The first images of Jared Leto as the Joker in Zack Snyder’s Justice League have been revealed, and he’s looking much more like a classic interpretation of the character than the version seen in Suicide Squad.
The black and white images, first revealed by Vanity Fair, show a Joker with heavy white makeup, smudged eyes and lips, and greasy, long hair. The big difference, though, is that there’s not a single tattoo in sight. Yup, the much debated ‘Damaged’ forehead design is gone. The white coveralls and disguise if his arm and hand tattoos remain, though.
We’d already heard that Joker would have a “road-weary” look in Zack Snyder’s new cut of Justice League, and this version of the character is certainly that. We’d previously been granted a very blurry shot of Jared Let’s new look on Twitter, and back then we guessed that the white clothing may be a hospital gown or some kind of straight jacket/institution clothing. We can now see that it’s a surgical gown, and that there’s a mask hanging from his neck. Snyder told Vanity Fair that this is “probably” a remnant of his escape into the wild.
Snyder also revealed how Joker factors into the movie’s story, so if you’d like to remain in the dark for your viewing of the Snyder cut of Justice League, perhaps it’s best to turn away now. But if you’re up for spoilers, catch them in the next paragraph.
Joker will appear in a new sequence set on a ruined Earth after Darkseid has invaded the planet. This is a vision experienced by Bruce Wayne as a warning of what will happen if the Justice League fails to stop Darkseid’s plans. Naturally, Batman’s iconic nemesis is alive and well in this terrible nightmare future.
“The cool thing about the scene is that it’s Joker talking directly to Batman about Batman,” Snyder told Vanity Fair. “It’s Joker analyzing Batman about who he is and what he is. That’s the thing I also felt like fans deserved from the DC Universe. That is to say, the Jared Leto Joker and the Ben Affleck Batman, they never really got together. It seemed uncool to me that we would make it all the way through this incarnation of Batman and Joker without seeing them come together.”
Batman and the Joker have never faced off in the current DCEU movies, but in Batman v Superman we saw that the two definitely have history. Snyder suggests that this appearance will address the death of Robin, who’s armour we saw in the Batcave, covered in the Joker’s taunting graffiti.
Minecraft’s latest spinoff, Minecraft Dungeons, has crossed a huge new player milestone. Developer Mojang has announced that the dungeon-crawler game recently reached 10 million players on all platforms.
“I don’t think any of us at Mojang Studios could have ever imagined that the community of our dungeon-crawler passion project would grow to this point,” the studio said in a blog post.
Minecraft Dungeons is available for $20 on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, as well as Nintendo Switch and PC. The game hasn’t necessarily sold 10 million copies, however, as it’s also available on Xbox and PC through Xbox Game Pass.
In the blog post, Mojang shared some stats about Minecraft Dungeons so far:
Players have defeated the Arch-Illager 5,934,629 times
Players have collectively spent 1141 years in their camps
Players have defeated the Redstone Monstrosity 7,044,521 times after 19,511,944 attempts
To celebrate the achievement, Mojang is releasing a new cape and pet for players as free gifts. “It’s a small way to say thank you for being the best community out there (and saving the Overworld over and over again),” Mojang said.
The items will appear in your inventory on February 24 through a free game update that launches that day that adds new expansion content.
Spoilers follow for WandaVision through Episode 5.
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If you’ve been trying to make sense of the mysterious world of WandaVision by tuning in to theories and speculation about the show, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the name Mephisto. The formidable fiend, originally created by Stan Lee and John Buscema in The Silver Surfer #3, is often mentioned alongside Wanda Maximoff because their long comics histories are irrevocably intertwined.
Don’t know how they’re connected and you’re afraid to ask? Or maybe you don’t know who this Mephisto guy even is? Do you have theories about WandaVision’s Agnes or Dottie Jones? Could Pietro Maximoff actually be Mephisto in disguise? Let’s learn a little more about the demonic villain and how he could make his MCU debut.
Who Is Mephisto?
Mephisto’s Origin
Mephisto’s Powers and Abilities
Is Mephisto Actually the Devil?
Mephisto and Wanda Maximoff
Could Mephisto Be Connected to WandaVision and The Snap?
The red-skinned fiend is a dealmaking demon, a corrupter of good, and lord of a hellish dimension. Mephisto is in the business of souls. The master of lies and temptation will make just about any bargain to claim the souls of those he deems pure, in particular the heroes of the Marvel universe.
He’s clashed with the Silver Surfer, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, Spider-Man, and Doctor Strange on more than one occasion. He’s even faced the combined powers of Doctor Strange and Doctor Doom in a mystical showdown for the ages. No matter how many times he’s defeated, Mephisto eventually returns, hellbent on claiming all souls on Earth for his own.
So long as there is evil in the world, ever shall Mephisto endure.
Mephisto made his first Marvel Comics appearance in the late 1960s as an early adversary of the Silver Surfer. Sensing Silver Surfer’s power on Earth, the lord of evil couldn’t stand the existence of a hero as pure and good as the Surfer and sought to be his undoing. The Silver Surfer resisted all temptations and bargains Mephisto could throw at him, and the demon was driven away in a rage.
As for Mephisto himself, his origins are mysterious. He proclaims that he is older than not just humanity, but time itself. Doctor Strange shed a little light on the being’s beginnings not long after one of their first major encounters.
“Mephisto did not create the evil in this world,” Strange revealed in the pages of Fantastic Four #277. “Rather, it was the evil that created Mephisto. He was but a shadow, a reflection of the blackness that crouches in every human soul.”
Mephisto’s Powers and Abilities
Mephisto is the master of deceit. The archdemon has the staggering ability to alter both space and time to fulfill his end of an ill-struck bargain. He can grant his victims unimaginable power, is capable of changing history itself, and can even restore his claimed souls back to life and body.
When he is in his own domain, Mephisto is almost infinitely powerful and practically unstoppable. He traps his victims’ souls in that dimension, where he also commands a host of demons and monsters to do his bidding.
He’s also responsible for the creation of Ghost Rider—and even transformed several of the Avengers into Ghost Rider-like demons in his service for a time—and, as a result, Johnny Blaze holds a grudge. Can you blame him?
Is Mephisto Actually the Devil?
Mephisto isn’t actually Satan, but his dark deeds are worthy of the title of Lord of the Lower Depths. And he’s certainly not fond of the man upstairs. While striking a timeline-altering deal with Peter and Mary Jane Parker in the famed “One More Day” storyline, the demon indicated that part of his motive to destroy their pure love was simply to antagonize “he who I hate most.”
“To deny him is a victory unlike none other imaginable,” Mephisto said with undisguised glee.
There are also other figures in the Marvel universe who are Satan-like or have called themselves Satan or the Son of Satan, and many demons lay claim to hell-like dimensions. Marduk Kurios is one such demon who uses the name of Satan; Hela is the Asgardian goddess of death who rules over another dark dimension. The One Below All, an evil entity with power that dwarfs even that of Mephisto, might be the being the Marvel universe has that’s closest to Satan.
For all his scheming and evil deeds, Mephisto probably had the biggest impact on the Marvel universe thanks to an inadvertent connection to the Scarlet Witch. In the comics, Wanda’s abilities are both mystical and mutant in nature. Her magic is affected by and sometimes enhanced by her chaotic mutant ability to alter probabilities.
After a disastrous run-in with the Fantastic Four, the demon’s essence was shattered into pieces and dispersed. Wanda, in her desperate search for happiness with Vision, unknowingly used two of those fragments to create her twin sons Tommy and Billy. “The children are not real,” her friend and mentor Agatha Harkness later explained. “They are manifestations of Wanda’s will.”
Eventually, Mephisto reabsorbed the pieces of his dark soul, destroying the children and shattering Wanda’s heart. Harkness attempted to erase their memory from Wanda’s mind to spare her from the grief. This would prove to be catastrophic in time, as the resulting stress would lead to the events of House of M and the subsequent decimation of mutant powers on Earth. You can learn more about Wanda and Vision’s children here.
Wanda learns the truth about her children in West Coast Avengers #52.
Could Mephisto Be Connected to WandaVision and The Snap?
One huge question has remained unanswered since the events of Avengers: Endgame. Where did all those people go after The Snap? Mephisto, as a collector of souls, seems like one possible answer. Perhaps The Snap (a.k.a. The Blip) gave Mephisto a vast bounty of souls — half of all living things were snapped away, after all.
So, if that’s the case, what happened once everyone was un-snapped? Could he be on a mission to reclaim those souls and using Wanda to help him do it? And why use WandaVision to depict Monica Rambeau (and others) being un-snapped? We already know from Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home that the missing half of the population was returned by the Hulk’s Snap, so perhaps WandaVision has more to say on the matter…
Mephisto’s connection to Vision and Wanda’s children in the comics is one of the reasons why so many fans are eager to place him in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And there have certainly been some tantalizing clues, like Agnes’ sly remark that the devil isn’t just in the details. Could Agnes (Kathryn Hahn) or maybe even Emma Caulfield’s Dottie Jones actually be Mephisto in disguise? Don’t rule it out yet.
Agnes, Dottie Jones, and Pietro are all candidates for actually being Mephisto.
Mephisto in TV and Games
TV: Mephisto hasn’t played a significant role on any television series, animated or live action, except for a quick cameo in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends.
Games: The archdemon has appeared in Marvel video games since the Silver Surfer game for the NES. He can be seen in the Fantastic Four and Ghost Rider games, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Most recently you could find Mephisto in Avengers Academy.
Kelly Knox is a freelance entertainment writer who also contributes to StarWars.com, DCComics.com, Nerdist, and more. Follow her on Twitter at @kelly_knox to talk Star Wars, Dungeons & Dragons, and comics.
In a recent Reddit AMA, a designer at Respawn said that the lock-down Legend Caustic may get nerfed in the near future. This was in response to a question from a player who said that recent buffs to Caustic have caused competitive play to “suffer immensely” due to his abilities. Associate Live Balance Designer John Larson called Caustic “undeniably strong” and said that the Legend may receive some attention in the future.
“Good question. I think ever since the change to gas allowed teammates to play in gas with relatively no repercussions, there was a lot of unrealised potential that was quickly tapped into within the past couple months,” Larson said, in part. “Caustic is undeniably strong and has the highest win rate in matches that last longer than 20 minutes. Caustic plays a unique role as a defensive legend that can act offensively in certain scenarios, and we have to make sure we tweak him in a way that removes frustration without hurting how it feels to play as Caustic.”
For much of his Apex career, Caustic was considered one of the least powerful Legends in the game. Apex is a highly mobile shooter, and Caustic’s kit specializes in area-control, meaning that his abilities tend to become more useful as the game’s area of play dwindles. However, as Larson mentioned, recent buffs have rendered our gas-throwing friend far more powerful, particularly a change from May 2020 that removed his gas traps’ slow-down effect from affecting his teammates.
Some players have opined that this Caustic buff and the recent release of the explosive expert Fuse have made Apex more like Overwatch, where ability use is just as important as twitch reflexes. In response, Larson says that Respawn is looking at all the synergies possible between Legends and will adjust them as needed. In other Apex news, the game’s next gun will be unique, and a recent hotfix revealed that Kings Canyon will only be around until February 9 instead of February 16.
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Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is making its way to PS5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Nintendo Switch, and more this year, following its 2020 debut on PS4 and Xbox One.
Activision and developer Toys for Bob have announced that Crash 4 will be released for PS5, both Xbox Series platforms, and Nintendo Switch on March 12, with a PC release via Battle.net sometime later this year. The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions will run natively at 4K 60 FPS, while the Xbox Series S version will run at 60 FPS with upscale to 4K. These next-gen versions will also include faster loading times and 3D audio, and players who have already purchased It’s About Time on PS4 or Xbox One can upgrade to the respective next-gen version at no extra cost, except for in Japan, and transfer over save data.
The PS5 version of It’s About Time will also make use of the DualSense’s adaptive triggers when using weapons like Neo Cortex’s blaster and Tawna’s Hookshot, while Activity Cards on the system will offer breakdowns of progress in each dimension.
For those not upgrading, the PS5/Xbox Series versions will cost $59.99, and the Switch version is available for preorder today in certain territories for $39.99, the same price it will cost on PC.
Activision also promises more “fun happenings in celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary” to come later this year for Crash fans to look forward to, but future plans remain a secret for now.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time brought the classic franchise into the modern era, but now it’s getting even modern-er. Activision and Toys For Bob announced that it’s expanding to more platforms soon, with a PC version to follow sometime later.
According to the announcement, Crash 4 will hit PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch on March 12. The announcement also says a PC release via Battlenet is coming later this year. According to Activision’s press release, Crash 4 will be $60 USD on PS5/Xbox Series X|S, but only $40 USD on Switch and PC.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions will feature 4K and 60 FPS play and faster load times, and those who already own the PS4 or Xbox One versions will be able to upgrade to the new generation (within the same console family) and transfer their save data at no cost. Xbox Series X|S will upgrade automatically with the Smart Delivery feature, and PS5 owners will be able to access some of the console’s special features like adaptive triggers on the DualSense and detailed activity cards.
Crash 4 revived the franchise, but only released on PS4 and Xbox One at launch in October. That was just a month before the new generation of consoles launched, though the new Switch port also means you can take your Crash on the go. This follows the Crash N. Sane Trilogy which was also headed up by Toys For Bob, and the upcoming mobile runner Crash: On The Run.
“Even more so than playing the N.Sane Trilogy, which literally remade the original Crash games from my youth, playing Crash 4 felt like getting back in touch with the series,” Mike Epstein wrote in GameSpot’s Crash 4 review. “It’s an injection of new ideas into now-classic gameplay that surprises and delights, even as it feels like a homecoming. Truly, games like this are why we come running back to long-dormant franchises with open arms.”
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WandaVision head writer Jac Schaeffer has spoken about the big twist at the end of last week’s episode of the Disney+ Marvel show. Fans were extremely surprised when Wanda opened her door to see her brother Pietro standing there–especially as was played by Evan Peters, the actor who portrayed the character in the X-Men movies rather than the MCU.
Fans have speculated that Peters’ appearance is the start of the integration of the X-Men into the MCU, as Pietro (aka Quicksilver) was previously played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the Marvel Universe. And while this might be the case, Schaeffer explains that the twist started simply with the idea of throwing something truly unexpected into an already very strange show.
“We loved the idea of [bringing him back],” Schaeffer told Marvel.com. “And then we were like, how in the world are we going to make this make logical sense? Like, how do we justify this? Because that’s the thing, you can hatch a million great ideas, but to make them land, to make them be grounded, to make them feel organic to the larger story.”
“This show is such a mind scramble, because it’s working on so many levels, and there’s so many notions of what’s real and what’s not. We thought like, how do we give him this entrance, and then enjoy that, and then make it crazy? And we had long had the idea of the trope of the brother, or the relative, or whoever comes to town and like, stirs things up with the family–that sitcom trope.”
The recasting of characters is one that has frequently occurred on TV, and in the episode, Darcy Lewis even comments on the fact that Wanda has recast Pietro. However, Schaeffer explains that it wasn’t an easy process getting Peters to appear, especially as Marvel boss Kevin Feige had to sign off on the idea.
“I think Kevin wanted to make sure that there was a reason for it, that it made sense,” he said. “I hope that’s what we did. We were rooting for it for so long, and didn’t know if it would be possible. It was complicated to make happen. [But] Evan was always up for it—like, always, always, always. He is a comic book fan, and a Marvel fan.”
The arrival of the new–or old–Pietro Maximoff is just one of many intriguing and brain-scrambling elements in WandaVision. We’ve rounded up some of the most fascinating fan theories that can be found online, as well as a guide to what we know is happening in the series.
In related news, a new trailer for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the next MCU Disney+ show, was revealed during last Sunday’s Super Bowl.
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After a record-breaking year in 2020 for the number of investments it made in game studios, Chinese internet giant Tencent continues that trend by making a minority investment in DayZ and Arma studio Bohemia Interactive.
The exact financial or organizational terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Bohemia said it will bring its new PC/mobile game Ylands to China.
“We are pleased to deepen our relationship with Tencent, one of the most significant internet companies in the world,” Bohemia CEO Marek Spanel said. “We look forward to working on our current and future generations of games with the support of a strong partner that has known us for many years and understands our unique approach to online games.”
A report from Niko Partners showed that Tencent made 31 deals in 2020 related to investments in the games industry, which is three times as many deals as it did in 2019. Its biggest deal was the $1.5 billion buyout of Leyou, the parent company of Warframe developer Digital Extremes.
Some of Tencent’s other moves in 2020 included investing in–but not buying outright–the Japanese studio Platinum Games. Tencent also acquired Conan developer Funcom and bought GTFO studio 10 Chambers.
Tencent now owns or has invested in a great number of gaming companies. It owns Riot (League of Legends), Grinding Gear Games (Path of Exile), and Supercell (Clash of Clans), while Tencent also owns a piece of Fortnite studio Epic Games. Tencent also has minority investments in Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and Bluehole.
Those looking to buy the PS5 or Xbox Series S have another shot at securing one of the next-gen consoles today at GameStop. However, you’ll be paying more than MSRP, as the retailer is restocking PS5 and Xbox Series S bundles, which come with a variety of accessories and games in addition to the console.
Listings for the PS5 and Xbox Series S bundles are starting to go live now, and you can check the links for specific bundles below as well as their price and what they include. Expect these to sell out extremely fast, so act quickly. You may want to keep refreshing the page if the button says “not available.”
GameStop’s approach to selling the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S since launch has been to offer them in pricey bundles, presumably to help ward off resellers (and get more of your money upfront). You’re not getting any deal here, of course; the bundles tend to add up exactly to the value of each item, and they may include items or gift cards you aren’t interested in. We do recommend waiting to buy the console you want at MSRP, but considering Microsoft has said Xbox Series X|S supply will be constrained through at least June (and the same is likely true of the PS5), a bundle may be the easiest way to get your hands on a next-gen console before summer.
EA Play, the subscription service formerly known as EA Access, is currently heavily discounted. New members can now sign up for only 99 cents on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
The deal is good now through March 9. You can subscribe right here on EA Play’s website. The subscription service normally costs $5/month. This deal is available on all platforms where EA Play is offered: PlayStation, Xbox, Origin, and Steam.
EA Play also gets you a 10% discount on all EA games that you want to buy outright, while the discount also applies to in-game content like battle passes and microtransactions. A membership also gets you 10-hour trials for new EA games.
It’s also worth mentioning that EA Play is now included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (which also includes Xbox Live Gold), so you’ll want to weigh your options before settling on which subscription service is right for you if you’re playing on Xbox.
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