If Giancarlo Esposito had it his way, he would be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview on the The Tonight Show, Esposito told host Jimmy Fallon that he would love to be part of an X-Men project as the group's leader, Charles "Professor X" Xavier. "Charles is smart. He's good. But I feel there may be some mileage with me and Marvel. I know I love what they do. I know I love creativity. So who knows what could happen?" he said. He also revealed that he appreciates the support from fans for him taking the role and hopes their calls to Marvel can turn into something real.
'Avatar 3' New Focus
While Avatar 2: The Way of Water continues to rack up at the global box office, we're already learning about the next sequel film. The third installment will focus on Jake Sully's son Lo'ak, who will also narrate the film. Director James Cameron revealed the details in an interview and said the untitled film has already completed filming and is already in post-production. It's set to be released in December 2024.
Live Like 'The White Lotus'
Have you watched HBO Max's The White Lotus and felt like you needed to live that lavish life as well? There is a chance you can after the villa from the series was listed on AirBnb, but it's definitely going to set you back if you aren't balling. Villa Tasca, which is actually in Palmero — and not in Noto — Italy, is currently listed at about $5,990 dollars per night. There is also a three-night minimum stay. It boasts 20 acres, Victorian-style architecture, and is even fully staffed on top of all the amenities you could ever want.
Some of Tiktok's biggest stars have a message for the platform: It is time to pay up! As the platform has skyrocketed in popularity, many content creators have been given the opportunity to garner millions of fans and even sometimes billions of views. In 2020, the company launched a creator fund in order to incentivize the platform's users. However, while the group of creators has grown larger, the pool of money has remained the same, and creators are fed up, they claim as Tiktok becomes more successful. Senior Editor at Engadget, Karissa Bell, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
In 2021, QAnon, the community which traffics in conspiracy theories saw a rapid growth in its numbers. As a result of vaccine rollouts, a number of conspiracies surrounding them also began to circulate which then led to the rise of "Anti-Vaxxers". As a result, the QAnon and anti-vax communities have become increasingly intertwined and the results could be costing lives. Senior Researcher at Media Matters Alex Kaplan, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Neil Young gave the streaming service Spotify an ultimatum demanding that his music be removed if the Joe Rogan experience remained on the platform. Joe Rogan's platform has been questioned a number of times as a result of some of his takes on covid treatment strategies and at times downright misinformation. Ultimately, Spotify decided to stick with Joe Rogan's podcast. The Director for the Business and Entertainment Program at American University, John Simson, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Nutritional supplement beverage company Athletic Greens has achieved unicorn status. The company announced a new $115 million funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.2 billion. The company's flagship product AG1 combines 75 different vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients into one daily serving. Athletic Greens says it is poised to reach the millions of consumers who are currently driving the health and wellness market's exponential growth. Athletic Greens founder and CEO Chris Ashenden joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Michael Mitchell, senior director of brand at Mailchimp, joins Cheddar News to discuss the launch of Bloom Season and what every BIPOC entrepreneur needs to know to succeed.
Janet Jackson shared that she had a conversation with Justin Timberlake who had asked her if he should make a statement during the scandal over her Super Bowl XXXVIII wardrobe malfunction, in her new self-titled Lifetime documentary. The musical icon said that she viewed the incident as an accident and remains "good friends" with Justin Timberlake.
The gaming industry has seen multiple large scales deals this month alone, including Microsoft's megadeal for Activision Blizzard. And, seemingly in response, rival Sony, picked up Bungie for $3.6 billion, a studio once owned by both Microsoft and Activision. The sector is reportedly on track to spend $150 billion on mergers and acquisitions just this year alone, a record-breaking total, according to investment firm Drake Star Partners. Michael Metzger, a partner at the firm specializing in technology, media, and communications, joined Cheddar to discuss the flurry of deals in the gaming space and what might be behind the hot M&A activity.
Ari Redbord, head of legal and government affairs and TRM Labs, joins Cheddar News to discuss why Facebook is ditching its crypto project and what that means for the space.
