Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is defending Dave Chapelle’s latest stand-up special “The Closer” amid internal pushback from employees at Netflix.

According to reports, Sarandos issued an internal memo that seemingly acknowledges discontent from employees and talent over Chapelle’s latest special, which included a series of transphobic jokes from the comedian. Variety reports that Sarandos’ memo "offered guidance on how managers should handle upset employees and angry talent speaking out against Chapelle."

Furthermore, three Netflix employees have been suspended pending investigation including Terra Field, a transgender senior software engineer who recently wrote a Twitter thread objecting to Chapelle’s latest special.

I work at @netflix. Yesterday we launched another Chappelle special where he attacks the trans community, and the very validity of transness – all while trying to pit us against other marginalized groups. You're going to hear a lot of talk about "offense".

We are not offended 🧵

— Terra Field (@RainofTerra) October 7, 2021

However, Netflix claims Field was not suspended over her tweets, but rather for joining a manager-level meeting uninvited. “Our employees are encouraged to disagree openly and we support their right to do so,” Netflix said in a statement to Variety.

In the special, Chapelle declared himself "team TERF," which is typically applied to individuals who are openly opposed to transgender inclusion. "Gender is a fact," Chappelle says in the special. "Every human being in this room, every human being on earth, had to pass through the legs of a woman to be on earth," before going on to compare transgender women to Beyond Meat. Chapelle previously came under fire for targeting transgender men and women during Equanimity, a Netflix comedy special released in 2018.

Sarandos addressed the internal pushback against The Closer while defending Chapelle.

“Several of you have asked where we draw the line on hate. We don’t allow titles on Netflix that are designed to incite hate or violence, and we don’t believe The Closer crosses that line,” Sarandos writes in his memo, citing Chapelle’s massive viewership and popularity. He also brings up shows like Sex Education and Disclosure as examples of Netflix’s commitment to telling LGBT stories.

GLAAD has responded to reports of the employees’ suspension publicly, saying, "Netflix has a policy that content 'designed to incite hate or violence is not allowed on the platform, but we all know that anti-LGBTQ content does exactly that. While Netflix is home to groundbreaking LGBTQ stories, now is the time for Netflix execs to listen to LGBTQ employees, industry leaders, and audiences and commit to living up to their own standards.”

Other Netflix creators like Dear White People showrunner Jaclyn Moore have announced they will cut ties with Netflix over the recent Chapelle special.

Neither Sarandos nor Netflix has addressed Moore’s announcement or GLAAD’s statement.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him on Twitter at @lawoftd.

Marvel Studios usually keeps things pretty close to the vest when it comes to new characters making their Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, but not when it comes to Adam Warlock. We've known ever since the post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 that this cosmic messiah's reign is close at hand, and now we known who will play the hero in Guardians 3.

But who is Adam Warlock, and why is he such an important addition to the MCU? Read on to find out everything you need to know about this powerful but unstable Marvel hero. Here are the topics we cover:

• Who Is Adam Warlock?
• Adam Warlock's Origin
• Adam Warlock's Powers and Abilities
• Is Adam Warlock a Villain?
• Adam Warlock in TV and Games

Who Is Adam Warlock?

Adam Warlock is one of the major players in Marvel's cosmic landscape. His innate, energy-based powers already make him a force to be reckoned with. But when he wields the awesome might of the Soul Gem, Warlock becomes one of the most powerful warriors in the universe. Warlock has been a frequent ally of teams like the Fantastic Four and the Guardians of the Galaxy, often fighting to protect the universe from villains who seek to rule it.

However, Warlock is both one of the greatest threats to the Marvel Universe and one its most valiant defenders. That's because he has a darker side known as Magus. While Warlock has done his best to suppress or destroy this darker side, the universe is never quite safe from this tyrannical villain as long as Warlock himself survives.

Who Will Play Adam Warlock in the MCU?

Will Poulter will play Adam Warlock in Guardians Vol. 3. The British actor is known for his turn as Eustace Scrubb in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Maze Runner and Maze Runner: The Death Cure, The Revenant, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, and the horror movie Midsommar, where things did not go very well for his character at all.

Adam Warlock's Origin

Like a great many cosmic Marvel characters, Adam Warlock was originally created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in the pages of Fantastic Four (specifically in issues #66-67 in 1967). At the time, though, he was simply known as "Him," and it wasn't until later when writers like Roy Thomas and Jim Starlin got their hands on the character that Warlock's back story and ongoing role in the Marvel U. was truly fleshed out. In these early stories, Warlock was treated as a messianic savior, with Thomas drawing heavy inspiration from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

Starlin in particular played a major role in shaping the character. It was he who linked the character to the Soul Gem and established the ongoing rivalry between Warlock and the fanatical Church of Universal Truth, led by Warlock's insane future self, Magus. Starlin even killed off the character when Warlock traveled forward in time and drained his own soul to prevent himself from ever becoming Magus. Warlock eventually returned, and several different incarnations of Magus have followed.

The Infinity Gauntlet storyline served as what is arguably Warlock's most important act in the Marvel Universe, as he helped Earth's heroes overthrow the all-powerful Thanos and took possession of the Infinity Gauntlet for himself. That paved the way for a new series called Infinity Watch, where Warlock and his allies (Pip the Troll, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon and Thanos himself) safeguarded the Infinity Gems to prevent another villain from reassembling the Gauntlet.

Warlock again rose to the forefront of the Marvel Universe during 2007's Annihilation: Conquest crossover. He returned to help shepherd a new incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy (the one that would go on to inspire the movies) and prevent the already fragile fabric of the Marvel Universe from being further damaged. Most recently, Warlock has been featured in several Thanos-centric graphic novels written and drawn by Starlin.

Adam Warlock's Powers and Abilities

Warlock was genetically engineered by a group of scientists called the Enclave, who desired to create a genetically perfect, synthetic human. Warlock has your standard superhero abilities like strength, speed, durability and flight, as well as the ability to absorb and channel cosmic energy via "Quantum magic." Warlock also has the ability to retreat into a regenerative cocoon and heal his body from mortal wounds.

Much of his power, however, is derived from the Soul Gem. One of the six gems that make up the Infinity Gauntlet, the Soul Gem allows Warlock to absorb the souls of other beings. It's this Soul Gem that caused a future incarnation of Warlock to become insane and transform into Magus.

Warlock also briefly wielded all six Infinity Gems in the aftermath of 1991's Infinity Gauntlet storyline, making him one of the most powerful beings in existence.

Is Adam Warlock a Villain?

This is a tricky question! Let's just say he has multitudes in the comics, where he works for the protection and betterment of the universe these days, but also, as noted above, has a second version of himself from the future called Magus who is… yeah, a villain. Like, total bad guy. We'll see if we get both versions of the character or not in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

Adam Warlock in TV and Games

Adam Warlock has made a number of small cameo appearances in various Marvel animated and video game projects. One of his first multimedia appearances came in Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems, which loosely adapts the Infinity Gauntlet storyline and features both Warlock and Magus. Warlock has also appeared in animated series like Silver Surfer, The Super Hero Squad Show, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes and the direct-to-DVD animated movie Planet Hulk.

As the Guardians of the Galaxy have become a more prominent fixture in Marvel's various multimedia projects, so too has Adam Warlock. He recently appeared in the second season of the Guardians of the Galaxy cartoon (voiced in adult form by Eric Bauza and in child form by Tara Strong). He's also a playable character in the mobile game Avengers Alliance. But by far his biggest role to date came in 2021's Guardians of the Galaxy game, whose finale adapts some key Adam Warlock stories from the comics.

Expect plenty more Warlock on TV and in Marvel's games as the character begins to leave his mark on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Warlock sort of already made his MCU debut in 2013's Thor: The Dark World, as director James Gunn has said the cocoon seen in The Collector's trophy room did indeed house Warlock's body. Warlock was originally planned to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but Gunn elected to leave him out rather than cram too many characters into one film. That's why the film only teases his eventual appearance.

Instead, Warlock will make his debut in 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where he'll be played by Midsommar and Dopesick star Will Poulter. If the comics are any indication, Adam will likely be the Guardians' worst nightmare and their most powerful ally rolled into one.

This story originally ran in May of 2017. It was updated with the latest information about Guardians Vol. 3 on July 26, 2022.

Jesse is a mild-mannered writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter, or Kicksplode on MyIGN.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will follow through on a teaser from the end of the last film by finally introducing Adam Warlock in the third Guardians movie.

Deadline is reporting that the next Guardians of the Galaxy movie has cast Will Poulter (Midsommar, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch) as the character that was first teased at the end of 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

While Guardian 2's main villain was Ego, played by Kurt Russell, a plot in the movie involved the Guardians helping out then betraying an alien race known as the Sovereign, led by Ayesha (Elizabeth Debicki). Humiliated by the betrayal, Ayesha was last seen overlooking the creation of a perfect being named Adam that she will use to destroy the Guardians.

How exactly Adam Warlock will be introduced in the third movie is being kept under wraps and there's a good chance Adam Warlock will diverge from his comic origins.

Adam Warlock was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, though has undergone some major revisions over the years. Originally an artificial being created by a group known as the Enclave, Adam Warlock has been reborn into the Marvel universe numerous times as either a hero or a villain. He is typically more involved with the cosmic aspects of the Marvel universe.

Meaning he’s a perfect character for Marvel Phase Four which has already introduced the multiverse, countless alternate timelines, and more.

To keep abreast of it all check out IGN's rundown of everything you can expect from the MCU in Marvel's Phase Four, or check out our review of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Matt T.M. Kim is IGN's News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.

Microsoft has revealed two new limited-edition Xbox Series X consoles featuring classic cartoon characters to celebrate the release of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl.

The first is a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed console, and SpongeBob fits perfectly with the boxy shape of the Series X. The second features Leonardo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with "Turtle Power" written on the side of the console. The consoles also each come with controllers featuring the designs of the characters. You can check out both designs for yourself below.

🧽 x 🐢

Follow and RT with #XboxAllStarBrawlsweepstakes for a chance to win one of these vibrant @NickBrawlGame Xbox Series X consoles.

Age 18+. Ends 10/24/21. Rules: https://t.co/Z2VzIdludF pic.twitter.com/4NbEa2RBPp

— Xbox (@Xbox) October 11, 2021

The consoles won't be appearing in stores, unfortunately. Fans will have the chance to win the custom consoles and controllers by retweeting the Xbox sweepstakes tweet. The contest is on now, and it ends at 8 p.m. Pacific Time on October 24.

Fans, and the official Xbox account itself, are already having a field day with the SpongeBob design.

How it started: How it's going: pic.twitter.com/BBxWXewbyh

— Xbox (@Xbox) October 11, 2021

SpongeBob and Leonardo are just two characters in Nick's new Smash Bros.-like. The roster also includes characters from classic shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender, Hey Arnold, Rugrats, Danny Phantom, and more.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is out now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC. For more, check out our Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl review. Or, hear what Smash Bros. pros are saying about Nick's new fighting game.

Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.

Note: this is a spoiler-free advance review of the series premiere of Aquaman: King of Atlantis, which debuts on HBO Max on Thursday, Oct. 14.

Jason Momoa and his rock-hard muscles have done such a thorough job of reinvigorating Aquaman in the pop culture consciousness that it's easy to forget the time when the superhero was among DC's most ridiculed characters. But that's where HBO Max's new animated limited series Aquaman: King of Atlantis comes in. It doesn't ignore what makes the DCEU version so cool, but it also reminds us it's perfectly fine to celebrate the silly side of Aquaman.

King of Atlantis is a three-episode series that uses the 2018 movie as a loose sort of starting point. The status quo here is more or less identical to that of the movie's ending, with a triumphant Arthur Curry having recently ousted his half-brother Orm and assumed his place on the throne of Atlantis. None of this is to say King of Atlantis should be taken as a literal sequel to the movie (despite the involvement of director James Wan as executive producer). As producers Victor Courtright and Marly Halpern-Graser told IGN, the goal is more to give fans an easy vector into the mythology without having to establish a lot of backstory.

It's a decision that quickly pays off in the first episode. The series doesn't waste much time on setup before sending Aquaman (Cooper Andrews) and Mera (Gillian Jacobs) on a goofy new undersea quest. Suffice it to say, this is probably not the direction 2022's Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is headed.

Aquaman and Mera themselves are easily the show's biggest selling point right off the bat. This episode manages a delicate balancing act with its depiction of a very put-upon Arthur Curry. It's not that the show dumps on him for being the lame hero who talks to fish. In many ways, this Aquaman is just as strong and imposing a figure as he is in the DCEU (as imposing as anyone can be rendered in such a stylized animated fashion, anyway). Aquaman's struggle is more than he can't get his new subjects to take him or his crown seriously. He has something to prove, and that immediately gives the series a leg up over the movie. Entertaining though it is, the first Aquaman film suffers heavily from the fact that it never feels like the title character actually wants anything or struggles with any internal conflict.

There's a good balance here, with the premiere establishing a clear arc for Aquaman while still finding ample room for goofy humor and outlandish visuals. Mera herself provides ample entertainment value. She's essentially the Wolverine to Aquaman's Cyclops here — ready to fly off the handle at a moment's notice and punch anything anyone that proves even mildly inconvenient.

Both Andrews and Jacobs are right at home in their respective roles. Andrews finds that fine line between crusading king and vaguely neurotic fish-man, while Jacobs embodies the excitable but well-meaning Mera. Dana Snyder and Thomas Lennon are also impeccably cast as Ocean Master and Vulko, respectively, though both are relegated to smaller supporting roles, sadly.

King of Atlantis looks as good as it sounds. It'll probably surprise no one that Courtright and Halpern-Graser previously developed ThunderCats Roar for Warner Bros., as this series shares a lot in terms of its bombastic, cartoonish animation style. That style may not appeal to everyone, but anyone who craves a bit of Adventure Time-meets-DC Universe will be happy with the look and general vibe of this series.

Perhaps the only real complaint to lodge at the premiere is that it doesn't establish a clear, overarching conflict for the series. King of Atlantis is a bit unusual in that it's neither a feature-length special nor an ongoing series. It's three 45-minute episodes. That would seem to suggest a more story-driven approach, but apart from a minor cliffhanger ending the premiere plays out like a simple, standalone adventure. Nor does it attempt to mine very deeply into the Aquaman mythos or the wider DCU. This is a fun start, but ideally the plot will take on a few added layers in the middle act.