With Christmas in the rearview, Aquaman is finally in theaters, and chances are you've seen it--which means you inevitably have a lot of questions. We kind of, sort of, mostly loved the movie, despite its problems, but we were also pretty confused about much of its worldbuilding and plot points. For example: What exactly is the timeline of Atlantean history? How long did King Atlan spend in his self-imposed exile after the fall of Atlantis? And how long ago did he record that message for the future king? How much time has passed since Atlanteans lived in what is now the Sahara desert, and how could a clue that's seemingly millions of years old point Arthur and Mera to a Greco-Roman era statue in Sicily?
Luckily, Warner Bros. gave us the opportunity to sit down with Aquaman's screenwriters, David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick and Will Beall, as well as DC's famed writer and Aquaman executive producer Geoff Johns. Of course, we asked them to clear this all up.
The main Aquaman timeline problem comes from the fact that Arthur and Mera surmise the Deserters Kingdom under the Sahara desert has been there since "before the Sahara was a desert," which a quick Google search tells us was around 7 million years ago. In addition, Atlanteans who broke off into the various Seven Kingdoms of Atlantis went down wildly divergent evolutionary paths, transforming over time into CGI fish people, CGI crab people, and CGI deep sea monsters, which doesn't happen overnight. Those facts suggest that the fall of Atlantis may have really occurred millions of years ago.
Yet at the same time, Atlan's voicemail message--the one that Arthur and Mera viewed in the chamber under the desert--pointed them to a statue in Sicily that's at most a few thousand years old. How do the writers explain that seemingly kraken-sized plot hole?
"Well, there's definitely a lot of different ways to skin this cat," Johns told us. "One is that Atlan actually lives longer than [other Atlanteans]. Atlanteans live longer than humans, and he's a king, with that trident, so clearly he lived a long, long time in isolation. I think that is probably the easiest explanation."
In other words, King Atlan--the same king who reigned during Atlantis's downfall--may have survived in exile at the Hidden Sea at the Earth's Core for millions of years. His trident's vaguely defined magical powers, which are never really explicitly defined in the movie, might have had something to do with it.
"[Atlan] is hanging onto the trident, and it's holding him together in some way," Beall added.
"Yeah, it's holding him together," Johns agreed. "I think he was there a long, long time."
Does that mean Arthur is effectively immortal as long as he wields it? Maybe we'll find out in future Aquaman movies (fingers crossed). But if the trident isn't responsible, the writers have another theory that could explain Atlan's long life: The energy blast that sank Atlantis may have had unknown effects on those who would have been nearest its epicenter.
"I think [Atlan] had some power beyond other Atlanteans, and he was at the ground zero of that explosion, so who knows how that energy affected him?" Johns posited.
One problem with that theory is it means Atlan survived in exile on the other side of that weird portal thingie for millions of years, then at some point swam back up through the Trench Kingdom, scouted around for potential clue locations, found that statue in Sicily, recorded that cryptic voicemail, and then swam back down through the portal and resumed his lonely vigil. Maybe he decided that the quest for his trident was a little too difficult, like video game developers who add more objective markers in a post-release patch. On the other hand, the Karathen--which, by the way, was voiced by Julie Andrews--seems to have had plenty of victims over the years, although it also states that it hasn't feasted in ages. So who knows?
There's yet another theory that has less to do with Atlan's age: The Deserters Kingdom in the Sahara may have actually survived into much more recent history. That's only possible if a hidden body of water once existed under the Sahara, which real life science suggests is actually possible. Johns floated this theory as well:
"Also, just because we believe that the Sahara was dry for millions of years doesn't mean there wasn't some water underneath it in this hidden kingdom at some point," Johns said.
Either way, it's pretty incredible that the best Aquaman's writers and executive producer can offer about the movie's timeline is theories. If anyone should be able to explain this stuff, it's them. Of course, they could have also taken the route chosen by Venom director Ruben Fleischer and simply fessed up to the plot hole. Instead, Johns and Aquaman's screenwriters decided on a middle path: They're not sure exactly how the movie's timeline works out, but according to them, it's not impossible.
Considering we're really just nitpicking here, we're going to say that's good enough for us and officially close this investigation. Aquaman is in theaters now.
It may be hard to believe, but 2018 is nearly over. That means it won't be long before January rolls around, bringing PlayStation Plus members a new set of free PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games to add to their collection. Sony has announced January's lineup, so let's dive in and see what you'll be able to download from PSN between January 1 and February 5.
PS4 owners can pick up Steep, an extreme sports game from Ubisoft that lets you ski, snowboard, and glide in a wing suit to go from a mountain's snowy peaks to its powdery base. The other PS4 game for January is Portal Knights, which takes the building component of Minecraft and constructs around it an RPG that encourages crafting and exploration.
If you're reading this in 2018, it's not too late to pick up your free PS Plus games for December. They include the racing game Onrush and the horror game Soma for PS4; Steredenn and SteinsGate for PS3; and Papers, Please and Iconoclasts for PS Vita.
PS Plus members should note that, starting in March 2019, Sony will no longer give away free PS3 and PS Vita games for PS Plus members. If you subscribe to PS Plus primarily for those free titles, you'll want to turn off your subscription's auto-renewal option or cancel it then.
PlayStation Plus Games For January 2019
PS4
Steep
Portal Knights
Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS Vita)
PS3
Zone of the Enders HD Collection
Amplitude
PS Vita
Fallen Legion: Flames of the Rebellion (also on PS4)
Netflix has been slowly killing off its slate of Marvel shows, in a move that seemed apparently linked to the impending launch of Disney's proprietary streaming service, Disney+. Now Disney's Kevin Mayer, the chairman in charge of direct-to-consumer offers, has left the door open to reviving those shows on its own channel once it launches sometime in 2019.
"They are very high-quality shows," Mayer told The Hollywood Reporter. "We haven't yet discussed that, but I would say that's a possibility."
It's far from a commitment, but it certainly gives more hope to further episodes than previously thought. Netflix has been cancelling the shows one by one, usually shortly after releasing their last season. It impacted Iron Fist, then Luke Cage, and most recently, Daredevil. Only Jessica Jones and The Punisher remain standing, but with Punisher's next season set for January and JJ's coming at some point soon too, both appear likely for the chopping block.
Disney has already announced a number of series for its own streaming service, including original Marvel series. Those plans include a series revolving around the fan-favorite character Loki. It joins some high-profile Star Wars projects like a series starring Rogue One character Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), and another called The Mandalorian. Those are already some big plans, which may make Disney hesitant to bring on even more shows.
On the other hand, the Netflix series are already critically well-regarded. In particular Daredevil was acclaimed for its first and third seasons, the latter of which left off with a cliffhanger. If Disney does revive it, fans will be able to see how that storyline pays off after all.
Far Cry 5 came out in March as a full $60 game, but this week the PS4 and Xbox One versions are on sale for $20 at Best Buy. That's the lowest price we've seen yet--which is good news for anyone who likes shooters, especially considering Far Cry New Dawn is set to launch on February 15. In a first for the series, New Dawn is a direct sequel to Far Cry 5, making now the perfect time to get caught up on the story. Just make sure you grab the game before it goes back to regular price on December 30.
Far Cry 5 is an open-world shooter that's set in Hope County, Montana, a rural area that's been overrun by an apocalyptic cult led by a man named Joseph Seed. You play as a federal deputy sent in to arrest Seed, but there wouldn't be much of a game if things went as planned. You quickly find yourself alone in a massive, hostile region, with an enormous amount of freedom over where to go and how to upgrade your abilities.
In GameSpot's 9/10 Far Cry 5 review, Edmond Tran wrote, "Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world."
The canonical ending of Far Cry 5 packs a punch, and Far Cry New Dawn takes place in the same geographic area 17 years later. According to the trailer, it will feature at least one character from the previous game, and likely more than that. So pick up Far Cry 5 and give it a go before the modestly priced sequel launches in February.
While a release date has not been announced for Amazon Prime's upcoming adaptation of the Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson comic book The Boys, one actor appearing in the show is glad something that's been so important to him for over a decade is finally coming to life. Mission Impossible: Fallout star Simon Pegg has a long history with The Boys and it's one he's able to carry over to the adaptation.
Fans of the comic about superheroes that embrace the dark side of their powers and celebrity status have no doubt realized how much the character Hughie looks like Pegg, and that's not a coincidence. Ennis and Robertson looked to the actor for inspiration with Hughie. Unfortunately, that was over 12 years ago and a younger actor--Jack Quaid--has been cast as the character. Thankfully, though, Ennis and Robertson, along with executive producers Eric Kripke, Evan Goldberg, and Seth Rogen have created a new role for Pegg.
The Shaun of the Dead star has taken on the role of Hughie's dad, who did not appear in the comics. The surprise announcement was made at New York Comic-Con in October, at which point Pegg sat down to speak with GameSpot about the role.
"This comic book has been in my life for 10 years, longer probably, and it was bittersweet when I found out that it was finally coming to screen and I realized that I wouldn't be Hughie," he said. "I'm too kind of old to play that role. I was delighted to hear it was Jack. I think Jack's amazing."
As for the role of Hughie's dad within the show's story, Pegg says he will appear in a few episodes of the first season. "It's very much a sort of little guest role that I came and did and was delighted to do," he admitted. "I felt like it was only right in a way, and I'm glad they felt the same way."
What should be interesting to see is the dynamic between Hughie and his father, as it sounds like dad may be a little overprotective of his son. "Hughie's dad's a very lovely guy," Pegg teased. "It's just him and Hughie. He worries about him... He's still got all his toys in his room and stuff. I think he likes it that way. He likes to sit on the couch with his son and watch TV. That's where he would like to stay forever."
Of course, given that Hughie has super-strength, there's little chance of that happening. Still, a father can dream.
As for the rather graphic nature of the comic, which is a pretty violent affair, Pegg assured fans that Amazon Prime has given a lot of freedom to the project. "They showed me the stuff that they'd already shot that was surprising and shocking, but for all the right reasons," he said. "I think Garth almost and Darick together, obviously because Darick Robertson was drawing it, together they were trying to almost dare somebody to adapt it. It was almost the unadaptable comic book, even more so than Preacher I think."
As for when you'll be able to see what the creative team behind The Boys has come up with, a premiere date has not been announced. However, the series that also stars Karl Urban, Elisabeth Shue, and Chace Crawford, will arrive in 2019.
Sony released the PlayStation Classic on December 3, confirming rumors that it was working on a competitor to Nintendo's line of miniature consoles. One of the surprises was the system's $100 price tag, which is higher than Nintendo's NES and SNES Classics, which cost $60 and $80 respectively. The price isn't such a big problem this week, because many retailers currently have the PlayStation Classic marked down to $60. That's 40% off a product that released less than a month ago.
PlayStation Classic is a miniature version of the original PlayStation console from 1995. It comes with 20 PS1 games loaded onto it and two full-sized controllers so you and a partner can play the games that support couch co-op. You can find the full list of the games included on the system below.
Deals this good don't tend to last long, so if you've had your eye on a PlayStation Classic, now is a good time to grab one. Fair warning, though: in GameSpot's PlayStation Classic review, critic Peter Brown wasn't thrilled with the retro console. "The PS Classic doesn't feel like a celebration of PlayStation's formative years the way Nintendo's systems do," he wrote.
Speaking of Nintendo's mini console series, if you want an NES or SNES Classic, you might want to pick it up soon, because Nintendo is about to cease production of the miniature consoles. In the meantime, you can still find them in stock at several retailers.
In honor of the end of GOG.com's Big Winter Sale, we're giving away 500 PCgame codesfree from their catalog. The PC game codes will be a mysterycode, redeemable on GOG's platform, and are DRM-free. (Scroll down to enter below.)
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