after so many years, revealing that it’s the panel’s ability to separate work from personal disagreements.

“We will do what we think is right for each of us. We don’t always agree. We have different opinions, and we don’t all think the same. And just because we’re women doesn’t mean we’re fighting, because people love to say, ‘Oh, look, the women are battling.’ No, we’ll let you know when we’re battling. You’ll know,” she said.

Goldberg added that everyone came to the show to do their jobs while remaining true to their beliefs.

Whoopi Goldberg Surprised The View Audience With A Giveaway

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As part of the Season 30 premiere, Goldberg initially announced that one audience member would win a three-night stay at the Secrets and Dreams Playa Mujeres resorts in Cancún, Mexico.

However, as the show progressed, Goldberg unveiled a twist that appeared to recreate a giveaway from Oprah Winfrey’s 2004 appearance on the show.

Goldberg pulled a card from a gold box and revealed that the entire audience would receive the getaway instead.

The surprise left audience members cheering and crying before the show cut to a commercial break.

The Shards is based on Bret Easton Ellis‘ book of the same name, but is the author tuning in to the TV adaptation with the rest of the world.

“He saw some. He had been through a whole rigmarole with HBO [which originally planned to develop The Shards], and when he sold the book to FX and to Ryan [Murphy], he sat down with him and entrusted the characters and said, ‘Go do and go create,’” executive producer Brad Simpson exclusively told Us ahead of the Wednesday, September 9, season 1 finale.

Simpson, 53, noted that Ellis, 62, gave Murphy, 60, “permission” to “interpret his work” for a new medium.

“All I know is he’s watching week to week and occasionally mentioning it on his podcast,” Simpson continued. “You can go on his podcast and hear what he felt about the first couple episodes, and we’ll see if we hear more.”

He added: “Bret is a person who mainly speaks to the world through his podcast and through his writing these days. But I love the idea that he’s watching this unfold week to week in his living room.”

According to the official synopsis, The Shards is set in Los Angeles in 1981 and follows “a 17-year-old version of Ellis during his final year at the elite Buckley prep school.” His world is upended by the arrival of a mysterious new student, Robert Mallory, whose “unsettling presence coincides with the activities of a serial killer known as The Trawler.”

Igby Rigney portrays Ellis in the TV adaptation. The 2023 book was Ellis’ first in 13 years and has a disclaimer stating that all of its major players are fictional — apart from the narrator.

After publishing The Shards, Ellis recalled hearing from a former classmate who had seen themselves in a character. Ellis told Vanity Fair in 2023 that he received a Facebook message that read, “Of all the names you could have chosen, the name I hate the most is Debbie.”

Ellis also reflected on the larger inspiration behind The Shards.

“I’m not motivated to write a novel without feeling it, and that might be why a lot of my novels have that pervasive sense of dread,” he continued. “I think it just stems from where the books come from, and it’s a reflection of that. Conversely, if I’d been a happier guy, would I have been writing books? Would I be using the novel as a way to express this or communicate it? I don’t know. But that could have something to do with why I’ve been attracted to horror and used elements of it in my work.”

In addition to Rigney, 23, The Shards stars Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Hayes Warner, Graham Campbell, Evan Rachel Wood and Wes Bentley. Before the show’s August premiere, Rigney reflected on the challenges that came with the role.

“Ryan was really fun in the way that he directed us where he would have us do multiple takes multiple ways,” Rigney exclusively told Us.

The actor did not know which version would make the final cut.

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“We were never clued in on which take he was going to use. And then I’m sure some of those takes got combined to make it extra confusing,” Rigney continued. “But getting to have the narration sometimes was a little challenging on set though.”

He added: “Because everybody around me is having fun, and I’m staring deeply into the middle distance thinking about this big, long paragraph I have, but I’m not saying it out loud.”

The Shards airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on FX.

Harry Styles is hinting at taking another extended break from the spotlight after completing his Together, Together concert tour in 2027.

“Tomorrow’s announcement will be the final cities of Together, Together,” Styles, 32, confirmed in an email to fans, obtained by Us, on Wednesday, September 9. “After that, I don’t know what comes next for me but I know that I’m excited to find out.”

The former One Direction member revealed to fans that additional cities and dates for his traveling concert residency will be announced on Thursday, September 10. (Styles is currently in the middle of a 30-date run at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.)

“When we decided to do the 2026 tour, I knew it would be special but what you turned it into was far beyond what I could have imagined,” Styles wrote to fans on Wednesday. “I love playing music, I love being with all of you and being part of the love and joy you all create together every night.”

He continued, “That’s why I wanted you to be the first to know we will be adding 2027 dates, which, honestly, at first I found daunting. Being an artist is the only life I’ve ever known really, I have been doing this since I was 16 years old and I feel like the luckiest person in the world to still be sharing these moments with you.”

Earlier this year, Styles announced that he would perform 67 Together, Together concerts across seven cities as opposed to undertaking a traditional tour. He kicked off the Together, Together residencies with a 10-night run in Amsterdam in May and later performed a record-breaking 12-night stint at London’s Wembley Stadium in July.

Once he completes his New York City shows in October, Styles will cap off the 2026 Together, Together dates in Melbourne and Sydney.

“I can’t wait for us to keep dancing with all of our friends, I hope to see you there,” Styles wrote in Wednesday’s email. “Thank you for coming out to see us, and for all of the love and support you’ve given me over the years.”

Us exclusively reported in March that Styles would likely add more 2027 concerts but held off initially to avoid potential burnout.

“For Harry, the past couple of years have been about slowing down, stepping back and finding peace,” an insider told Us at the time. “He really treasured that time and the sense of privacy and normalcy. He is coming into this tour knowing what works for him. He is incredibly emotionally mature and is constantly working on himself.”

Prior to the release of his fourth studio album, Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, in March, Styles spent several years keeping a low profile. Fans spotted Styles in some unexpected places during his break, including gathering with the masses in Vatican City for the selection of Pope Leo XIV and competing in the 2025 Berlin Marathon.

Styles opened up to W Magazine in August about how stepping away from the spotlight allowed him to recharge for his Together, Together shows.

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“The fans have always been so emotionally generous toward me,” Styles noted. “I feel it now more than ever after taking a break from the road. When you’re around something all the time, it numbs you to it — like eating your favorite food all the time. The break recontextualized it. Black is most shocking on white.”

Related: Harry Styles Suffers Onstage Slip and Fall During Concert in Mexico 

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Harry Styles didn’t let gravity get him down during his latest Together Together concert. Styles, 32, performed at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros stadium on Saturday, August 2, where eagle-eyed fans noticed the pop star slipping and, at one point, falling while on the stage in now-viral social media footage. Styles appeared to lose his […]

He added, “In the time that I took away from touring, I watered a side of my life I hadn’t paid much attention to previously. Because I started so young, touring became so much of who I was. I would feel quite uncomfortable with stretches at home. I didn’t know what to do with myself sometimes. Now I feel really fortunate to have this incredible job and creative environment, but also this life away from it that I’m excited to spend time in. I don’t know that I had that before.”

Styles has a potential wedding to plan during his next possible break, as it was reported in April that he’d got engaged to longtime girlfriend Zoë Kravitz. (Kravitz, 37, was spotted in the spring with a diamond ring on her left hand while on a stroll with Styles.)

It’s hard not to love the Transformers franchise. These robots in disguise are beloved all across the world; almost every character is someone’s favorite. These robotic heroes and villains from Cybertron have been present in film for decades, and this means that every character has had the chance to get a great entrance in one of these many movies.

Cool character entrances in film can be essential to making a scene feel intense and epic, and/or creating a character moment that can do wonders for an arc. The Transformers movies aren’t always amazing—often getting flak for not being much in terms of depth or plot—but they have always been and always will be some epic flicks, and part of that comes from scenes like these character entrances.

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The Attack on Chernobyl: ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ (2011)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The most popular movies of the Transformers franchise are the first trilogy directed by Michael Bay, which ended with 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon. This trilogy-capper is filled to the brim with spectacle and thrilling action, and that is established early in the attack by Shockwave (Frank Welker) at Chernobyl at the beginning of the movie. This character is unlike any other Autobot or Decepticon in that he has a gigantic worm-like device known as Driller.

So, when he decides to attack the United States government—accompanied by Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen (rest in piece)) as they find alien technology in Chernobyl—it is large and destructive. Taking place about sixteen minutes into the movie, this not only introduces Shockwave but also throws the Autobots’ leader into the action, as well. This is a massively devastating scene that immediately establishes just a fraction of the kind of terrifying power the heroes are going to have to go up against in this third flick.

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The War on Cybertron: ‘Bumblebee’ (2018)

Image via Paramount

One of the most beloved Transformers movies and often considered one of the highest in quality, is Travis Knight‘s Bumblebee. This 2018 flick serves as a soft reboot of sorts and manages to be a grounded, down-to-earth Transformers movie that people genuinely adore. This is an origin story of sorts for the young Autobot, and they really set the bar for the future of the franchise with the opening of the film, which takes place amidst the legendary war on Cybertron.

This battle sequence shows off massive love for the classic 80s series and movie, with character designs that are abundantly similar to said series/movie, and that immediately had fans of Transformers falling in love. Both Optimus and the leading bot, Bumblebee (Dylan O’Brien), get awesome introductions here as they fight the war against the Decepticons (who also have their classic designs).

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The Dinobots Rise: ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ (2014)

Image via Paramount Pictures

While the first trilogy is the best part of the Michael Bay-directed Transformers films, he had two that came after that are universally agreed to be horrific—even in comparison to the less-than-high-quality first three films, because at least those were fun. However, Transformers: Age of Extinction does have some great character entrances, especially when it comes to the highlight of the movie, the Dinobots.

In the third act, when the chips are down, Optimus Prime decides to awaken the Dinobots for help. To do so, though, he must take on the legendary Grimlock. When he takes him on, however, the other bot transforms into his most badass form… his Tyrannosaurus Rex transformation that all Transformers fans know and love. He gets this bone-chilling moment in which he transforms into his dino form and spews a bout of fire from his mouth.

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Don’t Call it a Comeback: ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ (2023)

Image via Universal Pictures
 

After Bumblebee, the studios decided to continue the period-piece direction of the Transformers series with Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. This movie introduces classic Transformers characters, the Maximals. The best introduction of the movie, though, comes in the form of Bumblebee in the final fight. Why? Because at the beginning of the movie, when the Autobots meet the menacing villain, Scourge (Peter Dinklage), he is killed by the nasty bot.

Bumblebee is the fan favorite, though, so it was obvious they were never going to truly kill him. Which, in a way, makes the effectiveness of this reintroduction so impressive. Everyone knew he was coming back, but the how of it all made it cheer-worthy. With him playing “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J as he jumps from a plane towards the battlefield, firing on all cylinders.

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Enter Lockdown: ‘Transformers: Age of Extinction’ (2014)

Image via Paramount Pictures

Next to the Dinobots, one of the only other highlights of Transformers: Age of Extinction is the villain of the flick, Lockdown (Mark Ryan)—a brutal assassin sent to, well, assassinate the leader of the Autobots. As Optimus Prime fights the newly-formed Galvatron (Frank Welker), he’s shot multiple times by a hidden force who walks through the smoke to reveal himself, radiating aura.

Optimus Prime can often feel like an unstoppable force in the Transformers series, especially because of how often he’s beaten death. So, when he can be seen getting brutally hurt, it makes whoever is doing the damage all the more powerful-looking. Lockdown is established here to be a genuine threat to the hero.

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Devastator Against the Pyramids: ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ (2009)

Image via Paramount Pictures

While Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen often gets flak for being the weakest of the first trilogy, it has some extremely epic moments. One of which comes when the Constructicons all join forces in the desert to become the huge beast known as Devastator (Frank Welker). This monstrous beast is one of the most devastating Transformers out there, and it’s more than proven here.

Devastator begins its rampage here, and it’s bone-chilling. This mouth is like a black hole as it sucks in everything in its path and quickly makes its way to the Pyramids. The size of Devastator is unlike anything seen in the Transformers movie franchise and immediately sets the stakes for the team moving into the final battle of the movie.

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Return of the Autobots: ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ (2011)

Image via Paramount

The third act of Transformers: Dark of the Moon is one of the best in the franchise. It’s essentially one giant war movie within a Transformers movie. People don’t come out to these movies for Shakespeare-level storytelling; they come out to see giant robots beat the crap out of each other, and that’s the entirety of this third act.

After the Autobots get sent off Earth and seemingly die, the Decepticons take over all of Chicago and cause mass destruction. Just as Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) and his friends from the military are about to ride into it to certain death, the Autobots make their triumphant return to fight off the Decepticon threat to an incredible score by composer Steve Jablonsky.

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Shanghai Skirmish: ‘Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen’ (2009)

Image via Paramount Pictures

The opening of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is genuinely iconic. Set in the streets of Shanghai, China, the military task force known as NEST and the Autobots hunt down rogue Decepticons, Demolishor and Sideways. While the Autobots and the two Decepticons get some pretty cool entrances here (Sideswipe (André Sogliuzzo) specifically), it’s Optimus Prime who takes home the award for best introduction.

The leader of the Autobot forces literally drives out of a cargo plane, transforming midair, and taking down Demolishor, despite him being so much bigger than the hero. This is an incredible way to introduce the main team, and the leader in specific. This was borderline the perfect way to introduce the sequel film.

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Sam Meets Bumblebee: ‘Transformers’ (2007)

Image via Paramount

Sam Witwicky and Bumblebee’s relationship is one of the main highlights and hearts at the core of the original Transformers trilogy and, therefore, their first introduction to each other—true introduction in Bee’s true form—is absolutely iconic. Rather than being an epic battle moment, it feels like a momentous occasion with depth.

After saving Sam and Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox) from a Decepticon, the yellow-clad Autobot walks with a nice backlight behind him as he fully shows his true form to the two teenagers. It’s an incredible moment that cemented one of the best, if not the best, friendships in the entire series to this very day.

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Autobots Assemble: ‘Transformers’ (2007)

Image via Paramount Studios.

While Bumblebee’s first introduction to Sam and Mikaela is great, nothing will ever beat the first time they met all the Autobots as one, because it’s the first time audiences get to truly meet them as well. The reveal of Optimus Prime for the first time is legendary and one of the most memorable moments in a Transformers project.

The first Transformers movie is all-around unforgettable, and it’s because of moments like this one. It shows that the Transformers franchise can make “epic” moments out of things other than big battles and spectacle. Not to mention the score track playing over it by Steve Jablonsky defines it as something truly amazing.

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Transformers

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Release Date

July 3, 2007

Runtime

144 minutes

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Writers

Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, John Rogers

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  Mark Ryan

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  Bumblebee (Voice)

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  Peter Cullen

  Optimus Prime (voice)

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For Brandi Glanville, what began as a baffling health struggle has evolved into a costly and emotionally draining battle that shows no signs of ending anytime soon. 

As the former reality star continues searching for answers about the alarming condition affecting her face, those closest to her are stepping in to help. 

Now, a longtime friend is making a public plea for support as Glanville faces mounting medical bills, multiple surgeries, and months of treatment while being unable to work normally.

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While Brandi Glanville remains focused on treatment, friend Gina Rodriguez has taken matters into her own hands by launching a GoFundMe campaign to ease the financial pressure of the television personality’s health crisis. 

The fundraiser seeks to raise $28,000 and urges supporters to “help Brandi on her journey to get her health back.” According to Rodriguez, Glanville’s fight is far from over. 

“Brandi has been fighting this for years and still has months of costly treatments and surgeries ahead,” she told the Daily Mail. Rodriguez explained that Glanville has been unable to return to regular work while dealing with her condition, making the growing medical expenses even more difficult to manage.

The fundraiser details just how expensive the situation has become. Rodriguez said treatment costs alone are estimated at roughly $3,300 to $6,000 every month, even with insurance coverage. 

Those figures do not include additional expenses tied to surgeries, medications, dental procedures, doctor visits, and daily living costs. As of Wednesday evening, the campaign had raised only a small fraction of its overall goal.

Glanville Reveals Doctors Found Something ‘Alive And Moving’ In Her Face

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The fundraiser comes as Glanville continues sharing shocking updates about her medical condition. 

In a recent social media post, she revealed she had been diagnosed with highly resistant ESBL Klebsiella and Enterobacter with biofilm, Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, Demodex dermatitis, and Mononucleosis.

According to Glanville, an MRI showed abnormalities concentrated on the left side of her face. However, the ultrasound delivered the most startling discovery.

“We did the ultrasound in the doctor’s office and the technician said that there was something alive in my face and that it was moving and she’d never seen anything like it,” she revealed on Instagram.

The former model also spoke about a self-described “fungal ball” that she says remains lodged in her face. The discovery has only intensified her determination to find effective treatment as doctors continue investigating the cause of her symptoms.

Brandi Glanville Faces Surgeries, IV Treatments, And More Major Procedures

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Beyond the mystery surrounding her condition, Glanville is preparing for an extensive medical road ahead. In another post, she revealed that the fungal growth must be removed and that several other health-related procedures are expected to follow.

“I also have a fungal ball in my face that needs to be removed. I have to get the metals from old dental work out of my mouth, my breast implants need to come out, and I’m looking at 4–6 months of daily IV treatment,” she explained.

The former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star admitted the process has been grueling. According to her, “The treatment has NOT been easy and so far I’ve had very little improvement. I still have a couple surgeries ahead of me and months of treatment to go.”

Despite the setbacks, Glanville has remained vocal about her goal, stating, “I just want this s**t OUT of my body. I want my health back. I want my life back. I want to feel like me again.”

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Glanville Revealed She Spent More Than $200,000 Searching For Answers

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If Brandi Glanville’s latest update showed just how difficult treatment had become, the story behind how she got there may be even more shocking. 

Long before doctors identified the conditions she is now battling, the former reality star was trapped in a years-long search for answers that drained both her finances and her hope.

In February, Glanville revealed that she consulted 21 different doctors and spent more than $200,000 trying to determine what was causing the facial disfigurement and other symptoms that had taken over her life. 

The ordeal stretched on for years as she moved from specialist to specialist while receiving conflicting opinions and treatments. 

As The Blast reported, Glanville revealed that the breakthrough eventually came when doctors linked many of her issues to a ruptured silicone breast implant that had been in place for 18 years. 

She said the discovery finally explained her symptoms after countless appointments, procedures, and dead ends. 

Brandi Glanville Admits Daily 18-Hour IV Treatments Leave Her Feeling ‘Like Death’

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Unfortunately, answers didn’t mean immediate relief. In fact, Glanville has revealed that her current treatment regimen is so intense that it now dominates nearly every hour of her day.

The 53-year-old recently shared videos showing the reality of undergoing approximately 18 hours of IV infusions daily. 

According to The Blast, one of the medications she receives is Imipenem, a powerful antibiotic used to treat severe infections. The treatments are administered through a PICC line and often continue overnight while she sleeps. 

The physical effects have been dramatic. “I know I’m so skinny right now. I can’t eat because the IVs that I do decrease my food. I feel like death, I look like death,” Glanville told followers. 

In another update, she explained that treatment has become her entire routine. “So now I have to start my IVs, I mean I’m on IVs almost 20 hours a day. The only time I leave my house is to do my podcast.” 

Despite the grueling schedule, Glanville said she is finally getting some long-awaited answers. Still, she admitted there is a long road ahead that includes additional surgeries, continued IV treatments, and recovery from a fungal growth that doctors plan to remove from her face.

Nicole Kidman may have been promoting “Practical Magic 2,” but the conversation surrounding the Hollywood icon has taken a very different turn. 

The actress’ latest red carpet appearance has ignited a fresh wave of cosmetic surgery speculation, with fans dissecting photos from the film’s premiere and experts offering their own theories. 

While Kidman has long faced scrutiny over her youthful appearance, this time attention has shifted from her face to another feature that has become the subject of intense online discussion.

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For years, Nicole Kidman has been at the center of discussions about beauty, aging, and cosmetic enhancements. 

That familiar debate resurfaced when the actress arrived at the Los Angeles premiere of “Practical Magic 2” in a head-turning Atelier Versace creation designed by Pieter Mulier.

The dramatic black gown showcased intricate lace detailing and a plunging neckline that immediately drew attention. 

Paired with a coordinating lace choker, statement earrings, and matching heels, the look delivered one of the evening’s most memorable fashion moments.

Yet much of the reaction centered on Kidman’s noticeably fuller bust. Observers quickly began comparing recent photographs to older appearances, with some questioning whether the 59-year-old’s look could be attributed solely to styling choices. 

Kidman’s Fuller Bust Prompts Expert Assessment

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As the speculation intensified, Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Cat Begovic weighed in on the conversation after reviewing photographs from the premiere. 

Although she stressed that she has never personally examined or treated Nicole Kidman, the surgeon pointed to specific features she believed stood out in the images.

Dr. Begovic told the Daily Mail that the “Babygirl” actress appeared to have “more defined cleavage and upper pole fullness,” characteristics sometimes associated with breast augmentation. 

Based solely on the photographs, she estimated that the look could be consistent with implants in the range of “225-250 cc moderate projection.”

“They look to me to be around 225-250 cc moderate projection,” she speculated, before adding, “They are proportionate to her frame and she looks feminine and stunning.”

The discussion also showed the different implant projection options available, ranging from lower-profile designs that create a softer contour to higher-profile implants that produce a rounder, fuller appearance. 

Nicole Kidman Revealed Why She Stopped Using Botox After Trying It

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As speculation about Kidman’s appearance continues to surface whenever she steps on the red carpet, the actress addressed one of the biggest questions about her looks years ago. 

Long before the latest “Practical Magic 2” debate, Kidman openly admitted that she had experimented with Botox but ultimately decided it wasn’t for her. 

Speaking in an interview in 2011, the Hollywood star shared with PEOPLE, “I’ve tried a lot of things, but aside from sports and good nutrition, most things don’t make a difference. I have also tried Botox.”

She added, “I didn’t like how my face looked afterwards. Now I don’t use it anymore – I can move my forehead again!”

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Kidman Once Insisted She Was ‘Completely Natural’ Amid Plastic Surgery Speculation

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Even before her Botox admission became public, Nicole Kidman had repeatedly found herself defending her appearance against rumors that she had undergone extensive cosmetic work. 

As scrutiny intensified throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, the actress consistently maintained that she had not undergone plastic surgery. 

In one of her most widely quoted responses, Kidman told Marieclaire in 2007, “I am completely natural. I have nothing in my face or anything.” 

She paired those comments with a detailed explanation of the habits she believed helped maintain her appearance. Kidman said she was diligent about sunscreen because of her fair skin, avoided smoking, and prioritized exercise and overall wellness. 

The actress also made it clear she wasn’t interested in criticizing others for their personal choices. “Anybody can do anything to themselves – I don’t judge,” she said, while reiterating that she personally believed in being physically fit. 

Nicole Kidman’s ‘The Hours’ Transformation Sparked Years Of Appearance Speculation

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Long before Kidman found herself at the center of fresh cosmetic-surgery speculation, one of the biggest debates surrounding her appearance came from a transformation that had nothing to do with plastic surgery at all. 

Instead, it revolved around the prosthetic nose she wore while portraying Virginia Woolf in the 2002 drama “The Hours.” The physical transformation became one of the film’s most talked-about elements and eventually sparked a fierce behind-the-scenes battle in Hollywood. 

The prosthetic was designed to help Kidman resemble the acclaimed British author, and the makeover was so dramatic that many viewers barely recognized her. 

In 2023, Vanity Fair revealed that powerful Hollywood figures clashed over whether to use the nose at all. 

Costume designer Ann Roth and producer Scott Rudin supported the transformation, believing it helped Kidman disappear into the role. However, Harvey Weinstein reportedly opposed the prosthetic and attempted to intervene before the film’s release. 

The debate became so intense that the nose nearly overshadowed the movie itself. Kidman later admitted she worried audiences would laugh when they first saw her in character, saying she feared the transformation might distract from the performance. 

Ironically, the controversy became part of Oscar history. When Kidman won Best Actress for “The Hours” in 2003, presenter Denzel Washington famously announced the winner with the words, “By a nose.”

The Shards executive producers are breaking their silence on the finale’s shocking departure from Bret Easton Ellis‘ book.

During the Wednesday, September 9, episode of the FX series, Bret (Igby Rigney), Susan (Kaia Gerber), Robert (Homer Gere), Debbie (Hayes Warner), Thom (Graham Campbell), Liz (Evan Rachel Wood), Ryan (Daniel Dale) and Steven (Jordan Roth) are all revealed to be under suspicion as The Trawler.

“And that’s when things really got crazy,” Bret said in a voiceover before the credits rolled.

Fans who read Ellis’ novel know that the book had an entire conclusion that wasn’t included in Wednesday’s episode — but there was a reason for that.

“Everyone assumes Ryan Murphy is doing a limited series because that’s what he does a lot of. That’s what we do a lot of,” executive producer Brad Simpson exclusively told Us during a joint interview with Nina Jacobson about The Shards actually planning to have a multiple-season arc. “But it feels like book fans may be looking at it and thinking, ‘Oh, my God, they’re going to rush the end of the book.’ Which we definitely didn’t do.”

The vision is for The Shards to go “for at least two seasons.”

“We haven’t finished the story, so that is the hope. It could go further if we wanted it to. But we haven’t made it to the end of the book yet, so we’ll see,” he continued. “The other thing that I would say about the adaptation is the adaptation has you always in Brett’s point of view. It’s a first-person narrator and he’s telling everything from his point of view. Part of the fun of the show was we got to go into other people’s point of view.”

Simpson argued there was still a lot of story to tell — especially after Terry’s (Wes Bentley) mysterious murder. “Terry is pushed off the balcony on the second floor of his house at a big Halloween party and this is a mystery in the book who did it. And it’s presented as the sort of cliffhanger mystery at the end of our season,” he explained. “But in the book, it’s what propels you to the last half of the story. For our show, it marks the end of the season.”

The Shards is a TV adaptation of Ellis’ fictionalized memoir about his high school years. Released in2023, the book was Ellis’ first in 13 years and has a disclaimer stating that all the major players in The Shards are fictional — apart from the narrator.

“Bret’s book is a very condensed timeline. The book really takes place from the start of school until early fall. We wanted to do it over at least two seasons and so we were both needing to compress the timeline even further but also expand the world,” Simpson shared. “We needed more than what was there, and so part of the joy of collaborating with Ryan Murphy is that you know Ryan is known for the imagination and his storytelling.”

He continued: “What we had to do was keep true to the book, not race till the end but also add in new elements. So Ryan added in characters who weren’t in the book. Characters that were in the book went to places they didn’t go and it was a lot of fun. It was a lot of fun to have the time to stretch stuff out. Usually, when you’re doing adaptation, you’re chucking stuff out of the book or compressing. But we got to do the opposite.”

While the show left Us with many unanswered questions, Simpson hinted that Murphy “definitely has the answers.”

“He has an idea of who he thinks the killer is. At the end of Bret’s book, there’s no definitive answer on who the killer is. He lets it be a mystery with different suspects having fingers pointed at them,” Simpson noted. “Part of the joy of the book and what we’re doing on the show is more akin to Twin Peaks. You start off with this question about who killed Laura Palmer, but really the show is about the journey that all the characters are on through this weird and increasingly bizarre world. While we have an idea of who the killer is and have an idea how things are going to come together, nothing is set in stone. Part of the point is to remain true in spirit — at least to Bret’s book — where even when he thinks you’ve identified the killer, you’re not quite sure.”

Jacobson, meanwhile, pointed out how Bret will start to be questioned.

“This is the first time in this season that you really start to ask yourself whether Bret can be trusted as a narrator. We wanted to keep that part of the book to nod to it subtly by the end of the first season,” she teased to Us. “What your relationship to Bret is will continue to change and morph as the show goes on.”

Jacobson confirmed that season 2 would stay true to some parts of the book while introducing new elements, adding, “That spine of the season will probably [be] that basic format of some things that you know from the book, mixed in with inventions and creations that create more complications between the characters and more perspectives. It would be that sort of same hybrid.”

According to Simpson, the writers have been keeping an eye on public reception to the show.

“One of the things we’ve been doing is sort of monitoring what people love. You’re definitely see more of our main cast. I think you’ll see some more of our supporting cast come to the front,” he teased. “As we talk about the next season right now, nothing is set in stone. So there’s nothing I can really tip or tease, except that Ryan always makes some left turns and I’m sure we’ll see some special guest stars. One of the pleasures of a show like this is that we really want to — from the jump — if we’re doing another season and get back to our core cast.”

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The possibilities don’t stop at season 2. Simpson and Jacobson hinted that there could be more episodes beyond that — and maybe even a spinoff.

“I think we’re in a season by season world here in this streaming economy,” Simpson teased. “So let’s see.”

The Shards is currently streaming on Hulu.

Being one of the most popular film franchises in history — with some of the highest-grossing movies in history — it only makes sense that the Marvel Cinematic Universe would put some major budget into its movies as the company grows more and more successful. Sometimes these investments greatly pay off, like with Avengers: Endgame. Other times, they unfortunately don’t.

Sometimes, they put a high budget into a movie, and for a while, it becomes the highest-grossing release of all time. However, there are other times in which they put these large sums of cash into production, and they lose a ton of money in the process. Regardless of the success or lack thereof, there’s no denying that few studios pour as much cash into their projects as the MCU, and the films on this list are the most expensive in their history so far.

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‘The Avengers’ (2012) – $220 million

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

When it came to finishing off Phase One of the MCU, it’s certain that Kevin Feige and the rest of Marvel Studios wanted to invest enough budget into their first big crossover event to ensure that this cinematic universe could continue with the popularity it was gaining. Bringing the likes of Captain America (Chris Evans), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye together for the first time was going to take some money and effort.

The Avengers was a movie unlike any other, depicting a day unlike any other. Despite the popularity the MCU was gaining at the time, The Avengers was still somewhat of a risk for Marvel Studios. They needed this movie to succeed and secure the popularity of the MCU going forward. It most certainly worked out for them, given how popular this flick ended up being.

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‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ (2026) – $225 million

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a gigantic success. It’s not even a question that Marvel Studios’ $225 million investment is being paid back in full, and then some. With the fourth Tom Holland solo Spider-Man film becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, there’s zero doubt that the studio is going to continue pumping good money into their Spider-Man franchise.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the definition of an abundant success. Thanks to how well director Destin Daniel Cretton utilized his budget, how great the performances are, and the amount of genuine love, passion, and soul that was put into this flick, Holland’s Spidey outing is everything Marvel Studios needed at this time in their career. It’s thanks to Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s success that one can be sure that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment will be putting an even larger budget into the fifth entry.

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‘Captain America: Civil War’ (2016) – $230 million

Image via Marvel Studios

Everyone loves the Steve Rogers Captain America trilogy, thanks to the fact that it gave people one of the most beloved superhero movies of all time: Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While the second is one of the best superhero movies, the third is a legendary one, bringing not just the MCU heroes against each other by adapting the famous “Civil War” comic storyline, but also introducing Spider-Man into the universe.

Despite not being as good as the first sequel, Captain America: Civil War is still a great product and has a huge impact on the cinematic universe as a whole. Having action sequences that have spectacle and others that are extremely personal, Captain America: Civil War feels like another The Avengers film in all the best ways. It keeps the deep emotions a good story needs, while continuing the epic stakes of the other big team-up movies.

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‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ (2023) – $250 million

Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

With how absurdly popular the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise became after the first entry in the series. Thanks to James Gunn, a lot of the Guardians became fan-favorite characters in the MCU. So, it only makes sense that when the final movie in the trilogy was put into production, Marvel Studios was going to invest in making it the best movie it could be.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was made on a $250 million budget, and boy did Gunn use it in the best way he possibly could. This third project is iconic in almost every way. The cinematography by Henry Braham is stellar, the performances from the entire cast are excellent, and the director and writer use this entry to finish up everyone’s arcs with grace and prowess. Safe to say, this investment definitely paid off.

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‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ (2022) – $250 million

Image via Marvel Studios

Some may be surprised that one of the worst Marvel movies also has one of the largest budgets in the studio’s history. Thor: Love and Thunder‘s $250 million budget, unlike other movies, cannot really be appreciated on the screen. This Taika Waititi movie gets a ton of flak for its abysmal visual effects quality, and rightfully so. There are far too many moments where the visuals are genuinely laughable.

While it was a success at the box office, grossing$760.9 million, it didn’t save Thor: Love and Thunder from the rough reviews it received. So, while it may have been somewhat of a success at the box office, the investment didn’t matter because the film was a flop critically. This negative reception surely contributed to Waititi reportedly not returning for movie five, which is probably for the best.

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‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022) – $250 million

Image via Marvel Studios

A $250 million Marvel Studios film that was far more successful both at the box office and in reviews is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. After the tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman, audiences and critics alike were worried about the Black Panther sequel. They wondered if it was going to be possible to pull it off and whether the studio would decide to recast the role of T’Challa or not. Thankfully, the direction they went in not only served the movie well, but also audiences who were grieving Boseman right alongside the cast and crew.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a moving tribute to Boseman and his legacy, while also being a strong and emotionally compelling film. The middle act slightly lags, but outside of that, it’s incredibly well done and one of the best post-Avengers: Endgame movies. Not to forget, it has a phenomenal score — nobody was really surprised — thanks to the efforts of returning composer Ludwig Göransson.

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‘Eternals’ (2021) – $272.6 million

Image via Marvel Studios

Not only were fans and critics generally not pleased with 2021’s Eternals, but neither was Marvel. Noted by Forbes as “… one of the biggest failures of the 30 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe”, this project was rough and even considered over-budget by many. Moreover, its worldwide box office was only $402 million… yikes.

It’s honestly quite sad that Eternals didn’t pan out the way Marvel Studios intended, because the director, Chloé Zhao, is extremely talented. She’s behind movies like Hamnet and Nomadland, and if her vision had been better translated, it could have really been something different in the MCU. The Marvel movie should have been more appreciated in general, thanks to the great technical quality — people commonly note Makkari’s (Lauren Ridloff) abilities as one of the best visual representations of super speed in superhero cinema — and the wonderful performances.

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‘Black Widow’ (2021) – $289 million

After over a decade of people asking for a movie about Black Widow, fans finally got what they were asking for in 2021 with the aptly titled Black Widow. While it didn’t turn out as well as many would have liked—partially because Marvel Studios questionably decided to wait until after she died in Avengers: Endgame to make her solo movie, lessening the impact of the project by a lot.

While it gave the world the ever-iconic Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) and made her a commonly beloved hero in the MCU cast, it didn’t spawn as much good as people expected. This isn’t to say it’s a bad movie, but it certainly was underwhelming for many. It’s not clear whether Marvel Studios was pleased with how much money—$289 million—they put into it, but the result can be assumed.

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‘The Marvels’ (2023) –$374 million

Image via Marvel Studios

If anything is certain, it’s that after Avengers: Endgame, Marvel struggled critically and financially. In 2023, they’d experience one of their largest financial losses of all time with the Captain Marvel sequel, The Marvels. With a budget of $374 million, the follow-up only brought in a truly painful $206 million. When accounting for the fact that the budget typically doesn’t include the marketing costs for the movie, this number hurts to even think about.

Many will argue, though, that The Marvels didn’t deserve such a reception. Is it perfect? Definitely not, but this project is not nearly as bad as some would say. Many attribute the negativity to a large group who have pretty unfair opinions of both the character and Brie Larson. The film has an audience score of 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a critics’ score of 63%, which is pretty sad, as the movie is, at the very least, fun and not nearly rough enough to warrant such a horrible financial reception. Also, the power gimmick between the three protagonists is unique and makes the fight scenes some of the coolest post-Avengers: Endgame.

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‘Avengers: Infinity War’ (2018) – $300–400 million

Image via Marvel Studios

Stepping away from Marvel Studios’ losses, Avengers: Infinity War is one of their biggest successes in the company’s history, and is considered the best film in the Avengers franchise. It’s the first part of the finale to the Infinity Saga and a gigantic accomplishment on the part of directors Joe and Anthony Russo. On paper, it should not have worked as well as it does, but it’s a great example of how studios and filmmakers can correctly utilize a large budget, which in this case comes out to an estimated $300–400 million.

Avengers: Infinity War uses its budget to manage a gigantic cast of main characters alongside huge spectacle action sequences. Thanos (Josh Brolin) is also a fully CGI character and looks convincing and terrifying. Truly, Infinity War has some of the best visual effects in the MCU and even superhero films in general, and it was a huge success, with a worldwide box office of a whopping $2 billion.