Warning: This article includes a spoiler for Don’t Look Up.
The satirical black comedy Don’t Look Up on Netflix may not be the latest superhero action flick as part of an extended cinematic franchise, which seems to dominate most titles in the movie realm these days, but the film has proved to be just as a big of a heavy hitter.
With the star-studded movie topping Netlflix’s most-watched list in 88 countries, you would think there is perhaps a Spider-Man or Captain America hidden in there somewhere. Well, in a sense, you’d be right to think that, because a very sneaky cameo by a certain Marvel star made its way near the end of the film in a blink-and-you-miss-it moment.
Warning: Spoilers to follow.
The film centers around humans’ collective denial in the face of disaster — in this case, a comet with a point-blank trajectory towards Earth — and already boasts an impressive cast of household names, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Steep, and Cate Blanchett (all Academy Award winners), as well as Jonah Hill, Rob Morgan, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Timothée Chalamet, Ron Perlman, Ariana Grande, and Kid Cudi.
However, in a very brief — and uncredited — role, Steve Rogers himself, Chris Evans, even makes an appearance. The hilarious scene sees Evans as movie star Devin Peters being interviewed for a blockbuster film about a comet hitting Earth — called Total Devastation — which ironically, is slated for release on the very day a real-life comet is expected to hit Earth.
But in the film, the real-life comet’s very existence is questioned by the masses when the issue of the impending threat becomes politicized by Meryl Streep’s President Orlean. In one camp, scientists Dr. Randall Mindy (DiCaprio) and Ph.D. candidate Kate Dibiasky (Lawrence) urge the people of the world to “just look up” to see the comet is real. However, President Orlean has the opposite message, “don’t look up,” due to various political interests she has for denying the imminent threat’s existence. (Sound familiar?)
Evans, as fictional movie star Devin Peters, hilariously tries to create a false equivalency for both points of view in the film, explaining the meaning behind a pin he wears to the interviewer. “This pin points both up and down. Because I think as a country, we need to stop arguing and virtue signaling, just get along.
You can check out Don’t Look Up on Netflix (and decide for yourself) now.