Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 31

Is Ryan Reynolds Teasing Deadpool’s Appearance in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY?

Ryan Reynolds could be bringing the Merc with a Mouth to the next Avengers film. The actor sent his Instagram followers into a spiral with a simple yet curious post. Reynolds posted an image of the Avengers logo with a red, scrawled A over top of it. Ya know, red like Deadpool’s infamous suit. But really, that red A looks like the anarchy symbol, which is basically Wade Wilson’s middle name, and we saw a similar defaced logo in Deadpool & Wolverine. Interesting. Considering the success of Deadpool & Wolverine and how that character is expected to pop up in the MCU in the future, it is not impossible that he will appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

We all remember the infamous “chair day” with many announcements about Avengers: Doomsday’s cast, and it didn’t include Ryan Reynolds name. But that doesn’t mean a thing. Deadpool could still be in the film, even if it is for a very brief cameo.

Marvel Studios

He could even play a larger role and the Marvel Studios powers that be didn’t want to announce his involvement. Or maybe Ryan Reynolds was just bored and wanted to mess with millions of people’s heads. Who knows. Avengers: Doomsday is deep into production now and, in our leak-heavy society, it wouldn’t be shocking to get more cast announcements in the near future. Let’s see how this all goes.

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ANIMAL CROSSING Comes to Life with 42 Acre Island LEGO Build

Imagine having the time, patience, and skill to recreate your own Animal Crossing island with LEGO bricks. What is it like to see your digital world come to life in three dimensions? That’s impressive enough on its own considering it is something most of us simply can’t do even with LEGO sets to help. But that wasn’t enough for Becky Clapshaw. She did something even more amazing. She built a massive “42 Acre Island” that isn’t just fun to look at. It’s full of hidden treasures so you can also play with it.

Beyond the Bricks stopped by one of the best builds at this year’s Bricks Cascade 2025 event held in Portland, Oregon. The LEGO 42 Acre Isle by Becky Clapshaw took home second place in the People’s Choice category for good reason. This sprawling creation—which includes tributes to her kids and grandkids—is based on her own island in the game. It matches the game’s size and features different areas, including homes, a museum, town hall, stores, and an airport. It’s also loaded with fun details and minifigs that invite Animal Crossing fans to do exactly what they love most. You can hang out experiencing the joy and peace of this world.

This is obviously amazing as a static piece you can look at and admire, but Clapshaw went above and beyond to make this truly special. She stayed true to the spirit of the game and made this a set you can play with. The roofs open and she left the studs exposed so pieces can move around. She made this so that you can actually dig every other square on her island to find treasure.

Beyond the Bricks

Yes, you can really dig for actual treasure on this LEGO Animal Crossing 42 Acre Island.

Clapshaw told Beyond the Bricks she won’t make her island bigger because it already matches the size of an island in Animal Crossing. But she did say she can add to it and change it to match the different seasons.

Yeah, we know. This was already impressive enough, but we really want to see it in winter, now.

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SHREK 5 Delayed Again, Now Summer 2027

Last year, Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri hinted that Shrek 5 could be coming our way with its original voice actors reprising their roles. Now, we know that Shrek 5 is officially happening, with Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, and Cameron Diaz returning as Donkey, Shrek, and Fiona, respectively. And there’s even another new release date for Shrek 5, which was originally July 1, 2026, then pushed back to December 23, 2026. Now, according to Variety, we’re looking at a June 30, 2027 release.

Zendaya Joins Shrek 5 as Shrek’s Daughter

Shrek already has a star-studded cast, but a new Shrek movie means a new star for a new generation of viewers. And it doesn’t get any shinier than Zendaya, who is officially joining Shrek 5. Zendaya will play Shrek’s daughter in the movie. We still don’t know what Shrek 5 is about, but it looks like Shrek being a girl dad will definitely feature in the mix.

DreamworksShrek 5’s Teaser Trailer

Dreamworks Animation released a short announcement teaser (with the original date) to get fans excited about the upcoming sequel. We love the use of Smash Mouth’s “All Star,” which was prominently featured in the original Shrek film in 2001.

Not too Far, Far Away… @Shrek 5 is coming to theaters on July 1, 2026 with Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz. pic.twitter.com/3j6ctXpPGu

— DreamWorks Animation (@Dreamworks) July 9, 2024

The beloved animated franchise released its last film way back in 2010. For many years, fans thought it was the end of the story. But there’s apparently more jokes to be told in the fairy-tale land of Duloc.

What Is the Release Date for Shrek 5?Dreamworks Animation

The movie will come out June 30, 2027.

Originally published July 9, 2024.

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Alan Tudyk Says He Tested Better Than Will Smith in I, ROBOT

Alan Tudyk can’t stop playing robots. In just this calendar year alone, the actor portrayed Robot #5, aka Gary, in Superman and reprised his beloved role of K2SO in Andor. He’s very used to providing voices and motion capture for these kinds of roles. The man is a pro. After all, he’s played robots on screen for over 20 years. That’s right, did you know Tudyk provided the performance capture and voice for Sonny, the titular NS5 automaton in the 2004 sci-fi hit I, Robot? If you didn’t know, there’s a pretty good reason for that: Will Smith assured you didn’t.20th Century Fox

On a recent episode of the podcast Toon’d In with Jim Cummings, Tudyk explained that during test screenings for the Alex Proyas-directed movie, he actually scored way higher than star Will Smith. Because of that, Tudyk says, he was cut out of all marketing and press ahead of the movie’s release. Below is his quote, which we saw in Variety.

“A lot of people did not know I did Sonny the Robot in I, Robot, and there is a reason,” Tudyk said. “They were doing test audiences for the movie, and they score the characters in this kind of test screening. I got word back: ‘Alan, you are testing higher than Will Smith.’ And then I was gone. I was done. There was no publicity, and my name was not mentioned.”

“I was so shocked,” he continued. “I was like, ‘Wait, nobody is going to know I’m in it!’ I put a lot into [that performance]. I had to move like a robot. At the time, I was very upset.”

Upstaging the star, especially in a non-face role, was kind of a no-go in 2004. With the exception of Andy Serkis’ Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, who was actually singled out in a lot of the marketing, those kinds of roles didn’t receive recognition in those days.

We obviously only have Tudyk’s version of events here, but having seen I, Robot myself, I’m not surprised. Sonny is far and away the best character in the movie. Sympathetic and compelling, the plight of a robot charged with murder makes him inherently likeable. Contrast that with Smith’s technophobic, “old school” Detective Del Spooner who is just kind of a grump. It’s no question who audiences would root for more.

At least nowadays both performance capture and Tudyk specifically get the recognition they deserve.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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How WEDNESDAY Season 2 Gave Fans Tim Burton’s First Stop-Motion Sequence in Years

Tim Burton resurrected stop-motion animated films in the ’90s with The Nightmare Before Christmas, and later, Corpse Bride and Frankenweenie. Even before that, one of his first short films he directed as a young animator at Disney was a stop-motion film called Vincent, about a boy obsessed with Vincent Price. Now, in the first chapter of Wednesday season two, we get Burton’s first new stop-motion film in a decade, as a 90-second short within that episode. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it took a whopping eight months to complete. Mackinnon & Saunders, the same company behind Corpse Bride, returned to work with Burton, creating puppets and tiny sets.Netflix

Burton’s mini movie tells the story (via flashback) of a Nevermore Academy student who replaces his own human heart with a clockwork heart. Much like the main character in Vincent, he looks more than a little bit like Tim Burton himself. The Wednesday showrunners confirmed to us that the stop-motion segment was actually their idea, and not Burton’s. Originally, this was a standard voiceover live-action flashback. But with Burton directing, they wanted something more in line with his sensibilities. Luckily, Tim Burton was clearly happy to return to his roots for this portion of the episode. Here’s what he had to say:

I loved it. This is the kind of a show where we get to play around with things, and that was special to me. In fact, kind of went old school with it and I ended up designing the puppet. I remember doing Vincent, and [we tried to go] back to the first thing I did. … I kept having to tell the animators, ‘No, it’s looking too good. No, the animation’s too slick. We need to pretend like I’m back in my student days and do it like I did it in the beginning.

Does this mean a bigger return to stop-motion for Tim Burton? Perhaps not, since this 90-second sequence took almost a year to finish. But given the pop culture longevity of The Nightmare Before Christmas, maybe it’s worth it to invest the time and money into it. In the meantime, you can watch Burton’s return to stop-motion filmmaking in Wednesday’s second season, currently streaming on Netflix.

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Noah Centineo to Star in RAMBO Prequel Film

More than four decades after Sylvester Stallone introduced us to the action hero known as Rambo, we are getting a prequel film in this universe. According to Deadline, John Rambo will go back to the character’s days during the Vietnam War. It’s pretty clear that those events are a major part of what shaped this gun-toting protagonist, so we can’t wait to see what happens. And, it seems this Rambo prequel film has likely found its star in Noah Centineo. He’s certainly an actor on an upward streak, with him also starring as Ken Masters in Legendary’s live-action Street Fighter movie. 

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Things are still coming together for this film, which doesn’t have a home quite yet. The aforementioned Deadline report suggests that Lionsgate will land the film and that shooting will start in Thailand in 2026. Jalmari Helander is set to direct the Rambo prequel film with Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani penning the script.

Instagram/Orion Pictures

It doesn’t seem that Stallone will have any involvement in this film despite his reprisal of the role back in 2019’s Rambo: Last Blood. It’s kind of sad to see franchises that he shaped like Rambo and Rocky move on without him, but that’s how the industry goes. We will keep our eyes out for more information as it surfaces.

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Zach Cregger Says His RESIDENT EVIL Movie Won’t Retell Any Game

Capcom’s Resident Evil game series has been one of the biggest franchises since its debut in 1998. Across dozens of games, the unfolding saga of the Umbrella Corporation’s continued efforts to, I guess, turn people into zombies and mold creatures continues to terrify and delight. Fans have grown to love characters like Leon Kennedy, Jill Valentine, and Chris Redfield (though not Ethan Winters). But if you’re hoping to see any of them lead a new live-action movie, don’t look to Weapons‘ Zach Cregger. The writer-director of the upcoming Resident Evil movie reboot says his film will be “Outside” the original games.Capcom

Speaking to Variety, Cregger says, “I am the biggest worshiper of the games, so I’m telling a story that is a love letter to the games and follows the rules of the games.” That’s a pretty solid outlook for people who wanted the previous Milla Jovovich movies to be, you know, in any way like the games. However, he did say he’s not going to remake any of the storylines from the games.

“It is obedient to the lore of the games, it’s just a different story,” Cregger said. “I’m not going to tell Leon’s story, because Leon’s story is told in the games. [Fans] already have that.” This seems to not only reference the Jovovich movies but also the most recent film, also a reboot, Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City. That film tried in vain to adapt both of the first two Resident Evil games in a single sub-90-minute movie. It did not succeed, go figure.

So maybe the Cregger approach is the way forward. Stick to the lore of the games, which is incredibly complex and twisty, but stay away from established stories from the games so as not to alienate people who love them. I can dig it. Now we just have to hope he can pull it off.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.

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This World-Class Cosplayer Makes Amazing Pop Culture Cakes

I have a few talents. For one, I always know the perfect sized container needed for any amount of food. I also know how to cut a mango perfectly. And….uh….well that’s about it. Just those two, really. Impressive? No. No, obviously not. But that doesn’t mean I’m jealous of people with real talent. If I were, I wouldn’t be telling you about Grace McClung, because she’s very easy to be envious of. She’s not only an absolutely incredible cosplayer, she also makes amazing pop culture cakes.Grace McClung

From sci-fi, fantasy, horror, superheroes, and so much more, Gracie the Cosplay Lass‘ collection is as good as any we’ve ever seen. It’s actually impossible for us to share all of our favorites because there are simply too many. There are movie’s with hundred million dollar budgets that don’t have costumes as good as hers.

Seriously, we could highlight roughly a thousand more of her cosplay pieces. It’s not just that they look utterly fantastic, it’s that she embodies the characters and the properties she’s celebrating. There’s not just time and effort in her costumes, there’s love and appreciation.

These costumes alone make Grace McClung someone worth celebrating. But that is not the extent of her talents. Not even close, because she’s just as good with a whisk and mixer as she is with a needle and thread. When she’s not stealing the spotlight on red carpets, Grace bakes and designs fantastic pop culture sweets under the banner Sugar Sirens Cakes in San Fernando Valley, California.

If I could make cakes that looked like that, it’s all I would do. I’d be “the awesome cake guy.” And yet, Grace (who is as kind as she is skilled) told me baking and decorating is just a side hobby of hers.

Seriously. A side hobby. This absolutely uber-talented cosplayer is better at her side hobby than I am at anything. Fortunately for you I am not the jealous type and wanted you all to know that.

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Everything We Know About the VISION QUEST Series

We haven’t seen the android Avenger known as the Vision, played by Paul Bettany, since the end of WandaVision in 2021. Now, the iconic MCU hero will return in a new series, Vision Quest, on Disney+. The details of this series are slowly coming together, with showrunner Terry Matalas opening up more about it during a convention in August 2025. He compared Vision’s journey in this series to Spock’s in Star Trek IV. This likely means that the android will have trouble connecting to his old memories. He also said that the series will bring back Ultron (James Spader) in a unique way. Consider us intrigued…

Here is everything we know about Marvel Television’s upcoming Vision Quest series.

Netflix/Marvel ComicsTitle

The new Disney+ MCU series is titled Vision Quest.

Vision Quest‘s PlotMarvel Studios

We know almost nothing about the actual plot of Vision Quest, except that it will follow the life of the rebuilt Vision synthezoid from the end of WandaVision. At the end of that series, the government rebuilt “White Vision.” He then gained the memories of the Vision that Wanda Maximoff created in the Westview hex. He flew off for parts unknown, with no appearance from the character ever since. Presumably, the new series will see Vision trying to find his purpose in life. It will serve as the third part of an MCU “trilogy” that began with WandaVision, and continued with Agatha All Along. Tom King’s 2015 Vision series may serve as inspiration, at least in part.

Behind the Scenes

The creative head for the Vision-led series is former showrunner and head writer for Star Trek: Picard and 12 Monkeys‘ Terry Matalas. Joining him in the writer’s room are Chris Monfette, Michael A. Taylor, Cindy Appel, and Matt Okumura. The series is currently filming in the U.K.

Vision Quest‘s CastMarvel Studios

Paul Bettany will headline the Disney+ series as the Vision, returning to the role he first played in Avengers: Age of Ultron. He later reprised the role in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and WandaVision. Joining him are James Spader as the Vision’s creator, the malicious A.I. known as Ultron, and Todd Stashwick as Paladin, a mercenary hunting the Vision to acquire his technology. Stashwick worked with Matalas on both 12 Monkeys and Star Trek: Picard season three. Emily Hampshire will be E.D.I.T.H., Tony Stark’s augmented reality security and defense system.

Orla Brady will be playing F.R.I.D.A.Y., Tony Stark’s AI assistant. Also in the cast is Faran Tahir, who played the Ten Rings terrorist Raza in the first Iron Man. Actor Ruaridh Mollica is playing a character called “Tucker.” Many fans speculate this is a codename for Vision’s son Speed, brother of Billy Maximoff. Finally, T’Nia Miller has joined the cast as Jocasta. The “Bride of Ultron” first appeared as a villainous A.I. in the comics, but turned against her master like Vision did, and joined the Avengers. No word yet on whether Elizabeth Olsen will reappear as Vision’s wife, Wanda Maximoff, or if Joe Locke will appear as his son, Billy Kaplan, a.k.a. Wiccan.

Vision Quest‘s Release Date

There is no set release date right now for the Vision series. It is expected to arrive on Disney+ sometime in 2026.

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AOL’s Dial-Up Internet Service Is Ending in September

When we think about using the internet in the 1990s, there’s one specific sound that comes to mind. You can’t really describe it in writing but you can surely recreate it with your voice. In fact, I hear it in my head right now. It’s that infamous screaming from dial-up, which used to tie up your phone so you could hop on the web. Was the connection speed great? No. Was it enough for your message boards and chat room activities? Sure. Even though much of the world has moved on to high-speed internet, AOL’s dial-up service did indeed stay around and will come to an end on September 30.AOL

Yes, there are people who are still using dial-up in 2025 for several reasons. For some older folks, it was a matter of not wanting to let go of a service they’ve had for decades. AOL dial-up started back in 1991 and, if you’re not a huge internet user, it probably works just fine today. There are also people in extremely remote areas who cannot get access to broadband. Well, now those folks will have to find another way to connect because AOL dial-up is ending soon. 

“AOL routinely evaluates its products and services and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet,” said a statement on AOL’s website. “This service will no longer be available in AOL plans. As a result, on September 30, 2025 this service and the associated software, the AOL Dialer software and AOL Shield browser, which are optimized for older operating systems and dial-up internet connections, will be discontinued.”

It is the end of an era, indeed. But we will never forget the sounds, joys, and frustrations of dial-up internet.

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