Monthly Archives: February 2021

Justice League Investigator, WarnerMedia Dispute Ray Fisher’s Allegations Against Walter Hamada

WarnerMedia and Justice League investigator Katherine Forrest have disputed Ray Fisher's recent allegations against DC Films President Walter Hamada. Ray Fisher Tweeted these allegations against Hamada, saying he tried to "destroy a Black man's credibility" and tried to interfere with the investigation. "Do ya’ll remember that time Walter Hamada and @wbpictures tried to destroy a Black man’s credibility, and publicly delegitimize a very serious investigation, with lies in the press? But hey, Black Superman... A>E," Fisher wrote. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/the-true-story-behind-the-snyder-cut"] WarnerMedia responded by saying that, following an "extensive and thorough third-party investigation," there was no interference found whatsoever. "Once again there are false statements being made about our executives and our company surrounding the recent Justice League investigation," WarnerMedia said. "As we have stated before, an extensive and thorough third-party investigation was conducted. Our executives, including Walter Hamada, fully cooperated, no evidence was found of any interference whatsoever, and Warner Bros. did not lie in the press. It’s time to stop saying otherwise and move forward productively." Forrest, the investigator and former Federal Judge, also spoke up and said there was no interference of any kind by Hamada. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] “I am disappointed by continued public statements made suggesting that Walter Hamada in any way interfered with the Justice League investigation. He did not," Forrest said. "I interviewed him extensively on more than one occasion and specifically interviewed him concerning his very limited interaction with Mr. Fisher.  I found Mr. Hamada credible and forthcoming.  I concluded that he did nothing that impeded or interfered with the investigation. To the contrary, the information that he provided was useful and advanced the investigation.” This is another development in the ongoing story following Fisher's allegations that there was a toxic, hostile working environment under Joss Whedon, the director of the reshoots of 2017's Justice League. Fisher also called out Hamada, saying he is "the most dangerous kind of enabler," and that he would not be participating in any future production that is associated with him. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/14/zack-snyders-justice-league-official-trailer"] [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.

Justice League Investigator, WarnerMedia Dispute Ray Fisher’s Allegations Against Walter Hamada

WarnerMedia and Justice League investigator Katherine Forrest have disputed Ray Fisher's recent allegations against DC Films President Walter Hamada. Ray Fisher Tweeted these allegations against Hamada, saying he tried to "destroy a Black man's credibility" and tried to interfere with the investigation. "Do ya’ll remember that time Walter Hamada and @wbpictures tried to destroy a Black man’s credibility, and publicly delegitimize a very serious investigation, with lies in the press? But hey, Black Superman... A>E," Fisher wrote. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/08/21/the-true-story-behind-the-snyder-cut"] WarnerMedia responded by saying that, following an "extensive and thorough third-party investigation," there was no interference found whatsoever. "Once again there are false statements being made about our executives and our company surrounding the recent Justice League investigation," WarnerMedia said. "As we have stated before, an extensive and thorough third-party investigation was conducted. Our executives, including Walter Hamada, fully cooperated, no evidence was found of any interference whatsoever, and Warner Bros. did not lie in the press. It’s time to stop saying otherwise and move forward productively." Forrest, the investigator and former Federal Judge, also spoke up and said there was no interference of any kind by Hamada. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] “I am disappointed by continued public statements made suggesting that Walter Hamada in any way interfered with the Justice League investigation. He did not," Forrest said. "I interviewed him extensively on more than one occasion and specifically interviewed him concerning his very limited interaction with Mr. Fisher.  I found Mr. Hamada credible and forthcoming.  I concluded that he did nothing that impeded or interfered with the investigation. To the contrary, the information that he provided was useful and advanced the investigation.” This is another development in the ongoing story following Fisher's allegations that there was a toxic, hostile working environment under Joss Whedon, the director of the reshoots of 2017's Justice League. Fisher also called out Hamada, saying he is "the most dangerous kind of enabler," and that he would not be participating in any future production that is associated with him. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/14/zack-snyders-justice-league-official-trailer"] [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.

Batman Beyond Director Says Fans Should Campaign for a New Series or Movie

Batman Beyond's voice and casting director has told fans to begin a campaign if they'd like to see more of the animation – in TV or movie form – but that the cast and crew would like to. During IGN Fan Fest's Batman Beyond table read, the panel was asked by fan Max McMillan whether we could expect to see a new Batman Beyond season, or a movie, anytime soon. While the rest of the cast offered up shrugs, voice and casting director Andrea Romano gave a (slightly) more hopeful answer: "It will depend on the fans asking, and asking, and asking for it until [show owner] Warner Bros. would be foolish not to. So they have to begin a campaign of sorts and just let Warner Bros. know that that's what they want. Because we would like to make it, it would be great fun – we're all still around, we're all still available, everybody's still doing beautiful work. So yes please, and thank you." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/batman-beyond-cast-reunion-and-table-read-ign-fan-fest-2021"] The table read showed off quite how energised the cast still is about the show, as they performed Season 3, Episode 5 'Out of the Past' in full. Romano explained that the cast and crew love the episode because of how they managed to turn a joke about making Batman: The Musical into something of a reality, albeait one still grounded in the world of the show – and one that allowed the voice of a younger Bruce Wayne to make a brief reappearance. The panel was also asked what their personal favourite episodes were from the show, with answers including 'The Call' (which set up the Justice League animated series), and 'The Eggbaby' (for its silliness, and focus on real-life teenage issues). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/05/batman-beyond-the-classic-nobody-wanted"] The real question waiting to be answered is whether the cast will get to add new favourite episodes to that list – and they want you to ask Warner Bros. for just that. Hopefully, one day, we'll see more from Terry McGinnis and Neo-Gotham. We'd certainly be in favour of a new outing. We've previously called Batman Beyond one of the most memorable shows in Kids' WB history, and made an entire documentary about it – Batman Beyond: The Classic That Nobody Wanted. There's much more to come from IGN Fan Fest - make sure to check out our full Fan Fest schedule for everything we've got for you, from Zack Snyder's Justice League to Deathloop. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Batman Beyond Director Says Fans Should Campaign for a New Series or Movie

Batman Beyond's voice and casting director has told fans to begin a campaign if they'd like to see more of the animation – in TV or movie form – but that the cast and crew would like to. During IGN Fan Fest's Batman Beyond table read, the panel was asked by fan Max McMillan whether we could expect to see a new Batman Beyond season, or a movie, anytime soon. While the rest of the cast offered up shrugs, voice and casting director Andrea Romano gave a (slightly) more hopeful answer: "It will depend on the fans asking, and asking, and asking for it until [show owner] Warner Bros. would be foolish not to. So they have to begin a campaign of sorts and just let Warner Bros. know that that's what they want. Because we would like to make it, it would be great fun – we're all still around, we're all still available, everybody's still doing beautiful work. So yes please, and thank you." [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/batman-beyond-cast-reunion-and-table-read-ign-fan-fest-2021"] The table read showed off quite how energised the cast still is about the show, as they performed Season 3, Episode 5 'Out of the Past' in full. Romano explained that the cast and crew love the episode because of how they managed to turn a joke about making Batman: The Musical into something of a reality, albeait one still grounded in the world of the show – and one that allowed the voice of a younger Bruce Wayne to make a brief reappearance. The panel was also asked what their personal favourite episodes were from the show, with answers including 'The Call' (which set up the Justice League animated series), and 'The Eggbaby' (for its silliness, and focus on real-life teenage issues). [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/12/05/batman-beyond-the-classic-nobody-wanted"] The real question waiting to be answered is whether the cast will get to add new favourite episodes to that list – and they want you to ask Warner Bros. for just that. Hopefully, one day, we'll see more from Terry McGinnis and Neo-Gotham. We'd certainly be in favour of a new outing. We've previously called Batman Beyond one of the most memorable shows in Kids' WB history, and made an entire documentary about it – Batman Beyond: The Classic That Nobody Wanted. There's much more to come from IGN Fan Fest - make sure to check out our full Fan Fest schedule for everything we've got for you, from Zack Snyder's Justice League to Deathloop. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Joe Skrebels is IGN's Executive Editor of News. Follow him on Twitter. Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Zack Snyder Fleshes Out Ben Affleck’s Batman Full Character Arc

When Zack Snyder announced Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he did so with a quote by having Harry Lennix read a quote from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. This older version of Batman informed a lot of Ben Affleck’s take on the character, and director Zack Snyder shared a deeper timeline on his “jaded” Batman. Speaking at IGN Fan Fest, Zack Snyder drew out a small timeline that reveals how Bruce Wayne became the Batman that we first see in Batman v Superman, and later how his character grows even further in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. “Our Bruce has a higher moral, or stronger, moral compass when he first started fighting in Gotham [City] 20 years ago,” says Snyder. “But he’s seen a lot of rough stuff happen over the years and I think that he’s a bit jaded now, obviously.” Watch the exclusive Motherbox Origins clip Snyder debuted during IGN Fan Fest: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/zack-snyders-justice-league-the-mother-box-origins-exclusive-clip-ign-fan-fest-2021"] One part of Batman’s back-story in the DCEU that was briefly shown in Batman v Superman is the death of Robin at the hands of the Joker, though Snyder says there were more. “The death of Robin and others, I think that he now has found himself in a dark place,” explains Snyder. The turn for Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the death of Superman and Wayne’s decision to form the Justice League as a redemption arc. “The death of Superman really shakes him out of that [dark place] and puts him on this really cathartic path to form the Justice League and do his part.” “If you think about it, the Justice League is made up entirely of almost god-like characters with these god-like powers, and [Batman is] just a guy. Yes, he is the world’s greatest detective and he is this incredible force as far as humanity goes, but in the end, he is just a guy. It’s like his job of bringing [the Justice League] together, it was also one of the most important jobs because there would be no Justice League without Bruce.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] Snyder tells IGN that these feelings from Bruce, of being a mortal among gods, will come across in his version of the movie. But the story could potentially go in new directions now that we know Jared Leto's Joker will be in the movie. And there were some cut ideas as well, such as a pitched romance between Bruce Wayne and Lois Lane that was ultimately axed. Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be released in full on HBO Max as a single, four-hour movie. This is Snyder’s original version of The Justice League, which was taken over by Joss Whedon. Snyder’s Justice League will be presented in a boxy 1.33:1 ratio instead of widescreen. Here's 27 things we learned from Zack Snyder's IGN Fan Fest panel. Check out IGN’s full interview with Zack Snyder from IGN Fan Fest and check out our full Fan Fest schedule for more panels, including Godzilla vs. Kong and Shadow and Bone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/justice-league-inside-the-snyder-cut-with-zack-snyder-ign-fan-fest-2021"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is News Editor at IGN. You can reach him on Twitter @lawoftd.

Zack Snyder Fleshes Out Ben Affleck’s Batman Full Character Arc

When Zack Snyder announced Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, he did so with a quote by having Harry Lennix read a quote from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. This older version of Batman informed a lot of Ben Affleck’s take on the character, and director Zack Snyder shared a deeper timeline on his “jaded” Batman. Speaking at IGN Fan Fest, Zack Snyder drew out a small timeline that reveals how Bruce Wayne became the Batman that we first see in Batman v Superman, and later how his character grows even further in Zack Snyder’s Justice League. “Our Bruce has a higher moral, or stronger, moral compass when he first started fighting in Gotham [City] 20 years ago,” says Snyder. “But he’s seen a lot of rough stuff happen over the years and I think that he’s a bit jaded now, obviously.” Watch the exclusive Motherbox Origins clip Snyder debuted during IGN Fan Fest: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/zack-snyders-justice-league-the-mother-box-origins-exclusive-clip-ign-fan-fest-2021"] One part of Batman’s back-story in the DCEU that was briefly shown in Batman v Superman is the death of Robin at the hands of the Joker, though Snyder says there were more. “The death of Robin and others, I think that he now has found himself in a dark place,” explains Snyder. The turn for Batman in Zack Snyder’s Justice League is the death of Superman and Wayne’s decision to form the Justice League as a redemption arc. “The death of Superman really shakes him out of that [dark place] and puts him on this really cathartic path to form the Justice League and do his part.” “If you think about it, the Justice League is made up entirely of almost god-like characters with these god-like powers, and [Batman is] just a guy. Yes, he is the world’s greatest detective and he is this incredible force as far as humanity goes, but in the end, he is just a guy. It’s like his job of bringing [the Justice League] together, it was also one of the most important jobs because there would be no Justice League without Bruce.” [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=justice-league-snyder-cut-all-the-known-differences-from-the-theatrical-version&captions=true"] Snyder tells IGN that these feelings from Bruce, of being a mortal among gods, will come across in his version of the movie. But the story could potentially go in new directions now that we know Jared Leto's Joker will be in the movie. And there were some cut ideas as well, such as a pitched romance between Bruce Wayne and Lois Lane that was ultimately axed. Zack Snyder’s Justice League will be released in full on HBO Max as a single, four-hour movie. This is Snyder’s original version of The Justice League, which was taken over by Joss Whedon. Snyder’s Justice League will be presented in a boxy 1.33:1 ratio instead of widescreen. Here's 27 things we learned from Zack Snyder's IGN Fan Fest panel. Check out IGN’s full interview with Zack Snyder from IGN Fan Fest and check out our full Fan Fest schedule for more panels, including Godzilla vs. Kong and Shadow and Bone. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/justice-league-inside-the-snyder-cut-with-zack-snyder-ign-fan-fest-2021"] [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is News Editor at IGN. You can reach him on Twitter @lawoftd.

The Day Before Devs Break Down the New Gameplay Reveal

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2021, the developers behind upcoming survival action game The Day Before, Fntastic, debuted a brand-new look at the brutal, immersive world that awaits players. The new gameplay, which you can watch below, offers a quick slice of life and action in the world of The Day Before, including the fact that not every character you meet has to be a foe. "We at Fntastic believe that during a real post-apocalypse there’ll be lots of wonderful people who help others no matter what, but inevitably there’ll be those who won’t hesitate to use force. We tried to show this human nature in the game trailer," Eduard and Aiden Gotovtsev told IGN via email. Check out an exclusive new trailer: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/the-day-before-exclusive-combat-gameplay-4k-ign-fan-fest-2021"] And while the looks at The Day Before so far have included plenty of tense action, there will be places of safety, namely the Woodberry Survivor Colony, where players "can interact with other players, join groups, talk to some residents, take quests and have fun. We have an idea to make various events inside the colony during the holidays, so that the players get closer to each other and spend time celebrating holidays together." As the new trailer shows, you'll also be able to find brief bits of respite in more hostile territory to camp, sleep, cook, and generally relax before heading back out into a brutal world. As for actual base building itself, the developers explained that classic, resource-based "building a hut out of stones and sticks" is not so much what inspires them as something more akin to Nintendo's Animal Crossing. "In The Day Before, we have the concept of a base different from other MMO survival games. As a hint - we really like the concept in that cute game where there is a greedy raccoon boss," the Gotovtsev's said. The new slice of gameplay is not all a breather for the player, though, as after a quick jaunt outside, they quickly engage in a firefight. But rather than any HUD indicators leading the player to combat, they quite clearly have to naturally take in the world around them, paying careful attention to sound and other environmental clues. "We pay great attention to the sounds in the game to make the game world appear realistic. Based on this, we have abandoned casual HUD indicators, and we are focusing on high-quality surround sound, which is an important part of the credibility and atmosphere of the world," the developers explained. As the combat goes on, the showdown ends in a brutal takedown, a close-range shot to the face after the player has knocked down their opponent. While the developers note finishing moves aren't necessarily new to gaming, they hope they'll add a unique twist to the survival MMO genre.

"The game has multiple choices after the takedown: using different types of finishing moves depending on the weapon, healing and tying up another player. And especially creative players will be able to come up with various other methods: they can down and tie up another player, and then attract the attention of a horde of zombies, who will happily dine [on the character], and so on," they explained.

As for the gameplay's final shot of a mysterious, darkened hall and a doorway, the developers teased that locations like this will "be like a cold show after a boiling hot day." And really, much of what Fntastic is aiming to do is hoping to bring something fresh and unique to the genre.

"It's no secret that [moost survival MMO's] are all built on the sandbox model, when you set goals for yourself and wander around the desert world. In The Day Before, we reinvented everything from the in-game goals to the ways we approach the quality of the game mechanics," the developers noted.

The Day Before currently has no release date, but be sure to check out the original announcement trailer.

The Day Before Devs Break Down the New Gameplay Reveal

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2021, the developers behind upcoming survival action game The Day Before, Fntastic, debuted a brand-new look at the brutal, immersive world that awaits players. The new gameplay, which you can watch below, offers a quick slice of life and action in the world of The Day Before, including the fact that not every character you meet has to be a foe. "We at Fntastic believe that during a real post-apocalypse there’ll be lots of wonderful people who help others no matter what, but inevitably there’ll be those who won’t hesitate to use force. We tried to show this human nature in the game trailer," Eduard and Aiden Gotovtsev told IGN via email. Check out an exclusive new trailer: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/27/the-day-before-exclusive-combat-gameplay-4k-ign-fan-fest-2021"] And while the looks at The Day Before so far have included plenty of tense action, there will be places of safety, namely the Woodberry Survivor Colony, where players "can interact with other players, join groups, talk to some residents, take quests and have fun. We have an idea to make various events inside the colony during the holidays, so that the players get closer to each other and spend time celebrating holidays together." As the new trailer shows, you'll also be able to find brief bits of respite in more hostile territory to camp, sleep, cook, and generally relax before heading back out into a brutal world. As for actual base building itself, the developers explained that classic, resource-based "building a hut out of stones and sticks" is not so much what inspires them as something more akin to Nintendo's Animal Crossing. "In The Day Before, we have the concept of a base different from other MMO survival games. As a hint - we really like the concept in that cute game where there is a greedy raccoon boss," the Gotovtsev's said. The new slice of gameplay is not all a breather for the player, though, as after a quick jaunt outside, they quickly engage in a firefight. But rather than any HUD indicators leading the player to combat, they quite clearly have to naturally take in the world around them, paying careful attention to sound and other environmental clues. "We pay great attention to the sounds in the game to make the game world appear realistic. Based on this, we have abandoned casual HUD indicators, and we are focusing on high-quality surround sound, which is an important part of the credibility and atmosphere of the world," the developers explained. As the combat goes on, the showdown ends in a brutal takedown, a close-range shot to the face after the player has knocked down their opponent. While the developers note finishing moves aren't necessarily new to gaming, they hope they'll add a unique twist to the survival MMO genre.

"The game has multiple choices after the takedown: using different types of finishing moves depending on the weapon, healing and tying up another player. And especially creative players will be able to come up with various other methods: they can down and tie up another player, and then attract the attention of a horde of zombies, who will happily dine [on the character], and so on," they explained.

As for the gameplay's final shot of a mysterious, darkened hall and a doorway, the developers teased that locations like this will "be like a cold show after a boiling hot day." And really, much of what Fntastic is aiming to do is hoping to bring something fresh and unique to the genre.

"It's no secret that [moost survival MMO's] are all built on the sandbox model, when you set goals for yourself and wander around the desert world. In The Day Before, we reinvented everything from the in-game goals to the ways we approach the quality of the game mechanics," the developers noted.

The Day Before currently has no release date, but be sure to check out the original announcement trailer.

Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy Is ‘Lord of the Rings for Superhero Fans’

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2021, veteran comic author Mark Millar joined us to talk about his new Netflix project, Jupiter’s Legacy. If it’s not already on your radar, his description of the story may instantly grab your attention: “This is Lord of the Rings for superhero fans,” he tells us. Jupiter’s Legacy was born of Millar’s plan to “create the greatest superhero story, something that you’d get from 20 years of Marvel movies all put into one story.” The comic run, published by Image, began in 2013 and comprises two main volumes, plus two prequel volumes known as Jupiter’s Circle. The story focuses on Sheldon Sampson, AKA The Utopian, who is played by Josh Duhamel in the Netflix series. Watch the full Jupiter's Legacy panel from IGN Fan Fest below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/introducing-netflixs-jupiters-legacy-ign-fan-fest-2021"] “It spans from the 1930s all the way to the present day,” explains Duhamel. “I get to play this young, ambitious, naive, and vulnerable dude who just went through terrible tragedy with his family after seeing his father die in the worst possible way, and then go off on this journey where he literally loses his mind.” “He loves America,” Millar adds. “And in his dreams he starts getting these hallucinations coming from this weird island that tells him how he can fix America. He basically has to find this place that doesn’t exist and assemble a team of friends who are going to come with him on this journey. It’s about a man obsessed with coming back and fixing the country he loves.” Jupiter’s Legacy’s structure spans over 100 years. In the comics, this is split across two storylines: one taking place in a period setting after the Wall Street Crash, and a second set during the modern day. These were published in two volumes told in chronological order, but for the Netflix series executive producer Steven S. DeKnight altered the structure. “The two books that I did, [DeKnight] sort of merged them into one storyline,” says Millar. “And what he did was have flashbacks and flashforwards, using the Godfather 2 structure where you saw the son’s life and the father’s life at the same age in parallel, and what was happening to each of them. It gives it such incredible weight.” Much of that weight will come from the portrayal of The Utopian as a failed superhero. “We cut to 100 years later where he’s this superhero, this Superman guy and he’s kind of failed,” explains Millar. “Which is the sadness of the story. Because America is as ridden with problems as it ever was in 1929, and in some ways even tougher problems. He’s looking at his children and he knows that ultimately they’re never going to fix the world either. He’s a man full of optimism at the beginning and a man full of regret at the end of his life. And that’s what the story is, it’s about a superhero looking back at his life and he’s failed.” While the sprawling, saga-like nature of the 100 year story helps fuel the “Lord of the Rings for superhero fans” idea, much of the show’s material will deal with interpersonal relationships. “He actually goes to therapy to work out how to deal with his own daughter,” says Duhamel of his character. “This is a guy who can fly, who can do pretty much anything. It’s the family dysfunction that I think makes it different to anything else that out there in this genre.” As far as that family angle goes, Millar sums it up as “like The Incredibles as directed by Martin Scorsese.” “What would it be like for Superman to try and have kids?” Millar says. “That was the basic idea I had for it when I started doodling. Superman has always been able to control everything, but when it comes to matters of the heart it doesn’t matter if you can fly or have X-Ray vision, it doesn’t make you a perfect parent.” Netflix also announced on Saturday that Ian Quinlan has been cast as Hutch (George Hutchence’s son), David Julian Hirsh has joined the series as Dr. Richard Conrad aka "Blue Bolt," Gracie Dzienny will play Ruby Red, and Tyler Mane will portray Blackstar. For more, check out our review of the Jupiter’s Legacy comic book, and the news of the other Mark Millar comics being adapted by Netflix. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer. 

Netflix’s Jupiter’s Legacy Is ‘Lord of the Rings for Superhero Fans’

As part of IGN Fan Fest 2021, veteran comic author Mark Millar joined us to talk about his new Netflix project, Jupiter’s Legacy. If it’s not already on your radar, his description of the story may instantly grab your attention: “This is Lord of the Rings for superhero fans,” he tells us. Jupiter’s Legacy was born of Millar’s plan to “create the greatest superhero story, something that you’d get from 20 years of Marvel movies all put into one story.” The comic run, published by Image, began in 2013 and comprises two main volumes, plus two prequel volumes known as Jupiter’s Circle. The story focuses on Sheldon Sampson, AKA The Utopian, who is played by Josh Duhamel in the Netflix series. Watch the full Jupiter's Legacy panel from IGN Fan Fest below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2021/02/25/introducing-netflixs-jupiters-legacy-ign-fan-fest-2021"] “It spans from the 1930s all the way to the present day,” explains Duhamel. “I get to play this young, ambitious, naive, and vulnerable dude who just went through terrible tragedy with his family after seeing his father die in the worst possible way, and then go off on this journey where he literally loses his mind.” “He loves America,” Millar adds. “And in his dreams he starts getting these hallucinations coming from this weird island that tells him how he can fix America. He basically has to find this place that doesn’t exist and assemble a team of friends who are going to come with him on this journey. It’s about a man obsessed with coming back and fixing the country he loves.” Jupiter’s Legacy’s structure spans over 100 years. In the comics, this is split across two storylines: one taking place in a period setting after the Wall Street Crash, and a second set during the modern day. These were published in two volumes told in chronological order, but for the Netflix series executive producer Steven S. DeKnight altered the structure. “The two books that I did, [DeKnight] sort of merged them into one storyline,” says Millar. “And what he did was have flashbacks and flashforwards, using the Godfather 2 structure where you saw the son’s life and the father’s life at the same age in parallel, and what was happening to each of them. It gives it such incredible weight.” Much of that weight will come from the portrayal of The Utopian as a failed superhero. “We cut to 100 years later where he’s this superhero, this Superman guy and he’s kind of failed,” explains Millar. “Which is the sadness of the story. Because America is as ridden with problems as it ever was in 1929, and in some ways even tougher problems. He’s looking at his children and he knows that ultimately they’re never going to fix the world either. He’s a man full of optimism at the beginning and a man full of regret at the end of his life. And that’s what the story is, it’s about a superhero looking back at his life and he’s failed.” While the sprawling, saga-like nature of the 100 year story helps fuel the “Lord of the Rings for superhero fans” idea, much of the show’s material will deal with interpersonal relationships. “He actually goes to therapy to work out how to deal with his own daughter,” says Duhamel of his character. “This is a guy who can fly, who can do pretty much anything. It’s the family dysfunction that I think makes it different to anything else that out there in this genre.” As far as that family angle goes, Millar sums it up as “like The Incredibles as directed by Martin Scorsese.” “What would it be like for Superman to try and have kids?” Millar says. “That was the basic idea I had for it when I started doodling. Superman has always been able to control everything, but when it comes to matters of the heart it doesn’t matter if you can fly or have X-Ray vision, it doesn’t make you a perfect parent.” Netflix also announced on Saturday that Ian Quinlan has been cast as Hutch (George Hutchence’s son), David Julian Hirsh has joined the series as Dr. Richard Conrad aka "Blue Bolt," Gracie Dzienny will play Ruby Red, and Tyler Mane will portray Blackstar. For more, check out our review of the Jupiter’s Legacy comic book, and the news of the other Mark Millar comics being adapted by Netflix. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Entertainment Writer.