The WGA strike is ongoing and an essential milestone to ensure the industry’s future. It naturally was going to hit quite a few productions, especially going by how the TV landscape was shaped the last time it happened. Marvel Studios is famous for experimenting and trying out different elements while filming, which relies heavily on the writer being present on set and working alongside the creatives to bring the project to life. So, it’s no surprise that Marvel Studios’ Blade which was set to start production next month is put on hold indefinitely.
As of now, this is likely the first tentpole release affected by the strike and it’s good to see Marvel Studios hold back rather than force a production. Cast and crew members have seemingly been notified this afternoon and the pre-production will be shut down. Nic Pizzolatto of True Detective fame joined but an insider stated “time simply ran out” before they could get the camera rolling. They also highlight that production will not start until the strike is over, which could take months and once again postpone the release.
There’s no word if the other productions will be hit in the same way, but for now, it does seem likely they’ll be gearing down some of the projects due to the writer’s strike. Marvel Studios is likely not going to say anything about it but the Disney+ releases might slow down productions as they also require a writer on set, but there’s no word as of now. The only film production likely to finish is Captain America: New World Order. Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four are seemingly going to get pushed back as a result.
We’ve long been wondering what Marvel Studios has planned for their unique take on Blade. There hasn’t been much news on the project that seemingly went through quite a turbulent production cycle before any cameras got rolling. Once it lost its initial director Bassam Tariq, it seemed like the project might end up getting pushed back further and further away. Then we heard that they are completely reworking the script with Beau DeMayo‘s involvementrumored before Michael Starrbury was confirmed.
What is interesting is that this isn’t his first Marvel project. LIbatique not only worked on Venom but also was the director of photography on the original Iron Man. He’s also been quite busy with his work on the recent releases of The Whale and Don’t Worry Darling. He also was involved with the DC film Birds of Prey, and has quite an extensive resumé. It’ll be interesting to see what he brings to this gothic take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Whatever it may be, here’s hoping that the film starts rolling sooner rather than later.
With every Avengers movie, it becomes a big question of who we might see take on a major role in the project. Throughout the last three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was easy to follow the main cast that’ll appear in these films but as the franchise continues to grow, there are many more opportunities to see some new familiar faces.
Many are excited about the prospects of their favorite characters having a major role in an Avengers film, especially with the more diverse offerings with Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Spider-Man, and many more. We also have the upcoming new additions of Blade and the long-awaited Fantastic Four, though it seems that they may not have a role in the next Avengers film, The Kang Dynasty.
In an interview with Gizmodo, Jeff Loveness revealed that he’s hard at work on The Kang Dynasty and is seemingly actively trying not to have any of the other projects shape his work in some way. As such, he hints that he’ll “probably not even” include the Fantastic Four or Blade in the upcoming Avengers sequel.
But much like when I took on this Ant-Man job, I can’t really focus on that outside stuff. I have just got to lay down the bones of a good story, hopefully, and find the characters that I want to tell [it]. And then it becomes a game of ping pong with the other people. Like whoever comes on and does Fantastic Four or Blade or—I’m probably not even using those characters, you know—but it all informs itself. And so, you just keep an ear open if [someone says], “Hey, if Blade wants to jump in, go for it, man.” But it’s up to me to focus on my movie and, you know, work with [Michael] Waldron a little bit on his thing to make sure it all kind of makes sense. But I think the second you start looking at the 25 other movies coming out, you get a little lost in the sauce.
Jeff Loveness
He does keep the door open and who knows if Marvel Studios might consider some rewrites from Avengers veterans to help find the balance between the various crossovers. Still, it’s great that Loveness stands by his approach to creating a singular story which he also highlighted for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While it didn’t get the reception as hoped, it still shows he just loves telling a good story.
After multiple delays, it looks like Marvel Studios is finally ready to move ahead with Blade. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly to promote Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased what’s yet to come in the Marvel Cinematic universe.
In November, it was revealed that Yann Demange had signed on to direct Blade following Bassam Tariq‘s exit. Since Demange’s hiring, very little has surfaced about the Mahershala Ali-led film outside of countless rumors as to when production would start. Thankfully, Feige has officially commented on the film’s production date, telling EW that Demange is in Atlanta now and that filming will begin in “the next 10 weeks or so.”
You’ve also got theBlade movie with Mahershala Ali for next year. How’s that going?
It’s going well. Our director Yann [Demange] is down in Atlanta right now. Cameras roll in, like, the next 10 weeks or so.
Feige’s comments come after reports suggested the movie will begin production in May 2023. As we near closer to the start of production, it’s likely we’ll begin to hear more news on the project, especially if rumors are to be believed that Milan Ray is no longer involved in the project due to scheduling conflicts.
Blade is currently set to hit theaters on Sept. 6th, 2024.
Just ahead of September’s D23, we rolled out V3 of The Hypothetical 2024 Marvel Studios Release Calendar. Kevin Feige did nothing to change the outlook during D23, but quite a bit of shuffling has gone on since then that needs to be accounted for and so we present V4!
*NOTE* we are no longer tracking animated projects nor including them on the hypothetical calendars.
Well, it was supposed to be a surprise, but showrunner Marion Dayre took away your Christmas present when she confirmed that Echo was moving from its Spring 2023 slot. We’ve heard “early 2024” and Dayre’s comments that the show would be out “about a year from December 2022” are close enough to that for a hypothetical calendar Assuming the series keeps what’s currently a very deep connection to the events of Daredevil: Born Again, moving it to 2024 would allow the two series to stream fairly close together.
Recent reports suggest that Wonder Man may have been bumped up in the queue and take the place of Agatha: Coven of Chaos as the late 2023/early 2024 release. This potential news doesn’t spell doom and gloom for Kathryn Hahn‘s series, however (more on that later). Wonder Man isn’t set to complete filming until August, so an early 2024 start seems much more likely than late 2023, which is why it finds itself here, starting what currently looks like a 10-episode run in mid-March.
Though it didn’t get a new date at D23, Captain America: New World Order was a big newsmaker at the event. The film will feature the return of Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader and see Harrison Ford replace the late William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross who is rumored to not only be the President of the United States in the film but also make his long-awaited transformation into Red Hulk. The plot is one of the crazier ones Marvel Studios has put together recent memory and is going to tie into several projects both past and future. My most anticipated project of 2024.
If Echo keeps the relevant plot threads and moves to 2024, Daredevil: Born Again will have to get bumped down the road a bit from the original “Spring” window and from where we slotted in V3. There’s still absolutely no information on how Marvel Studios plans to roll this 18-episode monster out, but we’ll throw a mid-June through an early-October run out there for now.
Another big newsmaker at D23, Thunderbolts is shaping up to be a Super Soldier-gone-wrong film that’s now rumored to feature an “evil Superman” character that’s widely believed to be Sentry. The events of Captain America: New World Order allegedly play a part in setting up Thunderbolts, making the 2024 slate look like it’ll have a couple of continuous stories being told between projects both theatrical and streaming.
With Daredevil: Born Again taking over Disney Plus for several months, it will end up bridging the gap from Thunderbolts to Blade. Blade has had a rough start but seems headed in the right direction with a new creative team on board. The multiple reshufflings of this project should actually stand out as an indication of how the release date some projects (perhaps like Agatha: Coven of Chaos) don’t really influence the release of others while other projects (perhaps like Echo and Wonder Man) do.
Through no fault of its own, Agatha: Coven of Chaos may end up getting bumped down the road a bit and, as it turns out, that’s ok because it could end up kicking off right around Halloween. It’s reportedly a nine-episode series, so a late October start would run it right up until Christmas 2024. Of course, it could also start a little later and end up having some episodes stream in 2025, but this is all hypothetical and likely to change multiple times anyway, so we dropped it right here for now.
Originally slated for February 2024 (as per V3), this one has gotten a whole lot more interesting since then! Hugh Jackman’sreturn for what sounds like an adaptation of Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe sounds pretty wild and something that might make the film something that even those who weren’t fans of the first two Deadpool films might look forward to.
With Phase 4 behind us and the start of Phase 5 right around the corner, fans are just starting to see the big picture of the Multiverse Saga. As of now, a dozen known films stand between fans and the end of the ongoing saga. Here’s the scoop on all 12.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania February 17, 2023
Written by Jeff Loveness Directred by Peyton Reed
A big-budget, universe-altering Ant-Man movie is probably a thing a lot of fans thought they’d never see, but that’s exactly what the third film in the franchise will be, according to executive producer Stephen Broussard who says Quantumania will “be big and feel central to the future of the MCU.” After being transported to the Quantum Realm through a device built by Kathryn Newton‘s Cassie, the Ant-Family will find themselves navigating their way through the strange land which Broussard warns is “full of people and characters and worlds and politics and history.” The first trailer for the film introduces a few of those characters including Jonathan Majors‘ Kang the Conqueror, Bill Murray‘s Krylar and some other key inhabitants of the Quantum Realm but held back on revealing one of the film’s most over-the-top choices: the classic comic villain M.O.D.O.K.!
As Broussard says, Quantumania’s plot is central to the ongoing Multiverse Saga. Writer Jeff Loveness put together an incredible script and then moved on to write Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, so you can be sure there’s significant connectivity between the two films. For a film that was once thought to be in danger of not being made or of being turned into a streaming series, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania certainly has an awful lot going for it.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 May 5, 2023
Written and directed by James Gunn
James Gunn‘s last project for Marvel Studios will undoubtedly leave fans in tears next Summer. It’s the last go-round for this group of characters and the film will see the death of at least one of the team’s original crew and a significantly different-looking future for the rest. The film’s plot will revolve around the unspooling of Rocket’s origins which seems to dictate a trip to Counter-Earth where the team runs into the High Evolutionary. That trip is rumored to be the result of a run-in with Will Poulter‘s Adam Warlock, who was seen throwing a beating on Nebula in the film’s first trailer.
While the film marks the end of the road for this group of heroes and for Gunn’s time with them, there’s certainly going to be room for Cosmic heroes beyond this movie. Who will be on the team and who will put it together? And what will the future hold for those who stay?
The Marvels July 28, 2023
Written by Megan McDonnell Directed by Nia DaCosta
While ostensibly a sequel to Captain Marvel, it could also be a sequel to Ms. Marvel and WandaVision as well. The Marvels looks to be as tonally different from Captain Marvel as Captain America: The Winter Soldier was from Captain America: The First Avenger. Director Nia DaCosta has said she had a great time working with stars Brie Larson, Iman Vellani and Teyonah Parris and the footage screened at D23 would certainly seem to support that claim.
The film will include some wild body-swapping as Carol, Kamala and Monica switch places with one another as seen in the post-credit scene to Ms. Marvel. That’s all tied to the Kree villain played by Zawe Ashton, who finds herself in possession of an artifact that looks strikingly similar to Kamala Khan’s bangle. A good portion of the film will also take place in space and see Carol revisit Hala as well as introduce a few new locations. There are also some pretty interesting theories out there about how these artifacts might be either Nega or Quantum bands and how they might just play into the Avengers’ battle against Kang, so this film won’t be without its Multiverse Saga tie-ins.
Captain America: New World Order May 3, 2024
Written by Dalan Musson and Malcolm Spellman Directed by Julius Onah
At this point, this sounds like the craziest film on Marvel Studios 2024 slate and maybe one of the crazier films they’ve ever put together. The return on Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns/The Leader is just the tip of the iceberg. Harrison Ford is joining the MCU as Thaddeus Ross and rumors point to the long-awaited Red Hulk transformation finally happening. There are also rumors that Adamantium will be central to the film’s plot, which may also include Super Soldier-research again which makes one wonder if Weapons Plus will reemerge from the shadows. The project is also set to introduce a “Marvel mainstay” to the MCU and is rumored to be another key project along the way to the rumored World War Hulk film making Sam Wilson’s first big screen adventure as Captain America an incredibly important Phase 5 film.
Thunderbolts July 26, 2024
Written by Eric Pearson Directed by Jake Schreier
The latest rumors about this film indicate that it’s getting a rewrite and that an “evil Superman” plays a key role. If the aforementioned reemergence of Weapons Plus happens in Captain America: New World Order, that “evil Superman” might just turn out to be Sentry and that would make for either one wild ride or one ultra-nerfed character. The team that was rolled out at D23 was very Super Soldier and spy-heavy and would be shredded by a comic book-accurate Sentry. Fan theories continue to swirl that Zemo and Abomination are “secret” members of the team or that that, like in The Suicide Squad, there’s a second team of Tbolts in the mix. It doesn’t seem like any of those things were true in the early drafts for the project, but who knows what a rewrite might fix?!
Blade September 6, 2024
Written by Michael Starrbury Directed by Yann Demange
Obviously this one has had some issues, but Marvel Studios feels good about the new direction in which it’s headed. Earlier versions of the project didn’t have quite enough action for a vampire-hunting film and the hope is that the new version of the project will feel a bit more like those great, old Tomb of Dracula comics than anything.
Untitled Deadpool and Wolverine Film November 8, 2024
Written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Directed by Shawn Levy
This project went from one nobody could quite figure out to one that is starting to sound like it may be the most “Multiversal” project of the Multiverse Saga. Theories continue to center on the film being an adaptation of Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe and rumors about the inclusion of Owen Wilson‘s Mobius and the rest of the TVA playing a role make it sound like this will be the Incursion-heavy movie fans thought Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness would be. At this rate, it seems like the film will be trimming all kinds of branches ahead of Avengers: Secret Wars.
Fantastic Four February 14, 2025
Written by Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer Directed by Matt Shakman
Fantastic Four has been gestating way too long at Marvel Studios, but it looks like it’s back on track and it sounds as though it’s going to make a splash. Rumors of the Silver Surfer appearing and of a Multiversal Council of Reeds persist, making this one a pretty big mover and shaker for the future of the Multiverse Saga. It’s also just the beginning of what should shape up to be a decade of stories about Marvel’s First Family, so taking their time on this one is essential.
Avengers: The Kang Dynasty May 2, 2025
Written by Jeff Loveness Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton
Is the rumored title of Shang-Chi and The Wreckage of Time legit? If so, it would seem to indicate that Jonathan Majors might play a role in this sequel as well as another Variant of Nathaniel Richards? Introducing Immortus into the mix would make Avengers: Secret Wars even more interesting…
But truly, nothing is known about this movie at the moment, not even if that title is correct or if it’ll land before or after Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
Armor Wars TBD
Written by Yassir Lester
Originally intended to be a streaming series, Armor Wars will now turn out to be Don Cheadle’s debut as a leading man in the MCU after having been around forever! This one has ties to Secret Invasion but could it also have ties to the events of Captain America: New World Order? Given that it’s coming pretty late in the Multiverse Saga, it may have lasting implications beyond it and if those Adamantium rumors are true, that precious metal might play into this film. Remember that the MCU doesn’t do one-for-one adaptations of comics, so while this is called Armor Wars, don’t expect it to follow the template from the 1980s arc.
Avengers: Secret Wars May 1, 2026
Written by Michael Waldron
The capstone of the Multiverse Saga and what will undoubtedly be the most epic event of Marvel Studios long history, Avengers: Secret Wars is sure to work, in part, as a reunion of sorts for some of great icons of Marvel’s cinematic history. Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. Scarlett Johansson, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have all been rumored to appear already and more names will be added to the list in the next 3+ years. It’s also very likely that this film will set the table for whatever the next great Saga will be in the MCU and that one will come bearing mutants.
Over the past several months, Marvel Studios Blade has perseverated through some turmoil. The project, which was announced at SDCC ’19, had to undergo a search to replace both its writer and director following the departure of Stacy Osei-Kuffour and Bassam Tariq. Beau DeMayo, who worked on Moon Knight and is the head writer and executive producer of the animated X-Men ’97 came on board to work on what looks like a near-complete rewrite of the script and now the film has found a new director.
According to THR, Lovecraft Country director Yann Demange has signed on to direct the project. Additionally, writer Michael Starrbury has joined the production and is preparing a brand new script for the film. THR also reports that despite the complete overhaul to the project, it is still expected to go into production in 2023 and meet its currently slated release date of September 6th, 2024.
While a complete rewrite of the script doesn’t mean throwing the bathwater out with the baby, THR indicated that the expectation is that Blade will be “dark and gritty in tone, falling on the edgier side of Marvel fare and maybe even find common shading” with the 1998 Wesley Snipes‘ film.
As pre-production on Blade continues even without official word on a new director for the project, actor Joshua Mikel has reportedly joined the cast of the film according to insider Daniel RPK. Mikel, who played an obnoxious Savior named Jared in 11 episodes over 2 seasons of The Walking Dead, would be joining star Mahershala Ali, Delroy Lindo and Aaron Pierre on the project. The report did not indicate what role Mikel would be playing.
First announced at SDCC ’19, Blade has been beset by several delays including having both the original writer, Stacy Osei-Kuffour, and original director, Bassam Tariq, leave the project. Beau DeMayo has assumed writing duties for the film while Marvel Studios continues the search for a new director.
Originally slated for a Fall 2023 release, Blade is now tentatively slated for a September 6th, 2024 theatrical debut.
While there’s still no official announcement, a new rumor is making the rounds that they may have already found their new director. If the report is true, Elegance Bratton may have taken on the task to bring the iconic vampire hunter to life. He only recently made his directorial debut with The Inspection, which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
It’s not new for Marvel Studios to pull from a talented pool of indie directors, even some that just started getting their name out there. Blade isn’t a small project with its main star, Mahershala Ali, having been attached for quite some time and as the driving force for the project. So, they may want to get their hands on some new talent that can lend a unique voice to the project.
Some believed the recent release of Werewolf by Night may have reopened up the possibility of newcomer director, and long-time composer Michael Giacchino taking over, but he took himself out of the race before rumors could spread. We’ll see if we get a director announcement soon, as Marvel Studios hopes not to lose too much time after already having to put the production on pause.
Production on the highly anticipated Mahershala Ali-led Blade movie is currently shut down after losing director Bassim Tariq. After Tariq’s departure, it was revealed that Beau DeMayo had agreed to rewrite the script. With the hiring of DeMayo, it was expected that Marvel Studios would quickly fill the director position, but instead, the studio has slowed down to “deepen the search” for a new director, while also taking time to further strengthen the film.
On Comicbook.com’s Phase Zero podcast, Giacchino addressed whether he could take the reins on Blade. Unfortunately for fans, it looks like the list of potential directors does not include the Werewolf By Night director. Giacchino expressed that Blade would conflict with some of his other projects in the works timing-wise:
“I mean, look, I love Blade. I think that’s an amazing, amazing character. It’s one of my favorites. But I feel like that thing is already in motion in a way that is like, and I’m in motion on other things as well, and there’s just– It’s a whole… you know. It’s just, timing-wise, it’s a little crazy. So I feel like, you know… I want that to be a great movie. I want that to be an awesome movie, because that character deserves it in a huge way. But yeah, right now, I mean, no.”
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