If you thought the weirdest thing about Paul Bettany’s MCU character Vision was that he’s a robot man who’s been mysteriously teleported to a 1950’s sitcom with his magic wife, well...you’ve got another thing coming. According to a new interview with Bettany from Lights, Camera, Barstool, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon originally wanted Vision to have a visible penis during the character’s birth scene.

“I know that Joss Whedon apparently really, really wanted -- the rendition of him, when Vision first is born, before he’s clothed, [Whedon] is like ‘he’s got to have a penis,’” Bettany told Lights, Camera, Barstool. “And everyone, [Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige] and [Marvel Studios co-president Louis D’Esposito], I mean everybody was like ‘I don’t know, Joss...I mean...I’m not sure….’”

We talked to Paul Bettany about #WandaVision and ended up with a story about how Joss Whedon wanted Vision to look when he first appeared in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’.

“He was like, ‘He has to have a penis.’” INTERVIEW: https://t.co/DpjuUp7a2E pic.twitter.com/WxeiERrVWv — Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) January 26, 2021

 

Despite that pushback, Bettany says Whedon continued to insist on Vision having a penis.

“‘He has to have a penis!’” Bettany says, imitating Whedon. “‘I want to see some drawings of penises.’”

Bettany continued telling Barstool that artists at Marvel Studios ended up drawing a number of pieces showing Vision -- again, let me reiterate, a robot man born from the magic of a giant yellow gem -- with a penis and presented them to Whedon.

“And then they went in and sat down and Joss went…’Yeah, I’m 100% wrong. I don’t need to see any of these,’” Bettany said.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/wandavision-episode-3-review"]

The discussion on the bizarre penile proclivity quickly turned to other topics, but it’s worth noting that Bettany has previously joked about Vision possibly having a purple penis that can change density at a whim.

Whedon has become a particularly sore topic in the world of superhero films as of late. The director, who stepped in to finish Justice League for Zack Snyder, has been the focus of allegations and subsequent investigations into toxic workplace behavior during filming of the DC ensemble film. The matter remains shrouded in mystery, however, with Cyborg actor Ray Fisher being removed from the upcoming Flash movie. Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot was also interviewed during WarnerMedia’s investigation and stated she did not get along with Whedon. Whedon left production on HBO Max’s The Nevers series in November 2020, citing the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can catch up on everything we know about WandaVision, including all the classic TV easter eggs littered throughout the series, every cameo, and the very complicated history of Scarlet Witch's pregnancy. Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

If you thought the weirdest thing about Paul Bettany’s MCU character Vision was that he’s a robot man who’s been mysteriously teleported to a 1950’s sitcom with his magic wife, well...you’ve got another thing coming. According to a new interview with Bettany from Lights, Camera, Barstool, Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon originally wanted Vision to have a visible penis during the character’s birth scene.

“I know that Joss Whedon apparently really, really wanted -- the rendition of him, when Vision first is born, before he’s clothed, [Whedon] is like ‘he’s got to have a penis,’” Bettany told Lights, Camera, Barstool. “And everyone, [Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige] and [Marvel Studios co-president Louis D’Esposito], I mean everybody was like ‘I don’t know, Joss...I mean...I’m not sure….’”

We talked to Paul Bettany about #WandaVision and ended up with a story about how Joss Whedon wanted Vision to look when he first appeared in ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’.

“He was like, ‘He has to have a penis.’” INTERVIEW: https://t.co/DpjuUp7a2E pic.twitter.com/WxeiERrVWv — Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) January 26, 2021

 

Despite that pushback, Bettany says Whedon continued to insist on Vision having a penis.

“‘He has to have a penis!’” Bettany says, imitating Whedon. “‘I want to see some drawings of penises.’”

Bettany continued telling Barstool that artists at Marvel Studios ended up drawing a number of pieces showing Vision -- again, let me reiterate, a robot man born from the magic of a giant yellow gem -- with a penis and presented them to Whedon.

“And then they went in and sat down and Joss went…’Yeah, I’m 100% wrong. I don’t need to see any of these,’” Bettany said.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/22/wandavision-episode-3-review"]

The discussion on the bizarre penile proclivity quickly turned to other topics, but it’s worth noting that Bettany has previously joked about Vision possibly having a purple penis that can change density at a whim.

Whedon has become a particularly sore topic in the world of superhero films as of late. The director, who stepped in to finish Justice League for Zack Snyder, has been the focus of allegations and subsequent investigations into toxic workplace behavior during filming of the DC ensemble film. The matter remains shrouded in mystery, however, with Cyborg actor Ray Fisher being removed from the upcoming Flash movie. Wonder Woman actress Gal Gadot was also interviewed during WarnerMedia’s investigation and stated she did not get along with Whedon. Whedon left production on HBO Max’s The Nevers series in November 2020, citing the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. You can catch up on everything we know about WandaVision, including all the classic TV easter eggs littered throughout the series, every cameo, and the very complicated history of Scarlet Witch's pregnancy. Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN.

AMC is feeling the GameStop effect as shares for the beleaguered theater chain opened at around $20 a share. That’s way up from less than a month ago where shares traded as low as $3. Following the short squeeze on GameStop stock, which drove the video game retailer’s stock to record highs over the past week, r/WallStreetBets has taken an interest in other similar businesses whose stocks could potentially lead to similar gains. One of which is AMC. The hobbyist r/WallStreetBets subreddit, driven by the recent squeeze on GameStop stock, has been discussing for weeks similar prospects. Among those, the subreddit has singled out are companies like BlackBerry and AMC. [caption id="attachment_246619" align="alignnone" width="778"] Source: Google.[/caption] GameStop stock for example was in a similar position a year ago when shares hovered between $10 and $16 per share. But recently the stocks have jumped several hundredfolds and have reached as high as $319. The increase in stock prices for GameStop has been driven by a squeeze on short-sellers. Basically, Wall Street investors were betting on GameStop to fail, whereas day traders on r/WallStreetBets rallied behind the struggling video game retailer. The ensuing commotion has caused GameStop stock prices to skyrocket and Wall Street short-sellers are rushing to cover their losses, perpetuating a vicious cycle. r/WallStreetBets is looking to repeat this process with AMC. The theater chain has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. AMC has said that it was facing dire straits, though recently raised over $400 million in financing to keep the company operational through 2021. As with GameStop, the push from r/WallStreetBets for AMC is driven by a variety of factors not necessarily rooted in conventional investing wisdom. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/26/reddit-investor-group-drives-gamestop-stock-to-record-highs-ign-news"] Speaking with GameStop stock traders on r/WallStreetBets, common reasons for investing in a company like AMC has partly to do with FOMO [Fear of Missing Out] or even to stick it to traditional Wall Street hedge funds, who are facing financial consequences for shorting a stock like GameStop. Furthermore, the stock activities for these companies, like AMC and GameStop, aren't necessarily tied to their business performance. AMC and GameStop have not miraculously turned their business around, so to speak. Day trading or hobby investing, has seen a boom thanks to apps like Robinhood, which makes purchasing small amounts of stock relatively easy on commission-free trades. However, the ongoing squeeze has led to increased scrutiny on r/WallStreetBets and both the White House and NASDAQ say they are monitoring the situation. AMC has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter @lawoftd.

AMC is feeling the GameStop effect as shares for the beleaguered theater chain opened at around $20 a share. That’s way up from less than a month ago where shares traded as low as $3. Following the short squeeze on GameStop stock, which drove the video game retailer’s stock to record highs over the past week, r/WallStreetBets has taken an interest in other similar businesses whose stocks could potentially lead to similar gains. One of which is AMC. The hobbyist r/WallStreetBets subreddit, driven by the recent squeeze on GameStop stock, has been discussing for weeks similar prospects. Among those, the subreddit has singled out are companies like BlackBerry and AMC. [caption id="attachment_246619" align="alignnone" width="778"] Source: Google.[/caption] GameStop stock for example was in a similar position a year ago when shares hovered between $10 and $16 per share. But recently the stocks have jumped several hundredfolds and have reached as high as $319. The increase in stock prices for GameStop has been driven by a squeeze on short-sellers. Basically, Wall Street investors were betting on GameStop to fail, whereas day traders on r/WallStreetBets rallied behind the struggling video game retailer. The ensuing commotion has caused GameStop stock prices to skyrocket and Wall Street short-sellers are rushing to cover their losses, perpetuating a vicious cycle. r/WallStreetBets is looking to repeat this process with AMC. The theater chain has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. AMC has said that it was facing dire straits, though recently raised over $400 million in financing to keep the company operational through 2021. As with GameStop, the push from r/WallStreetBets for AMC is driven by a variety of factors not necessarily rooted in conventional investing wisdom. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/26/reddit-investor-group-drives-gamestop-stock-to-record-highs-ign-news"] Speaking with GameStop stock traders on r/WallStreetBets, common reasons for investing in a company like AMC has partly to do with FOMO [Fear of Missing Out] or even to stick it to traditional Wall Street hedge funds, who are facing financial consequences for shorting a stock like GameStop. Furthermore, the stock activities for these companies, like AMC and GameStop, aren't necessarily tied to their business performance. AMC and GameStop have not miraculously turned their business around, so to speak. Day trading or hobby investing, has seen a boom thanks to apps like Robinhood, which makes purchasing small amounts of stock relatively easy on commission-free trades. However, the ongoing squeeze has led to increased scrutiny on r/WallStreetBets and both the White House and NASDAQ say they are monitoring the situation. AMC has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN. You can reach him on Twitter @lawoftd.

Scavengers Studio, the developer of Darwin Project and the upcoming Seasons, has issued an official statement regarding the toxic workplace allegations levied against the studio's co-founders Simon Darveau and Amélie Lamarche. Lamarche, who is Scavengers Studio's CEO, said in the statement that the company "wishes to apologize for the harm caused" and that it is taking these allegations seriously. Additionally, it is "committed to doing better for our employees, our fans and our partners." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/season-announcement-trailer"] The studio held an emergency Board of Directors meeting to decide on the best course of action moving forward, and is enacting the following changes immediately;

• Simon Darveau is indefinitely suspended from all responsibilities within the company and from the Board of Directors.
• An external auditing firm will conduct an independent workplace assessment and audit of our culture and practices.
• Daisy Lilly Best, currently Director of Operations, is appointed as Chief Operating Officer and will be reporting directly to the board of directors for the duration of the audit to ensure complete transparency and accountability.
• The audit report will be shared in its entirety with the team and presented by Daisy to the board for further actions to be taken.

Furthermore, to "ensure a transparent, fair and unbiased process" Lamrache will be stepping down as from her role as CEO for the duration of the audit. She will, however, remain available to "support the studio's normal course of business." Lamarche ends by asking for the patience of the community as it goes through this process, and that the team has full confidence in the creative direction of Season and will "continue to support the amazing work of our talented team." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=season-9-screenshots&captions=true"] The allegations against Darveau came from nine current and former employees of Scavengers Studio and range from creating a hostile workplace to creating a "boys' club" atmosphere to sexual harassment. It was also said that this behavior was enabled by Lamarche, who had served in an HR role to other employees despite having previously been in a romantic relationship with Davreau. [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.

Scavengers Studio, the developer of Darwin Project and the upcoming Seasons, has issued an official statement regarding the toxic workplace allegations levied against the studio's co-founders Simon Darveau and Amélie Lamarche. Lamarche, who is Scavengers Studio's CEO, said in the statement that the company "wishes to apologize for the harm caused" and that it is taking these allegations seriously. Additionally, it is "committed to doing better for our employees, our fans and our partners." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/season-announcement-trailer"] The studio held an emergency Board of Directors meeting to decide on the best course of action moving forward, and is enacting the following changes immediately;

• Simon Darveau is indefinitely suspended from all responsibilities within the company and from the Board of Directors.
• An external auditing firm will conduct an independent workplace assessment and audit of our culture and practices.
• Daisy Lilly Best, currently Director of Operations, is appointed as Chief Operating Officer and will be reporting directly to the board of directors for the duration of the audit to ensure complete transparency and accountability.
• The audit report will be shared in its entirety with the team and presented by Daisy to the board for further actions to be taken.

Furthermore, to "ensure a transparent, fair and unbiased process" Lamrache will be stepping down as from her role as CEO for the duration of the audit. She will, however, remain available to "support the studio's normal course of business." Lamarche ends by asking for the patience of the community as it goes through this process, and that the team has full confidence in the creative direction of Season and will "continue to support the amazing work of our talented team." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=season-9-screenshots&captions=true"] The allegations against Darveau came from nine current and former employees of Scavengers Studio and range from creating a hostile workplace to creating a "boys' club" atmosphere to sexual harassment. It was also said that this behavior was enabled by Lamarche, who had served in an HR role to other employees despite having previously been in a romantic relationship with Davreau. [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.

Tencent has purchased a minority stake in Life Is Strange developer, Dontnod, to create new series. This minority purchase cost Tencent €30 million, or roughly $36 million, and will be used to finance a new franchise from Dontnod for PC, consoles, and mobile devices. The funding will also be used to allow Dontnod to self-publish whatever this new game becomes.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tell-me-why-official-screenshots&captions=true"]

"The funds raised will mainly be used to finance the ramp-up of Dontnod's strategy to develop new self-published intellectual properties worldwide on PC, consoles, and mobile platforms, and thereby take full advantage of positive trends within the industry for creators of internationally renowned and originals games, such as Dontnod," a Dontnod press release reads. In terms of what this new series will be, it's anybody's guess, although one could presume it to be in the style of games Dontnod has continued to make over the years, such as Life Is Strange, Tell Me Why, and Twin Mirror. These are third-person narrative-based games that see the player making choices that affect the outcome of stories and solving small puzzles along the way. Tencent's purchase is part of a total €40 million capital increase that comes by way of an accelerated bookbinding process, according to Dontnod. The studio also announced a, "concurrent signing of a business cooperation agreement with Tencent" as well. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/01/twin-mirror-review"] "We are delighted to welcome Tencent as a Dontnod investor," Chairman and CEO of Dontnod, Oskar Guilbert, said. "This is a real expression of trust from a key online game leader, which is behind a number of success stories and has invested in several leading companies in the video game industry. Through this partnership, Dontnod is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the various growth drivers in the video game industry, in particular in China and on mobile platforms, in cooperation with an industry leader. The capital increase announced today will enable us to step up and boost the roll-out of our development plan, which aims to capture more value from our original creators by self-publishing more games." While waiting for whatever this new franchise is, check out our thoughts on Dontnod's latest two games in IGN's Tell Me Why review and Twin Mirror review. Read this story about a new narrative survival game being developed by the new studio of a Dontnod co-founder after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Tencent has purchased a minority stake in Life Is Strange developer, Dontnod, to create new IP. This minority purchase cost Tencent €30 million, or roughly $36 million, and will be used to finance a new IP from Dontnod for PC, consoles, and mobile devices. The funding will also be used to allow Dontnod to self-publish whatever this new IP becomes.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=tell-me-why-official-screenshots&captions=true"]

"The funds raised will mainly be used to finance the ramp-up of Dontnod's strategy to develop new self-published intellectual properties worldwide on PC, consoles, and mobile platforms, and thereby take full advantage of positive trends within the industry for creators of internationally renowned and originals games, such as Dontnod," a Dontnod press release reads. In terms of what this new IP will be, it's anybody's guess, although one could presume it to be in the style of games Dontnod has continued to make over the years, such as Life Is Strange, Tell Me Why, and Twin Mirror. These are third-person narrative-based games that see the player making choices that affect the outcome of stories and solving small puzzles along the way. Tencent's purchase is part of a total €40 million capital increase that comes by way of an accelerated bookbinding process, according to Dontnod. The studio also announced a, "concurrent signing of a business cooperation agreement with Tencent" as well. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/01/twin-mirror-review"] "We are delighted to welcome Tencent as a Dontnod investor," Chairman and CEO of Dontnod, Oskar Guilbert, said. "This is a real expression of trust from a key online game leader, which is behind a number of success stories and has invested in several leading companies in the video game industry. Through this partnership, Dontnod is perfectly positioned to take advantage of the various growth drivers in the video game industry, in particular in China and on mobile platforms, in cooperation with an industry leader. The capital increase announced today will enable us to step up and boost the roll-out of our development plan, which aims to capture more value from our original creators by self-publishing more games." While waiting for whatever this new IP is, check out our thoughts on Dontnod's latest two games in IGN's Tell Me Why review and Twin Mirror review. Read this story about a new narrative survival game being developed by the new studio of a Dontnod co-founder after that. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

The World of Darkness is coming to VR with a new title, Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife. This VR title will exist in the same universe as Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. Set in a world where vampires, werewolves, and now ghosts are all real, Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife stars photographer Ed Miller who is dead by the start of the game. But fear not, he becomes a wraith and can traverse between the world of the living and the dead. As a wraith, Ed must enter the opulent Barclay Mansion and use supernatural powers to uncover the horrible mystery behind the mansion's dark history. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wraith-the-oblivion-announcement-gallery&captions=true"] The Oblivion - Afterlife is a single-player, story-focused game with an emphasis on mystery and exploration. Players will use their ghostly powers and commune with a mysterious voice called The Shadow who will push Ed closer to "Oblivion" where departed souls ultimately go. There will be some instance of combat in The Oblivion as Ed must face off against malevolent spirits haunting the Barclay Mansion. Check out the announcement trailer below with in-development footage of the Shadow. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/27/wraith-the-oblivion-afterlife-announcement-trailer"] "Being the first studio in the world to create a video game based on Wraith: The Oblivion AND the first-ever VR game set in the World of Darkness has made us incredibly proud," says Fast Travel Games Creative Director Erik Odeldahl in a statement. "We cannot wait for all of you to try it out." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wraith-the-oblivion-afterlife-screenshots&captions=true"] The World of Darkness is fast expanding in the world of video games. Alongside The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, which has unfortunately been delayed, games set in the Werewolf universe are also on the way from The World of Darkness. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

The World of Darkness is coming to VR with a new title, Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife. This VR title will exist in the same universe as Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. Set in a world where vampires, werewolves, and now ghosts are all real, Wraith: The Oblivion - Afterlife stars photographer Ed Miller who is dead by the start of the game. But fear not, he becomes a wraith and can traverse between the world of the living and the dead. As a wraith, Ed must enter the opulent Barclay Mansion and use supernatural powers to uncover the horrible mystery behind the mansion's dark history. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wraith-the-oblivion-announcement-gallery&captions=true"] The Oblivion - Afterlife is a single-player, story-focused game with an emphasis on mystery and exploration. Players will use their ghostly powers and commune with a mysterious voice called The Shadow who will push Ed closer to "Oblivion" where departed souls ultimately go. There will be some instance of combat in The Oblivion as Ed must face off against malevolent spirits haunting the Barclay Mansion. Check out the announcement trailer below with in-development footage of the Shadow. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/27/wraith-the-oblivion-afterlife-announcement-trailer"] "Being the first studio in the world to create a video game based on Wraith: The Oblivion AND the first-ever VR game set in the World of Darkness has made us incredibly proud," says Fast Travel Games Creative Director Erik Odeldahl in a statement. "We cannot wait for all of you to try it out." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wraith-the-oblivion-afterlife-screenshots&captions=true"] The World of Darkness is fast expanding in the world of video games. Alongside The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, which has unfortunately been delayed, games set in the Werewolf universe are also on the way from The World of Darkness. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.