Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Marvel Movies

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Making Room for a Highly-anticipated Hero in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Making Room for a Highly-anticipated Hero in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Despite a rough couple of years, heading into Year 16 it’s safe to say that Marvel Studios still has plenty left in the tank. Even after an uneven Phase 5, the Multiverse Saga promises to introduce The Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, characters whose presence in the MCU was once nothing but a pipe dream. According to Kevin Feige, Avengers: Secret Wars will open the door to the X-Men, finally bringing the mutant heroes to the MCU after being mismanaged by Fox. And those headliners are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what fans have to look forward in 2027 and beyond.

    Marvel’s greatest Cosmic hero, Richard Rider, will finally make his long-awaited debut in the as-yet-undated D+ streaming series, Nova; a new generation of young heroes will come together to form the Champions; and a group of young mages and mystics from across all dimensions are rumored to set foot in Strange Academy. As bumpy as the ride through the Multiverse Saga has been, there’s plenty to look forward to once it comes to an end; however, it’s not quite there yet…and a new report indicates that one long-awaited character has some major work to do before it’s all said and done.

    It seems as though Marvel Studios has finally found the right vehicle to introduce the Spirit of Vengeance into the MCU. According to social media scooper @ApocHorseman, a Ghost Rider will play a “major role” in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.

    Word of the potential appearance comes months after Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum addressed the persistent rumors surrounding the character’s absence from the MCU. Though the new report from @ApocHorseman does not reveal which Ghost Rider from the pages of Marvel Comics will appear in Avengers: Doomsday, Winderbaum may have given it away, saying “I would wanna do the Danny Ketch era of Ghost Rider.”

    While it’s unclear and a little confusing as to what role a Spirit of Vengeance might have in Avengers: Doomsday, it’s likely fans will concern themselves very little if one shows up…especially if the studio manages to land Ryan Gosling in the role.

  • New Rumor Suggests Casting Is Underway for Two Key Members of Marvel Studios’ All-New X-Men

    New Rumor Suggests Casting Is Underway for Two Key Members of Marvel Studios’ All-New X-Men

    As the sixth anniversary of Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox approaches, Marvel Studios has done very little with the treasure trove of live-action rights that fell to them in the merger. While Deadpool & Wolverine was a box office success for the company and Hugh Jackman‘s return as the best their is at what he does was a wonderful treat, it’s safe to say that Wade Wilson was well down the list of characters MCU fans were anticipating to appear.

    That’s all about to change, of course, as Marvel’s First Family, The Fantastic Four, will make their MCU debut this summer. And then, there’ the X-Men. Though mutants have been sparsely sprinkled into several projects over the past few years, fans are craving an all-new take on Marvel’s Children of the Atom and things are indeed gathering some Juggernaut-ish momentum on that front.

    Last spring, Michael Lesslie was tasked with scripting Marvel Studios’ first X-Men film. While Kevin Feige has yet to publicly reveal too much about the film, he has made it clear that even though “some X-Men players that you might recognize” will appear before the end of the Multiverse Saga, the mutant heroes won’t take center stage until after 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Right after that, the whole story of Secret Wars really leads us into a new age of mutants and of the X-Men.

    Kevin Feige

    However, an infinite multiverse allows for infinite storytelling possibilities, including the introduction of a few major muties before they move into the spotlight. Rumors have made the rounds that Lesslie’s script focuses on an X-team that closely resembles the roster of heroes from Marvel Animation’s very popular and successful X-Men ’97. As expected, original X-Man Jean Grey would be among those characters and recent reports indicated that Marvel is already looking at actresses to fill that role. Now, a new rumor from a trusted Marvel insider claims that Marvel is also looking to fill the role of another X-Men ’97 star in addition to one of Feige’s favorite characters.

    According to Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has begun the process of casting for the roles of Remy LeBeau and Kitty Pryde.

    The news is consistent with an earlier report from Richtman in which he claimed Gambit and Shadowcat were the leads in an early draft of Lesslie’s script. The news that the studio is looking for a new actor to portray Gambit will certainly be disappointing to fans of Channing Tatum‘s version of the character seen in Deadpool & Wolverine; however, there’s always hope that Tatum will be one of those recognizeable X-Men players teased by Feige.

    Since it’s still in the scripting stages, Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot hasn’t been placed on Disney’s release calendar; however, with a trio of films set for 2028, it’s beginning to look increasingly likely that the X-Men will indeed make it into the MCU within a decade of the Fox merger.

  • By the Vishanti! Benedict Cumberbatch Updates the Status of the Doctor Strange Threequel

    By the Vishanti! Benedict Cumberbatch Updates the Status of the Doctor Strange Threequel

    Despite only making one live-action appearance in 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch‘s Stephen Strange has remained a central character in the Multiverse Saga. While it remains to be seen how Marvel Studios ties the events of three seasons of Marvel Animation’s canonical animated series, What If…?, into the larger MCU narrative, one Stephen Strange Variant played an integral role from beginning to end.

    Despite all that–and being a key player in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame–it’s hard to believe that there isn’t much, much more the studio could do with the character. His film appearances have neither truly scratched the surface of the weirdness of the character’s comic book counterpart nor taken advantage of his shared history with characters such as the Hulk, Namor or Clea, who was at least introduced in the last film. Even more surprising is the news that despite the character seemingly being a perfect fit as a primary foil for Doctor Doom, Strange will not appear in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday.

    So what does the future hold for Strange? Cumberbatch promises the character will play a big role in Avengers: Secret Wars but surely the studio has more in store for a major Marvel Comics’ character played by one of Marvel Studios’ biggest starts…and it seems that they do. On the heels of a report that the powers that be have decided to move forward with a third installment in the Doctor Strange franchise, Cumberbatch addressed the potential threequel in an interview with Variety.

    Though the star was careful not to give anything away, it’s clear things are moving forward with the project.

    “They are very open to discussing where we go next,” said Cumberbatch, who will clearly have input on the direction of the project and its creative team.

    Who do you want to write and direct the next one? What part of the comic lore do you want to explore so that Strange can keep evolving? He’s a very rich character to play. He’s a complex, contradictory, troubled human who’s got these extraordinary abilities, so there’s potent stuff to mess about with.

    -Benedict Cumberbatch

    At this point, it’s unclear if Doctor Strange 3 fits into the Multiverse Saga or if the studio sees the project as one that can help it launch its post-Multiverse plans. While it seems as though the build up to Avengers: Secret Wars might benefit from additional narrative runway–and that Strange’s importance to the overall story would dictate continuing his story before that film would be helpful–that would require moving the film again, something the studio may be unwilling to do. So, for now, whatever “potent stuff” Cumberbatch believes is in store for the character remains the stuff of speculation.

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Studios Star Confirms Extensive Changes to ‘Avengers 5’

    Marvel Studios Star Confirms Extensive Changes to ‘Avengers 5’

    As part of Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at SDCC ’22, head honcho Kevin Feige revealed plans to wrap up the Multiverse Saga with a pair of Avengers films set to hit theaters just one year apart. The first of those films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, scheduled for May 2, 2025, written by Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania scribe Jeff Loveness and meant to be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, would have featured Jonathan Majors‘ Kang as the lead much in the same way Avengers: Infinity War did with Thanos.

    In the original plan for Avengers 5, then called Kang Dynasty, Shang-Chi would’ve been one of the film’s main leads. A lot’s changed since then; Avengers 5 was meant to focus on Kang the Conqueror, but Marvel has since completely retooled the film to introduce Victor Von Doom.

    -Inverse

    Fast forward to January 2025: Majors and Marvel Studios have parted ways, Loveness was replaced by Michael Waldron who was replaced by Stephen McFeely, Cretton left to work on Spider-Man 4, Anthony and Joe Russo and just over four months before it’s original release date, the film, now called Avengers: Doomsday, hasn’t even begun production. It’s been widely assumed that the studio all but started from scratch once McFeely and the Russos came aboard but despite rumors and reports that Waldron‘s draft has been scrapped, Marvel has, of course, stayed quiet…until now.

    In an interview with Variety, one of the studio’s biggest stars, Benedict Cumberbatch, not only confirmed that the studio has completely overhauled the film but also the cast. Once intended to play a major role in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Cumberbatch revealed that Doctor Strange will not appear in Avengers: Doomsday.

    Is that a spoiler? Fuck it!

    -Benedict Cumberbatch


    Cumberbatch provided a simple explanation as to why Strange won’t appear in the film, saying “the character not aligning with this part of the story.” Concerned fans shouldn’t worry themselves too much, however. The star also told Variety that Strange remains “quite central to where things might go” and that the character is “in a lot” of Avengers: Secret Wars, also written by McFeely and directed by the brothers Russo.

    With Cumberbatch’s Master of the Mystic Arts no longer part of Avengers: Doomsday, the task of taking on Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doom looks to fall to the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Spider-Man and a group of Avengers that may just include some New* ones.

    Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to begin principal photography this Spring ahead of a May 1, 2026 release.

    Source: Variety

  • Giancarlo Esposito Makes Genuinely Bonkers Claim about His ‘Captain America Brave: New World’ Character

    Giancarlo Esposito Makes Genuinely Bonkers Claim about His ‘Captain America Brave: New World’ Character

    In late 2022, following a swell of online support for him to play Charles Xavier in Marvel Studios’ X-Men franchise, Giancarlo Esposito took matters into his own hands in an attempt to land an MCU role. During a fan panel at Rose City Comic Con 2022, Esposito explained how the fan casting led to having his people reach out to Marvel Studios. “I finally had to have my people call Marvel and explain that, you know, that this is a fan want and we would love to work with you,” Esposito told the crowd.

    But I feel as if there may be some mileage with me and Marvel. I know I love what they do. I know I love creativity. So who knows what could happen? Keep putting it out there.

    Giancarlo Esposito

    The star spent the next year making sure nobody has forgotten his willingness to join the world’s largest action franchise and then, in May 2024, thanks to the magic of Marvel Studios’ reshoots, Esposito‘s dream came true. By Summer, Esposito had taken it up on himself to unburden Marvel of any secrecy around his character, revealing that he had signed on to Captain America: Brave New World as Seth Voelkers, the founder of the Serpent Society (called Serpent in Brave New World) who went by the alter ego of Sidewinder.

    Marketing for Captain America: Brave New World has contained plenty of Esposito’s Sidewinder, attempting to establish the character as some sort of menacing threat to Sam Wilson. And while nobody believes that Captain America is in any true danger from Sidewinder, it hasn’t stopped Esposito from over hyping the character.

    Last Summer, Esposito teased Sidewinder as “a badass” and a departure from his usual roles. In a new interview with ABC, he repeated those claims, saying, “You’ve never seen me play a character like this. This guy knows how to use a rifle, a pistol, knives, (he’s) very very physical, active with his physicality, punches, kicks, all that.” And while that all checks out against the evidence available in the footage that’s been shared ahead of the film, Esposito also made a claim that caps into question his ability to be taken seriously when talking about Sidewinder.

    “Part of the incorporation of Sidewinder’s colors I brought into the costume that I’m wearing,” he said. “I’m hoping that it gives them inspiration in movies to come that will allow me to take on more of that serpent persona.“

    While it’s clear that Esposito will be playing a far more grounded and less flamboyant version of Sidewinder in Captain America: Brave New World, don’t tell him that. Perhaps Esposito’s comments about the similarities between the film and comic book characters costumes refer to the collar on his trench coat being similar in color to the comic book counterpart’s cape; perhaps his character has some fabulous footwear we haven’t seen just yet; perhaps, like with the character itself, Esposito is making a mountain out of a mole hill.

    As for the evolution of the “serpent persona”, Esposito did tease that his character would have a role in an unreveales series following Captain America: Brave New World, so maybe Marvel will indeed bring a fully realized Serpent Society–and its leader–into the MCU down the road.

    Source: ABC

  • New Reports Could Point Toward Marvel Studios Delaying ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    New Reports Could Point Toward Marvel Studios Delaying ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’

    With three films in theaters in six months,  Marvel Studios will look to continue to reestablish box office supremacy in 2025. The first film, Captain America: Brave New World is projected to have a very solid opening weekend with some estimates going as high as $100M+ when factoring in the potential President’s Day haul. Though Thunderbolts* might present as a bit of an unknown, fan response to the first trailer for the film was overwhelmingly positive, putting it on track for a strong opening as well. And in this or any reality, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, with its other worldly cast, will almost certainly blow up the box office.

    Looking ahead into 2026, the picture remains cloudy with only two films set (Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4) and two other scheduled release dates still awaiting titles. As Marvel Studios’ Parliament continues to work behind the scenes on matching films to those dates, a new report has revealed two projects that look as though they’re destined for 2027 releases. Insider Daniel Richtman recently reported that Destin Daniel Cretton‘s long-developing sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the third installment in the Doctor Strange franchise are expected to begin production next year, putting them in like to fill the studio’s two unclaimed 2027 release dates. However, should those two films indeed be  intended for release in 2027, their presence may actually make those waters a bit murkier.

    As it stands, Marvel Studios has three theatrical dates earmarked for 2027 and two of them have always been presumed to be intended to be post-Multiverse Saga projects. Avengers: Secret Wars is currently slated to kick off 2027 on May 7th with additional films set to hit theaters on July 23rd and November 5th. However, both Doctor Strange and Shang-Chi have always been believed to be major players in the Multiverse Saga and while that plot has certainly evolved since the studio moved on from Jonathan Majors‘ Kang, it’s hard to believe the characters have been completely erased from the outline and that Marvel couldn’t use a couple more films between Spider-Man 4 and Avengers: Secret Wars to help set the stage for the final chapter of the saga. Additionally, as explained by Kevin Feige, the next saga will revolve heavily around the X-Men and while any Marvel character could easily slide in and out of those stories, leading off the new phase with two films starring non-mutant characters would be an odd decision, even for modern day Marvel Studios.

    If all the above points can be considered reasonable possibilities, an intriguing conclusion can be inferred from the report, should it indeed be accurate. If Shang-Chi 2 and Doctor Strange 3 are on track to hit theaters in 2027, Marvel Studios may be considering pushing the release date of Avengers: Secret Wars to November 5th, allowing the Shang-Chi and Strange sequels to provide some requisite exposition for the finale. As it stands, Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to begin principal photography in the spring of 2026 but that could easily be changed to accommodate a greater need for additional story telling. Considering that Stephen McFeely is reportedly still writing scripts for both Doomsday and Secret Wars, it’s not too difficult to believe he’s hit some narrative potholes that could be filled by Shang-Chi and Strange films.

    Of course, it’s easy to argue that those films aren’t written yet either but that may not be entirely accurate. Cretton has been working on the second Shang-Chi film for over three years and while he would certainly need to alter his original ideas, it could easily be production ready by next spring. Doctor Strange 3 is likely another story entirely given that there’s been no public acknowledgement of any momentum building behind that project; however, should Marvel Studios have its sights set on a July 2027 release for that film, there’s plenty of time to pair creatives together and build a script.

    Though bulilt on speculation with a foundation in unconfirmed reports, the movie is still worth contemplating, especially because it would likely make things easier for Marvel Studios on a couple fronts. On one hand, two more films in the Multiverse Saga would provide not only more narrative fabric through which to tell a complete story and get more heroes involved; on the other hand, it would allow Marvel to end the Multiverse Saga in 2027 and start fresh with the “Mutant Saga” in 2028, where three dates have already been set aside for untitled films (February 18th, May 5th and November 10th). Then again, Marvel Studios has seemed eager to accelerate the end of the Multiverse Saga, so the Feigester and crew may just choose to get it over with in May 2027 and move on.

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Makes a Decision on ‘Doctor Strange 3’

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Makes a Decision on ‘Doctor Strange 3’

    Doctor Strange’s place in the Multiverse Saga is clear…or at least it was. 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness surprised fans by revealing that the Multiverse faces no greater threat than Stephen Strange. The film’s mid-credits scene, featuring Charlize Theron as the powerful extra dimensional sorceress Clea, saw Strange embark on what many believed to be the first step in discovering that time was running out for the Multiverse. Of course, much has changed since then which means whatever adventures Multiverse of Madness writer Michael Waldron had in mind for Strange and Clea may no longer be on the docket for the paranormal pair.

    And there’s the threat. And it’s out there and now it’s out there. There’s a multiversal threat. In the same way that when the MCU first went cosmic many years ago, there was the teed up threat of Thanos. Now it’s probably a matter of you’re setting up some multiversal threats on the board. Whether it’s Kang, Incursions, whatever. It’ll be interesting to see how all those things come together.

    -Michael Waldron

    Though star Benedict Cumberbatch has confirmed he’ll be returning to work on an MCU project or two in 2025 (the actor is confirmed to be part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday), there’s been no news on the studio’s plans for a third installment in the Doctor Strange franchise. However, a new report has shed some light into the Dark Dimension.

    According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, production on Doctor Strange 3 is expected to get underway in 2026. Should that come to fruition, it’s likely that the film would take one of the studio’s two currently unfilled 2027 theatrical slots.

    Really what happened was, we ended up stumbling upon an idea that activated all of us. You couldn’t see it coming until it came, and once it came it was like, “Well, that’s a story we need to tell.”

    -Anthony Russo on Avengers: Secret Wars

    While many believed Doctor Strange 3 would provide a good chunk of the exposition necessary to get fans ready for the final act of the Multiverse Saga, it’s possible that writer Stephen McFeely has incorporated that into Strange’s arc in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. If that’s the case, Doctor Strange 3 will likely be one of the first films in the studio’s next saga which is expected to be heavily focused on mutants. 

    Source: Empire

  • Delayed Marvel Studios Sequel Gets Encouraging Update

    Delayed Marvel Studios Sequel Gets Encouraging Update

    After getting derailed by a string of projects that did not move up to expectations, Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga seems to be getting back on track. Deadpool & Wolverine brought audiences back to theaters last summer and following Agatha All Along, Marvel Television looks to have another hit on its hands in Daredevil: Born Again which will kick off Marvel’s packed live-action slate. With three films and three live-action streaming series set to release, MCU fans will have plenty of content to keep them busy in 2025.

    The creatives at Marvel will find themselves busy in 2025 as well. After pivoting to Doctor Doom as the big bad of the Multiverse Saga, the studio’s Phase 6 lineup was thrown into disarray. Some projects were cancelled, others delayed, some reworked and a few look to be in limbo. However, as 2024 came to a close, the Marvel Parliament started to chisel away at the 2026 theatrical slate, working with Sony to schedule Spider-Man 4 as the immediate follow up to Avengers: Doomsday.

    Bringing Tom Holland‘s Spidey back to the screen was clearly a priority for the studios for some time and with time running out on the Multiverse Saga, getting the fourth Installment in the MCU-set Spidey franchise in theaters for 2026 ultimately jeopardized Marvel Studios’ plans for another highly-anticipated sequel, Shang-Chi 2. The decision to tap Destin Daniel Cretton to helm Spider-Man 4 meant that production on the sequel to 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, expected to begin in 2025, would be delayed indefinitely. However, a new report from a trusted insider has revealed that the studio is looking to get Shang-Chi 2 up and running sooner than we thought.

    According to Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios is currently planning to begin production on the untitled Shang-Chi sequel some time in 2026.

    While we were shooting [Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings], we were throwing around joke ideas of what a sequel could be. There are a lot of ideas that we had in the opener, and some of those ideas are planted as questions, by the end of our movie. There are things that we potentially want to explore in the future.

    -Destin Daniel Cretton

    In development since late 2021 with Cretton drafting a script, the Shang-Chi sequel was once believed to be an integral part of the Multiverse Saga; however, Shang-Chi may have been unceremoniously pushed out of the spotlight when Marvel Studios pivoted from Kang to Doctor Doom. While Cretton once explained that he had explored many potential ideas for a sequel, only a possible title for the sequel, Shang-Chi and the Wreckage of Time, ever emerged.

    Given the shift in the Multiverse Saga’s direction, it’s safe to assume the plot of Shang-Chi 2 might need to be adjusted, making a 2026 start of production a reasonable possibility for Cretton following his work on Spider-Man 4. The studio currently has two untitled films slated for release in 2027 on July 23 and November 5, meaning both would follow Avengers: Secret Wars which is expected to be the Multiverse Saga finale. Of course, it’s possible that the studio may choose to rearrange those releases should stories, such as whatever they decide on for Shang-Chi 2, need to be told to add to the overall narrative of the saga.

  • ‘Nosferstu’ Star Rumored to Be Up for a Second MCU Role

    ‘Nosferstu’ Star Rumored to Be Up for a Second MCU Role

    Don’t call it typecasting but Bill Skarsgård continues to land villainous roles and deliver his best performances. Whether as Pennywise, Marquis de Gramont or, most recently, Count Orlolk, Skarsgård inhabits sinister roles in a way few have been able to do consistently.

    You’ll be forgiven if you don’t recall that Skarsgård also played a (sort of) big bad in a Marvel Studios films, having voiced the Deviant leader, Kro, in 2021’s Eternals. While the actor recently generated some buzz after expressing his opinion of his ability to pull of a “pretty cool Joker” in Andy Muschetti‘s The Brave and the Bold, a new rumor suggests he may be in line for another turn in a new MCU role.

    According to social media scooper My Time To Shine Hello, “Marvel Studios is interested in Bill Skarsgård for a new MCU role. Not his Eternals role.”

    While that’s all the scooper had to share, with Marvel Studios finally turning its attention to the X-Men and Mister Sinister strongly rumored to be an ongoing antagonist, it’s easy to imagine Skarsgård becoming the fabulous supervillain.

    Of course there are plenty of other roles, both heroic and villainous, that Skarsgård might fill as well (The Beyonder comes to mind) and it must be remembered that this is simply a rumor. However, with the mutant movement underway and the studio potentially looking to introduce at least one key member of the X-Men before the end of the Multiverse Saga, it’s believable enough that the Marvel Parliament may also consider introducing a major new villain as well.

    Source: My Time To Shine Hello

  • Latest ‘Spider-Man 4’ Rumor Has Spidey Teaming Up with a Surprising Partner to Take On the Hulk

    Latest ‘Spider-Man 4’ Rumor Has Spidey Teaming Up with a Surprising Partner to Take On the Hulk

    With Spider-Man 4 scheduled to be in theaters in just over 18 months, the clock is ticking on the project’s production timeline. Though the film’s star, Tom Holland, confirmed plans for cameras to roll this summer, reports continue to come in that Sony and Marvel Studios have yet to finalize a script for the next installment in the Wallcrawler’s MCU-set franchise despite Holland sharing excitement for an early draft.

    We have a creative and a pitch and a draft which is excellent. It needs work but the writers are doing a great job and I read it three weeks ago and it really lit a fire in me. Zendaya and I sat down and read it together and we at times were like bouncing around the living room. Like this is a real movie worthy of the fans’ respect, but there [are] a few things we need to figure out before we can get that really going. But it’s exciting and I’m really, really excited about it.

    -Tom Holland on the Spider-Man 4 script, October 2024

    With Destin Daniel Cretton taking the reigns from Jon Watts, who directed the first three Holland-led Spidey films, Spider-Man 4 seemed to be headed in the right direction in the Fall; however, as Holland explained, each MCU film is ultimately–and sometimes unfortunately–part of “a large machine” and has to “benefit the bigger picture”…and that statement could do a long way in explaining the latest rumors about some surprising Spider-Man 4 co-stars.

    Obviously, one of the things to like bear in mind with Marvel is that there is, your film is a small cog in a large machine, and that machine has got to keep running, and you need to make sure that you can fit into that timeline at the right time to benefit the bigger picture.

    -Tom Holland

    According to John Roca and his Hot Mic Podcast co-host, Jeff “The In” Sneider, Marvel and Sony have considered–and still may be considering–pitting Holland’s Spidey against Mark Ruffalo‘s Hulk in Spider-Man 4. And if that weren’t enough to have fans fired up about the fourth film, Roca added that he had also heard that Jon Bernthal‘s Frank Castle would join the fray, teaming with Spider-Man to slow down the Jade Giant! If there’s any truth to the possibility of the Hulk going on a rampage in New York in the next Spidey film, it might well serve as the opening chapter of the studio’s long-rumored World War Hulk event.

    Though Sneider didn’t speak to the possible presence of The Punisher in Spider-Man 4, the character did make his first appearance in the pages of Spider-Man comics and has teamed up with Spidey on more than one occasion. It’s also worth noting that Holland and Bernthal have worked together in the past, including on the film Pilgrimage. During production on Pilgrimage, the two actors were both auditioning for their current Marvel roles and, according to Bernthal, the two “were constantly making tapes for Marvel – just acting together.“

    At this point, with everyone from Mephisto to Knull to Wilson Fisk rumored to be the baddie of Spider-Man 4, there’s simply no reason to take any one of these rumors more seriously than any other. However, with Captain America: Brave New World introducing at least one new Hulk and persistent rumors of Marvel Studios attempting to find a way to bring World War Hulk(s) to the MCU, this one is at least worth keeping an eye on.

    Source: Hot Mic, Digitial Spy