Latest news with #TheMarvels
Buzz Feed
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
25 Things That Were Ruined When They Became Too Popular
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us which things were "ruined" when they became too popular. Here are the fascinating results: "Superhero movies. Please, please slow down. I grew up with Marvel and have been a fan for 30-odd years, but I am BEGGING them to just take a bloody break. It isn't that the content is bad — I'm one of the people who loved The Marvels — but I think we would all be quite happy to let the genre have a little rest while they figure out what they want to do." "College! College became the standard, and now, it doesn't make you stand out from your peers. Companies like to see a master's or another sort of certification beyond a bachelor's degree." "Tri-tip roast used to get it on sale for less than a dollar a pound (granted, quite a few years ago), but once it was discovered, the price went up rapidly — to now $8.00+ a pound." "Casual collecting or reselling culture. Once something becomes mildly popular, people always buy up the more rare or popular things." "Pickleball. It started off as a relatively unknown sport that my husband and I discovered about 10 years ago. It was easy to learn, made for great exercise, and the equipment was inexpensive. Now, it's become the in thing because of so-called celebrities like the Kardashians taking an interest in it. Because of that, the cost of pickleball equipment has skyrocketed, with retailers getting on board with 'specialized pickleball gear' (which isn't even necessary BTW) — and pickleball courts are jammed with people trying to become 'pickleball pros' on social media." "Specific dog breeds. This is an ongoing issue. Rabid GoT fans adopted huskies, then surrendered them to shelters when they couldn't care for them! Now, I'm hearing about people with French bulldogs getting attacked and their dogs stolen! If you want a canine companion, JUST GO TO A SHELTER!!!" "Stanley cups! The one I bought for less than $10 years and years ago had an unfortunate meeting with a fishing pond, and I thought, 'So sad, oh well. I'll just Amazon me a new one.' Nope. Not for $40, I won't." "Nashville. My hometown is so congested now, it's disgusting. The cost of living is higher now, too." "Liking kid's stuff. I mean, liking cartoons and collecting action figures or owning some plushies is fine. Disney Adults, Bronies, gatekeepers, collectors, etc., have taken over. A kid picks up Harry Potter, and instead of having a good mix of kids and teens and adults in the community, it's overrun by adults with excessive trivia knowledge, edging kids who just like the book out of the picture." "Tipping. It was only popular in the US, and while I'm a fan of globalization, the increase in tipping around the world is an unwanted side effect. People are expecting tips for everything at this point — even when they didn't directly provide a service (e.g., self-checkouts at grocery shops asking for tips). Tips are not supposed to be mandatory; they are supposed to be optional for good service." "Concert ticket prices nowadays are highway robbery, and that's not even counting the 'handling fee,' 'service fee,' and 'bleed you bloody dry' fee 😑." "Social media/networking. I remember the early days of Myspace when social sites were just starting. We actually used the sites to network with friends. Nowadays, social media/networking sites like Facebook, Instagram, X, etc. are toxic, politically divided cesspools where people only care about likes and followers." "Thrifting, especially clothes. Now, something that should be affordable and sustainable is more expensive and promotes overconsumption just as much as anything else. Big secondhand platforms are buying smaller ones and are running sales like fast-fashion websites. Don't get me wrong; buying used will always be more sustainable than buying new, especially from fast fashion — but constantly buying, selling, shipping, and warehousing — it doesn't feel like conscious shopping anymore." "Airbnb. They used to be fun and affordable. Now, they're all overpriced, and people are greedier than ever." "When I was a kid, the theme parks were not crowded. You didn't have long waits or high prices for everything. Now, with social media influencers, everything is not only extremely expensive, and now you have to wait in long lines for everything!" "A Nightmare Before Christmas. I used to watch that movie every Halloween and Christmas Day (and many times in between) because I loved that it blended my two favorite holidays, and I think Tim Burton is a genius. However, seeing Jack Skellington everywhere, ALL THE TIME, is just too much. Some people treat that movie like a religion, and it just totally ruined it for me." "Subscriptions for every damn thing, so you basically own nothing anymore. Microsoft Office? Annual subscription; must renew. Antivirus software? Annual subscription; must renew. Streaming platforms? Monthly subscription; must caveats! Pay for a cheaper plan with ads or a more expensive one without! No in-between. Every time I have to renew something, I always think to myself, 'I'd like to tell XYZ company where they can shove their subscription policy...'" "The Internet, the moment AOL (aka America Online) threw open its previously locked doors and unleashed millions of end users who cared not a whit for Netiquette in a comparatively calm, respectful world populated mostly by academics and scientists. Oh, yes, AOL had its place — AOL chatrooms were legendary — but a certain culture of openness and genuineness on the Internet was lost." "Casual crafting. With the rise of things like Etsy, you can't just craft anymore. If you make something cute or fun to share with others, everyone thinks it should be your side hustle. I don't want to sell things; I want to enjoy the peace of making something by hand. Crafting is allowed to exist as a way to relax!" "K-pop. It was nice and fun before, but like most things, fandoms took over and turned it into a hobby I don't like to admit I enjoy out loud." "Tacos and tequila! These days restaurants have 20 kinds of tacos and a separate tequila shot menu. Just bring me some authentic, delicious tacos and the house tequila, please!" "Spin-offs! Now, everything is in an extended universe, and there are so many things you're expected to watch to follow one main storyline, and I'm so tired. I have a job, I have a life, and I have to sleep; I want to watch a show or a movie to relax, not to be told, 'Oh, you'll appreciate this more if you watch these seven different episodes from eight different shows because there's one line that makes this so much more powerful.'" "The term' red flag.' It used to mean something, and now, it seems like something people throw around to mean something they don't like. I recently heard someone say that 'giving homework is a red flag,' which I'm pretty sure does not mean 'if a professor gives homework, then that's a warning that this professor is not a good professor,' since at least where I go to school, some departments mandate that professors give homework (which, let's be honest, is pretty gross) — and even if it's not mandated, professors often give homework because we just don't have time in class for everything, including going through problems. We're most likely already behind on our curriculum." "Camping. I've camped my whole life, and I love it. I truly encourage others to do so. Then, camping and RVing became insanely popular in 2020. Now, it's next to impossible to find camping reservations less than six months ahead of time, and the rich, entitled people have changed the atmosphere of the campground. Not to mention, the prices have doubled because these people want campground resorts with perfect WiFi." And finally... "Air travel. When I was younger, I thought everyone should travel more. Now that air travel has become super popular and the airlines try to squish as many people on board as possible, flying has become unbearable. Seats have become smaller and closer together, meal and drink service has taken a nose dive, we're charged for bags, and people who don't understand basic flying etiquette think people are being 'rude' to them when they act extremely entitled."
Geek Tyrant
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY Actor Kelsey Grammer Calls X-MEN Character Beast "The Martin Luther King of the Mutants" — GeekTyrant
Kelsey Grammer has been vocal about his excitement to return to the role of Beast from the X-Men franchise. He first jumped into the Marvel universe in the post-credits scene of The Marvels , where fans were stoked to see that he was returning to reprise his mutant character. He has since been cast in the major ensemble event film, Avengers: Doomsday , and he spoke a bit about Hank McCoy aka Beast in a recent appearance on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, where he said: 'I love the character. I love his… he is a stalwart, upright, serious-minded, decent man. And that's what I love about him. I think of him as being the Martin Luther King of the Mutants. He's got a dignity and a dream and is willing to fight for it — but slow to action in terms of fighting. He will always find every way he can not to have to fight. And then when it's the last possible response, then it's swift and severe. You know, give no quarter, expect none. And I liked that about him. He's a man of real stature, and that's what I intend to bring to him — ethical conduct. He's a man who studies good and does his best to live by that. And I like that.' Nicholas Hoult was cast as a younger take on McCoy in X-Men: First Class , and continued to play the character over the next three Fox-era movies. Grammer admits to feeling a bit "crestfallen" at the time. 'The response was pretty big, pretty positive. Like, 'Oh my God, it's Beast'. They did the… you know, they had the younger guy come on and play Beast for a couple. And I was a little crestfallen over that. I thought, 'Oh gee whiz.' But… I've always wanted to play him again.' We will just have to wait and see how his character does in this upcoming storyline, but hopefully he will be able to stick around for a while. Avengers: Doomsday arrives in theaters on May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027.
Express Tribune
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Marvel's ‘Thunderbolts' scores $76 million U.S. debut, ranks third-best box office opening of 2025
Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts has delivered a strong start at the 2025 box office, raking in an estimated $76 million domestically during its opening weekend. The ensemble antihero film, produced by Disney and Marvel, also achieved a global total of $162.1 million, marking it as the third-highest domestic debut of the year. This performance is especially notable considering Thunderbolts features a group of lesser-known MCU characters like Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), and Red Guardian (David Harbour). Analysts say this debut reinforces Marvel's ability to turn lesser-known heroes into big-screen draws. The film currently boasts an 88% 'Fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 257 critic reviews, alongside a 94% audience score, making it one of the most positively received Marvel releases in years. This is a welcome shift following the underperformance of recent titles like The Marvels and Captain America: Brave New World. Paul Dergarabedian of Comscore noted that Thunderbolts sets a strong tone for May and the summer movie season overall, especially after a slow start in 2024. Industry analysts believe Thunderbolts could see sustained ticket sales similar to other recent crowd-pleasers like A Minecraft Movie and Sinners. The film's success signals a creative rebound for Marvel, suggesting the studio is once again finding its groove with audiences and critics alike.
Wall Street Journal
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
‘Thunderbolts*' Review: Marvel's Superheroic Shrug
Bored, jaded, tired, out of gas and facing the Void. The script for 'Thunderbolts*' begs you to notice how its characters' internal doubts serve as allusions to the sorry state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So: refunds for everyone who bought a ticket to 'Eternals' or 'The Marvels'? A public apology for 'Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania'? No, just more of the smug, self-referential humor that sounds like screenwriters saying, 'We know you all think we're running low on imagination. Now here's a movie about that!' The dramatis personae are a dismal phalanx of second-raters who correctly keep telling each other, and the audience, how lame they are. In an opening mass-slaying so perfunctory that director Jake Schreier might as well have simply put up a card reading 'Generic fight scene,' Black Widow's little sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) languidly narrates script directions: 'You shoot, I dodge.' She and her cohorts are practically yawning with ennui. Screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo don't seem to grasp that yawns are contagious.
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Thunderbolts* review – Florence Pugh is saving grace of Marvel's hit-and-miss mess
Thunderbolts* can be messy. Not just the movie, with its clumsily forced narrative beats and whiplash tonal shifts. But also, its title characters, the broken and lonely souls who ditch the colourful costumes and wear their emotions on their sleeves, as if it's their brand. These reluctant heroes, led by Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova, the troubled sister to Scarlett Johansson's late Black Widow, are defined by how much they need therapy. They wrestle with themselves more than the bad guys, in a way that's more pronounced than the most unstable among Marvel's stable of wisecracking world saviors. They're endearingly vulnerable, at times devastatingly so, and yet still fun and exciting enough to save Marvel. The globe-dominating franchise, biding its time until the next wave of Avengers movies, has been in desperate need of saving, what with recent misfires like The Marvels and Captain America: Brave New World. And Thunderbolts, which happens to be the best thing to come from the brand since WandaVision (still the high watermark), gets the job done. You would be forgiven if you're wondering who the hell the Thunderbolts* even are. The title stylized with an asterisk playfully winks at the general air of uncertainty around them. In the comic books, Thunderbolts started out as a series where, in the Avengers absence, villains disguise themselves as heroes. Here they're a Suicide Squad-like team up consisting of villains and antiheroes, repurposed supporting figures from some of Marvel's more forgettable movies and TV shows. David Harbour returns as Yelena's dad Alexei Shostakov aka Red Guardian, who has been slumming it as a limo driver ever since the events in Black Widow, while readily on-call for hero duty. Wyatt Russell's John Walker, the disgraced Captain American replacement, who was fired after he murdered an unarmed insurgent in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, also checks in for duty. There's also Ant-Man and The Wasp's villain Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and, the most popular among them, Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), the former Winter Soldier. He's all too familiar with the redemption journey the Thunderbolts, all haunted by sins from their past, are embarking on. But this time, the redemption is two-fold. It belongs to Marvel too. I would be remiss not to point out that this franchise has a pretty good track record with B-teams like this. The whole MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) got off the ground with leftovers like Iron Man, Captain America and Thor, after all – when more popular heroes like Spider-Man and the X-Men had been loaned out to other studios. And when these would-be Avengers became the dominant force in entertainment, the Guardians of the Galaxy, complete with a machine gun toting raccoon and a tree voiced by Vin Diesel, came out of left field to grow into fan favourites. It's as if, when Marvel is unburdened by familiarity and the entitled demands of fans, they can approach something, dare I say, original. OK, maybe original is too much, then and now. Thunderbolts is more like a fresh spin on the familiar Avengers formula, one that, as Pugh inferred in an interview with Empire Magazine, borrows some trendy touches from indie A24 movies. The latter studio is behind Midsommar, the gruesome thriller where Pugh came on hard with the trauma, and Oscar-winner Everything Everywhere All At Once, which casts a large shadow over the plot and climactic action in Thunderbolts. The action, so often imbued with and even led by personality, immediately feels different from its opening frames, which actually boasts captivating aesthetics – a rarity in the Marvel universe. 'There is something wrong with me,' are the first words we hear from Pugh's Yelena, as she teeters over the edge of Merdeka 18, one of the world's the tallest building. She takes a deep and meaningful breath, as if she's comfortably embracing death (and this won't be the first time she does that), before leaping off the ledge. She's not taking her own life, but throwing herself into combat, engaged in impressive acrobatic choreography that's often shot from a distance or even overhead, as if disembodied, giving us the space to observe its thrills while also reflecting where she's at emotionally. She's talking about her feelings while throwing roundhouses. Her dry internal monologue riddled with flip gallows humour that fits the mood, as if she's detached from those emotions she identifies in comical though not necessarily healthy ways. Her mission is to destroy evidence, covering the tracks for Julia Louis-Dreyfus's scheming CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who Congress has in the hot seat for her questionable tactics. On another such mission, Yelena, along with fellow covert operators Ghost and John Walker, are themselves the targets. They're sent to take each other out. After a nifty little brawl, they decide, despite their antisocial behaviour, to work together instead. They also happen upon Bob, who Lewis Pullman plays as an undefined mass of anxieties and yearning. He's a top-secret human guinea pig, genetically engineered with cataclysmic superhuman abilities, which, as you would expect, goes bad. Here, Thunderbolts borrows a little from Josh Trank's Chronicle, which was also about giving superpowers to someone in crisis. The eventual showdown between the Thunderbolts and Bob's supervillain side the Void, who consumes humans in dark shadows, is ambitious if also ungainly, taking place largely in surreal internal spaces that Yelena amusingly dubs 'interconnected shame rooms'. The characters battle their emotions, fighting for healing, as the movie tries Everything Everywhere-style to wrestle some theatricality out of all this. That climax makes for an admirable attempt at doing right by the movie's mental health themes, which Thunderbolts, more often than not, doesn't earn. It's already hard to take this stuff seriously in a franchise trying to earn some goodwill as it nudges our attention towards upcoming Avengers movies. Thunderbolts often irritates because the depression and trauma the movie supposedly grapples with so often lives on the surface, like easy characters traits that are spoken out loud or worn like another costume fitting. But if it ultimately works, it's all due to Pugh, who can wrestle sincerity out of a screenplay (and a franchise) that has so little, capturing a whole emotional arc in just her moments of silence. She's a superhero performer, easily navigating the tricky balance between cheeky Marvel-brand humour and genuine pathos. Thunderbolts can be messy, sure. Pugh is the kind of star who can thrive in such mess. Thunderbolts is out in US and UK cinemas on 2 May
