Chris Terrio, the screenwriter behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, has broken his silence on his experience working with Waner Bros. across two DC blockbusters. And he hasn’t been happy. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Terrio talks about his experiences on Batman v Superman, which he was brought onto to help revise an existing script, and Justice League which he hoped would be a chance to start fresh before director Zack Snyder left and the DC brought in replacement Joss Whedon. In one part of the interview, Terrio says he acknowledges complaints with both his DC movie scripts but says that’s what happens when whole portions of the script are cut out to save on length. As for the other criticism that his vision of the DC universe is too dark, Terrio says the version of Batman v Superman he was hired to rewrite was even darker. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] “The studio seemed to take this position after [Batman v Superman] that my writing was too dark and this was their problem,” Terrio says. “But what they didn’t mention was that, for example, in the draft of the Batman/Superman script that W.B. ha developed — [which was] the draft I was handed when I joined the project — Batman was not only branding criminals with the bat brand, he also ended the movie by branding Lex Luthor.” Terrio says he “went to the mat” with WB over this ending arguing that while Batman can begin the movie as this unrecognizable dark character, he needs to end it on a path to redemption — a theme Terrio hoped to continue in Justice League. “[Batman] has to see the error of his ways and remember his better self in the course of the movie. By the end of the movie, he needs to be the Batman we know, and he has to be ready to go and create the Justice League,” says Terrio. Terrio also cut original ideas like Superman “raining hell upon Black African Muslim characters in the desert,” after Lois is punched by one of her kidnappers early in the movie. “I wanted to say [to WB], ‘I’ve been saving you from yourselves!” Terrio says. “‘I’ve been working with the director to bring a voice of conscience and sanity to the almost perversely dark film you’ve been developing for years, but I’m the problem here?’” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/12/03/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-trailer-2"] The screenwriter says despite his experience on Batman v Superman he signed on to write Justice League for a chance to write these characters with “love and hope,” but the working conditions for that film were similarly complicated. For example, the Wonder Woman script wasn’t finished when Terrio wrote Justice League and so he says he had no basis to write Wonder Woman or Aquaman for that matter. And while Terrio won’t comment on how Joss Whedon handled the reshoots, saying he never met Joss and doesn’t know him, he says after watching Whedon’s cut of the Justice League Terrio called his lawyer to try and get his name off that version of the film. But removing his name so close to the film’s release would have delayed the movie creating a scandal. “So I shut up and I said nothing publicly. I’ve never said anything about Justice League since then, but the movie doesn’t represent my work.” As for the Snyder cut, Terrio praises Snyder for shooting much of his script intact and is happy to accept the critiques or praises now that it’s his original version on screen. “People do have problems with this version of the film… But that I can take because that is actual critique of my work. That’s fair game, and that I’ll engage with any day. People can quarrel with the movie, but at least they’re quarreling with my version and with Zack’s version of the film.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Chris Terrio, the screenwriter behind Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Zack Snyder’s Justice League, has broken his silence on his experience working with Waner Bros. across two DC blockbusters. And he hasn’t been happy. In a new interview with Vanity Fair, Terrio talks about his experiences on Batman v Superman, which he was brought onto to help revise an existing script, and Justice League which he hoped would be a chance to start fresh before director Zack Snyder left and the DC brought in replacement Joss Whedon. In one part of the interview, Terrio says he acknowledges complaints with both his DC movie scripts but says that’s what happens when whole portions of the script are cut out to save on length. As for the other criticism that his vision of the DC universe is too dark, Terrio says the version of Batman v Superman he was hired to rewrite was even darker. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] “The studio seemed to take this position after [Batman v Superman] that my writing was too dark and this was their problem,” Terrio says. “But what they didn’t mention was that, for example, in the draft of the Batman/Superman script that W.B. ha developed — [which was] the draft I was handed when I joined the project — Batman was not only branding criminals with the bat brand, he also ended the movie by branding Lex Luthor.” Terrio says he “went to the mat” with WB over this ending arguing that while Batman can begin the movie as this unrecognizable dark character, he needs to end it on a path to redemption — a theme Terrio hoped to continue in Justice League. “[Batman] has to see the error of his ways and remember his better self in the course of the movie. By the end of the movie, he needs to be the Batman we know, and he has to be ready to go and create the Justice League,” says Terrio. Terrio also cut original ideas like Superman “raining hell upon Black African Muslim characters in the desert,” after Lois is punched by one of her kidnappers early in the movie. “I wanted to say [to WB], ‘I’ve been saving you from yourselves!” Terrio says. “‘I’ve been working with the director to bring a voice of conscience and sanity to the almost perversely dark film you’ve been developing for years, but I’m the problem here?’” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/12/03/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-trailer-2"] The screenwriter says despite his experience on Batman v Superman he signed on to write Justice League for a chance to write these characters with “love and hope,” but the working conditions for that film were similarly complicated. For example, the Wonder Woman script wasn’t finished when Terrio wrote Justice League and so he says he had no basis to write Wonder Woman or Aquaman for that matter. And while Terrio won’t comment on how Joss Whedon handled the reshoots, saying he never met Joss and doesn’t know him, he says after watching Whedon’s cut of the Justice League Terrio called his lawyer to try and get his name off that version of the film. But removing his name so close to the film’s release would have delayed the movie creating a scandal. “So I shut up and I said nothing publicly. I’ve never said anything about Justice League since then, but the movie doesn’t represent my work.” As for the Snyder cut, Terrio praises Snyder for shooting much of his script intact and is happy to accept the critiques or praises now that it’s his original version on screen. “People do have problems with this version of the film… But that I can take because that is actual critique of my work. That’s fair game, and that I’ll engage with any day. People can quarrel with the movie, but at least they’re quarreling with my version and with Zack’s version of the film.” [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Avengers #44! [poilib element="accentDivider"] There's a brand new host for the Phoenix Force in the Marvel Universe, and it's not Jean Grey. In fact, the new Phoenix is about the most unlikely candidate of all. The Avengers #44 wraps up "Enter the Phoenix," a story wherein the Avengers have been fighting amongst themselves to determine the hero most worthy the wield the Phoenix Force. Black Panther in particular is adamant that one of the Avengers must harness this incredible power in order to confront "the age of chaos" that's fast approaching. But in the end, it's not an Avenger who claims the ultimate prize, but Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo. [caption id="attachment_2497619" align="aligncenter" width="1640"] Art by Javier Garron. (Image Credit: Marvel)[/caption] Even as the Phoenix-empowered Avengers battle each other, Echo confronts each hero in turn, absorbing their fragment of the Phoenix Force and finally emerging as the one true host of the Phoenix. As she explains, the Phoenix isn't impressed by the power heroes like Hulk and Namor wield. It's powerful enough already. The Phoenix feeds on emotions, and as someone blessed/cursed with a photographic memory, Echo is basically a living font of emotion and pain. Plus, her ability to mimic anyone's fighting style and wield any weapon ensures she'll be able to harness her new power like no one before her. This is certainly an unexpected twist for a character who normally operates in the darker underbelly of the Marvel Universe. Echo has mostly appeared in series like Daredevil and Moon Knight, though she did have a brief stint as an Avenger when she became the first character to take up the costumed identity of Ronin. This massive upheaval is also interesting given that Echo is about to make her MCU debut in the Hawkeye series on Disney+, after which the streamer will debut a spinoff series starring Alaqua Cox's Echo. It remains to be seen if Echo will permanently become the new Phoenix in Marvel's comic book universe or if she'll revert to a more traditional status quo in time for her live-action series. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=whos-who-in-marvels-hawkeye-on-disney-plus&captions=true"] It also remains to be seen how the new Phoenix will play into the future of the series. Right now, the next Avengers storyline will tie into the King in Black crossover and showcase Blade leading the vampire nation. After that, Marvel looks to be putting The Avengers on hiatus as writer Jason Aaron and artist Ed McGuinness launch Heroes Reborn. Rather than a followup to the infamous crossover event of the '90s, the new Heroes Reborn reveals an alternate Marvel timeline where the Avengers never formed and the Squadron Supreme are instead the world's dominant super-team. Do you think Echo is a good choice as the new Phoenix? Should this powerful being stay within the X-Men family? let us know what you think in the comments below. [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.

After a launch filled with server issues, the developers of Outriders are awarding any player who tried the game in its first two weeks a Community Appreciation Package. The developers say they're still working on the package, but the plan is to make the rewards available for anyone who played Outriders between March 31 and April 11. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=outriders-ign-first&captions=true"] The gift includes a Legendary Weapon and an amount of Titanium that matches the player's highest leveled character. In addition, players will receive the "Frustration" emote. The emote may match some emotions players felt during the game's launch, but the developers say the irony is fitting, but not intentional. Outriders servers had to be taken down last weekend so the developers could, "bring it back into a healthy and stable state." The team also noted it is working on a long-term fix, rather than just temporarily fixing the server issues. In addition to working on improving multiplayer stability, the team is also rebalancing some skills in the game. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/25/outriders-weapons-explained-by-developers"] The game has seen a huge player base since its initial launch, with over 100,000 people playing on Steam at its peak. For more, you can check out our Outriders review in progress, where we say, "the action itself is still great – especially when played with friends." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Logan Plant is a news writer for IGN, and the Production Assistant for Nintendo Voice Chat, IGN's weekly Nintendo show. You can find him on Twitter at @LoganJPlant.

Disney has confirmed that both Jungle Cruise and Free Guy have not been delayed and that they will be premiering exclusively in theaters, meaning they will not be released on Disney+ on the same day. Jungle Cruise is set to hit theaters on July 30, 2021, and Free Guy will arrive shortly after on August 13, 2021. Jungle Cruise will be released three weeks after Black Widow, which will be made available in both theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on July 9. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/03/10/disneys-jungle-cruise-official-trailer-2"] This news from Disney may show some of the company's optimism that movie theaters will be a much more viable option with the greater availability of the COVID-19 vaccine across the world. Pixar's Luca is still planned for a Disney+ release date of June 18, 2021, and still has no plans for a theatrical release. The Beatles: Get Back, the upcoming documentary from Peter Jackson that covers the making of the Beatles' Let It Be album, has also been given a August 27, 2021 theatrical release date. Disney's next film, Cruella, will also be making its way to movie theaters but, like Black Widow, will be made available on Disney+ with Premier Access. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/05/free-guy-official-trailer-2-2020-ryan-reynolds-taika-waititi"] [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.

This week, nab a free Lampadati Tropos Rallye, free Jock Cranley suits for logging in, triple rewards in Hunting Pack and Freemode Challenges, and more.

Netflix and Sony Pictures have struck a deal that will keep upcoming Spider-Man films and other selections from Sony Pictures on Netflix after they finish in theaters, the Wall Street Journal reports. The reportedly multi-year contract will start with Sony's 2022 film slate. Netflix will have first-look rights to movies Sony is producing or licensing for streaming platforms. The number of films Netflix has committed to ordering is currently undisclosed. Notably, the deal doesn't stop Sony from selling streaming rights to other platforms. Sources speaking to Variety also said that the deal will amount to a record-setting sum for a pay-one window agreement. The deal is reportedly set to last five years and the New York Times reports that Netflix will pay about $1 billion to Sony over four years. Sony can make a pay-one window agreement such as this in part because it doesn't have its own streaming platform like Disney+ or HBO Max. So what has Netflix definitely earned for its money? WSJ reports that future Spider-Man movies will land on Netflix following their theatrical runs (it's unclear if Tom Holland's Spider-Man: No Way Home is included in the deal), along with other Marvel characters Sony stills holds the rights to, like Jared Leto's Morbius and Tom Hardy's Venom. Netflix will also license certain older Sony Pictures films. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/spider-man-no-way-home-what-the-title-reveals-about-the-mcu-sequel"] Films from studios under Sony's umbrella will also be included, such as the Jumanji franchise. Those studios include Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Screen Gems, and TriStar Pictures. Sony executives are also reportedly working on an additional theatrical film licensing agreement beyond the Netflix deal, Variety reports. Sony has previously partnered with Starz for its theatrical streaming agreements since 2006. Starz is currently owned by Lionsgate, who also lost out on Rian Johnson's Knives Out sequel to Netflix for the tune of $450 million. The Netflix deal only covers the United States. Historically, pay-one window agreements allow for films to hit streaming platforms about nine months after a theatrical run. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/13/morbius-official-teaser-trailer"] Netflix and Sony's relationship has strengthened in recent years, with the studios agreeing on streaming rights for Sony's animated films, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Sony's announcement certainly hopes to assuage any fears that it's looking at letting go of theatrical releases in a world complicated by COVID-19. Sony says the deal will be "additive" to its theatrical schedule, "which will continue at its current volume." [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

It only took 27 years, but the billionaires are finally talking about building Jurassic Park. They're talking about the Jurassic Park seen in the movie of the same name – you know, the famous 1993 movie where some very rich people fill a theme park with real dinosaurs after extracting DNA preserved in resin, only for it all to go down horribly when a Tyrannosaurus Rex escapes its enclosures, eats humans, and wrecks havoc all over the island of Isla Nublar... that one. More specifically, Elon Musk's Neuralink co-founder, Max Hodak, said on Twitter last week that they could likely build a Jurassic Park if they wanted to. It's unclear who he was referring to when he used the word "we."

we could probably build jurassic park if we wanted to. wouldn’t be genetically authentic dinosaurs but (shrug emoji). maybe 15 years of breeding + engineering to get super exotic novel species

— Max Hodak (@max_hodak) April 4, 2021

While not directly connected, it seems Hodak is particularly interested in conserving the biodiversity on Earth, if not all together creating even more novel diversity. He tweeted on April 4 saying, "biodiversity is definitely valuable" and "conservation is important and makes sense." He then asked, "but why do we stop there?" followed up by, "why don't we more intentionally try to generate novel diversity?" Biodiversity here refers to the variety of life on Earth ranging from variations as microscopic as genes to things as large as entire ecosystems. Credit where credit's due, dinosaurs would certainly be a form of "novel diversity," but it seems Hodak might be forgetting how the whole Jurassic Park thing went, not to mention how the sequels played out. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-deaths-in-the-jurassic-park-movies&captions=true"] Neuralink is a company founded by Musk, Hodak, and others in 2016 and as the name suggests, it's a company focused on creating implantable brain-machine interfaces. In February, Musk talked in the social app Clubhouse about how Neuralink, "has a monkey with a wireless implant in their skull with tiny wires." The monkey is part of a trial where Neuralink hopes to make the cyborg monkey play "mind pong" with another cyborg monkey. The Neuralink device being used in the trial is made up of more than 3000 electrodes that can monitor 1000 different neurons. As IGN reported back in February, Musk addressed concerns of animal welfare in Neuralink trials. The billionaire said, "you can't see where the implant is and he's a happy monkey," and he claimed that an inspector from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said the company's laboratory was, "the nicest monkey facility" they had examined. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/02/12/new-tyrannosaur-species-discovered-dubbed-reaper-of-death"] To be clear, Hodak did not say he has any plans to create a real world Jurassic Park – he seemed to be referring to the technology either his company or humans as a whole, have in terms of possibilities of creating genetically modified species of dinosaurs. For more about dinosaur creation, check out this story about how scientists extracting DNA from insects preserved in resin (sound familiar?) have, "no intention of raising dinosaurs." Read this story about a new dinosaur species discovered recently in Patagonia dubbed the "one who causes fear" after that, and then check out this story about a T-Rex and Triceratops locked in the same fossil. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer, guide maker, and science guru for IGN. He likes dinosaurs, but doesn't need them to be alive again and is totally fine with riding the Jurassic Park ride at Universal Studios for his dinosaur fix. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson confirmed that production on DC’s Black Adam film starts this week.

Johnson made the announcement on Wednesday via Instagram, where he showed himself “Black Adam ready,” sweating through his workout clothes.

“It’s always the work we quietly put in when no one is watching that changes the game,” Johnson said. “Grateful for the grind (and the face of my Warrior Spirit always watching my back).” Black Adam is scheduled to release on July 29, 2022, giving the bulk of production a little over a year to wrap things up, assuming COVID-19 restrictions don’t delay anything further. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=doctor-fate-explained&captions=true"]

Black Adam is also planned as a theatrical-only release, meaning HBO likely intends to pull the plug on its day-and-date release plan for certain movies on HBO Max.

Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has also joined the cast of Black Adam as Doctor Fate, along with The Invisible Man’s Aldis Hodge as Hawkman. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

New Era has launched a Japan-exclusive Dragon Ball Z streetwear collection, emblazoned with characters from Akira Toriyama's legendary anime franchise. HYPEBEAST showcased an assortment of threads from the latest New Era x Dragon Ball Z collaboration, currently available on New Era Japan's website. The capsule features a variety of T-shirts and caps featuring some of Dragon Ball Z's best-loved characters, including Gohan, Goku, Majin Buu, and even Dende from the Planet Namek. Check out the New Era x Dragon Ball Z range below: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dragon-ball-z-x-new-era-japan-streetwear-collection&captions=true"] Altogether, the seasonal capsule consists of four different designs on black or white T-shirts, as well as a host of New Era cap styles adorned with various graphics from the beloved franchise. The Dragon Ball Z imagery appears on the 9FIFTY, 59FIFTY, 9FORTY, 9THIRTY, and 9TWENTY headgear silhouettes, with both adult and youth sizes available. To this day, Dragon Ball Z remains one of the most successful anime shows of all time, and for good reason. The series isn't particularly deep, as it basically revolves around superhuman martial artist Goku and his friends testing their mettle against an increasingly powerful and outlandish series of foes. But what the series lacks in terms of plot, it makes up for in humor, kooky characters, and incredible action. The Japanese anime series featured in IGN's picks for the 25 Best Anime Series and 10 Best English Dubbed Anime Series alongside the likes of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Cowboy Bebop, which is getting the live-action treatment over at Netflix. Shinichirō Watanabe, the director of the original series and the movie, is serving as a consultant on the new series. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/12/03/your-top-5-anime-power-ranking"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.