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Presumably, Jonathan Frakes’ obsession with Patrick Stewart’s delivery of «the line must be drawn here» originated on the set of «Star Trek: First Contact» at some point before its premiere in 1996. The way Stewart’s memoir recounts how Frakes found new ways to incorporate the line into everyday situations makes it sound like, for Frakes, it functioned like a meme at a time before anyone really knew to use that word for such a phenomenon.

In fact, «the line must be drawn here» made a splash on the internet in the days just before «meme» entered into the popular lexicon. A looping recording of the line, notably, underscored a post on You’re the Man Now Dog — a website that contributed significantly to what would become the internet meme phenomenon. One of that site’s most popular posts, in fact, consists of a photo of Picard underscored by a brief clip of a song using his name and station as lyrics in a catchy tune. Meanwhile, the «line must be drawn» line accompanies a popular post in which Picard is depicted teaching an art class, re-contextualizing its meaning.

Frakes catching onto the quote’s memetic potential was prescient, then, since it would indeed become a key part of an early internet meme.

Despite feeling dazed, Glen Powell remained as professional as possible and even okayed another shot at the scene from director Christopher Nolan. «I was like, ‘Oh s***, I don’t know if I have a concussion or what.’» Powell recalled. «Chris was like, ‘Can we do it again, just like that?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, we can do it again just like that.’ He was like, ‘I’m kidding! Go to the medic.’»

Considering Powell has since grown into something of a household name, it’s less likely that he’s going to have to deal with these types of mistakes in the future. After all, he’s more than a big enough star to earn himself a body double in his movies going forward. Still, that wasn’t the end of Powell’s challenges as an actor. 

In his more recent role as Hangman in «Top Gun: Maverick,» the performer had to contend with nausea, regularly throwing up as a result of the film’s high-flying sequences. «The fact that you wake up in the morning and know that at least a couple of you are going to puke, that’s a very galvanizing process,» he explained in the same Entertainment Weekly interview. Though stories like these are a reminder that life in show business isn’t all glitz and glamor, considering how far Powell has come since his smaller parts in earlier projects, he’d likely agree that his well-earned success is worth the hiccups he experienced along the way.

Patrick Stewart’s desire for a new Star Trek movie focused on Picard may sound more like the actor’s personal wishes and less of a concrete indication of what’s to come, but there may already be some movement for this project.

During a January 2024 appearance on Josh Horowitz’s podcast «Happy Sad Confused,» Stewart suggested that a film building off of «Star Trek: Picard» may be in the very early stages of development. «I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it,» he revealed. «And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so, and I’m so excited because it sounds like the kind of project where the experimentation that I want to do will be essential for this kind of material.»

Details on this Picard-focused project are non-existent aside from what little Stewart has shared, but if the writings in his memoir are to be believed, it’s likely that Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, and several other «Star Trek: The Next Generation» cast members would return. As for Frakes directing, the actor has helmed several Star Trek movies and TV series episodes, so there’s a solid chance he’d call the shots. For now, it remains to be seen whether Stewart’s dream «Picard» movie makes it to the finish line.

Ironically, Deadpool, whose costume AI has reimagined in different countries, doesn’t make for an interesting Ghost Rider variant; he just makes for a slightly redder Ghost Rider, with his iconic red spandex transformed into a muted leather jacket that, frankly, just looks like something Johnny Blaze would wear. Similarly, the Captain America Ghost Rider is just Ghost Rider with some blue skull paint and a star on his shoulder.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Ant-Man, Black Panther, and Iron Man Ghost Riders, all three of whom appear generally unchanged except for the whole being-on-fire thing. The designs are still stunning, especially Iron Man; it’s just a little difficult to tell if these guys are actually Ghost Riders, what with the full-body armor and all.

Doctor Strange, the Hulk, and Spider-Man all fuse more equally with Ghost Rider. The Doctor Strange Ghost Rider combines the sorcerer’s billowing robes with the Spirit of Vengeance’s wicked flames. The Hulk Ghost Rider keeps the green titan’s massive shape but makes the skin on his face translucent so that his skeleton stands out against the flesh. The Spider-Man Ghost Rider hides his bones beneath a suit of interwoven leather straps that call to mind both skeletal and silken imagery.

And then there’s the Venom Ghost Rider. While he looks like an even more demonic version of Surtur from «Thor: Ragnarok,» it’s what he represents that offers the most intrigue. Is the Spirit of Vengeance bonded to Eddie Brock or the symbiote? Or both? Does that make the Ghost Rider even more powerful? It must, right? 

Though time will tell if the rumors of Kevin Feige’s further interest in expanding the MCU via animation are true, what we do know is that there are already some exciting animated endeavors on the way. First and foremost is the third season of «What If…?», which will feature Sam Wilson. Then there’s the «What If…?» spin-off title «Marvel Zombies,» where the zombified universe showcased in Season 1’s «What If… Zombies!?» takes center stage. The series is expected to arrive sometime in 2024.

Additionally, there are two non-«What If…?» productions on the way. One is the highly-anticipated «X-Men ’97,» which will continue the story of the beloved ’90s program, «X-Men: The Animated Series.» «Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man» — formerly known as «Spider-Man: Freshman Year» — is also in development and will chronicle Peter Parker’s early high school life. «X-Men ’97» aims to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2024, with «Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man» slated for a debut this year as well.

Animation is alive and well in the MCU, and, should these projects succeed, it stands to reason we’ll see the rumors of Feige wanting to do more with the franchise in the medium become reality. 

Some of PlanetAI’s creations — the Argentinian, Brazilian, Colombian, German, Italian, Pakistani, and Turkish designs — exist in the same sandbox as the Mercs for Money, which really just means that they’re Deadpool’s regular onesie in different hues. Some interesting discolorations on the German Deadpool’s mask suggest he briefly lost a gunfight, and the Turkish Deadpool has a neat cape, but that’s about it for the first batch.

The Australian, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Mexican, and Saudi Arabian Deadpools are more invested in branching out because each costume benefits from new elements outside the color wheel. On one end of the spectrum, the Indian Deadpool is held together by rivets, intricate line work, and a flowery scarf, which is genuinely beautiful. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Japanese Deadpool is a cold-blooded killing machine — a far cry from the regular Deadpool, who is a frivolous and silly killing machine. Meanwhile, the Haitian Deadpool makes the bold choice to add mouth details.

And for the big reveal, five variants in PlanetAI’s video look like Deadpool is cosplaying as other superheroes. The Nigerian Deadpool is a dead ringer for Raphael — yes, as in the turtle — and there’s no pretending that the Swedish Deadpool isn’t reminiscent of Wolverine. The other three involve more guesswork, but the inspiration seems clear. The Greek Deadpool matches Moon Knight’s vibe, the Tanzanian Deadpool is the Black Panther but red and gray, and the Egyptian Deadpool feels like a Killmonger fan. But let’s be real, who isn’t a huge fan of Killmonger?

While the «Workaholics» movie doesn’t seem likely to happen any time soon, fans of the series can catch up with the former Mail Order Comedy troupe via their podcast This Is Important. Compared to the absurdist nature of «Workaholics,» the podcast is more down to Earth. Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Anders Holm, and Kyle Newacheck often get candid about their personal lives, like when Devine opened up about his father’s lung cancer diagnosis. According to Devine, his dad was lucky in that he was diagnosed early.

«Usually with lung cancer you don’t find it until it’s too late,» he said. «So we got lucky in the fact that his voice went out. It has to be in a certain lymph node. They said it’s like the fourth lymph node in your neck, and there’s a bunch of them there.» He went on to explain how his father had put some weight on following the diagnosis, but that this was a good thing. «You usually end up losing a lot of weight,» he said. «Because you’re sick, and you don’t want to eat, or you can’t physically eat because of the chemo and the radiation.»

Devine has also opened up about his dad’s health scare on social media. In 2022, on Father’s Day, he posted about him beating the cancer on Instagram, confirming that he was in remission. «I never thought about him not being apart of my life and it shook me to my core,» he said. «As I post this I think of all the people who have lost their fathers and how hard today must be for them.»

Can accent work really change an actor’s speaking quality? Celebrities have faked worse things for attention but altering one’s vocal output is a physical act that can cause physical consequences, even damage if done incorrectly. Vocal coach Andrew M. Byrne told GQ in 2023 that an actor’s character accent can alter their natural speaking voice if used frequently enough and with enough intensity.

«Someone who’s doing something that requires a great deal of focus over a long period of time, and it’s very salient … that opens channels in the brain,» Bryne explained. «That’s called neuroplasticity. So whenever there’s a process that combines those two things, there can be changes that can end up feeling very automatic or subconscious after it, because you’ve locked in on such an intense thing in such an important situation, and then stuff like where your voice lives can actually change. In the end, it’s just muscles.»

Three years is a staggering amount of time to maintain a character accent, let alone the accent of one of America’s most famous voices. With both of Byrne’s requisite boxes ticked — duration and intensity — it would almost be more shocking if Austin Butler walked away from «Elvis» unchanged. In early 2023, actor Dave Bautista let fans know that Butler handily dropped the infamous impersonation while filming «Dune 2.» Audiences can determine for themselves whether or not his countermeasures were successful because the «Masters of the Air» is now streaming on Apple TV+, with new episodes released every Friday until March 15, 2024.

Spider-Punk’s rumored R-rated tale could be coming at just the right time, with other Spider-Person spin-offs, including that of Spider-Man Noir, who is set to spin his webs on a live-action series on Amazon Prime, in the works. There’s no confirmation on who will be playing him, but you can guarantee it’ll be the web-slinger’s darkest outing ever if it follows the comics given that they involve Spidey wielding a gun and going after criminal cannibals. This isn’t the first hero to be tangled up with Amazon Prime either. In 2022, it was announced that a show called «Silk: Spider Society» is set to follow the adventures of Cindy Moon, aka Silk, the second person to be bitten by the spider that nipped Peter Parker.

With these projects already in the pipeline and Brown potentially getting one too, it would be an exciting change in trajectory for Sony to focus on actual solo Spider-Person stories rather than the antiheroes and Spider-Man-adjacent characters lined up for the studio’s Spider-Man Universe. «Madame Web» is already getting memed into oblivion, potentially teeing up for another filmic flop, so perhaps branching off with heroes made popular by the critically acclaimed «Spider-Verse» films would be a smarter move. From there, Sony could finally reclaim any credit lost thanks to «Morbius» or Michael Keaton being as confused as we are about which universe Vulture is currently in.

For the most part, the lightsabers fans have gotten to know over the years aren’t too different in the sound department. Sure, some might sound a bit different when they activate or deactivate, but for the most part, they don’t deviate too much from one another. However, that’s not to say that some haven’t taken Ben Burtt’s original lightsaber hum in a new direction. Take the crackling, unrefined blade Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) uses throughout the «Star Wars» sequel trilogy, for instance. For good reason, it drifts away from Burtt’s more elegant and ethereal sound.

«It looks like it was put together by an amateur. It sputters when it turns on, so the sound we wanted to have that unfinished kind of sputtery electric quality,» said «Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens» supervising sound editor Matthew Wood in a 2016 interview with Business Insider. He and his team understood Ren to be a bit of a wildcard who’s rather unpolished, so the sound design of his saber matches. In that same vein, Wood also ensured Ren’s saber emits a menacing sound, which carries over to the chainsaw and flamethrower-inspired voice changer in his helmet as well.

Yes, lightsabers, their hilts, and their wielders all look cool and make for impressive images on the big screen, but without the fitting and inventive sound design behind them, they wouldn’t be nearly as revered as they are.

Unfortunately, there is no release date for «Final Destination 6,» and it’s unlikely that we’ll be seeing it all that soon if behind-the-scenes reports are to be believed. Like many other productions, the reboot was delayed due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. There are rumblings that the film is just starting production in January 2024, meaning we can probably expect it in late 2024 at the very earliest.

Still, the film will be «well worth the wait,» according to franchise creator Jeffrey Reddick (via Collider). Perhaps strangest of all, though, is that it’s taken this long for another entry in the «Final Destination» series to emerge at all. Over the years, the franchise has always been financially successful, even if critics regularly trounced it, and being that the series doesn’t rely on marquee stars for its success, it seems like a big win-win.

What this could mean, though, is that Warner Bros. is trying to take the franchise to the next level. At the very least, the plot of «Final Destination 6» sounds like it’s taking the concept a lot more seriously in a couple of pivotal ways. Specifically, based on who the film is set to follow, it sounds like we may not be in for the gut-busting Mouse Trap-style kills and ironic song choices of previous movies in the series.

A chance at the greatness that takes actors to the awards circuit isn’t all that Jason Momoa is shooting for with regard to his burgeoning career. The performer also explained that he would like to pursue comedy more, something that he has had some luck with so far.

«I really went after comedy. ‘SNL’ let me on twice. I tried ‘Slumberland,’ and it did OK,» Momoa said before listing a couple of upcoming projects that might allow him to try out more comedic roles. «I have ‘Minecraft.’ I’m going to do another comedy-esque action thing with Dave Bautista after that.»

Meanwhile, the adventurous actor is spending time exploring America and learning new skills on his documentary series «On the Roam,» even if he’s not sure he’s nailing any of them. «I’m not going to be able to master all of these things,» he admitted. «I’m a solid C+ to B- at everything. But I like doing a lot of different things.»

Either way, with a few more high-profile projects coming down the pipeline for Momoa, his chances of chasing these dreams likely won’t fade away anytime soon — as the actor continues to be a box office draw, the number of roles that come his way is sure to expand as time goes by.

After the DC Extended Universe fell apart following a string of box office bombs and behind-the-scenes controversies, James Gunn and Peter Safran were brought on to be the new heads of DC Studios and course correct Warner’s comic book universe. That means there will be a new slate of actors playing DC’s iconic characters; David Corenswet is already set to star as Kal-El in «Superman: Legacy,» written and directed by Gunn.

So, despite Tom Welling’s willingness, it could prove messy trying to bring back another Superman in his own movie amid a franchise reboot, especially after the backlash «The Flash» faced over what some called nostalgia bait. If Warner Bros. is trying to establish a fresh cinematic universe, introducing a new Man of Steel while having Welling return after years away could easily convolute a franchise already fighting an uphill battle. 

Still, the future of the DCU is pretty much a blank slate, so anything is possible, especially with DC Studios exploring Elseworld stories. «The Batman 2» and «Joker: Folie à Deux» exist in separate continuities, so maybe one day we will see Welling reprise Superman in his own alternate universe.

«Star Trek Beyond» had already experienced turbulence in the form of Roberto Orci having stepped on and off as director in less than the span of a year. From there, Justin Lin took the chair, collaborating with Simon Pegg, who was writing the script with Doug Jung. Speaking to Josh Horowitz, Lin praised the screenwriter who doubled as Scotty in the movie. «It was intense. I think I had quit three times, and Simon had quit four times,» he said. «Also, we didn’t know each other. And I think, for me, Simon Pegg, it was a dream to have the opportunity to work with him.»

While it wasn’t anything new for Lin to take on a franchise film, it was a drastic shift from the «Fast & Furious» universe, swapping Diesel for dilithium. «‘Star Trek’ is not like ‘Fast & Furious.’ Every idea that I come up with is a build. And we had no time,» the director explained. «It was rough. I didn’t know if we were going to make it out of that first week.» Thankfully, they did, and hopefully, while «Star Trek Beyond» isn’t remembered as fondly as some of the other entries in the massive «Star Trek» movie franchise, it will gain more love in the star dates and years to come.

It has long been argued that the box office crash of «Dead Reckoning» was caused not by «Barbie» and «Oppenheimer» but in part thanks to its title, which suggested to audiences that they were getting an incomplete film. While «Dead Reckoning» expertly sets up its sequel, however, it doesn’t end on a cliff-hanger, making dropping «Part One» a pretty sound, albeit last-minute, decision — Paramount Pictures didn’t make the change in time for the film’s Blu-ray release, meaning local retailers are still selling copies with «Part One» plastered all over them.

Meanwhile, the studio confirmed in October 2023 that the «Dead Reckoning Part Two» subtitle has been dropped from the now-untitled sequel. We have no idea what that picture will be called as of publication, but thankfully, because it’s still in production — and the Christopher McQuarrie-directed «Mission: Impossible» films tend to wing it most of the time — he and Tom Cruise have plenty of time to figure it out.

Although Ryan Reynolds has had an impressive career so far, he has yet to work with any auteur filmmakers, such as The Coen Brothers. Unfortunately, Reynolds blew his opportunity to be in a Coen Brothers flick back in the early 2010s, when he auditioned for a role in «Inside Llewyn Davis.» The film, which eventually starred Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, and Carey Mulligan, centers on the life of a fictional folk singer (ultimately played by Isaac) and his attempts at achieving success.

During Variety’s «Actors on Actors» panel with Taraji P. Henson in 2016, Reynolds claimed «Inside Llewyn Davis» was one of his last auditions at the time, but it was not a valiant effort by him. As he alleged, «It wasn’t the right fit, mostly because they’re very high class. They were just quietly shaking their heads, like, ‘What are you doing here? Do you have a SAG card?’» However, Reynolds is likely not upset about the loss, as he said elsewhere in the interview, «Isn’t it funny how sometimes you think, ‘Wow, someone else got it, and they ran with it, and it was perfect for them.’»

As for the role that Reynolds auditioned for and could’ve potentially landed, there are plenty of male characters in the film, including those played by Justin Timberlake and Garrett Hedlund. At the end of the day, Reynolds seems like he’s more comfortable outside of the Coen Brothers’ sphere anyway. 

Dr. Kenji Oyama is more than a skilled surgeon. He was first introduced in «Daredevil» #196, by writer Denny O’Neil and artist Klaus Janson. Soon after his debut, his villainous alter ego of Lord Dark Wind surfaced. Spider-Man would probably enjoy making fun of that name, but the storyline begins with Daredevil and Wolverine pursuing the antagonist. Oyama has taken Bullseye to infuse him with an adamantium skeleton to repair his spine, which is awfully similar to the ending to «Daredevil» Season 3. Wolverine’s in pursuit after hearing how Oyama may know something about how he got his own adamantium body. While Lord Dark Wind dies in «Daredevil» #199, his influence would continue to be felt for some time.

Oyama happens to have a daughter: Yuriko Oyama, better known to comic book fans as Lady Deathstrike. In the comics, she pursues Wolverine to right the wrong of her father’s research getting stolen. She’s already appeared in live-action with «X2: X-Men United,» played by Kelly Hu. The fight between her and Wolverine is one of the best moments in the character’s filmography. And with Oyama being established in the MCU, she could easily become an antagonist in a future project.

It remains to be seen how the X-Men will enter the MCU and which ones will be introduced initially. It’s safe to say a new Wolverine is probably a high priority, and he’s popular enough for a solo project before a team-up. If Wolverine’s backstory is explored in great detail, Lord Dark Wind and Lady Deathstrike already have an easy in to enter alongside him.

Fans who follow Christopher Eccleston’s work know that the venerable actor has never been afraid to speak his mind. Regarding one of his most high-profile roles, the actor said in December 2023 that he’d only return to «Doctor Who» if its producers got fired. «The series was a mess, and it wasn’t to do with me or [co-star] Billie [Piper]. It was to do with the people who were supposed to make it,» Eccleston said in a «Doctor Who» event panel in the UK.

Eccleston is also among the distinct few actors who were absolutely miserable filming the «Thor» movies. The actor — who played Malekith the Accursed in «Thor: The Dark World» — slammed the Marvel Cinematic Universe production for allegedly misleading him about the amount of time he would spend in the makeup chair to become the menacing leader of Dark Elves of Svartalfheim. «What they didn’t say was that it’d be seven hours of it, which was very dishonest of them,» Eccleston told Metro in 2018. «That was a miserable experience and a dreadful performance.»

Luckily, Eccleston said, he enjoyed his time working on the new season of the HBO crime drama «True Detective: Night Country,» opposite Jodie Foster. «I’d never have taken such a small part if it wasn’t for Jodie,» Eccleston told The Independent. «But all my scenes are with her, and she’s been a heroine of mine for many years.»