With Reporting by Josh Horowitz

Warning: Major spoilers for “X-Men: Days of Future Past” lie ahead.

“X-Men: Days of Future Past” is without peer in the superhero movie genre, in terms of the sheer size and scope of its cast. Mutants from two different generations collide in a battle-for-it-all against the Sentinels, mutant-hunting machines that ravage our heroes in both the distant past and the not-too-distant future.

But walking out of the theater, fans were surprised to see a trio of unexpected X-Men resurface: Famke Janssen as Jean Grey, James Marsden as Scott “Cyclops” Summers, and Kelsey Grammer as Hank “Beast” McCoy. With Cyclops and Jean dead, and Grammer’s Beast not seen since Brett Ratner’s “X-Men: The Last Stand,” it was surprising to see these characters in the bright-and-happy future created by Wolverine and young Charles Xavier.

We know how these characters returned from beyond the grave in the context of the movie. But how did the characters come back without fans noticing?

In the case of Grammer’s Beast, the “Transformers: Age of Extinction” star told MTV that he was sworn to secrecy about his cameo, and was tasked with flying on “the tiniest jet you had ever seen” leaving John F. Kennedy airport in New York to arrive on the Canada set of “Days of Future Past” without drawing attention. Even then, rumors floated around that Grammer was filming a secret “X-Men” cameo.

Logistics aside, what was it that convinced Grammer to return as Beast? Apparently, it ...

Warning: Major spoilers for last week’s “24: Live Another Day” are ahead.

During the most recent hour of “24: Live Another Day,” the legendary real-time thriller did the unthinkable and killed off…

No, not Jack Bauer. He’s invincible. Instead, the show killed off…

No, not Audrey, either. She’s been through enough — including the apparent demise of…

…her father, President James Heller.

Last week’s hour, set between 6 and 7PM, saw Heller make the ultimate sacrifice: In order to prevent further drone strikes on London, he offered himself up to terrorist Margot Al-Harazi, a move intended to stop the bloodshed. Margot (played by Michelle Fairley, best known to “Game of Thrones” fans as Catelyn Stark) swore she would honor the agreement if Heller arrived at Wembley Stadium alone, ready to die. Heller held up his end of the deal (albeit with Jack in tow, unknown to Margot), Margot locked onto Heller’s position from a miles-high drone, and dropped a bomb right on his head.

Or did she?

The viewing public at large believes Heller is gone. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time “24″ killed off a main character. Heck, it wouldn’t be the first time “24″ killed off the President of the United States. (Pour one out for the Palmer brothers and John Keeler.) But there are enough reasons to believe that Heller’s still alive:

There Was No Silent Clock: Always the tell-tale sign. If a major “24″ character dies at the end of an episode or ...

The “Age of Extinction” is nearly upon us.

Michael Bay’s fourth “Transformers” film hits theaters this weekend, bringing with it all of the ferocity of a badly injured Autobot with his back against the wall. (Something we definitely see on more than one occasion in “Age of Extinction,” by the way.)

If you’ve seen the previous “Transformers” movies, chances are you already know whether or not you’ll be checking out the latest installment on the big-screen. In case you’re on the fence, here are seven reasons to push you over on why you should check out “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”

1. It’s Almost Three Hours of Pure Bayhem
If it’s Bay’s unique method of madness you’re looking for, it’s Bay’s unique method of madness you’re going to get. The film clocks in at around two hours and 45 minutes, an astonishing runtime that’s likely to turn off some moviegoers, and excite others. Moviegoers itching to see nonstop explosions and slow-motion action are definitely getting their money’s worth when they pay to see a three-hour “Transformers.”

2. There’s Nonstop Robot on Robot Action
There’s very little filler in “Age of Extinction,” with a handful of scenes focusing on fleshing out the human heroes played by Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and Jack Reynor. They’re important to the story, but the show belongs to Optimus Prime, his allies and their enemies. The movie features no fewer than three absolutely massive action set pieces, and that’s not counting the smaller skirmishes in between. The robot-on-robot ...

For all of its record-breaking success, “Game of Thrones” isn’t exactly a happy show. It’s the kind of show that makes viewers fall in love with its characters, only to kill those characters in increasingly inventive displays of violence. The good guys lose more than they win. It’s bleak.

But it doesn’t always have to be so bleak. In fact, when the New Orleans Swamp Donkeys are involved, “Game of Thrones” is bigger and brighter than ever. The jazz band brought NOLA flavor to the world of Westeros during a performance at B.B. King’s in New York City this week, covering the “Game of Thrones” theme song with enough fiery passion to please the Lord of Light.

Take a listen for yourself:

“Game of Thrones” wraps its fourth season on Sunday night. What the finale lacks in brass, it’ll surely make up for in blood.

Josh Wigler

It might be a while before Han Solo is back in fighting shape.

Actor Harrison Ford was injured during filming on the set of “Star Wars: Episode VII” on Thursday, and now, a new detail has emerged: The Hollywood Reporter states that Ford broke his ankle during the injury.

Disney representatives confirmed that Ford “sustained an ankle injury during filming today [June 12] on the set,” and that he “was taken to a local hospital and is receiving care. Shooting will continue as planned while he recuperates.”

The THR story is the first to report that Ford’s injury resulted in a broken ankle; if that’s true, who knows how long it’ll be until the 71-year-old actor is back in fighting shape, or if the “Episode VII” script will need to be retooled to circumnavigate the injury. It’s been said that Ford’s role as Han Solo is “gigantic” in the upcoming film.

As for how Ford hurt his ankle, reports suggest that it was during a shoot on the Millennium Falcon set. She’s the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, and apparently the most accident-prone hunk of junk to boot.

“Star Wars: Episode VII” hits theaters on December 16, 2015.

Josh Wigler

With Reporting by Josh Horowitz

Forget the vampire of yesteryear. For his next act, Robert Pattinson plays an all-new kind of animal.

Pattinson is one of the two stars of “The Rover,” director David Michôd’s thriller that takes place in the not-too-distant future, ten years after a global economic collapse. Set in the Australian outback, Guy Pearce plays Eric, a violent drifter who cares about only one thing in this desolate world: his car. When his car is hijacked by a bunch of criminals, Eric tracks down one of the thugs’ dim-witted brother, Rey (Pattinson), and drags him along on a quest to reclaim his possession and get some vengeance in the process.

It’s a very different turn for Pattinson, who, up until recently, was best known for his heartthrob role as Edward Cullen in the “Twilight” series. Pattinson has made an active effort to take on radically new roles, what with David Cronenberg’s supremely surreal “Cosmopolis,” and now “The Rover.” Here, Pattinson presents himself without his signature locks, opting instead for a closely-cropped buzz cut. His trademark smile is not a thing of beauty here, thanks to a thick layer of dirt and grime on his teeth. As Rey, Pattinson presents a character who isn’t the brightest bulb in the bunch — but just might be one of the most vulnerable.

“He’s like Bambi,” Pattinson told MTV News. “He’s been really, severely bullied and told that there’s something wrong with him for so long. He’s never been asked the [right] questions or anything. ...

Joss Whedon’s first “Avengers” film was light on romance, and heavy on team-bonding exercises. Based on new rumors, it sounds like the sequel will be heavy on both.

Earlier this week, Latino Review ran a report chronicling the first twenty minutes of “The Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the upcoming Marvel Studios super-sequel hitting theaters next May. According to the report (which you should take with a grain of salt for now, while still keeping in mind Latino Review’s strong track record in the Marvel scoop game), two of Earth’s mightiest heroes have the hots for one another.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD.

No, it’s not Hulk and Iron Man, unfortunately. The Science Bros. are keeping their relationship platonic. But if that was your guess, you’re half right — according to Latino Review, Bruce Banner is crushing on…

…Black Widow.

According to the report, there’s a victory celebration at Avengers Tower early on in the film, and it’s there that we “discover that Banner and Black Widow kinda have a thing for each other. Banner is afraid to consummate anything with her for fear of hulking out and hurting her.”

“Banner and Black Widow are definitely into each other,” the report continues. “Very ‘Buffy’ and ‘Angel’ stuff. Very Joss Whedon.”

It’s exciting news for the shipping community, but sad news for Hawkeye fans; once again, Clint Barton is left on the sidelines while mightier heroes get meatier story lines.

The Hulk/Widow romance isn’t the only news worth noting. During the party scene ...