Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continues to face setbacks just as filming for the sequel was set to resume. A COVID-19 outbreak on the set has caused yet another production pause for the Black Panther sequel.

THR reported the challenges of filming during the pandemic as a new COVID variant sweeps across the country. Among the productions affected is Black Panther 2 which just resumed production after Letitia Wright returned to the set after a stunt accident.

According to the report, several cast and crewmembers tested positive for COVID including Lupita Nyong’o, who is reprising her role as Nakia in the sequel.

The Marvel production is just one of several Hollywood productions affected by the post-holiday surge in coronavirus cases. It was recently reported that production on Star Trek: Picard was shut down after 50 people tested positive.

This is yet another blow to Black Panther which was just about to resume production after halting late last year. The reasoning was due to an on-set stunt accident that left Letitia Wright, who plays T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri, with a shoulder fracture and concussion.

The Black Panther 2 production team continued to film all the remaining scenes that didn’t require Wright but paused production once she was required back on set.

Despite the increase in outbreaks, sources say there’s not much hope in stricter vaccination rules on set. Hollywood productions have adopted a multi-tier system where members in the highest tiers, usually actors and those around them, have stricter safety requirements, those in lower tiers like postproduction do not and there are concerns that there could be outbreaks there that impact projects.

Regardless of the outbreak, Black Panther 2 is still set to be released in 2022 alongside other Marvel projects including Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever continues to face setbacks just as filming for the sequel was set to resume. A COVID-19 outbreak on the set has caused yet another production pause for the Black Panther sequel.

THR reported the challenges of filming during the pandemic as a new COVID variant sweeps across the country. Among the productions affected is Black Panther 2 which just resumed production after Letitia Wright returned to the set after a stunt accident.

According to the report, several cast and crewmembers tested positive for COVID including Lupita Nyong’o, who is reprising her role as Nakia in the sequel.

The Marvel production is just one of several Hollywood productions affected by the post-holiday surge in coronavirus cases. It was recently reported that production on Star Trek: Picard was shut down after 50 people tested positive.

This is yet another blow to Black Panther which was just about to resume production after halting late last year. The reasoning was due to an on-set stunt accident that left Letitia Wright, who plays T’Challa’s younger sister Shuri, with a shoulder fracture and concussion.

The Black Panther 2 production team continued to film all the remaining scenes that didn’t require Wright but paused production once she was required back on set.

Despite the increase in outbreaks, sources say there’s not much hope in stricter vaccination rules on set. Hollywood productions have adopted a multi-tier system where members in the highest tiers, usually actors and those around them, have stricter safety requirements, those in lower tiers like postproduction do not and there are concerns that there could be outbreaks there that impact projects.

Regardless of the outbreak, Black Panther 2 is still set to be released in 2022 alongside other Marvel projects including Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

The Squid Game universe has only has just begun, according to Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

Sarandos acknowledged today that Netflix's most popular series ever will be returning another season, confirming earlier remarks from series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. According to Variety, the remarks came during Netflix's fourth quarter 2021 earnings interview, where Sarandos was asked about the show's future.

"Absolutely,” Sarandos said. "The Squid Game universe has just begun."

Squid Game was one of last year's breakout streaming hits and IGN's best television show of 2021, reaching a "mind-boggling" 214 million subscribers worldwide. It depicts a "candy-coated" battle royale in which 456 contestants are forced to play children's games for a large prize pool and their lives.

Hwang Dong-hyuk previously confirmed that Squid Game would be returning, and even said that talks are underway for a third season. He also said main character Seong Gi-hun will return.

"I will promise you this, Gi-hun will come back," Hwang said. "He will do something for the world."

Sarandos did not say when Squid Game Season 2 will premiere.

The Squid Game universe has only has just begun, according to Netflix co-CEO and Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos.

Sarandos acknowledged today that Netflix's most popular series ever will be returning another season, confirming earlier remarks from series creator Hwang Dong-hyuk. According to Variety, the remarks came during Netflix's fourth quarter 2021 earnings interview, where Sarandos was asked about the show's future.

"Absolutely,” Sarandos said. "The Squid Game universe has just begun."

Squid Game was one of last year's breakout streaming hits and IGN's best television show of 2021, reaching a "mind-boggling" 214 million subscribers worldwide. It depicts a "candy-coated" battle royale in which 456 contestants are forced to play children's games for a large prize pool and their lives.

Hwang Dong-hyuk previously confirmed that Squid Game would be returning, and even said that talks are underway for a third season. He also said main character Seong Gi-hun will return.

"I will promise you this, Gi-hun will come back," Hwang said. "He will do something for the world."

Sarandos did not say when Squid Game Season 2 will premiere.

If the epic tunes at the end of the trailer for The Batman tickled your inner dark knight, good news: You can listen to the whole thing right now and pick it up on music services at 9 PM PST.

The theme is composed by Michael Giacchino, composer on films like Pixar's Up and The Incredibles, all three Tom Holland Spider-Man films, and Doctor Strange.

It's got all the musical motifs you could ask for, including a slow burn introduction that swells into a domineering melody.

Fans have noticed that it draws on similar motifs as both Batman: The Animated Series and Tim Burton's Batman films, with solemn brass sections and elusive strings. There's even a bit of fluctuating synth to emphasize the growing melody.

"Yeah this has "World's Greatest Detective" written all over it," wrote one Reddit user. "This is like something I'd hear in Sherlock, Bosch or True Detective, or Maltese Falcon. Reeves saying he wanted to emphasize the detective aspect of the character clearly isn't just him talking the talk."

Though the 1960's Batman theme was all silly jaunts, Batman's musical themes definitely began to take a darker, more intriguing tone with the works of Danny Elfman on 1989's Batman and the animated series.

The Batman is out in theaters on March 4 and stars Robert Pattinson as the titular caped crusader. We also recently learned it sports one of the longest runtimes of any DC movie, and will in fact be rated PG-13.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/henchman for IGN.

If the epic tunes at the end of the trailer for The Batman tickled your inner dark knight, good news: You can listen to the whole thing right now and pick it up on music services at 9 PM PST.

The theme is composed by Michael Giacchino, composer on films like Pixar's Up and The Incredibles, all three Tom Holland Spider-Man films, and Doctor Strange.

It's got all the musical motifs you could ask for, including a slow burn introduction that swells into a domineering melody.

Fans have noticed that it draws on similar motifs as both Batman: The Animated Series and Tim Burton's Batman films, with solemn brass sections and elusive strings. There's even a bit of fluctuating synth to emphasize the growing melody.

"Yeah this has "World's Greatest Detective" written all over it," wrote one Reddit user. "This is like something I'd hear in Sherlock, Bosch or True Detective, or Maltese Falcon. Reeves saying he wanted to emphasize the detective aspect of the character clearly isn't just him talking the talk."

Though the 1960's Batman theme was all silly jaunts, Batman's musical themes definitely began to take a darker, more intriguing tone with the works of Danny Elfman on 1989's Batman and the animated series.

The Batman is out in theaters on March 4 and stars Robert Pattinson as the titular caped crusader. We also recently learned it sports one of the longest runtimes of any DC movie, and will in fact be rated PG-13.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer/henchman for IGN.

In the wake of Microsoft's blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, some Call of Duty devs are reportedly eager to move away from the annualized released schedule that has defined the series for much of its existence.

In a new article that provides an overview of Activision Blizzard's internal reactions to the acquisition, Bloomberg reports that "high-level employees" have discussed ditching Call of Duty's current release schedule. Currently, Activision continues to put a new Call of Duty every year from a rotating series of studios — a strategy that has proven an awkward fit since the release of Warzone.

These developers are said to feel that slowing the franchise's release cadence would please players who have grown weary of Call of Duty's steady drumbeat of releases. Bloomberg's article cites Call of Duty: Vanguard's 36 percent sales decline in the UK, though it still managed to top 2021's sales charts.

According to Bloomberg, the shift may not happen until "next year or later," with this year's release "expected to redeem the franchise's fortunes."

Call of Duty: Vanguard is commonly said to suffer from "Call of Duty Fatigue" — a label that has been applied to other underperforming releases such as Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Some have questioned the wisdom of releasing another World War II shooter relatively soon after Call of Duty: WWII, which came out back in 2017.

In the meantime, Call of Duty faces plenty of other questions amid Microsoft's pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have both signaled their intention to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles, it is unclear whether they are referring to Warzone, the annualized releases, or both.

The games industry continues to sift through the fall out of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, which we called a "content war and not a console war" in a recent op-ed. You can see how it compares to other major entertainment acquisitions here, as well as why we think Call of Duty's days on PlayStation are numbered.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

In the wake of Microsoft's blockbuster acquisition of Activision Blizzard, some Call of Duty devs are reportedly eager to move away from the annualized released schedule that has defined the series for much of its existence.

In a new article that provides an overview of Activision Blizzard's internal reactions to the acquisition, Bloomberg reports that "high-level employees" have discussed ditching Call of Duty's current release schedule. Currently, Activision continues to put a new Call of Duty every year from a rotating series of studios — a strategy that has proven an awkward fit since the release of Warzone.

These developers are said to feel that slowing the franchise's release cadence would please players who have grown weary of Call of Duty's steady drumbeat of releases. Bloomberg's article cites Call of Duty: Vanguard's 36 percent sales decline in the UK, though it still managed to top 2021's sales charts.

According to Bloomberg, the shift may not happen until "next year or later," with this year's release "expected to redeem the franchise's fortunes."

Call of Duty: Vanguard is commonly said to suffer from "Call of Duty Fatigue" — a label that has been applied to other underperforming releases such as Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Some have questioned the wisdom of releasing another World War II shooter relatively soon after Call of Duty: WWII, which came out back in 2017.

In the meantime, Call of Duty faces plenty of other questions amid Microsoft's pending acquisition of Activision Blizzard. While Microsoft and Activision Blizzard have both signaled their intention to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation consoles, it is unclear whether they are referring to Warzone, the annualized releases, or both.

The games industry continues to sift through the fall out of Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, which we called a "content war and not a console war" in a recent op-ed. You can see how it compares to other major entertainment acquisitions here, as well as why we think Call of Duty's days on PlayStation are numbered.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN

A live-action Godzilla TV series is in the works at Apple TV+, helmed by Hawkeye author Matt Fraction and Chris Black, a longtime veteran on Star Trek: Enterprise and Robert Kirkman's Outcast.

The new series is set in the current Legendary franchise, after the events of 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. It will follow a new family with a secret connection to Monarch, a shadowy organization working behind the scenes throughout Legendary's Godzilla trilogy.

"Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the series explores one family's journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch," the synopsis reads.

Chris Black will serve as showrunner, and both he and Fraction will serve as executive producers, with production being handled by Legendary Television. Toho's Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita will also executive produce, representing the owners of the Godzilla brand.

No title or release date has been confirmed, so consider this one firmly in the early stages of development. It follows in the footsteps of 2014's Godzilla, 2019's King of Monsters, and 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, which brought the kaiju legends to a head against each other and eventually Mechagodzilla. It'll be joining the fray alongside an animated Kong: Skull Island series set to debut on Netflix.

Meanwhile, Godzilla has found some success as an anime series on Netflix.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and Mecha Godzilla was just misunderstood.

A live-action Godzilla TV series is in the works at Apple TV+, helmed by Hawkeye author Matt Fraction and Chris Black, a longtime veteran on Star Trek: Enterprise and Robert Kirkman's Outcast.

The new series is set in the current Legendary franchise, after the events of 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. It will follow a new family with a secret connection to Monarch, a shadowy organization working behind the scenes throughout Legendary's Godzilla trilogy.

"Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, the series explores one family's journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch," the synopsis reads.

Chris Black will serve as showrunner, and both he and Fraction will serve as executive producers, with production being handled by Legendary Television. Toho's Hiro Matsuoka and Takemasa Arita will also executive produce, representing the owners of the Godzilla brand.

No title or release date has been confirmed, so consider this one firmly in the early stages of development. It follows in the footsteps of 2014's Godzilla, 2019's King of Monsters, and 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong, which brought the kaiju legends to a head against each other and eventually Mechagodzilla. It'll be joining the fray alongside an animated Kong: Skull Island series set to debut on Netflix.

Meanwhile, Godzilla has found some success as an anime series on Netflix.

Joseph Knoop is a writer/producer for IGN, and Mecha Godzilla was just misunderstood.