Category: UNCATEGORIZED

08 Oct 2021

Venom: Let There Be Carnage – Which Character Are You, Based On Your Zodiac Sign?

Picking up where Venom left off, Venom: Let There Be Carnage faces the wide-eyed symbiote with his greatest enemy: Carnage. First, though, Venom will have to come to terms with both his host body and his own place in the world.

RELATED: 10 Explanations For Venom 2's Post-Credit Sequence

Venom: Let There Be Carnage spends most of its time on the dynamic between Eddie Brock and Venom. However, there is still a wide array of both returning and new characters who can each be assigned one of the 12 signs on the astrological chart.

12 Aries - Cletus Kasady

The Aries is someone who gets angry so regularly that they forget why they became angry in the first place. Rams get bored without constant stimuli and will do just about anything if egged on. Cletus Kasady almost never stops getting angry.

Kasady says he's had a hard life (i.e. abuse from his grandmother and mother) but he doesn't know how to use his anger for positive means. The red-haired serial killer can come across as simple, like a constantly grinning child. His preferred stimulus is (fittingly) carnage, which he embraces frequently. Going to that prison cell was one of the worst decisions Eddie Brock has made. Had he stayed away from Kasady, the killer would never have been exposed to the symbiote which allows him to experience violence on a whole new level.

11 Taurus - Anne Weying

A Taurus is going to be happy with the status quo. They think logically and frequently find themselves rigidly adhering to a schedule. Because of this, the Bull is typically viewed as hard-headed. Anne Weying (Michelle Williams) is probably the only non-symbiote stubborn enough to be able to put up with Eddie Brock.

On top of being the most likable character in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Weying is a strictly logical thinker. Emotion hardly ever takes over with her and she can embrace potentially catastrophic situations with a clear head. This agency was seen in Venom and again in Venom: Let There Be Carnage (although with less screentime). 

10 Gemini - Venom

A twin can capture an entire room's attention with their voice. They have the mind of a Renaissance man, engaging in many topics. Lastly, a Gemini can flip any awkward conversation with a joke. All of these traits indicate someone who's great at a party. And, as seen in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Venom is great at a party.

RELATED: The 10 Best Quotes From Venom Let There Be Carnage

A Renaissance man is someone who can tackle just about any task with a comparable level of efficiency. Venom has a child's curious mind and tends to give his best shot no matter the scenario. Venom also has the tendency to drop a joke in the middle of an argument, which deflates the tension between him and host: Eddie Brock. This occasionally results in some of Venom's most badass quotes.

9 Cancer - Dr. Dan Lewis

Crabs are extra sensitive to stimuli and frequently seek a safe environment. A Cancer will forgive a transgression, but never reach the point of forgetting it. They will put themselves in a vulnerable position for others often, but typically have one personal line that must not be crossed.

Dr. Dan Lewis (now the fiancé to Weying) doesn't have too much to do in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, but when he does step into the spotlight it's for good reason. When his fiancée is kidnapped, this is when Dan puts his tension with Brock aside in favor of proactivity.

8 Leo - Carnage

When interacting with the Lion, a big personality should be expected. Leos are the creative type with both the desire and the ability to make an impression. Carnage makes an impression no matter which room he's in, even if the other occupants don't tend to leave it alive.

Carnage employs creative solutions in his terror (i.e. letting the other prisoners out during his/Kasady's jailbreak). Mostly, though, Carnage wants dominance. He wants to kill Venom (essentially his father) and bring harm to the world with impunity.

7 Virgo - Detective Mulligan

As long as there is an activity in progress, the Virgo will be fine. If they don't feel like their talents are being utilized, though, they'll shut down. Overall, the Virgo is a good-hearted fixer with a judgmental tone. Detective Mulligan is a fixer and is constantly on the move (while also using his talents on the job).

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why The MCU's Flash Thompson Could Be The Symbiote's Next Host In Venom

Mulligan gets a fair amount of Venom: Let There Be Carnage's narrative heft. He's responsible for Shriek losing her eye and at least partially responsible for Kasady's incarceration. Additionally, Mulligan seems like a man who only feels alive when he's wearing the badge.

6 Libra - Mrs. Chen

Scales are social butterflies that prefer a permanent sense of peace. A Libra likes to analyze every side of a conflict as opposed to just their own but has a hard time making decisions in times of stress. Mrs. Chen certainly engages in analysis, constantly criticizing Brock's latest decision or physical appearance every time he's in her store.

She is one of the very few people who know about Venom. Most would look at the situation with a frightened disposition; Mrs. Chen, however, looks at it from both Venom and Brock's viewpoints (realizing they need one another). Furthermore, Mrs. Chen seems perfectly content in her shop, providing her with a sense of peace.

5 Scorpio - Eddie Brock

The scorpion is content sitting silently in the back corner of the room. They'll kick back with their legs stretched out, seemingly uncaring about the opinions of others. However, if there's chemistry, the Scorpio's eyes will hold on and never let go. Eddie Brock doesn't have many close people in his life, but those who he loves he protects with everything in him.

Eddie Brock has changed since Venom, but he's yet to fully reach adulthood. He has difficulty expressing his feelings, especially to Weying (whom he still carries a torch for), but he can still captivate her with his gaze.

4 Sagittarius - Young Shriek

The Archer is emotional but has the drive to improve themselves. A Sagittarius uses their words like weapons but typically speaks in truth. They also have a tendency to question their worth.

The younger version of Shriek/Barrison is in only one scene of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, but with that time it's clear that she speaks honestly. She's been beaten down by life and the cruel people within it. But with Kasady, she feels free to engage in open communication.

3 Capricorn - Dr. Pazzo

The Capricorn is the friend who seems older than their age would indicate. They are responsible and take their particular duty in life seriously. However, the Goat is initially cold to strangers and represses emotion in favor of career success. Dr. Pazzo, Shriek's main physician, isn't in the movie much but with the time provided it's obvious she's career-driven.

RELATED: 8 Ways Eddie Brock & Venom Are Friendship Goals

Pazzo is outright cold to everyone she meets. This is doubly applicable to Shriek, to whom Dr. Pazzo is especially cruel. She lacks emotion in all of her scenes, frequently with the steely reserve of someone focused on their career and productivity.

2 Aquarius - Frances Barrison / Shriek

The Water Bearer is uninterested in feelings. They are far more compelled to build a life composed of as much independence as possible. Natural, considering an Aquarius tends to feel like an outcast anyway.

Frances Barrison is utterly uninterested in spending her time with another human being, with the sole exception of Kassidy. Outside of Carnage, she's the movie's most anti-social character. Barrison (Shriek) is all about escaping from prison in favor of a life where she can do what she wants when she wants to do it.

1 Pisces - Young Cletus

A Fish has an odd way of seeming both wise and immature simultaneously. They frequently confuse reality for dreams and have the fast-beating heart of a romantic.

The younger version of Kasady is barely in Venom: Let There Be Carnage but it was obvious even at that age that he had the heart of a romantic. His love for Barrison is what sustained him (and vice versa for her). In his jell cell, all Kasady could do was talk to his love and dream.

NEXT: 10 Saddest Things About Venom In Sony's Spider-Man Universe



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08 Oct 2021

Netflix’s Maid: The 10 Best Characters | ScreenRant

Debuting on September 28, 2021, the Netflix original drama series Maid has become one of the platform's most popular new titles. Based on the Stephanie Land memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, much of the appeal comes from protagonist Alex (Margaret Qualley), a woman who leaves her abusive husband with her young daughter in tow and begins life as a domestic worker.

RELATED: Margaret Qualley's 5 Best & 5 Worst Movies, According To IMDb

While Alex is the primary player, it's her close friends, casual acquaintances, and complicated family members that help and sometimes hinder her path to happiness and success as she struggles to make ends meet and provide for her daughter Maddy (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet).

10 Alex

Maid is Alex's story through and through. As the central character whose primary conflict derives from domestic abuse and the need to flee a toxic environment to raise her young daughter in safe surroundings, the audience relates to her strife, roots for her scrappy ingenuity, and genuinely want to see her overcome such a hardscrabble existence to find happiness.

Qualley gives a terrific performance as Alex, conveying the internal pain while keeping a positive attitude in front of her daughter (for the most part). Viewers identify and empathize with Alex, be it in her nasty custody battle, feckless job interviews, and the like. As such, she's one of the best TV moms of the past decade as well as one of the most memorable maid characters on TV.

9 Maddy

Since almost every decision Alex makes is in service of keeping her young daughter safe, sound, clean, and fed, Maddy is an extremely vital character to the drama. What makes Maddy really interesting is how she resembles her abusive father, Sean, more than she does Alex, which serves as a reminder of Alex's traumatic past. Moreover, the custody battle for Maddy provides endless drama.

RELATED: 10 Most Inspired Child Acting Performances Of The Last Decade

The intimate moments between Alex and the charming Maddy are the heartbeat of the show, reinforcing a mother-daughter bond that everyone wants to see turn out well for both characters. If Alex did not have Maddy to look after, her decisions would be far different and Maid would be a different show entirely.

8 Paula

Played by Qualley's real-life mother Andie MacDowell, Paula is one of the most complex and colorful characters in the show. The free-spirited artist with eccentric paintings and sculptures is a flaky, unreliable mother who isn't the best role model for Alex. In fact, she's quite a burden most of the time, creating an oddly positive and negative mother-daughter TV dynamic.

Beyond providing insight into how Alex grew up in a hurtful household, it's the genuine bond between Qualley and MacDowell that really shines through, lending a profound art-imitates-life vibe that makes the overall show more believable.

7 Regina

While Regina (Anika Noni Rose) isn't the kindest soul, she is instrumental in Alex's professional growth. As Alex's extremely wealthy, stuck-up first client, lawyer Regina tries to get Alex in trouble when her cleaning isn't up to a certain standard. When Alex passes out from exhaustion, Regina is quick to label her a drug addict.

Despite the cruelty, Regina indirectly steels Alex for a thankless job that never seems good enough. Far from one-dimensional, Regina shows a surprising side of her insecure self when she bares her soul to Alex during Thanksgiving, which goes a long way in shaping the employer-client kinship.

6 Sean

If poverty isn't the primary villain in Maid, then it's most certainly Sean (Nick Robinson), Alex's abusive boyfriend who she finally breaks free of as the series begins. Wracked by addiction and anger, Sean is the last person Alex wants to raise Maddy around.

RELATED: 10 Hugely Underrated 2020 Netflix Original Series, Ranked

It's Sean's unforgivable behavior that has sidetracked Alex's life and causes her to undergo a massive lifestyle change. Yet, Sean makes it difficult to escape as he controls her funds, access to her car and phone, and manipulates her outside contacts, proving that domestic abuse persists even after fleeing the domicile.

5 Yolanda

Yolanda (Tracy Vilar) proves to be a helpful character who hires Alex at the Value Maids cleaning company when she is at her most desperate. Despite Alex's harried appearance and lack of experience, Yolanda is stern but kind enough to allow her a trial position.

Whereas most of the women in Alex's life are contentious and mean-spirited, Yolanda offers a ray of hope by extending Alex an occupational lifeline. It's just the opportunity that Alex needs to lift her and Maddy from poverty, which she takes and makes the most out of.

4 Hank

As Alex's estranged father with anger and addiction issues that mirror Sean's, Hank (Billy Burke) is a very important character. The villainous TV dad hasn't been in Maddy's life since she was in diapers and is too cold-hearted to invite his daughter and granddaughter to stay with him, prompting their travels through various shelters. In the end, he even sides with Sean.

As one of the two biggest antagonists in Alex's life, Hank's character is crucial to Alex's overhauled lifestyle. He embodies everything that she hopes to avoid in the future and vows to keep Maddy away from.

3 Denise

Denise (BJ Harrison) is one of the few characters in the show who provides an olive branch to Alex in her greatest time of need. Denise runs the domestic violence shelter that Alex and Maddy find refuge in and shows more clemency to her than most.

RELATED: 10 Worst TV Moms Of The Past Decade

Whether she is encouraging Alex to breathe easy and relax in the shelter or providing dolls to calm Maddy, Denise has a good heart and kind spirit that goes a long way in offering Alex hope, agency, and a way to pull herself out of her dire circumstances.

2 Nate

Through all of the hardships that Alex faces, her most reliable friend proves to be Nate (Raymond Ablack). Her old acquaintance shows tremendous support time and again, including offering help cleaning, giving her a phone charger, and providing moral support during the custody battle.

Nate's biggest act of kindness comes when all of Alex's friends side with Sean when he brings a date to Maddy's birthday party. Nate is the only one who keeps the isolated Alex company, and later allows her and Maddy to stay at his place. A true friend, Alex needs far more Nates in her life.

1 Danielle

One of the few female characters who assist Alex includes Danielle (Aimee Carrero), a fellow resident at the domestic violence shelter. In addition to providing some much-needed levity regarding Regina's stolen dog, Danielle uplifts Alex by expressing what a good mother she is and comforts her until the custody trial begins.

In addition to welcoming and helping Alex adjust to her new residence, Danielle is responsible for Yolanda paying Alex the money she rightfully earned. Alas, Danielle left the shelter to return to her ex, but not before touching Alex's life in a profound way.

NEXT: 10 Powerful Movies About Single Mothers



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08 Oct 2021

Zack Snyder’s Justice League Trilogy: 10 Most Wholesome Moments

Family and an attitude of volunteer heroism are major themes in Zack Snyder's three DCEU movies — Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and Justice League — lending themselves to moments in which the action moves to the wayside and wholesome feelings are allowed to breathe. This

gives the characters a chance to show their softer, more vulnerable sides.

RELATED: 8 Best Concept Artists of Zack Snyder's Justice League Trilogy

Whether these moments show loved ones interacting with each other, heroes helping strangers in gentle ways, or personal moments of introspection, there is no shortage of warmth in this series. These scenes pull at the heartstrings of fans who cherish these characters and their journeys.

Few things are more wholesome than a character-building moment between a father and son. In Man of Steel, when Jonathan Kent takes a young Clark into their cellar to reveal the truth of the boy's otherworldly origins, Clark is overwhelmed and doesn't take it well. Jonathan acknowledges his adopted son's terrible burden, and though he gives words of encouragement, Clark asks, "Can't I just keep pretending I'm your son?"

What does the trick is a hug and the affectionate response, "You are my son." The line references a moment from Superman: Secret Origin (2009) by Geoff Johns. The scene can resonate with many parents and their adopted kids.

After exploring the world for presumably as much as a decade searching to find his place in life, Clark finally returns home to Smallville to reunite with his mother, a welcome moment for the two of them. Overjoyed, he reveals he had discovered the true nature of his birth parents and why he was sent to Earth, though Martha is fearful that this foreshadows her son being taken from her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Mom," Clark says with a comforting hug to quell her tears. "I promise." This sentiment would later prove tragically false in Batman v Superman when humanity manufactures a monster to kill Martha's beloved son. Still, this remains one of the sweetest moments between mother and son in the three films.

Following the intense battle in Smallville during which Clark saved Martha from General Zod, he returns to the damaged farmhouse to reunite with his mother, finding her recovering cherished items from the debris. "I’m sorry," Clark says, sad for the damage sustained by their old family home. "It's only stuff, Clark. It can always be replaced," Martha says, knowing where her priorities are.

Clark replies, "But you can't be," expressing his relief after Zod's recent attack that his mother, who raised and understands him like no one else, is still alive. It's a warm moment when the two can relax after recent events by reminding themselves what matters most.

In Batman v Superman, while Lois dwells on the recent tragedy in Nairomi from the apartment she shares with Clark, he arrives home to find her in the bath. He had bought flowers and offers to cook a meal to surprise her. The atmosphere turns somber when Lois brings up the consequences of the Nairomi incident that had been weighing on her mind, leaving Clark feeling bummed.

Almost like a child, he hands Lois one of the roses he brought. After a few moments, the troubled atmosphere transforms when a smile crosses Lois' face. A job well done, Clark then excitedly steps into the bath, shoes and all, to enjoy an intimate moment with the woman he loves. Flawlessly melding sexuality with romance, it is a cute peek at the life Lois and Clark share.

After watching the world discuss Superman's impact on humanity, Clark finds himself troubled by how his existence has been taken by the world. So he phones his beloved mother in the middle of the night. Martha asks him what's wrong, to which he replies only, "No, nothing, I just... Hi." Smiling warmly, Martha returns the greeting.

RELATED: 10 Details You Missed About Henry Cavill’s Superman

In this moment, Superman is looking for comfort and simply needs to hear his mother's voice. There is a deeply endearing quality to this scene which reminds viewers that even Superman needs his mother sometimes.

In one of the best fight scenes of Zack Snyder's trilogy, Batman unleashes hell to save Martha Kent from Lex Luthor's henchman Anatoli Knyazev and his thugs, plowing through a horde of bad guys before confronting the Russian mercenary holding a flamethrower to the gentle Kansas mother's head. A gunshot and an ignited gas tank later, Martha is safe beneath the Dark Knight's fireproof cape.

"Don't worry, I'm a friend of your son's," he reassures her, to which she gestures to Batman's back and replies, "I figured. The cape." To Batman, this was like saving his own mother of the same name who died all those years ago. It is a moment of levity filled with intense relief that emphasises Martha Kent's innocence.

Zack Snyder described Wonder Woman as "a warrior for love," destroying villains to protect the innocent. In Zack Snyder's Justice League, taking down a group of terrorists at London's Old Bailey to defend a bunch of children on a school trip exemplifies this depiction of the character. This reaches its high point when a little girl asked Wonder Woman in the aftermath, "Can I be like you someday?"

RELATED: 10 Most Heroic Moments in Zack Snyder's Justice League Trilogy

"You can be anything you want to me," replies the Amazonian demigoddess. It is an especially poignant and meaningful message considering Barry Allen, once a perfectly normal human being, became a literal god of speed and time. In this world especially, anything is possible.

During a dark period in his life, struggling with depression resulting from losing what he believed was his humanity, the cybernetic Victor Stone unearths his new power to manipulate the world's technology however he wishes. One of the first things he does is explore CCTV footage to observe a struggling single mother working as a waitress.

Victor uses his mastery of technology to transfer $100,000 to her bank account. The moment she reacts with awe and hugs her children at the ATM, knowing things will be so much better from then on, is tear-jerking. Victor smiles as he watches, a good Samaritan whose humanity re-emerges. In this moment, he becomes a hero to a woman who needed something other than laser beams.

When Clark finally restores his memories following his resurrection and a trip down memory lane through the Kent farm, he spends a beautiful moment with the two people most important to him: Lois Lane and Martha Kent. As he expresses his gratitude to be alive again by playing with a butterfly, the scene is almost surreal in its warmth.

This is the first time Clark and Martha were reunited since he came looking for her advice one quiet Smallville evening before the Capitol hearing in Batman v Superman. The scene takes its time, allowing the moment to settle. These kinds of scenes, especially Clark's connection with nature, are part of what makes Henry Cavill so accurate to Superman's source material.

Henry Allen fears that his son's drive to liberate him from prison is holding him back in life, working multiple jobs to pay for a law degree instead of finding his own way. He believes Barry has potential that deserves better than for Barry to waste it on a potentially fruitless effort to undo a conviction.

Following the climactic final battle, Barry returns to his father to reveal he got a job in a crime lab, a real job for his own sake, with the potential of building a successful career. While a small step, it is huge for Henry Allen, who despaired that his son was wasting his life. He is utterly ecstatic and filled with pride that his son is now moving ahead, coinciding with Flash's character development in the DCEU.

NEXT: 7 Creators Influenced By Zack Snyder's Justice League Trilogy



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08 Oct 2021

The 10 Best Modern Animated Superhero Shows, Ranked By IMDb

There's no question that there are more superhero movies and television shows available today than at any other point in history. While a lot of praise has gone to live-action projects like Loki and The Boys or movies like The Suicide Squad 2 and basically the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, animated films and TV shows are just as good.

RELATED: 5 Best Animated Superhero Movies (& 5 Worst), According To IMDb

Some viewers may not take them seriously because they're cartoons but all someone has to do is look at 2018's Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse to see how great these can be. The same goes for television, with some modern animated superhero shows getting tons of praise.

10 M.O.D.O.K. (2021) - 6.3 - Stream On Hulu

Although he was the main antagonist of the Marvel's Avengers video game, it's pretty clear that M.O.D.O.K. is something of a goofy-looking character. A giant floating head in a chair doesn't seem very intimidating, and that's the idea that the Hulu series M.O.D.O.K. played on.

The show followed the titular villain as he attempted to juggle his empire and his family life. Praise was dished out to how the world was built, some of the relationships M.O.D.O.K. had, and the stop-motion animation style. The voice cast was also a hilarious highlight, led by Patton Oswalt, Melissa Fuermo, Aimee Garcia, and Ben Schwartz.

9 ULTRAMAN (2019-Present) - 6.9 - Stream On Netflix

Ultraman is a hero that has kind of been around for decades at this point and has been adopted plenty of times over. His suit has become rather iconic and the character has remained popular since the 1970s. He has been part of video games, movies, miniseries, television shows, and more. Ultraman could even end up in the Monsterverse alongside Godzilla and King Kong since he's the first tokusatsu hero in history

One of the most recent iterations of a project starring the character is Netflix's ULTRAMAN, which premiered back in 2019. The 13-episode run received widespread acclaim from those who gave the series a chance and season 2 is scheduled to arrive in early 2022.

8 Avengers Assemble (2012-2019) - 7.0 - Stream On Disney+

If there was ever a perfect time for a show to release about Marvel's greatest team, it was in 2012. The MCU was really taking off and The Avengers surpassed the elusive $1 billion mark at the box office. So, it makes sense that Avengers Assemble was a hit series featuring Captain America, Black Widow, and more.

Part of what made the show so well-received was how it continuously expanded the universe and the lore. Later seasons went on to adapt comic arcs like Secret Wars and also brought in the likes of Black Panther and Thanos. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger combination of Marvel characters on one screen.

7 Axe Cop (2012-2015) - 7.4 - Stream On VRV

Back in late 2009, Axe Cop debuted as a webcomic and the premise is basically right in the name. The series follows a police officer who opts to use an axe when he goes into a fight. The comic was adapted into a Fox TV series in 2013 before FXX took it over in 2015.

RELATED: 10 Most Powerful TV Superheroes Of All Time

Although it's not the most popular modern animated superhero series, it did get critical praise. One of the biggest reasons it was loved was the voice cast with Nick Offerman leading the way and guest appearances from Alison Brie, Stephanie Beatriz, Jemima Kirke, Giancarlo Esposito, and more.

6 Generator Rex (2010-2013) - 7.6 - Buy On Amazon

The 1999 comic M. Rex served as the inspiration for the 2010 TV series Generator Rex. Again, this is a series that stood out immediately for its voice cast, which featured J.K. Simmons, Daryl Sabara, and Fred Savage. One of the highlights was that this Cartoon Network series crossed over with other shows.

2011 saw an episode that also featured characters from Ben 10. Although the series wrapped up nearly a decade ago, it was brought back for a special titled Ben Gen 10 in 2021, proving that it still has some legs. The show was set in a future where humans were infected by bots and one young man had the special ability to control those bots.

5 What If...? (2021-Present) - 7.6 - Stream On Disney+

The MCU finally got in on the animated action with the What If...? series. The idea was that it took the characters audiences have fallen in love with over the past decade or so and put them into situations and stories from other universes. Fans got to see T'Challa as Star-Lord, a world where Hank Pym murdered the Avengers, and Ultron wielding the Infinity Stones.

The animation style was an instant hit, though a few of the episodes somewhat missed the mark. However, many fans agreed that things all came together near the end as the show created the Guardians of the Multiverse and saw an epic clash where the likes of Gamora, Thor, and Captain Carter teamed up to face a multiverse threat.

4 Kid Cosmic (2021-Present) - 7.9 - Stream On Netflix

Craig McCracken is one of the most notable names in animation as he created the likes of The Powerpuff Girls and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, while also having a history on 2 Stupid Dogs and Dexter's Laboratory. In 2021, he tried his hand at superheroes with Kid Cosmic.

RELATED: The 10 Best Episodes Of The Powerpuff Girls, According To IMDb

The premise is simple enough, following a kid who is given superpowers he must use to fight off evil but the series shines thanks to its supporting characters and the animation style that feels like a retro comic book. Though it only just premiered in early 2021, two seasons are already out and a third and final one is on the way.

3 The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010-2012) - 8.3 - Stream On Disney+

A few years before Avengers Assemble became a series, the Marvel team was brought to the small screen in The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Initially, the show was centered around the original group of Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Giant-Man, and The Wasp but other heroes were brought in later on.

Like the follow-up series, this dealt with Marvel characters that hadn't yet come to movies like Skrulls, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Doom, and more. Fans were pretty disappointed with the news that it had not been renewed for season 3 and would be replaced by Avengers Assemble, though that show worked out well enough.

2 Harley Quinn (2019-Present) - 8.5 - Stream On HBO Max

Although superhero cartoons mostly seem aimed at children, it's actually the ones geared towards adults that have performed the best from a critical standpoint. DC's Harley Quinn is just that kind of series, centering on the titular villain as she leaves The Joker and looks to form her own band of baddies.

The series has been praised for everything from the voice acting (Kaley Cuoco, Lake Bell, and Alan Tudyk lead the way) to the animation style but the real highlight is how iconic characters are presented in a different manner. That includes a maniacal Jim Gordon and the hilarious Kite Man. Plus, audiences adore the core romance between Harley and Poison Ivy.

1 Invincible (2021-Present) - 8.7 - Stream On Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime first made gritty superhero waves with The Boys but they took it to the next level with Invincible. The animation format allowed for the show to do things that wouldn't be possible without an absurd budget in live-action, including one particular finale scene involving a train crash and hundreds of dead bodies.

The show follows Mark, a teen who gains superpowers and becomes the titular superhero. As he bands with other heroes to fight villains, he also learns that his father, a beloved hero himself, is actually the most ruthless villain of them all. Things culminated in shocking manner to wrap up a debut season that people were talking about for months.

NEXT: 10 Invincible Characters & Their MCU Counterparts



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08 Oct 2021

My Hero Academia: America’s Top Hero Collides With A Freed Shigaraki

Warning! Spoilers ahead for My Hero Academia chapter 329!

The top American hero in My Hero Academia, Star and Stripe, just confronted the long-awaited Tomura Shigaraki who apparently is no longer possessed by his master All For One. This is the first time that readers have seen Shigaraki since All For One took control of his body and went into hiding so his student could finish his awakening that Japan's heroes interrupted during the Paranormal Liberation War.

Before the epic confrontation, All For One reveals in chapter 329 of My Hero Academia that it would be troublesome if he had to change his plans to accommodate Star and Stripe, who's All Might's former student and the world's strongest female hero. It's obvious by All For One's confession that he views Star and Stripe as a very formidable opponent. But even though her arrival would complicate his goal of obtaining One For All, the villain foresees one silver lining to her involvement; it will be that much easier for him to obtain her quirk, which is currently unknown to readers. Although he doesn't confirm it, All For One could very well covet her powers more than One For All.

Related: My Hero Academia: All Might's Student Is America's New Number-One Hero

As for Shigaraki, it's puzzling that All For One is clearly not in possession of his body. Leading up to Shigaraki's meeting with Star and Stripe, there's a scene where All For One reveals his plans to League of Villains member Spinner. Readers may have assumed for a moment that it was a flashback before the Paranormal Liberation War and that All For One was able to divulge his plans to Spinner because he knew what was going to happen. It's not that far off to assume. All For One has proven himself quite capable of foreseeing the actions of others like when he implanted the self-destruct quirk in the assassin Lady Nagant before she began hunting for Deku, believing that she would most likely turn on him. And he was right. She did end up experiencing a change of heart. Yet, it's clear in chapter 329 that All For One and Spinner are in hiding, and since the villain possessed Shigaraki's body before fleeing, the two must have separated at some point during their self-exile.

That said, All Might reveals in the previous chapter that All For One's quirk, like One For All, serves as a conduit between the current wielder and past users, but it was only a one-way channel, where All For One could communicate with Shigaraki, but not the other way around. It's possible that All For One assumed control of his student's body momentarily to construct a two-way channel that would stay in effect once they separated. It's also likely that this added communicative mechanism somehow grants the villain more control over Shigaraki, possibly transforming his student into a marionette that he can manipulate from afar without having to be actually inside of him. Shigaraki's comment to Star and Stripe about who he actually partially confirms this theory.

Regardless, the upcoming battle in My Hero Academia between Star and Stripe and Tomura Shigaraki will undoubtedly be explosive, especially since the villain's student has now fully awakened and can unleash the true potential of his Decay quirk and, most likely, wield All For One as well. If for whatever reason Tomura Shigaraki easily overcomes Star and Stripe, she will most likely have backup, for Endeavor was already en route to meet her with Hawks and Best Jeanist following closely behind him.

Next: Dragon Ball Super's Vegeta Just Stole Goku’s Most Dishonorable Attack



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08 Oct 2021

Marvel: Crisis Protocol — 10 Strongest Cabal Members, Ranked

Marvel: Crisis Protocol currently has 18 affiliations available to players, but the Cabal has stayed relevant and competitive since its introduction as one of the two affiliations in the original core set. The Cabal also has the second-largest roster of affiliated characters (behind only the Avengers) in the Marvel board game.

RELATED: 10 Best Avengers in Marvel: Crisis Protocol, Ranked

While this breadth of options is exciting, it can also make roster-building an intimidating endeavor. While the group once needed to focus on damage-dealers to take advantage of the Cabal's single leadership ability, the addition of an additional leader has given the Cabal multiple playstyles that can take advantage of both aggressive and defensive strategies.

10 Bob, Agent of Hydra

Bob, Agent of Hydra's humorous persona is represented in Marvel: Crisis Protocol with a few interesting gimmicks. First, Bob has a giant rocket launcher that rolls a massive nine dice, but it also deals enough damage to Bob to daze him and can usually be used only once. This downside may seem significant, but Bob also has the unique ability to survive any hit as long as he hasn't yet activated in the given round. His other selling point is that he's the only two-threat character in Cabal, making him an excellent roster option to round out squads in certain crises.

9 Crossbones

Just like this villain's role in the MCU, Crossbones used to be considered a disappointment in Crisis Protocol. While he can hit hard and has solid staying power, his small base and short move meant that he had difficulty getting to and staying in the action. Luckily the Cabal's second leader, Sin, breathed new life into Brock Rumlow. While his short move is still less than ideal, Crossbones loves the objective-focused playstyle that Sin brings to the affiliation. He's perfect for moving to an objective token and laying hits on anyone that gets too close. The only thing that players need to be careful of is Crossbones' fragile mystic and energy defenses. While he's great at soaking physical hits, having to deal with a big attack of the wrong type can result in a stun before he can get to his desired place on the map.

8 Mysterio

Marvel Comics fans know Mysterio is a special effects whiz, and his penchant for trickery is represented well in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. His oddly spread defenses of one physical, one energy, and five mystic may seem like a deal-breaker, but Mysterio has several ways of staying alive through a game. First, Mysterio's stealth means that nobody outside of range three can even attempt to attack him. Those who do close will trigger his Tricks and Traps, which damages enemies and moves them short. Also, Mysterio can use his mystic defense against any attack unless the opponent pays two energy. Beck synergizes well with Red Skull's leadership ability. With it, he always has the energy he needs to use Tricks and Traps.

7 Sabretooth

Sabertooth may be most famous as a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants, but his suite of attacks and abilities makes him a great fit in the Cabal as well. Victor Creed is an excellent single-target assassin capable of chasing characters down with his long move and dishing out damage with his strong basic and builder.

RELATED: 9 Best Marvel Strike Force Teams For Beginners

Aggressive lets Sabretooth move after he's attacked, which can get him into position to attack twice in one turn instead of having to advance. On top of his solid stats and damage, Sabertooth can make a free attack after an enemy attacks him. This extra Claw Slash lets him take double advantage of Red Skull's "energy for attack damage" leadership ability.

6 Omega Red

Arkady Rossovich, aka Omega Red, is the only mutant currently in Marvel: Crisis Protocol who isn't a member of the X-Men, X-Force, or Brotherhood of Mutants affiliations. Omega Red is one of the best area denial tools in the game, and his kit is packed with powers and attacks that keep him alive and punish enemies for getting close.

RELATED: 10 Best Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 Characters To Play As

Omega Red automatically ignores one wound any time it's dealt from an enemy effect, and his Carbonadium Coils heals him if it does damage. Furthermore, any character within range two at the end of its or Omega Red's turn becomes poisoned. This effect synergizes well with his Death Factor, which damages all poisoned enemies within the same range.

5 Red Skull

Red Skull is one of Marvel's best villains and his reputation is honored in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. Despite being an original core box character, Johann Schmidt still sees a good amount of play. His most obvious selling point is his leadership ability, Master of Evil. If Red Skull is on the field in a Cabal-affiliated squad, every friendly character gains one power whenever they damage an enemy with an attack. Since this effect is not limited to once per turn, it allows characters with beams, area attacks, or rapid-fire to gain energy incredibly quickly. Red Skull's Master of the Cube power also helps slower Cabal members by moving them range two for three power.

4 Baron Zemo

Helmut Zemo was released with the Marvel: Crisis Protocol core set, and he's still a staple competitive character today. Zemo is a well-rounded villain who is effective both as an offensive threat and a supporting character for his teammates. Both his free Sword Strike and two-cost Steel Rush automatically cause bleed whether they do damage or not, and the latter increases Zemo's mobility by letting him advance medium after the attacks. Additionally, he's one of few characters with a long movement range, so he's great for quickly getting to objectives and assets on turn one. Even when he's not directly involved in combat, Helmut also grants himself and every other character within range two a free reroll on any attack or defense rolls.

3 Sin

Many affiliations in Marvel: Crisis Protocol have received a second leader, and, in the Cabal, leadership stayed in the Schmidt family. Sin, aka Sinthea Schmidt, is the daughter of the Red Skull, and she brings a new leadership ability to her faction. Instead of her father's energy generation, Sin's Red Mayhem power lets her team push enemies away from objectives and force opponents to drop Asset Tokens between rounds.

RELATED: 10 Best Marvel Legacy Villains Who Lived Up To Their Predecessor

This ability opens up an entirely new playstyle for her team that focuses on area control and denial instead of pure offense. Sin synergizes particularly well with characters like Omega Red and Crossbones that don't like to move around the board more than they have to.

2 Enchantress

Enchantress is expensive at four threat, but her attacks and powers offer unprecedented board control to her player. Her basic attack is a beam, which is rare, and it drains power tokens from each enemy it hits if a wild is rolled. Amora's Kiss is also incredibly powerful. It is currently the only power capable of stripping an Asset or Civilian token from an enemy, after which Enchantress gains it. It works only at range one, but Siren's Call lets Enchantress move any enemy within range three short.

1 M.O.D.O.K.

M.O.D.O.K. may not be as well-known as other Cabal members, but he's arguably the best five-threat character in Marvel: Crisis Protocol. M.O.D.O.K. has just about everything that players could want in a character: His basic attack drains power, he has a long throw, he can move enemies with Bow to the Will of M.O.D.O.K., he can buy dice rerolls, and he changes wilds to blanks on defense. In fact, he's so good that he'll be one of the very few characters to receive a slight nerf when Atomic Mass Games release their updated set of character cards in late 2021. Even with this nerf, he'll still be an extremely strong character that can single-handedly carry matches.

NEXT: 10 MCU Board Games That Every Marvel Fan Should Play



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08 Oct 2021

X-Men: 10 Horrific Events That Devastated Earth’s Mutant Heroes

While Marvel Comics teams like the Avengers and the Fantastic Four are heroes to the world, saving the planet many times over, the X-Men are very different. Though they also are heroes who have saved the world more than once, humans hate and fear the them because they are mutants born with special powers and are, therefore, different.

RELATED: 10 Best X-Men Comic Issues of the 1980s

The bigotry inherent to X-Men storylines often leads to horrific events that devastate the mutant population. These events come at the hands of the U.S. government, other anti-mutant factions, and even from within the mutant community. In some cases, every mutant on the planet has almost been depowered or killed, only because so much of the world can't accept mutantkind.

One of the most devastating events in Marvel mutant history occured on the island of Genosha. For years, mutants lived in fear of humans who wanted them dead just for who they were. They soon found a place of their own in the nation of Genosha. After the United Nations ceded the country to Magneto, it became a home for mutants to live in peace, and only mutants were allowed there.

Sadly, this peace wouldn't last. For years, both the government and private industry used Sentinels to capture and kill mutants. In this case, the evil Cassandra Nova sent Wild Sentinels to attack the island with no warning, and more than 16 million mutants died.

While the X-Men were the face of mutants all over the world and many others lived in secrecy, fearing for their lives if their secrets were learned, there was another faction living in hiding. These were the Morlocks, mutants whose appearance didn't give them a chance to live in secret among humans.

Mister Sinister wanted these mutants, who lived in the tunnels under New York City, dead. He sent his Acolytes into the tunnels and had them attack the Morlocks with no warning. The X-Men, X-Factor, New Mutants, Power Pack, and Thor all arrived to help, but hundreds of Morlocks died in the attack.

Not all events that devastated the X-Men were about killing mutants. This was true in the case of the Weapon X Program. Movie fans know all about this, as it was the group from X2 that attacked the X-Mansion and kidnapped the mutant children living there. In the comics, it was a similar institution that experimented on mutants.

RELATED: 10 Best X-Men Comic Issues Of The 1970s

The goal of the program was to take possible mutants and put them through tests that either brought out their mutations or developed mutations in humans to use as weapons. This was the program that ran unethical experiments on Wolverine, Deadpool, and other.

Long before the Superhero Registration Act started the "Civil War" between Iron Man and Captain America, there was another act that was just as controversial. This was the Mutant Registration Act. It started with a government official named Robert Kelly who felt that all mutants should have to register with the government.

Some mutants ran at the chance, including former members of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, which became a government task force. However, the law gave a reward to anyone who turned in unregistered mutants and put the lives of young teen mutants all over the country in danger.

"Onslaught" was an event in Marvel Comics that affected every hero in the world. This was the result of something Professor Charles Xavier did to Magneto that spiraled out of control. Charles wiped Magneto's mind after a battle, and in doing so, he unleashed a vessel of hate known as Onslaught.

Onslaught was a being who was part Charles Xavier, part Magneto, and more powerful than any hero in the Marvel Universe. Onslaught almost destroyed the world. His attack killed the Avengers and Fantastic Four, and it turned the entire world against the mutants.

"Operation: Zero Tolerance" took place after "Onslaught." With the Avengers and Fantastic Four gone, mutants became public enemy No. 1. After this war, Graydon Creed ran for President of the United States on an anti-mutant platform. When something killed him, people believed it was mutants.

RELATED: Ranking All The X-Men Team Leaders By Leadership

This led a man known as Bastion to start a government program called Operation: Zero Tolerance. No one knew that Bastion was not human but was, in fact, a Sentinel. He constructed new Prime Sentinels that looked like humans and received government permission to capture or kill all mutants.

"Decimation" was one of the most traumatic events to ever happen to mutants. While this was not as bad as the attack on Genosha, it was in some ways even more devastating because of the lasting effects on mutants. After "House of M" ended, Scarlet Witch, in one of the worst things she ever did, stripped 91.4% of the world's mutants of their powers.

This caused many mutants to end up unable to continue living after their powers disappeared. It also made Scarlet Witch the most hated person in the world for almost all mutants. Almost a million mutants lost their powers during this devastating event.

After Scarlet Witch stripped almost a million mutants of their powers, it gave anti-mutant haters a chance to attack defenseless people, many of them teenagers and children. One of these groups of X-Men villains was called the Purifiers, which was led by the evil William Stryker, who wanted to rid the world of all mutants.

Even though "Decimation" depowered mutants, making them mostly human, that wasn't enough for Stryker who wanted them all dead. The depowered mutant children who went to school at the Xavier Institute were leaving by bus when the Purifiers bombed it, killing almost a quarter of the children from the school.

Some of the most devastating events in X-Men history occurred in alternate timelines. The first of these was "Days of Future Past," which was the first major X-Men alternate timeline story to appear in comics. In this world, Sentinels were sent to capture all mutants but ended up killing regular heroes and taking over the world.

Most of the X-Men were dead when the story started, and it wasn't until the they sent someone back in time to stop an assassination that the timeline was averted. Sadly, in this specific event, almost every major X-Men member died, including Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, and more.

"Age of Apocalypse" was arguably the biggest alternate timeline event that devastated the X-Men. In this world, Professor X never existed because Legion went back in time to kill Magneto and accidentally caused his father's death instead. Without Xavier, Apocalypse showed up and took over the world.

This devastated the X-Men, who were unable to defeat Apocalypse and had to watch him conquer Earth. Even when the surviving X-Men beat him, Wolverine eventually turned evil and continued to rule over the world, killing any mutant who resisted him.

NEXT: 10 Best X-Men Comic Issues of the 1990s



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08 Oct 2021

10 Times Late Night Talk Show Hosts Did Not Play Themselves In Movies

Every late-night talk show host has, at one point or another, made a cameo in a television show or movie as themselves. They are often seen interviewing guests as if their characters were real and not the actors who play them. In one recent small screen instance, for example, Jimmy Fallon appeared in the Peacock series Girls5eva, interviewing the women from the fictional former girl group.

RELATED: The Most Popular Daytime Talk Shows Ranked, According To IMDb 

But many of the most popular late-night talk show hosts have also dabbled in acting, appearing in projects as characters, not themselves. James Corden, for example, was a sitcom star in the U.K. before he began hosting his late show in America. And Stephen Colbert was also in Girls5eva, but playing a character, a record producer named Alf Musik. But there have been movie appearances, too.

10 Jimmy Fallon - Fever Pitch (2005)

Fallon has made mention of his failed movie career many times on both The Tonight Show and his previous talk show, often in reference to the fact that it was through the 2005 movie Fever Pitch that he met his now wife.

Fallon starred alongside Drew Barrymore in the romantic comedy, which was produced by the company Barrymore owns alongside Nancy Juvonen. She introduced the two and the rest is history. The movie itself was a remake of the 1997 British film of the same name, which itself was based on a 1992 book, with a focus on baseball instead of soccer.

9 James Corden - Cats (2019)

Some fans don't realize that while Corden is best known in North America as host of The Late Late Show with James Corden, he was actually known in the U.K. for his acting and writing. He is most notable for the BBC sitcom Gavin & Stacey, but James Corden has also had plenty of other great roles.

He has continued to act alongside hosting, including voicing the title character in the Peter Rabbit movie in 2018 and its 2021 sequel. He also starred in the 2019 musical fantasy film Cats, based on the Andrew Lloyd Webber stage musical. He played Bustopher Jones and was in good company with a star-studded cast that also included Dame Judi Dench, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Rebel Wilson, Taylor Swift, and others.

8 Jimmy Kimmel (PAW Patrol: The Movie)

Kimmel has joked many times on his long-running late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! how even his voice acting role in PAW Patrol: The Movie didn't impress his young children. Indeed, Kimmel, who rose to fame as co-host of The Man Show, fittingly voiced the character of Marty Muckraker, a news anchor at the fictional Adventure City News Network.

RELATED: Every Late Night Talk Show, Ranked By IMDb Score

This isn't the extent of his voice acting: often known for voicing dog characters, Kimmel also lent his voice acting talents to Garfield: The Movie, and was the voice of Death's Dog in an episode of Family Guy.

7 Jimmy Fallon (Taxi)

While Fallon truly rose to fame once he was cast on Saturday Night Live, he also tried his hands at movies while he was working on the sketch comedy series. Once such film was the buddy cop movie alongside Queen Latifah called Taxi.

A remake of the French film, Taxi wasn't received well by critics, but Fallon still went forward with Fever Pitch, his second major role. The movie flops were a hit to his self-esteem, but Fallon finally found his stride as a late-night talk show host and eventually got the opportunity to take over the illustrious The Tonight Show.

6 John Oliver (The Lion King)

John Oliver has done some acting in his time before taking over the political late-night talk show circuit with Last Week Tonight, which is the top-ranked late night talk show, according to IMDb. Most recently, he voiced the character of Zazu in The Lion King in 2019. The computer animated musical drama by Jon Favreau had a star-studded voice cast that also included the likes of Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Zazu was a hornbill, majordomo and King of the Pride Lands.

Oliver has had a few other voice acting roles in movies, including as Vanity Smurf in The Smurfs, The Smurfs 2, and The Smurfs: The Legend of Smurfy Hollow, and as Steve in Wonder Park. He also played a character named Dick Pants in 2008's The Love Guru.

5 Jon Stewart (Big Daddy)

Stewart, of course, is known for his long-time award-winning tenure on Comedy Central satirical news show The Daily Show. But he had been acting long before that.

RELATED: 10 Of The Longest Running Talk Shows Of All Time 

One of his most memorable early roles was in the Adam Sandler movie Big Daddy, where he played Kevin Garrity, the roommate of Sandler's lead character Sonny and the biological father of the young boy who Sonny ends up caring for to prove to his ex-girlfriend that he can be responsible.

4 Chelsea Handler (This Means War)

Handler is a veteran within the stand-up comedy circuit, and hosted her own late-night talk show, Chelsea Lately, for many years, from 2007-2015. She then went on to create her own documentaries for Netflix.

Within her busy schedule, however, Handler has also made time to appear in a handful of movies. One such role was a small one in the movie This Means War, which starred Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy. She had a small role as Trish, Witherspoon's character's best friend.

3 Arsenio Hall (Coming To America)

While Hall's successful career as a late-night talk show host back in the '90s, The Arsenio Hall Show, had people chattering that he could be the successor to Johnny Carson for The Tonight Show, Hall is almost as well-known for his supporting role in the 1988 movie Coming to America, in which he starred with comedic icon Eddie Murphy.

Hall and Murphy reunited to star in the sequel movie Coming to America 2, which was released in 2021. It remains one of the best movies in which actors play multiple characters.

2 Jay Leno (Cars)

It's no surprise given his distinctive voice that Leno has done many voice acting roles in animated films. But one of the most notable ones is from the massive hit movie Cars from 2006. He didn't play himself, but he did play a talking car named Jay Limo in a cameo role. He has also voiced many other characters, including Fast Tony in Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Jack O'Lantern in Scooby-Doo! and the Goblin King (2008), and King Malbert in Igor (2008).

Leno, of course, is one of the most successful and well-known late-night talk show hosts, having headed up The Jay Leno Show for many years, as well as original (and returning) successor to The Tonight Show before and after Conan O'Brien until Fallon officially took over.

1 Seth Meyers (Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist)

 

Meyers was cast member on Saturday Night Live, but most notably co-host of the Weekend Update segment. He was also one of the best SNL cast members who debuted in the 2000s, and was also a writer for the show. But fans might not realize that he had done acting beyond his sketch comedy roles on that series.

While Meyers mostly had minor roles beyond cameos as himself in movies like The Interview, he did play a small character in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. His character didn't even have a name, though: he was simply credited as "drunk guy in Yugo." He also had small roles in Journey to the Center of the Earth and Spring Breakdown. Meyers, of course, currently hosts Late Night with Seth Meyers.

NEXT: Oprah & 9 Of The Longest-Running TV Hosts, Ranked By Years Hosted 



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08 Oct 2021

10 Oscar Winners You Didn’t Realize Played Marvel Superheroes

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become quite adept at building up the stardom of those who play its most famous superheroes, elevating the likes of Chris Evans and Chris Pratt to action hero superstardom. However, many superheroes of the MCU are also portrayed by actors and actresses with lengthy and prestigious resumes.

RELATED: 10 Oscar Winners You Didn't Realize Played Marvel Side Characters

This includes several who have actually managed to obtain the holy grail of film awards: an Oscar. This being the case, it’s no surprise that the characters they play end up being some of the most fascinating in this shared universe.

Tilda Swinton has earned a reputation as one of her generation’s finest living actresses, playing a wide variety of characters, from evil sorceresses to gender-bending time travelers. She earned an Oscar for her role of Karen Crowder in Michael Clayton, and in the MCU she is famous for playing the Ancient One in Doctor Strange.

The Ancient One is a being of immense power and mystery. Swinton brings her signature strangeness to this part, somehow making the Ancient One both compelling and more than a little frightening.

Like Swinton, Natalie Portman has earned herself quite a reputation as an actress, appearing in a wide range of cinematic genres, including science-fiction, space opera, drama, and biopic. Unsurprisingly, she has also been nominated for numerous awards for her acting ability.

She ultimately took home the statuette for best actress for her astonishing performance in Darren Aronovsky’s Black Swan. In the MCU, she has made the most out of the character Jane Foster, and she is slated to take on more importance as the Mighty Thor in next year's Thor: Love and Thunder.

There are few actresses who have achieved quite the level of superstardom as Angelia Jolie. She has repeatedly proven her versatility as a star, and she has been in numerous types of roles, earning an Academy Award for Girl, Interrupted.

RELATED: Angelina Jolie's 15 Best Movies (According To IMDb)

Her role as Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, however, may be the role that has most defined her stardom, and it helps to explain why she was chosen to play the character Thena in the upcoming Eternals. Fans will once again get to see Jolie step in front of the camera as an action star.

The various movies centered on Thor tend to have a bit of a lighter touch than the other parts of the MCU, but there is also a bit of a sinister strain underneath the humor. For instance, Matt Damon is slated to reprise his role as an actor portraying Loki in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.

It's a bit of a stretch - he's only an actor playing Loki, who is more of an anti-hero than a hero -  but he is a well-respected actor and has many nominations and awards under his belt, including an Oscar for screenwriting for Good Will Hunting.

Gwyneth Paltrow is a bit of Hollywood royalty, being the daughter of director Bruce Paltrow and actress Blythe Danner. However, she is also a formidable acting talent in her own right, as evidenced by her lengthy resume and the critical praise that her performances often receive.

Among her many accolades, she won an Academy Award for best actress for Shakespeare in Love. Fans of the MCU, however, know her best as Pepper Potts, the longtime love interest of Iron Man.

Despite her relative youth, Lupita Nyong’o has still managed to build up quite a list of acting credits, and she often receives critical acclaim for the powerful intensity that she brings to almost every role that she creates.

She received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in 12 Years a Slave, and she has become similarly acclaimed for her role as Nakia in Black Panther, one of that film’s most popular characters.

Brie Larson has a well-deserved reputation for bringing out the humanity and empathy of her often-troubled characters, as can be seen in her role in Room, the film for which she won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

RELATED: 5 Actors Confirmed For The Marvels (So Far)

She brought that considerable talent to her role as Captain Marvel, one of the later additions to the MCU and one that proved to be crucial to the Avengers as they sought to defeat Thanos and restore the lives of half of the universe.

There are few actors who have quite the reputation and resume of Michael Douglas who, like Gwyneth Paltrow, is a bit of Hollywood royalty (his father was the famous screen legend Kirk Douglas).

In the MCU, he is most famous for playing the character of Hank Pym, the man who invented the Ant-Man suit and would eventually become a mentor to the man who succeeded him as the wearer of the suit, Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang.

Taika Waititi has established himself as a versatile person in Hollywood, earning him acclaim for his roles both behind and in front of the camera and in both film and television.

He won an Academy Award for his screenplay for Jojo Rabbit, and he has received several other nominations for both his work. In the MCU, he’s best known for portraying the character Korg, who joins the Avengers as they attempt to defeat Thanos.

Daniel Kaluuya has earned quite a lot of respect as an actor, both for his haunting performance in the horror film Get Out, as well as his more recent role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah, becoming one of the youngest people to win the prestigious acting award.

Among fans of the MCU, he has earned a lot of popularity for playing the character of W’Kabi, one of the movie’s more interesting characters. Though he initially supports T’Challa, he betrays him before finally surrendering during the final battle.

Russell Crowe has a formidable reputation in Hollywood, having acted in several high-budget blockbuster epics. In one of those, Gladiator, he played the title character Maximus, the man who rebels against an emperor before perishing in the arena.

It was the role that earned him an Oscar, and he has gone on to perform in several more high-profile epic films, and he is slated to portray the character of Zeus in the upcoming Thor: Love and Thunder.

NEXT: Russell Crowe's 10 Most Memorable Roles, Ranked From Most Villanous To Most Heroic



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08 Oct 2021

Fantastic Four: 10 Best Female Villains | ScreenRant

The Fantastic Four count some of the greatest supervillains in Marvel Comics as their enemies, like Doctor Doom or Galactus. The majority of them are men, but a number of their adversaries in the last sixty years have been women. Some are fairly well known to comics readers, while others are a bit more obscure.

RELATED: Fantastic Four’s Main Comic Book Villains From Most Laughable To Coolest

Allegiances often shift in comics - even Doctor Doom has worked with the FF at times - so it should be no surprise that some of their female enemies have been allied with the team on occasion. But all of them are powerful and potential foes for the Fantastic Four when they finally make their debut in the MCU in the coming years.

10 Karisma

Karisma is a fairly obscure villain from the classic run by John Byrne, who was responsible for some of the best Fantastic Four story arcs in the 80s. Her primary power was the ability to control men via a strange and powerful invention.

Karisma ingrained a special radioactive isotope in makeup products that she designed, which then allowed her to make men do whatever she wanted. The product didn't work on women, though, making her plans for criminal enterprise extremely vulnerable to the Invisible Woman.

9 Psycho-Woman

Fantastic Four fans are likely familiar with Psycho-Man, but may not be aware of his daughter, Psycho-Woman. In Fantastic Four Annual #32, she sought revenge against the team for their battles against her father.

Though her powers of emotional manipulation were essentially the same as his, there were some key differences. Her emotional focus was envy, disgust, and indifference, whereas Psycho-Man preyed on fear, hate, and doubt. She could also change her size at will, but it didn't help her achieve her goal of revenge.

8 Thundra

Thundra came back in time from the 23rd century to fight The Thing in single combat since she thought he was the strongest man on Earth. She is incredibly strong herself, easily his equal, and though she doesn't have his rocky exterior, she is almost as invulnerable.

Thundra has superhuman speed, stamina, and reflexes, all of which make her one of the greatest martial artists in Marvel Comics. Even with her superior combat skills, she also uses a number of weapons, including her favorite instrument, a linked chain.

7 Titania

Titania has been a member of the Frightful Four and a fairly regular antagonist of the Fantastic Four since her debut in 1985's Secret Wars event. She is incredibly strong, strong enough to take on The Thing and She-Hulk, who has since become her primary nemesis.

Titania is also extremely durable and highly reflexive, making her a challenging opponent in any fight. Her many battles with She-Hulk comprise a number of awesome storylines that the upcoming She-Hulk MCU series could adapt, especially since the character is slated to appear.

6 Lucia von Bardas

Lucia von Bardas is the prime minister of the fictional Marvel Comics country of Latveria, who rose to power after Doctor Doom was pushed out of the country. Augmented with cybernetic implants created by Doom, she's a powerful antagonist who has been a thorn for both the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D.

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Her implants allow her to fly and generate energy shields, making her secure against most forms of attack. She is susceptible to hacking though, as both Ironheart and Doom himself have demonstrated in combat against her.

5 Medusa

Medusa is one of the most powerful Inhumans and has been an enemy of the Fantastic Four at times. While a member of the original Frightful Four, she used her copious red hair as he primary weapon.

Through psionic control, she can manipulate her long, flowing hair into whips, lashes, or rope. Her hair is incredibly strong, with the tensile strength to lift an enormous weight. It's also highly resistant to damage of any kind. Because she's an Inhuman, Medusa is also super strong, agile, and durable.

4 Malice

Malice is a psionic entity that took over the mind of the Invisible Woman, with the unwanted assistance of the Psycho-Man and his soldier, Hate-Monger. Since she was in control of Sue Storm, Malice had all of Sue's powers at her disposal.

Not only could Malice turn invisible, but she was also able to make others invisible, generate force fields, and in some cases create invisible projectiles. Because of this, she was very difficult to defeat, and Sue Storm repeatedly fought her for control for years.

3 Nebula / Ravonna Renslayer

Comic book fans know Ravonna Renslayer is the lover of Kang The Conqueror. They may not know she was also an enemy of the Fantastic Four. While impersonating Nebula, she manipulated the team into going into the timestream in a massive gamble to achieve the power to destroy Kang.

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Though Ravonna's powers and abilities are limited in nature, she was a master of disguise. Her ambitions also might be the greatest of any of the Fantastic Four's enemies. She very nearly succeeded in destroying the team by bringing them face to face with Galactus and the first use of the Ultimate Nullifier in Marvel Comics.

2 Nova

Nova isn't entirely a villain of the Fantastic Four, but as a herald of Galactus, she's inherently at odds with them. Frankie Raye was the Human Torch's girlfriend for a time, but then she accepted an offer by Galactus to become his herald.

She gained the Power Cosmic and assisted him without any reservations in his quest to consume worlds. With the Power Cosmic, she was able to fly at the speed of light, project devastating blasts of cosmic energy equal to that of solar flares, and manipulate cosmic energy at will.

1 Lyja

Lyja is a tragic figure who betrayed the Fantastic Four. A Skrull in disguise, she impersonated Alicia Masters for years in the comics, using her natural ability to shapeshift to spy on the team for her masters. She also has superhuman strength, agility, and stamina. Her Skrull physiology also includes wings, allowing her to fly.

Though she resisted her mission and did genuinely care for the team, she nevertheless carried it out, evidence of her focus and determination, both powerful assets that nearly brought down the Fantastic Four.

NEXT: 10 Strangest Alternate Realities From Marvel Comics What If..? Series



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