Murphy's Multiverse

Category: What To Expect

  • Avengers: Doomsday

    Avengers: Doomsday

    Premiere: December 18, 2026

    Announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 as being part of Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Avengers: Kang Dynasty will focus on Jonathan Majors‘ Kang, who was first introduced as a Variant referred to as He Who Remains in the finale of the first season of Loki, is set to become the MCU’s next big bad. And so being, a big confrontation with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is, like their previous antagonist Thanos, inevitable. As the Multiverse Saga develops over the course of the next couple of years, Avengers: Kang Dynasty may not only serve as the culmination of Kang’s presence in the MCU but also set things up for the following Avengers entry, due to be released six months afterward.

    Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) was announced as the director just three days after the feature film was announced. In late 2023, as part of a total creative overhaul, Cretton left the project and writer Michael Waldron (Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Avengers: Secret Wars) took over writing duties. Before the end of 2023, Marvel Studios fired actor Jonathan Majors after he was found guilty of assault and harassment. The studio is currently looking to recast the character.

    On February 21, 2024, THR reported that in the wake of Majors’ legal troubles and the poor response to Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, the studio was dropping the subtitle The Kang Dynasty and looking to rename the film.

    As part of their SDCC ’24 presentation, Marvel Studios announced that the fifth Avengers film was set to be directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and had been retitled Avengers: Doomsday. Infinity Saga star Robert Downey Jr. is set to play Doctor Doom.

    In May 2025, the film’s release date was moved to December 18, 2026.

    Cast

    • Robert Downey Jr. as Victor Von Doom/Doctor Doom
    • Tom Hiddleston as Loki
    • Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic
    • Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman
    • Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch
    • Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing
    • Chris Evans in an unknown role
    • Tom Holland as Spider-Man
    • Chris Hemsworth as Thor
    • Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Captain America
    • Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
    • Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man
    • Florence Pugh as Yelana Belova
    • Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
    • Lewis Pullman as Sentry
    • David Harbour as Red Guardian
    • Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
    • Letitia Wright as Shuri
    • Tenoch Huerta Mejia as Namor
    • Winston Duke as M’Baku
    • Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
    • Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter
    • Kelsey Grammer as Beast
    • Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
    • Ian McKellen as Magneto
    • James Marsden as Cyclops
    • Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
    • Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
    • Channing Tatum as Gambit
    • Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres
  • ‘Wonder Man’

    ‘Wonder Man’

    Premiere: December 2025

    A June 2022 trade report announced that a Wonder Man Disney+ series was in development over at Marvel Studios with Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang–Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) as executive producer and Andrew Guest (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Community) serving as head writer.

    Little else is known about the project besides the fact that it’s seemingly looking at a 2023 production start, possibly hinting at a 2024 release. Considering both the subject matter, and the team Marvel Studios is gathering to develop the project, it would perhaps be fair to expect a show with a lighter tone similar to She-Hulk‘s, with similar episode lengths and numbers.

    Following persistent rumors in mid-October, Yaha Abdul-Mateen was finally confirmed as being the MCU’s Wonder Man through a trade report later that same month. Production on the project kicked off in 2023 but was delayed due to the WGA strike. Following some time to reframe the project, production restarted in January 2024.

    The Marvel Television series will debut on Disney Plus in December 2025.

    Cast

    • Yaha Abdul-Mateen as Simon Williams / Wonder Man
    • Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery
    • Demetrius Grosse as Eric Williams/Grim Reaper
    • Ed Harris as Neal Saroyan
    • Lauren Glazier as a to-be-confirmed character
  • Thunderbolts*

    Thunderbolts*

    Premiere: May 2, 2025

    Following a late 2021 rumor that stated that a Thunderbolts project was going ahead at Marvel Studios, a June 2022 trade report not only confirmed the project but also announced a few names charged with bringing it to the big screen. The director’s chair is said to be filled by Jake Schreier with the script being penned by Black Widow writer Eric Pearson.

    During Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 it was announced that the Thunderbolts feature film would be the final chapter of the MCU’s Phase 5. However, as the script moved on from Pearson to multiple different writers, the film found itself bounced down the line and, as Marvel Studios reshuffled its entire slate, it’s now on track for a 2025 release.

    The team’s full (?) line-up was announced in September 2022 at D23. Julia Louis-Dreyfus returns as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, with Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, and Hannah John-Kamen also reprising their characters from previous projects. Steven Yeun was cast as Robert Reynolds/Sentry but left the project before its 2024 start of production. In January 2024, Yeun dropped out of the film and was replaced by Lewis Pullman. In late January 2024, Geraldine Viswanathan joined the cast, replacing Ayo Edebiri in a supporting role.

    On March 27th, 2024, Florence Pugh posted a behind-the-scenes look at the film to social media and revealed that the film’s title had been changed to Thunderbolts*. At the time, no information was provided about what the added asterisk might mean.

    Cast

    • Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine
    • Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova / Black Widow
    • Lewis Pullman as Roberty Reynolds/Sentry
    • Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes/Winter Soldier
    • David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian
    • Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent
    • Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost
    • Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster
    • Geraldine Viswanathan in an unknown role
  • Andor Season 2

    Andor Season 2

    Premiere: TBD 2025

    The second season for Andor was confirmed at Star Wars Celebration 2022 before season one had even premiered. It will begin principal photography in the Fall of 2022. This second set of 12 episodes is set to conclude the series as it directly leads into the events of Rogue One. Diego Luna will obviously be returning as the titular character.

    Ahead of the series’ premiere, at Lucasfilm’s D23 panel in September 2022, Kathleen Kennedy teased that Season 2 would be starting production shortly after. Though it was originally believed to be intended to release in 2024, its production was paused during the WGA and SAG strikes, likely delaying it until 2025.

    During D23 2024, the second season of the series was confirmed for a 2025 release on Disney Plus.

    Cast

    • Diego Luna as Cassian Andor
  • ‘Star Wars: Visions’ (season 2)

    ‘Star Wars: Visions’ (season 2)

    Premiere: 2023

    Announced during Star Wars Celebration 2022, this animated anthology series will continue in the footsteps of season one as it will feature the inventiveness of several of the leading Japanese anime studios as they tell stories set in the Star Wars universe. But season two will go a step further and include a few other animated styles from across the world, meaning a lot more diversity in the stories being told and how they may be explored. It is set to premiere on Disney+ in 2023.

    Season one featured the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Neil Patrick Harris, Alison Brie, Karen Fukuhara, David Harbour, George Takei, and Temuera Morrison meaning we should expect a similar celebrity list lending their voiceover talents for season two.

  • Skeleton Crew

    Skeleton Crew

    Premiere: December 3, 2024 (Two Episodes)

    Announced at Star Wars Celebration 2022, Skeleton Crew is an original series set to explore the story of a group of kids that get lost in the Star Wars galaxy, set in the same timeframe as The Mandalorian, Ahsoka, and Boba Fett.

    The show will be steered by Jon Watts and executive produced by Christopher Ford, Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni as well as by Watts himself. The cast will be led by Academy-nominated actor Jude Law. According to a trade report the series is set for a 2023 Disney+ release.

    In September 2020 it was announced that both Kyriana Kratter and Ravi Cabot-Conyers had joined the series’ cast.

    In May 2024, series creator Jon Watts revealed that Skeleton Crew was slated to debut on Disney Plus “around Christmas” 2024.The series will debut on December 3rd, 2024 with a 2-episode premiere.

    Cast

    • Jude Law Ja Na Nawood
    • Kyriana Kratter as KB
    • Ravi Cabot-Conyers as Wim
    • Ryan Kiera Armstrong as Fern
    • Robert Timothy Smith as Neel
    • Kerry Condon as
    • Nick Frost as the voice of SM-33
    • Tunde Adebimpe
  • ‘Tales of The Jedi’

    ‘Tales of The Jedi’

    Premiere: October 26, 2022

    Following the success of Star Wars: Visions audiences are getting a new Star Wars anthology series that will this time explore different Jedi characters from the prequel trilogy era. It will consist of six episodes split into two paths. The first one will follow Ahsoka Tano and the other a young Count Dooku before turning to the dark side of the Force.

    Liam Neeson is set to return to voice Qui-Gon Jinn and Matt Lanter and Ashley Eckstein will also reprise their takes on their Star Wars animated characters, Anakin Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano.

    It was announced at Lucasfilm’s D23 panel in September 2022 that the series would be premiering on October 26 and that, of the six episodes that comprise the first season, three would be dedicated to following Ahsoka Tano and three would focus on Count Dooku.

    Cast

    • Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn
    • Matt Lanter as Anakin Skywalker
    • Ashhley Eckstein as Ahsoka Tano

    Promotional Material

  • Champions

    Champions

    Premiere: TBD

    Known to be in development for several years, Marvel Studios’ Young Avengers became a reality the moment Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan met Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop in The Marvels.

    In May 2024, it was reported that production on a Young Avengers film was expected to begin in 2025. Later in 2024, reports circulated that the studio had decided to retitle the project Champions.

    Rumored Cast

    • Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan
    • Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop
    • Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang
    • Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez
    • Joe Locke as Billy Kaplan
  • ‘Scarlet Witch’

    ‘Scarlet Witch’

    Premiere: TBD

    Ahead of the debut of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, rumors began to swirl that co-lead Elizabeth Olsen’s character, Wanda Maximoff, would be at the center of two upcoming projects: a Scarlet Witch solo project and an adaptation of Alan Heinberg’s Avengers: The Children’s Crusade.

    As it turns out, it sounds like the Scarlet Witch solo project, which would presumably follow Wanda following the harrowing events of the Strange sequel, will not only come first, but also possibly start filming in 2023, making a 2024 debut a distinct possibility. Whatever the case, it’s exciting to know there are still more chapters to Wanda’s story.

    Cast

    • Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / The Scarlet Witch
  • ‘Shang-Chi 二’

    ‘Shang-Chi 二’

    Premiere: TBD

    The success of Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings made a sequel to the 2021 release a no-brainer, so it surprised nobody when, in December of 2021, Marvel Studios put it on the slate.

    Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed the first film, is returning to write and direct the next chapter, which is currently slated to go into production sometime in 2023. A rumor spread in September 2022 placed the movie’s release date in early 2025. With Cretton set to direct the next Avengers movie set for release in May of 2025 this would make the 2023 production start date make a bit more sense. It would mean that he could basically be then starting a close to two-year period in which he would be shooting back-to-back Marvel projects.

    In November 2023, Cretton left Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to begin work on Shang-Chi 2.

    Cast

    • Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
    • Awkwafina as Katy