In Sir Ben Kingsley plays the Mandarin, a megalomaniac who calmly delivers philosophical speeches as parts of the world go up in flames. While Kinglsey is no stranger to playing villains, the actor told MTV News that he worked especially hard to get inside both the character's political beliefs and his terrifyingly dispassionate presentation of them.

"He's a shadow — he's a shadow threat, isn't he?" Kingsley asked rhetorically. "I'm always fascinated by documentary footage from now way back into the 20th century. And [I was] watching these people conduct their broadcasts with such authority."

"Iron Man 3" finds billionaire industrialist Tony Stark struggling to come to terms with his experiences in "The Avengers," where he not only fought aliens, but also survived a near-death experience. The Mandarin, who has lurked in the background since the earliest days of Iron Man's existence, finally comes into full power, threatening to destroy the world as he interrupts television broadcasts to deliver his chilling speeches about the West's decadence and corruption.

Kingsley spoke to MTV at the film's recent Los Angeles press day. The esteemed thespian insisted that it was fatal for an actor to judge his character, saying it was instead necessary to fully embrace all of his thoughts and beliefs, no matter how troubling he might find them.

"[They have] such calmness, and such belief in their own wretched belief system, and it's that calm belief center that I have to have, or create as an actor," Kingsley said. "I can't judge the character. I have to try and inhabit that bizarre ...

Thanks to roles in "Gangs of New York," "Inception" and the upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio ranks among the most respected actors in Hollywood. So when DiCaprio name-dropped a couple of the hottest names in hip-hop, his affection for pop culture — not to mention knowledge of it — comes as a welcome surprise.

When MTV News asked about his love of hip-hop, DiCaprio confessed to some recent favorites. "Kendrick Lamar is great, 2 Chainz is great too — don't forget 2 Chainz," he said. "By the way, he's my age — I'm very proud of a guy emerging in the hip-hop world at my age," he said of the MC in his mid-30s.

DiCaprio detailed some of the genres and musicians he likes, observing that his tastes are unexpectedly eclectic. "I've been a huge fan of hip-hop for a long, long time," he said. "That and jazz music, the music of the '40s, and Stevie Wonder."

In "The Great Gatsby," DiCaprio reunites with director Baz Luhrmann, who is no stranger to genre-hopping, having made "Romeo and Juliet" and "Moulin Rouge." DiCaprio observed that both "Gatsby" and his previous film, "Django Unchained," not only feature a soundtrack comprised of a variety of musical genres, but are indicative of a change in cultural consciousness. The '20s-set , while the slavery-era "Django" features Rick Ross on the soundtrack.

"The last two films that I've done have been period pieces infused with hip-hop," he said. "So it's really cool that these directors take that chance, and I think it really connects with audiences today.

"I think it ...

Dance music has always been about liberation, from juke-joint boogie woogies to discotheque dramas, the rec-room breaks that begat hip-hop and the heady house music that brought together poseurs and punters alike.

That may seem like an oversimplification (which is sort of necessary when considering a genre as fractious as dance), but it doesn't have to be: Sure, sharecroppers found release in ragtime and black and Latino youth — both gay and straight — drew empowerment from disco, but there's a reason Primal Scream tacked Peter Fonda's "We wanna be free to do what we wanna do!" speech to the beginning of "Loaded" ... liberation, it seems, comes in many forms.

To further that analogy, consider today's EDM, which seems to exist largely for kids to liberate themselves from their clothing. And because of that, the genre finds itself at a bit of a crossroads: Sure, it's never been bigger, but it's hard to argue that it's ever been more lunkheaded ... say what you will about the Chemical Brothers' run in the late '90s, but at least they were smart enough to make a song like "The Private Psychedelic Reel."

Given that, it's difficult to see where Daft Punk fit in. For an act so revered, their influence on today's mega DJs seems fleeting at best — save their now legendary live shows, which set the gold-standard against which all shall be judged. It's been eight years since their last true album, Human After All, and in that time, dance music has mutated into something neither of them could have imagined. ...

At this point, we are all aware that Thirty Seconds To Mars don't make music videos — they make short films. So when the band began releasing teaser trailers for their latest foray into film, "Up In The Air," well, visions of another epic, long player on par with their 13-minute mini movie began dancing in everyone's head.

Especially since said teasers featured burlesque dancers riding mechanical bulls, Olympic gymnasts, roaring lions, snarling wolves, world-famous artists, models, actors, authors and more partially-clad dancers than a Las Vegas revue (there was also an actual Las Vegas revue involved, for those keeping score at home).

Well, on Friday (April 19), after weeks of furious editing, Mars finally unveiled the short film for "Up in the Air," and let the record state that, while it is most certainly epic, it also clocks in at a manageable eight-and-a-half minutes — and two of those are the ending credits. And given the bombast with which Jared Leto normally operates, that basically makes it his contribution to the 1 Second Film project.

That's not meant to be a slight by any means. In a lot of ways, Leto's grand visions only benefit from an ounce of constraint. Unlike "Hurricane," "Up in the Air" is not weighed down by narrative, nor does it have its momentum slowed by unnecessary chapter breaks. Rather, it speeds along on striking visuals — bright colors, sinewy bodies, vast expanses, prowling beasts — and Leto's deft directorial choices. Every frame is like a photograph, and, yet, they are all ...

When you're dealing with Daft Punk, "obscene expectations" are the norm. Witness the weeklong lead-up to the premiere of their brand-new single which was filled with teasers and trailers, fits and false-starts, purported leaks and near-psychotic over-analysis. It's basically become par for the course; after all, it's been more than 8 years since the dynamic duo released their last proper studio album (unless you count 2012's soundtrack to "Tron: Legacy,") and nearly five since they began work on their much-anticipated Random Access Memories album. Simply put, they're the kind of act that practically lend themselves to obsession, to the point where being a Daft Punk fan is a full-time endeavor.

But now, the wait is over. At 12:01 a.m. Friday (April 19), Daft Punk released "Get Lucky," amid sky-high expectations. Given just how anticipated the song was, it seems almost impossible that it could live up to the hype ... but so great was the public's appetite that it seems fitting to take a look at some of first reviews of the single. Snap judgment practically goes hand-in-hand with obscene expectations, no? So, with a full 12 hours to digest the track, what are critics saying?

Well, it seems they like what they heard. "Get Lucky" earned Best New Track honors over at Pitchfork, with Andy Beta praising guitarist Nile Rodgers' "sprightly, ageless riff," and comparing it to the work he did on Sister Sledge's "We Are Family" more than 30 years ago.

Rolling Stone's Will Hermes also made the Sledge comparison, writing that, ...

In the beginning, the endorsement deal between Reebok and Rick Ross made all of the sense in the world. The sneaker giant was looking to increase its presence in the lifestyle market, which is dominated by Nike and Michael Jordan's brand, while Rozay followed in the footsteps of rap's #1 pitch guy Jay-Z and cashed another multi-million dollar check as a brand ambassador.

But after one controversial lyric, Reebok severed ties with Ross last week, leaving many to question who won and who lost in the fallout.

"Given the circumstances, I'm not sure there is a loser because Reebok got the benefits of associating with him for a while," SLAM Magazine editor-in-chief Ben Osborne told MTV News. "As big as a story as this is, there are still people who are probably not that aware of it and it's going to fade, but they're still going to hear songs where he shouts them out or see videos where he wore them."

Since signing on with the athletic company, Ross has become a devoted spokesman, showing off his shoe at every turn and even re-recording his own music to reflect his paid-allegiance. In 2011 the MMG boss remixed his and Meek Mill's "Tupac Back" single changing the title to "Reebok Back." After conjuring images of date rape with his rhymes on Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O." single and a ton of protest, things got derailed and Rozay was dropped from the company on April 11.

Back in March, when things were all good, Osborne's basketball magazine SLAM partnered with XXL and Reebok to ...

will.i.am may have asked Justin Bieber to appear on his #willpower track but he got a little help from Bieber's hologram for the just-released spacey video.

The video doesn't have much of a story line but is all about setups that are meant to please the eye thanks to appearances from will, Bieber's hologram and a myriad of dancers. The fact that Bieber's cameo relies heavily on his hologram, and later on televised images of his face, makes sense given that he's currently on a world tour and probably couldn't make the multi-location shoot. While Bieber isn't the star of the show, Beliebers will be pleased that he pops up often enough to add one more player to will's futuristic team of performers.

When Bieber isn't there, will and his dancers are doing "synchronized movement" anywhere their hearts desire — in traffic, on Japanese city streets, in office buildings and even on overpasses.

The most visually stunning moment comes about midway, as will.i.am and his dancers get their groove on in a room with a mirrored floor as the lyrics of the song are projected on the walls in neon-colored lighting. will's fans may also appreciate a shot of the Black Eyed Peas frontman and his clones dancing on an escalator. The walls are mirrored, giving it all a kaleidoscope feel.

"#thatPOWER" is one of the many tracks fans have previewed ahead of #willpower's April 23 release date. He also dropped and "Fall Down" featuring Miley Cyrus.

Beliebers should also take note: This is the second ...