• In the early 2010s, Marvel's comics business focused on a diverse slate of new characters, but by 2017 comic sales had fallen, which resulted in the exit of editor-in-chief Axel Alonso.
• Three former Marvel editors and one current editor told Business Insider that in the years since, Marvel has recommitted to nostalgia and classic, mostly white characters, often at the expense of some of those diverse characters like Miles Morales, a biracial teenage Spider-Man.
• That shift was guided by an editorial department that lacked diversity, particularly in leadership roles. Today, there are no Black staffers on Marvel's editorial team of about 18 people, and only two people of color, Marvel confirmed.
• "My voice and what I brought to the table wasn't valued equally," said Charles Beacham, one of two Black editorial staffers to work at Marvel in the past five years.
• Have a tip? Email the author at tclark@businessinsider.com or DM him on Twitter @TravClark2.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Miles Morales was the character who pulled Charles Beacham into the world of comics.

Beacham was studying journalism at Brigham Young University, in Utah, when he walked into a comics shop in 2011 and picked up a copy of Morales' first appearance. Beacham, who is Black, said he was amazed to see Morales — a teenage Spider-Man who has a Black father and Puerto Rican mother — in its pages.

"When I was growing up, I always wanted to be the red Power Ranger, and the other kids would say I had to be the black Ranger," Beacham said. "The same thing happened with Spider-Man. They'd say, 'You can't be Spider-Man because Peter Parker's not a Black dude.' Seeing Miles Morales made me wish I had that as a kid."

Morales propelled Beacham into comics and into Marvel itself, where he worked as an assistant editor.

"I didn't have job prospects when I moved to New York in 2013, but the goal was to work for Marvel because of Miles Morales," Beacham said. When he landed a job at the company the next year, he loved it.

But Beacham, now 31, was living in New York City with a child on a $38,000 salary. He said that after three years as an assistant editor, from 2014 to 2017, without a promotion, he was ready to leave. It wasn't about the money as much as the lack of a path forward.

"I thought I'd be at Marvel forever," he said. "If they had promoted me I'd probably still be there and surviving on ramen."

Beacham is one of two Black editorial staffers to have worked at Marvel in the past five years, the company confirmed. The second Black staffer, also an assistant editor, left this year after five years without a promotion or raise, a person familiar with the matter said. The editorial team of about 18 people now has two people of color.

"I want to be back there all the time," Beacham said. "But when it comes down to it, my voice and what I brought to the table wasn't valued equally."

Disney-owned Marvel has grown into a cultural force that extends beyond its comic books and into movies, video games, and other media. The comics are the foundation for it all, including the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has become the highest-grossing movie franchise of all time.

The stories that Marvel's small editorial team helps shape are central to popular culture in the US and around the world.

"Who works on these stories can help broaden them," said Regine Sawyer, the founder of Women in Comics Collective International, which helps to spotlight the comics work of marginalized people.

That was clear from 2011 to 2017, when Marvel ushered in a new era for its comic books under then editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, who is Mexican American.

New and diverse characters like Morales took center stage instead of Marvel's decades-old classic characters, who were primarily white. These characters inspired new fans like Beacham, and continue to inspire new fans as they make their way to other media.

But by 2017, Marvel's comic sales had fallen. Marvel's president of sales, David Gabriel, publicly blamed it on diversity. Alonso exited the company and was replaced by a white man in the role of top editor. Marvel reversed course.

Now, in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed, Marvel is promising to once again introduce more diversity to its ranks and its stories.

Marvel chairman Ike Perlmutter sent a letter to employees on June 18 saying the company would "support more Black voices."

And in a memo to staff sent July 6, Marvel's president, Dan Buckley, outlined three areas of focus for Marvel moving forward:

• broaden Marvel's creative landscape, which includes identifying "what has traditionally prevented us in the industry from recruiting and fostering more BIPOC talent."
• build a foundation of lasting growth by "examining our internal culture and rebuilding our long-term process for talent recruitment, retention, and outreach to communities of color."
• create new initiatives and expansion opportunities by "looking to explore new projects that will enable us to reach and represent an even broader audience."

In addition to Beacham, Business Insider spoke with two former Marvel editors and a current editor. Aside from Beacham, the Marvel insiders spoke on condition of anonymity to protect their stance at the company or job prospects. They said they weren't confident in Marvel's latest initiative.

"The guy who made a commitment to diversity and wanted to try new things was fired," a former Marvel staffer said, referring to Alonso.

'Spider-Man with an asterisk'

Alonso led Marvel through a bold era during his time as editor-in-chief starting in 2011, helping to establish a diverse slate of characters.

Jane Foster was the new Thor. Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon, a Black character, replaced Steve Rogers as Captain America. Riri Williams, a Black girl, was introduced as an Iron Man-like character named Ironheart. Kamala Khan, a Pakistani American Muslim teenager, was the new Ms. Marvel.

It wasn't a new phenomenon in comic books. Characters are regularly passing on their mantles, at least for a while. Dick Grayson, the first Robin, was DC's Batman for a time in the early 2010s, for instance. Sam Wilson wasn't the first person to take over as Captain America. This era at Marvel Comics, however, was notable for how it emphasized diversity.

But by 2017 — Alonso's final year as editor-in-chief — the company's print sales had plummeted (Marvel in 2014 said that Ms. Marvel's solo title was a top seller digitally, but digital comics sales aren't released to the public).

"What we heard is that people didn't want any more diversity," David Gabriel, the vice president of sales at Marvel Entertainment, said that year in an interview with ICv2, a website that covers the comics business.

"I don't know that that's really true, but that's what we saw in sales," Gabriel said. "Any character that was diverse, any character that was new, our female characters, anything that was not a core Marvel character, people were turning their nose up."

What Gabriel meant by "core Marvel character" were the classic, decades-old characters being sidelined for new, younger, and more diverse characters.

Seven months later, in November 2017, Marvel's Alonso stepped down from his role and was replaced by C.B. Cebulski, a white man who faced controversy when he was hired after admitting to writing comics in the early 2000s under a Japanese pseudonym.

"The comics that [Alonso] made me think I could work in comics," Beacham said. "But when a Latinx guy is scapegoated for diversity and replaced by a white dude, and the sentiment was that Marvel was 'getting away from its roots,' what does that mean?"

In a statement after his 2017 comments, Gabriel emphasized that "our new heroes are not going anywhere."

But in the months between that retailer summit and Alonso's exit, Marvel introduced an initiative for editorial staff that had been discussed internally for some time: Phase out the familiar superhero codenames for some newer, diverse characters and give them their own, two former assistant editors including Beacham said.

Marvel confirmed to Business Insider that it had previously considered stripping Morales of his Spider-Man title and giving him a new name, but has no plans to do so right now. Marvel added that it discusses status quo changes for all of its top characters.

Today, some of the classic characters have been thrust back into the spotlight. Steve Rogers has taken back the mantle of Captain America, and Thor is a man again. Miles Morales shares the Spider-Man title with Peter Parker, the original Spider-Man.

Morales has grown in popularity beyond comic books, having starred in Sony's Oscar-winning animated "Into the Spider-Verse" movie in 2018 and in a coming PlayStation video game called "Spider-Man: Miles Morales."

Beacham said he was glad that Morales continued to be a Spider-Man.

"It would have made him less important," Beacham said of Morales' losing the Spider-Man title. "He becomes Spider-Man with an asterisk. It takes away the power for kids who relate to this character."

'There's not a lack of people who can do the work'

Now, Marvel's comic-book slate is once again largely focused on classic characters, though characters like Morales and Khan remain. And there are some comics starring diverse characters from creators of color, like Ta-Nehisi Coates' "Black Panther." But their stories are in the hands of an editorial department run by an establishment of white male leadership.

"There's not a lack of people who can do the work," said Yumy Odom, the founder of the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, which helps to showcase the talents of creators of color. "But it's about how receptive the industry is to them. I can think of 20 creators, mostly African Americans, who would be ready to work at Marvel."

Women faced an uphill battle at Marvel as well, the Marvel editors said. A female former assistant editor told Business Insider that she was never promoted or given a raise from her $30,000 salary in her three years at the company. She said she got promoted within a year at her new company, a different comics publisher.

Marvel declined to discuss employee salaries.

The Marvel insiders said a notable exception was Sana Amanat, who is Pakistani American and a former editor. She is now Marvel's head of content and character development, a leadership role outside the editorial department.

'There's a whole cohort of young readers'

Marvel has significantly bounced back from its 2017 sales decline, which might suggest that the refocus on its classic characters reeled longtime readers back.

Of the top 100 best-selling comics of 2020 so far, 69 belonged to Marvel, as of Wednesday, including four of the top five, and the company has accounted for 41% of comic sales this year, according to industry website Comichron. Three years ago, Marvel was lagging behind DC, its biggest competitor.

An example of the start of this resurgence was the first issue of Marvel's "Amazing Spider-Man" relaunch — starring the original Spider-Man, Peter Parker — which ranked fifth in 2018 out of all comics, according to data from Comichron. In contrast, when Marvel launched a series called "Miles Morales Spider-Man" in that year, the debut issue didn't crack the top 200 best-selling comics.

"People of a certain age have a connection with Peter Parker, not Miles Morales," a former Marvel staffer said. "Years from now, that may be different."

The current and former Marvel staffers Business Insider spoke with said they were hopeful that readership could broaden, particularly now that characters such as Morales and Khan are being introduced to audiences in other media like movies and TV. Khan is to appear in a Disney Plus TV series and the upcoming "Avengers" video game, for instance.

There are signs that the comics industry is going through a larger shift in how people read and who is reading, which could also spur change.

Last year, comic sales through the "book channel"— which includes chain and independent book stores and online retailers like Amazon — surpassed comic-book stores for the first time, driven by the increased popularity in children's graphic novels, according to an analysis by ICv2.

Milton Griepp, the chief executive of ICv2, said at the New York Comic Con conference last year that the shift could usher in a new audience for superhero comic books.

"There's a whole cohort of young readers that are being introduced to this medium and may graduate to other forms of content in the comic format over the course of their lifespans," Griepp said.

Beacham said: "Marvel needs to figure out the next stage of its core demographic because it could change rapidly."

Have a tip? Email the author at tclark@businessinsider.com or DM him on Twitter @TravClark2

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• I spent 7 hours with the new Marvel's Avengers game, set to be released on September 4, 2020.
• It was a tale of two days: On my first day with the game, I spent five hours with the game and loved most of what I played.
• When I returned to play the game again on the second day, its flaws stood out to me much more, and I was having less fun.
• I think Marvel's Avengers has an excellent foundation for a fun game you'll want to play with your friends, but some aspects of the game concern me, and some areas need some tweaking if the game hopes to find a broad audience.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Marvel's Avengers are finally getting the blockbuster video-game treatment.

Thanks to a collaboration between Marvel, Crystal Dynamics ("Tomb Raider"), Eidos Montreal ("Deus Ex") and publisher Square-Enix ("Final Fantasy"), you'll finally be able to play as your favorite Marvel superheroes later this year on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Google's Stadia. If you buy it on Xbox One or PS4, you'll get a free upgrade for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions, respectively, when those next-gen consoles launch later this year.

The kind folks at Crystal Dynamics were kind enough to send me a code to try out the beta version of Marvel's Avengers, and I have to say: I enjoyed a lot of what I played.

All told, I played about 7 and a half hours during the beta period, which ran from last Thursday to Saturday. I played as Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, and Ms. Marvel. I played every activity available to me, including two single-player "Hero" missions and several "Warzone" missions you can play with friends. I also unlocked costumes made available through the in-game store, which will assuredly attract a lot of interest (and real-world dollars).

But I also came away from the game feeling like it lacked significant polish, and a few areas of the game made me pretty concerned as a fan of both Marvel's superheroes and video games in general.

First, let me start with what I didn't like about the game.

I want to mention this before getting into the good stuff since there's been a lot of skepticism towards this game since its first trailers debuted, and because if any of the game's developers are reading this article, I want them to know the issues are not pretty but seem fixable.

There is often way too much happening on the screen at once.

Alert symbols for enemies are really in your face: big blue exclamation points when an enemy spots you, and big yellow exclamation points when an enemy is about to hit you. The heads-up display in the bottom-right corner is also an eyesore, and unnecessary.

That's on top of the visual on-screen elements tied to the action itself: fighting between allies and enemies, fire, explosions, green smoke, electricity, and so much more. It feels messy and not focused, and over time becomes not fun.

Areas, enemies, and many missions feel generic.

Most activities in the beta revolved around storming a laboratory owned by AIM, the evil corporation in this video game. Except every laboratory looked pretty identical. I wanted areas in the game to be fun playgrounds for my hero; instead, they felt like very boring cut-and-paste hallways and rooms.

While the beta only included a handful of activities, including two single-player "Hero" missions and several group-concentric "Warzone" missions — many of these activities were spread across different areas of the world — I still felt like I was doing the same thing over and over again. Find enemies, beat them up, move onto the next area, rinse, repeat. It got boring after the first 5 hours.

When my wife first saw me playing the game, she said, "Is it fun? It looks kind of basic." This, to me, sums up my experience: fun, but also pretty basic.

While this game borrows some cues from Insomniac's "Spider-Man" game from 2018, and some components from looter-shooters like "Destiny" and "Diablo" (running missions with friends or matchmade groups, leveling up through gear won from activities), this game felt like it lacked any sort of meaningful distinctiveness.

There isn't much exploration in this game; despite some big open areas for your superhero to bound around, I didn't feel like the environments felt that deep. I know I'm looking at a slice of the game, but the handful of areas I played felt bland. There are some "secrets" to find, to give you collectibles like comic book covers, but the chests scattered around the game world felt like a minor addition.

That puts a lot of pressure on the single-player Hero missions, and the group-play Warzone missions, to really succeed. I liked the two Hero missions I tried, but the Warzone missions were hit or miss. 

What I hope this team of developers does is simplify.

I need fewer on-screen elements and alerts. The inventory screen has too many symbols and too much going on.

I also don't need a ton of Warzone missions where I basically do the same thing in each one; I'd rather have just a few really good focused ones. Quality over quantity.

Now, onto the good stuff.

There are two things I think Marvel's Avengers really knocks out of the park: character design, and traversal.

I loved playing as the different heroes — and each character felt distinct.

Thor felt like controlling Kratos from the most recent "God of War" game.

You can hit enemies with fists, or throw your hammer from a distance and watch it ricochet to hit a bunch of enemies at once. You also have area-of-effect attacks with your lightning.

Black Widow is more of a hand-to-hand fighter.

Black Widow has some ranged options, like shooting her pistols or grappling to enemies to beat them up, but she also gets the ability to go invisible — and make her teammates invisible — which tends to offer a huge advantage in most video games.

The Hulk is just incredibly fun to play.

His strength is comical, and I mean that in the best way possible. You can grab enemies, knock them around, throw them into each other, and blow up tanks just by punching them. You can also jump from wall to wall, like a gorilla-sized Mario.

Iron Man was probably my favorite character to play.

You can seamlessly transition from beating up enemies on the ground with your fists and energy beams, to flying around and shooting from afar to divebombing groups of enemies.

In certain moments I was punching, beaming, dodging, parrying, and flying like a pro — and it like a choreographed scene.

The best part: Traversal with all of these characters is super fun.

Ease of movement is vital for a superhero game: I still continue to play "Spider-Man" from 2018, even though I beat the game years ago, because swinging around New York City is just too much fun, and pretty cathartic as well.

The same thing applies here: Flying as Iron Man feels good, as does running and jumping from building to building as the Hulk. Even non-flying, non-rage-monster characters like Ms. Marvel (with her stretchy Mr. Fantastic-style elastic limbs) and Black Widow, who has no real superpowers to speak of, felt like they were quick on their feet and flexible enough for any environment. Playing as the different heroes, and getting around with them, was easily the star of the show to me.

My favorite moment in the beta came in one of the game's strikes, where you can create a matchmade team of up to four different heroes as you all complete a big hero-style mission together. It feels very much like something the Avengers would actually do, like storm a facility together.

I was playing as Kamala Khan, a.k.a. Ms. Marvel. The strike started off in the middle of this snowy tundra, and I had a blast running and jumping and swinging from trees as I headed towards the mission objective with a computer-controlled Hulk in tow.

In that moment, I felt like this is what I wanted out of an Avengers game: to play some epic mission together, possibly with friends, as a bunch of overpowered superhumans. What's not to enjoy about that?

One other thing I liked about "Marvel's Avengers" is that combat isn't a straight button-mashing experience. When the combat clicks, it can feel very fun.

Sometimes you need to break an enemy's shield to attack them, but if you're charging up an attack to break a shield, smaller enemies can interrupt your attacks and overwhelm you quickly if you aren't paying attention. Dodging is also necessary, and the game encourages you to mix up your move set with light, heavy, and ranged attacks. 

"Marvel's Avengers" has all the right ingredients to be a hit, but it needs to be cleaned up and edited down.

I think Marvel's Avengers is going to be a pretty big success. Not only does it carry the name and branding of the most popular movie franchise of all-time, which will attract plenty of fans on its own, but it has a strong foundation: fun characters that feel good to play, and the ability to play with your friends.

There are a lot of nice touches in this game that will keep people coming back. Probably one of the biggest appeals is the game's unlockable costumes for each of the heroes: Although many of them will require real-world money, the outfits themselves are colorful and just plain fun. I also like how the inventory menu lets you press a single button to automatically equip your best gear: In games like "Destiny," that can take a long time to do. So that will make it easy for players to enjoy the game's progression without much fuss.

My biggest concern is the game's lack of focus. It's evident in the user experience, where the character menus and inventories have too much information to throw at you, and it's evident in any of the fights, which feel busy to the point of muddy due to the overwhelming number of signals and alerts and visual effects. I would love to see those tuned to be less of an assault on the eyes, because there's a great game in here.

These elements, I hate to say, really wore on me after the first five hours of playtime. The generic design of the strikes and all of the environments within — copy-pasted labs and hallways — made me feel bored. And that's not a good feeling to have in a brand-new superhero game.

The review scores for this game will really depend on the strength of the game's single-player campaign, as well as its multiplayer activities, and I really worry about the latter since those felt less special to the point of boring. The game is fun, for sure, but lacks a degree of polish players have come to expect in terms of visuals and the user interface. Here's hoping Crystal Dynamics and company can iron out some of the kinks before its release on September 4.

• Players can try "Marvel's Avengers" weeks before it releases on September 4 with the ongoing beta program.
• From August 14 to August 16 PlayStation 4 owners can try the game for free, while PC and Xbox One players can join the closed beta by preordering or applying for beta access.
• Between August 21 and August 23 the beta will be open to all players on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
• Players who preorder "Marvel's Avengers" will also get to play three days early, starting September 1.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Fans will get to try "Marvel's Avengers"— the upcoming video game adaptation of the blockbuster comic book and movie franchise— weeks before the game officially launches thanks to an ongoing beta program through the month of August.

Announced in 2017, "Avengers" is an online action game set in an alternate version of Marvel's universe, allowing players to form their own team of four heroes to take on the forces of a nefarious organization called A.I.M. The beta gives players a snippet of the game's story mode, but focuses primarily on the countless multiplayer missions that allow players to team up, improve their characters, and unlock new costumes and powerups.

Players spend time as Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Ms. Marvel (not to be confused with Captain Marvel) during the beta, but only the latter four can be selected for online missions. Each character has a unique playstyle to match their superpowers, ranging from Iron Man's free flight and arsenal of weapons, to Black Widow's grappling hook and hand to hand combat abilities.

Read more: I played 7 hours of the new Marvel's Avengers game coming later this year. It's going to make a lot of people very happy.

The game is developed by Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the recent reboot of the "Tomb Raider" franchise. In an interview with Business Insider, Crystal Dynamics studio head Scott Atmos said that the combat team tried to design each character as though they were starring in their own action game. Game systems designer Lauryn Ash said the team collaborated closely with Marvel to incorporate the kinds of iconic costumes, personalities, and overall atmosphere that diehard fans expect for their heroes.

"Marvel's Avengers" will continue receiving playable updates after release, including new heroes and story missions. Crystal Dynamics says new heroes will be free for all players, though there is an in-game credit system for unlocking specific costumes.

How to play the "Marvel's Avengers" beta before release

Marvel's Avengers beta will take place between August 14 to 16, then continue from August 21 to 23. According to the game's social media accounts, beta access will typically run from 9 p.m. on Friday in your time zone, until 9 p.m. on Sunday, but exact hours may vary.

Verizon Wireless or Fios customers can apply for an "Avengers" beta code through a special partnership, too.

August 14 to 16

• Free open beta for PlayStation 4: Access by downloading the game from the PlayStation Network store.
• Preorder/closed beta for Xbox One: Players who preorder "Marvel's Avengers" will automatically gain access.
• Preorder/closed beta for Steam/PC: Players who preorder "Marvel's Avengers" will automatically gain access, or you can apply for access via Intel Gaming or Verizon.

August 21 to 23

• Free open beta for PS4, Xbox One, and Steam/PC: Access by downloading the game from your respective digital store front and applying for a Square Enix member account (required to play online).

"Marvel's Avengers" preorder benefits

There are several versions of "Marvel's Avengers" available for sale. Preordering any version will get you access to the beta, while the Deluxe Edition will also let you play the game three days early on September 1, instead of its listed release date of September 4.

The Deluxe Edition also includes an exclusive set of outfits for the seven playable Avengers, while the "Earth's Mightiest Edition" includes a SteelBook case an a full set of Marvel collectibles. PlayStation 4 owners can access a special digital version of the game that offers 1,000 in-game credits as well.

You can preorder "Marvel's Avengers" on your console or at any video game retailer, including Amazon, Best Buy,GameStop,Target, and Walmart.

SEE ALSO: I played 7 hours of the new Marvel's Avengers game coming later this year. It's going to make a lot of people very happy.

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20. Mark Cuban: $4.2 billion, per Forbes

Mark Cuban has made his fortune through business deals in tech, sports, and Shark Tank investments, Business Insider previously reported.

Cuban co-founded a video portal, Broadcast.com in 1995. Four years later, he sold the company to Yahoo for $5.7 billion.

Today, Cuban owns the Dallas Mavericks. He purchased the NBA team for $285 million in 2000. Cuban has donated millions to charities related to healthcare, disaster relief, and domestic violence.

After a Sports Illustrated report said the Mavericks franchise was a hostile work environment for women, Cuban donated $10 million to domestic violence awareness in 2018 as part of the NBA's investigation into workplace conditions.

In 2017, he lent a private jet to two of his players bring supplies to Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.

In 2020, Cuban and athletes Luka Dončić and Dwight Powell partnered up to donate $500,000 to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Parkland Hospital. 

19. Martha Ingram: $4.4 billion, per Forbes

Martha Ingram inherited her wealth.

Her family owns Ingram Industries, a firm with subsidiaries in bookmaking and distributing. Ingram's husband Bronson founded the company in 1978, and Ingram began running the business when he died in 1995.

She stepped down from her role as chairman in 2008, and her sons replaced her.

18. Friede Springer: $4.8 billion, per Forbes

Friede Springer's main source of wealth is inherited.

When her husband, Axel, died in 1985, Springer acquired Axel Springer, a major publishing company he founded in 1946. 

Axel Springer bought Business Insider in 2015.

17. Charles Dolan: $4.84 billion

Charles Dolan made his fortune by starting, building, and then ultimately, selling his cable company. He founded Cablevision Systems, a cable operator, in 1973, and sold it to Altice, a telecommunications company, for $17.7 billion in 2016.

Today, Dolan and his family own significant stakes in AMC Networks and Madison Square Garden's entertainment and sports companies. He served as chairman of AMC before stepping down in September 2020.

16. Isaac Perlmutter: $4.65 billion

The majority of Isaac Perlmutter's billion-dollar net worth comes from Marvel. He has served as chairman of the studio since 1998.

Perlmutter moved to Brooklyn, New York, from Israel in 1967. He is credited with transforming Marvel from a bankrupt comic company to a successful media business, complete with films, video games, and action figures, Business Insider previously reported. To achieve this, Perlmutter oversaw Marvel's shift in focus to character licensing, or ownership over the characters that allowed the company to make movies, shows, games, and toys about them.

Perlmutter donated about $60 million to NYU Langone Medical Center's cancer research between 2014 and 2015. 

15. Clive Calder: $5.08 billion

Clive Calder co-founded the record company Zomba Music Group in 1975. He joined the three comma net worth club when he sold it for $2.7 billion in 2002. The company included Jive Records, a label that has signed big names like Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, and NSync.

Calder lives in the Cayman Islands with his wife.

T14. Margaretta Taylor: $5.68 billion

Margaretta Taylor's wealth comes from her inheritance of about 17% of Cox Enterprises, her family's media and automotive company that provides cable, internet, telecommunications, advertising, and vehicle auction and services. She inherited the stakes from her mother, Anne Cox Chambers, who died in January 2020. Taylor's grandfather, James Cox, founded the company in 1968.

Taylor donated $5 million to the Bronx Zoo and had a sea lion named after her in 2010.

T14. Katharine Rayner: $5.68 billion

Taylor's sister Katherine Rayner also inherited 17% of Cox Enterprises, which made about $21.2 billion in 2019.

T14. James Cox Chambers: $5.68 billion

Rayner and Taylor's brother, James Cox Chambers, inherited 17% of Cox Enterprises. Chambers, his sisters, and his mom have never played an active role in the company.

11. David Thomson: $6.43 billion

David Thomson inherited his wealth from his grandfather's media company, now known as Thomson Reuters.

Thomson serves as co-chairman of the Canada-based business that covers international news. His family owns 320 million shares of the business that his grandfather started in the 1930s, per the company's website.

10. Rupert Murdoch: $6.88 billion

Rupert Murdoch made his fortune by founding, buying, and selling newspapers and media company stakes, Business Insider previously reported.

Today, Murdoch serves as chairman of Fox Corp. and News Corp., the publisher that owns The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and The Sun.

Murdoch is from Australia, where he inherited a newspaper publication from his father at 22. He founded The Australian, the country's first nationwide paper, in 1964. About 20 years later, he purchased the New York Post and New York Magazine. Also in the 1980s, Murdoch bought more than half of the stocks in 20th Century Fox.

9. George Lucas: $7.13 billion

George Lucas founded Lucasfilm, the company behind the mega-successful Star Wars and Indiana Jones movie franchises, in 1971. The franchises have made a combined $12 billion in global ticket sales since 1977.

Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney in 2012 for $4.1 billion. He and his wife Mellody Hobson funded the creation of The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, which is currently under construction in Los Angeles and will showcase a variety of artworks and other archival materials, including rare items from the Separate Cinema Archive, a collection of artifacts from Black films between 1904 and 2019.

8. John Malone: $7.49 billion

John Malone became CEO of a nearly-bankrupt cable company, Tele-Communications, Inc., in 1973, and turned it into the biggest cable company of its time by 1990, Business Insider previously reported.

Today, Malone serves as chairman of Liberty Global, a TV and internet company that made $11.4 billion in 2019. Malone also has stakes in Discovery Communications and Formula One.

Malone owns more than a million acres of woodlands in Maine and New Hampshire. He's the largest private landowner in the US.

T7. Blair Parry-Okeden: $8.6 billion

Blair Parry-Okeden's wealth comes from her grandfather's company. Cousin to Taylor, Rayner, and Chambers, Parry-Okeden inherited 25% of Cox Enterprises when her mother died in 2007. Their grandfather, James Cox, founded the company in 1898.

T7. Jim Kennedy: $8.6 billion

Parry-Okeden's brother, Jim Kennedy, inherited 25% of the company when his mother died. Additionally, Kennedy serves as chairman of Cox Enterprises.

5. Tim Sweeney: $9.4 billion

Tim Sweeney made his fortune in the video game industry. In 1991, Sweeney co-founded Epic Games, the video game developer behind Gears of War and Fortnite. The company made $1.8 billion in 2019.

Sweeney has donated millions to preserve North Carolina lands, Business Insider previously reported. In 2017, he bought 193 acres of Alamance County for $1.97 million to preserve it.

4. David Geffen: $10 billion

David Geffen made his fortune founding media companies. In 1980, he started a record label, Geffen Records, which he sold for $550 million in 1990. Four years later, he co-founded the movie studio DreamWorks SKG alongside Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg.

Geffen has a $590 million superyacht, Rising Sun, where he hosts notable figures like Jeff Bezos, Tom Hanks, and the Obamas, Business Insider previously reported. Back in March when the coronavirus began to spread across the US, he received backlash for an Instagram post about self-isolating on his yacht, per The Guardian. Geffen deleted his Instagram shortly after.

3. Charlie Ergen: $10.2 billion

Charlie Ergen co-founded Dish Network, a satellite TV provider, in 1996. Today, he serves as chairman of the company. In 2008, Ergen split the provider's satellite communications into a separate sister company called Echostar, where he also serves as chairman. The spin-off split Dish Network's shares into two publically shared companies. Dish Network made $12.8 billion in 2019.

2. Donald Newhouse: $16.3 billion

In 1979, Donald Newhouse inherited his wealth from his father, Sam Newhouse, who founded Advance Publications in 1922. The media company publishes Vanity Fair and The New Yorker through Conde Nast.

1. Michael Bloomberg: $54.9 billion, per Forbes

Michael Bloomberg co-founded the media company, Bloomberg LP, in 1981. Today, he owns 88% of the business.

Bloomberg served as mayor of New York City for three terms beginning in 2002, Business Insider previously reported. He ran for president in 2020 but dropped out in March.

• Disney Plus has a ton of new shows based on big franchises, like Star Wars, Marvel, and High School Musical. 
• The service also offers a lot of non-fiction shows and documentaries, including "The World According to Jeff Goldblum,""Encore!" with Kristen Bell, and a program all about Disney Imagineering.
• Disney Plus costs $69.99 a year for an annual subscription or $6.99 a month for a monthly subscription, and there's also a package with ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99 a month. 
• Since there's so much to watch, we rounded up all the new shows available exclusively on Disney Plus.
• For more detailed on impressions on the service, check out our Disney Plus review here. 

Disney Plus has a lot of new shows to stream. There are spin-offs, sequels, prequels, documentaries, and even mockumentaries to choose from.

Highlights from the current lineup include exclusive titles from the Star Wars franchise, like the "The Mandalorian," as well as new docuseries, like "Encore!" and "The World According to Jeff Goldblum."

Though the platform's library of original titles isn't as large as Netflix's collection, more new programs are in the works, including shows set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a series based on the "Percy Jackson" novels, and a continuation of "The Mighty Ducks" franchise. 

Below, we've broken all the basics you need to know about shows on Disney Plus, including a full rundown of the service's current and upcoming lineup of exclusive programs. 

Updated on 10/30/2020 by Steven Cohen: Added details about the premiere of "The Mandalorian" season two, along with new casting details for upcoming Marvel shows.

What is Disney Plus? 

Disney's streaming subscription service gives members unlimited access to a growing library of ad-free movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox. This includes older releases from Disney's vault, as well as a selection of brand-new, exclusive series and films.

Unlike Netflix, however, the original episodic content on Disney Plus is delivered weekly rather than all at once. This makes the experience feel closer to traditional TV but without the ads.

How much does it cost? 

There are three pricing plans for Disney Plus: $6.99 a month, $69.99 a year, or $12.99 a month if you get a package deal with ESPN+ and Hulu. If you go with an annual plan, you end up paying about $14 less per year than you would with the monthly plan.

You can check out a more detailed breakdown of Disney Plus prices over here. 

Does Disney Plus have any new shows? 

Disney Plus has a growing collection of original series developed exclusively for the service.

The ambitious lineup of offerings already includes shows like "The Mandalorian,""High School the Musical the Musical the Series,""Forky Asks a Question,""The Imagineering Story,""Encore!,"""Diary of a Future President," and "The Right Stuff."

When are new shows coming to Disney Plus?

In addition to all the shows available to watch right now, even more new content is set to be added throughout the year and beyond.

Major upcoming shows scheduled for 2020 include the new Marvel series "WandaVision." Other originals in the works include scripted comedies, like reboots of "Lizzie McGuire" and "The Mighty Ducks," and new animated shows from Pixar, such as "Monsters at Work." Subscribers can also look forward to more spin-off shows from the Star Wars franchise, as well as a new adaptation of the "Percy Jackson" novels.

To help subscribers keep track of all the current and upcoming Disney Plus original programs, we rounded up all of the series announced so far.  

Here are all the new shows to stream on Disney Plus:

SEE ALSO: Disney Plus: Everything you need to know about Disney's new ad-free streaming service

Star Wars shows

"The Mandalorian" - available now

"The Mandalorian," a western-style take on "Star Wars," is set five years after the fall of the Empire and focuses on a bounty hunter who journeys far out into the galaxy. The eight-episode first season is now available to stream, and the second season premiered on October 30. New episodes will debut every Friday through December 18.

"Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian" - available now

This documentary series gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the production of "The Mandalorian." The show features interviews, never-before-seen footage, and roundtable conversations with the cast and crew. Executive Producer Jon Favreau is the documentary's host.

"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" - available now

All seven seasons of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" are available to stream on Disney Plus. Though the show was originally canceled in 2014, Disney brought the series back for 12 final episodes in 2020.

"Star Wars: The Bad Batch" - 2021

This upcoming animated series focuses on an elite group of clone soldiers called the Bad Batch. Each member of the team has a unique skill, and they band together to take on missions throughout the galaxy. 

Cassian Andor Project - To be announced

Diego Luna reprises his role of Cassian Andor ("Rogue One") alongside Alan Tudyk voicing the sardonic droid K-2SO. Their adventures take place before the downward spiral that is "Rogue One." 

Obi-Wan KenobiProject - To be announced

Ewan McGregor returns in the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in this as-yet titled Kenobi series set eight years after the events of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith." Filming won't begin until 2020 and episodes won't be ready for streaming until probably 2021 at the earliest.

Marvel shows

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"Marvel Hero Project" - available now

The "Marvel Hero Project" pays tribute to extraordinary kids who have helped their community. In each episode of the docu-series, kids are surprised with the honor of being made into a superhero with their very own Marvel Comic.

"Marvel's 616" - November 20

The documentary series "Marvel's 616" will do a deep dive into the real-world context of Marvel's stories and characters via history and culture. A diverse group of filmmakers will tackle each episode. 

"WandaVision" - December 2020

"WandaVision" will feature an original take on Marvel content, a wild mix of classic sitcom style with Marvel storytelling. Elizabeth Olsen (Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch) stars alongside Paul Bettany (Vision), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo from "Ant-Man and the Wasp"), and Kat Dennings (Darcy Lewis from "Thor: The Dark World"), among others. 

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" - TBA 2021

"The Falcon and Winter Soldier" will reportedly take place after Captain America passes on his duties to Sam Wilson, aka the Falcon (Anthony Mackie). The Falcon will be joined by Bucky Barnes, aka Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), who will most likely be struggling with his past. Other cast members include Daniel Brühl as Zemo, Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter, and Wyatt Russell as John Walker. The show was initially set to premiere in August 2020, but production has been delayed due to the coronavirus. An exact release date has not been announced.

"Loki" - Spring 2021

Although Loki died in "Avengers: Endgame," apparently his "journey isn't over yet; it's only just begun." Tom Hiddleston returns in the role of the trickster in what looks to be an adventure through time and space. Owen Wilson ("The Wedding Crashers") and Gugu Mbatha-Raw ("Belle") have also joined the cast in unspecified roles.

"What If?" - Summer 2021

Based in the Marvel Universal, the animated series "What If?" takes the premise that changing one small thing in the narrative of a superhero could change the course of the character and also the world. Marvel talent will be participating in the series, including Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Josh Brolin (Thanos), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Mark Ruffalo (the Hulk), Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), and many more. 

"Hawkeye" - Fall 2021

Hawkeye will return to the screen in his very own spin-off from the Marvel films. In "Hawkeye," he will be mentoring the Young Avenger Kate Bishop and showing her the ways of the Marvel superhero.

"Ms. Marvel" - To be announced

"Ms. Marvel" will be a groundbreaking program; Kamala Khan is the first Muslim superhero to star in their own solo series. In the series, Khan is a Pakistani American living with her devout family in New Jersey while dealing with her superpowers. Newcomer Iman Vellani will star as the title character. 

"She-Hulk" - To be announced

"She-Hulk" is focused on Jennifer Walters, cousin of the Hulk, aka Bruce Banner. After Walters gets a blood transfusion from Banner — as in his gamma poisoned blood —she becomes the one and only She-Hulk. Tatiana Maslany ("Orphan Black") has reportedly been cast to play Walters.

"Moon Knight" - To be announced

"Moon Knight," a cloaked avenger named Mark Specter, suffers from multiple personalities and questionable instincts. Oscar Isaac ("Star Wars: The Force Awakens") is reportedly in discussions for the lead role. 

'The Right Stuff - available now

Produced by National Geographic, "The Right Stuff" is a historical drama series about the development of the US space program. The show focuses on a group of seven military test pilots who train to become the country's first astronauts. The show is based on the book by Tom Wolfe, which was previously adapted into a 1983 film.

The first episode of "The Right Stuff" premiered on October 9, and new episodes are added every Friday. The first season will consist of eight episodes. 

'Percy Jackson' - to be announced

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Disney Plus is developing a new live-action show based on the "Percy Jackson" series of novels. Author Rick Riordan announced the news via a tweet on May 14, 2020.

Though full details are still forthcoming, the show's first season will be an adaptation of "The Lightning Thief," which is the first book in the "Percy Jackson" series. Future seasons are expected to cover the remaining four books. 

The "Percy Jackson" novels follow a teenager who finds out that he's really the son of a Greek god. The books were previously adapted into two films, "Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" and "Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," but this new Disney Plus series will not be connected to those earlier movies. 

'The Mighty Ducks' - to be announced

Disney has ordered a new series based on "The Mighty Ducks" films. The show will star Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls") as Alex. Brady Noon will play her son Evan. After Evan is cut from the Mighty Ducks youth hockey team in Minnesota, Alex decides to put together her own hockey team with her son.

Emilio Estevez, who starred as coach Gordon Bombay in the original "Mighty Ducks" movies, is set to reprise his role in the new streaming show. An exact release date hasn't been announced yet, but "The Mighty Ducks" is set to feature 10 episodes in its first season.

'Lizzie McGuire' - to be announced

Hilary Duff is reprising her role as the lovable Lizzie McGuire.

In the sequel to the original show (which ended in 2004), we meet up with Lizzie, now a 30-year-old millennial figuring out her life in New York City. Though production on the new series is currently paused while the studio looks for a new showrunner, the program is still expected to move forward on Disney Plus.  

'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' - available now

The first season of "High School Musical: The Musical: The Series" premiered on November 12 and all 10 episodes are now available to watch. The mockumentary follows a group of high school students as they put on a production of "High School Musical." A second season has already been ordered with a total of 12 new episodes set to debut later this year.    

'Diary of a Future President' - available now

Tess Romero stars as Elena, a 12-year-old Cuban-American girl with presidential aspirations. The show is told through Elena's diary and also features flashforwards to Elena as an adult played by Gina Rodriguez ("Jane the Virgin"). The first season includes a total of 10 episodes. 

'Short Circuit' - available now

This is a series of shorts from Disney employees produced with support from the studio and its fellow artists. 14 shorts are now available to stream. 

All new Pixar shows

"Forky Asks a Question" - available now

Forky from Pixar's "Toy Story 4" explores various existential questions in this 10-part animated shorts series.

"SparkShorts" - available now

Similar to "ShortCircuit," select Pixar employees are given six months and a limited budget to create their own unique shorts. It's a way to find new voices and new techniques from within the studio talent pool. 

"Pixar in Real Life" - available now

This hidden camera series features Pixar characters in humorous situations in real life, such as Wall-E rolling through a park in New York City and agents from Monsters, Inc. Child Detection Agency picking up a rogue sock on the street.

"Monsters at Work" - 2021

If you've ever wondered what happened to Monstropolis after the fall of scream power, "Monsters at Work" will fill you in. The animated show features the return of Billy Crystal as the voice of Mike, and John Goodman as the voice of Sully. Though the series was originally expected to premiere in 2020, the show is now set to debut in 2021.

Non-fiction, documentary, and variety series

"The Imagineering Story" - available now

Disneyland and Disney World fans will want to tune in to see this. This six-hour series chronicles the history of Walt Disney Imagineering, the talented crew that make the magic at the Disney parks around the world. It covers the early days with Walt Disney at the helm all the way up to the Galaxy's Edge.

"Encore!" - available now

Encore! — hosted and produced by Kristen Bell ("Frozen,""The Good Place") — is a reality show where she reunites the casts of high school musicals to take another go at their productions.  

"The World According to Jeff Goldblum" - available now

Journey along with Jeff Goldblum ("Jurassic Park,""Thor: Ragnarok") as he travels the world to explore subjects that are of interest to him from how tattoos, ice-cream, and sneakers are made and developed.

"One Day at Disney" - available now

On December 3, Disney Plus began streaming the feature-length special "One Day at Disney," the same day that the book "One Day at Disney" was released. The program (and book) features more than 75 Disney cast members who make the magic from a train engineer at Disneyland to Robin Roberts of "Good Morning America" to the prolific animation artist Eric Goldberg. Following the launch of the feature-length special, Disney Plus also began streaming a 52-episode short-form series.

"Muppets Now" - available now

This new comedy series stars Jim Henson's beloved Muppets. Each episode of the series is separated into different segments, like a lifestyle vlog, a cooking show, and a talk show. The first season features six episodes.

"Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings" - available now

"Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings" is moving from Disney's Freeform to Disney Plus for its second season in 2020. The program gives viewers an inside look at weddings and engagements at Disney Destinations around the world from Disneyland to the Disney Cruise Line. Season one is currently available to watch.

"Into the Unknown: The Making of Frozen 2"— available now

"Frozen 2" hit theaters in November of 2019. For those who can't get enough of Elsa, Anna, and the gang, they'll be able to get the inside scoop on how "Frozen 2" was created with the cast, the music team, and others in this docu-series.

"Be Our Chef" - available now

Angela Kinsey ("The Office") hosts "Be Our Chef," a new reality cooking competition show. Based in Walt Disney World, families will compete by creating dishes that mix their own traditions with the magic of Disney. The grand prize will be the honor of having their dish served at Walt Disney World.

"Shop Class" - available now

The competition show "Shop Class" will consist of teams of creative students who are challenged to design, build, and test new contraptions.  Their creations will be judged on how they engineered and designed the items, as well as a test to make sure it works.

"Prop Culture" - available now

Die-hard Disney film fans will want to tune into "Prop Culture." The show takes a look at the props and costumes from films such as "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl,""Mary Poppins,""The Muppet Movie," and "Tron." They'll visit with the people who made the items, the actors who used the items, and the collectors and archivists who cherish the items.

"Earth to Ned"— available now

The Jim Henson Company is creating an "out-of-this-world" talk show where Ned, a blue-skinned alien and his sidekick Cornelius, do interviews with celebrity guests. The aliens were sent to Earth for an invasion but instead become obsessed with pop culture and create a talk show.

"Becoming" - now available

Basketball superstar LeBron James is partnering with Disney Plus on a new heartwarming docuseries. The show will explore the origin stories of celebrities and athletes such as the Lakers' Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Sparks' Candace Parker, and comedian and TV host Nick Cannon.

"Magic of Animal Kingdom" - now available

National Geographic (which is now part of Disney) is producing a series based on Animal Kingdom and Epcot's SeaBase Aquarium at Walt Disney World. The show will give a behind the scenes look at how these areas operate, how they go about protecting endangered species, and the efforts of the Disney Conservation Fund.

"Rogue Trip" - now available

Journalist Bob Woodruff and his 27-year-old son Max, embark on a road trip, heading to destinations that are off the beaten path in search of unique experiences to share with viewers.

"(Re)Connect" - To be announced

In this reality show, families struggling with issues — like workaholic parents and competitive siblings — address their problems with the help of specialized experts. The goal is for them all, as the title implies, to reconnect.

"Earthkeepers" - To be announced

The documentary series "Earthkeepers" will follow conservationists and the animals that they study. During the series, the creators hope that viewers get a sense of the "personal trials and professional breakthroughs that come with protecting the planet's most endangered species."

"Ink & Paint" - To be announced

Based on the book "Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation" written by Mindy Johnson, this eight-part series pays tribute to the women who have had a big part of the films of the Walt Disney Company from "Snow White," "Coco," to "Moana," and many more.

• "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is now available for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4.
• The game picks up shortly after the events of the PS4 "Spider-Man" game released in 2018, with Miles as the sole hero.
• "Spider-Man: Miles Morales" might be the most impressive launch game on the PlayStation 5 thanks to its ray tracing features and fluid gameplay.
• A PS5 remaster of "Marvel's Spider-Man" is also available, but only with the $70 ultimate edition of "Miles Morales."
• For more next-gen gaming coverage, check out our reviews of the PS5, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X.

The flagship launch title for the PlayStation 5, "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales," is an impressive evolution of the bestselling PS4 game, and a wonderful demonstration of how the PS5's next-gen hardware will benefit major releases in the years to come.

In 2011, Miles Morales debuted in Marvel's "Ultimate Comics'' line as an Afro-Latino replacement to that universe's Spider-Man. In less than 10 years, the character has become a core part of the Marvel Universe, starring in the 2019 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature, "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse." 

With new powers, a different origin story, and a healthy respect for the original hero, Miles and "Into the Spider-Verse" helped Spider-Man evolve for a new generation of fans. As the headliner of a premier launch title, "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is designed to show players how their games will evolve in the coming generation too.

"Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" was released on November 12 alongside a remastered version of " Marvel's Spider-Man" for PlayStation 5. The game costs $50 on its own, or $70 with the remaster. "Miles Morales" is also available on PlayStation 4 for $50, and there will be a paid upgrade option if you decide to buy a PS5 later.

'Spider-Man: Miles Morales' review: A showcase for the PlayStation 5's next-gen performance

"Marvel's Spider-Man" is the bestselling PS4 game of all-time, so there's a good chance that most PlayStation fans and PS5 early adopters are familiar with the original game. "Miles Morales" demonstrates just how the next-gen PS5 hardware can improve a game's performance with upgrades that go beyond graphics alone.

The visual improvements are immediately noticeable, with the PlayStation 5 delivering a higher resolution, new lighting and reflection effects, and a higher, more stable frame rate. Loading times improve greatly with the PlayStation 5's solid state drive — 30 to 60 second wait times from the PlayStation 4 "Spider-Man" are cut down to under five seconds in "Miles Morales."

PlayStation 5's power boost delivers tons of small enhancements to "Spider-Man" too; you'll find the streets of New York bustling with more cars and people, Spider-Man can swing through the city even faster because the streets take less time to load, and the environments show sharper detail in general. Overall, "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" showcases how PS5 can render a beautiful, busy, open world at 4K without hiccups.

Graphics

"Miles Morales" might be the best looking game we see during this initial run of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X launch titles, thanks to its expert implementation of real-time ray tracing; a premium graphics feature that's meant to be one of the PlayStation 5's hallmarks.

Ray tracing allows objects within the game world to create their own lighting effects, leading to more realistic looking shadows, reflections, and color shading. For "Spider-Man: Miles Morales," this means that Miles's bio-electric powers, the reflective glass covering New York's skyscrapers, and the glowing neon billboards of Times Square all create their own unique lighting effects while you play.

Ray tracing is taxing on the PS5, however, slowing the game's animations down to 30 frames per second when the graphics are set to fidelity mode. In performance mode, "Miles Morales" runs at a full 60 frames per second, and the image quality is just slightly below 4K, though few people would notice at a glance. Performance mode does disable ray tracing effects, though.

Personally, I find myself switching back and forth between fidelity and performance mode based on whether I'm checking out story missions and cutscenes, or just casually fighting crime and exploring. Ultimately, I feel like ray tracing gives the game a wonderful level of depth, so I'd recommend using fidelity mode to start and switching later if you want a smoother experience.

The game's character models are also tremendously detailed, with facial motion capture helping characters communicate with feeling during cutscenes. If you've played the original "Marvel's Spider-Man" you'll notice that character faces are a bit more detailed, and Peter Parker has a whole new actor.

Story

"Miles Morales" is set shortly after the events of "Marvel's Spider-Man," continuing the story with a teenage Miles stepping into his first days as Spider-Man. The story lasts about eight to 10 hours with cinematic cutscenes, making it about half as long as the first game. As someone who felt like "Marvel's Spider-Man" should've been a bit shorter, I find Miles to be a much tighter experience.

Though Peter Parker makes an appearance early on, Miles is left to defend the city on his own after a few quick lessons and training exercises. As a young hero, Miles has to learn to fully control his powers and strike a balance between his new found responsibilities and his personal life.

A growing clash between the Roxxon Corporation and the Underground, a street gang with futuristic weapons, forces Miles to intervene as Spider-Man to prevent New York from being destroyed. He battles supervillains, like the Rhino, the Prowler, and a new version of the Tinkerer, as he fights to protect the city.

The story in "Miles Morales" succeeds in separating the hero from Peter Parker; making him independent by highlighting his identity as an Afro-Latino New Yorker and focusing on the relationships that make him different from the original "Spider-Man." There are still plenty of superhero cliches to be found in the world of "Marvel's Spider-Man," but this version of Miles feels like one of his most satisfying incarnations to date.

Gameplay

"Miles Morales" doesn't do much to change the basic formula of "Marvel's Spider-Man," adopting the same open-world gameplay based in New York City. The map has been slightly expanded to include Miles' hometown of Harlem, and weather effects, like snow and rain, add lovely detail to familiar scenery.

Between story beats, Miles will find different crimes and neighborhood missions spread across the city. Combat is a mix of basic button presses with timed dodges and gadgets for extra flair. Miles' cloaking ability also adds an extra layer to stealth sequences. As you progress through the story, you'll unlock more moves and tools to use in fights.

In contrast to the car chases and shoot-outs Miles encounters, the neighborhood missions bring context and character to Miles' adventure. Answering requests on the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man app leads to Miles tracking a bodega cat, helping subway workers, and other complex side activities with fun rewards. Exploration is also essential, with hidden collectibles calling attention to the tremendous amount of detail within the city landscape.

The game has multiple difficulty settings and plenty of accessibility options to make sure that anyone can have fun, regardless of their age or prior experience with video games. Having completed "Marvel's Spider-Man" on advanced difficulty levels, I hopped into "Miles Morales" at the harder than normal "Spectacular" difficulty without issue, and I'm looking forward to starting a New Game+ on "Ultimate" difficulty — but not until I complete the PS5 remaster of "Marvel's Spider-Man."

Should you buy the Ultimate Edition?

Buying the ultimate edition of "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is the only way to get the remastered PS5 version of "Marvel's Spider-Man" right now. That $70 version will also give you access to the game on both PS4 and PS5, if you want to play "Miles Morales" on PS4 first and upgrade later. The standard version of "Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" costs $50.

In my mind, the ultimate is the better choice, since the remaster of the first "Spider-Man" will provide dozens of hours of extra gameplay and a visual overhaul of an all-time classic game for about $20 more. If you're planning on buying the $50 PlayStation 4 version of "Spider-Man: Miles Morales," Sony has promised an upgrade option for gamers who buy the PlayStation 5 later on, though the price isn't known just yet.

The bottom line

"Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales" is a must-have game for all PlayStation 5 owners, and I would say that includes the remaster of "Marvel's Spider-Man," since the PS4 version won't look nearly as good on PS5.

As a comic book fan, longtime Spider-Man fan, and black person living near New York City, it's lovely to see Miles get the space to shine in his own game, and to see such care given to recreating the diverse neighborhood that gave birth to such a fun character.

If you haven't been able to find a PS5 yet, you might be disappointed to pay $50 for an experience that isn't nearly as optimized as the PS5 version of "Spider-Man." However, the story and gameplay additions that "Miles Morales" brings to the table absolutely warrant the $50 PS4 price tag.

'Spider-Man: Miles Morales' (PS5)

'Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition' (PS5)

'Spider-Man: Miles Morales' (PS4)

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Marvel Entertainment prop master Russell Bobbitt first used 3D printing when he was working on director JJ Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" reboot.

Abrams told Bobbitt he needed a futuristic-looking police gun, and he needed it the next day — a task Bobbitt thought was impossible.

"There isn't a store for that," he recounted to Business Insider. "I can't just go buy that. And it takes time, and you're asking for this for tomorrow."

So Abrams had Bobbitt work with one of the assistants on the film who had what was novel technology at the time: a 3D printer. The next day, Abrams and Bobbitt had their ersatz weapon in hand. 

Now, at Marvel, he's the man in charge of making sure that cinematic superheroes like the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy have all the gear they need to save the day — "anything the actor touches," as he describes it, from Captain America's iconic shield to Thor's mighty warhammer Mjölnir. 

In the course of his duties, Bobbitt is often called upon once again to design and build something that doesn't exist, and in a hurry. "If design and manufacturing are involved, they call me to invent the impossible. To invent the items that you can't imagine," he said.  

To make it happen, Bobbitt and his team now regularly rely on 3D printing, with much of its business going to Formlabs, a startup valued at $1 billion. Beyond Marvel, Formlabs counts Tesla, Google, and Gillette as clients.

To Bobbitt, Formlabs is a sign of things to come, as 3D printing looks to upend the traditional manufacturing process: While 3D printing existed as far back as that "Star Trek" movie, it wasn't until recently that the technology was available at a "price point that is accessible to the consumer." He's enough of a fan that one of Formlabs' printers can be seen as a prop in Hank Pym's workshop in "Ant Man."

"Great design, great technology, and it's within reach. Whereas those early machines were not in reach financially for people," said Bobbitt. 

3D printing is having a moment

Marvel's embrace of 3D printing is a  reflection of the maturity of the field, with applications now spanning sectors including automotive, healthcare, and construction. Manufacturers, for example, can now more easily prototype designs before making more significant investments in final products.

And because the designs for 3D-printed items can be stored and sent anywhere digitally, it makes it easier to collaborate globally — a key benefit during the coronavirus pandemic. 

A key reason for the surge is advancement in the technology itself, too, with 3D printers becoming smaller, cheaper, faster, and more reliable, all while producing better quality prints.

The industry is advancing "leaps and bounds above what we saw before in that the footprint is growing — and getting bigger and faster," said Bobbitt. 

It's also just one of the many types of advanced applications that movie studios and enterprise tech firms are now tapping for digital effects and other key aspects of production. 

Building the Mandarin's '10 Rings of Power'

Before 3D printing, building props was a labor-intensive process, whether they be mundane or fantastical. As the technology matures, though, 3D printing is becoming a core part of the production process. Bobbitt says that the gap from concept to reality is narrowing.

"My prototyping ends up being my final product in many cases. So I'm able to actually print on a 3D printer five or six pieces that I can send straight to paint and use as a prop in the film," said Bobbitt. 

The machines also serve as critical when Bobbitt wants to figure out the size and scale of objects before having a final version made by external partners. 

In "Iron Man 3," for example, supervillain Mandarin wears 10 rings that serve as the primary source of his power, each one providing a different ability like psychic energy. 

Initially, Bobbitt did 2D designs for each of those before getting feedback from the director and actors. He then used 3D modeling software ZBrush to create virtual versions of the items, before printing prototypes to make sure the actor could wear all 10 rings without them bumping into each other.

Ultimately, Bobbitt had an outside jeweler make the final rings. But tapping 3D printing helped ensure that the end product worked perfectly, saving the studio money and time. 

"It's so much quicker to just bang out some concepts and do some quick prototyping, more for scale than anything else, before we go into our production," he said.  

SEE ALSO: Capital One has abandoned its last data center, making the $40 billion financial titan the first US bank to go all-in on the cloud

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NOW WATCH: Why electric planes haven't taken off yet

• A Tesla-like British startup is set to go public at a $5.4 billion valuation via a special-acquistion company formed by former Marvel Comics CEO Peter Cuneo.
• London-based Arrival will combine with US firm CIIG Merger. The combined company expects to list on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "ARVL."
• Arrival competes with EV-maker Tesla and the creator of Amazon's first custom-electric delivery vehicle, Rivian.
• The startup's signed contracts currently amount to as much as $1.2 billion.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

British electric-vehicle startup Arrival will go public by combining with a US "blank check company" set up by Peter Cuneo, the former CEO of Marvel Comics and personal care firm Remington Products.

The deal would value the combined company at $5.4 billion and is expected to raise a total of $660 million, Arrival said in a statement. The electric bus-and-van maker was last valued at $3 billion after receiving a $118 million investment from BlackRock.

Arrival is expected to list on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "ARVL" and the deal is expected to close by early 2021. It competes with Elon Musk's Tesla and Michigan-based Rivian, which is fully backed by Amazon.

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It also counts Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors, and United Parcel Service among its investors. UPS has already committed to an order of 10,000 electric vans early this year, and may increase that at some point.

Arrival said its signed contracts amount to as much as $1.2 billion and its first vehicles are scheduled for production in the fourth-quarter of 2021.  

US businessman Peter Cuneo will join Arrival's board as non-executive chairman, while founder Denis Sverdlov will remain as the CEO.

Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are also known as "blank check" companies. These are created specifically to take a company public, going past the traditional route of an initial public offering. Their use has exploded this year. About $66 billion has been raised across 186 SPAC IPOs in 2020 so far, according to SPACInsider.com, more than triple last year's $13.6 billion in proceeds through 59 deals.

Read More: A 28-year-old hedge fund co-investing chief shares how he advanced from community college to Wall Street — and breaks down his two-pronged approach to managing the fund's volatility strategies

SEE ALSO: Uber will soar 22% next year before returning to pre-COVID ridership by early 2022, Wedbush says

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• If you still haven't figured out what to get the hardcore Marvel fan, you'll love these 26 great ideas. 
• From a Disney+ gift subscription they can download and stream immediately to a practical keychain with a sweet message from "Avengers: Infinity War" on Amazon Prime, many of these gifts should get delivered before Christmas, but we wouldn't suggest waiting until the very last minute.
• Looking for more gift ideas? Check out all Insider Reviews gift guides here.
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals

Avid Marvel fans know that their love runs deeper than most fandoms. They could tell you that the very first comic book was released in October 1939 and featured superheroes like the Human Torch and the Sub-Mariner off the top of their heads. They'd be able to predict that characters like Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, Captain America, and more would become household names.

But most importantly, they could tell you that they'd enjoy every single one of the gifts here in this shopping guide, from a Disney+ subscription gift they'll stream daily to their very own Power Gauntlet. Most of these gifts should arrive in time for Christmas — especially the Disney+ subscription since it can be used immediately — but delivery delays aren't unheard of, so we definitely suggest checking them out sooner than later. 

Here are 26 super-cool gifts any Marvel fan would love:

A Disney+ subscription gift

Gifts a Disney+ subscription for $69.99/year, available at Disney+

Disney+ is the gift that keeps on giving. For $69.99 a year, they can access all the Marvel movies, as well as new shows exclusive to the streaming platform. Here are all the Marvel titles available to stream, and read everything there is to know about Disney+ over here.

A Quinjet LEGO set

LEGO Marvel Avengers Ultimate Quinjet, $79.99, available at Target

After they finish building this 840-piece Quinjet, they can reenact scenes with the moveable cockpit, wings, spinning rotors, and various mini figurines including Black Widow, Hawkeye, Rocket, and Thor.

A realistic Power Gauntlet with sound effects and lights

Marvel's Avengers: Endgame Power Gauntlet - Legends Series, $94.95, available at Amazon

They'll love being the bad guy with this interactive Power Gauntlet. It'll fit over many hands with room to spare and it makes sound effects too. The five Infinity stones even glow for a realistic effect.

A practical keychain with a sweet message

I Love You 3000 Keychain, $9.99, available at Amazon

If they're more of a low-key Marvel fan, they'll appreciate the sweet gesture of this keychain. 

An adorable Iron Man lip balm they'll never lose

Lip Smacker Marvel Super Hero Lip Balm, $4.99, available at Target

This adorable lip balm would be a great stocking stuffer, and one they won't lose at the bottom of their bags.

An electric tricycle

Spider-Man Electric Ride-On Trike, $73.23, available at Amazon

If they're obsessed with Spider-Man, they will definitely love this electric tricycle. It should only be used by kids older than 18 months and it only goes at 1.5 miles per hour, so they'll be safe riding down the driveway.

A collection of their favorite heroes and heroines

Marvel's The Infinity Saga Mega Figure Set, $39.99, available at shopDisney

They'll spend hours coming up with scenes and storylines with these figurines. There are 20 total in the set — and it even includes Nick Fury and his beloved Goose.

A pair of Black Panther's gloves

Black Panther Glove Set, $22, available at shopDisney

These gloves look just like the real thing and even have motion-activated sound effects. The stretch fabric will fit over kids' hands pretty easily.

A Groot of their own

Cable Guys Groot Device Holder, $24.95, available at Urban Outfitters

This helpful Groot can hold up their video game controller, phone, and more. 

A hat celebrating 80 years of Marvel

Marvel 80th Anniversary Baseball Cap, $27.99, available at shopDisney

A subtle nod to Marvel's 80th anniversary that only true Marvel fans will know. Don't be surprised when people give you a quick nod when they see the hat. 

A 3D laser cut model kit to make your own Mjolnir

Marvel Avengers Thor's Mjolnir 3D Laser Cut Model Kit, $12.99, available at Kohl's

This comes as a flat metal sheet, but can actually be folded and pieced together to create their own Mjolnir. It's a fun and interactive gift, and one they'll keep on their desk or nightstand. 

A superhero way to make a cup of coffee

Captain America 1-Cup Coffee Maker With Mug, $24.99, available at Amazon

Captain America makes a good cup of coffee. This personal coffee maker also comes with a matching cup that has the Cap's shield on the sides so you don't have to scramble looking for the perfect mug.

Their own Sanctum Sanctorum

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes Avengers: Infinity War Sanctum Sanctorum, $209.88, available at Amazon

Build your own Sanctum Sanctorum with this 1,000+ piece LEGO set. It's not just the building you'll get but figures of Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Iron Spider-Man, Cull Obsidian, and Ebony Maw are included too.

A sturdy suitcase to bring superheroes on your trip

Heys America Marvel Comics Print Spinner Luggage, $129.99, available at Bed Bath & Beyond

Don't hit the road alone, bring along a few of your mighty friends. This lightweight spinner suitcase is covered in black-and-white comic strip images of Marvel favorites like Iron Man, The Hulk, and Captain America. 

A smartwatch that'll make them feel like Captain Marvel

Garmin Captain Marvel Smartwatch, $399.99, available at Garmin

Garmin has released special edition smartwatches inspired by Captain America and Captain Marvel. Not only does it offer many smart features, it also has character-inspired app experiences too. The smartwatch has fitness and wellness tracking tools, notifications, music, and Garmin Pay. The superhero interface includes badges you can earn by completing various fitness activities. 

A cute place for your pens, pencils, and plants

Baby Groot Pencil Holder, $8.34, available at Amazon

One of the cutest creatures in the Marvel universe has to be Baby Groot. This adorable guy can live on your desk and keep watch over your pens, pencils, and even plants.

A way to honor Stan Lee

Stan Lee Funko Pop!, $10.65, available at Walmart

Stan Lee, who has become synonymous with Marvel, is honored with this stylish Funko Pop! figure. The patina of this figure really gives it a regal appeal. 

A pair of kicks for the youngest of superheroes

Marvel Captain Marvel RapidaRun Shoes, $65, available at Adidas

Adidas has a variety of superhero-inspired sneakers perfect for little ones who can't sit still for more than five minutes. We love this pair that pays tribute to Captain Marvel with the blue, red, and gold detailing. 

A Marvel Universe guidebook

Marvel Encyclopedia, New Edition, $21.99, available at Amazon

Do a deep dive into the Marvel Universe with this comprehensive encyclopedia that includes all sorts of facts, stats, and images featuring 1,200 classic and new Marvel characters.

A biography of Stan Lee

The Stan Lee Story, $189.99, available at Target

Marvel's Stan Lee may be gone, but he'll never be forgotten. This large-format bio (it's 20 inches by 13 inches by 3 inches) includes a large assortment of stunning images and a huge amount of information they'll want to dive into right after unwrapping the gift.

Captain America's favorite toast

Captain America 2-Slice Toaster, $24.34, available at Amazon

This two-slice toaster will mark every piece of bread you put in with an image of Captain America's shield. 

A pair of X-Men socks

Cyclops socks by Stance, $15.99, available at Stance

This pair of socks from Stance has retro Cyclops comic book graphics, perfect for a fan of the OG comics.

A pair of gleaming gold cufflinks à la Thanos

Thanos Infinity Gauntlet Cufflinks, $70, available at Cuff Links

Show off your love for "Avengers: Infinity War" with this pair of Infinity Gauntlet cufflinks. The gold-tone set even includes faux jewels that represent the five Infinity Stones: Space, Power, Reality, Time, Mind, and Soul. 

A timepiece worthy of an Avenger

Marvel's Avengers Eco-Drive Watch by Citizen, $280, available at Citizen

This Avengers watch has its own superpower: The Citizen Eco-Drive technology converts light sources into energy, so there's no need for batteries ever. Plus, the Avengers logo and gold detailing aren't obtrusive for daily wear.

A bag made from Groot

Groot 100% Recycled Tote Bag, $19.95, available at shopDisney

Take Groot wherever you go with this 100% recycled tote bag. 

A super way to grill

Seven20 Marvel's Captain America 3-Piece Outdoor BBQ Grill Utensil Set, $24.99, available at Target

Bring superhero strength to your cooking with this set of grill tools reminiscent of "Captain America." 

• Disney shares jumped as much as 12% on Friday.
• The media giant plans to hike the domestic price of Disney Plus in March, and expects to triple its streaming service subscribers to between 230 million and 260 million by 2024.
• Disney also expects to double its annual content investment to about $15 billion over the next four years as it rolls out dozens of movies and TV shows from its studio and its Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar subsidiaries.
• Most of Disney's business has been hit hard by the pandemic, but millions of people have signed up to Disney Plus to keep themselves entertained during lockdowns.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

  ---

Disney stock soared as much as 12% on Friday, boosting the entertainment titan's market capitalization by up to $32 billion. The share-price surge followed Disney's unveiling of a bullish growth plan for its video-streaming business during its virtual investor day on Thursday.

The company intends to raise the monthly cost of Disney Plus in the US by a dollar to $7.99 in March, marking the platform's first price increase since launching in November 2019. It expects to reach a total of 230 million to 260 million global subscribers by 2024, roughly triple its 87 million subscribers as of December 2.

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Disney is raising prices and projecting strong growth because it intends to double its yearly spending on content to about $15 billion over the next four years. It expects to add more than 100 new titles to Disney Plus annually, drawing from its Marvel, Lucasfilm, and Pixar subsidiaries and expanding on its own studio's properties such as "Zootopia" and "Moana."

As a result, Disney expects its streaming losses to peak next year, and hopes to break even in 2024.

Disney Plus is a bright spot in a brutal year

A key element of Disney's strategy is taking a smash hit in one of its divisions, such as "The Mandalorian" show on Disney Plus, and cashing in on it across its business. It already sells "Baby Yoda" toys and clothing in its Disney Stores, and will undoubtedly seek to deploy the beloved character in movies, TV shows, video games, and attractions in its theme parks and on its cruises.

Disney's approach backfired this year, as its sprawling operations left it massively exposed to the pandemic. The company was forced to close theme parks and resorts, halt cruises, shutter Disney Stores, delay movie releases due to production shutdowns and cinema closures, and even host the rest of the NBA season at Disney World to help its ESPN subsidiary weather the suspension of many live sports.

Read More: Cathie Wood is beating 99% of fund managers this year. The ARK CEO and her team share their outlooks for 2021 — including thoughts on Tesla's $5 billion stock sale, the Salesforce-Slack tie-up, and bitcoin's meteoric rise.

The disruptions meant Disney posted a net loss of $2.8 billion for the year to October 3 — a sharp swing from $10.4 billion in net income in the previous financial year.

Given it will be months before Disney's business can rebound, it's not surprising that the company is doubling down on Disney Plus, which has seen a spike in signups this year as people spend more time at home.

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• The first three episodes of "WandaVision" are now available on Disney Plus, with new episodes premiering every Friday.
• In this nine-episode miniseries set after "Avengers: Endgame," Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany return as superheroes Wanda Maximoff and Vision.
• Marvel has been secretive about the plot, but "WandaVision" trailers show the heroes living a suburban life under increasingly bizarre circumstances.
• A Disney Plus subscription costs $7 a month or $70 per year.
• See also: All the Marvel movies and shows you can stream on Disney Plus

The first three episodes of "WandaVision," the first TV show set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, are now available on Disney Plus. Elizabeth Olson and Paul Bettany reprise their roles as Wanda Maximoff and Vision from Marvel's "Avengers," and the nine-episode series will follow the events of "Avengers: Endgame."

"WandaVision" trailers show the two superheroes living in a surreal suburban home as the edges of their picturesque lives begin to warp around them. Given the events of the last "Avengers" film, Marvel fans have been left to wonder if the setting of "WandaVision" is a creation of Wanda's reality-bending abilities as the Scarlet Witch.

"WandaVision" is the first in a string of upcoming Disney Plus shows set in the MCU. "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,""Loki," and "Ms. Marvel" are all expected to premiere on Disney Plus during 2021, and like "WandaVision," these series will continue storylines from the "Avengers'' films. If you're curious, we've compiled a full list of the MCU shows coming to Disney Plus in the next few years.

Updated on 1/15/2021 by Kevin Webb: This article has been updated to reflect that "WandaVision" is now available.

How to Watch 'WandaVision' on Disney Plus

The first two episodes of "WandaVision" premiered on Disney Plus on January 15. The series will feature nine episodes in total, and new episodes will arrive every Friday. You can visit DisneyPlus.com or download the Disney Plus app to sign up for the service.

Disney Plus costs $7 for a monthly plan, or $70 annually. If you're also interested in subscribing to Hulu or ESPN+, you can sign up for a discounted bundle with Disney Plus starting at $13 a month. If you want the ad-free version of Hulu, you'll have to pay $18 per month and add the bundle to your Hulu account.

The Disney Plus app is available on Apple devices, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and most smart TVs. Disney Plus includes support for 4K resolution and HDR (high dynamic range) color on compatible devices.

What other movies and shows can I watch on Disney Plus?

On top of the classic library of Disney movies and shows, Disney Plus is the streaming home to nearly every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also has films starring other Marvel characters, like the "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four."

Disney Plus also collects the full "Star Wars" franchise, including TV shows, documentaries and specials created for kids. The "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" is the most popular exclusive show on Disney Plus.

For detailed impressions, check out our full Disney Plus review here.

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If the vaccine rollout does not pick up speed, Hollywood will likely be forced to delay some of its biggest slated blockbusters for 2021 – again.

President Donald Trump's administration forecast that, between December and January, 70 million vaccinations would be administered. As of Tuesday, only around 9 million had been administered.

While January does not have any scheduled blockbuster films, studios have plans to start bringing more movies to the box office, starting in March.

Read more: What's coming next for COVID-19 vaccines? Here's the latest on 11 leading programs.

Big budget movies like Sony's "Cinderella," starring Camila Cabello, "The King's Man," a World War I-era prequel to the Kingsman series, and the adaptation "Chaos Walking," featuring Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley, are likely to see delays or morph into a video-on-demand debut due to their February and March release dates.

Sony's thriller "Morbius," focusing on Spider-Man's notorious foe and featuring Jared Leto, has already been delayed from March 19 to October 8.

Even films scheduled for later release dates in the spring are likely to see further delays or conform to a release on a streaming service like HBO Max or Disney+.

James Bond's "No Time to Die" and a "Quiet Place II" could be facing their second or third rescheduling, as these films were set to debut in the spring of 2020, during the nation's first lockdown.

For many of these films, a release to a limited audience at the few theaters that are operating under social-distancing restrictions or a release on video-on-demand is not feasible due to the scale of their budgets.

Marvel's "Black Widow," starring Scarlett Johansson, which is set to release in May, could miss out on hundreds of millions of dollars. As movie theaters continue to suffer under low attendance and state lockdowns, with the world's largest theater chain, AMC, near bankruptcy, the film would be likely to suffer from low ticket sales if released before the pandemic ends.  A release through video-on-demand or through a streaming service is also unlikely to hit revenue targets, as Disney learned in September when "Mulan"appeared likely to miss target sales after it was released on Disney Plus for $29.99.

While an official budget has not been released for "Black Widow," Marvel movies typically feature a $150 to $200 million production budget. Franchise movies like "Avengers: Endgame" spend over $200 million in marketing alone, according to Deadline.

"Wonder Woman 1984" and "Mulan" had similar big budgets, before they were released on HBO Max and Disney Plus, respectively. However, "Black Widow" is unlikely to follow in Mulan's footsteps, after Disney executives shut down rumors of a Disney Plus release at a streaming event in December.

Read more: Hollywood is raging over Warner Bros.' HBO Max plan. But one producer whose movie was impacted gave us the counter argument.

Disney and Sony are not the only companies facing delays. Several television shows in Los Angeles have paused filming after coronavirus infections in LA County surged. TV producers earlier this month decided to push production of shows like "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" and "Grey's Anatomy" later into January.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said the vaccine will likely not be widely available until the middle of 2021, with widespread immunity to the coronavirus not anticipated in the US until the end of the year.

As one of the biggest industries impacted by the pandemic-related shutdowns, movie theaters officially opening across the country will be a major sign the nation is recovering from the pandemic. In the meantime, movie studios will be closely watching vaccine-distribution efforts in the US — and hoping to see an uptick as soon as possible.

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NOW WATCH: Epidemiologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths

Starting February 23, some Disney Plus subscribers outside the United States will gain a new channel, called Star, that features Disney's adult-oriented movies and shows. Disney Plus launched as a family-friendly streaming service in November 2020 and until now all of its programming has been rated for kids age 13 and below.

However, Disney has a large library of R-rated films and shows for older audiences thanks to its acquisition of 21st Century Fox and ABC's steady stream of primetime dramas. That collection includes popular shows like "Family Guy,""Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy," as well as blockbuster movies like "Deadpool" and "Die Hard." Viewers in the US can already stream most of that catalog on Hulu, but Hulu isn't available outside of the US and Japan.

Disney Plus subscribers in the US won't have to worry about any of the changes coming to the streaming service, but as a new Disney entertainment brand, Star could become a household name in international markets. In January, Disney said it had more than 146 million subscribers spread across its different streaming services, including 94.9 million Disney Plus members. Star will help the company continue to expand its streaming options overseas.

What is Star on Disney Plus?

Star is a new entertainment brand geared toward older viewers rather than just kids and families. It will bring Disney-owned movies and shows from ABC, FX, Fox, and ESPN to Disney Plus subscribers outside of the US.

Star will launch as a channel within the Disney Plus app, but Disney also plans to make a separate streaming service called Star Plus in Latin America.

When does Star launch on Disney Plus and where is it available?

Star will be available on February 23 for Disney Plus subscribers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and certain parts of Europe. Disney says it plans to bring the service to Eastern Europe, South Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong later in 2021.

For Latin American viewers, Disney plans to launch a separate streaming service called Star Plus in June 2021. Star Plus will also include live sports content from ESPN, and can be bundled with Disney Plus for a discount.

Is Star content available on Disney Plus in the US?

The Star section of Disney Plus will not be available to US subscribers, but a lot of the content included through Star is already streaming on Hulu.

Hulu will continue to offer Disney-owned movies and shows for older viewers in the US, while Star will be its entertainment brand for older viewers outside of the US.

How much does Star cost with Disney Plus?

Star is included with the standard price of Disney Plus, but that price will go up when Star launches on February 23. Prices will increase by about 33% on average, though it depends on the region. Below you can see a full list of Disney Plus prices going into effect on February 23, based on region.

• Australia — $11.99 a month or $119.99 per year
•  Canada  — $11.99 a month or $119.99 per year
• Denmark — 79.00kr a month or 790.00kr per year
• Euro — 8.99 a month or 89.90 per year
• New Zealand — $12.99 a month or $129.99 per year
• Norway — 89.00kr a month or 890.00kr per year
• Singapore — $11.98 a month or $119.98 per year
• Sweden — 89.00kr a month or 890.00kr per year
• Switzerland — CHF12.90 a month or CHF129.00 per year
• UK — £7.99 a month or £79.90 per year

How do I watch Star on Disney Plus?

Star movies and shows will be added to Disney Plus automatically; existing Disney Plus subscribers will be asked to enter their password to unlock the channel to make sure kids aren't accessing R-rated content on their own.

You can access Disney Plus via the official website or with the Disney Plus app on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple devices, Android, Xbox, PlayStation, and most smart TV brands. Like all streaming services you'll need internet to watch Star, but the Disney Plus app will also let you download movies and shows for offline viewing.

Disney Plus offers streaming in up to 4K resolution with support for Dolby Vision and HDR, but it's not clear whether all movies on Star will support the same level of quality.

What can I watch on Star on Disney Plus?

Star will add hundreds of shows and movies to Disney Plus, including series from ABC, Fox, 20th Century Studios, Touchstone Pictures, ESPN, and Hulu. That's decades' worth of content, with hit series like "Family Guy,""How I Met Your Mother," and "Scandal," as well as blockbuster movies like "Deadpool " and "Die Hard."

Click here for the official list of the shows and movies coming to Star, and check out some of the highlights below.

• "Borat"
• "Be Water"
• "Braveheart"
• "Con Air"
• "Deadpool" franchise
• "Desperate Housewives"
• "Die Hard"
• "Family Guy"
• "Firefly"
• "Glee"
• "Good Morning Vietnam"
• "Grey's Anatomy"
• "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
• "How I Met Your Mother"
• "Idiocracy"
• "Modern Family"
• "Office Space"
• "Planet of the Apes"
• "Romeo + Juliet"
• "Scandal"
• "Starship Troopers"
• "The Thin Red Line"
• "Ugly Betty"
• "The X-Files"
• "24"
• "9-1-1"

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With the release of "Mulan" in September 2020, Disney Plus introduced a new purchase option called "Premier Access." This feature allows subscribers to pay a $30 one-time fee in order to watch a movie early before it's released to all Disney Plus members. 

Premier Access was initially described as a "one-off" release strategy by Disney CEO Bob Chapek, but the company has already released a second Premier Access title, "Raya and the Last Dragon."

Below, we've detailed everything you need to know about Premier Access, including how it works, how much it costs, and how long the option will be available. 

What is Disney Plus Premier Access?

Disney Plus Premier Access is a purchase option for Disney Plus subscribers, enabling members to pay an extra $30 one-time fee to gain early streaming access to a movie. Once purchased, Disney Plus members can continue to stream or download a Premier Access movie for as long as they remain a subscriber. 

Premier Access debuted with the release of "Mulan" on September 4, 2020. The latest Premier Access movie is "Raya and the Last Dragon," which premiered on March 5. 

You can think of Premier Access as a way to buy a virtual ticket to a brand-new Disney movie to watch at home instead of a theater. And, unlike a one-time theater viewing, you get to watch as many times as you like as long as you stay a Disney Plus subscriber. 

With that said, it's important to note that Premier Access movies will eventually become available to all Disney Plus subscribers without an extra fee. As such, Premier Access is best for people who like to watch new films as soon as they come out. If you don't mind waiting a couple months, you can simply hold out for the wide release and save a lot of money.

How much does Disney Plus Premier Access cost?

The Disney Plus Premier Access fee is $30 in the US. In order to buy a Premier Access movie on Disney Plus, you also need to have a Disney Plus subscription, which costs $8 a month or $80 a year.

Disney Plus is also available as part of a bundle with Hulu and ESPN+ for a total of $14 a month. That's about $6 less per month than you'd pay if you subscribed to each of those services without the bundle

It's not clear if Disney Plus will stick with the $30 pricing for all Premier Access movies in the future. 

How long does the Disney Plus Premier Access window last?

The Premier Access window for "Mulan" began on September 4 , 2020, and ran until December 4, 2020. Meanwhile, the Premier Access window for "Raya and the Last Dragon" began on March 5 and will end on June 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

This three-month period is similar to the release window that studios typically use for theatrical movie premieres before they're allowed to debut on home video.

The Premier Access purchase option for "Raya and the Last Dragon" will end on May 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT, so if you'd like early Disney Plus streaming access to the movie you'll need to buy it before that date. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until June 5 when the movie will be available to all Disney Plus subscribers.

What other movies will be available for Disney Plus Premier Access?

Disney Plus has announced plans to release "Cruella" and "Black Widow" through Premier Access later this year. Both movies will be available through Premier Access on the same day they are released in theaters.

"Cruella" will be available with Premier Access on May 28. "Black Widow" will then follow on July 9.

Can you buy or rent Premier Access movies on other services?

Though "Mulan" debuted exclusively as a Disney Plus Premier Access title in September 2020, that exclusivity period was only temporary. The movie became available to buy on other streaming platforms without a Disney Plus subscription on October 6, 2020. 

It's currently unknown if "Raya and the Last Dragon" will remain exclusive to Disney Plus or if it will get a similar expanded release after a limited exclusivity window. 

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After releasing a fallen angel-themed video on Friday for his new single, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," rapper Lil Nas X celebrated satanic imagery again on Monday with the drop of 666 pairs of "Satan Shoes" that contain human blood.

Made in collaboration with MSCHF, a Brooklyn-based company that creates limited edition prank-like products that seem designed purely for Instagram bragging rights, the shoes are modified versions of Nike's Air Max 97 sneakers featuring pentagram charms and a bible verse, as well as a small amount of ink and blood in an air bubble in the sole of the shoe.

The theme and exclusivity of the shoes, which have a price tag of $1,018 (a reference to Luke 10:18: "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven"), was enough to get South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to tweet, "Our kids are being told that this kind of product is, not only okay, it's 'exclusive.' But do you know what's more exclusive? Their God-given eternal soul." 

However, both the product and the response to it are nothing new. In 1977, the flamboyant heavy rock band Kiss, who trafficked in both sexual and satanic themes, teamed up with Marvel Comics for a similar stunt.

At the peak of their popularity, the band's most classic lineup (Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley) traveled with legendary comics creator Stan Lee to Marvel's printing facility outside of Buffalo, New York, where the members' blood was drawn by a registered nurse under the watchful eye of a notary public.

"The idea being that every kid or everybody who bought a Kiss comic book in some way was getting a little bit of Kiss' blood in that comic book," said Lee in a 2016 interview.   

The blood was then mixed with red ink and used to print "A Marvel Comics Super Special!: Kiss"– a magazine-sized comic that turned the band into superheroes and found them fighting Dr. Doom.

Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers were supporting characters.

As publicity stunts go, it was a success, as the comic sold 500,000 copies and was Marvel's best-selling single issue until the 1990 relaunch of Spider-Man. 

The reactions were also quite predictable and palpable, as in this report from a local Buffalo news station WGRZ.

In a bizarre twist, Lee, who died in 2018, allegedly had his own blood stolen and made into "Stan Lee's Solvent DNA Ink" which was used to stamp Marvel comics sold at Treasure Island Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Whether or not Lil Nas X's Satan Shoes become a collector's item or just a pop culture artifact remains to be seen, but "A Marvel Comics Super Special!: Kiss" is now worth a bit more than its $1.50 cover price.

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"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" is the latest TV series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show debuted on March 19, and new episodes premiere every Friday on Disney Plus. You can subscribe to Disney Plus for $8 a month or $80 a year.

Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprise their "Avengers" roles for the six episode series, while Daniel Bruhl and Emily VanCamp return as Baron Helmut Zero and Sharon Carter from "Captain America: Civil War."

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" pits the heroes against a familiar antagonist in Baron Zemo. Mackie's Sam Wilson inherited Captain America's shield at the conclusion of "Avengers: Endgame," but the series will explore why he still uses the codename Falcon. Stan's Bucky Barnes was Captain America's best friend, but his violent past as the Winter Soldier continues to haunt him.

In Marvel's comic books, both Falcon and the Winter Soldier eventually take on the mantle of Captain America, albeit for just a few years. It's unclear if either will emerge as the next Captain America in the MCU; Mackie told Variety there's been no discussions of a second season and he's not sure when he'll appear in another MCU film.

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "WandaVision" are considered the first entries in phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe; the first film in phase four, "Black Widow," is scheduled to hit theaters and Disney Plus Premier Access in July 2021.

How to watch 'The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" premiered on Disney Plus on March 19. The series will feature six episodes in total, and new episodes arrive every Friday. The season finale will debut on April 23.

You can visit DisneyPlus.com or download the Disney Plus app to sign up for the service. Disney Plus costs $8 for a monthly plan or $80 annually. If you're also interested in subscribing to Hulu or ESPN+, you can sign up for a discounted bundle with Disney Plus starting at $14 a month. 

The Disney Plus app is available on Apple devices, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and most smart TVs. Disney Plus includes support for 4K resolution and HDR (high dynamic range) contrast on compatible displays.

What other movies and shows can I watch on Disney Plus?

On top of the classic library of Disney movies and shows, Disney Plus is the streaming home to nearly every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and new shows like "WandaVision."

It has films starring other Marvel characters as well, like the "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four."

Disney Plus also collects the full "Star Wars" franchise, including TV shows, documentaries and specials created for kids. The "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" is the most popular exclusive show on Disney Plus.

For detailed impressions, check out our full Disney Plus review here.

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Disney Cruise Line has unveiled its latest ship: the Disney Wish, which will begin sailing next year.

The "enchantment" themed Wish is the cruise line's fifth ship, and the first of three that it plans to unveil through 2025. All three upcoming ships are currently being built in Germany.

The upcoming Wish will weigh about 144,000 tons and will stand at 1,119 feet long, 221 feet tall, and 128 feet wide at the beam, making it a bit bigger than the Disney Dream and Fantasy ships, which were unveiled in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

All of this will accommodate 1,555 crew members and 4,000 guests inside the ship's 1,250 staterooms.

Disney imagery, including Pixar and Marvel characters, will be prominently featured throughout the ship in the form of themed rooms, statues, and subtle design and color choices.

This, combined with the use of new tech, will create an immersive Disney cruising experience.

This prominent Disney theme can even be seen before guests board the ship. Just take a look at the stern, which will feature a Rapunzel statue "decorating" the ship.

Heading inside, Wish's atrium, the Grand Hall, will resemble a Cinderella castle with its ornate chandelier, stage for shows, Cinderella statue, and large staircase.

Luna — the ship's "town square" equipped with a large LED wall, bar, and stage — will also offer events and entertainment, including adults-only shows.

Like any cruise, the Wish will have outdoor family friendly features like the AquaMouse, a 760-foot long water ride filled with animation, special effects, and music.

This will be Disney's "first attraction at sea," according to the company.

If you're not interested in the AquaMouse, head to one of the ship's six pools instead. If you have children, they might enjoy the Toy Story Splash Zone.

There will also be a large poolside LED screen for movies and live events, and fireworks to bring the Disney charm to nights out at sea.

If you'd rather break a sweat than swim, head to the Hero Zone, a sports area with an obstacle course and competitions (there's even a seating area for those who'd rather watch).

Even the dining options will be Disney-themed. This includes Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure, which combines Nordic-inspired food with live "Frozen" entertainment …

… and the Worlds of Marvel, an interactive Marvel-themed "worldly" restaurant.

Not interested in interactive dining? Families can always opt for the 1923, a California-inspired restaurant named after the founding year of the Walt Disney Company.

Like other Disney cruise ships, the Wish will also have a three-deck, 1,274-seat, tech-equipped theater with Broadway-like shows like an Aladdin musical.

And what would be a Disney experience without a movie theater? The Wish will have two cinemas: the Wonderland and Never Land theaters, both decorated to reflect their respective namesakes.

Children from three to 12-years-old can also spend time at Disney's Oceaneer Club, which will have Marvel heroes, Imagineering, and Disney princesses-themed spaces.

Younger children from six months to three years old can instead be dropped off at the ship's "It's A Small World" inspired nursery.

There'll also be club spaces for teens who need a break from their parents and vice versa.

After dropping the kids off, parents can head to the Wish's adults-only sections.

Looking for a fun drink? The Star Wars: Hyperspace Lounge might be a good fit for you. The adults-only bar will be designed to look like a "yacht-class spaceship" with themed drinks and decorations that will bring the Star Wars films to life.

But if you're all boozed out and would rather have a quick dip in a pool, head to the Quiet Cove. Here, you'll find an infinity pool, cafe, and bar, all for guests 18-years-old and up.

And if you prefer to be pampered or if you're craving a quick sweat, there's always the Senses Spa and Fitness area for massages, aromatherapy, cycling, and more.

Adult guests will also get access to three "Beauty and the Beast" themed eateries: the Palo Steakhouse with Italian food and, of course, steaks …

… the upscale Enchanté by three-Michelin starred chef Arnaud Lallement ...

… and The Rose, a bar and lounge near the previous two establishments.

And let's not forget about the staterooms, which were designed with the fairytale and "enchantment" themes in mind.

About 70% of the rooms will have a veranda for a fresh ocean breeze. There's also the option to book a room that has a connecting door to other staterooms, which could be convenient for those traveling with a larger family.

Guests who prefer more space can also book a concierge stateroom or suite, or one of the two Princess Aurora Royal Suites or Briar Rose Royal Suites, respectively.

The latter two suites — inspired by "Sleeping Beauty"— can extend up to two stories tall with amenities like two primary bedrooms, a spiral staircase, and a private hot tub.

Concierge guests will also get access to more exclusive spaces aboard the Wish, such as the Concierge Lounge.

The Wish will begin sailing in June 2022 with three and four-night cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas and Castaway Cay, Disney's private island. All of this can be booked beginning May 27.

"Loki" will continue to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe when it debuts on Disney Plus on June 9. The new series starring Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson is the third Marvel show to premiere on Disney Plus, following "WandaVision" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

Loki's fate was left ambiguous at the conclusion of "Avengers Endgame," where he came into contact with a mystical artifact called the Tesseract and disappeared. In trailers, Loki is captured by a group called the Timekeepers and asked to help repair the damage he caused when he used the Tesseract.

Hiddleston first played Loki in "Thor" in 2011 and was the primary villain of the first "Avengers" movie in 2012; the character has appeared in a total of six MCU films leading up to his original show. Like "WandaVision" and "Falcon and the Winter Soldier," it's unclear if "Loki" will be an ongoing series, but it should give fans an even better idea of what's to come from Marvel's phase-four projects. 

"Thor: Love and Thunder" is due out in theaters in February 2022, but it's unknown if Loki will make an appearance. The next MCU show on Disney Plus will be "Ms. Marvel," with a premiere planned for this fall.

How to watch 'Loki' on Disney Plus

"Loki" will premiere on Disney Plus on June 9. New episodes will debut every Wednesday during the season; previously, MCU shows like "WandaVision" and "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" were released on Fridays.

You can visit DisneyPlus.com or download the Disney Plus app to sign up for the service. Disney Plus costs $8 for a monthly plan or $80 annually. If you're also interested in subscribing to Hulu or ESPN+, you can sign up for a discounted bundle with Disney Plus starting at $14 a month. 

The Disney Plus app is available on Apple devices, Android, Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and most smart TVs. Disney Plus includes support for 4K resolution and HDR (high dynamic range) contrast on compatible displays, as well as Dolby Atmos audio on supported systems.

What other movies and shows can I watch on Disney Plus?

Along with being home to nearly every movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney Plus has a massive catalog of classic movies and shows.

That includes Disney's library of animated films, new Pixar releases, Disney Channel programming, documentaries from National Geographic, and entire franchises like "Star Wars" and "The Simpsons."

Disney Plus original series like "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" and "The Mandalorian" have been the most streamed shows in America as new episodes premiere.

For more details, check out our full Disney Plus review here.

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Back in 2017, Marvel actor Blondy Baruti was watching a few model friends post on social media, hungry for likes and followers, when he decided there had to be a better way. 

"I thought, I won't be able to stop all of this, but I can at least try to slow it down or minimize it by creating something in social media that will be focused on giving the power to the users," Baruti said during a Thursday phone call from his Los Angeles home. 

In the years since, Baruti, who played an alien villain, Huhtar, in "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2," has used much of the money he earned from acting and writing a memoir to build the social media app BePerk. 

Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Baruti escaped a bloody conflict in his youth, walking hundreds of miles to safety. After making his way to the US, he played college basketball — he's about 6-foot-8 — and eventually ended up in Hollywood. 

He told those stories in his 2018 memoir, written with Joe Layden, entitled "The Incredible True Story of Blondy Baruti: My Unlikely Journey from the Congo to Hollywood."

Now, he's been slowly rolling BePerk out to users, with an official launch timed to coincide with May's Mental Health Awareness Month. The elevator pitch is that the app is focused on giving the user control instead of making it about likes or follower counts. 

When the app's users post photos or videos, they get to decide how long others can see them, with the low end set at just a few seconds. Information about how many followers each person has or how many views a post gets can be set to private. The app's features are a direct response to studies that have said social networks like Instagram are detrimental to young adults' mental health, Baruti said. He says he doesn't plan to rely on algorithms to get content in front of users, but rather let them choose what they want to see. 

"Algorithms also cause a lot of user frustration," said Janet Deskins, who teaches at Walden University's MS in Marketing program. She added: "When frustration sets in, many people start searching for a different social media platform that appears to be less invasive." 

Deskins and others pointed out a range of boutique social apps that were vying for those who've decided Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter don't offer enough control to users. Among them were Vero, MeWe, and Howbout.

"It's becoming increasingly difficult to ignore how Big Tech has been handling user data and infringing on user privacy, what with the heads of these major tech platforms appearing before Congress on a regular basis," said Attila Tomaschek, digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy. 

Neil Tanna, chief executive at Howbout, said in an email that his app was built for "intimate" networks, not people who've you've never met. On a phone call between London and Los Angeles on Thursday, Baruti was energetic, excited to talk about his new project, despite the early hour where he was.

"Hey man, hey man — I come from the Congo, OK," he said. "I walked 500 miles, so I'm always hyped up."

Baruti said he was used to being up at all hours, because he'd hired a team of overseas designers and coders to help him build the BePerk app. During the first year of the project, he'd be busy working most of the night. He would hop in bed after dinner, then wake up at about 10pm. He'd stay online with this team until 4am. Then he'd grab a quick "nap" and be ready for his day job. 

"That was when it was super, super, super tough for me, just to try to balance everything," Baruti said. 

On the California paperwork filed for BePerk's parent company, called Gods Hands Inc., Baruti's listed as CEO, CFO, and secretary. 

The app has his fingerprint on every part of it, down to the colors used for many of the buttons and screens. ("I always liked light blue, sky blue.") The logo is a flash, signifying how fast a post can disappear. ("It was like a lightning bolt, like real quick, like a flash, like poof.")

He wouldn't say exactly how much of his money he's spent to get the app up and running. But he said the next steps included introducing ads — a portion of each ad buy will go to charity — and seeking out new investors. 

"I didn't get any investment from anyone," Baruti said. "I believe in this, so I invested everything that I made in the last four years from that time — from the movie, the book deal, from a couple shows I did for ABC." 

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It's tough being a villain, especially for M.O.D.O.K., who struggles to balance world domination and family life in a new Hulu animated series.

"Marvel's M.O.D.O.K." focuses on the Marvel comic book character of the same name. The acronym stands for Mental Mobile Organism Designed Only for Killing. The series stars the vocal talents of Patton Oswalt as the titular character, an "egomaniacal super villain" who attempts to maintain his evil organization and personal relationships, according to Hulu's synopsis.

Oswalt, along with Jordan Blum, are co-creators of the series which is made in a stop-motion animation style. The animation comes from Stoopid Buddy Studios, the producer of the popular stop-motion series "Robot Chicken."

"Marvel's M.O.D.O.K." has received positive reviews from critics. The show currently holds an "87% Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes with 22 critic reviews. 

How to watch 'Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.'

"Marvel's M.O.D.O.K." premiered May 21 exclusively on Hulu. Hulu's catalog also features a number of other popular animated shows like "Futurama,""Rick and Morty," and "Bob's Burgers."

You can get Hulu for as low as $6 a month ($60 a year) with ads. Aside from the basic plan, Hulu also has an ad-free plan for $12 a month. All Hulu plans come with a 30-day free trial.

"Marvel's M.O.D.O.K." is available to watch on Hulu through a number of streaming devices, including iOS and Android devices, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Switch, Roku, PlayStation, Xbox, web browsers, and smart TVs.

Hulu subscribers who want to see more Marvel shows and movies should consider getting the $14 a month Disney Plus bundle.

The bundle includes Hulu Basic, ESPN+, and Disney Plus. Disney's streaming service is home to the majority of Marvel's TV and film catalog, including titles such as "WandaVision,""The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," and "Black Panther."

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