1. Marvel reportedly weighs bringing back original 'Avengers' cast, including Robert Downey Jr.
Avengers, reassemble? Variety has published a bombshell report about the wobbly state of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which reveals the franchise is "considering some dramatic moves" to get its groove back. For example, there have reportedly been discussions about potentially bringing back the original "Avengers" cast for a new movie. This would supposedly involve the return of Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, even though both characters died in "Avengers: Endgame." Variety doesn't lay out how this would happen. But fans have speculated the upcoming "Avengers: Secret Wars" may involve different universes colliding, which could theoretically allow for alternate versions of Iron Man and Black Widow to show up, à la Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." According to Variety, though, Marvel hasn't committed to this idea yet, so stay tuned to find out whether the studio will hit the giant red "in case of superhero fatigue, press for RDJ" button. Variety
2. Former 'GMA' anchors Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes announce podcast after scandal
Guess who's back, America. Amy Robach and T. J. Holmes, the former "Good Morning America" anchors who were pulled from the air amid a cheating scandal, are returning with a new podcast: "Amy & T.J," which premieres Dec. 5 on the iHeartPodcast Network. "The duo will get behind the microphone to explore meaningful conversations about current events, pop culture, and everything in between," an announcement said. "Nothing is off limits." In 2022, reports revealed Robach and Holmes, who were both married at the time, were seeing each other. They each officially got divorced this year after departing from ABC in January. "We all agreed it’s best for everyone that they move on from ABC News," the network said. Robach also shared a photo of herself with Holmes Wednesday on Instagram, writing, "How's this for instagram official? #silentnomore." The podcast’s premiere, the press release noted, will be the first time they "speak publicly since their own names became a part of the headlines." IHeartMedia
3. Biden became more concerned about AI after watching new 'Mission: Impossible'
Ethan Hunt has President Joe Biden's back in his war against the Entity. Biden recently signed an executive order on artificial intelligence that may have been at least somewhat inspired by the most recent "Mission: Impossible" film. The White House described the executive order as an effort to ensure the U.S. leads the way in "managing the risks of artificial intelligence," and an Associated Press report noted AI has been "seemingly inescapable" for the president. After all, deputy White House chief of staff Bruce Reed said Biden watched "Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One" at Camp David. The film's central conflict involves a rogue AI called the Entity, which sinks a submarine in the opening scene. "If he hadn't already been concerned about what could go wrong with AI before that movie, he saw plenty more to worry about," Reed told the AP. Next up from Biden? An executive order demanding Cruise bring back Ilsa Faust. The Associated Press
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
4. Matthew Perry was 'in a really good place' before his death, 'Friends' creator says
One of the creators of "Friends" is opening up about her final conversation with Matthew Perry. In an interview on the "Today" show, "Friends" co-creator Marta Kauffman shared that she spoke with the actor just two weeks before he died on Oct. 28 at age 54, and he seemed to be doing well. "He was happy and chipper," she said. "He didn't seem weighed down by anything. He was in a really good place, which is why this seems so unfair." Though Kauffman noted she was concerned about Perry around the time of the "Friends" reunion special, she said that more recently, he was sober and "seemed better than I had seen in a while," which she was "thrilled" about. "He was emotionally in a good place," she added. "He looked good." So Kauffman reflected she was in "utter shock" when she heard about Perry's death, and her "first impulse was to text him" before "deep sadness" hit. Today
5. 'Mean Girls' cast reunites sans Rachel McAdams for new Walmart ad
Get in, loser. We're going shopping ... at Walmart. Walmart has dropped a new Black Friday ad that reunites three out of four of the main stars of "Mean Girls": Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert and even Amanda Seyfried. The commercial is set at North Shore, the high school from the 2004 movie, and if you consider ads to be canon, it reveals where the film's characters are today. Seyfried's Karen Smith is seen delivering the weather on television, while Lohan's Cady Heron is a guidance counselor. The ad also features Chabert's Gretchen Wieners, who is now a mom, once again trying to make fetch happen before being told it's still not going to happen. Noticeably absent was Rachel McAdams, leading us to conclude that Regina George died on the way back to her home planet. Walmart
