Here's where to watch every Harry Potter movie online, including the Fantastic Beasts films and the 20th anniversary special, Return To Hogwarts. Since the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in 2001, Harry Potter has become one of the biggest franchises in cinema history, both in terms of box office (with over $8 billion in worldwide gross across the eight movies and two spinoffs) and cultural weight and legacy.
The Harry Potter movies remain incredibly popular with old fans while also being discovered by new generations, and part of the reason is how re-watchable they are. The Wizarding World was a mainstay in movie theaters for a decade, and has never really gone away thanks to spinoffs, movie marathons, theme parks, merchandise, and the sheer amount of fans it has across the globe. It's always been there for re-viewing, but what about on streaming?
Despite containing 10 movie installments split across two timelines to date, the Harry Potter films have historically been notoriously absent from the most popular streaming platforms. While the original Harry Potter films have since found a home on HBO Max and Peacock, the two Fantastic Beasts movies are still only available via rental or purchase options. Here's how to watch every Harry Potter movie online, including the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return To Hogwarts special.
Those looking to reacquaint themselves with the tale of the boy who lived have several viable online options. The first eight Harry Potter movies are available to stream on HBO Max right now, with the films added in June 2021 as a precursor to the HBO exclusive Return To Hogwarts release. Peacock Premium subscribers also have immediate access to the original Harry Potter film series, with NBC's streaming service hosting all eight titles as of January 2021. Amazon Prime Video also offers the option to purchase or rent these Harry Potter movie installments for those not signed up to HBO Max or Peacock Premium, while viewers in the UK can access all eight titles via Sky Movies' service-exclusive Wizarding World channel.
The Harry Potter prequel films are a much harder proposition to track down, with no streaming service currently offering either Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them or Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald as part of a subscription model to date. This being said, there are still options available here, with Sling TV periodically making Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them available via its live programming roster. The two Fantastic Beasts films are also available to rent via a number of platforms, including YouTube, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, or Vudu.
The Harry Potter reunion special is a HBO Max exclusive in the United States, with Return To Hogwarts releasing on January 1st, 2022. Those looking to watch the Harry Potter reunion via other means will be forced to wait, with WarnerMedia confirming Return to Hogwarts will also air on TBS and Cartoon Network sometime in the spring of 2022.
Encanto's unique first makes a common Disney trend involving families much darker. Disney movies have many common trends that appear again and again in their films, and one such trend involves motherhood. Parents are often absent from Disney stories, mothers most of all, only to be replaced by stepmothers who do not have the child's best interests at heart. Encanto rejects this trope by choosing to create much more nuanced motherly characters.
In Encanto, 15-year-old Mirabel is the only member of her family without a special power. She tries hard to please her grandmother Alma even though nothing she does is ever good enough, and she's far from the only Madrigal suffering under the weight of expectations. Despite how perfect they appear on the outside, the Madrigal family secretly struggles with burdens they feel they cannot share, in no small part because of the expectations Alma has for her family. This dynamic gets bad enough that Alma's son Bruno hides away altogether, choosing to live alone within the house's walls rather than continue living with that weight. Although it was never her intention to hurt her family, by seeking such unattainable greatness for everyone, Alma became Encanto's "villain," putting a new spin on an old Disney trend.
Encanto is the first Disney movie in which a biological mother is the villain of the story. Disney movies often include absent mothers or evil stepmothers, but Encanto does neither of these. Not only is Mirabel's mother Julieta present, Julieta's mother, the matriarch Alma, is the movie's villain because of her fear of losing everything she worked so hard to gain. This is something of a Disney first since no birth mother has ever been presented as the antagonist — stepmothers typically become the villain when they view the child as a threat to them and their status in the family. The idea of the biological mother casting her children out, even unwittingly through misguided idealism, is far darker than the otherwise black and white morality moms usually display in Disney films. However, there are also upsides to portraying such different types of mothers.
With the exception of Simba's mother Sarabi in The Lion King, birth mothers in Disney movies are usually killed off, absent, or overlooked. This paves the way for the main character, especially female protagonists in Disney princess movies, to either have some sort of conflict with their stepmother, like in Cinderella, and/or have to fill that motherly role in the household herself, like in Beauty and the Beast. This limited perception of motherhood says that "true" mothers, those who wanted to be one, can do no wrong. Their perfection would make it difficult for any conflict to drive the movie's plot forward, and so they must be removed from the story altogether. Pixar's Brave movie, which revolves around a difficult relationship between mother and daughter, does incorporate the mother a fair amount in the film, but she's not actually the bad guy since Merida's perception is just as much at fault for the conflict between them. Encanto, on the other hand, expands on the roles a mother can have in a Disney film.
Making a biological mother the villain of Encanto darkens Disney's trend of evil or absent mothers, partly because the conflict Alma unknowingly creates is one that many viewers might be all too familiar with — that of a parent with far too many expectations heaped on their child. Portraying different kinds of family dynamics on screen can help Disney expand the stories it tells as well as widen the types of audiences who relate to them. The underlying conflict in Disney's Encanto movie might be darker in some ways, but that can also make its heartfelt message that much sweeter.
Warning: contains spoilers for "A Face in the Crowd, Part Two" in Action Comics #1038!
The Martian Manhunter has clarified how his weakness to fire works, making it less goofy than Superman’s notorious aversion to Kryptonite. In a backup story, “A Face in the Crowd, Part Two,” appearing in Action Comics #1038, the Martian Manhunter finds himself in combat with his long-time nemesis the Human Flame. The villain is fire-based, which should spell certain doom for the Martian Manhunter, but readers learn this may not necessarily be the case.
The Martian Manhunter is one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, with Superman-levels of strength and endurance, along with a host of other fantastic powers, such as telepathy, shape-shifting, flight, and heat vision. Yet for all this great power, the Martian Manhunter has a weakness far more common than Superman’s Kryptonite: fire. This aversion to flames is rooted in Martian culture, with varying reasons as to why and how it came to be. The sight of fire can cause the Martian Manhunter to tense up, even causing him to freeze completely. A number of villains have learned to exploit this weakness over the years —the Human Flame primary among them— and in this latest story, he and Martian Manhunter find themselves face-to-face once again. While the Martian Manhunter had the perfect opportunity to take down his nemesis, the Human Flame’s powers would make it impossible—but the Human Flame and readers learn a fascinating aspect of the Martian Manhunter’s weakness. The story is written by Shawn Aldridge, with art by Adriana Melo, colors by Hi-Fi, and letters by Dave Sharpe.
The Human Flame has appeared at the Metropolis Museum, where the Martian Manhunter is investigating a mysterious artifact. After clearing the area of bystanders, the Manhunter charges the Human Flame. Using his telepathic powers, he senses this is a different Human Flame than he has fought before. The new Human Flame uses the original's suit, but it does not faze the Martian Manhunter. Shocked that his fire did not stop him, the Martian Manhunter informs the Human Flame that his reaction is relative to the flame—that a birthday cake will make him “tense” but not “make [him] wilt.” He then dispatches the Human Flame, leaving him for the authorities. The scene proves that, while even a small sliver of Kryptonite can harm Superman, it takes a lot of fire to bring the Martian Manhunter down.
Just as the Martian Manhunter’s powers can be nebulous, so can his weakness to fire. The various writers and artists who have left their stamp on the character have interpreted the Martian Manhunter’s aversion to fire in differing ways, but now it seems DC is attempting to clarify just exactly how it works. A small bit of fire will make him nervous, but it will not kill him. Meanwhile, even the smallest fragment of Green Kryptonite can kill Superman.
This puts both heroes’ weaknesses into perspective: fire is indeed far more common than Green Kryptonite, but it takes far more fire to kill the Martian Manhunter than Kryptonite to kill Superman. In many ways, it makes the Manhunter more powerful than the Man of Steel.
This spring Dark Horse Comics will debut a new Legends of Korra anthology comic featuring Korra and Team Avatar in a fresh series of adventures set in the world of the beloved TV show, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time, which features a whole slew of talented artists and writers, will follow Avatar Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, Tenzin and other favorites from the critically acclaimed spin-off series of Avatar: The Last Airbender.
The world of The Legend of Korra has not been seen in comic form since 2020 when the Earth Nation-focused three-part Ruins of the Empire series was released, which followed the drama surrounding the Earth Kingdom's first democratic election and the efforts to hold Kuvira accountable for her brutal actions in the fourth season of the TV show. This series followed 2019's first canonical comic continuation of Korra's story, Turf Wars, which centered around the vacuum in the crime world left by the death of the Triple Threats crime leader and Team Avatar's attempts to keep Republic City safe. Both miniseries have received critical acclaim and continued to explore the intense, emotional aspects of The Legend of Korra that fans have always loved.
The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time will feature art and stories from Michael Dante DiMartino (co-creator of The Legend of Korra), Kiku Hughes, Delilah S. Dawson, Jayd Aït-Kaci, Sam Beck, Heather Campbell, KaiJu, Alexandria Monik, Killian Ng, Rachel Silverstein, and Victoria Ying. Comics Beat revealed the beautiful cover of the anthology series, illustrated by Sachin Ten (Dragon Age). The cover shows features Korra and her partner Asami surrounding Raava the light spirit. While there have been no details released about what the anthology of stories will focus on, Dark Horse has made it clear that all the stories will be new adventures that take place in the world of Korra and Team Avatar.
Dark Horse Comics is explicitly publishing the anthology comic as a 10th anniversary project to commemorate the impact that The Legend of Korra has had, so it is sure to be filled with diverse and exciting stories to draw folks into the beautiful world of Avatar. With so many possibilities for stories one is left to wonder what these creators will focus on, such as powerful villains with complex stories from Korra's past, or even a return of the maniacal Azula? Dark Horse Comics had this to say about the upcoming anthology:
Celebrate new stories from The Legend of Korra!
Your favorite characters from Team Avatar and beyond are here in this collection of stories, from the heartwarming to the hilarious. Join Korra, Asami, Mako, Bolin, Tenzin, and more familiar faces from The Legend of Korra, featured in stories specially crafted by a bevy of talented comics creators! Be sure to add these all-new stories to your Avatar Legends library!
The world of Korra is ripe with endless stories, from the world's past and future, featuring Mako and his brother Bolin, the Tenzin family, the Beifong family, and a whole host of other favorites. Hopefully the upcoming anthology will feature some more loving moments between Korra and Asami, the iconic queer romance that was cemented in the The Legend of Korra and has provided some much needed representation for LGBTQ+ women of color. Make sure to pick up Dark Horse Comics' gorgeous 80-page anthology The Legend of Korra: Patterns in Time when it debuts on April 12th, 2022 to continue following the stories of Korra and her friends.
Source: Comics Beat
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker added its first raid dungeon Pandaemonium: Asphodelos and its Limbo armor sets with Patch 6.01. The sets feature muted colors, flowy fabric, and will soon have ivory weapons to match. The simplistic style blends the aesthetic of Ancient cloaks and Lopporit robes, and Warriors of Light will look right at home standing next to the supporting cast of Pandaemonium's storyline.
[Warning: spoilers for FFXIV: Endwalker below.]
Treasure coffers that appear upon defeating Pandaemonium bosses drop tokens that can be exchanged for gear of the player's choosing. There are four circles of Pandaemonium: Asphodelos and players can obtain one token per circle each week. Upon completing Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle, players can also earn a weekly Unsung Blade of Asphodelos. FFXIV players obtain Pandemonium raid gear by exchanging tokens with Mylenie in Labyrinthos or Djole in Radz-at-Han.
The Blades can't be exchanged yet but will be after the introduction of Allagan Tomestones of Astronomy, which are scheduled to be released two weeks after Patch 6.01. Until then, players can collect Limbo armor from head to toe for all classes. Rather than giving each FFXIV job class armor unique to them, the sets are broken down into roles Fending, Maiming, Striking, Scouting, Aiming, Casting, and Healing. Limbo armor of Fending is for Paladin, Warrior, Dark Knight, and Gunbreaker. This is the only set of the 7 that doesn't share its style with another class.
Pandaemonium's Limbo armor of Striking for Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker's Monk and Samurai is a darker recolor of the Maiming set worn by Dragoon and Reaper. Healing and Casting share the same style of robes, with White Mage, Astrologian, Sage, and Scholar in a priestly white-grey. Casters Summoner, Black Mage, and Red Mage have them in black, giving more of a wizardly vibe. Ninja's Scouting armor shares its style with Aiming. Bard, Machinist, and Dancer wear the darker Aiming set, equipped with a black sash.
Recolors aren't uncommon in FFXIV, and are especially reasonable considering that Endwalker brought the game's job total up to 19, or 20 including Blue Mage. Condensing armor sets this way may even allow the developer to spread out its resources to other areas. Although it may have been not the main intention, similar and shared armor also feels appropriate for Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker's Elpis location.
The Pandaemonium facility is located below Elpis, a place from the World Unsundered. In this time and place, people found it inappropriate to dress differently from one another. Pretty much everyone wore black hooded robes, sometimes white, and the same decorative masks, so the simplicity of the armor found there feels pretty accurate to the lore.
Pandaemonium: Asphodelos has players collecting Unsung relics of various armor types from the world's past, and then bringing these relics to the present. Perhaps the relics are reconstructed with a modern spin, giving players the part-Ancient, part-Lopporit style of the Limbo equipment sets. Although, since this token exchange mechanic and shared role gear is nothing new, it's probably a coincidence.
FFXIV: Endwalker's Pandaemonium gear is obtained by trading tokens dropped by bosses. For one piece of Limbo body armor, players must trade four Unsung Armor of Asphodelos, and for leg armor they need four Unsung Chausses of Asphodelos. Compared to other armor slots, body and leg armor tend to give characters the largest stat increases when upgraded. 2 Unsung Helm of Asphodelos can be exchanged for a headpiece, two Unsung Gauntlets of Asphodelos can be exchanged for hand gear, and two Unsung Greaves of Asphodelos can be exchanged for foot gear. Accessories provide the smallest stat increase, so those can be obtained with a single Unsung Ring of Asphodelos.
Regardless of the Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker job the player is when they obtain Pandaemonium: Asphodelos tokens, they can exchange tokens for any job's gear. Perhaps they attend boss fights as a Black Mage in Casting armor; they can still take their tokens to acquire Limbo armor of Fending, Maiming, Striking, Scouting, Aiming, or Healing instead. If players feel like gearing up a different class but don't want to dive into Pandaemonium with them, this remains a convenient option. What's less convenient is the weekly limit on tokens; only one can be obtained from each of the four circles of Pandemonium before the Tuesday reset.
It currently takes several weeks to obtain enough tokens for a full set of Limbo armor. Each circle of Pandaemonium has treasure coffers that drop specific tokens as well, so if a player needs a token for a specific slot they may need to challenge bosses multiple times. FFXIV's Asphodelos: The First Circle can drop two Unsung Helm of Asphodelos, two Unsung Rings, and one of each of Gauntlets, Armor, Chausses, and Greaves. These tokens are distributed among the eight members of the raid party with the usual Greed/Need roll system.
The Second Circle of Asphodelos can drop two Unsung Rings, and one of each of Helm, Gauntlets, Armor, Chausses, and Greaves. The Third Circle can drop two Unsung Armor, two Chausses, two Rings, and one of both Helm and Gauntlet. Tokens for Greaves can't be obtained at the Third circle, so if players must repeat fights they should keep each one's treasure coffer in mind. The Fourth Circle can drop two Unsung Armor, two Chausses, two Rings, and one of both Gauntlet and Greaves. In the case of the Fourth Circle, there is no chance for an Unsung Helm to drop.
Pandaemonium: Asphodelos challenges FFXIV players and has seven sets of Limbo armor as rewards, each one complete with Head, Body, Hands, Legs, Feet, Ring, Bracelets, Necklace, and Earring equipment. Barring the fact that Limbo Ring is Unique, meaning that players can only wear one at a time, they can fully dress their character in Ancient-style armor in roughly five weeks. By the time they're fully equipped, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker's Warriors of Light will look perfect next to Erichthonios and Themis as they enter the next wing of Pandaemonium, Abyssos in 2022.
Caution: Spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Audience reactions to 2002’s Spider-Man are drastically different compared to those of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, showing how much the theatergoing experience has changed in almost 20 years. Footage from a May 2002 showing of Sam Raimi’s beloved superhero film shows a tamer set of reactions to some of the film’s key moments. With audience reactions to No Way Home’s biggest surprises being notably lively, one can see how certain details in comic book movies were treated differently before the genre became the pop culture juggernaut that it is today.
Sam Raimi’s celebrated Spider-Man changed the superhero film landscape. With an unprecedented focus on blending realism with comic book fantasy and an unapologetic earnestness, the film raised the standards for superhero comic adaptations and cleared the way for similar adaptations of Marvel Comics characters, eventually resulting in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which itself changed the tentpole film landscape with 2012’s The Avengers. Although the Infinity Saga ended with Avengers: Endgame, the MCU proves that it’s still as strong as ever with No Way Home, a massive critical and commercial success that tied all three cinematic eras of Spider-Man together.
Footage from Spider-Man’s opening week shows audiences reacting to specific moments from the film. There is subdued laughter at the film’s many comedic moments and some light applause at the introduction of characters like J. Jonah Jameson. By contrast, audience reactions to the surprise character reveals in No Way Home were far more intense. Theatergoers shouted and cheered for the triumphant reappearance of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s iterations of the web-head, and there were similar reactions to Matt Murdock’s surprise cameo. As the MCU has grown in popularity the films have started to garner stronger reactions among viewers.
In 2002, the superhero film genre was rather niche, with massive pop culture icons like Superman and Batman being the source of successful film franchises, but few other heroes meeting the same success. Blade and X-Men performed well, but it was almost despite their comic book source material. Spider-Man helped build the modern superhero film, making comic-accurate depictions of superheroes appeal to both general audiences and die-hard fans. Thanks to both Spider-Man and the MCU, what was once a niche genre is now one of the most mainstream film categories.
If Spider-Man was released in today’s cinematic climate, audiences would have reacted quite differently to certain scenes. Viewers would have cheered with joy over J. Jonah Jameson’s introductory scene and the unveiling of Spider-Man’s suit in the crime-fighting montage. Comic Easter eggs, like the mention of Eddie Brock and the Green Goblin’s comic-accurate death, would have likely elicited whoops and rounds of applause as well.
The MCU has familiarized general audiences with comic book lore and concepts that were once considered non-mainstream. With over a decade of crowd-pleasing films, the franchise has also built a rapport with viewers, making payoffs like the Time Heist and act 3 battle in Avengers: Endgame draw cheers from viewers simply for referencing other MCU films, not their comic inspirations. With a far more general audience and with comic book superheroes now a mainstream film genre, reactions to No Way Home were far more intense than they were for 2002’s Spider-Man.
Will Forte is known foremost as a comedian. The funnyman came to audiences through his humor. However, throughout his career, Forte has expanded his work as an actor. Some fans know Will Forte from his TV roles like The Last Man On Earth. He has appeared in comedic roles in movies like Good Boys and in more straightforward dramatic roles in films like Nebraska.
Forte fans have taken to IMDb to rank his best movies. His live-action roles, as well as animated movies he's lent his voice to, are represented in his ranked filmography. The highest-ratest Forte films wouldn't be the same without his showcased performances.
Fanboys presents the story of a few Star Wars fans. The childhood buddies meet up later in life and decide to go on a mission to steal an artifact related to one of their favorite movies. The late 2000s film lists Sam Huntington and Kristen Bell among its stars.
Will Forte is among several small parts played by notable comedians like Kevin Smith and Danny McBride. He is credited as THX Security Guard #4. Fanboys doesn't present Forte's most memorable role, and fans of the actor may not be surprised that his small part fails to showcase his complete ability, giving making it one of his lower-rated movies.
Will Forte acts in one of his most unique movies with Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. The movie comes from the comedy troupe The Lonely Island and presents audiences with a mockumentary. The movie pokes fun at music documentaries, as well as the rise to fame of contemporary music stars that found their starts on sites like YouTube.
Forte has a small role in the movie. He is credited as a Bagpipe Player and appears infrequently. However, his appearance helped complete Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping. Furthermore, Forte's small roles seem to show a pattern in widely-watched comedy films.
Good Boys focuses on a group of young kids. The film follows three friends as they navigate the misadventures of sixth grade and their home lives driven by their parents. Will Forte plays the father of protagonist Max.
The movie is propelled by the kids, most of the gags are performed by them, and jokes are based around the contrast between their young ages and adult situations. However, fans of the film might say the biggest laughs of the movie come from the few moments when Forte shines, especially when he reacts to his son's disobedience.
Will Forte stars in one of David Wain's most highly-rated movies with A Futile And Stupid Gesture. The movie follows the true story of National Lampoon magazine, and its co-founder Doug Kenney. Forte gives one of his most noteworthy performances as Kenney.
It is no surprise to fans of Forte that he holds his own among other comedians who appear in the film like Jon Daly and Joe Lo Truglio. Furthermore, Forte showcases one of his most demanding performances as he balances comedy with drama in the biographical role.
A children's book was brought to life with the release of Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs. The story follows an inventor whose experiments go awry, leading to the titular problem of food storms causing conflict for those below the Earth's atmosphere.
Will Forte plays a bit comedic role in the movie. He voices Joe Towne, who although not integral to the movie's plots, appears several times to don out jokes. Fans of Forte might say he is cause for the biggest laughs in the movie.
Fans got a sequel that gave the original a run for its money with 22 Jump Street. Some fans even say 22 Jump Street is better than the original film. The action-comedy presents a plot similar to the events of 21 Jump Street, where two police officers go undercover among high school students.
Forte has a small role in 22 Jump Street. In fact, many fans may not remember him in the movie. He lends his voice to the movie as narrator and a football announcer and is sometimes uncredited in the celebrated comedy.
Forte presents one of his indie-comedy roles in Booksmart. The late 2010s movie follows Molly Davidson and Amy Antsler, two high school students as they navigate life in their last days before graduation. The movie focuses on Molly and Amy, but an older generation is also on display.
Forte plays Amy's dad Doug Antsler. Fans of the movie might say he shines in the comedic role. Those who rated it highly may say an awkward and enthusiastic father figure is a near-perfect fit for Forte's signature comedic acting.
Nebraska is one of director Alexander Payne's highest-rated films. Furthermore, it presents Will Forte in one of his most prominent roles, and perhaps the most dramatic. He plays David Grant, son of Bruce Dern's Woodrow T. "Woody" Grant, as he follows his dad from Montana to Nebraska in Woody's journey to claim prize money.
The movie shows audiences Forte's range. While often cast in supporting roles or starring in comedy films, Forte holds his own starring in the black and white dramatic picture. The movie received several accolades following its release, and Forte's spirited performance couldn't be ignored.
Will Forte performed in perhaps his biggest Hollywood blockbuster with The Lego Movie. It is hard to deny the influence of The Lego Movie franchise, along with the Lego company's relevance in pop culture. Forte lent his voice to the early 2010s movie, along with a galaxy of stars.
Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, and Morgan Freeman are among the celebrities who join Forte in The Lego Movie cast. Forte voices Abraham Lincoln and joins other pop culture icons like DC's Batman and Star Wars' C-3PO in the adventure comedy.
My Life as a Zucchini, or Ma vie de Courgette, is Will Forte's highest-rated film on IMDb. The French-language movie presents a stop-motion animated film set in Switzerland. It tells the story of Icare, an orphan who navigates life after losing his parents to death and abandonment.
Forte plays a smaller role in the movie. His character is Mr. Paul, and he isn't showcased as frequently as Icare or Camille. However, My Life as A Zucchini wouldn't be what it is without Forte's inclusion. The movie gained accolades from Academy Award nominations to high ratings on sites like IMDb.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' breakout star Simu Liu recently revealed that he would love to see Shang-Chi team up with Korg. The Canadian actor became the first actor of Asian descent to be the main character in an MCU film, with the first Asian actor in the MCU being Benedict Wong back in 2016 with Doctor Strange. In just its first weekend, Shang-Chi became the first movie in the pandemic era to hit $200 million at the box office; it was the first film to do so since Bad Boys For Life in February 2020. The film was a success with both critics and audiences, who thoroughly enjoyed the action-packed movie.
Much like Shang-Chi, Korg has been another fan-favorite amongst the Marvel community ever since his debut in Thor: Ragnarok. Voiced by director Taika Waititi, Korg also appeared in Avengers: Endgame in the Fortnite scene in New Asgard. Despite having limited screen time, Korg steals the spotlight in every scene, delivering hilarious and witty lines to perfection. Korg is mostly seen with his companion Miek, who, unlike Korg, does not say a single word.
In a recent video for GQ, Simu Liu revealed his dream MCU character team-up. Liu said he'd love Shang-Chi to share the screen with Korg. Interestingly, the Thor: Ragnarok fan-favourite was also chosen by Kit Harington to be his dream MCU team-up partner. Liu expressed his fascination for Korg when he first saw the character appear on the screen. He recalls Korg's "magnetic personality":
"I would say from the moment I saw Korg onscreen, I knew that I liked him. I knew that he had a magnetic personality and I knew that I wanted to spend time with him. And so I would love for Shang-Chi and Korg to do little team-up, little banter-y love/hate friendship, kind of thing, little buddy comedy together.”
Liu added that if he had to pick another MCU actor to work with for a longer scene or an entire movie, he would choose Chris Hemsworth, jokingly saying that Hemsworth's biceps would make him look like a "little string bean" and add to his insecurity. Hemsworth will be appearing in Thor: Love and Thunder, making it his eighth MCU appearance as the God of Thunder. Hemsworth recently commented on his MCU future, following Tom Holland's comments about his future as Spider-Man, with many fans wondering if Hemsworth would continue playing Thor, or finally hang up the hammer in the fourth Thor film.
However, unlike Hemsworth's doubts about continuing with Thor, Liu will definitely be returning as Shang-Chi in the near future. Marvel recently revealed that the MCU hit would be receiving a sequel, with Liu advocating for the first film's director, Destin Daniel Cretton, to helm the sequel as well. Cretton is also confirmed to be working on a Marvel Disney+ TV series, but it's not currently known if it will be related to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Regardless of what the show ends up being about, Liu (and fans alike) would likely love a small appearance from Korg.
Source: GQ/YouTube
Looking back at the year of movies in 2021, everyone will have their own opinion about which was the best of the year. But it is also fun to see which movies earned the biggest praise from audiences and stood out among the countless releases of the year.
Letterboxd is a terrific format for movie fans to log and rate the movies they watch throughout the year. Given the cinema-loving users, it is interesting which movies they chose as the best of the year. From powerful documentaries to intense dramas to fun superhero epics, these 2021 movies ranked as the highest user scores.
While documentaries can often get overlooked by the general public, the user community at Letterboxd highlighted a few that stood out among the best movies of the year. One such non-fiction movie was the gripping The Rescue.
The movie chronicles the incredible and seemingly impossible rescue mission that took place in 2018 when a group of 12 boys and their coach became stuck in a flooded cave in Thailand. Many viewers called The Rescue a more intense thriller than any other movie of 2021.
Few people were looking for a remake of the classic musical West Side Story, but with Steven Spielberg at the helm, it certainly grabbed everyone's attention. Spielberg proved once again why he is one of the greatest directors of all time with this vibrant, touching, and powerful musical.
The period setting comes alive at the hands of the master filmmaker and serves as a journey to share the world with these characters and become entranced by the music that is still effective all these years later.
Given that Judas and the Black Messiah was already a contender at the last Oscars ceremony, fans may be confused about how it ended up on a list of 2021 movies. However, the movie was actually released in early 2021 and was still eligible due to last year's new Oscar rules.
The movie told the gripping true story of the plot by the FBI to take down the Black Panther Party's powerful leader, Fred Hampton. Daniel Kaluuya won an Oscar for his towering performance as Hampton and the movie was regarded as a hard-hitting historical piece that holds strong relevance today.
Along with being Letterboxd's most popular movie of the year, Dune is also one of the top-rated among users. The ambitious adaptation of Frank Hubert's seminal sci-fi novel was brought to life by visionary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.
Many viewers were blown away by Dune's engrossing atmosphere and complex story of intergalactic intrigue. Along with telling this grand and epic saga, it also got fans eagerly awaiting the second part of the story which is still to come.
Paul Thomas Anderson is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today and there is excitement among fans whenever his latest project is set to be released. Anticipation for his latest movie Licorice Pizza seems to have been well-placed as it is one of Anderson's top-rated movies.
The coming-of-age comedy follows a high school boy who forms a relationship with an older girl in the San Fernando Valley in 1973. The movie has been praised as a funny, touching, and thoroughly entertaining new addition to Anderson's incredible filmography.
Letterboxd is always a great platform for highlighting movies from all over the world that have made a big impression. The Worst Person in the World is one of the international titles that gained considerable acclaim from users in 2021.
The inventive dark comedy from Norway follows a young woman as she struggles with her own love life and uncertainty about her career. The movie gained buzz after its debut at the Cannes Film Festival and fans have continued to talk about it as one of the year's best since then.
The documentary Summer of Soul uncovers an incredible music festival that took place during the same summer as Woodstock yet didn't get nearly as much attention. The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival was a celebration of Black music and Black pride and the documentary showcases the incredible never-before-seen footage from that powerful event.
Along with being a terrific concert movie, Summer of Soul is an engrossing glimpse at a key era of change amidst this celebration. It is beautiful, inspiring, and entertaining.
Just a couple of years after collecting his Best Actor Oscar for his dark performance in Joker, Joaquin Phoenix is once again receiving widespread acclaim for his much lighter performance in the comedy-drama C'mon C'mon.
Phoenix plays a journalist who is asked to take care of his young nephew and he proceeds to take him on an explorative trip across the country. Viewers were enchanted by the sweet and engaging story of family that features a great performance from Phoenix and his young co-star Woody Norman.
Another international movie that made a big impact on viewers in 2021 was the Japanese movie Drive My Car. It tells the story of a widowed stage director who is invited to participate in a festival. As he is driven around by his festival chauffeur, the man learns to face some hard truths he has avoided.
Despite the three-hour runtime, many viewers were riveted by the complex drama. As more fans name it as one of the year's best movies, it could become 2021's breakout international movie.
While it is no surprise that Spider-Man: No Way Home would be one of the biggest box office hits of the year, few expected that it would also rank as one of the most acclaimed. Despite the idea of superhero fatigue still being talked about, users at Letterboxd were significantly thrilled by the MCU's latest adventure.
The movie follows the aftermath of Peter Parker's identity getting out as well as the opening of the multiverse with a lot of big implications. It made for an emotional, entertaining, and surprising movie that ranks among the MCU's best.
Fans of staying updated on the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star’s dating lives will be interested to learn that Kim Kardashian and her most recent fling Pete Davidson are sticking to group dates lately. Kim first began seeing the King of Staten Island star in October after hosting Saturday Night Live, sparking dating rumors weeks later. The relationship is the first romance to develop since Kim announced her divorce from ex-husband Kanye West, with whom she shared four children.
After being friends for many years, Kim and Kanye began officially dating in 2012, Kanye confirming he had feelings for the KUWTK star for years prior. Later that same year, Kim confirmed that she was expecting her first child with the Gold Digger rapper. The pair quickly became the media power couple, Kimye, and proceeded to parent North West, 8, Saint, 6, Chicago, 3, and finally Psalm, 2. Rumors of a rift within their marriage began in late 2020, with sources close to Kim confirming that she was living separately from Kanye and done with the six-year marriage in January 2021. Kim filed for divorce in February and has since been officially available within the dating scene.
Since Kim’s relationship with Kanye ended, all eyes we’re on the KKW mogul’s next romantic move, which became Pete Davidson. While sparks have been allegedly flying between the pair, Kim prefers group excursions out of concern for her ex-husband. Sources close to Kim reported to Page Six that “The group outings are to spare Kanye’s feelings. Kim doesn’t want to do what her sister does with Travis Barker, the non-stop PDA photos.” The source added that Kim “thinks hanging out in a group makes it seem more casual. She wants to keep Kanye from being hurt and devastated.” Kanye has a history of mental illness, diagnosed with bipolar disorder, often suffering from paranoid episodes. Since the pair’s split, Kanye has been vocal about his desire to get back together with the KUWTK star, publicly denouncing her decision to leave him.
While Kanye might be struggling with the news-breaking divorce, Kim filed to be declared legally single amid the divorce on December 10. Kim has been spotted on a group date at Knott’s Berry Farm with Kourtney Kardashian and her fiancé Travis Barker and later on with Scott Disick and other close friends in New York City. Pete has also charmed his way into the Kardashian clan by spending time in California with Kris Jenner and Flavor Flav. Sources close to the pair confirm they are having a fun time exploring the new relationship and that the KUWTK star has been taking things slowly as she tests the waters with Pete.
Now that Kim will hopefully be declared legally single by her ex-husband by a judge Keeping Up With the Kardashians fans can finally see what lies in store next for her love life. Kanye has a large audience of followers, and his public protests for Kim to come back to him have likely complicated Kim’s process for moving on. Regardless of the couple’s tumultuous relationship, it’s clear through Kim’s recent actions that she still cares deeply for her ex’s feelings as they continue along with the divorce proceedings. Kim has a long history of respecting and supporting Kanye during times of trouble as the father of her four children. It seems pretty clear that Kim chooses to continue the tradition of respect for Kanye’s feelings as she explores new horizons with Pete Davidson, one group date at a time.
Source: Page Six
After a year of absences and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marvel Studios came back stronger than ever with 9 MCU releases across 2021. The year marked the start of the MCU's Phase 4, which Marvel studios started on a high note with the release of WandaVision. The highly anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home rounded out the year, which is on track to become the biggest movie of 2021, and perhaps one of the biggest movies of all time. All in all, Marvel Studios released 4 new movies and 5 Disney+ shows, bringing the total number of projects up to 9, easily the highest out of any other year for the MCU.
More importantly, 2021 saw Marvel Studios venture into the world of television for the first time, with 5 shows released throughout the year. The Disney+ shows were a huge success due to their longer form of storytelling and gripping, emotional plots. Marvel Studios managed to bring the MCU movie experience to the small screen through these shows due to their cinematic budget, while at the same time upholding a semi-steady flow of weekly MCU content year-round.
The MCU has grown significantly in 2021, with its projects bringing the total number of official MCU installments to 32. Next year promises to be an even bigger year for the shared universe, with 3 movies, 4 shows, and 2 Disney+ specials slated for release in 2022. As 2021 comes to a close, it's worth looking back at the nine MCU releases of the year to see how these projects stack up against one another.
Starting off the list is Eternals. The November release introduced audiences to a team of 10 immortal beings that have watched over the earth for millennia. Unfortunately, Eternals failed to achieve its full potential with critics deeming the movie lackluster. The MCU's 26th movie was the first to receive a rotten stamp from the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, even though its audience scores are not the lowest out of all the other MCU movies. Expectations were high for Eternals, especially with Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao behind the camera, but the film failed to deliver on most fronts, relegating it to the last spot on the list.
What If...? was Marvel's first foray into animation—at least where the MCU is concerned—which they utilized to tell an anthology that would be impossible to pull off in live-action. The animated series explored the multiverse as it showed how key MCU moments played out in alternate realities. However, the lack of real stakes makes this the MCU's most unnecessary project, as it did nothing to further the MCU's story and branched out in so many different directions that it left audiences wondering: what's the point? The unique premise and the introduction of Uatu The Watcher (Jeffery Wright) make What If...? an enjoyable series, but its uniqueness was not enough to grip audiences the way the remaining projects on the list did.
Marvel Studios' first film after a 2-year gap, Black Widow, is next on the list. Scarlett Johansson finally got to star in her own movie after 11 years of playing Natasha Romanoff in the MCU. The movie had an unexpected family-centric story that followed Natasha's adventures as a fugitive between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. The film had a lot of high points throughout, such as Natasha and Yelena's (Florence Pugh) relationship and David Harbour's portrayal of the Red Guardian, but the fact that it's a prequel to Natasha's death in Avengers: Endgame was detrimental to the film's stakes. While still a great film, the setting of the film as well as its predictable ending hold it back.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier dealt with the aftermath of Steve's (Chris Evans) decision to pass the shield on to Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) at the end of Endgame. The 6-episode show focused on Sam's moral struggle as he tried to decide whether he should take up the mantle of Captain America or not. Marvel's second show included some impactful social commentary about racial discrimination and social status, and balanced it out with great cinematic action and an espionage theme. However, the show's obvious twists and lackluster villains prevent it from cracking MCU's 2021 top 5.
Being the last original Avenger to receive his own project, the Hawkeye show finally gave Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) a chance to shine. Drawing inspiration from the fan-favorite Hawkeye run by Matt Fraction, the Christmas-themed Disney+ show told a grounded and contained story about Clint taking on Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) as his protege. The show also featured Vincent D'Onofrio's long-awaited return as the Kingpin, but this time as part of the MCU. While not perfect, Hawkeye was a great addition to the MCU, and the fact that it brings up the halfway point on this list speaks volumes of the quality of the four remaining entries.
Next up is Loki, Marvel's first project centered around a villain. Loki introduced the multiverse and variants to the MCU, two concepts that will form the basis of quite a few of the remaining Phase 4 releases, not the least of which is next year's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Tom Hiddleston was able to show a new side of Loki after already playing the character for 10 years. The Disney+ show also featured Jonathan Majors MCU debut as Kang the conquerer, or at least a variant of him; the villain most likely to replace Thanos as the next multi-phase threat. Loki was able to merge romance, time travel, and universe-ending stakes in a 6-part saga that rivals the MCU's best. A second season has already been confirmed, and will probably deal with the ramifications of Sylvie's (Sofia Di Martino) decision to kill He Who Remains.
Perhaps the most creative MCU release to date, WandaVision kicked off Phase 4 through a twisted take on the sitcom genre. Audiences finally got to witness the consequences of all the loss Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) experienced as part of the Avengers. The show primarily dealt with Wanda's grief, which led her to hold an entire town hostage while she created a reality that reflects her vision of the perfect life, influenced by the sitcoms she used to watch as a kid. Wanda's character development throughout the series was one of its highlights; by finally giving Wanda enough screen time to do the character justice, WandaVision delved deep into the journey one goes through after experiencing the loss of a loved one, a journey that is unfortunately relatable to a large number of viewers. WandaVision's fusion of genres, coupled with its creative storytelling format, makes it the best MCU show to date. Audiences will get to see Wanda again in the upcoming Multiverse of Madness, where she is rumored to play an antagonistic role.
Sony and Marvel Studios' latest collaboration, Spider-Man: No Way Home was the last MCU movie of 2021. No Way Home saw Tom Holland's Peter Parker take on villains from all over Spider-Man's 20-year history on the silver screen. This multiversal fiasco was filled to the brim with fan-service moments, while at the same time delivering a heartfelt and emotional Spider-Man story. No Way Home is the highest-rated live-action Spider-Man film, which is fitting given the fact that it's a celebration of everything that came before it. No Way Home's bittersweet ending was the perfect way to conclude Tom Holland's first MCU trilogy and set up his second one as the wall-crawling hero. While the Spider-Man threequel is on a clear path to becoming the highest-grossing movie of the year, and possibly one of the highest ever, there is still one MCU project that managed to deliver a better story in 2021.
Coming in at number one, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the MCU's best outing of 2021. Before this movie, Shang Chi was only known to a percentage of avid comic book readers, yet his MCU adaptation highlighted the character's best aspects with the aid of Simu Liu and Tony Leung's brilliant performances as Shang Chi and Wen Wu, respectively. The film juggled themes of legacy and parental expectations, while introducing audiences to an entire cast of new characters, and finally resolving Iron Man 3's infamous Mandarin twist.
While the film's climax featured the same CGI-heavy final battle customary in MCU films, the stunning visual effects combined with precise choreography set this a tad above the usual MCU standard. Even though Wandavision was more creative, and No Way Home was an epic cinematic event, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was the most rounded-out MCU project of the year, as it managed to deliver a compelling and personal story as well as introduce half a dozen interesting characters. All of these factors combined make Shang Chi the best MCU release of 2021.
From new characters to new versions of old ones, from mega-blockbusters to small screen twisted sitcoms, the MCU was more diverse than ever in 2021. The Disney+ shows introduced a new form of storytelling essential to exploring a few of the MCU's most underutilized characters, while the MCU movies continue to give audiences memorable experiences with their genre-defining superhero films. Even though the year had its fair share of highs and lows, 2021 was one of the best years for MCU enthusiasts as it had more new content than some of them can keep up with, and 2022 looks to continue this trend with movie sequels starring Marvel's most popular characters, and new Disney+ shows introducing long-awaited fan-favorite characters into the MCU.