Author: Charles Murphy

Outside of introducing (and then immediately forgetting about) Adamantium and adding a new Hulk to the mix (before immediately taking him off the board), Captain America: Brave New World didn’t do much to change the MCU’s status quo. Unlike prior installments in the franchise, the latest Captain America film really didn’t set the stage for what comes next and, in some ways, that’s pretty refreshing. After years of fans complaining that every project was just setting up the next one, Brave New World stuck to its own story and even if it wasn’t a great one it was indeed self-contained.

Thanks to significant editing, aside from the asinine post-credit scene and a vague promise that we might have to be further subjected to Giancarlo Esposito‘s Sidewinder, very few threads were left détaché. However, one pretty important plot point was left to become the next guy’s problem: the identity of Sam Wilson’s Avengers.

With Kevin Feige confirming there’s currently no active Avengers unit in the MCU and a pair of Avengers movies coming soon, Sam’s decision to move forward with assembling a new team does seem like a pretty big deal. And with the clock ticking on Earth-616’s best days, Sam might want to get working on putting a team together sooner rather than later. But who makes the most sense for the mighty new team? Let’s look at some likely and less likely candidates and see what the Magic 8 Ball has to say about their chances of making the roster.

Falcon

If Iron Man is the Armored Avenger and Hawkeye is the Avenging Archer, it looks like Joaquin Torres will be the Annoying Avenger. The deal to add Sam’s wingman to the team was done in Captain America: Brave New World, meaning Danny Ramirez will be back for more. Hopefully the Russos have some great stuff in mind for Torres, like flipping water bottles or randomly doing Fortnite dances, while the important stuff is handled by the functioning adults.

Verdict: Unfortunately, it is decidedly so.

Ruth Bat-Seraph

Short of one scene where she was able to show off her Red Room skills, Shira Haas‘s Ruth ultimately had very little to do in Captain America: Brave New World. It seems as though the character and her role were greatly changed since the films conception, leaving her as little more than an afterthought. Unfortunate in that it’s a waste of Haas’ talents, it does seem unlikely we’ll ever see Ruth again.

Verdict: Outlook not so good.

James Rhodes

With Armor Wars moved not just to the back burner but possibly completely off the stove top, it seems likely that Marvel Studios might try to find a large role for Don Cheadle pretty soon…and man, it turns out the Avengers could use an armored guy! Though Sam and Rhodey aren’t best friends by any means, they do have a shared history and after their chat in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Rhodey seems like a guy Sam might call. If course, that wasn’t really Rhodey but you can probably still bank on Sam reaching out to War Machine when shit hits the fan.

Verdict: Outlook good

Moon Knight

A no-brainer on nearly every level, the inclusion of Moon Knight on the roster of Mighty Avengers seems like a way longer shot than it should. Marc Spector was a Marine and Sam Wilson was in the Air Force. They knew each other from a mission. The end. Get Oscar Isaac back in the suit(s) and get this crazy sumbitch back in the game.

Verdict: Ask again later

Shang-Chi

At one point, Shang-Chi was reportedly set to have a major role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty with one insider revealing that the film would have “essentially served” as a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. However, with Destin Daniel Cretton departing the project for Spider-Man 4 and the Russo brothers reworking the film into Avengers: Doomsday, things are a little less clear for the hero. However, having access to one of the Earth’s most powerful weapons does seem like a good bit to include on a resume, so it does seem likely Sam will find a way to get Shang-Chi on board.

Verdict: As I see it, yes.

She-Hulk

Feels a little bit like now or never for Jen Walters to find her niche in the larger MCU. And if it’s not on a new team of Avengers, it’s nowhere. But will they bring She-Hulk on the team, knowing full well the shit storm it will stir up or do they let Tatiana Maslany’s incredible talent go to waste?

Verdict: Very doubtful

Spider-Man

Yes, obviously.

Verdict: Yes.

Vision

This is a tough one. I’m if the belief that the Vision that emerges from the D+ Vision streaming series is likely to end up working alongside the MCU’s Young Avengers/Champions; however, given that project is still a ways off, Vision’s presence on that team wouldn’t necessarily mean he couldn’t be on Sam’s team. One problem though: will Vision hit D+ before Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters? I don’t know right now, so I don’t know right now.

Verdict: Cannot predict now.

Captain Marvel

Given Carol’s intimate knowledge of Incursions, it seems absolutely ridiculous to think she won’t have a major role in one or both of the next two Avengers films. That said, it seems incredibly likely that whole she’ll work closely with Sam, Carol will find herself off Earth. So not an Avengers but still an important part of saving the day.

Verdict: My reply is no.

Bucky Barnes

Given his role in Thunderbolts*, it’s likely that Bucky will be an Avenger…he just might be on a different team of Avengers than the one Sam assembles. And that’ll be a good thing for both Bucky and Sam, as each will have his own team and will be able to help them communicate and, potentially, work together.

Verdict: No.

Hulk

What a weird time for the MCU’s Bruce Banner. It’s hard to imagine Hulk sitting out a battle with the world at stake after missing all of Avengers: Infinity War with performance issues; however, depending on just what these Incursions end up being all about, he may well be Earth’s best hope to start thinking about survival from a scientific standpoint.

Verdict: Reply hazy, try again.

Hawkeye(s)

From an experience standpoint, Sam couldn’t ask for a better guy to have by his side. Clint Barton has seen–and survived–it all. Kate Bishop has seen very little but Hailee Steinfeld is a BIG star. There’s not room for two archers, though, so which one gets cut?

Verdict: Better not tell you now.

Ant-Man

You can bet that Paul Rudd‘s Ant-Man was a big part of Jeff Loveness’ original script for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. As fate may have it, he may well have a role to play in Avengers: Doomsday, too. He has a history with Sam Wilson and the Russos really did wonders with Scott Lang in Avengers: Endgame.

Verdict: Most likely

Thor

Like Rudd, Chris Hemsworth is a Russo guy. And given Thor’s incredible powers, he’s definitely going to be a big part of the next two Avengers films; however, like Carol Danvers, don’t expect the Allfather to be spending too much time on Earth which means the Might Avenger probably won’t technically be one of Sam’s Mighty Avengers.

Verdict: Very doubtful

Obviously there are plenty of other characters out there we didn’t discuss here, including Doctor Strange and the Fantastic Four, who are confirmed to be in the Avengers: Doomsday. This isn’t a list of who is in the movie, however, but rather what heroes will fight by Sam Wilson’s side to defend Earth-616 from whatever invading force threatens it. Strange, Thor, Carol, the Fantastic Four and others will have plenty to do as well but it will be up to Captain America to assemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes when a day unlike any other comes…again.

Though the Multiverse Saga has hardly been the devastating disappointment social media would have you believe it to have been, it most certainly has had its share of missteps. Unlike the Infinity Saga, the Multiverse Saga had the benefit of beginning with the identity of its “big bad” already determined. As it turned out, however, that may have been the biggest obstacle to overcome.

Likely already on unsteady ground by centering an entire saga around the super sci-fi concept of the Multiverse, Marvel compounded things by then choosing Kang, one of their most confounding characters, as the big bad. Kang was always going to be a problem for general audiences and as wonderful as his introduction was in the D+ streaming series Loki, his next appearance in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania showed that perhaps not even Marvel Studios knew what to do with him.

While we’ll all have to find out together how it ultimately works out, the studio found themselves with an opportunity to be unburdened of the character when Jonathan Majors‘ legal issues led to his firing and a new direction at the studio. After months of rumors that they were looking to find a new actor to take over the role of Kang, Marvel pivoted hard, opting to scrap Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and the titular villain and move onto Doctor Doom, who should have been at the center of the Secret Wars saga in the first place.

With all eyes on Robert Downey Jr. returning to Marvel as Doctor Doom and production on Avengers: Doomsday set to begin next month, Kang had been all but forgotten; however, following the news that Colman Domingo had indeed been approached to step into the role of Kang, replacing Majors, a reliable source has shared some intriguing information about the studio’s future plans for the villain.

According to industry insider Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel Studios has a farewell in mind for Kang and may have found an actor willing to step into the role.

Though the insider cautioned that none of this should be etched in stone, it sounds as though Marvel has come up with a plan “deal with Kang” and it may well be by having Downey’s Doom kill him in one of the upcoming Avengers films.

I’m told that Marvel has a plan to say goodbye to Kang. They’re going to wrap him up. I think they want to give him the boot just to put to bed any…I think they’re going to deal with Kang somehow. A small little thing… probably in one of the Avengers movies. I’ve heard Doctor Doom could be the one who kills him.

-Jeff “The In” Sneider

A plan is great and given Domingo’s comments, it’s clear that the studio has been trying to find a talented actor to to step in. According to Sneider, they may have done just that in Severance star Trammell Tillman.

Should the studio move forward with this plan, it seems highly likely that it would be something relatively small intended to be a display of Doom’s power…so probably wiping out the entire Council of Kangs who were seen in Quantumania‘s post-credits. Riding themselves of Kang is a fine idea; however, it’s one they unfortunately decided on about 5 years too late.

Source: The Hot Mic

Marvel Studios Thunderbolts* will be an interesting litmus test. The studio’s first film to be fully produced following Bob Iger‘s return to Disney and subsequent effort to improve the quality of the company’s biggest studio projects, the final Phase 5 film has undergone quite a journey.

Once more or less Black Widow 2, the film’s marketing suggests it has evolved into something more while still holding tight to some of its original bones. Now, a new trailer for the film shows off the project’s “big surprise” while a new synopsis reveals who the actual big bad will be.

Surprisingly, not only does the trailer reveal the truly glorious identity of Lewis Pullman’s Bob, it also very strong hints at the presence of the Void!

In Thunderbolts*, Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes — Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?

New Synopsis for Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts*

Marvel Studios New Avengers Thunderbolts* closes out Phase 5 on May 2nd.

Marvel Studios X-Men reboot continues to be a hot topic of conversation. While Marvel has stayed mum on the muties other than to confirm they’ll be a large part of the studio’s post-Secret Wars plans, scoopers, insiders and bullshiters alike have flooded social media with information and misinformation about the project. Now, a new report from one of the most reliable Marvel Studios insiders looks to give fans something solid to anchor their hopes to.

According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, “X-Men will begin shooting next year for a 2027 release. That means official casting news likely coming in the next few months… along with a director announcement.“

Marvel Studios currently has three films slated for theatrical release in 2027 with two untitled films (July 23 and November 5) slotted on either side of Avengers: Secret Wars (May 7). While recent rumors suggested that sequels in the Shang-Chi and Doctor Strange franchises were on track for 2027 releases, Sneider’s report calls that into question.

Sneider’s latest report is consistent with other recent rumblings which indicate that Marvel is in the process of narrowing down its wishlists for key characters such as Marvel Girl, Cyclops, Gambit and Kitty Pryde, though it is, of course, entirely possible that one or more of those characters could appear in another project ahead of X-Men.

Given that Lesslie has been at work on the script for the better part of the last year, it seems entirely reasonable to assume that enough work has been done on it to begin meeting with directors and looking for the right fit to bring the Children of the Atom into the MCU. While at one point, Black Panther franchise creator Ryan Coogler was rumored to be among the candidates for the job, it would seem as though his work on Black Panther 3–which looks to be another post-Multiverse Saga project–woukd seem to make that unrealistic.

Source: X

Somewhere in the Multiverse, Jac Schaeffer‘s Vision Quest is streaming on Disney Plus…and it’s probably very good. Confirmed to be in development in 2022, Schaeffer‘s series would have followed Vision on his path to regaining his memories and humanity. Schaeffer’s vision won’t shape the next chapter in Vision’s story, however.

In May 2024, Schaeffer suddenly left the project, turning it over to Star Trek: Picard showrunner Terry Matalas. With production on the series set to get underway in the UK very soon, little is known about Matalas‘ overhaul but the recently revealed addition of a pair of directors points toward the series skewing toward being one of the studio’s weirdest projects yet.

As seen on the resume of the series’ Director of Photography, Christopher Ross, directors Christopher J. Byrne and Vincenzo Natali will be joining Matalas behind the camera, each helming an unknown number of episodes.

Like Matalas, Byrne is a Star Trek alum, having worked as director or assistant director on five episodes of Star Trek: Discovery and one episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Byrne also worked with Matalas on SyFy’s 12 Monkeys, mostly as an assistant director for 33 episodes and directing one. Clearly the time spent together on 12 Monkeys left and impression on Matalas and it could inform some of what we might expect from Vision.

Over it’s four seasons, 12 Monkeys grew into one of TV’s most critically praised science fiction series as it explored themes of free will and predestination, which may be of interest to the synthezoid Avenger. As pertinent as that might be, however, Byrne’s shared filmography with Natali might be just as noteworthy.

While Natali’s work on super weird horror/sci-fi films The Cube and Splice are sure to draw attention, he also boasts an impressive TV resume, having worked on series such as Orphan Black, The Strain, Westworld and Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. In addition to those series, Natali worked with Byrne on both American Gods and Hannibal, the latter of which, of course, made its way into nearly every Critics’ Top 10 list as TV’s best horros show in 2014 and 2015.

Coincidentally, Natali directed six episodes over those two years while Byrne served as an assistant director on 25 episodes. Their time together on Hannibal, along with Natali‘s comfortability with horror, could point toward Vision pairing the existential crisis of its lead character with some notes of an unsettling psychological thriller (perhaps that’s Ultron’s role in it all).

Of course, it’s impossible to know exactly what Matalas is cooking up with Vision and any inferences drawn about what might happen in it based on the previous work of Byrne and Natali aren’t worth betting on. However, if indeed Vision is going to be a little Hannibal, a little 12 Monkeys and a little Star Trek, with some American Gods sprinkled in, it’ll no doubt be most eccentric streaming series to date when it hits D+ in 2026.

Source: Independent Talent