The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects arriving in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The latest movie to hit theaters is Jake Schreier’s Thunderbolts*, which put a motley crew of antiheroes together. The movie’s ending finally revealed what the asterisk meant, and the studio is already changing its title for billboards and more. Now the director has given his honest thoughts bout Marvel spoiling Thunderbolts* for anyone who couldn’t go opening weekend.
The ending of Thunderbolts* revealed that the scrappy team is actually being branded the New Avengers by Valentina, in one final, satisfying twist. This was an effective punctuation on the movie, but the movie’s marketing is starting to reveal the team’s true name. Schreier spoke to The New York Times about this strategy, saying:
Especially given that the asterisk has been on the movie for a year, hopefully it doesn’t feel sweaty — it feels like this was a plan and we built up to it.
He’s not wrong. Rather than the New Avengers reveal being totally out of the blue, the asterisk in Thunderbolts* has hinted all along that it isn’t the team’s real name. And as such, he’s hoping that fans appreciate that twist ending, and the implications that the reveal comes with for upcoming Marvel movies.
While security keeps things under wraps before Marvel movies go to theaters, after that their contents usually are spoiled online. Indeed, the Thunderbolts* ending has found its way onto social media, which is likely part of the reason why the studio decided to take control over the narrative. They’re doing the title change themselves, which Schreier said was them “embracing” the way the internet works. The filmmaker went on to say:
It’s so interesting in this world, and Kevin talks about it sometimes, where sometimes they wanted things to leak and they don’t. I think we all assumed that it would be a bigger part of the conversation already, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.
With the team officially dubbed the New Avengers, it should be fascinating to see how they end up attempting to save the Earth. Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday live stream confirmed they’ll appear in the forthcoming blockbuster, alongside OG stars of the X-Men movies, as well as former Avengers members and the Fantastic Four. In fact, the latter team’s arrival was teased during Thunderbolts*’ credits scene.
Personally I’m invested in the New Avengers, as Jake Schreier’s blockbuster had a moving story, in addition to its action and comedy. I’d like to see them stick around for the long haul, and it’s thrilling that a crossover is already confirmed for Doomsday.
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Thunderbolts* is in theaters now and Fantastic Four: First Steps will follow suit July 25th as part of the 2025 movie release list.
Tom Cruise may be 62, yet he still insists on doing his own stunts, from climbing the tallest building in the world to driving motorcycles off cliffs. But in the upcoming Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, hitting the 2025 movie release schedule on May 21, the action icon pulls out all the stops, this time with a high-stakes underwater sequence he’s been building toward for four decades. Naturally, he shared a behind-the-scenes look on social media, and it goes so hard, proving that the Minority Report performer isn’t just making movies, he’s making cinematic history.
In a new Instagram video post, Cruise revealed behind-the-scenes footage of himself prepping, suiting up, and diving into a deepwater tank to film one of The Final Reckoning’s biggest sequences. The post’s caption reads, “It’s all about preparation and communication.” In the clip, which you can watch below, he and director Christopher McQuarrie are shown mapping the dive beat-for-beat, using hand signals and rehearsing underwater maneuvers with precision.
Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation—the pair crafted what they call “an underwater sequence unlike any other.” The scope is massive, and the execution feels more like a real-world dive mission than a movie set. And unlike previous entries, there’s a rawness to the stunt work that reminds viewers why Cruise remains unmatched when it comes to the best action movie sequences.
It’s also a full-circle moment. In a previous Instagram post, Cruise captioned the work on the water sequences, referencing Legend (1985), one of his early fantasy films, where he first tackled complex underwater shots. The actor wrote:
From Legend in 1985 to Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, I have been studying and filming underwater sequences for over 40 years. We have always tried to push our filmmaking to the next level, and in this movie McQ and I saw an opportunity to create an underwater sequence unlike any other. We are excited to share it with you.
Forty years later, the Top Gun star has built an entire franchise around escalating physicality. The eighth entry into the series of spy action thrillers might be his boldest leap yet, because he’s seen holding on to the wing of a biplane in the Final Reckoning trailers, but now we know that’s just the tip of things, as we are also getting a death-defying underwater sequence. If the rumors are true that this is Hunt’s final mission, the actor is making sure he goes out with something audiences haven’t seen before—and probably won’t see again.
With the film’s release just weeks away, the buzz around this underwater stunt is heating up. Whether or not The Final Reckoning marks the end of the line for Ethan Hunt, Tom Cruise’s commitment to doing it for real reminds us why Mission: Impossible remains the gold standard for action movie franchises.
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Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning releases in theaters on May 23, 2025.
J.K. Rowling has made no bones about her political feelings in recent years, and this week the topic came up again after one of the the new Harry Potter series actors Paapa Essiedu signed an “open letter” calling for the protection of trans rights amidst recent UK political rulings. Rowling said she’d never deny Essiedu work, but how does HBO feel about working with so many talents across a broad political spectrum?
Well, head honcho Casey Bloys recently spoke on the record over the matter after podcast host Matthew Belloni asked him on The Town if he monitored Rowling’s Twitter (X) account, which is where the author and producer is most active with her views. Bloys said he is “very aware” of how she feels personally but it does not impact the relationship Rowling has with Max.
No [I’m not nervous to do business with her]. I’ve said this before the decision to be in business with J.K. Rowling is not new for us. We’ve been in business for 25 years. We already have a show on HBO from J.K. Rowling called CB Strike that we do with the BBC.
Harry Potter movies grossing more than $9.5 billion in total and spawning spinoffs with the Fantastic Beast movies and plenty of opportunities in the theme park space and with merchandise. Just recently, a new Potter shop opened in Chicago, and Tom Felton was even on hand to greet a gaggle of fans.
While the new Max series is reportedly going to cost a fortune, I’d assume the studio is hoping it will be a boon for those with a Max subscription. As part of that deal, per Bloys, Rowling is entitled to her own personal opinions, as he feels we all are.
I think it’s pretty clear those are her personal political views. She’s entitled to them. Harry Potter is not being secretly infused with anything and she’s entitled to those views… if you want to debate her, you can go on Twitter.
Just shortly after the podcast broke, Rowling was asked about Paapa Essiedu seemingly disagreeing with her take on what is happening in the UK. A judge recently upheld transgender protections, but ruled there that the legal definition of the word “woman” would be based upon biology. Essiedu and others have felt there are wide-ranging implications to this, but while Rowling disagrees, she wrote on X that she did not have the power nor would want to cut the new Snape actor.
I don’t have the power to sack an actor from the series and I wouldn’t exercise it if I did. I don’t believe in taking away people’s jobs or livelihoods because they hold legally protected beliefs that differ from mine.
While Rowling has been notably vocal in her beliefs, and will be involved in the upcoming series, in general movie and TV sets are a hodgepodge of different types of people all working together for a common goal. The narrative surrounding Potter has simply been louder than most.
Harry Potter is set to become a new series with a new cast in 2026, and some actors like the aforementioned Felton have stated they are interested in a cameo.
It’s honestly hard to believe that we’re about to hit the five-year anniversary of Fuller House‘s series finale. The Full House sequel series famously reunited the original cast, including Jodie Sweetin, as she reprised her role as Stephanie Tanner. Sweetin is one of a select group of actors who’s been able to reprise a role she played as a child. Now, she’s explaining how that opportunity impacted her view of the OG series, and I love her take.
It’s no secret that to this day, Full House remains one of the most beloved TGIF shows from the ’90s. During an interview with People, Jodie Sweetin was specifically asked about the enduring popularity of the series and her time on the spinoff. It would seem that her stint on the newer show, which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription, helped her shed some preconceived notions she had as a teen actor:
It gave me a whole new appreciation for what the show means to fans. There was probably an age when the show finished and I was in high school and a teenager that it was just so uncool, but I mean, the wind could blow the wrong way. You were like, ‘Oh my God, I’m so uncool. Everything’s ruined.’ So I think that was the mentality.
Max subscription) still struck a chord with viewers. Sweetin’s own performance as the cheeky Stephanie also garnered much love from fans.
Sweetin recalled that her own feelings shifted with every passing year. What I love about the actress’ comments is the fact that her comments indicate a natural sense of maturity that come with age. With that, she’s also come to realize just how important this TV franchise is to so many people, which I love. And, with that, comes a considerable amount of gratitude as well:
But as I’ve gotten older and as those around me who have also gotten older now appreciate what it was and the show and the feelings of it, it’s just changed my perspective. It’s a huge honor to get to be part of something that so many people find comfort in, and there’s not many opportunities or careers where that gets to happen. And so I am incredibly grateful for that. I still love what I do. I still love entertaining, I love comedy. And it’s because people fell in love with Full House and Stephanie and have continued to, so I’m just beyond grateful for it.
It’s so wonderful to hear that The Heiress and the Handyman alum now has such a positive perception of the sitcom that made her a star. This is quite significant, considering that just several years ago, Sweetin admitted to not having seen a Full House episode. Now, she hosts a rewatch podcast, How Rude, Tanneritos!, alongside co-star Andrea Barber, on which they dig deep into each installment of the eight-season show.
As for Fuller House, the show allows for Stephanie to grow in a myriad of ways. She blows in from London to help sister D.J. raise her children and, by the end of the show, she’s a married woman with a child of her own on the way.
Overall, Jodie Sweetin seems to still hold a special place in her heart for both Full House and its follow-up, which I love so much. She even still owns Stephanie’s Mr. Bear, and that’s a testament to her affection for the series. Hopefully, Sweetin will continue to hold onto the positive feelings she has. Right now, you can stream both shows at your leisure, and check out the 2025 Netflix TV schedule for recently released comedy series.
You seriously can’t forget about The Notebook. It’s one of the best movies of the 2000s due to Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ undeniable chemistry, and for showing audiences that you can never forget your first love. Fans of The Notebook may have complained for years about Allie choosing Noah instead of Lon. But when James Marsden gives his own perspective on who Allie should have ended up with, I have to agree with him.
If you remember in one of James Marsden’s best movies, The Notebook, Allie is torn between her wealthy fiancé Lon, and her first love Noah, after reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend seven years later. Ultimately, she chooses Noah. While fans still question after over twenty years if Allie made the right choice, Marsden, who played Lon, gave his take to People. And I second it. As he shared:
You know, it’s funny. I hear a lot of people nowadays that very kindly come up to me and say, ‘[Lon was] the whole package, you were like this wealthy guy, and you treated her right, and you trusted her and it was a healthy relationship and [Allie and Noah] were in an unhealthy, toxic relationship. While I see that and understand it, I mean, love is love.
memorable movie liplocks in the rain. In Noah and Allie’s unforgettable movie breakup, I had to have faith like Noah that it still wasn’t over between the two. Plus, Noah also set the standards high for men when, as an old married couple, he dedicated himself to telling Allie their love story as she grapples with dementia. James Marsden continued to give his own reasons why he felt Nicholas Sparks’ main characters belonged together:
The dynamic between [Allie and Noah] and their chemistry was undeniable. And so I think, yeah, she should have ended up with Noah. That kind of love in that movie can be fiery and it can still be the right thing, the right person to be with. Not that Lon is a bad guy, he’s a really good guy! But there’s another lady out there for him, I’m sure, that’s very happy.
Lon definitely isn’t a bad guy! He was determined to go on a date with Allie after they met at the hospital, and was always kind to her. Lon even made sure to get her parents’ blessing before proposing like a gentleman. Funny enough, back in 2015 the X-Men actor said that people got mad at him for getting “involved with [Noah and Allie’s] love.” It wasn’t his fault that he pursued Allie by the time she was a single adult! But as Allie’s mother drove Noah away when he attempted to reconnect with her, there was no way I wanted her mother to have a final say in her daughter’s future again.
There may be people who think Allie should have chosen Lon instead of Noah, but I agree with James Marsden that Noah was the right choice. She followed her heart instead of fulfilling her parents’ expectations. And considering what a total catch Lon is, Marsden is right that I’m sure he found a lucky lady down the line.
Khloé Kardashian has been getting more and more into the fashion game in recent years with the launch of her Good American brand as well as a brand new (pink) collaboration with Fabletics, and this week she popped up with her fam sporting a brand new blue bikini with red cherries printed on it. Listen, I know the Kardashians are known for rocking a bikini (or maybe five), but this one piqued my interest in a huge way.
I can still remember the way I felt when I bought my first more grownup bikini at Target in my early teens. The print was a bright, sky blue with tiny red cherries strewn all over it. I used to lay by the pool in the late heat of summer at my neighbor Rachel and Sarah’s house lazily flicking away Japanese beetles as they wafted by while using my other arm to combat the sun in my eyes. It was the first suit I remember really being comfortable in my body in, but as one does at age 13, I continued growing and had to donate the bikini.
other swimwear by Kate Hudson’s brand. While Fabletics is all about the fun colors, it’s her Good American brand that actually has the best line of bikinis. This also includes a series of bikinis with a cherry print. One is black and one is white, and you can find them in stores like Nordstrom And Revolve.
You can get the look in varying silhouettes and sizes, and it also comes in both black and white with red cherries strewn throughout. If you aren’t all in on bikinis, a one-piece suit is also an option for purchase (and is on sale!).
Unfortunately, the blue bikini is still eluding me. At one point Kitteny had a very similar suit to Khloé’s, but it has since sold out, though they do still have a cute blue and red option available still. But I’m loving the white Good American look in particular, and I just might have to add it to my collection this summer while I lounge poolside with a mocktail and a book.
