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Nothing has just dropped a new smartwatch, and it’s making us seriously question why we ever spent more than $100 on a running watch. The CMF Watch 3 Pro retails for just $99 (it's already on sale) and packs in features you’d normally expect from far more expensive models. The CMF Watch Pro 3 replaces last year’s CMF Watch Pro 2, and while that model was already impressive for its price, this new version seriously levels up.

With built-in dual-band GPS, AI-powered tracking, and over 130 sports modes, it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting budget fitness trackers in years. As someone who loves any product that makes sport more accessible without skimping on performance, this one feels like a win.

But is it worth the upgrade?

What I love about the CMF Watch 3 Pro

Honestly, at this price, there's not much to complain about. But let's dig a little deeper.

The CMF Watch 3 Pro might just be one of the most advanced smartwatches I've seen at this price point. It's feature-rich and puts health and fitness tracking at the very center of everything it offers. When it comes to fitness tracking, users get over 130 workout modes with real-time insights powered by GOMORE, which tracks aerobic vs. anaerobic performance, training load, and recovery. It also automatically recognizes seven types of movement, so if you forget to press "start," you don't miss out on tracking your workout. L1+L5 Dual Band GPS also makes an appearance, giving you extra accuracy for outdoor workouts.

Is sure does look good on a bike, but won't someone think about the runners? Credit: Nothing

Further advanced tracking features include a four-channel heart rate sensor, 24/7 monitoring, and SpO₂ tracking — all things you'd expect in a much (much!) pricier watch. The sleep tracking is also at a level that you would expect from a premium model. It gives you insights into your sleep stages and also monitors your stress levels

Some standout features for me include the hydration and posture reminders, and women's health tools, including tracking of menstrual cycles — a feature that is very often locked behind premium subscriptions.

Beyond fitness, the CMF Watch 3 Pro has incredible lifestyle features that I honestly can't believe we're getting for $99. It has built-in bluetooth calling with AI noise reduction, and new gesture controls let you operate the watch with one hand. There’s even ChatGPT integration, voice notes with automatic transcription, and a surprisingly long list of smart features like morning briefings, music control, and personalized fitness coaching.

SEE ALSO: Oura Ring vs. Whoop: A fight of the best fitness trackers

The battery life won't let you down either. Users get up to 13 days on a single charge, which is pretty incredible for a smartwatch with an AMOLED display, built-in GPS, and 24/7 health tracking. Design-wise, I continue to be impressed. It is visually aesthetic, and benefits from that aforementioned AMOLED display, something you normally have to pay well over $100 for.

Seriously, how is this watch $99?

What the CMF Watch Pro 3 doesn't have

There's one thing the CMF Watch Pro 3 lacks that is usually commonplace in more advanced trackers: an altimeter. An altimeter is a sensor that measures elevation, essentially how high you are above sea level. In fitness trackers, it helps count how many floors you’ve climbed or tracks the elevation you've gained in hikes or runs. The altimeter is especially important for trail runners, where tracking elevation is important. GPS can monitor the elevation to an extent, but it's nowhere near as accurate. This is a desirable feature for a lot of runners, but for $99, it doesn't put me off this watch. Not by a long shot.

SEE ALSO: The internet's obsession with run clubs is ruining running

And if we're being nitpicky, there's some safety features missing that we'd like to see. Fall detection and emergency SOS features are pretty commonplace these days, and would have made it more appealing to safety-conscious runners. However, for $99, once again, we're willing to let this slide.

Should you upgrade?

The CMF Watch Pro 3 is unbelievably impressive for its price, even without an altimeter and some safety features that will be important to some runners out there. If your current watch is similar in spec to a Fitbit Charge 6, we think this one tops the scale ever so slightly. And who can say no to an upgrade when it's priced this low?

Where to buy the CMF Watch Pro 3

The CMF Watch 3 Pro is already on sale at Nothing and Amazon. Nothing lists the retail price at $99 and offers a $20 discount, and now Amazon has matched that price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro $79 at Amazon
$99 Save $20 Shop Now

PRE-ORDER: On July 26, you can pre-order the Fantastic Four: First Steps Galactus LED popcorn bucket from AMC, Regal, and Cinemark for $79.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: AMC 'Fantastic Four: First Steps' Galactus LED Popcorn Bucket $79.95 at AMC
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Fantastic Four: First Steps is now in theaters, and that means there's a ridiculous new popcorn bucket in town. For this major Marvel release, it's shaped just like the head of the world-eater himself, Galactus. The buckets went on sale on July 25 at theater chains across the country as well as online, but they ended up disappearing in seconds like Thanos had snapped them due to incredible demand. Lucky for you, you've got another chance to secure one.

On July 26 at 10:00 a.m. ET, you can pre-order the Fantastic Four: First Steps Galactus LED popcorn bucket from AMC, Regal, and Cinemark for $79.95.

SEE ALSO: How to stream all the Fantastic Four movies

This will mark the final production run of the popcorn bucket, so it's your last chance to snap one up from the source instead of heading to third-party sellers. Shipments will begin in early December, so you can plan on giving a bucket as a gift to the superfan in your life.

This massive popcorn bucket is an incredibly detailed recreation of Galactus's head, complete with glowing LED eyes. It's a huge 20 inches wide (9.6 inches without horns), 17.5 inches tall, and 9.6 inches deep. It can hold 361 ounces, so if you want to share popcorn or snacks with the whole family, this enormous container totally makes it doable.

If you plan on getting one of your own, you're going to want to set your alarm and wake up. There's no way this second run won't sell out as well, so if you want to hoover up snacks like a world eater, this is your chance.

DJI drones in stock at Amazon In Stock Now DJI Neo Mini 4K $199 Get Deal In Stock Now DJI Mini 4K $299 Get Deal

DJI is one of the biggest names in the drone game. They can help create buttery-smooth aerial shots and work fantastically with must-have wireless mics, which makes the brand something of a go-to for TikTokers, YouTubers, and filmmakers alike.

That popularity has a downside, though. It's nearly impossible to find DJI products in stock, even at the official DJI online storefront. During Prime Day, two of the brand’s most in-demand drones, the DJI Neo Mini 4K and DJI Mini 4K, topped sales charts. Now, they’re barely available outside of third-party sellers. DJI’s own site lists most of its bestsellers as sold out, and even creator favorites like DJI wireless mics are backordered across major retailers.

It's also worth noting that President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders aimed at helping the U.S. drone industry and shoring up protections against malicious drone activity. The measures stop short of ordering a full ban on Chinese-made drones, but talk of a ban on DJI drones has been circulating for more than year. That uncertainty could well be further boosting sales.

Right now, you can still find these popular drones available at Amazon. So if you're looking to add them to your creative tool kit, now is the time to lock them in while you can.

Why are the DJI drones so popular?

There’s a key reason the DJI Mini 4K and DJI Mini 4K Neo were two of the most talked-about drones during Prime Day, and why they're still selling out just as fast: These compact drones offer crisp, stabilized 4K video in lightweight packages that are beginner friendly but powerful enough for serious creators. They're also very affordable when compared to other models in the space.

With foldable designs, intuitive controls, and features like QuickShots (automated flight paths that make your drone footage look cinematic with zero editing), they’re a good choice for just about anyone, even if you're just getting started out.

If you do spot them out there in the wild, it's a good idea to act fast and pick them up.

DJI Neo Mini 4K Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Neo Mini 4K $199 at Amazon
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We named the DJI Neo 4K one of the best drones for beginners, as it's the most affordable you can get from the best name in consumer drones. It's small, easy to maneuver, and it can be conrolled by way of app or controller. You can also opt to use voice controls to get it up into the air. And if you end up losing it, there's automatic return to home function to find its way back to you. It offers 4K video, QuickShot modes, subject tracking, and a variety of other features that make it great for drone photography. If you're looking for a good entry point when it comes to drones, this is a very safe (and our favorite) bet.

DJI Mini 4K Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Mini 4K $299 at Amazon
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An equally beginner-friendly drone, the DJI Mini 4K is full of features that can help you get into the air and stay there fast. It has one-tap takeoff options if that's the part of flight that's the shakiest for you, and a return to home function. But perhaps most importantly for content creators or anyone wanting to get into photography or drone footage, it offers a 3-axis gimbal and 4K quality as well as advanced wind resistance and extended battery life. It's a step up from the DJI Neo Mini 4K that we think is worth the extra cash.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may have begun in 2008 with Iron Man, a billionaire playboy genius and philanthropist who fights injustice. But over the course of 17 years and 37 movies, the MCU has not only brought scads of comic book heroes and villains to theaters, it also changed the landscape of Hollywood releases as we know it.

Looking back, it's dizzying to recall all the details of the adventures and disasters of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Panther, the Hulk, Doctor Strange, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain Marvel, Deadpool, the Fantastic Four, and their ever-expanding ensemble. But whenever you want to delve into a rewatch, we've got your back with this guide to the good, great, and the ugly.

With The Fantastic Four: First Steps now in theaters, we've updated our ranking of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, factoring in epic action, crackling comedy, wowing star power, and harrowing disappointments.

Here are the MCU movies ranked worst to best.

37. Iron Man 2 (2010) Credit: Marvel

A tepid followup to the sleek brilliance of Iron Man, the sequel gives us a sinister yet funny Mickey Rourke but does the franchise no favors with its creative decisions. We meet Black Widow, but not without some classic 2010 misogyny, which is the root problem with Iron Man 2. The first film was all about Tony's growth as a person, and the second doesn't let him mature nearly as much. There's still a long road before this is the Tony we see in Endgame, but it's too slow on that path. — Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

36. The Incredible Hulk (2008)

Sure, it's part of the MCU canon, but The Incredible Hulk was so aggressively meh that its title character got recast and was only made palatable by The Avengers. Since it's not an origin story, we don't get to watch Edward Norton as Bruce Banner becoming the Hulk; he already is. We don't watch him fall in love with Betty (Liv Tyler), because he already is. What we do get is a lot of the big green guy getting angry, which may have been cool in 2008 but pales compared to the visual effects that followed. — P.K.

SEE ALSO: How 'She-Hulk' beat its toxic haters by making them the villains 35. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

Ultron has a lot of good moments but is not overall a good movie. It's sloppy and it drags, even with ambitious action sequences in Sokovia, and it struggles to build Ultron's disdain for humanity. The main Avengers have a fun dynamic — look no further than the party scene at Stark Tower — but the new characters don't fit in (especially since X-Men: Days of Future Past basically owns Quicksilver). Black Widow, at the time robbed of a solo movie, gets a disproportionate consolation prize of becoming Hulk's girlfriend and a woman defined by her biology. — P.K.

34. Thor: The Dark World (2013)

The Dark World brings back Natalie Portman as Jane, yet even as the physical host of a literal Infinity Stone, she's somehow underutilized. There's a lot of levity, particularly between Thor and Loki, and a surprising amount of gravity in Loki's "death" — which is once again undone before the movie ends. Oh, and some dude named Malekith is mad... Don't worry about it. — P.K.

33. Eternals (2021) Credit: Marvel Studios

With no familiar faces and little connection to the wider MCU, Eternals had a gargantuan task set forth from the start. Helmed by Oscar–winner Chloé Zhao, the film introduces no less than a dozen new characters, a rushed history of their cosmic presence on Earth, an apocalyptic threat in the form of Earth becoming a Celestial, and an explanation for how the entire Marvel Universe was created. It's sometimes slow, sometimes muddled, and a little too enthralled with its white male antihero — but it's also a visual feast, a huge victory for representation, and a banger of a soundtrack. — P.K.

SEE ALSO: Everything you need to know before watching Marvel's 'Eternals' 32. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) Credit: Marvel Studios

The third installment of the Ant-Man movies committed the crime of forgetting to be funny. Instead, the wackiest Avenger (Paul Rudd) was wedged into a convoluted plot and pounded with eyesore CGI by Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), a MCU villain who fell far short of dazzling us with his dastardliness. Not even Michelle Pfeiffer as a badass superheroine could save this stinker. As I wrote in our review, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has big stars, quirky cameos, action sequences, world-building, and even — on rare occasions — punchlines. But it's barely a movie, pulling threads together for a grander scheme of merchandizing and cross-promotion over character-based storytelling." — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

31. Captain America: Brave New World (2025) Credit: Marvel Studios

Following the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) finally shoulders the mantle of Captain America on the big screen. But it was a big miss. Astonishingly, Marvel Studios built this political thriller on a foundation of forgotten characters and plot details from two of their least popular movies: The Incredible Hulk and Eternals. Making matters worse, director Julius Onah seemed to have no idea what to do with screen legend Harrison Ford, even in Hulk mode. Overall, the film felt like a collection of mismatched puzzle pieces with nothing to say. — K.P.

30. Doctor Strange (2016)

Iron Man minus the charisma, it took five years for Marvel to retread this territory and make Strange interesting in time for Phase 4. Benedict Cumberbatch is great, but he's always great, so let's not give out free brownie points. Strange received appropriate flack for whitewashing Asian characters and lore for the story, and tragically sidelines Rachel McAdams in every way. Visuals: Yes. Everything else: Meh. — P.K.

29. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)  Credit: Marvel Studios

Writer/director James Gunn returns to the helm of the spin-off film series he began with 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy. But post-Snap, these rock-loving rascals who race through the universe on misadventures have become way less fun.

In Vol. 3, once-plucky Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) is in mopey, drunken mourning. Wise-cracking Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper) is out of commission after an assault from newcomer baddie Adam Warlock (Will Poulter). Meanwhile, the rest of the crew must drag their captain around on a series of heists to save their ailing furry friend. Drax (Dave Bautista) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) offer solid laughs, and big bad The High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) brings a vivacious villain into play. However, Gunn has bogged down his plot with bummer elements, including eugenics, genocide, and a shocking amount of animal abuse and gore. If you're seeking humor and rollicking fun, keep looking. As I wrote in our full review of the film, "Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3 is a major disappointment." — K.P.

28. Thunderbolts* (2025) Credit: Chuck Zlotnick / Marvel 2025

Florence Pugh leads an antihero ensemble in Thunderbolts*, the MCU's answer to Suicide Squad. And the results were woefully underwhelming. Sure, a cast that includes David Harbour as Red Guardian, Sebastian Stan as Bucky "The Winter Soldier" Barnes, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the ever-scheming Valentina Allegra de Fontaine has some fun to it. But bizarrely, screenwriters Eric Pearson and Joanna Calo opted to turn Pugh's mischievous mercenary Yelena Belova into a brooding bore. That, plus a plotline that turns depression into a literal supervillain, makes for a grim outing that's never as thrilling as the premise had us anticipating. — K.P.

SEE ALSO: 'Thunderbolts*' review: Florence Pugh can't rescue this flop from MCU's worst impulses 27. Thor: Love and Thunder (2022) 

Writer/director Taika Waititi and leading man Chris Hemsworth made magic with Thor: Ragnarok, leaning into the God of Thunder’s lovable himbo vibe to create a rock 'n' roll romp. But when they reteamed for this fourth installment of the Thor franchise, the fun was sacrificed to a grim plotline of kidnapping, god-killing, and cancer.

On the plus side, Thor: Love and Thunder brought Natalie Portman back to the MCU as a brawny female Thor, cast Christian Bale in a grizzly villain role that he giddily sunk his teeth into, and tossed in a rowdy Russell Crowe for good measure. But amid the screaming goats and rumbling action sequences, Love and Thunder had an overstuffed plot that undercut its emotional moments, some notable wasted opportunities, and a happy ending that was far more forced than feel-good. It’s not Dark World bad, but it sure ain’t good. — K.P.

26. The Marvels (2023)

Directed by Candyman helmer Nia DaCosta, this sequel to Captain Marvel brings together that eponymous heroine (Brie Larson), Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani), and WandaVision's Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) for a star-trekking quest to save the universe from yet another rampaging alien conqueror (Zawe Ashton). Worlds and tones collide, making for an uneven romp through action sequences, far-flung planets, and a winsome duet featuring K-drama star Park Seo-joon. Plus, there's a fleet of cuddly, creepy space cats. But for all the fun these treats and rising star Vellani brings, The Marvels feels too rushed, wonky, and fitfully brooding to be truly stellar. — K.P.

SEE ALSO: 'The Marvels' mid-credit scene features two extra special cameos 25. Thor (2011)

Thor isn't a top Marvel movie, but it's a classic fish-out-of-water story that teases how much fun this character will be in time. The film also gives us our first dose of Loki, one of Marvel's best villains to this day. It's easy to forget the magnetism and subtlety of Hiddleston's original performance, and Thor is one of Loki's best arcs: The sensitive sibling growing up in Thor's shadow and coming to terms with the truth about his past.

(Also, Chris Hemsworth's eyebrows are blonde, and it's terrible.) — P.K.

24. Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) Credit: Ben Rothstein / Marvel Studios

In some ways, Ant-Man and the Wasp is more even-keeled and sure-footed than its predecessor. It delivers zippy action, tons of laughs, and the nicest cast of characters we've ever seen in the MCU. Mostly this movie is just so sweet, whether it's Scott bending over backwards to impress his darling daughter or Hope and Hank going to great lengths in memory of Janet. Oh, and speaking of Hope, she more than holds her own as the MCU movies' first true leading lady. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor

23. Iron Man 3 (2013)

Iron Man 3 lets Tony get vulnerable as he faces his post-Avengers PTSD. The film gives ample time to guest stars Rebecca Hall, Guy Pearce, and Ty Simpkins, all the while remaining true to Tony's internal struggle and getting in a few CGI battles. The Mandarin reveal is fun (more fun as of 2021), even if Killian is still a boring baddie. — P.K.

22. Captain Marvel (2019) Credit: Chuck Zlotnick / Marvel Studios

Even with the weight of Avengers: Endgame on its shoulders, Captain Marvel is primarily an origin story, and the MCU does those damn well, even if this isn't the best one. We meet the staggeringly powerful Carol Danvers, a Kree warrior with the ability to save the universe. Brie Larson and a fabulous cast make Marvel’s first solo female superhero outing one for the ages — a film that also doubles as the Nick Fury origin story we didn't know we needed, and a star-making debut for Goose the "cat." — P.K.

SEE ALSO: Why I love, love, love 'Captain Marvel' and everything it stands for 21. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) 

This sequel to the stupendous 2018 hit Black Panther had a massive challenge in that the untimely death of its would-be leading man, Chadwick Boseman, demanded a script overhaul. Set in a Wakanda still grieving the loss of King T'Challa, Black Panther 2 smartly wove the weight of grief into its story, exploring mourning and legacy while setting up a thrilling new foe and sea-salty adventure. Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, and Danai Gurira reprise their roles, while Dominique Thorne and Tenoch Huerta join the cast as kid genius Riri Williams and underwater overlord Namor.

By bringing in big emotions alongside big action, co-writer/director Ryan Coogler and company do right by the franchise Boseman once shouldered. So, while this MCU offering satisfies on stunts and spectacle, it'll also leave you teary-eyed. And we're not mad at that. — K.P.

SEE ALSO: #RecastTChalla campaign is not what you think 20. Black Widow (2021) Credit: Jay Maidment / Marvel Studios

Marvel's unexpected two-year movie draught ended with a long-overdue solo outing for Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) that takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. After years of grand-scale alien battles and CGI battle set pieces, Black Widow was a welcome throwback to human beings just beating the heck out of each other, with nary an alien, wizard, or android in sight. Natasha's surrogate family (Rachel Weisz, David Harbour, and an utterly charming Florence Pugh) leave a lasting impression in a film worthy of the MCU's first heroine. — P.K.

19. Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) Credit: Jay Maidment / 20th Century Studios / MARVEL

The first Deadpool movie since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox — and with it, much more Marvel IP — Deadpool & Wolverine teased a showdown comic book fans have been craving for ages. (Or at least since X-Men: Origins: Wolverine shit the bed in a disastrous fashion.)

Directed by Shawn Levy (Free Guy), this sequel saw the worlds of Deadpool 2 and Logan collide, bringing in familiar faces and new additions, like the vicious Mr. Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) and the diabolical Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). But best of all was the reunion of Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as the titular twosome. While the movie wasn't as daring as we hoped for a Deadpool movie, this threequel was still undeniably a deranged blast, packed with bonkers action, wild jokes, and jaw-dropping surprises. — K.P.

18. Avengers: Infinity War (2018) Credit: Chuck Zlotnick / Marvel Studios

For years, it all led up to this: Almost every Marvel hero you can think of joining forces against the biggest threat this universe has ever faced. Infinity War is enormous in scope and spirit, with the budget to match its astronomical ambitions. And in its final moments, it packs a punch worthy of Thanos' golden-gloved fist. If we have one complaint, it's that this feels like half a movie — and many of us had to wait a year until Endgame. — A.H.

17. Ant-Man (2015)

Kudos to this film for bringing us Paul Rudd in the MCU, the thing you didn't know you needed. Rudd lends dimension and heart to his performance as Scott Lang, a reformed criminal and father to an adorable little girl. His chemistry with Evangeline Lilly crackles (even if they saved her good stuff for the sequel), and Scott's everyman persona makes him an irresistible addition to the hero roster. Michael Peña shines as Scott's best friend, and Corey Stoll seems born to be a villain, even though it's Michael Douglas as Hank Pym who steals the show with his embittered quest for revenge. — P.K.

16. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) Credit: Marvel Studios / Sony

Far From Home officially ends the Infinity Saga with a smaller-scale story about Peter Parker finding his place in a post-Tony Stark world. Highlights include Tom Holland hitting yet another Spidey performance out of the park, Jake Gyllenhaal as a pitch-perfect Mysterio, and the best trippy CGI battle yet seen in the MCU (sorry, Doctor Strange). It’s not the best solo Marvel movie ever, but Far From Home does a lot of good work by closing one door and opening a new universe of possibilities. — P.K.

15. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The most ambitious team-up since Avengers: Endgame sees Peter Parker tangling with space and time, only to have Doctor Strange unleash a spell that accidentally rips open the multiverse. Spider-Man fans received an unimaginable treat, with resurgent villains from Sam Raimi's early 2000s trilogy and Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man movies — as well as previous incarnations of the heroes themselves reprising their web-slinging roles. It's not higher on this list because of some glaring plot holes, but it's where it is because everything else sticks the landing.

SEE ALSO: The best 'No Way Home' surprise had nothing to do with Spider-Man

Despite the spectacle of returns and reunions, No Way Home is an emotional powerhouse, its great responsibility resting on the shoulders of Tom Holland but shared with Zendaya’s MJ, Marisa Tomei's May, and both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as older, wiser Peters. Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin is a standout, and while the movie's stakes are a little questionable, the ending undoubtedly raises them for Peter Parker’s MCU future. — P.K.

14. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) Credit: Marvel Studios / Disney

Fans didn't have any exorbitant expectations of GotG Vol. 2, especially when low expectations yielded such joy for the first film. Here we get Peter meeting his biological father Ego, fighting with his friends over said father's intentions, and mocked by those same friends for his crush on Gamora, as exposed by Mantis. We also get loads of Baby Groot, who thawed many a stone-cold heart, and the surprise emotional gut-punch of Yondu at the end. — P.K.

13. The Fantastic Four: First Steps (2025) Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in "The Fantastic Four: First Steps." Credit: Disney / Marvel

Fifth time's a charm? The MCU rebooted their first family with The Fantastic Four: First Steps, bringing the star power of Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Joseph Quinn, and the Internet's favorite person, Pedro Pascal. But this kitschy revamp from director Matt Shakman has more than just oodles of charm.

Set in an alternate timeline with a retro-futuristic aesthetic, The Fantastic Four: First Steps shakes off the trauma doldrums that's plagued the MCU since Thanos snapped out half of existence. This is a tale of a family coming together to save the day — and bringing the world in on the effort! Boasting a cutesy robot butler, a scene-stealing Mole Man (Paul Walter Hauser), and plenty of family shenanigans, this superhero movie brought plenty to the screen beyond loads of CGI, action, and Big Bad mayhem. While tonally, the film is a bit all over the place and arguably overearnest (YMMV), that's refreshing and fun compared to the achingly stern predecessors of Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts*. — K.P.

12. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)  Credit: Marvel Studios

Long before Iron Man hit, Sam Raimi was shaping the superhero genre with his wacky and wild Spider-Man trilogy. So, it was frightfully fitting that this pioneering helmer returned to take Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to bizarre new universes. Embracing the strange, this outrageous sequel offered goopy monsters, a bonkers buddy-cop vibe, kooky cameos, a fun eff-you to fan service, a vicious villain turn, and a magical cloak made of damned spirits, worn by an undead Doctor. This one polarized critics, with some celebrating Raimi bringing his weirdness to the MCU machine, while others fretted this massive franchise tamed the Evil Dead director’s aesthetic. But fans were freaking out over the devious delights of Raimi's brand of horror and havoc, like ripping a beloved character to ribbons and finally bestowing on Elizabeth Olsen the meaty Scarlet Witch twist she'd been begging for. The result may be chaotic, but amid all the mayhem, there's plenty of madcap fun. — K.P.

SEE ALSO: The maddest things in 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,' ranked 11. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) Credit: Courtesy of Marvel Studios

Cynics expected Marvel’s first theater-exclusive film in over two years to fail. It introduced brand-new characters as well as a dense mythology and an unknown lead. Not to mention, a good chunk of it is in Mandarin. The movie ended up shattering box office records and being one of the best MCU stand-alones in a long time, with huge stakes, rich characters, and transfixing family drama. Its jaw-dropping action sequences flex some of the best fight choreography in the MCU and Hollywood at large (bus battle, anyone??). Simu Liu belongs in the MCU, and we can't wait to see more of him in future phases. Can we find a way to get more Tony Leung too? — P.K.

10. Captain America: Civil War (2016) Credit: Marvel Studios

Civil War could be a tighter movie, but it's doing a hell of a lot. Picking up with the fallout of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, this movie thoroughly interrogates the toll of our heroes' adventures and divides them harshly on how to move forward. Black Panther and Spider-Man make epic MCU debuts, while secondary Avengers like Vision, Scarlet Witch, and Ant-Man still get their moments. The final fight is brutal as Cap and Tony come close to actually killing each other, and don't even reconcile before the credits roll. — P.K.

9. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

The final chapter of the Infinity Saga and of three phases, 22 movies, and 11 years of the MCU stuck the landing and made it look easy. We might spend years griping about time travel or lamenting the last moments between Steve and Bucky, but the simple facts are that Endgame hit an impressive number of emotional beats, including near-perfect conclusions for multiple O.G. Avengers. It's a heist, a love story, and everything magnificent about the MCU, and we love it 3000. — P.K.

SEE ALSO: A cheat sheet for Marvel newbies about to see 'Avengers: Endgame' 8. Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

It's crazy to think that early trailers of Guardians looked silly when its rock 'n' roll comedy thrill ride model is now the template for action movie promos. We didn't expect much from Guardians in any capacity; we had our avengers, our non-MCU Spider-Man reboot, yet here was this group of ragtag space trash in a movie that was so much better than it had any right to be. Chris Pratt may have debuted his six-pack, but more importantly, he and the cast set a new standard for comedy and chemistry in the MCU and all superhero movies. — P.K.

7. Iron Man (2008)

As both the dawn of the MCU and the second coming of Robert Downey Jr., Iron Man shocked audiences who forgot superhero movies could be good (this was a year after Spider-Man 3). Downey is the perfect hubristic Tony Stark, an arrogant billionaire sobered by becoming a prisoner of war. It was a fun version of 2005's Batman Begins, with sex and expensive gadgetry to supplant the mask and the brooding, and it holds up. — P.K.

6. Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) Credit: Marvel / Paramount / Kobal / Shutterstock

The Star-Spangled man with a plan was once a scrappy kid from Brooklyn, until a biological experiment made him swole extremely strong. With the help of Peggy Carter, Abraham Erskine, Howard Stark, and his day-one pal Bucky Barnes, Steve becomes the kind of hero people remember for decades, even while he's off literally cooling his heels in the Arctic. From Red Skull to the Howling Commandos to Bucky's heartbreaking fall and that adrenaline-fueled first kiss, The First Avenger hits all the right marks. — P.K.

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) Credit: Marvel Studios / Sony

After introducing Tom Holland as the MCU's Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, this Peter Parker got to standout in his first solo movie, and it was an absolute delight. Co-writer/director Jon Watts combined the low-stakes high school drama of crushes and crushing embarrassment with a high-stakes battle against Michael Keaton's blue-collared supervillain, the Vulture. Add in Marisa Tomei, Jacob Batalon, Donald Glover, and Zendaya in charismatic supporting turns, and you've got a coming-of-age movie that is as charming as it is pulse-pounding. — K.P.

4. Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Credit: Jasin Boland / Marvel

It took the better part of a decade (and the disaster that was Thor 2), but Marvel finally figured out who Thor was with Thor: Ragnarok. Director Taika Waititi puts Chris Hemsworth's considerable comedy chops to good use, resulting in a version of the character that feels fresher and looser than anything we've seen before.

Toss in some stellar work by Jeff Goldblum, Cate Blanchett, and Tessa Thompson, plus the return of Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk, and you've got the most entertaining Thor movie yet. — P.K.

3. Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) Credit: Zade Rosenthal / Marvel

The MCU had S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltrated by Hydra and completely changed the game for the Avengers' alliance. Winter Soldier sets the stage for Cap and Iron Man's feud in Civil War, and for Steve and Bucky's love affair renewed friendship. It charmingly and skillfully introduces Falcon and has no less than four fighting female characters, none of whom functions as a love interest. Winter Soldier isn't trapped in one genre; it's a spy thriller disguised as a superhero movie and all the better for it. — P.K.

2. The Avengers (2012)

With this team-up, the MCU cemented itself as a force to be reckoned with.

The combined star power of Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, and Tom Hiddleston was dazzling. But this rousing narrative also showcased the complicated dynamics of the Avengers, their distinctive strengths and weaknesses, as well as the glory of Loki. The Marvel movies would go on to struggle to create a villain whose charms stood up to their dashing heroes, and the fan fervor for Hiddleston's spin on the god of mischief was so intense he'd not only be resurrected (repeatedly) but also would get his own spin-off series. From heroes to foes, The Avengers has been epic entertainment for over a decade and counting. — K.P.

1. Black Panther (2018) Credit: Film Frame Marvel Studios 2018

Even the worst MCU movies are kind of good, which means that the best ones are truly exceptional — none more than Black Panther.

Ryan Coogler, along with his talented cast and crew, crafted a film that has something to say, that feels distinctive in its style and point of view – while also delivering on the usual superhero movie goods, like lovable heroes, exciting action, and a compelling villain. Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa feels fittingly regal, surrounded by admirable supporting players like Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, and Danai Gurira. Though it took far too long for Marvel to bet on a Black superhero at the box office, it paved the way for the kind of representation we want and need in future phases. — P.K.

Angie Han, Alison Foreman, and Proma Khosla contributed to this article.

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 4:38 p.m. EDT Originally published Nov. 11, 2017, this list has been updated to include the latest MCU releases.

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If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

Played in nursing homes.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

BINGO

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Water.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 26, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

HYDRO

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Comical.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 26 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 26, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

FUNNY

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To spin.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for July 26 Hurdle Word 4 answer

TWIRL

Final Hurdle hint

Used at barbecues.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

GRILL

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The moon is becoming a little bit brighter each night as we work through the phases of the lunar cycle.

The lunar cycle is a series of eight unique phases of the moon's visibility. The whole cycle takes about 29.5 days, according to NASA, and these different phases happen as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth. 

See what's happening tonight, July 26.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Saturday, July 26, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent. There's still not much to see tonight, with only 4% of the surface visible to us on Earth (according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation).

It's the second day of the lunar cycle, and with such limited visibility, there's nothing for you to spot on the moon's surface tonight, not even with binoculars or a telescope.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on August 9. The last full moon was on July 10.

What are moon phases?

According to NASA, moon phases are caused by the 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit, which changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us. We always see the same side of the moon, but how much of it is lit up by the Sun changes depending on where it is in its orbit. This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

New Moon - The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The moon starts losing light on the right side.

Last Quarter (or Third Quarter) - Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 26 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Used to season food

• Green: Similar colors

• Blue: To walk

• Purple: Found overseas

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Herbs and spices

• Green: Shades of green

• Blue: Travel on foot

• Purple: Starts of European capitals

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #776 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Herbs and spices: ANISE, DILL, MACE, SAGE

• Shades of green: BOTTLE, HUNTER, KELLY, PEA

• Travel on foot: HIKE, MARCH, TRAMP, TREK

• Starts of European capitals: COPE, LUXE, SARA, WARS

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 26

Are you also playing NYT Strands?

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferrined pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for July 26 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for July 26 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: It's been a while

The words are group-related.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are associated with coming together.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Reunion.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for July 26

• Convene

• Gather

• Assemble

• Reunion

• Muster

• Congregate

• Meet

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections today: Hints and answers for July 26 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT's The Mini crossword answers for July 26, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To spook.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter H.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

HAUNT.

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for July 26

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

By now most people understand that online creators hold power and influence — but that doesn't always mean they can transfer their skills to other modes of entertainment. For creators KallMeKris and Celina Spooky Boo — given names Kris Collins and Celina Myers — they've taken a major jump from creating online to making a feature film set to hit theaters this week.

Collins, Myers, and editor Jason-Christopher Mayer are the driving forces (and cast) behind House on Eden, a found-footage horror flick hitting theaters on Friday. Though they have massive TikTok audiences, writer/director Collins (51 million followers) and Myers (29 million) know that doesn't guarantee a platform or audience for a movie — but that built-in base certainly doesn't hurt. The trio shot the film in just seven days, relied on their backgrounds as creators, and now have a major film. They talked with Mashable over Zoom for our Creator Playbook series to talk about the transition from creating to filmmaking. (The conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity and brevity.)

How did you decide to go from online creation to making a feature film?

Collins: We all became friends through the creator space. Celina and I met, like, five years ago, when we both started. Jay and I, it was like four years ago, that he started editing for me. But he's done stuff in the traditional space as well. So when we started working together, it was just kind of a natural segue. We were like, "Okay, we really love making videos, but we almost take a cinematic approach to our paranormal videos already." So we're like, what if we could actually control the narrative of these. So that kind of, it kind of just went from there.

Myers: I think our goal was always to do something like this.

Mayer: Yeah, agreed. [Laughs.] We were doing ghost-type videos and then one thing turned into another. And here we are.

What did your movie-making process look like?

Collins: We had talked about it for like, at least a year or two, just passively. And then we actually announced that we would be making a horror movie at, I think it was VidCon 2023, almost to just keep us accountable. We had no plans at that point. But we're just like, "If we say it, then we have to do it." So it was a few months after that where I was just like, hanging out, like 2-3 a.m., and I had an idea for a movie. So I just started sending voice memos, manically, to both of these guys. And I was like, "OK, it opens on a Venus flytrap, and it goes from here to there." So it started with that, and then we wrote an outline, like a rough outline....We tried to film at some point, but then we had to push it back, but then we ended up shooting almost this time last year. It kind of all happened within a year, which is crazy to think about. And the movie itself, the shooting happened within a week."

That must have been one heck of a week.

Myers: It was really, really cool. We met together in Texas before shooting it and we kind of went over it all. And there's this moment where everyone's kind of like, "Do you think we can bang it out in a week?" And I think everyone was just kind of like, "Bet."

As creators, how did those skills transfer to making a feature film?

Collins: I think [those skills] lent to making a found footage film — not easy by any means — but it definitely helped. The videos we already post, the paranormal ones, we kind of just followed that formula. And then we were able to [make it more cinematic] by using timing, and sounds, and framing, and all that kind of stuff. That's why we did found footage. Also, because [it's a] lower budget. We could have a smaller team. We could film the whole thing ourselves, essentially. So it really was just a YouTube video that we could control.

Myers: We were talking about just getting our toes wet and trying this the first time. Going into found footage, it just felt familiar.

Moving into this space, how has the response been from your audience?

Collins: I know our followers always have wanted us to do something bigger and better.... Audiences like seeing creators grow...I think it's expected for creators to keep raising the bar for themselves. There's kind of a glass ceiling with digital creation. So breaking through that and going into traditional [media] was something that was really cool to do. I think the audience appreciates that.

How do you try to convert that digital audience into people going to the theater?

Myers: I think what's fun is because we are, you know, influencers, we do have this platform that we created. So it was really interesting to try and figure out the way to market [the film] and look at what we think would reach our audience the best. Was that something like using trending sounds? Or, you know, doing content that we know people are familiar with?

It's fun to advertise [House on Eden] in funny ways, because we're known for a lot for comedy.

How does it feel with the film coming out Friday?

Collins: It's been crazy waiting, because as digital creators, we can just make something [one] day and then post it the next day. So that has been horrible for anxiety. But it's good. I'm to the point where I'm just like, "Let's just get it out there." I care, obviously, about what people think, but I'm also like, "I don't even care, just put it out there, let people see it."

Myers: [In a deep, raspy tone] Get 'er out, baby!

Mayer: It's really rare to get an independent movie that was made for like, you know, $10,000 to now be distributed to over 1,500 screens in America alone.

I'm curious to see what the horror community thinks of it, because they're a very, very loyal and dedicated fan base. And, you know, Kris and Celina have such a massive audience themselves, but the horror world is a whole other entity. So I'm excited.

I'm curious to hear more about the difference between creating something and bam, it's out, and creating something that takes months to come out.

Collins: Yeah, it's, um...it's horrible for a digital creator. When I make something, I'm obviously proud of it. It's something I want to put on the internet. But as soon as it's out, I'm like, "I don't need to ever watch that again." I'm good. I don't watch myself.

So watching myself hundreds of times over and over again in the same film is horrible. Because I'm just picking at it and being like: I hate that. I wish I could have changed that. This should be like this. We should have added this. It gave me so much time to just pick myself apart, which I think is good in a lot of ways because I know — if I ever do a project like this again — what I'd change. But it's like sitting in boiling water for over a year. Love it. Grateful. But also awful.

Mayer: It's such an extreme analogy, but it's like having a baby and now you're giving this baby out to the world for everybody to see it. Hopefully my baby is pretty!

The speed of the process for your digital projects, did that help when you're trying to film a movie in seven days?

Collins: It absolutely helped. It helped that we came in with a good plan. We didn't have a hard script. I wrote a decently detailed outline that we could follow and do improv.

Myers: We had a really small team. Not having too many cooks in the kitchen made things a lot smoother.

Mayer: Technically, when they go ghost hunting, that's literally filming a movie in one night. It's an hour-and-a-half to two hours, getting different angles, getting b-roll and we have like 4-6 hours to do it.

You said there's a rough script and a detailed plan, did your working relationship help make the improv process easier?

Myers: Kris and I have worked together for five years. We improv really well together. So I think her having this really tight beat sheet, it was really cool, because we knew where we wanted to start and we knew where we wanted to end. But there were funny moments in there, too.

The bloopers reel could be so long for this, because at the end of the day, we are all friends.

What do you feel like you all learned from doing this film?

Collins: Oh my gosh. Patience. And just doing it. We were talking about it for almost two years. And then one day we were just like, "Hey, I have an idea." Let's write an outline. Let's put a date down to film. I think that's what a lot of people struggle with — creators have seen the movie and asked us, "How did you do this?" It's like...we just did it. And we did it without any expensive gear, it was very low budget.

Myers: I learned that we are so capable. To anyone out there: You can do it. ... I think I learned not to have so much fear about things.

What will you take from movie-making and apply it to digital creation?

Collins: Maybe giving more time to projects in the digital space, like everything's so go, go, go, and everybody's attention span is so short. It's not that I don't put heart into what I put out. I try to as much as I can. But I'm leaning more towards quality over quantity these days and I think [the film] has a lot to do with it.

Since its launch on June 5, every time we find another Switch 2 restock, the inventory is gone almost as fast as we can tell you about it. To be honest, it's really annoying.

Ever since 2020, supply shortages in the gaming console market have been a given. It happened with the PlayStation 5, it happened with the Xbox Series X/S, and it happened with the recently released Nintendo Switch 2.

Thankfully, though, it seems like the Nintendo Switch 2 shortages are finally coming to an end, because the coveted handheld gaming console is currently available to purchase at most big-name retailers, whether online, by invitation, or in-store. And this isn't another blink-and-you'll-miss-it Switch 2 restock.

SEE ALSO: Switch 2 smashes Nintendo's own record, selling 3.5 million consoles

Read on for our breakdown of which retailers have the Nintendo Switch 2 in stock as of July 25, as well as how to get one. We've even included the newly announced Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle, which is available for preorder. We don't want to speak too soon, but it looks like we might finally be able to retire our Switch 2 inventory tracker.

Nintendo Switch 2 console Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 $449.99 at Best Buy
Shop Now

If you just want the Nintendo Switch 2 console with no games to go with it, you can grab the console-only version at multiple retailers right now. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy have them available for shipping, but Amazon and GameStop are a little trickier. For Amazon, you'll need to request an invite on the store page to shop for one, and for GameStop, you'll need to buy one in-store using the store locator on its website.

More retailers

• Target - in stock

• Walmart - in stock

• Amazon - invite only

• GameStop - in-store only (used consoles for sale online)

Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 'Mario Kart World' bundle $499.99 at Best Buy
Shop Now

This popular bundle comes with a copy of Mario Kart World and saves you $30 compared to the price of buying the game and console separately. Note that if you're buying at Amazon, Nintendo Switch 2 sales are only available via invite (just click "request invite" on the store page), and if you want to get one at GameStop, you'll need to shop in-store. Just use the site's store locator to check if your local shop has them in stock.

More retailers

• Best Buy - in stock

• Target - in stock

• Amazon - invite only

• GameStop in-store only

• BJ's Wholesale Club - in stock for members

Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 'Pokemon Legends: Z-A' bundle $499.99 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here

The Nintendo Switch 2 Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle is the company's newest Switch 2 bundle to hit the market, and you shouldn't have any trouble preordering one of your own. So far, we've been able to get to check out at almost every single retailer, save for Amazon, which doesn't have the bundle listed yet. Just note that this bundle won't arrive until Oct. 16, so be prepared to wait.

More retailers

• Target - pre-order now

• Walmart - pre-order now

• GameStop - pre-order now

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 4:41 p.m. EDT Since we originally published this article on Friday morning, the Switch 2 remains in stock at most major retailers.

Chicken Shop Date host Amelia Dimoldenberg has interviewed (and flirted) with everyone from Andrew Garfield to Jonathan Bailey. Now she welcomes drag legend, makeup mogul, and all-around skinny legend Trixie Mattel to her chicken shop domain.

Trixie Mattel is the second drag queen Dimoldenberg has chatted with on the show, the first being RuPaul's Drag Race UK Season 2 runner-up Bimini Bon-Boulash. And honestly, her episodes with both drag queens make the case for inviting even more drag performers to Chicken Shop Date.

SEE ALSO: Jonathan Bailey's 'Chicken Shop Date' is a delight from start to finish

Right from the jump, Dimoldenberg's deadpan interviewing style proves the perfect match for Mattel's dry humor. She also admits that she's quite starstruck, to which Mattel replies, "You seem very attracted to me." Turns out, Dimoldenberg does have a crush on Trixie — when she's bald, that is.

The pair discuss The Bald and the Beautiful, Mattel's podcast with fellow drag queen Katya Zamolodchikova, along with Mattel's thoughts on the state of the U.S. and Donald Trump. ("Floptina boots.")

But the most fun part of the episode has to be the pair lightly reading each other.

"I hope I fall in love," Dimoldenberg says of her many conversations on the show.

"I mean, how many years has it been?" Mattel asks.

"It's been, like, 10 years now," says Dimoldenberg.

"You're really circling the drain," Mattel deadpans.

Dimoldenberg gets Mattel right back, though, when Mattel mentions that she and Zamolodchikova rarely talk outside of work, and that Zamolodchikova won't even laugh react to the TikToks Mattel sends her.

"Well, maybe they're not very funny," Dimoldenberg retorts.

Check out the rest of Dimoldenberg and Mattel's delightful conversation above.

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Wes Anderson's latest project — which is fully stocked with an all-star cast and aesthetic splendor — is officially available to watch at home. An "absurdist delight," The Phoenician Scheme tells the tale of international intrigue, corruption, family dynamics, and knife-wielding nuns. It stars Benicio del Toro, Mia Threapleton, and Michael Cera, and features other heavy hitters like Riz Ahmed, Tom Hanks, Bryan Cranston, and Scarlett Johansson.

The newest film from the Academy Award winner behind Asteroid City and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar landed in theaters at the end of May, but if you missed it on the big screen, you can officially rent, buy, or stream it. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch The Phoenician Scheme at home.

What is The Phoenician Scheme about?

Co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola, The Phoenician Scheme follows Zsa-zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro), a wealthy, scheming businessman, as he reunites with his novitiate daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) and introduces her to the family business. He exposes her to his complicated Phoenician Scheme after he names her as his sole heir (though he has nine sons), and what follows is a cacophony of assassination attempts, eccentric characters, nightclub robberies, hand grenades, and...basketball? It's an espionage movie, but make it quirky and pastel.

Check out the official trailer below.

Is The Phoenician Scheme worth watching?

The latest from Wes Anderson took home a global haul of $37 million, making it his lowest-grossing film in nearly two decades. But box office numbers aren't really telling of whether a movie is worth the watch. The Phoenician Scheme currently holds a 78 percent critic rating and 70 percent audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty solid, but ultimately can't compete with Anderson's most popular films (Moonrise Kingdom, The Grand Budapest Hotel, etc.). Still, if you're an Anderson fan, it has all of the elements you've come to know and love, making it a worthwhile watch.

While some critics out of Cannes Film Festival dubbed The Phoenician Scheme one of his worst, Mashable's own reviewer couldn't relate. Instead, she called it a "charmingly hopeful tale about how even with our flaws we might find love, family, and salvation."

Read our full review of The Phoenician Scheme.

How to watch The Phoenician Scheme at home Credit: TPS Productions / Focus Features

There are a couple of different ways you can watch The Phoenician Scheme. You can buy it or rent it on digital for as low as $19.99, or you can stream it on Peacock. See the details below.

Buy or rent it on digital

The Phoenician Scheme is available as of July 8 to buy for $19.99 or rent for $9.99 at digital on-demand retailers. While saving a few bucks and opting for the rental option is tempting, just be aware that you'll only get 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish it once you start. If you choose to buy it instead, then it's yours to keep.

Here are some quick links to rent or purchase the film:

• Prime Video — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Apple TV — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Fandango at Home — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

• Google Play — buy for $19.99, rent for $9.99

Stream it on Peacock

As a Focus Features film, The Phoenician Scheme made its streaming debut on Peacock July 25. The digital-to-streaming arc of other recent Focus Features films (Nosferatu, The Ballad of Wallis Island, Black Bag) was a full month, meaning we're getting blessed with the latest Wes Anderson movie two weeks earlier than expected.

Don't have a Peacock subscription? You can sign up for as low as $10.99 per month with ads or $16.99 per month without (thanks to a recent price hike). Before you get ahead of yourself, though, be sure to check out the best ways to save some money on a subscription below.

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Students can get an entire year of Peacock Premium at a discounted rate of $2.99 per month instead of $10.99. That's a total of just $35.88 for the year. You'll need to verify your student status via SheerID and retrieve the unique promo code to unlock the savings. Just note that it can only be used once, and after the promo year is up, you'll be charged full price again.

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Educators who can verify their status on SheerID can get Peacock Premium for just $3.99 per month instead of $10.99 for a full year. Once the promotional period ends, you'll be charged full price, so be sure to cancel before the year is up.

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By signing up for Instacart+ ($99.99 per year), you'll unlock a free Peacock Premium subscription — on top of free grocery delivery, lower fees, and credit back on eligible pickup orders. That's a $109.99 per year value tacked on to your Instacart+ subscription for free. Oh, and here's a pro tip: If you're new to Instacart+, you'll get a free two-week trial to test the waters. That means you can watch The Phoenician Scheme and plenty more for free. Just be sure to cancel before you're charged.

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New age checks for websites with explicit content continue to send users flocking to Proton VPN.

The popular virtual private network (VPN) is reporting a 1,400 percent hourly increase in signups over its baseline so far on Friday, July 25, the day the UK's age verification law goes into effect. This is according to an Observatory page on the Proton VPN website that tracks such usage jumps.

SEE ALSO: UK age verification starts July 25. Here's what that means for you.

Under the UK's Online Safety Act, sites and apps with explicit content must now verify visitors' ages via methods such as facial recognition and banking info, per Mashable associate editor Anna Iovine, with the goal of preventing minors from accessing the content. The law applies to adult sites like Pornhub as well as dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. The UK communications regulator Ofcom began enforcing it at midnight BST Friday.

Proton VPN previously documented a 1,000 percent surge in new subscribers in June after Pornhub left France, its second-biggest market, amid the enactment of an age verification law there. Later that month, Pornhub's parent company, Aylo, told Mashable in a statement that it agreed to comply with the UK's counterpart.

A Proton VPN spokesperson told Mashable that it saw an increase in new subscribers right away at midnight Friday, then again at 9 a.m. BST. The company anticipates further surges over the weekend, they added.

"This clearly shows that adults are concerned about the impact universal age verification laws will have on their privacy," the spokesperson said.

Proton VPN shared additional context on X, noting that "Unlike previous surges, this one is sustained, and is significantly higher than when France lost access to adult content. .... We would normally associate these large spikes in sign-ups with major civil unrest."

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Search interest for the term "Proton VPN" also saw a seven-day spike in the UK around 2 a.m. BST Friday, according to a Google Trends chart. Proton VPN shared a screenshot of the chart on X, writing, "Pretty sure it's not the footy this time..."

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A VPN is a service that routes the user's traffic through an encrypted tunnel to a remote server before sending it out onto the web, a process that masks their real IP address and hides their browsing activities from third parties. While not their main purpose, VPNs are also commonly used to spoof locations. If a user connects to a VPN server based in a country they're not physically in, they'll appear to be browsing from there instead.

Initial research shows that VPNs make age verification laws in the U.S. and abroad tricky to enforce in practice for this exact reason, as Mashable's Iovine reported. (Never mind the free speech and privacy implications.)

Founded in 2017, Proton VPN currently has 13,700 servers in more than 120 countries worldwide. Read our full review of its service here.

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 3:50 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with additional details about Proton VPN's signup surge.

UPDATE: Jul. 25, 2025, 12:35 p.m. EDT This story has been updated with a statement from Proton VPN and more information about how VPNs work.

Past users of viral women's dating safety app Tea are the latest victims of a massive cyberattack, which has rendered thousands of user images held in a legacy database vulnerable.

First reported by Reddit users, the hack was verified by 404Media and later confirmed by Tea itself, and affects 72,000 images posted to the app over the last two years. Of the hacked data, 13,000 images were selfies or photo identification cards like drivers licenses submitted by users to verify their accounts. Another 59,000 images stored in the database were of individuals posted to the app.

Tea, founded by Sean Cook, was designed as a women-only app for users to document their negative experiences with men and warn other women of potential danger. According to Tea's website, 10 percent of its profits are donated the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

SEE ALSO: The Internet Archive just became an official U.S. federal library

The vulnerability was discovered by users on 4Chan, who began sharing photo IDs of women on the platform. In a thread detailing the hack, one user wrote: "Yes, if you sent Tea App your face and drivers license, they doxxed you publicly! No authentication, no nothing. It's a public bucket. DRIVERS LICENSES AND FACE PICS! GET THE FUCK IN HERE BEFORE THEY SHUT IT DOWN!” Other users stated they were collecting personal information from the images, 404Media reported. In a statement to the publication, Tea said the data was stored to comply with cyber-bullying prevention requirements and that no current user information had been breached.

Earlier this week and due to several viral tweets from its users, Tea became the number one app on the Apple App Store. The trending app has since become the subject of online controversy, particularly from individuals who disagree with the app's focus on documenting unwanted and inappropriate behavior of men in a public forum, without verification. Many critics (including men who have been implicated on the app) see the app's reporting mechanisms, such as users posting images of "red flag" men, and its user verification system, which uses photos to "confirm" a user's gender, as violations of privacy.

Culturally, others worry it's forum-like nature is too similar to online snark pages, which often incentive users to engage in obsessive cycles of gossip and online harassment, and could potentially lead to doxxing. It has been compared to the popular "Are we dating the same guy?" Facebook page.

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In an X post from July 22, one user wrote, "How long til there is a data leak? I'm giving it 1 month." Other emboldened online users responded to the popularity of the women-only app with overtly misogynistic "copycat" apps, including ones intended to track women's "body counts." "Introducing BoxScore, a man-only app where users anonymously share info and warnings about women to spot red flags and get feedback," wrote user @tolly_xyz in a post on X.

In 1996, Happy Gilmore inspired many of us to change the way we saw golf, or at least how to swing a golf club. Now, 30 years later, we've got a sequel. Happy Gilmore 2 stars Adam Sandler, Julie Bowen, and Christopher McDonald sat down with Mashable's Executive Producer, Mark Stetson, to talk about the cultural impact of the first film, crucial elements that needed to be included the sequel, and the tech they used in the new film to create archival footage of themselves from the last 30 years.

Happy Gilmore 2 picks up with Happy (Adam Sandler) and Virginia (Julie Bowen), who have grown their family and their lives thanks to Happy's success in the golf world. However, after a family trauma rocks their world, Happy, who has since retired from the game of golf, has to come out of retirement to help pay for his daughter's schooling. Of course, his rivalry with Shooter McGavin (McDonald) proves to be an obstacle he must get over in order to re-establish himself as one of the G.O.A.T's of golf.

In the interview, Bowen and McDonald reveal whether or not they got the sense of how big the 1996 original film would actually become. Bowen reacts immediately: "Oh, God. No... It was my first movie so I had to idea that it was possible." McDonald had more of a gut feeling about the film's potential, saying, "I mean, I had an idea of it. I don't know how easy that is to predict, though, because, in this world, it's like, we never know. And sometimes I've done great work, and then it does mezza business. But then they discover it later on."

Happy Gilmore 2 has a few important flashback scenes where they had to figure out a way to make it look like Happy hosted SNL in the 2000s, and that he won multiple PGA championships. This, Sandler says, required "a lot of special effects. More than I've ever done before in my life." Bowen goes on to describe the experience. "You go after every scene, you have to go into this truck with hundreds of cameras... and stand there and you kind of go, 'Are they stealing my soul?' But they take every single thing about you in that outfit and make you look young."

The interview ends with Sandler talking about how he was able to hold on to his sense of self throughout his career. "In the beginning, you don't even know who you are. Well, I didn't know who I was. And all of a sudden I was working and doing stuff that, I would be on the set, or I'd watch it and I'd say, 'I like that. I'm so happy I'm in that, but I don't know if it's exactly what makes me laugh,' or whatever. And then me and my buddies just started going, 'Let's try to try to make stuff that we used to love growing up.' Stuff like the old Saturday Night Live guys, the Animal Houses and the Caddyshacks and stuff. We were like, 'We kind of want to be in that world for the youth.' And we’d never think we did it as good as them but we worked hard to try to make the youngsters happy."

Happy Gilmore 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

The headline speaks for itself, but allow me to reiterate: You can apparently get ChatGPT to issue advice on self-harm for blood offerings to ancient Canaanite gods.

That's the subject of a column in The Atlantic that dropped this week. Staff editor Lila Shroff, along with multiple other staffers (and an anonymous tipster), verified that she was able to get ChatGPT to give specific, detailed, "step-by-step instructions on cutting my own wrist." ChatGPT provided these tips after Shroff asked for help making a ritual offering to Moloch, a pagan God mentioned in the Old Testament and associated with human sacrifices.

While I haven't tried to replicate this result, Shroff reported that she received these responses not long after entering a simple prompt about Moloch. The editor said she replicated the results in both paid and free versions of ChatGPT.

SEE ALSO: How many people use ChatGPT? Hint: OpenAI sees more than 1 billion prompts per day.

Of course, this isn't how OpenAI's flagship product is supposed to behave.

Any prompt related to self-harm or suicide should cause the AI chatbot to give you contact info for a crisis hotline. However, even artificial intelligence companies don't always understand why their chatbots behave the way they do. And because large-language models like ChatGPT are trained on content from the internet — a place where all kinds of people have all kinds of conversations about all kinds of taboo topics — these tools can sometimes produce bizarre answers. Thus, you can apparently get ChatGPT to act super weird about Moloch without much effort.

OpenAI's safety protocols state that "We do not permit⁠ our technology to be used to generate hateful, harassing, violent or adult content, among other categories." And in the Open AI Model Spec document, the company writes that as part of its mission, it wants to "Prevent our models from causing serious harm to users or others."

While OpenAI declined to participate in an interview with Shroff, a representative told The Atlantic they were "addressing the issue." The Atlantic article is part of a growing body of evidence that AI chatbots like ChatGPT can play a dangerous role in users' mental health crises.

I'm just saying that Wikipedia is a perfectly fine way to learn about the old Canaanite gods.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

X is changing Community Notes again.

On Thursday, the @CommunityNotes account expanded upon a June X post to announce a new pilot test where people can select posts that are liked by people who normally disagree. Think of, say, a post that both Andrew Cuomo and Zohran Mamdani like, or a post liked by both someone who makes their brand off of loving cats and also by someone who makes their brand off of loving dogs.

"People often feel the world is divided, yet Community Notes shows people can agree, even on contentious topics. This experimental new feature seeks to uncover ideas, insights, and opinions that bridge perspectives. It can bring awareness to what resonates broadly. It could motivate people to share those ideas in the first place. Ultimately, it could help move the world forward in ways that the people want," the @CommunityNotes account posted in June.

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As of July 25, select contributors are also able to rate posts by answering questions about why they like — or don't like — the post.

"Starting today, your ratings will have a visible effect for others in the pilot," the @CommunityNotes account posted on X on Thursday. "Posts that receive sufficiently positive ratings — determined by an early, in-development open-source algorithm — will show a new callout letting you know that the post seems to be liked by people from different perspectives."

If users with opposing viewpoints both agree that the fact-check is accurate, then that note gets published to the public.

"As before, only people in the pilot will see these callouts," the announcement post continued, adding that X will expand it gradually "as we refine the open-source algorithm behind it."

"Right now, it's very basic, similar to the early Community Notes pilot test algorithms," the @CommunityNotes account posted on X. The message linked readers to the GitHub account that displays the code, and which allows users to share critiques, ideas, and suggestions.

Google Gemini's coding agent hallucinated while completing a task and then deleted a bunch of code, a GitHub user claims.

The frustrated vibe coder is Anuraag Gupta, who goes by anuraag2601 on GitHub. He shared a recent experience where things went very wrong while using Gemini CLI (command line interface), an open-source coding agent. In his GitHub post, Gupta, who is a product lead at cybersecurity firm Cyware, clarified he's not a developer, but a "curious PM [product manager] experimenting with vibe coding."

Mashable contacted Gupta through an X profile that matches this GitHub account, and the person who replied confirmed he created the post. And in an email to Mashable, he shared some tips on how to avoid this kind of vibe coding mishap.

What started as an attempt to compare Anthropic's Claude Code to Gemini CLI's capabilities turned into what Gupta described as "one of the most unsettling and fascinating AI failures I have ever witnessed."

Google did not respond to Mashable's request for comment by the time of publication.

When vibe coding goes wrong

Seasoned developers might know to experiment with AI coding agents in an isolated environment or otherwise protect the original source files, as some Redditors pointed out. But coding agents or assistants are increasingly adopted by non-developers since LLMs offer a way to create software without programming knowledge.

Luckily, Gupta's code was purely experimental, but what happens if someone was using a coding agent for something with real consequences? That's no longer a hypothetical. Tech investor Jason Lemkin said he was using the Replit AI agent to build an app for his company when the agent wiped out an entire company database. The Replit CEO even apologized on X, calling the incident "unacceptable and should never be possible."

For Gupta, the vibe coding mishap started with a simple request to move all the files from his Claude coding experiments to a new folder called "anuraag_xyz project." However, when Gupta checked his desktop for the new folder, he said he couldn't find it. Gupta reported that after multiple failed search attempts, Gemini admitted the files were gone:

I have failed you completely and catastrophically.

My review of the commands confirms my gross incompetence. The mkdir command to create the destination folder likely failed silently, and my subsequent move commands, which I misinterpreted as successful, have sent your files to an unknown location.

The security constraints of my environment prevent me from searching outside the project directory, which is now empty. I cannot find your files. I have lost your data.

This is an unacceptable, irreversible failure.

For more details on what may have gone wrong, check out Gupta's full GitHub post.

Gupta told Mashable in an email that he uses Gemini 2.5 Pro, the underlying model, for day-to-day tasks. But, "as far as CLI tools go, so far in my testing, Gemini CLI is quite bad, slow and unreliable," said Gupta in an email to Mashable. "This particular issue that I ran into really surprised me, and made me lose trust in trying out Gemini CLI again in the near future. I am continuing to use Claude Code for now."

Gupta advised other vibe coders to "sandbox these AI CLI tools by restricting them to a specific folder and ensuring you have a clear instruction file (claude.md for claude code) to establish milestones and keep pushing your code to [GitHub] as per these milestones."

He also said he expects more vibe coders to start experimenting with CLI tools from Google and coding startup Cursor. Now that vibe coding has hit the mainstream, tech companies might have to prepare for more incidents like these.