At the end of my book, "I'm So OCD," which comes out this April (pre-order HERE!), I thank several people who made a positive impact on my life. There are of course the obvious family member inclusions, but beyond that, there are certain people I look up to in my life that have inspired me to be a good and better person each and every day that I'm not blood-related to.
One of these people is Charles Barkley. "Sir Charles," or just Chuck, turns 60 today. Happy birthday!
November 2, 2015: The Inside the NBA crew on Conan
In 1993, Barkley said "I am not a role model" in the famous Nike commercial. "Just because I dunk a basketball doesn't mean I should raise your kids,” he added.
He's right, of course. But the irony is that since Barkley retired in 2000, he has become exactly what he said he never was: a role model.
Not because he can dunk a basketball and make millions of dollars. No. He's become a role model because of his genuine, unfiltered, entertaining, hilarious commentary for TNT's Inside the NBA. He has transformed that show, along with host Ernie Johnson, from a postgame highlight factory to one of the most-watched television programs in the entire world.
Whether it's his undying fidelity to Krispy Kreme, his thoughts on the women in San Antonio, his adventures in the steam room, his brutally honest opinions on both sport and society, his brotherhood with Ernie, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal, or his signature usage of the word "turrible," Barkley has become a fixture in pop culture for any other reason than his hall of fame talents as an athlete.
I hardly watch the NBA anymore, but I am subscribed to the NBA on TNT YouTube channel simply to stay in the know on all things Charles Barkley. He is the ultimate entertainer, not caring what anyone anywhere thinks about anything he says. But he has also quietly become a connoisseur, a trusted voice in a world full of unreliable voices.
Sure, he spouts a lot of nonsense. Some of it can be harsh or cross the imaginary line, but it all comes from the heart - and it's a heart that just wants the viewers to have a good time. Who else would end an episode of television by saying "Good Night America!" than Chuck?
His platform is massive, his words heard all around the globe, and he uses it for good. The "Round Mound of Rebound" has become a force once more, this time a force for good. For spreading laughter and joy and happiness.
Few people prompt me to spit out my drink, get out my phone and record moments off the screen like the Chuckster. So for his 60th birthday, how about a trip down memory lane?
From my cell phone recordings to wherever they may find you on this February 20th, 2023... Happy 60th birthday to Charles Barkley!
As far as team slogans go, "MFFL" has to be one the stronger ones in professional sports. It's certainly better than "Passion. Pride. Pacers" or "Pride. Passion. Pirates." Did you know there was a movie called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?" I mean, what are we doing America?
Anyway, MFFL, short for Mavs Fan For Life, is something I thought I would be for, well, life.
As a kid growing up in the Dallas-Ft. Worth metroplex, I had no passion greater than the Dallas Mavericks. From an early age, I inherited my dad's love for the Mavs - and also his season tickets.
I listened to him reminisce about the rowdy days at Reunion Arena, from the team's inception in the 80s to the basketball dog days of the 90s. How he and his friends would get a free pizza if the Mavericks scored 125 points and won. (The bar for promotions was a lot higher back then!) Or when he and my older brother Alec saw the Mavs beat Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.
His love for the game of basketball became mine, and therefore so did his hometown team. As I got older, my fandom of the Mavericks remained strong. I guess you could say it remained "MFFL Strong," the Mavericks mantra for the 2014 playoffs.
For a while, I pursued a career in sports journalism so I could be around the game for a living. I had a great job with the Texas Legends that was going to propel me to this career path if I kept working in that direction. I lived and breathed the Mavs for two decades, until my love for the team and the NBA as a whole started to deteriorate.
I tried to hold onto my love of the game. More importantly, I wanted to hold onto this shared bonding experience with my dad. Many of my best memories came with him and me sitting in Section 119 at the American Airlines Center.
It's where I was born. It's where I thought I would die. Neither of those are true.
But something that is true: I am no longer a Mavs Fan For Life. I am a MFFL no more.
Pretend Jerry Stackhouse (L), Pretend Dirk Nowitzki (C), Pretend Jason Terry (R) & Real Me
How did it happen? How could one go from loyal fanatic who couldn't and wouldn't miss a game... to not feeling a thing? It's not one reason, or even two or three, but rather a gradual descent over time. Like Natalie Portman sliding further into madness in Black Swan. Or Leonardo Dicaprio in Shutter Island. Or Lindsay Lohan in real life.
The truth is that I haven't been much of a Mavericks fan since he retired. And by he I of course mean Dirk Nowitzki. That dude. Dirk.
Since Dirk's career ended in 2019, I have had muted interest in the Mavs. Add the drastic dip in quality to NBA basketball --no defense, no inside game, too many fouls, travels and carries on literally every play-- and a league that is run by their grossly overpaid diva superstars has become unwatchable for me.
I tried to stick with it. I've loved the game my whole life. But like a man trying to stick out a marriage with a woman that he no longer loves, I was living a lie. (That was dramatic but you get the point.)
NBA basketball has become a pick-up game similar to your neighborhood rec center where people only shoot 3's and everything is a foul. Just like the real NBA, why would you even drive the ball to the basket if you're just going to call a foul and check it up? If the bonus existed at my local gym, I'd still be there right now finishing a game.
I don't like talking about the NBA product, so I'll let YouTuber JimmyHighroller do it for me in this really well done video essay about the state of play in the league I used to love.
The poster boy of this "new era" of basketball is none other than Luka Doncic, the superstar who replaced Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. Doncic is one the best basketball players in the world, there's no doubt about it.
But there's also no doubt that he carries the ball every time he dribbles it. He shuffles his feet with every lateral movement and he practically completes a full pirouette with his go-to step back jumper. He complains about every single call and whines like a spoiled child whenever something doesn't go his way. He's been internationally coddled since he was a teenager. He acts like it.
He shows up to new seasons out of shape, he's lazy on defense, he's already gotten a coach fired (that helped the franchise win an NBA championship) and he is every bit the privileged, pampered superstar that defines not just the NBA, but also our modern world. He knows who he is and knows he can do no wrong, so why should he try to improve his behaviors that would be seen as problematic in nearly any other industry? Why should any of these star athletes?
There are no consequences for people like him. He's a millionaire celebrity megastar. He doesn't live in the real world. He hasn't in a long time. He never will again.
That doesn't mean I have to like him. And truth be told, I don't. I pretended for a while because his jersey said "Mavericks." A few years ago, my mom got me a Luka jersey for Hanukkah.
"Don't you want to support our new star player?!" she asked, unaware that I wasn't a fan.
Though not her intention, I was repulsed at the idea of replacing Dirk. I told her I didn't want the shirt and we gave it to our kid neighbor or something.
And perhaps that's part of the problem. To me, Dirk Nowitzki was perfect.
As someone who grew up watching Dirk shed his German blood and tears to earn everything he ever achieved, working countless hours behind the scenes, battling through some of the most gut-wrenching lows and achieving some of the most emotional highs, I couldn't go on without him.
To me, number 41 represented everything I loved about the Mavericks: his heart, his attitude, his teamwork, his sportsmanship, his kindness, his dedication to not only himself but others, and then of course his historical talent... I had little interest in continuing my basketball journey without Dirk.
Nowitzki's Hall of Fame career is a tale of two decades.
The Mavericks spent the first 10 years trying to win a championship. Despite numerous personnel disasters like letting Steve Nash go and giving his money to Erick Dampier, or realizing the best you can do in TWENTY YEARS OF NBA DRAFTS is Josh Howard (or are we still waiting on the Roddy Beaubois breakout?), there was no doubt that owner Mark Cuban was trying to bring a championship to Dallas.
Which, in 2011, because of Dirk, he did.
After that, it was a decade of futility. Cuban used his newfound status amongst the NBA's elite to try and sell Dallas and the Mavericks as a free agent destination. What ensued for the remainder of Dirk's precious time left was swing-and-miss after swing-and-miss in trying to sign the top NBA free agents.
Cuban swung for the fences and ended up striking out looking.
Instead of Chris Paul or Deron Williams, the Mavericks ended up with Darren Collison and Mike James.
Instead of Dwight Howard or DeAndre Jordan, the Mavericks ended up with Chris Kaman and Andrew Bogut.
Instead of Chris Bosh or Carmelo Anthony, the Mavericks ended up with Chandler Parsons and Harrison Barnes.
With zero draft capital to fall back on, scapegoats would eventually be made out of head coach Rick Carlisle and later on General Manager and the guy responsible for recruiting Dirk, Donnie Nelson.
Nelson wanted Dirk and talked Cuban into it during the 1998 NBA Draft. In 2013, he wanted another young foreigner, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Cuban denied that request and the Mavs ended up selecting Shane Larkin.
In 2018, Nelson wanted the next international prodigy in Doncic and Cuban obliged, saving the franchise from a years-long rebuild that would have taken place without finding another top level talent.
While all of this nonsense was happening on the court, the Mavericks organization found themselves mired in a sexual assault scandal that we still don't know the full extent of. It was an embarrassing revelation for the franchise, with accusations ranging all the way from the front office to gameday personnel.
Cuban eventually settled this controversy the way he solves all his problems - by throwing money at it. When it comes to the lack of accountability in today's NBA stars, whether it's Doncic or the league's primadonna mascot LeBron James, that kind of behavior is only enabled by the men running these teams, like Cuban or the despicable Donald Sterling or the recently outed Robert Sarver.
In a shocking turn of events, rich celebrities aren't the greatest people.
Which is okay in our society because we not only allow it, we cheer on and put these problematic personas on pedestals as long as they entertain us by making a basket, dunking a ball, or most importantly -- winning.
Which brings me back to Dirk Nowitzki.
Nobody ever requires celebrities like politicians, movie stars, or professional athletes to be good people. They don't need to and will have millions of loyal subjects regardless of their actions and behaviors.
That's what made Dirk different.
Dirk was and is one of the most genuinely kind people that exist on our planet Earth. It's as simple as that. It made cheering for him --whether he had a 40-point, 20-rebound game or just missed a potential game-winning shot at the buzzer-- so easy.
I don't find it easy to root for the crybaby Luka Doncic, or the entitled LeBron James, the social media ghost Kevin Durant, the immature Ja Morant, the annoying Chris Paul, the switches-teams-every-five-minutes James Harden, or the worst teammate in the world Kyrie Irving.
Oh yes, Kyrie Irving. Who now plays for the Dallas Mavericks. (At least or the next few months.)
Outside of the incessant LeBron James, Irving has been my least favorite player in the NBA for several years. Like LeBron and also James Harden, he has demanded his way out of any situation that doesn't roll out the red carpet and basically let him run the team as player, coach, general manager, and anything else they ask for a la Jackie Moon from Semi-Pro.
It's only a matter of time before LeBron fights a bear.
What separates Irving from LeBron or Harden or Morant or Doncic is that he is a legitimately terrible person. Completely remove his basketball talent from the equation, which 89 percent of sports fans cannot and will not ever do, and you have an arrogant, uneducated bully who literally went to college for 11 basketball games and I'll let you guess how many classes he attended.
Irving has always run his mouth, whether it's innocent stupid stuff like saying the earth is flat or his usual "it's always somebody else's fault" rhetoric that follows him wherever he goes. And he goes to a lot of new places.
The Mavericks are his fourth team in five seasons.
How does one of the most talented players in the entire world get tossed around like the worst gift at a White Elephant party?
You know the answer to that.
Irving has repeatedly called out his fellow teammates and coaches. His effort on defense makes Allen Iverson look like Gary Payton. He refused to get vaccinated when the NBA returned from their Covid hiatus. He spoke out against basketball coming back in the first place. He has sat out countless games with fake injuries. He once refused to talk to reporters, got fined $25,000, then called the media "pawns" on Instagram like a 12-year old. He threatened to have surgery on his knee if the Cavs didn't trade him in 2017. He publicly called out his Celtics teammates for not being good enough. (That team was one win away from the NBA Finals the previous season without him.) He missed a Nets game in Brooklyn and head coach Steve Nash literally didn't know where he was. He was later caught on video at a club... in Toronto. He also later said he didn't play because of personal reasons. Then he said it was an injured finger.
Either the guy has some sort of psychological issues --in which case I am all for him getting help-- or he is exactly what I think he is: a delusional, spoiled, pampered, babied, immature, rude, selfish, egotistical man-child bully.
And all this... all of this... before he also revealed himself to be racist.
Last October, Kyrie Irving shared a post on social media promoting a film that spreads blatant lies and antisemitic falsehoods. Something I've realized in the months since this happened are a lot of people honestly don't know what antisemitic means. I taught my seventh graders about it in our last unit when we covered World War II and the Holocaust. They didn't know what it meant, either.
They do now. Antisemitism is hate and prejudice directed at Jewish people.
Also to refresh your memory, the Holocaust was a genocide committed against Jews by the Nazis during World War II. Over six million innocent Jewish civilians were wiped out in a matter of years.
Racism has been the biggest problem in our society since the dawn of time. It's still an issue and it's not getting a whole lot better. What hurts the most is when people with a massive platform, like Irving, use it to spread hate and lies and hurt others. Even worse are the millions of people who treat every word out of a celebrity's mouth --or keyboard-- as the absolute truth.
Irving promoted this very racist film on his Instagram mere weeks after artist and fellow crazy person Kanye West publicly declared he will go to "defcon 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE."
Now what does defcon 3 mean? It's a military term defined as "force readiness increased above normal readiness."
So... violence.
Fantastic. As if the Jewish people haven't been through enough. In the last five years. Or ten. Or 100. Or a thousand when my ancestors were enslaved by the Egyptians. It's not a happy history. Yet here we are in 2023 with antisemitism on the rise once more.
Kyrie Irving, in promoting a film that attacked the Jewish community with dangerous falsehoods, refused to apologize. What he did was wrong, but his public relations team could have technically spun it into a "he shared the link but didn't actually read it" narrative. But no. His PR team, like everyone else in his life, are puppets. If they actually had his ear, he would theoretically make better choices.
"I'm not going to stand down on anything I believe in," Irving said in a postgame press conference days after the incident. "I'm only going to get stronger because I'm not alone. I have a whole army around me."
I can think of some people in history who said something very similar.
Put in the awkward situation of employing a bigot, even if he is just a basketball player, the Nets suspended Irving. They wanted him to apologize. He didn't. So, he got suspended. Then, Nike terminated their relationship with him.
LeBron James, who helped lead the NBA's boycott against racism toward the Black community in 2020, tweeted that Irving should not have been suspended. I guess it's different when it's not your race. I guess racism and hate will be tolerated if it isn't your problem. Shame on these guys I used to admire as a sports fan.
It might seem important to note that I myself am Jewish, but it really isn't. Whether I'm Jewish and American or if I was Black and British, I don't tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, or hate and prejudice of any kind. I won't support anyone with these views, either. Nobody should. But we know that's not the world we currently or have ever lived in.
After the suspension, Irving finally sorta kinda apologized. On Instagram.
Before they would reinstate him, the Nets gave him some homework: They required him to give a more credible apology (read: actual apology), fined him in the form of donating to anti-hate charities, he needed to complete sensitivity training, meet with leaders of the Anti-Defamation League and Jewish community, and finally sit down with Nets owner Joe Tsai to come to an amicable resolution.
He eventually returned to the basketball court, this whole ordeal costing him money he could spend in a day and support from a fan base that had already grown tired of his antics and lack of effort as a player, not to mention his shortcomings as a human being.
A few weeks later, he demanded a trade from the Nets. He started sitting out again with phantom injuries to prompt the team to deal him. Once he was traded --because pro athletes who demand trades usually get what they want-- he was magically healthy again. Modern science is a beautiful thing.
The team that ended up taking a chance on the basket case headache of Irving was the Dallas Mavericks.
And that was the day I officially went from a prospective MFFL to a MFF30Y: a Mavs Fan For 30 Years.
Your decisions are yours to make. Many sports fans support the name on the front of the jersey, not the back. But at what point do you draw the line? What if it was your race, religion, sex, or gender that a player on your favorite team spoke out against? Would it be different? The name on the back gets their check signed by the name on the front. I will tolerate none of it no matter where it's coming from.
In a weird way, Will Smith's childish and inappropriate slap to the face of Chris Rock may have somehow saved the Academy Awards from extinction. Smith eventually took home Best Actor in a tumultuous evening - which I correctly predicted in the 2022 link below.
With Hollywood struggling to produce quality content and the political agenda becoming more important than providing entertainment, I fear we are just a few years away from the closing of theaters, a permanent switch to streaming and the Oscars being broadcast on social media.
Thankfully, I do not judge the last year of films solely from the Academy's field. I use my own as well, or I wouldn't be doing this at all. Plus I made up some of my own categories. Anyway, I have four subscribers to keep, so here we go.
Previous Years: 2022, 2021, 2019, and 2018 is pictured below.
Actor
Academy: Austin Butler (Elvis)
CGI Fridays: Austin Butler (Elvis)
Worth Mentioning: Robert Pattinson (The Batman), Colin Farrell (Thirteen Lives), Viggo Mortensen (Thirteen Lives), Felix Kammerer(All Quiet on the Western Front), Ben Foster (The Survivor), Brendan Fraser (The Whale), Ralph Fiennes(The Menu), Sam Rockwell (See How They Run)
The B+ I gave Elvis rides almost entirely on the shoulders of Austin Butler. He deserves this award. How many people can portray an icon like Elvis Presley and not leave mass audiences all shook up in all the wrong ways?
Actress
Academy: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
CGI Fridays: Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
Worth Mentioning: Aubrey Plaza (Emily the Criminal), Danielle Deadwyler (Till), Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), Saoirise Ronan (See How They Run), Viola Davis (The Woman King)
While I gave The Woman King an unimpressive C+, you will see a couple actors from that film on this list. Viola Davis is a titanic force in Hollywood and can play any role to award-worthy precision. However, Michelle Yeoh is pretty darn awesome in this year's Oscar darling, Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Supporting Actor
Academy: Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
CGI Fridays: Pedro Pascal (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent)
Worth Mentioning: Joel Edgerton (Thirteen Lives), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Bullet Train), Tom Hanks (Elvis)
Remember Short Round from the second Indiana Jones movie? The one everyone considers a classic? Well I didn't like it and thought Short Round was annoying. He's all grown up in Everything Everywhere All at Once! The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent got no Oscar love, but man Pedro Pascal is just good at everything.
Supporting Actress
Academy: Jamie Lee Curtis (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
CGI Fridays: Hong Chau (The Whale)
Worth Mentioning: Isabella Rossellini (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), Lashana Lynch (The Woman King)
Another win for Everything Ever --let's just call it EEAaO-- but the supporting role that really won me over was Hong Chau as the emotional lynchpin in The Whale.
Cinematography
Academy: All Quiet on the Western Front
CGI Fridays: Top Gun: Maverick
Worth Mentioning:The Batman, Thirteen Lives, Elvis, Don't Worry Darling, Werewolf by Night, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Woman King
I expect --and will be disappointed but not surprised-- if All Quiet on the Western Front doesn't have a big Oscar night.
International Film
Academy: All Quiet on the Western Front
CGI Fridays: All Quiet on the Western Front
Words.
Visual Effects
Academy: Avatar: The Way of Water
CGI Fridays: Everything Everywhere All at Once
Worth Mentioning: The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, Beast, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Nope, Three Thousand Years of Longing
I didn't even see the new Avatar, but I have no doubt that it is a visual spectacle with the finest and newest technology on display. I'm also pretty sure the story was meh, but those who actually saw it can be the judge of that. (And A LOT of people saw it.)
Music
Academy: Volker Bertelmann - All Quiet on the Western Front
CGI Fridays: Michael Giacchino - The Batman
Worth Mentioning: Rob Simonsen - The Whale, Ludwig Goransson - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Two great movies with great scores, and then an honorable mention for The Whale and an MCU movie that isn't great but has a fantastic soundtrack from a great composer who defies the quality of the films he scores. (Goransson also worked on Venom - oof.)
Original Song
Academy: "Hold My Hand" - Lady Gaga (Top Gun: Maverick)
CGI Fridays: "I Don't Know What Christmas Is (But Christmastime Is Here)" - The Old 97s (The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special)
Worth Mentioning: "I Ain't Worried" - OneRepublic (Top Gun: Maverick), "Lift Me Up" - Rihanna (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Top Gun: Maverick had two bangers. Either could have one, but Lady Gaga's song is the emotional one where OneRepublic's is the fun one. The Academy doesn't like fun.
Costume Design
Academy: Elvis
CGI Fridays: The Batman
Worth Mentioning: All Quiet on the Western Front, Elvis, Don't Worry Darling, The Woman King
Costume design is definitely the "I bet I could do it if I had the money" category.
Production Design
Academy: All Quiet on the Western Front
CGI Fridays: All Quiet on the Western Front
Worth Mentioning: The Batman, Thirteen Lives, The Survivor, Elvis, Don't Worry Darling, Everything Everywhere All at Once, The Menu, See How They Run, Operation Mincemeat
A great war movie that deserves multiple awards. The sets and battles are incredible.
Makeup & Hairstyling
Academy: The Whale
CGI Fridays: The Whale
Worth Mentioning: The Batman, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Survivor, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Elvis, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Is Brendan Fraser's fat suit in The Whale technically a costume? Either way... it's a big deal.
Editing
Academy: Top Gun: Maverick
CGI Fridays: Thirteen Lives
Worth Mentioning: The Batman, All Quiet on the Western Front, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Elvis
Cutting together aerial combat seems difficult. So does cave diving, especially when actors obviously cannot actually accomplish the real thing without risking their lives.
Animated Film
Academy: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
CGI Fridays: Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Worth Mentioning: Lightyear
A category I definitely should not be given a vote in.
Sound
Academy: Top Gun: Maverick
CGI Fridays: Top Gun: Maverick
Worth Mentioning: The Batman, Thirteen Lives, All Quiet on the Western Front, Elvis, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Nope
I had a headache after seeing Top Gun: Maverick and I'm pretty sure that was the intent.
Documentary
Academy: N/A
CGI Fridays: Facing Nolan
My number one film of the year was a documentary. It's the only one I saw. View my 2022 rankings at the bottom of this amazing post.
Worth Mentioning: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Vengeance
I wasn't obsessed with Everything Everywhere All at Once like everyone else (I gave it a positive-but-not-CGI Fridays-worthy B) but there's no doubting its creativity in a Hollywood that is full of reboots and recycled ideas.
Best Director
Academy: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert (Everything Everywhere All at Once)
CGI Fridays: Matt Reeves (The Batman)
Worth Mentioning: Bradley Jackson (Facing Nolan), Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), Ron Howard (Thirteen Lives), Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front)
Another predicted "W" for Everythere Everywing All at Once. The Batman is not a perfect film, but my minor faults with that picture come with the overflowing story, not the incredible production value and direction from Reeves.
Best Picture(why can't we just say best MOVIE?)
Academy: Top Gun: Maverick
CGI Fridays: Facing Nolan
Worth Mentioning: The Batman
In plain terms, you have to receive an A+ from CGI Fridays to be in consideration for the vaunted "Best Picture" category. These are the three.
Worst Picture
CGI Fridays: The Bubble
Worth Mentioning: Bones and All, Amsterdam, Jurassic World: Dominion
You can read more about these films in the 2022 link below, because there's not much more I want to say about them.
Sleeper Hit
CGI Fridays: Orphan: First Kill
Worth Mentioning: Emily the Criminal, The Valet, Hustle, Beast
Belayed sequels hardly ever work, especially in the horror genre. Somehow, Orphan: First Kill worked. AC/DC had it right all along: "Shoot to thrill, play to kill!"
Biggest Disappointment
CGI Fridays: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Worth Mentioning: Men, The Gray Man, Nope
The movie that could have righted the sinking ship at Marvel, instead Multiverse of Madness only sped up the downward spiral the MCU has been on since Avengers: Endgame.
