Us Shattered Box Office Records
The underwhelming performances of Doctor Sleep and Black Christmas suggest that horror sequels and reboots are no longer guaranteed box office hits. The success of Midsommar and Us, on the other hand, is promising for the future of original scare fare. The latter especially deserves to be acknowledged for all it accomplished this year, as Jordan Peele’s fright flick had the most profitable debut for an original horror film ever. The future of the genre is originality, and hopefully, studios take more risks in daring movies going forward.
Captain America Lived Happily Ever After
Avengers: Endgame saw the remaining members of the titular superhero gang embark on a time-traveling quest to defeat the purple tyrant Thanos. The stakes were high, and the odds were stacked against the heroes, as moviegoers packed theaters in droves to watch the final battle unfold. The movie was a roller coaster of emotions, but the good guys won in the end. The best moment, however, saw Captain America going back in time and reuniting with the love of his life, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell). After all the war, death, and drama that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has unleashed, it was nice to see a beloved character bow out on a happy note. Who doesn’t love some romantic sappiness?
Jason Momoa Shaved Off His Beautiful Beard
There’s no denying that Jason Momoa’s beard made him a thirst magnet, but he was willing to sacrifice his beautiful facial fluff for a noble cause. Back in April, the Aquaman actor uploaded a video to his YouTube channel in which he took a razor to his face and removed his facial hair. Momoa did so to raise awareness of the damage being done to the world’s oceans. The shave was symbolic of positive change, and kudos to the guy for putting a bigger cause ahead of himself. The gesture might seem silly, but the video went viral and achieved its desired effect.
The Unexpected Brilliance of Watchmen
While Watchmen isn’t what you’d call a feel-good show, its very existence is a source of joy. Damon Lindelof and his team took Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ comic book universe and transformed it into an incredibly relevant, thoughtful discussion of systemic racism and generational trauma in America. Moore probably hates the show, but the rest of us have enjoyed participating in the conversation it’s started. Watchmen is one of 2019’s biggest miracles because of the way it expanded a story that was already perfect, making it relevant for modern times.
Marvel and Sony Agreed to Continue Sharing Custody of Spider-Man
For a frightful minute, it looked as if Spider-Man was returning to Sony courtesy of some messy money drama. Long story short: Marvel couldn’t reach an agreement with Sony to continue using the neighborhood’s friendliest web-slinger in the Marvel Cinemaic Universe, and fans feared that the character was destined for another reboot. Fortunately, both parties eventually found some common ground, and the rest is history. Spidey will return for more MCU adventures down the line, and Disney didn’t swallow another studio to make it happen.
Related Topics: 2019 Rewind, Hustlers, Keanu Reeves, Marvel Cinematic Universe
