One of the new additions for Zack Snyder’s Justice League was Jared Leto as The Joker, and now the actor has shed a little more light on his involvement in the film and what it means to him. Speaking to Stephen Colbert, Leto said he has always been a fan of Snyder and that it was a thrill to be asked to come back to play The Joker again after he first did so in Suicide Squad.
“I always loved Zack Snyder and I think the story behind this Snyder Cut is really kind of one for the ages. What happened around him not finishing the first film,” he said.
Snyder left Justice League and was replaced by Avengers director Joss Whedon.
Going back to his involvement in the Snyder Cut, Leto said it was “just incredible” to be asked to reprise the villain again. “I was happy to be a part of his dream. And to get asked to play The Joker for a second time was just a treat. It’s just one of those roles–it’s just incredible,” he said.
Leto also described his version of The Joker in the Snyder Cut as an “evolution” of the character from Suicide Squad. Explaining the character’s different look for the Snyder Cut, Leto said the movie takes place years apart from Suicide Squad. Not only that, but Leto spoke about how Snyder brought a different vision and a different energy to the character compared to David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, which influenced his look.
“The four hour long re-cut of the 2017 box office bomb, complete with extra scenes and re-shoots will land on HBO Max on March 18 and–well, if you’ve ever been brave enough to ask the question ‘is it possible for a superhero movie to feel like watching paint dry?’ This one’s for you,” reviewer Mason Downey wrote.
New species of Australian beetles have been recently discovered, and in a nod to the hobby of insect collecting that helped inspire Pokemon, the two entomologists responsible for the discovery have named them after three iconic pocket monsters.
Eastern New Mexico University entomology professor Dr. Darren Pollock and Australian National University Ph.D. student Yun Hsiao gave the beetles the names of Binburrum articuno, Binburrum moltres, and Binburrum zapdos, a reference to the three legendary birds of Pokemon Red and Blue.
“I made the acquaintance of a Taiwanese entomology student by the name of Yun Hsiao about 5 or 6 years ago,” Pollock said in an interview with the Eastern New Mexico University Press. “When he first made contact with me, it was very apparent that he knew his (beetle) stuff and was very enthusiastic about some of the same things I was.”
Pollock discovered the new genus–a taxonomic category ranking used in a biological classification that is below family and above species–during his Ph.D. studies and named it Binburrum. Hsiao then discovered several more beetles from that genus that were distinct, and the researchers collaborated on these findings, eventually publishing a paper on their discoveries in The Canadian Entomologist.
“The choice of a name for a new species is not trivial; it must be different from any other described species,” Pollock said. “One of the ways to ensure this is to make a name that nobody would ever have come up with before. Yun says that he was an aspiring Pokemon trainer when he was young, and so, because of the rarity of the specimens of the three new species, he suggested that we name them after the three Legendary bird Pokemon.”
Pollock says that there are plans to publish a paper that describes more new species of this genus, with some possibly receiving more Pokemon names. Binburrum Mewtwo has a nice ring to it, but the duo will have several hundred names to choose from if they go in that direction.
Pokemon itself owes a lot to beetles and other insects as well, as Game Freak co-founder and Pokémon director Satoshi Tajiri was an avid collector of them in his youth.
That passion would eventually go on to inspire the creation of the original Pokemon games, and the franchise is stronger than ever 25 years later. Nintendo has big plans for Pokemon, which include the release of a new Pokemon Snap game in April, remakes of Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, and next year’s Pokemon Legends: Arceus will explore the creation of the Sinnoh region’s first Pokedex.
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Zack Snyder has revealed some of the advice he received from Batman and Tenet director Christopher Nolan and his wife, Debbie Snyder, about the theatrical version of Justice League. They told him to never watch the movie and never speak about it.
Snyder revealed this is in an interview with Deadline where he said, again, that he has never seen the theatrical version of Justice League. Snyder was the original director of Justice League, but he dropped out, with Avengers director Joss Whedon coming in to replace him.
Nolan and Debbie Snyder–a veteran producer behind 300, Aquaman, Justice League, Watchmen, and more–saw the theatrical version of Justice League and they strongly advised Snyder to steer clear of it.
“I’ve never seen the theatrical cut of the movie. You know when Chris [Nolan] and Debbie [Snyder] saw it, they saw it, and then they came back to report to me, and they said, ‘You should never see that movie.’ They were just like, ‘Never see it, never talk about it.'”
Snyder worked out a deal with Warner Bros. to make a director’s cut of Justice League that fans have dubbed the Snyder Cut. Warner Bros. is said to have spent $70 million on re-shoots and other work on the re-release, and Snyder himself was not paid any money for the movie so he had more leverage in negotiations.
In other news, Snyder has said he may not return to the DC universe anytime soon. “To be honest, you know, Warner Bros. hasn’t really expressed any interest in making more movies with me, and that’s 100% fine. I understand,” he said.
“The four hour long re-cut of the 2018 box office bomb, complete with extra scenes and re-shoots will land on HBO Max on March 18 and–well, if you’ve ever been brave enough to ask the question ‘is it possible for a superhero movie to feel like watching paint dry?’ This one’s for you,” reviewer Mason Downey wrote.
Sony is looking to win over new PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now subscribers with a pretty good deal through the subscription service. For a limited time, new PS Plus or Now subscribers will gain $15 in PlayStation Store credit. The offer ends March 23 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.
It’s important to note that this offer only applies to digital subscriptions purchased directly through PlayStation Network, not Plus cards purchased at retail. It’s also worth remembering that signing up will automatically enroll you in auto-renew, so be sure to check if you don’t want to be billed again.
Keep in mind that a full year of PlayStation Plus or PS Now through PSN is $60. That means this isn’t quite the bargain of a current eBay deal, where you can get a year of Plus for just under $30. That leaves you with another $30 to spend on whatever you want, rather than a $15 PlayStation Store credit.
Best PS Plus deal
You can snag a 12-month PS Plus code for $29 via eBay.
PlayStation Plus is Sony’s services platform, which allows you to play online games and claim benefits like monthly free games and discounts. PS Now is its game subscription service, which grants a rotating library of games that can be downloaded or played through the cloud. Plus also gives a nice benefit to new PS5 owners, entitling them to a selection of free PS4 games. Of course, you have to find a PS5 first, which is still easier said than done.
In her first live-action TV role since Game of Thrones ended, Lena Heady will be playing Aster in upcoming sci-fi thriller Beacon 23 for AMC and Spectrum Originals, Entertainment Weekly reports. Heady will also executive produce the series alongside creator Zak Penn.
Beacon 23, based on the book of the same name by Hugh Howey, sees a mysterious woman named Aster finding her way to a lonely deep-space lighthouse helmed by beacon-keeper Halan. Tension grows between the two as Halan begins to doubt Aster’s intentions. As a psychological thriller set in a lonely lighthouse, Beacon 23 looks to be a far cry from the sprawling cast and epic scope of Game of Thrones.
“Lena Headey was a wonderful, versatile actress before she gave one of the defining performances in television history. So, as they say, ‘no pressure,'” series creator Zak Penn said in a statement. “I’m thankful to all the people making this show possible, they just keep delivering beyond my expectations.”
This story contains small spoilers for the first episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
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We knew that Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would feature Wyatt Russell as John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, but head writer Malcolm Spellman has explained that the MCU’s take on the character is somewhat different from his comic book counterpart in order to make him a more natural possible successor to Captain America.
The series will see Falcon attempting to live up to the legacy of Steve Rogers, having been handed the Captain America shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame, but it seems he’ll have a rival in the form of Walker – and to make that feel believable, Spellman altered the more brash, troubled U.S. Agent of Marvel history.
Speaking to IGN, Spellman explained, “We wanted John Walker to be worthy of being Captain America if we were going to give him the shield. You read the books, and he’s an awesome character in the books, but you can’t hand that guy the shield in the MCU. It wouldn’t work – to make him Cap would be violating some kind of logic that is indescribable, but you know it’s there.”
In the series, Spellman explains that John Walker will be a perhaps more relateable character: “So we started with the books, and as we saw that he was going to become Cap, we- I’m not going to say softened him, but we humanised him, and made him much more worthy. But he does have an intense journey, and he does have to earn it.” Spellman ended with what seemed to be a tease as to the character’s potential future: “And if he doesn’t [earn it]… you know how Marvel is, you know what I’m saying?”
We’ve only seen a glimpse of Walker’s role in the series so far, and it will be interesting to see how the character ties into the show’s six-episode arc. What’s clear is that the show will be less of a mystery box than WandaVision, with Spellman saying that it will spark fewer fan theories than its MCU streaming predecessor.
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 [email protected].
This review contains spoilers for Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier episode 1, now available to view on Disney+. For a spoiler-free look at the show, please read our The Falcon and The Winter Soldier preview.
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Gosh, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier starts out sad. Its first episode is a sombre re-introduction to two of the MCU’s lesser-featured heroes. But far from making it a miserable watch, this approach instantly provides the show a strong personality. In under an hour it begins thoughtfully tackling themes of trauma, duty, and legacy. It has some fantastic action, yes, but it’s hardly the explosive opposite of the kooky WandaVision that it could have been. Instead, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s premiere is measured and possesses genuine depth.
These qualities are evident as early as the episode’s quiet opening shot, in which Anthonty Mackie’s Sam Wilson surveys Steve Rogers’ shield. Conflicting emotions are clear to see in Sam’s eyes; he’s struggling with what it means to be asked to follow in the footsteps of America’s flagship hero. You can see in his motions his sadness for having lost Steve, and his uncertainty of what this means for his future. And, as he slips the shield into his bag, even some minor contempt that he’s having to deal with such responsibility. All this, and the show hasn’t even hit the one-minute mark.
Surprisingly, rather than embracing Steve’s mantle, he gives it up. A touching heart-to-heart with Don Cheadle’s Rhodey, who attends the shield donation ceremony, helps set up the stakes of The Falcon’s arc; while Sam may not feel as if he can be the new Captain America, the country is in desperate need of one. This starts The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s journey to a place where, presumably, Sam will recognise his own strength and answer that call. Or perhaps not, should Marvel choose to toy with our expectations once again.
Episode one’s closing moments already push that story ahead with the introduction of a new, Department of Defense-endorsed Captain America, played ever so briefly by Wyatt Russell. Again, Mackie’s eyes say it all in this scene; he didn’t just not want to replace Steve himself, he didn’t want to see anyone take up the mantle. There’s also some fascinating implications here that I hope future episodes will dig into, namely whether a state-created Captain America is effectively just another arm of its military might. While this mirrors the origin of the character, Steve’s story saw him willing to rebel against the corrupted government in order to uphold core American values, and so a DoD-owned Captain America feels in opposition to his legacy.
Sam’s ongoing struggles with Steve’s legacy are just one portion of the show, though. He is, after all, not Captain America, and so we also see plenty of The Falcon’s personal issues, too. This is all well packaged as part of his relationship with his sister, Sarah (Adepero Oduye), who is struggling to keep her family supported. The scene in the bank, in which Sam and Sarah apply for a loan, is brilliantly multi-faceted. It provides light humour as the loan officer recognises and fawns over an Avenger, but the fun soon breaks as Sam answers long-wondered questions about how superheroes pay their bills. The gulf between the recently deceased Iron Man – with his mansions and towers and infinite wealth – and Falcon, who is taking on government contracts to attempt to make ends meet, is made painfully obvious. And as the loan officer rejects Sam and Sarah’s application, it’s clear that writer Malcolm Spellman is commenting on the racial divide inflicted by the system. Spellman has already stated that Sam being a Black man will be actively recognised by the show, and it’s wasted little time in doing so.
This first episode is divided almost neatly into two storylines, that of Sam and Bucky, by virtue of them being separate for the entire duration. The exploration of The (former) Winter Soldier isn’t quite as rich as that of Falcon, but shows equally admirable ambition. Here, the focus is on Bucky’s recovery from decades of Hydra indoctrination, his attempts to make amends for his past actions, and his efforts to integrate into American civilian society. Safe to say, none of these tasks are proving easy.
A portion of Bucky’s story is told through the framework of a therapy session, demonstrating an understanding of the mental burden this all takes. The method of therapy he uses, which involves apologizing to those he’s hurt in his former life, parallels that of substance abuse recovery. This provides another angle on important societal issues, while acknowledging the multiple layers of his victim/perpetrator situation. His therapist unfortunately falls into the hard-ass counsellor cliché that I think slightly undermines its message of taking these issues seriously, but there is definitely a recognition that past trauma is haunting Bucky. He’s always been a moody and somewhat two-dimensional character, which hasn’t helped Sebastian Stan inject much life into him. That remains somewhat true here – he’s definitely the weaker of the pair in this episode – but exploring this difficult side of Bucky has at least begun to make his tortured personality more authentic.
Weight is added to this in how Bucky makes amends for his crimes. The gradual reveal that he has befriended the elderly Mr. Nakajima as a way of silently apologising for murdering his son years earlier is bittersweet. As sad as this is, though, Marvel does its magic by weaving this into an awkwardly funny date scenario. Seeing Bucky cope with this is gently amusing, although his Battleship beau not being given a name on-screen sadly suggests it likely won’t work out for our recovering assassin.
Despite all this character work, this first episode still manages to cram in a thrilling aerial dog fight for Falcon. Set in the rocky canyons of Tunisia, there’s missiles, wing suits, and exploding helicopters aplenty, with some great stunt direction that recalls the more practical design of movies in the Nolan filmography. Falcon’s foe here is French terrorist Batroc, and I appreciate the symmetry that brings between this episode and the boat mission opening of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Later, we also get Bucky’s flashback to his assasination work in an opulent hotel, which once again recalls the Russo brothers’ thriller-style direction from their Captain America films. While overall this isn’t an action-packed opener, these sequences do promise that what is to come should have an appropriately gritty texture.
What doesn’t get much screen time is The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s bigger picture. Seeds are planted for an ongoing battle with antagonist group the Flag Smashers, and the beating that new supporting character Torres takes during their bank robbery in Switzerland shows they’re not to be messed with lightly. But so far, the actual ‘mission’ of the show has yet to demonstrate why it’s worth paying attention to. While I’m not against The Falcon and The Winter Soldier being almost entirely a character piece, I hope the story of the Flag Smashers proves a worthy ongoing hook in subsequent episodes, as right now it feels a little like background material.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the second MCU TV show, has arrived on Disney+, just two weeks after the finale of WandaVision. And with promotional efforts for the upcoming Loki show already rolling, it’s clear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe train will slow for no one, even after it is unceremoniously stopped for a year by a pandemic. Though the tone and style of Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes’ thriller-flavored show is much different than the sitcom fantasy of Wanda and Vision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is already rolling out some major shake-ups to the MCU status quo. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at Episode 1 and break down the biggest moments. It’s never too early to start those theory engines racing.
This week was all about establishing exactly what Sam and Bucky have been up to since Avengers: Endgame. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that neither of them has been having an especially great time.
Sam may have retired from the Air Force in an official capacity back before his Winter Soldier introduction, but now that he’s a public superhero with no super team, it would seem he’s gotten back in the saddle–at least in some capacity. Falcon has been working with the military on missions where an official government presence isn’t the best course of action, like the dicy plane hijacking seen here by our old pal, Batroc who was last seen being thwarted by Steve Rogers after he tried to hijack a boat with SHIELD operative Jasper Sitwell on board.
It’s doubtful we’ll see Batroc again in any meaningful way, but there’s always a chance. More likely, this moment was meant to be a parallel with the opening moments of Captain America: Winter Soldier and Batroc will make way for bigger, badder villains like Zemo and the Flag-Smasher terrorists.
Meanwhile Bucky is finally in therapy, getting help for his extremely traumatic life–though he seems a bit less-than-thrilled to be opening up to anyone. He’s struggling with horrific nightmares of his time as the Winter Soldier and doing his best to make amends by using his scattered memories to track down HYDRA leftovers and bring them to justice. He’s also proving that old habits die hard with his new pal Mr. Nakajima, an ornery old man who Bucky rescues from a fight in an alleyway. Sound like someone you remember? Bucky’s introduction back in Captain America: The First Avenger involved him intervening in a very similar fight between a bully and Steve Rogers.
And then we have Sam’s new friend, Joaquin Torres, who comics readers will recognize as the person who steps in as Falcon when Sam becomes Cap. Keep a close eye on him as the season progresses because it’s very likely he’s going to be a bigger part of Phase 4 moving forward.
If you’re wondering about the actual events of Endgame and how they play into all of this, don’t worry–we get an answer for that too. We last left the shield in the hands of Sam Wilson after Steve Rogers, eldery and retired, passed it along–but that doesn’t mean Sam is going to give up his Falcon title right away. Sam opted to drop the shield off somewhere he figured it actually belonged: the Smithsonian museum, home to the Captain America exhibit we saw back in Winter Soldier. Rhodey even dropped by to lend some support at the ceremony, though it’s pretty obvious he’s not completely sold on the idea of Sam passing up the mantle.
In addition to moonlighting as Falcon and making public donations to museums, Sam is also struggling with his family’s fishing business, currently kept afloat (but only barely) by his sister. Even Sam’s celebrity can’t help them overcome their financial woes and, it turns out, being a superhero doesn’t actually come with a hefty paycheck–Sam doesn’t have the collateral to get a business loan (though the banker is more than happy to make things incredibly awkward by continually asking Sam for selfies while also being incredibly unhelpful). This is our first glimpse of the ways The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is planning on dealing with things like racial inequality and racism as Sam tries to navigate his civilian life, something the showrunners have spoken about at length.
Finally we have the episode’s biggest cliffhanger: the arrival of a new Captain America, and it’s not Sam or Bucky. The new hero isn’t named in the episode, but from casting announcements and context clues, we can assume this is John Walker, AKA US Agent, played by Wyatt Russell. In the comics, US Agent is a villain and anti-hero who got his start as a pretender Captain America called the Super Patriot, who stepped in to take over when Steve temporarily quit. He represents the sort of zealous nationalism that is antithetical to what Steve Rogers stood for.
Hopefully you’ve had enough time to decompress from the finale of WandaVision, because it’s time for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Episode 1 of the new MCU streaming TV show has hit Disney+ and, while it has a vastly different style and tone compared to Wanda and Vision’s sitcom magic, it’s sure to have a similarly massive impact on Marvel’s Phase 4 as things progress.
Episode 1 gives us a clear idea of what both Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson have been up to since the dust settled in the wake of Avengers: Endgame–and neither of them is having a particularly great time. Sam has been working with the Air Force again, running covert missions that require his specialized skill set while Bucky has been getting himself to therapy (finally) and trying to make amends for his past in his own way. The two of them don’t actually meet up in this episode, but that’s bound to change soon.
Of course, since this is an MCU TV show, there were plenty of Easter Eggs, references, and callbacks to both the comics these stories are based on and the movies of Phases 1, 2, and 3. Here are the biggest ones you should keep in mind as you prep for next week’s episode.
Batroc’s back
Our good friend Batroc (the Leaper) is back in the MCU for the first time since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Ironically, he’s doing basically the same thing he did in that movie–trying to hijack a big top secret military vehicle–but this time he’s graduated from a ship to a plane. Also, he’s wearing a uniform that more closely resembles his comics-based purple and yellow.
Redwing’s also back
Another happy return: “Redwing,” Sam’s robotic helper, has made a comeback. You may remember him from Captain America: Civil War, where he was introduced. This little drone is based on Sam’s literal falcon sidekick in the comics. For a while, he was even afflicted with vampirism despite being a bird. No, we’re not kidding.
Joaquin Torres
Sam’s new pal is Joaquin Torres, who comics readers will recognize as the character who takes up the Falcon mantle after Sam becomes Cap. He’s also a mutated bird hybrid in the books, which we’re guessing will be changed for this version of events, but who knows.
Flag-Smasher
The Flagsmasher organization is based on a Cap villain of the same name, who in the comics was not a cool high tech group of people but rather one (technically two, after a mantle change over) guy who kind of looked like Space Ghost, if we’re being honest. The name Karli Morgenthau (listed in the credits of Episode 1) is a direct reference to the original Flag-Smasher, Karl Morgenthau. Apparently in the MCU, the group believes that the world was better during the Blip.
Moon base
No, Steve isn’t currently on the moon like a certain percentage of the population seems to believe, but he has commissioned various space station-type bases for the Avengers in the past in the comics. The Secret Avengers used one called The Lighthouse for a time, and there’s also been a deep-space monitoring station (which is admittedly a bit further away than the moon) that was populated for a while.
Oh hey, Rhodey
James Rhodes, AKA War Machine, is like Sam–a career military man who also happens to be a superhero on the side, so naturally he’s the perfect choice to offer Sam some insight in this scene. Unfortunately we don’t get much of a hint about what Rhodey is up to after Endgame outside of working with the government, but there’s an Armor Wars series on the way to fill in those gaps.
The museum exhibit
The Cap exhibit at the Smithsonian has been given a bit of a face lift since we last saw it in Winter Soldier, but it’s still rocking the same artifacts–like the Howling Commando uniforms seen back in The First Avenger.
Farewell, Steve
The exhibit has been updated with the title “Farewell, Steve.” A conversation with Torres in the previous scene lets us know that the general public still doesn’t know what happened to Steve–and, unfortunately, neither do we. Old Steve could be dead, in hiding, or may have gone back into his alternate timeline. All of which is to say it’s probably too early to start counting on a Chris Evans cameo.
Flashbacks
Our perspective of Bucky’s time as the Winter Soldier is fairly limited and told exclusively in flashbacks, but one thing is certain–he never left any witnesses, even if they were innocent bystanders.
Sleeping on the floor
Sam and Steve had a conversation about being unable to sleep on a mattress after their time in the military because they felt like they’d sink into the cushions. Here we see Bucky living that reality, sleeping on the floor of his apartment as he suffers through his nightmares.
“A condition of your pardon”
Bucky’s history as a HYDRA operative and wanted terrorist didn’t just go away–he’s currently in therapy as part of his pardon, which we can assume was hard won after the events of Endgame. In the comics, Bucky went through a complicated trial (largely orchestrated by villains) that eventually left him extradited to Russia where he was sent to a gulag.
Bucky’s list
Remember when Steve kept a list of things to follow up on in pop culture that he missed? Turns out Bucky’s using a similar system–for a much darker reason, however. Bucky’s list includes the memories he can piece together of his time as the Winter Soldier to help track down remaining HYDRA operatives and the families of people he harmed while brainwashed.
Rescuing people in alleyways
There are plenty of parallels between the first episode and the earlier Captain America movies, but this one is a throwback–Bucky was introduced back in The First Avenger rescuing his ornery pal skinny Steve Rogers from an alleyway fight. Here, he’s introduced to the show stepping in between a confrontation in similar circumstances for a new friend with a similar temperament.
Sarah Wilson
Sam’s sister does exist in the comics, though the family fishing business was invented for the show.
“Someone whose kids die”
He isn’t in this episode, but it’s important to remember that Zemo will be back for this show–and while this line isn’t directly referring to him, he’s also a person who lost his kids.
US Agent origins
He’s not actually named in the episode, but we can make an educated guess that the new Captain America is actually John Walker (Wyatt Russell), AKA US Agent, a character from the comics with a tricky and villainous past. As a government-selected Cap imitator, Walker tends to represent dangerous nationalism. We’ll see how he turns out in the MCU.
