You might expect writer Ed Brubaker would be thrilled see one of his most famous Marvel creations headlining a series on Disney+. But Brubaker reveals he's anything but happy about the debut of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Appearing on a recent episode of Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin's podcast Fatman Beyond, Brubaker takes Marvel Studios to task for what he views as a pattern of not fairly compensating comic book creators when their characters and stories are adapted for the MCU. “I think I might be the only person in America not excited about this show. When I see the ads for the show, it actually kind of makes me feel sick to my stomach,” Brubaker says. “As a company, why would you want that to be the way the creators feel?” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] While Brubaker may not have created the character of Bucky Barnes (who's been around since 1941's Captain America Comics #1), he and artist Steve Epting did create the concept of the Winter Soldier and the back-story that explains how Bucky survived his apparent death in WWII and became a brainwashed Soviet assassin. Brubaker's long, influential run on Captain America has greatly influenced the direction of the MCU (particularly 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2016's Captain America: Civil War), but that hasn't yielded Brubaker much in the way of royalties from Marvel. In fact, he reveals he's earned more money from SAG residuals for his brief cameo role in The Winter Soldier than he has from Marvel Studios. Brubaker adds, "I probably will watch it at some point. I'm conflicted about it, because, like, I knew going in it was work-for-hire, but also when I was writing it, they didn’t have their own movie studio and weren’t owned by Disney. So the idea that this character would go on to be a huge franchise where kids would come trick-or-treating at my house dressed as him.” Brubaker's complaints are unfortunately common among comic creators. Because most Marvel and DC creators operate under a work-for-hire agreement, they're generally legally entitled to very little when their work is adapted for other media (though the specific terms of each creator's contract may vary). As IGN has explored in the past, this has led many former Marvel creators to depart the company and pursue creator-owned projects that offer greater financial rewards if those stories are adapted for film and TV. Brubaker himself has pivoted to creator-owned books like Fatale and The Fade Out, and also co-wrote Amazon's Too Old to Die Young with Nicolas Winding Refn. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/09/isaiah-bradley-the-vile-history-behind-marvels-forgotten-captain-america"] Marvel has previously faced legal battles from the estate of Jack Kirby, which sought to reclaim the copyright for Kirby's numerous Marvel creations. While the SDNY ruled in Marvel's favor in 2011, the Supreme Court nearly took up a review of the case before Marvel quietly settled with the Kirby estate in 2014. "Everybody kept coming over to me after the movie and going, ‘How much did they give you for this?’ When you have a hundred people asking how much they gave you for this, it starts to eat away at you a little bit," Brubaker says. "Look, I knew what I was getting into, and I’m not unhappy with my life, or that I wrote this thing. I am super-proud of all the work I did on Daredevil, and Cap, and I don’t love my X-Men run but there are people who like it. I loved working at Marvel, I had a great time there – but at the same time I also feel like, you know, be a little more generous.” Do you think Marvel should be compensating creators like Brubaker more for their contributions to the MCU? Let us know in the comments below. For more on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, check out IGN's review for Episode 5 and learn why this episode's big cameo almost happened in a different MCU project. [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.

You might expect writer Ed Brubaker would be thrilled see one of his most famous Marvel creations headlining a series on Disney+. But Brubaker reveals he's anything but happy about the debut of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Appearing on a recent episode of Kevin Smith and Marc Bernardin's podcast Fatman Beyond, Brubaker takes Marvel Studios to task for what he views as a pattern of not fairly compensating comic book creators when their characters and stories are adapted for the MCU. “I think I might be the only person in America not excited about this show. When I see the ads for the show, it actually kind of makes me feel sick to my stomach,” Brubaker says. “As a company, why would you want that to be the way the creators feel?” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-cast-and-characters&captions=true"] While Brubaker may not have created the character of Bucky Barnes (who's been around since 1941's Captain America Comics #1), he and artist Steve Epting did create the concept of the Winter Soldier and the back-story that explains how Bucky survived his apparent death in WWII and became a brainwashed Soviet assassin. Brubaker's long, influential run on Captain America has greatly influenced the direction of the MCU (particularly 2014's Captain America: The Winter Soldier and 2016's Captain America: Civil War), but that hasn't yielded Brubaker much in the way of royalties from Marvel. In fact, he reveals he's earned more money from SAG residuals for his brief cameo role in The Winter Soldier than he has from Marvel Studios. Brubaker adds, "I probably will watch it at some point. I'm conflicted about it, because, like, I knew going in it was work-for-hire, but also when I was writing it, they didn’t have their own movie studio and weren’t owned by Disney. So the idea that this character would go on to be a huge franchise where kids would come trick-or-treating at my house dressed as him.” Brubaker's complaints are unfortunately common among comic creators. Because most Marvel and DC creators operate under a work-for-hire agreement, they're generally legally entitled to very little when their work is adapted for other media (though the specific terms of each creator's contract may vary). As IGN has explored in the past, this has led many former Marvel creators to depart the company and pursue creator-owned projects that offer greater financial rewards if those stories are adapted for film and TV. Brubaker himself has pivoted to creator-owned books like Fatale and The Fade Out, and also co-wrote Amazon's Too Old to Die Young with Nicolas Winding Refn. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/09/isaiah-bradley-the-vile-history-behind-marvels-forgotten-captain-america"] Marvel has previously faced legal battles from the estate of Jack Kirby, which sought to reclaim the copyright for Kirby's numerous Marvel creations. While the SDNY ruled in Marvel's favor in 2011, the Supreme Court nearly took up a review of the case before Marvel quietly settled with the Kirby estate in 2014. "Everybody kept coming over to me after the movie and going, ‘How much did they give you for this?’ When you have a hundred people asking how much they gave you for this, it starts to eat away at you a little bit," Brubaker says. "Look, I knew what I was getting into, and I’m not unhappy with my life, or that I wrote this thing. I am super-proud of all the work I did on Daredevil, and Cap, and I don’t love my X-Men run but there are people who like it. I loved working at Marvel, I had a great time there – but at the same time I also feel like, you know, be a little more generous.” Do you think Marvel should be compensating creators like Brubaker more for their contributions to the MCU? Let us know in the comments below. For more on The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, check out IGN's review for Episode 5 and learn why this episode's big cameo almost happened in a different MCU project. [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.

Actress Helen McCrory, known for her roles in Peaky Blinders and Harry Potter, has died at the age of 52.

McCrory’s husband, Damian Lewis (Homeland, Band of Brothers), announced the news Friday morning on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/gSx8ib9PY9

— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) April 16, 2021

“I’m heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family,” Lewis wrote. “She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you.”

McCrory is perhaps best known for playing Peaky Blinders’ Aunt Polly, the matriarch and unofficial head of the Shelby crime family. She also played Narcissa Malfoy, mother of Draco, in Harry Potter in the final three Harry Potter films. She lended her voice to HBO’s His Dark Materials as the daemon Stelmaria, as well. Earlier, she played Mama Jeanne in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and as Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in 2006’s The Queen. Her talents also landed her roles in TV’s Penny Dreadful, Quiz, Roadkill alongside Hugh Laurie, Fearless, and MotherFatherSon.

McCrory won a BAFTA Cymru Award for 1995's Streetlife. Her work on Penny Dreadful earned her a Critics Choice Television Award nomination.

McCrory is survived by her husband Lewis and their daughter.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

Actress Helen McCrory, known for her roles in Peaky Blinders and Harry Potter, has died at the age of 52.

McCrory’s husband, Damian Lewis (Homeland, Band of Brothers), announced the news Friday morning on Twitter.

pic.twitter.com/gSx8ib9PY9

— Damian Lewis (@lewis_damian) April 16, 2021

“I’m heartbroken to announce that after a heroic battle with cancer, the beautiful and mighty woman that is Helen McCrory has died peacefully at home, surrounded by a wave of love from friends and family,” Lewis wrote. “She died as she lived. Fearlessly. God we love her and know how lucky we are to have had her in our lives. She blazed so brightly. Go now, Little One, into the air, and thank you.”

McCrory is perhaps best known for playing Peaky Blinders’ Aunt Polly, the matriarch and unofficial head of the Shelby crime family. She also played Narcissa Malfoy, mother of Draco, in Harry Potter in the final three Harry Potter films. She lended her voice to HBO’s His Dark Materials as the daemon Stelmaria, as well. Earlier, she played Mama Jeanne in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and as Cherie Blair, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, in 2006’s The Queen. Her talents also landed her roles in TV’s Penny Dreadful, Quiz, Roadkill alongside Hugh Laurie, Fearless, and MotherFatherSon.

McCrory won a BAFTA Cymru Award for 1995's Streetlife. Her work on Penny Dreadful earned her a Critics Choice Television Award nomination.

McCrory is survived by her husband Lewis and their daughter.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

The next season of Castlevania is set to be the last as Netflix's popular anime adaptation will bow out after the 10-episode fourth season. Netflix's Twitter account has announced the final season of Castlevania will arrive on May 13. The streamer released a new teaser to go along with the announcement. However, this doesn't mean Castlevania will be leaving Netflix for good. Deadline reports a new series set in the same Castlevania universe is being planned. According to the report, this new series will be set in the same universe but will focus on a new cast of characters. No other details have been reported.

This is where it all started. The final season of Castlevania arrives May 13. pic.twitter.com/sLqWjJxjoA

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 16, 2021

Netflix's Castlevania anime was first released back in 2017. Developed by Adi Shankar and created by Warren Ellis, the Castlevania anime proved to be a hit and opened the doors for plenty of new, animated video game adaptations at Netflix. Now Netflix houses many of these animated shows including a recently released Dota animated series. Other plans include a Witcher anime movie, Assassin's Creed series, Devil May Cry series, and Cyberpunk 2077 anime. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlevania-season-3-gallery&captions=true"] There's plenty of room for a new Castlevania series. Each video game in the series essentially does the same thing. But we'll have to wait until May 15 when the final season of Castlevania is released to see whether there are hints for where the series can go in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. Correction: An earlier version of this story called the new series a spinoff. Netflix has clarified that this is not the case and should be considered a new series set in the same universe.

The next season of Castlevania is set to be the last as Netflix's popular anime adaptation will bow out after the 10-episode fourth season. Netflix's Twitter account has announced the final season of Castlevania will arrive on May 13. The streamer released a new teaser to go along with the announcement. However, this doesn't mean Castlevania will be leaving Netflix for good. Deadline reports a new series set in the same Castlevania universe is being planned. According to the report, this new series will be set in the same universe but will focus on a new cast of characters. No other details have been reported.

This is where it all started. The final season of Castlevania arrives May 13. pic.twitter.com/sLqWjJxjoA

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) April 16, 2021

Netflix's Castlevania anime was first released back in 2017. Developed by Adi Shankar and created by Warren Ellis, the Castlevania anime proved to be a hit and opened the doors for plenty of new, animated video game adaptations at Netflix. Now Netflix houses many of these animated spinoffs including a recently released Dota animated series. Other plans include a Witcher anime movie, Assassin's Creed series, Devil May Cry series, and Cyberpunk 2077 anime. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=castlevania-season-3-gallery&captions=true"] There's plenty of room for a Castlevania spinoff. Each video game in the series essentially does the same thing. But we'll have to wait until May 15 when the final season of Castlevania is released to see whether there are hints for where the series can go in the future. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor.

Following a firmware update this week, LEGO Mario has began calling out for his long-lost brother Luigi, who has yet to get the official LEGO treatment. As reported by Eurogamer, footage of this clever, if a bit haunting bit of marketing appeared on Twitter thanks to those like @AyliffeMakit, which shows LEGO Mario waking up from a nap and calling out for Luigi. IGN has confirmed that this does work, and it will occur if you update LEGO Mario's firmware, let him go to sleep after a minute or so, and then wake him up. It took me about 20 tries to get the Luigi call-out, so keep at it!

In a clever, if a bit haunting bit of marketing, LEGO Mario is now calling out for his long-lost brother Luigi, who has yet to get the LEGO treatment! Looks like the Year of Luigi is back! (But in all reality LEGO Luigi should be announced soon!) @NintendoAmerica @LEGO_Group pic.twitter.com/UCmgptMZyY

— Adam Bankhurst (@AdamBankhurst) April 16, 2021

Responding to a Facebook comment on a video about this update, LEGO said "Now that's a very creative way to get his missing brother. We did notice that LEGO Mario has started calling for him, we’re looking into it and hope to have clarity on why this is soon. Stay tuned!" This seems to all but confirm that Luigi will be joining Mario soon in LEGO form. Since its debut in 2020, LEGO has been supporting its Mario line with new expansion sets and more, and the addition of Luigi at some point should come as no surprise. This news arrives shortly after the infamous "Day Mario Died" that saw the end of the celebration of Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary. Who knows, now that Mario is out of the way, Nintendo could be gearing up for another Year of Luigi! Obviously, we joke... unless? [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/16/lego-super-mario-is-great-once-it-clicks"] If you are still on the fence about whether or not you want to invest in LEGO Mario, be sure to check out our impressions of the set that is actually pretty great... once it clicks. [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.

Following a firmware update this week, LEGO Mario has began calling out for his long-lost brother Luigi, who has yet to get the official LEGO treatment. As reported by Eurogamer, footage of this clever, if a bit haunting bit of marketing appeared on Twitter thanks to those like @AyliffeMakit, which shows LEGO Mario waking up from a nap and calling out for Luigi. IGN has confirmed that this does work, and it will occur if you update LEGO Mario's firmware, let him go to sleep after a minute or so, and then wake him up. It took me about 20 tries to get the Luigi call-out, so keep at it!

In a clever, if a bit haunting bit of marketing, LEGO Mario is now calling out for his long-lost brother Luigi, who has yet to get the LEGO treatment! Looks like the Year of Luigi is back! (But in all reality LEGO Luigi should be announced soon!) @NintendoAmerica @LEGO_Group pic.twitter.com/UCmgptMZyY

— Adam Bankhurst (@AdamBankhurst) April 16, 2021

Responding to a Facebook comment on a video about this update, LEGO said "Now that's a very creative way to get his missing brother. We did notice that LEGO Mario has started calling for him, we’re looking into it and hope to have clarity on why this is soon. Stay tuned!" This seems to all but confirm that Luigi will be joining Mario soon in LEGO form. Since its debut in 2020, LEGO has been supporting its Mario line with new expansion sets and more, and the addition of Luigi at some point should come as no surprise. This news arrives shortly after the infamous "Day Mario Died" that saw the end of the celebration of Super Mario Bros. 35th anniversary. Who knows, now that Mario is out of the way, Nintendo could be gearing up for another Year of Luigi! Obviously, we joke... unless? [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/06/16/lego-super-mario-is-great-once-it-clicks"] If you are still on the fence about whether or not you want to invest in LEGO Mario, be sure to check out our impressions of the set that is actually pretty great... once it clicks. [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.

In its first five months on the market, The PlayStation 5 has become the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in both unit and dollar sales. As revealed by The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella, this news arrives one month after the PS5 became the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in dollar sales. Despite that new record, the Nintendo Switch has continued its reign as the best selling hardware platform in both units and dollars during March 2021. However, the PS5 did rank first in hardware dollar sales in Q1 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] March video game hardware dollar sales as a whole were 47% higher than they were in March 2020, and set a March record of $680 million. Year-to-date hardware spending has totaled $1.4 billion, which is also an increase of 81% year-over-year. As for games, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War returned to the top spot in March 2021, while also securing the best-selling title of both the first quarter and 12-month period ending March 2021. Nintendo Switch-exclusive Monster Hunter Rise claimed the number two spot and has become the second-best selling Monster Hunter game in terms of dollar sales, only trailing Monster Hunter: World. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/23/monster-hunter-rise-review"] Outriders rounded out the top three, and also claimed the number three spot on both Xbox and PlayStation platforms. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came in at number six, and has also become the best-selling racing game in U.S. history. Speaking of Mario, Super Mario 3D All-Stars rose from 16th to 9th place from last month, with sales surely increased due to the infamous "Day Mario Dies." Lastly, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time's Switch release accounted for the game's rise from 65th place in February to 15th in March. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/09/outriders-review-in-progress"] The full list of March 2021's top 20 best-selling games is as follows;

March 2021's Best-Selling Games

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Monster Hunter Rise
3. Outriders
4. Super Mario 3D World
5. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. Assassin's Creed Valhalla
8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
10. Minecraft
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
12. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
13. Pokemon Sword & Shield
14. Mortal Kombat 11
15. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
16. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
17. Madden NFL 21
18. NBA 2K21
19. Super Mario Party
20. FIFA 21

March 2021 consumer spending across video game hardware, content, and accessories reached a March record of $5.6 billion, 18% higher when compared to March 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/22/is-march-31-the-day-mario-dies-ign-now"] All of these hardware sales records are impressive considering the fact that supply of these next-gen consoles are still lower than demand, in part due to global semiconductor shortages. Furthermore, although there are rumors of a "Switch Pro," the Switch shows no sign of stopping its successful sales streak. [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.

In its first five months on the market, The PlayStation 5 has become the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in both unit and dollar sales. As revealed by The NPD Group's Mat Piscatella, this news arrives one month after the PS5 became the fastest-selling console in U.S. history in dollar sales. Despite that new record, the Nintendo Switch has continued its reign as the best selling hardware platform in both units and dollars during March 2021. However, the PS5 did rank first in hardware dollar sales in Q1 2021. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-best-ps5-games&captions=true"] March video game hardware dollar sales as a whole were 47% higher than they were in March 2020, and set a March record of $680 million. Year-to-date hardware spending has totaled $1.4 billion, which is also an increase of 81% year-over-year. As for games, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War returned to the top spot in March 2021, while also securing the best-selling title of both the first quarter and 12-month period ending March 2021. Nintendo Switch-exclusive Monster Hunter Rise claimed the number two spot and has become the second-best selling Monster Hunter game in terms of dollar sales, only trailing Monster Hunter: World. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/23/monster-hunter-rise-review"] Outriders rounded out the top three, and also claimed the number three spot on both Xbox and PlayStation platforms. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe came in at number six, and has also become the best-selling racing game in U.S. history. Speaking of Mario, Super Mario 3D All-Stars rose from 16th to 9th place from last month, with sales surely increased due to the infamous "Day Mario Dies." Lastly, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time's Switch release accounted for the game's rise from 65th place in February to 15th in March. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/04/09/outriders-review-in-progress"] The full list of March 2021's top 20 best-selling games is as follows;

March 2021's Best-Selling Games

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
2. Monster Hunter Rise
3. Outriders
4. Super Mario 3D World
5. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
7. Assassin's Creed Valhalla
8. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
10. Minecraft
11. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
12. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
13. Pokemon Sword & Shield
14. Mortal Kombat 11
15. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
16. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
17. Madden NFL 21
18. NBA 2K21
19. Super Mario Party
20. FIFA 21

March 2021 consumer spending across video game hardware, content, and accessories reached a March record of $5.6 billion, 18% higher when compared to March 2020. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/03/22/is-march-31-the-day-mario-dies-ign-now"] All of these hardware sales records are impressive considering the fact that supply of these next-gen consoles are still lower than demand, in part due to global semiconductor shortages. Furthermore, although there are rumors of a "Switch Pro," the Switch shows no sign of stopping its successful sales streak. [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.