What’s next for Marvel Studios? Who’s recently joined the cast of your most anticipated series or film? Where can you find the teasers and trailers? Look no further, true believers. Everything you need to know about the future of the MCU has been collected for you here. Click on each logo to learn what we currently know about the upcoming MCU projects.
It doesn’t take a well-trained eye to notice that reshoots took a toll on Black Widow. Despite strong performances across the board and a thrilling first two acts, a “poorly staged, plotted, and executed” third act kept it from realizing its potential as a truly great spy film.
Part of the problem came by way of the film’s big bad, General Dreykov, the worst villain in the studio’s Phase 4 and, perhaps, the entire body of work that makes up the MCU. Played with big grandpa-fell-asleep-on-the-toilet-again energy by Ray Winstone, a potentially great villain who should have felt like evil incarnate came across as a flatline. And now we know why Winstone grumbled his way through his scenes.
In an interview with Variety, Winstone explained that after filming his scenes–whichnbe called “the best thing” he had “done for a really long time“–director Cate Shortland (almost certainly at the behest of Marvel), had him reshoot his entire performance.
“I worked with this amazing director, Cate Shortland, and we worked on what my character was going to be,” started Winstone. “He was like a pedophile running around all these girls, and they’d become black widows. We used to get applauded on set. It was probably the best thing I’ve done for a really long time,” said the actor of his time on set during principal photography.
“Then I come home after finishing the job and get a call saying we need to do some reshoots,” continued Winstone. “I say: how many scenes? [Cate] says ‘all of them.’ So I said she should recast [the role], but I was contracted, so I had to do it. I go back, they do my hair all nice, put me in the suit, and I couldn’t do it. I’d already done it. I thought, ‘I’m not doing it now. I’ve done it. That’s how it’s going to be.’ That’s rejection, you know? There’s nothing worse than doing something, leaving it on the floor, and then being told it’s not right.”
It certainly sounds like Winstone had a miserable experience and it showed as he was barely coherent as Dreykov during Black Widow‘s third act which was a sloppy, VFX tragedy. While it’s clear there was an entirely different version of the film which included an entirely different version of Dreykov, it’s unlikely that fans will ever hear about it, much less see it.
Source: Variety
Outside of the Avengers films, Marvel Studios’ next film, Thunderbolts*, will demand more from audiences than any other MCU film to date. Thanks to its ensemble cast, the Jake Schreier-helmed film looks to serve as a sequel or follow-up to more projects than any other non-Avengers film in the MCU’s 17-year history.
Originally developed as a sequel to 2021’s Black Widow, Thunderbolts* has evolved significantly–perhaps more than any MCU project ever–over the past few years. While it will still feature Florence Pugh‘s Yelena Belova as the lead and introduce Lewis Pullman‘s not-so-mysterious Bob, it will also feature a heavier-than-originally-expected dose of Sebastian Stan‘s Bucky Barnes. Wyatt Russell, David Harbour, Hannah John-Kamen and Olga Kurylenko will all also reprise their MCU roles and team up with Yelana and Bucky to take on Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ baddie, Val, and her enigmatic OXE group.
You’re talking about a group of characters that have done a lot of bad things, and maybe are struggling with feeling good about themselves. There’s an element that does speak to mental health, and loneliness, and how some of the darkness that we experience in our lives can’t be necessarily fixed, but can only really be made lighter through connection and finding others.
-Jake Schreier
With so many characters and their stories intersecting in Thunderbolts*, the upcoming film might require a bit more prep time than some of Marvel Studios’ recent projects. If you’re still reading, you’re probably ready to get started and so, as is our way, we present The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before… Thunderbolts*.
If you’ve never seen a single second of any of Marvel Studios’ films or streaming series, these Tier One projects should be considered the bare minimum to get yourself ready for Thunderbolts*. These four projects will introduce you to the film’s main characters and set the stage for you to follow the next steps on their journeys.
Truthfully, Captain America: The First Avenger is tough to slot on a list like this until you realize it’s a fictional universe and nothing actually matters. That said, while a fair argument can be made for its inclusion in Tier One, a counterargument can be made that, for all intensts and purposes, the James Buchanan Barnes introduced in TFA died in the fall from the train. While he’s no longer the Winter Soldier, Bucky is not–and never has been–the character from this film. Pairing Captain America: The Winter Soldier with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier does enough to prepare a first-timer for Bucky’s role in Thunderbolts*; however, TFA does provide additional context for Bucky’s tortured persona and why he’s striving so hard to change the world around him.
So when he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Schmidt must become that superior man.”
-Abraham Erskine, Captain America: The First Avenger
“Did it make him stronger?”
“Yes. But there were other… effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man.
And after you logic your way through all of that, the simple fact remains that even though it’s not the first film in which it’s mentioned, Captain America: The First Avenger is chronologically the first time the Super Soldier Serum is a factor in the MCU. It’s continued to play a role in several projects and will do so again I Thunderbolts*.
While it’s not the first appearance of Bucky Barnes–that came in Captain America: The First Avenger—Captain America: The Winter Soldier is THE definitive Bucky film. Over a decade later, the 2014 film remains unparalleled as an action-packed thriller and helped set Sebastian Stan on the path to MCU royalty.
While the last film in the Ant-Man franchise may well be remembered as one of Marvel Studios’ worst films, Ant-Man and The Wasp, the franchise’s second installment, is a fun ride worth taking. It served a surprisingly major role in The Infinity Saga but if you’re prepping for Thunderbolts*, you’re watching it to get to know Hannah John-Kamen‘s Ava Starr, aka Ghost. Thunderbolts* is Ava’s first MCU appearance since Ant-Man and The Wasp, so there’s a lot to catch up on, including how her powers have evolved since we last saw her.
Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Actually, it’s Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. I know it’s hard, but I don’t like to repeat myself, so you can just call me Val. But don’t call me Val, just keep it in your head.
-Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Marvel’s second streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might do the heaviest lifting of any project on the list. Not only does the 6-episode introduce Wyatt Russell‘s John Walker, who looks to play a pretty major role in Thunderbolts*, it also tells a key chapter in Bucky’s story and introduces Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val, who is responsible for assembling the Thunderbolts. The project also adds to the Super Soldier Serum narrative by introducing Isaiah Bradley, the Flag Smashers and by creating a new Super Soldier when Walker injects himself with the newest version.
They had blood samples from an American test subject with semi-stable traces of serum in his system. After much labor, I was able to isolate the necessary compounds in his blood. I was a god. I did what no other scientist since Erskine was able to do. But mine was going to be different.
Dr. Wilfred Nagel, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier
Released simultaneously in theaters and via Disney Premier Access on D+, Black Widow not only finally gave Scarlett Johansson the lead after spending a decade in the MCU but it also introduced her messy family of Russian spies. Popping back Nat’s life after decades away, Florence Pugh‘s beautifully flawed Yelena Belova, David Harbour‘s bellicose and bombastic Alexi Shostakovich, Russia’s very own Super Soldier, and Rachel Weisz‘s shifty Melina Vostokoff helped show a more vulnerable side of the character. The chemistry between Pugh and Harbour was a highlight of the film and something to look forward to again in Thunderbolts*. And if you’re watching, stick around for the PCS which leads directly into the next project on the list…
Given how little screentime Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val has had in the MCU, it stands to reason that the project in which she’s on screen the most is a must watch heading into Thunderbolts*. While it still isn’t a truly heavy dose of the character, it does provide plenty in the way of exposing the kind of person she is whilenalso revealing her lust for power and what she’s willing to do to acquire it.
Tier Two projects occupy an interesting place on The Ultimate Lists. While they’re never required viewing, they always offer something that can add to the viewing experience of the upcoming project.
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After being forgotten for a decade and a half, The Incredible Hulk is cool again…or at least relevant. Bruce Banner’s work on Project Gamma Pulse was meant to recreate Dr. Erskine’s Super Soldier Serum. Obviously that didn’t go as planned…TIH includes not one but two Super Soldiers gone wrong in Banner and Emily Blonsky. When will these people learn?!?!
One of the studio’s strongest beginning-to-end streaming series, Hawkeye features a three-episode appearance by Pugh‘s Yelena that while not necessary to enjoy Thunderbolts* will add to your enjoyment of it. Yelena’s time in Hawkeye–most of which is spent enjoyably with Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop–is fascinating and allows for further excavation of the deeply rooted issues the former Red Roomer deals with.
For completists only…
Tier three projects may offer nothing more than cameos, passing references or relevant background information for upcoming projects but nothing in them will ever make or break a fan’s viewing experience.
The best example of what type of information can be expected from Tier Three projects comes right off the bat: you’re watching this one just to visit Stark Tower for the first time. The building is a central location in The Avengers and, 13 years later, is again in Thunderbolts*, though now under new ownership.
Following Stark Tower becoming Avengers Tower in the final moments of The Avengers, the next visit to the facility can be found in the PCS to Iron Man 3 where the science bros are talking some things out.
The last project in which Avengers Tower serves as a key location in the Sacred Timeline, AoU sees the facility fully realized as a true home base for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Following the events of the film, the Avengers moved out of the tower and into the Avengers Compound in upstate New York.
While Cap and Iron Man throwing down is the main attraction, Bucky’s very naughty past is what incites the Civil War. A great watch and full of plenty of interesting details about Bucky’s past and post-TWS present, skipping Captain America: Civil War won’t impact your viewing of Thunderbolts* but a watch/rewatch will help you better understand the new Bucky Barnes.
A brief trip to Avengers Tower reveals that the Happy is in charge of moving out the team’s things so that the new owner can take possession…that new owner is, of course, Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val!
Avengers: Infinity War is always worth a watch though it really doesn’t have much to offer in the way of preparing for Thunderbolts*. A little bit of Bucky’s story is told here, including revealing what he’d been up to In Wakanda, but beyond that, just enjoy it for the action!
Like Infinity War, Endgame offers a bit of Bucky but the real interest here, if there is any, is the ripple effect Nat’s death will eventually have on Yelena…but Yelena isn’t in the film, so just knowing Nat died will suffice. You could also argue that the Time Heist adds some additional context to what was going on inside Avengers Tower during the Battle of New York but how important will that be?
Because Bucky is in it…for a minute.
The film stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Wyatt Russell, Olga Kurylenko, Lewis Pullman, Geraldine Viswanathan, Chris Bauer, Wendell Edward Pierce, with David Harbour, with Hannah John-Kamen, and Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
In Thunderbolts* Marvel Studios assembles an unconventional team of antiheroes—Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these disillusioned castoffs must embark on a dangerous mission that will force them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts. Will this dysfunctional group tear themselves apart, or find redemption and unite as something much more before it’s too late?
-Official Synopsis for Marvel Studios Thunderbolts*
Jake Schreier directs Thunderbolts* and Kevin Feige is the producer. Louis D’Esposito, Brian Chapek and Jason Tamez serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Joanna Calo and Eric Pearson and Lee Sung Jin.
Marvel Studios 2024 team-up film, Thunderbolts, has been in the news quite a bit recently as rumors about one of Marvel’s crazier characters, Sentry, have excited fans. The film is set to introduce the titular team, under the watch of Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ Val, to the MCU. Among the team are a trio of characters who debuted in 2021’s Black Widow and it seems like that’s more than just a coincidence.
In an Instagram post, Marvel Studios Director of Visual Development Andy Park explained that Thunderbolts is serving as a sequel to Black Widow.
It’s not the first time the comparison has been made, but having Park seemingly confirm it is fantastic and gives fans an idea of what to expect from the tone of the film…and who the lead might be.
With Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania set to kick off Marvel Studios Phase 5 in February, what better time to take a comprehensive look back at the ups, downs, ins and outs of Phase 4. First up, the year that wasn’t.
Long before Avengers: Endgame hit theaters in 2019, Marvel Studios was already well into the planning stages of the Multiverse Saga. Disney Plus was set to play a major role in said saga, which looked set to introduce a slew of new heroes and villains. James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was originally expected to kick off the new saga but after that went off the rails for a bit, exactly what to expect and when to expect it was a mystery until October of 2018 when the 2020 film slate was exclusively revealed to consist of only Black Widow and Eternals. When Murphy’s Multiverse went live in November of 2019, Marvel Studios had officially confirmed the news about the two films and also slated the first Disney Plus series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier for a Fall 2020 release. 2020 wasn’t set to be the big, blockbuster opening year to Phase 4 that fans may have expected but it looked the be the calm before the storm as 2021 was set to feature 3 big films and 4 streaming series including the first animated series made by Marvel Studios…and then, before anyone could process it, Marvel Studio’s very 2020 existence was gone.
Things started off calmly enough in January 2020 as production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier resumed following their holiday break. The production shot scenes involving the Flagsmashers at a State Park in Georgia, did some work in the downtown Atlanta location that served as Madripoor and was scheduled to head to Puerto Rico. Then, things started to get weird.
On January 9th, director Scott Derrickson and Marvel Studios amicably parted way on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which was set to begin principal photography in May. Just a couple of days later, before a second earthquake in Puerto Rico altered the course of the production of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. By mid-January, production on one of Marvel’s 2021 streaming series, Hawkeye, which was scheduled to begin in July, had been delayed indefinitely.
Even as all that unfolded, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings began filming in Australia in February and productions in Atlanta for Loki, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and the untitled third Spider-Man film were all on track and Thor: Love and Thunder, which Christian Bale had just joined, was set to get underway down under in October.
By early February, Sam Raimi emerged as the front runner to take the reigns on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as the studio remained committed to beginning production in May. Then, Hawkeye got back on schedule, booking a September start of production in Atlanta. With Puerto Rico off limits, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier was headed to Prague. All seemed good in the world…
On March 3rd, 2020 the following information was shared to supporters of Murphy’s Multiverse Patreon:
I expect production delays to happen. Things may begin shooting, stop shooting and begin again later. They may get pushed several weeks entirely. I believe it’s possible, even probable, that some projects may see release dates shifted. I believe it’s possible, though I can’t speak to probability here, that some projects may not release at all. I believe Disney may have to consider shutting down their U.S. parks for as little as a few weeks and as long as a couple of months (they’ve already closed parks in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Japan to the tune of a $175 M loss). None of this is good. Not even Disney can afford to keep losing money at this rate.
By March 10th, rumors or release dates shifting started to pick up steam and by March 13th, word reached Murphy’s Multiverse that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier would not make its intended Fall 2020 release. By March 21st, Marvel Studios shut down all of its productions indefinitely (the linked article was published and available for some time before we were asked to take it down as many of the members of various crews had not been informed of the pauses on productions). The COVID-19 pandemic was in its earliest and most frightening days and like everything else, the world of Marvel Studios stopped in its tracks.
With nothing but uncertainty staring them in the face, Marvel Studios had no choice but to start making movies. In early April, they made the first in a series of delays to their film slate pushing Black Widow from its intended May release to November and pushing Eternals into 2021. Additionally, with no clear answers about the safety of the production crews, Marvel Studios production stoppage continued with the studio eyeing a September restart.
In early May, the Czech Republic opened back up to film crews, giving fans hope that The Falcon and The Winter Soldier might just make its 2020 release date after all. By June, things started to slowly heat up again as Hollywood and the rest of the world grew accustomed to working remotely. News of Evan Peters role in WandaVision proved to be the biggest news in months, Marvel Studios continued to search for the perfect Kamala Khan and production on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier resumed.
As productions got back on track, so too did casting, hiring and planning for the future. Hailee Steinfeld landed the role of Kate Bishop in Hawkeye, director Nia DaCosta landed the Captain Marvel 2 gig and there was finally some movement on Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four. Then, just as Ant-Man 3 got put on the 2022 slate, Jonthan Majors was cast in it as Kang and fans started to think just maybe they’d see Black Widow in November, the winds shifted once more. In September, as all of Hollywood shifted dates and release platforms, Disney became aware that a November release was not possible for Black Widow and began to search for a new date.
As confidence in a theatrical release for Black Widow plummeted, hope arose that WandaVision would skip over The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and release in 2020, perhaps as early as Thanksgiving. A trailer for the project was released in late September, marking the first new Marvel marketing material of the year. Just a few days later, however, Marvel Studios officially pulled the plug on the 2020 release of Black Widow, pushing it 6 months further down the road into May 2021.
Productions resumed and began and, alas, WandaVision didn’t quite make into 2020. By October, production had gotten underway on Spider-Man: No Way Home and in December word of Charlie Cox‘s role in the film was shared to the disbelief of pretty much everyone. A year that began with so much hope and saw so much struggle ended with the promise of Cox’s return.
For those that remember it well, 2020 was all about the news and rumors as any little tidbit gave fans something to cling to while we waited to understand what was happening around us. While it was expected to be slow year for Marvel Studios, nobody could have expected it to be the year with no Marvel Studios presence.
Ever since the announcement came that Marvel Studios is working Thunderbolts, it had many wondering what the team of villains and anti-heroes might consist of. Surprisingly, it seems that Deadline’s Justin Kroll has just dropped the news on Matthew Belloni’s The Town podcast, as he reveals it’ll act as a sort of spinoff for Black Widow‘s Yelena Belova, which means Florence Pugh may be at the forefront of the project. According to Kroll, she’ll also likely lead “Marvel’s Suicide Squad” and potentially hints at John Walker and Zemo returning in the film.
[Florence Pugh] has got the Marvel superhero that’s already got a spin-off. Upcoming for her, actually, on that character is this Thunderbolts film, which is basically Marvel’s Suicide Squad. Hopefully, it has better results. But the concept is it’d be her leading the team of like Wyatt Russell’s [John Walker], Daniel Bruhl’s [Zemo], those anti-heroes that aren’t exactly good but aren’t exactly bad. So there’s that. And people seem to like the Yelena character.Justin Kroll
Her role definitely raises some questions on what exactly this take of the Thunderbolts will look like. Florence Pugh is continuing to rise in her stardom so it seems like Marvel Studios is definitely not going to waste this opportunity to make her a strong focus on the MCU. There’s an interesting aspect that highlights her importance and potentially why she was part of the first film entry to kick off this new Multiverse Saga. We’ll see how this potentially will come together once more details on the film are revealed.
Source: The Town via The Direct
Jessica Gao has officially joined the Marvel fold as the head writer on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but it seems it’s not the first time she’s tried getting in the door. During a recent interview with The Wrap, the former Rick & Morty creative revealed her first pitch to Marvel Studios was actually for the Black Widow movie. Of course, Gao didn’t end up getting the job, but if she had, it seems the film would have played out dramatically different than what audiences actually saw. According to Gao, her pitch revolves around Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff having to attend a high-stakes high school reunion with people who knew her as someone else. She elaborated:
It was basically a ‘Grosse Pointe Blank’ story for Black Widow… basically you find out that in high school, as a teenage spy/Russian agent, she was planted at an American high school, because she had to assassinate someone’s dad and then 20 years later, she goes back to the high school reunion and has to deal with the fallout of this fake identity where she betrayed all these people in high school.
Jessica Gao
The pitch feels more like a She-Hulk story than it does a Black Widow one, and Gao believes that’s exactly why she eventually got the gig she did. The writer says she also pitched concepts for Shang-Chi and Captain Marvel, and while none of those worked out, they did allow her to spend some quality time with Marvel big wigs like Kevin Feige. She explained:
I’m a big believer that every opportunity you miss is actually setting you up for something else… I truly believe that I didn’t get any of those three Marvel movie jobs because it was building to this point. Because what it really did for me is every single time that I pitched to Kevin [Feige], and Lou [D’Esposito] and Victoria [Alonso], and Brad [Winterbaum], I get to spend an hour with him, and I get to shoot the shit and hang out and chat…
Jessica Gao
Hanging out with important people can sometimes have good side effects, as Gao continued:
Each time, they got to know me more, I got to know them more. By the time I came into pitch ‘She-Hulk,’ I think they had a very good sense of what my sense of humor was. They had a good sense of what type of writer I was, what kind of story I built. They just had a very good indication of what I’m about. I think that that really helped sell it, because they weren’t coming into me cold. They already talked to me so many times, they understood the quirks and nuances and the little things that I really infuse into everything.
Jessica Gao
While that Black Widow film would never be, it’s good to see that Marvel kept giving a talent like Gao the opportunity to pitch and collaborate. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is now streaming on Disney+, and while it has yet to feature a high school reunion, it does have a lot of Gao’s signature sense of humor.
Source: The Direct
Black Widow was the first time that the MCU really explored a prequel on what Natasha Romanoff was up to before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. While it technically set up quite a few important characters for future returns, such as Florence Pug‘s Yelena Belova, there were some minor characters we haven’t heard much from since. One of them is O-T Fagbenle‘s Rick Mason, who many believed was going to turn out to be Taskmaster. Yet, the film caught us off-guard and decided to go in a different direction. Luckily, it seems that Mason might return.
In an interview with SlashFilm, the actor has revealed that when he was initially cast in the role, it wasn’t as part of a one-time conversation. As an informant, there are many locations where he could end up making his return with Armor Wars being one strong possibility. Who knows if they might have bigger plans for his character as well, especially with Romanoff’s death pushing him into a new direction.
I mean, you know what, with Marvel, I’m never sure how much they can say about stuff, but I’ll just say that it wasn’t a one-and-done conversation.
O-T Fagbenle
It would be interesting to see if they might revisit his original development in some way, as they definitely still planted some seeds. Mason had a habit of constantly sleeping and was quite the informant. His character’s suddenly getting his hands on the Taskmaster technology would make for an interesting development, as we see harsh times potentially also push people to embrace their darker sides. So, the Snap could become a catalyst for exactly that.
Source: SlashFilm
After sitting out 2020 due to the pandemic, Marvel Studios returned with 4 films in 2021. Black Widow, Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals and Spider-Man: No Way Home all took their turns in theaters and introduced fans to new characters who would be a part of the future of the MCU. The first three films also had both mid-credit and post-credit scenes that, upon further review, may have followed a potentially intriguing pattern that serves as the basis of this wildly speculative piece.
Eternals featured a mid-credit scene that seemed to set up an Eternals sequel and a post-credit scene that seemed to set up a spinoff project, in this case, Black Knight. The mid-credit scene following Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings felt like a set up for the sequel, which we recently learned will see the return of Destin Daniel Cretton as both writer and director, while the post-credit scene guaranteed that we’d see the return of the Ten Rings organization, now headed up by Xialing, which could be one of the Disney Plus properties Cretton chooses to develop as part of his new deal. Finally, Black Widow’s post-credit scene set up Yelena Belova’s recent appearance in the Disney Plus streaming series, Hawkeye; however, upon first, second, third, fourth and fifth viewings, the mid-credit scene for the film seemed to be little more than a cute nod Avengers: Infinity War. Upon further review, however, it’s possible that there is more to that scene than meets the eye.
Black Widow takes place in 2016, following the events of Captain America: Civil War, leaving the better part of two years between it and the save-the-day entrance of Rogers, Black Widow and The Falcon in Scotland in Avengers: Infinity War. Could Marvel Studios be setting us up for more adventures with the duo?
Last year, we discovered that Marvel trademarked “Marvel Studios Nomad.” Among the several different trademarks on the property was one specific to “Entertainment services, namely, the development, creation, production, and distribution of digital multimedia and audio and visual content, namely, motion picture films, television programs, and multimedia entertainment…“, a trademark commonly filed when the studio plans to produce a film or series. Other similar trademarks were filed last year at the same time for the slew of projects Marvel Studios announced during their Investor’s Day presentation. Since the news of the trademarking broke, however, there’s been no mention of the development of any sort of a Nomad project at Marvel Studios, though the studio did file an additional trademark for Nomad just 4 months ago.
Shortly after the discovery of the Nomad trademarks, the news broke that Chris Evans was nearing a deal to return to the role of Steve Rogers in two potential MCU projects. Strangely enough, the trade noted that neither of those projects were expected to be Captain America projects. And of note to this wild theory is that, just recently, Marvel Studios One-Above-All, Kevin Feige, revealed that Scarlett Johansson was working with Marvel Studios on a “top secret, non-Black Widow-related project.” It’s easy enough to theorize that the return of both Johansson and Evans could be connected and related to either the Nomad project or another one of Evans’ potential projects.
Bringing the two back together would allow Marvel Studios to capitalize on the chemistry between Evans and Johansson, first seen in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It is during the time period mentioned above that Rogers, who put down the shield in Civil War, took on the mantle of Nomad, according the writers and directors of Infinity War. With nearly two full years of time to explore, it’s possible that a Johansson-produced project, starring Evans, could be in the works and would reunite Johansson’s Widow with Evans’ in a way that’s otherwise pretty tough given that one is dead and the other is 100 years old.
Could the project be called Nomad? Maybe. Sure it would feature the Secret Avengers (that’s the name of the group according to Joe Russo), but featuring them in a project called Nomad wouldn’t be any different than featuring the same group in a project called Captain America: Civil War. But the idea of them being the Secret Avengers is interesting enough in and of itself because, like most of what makes the MCU great, there’s a comic book behind it.
In 2010, Ed Brubaker, whose Captain America run has defined the MCU’s Cap as much as anything, began writing an espionage-heavy series called Secret Avengers. In it, Rogers led a team of heroes, including Black Widow, that found themselves up against the Shadow Council, the Roxxon corporation and even Shang-Chi’s evil father. As the title indicates, they had to operate on the down low, much like Rogers’ team in the MCU would have had to do. Walking away from the shield almost certainly didn’t stop Rogers from doing what was right. Just because we didn’t see it on screen doesn’t mean that the MCU’s Secret Avengers weren’t active, but they certainly had to be discrete. And as we found out in Black Widow, Nat has some friends, one in particular that knows how to be discrete.
Black Widow introduced O-T Fagbenle’s Rick Mason, an ex-military character whose brief appearance showed us that he has some prior relationship with Nat and that he’s very, very good at finding things, especially given some time and money, as seen in the mid-credit scene in Black Widow. Fagbenle is charismatic, handsome and a rising star and has teased the return on the character down the road, saying it would be “criminal” for him not to return and that there’s a “great space” for him in the MCU.
And while a guy like Mason could show up just about anywhere, the hints at the relationship with Nat made him that much more interesting. That relationship could come in very, very handy in a Nomad project where Rogers and the Secret Avengers want to go out into the world to do some good, but don’t have Tony Stark bankrolling their projects. And that brings us full circle. When Nat takes off to break her pals out of prison at the end of Black Widow, it’s the beginning of something that we only see the end of two years later in Avengers: Infinity War, leaving a lot of stories to be told in between, the sweet spot for a Johansson-led Nomad project.
Any stories told during this time could bring in any number of villains from Cap’s rogues gallery that could or could not carry over into the era of Sam Wilson’s Captain America. Any stories told during that time could feature a run in between David Harbour’s Red Guardian and Evans’ Rogers. Any story told during that time could set up any number of villains or story lines to be further explored in Phases 4 or 5. Any stories told during that time could even feature Florence Pugh’s Yelena. You can see the pattern: just because these potential stories are told in the MCU’s past does not mean they can’t have a big impact on the MCU’s future, just like Black Widow has done.
Of course, this is all theoretical and, as such, based on almost no evidence. However, should Marvel Studios be planning on a Secret Avengers/Nomad project set in the post-Civil War/pre-Infinity War time period, at least we have some idea of just how fun it might be.
It looks like the shortlists have found their way online and Marvel Studios is dominating the Visual Effects category for the upcoming Oscars. Keep in mind, these are not the actual nominations, which won’t follow until January 27th until February 1st. The final announcement for the Oscars will follow on Tuesday, February 8th. As of now, Black Widow, Eternals, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, as well as Spider-Man: No Way Home are all up for the category.
No Way Home may have a good shot this year given its massive success and cultural relevance, especially during the pandemic. The competition is fierce with 20th Century Studios’ Free Guy, Sony’s Ghostbusters: Afterlife, MGM’s No Time to Die, Warner Bros.’ Dune, The Matrix Resurrection, and Godzilla vs. Kong. It’s once again very noticeable that this category is mainly dominated by blockbuster releases.
The latest Spider-Man entry has also entered the shortlist for the Sound nomination alongside big hitters like West Side Story, and Tick, Tick … Boom!, who might have the best chances given their respective musical foundation. Jon M. Chu‘s In the Heights is surprisingly absent though. DC also has gained some attention with The Suicide Squad nabbing a spot in the Makeup and Hairstyling part, which ironically its predecessor won back in 2017. So, we’ll see if it has the same chances.
Source: Variety
