Ever since Chris Evan’s Steve Rogers went into the ice in the final moments of 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger, Marvel fans have had one question and one question only: wait a minute, is Cap a virgin? While theories have abounded over the years, and the events of Avengers: Endgame suggested that Cap did eventually get some, but only after traveling back in time to be with Peggy Carter following his tenure in the MCU, the writing team of Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely have finally provided their perspective on Cap’s love life.

For the record, Markus and McFeely have written all three of the Captain America movies along with Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, so they’re intimately familiar with the MCU version of Steve Rogers. According to them, Cap got his swerve on not long after being injected with the super-soldier serum. In fact, they seem kind of astounded that people thought Steve was a virgin this whole time. Via Yahoo!:

McFeely suggests that Steve might have been doing a little more than singing and dancing during his USO Tour across the nation to introduce him as Captain America and promote war bonds.

“If you look like that, and you’re going to city to city, and you’re signing autographs for the likes of the ladies that he’s signing the autographs for, I’ve got to imagine that [he lost his virginity],” McFeely explains.

Well, there you have it. The MCU version of Captain America maybe had sex with his backup dancers while promoting war bonds. He did not go into the ice never knowing the touch of a woman, and now, God knows what he did during his time with The Avengers. Those women were his co-workers!

(Via Yahoo!)

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Kanye West, Lil Nas X, and more.

… Technically. While Lil Nas X’s new song “Industry Baby” with Jack Harlow did drop as scheduled — and more than lived up to his warning that it was not for kids — Kanye added yet another anticipated project to his ever-growing list of pump fakes. Despite renting out a whole ass arena for a listening event for Donda (for which he was two hours late), he neglected to actually put the album out, surprising virtually no one in the process.

However, Friday did see the releases of Gunna and Polo G’s “Waves,” Logic’s “Call Me,” and Isaiah Rashad’s “Wat U Sed” along with the releases listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending July 23, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Childish Major — Thank You, God. For It All

The Atlanta producer turned solo artist invites Schoolboy Q and Yung Baby Tate for this bubbly set of seven songs, addressing his rough-and-tumble upbringing and showcasing his lyrical growth. JetsonMade and Hollywood Cole provide beats, while Childish delves into both TikTok and backpack rap song structures with a deft touch.

Dave — We’re All Alone In This Together

Ever since popping up in the mid-2010s, Dave has distinguished himself as one of the most magnetic MCs Britain has to offer. Now, two years after releasing his debut album Psychodrama, the 23-year-old delivers a confidently grown-up grime meditation featuring fellow scene standout Stormzy on the electrifying “Clash,” Afropop sensation Wizkid, and James Blake. Sheesh.

EST Gee — Bigger Than Life Or Death

Paying off the faith shown by big-name co-signers like fellow Louisvillian Jack Harlow, initial benefactor Lil Baby, and CMG label boss Yo Gotti, EST Gee’s first mainstream effort is a slick blend of solo trap and high-speed collaborations with some of rap’s hottest. It’s a solid body of work that establishes his footing as a potential breakout star.

Yung Bleu — Moon Boy

It’s fitting, but no less disappointing, that Yung Bleu’s debut album is such a feature-filled affair — he pretty much owes his current level of exposure to a timely feature from kingmaker Drake. He’s proven that he can stand on his own, as well as coming into the game with a compelling enough narrative to hold up over the course of a full-length project, but clearly, there’s a lot of investment in the success of his melodic first outing, so he’s brought plenty of backup for maximum algorithmic coverage. Fortunately, he’s developed enough that they sound like guests, never overwhelming him or skewing the gravity of songs away from exactly what he wants to do.

Singles/Videos

Asian Doll — “Nunnadet Sh*t Remix” Feat. Dream Doll, Dreezy, Ivorian Doll, and Rubi Rose

Look, man. Say what you want about how many “Dolls” are on this track (there’s a new one?!), but it’s fun to hear all these women bouncing off each other’s flows, each taking their own approach to a sneering, swaggering posse cut. Plus, anytime we get more Dreezy is appreciated.

Damu The Fudgemunk — “God Speed” Feat. Blu

Dope beats, dope rhymes, what more do y’all want? There aren’t so many bells or whistles here, just good old-fashioned, lyrically focused underground hip-hop from two of the scene’s most clever creators.

Jordan Hollywood — “The Ugly Song”

So, as an unapologetic fan of Bubba Sparxxx, one of the 2000s most criminally underrated rap acts, this unabashed homage/remake strikes me as very endearing… Then, there’s the obvious parallel between the two rappers that shows Hollywood knows his history and doesn’t shy away from it. I love it.

Rexx Life Raj — “Turn Her Up”

At this point, Raj and Russ are both fixtures of this column, with weekly releases that highlight the value of independent hustle. Raj’s latest offering praises a female companion, reeling off all her impressive qualifications and promising to always play hype man.

Russ — “Lake Como”

Meanwhile, Russ’s contribution to the week’s newest hip-hop is similar, a mellow reflection on a paramour he’s finally ready to take seriously. He sings for about half the track, then spits a melodic verse to finish it off.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nicolas Cage has been in a lot of excellent films. Heck, you could do a Nicolas Cage movie marathon for four years and not have to repeat any titles (the Alamo Drafthouse did just that). It’s hard to name a favorite among Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Raising Arizona, Moonstruck, Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Con Air, Face/Off, Bringing Out the Dead, National Treasure, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, Mandy, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but, surprisingly, none of those adored films is his most critically-acclaimed work. That distinction belongs to Pig.

With a whopping 98 percent of 126 critics surveyed on Rotten Tomatoes giving the film a positive reaction, Pig — about a lonely truffle hunter who sets out to find the person who stole his titular companion — stands as the 57-year-old’s top-performing movie of all time. Though anything with a rating of 6/10 or above counts as a “positive” score, Pig‘s critical average stands at 8.2/10.

That 98 percent for Pig, the best man and swine movie since The Great Muppet Caper, is one percent higher than Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, four percent higher than Moonstruck, and 90 percent higher than Bangkok Dangerous. He made that one for the fans, not the critics. Congratulations to Nicholas Cage. Congratulations to Brandy.

(Via EW)

WARNING: Spoilers from Netflix’s Masters Of The Universe: Revelation will be found below.

Sometimes a franchise gets attacked by the very people who claim to be the biggest fans. That was the case when The Boys viewers review-bombed the Amazon show because they were upset about the weekly installments (rather than a full-on season) due to the show’s streaming schedule. And before people even saw Captain Marvel, sexist trolls bombed it with fake user reviews because they were apparently upset about remarks made by Brie Larson about how press junkets and reviews are filled with “overwhelmingly white male” critics. Now, there’s a similar trend to what’s going on with MOTU at the moment over at Rotten Tomatoes. Lots of strong opinions out there.

On the review aggregator’s landing page for the Netflix series (with Kevin Smith in the showrunner seat), one can witness an overwhelmingly positive critical response (97% fresh) and an overwhelmingly negative audience rating (39%) for the same show.

It must be noted that the series began streaming on Friday, July 23, and every early on Friday, the review-bombing count was already over 100. This presupposes that those angry people woke up early (or stayed up super late) to binge five episodes (five more will arrive in the future). And sure, it is entirely possible to do if one does the math, but still, it’s maybe a little much. Also, those who “hate” the show are tossing out one star, and people who dug it are trying to hop in with scattered five-star ratings. As one might expect, it’s a bit of a clusterf*ck, and none of those audience ratings appear to be verified (which is possible with films/ticket sales, not TV shows), so whaddya gonna do?

Of course, the polarized reaction is also circulating on Twitter, and that’s something that isn’t surprising. The show is risky and ambitious and worthy of being called a sequel to He-Man’s previous adventures. What’s really getting under people’s skins, though, is that (and you were warned about spoilers) both He-Man and Skeletor get sidelined from action after an explosive battle. A contingent of very vocal viewers claims that Kevin Smith lied when he said there was still plenty of He-Man on the show. That’s what he said to us (about a rumor), too. And uh, He-Man (along with Skeletor) does still get chunks of screentime in subsequent episodes. Sure, some of it is flashback stuff, so I do understand why people are upset about, you know, the death thing, but yeah.

People were bound to be upset about this, even if this story is ultimately a lot more nuanced, well-written and full of character development than the original show. I liked the show (and appreciated that there were finally some real stakes for Eternia)! So did a lot of other people, but not everyone will love everything.

Here’s a sampling of the Rotten Tomatoes audience complaints, coming for Smith:

– “No wonder kevin smith got this job nobody else wanted job because they were fans. I was a fan of kevin smith but i think hes just committed career suicide.”

– “Not alot of he-man for show about he-man.”

– “Terrible and terribly disappointing. He-Man completely removed from his own show and we’re forced to follow an angry, bitter, fragile Teela and her girlfriend bumbling about and talking about feelings. It was a complete waste of time.”

– “Why make a He-Man Show without He-Man? Shame!”

– “kevin smith lied, but in trailer is showing he-man out, teela got the power”

Regarding the “teela got the power” claim, I do wonder if people watched Episode 5.

The story of Revelation does check out. It’s not inconsistent with the O.G. characters’ natures. With the sidelining of He-Man/Prince Adam, Teela discovers that she’d been lied to about Prince Adam’s true identity, even though she was supposedly part of his inner circle. For two seasons of the original show, Teela protected Adam. Once the truth comes out in the sequel, she decides to forge out on her own as a mercenary. It’s hard to blame her for feeling betrayed, since Man-At-Arms, Orko, and so on, all knew The Secret, and no one told her. Her journey is a Shakespearean one, and she’s later convinced to help find the missing Sword of Power to save Eternia. And even though her character — due to the events of the entire original show — is the logical character to be set up for such a journey in a sequel, some people are very, very mad. A lot of those complaints do read as sexist in nature, however, and there surely must be a better way to communicate fan frustrations.

‘Masters of the Universe: Revelation’ is currently streaming on Netflix.

Paramount has officially revealed the first teaser for its upcoming animated series, Star Trek: Prodigy, which will see the return of Kate Mulgrew‘s Captain Janeway to the classic sci-fi franchise. However, this time around, she won’t be in command of the U.S.S. Voyager. Instead, Janeway will be a hologram guide to a group of alien youngsters who find themselves in possession of the experimental U.S.S. Protostar.

While Mulgrew’s character isn’t shown in the teaser, her voice is clearly heard, and she will be a prominent presence on the new series that has changed course by debuting on Paramount+ before heading to Nickelodeon. Oh, and if one of the aliens sound familiar, yes, that’s Jason Mantzoukas you’re hearing. The Big Mouth star will be voicing Jankom Pog when Prodigy prepares to boldly go where no young aliens have gone before.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Developed by Emmy Award-winners Kevin and Dan Hageman (“Trollhunters” and “Ninjago”) the CG-animated series STAR TREK: PRODIGY is the first “Star Trek” series aimed at younger audiences and will follow a motley crew of young aliens who must figure out how to work together while navigating a greater galaxy, in search for a better future. These six young outcasts know nothing about the ship they have commandeered – a first in the history of the Star Trek Franchise – but over the course of their adventures together, they will each be introduced to Starfleet and the ideals it represents.

Star Trek: Prodigy starts its mission this Fall on Paramount+.

Ted Lasso: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — First thing’s first: Everyone who’s caught a glimpse of this Bill Lawrence co-created and developed series loves it. That’s a notable feat, considering that star Jason Sudeikis first portrayed the title character way back in 2013 for NBC Sports’ promos for Premier League coverage. Fast forward to the fresh hell that was 2020, and the show surfaced as one of the year’s lone bright spots. Ted Lasso is somehow both relentlessly and charmingly cheery, although the last season finale showed the team losing against Manchester City, which spelled bad news, since the team can no longer hang in English Premier League games. We’ll see how they can turn themselves around, and while considering that possibility, it’s best to remember that Ted Lasso (and Walt Whitman) once said, “Be curious, not judgmental.”

Masters of the Universe: Revelation (Netflix series) — The very battle for Eternia’s soul continues with the ultimate fanboy, Kevin Smith, picking up the showrunner sword. Smith’s enthusiasm for all stuff geeky has led him down many roads, all of them filled with huge feelings, and honestly, the dude has the Power of Grayskull running through his veins. So, one can expect him to nail the tone here while advancing the story, justifying a revival, and continuing the story of the rivalry between Skeletor and everyone else. Cringer and Orko and Teela are on board, and the voice cast (including Lena Headey, Henry Rollins, and Jason Mewes) is phenomenal here, especially Mark Hamill as Skeletor. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of He-Man, guys.

Here’s some more regularly scheduled programming:

The White Lotus (Sunday, HBO 9:00pm) — Mike White’s new series skewers the ultra-wealthy in what turns out to be a brilliant satire on how obscene wealth rots everything that it touches. It’s like The Love Boat or Fantasy Island had a lovechild with Agatha Christie. This week, Quinn goes scuba diving with Mark, and Shane already finds himself attempting to reignite his marital spark with Rachel.

Kevin Can F**k Himself (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Allison and Patty are prepping for, uh, the “big night” while Kevin’s joined a band and Nick’s timeline gets wacky.

Wellington Paranormal (Sunday, CW 9:00pm) — What We Do In The Shadows fans rejoice because you’re receiving a spinoff mockumentary series with the same comedy-horror tone from creators and executive producers Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement. This week, dog attacks turn out to be something altogether different.

100 Foot Wave (Sunday, HBO 10:00pm) — This six-part sports-documentary series follows the decade-long journey of Garrett McNamara, the pioneering and iconic surfer who dreamed of conquering (as the title indicates) a 100-foot wave, which did more than push his sport to literally higher heights while also elevating a small fishing village. The year is 2011, and the season’s biggest swell is coming while the team reconvenes.

The Chi (Sunday, Showtime 9:00pm) — Spring formal time is here for Jake and Jemma while Jada gets quality time with Emmett and Darnell. Meanwhile, Douda and Marcus are feeling tension, and Trig’s in a messy situation.

Flatbush Misdemeanors (Sunday, Showtime 10:30pm) — Dan and Jess broke work protocol, so the consequences are coming while Kevin and Dan have an unfortunate fallout over Zayna.

Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (Sunday, HBO 11:00pm) — John Oliver is back, baby.

Rick and Morty (Sunday, Adult Swim 11:00pm) — It’s a “Thanksploitation Spectacular.”

Desus & Mero (Sunday, Showtime 11:00pm) — Bobby Shmurda is the illustrious guest.

Here are more streaming picks for the weekend:

Tig Notaro: Drawn (HBO special on HBO Max) — On the heels of the “hot Tig” role in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead, quadruple threat (comedian, writer, actor and director) Tig Notaro pulls off an innovative first. That feat would be the first-ever entirely animated stand-up comedy special, in which you’ll witness an hour of pure genius. Several artistic styles will mesh with Notaro’s voice and storytelling style, and expect anecdotes about Dolly Parton and Jenny Slate, along with other fearless touches.

Marvel Studios: Assembled:: Season 1 The Making of Loki (Disney+ series, releasing in the wee hours of Wednesday morning) — This immersive documentary-type series brings us a fresh installment to help us feel a little bit better about having to wait for Season 2 of all of the Lokis and their mercurial pursuit of the glorious purpose. Tom Hiddleston had an absolute blast playing the MCU’s trickster god, and hopefully, we’ll hear more about that crushing moment and the new big bad. This is the best Disney+ show so far, and Loki’s so beloved that you might binge the whole season all over again.

The Walking Dead: Origins (AMC+ limited series) — This batch of episodes will bridge the gap between zombie-apocalypse-laden seasons with the origin stories of Daryl, Carol, Maggie, and Negan. Expect a lot of interwoven clips (along with cast interviews and narration) to remind everyone of these characters’ most pivotal moments as their stories head into the final season.

Ultra City Smiths: Season 1 (AMC+ series) — Fans of Robot Chicken will undoubtedly want to check out this stop-motion animated selection from Stoopid Buddy Stoodios and showrunner Steve Conrad. Expect very adult-oriented humor and the voices of Kristen Bell, Dax Shepard, Alia Shawkat, Tim Meadows, John C. Reilly, Bebe Neuwirth, Jason Mantzoukas, and Damon Herriman. The show revolves around a corrupt city and a group of characters who only want a kinder, gentler atmosphere in which to, uh, live. It’s a sort-of whodunit with the most unorthodox detectives (literally baby dolls) who are attempting to save the world. Hey, this show has Dewey Crowe, so why ask for logic?

Stuntman (Disney+ film) — The Rock executive produces this movie that tracks veteran Hollywood stuntman Eddie Braun through highs and lows. Both arose from Braun’s career, including his attempt to complete cinematic history’s (arguably) most dangerous stunt, which happens to be replicating (and besting) Evel Knievel’s (failed) Snake River Canyon jump. What would be a more fitting way to put an exclamation point upon a crash-and-explosion filled career in Hollywood?

Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years: Season 1 (Paramount+ series) — Young SpongeBob, age 10, goes to sleepaway camp, where Mr. Krabs rules the roost. Our protagonist seeks to nab his first jellyfish, and of course, his friends step up to assist while antics rage elsewhere.

Sexy Beasts (Netflix series) — Well, if you thought that you’ve seen every kind of dating series out there, Netflix is shouting something about holding their beer. The show purports to feature contestants that will choose matches based on personality only. Sounds practical, right? Well, the key to doing that here is dressing up as furries and other prosthetic-adorned creatures, and no reveal of actual physicality shall happen until the pivotal decisions are made. It’s like The Masked Singer, only way hornier.

Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage (HBO film on HBO Max) — All was not what it seems for this three-day music festival that was meant to revive the countercultural idealism of its 1969 predecessor. Well, things weren’t “peace and love” in 1999, but rather, a total disaster by most standards. Mosh pits, blazing heat, a distinct lack of sanitation, and an absence of free water led to riots and looting, all of which were not deterred by the scant security measures. Decades later, this documentary looks back upon a pivotal moment when rose-tinted nostalgia evaporated under the hard truths exposed by this mismanaged festival. All pre-Fyre Festival!

Over the past 44 years, George Lucas and the people who paid George Lucas billions of dollars have produced dozens of feature films, TV shows, and one awesomely terrible holiday special that, collectively, make up the Star Wars universe. Hundreds of actors have appeared in those projects, which makes Star Wars the movie equivalent of Law & Order. But when you consider that thousands of other actors have unsuccessfully auditioned for parts they didn’t get, it’s safe to round up a bit and assume that every actor you’ve ever heard of has been considered for a role in a Star Wars project.

Dev Patel included.

While discussing his new film The Green Knight with Total Film, the conversation turned to Patel’s brush with being whisked off to a galaxy far, far away. When asked to comment on the rumors that he auditioned for a Star Wars project, the Oscar nominee confirmed that indeed he had, but didn’t seem to think it was such a big deal.

“I don’t know if you’re allowed to talk about it, because you sign an NDA. But yeah, I think everyone did. Everyone auditioned for Star Wars. I remember, I think I was doing Marigold 2, and I sent them an iPhone video from my trailer in India. The next minute, I got a call-back, and I was there, and that was fascinating.”

Obviously, Patel wasn’t cast in whatever role he auditioned for. While the 31-year-old actor has always gravitated toward smaller, critically acclaimed projects like Slumdog Millionaire, Lion, and The Personal History of David Copperfield, he’s not against becoming a Wookiee or an MCU superhero — just as long as it makes sense for him.

“I mean, look, I’m not opposed to it,” Patel said. “Those movies are a real spectacle when done right. I guess if I fit in these worlds… I don’t know. The alchemy hasn’t been right for me, personally yet. These journeys with people like David [Lowery, director of The Green Knight], and stuff like that, have really been the most nourishing.”

(Via Total Film)

Vaccination rates are the talk of the football world these days, as the NFL has made it clear to teams that it will not be moving games due to COVID-19 outbreaks among unvaccinated players and coaches. Should that happen, the league said in a memo on Thursday, teams will be forced to forfeit and accept a loss, while players on both teams will not receive game checks.

On Friday, reports indicated that Vikings offensive assistant Rick Dennison had left the team as a direct result of not getting vaccinated against COVID-19. According to ESPN, Dennison refuses to get the vaccine, which the league is requiring for coaches, and it is unclear if Dennison was fired or resigned.

Dennison, who had served as the Vikings’ offensive line coach/run game coordinator the past two seasons, is believed to be the first NFL position coach to leave his team after choosing not to receive a vaccine.

The vaccine is required for all Tier 1 staff, including coaches, front-office executives, equipment managers and scouts. Players are not required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine but will face strict protocols during training camp and throughout the season that vaccinated players will be able to forgo.

The move will make Dennison a martyr to some anti-vaxx members of the league, but it shows just how serious franchises are about avoiding the pandemic-plagued season it had in 2020. With games played on basically every day of the week last year because of outbreaks and no vaccines available, the pandemic looks very different in the summer of 2021. While vaccination among players is still a choice that offers some significant downsides to not getting the jab, the league has made it clear to teams that it will not be coaches causing problems for its schedule this season.

[via ESPN]

The United States Olympic Team took a moment to celebrate Kevin Durant’s birthday on Friday. While the team was waiting to walk out during the Opening Ceremonies at the Olympic Ceremony in Tokyo, a number of athletes came together to sing “Happy Birthday” to the Brooklyn Nets’ star. The catch: Durant looked like he did not have any fun as folks sang along, presumably because his birthday is not until the end of September.

Durant turns 33 on Sept. 29, and while I am sure he is appreciative of whatever kind sentiments were sent his way here, he also is very visibly not enjoying this, presumably because it’s not his birthday and it’s awkward enough when people sing “Happy Birthday” to you then. As the video shows, JaVale McGee, a former teammate of Durant’s with Golden State, was in on the joke, but a different ex-teammate ended up admitting that they were behind this effort to mess with KD.

Let it be known that if you are friends with Draymond Green and he has the opportunity to have the rest of the United States Olympic Team get a joke off at your expense, he is going to take it. Then again, this is probably not useful advice for anyone other than Kevin Durant and he learned that lesson the hard way already.

If you’ve been looking for a new fantasy series to fill the giant Game of Thrones-shaped hole in your heart, boy are you in luck. After nearly three years in the works, we are merely months away from the premier of The Wheel of Time series over on Amazon Prime Video. To help reignite excitement for the upcoming show, Amazon has finally shared a first look at Rosamund Pike’s Moiraine in the official poster for the series, along with the caption, “See you in November, Dragonsworn.”

For those not familiar with the The Wheel of Time, the upcoming show is based on the best-selling fantasy novels by Robert Jordan. While the series 14 novels sprawls across years and features numerous characters, the show follows the hero of the first three books — Moiraine Damodred — as she embarks on a dangerous journey with five young men and women. Moiraine takes on this mission as she believes one of her traveling companions could very well be the reincarnation of an incredibly powerful individual, the Dragon, whom prophecies say will either save humanity or destroy it.

The Wheel of Time makes its big debut this November on Amazon Prime Video. The six-episode season is being adapted for television by Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Chuck writer Rafe Judkins, and will be produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon Studios. For all you longtime fans of the popular series, rest assured Judkins has said is a fan of the books, and is “honored to be the one finally bringing that world to life.”

“For so many people, including me, this book series has served as a world to escape to, to lose yourself in, to devour and inhabit completely. And I couldn’t be more honored to be the one finally bringing that world to life on screen, for old fans to lose themselves in all over again and new fans to discover for the very first time.”

(Via Deadline & Amazon)