Chris Pratt will reportedly reprise his role as Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, in Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder. Pratt, who leads the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, will join Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Christian Bale in the Taika Waititi-directed sequel. Waititi will also once again voice Thor's alien pal Korg. Peter Quill and Thor enjoyed a friendly rivalry in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the latter of which saw the heavyset Bro Thor leave his fellow Asgardians behind on Earth under the leadership of Valkyrie to join the Guardians in space. [caption id="attachment_2438298" align="alignnone" width="720"] Peter Quill, Rocket, and Thor in Avengers: Endgame.[/caption] The Hollywood Reporter implies other members of the Guardians could appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. According to THR's Heat Vision newsletter, "Love and Thunder is due to shoot in Australia in January, and Pratt will do a short round of additional photography for his sci-fi movie The Tomorrow War before heading to the land Down Under." While we don't know which character Christian Bale is playing in Thor: Love and Thunder, we do have some theories about his role. Scroll through the slideshow below to find them out: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=thor-love-and-thunder-6-characters-christian-bale-could-play&captions=true"] Chris Pratt is also expected to return as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the script for which is complete and will probably be the last sequel to feature the current lineup of characters. Thor: Love and Thunder's current release date is February 11, 2022.

Chris Pratt will reportedly reprise his role as Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, in Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder. Pratt, who leads the MCU's Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, will join Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson, and Christian Bale in the Taika Waititi-directed sequel. Waititi will also once again voice Thor's alien pal Korg. Peter Quill and Thor enjoyed a friendly rivalry in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, the latter of which saw the heavyset Bro Thor leave his fellow Asgardians behind on Earth under the leadership of Valkyrie to join the Guardians in space. [caption id="attachment_2438298" align="alignnone" width="720"] Peter Quill, Rocket, and Thor in Avengers: Endgame.[/caption] The Hollywood Reporter implies other members of the Guardians could appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. According to THR's Heat Vision newsletter, "Love and Thunder is due to shoot in Australia in January, and Pratt will do a short round of additional photography for his sci-fi movie The Tomorrow War before heading to the land Down Under." While we don't know which character Christian Bale is playing in Thor: Love and Thunder, we do have some theories about his role. Scroll through the slideshow below to find them out: [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=thor-love-and-thunder-6-characters-christian-bale-could-play&captions=true"] Chris Pratt is also expected to return as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the script for which is complete and will probably be the last sequel to feature the current lineup of characters. Thor: Love and Thunder's current release date is February 11, 2022.

A Marvel Studios executive producer has confirmed that Disney will not use a digital double of late actor Chadwick Boseman in a Black Panther sequel.

In an interview with Clarin, executive producer Victoria Alonso dismissed the idea of digitally recreating Boseman, who died from colon cancer in August at the age of 43.

“No. There's only one Chadwick, and he's not with us. Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really," Alonso said.

Alonso, who has been with Marvel Studios since Phase One of the MCU, said of Boseman that he "was not only a wonder of being human every day that we spend together the five years that we spend together, but it also seems to me that as a character what he did elevated us as a company, and has left his moment in history."

Alonso added that no decision has been made yet about what Marvel will do with the Black Panther franchise now: "I know that sometimes two months go by or three months go by in production and one says, already, it was a long time. But it is not a long time, we have to think carefully about what we are going to do, and how, and think about how we are going to honor the franchise.”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-the-mcus-phase-4-could-introduce-the-x-men&captions=true"]

Using digital effects to recreate Boseman's T'Challa certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility, considering Disney utilized CGI to portray deceased actors like Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) in Rogue One and a younger version of Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Rogue One.

Disney may be even more hesitant to use a CGI double since various Black Panther actors have expressed their dismay over how to continue the franchise without Boseman.

"We're just still mourning Chad, so it's not something I even want to think about," Wright said when asked about reprising her role as Shuri, Princess of Wakanda, for the Black Panther sequel. "The thought of doing it without him is kinda strange. We're just grieving at the moment, so it's trying to find the light in the midst of it."

Black Panther 2 was originally scheduled to be released in 2022, though, with complications stemming from COVID, Disney’s schedule is likely to be altered in the future.

[poilib element="accentDivider"]

A Marvel Studios executive producer has confirmed that Disney will not use a digital double of late actor Chadwick Boseman in a Black Panther sequel.

In an interview with Clarin, executive producer Victoria Alonso dismissed the idea of digitally recreating Boseman, who died from colon cancer in August at the age of 43.

“No. There's only one Chadwick, and he's not with us. Our king, unfortunately, has died in real life, not just in fiction, and we are taking a little time to see how we return to history and what we do to honor this chapter of what has happened to us that was so unexpected, so painful, so terrible, really," Alonso said.

Alonso, who has been with Marvel Studios since Phase One of the MCU, said of Boseman that he "was not only a wonder of being human every day that we spend together the five years that we spend together, but it also seems to me that as a character what he did elevated us as a company, and has left his moment in history."

Alonso added that no decision has been made yet about what Marvel will do with the Black Panther franchise now: "I know that sometimes two months go by or three months go by in production and one says, already, it was a long time. But it is not a long time, we have to think carefully about what we are going to do, and how, and think about how we are going to honor the franchise.”

[widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=how-the-mcus-phase-4-could-introduce-the-x-men&captions=true"]

Using digital effects to recreate Boseman's T'Challa certainly isn’t out of the realm of possibility, considering Disney utilized CGI to portray deceased actors like Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin) in Rogue One and a younger version of Carrie Fisher in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Rogue One.

Disney may be even more hesitant to use a CGI double since various Black Panther actors have expressed their dismay over how to continue the franchise without Boseman.

"We're just still mourning Chad, so it's not something I even want to think about," Wright said when asked about reprising her role as Shuri, Princess of Wakanda, for the Black Panther sequel. "The thought of doing it without him is kinda strange. We're just grieving at the moment, so it's trying to find the light in the midst of it."

Black Panther 2 was originally scheduled to be released in 2022, though, with complications stemming from COVID, Disney’s schedule is likely to be altered in the future.

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Close to three-quarters of Xbox Series S and Series X owners are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. the company confirmed as Xbox celebrates its biggest console launch ever. Xbox announced today that the joint launch of the Series X and Series S is the most successful debut in the company's history, confirming that 70% of those new consoles are attached to either new or existing Game Pass members. It also said that more new consoles were sold this launch than in any prior generation launch, with the Xbox Series S adding to the highest percentage of new players for any Xbox console at launch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] "Your support, and what you accomplished in the first 24 hours of launch, inspire us and demonstrate the connective power of play is more important than ever," Xbox corporate vice president of gaming experiences and platforms Liz Hamren said. Hamren said that 3,594 games spanning four generations of Xbox were played during the Series launch, which is a record for the company. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"] Xbox is working to get more Series X and S consoles available for purchase as the console remains mostly sold out around the world, according to Hamren, and she encourages people to check with their local retailers for specific details about availability in their market. This comes days after the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, where scalpers were selling the console for two to three times its standard price on Amazon and Ebay. If you're still looking for a new Xbox, here's where to buy the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S when they come back online. If you're one of the people with a new Xbox console, here are 7 things to do first with your Xbox Series X. Be sure to check out all of IGN's Xbox Series X guides when setting up your new console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Close to three-quarters of Xbox Series S and Series X owners are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass. the company confirmed as Xbox celebrates its biggest console launch ever. Xbox announced today that the joint launch of the Series X and Series S is the most successful debut in the company's history, confirming that 70% of those new consoles are attached to either new or existing Game Pass members. It also said that more new consoles were sold this launch than in any prior generation launch, with the Xbox Series S adding to the highest percentage of new players for any Xbox console at launch. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=confirmed-xbox-series-x-games&captions=true"] "Your support, and what you accomplished in the first 24 hours of launch, inspire us and demonstrate the connective power of play is more important than ever," Xbox corporate vice president of gaming experiences and platforms Liz Hamren said. Hamren said that 3,594 games spanning four generations of Xbox were played during the Series launch, which is a record for the company. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/11/05/xbox-series-x-review"] Xbox is working to get more Series X and S consoles available for purchase as the console remains mostly sold out around the world, according to Hamren, and she encourages people to check with their local retailers for specific details about availability in their market. This comes days after the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, where scalpers were selling the console for two to three times its standard price on Amazon and Ebay. If you're still looking for a new Xbox, here's where to buy the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S when they come back online. If you're one of the people with a new Xbox console, here are 7 things to do first with your Xbox Series X. Be sure to check out all of IGN's Xbox Series X guides when setting up your new console. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Update 2:  The Service de police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM) has issued a statement regarding the incident that took place today at the Saint-Laurent Boulevard office building where Ubisoft Montreal is based. In a short statement, the SPVM said it "deployed a large number of resources to answer a call for a hostage situation in a Saint-Laurent Boulevard office building." "The perimeter was quickly secured and the SPVM confirms that no threat has been detected and no injuries are reported." Investigators are now taking the statement of the evacuees from the building and are attempting to find out the origins of "the call behind this important police force deployment." In a second statement, Ubisoft Montreal says: "We want to salute the courage and composure our teams showed today, our focus remains on ensuring their health and wellbeing. We would also like to thank the SPVM for their quick and professional response, helping to bring the situation under control."

pic.twitter.com/3fKlfoZMsi

— Ubisoft Montréal (@UbisoftMTL) November 14, 2020

Update 1: The Montreal police are now evacuating the building after identifying no threats. IGN will have more updates as the situation continues to unfold.

No threat has been identified for now. We are currently evacuating the building. #SPVM https://t.co/7g7eHU2B1T

— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 13, 2020

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Original Story: Canadian news outlets are reporting a police situation taking place at the building where Ubisoft Montreal is based. Montreal PD has confirmed there is a police operation in the sector where the offices are located but didn’t provide any further details. IGN reached out to the Montreal Police’s media box where an automated briefing said a “police operation” is happening at the location of Saint-Laurent and St-Vieateur, but that they are still verifying the situation. The Montreal police added that people should “avoid the sector.”

Opération policière en cours au coin de Saint-Laurent et St-Viateur. Nous demandons aux gens d'éviter le secteur. Le #SPVM valide présentement des informations et d'autres détails suivront. pic.twitter.com/qvDym0QmmM

— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 13, 2020

"We are aware of the situation and working with local authorities," a Ubisoft representative said in a short statement to IGN. Montreal PD has issued a follow-up saying specialized officers are on-site inspecting the premise, but no injuries have been reported.

Officers have been sent to the location following a 911 call. Specialized #SPVM officers are on site inspecting the premises. There are no injuries reported. https://t.co/omrH0sYHbQ

— Police Montréal (@SPVM) November 13, 2020

The news first began when Ubisoft Montreal employees started sharing about a possible situation at the Montreal office. Ubisoft senior community director Eric Pope alerted social media about a police situation unfolding at the offices, though it was unclear at the time what the situation was about. There was much confusion about the event, especially since the first reports from Canadian outlets like the Montreal Journal first reported a possible hostage situation where Ubisoft’s offices are located, on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in the Mile End area of Montreal. The Montreal police did not confirm any details beyond a police operation, however, and there was no mention of any hostage situation. Ubisoft employees were filmed protecting themselves on the roof of their office building, and images of the scene were widely circulated online. Ubisoft Montreal employees shared updates on their safety online. While some Ubisoft Montreal employees are still working from home, others who have been in the office have provided updates on social media.

I’m safe, team here is safe, going home.

— Anouk Wolf-Kissed Total Landscaping (@Valskuiken) November 13, 2020

Safe atm.

— Maxime Durand (@TriFreako) November 13, 2020

I am safe. My thoughts are with my teammates in the office today. Please be safe.

— Cory Switzman (@imqulsive) November 13, 2020

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Nine of October's top-sellingop 20 games in the U.S. were published by Nintendo, according to the latest monthly sales report from The NPD Group. The best-selling game published by Nintendo in October was Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, with Super Mario 3D All-Stars coming in right behind it as fifth and sixth place this month respectively. Animal Crossing: New Horizons came in at eighth, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe at 11th, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at 15th, Ring Fit Adventure at 16th, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 17th, Super Mario Party at 19th, and finally, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe at 20th. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-switch-games-fall-2020-update&captions=true"] Nintendo, however, didn't take the top spot for the month, as that belongs to FIFA 21, which is the best-selling game of October 2020. This achievement also represents the first time a FIFA game has launched as number one in the U.S. market. The game launched on October 6 and became the number one game for October on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms. It's important to note that this is just PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X versions of FIFA 21 launch on December 4. In hardware news, the Nintendo Switch set a new U.S. October dollar sales record, besting the previous high set by the Nintendo Wii in October 2008, according to The NPD Group. Nintendo has been the best-selling hardware platform in the U.S. for 23 consecutive months, which is also a record. The NPD Group also reports that year-to-date dollar sales of the Switch are the second-highest of any platform in U.S. history, coming in second only to the 2008 year-to-date dollar sales of the Wii. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/06/fifa-21-review"]

October's Best-Selling Games

1. FIFA 21
2. Madden NFL 21
3. Watch Dogs: Legion
4. NHL 21
5. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
6. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
8. Star Wars: Squadrons
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
10. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
11. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
12. Ghost of Tsushima
13. NBA 2K21
14. Marvel's Avengers
15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
16. Ring Fit Adventure
17. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
18. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
19. Super Mario Party
20. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Check out IGN's reviews for some of October 2020's best-sellers like FIFA 21, Madden NFL 21, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Nine of October's top-sellingop 20 games in the U.S. were published by Nintendo, according to the latest monthly sales report from The NPD Group. The best-selling game published by Nintendo in October was Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit, with Super Mario 3D All-Stars coming in right behind it as fifth and sixth place this month respectively. Animal Crossing: New Horizons came in at eighth, Mario Kart 8: Deluxe at 11th, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at 15th, Ring Fit Adventure at 16th, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild at 17th, Super Mario Party at 19th, and finally, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe at 20th. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=the-top-25-switch-games-fall-2020-update&captions=true"] Nintendo, however, didn't take the top spot for the month, as that belongs to FIFA 21, which is the best-selling game of October 2020. This achievement also represents the first time a FIFA game has launched as number one in the U.S. market. The game launched on October 6 and became the number one game for October on both PlayStation and Xbox platforms. It's important to note that this is just PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X versions of FIFA 21 launch on December 4. In hardware news, the Nintendo Switch set a new U.S. October dollar sales record, besting the previous high set by the Nintendo Wii in October 2008, according to The NPD Group. Nintendo has been the best-selling hardware platform in the U.S. for 23 consecutive months, which is also a record. The NPD Group also reports that year-to-date dollar sales of the Switch are the second-highest of any platform in U.S. history, coming in second only to the 2008 year-to-date dollar sales of the Wii. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/10/06/fifa-21-review"]

October's Best-Selling Games

1. FIFA 21
2. Madden NFL 21
3. Watch Dogs: Legion
4. NHL 21
5. Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit
6. Super Mario 3D All-Stars
7. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
8. Star Wars: Squadrons
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
10. Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
11. Mario Kart 8: Deluxe
12. Ghost of Tsushima
13. NBA 2K21
14. Marvel's Avengers
15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
16. Ring Fit Adventure
17. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
18. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2
19. Super Mario Party
20. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe

Check out IGN's reviews for some of October 2020's best-sellers like FIFA 21, Madden NFL 21, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes. 

Ravensthorpe, the Viking settlement that players build and customise in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, is a fictional place invented by Ubisoft’s writers. Except it isn't all that fictional after all: Ravensthorpe is actually a real place in England, and the developers had no idea until a few months before the game launched.

In AC Valhalla, the fictional settlement of Ravensthorpe is located in the middle of England’s central kingdom, Mercia. "We chose the name Ravensthorpe because Eivor's clan was the Raven clan, and Thorpe means 'farmland'... and we set the settlement in the middle of Mercia so it was centrally located on the map,” explained Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Narrative Director, Darby McDevitt, in a thread about the discovery on Reddit.

The real Ravensthorpe, meanwhile, is a village in Northamptonshire. It may not have originated as a Viking settlement, but in its position just slightly south east of Coventry, it is pretty much in the middle of England. “We had NO idea that there was a real Ravensthorpe in exactly this location in real life, until a few months ago,” said McDevitt. “Granted there is no river running by the real Ravensthorpe, but a lot can happen in 1000 years. Rivers change courses.”

It’s an absurd coincidence, and one that certainly has amused the Reddit users who brought the topic up. Northamptonshire. However, this village isn’t the only place called Ravensthorpe in England; type the name into Wikipedia and you’ll easily find that Ravensthorpe is also a district in West Yorkshire, an area in Peterborough, and a historic manor in North Yorkshire. None of these appear to be Viking/Assassin settlements established by Eivor, though.

[ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/09/29/assassins-creed-valhalla-story-trailer"]

For more on Ubisoft's latest, check out our Assassin's Creed Valhalla review, which is one of the best PS5 and Xbox Series X launch games. If you're playing already, check out our pick of the essential abilities and when you can find them. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.