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.
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.
James Cameron‘s Avatar: The Way Of Water continues to dominate the box office over the holiday weekend, but that doesn’t mean other films aren’t holding on as well. Disney’s other massive release of the year, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, has still been going strong as it now stands at $820M worldwide. Many worried that heading to Disney+ too early could drag its box office down, but it seems that it’s being given quite a lot of time to breathe.
After several weeks of listing the movie as “Coming Soon to Disney+”, the platform has finally updated the page, which is now listed as “Coming to Disney+ February 1, 2023.” Not too long ago, Disney+’s support team apparently confirmed the movie to be released on January 20th on the streaming service, which now has been seemingly debunked. It’s unclear if they may have pushed back the release date, or perhaps the Support Team jumped the gun on sharing the information.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on Disney+.
The time duration between the end of the theatrical window and the Disney+ release has varied quite a lot, from Black Widow‘s 0 days (with Disney+ premier access) to Shang Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings‘ 81 days. Most recent projects have commonly released around the 45-day mark, which has led to some fear of its influence on a film’s box office performance. Luckily, it seems Disney is moving away from exactly that.
February 1st also marks the start of Black History Month in the United States and Canada, which might be part of the decision as to why this date was chosen. Just like all the other MCU movies streaming on Disney+, this will be available to watch in IMAX enhanced, which allows viewers to have an immersive experience and enjoy the beauty of Wakanda and Talokan in the comfort of their homes.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now playing in theaters.
The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts.
The Twin
Betsy Braddock made a token appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand and was then drastically underutilized in X-Men: Apocalypse. Given the poor adaptation of pretty much every character introduced in Apocalypse, including the titular mutant, it’s safe to say Simon Kinberg and Bryan Singer must have Googled “sexy X-Men costumes” and gone from there in developing Psylocke for the film. For a character with such a rich and complex history, she was reduced to cleavage and butt cheeks. While there’s certainly precedent for that in the comics, Fox really wasted a fascinating character.
Part of Betsy Braddock’s comic book history is muddled with some uncomfortable body-swapping business with another mutant, Kwannon, that was recently resolved following the mutant move to Krakoa. Marvel Studios would be wise to skip over all of that and keep the focus on Betsy as the gateway character to a completely unexplored corner of the world in the Fox movies: jolly old England. Betsy’s comic book history as an agent of S.T.R.I.K.E., her twin brother Brian just so happening to be Captain Britain and her connection to Excalibur make her the perfect character to open the door to the weirdness that takes place on that side of the pond.
One of the most powerful psychics on Earth, Betsy’s comic book time as a S.T.R.I.K.E. psi-agent could be reworked to make her an agent of MI13, Marvel’s X-Files division. Having her story begin there would allow for Marvel Studios to introduce the mystical wonders of England and Otherworld and characters such as her brothers, Brian and Jamie, Pete Wisdom and her royal pain in the ass, Majestrix Saturnyne. Whether through a Psylocke series, a Braddock series or an MI13 series (I’ve been pitching that one for almost 7 years now!), Betsy should be the star of the show before moving on to join the X-Men. Once with the X-Men, Betsy should be one of the founding members of the MCU’s X-Men strike team: X-Force. Of all of Betsy’s rich history, her time on X-Force in Rick Remender’s Uncanny X-Force stands about among her adventures as one of her most memorable. Marvel Studios is sure to expand beyond the core team of X-Men, including teams like X-Factor and X-Force in the MCU, and an X-Force team of Psylocke, Angel, Fantomex, Deadpool and Wolverine is exactly the kind of deadly strike team the MCU deserves. Psylocke has 10 years of interesting stories in her past. By allowing her to develop in her own world before joining the X-Men, Marvel Studios could smartly open up a whole new world of stories while bringing Betsy along on her own arc before she joins X-Force. This one almost writes itself!
The MCU has gotten much larger since Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame wrapped up the Infinity Saga. Thanks in part to Disney Plus, new heroes and villains have quickly accumulated and with two years to go until the next Avengers double-feature kicks off with Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, those numbers will surely continue to grow. With so many new heroes joining those who survived Endgame, putting together a team of heroes to take on Kang the Conqueror shouldn’t be too hard. However, with Secret Wars set to follow up shortly after, are there too many heroes?
A new rumor from @MyTimeToShineH suggests that in order to keep the runtime of SecretWars a little more manageable, Earth-616’s Avengers will be the main focus of The Kang Dynasty but kept to the sidelines for most of Secret Wars, which will “focus on the heroes from other universes.” It sounds like the events of the 2026 film will involve a group of Multiversal Avengers!
This is how they plan to make Secret Wars work without making it a 4 hour movie.
Kang Dynasty will have the "New Avengers" as the leads. While Secret Wars will mostly be from the point of view and will focus on the heroes from the other universes.
Those other heroes could be from Fox’s Fantastic Four or X-Men films, the Sam Raimi or Marc Webb Spider-Man films or other universes populated with versions of heroes that haven’t been visited yet. It’s an interesting rumor that also happens to fit most peoples’ wishes for the film. Given the previous rumor about Hugh Jackman and Tobey Maguire fighting alongside each other, it would seem that they’d be leading the squad. What characters would you like to see on the team of Multiversal Avengers?
2023 is finally upon us. We’ve entered a new year and Phase for Marvel Studios, as we’re about to see what else they might have up their sleeve. To kick off the new era, we finally meet Kang the Conqueror in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While this part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was always more of a comedy, the third entry will seemingly up-the-ante in a spectacular way with Cassie Lang also growing into a new role.
The first artwork already gave away she’ll become a hero of her own, but the new artwork is offering a closer look at some of the updated designs of these characters. As shared by @MCU_Facility, there are a few new pieces that offer a look at the various designs and Ant-Man’s family still remains the most consistent across the various characters, especially with Lang’s costume combining elements from her father’s and van Dyne’s.
Interestingly enough though, it seems like Cassie won’t be getting a superhero name just yet. In the comics, she’s known either as Stature or would eventually get the name Stinger; something a bit closer to that of Ant-Man and Wasp.
They might still be trying to keep some secrets from viewers, and it’s being hinted at as the next big event film for Marvel Studios. So, it’ll be interesting to see if Quantumania can offer that what some had hoped to see in the more comedic-driven entry of the MCU.
Yes, you read the title right. It seems that Shuri was always meant to inherit the title of Black Panther, but not in the way Chadwick Boseman‘s tragic death led the story. It seems that they originally wanted to have Letitia Wright‘s character also inherit the title and explore the dynamic that persists of two characters holding it at the same time.
Instead, the mantle has now been passed on due to T’Challa also passing away in the universe. So, the story had to take a different direction with her being the sole heir to the title and a surprising twist on who will rule Wakanda. In an interview with Empire, Wright got a chance to reflect on the original plans and the weight of carrying the title.
It was bittersweet. Shuri was always gonna do it. But it was gonna be done in a different way where her brother was gonna be alongside her, really explore that, like the comic books, the ways that T’Challa and Shuri would be Black Panther alongside each other and try to figure out how to defend their nation. But unfortunately that’s not how it panned out. I knew the responsibility, I knew the weight of it, but it was just bittersweet, something I struggled with a lot. But I’m extremely proud of myself, had great support.
Letitia Wright
The more we hear about the original storyline behind Wakanda Forever, the more it seems that most of the pieces were always in place but had to reshape it surrounding a much stronger story of grief. It matched the overall theme of Phase 4 but it always leaves one wondering what could’ve been.
There were some concerns that Disney would try to get Black Panther: Wakanda Forever out on Disney+ before the holidays hit. While Eternals managed to wait out until January, there was still some uncertainty about just how long they’ll keep that release window alive. We’ve seen Marvel Studios manage to move away from the initial 45-day Disney+ release with each project, such as Thor: Love and Thunder managing to hold out for 62 days, and luckily Wakanda Forever wasn’t forced out to enjoy the holiday box office.
Yet, it seems that a January release is indeed still in the cards, as Disney+’s Support Team has seemingly confirmed a January 20th release for the Black Panther sequel on the platform. As such, the Marvel Studios film won’t release on the streaming platform after 70 days of a theatrical run; good news for those wondering if we might see Disney enforce that 45-day window moving forward.
As of now, Wakanda Forever stands at a strong $818M international run, where most of its income stems from the domestic box office at $437M. The film faced many hurdles such as losing its main star Chadwick Boseman, having to rewrite the entire project, and living in the shadow of the unique project that was the first entry back in 2018.
It’s not going to pass a billion or even $900M but its box office isn’t something to just ignore either. The film made its money back and held quite steady at the box office with another good year for Marvel Studios. It’ll only be interesting to see how its streaming numbers will be when it releases on Disney+ later this month.
Avengers: Endgame brought together heroes from every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for one of the most memorable action sequences of all time. How can Avengers: Secret Wars top that portal scene? By bringing together heroes from every corner of every Marvel movie universe. And a new rumor suggests that’s just what will happen.
@MyTimeToShineH has shared that Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman are rumored to team-up and fight “alongside” each other in Marvel Studios big saga-ending event in 2026.
Yes Tobey Maguire and Hugh Jackman will meet and fight alongside each other in Secret Wars
Maguire recently revisited the role of Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Jackman finalized a deal to return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 and both actors have been rumored to make an appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars. Seeing their respective versions of these characters, who were the superheroes of the 2000s, come together on screen would certainly be the type of major crossover that would allow Secret Wars to feel “bigger” than Endgame. However, given that the script for the film is still being written and production is years away, don’t get too attached to any ideas about Secret Wars no matter how great they might sound.
Murphy’s Multiverse’s Extremely Talented João Roque Pinto
The Marvel Cinematic Universe
This should come as no surprise. Of course, fans flock to MCU news. Splitting it into films and Disney+ series, the biggest movie news seems predictable. But our readers’ interest in the series is perhaps a bit unique. Of course, in general, the most interesting MCU news this year came from San Diego Comic Con’s debut of Marvel Studios’ slate for Phases 5 and 6, culminating in Avengers: Secret Wars.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a big moment in 2022 for countless reasons. The MCU's newest anti-hero, Namor, finally made his live-action debut. While many want to see the return of the character, it may not be in the form of a solo film. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore confirmed that the character can definitely return in a future project, but Disney is not able to produce a standalone project based around the character. It seems the rights are still with Universal, who also holds the rights to Hulk and was the reason that character never got a sequel since the Edward Norton film back in 2008.
As a side note, MM readers apparently got a kick out of our Ultimate Lists of What to Watch Before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Thor: Love and Thunder. If you thought the Multiverse of Madness list was chaos, just imagine what the Ultimate List for Secret Wars will look like (hint: the entire MCU and then some). Rest assured, an Ultimate List for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will hit the internet soon.
Readers also flocked to news about the upcoming Secret Invasion. Perhaps fitting for the show, some of the most-read articles involved leaked set photos or rumors about the identity of characters—specifically Emilia Clarke's character—whose identity will further be questioned throughout the series.
To be honest, DC has been a mess for quite some time. Whether you love(d) the DCEU (and/or all of the things that were in the DC multiverse but not the DC Extended Universe, which makes no sense), hated it, or (most likely) were indifferent to it, it existed. However, late this year all of it was thrown into complete additional chaos when it was announced that James GunnandPeter Safran would be taking over as co-leaders of the newly-formed DC Studios. There is plenty to try and unpack so far—for example, Henry Cavill is no longer Superman. Who else will be recast? What will they do with their current 2023 slate that includes The Flash, Aquaman 2, Blue Beetle, and Shazam 2?
Given they distract from the movies, aren’t always followed through on and the disturbing trend in their quality, it really is time for the Marvel post-credit scene to be retired. We’ll always have that kiss between Jane and Thor…before Jane disappeared for a decade.
Charles Murphy
If you still have too many opinions about it, feel free to hop right back into that conversation. But screaming into the Twitter void about movies feels so 2022. 2023 is better...right?
Honorable Mentions
It's not all about superheroes, though MM readers certainly love them. But in 2022 we had some major interest in several other things. Check out some of the most noteworthy ones below.
The X-Men are coming to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios has no small task ahead of them in making sure that the iconic team can lead the franchise in Phase 7 and beyond. Marvel Studios is also sure to make every effort to separate their adaptation of the team(s) from what came before. To celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas, we’ve decided to put together a list of which characters might play a key role and how Marvel Studios can ensure nobody will confuse them with their Fox counterparts or, in this case.
The Kitten
Another victim of Fox’s focus on cool displays of powers rather than proper characterization, Kitty Pryde was reduced to meme status after being Juggernaut bitched in X-Men: The Last Stand. The character returned in 2014 for a role in X-Men: Days of Future Past where she got to touch Logan’s temples for a while and then became a teacher in the new timeline established at the end of the film. In essentially every way possible, Fox wasted a top-tier X-Men character who was portrayed by an incredibly talented actor. Outside of correctly using her phasing ability, Fox seemed to have absolutely no understanding of Kitty nor how important of a character she could be. That’s something that Kevin Feige will almost certainly remedy when he brings his version of the X-Men to the MCU.
A bit of a child prodigy, Kitty showed genius-level aptitude in computer science and attended a prestigious engineering school as a child. She joined Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and became a member of the X-Men when she was just 13 or 14 years old. Kitty is just about the perfect poster child for Wolverine’s side of the debate with Cyclops over using teens as “soldiers” in Xavier’s crusade. Over the years, Kitty has grown close with Storm, Wolverine and Colossus, with whom she’s had an on-again-off-again romantic relationship. Kitty has arguably had one of the most chaotic and interesting lives of any X-Man and has battled demons, vampires, aliens and all other sorts of baddies and has always emerged from her battles as a central figure to the success of the team.
What Fox failed to understand about Kitty Pryde is that despite being introduced in the comics as a teenager, she’s no sidekick. In fact, used appropriately, Kitty is probably the perfect point-of-view character to launch the MCU’s look at the inner workings of Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. That’s not to say that the other characters aren’t incredibly important, only that Marvel Studios could take the unique approach of giving the audience Kitty’s perspective of entering the madness of the mutant world. Though Fox’s X-Men were always in danger, the question of whether they should have been was never fully explored in the Singer or Kinberg films. The Fox films never explored the true nature of Charles Xavier (as detailed here), something that could be done wonderfully by changing the lens through which he’s viewed. Marvel Studios has many characters from which to choose as they think about which character they want to be the eyes through which they meet the larger world of the X-Men, but there’s no better choice than Kitty Pryde. Shadowcat should be right out front as mutants step into the spotlight in the MCU.
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