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The Solution To Superhero Fatigue Has Been Right In Front Of Us Decades

By Chris Snellgrove
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Marvel has built a multi-billion-dollar industry out of making movies where colorful heroes fight mustache-twirling supervillains. In real-life, no such villains exist, but that hasn’t kept Kevin Feige from having an ongoing showdown with his own Big Bad: superhero fatigue. After the Marvel Cinematic Universe reached its apex with Avengers: Endgame, subsequent films stopped printing money as reliably as they once did. Audiences yawned at ambitious failures like Eternals, and even critically acclaimed blockbusters like The Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four: First Steps couldn’t earn as much money as Superman, the breakout film of last summer. Historically, the main reason given for Marvel’s decline is that its fans are suffering from superhero fatigue.

The basic idea behind superhero fatigue is that audiences have gotten sick of seeing the same characters do the same thing onscreen. You can only watch Sam Wilson kick butt in so many Avengers movies before seeing him fight a palette-swapped Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World seems pretty boring, right? The exception to this seems to be Spider-Man, who is about to have his 12th film in 24 years. We’re averaging a new movie every other year, but this remains the most popular superhero in the world. Why is he seemingly immune to superhero fatigue? Simple: Spider-Man films keep changing characters, actors, and stories, making everything feel constantly fresh and new.

Spider-Man: Good Old Days

Since Sam Raimi kicked off his web-head trilogy in 2002, every Spider-Man film has been very successful. Even the ones that audiences generally hated ended up making some serious bank at the box office. For example, Spider-Man 3 was considered a major dud by critics and fans alike, but it still earned $895.9 million; by comparison, the critically acclaimed, fan-favorite film Spider-Man 2 only earned $795.9 million. Later, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is blamed for killing Sony’s own Spidey cinematic universe, earned $716.9 million, which was admittedly less than the previous movie’s $758.7 million, but it was still the seventh highest-grossing movie of 2012.

There’s a pretty simple lesson there: moviegoers really, really like Spider-Man. They like this superhero so much that even when we get a bad Spidey movie with terrible word-of-mouth, it still does gangbusters at the box office. Once Sony reluctantly partnered with Marvel, Spider-Man movies earned more than ever before, with No Way Home earning a jaw-dropping $1.921 billion. Clearly, this is one character that is immune to superhero fatigue because even his worst movies make bank for the studio. Why, though, is Spidey immune? By both accident and design, his movies have offered audiences the variety and diversity they just can’t get from other heroes.

Spider-Man Just Keeps Changing

Let’s start with the original Sam Raimi trilogy. The first Spider-Man was a fairly intimate origin story, one that kept the stakes appropriately low. Spider-Man 2, however, was a romance wrapped in spandex tights, and it upped the stakes so that Spidey was saving trains full of people and, eventually, the entire city. The much-maligned Spider-Man 3, meanwhile, served as a deconstruction of the relationship between power and responsibility, emphasizing Peter’s essential goodness even as it highlighted an internal struggle against selfish desire and an external struggle against more villains than ever before.

Later, The Amazing Spider-Man offered audiences some built-in novelty. This reboot sported entirely new actors, and its revised origin story felt fresh thanks to the natural chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was an ambitious film that balanced the cute growing relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacey with a story about complex family legacies (Harry and Norman Osborn), nice guy toxicity (Max Dillon going from geek to freak), and taking chances (Gwen’s potential Oxford scholarship). Admittedly, the movie is crowded by too many plots and too many villains, but credit where credit’s due, it’s very different and anything but boring.

A Spider By Any Other Name Would Smell Just As Sweet

spider-man variant

The success of the MCU Spider-Man movies more or less speaks for itself, as does the failure of most of Sony’s solo Spidey villain franchises except for Venom. The failure of those Big Bad’s movies really underscores that audiences are in it to see their favorite superhero and not just his B-list enemies. Notably, Sony’s Spider-Verse movies were an unqualified smash hit thanks largely to awesome writing, jaw-dropping animation, and familiar characters. But it’s also worth pointing out how quickly audiences fell in love with a new Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Throw in Gwen Stacey and Peter Parker as we had never seen them before, and you had films that felt genuinely innovative.  

In short, the Spider-Man films have always been successful because each one is either reinventing the character or giving us a fresh storyline. None of Sam Raimi’s Spidey films are quite the same, and Marc Webb’s duology features two very different movies. The Spider-Verse movies deal with entirely different versions of familiar characters, while even the MCU changed things up: Homecoming was a coming-of-age film, Far From Home was a movie about processing grief, and No Way Home was a multiversal mashup. Now, Brand New Day is about to change things up with a small army of cameos and new characters, even as Spider-Noir completely changes everything we know about Spidey-style storytelling.

There you have it, web-heads: superhero fatigue doesn’t truly exist. Audiences are simply sick of watching the same actors playing the same characters doing the same things. For almost a quarter of a century, Spider-Man has remained the most popular superhero, and this is largely because his movies have constantly changed up actors, characters, and plots. The constant success of this character is effectively a challenge to Marvel Studios. Namely, adapt or die. If they can give other characters the variety and narrative versatility of Spidey, they’ll thrive. Otherwise, the MCU will die because fans will be busy watching movies like Obsession and Backrooms that offer what Kevin Feige no longer can: new ideas.


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Hands-on with Tiny Vinyls new tiny record player

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The miniature record maker Tiny Vinyl has announced some tiny accessories for its pocket-sized singles, including a new Tiny Vinyl Player ($49.99), crate ($19.99), and display frame ($14.99). The lineup is available exclusively at Target starting today, July 12.

Tiny Vinyl debuted last August as a new way for music lovers to enjoy some of their favorite artists’ singles in physical format. (For my fellow Millennials out there, they’re basically a new take on HitClips.) Each four-inch, fully functional Tiny Vinyl record has one song per side and is numbered, making them highly collectible. The current Tiny Vinyl catalog features releases from several dozen artists, including BTS, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Kid Cudi, Noah Kahan, and Zara Larsson.

In a press release, Tiny Vinyl co-founder Neil Kohler said the company’s new accessories are a direct response to fan requests. Co-founder Jesse Mann added: “These new products give music fans and collectors everything they need to build out their own little Tiny Vinyl universe, a setup as fun and personal as the music they love.”

Hands-on with Tiny Vinyl’s new player and accessories

the tiny vinyl player, crate, and display stand on a white media console

Tiny Viny’s new accessories range in price from $15 to $50.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Tiny Vinyl records are playable on many standard turntables at 33 RPM, making the Tiny Vinyl Player an inessential novelty purchase for most adults who are already into the vinyl-collecting hobby. I think it has much more appeal as a “baby’s first record player” that parents buy for their kids. My younger self would’ve had her American Girl Dolls DJing with it. (American Girl actually sells a toy turntable for the same price already, but it’s not functional.)

The player is a manual belt-drive turntable in a box with a faux leather exterior. Inside, there’s a small storage pocket, a simple control panel, and built-in speakers. It has Bluetooth support if you’d prefer to pair it with a nicer wireless speaker or headphones instead. You can also plug in a wired speaker on the back.

The storage pocket can comfortably fit about six Tiny Vinyl records — preferably, ones you’re not precious about. When the player’s lid is shut, it hits the corners of their gatefolds unless they’re pushed to the back of the pocket.

a close-up of a woman's hand holding three tiny vinyl records in front of the tiny vinyl player

They are, indeed, tiny vinyl.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The player’s control panel features a power button, an audio output selector with an LED indicator light, and a volume slider. When it’s on, its silicon platter doesn’t start spinning until you unlock its plastic tonearm, raise it with its cue lever, and move it over the platter. The tonearm and its lock are a little delicate; those are the only parts I’d be worried about a child accidentally breaking.

Tiny Vinyl sent me three different mini-records to test on the player. It offers the kind of audio quality you’d expect for $50: pretty tinny, muffled, and a little distorted. (I also played the records on my regular turntable for comparison’s sake, and they sounded 10 times better.) On the upside, I couldn’t hear the player’s interior mechanisms at all when it was on — it runs really quietly.

a close-up of the tiny vinyl player

The Tiny Vinyl Player supports Bluetooth and wired speakers. (That blue indicator light means it’s paired with my JBL Charge 5.)
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The Tiny Vinyl Player comes with a USB cord and power adapter. A company representative told me that it should only be plugged into an outlet, as hooking it up to a laptop or another device with a USB port won’t give it enough juice to work.

The Tiny Vinyl Storage Crate can hold up to 30 Tiny Vinyl records. It has the same pebbled pleather finish as the player and is designed to sit beneath it. There are four indents on its surface where the player’s feet are supposed to go.

the tiny vinyl player on top of the tiny vinyl crate

The Tiny Vinyl Storage Crate can hold up to 30 mini-records. (I only had three on hand.)
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Tiny Vinyl’s new 2×2 Display Frame is meant to showcase your four favorite Tiny Vinyl covers. Its build quality is also on par for the price: It’s made with MDF (medium-density fiberboard) and an acrylic pane. Right out of the box, my initial review unit was splitting in several spots and had dried adhesive on some of its corners. (Tiny Vinyl had a replacement in the mail at the time of writing, and I’ll update this story if it’s any different.)

The display frame comes with four clear plastic sleeves bearing the Tiny Vinyl logo. The company rep confirmed that these are made from polypropylene, which won’t damage your records with off-gassing over time like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sleeves.

Vinyl is back in a not-tiny way

a tiny vinyl record on a standard turntable

Tiny Vinyl records work on many standard turntables.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The press release noted that Tiny Vinyl’s inception was motivated by two recent trends: miniature collecting and vinyl collecting. The former gained popularity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, largely thanks to videos of miniature builds on social media. They tap into viewers’ desire for control, fascination with craft, and penchant for the adorable, experts told NPR last spring.

The vinyl revival, meanwhile, has been brewing for nearly two decades now. According to a report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), U.S. vinyl sales have seen 19 years of consecutive growth. Last year, they hit $1 billion in revenue for the first time. (That’s not even counting pre-owned vinyl.) Call it the Taylor Swift effect: The singer-songwriter’s 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, sold over 1.6 million copies on vinyl last year, per a report from Luminate, an entertainment industry analytics company. That’s 5.5 times as many units as the second-bestselling vinyl release of 2025, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, which sold 292,000 copies.

There are several factors behind the vinyl resurgence, two being mere nostalgia and consumers’ growing interest in owning physical media. Another is because popular artists like Swift (and their labels) are embracing the format alongside their fans.

In recent years, this has increasingly involved a strategy of releasing multiple vinyl variants of the same album as a means of driving sales, according to another Luminate report. These special, often limited-edition pressings boost the collectible factor and fuel fan FOMO. (For her part, Swift released 11 different vinyl variants of TLOAS, including nine webstore exclusives that were only available for a short time.) Tiny Vinyl records, which are chart-eligible with the RIAA and Billboard, are yet more variants to hunt down.

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FIFA World Cup schedule today: Games, kickoff times, livestream info for July 11

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The 2026 World Cup quarter-final stage comes to a close with two major clashes today. First up is England vs. Norway, a match that sees familiar opponents and teammates from the Premir League do their duty for their respective countries — all with an eye on the spot in the semi finals.

Then it’s Argentina vs. Switzerland. Argentina are defending champions and have a certain Lionel Messi, a player many fans consider the GOAT. Switzerland are playing in this stage of the competition for the first time in 70 years.

It all kicks off at 5 p.m. ET today. Here’s all the information you need to watch these quarter-final showdowns.

FIFA World Cup schedule today: July 11

How to watch FIFA World Cup games today

Watch England vs. Norway

The England players are no stranger to Norway goal-machine Erling Haaland. He’s near unstoppable in the Premier League, where he plays for Manchester City alongside England players Marc Guéhi, John Stones, and Nico O’Reilly. His Manchester City teammates know full well what he’s capable of — but they might also know how to stop him.

There’s a similar battle of teammates-turned-opponents in the midfield. Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard won the Premier League title this year with Arsenal — now they go head-to-head. And don’t forget that England have their own star striker in Harry Kane. They’re both nipping at the heels of Mbappé and Messi for the Golden Boot.

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

Watch Argentina vs. Switzerland

Argentina enter the quarter-final stage following a dramatic win over Egypt. The defending champs were losing 2-0 but scored three goals in the last 15 minutes to clinch the victory. Switzerland, on the other hand, had to slug it out with Colombia in a match that came down to nail-biting penalties.

You can never count Argentina out — particularly with Messi on the pitch — but they’ve looked vulnerable at times during this tournament. Can Switzerland cause a major upset and punch their ticket to the semi finals for the first time in World Cup history?

Live coverage will be on Fox and Fox One. Peacock will carry the live Spanish-language coverage.

More live streaming options

Live TV cable replacement

Not interested in signing up for a standalone streaming service like Fox One or Peacock? You can sign up for a live TV cable replacement service, like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV.

These services carry over 100 live channels, but run off a WiFi connection. You’ll get live access to Fox and FS1, plus a whole lot more. Here are some options to consider:

Watch the World Cup for free with a VPN

It’s possible to watch the World Cup for free on international services like ITVX, BBC iPlayer, NOS, or RTÉ. Our global World Cup watch guide can walk you through the process.

You will need a VPN to live stream the World Cup on these free streaming services. We recommend ExpressVPN — a Mashable-tested service and an Official Tournament Supporter of the FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Europe — as our VPN of choice for sport. It offers servers in 105 countries, a user-friendly app available on all major devices, a speedy connection, and up to 10 simultaneous connections.

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN

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Dyson Hushjet Mini Cool review: I tested this portable fan during 2 heatwaves to find out if its worth $100

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It’s so hot (it’s the heat). I’ve already sweltered my way through two severe heatwaves so far this summer: first a record-breaking scorcher during a trip to London, then a good old-fashioned corn-sweater in my homeland of Chicago. What better time to be trying out the new Dyson HushJet Mini Cool?

Dyson launched its first-ever bladeless portable fan in April, positioning it as a more powerful and thoughtfully designed alternative to the trendy handheld fans sold for $10ish on Amazon, Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop. It’s not that cheap, as to be expected with a Dyson gadget, coming in at a crisp $99.99. Yet it’s much less expensive than the $149.99 Shark ChillPill, another premium portable fan that beat it to the market by a month. (The Shark vs. Dyson rivalry abides.)

My colleague Samantha Mangino previously reviewed the ChillPill and really liked it, but ultimately decided it’s not worth buying at full price. After months of testing, I’ve got a verdict for the HushJet Mini Cool.

It’s super lightweight… and lampreian

the dyson hushjet mini cool in a woman's hand

The HushJet Mini Cool comes in three colorways, including stone/blush (pictured here), ink/cobalt, and carnelian/sky.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool has a tubular body that hides a brushless DC motor. It funnels air from a cluster of small intake holes up through a starburst-shaped nozzle. There’s a clear plastic shell around this nozzle and a honeycomb-shaped grill over the top. You can twist the plastic shell to point the nozzle upwards. Dyson throws in a lanyard so you can wear it around your neck, plus a stand and a velvet travel pouch.

On an aesthetic level, it’s a little off-putting. A visit to London’s Natural History Museum made me realize that the HushJet Mini Cool looks exactly like a beheaded sea lamprey. I’ve seen some folks accuse it of doing a Dune sandworm impression. Still others have deemed it “the Dyson butthole fan” and likened it to a sex toy. (The fleshy stone/blush colorway doesn’t help its case there; I’d go for the ink/cobalt or carnelian/sky finishes instead.)

the head of a dead sea lamprey

Look, if I had to see it, so did you.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

the dyson hushjet mini cool in a woman's hand

The resemblance is uncanny.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

But there’s actually a lot of merit to the HushJet Mini Cool’s strange design. Without the bulk of blades and a wired guard, it fits easily in small bags and doesn’t get caught on things. Plus, it only weighs 0.46 pounds, or just five ounces more than my iPhone 15 Pro. One day, I put it in my purse before leaving for errands and forgot it was there until hours later, when I reached for my wallet at a coffee shop. (It fits perfectly inside a one-liter belt bag, FWIW.)

I can also attest to the HushJet Mini Cool’s durability. I pulled an “Australian guy unboxing his new iPhone 6” with my review unit, and the only evidence is a barely visible scuff on its nozzle’s shell.

a close-up of dirt trapped in the dyson hushjet mini cool's nozzle

Out, damned spots! Out, I say!
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

While its design is sleek and sturdy, it’s not flawless. Holding the HushJet Mini Cool naturally means your palm inevitably covers a patch of its intake holes, blocking some airflow. Additionally, specks of dirt can get trapped between the nozzle and its shell, and they’re very hard to clean out. A Q-tip is too big — you’ll probably need an air compressor (or a second HushJet Mini Cool).

So anyway, I started blasting

a man wearing the dyson hushjet mini cool around his neck

The HushJet Mini Cool comes with a strap so you can wear it around your neck. It’s very lightweight, so you won’t strain a muscle.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The best thing about the HushJet Mini Cool is how powerful it is. There are five standard airflow speed settings to choose from, plus a Boost mode that you can enable by holding the top of its speed control button. Its lowest setting is relatively tame but still produces a nice, concentrated breeze if you hold it close to your skin. (This is the only setting you can use while it’s charging, FYI.) At settings two and up, it gusts.

Dyson says the HushJet Mini Cool can hit airflow speeds of up to 80 feet per second, or 55mph. I didn’t have an anemometer on hand to verify that, but I believe it. The upper speed settings cooled me off in seconds, and the Boost mode turned it into a handheld jet engine — you can still feel its blowing from five feet away. Dyson’s engineers crammed an astounding amount of wind into this little guy.

the dyson hushjet mini cool with its accessories on a wooden surface

The HushJet Mini Cool includes a neck strap, a travel pouch, a stand, and a charging cable. Dyson will start selling a grip clip and universal mount later this summer. (They’ll cost extra.)
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The trade-off is that it’s loud and annoying. The lowest speed setting produces a conspicuous motorized whir, while the stronger ones make a vrooming sound with a high-pitched tone, almost like a dog whistle. It sounds just like a vacuum or hair dryer. (Hey, Dyson should make those!) My colleague Leah Stodart thought Dyson’s HushJet air purifier lived up to the “Hush” part of its name, but I can’t say the same for this fan.

There was one particularly blistering day in London when I walked several blocks with the HushJet Mini Cool on the fifth setting. I might as well have been holding a sign that said “TOURIST!!!” in big red letters. Though its cooling relief was welcome, I felt bad for subjecting passersby to its racket.

Battery life is decent for how powerful it is

the battery indicator light on the back of the dyson hushjet mini cool

A red indicator light on the back of the HushJet Mini Cool tells you when its battery is getting low.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool has a 5,000 mAh battery capacity and charges via USB-C. In my testing, it lasted six hours and 29 minutes on the lowest speed setting — a hair longer than Dyson’s advertised six hours — and at the highest (non-Boost) setting, it held out for 50 minutes. That’s not bad when you consider how hard its motor works. It won’t go all day, but it’ll at least get you through the hottest part of an afternoon.

When the HushJet Mini Cool is running low on juice, you’ll see a teeny-tiny red indicator light on the back of its base (right above the charging port). My review unit reached a full charge in about two and a half hours, which is slightly faster than Dyson’s rated charging time of three hours.

Is the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool worth it?

a woman's hand holding the dyson hushjet mini cool

Holding the HushJet Mini Cool *without* blocking its intake holes means holding it kind of awkwardly.
Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The HushJet Mini Cool’s compact design and super-strong airflow make a persuasive case for it, but I think most people will deem it overkill — both in terms of power and price. Much cheaper portable fans we’ve tried here at Mashable suit the average person’s cooling-down needs just fine, and they don’t sound as obnoxious.

I’d really only recommend buying a HushJet Mini Cool if you find it on sale, and you plan on using it mainly in outdoor settings (or a loud bar) where it won’t be a nuisance. (I’m thinking golf, picnics, and music festivals — definitely not weddings.) Maybe pick up a pair of earplugs while you’re at it.

Without having tried the Shark ChillPill myself, it seems like a better buy if you’ve decided to splurge on your next portable fan. While it’s slightly heavier and even more expensive, it lasts almost twice as long and has a fun party trick with its swappable misting and cooling attachments. Mashable’s Mangino told me that it’s also loud, but not shrill.

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