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Obviously, we will be discussing the events of The Suicide Squad, so if you have not seen it yet, this gets into spoilers. Consider yourself warned.

As we discussed with Joel Kinnaman, he was pretty thrilled for the chance to come back and play Rick Flag again in a role where he could inject some fun and humor into the characters instead of being, his words, a “plot donkey.” But, alas, Kinnaman’s Rick Flag perishes at the hands of John Cena’s The Peacemaker – one of the only deaths in the movie not played for laughs – going as far to show Flag’s heart being punctured so that there’s little doubt Flag isn’t going to recover from this one.

I asked Kinnaman about that scene in particular. If he though, maybe, there was a way for Flag to survive these injuries for future installments, and if he had his hopes dashed when he finally saw the finished animation of Flag’s heart stop beating.

“Well, we’ll see,” says Kinnaman. “No, I think if you bring everyone back to life, then there are no stakes. Then you’re just playing games.” But then he added, “But we’re figuring some things out. There are other versions of this, as well.”

Well that doesn’t seem quite as definitive as one might have thought while watching Flag’s heart literally stop beating. So, what does other versions mean?

Kinnaman clarifies, “No, no, no. There’s a timeline that happens before.” Then Kinnaman, probably wisely, stopped talking about that.

Okay, so, it sounds like we, just maybe, haven’t seen the last of Kinnaman as Rick Flag. And who knows, considering how many characters are killed off in the first half hour of The Suicide Squad, (this is me purely speculating) maybe a bunch of them will get adventures set before the events of this movie. But I do enjoy Kinnaman as Flag (especially, as he said, with more humor in the latest version) so maybe this “other version” in a “timeline that happens before” will become a reality.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson have teamed up to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11 with an all-star event featuring some of the biggest names in comedy. While comedy might not seem like the most sensitive approach to the 2001 terrorist attack, it’s actually a fitting and a very New York response.

“We wanted to put on a fun celebration to honor this great city’s resilience. It’s nice to be able to do this with friends and people we love,” Stewart and Davidson said in a statement to CNN:

“NYC Still Rising After 20 Years: A Comedy Celebration” was announced Monday as a one-night-only event to be held September 12 at Madison Square Garden.

Scheduled performers include Amy Schumer, Bill Burr, Colin Jost, Colin Quinn, Dave Attell, Dave Chappelle, Jay Pharoah, Jimmy Fallon, John Mulaney, Jon Stewart, Michael Che, Pete Davidson, Ronny Chieng, Tom Segura and Wanda Sykes.

Both comedians have personal ties to September 11. Davidson’s father was a New York City firefighter who died during the attack — an event that’s shaped the SNL star’s brand of comedy and was the inspiration for the King of Staten Island. Like Davidson, Stewart is a lifelong New Yorker, and for years, he’s been a relentless advocate for firefighters, who selflessly sacrificed their lives and health to save others following the attacks.

Whenever Stewart shows up on Capitol Hill, any politician who fails to take care of America’s heroes is about to have a very bad day.

(Via CNN)

Geralt of Rivia is definitely the grumpy face of The Witcher universe, which includes a book series, canon-divergent video games, and a Netflix franchise with one series in process, a prequel in development, and an anime movie arriving this month. The latter project revolves around the origin story of Vesemir, who acted as Geralt’s mentor (and will be played in The Witcher Season 2 by Kim Bodnia of mischievous Killing Eve fame). And as this trailer shows, monster-hunters are not born, they are created, and the process doesn’t look too pleasant.

Well, Vesemir got over it (the “it” being how orphaned children are recruited and subjected to a trial) in order to be transformed into a witcher, and of course, we’re getting another flash of a bathtub since that method of post-hunt relaxation is canon. This trailer shows Vesemir get into the swing of his profession (which is hated by humanity, and that’s why Jaskier wrote his horribly catchy song) while undertaking a mission with a witch. There’s also a climactic-type battle that includes Vesemir with several other witchers, so we’ll see exactly who they’re fighting when the movie releases. From the film’s synopsis:

The world of The Witcher expands in this anime origin story: Before Geralt, there was his mentor Vesemir — a swashbuckling young witcher who escaped a life of poverty to slay monsters for coin. But when a strange new monster begins terrorizing a politically-fraught kingdom, Vesemir finds himself on a frightening adventure that forces him to confront the demons of his past

The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich co-executives produces and co-wrote the film, along with Beau de Mayo. Han Kwang II directs, and Theo James voices Vesemir. Given that the show’s audience is a cross-platform one already, this anime film should quench plenty of fandom thirst before Season 2’s December 17 premiere date.

Netflix’s The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf will stream on August 23.

Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.

This week saw The Weekend say bye to After Hours and Nas say hello to a couple of fellow hip-hop legends. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.

For more music recommendations, check out our Listen To This section, as well as our Indie Mixtape and Pop Life newsletters.

The Weeknd — “Take My Breath”

For months now, there have been hints from The Weeknd that he was getting ready to move on from the After Hours era. Last week, he officially did: He dropped “Take My Breath,” which has the nostalgic sound of the album that preceded it but is more of a straight-up dance tune than anything else on the album.

Nas — “EPMD 2” Feat. Eminem and EPMD

Whenever an Eminem song pops up (or even just a verse), it makes waves. It was no surprise, then, that the reactions to last week’s new Nas song, “EPMD 2” featuring Eminem and the titular rap group, were plentiful. This is the first time Nas and Eminem have appeared on a song together, and Em made the most of the meet-up by spitting some fiery bars.

Rico Nasty — “Buss”

It seems we could be blessed with a Rico Nasty project at some point this summer, and if that ends up being the case, “Buss” could be an early look at it. As Uproxx’s Wongo Okon notes, the song finds Rico “in an extremely confident state where she brags about the support of her team, her jewelry, and the inability of the competition to bring her down.”

Big Red Machine — “Mimi” Feat. Ilsey

Justin Vernon and Aaron Dessner’s Big Red Machine is a project built on collaboration, and indeed, that spirit is present throughout the group’s upcoming album How Long Do You Think It’s Gonna Last?. The album is more than its (appropriately hyped) Taylor Swift collaborations, as BRM proved last week with the Ilsey-featuring “Mimi.”

Foxing — “737”

Foxing have a daring new album, Draw Down The Moon, out now, and it begins with the audacious “737.” In his interview feature with the band, Uproxx’s Ian Cohen notes that the song “explodes like a punctured Surge can, the first time a song has ever inspired me to use ‘chamber pop’ and ‘Linkin Park’ in the same sentence.”

KSI and Lil Wayne — “Lose”

KSI isn’t far removed from his new album All Over The Place, but he’s followed it in a big way by linking up with Lil Wayne on “Lose.” While it’s certainly a rap song, the tune, as has become en vogue lately, incorporates strong rock/pop-punk influences as well.

Tinashe — “X” Feat. Jeremih

After beginning her journey as an independent artist with 2019’s Songs For You, Tinashe carries on now with another new album, 333. She’s independent, but not alone, as among the highlights from the new album are the Jeremih collaboration “X,” as well as songs with Kaytranada, Kaash Paige, and Buddy.

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett — “I Get A Kick Out Of You”

While it was previously indicated that singing legend Tony Bennett would be backing away from public life in light of his Alzheimer’s, he’s not hanging it up just yet. He and Lady Gaga are teaming up for another joint album, and last week, they shared the classic “I Get A Kick Out Of You,” a jaunty rendition that features a back-and-forth rapport between Gaga and Bennett that oozes delightful fun.

Finneas — “A Concert Six Months From Now”

Now that Billie Eilish’s new album is out, Finneas is taking a moment to enjoy some of his own spotlight. His latest solo single is “A Concert Six Months From Now,” the opening cut from his upcoming album Optimist that’s understandably not too far removed from the style of his sister’s more intimate numbers.

Vince Staples — “Got ‘Em”

The storied Pokémon franchise is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, and it has done so in part with a handful of musical partnerships. That latest is The Red EP, which dropped last week and featured a new Vince Staples cut called “Got ‘Em,” which is named in reference to the series’ “Gotta catch ’em all” tagline and has plenty of fan-pleasing nods to the multimedia empire.

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

Charli XCX has said that she intends to release new music at some point this year. She described her next album as “poptastic,” and in a more recent statement, she doubled down on that sentiment.

Speaking with Evening Standard, Charli said, “New music is coming, it’s very good, it is very pop. It feels like Charli ultra pop star, all-out, sell your soul kind of version of myself. I feel like I have unlocked this kind of ultimate top-tier level of myself and it is fun to get to know her a bit as well.”

She explained her reasoning for going in that direction, saying, “Firstly, because the previous lockdown album was very much the opposite, it was very DIY. I made it with my fans very quickly. I kind of wanted to go in the opposite direction. Secondly, it is my last album on a major label in my record deal. So, I thought, ‘Why not?’”

Meanwhile, Charli is launching her own podcast, Charli XCX’s Best Song Ever, and some upcoming guests include Beabadoobee, Mark Ronson, Tove Lo, Christine And The Queens, and Caroline Polachek.

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

Following the success of The Haunting of Hill House and The Haunting of Bly Manor, horror director Mike Flanagan’s relationship with Netflix continues with Midnight Mass. The seven-episode series takes place on Crockett Island, “an isolated island community that experiences miraculous events — and frightening omens – following the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest,” according to the streamer. It stars Kate Siegel, Zach Gilford (Saracen from Friday Night Lights!), Hamish Linklater, and Annabeth Gish.

“I’m just going to admit it… Midnight Mass is my favorite project so far,” Flanagan wrote in a letter released with a cryptic teaser. “As a former altar boy, about to celebrate 3 years of sobriety, it’s not had to see what makes this so personal. The ideas at the root of this show scare me to my core. There is darkness at work on Crockett Island. Some of it is is supernatural, but the scariest is born of human nature. The darkness that animates this story isn’t hard to see in our own world, unfortunately. But this show is about something else as well… faith itself. One of the great mysteries of human nature. How even in the darkness, in the worst of it, in the absence of light – and hope — we sing. I hope you enjoy our song.” In other words, Midnight Mass looks creepy as hell.

Midnight Mass premieres on September 24.

During a wide-ranging interview for Dana Bash’s new series, Being, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes opened up about what it’s like to be the constant target of Fox News, and the New York congresswoman had a tellingly academic response. AOC told Bash that she finds the coverage to be “really fascinating” because it speaks “to these very subconscious narratives about women or about people of color or about Latinos or Latinas or working class people.” According to AOC, even though the coverage is very clearly pointed at her, it reflects a “societal” problem instead of a “personal” one.

You can see AOC’s full thoughts on Fox News below:

Despite directly attacking the Fox News issue with a thoughtful response, AOC was a little more of a politician when it came to the question of whether or not she’s going to challenge Senator Chuck Schumer in a primary race. Via Mediaite:

The congresswoman acknowledged that she knows it “drives everybody nuts” that she has avoided talking about her plans, “but the way that I really feel about this, and the way that I really approach my politics and my political career, is that I do not look at things and I do not set my course positionally. And I know there’s a lot of people who do not believe that. But I really, I can’t operate the way that I operate and do the things that I do in politics while trying to be aspiring to other things or calculating to other things.”

AOC wrapped up her response by saying, “I’m not commenting on that,” but with a laugh because, to her credit, she’s very aware that sounds like a boilerplate non-denial.

(Via The Recount, Mediaite)

We can debate for hours what the best summer cocktail is. In general, it’s all about taste. If you don’t enjoy the juniper-centric flavor of gin, you probably won’t spend the warmer months craving gin and tonics. If you’re not into tequila and grapefruit, a paloma probably isn’t your jam. If the thought of drinking Campari conjures up images of the numbing agent used at your childhood dentist’s office, you should probably steer clear of the classic Negroni. But if you enjoy the sweet, malty taste of whisky and crave refreshment as well, the classic whisky highball should be your summer go-to (or your year-round go-to).

“The highball is a simple cocktail with generally two ingredients: whiskey, and soda water,” Jacob Mata, bar manager at Garden & Grain in Pensacola, Florida, tells us. He adds, “Choosing the right kind of whisky is very important when crafting this cocktail. You want to pick a whiskey that’s full of flavor but also delicate enough to be enjoyed in this style.”

While nobody is going to tell you not to use bourbon, rye, Irish, or Canadian whiskies as the base for your whisky highball, most bartenders agree that to truly get the most out of this drink, you need to use Japanese or Scotch whisky.

To find the best of those two styles, we once again went to the professionals behind the bar for help. We tasked them with telling us their favorite Japanese or Scotch whiskies to mix into a whisky highball. Check out all of their answers below and click on the prices if you want to try one of these yourself.

Yamazaki 12 Japanese Whisky

Scott Wenger, bartender at The Continental in Tampa

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $165

Why This Whisky?

While its cost is probably prohibitive, Yamazaki 12 is one of the finest whiskeys in the world and a great base for a whisky highball. I would jump at the opportunity to enjoy a glass of it in any way shape or form whether neat or mixed with soda water to create a refreshing, summery drink.

Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Scotch

Benjamin Pozar, Bartender at Fogo de Chao in Dallas

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $39

Why This Whisky?

Layers are important and I like a good, blended Scotch whisky in my highball. A bit of Johnnie Walker Black Label with Pellegrino and lemon peel is heaven on earth. There are plenty of whiskies that go with standard club soda, but I like finer bubbles with citrus oil and a kiss of smoke.

Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch

Andy Shannon, co-founder of Candra Drinks in London

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

Why This Whisky?

Monkey Shoulder is a relatively new blended Scotch and has been created to mix into cocktails, making it a really strong candidate for a whisky highball. It has creamy fruity notes that are highlighted by the effervescence of sparkling water.

Glenfiddich 12 Single Malt Scotch

Anna Lazaridis, bartender at Home Team BBQ in Charleston, South Carolina

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50

Why This Whisky?

I prefer Glenfiddich 12 for my highballs. Speyside Scotch whiskies are very smooth and approachable, which is what I like in a highball. Glenfiddich 12 is reasonably priced and definitely works perfectly in this refreshing drink.

Ichiro’s Malt: Malt & Grain Japanese World Blend Whisky

Daniel Yang, lead bartender at Rosina inside The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

ABV: 46.5%

Average Price: $110

Why This Whisky?

Ichiro’s Malt and Grain Whisky is an “all-world whisky” containing a blend of many of the world’s most notable whiskies, so you’ll still find your familiar flavor notes from scotch, rye, and bourbon all in one bottle. It has a beautiful nose of peach and some apricot, followed by a blend of vanilla and butterscotch. Its palate has prominent notes of toffee and malt and a finish of gingerbread and a hint of tropical fruits. Top it off with a high-quality club soda and you have yourself a mighty fine highball.

Hibiki 12 Japanese Whisky

Adam Mason, cocktail specialist at LouVino in Louisville

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $119

Why This Whisky?

Hibiki 12-Year-Old is hard to beat as a base for a whisky highball. In the simplest terms, it’s just amazing with notes of candied orange peels, caramel, and a nutty sweetness that all work well in the drink. Nothing needs to be said about this other than try it.

Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky

Ilan Chartor, head bartender at MILA in Miami

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $40

Why This Whisky?

Suntory Toki, no question. Mild peat and light fruit notes make it a great classic highball base but also a great play on highball base because of its versatility. We use it at MILA in our “Spring in Osaka” cocktail which has Suntory Toki, lychee-elderflower cordial, smoked cardamom essence, and club soda.

Nikka Yoichi Japanese Whisky

Juan Diego, lead bartender at Osaka Nikkei in Miami

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $99

Why This Whisky?

Nikka Yoichi Japanese Whisky plays perfectly with our vision of what a highball should be at Osaka Nikkei Miami. For us, using simple flavors such as house-smoked ginger ale, a perfect Collins spear, and fresh lemon swath combined with notes of shiso salt brings us the perfect Nikkei highball.

Mossburn Speyside Blended Scotch Whisky

Joel Ortega owner and founder of Timber & Blues in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $40

Why This Whisky?

Mossburn Blended Scotch Whisky ticks all the boxes for a great whisky highball with flavors like oak, sherry, and vanilla. Maybe I’m crazy but it kind of has a mezcal after taste and I love mezcal.

Glenmorangie X Single Malt Scotch

Young Kim, beverage director at Fine & Rare in New York City

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $36

Why This Whisky?

Glenmorangie X is a new expression made especially for mixing. The flavor is full of orange zest and some pear, chocolate, and ginger. Try with a premium brand of club soda and garnish with orange peel.

Mars Iwai Japanese Whisky

Ryan Anderson, complex director of beverage at Ace Hotel in New Orleans

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $37

Why This Whisky?

I prefer the clean taste of Mars Iwai Distillery Whisky located in the Alps of Japan. Mars is the highest altitude distillery in all of Japan and they use water coming from natural springs and streams coming out of the mountains surrounding the distillery. I like the texture of their whisky; It’s very naturally oily and viscous, which is great for mixing with club soda.

Hibiki Japanese Harmony Japanese Whisky

Matt Nicholas, bar manager for The Kennedy Bar in Pensacola, Florida

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $90

Why This Whisky?

Hibiki Japanese Harmony from Suntory is my choice for a traditional highball. With a balance of malt and subtle honey, Hibiki Harmony sticks to the Japanese tradition of a smooth soft approachable whisky.

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

Kanye West’s Donda was supposed to be out by now, but as has become tradition with West albums, its release was delayed. The rapper is apparently still working on the project, but Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey thinks he should just release the album as it is now and update it later.

Yesterday, Dorsey tweeted, “And…this is unlikely and maybe against the creative process…but it would be incredible if @kanyewest put out #DONDA as it is now and continued to update it until he feels it’s ‘finished’…so we can all witness the work evolve in real time.” Apple Music’s Zane Lowe responded by noting that West did something similar with The Life Of Pablo, tweeting, “Pablo. It’s a great thing. Pure process.” In a reply to a similar tweet from another user, Dorsey wrote, “Yes and it was amazing.”

It seems that West spotted what he deemed a mistake during his most recent Donda listening event, so there’s still work to be done on the record. West hasn’t officially released any songs from the album yet, but when he decides to do that, it looks like “Hurricane” with The Weeknd and Lil Baby will be the first single.

One of Melania Trump’s few accomplishments as first lady, other than upsetting a lot of people with her “I Really Don’t Care” jacket, was her renovation to the White House’s Rose Garden. This also upset a lot of people, including historian Michael Bechloss, who tweeted, “Evisceration of White House Rose Garden was completed a year ago this month, and here was the grim result — decades of American history made to disappear.”

The official “Office of Melania Trump” Twitter account (which should not be confused with Melania’s personal account and its haunting banner image) replied to Bechloss over the weekend. “@BeschlossDC has proven his ignorance by showing a picture of the Rose Garden in its infancy. The Rose Garden is graced with a healthy & colorful blossoming of roses. His misleading information is dishonorable & he should never be trusted as a professional historian,” the tweet reads, along with a photo of the superspreader garden:

The Trump White House revealed the newly renovated Rose Garden, which was spearheaded by the then-first lady, last August… A petition surfaced in April, which has received more than 80,000 signatures, calling for first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff to reverse the changes to the Rose Garden. “We want Jill Biden and Doug Emhoff to take this on and restore the Rose Garden to [former first lady Jackie Kennedy’s] original design,” the Change.org petition said.

Trump won’t find much sympathy on Twitter:

(Via the Hill)