It’s been 16 months since Lucasfilm last gave a major update on their upcoming Star Wars slate but that’s all about to change when the studio takes part in D23’s Disney Entertainment Showcase. Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy will get a portion of the two-hour panel to share the latest news on Star Wars streaming and theatrical slates. Before she takes the stage, let’s look at what she might bring with her.
Disney Entertainment Showcase (Friday-7 PM PDT/10 PM EDT)
At least the next two Star Wars releases for Lucasfilm will be streaming series but there’s plenty going on with the theatrical slate as well. Expect a little bit of news about the schedule for both…and probably a surprise or two.
With a large display on the convention floor causing some buzz during D23’s media preview night, Skeleton Crew will be front and center in Kennedy’s presentation. Expect Jude Law and the young leads to either be present or have some pre-recorded footage and for a teaser trailer for the series to be shown and then released online. Skeleton Crew hits D+ on December 3rd and after the very muted response to The Acolyte, Lucasfilm needs to start building some momentum behind Jon Watts‘ Goonies-esque space adventure.
Once on track to stream in 2024, the second season of Andor fell victim to the Hollywood work stoppages of 2023 and was moved off of Disney’s 2024 slate. Production on the series has wrapped, however, and given that some footage was shown to the crowd in attendance at Star Wars Celebration 2023, it’s likely Kennedy will have something a little more official to show at D23. Additionally, since Season 2 of Andor is likely the next Star Wars streaming series on the schedule, a release date isn’t out of the realm of possibilities.
Streaming Series in Development
Despite Bob Iger‘s mandate to reduce content, Lucasfilm is still going to churn out Star Wars content on Disney Plus and right now, very little is known about what’s next. Dave Filoni has been hard at work on the scripts for Season 2 of Ahsoka but he also has a film on his plate which means another season of the Rosario Dawson-led New Republic era series may not be quite ready to go. Announcing the studio’s next live-action series, even if only by naming it might generate some buzz. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that a third installment of the studio’s Tales series might be announced but there’s still a large hole in their animated slate now that The Bad Batch has completed its three-season mission. On that note, an announcement about the studio’s next big animated series seems possible.
Theatrical Slate
Production on Jon Favreau‘s The Mandalorian & Grogu kicks off soon which means an update on the project is about the surest thing on this list next to the Skeleton Crew teaser. Some concept art, a title treatment and some cast announcements would generate plenty of excitement both in person and online. Kennedy could also provide updates on the studio’s other three upcoming films. Title treatments for any or all of them would be great and with Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy‘s New Jedi Order era film looking like it’s on track for a December 18, 2026 release, cameras could actually roll before the end of the year if not early next year. Updates on anything beyond that (Filoni’s New Republic era crossover film or James Mangold’s Dawn of the Jedi era film) would be a surprise for sure but a welcome one.
Just two weeks after Marvel Studios made a splash at SDCC ’24 by announcing Robert Downey Jr. and the Russos were returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, Kevin Feige will be back on stage with more to share at D23. Marvel will have two chances to wow D23 attendees this weekend with a portion of Disney’s Entertainment Showcase carved out for their live-action slate and a separate panel dedicated to Marvel Animation.
Before the festivities get started, let’s take a look at what’s likely to go down in Anaheim.
On Saturday afternoon, the newly formed Marvel Animation studio will have its first D23 solo panel. There’s not much guesswork to be done here in terms of what to expect because Disney already paid it out on the official D23 website.
Given the success of X-Men ’97, the hour-long panel will certainly feature a heavy dose of news on Season 2. With the second season already well into production, a teaser isn’t out of the question nor is a release date. Like Season 2 of X-Men ’97, Season 3 of What If…? is deep into production if not already complete. “What If…? Season Three is — that might be the one that comes out next, in terms of animation,” said Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum in May 2024. The studio already rolled out a teaser for Season 3 following Season 2’s streaming finale, so there’s no reason to think they won’t AT LEAST show that to the audience.
We’re actually close to completing that one, and it really feels like you’ve gone through this amazing emotional experience with Uatu, in a way that’s… What’s great about The Watcher is that he presents himself as uncaring, and cold, and just an observer, but he cares more than everybody [and] anybody. That is on full display in that third season.
-Brad Winderbaum on What If…? Season 3
Outside of what’s promised in the description, only Marvel Zombies is known to be far enough down the road to be included in the panel; however, more than any other type of project, animated projects are far, far easier to keep under wraps so it’s entirely in the realm of possibilities that the folks at Marvel Animation have some tricks up their sleeve for their first big panel.
Disney Entertainment Showcase (Friday-7 PM PDT/10 PM EDT)
Friday night’s Entertainment Showcase is a two-hour-long presentation that will feature projects from across all of Disney’s major studios. That means Pixar, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios will all join Marvel Studios in showcasing their upcoming theatrical and streaming slates. So while Kevin Feige won’t have an hour to himself like he did in San Diego, he’ll have a big chunk of time and since it’s Disney’s event, he’ll actually have as much time as he wants (in 2022 the two-hour panel took longer than two hours). Marvel Television will take the spotlight, especially after not being included in Feige’s hour-long SDCC panel but that doesn’t mean there might not be some update on the film slate. Here’s what to expect:
Agatha All Along
Kathryn Hahn‘s WandaVision spinoff is on deck for the studio and no insider information is necessary to know that Agatha All Along will be a focal point of Marvel’s portion of the panel. With the two-episode premiere just six weeks away, a new trailer for the streaming series is due. It’s likely a good chunk of the cast will be on hand to bow, wave and, more importantly, do the press line following the panel.
In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…
-Official Synopsis, Agatha All Along
Daredevil: Born Again
Charlie Cox has already confirmed that he’ll be in Anaheim to promote Daredevil: Born Again and it would be shocking if co-star Vincent D’Onofrio weren’t there alongside him. With the 9-episode streaming series set to premiere in March 2025 and with production having wrapped several months ago, there’s certainly a trailer ready to roll. The question here is whether or not it’s a D23 exclusive for those in attendance or it the studio will release it to the public. Given the hype around the show, it would make quite a bit of sense to let it out into the wild but Disney isn’t always in the business of making sense.
Longtime rivals Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) try to leave behind their darker alter-egos to serve the people of New York only to have their pasts catch up to them.
Synopsis, Daredevil: Born Again
Ironheart
First announced at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, Ironheart has been in the can for a couple of years and still has no release window. Marvel Studios actually rolled out a first look at the project during Disney’s 2022 Entertainment Showcase at D23 and it looked like a lot of fun! At the time, Feige explained that the focus on “dark arts vs. technology” would be the “unique calling card” of the series which will pit Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams–introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–against Anthony Ramos‘s Parker Robbins, aka The Hood. “Parker believes truly that what he is doing is good,” Ramos shared at 2022’s D23. “He loves his people. I’m over-trying to dance around the plot because I can’t give you all the deets! Parker kicks ass. I don’t know if I can say that, but I said it already.” An in-person exclusive trailer is all but a sure thing and it wouldn’t be asking too much for Feige to reveal a release window for the series which had been targeting a September 2025 launch.
Charming teenage super genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago in her iron suit and begins to unravel threads that bring danger and adventure to her doorstep.
-Synopsis, Ironheart
Wonder Man
Despite having completed production earlier this year, some fans still doubt that Wonder Man truly exists. While Marvel Studios exec Stephen Broussard confirmed its existence earlier this year, Wonder Man has never been mentioned by Feige at any conventions so a simple logo reveal and release window would be great; however, given it’s been wrapped for some time, it’s quite possible a sizzle reel or teaser could be shown to those in attendance.
[Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one. –Stephen Broussard on Marvel Television’s Wonder Man
Vision
Likely to join Wonder Man on Disney Plus in 2026, the Paul Bettany-led WandaVision spinoff was recently confirmed by Feige. It is expected to start production this Fall, so a title treatment and a release window are about all we might get unless Bettany is on hand to do a little song and dance.
Future Streaming Projects
Five streaming series is probably about all the studio will have time to discuss during its portion of the panel. However, if the studio is ready to move ahead with the second season of Hawkeye, having Jeremy Renner step on stage to announce it would certainly bring down the house. Rumors have the sophomore season headed to D+ for Christmas 2026 which means it’s certainly not “too early” to confirm it’s in the works. With the Nova series not a top priority and Bob Iger‘s mandate to cut down on content now fully integrated into the way Marvel Studios does business, further announcement seem highly unlikely.
Theatrical Slate
Disney loves marching out cast members during their big fan event. In 2022, the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and their two 2023 releases, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels all took the stage at D23. In addition, Feige used the big stage to announce the cast of what was then Captain America: New World Order, including the big surprise reveal that Tim Blake Nelson was returning to the MCU as Samuel Sterns.
The core cast of Thunderbolts was also trotted out on the stage by Feige with some fun concept art displayed on the big screen behind them. What’s of interest here is that both Cap 4 and Thunderbolts were first announced at SDCC ’22 but Marvel saved the big cast reveals for D23. The One Above All may make the same move here, using the closing moments of his time on stage to bring out the full casts of any or all of the studio’s upcoming projects such as The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s also reasonable to think that Feige might make mention of the two 2026 Marvel Studios films that remain untitled.
Murphy’s Multiverse will be providing full coverage and recaps of both panels this weekend so count on us to deliver all the news you need!
On the heels of winning San Diego Comic-Con with the Avengers news that shook the fandom, and with a film at the box office in Deadpool and Wolverine which is breaking records, the MCU is riding high. And this weekend’s D23 event may provide an additional jolt of enthusiasm about the franchise. However, with only Agatha All Along on Disney Plus to sustain content appetites for the rest of the year, we can expect to see some loss of momentum, particularly when the next shoe drops with respect to the beleaguered Blade film.
2. Game of Thrones (WBD)
This weekend’s House of the Dragon finale will likely cap a season that undoubtedly restored the feeling for the television franchise that reigned over the monoculture like a Targaryen Dynasty. And with additional spinoffs in the works, all skepticism about sustainability has been melted away with dragon flame. Warner Brothers Discovery’s flagship franchise is flying high, and we continue to whistle that iconic theme.
3. Star Wars (Disney)
The mixed reaction to The Acolyte and the continuing Culture War noise surrounding this franchise have really left Star Wars vulnerable. A Skeleton Crew trailer release is imminent, and maybe an infusion of Stranger Things energy into the graying, embittered fandom will do it some good. This is a franchise built on childlike wonder, and much of the recent content has been lacking in that regard.
4. The Boys (Amazon)
Head-to-head against The Acolyte, the most recent season of The Boys held its own in terms of mindshare, and even though Season 4 didn’t hit the highs of previous seasons, that hasn’t stopped Amazon from greenlighting a prequel spinoff to go with the Mexico-set spinoff announced a while back. The fact that the next season will be its final one will center it even more firmly in the discourse, as fans and critics will wonder if it can “stick the landing.” If anything, The Boys’ biggest Achilles heel might be the extent to which real-life steals its absurdist thunder.
5. Dune (WBD)
With one of the most critically and commercially successful films of the year, a sequel expected to be fast-tracked, and the spinoff prequel Dune: Prophecy series set for November on HBO, 2024 has been quite the year for the Dune franchise. And that’s before the memes. However, it does still remain to be seen how far the franchise climbs in the pop cultural consciousness, or whether this year will be its apex, given that other franchises were hobbled by the pandemic and the strikes, and given that things get extra weird on Arrakis from here on out.
6. DC Elseworlds (WBD)
While James Gunn‘s DCU prepares to pull out of the station, fans of those characters will get to visit Gotham twice this fall, as the HBO series The Penguin returns us to the world of Matt Reeves’ The BatmanEpic Crime Saga. And although Robert Pattinson’s Batman is unlikely to feature heavily in the series, his shadow will likely loom over the story. And at the cinema, the highly anticipated sequel to the billion-dollar grossing Jokerwill offer us another glimpse into Todd Phillips’ Scorsese-tinged hyper-reality, as Lady Gaga‘s Harley Quinn enters the fray. Other alternate universe projects have yet to be announced, and details remain limited on the proper sequel to The Batman, but needless to say, the more successful these two projects are, the more likely that others will also see the light of day.
7. DCU (WBD)
Supermanhas recently wrapped, the first teaser trailer for Creature Commandos(dropping in December) has been released, and news items about upcoming projects continue to surface. Still, while anticipation for what James Gunn is cooking up remains high, excitement is muted. There was no SDCC panel, and it’s possible that audiences won’t get non-set leak Supermanfootage until 2025. So for the remainder of 2024, we could very well be in “wait and see” mode.
8. Star Trek (Paramount)
Although it’s been many years since the last Star Trek film (despite Quentin Tarantino‘s best efforts to give audiences “Hard R Trek”), the franchise has been flourishing on streaming, with a number of well-regarded series on Paramount Plus, and more on the way. And the recent announcement of the first live-action comedy in the franchise’s history could push Star Trek further into the mainstream than it’s been in years.
9. MonsterVerse (Legendary/WBD)
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was moderately successful at the box office, and the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streaming series was well-received, albeit underappreciated, with a second season on the way. This franchise still has its drawing power, but its days at the top of the zeitgeist may be behind it.
10. Spider-Verse (Sony)
Tom Holland‘s MCU Spider-Man franchise is represented elsewhere, but through the power of the Spider-Verse franchise, every possible Spidey and Spidey-adjacent character — be they in the Amazon researching spiders before dying, bonding with goopy alien symbiotes in San Francisco, or…doing whatever Kraven is doing — is connected via multiversal web. And Beyond the Spider-Verse very well might connect these divergent threads. There’s still no word on when that movie will drop, but for now, fans of the Venom films can look forward to the conclusion of that trilogy in Venom: The Last Dance, which releases in October.
11. Transformers/GI Joe (Paramount)
Last year’s Transformers: Rise of the Beastsrevealed that the two franchises were being merged, and while there’s a degree of uncertainty as to when we’ll get that film, next month’s Transformers: One animated film will give longtime fans the robot-centric big screen adventure they’ve clamored for since they first discovered Stan Bush’s “The Touch.”
12. Lord of the Rings (WBD/Amazon)
While technically, the rights to the Tolkien books have been bifurcated, and the Rings of Power series will likely never cross over with the LOTR projects in the works at Warner Brothers, each is capable of elevating the overall excitement around the stories told on Middle Earth. But unfortunately, Season 1 of Rings of Power, despite its budget and the advertising blitz around it, never really hit the mainstream, and it’s hard to see Season 2 breaking through.
13. Jurassic Park/World (Universal)
Yes, they’re still making these, and yes, the films still have a billion-dollar upside. But with less than a year until the next film, directed by Gareth Edwards and starring Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, is slated to hit theaters, it’s hard to see what new ground this franchise could stake out to fire up the fanbase.
14. Harry Potter (WBD)
Putting aside the toxic JK Rowling of it all, this franchise needs a cultural reset, and indeed, WBD is looking to introduce a new generation to the world of wizards and wands. They’re still a few years away from getting that project out, though, and who knows what nonsense JK could say or do to further sully the franchise’s legacy before then.
15. Anne Rice Immortal Universe (AMC)
Yes, The Walking Dead has been an AMC mainstay, but while that seems to be limping along, the series based on the Anne Rice novels seem to be gathering momentum. However, despite their highly engaged fan followings, particularly forInterview With the Vampire, the media landscape for these shows doesn’t seem favorable for a jump into the mainstream anytime soon.
Honorable Mention:
The Walking Dead (AMC), Mission: Impossible (Paramount), Fast &Furious (Universal), Mad Max (WBD), John Wick (Lionsgate), Ghostbusters (Sony), James Bond (EON)
A fresh take on 20th Century Studios iconic sci-fi/horror franchise, Alien: Romulus is set to offer audiences a “truly terrifying cinematic experience.” Directed by Fede Álvarez (Don’tBreathe, Evil Dead), the new film is a standalone story yet still deeply rooted in the existing mythology of the Alien franchise. The beginnings of the story took root in Álvarez‘s mind while watching a deleted scene from 1986’s Aliens. “There is a deleted scene in Aliens, where a bunch of kids are running among the workers in the colony,” explained Álvarez. “I remember thinking about what it would be like for teenagers to grow up in a colony so small and what would happen to them when they reached their early 20s.“
Álvarez presented his idea to Ridley Scott, who directed Alien, the groundbreaking 1979 film that birthed the franchise, who then pitched the idea to 20th Century Studios. Shortly after, Álvarez and co-writer Rodo Sayagues met with Aliens director James Cameron and began working on the script which features a core cast of young adults, a first for the franchise.
While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
-Official synopsis for Alien: Romulus
Opening on August 16th, Alien: Romulus is set to be one of the last big tentpole films of the Summer season. Whether you’re brand new to the Alien franchise or a longtime lover of the face-hugging/chest-bursting horror franchise, you’ll need to be prepared as you head into theaters. With that in mind, we present the Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Alien: Romulus!
Tier One
Alien: Romulus is a standalone adventure set within the Alien franchise, so technically, there’s no “required reading” necessary to enjoy the new horror flick. However, it is set in 2142, roughly 20 years after Ridley Scott‘s original which still stands as one of the best sci-fi/horror films of all time. So, whether you are a newbie or a vet, the bare minimum amount of prep you’ll need to do before heading to the theater is to check out the film that launched the franchise.
Alien (1979)
Set in the year 2122, Alien pits the crew of the commercial spaceship, the Nostromo, up against the terrifying Xenomorphs. After responding to what they believe is a distress signal, the crew–led by Sigourney Weaver‘s Ellen Ripley–discovers it was instead a warning and find themselves up against one of the universe’s most lethal organisms. Iconic doesn’t truly begin to describe Alien and if you’ve never seen it…well, what are you waiting for?
Tier Two
Alien: Romulus will be the seventh entry in the core Alien franchise. While it’s a standalone story, there’s still plenty of reason to view the other five films in the franchise after watching Alien. Although there’s no ongoing narrative you’ll need to be able to follow, these projects expand on the history and mythology of the Alien universe and provide a more comprehensive understanding of exactly what the young crew of Alien: Romulus is up against. The following projects are presented in the order in which they were released.
Aliens (1986)
Aliens finds Sigourney Weaver‘s Ripley right back on the same moon where she first encountered the Xenomorphs 57 years prior. Ripley escorts a crew of Colonial Marines led by Michael Biehn‘s Corporal Hicks back to Acheron where they locate only one survivor: an orphan named Newt who survived a Xenomorph attack. As if having the original film directed by the legendary Ridley Scott wasn’t enough reason to start watching the franchise, Aliens is directed by another member of sci-fi’s Mount Rushmore: James Cameron. A classic ’80s flick and one of the best sci-fi movies ever made, Aliens is worth your time even if it is set 37 years after Alien: Romulus.
Alien 3(1992)
An immediate sequel to Aliens, Aliens 3 is an underwhelming follow up to its predecessor. After struggling to find a director for the film, David Fincher was hired for his directorial debut. In 2010, Fincher said of the film that “No one hated it more than me; to this day, no one hates it more than me.” Now that you have an idea what you might be getting into, you should also know that Aliens Cubed was intended to be the last film in the series until…
Alien Ressurection (1997)
Even though Alien 3 was a critical dud, it raked in enough money to keep the studio interested in pumping out more Alien films. Given that Weaver’s Ripley sacrificed herself as the end of the previous entry, the studio had to find a work around. Writer Joss Whedon did so by setting the film in 2381, nearly 200 years after the events of Aliens and Alien 3, and “ressurecting” Ripley via cloning. Alien: Ressurection gets pretty nutty but it does star Winona Ryder and end in a way that leaves the future of the franchise wide open.
Prometheus (2021)
Rather than push further into the future (Whedon did develop a script for an Earth-set Alien 5) the studio went in the opposite direction. Ridley Scott returned to the franchise to direct Prometheus, a quasi-prequel to theAlien quadrilogy set in 2093. Scott, who developed the premise of the film with Cameron, explained that while Prometheus shares “strands of Alien‘s DNA” it also stands on its own, exploring themes of creation and the co-existence of religion and science. Prometheus has an absolutely killer cast with Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Noomi Rapace and Guy Pearce leading the way and is loaded with Easter eggs and symbology. If you’re into mythology, you’ll be into Prometheus.
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Set in 2104, 11 years after the events of Prometheus, Alien: Covenant serves as both a true sequel to that film and a true prequel to Alien. Fassbender reprises his role in Covenant and slays it while taking a sinister turn and the flick does a nice job of spanning the gap between Prometheus and Alien without serving as a direct set-up. While Scott has shared that he has plans for a third prequel film that would lead right into Alien, it’s unclear if Disney intends to proceed with it.
Tier Three
So you’ve made it through the first two tiers…
Once you’ve watched the 6 films listed above, you’ve fully immersed yourself in Alien canon; however, it turns out there’s more to the Alien universe than the Alien films…and then there may be more than that! And if you’re a completist, you’re going to have one helluva watchlist to work through which includes some of the best sci-fi/action films ever created.
While only the Alien films are considered canon in the Alien timeline, the Alien franchise crossed over with another great sci-fi franchise featuring a terrifying alien: the Predator franchise.
Blade Runner (1982) and Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Two of the most surprising choices on the list, Blade Runner and Blade Runner 2049 make the list thanks to Ridley Scott who directed films in both franchises and himself made the case for their shared connective tissue.
There’s almost like a connective tissue between all the stuff I went through on Alien into the environment of the Nostromo and people living within close proximity to people who still have Earth-bound connections and here we have people on Earth, so almost this world could easily be the city that supports the crew that go out in Alien. So, in other words, when the crew of Alien come back in, they might go into this place and go into a bar off the street near where Deckard lives. That’s how I thought about it.
-Ridley Scott, Director’s Commentary on Blade Runner home media
In addition to Scott’s thoughts, a bonus feature on the 20th Anniversary Alien DVD indicates that Tom Skerrit‘s Nostromo captain, Arthur Dallas, once worked for the Tyrell Corporation, the company which is responsible for producing the genetically-engineered replicants that populate the Blade Runner franchise. A similar extra exists on the home release version of Prometheus that connects the creation of replicants to the Weyland androids that populate the Alien franchise and a quick shot of what appears to be a prototype Engineer is seen in Blade Runner 2049‘s first teaser.
Predator (1987), Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018) and Prey (2022)
You son of a bitch. While there’s no direct link to the Alien universe in Predator, if you’re watching the Tier Three films there’s no reason not to watch one of the greatest sci-fi action movies ever made…get to the choppa!
If you’ve ever wondered to yourself, “Is that a Xenomorph skull on the Yautja’s trophy wall in that ship in Predator 2?”, the answer is yes. Predator director John McTiernan cut the idea from the original so rather than Arnold’s Dutch finding it, Danny “I’m Too Old for This Shit” Glover’s Lt. Harrigan got the honors. It was the first hint of a larger, shared universe in which Xenomorphs and Yautjas have a history…and a future.
2010’s Predators is a solid entry in the Predator franchise unlike 2018’s The Predator and while they both flesh out the mythology of the Yautja, they don’t have much of anything to do with their history with Xenomorphs and are only worth a watch if you REALLY feel the need to be a completist. 2022’s Prey, on the other hand, is an absolute must-watch despite also adding nothing to the shared history of the two fiercest aliens in the galaxy. A wonderful reinvention of the franchise and quite possibly the best Predator movie ever made, Prey (you can check out or rankings of all 7 Predator franchise films here) is also a great pre-Romulus watch in order to evaluate if the new direction of the Alien franchise can match Dan Trachtenberg‘s vision.
Alien vs. Predator (2004) & Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
Let’s be honest: both of these movies are bad. Like all-time bad. It’s hard to imagine having to watch a pair of films like this when you’ll ultimately be comparing them to several classics but they do give you exactly what they promise: Xenomoroph on Yautja violence.
Soldier (1998)
While its inclusion, even in Tier Three, can be debated–mostly due to writer David Peoples not being able to keep his own story straight–Soldier is so bad that it’s good. Regardless of whatever Peoples takes during interviews that took place 40 years apart, there’s plenty of dialogue and even some visual cues to suggest that the adventures of Kurt Russel‘s Sergeant Todd 3465 are in fact part of a Blade Runner “sidequel” as originally stated by Peoples.
How to Watch the Core Alien Universe Films in Chronological Order
Prometheus set in 2093
Alien: Covenant set in 2104
Alien set in 2122
Alien: Romulus set in 2142
Aliens set in 2179
Alien 3set in 2179
Alien: Ressurection set in 2381
How to Watch the Expanded Alien Universe Films in Chronological Order
Prey set in 1719
Predator set in 1987
Predator 2 set in 1997
Alien vs. Predator set in 2004
Alien vs. Predator: Requiem set in 2004
Predators set in 2010
The Predator set in 2018
Blade Runner set in 2019
Soldier set in 2036
Blade Runner 2049 set, surprisingly enough, in 2049
Prometheus set in 2093
Alien: Covenant set in 2104
Alien set in 2122
Alien: Romulus set in 2142
Aliens set in 2179
Alien 3set in 2179
Alien: Ressurection set in 2381
About Alien: Romulus
A truly terrifying cinematic experience from producer Ridley Scott and director/writer Fede Alvarez, 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus opens in theaters nationwide August 16, 2024. The sci-fi/horror-thriller takes the phenomenally successful Alien franchise back to its roots: While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonizers come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe.
-Official Press Announcement for 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus
The film stars Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla), David Jonsson (Agatha Christie’s Murder is Easy), Archie Renaux (Shadow and Bone), Isabela Merced (The Last of Us), Spike Fearn (Aftersun) and Aileen Wu. Fede Alvarez (Evil Dead, Don’t Breathe) directs from a screenplay he wrote with frequent collaborator Rodo Sayagues (Don’t Breathe 2) based on characters created by Dan O’Bannon and Ronald Shusett. Alien: Romulus is produced by Ridley Scott (Napoleon), who directed the original Alien and produced and directed the series’ entries Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, Michael Pruss (Boston Strangler), and Walter Hill (Alien), with Fede Alvarez, Elizabeth Cantillon (Charlie’s Angels), Brent O’Connor (Bullet Train) and Tom Moran (Unstoppable) serving as executive producers.
Alien: Romulus will open exclusively in theaters nationwide August 16, 2024.
In what’s either the most brilliantly coordinated marketing move in its history or a spectacular coincidence, Marvel Studios looks to be following the plot of the recently released Deadpool & Wolverine as it attempts to accelerate the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga. Launched in 2021 with the studio’s first streaming series, WandaVision, the Multiverse Saga has now toddled into Year 3 with a track record pockmarked by an unprecedented run of projects that simply failed to land with the fanbase. Beginning with 2021’s Eternals, the studio dropped a series of duds into theaters. Though the cringeworthy Thor: Love and Thunder made plenty of money at the box office, it also raised plenty of concerns about what was happening behind the scenes. Those concerns seemed justified when, in 2023, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania–one of the Multiverse Saga’s most important stories–was DOA at the theaters and became a critical and financial bomb.
What followed has been well documented and won’t be rehashed here in detail; however, a new mandate by Disney big cheese Bob Iger, the loss of the entire creative team and star of Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and an extended Hollywood work stoppage have all combined to metamorphose the future of Marvel Studios. And now it seems as though Kevin Feige and crew wish to euthanize the Multiverse Saga and move ahead into whatever all-new, all-different saga is on deck. While that assumption is purely speculative, comparing the studio’s original plans for the Multiverse Saga with the latest iteration does provide a compelling foundation from which to make an argument that Marvel has chosen to prune its current saga.
How It Started
Despite getting underway in 2021, the Multiverse Saga was not known as such until July 2022 when Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, revealed the title and what ultimately became the first of many drafts of the saga’s future slate. At that point in time, six films (Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder) and seven streaming series (WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?Hawkeye, Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel) had already been released as part of Phase 4. Feige then revealed that Phase 4 would wrap up with She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, bringing the total number of Phase 4 projects to 15, only 8 fewer than that ENTIRE Infinity Saga. Phase 4 played out as planned with each project making its scheduled release date.
The cookie crumbled a little differently for most of the one dozen projects that originally made up Phase 5. That number quickly changed to 13 when the then untitled third Deadpool film was added to the phase just a couple of months later in September 2022…and from there, the shuffle was on. For the purposes of this discussion, it’s not worth counting the number of times each project was given a new release date, only to point out that as of publication, 6 Phase 5 projects (half of the original number) have yet to be released despite the original plan calling for the phase to wrap up with the release of Thunderbolts on July 28, 2024 (the date on which Deadpool & Wolverine ultimately was released). As it stands, the final six projects of Phase 5 are currently set to be released in 2025.
Though not much of it was revealed at SDCC ’22, Phase 6 was originally intended to be made up of at least 11 projects. As of July 2022, only three of those projects were “known” and they were all films (Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars). At that time, the Multiverse Saga was on track to be composed of an incredible 39 projects with 8 of them being unknowns. Additionally, as of July 2022, only two projects were slated for release between the fifth and sixth Avengers films–which were both set for a 2025 release–and only one of them was believed to be a feature film, though the identity of it was unknown at the time.
Post-SDCC ’22, fans already found it hard to believe that the studio would roll out two Avengers films in one year and by October 2022, they were proven right. The studio moved Avengers: Secret Wars into 2026 which meant there was now room for 3 movies to be released between the fifth and sixth Avengers films. By February 2023, Disney had moved Blade into 2024 and bumped The Marvels into the November 2023 release. By June 2023, the schedule had been rearranged again to include a total of 10 films to release in the Multiverse Saga after the theatrical debut of The Marvels (a net increase of 1 film from the original plan) with only 2 in between Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.
This plan remained intact through Disney’s April release schedule update with Deadpool & Wolverine being the first of 10 films released after The Marvels with Avengers: Secret Wars still in place to be last of the 10.
Following SDCC ’24, Disney released another updated version of its theatrical release schedule on August 2nd, 2024. While it’s highly unlikely to be the final version of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga slate, the latest update removed the July 24, 2026 theatrical date from the schedule. Marvel Studios had not named the film intended for that date and it seems very likely that Sony will quickly pounce on it as the release date for Spider-Man 4; however, Spider-Man 4 was always coming and it was always coming from Sony so Marvel dropping the date is a net loss of one project from the Multiverse Saga, putting things back to where they stood in July 2022 with only one film set to hit theaters in between Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. So if they’re back to where they started, how can the argument be made that they are trying to accelerate the ending of the saga?
We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three. And we’re working hard on what that path is.
Bob Iger on the reduction of content being produced by Marvel Studios
To truly make the argument, one must look at the overall reduction in content as mandated by Bob Iger who, in this instance, is playing the part of Mr. Paradox. Once set to be composed of AT LEAST 39 projects (21 films and 18 streaming series), that number has been greatly reduced–although not entirely quantifiable at this point. The studio was originally willing to release as many as 5 live-action streaming series in a year, a number that has already been reduced to 2. Where once the studio planned to roll out Echo, Season 2 of Loki, Ironheart, Agatha All Along and Daredevil: Born Again over the course of 12 months spread between 2023 and 2024, Daredevil: Born Again is now set for a March 2025 release and Ironheart, while still expected to be released, remains in limbo. Beyond those shows, only Wonder Man and the Paul Bettany-led Vision series have been confirmed by the studio and are not likely to arrive on Disney Plus until 2026. Looking back at the original Phase 6 reveal, it seemed as though the studio had planned for as many as 5 streaming series to be released within it. Even if Wonder Man and Vision were among them, it seems very hard to believe that the studio will then push out 3 more streaming series in 2027 before the release of Avengers: Secret Wars.
DISNEY UPFRONT 24 – The Disney Advertising Upfront is a showcase event that brings together all the content corners of The Walt Disney Company on one stage. On Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at North Javits in New York City, an incredible roster of all-star talent will tout their connections to storytelling, Disney, and each other while showcasing their latest projects for the upcoming year.
(Disney/John Argueta)
CHARLIE COX, VINCENT D’ONOFRIO
The strongest indicator that the studio is looking to put the Multiverse Saga out of its misery is the recent reduction of films between the newly retitled Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. While it does return the slate to the state of its initial reveal at SDCC ’22, nobody believed that was the final draft at the time. Reducing the number of projects in between the films results in the reduction of efforts to further explain or further explore what’s going on in the Multiverse. Where it once seemed likely that Armor Wars, a sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Doctor Strange 3 were all destined to be part of the Multiverse Saga, that’s no longer possible given the most recent release schedule update; where Phase 6 once looked to be comprised of 6 films, it’s now down to 5 and that is with Blade, which was originally a Phase 5 film, having slid into Phase 6 due to struggles to get production underway. Whatever film lands in between the two Avengers films will have some seriously heavy lifting to do as it seems increasingly unlikely that a streaming series would be required viewing for an Avengers saga finale.
Given the response of the audience to the multiverse portions of the Multiverse Saga, the reduction of projects almost certainly happened as a result of Iger and Marvel Studios’ creative cohort, The Parliament, recognizing they were on very thin ice with fans. And while that is indubitably a “good thing”, it does not alleviate the perception that they’d like to get this chapter of the MCU over as soon as possible. While we will have to wait a bit longer to be able to say just how many fewer projects will ultimately make up the Multiverse Saga, it is clear it will be fewer than intended and that Iger’s return to Disney coincided with the push to deploy the Time Ripper against it.
Doomed to Fail
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Robert Downey Jr. speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
Hindsight is, as they say, 20/20; however, the Multiverse Saga was always a risk. And before Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania flopped and Jonathan Majors‘ legal troubles deep-sixed Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Kang was always going to be a problem…and a problem the studio should have foreseen following Avengers: Endgame. There are plenty of reasons why hardcore sci-fi media never really lands with general audiences but time travel, alternate dimensions and the infinite possibilities of a multiverse are definitely near the top of the list. For a decade, MCU films were easily digestible popcorn blockbusters. Avengers: Endgame changed that and the online dialogue following the film stands as a testament to the difficulties general audiences have with key hardcore sci-fi concepts. Not even the writers of Endgame agreed with the directors on how time travel worked.
We are not experts on time travel, but the Ancient One specifically states that when you take an Infinity Stone out of a timeline it creates a new timeline. So Steve going back and just being there would not create a new timeline.
-Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely on how time travel works within the MCU
Both Ancient One and Hulk were right. You can’t change the future by simply going back to the past. But it’s possible to create a different alternate future. It’s not a butterfly effect. Every decision you made in the past could potentially create a new timeline. For example, the old Cap at the end movie, he lived his married life in a different universe from the main one. He had to make another jump back to the main universe at the end to give the shield to Sam.
-Anthony and Joe Russo on how time travel works within the MCU
Tracking and understanding the multiple realities created by time travel in Avengers: Endgame became an obsession and a wonderful lesson of why it is important not to engage in online dialogue about nuanced and complicated fictional topics. What should have been a teachable moment for the Parliament became anything but. Rather than avoid dipping back into the deep end of the sci-fi pool, they doubled down by choosing to enter the Multiverse Saga and by choosing Kang as its center. Even the most dedicated and long-standing fans of Marvel Comics would have a difficult time explaining the convoluted nature of Kang to a fellow dedicated and long-standing fan. Making Kang the “anchor being” of the Multiverse Saga was never the right choice. And despite the correct decision to eliminate the saga’s “anchor being” following Majors‘ legal troubles, it nonetheless accelerated the end of the saga, forcing them to turn to where they should have always started.
Now, it seems, the studio heads chose to learn the hard way and in a move that has been described as “desperate”, turned to Doom to save the Multiverse Saga…and turned back to their biggest star (Robert Downey Jr.) and their most consistent shepherds of content (McFeely and the Russos). Superficially, pivoting to Doom indicates that the Parliament “was listening to fans” and let them help drive the bus to the end of the Multiverse Saga. On the other hand, the move to Doom seems hurried, and, in all the worst ways, Avengers: Doomsday could turn into the MCU’s Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice: a rushed and contrived mash-up that tried to do too much too fast and ended up as an abject failure.
Can Doom replace Kang as the anchor being and save the Multiverse Saga? That’s not a question that can be answered until the entire saga can be viewed retrospectively. However possible it may be, it may be hard for longtime fans of the MCU (and even harder for longtime fans of the Victor Von Doom found in the pages of Marvel Comics) to accept the Multiverse Saga as a success. All things die and with so many options available for Marvel Studios to choose from for their next saga, it might be hard to find many fans who mourn the accelerated end of the Multiverse Saga.
Marvel Studios is expected to provide some measure of an update on the Multiverse Saga on Friday, August 9th during its portion of Disney’s Entertainment Showcase as part of D23.
Episode 6 of The Acolyte, “Teach/Corrupt”, may not have been the most action-packed of the series and it really didn’t do much to further the plot of the series. That doesn’t mean the latest installment of Lucasfilm’s newest Star Wars series didn’t have something to offer to the overall mythology of the galaxy far, far away.
With both Master Sol and The Stranger seeing through the Parent Trap swap fairly quickly, the episode slowed down considerably compared to the previous installment which was as action-packed as Star Wars has ever been. “Teach/Corrupt” split time with the Aniseya twins and their swapped masters and while Mae and Sol still have some things to work out, The Stranger’s time with Osha was indeed revelatory. Together on an “unknown planet”, The Stranger begins his seduction of Osha, intending to have her replace her sister as his acolyte. As the two spend time in his bad-guy lair, The Stranger works to repair his helmet which Jecki damaged in the last episode. For the first time in Star Wars canon, the metal used to build the helmet, cortosis, is named and its properties are explained as it becomes apparent that the “unknown planet” is rich with the valuable metal. And as interesting as The Stranger’s tale of his time as a Jedi is, the island has been at the center of much of post-episode discussion and it turns out it may not truly be unknown.
While some fans believed the island planet may have been Ahch-To, showrunner Leslye Headland dismissed the idea while keeping the name of the planet a secret. However, some fans have come to believe that the planet has already appeared in Star Wars canon in the novel Darth Plagueis. Published in 2012, the canonical novel by author James Luceno tells the story of Sleepy Sheev Palpatine’s Sith Master, Hego Damask, aka Darth Plagueis. In that novel, Plagueis killed his own Master, Darth Tenebrous, on an ocean planet rich with cortosis ore. That planet, Bal’demnic, clearly has a whole lot in common with The Stranger’s “unknown planet” and given that The Acolyte is set about 65 years before Plagueis killed Tenebrous on Bal’demnic, it’s entirely possible that the first season of the series is setting the stage for that part of the Sith’s history to ultimately be told should the series be renewed.
Episode 5 of The Acolyte, “Night”, stands among the most violent Star Wars content ever put to film. Picking up right on the heels of the Episode 4 cliffhanger, “Night” brings the Jedi face-to-face with Mae’s mysterious master in the jungles of Khofar where The Stranger proves more than a formidable foe. While taking on multiple members of the Jedi landing party and dispatching Plo Koon wannabe Jedi 1, The Stranger showcases an interesting pair of defensive maneuvers that leave a couple of Jedi defenseless and in shock.
While engaged in lightsaber combat with Jedi 2 and (presumably) Jedi 3, The Stranger first uses a metal gauntlet and then his helmet to deflect and short out the Jedi’s weapons. Though the effect is short-lived and the Jedi’s sabers ultimately do reignite, it’s the first time anything of the sort has been seen in a live-action Star Wars project though it does have its place in Star Wars canon.
The Identity of The Stranger’s Anti-Jedi Defenses
Though “Night” showcased the mysterious metal in live-action for the first time, the substance has been part of Star Wars lore for more than two decades. The Stranger’s gauntlet and mask are composed of a rare metal known as cortosis. First appearing in the now non-canon novel I, Jedi, cortosis made its way into canon in 2014 in the pre-Rebels era novel, A New Dawn. Despite not having been seen onscreen before, the use of cortosis has a long history in the galaxy far, far away and, perhaps unsurprisingly, that history is deeply tied to the Sith.
Who is The Stranger?
After holding his own against Sol, Darth Teeth found himself on his heels when Jecki Lon entered the battle. Though Jecki was able to knock his helmet off, The Stranger quickly dispatched of the Jedi. As her body slumped to the ground, his face and identity were revealed to Sol. Though the revelation that Manny Jacinto‘s Qimir was Mae’s mysterious master wasn’t much of a surprise, his decision to reveal himself as a Sith to Master Sol was. Explaining that he sought the “freedom to wield his power the way I like“, Qimir then shared that he sought “a pupil…an Acolyte,” presumably to follow Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. Finding Mae lacking after her betrayal, Qimir risked discovery by the Jedi in order to kill her. And, as he explained to Sol, now that the Jedi were aware of his existence, they must all die as well.
The Era of the Sith, the Null Blade and The Rule of Two
Interestingly enough, cortosis ties together the past and present of the Sith…and we already know what their future holds. For nearly 4,000 years near the end of the Old Republic era, the Sith were the dominant force in the galaxy. In an effort to end the Era of the Sith, a dark side cult known as the Ascendant crafted a blade of cortosis. Known as the Null Blade, the weapon proved capable of shorting out Sith lightsabers. Though it ultimately proved ineffective in taking out the Sith, itremained part of canonical stories into the years between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Despite the Ascendant’s failure to destroy the Sith, the group’s lust for power began to turn them against each other and allow the Jedi to defeat them. At this point, around 1032 BBY, the Sith Lord Darth Bane instituted the Rule of Two which and began a lineage of Masters and Apprentices that lasted until the end of the Sith in 4 BBY when Vader turned on Palpatine and killed his Master.
Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it.
-Darth Bane’s Rule of Two
Given that The Acolyte is set 100 years before the events of The Phantom Menace, it’s clear that Qimir himself had a Master from Bane’s lineage. Throughout the series–and especially in Episode 5–Qimir has shown himself to be incredibly knowledgeable about the Jedi Order. It should then be no surprise that he’d also be incredibly knowledgable about the history of the Sith and the role of cortosis in it. In addition to taking advantage of the properties of the metal to disrupt the Jedi’s weapons, Qimir also seemingly used the metal to help keep the Jedi from accessing his mind, adding a new canonical property to the substance.
Qimir has proven himself to be quite resourceful throughout the series and while there are plenty of questions coming out of Episode 5 (primarily about the true story of what went down on Brendok), possibly the most intriguing questions are whether or not the identity of Qimir’s Master will be revealed and whether or not they are still among the living.
It’s been five years since Marvel Studios’ original Avengers last assembled on screen in Avengers: Endgame. However, as Marvel Studios crosses the halfway point of their Multiverse Saga–which has introduced heroes like Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi and Moon Knight–six of Earth’s mightiest heroes who, on a day unlike any other found themselves united against the cmon threat of Loki and heeded the call to become the Avengers, still sit at the forefront of the minds of fans. Though two of them sacrificed themselves to help defeat Thanos and a third disappeared in the time stream, three of the OG Avengers have seen their stories continue post-Endgame and still live on to fight another day.
As fans continue to hope for the continuation of the stories of Hawkeye, Hulk and Thor and for the Multiverse to find a way to tell further chapters in the stories of Cap, Widow and Iron Man, Disney has taken a hard look at the state of the MCU and found some holes in the one unassailable armor. Perhaps coincidentally, as Disney plots a new course forward, rumors and reports have begun to emerge that they may take a look in the rearview and return to the stories of the heroes that created such a sturdy foundation. Ahead of the summer convention circuit, which could be used to give a glimpse of what’s next, we parse through rumor and reality for each of the original six Avengers.
Bruce Banner
After a supporting role in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Bruce Banner’s next appearance–while all but guaranteed–is anyone’s guess. Despite the MCU debut of the Red Hulk, the Hulked-out alter ego of Banner’s longtime nemesis, Thunderbolt Ross, and the return classic Hulk villain The Leader in 2025’s Captain America: Brave New World, Banner is not expected to be on screen in the film. His cameo appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of The Ten Rings seemingly indicated he’s still at least somewhat active with whatever remnants of the Avengers remain after the events of Avengers: Endgame and as their current expert on time travel, one would think he’d come in handy when Earth’s Mightiest Heroes find themselves up against Kang (assuming that’s still happening).
I’d love to do a standalone Hulk, I just don’t think that’s ever going to happen. It’s very expensive if you did a whole movie, which is why they use the Hulk so sparingly. I priced myself out!
-Mark Ruffalo, GQ, February 2024
https://www.murphysmultiverse.com/avengers-5-rumored-to-have-cracked-its-story-sideline-major-marvel-studios-heroes/Though Mark Ruffalo–who has played the Hulk since taking over for Edward Norton in 2012’s The Avengers–was told by Marvel Studios’ One Above All Kevin Fegie that a solo Hulk movie is out of the question, a film adaptation of the Marvel Comics event World War Hulk has made several rounds through the rumor mill since 2021. Originally rumored to begin production in 2022, buzz around the film died off significantly following Marvel Studios’ 2022 slate presentations at SDCC and D23. Recently, however, rumors emerged that at least part of the action in the newly rewritten Avengers 5would involve a team of heroes that included Banner and that some elements of either World War Hulk or World War Hulks could have made their way into the new script.
Verdict: With nothing but tenuous and insubstantial rumors from which to glean information, we’d wager that the safest bet is to expect to see Mark Ruffalo back in action in Avengers 5. If so, look for Marvel to make an announcement about the film this summer during the convention circuit.
Clint Barton
Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Hawkeye provided an opportunity to wrap up Clint Barton’s story by handing over the mantle of Hawkeye to Kate Bishop; however, while the Season 1 finale of Hawkeye saw Clint burn the Ronin outfit that symbolized a very dark period of his life, it did nothing to put a bow on his story. While Kate popped up in a quick cameo in The Marvels, the next chapter of Clint’s story has yet to begin yet…but as you probably already know there’s a reason for that.
I’m always game. I’m gonna be strong enough, that’s for sure. I’ll be ready. All those guys come to my bedside and they’ve been with me all along through this recovery, so… if they want me, they could have me. It would be something.
Jeremy Renner, who has played Clint Barton since the character first appeared in 2011’s Thor, nearly died in a snow plow accident in 2023. The actor’s recovery has gone incredibly well and now he’s ready to pick up the character’s trademark bow and arrow once more. Recently, it was rumored that a second season of Hawkeye was ordered up for Disney Plus which would see Clint and Kate reportedly pinned down in one location and potentially up against Clint’s brother, Barney.
Verdict: Though the original source of the rumor could be called into question, subsequent investigation into the veracity of the information has turned up some interesting information. While Marvel TV head honcho Brad Winderbaum just cautioned fans that the studio is now developing more projects than they ever intended to produce, a second season of Hawkeye does indeed seem to be in development and could end up on Disney Plus much sooner than expected.
Steve Rogers
Joe and Anthony Russo gave Steve Rogers a fairy tale ending in Avengers: Endgame. The Man Out of Time stepped back in time to live the life that was stolen from him when he went into the ice. After returning the Infinity Stones to their timelines, Rogers traveled back to 1949, creating a new timeline in which he and Peggy Carter got their dance and their happily ever after. That detour alone provides incredibly fertile storytelling ground but, so far, the further adventures of Steve Rogers have yet to be explored.
I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests.
I don’t want to disappoint anybody, but I just don’t know…it’s tough, it was such a good run and I’m so happy with it and you know, it’s so precious to me. It would have to be perfect. It would just be scary to rattle something that is so dear to me. And that role means so much to me, so to revisit it would be a tall order.
Chris Evans, Phase Zero, 2022
Rumors of Evans‘ return as Rogers are most frequently associated with two projects: Nomad and Avengers: Secret Wars. As we first reported in 2020, a Nomad project remains in development at Marvel Studios. Though no details have ever surfaced and the studio has never officially addressed the project, they have taken steps over the years to keep it viable. In April 2024, Evans was rumored to have signed on to star in Avengers: Secret Wars, currently on the slate for 2027, which fits with the star’s desire to have some time pass between Endgame and his next MCU appearance.
Verdict: A return by Evans seems inevitable at this point. His growth into the role of Captain America was one of the highlights of the Infinity Saga and his return for any project would immediately drive interest in it to new heights.
Natasha Romanoff
Natasha Romanoff should never be brought back to life. Her sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame brought a fitting closure to her character’s MCU arc and undoing it is not only impossible by the rules set forth in the film but would also give the character’s legacy less meaning moving forward. That does not, however, mean that stories about the character could not or will not continue to be told.
Like a loophole? I feel like that’s kind of the end, right? Like can you come back? Could it be a vampire version of the character? Cause I’m here for that, like a zombie version, maybe.
Verdict: Any and every character is truly on the board for a return in the Multiverse Saga; however, here’s to hoping any future Black Widow stories are set before her death or involve the creative and effective use of Variants.
Thor
Of all the original Avengers, Thor seems the one most likely to have stories told about him as long as the MCU exists. Given his long life as an Asgardian, there’s plenty of room for stories about his past and future to be told, something done exceptionally well in the comics by Jason Aaron.
You look at Thor 1 and 2, they were quite similar. Ragnarok and Love and Thunder are similar. I think it’s about reinventing it. I’ve had such a unique opportunity with Infinity War and Endgame to do very drastic things with the character. I enjoy that, I like keeping people on their toes. It keeps me on my toes.
Chris Hemsworth, Happy, Sad, Confused Podcast, 2022
Happily. It’s too integral a part of my DNA. That role chose me. And look, I always say, “Never, ever bet against Kevin Feige.” It is a losing bet. He’s the house. He will always win.
Robert Downey Jr., Esquire, 2024
Tony Stark’s incredible legacy in the MCU will continue to live on even though the character does not. Though Vegas sees actor Robert Downey Jr. as the odds-on-favorite to return to the role that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the rumor landscape is notably barren. A pre-Endgame-set Iron Man 4 doesn’t seem likely and it’s pretty clear a post-Endgame continuation of the story of the Sacred Timeline’s Tony Stark isn’t in the cards. That doesn’t mean there’s no way home for Stark, however, as a Variant of the character could easily appear in any number of Multiverse Saga stories.
Verdict: It is my belief that Marvel Studios and Downey will find–perhaps already have found–a way to get Downey some more screen time. The MCU needs saving and who better than its greatest hero to save it one more time.
I was a good student in school. I’ll do my homework as an adult. But I am definitely not looking to do homework when I go to the movies. I very much made this film with certainly a healthy respect and gratitude towards the rabid fan base that has peak fluency in the mythology and lore of these characters and this world. But I didn’t want to presume that. This movie is built for entertainment, with no obligation to come prepared with prior research.
When it comes down to prep for Deadpool & Wolverine, it’s Shawn Levy‘s world and we’re not here to argue. So when he says that no homework is required to enjoy the film, we believe him; however, we have selected a handful of projects that might help you maximize your enjoyment come July.
All I ever wanted was to travel off in exotic places and meet new exciting people and then kill them, so I became a mercenary. My name is Wade Wilson. And I love what I do.
-Wade Wilson, X-Men Origins: Wolveirne
X-Men Origins: Wolverine 38% Rotten Tomatoes
By far the worst X-Men movie put to film by Fox, Origins is also the most complete story of Logan’s transformation into Weapon X. While the Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine is most certainly not this Logan, the origin story is almost certainly the same and worth checking out before heading to theaters. There’s also an absolutely atrocious origin of Deadpool tossed in here that is all but a sure thing to be referenced in the new film. In fact, there’s plenty of speculation that one member of the Deadpool Corps is plucked from whatever timeline this disaster took place.
Deadpool (2016) 85% Rotten Tomatoes
The first act in The Tragedy of Wade Wilson, Deadpool is the setup that provides exposition and establishes the majority of the important relationships in Wade’s life. It seems as though Deadpool & Wolverine will see Wade face the threat of losing everything, so it’s good to remember just what everything is.
Deadpool 2 (2018) 84% Rotten Tomatoes
For all of Wade’s mockery of what heroes are and do, Deadpool 2 saw the Merc With a Mouth become one. The second act in the Tragedy of Wade Wilson, the film allowed Deadpool the opportunity to grow and realize his true capabilities. It’s also full of time travel which–one would think–would have to be referenced by the TVA in Deadpool & Wolverine.
For all time, always…and any time is always a good time to rewatch one of Marvel Studios’ finer streaming series, however, there may be good reason to limit your rewatch to Season 1. From what can be gleaned from the first two trailers for Deadpool & Wolverine, that project is seemingly set before Loki ascended to his role as the God of Stories in Season 2. Of course, not everything will be what is seems in the trailers and time is very wonky within the walls of the TVA. At the very least, though, it won’t hurt to catch back up on how things work in the TVA offices and freshen up on the Sacred Timeline.
Tier 2
If you’re out to be a Wolverine completist, Tier 2 is for you. In addition to the Tier 1 projects, working your way through these will provide whatever level of Hugh Jackman fix you need.
McAvoy or Stewart? These timelines are confusing.
-Wade Wilson, Deadpool (2016)
X-Men (2000) 82% Rotten Tomatoes
Revisiting Jackman’s first time as Wolverine won’t really help you understand anything that happens in Deadpool & Wolverine but on the heels of the incredible first season of X-Men ’97, it’s another trip down memory lane worth taking. It should provide some especially jarring juxtapositioning to see Wolverine in the ridiculous black leather just ahead of seeing the big screen debut of his iconic comic book costume.
X2 (2003) 85% Rotten Tomatoes
If you’re going to watch the worst X-Men movie ever made (Origins), you might as well treat yourself to the best X-Men movie ever made. X2 did what few sequels did by surpassing the quality of the original and set the franchise up for a killer third installment. While that didn’t quite work out, you can still enjoy Alan Cumming‘s incredible performance as Nightcrawler and hate Brian Cox‘s Stryker all over again. Certainly one of Jackman’s best turns as Wolverine, rewatching this one will be time well spent.
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) 57% Rotten Tomatoes
Notable as the first time Fox dropped the ball in telling the story of the Phoenix, The Last Stand is forgettable and tough to watch. As bad as it is, it does introduce Kelsey Grammer‘s Beast, who recently made his MCU debut, and Elliot Page‘s Kitty Pryde. Is that enough to overcome the trauma induced by seeing Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut? Probably not but at least it served as good meme material.
***NOTE***
As the most recent trailer showed, there will be plenty of characters appearing in Deadpool & Wolverine who first appeared on film in the original X-Men trilogy. A rewatch of the trilogy will serve as a nice refresher course on just who is who.
X-Men: First Class (2011) 86% Rotten Tomatoes
Worth a watch just for the cameo appearance by Jackman, First Class is also a very solid film and is likely to be referenced in some way. It won’t add anything to the story of Wolverine but if it’s been a while, check it out anyway.
The Wolverine (2013) 71% Rotten Tomatoes
The closest Jackman came to suiting up in the blue and yellow suit, The Wolverine is a fun, standalone story that gives a little more background on Logan. Depending on what the Variant in Deadpool & Wolverine has been through, that might be valuable.
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) 90% Rotten Tomatoes
The highest-rated X-film, Days of Future Past will always be worth a watch. It’s also going to provide more context to all the crazy time travel that’s always part and parcel of X-Men stories and could end up being referenced while Wade and Logan are in the TVA.
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016) 47% Rotten Tomatoes
Just a cameo and a reminder of Logan’s tortured past and not worth a watch other than for that.
Logan (2017) 93% Rotten Tomatoes
The film that was supposed to send Jackman off into the sunset, Logan stands as one of the highest-rated and most revered superhero films of all time. Levy, Reynolds and Jackman have sworn that the Logan timeline will not be altered in any way, but there are plenty of rumors about an appearance of an X-23 or two in Deadpool & Wolverine including, perhaps, a grown up version of Dafne Keene‘s Variant.
Time is a funny thing within the walls of the TVA so while Deadpool & Wolverine may not start before Season 2 of Loki concludes, there’s no saying it won’t end somewhere else down that road. If nothing else, the season provides a great reminder of how crazy the multiversal stuff gets and is great sci-fi TV.
Tier 3
Maximum effort! Deadpool & Wolverine is rumored to feature some fun cameos from characters who, like Logan, made their film debuts before the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If you’ve never seen these films or even if it’s been some time since you have, consider adding these to your pre-Deadpool & Wolverine watch list just in case they show up. The only caveat here is that should you chose to head down this path, you’ll be subjecting yourself to some of the worst superhero movies ever put on film.
I can tell you two things. One, your hairdo is ridiculous. Two, I ate a lot of garlic, and I just farted. Silent but deadly.
-Hannibal King,Blade: Trinity
Blade (1998) 59% Rotten Tomatoes and Blade II (2002) 57% Rotten Tomatoes
Before the live-action X-Men films put superhero in the spotlight, Wesley Snipes‘ Blade opened the door to the world of comic book films. The first film is a classic; the second less so. Why are they on here?
Daredevil (2003) 43% Rotten Tomatoes
Ben Affleck‘s Daredevil has not aged nearly as well as Ben Affleck.
Blade: Trinity (2004) 24% Rotten Tomatoes
Ryan Reynold‘s first role in a CBM was as Ryan Reynolds Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity. With the multiverse open for business, there’s room for a fun joke or two at his expense here.
Fantastic Four (2005) 28% Rotten Tomatoes
A horrible movie with a wonderful cast, it’s quite possible that at least one of those cast members makes a cameo in The Void in Deadpool & Wolverine.
Elektra (2005) 11% Rotten Tomatoes
If you thought Green Lantern was bad…but Jennifer Garner‘s character has been among many rumored to show up in a cameo in Deadpool & Wolverine, so you might have to give it a shot. Think of it this way: if you can watch this and recover in time to make it into theaters, you may have as strong of a healing factor as Deadpool and Wolverine.
Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine delivers the ultimate team-up throwdown on July 26.
Shawn Levy directs Deadpool & Wolverine, which stars Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen.
Kevin Feige, Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy and Lauren Shuler Donner produce with Louis D’Esposito, Wendy Jacobson, Mary McLaglen, Josh McLaglen, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, George Dewey and Simon Kinberg serving as executive producers. Deadpool & Wolverine is written by Ryan Reynolds & Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick & Zeb Wells & Shawn Levy.
Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine opens in U.S. & Canadian movie theaters on July 26, and will be available in IMAX, RealD 3D, Dolby Cinema, 4DX, Cinemark XD and premium screens everywhere.
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