In a recent interview with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Bill Murray strongly hinted that he will be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as part of the cast of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Murray was speaking to Patrick Heidmann about his upcoming film The French Dispatch when he revealed that he "recently shot a Marvel movie," even though he was "probably not supposed to" to talk about it.

"You know, I recently shot a Marvel movie. I'm probably not supposed to tell you, but whatever," Murray said, as translated from German to English by IGN. "But a few people were pretty surprised that I would decide on doing a project like this. But for me, the case was clear; I got to know the director - and I really liked him a lot.

"He was funny, humble, everything you want in a director. So, I agreed to do it, even though these giant comic book productions don't usually interest me as an actor."

While he didn't name Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania specifically, he did reveal that this unnamed director was the one who made Bring It On. For those unaware, the director in question is Peyton Reed, the director of the first two Ant-Man films and this upcoming one.

This confirmation from Murray also follows a previous report from TheCosmicCircus that said a casting listing on Mandy.com stated that John Townsend was a photo double for Murray on a production called "Dust Bunny." This codename is said to be for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Murray will not be the only newcomer to the film, as Lovecraft Country's Jonathan Majors will also be making his feature film debut in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania was recently delayed from February 17, 2023 to July 28, 2023. It was one of the many MCU films hit by a schedule shift.

For more, check out the creepy photo Peyton Reed shared to commemorate the first day of filming, IGN's top 15 Bill Murray films, how the ending of Loki may impact this new film, and why Evangeline Lilly thinks her character the Wasp is still an "enigma" after multiple movies.

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.

Pikmin Bloom is the newest collaboration between Nintendo and AR developer Niantic, and in the coming days, it will soon be available to download on both iOS and Android.

Like Pokemon Go, Pikmin Bloom combines elements from the beloved Nintendo franchise with embracing the outdoors. Players can grow Pikmin by walking around and getting steps in, but that’s only half the experience.

Once you finish your daily walk and keep growing Pikmin, you’ll soon be able to pluck them and have them gather more materials for you to keep playing. As with Niantic’s other AR games, there is an interactive map based on your real-life location.

As you walk, the flowers will bloom along your path making the actual walking a more important part of Pikmin Bloom. As you take your Pikmin crew on your treks, your map will bloom with the flowers you plant with each step.

In this regard, Pikmin Bloom is almost closer to a fitness tracker than a game and that seems to be the desired goal.

Niantic is planning monthly Community Day events to encourage community walks, but with Pikmin Bloom, the goal isn’t so much collecting as it is getting you out-and-about. You’ll also be able to take pictures with your Pikmin and create a journal of all the places you’ve been.

Pikmin Bloom is the first new game Niantic developed in collaboration with Nintendo. The two companies have announced plans to work together more on Nintendo franchises going forward so expect to see more from the two companies in the future.

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

Activision Blizzard is currently facing serious ongoing allegations of harassment and mistreatment of marginalized workers. To learn more, please visit our timeline as well as our in-depth report on the subject.

Blizzard has announced that it will be canceling BlizzConline, initially planned for early next year, while making an effort to reimagine future BlizzCon events to be more "safe, welcoming, and inclusive."

In a blog post, the company said the decision was fueled by a need to redirect the energy Blizzard would normally spend putting on the event elsewhere, specifically toward "supporting our teams and progressing development of our games and experiences."

Blizzard still plans to make some announcements for its portfolio of games in February around the time the event would have been held, it just won't be in the event format used in past years.

Though not explicitly laid out in the blog post, this announcement comes within the context of an ongoing lawsuit filed in early August by the state of California, accusing Activision Blizzard of fostering a "frat boy" culture including sexual harassment, a toxic work environment, and unequal pay between men and women.

Among the accounts detailed in both the lawsuit and in subsequent stories shared from former employees in various reports were stories of inappropriate behavior in and around in-person BlizzCon events over the years, including the infamous "Cosby Suite" story that took place at a hotel during BlizzCon each year.

There was also a BlizzCon panel in which an all-male group of World of Warcraft developers dismissed a question about why so many of the game's female characters looked like Victoria's Secret models.

BlizzCon moved to an online-only format for its last incarnation due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and a similar online-only format had been planned for this coming year. With physical events steadily returning, it is not yet clear what the future of BlizzCon in-person events will look like.

"The first BlizzCon was held 16 years ago, and so much has changed in the time since—most notably, the multiple ways in which players and communities can come together and feel like they are a part of something bigger," reads Blizzard's post.

"Whatever the event looks like in the future, we also need to ensure that it feels as safe, welcoming, and inclusive as possible. We’re committed to continual communication with our players, and we see BlizzCon playing a big role in that going forward. We’re excited about what we’ll do with the event when we revisit it in the future."

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

When James Wan announced a horror-tinged, Aquaman spinoff called The Trench that was going to focus on the non-human aquatic beings of the deep, it raised some eyebrows. Who wants to watch a movie about fish people with no real connection to Aquaman? Either way, The Trench was ultimately canceled at WB.

Well, it turns out The Trench was secretly a Black Manta solo movie starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, making its existence more understandable and its cancellation more confusing.

Wan recently posted new Instagram photos of Abdul-Mateen II’s Black Manta on the set of Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. In the comments, one fan asked Wan if there was a chance Black Manta could get a solo series, possibly like Peacemaker on HBO Max.

To this Wan revealed, “I’ll let you in on a secret, the canceled Trench spin-off movie was going to be a secret Black Manta movie.”

A horror-themed Black Manta movie? Now that’s a much more compelling premise than The Trench originally advertised. Especially since Abdul-Mateen II showed off his horror chops in Candyman.

While we won’t get the Black Manta spinoff, the iconic Aquaman villain will return in Aquaman 2 along with several new villains including Stingray, Karshon, and Atlan.

Check out the first behind-the-scenes look at Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom from DC FanDome, or check out IGN’s review of Aquaman for more undersea deets.

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

PlayStation has announced that the upcoming State of Play will include an in-depth look at Little Devil Inside.

In a short teaser trailer on Twitter, PlayStation shared a glimpse of Little Devil Inside's world, showing a brief shot of a train station.

All aboard for tomorrow's State of Play, which includes your first in-depth look at Little Devil Inside. Tune in live at 2pm PT / 10pm BST: https://t.co/EnDyyYoPcC pic.twitter.com/kGf1l7YnAD

— PlayStation (@PlayStation) October 26, 2021

Little Devil Inside was originally announced at the June 2020 PlayStation 5 reveal event. The trailer showed off two different stories playing out at the same time: a knight exploring a hostile world, and an old man living in Europe.

The game fell into controversy shortly after its reveal when many people on social media called out some of the game's racist enemy designs. The developers responded, promising to change the designs, saying, "Racist stereotypes of any kind were absolutely not intended."

The October 2021 State of Play takes place tomorrow at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET / 10 p.m. BST. The showcase will focus on upcoming games from PlayStation partners coming to both PS5 and PS4. Sony also says the show will feature games we've already heard about and a few new reveals.

Besides Little Devil Inside, upcoming third-party games include Final Fantasy 16, Forspoken, Ghostwire: Tokyo, and Stray. We'll have to wait and see what else makes an appearance. To see all the reveals as soon as they're announced, check out how to watch the October 2021 State of Play.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Dune: Part Two has been officially greenlit by Legendary Pictures. Director Denis Villeneuve is set to return and is scheduled to premiere on October 20, 2023 exclusively in theaters.

Legendary and WB announced the news on social media. In a pair of Tweets, Legendary thanked fans and said it's "excited to continue the journey."

This is only the beginning...

Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We're excited to continue the journey! pic.twitter.com/mZj68Hnm0A

— Legendary (@Legendary) October 26, 2021

Dune was always set up as a multi-part movie, especially after the full title was revealed to be Dune: Part One. But there were concerns that a high-concept sci-fi movie like Dune might not gain the kind of audience that would justify multiple movies.

But WB and Legendary executives were bullish on Dune and WarnerMedia Ann Sarnoff all but confirmed a sequel when she said, "Will we have a sequel to Dune? If you watch the movie, you see how it ends. I think you pretty much know the answer to that."

Dune has shown to have a strong box office showing, taking in $40 million on its opening weekend. A respectible performance, especially for a movie that launched simultaneously on HBO Max.

Based on the sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert, Dune: Part One ends as Paul Atreides and Jessica finally link up with the Fremen. Check out IGN's explainer on what to expect from the now-confirmed Dune Part 2.

IGN's Dune review called Villeneuve's luxurious sci-fi vision an "imperfect epic," that feels incomplete. But perhaps a full viewing of Part 1 and 2 will give Dune greater clarity and context.

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

Idris Elba says Knuckles the Echidna will not be sexy in the upcoming Sonic the Hedgehog movie sequel.

Speaking to Screen Rant about Knuckles' characterization in the film, Elba said, “Honestly, I cannot say. Contractually, I cannot say anything. But I wouldn't say he was sexy. I don't think I'm going for that. That's for sure.”

Elba was named People's Sexiest Man Alive in 2018, and he's known for commanding the screen in shows and movies including The Wire, Luther, and most recently, The Suicide Squad. This has led fans to speculate Elba will bring that same appeal to his animated counterpart. However, we now know not to expect Elba's trademark sex appeal when he voices Sonic's best frenemy, at least on purpose.

While Knuckles has never been known for his sex appeal, he's arguably at the top of his game when he's romping around Pumpkin Hill to the iconic (and endlessly memed) Pumpkin Hill rap soundtrack. Conversely, Knuckles fans weren't head-over-heels for his Sonic Boom redesign, which saw him become much larger, and much less intelligent. We'll have to see where on the scale Elba's portrayal of Knuckles lands.

We first learned Elba would voice the red echidna earlier this year, when the actor posted a photo of Knuckles' knuckles on Instagram. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is set to release on April 8, 2022.

For more, check out our Sonic the Hedgehog movie review, where we said, "While this family-friendly action-comedy suffers from a simplistic story and leans too heavily on tired visual cliches, Sonic the Hedgehog is nevertheless boosted by solid performances from Ben Schwartz as Sonic and Jim Carrey as Dr. Robotnik."

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

HBO has announced that it is renewing Succession for a fourth season. The show started its third season on October 17 and continues to stay strong as the season premiere drew in over 1.4 million viewers across HBO and HBO Max.

“With each season of Succession, Jesse Armstrong has continued to surpass our wildest expectations, pulling us deeper into the Roy family’s inner sanctum with indelible wit, humanity, and precision,” said Francesca Orsi, executive vice president of HBO Programming in a statement. “This season is undoubtedly no exception, and we couldn’t be more excited for all that’s in store in this next season ahead.”

Renewed for Season 4. pic.twitter.com/iDrJMzEvqd

— Succession (@succession) October 26, 2021

The third season of Succession has Logan Roy, played by Brian Cox, trying to secure various familial, political, and finances after his son Kendell, chose to expose his role in a company scandal. The corporate frenzy risks becoming personal as the Roy family decides who will fill in for Logan after his downfall.

In an interview earlier this year Succession executive producer Georgia Pritchett said that Succession is being developed with an end in sight and that the show might end after five seasons. "I think the maximum would be five seasons, but possibly more like four," Pritchett said to The Times. "We've got a good end in sight."

In IGN's Succession Season 3 review, Hanna Flint says, " Succession Season 3 returns with just as much petty hilarity, punishing woes, and blazing performances as previous seasons with a civil war storyline to keep you hooked on the exploits of these awful rich people."

New episodes of Succession air on Sunday nights at 9 PM ET/PT on HBO and are available for streaming on HBO Max.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter at @yinyangfooey.

Blaseball, the absurdist player-driven online fantasy sport, is making a return after its last lengthy hiatus ("siesta") on November 1 with Short Circuits — a mini-series of sorts intended to reimagine the game from the ground up.

Short Circuits are "a low-stakes mini-series of temporary universes where anything can happen," each lasting two weeks. The first Short Circuit, which starts on November 1 at 8am PT/11am ET, will last for two "seasons," with each season lasting a week.

Historically, Blaseball's major storylines have taken place over the course of two major "eras," each consisting of several seasons lasting about a week. Short Circuits is not considered a full era in Blaseball, but rather is serving as a test ground for developer The Game Band to return the game to its fundamentals and use feedback to ensure future eras are a more welcoming experience to new players.

Blaseball is an absurdist fantasy sport played entirely in a browser that largely follows the rules and conventions of baseball, but with fictional, AI-driven teams, occasional bizarre events, a few rule modifications, and future changes to the game voted on by the spectators. We wrote in-depth about what Blaseball is earlier this year prior to the game's last era, and while the story since then has taken some pretty wild and confusing turns, Short Circuits appears to be an attempt to reign things in and ensure that everyone can participate easily without knowing what came before.

Per the press release, no prior Blaseball experience is required to participate in Short Circuits. The game is free and playable only in-browser via the official website.

Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.

Scientists have found signs of a planet transiting a star outside of the Milky Way, potentially representing what could be the first-ever planet to be detected in another galaxy.

Researchers found evidence of a planet in the Messier 51 galaxy, located some 28 million light-years away from the Milky Way, as they detected a dip in brightness in the luminous "whirlpool" system. They used NASA's Chandra X-ray Telescope to observe transits, which can sometimes occur when planets pass in front of stars and block out a portion of the light.

The transit technique has been used by astronomers for years to aid the discovery of exoplanets and exoplanet candidates — all of which have been found in the Milky Way up until now. It's a method that has produced successful results, though it also presents a few challenges, particularly for scientists wanting a second viewing to confirm their findings.

"Unfortunately to confirm that we're seeing a planet we would likely have to wait decades to see another transit," said Nia Imara, who co-authored the recently published paper, presenting data that is consistent with a model of a planet candidate. "And because of the uncertainties about how long it takes to orbit, we wouldn't know exactly when to look."

While attempts to confirm the observation may be thwarted, the study's lead author, Rosanne Di Stefano, recognized that the potential discovery may help to broaden future studies and "open up a whole new arena for finding other worlds by searching for planet candidates at X-ray wavelengths, a strategy that makes it possible to discover them in other galaxies."

Astronomers previously discovered 139 new "minor planets" in the far reaches of our solar system, just beyond Neptune's orbit in the vast expanse of the galaxy, which also plays host to a free-floating world without a host star, a "hell planet" strangely similar to Darth Vader's lava homeworld of Mustafar, and a Super-Earth that's nearly as old as the universe itself.

Adele Ankers is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.

Thumbnail image credit: NASA/CXC/M. Weiss