Through a press release via Disney UK, Marvel Studios 2024 streaming slate has been revealed.
As has been expected for some time, 2024 will only see 3 Marvel Studios projects hit the streaming service: Echo, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries and X-Men ’97.
Echo will kick off the year for the studio with all 5 episodes debuting simultaneously on Hulu and Disney + on January 10th. While no release date was given for Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, it’s expected to begin streaming in September. Live Darkhold Diaries, X-Men ’97, a revival of the beloved X-Men: The Animated Series, doesn’t have a firm release date but has long been rumored to be debuting “early in 2024.”
In the multiverse, anything is possible. There have been many rumors that Marvel Studios has instantly tried to bring back its iconic Infinity Saga characters to undo whatever the internet has been complaining bout. As much as Phase 4 and 5 have been a bit more varied in their quality, there’s certainly something curious about the amount of rumors people still clamor around.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, however, Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige has once again highlighted that they are not going to undo the big heartbreaking death of Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame. He gave the following statement that they won’t “magically undo it in any way.”
We are going to keep that moment and not touch that moment again. We all worked very hard for many years to get to that, and we would never want to magically undo it in any way.
Kevin Feige
However, we should keep in mind that this doesn’t mean Robert Downey Jr. could still return in some form in the franchise. They could have him take on a different role and still appear in the multiverse franchise. The fact they haven’t used the actor since they started the multiverse storyline showcases that they are holding back and likely only reintroduce a version of him if it fits the story thematically.
Star Wars seems like it could dethrone any franchise even if Disney+ has fewer subscribers than the streaming giant that is Netflix. So, many different metrics can showcase the success of a project in this modern data-based world. It’s getting more and more difficult as people online swing wildly with analytics and data points to showcase just how big a project truly is or not. Still, there’s always something interesting that pops up now and then to tease just how big a new project might be in this streaming age.
For Netflix, it seems they won the third quarter with their latest live-action anime adaptation; a far cry from where they were when Cowboy Bebop was released last year. The winner in Q3 according to an analysis from The Wrap is One Piece, which even managed to pull in a bigger interest in the US throughout its first 30 days in comparison to Ahsoka, The Boys spinoff Gen V, and the latest The Walking Dead spinoff.
We know that the series was big enough to get a second season (and hopefully gets the opportunity to grow even more beyond given just how much there is to explore from the original manga series). However, seeing just how big the adaptation of Eiichiro Oda’s iconic series has become in the States is a showcase of just how universal the storyline is. Hopefully, they will be able to move forward fast and start filming to avoid losing the audience’s interest due to long waits in between seasons. So, we’ll see how fast the franchise starts moving forward.
We’ve all been waiting for the update on when we can expect an update on the fourth entry in Tom Holland’sSpider-Man franchise. As much as everyone is discussing the current status of Marvel Studios, there’s still hope to further build upon the rather melancholic ending that Spider-Man: No Way Home left us with. It seemed like the perfect time for Spider-Man to return back to basics.
Yet, it seems Tom Holland isn’t quite on board. This would mark the first actor to get a fourth live-action entry and it seems he wants to make sure they do it quite right, as he feels “very protective” of this iconic Marvel franchise and character. It’s fitting and hopefully, we’ll get more updates as time goes by, but in an interview, he highlights that he’s “actively engaging in conversations” on the fourth entry.
All I can say is that we have been actively engaging in conversations about what it could potentially look like for a fourth rendition of my character. Whether or not we can find a way to do justice to the character is another thing. I feel very protective over Spider-Man. I feel very, very lucky that we were able to work on a franchise that got better with each movie, that got more successful with each movie, which I think is really rare, and I want to protect his legacy. So, I won’t make another one for the sake of making another one. It will have to be worth the while of the character.
Tom Holland
Of course, there’s the likelihood that he’s already signed on and just highlighting how much he cares about the project, as they are trying to make sure they find their way moving forward. There are rumors that they might not fully remove the character from the multiverse saga though the hints have been for a more grounded storyline. Though, perhaps it’s simply a post-credit tie-in forced upon by Sony given that they don’t want to lose the contract again. Still, we’ll see once they start hinting at the next entry moving forward.
Marvel Studios Thunderbolts has gone through some turbulence in its efforts to make it to the big screen; however, with cameras now set to roll next April, some of the film’s stars have been a little more forthcoming in sharing their excitement for the film. Wyatt Russell, who will reprise his role as John Walker in the film, thinks director Jake Schreier has what it takes to bring out the best in the ensemble cast which includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Steven Yeun and David Harbour. Though Harbour has to complete work on Season 5 of Stranger Things before getting to work on Thunderbolts, he did recently talk with Screen Rant about the MCU project.
Thunderbolts will in many ways be a follow-up to 2021’s Black Widow. Three of the film’s main characters (Taskmaster, Red Guardian and Yelena) were featured in Black Widow and Thunderbolts will reunite Harbour’s Alexi with Pugh’s Yelena. Black Widow gave some insight into their shared past–not all of which was bright and happy–and Harbour teases that there’s more of that to come in Thunderbolts. “So they have a lot of unexplored history,” says the actor of Alexi and Yelena. “There’s a lot of details that the director, Jake, has gone into the great care of what their life was like in the Midwest when they were doing all that spy stuff. And then, a lot of that comes up in really fun, interesting, beautiful ways, which, like in the Black Widow movie came up with that song, American Pie. And there’s just a lot of complexity between me and Florence’s character, which I love,” he concluded.
Thunderbolts will mark the first time the two have interacted on screen since the death of Scarlett Johannson‘s Natasha Romanoff. That loss is sure to be central to at least some of the interaction between the two in the film, something that Harbour also teased. “And also they’re two people that… she can’t stand, but she needs some because she’s incomplete in a certain way that he may be able to help her with. I think that’s always so beautiful. Because I feel like our relationships are always so… Sometimes we don’t get to choose the people that complete us. The people that we really need. I think that they exemplify that in their own way. It will be fun to bring that to life in the movie.“
While their father-daughter relationship was contentious at best in Black Widow, it was obvious that not only did Alexi truly care for Yelena but also that part of her BIG personality certainly came from spending time with her larger-than-life surrogate father, the boastful Super Soldier from Russia. Whatever emotions they’ll have to process, they’ll have to do so quickly as their team will be faced with the daunting task of taking on Yeun’s Sentry when Thunderbolts hits theaters on July 25, 2025.
Everyone loves to take a shot at the king; however, when the CEO of your parent company comes out swinging on your latest film, even the big shots at Marvel Studios have to pay attention. Truly, while Bob Iger’s recent comments about why The Marvels failed to succeed might be the first time the public has caught wind of the Disney CEO’s train of thought, it’s very likely those sentiments have been shared behind closed doors in the months since his return. His goal is simple: get Marvel Studios back on top. And that’s a goal that at least one MCU actor shares with Iger.
Wyatt Russell joined the MCU as deranged Super Soldier John Walker in 2021’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and is set to reprise the role in Black Widow 2Thunderbolts. While chatting it up with THR, Russell gave some insight into the delays that have faced the project and what he expects to accomplish.
As of now, principal photography on Thunderbolts seems slated to get underway in April of 2024. For a film that was originally scheduled to be released on July 26th, 2024, you can see how that’s problematic. It’s been obvious to the public that the project has its fits and starts and according to Russell “almost started shooting that about 14 times.” While the recent WGA and SAG strikes certainly were part of the problem, they weren’t the entire problem. The film has changed writers multiple times but now seems to be on a little more solid footing.
“I have confidence it’s gonna be good,” said Russell. “I know everybody is sort of on this Marvel train right now of things not going so well.” Part of the actor’s confidence in the project clearly stems from his trust in the director, Jake Schreier. Despite Thunderbolts being Schreier’s first big tentpole film, Russell believes the director has what it takes to make a great Marvel Studios film.
I know Jake so well and I know how smart Jake is and how much he cares about making something interesting and different and utilizing everyone’s talents to the best of their ability
Wyatt Russell on Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier
Russell’s confidence will only do so much for the project; however, the actor also indicated that while he hasn’t read a final draft of the script, Thunderbolts has a lot going for it, including not being so cut and dried as many MCU films have been in the past. “The story that I think they’ve come up with is really interesting,” said the actor. “I know parts of the story and how the story works, I can’t talk about it. But it’s not a straightforward Marvel movie as you’ve seen in the past.“
Whatever it is that Russell does know and is holding back, he’s confident MCU fans will be impressed. “I think that it’s gonna be a lot of fun,” he said, “but I think it will be something that hopefully Marvel fans will look at and go, ‘Oh OK, this is a little different, let’s go hard at it.’ And as far as how we are approaching it, it’s time to go to work a little bit, it’s time to make a good Marvel movie, so let’s do that and work hard at it and don’t take things for granted.” Just how straightforward and good a project it ultimately ends up being remains to be seen.
Thunderbolts is currently expected in theaters on July 25th, 2025.
There’s a fun irony to see The Boys series slowly turn into exactly what it mocked in its earliest seasons. The series created by Eric Kripke explored a dark and twisted take on superheroes that is steeped deeply in American politics and consumerism. It was the “gotcha” of its time as an anti-movement towards the more light-hearted fun the superheroes on the silver screen offered by mocking its foundations as a franchise-building, marketable product.
The Boys is now set to get its third spinoff series, The Boys: Mexico. The offshoot will be developed by Blue Beetle writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, who is seemingly actively looking for a co-showrunner to join the project. The project has not started casting and is set to film in Latin America. This marks another expansion of the Boys-verse after the recent release of Gen V and the animated spinoff Diabolical, which were both steeped in the R-rating of the original.
The series is also going to be executive produced by Andor’sDiego Luna and Werewolf by Night’sGale García Bernal, who is also interested in potentially having a minor role of some kind in the series, though it’s not yet set in stone. It’ll likely further explore another venture by Vought into expanding its superheroes across the world, or perhaps be a series that echoes the normal man vs. the superheroes that we see in the main The Boys series. We’ll have to wait a bit until we get more info on the series as Gen V is also set to get a second season.
Iman Vellani is slowly becoming the face of Marvel Studios’ iconic franchise. Robert Downey Jr. held that mantle for a long time and any inclusion of him in a film was a big selling point and if she keeps it up, she is slowly building up that role. She just recently appeared in The Marvels and while her next major live-action appearance is uncertain, she does have an animated project on the horizon.
We still don’t know when we can expect it to release but Marvel Zombies is one of the next animated features set to release. First teases hinted at the same animation style as What If and highlighted it’s likely a unique what-if scenario from the mainline Marvel Cinematic Universe. In an interview with The Direct, Vellani reveals that not only did she already finish her work on the project but Kamala Khan will have a major role in it.
We’ve done the whole thing. It was amazing. It was so much fun. And I love—there are a lot of cool characters in the ‘Marvel Zombies’ show. And Kamala is kind of the center of the show. They described it to me, it’s like, ‘She’s basically the Frodo of the story.’ And I was like, ‘That’s amazing.
Iman Vellani
She also highlights the excitement of having the character she started playing get to interact with various new characters through this animated style. Though, sadly, it seems they didn’t get a chance to record in a bigger group.
And I get to interact and meet all these people along her journey. And, yes, they’re only the voices, and I don’t get to hear their voices in real-time. But just, it’s my fantasies, right? Like, knowing Kamala is going to interact with some really cool people, even if it’s just animation, is so special in a lot of ways.
Iman Vellani
So far, we know very little about Marvel Zombies which was at one point touted as the first major R-rated project by Marvel Studios. While Echo has seemingly already taken that mantle with its upcoming January release, it’s still exciting to get another hint at what’s to come and the inclusion of these actors in the animated adaptation of the beloved comic book series. Here’s hoping they might be allowed to include Ash at some point.
Sadly, it seems that Netflix’s reputation is starting to lead to many creatives not even giving long-term storytelling a chance. One of the latest new additions in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has been released on the streaming service that gives a unique spin on the iconic cult classic film and comic, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. While the ending does includes a little hint at what could happen in a second season which would be original material, the series creator hints that a sequel season is unlikely.
In an interview with RollingStone, Bryan Lee O’Malley talked bout the anime adaptation of the series that saw the cast of the original film return to voice their characters. Even Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aubrey Plaza, Kieran Culkin, and more returned but it seems they approached the project as if it was a single season to begin with.
People are always complaining about how shows get canceled after 1 season. So we hedged our bets immediately, and tried to make a self-contained 1 season.
Bryan Lee O’Malley
It’s a shame as the series has style and definitely would offer some great storytelling if we had more from the show moving forward. There’s a lot about the mystical world of Canada worth exploring as Scott and Ramona Flower’s relationship gets further explored. Though there’s an ending hinting at a potential continuation, O’Malley has confirmed it was more a tongue-in-cheek reference towards post-credit sequences overall.
The fall box office is rough, that’s certainly sure now. Though, not for everyone. In a surprise twist, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes seemingly pulled in a stronger second weekend than expected even with a B+ CinemaScore; further adding to its validity for telling movie’s legs nowadays given Five Nights at Freddy’s had an A- and just crashed in its second weekend. However, the film was also promoted by its cast before the premiere due to getting a waiver during the strikes,w which likely gave it a bit of a boost. It added $28.8M over the weekend (a 38% drop) and generally had a $42M run over the Thanksgiving holiday.
The Marvels‘ managed to pull in $6.4M over the weekend with $9.2M in the holidays, which is putting it on a path to be the first MCU film to make less than $100M. Still, a 37% drop after its first massive drop is a much better hold than Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s 60% and The Flash’s 65%. If it manages to surprise and hold a bit better it could still surprise but that just depends on if Marvel Studios and Disney decided to drop it before Christmas as an early gift for subscribers (which wouldn’t be new for them). Plus it had quite a bit of competition with two new releases and the other three from last weekend. Not going to change much but still worth noting.
The true disappointment of the weekend is, however, that Disney’s 100-year celebration release Wish only earned $35M over the weekend and pulled in $45M in the Thanksgiving timeframe. It’s miles ahead of Strange World from last year which opened to $18M, but it’s definitely not close to where Encanto was two years prior. It only opened in 27 markets overseas, which means its global tally is $49M as most of the slate this year has underperformed with very high budgets and the fall doesn’t come with that summer bonus. It does have an A- CinemaScore but glancing at Hunger Games and Five Nights at Freddy’s, who knows how valuable that really is.
It may be a general issue with Disney+ showcasing a similar effect with Five Nights at Freddy’s second-weekend drop. If Wish faces a similar development, it showcases that audiences are going to need some time before they adjust to the new non-45-day release schedule on streaming platforms. Plus, Disney turned its own films into “wait and see” releases with its overall push into streaming. It’ll take time and focus to heal, which will likely happen but has shown its thorns in 2023; an overall detrimental year for blockbuster releases.
The surprise was Napoleon who opened to $78.8M worldwide and had a $21M weekend opening with $32.5M over its first five days. Yet, it continues the trend of a $200M budget for a film that is massively underperforming to cover its bill similar to Martin Scorsese’sKillers of the Flower Moon, which stands at $151M globally. The comparison with superhero flicks is commonly that those are made for all age audiences and is also a point made by Variety, but given that many point to Oppenheimer as the “cinematic revival” of long-films with R ratings doing well at the box office: the point becomes far more difficult as that film’s success is looking more and more like an exception.
One thing continues to dominate the box office: it is struggling and while Comscore analyst Paul Dergarabedian points out that it’s doing better than the last few years and sees it as “encouraging,” it’s very likely that studios are going to avoid this timeslot moving forward if things don’t change with high-budget releases. The fall box office is looking grim overall, as even the second entry to the billion-dollar Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom is going to premiere quite low and who knows if it’ll actually enjoy a holiday boost given just how volatile this year has been.
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