Category: News

The streaming game keeps going strong this weekend with the Delta variant heating up. Likewise, the summer temperatures mean that inside is the place to be, so your home theater will likely be calling your name while you (hopefully) get some rest and relaxation. This week, Adam Driver and Jason Momoa headline two new films, and Sandra Oh and Kate Hudson are doing the TV series thing. More of The Walking Dead is here for the binging, too, as AMC’s flagship zombie series takes its final turn.

Where can you get the most bang for your streaming buck, though? This week, we’re gonna give the top prize to Netflix and HBO Max for bringing both quality and quantity with several selections that are worth your consideration. Next up, Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime tie for second place with plenty of choice, including the aforementioned Driver film and Hudson series, along with more Ted Lasso. Disney+ also comes in with a respectable finish with the latest Marvel Cinematic Series taking an unexpected turn. Hulu, and Peacock all put up fresh programming, and there’s no freaking way that you’ll have nothing to watch. Rather, the challenge will be to narrow things down to a manageable level. Here’s the best of the new streaming selections for this weekend.

Netflix

The Chair (Netflix series): Sandra Freaking Oh headlines this show about the first woman of color to become chair at a prominent university. In the process of adjusting to her job, she confronts dizzyingly high expectations while one of the university’s cornerstone programs is tanking. Jay Duplass co-stars (his character is a complete and delightful mess), and are we ready for Sandra Oh supremacy yet? This show is breezy and immensely charming effort from all parties, and Sandra Oh tells off everyone who pushes back against her bossdom. The trailer also features the latest song (aptly titled, “Oh!”) from viral punk teen stars The Linda Lindas.

Sweet Girl (Netflix film): More Jason Momoa in this world is always a wonderful thing. In this movie, however, the man who portrays Aquaman gets very serious after the death of his wife. He sets out for justice against those who he believes are responsible, and he must also protect his daughter, who’s now in harm’s way due to his mission. So, justice turns into vengeance, and the enemy here is Big Pharma, apparently. Justin Bartha, Amy Brenneman, and Isabela Merced co-star, along with Momoa’s hair.

Untold: Malice at the Palace (Netflix film) — The Wild Wild Country creators bring a fresh, five-part sports docuseries that will drop weekly. This week, Christy Martin’s plight takes center stage following her 1996 undercard fight at the Mike Tyson/Frank Bruno fight. Martin’s story is a perilous one, given that she was not only keeping her sexual orientation under wraps, but she also stood as a pay-per-view records champ in women’s boxing. Don King put her on his radar, and she also wrestled with substance abuse and domestic violence, so expect this installment to be rife with all kinds of drama, including an interview from Mike Tyson.

Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes: (Netflix film) — This documentary shines a light on the Dennis Nilsen, who became one of Britain’s most infamous serial killers in the mid 1980s. The project gathers up over 250 hours of previously undisclosed private recordings from Nilsen himself, all found within his own personal archive. He chose his victims (young men) carefully, yet he was able to easily hide his murders for five years due to mass unemployment that sent many to London, where they found themselves without money or recourse. Not only does the film dive into the voice of Nilsen himself but also survivors, law enforcement, and bereaved families.

The Loud House Movie (Netflix film): This Nickelodeon production hops onto a voyage with the Loud family (who is clearly the biggest and the loudest family that you’ll find on TV, despite the efforts of Succession to be the baddest). Together, they’ll travel to Scotland and apparently realize that they’re actually sort-of Scottish royalty. This leads to plenty of wish fulfillment, which sounds like a wonderful escape in 2021.

HBO Max

Reminiscence: (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — Another movie meant for theaters has landed in your living room. This action thriller stars Hugh Jackman as a private investigator whose ground central happens to be people’s minds. He helps people unearth lost memories while living on the fringe of Miami society. One client becomes a dangerous obsession, and this certainly ain’t Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, although it sounds like the most unlikely reversal ever.

Sweet Life: Los Angeles: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — The WarnerMedia streaming service is keeping up with its summer of unscripted content that also includes The Hype and FBoy Island. In particular, this show follows a group of young, Black, and ambitious mid-20 somethings while they pursue dreams. Of course, those dreams not only happen to be professional but also involve loyalty and love. The quarter-life mark is a milestone unlike any other, and in South Los Angeles, this group of long-time friends comes together for a three-episode drop, which will be followed by more episodes running through September 2.

The Hype: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Streetwear professionals finally get a proper reality-competition show that aims to create a collision of streetwear, culture, and business. Cardi B’s judging, along with Wiz Khalifa, A$AP Ferg, Dapper Dan, and Bobby Hundreds. All involved aim to mentor the contestants while imparting their specialized visions toward the visionary contestants. From fashion to music to art to lifestyle and everywhere in between, the creativity here should be off the hook, and maybe some of that coolness will rub off on us.

The Suicide Squad (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad confined itself to a PG-13 rating, but no one expected James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to stay with PG-13, and in fact, this R-rated (and quite good) extravaganza is releasing simultaneously on streaming and in theaters. Enjoy the “horribly beautiful” assortment of supervillains as they undertake their latest Task Force X mission, and the cast is an enormous, eclectic, and electric. Not only do we have the returning Margot Robbie (as Harley Quinn), Joel Kinnaman (as Rick Flag), Viola Davis (as Amanda Waller), and Jai Courtney (as Boomerang), but John Cena, Idris Elba, Pete Davidson, and more joined the cast. Also: Sylvester Stallone as King Shark. Sold!

FBoy Island: Season 1 (HBO Max series) — Hoo boy this show looks like one hot mess, and that might be exactly what you need during this slightly disastrous summer. Escape to a land where a dozen self-proclaimed “FBoys” compete against a dozen self-proclaimed “Nice Guys” for the affections of three ladies. Nikki Glaser hosts, and the show aims to answer the ultimate social experiment’s question, according to the synopsis: “Can FBoys truly reform or do Nice Guys always finish last?” (Well, one of the FBoys crushes a mango with his bicep in the show’s trailer, so this is entertainment.)

Amazon Prime

Annette (Amazon Prime film) — Adam Driver’s singing into a vagina for some odd reason in this movie that includes the most outlandish of setups for reasons that don’t make complete sense. Yet Driver’s stand-up comedian is accompanied by Marion Cotillard’s opera singer, and the pair falls in love before giving birth to the title character, who is gifted beyond belief with an exceptional destiny. Expect an examination of passion and fame and everything in between.

Modern Love: Season 2 (Amazon Prime series) — Who doesn’t want to watch Jon Snow Kit Harington romance Lucy Boynton? It’s the return of the popular anthology series that found inspiration in the famed New York Times column. Relationships and connections shall happen, as well as betrayals and revelations, and the cast is chock full of talent you already know and love, including Tobias Menzies, Minnie Driver, Garrett Hedlund. All rules of love shall be henceforth broken in locales including Dublin and the whole of New York, including that Big Apple. Did I mention? Jon Snow getting randy again is not to be missed.

Apple TV+

Truth Be Told: Season 2 (Apple TV+ series) — Octavia Spencer and Kate Hudson star in this show about a true-crime podcaster who achieves notoriety, although everything comes back to bite her in the butt after someone that she helped to convict was, well, wrongfully convicted. In this season, Spencer’s podcaster (Poppy) launches a new case that’s deeply personal, given that it involves Hudson’s media mogul (Micah), and soon enough, their friendship may be on the line, along with their reputations.

CODA (Apple TV+ movie) — This Sundance-awarded film (of four awards, including the Directing Award, the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize) from Vendome Pictures touches down on your streaming devices. The story follows a teenager named Ruby, who happens to be the only member of a deaf family who’s able to hear. She’s not only involved with all of the usual teenage concerns but also interpreting duties for her parents and the family business. When she joins her school’s choir, things get rough after she blossoms and finds herself with a difficult choice: keep meeting all of those family obligations, or strike out on her own venture.

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 there’s always the spectre of Led Tasso to consider.

Disney+

What If…? (Disney+ series) — We’re in the multiverse after Loki‘s season finale. The MCU promises to show us a wealth of scenarios that stand separate from the existing canon (thus far). Agent Carter already took the serum and became Captain Carter, and this week, T’Challa takes on the Star Lord mantle with some unanticipated circumstances for a notorious villain. Yes, Chadwick Boseman voiced the character one final time, so it’s time to let the tears and appreciation roll.

Short Circuit: Season 2 (Disney+ series) — Nope, this show still has nothing to do with that 1980s movie starring Steve Guttenberg. Rather, this show follows Walt Disney Animation Studios employees who can pitch and create their own original short films. The series aims to highlight risk-taking approaches and stories that might otherwise never see a greenlight.

AMC+

The Walking Dead: Season 11A (AMC series) — This zombie-apocalypse universe’s flagship series returns for one final rodeo with two spinoffs still in motion, so it’s time to wrap this puppy up before the various shows’ timelines begin to intersect. Negan’s no longer the show’s villain, Alpha’s been vanquished, and Carol’s about to split from the group. When one really thinks about all the careers that this show has bolstered (Steven Yeun, Dania Guerra, Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal, and so on), it’s impressive that Norman Reedus has stuck it out for the long haul, so Daryl and Carol must end this show by literally riding off into the sunset by motorcycle. We’ll accept nothing else.

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.

Hulu

Reservation Dogs: (Season 1 premiere) — Taika Waititi’s FX on Hulu followup to What We Do in the Shadows brings us a comedy series that’s co-written by Native American filmmaker Sterlin Harjo. Yes, the lead quartet in this show rocks suits that look strikingly similar to the characters of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, yet they’re four Indigenous teens who want to commit crime and simply can’t pull it off. The show was shot in and near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and these teens hope to make it all the way to California. The cast and crew come from indigenous communities, from where Harjo and Waititi are aiming their storytelling styles as well.

Peacock

Hart to Heart: Season 1 (Peacock series) — Kevin Hart’s doing celebrity interviews with a twist, and that twist is wine. The result, hopefully, will be unfiltered conversation with actors, musicians, and other such influential people. Will things get a little bit messy, perhaps? With any luck, yes, as we hear about these A-listers’ journey to to their current statures, along with an obligatory discussion about obstacles with a dash of humor.

Tesla’s autopilot features have always dreamed big, and Elon Musk’s latest hope for his car company’s artificial intelligence appears ready to grow ever closer to the uncanny valley with human-looking robots.

Reports emerged on Thursday that Elon Musk had declared Tesla should make robots now. You know, to help do boring stuff without human labor. As Business Insider detailed, Musk appeared onstage during Tesla’s AI event with a non-working prototype of what he hopes is the next great venture for the electric car company: Tesla Bot. But don’t worry, you can probably beat it in a fight?

Musk unveiled the “Tesla Bot,” a 5 ft. 8 in., 125-pound robot, at the event. He said the bot would have a screen where its face should be that will present information. According to the CEO, the humanoid robot will also be capable of dead-lifting 150 pounds and carrying about 45 pounds. Though, the bot will only travel about 5 miles per hour.

“We’re setting it such that it is at a mechanical level, at a physical level, that you can run away from it and most likely overpower it,” Musk quipped.

A teaser for the event showed a more “working” model of the bot, though it should be made very clear that it does not yet actually exist.

On Tesla’s AI section of its website, a section now includes an entry for the Tesla Bot and the company’s goals for the program. That bot, according to reports, will eventually be able to drive a Tesla as well.

Develop the next generation of automation, including a general purpose, bi-pedal, humanoid robot capable of performing tasks that are unsafe, repetitive or boring. We’re seeking mechanical, electrical, controls and software engineers to help us leverage our AI expertise beyond our vehicle fleet.

As The Verge detailed, the company has a long history of dreaming big and falling short with its ideas. So we’ll see if this is actually something that works or simply just another dream to add to the list. But if you’re wary of a future filled with humanoid robots slowly getting better at being human, Elon Musk is certainly trying to freak you out a bit here.

[via The Verge, BI]

After sharing CTV3: Cool Tape Vol. 3 last year, Jaden is getting ready to share a unique version of that project. CTV3: Day Trippers Edition is just weeks away from being released but before the rapper delivers it to the world, he returns with a brand new single for his fans to enjoy. “Summer” arrives as Jaden’s laid-tack take on the year’s hottest season and all the things he enjoys to do during it.

The track arrives hours after Jaden revealed the cover art for CTV3: Day Trippers Edition on Instagram. The cover shows a greyscale image of the rapper sitting at a table with a colorful rainbow draped behind him. The album’s title is plastered above him and a disclaimer towards a presumed ex-lover appears at the bottom. “This is still my last album about you cause it’s still the same album,” it reads. “This is just the Day Trippers Edition.” In the caption for the post, Jaden shared the exact group he created the project for.

“I Really Don’t Know What To Say,” he wrote. “Making This Album Has Really Been One Of The Hardest Things I’ve Ever Put Myself Through.” He added, “This Is For The Day Trippers And All The Lonely Hearts I Love You And We Won’t Be Crying Forever.”

“Summer” arrives after shared the wistful “Bye,” which served as a follow-up to the melancholy “Photograph.”

You can press play on “Summer” in the video above.

CTV3: Day Trippers Edition is out 8/27 via MSFTSMusic/Roc Nation. Pre-order it here.

Next month, Marvel will release Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings in theaters across the country. It’s already made history as the first film from the franchise to feature an Asian lead. A soundtrack for the movie will also be released beside and while fans will have to wait a bit to press play on it, the soundtrack’s creators have released the latest single. Swae Lee and Jhene Aiko deliver their second collaboration with “In The Dark,” a midtempo single that finds both acts begging for transparency from their respective partners. The song arrives days after Jhene attended a premiere for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings and teased the song’s impending release on Instagram.

The new track marks the first time that the artists have worked together since their 2017 effort “Sativa,” which appeared on Jhene’s second album, Trip. The song was later remixed with Swae Lee’s Rae Sremmurd counterpart, Slim Jxmmi.

Their collab comes a week after Swae Lee teamed up with Jack Harlow for “Ball Is Life” from the Madden 22 soundtrack. He also joined Pnb Rock and Pink Sweats for “Forever Never.” Jhene Aiko, on the other hand, cooled down a bit since she dropped her third album, Chilombo, last year. The singer followed-up the Grammy-nominated project with “By Yourself,” her collaboration with Ty Dolla Sign, and the re-release of her debut mixtape, Sailing Soul(s).

Press play on the video above to listen to “In The Dark.”

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

Skrillex hasn’t dropped an album since 2015 but nowadays, things are picking up for the producer. His latest release pits him beside Justin Bieber and Don Toliver for their confessional track, “Don’t Go.” On the new song, the singer and rapper go back and forth with verses that plead for their lover’s continued presence over feel-good production from Skrillex. “Don’t Go” also arrives with a new video that captures the trio on display at different various exhibits before they each turn into solid gold right before the eyes of viewers.

The new single comes after Skrillex teamed up with J Balvin for “In Da Getto” last month. With that song, the duo shared a video that captured a massive house party filled with games and all types of other fun. The visual also sees appearances from TikTok favorites Khaby Lame and dancer Mustafa. Prior to that Skrillex connected with Starrah and Four Tet for “Butterflies.”

Elsewhere, Bieber recently unveiled the lineup for his Las Vegas weekender. The getaway experiences will feature performances from The Kid Laroi, Kehlani, Jaden, David Guetta, and more. As for Don Toliver, he’s weeks removed from teaming up with Latto for “Fast Lane” and Kali Uchis for “Drugs N Hella Melodies.”

You can watch the video for “Don’t Go” above.

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

Alex Honnold has long been the talk of the climbing world and has the astounding feats to justify that, but the rock climber truly hit the mainstream with the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. And the star of Free Solo will now attempt to scale a very serious problem: climate change.

Deadline reported this week that Honnold will star in a Disney+ series called On The Edge, which mixes his journey through Greenland climbing while discussing some very real manmade problems impacting the natural world rock climbers cherish.

On the Edge with Alex Honnold, produced by Plimsoll Productions, sees the professional adventure rock climber embark on a lifelong dream – an epic climbing quest across the remotest and toughest walls and peaks of Greenland, a country that has become the crucible of the climate crisis. In 2020, 300 billion tons of Greenland ice disappeared, the biggest annual melt in recorded history.

Honnold is passionate about conservation and man’s impact on nature, so the show is a perfect fit for one of the most recognizable extreme sports stars in the world. So the series, which is sure to combine some of the daring visuals that made Free Solo so compelling with a very real exploration of the climate crisis, seems like a perfect fit. Part informational journey, part docuseries about a climber taking on some massive challenges, On The Edge seems poised to attempt a daring balance of its own.

With an overabundance of virgin climbs and impossible walls, Greenland is considered the world’s last great climbing frontier. As he attempts a once-in-a-lifetime climbing challenge that will push his physical limits, Honnold will meet the scientists working on the frontline of climate change and witness the impacts of the rapid melting for himself.

We’ll see how it shakes out, but judging by Discovery’s involvement here you should expect to like a lot of what you see here if you enjoyed Free Solo.

[via Deadline]

Dark rum is a very broad category. There are myriad variations — from Central American rums aged on volcano slopes to South American rums farmed deep in Amazonia to the iconic rums of the Caribbean to the new rums coming out of the Philippines, Madagascar, Mauritius, and other crafty distilleries in every corner of the world. And with rum finally starting to get the attention it deserves among lovers of aged spirits, rare barrels and expressions from those distant locales are more valued than ever.

Today, we’re talking about a very specific and very rare rum, this one from Jamaica: Appleton Estate 30.

Just to be clear, this is a collector’s item more than anything else. It’s an extremely limited rare release from 2018, when only 4,000 bottles were produced. Three years on, the number of available bottles is most likely much lower — with most bottles having been drunk and/or stashed away in vaults. As you might imagine, this is not a cheap bottle of booze.

Below you’ll find our review of this 30-year-old treasure. If you’re interested in adding this to your dark rum collection, click on the price to see if there’s a bottle available in your area.

Appleton Estate 30 Very Rare Limited Edition

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $530

The Rum:

This blend comes from the master of Jamaican rum, Master Blender Joy Spence. This release from 2018 blends rums that are at least 30 years old with some barrels north of 50 years old. Like all Appleton releases, the juice in the bottle is a cane-to-glass spirit with everything from the growing of the cane to the aging and blending happening in-house at Appleton.

Only 4,000 bottles were produced with only 900 of those allocated to the U.S. market.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is bold, with a mix of burnt pineapple rinds next to coconut charcoal, a touch of ripe plantain, and a hint of dry tobacco leaf. The palate calms down all that charred wood and fruit for a slow-sipping essence of pineapple juice tied to black molasses, cinnamon, and anise, rich and oily vanilla, rips of cedar bark, dry grass, butterscotch candies, and a slight note of that Jamaican rum funk on the end. The finish on this is very long and hits you with an almost creamy and soft pina colada vibe very late that turns into a mild mango juice, leaving you with a satisfied palate coated with lovely dark rum.

The Bottle:

Appleton’s new bottle design suits this rum. It’s sleek and eye-catching while the label remains very understated. The embossed label lets you stare into the depths of the dark rum in the bottle and get sort of mesmerized by it.

Bottom Line:

There’s a lot of dark and charred wood to get through on the nose before you get to the sweet fruits within this dram. But, wow, the mid-palate to finish of this sip is extraordinary. It’s nuanced, balanced, and very enjoyable.

Is it worth over $500 per bottle? If you’re a collector or rare bottles, then perhaps. If you’re a passive dark rum fan, then there are plenty of rums out there for far less money that are all perfectly good.

Ranking:

90/100 — this is good rum but the very distinct nose will turn some drinkers off.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

Thursday was widely expected to be the start of a new era for Jeopardy! with its new full-time host running the show for Season 38. Filming was set to begin on Season 38, with new episodes starting on September 13 as Matt Amodio looks to continue his impressive run as champion.

But the controversy over Mike Richards’ selection as host continues to grow, with new details emerging about the selection process as well as his own offensive comments about women and Jews taking center stage this week. An exhaustive report from Claire McNear at The Ringer detailed some now-deleted podcast comments where Richards disparaged women’s looks and made other offensive comments, at one point being described as “a smile with sharp teeth.”

That report is the second distinct news cycle about Richards’ troubled past, putting Sony into an increasingly difficult spot with its most popular syndicated show. The announcement is official, and filming is set to happen this week according to multiple reports. But as Variety reported on Thursday, there’s “grave concern” among people at Sony about whether Richards can continue in his new role.

Sony Pictures declined to comment on the ADL’s statement. But multiple sources close to the situation say the discovery of offensive remarks from the podcast has sparked grave concern within the studio about whether Richards’ public image may already be too damaged for him to be the face of the beloved quiz show. There’s little doubt that Sony Pictures is starting to consider alternative scenarios for the host slot even as Richards begins taping new episodes this week.

For what it’s worth, Richards issued his second apology in as many weeks for his latest podcast comments, even as new organizations issue statements condemning his comments and his new job as the face of Jeopardy!

“It is humbling to confront a terribly embarrassing moment of misjudgment, thoughtlessness, and insensitivity from nearly a decade ago. Looking back now, there is no excuse, of course, for the comments I made on this podcast and I am deeply sorry. The podcast was intended to be a series of irreverent conversations between longtime friends who had a history of joking around. Even with the passage of time, it’s more than clear that my attempts to be funny and provocative were not acceptable, and I have removed the episodes. My responsibilities today as a father, husband, and a public personality who speaks to many people through my role on television means I have substantial and serious obligations as a role model, and I intend to live up to them.”

Despite that apology, there are a number of reports indicating his future on Jeopardy! is now seen to be in doubt. Matthew Belloni of Puck reported on Thursday that we shouldn’t “be surprised” if Richards gets the gate after what’s become a protracted, multi-layered controversy and subsequent backlash about his legal history and statements on the record.

Sony is, of course, staying quiet about things as filming is supposed to start this week. But what was supposed to be a celebrated changing of the guard for the most beloved trivia show of all time has become nothing short of a nightmare, one that seems it could largely have been avoided with better vetting.

Justin Bieber is bringing his talents to Las Vegas and it’s not just for one night only. Rather, the singer has curated a three-day getaway experience in Las Vegas for he and his fans to enjoy, and Bieber won’t be the only one putting on a show there.

The Justice singer invited The Kid Laroi, Jaden, Kehlani, David Guetta, and others to perform at the experience, which will be held on the weekend of October 7-10 at Wynn Las Vegas’ XS Nightclub and Encore Beach Club. The entire getaway was curated by Bieber himself, who made sure to include some of his favorite activities in the Weekender’s itinerary.

The Vegas experience begins on Thursday night with an opening party at XS. The following day presents a pool party at Encore Beach, with Bieber’s activation arriving on the final day. There, attendees will be able to enjoy his favorite food and drink pop-ups, a half-pipe and skate park, and, of course, a show headlined by the singer himself. Troyboi and Eddie Benjamin also appear on the guest list for performers with more special guests set to be announced at a later date.

Bieber recently saw he and The Kid Laroi’s “Stay” collaboration spend a second week atop the Billboard singles chart. The track is their second song together as they previously collaborated on “Unstable” from Bieber’s sixth album, Justice. Jaden also appeared on the album while Kehlani can be found on “Get Me” from Changes.

You can view the Vegas weekender flyer above.

Kehlani is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Despite Tom Holland’s best attempts, Marvel has gotten pretty good about keeping some of its biggest secrets under wraps until they hit theaters or the Disney+ streaming service. For fans who don’t like spoilers, it’s great to see things unfold without fear that trade publications or fan sites will tell you what’s going to happen.

For the actors involved in the shows, however, things can be much more stressful. Movies and TV shows don’t air immediately after they’re filmed, leaving long periods of time in which a person cast for a role might not be able to even reveal that they got a huge opportunity to join the MCU. And then there are roles that are revealed, with actors inevitably peppered with questions about everything Marvel.

For Owen Wilson, who delighted in Loki, that promotional stretch was a chance to see just how serious Marvel is about keeping secrets until they air. In a profile for Esquire, the actor tells a pretty creepy story that, if true, really does explain why actors try to adhere to their secret-keeping for their own sakes. In the piece, Wilson called the embargoes involved “no joke” and told a story that might not have been a joke about just how serious they take things during press junkets.

“Well I’ll tell you: it’s serious, it’s no joke,” Wilson explained in a video that accompanied a lengthy cover story. He then, somewhat seriously, explained that he “let slip” that Agent Mobius would have a mustache and saw immediate consequences for that mistake.

“Even when I let it slip that I’m wearing a mustache, Agent Mobius, I got a ominous text saying, ‘Strike One,’” Wilson said. “I don’t know who that was from. We looked into it and we think it might’ve been Kevin Feige using a burner phone or something. But that was never confirmed.”

Given the “burner phone” joke at the end it’s entirely unclear if this actually happened, as the video is pretty loose overall. But it does at least continue to confirm just how seriously Disney takes these leaks, even if the example used here didn’t happen. Which is why he didn’t have much to say about a potential reappearance for his role in the future.

“I couldn’t even speculate – although now that we’ve sort of put that on the table, the whole time element, I guess Agent Mobius could show up anywhere,” Wilson said, joking about a Mobius reboot of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure or Back to the Future. “You might see Agent Mobius there. Like if they rent him out maybe.”

We’ll simply have to wait and see if Mobius pops up anywhere else in future Marvel projects. Unless Wilson wants to test things with potentially earning himself a second strike.

[via The Wrap]