Tag: Guardians of the Galaxy

  • Comics: Murphy’s Fab Five New Books from the Week that Was

    Comics: Murphy’s Fab Five New Books from the Week that Was

    As promised, here’s the first of what I hope to be a weekly series taking a look at the 5 best comics I read from the most recent NCBD. Let’s hop right in…

    1. Guardians of the Galaxy #15

    Al Ewing’s Guardians of the Galaxy has been a gift to me. Marvel Comics made a huge mistake when they changed up the comic book Guardians to make them more recognizable to fans of James Gunn’s MCU films. Fortunately, Donny Cates and now Ewing have taken them as far away from those iterations as possible and, in doing so, blown open the doors to all kinds of new possibilities.

    Ewing’s Guardians have opened up their ranks to keep up with the problems caused by several volatile political situations going on throughout the galaxy. Issue 15 narrows the view a little bit and puts Richard Rider at the center of the book (this auto-ranked it as the best book of the week). Rider’s been through it over the last couple of years, is struggling to reconnect with his bestie (a very changed Star-Lord) and has had enough of compromising with villains. This is exacerbated by the Guardians inviting Doctor Doom to join the team and a visit to S.W.O.R.D. headquarters to meet with Magneto. The Human Rocket and the Master of Magnetism have a great brawl followed up by a better conversation that takes place on the eve of the Hellfire Gala: big changes are coming to the galaxy, even bigger than the ones that have already shaken it to its core. And while the mutant terraforming of Mars seems like it should be the biggest blip on their radar, another team of Guardians make a huge discovery that leads directly to the upcoming crossover event, The Last Annihilation.

    It’s common for publishers to joke that new books or new events will “change everything.” It’s no joke to say that Ewing’s work on Guardians has done that without any of the hype.

    2. Infinite Frontier #1

    Infinite Frontier #1 Brings Wonder Back to the DC Universe | CBR

    I’ll happily admit that I’ve never been very good at keeping track of the DC Universes Crises and Otherworld tales and Rebirths and that, to me, the overall continuity is confusing. I’ll also admit that all the Death Metal stuff just really confused me more. That having been said, Infinite Frontier #1 gave me a feeling of hope that even I might be able to understand where DC Comics is taking things moving forward because it seems like there making a move to streamline things. So while it might get worse before it gets better, I think it’s going to get better.

    With the general populous now aware that they exist within a multiverse, a group of heroes, lead by Green Lantern Alan Scott, has set out to monitor any threats to its well-being; Thomas Wayne arrives on an alternate Earth looking for the Flash and meets President Superman and Justice Incarnate; another Flash discovers a new way to move through the multiverse where he meets Psycho Pirate, in the employ of Darkseid, on Earth Omega Dr. Bones blackmails Cameron Chase into coming back to work for the DEO; Roy Harper is revealed to be Roy Harpers, including the Black Lantern Roy from Death Metal and is being chased by a new villain named X-Tract.

    The book seems like an all-new direction for a DC event, though Psycho Pirate does tease a new Crisis is imminent. I’m not sure what direction DC has planned for things after this event, but issue #1 sets up the key players and plots to be resolved over the next few months in a way that seems like the right place for you to jump in and enjoy the ride.

     

    3. S.W.O.R.D. #6

    Captain America is "shell-shocked" by X-Men's Hellfire Gala in SWORD #6  preview | GamesRadar+

    Another book by Al Ewing on the list and that shouldn’t surprise anyone. Ewing has been one of Marvel’s most consistent top talents for years now and while he’s been hailed for his work on The Immortal Hulk, he’s been having a lot of fun playing in the Cosmic corner of things dating back to his work on The Ultimates. This book neatly follows up on the events of not only the prior X-books but also the aforementioned Guardians of the Galaxy #15. Here, we pick up after the mutants have terraformed Mars and moved the island of Arrako and its inhabitants there.

    The book features a surprising and entirely welcome 3+ page conversation between Steve Rogers and Doctor Doom in which the 2 show mutual respect for one another while they try to come to terms with the mutants incredible display of power. As they continue to grab more and more control of power on Earth through their pharmaceuticals, the mutant’s parallel move to control trade and power in the galaxy is revealed by Abigail Brand: a new material called mysterium that can only be made by mutants. Mysterium is a new metal that is tougher, stronger, a better conductor and all around better than pretty much any other option available for building ships, making computers and doing all sorts of other space shit.

    The big reveal, however, isn’t the metal itself but that Brand is giving it away to those who will acknowledge Planet Arrako (the one that used to be Mars), not Earth, as the governing body of the Sol system, a system the mutants now see on par with the other great empires of the galaxy. And the issue ends with a great reveal as the Regent of Planet Arrako and the Voice of the Sol system makes her appearance. S.W.O.R.D. has been a great ride from book 1 and it doesn’t lose any momentum here.

    4. Robin #3

    I’m a sucker for anything with Damien Wayne so when this new book was announced, I knew I was in. Damien has been taken to an island where the League of Lazarus, an offshoot of the League of Shadows, is holding a Lazarus Tournament that includes old, new and reinvented characters. It’s a great “tournament” setup that’s allowing readers, and Damien, to explore what makes Batman’s son tick. Damien’s more than capable of handling himself in almost any situation but the book, this issue especially, does a great job of exposing the weaknesses he refuses to believe he has and it ends with one hell of a cliffhanger…well first a clifftoss and then a cliffhanger.

    5. Shadowman #3

    Shadowman #3 delivers another fantastic issue in the series

    A new take on an old 90’s book, Shadowman by Cullen Bunn is becoming one of the most interesting horror books on the market. After taking the fist 2 issues to catch up on who Shadowman is and prepping the canvas, book 3 takes us down a path that ends with a revelation that makes everything a whole lot bigger. Bunn has always done great work in the horror genre and the art in this volume, by Jon Davis-Hunt, is captivating and reminds you why this medium can be so great. It’s not too late to find all 3 issues of this one in your LCS and get on board for what’s looking like a wild ride.

  • Vin Diesel Teases Groot’s Return to Planet X in the MCU

    Vin Diesel Teases Groot’s Return to Planet X in the MCU

    Even after being delayed for quite some time, we still know very little about the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3‘s plot. We only know that director James Gunn will part ways with the franchise once he finishes his trilogy. Now, it seems that Vin Diesel, the voice of Groot, has confirmed his character’s homeworld will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at some point. He revealed the news in a recent video interview with ComicBook’s Brandon Davis, which he shared on Twitter. He references the plot development by pointing out it’s a story Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige is quite excited about in an upcoming project. However, he doesn’t outright confirm which one it might be, as the character is slated to appear in next year’s Thor: Love and Thunder, the Disney+ series I Am Groot, and, of course, Guardians of the Galaxy‘s third entry. Going by the interview and Davis‘s tweet, it seems likely he is referencing the next Guardians film.

    In the comics, Planet X is the homeworld of Groot’s species, the Flora Colossi. The location was referenced in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film when it was listed on the Nova Corps’ prisoner profile for Groot. Interestingly, the planet was referred to as “Taluhnia” in the initial trailer for the movie, before being changed in the final product. If Diesel was indeed teasing a plot point for the next Guardians, it’s possible Gunn goes back to this alternate name as a way of branching out and exploring the planet’s culture. After all, the filmmaker does have a history of changing his character’s comic origins. Sadly, it may be a while until we know for sure.

    Source: Twitter

  • E3: First Gameplay Revealed for Square Enix’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game

    E3: First Gameplay Revealed for Square Enix’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game

    We finally got our first look at the Guardians of the galaxy from Eidos-Montréal, but they didn’t just stop there and even offered some gameplay. It seems that you’re decisions matter throughout the game, as the first cutscene teases that you can decide how to move forward with a mission. We also get a look at how combat works, as you control the various Guardians by giving them commands. We also see some RPG elements and ways to interact with locals from the various planets. It’s quite an exciting addition to Marvel’s expansion into gaming and hopefully, they have a lot more surprises heading our way in the future.

     

     

    We even got a little tease from their work on the game from the developer’s perspective.

     

    Source: YouTube, YouTube (Dev Deep Dive)

  • E3: Square Enix and Marvel Unveil ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game

    E3: Square Enix and Marvel Unveil ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game

    It seems Marvel’s venture into gaming continues to expand, as they finally unveiled the long-rumored Guardians of the Galaxy. We’ve heard about it for some time and it looks quite promising going by the first trailer. Eidos is working on the project and it’ll take us into the vast space of the Marvel Universe. The gameplay looks to have some similar elements from Marvel’s Avengers, but it promises some zany galactic adventures. It’s a single-player game but it seems to imply you only get to play as Star-Lord. Also,  am just excited to see Cosmo. It releases on October 26th. Yes, you read that right, it’s releasing this year.

    Source: YouTube

  • Square Enix Reportedly Developing ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game

    Square Enix Reportedly Developing ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Game

    Square Enix made waves last year among superhero fans when the fabled gaming company that brought us classics like the Final Fantasy franchise published its first Marvel game, Avengers. Starring the most famous superhero IP on the planet, the game was unfortunately plagued by mixed reactions due to the early technical issues and the lack of endgame content. The game’s developer Crystal Dynamics has since made efforts to remedy some of these issues. But in spite of all the pushback the game has been getting, it seems that that isn’t deterring Square Enix from furthering their own Marvel IP, as gaming insider Jeff Grub is reporting that a Guardians of the Galaxy game is in the works.

     

     

    There’s no word on what a Guardians game could look like under Square Enix. However, word on street is that Eidos Montreal is the company developing it. We can only hope that they learned from the good and bad that came out of the Avengers rollout and end up with a really solid game. Like the Avengers, there’s so much to mine from that side of Marvel Comics. Even the films have barely scratched the surface of the full potential of Marvel’s cosmic universe. Having a game explore that definitely works on all fronts.

    Source: Jeff Grub’s YT via DisInsider

  • How ‘Eternals’ Cosmic Energy May Connect to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Adam Warlock

    How ‘Eternals’ Cosmic Energy May Connect to ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’s Adam Warlock

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at Eternals. The trailer offers a closer look at how cosmic energy works within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It acts like golden fleece that is the basis of their abilities and can serve different purposes. Thena can create weapons out of it, such as the sword we briefly see. Sersi seems to summon water as the cosmic energy flows through the ground. Even Makkari’s superspeed leaves the golden lines in a similar design that Quicksilver did in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In a way, it seems to allude that most supernatural abilities might have close ties to the Eternals through this mystical, all-encompassing power. The MCU puts a strong emphasis on energy types and connecting them to specific colors, such as the prominence of purple in Black Panther’s technology. As such, it could add more context to a character tease that has yet to pay off who shares that color scheme.

     

    The Eternals": Erste Bilder im großen Marvel-Trailer | film.at

     
    The color gold hasn’t played a considerable role in the franchise. Well, there is one exception. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 introduced us to the Sovereign. They are a genetically engineered race that lives on a collective of planets. Now, you might remember that every member of this alien race has one thing in common, their skin is pure gold. They also utilize advanced technology painted in the color due to their strong belief in the purity they reflect. The color also plays an integral role in the birthing cocoons that brings this alien race to life. 

    We have to keep in mind that Adam originally was the holder of the Soul Stone. Just like the MCU’s Vision held the Mind Stone, it was implanted on his forehead and had a deep connection to his abilities. As the stones got destroyed in Avengers: Endgame, it was uncertain if Adam’s entire origin would change. He wasn’t originally part of the Sovereign but created by the Enclave, a group of human scientists, as the perfect human in the comics. So, the new direction of the films and the golden look may connect him to that cosmic energy. We never learn of their creators in the film, and it wouldn’t be too crazy to assume the Eternals or even Celestials had some play in that.

     

    Guardians of the Galaxy: All of Adam Warlock's Powers & Abilities, Ranked

     

    As such, the golden cosmic energy we see throughout Eternals may be the basis of this alien race. If Sersi can let water flow from cosmic energy, its potential could seem limitless. So, they tested out ways to create a new form of life that ended up becoming its collective over time. The cocoon we see in the Guardians‘ post-credit sequence could be his body getting weaved out of cosmic energy into the perfect being of Ayesha’s vision. Little does she know, the Sovereign queen is playing with powers she can’t control and may lead to Adam breaking free from that race. Eternals is introducing us to the energy that will have a larger role moving forward. Perhaps the golden cosmic energy will face its silver counterpoint known as Power Cosmic in the future as well. Instead of seeking the stones, he becomes an entity of pure cosmic energy seeking its opposite to unite against a larger threat.

  • MCU Production Timelines: Infographic & Methodology

    MCU Production Timelines: Infographic & Methodology

    In this piece I’m just going to explain a few of the finer points behind the data I put together for the Phase 3 and Phase 4 production timeline infographic, which João has again so excellently put into a graphic.  My purpose in working with João on this one is just to help people understand another piece of the puzzle of how MCU movies tend to get put together.  Fans understandably love to obsess over the release slate, particularly what’s coming next and when it is coming.  It can get a little confusing as to what is and isn’t further along in the timeline. Hopefully, we’ve laid that out in an understandable format.

    A couple of notes I want to make on the data.  First of all, this is a relatively imprecise set of information.  What I’ve put into the spreadsheet is largely the dates as combed from the Wikipedia entries for each film (I did trace back the references in those articles to trade reports in most cases). Now if a director is hired in a forest and it doesn’t make a sound, are they still the director?  In other words, these dates for when writers and directors are hired are based on trade reports.  It may be that someone was hard at work for weeks or even months before the media found out.  I’m taking the information that is publicly available.  In particular, I assume the “filming start” dates are very approximate.  Captain Marvel, for example, filmed a few things before the official start of filming for weird tax purposes.  Also, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania did some kind of plates filming already this year, but the filming hasn’t really started in earnest yet. Again, I’m taking the Wikipedia dates in most cases and there will be some imprecisions there.

    As far as director and writer hirings, I have listed the first hiring for each in most cases.  Directors in the MCU haven’t changed that much in recent years.  The major exception that will come to mind for most astute readers is the change from Scott Derrickson to Sam Raimi for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  As such we’ve included that change as a separate item.  Writers, however, switch with much more frequency.  The process for hiring writers, managing rewrites, and then deciding who gets the final credit for both writing and story is byzantine at best.  To keep it simpler, we just took the first report of any writer or any director, regardless of their final involvement or non-involvement in the project.  I also am somewhat arbitrarily determining what counts as this production.  For some projects, development on the IP might have happened decades ago, but I’m treating those as a different project altogether.

    It’s worth noting that sequels are pretty obviously different.  Often the director and lead actor are already in place and returning for the sequel.  As such directors get “named” essentially as soon as the project is greenlit.  This is also the case of writer/directors like James Gunn.

    Release dates are a little tricky on this graph, given the interference of COVID.  We’re giving you both the original date and the final date in most cases.  Black Widow, for example, was almost totally finished when the pandemic started.  As such it isn’t that the production really took longer, it just all got delayed.  Sorting out a movie like Thor: Love and Thunder is a much more complicated matter.  We’ve done our best to give you a sense of the normal operating procedure and hide the confusion pandemic delays caused.

    Two other major exceptions deserve a mention.  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is another one that looks rather weird due to the firing and rehiring of James Gunn.  The movie never officially got a release date, but I think before the whole mess it was likely that the May 2020 date would have been Guardians Vol. 3’s planned landing spot.  Also, Avengers: Endgame was shot pretty tightly with Infinity War, so there is some weirdness in its extended production time.  I think it is highly likely that those two Avengers productions mixed and mingled quite a bit.  Certainly, the screenplays seemed to happen at the same time.

    I think that is all the details. I hope you all enjoyed this. Again, this is all an exercise with approximation. I’m sure some slight variance in the data is possible if you look at different reports. Enjoy!

  • How ‘Eternals’ Black Knight Could Connect to ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr

    How ‘Eternals’ Black Knight Could Connect to ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’s Gorr

    After a long wait, we finally got our first look at the Eternals in the latest trailer by Marvel Studios. It felt like an eternity since the film got announced, and the one-year delay didn’t help matters much. Now, we got our first taste of what is to come with some footage featuring the main cast of Chloé Zhao‘s upcoming film. There was, however, one noticeable absentee. Kit Harrington‘s Dane Whitman was missing, and even leaked merchandise doesn’t feature him. Yet, the question remains what role he may have in the series and moving forward. In a way, I believe the comics might offer a hint at how he and his iconic Ebony Blade might set up the story. In a way, it may even connect Eternals might help Gorr become the God Butcher in Thor: Love and Thunder.

     

    Who Is THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER's Gorr the God Butcher? - Nerdist

     

    In the comics, Dane Whitman is the wielder of the Ebony Blade. The cursed blade gives him immortality at the price of his sanity. It makes anyone wielding it become bloodthirsty and absorbs their negative emotions. At one point, we learn that it connects to Knull. Another one of his weapons ends up in the hands of Gorr the God Butcher. His All-Black the Necrosword is, in reality, the first symbiote ever created and formed into a weapon that was able to slay a Celestial, which eventually would become Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Knowhere.

    We still don’t know what role Whitman will have outside of being part of a love triangle between him, Gemma Chan‘s Sersi, and Richard Madden‘s Ikaris. As he wants to protect his love, he may pull the blade from its slumber against the warnings of his ancestors. Now donning his Black Knight armor, Whitman joins the Eternals in their battle against the Deviants. He wants to prove that humanity is not as helpless as they think. The man fights tooth and nail to hold his own. As he falls to his knees due to exhaustion, the sword takes control and shows the brutality of man. The love triangle has left its scars deep within his heart that the Ebony Sword abused.

     

    Eternals: Who is Marvel's Black Knight? | Den of Geek

     

    Sersi, in a last-ditch effort, manages to separate him from the sword as he fights the inner demon trying to take control. To prove that these words were meaningless, he stabs himself with the sword to loosen his grip before it is cast out into space as it cracks. It isn’t until eons later that the destruction of Asgard during the battle between Hela and Surtur that the blade would regain its original form. All-Black has finally been released from his prison and seeks the missing part. The creature combines with the Ebony Blade as he lands on a deserted planet to become his original form. Looking for a host, he finds Gorr and their fusion leads to the events of Thor: Love and Thunder.

    Whitman survives his wounds with the help of Ajak. He is also given a parting gift by Angelina Jolie‘s Thena in the form of a cosmic-based blade, which we got a glimpse of in the trailer. It could be how they introduce the Photon Blade. The Knull connection offers a lot of curious ways to play on the franchise’s newly introduced mythology. Venom‘s film rights in Sony’s possession, he might not join the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon. Still, they could retcon this connection at a later date to build upon it.

    Source: CinemaBlend

  • James Gunn Planning to Part Ways with Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy After Completing the Threequel

    James Gunn Planning to Part Ways with Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy After Completing the Threequel

    When Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters on May 5, 2023, it will have been exactly 6 years since the group of misfits last James Gunn-led outing and a lot has changed between then and now. Gunn was fired by Disney and then rehired but not before signing up to direct DC’s The Suicide Squad, a project which led to him developing and directing a Peacemaker series for HBO Max. Production on the third Guardians film is expected to kick off this Fall and according to Gunn, this is looking like his last rodeo with these characters.

    https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1389402413967282181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1389402413967282181%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fscreenrant.com%2Fguardians-galaxy-3-movie-james-gunn-final-reaction%2F

    Not long ago rumors made the rounds that Gunn would become the shepherd of Marvel Studios Cosmic corner of the universe and Gunn made some noise about potentially developing projects for the Sylvester Stallone-led Ravagers but over the last several years, that noise has died down and Gunn has seemed to lean more into taking a break before deciding what’s next following Guardians 3. His latest statement certainly seems consistent with that and makes sense. Much has changed at Disney and Marvel Studios in the past 3 years much less the last 6. Disney Plus has come into the picture and the studio has started to chart what would seem to be a bit of a different course than the one that led to a Ravagers film. For now, it seems sufficient to let Gunn finish his story with this group of Guardians and let him take some time to determine what’s next, whether here, at DC or something entirely different.

     

  • Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

    Theorizing MARVEL STUDIOS’ Interconnected Storylines

    It’s been a little over three months since Marvel Studios properly kicked off its Phase 4. Both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are now behind us, two shows that gave us but a glimpse of what is in store in the coming years in terms of the interconnectivity between the different IPs that make up the MCU. This is something Kevin Feige himself made extremely clear this past December, during the Disney Investor Day 2020:

    The Cinematic Universe weaves storylines of heroes and villains across twenty-three feature films to date, and with Disney+ we’re able to extend this way of storytelling to a new format, creating series that are connected to our theatrical releases making the MCU more immersive than ever.

    As for WandaVision, it managed to bring together characters from properties that seemed somewhat foreign to its titular characters (bringing them in from ThorCaptain Marvel, and Ant-Man). The Falcon and The Winter Soldier did almost the exact opposite. It grabbed most of its main characters from the same feature (Captain America: Civil War) and continued their arcs in a way that seems to hint at them diverging into several other (new) IPs. The common ground between both approaches seems quite simple: when the story asks for it, characters will come and go from whatever property that needs them to. With this in mind, and with the number of projects Marvel Studios has already announced, it’s hard to not try and envision some of the paths the stories these characters might take us on.

    The existing connective tissue between properties is stronger with some than with others, even though Marvel Studios will always end up surprising us one way or another. But most of the more realistic theorizing (if there even is such a thing), taking into account the information that has already come out regarding casts, plots, and so on, seems to hint at a clear/not clear separation between what are the military-powered, skill-driven heroes and the more mystic and cosmic side of the MCU. So being, we’ll now focus on the first of these two groups.

    The Falcon and the Winter Soldier seems to be at the heart of the stories we might end up exploring on this side of the spectrum. With Karli Morgenthau being one of the few main characters to have (apparently) died, all the others are now ready to move on, each doing their own thing. With Sam Wilson as Captain America, he seems like a given to star in the upcoming fourth installment of the Captain America series. As for Bucky Barnes, with a Nomad series apparently in development, Barnes seems like a perfect fit. As for James “War Machine” Rhodes, he might now become the direct link to Iron Man’s legacy Riri Williams comes into contact with in Ironheart, before both move into Armor Wars, where they could be met by Sharon Carter in her newfound MCU role. Black Widow will introduce us to Yelena Belova who can seamlessly move on to Hawkeye (even if just to attend a memorial service), where Echo will be show up before staring in her own show.

    Shifting our attention to the other side of the diagram, we find several connections between shows that have already been confirmed. Monica Rambeau will be back in the franchise where she was first introduced, where she will be met by Kamala Khan who will have already been introduced in the Ms. Marvel series. Both might be met in The Marvels by Talos, who will also have a role to play in the upcoming Secret Invasion alongside Nick Fury. As to Wanda Maximoff, now the Scarlet Witch, she is certain to continue her story in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness which may become the epicenter of every upcoming property dealing with the Multiverse. Loki and Spider-Man: Far From Home seem like projects that are likely to have strong connections to the second Doctor Strange feature for obvious plot reasons, at the same time as they connect through other storylines to yet another set of properties. With the information coming out of Loki that Gugu Mbatha-Raw will be playing Judge Renslayer (meaning that almost certainly that makes her Ravonna Renslayer) it becomes highly likely that Kang will make an appearance, ahead of his already highlighted presence in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, played by the brilliant Jonathan Majors.

    These stories alone are certain to keep Marvel gaining momentum for years to come, but what seems to be the endgame here? Establishing new properties where characters from all over manage to meet for the first time, bringing together story threads from all sides of the MCU, certainly seems like a possibility. Projects that haven’t been announced as that might somewhat spoil the plots leading up to them. It should be no coincidence that a number of upcoming projects will seamlessly allow for the introduction of Young Avengers members, much like WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier managed to do with Tommy and Billy Maximoff, and Eli Bradley, respectively. Kate Bishop is already confirmed to be debuting in Hawkeye, and the rest of the team will probably soon follow, with Teddy perhaps being introduced in Secret Invasion, America Chavez in Doctor Strange 2, and Cassie Lang returning, as Stature, in Quantumania. Therefore, a Young Avengers series/movie should definitively be in the works bringing together their individual storylines. Another team being put together, even though a much different one, should be the focus of the Thunderbolts. With Baron Zemo and Abomination brought back, Taskmaster (the mantle) surviving Black Widow, and with Ghost still alive after Ant-Man and the Wasp, there is no reason for it not to be in the cards. Another feature that could serve as a continuation to John Walker’s story, maybe even bringing Yelena into the mix, and perhaps managing to dig up an Osborn to lead them, is The Dark Avengers. Marvel Studios knows that they can’t top the Avengers team they built up until Avengers: Endgame, so this focus on alternate teams, some of dubious character, would certainly be welcomed as a great change of pace. 

    There are a few projects that have already been announced that played no part in this theory. For all I know they might end up becoming the most crucial chapters of the MCU going forward. The Fantastic Four, due to their relevance, or the Eternals, due to their scope, certainly have that ability. But for now, this is it. Maybe in a couple of months, the script will be flipped and a new article will be in the works.