Marvel’s success isn’t just about its most famous heroes. The early Iron Man movies proved that even lesser-known characters can become incredibly popular. There are many other under-the-radar heroes from the comics who, with the right story and actors, could also become big stars. These characters deserve a chance to shine on the big screen.
That incredibly strong mentor with a sad backstory, the villain who’s strangely courteous even while fighting, or the character whose glasses gleam when they’re getting serious? Those are fantastic! These familiar character types are popular because they take our secret desires for a more dramatic, exciting life and amplify them.
The 2018 film Upgrade tells the story of Grey Trace, who is left paralyzed and loses his wife in a violent attack. He’s given a second chance when a tech billionaire offers him an experimental cure: an artificial intelligence implant called STEM. The implant not only restores his ability to walk but also grants him enhanced strength and agility, which he uses to hunt down those responsible for the attack. A television series based on the film was nearly in production, but a change in leadership at Peacock led to its cancellation, as reported by Tim Walsh to Bloody Disgusting.
When people think of Marvel’s version of Superman, they often picture heroes like Hyperion or Sentry. While these characters do have similar powers – super strength, speed, flight, and heat vision – they’re typically portrayed as darker, twisted versions of Superman, not true heroes. Spider-Man, on the other hand, might not have god-like abilities, but he shares something essential with Superman: they both represent hope and goodness, inspiring others to be their best. Each hero serves as the moral compass of their universe.
Many recent games have benefited from performance improvements, and while those updates are welcome, several other titles still desperately need them. This is especially true for Xenoblade Chronicles 2, a fantastic JRPG and one of the best games on the Nintendo Switch. Despite being a brilliant game, its technical performance is very poor and needs fixing. Sadly, it seems unlikely we’ll ever see an updated version for the Switch 2, and there’s a key reason why.
This week also brings new releases including CARTAGRA: The Sickness of Possessory and Crazy for Nintendo Switch (with English language options), ANTHEM#9 for PC, and Carmageddon: Rogue Shift for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
References to the PlayStation 2 game Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War have been added to information about the upcoming Ace Combat 8, as noted by Ace Combat Wiki and Ikcatcher. This is notable because Zero hasn’t been available on modern platforms since its 2006 release, suggesting a port or remaster could be coming. It’s possible this older game will be included as a bonus for pre-ordering Ace Combat 8.
Arc System Works’ new game, Dear Me, I Was…, will launch on the Nintendo Switch on February 12th and cost $7.99. It’s also coming to PC and mobile devices on the same day. While it’s a smaller, budget-friendly game, reviews suggest it’s surprisingly good, with a Metacritic score of 76.
With the release of the Street Fighter movie approaching, Paramount put out a promotional clip timed with a UFC fight featuring one of the film’s stars. This led some fans to believe a new trailer might appear during the event. However, that didn’t happen, and now everyone is waiting for the second trailer – likely a longer look at the movie’s story. You can check out the promo here:
Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes remains a beloved horror film due to its raw, low-budget style and genuinely disturbing atmosphere. So, it was unexpected when Alexandre Aja decided to remake it in 2006. That remake, now considered one of the greatest horror remakes ever made, became available to stream on Tubi on February 1st. The story, much like the original, centers around a family whose camping trip goes horribly wrong when they become stranded in the Nevada desert and are hunted by a brutal, cannibalistic family.