Monthly Archives: January 2020

The Rock Comments On the Passing of His Father, Rocky Johnson

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late WWE Hall of Famer father, Rocky Johnson, who passed away last Wednesday at the age of 75 from natural causes. Rocky Johnson had a decades-spanning career in the wrestling business, mostly during the industry's territory days, and, with partner Tony Atlas, became one half of the first-ever African American tag team champions. Below is The Rock's beautiful message to his father. Click the image to see the full video posted, which shows a pre-teen Dwayne Johnson sitting front row and watching his father wrestle. [caption id="attachment_228950" align="aligncenter" width="650"]Screen Shot 2020-01-18 at 10 Click the image to see the full video![/caption] Johnson ends his tribute with "You lived a very full, very hard, barrier breaking life and left it all in the ring. I love you dad and I’ll always be your proud and grateful son. Go rest high." According to the Tampa Bay Times, Johnson died from a blood clot that had traveled from his leg into his lung. Johnson's friend, and former wrestler, Brian Blair related the news. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/16/the-lovebirds-official-trailer-1"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The Rock Comments On the Passing of His Father, Rocky Johnson

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late WWE Hall of Famer father, Rocky Johnson, who passed away last Wednesday at the age of 75 from natural causes. Rocky Johnson had a decades-spanning career in the wrestling business, mostly during the industry's territory days, and, with partner Tony Atlas, became one half of the first-ever African American tag team champions. Below is The Rock's beautiful message to his father. Click the image to see the full video posted, which shows a pre-teen Dwayne Johnson sitting front row and watching his father wrestle. [caption id="attachment_228950" align="aligncenter" width="650"]Screen Shot 2020-01-18 at 10 Click the image to see the full video![/caption] Johnson ends his tribute with "You lived a very full, very hard, barrier breaking life and left it all in the ring. I love you dad and I’ll always be your proud and grateful son. Go rest high." According to the Tampa Bay Times, Johnson died from a blood clot that had traveled from his leg into his lung. Johnson's friend, and former wrestler, Brian Blair related the news. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/16/the-lovebirds-official-trailer-1"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The Top Selling Comic of the Decade Wasn’t About Superheroes

The list of the Top 100 Selling Comics of the 2010s is out, with the number one spot being held by Marvel - but not for a comic featuring any of the company's hallmark superheroes! No, the top spot went to Star Wars #1, which was Marvel's official relaunch of the series, set back in the time of the film franchise's Original Trilogy. Even though none of Marvel's traditional heroes occupied the top position, the company still dominated the Top 100, with 67 placements. DC came in second with 25 spots. Both IDW and BOOM! scored low, overall, but both publishers landed a coveted spot in the Top 10! You can catch the full 100 list over at PreviewsWorld, but here's a rundown of the Top 10... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-10-best-selling-comics-of-the-2010-decade&captions=true"] The Top 10 Best Selling Comics of the 2010 Decade

  • 1. Star Wars #1 (Marvel, 2015)
  • 2. Detective Comics #1000 (DC, 2019)
  • 3. Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 2014)
  • 4. Secret Wars #1 (Marvel, 2015)
  • 5. Action Comics #1000 (DC, 2018)
  • 6. Bravest Warriors: Tales From the Holo John #1 (BOOM!, 2015)
  • 7. Orphan Black #1 (IDW, 2015)
  • 8. Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 (DC, 2015)
  • 9. Amazing Spider-Man #800 (Marvel, 2018)
  • 10. Star Wars: Vader Down #1 (Marvel, 2015)

In the Top 10, Marvel scored 5 of the spots, with DC claiming three - for thousandth issues of Detective Comics and Action Comics and for Frank Miller's Dark Knight III. Image Comics, not represented in the Top 10, had five issues place in the Top 100 (three were Walking Dead and two were Spawn). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/17/birds-of-prey-soundtrack-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

The Top Selling Comic of the Decade Wasn’t About Superheroes

The list of the Top 100 Selling Comics of the 2010s is out, with the number one spot being held by Marvel - but not for a comic featuring any of the company's hallmark superheroes! No, the top spot went to Star Wars #1, which was Marvel's official relaunch of the series, set back in the time of the film franchise's Original Trilogy. Even though none of Marvel's traditional heroes occupied the top position, the company still dominated the Top 100, with 67 placements. DC came in second with 25 spots. Both IDW and BOOM! scored low, overall, but both publishers landed a coveted spot in the Top 10! You can catch the full 100 list over at PreviewsWorld, but here's a rundown of the Top 10... [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-10-best-selling-comics-of-the-2010-decade&captions=true"] The Top 10 Best Selling Comics of the 2010 Decade

  • 1. Star Wars #1 (Marvel, 2015)
  • 2. Detective Comics #1000 (DC, 2019)
  • 3. Amazing Spider-Man #1 (Marvel, 2014)
  • 4. Secret Wars #1 (Marvel, 2015)
  • 5. Action Comics #1000 (DC, 2018)
  • 6. Bravest Warriors: Tales From the Holo John #1 (BOOM!, 2015)
  • 7. Orphan Black #1 (IDW, 2015)
  • 8. Dark Knight III: The Master Race #1 (DC, 2015)
  • 9. Amazing Spider-Man #800 (Marvel, 2018)
  • 10. Star Wars: Vader Down #1 (Marvel, 2015)

In the Top 10, Marvel scored 5 of the spots, with DC claiming three - for thousandth issues of Detective Comics and Action Comics and for Frank Miller's Dark Knight III. Image Comics, not represented in the Top 10, had five issues place in the Top 100 (three were Walking Dead and two were Spawn). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/17/birds-of-prey-soundtrack-trailer"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Fowler is a writer for IGN and a member of the Television Critics Association. Follow him on Twitter at @TheMattFowler and Facebook at Facebook.com/MattBFowler.

Ninja Reacts to Getting His Own Skin in Fortnite

Update: The Fortnite Ninja skin officially went live in the Item Shop on January 17, a day later than expected. The skin will cost players 1,500 V-Bucks which comes out to around $15. You can see Ninja's reaction to his skin going live in the tweet below.   Tyler "Ninja" Blevins announced on Twitter that he will be getting his very own Fortnite skin. Styled with blue hair and a blue outfit with his logo on it, Epic Games says the cosmetic is designed to bring the "artistic vision, personality, and attitude" of the popular streamer to Battle Royale. The skin was initially discovered by data miners minutes before the announcement took place. The encrypted files were uploaded as part of the new 11.4 patch and of course, data miners discovered the files were in fact skins themed after Ninja. The Ninja Fortnite skin set includes:
  • Ninja outfit
  • Ninja's Edge Back Bling
  • Ninja Emote: a victory dance called the 'Pon Pon'
  • Dual Katanas Pickaxe
If you're wondering how you can grab this limited edition skin, check out our guide below.

How Do I Get the Ninja Skin in Fortnite?

To pick up the Ninja skin, you'll have to wait for the cosmetic to go live as it isn't currently available in the Item Shop. You'll be able to pick it up starting tomorrow, January 16 at the following times:
  • 4pm PST
  • 7pm EST
  • 12am GMT
The Ninja skin is only available for a limited time, however, and availability will end once it's taken down. The Ninja skin will be removed from the Item Shop 3 days later on January 19 at the following times:
  • 5pm PT
  • 8pm ET
  • 1am GMT
To get the skin, make sure to log in between those days and times and purchase it. Ninja also provided a code -- NINJA -- that players can use when they purchase it. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-most-addictive-online-games&captions=true"] The Ninja partnership is part of a new Icon series where Epic Games collaborates with musicians, artists, movies, fashion, and more to bring themed experiences to Fortnite. Past collaborations included Marshmello and Major Lazer. Epic Games also confirmed YouTube creators Loserfruit and The Grefg are future Icon series collaborations. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

The Batman’s Zoe Kravitz on What Excites Her Most About Playing Catwoman

Zoe Kravitz, who will be playing Catwoman in Matt Reeves upcoming film The Batman, recently shared what excites her most about her role as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. At the Television Critics Association, Kravitz told press, "I was never into a lot of comic books but that world was always really intriguing to me." Kravitz continued, "I think Catwoman/Selina Kyle represents really strong femininity and I'm excited to dive into that." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-batman-cast-every-actor-and-character&captions=true"] "Femininity means power and I think it's a different kind of power than masculine power," said Kravitz. "That's something I think is really interesting about Batman and Catwoman. I think Batman represents a very masculine power and Catwoman represents a very feminine power, slightly more complicated. And softer too. I like the idea that you can be soft, you can be gentle, and still be very powerful and so very dangerous." Kravitz was offered the role of Catwoman/Selina Kyle in October 2019. While we don't know too much about The Batman's version of Catwoman, Kravitz has shared that "the script is wonderful, really grounded and deep," according to GameSpot. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/19/ranking-the-batman-movie-villains"] Kravitz will be joining an elite acting cast that includes Robert Pattinson as Batman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. The Batman is now filming in England. For more on the film, be sure to check out our full coverage of The Batman which will be hitting theaters on June 21, 2021. In the meantime, be sure to check out the list of actors who almost played Batman and discover why Christian Nolan turned down a fourth Batman film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.

The Batman’s Zoe Kravitz on What Excites Her Most About Playing Catwoman

Zoe Kravitz, who will be playing Catwoman in Matt Reeves upcoming film The Batman, recently shared what excites her most about her role as Selina Kyle, aka Catwoman. At the Television Critics Association, Kravitz told press, "I was never into a lot of comic books but that world was always really intriguing to me." Kravitz continued, "I think Catwoman/Selina Kyle represents really strong femininity and I'm excited to dive into that." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-batman-cast-every-actor-and-character&captions=true"] "Femininity means power and I think it's a different kind of power than masculine power," said Kravitz. "That's something I think is really interesting about Batman and Catwoman. I think Batman represents a very masculine power and Catwoman represents a very feminine power, slightly more complicated. And softer too. I like the idea that you can be soft, you can be gentle, and still be very powerful and so very dangerous." Kravitz was offered the role of Catwoman/Selina Kyle in October 2019. While we don't know too much about The Batman's version of Catwoman, Kravitz has shared that "the script is wonderful, really grounded and deep," according to GameSpot. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/10/19/ranking-the-batman-movie-villains"] Kravitz will be joining an elite acting cast that includes Robert Pattinson as Batman, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Colin Farrell as Penguin, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, and Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth. The Batman is now filming in England. For more on the film, be sure to check out our full coverage of The Batman which will be hitting theaters on June 21, 2021. In the meantime, be sure to check out the list of actors who almost played Batman and discover why Christian Nolan turned down a fourth Batman film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Andrew Smith is a freelance contributor with IGN. Follow him on Twitter @_andrewtsmith.

Listen To the Latest Game Scoop! Podcast

Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game podcast. There are lots of game delays to discuss this week, and also some big 2020 games we're still waiting on release dates for. We're also talking about Sony blowing off another E3 and a new retro game streaming service. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service. Listen on: Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Stitcher

Listen To the Latest Game Scoop! Podcast

Welcome back to Game Scoop!, IGN's weekly video game podcast. There are lots of game delays to discuss this week, and also some big 2020 games we're still waiting on release dates for. We're also talking about Sony blowing off another E3 and a new retro game streaming service. Watch the video above or hit the link below to your favorite podcast service. Listen on: Apple Podcasts YouTube Spotify Stitcher

Yes, Giancarlo Esposito Knows Why Moff Gideon Wants Baby Yoda in The Mandalorian

Production on Season 2 of Disney+ series The Mandalorian is underway ahead of its Fall 2020 release date, and the daughters of Giancarlo Esposito, who plays the villainous Moff Gideon, are looking out for The Child. "My four daughters watch this and obviously the world is like, 'It's the Baby Yoda show,' and I'm never jealous or have any problem with that, but I have to say, two of my daughters texted me and two of them [called] me: 'Papa, please don't hurt that baby. Don't hurt that baby.' And I said, 'I will squash that little big-eared bastard,'" Esposito told IGN (with a fittingly evil laugh), after we asked him about working with the creature the internet has affectionately dubbed "Baby Yoda" at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/01/03/the-mandalorian-season-1-review"] "Joke, joke, joke," he quickly added. "You know, what we can do with technology today and what a human story we can make out of Mandalorian -- this baby encompasses all of that, and we want to have that hope for our future, especially now in our world." The Mandalorian's season finale was filled with a number of big surprises, including seeing Esposito's character, Moff Gideon, cut himself out of a downed TIE Fighter with the ancient Mandalorian-made Darksaber. "I found out early on and got completely excited by that because, and I didn't realize until my dear manager Josh Kesselman mentioned to me that I'm the only person wielding this Darksaber in this particular episode... [and in] Season 1," Esposito said of the hardware, adding that it's an "exciting moment in time." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2017/01/18/star-wars-rebels-sabine-trains-with-the-darksaber"] "I'm almost a little bit befuddled how to hold it and carry it because it's iconic all on its own," he admitted of the Darksaber, which has a storied history in the Star Wars universe. Season 1 left us with plenty of questions about the show, especially why Esposito's Moff Gideon wants Baby Yoda in the first place. It seems Esposito does know the answer to that question, and – steering clear of spoiling anything – did offer IGN some hints. "I know ... Like any great leader or scientist -- clue, clue, clue -- with someone who is advanced in a certain way, yeah, you could want to be their best friend, or you could want to co-opt what is inside them to figure out how to make all of us a little better at humanity. So it's that power and control of a Moff leader who is trying to put the universe back together," Esposito said. "But, how does he know everything? How does he know everything that's going on? He's a very interesting character and I'm so honored to be a part of this production." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-upcoming-star-wars-movie&captions=true"] Moff Gideon addressed The Mandalorian by his real name -- Din Djarin – in the finale. So far, the two characters have only talked from afar – Gideon shouting ultimatums toward the seemingly trapped Mandalorian, Cara Dune (Gina Carano), Greef Karga (Carl Weathers), IG-11 (Taika Waititi) and Baby Yoda/The Child – so IGN asked if there's a possibility for flashbacks with his character and Pascal's to dig into any potential history between them. "I don't know," Esposito admitted, adding that he would like to work more with Pascal. "I am hoping for something of that nature. Wait 'til you see Season 2," he added. And while Moff Gideon doesn't seem to have altruistic reasons for seeking out Baby Yoda, Esposito himself is a softie when it comes to seeing The Child on set, revealing how deeply he was affected by simply working with the ($5 million) Baby Yoda puppet on set. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2019/11/15/the-mandalorian-theory-spoiler-is-the-key-to-clone-emperor-palpatine"] "Are you kidding me? It melts my heart, because the reality is, this little baby does things that you could never imagine and when you look at those eyes and that little body, how can you not help but fall in love?" he admitted. "Even me as Giancarlo, even me as Moff Gideon, I gotta walk away, I can't look too much at that baby because that baby will put a spell on you." To further illustrate the power of The Child, check out George Lucas lovingly cradling Baby Yoda, why Disney is slapping Etsy creators with Baby Yoda copyright claims, and check out an adorable gallery of Baby Yoda photos below. Plus, see how IGN's staff ranks The Mandalorian in our review roundup. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=an-adorable-gallery-of-baby-yoda&captions=true"]