Author: Charles Murphy

Season 2 of Lucasfilm’s Best Reviewed Live-Action Star Wars Series Looks to Be Delayed Until 2025

2023 was a full year for Star Wars fans. The third season of The Mandalorian delivered some killer episodes and left a power vacuum set to be filled by the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn as teased in the season finale of Ahsoka. A trio of animated series also hit Disney Plus with Tales of the Jedi joining the second seasons of The Bad Batch and Visions. Rumors had Lucasfilm increasing the volume of Star Wars projects in 2024 but an official preview of the studio’s Disney Plus slate listed only two projects set for release…and neither of them was the second season of one of the most beloved live-action projects yet.

Andor took Star Wars fandom by storm when it debuted in 2022. Creator Tony Gilroy carefully crafted the first season of the Rogue One prequel to be the antithesis of Disney+’s other, popular live-action Star Wars series such as The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Rather than loading Andor with fan-favorite character cameos, Gilroy set up shop in a grimy corner of the universe inhabited by a plethora of brand-new characters. Akin to Game of Thrones, each of these new characters had their parts to play in the first twelve episodes of Andor. So dedicated to developing this corner was Gilroy that he often pushed Diego Luna’s title character to the periphery of the story to provide room for gems like Stellan Skarsgård’s Luthen Rael to have their stories told as well. However, the season finale put Cassian on track to where he needs to be to help save the galaxy far, far away in Rogue One.

Coming out of Star Wars Celebration 2023, it seemed Andor was on track to debut sometime late in the Summer of 2024; however, with Disney UK’s 2024 Disney+ preview only listing The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew as streaming releases, it now seems fans may be waiting until 2025 to catch the second season of Andor.

While production on Season 2 of Andor was paused due to the WGA and SAG strikes, it was believed there were only a few weeks left of filming to be done, so it’s unlikely that’s the major driving factor behind the apparent move to 2025. It’s more likely that Andor is in a line of falling dominos related to Bob Iger’s return to Disney and his mandate that their biggest studios have a renewed focus on the quality of their streaming efforts. With Skeleton Crew moving into 2024 from an expected 2023 release, it seems there’s simply no room on the slate for a third live-action series and so Andor falls into 2025.

About Andor

The Andor series explores a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It is an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

The series is a prequel to Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. It rewinds back five years from the events of Rogue One to follow Cassian Andor on his journey to get to the movie. We’ve
done twelve episodes for the first season. The twelve episodes that we’ve done cover one year in time. We’re going to do another twelve that are going to take us over
the next four years into Rogue One.
Tony Gilroy on Season 1 of Andor

Diego Luna (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Narcos: Mexico) returns as Cassian Andor, and Genevieve O’Reilly returns to her role of Mon Mothma. O’Reilly has a history with Star Wars, having first appeared in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and then Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as voicing the character in Star Wars Rebels. They are joined by Stellan Skarsgård (Dune, Chernobyl), Adria Arjona (Morbius, Father of
the Bride), Denise Gough (Under the Banner of Heaven, Too Close), Kyle Soller (Poldark, Brexit), Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve, Baptiste) and Faye Marsay (Game of Thrones, Deep Water).

The creator and showrunner for the series is Academy Award® and BAFTA-nominated
writer/director/producer Tony Gilroy, who also wrote Episodes 1, 2, 3, 11 and 12. Gilroy, who co-wrote Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, is known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed feature films Michael Clayton and The Bourne Legacy and wrote the first three Bourne Films: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum.

December 5, 2023
Lucasfilm Leaves a Pair of Animated Series Off of Their 2024 Disney Plus Slate

Since Bob Iger returned to Disney in late 2022, the studio has made some changes to the way it manages Disney Plus. A renewed emphasis has been placed on the quality of the productions being rolled out on the streaming service and in 2024 that will mean fewer projects for some of Disney’s biggest studios. For Lucasfilm, which produces live-action and animated projects for the service, that means two highly anticipated series were left off the initial 2024 release slate.

As it stands now, Lucasfilm will only roll out two live-action Star Wars projects next year (The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew) which means two animated projects, the third and final season of The Bad Batch and the second season of Tales of the Jedi, look to be delayed until 2025.

The first 16 episodes of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars spinoff, The Bad Batch, debuted on Disney Plus on Star Wars Day 2021 and were followed by a 16-episode second season in January 2022. Tales of the Jedi, a 6-episode anthological series, was rolled out in October 2022. Both series were created by Lucasfilm’s new Creative Grand Admiral, Dave Filoni, who is also the key creative figure behind the studio’s New Republic Era stories such as The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka.

Rumors had been making the rounds that new seasons of both series would find their way to Disney Plus in 2024; however, neither were to be found on Disney UK’s official 2024 preview of the streaming service. Given the constant state of flux in programming, it’s still entirely possible one or both of the series end up released at some point in 2024 though, for the time being, it looks like they are simply not part of the plan.

About Star Wars: The Bad Batch

Star Wars: The Bad Batch follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch (first introduced in The Clone Wars) as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch—a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army— each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable
crew.

Star Wars: The Bad Batch is executive produced by Dave Filoni (The Mandalorian, Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Athena Portillo (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars Resistance), Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance, NCIS) and Carrie Beck (The Mandalorian, Star Wars Rebels) with Josh Rimes (Star Wars Resistance, Star Wars: Visions) and Alex Spotswood (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels) as producers. Rau is also serving as supervising director with Corbett as head writer and Matt Michnovetz as story editor.

About Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi

Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi is an anthology of six all-new animated shorts produced by Lucasfilm Animation and created by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels). Based on Star Wars and characters created by George Lucas, the series is set during the prequel era and spotlights important moments in the lives of fan-favorite characters Ahsoka Tano and Jedi-turned-Sith Lord Count Dooku as they embark on respective paths toward heroism and villainy. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi features the voices of Ashley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano; Corey Burton as Count Dooku; Janina Gavankar as Ahsoka’s mother, Pav-ti; Micheál Richardson as young Qui-Gon Jinn; TC Carson as Mace Windu; Ian McDiarmid as Darth Sidious; Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn; Phil
Lamarr as Bail Organa; Clancy Brown as Inq

Dave Filoni is the creator, supervising director, executive producer, and writer of five of the six shorts: “Life and Death”; “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” Charles Murray and Élan Murray are the writers of “Choices.” Nathaniel Villanueva directs “Life and Death”; Charles Murray directs “Choices”; Saul Ruiz directs “Justice”; “The Sith Lord”; “Practice Makes Perfect”; and “Resolve.” In addition to Filoni, Athena Yvette Portillo and Carrie Beck are executive producers; Alex Spotswood and Josh Rimes are producers.

Source: Disney UK

December 5, 2023
Amazon Scoops Up ‘Punisher’ Showrunner Steve Lightfoot for ‘Spider-Man Noir’ Series

After partnering with Sony, Amazon behan dipping their toes in Marvel waters with Angela Kang’s Silk: Spider Society. Earlier this year, Amazon gave Oren Uziel the green light to develop a live-action Spider-Man Noir streaming series. Now, they’ve enlisted someone intimately familiar with a Marvel character who first appeared in a Spidey comic to serve with Uziel as the co-showrunner.

According to Variety, Steve Lightfoot, who was the showrunner for both seasons of Netflix’s The Punisher, has agreed to board the project and share duties with Uziel.

Based on an alternate universe Spider-Man created in 2008 by David Hine and Marko Djurdjevic, Spider-Man Noir will follow the adventures of a non-Peter Parker Spidey in 1930’s New York. Actor Nicolas Cage voiced a version of the character in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

Though Kang’s Silk series has been in development for some time, no timeline for the debut of the series on the streaming service has been given. It’s believed that Amazon’s deal with Sony has also generated several other ideas that are at different points in their development.

December 4, 2023
Lucasfilm Sets Two Star Wars Series for 2024 Release on Disney Plus

Lucasfilm will release two brand new Star Wars streaming series next year. According to an official release, The Acolyte and Skeleton Crew are slated to debut on Disney Plus in 2024. Neither series was given a release window in the announcement.

The Acolyte will be Lucasfilm’s first live-action Star Wars project set during the High Republic era and “will take viewers into a galaxy of shadowy secrets and emerging dark-side powers in the final days of the High Republic era. A former Padawan reunites with her Jedi Master to investigate a series of crimes but discovers the forces they confront are more sinister than they ever anticipated.”

Directed by Jon Watts (Marvel Studios Spider-Man trilogy), Skeleton Crew, which “tells the story of four kids who find themselves lost in the vastness of the galaxy trying to find their way home,” is set during the same New Republic era as The Mandalorian and Ahsoka. The series was originally set to debut in late 2023 but recent rumors have it facing a nearly one-year delay to the end of 2024.

Some fans may be a bit disappointed to find out that neither a fourth season of The Mandalorian nor a second season of Andor are currently set for release in 2024. It was also believed that a second season of Tales of the Jedi, a canonical animated anthology, would debut in 2024 but there’s no mention of it in the release.

Source: Disney UK

December 4, 2023
Marvel Studios Sets 2024 Streaming Slate

Through a press release via Disney UK, Marvel Studios 2024 streaming slate has been revealed.

As has been expected for some time, 2024 will only see 3 Marvel Studios projects hit the streaming service: Echo, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries and X-Men ’97.

Echo will kick off the year for the studio with all 5 episodes debuting simultaneously on Hulu and Disney + on January 10th. While no release date was given for Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, it’s expected to begin streaming in September. Live Darkhold Diaries, X-Men ’97, a revival of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, doesn’t have a firm release date but has long been rumored to be debuting “early in 2024.”

Source: Disney + UK

December 4, 2023
‘Thunderbolts’ Star David Harbour Talks the “Unexplored History” of Red Guardian

Marvel Studios Thunderbolts has gone through some turbulence in its efforts to make it to the big screen; however, with cameras now set to roll next April, some of the film’s stars have been a little more forthcoming in sharing their excitement for the film. Wyatt Russell, who will reprise his role as John Walker in the film, thinks director Jake Schreier has what it takes to bring out the best in the ensemble cast which includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Steven Yeun and David Harbour. Though Harbour has to complete work on Season 5 of Stranger Things before getting to work on Thunderbolts, he did recently talk with Screen Rant about the MCU project.

Thunderbolts will in many ways be a follow-up to 2021’s Black Widow. Three of the film’s main characters (Taskmaster, Red Guardian and Yelena) were featured in Black Widow and Thunderbolts will reunite Harbour’s Alexi with Pugh’s Yelena. Black Widow gave some insight into their shared past–not all of which was bright and happy–and Harbour teases that there’s more of that to come in Thunderbolts. “So they have a lot of unexplored history,” says the actor of Alexi and Yelena. “There’s a lot of details that the director, Jake, has gone into the great care of what their life was like in the Midwest when they were doing all that spy stuff. And then, a lot of that comes up in really fun, interesting, beautiful ways, which, like in the Black Widow movie came up with that song, American Pie. And there’s just a lot of complexity between me and Florence’s character, which I love,” he concluded.

Thunderbolts will mark the first time the two have interacted on screen since the death of Scarlett Johannson‘s Natasha Romanoff. That loss is sure to be central to at least some of the interaction between the two in the film, something that Harbour also teased. “And also they’re two people that… she can’t stand, but she needs some because she’s incomplete in a certain way that he may be able to help her with. I think that’s always so beautiful. Because I feel like our relationships are always so… Sometimes we don’t get to choose the people that complete us. The people that we really need. I think that they exemplify that in their own way. It will be fun to bring that to life in the movie.“

While their father-daughter relationship was contentious at best in Black Widow, it was obvious that not only did Alexi truly care for Yelena but also that part of her BIG personality certainly came from spending time with her larger-than-life surrogate father, the boastful Super Soldier from Russia. Whatever emotions they’ll have to process, they’ll have to do so quickly as their team will be faced with the daunting task of taking on Yeun’s Sentry when Thunderbolts hits theaters on July 25, 2025.

Source: Screen Rant

December 1, 2023
Wyatt Russell Says ‘Thunderbolts’ Is Not a “Straightforward Marvel Movie”

Everyone loves to take a shot at the king; however, when the CEO of your parent company comes out swinging on your latest film, even the big shots at Marvel Studios have to pay attention. Truly, while Bob Iger’s recent comments about why The Marvels failed to succeed might be the first time the public has caught wind of the Disney CEO’s train of thought, it’s very likely those sentiments have been shared behind closed doors in the months since his return. His goal is simple: get Marvel Studios back on top. And that’s a goal that at least one MCU actor shares with Iger.

Wyatt Russell joined the MCU as deranged Super Soldier John Walker in 2021’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and is set to reprise the role in ~~Black Widow 2~~ Thunderbolts. While chatting it up with THR, Russell gave some insight into the delays that have faced the project and what he expects to accomplish.

As of now, principal photography on Thunderbolts seems slated to get underway in April of 2024. For a film that was originally scheduled to be released on July 26th, 2024, you can see how that’s problematic. It’s been obvious to the public that the project has its fits and starts and according to Russell “almost started shooting that about 14 times.” While the recent WGA and SAG strikes certainly were part of the problem, they weren’t the entire problem. The film has changed writers multiple times but now seems to be on a little more solid footing.

“I have confidence it’s gonna be good,” said Russell. “I know everybody is sort of on this Marvel train right now of things not going so well.” Part of the actor’s confidence in the project clearly stems from his trust in the director, Jake Schreier. Despite Thunderbolts being Schreier’s first big tentpole film, Russell believes the director has what it takes to make a great Marvel Studios film.

I know Jake so well and I know how smart Jake is and how much he cares about making something interesting and different and utilizing everyone’s talents to the best of their ability
Wyatt Russell on Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier

Russell’s confidence will only do so much for the project; however, the actor also indicated that while he hasn’t read a final draft of the script, Thunderbolts has a lot going for it, including not being so cut and dried as many MCU films have been in the past. “The story that I think they’ve come up with is really interesting,” said the actor. “I know parts of the story and how the story works, I can’t talk about it. But it’s not a straightforward Marvel movie as you’ve seen in the past.“

Whatever it is that Russell does know and is holding back, he’s confident MCU fans will be impressed. “I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he said, “but I think it will be something that hopefully Marvel fans will look at and go, ‘Oh OK, this is a little different, let’s go hard at it.’ And as far as how we are approaching it, it’s time to go to work a little bit, it’s time to make a good Marvel movie, so let’s do that and work hard at it and don’t take things for granted.” Just how straightforward and good a project it ultimately ends up being remains to be seen.

Thunderbolts is currently expected in theaters on July 25th, 2025.

Source: THR

November 30, 2023
The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Season 2 of ‘What If…?’

Marvel Studios’ first canonical animated series, What If…?, is returning to Disney Plus for a second season. Season 2 will feature 9 more multiversal adventures that put a spin on familiar events from the Sacred Timeline. Season 1 memorably featured a universe where a quantum virus set zombies loose on Earth, one where Ultron won and another where Thanos was a Ravager and Season 2 promises to bring even more variety to the ever-expanding multiverse.

Marvel Studios is experimenting with an all-new, all-different rollout for Season 2 of What If…?, dropping one episode a day beginning on December 22nd. Before you start taking in that holiday treat, you’ve still got some time to prepare and so–as you’ve no doubt come to expect–Murphy’s Multiverse has put together The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Season 2 of What If…?.

Given the premise of What If…? is unlike that of any other Marvel Studios project, it only makes sense that the Ultimate List would reflect that and so it’s a little different than what we usually roll out.

How It Started…

Loki, Season 1: Episode 6-For All Time, Always

The multiversal adventures of What If…? would never have taken place if Sylvie had not gotten all stabby-stabby with He Who Remains in the Season 1 finale of Loki. There’s no shame in rewatching every episode of both seasons of Loki, however, if you want to cut to the chase and get to the moment that each of the new timelines in which the adventures in What If…? take place, then you simply need to check out Season 1, Episode 6.

How It Went…

What If…?, Season 1

Season 1 of What If…? originally seemed like an anthological collection of disparate stories spread out all over the newly formed Multiverse. Episodes dedicated to Captain Carter and Star-Lord T’Chall were entertaining on their own merit but as the series progressed, the storylines began to converge as Uatu assembled great heroes from around the Multiverse. Some of those characters are set to return for Season 2 and reacquainting yourself with their stories will only add to your enjoyment of following their next steps.

Where It’s Going Next…

Undoubtedly, venturing back onto the branches of the multiverse to recall the events of Season 1 will be beneficial to your enjoyment of Season 2…but why stop there? New episodes means Uatu will be narrating stories from other branches–or maybe further exploring branches already seen in Season 1. While we refuse to get spoilery here, a list of episode titles made its way into the wild, allowing us to direct you toward some projects that might be worth revisiting before they become Nexus Events in Season 2.

Listed in Disney +’s Timeline Order:

Captain America: The First Avenger

The Tesseract will play a major role in at least one episode of Season 2 when a Mohawk woman named Kahhori–at totally original character created for the show–discovers it on Earth centuries before TFA. Watching TFA provides some background on the object which continues to play a big part in the MCU throughout the Infinity Saga.

Iron Man 3

Happy Hogan saves Christmas!? An entire episode of Season 2 is dedicated to Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan and given that it’s set at Christmas it’s possible that it spins out of the events of Shane Black’s Iron Man 3 which takes place at Christmas because it’s Shane Black’s Iron Man 3. The Forehead of Security spent most of Iron Man 3 in a hospital bed after being near an Extremis soldier that went boom so this may be a way to give the character a new adventure during that time though we cannot confirm Iron Man 3 is the backdrop.

Guardians of the Galaxy

A pair of Season 2 episodes will deal with events from the Guaridans franchise but rewatching James Gunn‘s first–and best–MCU film should provide all the information you need about Peter Quill, Nebula and the Nova Corps.

Avengers and Avengers: Age of Ultron

Before Season 1 of What If…?, a leak indicated that one episode would find Tony Stark on Sakaar rather than the Hulk and Thor. That episode will be part of Season 2 but how did Stark get there? Our best guesses are that the wormhole created by the Tesseract in Avengers led him there OR he switches places with Hulk at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron and somehow finds his way to the junk heap. Watch them both because there’s no downside to watching the first team up again or rewatching a film that has held up much better than folks thought it might!

Thor: Ragnarok and Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings

As if she needed to be any more awesome, an episode of Season 2 will give Thor’s sister Hela, the Goddess of Death, access to the powerful Ten Rings! Her story as told in Ragnarok was absolutely fascinating and it’ll be very interesting to see how the rings augment her already unique powers.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

What If…? is a show about the Multiverse and 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness taught the audience that there’s no bigger threat to said Multiverse than Stephen Strange. Rewatch it because it’s awesome; rewatch it to meet some of those scary Strange Variants; rewatch it because Sam Raimi might be doing a lot more work with Marvel Studios in the future. One of those Variants–Strange Supreme–didn’t appear in the film but was a major player in Season 1 of What If…? and is confirmed to return in Season 2 so it’s good to remember that not all Stranges are good Stranges and also that good is relative in the Multiverse.

Bonus Reading

Marvel 1602

A first in our Ultimate List series! For decades, Marvel Comics has been known as the House of Ideas. While Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created an enormous sandbox full of rich characters, many writers over the years have thought outside the (sand)box and told stories in alternate universes much like the ones imagined in What If…? One of the most divisive efforts to tell these alt-universe stories came from the mind of Neil Gaiman who decided to bring about the age of heroes 400 years earlier than Lee and Kirby! Published in 2003, Marvel 1602 reinterprets the origins and lives of characters such as the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Spider-Man, Captain America and more during a time when superstition reigned supreme over science. If you have time for a quick, 8-issue romp through the 17th century from the mind of one of comic’s most singular authors, pick up Marvel 1602 at your LCS or check it out on Marvel Unlimited before seeing how it’s adapted in Season 2!

About What If…? Season 2

The Watcher returns to season two of Marvel Studios’ What If…? when the animated series
begins streaming on Disney+ on Dec. 22. And in the spirit of the holiday season, fans are
invited to unwrap a new episode nightly for nine nights.

Season two of What If…? continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the
vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series
questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles. Featuring fan-favorite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan, episodes are directed by executive producer Bryan Andrews with executive producer AC Bradley as head writer.

November 30, 2023
BREAKING: Michael Waldron Takes Over Writing Duties on ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron has now been tabbed by Marvel Studios to write both parts of their Multiverse Saga finale. According to Deadline, Waldron–who was already working on Avengers: Secret Wars–will assume writing duties on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

The news comes shortly after director Destin Daniel Cretton departed Avengers: The Kang Dynasty which set off rumors that the studio was looking to set a single creative team for the Multiverse Saga’s two Avengers films. Jeff Loveness, who wrote Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, was the original writer on The Kang Dynasty but left the project some time ago.

As the writer of both films, Waldron now essentially becomes the “Markus and McFeely” of the Multiverse Saga. Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness set the course for the saga much like Captain America: The Winter Soldier, written by Markus and McFeely, did for the Infinity Saga in working with Joe and Anthony Russo. It remains to be seen if Waldron will similarly reteam with Sam Raimi for the next Avengers films.

Updating

Source: Deadline

November 27, 2023
RUMOR: Marvel Studios Considering Sam Raimi for Multiple Projects

While Marvel Studios Phase 5 films have not done the type of business at the box office that the studio had become accustomed to, Phase 4–which ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–was lucrative. Despite COVID delays and a fairly last-minute change in its creative team, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was among those successes, raking in over $400M domestically on its way to falling just shy of $1B globally ($952M). Much of the success of the film was attributed to director Sam Raimi who despite coming on late put his signature touches on a film that looked to be in trouble. Raimi was so impressive that Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, has been rumored to be interested in working with the director again. As Marvel Studios looks to get back on track following the strikes, those rumors are heating up again and have become a bit more interesting.

According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios is considering Raimi not only for another installment in the Doctor Strange franchise but also to direct both parts of the two-part finale to the Multiverse Saga. Though Doctor Strange 3 has not been officially announced by the studio, it’s widely believed that it’s going to be included in the Multiverse Saga and rumored to be happening BEFORE Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, which is currently slated to hit theaters on May 1, 2026. If the rumors of where Strange 3 would fall are true, that would currently leave only February 13th, 2026 as a potential release date. The current slate would seem to face Raimi with choosing either the threequel or the Avengers films, which RPK addressed in his report.

Given the delays Marvel Studio has already faced due to the strikes and the reworking of several projects, perhaps they’ll find a way to shuffle things around and allow Raimi the opportunity to do all three films. Strange is purportedly a key character in the Multiverse Saga, though so far he’s only made two appearances (Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness). While that might seem like a tall order for one director, it would be similar to what the Joe and Anthony Russo did in Phase 3 directing Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) after debuting as MCU directors with 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It’s safe to say that by giving the Russos room to work and grow with the Infinity Saga’s central characters, Steve and Tony, the entire saga benefitted. Perhaps that’s something they will keep in mind in this rumored scenario with Raimi and allow him to work with Michael Waldron on similarly developing Stephen Strange.

November 27, 2023