According to a trade report, actress Xosha Roquemore (Precious, The Mindy Project) has joined the growing cast of Captain America: New World Order. Roquemore’s role was not revealed in the report, but it’s possible she could be playing a member of the Serpent Society, an organization that was recently rumored to appear in the film.
Little has been officially revealed about the film, which will tell the next chapter in Sam Wilson’s (Anthony Mackie) story as Captain America. Danny Ramirez and Carl Lumbly, who debuted in the streaming series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, will reprise their roles as member of Wilson’s support network while newcomer Shira Haas joins the MCU as Israeli hero Sabra. New World Order will also see the return of Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns and Harrison Ford stepping into the role of Thaddeus Ross, previously filled by William Hurt.
Rumors about the film’s plot have revolved around the discovery of the precious metal Adamantium on the corpse of the Celestial Tiamut and the pursuit of it by organizations around the world. Should the Serpent Society be in the film, the 38-year-old Roquemore may potentially have landed the role of Rachel Leighton. In the comics, Leighton was a member of the Serpent Society who ended up in a romantic relationship with Steve Rogers. Though Rogers’ time in the MCU is up (for now), the same scenario could unfold with Sam, putting both him and Leighton in jeopardy.
Captain America: New World Order is slated to begin production on one of the thirty-one days of March and is currently slated to land in theaters May 3rd, 2024.
Tenoch Huerta’s Namor was one of the highlights of 2022 for Marvel Studios. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever director Ryan Coogler was creative and clever in bringing one of Marvel Comics greatest and earliest characters to life and Huerta gave Namor a power and arrogance that seemed lifted right off the page. While it’s clear Namor will be back, it’s less clear when he’ll be seen again. Though audiences would probably be all in on a Namor-centric spinoff, Marvel Studios Parliament member Nate Moore that, as of now, Disney cannot produce such a project because the character’s live-action rights remain tied up at Universal. That means Namor, much like the Hulk, will have to appear as a supporting character in films or streaming series and Marvel Studios has plenty of those coming up. So where is the Feathered Serpent God likely to show up next? We have some ideas.
Captain America: New World Order and/or Thunderbolts
If the rumors about these two films, which are currently slated to come out back-to-back in 2024, are true then it would be a missed opportunity not to have Namor and Talokan make some sort of appearance. Of course, at present in the MCU (as far as we know) Namor’s underwater kingdom is still hidden from the wide world, with only the Wakandans being aware of its presence. But really, who knows what CIA Director Valentina Allegre de Fontaine knows? As fans have pointed out for some time now, it would make sense for Namor to have some interest in the massive corpse of a Celestial popping up in the ocean and if governments from around the world decide they want to start mining the corpse for its resources, that’s certainly going to lead directly to a more polluted ocean, something that Namor will not stand for. It’s also worth noting that part of the rumored plot of Thunderbolts includes an “evil Superman” who most believe to be Sentry. While the MCU Sentry is surely not going to have the power levels of his comic book counterpart, he might still be too strong for a group of Super Soldiers and non-powered folks to handle. Should the Thunderbolts mission lead to some sort of disruption of the ocean, it’s possible Namor could investigate and end up taking on Sentry.
World War Hulk
While this project still isn’t confirmed by Marvel Studios, the rumors around it are fascinating and there seems to be enough evidence that the trend of more Hulks (She-Hulk introduced 2 new ones in She-Hulk and Skaar) may continue. If/when that movie does hit the big screen, Namor’s presence in it could be of note. If Namor and Talokan are prepared to reveal themselves to the surface world, Namor would have an interesting choice to make. On one hand, he could emerge as a powerful ally in the fight against the Hulk. Namor and Hulk have fought many, many times in the comics and Namor has bested the Green Goliath more than once; on the other hand, he might also prove a powerful ally for Hulk, who he might see as a means to a very specific end: world domination.
Fantastic Four
Namor’s history with the Fantastic Four is so long and storied that it’s honestly hard to conceive of a cinematic universe that doesn’t prioritize their interactions. We don’t know who the villain of 2025’s Fantastic Four is, but it’s probably not Namor. That doesn’t mean, however, that some plot device or another couldn’t lead to the First Family coming into contact with Namor. Namor’s ongoing pursuit of Susan must be given its time in the spotlight!
Defenders
Marvel Studios cannot make a Hulk solo project and Marvel Studios cannot make a Namor solo project. Can Marvel Studios make a Defenders project that features both characters? With Namor now in the MCU, the founding members of Marvel’s most famous non-team are all present. To be honest, being able to throw Hulk and Namor in a movie just because it’s called Defenders instead of Hulk or Namor really seems to show how silly the whole business is, but even if it has to be called Doctor Strange and The Defenders, it still works great for me. With the rumored Silver Surfer project coming ahead of Fantastic Four, maybe he can join the fray as well. Kevin Feige waited a long time to have access to all of these characters, so not assembling them under one of their most well-known titles would seem wasteful.
Avengers: Secret Wars
When the survival of Talokan is on the line, Namor, ready or not, will have to reveal himself to the world. While the plot of Marvel Studios’ Secret Wars hasn’t been revealed yet, the film seems like it may be taking some inspiration from Jonathan Hickman‘s 2015 event where incursions threatened the existence of realities across the Multiverse. If that’s the case and Earth-616 is at risk, Namor would prove a powerful ally to Earth’s heroes. He was seen to be nearly indestructible in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (outside of Shuri’s plan), so keeping a water cooler on hand should relieve those concerns. And appearing in Secret Wars would allow Namor to interact with a handful of heroes he’s never shared the screen with due to right’s issues. Namor and Steve Rogers, anyone?
Operating under the assumption that Chastain is joining the MCU in a major, recurring, villainous role, we’re shooting the most ridiculous shot first and the logic isn’t as crazy as it may seem. If New World Order really does introduce Adamantium to the MCU, it’s likely to restart the Weapons Plus program (did it ever really stop?) and Nathaniel Essex has some pretty interesting ties to the program in the comics. Essentially immortal thanks to his work with cloning, Essex has been around since the mid-1800s and has always been interested in the study of genetics. It was the discovery of his abandoned labs during World War II that lead to the creation of the Weapons Plus Program and, over the years, Essex revisited the different iterations of the program in disguise. Sinister’s endless array of clone bodies means that he’s appeared as a woman more than once over the years under aliases such as Claudine Renko and Kate Kildare. A stretch and a longshot for sure, but with the mutant genome now present in the MCU it does seem like it’s only a matter of time before one of Marvel’s most fabulous villains enters the picture.
Karla Sofen/Moonstone
Another major, recurring villain and one that’s a little more probable for Chastain is Dr. Karla Sofen. While most fans would associate her with Captain Marvel, the character first appeared in Captain America #192. Though she later developed superpowers through exposure to the Kree Moonstone, Sofen’s psychiatric manipulation of her patients makes her dangerous and an interesting option for Chastain. Thaddeus Ross’s emergence as a villain in Captain America: New World Order is an interesting proposition because while he’s a major pain in the ass and a frustrating antagonist, he’s hardly been portrayed as an outright villain in the MCU. Interestingly enough, he and Dr. Sofen have a bit of a comic book history that includes her hypnotizing Ross. Having Ross manipulated by Sofen while Sterns orchestrates things behind the scenes seems a relatively believable scenario for Ross’s perceived villainy. Additionally, joining the MCU as Dr. Sofen for Cap 4 would also allow Chastain’s role to evolve over time. It’s not like everyone on the original Thunderbolts team is going to live forever and Moonstone would give Carol Danvers a powerful, Earth-bound foe down the road.
Rachel Leighton/Diamondback
A classic Captain America character who always had a complicated relationship with Steve Rogers, Rachel Leighton would make for an interesting double-agent type of character for Chastain to play in Captain America: New World Order. Leighton’s a sexy, seductive merc whose mission to Tiamut could have her crossing paths with Sam Wilson for whom she could cause all sorts of problems. Like Wilson, Leighton possesses no superpowers but is a highly-skilled fighter which would put Chastain in familiar territory given her work on the action thriller Ava. In the comics, she and Steve Rogers did a lot of flirting before ending up in a romantic relationship that jeopardized them both, something that could work well with Sam has he steps into a larger role as a leader.
Madame Viper
Hydra is never really gone and if they are to reemerge, it should be in a Captain America project. One of Marvel Comics most complex and fascinating female villains, taking on the role of Viper would allow Chastain to showcase her considerable range and become part of the MCU for multiple projects. Everything about Viper screams that she’s exactly the type of character to emerge from the shadows in a project subtitled New World Order. If Adamantium is truly at the center of the plot, Hydra would absolutely be involved in any efforts to take possession of it. Viper’s presence in the film could be a little nod to SecretEmpire, one of Marvel’s most controversial comic events, and Viper/Hydra has to be a top choice for the individual/organization that takes control of Tiamut by the end of the film. While rumors have Tiamut being referred to as the island of Genosha by the time Thunderbolts rolls around, remember that Hydra has its own island as well and it resides near enough to Indian Ocean in the comics that the little change wouldn’t really matter. Hail Hydra!
Monica Rappaccini
Like Hydra, A.I.M. would certainly come back out of the shadows in order to get their hands on Adamantium and they have their own history of owning a cool, bad-guy island. A.I.M. has played no real role in the MCU since Aldrich Killian ate shit in Iron Man 2, but they are far too important of an organization in the comics to disappear forever. Under new leadership from their Scientist Supreme, Monica Rappaccini, an organization such as A.I.M. would undoubtedly want to investigate the corpse of a Celestial. What could they do with their findings? Build a Super-Adaptoid, of course.
Dr. Diedre Wentworth/Superia
Similar to Monica Rappaccinni and Viper, Diedre Wentworth would be in it to get control of Tiamut and the Adamantium, however, her goal might be a touch different: Superia would use Adamantium to lead her army of Femizons to subjugate the men of the world to her rule. The Femizon leader’s misandry would put her at odds with a self-imagined alpha male like Thaddeus Ross and allow Sam to really stretch his empathic wings. Superia is another classic Cap villain who could end up causing more problems down the line.
Dr. Valerie Cooper
While not traditionally a villain, Cooper makes sense as a potential role for Chastain because of her ties to the United States government. Ross is rumored to be the President of the United States by the time Captain America: New World Order rolls around and, in the comics, Dr. Cooper worked for the NSA where her specialty was mutants. Dr. Cooper was concerned that the continuing emergence of powered mutants caused a national security threat to the United States and believed a new “arms race” was at hand. Given the Israeli mutant known as Sabra will be played in the film by Shira Haas, New World Order could be the starting point of the MCU version of the “mutant arms race” and Cooper could be working on putting together the U.S.’s own government-sanctioned mutant super team, the kind of thing a Sokovia Accords’ champion like Ross would get behind. Cooper worked on a device that would allow her to detect mutant powers, was a key member of the Commission on Superhuman Activities that claimed the title of “Captain America” belonged to the U.S. government and “fired” Steve Rogers from the job. With Sam just picking up the mantle of Captain America, having the U.S. government claim the title and fire him from the job would certainly be a rude welcome. Cooper also went on to head the Office of National Emergency (O*N*E*) which essentially served as a mutant oversight and management office. Again, while Cooper has never been a true villain, she could serve as a worthy antagonist to Sam and his allies.
If we were betting, we’d take the field over Chastain ending up playing any one of these seven characters, but they all certainly present interesting possibilities for the Oscar winner.
Captain America: New World Order has made more than its fair share of news lately as rumors of its plot have gotten fans excited about the possibilities for the 2024 film. The plot is heavily rumored to involve the discovery of Adamantium on the corpse of Tiamut, the Celestial who had been growing inside Earth and was killed in Eternals. If that’s the case, Sam Wilson’s first theatrical outing as Captain America is shaping up to be a wild ride as it will see Sam and a group of heroes foil some sort of villainous plot to obtain the Adamantium hatched by Harrison Ford‘s Thaddeus Ross, Julia Louis-Dreyfus‘ CIA Director Valentina Allegre de Fontain and Tim Blake Nelson‘s Leader. Now, a spicy new rumor sure to be a YouTube pundit pleaser has another villain joining the fray and Marvel Studios has an Oscar-winning actress in mind for the role.
Twitter user MyTimeToShineHello claims that Jessica Chastain, who as you all remember well played the memorable villain Vuk in Simon Kinberg‘s magnum opus, Dark Phoenix, is Marvel Studios’ choice for the “main villain” of Captain America: New World Order.
Jessica Chastain is being eyed to play the main villain in Captain America: New World Order.
This is a spicy rumor, to be sure, given that whatever character Marvel Studios allegedly wants Chastain to portray is now the third character that’s been described as the main villain of the film. If the film’s plot does indeed revolve around the discovery of Adamantium on Tiamut’s body, which resides in the Indian Ocean, the rumor that the film would have multiple heroes and villains does make sense, however, as it would stand to reason that governments around the world would want to get their hands on the precious metal for their own ends. Given Chastain’s prominence and the number of juicy roles she could be up for, this rumor is one worth keeping an eye on as production on Captain America: New World Order draws nearer.
Marvel Studios’ Phase 5 slate kicks off in less than two months with Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania and concludes in the Fall of 2024 with Deadpool 3. Phase 5 will explore cryptic MCU divisions such as the Quantum Realm, the supernatural and, of course, the Multiverse. It will also tackle some geopolitical stories and the real world-building will be done by two movies that will come back-to-back in 2024: Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts.
A fourth Captain America project was confirmed to be in the works at SDCC ’22 after Sam Wilson picked up the shield in The Falcon And The Winter Soldier. Set to be directed by Julius Onah and scribed by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson, the film will see the return of Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns as the villain after nearly 16 years of absence from the MCU.
A new rumor from insider Daniel RPK continues to tie the two films together. The rumor states that the plot of Captain America: New World Order will focus on an international conflict over Adamantium, discovered on Tiamut. Harrison Ford‘s Thunderbolt Ross (the POTUS) will join in on the Adamantium Rush and be the main antagonist of the film. Sam Wilson will oppose his plan and assemble a new team of superheroes to put an end to his scheme. This rumor didn’t spring up long after another rumor, very similar to this one, surfaced on the internet. The only difference between the two was that the other rumor described the situation from the Thunderbolts’ perspective, suggesting that both movies might be part of the same duology of a major power struggle over Genosha.
Captain America: New World Order releases in theaters on May 3, 2024. Thunderbolts arrives in theaters on July 26, 2024.
Marvel Studios has owned the live-action rights to the X-Men for over three years and while they haven’t chosen to introduce any of the major characters associated with the team into the MCU, they have started to sprinkle in some bits and pieces that are connected. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier introduced the lawless location of Madripoor to the MCU, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a Multiversal Variant of Charles Xavier, Kamala Khan’s powers in Ms. Marvel were discovered to be the result of a mutation and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced Namor, the MCU’s first mutant (at least for now). Now, a fascinating new rumor suggests they slipped another mutant-related breadcrumb into the MCU without anyone noticing and may change the way audiences look at Eternals.
New information from insider Daniel RPK suggests that a major mutant location already exists in the MCU and will serve as a key setting in two 2024 films. The new rumor claims that the corpse of the Celestial Tiamut has become an island called Genosha and will be featured in Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts.
Fans of X-Men comics will recognize Genosha immediately and likely have a visceral response. Located in the Indian Ocean, Genosha played a major role in the comics for well over a decade, first as an island full of mutant slaves, then as the first attempt at a mutant nation on Earth and ultimately as the site of the massacre which killed 16.5 million mutant inhabitants of the island.
Rumors point to Tiamut’s corpse/Genosha, which is indeed located in the Indian Ocean, serving a key role in Captain America: New World Order as governments of the world learn of the presence of Adamantium in or on the island. Then, in Thunderbolts, the titular team will be sent to Genosha to procure the precious metal. The Thunderbolts going in after Adamantium lines up with CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine’s obsession with Vibranium, as seen in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and establishing Tiamut/Genosha as a geopolitical hotspot due to its natural resources sets it up to be a key locale in the future of the MCU. Other rumors point to Thunderbolts also serving to show that Super Soldier research is ongoing and it becomes fairly easy to connect the dots from Super Solider research to Adamantium to Weapon X down the road.
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.
For nearly two years, fans of the MCU took to social media to voice their concern that Marvel Studios’ post-Infinity Saga era lacked direction. Those criticisms seemed misplaced at the time (imagine pretending to know that Thanos was coming following 2011’s Thor) but once Kevin Feige rolled out the first look at the Multiverse Saga at SDCC ’22, they became completely irrelevant. Feige’s ambitious plan for the new saga included another double-dip of Avengers films among the current total of 13 unreleased films (expect Spidey 4 to join that number eventually).
Even with the One-Above-All’s plan laid out in plain sight, it’s still a bit hard to see how the MCU gets from here to there. After all, at this point in the Multiverse Saga, only a handful of projects have been…Multiversal. So which projects in Phases 5 and 6 are shaping up to be the most important on the road to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty? Here’s our best guess…
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
This one isn’t much of a guess as it’s all but confirmed to lead directly to Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. But how? Our best guess is that the events of Quantumania won’t actually result in Kang getting turned loose into the world just yet. Why not? Because there’s just too much story to get through between Quantumania and The Kang Dynasty to have Kang running about all willy-nilly in the MCU for 2 years. What Quantumania can and will do, however, is establish Kang the Conqueror as a major threat to the Multiverse and it might also serve as the Multiverse Saga’s “Thanos is coming” moment. Whichever members of the Ant-Family make it out of the Quantum Realm will surely relay their knowledge of the villain to whoever it is that makes up the new team of Avengers. Sounds like it’s going to be Cassie Lang’s turn to follow in her father’s footsteps and make up for a big mistake…
Loki, Season 2
Season 2 of Loki both is and is not exactly what you think it is. As details about the villain of the series start to trickle out, fans are starting to put together some pretty great theories about what might happen…but most of those theories get off to a false start. Though Season 1 lead writer Michael Waldron is off working on Avengers: Secret Wars, Eric Martin (who did a great deal of work on Season 1), took the lead. The continuity from Season 1 to Season 2 is going to pay major dividends as Season 2 picks up directly where Season 1 left off. It’s just that Season 1 didn’t leave off in the way many believe it did. Season 2 will also deal with the now out-of-control Multiverse and see Sylvie faced with the consequences of the choice she made when she shanked He Who Remains. He warned her. She didn’t listen. What happens when she finds out just how bad it’s gotten? Finally, Season 2 looks to include Jonathan Majors‘ Kang. Is he the same Kang as the one in Quantumania? Has he escaped from the Quantum Realm or is this before he became trapped there? Is he a new Variant? Season 2’s gonna be a trip.
The Marvels
It’s likely that every project in Phases 5 and 6 will have something that is ultimately somehow related to one or both of the Avengers’ films in the Multiverse Saga. Whether it be plot points, character developments or threads left hanging, most of the projects will tie into them one way or another. The big rumor for The Marvels is that it will actually delve pretty heavily into the idea of incursions that was introduced in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That’s a pretty important bit as Reed Richard’s explanation of what they are might not have given the entire picture, but just what he knew about them at the time.
Captain America: New World Order
Don’t expect Kang to pop in here or for a world-ending incursion to happen in the first act. Do expect this to be the first global-level story of the Multiverse Saga and for it to clarify some details that have been fairly casually thrown into different Phase 4 projects. The Sokovia Accord were established in Captain America: Civil War and the Avengers spent an entire movie fighting over them; those same accords were casually revealed to have been repealed in one line of dialogue spoken by Matt Murdock in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. So what happens when there’s something worth fighting over now? The present-day MCU has no Avengers. But they’ll need some in 2025 otherwise calling it Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would be pretty silly. Will the New Avengers be formed during this movie? Or will this movie be the pivot point for the Multiverse Saga in that it will make it clear that the time has come for the New Avengers to come together?
Deadpool and Wolverine
Hugh Jackman‘s revelation that whatever this movie is called will involve time travel all but confirms that it will be an incursion-fest. I actually love the idea of Deadpool causing a whole mess of incursions that accelerate the destruction of the Multiverse. He’s not a serious character who should be trying to face off against Kang, but it is in keeping with the character that his actions, as noble as he may think they are, would create a major mess that others would have to clean up. If this film becomes the adaptation of Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe which has been theorized here and there, it would be a wonderful way to build a true, all-inclusive Multiverse while capitalizing on Ryan Reynolds‘ popularity and love for Deadpool.
Fantastic Four
It’s hard to imagine a Fantastic Four film taking place in the MCU that doesn’t somehow connect to the Multiverse Saga. The current rumblings around the plot point toward it shaping up to be a little Cosmic in nature and to involve the Silver Surfer. Of course, at this point in the game, there’s no context for what his purpose in the film might be. Whatever the case, he’s certainly no villain but one of his comic book powers might serve an interesting purpose in Fantastic Four. When gifted with the Power Cosmic by Galactus, the Cosmic Wanderer gained Cosmic Awareness. This power allowed him to sense things about the universe that others couldn’t. He could perceive changes in energy in the universe and determine the location of said changes. If the 616 reality were in some jeopardy through an incursion, it’s incredibly likely that the Surfer would know about it first. From there it’s not much of a…stretch…to think he might find himself working with one of the smartest people on the planet to determine the nature of the incursion. From there it follows that Reed might create a device that would allow him to peer into other realities to see if they’re in similar danger. From there it’s possible he might meet other Reeds. Having a plan for dealing with incursions and/or Kang would seem like a pretty major deal. Could an evil Reed be the villain here? Another version of Kang, such as Immortus? Too many unknowns at the moment, but if Marvel Studios wants to set this apart from Fox’s efforts with the First Family, this would do the trick.
Shang-Chi 2
The rumored title of Shang-Chi and The Wreckage of Time opens up some fascinating possibilities for the sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings. More importantly, it also established one of Marvel Studios’ newest heroes as one of the key figures in the Multiverse Saga. The Wreckage of Time would seem to point directly at Kang’s involvement in this movie and, as indicated earlier, he still has to get out of the Quantum Realm somehow. I still think this movie takes place before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, though the current slate does not show that. I’ve been asking for a Shang-Chi and Ms. Marvel team-up and this could be it. Theories that those two characters have weapons that are ultimately a major part of the Multiverse Saga might be on to something, but instead of them being part of taking down Kang, what if they somehow end up being part of how he’s freed from the Quantum Realm. Just because Kang can’t get out doesn’t mean he might now have allies on the outside. Once freed from the Quantum Realm, Kang would certainly be at liberty to do some serious damage to the timestream.
Is Nomad even happening?! There’s still no official word on the project that we first reported was in the works over 2 years ago, but it really is…right? Is it a TV series? A film? Nobody seems to know but if it were a film about Steve Rogers’ time returning the Infinity Stones, it could turn into an incursion-palooza that, much like Deadpool and Wolverine, could speed up the timeline toward Avengers: Secret Wars. As detailed here, a guy like Steve Rogers visiting these other timelines could be a way worse idea than you’d think. If he chose to right some minor wrong while he was in each of those alternate timelines (as nicely detailed in the image from MCU Exchange), this project could serve as the ultimate connecting piece between Marvel Studios’ two Sagas and show fans just how time messes back, as Tony Stark warned.
It’s not exactly the Yellow-Brick Road, but these projects could easily set the stage for the events of The Kang Dynasty. How does the story go from there to Secret Wars? Stay tuned, True Believers…
Back in October, when rumors first began to circulate that legendary actor Harrison Ford had signed on to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it took many fans by surprise. Especially as Ford has starred in franchises such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones, the former of which he has long grown tired of. Many assumed the actor wouldn’t want to join yet another massive franchise, however, a new interview with Ford has revealed that he was looking to do something different – and the MCU is different for him.
“Hey, look, I’ve done a lot of things. I now want to do some of the things I haven’t done.”
Ford is stepping into the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross in Captain America: New World Orderreplacing the late William Hurt. The role of Ross brings many possibilities including using motion capture to become the Red Hulk. When asked about his involvement in such things, Ford was mum, effectively “zipping” his lips. Production on New World Order is expected to begin next year, with the film currently set to hit theaters on May 3rd, 2024.
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.
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