ABC
Now that Kevin McKidd is no longer terrorizing audiences as his demonic Dr. Owen Hunt on “Grey’s Anatomy,” the Scottish actor is, ostensibly, free to do something else. So will he play Arthur Weasley, patriarch of the red-headed and disadvantaged Weasley family, in the forthcoming “Harry Potter” TV series?

We honestly don’t know, but McKidd addressed the rumors in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. “I saw something about this,” McKidd said. “And listen, I would never say never. I’m a massive Harry Potter fan.”

So why do people think McKidd might play Arthur, aside from his distinctive red hair? There are a few reasons. First, as EW notes, Gracie Cochrane — who’s set to play Ginny Weasley, the only girl in the large family besides her mother Molly, in the TV series — recently followed McKidd on Instagram, though that could be totally unrelated. (Maybe she just started watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”) There’s also the fact that, while the first season of “Harry Potter,” titled “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” is set to release on Christmas of this year, Arthur doesn’t appear in the first book or film and makes his debut in the immediate sequel “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.”

Still, the fact is that unless McKidd is straight-up lying because he’s been sworn to secrecy, we know as much as he does about him potentially playing Arthur in the “Harry Potter” series. Interestingly, though, McKidd told EW he almost appeared in the original “Harry Potter” film franchise as an entirely different character.

Apparently, Kevin McKidd narrowly missed out on a role in the original Harry Potter film franchise

ABC
On some level, it would be sort of perfect for Kevin McKidd to appear in “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” because, apparently, he narrowly missed an opportunity to appear in both parts of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” (Remember when every single series-ending movie got split into two parts?) I’ll let McKidd explain:

“When I did a show called ‘Journeyman’ before ‘Grey’s,’ we were on the bubble and waiting to find out if we we’re picked up [for season 2] or not. So I was under contract and [director] David Yates sent me a letter offering me a role in the final two ‘Harry Potter’ films, and I was unable to do it because I was waiting to hear if ‘Journeyman’ was picked up or not, and then it was not picked up.”

McKidd also told Entertainment Weekly that the character he would have played was some sort of werewolf, and the only prominent werewolf who appears in the “Deathly Hallows” movies is Fenrir Greyback, a dangerous werewolf who bites with abandon and was ultimately portrayed by Dave Legeno. (Hilariously, one of Fenrir’s victims is the eldest Weasley son, Bill, but he’s played by Domhnall Gleeson — McKidd wasn’t young enough to convincingly play this particular redhead at the time.)

“So I missed out on that chance of being in the final two ‘Harry Potter’ films back in the day, which still makes me sad,” McKidd said to EW. “The idea of getting another crack at that, because I was asked to be in it once, already gets me very excited. So listen, if those rumors can turn into something real, I would be very happy about that.”

Kevin McKidd is the wrong choice to play Arthur Weasley for a number of reasons

Warner Bros.
With all of that said, I am here to tell you that, actually, Kevin McKidd shouldn’t play Arthur Weasley. The role, which was originated by Mark Williams in 2002’s “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” is that of a bumbling, lovable, and dorky dude who likes playing with batteries and other non-magical (or “Muggle”) artifacts. Yes, he is described as tall, rangy, and thin like his sons, but while McKidd fits the part physically, his vibes are completely wrong. For 18 seasons of “Grey’s Anatomy,” McKidd made a name for himself as the tough-as-nails army veteran Owen Hunt, who was also, by quite a long shot, the show’s all-time worst character. Before that, his big role was as an intrepid fighter on the HBO series “Rome.” Does this sound like a guy who tinkers around with broken radios?

You might not think there’s a ton of overlap between “Harry Potter” and “Grey’s Anatomy” fans, but both are pretty important to certain subsects of millennials (including me), and seeing the man behind Owen Hunt play the distinctly lovable Arthur Weasley just feels … wrong. Still, there’s already a lot that can go wrong with the “Harry Potter” TV series. The first trailer was pretty sludgy-looking and appears to present audiences with a shot-for-shot remake of the original film franchise for some inexplicable reason. It also looks like we’re going to get potentially lengthy gaps between seasons that might give viewers enough time to move on to something else entirely. Ultimately, though, we’ll have to wait and see if this red-headed actor takes on the role of Arthur Weasley … and commits to a very long filming schedule.

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15 Biggest Plot Holes In The Harry Potter Franchise
BY MIKE BEDARD APRIL 12, 2026 3:10 PM EST

Warner Bros.
The “Harry Potter” books, which range in quality from decent to amazing, encouraged a generation of children to start reading. The movies were a global phenomenon that brought this magical world to life. But then, those kids that grew up on “Harry Potter” became adults with critical thinking skills and quickly realized how much of this magic doesn’t make a lick of sense.

It’s somewhat inevitable with any story surrounding magic. If magic exists, one would assume any problem could be easily handled with the wave of a wand. But half-baked explanations for why certain items can’t be used in a given scenario is only part of the problem.

“Harry Potter” also has some massive world-building issues. It’s honestly impressive that the wizarding world hadn’t collapsed on itself long before Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) showed up. Drawing from both the books and movies, these are the biggest “Harry Potter” plot holes that’ll make you wonder if this story was even good in the first place.

Everything about the wizarding economy

Warner Bros.
When you ride the Escape From Gringotts rollercoaster at Universal Studios Florida, you may come to the realization that money works pretty poorly in the wizarding world. For starters, Gringotts itself is the only bank, which makes depositing checks a burden. Actually, scratch that, there aren’t any checks; just physical money. The conversion rates are a nightmare too, with 29 knuts to a sickle and 17 sickles to a galleon.

Then there’s the matter of what galleons are made of — pure gold. Now, it’s generally perceived that a single galleon is worth the equivalent of £5 (which is about $6.63 USD). However, if you were to melt a galleon, it would be worth its weight in gold, making it far more valuable. There’s probably some enchantment to prevent poorer wizards, like the Weasleys, from melting galleons and taking advantage of this oversight, but it makes no economic sense to spend more money making galleons than they’re ultimately worth.

Why doesn’t Hogwarts just teach math?

Warner Bros.
Young wizards learn all about potions, defense against the dark arts, and divination, yet there’s no time for basic algebra. There are no quote-unquote “normal” classes at Hogwarts, which means these wizards are completely useless when it comes to any advanced math or English/literature.

Studies at Hogwarts don’t begin until a child is 11 years old, so one can assume they learn all the basics at muggle school before going to Hogwarts. But are wizard racists like the Malfoys (which comprise some important “Harry Potter” villains) really sending Draco (Tom Felton) to learn from muggles? Homeschooling’s an option, but if kids like Draco are taught by their parents, they’re still likely only learning about matters related to wizarding.

Even in the wizarding world, math is necessary. They take potions, so surely, they still have to perform the basics of addition, subtraction, and division. But how are wizards expected to know how to do their taxes? Maybe there’s a spell for that: H&R Blockicus.

The polyjuice potion sometimes changes your voice and sometimes not

Warner Bros.
The inconsistent powers of the polyjuice potion are a matter of the movies making things more confusing than they need to be. We first see the polyjuice potion in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” which allows the user to look like someone else. However, we see Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron (Rupert Grint) turn into Goyle (Josh Herdman) and Crabbe (Jamie Waylett), but they keep their same voices.

However, in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” Barty Crouch Jr. (David Tennant) use a polyjuice potion to look like Mad Eye Moody (Brendan Gleeson), one of the strongest “Harry Potter” characters, all year. And he sounds just like him. In the books, this isn’t an issue because the polyjuice potion changes a person’s vocal cords, too. The movies likely altered this for the sake of comedy and allowing the audience to know which Goyle and Crabbe were fake.

But “Goblet of Fire” throws a wrench into the whole thing. Maybe Barty Crouch Jr. is really good at impressions, and it just never comes up.

Why did no one notice Peter Pettigrew on the Marauder’s Map earlier?

Warner Bros.
The Marauders’ storyline is one “Harry Potter” subplot we wish was fleshed out more in the films. If nothing else, it might explain why Fred (James Phelps) and George Weasley (Oliver Phelps) never realized a guy named Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall) was always hanging around their brother.

In “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” the twins gift Harry the Marauder’s Map, which allows him to locate secret passageways around Hogwarts and keep tabs on certain individuals. Harry first learns Peter Pettigrew may not actually be dead when he sees him skulking about in the castle. We learn the map didn’t make a mistake when it’s revealed that Peter’s alive and had transfigured himself as Scabbers the rat for years.

Granted, there are hundreds of people at Hogwarts, so the map would probably fill up quickly telling you about every single one. But it stands to reason that Fred and George would keep tabs on their brother every now and then, and we’re expected to believe Peter’s name never came up once?

Harry’s parents could’ve been their own secret keepers

Warner Bros.
Speaking of Peter Pettigrew, we learn how Harry’s parents made him their secret keeper. In the wizarding world, this is someone entrusted with a hidden location protected via the Fidelius Charm, making it inaccessible to anyone lacking the password. Pettigrew betrayed the couple to Voldemort, who wanted to kill the two along with their baby due to a prophecy stating that Harry would one day defeat him.

Let’s set aside that the Potters could’ve chosen literally anyone more trustworthy, even Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). In “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” we discover that Bill Weasley (Domhnall Gleeson) is his own secret keeper for protecting the location of Shell Cottage. That means the Potters didn’t need to choose anyone, and they could’ve been each other’s secret keeper to avoid Voldemort entirely.

The reason for this plot hole is probably that J.K. Rowling didn’t think of it when writing “Prisoner of Azkaban.” But it makes the Potters pretty foolish in hindsight.

Expelliarmus is an unwieldy spell

Warner Bros.
Expelliarmus is the disarming spell. You use it on an opponent, and it knocks their wand out of their hand. Pretty simple, right?

However, it also occasionally just knocks an opponent out, as seen in “Prisoner of Azkaban” when Harry uses it on Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) at the Shrieking Shack. In the book, Harry, Ron, and Hermione (Emma Watson) use Expelliarmus at the same time, so one could reason that the combined force of three spells was enough to knock Snape out.

However, the movie only has Harry use the spell, and it knocks Snape back like he just got plowed by a semi-truck. There’s probably some explanation that if the person using Expelliarmus has a lot of hatred in their heart or force in casting it that the spell is more powerful. I suppose knocking Snape back a solid 10 feet did technically remove the wand from his hand, so the spell did what it was supposed to do.

Everything about time turners

Warner Bros.
Time travel and plot holes go together like J.K. Rowling and vehement transphobia. But in the case of “Harry Potter,” it can’t be overstated how much time turners break every semblance of logic.

They’re introduced in “Prisoner of Azkaban” for Hermione to take more classes and eventually for she and Harry to save Buckbeak the hippogriff and Sirius Black by redoing past events. One could argue this variation of time travel follows closed-loop logic where Harry was always meant to go back in time to do those things. It would explain why he can’t go back in time to save his parents or smash baby Voldemort against a brick wall to stop all of this from happening. But maybe one can only use time turners to travel back a few hours. All this confusion is likely why Rowling destroyed all the time turners in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” stopping any further questions about using them all the time.

But then the “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” stage play comes along and raises even more questions. Delphi uses one to travel back decades, which completely undoes the idea that it only works for short spans. “The Cursed Child” isn’t that great anyway, so maybe it’s best just to ignore it for all things.

How did Azkaban prisoners get their wands back?

Warner Bros.
Seeing as Azkaban is wizard prison, it makes sense to confiscate their wands. But throughout the series, various wizards like Sirius Black and Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) wind up getting out of Azkaban and have their old wands back in no time.

While it’s never explained, one possible explanation is that the wands are returned to the wizards’ families. Therefore, they could’ve gotten them back easily. If the wands are held at the Ministry of Magic, then Bellatrix could’ve gotten hers back when the Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry and held all the cards.

But with all this in mind, why doesn’t the Ministry simply destroy the wands, especially for those in prison with life sentences? Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) had his wand destroyed after getting expelled from Hogwarts, and he wasn’t even sent to Azkaban as a child. Hagrid is ultimately proven innocent in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” and he doesn’t even get a new wand, so the justice system is incredibly unfair.

The rules around portkeys change

Warner Bros.
Portkeys are introduced in the beginning of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley family use an old boot that’s been enchanted with magic to function as a portkey to take them to the Quidditch World Cup. It’s here we learn the rules of portkeys: It’s an inanimate object bewitched to travel to a certain location at a given time. You must be touching it in order to transport along with it.

However, at the end of “Goblet of Fire,” Harry and Cedric (Robert Pattinson) both touch the Triwizard Cup, which transports both of them to the graveyard where Voldemort is waiting. Despite previously transporting at a specific time, this one operates via touch. To make things even more confusing, Harry then uses the same object to travel back to Hogwarts despite portkeys being one-and-done devices.

It’s possible Voldemort or Barty Crouch Jr. used dark magic to fiddle with the logistics of how portkeys normally operate. But then why enchant a portkey to work for a round-trip when Voldemort could’ve killed Harry right then and there in the graveyard?

The Trace is a poor security measure

Warner Bros.
The Trace is formally explained in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” as a magical watch on all underage wizards, so if any magic is performed in their vicinity, the Ministry is alerted. Harry almost gets expelled from Hogwarts for this in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” when he used a Patronus Charm around muggles. He’s eventually reinstated, but it’s clear the Ministry doesn’t want young wizards fiddling around with magic they can’t comprehend.

“Prisoner of Azkaban” shows Harry practicing the spell Lumos Maxima in his bedroom, which should’ve notified the Ministry. Perhaps they don’t care about minor spells for practice. Throughout the books and films, a ton of spells are used around Harry when he’s not at Hogwarts, but the Ministry only intervenes that one time.

This brings up a notable problem with the Trace in general. It can’t identify who used the magic, just if it happened to occur around a teenager. This is a problem when considering that Voldemort, when he was still Tom Riddle, used Avada Kedavra on his parents when he was 16, but his uncle took the blame because the Ministry couldn’t pin it on him.

Voldemort should’ve made all his Death Eaters take the unbreakable vow

Warner Bros.
The Unbreakable Vow gets introduced in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” when Narcissa Malfoy (Helen McCrory) makes Snape enter into the magical contract to protect her son, Draco. Daniel Radcliffe hates watching “Half-Blood Prince” because he doesn’t like his performance, but you should hate it because it raises a baffling plot hole.

Since the Unbreakable Vow exists, why doesn’t Voldemort use it to ensure the loyalty of all his followers. It could be a rite of passage for all Death Eaters to ensure none of them betray him. It would be particularly useful for a guy like Snape, who was actively working as a double agent the entire time.

This could be taken as a sign of Voldemort’s hubris. He believed he could ensure his followers’ loyalty through fear alone. Still, from a purely practical perspective, what harm could be done by having an extra security measure in place?

Veritaserum should be used in every trial

Warner Bros.
A staple of spy cinema, truth serum also comes into play in the “Harry Potter” universe with Veritaserum. It’s a truth potion that gets the user to spill whatever secrets they have, and Snape gives Barty Crouch Jr. some at the end of “Goblet of Fire” to reveal his master plan.

It calls into question why the Ministry of Magic doesn’t use it for every trial, particularly when Death Eaters were being charged with their crimes for helping Lord Voldemort the first time he tried to ascend to power. It could be used for any trial, like Harry proving beyond a shadow of a doubt he used a Patronus Charm at the beginning of Order of the Phoenix to protect Dudley (Harry Melling).

On the other hand, there are ways to counteract Veritaserum. At one point, it’s mentioned that there is an antidote, and one can use Occlumency to avoid telling the truth. But if there are workarounds, then Veritaserum can never be trusted because how could you know someone hasn’t developed a way to avoid telling the truth? Either it should always be used or never, but there can’t be an in-between with something as powerful as this.

Harry should’ve turned into a random person in Deathly Hallows

Warner Bros.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” begins with extracting Harry out of Privet Drive. His friends show up and take polyjuice potion to look like Harry, so they can all make a grand escape to avoid the Death Eaters capturing the Boy Who Lived.

While Harry makes it out all right, the plan results in the deaths of Hedwig and Mad Eye Moody. One can’t help but wonder if a better plan would’ve involved Harry taking some polyjuice in order to look like … literally any muggle. His cohorts could’ve taken polyjuice to look like regular people, too, so that they don’t draw suspicion from the Death Eaters. Then they could’ve taken a less conspicuous mode of transportation rather than broomsticks to get to The Burrow.

Harry still has the Trace on him at this point, so polyjuice potion was probably a good plan, since it technically wouldn’t be considered “casting a spell.” But this feels like unnecessarily drawing attention to the fact that one of these Harrys is the Harry the Death Eaters are looking for.

The Felix Felicis potion should be readily accessible at all times

Warner Bros.
A major source of plot holes in the “Harry Potter” universe is some magical item being used once to move a specific plot along only to never come up again. Case in point: the Felix Felicis potion, otherwise known as Liquid Luck. It gives the drinker a brief period where they’re lucky in all of their endeavors despite some giddiness as a side effect.

It’s a complicated potion to make, but Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) in “Half-Blood Prince” clearly knows how to make some, as he gifts a batch to Harry. However, he’s still around during the Battle of Hogwarts in “Deathly Hallows,” so why not have plenty in stock to give to all of the people fighting Voldemort’s army?

Before the big battle in the film, Slughorn is seen drinking something that could very well be this Liquid Luck. But even if he was lucky, why not spread it around? If nothing else, surely Harry could’ve benefitted from some extra luck during the most important moment of his life.

The Elder Wand rules make no sense

Warner Bros.
The Elder Wand is the most powerful wand in the “Harry Potter” universe. It’s so powerful that the rules surrounding its ownership change based on whatever’s most convenient for the plot. The general rule is that the Elder Wand obeys its master until they’re defeated in battle.

In the mainline series, Dumbledore possesses the Elder Wand. However, Voldemort believes ownership has transferred to Snape, since he killed Dumbledore in “Half-Blood Prince.” In reality, ownership moved to Draco Malfoy, because he disarmed Dumbledore initially, which was enough for the Elder Wand to technically obey him. But then it moved over to Harry, because Harry disarmed Draco in “Deathly Hallows” even though Draco didn’t even have the Elder Wand on his person at that time.

It’s a very loose definition of “defeat,” but “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” throws all that out of the window. Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) possesses the Elder Wand, but he’s then restrained by Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and has his wand taken by Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) at the end of the film. But in “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” the Elder Wand still obeys his orders. Based on the logic we know thus far, the wand should follow Newt and/or Tina. But when it comes to logic in the wizarding world, it’s probably best not to think about it too hard.

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12 Plot Holes That Completely Ruined Movies
BY JEFF AMES SEPT. 13, 2025 2:10 PM EST

Static Media
Every movie has its flaws. Even classics like Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws” and George Lucas’ “Star Wars” stretch logic to achieve their storytelling goals, often to the amusement of audiences. “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” famously revealed its massive alien saucer during its magical finale by having it rise from behind Devil’s Tower (rather than descend from space) simply because Spielberg thought it looked cool. Peter Jackson used a literal dead army to bring a swift end to the Battle of Minas Tirith in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” only to dismiss them before the final showdown at Mordor — where they really could have turned the tide against Sauron’s forces.

These are minor nitpicks in otherwise stellar films.

Sometimes, though, a writer or director dips too far into absurd logic and creates a plot hole that undermines the entire story — perhaps even rendering it unwatchable. The following list highlights some of the worst offenders, though whether they ruin the film is entirely up to you. Read!

Gyrospheres – Jurassic World

Universal Pictures
“Jurassic World” has plenty of glaring issues that undermine an otherwise solid entry in the long-running franchise. Still, the most egregious flaw lies in the park’s setup. “Jurassic Park” wisely placed visitors in automated cars on a track, presumably locking them inside during the tour. “Jurassic World,” on the other hand, lets tourists roam open fields in giant hamster balls called Gyrospheres alongside real dinosaurs. Who thought this was a good idea?

Sure, the dinos are herbivores, but what’s stopping some brat from playing chicken with a Triceratops? Or spooking a herd of Brachiosaurs into a stampede? And imagine a little old lady accidentally pissing off a Pachycephalosaurus, which proceeds to bash her to bits with its head.

Even dumber, Gray (Ty Simpkins) and Zach (Nick Robinson) manage to drive off-grid, slip through a broken fence, and into the old park without triggering any alarms. You’d think these vehicles would have a fail-safe or an auto-shutdown when entering a restricted zone. Heck, city scooters power down if you leave a designated area.

“Jurassic World” is a fully operational park. By this point, all the kinks should be ironed out. Yet somehow, two unsupervised kids can outwit a billion-dollar security system with ease. It’s almost as if the people behind the film didn’t give a crap, so why should we?

Time Travel Logic – Back to the Future Part II

Universal Pictures
Robert Zemeckis’ “Back to the Future Part II” contains a plot hole that renders the whole film pointless. At the climax of “Back to the Future,” Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox), having spent a week in 1955, travels back to 1985 with the help of Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd). During his odyssey, he made several decisions that altered his future. He saves Doc from dying at the hands of the Libyans and guides his parents toward a more fulfilling life. Basically, Marty and Doc change their density, er … destiny.

In the 1989 sequel, Marty heads to 2015 at Doc’s behest to stop his kid from making a terrible mistake. Using an elaborate ruse, the pair accomplishes their task — but there was no need for any of it. By the rules established in the original film, Doc could have just visited Marty in 1985 and told him what was going to happen, thus negating the need to travel into the future.

Yes, a simple conversation would have saved a lot of time, and likewise would have prevented Biff (Thomas F. Wilson) from screwing up the space-time continuum, and spared audiences from having to endure “Back to the Future Part III.”

Palpatine’s Return – Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker

20th Century Studios
The “Star Wars” films have never been renowned for their believability. Yet there are times when even this beloved franchise crosses the threshold from incredible fantasy adventure to plain dumb.

Case in point, “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker,” the divisive finale (?) that capped off the adventures of Rey Palpatine, er … Skywalker (Daisy Ridley). Her journey concludes similarly to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Darth Vader (David Prowse) by vanquishing the dreaded Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) once and for all. Hooray!

Oh, wait … how did the Emperor return?

Therein lies the rub. The dreaded Sith Lord died at the end of “Return of the Jedi,” and was MIA from “The Force Awakens” and “The Last Jedi,” but conveniently reappears for the final chapter without an ounce of buildup. His appearance shocks everyone — including the audience — leading to the famous line by Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac): “Somehow, Palpatine returned.”

Yeah, that’s basically the only explanation we get. Well, that, and the Emperor’s claim that he was behind the events of the previous films all along. He was Snoke (Andy Serkis), and, er, uh … yeah, we’re still not sure what he’s talking about.

Villain Gaffe – Spider-Man: No Way Home

Sony Pictures
The plot of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” finds a clever way to bring back several characters from previous “Spider-Man” films, including fan favorites Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. We also get appearances from a slew of Spidey villains, notably Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe, who had a specific condition for his return), Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), and Lizard (Rhys Ifans).

Sounds amazing, right?

Well, the gist of the story is that Spider-Man (Tom Holland) wants to help these villains, who, we’re told, all die by his hand — or, one of his other iterations. In fact, they were supposedly pulled into Earth-199999 right before the moment of their deaths. That plot line works for Green Goblin and Doc Ock, both of whom perished while fighting the webbed hero, and even for Electro, who overloaded himself in “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” But it doesn’t work for Lizard or Sandman.

If memory serves, Lizard simply reverted to his human form and wound up in a jail cell at the end of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” while Sandman drifted away after apologizing for nearly destroying the city in “Spider-Man 3.” Neither character died.

Of course, you could hand-wave this by saying they’re alternate versions of the villains, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t we have seen multiple Green Goblins, Doc Ocks, or Electros as well? And what about Topher Grace’s Venom? He did die in “Spider-Man 3,” yet he’s nowhere to be found.

Sounds like Spider-Man is contradicting himself, kids.

Speed Run – Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace

20th Century Studios
Back to “Star Wars,” because, honestly, we could write an entire article about the plot holes in this franchise, we now turn our attention to George Lucas’ dreaded “The Phantom Menace.”

Here, Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) battle an army aboard a Trade Federation ship. Together, they easily handle the attack, making mincemeat of the various droids that appear, all the while working their way toward the Viceroy. Then, a pair of Droidekas appear and proceed to launch a flurry of lasers in their direction. Outgunned, the Jedi opt to vacate the premises and speed off — and by speed off, we mean they turn into supermen and run faster than a speeding laser. Apparently, this is a thing Jedi can do.

Too bad Obi-Wan forgets this unique power when he and his master go toe-to-toe with Darth Maul (Ray Park) during the climax. During the battle, Obi-Wan becomes separated behind red force fields that briefly open every minute or so. Rather than use his Force speed run to aid his master, Obi-Wan twirls his lightsaber and jogs through the obstacle — leaving Qui-Gon to face Maul alone and … well, we all know how that ended.

If you’re going to introduce a super-cool power early in the film, George, you can’t just disregard it for the sake of the plot.

Buzz Lightyear – Toy Story

Pixar Studios
Have you ever caught yourself overthinking the logic of “Toy Story?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone — we’ve spent countless nights trying to make Pixar’s animated classic make sense. We still love the movie, but it always leaves us scratching our heads with its poorly thought-out setup.

Still, the biggest obstacle that never ceases to frustrate is none other than Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen, who got the role over Jim Carrey and several others) himself. When he first arrives in Andy’s room, Buzz is all business and genuinely believes he’s a Space Ranger on a mission to Planet Zerg. He spends his free time fixing his spacecraft or trying to connect with headquarters to alert them of this strange new location.

Except, whenever Andy appears periodically to play with his odd assortment of action figures, Buzz reverts to his toy form. He doesn’t speak or move, and allows this child to play with him … like a toy.

What gives? Is there some sort of mission protocol that prevents Buzz from speaking in front of a human? Or is this merely a plot hole the writers conveniently overlook to keep the animated picture moving along? And yes, we understand the ridiculousness of worrying about the realism of a film featuring talking toys, but the filmmakers are clearly operating by a set of established rules they choose to disregard when it doesn’t meet the story parameters.

Illegal Kick – The Karate Kid

Columbia Pictures
If you’ve seen the stellar Netflix TV series “Cobra Kai,” then this curious plot hole will come as no surprise. It all goes back to the original 1984 “Karate Kid,” in which young Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) teams with karate expert Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) to take on a group of high school bullies led by Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka). This intense rivalry culminates at the All Valley Karate Tournament, where Daniel — surprise, surprise — squares off against Johnny in the final match.

After enduring the type of rule-breaking pain only Cobra Kai can deliver, Daniel rises to the challenge and uses the iconic crane kick to knock out Johnny and emerge victorious. Everyone, including Daniel’s girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue), storms the stage, and we’re left with a hefty dose of adrenaline powerful enough to level mountains.

The problem is, Daniel’s kick shouldn’t have counted. At the beginning of the tournament, the judge clearly states that hits to the face are illegal. And yet, somehow, they completely overlook their own guidelines to serve the needs of the plot. We could argue that many of Johnny’s actions were illegal as well, but at least the judge issued warnings to Cobra Kai. Daniel, on the other hand, won by outright breaking the rules.

Perhaps that’s why Mr. Miyagi looked slightly bemused in the final shot. Ironically, Daniel won by embracing Cobra Kai’s own mantra — no mercy.

Oil Drillers – Armageddon

Touchstone Pictures
We love Michael Bay’s “Armageddon” as much as the next guy. Sure, it’s loud, dumb, overly dramatic, and corny as hell, but the 1998 disaster epic is also the perfect encapsulation of what made 1990s cinema so great — rock ’em, sock ’em action, unfiltered humor, and Aerosmith. Plus, you get Bruce Willis in top action hero form, a young Ben Affleck sporting newly minted porcelain veneers, a gorgeous Liv Tyler, Steve Buscemi, and plenty of rah-rah American imagery. Still, to enjoy the fun, viewers are forced to overlook a glaring flaw: the actual premise of the film.

For those unaware, “Armageddon” concerns a group of oil drillers who are tasked with destroying a meteor before it hits Earth. With just days until the impending disaster, NASA must train these roughnecks to be capable astronauts … an idea that, well, is just plain idiotic. So idiotic, in fact, that Affleck pointed it out to Bay during production, as noted on his now-legendary DVD commentary: “I asked Michael why it was easier to train oil drillers to become astronauts than it was to train astronauts to become oil drillers, and he told me to shut the f*** up,”* Affleck said.

We get that most summer movies require one to check their brains at the door, but there’s a point where a film crosses into too-dumb-to-enjoy territory.

The Prince’s Age – Beauty and the Beast

Walt Disney Pictures
Another ’90s staple, and one of Disney’s best animated films, “Beauty and the Beast” remains an all-time classic thanks to its gorgeous animation, terrific voice acting, memorable songs, and powerful depiction of true love conquering all. It truly is a remarkable tale (as old as time).

Regrettably, after so many viewings, we happened upon a little snag concerning the Beast (Robby Benson). At the beginning of the film, a prologue informs us that he was once a selfish young prince who shunned an enchantress disguised as an old woman on a rainy night. Consequently, the magical woman transformed the prince into the Beast, a guise he would hold forever unless he could make a woman fall in love with him before his twenty-first birthday.

Simple, eh? Well, fast-forward to the “Be Our Guest” sequence, where the cavalier candelabra Lumiere (Jerry Orbach) explains, “Ten years we’ve been rusting, needing so much more than dusting.” Wait — that means the prince was only 11 years old when the Enchantress cursed him. And yet, in the prologue, he’s clearly depicted as a grown man in several paintings — including the one the Beast slashes — and in stained-glass window art around the castle.

So, what gives? Was Lumiere exaggerating? Did the prince hire a blind painter? And really, what kind of Enchantress punishes an 11-year-old kid for acting like… well, an 11-year-old kid?

Malcolm’s Personal Life – The Sixth Sense

Hollywood Pictures
M. Night Shyamalan rose to fame and box office glory with 1999’s “The Sixth Sense,” about young Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment), cursed with the ability to see dead people. Child psychologist Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) steps in to help — only for a late twist to reveal he’s been dead all along, carrying on his routine unaware that no one, not even his wife (Olivia Williams), can see him. It’s a clever rug pull that completely catches first-time viewers by surprise. Except, it falls apart if you think about it too hard.

See, Shyamalan relies on fridge logic, framing Malcolm in a way that fools the audience, but doesn’t hold up logically. For example, when Cole sees Malcolm sitting silently with his mother (Toni Collette), the scene is staged to make us believe the two adults were just having a conversation. In reality, she can’t see Malcolm at all. So what actually happened? Did he just let himself in, sit down at her table, and wait in silence for Cole to show up? How did he even set up this appointment or know when to arrive?

Likewise, how did he know to meet his wife at the restaurant? How does he enter places? What does he eat or drink? Where does he sleep? Does he change clothes?

Perhaps the twist was so novel at the time that we overlooked how it holds about as much water as Shyamalan’s later, more ridiculed efforts.

Ariel’s Strategy – The Little Mermaid

Walt Disney Pictures
We’re diving into the Disney Renaissance now — an era that thrived before audiences spent endless hours online ripping fairy tales to shreds. “The Little Mermaid” fits right in: a lively musical that glosses over plenty of logic gaps to keep the story moving. One nagging issue is Ariel (Jodi Benson) striking a deal with the sea witch Ursula (Pat Carroll): three days to win Prince Eric’s (Christopher Daniel Barnes) love in exchange for her voice, or she becomes Ursula’s property.

Ariel signs the agreement — proving she can write, in cursive no less — and then heads to the surface without her voice. She tries to win Eric over with her looks and, in Ursula’s words, her “body language.” Here’s the problem: if Ariel can read and write, why doesn’t she just grab a piece of parchment and a quill and explain her situation to Eric? Something like: “Hey, I’m the girl who rescued you. I need you to kiss me so I can get my voice back. I’ll explain everything after.”

That seems a lot easier than relying on elaborate musical numbers, and it might have saved everyone a lot of trouble. Had the writers established that mermaids don’t write in human language, or that using writing was against the rules, we could forgive this bit. But as it stands, it undermines Ariel’s character — not only is she portrayed as a spoiled brat, she also comes across as a bit incompetent.

Avengers: Endgame

Marvel Studios
In “Avengers: Endgame,” our heroes must undo the damage caused by Thanos (Josh Brolin) after he snapped away half the universe. Using time travel, they journey to different eras, collect the Infinity Stones, and use them to bring everyone back. Easy peasy. But then, someone has to return the stones to preserve the timeline, a task Captain America (Chris Evans) supposedly accomplishes offscreen before returning as an old man. And for good reason: it’s impossible.

Each stone exists in a unique form and requires magic, space travel, specific circumstances, or advanced technology to retrieve. The Soul Stone can only be obtained through sacrifice. The Space Stone needs Asgardian tech to be re-encased in the Tesseract. The Reality Stone was extracted from Jane Foster’s (Natalie Portman) bloodstream. The Time Stone was entrusted to Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) by the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton). And the Mind Stone would have to be handed directly back to Hydra.

See the problem?

There’s simply no way Captain America could have completed his mission as presented. Even if he somehow managed, his actions would create new branching timelines, just as the Ancient One warned. Loki’s escape with the Tesseract in 2012 already created the “Loki” timeline, guaranteeing permanent branches. In other words, Cap can’t actually “set everything right.”

But hey, don’t worry about it. Just move on to the next Marvel production.