Avengers: Endgame’s Don Cheadle Explains Why Rhodes Was So Good At Piloting War Machine

Avengers: Endgame’s Don Cheadle Explains Why Rhodes Was So Good At Piloting War Machine

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for three weekends, but the blockbuster is still on everyone's lips. The Russo Brothers crammed a ton of exciting twist and characters into the massive blockbuster, essentially ending the narrative that began with Iron Man. Given the state of the MCU and it's unknown future, there's been some reflection on the past 22 movies and decade of filmmaking.

James Rhodes is a character that debuted back in Iron Man, although he was originally played by Terrence Howard. Don Cheadle ended up taking on the role starting with Iron Man 2, which saw Rhodey become the superheroic War Machine. One Twitter user recently asked Cheadle why his character picked up piloting armor so much easier than Tony Stark, and he said:

Tony Stark may have been the first Marvel hero to armor up and save the day, but that doesn't mean it necessarily came easy to him. Iron Man showed RDJ struggle with the suit's abilities, especially when it came to flying. Meanwhile, Rhodey jumped in with relative ease.

Don Cheadle's Tweet shows how methodically the 54 year-old actor has thought out his long tenure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans seem eager to find plot holes or potential goofs in the shared universe, Cheadle knows exactly why his signature Avenger was able to adjust to wearing Tony's suit so quickly. It all has to do with his piloting background, and Tony's programming in making each suit intuitive to its user.

War Machine is one of the first heroes to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and has remained relevant presence in the MCU since taking on the mantle. In addition to his appearances in Iron Man 3 and Avengers: Age of Ultron, Rhodey had a particularly very strong outing in Phase Three.

He was an influential voice in the drafting of the Sakovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War, taking Tony Stark's side and urging the other Avengers to follow suit. He eventually participated in the tarmac battle, and sustained a major injury in the process. He now bares the physical scars from that scuffle, in addition to feelings of guilt.

War Machine provided both comedy and action in Avengers: Infinity War, helping to defend Wakanda from Thanos' forces in the film's third act. While unable to stop the Mad Titan himself, Rhodey got lucky and managed to survive Thanos' finger snap of death. He's go a meaty role in Endgame as a result, as the spotlight focuses on the survivors and their shared grief.

Related: What Marvel’s War Machine Movie Would Have Been About, According To Don Cheadle

It should be interesting to see what comes next for War Machine. The future of the MCU is largely a mystery-- at least until Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives and completes Phase Three. But considering which characters perished in Endgame, it might be a time for Rhodey to have an even bigger presence in the shared universe.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Kingsman 3 Will Be The Final ‘Chapter’ Of Eggsy And Harry’s Story

Kingsman 3 Will Be The Final ‘Chapter’ Of Eggsy And Harry’s Story

When an upcoming Kingsman film appeared on the release board for late 2019, it was an exciting prospect to catch back up with Taron Egerton’s Eggsy and Colin Firth’s Harry Hart after 2017’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle. However, it was later confirmed that the film would be a prequel lead by an entirely new cast. So, will the spy team we’ve grown to love ever come back? Check out this update from writer/director Matthew Vaughn about Kingsman 3:

We've got to finish off the Eggsy and Harry relationship. The final chapter of their relationship needs to be told, which we've got ready to do, and I'm hoping to shoot that later this year or the beginning of next year. But this Kingsman (prequel) has been pushed back to February 14th for coming out, and so, yeah, as soon as that's done, we're looking forward to… It's funny. As Taron was saying, he's looking forward to becoming Eggsy again, because emotionally it's a lot less draining.

Manners maketh man, and Matthew Vaughn is doing right by keeping fans in the loop with these words. As the filmmaker told Digital Spy, Kingsman 3 is in the works in addition to the prequel. The upcoming origin story to be titled Kingsman: The Great Game is being prioritized though, as it has a February 14, 2020 release date to make. Once the project, also written and directed by Vaughn, is complete, he plans to move over to the Kingsman trilogy closer right away.

Since The Golden Circle, Matthew Vaughn and Taron Egerton have collaborated again on the Elton John musical biopic Rocketman. Vaughn is a producer on the flick starring Egerton as the music icon. The connection between the back-to-back projects run even deeper, since Elton John himself had a memorable cameo in the spy sequel.

A ton of preparation went into Taron Egerton’s Elton John role, as he had to sing, dance and convincingly portray the musician, sometimes with the man himself in front of him. It’s been an emotional yet rewarding experience for the actor to star in Rocketman, but it has made him even more excited to return to his more familiar role as Eggsy and conclude the story that launched his career back in 2014.

Since The Great Game takes place during World War I (approximately 100 years before Eggsy began his life as a spy), Taron Egerton will understandably not be in the film. However, the movie has rounded out a cast full of impressive talent including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Matthew Goode, Gemma Arterton, Charles Dance, Daniel Brühl, Ralph Fiennes, Djimon Hounsou, Rhys Ifans and Stanley Tucci. Not much else is known about the Kingsman prequel, but it will reportedly serve as an origin story for the spy service.

Fans can now also look forward to some closure concerning Eggsy and Harry’s story arcs established with the Kingsman movies, though we’ll have to wait over a year (at least) before we see Colin Firth and Egerton return to these roles. In the meantime, you can catch Egerton in Rocketman this Friday, May 31.

Avengers: Endgame Reviews: What CinemaBlend Thought Of Marvel's Big Finale

Avengers: Endgame Reviews: What CinemaBlend Thought Of Marvel's Big Finale

It's been almost exactly 11 years since the experiment that came to be known as the Marvel Cinematic Universe was born with Iron Man. 22 movies later, the stories of many of our favorite heroes come to a head in Avengers: Endgame. For those that have been on this ride since the beginning, expectations are incredibly high, but for the most part, everybody at CinemaBlend agrees that the film met those expectations, and largely exceeded them.

Nobody would agree with that sentiment more than Cinemablend Events Editor Eric Eisenberg. He wrote the official review for Avengers: Endgame, and he awarded it the first perfect five-star review of the year, saying...

Avengers: Endgame is one of the most ambitious, entertaining, emotional, and stunning blockbusters we’ve ever seen, and the best film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe canon thus far.

That's some strong praise, to be sure, but it's not the only praise coming from the team here. Managing Director Sean O'Connell loved Endgame so much that he can barely believe he actually saw it.

Avengers: Endgame is everything Marvel fans need it to be, and more. It's the perfect culmination of 11 years of storytelling, and a beautiful final chapter to 21 previous movies. It's loaded with well-earned fan-service beats, and packed with surprises that both delight and amaze. Seriously, the movie is such a fever dream of Marvel goodness, I'm half convinced that I imagined this film into existence, because there's no way in hell that what I just witnessed actually exists in a finished film. The MCU is a magic trick, the greatest geek accomplishment in our lifetime, and Endgame is the face-melting finale this franchise deserves.

It's hard to believe that so much has happened in barely over a decade. 11 years ago, nobody knew if this idea, bringing comic book style cross-title continuity to the big screen, would actually work. Not only did fans accept it, they embraced it, and the MCU has become the biggest franchise in the history of cinema.

The hardest part of creating any story is probably figuring out where to start, but coming close behind that is figuring out how to finish it. Avengers: Endgame had to do more than most. It had to bring not just one story, but several, to a satisfying conclusion. The film succeeds remarkably well. Senior Movie Contributor Mike Reyes lays the congratulations at the directing pair of Joe and Anthony Russo as well as screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, who have largely been responsible for the entire third phase of the MCU.

Avengers: Endgame is a landmark achievement for comic book movies. The film ties up the years and films that have preceded it, and the weight of such history is felt in all the right places. Directors Joe and Anthony Russo, along with writers Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, have created a film that lives up to the insane hype it's generated, and the entire film is a cross between a victory lap and a sigh of relief. It's blockbuster spectacle crossed with serious, beautiful character work, and packaged in a film that is both self-contained and seriously satisfying when paired with Avengers: Infinity War.

For fans who want to have the experience of watching Avengers: Endgame cold, avoiding accidental spoilers can be a tricky game. The good news, as GatewayBlend Project Manager Cody Beck points out, is that even if you've seen the film's official trailers, you really don't know anything.

It does not feel like 3 hours. The pacing and storytelling keep everything moving along smoothly- and believe me, there’s a lot to tell in this final chapter. The trailers are just the tip of the iceberg- you have seen nothing yet. There are scenes in this movie that I’m still trying to wrap my head around. The throughline to the other 21 films is apparent and so much fun to witness. While It’s not my favorite MCU movie (top 5), I still think it will end up going down as an overall fan favorite. The team-ups, callbacks, and subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) way it pokes fun at the MCU as a whole will have die-hard fans and casual fans alike leaving the theater with a satisfying conclusion to the Infinity Saga.

For those who have been following the MCU from the beginning, who have been along this journey for every step, there's a definite feeling of finality here. This is the end of the road, even if we don't know exactly how. We all know going in this will be an emotional experience. Marketing Editor Adrienne Jones, admits that it is exactly that, and cautions fans to properly prepare in order to not miss a moment.

Somehow, after over a decade of buildup and 21 movies, Avengers: Endgame has managed to both give fans exactly what they want and what they expect (in many ways) while still completely offering up surprises aplenty. A lot of cool shit happens in this movie. It's funny, but it will also make all but those with the hardest of hearts tear up more than once. It calls back or even resolves some things from past films, but still places us firmly in the future of the franchise by the end. And, all of this is capped by one of the largest, most thrilling battles ever seen on film. So, yeah, cut off all eating / drinking at least two hours beforehand and get all potty breaks out of the way early. You won't want to miss anything.

While nobody at CinemaBlend had any issues with Avengers: Endgame that made it an out right bad experience, that's not to day that everybody thought it was perfect. News Director Jessica Rawden would still agree the movie was an impressive accomplishment, though it's also an impressively long accomplishment, and she disagrees with Adrienne regarding the importance of bladder control.

Funny, smart and sentimental, Avengers: Endgame does what I didn't think it could do: hold its ground against its predecessor, Infinity War. The 3-hour movie has many satisfying moments for fans of the MCU and exciting moments for action fans in general, but dare I say it: You will have time to get up and use the bathroom should you need to.

If one thing is clear, it's that fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are likely to have an wonderful time with this movie that culminates three phases of storytelling. However, CinemaBlend VP of Product, Mack Rawden, maybe isn't the world's biggest MCU fan, and as such his enjoyment of the film was somewhat tempered.

Endgame is the most Marvel movie that has ever Marveled. It's the most fitting possible culmination to everything that has come in the first three phases, and how much you enjoy it will likely be proportional to how much you've bought into the MCU. The Russo Brothers know their characters well, and all the major ones are given extended runs and special moments in Endgame. To many fans, each of these moments will feel earned and wonderful. To others less enthusiastically on board with the franchise, they'll sometimes feel a bit long and self-important. It's the right climax for this franchise, and because I'm only casually on board, it makes sense I'd be the same on this movie. If you're someone who loves the MCU, you'll have a blast.

Avengers: Endgame may not technically be the final chapter of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it is still the end in many ways. However, Endgame isn't just the final part of the story, it's also a celebration of every chapter that came before. This is why fans who remember all those pieces will be rewarded for being there every step along the way.

As far as myself, I largely fall in line with those that were simply taken by surprise by just how well Avengers: Endgame handled its impressive responsibility. The film will likely give fans exactly what they want, and while that may frustrate some who are looking for more surprises, there's nothing ultimately wrong with getting everything you ever wanted.

If I had made a list of everything I wanted to see in Avengers: Endgame, I can't think of anything that would still be on it. Very little of it is surprising, but that doesn't make it any less beautiful. Sometimes you get not only the ending you deserve, but the one that you want.

Whatever you think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the sheer fact that the franchise has succeeded to this point is impressive, and a moment worthy of note in cinema history. What comes next? Nobody knows, except maybe Kevin Feige, and he's not talking.

Midsommar Trailer Is Unsettling And Awesome

Midsommar Trailer Is Unsettling And Awesome

Last year, writer and director Ari Aster burst onto the scene and added another chapter in the horror renaissance with his feature directorial debut Hereditary. Apparently not one to rest on his laurels, Ari Aster is already back with his follow-up, the mysterious horror film Midsommar. The first trailer for Midsommar has arrived and as you might expect, it is both unsettling and awesome. Check it out:

When it’s done well, I’m a big fan of trailers that focus more on teasing the film’s tone versus laying out the specific plot beats, and that’s what we get from the Midsommar trailer. The logline for the film is that a young woman joins her boyfriend on a summer trip where things go awry, and this trailer doesn’t really tell us much more than that, thus maintaining the mystery. It’s more about conveying a feeling, and the feeling that we get here is deeply unsettling.

The imagery paints a picture of a joyous festival. The desaturated color palette, blown out highlights and the almost-Wes Andersonian symmetry in some of the shots are meant to evoke an idyllic picture of summer. The whole thing has this hazy nostalgic quality to it, giving off a magical flower power vision of what we think of as summer. The letterbox is even white! So how can something so beautiful be so unsettling?

The cadence and the minimalistic score of this trailer build slowly, like clockwork ticking down to some inevitable terror, the evil lurking beneath the heavenly and colorful veneer. All the while there is a weirdness to the people we are seeing and what they are saying, and the skepticism on Florence Pugh’s character’s face echoes our own. We wonder what is off about this place then towards the end of the trailer we find out.

Midsommar might mean midsummer, but this trailer might as well be called The Horror of Hippies. It’s not entirely clear what is going on, but there seems to be some cult-ish, paganism-type stuff at play. Given the ending of Hereditary, Ari Aster seems to have a fascination with such ideas. There is a shot of someone with bloody hands against a rune-covered rock, a horribly disfigured person, some strange ritual and a bear being dissected. Something sinister is definitely happening and Florence Pugh’s Dani will somehow have to escape it.

Another thing that unsettles throughout this trailer is the noise the characters keep making. Hereditary’s marketing showed how terrifying children are with Charlie’s clucking noise, a noise that moviegoers who thought themselves original and funny decided to make in the theater. Here the members of this group/participants in this festival are making this exhale sound with their mouths that kind of reminds me of a noise the kids made in the movement sequence in The OA.

Which makes you think, what’s with Ari Aster and noisemaking and how much trouble did he have staying quiet in school?

Midsommar has a great young cast which is led by We’re the Millers and Detroit’s Will Poulter and Florence Pugh, who just starred in the acclaimed wrestling flick Fighting with my Family. All in all, this is an awesome trailer, and as someone who admired the craft of Hereditary more than I actually liked the movie itself, Midsommar just vaulted into one of my most anticipated movies this year.

The festivities begin when Midsommar opens in theaters on August 9. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all the year’s biggest movies, and for the latest in why Midsommar is still less horrifying than Fyre Festival, stay tuned to CinemaBlend.

Avatar and New Mutants Just Pushed Back Their Release Date... Again

Avatar and New Mutants Just Pushed Back Their Release Date... Again

If you thought that things were a little too comfortable in terms of the Avatar sequels, or even the status of The New Mutants’ release dates, you were right. As it turns out both of these oft delayed properties have been pushed back yet again, as part of a slew of release dates being shifted in a post Fox/Disney merger climate.

In an announcement made by The Walt Disney Studios, the Avatar series has now been slated to open every other year, on the weekend before Christmas, starting in 2021. Which means that Avatar 2 looks to be opening on December 17, 2021; with 2023, 2025, and 2027 being the release years for each of the proposed sequels following after. Though if you were wondering about Avatar 4 and 5 ever being formally green-lit, both films were announced as getting the go-ahead as of today.

Meanwhile, The New Mutants has been shifted to April 3, 2020; which is almost two years after the film’s originally slated opening for April 13, 2018. This is a confirmation that, at least for now, the film will be released theatrically, and also means that director Josh Boone can finally undertake the reshoots that were supposed to have already been done on the film.

It’s rather interesting that both the Avatar franchise and The New Mutants would be pushed back again, after both projects have become notable for their delays. But looking into the prospects of both properties, it’s not hard to see why the Fox/Disney merger would result in their delays.

With the release schedule of two studios to content with, the newly cemented studio family was always going to have to play musical chairs with their slate of finished or in-production films. But in the case of The New Mutants, the opportunity to start a new franchise of mutant powered adventure is something that Fox/Disney is going to want to put its best foot forward out on.

As Dark Phoenix is supposedly closing out the X-Men saga for the foreseeable future, The New Mutants could not only keep the mutant fires lit, it could be the next big movie hit in the Marvel Comics’ stable. However, the Avatar franchise has a little more to worry about with such a delay taking place.

Avatar 2 was originally meant to be released in December of 2014, but everything from three new movies being added to the docket to he revitalization of the Star Wars franchise caused it get pushed further down the line. Though with release dates now intended for the fully green-lit compliment of films, and the odd bit of new casting news coming up in the public eye, it feels like this delay could be the one that allows the series to come back to life after almost a decade of dormancy.

For reference, here’s the full rundown of when the Avatar sequels will be released, under the new strategy that alternates their Christmas release slot with the continuation of the Star Wars universe:

Avatar 2 – 12/17/21

Avatar 3 – 12/22/23

Avatar 4 – 12/19/25

Avatar 5 – 12/17/27

The Fox/Disney family is about to get a lot more interesting, especially if The New Mutants and the Avatar franchise take off like they have the potential to do. It certainly helps to have new release dates that will help them take on the world in the fighting shape that they need to be in.

However, if you’re looking for something a little more recent to kill the time waiting for both of these box office events, you can check out our 2019 release schedule for your best options.

Batman May Kill, But That Doesn’t Mean It Should Be The Norm

Batman May Kill, But That Doesn’t Mean It Should Be The Norm

While it’s arguably the most polarizing entry in the DC Extended Universe, three years after its release, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is still a popular topic of conversation in the comic book movie world, and its director, Zack Snyder, has helped with that. Just last month, Snyder screened Batman v Superman’s Ultimate Edition alongside his director’s cuts of Dawn of the Dead and Watchmen as the capper to a 3-day event, and during one of the Q&A sessions, Snyder hit back against those who criticized his choice to have Ben Affleck’s Batman kill, saying that those who have a problem with that should “wake the fuck up.” And he is right, Batman has killed people various times over the decades, but that fact doesn’t mean that it is or should be his normal course of action. Far from it, Gotham City’s Dark Knight is a more interesting character when he chooses not to kill, no matter what.

During Batman’s earliest comic book appearances, when he was written like the pulp characters popular at the time rather than a standard superhero, Batman had no issue dispensing lethal measures against the criminals he fought, like when he snapped a man’s neck while swinging on a rope. Starting in the 1940s, though, he adopted a no-kill policy, which was presumably done to make him more appropriate for younger readers. That no killing rule has stuck for the most part, though there are instances when Batman has taken a life, both in the main DC universe and in alternate continuity stories (not in The Dark Knight Returns, contrary to what some believe).

For the sake of this piece, let’s only focus on Batman’s movie appearances. Michael Keaton’s Batman had no issue with killing foes, as evidenced by when he blew up Ace Chemicals while people were still in it in Batman and when he attached a ticking bomb to a Red Triangle Gang member in Batman Returns. Val Kilmer and George Clooney’s respective Batmans had a slightly softer method with dealing with Gotham City’s superstitious and cowardly lot, but it wasn’t until Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy rolled around that a cinematic Batman declared that he wouldn’t kill. However, that stance is muddied when considering that he let Ra’s al Ghul fall to his death in Batman Begins and drove straight into a trash truck in The Dark Knight that almost certainly crushed the Joker henchman driving it. By the time we get to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ben Affleck’s Bruce Wayne, who has become more weary and cynical, has no issue with killing criminals, whether it’s by breaking their necks in a brawl or gunning them down in the Batmobile.

So yes, when it comes to movies, Batman has left a fair amount of bodies in his wake, but thanks to the Dark Knight trilogy, as well as various comic books, TV shows and direct-to-video movies, Batman is usually depicted as unwilling to kill criminals, no matter how heinous their crimes are. Why is this? The explanation changes depending on who’s writing the character, but my favorite explanation comes from the 2010 animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, adapted from the 2006 comic book story arc “Under the Hood.” When Jason Todd, who’s holding The Joker at gunpoint, questions if Batman’s moral code doesn’t allow for him to kill his arch-nemesis or if it would be too hard for him to cross that line, Batman responds:

No! God Almighty, no! It'd be too damned easy. All I've ever wanted to do is kill him. A day doesn't go by when I don't think about subjecting him to every horrendous torture he's dealt out to others and then... end him… But if I do that, if I allow myself to go down into that place, I'll never come back.

Jason Todd then points out that he’s not asking Batman to kill someone like Penguin, Scarecrow or Two-Face, only The Joker, but Batman refuses. No matter how much he hates Joker, no matter how many people the cackling crook has murdered, Batman just can’t cross that line. And frankly, Batman following that rule makes him a more compelling character because it’s an understandable flaw in his approach to fighting crime.

Despite having no superpowers, Batman is usually considered to be one of the most formidable heroes in the DC universe. Give him enough prep time, and he can win just about any battle, and he’s fought his way out of so many fantastical conflicts that he’s earned the nickname Bat-God among fans. But when you boil things down to basics, Batman is just a ‘regular’ man waging a war against Gotham City’s criminal underworld, sometimes alone, sometimes with partners. With Gotham City so infested with evil, Bruce Wayne’s life would be a lot easier if he didn’t bother throwing villains in Blackgate Prison or Arkham Asylum, and instead just eliminated them right off the bat (pun slightly intended), but he can’t. He’s incapable of doing that, for better or worse, adding extra drama to an already incredibly dramatic character.

Having watched his parents being murdered down in Crime Alley, Batman can’t bring himself to take the life of another. To do so would make him an executioner, and as much as he embraces darkness, Bruce won’t delve that deep into the shadows. He’s incapable of doing so, even if he comes close to at times (like when he threatened to kill Joker in Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker for turning Tim Drake into a mini-Clown Prince of Crime). It’s the same reason why he won’t use a gun; if he did that, he would become too much like the man who irreparably damaged his life and the evildoers he’s dedicated his life to thwarting, and he’s not willing to fall that far, even if it makes his ‘job’ significantly harder. Zack Snyder tossed all that out for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and while that decision makes sense if you’re looking at Batman fighting crime through a more practical lens, it conflicts with the spirit of the character that has developed over the years.

I’m not saying that all superheroes shouldn’t kill; The Punisher wouldn’t be who he is if he didn’t snuff out criminals, and it’s hard to believe that heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman who have been in wars didn’t take any lives. I even understand Superman having to kill in rare instances, such as when he snapped General Zod’s neck in Man of Steel, another controversial DCEU decision. For Batman, though, killing flies in the face of his moral code. Sure there might be instances where he’s not able to save everyone, but to the best of his ability, he won’t have anyone die at his hands. Besides, if Batman went on a killing spree around Gotham City, that would destroy the already fragile relationship he has with Commissioner James Gordon and the Gotham City Police Department, and that would definitely be problematic for his mission.

Certainly one of the reasons superheroes have endured for so long is because different writers and artist have been able to interpret these characters differently, and change and development is integral to longevity. That said, there’s no denying that most characters have core traits and elements that need to be retained in traditional depictions, and while it’s up for debate whether Batman not killing is one of those things, the fact of the matter is that more often than not you’ll see him exercise restraint rather than execute his foes, even if the movies haven’t always followed this rule. It’s not necessarily the most realistic and logical approach to fighting crime, but hey, there’s a lot about Batman that doesn’t translate for real life, and yet we nonetheless still enjoy him 80 years after his introduction.

Let us know where you fall on the Batman kill debate in the comments below. We’ll see how Matt Reeves handles the character when The Batman is released on June 25, 2021.

Robert Pattinson Is Apparently Saying Nice Things About The Twilight Movies Now

Robert Pattinson Is Apparently Saying Nice Things About The Twilight Movies Now

While Robert Pattinson has gradually shifted to working on independent and less flashy movies, he’ll arguably always be best known for playing Edward in the Twilight film series. Although these romance fantasy tales made a lot of money at the box office over their five-year run, critically they earned mixed-negative reception, and for a while Pattinson wasn’t fond of thinking back on his time working on the franchise. However, lately he’s been kinder towards the Twilight movies, recently noting that their soundtracks in particular stand out compared to other movies from that period. Pattinson said:

[I watched part of The Twilight Saga: New Moon] just the other day, and it genuinely does have an incredibly good soundtrack. I completely forgot, but the soundtracks were quite ahead of their time.

Music is an integral component to filmmaking, so even if a movie isn’t received well, there’s always the chance its tunes are enjoyable. Some movies get by with just a traditional score, but the Twilight movies were also accompanied by songs that were performed by a variety of artists/bands, with New Moon’s soundtrack including numbers like “Meet Me on the Equinox” by Death Cab for Cutie and “Possibility” by Lykke Li. In the years since the Twilight film series wrapped up, there have been other movies that, while not necessarily ranking high on the critical scale, have drawn attention for their fun soundtracks, such as the Fifty Shades trilogy.

Along with complimenting the soundtracks for the five Twilight movies, Robert Pattinson also noted that he’s fascinated by younger people who missed the initial Twilight craze and are now discovering these stories and appreciating them. As he put it:

It seems like with younger people in their late teens, early 20s, it's sort of become quite a hip thing to like. It's a fascinating second wave of people appreciating it, which is kind of cool. I think when anything becomes a massive phenomenon, there's always people who get annoyed because it's just everywhere. But now it seems like a retro thing: the soundtrack, the fashion. It's like, 'Oh, that's so late 2000s.'

Wow, now I feel old. It seems like it was just yesterday that the first Twilight trailer came out and people were wondering how the movie was going to compare to the Stephenie Meyer novel. In any case, while the Twilight movies weren’t critical powerhouses, clearly the movies have staying power. As far as why Robert Pattinson is being kinder to the Twilight franchise, the actor also noted during his interview with USA Today that it helps that the “mania is not so intense,” so now he can appreciate the “warm memories.” And hey, even if he never re-watches these movies in their entirety again, at least he’s willing to re-listen to their songs.

Although the possibility of Twilight being rebooted has been periodically discussed, for now, that franchise remains wrapped up. Robert Pattinson, however can currently be seen playing Monte in High Life, and his other movies scheduled for this year include The Lighthouse, The King and Waiting for the Barbarians.