When he was last seen in the Disney Plus streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Helmut Zemo seemed primed to make an appearance in Marvel Studios Thunderbolts. Given the character founded the group in the pages of Marvel Comics, ending up in the Raft seemed the perfect way to leave Zemo in the position to lead a group of ragtag characters on a mission for thr U.S. government. However, as details about Thunderbolts began to trickle out, it became clear that Daniel Bruhl‘s fan-favorite bad guy was not a part of the ensemble cast, much to the disbelief of MCU fans.
Recently, Wyatt Russell–who will star in the film as the MCU’s newest super soldier, U.S. Agent–confirmed that Zemo was not in any of the drafts of the scripts he had read for the film, which seemed to put a nail in the coffin of fans’ hopes. Now, in an interview with Screen Rant, Bruhl addressed Zemo’s MCU future.
“I mean, they haven’t killed me yet…,” said Bruhl of Zemo. “[Right] now I’m doing a series, which is called The Franchise,” he continued, referencing the superhero satire series he’s currently filming for HBO, “but if there are people who have a lot of sense of humor, then it’s Marvel and it’s Kevin Feige. I’m very happy to shoot something about the franchise world and with a comical approach.” Clearly, Bruhl isn’t concerned that Marvel Studios One Above All will take the satirical series too seriously and cut Zemo out of future plans…but are there any at the moment? Bruhl took the long road to answer that question.
“But I guess it was nice with that Zemo guy because he was so surprising and different. Also, the second time around,” said the actor in reference to the character’s role in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, “I was invited to explore the sense of humor in that character, which I relish and enjoy so much. So again, it was a surprise, I was invited to surprise the people.” And his take on Zemo in the streaming series did surprise the audience and they responded in a very positive way which, in part, has led to the hopes he’d show back up in Thunderbolts; however, Bruhl revealed that is not in the cards, though he hopes to return to the role someday.
So I guess that if he shows up again, you really need to carefully think what is this crazy little guy up to this time around? So if the right opportunity would come, I wouldn’t say no, obviously. But for now, I’m into other things that I’m very happy with because that might have collided. I think they’re shooting [Thunderbolts] right now, so the destiny and fate always. I strongly believe in that. You just follow the path that you are offered to follow.
Daniel Bruhl revealing Zemo will not be in Thunderbolts
Given the derivation from the source material, it seems logical that Zemo won’t be leading this team of Thunderbolts; however, given the rotating nature of the roster of the team in the comics and the character’s in-universe resourcefulness, it seems possible that Bruhl may find his way to his rightful role as team leader down the road.
It would be easy to believe that Marvel Studios Thunderbolts would feature General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. A common misconception is that the comic book team, which first appeared on the page in 1996, was named for the character or that he started the squad. In fact, the team was first formed by the villainous Baron Zemo who chose the title because it was “crypto-fascist and friendly”, so it would be easy to believe that Zemo might appear in the 2025 film as well. There’s been plenty of speculation and debate online as to whether or not they’ll show up and different insiders have reported on both sides of the debate. Now, one of the film’s stars has spoken out about whether or no either of those characters will show up.
In an interview with The Playlist, Wyatt Russell, who will reprise his role as John Walker in Thunderbolts, indicated that he doesn’t expect either of the characters to appear…unless they’ve been included in an updated version of the script. “Daniel [Bruhl] is not going to be it, [but] he could play a part in it. I don’t know. I haven’t read a script yet, but as of now, I’m not sure,” said Russell when asked if the actor behind Zemo’s mask was set to return after his last appearance in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.
So if Zemo won’t appear, surely Ross–who was a member of one iteration of the Thunderbolts in the comics–will, right? Afterall, when Harrison Ford’s deal to play the character became public, it was widely reported he’d show up in Thunderbolts after starring in Captain America: New World Order Brave New World. Not so fast. “Harrison’s in Captain America 4, I think,” said Russell. “I don’t know, I haven’t read a script, so I don’t know who exactly who’s in it,” he continued, before switching gears to talk about actors he’s sure ARE in the film.
I know Florence [Pugh] is in it, I know Sebastian’s [Stan] in it. I know David Harbour is going to be in it. David Harbour is another guy who’s, like, so good. I love everything he does. I love his NHL commercials. He plays this, like, insane NHL fan guarding the Stanley Cup. I love everybody in it so much. And the director, [Jake Schreier], who [directed me in HBO’s] Lodge 49 or [directed] a lot of ‘Lodge 49’— I feel very, very lucky. I hope it ends up being as good as I feel lucky. And yeah, I’m really excited.
Wyatt Russell on the cast and director of Thunderbolts
The script has gone through multiple drafts–originally it was very much a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow and Zemo was definitely not in it–and, asRussell stated recently, has come close to staring production multiple times. It’s currently slated to get underway next April ahead of its July 25th, 2025 release date.
Iron Man. Nick Fury and Maria Hill–or rather Talos and Soren. Doctor Strange. In each of the films in the MCU-set Spider-Man trilogy, Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger has teamed up with a Marvel hero to help save the day. The deal that Sony and Disney struck to co-create these films was all about the tradeoff: Marvel Studios can use Spidey in their films as long as some Marvel characters show up in the Sony Spidey films. And with a fourth installment in the franchise already in development—and probably already drafted by now despite having been webbed up a bit by the WGA strike–fans have been speculating which character(s) might show up next.
Among the most talked about potential partners for a team-up is Charlie Cox’s Daredevil. Cox made his MCU debut in Spider-Man: No Way Home and there have been plenty of rumors that the streaming series, Daredevil: Born Again, will set up part of the plot of Spider-Man 4. Those rumors certainly make sense given their extensive history of working together in the comic books and Daredevil turning up in the next film feels like a real possibility given Kevin Feige’s revelation that he and Spidey would lead the studio’s “street-level” heroes. Now, a new rumor from a credible MCU insider indicates that Cox may indeed be suiting up for the next MCU-set Spidey film…but he won’t be the only one!
According to insider Daniel RPK, who has had a torrid stretch of hitting big on Marvel Studios-related scoops, Spider-Man 4 will indeed feature Daredevil teaming up with Holland’s Spidey and, in a very unexpected twist, the film may also include Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang. Should Daredevil: Born Again set up Kingpin as the villain of the fourth Spidey film–something star Vincent D’Onofrio has gone on record as desiringon more than one occasion–including Daredevil makes sense but where would Scott Lang, who recently returned from an adventure in the Quantum Realm where he faced off with Kang, fit in?
Though it’s expected to undergo significant reshoots, photos from the set of Daredevil: Born Again taken in March 2023 were full of paraphernalia with the Pym van Dyne Foundation logo. If the rumor is true, it’s possible that Lang’s role in the film wouldn’t be major and that it could simply follow up on whatever role the Foundation has in Born Again. Though Lang and Spider-Man don’t have a long history of teaming up in the comics, they have worked together on occasion in the past and he has taken on a handful of Spidey’s villains and served as a street-level hero from time to time, even joining one iteration of Heroes for Hire. Of course, the appeal is less Ant-Man and more Rudd, who brings his trademark smarm to the role and would fit in nicely with Cox and Holland.
With Ryan Gosling having departed the project prior to the SAG strike, Universal has been searching for a new leading man for director Leigh Whannell’s Wolf Man for quite some time. According to a trade report, they have found him in Poor Things star Christopher Abbot.
Gosling had been attached to the project, which he pitched to Universal, since it was first announced in 2020. Derek Cianfrance (Cage Fighter, I Know This Much Is True) was on board to direct but like Gosling bailed on the project earlier this year. He’s now been replaced by Whannell, who previously helmed 2020’s The Invisible Man for the studio.
Wolf Man is a collaborative effort between Universal and Blumhouse. Whannell, who also wrote the film along with Corbett Tuck, Lauren SchukerBlum and Rebecca Angelo, is a frequent collaborate with Blumhouse having directed not only The Invisible Man but also Upgrade and Insidious 3 and working as a writer on several other projects.
The Wolf Man is currently slated to hit theaters on October 25, 2024.
When Captain America: Brave New World paused due to Hollywood’s work stoppages, Marvel Studios went to work behind the scenes and took a long look at the work that had been done. It’s becoming clear now that they were none too impressed with what they saw. Following reports that the film would require 5 months of additional photography comes word that the studio has brought in a new writer to craft those scenes.
According to Deadline, Matthew Orton has been tasked to put together the script for the additional photography. Orton must have only just new joined the production as Deadline’s report also indicates filming won’t resume until spring or summer of next year. It was originally reported that reshoots would begin in January. While he previously worked with Marvel Studios as the writer of one episode of Moon Knight, Orton does not have an extensive history as a writer.
Originally subtitled New World Order, Brave New World was originally co-scripted by Dalan Musson and Malcolm Spellman both of whom worked on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier where Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson took up the mantle of Captain America. Originally intended to release on May 3, 2023, following the strikes, Marvel Studios moved the release of the film from July 26, 2024 to February 14, 2025.
*NOTE: This spoiler-free review covers Episodes 1-3 of Season 2 of Reacher. All 3 episodes debut on December 15th.*
Alan Ritchson has found his home. After trying his hand as a pair of superheroes and voicing a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, the mammoth Ritchson has found a character he nearly perfectly embodies in Jack Reacher. Based on the works of author Lee Child, Reacher follows Ritchson’s nomadic military police investigator who dispenses equal parts brains and brawn as an “avenging angel.” The 8-episode first season of Reacher was incredibly well-received by critics and audiences alike in early 2022 and the new season, adapted from Child’s 2007 novel, Bad Luck and Trouble, doubles down on everything that made Season 1 such as a hit with dads all over the globe.
Like Season 1, Reacher Season 2 makes a strong statement as an intentional antithesis to modern action franchises. Neither hyper-stylized like The World of John Wick nor full of adrenalized stunts like the Mission: Impossible series, Reacher is undeviating in the pursuit of purpose and predictably principled. Nothing about Reacher requires the audience to pay particularly close attention to detail, the villains are neither subtle nor nuances and both the series and the title character work methodically and joyfully through whatever impediments are introduced to solve the problem at hand. To that end, Ritchson gets to flex his mental muscle as well; despite his bullish physique and demeanor, Reacher is always the smartest guy in the room. Reacher presents a wonderfully full-bodied bouquet with hints of 80’s action films such as Commando and Cobra upfront with a tight, underlying structure of Columbo.
While Emmy-nominated showrunner Nick Santora was smart enough to veer too far from the formula that made Season 1 such a hit, the choice to adapt Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th book in Childs’ series, does add a little more to the show in terms of a stronger supporting cast and to Ritchson‘s Reacher by humanizing him a bit more. The season opens with Maria Sten’s Neagley, who played a solid supporting role in Season 1 as one of the only characters to have a shared history with Reacher, contacting her old boss with some bad news: one of their old Army buddies was tortured and dropped from a helicopter. Their investigation quickly leads them to conclude that a bad man is out to get the members of Reacher’s old Army MP Unit: the Special Investigators of the 110th. As Reacher and Neagley track down the other members of their old unit, they continue to uncover clues that lead them down the road to a much bigger mystery.
Serinda Swan (Inhumans, Coroner), who plays the saucy Karla Dixon, and Shaun Sipos (Krypton, Outer Range), whose wise ass David O’Donnell serves as a wonderful foil to Reacher’s straight-man routine, work well as newbies whose connections with Reacher allow the audience to get to know the tough guy a little more. Teamwork makes the dream work and Reacher’s team of Special Investigators help transmute their old boss into something more than just a rageful ronin who is all-too-happy to rid the world of wrongdoers. In this case, that wrongdoer is Shane Langston, a character seemingly pulled directly from a late 20th-century action movie, whose commitment to corruption has put him on a collision course with the unstoppable, American knight errant. And to make Langston feel authentic last century, the series cast Robert Patrick, the face of one of the 90s greatest villains, in the role…and then dropped a T2 reference in case you missed it.
Season 2 of Reacher smartly hold on to the recipe that made the first season a wide-ranging success while adding just the right amount of accouterments to make it feel like a truly new chapter. Ritchson leans even harder into his portrayal of the stoical character yet maintains enough charm to elicit a few laughs in between the beatings. An unabashed ode to 20th-century action films and the tough guys that inhabited them, Reacher Season 2 is a triumphant throwback.
About Reacher Season 2
Reacher Season Two begins when veteran military police investigator Jack Reacher (Alan Ritchson) receives a coded message that the members of his former U.S. Army unit, the 110th MP Special Investigations, are being mysteriously and brutally murdered one by one. Pulled from his drifter lifestyle, Reacher reunites with three of his former teammates turned chosen family to investigate, including Frances Neagley (Maria Sten); Karla Dixon (Serinda Swan), a forensic accountant for whom Reacher has long had a soft spot; and fast-talking, switchblade-wielding family man David O’Donnell (Shaun Sipos). Together, they begin to connect the dots in a mystery where the stakes get higher at every turn, and that brings about questions of who has betrayed them—and who will die next. Using his inimitable blend of smarts and size, Reacher will stop at nothing to uncover the truth and protect the members of his unit. If there’s one thing Reacher and his team know for certain, it’s that you do not mess with the Special Investigators. This season, get ready for Reacher and the 110th to hit back hard.
Based on Bad Luck and Trouble, the 11th book in Lee Child’s global best-selling series, Reacher Season Two stars Alan Ritchson in the title role of Jack Reacher, with Maria Sten, Serinda Swan, and Shaun Sipos as key members of the 110th MP Special Investigations Unit. Rounding out the cast are Ferdinand Kingsley as A.M., a mercenary that homeland security refers to as a “ghost;” Robert Patrick as Shane Langston, head of security for a private defense contractor with a questionable track record; and Domenick Lombardozzi as tough NYPD detective Guy Russo.
Reacher is produced by Amazon Studios, Skydance Television, and Paramount Television Studios. Based on the novels by Lee Child, who serves as an executive producer, the series is written for television by Emmy-nominated writer Nick Santora (Scorpion, Prison Break), who also executive produces and serves as showrunner. In addition to Santora and Child, the series is executive produced by Don Granger, Scott Sullivan, and Adam Higgs, with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Bill Bost for Skydance.
Marvel Studios held a press event for Season 2 of What If…? at the Walt Disney Studio Lot last night and screened two episodes of the animated multiverse adventure. Marvel Studios head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, writer and executive producer AC Bradley, director and executive producer Bryan Andrews and writer Matthew Chauncey were on hand for the event in which press viewed the first and third episodes of the new season before participating in a question and answer session. Following the event, Disney released some new information about each episode.
Season 2, Episode 1: “What If… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?”
In a world where Ronan deposes Thanos long before the events of “Infinity War,” Nebula is recruited to join the Nova Corps. Desperate to escape her father’s shadow, she sets out to prove her detective chops.
Season 2, Episode 3: “What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?”
When Justin Hammer lays siege to Avengers Tower during the annual holiday party, there’s only one person left on site to stop him—Happy Hogan. But in setting out to prove his hero chops, Iron Man’s errand boy may end up transforming himself in more ways than one.
While Marvel debuted only 2 episodes, a list of episode titles for the rest of the series has leaked. Among the many interesting ideas rumored to be explored in the second season is one based on a Marvel Comics series written by Neil Gaiman that’s set in 1602.
Disney is rolling out one episode of the series a day beginning on December 22nd. With just ten days before the first episode debuts on Disney Plus, there’s still time to work your way through The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Season 2 of What If…?!
About What If…? Season 2
The Watcher returns to season two of Marvel Studios’ What If…? when the animated series begins streaming on Disney+ on Dec. 22. And in the spirit of the holiday season, fans are invited to unwrap a new episode nightly for nine nights.
With a new episode debuting nightly beginning December 22, season two of What If…? continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles. Featuring fan-favorite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan, episodes are directed by Bryan Andrews (eps 2-9) and Stephan Franck (ep 1) and written by AC Bradley (eps 3, 4, 5, 8), Matthew Chauncey (eps 1-3, 7, 9) and Ryan Little (eps 6, 8). The animated series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Bryan Andrews and AC Bradley. Available press
Following a screening of two episodes of Season 2 of What If…?, Marvel Studios head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, gave an update on the studio’s animated projects. In addition to revealing Eyes of Wakanda for the first time, Winderbaum revealed that the studio’s upcoming Spider-Man animated series now has an all-new, all-different title and remains on track for a 2024 release.
It follows the pattern that you see in [Captain America:] Civil War. Down to Peter getting the broken Blu-ray player from the trash and he walks into his department for the famous moment where Tony Stark is waiting for him to offer him the stark internship and take him to Berlin. But because of things that happen in the multiverse because of new, random occurrences, it’s not Tony Stark who’s waiting for him there. It’s Norman Osborn and that sends his life in an unexpected trajectory that collides him with many unexpected characters in the Marvel universe
Peter Parker’s life, while getting ready for his High School orientation, is forever changed by events that send him on a journey like none before. In the first episode, we discover that the new era of Spider-Man begins here!
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man will feature the voices of Hudson Thames as Peter Parker,Eugene Byrd as Lonnie Lincoln, Grace Song as Nico Minoru, Hugh Dancy as Otto Octavius, Kari Wahlgren as Aunt May and Zeno Robinson as Harry Osborn
Jeff Trammell served as the head writer and executive producer.
Titled Eyes of Wakanda, the animated series will tell the story of “brave warriors” who “throughout Wakandan history have been tasked to travel the world retrieving dangerous vibranium artifacts.“
One of the rarest metals on the planet, Vibranium came to Earth 2.5 million ago as a series of meteorites crashed into Africa and the Atlantic Ocean. Wakandans mined the Great Mound and learned to refine the precious metal which quickly allowed them to become the most technologically advanced civilization on the planet. Though they worked hard to keep the Vibranium a secret, artifacts have made their way outside the isolationist nation. Captain America’s shield, created by Howard Stark, was made of Vibranium that a group of researchers from Stark Industries located in Africa; aided by N’Jobu, Ulysses Klaue stole a quarter ton of the substance in 1992; and, as seen in Black Panther, a Vibranium Wakandan warhammer was on display in the Museum of Great Britain until it was taken by N’Jadaka.
Given the enormous period of time available for storytelling, Coogler’s Proximity Media has the opportunity to explore some previously unexplored eras of the MCU’s timeline, though no indication has been given at this time Eyes of Wakanda will be considered canon. As of now, no release date has been given by Disney.
Marvel Studios Loki stands out among the MCU streaming series as having delivered high-quality episodes consistently. The Season 2 finale did a fine job of wrapping up both the sophomore season and the longform narrative that kicked off in 2021. If no further Loki stories were to be told, though it would be a shame, the character–and those who worked as supporting characters over two seasons–were well served. However, star Tom Hiddleston has made it clear that he hadn’t entirely closed the door and now Kevin Wright, who worked as an executive producer on Season 2, has made it clear that the studios is open to more stories being told in that corner of the universe.
“For two seasons, I’ve loved working with this team… I would love to keep telling those stories with them, in this world,” Wright told TVLine. “I don’t think any of us would ever want to rush into a Season 3 if there’s not a good story to tell. But I think this team could go off and tell other stories. Maybe it’s not Loki Season 3. Maybe there’s something we can continue to do at the TVA, and it’s like our Better Call Saul to Loki‘s Breaking Bad. That would be cool, to me.”
The notion that more stories could be told through the lens of the TVA and its various interesting characters seems to fit with Marvel Studios new creative strategy to produce multiple seasons of serialized streaming series. Wright was quick to clarify, however, that his comments aren’t an indication of what is happening, only what he would like to see happen. “I don’t know the future of these characters in the MCU,” Wright explained, adding it’s only him saying when he “would love to do.”
Given the very unique nature of the TVA, it would seem logical that it’s very fetrile creative ground. Add to that the fact that Loki has been among the studio’s most roundly praised shows and it does seem as though there might be some more stories to be told. “I have to think, with how people have really enjoyed this story,” he continues, “that other filmmakers are going to want to come in and continue to tell stories [in this world]. That would be my hope.” And that’s a hope shared by many who would love to see further adventures in the very strange sci-fi world Marvel Studios has built at the TVA.
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