The stars who belong on your movie-going radar this summer

Brad Pitt is back in action mode, but watch out for up-and-comers including Keke Palmer and Daisy Edgar-Jones

By Jack Smart, Mark Keizer, Alison Foreman, Tomris Laffly, Todd Gilchrist, Brent Simon  |  May 4, 2022 | 7:00am
Film News Entertainment, Culture
The stars who belong on your movie-going radar this summer
From left: Brad Pitt (Getty Images), Joel Kim Booster (Courtesy Searchlight Pictures), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Courtesy Searchlight Pictures), Jennifer Lopez (Getty Images), Austin Butler (Warner Bros. Pictures/YouTube). Graphic: Rebecca Fassola Graphic: Rebecca Fassola

Part of the fun of summer movie season is watching stars do what they do best: shine on a big screen. The return of blockbuster entertainment this summer will bring to the cineplex a mix of famous faces as well as the promise of breakthrough turns from stars in the making. Toward that end, The A.V. Club has parsed through the many films that are scheduled to arrive this summer, and we’ve set our sights on the 14 performers who are most likely to leave their mark on movie-goers. All you have to do is keep reading to find out who they are.

previous arrowBenedict Cumberbatch, (May 6)  next arrow
Benedict Cumberbatch, (May 6) 
Benedict Cumberbatch in Image Courtesy of Marvel Studios

In 2021, Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Power Of The Dog were released one month apart. The roles Benedict Cumberbatch played in the films, a spell-wielding superhero and a closeted gay cowboy, respectively, were light years apart. Such versatility of the hallmark of the 45-year-old London-born actor, who once wrote a 30,000-word college dissertation on Stanley Kubrick. Cumberbatch has brought a fierce intelligence to a wide range of movie and TV characters, including Sherlock Holmes (which earned him four Emmy nominations and one win), World War II codebreaker Alan Turing (the first of his two Oscar nominations), and the tragically troubled and prodigiously self-medicated Patrick Melrose (which brought him a BAFTA for Best Actor)But it’s his portrayal of the Sorcerer Supreme that has afforded him the most worldwide recognition. Cumberbatch has played the part in six Marvel movies, the latest being  Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Thankfully, as someone who has played both Hamlet and Frankenstein’s creature to great acclaim on stage, the restless Cumberbatch isn’t just sitting around waiting for the next Marvel payday. The English gentleman with the sui generis visage will continue demonstrating his dramatic dexterity: Next up, he plays the title role in Wes Anderson’s The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar followed by Netflix’s contemporary reimagining of John Buchan’s 1915 novel The 39 Steps. [Mark Keizer]

9 Comments

  • teageegeepea-av says:
    May 4, 2022 at 11:36 am

    I only watched the first “Sinister” and was under the impression the one returning castmember in the sequel was James Ransome.For those of you, like me, who could not remember who Austin Butler played in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, it’s Tex. He was on a horsey!

    Reply
    • ruefulcountenance-av says:
      May 4, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      For those of you, like me, who could not remember who Austin Butler played in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, it’s Tex.Nah, it was dumber than that.

      Reply
  • well-lighted-av says:
    May 4, 2022 at 1:41 pm

    How is Keke Palmer an “up-and-comer?” She’s been working in film for almost 20 years at this point! She’s won an Emmy! She had her own talk show on BET! She’s only an up-and-comer if you’re completely unfamiliar with the world of Black entertainment… so I guess it’s fair enough, given the demographics of this site.

    Reply
  • igotsuped-av says:
    May 4, 2022 at 4:09 pm

    I haven’t heard of this Brad Pitt guy, but I suppose I can give him a try.

    Reply
    • frodo-batman-vader-av says:
      May 5, 2022 at 12:41 am

      I think that Tom Cruise dude might be too niche in his film subjects to make it in this biz, though.Say, what if the two were in a movie together?

      Reply
  • volunteerproofreader-av says:
    May 5, 2022 at 12:41 am

    Why was the Amish girl excommunicated?Too Mennonite

    Reply
  • kinjacaffeinespider-av says:
    May 27, 2022 at 5:54 pm

    Daisy, Daisy, be in a movie, do…

    Reply
  • thither-kinja-sucks-avclub-av says:
    June 5, 2022 at 1:38 am

    Cripes. Can we have fewer of these E! flavored celebrity clickbait articles, please?

    Reply
  • whorootbeerdatbe-av says:
    June 27, 2022 at 6:55 pm

    Yeah, dude, keep an eye on that Tom Cruise guy. He’s a real under-the-radar talent.

    Reply

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