On the Ground Floor

On the Ground Floor Meet Kyle, the Voice Behind THA Enlightened One, Who Believes the Best Things Are Worth the Wait In my ten years working in media, I've had the opportunity to meet and interview a lot of people at different stages of their careers. Ironically—or maybe unironically—I've found myself speaking with quite a few YouTubers along the way, many of them already established, with their format perfected, their audience built, and success firmly within reach. But every once in a while, you come across someone who feels like they're right on the cusp of something bigger. Someone with a voice and a message that deserve to be heard, seemingly waiting for that one viral moment that introduces everyone else to what you've already had the chance to see.As a journalist, sometimes you're lucky enough to meet that person on the ground floor. That's exactly how I felt after my incredibly funny, charismatic, and genuinely wonderful conversation with Kyle, the face behind the THA Enlightened One YouTube channel and social media presence. The first thing I had to know was: what's with the name? I loved the stylization and charm behind THA Enlightened One. Kyle laughed when I asked. He explained that when he takes a deeper look at comics, comic book movies, television shows, and everything surrounding them, he often finds something beneath the surface. When he starts breaking those stories down and talking through what they really mean, he feels 'enlightened.' And that, quite literally, is where the name came from. It's such a simple premise, but it works—because Kyle really does bring that philosophy to his content. Whether he's discussing an overarching comic book storyline, examining a character, or following the progression of comic book media, he's interested in digging beyond what happened and exploring what it all means. I then switched gears to something Kyle emphasizes throughout his channel: the importance of simply waiting and seeing. We've all seen it happen. A casting decision gets announced, a comic book run starts moving in an unexpected direction, and fans immediately lose their minds before anyone has even seen the finished product. What I've noticed about Kyle's videos is that he often takes the opposite approach. As the younger generation might say, he's willing to 'let them cook.' I asked Kyle whether that patience was something he had always possessed or something he developed over the years. He readily admitted that when he was younger, he could be exactly the kind of fan he's talking about now—getting angry over casting choices or creative decisions he didn't agree with. Age and experience changed that perspective. Kyle said he eventually learned the importance of allowing these stories and the people creating them to move at their own pace. Rushing to judgment before seeing where something is going can mean completely missing what the creators were trying to accomplish in the first place. One recent example Kyle pointed to was the casting of Obsession and Superman & Lois actress Inde Navarrette as Rogue in Marvel's upcoming X-Men. At the time of our conversation, reports surrounding Navarrette's rapidly rising career had sparked plenty of online discussion about projects she had supposedly passed on after committing to the role. Kyle's response to all of that noise was refreshingly simple: she's a grown woman. Let her do what she wants. No matter what decision Navarrette made, Kyle argued, somebody online was going to complain about it. Rather than criticizing an actress for choosing one opportunity over another, he was happy to see her pursue the role she believed was right for herself and her career. I then wanted to know about the humor behind Kyle's channel. I admitted that, on more than one occasion, one of his jokes has gotten a genuine laugh out of me—or even resulted in me sending the video to my wife just to brighten up her day. So, naturally, I had to ask: Has Kyle always been the class clown, the funny one in the friend group, or was that something that developed alongside his YouTube personality? Kyle smiled and admitted that he's always been 'low-key funny,' but when creating THA Enlightened One, humor was something he became very conscious of. The last thing he wanted to do was force a joke simply because he felt like a video needed one. Instead, Kyle takes his time working through each video and lets the humor come naturally. If a joke fits the pacing or he finds an opportunity where something funny genuinely belongs, he'll go for it. Just as important, though, is knowing when to pull back. For Kyle, being funny isn't about cramming as many jokes as possible into a video. It's about knowing when the moment is right—and then giving the joke enough room to land. Kyle used this opportunity to circle back to something that seems to sit at the heart of THA Enlightened One: the importance of the slow build. He pointed to 2013's Man of Steel and what happened with DC's cinematic universe afterward. In Kyle's eyes, rather than taking its time establishing characters and building its world, DC rushed to create a larger interconnected universe. He compared that approach with Marvel, which certainly hasn't been without its hiccups, but spent years laying a foundation before reaching its biggest crossover moments. Because Marvel took that time, Kyle argued, it earned itself room to make mistakes. James Gunn's new DC Universe doesn't have that luxury yet.That's why Kyle's biggest hope for the new DCU is surprisingly simple: don't rush it. Fans are already clamoring for Batman. They want Wonder Woman. They want to see all of these iconic characters together as quickly as possible. Kyle would rather see Gunn and company resist that pressure and take the time necessary to build something worthwhile. 'Let them take their time,' was essentially Kyle's message. Because if this new universe is allowed to grow naturally, he believes we could end up with something that lasts—rather than another cinematic universe that collapses because everyone was in too much of a hurry to reach the finish line. Kyle used this opportunity to shift the conversation toward the MCU and the weight of fan expectations. In his view, Marvel still has plenty of success ahead of it—if audiences can stop expecting everything that comes after Avengers: Endgame to somehow recreate the feeling of Endgame. Kyle pointed out something that I think many fans, myself included, have slowly come to realize: Endgame wasn't simply another chapter in the MCU. It was the culmination of the story Marvel had been building toward for more than a decade. In many ways, it was an ending. What we're watching now is something different. It's Marvel attempting to find its next direction, introduce new characters, and build toward whatever comes next. For Kyle, constantly holding that new era against the culmination of everything that came before it creates an expectation that may be impossible to meet. As a creator still early in his career, I wanted to know where Kyle stood on something that has become increasingly difficult for anyone working in a creative field to ignore: artificial intelligence. Kyle wasn't shy about his feelings. For him, AI-generated creative work lacks something essential—the person behind it. While he can understand using AI as a tool for things like research, he draws a much firmer line when it comes to creating art or replacing other forms of human expression. There's a certain luster missing, Kyle explained. Art is supposed to express something about the person who created it—their ideas, emotions, experiences, and personality. When you remove that person from the process, he believes you lose part of what made the creation meaningful in the first place. For someone whose entire channel is built around finding the deeper meaning beneath the things we create, Kyle's stance makes perfect sense: if something is meant to express a piece of ourselves, there should still be a human being behind it. Kyle has also discussed one of the less glamorous sides of being a comic book fan on his channel: just how expensive collecting can become. His advice for anyone looking to get started was refreshingly practical. Pick your favorite character and start there. Rather than immediately chasing individual issues or expensive collectibles, find some of that character's most popular stories collected in trade paperback. They're usually easier to find, readily available at comic shops and bookstores, and can save a new reader quite a bit of money. Kyle pointed out that there's nothing worse than watching the price of a comic suddenly double when the same story can often be found sitting on a bookstore or comic shop shelf for its regular price. It's simple advice, but good advice: you don't need an enormous collection—or an enormous budget—to start enjoying comics. Find a character you love, grab a story that interests you, and start reading. Of course, with a comic book fan sitting in front of me, I had to ask the inevitable question: Who is your favorite hero—and who is your favorite villain? Naturally, Kyle couldn't just give me two names and move on.When it came to heroes, he had to go with Batman. For Kyle, there's something incredible about watching an ordinary human being stand alongside gods, aliens, speedsters, and other super-powered beings and still find a way to hold his own. But Kyle gave me another answer I particularly enjoyed. When looking at the female side of DC's roster, he singled out Zatanna. The magician has become another favorite of his, adding the supernatural corner of the DC Universe to the seemingly endless areas of comic book lore that capture his attention. Then came the villains, and Kyle chose arguably one of Marvel's most compelling: Doctor Doom. He spoke about Doom's history with Reed Richards and the fascinating dynamic between two of the most brilliant minds in the Marvel Universe. He talked about Doom's backstory, his adventures throughout Marvel history, and even his time as Sorcerer Supreme. It was the perfect answer from a man who seemingly can't just enjoy a comic book character at face value. Even when I asked Kyle one of the simplest questions you can ask a comic book fan, he found a way to dig deeper. Then again, I probably should have expected nothing less from THA Enlightened One. As our conversation began winding down, I asked Kyle what advice he would give to someone just starting out and looking to dip their toes into the world of social media. His answer started with three simple words: 'Do what you love.' Kyle stressed the importance of learning how to pull people into your content, but not allowing views, algorithms, or the constant pursuit of that elusive viral moment to become the reason you create in the first place. 'Don't worry about going viral. Just post it,' he told me. And Kyle came back to the same point once again: 'Do what you love, and people will find you.' It's simple advice, but perhaps fitting coming from someone still building his own audience. Kyle isn't speaking from the finish line. He's currently living the advice himself—creating what he loves, putting it out into the world, and trusting that the right people will eventually find it. That answer hit me harder than Kyle probably realized, and it became one of the reasons I enjoyed our conversation as much as I did. The truth is, I've been where Kyle is. I found success creating content on YouTube, but eventually realized that writing was where my heart truly was. Walking away from something that was working to pursue something I loved more wasn't necessarily the easiest decision, but it was the right one for me. So hearing Kyle, still early in his own journey and already finding success, say, 'Do what you love, and people will find you,' genuinely resonated with me. I wish more people would follow that advice. Don't simply pursue what comes easiest or what seems most likely to bring attention. Find the thing you genuinely love doing and give yourself permission to pursue it. Kyle is doing exactly that. And, in my own way, so am I. But, of course, I couldn't let Kyle go without asking the final question I ask everyone—and one of my personal favorites: What is your favorite film? 'Aw, man,' Kyle responded, leaning back in his chair as he searched for an answer. Finally, he had it: Drive. Kyle described the 2011 Ryan Gosling film as 'powerful,' for lack of a better word. What fascinated him most was how little Gosling's character needed to say. So much of who the Driver is comes through in his mannerisms, body language, facial expressions, and the quiet strength Gosling brings to the character. For Kyle, watching a character communicate so much while saying so little is what made him fall in love with the film. And after spending our conversation with someone who loves looking beneath the surface to find the deeper meaning in the media we consume, I couldn't help but think Drive was a pretty fitting answer for THA Enlightened One. From the moment I stumbled across one of THA Enlightened One's shorts and made my way over to his YouTube channel, I knew I had to find out who the guy behind it was. Because every once in a while, you come across someone early enough that you can actually see the spark of something bigger beginning to form. That's exactly what I saw in Kyle. Our conversation only reinforced that feeling. He's funny, thoughtful, charismatic, and, perhaps most importantly, genuinely passionate about what he creates. Kyle isn't chasing the next viral moment. He's doing exactly what he told others to do: creating something he loves and trusting that people will find him. I'm proud to say I had the opportunity to sit down with Kyle during these early chapters of THA Enlightened One. Wherever this journey takes him, I'm excited to continue following it—and hopefully sit down with him again when it's time to celebrate the next milestone. Disclaimer: I reached out to Kyle after discovering his content on THA Enlightened One, and he agreed to participate in an interview for this article. All answers and opinions attributed to Kyle came directly from our conversation and may have been lightly edited, condensed, or reordered for clarity and readability without changing their intended meaning. Photographs accompanying this article were either provided by Kyle or are used under fair use for commentary and editorial purposes. No compensation was provided or received in connection with this interview.