The Pokemon Company revealed a ton of Sword and Shield news during today's Pokemon Direct, but that wasn't all to come out of the presentation. As has become tradition, a variety of freebies are available right now following the Direct, including a demo for the newly announced Pokemon Mystery Dungeon remake.To help you catch up on all the offerings, we've rounded up everything that's available after today's Pokemon Direct below. You can also check out all the biggest news and announcements from the Pokemon Direct in our recap.Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX Demo Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX launches for Nintendo Switch on March 6, but in the meantime, you can download a free demo of the game right now from the Switch Eshop. The demo lets you play through an early portion of the story, and any progress you make in it can be carried over to the full game when it releases. The title is also now available to pre-purchase. You can read more in our Pokemon Mystery Dungeon pre-order guide.Pokemon Sword & Shield Update A new update is now live for Pokemon Sword and Shield, which lets you get a small taste of the games' expansion pass content, even if you haven't pre-purchased the pass. After downloading the update, you can head to Wedgehurst station, where you'll run into one of the new characters from the upcoming Isle of Armor expansion. The character you meet will differ depending on which version you're playing: in Sword, you'll see Klara, while in Shield you'll meet Avery.Free Galarian Slowpoke The Sword and Shield update also adds a new Pokemon to the game: Galarian Slowpoke. All players will have a chance to catch this Pokemon, whether or not you've purchased an expansion pass.Expansion Pass Pre-Order BonusesThe expansion pass for Sword and Shield costs $30 USD and is available to pre-purchase now from the Switch Eshop. If you do pick one up, you'll receive a special bonus: a Pikachu uniform and Eevee uniform for your trainer. You'll get a code for the outfits via email after you've purchased the expansion pass, and you can redeem those codes in-game via Mystery Gift to claim the uniforms.Info from Gamespot.com

Going into 2020, the Nintendo Switch has no shortage of excellent games, but it's a bit rare to find many of them discounted at the same time. Lucky for Switch owners, this is one of those rare times, as there's a huge New Year sale going on in the Nintendo Eshop right now featuring many of the platform's best games, including The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, What Remains of Edith Finch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and more. The big New Year event also encompasses publisher-specific sales from Ubisoft, Capcom, and WB games.Thousands of people are checking out the masterpiece that is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the first time following the success of the Netflix Witcher series, and if you want to play it on Switch, you can snag the Complete edition for a nice discount right now. The Switch version is currently on sale for $42, which might be the cheapest we've seen the port since it released in October.Some first-party Switch games feature in the sale as well, including Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Yoshi's Crafted World. All three of these games are excellent multiplayer options, and they're down to $42, which is about as low as first-party Switch games go.The Nintendo Switch has been a great home for indie gems as well, and you can snag some of the best indie Switch games for even cheaper than usual right now. We especially recommend Celeste ($10), Gris ($8.49), Neo Cab ($15), Wargroove ($16), the Hotline Miami Collection ($12.49), and Sayonara Wild Hearts (9.09). It's also a great time to pick up Stardew Valley ($10) if you slept on it back in 2016, as the farming sim just received a huge update with tons of new content.The New Year Switch sale is live now through January 16. That means you have about a week to check out the sale and take advantage of these deals, so check out our picks below and peruse the full offering of game discounts in the Eshop. See more deals at Nintendo Eshop Best Nintendo Switch games on sale right nowApe Out -- $7.49 ($15)Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection -- $30 ($40)Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night -- $28 ($40)Celeste -- $10 ($20)Civilization VI -- $30 ($60)Devil May Cry -- $15 ($20)Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition -- $40 ($60)Donut County -- $6.49 ($13)Dragon Ball FighterZ -- $15 ($60)Fitness Boxing -- $35 ($50)Gris -- $8.49 ($17)Hotline Miami Collection -- $12.49 ($25)Jackbox Party Pack 4 -- $12.49 ($25)Just Dance 2020 -- $26 ($40)Kirby Star Allies -- $42 ($60)Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 -- $34 ($60)Mario Kart 8 Deluxe -- $42 ($60)Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle -- $15 ($60)Mega Man 11 -- $15 ($30)Moonlighter -- $10 ($25)Mortal Kombat 11 -- $24 ($60)My Friend Pedro -- $14 ($20)Neo Cab -- $15 ($20)NBA 2K20 -- $30 ($60)Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch -- $35 ($50)Okami HD -- $12 ($20)Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition -- $14 ($20)Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy -- $20 ($30)Resident Evil 0 -- $15 ($30)Resident Evil 4 -- $20 ($40)Samurai Shodown -- $45 ($50)Sayonara Wild Hearts -- $9.09 ($13)South Park: The Stick of Truth -- $15 ($30)Splatoon 2 -- $42 ($60)Stardew Valley -- $10 ($15)Super Bomberman R -- $10 ($40)Team Sonic Racing -- $20 ($40)Terraria -- $21 ($30)Wargroove -- $16 ($20)What Remains of Edith Finch -- $14 ($20)The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition -- $42 ($60)Yomawari: The Long Night Collection -- $20 ($40)Yoshi's Crafted World -- $42 ($60)Info from Gamespot.com

Respawn has released a new trailer for the next event in Apex Legends, called Grand Soirée Arcade. The event begins on January 14 and will continue through to January 28. Given Season 3: Meltdown ends on February 3, Grand Soirée Arcade will likely be the final limited-time event for the season.Unlike previous events, which have traditionally only added one new mode, Grand Soirée Arcade adds seven. Each mode will go live one at a time, with each available for two days before the game transitions to the next one. You can see all seven modes in action in the video embedded below.The first mode is called Gold Rush Duos, which sees squads of two drop onto World's Edge and the only weapons you can loot are gold, legendary tier items (L-STAR, Kraber, and Mastiff as well as fully outfitted versions of Flatline, EVA-8, Triple Take, G7 Scout, and Charge Rifle). After that is Live Die Live, which automatically respawns all fallen players on their still-living squadmates whenever the ring closes. This will be followed by Third-Person Mode, which forces you to play through the match entirely in third-person as opposed to first-person.The fourth mode looks to be the most stressful of the lot. Called Always Be Closing, the mode will see the ring constantly closing in, meaning your squad will have to always be on the move or risk suffering massive damage. The all shotguns and sniper rifles Armed And Dangerous mode returns after that--though this time on World's Edge instead of Kings Canyon. The sixth mode is Kings Canyon After Dark, which puts your squad into Apex Legends' original map--only this time it's at night, as seen in Fight or Fright's Shadowfall mode. Dummies Big Day, the final mode, is an odd one, transforming all characters into colorful dummy-looking 3D renders that make it more difficult to discern who is who.Grand Soirée Arcade adds several cool-looking legendary skins for the playable characters too--most of which seem to have a steampunk or 1960s' funky look to them. Based on the trailer, Pathfinder, Bangalore, Bloodhound, Octane, Mirage, Wattson, Caustic, and Crypto are getting new skins. The cosmetics will rotate throughout the store during the event, so if one catches your fancy it will be better to buy it sooner rather than later. There are also new Peacekeeper, R-301, and Havoc skins that can be unlocked by completing event challengesInfo from Gamespot.com

Widely regarded as one of the greatest animation film studios, Studio Ghibli has released no shortage of instant classics under the direction of renowned filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, including Spirited Away, Castle in the Sky, and Princess Mononoke. Dedicated Ghibli fans probably already know this, but the studio likely wouldn't exist without Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Miyazaki's sprawling manga that he quickly turned into an animated feature. Thanks to the success of Nausicaä, Studio Ghibli was founded shortly thereafter, and the rest is history. If you want to relive that important catalyst or experience it for the first time, Amazon has the Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind box set on sale for a stellar price.Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind box setNausicaä of the Valley of the Wind box set | $44.02 ($70) See at Amazon Normally $70, this massive box set is discounted to $44.02 right now. If you choose "no-rush shipping," you'll knock that price down a bit more to $42. The box set includes hardcover versions of all seven volumes of the series, which winds up being a whopping 1,104 pages.Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind follows the eponymous princess on her journey across a post-apocalyptic depiction of Earth. War breaks out between multiple kingdoms, including Nausicaä's quaint homeland. The world is essentially experiencing a total environmental collapse due to rampant pollution that has made most land completely inhabitable and toxic. Naturally, the state of the world makes survival tough and causes a constant battle for the remaining resources. Nausicaä travels the world, studying the destruction.As this is an Amazon deal, it may not be available at this great price for long. But if you can't snag the box set at Amazon, Walmart is also selling it for $44.02 on its website. Best Deals This Week PS4's Free PS Plus Games For January 2020 Announced If Your New Year's Resolution Is To Play More Games, GOG Has The Sale For You New Nintendo Switch Gets Rare Discount PS Plus 12-Month Membership For PS4 Is $45 At Amazon PS4 Holiday Sale Round Two Starts Now: Huge Savings On 2019's Best Games Info from Gamespot.com

While many TV spin-offs don't last more than a couple of seasons, the Breaking Bad prequel Better Call Saul has been a huge success. The show returns for Season 5 next month, and a new teaser has been released.The latest Better Call Saul teaser is set in what seems to be some kind of nighttime carnival. A long line of people stretches towards a colorful tent, where shady lawyer Saul Goodman--real name Jimmy McGill--emerges, shouting for his next customer. It's a big change from the offices that Jimmy has worked out of in previous seasons and hints at his career shift to a more dubious type of legal work. Check it out below:Step right up folks. pic.twitter.com/ImVTNMJiLk — Better Call Saul (@BetterCallSaul) January 9, 2020Better Call Saul stars Bob Odenkirk as Goodman. The cast also includes Rhea Seehorn, Jonathan Banks, Michael Mando, Giancarlo Esposito, and Patrick Fabian, and it premieres on February 23rd on AMC.In a recent interview with Digital Spy, Odenkirk spoke about where the character goes from here. "He just needs to get the office and come up with the idea that, 'Who will be beneficiary of these particular skills? Who would value them the most?'," he said."I don't think it's a long journey to drug dealers and scumbags are gonna appreciate how fast and loose I play with the truth," Odenkirk continued. "They're gonna marvel at it and appreciate it and not in any way have any issue with being a con-job lawyer."In related news, the Breaking Bad movie El Camino hit Netflix in October. Check out GameSpot's El Camino review here.Info from Gamespot.com

Alex Garland, who wrote and directed both Ex Machina and Annihilation, has a brand-new project just around the corner. The mysterious Devs, an 8-episode limited series set to stream on Hulu as part of their new partnership with FX, has looming ominously on the horizon as a series of ambiguous teasers and images. We got our first good look and idea as to what the show might actually be about back at New York Comic-Con, and now we finally have a first full-length trailer to check out.In the video, we get a Sonoya Mizuno (Maniac) starting her quest to uncover the truth of what happened to her boyfriend, Sergei, who entered the mysterious Devs department and then disappeared. At this point, Katie (Allison Pill) seems to easily explain that there is only one principal Lily needs to understand: Nothing ever happens without a reason, everything was determined by something prior. From there, the trailer becomes a rapid-fire sequence of different clips, ranging from the extremely surreal--like a giant statue of a toddler looming over a forest--to the downright horrifying, like someone being apparently suffocated with a plastic bag.At the Television Critics Association panel for the show held in Los Angeles, Allison Pill elaborated a bit about where she believes the show to fit into the sci-fi genre, calling it "speculative fiction" rather than science fiction. "It doesn't lean so hard on the fiction, and the more you watch it, the more you'll see and understand that."Devs premieres on Hulu March 5 with episodes streaming weekly. Info from Gamespot.com

Fortnite's Winterfest event is now over, but a new set of challenges has gone live in the battle royale game. This batch is called Remedy vs. Toxin, although there isn't much of a theme running through the challenges, so you'll be doing various tasks like getting SMG eliminations and earning Survivor medals.While many of the Remedy vs. Toxin challenges are fairly straightforward, one that may give you some trouble asks you to visit three different food trucks. If you don't know where those are located, this guide will show you where to go.Where Are The Food Truck Locations?Food trucks aren't nearly as common in Fortnite as they were on the game's old map. That said, we've found four of them spread out around the island, and you only need to visit three to complete this challenge. We've marked all the food truck locations on the map below. How To Complete The ChallengeYou don't need to do anything special to complete this challenge; simply make your way to three of the food trucks listed above and you'll be finished. You need to visit three different trucks, so you can't simply return to the same one in different matches, but other than that, this challenge shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Once you've visited three, you'll earn 52,000 XP for your troubles and unlock another Remedy vs. Toxin challenge to complete.There are still a few weeks left in Season 1 of Fortnite Chapter 2, so there's still time to complete any challenges you may have missed from earlier weeks. If you need help with those, we've collated all of our maps and guides in our full Fortnite Chapter 2 challenges roundup. Fortnite News Fortnite Workshop, Crackshot's Cabin, And Mr. Polar Locations Guide Fortnite Snowflake Decoration Locations (Winterfest Challenge Guide) Fortnite Ice Box Locations: Where To Search Ice Boxes (Winterfest Challenge) Fortnite: Where To Search Hidden XP Drop In Chaos Rising Loading Screen Fortnite Hidden E Location Guide: Where To Search Letter E In The Dive Loading Screen Info from Gamespot.com

Director Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite, which GameSpot picked as the best movie of 2019, is getting a limited series at HBO.As of this time, the writer/directer of the original Korean film is in talks with the network currently, as HBO beat Netflix in a bidding war for the show, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bong will be joining forces with Adam McKay, who has the director of 2018's Vice and executive producer on HBO's Succession.It is unclear if this will be an English remake or a followup to the film. Parasite made over $130 million worldwide, almost $24 million of which was made in the United States.Parasite follows the Kim family, all poor and unemployed. They find themselves enthralled with the Park family and ingratiate themselves into their lives. Things get complicated from there, as Parasite is filled with numerous twists and turns.In our Movie of the Year feature, GameSpot's Chastity Vincencio said, "Parasite is the kind of film that will stick with you for days, and make you want to talk about it. It’s thrilling, stressful, at times hilarious, and haunting. It takes you on an unforgettable ride resulting in an ending that you will never see coming. The class divide at the heart of the film is something that is universally relatable, and will make you question your own biases. Bong Joon-Ho is a master filmmaker."Info from Gamespot.com

In the lead-up to the PlayStation 5's release this year, Sony has announced a new executive hiring for the company's gaming division. The company has brought over Veronica Rogers from Microsoft as senior vice president, business operations for Sony Interactive Entertainment, which is the company that runs the PlayStation brand.Rogers previously worked at Sony rival Microsoft for more than 13 years. Her most recent position at Microsoft was vice president sales and marketing, device partner sales, though it's unclear if she worked with the Xbox team within Microsoft. Before Microsoft, Rogers was a category sales lead at computing giant Dell.Veronica Rogers; image credit: SonyRogers will report to Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Jim Ryan, who was appointed to that position in February 2019. Ryan recently appeared at CES 2020 to announced the PlayStation 5 logo.In her new role, Rogers will "lead Sony Interactive Entertainment's go-to-market organization globally." A news release announcing the hiring also states that "Rogers will help drive business growth, lead strategic initiatives, and evolve the culture of SIE's Business Operations from its previously regionalized structure into a single global system." More specifically, Sony said Rogers will oversee the PlayStation brand's sales operations business across physical and digital, while she will also take the lead on PlayStation subscription offerings.In a statement, Ryan said Rogers "brings a wealth of experience leading global sales organizations, managing strategic partnerships, developing innovative business models, and building world class teams.Ryan added that Rogers will play a "crucial role" in Sony's ambitions to scale up the PlayStation business. The news release never mentions the PlayStation 5, but Rogers will undoubtedly play a significant role in the launch of the console later this year.While the next-generation system has technically been announced, Sony has yet to share all the key launch info regarding specs, the title slate, and other key particulars. Jim Ryan recently said that the console's most intriguing features have yet to be announced.Rogers is not the only high-profile gaming executive to move between Microsoft and Sony. Phil Harrison spent numerous years at Sony before moving to Microsoft, before moving again to Google to work on Stadia.Info from Gamespot.com

One of DC's next big movies is Birds of Prey, which stars Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. Given the massive success of DC's latest movie, Joker, some might be wondering if Birds of Prey might be similar in any way. It won't be, according to Robbie.Speaking to Variety, Robbie said the world of Birds of Prey is "very different" in that it is not as grounded in reality as Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix."The aesthetic, the tone. Very, very different," Robbie said. "Ours is certainly a heightened reality. There's a clear distinction between real life and what you're experiencing on the screen. I feel like the Joker film was much more grounded. Ours is different."It's also worth mentioning here that Joker will not appear in Birds of Prey. The newest trailer does mention Joker, however, as Harley recalls how her breakup with Joker led to the events of Birds of Prey.Robbie also confirmed in the interview that Birds of Prey will tell its story in a non-linear fashion, at least partially. "It's nonlinear. It jumps around. And then it becomes linear for the third act. You go on a ride, and it's all pretty chronological from there," she said.The movie is told from Harley's point of view, and she is an "unreliable narrator giving terrible advice," Robbie said. Harley is not necessarily to be believed, and this sounds like it may make for a unique setup."So you’ve got a very unreliable narrator giving terrible advice, and an inaccurate account of events, quite often contradicting what you're seeing on screen," she said.Warner Bros. took some convincing for this approach, Robbie said. "It took a while to get it together, and get it approved by the studio. And then finally we got it greenlit. And we were off to the races," she said.Robbie, who is also producing Birds of Prey, said in the interview that she wanted to make the movie in part because she noticed a lack of ensemble action movies starring women. In addition to Robbie, Birds of Prey features Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Huntress, Jurnee Smollet-Bell as Black Canary, and Rosie Perez as Renee Montoya."I love action films, and I think there's a misconception perhaps subconsciously for people: action films are for dudes, girls don’t really like them," Robbie said. "Which is just not true. I love them! I know heaps of other women who love them. I loved movies like the Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Lucy Liu Charlie's Angels growing up. So I knew I wanted to find that, and help put that on screen somewhere."Ewan McGregor plays the villain, Black Mask, in the film that's directed by Cathy Yan. Check out the newest trailer in the video embedded above. Birds of Prey opens in theatres on February 7. Birds of Prey & DC News New Birds Of Prey Trailer Sees Harley Quinn Making Friends And Causing Mayhem The Batman Director Reveals Which Iconic Character Colin Farrell Is Playing No, Really. Birds Of Prey And Suicide Squad Are "Not Connected" At All Birds Of Prey: Everything We Know About Harley Quinn's Return To the DC Universe Birds Of Prey will be followed by Wonder Woman 1984, which is set to hit theaters in July 2020. The first trailer for that was released in December, and some new images were revealed this week. There are also 2021 dates for the standalone Batman movie and James Gunn's Suicide Squad reboot, while Aquaman 2 will be with us in 2022.For more, check out GameSpot's guide to the biggest upcoming movies of 2020.Info from Gamespot.com

Atlus has released a new trailer for Persona 5 Scramble, giving us a new look at this action spin-off and how it'll mix a musou gameplay style with the aesthetics of Persona. Going by this footage, it looks like a good blend.The trailer shows off some interesting samples of what to expect, including what appears to be some light stealth, similar to what was present in Persona 5. There are also platforming elements, as Joker and other characters are shown jumping and exploring environments.There's also motorbike combat shown off in the trailer, as well as a snowboarding section, and even some social scenarios and non-combat areas. It looks like Persona 5 Scramble will contain a lot of very Persona-y elements.It looks like there will be plenty of cutscenes in the game, and that Persona's distinct art style is intact.The game is due to release in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on February 2, 2020. A western release has not been confirmed yet, but it seems likely considering the success of Persona 5.Persona 5 Scramble is not the only Persona 5 game releasing in 2020. Persona 5 Royal is coming to PS4 on March 31, and will greatly expand on the original game.Info from Gamespot.com

Stories Untold is coming to Switch next week, bringing No Code's horror anthology to a console for the first time. The game's release is right around the corner--it'll be available on the eShop on January 16. The game collects four short horror experiences in one package, each of which involves interacting with strange in-game objects and narratives that make inventive use of the game's mechanics. The original release was designed specifically with a keyboard in mind, and required a lot of typing. The controls have been reworked for Switch, so you can play the game using Joy-Con without issue. The trailer below shows a simplified control system for The House Abandon, the game's excellent opening text adventure. GameSpot gave the game a 7/10 in its original review, published in 2017. In my review, I praised the first three of four parts of the anthology, calling the game a "unique package with a strong sense of identity, one that finds a new, exciting way to weaponize nostalgia."No Code followed up Stories Untold with Observation, an excellent horror adventure set on an abandoned space station. Info from Gamespot.com

Niantic's location-based AR game Pokemon Go is still lighting up the charts, years after release. Estimates from SensorTower show that the free-to-play mobile game brought in $894 million in microtransaction spending in 2019, which marks its best year ever since it released in 2016. The game grossed $832 million during launch year, followed by $589 million in 2017 and $816 million in 2018.In total, Pokemon Go has raked in $3.1 billion since 2016, which is a tremendous result. The game makes money through its in-game store, where players can buy PokeCoins to spend on eggs, lure modules, and upgraded bags, among other things.SensorTower said Pokemon Go's growth over the years is thanks, in part, to Niantic's commitment to growing and evolving the game with new events both in the game and in the real world. The launch of Team Rocket in July 2019 led to huge increases in spending, SensorTower reported.Pokemon Go's biggest market in 2019 was the US, which accounted for $335 million or 38 percent of total spending. Japan ($286 million; 32 percent) and Germany ($54 million; 6 percent) followed as the second- and third-largest contributors to revenue.Android was bigger than iOS, with Google Play store spending hitting $482 million in 2019 compared to $412 million for the App Store. Across iOS and Android, the average player spending per download for Pokemon Go is $5.70.Looking at the wider mobile game market, Pokemon Go finished 2019 as the No. 5 top-grossing game. The top performer of 2019 was Tencent's Honor of Kings ($1.5 billion).Pokemon Go's first Community Day of 2020 is set for Sunday, January 19, and now we know what Pokemon you'll be able to catch during the event. Niantic has announced that Piplup, the Water-type penguin from Diamond and Pearl, will be the featured Pokemon for January's Community Day.In other Pokemon news, the newest Pokemon Nintendo Direct took place this week. In it, the developers announced new DLC for Pokemon Sword and Shield. Info from Gamespot.com

Two new Mission: Impossible movies from director Christopher McQuarrie are on the way, and now the director has cast one of the lead roles. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nicholas Hoult has signed on for the two films, and he's rumoured to be playing the villain.McQuarrie confirmed the casting in a post on Instagram, where he said, "Say, Nicholas Hoult, care to raise a little hell?" Hoult responded in his own post, "Love to. Though why stop at a little?" View this post on InstagramSay, @nicholashoult, care to raise a little hell?A post shared by Christopher McQuarrie (@christophermcquarrie) on Jan 9, 2020 at 9:50am PST Other actors already cast in the new Mission: Impossible films include Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Shea Whigham, Hayley Atwell, and Pom Klementieff.Before this, Hoult was among the contenders to play Batman in the new film, The Batman. The role ultimately went to Robert Pattinson, who is very excited about it.Hoult is perhaps best known for his roles as Beast in the X-Men movies and Nux in Mad Max: Fury Road. He also played a zombie in the delightful romcom Warm Bodies, and more recently he portrayed J.R.R. Tolkien in the biopic about the Lord of the Rings author's life. Hoult has been acting for a long time, as one of his first major roles was opposite Hugh Grant and Toni Collette in About A Boy when he was only 12 years old.McQuarrie directed 2015's Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation and 2018's Mission: Impossible: Fallout, both of which were big box office successes. He is the only director to handle more than one film in the franchise. He's writing and directing the next two, the first of which is scheduled to arrive in theatres in July 2021. Info from Gamespot.com

One of the most-anticipated MCU Phase 4 movies, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has lost its director. Scott Derrickson, who also directed the original Doctor Strange, is stepping down.Derrickson is leaving the project due to "creative differences." He will stay attached to the sequel as an executive producer. The nature or extent of the creative differences is unknown."Marvel Studios and Scott Derrickson have amicably parted ways on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences," Marvel said in a statement (via Variety). "We remain grateful to Scott for his contributions to the MCU."Marvel is currently looking for a new director. Additionally, it was reported that production remains on schedule to begin in May. Derrickson commented on the news in a statement on Twitter that reiterates the one that Marvel released."Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences. I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as [executive producer]," he said.Marvel and I have mutually agreed to part ways on Doctor Strange: In the Multiverse of Madness due to creative differences. I am thankful for our collaboration and will remain on as EP. — N O S ⋊ Ɔ I ᴚ ᴚ Ǝ ᗡ ⊥ ⊥ O Ɔ S (@scottderrickson) January 10, 2020The 2016 Doctor Strange made $677 million worldwide, and critics enjoyed it. The sequel will bring back Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange, following his appearances in the latest Avengers movies.Derrickson is not the first MCU director to leave or be fired from a project. Edgar Wright was originally set to direct Ant-Man while Patty Jenkins was lined up to direct Thor: The Dark World being exiting. James Gunn was fired from Guardians of the Galaxy 3, but he was later re-hired. Info from Gamespot.com