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Gwyneth Paltrow Is Also Confused About Robert Downey Jr. Playing Doctor Doom

Gwyneth Paltrow Is Also Confused About Robert Downey Jr. Playing Doctor Doom

The most stunning news to come out of Comic-Con thus far was the Marvel Cinematic Universe bringing back Robert Downey Jr. to play Doctor Doom in a pair of upcoming Avengers films.

The decision to recast the actor, one of the MCU’s biggest stars, as one of its greatest villains was met with applause, backlash, and even confusion, including from Downey Jr.’s Iron Man co-star Gwyneth Paltrow.


In Downey Jr.’s Instagram post announcing his intention to play Doctor Doom, Paltrow — who is notoriously unaware of the intricacies of the MCU and has, at times, forgotten what Marvel movies she’s appeared in — jumped into the comments to admit, “I don’t get it, are you a baddie now?” (Via Variety.)

It’s currently unclear what Marvel’s plans are with Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom, whether he’s an evil multiverse version of his trademark Tony Stark or if he’ll play a Victor Von Doom that happens to bear a strong likeness to the man in the Iron Man suit; various comic book series allow for either possibility.

For now, Downey Jr.’s Doom is first set to appear in the newly announced Avengers: Doomsday — which takes the place of the canceledAvengers: Kang Dynasty — out May 1, 2026, followed by Avengers: Secret Wars on May 7, 2027. Both films will be directed by the Russo brothers, who will also rejoin the MCU after last helming Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.

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Can the Best of Star Wars Survive the Worst of Its Fans?

Can the Best of Star Wars Survive the Worst of Its Fans?

When George Lucas debuted his science fiction epic about a galaxy far far away in 1977, Star Wars went from a long-shot space opera into the highest grossing science fiction franchise of all time. Almost 50 years and one sale to entertainment conglomerate Disney later, Star Wars isn’t just a one-off world. There have been prequels, reboots, stand-alone television series, and an in-depth theme park addition. But like most popular culture, the Star Wars fandom, especially online, has become inundated with loud, conservative, and in some cases, incredibly racist voices. While Disney has never said these voices are directly impacting what shows get made, the vocal minority of Star Wars devotees keep limiting what they’ll accept as true Star Wars. These fans say they’re fighting for Star Wars’ future. But if their endless fantasy world can’t accept any stories that they don’t recognize — some of the self-professed biggest fans in all the worlds could be closing themselves off to any future at all. What is crystal (kyber?) clear is that before Star Wars can have another successful show, the loudest voices online need to realize the Star Wars they want to return to never existed in the first place. Will the real Star Wars please stand up? 

Much of the online discourse around Star Wars has centered on the franchise’s most recent live action projects. First premiering in 2019, these include The MandalorianThe Book of Boba Fett,Ahsoka, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Andor, and The Acolyte. The market has been oversaturated with stories, especially many that occur within the same time frames, with fans frankly, getting tired and in some cases — outright bored. Each of the projects has had its own reception — and own problems. However the low audience scores, angry YouTube rants, and long Reddit threads can really boil down to one question: who determines what’s real Star Wars? First as a film, and then a trilogy, Star Wars established early on to viewers that even when they were focused on a set of powerful twins and a dark Empire, shit was going down on literally every other planet. This freedom has allowed for endless story arcs across decades. But while opportunities have been endless — the patience of fans hasn’t. 

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Over the past month or so, “Not Ready to Make Nice” has become an unexpected MAGA anthem of sorts, meant to express a certain rage at liberals supposedly telling conservatives what to do all the time (the past few Supreme Court terms notwithstanding, apparently). Young women especially have taken the song as a way to push back against the possibility of Harris becoming the first female president. 

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Sabrina Carpenter, Myke Towers, Cash Cobain, and All the Songs You Need to Know This Week

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Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big new singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Sabrina Carpenter delivers her long-awaited debut Short ‘n Sweet, Myke Towers switches lanes with the help of Peso Pluma, and Cash Cobain moves drill music forward with a crossover hit. Plus, new music from Lainey Wilson, Blink182, and Coldplay.

Sabrina Carpenter, ‘Taste” (YouTube)

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