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Batwoman: Season 2 Premiere Review

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 02:00:31 GMT

Warning: this review contains full spoilers for Batwoman's Season 2 premiere! If you need a refresher on where we left off, check out our full review for Season 1. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Batwoman was already going to face an uphill battle heading into Season 2, solely from the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic. The fact that the series also has to adapt to the sudden departure of star Ruby Rose surely isn't making things any easier for the cast and crew. But the good news is the series has a new lead in Javicia Leslie and will continue powering forward without Rose's Kate Kane. There's no getting around that sudden change in plans, but the Season 2 premiere handles the shakeup about as well as can be expected. As previously reported, the writers have made the decision to vanish Kate and frame Season 2 around that mystery rather than simply kill off the character. Maybe that means we'll see Rose return in a more limited capacity down the road. But Kate's sudden disappearance via a suspicious plane crash does feel like the best way of handling a bad situation. Given that Season 1 never even reached its proper conclusion, there's no getting around the fact that Kate was in the middle of a longer character arc when Rose dropped out. At least this approach attempts to build a a new long-term storyline out of that departure. And as much as Kate's disappearance mirrors that of her cousin Bruce, at least this particular mystery has a greater sense of urgency. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=batwoman-what-happened-to-kate-kane-photos&captions=true"] So the big question coming into Season 2 - is Leslie's Ryan Wilder a worthy heir to the Batwoman mantle? It's definitely too early to draw much of a conclusion, but she seems promising enough. Leslie has the right energy for Arrowverse, at least. We get a decent amount of range out of her performance in this debut appearance. We see Ryan as the comical newbie heroine learning the literal ropes of the job in the midst of beating up criminals. We also see shades of a much darker character, as Ryan clearly has a lifetime of rage and resentment fueling her actions. There's a more dynamic quality to the character that could well pay off in Season 2. That said, we can only judge so much based on one episode. As it is, the premiere is a little too preoccupied with Kate's disappearance and the collective response of shock and grief from the supporting cast, and not enough with actually establishing Ryan and her back-story. At the moment, Ryan comes across more like a new supporting character than the driving force of the series. Over time, it may be necessary to phase out some of the returning cast to make more room for Ryan and her world. Are characters like Sophie, Mary and Jacob still necessary in the long run? The premiere also has a bad habit of inundating viewers with information about Ryan's past rather than allowing the character to develop organically. Her origin story, as it were, is needlessly complicated for a character who has seemingly lucked into inheriting the Batsuit. She has the traditional superhero motivation of wanting to avenge a dead parent. She's also a walking indictment of the prison industrial complex who's happy to rattle off statistics whenever anyone prods into her personal life. And to top it off, she also has a personal grudge against Alice. Maybe all of this will coalesce into an effective whole, but it does seem as though the writers are trying too hard to give Ryan a tragic back-story. Why not simply focus on the notion that Ryan is a person who was chewed up and spit out by Gotham's failed system and leave it at that? Why can't we have more superheroes who yearn to fight evil for the sake of it and not because they're mourning a loved one? The most heartening takeaway from the premiere is that Kate's disappearance may work in Alice's favor. The fact that Kate vanished before she could complete her Season 1 arc plays directly into Alice's story now. She never got closure with her sister. We find out her endgame for Kate and see her grapple with the frustration over being robbed of the chance to carry it out. Not to mention the genuine grief coming from whatever shred of Beth Kane still remains. She may well be the series' most compelling character now as she morphs from Batwoman's main antagonist into... whatever she's destined to be now. This episode also wisely avoids going too far in trying to humanize Alice. Her casual murder of innocent bystanders shows she's not going to magically become a hero overnight. Whatever role Alice plays in Ryan Wilder's story, it won't merely be as the reformed villain. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/09/new-batwoman-actress-has-been-cast"] As promising as Alice's story looks at the moment, it is a shame to see the whole Tommy Elliot as Bruce Wayne plot twist wrapped up in the span of a single episode. This definitely comes across as an unfortunate side-effect of the pivot to the new lead. There was a lot of potential for Faux-Bruce to play a recurring role in the series and slowly worm his way into the lives of Team Batwoman. But alas. It's also unfortunate considering Warren Christie's performance is much stronger when he's specifically playing Tommy Elliot, deranged Arkham escapee, as opposed to an approximation of Bruce Wayne, handsome billionaire playboy. This episode does little to generate any excitement for the prospect of Christie returning to play the actual Bruce Wayne, yet now the Arrowverse has effectively pigeon-holed itself into this casting choice. All the more reason for the series to focus on building up the new Batwoman rather than dwell on Kate Kane's extended family.

WandaVision Consultant Dick Van Dyke Was Oblivious to the MCU's Success

Mon, 18 Jan 2021 01:54:56 GMT

WandaVision director Matt Shakman and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Fiege had lunch with TV legend Dick Van Dyke - who is also a consultant on Disney+ series - and while he helped set the tone of WandaVision, he also was a bit oblivious to the massive success of the MCU. Shakman spoke with ET about WandaVision and his lunch at Disneyland's Club 33 with Dick Van Dyke - who was the star of The Dick Van Dyke Show and many other classic films - and ET asked Shakman how well-versed Van Dyke was in the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/16/wandavision-heres-whos-doing-this-to-wanda-and-vision-mcu-canon-fodder"] "We did have to give him the explanation, and he didn't seem to be too fluent with the MCU," Shakman said. "It was great. He did say at one point during our lunch, "Oh, I hear you guys have had some great success. That's wonderful. Congratulations. What did you just put out?" And Kevin, who's great, obviously Kevin is this mastermind of this incredible creative endeavor that's had so much success, he said, "Well, yes, well, we just put out Avengers: Endgame." And [Dick] was like, "Oh, Avengers: Endgame? Oh, great. Fantastic." He said, "Yep, it's actually the biggest movie of all time." "Oh, great. Is it-- What! The biggest movie of all time?!" He was like, "That's amazing!" It was so sweet to see Kevin realize and Dick realized what they were talking about. It was really fun." Shakman then continued to say how they met with Van Dyke when they were already in pre-production of WandaVision and had yet to start shooting. However, he still helped immensely in making WandaVision what it is today. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] "We were many months into pre-production at that point already, but we had yet to start shooting," Shakman said. "So, a lot of the things that I took from that lunch really did affect how we approached especially our pilot episode, which is sort of an homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as I Love Lucy and some of the other sitcoms of that era. But we learned from Dick Van Dyke that their number one rule for how they approached anything was that if it couldn't happen in real life, it can't happen on the show. Which is this idea that you need to ground what you're doing in real-life stories, but then that gives you the permission to be incredibly silly and to fall over the ottoman and do pratfalls. That was very helpful in how we approached the tone of it, because getting the tone right is the hardest thing in the '50s, the '60s, the '70s. It changes. It adjusts. What is funny? How far does comedy go? I mean, Archie Bunker and Dick Van Dyke are very different, and yet they're both hilarious. Their humor is timeless, and yet very different. Archie Bunker would never do a pratfall over an ottoman, right? And so, it's just about figuring out how you put your finger on that and how as actors, Paul, Lizzie and the rest of this amazing cast, could put their finger on that as well and calibrate." As to whether or not Van Dyke may make a cameo in WandaVision, Shakman wasn't ready to confirm one way or another, saying "Gotcha. I couldn't possibly say. [Laughs] Couldn't possibly say!" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] For more on WandaVision, check out our review of the first two episodes, our explainer on who the secret agency may be in the show, and where WandaVision takes place in the MCU timeline. Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Scarlet Witch's Children Explained: Is WandaVision Introducing Wiccan and Speed?

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 15:00:20 GMT

Warning: Though trailers have long indicated that the Scarlet Witch and Vision are probably going to become parents in Marvel's WandaVision, please note that this article contains spoilers for the first two episodes of the show! For more on WandaVision, read up on the comics that could be inspiring the Marvel series and learn why Monica Rambeau is the most underrated Avenger. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Marvel's WandaVision has arrived on Disney+, finally kicking off Phase 4 of the MCU in the process. Not only is the series one of the most unusual Marvel projects to date, it's already introduced a major plot twist to the MCU - Wanda is pregnant. That can only mean one thing - Wiccan and Speed are about to make their live-action debuts. As with so many things in the MCU, this plot twist has its basis in the comics. Let's break down the history of Wanda's twin children and why these two characters could wind up playing a prominent role in the MCU going forward. These are the topics we cover here:

Who Are Wiccan and Speed?
The Origins of Scarlet Witch's Children
Billy and Tommy's Powers
The Maximoff Family Tree
Wiccan and Speed's Superhero Teams
Wiccan and Speed in TV and Games
Will the Young Avengers Join the MCU?

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Who Are Wiccan and Speed?

Like so many mutants in the Marvel Universe, Billy Kaplan and Tommy Shepherd grew up thinking they were perfectly ordinary children. That is, until their powers began to manifest as teenagers. But these two long-lost twin brothers are unusual even among the mutant community. They're the sons of Scarlet Witch and Vision, making them members of quite possibly the most convoluted family tree in the entire Marvel Universe. Though they're both young and still learning the true potential of their powers, both Wiccan and Speed have already left a mark on the Marvel Universe. As regular members of the Young Avengers and other superhero squads, they're more than happy to keep the family legacy alive and fight against whatever evils might arise. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=They're%20the%20sons%20of%20Scarlet%20Witch%20and%20Vision%2C%20making%20them%20members%20of%20quite%20possibly%20the%20most%20convoluted%20family%20tree%20in%20the%20entire%20Marvel%20Universe."]

The Origins of Scarlet Witch's Children

Wiccan and Speed were created by writer Allan Heinberg and artist Jim Cheung, with Wiccan debuting in 2005's Young Avengers #1 and Speed following in Young Avengers #10. Given that their mother is a spell-caster and their father is an android, it goes without saying that Wiccan and Speed have a pretty unusual origin story. Wanda and Vision have shared a tumultuous romantic history over the years. Because Vision is an artificial being known as a Synthezoid, he's not actually capable of fathering biological children of his own. In response, Wanda magically creates two twin sons to complete their nuclear family. They were born in 1986's The Vision and the Scarlet Witch Vol. 2, #12. That's only the beginning of a very convoluted origin, however. Long story short, Wanda eventually learns her sons' souls are formed from an aspect of the demon lord Mephisto. After Mephisto reclaims that energy, Wanda and Vision's children are seemingly wiped out of existence and Wanda is made to forget she ever had children. Sadly, those memories are never entirely scrubbed away, which leads to some very dark days for Earth's Mightiest Heroes in 2004's Avengers Disassembled. The good news is that Wanda and Vision's children weren't destroyed. Rather, their souls are reincarnated in new bodies to be raised by new surrogate parents. Once Billy and Tommy come to grips with their growing powers and their direct connection to the Avengers, their shared superhero destiny truly begins. Both have overcome plenty of adversity already, with Billy facing regular bullying due to his being gay and Tommy becoming an unwitting test subject in a sinister government facility.

Billy and Tommy's Powers

In terms of their powers, Wiccan and Speed are practically carbon copies of Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, respectively. As his name suggests, Speed can run at supersonic speeds and can even move fast enough to vibrate through solid barriers. He also has enhanced strength and durability, allowing his body to endure those extreme forces. Speed even has one ability his uncle doesn't. He can accelerate the kinetic energy of objects he touches, causing them to vibrate and explode. Like Wanda, Billy is a sorcerer whose powers are derived from his mutant biology rather than any supernatural artifacts or magical training. He can alter reality on a fundamental level, allowing him to do everything from fly to teleport to fire destructive energy blasts. Because he has little formal training, Billy doesn't have a great deal of control over his powers. He often has to focus his mind by saying, "I want to [insert spell here]" during battle. When he first appeared on the superhero scene, Billy used the codename Asgardian rather than Wiccan, with his costume and emphasis on lightning-based spells both suggesting he was somehow connected to Thor. However, that proved not to be the case, and Billy has since changed codenames to better reflect his true nature. Wiccan is a figure of great interest to the rest of Marvel's magical community, with everyone from Loki to Doctor Strange predicting Billy will one day grow to become one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Billy gets a taste of this future when he briefly becomes an all-powerful being called the Demiurge, but he quickly decides he's not ready to wield such power.

The Maximoff Family Tree

When it comes to Marvel bloodlines, the Maximoff family tree rivals the Summers family tree for its sheer number of members and confusing, contradictory history. As we've already discussed, Billy and Tommy are technically the children of Scarlet Witch and Vision. However, they aren't really related to Vision by blood (since he has none). And because they were both reincarnated in new bodies after that nasty Mephisto business, they each technically have their own biological parents as well. It doesn't help that Wanda and her brother Pietro have a deeply confusing family tree even without factoring Billy and Tommy into things. When the characters first debuted in 1964's The X-Men #4, they were depicted as Magneto's underlings in the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Initially the duo believe the Romani couple Django and Marya Maximoff are their parents. Later, they're given reason to believe they're the offspring of WWII-era heroes The Whizzer and Miss America. But then they discover they're actually the children of Magneto himself, a fact that proves just as surprising to the Master of Magnetism. Because Magneto has another daughter Polaris, that means Wanda and Pietro have a sister. That plot twist remained in effect until 2014's AXIS, where a corrupted Wanda attempts to cast a curse on her family members and finds only Pietro is affected. It turns out Magneto isn't their father after all, nor are they actually mutants. The twins later learn their true mother is Natalya Maximoff, a witch and a relative of Django and Marya. Natalya gave up her children in order to protect them from the dangers of witchcraft. The twins were experimented upon by the High Evolutionary as infants, before being returned to the Maximoffs to be raised in obscurity. It remains to be seen if Marvel will shake up the Maximoff family tree yet again. It's widely assumed this latest retcon was a result of Marvel's feud with Fox over the X-Men's film rights and a way to sever Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver's ties to the X-Men franchise. But with Disney's purchase of Fox, there's no longer a need to draw that line. As for whether the family connection between Magneto, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver will be restored, that may depend on how the MCU handles Wanda's back-story and the introduction of Wiccan and Speed.

Wiccan and Speed's Superhero Teams

Wiccan and Speed are most closely associated with the Young Avengers, having served on pretty much every incarnation of this teen superhero team. Wiccan is actually a founding member, as he joins forces with his boyfriend Hulking (a shape-shifting Kree/Skrull hybrid), underage super-soldier Patriot (grandson of one of the original Captain America test subjects) and the time-travelling Iron Lad (find out more about him in our Kang the Conqueror explainer) to fill the void left after the Avengers have disbanded. Tommy joins the team shortly after, along with new Hawkeye Kate Bishop. While the Young Avengers roster has shifted a bit in the years since, both Wiccan and Speed tend to be fixtures in that lineup. Wiccan has also stepped up to the big leagues and served as a full-fledged Avenger. He was a member of the short-lived Avengers Idea Mechanics, a re-branded version of the evil science organization AIM spearheaded by its new owner Sunspot. More recently, Wiccan has reluctantly joined a team called Strikeforce, as he and other heroes like Blade, Spectrum and the Winter Soldier deal with being replaced by shape-shifting impostors. The Young Avengers also have a long history of joining forces with the Runaways, another teen superhero team who inspired the Hulu series. Their original team-up occurred during the backdrop of the Civil War crossover, and it's become something of a trend for the two teams to reunite during major Marvel conflicts. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/06/hawkeyes-kate-bishop-explained"]

Wiccan and Speed in TV and Games

Games: While Wiccan and Speed don't have a long track record of appearing outside Marvel's comics, that certainly looks to be changing in the near future. Neither character has yet appeared in a movie or TV series, either live-action or animated. However, they have appeared in a handful of Marvel video games, including as playable characters in LEGO Marvel's Avengers. Wiccan is also a playable character in Marvel Future Fight and was available as an alternate skin for Scarlet Witch in Marvel Heroes before that much-loved action RPG was terminated.
TV: Presumably, both characters will make their MCU debuts in WandaVision. As of the end of the second episode, we learn Wanda is pregnant, though there's no confirmation she's giving birth to twins yet. But we see no reason why the series would diverge from the source material here. And given the wholly supernatural origin of this pregnancy, there's no reason to assume Wanda and Vision will need to wait the full nine months to meet their sons. Perhaps the real question is whether Billy and Tommy will stay infants over the course of the series or magically age up to become full-fledged teen heroes. We could see the MCU jettisoning some of the more complicated elements of Billy and Tommy's back-story, but we could also see WandaVision drawing from the classic Avengers comics. Will Wanda seemingly lose her children by the end of the series? Will that loss fuel her character arc in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness? Will her sons be reincarnated in new bodies? We'll have to see what twists lie in store over the course of the series.

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Will the Young Avengers Join the MCU?

Ever since the release of Avengers: Endgame, we've suspected Marvel Studios is slowly paving the way for the Young Avengers in Phase 4 or 5. The seemingly imminent debuts of Wiccan and Speed only lend further fuel to that fire. At this point, nearly every core member of that team has either been introduced or will be making their debut soon. Scott Lang's daughter Cassie has already appeared in several movies, with Endgame even conveniently aging her up to become a teenager. Hailee Steinfeld's Kate Bishop is starring in the upcoming Hawkeye series. Kang the Conqueror is reportedly joining the MCU soon, which means Iron Lad could well follow. At this point that only leaves Patriot and Hulking, and we could easily see both characters debuting in one of a number of upcoming MCU projects. And there's no reason Marvel couldn't work other teen heroes into the MCU's version of the Young Avengers, like Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel. Obviously, Marvel needs some way of aging up Billy and Tommy if they're going to be taking part in the Young Avengers anytime soon. Again, their magical origin may be all the explanation needed. Alternatively, if the MCU follows the comics by forcing Wanda to sacrifice her sons, then they could be reincarnated 15 or 16 years in the past, conveniently allowing them to return in new bodies shortly after the events of WandaVision. Are you excited for a possible Young Avengers MCU team-up? Vote in our poll to let us know which of these heroes you most want to see: [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=65cc0332-1c13-4c22-a2e1-9d6070c9b6ab"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Netflix's Disenchantment Season 3 Review

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 01:00:21 GMT

This is a mostly spoiler-free review for Netflix's Disenchantment Season 3, which is available to stream worldwide. For a refresher on the series, be sure to check out reviews of Disenchantment Season 1 and Disenchantment Season 2. [poilib element="accentDivider"] After a mediocre first season, Matt Groening's animated medieval-fantasy series showed some real growth in its sophomore run with a well-rounded batch of episodes that featured bigger stakes and strong character development for its three leads -- Bean, Luci, and Elfo. In Season 3, however, Disenchantment loses some of its forward momentum from Season 2 in terms of its comedic and storytelling prowess. While there are still laughs to be had and new locations to explore, many of the prominent storylines begin to lose their potency by the time we get to the season finale. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=029604f9-3e1c-4216-9b88-f8f611f8f491"] The story picks up immediately after the events that took place during the Season 2 finale, with Bean narrowly avoiding her execution at the hands of Odval and the Arch-Druidess. As the story progresses, we get to spend some more time with Bean's mother, Queen Dagmar (Sharon Hogan) in her subterranean kingdom. Sadly, most of Bean's interactions with her mom involve verbal sparring matches that often run too long, which is a problem the series has faced since it premiered back in 2018. Since Netflix is a commercial-free streaming platform, co-creators Matt Groening and Josh Weinstein don't have to operate under the confines of broadcast television where most animated comedies are relegated to around 22 minutes per episode. Disenchantment continues to push its runtimes up to (and sometimes over) thirty minutes, which tends to stretch many of the comedic scenes beyond their welcome. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/15/disenchantment-part-3-exclusive-official-trailer-2021-abbi-jacobson-eric-andre"] What continues to work for the series, however, is the excellent voice-over work from Abbi Jacobson (Bean), Eric André (Luci), Nat Faxon (Elfo), and many of the secondary characters, which are voiced by Groening alums like Futurama's Billy West and John DiMaggio. In one of my favorite episodes from Season 3, titled "Steamland Confidential," Faxon does amazing work as Elfo attempts to blend into high society by joining an "upscale explorers" club, which leads to some unexpected and hilarious moments later in the episode. While not as prominent as in Season 2, Bean does have some compelling character moments as her journey of self-discovery continues the more time she spends away from her dad and her hometown of Dreamland. The episode "Last Splash" serves as a welcome character study for Bean and her relationship with an adventurous Mermaid named Mora. Elfo also gets some comedic introspection in this episode as he deals with a tragic loss. André's Luci is mostly left on the fringes this time around, which is disappointing, especially since Season 2 gave him some dynamic character-building moments during his trip to hell with Bean. It would have been nice to explore that thread a bit further in Season 3, but with the series' ever-expanding narrative, some of the ensemble cast is bound to get left behind. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=netflix-spotlight-january-2021&captions=true"] In the visual department, the animation continues to shine, with some new and familiar locations to explore in Season 3. The series' return to Steamland gives the animators a chance to show off more of the steampunk-inspired landscape that's filled with plenty of flying blimps and some intimidating lightbulb-headed robots that you wouldn't want to come across in a dark alley. While not as varied in locations as Season 2, there's still plenty of animated eye-candy to enjoy throughout.

Is This Group Behind WandaVison's Big Mystery?

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 00:24:36 GMT

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Marvel's WandaVision! [poilib element="accentDivider"] The Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to get much bigger in 2021, as WandaVision kicks off a whole new wave of series that build on the fallout of Avengers: Endgame. The series even seems to confirm something we've suspected since the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home. SWORD is about to make its MCU debut. What exactly is SWORD, and how is it different from SHIELD and the other clandestine organizations we've seen in the MCU? We've got a full breakdown of SWORD's comic book roots and how it could factor into the MCU in Phase 4 and beyond. These are the topics we cover here:

What Is Marvel's SWORD?
SWORD's Origin
SWORD's Most Important Members
SWORD in Other Media
How SWORD (and Its Logo) Fits Into WandaVision and the MCU

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What Is Marvel's SWORD?

For decades, SHIELD has been the premier peacekeeping agency on Earth, monitoring threats across the planet and dealing with the likes of Hydra, AIM and other organizations who threaten world peace. But what about threats from beyond Earth? What happens when one of the many alien empires in the Marvel Universe decides to come calling? That's where SWORD comes in. SWORD traditionally stands for Sentient Worlds Observation and Response Department. Operating from an orbital space station called The Peak, SWORD's agents monitor the cosmos and do their best to neutralize any extraterrestrial problems before they make landfall. With any luck, humanity will never know how close they've come to being wiped off the face of the universe. [poilib element="quoteBox" parameters="excerpt=SWORD%20traditionally%20stands%20for%20Sentient%20Worlds%20Observation%20and%20Response%20Department."]

SWORD's Origin

While SWORD has appeared in a great many Marvel stories over the past two decades, the agency actually has its roots in the X-Men franchise. The agency first appeared in 2004's Astonishing X-Men #5, by writer Joss Whedon and artist John Cassaday. SWORD initially plays a fairly antagonistic role in that series. Under the leadership of the perpetually cranky and antisocial Abigail Brand, SWORD forms a tenuous alliance with an alien named Ord. His people, a warrior race from a planet called The Breakworld, fear their prophesied destruction at the hands of a mutant. Rather than allow him to wipe out all life on Earth, Brand convinces Ord to settle for orchestrating the creation of a cure for the mutant gene. When that fails, the Breakworld fires an enormous metal projectile at Earth, one which would have obliterated the planet if not for Kitty Pryde's handy phasing powers. Since then, SWORD has settled into a regular role as the even more secretive sister agency to SHIELD. Marvel even briefly published a dedicated SWORD comic in 2009, though the series was canceled after five issues. SWORD was temporarily phased out after the events of 2015's Secret Wars, with the agency effectively replaced by a new incarnation of Canadian super-team Alpha Flight. But in the wake of 2020's X of Swords crossover, SWORD has returned in a new form. Now the agency is more closely tied to the X-Men than ever, to the point that the majority of its commanding officers are mutants and Magneto is the official liaison with the mutant nation of Krakoa.

SWORD, SHIELD, SPEAR and ARMOR: What's the Difference?

The Marvel Universe is never lacking for top-secret intelligence agencies with catchy acronyms. If you're confused as to the differences between all these organizations and what roles they fill, here's a quick guide. SHIELD (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) - SHIELD is typically the dominant peacekeeping agency on Earth, one that often works alongside heroes like the Avengers to combat all manner of supervillains and terrorist organizations. While the modern incarnation of SHIELD was formed after World War II, few realize the organization's roots date back thousands of years. Even in the days of ancient Egypt, humanity had a shield to guard against threats like Galactus and the Brood. SWORD (Sentient Worlds Observation and Response Department) - A direct offshoot of SHIELD, SWORD is tasked with monitoring extraterrestrial threats while its sister agency focuses on enemies from within. HAMMER (full name unknown) - After SHIELD failed to prevent a Skrull invasion of Earth, the agency was scrapped and replaced by the Norman Osborn-led HAMMER. True to form, Osborn uses his new agency mainly as a means of furthering his own agenda and putting the world's worst villains in positions of power. After Osborn's crimes are exposed, HAMMER itself is shuttered and a new version of SHIELD is created in its place. SPEAR (full name unknown) and STRIKE (Special Tactical Response for International Key Emergencies) - Marvel has never been entirely consistent about whether SHIELD is sponsored by the US government alone or the full United Nations Security Council. As such, other world nations sometimes form their own SHIELD equivalents. STRIKE is a British agency, while China forms SPEAR after the events of 2013's Infinity. ARMOR (Altered-Reality Monitoring and Operational Response Agency) - If SWORD is responsible for safeguarding against threats from other worlds, ARMOR's job is to safeguard against other dimensions and realities. This obscure agency helps prevent the apocalyptic plague from the Marvel Zombies universe from gaining a foothold in the regular Marvel Universe.

SWORD's Most Important Members

While the ranks of SWORD tend to change, the agency has a few familiar faces who crop up. Abigail Brand - Brand is the commander of SWORD, essentially the agency's equivalent of Nick Fury. Though almost nothing is known about her past, Brand is a half-alien who carries the mutant gene (hence her distinctive green hair). She's also perpetually cranky and antisocial, which makes her good at her job but wins her few allies in SHIELD or among the superhero community. Sydren - It wouldn't do to staff an intergalactic peacekeeping agency with only Earthlings. Sydren is an alien from the planet Drenx. As Brand's right-hand-man, he's basically indispensable, though his Cobra Commander-esque lisp tends to drive her up a wall. Beast - Most of the X-Men would just as soon have Brand stay aboard the Peak and away from Earth, but not Beast. A scientist first and a superhero second, Beast is fascinated by SWORD's operations and often works alongside Brand's team. He and Brand have even formed a romantic relationship, to the surprise of everyone else around them. Lockheed - The X-Men were thrown for a loop when they discovered Kitty Pryde's pet dragon Lockheed is actually a spy for SWORD. It turns out Lockheed is also a polyglot whose mastery of numerous alien languages makes him a valuable asset. Henry Peter Gyrich - This back-stabbing government agent has made enemies of basically every hero on Earth, so it was inevitable he'd find a new gig at SWORD. Gyrich is installed as co-commander in order to help the government keep closer tabs on Brand. Predictably, the two don't get along one bit. Spider-Woman - Jessica Drew is as much a secret agent as she is a superhero. And after a Skrull impostor ruins her reputation on a global scale, Spider-Woman finds solace in leaving Earth behind and taking up a new mission with SWORD. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"]

SWORD in Other Media

Having debuted back in 2004, enough time has passed that SWORD has begun trickling out into other Marvel media. Most significantly, both Agent Brand and SWORD feature in multiple episodes of the animated series Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Brand also appears in Iron Man: Armored Avengers, though in that case she's depicted as an agent of SHIELD. Two particularly SWORD-heavy comics - Astonishing X-Men and Spider-Woman, Agent of Sword - have also been adapted into animated motion comic format. [caption id="attachment_2462275" align="aligncenter" width="1280"] Agent Brand in Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes.[/caption] SWORD appears to finally be making its live-action debut thanks to the post-credits scene in Spider-Man: Far From Home and the debut of WandaVision, but it nearly appeared much earlier in the MCU timeline. A deleted scene from 2011's Thor features Erik Selvig referencing a "SWORD database," and Agents of SHIELD executive producers Jed Whedon and Jeffrey Bell confirmed they tried unsuccessfully to include SWORD in earlier seasons of the show. In both cases, it's unclear whether Marvel would even have been allowed to reference SWORD in the MCU while the X-Men movie rights were still at Fox. Fortunately, that's no longer an issue.

How SWORD (and Its Logo) Fits Into WandaVision and the MCU

A number of Easter eggs in the first two episodes of WandaVision all but confirm SWORD has finally arrived on the scene, including what looks to be the agency's logo. One of the many mysteries surrounding the series, however, is why the events of WandaVision would fall under SWORD's mandate. Dangerous though her powers are, why is Wanda Maximoff on the radar of an agency whose mission is to monitor other worlds? The answer may lie in the SWORD name. Based on a series of digital trading cards from Topps, it appears the SWORD acronym in the MCU is different than that of the comics - Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division. Rather than focus on extraterrestrial threats specifically, it would seem this version of SWORD is intended to be a safeguard against any living being whose powers threaten the world. Whatever the true cause of Wanda's sitcom-flavored hallucinations, Monica Rambeau and her fellow SWORD agents may be working to prevent her powers from spilling out into the wider world. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] It's also worth remembering that the MCU has been without a traditional version of SHIELD since the organization collapsed in 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier. While a leaner version of SHIELD has continued on in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, the events of that series are never referenced in the MCU movies. And whether or not Agents of SHIELD is still part of the official MCU canon, there's clearly a power vacuum waiting to be filled by a larger and more public-facing organization. SWORD may be more than just the space-based sister agency to SHIELD, but a full-fledged replacement. Even as Nick Fury and Talos deal with an alien conspiracy in the upcoming Secret Invasion series, the Agents of SWORD may appear in all sorts of MCU projects in the years to come. Which SWORD character are you most eager to see enter the MCU? Let us know by voting in the poll below: [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=19b9ae8a-8490-4d16-b05c-4773bb1088bf"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

The Last of Us HBO TV Series Gets a New Director

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 22:10:36 GMT

HBO’s The Last of Us Series officially has a new director. The Oscar-nominated Beanpole director Kantemir Balagov will direct the adaptation of Naughty Dog’s hit post-apocalyptic adventure game, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Beanpole, a drama focused on two women in post-WWII Leningrad, was selected as Russia’s entry for Best International Feature Film for the 92nd Academy Awards in 2019, but ultimately lost to South Korea’s Parasite. Beanpole earned Balagov the Cannes Film Festival’s best director award in 2019.

Balagov also directed 2017’s drama Closeness, a drama centering on a kidnapping of a young couple and the subsequent ransoming.

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Balagov’s somber aesthetic is likely a factor in HBO’s decision to hire him, likely ensuring a dark tone congruent with the original game’s harrowing tale, and likely pairs well with writer and executive producer Craig Mazin. Mazin’s Chernobyl series was similarly known for being visually and thematically somber.

It was originally reported that the project would reunite Mazin and Chernobyl director Johan Renck, at least for the first episode, but THR reports that he has dropped out due to a scheduling conflict.

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The Last of Us series was officially greenlit by HBO in November last year. The game’s creative director and writer Neil Druckmann is also writing and executive producing the series.

Sony Pictures Chairman and CEO Tony Vinciquerra announced in December last year that the studio is currently developing seven shows and three movies based on PlayStation properties. Vinciquerra didn’t clarify if The Last of Us series and Uncharted film were included in that count.

The Last of Us series doesn’t have an official premier date, but it’s estimated that it may debut alongside The Walking Dead’s final season. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/clicker for IGN.

Moon Knight: Ethan Hawke Cast as Marvel Series' Main Villain

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 22:07:09 GMT

Ethan Hawke is the latest Hollywood star to make the jump to the MCU. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hawke has been cast as the main villain of the Moon Knight series on Disney+. THR doesn't indicate which character Hawke is playing, only describing the role as "the lead villain" of the series. Hawke will star opposite Oscar Isaac, who has reportedly been cast as the supernatural vigilante. Production on the series is expected to begin in Budapest in March 2021. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/26/oscar-isaac-in-talks-for-disney-pluss-moon-knight"] Moon Knight doesn't have the largest rogues gallery in the Marvel Universe, which may help narrow down the pool of candidates. Given the character's ethnicity in the comics, we can probably assume Hawke isn't playing Moon Knight's frequent nemesis Raoul Bushman. Moon Knight's rogues gallery also includes villains like Killer Shrike, Black Spectre and the Sun King, any of whom could make sense for the series. However, it's just as likely Hawke won't be playing a traditional supervillain. He could be the leader of The Committee (the criminal cartel that hires Moon Knight in his very first appearance) or even the physical manifestation of the moon god Khonshu. Hawke's casting is certainly unexpected, given both the actor's tendency to avoid mainstream Hollywood franchises and his past comments criticizing the superhero movie genre. "Now we have the problem that they tell us Logan is a great movie," Hawke said in 2018. "Well, it’s a great superhero movie. It still involves people in tights with metal coming out of their hands. It’s not Bresson. It’s not Bergman. But they talk about it like it is.” Hopefully Hawke's decision to sign on for the MCU is a good sign for Moon Knight fans. Marvel first announced the Moon Knight series at D23 in August 2019. At one time, Kevin Feige indicated that Moon Knight and some of Marvel's other Disney+ series' such as She-Hulk and Ms. Marvel would all wrap production by the end of 2020. Ultimately, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic delayed that timetable and many of the original production dates were pushed back. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] WandaVision, however, is releases on Disney+ on January 15, as the first entry in an ambitious new lineup of TV series' designed to be more closely integrated with Marvel's movies. For more about the studio's future slate of projects and releases, read our breakdown of the biggest and most noteworthy developments in the MCU, on Disney+ and in Marvel's comics this year. Hawke's casting is the latest big MCU news to drop in recent days. We also learned Chris Evans may be in talks to return as Steve Rogers, while a leaked action figure may have revealed a major spoiler for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Where Does WandaVision Fit in the MCU Timeline?

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 22:03:53 GMT

Now that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen Thanos kill half of all life in existence in Avengers: Infinity War and the Avengers have used time travel to undo that devastation in Avengers: Endgame, it’s safe to say that it’s gonna take a little more legwork to really shock the audience going forward. But that’s what Disney Plus' WandaVision is all about, as it follows psychic powerhouse Wanda Maximoff seeming to live out a happy life with her android love Vision. But, as is usually the case when the dead suddenly walk, everything is not as it seems… The show is perhaps Marvel Studios’ strangest outing yet in the MCU, and it has fans wondering when WandaVision takes place in the MCU timeline, whether or not it is set after Avengers: Endgame, and more generally WTF it even is. So let’s catch up on how the MCU’s most prominent witch and robot couple made it to their sure-to-be-short-lived happily ever after in the first place, and when WandaVision takes place in the larger MCU story. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/wandavisions-mcu-timeline"] Watch the video above or read on for all the details! [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Wanda and Vision’s Debut in Avengers: Age of Ultron

Wanda and Vision both start their Avenging careers around the same time, after the heroes bring down the HYDRA leadership that has been pulling SHIELD’s strings. But, you know, cut off one head and those damn things keep sprouting! Case in point, a HYDRA splinter group run by Baron Strucker in the mountains of Sokovia continues their research on Loki’s scepter, which was recovered from the Battle of New York and houses the Mind Stone. In the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, we see that Strucker has been using the scepter to try to give people superpowers! That includes Sokovian siblings, Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. While Pietro’s powers mostly make him go real fast, Wanda’s are a bit trickier to nail down. Sure, we see her ruin her cube toy (which is a waste, that thing looks like fun), but it’s not until the Avengers come to bust up Strucker’s operation in Avengers: Age of Ultron and recover Loki’s scepter that we learn that telekinesis is just the tip of Wanda’s mental iceberg. As Tony learns the hard way, Wanda’s also capable of projecting psychic visions into her victims’ minds. They leave the extent of this power a little vague… we’ll come back to that later. Now, the Maximoffs have some significant beef with the Avengers, specifically Tony, whose Stark Industries-engineered missiles are responsible for the death of their parents. It’s why they signed up for Strucker’s experiments in the first place. That grudge leads them to align with Tony’s robo-nemesis-slash-son Ultron, who’s also out to destroy Earth’s Mightiest Heroes after being gifted with life thanks to the very same Mind Stone that gave the Maximoffs their powers. Ultron compels Avengers ally Dr. Helen Cho to make him a shiny, invulnerable new body, complete with the Mind Stone embedded in the forehead. The heroes manage to recover Ultron’s would-be body and upload their own artificial consciousness into its brain: Tony Stark’s A.I. JARVIS! Quite the promotion from being a weapons-enabled virtual assistant! This new android takes the name Vision and proves that he’s not going to go all Skynet on the Avengers by picking up Thor’s hammer. He’s worthy! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] It’s during the failed process of transferring Ultron’s brain into Vision’s body that Wanda discovers that the robotic villain is not just planning on wiping out the Avengers for the good of the planet, but all of humanity. The Maximoffs decide to jump ship and join with the good guys to foil Ultron’s plan, which is to kickstart the apocalypse by turning the Sokovian capitol into a meteor and rocketing it back to Earth. And he would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for those meddling Avengers! While the heroes are successful in killing Ultron, averting the end times, and even evacuating most of the Sokovian capital’s population, Pietro is killed in the battle. That leaves Wanda without a family, but hey, at least she’s got job prospects!

The Sokovia Accords, Captain America: Civil War… and Love!

Wanda joins a new Avengers lineup, alongside Vision, and operates for the next year without incident. But in Captain America: Civil War, while on a mission to apprehend Crossbones, Scarlet Witch accidentally lets his suicide vest detonate next to a crowded building. This latest loss of civilian life during a superhero match-up is the last straw for the global community. Secretary of State Thunderbolt Ross presents the Avengers with the Sokovia Accords, under which the team will give up their independence and defer to the United Nations for which missions to go on. The heroes are split on the issue, with half the roster falling in behind the pro-Accords Tony and the other half, led by Captain America, believing that independence is the only way the Avengers can remain effective. Wanda and Vision - spending a lot more time together these days at the New Avengers Facility - find themselves on different sides of this conflict. Recognizing the destructive effect the Avengers have had, Vision is in favor of the accords, but Wanda’s not so sure. And the fact that Tony’s now commanded Vision to keep Wanda in custody after the tragedy doesn’t do a lot to bring her around to his way of thinking, either. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-evolution-of-scarlet-witch-and-the-visions-relationship-in-the-comics&captions=true"] Eventually, this leads Wanda to side with Team Cap while Viz joins Team Iron Man. The Avengers have it out on the tarmac of Berlin’s airport, and although it’s gonna take a few more movies for Tony and Steve to get there, Wanda and Vision get a moment of reconciliation. Still, after all is said and done, Wanda’s in the slammer for helping Cap… but if we know one thing about Cap, it’s that he never leaves a friend behind. He breaks his allies out of the Raft and goes off the grid…

Mind Games and Avengers: Infinity War

The next time we see Wanda and Vision is in Avengers: Infinity War, and then Avengers: Endgame for Wanda anyway. Uh oh... The two continue their witch-android romance in secret over the next couple of years, seeing each other when they can. It’s during one of their nights together that Vision’s stone starts hurting. That’s down to the impending arrival of Thanos, armed with an Infinity Gauntlet real hungry for Infinity Stones like the one in Viz’s noggin. Thanos’ fan club, the Children of Thanos, ambush Wanda and Viz to dig the Mind Stone out of the android’s forehead before Cap, Black Widow, and Falcon swoop in to fend off the Mad Titan’s angry tykes. Vision surmises that having Wanda destroy the Mind Stone is the surest way to deprive Thanos of having a complete set of Infinity Stones with which to wipe out half of all creation. The whole team’s pretty down on the whole idea of having her blow the thing out of his head being plan A though, and decide to call on Black Panther for aid. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review] T’Challa receives the Avengers and his tech genius sister Shuri sets to work making a backup copy of Vision’s consciousness. But Thanos has finally been able to pick up some speed when it comes to wrangling these Infinity Stones and, after defeating Tony and his team of heroes on Titan, he just needs that one out of Vision’s forehead. So he lays siege to Wakanda to get it. Shuri continues to copy Vision’s mind as Wanda steps onto the battlefield to lend a hand. Thanos’ forces eventually break through the defenses and put an end to Vision’s backup before it can be completed… or was it? Vision brings the fight into the jungle but eventually, knowing this is their last chance, convinces Wanda that it’s time to go to plan B. Yes, that’s Plan B-low Vision’s head up. With Thanos advancing, Wanda says goodbye and destroys the Mind Stone, killing Vision. But Thanos just uses the Time Stone to undo Vision’s sacrifice and pluck the Mind Stone out of his forehead, killing Vision in the process. With his Infinity Gauntlet finally complete, Thanos delivers on his apocalyptic threat to will half of all life out of existence (you know, the Snap!). Wanda Maximoff is on the wrong side of that coin flip, just like many of the Avengers’ roster.

Does WandaVision Take Place After Avengers: Endgame?

Five years later, in Avengers: Endgame, the surviving heroes pull off one hell of a time heist to recover the Infinity Stones and undo the Snap. Unfortunately, this only applies to those killed in the Snap, so while Wanda gets to come back from the great beyond, Vision remains in the Recycle Bin. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/13/how-monica-rambeau-connects-wandavision-to-captain-marvel-2-mcu-canon-fodder] So now that WandaVision has arrived on Disney+, the mysterious setting of the show is leading fans to ask many questions, specifically, when does WandaVision take place in the MCU timeline? But it seems clear that despite the throwback nature of the series - exploring old sitcom formats from decades past - WandaVision is set after Avengers: Endgame. How Vision is still alive of course is a major question then. If he’s even alive, that is. But what happens when Vision starts remembering the fact that he died? As for what’s got him back on his feet, that’s still unclear, but seeing that Wanda is one of the most powerful psychics in the MCU and she’s in mourning, we can en-vision her powers being involved in his resurrection somehow. What do you think is really going on in WandaVision? Let’s discuss in the comments!

WandaVision: The Song Lyrics and Meaning to Each Episode's Opening Theme

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 21:00:30 GMT

Marvel's WandaVision is inspired by many TV classics that came before it like I Love Lucy and Bewitched. While many of those shows had an iconic opening theme that began each episode, WandaVision takes it a step farther. Each episode features a new opening theme and distinct style, and we thought we'd gather the lyrics and thoughts on what they could mean in one place. As of this writing, only the first two episodes of WandaVision are available on Disney+. As each episode airs, we will update this article with the lyrics and possible meaning of what these intros could be trying to tell us. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"]

WandaVision: Episode 1 - The Newlyweds

WandaVision's first episode's intro sees Wanda and Vision arriving in Westview in wedding attire. It has a very classic TV feel with a theme song that could have been pulled right out of the 1950s. As for the lyrics, they don't reveal too much, but they do mention that Wanda and Vision are a newlywed couple who just moved to town to leave the big city behind for a much quieter life. The full WandaVision lyrics are as follows;

Oh, A newlywed couple just moved to town

A regular husband and wife

Who left the big city to find a quiet life

WandaVision!

She’s a magical gal in a small-town locale

He’s a hubby who’s part machine

How will this duo fit in and fulfill all?

By sharing a love like you’ve never seen

WandaVision!

WandaVision: Episode 2 - Wanda and Vision are Bewitched

While the second episode's intro may not feature any other lyrics besides "WandaVision!" the intro is PACKED with Easter Eggs and references. While the whole style is very reminiscent of the classic TV show Bewitched, this opening number features possible references to classic Marvel characters like Agatha Harkness and Grim Reaper. There may even be a nod to the Infinity Stones in there as well. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] For more on WandaVision, be sure to check out our explainer on the show and the comics that could inspire it, our reviews of the first two episodes, and when each episode of WandaVision airs on Disney+. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Wandavision: All the Marvel and TV Easter Eggs in Every Episode

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 19:36:52 GMT

Marvel's WandaVision has finally arrived on Disney+, and with it brings the first new Marvel Cinematic Universe story since Spider-Man: Far From Home. This new show is filled with Easter Eggs and references to not only Marvel's storied history, but also to the classic TV shows that clearly inspired it. As of this writing, episodes 1 and 2 of WandaVision are available on Disney+. We've gathered every Easter Egg and reference in one place, which you can see below, and each week we will update the slideshow with more easter eggs and theories as the new episodes air. Spoilers of course follow! [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] From nods to I Love Lucy and Bewitched to pivotal stories in Marvel comics and the MCU, these first episodes are filled with callbacks that can be easy to miss and may give us a glimpse as to what the future holds for not only WandaVision, but the MCU as a whole. For more on WandaVision, be sure to check out our explainer on the show and the comics that could inspire it, our reviews of the first two episodes, and when each episode of WandaVision airs on Disney+. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com. Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

IGN UK Podcast #575: Wandavision is Wonderful Television

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:27:23 GMT

Cardy, Matt and Joe have all seen the first 3 episodes of WandaVision and are very much liking what they've seen so far. They also discuss what they'd like to see from the recently announced Indiana Jones and Star Wars games as well as talk about their time with Persona 5 Strikers, Grindstone and The Last Campfire. Plus the Endless Search makes its long-awaited return. Remember, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, please do: ign_ukfeedback@ign.com. IGN UK Podcast #575: WandaVision is Wonderful Television [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=ign-uk-podcast-episode-500-photos&captions=true"]

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The Falcon and The Winter Soldier: Leaked Toy May Reveal Major Plot Point

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 15:21:46 GMT

This story contains potential spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Images of what appear to be an upcoming action figure based on a character from Disney+ show The Falcon and The Winter Soldier may have revealed a significant plot detail. The figure, if genuine, does spoil what could be a major moment for the show, so we advise not reading ahead should you wish to remain in the dark. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/11/marvels-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-official-trailer-1"] The new photos, which were posted to Twitter by account BRMarvelNews, show a Hasbro action figure of Sam Wilson dressed in a Captain America costume. The name badge on the toy’s packaging reads Captain America rather than Wilson’s more familiar superhero title, The Falcon. In addition, the packaging features an image of actor Anthony Mackie as Wilson dressed in the Captain America costume.

O uniforme do novo Capitão América!!
Um vazamento da linha de brinquedos de "The Falcon and The Winter Soldier" mostra o novo uniforme do Sam Wilson. pic.twitter.com/KAVkDKdQr7 — Marvel News (@BRMarvelNews) January 15, 2021

The costume itself is almost a 1:1 recreation of Sam Wilson’s Captain America costume from the Marvel comics, as debuted in All-New Captain America #1, published in November 2014. Wilson was granted the mantle of Captain America after Steve Rogers handed him the shield in Captain America Vol.7 #25. During the storyline of that era, Steve Rogers had been aged beyond his fighting prime, something that may have influenced the scene in Avengers: Endgame where aged Cap passes the shield to the Falcon. For more, check out what to expect from the MCU in 2021, as well as the cast and characters from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier revealed so far. And if you have Disney+, be sure to read our review of WandaVision's season premiere. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

WandaVision: Season 1, Episode 1 and 2 Review

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 09:00:46 GMT

This review contains spoilers for Marvel's WandaVision episodes 1 and 2. For a spoiler-free look at the show, please take a look at our WandaVision preview. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Was a scene featuring Vision singing a rendition of The Coasters’ “Yakety Yak” on your MCU wish list? Almost certainly not. But the two-part premiere of WandaVision effortlessly proves why it should have been. Marvel’s first attempt at a sitcom is a delight, and much of that success is down to Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen’s wonderful handling of its vintage-styled script. Right out the gate, WandaVision makes it clear that the show is a sitcom. Yes, there’s also the tantalising mystery that SWORD may possibly be pulling the strings (more on that later), but the majority of WandaVision’s run time - at least in these two episodes - is dedicated to situational comedy. Writers Jac Schaeffer and Gretchen Enders provide some fantastic gags, despite working in what can sometimes feel like antiquated parameters due to the slavish replication of the 1950s and ‘60s settings. Vision’s joke about chewing gum being for mastication, for example, had me howling, both at the wordplay and the old-school response from his friends. The ‘drunken’ robot performance that follows this, combined with the authentic Hanna-Barbera-style animations, only escalates the humour. Who’d have thought the ethereal Paul Bettany from the Avengers could be such a natural comedian? [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/wandavision-official-new-era-trailer"] Of the two episodes, the second is distinctly the funniest, as it spins fewer plates than the opening half-hour, and thus can dedicate more of itself to Wanda and Vision’s talent show ordeal. In contrast, the ‘50s-set first scenario, in addition to being a loving homage to classics like I Love Lucy, does a lot of heavy lifting to get the show’s rather meta concept off the ground. Through the use of a delightful theme tune and self-aware title cards that use the characters’ names rather than their actors, it firmly establishes the show’s false reality, generating a sense of unease around the vintage styling. The pair’s confusion about the August 23 calendar date helps provide further fuel for the mystery, while also doubling as a pretty typical sitcom plot to deliver the homage. That so many elements in this first half-hour are able to work on both the in-show universe and meta levels is quite a feat of writing. Perhaps the best example of this is Wanda’s comment on Vision’s indestructible head, which works as a cute housewife quip while also acting as dark dramatic irony, since we as viewers know that his head was torn apart by Thanos in Infinity War. While I do genuinely like the sitcom elements and admire the show’s dedication to this unlikely format, the darker side of WandaVision is the thing that really pulls me through this opening act. Of particular note are the visual techniques the show uses to deal with this, such as splashes of bright red colour injected into the monochrome palette. This is rather striking when Dottie cuts her hand on broken glass, and her response is muted enough to maintain the mystery as to whether the people of Westview are in on the secret or not. The best example, however, comes in episode one, when Fred Melamed’s Mr. Hart begins to choke on his food. Director Matt Shakman switches from a classic multi-camera sitcom set-up to a more dramatic single-camera format, bringing the lens right to the dinner table and performing slow, ominous zooms. It’s a fascinating way to break the fourth wall that's practically Lynchian in design, and serves as a promise that the show is much darker than much of its twee material would suggest. [poilib element="poll" parameters="id=0bbaa70b-f873-41f5-9237-76b3fc7e345d"] At this stage though, that’s largely what it is: a promise. Because for as enjoyable and mysterious as this two-part premiere is, it does feel all set-up and very little in the form of plot development. This would feel less of a quibble if this premiere was not two distinct episodes, and was instead a single hour-long introduction. But as it stands, the second episode - while more amusing and more confident - treads almost identical ground to the first. The meta-level reveals present minimal advancement on episode one’s mystery cliffhanger, and so it does feel almost as if the show has stalled for a beat. We can only hope that this is a design decision to ensure the audience is comfortable with the high-concept premise (which, admittedly, may require some bedding in for more casual viewers). The slow advancement of the more traditional MCU elements does provide space to introduce Wanda’s pregnancy, though, an event that seems to indicate we should invest in the sitcom itself, rather than pin all expectations on the underlying mystery to propel the show’s plot. But what a mystery that is! At the end of episode one we’re presented with a mysterious observer watching WandaVision, surrounded by equipment displaying the SWORD logo. Seemingly teased for inclusion in the MCU at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, the Sentient World Observation and Response Department (or whatever it stands for in the MCU) is one of Marvel’s key organisations in the comic books, and essentially operates as a cosmic counterpart to SHIELD. Quite exactly how that relates to Wanda and Vision is nowhere close to clear right now, least of all because neither characters come under the organisation’s typical jurisdiction in the comics. Furthermore, the presentation of SWORD so far depicts them in a much more sinister fashion that the comics, especially the agent surrounded by… bees? Does SWORD have a bee division now? [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/13/the-wandavision-cast-take-igns-mcu-quiz"] Additionally, while Wanda does appear to be trapped in a sweet television nightmare that reunites her with Vision, it does seem as if she has some control over this reality, as highlighted by her ability to rewind the SWORD agent and add colour to the world. Is Wanda imprisoned, or is this a world of her own making? WandaVision may be keeping its cards held tight to its chest right now, but it has certainly provided enough mystery fuel to keep us engaged.

When Do New Episodes of WandaVision Season 1 Air?

Fri, 15 Jan 2021 00:15:01 GMT

For those eager for their next MCU fix and wondering what time Marvel's WandaVision comes out each week, the new Disney Plus series is being released Fridays at midnight PT/3am ET. WandaVision will release its first two episodes on F riday, January 15, followed by one new episode every week for the remainder of its release schedule. While Disney has not released a synopsis for the premiere, the streamer describes WandaVision as "a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) – two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives – begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems," according to the Season 1 logline. Watch the latest trailer for WandaVision below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/04/wandavision-official-new-era-trailer"]

When Does WandaVision Season 1 Release?

Disney+ is releasing new episodes of WandaVision Season 1 weekly on Fridays, which is a trend the streamer has followed since Disney+ launched back in 2019, instead of opting for Netflix's binge model of releasing a whole season at once. After WandaVision's two-episode premiere on Friday, January 15, Disney+ will air the following seven episodes every Friday until the Season 1 finale, which will release on Friday, March 5, 2021.

What Time Does the New WandaVision Episode Come Out?

The time each new episode of WandaVision Season 1 is expected to drop is at 12am PT/3am ET on Friday morning in the US, which is 8am in the UK and 6:30pm ACT/7pm AET in Australia. WandaVision will be available globally wherever Disney Plus is available. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-evolution-of-scarlet-witch-and-the-visions-relationship-in-the-comics&captions=true"]

WandaVision Season 1 Episode Release Schedule

Here is the full WandaVision Season 1 release schedule for all nine episodes:

Episode 1: Friday, January 15
Episode 2: Friday, January 15
Episode 3: Friday, January 22
Episode 4: Friday, January 29
Episode 5: Friday, February 5
Episode 6: Friday, February 12
Episode 7: Friday, February 19
Episode 8: Friday, February 26
Episode 9: Friday, March 5 - Season 1 Finale

For more on the imaginative world of Marvel's WandaVison, be sure to read our guide to Wanda and Vision in the comics, as well as our detailed breakdown of the Wanda and Vision's MCU timeline so far. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/13/the-wandavision-cast-take-igns-mcu-quiz"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He's also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.

WandaVision Preview: The MCU Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 17:00:45 GMT

This is a spoiler-free preview of Disney Plus' WandaVision, which is releasing its first two episodes on January 15. Come back tomorrow morning for our full, official review of WandaVision episodes 1 and 2 after the show debuts on Disney+. [poilib element="accentDivider"] One thing is for certain about WandaVision; this first new serving of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in almost 18 months is not a show to remind you why you love superheroes. To call it the MCU’s oddest project understates it; beyond its central characters, it is practically unrecognisable from its feature film stablemates. It’s so different, in fact, that it stands a chance of being divisive and alienating. But rather than a reason to avoid it, these are all factors that make it absolutely worth tuning in for. So, what exactly is so odd about WandaVision? Well, it’s a half-hour family sitcom where the suburban protagonists are a witch and a synthetic man who we previously believed to be dead. And - at least for the first three episodes I have been able to watch ahead of the show’s Disney+ debut on January 15 - WandaVision is remarkably dedicated to this format; the majority of each episode’s runtime is near enough pure sitcom, devoid of any supervillains, Infinity Gauntlets, or heroic punch-ups. If you were expecting anything akin to the storylines of the MCU movies, or even the adjacent Netflix shows, then you’d best adjust your expectations. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/14/wandavision-preview-the-mcu-like-youve-never-seen-it-before"] Like the classic US sitcoms that influence it, each episode of WandaVision revolves around a central situation that provides the jokes. These are all domestic; Vision needs to impress his boss, Wanda must cook an elaborate meal, the two try to wow the neighbours in a talent show. While jokes are often augmented by the characters’ fantastical nature - Wanda levitating cooking utensils, and Vision being able to phase through items - there are just as many lines that are straight-up standard sitcom in nature. It makes for a very different, franky less Whedonesque approach to comedy than the MCU has tackled before. That approach is further complicated by WandaVision’s other big idea: changing eras. Each episode recreates the stylings of iconic shows from American television history, starting in the 1950s with elements of I Love Lucy, and progressing on to the ‘60s and ‘70s with Bewitched and The Brady Bunch. The homage to those shows comes not just in the vintage visuals, but in the jokes themselves. WandaVision is not a spoof of these eras; it earnestly adores them, and so the recreation of the eras’ writing and delivery is remarkably accurate. Depending on your fondness for those decades of television, these jokes will come across as either charming or a touch antiquated. For some viewers, this dedication to the sitcom format may be too much. After all, no one was campaigning for a Marvel show about domestic bliss. But the twee comedy provides a stark contrast with WandaVision’s most interesting feature: an underlying and building sense of dread. Between the jokes, it’s clear that something is wrong. A missing memory, a sinister radio broadcast, and a bright red object in an otherwise monochrome world all hint to Wanda and Vision’s life being less idyllic than it seems. This uneasiness - that our heroes are somehow trapped in a reality that functions as the greatest hits of US comedy - is not dissimilar to Twin Peak’s contrasting elements of supernatural darkness and heightened soap melodrama. This means you can be safe in the knowledge that WandaVision isn’t just a Marvel-branded sitcom. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-evolution-of-scarlet-witch-and-the-visions-relationship-in-the-comics&captions=true"] How long it will take to unearth the show’s mystery could be WandaVision’s undoing, though. While there are several hints throughout that point to these more sinister goings on, the first three episodes reserve genuine plot development for end-of-episode cliffhangers. The first two episodes, packaged together as a two-part premiere, do little to push the story forward, and instead seem geared to get all the set-up worked out in the show’s first week. As such, WandaVision could lack momentum, a problem shared by The Mandalorian and its frequent use of episodes largely disconnected from the main plot. Episode three does provide notably more development in both the sitcom and ‘meta’ storylines, though, so it may be that the show is just easing viewers in with its first hour. While a slow burn on the mystery could be disappointing, WandaVision is likely to remain highly watchable thanks to its titular duo. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are an absolute joy, and effortlessly emulate the performance styles of yesteryear. Olsen is particularly fantastic when it comes to delivery; her lines are perfectly enunciated as was demanded of actors of the time, and her physical composure is a dead ringer for the likes of Lucille Ball, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Mary Tyler Moore. Bettany arguably gets the more laugh-out-loud lines - there’s a particularly great one about chewing gum - but the show feels as if it belongs to the both of them equally. Considering the material here is in direct opposition to their traumatic, reflective movie performances, it’s quite incredible as to how naturally the two have taken to it. And while the first three episodes have done little of note with the supporting cast, it is already clear that Kathryn Hahn’s intense neighbour, Agnes, is destined to be a continual, chattering delight. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/12/marvels-wandavision-night-vision-official-clip"] With all these elements combined, WandaVision makes quite an entrance. While right now it can’t claim the oddball crown from Marvel’s strangest project (hello, Legion), it is nonetheless a surprising and refreshing move for the distinctly mainstream MCU. And while the sitcom design may mean it’s not a show that reminds you why you love superheroes, at least up front, it most certainly is a show to remind you why you love comic book stories. In print, Marvel’s best plots are those that reach beyond the genre staples and buck formulaic trends. WandaVision definitively states that the MCU is ready to do this, too. And, for me at least, that’s the most exciting promise the first entry of Phase Four could make. For more ahead of WandaVision's release date on January 15, be sure to read our guide to Wanda and Vision in the comics, as well as our detailed breakdown of the duo's MCU timeline so far. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.

WandaVision: Why Monica Rambeau Is the Most Underrated Avenger

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 16:05:23 GMT

It’s still too early to say how important a role Monica Rambeau will play in WandaVision, Marvel Studios' first streaming show, which debuts January 15. According to Teyonah Parris, the actress portraying the grown-up version of Rambeau on the series, the reveal of who her character is will unfold slowly across the season’s nine episodes. But comics readers know Monica already, and the fact that she’s a key figure in the story that kicks off the MCU’s Phase 4 is a big deal because it signals the opportunity for redemption for one of the most badly mishandled characters in recent comics history. Let’s dig into Monica Rambeau’s history on both the big screen and the page, and why she could be on the verge of becoming a major player in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For more on Monica Rambeau, check out how she connects WandaVision with Captain Marvel 2 in the video below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/how-monica-rambeau-connects-wandavision-to-captain-marvel-2-mcu-canon-fodder"]

A First for the Avengers

Movie fans first met Monica as the precocious young daughter (played by Akira Akbar) of Carol Danvers’ friend Maria Rambeau in 2018’s Captain Marvel. But the character’s comic-book roots date back nearly 40 years. Monica Rambeau's first appearance was in 1982’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16. A co-creation of Roger Stern and John Romita, Jr., she was the second hero to take on the Captain Marvel name. The first, the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, had died in The Death of Captain Marvel graphic novel the same year as Rambeau’s debut. Her power set was massive; she had control of and could transform into any form of electromagnetic energy. She could traverse the globe in less than two seconds. But we quickly learned something else about her: Monica Rambeau had attitude. [caption id="attachment_2461189" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) in a poster for WandaVision.[/caption] After her first mission, she immediately signed up with the Avengers, moving from trainee to full-time member and eventually team leader. Rambeau made history as the team’s first-ever female black Avenger. She was part of the team during Stern’s five-year stint on the book, allowing for a consistent development of her character, and was equal parts empathetic, sarcastic and tough. In one memorable moment in Avengers #229, she tore into the demoralized team and inspired them to action during the “Trial of Hank Pym” storyline. She stood her ground against her more difficult teammates such as the Sub-Mariner and Hercules, and had enough self-control not to blast Doctor Druid into oblivion as he worked to undermine her position as team Chairwoman. She more than justified Captain America’s faith in her potential, and became particularly close to him. In the aftermath of the classic “Masters of Evil” tale, when Zemo and a team of villains had occupied Avengers Mansion, it was Monica who was there to offer moral support to an emotionally spent Steve Rogers. It was no surprise that he would be the one to nominate her to be team leader. [caption id="attachment_246118" align="aligncenter" width="1944"] Monica takes charge in Avengers #229.[/caption]

Captain Marvel No More

Captain Marvel was an essential member of the Avengers through the back half of the 1980s, until issue #294 when a battle with the sea creature the Leviathan essentially left her powerless. Rambeau regained some of her powers in her first solo adventure, Giant-Size Captain Marvel, written by the late, great Dwayne McDuffie and drawn by Mark “Doc” Bright, but she was nowhere near as powerful as she was before. Inexplicably, she wouldn’t return to full-time status with any version of the Avengers for years. In 1994, McDuffie and co-writer Dwight D. Coye partnered with Bright again on another CM one-shot, which had her fighting the Sons of the Serpent in a story that tackled racism in unflinching fashion. But two years later, Monica Rambeau hit rock bottom. She gave up the Captain Marvel moniker to Mar-Vell’s son Genis and adopted the name Photon, a name so incredibly generic that future writers would have Rambeau’s teammates make fun of it. As if that indignity wasn’t bad enough, nearly a decade later Genis would drop the family name and adopt a new one – Photon. That meant she had to adopt another name that was only slightly better – Pulsar. Once again, one of Marvel’s most important female characters of the modern age had been slighted. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] By the time she reappeared in the short-lived but fondly remembered Warren Ellis/Stuart Immonen series Nextwave, which was practically an in-continuity sendup of Marvel’s own superhero universe, she was just going by Monica. She continued her sporadic appearances throughout the 2000s, including as part of the 2009 mini-series Marvel Divas along with Hellcat, the Black Cat and Firestar. Aside from that, Rambeau remained largely sidelined until 2013, when writer Al Ewing brought her back into the Avengers fold. In the first issue of The Mighty Avengers (Vol. 2), Ewing wrote about discovering the Avengers as a kid during Captain Marvel’s time as leader. His affection for the character came across loud and clear in the book. Ewing not only reconnected her with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for the first time in two decades, but penciler Greg Land also updated her original costume for the 21st century. She also had a new code-name: Spectrum. (Carol Danvers had claimed the Captain Marvel moniker by then.)

Monica Rambeau in WandaVision, Captain Marvel 2, and Beyond

Monica Rambeau’s identity crisis has defined much of her fictional lifespan, and it seems like that will continue to some degree in WandaVision. In one of the trailers, Wanda asks Monica who she is, and the character replies, “I don’t know...” [caption id="attachment_246119" align="aligncenter" width="1944"] Rambeau confronts Carol Danvers over claiming the Marvel name.[/caption]

When we first met her back in that 1982 Amazing Spider-Man annual, she was a harbor patrol officer in New Orleans frustrated over her inability to break the glass ceiling. When she first gained her powers, she worried about living up to the legacy of a revered fallen hero. The various name changes over the years only compounded that sense that she didn’t know exactly who she was. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick addressed this in one memorable scene in issue #7 of her landmark Captain Marvel series where Rambeau confronted Danvers over claiming the Marvel name and not even calling her to let her know. It’s a meta moment that seems to point out just how little respect this amazing character, once one of Marvel’s most prominent Black female heroes, has received over the years. Fortunately, Ewing’s fondness for Rambeau remains strong. He included Spectrum in another Avengers book, No Road Home, in 2019.

Beyond WandaVision, Parris will return as the character in Captain Marvel 2, reuniting the adult Monica with Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. Bringing the marvelous ladies of the MCU together, the film will also feature Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel (who is getting her own Disney+ series). Will Monica have superpowers by the time she shows up in Captain Marvel 2? Does she already have them in WandaVision? Will she take on the name Captain Marvel, or Spectrum, or perhaps Photon, which was her mom’s call sign as a pilot in the first CM movie? We have a lot of questions right now, and the sky is the limit for where the character can go next. And now that she’s in play in adult form in the MCU, it would also seem to point to a brighter comics future for one of the most powerful and interesting heroes in the Marvel canon. After the way she was mishandled for so long, that would be the very least that Monica Rambeau deserves. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/wandavisions-mcu-timeline"]

The Office Was Reportedly 2020's Most Streamed Show

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 19:47:21 GMT

According to the Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings service, The Office was the most streamed show in the United States in 2020 with over 57 billion minutes watched. As reported by Variety, The Office was far-and-away the most watched show, with Grey's Anatomy taking second place with 39.4 billion minutes watched and Criminal Minds placing third with 34.4 billion minutes watched. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/01/the-top-10-office-episodes-of-all-time"] The Nielsen SVOD Content Ratings service measure Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney Plus, and Netflix accounted for the top 10 acquired series streamed. Disney+'s The Mandalorian was the only non-Netflix show to make it to the top 10 original series streamed. Speaking of original series, Netflix's Ozark took the number one spot with 30.4 billion minutes streamed, followed by Lucifer and The Crown. Disney+ claimed seven of the top 10 spots in the streaming movies category, with Frozen 2 taking first place with 14.9 billion minutes watched, Moana taking second with 10.5 billion minutes watched, and The Secret Life of Pets taking third with 9.1 billion minutes watched. It's important to note that the Nielsen estimates are estimated solely on viewing on connected TVs, and does not take into account mobile devices and computers. The full list of top streaming series and movies is as follows; [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/21/best-tv-series-of-the-year-2020-winner"]

Amazon's Lord of the Rings Prequel: The Second Age Explained

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 19:44:54 GMT

Update: With the recent reveal of the official plot synopsis for Amazon's Lord of the Rings series, we thought it was the perfect time to dig in on what the Second Age of LOTR is all about. Read on to learn more about the marvelous world author J.R.R. Tolkien created. [poilib element="accentDivider"] As the streaming wars heat up, Amazon is betting big on The Lord of the Rings. The company is spending hundreds of millions of dollars developing a prequel series set long before the events of the movies. This series will be set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, an important time that literally reshaped the face of the planet. And now casting news is pouring in on the show, with Game of Thrones’ Benjen Stark, Joseph Mawle, hired to play -- it seems -- the series’ villain. Will Poulter, will play protagonist Beldor and Markella Kavenagh has been cast as Tyra. If you're not familiar with the extensive backstory behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, don't worry. Here's everything you need to know about Middle-earth's Second Age and what it could mean for the plot of the prequel series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=8-shows-that-could-be-the-next-game-of-thrones&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

The Second Age: The Basics

The fantasy universe created by J.R.R. Tolkien is much bigger than just the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The land of Middle-earth is part of a larger world called Arda. Over the course of several decades of work (much of which was only published posthumously), Tolkien created a detailed history of Arda, ranging from the creation of the universe all the way up to humanity's modern era. The recorded history of Arda is divided into four Ages, each of which span many hundreds or thousands of years.

Learn about the Lord of the Rings show's settign here:

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/03/07/amazons-lord-of-the-rings-series-setting-confirmed"] The Second Age is a period only briefly glimpsed in the Lord of the Rings movies. This setting spans a long period of time in between the banishment of Morgoth (the original Dark Lord) and the first defeat of his servant Sauron. The Second Age is defined by key events like the rise and fall of the kingdom of Númenor, the creation of the Rings of Power and the formation of the Last Alliance that temporarily saved the world from Sauron's wrath. This is the setting of Amazon's Lord of the Rings prequel series.

The Second Age: Major Events

The Second Age begins in the aftermath of a catastrophic war over mystical jewels known as Silmarils and Morgoth's banishment from Arda. In this new era, both men and Elves begin leaving Middle-earth and venturing west. Many Elves retreat to a place called the Undying Lands (the place Frodo and Bilbo are taken to at the end of Return of the King), while a group of men called the Edain settle on an island called Númenor. While initially benevolent, the Númenóreans become more warlike due to their jealousy of the elves' immortality.

Watch the trailer for the Middle-earth: Shadow of War game here:

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/06/08/middle-earth-shadow-of-war-story-trailer"] The Second Age is where Sauron begins consolidating his power and filling the void left by his master, Morgoth. Skilled at flattery and deceit, Sauron manipulates the Elves into creating the Rings of Power and giving him the weapons he needs to dominate Middle-earth. The rings are forged by an Elf Lord and master jewel-smith named Celebrimbor. Only too late does he discover Sauron's true nature and the real purpose of these powerful artifacts. The reign of the Númenóreans culminates with the rise of a king named Ar-Pharazôn. Sauron convinces Ar-Pharazôn to turn against the Valar (basically Tolkien's version of angels) and attempt an invasion of the Undying Lands, where the Númenóreans might find the immortality they so crave. This is one of the few instances where Ilúvatar (or the God of Tolkien's fantasy universe) directly intervenes in mortal affairs. Ilúvatar annihilates Númenor in an act so destructive it transforms Arda from a flat plane into a globe. This act also cuts off the Undying Lands from the rest of the world, forever denying men the chance at immortality. [caption id="attachment_2192908" align="aligncenter" width="720"] The opening of The Fellowship of the Ring depicts the end of the Second Age.[/caption] Sauron himself is nearly destroyed in this attack, but his spirit survives and he soon begins building a new army in Mordor. Fortunately, not all men were destroyed along with Númenor. A group called the Faithful, led by King Elendil (the distant ancestor of Aragorn), return to Middle-earth and create the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. Along with his sons, Isildur and Anárion, and the Elven kings Gil-Galad and Elrond, Elendil forms the Last Alliance and wages a long, costly war against Sauron. Lord of the Rings fans probably know what happens from there. Sauron is defeated but not destroyed, Isildur claims the One Ring and the Second Age makes way for the Third.

The Second Age: Amazon's Prequel Series

Even knowing that Amazon's Lord of the Rings prequel series is set in the Second Age doesn't tell us a great deal about the plot. For one thing, the Second Age lasts for almost 3500 years. More importantly, this is an era of Middle-earth history that isn't very well-defined. Tolkien never actually published any books after completing the Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1955. Most of what we know about the Second Age is taken from posthumous works like The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and the History of Middle-earth series, all of which were compiled by Tolkien's son Christopher using unpublished manuscripts and earlier drafts.

Learn how Amazon could produce at least five seasons of the LOTR show:

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2018/04/05/amazon-may-produce-at-least-5-seasons-of-lord-of-the-rings"] Basically, there isn't one set story or a specific cast of characters Amazon can rely on when creating the prequel series. We may see certain key events like the fall of Númenor or the formation of the Last Alliance play out over the course of several seasons, but the series will also need to introduce new plot points and characters to fill in the blanks and turn the broad strokes of Tolkien's writing into a complete, cohesive story. We also don't know if the prequel series will attempt to chronicle the entire scope of the Second Age or focus on one, specific conflict. The series could focus on the Last Alliance and the war against Sauron, building on the opening flashback sequence from The Fellowship of the Ring. This would allow the series to include a handful of familiar characters and allow actors like Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett to potentially reprise their roles. Another option is to explore the creation of the Rings of Power and frame the series around Celebrimbor. The series could even draw inspiration from the 2014 video game Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, which features the wraith of Celebrimbor as a major supporting character. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=13-actors-who-could-play-young-aragorn&captions=true"] Another possibility is that the series will explore multiple time periods. Amazon has reportedly committed to five seasons and a potential spinoff, so it's possible each season will focus on a different pivotal event from the Second Age. Early rumors suggested the prequel series would focus on a young Aragorn. While Aragorn wasn't born until several thousand years after the end of the Second Age, these rumors could still pan out. The series could use Aragorn's story as a framing device, with the king-to-be learning about the history of his people and the mistakes made by previous kings like Ar-Pharazôn and Elendil. This might be an ideal way of introducing viewers to the complex history of Middle-earth while giving them a familiar character to latch onto. For more on what we do know about the prequel series, read our breakdown of the creative team, find out how many episodes will be in the first season and learn why Orlando Bloom probably won't be back as Legolas. [widget path="ign/modules/recirc" parameters="title=Explained!&type=articles%2Cvideos&tags=explained-recirc&count=6&columnCount=6&theme=article"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

S.W.O.R.D. Seems to Stand for Something Different in the MCU

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 17:28:51 GMT

S.W.O.R.D., the Marvel universe's extraterrestrial intelligence agency, seems to have a small but potentially significant change to its name within the MCU. Warning: While the story below centres mainly on collectible Marvel cards, it could contain slight spoilers for WandaVision, particularly if you've been avoiding trailers for the show. Go ahead at your own risk! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/marvels-wandavision-night-vision-official-clip"] In the comic book universe, S.W.O.R.D. stands for 'Sentient World Observation and Response Department'. However, new official collectible card designs released by Topps show a different meaning for that acronym: 'Sentient Weapon Observation Response Division'. The cards – which are being released for the Marvel Collect! app – are tied into the release of Marvel's WandaVision, and also directly reference Teyonnah Parris' Monica Rambeau as a S.W.O.R.D. agent. That name change for the agency could be meaningful for the first MCU streaming series. Where S.W.O.R.D. is usually engaged in monitoring potentially hostile worlds, there have been hints in trailers for WandaVision that point to Scarlet Witch being potentially imprisoned. Alongside visual clues that suggest this is the MCU's take on the House of M storyline (in which an out-of-control Scarlet Witch begins manipulating reality), and Wanda's bereavement after Vision's death, and it may be that S.W.O.R.D. has turned its attentions on controlling particularly powerful individuals in the MCU - sentient weapons, if you will. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/wandavisions-mcu-timeline"] It's worth pointing out that the MCU also changed what S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for, so this isn't unprecedented – although the swap from 'Strategic Hazard Intervention Espionage Logistics Directorate' to 'Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division' is a little less meaningful in effect. We'll likely have to wait for answers on how impactful that name change is as WandaVision progresses. The MCU show begins streaming on Disney+ from January 15, and it'll begin with a two-episode premiere, before airing an episode a week until its 9 episodes are complete. While it's not clear if the show will receive a second season, we know that it will tie directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which itself will tie into the untitled third Tom Holland Spider-Man movie. That Spider-Man movie may well be bringing Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland's Peter Parkers together - is it possible we'll see Scarlet Witch opening the multiverse and causing a crossover? Here's hoping! [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

The Batman Spin-Off, Gotham PD Reportedly Swaps Showrunner

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:26:19 GMT

The Batman spin-off, Gotham PD, has reportedly found a new showrunner in Joe Barton after Terence Winter's departure from the series. According to Variety, Barton will take over as executive producer and showrunner on the HBO Max spin-off series after Winter exited the project due to creative differences last November. A report at the time claimed that Winter's vision for the series didn't match up with what Matt Reeves and several other producers on the project had in mind for the show. Barton previously created and wrote an eight-part crime-thriller called Giri/Haji for BBC Two and Netflix. His other credits include The Ritual and Invasion, an upcoming sci-fi thriller starring Riz Ahmed and Octavia Spencer. He is also set to serve as the showrunner on Netflix's Half Bad, which is based on Sally Green's fantasy novel trilogy of the same name. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/23/the-batman-trailer-dc-fandome-official-footage"] HBO Max will play host to the new series, which is reportedly being referred to as Gotham Central internally. This title is a likely nod to the Gotham PD-focused procedural comic book series created by Greg Rucka, Ed Brubaker, and Michael Lark. It ran from 2002 to 2006 and focused on the city's police department and the struggles of working as a police officer in a city like Gotham. The upcoming police procedural will act as a prequel to 2022's The Batman, following events in Gotham City during presumably Robert Pattinson's Batman's first year as the caped crusader. This would place the series about a year before The Batman movie on Matt Reeves' Gotham timeline, as Patinson's take on the character is set during the Dark Knight's second year in Gotham. There's currently no release date for the series, whereas The Batman is scheduled for release on March 4, 2022. Originally it was intended to be a summer movie, but it was pushed back from its June 25, 2021 release date a number of times after production was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There's no guarantee the release won't slip further back, but we're hoping Reeves can meet the new timetable. For more on The Batman, take a look at everything we know about the DC movie reboot. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.