Naruto and Burger King are teaming up for a wild new collaboration internationally, so here’s what you need to know about the big shake ups to the menu. Not long ago, Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto kicked off the 20th anniversary celebration of its original anime release with all sorts of fun projects to help celebrate how far the franchise has come in the two decades. Those celebrations are continuing further this year too as Burger King France has announced a new collaboration with Naruto that sees the burger chain amping itself up with a new menu and merchandise exclusive to the region.

Burger King France first teased fans earlier this week about a new collaboration coming with Naruto, and they celebrated with some brand new art teasing what could be coming in the new team up. Now they have officially revealed what to expect from their new menu changes on their website that includes new burgers, new chicken sandwiches, new merchandise, a special Naruto meal for kids, and special Naruto inspired sauce. But unfortunately, it’s yet to be announced if this collaboration will be seen outside of Burger King France.

What’s New for Naruto’s Burger King Menu?

As detailed by Burger King France’s website, the new Naruto collaboration sees their restaurant change its name to “BKonoha.” Separated into two different menus inspired by both Naruto and Sasuke, the Naruto offering is a burger with a white bun with sesame seeds, beef, emulsified soy sauce, onions and cheese. For the Sasuke offering, it’s the same kind of burger but with chicken instead of a beef hamburger patty. Fans can also nab a special hat or Sasuke t-shirt that will be launched alongside this new menu. There’s even a special new offering for kids.

This new kid’s offering features exclusive Naruto cards, a hat, and some special Naruto sauce. But unfortunately for fans outside of France, it has yet to be announced if Burger King will be offering this collaboration in other territories. As Naruto gets ready for this new menu, it’s the perfect kind of anime for this team up in the United States. Naruto is still one of the most popular anime franchises with a certain generation, so this kind of team up in the West would go a long way with fans (especially as they start testing the waters with anime).

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What’s Next for Naruto?

This team up between Naruto and Burger King might be exclusive to France, but thankfully Naruto still has more in the works for a release potentially later this year. As part of the celebration for that 20th anniversary was a special new four episode anime featuring the original incarnation of Naruto. This brings back the original Team 7 as seen in the pre-Shippuden release, and fans have been waiting quite a while to see the new episodes as the new anime has unfortunately been in the midst of an indefinite delay for the past year.

It was originally scheduled to make its debut in the Fall of 2023 to coincide with Naruto’s 20th anniversary, but unfortunately Naruto has yet to announce when these new episodes will be making their debut. There’s a good chance we’ll see some forward momentum as there are only four episodes to this new special release. At the same time, fans are waiting to see more of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations as the sequel series has also been in the midst of its own indefinite hiatus for the last couple of years too.

The post What You Need to Know for Naruto & Burger King’s Big Team Up appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fans are eagerly awaiting WWE Superstar Alexa Bliss to make her in-ring return, but she’s been keeping busy during her time away from the ring, and now fans can stream her latest project on Netflix. Bliss (who is credited under her real name Lexi Cabrera) is part of the English Dub cast for Netflix’s latest manga adaptation Sakamoto Days, where she plays the role of Obiguro (via Anime News Network). The best part is that the first episodes of the series are streaming now on Netflix, and you can watch the full trailer in the video above.

Sakamoto Days is based on Yuuto Suzuki’s original manga, which is based around a man named Taro Sakamoto. These days Sakamoto runs a popular store in the neighborhood and is well known as someone who wouldn’t hurt a fly, but it turns out that he’s actually a former legendary assassin who retired from that life to raise a family. When his family and new life is threatened, Sakamoto has to go back into action to defend it, but as his wife makes clear, he needs to do it without actually killing anyone or face divorce.

Bliss plays the role of Obiguro, who alongside her partner Boiled are two of the Dondenkai agency’s deadliest assassins. Obiguro is all about the thrill of the fight, which causes her to make some rather unexpected decisions from time to time and is also known for her mid-fight banter. The only person that has a habit of shaking her up is actually Boiled whenever he raises his voice, and their dynamic has led to incredible (and lethal) success within the agency.

As those who have watched Bliss in WWE know, she’s actually a perfect fit for a character like this, as she’s embodied all of those traits at one time during her WWE career. Whether it’s as the Goddess, the haunting ally of Bray Wyatt, or the more playfully disturbing supernatural character she played most recently, she can do it all.

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Bliss is part of a loaded cast as well, which includes Matthew Mercer (Taro Sakamoto), Dallas Liu (Shin Asakura), Xolo Mariduena (Heisuke Mashimo), Rosalie Chiang (Lu Shaotang), Rosie Okumura (Aoi Sakamoto), Aleks Le (Nagumo), SungWon Cho (Boiled), Du-Shaunt Fik-Shun Stegall (Son Hee), and Toru Uchikado (Bacho).

The series is directed by TMS Entertainment’s Masaki Watanabe (Kado – The Right Answer), while Taku Kishimoto (Blue Lock) is in charge of the series’ scripts, and Yō Moriyama (Lupin the Third: Goemon’s Blood Spray) is at the helm of character designs. The series is being split into two parts. Part 1 will contain 11 weekly episodes and is now streaming, releasing its first episode on January 11th. Part 2’s exact release date isn’t known just yet, but it is slated to release in July. You can find the official description below.

“Taro Sakamoto was the ultimate assassin, feared by villains and admired by hitmen. But one day…he fell in love! Retirement, marriage, fatherhood and then… Sakamoto gained weight! the chubby guy who runs the neighborhood store is actually a former legendary hitman! Can he protect his family from danger? Get ready to experience a new kind of action comedy series!”

Are you excited for the new show, and when do you think Bliss will return to WWE? You can talk all things wrestling and TV with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!

The post WWE’s Alexa Bliss Stars in New Netflix Anime Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Aside from its increasingly unhinged storyline, meeting various Disney characters has always been one of the primary joys of Kingdom Hearts. With so many main series games and spinoffs, Sora and his friends have visited plenty of Disney favorites over the years, from heading under the sea to getting spooky with Jack Skellington. But who cares, no big deal, we want more. Specifically, there are a few Disney worlds that absolutely need to come into the game in Kingdom Hearts 4.

Brave

Would Merida and Sora get along? Debatable, as they both tend to be a bit impulsive and stubborn. But that doesn’t mean we don’t want a Brave inspired world in Kingdom Hearts 4. As a Disney/Pixar Princess, this young woman who breaks tradition and accidentally turns her mother into a bear would bring her spirited determination to the story in the best way… and a Scotland-inspired world sounds like good fun to explore.

Encanto

As a newer Disney film, Encanto hasn’t had a chance to join the ranks of Kingdom Hearts. Because so many characters in the movie have special powers, there’s a lot of potential in combat and Keyblade designs with this one – not to mention the map potential for their magical house. Many fans are pretty convinced we’ll see this world in Kingdom Hearts 4, and here’s hoping they’re right.

The Emperor’s New Groove

While Kuzco and the gang have made minor appearances in earlier Kingdom Hearts mobile games, we’ve yet to see them in one of the main console entries to the story. The Emperor’s New Groove has a host of colorful characters we’d love to see interact with Sora and his friends, and there’s good potential for some interesting world designs based on Kuzco’s kingdom, as well.

Moana

Like Kuzco, Moana has briefly appeared in a mobile Kingdom Hearts entry – Kingdom Hearts Unchained X, specifically. But with two films and plenty of interesting magic (hello, Maui shapeshifting), we need to see a whole world dedicated to Moana in Kingdom Hearts 4. There’s fun potential for some water exploration here, and Te Ka is just begging to be a Heartless boss battle. Rumors suggest this one is likely coming, and let’s hope it’s true!

The Incredibles

The superhero family The Incredibles are a dynamic group that could add a lot of interesting elements to Kingdom Hearts. A world full of Supers would be an interesting place for Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who have powers of their own. Villains from the movies could make an appearance as Heartless, and the Incredibles could use their powers to team up as party members.

The Princess and the Frog

Most Disney princesses have some role to play in the Kingdom Hearts universe thanks to the whole Princess of Heart situation. Yet we haven’t visited Tiana in the bayou, and that needs to change in Kingdom Hearts 4. The environment alone could make for an interesting world, and there’s plenty to explore with the “turning into a frog” dynamic as well. Tiana’s in Disney Dreamlight Valley now, so it’s time for the Kingdom Hearts 4 debut.

Up

I’m not saying we need to revisit the absolute cry fest that is the beginning of Up, but that flying house would be a fun addition to the game. Plus, having Carl in the mix would add some interesting old man grumpy energy to the game, which is something we haven’t often seen. And don’t even get me started on Kevin.

Turning Red

Turning Red didn’t enjoy the originally planned theatrical release, which means many people have yet to experience this delightful take on teenage girlhood. Mei Lee and her tendency to transform into a panda when she gets emotional would be incredibly entertaining additions that would fit right into the vibes of Kingdom Hearts. There’s also some great potential for a giant panda Heartless battle that I, frankly, need to experience.

Inside Out

The whole inner-world of emotions situation in Inside Out is perfect for Kingdom Hearts 4. We could travel inside Riley’s mind or even into Sora, Donald, and Goofy’s, to see what their emotions look like. Elements like the Islands of Personality and more would make for compelling gameplay and an entertaining storyline, making this a prime candidate for inclusion in the next Kingdom Hearts game.

The Princess Diaries

This is a “hear me out” situation, but … hear me out. They’ve done live-action worlds before with Pirates of the Caribbean, and while fans had mixed reactions, I’d like to see them try it again with the Princess of Genovia. She is, after all, a Disney princess, and I think a young Mia would have an interesting dynamic with Sora – they’re both incredibly idealistic, but Mia is awkward where Sora just kind of bursts right into any situation without thinking.

The post Kingdom Hearts 4 Should Feature These 10 Disney Worlds appeared first on ComicBook.com.

WWE NXT saved its biggest surprise for last, revealing a new feud for two top Superstars that should be fantastic, but no one actually saw it fully play out thanks to The CW cutting off the show’s ending. After Roxanne Perez addressed the crowd and her loss to Giulia, she was surprised by none other than the Role Model Bayley, and the two would exchange words before things ended up in a brawl between the two stars. Unfortunately, the CW cut the feed right as the fight started, but thankfully WWE posted the rest of the footage after the fact, and you can watch it in the video below.

While there wasn’t a ton more to the fight, no one actually knew what happened until the video got posted in its entirety. Bayley pulls Roxanne’s feet from under her and starts unleashing strikes. Perez is able to turn the tables a bit and get the upper hand as she delivers strikes of her own, but Bayley keeps fighting as the video fades to black.

This is not the first time NXT has been cut off early, and hopefully that’s something that gets addressed at some point. It’s especially frustrating for moments like this, but at least we got to see the majority of the segment between the two stars in the ring. The potential for this feud is huge, and a match between Bayley and Perez could easily be the main event of NXT’s next Premium Live Event if they choose to book it that way.

This whole thing started when Perez came out to address the crowd, and at first it seemed like she was leaning into a babyface promo. Perez said, “When I first won the NXT Women’s Championship at Stand & Deliver, no one thought I would hold it for 276 days. 9 Title defenses, and with every defense, the Title would continue to impress. All I ever wanted to do was make that Title special. All I ever wanted to do was make a Women’s Division that you could be proud of and I think we did that.”

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“We attracted the best women all around thew world, because this is the best Women’s’ Division in wrestling today. But, here I stand without my Title, because unfortunately last week, Giulia was the better woman. So, congratulations Giulia, and congrats to all of you guys, because as sad as it makes me, it’s what you guys wanted,” Perez said.

“But you want to know what’s even sadder? The state of the Women’s Division without me as Champion. You guys really think that Giulia is going to take it to the heights that I took it too? No one is going to love this division more than me, and that feeling you get when women’s wrestling is changing? Women’s wrestling is the focus, well you can kiss that all goodbye, because without me this division is going to be lost. NXT doesn’t deserve me. You guys don’t deserve me. And I know how much you guys love to live in nostalgia, because it’s not going to be the same. At one time you needed the four horsewomen, but you guys only needed one,” Perez said.

That’s when Bayley surprised everyone and came out to chants of welcome back. Bayley stood face to face with Perez and then said she should be growing from this, but Perez didn’t want to hear it, saying, “I didn’t ask for your advice.”

“You’ve been asking for advice since we met, when you were just a little shorter than you are now, which is crazy,” Bayley said to a huge reaction from the crowd. “I’ve believed in you since day one. but sister, the division is going to be fine. They will be fine without you. It doesn’t mean what you did wasn’t important, it just means we’re bigger than that.”

“You’re just like Natalya, you’re just like CM Punk. You know what it shows? You’re just like everyone I used to look up to. Why are you even here Bayley? You think NXT owes you something? You set records, but you know what, I broke them. Let’s face it Bayley, you were my role model. I think I could be yours now,” Perez said.

Bayley had enough of Roxy’s shots, saying, “You know what Rox, the biggest difference between me and you, is you’re stuck here, while I’m at going on to WrestleMania after I win the Title this Friday from Tiffany Stratton.” Perez then slapped Bayley in the face, which prompted the response from Bayley, ending NXT in a full-on brawl.

What did you think of Bayley returning to NXT? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA!

The post WWE NXT’s Broadcast Ends Early: Watch Cut Off Brawl Between Bayley and Roxanne Perez appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Lucasfilm’s latest Star Wars series has officially wrapped on Disney+ and the ending of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has fans wondering about one major question: Is Skeleton Crew getting a season 2? It’s a logical one to ponder for sure, not only because it’s no guarantee that a Star Wars TV series returns for more episodes, but anything is possible in that galaxy far, far away. Up until this point there’s been no official confirmation about more episodes of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, but ahead of the show’s premiere on Disney+, the future for this corner of the galaxy started to look brighter.

Before the first episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew even aired, the rumor mill and assumptions lead many fans to think that the series would be a limited one, wrapping up as a one-and-done show on Disney+. At first this seemed like the right move to fans, considering the heartbreak of cancellations like The Acolyte, but the creators appeared to be open to the idea of telling more stories with the characters as premiere time loomed. In an interview last year, series co-creator Jon Watts noted that a season two of Skeleton Crew would have to avoid a major problem of another hit series in order to work.

RELATED: What’s Next for Star Wars After the Skeleton Crew Finale

“It would be something like [a three to four-year time jump] to make sense,” Watts told Collider. “But we wouldn’t do like a Stranger Things thing where we’re like ‘It’s the next day,’ because it won’t be.” Watts’ co-creator Christopher Ford added another wrinkle, noting: “It’s built into it that it would be a bigger time jump forward because it does take so long to get things moving. There are so many repercussions. It’s like, you kind of want to catch up later.”

As noted above however, there has still been no movement one way or the other one if Star Wars: Skeleton Crew will be renewed for season two. Of note however is that even if Skeleton Crew doesn’t get renewed, a new rumor has teased that the characters may be showing up down the line anyway.

A report earlier this month revealed that plans may be in motion for characters from the series to appear on the big screen, showing up in Dave Filoni’s planned “crossover” movie. Since that film is set to merge storylines from The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and other critical Star Wars moments from Disney+ into one, it would make a lot of sense for some familiar Skeleton Crew faces to appear. Until then we’ll have to wait and see, but right now Skeleton Crew season two has not been confirmed, nor has it even been hinted at.

The post Star Wars: Skeleton Crew Season 2: Will the Disney+ Series Return? appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel is known for its bold storytelling, with a mix of big blockbuster events and grounded, personal affairs. The publisher knows how to keep readers on their toes, while also teasing what it has in the pipeline. A special one-shot to close out the year has foreshadowed the following year’s biggest storylines, and the latest version came in Timeslide #1. The team up featuring the X-Men time travelers Cable and Bishop gave glimpses at what’s in store for 2026, but there was one scene that laid out what’s to come.

Cable and Bishop encountered Bronze, one of the new mutants Kitty Pryde is training in Exceptional X-Men. Bronze showed Cable and Bishop a list of events that have already occured in her timeline, but have yet to take place in theirs. The list is long, but it teases many of the storylines that will presumably take place in various books throughout 2025.

[RELATED: Wolverine #400: Marvel Teases Surprise Return From Logan’s Past in Milestone Issue]

We’ve done the dirty work for you and pulled ten of the events teased in Timeslide #1 that Marvel fans will want to pay attention to this year. They range from new status quos for Doctor Doom and Danny Rand’s Iron Fist, to the return of old villains and new threats rising to the surface. Make sure to let us know your thoughts as you make your way through the list, and let us know which ones you’re most excited about reading.

Strange of Asgard

Doctor Strange undergoes an identity crisis after losing the title of Sorcerer Supreme to Doctor Doom. Fans have wondered what will come of Stephen Strange, but Marvel revealed the mystical hero will head to the magical world of Asgard in a new ongoing series. Doctor Strange of Asgard is by writer Derek Landy and artist Carlos Magno, and finds Doctor Strange attempting to become the Sorcerer Supreme of Asgard.

Strange will become embroiled in a deadly power struggle and murder mystery that will bring him into conflict with Loki, Thor, and the other sorcerers of the Golden Realm. Marvel promises that long-hidden secrets of Asgardian myth will be uncovered in the series.

The Time of Strife

At first glance, this prognostication doesn’t offer many clues, but fans may have gotten an answer in the first issue of Deadpool/Wolverine. The mystery X-Men villain that writer Benjamin Percy had been teasing to make a comeback turned out to be Stryfe, Cable’s evil clone. Stryfe manipulates Deadpool throughout the debut issue, and the comic also alludes to Stryfe having a part to play in Deadpool and Wolverine’s past.

Fans got a primer on Cable’s history in the first season of X-Men ’97, as the son of Cyclops and Madelyne Pryor (Jean Grey’s clone) got sent to the future so he could get treatment for the techno-organic virus ravaging his body. After the hit success of Deadpool & Wolverine, the team-up comic that brings the two X-Men characters together against the time-traveling villain will be a can’t-miss title.

Beware the Spider-Verse

The name of this teaser is partially blocked in Timeslide #1, but we’re going to assume it’s referring to the Spider-Verse and its upcoming war with the Venomverse. Marvel’s multiverse has exploded in recent years in titles like Edge of Spider-Verse and Venomverse Reborn. That trend will continue in Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood and Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains, all leading up to the event series Spider-Verse vs. Venomverse.

Web of Spider-Verse: New Blood and Web of Venomverse: Fresh Brains will continue to introduce new Spider characters and Lethal Protectors as the guardians of the Web of Life and Destiny collide with the Symbiote Hive-Mind.

The Ghost Fist Walks

Danny Rand died in Iron Fist 50th Anniversary Special #1, but his resurrection was already hinted at thanks to a QR-coded bonus scene. After having his arm and leg cut off and killed by the blade-handed assassin Razor Fist — possessed by the mystical creature named Ch’i-Lin — a skeletal hand burst through Rand’s gravesite, alluding that the Immortal Iron First would rise again.

What form Danny Rand takes upon his resurrection remains to be seen. Will he be a new Spirit of Vengeance a la Ghost Rider, or instead of being the Iron Fist, will he simply be called the Ghost Fist?

Ms. Marvel – Second Genesis

In X-Men lore, “Second Genesis” refers to Professor X’s second team of X-Men with fan favorites like Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Colossus. What it means for Ms. Marvel is a mystery for now, though there are some guesses we can take. Similar to Cyclops, could we see Ms. Marvel leading a new team of X-Men after another team disbands? Ms. Marvel is already the lead in NYX, but perhaps a Second Genesis title replaces that one.

There’s also the possibility that Ms. Marvel experiences a second mutation of some kind. The conclusion of Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant teased changes to her powers, as her mutant powers never manifested because of her exposure to the Inhuman Terrigen Mist. “Second Genesis” may see those mutant powers explode.

The Will of Doom

At the beginning of the year, we will see the Marvel Universe under the reign of Doctor Doom in “One World Under Doom.” But what does the latter half of the year hold for Marvel fans? We may find out in “The Will of Doom.”

[RELATED: Marvel’s Next Generation of Heroes Just Went on a Major Recruiting Drive]

“One World Under Doom” has to conclude at some point, and it’s not like things will simply go back to the way they were before Doctor Doom stole the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Doom has plans on top of plans, and if Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are somehow able to get the upper hand, he will surely enact them. “The Will of Doom” could become the next act in Marvel’s Doctor Doom resurgence.

XVX

We’ve had Avengers vs. X-Men and Inhumans vs. X-Men, but now we’re apparently getting XVX. You would have thought that’s what the X-Men event “Raid on Graymalkin” is about, but that might be the prelude to an even bigger X-Men civil war coming down the line. Heroes fighting heroes has always been a money-making recipe, so it’s not a surprise to see a tease for another throwdown on the horizon.

We know X-Manhunt is coming in March, and it finds Charles Xavier on the run as the most dangerous mutant in the world. Again the X-Men will have to choose a side, whether it’s in favor of their former mentor, or against him for his crimes against mutant-kind at the end of the Krakoan era.

Galactic Leaders Assassinated

One of the more mysterious entries deals with the assassination of galactic leaders. There are several leaders of galactic nations, including Emperor Hulkling ruling over the combined Kree and Skrull races. If the leaders of these different empires are killed, it could send the galaxy into chaos. The cosmic side of the Marvel Universe continues to grow and expand, and an event like this will only help to raise its profile.

Marvel has teased a new secret project from Jonathan Hickman with the title Imperial. Galactic leaders are very similar to imperials, meaning this may be the project Jonathan Hickman is working on. “Nature abhors a vacuum” is another clue that points to a galactic assassination. If these leaders were truly killed, then that would leave a vacuum of power open for opportunists to exploit. The only question is who are the executioners and who are the assassinated?

Ultimate Incursion

Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe was one of the highlights of 2024, and as we move on to Year 2 it appears that a crossover of some form is upon us. Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch kicked off the Ultimate Universe 2.0 in Ultimate Invasion, and soon we’ll have Ultimate Incursion.

Hickman introduced readers to incursions in the lead-up to 2015’s Secret Wars, with different worlds colliding and destroying themselves. We’ve also had incursions name-dropped in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the Multiverse Saga plays out in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Ultimate Incursion could be a crossover between the Ultimate Universe and the Earth-616 universe.

One World Under Doom

It’s all about Doctor Doom in 2025. Robert Downey Jr. is portraying Victor Von Doom in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, and Doctor Doom is now the Sorcerer Supreme of the Marvel Universe. “One World Under Doom” is the first big publishing event of the year, and there will be several tie-ins and limited series spinning out of the storyline. There is also a One World Under Doom title that finds Marvel’s heroes responding to Doctor Doom declaring himself Emperor Doom.

ComicBook spoke to One World Under Doom writer Ryan North to find out all the details, including Doom’s opening salvo and some of the big confrontations to come, such as Doctor Doom and the Fantastic Four, and the one character Doom turns to for advice.

The post 10 Marvel Storylines Fans Can Look Forward to in 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Lumon employees are taking a retreat into the outie world. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen Apple TV+’s hit thriller Severance back in the mainstream after its first season wrapped up three years ago. With the positive reviews for the latest season rolling in, fans are excited to dig deep into the minds of their favorite characters (both innie and outie). On the heels of the highly-anticipated season 2 premiere, the marketing team over at Apple has put together an unusual but interesting way of getting the word out to the masses about Severance season 2.

In a viral social media post from series director Ben Stiller, Grand Central Station bypassers got a glimpse inside the world of an innie, as a pop-up event took place right in the middle of the busiest stations in New York. The video showcases Lumon employees going about their work while not paying attention to the world outside of them. Though the pop-up was originally filled with unknown actors, series stars Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry, and Tramell Tillman later appeared and started working inside the tiny, public cubicle. While everyone else is chatting, including Stiller, the cast inside is quiet and focused solely on the tasks in front of them.

Severance Cast Promotes Season 2 in Grand Central Station

Severance follows Mark Scout (Adam Scott), an employee of Lumon Industries who agrees to a “severance” program, which separates his non-work memories from his work memories, meaning the two sides of his life have no knowledge of the other. Two of Mark’s colleagues and Lumon, and fellow severed employees, include Helly (Lower) and Dylan (Cherry), both of whom can be seen in the video. The absence of John Turturro’s Irving is a bit concerning for fans, considering the end of season 1 left his return to Lumon still unknown. However, seeing Mr. Milchick as head supervisor of the team is an eerie sign that the season 1 ending might not have gone the way viewers hoped it would.

RELATED: 10 Things Severance Fans Need to Remember Before Season 2

Severance’s return to Apple TV+ is one that fans have been waiting on for years, literally, as the first season ended on a cliffhanger back in 2022. Season 2 will see the return of Ms. Casey (Dichen Lachman), Ricken Hale (Michael Chernus), Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), Burt Goodman (Christopher Walken), and Devon Scout-Hale (Jen Tullock). New additions to the Severance cast include Alia Shawkat (Arrested Development), Bob Balaban (Best in Show), Merritt Wever (Nurse Jackie), Ólafur Darri Ólafsson (Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald), Gwendoline Christie (Game of Thrones), and John Noble (The Lord of the Rings). 

While fans don’t know what to really expect from the new episodes of Severance, we can already suspect that the revealing information from the season finale will creep its way into the limelight in a major way. As noted in the official description by Apple TV+, “In season two, Mark and his friends learn the dire consequences of trifling with the severance barrier, leading them further down a path of woe.”

Severance season 2 premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, January 17.

The post Severance Cast Promote Season 2 in One of the Strangest Ways appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds is the latest entry in the Capcom series, arriving next month on Xbox Series X, PlayStation 5, and PC. The developers have been hard at work making this the best entry in the series, and to do this, Capcom has been reevaluating and modifying aspects of the series, making improvements, and adding new features. Among them, the game fuses many of the systems from Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise while also introducing its own, and improving on existing mechanics. One system fans have had issues with in the past has been revamped, making it better than ever and more accessible in Monster Hunter Wilds.

The Capcom development team for Monster Hunter Wilds opened up about how cooking works in-game in a recent interview with IGN. Long time players will already be familiar with heading to a cantina to cook up delicious meals, featuring a wide array of recipes, or throwing some raw meat on a BBQ spit quickly while on a hunt. With Monster Hunter Wilds, the devs have found a way to combine the two into something entirely new.

RELATED: Monster Hunter Outlanders Announced With New Trailer

In Monster Hunter Wilds, players will be able to set up small campsites, complete with a small grill. Here, players can cook up simple, yet delicious recipes while on a hunt. While previous games were primarily limited to meat, players can use these campsites to cook up different recipes with meat, vegetables, and fish.

While this may sound like a small change, it is a major shift for the game, and can greatly impact a hunt. Cooked food can give players buffs, making hunts easier or providing much-needed defense and elemental resistance. Players would normally have to return to a cantina to cook these types of recipes, so being able to set up camps on the go lets players achieve this from practically anywhere.

The team at Capcom opened up about their excitement for the change to the cooking system, revealing their inspirations and research into making food look as good as possible in Monster Hunter Wilds. Capcom focused on making the making the meals visually appealing, even if it resulted in a lie, such as the cabbage lifting a little when the player removed the lid. Little tricks like this, and specific lighting techniques, go a long way to make the food standout.

The time and hard work put into Monster Hunter Wilds appears to have already paid off, because everything looks delicious. Even if the cooking and eating cutscenes are short, the labor shows how dedicated the team is to making every aspect of the game perfect. Many players will likely find themselves getting hungry watching their characters cook, and may need to pause the game to grab a snack.

Monster Hunter Wilds is set to launch on February 28, 2025, and a second open beta is planned to take place ahead of its release. Fans can jump into the open beta and possibly cook up some of the delicious recipes at that time. Just remember not to go hunting on an empty belly or you’ll need to set up camp!

The post Monster Hunter Wilds Is Cooking With This Updated System appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Dungeons and Dragons has had a huge resurgence in recent years. Wizards and the Coast and Hasbro are intent on capitalizing on this, pushing out films, games, and even reworking Dungeons & Dragons 5e with its 2024 and 2025 series. However, this has alienated some fans, finding themselves stuck in a place where they want to use legacy content instead of new material. Some players have jumped ship altogether after some of Hasbro’s choices, even after these were backtracked. Fortunately, there are so many options for tabletop role-playing, and we’ve listed out some of the best alternatives to Dungeons and Dragons below.

Here are fantastic alternatives for those looking for a new TTRPG.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder by Paizo is the classic alternative to Dungeons and Dragons, having many similar features. Both games feature a similar fantasy setting and share similar gameplay. Pathfinder got its start being designed after Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition before it turned into the 4th edition. It shares the crunchiness of the former system and unrestrictive character building. Pathfinder was even called D&D 3.75 because of how similar it was to D&D 3.5. Since then, Pathfinder has found its footing, standing out on its own but offering D&D players a familiar alternative.

Pathfinder 2e features 23 playable base classes with many more prestige options and there are over 30 ancestries, or races. Many of these are similar to what players would find in D&D, but new options as well. Players will find the systems similar as well, with questing, story-telling, miniatures, dice, and maps. Paizo also releases new material and adventures regularly, giving players and game masters plenty to enjoy. Transitioning from Dungeons and Dragons to Pathfinder may take a little bit of work, but gives a less restrictive alternative to the classic TTRPG.

Daggerheart

Retaining a similar feel to D&D is Daggerheart, the upcoming TTRPG by Critical Role. Critical Role is probably the most successful D&D campaign, having found its roots in Pathfinder and then D&D before ultimately deciding to create its own TTRPG. Daggerheart shares the theme of a fantasy world, and considering it stemmed from the creative minds at Critical Role and Darrington Press, fans will find comfort in its familiarity. However, Daggerheart implements a unique world and unique features that will engage players both new to tabletop roleplaying games and veterans.

One of the main features of Daggerheart is how it incorporates the game master in a player role. This is done through its two dice system, Hope and Fear, creating a system defined as yes, yes and, no, and no and. When players roll good or bad with Hope, they can a bonus, however, if players roll with fear, success, or failure, the GM gains a bonus. The GM can then use these Fear points to further interact with the party, giving them a pseudo-player status. At launch, Daggerheart will feature eight classes and 18 ancestries or races. As Daggerheart launches in Spring of 2025, players will get to experience this TTRPG for the first time and help shape its future.

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BREAK!! RPG

BREAK!! RPG is yet another fantasy tabletop role-playing game but carries a different aesthetic than Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Daggerheart. Fans will spot its anime style, inspired by Studio Ghibli, The Legend of Zelda, and more. It smashed through its Kickstarter goal, showing the promise and love behind this project. It is designed to be simple and quick to learn, provide a clean and modern rule set for fantasy fans, and has all the hallmarks of old-school gaming. From problem-solving to combat, hero progression, and loot gathering, BREAK!! RPG has many of the fan-favorite features of D&D, SNES games, and anime. It also features a unique setting that is post-apocalyptic but not grimdark, hitting a sweet spot that allows for darker and lighter moments.

Players have the choice of eight callings or classes, including the likes of Battle Princess and Murder Princess, and eleven species if you count Native Humans to Dimensional Stray Humans (that’s right, you can be an isekai human). BREAK!! RPG leans heavily into its anime influences, and this is clear in the world and gameplay mechanics. The BREAK!! RPG store is currently not open yet, likely because the team is still fulfilling Kickstarters and getting itself up and running, but players can expect engaging and entertaining adventures with BREAK!! RPG.

Dark Heresy

The Warhammer 40,000 universe is grim and dark, without much hope, but its games are a blast. For tabletop role-playing, there are numerous options for exploring this world, but Dark Heresy is one of the best. Players take on the role of acolytes serving an Inquisitor of the Imperium of Man, hunting and eradicating the heretic and the alien. It features fast character creation to get you into the game quickly and dynamic rules featuring combat, stealth, and social play.

With the core rules of Dark Heresy, there are seven classes to choose from, but this has been expanded with expansion books. Players will largely be from the Imperium of Man, but there are options for playing as Xeno races. While there have been successors to Games Workshops’s Dark Heresy, it remains one of the best and has the most content. Newer additions add and remove features, but Dark Heresy gives an excellent glimpse into the brutal reality of living in the Warhammer 40,000 world, especially compared to a Space Marine like in Warhammer 40,000K: Space Marine 2.

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Mutants and Masterminds

For superhero fans, Mutants and Masterminds is a great system to live out your power fantasy in a modern world. Whether you are a DC or Marvel fan, you can recreate your favorite heroes and villains, or make one completely unique. Where Mutants and Masterminds excels the most is in creating narratives and wish fulfillment, especially with how popular superheroes have become in the media. Mutants and Masterminds has numerous editions and books, providing content for just about every player.

Mutant and Masterminds differs from some TTRPGs in that it does not use a traditional class system. Instead, it relies on a power level system where players choose various powers and increase how strong these are. Mutant and Masterminds does require more work in the character creation phase and requires the game master to more finely tune villains and encounters, but is well worth the work. There are numerous pre-written games players can use to get their feet wet and learn the system before eventually diving into making their own characters and adventures.

Liminal Horror

For those who want a more grounded and realistic TTRPG, Liminal Horror is a great place to look. It focuses on everyday characters who encounter something out of the ordinary, typically in a horror setting. Think Alan Wake meets True Detective and you’ll quickly see where Liminal Horror can take you. One of the best parts of Liminal Horror is how accessible it is. PDFs of the basic rules are available online, and the system is incredibly easy to use to create custom homebrew content.

One of the main reasons Liminal Horror is so easy to get into is its rules-lite and adaptable systems. Players take on the role of investigators, whether by trade or circumstance, typically uncovering some dark or eldritch horror. Survival is the main goal, and not one every player will succeed at. It describes itself as “not a game about solving mysteries, but rather surviving them.” Again, Liminal Horror is incredibly flexible, with players creating various modules inspired by Control, The Last of Us meets Twin Peaks, and obviously the Cthulu mythos. Liminal Horror is simple and offers the ability to create complex narratives and compelling interactions, and provides a great gateway into more complicated systems.

Cyberpunk Red

Cyberpunk RED serves as a TTRPG version of Cyberpunk 2077 and serves as a prequel to the game, taking place between the original Cyberpunk TTRPG and Cyberpunk 2077. The story is set somewhere around 2045 after the end of the 4th Corporate War. While the major corporations are taking their time to lick their wounds, players take on the roles of those left behind trying to survive and live off the scraps. Cyberpunk RED’s books offer huge amounts of lore and worldbuilding, filling in gaps for game masters while allowing them to come up with their own narratives.

Cyberpunk RED features 8 roles or classes, players can choose from when making their character. Those familiar with Cyberpunk 2077 will find similar archetypes to what V can be made into in-game. The game master has the freedom to create the narrative, but as Cyberpunk 2077 players know, anything can happen in Night City, leaving the players with multiple paths to take. Cyberpunk RED offers streamlined gameplay that sacrifices none of its depth, particularly with the change to Netrunning. Groups can partake in pre-written modules to learn the game, or jump right in and live life in Night City their way.

Tabletop role-playing has never been in a better place than it has been now. Dungeons and Dragons has pushed the boundaries and brought this experience to even more people. While D&D is the iconic system and will likely remain king for quite some time, new TTRPGs are being written and published every year, so feel free to experience something new like one of the TTRPGs above.

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Tonight’s episode of NXT got things started with the new NXT Champion Oba Femi, but there was one very conspicuous absence from the set, and it may be tied to some recent critical comments. That missing presence was WWE commentator Corey Graves, who was supposed to initially be part of the three man crew for NXT but did not make an appearance tonight, even though he previously teased he had some things to say during the episode.

WWE recently switched things up regarding its commentary teams, with Michael Cole and Pat McAfee taking over Monday Night Raw and Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett taking over SmackDown. Corey Graves then joined the team of Vic Joseph and Booker T for NXT’s New Year’s Evil, but it was thought of as a one-off. That didn’t turn out to be the case though, as it was later said that Graves would be on NXT’s commentary team moving forward, and that clearly didn’t sit well with Graves.

On X, Graves seemingly addressed the shake-up, writing, “Imagine chasing your dream. Then being TOLD (not deciding) that you’re no longer physically able to pursue your dream. Then you dedicate your life to something “dream adjacent” and being pretty f awesome at it. And then, when it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labor, being told you’re not famous enough for your own job. Just in case you’ve wondered where I’ve been.”

Then 11 hours ago Graves tweeted, “I’ve got a lot to say. Don’t miss #WWENXT tonight on @TheCW TONIGHT.” That would then lead to another surprising development, as it was reported that Graves wouldn’t be on NXT’s new episode after all, and only two chairs were present at the commentary desk during setup.

[RELATED: A WWE Supergroup Just Left Raw for SmackDown]

This is where things get a bit complicated. A new report from Fightful Select has provided some insight into the whole situation, but as of now they can’t confirm whether this is part of a work storyline or a shoot. What they have heard is that those close to Graves claim it’s real, and Fightful heard last week that Graves wasn’t happy and was frustrated with the move to NXT.

A report from PWInsider also claimed that Graves wasn’t just off camera or backstage either, as he was evidently seen at TSA leaving the Orlando area. Graves doesn’t live in that area (he lives in Pittsburgh), and as of 3:45 PM EST he was not at NXT rehearsals.

Among talent and production sources in NXT that were asked about the situation, none of them were aware that Graves would be moving to NXT, and many were surprised to see him at New Year’s Evil. One source assumed he was there because he was in town for the event and not part of any permanent move.

There have been some theories that this is part of a storyline that could see him make a return to in-ring action sometime soon. That would tie into the history he brought up in his tweet. This could also be genuine frustration with not being part of the Raw or SmackDown commentary teams, but for now we’ll have to wait and see, as it’s not known when he will show back up on TV again, and if he does show up, it’s not known which that will take place on.

You can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @KnightofOA.

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Nearly two decades after Faran Tahir terrorized Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) in 2008’s Iron Man as Raza, leader of the Afghanistan-based sect of the Ten Rings, the actor is set to reprise his role in Marvel Studios’ Vision series at Disney+. The Iron Man and Star Trek alum is the latest actor to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Paul Bettany-led WandaVision spinoff series, which has reportedly cast James Spader as the A.I. villain he played in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. Deadline first reported the news.

Tahir appeared just once in the MCU, although he was mentioned by Wenwu (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), a.k.a. the Mandarin, in a deleted scene from 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. In Iron Man, Raza kidnapped Stark to force him to build a Jericho missile — setting the industrialist on the path to becoming an armored avenger — before he was dispatched, albeit off-screen, by Obadiah Stane (Jeff Bridges).

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Terry Matalas (Star Trek: Picard) is head writer and showrunner of the as-yet-untitled Vision series, the latest from a post-Endgame corner of the MCU that has expanded with 2021’s WandaVision and 2024’s Agatha All Along.

Bettany voiced Stark’s A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S. in the Iron Man trilogy before Spader’s rogue robot Ultron built him his synthezoid body in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Powered by the Mind Stone, Vision joined the Avengers and served with Earth’s mightiest heroes in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War until his death at the hands of Thanos in 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War.

A resurrected Vision returned in WandaVision, brought back by his grieving wife Wanda’s (Elizabeth Olsen) magic after S.W.O.R.D. dismantled and rebuilt the “most sophisticated, sentient weapon ever made.” As the all-white Vision, the new version had a programming directive to destroy the “true Vision,” only for his memories to be restored before flying away from Westview.

What Is Marvel’s Vision Quest?

Plot details remain under wraps, but the series is expected to pull from Vision Quest, a story line spanning issues of West Coast Avengers in the 1980s. After the Vision tapped into every computer system on the planet and seized control of America’s nuclear arsenal, the world’s government security agencies formed Vigilance: a multi-national venture to keep a “watchful eye” on the synthetic android.

The Scarlet Witch learned that Vigilance scientists dismantled her robot husband and wiped his memory to erase data he might have uncovered from the world’s security networks, leaving him an all-white blank slate. (This was adapted into the MCU after the events of Avengers: Endgame.) The Avengers sought the help of Vision’s “grandfather,” Hank Pym, to restore the Vision, only to learn that Vigilance erased Vision’s back-up memory on file. Pym eventually uploaded data tapes into the synthezoid’s memory to reprogram the rebooted Vision, but without the emotional connection to that information.

Marvel Studios’ Vision series is expected to premiere on Disney+ in 2026.

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Dragon Ball Daima has been making some big reveals about the Demon Realm with each new episode, and the series as a result has made Piccolo and the Namekians stronger and more crafty than they ever have been before. Dragon Ball Daima is a brand new series celebrating the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama’s original manga making its debut with Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, and it features a brand new story from late creator Toiriyama himself. As Goku and the others make their way through the Demon Realm for the first real time in the franchise, it’s revealed how important this realm actually is to everything seen before.

Dragon Ball has teased elements from the Demon Realm in the past with surprising foes and allies coming from this region, but Dragon Ball Daima is the first real time that the series has spent any real time to flesh it out. With this also revealing that the Namekians are indeed originally from this realm instead of outer space, Dragon Ball Daima has also begun to reveal more about Piccolo’s past and latent abilities. And they’re much different than any other demon in the Demon Realm.

Namekians Are Unique Demons in Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball Daima previously revealed that the Namekians are actually originally from the Second Demon World in the Demon Realm. While it had previously seemed like they had come from the Planet Namek, they actually fled to that planet years before the events of the original Dragon Ball series. Piccolo has ties to the Demon Realm too as he previously also revealed his real name in the region, Katatz, and it’s clear that the Namekians have a much more notable thread through the Demon Realm than previously expected. Especially when it comes to using magic.

Dragon Ball fans have seen Piccolo using all kinds of abilities over the course of the franchise as he not only has access to Ki power, but also seems to have magic techniques of his own. He’s been shown to have the ability to grow giant in size, clone himself in multiple ways, and can even make clothes magically appear. And other Namekians like Neva have been shown to have their own magically abilities such as having a full range of control over the creation and use of the Dragon Balls. There’s just one small fact about all of this that stands out, however. This seems to be unique to Namekians.

Dragon Ball Daima has also explained that those in the Demon Realm are fairly unique. Rather than being able to use Ki as seen with Goku and the others in the outside world, Majin can only use magic. It was also teased that the Majin could only use one type of magic ability on top of that, so their powers are fairly limited in terms of what they can do. That doesn’t seem to be the case for Piccolo and the Namekians, however, as it’s been revealed through both Piccolo and Neva that they can increase their relative powers.

RELATED: Dragon Ball Daima’s English Dub Is Now Streaming, But Has One Glaring Problem

What Does This Mean for Piccolo and the Namekians?

Like Piccolo, Neva has been shown to have incredible power at his disposal. He not only originally created the Tamagamis that protect the Demon Realm’s Dragon Balls, but he’s able to quickly make them stronger in the middle of a fight too. He’s also been shown to have incredible control over the Dragon Balls in the outside world, and can even activate them while they were still in hibernation. It’s something that he’s able to do after living for thousands of years, and it seems like these powers had grown stronger over time.

We’ve seen dozens examples of Piccolo growing stronger through training. His fully transformative forms have come through fusion and a result of a wish on the Dragon Balls, but he’s been able to get himself to that point with his own power. His training has gotten his Ki levels to a new kind of mastery, and that’s something no other Namekian or being in the Demon Realm has shown the capability for. If that’s the case, then this new series has been secretly bringing Piccolo up to the level of everyone else.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was the first real example of Piccolo getting a boost up to the power of the gods that Goku and Vegeta had used, and now Dragon Ball Daima is getting him further to that level with its exploration of the Demon Realm. Piccolo has the power of a demon, and has been steadily reaching Goku and Vegeta’s levels on the outside of their paths. With each new reveal in this new anime series, Piccolo’s only going to be getting stronger from here on out if he’s such a unique demon too.

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One of the most popular sitcoms was The Big Bang Theory, which first aired in 2007, ran for 12 seasons, and even had a spinoff (with another one on the way), all while getting great ratings on CBS. Over the years, the show racked up more than fifty Emmy nominations and won several awards for the cast. But to make that happen, it wasn’t just about having a good story for each episode and a solid main cast. The characters also needed their backstories and key relationships to make the plot come together perfectly. This is where not just the secondary cast, but also those one-episode cameo appearances, come into play.

Many of the characters who appeared in The Big Bang Theory only for a cameo helped add depth to key details that were crucial in the broader context. How could Leonard and Penny become a couple without a little nudge from another character? How do you help Sheldon and Leonard reconcile after a fight and prevent their friendship from falling apart? These are just a few of the reasons why major guest appearances played a key role in the overall development of the show. But among all the cameos, which ones had the biggest impact?

Theodore (Christopher Lloyd)

In the episode “The Property Division Collision” from Season 10, the legendary Christopher Lloyd makes an appearance as Theodore, a drifter who ends up renting Sheldon’s old room after he moves in with his girlfriend Amy. This happens because Sheldon and Leonard can’t agree on who gets to keep the shared items in the apartment, which is now Leonard and Penny’s. Their disagreement escalates, leading to a fight between the two best friends, and that’s when Theodore settles in – much to the displeasure of Leonard and Penny. However, it’s Theodore who ultimately helps resolve the conflict and get them back on track.

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Theodore, with his strange and mysterious demeanor, quickly points out that the fight between Sheldon and Leonard is happening because of the love and affection they have for each other. What makes him so memorable is that, despite his oddities, he carries the wisdom of an older man. His unique perspective helps the two friends understand the root of their conflict, leading to their reconciliation.

David Underhill (Michael Trucco)

In Season 2’s “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis”, Michael Trucco plays David Underhill, an award-winning physicist who seeks Leonard’s help with a research project. However, David quickly becomes a complication in Leonard’s romance with Penny. She is drawn to David’s “bad boy” charm and more outgoing personality compared to the other scientists she knows. She ends up agreeing to all of his requests, even though she refuses the same ones when they come from Leonard.

David proves to be a key figure by acting as a catalyst for the development of Leonard and Penny’s romance. His presence brings out Leonard’s insecurities and creates tension between the couple. Also, David helps Penny realize that “perfect” guys like him aren’t necessarily ideal in the long run.

Mark Hamill (Himself)

In “The Bow Tie Asymmetry” from Season 11, Mark Hamill delivers one of the most unforgettable appearances on The Big Bang Theory. From the start, it’s clear how much the main group of friends adores Star Wars and his iconic character, Luke Skywalker. Hamill appears as himself on the eve of Sheldon and Amy’s wedding, after Howard finds a lost dog that turns out to belong to the actor. When he shows up at Howard’s house to retrieve his pet, Howard manages to convince him to officiate his friend’s wedding, much to the excitement of the group.

In this case, the cameo is not only a gift for the characters of the show but for the fans. It also marks a significant milestone in Sheldon’s life, as his wedding to Amy is a major turning point in his character’s development.

Dr. Robert Wolcott (Peter MacNicol)

In “The Reclusive Potential” from season 11, Peter MacNicol plays Dr. Robert Wolcott, a scientist and Sheldon’s pen pal. Sheldon, along with Leonard, Howard, and Raj, heads to his cabin in the mountains to get his help with one of their research projects. Robert is a highly accomplished guy, but he’s also super paranoid and has some weird habits, which makes Sheldon think that he could achieve great things in life by being just like him.

The cameo is a perfect example of the lunatic genius stereotype, but with a funny twist. Of course, Sheldon is the most eccentric character on The Big Bang Theory, and it’s his quirky personality that makes him a fan favorite. However, when you compare him to someone even more bizarre, it takes the humor to a whole new level, making the episode even more hilarious.

Stan Lee (Himself)

In Season 3’s “The Excelsior Acquisition”, the spotlight is on Stan Lee, a legendary figure for the geek audience and a respected icon for the characters of the sitcom. In the episode, he is in town to sign comic books at Stuart’s comic book store. The problem arises when Sheldon can’t make it because he has to attend court for a traffic ticket he got while with Penny. He blames her for the situation, but to make it up to him, Penny tracks down Lee’s address and takes Sheldon to his house.

The big twist is that Lee doesn’t come across as a particularly happy person, especially when he unexpectedly runs into a fan at his doorstep. However, in the end, Sheldon is far from disappointed – in fact, he’s thrilled to receive a signed restraining order from the legendary Marvel icon. Despite his grumpy persona, Stan Lee still manages to shine in his cameo, making the episode one of the most memorable in the show’s history.

Alicia (Valerie Azlynn)

In the episode “The Dead Hooker Juxtaposition” from Season 2, Valerie Azlynn plays Alicia, a more successful aspiring actress who has a falling out with Penny, her neighbor. Alicia essentially becomes a kind of rival to Penny, not only because she has the career Penny has always dreamed of but also because she uses her charm to get the attention of Leonard, Howard, and Raj. This leads to a nasty confrontation between the two women.

Alicia’s role, however, is crucial because throughout the episode, she serves as a catalyst for Penny to stand up for herself and her friends. By challenging Penny’s position as the center of attention, Alicia helps push her personal development, since at the beginning of the sitcom, she was the only consistent female figure.

Mrs. Latham (Jessica Walter)

In Season 4’s “The Benefactor Factor”, Jessica Walter plays Mrs. Latham, one of the major donors at a Caltech fundraiser. She develops a huge crush on Leonard, which makes him uncomfortable. However, he believes that by reciprocating, he can help with the fundraising, so he reluctantly gets involved with her. In the end, Leonard finds out that she will still donate the money, regardless of whether they continue their involvement or not.

In general, Mrs. Latham’s actions have a ripple effect on everyone, as her behavior is petty and authoritarian. Even Howard steps out of his comfort zone because of her. She stands out as one of the most memorable cameo characters due to her role and development in the storyline. It’s no surprise that this episode earned Johnny Galecki an Emmy nomination.

The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Max.

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The Star Wars timeline has not advanced for over five years now, with the franchise instead exploring the nooks and crannies of its existing stories. This has been pretty successful, deepening some characters and answering some longstanding mysteries in the process in shows like Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi and movies like Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. If this trend is to continue, there are some more questions the franchise should definitely tackle.

The Skywalker Saga is about 70 years long, and so far all of the movies and most of the TV shows are set during this period. Outside of the episodic Skywalker Saga, Rogue One really set the template for standalone movies. It answered fans’ longstanding curiosity about how the Rebels got the blueprints for the Death Star, building on the dramatic implications from Star Wars: A New Hope.

If the franchise is going to continue fleshing out its timeline rather than deciding what comes next, it will need to explore more cul de sacs in the story like this one. Fortunately, there are plenty of those to choose from. Read on for three of our top choices.

Luke’s Lightsaber

There are a lot of mysteries about Luke Skywalker’s behavior in the sequel trilogy, but there’s one in particular that seems like it would make for a satisfying movie or TV show: the fate of Luke’s first lightsaber. Luke lost the weapon at the end of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and we didn’t see it again until Star Wars: The Force Awakens when it ended up in the possession of the “pirate queen” Maz Kanata. There’s surely a story about how it got there, and the lives it touched along the way.

Keep in mind that this wasn’t just Luke’s lightsaber — it originally belonged to Anakin. In fact, Anakin was still using this lightsaber when he first turned to the dark side, earning it some grim nicknames from fans online. In Empire, it fell into the depths of Cloud City along with Luke’s severed hand, and he escaped without it on the Millennium Falcon. The next time we see it, Maz is offering it to Finn and Rey.

[RELATED: Skeleton Crew Further Proves Star Wars Is Better Under Disney]

There is one other canonical off-screen mention of the lightsaber — a 2020 comic book shows Luke returning to Bespin shortly after his duel with Darth Vader, searching for his lightsaber in Cloud City below. Ultimately, he is called away by other responsibilities before he can find it, and he eventually determines that it’s not worth it to go hunting after the past. Cloud City remained under imperial control of Cloud City for several more years after that, so it would be interesting to see who found this lightsaber and how it got into friendlier hands.

The Mysteries of Yoda’s Species

Fans would love more details on Yoda’s mysterious species at any point in the timeline, but with the popularity of The Mandalorian and Grogu, it seems likely that we’ll learn more within the setting we’re most familiar with. Yoda’s homeworld and species have been left intentionally vague from the beginning, though it is becoming clearer that they are all naturally Force-sensitive. So far, we’ve only met three members of this race: Master Yoda, Master Yaddle, and Grogu.

We know for sure that this species is very ancient and rare, and that its members have a naturally long lifespan of at least several centuries. It’s also hinted that they are born with a naturally high Midi-chlorian count, giving them a natural affinity for the Force. We don’t know where this species comes from, but it seems likely that we’ll learn more about Grogu’s past, at least, in the upcoming movie The Mandalorian & Grogu, which hits theaters on May 22, 2026. The question is whether that will include more general tidbits about his species or not.

Palpatine’s Return

Finally, Star Wars will have to address the mystery of Palpatine’s return in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker eventually. The Sith lord was defeated in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi — thrown from the Death Star by his own apprentice — and he himself confirmed that he died in this incident. We see that he returned from the dead with some help from cloning technology, but we don’t learn anything else about how.

Rise of Skywalker was infuriatingly vague about this plot point. At times, it almost seemed uninterested in this question and dismissive of fans’ curiosity, like with Poe Dameron’s hasty line, “Somehow, Palpatine has returned.” When asked how he did it, Palpatine himself simply reiterated a line from an earlier movie verbatim, “The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many powers some consider to be unnatural.”

There are plenty of explanations for this comeback that could be consistent and satisfying — perhaps Palpatine had prepared a cloning apparatus in advance to trigger if he died. Perhaps he had other agents as loyal as Darth Vader who helped him get to Exegol. Palpatine already mentioned that his own master, Darth Plagueis, had developed a means of overcoming death through the Force, so it makes sense that he’d be trying to advance that project himself. However he did it, seeing how Palpatine returned from the dead would go a long way in redeeming Rise of Skywalker for many fans.

You can stream all 11 Star Wars movies now on Disney+, along with most of the TV shows and specials as well. The latest title in the franchise is Skeleton Crew, which airs its season finale on Tuesday, January 14th on Disney+.

The post 3 Major Star Wars Questions That Still Need to Be Answered appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Sakamoto Days is finally here. After a wait that felt like a lifetime, fans of Yuto Suzuki’s beloved manga can finally dig into the first episode of the new anime on Netflix. The anime adaptation was first announced in May 2024, and fans rightly lost their minds daydreaming about how good the new show could be. But Sakamoto Days‘ road from announcement to release was long and hard fought.

Posters and trailers are meant to get audiences excited about an upcoming project. But every piece of promotional material for Sakamoto Days just left fans even more anxious. Some took issue with the voice cast, while others were worried about the state of the animation from TMS Entertainment. When Vaundy dropped the show’s OP, “Run, Sakamoto, Run,” another wave of anxiety hit already concerned fans (wrongly, because that song is a banger). It all came down to the premiere episode to set things right again. And it achieved that, and then some.

Sakamoto Days Episode 1 Is Better Than the Manga

Saying an adaptation is better than the source material is a sentence that will get you burned at the stake among almost any fandom. But, in the case of Sakamoto Days, it’s true. Before you grab your pitchforks, hear us out. The show’s premiere not only directly soothed the previously raised concerns, but it also blew past everyone’s expectations.

The voice acting in the first episode was phenomenal, and the entire cast perfectly captured the tone and vibe of their respective characters. Nobunaga Shimazaki balanced Shin’s competence with his childlike sense of awe and wonder at reuniting with Taro Sakamoto. While Taro himself, voiced by Tomokazu Sugita, was incredibly impactful, even with a minimal amount of dialogue.

The actual animation in the episode was gorgeous, and the trailers didn’t do it justice. TMS Entertainment ripped Yuto Zuzuki’s unique art style straight from the pages of the manga, enhancing the black and white images on the page with beautiful, pastel colors. As for Vaundy’s OP, the haters will slowly come around to embrace the track as the anime gains more fans with each new episode.

One of the most important aspects of Sakamoto Days is the overall vibe. Despite being a story about the deadliest hitman in the world who has a 1 billion yen bounty on his head, Sakamoto Days is an incredibly optimistic and occasionally chill story. After all, all Taro wants is to settle down and enjoy a quiet life with his family. The anime perfectly encapsulated this vibe. Even with the action-packed fight scenes (which we’ll get to in a minute), the anime was bursting with good vibes, and made the audience truly understand why Taro left the world of assassins behind.

[RELATED: Sakamoto Days: Shin’s Wild Powers Explained]

Sakamoto Days Fight Scenes Work Better in Anime

One of the biggest concerns among the fan base was how TMS Entertainment would handle the manga’s fight scenes. Yuto Suzuki’s illustrations and fight choreography are both stunning and ingenious, as Taro utilizes a number of non-lethal methods to take down the other hitmen. The anime’s fight scenes are where it truly excels past the manga. Of course, this can be said for many anime adaptations, as there’s only so much that can be visualized on a printed page, whereas an anime can fill in all the gaps as Yuto delivers high-kick after palm-strike after elbow.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, the Sakamoto Days anime adds in the perfect cold open, which isn’t in the first chapter of the manga. The opening of the series cuts to a cinematic 2.39:1 aspect ratio with a hazy color palette as a young Taro Sakamoto slices his way through henchmen to take down his target. Armed with a pistol and a katana, the scene feels like a hybrid of John Wick and Kill Bill and sets the stage perfectly for Taro’s dad-bod transformation later in the episode.

New episodes of Sakamoto Days will be released weekly, dropping on Saturdays on Netflix. The first episode is available to stream now. Do you think Sakamoto Days will be the peak anime of the Winter 2025 season? Has the first episode won you over? Or, are you still not convinced about the series? Follow Team Anime at ComicBook.com for more Sakamoto Days and anime updates.

The post Sakamoto Days’ Anime Is Already Better Than the Manga appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Clover is now working through the final arc of its manga, and the first new update of the year is setting up one devil’s secret master plan in the works. Black Clover has been in the midst of its final arc through the past year as series creator Yuki Tabata has shifted overt to a new seasonal release schedule with Shueisha’s Jump GIGA magazine. This has resulted in fans getting to see a couple of new chapters from the manga every few months, and with these updates Black Clover has gone through some big phases of this final arc so far.

This is the case with the first major update from the new year as Black Clover has returned for two brand new chapters of the manga. These new chapters have kicked off the final fight between Asta, Yuno and Lucius Zogratis and fans have gotten to see the start of what could be the grand finale for the series overall. But as Lucius continues to fight, the mysterious devil Adrammalech has arrived as is clearly plotting something even bigger before it all comes to an end.

What Is Adrammalech Planning?

Black Clover Chapter 377 picks up shortly after the final fight against Lucius’ Paladins comes to an end, and Adrammalech is seen high above the battlefield as all of the fights are ending around the same time. This includes the rest of the fights against Lucius’ clones as the Anti-Magic boosters Black Bulls are bringing their respective fights to an end as well. But while all these fights seem to be ending in Asta and the others’ favor, Adrammalech himself doesn’t seem too disturbed about how everything is shaping up as their side is losing more fights one after the other.

Adrammalech has been one of the more intriguing Devils we have seen in action in Black Clover. Although the other Devils seen in the series have had contracts with fighters in the human world, Adrammalech doesn’t seem to have those same ties. In fact, whenever we have seen this Devil he’s always just been observing what has been going down. So it even seems like whatever Lucius is planning isn’t part of his own plan either as the Devil seems to be curious to see how Lucius’ future sight is panning out.

RELATED: Black Clover Was Once Considered One of the Worst Series (& Now Fans Can’t Enough)

What Does This Mean for Black Clover’s Final Arc?

As Black Clover continues through this final arc, it’s starting to look like this final fight against Lucius is far from the actual ending of the series overall. Because as Asta and Yuno’s fight against Lucius reaches its climax, there are still more questions to answer about what could be coming next. This is the case with Adrammalech’s role in it all as he’s still watching everything go down from far away, and has something up his sleeve. With so much left unrevealed about the underworld, the Devils themselves are much more intriguing than ever.

Adrammalech likely has some deal in place with Lucius to end the world in the way the Devils want it to, and that deal might be coming to fruition. As they have been watching from the sidelines this entire time, Black Clover has been setting up one last huge reveal before it all comes to an end. It’s just a matter of seeing what this plan turns out to be, and how long it actually takes to get to this point when it’s all over. Whether it be later this year or potentially even the next.

The post Black Clover: Final Arc Sets Up One Devil’s Master Plan appeared first on ComicBook.com.

With great power comes great relaunchability. Marvel’s previously announced relaunch of The Amazing Spider-Man may have a new #1 (on sale April 9), a new volume number (Vol. 7), and a new artist (X-Men and Blood Hunt‘s Pepe Larraz), but it’s more of a renumbering than a restart. Not only will this new era feature some of Spider-Man’s classic enemies — alongside one Spider-Villain “we haven’t seen in over seven years” — but it will be written by former Spider-Man/Deadpool writer and current Amazing Spider-Man scribe Joe Kelly, with art by Larraz and John Romita Jr. (best known for legendary runs on Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1, the J. Michael Straczynski-penned Vol. 2, and 2022’s relaunched Vol. 6 under Zeb Wells).

In addition to a villain-filled wraparound cover by Larraz, 2025’s Amazing Spider-Man #1 will mark Eisner-nominated artist Simone Di Meo’s return to Marvel following his runs on DC’s Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Batman and Robin. The just-revealed variant cover by Di Meo, below, comes over five years after his work on issues of Immortal Hulk: The Best Defense, Old Man Logan Annual, Venom Annual, and Champions.

The debut issue will also feature variant covers by Ryan Stegman (X-Men and Superior Spider-Man Returns), Lee Bermejo (Daredevil and Winter Soldier), and the late Gil Kane, who penciled 1971’s Amazing Spider-Man #101 (the first appearance of Morbius) and the classic “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” arc spanning 1973’s Amazing Spider-Man #121-122.

A synopsis states, “The new run finds Peter Parker without a job and looking for gainful employment, but his job search is interrupted by a rampaging Rhino who is but the tip of a sinister iceberg. What major Spider-Villain is working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS?! Also, what is that Goblin-free Norman Osborn up to these days?”

Amazing Spider-Man #1 wraparound cover by Pepe Larraz

Might that secret Spider-Villain be Mendel Stromm, a.k.a. Robot Master? Once the pre-Green Goblin Norman Osborn’s business partner before he became a cyborg supervillain, Stromm has been known to back other villains before his apparent death back in 2018’s Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 5) #5… seven years ago.

“Even though this is a new #1, I don’t think of it as a ‘restart’ per se,” Kelly told Polygon about the relaunch. “I’m writing the next chapter of the story of one the world’s greatest characters, lucky enough to follow in the footsteps of the folks before me. After that sinks in, I spend a lot of time thinking about what I love about Spider-Man and his cast, what stories resonated with me at different times of my life, and how I can synthesize all of that into something that works with what came before but breaks new ground.”

Kelly continued, “I’m fascinated by the internal lives of these characters and exploring new territory there — Peter’s youth is interesting, for example, the days before he was ‘puny Parker’ in high school. At the same time, I feel a drive to take bold, unexpected swings in order to see how Spider-Man deals with Marvel-sized curve balls. Pressure makes diamonds.”

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Ryan Stegman Variant Cover

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Lee Bermejo Variant Cover

Amazing Spider-Man #1: Hidden Gem Variant Cover by Gil Kane

The Amazing Spider-Man (Vol. 7) #1 goes on sale April 9 from Marvel Comics.

The post Marvel Thwips Up New Look at the Relaunched Amazing Spider-Man #1 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Game of Thrones is not even in the same league as the book series it is based on, A Song of Ice and Fire, in terms of quality. However, the show obviously became a global sensation for a reason, and it’s the nature of adaptation that some moments simply played better on screen than on the page. Read on for seven of the isolated moments that landed better in Game of Thrones than they did in George R.R. Martin’s books.

To get one obvious choice out of the way, I’m not going to give Game of Thrones credit for having an ending as compared to A Song of Ice and Fire, which still has two long-awaited books to go. That’s because I still keep faith that Martin will finish his series and we’ll see the finale that this song truly deserves, and also because I still believe no ending is better than the ending Thrones gave us, frankly. You won’t be surprised to see all the victories below come from the early seasons of Game of Thrones. Read on for the show’s high points.

King Robert and Queen Cersei

In Season 1 and book one, King Robert Baratheon rules over Westeros thanks in part to his marriage to Queen Cersei Lannister, which sealed his alliance with the wealthiest House in the realm. The two characters obviously dislike each other, but seeing their disdain played out rather than reading it in descriptions makes it so much more human. There’s one particular scene that drives all this home — a private conversation between the king and queen in Season 1, Episode 5 that did not appear in the books at all.

[RELATED: The 7 Game of Thrones Episodes That Traumatized Everyone]

The two discuss Ned Stark’s resignation as Hand of the King and the issue that set it off — the planned assassination of Daenerys Targaryen. They speak with obvious dislike of each other, but also familiarity, almost as if they’ve tried to make this relationship work. They even seem wistful and reflective. Musing on Westeros’ chances in a war against the Dothraki, Robert says: “We haven’t had a proper fight in nine years. Backstabbing doesn’t prepare you for a fight, and that’s all the realm is now — backstabbing and scheming… Sometimes I don’t know what holds it together.”

“Our marriage, Cersei says sarcastically, and Robert lets out a genuine laugh. She matches it, then grabs a cup to drink wine along with him. The whole scene is so genuine, and it’s even more impactful in the context of the story where Cersei goes on to have Robert killed.

Time with Robb Stark

Game of Thrones gave us more time with King in the North Robb Stark than the books did because Martin did not want any of the kings in his series to be direct point-of-view characters. This meant we mostly saw Robb through the eyes of his mother Catelyn, and nearly as often we heard about Robb’s deeds through rumors spread all across the Seven Kingdoms. The show got to focus more on Robb in a way that even Martin praised.

Many fans point to Robb’s wife specifically as a point where the show got to do better. Robb pledges to marry a daughter of House Frey in order to secure them as allies, but he fails to live up to this promise. In the books, Robb is wounded in Westerlands — Lannister territory — and is nursed back to health in a conquered castle by the daughter of the local lord. He falls in love with her and feels honor-bound to marry her, due in part to his half-brother Jon Snow’s experience of bastardy. The books go on to imply that Robb may have been ensorcelled by some kind of love potion, and/or that House Westerling had intentionally set him up with the daughter under orders from Tywin Lannister in order to weaken his alliance with the Freys.

On the other hand, the show finds Robb simply falling in love with a healer because of her bold nature and practical skills. It’s easy to see why some fans like this better — especially in the context of the show where Robb is a more fleshed-out character. Personally, I actually prefer the version in the books, with more layers to examine and possibly even some mystical elements at play.

Tyrion and Shae

Again, Martin himself has said that he likes the show’s take on Tyrion and Shae much more than the version in the books. The books portray Shae as a materialistic, immature young woman with no concept of the danger she is in. In the end, she turns on Tyrion in earnest. The show adds a lot more nuance to their love story — and tragedy, in the end. It’s never clear if Shae really turned on Tyrion in the end, or whether she was forced into Tywin’s bed in her final scene.

However, many critics have pointed out that the show did not reckon with the ripple effects of this change. Tyrion murders Shae in both versions, but in the books this crime takes him down a dark path and he becomes far closer to a villain in many ways. The show went out of its way to keep Tyrion likable, and did not make him grapple with his crimes nearly as much. This compounded until the end, when Tyrion was hardly recognizable.

Varys and Littlefinger

This is a great example of how the show improved on the books simply by being a show rather than a book. The snide conversations between Varys and Littlefinger had no place in the novels, but they are so much fun on TV. These two schemers are constantly sizing each other up and undercutting each other, and to see how they speak in private is a joy.

Tyrion’s Trial

Returning to our favorite Lannister, his trial for the murder of King Joffrey is excellent both in the books and in Season 4, Episode 6, “The Laws of Gods and Men.” Again, this can only be called “better” than the book version because it is performed so spectacularly by the cast. Peter Dinklage delivers nearly the exact same lines as his book counterpart — “I wish I was the monster you think I am. I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you. I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it.” His performance is simply so great that it exceeds my imagination as a reader.

Tywin and Arya

During her long journey north through war-ravaged Westeros, Arya is held at Harrenhal for a time and put to work as a cup-bearer for a great lord. In the books, it’s Roose Bolton, but in the TV show it’s Tywin Lannister himself. Both choices have their merits, but overall her time with Tywin seems to do more for the story.

Putting Arya with Roose is interesting because she knows he is ostensibly her brother’s ally. However, she chooses not to reveal her identity to Roose because she still doesn’t trust him fully — an incredibly shrewd decision that shows Arya’s growth. Arya learns a lot about how evil men think by spending time with Roose, but this lesson hits even harder with Tywin.

Pairing Arya with Tywin during this time is like putting her in the eye of a storm — she is actually in less danger by sticking close to her family’s chief enemy. The two even have some interesting conversations and find some common ground, which is tense and fascinating in this generally brutal conflict. The show had plenty of other chances to show us the atrocities of House Bolton, but it took full advantage of this chance to humanize Tywin Lannister.

Brienne vs. The Hound

Finally, the showdown between Brienne of Tarth and Sandor “The Hound” Clegane might be the single best change the show made from the books. In Martin’s version, The Hound takes a mundane wound in a bar fight that slowly weakens him over over the course of days, until finally Arya is able to escape from him and get escape on a ship. Here, Brienne actually finds them and has a brutal duel for possession of the young Stark. It devolves into a gruesome fist fight that seems to leave Sandor nearly dead, while Arya slips away — unwilling to trust any strangers at this point.

One thing about this fight that is often overlooked is what it replaces for Brienne. Yes, it spares Sandor from going down over a mild infection, but it also spares Brienne from her gruesome fight against Rorge, Biter and the Brave Companions. That moment is all about Brienne facing the grisly truth of war and what it does to the men who fight in it, and the futility of knights’ oaths and honor against all that despair. However, The Hound is at least as good an avatar for those things as the Brave Companions are, and he’s a character that means more to the audience in this moment.

Game of Thrones is streaming now on Max, along with the prequel House of the Dragon. Another prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, premieres sometime this year. Martin’s books are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.

The post 7 Game of Thrones Moments That Were Better Than the Books appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 in theaters has resulted in resale prices for numerous Sonic games jumping by a large amount. Perhaps more than anything else, movies tend to impact the value of comics and video games that they might be based on. While this was previously seen with both Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the third film in the franchise has had the largest monetary sway so far with some of the older Sonic video games it’s adapting.

Based on data from Price Charting, the Sonic games that have seen the biggest boost in cost are the ones that all happen to feature Shadow the Hedgehog. This has been most notably found with Sonic Adventure 2, which is the first game that Shadow appeared in. Prior to the release of Sonic 3, complete copies of Sonic Adventure 2 on Sega Dreamcast were selling for about $140 on average. Now, that value has spiked to well over $200 with the average price now sitting around $210. Some copies of the game, however, have sold for even more and have eclipsed the $300 mark.

The GameCube port of Sonic Adventure 2, dubbed Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, has also been hit with an enormous jump. Leading up to the release of Sonic 3, Sonic Adventure 2: Battle was only going for around $60. As soon as the movie hit theaters, though, that quickly changed. At the time of this writing, average sales for Sonic Adventure 2: Battle have hit $130, with Player’s Choice versions going for a bit less.

Naturally, Shadow’s own dedicated game Shadow the Hedgehog has also increased in value greatly. While prices for Shadow the Hedgehog vary depending on the platform, all versions of the title have just about doubled in recent weeks. On average, the PS2 version of Shadow the Hedgehog sells for $65, the Xbox version is at $90, and the GameCube edition is sitting at a staggering $145.

Related: Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Digital Release Is Coming Sooner Than You Think

As usual with sudden spikes in price like this, it’s likely that the resale costs for all of these Sonic video games will start to fall in the weeks and months ahead. The further we get away from the release of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, the more these prices will begin to return to where they were at previously. Still, if Sonic 3 prompted you to begin picking up physical copies of these Sonic titles from yesteryear, you may have chosen a bad time to become a collector.

The post Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Makes Sonic Games Soar in Price appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Toy publisher Mattel has announced that it is partnering with Tokyopop to create manga-style graphic novels based on Mattel’s biggest toy brands. In a press release shared by Anime News Network, Mattel plans to release manga based on Barbie and Hot Wheels. The new books will be aimed at children ages 8 to 12 and are scheduled to be released sometime in 2026. Mattel announced its own publishing imprint in 2024, with Simon & Schuster serving as its sales and distribution partner. No creative team has been announced for the Barbie and Hot Wheels books.

These manga-style graphic novels are part of Mattel’s ongoing push to engage with fans through storytelling. Traditionally, the toys themselves would sell on their own; the story would stem from children’s imagination and whatever they made up. With anime and manga set to become more mainstream in 2025, several companies are now trying to capitalize on the growing market and get their own brands onto the mediums. Marvel and DC Comics also attempted to break into the manga market with officially licensed manga starring their characters. Mattel is now looking to expand its brand and create new storylines with its properties, creating new narratives that go beyond children’s imagination.

[RELATED – Barbie Is Now the Most Popular Movie on Letterboxd]

The Expanded Mattel Multi-Verse

Both Barbie and Hot Wheels had animated spin-offs that advertised the toylines. Barbie had a series of direct-to-DVD features starring the character, whereas Hot Wheels had several TV shows and made-for-TV features. Both brands had their own comic books at some point, but the upcoming collaboration with Tokyopop would be the first time both series would have manga-style graphic novels. Mattel hasn’t clarified if Japanese creators will be in charge of the new novels, but the idea of a Barbie or Hot Wheels comic meant to invoke manga may be enough to entice fans of the medium anyway.

Mattel had massive success with the 2023 live-action Barbie film and intends to expand its other brands in different mediums. The company’s film division already has various film adaptations of their different toylines in the pipeline, including Masters of the Universe, Barney, Hot Wheels, Polly Pocket, and many more. While theatrical films are where the big money comes in, Mattel also seems to be expanding into different mediums with the announcement of the Barbie and Hot Wheels manga. If the Barbie and Hot Wheels manga proves successful enough, fans could expect other manga adaptations of their favorite toylines.

H/T: Anime News Network, Tokyopop

The post Barbie & Hot Wheels to Get the Manga Treatment Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Actor Julia Garner has starred in a variety of thrilling movies, with one of her first roles being in the cannibalistic remake of We Are What We Are, while 2023’s The Royal Hotel wasn’t jam-packed with outright terror, but explored a highly tense vacation that went wrong at a variety of levels. Her latest movie, Wolf Man, manages to incorporate some psychological anxiety into an experience that harkens back to seminal components of the genre, as she faces off against a character undergoing a monstrous transformation. Additionally, her character undergoes some emotional tension in her life before ever encountering a beastly presence. Wolf Man is set to hit theaters on January 17th.

In the film, Garner plays Charlotte, a woman who has been focusing on her career, which puts strain on her marriage to Blake (Christopher Abbott). The specifics of the relationship mean the actors were tasked with conveying both emotional distance and intimacy.

“We had quite a bit of rehearsal and, with the rehearsal, it was a lot of talking about the relationship and what it used to be and how it got to that place where it is in the film, at the moment. We just discussed it a lot, we had quite a bit of rehearsal,” the actor shared with ComicBook.

In regards to how the monster movie compares to her previous genre efforts, she added, “This project, to me, is actually different than any other project that I’ve done, even in the past, because there’s much more action. And then it is very tense, but there’s a lot of action in this movie. There’s a lot of running. It’s a little scarier because it’s actually happening, but yeah, it was super fun.”

[RELATED – Wolf Man Star Christopher Abbott Talks Becoming a Creature of the Night]

Wolf Man is described, “What if someone you loved became something else? From Blumhouse and visionary writer-director Leigh Whannell, the creators of the chilling modern monster tale The Invisible Man, comes a terrifying new lupine nightmare: Wolf Man. Golden Globe nominee Christopher Abbott (Poor Things, It Comes at Night) stars as Blake, a San Francisco husband and father, who inherits his remote childhood home in rural Oregon after his own father vanishes and is presumed dead. With his marriage to his high-powered wife, Charlotte (Emmy winner Julia Garner; Ozark, Inventing Anna), fraying, Blake persuades Charlotte to take a break from the city and visit the property with their young daughter, Ginger (Matlida Firth; Hullraisers, Coma).

“But as the family approaches the farmhouse in the dead of night, they’re attacked by an unseen animal and, in a desperate escape, barricade themselves inside the home as the creature prowls the perimeter. As the night stretches on, however, Blake begins to behave strangely, transforming into something unrecognizable, and Charlotte will be forced to decide whether the terror within their house is more lethal than the danger without. The film co-stars Sam Jaeger (The Handmaid’s Tale), Ben Prendergast (The Sojourn Audio Drama), and Benedict Hardie (The Invisible Man).”

Complicating the filming process further is that, while the movie unfolded under a short period of time, it was shot out of sequence. This meant Garner and the rest of the cast had to quickly be able to get into the mindset of their characters at disparate points of their journey with short notice.

“Well, shooting out of sequence is always hard, and that’s why you always have to almost, like, memorize a script, just so that you can know it in your bones,” the actor detailed. “I read the script fully, multiple times, but then I also read it almost every night, just different pages every night, too, when I get home. And also ten pages before what we have to shoot the next day.”

Wolf Man lands in theaters on January 17th.

Are you looking forward to the movie? Contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter or on Instagram to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

The post Wolf Man Star Julia Garner Opens Up About the Freaky New Film appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Castlevania: Nocturne will be making its highly anticipated return of Season 2 on Netflix later this week, and the series has dropped a special new poster to help hype up the new episodes. Castlevania has been one of the standout successes with Netflix in the last few years as Powerhouse Animation and producer Adi Shankar have been working to bring the Konami video game franchise to screen. Following the first four seasons of the original Castlevania TV series, the franchise has continued with a brand new sequel series that moves the Belmont timeline hundreds of years into the future with new allies, enemies and more.

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 will be making its premiere with Netflix on Thursday, January 16th, and Netflix is getting ready for the series with the debut of a brand new trailer and poster for the new episodes. The new trailer shows off the best look at the new season yet (which you can check out in the video above), and the new poster for the season shows off an intense look at the returning cast as they head into a new season filled with battles. Check out the new poster for Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 below.

When Does Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Come Out?

Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 will be officially making its premiere with Netflix on January 16th. The new season will be running for eight episodes total at 25 minutes each with a returning staff and voice cast from the first season. Kevin Kolde and Clive Bradley will be serving as showrunners (with Bradley also handling writing duties), Samuel and Adam Deats are serving as directors, and Project 51 Productions and Powerhouse Animation are producing the new season for Netflix. The end of the first season ended on a massive cliffhanger, so things are picking up right from where it all left off.

As for what to expect from the new season of episodes, Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 is teased by Netflix as such, “Now joined by the legendary Alucard, Richter Belmont and his band of vampire hunters are in a desperate race against time. Erzsebet Báthory, the Vampire Messiah, who already seems invincible, seeks the full power of the goddess Sekhmet so she can plunge the world into endless darkness and terror.” Now is the perfect time to catch up with the first season streaming with Netflix as well.

RELATED: Sakamoto Days’ Twist-Filled Opening is The Perfect Introduction to The Series

Is Castlevania: Nocturne Getting a Season 3?

With Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 now making its way to Netflix, it’s time to look ahead to a potential future. As of the time of this publication, Netflix has yet to announce any interest in a potential third season for the series. Those behind the scenes are unaware of a potential continuation either as director Samuel Deats revealed to fans on social media last Fall that production would be going on hiatus with the second season nearly being wrapped up.

“For those of you wondering, now that Castlevania: Nocturne S2 is mostly wrapped, we’re going on hiatus until release and we find out if we’re getting renewed,” Deats stated to fans on X. “It goes without saying, but if you want to see more shows of Castlevania quality, please support S2 when it releases!” If nothing behind the scenes has changed since Deats revealed this last Fall, then it might be a much longer wait for a new season than expected. So if fans want the best chance at seeing a new season, they will need to see Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 as soon as it hits Netflix to show there’s interest in a continuation.

The post Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Hypes Netflix Premiere With New Promo appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One of the most exciting and unique aspects of the newly launched DC Universe from DC Studios is the fact that actors will cross over between animated and live-action projects. With Creature Commandos launching the franchise, a lot of fans are wondering if and when the characters from that show will pop up in live-action formats, hoping to see those actors transition their voice roles into on-screen performances. Unfortunately for some of the show’s stars, there were characters who didn’t make it through the first season of Creature Commandos, leaving their potential DCU futures a little murky. WARNING: Spoilers for Creature Commandos ahead…

One example is Maria Bakalova, who is starting to become one of James Gunn’s frequent collaborators. After voicing Cosmo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Bakalova was cast in Creature Commandos as Princess Ilana, a character created just for the series. In a surprising twist, Ilana was killed at the very end of the Creature Commandos season finale, after being revealed as the true villain behind the show’s events.

So does that mean Bakalova is done with the DCU for good? There’s a lot of backstory to explore with the Princess, given that she’s a new character, not to mention the fact that Bakalova could always take on another role in the franchise moving forward (Sean Gunn is already playing three characters). Ahead of the Creature Commandos finale, ComicBook spoke with Bakalova about her future with the budding franchise.

“I’m trying to take it one step at a time, because you never know what’s going to happen at the end,” Bakalova told us. “My dream is to be able to work with James again and again and again, do the rest of my life. I do want to be a part of this new DC universe, because knowing that he is behind it. I just have incredibly big hopes for it, and Creature Commandos is evidence of that.

“I mean, if I’m able to play this character in the future, I will definitely do it. If I’m able to play something else with James in charge, I will definitely do it. It’s really my dream to just be a part of this team.”

[RELATED: Everything Creature Commandos Taught Us About the New DCU]

It sounds like, if it were up to her, there would be no end to Bakalova’s time with the DCU. Given how much James Gunn likes to work with his repeat cast members, it seems like the chances are high for Bakalova to return at some point down the line. Just don’t bet on Princess Ilana coming back with her.

The entire first season of Creature Commandos is now streaming on Max.

The post Creature Commandos Star Addresses DCU Future After Character’s Surprising Demise appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The latest rumor tied to the Nintendo Switch 2 has potentially revealed three games that are bound for the console. At the time of this writing, it’s presumed that Nintendo’s formal reveal of the Switch 2 is under 48 hours away. While Nintendo hasn’t confirmed this itself just yet, all credible leaks and reports are pointing to an announcement of the hardware on January 16th. And while this initial showing of the system is said to not be centered around games, we have an idea of some third-party titles that might be in the works for Switch 2.

According to insider Nate the Hate, ports of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Assasin’s Creed Mirage, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows are all in development for Switch 2. Although Metal Gear Solid Delta still doesn’t have a release date, it’s presumed that this Switch 2 version of the game could arrive at some point in 2025. As for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, this is reportedly going to be a title that will release in proximity to the Switch 2’s arrival. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is then claimed to be further off, but is still something that Ubisoft is actively developing.

In addition to this trio of games, another Nintendo insider who goes by PH Brazil has asserted that Atlus is looking to bring Metaphor: ReFantazio to Switch 2. Metaphor is said to be targeting a release on Switch 2 at some point during the console’s “launch window”, though, and won’t be a day-one release for the hardware. Still, this move on the part of Atlus is one that makes sense given that games such as Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden, and Persona 5 Royal (among others) have all come to Switch recently.

Related: Nintendo Switch 2 Consoles Apparently Released Into the Wild Early

Assuming that all of these games do indeed end up releasing on Switch 2, it would suggest that third-party support for the console is going to be quite extensive. What remains uncertain, though, is what Nintendo’s own games for the Switch 2 will be. Fans have naturally assumed that a new Super Mario game will be one of the biggest titles on Nintendo Switch 2 in its first year and may even be released in tandem with the platform. If this is truly the case, we could end up learning more about this Super Mario title at some point later this week.

The post Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors Reveal Four More Games Coming to the Console appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Black Clover, a popular manga by Yuki Tabata, is currently in its final arc, while the anime is awaiting a sequel announcement by Studio Pierrot. The story is set in a world where magic is a day-to-day part of life. A person’s social status, the place they live in, and everything else is determined by how powerful they are. Asta, a young, magicless boy, dreams of becoming the Wizard King, a title given only to the strongest mage in the Clover Kingdom.

Unlike him, his childhood friend and rival is a prodigy who has shown exceptional skills at a young age. Despite the odds against him, Asta strives to achieve his dream after receiving a grimoire with a five-leaf clover that grants him the power to nullify any magic. We follow his journey full of hardships as he joins the Black Bulls Squad and aims for the top. The story highlights perseverance and the desire to never give up no matter the odds. However, while Black Clover is considered one of the most beloved series, it received severe backlash in the beginning.

[RELATED: Black Clover’s Anime Really Needs to Come Back ASAP]

Black Clover Faced Severe Criticism in the Beginning

The manga debuted in February 2015, and a year later, critics voted it one of the worst manga for anyone of any age during Comic-Con International. The list was shared by Anime News Network, which also included Tomodachi x Monster, Guardians of the Louvre, Ninja Slayer Kills, and Servant X Service in the same category. Furthermore, for the first few months after the anime debut in 2017, it had a score of 6.51 on MyAnimeList. It’s considered below average and a lot of the reviews were slamming the adaptation for bad animation and mediocre plot.

Other criticisms focused on the pacing, heavy use of common shonen tropes, and Asta’s frequent shouting, which some viewers found irritating. However, the anime currently has a score of 8.14 in the same platform and the manga is scored 7.85. The series began to gain traction midway through the first year when the anime was airing The Dungeon Exploration Arc which focused on Asta and Yuno’s teamwork against Mars, a powerful adversary from the enemy kingdom.

The arc follows Asta and Yuno’s team up in a dungeon raid where they run into knights from the Diamon Kingdom. However, Black Clover reviews got a massive boost when the anime started airing the Eye of the Midnight Sun Encounter Arc. The studio upgraded the animation while the story showcased significant growth and character development. Fights against the Eye of the Midnight Sun, the Devil Zagred, and later antagonists highlighted high-stakes conflicts with emotional weight.

The actions of the Dark Triad in the Spade Kingdom Arc further increased interest in the series. The Clover Kingdom continues to face chaos in the Elf Reincarnation Arc, which again solidified Black Clover’s status as one of the best series in recent times. As the story progressed, viewers started to appreciate the anime for its world-building, magic system, side characters, battle choreography, and so on.

Black Clover’s Anime Is Delayed Far Too Long

The anime stopped airing in March 2021 with Episode 170, and a sequel has yet to be announced. It only set up the Spade Kingdom Arc after adapting a few chapters before the conclusion. The last two arcs include some of the best fights and plot twists fans have seen so far. An anime adaptation will elevate the excitement of these moments. It’s also imperative that the anime resolves the unfinished story and give fans the closure they’ve been waiting for.

However, if the anime were to return, Studio Pierrot would likely make it seasonal, just like they did with Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War. Although fans will have to wait longer for the story to conclude, it will provide the studio enough time to work on high-quality animation. On the other hand, the manga is in its final arc. Black Clover transitioned from Weekly Shonen Jump to Jump GIGA in 2023, with the series concluding its WSJ run on August 21st, 2023.

The manga resumed serialization in Jump GIGA on December 25th, 2023. It was incredibly challenging for Yuki Tabata to keep up with the weekly publication schedule amid personal and family issues. The manga is now releasing new chapters quarterly, which resulted in Tabata having a healthier work-life balance and maintaining the quality of his work. Tabata even apologized to readers for the sudden change while also promising to work on the manga conclusion in better condition.

H/T: Anime News Network, @ascillios

The post Black Clover Was Once Considered One of the Worst Series (& Now Fans Can’t Enough) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Common Side Effects will be making its debut with Adult Swim in just a couple of weeks, and the new animated series is showcasing more of its best duo with a new early preview clip from the premiere. Common Side Effects is Adult Swim’s first original animated series to be making its debut this year, and there is quite a lot of excitement over what to expect from this new project. Not only does the series not look like anything else that has been launched with Adult Swim before, but it doesn’t sound like anything that has been seen on the block before either.

This is especially true when it comes to the central duo Copano and Harrington. They’re two DEA agents who get tasked with keeping an eye on the ever evolving situation with the main character, Marshall Cuso, who seems to be at the center of a huge conspiracy. But these two have really struck a chord with fans as the early promotional materials have shown off their dynamic with one another, and now a new preview clip showcases more of that great work in action. You can check it out in the video above as shared by Adult Swim.

When Does Common Side Effects Come Out?

Copano is voiced by Joseph Lee Anderson, and Harrington is voiced by Martha Kelly in the new series, and it won’t be too much longer before Adult Swim fans get to check out more of them as Common Side Effects will be premiering on Sunday, February 2nd at 11:30PM EST with Adult Swim. The new episodes will then be made available for streaming with Max the next day, and kick off with a special two episode premiere with one episode then airing on a weekly basis after. These two will be joined in the voice cast by Dave King, Emily Pendergast, Mike Judge, and more.

Originally created by Joe Bennett (who also co-created Scavengers Reign) and Steve Hely (Veep, American Dad!, The Office), and produced by Bandera and Green Street Pictures, this will be a half-hour serialized story that also features King of the Hill creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels as executive producers. As this preview clip showcases, Common Side Effects is going to have a much different vibe than Adult Swim fans might be used to. But at the same time, that’s going to make it a perfect fit for the block.

What Is Common Side Effects?

As teased by its title, Common Side Effects sees a wider mystery unfolding around the pharmaceutical industry. When Marshall spots a new kind of mushroom that could serve as a miracle drug that can heal almost any injury, he could end up disrupting the drug world as whole. Adult Swim teases what to expect from the new animated series as such, “The half-hour series follows Marshall and Frances, two former high school lab partners who share a secret: Marshall has discovered the world’s greatest medicine, a mushroom that can heal almost anything. But getting it out into the world won’t be easy – the DEA, big pharma, and international businessmen are all on the chase to stop them.”

Copano and Harrington play a key role in the animayed series as the greater mystery unfolds, and the two of them are trying to figure out their place in it all while just working another day at their jobs. It’s a fun dynamic that fans will get to see more of when the series premieres next month, and even more of that wider conspiracy reveal itself in the near future as well.

The post Common Side Effects Highlights Its Best Duo in Special Preview Clip appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fans of Invincible have come up with some new theories tied to one of the show’s biggest unanswered questions. At this point in time, Invincible is nearing its return to Prime Video as Season 3 is set to debut in only a few short weeks. Prior to that arrival, Invincible fans have continued to discuss the previous seasons of the series, which recently led to a discussion tied to one of its most popular villains.

In a thread on the Invincible subreddit, user Battle_beast6789 posed a very straightforward question: “What exactly are the Mauler Twins?” Having been in Invincible since the show’s first episode, the Mauler Twins are Invincible’s most recurring baddies and are set to once again play a big part in Season 3. Despite this, Invincible has never once explained who or what the Mauler Twins are. Given their appearance, they could be anything from aliens to genetically altered humans that have somehow turned blue and gained super strength.

In the estimation of many Invincible viewers, it’s this latter option that is most likely the correct one. A number of users on Reddit said that they believe the Mauler Twins began as a single scientist who performed tests on himself that led to him gaining powers. In the wake of this, the scientist then eventually cloned himself, which led to the birth (and continued rebirth) of the Mauler Twins as we’ve come to know them.

“Presumably, a Human scientist who was a master of bioengineering,” said user Maleficent-Month2950 with the thread’s most popular answer. “[He] gave himself physical superpowers, made a clone to help him in his endeavors, was killed by said clone, and eventually it just became a cycle of clones creating each other to serve as assistants.”

Related: New Invincible Comic Series Announced by Robert Kirkman and Ryan Ottley

For those who haven’t read the Invincible comics, the origin story of the Mauler Twins is surprisingly never touched on in great detail either. While some additional light is shed on their roots, it’s never known exactly how they got their powers or what their original name was. This ongoing mystery is part of the allure of the character and makes the Mauler Twins that more more unique when compared to the other villains in Invincible’s rogues’ gallery.

As mentioned, the Invincible TV series is set to return for Season 3 shortly and will hit Prime Video on February 6th with its first three episodes. Season 3 will last eight episodes in total and will continue running until the middle of March.

The post Invincible Fans Have New Theories for One of the Show’s Biggest Mysteries appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Fortnite leakers are notorious for discovering upcoming skins and collaborations between Epic Games battle royale and other franchises. Sometimes the leaks are accurate and players get a sneak peak of what skins are joining Fortnite, but sometimes the leaks miss the mark. A recent leak has captured fans’ attention, and there is some credibility here based on previous skins released in Fortnite. One of the biggest surprises was the correctly leaked Godzilla collaboration, which ties in directly with this new leak.

The leak of a King Kong and Kaiju No.8 collaboration comes from known leakers Dr Cacahuette and iFireMonkey, showing off a potential look at upcoming skins. The 3D models for King Kong show what skins players can equip in Fortnite to play as the giant ape, based on his appearance from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. King Kong was previously leaked to be coming to the game after Godzilla joined, but Epic Games hasn’t officially confirmed this just yet.

RELATED: Fortnite Chapter 6 Makes Controversial Weapon Change

The inclusion of skins and items from Kaiju No.8 is certainly a surprise but fits with Godzilla and King Kong also joining the game. For Kaiju No.8, leakers discovered a pickaxe codenamed Sure Bamboo, which has a similar color scheme and aesthetic to Kaiju No.8. If the pickaxe is an indicator of what’s to come, fans can probably expect a skin based on the Kaiju No.8 manga as well.

Both of these leaks should be taken with a grain of salt until an official announcement of a collaboration is made. As noted before, leakers are sometimes right, but can wrong just as often. Even well-known leakers who have gotten information correct don’t have a perfect batting average.

That said, with Godzilla’s inclusion, King Kong’s arrival makes sense, and considering both figures’ kaiju status, Kaiju No.8 also fits. Epic Games hasn’t been shy about including anime crossovers in Fortnite, so this isn’t far off the mark for what the studio may do. The current season of Fortnite ends on February 21, 2025, making it the perfect time to add more skins along with a new season.

Only time will tell if King Kong and Kaiju No.8 join Fortnite, but it would be a fitting follow-up to Godzilla. In the meantime, fans have taken to ridicule the leaked models for King Kong, specifically, the interesting choice to keep the head and body separate and King Kong’s funny facial expression. Fans of both franchises certainly hope the leaks are true, and most are happy to see new skins added. Fortnite continues to grow and expand its roster of collaborations, some of which seem impossible only to be done. King Kong and Kaiju No.8 aren’t far from the realm of possibility, so the leaks do look pretty credible.

Including kaiju in Fortnite makes sense and opens the door for even more. Godzilla and King Kong have numerous adversaries that could be added to the game, which would lead to some interesting parties. A team consisting of Godzilla, King Kong, Kaiju No.8, and another kaiju like Mothra would be an interesting sight to see dropping from the Battle Bus. Here’s to hoping more kaiju jump into Fortnite and give fans what they want.

The post Fortnite Leak Reveals New Kong, Kaiju No. 8 Skins appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Creatures Commandos has given DC fans their first look at the DCU and what a look it was. Many people questioned the wisdom of starting with such an unknown concept, but Creature Commandos‘ cast of monsters has proven to be a very interesting doorway into the all-new cinematic universe based on DC Comics. The show was packed with clues about the shape of the new DCU, revealing many familiar aspects. Now that the first season is over, it’s time to look at everything the show set up and see just what might be in store for the future. All of it points to it being an exciting future for DC fans.

The DCU Already Has Films In Its Canon

So, we’ll start with the easy stuff. The very existence of Task Force M shows that much of James Gunn’s previous DC work is canon to the DCU. The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker happened, down to that story about Superman getting shot. This is to be expected; since Gunn is in charge of things, it makes sense for those projects to be canon. John Economos and Amanda Waller are the same characters, and the death of Rick Flag Jr. at Peacemaker’s hands had been established by Waller and Rick Flag Sr. Flag probably doesn’t know all the details, but that’s just how Waller rolls.

Amazons Are A Controversial World Discovery

The show went into greater detail about the DCU as the season progressed. Its first phase concentrated on Circe and the Sons of Themyscira, establishing that Themyscira is not only known to the world but also rather controversial with the chuds of the manosphere. There are even university classes taught about it, as evidenced by Professor McPherson, who Clayface killed and impersonated in an attempt to trick the Creature Commandos in going back and killing Princess Illana Rostovic in Pokolistan. An interesting little wrinkle about Pokolistan is that the Princess’s knights are vaguely reminiscent of the Atomic Knights, survivors of a nuclear holocaust on either a future or alternate Earth, depending on the DC continuity in question. This fits Grodd’s plans for the world – he may have created that nuclear Earth if he got his way.

DC’s WWII Heroes

G.I. Robot made fans of DC’s Golden and Silver Age very excited. The robot’s origin episode establishes that Sgt. Rock and his Happy Company exist in the DCU. This opens DC’s entire slate of WWII war heroes – including the Losers, who are Flag family-relations – and also could open the door for the Justice Society of America to exist at some point. G.I. Robot’s meeting with scientist Will Magnus also opens things up for the Metal Men, a group of robots with different personalities and element-based capabilities made by the roboticist.

The Long History of DCU’s Monterverse

The stories of The Bride and Eric Frankenstein show that the monster side of the DC Universe is in full effect. Both of them have been long-time DC characters, and their existence also means that perhaps the Patchwork Man – a Swamp Thing-related monster that is created similarly – potentially exists. Monsters are a very important part of the show, and this fits in with the name given to the first story arc of the DCU: “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters”. Monsters have always been special in the DC Universe; while many of them are frightening enemies, just as many are heroes. Task Force M could play a major role in the future dealing with the monsters of this world.

RELATED: Creature Commandos: DC Studios Logo Pays Homage to a Classic Superman Story

The DCU Batman Universe

The biggest reveals from Creature Commandos are all Batman-related. The show’s inclusion of Doctor Phosphorous let us know that Gotham exist (something reinforced by the appearance of Clayface), but the season’s penultimate episode showed that Gotham is pretty much exactly the way it is in all other media. Well, Rupert Thorne is dead, but other than that, it’s Gotham. Viewers even got a glimpse of the Caped Crusader himself. James Gunn clarified that Batman has existed for some time in the DCU, meaning that we’re not jumping in at the exact beginning of the heroic age. This is a universe that has been in motion for a very long time, which is extremely exciting for fans of DC Comics. Also, Marvel Comics exists in the DCU – the Bride called Doctor Phosphorous “Ghost Rider.” So that’s interesting and does fit something that DC and Marvel have done in previous years, with comics often showing aspects of the other fictional universe of superheroes.

More Hero & Villain Teases

Star City and Metropolis are things as well. The latter is obvious because of Superman (2025), while Nina’s origin episode revealed Star City, which opens the door for heroes like Green Arrow to eventually show up. Gorilla Grodd has been established as a major potential threat in the DCU, using his telepathic powers to move people like pieces on a game board, all in the pursuit of the destruction of humanity, a familiar role for the simian tyrant.

This is actually perfect for Grodd; while he’s often portrayed as a brutal monster – which again plays into the title “Gods and Monsters” – he’s also a cunning evil super genius, who can manipulate events from the shadows. Grodd’s existence means that Gorilla City exists (fingers crossed we get to Solivar and maybe even the Ultra-Humanite in the albino gorilla body), which also opens the door to the Flash and the DCU version of twin cities of Central City and Keystone City. That last one depends on whether the DCU is going to do a classic Earth-Two, which is the original home of Keystone and the Justice Society; after all, multiverses are all the rage).

The DCU Is More Fully Formed Than We Guessed

Creature Commandos turned out to be the perfect way to introduce fans to the DCU. For years, everyone thought that the only way to be successful was the MCU’s method – a slow rollout at the beginning of the universe, holding fans’ hands and showing them everything as it builds and progresses. However, Creature Commandos went in a different direction: Gunn used what fans already knew about DC – The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Batman, Gotham City, Themyscira – to widen the foundation of his universe. He used each member of Task Force M to expand upon a variety of things, opening doors for a lot of DC characters and concepts to come.

Creature Commandos was a perfect starting roadmap for the DCU, building excitement for what’s to come. It’s the most entertaining extended trailer for a franchise universe ever – a seven-episode run that teased the breadth of this new DC cinematic endeavor. In Gunn we trust.

You can stream Creature Commandos on Max.

The post Everything Creature Commandos Taught Us About the New DCU appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Season One of Marvel Rivals has officially begun, with players digging into Mister Fantastic and Invisible Woman, the most recent additions to the superhero roster. With the Human Torch and The Thing releasing in late February, many fans are wondering when we will see even more characters make their debut in the free-to-play shooter. As players may know, there have been many leaks regarding the next batch of characters to assemble into the Marvel title, with names such as Cyclops, Professor X, Jean Grey, and Blade swirling around the internet. The wait for these superheroes won’t be long, as Marvel Rivals director Guangyun Chen has addressed the game’s planned character release schedule.

The excitement surrounding Marvel Rivals characters began with the debut trailer for the game, and continued until launch when the likes of Squirrel Girl, Iron Fist, Black Window, Cloak & Dagger, and Wolverine were revealed. Players got to witness the release of two characters simultaneously with the launch of Season One and will apparently get that chance again in February. While a massive amount of characters have already been announced, NetEase Games isn’t looking to stop the momentum.

Marvel Rivals Will Add a New Hero Every Half a Season

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Leak Reveals More Playable Characters Coming Soon

According to an interview with Metro UK, Che opened up about the plannyed three-month seasons and addressed the rollout of new content, including heroes. He revealed: “Every season we’ll be rolling out fresh seasonal stories, new maps, and new heroes. We’ll actually be breaking down each season into two halves. The length of one season is three months. And for each half of the season, we will introduce a new hero. We just eventually want to continue to enhance the experience, and keep everyone excited in our community.”

With confirmation that there will be two characters released in one season, this means that players will be introduced to a new character every 90 days in Marvel Rivals. From a macro-view, this also means that Marvel Rivals will release eight new characters every year, which is already more than Overwatch 2’s schedule of one new hero every other season. In terms of this year, given we’re getting four characters in one season, 2025 could see 10 superheroes added to the game. That in mind, the roster will jump to 43 characters by the end of the year. 

NetEase has been open about their continuous work on Marvel Rivals, as they have taken all the feedback given by players and addressed it when necessary. Chen’s comment on keeping everyone in the community excited about the game reassures players that there will be no shortage of new content to dig into every month.

Chen also spoke about the seasonal updates with team-ups and new heroes, adding: “Looking ahead as we move on to seasonal updates, we’ll be introducing new heroes and will also be refreshing the team-ups every season. That includes adding new team-ups, as well as breaking down and reshaping the existing ones to keep the experience dynamic and engaging for everyone.”

The dedication of the Marvel Rivals team has been comforting to a lot of fans, as the support for the game hasn’t died down since its release. According to SteamDB, Marvel Rivals has more players jumping into the game than it did on release, with about 500,000 playing the new season.

The post Marvel Rivals Will Introduce Two Characters Per Season appeared first on ComicBook.com.

It’s no secret that Niantic has made Pokemon Go‘s Remote Raids much worse over the last two years. From jacking up the cost, to placing limits on how many players can participate in each day, the developers have made it much harder to Raid remotely when it’s inconvenient to do so in person. These changes were made specifically because Niantic wants to encourage people to play the game locally, and sees that as important for the longterm health of Pokemon Go. It’s surprising then that the company has announced a positive change that we can expect to see during the Fashion Week: Takeover event and the upcoming Ho-oh Shadow Raid Day.

For the first time ever, players will be able to remotely participate in Shadow Raids during these events. Considering that it’s the month of January, and many places are dealing with very cold temperatures, this should open up Shadow Raids to a much larger number of players. It should also make some of the tougher Shadow Raids a lot more manageable, which is a very good thing. At this time, it’s unclear whether this will be a running change for all future Shadow Raids, or if we should just expect to see Niantic open them up during specific events.

Whatever the case might be, this change is definitely a good thing. There was no real advantage to blocking remote players from participating in Shadow Raids. If anything, this was making it harder for local players, as well, because it results in a smaller pool of players to pull from. It will be interesting to see what comes of this change, and if it might open the door for other Remote Raid changes. One of the biggest complaints about Gigantamax Raids right now is that it’s simply too difficult to enlist enough local players to defeat them. Hopefully, Niantic will consider allowing players to participate in Max Raids remotely, as well.

The timing of this change is pretty convenient for Pokemon Go players. During Ho-oh Shadow Raid Day, participants will have an increased chance of encountering a Shiny Ho-oh. Shiny Ho-oh has a gorgeous gold and white color scheme, in place of the standard orange. This could be a really good opportunity for players to find one, either for use in Pokemon Go, or for sending over to Pokemon Home for use in the mainline games.

RELATED: Pokemon Go Reveals Lunar New Year Event and Gigantamax Max Battle Day

The Fashion Week: Takeover event begins in Pokemon Go on Wednesday, January 15th at 12 a.m. and runs through Sunday, January 19th at 8 p.m. local time. The Ho-oh Shadow Raid Day event will take on Sunday January 19th from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. local time.

Are you happy about this change to Remote Raids? Will this make you more likely to participate in Shadow Raids? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Pokemon Go Makes Surprising Remote Raid Change appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Squid Game Season 2 has been taking over Netflix ever since it launched last December, and now the season has officially become one of the most watched seasons on Netflix ever. Squid Game was one of the biggest successes for Netflix in the 2020s as the Korean drama really took the world by storm. It was a surprise seeing a non-English series succeed to such an extent that it became a fully fleshed out franchise for Netflix that resulted in a brand new, completely real game show and two more seasons to help bring it all to an end. And Netflix viewers have been locked in.

Squid Game Season 2 went on to have one of the biggest premieres in Netflix history as it broke records previously held by its own first season and Wednesday. Now as the numbers continue to roll in through to the new year, Squid Game Season 2 has cemented itself as the third most-watched TV season on Netflix with 152.5 million total views worldwide. This series is still just as big as it was the first time around.

Squid Game Season 2 Continues to Dominate Netflix

As revealed on Netflix’s Top 10 lists for the week of January 6th, Squid Game Season 2 is now in its third week at the top of the Non-English TV shows chart globally with 26.3 million views. It seems the success of the new season has brought back the first season too as Squid Game Season 1 has entered the Top 10 list at third place with 8.7 million views as well. With these latest numbers, Squid Game Season 2 has gone from its 68 million view debut to its current total of 152.5 million views worldwide, and as Variety points out, this means the season has picked up 126.2 million views across 11 days.

This is a huge feat for any Netflix series as no other show has seen that kind of growth, and Squid Game Season 2 is in pretty hilarious company when it comes to the most watched seasons on Netflix overall. The current title holder is Squid Game Season 1 with 265 million views, and Wednesday comes in second with 252 million views. There’s an over 100 million view difference in between these and Squid Game Season 2’s current view count, but it’s a huge accomplishment for a follow up to a massively popular series.

RELATED: Squid Game Creator Explains Why Season 2’s Most Controversial Player Shares Name With Marvel Villain

When Does Squid Game Season 3 Come Out?

Squid Game Season 3 is currently scheduled for a release some time later this year, but a more concrete release date or window has yet to be announced by Netflix as of the time of this publication. Squid Game Season 3 will be officially bringing the series to an end, and when previously asked about a potential release for the final episodes, series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk teased,  “At this point, anything I might say is going to be a spoiler, so I want to be cautious. But what I can say is, after Season 2 launches, I believe we will be announcing the launch date for Season 3 soon. I probably expect that to launch around summer or fall next year.”

A potential leak for Squid Game Season 3 teases that the final episodes will be available for streaming this June, and that would perfectly line up with what the creator had noted about its release. But as of this time, Netflix fans can only hope to catch up with the first two seasons of the series in the meantime while we all wait to see how it all comes to an end.

HT – Variety

The post Squid Game Season 2 Is One of Netflix’s Most Watched Seasons Ever appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Amidst exciting releases like season 2 of Solo Leveling and the final season of Dr. Stone, one particular anime that is already beginning to stand out is Netflix and TMS Entertainment’s Sakamoto Days. Though Sakamoto Days’ opening theme by Vaundy was met with mixed opinions prior to the anime’s release, the series is shaping up to be quite a hit regardless, and its brilliantly deceptive opening sequence in Episode 1 is all the introduction fans need to the series.

Sakamoto Days’ anime is finally here and the series looks even better than fans could have ever dreamed, starting strong with a stunning introduction to the legendary hitman Taro Sakamoto in his prime at the very start. Though plucked straight out of the manga, almost scene for scene, the anime adds its own unmistakable flair to the scene, enforcing the sharp contrast between Sakamoto’s past and present self even better than the manga did with its distinct animation style, color grading, and just the right amount of original content.

[RELATED: Sakamoto Days: Shin’s Wild Powers Explained]

Sakamoto Days’ Anime Gives Its Protagonist the Coolest Introduction

As far as main character introductions go, Taro Sakamoto surely has one of the most memorable ones as of late, with the opening scene brilliantly conveying just how intimidatingly strong Sakamoto used to be in his prime within the span of only a few minutes.

Visually, the scene easily stands out from the rest of the anime owing to its Western neo-noir feel. From the dramatic low lighting and long, slanted shadows to the dynamic action and the spurting blood of Sakamoto’s enemies, everything about the scene is highly stylized. The scene paints Taro Sakamoto as quite a John Wick-like figure in his prime, only to turn expectations upside down mere moments later as Sakamoto meets his wife and settles down.

The animation, and even the aspect ratio itself, notably shifts as this shift takes place in Sakamoto’s life, subtly conveying not just through the narration but also the visuals just how much Sakamoto’s life has changed since.

Nonetheless, stunning as it may be, it is doubtful whether the anime will be making use of this style of animation again as the series progresses. For now, fans can only hope that the rest of Sakamoto Days‘ anime continues to be just as stunning as this first episode was and that the series continues to similarly enrich the source material.

Sakamoto Days is available to watch on Netflix.

The post Sakamoto Days’ Twist-Filled Opening is The Perfect Introduction to The Series appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Xbox Game Pass has today added its biggest games to the service so far in 2025. After a rapid pace of new releases on Game Pass to close out 2024 that included Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and STALKER 2, the early part of the new year has been pretty quiet for Xbox users. Fortunately, for those looking for some brand-new titles to check out on Xbox Game Pass, a couple of standouts have now landed on the platform.

As of today, EA Sports UFC 5 has made its way to Xbox Game Pass. Available only to those with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, UFC 5 is the latest entry in EA’s fighting game franchise that only just released a little over a year ago. For it to have now been added to Game Pass is a big boost to the service, especially for those who enjoy sports titles. UFC 5 can be played on Xbox Series X and S platforms only, though, as a PC version of the game does not exist.

Related: Microsoft Announces Changes to Xbox Game Pass Quests

Luckily, for those on PC who are looking for a new Game Pass game, a second title has been added to the service today. That game in question is Diablo, which is the original entry in Blizzard’s hugely popular action RPG franchise. While it’s a bit dated, Diablo is still a classic and is very much worth checking out if you’re at all interested in the roots of the series.

To learn more about both UFC 5 and Diablo, you can find descriptions and videos for each attached below.

UFC 5

“EA SPORTS UFC 5 is as real as it gets. Powered by Frostbite engine’s advanced rendering capabilities, your favorite fighters now have unparalleled character likenesses to complement next-level environment fidelity that’ll make their walk to the Octagon feel like a PPV main event.

The all-new authentic damage system brings the intensity and strategy of a fight to life, as cuts and strikes absorbed can affect mobility, defense, stamina, and more. Take too much damage, and the doctor will check to see if you’re able to continue.

For lovers of the ground game, the new Transition-Based Submissions make grappling feel more fluid and realistic than ever before. And if you like to admire your handiwork, new Cinematic K.O. Replays capture your fight-ending finishes in all their punishing glory. Plus, a completely revamped live service schedule builds exciting challenges around all PPV fight weeks. Bring the next evolution of the fight game home with UFC 5.”

Diablo

“Darkness stirs beneath the town of Tristram. A mad king, his missing son, and a mysterious archbishop are all pieces of the puzzle you need to hack through. You have journeyed to the source of this evil. A cathedral stands in Tristram, built over the ruins of an ancient monastery. Eerie lights and ungodly sounds echo through its abandoned halls. Tread softly, adventurer; for you tread on nightmares.”

The post Xbox Game Pass Just Added Its Biggest Games of 2025 So Far appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Prepare to see Wakanda through new eyes. Marvel’s Eyes of Wakanda, an animated Black Panther spinoff series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is a globe-trotting, centuries-spanning adventure about the Hatut Zeraze: “Like Wakanda’s CIA,” says producer Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation, in a Marvel Animation 2025 Preview. While the series is executive produced by Ryan Coogler, director of 2018’s Black Panther and 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the series (premiering Aug. 6) is a story that could be told only in the medium of animation.

“Animation is the ultimate equalizer of locations,” series creator and showrunner Todd Harris explained. “Egypt costs just as much as New York City, and the moon costs just as much as Ohio. Filming around the globe has inherent limitations that we just don’t have in animation. That freedom allowed us to reimagine an idealized version of an era that’’s unaffected by human history.”

RELATED: Marvel’s Gold Tiger: New Wakandan Superhero Is Based on Unused Black Panther Design

The four-episode event series recounts the epic adventures of brave Wakandan warriors throughout history who carried out dangerous missions to retrieve Vibranium artifacts from the enemies of Wakanda. Warriors like the gold-adorned Lion (voiced by Black Lightning‘s Cress Williams).

The Hatut Zeraze “often have to venture out to regain stolen Vibranium, but they also have to keep secrets well-hidden so that Wakanda can ward off invaders and stay safe,” Winderbaum said. “The Hatut Zaraze are challenged in different ways to stay loyal to Wakanda as they discover the rest of the world around them.”

Harris, a storyboard artist whose credits include both Black Panther films and Marvel Animation’s What If…?, directs and serves as executive producer with Winderbaum (X-Men ’97), Kevin Feige (Deadpool & Wolverine), Louis D’Esposito (Agatha All Along), and Proximity Media’s Zinzi Coogler (Judas and the Black Messiah), Sev Ohanian (Anthem), Kalia King (Sheba), and Coogler (Ironheart).

“This has been a long time coming,” Harris said. “The story has been stewing for a long time in my head. I’m a big believer in what Wakanda represents to mankind as a place that’s untethered by expansion. It has drawn a line — a line it won’t cross and it won’t let anybody else cross.”

Eyes of Wakanda — featuring the voices of Winnie Harlow (Grown-ish), Patricia Belcher (The Villains of Valley View), Larry Herron (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2), Adam Gold (Hogwarts Legacy), Lynn Whitfield (The Chi), Jacques Colimon (Fright Krewe), Jona Xiao (The Flash), Isaac Robinson-Smith (X-Men ’97), Gary Anthony Williams (Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur), Zeke Alton (Batman: Arkham Shadow), Steve Toussaint (House of the Dragon), and Anika Noni Rose (Mufasa: The Lion King) — is streaming August 6 on Disney+.

The post Marvel’s Eyes of Wakanda Showrunner Explains Why the Black Panther Prequel Series Is Animated appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Harry Potter has launched a surprising new crossover with a famous anime and manga franchise, Detective Conan. The Harry Potter franchise is now in the works on multiple projects hoping to recapture the magic that the original books and movies were able to tap into many years ago, and part of that effort has led to some awesome team ups with other franchises. One of these new team ups has recently hit Japan as Harry Potter is now uniting forces with one of the longest (and one of the most popular) anime and manga franchises currently still running with new entries today.

The official social accounts for Harry Potter and Gosho Aoyama’s Detective Conan (as spotted by Oricon News) have officially announced that they are kicking off a new collaboration between the two franchises. While the details of what this new collaboration will entail are still largely being kept a mystery as of the time of this publication, this new crossover has kicked off with a special new poster that sees both crews of their respective series ready to take on the world. Check out the first look at the new Harry Potter and Detective Conan crossover below.

Why Is Detective Conan Teaming Up With Harry Potter?

As for why the two franchises are teaming up, there are a few different reasons why it could be the case. The first is that both stars at the center of their respective series are notable for their distinct glasses (which is something fans of both immediately noticed when the crossover was first announced), and secondly is the fact that both of these franchises have some kind of presence at Universal Studios Japan. But it’s yet to be revealed what exactly this new team up between the two will actually result in.

While Detective Conan isn’t as huge of a franchise in the United States (as most fans in the West might more recognize it under its English language licensed title, Case Closed), it’s actually huge in its native japan. Series creator Gosho Aoyama first launched the original Detective Conan manga in the pages of Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday back in 1994, and has been running with new chapters ever since. Each anime release that has hit theaters in Japan has gone on to dominate the box office too, so it’s even more successful than Harry Potter in the region.

RELATED: Naruto & Burger King Are Teaming Up for Tasty New Collab

What’s Next for Detective Conan?

Detective Conan does so well in theaters overseas, in fact, that it has a new feature film currently slated to release later this Spring. Titled Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback, the next film is actually the 28th in the long running and successful franchise. Debuting in theaters across Japan beginning on April 18th, there has yet to be any international release plans announced for the new film as of the time of this publication. But given that it’s just not as popular in the West, there might be quite a wait before fans outside of Japan get to see this one.

As for what to expect from the new movie, Detective Conan: One-Eyed Flashback is teased as such, “The son of a world-famous mystery writer, Shinichi Kudo, has achieved his own notoriety by assisting the local police as a student detective. He has always been able to solve the most difficult of criminal cases using his wits and power of reason.” With this new collaboration with Harry Potter also in the works, we’re likely to see some forward momentum on it soon enough.

HT – Oricon News

The post Harry Potter Launches Surprise Anime Crossover appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Hunt: Showdown 1896 is ringing in the new year with big plans, some of which developer Crytek is sharing with players. A lot of what the developer plans to implement in early 2025 is quality of life, making bug fixes and updates to increase player experience. Undoubtedly, players can expect new content as the year goes on, but early on will be improving various aspects of the game. Crytek has consistently informed players of what changes and updates they can expect going forward. As such, they released what changes players will see ahead of implementing them, giving players a heads up of the fixes to come.

We haven’t yet gotten a full set of patch notes to detail everything that’s coming in the next Hunt: Showdown 1896 update, but here’s what we know so far of the early 2025 plans:

Gameplay Bugs

• Fixed various crashes and freezes that occasionally occurred during gameplay, as well as when loading in and out of a mission.
• Fixed an issue where Player A could appear to be killed by Player B even after Player B was already visually dead.
• Fixed an issue where players could potentially leave map boundaries, possibly by using vaulting.
• Fixed an issue where the Poison effect could remain stuck on the player.
• Fixed a problem where compounds occasionally seemed to be dominated by a single special AI type.
• Fixed locations where players could become soft-locked or access unintended locations.
• Fixed an issue where the Spider could fall through the floor or terrain upon death.
• Fixed an issue where Assassin clones were sometimes not visible.
• Fixed an issue where fire or bleed effects would continue when switching from healing with a first aid kit or syringe to stopping the effect with the ‘F’ key.

RELATED: Hunt: Showdown Permanently Gets Cheaper, but With a Catch

Weapons and Equipment

• Fixed an issue where bullets were not visible during the reload animation of the 1865 Carbine when using default ammunition.
• Fixed an issue with ammo switching on dual pistols that caused mixed ammo, firing issues, or broken reloads.
• Fixed an issue with the Avtomat where the fire rate was incorrect, third-person audio was broken, and bullets were loading at the wrong time.
• Fixed various issues with hunters and equipment skipping.
• Fixed an exploit where the hand crossbow with a revive bolt, combined with precise timing, allowed players to self-revive.
• Fixed an issue where throwing a lantern during the extinguishing animation caused the player to get stuck, preventing sprinting, vaulting, and item usage.
• Fixed an issue where some traps, consumables, and tools didn’t count toward the “deal damage with traps/consumables” progress.

Hunter and Prestige Systems

Hunter and Prestige Systems

• Fixed an issue where hunters could not be equipped or changed after prestiging following a server crash.
• Fixed an issue where clicking the ‘YES’ button multiple times quickly in the confirmation popup could dismiss two hunters at once.
• Fixed an issue where forcefully disconnected users could no longer change their hunter or equipment.
• Fixed an issue where some prestige levels only mentioned a ‘random skin’, where users could actually choose from multiple rewards.

User Interface

User Interface

• Fixed an issue where all scopes were misaligned during the first ADS with a centered crosshair position.
• Fixed an issue where slots in the Free Hunter Recruits screen and Loadouts screen displayed static names.
• Fixed an issue where weapons and hunters would remain on the screen and overlap when switching between menu tabs.

This is just a preview of what players can expect to come to Hunt: Showdown 1896. No dates have been set for these planned fixes, but they are coming. Players can also expect the Post Malone event to come in February 2025. Hunt: Showdown 1896 recently received a huge update, which added a new map and more.

The post Hunt: Showdown 1896 Previews Biggest Changes Coming Soon appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Marvel Rivals has exploded in popularity, becoming one of the hottest and most played multiplayer games. It draws players in with its fantastic roster of Marvel heroes and villains, as well as its engaging hero shooter gameplay. Marvel Rivals is available on most platforms, including PC, Xbox, and PlayStation, and features controls for controllers and mouse and keyboard. However, some players have found a workaround on console that seemingly gives them an advantage. But those interested in using the tech should watch out, as Marvel Rivals developer NetEase has promised to come after anyone using the exploit, and it means business.

The exploit in question is using a keyboard and mouse adapter on console. What this does is combine the high sensitivity and precision of a mouse with the aim assist of a controller. Combining the two gives players an unfair advantage thanks to the controller inputs harnessing the aim-assist with the speed of a mouse.

RELATED: Marvel Rivals Leak Reveals Professor X, Cyclops, and More Characters Coming to the Game

NetEase has specifically mentioned several types of adapters, including XIM series, Cronus Zen series, Titan Two series, KeyMander series, and Brook Sniper series. It also stated it would target those not listed as well, citing “Any device enabling keyboard and mouse emulation of controller inputs, even if not explicitly listed, will be considered a keyboard and mouse adapter.”

Those caught using such a device face several consequences, including, “temporary or permanent account suspensions, removal from leaderboards, or other punishments depending on the circumstances.” The permanent ban is the penalty most focused on, as NetEase has not been shy about banning players in the past, though it has been understanding for false bans.

NetEase Games is strict about violating any of its rules for Marvel Rivals. The studio wants to ensure a fair and fun environment for all its players. This means ensuring there is a level playing field and all players have equal opportunities. Any other form of cheating or exploiting the game will be similarly punished. Marvel Rivals has also been quick to remove offensive mods as well. It is likely NetEase will continue monitoring Marvel Rivals for further exploits players discover.

This news follows the recent addition of Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman in season 1 of Marvel Rivals. There has never been a better time to jump into Marvel Rivals, and its popularity has soared, especially for strategist players. The Invisible Woman has been a huge hit with many players instalocking her as a soon as a match starts.

Leakers have been hard at work trying to uncover what is coming, which may be new a PvE game mode, costumes, and various incoming characters. The leaks may or not be true, but fans have a lot to look forward to with Marvel Rivals. But regardless of what content is added, players should make sure to play fairly and avoid any form of cheating, hacking, or exploits.

The post Marvel Rivals Players Warned That This Exploit Will Get You Banned appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Suzanne Collin will release a second Hunger Games prequel book series in March, with a movie adaptation in 2026, and there exist a myriad of possible similar projects to come after. Sunrise on the Reaping will follow a teenage Haymitch Abernathy during the 50th Hunger Games. The upcoming title follows the Coriolanus Snow prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which was released as a novel in 2020 and a Francis Lawrence-directed film in 2023. Fans of the Hunger Games books and movies want to see many more characters’ backstories highlighted both on the pages and on the big screen. Should Collins pen more prequels in the future, these five characters would be the best subjects to build a story around.

Finnick Odair

Fan-favorite Hunger Games character Finnick Odair was portrayed on screen by Sam Claflin in 2013’s Catching Fire and Mockingjay parts 1 and 2. The native of District 4 survived the Third Quarter Quell and later joined District 13’s fight against the Capitol. A hypothetical prequel focused on Finnick could tell the story of his victory in the 65th Games, which he won when he was only 14. Moreover, the background of Finnick’s romance with Annie Cresta was only lightly touched on in the novels and movies, so there is plenty of material to further explore in a future project.

Johanna Mason

District 7’s Johanna Mason won the 71st Games and, like Finnick, became one of the victors selected to compete in Catching Fire‘s 75th Games. Jena Malone’s character was captured by the Capitol at the end of the second book. Emaciated and injured as a result of torture before being rescued, Johanna resided in District 13 during Mockingjay‘s storyline; unfortunately, most of the arc involving her time spent recovering and training with Katniss was cut from the movies, so a prequel centered around her first stint in the Hunger Games could somewhat remedy that shortcoming.

[RELATED – The Hunger Games Franchise, Ranked]

President Coin

The presence of District 13 President Alma Coin serves as a fascinating counterpart to President Snow in the Mockingjay book and movies. Julianne Moore’s character emerged victorious over Snow and the Capitol’s forces; however, a fatal arrow from Katniss Everdeen ensured that her reign would not continue. It’s only fitting that a Coin-centric origin story would succeed a President Snow prequel at some point down the line. There is much to be uncovered about Coin’s rise to power in District 13.

Cinna

A beloved character by readers and movie-watchers alike, Cinna remains one of the franchise’s most inspiring figures, and his death one of the saddest. Portrayed by Lenny Kravitz onscreen, Cinna served as Katniss’ stylist ahead of the 74th and 75th Games. His expertise in showcasing the spirit of District 12 and the clever addition of his own rebellious flair made him an endearing force. Cinna’s creation of Katniss’ flaming attire earned her the nickname “girl on fire,” and his heartbreaking death in Catching Fire intensified her resentment of the Capitol. A prequel based on Cinna’s life before meeting Katniss would take the Hunger Games series in a different direction by shining a light on the behind-the-scenes and fashion aspects of the competition. It would also be fascinating to learn what exactly turned Cinna against the Capitol, given that he was born and raised there.

Lucy Gray Baird

One final fantastic, if unlikely, candidate for a future Hunger Games prequel is Lucy Gray Baird. The courageous fighter and talented musician, played by Rachel Zegler in the film, won the 10th annual Hunger Games, yet disappeared into the woods beyond District 12 soon after, never to be seen again. Although she featured extensively in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lucy Gray was not the novel’s POV character. Thus, a sequel to the aforementioned title —which would still serve as a prequel to the main Hunger Games Trilogy — makes perfect sense. Lucy Gray’s ending was intentionally left vague, but a successive project revealing what happened to her after fleeing District 12 would be interesting, considering the possibility that she reached District 13. Plus, Zegler was so outstanding in the role that it seems like a crime to never bring her back to the franchise in some capacity.

The Hunger Games movies are streaming on Hulu and air on TNT and TBS.

The post 5 Hunger Games Characters Who Deserve a Prequel Movie appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Vinland Saga is often considered one of the Seinen Big Three (despite Kingdom having sold way more copies,) and for good reason. The series is deeply introspective, and as Thorfinn gains a new perspective on life through the people he meets, so do we. That’s particularly unique for an anime set in the Viking era with a main character primarily motivated by revenge. But despite first impressions, Vinland Saga isn’t actually a tale of violence or revenge. It’s a tale of what revenge does to a person and what the path to healing looks like.

The series is also unique in that it doesn’t glorify war, despite being centered on the warmongering Vikings and having taken inspiration from real stories of war and subterfuge. Instead, Makoto Yukimura offers a nuanced perspective on the nature of human suffering and how that leads to violence. Vinland Saga’s profound quotes offer deep insight into the human condition, stressing the importance of mastering yourself to become a true warrior, one that does not need violence to win.

You Have No Enemies (Vinland Saga Episode 2)

When a young Thorfinn wanders into his father’s armory and curiously takes out his father’s old sword, Thors tries to make his son understand what it means to carry a weapon. Thors emphasizes that a sword is a tool meant to kill and asks Thorfinn whose life he intends to take. Struggling to really comprehend the gravity of his father’s words, a young Thorfinn replies, “Enemies,” prompting this profound quote.

“You don’t have enemies. The truth is that nobody has them. Nobody in this entire world deserves to get hurt.”

It’s common for anime to glorify weapons like guns and swords, so Vinland Saga’s grounded approach right at the start of the series is a breath of fresh air. The anime questions the very concept of an enemy, pointing out that despite our differences, we’re all humans trying to get by. What’s even better is how vital this quote is to the entire series, even though it takes years for Thorfinn to truly understand his father’s words.

Why Do We Have to Fear Death? (Vinland Saga Episode 27)

Thorfinn spends the entirety of Vinland Saga Season 1 being driven by just one thing: a thirst for revenge. But when his father’s killer is killed by another in front of him, he loses that motivation. He starts the second season of the show as a slave on a farm, eventually ending up in trouble with the farm’s retainers, one of whom threatens his life.

“Why do we have to fear death? Do we live because we don’t want to die? Does anything good come from being alive? Not for me. Not a single good thing has happened to me in my entire life.”

Even as Fox inflicts cut after cut, Thorfinn shows no reaction, not even flinching. But despite his cynical words, Thorfinn draws attention to something very important. When you have no reason to live, you may end up living purely out of fear of death. 

I Shall Bend the Waves Themselves (Vinland Saga Episode 46)

As Thorfinn reunites with Canute in the series’ second season, King Canute appears as a power-hungry man, having lost sight of his ideals. But even as he speaks of his military might, his next speech gives the audience pause. Canute unexpectedly reminds viewers of how insignificant his power is in comparison to God.

“Behold! With my power, I shall bend the waves themselves to my whim. By the will of the almighty King Canute: Stirring seas, be calm. Both of you, did you see? Such is my power— too meager to slow even the gentlest of waves.”

A Peaceful Place Beyond the King’s Reach (Vinland Saga Episode 47)

When Canute tries to build a paradise on earth for the sinners of humanity, Thorfinn acknowledges that even in such a paradise, there will be those who will be oppressed. But unlike other anime protagonists, Thorfinn acknowledges that Canute’s paradise will help more people than it will harm. And proposes a different solution for the oppressed minority.

“I’ll create a peaceful place beyond the king’s reach using methods different from yours. For the people who can’t live in the world you create. For you and for me.”

That last part of this quote is particularly interesting and draws attention to the parallels between Canute and Thorfinn. They are each other’s foils, working outside the other’s sphere of influence. But ultimately wanting the same thing.

[RELATED – 10 Best Naruto Quotes That Moved Fans Worldwide]

You’re a Beautiful Man (Vinland Saga Episode 47)

When Thorfinn asks Canute not to seize Ketil’s farm, he does not use intimidation or threats. He merely tells Canute not to do so and is willing to leave peacefully if Canute doesn’t comply. Canute admires Thorfinn’s character and marvels that he turned out that way despite having lived a life of violence among war-hungry Vikings from a young age.

“So the Vikings are capable of producing someone like you. You’re a beautiful man.”

This quote is especially significant considering Canute’s first instinct on reuniting with Thorfinn is to view him as a threat. He even considers killing him. But Thorfinn changes his entire perspective when he chooses non-violence, despite being a capable warrior.

Everyone Is a Slave (Vinland Saga Episode 8)

For most of Vinland Saga Season 1, Askeladd is a cryptic character. He is viciously intelligent and not without a cruel streak, but there is more good in him than he has others believe. An excellent example of this is his words when Gorm beats the slave girl Hordaland.

“The guy who’s a slave to money holds a whip, and pretends to be the master of the slave he bought with his money. He just doesn’t realize it himself. Everyone is a slave to something.”

What makes this speech even better is that Gorm is not the only Vinland Saga character it applies to. Right after Askeladd says these words, the camera pans to Thorfinn, implying that he, too, is a slave to his need for revenge. And so is Askeladd to his ancestral nation’s legacy.

It’s Better To Be Empty (Vinland Saga Episode 32)

As Thorfinn tells his fellow slave Einar about feeling empty without his need for revenge, Ketil’s elderly father, Sverkel, overhears him. Later, as he shows Thorfinn and Einar how to catch fish with a net, he offers Thorfinn some unexpected wisdom. His speech in Vinland Saga frames emptiness as a good thing that can become a precursor to growth, giving Thorfinn some much-needed hope.

“If you’re empty, then you can fit anything inside you. In fact, it’s better to be empty if you want to be reborn.”

A True Warrior Doesn’t Need a Sword (Vinland Saga Episode 4)

After Thors defeats Askeladd in their duel, the latter compliments his skill with a sword. But instead of feeling flattered, Thors looked saddened. He calls his inability to win fights without a sword a weakness instead of a strength. This quote beautifully represents Vinland Saga’s central theme of true strength being not the ability to fight, but the ability to win without violence.

“I must rely on a sword like this, because I am not yet a master. A true warrior doesn’t need a sword.”

Canute’s Awakening Speech (Vinland Saga Episode 18)

The first half of Vinland Saga Season 1 sees Canute as a weak and timid prince. But after his caretaker Ragnar’s death, Canute questions the meaning of love and comes to the understanding that true love is not discriminatory. He then sees a berserk Bjorn, who is about to attack him, but as Canute stands up to face him, the much bigger warrior suddenly becomes scared and backs away. Canute then calms the berserker down with just his words and a gentle hug, a powerful display of his “love for all” philosophy.

“Miserable warrior. You’re the farthest from love. You, who have been expelled from paradise. Isn’t there any way to end the suffering from your punishment other than death?”

This speech marks Canute’s awakening as a true warrior. One that doesn’t need a sword to win his fights. And while he somewhat wanders away from this ideal later, he eventually finds his way back when he sees the same traits in Thorfinn.

A Place Called Vinland (Vinland Saga Episode 1)

A central point of Vinland Saga is the tale of Vinland, a peaceful land far away from the world’s suffering. The first time we hear this tale is when Thors tries to ease the suffering of a dying slave. But what really makes this speech impactful is how frequently Thorfinn recounts it to the slaves he encounters. Even when twisted by his pain and need for revenge, Thorfinn uses his father’s quote as a source of comfort.

“Far to the West, across the great sea. There is a place called Vinland. It is warm and fertile. Far from the slave trade and the fires of war. There, you will be able to live without pain.”

The post 10 Best Vinland Saga Quotes That Got Fans Rethinking Their Lives appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The anime streaming wars are in full swing. Crunchyroll might be the biggest platform that focuses exclusively on anime, but the likes of Netflix, Hulu, MAX, and other streaming services have been working their way into the anime medium. HIDIVE has been looking to carve out its own place in the wars, as the platform has followed in the footsteps of Crunchyroll by focusing entirely on all things anime. Unfortunately, HIDIVE has shared the fact that three major series are departing the service this month, so if you’re a subscriber you might want to take note and check out said series before they’re no longer available.

HIDIVE first began in 2017, housing several anime series as a result of the fracturing and shuddering of “The Anime Network.” In 2022, HIDIVE was acquired by AMC Networks and expanded its catalogue with each passing year. While the streaming service has closed its platform to several countries outside of the United States in recent years, it’s also managed to get its hands on some big time exclusives. The biggest HIDIVE exclusive is easily Oshi No Ko, the dark idol anime that became a smash hit when it first hit the platform. Alongside this particular anime adaptation, the streaming service also has housed the likes of Call of The Night, Eminence in Shadow, and Akiba Maid Wars.

[RELATED: Ninja Scroll Will Arrive on New Streaming Service (And How The Anime Film Changed The Game)]

Bye Bye HIDIVE

In an official press release, HIDIVE confirmed that Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, Giant Beasts of ARS, and Spy Classroom will be leaving the platform on January 15th. Perhaps the biggest of the three is Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, a romantic high school story that sees high schooler Junta progressively dared to do wilder things to gain attention thanks to Kubo’s influence.

Spy Classroom arrived early in 2023, following a group of spy school “washouts” who are placed into more dangerous scenarios to prove their worth. Finally, Beasts of ARS sees humanity pit against giant creatures in a fight for survival, holding a premise somewhat similar to Attack on Titan as this anime’s version of humanity searches for the mysteries of their world. Unfortunately, no word has been released as to if these series will find a new home in the streaming wars or if this might be your last chance to check them out.

Want to stay updated on the anime streaming world? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on HIDIVE and the other platforms and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

The post HIDIVE Is Losing These Three Popular Anime to Start 2025 appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Simmers just experienced the first Behind the Sims showcase of 2025. While there were some exciting announcements, fans can’t help but think there must be something more. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the original The Sims game, and EA is planning a 25-hour livestream to celebrate. Many gamers suspect that some of the biggest announcements might be waiting for that celebratory stream. Due to a few breadcrumbs that just might be hints from EA, many Sims fans think that one of the big reveals will center on beloved earlier entry to the franchise, The Sims 2.

The Behind the Sims video was just under 10 minutes long, which means things moved pretty quickly. In it, fans got a look at a timeline leading up to and shortly following the February 4th birthday of The Sims. That included two big free updates for The Sims 4, a PC release for the MySims Cozy Bundle, and an official look at the previously leaked upcoming kits. They also briefly teased the name for the next season, Motherlode, which sets the theme for the next few expansions… even if the Behind the Sims didn’t reveal much about them. But the video had a few “blink and you’ll miss it” moments that fans are picking up on.

In particular, many fans have noticed that the date of February 25th is highlighted on the timeline, with nothing but an eyes emoji to indicate what’s coming that day. Due to some of what’s been shared on social media recently, and thanks to a specific sound that maybe probably played during the video, fans think that date will have something to do with The Sims 2.

February 25th Might Bring Major News About The Sims

After watching the short and sweet birthday edition of Behind the Sims, many fans jumped into analysis mode. The video lacked some of the news many Simmers were expecting, including Project Rene news, an explanation for a recent update to The Sims 3, or intel on the Sims movie. While Project Rene was nowhere to be seen, fans have spotted a few hints that just might point towards something with The Sims 2, instead.

There are two primary details that have fans thinking The Sims 2 news is coming, most likely a remaster or re-release of some kind. First, a familiar sound that pops up when the eyeball emojis are on screen during the video. As one Simmer notes in response to this post about the roadmap, “when the 2/25 part popped up the “Sul Sul” audio from TS2’s intro played.” Those with a deeply engrained memory of loading multiple discs of The Sims 2 expansion packs onto the family computer recognized this sound from the 2004-2009 era of The Sims, leading to speculation that the February 25th date somehow relates to The Sims 2. But like any good fan theory, there’s more.

RELATED: The Sims 4 Celebrates 25 Years with Massive Free Update & Launch Page Overhaul

The upcoming Blast from the Past live event includes an item that’s looped into The Sims 2 lore – a milk carton from the game that features Bella Goth’s missing person photo. Many fans think the overall nostalgia vibe of the in-game event and 25th birthday make it a great time to revisit some of the earlier games in the franchise. This milk carton, for some, is another hint that The Sims 2 will be involved.

Not every fan is convinced it’s going to be The Sims 2, however. The “Sul sul!” sound is also pretty close to the one from The Sims 3. This game, which many Simmers still prefer over The Sims 4, recently got the first big update in quite some time, which might suggest that whatever news is coming in February may have something to do with this game, not The Sims 2. Regardless, many fans think that some kind of remaster for older Sims games might be in the works, bringing those nostalgic vibes into the modern era.

The post Sims Fans Expect a Sims 2 Surprise After New Tease appeared first on ComicBook.com.

For months now, fans of the Pokemon Trading Card Game have been waiting to find out when the next McDonald’s Happy Meal promotion will arrive in U.S. locations. A Pokemon TCG promotion landed in France last year, with a theme centered around the Year of the Dragon. Now that it’s the Year of the Snake, the theme has changed just slightly, but the cards seem to be headed our way later this month. Each Happy Meal will be accompanied by a booster pack that includes four promo cards, one of which will be a holo. The cards will largely feature Dragon-types like Drampa and Dragonite, but will also include fan favorites like Pikachu and Charizard.

According to reporting from Poke Beach, the Pokemon Dragon Discovery Happy Meal campaign will launch in the U.S. on January 21st, and will run through February 24th. That means we can expect it following the current promotion centered around Sonic the Hedgehog 3. Apparently, four Happy Meal boxes will be offered, highlighting different Pokemon: Charizard, Dragonite with Pikachu, Rayquaza, and Roaring Moon. In addition to the cards, the Happy Meals will also include stickers and a double-sided poster. Fans of the Pokemon TCG should be aware that the cards that are being offered have appeared in past sets, but offer some slight differences in the holos, and the card numbering.

At this time, McDonald’s and The Pokemon Company have not officially confirmed the starting date for the Happy Meal promotion. Some restaurant offerings can also vary, so Pokemon fans might want to check with their local McDonald’s before making a special trip. McDonald’s normally allows the purchase of a toy without a full Happy Meal, but the company has avoided doing that for past Pokemon promotions. The reason of course being that some resellers made it hard for fans and kids to actually get their hands on the cards. At this time, we don’t know if the same can be said for the Dragon Discovery promotion, but it’s probably a safe bet!

RELATED: Pokemon Scarlet & Violet – Journey Together Officially Announced

The Pokemon Dragon Discovery Happy Meal should be a nice way for fans to start off 2025. This year promises to be a good one for the Pokemon franchise. Pokemon Day is February 27th, just three days after the McDonald’s promotion will apparently come to an end. Pokemon Day is an annual event where The Pokemon Company reveals news about upcoming releases. This year’s show should be an exciting one, as Pokemon Legends: Z-A will be made available on Nintendo Switch sometime in 2025. The last time we heard about the game was last year on Pokemon Day, so we’re long overdue for an update. There have already been some leaks about TCG sets based on the game, so we might learn some details about those, as well!

Are you looking forward to this Pokemon Happy Meal promotion? Have you had trouble getting the cards during past McDonald’s promotions? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

The post Pokemon x McDonald’s Collab Sets a Date for These Promo Cards appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is getting up, up and away. Filming has begun on the next DC Studios film following summer’s Superman, which officially launches the DC Universe from James Gunn and Peter Safran. Milly Alcock (HBO’s House of the Dragon) is playing Kara Zor-El/Supergirl — the Krypton-born cousin of Kal-El/Superman (David Corenswet) — leading a cast that includes Eve Ridley (3 Body Problem) as the plain-raised alien girl Ruthye Marye Knoll, Matthias Schoenaerts (The Old Guard) as the Kingsagent Krem of the Yellow Hills, and Jason Momoa (Aquaman) as intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo.

The second DCU film is shooting at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden in the U.K., already home to Game of Thrones spinoff House of the Dragon and future site of the main hub for DC Studios starting in 2027. (While the Atlanta-based Superman shot in the United States, Gunn has confirmed most future DC projects will film in London.)

RELATED: DC Movies and TV Shows to Watch After Creature Commandos

Productions shot on the state-of-the-art film and television studio’s soundstages include the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, Barbie, and DC adaptations Wonder Woman (2017), Justice League (2017), Pennyworth (2019), Wonder Woman 1984 (2020), Sandman (2022), The Batman (2022), The Flash (2023), and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023). The Batman 2 and HBO’s Harry Potter TV series are also scheduled to shoot at WBSL this year.

Gunn and Safran are producing Supergirl, which is directed by I, Tonya and Cruella‘s Craig Gillespie. Ana Nogueira (The Vampire Diaries), who is also scripting the Teen Titans movie for DC Studios, wrote the screenplay based on the eight-issue Woman of Tomorrow comic book run by writer Tom King and artist Bilquis Evely.

The True Grit-inspired series sees the 21-year-old Supergirl — one of the last survivors of the planet Krypton — chaperone farm girl Ruthye on a galaxy-spanning journey for justice to track down her father’s killer: Krem of the Yellow Hills. And to avenge another of Krem’s victims, vulnerable and wounded while under a red sun: Superman’s beloved dog, Krypto. Over eight issues, Kara and Ruthye embark on a months-long quest as they battle bounty hunters, dinosaur-like alien beasts, and space dragons.

It’s a “much more hardcore” version of the F-bomb-dropping Supergirl, Gunn said when announcing the DCU Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters in 2023. “We see the difference between Superman, who was sent to Earth and raised by loving parents from the time he’s an infant, versus Supergirl, who was raised on a rock chip off of Krypton, and watched everyone around her die and be killed in terrible ways for the first 14 years of her life.”

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is scheduled to open in theaters on June 26, 2026.

The post Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow Movie Starts Filming appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Bad Bunny wants to step inside of WWE’s squared circle again.

The multi-time Grammy Award-winning Latin artist first entered the ring in 2021 at WrestleMania 37. He’s not the first celebrity to take a crack at wrestling, but he’s one of the most impressive. Teaming with Damian Priest against The Miz and John Morrison, he immediately blew fans away with his performance. Not only is he fearless, flinging himself around the ring like his body is merely an object, but he’s also good at wrestling. He impressed WWE higher-ups too, because they welcomed him back with open arms.

He competed in the 2022 Royal Rumble and then in 2023, in his home country of Puerto Rico, he went one-on-one with Priest. To date that was his last match with WWE, but in a social media post for his 30th birthday last year, Triple H said he’d “always have a home” with WWE.

When Will Bad Bunny Return to WWE?

Benito didn’t hesitate to say he’d do it all again in his recent Rolling Stone interview. However, he does have a condition regarding his next match. “I want to do it one more time. I want to put my life at risk in the ring. I felt like I didn’t risk it enough in the ring, and I want to do it,” he said. “Sometimes, I say, ‘I’m going to quit everything and just do wrestling full time.’ I feel like in wrestling, I just go sporadically as a celebrity. I’m going to go full-time and be a heel. That’s what I’d love.”

[RELATED: WWE Superstar Pitches Tag Team With Rapper Lil Uzi Vert]

Bad Bunny just released his sixth studio album Debí Tirar Más Fotos last week and he’s got an upcoming Puerto Rico residency to prepare for. It might be a while until we see him in the ring again. No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí (I Don’t Want to Leave Here) is a 21-show run kicking off July 11 at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.

“There are places I for sure will return to like Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia. And some I’ve never been to but would like to visit, like Brazil and Japan,” he said in an Instagram post announcing the residency. “And there are places I haven’t been to in a long time, like Italy, London, Spain. I know — and I promise before the year ends, I’ll tell you the date and time I will be visiting. But for now, I’m in Puerto Rico. I’m home, having fun and, to be honest, I don’t want to leave.”

Stay tuned to ComicBook for updates on WWE.

The post Bad Bunny Would Wrestle in WWE Again (Under One Condition) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

The next installment in the Civilization series is still about a month away, with Civilization 7 set to arrive on February 11th. As the release date approaches, the developers continue to provide Dev Diary updates about what fans can expect from the next Civilization game. The most recent Dev Diary digs deep into some brand new systems coming to Civilization 7, which will introduce new ways to encourage players to make the game their own.

In this most recent update from the developers, players got some insight into the thinking behind Civilization 7‘s new meta progression features. These elements are part of the Legends System, which adds ways for players to get rewarded through multiple playthroughs, not just in a specific save file. Part of the goal here is to make the game feel more manageable, breaking the massive campaign into smaller acts. As part of that, the game introduces new pathways for players to explore, including new Paths.

These Foundation and Legend Paths are a way of tracking gamer progress through the game. It’s something like a quest log for playing the game itself, tasking players to complete various challenges, such as playing as a specific leader or completing certain milestones like discovering lighting as Ben Franklin. And of course, any good quest log brings rewards to earn as tasks get checked off.

Players Will Earn Cosmetic Collectibles and Mementos just for Playing Civilization 7

Alongside the new Paths feature, players will be able to earn rewards for “playing the game how you want to play it.” The rewards include two main kinds of rewards: Cosmetic Collectibles and Mementos.

For Cosmetic Collectibles, players might imagine skins for characters, but these are a slightly different approach. These rewards will let players modify their Player Card, an in-game profile card. These cards show up in-game on the main menu, as well as in the lobby for multiplayer games. On them, players can display their earned Cosmetic Collectibles, including Badges, Banners, and Titles. This will let players show off their in-game achievements, either on display for themselves or to other players in the lobby.

RELATED: A Game of Thrones Star Narrates Civilization 7

If players prefer in-game rewards that actually interact with gameplay rather than a virtual trophy case, that’s where Mementos come in. These are special types of equipment that players can attach to their leader’s during game setup, giving them special bonus effects. Each leader can have up to two Mementos equipped, and there will be over 100 options that gamers can earn by completing Paths.

Combined, the Cosmetic Collectibles and Mementos provide two very different options for players to feel rewarded for playing Civilization 7 through multiple unique playthroughs. These features will let gamers keep a virtual record of their accomplishments and will also offer in-game benefits, combining two ways of making players feel engaged. For those curious to dive into the new Paths and earn these special rewards, Civilization 7 will be here on February 11th, bringing these features with it.

The post Civilization 7 Adds Cosmetics and Mementos as New Rewards for Players to Earn appeared first on ComicBook.com.

One fan has taken it upon themselves to include Logan’s mask in his epic fight scene against Wade Wilson in Deadpool & Wolverine. There were many exciting moments in the third Deadpool movie that brought Hugh Jackman back as Wolverine, while also welcoming the duo into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One moment that stood out featured a fight between Deadpool and Wolverine, but in the movie Logan had yet to dawn his iconic mask. However, a creative fan took care of that by digitally inserting the mask on top of Jackman’s head as Adamantium claws slashed and swords stabbed away.

Taran Singh, a VFX supervisor and generalist, shared his fan-edited video on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption, “And here it is folks! DEADPOOL AND WOLVERINE FIGHT MASK EDITION! This one was challenging but I’m glad how it turned out! #DeadpoolAndWolverine” To borrow a phrase from Deadpool, Singh gave the people what they wanted, as Wolverine’s mask is seamlessly integrated into the film. It had to take a lot of hours to make an edit like this, and Singh even shared a higher quality version on their YouTube account.

[RELATED: Ryan Reynolds Makes the Case for Deadpool & Wolverine Oscar Nominations]

Rob Liefeld comments on Cable being left out of Deadpool & Wolverine

Rob Liefeld, the comic book creator of Deadpool and Cable, had some choice words for Cable being left out of Deadpool & Wolverine. Josh Brolin portrayed Cable in Deadpool 2, and the assumption is Cable, along with Domino, would return for the sequel. However, with Wolverine taking center stage, it seems Marvel decided to keep the focus on the two leading men. Liefeld, ever outspoken, disagreed with that choice.

Famed fan artists Bosslogic shared concept art of Josh Brolin as the DC villain Darkseid. When one fan seemed intrigued by the prospect of the DCU snatching Brolin from the MCU, Rob Liefeld had this to say:

“Shouldn’t have blocked him from Deadpool & Wolverine. All time boner move.”

[RELATED: Marvel Reveals First Look at Deadpool and Wolverine’s Next Team-Up]

Even before the film’s release, Brolin jokingly(?) indicated that he felt some kind of way about being left out of Deadpool & Wolverine, explaining to Collider that it was, “Because Ryan [Reynolds] doesn’t like me? I don’t think that’s the reason. I don’t know. Maybe.”

In a different interview with Bingeworthy TV, Brolin said, “I so wanted to be in that movie,” when it came to Deadpool & Wolverine. Still, there are a lot of MCU fans who truly believe that Brolin’s Cable could (will?) show up again in event-level projects like Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars, providing yet another crucial bridge between the old Fox X-Men Universe and whatever X-Men reboot Marvel Studios has in the works. Brolin’s Marvel movie opportunities are far from over.

Deadpool & Wolverine is now available to stream on Disney+.

The post Wolverine Sports Iconic Mask in Fan Edit of Epic Deadpool Fight appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Hunter x Hunter is one of the greatest Shonen manga and anime series of all time. However, the franchise has suffered terribly due to creator Yoshihiro Togashi’s concerning health. The manga has gone on several hiatuses over the years, some even spanning for years. Because of this, even the anime adaptation has suffered significantly. The first anime debuted in 1999, more than a year after the manga debut. However, it reached its conclusion in 2001 after airing 62 episodes. NIPPON TV and VAP introduced HxH to fans with a reboot in 2011, which adapted many more arcs than the original anime.

However, since the anime lacked source material, it also stopped airing in 2014, leaving the story unfinished for over a decade. The manga is currently in its Succession Contest Arc, which has 71 chapters so far. HxH went on another indefinite hiatus again in 2024 after releasing ten new chapters. The mangaka promises to return with 50 chapters, possibly concluding the ongoing arc. While the anime adaptation still seems like a long shot, an update from the official website of AnimeJapan may be pointing toward an anime announcement from NIPPON TV and VAP. However, we can’t get our hopes too high without an official confirmation.

[RELATED: After 10 Years, Hunter x Hunter Is Overdue For a New Anime]

NIPPON TV and VAP Will Share New Announcements at AnimeJapan 2025

On the official website of AnimeJapan, NIPPON TV and VAP are listed as exhibitors and have confirmed their joint participation in the exhibit during the event in 2025. They will be presenting a number of ongoing anime series and announcing a few upcoming projects. The tags include Hunter × Hunter, Ponkotsu Quest, The Fable, The Summer Hikaru Died, and Tougen Anki. Since the website specifically mentions HxH, we may be getting new information regarding the sequel.

AnimeJapan is one of the world’s largest annual anime events, which will feature a record-breaking 117 exhibitors, including major companies like Aniplex, KADOKAWA, and TOHO Animation. The public days are scheduled for March 22nd and 23rd, 2025, at Tokyo Big Sight. Meanwhile, a separate event will be held on business days for professionals on March 24th and 25th, 2025. It’s when animation studios and producers announce major news.

However, the production studios will also exhibit and sell their products, so it’s possible those items will be HxH-themed. On January 17th, 2025, the official YouTube channel of AnimeJapan will stream “AnimeJapan KICKOFF 2025” to reveal the lineup and provide the latest updates about the event.

Considering that the manga has 71 chapters left to be adapted, it may be possible for Madhouse to work on at least a short season while awaiting the rest of the chapters from Togashi. The Succession Contest Arc is one of the best arcs focusing on political drama, layers of mysteries, and thrilling battles. It’s common for royal princes of the Kakin Kingdom to fight to the death to ascend to the throne. The arc centers around Kurapika, who is hired to protect the youngest prince, Woble. He also plans to retrieve the remaining Scarlet Eyes during this mission.

H/T: AnimeJapan

The post Hunter x Hunter’s Sequel May Be Sooner Than You Think appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Captain America: Brave New World is arriving in theaters with a very unexpected record to its name. The upcoming fourth installment of Marvel Studios’ Captain America franchise, Brave New World, also stands as the Captain America movie with the shortest run time. By comparison, its three predecessors carried more standard run times expected of modern superhero movies.

Per Discussing Film, Captain America: Brave New World carries a run time of one hour and 58 minutes, or 118 minutes. By comparison, 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger was released with a run time of 124 minutes, with its 2014 follow-up Captain America: The Winter Soldier having a run time of 136 minutes. Additionally, 2016’s Captain America: Civil War is the longest of the four Captain America films, with a run time of 147 minutes.

Anthony Mackie previously returned as Sam Wilson in the 2021 Disney + series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which continued Sam’s arc from the ending of 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. That movie saw the now-elderly Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) formally step down as Captain America (after time-traveling with the Infinity Stones to live the full life he previously missed out on during his frozen stasis), with Steve passing his Vibranium shield onto his trusted ally Sam. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier acted as its own Captain America origin story for Sam, with Brave New World set to be his first full story as Captain America.

RELATED: Captain America: Brave New World – Who Is the Villain?

Brave New World will see Sam at odds with newly elected President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). Ross formerly sought to bring the Avengers under more direct government control with the Sokovia Accords in Captain America: Civil War (Ross was then portrayed by the late William Hurt), and the trailers for Brave New World show President Ross wanting Sam to become a direct agent of the U.S. government. Like Steve Rogers before him, Sam Wilson rejects the idea of being a superhero under the government’s control, setting up the conflict of Brave New World.

The fact that Sam has already undergone a Captain America origin story in episodic form could account for why Brave New World is substantially shorter than the previous Captain America movies. With Sam having fully taken up the shield and mantle bequeathed to him by Steve, the aim might simply be to get the ball rolling on his next mission as quickly as possible. Indeed, Sam has quite a challenge ahead of him with President Ross becoming the Red Hulk.

With the MCU’s long-awaited debut of General-turned-President Ross as the Red Hulk, Brave New World promises to be a very action-heavy and to-the-point MCU adventure. While some superhero movies need longer run times to tell their stories, it seems that Marvel Studios and the makers of Brave New World feel that being just under two hours is all that’s needed for Sam’s first big-screen adventure as Captain America. Indeed, Sam’s first Captain America movie is only six minutes shorter than Steve’s, so the run time for Captain America: Brave New World isn’t necessarily a drastic comedown, but it is nonetheless a record in storytelling brevity for the Captain America franchise.

Captain America: Brave New World will be released in theaters on February 14th.

The post Captain America: Brave New World Already Sets a Record for the Franchise (And It’s Surprising) appeared first on ComicBook.com.

Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a rollicking rollercoaster of cinema constantly delivering new characters people never thought they’d see headline major motion pictures (Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Black Panther, etc.) all leading up to a pair of massive Avengers sequels. It was a collection of eleven movies that, in their own unique ways, paid off the storytelling Marvel Studios had been delivering since 2008. Along the way, countless actors stepped into this franchise to inhabit characters big and small across these motion pictures.

However, there were inevitably a bunch of actors rumored for roles in the Phase Three MCU movies that never came to be. A slew of factors, from scheduling conflicts to pay disputes to the producers opting to go in a different direction, led to these potential high-profile castings going up in smoke. Years later, they’re all now fascinating “What If…?” scenarios unto themselves. What would Phase Three have looked like if these actors had joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Morgan Freeman in Doctor Strange

Before the Ancient One was brought to live-action for the very first time in Doctor Strange, a slew of actors were considered for the role that would eventually go to Tilda Swinton. Among that initial trio was Morgan Freeman, who would’ve made this not only his MCU debut but also his umpteenth mentor role. Other rumored names like Ken Watanabe and Bill Nighy indicate The Ancient One was once supposed to maintain his male gender (and even ethnicity) from the comics. Eventually, a radical new direction was taken with scoring Oscar-winner Swinton in the role, instead.

Matthew McConaughey in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

One of the leading finalists for the role of Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 was none other than Matthew McConaughey. The actor was so attached to the role that concept art was even drummed up imagining McConaughey as Ego, but Kurt Russell would eventually secure the part instead. As for why the casting fell apart, McConaughey apparently had to choose between Vol. 2 and The Dark Tower. Since the latter project wasn’t a sequel, McConaughey opted to anchor that Stephen King adaptation that turned into a box office flop.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Black Panther

For the role of M’Baku in Black Panther, director Ryan Coogler and company were apparently looking for a lesser-known face to inhabit this scene-stealing character. Before settling on Winston Duke, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was reportedly a major contender for this part. Though he missed out on this role, Abdul-Mateen II would later get menace Aquaman as Black Manta across two Aquaman installments, as well as heading the Marvel Studios TV show Wonder Man.

Asa Butterfield in Captain America: Civil War

The process of casting the MCU’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man for his debut appearance in Captain America: Civil War was a heavily contested one, with countless young men auditioning for the role. One of the finalists for the part was none other than Asa Butterfield. This young actor had cut his teeth on a slew of acclaimed 2010s movies like Hugo, which certainly made it seem like he had some prestige at his back compared to other candidates. Eventually, Butterfield and all the countless other casting options were passed over for Tom Holland’s eventually iconic Spider-Man performance.

[RELATED: 7 Directors Who Nearly Helmed Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies]

Rebecca Ferguson in Captain Marvel

Speaking of MCU roles that everyone was after, it felt like every woman of a certain age in the film industry was briefly buzzed about for the role of Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel across 2015 and early 2016. Two months after she crushed it in her action-heavy Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation role, Rebecca Ferguson was rumored to be a top contender for playing Danvers and her superhero alter-ego. Eventually, of course, Brie Larson would secure the role while Ferguson would remain busy with further Mission: Impossible outings and the Dune saga.

David Cross in Avengers: Infinity War

After Anthony and Joe Russo snuck in props and characters from their sitcom directing days into their first two Marvel Cinematic Universe outings, all eyes were on who or what would show up in their third MCU feature, Avengers: Infinity War. Pre-release rumors that David Cross (from Arrested Development, a show the two directors helmed many episodes of) would show up didn’t quite come to pass. The Russo Brothers confirmed Cross couldn’t show up in the movie due to scheduling conflicts. However, a molded cast of his Tobias Funke character does briefly show up in the production.

Joaquin Phoenix in Doctor Strange

The world very nearly didn’t get to experience Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange. Though now thought of as indispensable to this character’s live-action incarnation, Cumberbatch originally couldn’t anchor Doctor Strange due to scheduling conflicts. This led to director Scott Derrickson and company engaging in talks with Joaquin Phoenix to take on the role despite Cumberbatch being the first choice. Per Derrickson, Phoenix was the actor who came closest to replacing Cumberbatch, but it eventually became obvious that he just wouldn’t fit right into this particular franchise. Doctor Strange‘s release date getting delayed four months allowed for the Cumberbatch casting to come through after all.

All these Marvel movies are available to stream on Disney+.

The post You Won’t Believe These Actors Were Once Rumored For MCU Phase Three Movie Roles appeared first on ComicBook.com.