Men In Black's 10 Most Iconic Aliens

Men In Black's 10 Most Iconic Aliens

They are a rumor, recognized only as deja vu and dismissed just as quickly. They are the Men In Black, an organization specializing in protecting the identities of and defending the earth from extraterrestrials. This June, the MIB will return in Men In Black: International, the fourth entry of the franchise once headlined by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson. Thor and Valkyrie fighting aliens - yeah, that checks out.

What we are most excited to see in F. Gary Gray's reboot of the science fiction and comedy hit is what every Men In Black sequel does best: give us some new otherworldly creatures to gush over, if you find aliens particularly gush-worthy. The thing is, creating new aliens that are just as memorable as what the franchise has already introduced is going to be a challenge, as the creatures we have already been introduced to have been nothing short of unforgettable. But which creatures holds the most lasting memories with Men In Black fans?

We take a look back at 1997's Men In Black, its two sequels, and even a few references to its animated series, and rank the top 10 biggest, baddest, funniest, and most iconic aliens in the universe.

10. Ballchinian

This species earns a spot on our list purely for being, just about, the funniest joke in Men in Black II.

The Ballchinian made its first and last very brief appearance shortly after K regained his previously neuralyzed memory. J is in trouble, fighting a losing battle against a gang of various alien species. As soon as K comes to his senses about his MIB training, he bursts into the assault, taking down the different aliens one by one with J’s suggestions based on each species’ weaknesses.

The final alien K takes down in Men in Black II is, at first, resistant to each strike he lays down, until J reminds him of the creatures namesake. He pulls away his scarf, revealing what can only be described as the most anatomically correct appearance of a “ballchin” ever witnessed. K promptly grasps the low-hanging facial appendage and, with a forceful tug, defeats the perpetrator, giving the audience a much-needed laugh.

9. Beatbox Alien

It probably does not sound too implausible to assume that rapper Biz Markie of “Just A Friend” fame is a creature not of this earth. That must be why the producers of the 2002 Men In Black follow-up decided to cast him as an otherworldly creature with a unique language.

In Men In Black II, Will Smith’s Agent J has proven successful as one of the Men In Black’s best agents, but faces a threat that only the retired and neuralyzed Agent K can help him defeat. J finds K (now Kevin) working as a postman and, in an effort to jog his memory, proves to him that most post office employees are not human. The first alien he exposes is this mail sorter, played by Markee, whom he communicates with through the art of beatboxing, as you can see in all its glory in the clip below.

We have no idea what J and the Beatbox Alien said to each other, but it is one of the most engaging moments of Men In Black II, due to the fun surprise cameo and the opportunity it gives Will Smith to show off his beatboxing skills, as previously demonstrated during his days on The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. What is especially fascinating about the scene is that Markee’s beatboxing requires no special audio modification. That’s just Biz in action, doing what no human could. That’s just perfect casting.

8. Boris The Animal

If there is one thing we can say about Men In Black 3 in terms of improvement over Men In Black II it was the villain in that movie. We went from a huge, malevolent, monstrous bug in the first Men In Black to Serleena: an emotionless, shapeshifting alien plant queen disguised as a lingerie model. Where she succeeded in merciless commitment to world domination, she lacked in personality. Which is why we are thankful that, 10 years later, we met Boris.

Brought to life by an enthusiastic performance by Flight of the Conchords’ Jemaine Clement (as well as heavy prosthetics), Boris The Animal is the ruthless, short-tempered sole member of the Boglodite race who hates human beings as much as he hates his nickname. Men In Black 3, opens with his escape from an outer space maximum prison with an intent to seek vengeance on his sworn enemy, Agent K. He achieves his mission by going back in time and killing a younger version of K (played to perfection by Josh Brolin) in 1969, forcing J to travel to the past and team up with young K to prevent his murder and save the world again.

Boris’ presence in Men In Black 3 is the main source of the film’s fun. He is dripping with intriguing -- and often chilling -- character traits, such as having goggle lenses for eyes, razor sharp teeth, and a missing arm (which he blames K for), not to mention the shockingly lethal, spider-like pet Weasel that resides in a hollow part of his hand. Boris is a stone cold killer who treats the galaxy as his personal playpen of carnage. We’re too afraid not to include him on this list.

7. Squid

From battling carnivorous beasts in flying saucers to finding tiny green men residing in the head of rotting corpses, being an MIB agent sounds like the scariest, most revoting job in the galaxy. However, as a key moment in the first Men In Black demonstrates, it does have its more lighthearted perks.

On Agent J’s first official outing as a newly recruited member of the MIB, he and K pull over Redgick, an alien with Earth citizenship looking to seek refuge for him and his pregnant wife, who is visibly in the late stages of labor. J is put to the task of “catching” the approaching newborn. Enduring a visibly rocky process, J successfully delivers a baby “squid,” which he mentions is actually quite cute, right before it pukes on him.

It is a moment that still carries the same danger that makes this a tough job, but concludes with the revelation that not all alien creatures are the vicious kind we fear. In fact, we agree with J: the squid is really cute.

6. Jack Jeebs

Part of the fun of watching the Men In Black movies is keeping a close eye on the random human bystanders in the background, trying to spot who might be here from another world. The idea of extraterrestrials walking in plain sight among us was never fully ingrained into our psyche until we met pawn shop owner Jack Jeebs.

Jeebs (played by Tony Shalhoub) seems (almost) perfectly human at first, until he tests K’s patience enough to promptly blow his head clean off with one shot. At first we, and pre-MIB recruitment J, think K has killed him, but apparently this is not the first head K has ruined for that because Jeebs’ head begins to grow back while he mutters, “You have any idea how much that stings?”

Jeebs returned in Men In Black II for a few more head-losing hijinks, but without much else to bring to the table. While Shalhoub would be more than welcome by us to reprise his role in Men In Black: International, this decidedly one hit wonder’s main joke is in danger of stretching too thin.

5. Twins (Idikiukup and Bob)

We know you have heard the names of each half of MIB’s resident tentacled computer technicians, but we bet you had no idea how to spell Idikiukup. Yeah, we actually had to look it up too.

“The Twins,” Idikiukup and Bob, were introduced in Men In Black during Agent J’s first tour of the headquarters after accepting recruitment as K shows them managing the observation bay. With the push of a few buttons, they reveal that J’s theory about having an extraterrestrial for a third grade teacher turned out to be right.

The Twins were not the biggest talkers and, sadly, did not return in Men In Black II or Men In Black III, but their importance to the fate of the world should not be understated. Using those tentacles to pull off what just our 10 human fingers could never do with a computer, they scan every corner of the galaxy with expert precision to make sure nothing is out of place. I see a standing ovation in order if they make their return in Men In Black: International.

4. Mikey

This one is especially memorable as he can be credited with introducing us to the curious, bizarre world of Men In Black.

In the opening scene of the first MIB film, INS agents pull over a van holding illegal immigrants. Shortly after, Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K and his original partner Dee (Richard Hamilton) show up posing as the blatantly made up Division 6 of the INS to instigate and discover that one of these “aliens” is from much farther away than south of the border. K pulls away the disguise, simply a large fur coat and an anatomically correct head on a stick, to reveal a familiar face -- to him at least.

Mikey, as K immediately greets him as, is an amphibious creature with six arms and flippers posing as a human immigrant to escape from jail. When one of the INS agents catches a glimpse of K and Dee’s interrogation of Mikey, the alien uses his independent eye to look back at the agent and angrily charge toward him, until K fires at him, disposing him to blue liquid. In just four minutes, we learn everything we need to know about who these mysterious, well-dressed men are all about.

As being the first alien we see in Men In Black, Mikey earns a firm, lasting position in the franchise’s iconography.

3. Frank

Humans are not the only species worth being suspicious about in the Men in Black world. J was even surprised to discover the alien he and K were looking to gain information from was not the creepy, gray-skinned newspaper stand attendant, but the talking dog sitting next to him.

Frank (voiced by Tim Blaney in the films) is a member of the Remoolian species, but lives among earthlings as a cute little pug, a disguise that renders him sensitive to ridicule. Through all of his appearances in the Men In Black franchise, he has proven himself to be an irritating-yet-helpful ally, alerting K and J on the way to learning the location of the Arquilian Galaxy in the first film, becoming J’s temporary partner in Men In Black II, and assisting K and J against alien terrorists in the animated series as well.

Given his absence in Men In Black 3, unless you count the framed photo of him on the wall of Agent J’s apartment bedroom, it does not seem likely that Frank will return to assist in any further intergalactic intrigue in Men In Black: International. Nevertheless, we will never forget him as one of the most endearing extraterrestrial canines in film history.

2. Orthopterous Exomorphs (Bugs)

"Imagine a giant cockroach with unlimited strength, a massive inferiority complex, and a real short temper is tear-assing around Manhattan island in a brand new Edgar suit."

That is how K chooses to describe the Orthopterous Exomorph (or commonly referred to as a “Bug”) to J in Men In Black, when they discover the enemy they are forced to take on to defend the Arquilian Galaxy is going to be tough nut to crack.

The Bug is initially introduced to us in the form of its less-than-convincing disguise, inhabiting the skin of New York famer Edgar (Vincent D’Onofrio). Once the skin comes off in the final act, the creature reveals his true form as a frightening, slimy, multi-legged nightmare worthy of taking the crown in the insect kingdom.

Fortunately, J, being the clever, no-nonsense NYPD cop he is, is able to figure out that the Bug has a soft spot for his earthbound family members. Coming across a small village of cockroaches in a nearby dumpster, J unapologetically stomps on them one by one, successfully tugging at the Bug’s heartstrings and distracting him from carrying out his mission. That, essentially, is what makes Edgar the Bug such an impressive villain: he has a multi-layered persona with a rough, gross exterior, but a sensitive inside.

1. Worms (Annelids)

If there are any fan favorites we are praying to see return in Men In Black: International, it’s this group of pint-sized, nicotine-addicted laugh riots known for making a mean morning brew.

Neeble, Geeble, Sleeble, and Mannix are an alien species called Annelids (better known around MIB headquarters as the “Worms”) who have been a prominent part of the Men In Black franchise (even showing up in the animated series) since they appeared in the first film as the first undisguised aliens Will Smith’s J lays eyes on.

They also keep things interesting around headquarters with a sense of humor that is sure to keep you laughing with them, despite their often indecipherable language, and shamelessly taking part in the vices forbidden on their planet Takwella, most notably coffee. A Men In Black movie without the Worms just would not feel complete.

What do you think of our list? Was it the Men In Black nostalgia trip you were looking for, or even increase your excitement for Men In Black: International? If so, be sure check for more updates here on Cinemablend.

Star Wars' May The Fourth Is Now An Official Holiday In California

Star Wars' May The Fourth Is Now An Official Holiday In California

For years, May 4th has been known as Star Wars Day. The phonetic similarity between "May the fourth" and 'May the Force" has made the day an unofficial day to celebrate all things Star Wars, but the day is now anything but unofficial, as the State of California has officially declared May 4th 2019, Star Wars Day.

Assembly Concurrent Resolution 72 was officially introduced on April 22 but was voted on yesterday by the California legislature and it officially declared the fourth day of May as Star Wars Day. A large Yoda shaped balloon was on display on the Capitol lawn and members of the 501st, the charity organization whose members dress as Stormtroopers, were on hand for the event.

The resolution wasn't entirely done simply for fun. It was introduced by California Assemblyman Tom Daly whose district includes a very important place for the Walt Disney Company, the city of Anaheim. The resolution's text specifically calls out that Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is set to open at Disneyland later this month, and that the creation of the new land brought numerous temporary construction jobs as well as additional permanent Disneyland cast member jobs to the city of Anaheim. Disneyland is the largest employer in all of Orange County.

Galaxy's Edge alone is estimated to bring in an additional $14 million in tax revenue to the city of Anaheim according to the resolution.

Certainly, it's understandable with that information at hand why California would bother to take the time to create an official Star Wars Day. Disney and Star Wars are massively important to the state in real, tangible, ways.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opening is certainly going to be a massive event for Disneyland, and by extension, the state. Disneyland is already one of the top tourist destinations in the state, which means millions of people coming from outside the city and the country, nevermind the state, to spend money. It's no understatement that the entire state's economy would be measurably smaller if Disneyland did not exist.

Yesterday we saw every reservation available for Galaxy's Edge in the land's first three weeks vanish in under two hours. Now, the only way to get into the land when it opens is to book a Disneyland Resort hotel. One assumes that a lot of people who got reservations are now booking trips to Disneyland that will bring money into the state, county, and city. Many of those that did not are probably looking at booking Disney hotels in order to be sure they don't miss anything.

Of course, while May 4 may now be an official Star Wars holiday in California, that unfortunately doesn't mean that business will be closing in observation of the day. This year May 4 happens to fall on a Saturday anyway, so a lot of businesses will already be closed.

How Much Spider-Man: Far From Home Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much Spider-Man: Far From Home Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

Warning: SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame ahead!

Thanks to the heroic efforts of the Time Heist team in Avengers: Endgame, Peter Parker is back in the land of the living, albeit 5 years later, and ready for his next big screen adventure. That adventure comes in the form of this summer’s Spider-Man: Far From Home. The long-range tracking is in for the film, and Spider-Man: Far From Home could be looking at a domestic opening weekend box office as high as $120 million.

Spider-Man: Far From Home doesn’t release until July, but the long-range tracking on the film from Box Office Pro sees it opening to between $90 million and $120 million over 3 days. Spidey’s Eurotrip actually opens on a Tuesday, right before Independence Day, so it should benefit from an extra-long opening weekend with people off for the holiday. The long-range tracking sees the film making between $190-$230 million over 6 days.

The 6-day opening has fewer comparisons, but a $90-$120 million 3-day opening weekend would be a solid debut for Tom Holland’s sophomore solo effort. Spider-Man: Homecoming opened to $117 million in July of 2017, and if Far From Home comes in on the high end of the long-range tracking, it would match and possibly even exceed that by a bit.

A domestic opening weekend of $120 million would actually give Spider-Man: Far From Home the second-biggest opening of any Spider-Man film, surpassing Homecoming. The only film that would remain ahead of it based on the tracking would be 2007’s Spider-Man 3, which opened to $151.1 million. So a $120 million opening would put Far From Home in the upper echelon of debuts for a superhero whose live-action big screen tenure has spanned 17 years and 3 iterations.

A $120 million opening would also put Spider-Man: Far From Home right in the neighborhood of Thor: Ragnarok, which opened to $122.7 million. If the film exceeds the high-end of the forecasts and makes over $128.1 million, it would beat Iron Man 2’s opening to snag a spot in the top 10 MCU openings.

This tracking is long-range so it can still fluctuate in either direction as we get closer to release, but Spider-Man: Far From Home has a lot going for it, the most obvious thing being its proximity to Avengers: Endgame. That film just enjoyed the biggest opening weekend of all time, and that only bodes well for future MCU movies because audiences will want to hop right back in to this world.

So many people will want to know what happens next, and what the fallout of Avengers: Endgame is, and Spider-Man: Far From Home is positioned to take advantage of that -- with plenty of new questions, and intriguing new wrinkles like the multiverse. The film, which is the official end of Marvel’s Phase 3 and the Infinity Saga, is focusing heavily on that Endgame fallout and specifically Tony Stark’s death, which has a profound effect on Peter.

The first trailer for Spider-Man: Far From Home set a record for number of views and Marvel has even started attaching the more recent trailer for Far From Home to the end of Endgame, letting all those moviegoers know what's next.

On the competition front, Spider-Man: Far From Home pretty much stands alone. June 21’s Toy Story 4 will still be big and The Lion King doesn’t come out for two and a half weeks after Spidey. That means this movie will be far and away the ticket to buy over the July 4th holiday weekend.

Spider-Man: Far From Home swings into theaters on July 2. Check out our 2019 Release Schedule to see all of this summer’s biggest movies.

How A Sons Of Anarchy Hiatus Led To Charlie Hunnam Landing A Gig With Guy Ritchie

How A Sons Of Anarchy Hiatus Led To Charlie Hunnam Landing A Gig With Guy Ritchie

Charlie Hunnam has successfully transitioned from TV to the big screen following his lead gig on FX’s Sons of Anarchy, but while appearing ahead of the release of his new Guy Ritchie collaboration The Gentlemen, the actor revealed that it was only thanks to a Sons of Anarchy hiatus that he had the opportunity to work with the longtime director.

I worked with Guy on King Arthur and he absolutely did not want to hire me for that. So, I was shooting a TV show that I was doing at the time, Sons of Anarchy. He was casting this right at the time and he was taking a week of meetings right at the time that I coincidentally had my hiatus.

Speaking at an STX panel at CinemaCon 2019, Charlie Hunnam and fellow The Gentlemen star Henry Golding both revealed how their respective first meetings with longtime director Guy Ritchie went. While Golding was taking meetings for The Gentlemen just ahead of the premiere for his massive global hit Crazy Rich Asians, Hunnam previously worked with Guy Ritchie on King Arthur: Legend of The Sword.

Charlie Hunnam then revealed that although Guy Ritchie wasn’t actually interested in him for the King Arthur role, he talked his way into a 3 ½ hour meeting that ended up working out for both parties involved.

So, although he said he wasn’t really interested in meeting me, I said, ‘Fuck that, I’ll fly myself over and can we just have a cup of tea together,’ because I felt if I got into a room with him I could sort of ‘wow him’ with my insight and passion for the script.

Sons of Anarchy finished out its epic run on FX back in 2014, so Charlie Hunnam was certainly looking around for a new gig around the time that project was ending. It’s just lucky the show happened to be on hiatus the week Guy Ritchie was meeting potential actors for the role.

It took a few more years for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword to actually premiere in theaters in 2017, but even though that movie only went on to make a little over $148 million worldwide (on a reportedly $175 million budget), it led the actor and director to consider working together again, this time on the STX production The Gentlemen. (Previously this project was known as Toff Guys or Bush.)

As for Henry Golding, the whole process of both meeting and filming with Guy Ritchie ended up being very different, as that actor shot The Gentlemen simultaneously while filming a holiday movie. He said of the experience:

It was sort of waking up in this [sic] gangster role. There were some days I would do [The Gentlemen] in the morning and then report to set for a Christmas movie with Emilia Clarke, so it was a very sort of strong contrast.

That movie is about drug lords, drugs and (sometimes comedic) moments of violence and it sports an all-star cast, including Charlie Hunnam and Henry Golding, but also previous collaborator Hugh Grant, Matthew McConaughey, Colin Farrell, Michelle Dockery and Jeremy Strong.

The Gentlemen doesn’t have a release date yet, but if you missed or weren’t fond of King Arthur, the footage looks to be a very different type of movie, yet still with Ritchie’s signature pacing and style. We’ll bring you the trailer as soon as it drops, but for now the very least you can do is throw on episode of Sons of Anarchy or throw on your own "cup of tea" to toast Jax.

Why The Villain In Dumbo Was A Bigger Shock Than We Expected

Why The Villain In Dumbo Was A Bigger Shock Than We Expected

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the new live-action Dumbo.

It was clear from the very first trailers that the live-action Dumbo was going to tell a very different story than the original animated classic. Throughout the film's promotion, we were introduced to entirely new characters and settings that showed us the new film would definitely not be a standard remake. The original Dumbo was a movie without a villain, and the new version never entirely tipped its hand in that regard during marketing. It seemed clear that Michael Keaton's character was being set up as the bad guy, but details were left to a minimum. Still, I found myself watching the new film in utter amazement this week when I realized that the villain in Disney's newest movie... is basically an evil Walt Disney.

Michael Keaton plays the role of V.A. Vandevere in the new Dumbo. In the film, as soon as he learns of the existence of the flying elephant, he travels to the Medici Brothers circus in order to obtain the spectacle for his own entertainment venue. However, Vandevere doesn't run a competing circus. Instead, he has build an entertainment mecca, a massive complex where people come from all around to see a variety of different shows and experience unique attractions. It's called Dreamland. He built a theme park.

Micheal Keaton doesn't bear any physical resemblance to Walt Disney in the film; the trademark mustache is missing, but the parallels are clear. The character certainly has other influences as well, like Thomas Edison, who by all accounts actually was an asshole like Vandevere. There's maybe a little J.D. Rockefeller and J.P Morgan there as well, but Walt Disney certainly has a lot in common with this entire class. All are titans in an industry that they've largely created themselves. Of course, Disney is the only one who also built a theme park.

The existence of the park isn't the only connection to Disney. When we first meet Vandevere, he convinces Danny DeVito's Max Medici that the days of the circus are numbered. Now, rather than forcing a show to travel around the country to where the guests were, the way to be successful is to build a permanent entertainment installation and make the guests come to you.

This was basically the entire argument that led to the creation of Disneyland in the first place. Walt wasn't necessarily trying to put the circus out of business, but it's absolutely true that he wasn't a huge fan of the carnivals and circuses that were the popular form of "family" entertainment in the days before his theme park. He found them to be dirty, thought many of the attractions to be cheap and felt they were mostly only fun for kids, leaving their parents to sit around, probably drinking, while the kids went on the rids. He wanted a place where parents and their kids could have fun together.

It seems like Vandevere built his park simply because it's less work to build a fixed location complex then one that travels. The rationale is different, but the result is the same. It's these simple twists that make Michael Keaton's character the "evil" version of the real man.

You simply can't have a villain who owns a theme park and not make people think of Walt Disney. The man and the concept are forever linked together. However, things go so much further than that. Vandevere's Dreamland has attractions that are specifically designed to remind guests of early Disneyland attractions, like the Carousel of Progress and Rocket to the Moon. Dreamland is actively trying to make you think about Disneyland.

This decision, needless to say, is remarkable. Walt Disney is still very much idolized within the company that bears his name. The idea that a villain could be created that would even suggest Walt himself is a thing to behold. Walt Disney's reputation has been an important pillar of the entire company for decades, making the idea that he could inspire a villain seem impossible before now. When Walt Disney was alive he was very careful about the reputation he cultivated. He was very open and honest about this, saying once...

I’ve worked my whole life to create the image of what ‘Walt Disney’ is. It’s not me. I smoke, and I drink, and all the things we don’t want the public to think about. My whole life has been devoted to building up this organization that is represented by the name ‘Walt Disney'

V.A. Vandevere has clearly done this too. When he first arrives at the Medici Brothers circus, everybody is in awe of him. When he shows up in his own theme park, he gets noticed. He clearly has his own public persona.

After Walt's passing, the company that carried on his name continued to build up the image of who Walt Disney was. Even as recently as 2013, when Tom Hanks, the nicest actor who ever lived, played the man himself in Saving Mr. Banks, it was a major breakthrough just to have a shot of Disney holding a lit cigarette. Many old publicity images of the man where he was holding a cigarette would actually airbrush it out of the picture. That film never showed him actually smoking it, of course. That would have been a bridge too far, but that's how carefully the Walt Disney legacy is guarded.

Walt Disney wasn't perfect, he was just a person. However, as has happened with many real people who have obtained such massively popular reputations, there has been a backlash. A lot of the negative things that have been reported about Walt Disney are utterly untrue (that's an entirely separate column), but that hasn't stopped many from viewing the man as exactly the ruthless capitalist monster that Michael Keaton portrays in Dumbo. That's all the more reason that this fictional character in this movie is shocking to see.

V.A. Vadevere is an over-the-top cartoon villain. He intentionally screws Max Medici and everybody in the circus to get what he wants. He orders Dumbo's mother killed to eliminate her as a distraction. He pushes his performers to perform in unsafe circumstances to make the show better. All of this is out of a desire for money.

While V.A. Vandevere may be all about watching his theme park make money, Disney once said of his business of making movies...

We don’t make movies to make money, we make money to make more movies.

V.A. Vandevere clearly has far more capitalistic notions than this when it comes to his theme park. He wants Dumbo because Dumbo will bring him money. That money can be used to grow his business. Greed is a fairly common motivation for villains in Disney movies today, so Michael Keaton's character falls right in line with that, but in Walt's day, painting making money as a bad thing was much less prevalent.

This is because Walt Disney himself was an unapologetic capitalist. If there's a difference between Walt Disney and V.A. Vandevere in this regard, it's only by a matter of degree. This is the same Walt Disney who has successfully and permanently linked his name to centuries-old fairy tales. He took public domain concepts that cost him nothing, and created versions that for many are now the standard, making him and his company rich in the process. Maybe Walt saw financial success as a means to an end, rather than an end to itself, as Vandevere seems to, but both of them were certainly focused on making their businesses financially successful.

V.A. Vandevere isn't Walt Disney, but let's not pretend that nobody on the production of the new Dumbo didn't make that connection, just as I, and many others, already have. That's assuming that it wasn't the goal from the outset. They knew the link would be made, and they went ahead with it. I can't decide if this decision is simply insane or the bravest thing that the Walt Disney Company has ever done. This likely won't change many opinions on old Uncle Walt, for good or ill, but it causes me to look at his company in a whole new way.

New Men In Black International Trailer Reveals Tessa Thompson's Origin Story

New Men In Black International Trailer Reveals Tessa Thompson's Origin Story

The Men in Black franchise is coming back, but with a very different look. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson are taking over the leads as the organization tasked with managing aliens on earth, and the new trailer for the film finally gives us a bit more backstory on Tessa Thompson's rookie Agent M. Check out the new trailer below.

We've seen in previous trailers that Tessa Thompson's character gets her job with the Men in Black after successfully tracking them down herself, but it turns out the reason she knows about them at all is because she had a minor run in with them years before. It seems her parents had their memories wiped by the MiB, but they didn't know the young girl was watching. She's now spent her life trying to find the group, and finally has.

Apparently the Men in Black agree that discovering them is an acceptable method of job application and she gets the job. As we've seen, she gets paired with Chris Hemsworth's Agent H, a guy who is about from Tommy Lee Jones' mentor character from the original set of films as it is possible to get.

We also get new plot details in the form of the film's villain, called The Hive, which appears to be a group of aliens that are capable of making themselves look like anything. At one point we see our heroes going up against what looks like a bunch of fellow MiB agents, but are apparently aliens.

Of course, what's most memorable about the Men in Black films is really the creative alien designs, and also the gadgets and guns, and the new trailer for Men in Black International has plenty of all of that. We see lots of interesting looking aliens, even if we only see them briefly, wandering around the Men in Black home base. Several more humorous creatures are wandering around the world outside.

The most interesting alien, who appears to be a significant character in the film, is a little green man voiced by Kumail Nanjiani. He pledges his eternal devotion to Agent M, which apparently means he doesn't leave her side, as we see him standing on her shoulder later in the trailer.

Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson are a glorious pair and they proved that they have great chemistry in Thor: Ragnarok. What's unclear from these trailers is if Men in Black International is going to have anything other than the chemistry of its two leads going on. There's just not a lot else to judge here. There's some funny bits. I particularly like the part where Tessa Thompson wants to drive the car but gets in on the wrong side.

However, a few good jokes won't be enough to save the movie if that's literally all there is. We'll get to see for ourselves when Men in Black International arrives in theaters June 14.

Ben Affleck Would Still Totally Direct A DC Movie

Ben Affleck Would Still Totally Direct A DC Movie

The DC live-action universe has had a fascinating life in theaters, full of peaks and valleys. While Warner Bros. is currently surfing on the massive success of Aquaman and the early reception for Shazam!, things weren't always looking quite as hopeful. Zack Snyder's run in the DCEU was met with some backlash, as both Batman v Superman and Justice League failed to resonate with audiences. And now Ben Affleck has officially left his role as the Dark Knight, with Matt Reeves needing to do some recasting for his upcoming blockbuster The Batman.

But The Batman was originally set to star and be directed by Ben Affleck himself. Given his long tenure in filmmaking, he seemed like the perfect choice to bring the story to audiences, and provide new Batman his first solo movie in the shared universe. But Affleck left the director's chair before he got in, and eventually retired his role as well. That doesn't mean he wouldn't helm another DC blockbuster, recently saying:

I imagine it would be weird to step in and do another character. I can certainly imagine directing a movie, you know – if they [DC] would have me – if it was something I was passionate about.

While we shouldn't expect Ben Affleck onscreen in a DC blockbuster anytime soon, working behind the camera doesn't seem out of the question. As such, we should expect plenty of fan theories regarding what possible project could bring Affleck back to the fold.

Ben Affleck's comments come from his recent interview with LAD Bible, and should illicit a mixture of emotions from DC fans. To start, there will be plenty of moviegoers who would find this news hopeful, as Affleck's tenure in the DC Universe seemed to end before it could truly begin. He played Bruce Wayne in three separate DC movies, all of which failed to be a critical success. What's more, his sad Affleck meme went viral, adding salt to the wound. Eventually it all became too much, and he hung up the cape and cowl, making Justice League his final go as the character.

Regardless of his onscreen tenure as Gotham's Protector, Ben Affleck is still an accomplished filmmaker in his own right. And while he failed to produce a story he was satisfied with for The Batman, perhaps Warner Bros. will employ him behind the camera for a future DC blockbuster. The studio seems to have hit its stride, producing capsulated stories with less of a focus on serialized storytelling and crossovers. Joker will focus outside of the larger franchise, while Aquaman is being given a spinoff and sequel. Things are moving forward rapidly, so the future seems bright for a potential collaboration between Affleck and Warner Bros.

The next installment in the DC universe is Shazam! on April 5, 2019, and you can catch Ben Affleck in Netflix's Triple Frontier on March 13th. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.