Would Die For Eagly: An Ode To Recent Superhero Pet Sidekicks
Before returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to regale the world with the next chapter of the Guardians of the Galaxy's story, James Gunn stuck around the DC Extended Universe after "The Suicide Squad" to give us the vulgar, violent, and venerable spinoff "Peacemaker." The HBO Max series follows former WWE Champion John Cena as he reprises his role as Christopher Smith aka Peacemaker, Task Force X's resident weapons expert, black ops extraordinaire, and top tier a-hole. Some have even used the term "murder himbo," and that's probably the best possible way to describe him.
Cena's Peacemaker isn't alone on his latest mission. He's joined by Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee (both also reprising their roles from "The Suicide Squad"), Freddie Stroma, Danielle Brooks, Chukwudi Iwuji, and the iconic Robert Patrick. But as stacked as the cast is, it's the character played by legendary voice actor Dee Bradley Baker that really steals the show. Of course, we're talking about Eagly, Peacemaker's best friend and pet bald eagle.
As the title of this article indicates, once you see this show, 10/10 would die for sweet, precious, badass Eagly. I know that I would 100% hug him if he'd let me. And if you don't want to believe in the miracle of an eagle hugging you, then that's on you. But Eagly isn't the only superhero animal sidekick out there in the world. They should all get the recognition they deserve. Alternatively, we all deserve to see adorable animals during these troublesome and unprecedented times. So here's the perfect excuse to do just that!
Goose The Cat
We'll get started with Carol Danvers' faithful feline companion, Goose. Though she may appear to be a regular cat, this kitty is more than meets the eye. As Talos points out in "Captain Marvel" upon seeing her for the first time, Goose is actually a Flerken. This species of alien is known for basically storing an entire universe in their little bodies. This comes in handy when a Flerken needs to store important things, such as an Infinity Stone, for example. Flerkens also have vicious teeth and tendrils in their mouth, so you definitely want to avoid provoking them at all costs. But if they cozy up to you, I'm sure the cuddles are out of this world. Just ask Nick Fury!
Sebastian The Rat
Also voiced by the incomparable Dee Bradley Baker, Sebastian stars in "The Suicide Squad" alongside Daniela Melchior's Cleo Cazo, aka Ratcatcher 2. Originally aiding his friend Cleo with various acts of thievery, Sebastian and his fellow rats help the Suicide Squad take down Starro the Conqueror in Corto Maltese. And let's be real honest here: The team would not have been able to take down the giant starfish from space without the rats. Even Bloodsport, who has an extreme phobia of rats, acknowledges this and becomes friends with Sebastian in the end.
Lucky The Pizza Dog
As great as it was to see Kate Bishop finally take her place in the MCU alongside Clint Barton in "Hawkeye," it's pretty safe to say that the majority of True Believers were most looking forward to seeing Lucky the Pizza Dog make the jump from the pages of Matt Fraction and David Aja's seminal comic series to Disney+. The pizza-loving fluffy pupper quickly stole the hearts of Kate, Hawkeye, and the audience from his first appearance on screen. And as we learned from a recent featurette, Lucky was played by a fantastic puppy performer named Jolt, who did all her own stunts. Can we say the same for her co-star, Jeremy Renner? Doubtful.
Also, you'll definitely want to check out Jolt's Instagram for more cuteness.
Kyrpto The Superdog
I don't think there's as good a boy in the entire DCEU than Krypto. After all, he has to deal with those angsty, broody Titans all the time. Seriously, that show has so much potential to be good if they would just let their superhero team be a superhero team instead of fighting with each other or splitting up on separate missions all the time. At least Connor Kent's buddy swoops in to save the day with his cuteness (and superpowers) occasionally. Not sure if that's enough to keep watching a show that has let us down time and time again though. Maybe Krypto's next project, "DC League of Super-Pets" (where he will be voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and appear alongside Kevin Hart as Ace The Bathound), will be more satisfying than "Titans."
Alligator Loki
I'm sure that for most fans of Loki, the OG version played by Tom Hiddleston is cute and adorable enough. Then, when "Loki" premiered on Disney+, we met alternate versions of the trickster god to fall in love with that are played by Sophia Di Martino, Richard E. Grant, Jack Veal, Debbie Oparei, and (once again) Tom Hiddleston. But it was Alligator Loki that really stole the audience's hearts. Whether it was his adorable little horned helmet, his relationship with Kid Loki, or how his lounging in a kiddie pool is a whole mood, we can all agree that we need more Alligator Loki in our lives. Hopefully Kang the Conqueror has some mercy and allows him to keep existing.
Morris The ... Umm ... Yeah...
It goes without saying, but I feel like I need to say it anyway: "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" was one of the best movies of 2021. Obviously, it meant a lot to a whole lot of people. But not only did it finally introduce an Asian Avenger to the MCU, it also introduced the world to Morris. This furry, faceless, cuddly creature from the mystical village of Ta Lo finds a friend in Ben Kingsley's Trevor Slattery while they're both stuck in Wenwu's compound. And though it's not clear what exactly Morris is, that doesn't make him any less adorable.
According to producer Jonathan Schwarz, Morris was inspired by a deity known as a Hundun. This character from Chinese mythology is an agent of chaos and shares many defining traits with Morris such as the roundness and the four little wings. However, Morris' name and demeanor comes from director Destin Daniel Cretton's 15-year-old dachshund. I hope puppy Morris is as happy with his cinematic counterpart as we all are.
Fun fact: Morris is the third character on our list that is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker! Maybe we should come up with a list to honor him in the future. With a resume like his, he definitely deserves one.