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  • RUMOR: ‘She-Hulk’ Eyeing an August Release, Damage Control and Wong to Appear

    RUMOR: ‘She-Hulk’ Eyeing an August Release, Damage Control and Wong to Appear

    We’ve long discussed when we might expect the various Disney+ series from Marvel Studios to find their way to the service. We were all caught by surprise when Ms. Marvel‘s summer release turned into an early June premiere. We’ve been also waiting for a sign when we might expect She-Hulk, but it seems that it won’t be that much longer before it releases.

    According to the site Chippu, the Tatiana Maslany-led project is eyeing a release in August. They do highlight that it could still get changed, but that seems to be their initial release plan. That’s not all as they also hint that we can expect episodes focus on Damage Control and even Wong trying to sue another wizard. They don’t share any details but if this rumor turns out true, we might expect some really out-there episodes from the MCU.

    The concept always was intriguing, especially with her being a lawyer specializing in supernatural and superheroic cases. We also got a tease that she’ll have the ability to break the fourth wall. So, we might be in for a very different kind of series from Marvel Studios and Disney+. If they really do go for an August release, it’ll be interesting to see if that means they’ll end out the year with the confirmed What If…? Season 2. There’s also the hint that I Am Groot will release some time this year and we have two-Holiday specials on the horizon. So, it’s going to be a big year for Marvel Studios.

    Source: Chippu

  • Unreal Engine 5 is Officially Available to All Developers Starting Today

    Unreal Engine 5 is Officially Available to All Developers Starting Today

    The era of Unreal Engine 4 is officially over. Starting today, all video game developers will have access to the new Unreal Engine 5 to create new next-generation gaming experiences across PC, Console, and Mobile. We have seen a lot of Unreal Engine 5 over the last few years, starting with the announcement and showcase of the engine during PlayStation’s initial marketing campaign for the then-unreleased PlayStation 5.

    The engine promised jaw-dropping visuals, incredible lighting tools, and is easily the most advanced game engine to date. For those that don’t know what an engine is, they are essentially the tools that developers use to create their games. For example, if every game that someone makes requires lighting, whether that be the sun or from an indoor source, it makes no sense to create the tools to do that from scratch for every single project. Instead, it can be added to the engine so when the next game is being made, you have the tools prebuilt to make those lighting effects come to life without the need for the labor and budget-intensive task of creating those tools.

    With Unreal Engine 5 now being released to all video game developers, we should start seeing games running on the engine very soon from partners that have had access to the engine early, like PlayStation for example. For everyone else, we can expect to see UE5 become the staple engine of choice for many game developers, similar to how UE4 became the go-to engine for most studios. I cannot wait to see more games on the engine to showcase the true capabilities of next-gen video games, hopefully, UE5 is a stepping stone to get to the experiences that the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles are capable of.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2 Primer

    ‘Moon Knight’ Episode 2 Primer

    As someone who has never read the Moon Knight comics, I found the first episode to be puzzling. For people who are familiar with the comics, the character’s history of multiple personalities is something they bring into the show with them; I was finding out about his personalities as I was watching the show, and they didn’t always make it very clear about what is going on. By the time the episode was over. I was still confused as to which character is which, but the scene of Moon Knight standing over the jackal had me looking forward to more.

    As puzzling as Steven Grant The Gift Shop Worker’s story is, Arthur Harrow’s story is very clear. He makes it very clear that he wants to free Ammut, the Egyptian goddess of the underworld, from imprisonment. Harrow’s desire has brought him into conflict with Grant, who happens to have a scarab that will help Arthur achieve his goal. Grant, as it turns out, serves as the avatar of another Egyptian god, Khonshu. As the episode draws to a close, Steven finds out that he is sharing a body with Mark, who seems pretty familiar with Khonshu. Mark convinces Steven to let him take control and then becomes Moon Knight, The Fist Of Khonshu.

    It wasn’t until the bathroom scene that I really understood what had been happening through the course of the episode. I finally understood that when Steven would have his blackouts, Mark was coming out and helping him at dangerous times. Moving forward, it’s clear that Steven shares his consciousness with at least one other person, who seems to know a whole lot more about Harrow and this scarab.

    Arlyn’s Assumptions

    Who is Moon Knight? How the Marvel superhero fits into the MCU ahead of Disney+ series starring Oscar Isaac

    In this next episode I think that Steven is going to have to figure out what is happening and he is going to form a relationship with Mark. There is one other person he is going to have to come to know: Layla. Steven and Mark will have to become better friends in this episode in order to figure out just what’s up with Khonshu and how they can stop Harrow.

    The next episode will stream tomorrow!

  • Crystal Dynamics Confirms Work on New ‘Tomb Raider’ Game

    Crystal Dynamics Confirms Work on New ‘Tomb Raider’ Game

    It seemed inevitable, but Crystal Dynamics has finally confirmed they’ve started working on the fourth entry of their Tomb Raider franchise. The developer took to Twitter to share a small video also announcing that they’re currently focusing their work with the new title to bring it to life with Unreal Engine 5. The new franchise kicked off back in 2013 and went on to spawn the sequels Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

    Tomb Raider is one of the franchises that defined the modern gaming industry. It wasn’t an easy task to reboot such an iconic franchise, especially with the new direction they took. They brought the game into some familiar territory, as it was compared to Uncharted at the time quite a bit, which also reinvented the modern take of adventure, tomb raiding gaming styles.

    Indiana Jones is also scheduled to get a game at some point in the future. So, it seems we’re seeing another resurgence of this genre. There’s no word if we’ll see a new entry from Naughty Dog, as they recently wrapped up Nathan Drake’s story. So, Crystal Dynamics might be the one to fulfill that hole the ending of that franchise left in our hearts.

    Source: Twitter

  • RUMOR: Jude Law May Have Joined a Secret ‘Star Wars’ Series 

    RUMOR: Jude Law May Have Joined a Secret ‘Star Wars’ Series 

    The Star Wars universe has only been expanding since its return in 2015, and a new rumor suggests it may be getting even bigger. Bespin Bulletin is reporting on some emerging whispers that Jude Law has joined the cast of a secret project, which may be a series filming in Culver City, California this June.

    The outlet explains that the information comes from the Instagram account DeuxMoi, which posts semi-reliable celebrity gossip and boasted it received a tip that “a prime British early-2000s film stud” is “adding to his recent nerdgasm resume (Marvel, Wizarding World)” and was “recently cast in an unannounced Star Wars extended universe Disney+ show”.

    Fans were quick to identify the mystery person as Law, who has spent the last few years playing characters like Yon-Rogg in Captain Marvel and Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts series. While it’s unknown what project he could potentially be participating in, the most likely option is Grammar Rodeo, the aforementioned unannounced series that’s already entered pre-production. That show will reportedly take place during the High Republic era and center around a group of pre-teens.

    The Illuminerdi reported a while back that Rodeo was also looking for a male in his thirties or forties to star alongside the youthful protagonists. Law is slightly older than the casting call was looking for, but still a solid possibility for the Jon Favreau-produced series. It’s important to note all of this is still speculation and conjecture, even if the math is starting to add up. No official announcements have been made as of yet, but keep a lookout for news in the near future.

    Source: Bespin Bulletin

  • Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Seemingly Confirmed for ‘Echo’

    Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio Seemingly Confirmed for ‘Echo’

    Alongside Kate Bishop, Echo was one of the characters introduced by Hawkeye into the MCU. Played by Alaqua Cox, the character is slated for a self-titled spin-off in the near future. Information on the show has been kept under wraps but a new listing indicates that there are some major MCU appearances waiting to happen in the show. Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio are two of the names listed on the resume of the show’s costume designer Stacy Caballero.

    Those two names shouldn’t come as a surprise given their character’s history in the comics. With the way Wilson Fisk’s stint in Hawkeye abruptly ended at the hands of Maya Lopez, it makes sense to see the character make a return. As for Daredevil, where there’s Wilson Fisk, there’s Matt Murdock.

    This isn’t the first time some key information has been accidentally revealed through a personnel’s resume. Avengers: Endgame was infamously listed on the film’s cinematographer’s online resume which fans thought dubious at the time of the leak. Of course, there’s a slim chance this could be conjecture on Caballero’s part but all evidence points otherwise.

    Source: Cinegeek

  • ‘Black Widow’s O-T Fagbenle Teases an MCU Return

    ‘Black Widow’s O-T Fagbenle Teases an MCU Return

    Black Widow was the first time that the MCU really explored a prequel on what Natasha Romanoff was up to before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. While it technically set up quite a few important characters for future returns, such as Florence Pug‘s Yelena Belova, there were some minor characters we haven’t heard much from since. One of them is O-T Fagbenle‘s Rick Mason, who many believed was going to turn out to be Taskmaster. Yet, the film caught us off-guard and decided to go in a different direction. Luckily, it seems that Mason might return.

    In an interview with SlashFilm, the actor has revealed that when he was initially cast in the role, it wasn’t as part of a one-time conversation. As an informant, there are many locations where he could end up making his return with Armor Wars being one strong possibility. Who knows if they might have bigger plans for his character as well, especially with Romanoff’s death pushing him into a new direction.

    I mean, you know what, with Marvel, I’m never sure how much they can say about stuff, but I’ll just say that it wasn’t a one-and-done conversation.

    O-T Fagbenle

    It would be interesting to see if they might revisit his original development in some way, as they definitely still planted some seeds. Mason had a habit of constantly sleeping and was quite the informant. His character’s suddenly getting his hands on the Taskmaster technology would make for an interesting development, as we see harsh times potentially also push people to embrace their darker sides. So, the Snap could become a catalyst for exactly that.

    Source: SlashFilm

  • With Austin Meadows Deal, Al Avila Proves Tigers Are Serious About Contending

    With Austin Meadows Deal, Al Avila Proves Tigers Are Serious About Contending

    Just days after top prospect Riley Greene’s fractured foot forced him out of the Opening Day lineup for the Detroit Tigers, GM Al Avila made a stunning late-night trade to bring another left-handed bat into the lineup in 2019 All-Star Austin Meadows. It was stunning because most insiders believed that with Greene only out until around June, the Tigers would try to fill the spot internally, with Willi Castro and Victor Reyes, with reports about the Tigers looking to trade surfacing only a few hours ahead of the deal. It was stunning because the Tigers sent one-time top prospect Isaac Paredes out the door in exchange for Meadows. But most of all, it was stunning because it was the type of deal that fans have not come to expect from the GM in his time in Detroit, but it proves that the talk about contending this year is not just lip service.

    While fans are fretting about where Meadows will fit into Detroit’s already improved lineup, they should remember that manager AJ Hinch isn’t one to fall in love with ONE lineup and this gives him another fantastic tool in his tool box. Meadows hit .234/.315/.458 last year with a career high 106 RBI, good for seventh in the AL, 22 more than Jonathan Schoop’s team lead. Meadows was also clutch, driving in 19 game winning and 29 go ahead runs. His 29 doubles last year tied a career high and would have put him third on the Tigers behind Jeimer Cadelario and Schoop and his 117 adjusted OPS would have been second, again behind Candy. However you feel about Victor Reyes, he’s not going to put up those kinds of numbers even if he got 500 plate appearances. Meadows will step right into the lineup and do damage.

    After the shock wore off, fans found themselves wondering what this meant for the Tigers outfield once Greene returns from injury. Tigers Freep beat writer Evan Petzold put worries to rest pretty quickly, sharing the news that he’d heard: the plan is to put Greene in center field once he’s back. This unleashed a new wave of concerns about…too many good outfielders. We are 3 years removed from Christin Stewart and Mikie Mahtook being in the Opening Day lineup and now we’re worried about too many good outfielders. At any rate, it’s actually a wonderful situation for the team. Akil Baddoo, Riley Greene, Robbie Grossman and Meadows as your 4-man outfield is better than any other combination previously available. This scenario allows Hinch to move batters up and down the lineup when the situation calls for it (something he loves to do), keep Baddoo and Greene’s ABs wherever he thinks they need to be, and probably give Miggy some days off from the DH spot. Even if Baddoo and Greene prove to be every day players themselves, a sometimes platoon of Meadows and Grossman could be very effective. Meadows struggled against LHP last year, but put together a 137 wRC+ against RHP. Grossman’s 135 wRC+ against LHP almost matches that. Again, Hinch has options, and high performing ones at that.

    With Opening Day just a few days away, Avila’s offseason additions really stack up well. Javy Baez and Meadows bring two big WAR improvements from last year. Tucker Barnhart’s work with the pitching staff has been among the biggest talking points of the Spring. E-Rod and Michael Pineda should prove to be excellent anchors to a talented, but young rotation. Of course, the proof is in the pudding and nobody has thrown a pitch or had an at bat in a regular season game just yet, but Avila has given Hinch the tools he needed, wanted, to take this team back to the playoffs and this latest move might be the one that puts them there.

  • ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Takes a World Record Spot from ‘The Grinch’

    ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ Takes a World Record Spot from ‘The Grinch’

    We’ve been keeping a close eye on what the future has in store for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, as director James Gunn has been busy working on the project. While he has continued to tease the appearance of various Rick and Morty characters, we still know very little about the project. Yet, he surprised many when he took to Twitter to announce that the 2023 release has broken a World Record that was previously held by How the Grinch Stole Christmas. They took the top spot for the World Record of the Most Makeup Appliances Created for a Single Production.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1511091202547924996

    There have been quite a lot of discussions on the internet on Marvel Studios’ general use of CG. While they still rely on a mixture of practical elements and CG but also were forced to adapt given the circumstances created through COVID. They’ve also started giving their directors more creative control ever since Kevin Feige and his team moved away from Marvel to work more closely with Disney.

    In a follow-up tweet, Gunn confirms that he has 100% control over how many practical effects are used. So, his involvement also likely played a big role in reaching this world record. It’ll be fun to see if they promote it, or simply stick with his tweet on the matter, as many might not have realized The Grinch was holding on to that record since 2000. It was quite the make-up effects marvel of its time and no wonder it wasn’t an easy one to surpass.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘Moon Knight’ 5-Day Viewership Beats Out ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Hawkeye’

    ‘Moon Knight’ 5-Day Viewership Beats Out ‘WandaVision’ and ‘Hawkeye’

    Moon Knight finally premiered and early data hinted at it potentially being one of the service’s strongest releases. SambaTV remains our best comparison point to get a glimpse into how exactly the Disney+ series are performing. Disney won#t release the data themselves. So, we’re dependent on external analytic firms to offer a glimpse behind the curtain. Their latest release reveals just how popular Moon Knight was within its first five days of streaming.

    According to SambaTV, the premiere managed to reach 1.8M US households within the first five days. As a point of comparison, it is the same amount of viewers that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s premiere episode. Currently, it has managed to surpass WandaVision and Hawkeye, which is in line with what we saw earlier with its trailer viewership. So, the early predictions were pretty on point.

    Loki remains the reigning champion for Marvel’s TV venture with 2.5M according to SambaTV’s household panels. We just recently learned that it alongside The Mandalorian remains the best performing series on Disney+. Moon Knight can definitely be seen as a success for Marvel though, especially with the possibility of its mind-bending aspects pulling in new viewers as it goes on.

    The numbers aren’t the full picture, as there’s always the possibility that they look quite a bit different on Marvel and Disney’s side. Still, these numbers are impressive if you consider how unknown Moon Knight is to the general populous and it’s competition with well-established characters is a good sign for Marvel Studios’ venture on expanding through Disney+. Ms. Marvel is going to be an interesting test to see just how powerful this brand is.

    Source: Twitter