Tag: Fantastic Four

  • ‘Fantastic Four’ Director Matt Shakman on Casting Rumors, What He Learned from ‘WandaVision’

    ‘Fantastic Four’ Director Matt Shakman on Casting Rumors, What He Learned from ‘WandaVision’

    Though it won’t go into production until early in 2024, Marvel Studios Fantastic Four might lead the country in rumored castings. The roles of Ben Grimm, Reed Richards, Sue Storm and Johnny Storm are certainly among the most coveted in all of Hollywood and will provide the respective talents that fill them with at least a decade’s worth of security. The constant spinning of the rumor mill and theorizing about the upcoming film are nothing new to director Matt Shakman, who boarded the project after original director Jon Watts departed it to work on his Star Wars series Skeleton Crew.

    Shakman’s time on WandaVision, Marvel Studios’s first streaming series and certainly the most “water cooler” one to date, allows him some unique perspective on the ongoing social media craze that surrounds the casting for Fantastic Four, as he explained to Comic Book.

    There are a lot out there, man,” said Shakman of the casting rumors. “They really are. It’s pretty crazy. As I learned from WandaVision, too, it is so lovely to see the level of engagement that fans have with this material, because I’m a fan too, and I have been reading Fantastic Four since I was a kid,” the director explained.

    WandaVision‘s mysterious nature in concert with its weekly release schedule led to some wild fan theories that kept the series front and center on social media from week to week. Fans often conflated theories and rumors with facts and ended up disappointed more often than not as the Grim Reaper, Reed Richards and Doctor Strange never showed up. However frustrating it was, the experience did show the enormous amount of passion MCU fans have for certain projects, something Shakman hopes will carry over to Fantastic Four.

    I love these characters,” said Shakman of Marvel’s First Family. “I love the chance that we have to bring them to the MCU and I really want to get it right and I know that everybody out there is really excited and feels passionate in the same way wanting to get it right. And so I encourage it. I think it’s great,” he continued before adding, “but yeah, I have no early answers for anyone today about casting.”

    While there’s nothing to be gleaned about the potential cast of Fantastic Four from Shakman’s comments, at least we can all rest well knowing someone learned something from WandaVision.

    Source: Comic Book

  • Director Matt Shakman Updates ‘Fantastic Four’ Production Schedule

    Director Matt Shakman Updates ‘Fantastic Four’ Production Schedule

    The road to Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four draws closer to reality. In an interview with The Wrap, director Matt Shakman confirmed that production for the film adaptation of Marvel’s First Family is scheduled to begin in early 2024. This period would be a logical production window as the film is currently set to release on February 14, 2025. Though with release date delays that have become commonplace for Marvel Studios, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for audiences to expect the film to have at least one more delay in release.

    Matt Shakman being hired to helm Fantastic Four comes after previously directing the entirety of the acclaimed WandaVision series for Disney+. His work on the inaugural Marvel Cinematic Universe streaming project got him hired to work on a Star Trek feature film sequel for Paramount. But the offer of the Fantastic Four forced him to relinquish his role on Star Trek. Shakman spoke about this decision and his motivations with Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four.

    Movies have different journeys and momentums and schedules are a little bit mercurial, and so when the ‘Fantastic Four’ opportunity came up, it was just too hard to pass up, and to go back home to Marvel, a place that I worked on ‘WandaVision’ at, with those people who are wonderful collaborators. It’s really a family there and to be able to go back and tackle something that I truly love, and they’re very similar in some ways: they both were launched in the ’60s at the same time, they’re both about optimism and looking to the stars and technology can solve everything and they’re about family too — the family you have, the family you make. So they’re aligned in many ways and speak to my heart and equally, so I’m excited to be working on ‘Fantastic Four’.

    Matt Shakman

    This quote should pique the interest of fans of the Fantastic Four. Matt Shakman’s excitement about the themes of family and exploration is key to successfully adapting Marvel’s First Family. They’re also concepts that weren’t adeptly explored in the previous film adaptations of the team. If Shakman’s creative vision for the team can be capitalized on, fans should have a lot to be excited about in 2025 with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Then in terms of the 2024 production start, it should further confirm the notion that audiences won’t learn of an official cast till the second half of 2023. A big reveal at San Diego Comic-Con seems to be an ideal time for the pageantry of such an occasion.

    Source: The Wrap

  • Up Next: The Annihilation Saga

    Up Next: The Annihilation Saga

    Marvel Studios is only one-third of the way through its Multiverse Saga and with the onset of Phase 5, fans will soon learn the true nature of the saga’s big bad. Though the Multiverse Saga won’t wrap up for another few years (if it keeps its current pace), Disney has already planted flags for four post-Secret Wars theatrical projects meaning, to nobody’s surprise, that they plan to continue phasing and saga-ing beyond the Multiverse Saga. Whatever that new saga holds, it will ultimately have to culminate in a major event worthy of drawing heroes from every corner of the universe to help save the day and while any number of comic book events could be adapted to provide such a threat, an epic multi-event run from the late 00s and early 10s might not only be the best bet but also already be in the earliest stages of being established in the MCU. It’s possible that Marvel Studios could be teeing up Phases 7-9 to become the MCU’s Annihilation Saga.

    What is Annihilation?

    Much like the Infinity Saga and the Multiverse Saga, the Annihilation Saga wouldn’t be the direct adaptation of one of Marvel Comics’ major events or any particular run, but rather inspired by several different runs and centered on a threat worthy of large-scale team-up films on the level of Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars and while there’s no shortage of such threats, one might be closer to making his way into the MCU than the rest: Annihilus.

    Originally introduced as a Fantastic Four villain, Annihilus has grown in power over the years and has become a threat to the existence of the entire universe. The ruler of a pocket dimension known as the Negative Zone, Annihilus, with the power gifted to him by wielding the Cosmic Control Rod, set his sights on conquering Earth and then the entire “positive” galaxy. Thus, in 2006, Annihilus was the main antagonist of the Cosmic crossover event, Annihilation, in which he lead his Annihilation Wave out of the Negative Zone and wreaked havoc on the galaxy as he attempted to extinguish all life within it. Should the MCU wish to make The Living Death That Walks the main antagonist of its next saga, Annihilation would be cornerstone content for it; however, a significant amount of groundwork would need to be done ahead of time and it looks like Marvel may already be pouring the foundation.

    The Fantastic Four

    Matt Shakman‘s Fantastic Four will introduce the First Family to the MCU along with opening the door to hundreds of characters and settings closely associated with them. No details about the film but the Fantastic Four have such a rich history with Annihilus and The Negative Zone that it would be a shame to allow the character to be introduced any other way. That said, there’s no reason for the First-Born Son of Oblivion to be introduced in the 2025 film when there’s plenty of time over Phased 7 through 9 for him to make his debut.

    Galactus and His Heralds

    A Silver Surfer solo project is heavily rumored to be headed to Disney Plus at some point in the Multiverse Saga and while the Sentinel of the Spaceways would certainly be a major player in an Annihilation Saga, his master and the horde of heralds who served him over centuries were a major part of the Annihilation event as Annihilus coveted the Power Cosmic. Rumors of Galactus’ presence in 2025’s Fantastic Four have recently heated back up and it’s been said that the Silver Surfer project would stream prior to Galactus’ appearance. Marvel Studios could use that solo project as a way to deliver the rich and complex history and mythology of Galactus and his heralds ahead of Fantastic Four which would allow for those characters to move smoothly into their roles in the Annihilation Saga. While his former heralds served as soldiers in the war against Annihilus, the “Galactus event” turned the tide of the war.

    Nova

    There was no greater hero in the war against the Annihilation Wave than Richard Rider and it was Rider who ultimately ended the war by killing Annihilus. Xandar, home to the Nova Corps, was one of the first planets to fall to the Annihilation Wave. Rider survived and allowed the Xandarian Worldmind to merge with him while also agreeing to host the entirety of the Nova Force. With the help of many friends and heroes, Rider formed the United Front which brought members of some of the galaxy’s fiercest civilizations together in the fight against the Bug King. Though it’s currently unclear what format it will ultimately take, a solo Nova project is in the works at Marvel Studios which means Rider could be introduced and set up just in time for Annihilus to give him the push he needs to become Marvel’s greatest Cosmic hero.

    Adding these characters to the mix during the Multiverse Saga would allow them to join forces with whichever Guardians of the Galaxy survive Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to defend both the galaxy and Earth against an incredibly powerful threat.

    How Would It Take Shape?

    As has been the case through the first two sagas, not every second of every project needs to serve the endgame of that saga. While there are sure to be connections in nearly every project, what’s important is that the characters get put in the right places in time for the main event and that’s just a matter of smart scheduling. Following (or even prior to) the events of Avengers: Secret Wars, the concept of the Negative Zone could be introduced in any number of ways. Reed Richards discovered it and its anti-matter properties in the comics and could easily do so here. Having the Fantastic Four visit the Negative Zone and be perceived as a threat by Annihilus, however, is a pretty simple first step. All Annihilus has ever desired is to conquer all there was, so upon learning of there being more to conquer other than the Negative Zone, the wheels are set in motion.

    Any number of events either during or after Secret Wars could be used to explain how Annihilus locates The Crunch, the physical meeting point of the 616-universe and the Negative Zone and the portal through which he launches the Annihilation Wave. Should the first Nova project be one of Marvel Studios Special Presentations, it could tell the tale of how Xandar fell to Thanos, how Richard Rider became Nova and how Xandar was rebuilt. Depending on how grand their plans are for the character, Marvel Studios could use use the next project, Nova: Annihilation Day, to show how Annihilus grew in power and the sheer might of the Annihilation Wave.

    Marvel Studios seems to love two-part conclusions to their sagas and that’s where the creatives at the studio could get…creative. Thanks to the heroics of Richard Rider and the United Front, the Annihilation Wave never reached Earth in the comics but Annihilus attempted to conquer and/or destroy the planet plenty of other times. The Fantastic Four and Adam Warlock played a hand in stopping Annihilus in several of those stories and could team up with Nova and The Avengers, respectively, to stop The Lord of The Negative Zone in the two-part finale to the Annihilation Saga: Avengers: Annihilation and Avengers: Annihilation Earthfall. It’ll all come together much better when talented people get involved.

    Of course, there are any number of other major villains and events that could shape the next saga, including the impending arrival of the X-Men, so don’t start etching this in stone just yet. However, Annihilus is one of a handful of villains whose means, motive and opportunity have been on par with those of Thanos and Kang in the comics, putting him at least on the list of possible big bads set to star in his own saga.

  • A Rumored New Frontrunner Emerges in the Hunt for Mister Fantastic

    A Rumored New Frontrunner Emerges in the Hunt for Mister Fantastic

    As Marvel Studios continues to search for their Fantastic Four, rumors continue to swirl about a slew of talented actors and actresses who may or may not be up for the roles. Adam Driver, Ryan Gosling and Diego Luna have all been rumored to be in contention for one role or another in the film and all might make sense depending on which role and the route that director Matt Shakman has in mind for the film. Until there’s an official announcement from Marvel Studios, it’s unlikely the rumor mill will stop churning and the latest turn has a fan favorite taking the lead as a front runner for the role.

    According to the anonymous source of the moderators of r/MarvelStudiosSpoilers, Academy Award nominee Dev Patel tops the list of candidates for the role of Reed Richards.

    Patel, whose work in 2021’s The Green Knight drew glowing reviews, is the right age for the role (32) and fits the bill of the type of talent Marvel Studios tends to grab for franchise roles such as Mister Fantastic. Though he’s been on the radar since his role in 2008’s Slumdog Millionaire, Patel has consistently put together solid performances but has yet to take on a career-defining role. Landing the role as Reed Richards, which would presumably last at least a decade, would instantly make Patel one of the most recognized talents in film.

    Marvel Studios Fantastic Four is currently slated for a February 14, 2025 theatrical debut.

    Source: Reddit

  • A New Rumor Potentially Reveals the Villain of Marvel Studios ‘Fantastic Four’

    A New Rumor Potentially Reveals the Villain of Marvel Studios ‘Fantastic Four’

    In 2019, Kevin Feige announced that Marvel Studios was developing a Fantastic Four film much to the excitement of fans of the property. Four years and two directos later, little is known about the upcoming project. No actors have been announced for any member of the First Family and only the vaguest of rumored details about the potential plot have made their way online. However, according to a new rumor, the film’s villain may have been revealed.

    Twitter users My Time To Shine Hello and Tom Smith have indicated that Galactus will be the villain of 2025’s Fantastic Four.

    The rumors kicked off during a Q&A with My Time To Shine Hello. When asked who the main villain of the project would be, she simply stated “Galactus.” A matter of hours later, Smith backed up the claim that Galactus would be involved.

    Starting off the franchise with a threat such as Galactus would be a bold move for Marvel Studios. While the character is one of the most well-known antagonists of the team in the comics, it’s been generally believed Marvel would start out with a less enormous threat. It’s unknown what route director Matt Shakman‘s adaptation of the character might take, but hopefully, if the rumors are true, fans will get to see Galactus fully revealed as Jack Kirby intended and not a cloud of cosmic dust in the wind.

  • RUMOR: Ryan Gosling a Front-Runner for ‘Fantastic Four’ Role

    RUMOR: Ryan Gosling a Front-Runner for ‘Fantastic Four’ Role

    A new potential front-runner has emerged for a role in Marvel Studios’ Fantastic Four adaptation. The Hot Mic Podcast has shared a new rumor that Hollywood A-Lister Ryan Gosling is in line for a lead role in the 2025 Marvel Cinematic Universe project. It wasn’t specified which role Gosling would potentially be playing. Though based on the rumor, Ryan Gosling would be a logical choice to play Mister Fantastic in the film. The actor likely wouldn’t match well as any other member of the Fantastic Four and doesn’t have the European heritage to best play a role such as Doctor Doom.

    The actor has a strong track record as a leading man in marquee films in the 21st century and has the acting abilities to pair greatly with any current lead of the Marcel Cinematic Universe. In addition, the 42-year-old is of the right age to play the father figure in Marvel’s first family for what would likely be a trilogy of films alongside a handful of crossover appearances.

    A notable caveat with a rumor like this is that audiences likely won’t have an official announcement for casting for some bit of time. Being a 2025 release, Fantastic Four likely won’t begin production until early 2024. And with that in mind, one shouldn’t expect an announcement till at least the second half of 2023. An event like San Diego Comic-Con (taking place in July) would be a probable and logical time to expect this sort of reveal. Rumors like these remain fairly a superfluous, yet interesting thought experiment for fans in the meantime before more concrete information is locked in.

    Source: Hot Mic Podcast

  • RUMOR: Adam Driver May Be Marvel Studios’ Top Choice for Stretchy ‘Fantastic Four’ Lead

    RUMOR: Adam Driver May Be Marvel Studios’ Top Choice for Stretchy ‘Fantastic Four’ Lead

    There have been a lot of discussions on who exactly might take on one of the leading roles of Marvel Studios’ take on the Fantastic Four. The film has long been in development and even lost its initial director, Jon Watts before the almost Star Trek director Matt Shakman took over the production. Casting rumors have been one of the most popular discussions online, especially while building up toward San Diego Comic-Con and D23.

    Now, the rumors have once again surfaced teasing who exactly might be taking on the role of Mr. Fantastic. According to some new rumors alongside a hint by The Direct, they believe that the former Kylo Ren, Adam Driver, might be the top choice for the role of Reed Richards in the MCU’s Fantastic Four. For now, we’ll have to take it with a grain of salt, but he’d make a rather curious choice in the role.

    Driver is certainly a strong actor, which he proved with his work in projects like Marriage Story and BlaKkKlansman. He’s come a long way since his time in the Star Wars franchise as the moody Kylo Ren. Of course, we’ve seen top choices by Marvel Studios pass on the role and who knows if Driver is even interested in investing a lot of time into a new franchise once again. For now, it’s definitely a curious direction to take Reeds, and given his acting ability, perhaps we’ll see a lot more versions of Driver from across the Multiverse.

    Source: The Direct

  • REPORT: Casting Still Underway for Marvel Studios ‘Fantastic Four’

    REPORT: Casting Still Underway for Marvel Studios ‘Fantastic Four’

    2023 has been filled with casting rumors and theories on who might become the next members of the Fantastic Four in Marvel Studios’ reboot of the franchise. As we were nearing San Diego Comic-Con, there were many rumors floating about hinting at who may have already nabbed the role of Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, Human Torch, or the Thing before they would fizzle out again. The same thing happened shortly after as D23 was around the corner.

    In a new report by Puck, it seems that there still is no one set in the various roles, but they are still actively casting for the 2025 release. Fantastic Four is a dream project for Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige, and past reports have hinted at him being heavily invested in getting them right after the mixed reception of the more comedic take in 2005 and the poorly received 2015 entry.

    Matt Shakman is set to bring this franchise to life after his successful work on WandaVision. Originally, the director of the MCU Spider-Man films, Jon Watts was attached to direct but passed on the project to focus on another franchise, his upcoming Disney+ Star Wars series, Skeleton Crew.

    We still have to wait quite a bit before we find out what Marvel Studios has planned for Marvel’s first family, but it definitely has the potential to be one of their most ambitious projects yet. There’s also the possibility of how it introduces one of Marvel’s most iconic villains, Victor van Doom, who was initially rumored to appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. For now, we’ll have to wait a bit longer for an actual update.

    Source: Puck

  • The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V2

    The Hypothetical 2025 Marvel Studios Release Calendar, V2

    Trying to predict what 2025 might look like when changes to 2023 are still happening is just ridiculous! But here we go…

    *NOTE* we are no longer tracking animated projects nor including them on the hypothetical calendars.

    Though this has not been officially announced by Marvel Studios, rumors suggest that this is in the works and that it will stream on Disney Plus ahead of Fantastic Four. For now, Fantastic Four is slated for Valentine’s Day so giving the Sentinel of the Spaceways his own project a month or so out would allow plenty of time for audiences to get to know him.

    Fantastic Four was shuffled into 2025 since our last update, but with Matt Shakman on board to direct based on a script from Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer, it seems like things are headed in the right direction! Fans are understandably hungry for this movie and by the time it releases, nearly 6 years will have passed since Kevin Feige announced it at SDCC ’19!

    Nova has a writer and is rumored to be a project that’s destined to become a Special Presentation. It’s time for The Man Called Nova to enter the MCU.

    Reiterating old news here, but way back in the day the word was that the studio expected whoever it was that ultimately took on the role of Kamala Khan to shoot Season 1, a movie and Season 2 all in a fairly short amount of time. Iman Vellani is that actress and she’s going to be pretty busy as it’s expected she’ll play a rather vital role in the overall story of the Multiverse Saga, too.

    This is one of the bolder moves on the calendar, but since it’s hypothetical, it doesn’t really matter. I know absolutely nothing about the plot of this movie and the only thing I’ve ever heard was that it would arrive before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Until I know something else, I’ll stick with that nugget. That means shuffling around the slate a bit and bumping The Kang Dynasty to a new spot even though Marvel Studios has it slated for May 2nd.

    Oscar Isaac and Mohamed Diab seem to want everyone to know a second season of Moon Knight is in the works and we believe it is. Logistically, placing it on the slate before The Kang Dynasty makes quite a bit of sense as it would allow the character to emerge from his own shadowy world into the larger shared universe and help audiences understand how he might get involved with the Avengers.

    Tom Holland will have a new deal with Sony and Marvel Studios. Spider-Man 4 is happening and some rumors suggest it could happen as soon as 2024. However, if it really will involved Daredevil and Kingpin, it will have to happen after Daredevil: Born Again streams on Disney Plus and as indicated in version 4 of our 2024 hypothetical calendar, that series may not roll out until mid-2024 and that would have a domino effect on this film. Sony’s done the July 4th long-weekend release before with Spider-Man: Far From Home, so it wouldn’t be shocking to see them do it again. Of course, if they do release it then Marvel Studios would have to shuffle one of their release dates just a tad.

    Originally intended to be the May 2025 film, we’ve moved Avengers: The Kang Dynasty down the road a piece as a result of the shuffling of other projects. As it currently stands, August 1st isn’t even on the slate, but if Spidey 4 does drop in early July, Marvel Studios could push the July 25th date a week to let Spidey 4 do its thing before dropping the fifth Avengers film. One would think Spidey will certainly be in it, so having his story first is fine and all nonsense aside, it doesn’t matter when Marvel Studios releases this film. It’s going to make its money in any month on the calendar.

    As of our last update, this project was totally unknown, but given the rush to put together a writer’s room for it before the end of 2022, it would seem like a project that could easily stream on Disney Plus in 2025. We like to think of this one as a little Young Avengers, a little West Coast Avengers and a little “let’s keep Paul Bettany around because he’s that good.”

    This wasn’t even a film the last time we ran this exercise! As far as we know, the story of Armor Wars has always had a role in the Multiverse Saga so until we hear otherwise, the project will stay part of it even as the winds have shifted. Its connection to the events of Secret Invasion also helps us place it here, where it’s not too far away from the 2023 streaming series.

  • The Road Map to ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

    The Road Map to ‘Avengers: The Kang Dynasty’

    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.

    Nomad

    Source: MCU Exchange

    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…