If New Line Cinema had its way, 1995’s Mortal Kombat movie would have had far less Konbat in it, according to its director. During his New York Comic Con panel, Paul W.S. Anderson revealed that eleventh-hour budget cuts drastically affected the original scope of his video game adaptation’s fight scenes and that it was only after positive test screening feedback that he was allowed to deliver the combat as it was originally envisioned. “What happened was right before we started shooting, Bob Shaye, who was running New Line at the time, he decided that we had too much money and I disagreed, obviously, as a filmmaker,” Anderson recalled, claiming $3 million was shaved off Mortal Kombat’s budget. “We had to shoot the story we had. We had to get that on screen. So some of the fight scenes that were due to be done and take a week, we had to do in a couple of days. So all the fights were there, but we couldn't deliver the fights that I originally planned.” Test audiences who screened an early cut of the film responded positively but, Anderson claimed, “the fans came back and said, ‘There's not enough fighting in the film. It's Mortal Kombat. Where's the combat?’ So we basically went and we shot all the stuff that we cut out of the original version of the movie. We shot it all later. So it wasn't additional photography. It was kind of doing what we really wanted to do in the first place.” [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2015/08/25/5-actors-who-were-almost-in-the-mortal-kombat-movie-up-at-noon"] One such Mortal Kombat sequence that was bolstered was the battle between Johnny Cage and Scorpion, which Anderson claims initially concluded right as the brawl seemed like it was literally kicking off. “For example, the Scorpion fight was always there, but it kind of ended when Johnny did the shadow kick and kind of knocked out Scorpion. So it felt like the beginning of a fight but it didn't feel like a real kind of three-ring circus of a fight. Which is then what we ended up shooting when we did the additional photography,” Anderson explained. “And the same with Liu versus Reptile. That fight started, but we then continued it and just made more of a meal of it. Then we tested the movie a second time and people just absolutely loved it.” Mortal Kombat’s limited budget didn’t allow for much in the way of CGI visual effects, not that Anderson regrets that considering how CGI from other 25-year-old movies have aged. Indeed, one of Mortal Kombat’s more notorious practical visual effects, its animatronic Goro, “still looks pretty decent now” to the director compared to how “deeply embarrassing” many CG effects of the era seem now. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=mortal-kombats-bizarre-history-of-movie-and-tv-adaptations&captions=true"] “I've always been somebody who tries to limit the amount of CG in a movie. Even back then, the reason for it was, it was very, very expensive. But I think if you can do things practically, they have more impact, and they also stand the test of time. Obviously, Mortal Kombat is a movie that in some regards is dated, but it still holds up pretty good, because I think a bone-crunching fight is still a bone-crunching fight. A good fight is a good fight, and it doesn't matter when it was shot. Good CG, that dates really fast. What is cutting edge CG, you look at it 10 years later, and you go, ‘Oh, my God, that's deeply embarrassing.’” Anderson praised Mortal Kombat for relying on wire-work, location shooting, and practical sets rather than CGI that would have only chewed up his meager budget and not aged well. He cited the movie’s puppet version of the four-armed combatant Goro as an example of a practical effect that has stood the test of time relatively well. “(Goro) was really difficult to work with because he was a big, complicated animatronic,” Anderson said. “But what we got was reality. I could do an over the shoulder shot with Goro of Trevor Goddard playing Kano and he's really there. You're really shooting over his shoulder. It's not composite that kind of in 10 years time looks really, really dated. And I think doing it practical like that with some CG enhancement, which we did with his lips to kind of help with the lip sync, I think ultimately, was the best way to shoot him because the guy really holds up. He still looks pretty decent now.” [caption id="attachment_2419336" align="alignnone" width="720"] Goro in 1995's Mortal Kombat.[/caption] Do you think the movie’s portrayal of Goro holds up well 25 years later? Let us know in the comments. For more of Paul W.S. Anderson’s NYCC panel, discover why Monster Hunter’s hero is from our world and learn which video game characters are confirmed to appear in Anderson’s Monster Hunter movie. Meanwhile, a Mortal Kombat reboot is headed to screens in 2021. Learn who plays who in the new Mortal Kombat movie. [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Monster Hunter director Paul W.S. Anderson explained why the protagonist of his latest video game movie adaptation is a human from our world rather than a native of the realm of the game during a panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday. (Be sure to check out the full New York Comic Con schedule of panels for more details.) Anderson's explanation also shed light on why his wife and frequent leading lady, Milla Jovovich, agreed to star in another video game movie following her long stint as the anchor of the Resident Evil film franchise. "I wanted to recapture the feeling of when I first played the video game. I came to the game not knowing anything about it. And as a stranger, I was immersed in this world containing these amazing landscapes and these amazing creatures that would kick my ass," Anderson said. "And I thought, 'I want that. That should be the film going experience as well.'" This approach necessitated creating a protagonist who was an outsider, which led to the creation of Jovovich's character Captain Natalie Artemis, a military officer whose elite unit finds themselves transported to the hostile, nameless realm of Monster Hunter where there are so many gruesome ways to die thanks to the local, ahem, wildlife. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/03/monster-hunter-exclusive-official-trailer-tease"] Anderson called Artemis "a very, very different character for her to play. She's never played a character like this before." He explained that, as Artemis, "Milla is the avatar for the audience. She's the newbie going into this world. She's the person from our world. Then there's nothing about the Monster Hunter world that's going in for the first time." The director continued: "What's nice for the game players about that is it recreates your first experience when you first played Monster Hunter. But also what's nice is that it doesn't exclude anyone because if you don't know anything about the game, she's the character who goes, 'Oh my God, what are these creatures? What is this world? How does it work?'" [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5302"] Monster Hunter stars Milla Jovovich as Captain Natalie Artemis, an original character not from the Capcom games, and Tony Jaa as the Hunter.[/caption] Over the course of the movie, Artemis encounters Tony Jaa's Hunter and Ron Perlman's Admiral, both characters from Monster Hunter World. Anderson says that these characters end up teaching Artemis how to survive in this strange new world. Artemis, as Anderson put it, might be "a fierce warrior from our world, but the skill she's learned as a U.S. Army Ranger, which is badass in our world, those skills don't mean too much when you're fighting these 50-foot tall monsters." Anderson also pointed out that the military weaponry wielded by Artemis and her team might have been impressive on Earth, but such firepower "doesn't quite work so good against a Rathalos and Diablos. So she has to learn a new way to fight and she has to learn how to cooperate. And I feel that's one of the main themes of the video game that I really liked was cooperation is key. You have to fight with other people, you have to cooperate with other people to bring down these big creatures." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nycc-2020-13-panels-were-most-excited-about&captions=true"] Cooperation among diverse peoples is also the theme of the Monster Hunter movie, something Anderson found to be "a good message for our world right now. We live in such a divisive world where people are closing off their borders and closing off their minds, that to have a movie that in the most fun way possible basically tells you that people from different cultures, from different backgrounds, need to cooperate for the greater good. For me, that's a good message for our times." Monster Hunter opens December 30, recently pushed up from an April 2021 date. While waiting for Monster Hunter, check out Jovovich using her Slinger, an iconic in-game weapon she showed off on Twitter in response to fan backlash against the movie. After that, look at IGN's list of 12 cool Monster Hunter movie details we've already discovered.

Monster Hunter director Paul W.S. Anderson explained why the protagonist of his latest video game movie adaptation is a human from our world rather than a native of the realm of the game during a panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday. (Be sure to check out the full New York Comic Con schedule of panels for more details.) Anderson's explanation also shed light on why his wife and frequent leading lady, Milla Jovovich, agreed to star in another video game movie following her long stint as the anchor of the Resident Evil film franchise. "I wanted to recapture the feeling of when I first played the video game. I came to the game not knowing anything about it. And as a stranger, I was immersed in this world containing these amazing landscapes and these amazing creatures that would kick my ass," Anderson said. "And I thought, 'I want that. That should be the film going experience as well.'" This approach necessitated creating a protagonist who was an outsider, which led to the creation of Jovovich's character Captain Natalie Artemis, a military officer whose elite unit finds themselves transported to the hostile, nameless realm of Monster Hunter where there are so many gruesome ways to die thanks to the local, ahem, wildlife. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/03/monster-hunter-exclusive-official-trailer-tease"] Anderson called Artemis "a very, very different character for her to play. She's never played a character like this before." He explained that, as Artemis, "Milla is the avatar for the audience. She's the newbie going into this world. She's the person from our world. Then there's nothing about the Monster Hunter world that's going in for the first time." The director continued: "What's nice for the game players about that is it recreates your first experience when you first played Monster Hunter. But also what's nice is that it doesn't exclude anyone because if you don't know anything about the game, she's the character who goes, 'Oh my God, what are these creatures? What is this world? How does it work?'" [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5302"] Monster Hunter stars Milla Jovovich as Captain Natalie Artemis, an original character not from the Capcom games, and Tony Jaa as the Hunter.[/caption] Over the course of the movie, Artemis encounters Tony Jaa's Hunter and Ron Perlman's Admiral, both characters from Monster Hunter World. Anderson says that these characters end up teaching Artemis how to survive in this strange new world. Artemis, as Anderson put it, might be "a fierce warrior from our world, but the skill she's learned as a U.S. Army Ranger, which is badass in our world, those skills don't mean too much when you're fighting these 50-foot tall monsters." Anderson also pointed out that the military weaponry wielded by Artemis and her team might have been impressive on Earth, but such firepower "doesn't quite work so good against a Rathalos and Diablos. So she has to learn a new way to fight and she has to learn how to cooperate. And I feel that's one of the main themes of the video game that I really liked was cooperation is key. You have to fight with other people, you have to cooperate with other people to bring down these big creatures." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nycc-2020-13-panels-were-most-excited-about&captions=true"] Cooperation among diverse peoples is also the theme of the Monster Hunter movie, something Anderson found to be "a good message for our world right now. We live in such a divisive world where people are closing off their borders and closing off their minds, that to have a movie that in the most fun way possible basically tells you that people from different cultures, from different backgrounds, need to cooperate for the greater good. For me, that's a good message for our times." Monster Hunter opens December 30, recently pushed up from an April 2021 date. While waiting for Monster Hunter, check out Jovovich using her Slinger, an iconic in-game weapon she showed off on Twitter in response to fan backlash against the movie. After that, look at IGN's list of 12 cool Monster Hunter movie details we've already discovered.

Not every monster in the Monster Hunter movie will be some terrifying grotesque. Indeed, some of them will be actually cute, Monster Hunter director Paul W.S. Anderson confirmed Saturday at New York Comic Con. (Be sure to check out the full New York Comic Con schedule of panels for more details.) Anderson confirmed that his Monster Hunter movie will include both Palicoes (the field companions of the hunters in Monster Hunter World) as well as the brawny Felyne called Meowscular Chef, a character Anderson had previously evaded confirming would be in his film. "Well, you couldn't make a Monster Hunter movie without having a Palico in it. So definitely we lean into the Palico," the director said. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Meowscular Chef (center) in Monster Hunter World.[/caption] In the lore established by Monster Hunter World, the Chef was at one point the Palico partner of the Admiral, played in the movie by Hellboy's Ron Perlman. Anderson revealed Meowscular Chef is rather taken with Milla Jovovich's human protagonist, Captain Artemis. "We have one of the characters, Meowscular Chef, who's the Admiral's sidekick, who's a fantastic character, who has this rather flirtatious relationship with Milla, which is really interesting," Anderson revealed, hinting at some levity in the film that's not readily apparent from the more horror-centric teasers released so far. But lest you think Monster Hunter is poised to be a cutesy comedy a la Pokémon Detective Pikachu, fear not. Anderson geeked out over the franchise's scariest creatures he got to showcase in his movie. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/03/monster-hunter-exclusive-official-trailer-tease] "I love the Rathalos, because the Rathalos is pretty much the rock star of the Monster Hunter video games," Anderson said. "It's been in nearly all of the games. It's probably one of the hardest creatures to kill. It's just badass. So I'm very excited that that's in our movie." The Internet exploded when the first Monster Hunter trailer tease -- which debuted exclusively here at IGN -- revealed the movie's Diablos. For Anderson, though, he's especially fond of the Black Diablos: "I love the Black Diablos. The Diablos is a creature that I just like, but the Black Diablos is particularly nasty because that's a female Diablos that's in heat. So it's just very angry and very territorial." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nycc-2020-13-panels-were-most-excited-about&captions=true"] Monster Hunter opens December 30, recently pushed up from an April 2021 date. While waiting for Monster Hunter, check out Jovovich using her Slinger, an iconic in-game weapon she showed off on Twitter in response to fan backlash against the movie. After that, look at IGN's list of 12 cool Monster Hunter movie details we've already discovered.

Not every monster in the Monster Hunter movie will be some terrifying grotesque. Indeed, some of them will be actually cute, Monster Hunter director Paul W.S. Anderson confirmed Saturday at New York Comic Con. (Be sure to check out the full New York Comic Con schedule of panels for more details.) Anderson confirmed that his Monster Hunter movie will include both Palicoes (the field companions of the hunters in Monster Hunter World) as well as the brawny Felyne called Meowscular Chef, a character Anderson had previously evaded confirming would be in his film. "Well, you couldn't make a Monster Hunter movie without having a Palico in it. So definitely we lean into the Palico," the director said. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Meowscular Chef (center) in Monster Hunter World.[/caption] In the lore established by Monster Hunter World, the Chef was at one point the Palico partner of the Admiral, played in the movie by Hellboy's Ron Perlman. Anderson revealed Meowscular Chef is rather taken with Milla Jovovich's human protagonist, Captain Artemis. "We have one of the characters, Meowscular Chef, who's the Admiral's sidekick, who's a fantastic character, who has this rather flirtatious relationship with Milla, which is really interesting," Anderson revealed, hinting at some levity in the film that's not readily apparent from the more horror-centric teasers released so far. But lest you think Monster Hunter is poised to be a cutesy comedy a la Pokémon Detective Pikachu, fear not. Anderson geeked out over the franchise's scariest creatures he got to showcase in his movie. [ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/03/monster-hunter-exclusive-official-trailer-tease] "I love the Rathalos, because the Rathalos is pretty much the rock star of the Monster Hunter video games," Anderson said. "It's been in nearly all of the games. It's probably one of the hardest creatures to kill. It's just badass. So I'm very excited that that's in our movie." The Internet exploded when the first Monster Hunter trailer tease -- which debuted exclusively here at IGN -- revealed the movie's Diablos. For Anderson, though, he's especially fond of the Black Diablos: "I love the Black Diablos. The Diablos is a creature that I just like, but the Black Diablos is particularly nasty because that's a female Diablos that's in heat. So it's just very angry and very territorial." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=nycc-2020-13-panels-were-most-excited-about&captions=true"] Monster Hunter opens December 30, recently pushed up from an April 2021 date. While waiting for Monster Hunter, check out Jovovich using her Slinger, an iconic in-game weapon she showed off on Twitter in response to fan backlash against the movie. After that, look at IGN's list of 12 cool Monster Hunter movie details we've already discovered.

Archaeologists have unearthed the 1,200-year-old remains of a large Viking temple in Ose, Norway that was dedicated to the worship of the Norse gods Thor and Odin. It is the first remains of such an Old Norse temple discovered in Norway. "This is the first time we've found one of these very special, very beautiful buildings," archaeologist Søren Diinhoff of the University Museum of Bergen informed Live Science. "We know them from Sweden and we know them from Denmark. … This shows that they also existed in Norway." This structure was a "god house" and it differed from smaller, simpler places of worship of the Old Norse pagan gods. While the large wooden structure itself is gone, the post-holes that were uncovered shows what the size and layout of the god house would have been, including what would have included a distinctive tower only used in god houses. As Science Alert puts it:

"Archaeologists say the large wooden building - about 45 feet (14 meters) long, 26 feet (8 m) wide, and up to 40 feet (12 m) high - is thought to date from the end of the eighth century and was used for worship and sacrifices to gods during the midsummer and midwinter solstices."

The site also revealed cooking pits for religious feasts and animal sacrifices. "You would have a good mood, a lot of eating and a lot of drinking," Diinhoff said. "I think they would have had a good time." Located nearby is a large phallus-shaped stone that was discovered several years ago and is believed to have been part of fertility rituals. While the Viking settlement at Ose dates back almost 2,500 years, the god house site is understood to hail from the late eighth century. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=movies-and-shows-to-prepare-you-for-valhalla&captions=true"] An elite group of wealthy families came to dominate the area at that time. As Live Science explained, this was an era when Scandinavians had more social interactions with the Roman Empire and Germanic tribes and the god house reflected these new influences. "Norse religious worship became more ideological and organized, and god houses at Ose were patterned on Christian basilicas that travelers had seen in southern lands," Science Alert reports. By the 11th century, Norway's kings were Christians who suppressed the old religion. Pagan structures like god houses were destroyed to make way for Christian churches, although it is not yet known whether the god house site at Ose was such a victim. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/assassins-creed-valhalla-story-trailer"] For related coverage, learn how DNA shows Vikings were less blond and blue-eyed than pop culture would have us believe and discover why the sequel series Vikings: Valhalla will be on Netflix instead of the History Channel. And for more on Marvel's god of thunder, get all the latest details on Thor: Love and Thunder.

Archaeologists have unearthed the 1,200-year-old remains of a large Viking temple in Ose, Norway that was dedicated to the worship of the Norse gods Thor and Odin. It is the first remains of such an Old Norse temple discovered in Norway. "This is the first time we've found one of these very special, very beautiful buildings," archaeologist Søren Diinhoff of the University Museum of Bergen informed Live Science. "We know them from Sweden and we know them from Denmark. … This shows that they also existed in Norway." This structure was a "god house" and it differed from smaller, simpler places of worship of the Old Norse pagan gods. While the large wooden structure itself is gone, the post-holes that were uncovered shows what the size and layout of the god house would have been, including what would have included a distinctive tower only used in god houses. As Science Alert puts it:

"Archaeologists say the large wooden building - about 45 feet (14 meters) long, 26 feet (8 m) wide, and up to 40 feet (12 m) high - is thought to date from the end of the eighth century and was used for worship and sacrifices to gods during the midsummer and midwinter solstices."

The site also revealed cooking pits for religious feasts and animal sacrifices. "You would have a good mood, a lot of eating and a lot of drinking," Diinhoff said. "I think they would have had a good time." Located nearby is a large phallus-shaped stone that was discovered several years ago and is believed to have been part of fertility rituals. While the Viking settlement at Ose dates back almost 2,500 years, the god house site is understood to hail from the late eighth century. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=movies-and-shows-to-prepare-you-for-valhalla&captions=true"] An elite group of wealthy families came to dominate the area at that time. As Live Science explained, this was an era when Scandinavians had more social interactions with the Roman Empire and Germanic tribes and the god house reflected these new influences. "Norse religious worship became more ideological and organized, and god houses at Ose were patterned on Christian basilicas that travelers had seen in southern lands," Science Alert reports. By the 11th century, Norway's kings were Christians who suppressed the old religion. Pagan structures like god houses were destroyed to make way for Christian churches, although it is not yet known whether the god house site at Ose was such a victim. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/assassins-creed-valhalla-story-trailer"] For related coverage, learn how DNA shows Vikings were less blond and blue-eyed than pop culture would have us believe and discover why the sequel series Vikings: Valhalla will be on Netflix instead of the History Channel. And for more on Marvel's god of thunder, get all the latest details on Thor: Love and Thunder.

Some of the key players from the fan-favorite series Smallville showed up at New York Comic Con's virtual event on Saturday to celebrate the show's upcoming 20th anniversary (the young Clark Kent tale debuted on October 16, 2001). Read on for the highlights from the panelists' trip down meteor-rock memory lane, and be sure to also check out our preview of the NYCC 2020 panels we're most excited about. Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), Sam Witwer (Davis Bloome/Doomsday), and Laura Vandervoort (Kara/Supergirl) all took part in the "20 Years of Fandom, Friendship and Flying" panel, which was moderated by Garrett Wang (Star Trek: Voyager). Welling spoke about first learning he had gotten the lead role in the show, and how even then he was resistant to the idea that he was playing "Superman" rather than Clark Kent. This would inform his mindset throughout the course of Smallville, and apparently it still does. "I remember telling my parents that I got this role, the lead in Smallville," Welling laughed. "And my mom was like, 'Wait, so you're Superman.' And I go, 'No, no, no. I'm not Superman. I'm Clark Kent.' She goes, 'But that's Superman.' 'No, no, no. It's not Superman yet.' And that was something that carried on for me and still carries on, where people are like, 'Hey Superman.' And I'm like, 'Ah, no, but yeah... no.' So it was one of those things." Rosenbaum, who left the show after the seventh season (but returned for the series finale), spoke about how his character evolved over the years, and how it became increasingly difficult to sustain Lex over the course of the show's long run. "The development, I felt like -- I have ADD," the actor explained. "So it's very hard to imagine seven years of doing the freaking same character. So in the beginning, I was like, 'Nice.' And then like, 'A moment of a flashback!' And then all of a sudden, Season 3, I'm in a straight-jacket going crazy! And then all of a sudden, I'm fine again for a season! So there was... it's hard, again, for the writers and creators to write 22 episodes a year. And you're going to get a couple of gems, some decent ones, and some that you can just throw under the rug. But for me, I think by the seventh season, or maybe before that, I was like, 'I'm ready to just explode and be done.'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-character-in-the-arrowverses-crisis-on-infinite-earths-crossover&captions=true"] When put that way, it's perhaps not surprising that Rosenbaum chose to leave the series when he did. But he said Tom Welling did have one "great" idea for an episode that never happened and that he wishes they could've gotten the chance to do. "I didn't want to stretch it out," he said. "And I just felt like you have to. But I felt like we could have... You know, Tom always says the great episode would have been if I got his powers, and he got my brains or some shit like that. That would have been an awesome episode! Because we did a 'Lexmas' [episode] where Lex is good in this other world, married Lana, and has a child. You can see the sweetness that it could have been. So I would have loved to do something like that. But I think they did the best they could. And I think there were glimpses of greatness. But remember, it's not movie where you start out good, and then like the Joker [explain] this is why he became bad. It's like, he has two hours. We have thousands of hours. So anyway, it was still cool. I don't have any regrets or anything." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] It's actually surprising that Smallville never did a Clark/Lex power swap. In fact, imagine if it had been a multi-episode story or even a full-season arc, with Clark brought low and having to resort to more creative means to defeat his enemies while Lex... well, let's face it. Lex would've been flying within a couple of days and probably ruling the world inside a week. It could've been cool! Also cool, and a lot of fun, is the full Smallville NYCC panel, which you can check out here. The friendship among the group, especially Welling and Rosenbaum, is palpable.

Some of the key players from the fan-favorite series Smallville showed up at New York Comic Con's virtual event on Saturday to celebrate the show's upcoming 20th anniversary (the young Clark Kent tale debuted on October 16, 2001). Read on for the highlights from the panelists' trip down meteor-rock memory lane, and be sure to also check out our preview of the NYCC 2020 panels we're most excited about. Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), Sam Witwer (Davis Bloome/Doomsday), and Laura Vandervoort (Kara/Supergirl) all took part in the "20 Years of Fandom, Friendship and Flying" panel, which was moderated by Garrett Wang (Star Trek: Voyager). Welling spoke about first learning he had gotten the lead role in the show, and how even then he was resistant to the idea that he was playing "Superman" rather than Clark Kent. This would inform his mindset throughout the course of Smallville, and apparently it still does. "I remember telling my parents that I got this role, the lead in Smallville," Welling laughed. "And my mom was like, 'Wait, so you're Superman.' And I go, 'No, no, no. I'm not Superman. I'm Clark Kent.' She goes, 'But that's Superman.' 'No, no, no. It's not Superman yet.' And that was something that carried on for me and still carries on, where people are like, 'Hey Superman.' And I'm like, 'Ah, no, but yeah... no.' So it was one of those things." Rosenbaum, who left the show after the seventh season (but returned for the series finale), spoke about how his character evolved over the years, and how it became increasingly difficult to sustain Lex over the course of the show's long run. "The development, I felt like -- I have ADD," the actor explained. "So it's very hard to imagine seven years of doing the freaking same character. So in the beginning, I was like, 'Nice.' And then like, 'A moment of a flashback!' And then all of a sudden, Season 3, I'm in a straight-jacket going crazy! And then all of a sudden, I'm fine again for a season! So there was... it's hard, again, for the writers and creators to write 22 episodes a year. And you're going to get a couple of gems, some decent ones, and some that you can just throw under the rug. But for me, I think by the seventh season, or maybe before that, I was like, 'I'm ready to just explode and be done.'" [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-character-in-the-arrowverses-crisis-on-infinite-earths-crossover&captions=true"] When put that way, it's perhaps not surprising that Rosenbaum chose to leave the series when he did. But he said Tom Welling did have one "great" idea for an episode that never happened and that he wishes they could've gotten the chance to do. "I didn't want to stretch it out," he said. "And I just felt like you have to. But I felt like we could have... You know, Tom always says the great episode would have been if I got his powers, and he got my brains or some shit like that. That would have been an awesome episode! Because we did a 'Lexmas' [episode] where Lex is good in this other world, married Lana, and has a child. You can see the sweetness that it could have been. So I would have loved to do something like that. But I think they did the best they could. And I think there were glimpses of greatness. But remember, it's not movie where you start out good, and then like the Joker [explain] this is why he became bad. It's like, he has two hours. We have thousands of hours. So anyway, it was still cool. I don't have any regrets or anything." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=dc-extended-universe-every-upcoming-movie&captions=true"] It's actually surprising that Smallville never did a Clark/Lex power swap. In fact, imagine if it had been a multi-episode story or even a full-season arc, with Clark brought low and having to resort to more creative means to defeat his enemies while Lex... well, let's face it. Lex would've been flying within a couple of days and probably ruling the world inside a week. It could've been cool! Also cool, and a lot of fun, is the full Smallville NYCC panel, which you can check out here. The friendship among the group, especially Welling and Rosenbaum, is palpable.

The inaugural RazerCon 2020 featured some big announcements for PC gamers, including a new laptop, desktop mic, gaming chassis, Razer's first gaming chair, and much more. From the Razer Blade Stealth 13 to the Razer Iskur Gaming Chair, we've gathered each and every product announced below; [poilib element="accentDivider"]

Razer Blade Stealth 13

Available in October 2020 for a starting price of $1,799.99 USD, the Razer Blade Stealth 13 features an all-new 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 Gprocessor, a new full HD OLED touch display option, and THX Spatial Audio. This laptop is capable of up to 4.7GHz using Intel Turbo Boost technology and can be paired with the NVIDIA GeForce 1650 Ti for those looking for a great solution for productivity, gaming, video rendering, and more. In addition to the Full HD OLED Tourch screen, the Razer Blade Stealth also offers a Full HD 120Hz option that features the highest refresh rate panel available on a 13" laptop, a matte finish for reduced glared, and full coverage of the SRGB color space.

Razer Seiren Mini

The all-new Razer Seiren Mini is a sleek and compact desktop microphone that is Razer's smallest USB powered microphone to date. It offers pro grade sound in an ultra compact form factor and is available in three colors - Razer Black, Quartz Pink, and Mercury White. It features a supercardioid pickup pattern that helps reduce unwanted ambient noise, paired with a "finely tuned 14mm condenser capsule to broadcast crisp and accurate sound." There will also be a built-in shock mount and a heavy-duty tilting stand to maintain stability. The Razer Seiren Mini weighs less than a pound and stands only 6.42 inches tall. It will be available on October 10, 2020, for $49.99 USD.

Razer Iskur Gaming Chair

The first ever Razer gaming chair, the Razer Iskur, has a goal of "redefining gaming chairs with a one-of-a-kind external lumbar support system, high density foam cushioning, stylish multi-layered synthetic leather, and more." It will be available on October 10, 2020, for $499.99 USD at Razer.com, and it also sports a 4D armrest system and a memory foam neck pillow for added comfort and support. The previously mentioned lumbar system offers 26 degrees of customization and works to reduce aches and strains by supporting the full curvature of the spine, specifically the mid and lower regions where tension builds up the most." It also has a

Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition

A new take on a fan favorite, the Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition headset allows "fans to take their meow factor anywhere and everywhere." This wireless headset features Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, 40mm drivers, Razer Chroma RGB, and up to 50 hours of battery life. It also has a built-in microphone with beamforming technology to block out ambient noise capture the wearer's voice as clear as possible. Its striking kitty design, complete with adorable ears, is available with a Quartz Pink finish with an accent of the Mercury White padding on the headband and earcups, which respond to apps and notifications with Razer Chroma RGB. The Razer Kraken BT Kitty Edition will be available on October 10, 2020, for $99.99 USD.

Razer Tomahawk Gaming Chassis

These chassis, designed by Razer for PC gaming enthusiasts, are available in two distinct sizes - The Tomahawk ATX, a standard mid-tower case, and the Tomahawk Mini-ITX, a small form factor case. They both feature full tempered glass side panels to showcase the desktop components on one side and the "elegant cable management" solution on the other. They detach from a rear hinge that allow for easy access to the aforementioned components. The chassis sport a matte black metal frame and an all-black front panel accentuated with Razer's green logo. The bottom is lined with Razer Chroma RGB lighting, which can be fully controlled via the Razer Synapse 3 software. These were engineered with airflow in mind and can support up to a 360mm radiator along the front and up to two 140mm fans along the top. The Razer Tomahawk M1 Gaming Chassis ITX will be available on October 10, 2020, for $179.99 USD, while the Razer Tomahawk A1 Gaming Chassis ATX will be available in Fall 2020 for $199.99 USD.

Razer Chroma RGB

Alongside the new hardware announcements, Razer also introduced four partners to its Razer Chroma Connect program - WD Black, Seagate Gaming, Yeelight, and Twinkly. This brings the total third-party partners to over 50, making it "the world's largest RGB lighting ecosystem for gaming devices with support for over 500 devices and over 150 games and applications." Razer also announced the first ever Razer Edition motherboards, in collaboration with ASRock, that offer native Razer Chroma RGB support and universal compatibility with thousands of addressable RGB (ARGB) components. [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.