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Vaccinations could help the tourism industry get back off the ground. But asking people for documents could lead to inequities, too. (Fran Boloni/Unsplash /)

Yara M. Asi is a post-doctoral scholar in Health Management and Informatics, University of Central Florida. This story originally featured on The Conversation.

After a year of canceled concerts, closed-door sporting events, and restricted air travel, vaccine passports are being touted as a way to quicken the route back to normalcy.

The premise is straightforward: A digital or paper document will indicate whether individuals have received a COVID-19 vaccination or, in some cases, recently tested negative for the coronavirus. This could allow them to travel more freely within their communities, enter other countries or engage in leisure activities that have largely been closed off during the pandemic.

Vaccine passports seem like a desirable alternative to continuing lockdowns until herd immunity—estimated to occur at about a 70 percent to 85 percent vaccination rate—is achieved.

As a global health management researcher, I can certainly see the benefits of vaccine passports. But I’m also aware of the pitfalls. While vaccine passports may open the world to many, they may lead to discrimination—especially against the poor.

Return to the skies

Undoubtedly there is a desire to get back to normality as quickly as possible.

For the tourism industry, which is estimating more than $1 trillion in losses due to COVID-19, a reopening of travel would be much-needed relief. Even for those able to travel during the pandemic, arrival in most countries has required significant restrictions, often including a hotel quarantine of up to 14 days.

Vaccination passports could allow families separated by local lockdowns, or state or country border restrictions, to meet in person.

Pushing the case for a digital passport, an executive from Air New Zealand told The Guardian, “Reassuring customers that travel is, in fact, safe is one of our priorities. By using the app, customers can have confidence that everyone onboard meets the same government health requirements they do.”

And it isn’t just travel. Passports could also open the door to everyday pursuits that seemed normal before the pandemic. In Israel, the country with the fastest vaccination rate, citizens with a vaccination “green pass” will be allowed entry to gyms, hotels, concerts and indoor dining at restaurants.

And some employers are considering requiring proof of vaccination to return to work.

Getting a green pass

In short, the concept of vaccine passports is no longer theoretical, as it was early in the pandemic, when the World Health Organization recommended against their use.

It has even been suggested that the lure of a vaccine passport could result in more people stepping forward to get vaccinated.

Israel instituted its green pass program on February 21, both to reopen the economy and to encourage young people to get vaccinated.

Other countries are monitoring the success of Israel’s program. The UK has shown interest in the idea of vaccine passports, and the 27 member states of the European Union are considering some form of vaccine-certification system to allow easier cross-border travel in the EU.

In the U.S., President Joe Biden has directed government agencies to “assess the feasibility” of some form of digital vaccine certificate, analogous to the concept of a vaccine passport.

Pandemic inequities

This potential opening up of the world after months of restrictions is welcomed. But the concern is that the benefits will not be distributed equitably, and as a result some groups will be disadvantaged.

After all, a pandemic once considered a “great equalizer” soon turned out to be anything but.

As with most health crises, racial minorities made up a higher proportion of those affected in the US—as seen in their higher rates of hospitalizations and deaths.

Disparities along income and racial lines have persisted in vaccination campaigns. In the US, for example, Black Americans have received the vaccine at half the rate of white Americans, and the disparity is even larger for Hispanic Americans. Globally, rich countries have ordered almost all of the currently available vaccines, meaning that the average citizen in a high-income country is much more likely to receive a vaccine than a health care worker or high-risk citizen in lower-income countries.

It is also likely that demographic groups with higher levels of trust in authorities and medical institutions are the most willing to be vaccinated, and this may adversely affect marginalized communities. A recent study found that Black Americans—who have legitimate reasons to distrust the medical establishment—were the least likely of any racial group in the US to say they’d get vaccinated against the coronavirus.

As such, vaccination passports could perpetuate existing inequities within countries if those who are vaccinated can enjoy the freedom to move about their community while others remain in lockdown.

A world divided?

Given the global imbalance of vaccine availability, it is not difficult to imagine a situation where the citizens of rich countries may regain their rights to travel to environments where local populations are still in some form of lockdown.

This potential to further divide the global rich from the global poor is a significant concern. Once economies start to “open” and those with vaccine passports are able to go about their business as usual, the urgency to deal with COVID-19 in marginalized communities may dissipate.

Further, vaccination passports may give populations an inaccurate level of risk perception. It is still unclear how long immunity will last. It is also unclear the extent to which virus transmission is limited once one is vaccinated. Public health authorities still suggest that vaccinated individuals wear masks and maintain distancing in public for now, especially if interacting with unvaccinated people.

These recommendations have led to concerns that vaccinated tourists, diners, and shoppers may act in ways that might risk the unvaccinated service and hospitality employees with whom they are interacting.

There are also privacy concerns with vaccine passports, which are primarily being proposed in a digital format.

In the UK, the proposed vaccine certification would come in the form of an app, which could be scanned to gain entry to restaurants and venues. It has sparked concerns that digital passports may infringe on the rights to privacy, freedom of movement and peaceful assembly.

Countries that rank low in global freedom indices, such as Bahrain, Brunei, and China, are also using apps, often with troubling implications. In China, the app was found to be linked to law enforcement, and as people checked into locations across the city, their locations were tracked by the software.

Despite the upsides of vaccines passports, these concerns remain. The World Health Organization has called on nations to make sure that, if implemented, vaccine passports are not responsible for “increasing health inequities or increasing the digital divide.”

The danger is that thus far, at every stage the pandemic has exposed society’s inequities. Vaccine passports may perpetuate these inequities as well.

Sebastian Stan and Lily James look uncanny as Tommy Lee and Pamela Anderson in the first images for the Hulu comedy, Pam and Tommy. The TV series is focused on the real-life story of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee's sex tape. According to Variety the comedy also includes Seth Rogen as Rand Gauthier, the man who stole and sold the sex tape. Nick Offerman, Taylor Schilling, Andrew Dice Clay, and more round out the cast. Rogen posted the first images of the main trio on his personal Twitter account and they need to be seen to be believed. Stan, fresh off his stint as Bucky Barnes in Disney Plus' Falcon and The Winter Soldier has shed some muscles and put on tattoos to become the musician Tommy Lee. And Lily James is a spitting image of Pamela Anderson.

My co-stars, Sebastian and Lily, are a lot cooler than I am. #PamandTommy pic.twitter.com/r8YWh1eBuJ

— Seth Rogen (@Sethrogen) May 7, 2021

Rogen, who is also dressed in character, joked "My co-stars, Sebastian and Lily, are a lot cooler than I am." Neither Anderson nor Lee is involved in Hulu's comedy series. In fact, Hulu is working on a few other projects about real people including boxer Mike Tyson, a project the real Tyson has called "tone-deaf." If you're keen on checking out the cast in other projects, Falcon and the Winter Soldier concluded its first season a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, James is best known for her roles in shows like Downton Abbey and films like The Darkest Hour. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

After working on the system since 2016, Wasteless is about to trial its software with Metro, a company that operates 678 wholesale grocery stores in 24 countries globally.

After years of development and more than a handful of delays along the way, Blue Origin plans to attempt the first official flight of its New Shepard spacecraft on July 20th.

Telecom giant Verizon Communications has announced plans to sell Yahoo and AOL to a private equity company called Apollo Global Management. The sale price? $5 billion. The deal is expected to close later this year.

According to The New York Times, the deal covers not only the Yahoo and AOL brands, but their advertising platforms, too. Verizon is not completely divesting of Yahoo and AOL, as it will hold on to a 10% stake.

Verizon originally purchased AOL in 2015 for $4.4 billion, then it bought Yahoo in 2017 for $4.48 billion. In 2018, Verizon disclosed a writedown of $4.6 billion over these properties based on "lower-than-expected revenues and earnings" amid increased competitive and pressure in the market. Yahoo and AOL do bring in a lot of money, though, posting $1.9 billion in sales in just the first quarter of 2021, an increase of 10% year-over-year.

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EVE Online is a massively multiplayer online game where players can mine planets, fight other players in all-out war, and fly through wormholes to reach new destinations. Now it’s helping scientists learn more about COVID-19.

Through a citizen science project called Project Discovery, players are able to help scientists in the real world solve problems that need human input, such as helping scientists discover new planets. Over the past year, they’ve been helping scientists learn more about COVID-19.

To date, 327,000 players have completed 1.37 million analysis tasks in-game, which has saved scientists 330.69 years worth of research into how the immune system responds to COVID-19. Speaking to IGN, EVE Online Creative Director, Bergur Finnbogason, explained how the project began.

“This is a project that was initially started by, or at least an idea from, [Massively Multiplayer Online Science CEO and co-founder Attila Szantner] a few years back where he was looking at citizen science projects around the world, all over the internet,” Finnbogason said. “He started seeing this pattern in these projects where basically... these fantastic projects would happen… with super worthy causes… but people would come in, try it once, and then never come back.”

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Seeing that people were so quick to drop these projects, the parties involved devised a way to merge citizen science projects with something that would make people want to stick around. That's where the idea of placing one of these projects in an MMO — a genre with communities of people who do the very opposite of trying something once and never touching it again — was born.

Finnbogason and Szantner said the idea came to them to merge citizen science projects while trying to get input from actual humans with EVE. If the game offered a science project to help real-world scientists, players would be dedicated to it. Thus, Project Discovery was born.

The first Project Discovery project in EVE was centered on identifying proteins in human cells and the second Project Discovery project was centered on the discovery of real exoplanets or distant planets outside of our solar system. Similar to the COVID-19 minigame, EVE players played an in-game minigame to pour through luminosity curve datasets, which represented the brightness of stars as planets passed by them. This helped scientists discover exoplanets in space.

“Our latest installment is this COVID-19 project,” Finnbogason said. “We’ve been running it for almost a year, or exactly a year now, and yeah, it’s super exciting and it’s really turned into a wonderful project.”

If you were to log on to EVE to take part in this COVID-19 project, you’d find that it’s extremely well-implemented into the game. What players are doing when they play the associated minigame is looking at a cluster of multicolor dots. Some are yellow, some are red, some are green, and so on.

“Each dot is a cell,” University of British Columbia medical genetics professor and distinguished scientist of BC Cancer, Ryan Brinkman, said. “It is placed on a 2D graph based on how much it expresses one of many different types of cell surface proteins that can be used to define the cell’s function.”

[caption id="attachment_2509169" align="alignnone" width="720"] Pictured here are two clusters of cells that a player identified in the Project Discovery COVID-19 minigame within EVE Online, Photo Credit: CCP Games[/caption]

Players that play the COVID-19 Project Discovery minigame in EVE will see this 2D graph with multicolor dot cells. All they need to do is use a point-and-click system to draw polygons around the main mass of the clusters. Players earn set rewards when they reach specific ranks associated with the minigame. For example, at Rank 5, players earn the Biosecurity Response Team Mask and at Rank 650, they can earn the Marshal Biosecurity Responders Skin.

“Drawing the polygon allows us to count how many [cell surface proteins] are in that polygon,” Brinkman said. “The number in a given population can change according to, for example, disease of a drug and we can look for similar changes in groups of people (sick vs. healthy) to do discovery… or use it for diagnosis.”

How EVE Online Is Helping Scientists in Our World

How exactly is this helping scientists in the real world? Well, the simplest answer is time. Players have completed the equivalent of over 330 years of work scientists would have otherwise had to do to match what players have done.

“The alternative for scientists is to look everywhere,” Brinkman said in regards to how players are analyzing 40 dimensions of data on a 2D plane that speeds up data research greatly. “Scientists can’t do that, though, because to analyze just one sample, it takes an hour… but we have an infinite amount of monkeys, all banging away on typewriters.”

What players are doing is helping scientists better understand how our immune systems are impacted by this novel coronavirus, according to Brinkman. They are doing this by measuring the chemical makeups of cells, a process otherwise known as Flow Cytometry in the world of science, to determine a body’s immune response to COVID-19.

Science projects happening by way of video games isn’t necessarily a new concept.  Folding@home, a project that utilized the PlayStation 3 among other processors to help scientists develop new therapeutics by simulating the movement of proteins and protein folding, began as early as 2000 and is still live as of six months ago. Never before, though, has it been done on a scale as large as EVE’s massive playerbase.

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Brinkman said the project is 60% COVID-19 help and 40% machine learning A.I. practice, which is another way this EVE minigame is helping the world of science.

“The other really exciting part is there have been approaches that have been developed to automate this analysis process and they all suck,” Brinkman said. “That’s my life's work for 15 years and they all [automated analysis processes] suck for various reasons. The excitement right now in the science world is A.I. machine learning. Everybody’s excited about that.”

The reason the processes "suck" is simple: in order for a machine to learn, someone or something has to teach it to how to learn and for the most part, until Project Discovery, that wasn't possible.

Over 300,000 EVE players have participated in this iteration of the Project Discovery minigame. They are quite literally providing the needed examples of how to analyze data – in this case, COVID-19 cellular data and how the virus affects human immune systems. Brinkman explained this kind of data will accelerate areas of science outside of COVID-19 — areas of science that will have an enormous impact on human health.

Why EVE Online Players Are Participating in Project Discovery

Brinkman said they’re in the thick of everything with this data, with plans to publish findings this time next year – but are players aware of what a simple minigame is doing for the real world, or are they just there for the EVE rewards?

“We’ve seen three categories of players that play this,” Finnbogason said. “One of them is definitely just hardcore into the lore of the game and… playing it for that reason. Then there’s another group playing it for the rewards. I think the largest group, though, is playing it for the science and the rewards are just a bonus and possibly a strong incentive to keep everyone playing.”

Finnbogason said the EVE team worked hard to make this COVID-19 Project Discovery effort feel like something that belonged in EVE. It was really important to the team to theme it to the universe, because “we owe it to our players,” Finnbogason said. He said the team doesn't want the game breaking the fourth wall or the immersion felt everywhere else in the game.

The first Project Discovery project, the one that tasked players with identifying proteins in human cells, centered around an in-game faction called the Sisters of EVE, who were researching a new emergent race of enemies called the Drifters and their tissue samples. The COVID-19 project, however, is run by an in-game entity called Concord, which is the same entity that ran the exoplanets project.

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There are four other rules the EVE team follows beyond immersion when making these projects: the project must be altruistic in nature, meaning none of the parties involved make any money from the project; they need to be consistent in length, so players always know what they’re signing up for when they play the minigame; they need to produce a sizeable dataset, although players have continued to clear right past the team’s dataset goals; and finally, they need complexity in order to keep people interested.

“There was so much player interest in this project right from the get-go,” Finnbogason said. “We kicked this off last March and everyone just doubled down and jumped on this and it just felt like, and still feels like, people want to help solve this pandemic in any way possible. We’re just super humbled and honored to have had a hand in that.”

The project has been implemented into the game for over a year now, but there’s not much of an end in sight at the moment, or at least, the team isn’t quite sure when a new Project Discovery minigame will happen. They like to stick to one at a time, so the COVID-19-related project is the one for the time being.

“Yeah, so one thing about machine learning is you can never have enough data,” Brinkman said. “That much is clear. The more data sets that we get, the better. Even though we have vaccines, the science of COVID-19 isn’t solved. Like, why is COVID-19 so bad, what is this disease doing to the immune system, why are people losing their sense of smell and taste… there’s all this bad stuff that’s really unique to COVID-19, and we haven’t even scratched that surface.”

The Success of Project Discovery

Project Discovery has been a resounding success, both in its first two ventures and its current COVID-19 venture. It even landed EVE Online a cover story on one of the science world’s premiere publications, Nature Biotechnology, which was the first time a fictional spaceship, or fictional anything, had appeared on the cover of that science journal.

“That, to me, was a sign of scientists embracing what we’re doing,” Szantner said. “They take this very seriously… and can see how large gaming communities [such as that of EVE] can substantially help research projects. That’s a very, very important message.”

Elsewhere in media, Project Discovery has landed the EVE Online team a nomination in the 2021 Webby Awards, and according to CCP Games, they’re currently in first place for the People’s Vote award.

Video games are huge, Szantner said, and as time passes by, it’s important to him that society find new ways for games to impact the world for the better.

“Games are bigger than they’ve ever been,” he said. “It’s a big question of what we can do with them and you know, I think it’s about extracting as much value as possible out of them and that’s basically what we’re doing with Project Discovery. It’s one way to do that, at least. You’re just solving virtual puzzles in a video game, but something as simple as cracking a virtual in-game problem… is doing so much for the real world now.”

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Finnbogason said the more they learn about what players are accomplishing with Project Discovery, the more humbling it all is.

“It’s super humbling for us as developers,” he said. “MMOs are so much about building relationships and fostering human interaction, and so this, I think, is yet another project proving that the line between games and reality is merging. It’s a super interesting and exciting time for us and who knows what’s next.”

Szantner said he hopes what’s next is that other developers join in, and some already have. A science-based, citizen science project can be found in Borderlands 3, but Szantner sees limitless potential for what games and their players can do for science.

“I believe this is a very important project, almost like a mission, to show the world that this works,” he said. “Ultimately, the more game devs that jump on board, and the more gamer communities that join, the more we are progressing forward to build practically an unlimited human computation engine.

“It was a miracle to pull off Project Discovery. Now it’s proven and now we can show it works. Now we can show it brings value to gaming communities, game development companies, and science. I think it’s a much easier decision for game developers to come in and implement it into the games… and I hope to see more of it happen in the future.”

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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer, guide maker, and science guru particularly interested in the intersection of science and games. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

India’s Covid cases have surged and it’s estimated that infections are spreading to over 300,000 people per day, with cases estimated to rise above 500,000 per day later this year. India’s hospitals are full and oxygen and other supplies are running short, which is causing a national crisis for India. Below we’ve assembled some ways you can help those affected by the pandemic in India via your donations and support of the following organizations.

UNICEF

UNICEF USA is bringing supplies to frontline workers and critical care facilities, including oxygen concentrators, diagnostic testing systems, PPE kits, and hygiene products. https://www.unicefusa.org/

Care India

Care India provides PPE kits and other medical-grade equipment to hospitals and facilities in India, as well as sets up temporary hospitals for Covid-19 patients. Since the pandemic began, Care India has provided close to 40,000 PPE kits, over 200,000 masks, 100,000 liters of sanitizer, and 2,000 liters of disinfectant. https://www.careindia.org/

Indian Red Cross

Volunteers and those on staff are helping deliver medical supplies and masks, are running blood drive centers, and helping with ambulance services wherever possible. They are taking donations of funds to purchase supplies, as well as donations of medical supplies in person. https://indianredcross.org/ircs/donatenow

Rapid Response

The Indian disaster relief organization is providing dry food to those in need, such as rice, lentils, and sugar, along with medical supplies, including PPE kits, masks, beds, and mattresses. https://www.rapidresponse.org.in/coronavirusrelief.html

PATH

With a 200-person team on the ground in India, PATH is helping to find medical oxygen supplies for Covid-19 patients, as well as increasing testing. https://www.path.org/p/india-medical-oxygen/

Making the Difference

The Making a Difference organization is helping find and deliver medical supplies to public hospitals in Mumbai, specifically oxygen and hospital beds. They are also distributing meal kits for at-home Covid-19 patients. https://makingthedifference.in/ We hope you will join us in aiding India, and beyond -- here’s our updated guide to helping people across the world, along with the latest updates on best practices for protecting yourself and those around you. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Watch as Toronto FC's closed training session in Florida was crashed by an uninvited guest - an alligator.

The new trailer for Luca has been released. The latest Pixar movie hits Disney+ on June 18.

The film focuses on Luca and Alberto, a pair of young sea monsters who live in the ocean near a small Italian town. Despite being warned by Luca's mom not to go near the surface, the pair decide to experience life amongst people--and luckily, the pair transform into human form when they are dry. But keeping their true identities a secret proves tricky when even the slightest drop of water starts to change them back. It looks like a warm and funny fantasy comedy--check the trailer out below:

Luca stars Jacob Tremblay (Room, The Predator) as Luca and Jack Dylan Grazer (Shazam, It) as Alberto, plus Maya Rudolph and Jim Gaffigan as Luca's parents. It's directed by Enrico Casarosa. Check out the previous Luca trailer for more.

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After becoming the first woman of color to win Best Director at the Oscars, Nomadland director Chloe Zhao is going back to work on post-production for Marvel's Eternals. The film is shaping up to be unlike any other MCU story so far, as star Salma Hayek has teased the film had a very different production than the studio's other movies. In a comment reported by Variety, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige detailed Zhao's push for "really fighting for practical locations" during the Eternals' shoot. Feige recounted his experience showing a sample reel of the film to Disney's leadership. "I had to keep saying, ‘This is right out of a camera; there’s no VFX work to this at all!’” Feige said. “Because it was a beautiful sunset, with perfect waves and mist coming up from the shore on this giant cliffside — really impressive stuff.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/26/2021-oscar-winners-announced-ign-news"] After watching Nomadland, Feige was struck by how similar Zhao's approach to photographing and exploring American landscapes was. "That is not just what she wanted to bring to Marvel," he said. "This is a signature style." Feige's quote was included alongside a larger post-Oscars interview with Zhao in which the director detailed her awards season journey as well as her experience helming a Marvel film after working on more modest production scales. "I got the support of this incredibly talented team, some of the most talented artists in the world. And it really is a village to make this film, but they did let me lead," Zhao said. "Props to Marvel — from early on, they knew the way I wanted to make this film, how I wanted to shoot. It can’t be hundreds of people standing around. So they very much adapted how to run the set the way that I wanted to work. I’m still surrounded by 25 people. They just have armies, and each of them knew they needed to keep the army away." Zhao also discussed her own creative influences for Eternals, saying she was a fan of both Jack Kirby's original material and previous MCU films. "Jack Kirby and his imagination, his incredible work, is really the foundation of it," Zhao said. "On top of that, there is what Marvel Studios has built, this incredible journey they have going on. And then on top of that is me as a fan of the MCU. And then, me as a fan of the genre, but also growing up with sci-fi and manga and fantasy films. And how can we have this big melting pot and cook up something that may just taste a little bit different?" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=Every-actor-and-character-confirmed-for-marvels-eternals-movie&captions=true"] First announced back in 2018, Eternals is part of Phase Four of the MCU. Zhao reportedly shot the movie with the same rig she used for Nomadland in part because she "wanted to keep the story grounded and experimental." Zhao stated she is in the "final stretch" of post-production on Eternals. The film was originally set to release in November 2020, before the director would finish editing Nomadland, but rescheduling due to COVID-19 allowed the eventual Best Picture winner to release first. Eternals is now set to hit theaters on November 5. [poilib element="accentDivider"] J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.

Mikey Way is busier than ever. Despite having many 2020 plans derailed by the pandemic, the former bassist for My Chemical Romance (and brother of lead singer Gerard Way) revived his musical project, Electric Century, and turned it into a multimedia outlet for his creative energies. The result is EC’s self-titled sophomore album which reunites Way with singer David Debiak, as well as a new companion graphic novel written by Way and Shaun Simon and illustrated by Toby Cypress, and published by Z2 Comics. In an exclusive interview with IGN, Way opens up about the personal inspirations behind the GN, which tells the tale of a burnt-out former TV star who winds up trapped inside a hypnotic fever dream in mid-'80s Atlantic City. Way describes talked how his childhood in New Jersey and the immense fame he experienced during the My Chem era informed key aspects of the story. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=electric-century-graphic-novel-preview&captions=true"]

The Origins of Electric Century

EC in many ways has been a lifeline for Way ever since MCR broke up in 2013. Meant to be the outlet for his and Debiak’s love of new wave and Britpop music, the first album came out just as Way checked into rehab in 2014. That scuttled any plans for touring with the album. Now this one is out, and Way had some big ideas for taking the new record out on the road, in a way that would bridge the worlds of music and comics he’s constantly traveling between. Except, COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill. “There were cool plans at San Diego Comic Con [in 2020] for this graphic novel,” Way says. “We were going to play at Comic-Con, too, and then, bam! The pandemic happened. This is maybe the second time that happened where we were planning to do an Electric Century show and it didn't happened. So it was like someone was telling me, “Am I not supposed to play a show?” The writer-musician did like everyone else did; He adjusted to the restrictions of pandemic life. After discussions with Z2 Comics, it was decided to take a more organic and less calendar-timed approach to the release of the Electric Century GN. Available directly through Z2’s website , fans can either order the book separately or as part of a package with the album and other merchandise. It’s also available through other retail outlets. [caption id="attachment_2506800" align="aligncenter" width="2613"] Way performing with My Chemical Romance in 2011. (Image Credit: Getty)[/caption] "But we pivoted and we're going to do other different, cool stuff with it," Way adds. "And the cool thing about this project is there's no timeline. We’re just going to let this organically grow.” Of course, 2020 was also when Way was supposed to be rejoining his brother Gerard and the rest of My Chemical Romance for the highly anticipated reunion tour. Like nearly all other musical tours, those plans have been put on hold while the world recovers from COVID, so there is no practical update for MCR’s return. Given the nature of such mega-band tours, lots of I’s must be dotted and T’s crossed before things can happen, so Way politely steers clear of tour talk. With regards to Electric Century, however, he’s an open book. The graphic novel came into play as recording for the album was nearly complete. It was conceived to be a parallel creative journey to the music that exist independently of each other. Way credits some of the inspiration for the dual project to the hitmaking virtual band Gorillaz. “I have a lot of respect for [Gorillaz co-creator] Damon Albarn, I'm a huge fan of all of his musical projects. He always thinks outside the box, and it was brilliant what he did with Gorillaz, where it was this fictional band and video projections and screens. So basically, my mind just went from there. I started listening to the album over and over and an old idea I had for a story kind of peeked out.” The seeds for the story that would eventually see print in the graphic novel were planted in 2014, after Way had exited rehab for drug and alcohol abuse. Seeking different types of therapy to help with his recovery, he attempted hypnotherapy, where hypnosis is used to create a state of focused attention during which positive suggestions and guided imagery are used to help people deal with issues. That experience made a lasting impression on him, especially as a potential story. “I kind of had the idea of writing a story where somebody goes through hypnotherapy but they actually get transported somewhere and they can't get back,” he says.

Who Is Johnny Ashford?

That’s how Johnny Ashford came to be. Ashford is the alcoholic former sitcom-star who is the main character of EC. He sees a hypnotherapist who transports him to his “happy place,” which turns out to be the Electric Century casino in Atlantic City in the 1980s. The visits to the Boardwalk spark new obsessions and before long he realizes his life depends on figuring out how to escape the Electric Century. Having grown up in the Garden State and visited Atlantic City often, Electric Century afforded Way the chance spend quality fictional time at a place he visited often as a kid. It also gave him a chance to tap into his familiarity with the pitfalls and pressures of immense fame, having experienced it during MCR’s halcyon days. “I used some of my personal experience [for the book],” he admits. “But I also had a fascination with eighties child stars since I grew up in that time. You know, back in the eighties, celebrity was different. If you were famous, you were like, legit famous. Everyone knew who you were, but there was intrigue. The only information was what was in magazines or on television. There was no social media, nobody was willingly giving any information about their lives on a daily basis. So these people seemed larger than life.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-comics-of-the-decade-2010-2019&captions=true"] For young Mikey Way, the young stars of shows like Diff’rent Strokes and Charles in Charge seemed to be kids you'd hang out with after school. Which is what he did, coming home from school to watch reruns daily. “And then at some point, as I got older, I saw the sad side of show business and how a lot of [child stars] get discarded. That always made me sad because they were so important to people.” Nostalgia plays an important role in Electric Century. New Jersey landmarks like Lucy the Elephant, the oldest surviving roadside attraction in America, show up in the book. But the the remembrances are soaked in melancholy. “I wanted to play upon everyone's natural inclination to be nostalgic about something,” Way says. “That concept fascinates me because I often think if you could walk through a tunnel and be in some other time in your past, would you love it still? Or would your perspective now be, “I'm not into this anymore.” I'm a 40 year old man now; how would I process Atlantic city in 1988? No idea.” Even though the two Electric Century projects were designed to exist separately, the track “Alive” is a seamless fit to accompany the graphic novel. It’s a song that Way wrote about five years ago – it was originally meant to be on the first Electric Century record – and he considers it one of his best compositions. “It's kind of reminding you to be alive and be in the moment,” Way says of the song. “And I think that's something I'm guilty of not doing, I think everyone in the world is guilty of not doing. I like to think about that when I hear that song to, you know, snap out of it, live in the now and stop worrying about where you've been.”

What's Next After Electric Century?

Way has several comics-related assignments in various stages of development. Up next is a story he’s writing with his big brother Gerard for the graphic novel tribute to the Anthrax album Among The Living, which Z2 is releasing on May 12. He also couldn’t contain his excitement over one project. “I’ve got something that I'm very excited about that I'm working on right now,” he says. “I don't know where it's going to end up. We're talking to some places, but it will be very cool.” Finding himself at this stage in life where writing comics is such a big part of his life isn’t some fluke. Way doesn’t view comics as just a fun side project to do in-between albums and tours. Like his brother, comics have been a part of his life longer than music. “I’ve been a fan almost the entirety of my life,” he says. “When I was three, four years old, I was thumbing through comic books at the barber shop, learning how to read from comic books, because I wanted to know what they were saying instead of just asking, “Gerard, what does this say?”” The Way Brothers became hooked on comics with titles like Superman, Spider-Man, Captain America and other superhero series. But for Mikey, G.I. Joe was a major influence. He not only enjoyed the stories but studied the format and how the story unfolded over 22 pages. When it came time to do his first full-length comic, Collapser for DC Comics’ Young Animal imprint, he took the same approach he had when MCR was formed. And he’s continuing to work at the craft. “I was a super amateur guitar player-turned-bassist for My Chemical Romance and it was something I just had to practice,” Way says. “That's kind of what is going on with me and comic books now. I'm learning from all my peers that are top-tier professionals.” Some of the comics pros Way reaches out to for advice include DC’s Chief Creative Officer and comics legend Jim Lee. “Jim was somebody who was very instrumental in my comics career. He'd come to me numerous times and be like, 'When are you going to write a comic?' That's kind of how Collapser came about.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/07/23/how-gerard-way-is-creating-weird-doom-patrol-and-batman-comics-with-young-animal-comic-con-2016"] He admits to being afraid to make that jump into comics, for a number of reasons. “I was busy a lot and I'm a bad multitasker, so I always just kind of pushed comics to the side,” he says. “I would write stuff out. But when My Chemical Romance broke up, Jim had mentioned to me, 'When are you going to do this?' And then I pitched him something, which turned out to be Collapser.” As he continues to sharpen his comic book storytelling chops, Mikey Way is also trying his hand at yet another skill: Cooking. Being on lockdown during the pandemic motivated Way to apply his creativity to the kitchen. “Cooking is a new thing for me. For the whole duration of My Chemical Romance, I think I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner at a restaurant. Even when I was home, I would just eat out, or I would order takeout.” “It’s definitely fun, but it's difficult. It's very, it's very difficult,” he continues. “There's a learning curve, but my family is very encouraging to me in my endeavors. But yeah, I'm a novice. A true novice.” Electric Century is available in bookstores now. In other comic book news, find out why Amazon's Invincible series fails the comics, learn about Emilia Clarke's first foray into comics and brush up on the comic book history of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's John Walker.

SPOILER WARNING: Major spoilers are ahead for Falcon and Winter Soldier! [poilib element="accentDivider"] The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's showrunner Malcolm Spellman has detailed the "tremendous amount of thought" that went into the evolution of Sharon Carter and her controversial turn. Speaking to IGN, Spellman discussed Sharon Carter becoming the Power Broker in the MCU, and how her surprising turn to the dark side begins with Captain America: Civil War. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/23/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-6-review"] "A tremendous amount of thought went into this decision, and it begins with Civil War," Spellman said. "Sharon was forced out, and in our mind every scenario we ran on why she hadn't been appearing in the MCU had to do with the fact that when the intelligent community often works is that when they turn on someone, they turn all the way on them. "You've seen it in Mission Impossible movies, you've seen it in like, Salt, whatever, right? There's even a TV show called Burn Notice — when you've been burned, you are utterly betrayed. These people not only did not ever take Sharon back in, they forced her to become a criminal, and they forced her to be on that trajectory. And with the skillset she developed at SHIELD, she was able to thrive." Sharon becoming the Power Broker was that much more impactful for the writers as she is the great-niece of Peggy Carter and is "sort of like the Princess of Marvel," so this new edge to the character played really well and came from an honest place of being betrayed. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/25/falcon-and-winter-soldier-episode-6-how-the-finale-sets-up-captain-america-4-mcu-canon-fodder"] "We landed on that truth, that was just what we felt like really happened," Spellman continued. "Add to that the delight in that Sharon comes from royalty, but more than that, more than the character being sort of like the Princess of Marvel, [actress Emily VanCamp]  has such a youthful look and vibe. For her to be that edgy really, really played well with the character. But it all came from an honest place. It's not like anyone showed up and said, 'Let's ruin Sharon Carter.' It was, 'What do you think happened to Sharon when SHIELD went bad and the intelligence community turned on her.' And this was it." For those who may not remember, Sharon Carter was branded an enemy of the state by the U.S. government following her role in helping Steve Rogers get information about Bucky Barnes whereabouts and giving them their equipment back. She then went on the run to Madripoor and became the Power Broker while amassing wealth from selling stolen artwork. She was revealed to be the Power Broker in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's season finale, but was also pardoned and given access to government resources once again. Fans were shocked by Sharon Carter's dark turn, but there are still those who believe that this may not even be Sharon Carter, and that she may be a Skrull imposter in disguise. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Spellman previously discussed how The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would feature a "whole different" Sharon Carter, one who would "emerge as a badass." Little did we know how different she would be. For more on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, check out how this series may be setting up Secret Invasion and the news that Spellman will be writing the script for Captain America 4 with Falcon staff writer Dalan Musson. [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.

James Gunn has clarified where the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special takes place within the continuity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Gunn, who helmed 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy and its 2017 sequel, shared a photo of the title page for his upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which also confirmed that it was the first draft of the script for the seasonal special, coming to Disney+ in 2022. "This is the wrapping," he wrote in the tweet's caption. "The present is inside." The filmmaker participated in a short Q&A directly beneath the tweet, as a couple of fans asked for clarity on how exactly the Holiday Special fits into the MCU timeline. In response, Gunn confirmed that it will take place after the events of Thor: Love & Thunder, which hits theaters in May 2022, but before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is scheduled to debut in 2023.  

This is the wrapping. The present is inside. #GotGHS pic.twitter.com/NqDw5s6ed8

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 22, 2021

However, we may see Peter Quill and his ragtag crew before they set off on their holiday hijinks as they're slated to appear in Taika Waititi's Thor: Love & Thunder. Gunn previously confirmed that he had joined forces with Waititi to discuss MCU characters before work began on the fourth Thor script. He said they both swapped scripts to figure out "where the characters are and where they're going." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/04/20/no-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-4-for-james-gunn"] Quill and Thor enjoyed a friendly rivalry in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the latter of which saw the heavyset Bro Thor leave his fellow Asgardians behind on Earth whilst he joined the Guardians in space. The two characters are now expected to reunite on the big screen again in Thor 4, a movie that has been described as having an "Avengers 5 feel" due to its supersized cast. Thor 4's all-star ensemble features the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, Christian Bale, and Russell Crowe as the mighty Zeus, father of the Olympian gods. Waititi will also once again voice Thor's alien pal Korg in the movie, which is currently slated for release on May 6, 2022. It will follow Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and many more in the MCU's Phase 4. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] For more on Marvel's upcoming 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 throughout this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.

Warning: This article contains some spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier! Marvel's The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has now ended, but the return of Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) has left a lot of questions. And one of the big ones is where does Wyatt Russell's character John Walker, a.k.a. the ex-Captain America, a.k.a. U.S. Agent, go from here. As always, we can look to the comics to get an idea. Who is U.S. Agent? Is he friend or foe to the Avengers? Read on for everything you need to know about Marvel's other patriotic super-soldier. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-sam-wilsonfalcon-became-captain-america&captions=true"] [poilib element="accentDivider"]

John Walker as Captain America

After his older brother was killed in action, John Walker wanted nothing more than to honor his legacy and become an American hero. Unfortunately, he did so by turning to a villain called the Power Broker and becoming a star-spangled (and misguided) baddie called Super-Patriot. Fortunately, a few run-ins with Captain America taught Walker the error of his ways. When the government selected Walker to become the new Captain America, he did his best to live up to Steve Rogers' example, though the pressure nearly drove him mad. [caption id="attachment_247093" align="aligncenter" width="840"] Wyatt Russell as John Walker in the show, and U.S. Agent from the comics (on the right).[/caption] After Steve Rogers reclaimed the Captain America mantle, Walker took up a new costumed identity as U.S. Agent. Though more brash and headstrong than Cap, U.S. Agent has consistently proven himself a valuable ally to the Avengers and a hero worthy of his family legacy.

U.S. Agent: Origin and Background

John Walker made his debut in 1986's Captain America #323, though it would be years still before he actually took the name U.S. Agent. Walker is initially portrayed as a brutal vigilante named Super-Patriot, one who has all of Captain America's intense patriotism but lacks his strong moral compass. His brash attitude and extreme methods instantly win him public support.

When a disillusioned Steve Rogers chooses to abandon the Captain America mantle rather than work as an agent of the US government, Walker is chosen to become his replacement. This is one example of a popular trend in the '80s and '90s, where Marvel temporarily replaced iconic heroes with rookie newcomers (James Rhodes as Iron Man, Eric Masterson as Thor, etc.).

While they weren't exactly friends in the past, Walker does his best to honor the legacy and example of Steve Rogers during his time as Captain America. Unfortunately, that proves easier said than done. Between his own extreme methods and some less than savory missions from his handlers at The Commission, Walker begins to crack under the pressure of being Captain America. He's further pushed to the brink when his former sidekicks expose his secret identity and cause the murders of his parents. Walker's tenure as Cap comes to an end when the Red Skull orchestrates a confrontation between Walker and Steve Rogers, now going by the codename "The Captain." The two heroes instead team up to defeat their common foe. In the aftermath, Steve reclaims his identity as Captain America and Walker is allowed to retire under a new cover identity and try to rebuild his ruined life. It wasn't long before Walker returned in his new guise as U.S. Agent. The Commission installs U.S. Agent in the newly formed West Coast Avengers, hoping to maintain government oversight over the team. Though Walker repeatedly butts heads with his new teammates (especially Hawkeye), he also proves himself worthy to fight alongside Earth's Mightiest Heroes. After the West Coast Avengers disbanded, U.S. Agent became a member of other teams like Force Works, The Invaders and even Canadian super-team Omega Flight.

Even losing multiple limbs battling rogue super-soldier Nuke wasn't enough to keep Walker down. He became the warden of the maximum-security prison known as The Raft, helping Luke Cage wrangle the Thunderbolts (basically Marvel's answer to DC's Suicide Squad) into an effective fighting unit. Walker later had his body restored to full health and took up the mantle of U.S. Agent once more.

U.S. Agent's Powers and Abilities

He may look and fight like Captain America, but U.S. Agent is considerably stronger. Where in the comics Steve Rogers' body has been boosted to the peak of normal human potential, John Walker has true superhuman strength, agility and endurance. That's allowed him to gain the upper hand on Cap in the past, though Cap's decades of experience tends to level the playing field. Walker has also been trained in various forms of armed and unarmed combat. He's even been coached by Taskmaster in how to aim Captain America's unbreakable shield. Walker carried that shield during his tenure as Captain America. After becoming U.S. Agent, he's made use of several alternate shields, including a vibranium shield created by Black Panther and a star-shaped shield with retractable spikes. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/23/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-6-review]

U.S. Agent in the MCU

For as long as U.S. Agent has been active in the Marvel Universe, you'd think he'd have spent more time outside of the comics. But to date, he's only made a handful of appearances in video games like Marvel vs. Capcom, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and Marvel Heroes, usually in the form of an alternate costume choice for Captain America. However, that U.S. Agent drought is now at an end. John Walker made his live-action debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which hit the Disney+ service on March 19, 2021. Wyatt Russell (Lodge 49) plays the character, who first took on the mantle of Captain America in the wake of Steve Rogers (though interestingly his Cap costume was a play on the U.S. Agent suit from the comics). He butted heads with Sam Wilson over the honor of becoming the next Captain America. Just because Steve Rogers gave Sam his shield didn't mean the government would honor that gentleman's agreement, and while Sam didn't really even want to wield the shield at first, in time he came to realize that he could make positive change in the role. Walker, meanwhile, was hand-picked to become the new Cap as a sort of patriotic morale booster for a nation still struggling to come to terms with the fallout of the Blip. But after his partner Battlestar was killed by the Flag-Smashers, he went berserk and killed one of that group. The government stripped him of the shield and the title of Cap.

When we last saw him in the show, he had seemed to redeem himself somewhat in that he helped Sam (who had now taken on the mantle of Captain America) and Bucky against the Flag-Smashers. But after that battle, we also saw that he was now working for Julia Louis-Dreyfus' mysterious Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, a.k.a. Val. And he now has a new costume -- a black version of his Cap suit that is the U.S. Agent look from the comics. Time will tell where this is all going, but we clearly haven't seen the last of John Walker.

April 23, 2021: This story has been updated with the latest information about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

[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.

Warning: this article contains full spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier's finale! Be sure to check out IGN's review of the new episode! [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/23/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-6-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has ended its six-episode run on Disney+. While it remains to be seen whether the series will get a second season, it's clearly setting up a number of future plot points in the MCU -- not the least of which is Captain America 4. The finale may even be laying the groundwork for the Samuel L. Jackson-starring Secret Invasion series. How does Sam Wilson's rise as Captain America play into that alien conspiracy? Read on to find out.

Is Sharon Carter Really the Power Broker?

Sharon Carter's character arc may well be the series' most controversial element among MCU fans. While many have been clamoring for Emily van De Camp's elite secret agent to the return to the spotlight, they weren't necessarily pulling for Sharon to become an outright villain in the process. But that appears to be what's happening. Sharon has been revealed as the Power Broker, and she's keen to use her newly acquired pardon as a way of growing her underground network. Why has Sharon undergone such a drastic transformation? The Falcon and the Winter Soldier would have us believe she's simply disillusioned. Having been branded a fugitive by the system she swore to uphold, Sharon has now turned on that system. She cares only about personal profit, even if that means arming a new generation of super-soldiers and turning them loose on the world. We have to imagine there's more to Sharon's sudden heel turn, however. Would Peggy Carter's favorite niece really turn her back on her allies and her country? This is one case where the most outlandish explanation may be the correct one. This isn't Sharon Carter at all. She's actually a Skrull impostor. That final phone call was likely to her fellow Skrull sleeper agents. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"] Marvel is gearing up to begin filming Secret Invasion later in 2021. We don't have many firm details about the plot of that series yet, but we do know it reunites Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn's Talos as they work to uncover an alien conspiracy on Earth. The original Secret Invasion comic revealed the Skrulls have spent years kidnapping and replacing various superhumans and politicians, paving the way for a complete global takeover. Even though Kevin Feige has confirmed the Secret Invasion TV series won't focus on the Avengers as much as the comic did, we can assume the basic premise remains the same. Expect the MCU to undergo a Battlestar Galactica phase over the next couple years, as more and more familiar characters turn out to be shape-shifting impostors. This would explain why Sharon has gone down such a dark road. The real Sharon may have been replaced at some point in the seven years between Captain America: Civil War and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Her Skrull doppelganger is now using Sharon's face and connections to build an underground criminal network, all with the goal of destabilizing major governments and sowing chaos. If Skrull Sharon does her job well, Earth's heroes may be too busy putting out fires to notice an alien invasion taking place right under their collective nose. It may be that even the Flag-Smasher movement is really a Skrull front. Perhaps "One world, one people" isn't meant to represent humanity's post-Blip destiny, but is instead the mantra of the Skrull Empire as it seeks to claim Earth for its own.

Contessa and Nick Fury

The finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier again features Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, further teasing a prominent role for this new character in the years to come. Contessa has successfully recruited John Walker to her cause, transforming him from Captain America to US Agent. Contessa tells her new super-soldier that things are about to get "weird," ad we can only assume US Agent is the first member of a team designed to battle whatever weirdness is afoot. Marvel has yet to reveal where Contessa will appear next in the MCU, though at one point she was meant to have a cameo in Black Widow. Secret Invasion seems the most likely option. The simple fact that Contessa and Nick Fury have such a close-knit relationship in the comics makes her a natural fit for a Fury-centric Disney+ series. We may come to learn Contessa is working with Fury to build this new team. The Avengers served their purpose, but now Fury needs a group of superhumans willing to cross lines and do whatever it takes to get the job done. Whether that team winds up being called the Secret Avengers, Secret Warriors, Dark Avengers or something else entirely, their mission may be to stop the Skrull invasion at all costs. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/10/falcon-and-winter-soldier-episode-4-the-real-reason-why-captain-america-is-a-bad-guy-now-mcu-canon-fodder"] That said, we shouldn't be taking Contessa at face value, either. While she was depicted as a faithful agent of SHIELD for most of her comic book career, 2009's Secret Warriors revealed Contessa has actually been a triple agent all along. She betrayed Fury in service of Hydra, only to then turn on Hydra and defect to the Russian organization Leviathan. Even before that reveal, Contessa was among the many heroes replaced by a Skrull during the Secret Invasion crossover. It remains to be seen whether either of these plot twists is in Contessa's MCU future. But that recent comic book history suggests she's not a character to be trusted in any universe. Fury clearly has his hands full these days, but he should be keeping his one good eye on Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.

Where Is the Real Sharon Carter?

This theory raises an important question. If the Sharon Carter seen in this series is actually a Skrull, where is the real Sharon? Is she dead, or simply a captive of whatever Skrull faction is preparing an invasion of Earth? If the comic is any indication, it's the latter option. The Skrulls don't kill the heroes they abduct, in part because they use them as genetic fodder to create a new generation of Super-Skrulls. Like the original Super-Skrull, who was granted the powers of all four members of the Fantastic Four, these Skrulls have been given major upgrades that mimic the powers of various Avengers and X-Men. One particularly nasty Super-Skrull was even able to wield Beta Ray Bill's hammer, Stormbreaker. Ultimately, those heroes and villains who were abducted by Skrulls are able to return to Earth and resume their old lives, but at a cost. How do you reintegrate into humanity when an alien has been wearing your face and living your life for months or years? That struggle is most embodied by Spider-Woman, who essentially becomes the face of the invasion after she's replaced by the Skrull Queen Veranke. The post-Secret Invasion series Spider-Woman: Agent of SWORD deals with that lingering trauma, showing Jessica Drew becoming an agent of SWORD as a way of escaping her ruined life on Earth. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] Again, the MCU version of Secret Invasion isn't as centered on costumed superheroes as the comic. The MCU has yet to even introduce Spider-Woman (that seems to be more in Sony's ballpark). With that in mind, Sharon may wind up filling that Spider-Woman role in this version of the story. How will the real Sharon react to being replaced? Will her old friends still accept her after the Skrull invasion? If Sharon has indeed been replaced, then the real Sharon will have a lot to atone for when she finally wins back her freedom. The MCU might combine elements of Secret Invasion with that of Ed Brubaker's Captain America run. In that series, Steve Rogers is seemingly assassinated after the events of Civil War, and a brainwashed Sharon Carter is revealed to be the shooter. The idea being that while shooting Steve isn't her fault, Sharon still faces a long, uphill battle to atone for her actions and recover psychologically. Sharon's story may well continue in Secret Invasion and into The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: Season 2 or even a Sharon Carter: Agent of SWORD spinoff. So if you're disappointed in the direction the MCU has taken Sharon, know that this is probably just the start of something much bigger for the character. [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 Love, Death and Robots season two premiere is right around the corner — and season three isn’t too far behind.

The second volume of the anthology series will premiere with eight episodes on May 14. You can watch the trailer here. Netflix has also ordered a third season, which is set to premiere in 2022. Considering the first volume took years to complete, both Netflix and the creative team thought fans would benefit more from having eight episodes this year and eight more next year. The new season will combine ideals, aesthetics, and storytelling from both dystopian and utopian science fiction, as well as fantasy storytelling – a similar mix to what many fans first fell in love with during the anthology’s first season.

IGN caught up with creator Tim Miller and director Jennifer Yuh Nelson ahead of the announcement to talk about the series, animation, and what’s to come.

Animation, especially adult animation, is experiencing a bit of a renaissance. Between Adult Swim, YouTube, and Netflix series like Love, Death and Robots, it’s an exciting time for sci-fi fans who want a little more adult narrative. A show like Love, Death and Robots would have faced a harder time getting greenlit if it came up 10 or 15 years ago. Adult Swim was one of the few networks trying to give adult animation a chance, but even it was restricted by FCC rules. On Netflix, where anything goes, Miller and Nelson are making the show they dreamed of working on as teens.

“The first season of LDR was really groundbreaking for a lot of people,” Nelson — who joined the show this year as supervising director and helmed a few of the shorts — told IGN. “And people saw that and thought, ‘This is possible’; that level of beauty and quality and just subversive stories was possible. As a fan, that's something I've always wanted to do.”

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When Miller and David Fincher pitched Netflix on the first anthology set years ago, it was still a bit of a risk. Netflix didn’t have any data to prove whether something like this could even work. For a streaming service built on using data to place its bets, it was like going in completely blind. Miller had heard similar responses before from networks — executives didn’t know if the idea would work, and that uncertainty is partially what led to Heavy Metal being in limbo for more than a decade, Miller told IGN. He was concerned that Netflix wouldn’t move forward with it, but was pleasantly surprised.

“They came back and said, ‘We don't have any data, we don't know if it's gonna tank or explode, but we think it's cool and we're willing to take that risk,” he said.

Now, with the series’ second volume around the corner, Miller and his team have proven there’s an audience for this type of adult animation. While some of Love, Death and Robots is mature, and while some of it does require an older audience to sit through a gory or disturbing scene, the creators didn’t intentionally go out of their way to be edgy. The goal is finding a balance of stories, some lighthearted and some a little darker, that feel distinctly different.

Miller and Nelson have always committed to finding stories that resonate with themselves and their team, but there was a new challenge that greeted them as they worked away on the second volume: the pandemic. Although the pandemic itself didn’t interfere with their work — animation is one of the few entertainment areas that can be done almost entirely remotely, and it’s why some networks turned to animation hybrid episodes for their own series — there were a few internal conversations about imagery in the shorts as it may have pertained to the pandemic. Ultimately, Netflix was hands off, giving Nelson and Miller their complete support.

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“They really do trust us to do what we think is right,” Miller said. “We had a few internal discussions, but it really was like, ‘Oh, isn't it weird that ‘Snow in the Desert’ has a bunch of scenes with people with masks on their face? It has a mix of dystopia and utopia, but I feel it's all kind of utopian. Even in the dystopia, I want to make people feel better. There's always got to be a ray of hope, even in the really dark stories.”

One thing Miller learned from the first series was to lead with comedy. When Love, Death and Robots premiered, the order of shorts changed depending on the subscriber. This is also something only Netflix could do at the time compared to other major entertainment players. The distribution model caught a lot of attention, and Miller said that although Netflix never shared viewership numbers with him or his team, he did learn to lead with comedy, not some of the edgier shorts.

“In the fullness of time, I think it would have been better if we drew them in with something like comedy rather than challenge them right out of the gate,” Miller said. “That was the biggest lesson we learned being on Netflix. It's such cool technology where you can actually see with a small focus group and test that concept.”

Another core advantage to being on Netflix is the tantalizing possibility that Miler and Nelson can do even more with Love, Death and Robots using the technology available to them. Could Love, Death and Robots get its own interactive special like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch? It’s a matter of bandwidth, according to Miller.

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“There's some interesting things that we can do that aren't so narrative driven that I would love to do,” Miller said. “But I also don't want to lose our focus on the narrative if we do that.”

The good news for fans is that Miller and Nelson don’t plan to end the series anytime soon. Volume three is already being worked on and, if Netflix signed off tomorrow, they’d have enough stories and ideas to get started on a fourth volume, Miller said. The idea of continuing, and going even further so, “we can get even better stories and give people more of what they want is a huge, run ride,” Nelson added. The duo have no plans of stopping work on their show — as long as Netflix continues signing off.

“Why would we stop doing this as long as they let us continue to do it?” Miller asked. “I love animation, and I love animators. They're just kind of a unique breed. It’s a real honor to be able to, as Jennifer said, bring these people the project that they never thought they would get. It's really like a Santa Claus sort of moment in the best possible way.”

Warning: This article contains full spoilers for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier Episode 5! Be sure to check out IGN's review of the new episode: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/16/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-5-review"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] The penultimate episode of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier gives Marvel fans an unexpected treat in the form of a major cameo. Seinfeld and Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus makes her debut as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who is also known as Madame Hydra in the comics. Given Contessa's connections to other Marvel heroes like Nick Fury and the fact that such a big-name actress was cast for this brief scene, it's probably safe to assume the series is setting up a major new storyline. To get an idea of what that might involve, let's take a look at Contessa's comic book roots and what could be in store for this intriguing and deadly character. [caption id="attachment_250172" align="aligncenter" width="1376"] Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who is also known as Madame Hydra in the comics.[/caption]

Who Is Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine?

Her name is quite a mouthful, but Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine is all about making a strong first impression. She certainly left an impression on Nick Fury. Created by writer/artist Jim Steranko, Contessa made her debut way back in 1967's Strange Tales #159. At the time, Nick Fury wasn't yet the mastermind SHIELD director we know him as today. Instead, he was simply Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD, and his globetrotting adventures were heavily inspired by the James Bond movies. And what fun is a Bond adventure without a Bond girl? That's basically where Contessa comes in, though describing her as "Nick Fury's girlfriend" doesn't begin to do her justice. She immediately wins Fury's eye (no pun intended) with a well-placed judo throw during a sparring match, and the two have been practically inseparable ever since. As Fury works his way up the ranks, Contessa too becomes one of the agency's most valuable assets. She's also a member of SHIELD's unfortunately named Femme Force, a team spearheaded by none other than Agent 13 herself, Sharon Carter. Along with former Howling Commando Dum Dum Dugan, Contessa is Fury's most faithful ally. [caption id="attachment_2501702" align="aligncenter" width="1510"] Art by Stefano Caselli. (Image Credit: Marvel)[/caption] Or so he thinks. It turns out there's much more to her tragic back-story than even the Director of SHIELD could have guessed. Contessa may be wealthy, debonair and literal Italian nobility, but her childhood was anything but easy. As a girl she saw her parents executed for aiding a group of rebels. Though she claims to have joined SHIELD in order to give meaning to their deaths, in truth Contessa is a mole with ties to both Hydra and its Russian counterpart, Leviathan. Her love for Fury is genuine, but her goals don't necessarily align with that of SHIELD or the US government.

Is Contessa a Hero or Villain?

Watching Louis-Dreyfus in action as Contessa, it can be tough to get a read on who she is and what she really wants. Why exactly is she trying to recruit the discredited former Captain America? Is John Walker being groomed to join a team of fanatical, patriotic killers? At this point we simply don't know, but we do know that Contessa is a character who doesn't neatly fit into the hero or villain categories. For most of her comic book career, Contessa has been portrayed as a heroic agent of SHIELD. It was only in 2009's Secret Warriors (a major source of inspiration for both Agents of SHIELD and Agent Carter) that Fury learned the truth about the agency to which he devoted his life. SHIELD has always been a part of Hydra. At this point, Contessa reveals her true colors by claiming the mantle of Madame Hydra. But it's not long before she betrays her Hydra allies by revealing herself to be truly aligned with Leviathan. So basically, she's a double mole. By the end of the series, Fury manages to outwit his enemies and manipulates Hydra and Leviathan into destroying one another, leaving a defeated Contessa to rot in a German prison. But ever the romantic, Fury gives it all up to free "his girl" from a lifetime of captivity. At this point, it's hard to say whether Contessa will be a force for good or evil in the MCU. We don't even know how much, if any, of her history with Nick Fury will be adapted for this universe. But as someone who suffered immense tragedy as a child, she seems to value those willing to cross moral and legal lines in order to do what needs to be done (as she sees it, anyway). That may explain the literal calling card she leaves with John Walker. One side is black and the other white, suggesting she believes good and evil are just two sides of the same coin. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"]

Contessa's MCU Future

Again, we surely haven't seen the last of Louis-Dreyfus as Contessa in the MCU. In fact, we've already learned Contessa was originally intended to debut in the Black Widow movie. While it's unclear whether she's still appearing in that movie, the fact that it was ever in the cards gives us a few clues as to Contessa's larger role in the MCU. It certainly implies a connection to the seedy, espionage-focused underground of this superhero universe. Is Contessa a part of the Red Room Program that created living weapons like Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova? Will the MCU revive the Leviathan organization with Contessa as one of its members? Leviathan already played a big part in Agent Carter, but that organization has had decades to regroup and plan its next move. If Leviathan is coming back into play, Marvel may finally be gearing up to show us what state the espionage world is in following the collapse of SHIELD. As far as the movies would have us believe, Hydra was effectively dismantled in the year following the events of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Agents of SHIELD showed that wasn't entirely the case, but it's still unclear whether the movies will ever acknowledge the events of that series. The inclusion of the Darkhold in WandaVision may suggest neither Agents of SHIELD nor Hulu shows like Runaways are officially part of the MCU. So it's anyone's guess at this point whether Hydra might return. Perhaps Contessa will become Madame Hydra in the MCU, playing Hydra and the relatively young agency SWORD against one another for Leviathan's benefit? We may see more Leviathan/Hydra tomfoolery to come, but Contessa's small role in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier suggests she's more interested in recruiting like-minded soldiers. She's already reached out to John Walker - a man with the powers of Captain America but a much different and more ruthless moral code. Her potential Black Widow appearance could similarly involve her recruiting someone like Yelena Belova or Taskmaster. Contessa may be building a team. And maybe, unlike the Avengers, this team is all about getting results, no matter how much collateral damage they cause along the way. Could we be seeing the seeds of the Thunderbolts in the Marvel Universe? A Thunderbolts movie/series has been heavily rumored for a while now. That team has undergone several incarnations in the comics, including as a very Suicide Squad-esque lineup of incarcerated villains. But the original Thunderbolts were a team of villains taking on new identities to fill the power vacuum left by the missing Avengers. That team was even led by Baron Zemo. In other words, don't be surprised if Contessa pops up again outside Zemo's cell with a tempting offer. Finally, it's also worth pointing out that Contessa is one of several Marvel characters who's kidnapped and replaced by a Skrull impostor in 2008's Secret Invasion. With a Nick Fury-centric Secret Invasion series in the works at Disney+, it may be no coincidence that Fury's special lady-friend has suddenly made her first MCU appearance. Whatever Contessa's motives, we can guarantee the rabbit hole goes very deep. What do you think is going on with Contessa in the MCU? Let's discuss in the comments! [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 first trailer for The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard has been released. The movie is the sequel to the 2017 action comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson.

Reynolds returns as bodyguard Michael Bryce, who is attempting to get out of the bodyguard guard game by relaxing by a tropical beach. Things change when he encounters Sonia (Salma Hayek), an infamous international con artist and wife of assassin Darius Kincaid (Jackson), who Bryce had to protect in the first movie. Very dangerous people want Sonia and Darius dead, and Bryce presume must resume the bodyguard life once more. Violent mayhem and lots of wise-cracking follows--if you saw the first movie, you'll know what to expect. Check the trailer out below:

The movie also stars Antonio Banderas, Morgan Freeman, and Frank Grillo, and it's directed by Patruck Hughes, who also helmed the first films. The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard hits theaters on June 16, having been moved forward from a release date in August.

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Google is rolling out a 'Heads Up' feature on Android that will remind you to stop using your phone while you're walking.

Imagine you’re Sebastian Stan, star of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. You’re getting your coffee order one morning when suddenly a stranger starts spouting the supposed code words that make your character Buckey Barnes, a formerly brainwashed assassin, turn into a murder machine.

Such interactions happen “quite often,” Stan confirmed to BBC Radio 1.

“It happens at coffee shops,” Stan said. “It happens a lot. And it's always very funny. It's an honorable thing I guess. You're very taken with it all the time. You do have to sometimes look at people in the face and say, 'No, I will not become the Winter Soldier when you say that. You can keep saying it, and maybe you should say it, maybe that's a moment we both need to have together, now, here. But nothing crazy will happen.'”

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Fans first got a look at those mysterious code words, which the nefarious Hydra used to continually brainwash Buckey, in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. They were then later used by Helmut Zemo, a former Sokovian colonel, to reactivate Buckey’s Winter Soldier persona in Captain America: Civil War.

If you were wondering what the code words were in case you happened to stumble into Stan at your local coffee joint: “Longing, rusted, seventeen, daybreak, furnace, nine, benign, homecoming, one, freight car.”

Good luck trying to say it in Russian, though. Even that took Zemo some practice. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/02/the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-episode-3-review"]

If you’ve missed Zemo and his adversarial relationship to the Winter Soldier, you can check out IGN’s review of The Falcon and Winter Soldier episode 3. We’ve also got a lot of theories about the questions that episode 3 raises.

For more, visit our hub for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/Manchurian Candidate for IGN.

Xiaomi’s cutting edge Mix series is back with the Mi Mix Fold – the company’s first foldable phone that is packed with innovative features. So much so that the folding display may not even be the most interesting component on the phone. The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold has an 8" internal display (4:3) and a 6.5" external display The large internal screen is an 8.01” OLED panel with 4:3 aspect ratio (1440p+ resolution). It’s a tablet-sized display and Xiaomi claims it is the largest display on a foldable smartphone, although Huawei may disagree with this. Still, it’s large enough that...

Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet was one of our favorite shows of 2020, and the show's second season is almost here--it arrives on Apple TV+ May 7. To celebrate, Apple has released a promo featuring our favorite game testers, Rachel (Ashly Burch) and Dana (Imani Hakim), testing a variety of non-video-game objects.

Rachel and Dana's storyline throughout Mythic Quest Season 1, during which an adorable romance between them began to blossom, was one of the show's highlights. It's fun to see that the actors have great chemistry together as well. Check out the video below.

Mythic Quest is a workplace comedy from the creators of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, as well as Ubisoft Film & Television and Lionsgate TV. It stars It's Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney as Ian Grimm, the creative director of the titular game Mythic Quest. David Hornsby, who plays "Cricket" on It's Always Sunny, is also on the show, and Charlie Day helped write the second season.

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Keanu Reeves recently made his comic book writing debut on the BOOM! Studios series BRZRKR, and now the actor will produce and star in a live-action BRZRKR movie and anime series on Netflix. Netflix has acquired the rights to the series just weeks after the March 3 release of BRZRKR #1. The live-action movie will be released first, though no release timetable has been revealed. The anime series will follow later and expand on characters and story elements introduced in the movie. Reeves will also lend his voice to the anime. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=brzrkr-get-a-sneak-peek-of-keanu-reeves-new-comic&captions=true"] The BRZRKR comic is written by Reeves and Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT), with art by Ron Garney (Daredevil), colors by Bill Crabtree (The Sixth Gun), letters by Clem Robins (100 Bullets), and character designs and covers by Rafael Grampá (Dark Knight Returns: The Golden Child). The series follows a protagonist named B, an immortal demigod who's spent 80,000 years honing his skills as a killer. In the present, B works as an agent of the US government, hoping to finally uncover the truth of his existence and find a way to end his unnaturally long life. As you can see from the preview art above, the character B is directly modeled after Reeves himself, so it's likely he and his collaborators were planning for a film version from the very beginning. Along with Reeves, BOOM! Studios executives Ross Richie and Stephen Christy and Company Films' Stephen Hamel will produce the movie. BOOM's Adam Yoelin will executive produce. Netflix has yet to announce a writer, director or other cast members. The BRZRKR comic will run for 12 issues in total and will also be collected into three graphic novels. BOOM! also offered the series on Kickstarter last September, giving readers the chance to purchase exclusive versions of all three graphic novels. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/03/matrix-4-dune-more-2021-movies-coming-to-hbo-max-ign-now"] Reeves's next big action movie will be The Matrix 4, which hits theaters and HBO Max on December 22. Reeves is also set to begin production on the fourth and fifth John Wick movies in 2021, which will shoot back-to-back. Kindt, meanwhile, recently made headlines by creating one of the world's first single-release NFT comics. [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.

This Raspberry Pi project uses AI to track mosquitoes and zap them with a laser beam.

This maker is using an old IR thermometer as housing for a Tensorflow-powered Cat detecting gun.

The new Netflix movie Metal Lords from Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff is progressing with the announcement of its main cast. It's the first project coming from the Game of Thrones showrunners as part of their mega-rich deal with Netflix.

The movie tells the story of three kinds who want to start a heavy metal band. Jaeden Martell, who starred in the new Stephen King It movies and Knives Out, will play one of the leads, alongside Isis Hainsworth (The Victim, Wanderlust) and Adrian Greensmith, who is making his feature film debut with the project.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist director Peter Sollett is attached to direct Metal Lords. He's also lined up to direct the long-in-development Minecraft movie.

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It will be a long time before you see any of it, but production on Season 4 of Netflix's Cobra Kai has officially begun. The streaming service announced the beginning of filming by sharing a photo of the Season 4 premiere script, titled "Let's Begin." The news didn't stop there, as Netflix also revealed some changes to the show's cast.

First and foremost, Peyton List (Tory) and Vanessa Rudio (Carmen) have both been made series regulars for Season 4, after previously appearing in recurring roles. That means Miguel's mother (and Johnny's love interest) should be around a lot more often, as will Samantha LaRusso's eternal rival, Tory.

Additionally, two new cast members have been added to the roster. Dallas Dupree Young, who recently appeared on Netflix's The Big Show Show, starring new AEW commentator Paul Wight, has been cast, as well as newcomer Oona O'Brien.

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Sometimes it takes a long time for a movie to get made. James Cameron worked on Alita: Battle Angel for nearly 20 years. But Steven Spielberg has him beat by a country mile with his latest project. Spielberg is finally bringing Stephen King and Peter Straub's The Talisman to life with some help from Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The story behind The Talisman is pretty unusual. Often times, directors, actors, or producers will find a story that grabs them and 'option' it so that they can make a film or show out of it. Sometimes the project happens, and other times it peters out and the rights default back to the creator. Spielberg bought the rights to The Talisman right when the book came out in 1984--nearly 40 years ago. Not only that, he also bought the rights in perpetuity, meaning that if someone was going to make The Talisman, it would either be Spielberg himself or someone he hand picked.

Now, it's finally happening. Spielberg is going to make a television show out of The Talisman for Netflix. In an especially small-world-snake-eating-its-tail moment, Spielberg has tapped the Duffer Brothers to executive produce the series. The Duffer Brothers are the minds behind one of Netflix's most popular original series, Stranger Things, a story heavily inspired by Stephen King, from the red-outline text on the title card to the super-powered kid fighting otherworldly monsters.

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Warning: This article contains full spoilers for WandaVision's finale! [poilib element="accentDivider"] WandaVision's final episode has arrived, and there's a lot to unpack. The series finale pits Wanda Maximoff against Agatha Harkness, and not every character is left standing when the dust clears and the Hex is dissolved. If the finale has you confused as to which character Evan Peters is actually playing and how all of this feeds into upcoming MCU movies like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Captain Marvel 2, fear not. Here's a full breakdown of the big reveals in the finale and why those two post-credits scenes are so significant.

The Fate of Vision and Wanda's Family

WandaVision is ultimately a show about confronting grief, and it's only fitting that Wanda's story ends on a very bittersweet note. She's able to beat Agatha at her own game and release her magical stranglehold on the residents of Westview, but she loses her entire family in the process. Given their unnatural origins, neither Vision nor their children can exist outside of the Hex. With the Hex gone, so is this echo of the original Vision and the two sons who were never fully real in the first place.

What Happened to White Vision?

None of this is to say we won't be seeing these characters in future MCU projects. For one thing, we know SWORD's rebuilt White Vision is still around. Wanda's recreation of Vision was able to unlock the dormant memories contained within his counterpart's mind. This Vision now remembers everything up to the point where he was killed in Avengers: Infinity War. But as we'll probably see, regaining those memories is only part of the equation. This Vision is a cold, emotionless being, much like the White Vision that was introduced in Marvel's comic book universe. As Wanda's Vision pointed out by referencing the Ship of Theseus thought experiment, White Vision isn't truly the original Vision because he lacks the humanity and emotional complexity that defines this unique synthezoid being. The physical molecules and memories are there, but the humanity is still missing. The question is whether White Vision can recover that lost humanity through time and experience. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/after-wandavision-whats-next-for-the-scarlet-witch-ign-now"]

What About Billy and Tommy?

As for Billy and Tommy, it's widely speculated the two characters will return as teenagers in a future Young Avengers project (either a Disney+ series or a movie). In the comics, Wanda is also forced to give up her twin sons after learning they were created from aspects of the demon lord Mephisto. Only much later is it revealed their souls are freed and both are reincarnated in new human bodies. Though the finale seems to dispel any and all theories about Mephisto being the secret villain behind the events in Westview, it does seem safe to assume Billy and Tommy will undergo a similar transformation in the MCU. They'll probably return as Wiccan and Speed, joining up with the likes of Kate Bishop and Cassie Lang to from the Young Avengers. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wiccan-and-speed-the-weird-history-of-scarlet-witchs-children&captions=true"]

Pietro Maximoff or Ralph Bohner?

Ever since Evan Peters appeared in the final scene of Episode 5, Marvel fans have been wondering one thing - is Peters actually playing the Quicksilver from Fox's X-Men universe, or is he some sort of impostor? More to the point - is Quicksilver a harbinger of more crossovers between the MCU and the X-verse? Sadly, that doesn't appear to be the case. The finale reveals "Pietro" is the Ralph to whom Agnes has been alluding all along. His real name is Ralph Bohner (possibly a reference to the late Andrew Koenig's Richard "Boner" Stabone from Growing Pains). When Darcy said Wanda "recast" Pietro, she was right on the money. Ralph is literally an actor, one of many Westview residents unlucky enough to be drafted into Wanda's fake reality. The fact that Marvel cast Peters in the role seems to be more a red herring than a sign the boundaries between the MCU and the X-verse are breaking down. In hindsight, the depiction of Ralph's speed powers seem to have been the telltale clue this isn't actually Fox's Quicksilver. He may look like that Quicksilver, but the blue speed trail is pure MCU Quicksilver. Wanda (or Agatha) imbued her neighbor with the powers of her late brother, and then Agatha manipulated Ralph for her own ends. Will we see more of Ralph in the MCU? Probably not, but anything is possible. There's always a chance Marvel will pivot again and reveal Ralph is actually the Fox Quicksilver. Even if not, we may find out Ralph retained his speed powers after the collapse of the Hex. That would pave the way for Peters to play a Quicksilver in the MCU, even if it's not the same one from the X-Men movies. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-cast-and-characters&captions=true"]

Agatha's Future in the MCU

Agatha Harkness turned out to be the closest thing the series has to a main villain. But unlike most MCU villains, Agatha actually survives the final battle. She has a much worse fate in store. As the series ends, Agatha is the one person in Westview still trapped in Wanda's fake reality, doomed to live out her life as Agnes the nosy neighbor. Given that Agatha is basically a magical vampire who's been alive for centuries, we have no way of knowing how short or long that life may be. The finale hints Wanda will eventually return to Westview to consult with the much more magically knowledgeable Agatha. This suggests the dynamic between the two characters will eventually shift in a more comics-inspired direction. Normally, Agatha is depicted as Wanda's supernatural mentor. And if there's one takeaway from this episode, it's that Wanda is in desperate need of a teacher. It's also interesting to note that Agatha describes herself as someone who takes power from those who don't deserve it. It's hard not to be reminded of Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo from Doctor Strange. That movie ends with a disillusioned Mordo breaking away from his order and embarking on a quest to eliminate all the unworthy sorcerers in the world. We could easily see a scenario where Mordo finds a like-minded ally in Agatha. In exchange for freeing her from Wanda's prison, Agatha may agree to help Mordo eliminate their common enemies. That could be a key plot point in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If Mordo wants to cull the world of unworthy magicians, he may see Wanda as the most unworthy of them all. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2016/10/25/doctor-stranges-end-credits-scene-explained"]

The Darkhold and Doctor Strange 2

Speaking of ties to the next Doctor Strange movie, we get some pretty big clues to how WandaVision sets up the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The finale confirms one running theory surrounding the series, as we learn Agatha is indeed in possession of the Darkhold. That supernatural tome also played a big part in Agents of SHIELD and Runaways, though it's unclear whether this is the same book or a copy. Or, for that matter, whether this is another nail in the coffin of the idea that those earlier Marvel TV projects are connected to the MCU in the first place. The book certainly doesn't look much like the other versions. Regardless, we can almost certainly expect the Darkhold to play a big part in Doctor Strange 2. The end-credits sequence reveals the warring sides of Wanda Maximoff, with Wanda's physical form enjoying her peaceful solitude while her astral from feverishly studies the book for guidance on how to bring Billy and Tommy back to life. It's unclear whether those screams are figments of Wanda's tortured mind or if the souls of Billy and Tommy really are trapped in limbo somewhere. Hell? The Dream Dimension? The actual Limbo? All three are realms we could see in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That psychic speedreading technique is similar to the one employed by Stephen Strange. Wanda may turn to Strange as the next step in her quest to better understand her powers and find the key to restoring her sons. Alternatively, Strange may be the one seeking her out. Surely the Sorcerer Supreme has caught wind of what went on in Westview, and he may realize Wanda is an extremely dangerous wild card if her powers aren't properly trained and focused. We may well see Strange serve as the mentor Wanda so badly needs. But expect there to be plenty of friction in that relationship, particularly as Wanda tries to harness the power of the Darkhold and Strange urges her to respect the laws and norms of the magical world. Depending on how the movie unfolds, Wanda could wind up becoming the true villain of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Agatha did tell us the Scarlet Witch's power exceeds that of the Sorcerer Supreme... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=marvel-cinematic-universe-every-upcoming-movie-and-tv-show&captions=true"]

Is WandaVision Setting Up Nightmare?

Again, WandaVision's final episode didn't give us the big mystery villain reveal many were expecting. It really was Agatha all along. That doesn't necessarily mean the series hasn't been setting up a major villain for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, however. Specifically, there's more reason to believe Nightmare is fast approaching. Prior to the finale, there were only a few subtle clues that could be interpreted as teases for Nightmare. But the final episode wades a bit deeper into those waters, as we learn the residents of Westview were forced to endure Wanda's nightmares whenever they slept. They seem to have become a sort of buffer helping Wanda keep her grief at bay. That feels an awful lot like a hint of darker things to come. What happens when the most powerful magician in the world is forced to face her tormented dreams? What other villains might be drawn to her power when she's asleep and at her most vulnerable? Previously, when Mephisto was the top candidate for being the series' main villain, we speculated he might have been affected by the sudden reversal of the Blip. Having access to all those fresh souls and then suddenly losing them would surely anger any demon. But that same idea can be applied to Nightmare. He's a powerful demon who draws strength from the dreams of mortals. Theoretically, Nightmare would have been severely weakened when half the living beings in the universe were blipped away. Now that his food source has been replenished, Nightmare may be looking to consolidate power, and Wanda could be the perfect vessel for his plans. Prior to the debut of the final episode, speculation was running rampant that Nightmare would put in a small appearance, likely via a post-credits scene. One particular rumor claimed the role would be played by none other than Mark Hamill. Clearly, those rumors didn't pan out. But between the handful of clues on WandaVision, the "Multiverse of Madness" title and the fact that Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson revealed his desire to use Nightmare in the sequel (before he left the project), Nightmare seems very likely to make his MCU debut soon. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/11/wandavision-showrunner-explains-why-they-revisited-the-blip"]

Jimmy Woo and Monica Rambeau: What's Next?

Marvel has been teasing a much more interconnected approach to its upcoming slate of movie and TV projects, and the inclusion of familiar faces like Randall Park's Jimmy Woo and Teyonah Parris as an adult Monica Rambeau. Both characters are clearly being set up for bigger things in the near future, even if their respective paths may not cross with Wanda's again. While Jimmy has been played mostly as a comic figure in both Ant-Man and the Wasp and WandaVision, the finale shows he has great leadership skills and is fully comfortable playing both the sneaky prisoner and the task-force leader. That's probably important, given his role in the Marvel Comics world. There, Jimmy is the leader of a secretive spy team known as the Agents of Atlas. The MCU's Jimmy seems a little ways off from becoming like his comic book counterpart, but the hope is that WandaVision is the first step along the road to an Agents of Atlas series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=sword-a-history-of-marvels-other-spy-agency&captions=true"] As for Monica, WandaVision seems to be directly setting the stage for her role in Captain Marvel 2. The mid-credits sequence shows her being approached by a Skrull agent working for Nick Fury. While we're not sure who this Skrull is, she could possibly be the daughter of Ben Mendelsohn's character Talos. That might create a sort of kinship between her and Monica in Captain Marvel 2, with both women being the adult daughters of great heroes from the first movie. As we saw in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Fury has been busy working with the Skrulls to create some sort of space station. Fury was probably working alongside Monica's mother Maria, and now perhaps he wants Monica to finish what her mother started. Captain Marvel 2 may show SWORD's transition into the space-based agency it is in the comics, with the now superhuman Monica taking on a prominent role as Photon or Spectrum (two of her many codenames in the comics). And at that point, we may finally learn why Monica seems to be holding a grudge against Carol Danvers. For more on WandaVision, check out IGN's review of the finale, see all the Marvel Easter eggs and sitcom references and learn why there's much more to come with Wanda's story in the MCU. [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.