WandaVision director Matt Shakman and President of Marvel Studios Kevin Fiege had lunch with TV legend Dick Van Dyke - who is also a consultant on Disney+ series - and while he helped set the tone of WandaVision, he also was a bit oblivious to the massive success of the MCU. Shakman spoke with ET about WandaVision and his lunch at Disneyland's Club 33 with Dick Van Dyke - who was the star of The Dick Van Dyke Show and many other classic films - and ET asked Shakman how well-versed Van Dyke was in the MCU. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/16/wandavision-heres-whos-doing-this-to-wanda-and-vision-mcu-canon-fodder"] "We did have to give him the explanation, and he didn't seem to be too fluent with the MCU," Shakman said. "It was great. He did say at one point during our lunch, "Oh, I hear you guys have had some great success. That's wonderful. Congratulations. What did you just put out?" And Kevin, who's great, obviously Kevin is this mastermind of this incredible creative endeavor that's had so much success, he said, "Well, yes, well, we just put out Avengers: Endgame." And [Dick] was like, "Oh, Avengers: Endgame? Oh, great. Fantastic." He said, "Yep, it's actually the biggest movie of all time." "Oh, great. Is it-- What! The biggest movie of all time?!" He was like, "That's amazing!" It was so sweet to see Kevin realize and Dick realized what they were talking about. It was really fun." Shakman then continued to say how they met with Van Dyke when they were already in pre-production of WandaVision and had yet to start shooting. However, he still helped immensely in making WandaVision what it is today. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=wandavision-all-the-marvel-and-tv-easter-eggs-in-every-episode&captions=true"] "We were many months into pre-production at that point already, but we had yet to start shooting," Shakman said. "So, a lot of the things that I took from that lunch really did affect how we approached especially our pilot episode, which is sort of an homage to The Dick Van Dyke Show, as well as I Love Lucy and some of the other sitcoms of that era. But we learned from Dick Van Dyke that their number one rule for how they approached anything was that if it couldn't happen in real life, it can't happen on the show. Which is this idea that you need to ground what you're doing in real-life stories, but then that gives you the permission to be incredibly silly and to fall over the ottoman and do pratfalls. That was very helpful in how we approached the tone of it, because getting the tone right is the hardest thing in the '50s, the '60s, the '70s. It changes. It adjusts. What is funny? How far does comedy go? I mean, Archie Bunker and Dick Van Dyke are very different, and yet they're both hilarious. Their humor is timeless, and yet very different. Archie Bunker would never do a pratfall over an ottoman, right? And so, it's just about figuring out how you put your finger on that and how as actors, Paul, Lizzie and the rest of this amazing cast, could put their finger on that as well and calibrate." As to whether or not Van Dyke may make a cameo in WandaVision, Shakman wasn't ready to confirm one way or another, saying "Gotcha. I couldn't possibly say. [Laughs] Couldn't possibly say!" [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/wandavision-episodes-1-and-2-review"] For more on WandaVision, check out our review of the first two episodes, our explainer on who the secret agency may be in the show, and where WandaVision takes place in the MCU timeline. Image Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images [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.

Those who own Hitman and Hitman 2 on PC will be able to import locations into Hitman 3 for free, although not at launch. IO Interactive announced the news on Twitter and revealed that, even though the import feature won't be available on January 20 when the PC version launches exclusively on the Epic Games Store, the Hitman 1 GOTY Access Pass will be free to all players who pre-purchase or purchase Hitman 3 in the first 10 days after release to help make up for it. IO Interactive assures that players will not need to repurchase these older games and that the import feature will be available in "the coming weeks." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hitman-3-all-locations-in-game&captions=true"] As of this writing, only Hitman and Hitman 3 are available for purchase/pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store, and there is currently no way to show that you purchased Hitman 2 from another store. As detailed in Hitman 3's pre-launch guide, players will be able to carryover their progression from Hitman 2 at launch through a web browser. While that process hasn't been detailed yet, it will require an IOI Account. For those who don't own a previous version of Hitman and wish to play previous levels in Hitman 3, Access Passes for both Hitman and Hitman 2 will be available for purchase. Furthermore, there will an 80% discount on the Access Passes on the Epic Games Store for the first 14 days after launch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/hitman-3-the-final-preview"] Luckily, console players don't have to worry about any of this and will be able to take advantage of previous levels if they own Hitman and/or Hitman 2 at release. For more on Hitman 3, check out every location that will appear in the game and our final preview. [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.

Those who own Hitman and Hitman 2 on PC will be able to import locations into Hitman 3 for free, although not at launch. IO Interactive announced the news on Twitter and revealed that, even though the import feature won't be available on January 20 when the PC version launches exclusively on the Epic Games Store, the Hitman 1 GOTY Access Pass will be free to all players who pre-purchase or purchase Hitman 3 in the first 10 days after release to help make up for it. IO Interactive assures that players will not need to repurchase these older games and that the import feature will be available in "the coming weeks." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=hitman-3-all-locations-in-game&captions=true"] As of this writing, only Hitman and Hitman 3 are available for purchase/pre-purchase on the Epic Games Store, and there is currently no way to show that you purchased Hitman 2 from another store. As detailed in Hitman 3's pre-launch guide, players will be able to carryover their progression from Hitman 2 at launch through a web browser. While that process hasn't been detailed yet, it will require an IOI Account. For those who don't own a previous version of Hitman and wish to play previous levels in Hitman 3, Access Passes for both Hitman and Hitman 2 will be available for purchase. Furthermore, there will an 80% discount on the Access Passes on the Epic Games Store for the first 14 days after launch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/08/hitman-3-the-final-preview"] Luckily, console players don't have to worry about any of this and will be able to take advantage of previous levels if they own Hitman and/or Hitman 2 at release. For more on Hitman 3, check out every location that will appear in the game and our final preview. [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.

It can take seven months – or more – to get to Mars. NASA can send supplies to the International Space Station if need be, but the same isn’t true of the distant planet. Instead, astronauts spending any time on Mars will have to rely on what’s known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) – using what’s around to replace objects brought from Earth. That includes food, which will eventually have to be grown there, to support any long-term residents. Instead of hauling bags of fertilizer in the spacecraft, researchers are trying to figure out how to make do with what’s on the ground, that is, Martian soil.

Thanks to NASA’s rovers and landers, scientists know about the pH and mineral makeup of the planet’s soil, which is known as regolith. Mars gets its red color from the oxidation of its rocks, regolith, and dust. Below the dust is the crust, which contains iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and more elements, according to NASA. But their presence isn’t enough to ensure plants can thrive there. The nutrients may not exist in a usable, or bioavailable, form. The levels of some may be toxic.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cosmos-possible-worlds-gallery&captions=true"]

Some studies have shown it’s theoretically possible to grow plants in replicated Martian soil, but there aren’t big enough samples of actual Martian regolith to be certain. Since there’s no way to do farming trials on Mars itself, scientists try to replicate conditions on Earth. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology recently tried to grow Arabidopsis thaliana, a weed, and Lactuca sativa, lettuce, in a trio of Martian Regolith Simulants. These simulants are mixtures of artificial and natural materials that mimic the basalt-like Martian surface. The scientists found that neither plant in the synthetic soil without the addition of supplemental nutrients.

“These findings underscore that ISRU food solutions are likely at a lower technological readiness level than previously thought,” the researchers wrote in the study, which will be published in Icarus. For example, it’s a mistake to assume the regolith is uniform over the entire planet. “Our strategy was, rather than saying this simulant grows plants so that means we can grow plants everywhere on Mars, we need to say that Mars is a diverse planet,” ocean engineering and marine sciences associate professor Andrew Palmer told Florida Tech News.

In another new study, also published in Icarus, researchers break down the preparation of five new types of Mars simulants. Laura Fackrell, a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia in Athens, and her colleagues created the mixtures specifically formulated with characteristics of Martian regolith that might make it difficult to grow plants. TThe soil might have high salinity or a low level of organic matter. Such conditions might require future Mars residents to add other minerals and components to their gardens before planting. “Specific types of bacteria and fungi are known to be beneficial for plants and may be able to support them under stress conditions like we see on Mars,” Fackrell told TNW.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/09/22/the-martian-review"]

To test the mock Mars dirt, Fackrell tried growing several plants, including a moth bean. They hold up better with less water than other options she tried, “But they’re not necessarily super healthy,” Fackrell told Science News.

It will be years before humans reach Mars, but in the meantime, research into growing plants in difficult environments could translate to Earth, where temperatures are rising. Fackrell studied microbes that live in hot springs. “Anything we learn about farming on Mars could help with farming in challenging environments on Earth that help us build to a sustainable future,” she told Florida Tech News.

For more Mars news, read about how there was once a salty lake on the red planet, and how a study revealed lakes beneath the surface of Mars.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

It can take seven months – or more – to get to Mars. NASA can send supplies to the International Space Station if need be, but the same isn’t true of the distant planet. Instead, astronauts spending any time on Mars will have to rely on what’s known as in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) – using what’s around to replace objects brought from Earth. That includes food, which will eventually have to be grown there, to support any long-term residents. Instead of hauling bags of fertilizer in the spacecraft, researchers are trying to figure out how to make do with what’s on the ground, that is, Martian soil.

Thanks to NASA’s rovers and landers, scientists know about the pH and mineral makeup of the planet’s soil, which is known as regolith. Mars gets its red color from the oxidation of its rocks, regolith, and dust. Below the dust is the crust, which contains iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and more elements, according to NASA. But their presence isn’t enough to ensure plants can thrive there. The nutrients may not exist in a usable, or bioavailable, form. The levels of some may be toxic.

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=cosmos-possible-worlds-gallery&captions=true"]

Some studies have shown it’s theoretically possible to grow plants in replicated Martian soil, but there aren’t big enough samples of actual Martian regolith to be certain. Since there’s no way to do farming trials on Mars itself, scientists try to replicate conditions on Earth. Researchers at the Florida Institute of Technology recently tried to grow Arabidopsis thaliana, a weed, and Lactuca sativa, lettuce, in a trio of Martian Regolith Simulants. These simulants are mixtures of artificial and natural materials that mimic the basalt-like Martian surface. The scientists found that neither plant in the synthetic soil without the addition of supplemental nutrients.

“These findings underscore that ISRU food solutions are likely at a lower technological readiness level than previously thought,” the researchers wrote in the study, which will be published in Icarus. For example, it’s a mistake to assume the regolith is uniform over the entire planet. “Our strategy was, rather than saying this simulant grows plants so that means we can grow plants everywhere on Mars, we need to say that Mars is a diverse planet,” ocean engineering and marine sciences associate professor Andrew Palmer told Florida Tech News.

In another new study, also published in Icarus, researchers break down the preparation of five new types of Mars simulants. Laura Fackrell, a doctoral candidate at the University of Georgia in Athens, and her colleagues created the mixtures specifically formulated with characteristics of Martian regolith that might make it difficult to grow plants. TThe soil might have high salinity or a low level of organic matter. Such conditions might require future Mars residents to add other minerals and components to their gardens before planting. “Specific types of bacteria and fungi are known to be beneficial for plants and may be able to support them under stress conditions like we see on Mars,” Fackrell told TNW.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/09/22/the-martian-review"]

To test the mock Mars dirt, Fackrell tried growing several plants, including a moth bean. They hold up better with less water than other options she tried, “But they’re not necessarily super healthy,” Fackrell told Science News.

It will be years before humans reach Mars, but in the meantime, research into growing plants in difficult environments could translate to Earth, where temperatures are rising. Fackrell studied microbes that live in hot springs. “Anything we learn about farming on Mars could help with farming in challenging environments on Earth that help us build to a sustainable future,” she told Florida Tech News.

For more Mars news, read about how there was once a salty lake on the red planet, and how a study revealed lakes beneath the surface of Mars.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

After the COVID-19 pandemic caused WWE to change its 2020 WrestleMania plans, moving the event from Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to the company's Performance Center in Orlando, and splitting the card over two nights, fans have been wondering what was in store this year. Originally, WrestleMania 2021, aka WrestleMania 37, was to take place in Los Angeles, but now, with the COVID crisis still raging, plans have changed once again. The company has announced that 'Mania 37 will take place over two-nights, April 10 and April 11, at the venue that was ditched last year, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. WWE also announced that WrestleMania 38, in 2022, will take place on Sunday, April 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas - the site of 2016's WrestleMania 32. Furthermore, WrestleMania 39, in 2023, will happen on Sunday, April 2, at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park in Inglewood, CA - which was the site originally planned for this year's WrestleMania. No word yet on what attendance is expected to look like for this year's 'Mania, at Raymond James Stadium, which can hold 65,000 people. Will WWE run at half, or less, capacity for the sake of fans' safety or will it try and fill ip the arena? Like last year, plans could change as we get closer to the event, and WWE's Tropicana Field "ThunderDome," in Tampa Bay, where they've been filming weekly Raws and SmackDowns, could be a last-minute switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/26/the-undertaker-responds-to-ign-comments"] [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.

After the COVID-19 pandemic caused WWE to change its 2020 WrestleMania plans, moving the event from Tampa's Raymond James Stadium to the company's Performance Center in Orlando, and splitting the card over two nights, fans have been wondering what was in store this year. Originally, WrestleMania 2021, aka WrestleMania 37, was to take place in Los Angeles, but now, with the COVID crisis still raging, plans have changed once again. The company has announced that 'Mania 37 will take place over two-nights, April 10 and April 11, at the venue that was ditched last year, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. WWE also announced that WrestleMania 38, in 2022, will take place on Sunday, April 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas - the site of 2016's WrestleMania 32. Furthermore, WrestleMania 39, in 2023, will happen on Sunday, April 2, at SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park in Inglewood, CA - which was the site originally planned for this year's WrestleMania. No word yet on what attendance is expected to look like for this year's 'Mania, at Raymond James Stadium, which can hold 65,000 people. Will WWE run at half, or less, capacity for the sake of fans' safety or will it try and fill ip the arena? Like last year, plans could change as we get closer to the event, and WWE's Tropicana Field "ThunderDome," in Tampa Bay, where they've been filming weekly Raws and SmackDowns, could be a last-minute switch. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/willys-wonderland-official-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.

A new teaser for HBO Max has given us both our first look at Space Jam: A New Legacy and a new glimpse of Godzilla vs. Kong. The new teaser from HBO Max is another reminder that all of Warner Bros. films in 2021 will be coming to theaters and HBO Max on the same day. This particular teaser features Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, In The Heights, Judas and the Black Messiah, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Mortal Kombat, Malignant, King Richard, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Cry Macho, Tom & Jerry: The Movie, and The Matrix 4.

This year, the biggest Warner Bros. premieres are coming to theaters and streaming on HBO Max the exact same day. What movie are you most excited for? https://t.co/6Ny7n8JUGk pic.twitter.com/UEMmDlMIy6

— HBO Max (@hbomax) January 16, 2021

Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16, 2021, and is a sequel to the original film from 1996 and stars Lebron James. James previously revealed his Tune Squad jersey, and Xbox announced that it is asking fans to help design a new Space Jam game to launch alongside the film. Godzilla vs. Kong was going be released in theaters and on HBO Max on May 21, 2021, but WB moved up the date to March 26. While short, we did get our first look of the film at CCXP Worlds last year. While Godzilla vs. Kong is making its debut on HBO Max, there was a report that Netflix was looking to secure the film for more than $200 million, but WarnerMedia "blocked the deal while preparing an offer of its own for its streamer, HBO Max." For more, check out all the big movies (probably) coming out in 2021 as well as everything else coming to HBO Max this year and beyond. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-pros-and-cons-of-wbs-industry-shaking-move"] [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.

A new teaser for HBO Max has given us both our first look at Space Jam: A New Legacy and a new glimpse of Godzilla vs. Kong. The new teaser from HBO Max is another reminder that all of Warner Bros. films in 2021 will be coming to theaters and HBO Max on the same day. This particular teaser features Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Suicide Squad, In The Heights, Judas and the Black Messiah, Dune, The Many Saints of Newark, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, Mortal Kombat, Malignant, King Richard, Those Who Wish Me Dead, Cry Macho, Tom & Jerry: The Movie, and The Matrix 4.

This year, the biggest Warner Bros. premieres are coming to theaters and streaming on HBO Max the exact same day. What movie are you most excited for? https://t.co/6Ny7n8JUGk pic.twitter.com/UEMmDlMIy6

— HBO Max (@hbomax) January 16, 2021

Space Jam: A New Legacy is set to be released in theaters and on HBO Max on July 16, 2021, and is a sequel to the original film from 1996 and stars Lebron James. James previously revealed his Tune Squad jersey, and Xbox announced that it is asking fans to help design a new Space Jam game to launch alongside the film. Godzilla vs. Kong was going be released in theaters and on HBO Max on May 21, 2021, but WB moved up the date to March 26. While short, we did get our first look of the film at CCXP Worlds last year. While Godzilla vs. Kong is making its debut on HBO Max, there was a report that Netflix was looking to secure the film for more than $200 million, but WarnerMedia "blocked the deal while preparing an offer of its own for its streamer, HBO Max." For more, check out all the big movies (probably) coming out in 2021 as well as everything else coming to HBO Max this year and beyond. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/the-pros-and-cons-of-wbs-industry-shaking-move"] [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.

With nearly 6 million units sold, Nintendo Switch consoles accounted for 87% of all console sales in Japan in 2020. According to Famitsu/KADOKAWA data (via GamesIndustry.biz), the normal Nintendo Switch sold 3.9 million units, while the Switch Lite sold over 2 million. There were 6.85 million consoles sold in Japan in 2020, and PS4 came in second place with around 543,000 units. PS5 sold over 255,000 units. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/24/the-best-nintendo-switch-games-fall-2020-update"] Japan's game market brought in over $3.5 billion, which is up 12.5% year-over-year. Console hardware sales and boxed game sales saw increases year-over-year of 16.4% and 9%, respectively. Nintendo also accounted for almost 50% of all boxed game sales in 2020, with Animal Crossing: New Horizons being the best-selling boxed game of the year with nearly 6.4 million copies sold. Ring Fit Adventure came in second place with 1.5 million units sold, and Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa Heisei Reiwa mo Teiban! came in third place with 1.2 million copies sold. Nintendo Switch's success obviously extended beyond Japan, with it achieving the second-highest annual dollar sales in U.S. console history in 2020. The Switch has also been the best-selling console in the U.S. for 25 consecutive months. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/01/15/analysts-unsure-about-fate-of-switch-pro-for-2021-ign-news"] Even though the Switch's success is showing no sign of slowing down, it hasn't stopped many from wishing for the long-rumored Nintendo Switch Pro. While many hope that it will launch in 2021 alongside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, analysts are a bit more conflicted. [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.