Robert Downey Jr. made a dig at the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) during his acceptance speech at the 2024 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards ceremony.  The 58-year-old was accepting the Best Supporting Actor award for his portrayal of villainous politician Lewis Strauss in Christopher Nolan’s highly lauded drama‚ “Oppenheimer.” Downey Jr. referenced the difference in this role compared to his best-known role as Tony Stark in the MCU. “I played a guy named Tony in the MCU for about 12 years‚” he said from the stage “Recently‚ [Nolan] suggested I attempt an understated approach as a last-ditch effort to perhaps resurrect my dwindling credibility.” The Golden Globe-winning actor made multiple appearances as Tony Stark‚ also known as Iron Man‚ between 2008 and 2019‚ playing the character in the “Iron Man” trilogy and all four “Avengers” films. He’s credited with helping make Marvel into a money-making machine. Downey Jr. told The New York Times in 2023 that he’d been nervous about taking on the demanding “Oppenheimer” part due to the types of movies he’d been in previously. “You start to wonder if a muscle you have hasn’t atrophied‚” the actor told the outlet at the time. “I knew there was a point where Chris Nolan was endorsing‚ let’s work those other muscles‚ but let’s do it while rendering you devoid of your usual go-to things‚” Downey Jr. added. His remarks come on the heels of several high-profile superhero movie flops. This genre churned out massive hits for years‚ but recent releases have underperformed‚ leaving industry insiders wondering if audiences are sick of superhero films in general.  In November‚ the female-led film “The Marvels” earned just $47 million domestically over opening weekend‚ making it the lowest-ever opening for a Marvel movie. And it’s not just the MCU suffering. “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” was yet another box office disappointment for comic book films‚ bringing in just over $40 million over the extended four-day Christmas holiday weekend. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Captain America: A Brave New World‚” “Thunderbolts‚” and “Blade” were all originally slated for 2024 but are being pushed to 2025. This is being blamed on strike-related production delays but could also be the result of poor box office numbers for similar movies.  The only Marvel release scheduled for 2024 is “Deadpool 3.” Upcoming DC projects include “Joker: Folie á Deux‚” which will debut in November 2024‚ and “Superman: Legacy‚” which will hit theaters in July 2025.

Madonna‚ age 65‚ fell off her chair during a Seattle concert on her “The Celebration Tour” on Sunday. The Grammy Award-winning singer was performing “Open Your Heart” at the Climate Pledge Arena when the incident occurred. As Madonna began singing‚ one of her backup dancers started dragging her chair across the stage. That’s when the male dancer tripped while wearing high heels‚ causing the “Like a Virgin” singer to tumble off the chair onto the floor. Videos of the fall show Madonna laughing it off. She got up and sat back down on the chair‚ though she was facing the opposite way. The singer can be heard saying‚ “Sh**‚ I forgot the words‚” while the song kept playing in the background. This led to accusations of lip-syncing. NEW: 65-year-old Madonna falls out of her chair on stage during a performance at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Maybe having a man in high heels dragging you in a chair on stage wasn't a good idea? Madonna was singing "Open Your Heart" during the mishap. Someone is… pic.twitter.com/Tu3pX4PyAv — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 19‚ 2024 When a backup dancer brought her another chair‚ Madonna got back to singing‚ and the show went on. Though the fall was mostly the fault of the stiletto-wearing backup dancer‚ this incident led fans to question Madonna’s decision to keep doing such physically demanding performances at her age.  Images of the singer dancing on a moving platform while gripping a support pole made the rounds on social media in January. While many fans argued the pole was for her safety‚ others believed the performance to be risky.  Leave it to Madonna to reinvent pole dancing pic.twitter.com/Ch0gcbugaB — David (@armano) January 5‚ 2024 Her “Celebration Tour” had to be rescheduled following a medical incident in 2023. Madonna was hospitalized in June with what her manager called a “serious bacterial infection‚” and the tour was put on hold. “Love from family and friends is the best Medicine‚” the “Material Girl” singer captioned an Instagram post reflecting on the incident. “One month out of the hospital and I can reflect.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP She went on to credit her friends and family for helping her pull through. “But when the chips were down my children really showed up for me‚” she continued. “I saw a side to them I had never seen before. It made all the difference. So did the love and support from my friends.” Madonna said she was “lucky to be alive” and thanked all her “angels who protected” her.

NFL brothers Travis and Jason Kelce recently addressed the deadly shooting at the celebratory parade following the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII. The brothers added the message to a pre-recorded episode of their podcast‚ “New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce.”  The full episode comes out on Wednesday‚ but the special intro was released on Monday. “Attention 92%ers‚ we have a pre-recorded episode for you guys coming up on Wednesday‚ but after the tragic events of the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City‚ it didn’t feel right without you guys hearing from us first‚” Travis‚ tight end for the Chiefs‚ said in the intro. Before airing our pre-taped episode on Wednesday‚ Jason and Travis wanted the 92%ers and Chiefs Kingdom to hear from them directly after the tragic events at the Chiefs parade If you'd like to support #ChiefsKingdom you can find more information here: https://t.co/22z7my0o8G pic.twitter.com/qhYxWiezDq — New Heights (@newheightshow) February 19‚ 2024 “We just wanted to say our hearts go out to all of the victims‚ their families‚ Chiefs Kingdom‚ and really all of Kansas City that was really there on a day to try and celebrate the community‚” Jason‚ who just retired after playing center for the Philadelphia Eagles‚ added. “It’s unfortunate‚ and deeply tragic the events that occurred. So we want to thank the local law enforcement that sprang into action‚ the first responders on scene‚ and anybody that’s been willing to help those affected by this tragedy‚” he continued. Travis told fans they could help by contributing to an emergency response fund that was set up.  Jason also shared praise for the community and how it came together in the wake of the tragedy. “One of the beautiful things that we have in doing this podcast is the wonderful community out there — the 92%ers — everybody that watches this show‚” he said. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “We’re still figuring out a way for us to be involved. Obviously‚ you can donate to these links right now‚ but we plan on doing something in the future. We’re trying to get that situated right now. [We] have some ideas‚ but just make sure you’re following‚ and we’ll be telling you guys ways that we’re trying to get involved‚” Jason went on. This message comes on the heels of Travis’ girlfriend Taylor Swift donating $100‚000 to the family of Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan on GoFundMe. Lopez-Galvan‚ a local radio DJ‚ was the sole casualty at the mass shooting event. Several other individuals‚ including young children‚ were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

A global study that looked at medical issues among nearly 100 million people who received the COVID vaccine found a higher-than-expected increase in neurological- and heart-related problems following the shot.  The Global Vaccine Data Network’s (GVDN) COVID Vaccine Safety study‚ which was the largest safety research conducted on COVID vaccines to date‚ found a higher risk of myocarditis than was expected from mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer‚ BioNTech‚ and Moderna‚ Bloomberg reported. The study also found an increased risk of a type of blood clot in the brain in people who received viral-vector vaccines‚ such as the one developed by the University of Oxford and produced by AstraZeneca.  “The size of the population in this study increased the possibility of identifying rare potential vaccine safety signals‚” said Kristýna Faksová‚ the lead author of the study who works for the Department of Epidemiology Research at Statens Serum Institut in Denmark‚ according to The New York Post. “Single sites or regions are unlikely to have a large enough population to detect very rare signals.” GVDN is a New Zealand-based group that describes itself as “a multinational‚ investigator-led research network with primary interests in the area of vaccine safety and effectiveness.” Researchers with GVDN looked at 13 medical conditions that they considered “adverse events of special interest” in 99 million vaccinated people throughout eight different countries: Argentina‚ Australia‚ Canada‚ Denmark‚ Finland‚ France‚ New Zealand‚ and Scotland. The study’s most consistent finding was inflammation of the heart muscle‚ also known as myocarditis‚ after each of the first three doses of mRNA vaccines‚ Bloomberg reported.  Researchers also found a “significant increase” increase in Guillain-Barre syndrome within the first 42 days of an initial AstraZeneca vaccine. Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder where an immune system attacks its body’s nerves‚ according to the Mayo Clinic.  “In its most severe form Guillain-Barre syndrome is a medical emergency‚” the Mayo Clinic says. “Most people with the condition must be hospitalized to receive treatment.”  The study then identified possible safety signals for spinal cord inflammation following viral-vector vaccine injections. Potential safety signals were also identified in the study for inflammation and swelling in the brain and spinal cord after both viral-vector and mRNA vaccines.  Jacob Glanville‚ the CEO of biotech company Centivaix‚ responded to the study’s findings‚ telling Fox News that while the vaccines have potential adverse effects‚ getting immunized against COVID is still the “safer choice.”  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “This study is confirming in a much larger cohort what has been previously identified in the original studies during the pandemic — myocarditis and pericarditis as a rare side effect of mRNA vaccines and clots as a rare side effect of the viral vectored vaccines‚” said Glanville‚ who was not involved in the study. “The odds of all of these adverse events is still much‚ much higher when infected with SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)‚ so getting vaccinated is still by far the safer choice‚” Glanville added. The GVDN study was published in the medical journal “Vaccine” last week. Nearly 14 billion doses of COVID vaccines have been administered globally since they were first rolled out in December 2020. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to tout COVID vaccines as “safe and effective.” The WHO says that “In 2021 alone‚ COVID-19 vaccines saved an estimated 14.4 million lives worldwide‚” and the CDC recommends that everyone six months and older receive the vaccine.  GVDN’s Global COVID Vaccine Safety Project is part of a larger initiative that is supported by the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services‚ and several of the study’s authors receive financial support from federal government agencies‚ including the CDC‚ the New Zealand Ministry of Health‚ and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research‚ The Hill reported. The outlet added that some of the study’s authors also reported having previously been paid by pharmaceutical companies Gilead Sciences Inc.‚ AbbVie Inc.‚ Pfizer‚ and GlaxoSmithKline.

After graduating high school in 2022‚ athlete Parker Byrd had high hopes for his future career in baseball. He was all set to play for ECU as a freshman in the fall. Unfortunately‚ that summer he was injured in a terrible boating accident. His right leg was cut open by one of the propellers‚ and he had to be airlifted for treatment. “I knew I was dying in the helicopter for sure‚” Parker Byrd told WITN. “I felt my energy leaving my body.” Who knew that‚ two years later‚ he’d be making baseball history? @barstoolsports Parker Byrd tonight became first player in D-1 Baseball history to play a game with a Prosthetic leg @Barstool Baseball (via:@NCAA Baseball) ♬ snowfall – Øneheart &; reidenshi Parker Byrd made it out of the hospital alive‚ but he had to undergo 22 surgeries in 54 days. In the end‚ doctors were forced to amputate his right leg below the knee. While this would seriously affect the rest of the athlete’s life‚ he was optimistic about returning to his beloved sport. “Prosthetics are much better for below the knee‚” he said. “There’s a lot more movement and you basically can get near 100% with a prosthetic with the technology they have today.” Parker Byrd was not about to give up on his baseball dreams. Screengrab from WITN Head baseball coach at ECU‚ Cliff Godwin‚ was also thinking about Parker Byrd’s future on his team. In fact‚ he was rooting for the young man’s recovery the entire time. “Even from the very beginning I think he was one of the first people at the hospital‚” the young man said. Finally‚ on February 16‚ Parker Byrd made his return to the diamond‚ according to The Sporting News. Not only that‚ but he made Division I baseball history as the first player to step up to the plate with a prosthetic leg! Screengrab from TikTok Life certainly threw Parker Byrd a curveball when he lost his leg‚ but he’s not letting this injury get in the way of his dreams. What an inspiration! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Parker Byrd Makes History As The 1st D-1 Baseball Player To Play With A Prosthetic Leg. appeared first on InspireMore.

Technology is incredible‚ especially when our eyes think we see something that isn’t there. Such was the case with an innocent little tuxedo kitten. He was quite certain he could catch himself a beautiful koi. But alas‚ the cat pond and its lovely fish were an illusion in a fictitious sea of LED fantasy. Image from X (Twitter). Our video focus was posted on X by user Science Girl. The original post from a person proclaiming to be the CEO of LED TOKYO tells us that the LED pond is something that “… even cats misunderstand” and “LED that also responds to cats.” As you watch the video‚ you will notice that each time the cat touches the LED screen‚ it looks like he is disturbing the actual water. There should be splashing water and a wet‚ unhappy cat. LED pond confusing the cat pic.twitter.com/fURzlcSaWU— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) February 15‚ 2024 Other incredible visual entertainment screens are appearing worldwide‚ but especially in Japan. An amazing Godzilla-sized 3-dimensional calico cat entertains pedestrians in Tokyo with its realistic antics. As technology advances‚ we can expect more gizmos and gadgets that will astonish our senses. For our cat‚ the pond and fish can serve as an active way to engage his brain and work on instinctual hunting. Cat owners have been using screens to entertain their cats for many years. One man built his rescue cat a bedroom with a tiny TV. When my kittens were tiny‚ I used Fruit Ninja on my iPad to keep them busy. They loved swiping fruit! Image from Flickr. This new technology with LED ponds‚ realistic-looking koi‚ and the illusion of water movement can be relaxing for humans‚ too. Imagine having the joy of a koi pond without the necessary labor of keeping it clean and feeding the fish! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Cat Tries Catching Fish In Colorful “Pond‚” Can’t Figure Out Why It’s Not Working. appeared first on InspireMore.

While everyone else went about their day as usual‚ this 18-year-old girl saw a stranger in need and took action. Lilly Baker was driving to meet up with some friends when an elderly woman in a wheelchair caught her eye. The woman was attempting to cross a train track but got stuck — without hesitating‚ Lilly stopped to rescue her. Little did she know‚ however‚ that doing so would lead to a close call for them both. With all of her might‚ Lilly does her best to pull the elderly woman to safety — but she faces difficulties. In fact‚ in their attempt for freedom‚ they end up falling twice. Still‚ Lilly remains determined. She gets an added rush of this determination when she sees a train coming right at them. YouTube “He was honking his horn and the lights started flashing‚” Lilly recalls. “I was like‚ ‘Oh no‚ we gotta go now!'” Soon after‚ Lilly manages to pull her and the woman out of harms way… and not by much. Had they been much closer to the train‚ it’s possible that neither of them would have made it. Train Track Rescue Narrowly Gets a Happy Ending YouTube “It’s a near-death experience‚ and I’ve never really been that close to death‚” Lilly says. “[The railroad company] told me that I was 18 inches away from getting hit by the train‚ and that in itself gave me the chills. I almost started crying.” Ardmore Police Chief Jereme Robison was sent to the scene to help. Despite his experience‚ even he is shocked by the harrowing rescue. He’s taking this moment to highlight the fact that anyone can be a hero‚ no matter who they are. “Bravery comes in all shapes and sizes‚” Jereme says. “You don’t have to be a 6’5 guy that’s muscled up to get out and do something.” YouTube The elderly woman that Lilly saved has major leg injuries but‚ thankfully‚ she’s in the hospital and is expected to be okay. As for the teen herself‚ she couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to help someone. It’s no wonder she plans to pursue a career in nursing. “I’d tell [the woman] that I’m thankful for her‚” Lilly shares. “She doesn’t have to be thankful for me because I’m grateful for her.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Teen Jumps Out Of Car To Save Woman In Wheelchair Stuck On Train Tracks With Seconds To Spare. appeared first on InspireMore.