Don’t call it typecasting but Bill Skarsgård continues to land villainousroles 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.
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.
Recasting key actors is hardly a novel idea at this point in the MCU. Edward Norton and Terrence Howard were rather unceremoniously removed from their respective roles as Bruce Banner and James Rhodes after just one outing each. More recently, Harrison Ford joined the MCU as Thaddeus Ross following the passing of William Hurt, who portrayed the character in five films. Multiple actors have also portrayed Cassie Lang, Billy Maximoff and even Thanos, among others. However, one beloved MCU character seemed off limits to a recast…until now.
According to a report from Jeff “The In” Sneider, “Marvel is looking to recast its Black Panther hero T’Challa ahead of the two Avengers movies and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3.“
Following Chadwick Boseman‘s death, Marvel Studios weighed its options about how to move forward in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, ultimately deciding to work T’Challa’s death into the sequel rather than attempt to recast the role. Though it would seem problematic to recast the character now, Sneider ‘s report could be interpreted at least a couple of different ways.
As the studio approaches the end of the Multiverse Saga, the most logical option for “Recasting” T’Challa would be the introduction of a multiversal Variant of the character. Certainly any attempts t resurrect the Sacred Timeline’s T’Challa would be incredibly controversial and, frankly, unnecessary. Presumably, as Avengers: Secret Wars draws near, more alternate universes, or at least more heroes and villains from the ones that have already been introduced, will come into play and a Variant T’Challa would be a great addition to any team of heroes taking on Doctor Doom.
Of course, another option for the “recast” might involve the studio searching for an older actor to step into the role of T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While it’s unclear when Avengers: Doomsday will be set, if the studio does indeed have a three-film arc in store for the character, they may be looking to age the character up a touch.
In either case, it would seem that Letitia Wright‘s Shuri, who took up the mantle of Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is headed for a reduced role despite delivering a fantastic performance in the sequel. That is, of course, unless the studio chooses a third option: introducing a multiversal Variant of T’Challa who is aligned with Doctor Doom and finds himself at odds with Shuri, T’Challa II and the rest of the Wakanda.
With production on Avengers: Doomsday set to kick off this year, it’s likely fans will have some clarity on the reported recast of T’Challa relatively soon.
In April 2021, following the season finale of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, trade reports revealed that a fourth Installment in the Captain America franchise was in development at Marvel Studios. Written by TFATWS scribes Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson and starring Anthony Mackie, Captain America 4 was created to give Sam Wilson the spotlight in a film after years in the MCU’s background. Nearly three years, a few delays and a major overhaul later, Captain America: Brave New World is about to hit theaters and take Wilson on a wild ride.
He is in a new position. Stepping up to be the leader as Captain America is going to be a new set of challenges for him. And in this story, a big part of his journey is how do you define that leadership? That’s the thing that he hasn’t had to deal with just yet. As the Falcon, he was always there supporting the rest of the team, but now he’s the man leading the team and I think that’s going to be a really exciting journey to go on with him.
Originally subtitled New World Order, the new Captain America film developed into something many fans didn’t see coming: a follow-up to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Though Thunderbolt Ross has had an ongoing presence in the MCU, Ross’s daughter, Betty, disappeared entirely and the promising setup of Samuel Sterns as a gamma-mutated super genius never took shape. To this end, Captain America: Brave New World is truly and unprecedented intersection of quite a few narrative trails which means not only does it have some heavy lifting to do but so also do fans before heading to the theater. With that in mind, we present The Ultimate List of What to Watch before Captain America: Brave New World!
Tier One
Tier One consists of the non-negotiable, bare minimum projects one should be familiar with in order to be dialed into the action in Captain America: Brave New World. While the stories of several characters are more fully fleshed out in other projects, these three would provide enough foundation to enjoy the new Cap film.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
🍅 68%
Long the red-headed stepchild of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Louis Leterrier‘s action-packed has come back into fashion over the past few years. While Thunderbolt Ross has appeared in four other projects over the years, every other character and open thread from The Incredible Hulk seemed to have been abandoned until The Abomination appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021. The next year, the character played a much larger role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and the TIH renaissance was on.
One of the things that really drew me to this project is The Leader is a man who operates from intellect. And it’s so great to have an adversary who is working with this incredible intellect to really put Sam through the wringer in this story. And again, it’s a paranoid thriller; it’s this grounded adventure where I think everything that happens in this film feels so real and intense because of who this adversary is. What he’s going to have to go through in this film is because he’s got an adversary who is so terrifyingly intelligent.
Captain America: Brave New World will not only see Sam Wilson face the physical threat of the Red Hulk but also be forced to engage with a different kind of threat: the cerebral Samuel Sterns (don’t call him The Leader, though!). In addition to the wonderful Tim Blake Nelson as Sterns, Cap 4 will also mark the return of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, daughter of President Thaddeus Ross and former love of Bruce Banner, though it is her antagonist relationship with her father that will be explored in the film. Now, if they’d just let Leonard Samson get his green on…
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)
🍅 85%
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier thoroughly examined Sam’s reluctance to become the Symbol of Truth and the Sentinel of Liberty. Sam’s hesitance grew into something more and eventually led to the decision to hand the shield over to the U.S. government. Though he’s now resolved his internal conflict over whether or not he should be Captain America, Sam’s shaky relationship with that government will be a factor in Captain America: Brave New World.
Of course, as Captain America, Sam will no longer be part of the supporting cast but instead have his own. One key member of that support network will be Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, who made his MCU debut in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. He’ll play an integral role in the film as Cap’s wingman, so if you haven’t introduced yourself to the character yet, becoming acquainted is a must.
Sam’s whole thing is: he went on this journey, this Avenger story over six movies with Steve because of his respect and admiration for Steve. When Captain America, he says, when Captain America shows up at your door, you answer in the movie Captain America: Winter Soldier. That being said, it is, you know, it is the pain, the idea of not being able to go on these missions, not going to be able to help his friend. You know, there are still people out there that really appreciate camaraderie and friendship […] Just like everybody else, you don’twant to see Steve Rogers go away. You don’t want to see Captain America go away. Because just like Captain America was your Cap, Captain America was Sam Wilson’s Cap. So, you know, that is why he says at the end of Endgame, it feels like, when he is holding the shield, it is someone else’s. It feels like it is yours. He was a fan like everybody else.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier also introduced Isaiah Bradley, a Korean War veteran who was given the Super Soldier Serum against his will in the 1950s. Bradley, played by the incredible Carl Lumbly, returns in Captain America: Brave New World and plays a major role in getting the plot up and running after he attempts to assassinate President Ross. Lumbly is magnificent as Bradley, who played a key role in Sam’s decision to become Captain America.
If none of the reasons listed above are enough to get you to press play on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, you could always just watch it to enjoy Daniel Bruhl‘s return as Zemo.
Tier Two
If Tier One projects are essential, Tier Two projects are supplemental. Any important events from Tier Two projects are likely to be covered in the body of the film, making watching/rewatching those projects non-essential; however, seeing them in their original context is always better than having them explained to you from someone else’s perspective. Tier Two projects also include all of Sam Wilson’s other appearances for those who’d like to have his MCU history fully fleshed out before seeing Captain America: Brave New World.
There’s a lot we’re going to bring to the table. Again, this is a new set of challenges and a new set of adversaries. I love classic, paranoid thrillers and that’s a big part of the inspiration for this film. We want to find action that is grounded and tactile and give him new things to do that you haven’t seen in those other films. I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say we are planning some really, really exciting things.
Watching Tier Two projects will preemptively answer a lot of “who are those guys?” and “what’s that thing doing there?” types of questions, both for those who haven’t looked back on them for a while and for those who have never seen them before.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
🍅 90%
“On your left.” Sam Wilson’s introduction to the MCU came in one of Marvel Studios’ most complete films and one that director Julius Onah has said inspired some of his choices on Captain America: Brave New World. Though Sam’s personal history is explored much more deeply in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, some key pieces of his past are revealed here, including his time in the military and his work as a counselor.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
🍅 76%
Though he claims avenging isn’t his thing, by the end of this one, Sam Wilson is officially an Avenger! Though he doesn’t have a large role here, the film does help establish Sam’s deep, trusting relationship with Steve Rogers. It’s also the first and only appearance of Dr. Helen Cho, whose son, Amadeus (at least that’s the relationship from th comics), will debut in Captain America: Brave New World.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
🍅 90%
Necessary here because of the absolute comedy that is the Bucky/Sam frenemies routine, Civil War is also worth watching just to remember how magnificent the MCU became as it headed into the final third of the Infinity Saga.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
🍅 85%
If Sam Wilson hadn’t proven himself as a big-timer yet, Infinity War put an end to the debate. First helping take a pair of the Children of Thanos down a peg as part of Cap’s Secret Avengers, then providing air support during the Battle of Wakanda, Sam established himself as one of the MCU’s bravest heroes. And while that reputation will certainly come under fire again in Captain America: Brave New World, never forget the danger a man without superpowers ran toward to defend the Earth!
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
🍅 94%
The first steps on Sam Wilson’s journey to becoming Captain America came when Old Man Rogers gifted him with the shield in the closing moments of Avengers: Endgame. The final conversation between the two friends set into motion a cascading series of events, the fallout of which will still be dealt with in Captain America: Brave New World. As important as this moment is to Sam’s ongoing character development, this isn’t in Tier One because a version of it will certainly be included in the movie.
“At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Sam never accepted the shield. Sam never said he was going to be Captain America. Sam never said he wanted to be Captain America.”
-Anthony Mackie, Inverse, February 2021
Black Widow (2021)
🍅 79%
Like Avengers: Age of Ultron before it, Black Widow continues to provide meaningful context to other projects. The fall of the Red Room and Ross’s pursuit of Nat will be used, no doubt, to explain how Shira Hass‘s Ruth, a former Widow, finds herself in the employ of the President of the United States. If you’ve never watched it before, Black Widow is a damn good movie for the first 67% of its runtime.
Eternals (2021)
🍅 47%
While Captain America: Brave New World will undoubtedly contain the necessary exposition to explain that the source of the film’s MacGuffin, adamantium, unexpectedly rose from the ocean, it’s better to experience it by watching Eternals. Truth be told, it’s completely fine to skip to the second half of the film to watch the big action unfold because nothing that happens before then will matter to Captain America: Brave New World…or any other MCU project…ever.
Tier Three
Tier Three projects are akin to side quests. Nothing here will depend or enrich anyone’s Brave New World experience, though there are enough loosely connected points to make a case for watching them.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
🍅 79%
In the case She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, those loosely connected points come in the form of the continued efforts to produce more Hulks. The series made a key point about the utility of Banner’s blood compared to Jen’s and introduced Skaar, son of Hulk. The proliferation of Hulks in the MCU is something that’s been discussed for years and is finally happening and this project ties right into it, making it a Tier Three addition.
About Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in U.S. theaters on February 14, 2025.
As one of the world’s greatest minds would tell you, everything dies. People, planets, suns, galaxies and universes all have expiration dates because they all have natural lifespans. Over a decade ago, Reed Richards understood and accepted that and explained it to his fellow heroes as Jonathan Hickman launched the dual runs on Avengers and New Avengers that would ultimately lead to Secret Wars. As Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga makes its way toward the same inevitable end in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, fans of the MCU should start to get comfortable accepting that same inevitability; however, for myriad reasons, Reed Richards isn’t around to help them understand that just yet. So while What If…?, the studio’s multi-season multiversal adventure arrives at its end, it does so too early for fans to fully appreciate its coda.
Though no fault of its own, the final season of Marvel Animation’s first canonical adventure arrives about two and a half years too early for the magnitude of its multiversal mayhem to make the impact it should. Once upon a time, the Multiverse Saga was set to conclude on November 7, 2025, less than one year from the launch of What If…? Season 3. Had Marvel Studios adhered to that timeline, revealed at SDCC ’22, the final eight episodes of What If…? would almost certainly have hit differently. They didn’t, so they didn’t and so the final season, which contains some of the series’ most imaginative and chaotic offerings, might ultimately find its relative importance delayed by a few years.
From the opening episode, which introduces a multiversal iteration of the Mighty Avengers, through the final episode, which teases something beyond this iteration of the Multiverse, the final season of What If…? lands as an almost too self-aware commentary on the state of the MCU and could reasonably be viewed, for the most part as one giant size episode of “What If…the Multiverse Saga Had Gone as Planned?” Despite growing sentiment on social media by folks who haven’t watched an episode, the third season does indeed align with the intended premise of the anthological comics. For example, the first episode, “What If…The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?”, imagines what would have happened if Sam Wilson encountered Bruce Banner on his morning jog instead of Steve Rogers…and it ain’t good! Indeed Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, Stephen Franck, Ryan Little and A.C. Bradley deliver some Top 10 What If…? bangers here. Though the two-part finale doesn’t quite live up to the Season 2 double dip, it does deliver a deserving denouement for the series leads while also calling back to key moments from prior seasons. If you’ve liked What If…? so far, you’ll like it again; if you haven’t liked it so far, you won’t be watching it anyway.
Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum has made it clear that, at least for now, the studio is ready to put What If…? out to pasture and though the series ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, that’s probably ok. It’s probably ok, at least partly, because the Multiverse Saga is on its way to its (kind of) natural conclusion and, at least in the comics, realities cycle through birth, destruction and rebirth. However, as fun as two-thirds of this season of What If…? is, the feeling that the studio dropped the ball on its release date is hard to shake. Though it isn’t entirely clear, the series finale feels as though it is at least partially connected to the studio’s intended plans for the end of the Multiverse Saga. Sure, we can all go back and watch it around the time Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters but it’s probably fair to wonder what the rush was on the studio’s part to get it to D+ now. Everything dies…but What If…? could have stayed in stasis a bit longer, allowing Pedro Pascal‘s Reed Richards to provide some additional context for its super sci-fi, super comic book ending. Watch it and enjoy it for what it is because it may be some time before the studio takes the type of chances it did with this animated adventure.
It’s not easy being Jean. Despite having an entire film dedicated to her in each of Fox’s X-Men in the original Fox trilogy and in the alternate timeline reboot that followed X-Men: Days of Future Past, it is resoundingly safe to say that we still haven’t gotten a solid live-action version of Jean Grey. An Omega-level telepath whose true upper limit to her power remains undefined, Grey was never given proper agency in either iteration and was reduced to a supporting character in both of Fox’s efforts to tell a classic comic book story in which she is the main character. Watch X-Men: The Last Stand and ask yourself, if as Logan kills Jean, if you feel worse for her or him.
To be fair, the problem isn’t unique to the Fox films. Outside of Chris Claremont‘s time writing her, Jean hasn’t always been treated much better in the pages of Marvel Comics. The fact remains, however, that as one of the five original members of Charles Xavier’s X-Men, Jean Grey–codename Marvel Girl–has always been and should always remain an integral part of the team’s story and should be at the center of any efforts to tell it. And as Marvel Studios prepares to put its spin on the uncanny team of mutant heroes, a new report indicates that its version will not only include Jean but also that one name has risen to the top of a list to portray the MCU’s version.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Stranger Things and The Whale star Sadie Sink has emerged as the front runner to portray Jean Grey in the MCU.
Though it may seem a touch early for the studio to be on the lookout for one of the stars of their X-Men reboot, Sneider provided some additional context about Sink’s potential involvement. Despite Marvel Studios’ X-Men film still being in the scripting stages and not expected to be released during the Multiverse Saga, Sneider’s sources believe that the studio is keen on casting the role of Jean Grey now to allow the character to appear in either or both of its next two Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Allowing important characters to debut in other properties before taking center stage in their own is a tactic Marvel Studios has employed to some success in the past. Both Black Panther and Spider-Man debuted in Captain America: Civil War ahead of starring in their own projects. Making the rumor more believable is that both Doomsday and Secret Wars are being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo who directed Civil War and who have, in the past, expressed a desire to be involved with the MCU’s X-Men. It could all be a coincidence, of course, and being a frontrunner is much different than being cast; however, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to see more mutants than just Jean–and more mutants than just the ones the studio plans to move forward with in the future–before the Multiverse Saga comes to a close.
Perhaps no Marvel Studios movie took hardcore fans for more of a ride before it was released than Spider-Man: No Way Home…and that madness may have already been surpassed by its sequel.
Following the events of Doomsday, Peter Parker is determined to lead a normal life and focus on college, stepping back from his responsibilities as Spider-Man. However, peace is short-lived when a deadly new threat emerges, endangering his promise. With stakes higher than ever, Peter reluctantly returns to his Spider-Man identity and finds himself teaming up with an unlikely ally to protect those he loves.
-Reported synopsis of Spider-Man: Brand New Day via Prodcution Weekly
Though the latest rumored synopsis for synopsis skirted the issue, the Brand New Day subtitle will certainly ring a bell with comic book readers as the follow up to the controversial One More Day arc that saw Peter Parker strike a deal with the devil. Now, a new report from a longtime Hollywood insider points the pitchfork at a potential appearance by that very devil…and another…in Spider-Man 4.
In a bit of a chaotic scoop, Jeff “The In” Sneider revealed that Sacha Baron Cohen‘s Mephisto, set to make his MCU debut in 2025 in Marvel Television’s Ironheart, may appear in Spider-Man 4…but that he also may not…but that it would be great if he did…but there’s no confirmation that he will. Sneider did, however, feel far more confident that Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil would indeed appear, though whether or not it would be as part of the rumored Devil’s Reign adaptation was not addressed.
While Sneider ‘s sources are mixed on an appearance by Mephisto, there’s no doubt that the state in which Parker’s life was left at the conclusion of Spider-Man: No Way Home would absolutely leave the door open for the Whisperer in Darkness to attempt to make one of his foul pacts. And, perhaps coincidentally, that would align with the rumored Spider-Man: Brand New Day synopsis. Pragmatically, it’s likely the rumor mill is only a quarter turn or so through its most frustrating rotation as fans should buckle in for another “are Garfield and Maguire in No Way Home” scenario.
Spider-Man 4 is set to begin filming next summer and is due in theaters on July 24, 2026.
Six years after Kevin Feige claimed that the Human Rocket had “immediate potential” to pop up in the MCU, Marvel Studios finally seems to be ready for Richard Rider to join the fray…a few years from now. First developed as a film with Moon Knight writer Sabir Pirzada working on the script in 2022, Nova was transitioned to television a year later and put on hold while the studio began restructuring its streaming plans. With a new roadmap in place, things started moving on Nova again earlier this year with an eye on a 2025 start of production. With the new year right around the corner, a new report has revealed that Marvel is indeed ready to launch Nova and has brought a veteran TV writer on board to lead the charge.
According to Jeff “The In” Sneider, Ed Bernero, who has over 25 years of television experience, has agreed to become the showrunner of Marvel Television’s Nova. Bernero, who created the NBC crime drama Third Watch and wrote more than two dozen episodes of Criminal Minds, is also expected to serve as a writer on the streaming project.
News of Bernero’s deal comes hot on the heels of a report that Nova would introduce the classic Marvel Comics’ villain Annihilus and pit the Bug-Lord against a young team of Nova Corpsmen. Given Bernero‘s background, which also includes Crossing Lines, a crime drama that focuses on an elite team of special investigators, it seems reasonable to assume that while Rider will be the series’ central figure, the other Corps members will feature prominently in the action. With Bernero just now signing on, the studio will begin assembling a writers room and start the casting process.
As only the third project to feature a true showrunner since the studio’s restructuring, there’s not enough data to accurately predict a timeline of events; however, taking a look at the timeline fromTerry Matalas‘ taking over as showrunner of the upcoming Vision series in May 2024 to its expected February 2025 start of production, it’s safe to say cameras won’t roll on Nova until the second half of 2025. With Marvel Studios actively seeking to reduce its streaming output, that likely means the series won’t hit Disney Plus until 2027 and may actually be part of the studio’s post-Multiverse Saga plans.
The stan culture that has developed around Elizabeth Olsen‘s Wanda Maximoff and the impressive success of Agatha All Along should serve as strong indicators to the Marvel Parliament that there’s an interest in more stories set in the mystical corner of the MCU. Though strong performances by Olsen and Agatha star Kathryn Hahn are huge factors, audiences were just as enchanted by Joe Locke, Aubrey Plaza and Patti LuPone, whose performance earned her a Critics’ Choice Award nomination. In this instance, it’s not just big names but good stories to which fans are responding and it’s clear they want more.
With that in mind and HBO preparing to bring Harry Potter back to the pop culture forefront with a new streaming series set to debut in 2026, it sounds as though Disney may be preparing to take advantage of the buzz.
According to a report from MCU insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Television is developing an adaptation of Marvel Comics’ Strange Academy for Disney Plus.
Created by Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos, Marvel Comics Strange Academy debuted in 2020 and focused on a new generation of magic users being trained in the mystic arts at a Hogwarts-esque school opened by Stephen Strange. Classes at Strange Academy were led by an array of Marvel mages including Doctor Voodoo, Wanda Maximoff, Wong, Magik and, yes, Agatha Harkness and covered a range of topics from astral projections to interdimensional geography to xenoanatomy.
The report calls to mind a nearly two-year old rumor that indicated Marvel Studios was developing the IP with Benedict Wong and Xochitl Gomez as co-leads. Given the recent restructuring behind the scenes at Marvel Studios, it’s likely that whatever plans may have initially been in place for Strange Academy have changed. Additionally, it’s always worth repeating that Marvel Studios’ Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, has cautioned fans that a project being in development does not mean it will ever be realized on screen.
As Marvel Studios struggled to string together consecutive hits from 2021 through 2023, fans not only believed those struggles signaled the end of the studio’s time on top was near but also began to embrace some disturbing revisionism. While fans and critics alike piled on their reprovals of Eternals, Thor: Love and Thunder, Ant-Man and The Wasp:Quantumanaia, Secret Invasion and more, they bemoaned the loss of the good old days of the Infinity Saga, when Marvel didn’t miss…except that’s not exactly how it went down.
The mind has a way of distorting memories of reality as time moves on and remembering the Infinity Saga as a perfect bundle of projects is a perfect example. Not only did Marvel Studios produce some duds during its first saga (Thor: The Dark World, The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man 2 still stand among the least-loved MCU films), but it also had an ongoing problem pitting its heroes against incredibly weak villains for the better part of an entire phase. “Marvel has a villain problem” was an ongoing criticism of Phase 2 in which the studio dropped the ball adapting some of Marvel Comics’ great baddies such as Malekith, Ronan the Accuser and Advanced Idea Mechanics. The studio heard the criticisms, addressed them behind the scenes and moved forward with an improved lineup of antagonists. In 2017, the studio’s capacity to challenge its heroes increased exponentially with an influx of available characters following the acquisition of the live-action rights of the sizeable stable of characters previously owned by Fox. Now, a new report reveals that the studio may finally have found the right project in which to unleash one of Marvel Comics greatest threats for his live-action debut.
According to long-time MCU insider Daniel Richtman, the interdimensional nihilist Annihilus will serve as the primary antagonist of Marvel Television’s Nova.
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.
Of course, any use of the Nova Corps would require some significant changes to the organization which was first introduced in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, especially if they are going to take on The Lord of the Negative Zone. Though it wasn’t seen on screen, Thanos likely provided the first steps in that direction when he took the Power Stone from Xandar before attacking Thor, Loki, Hulk and a shipful of Asgardians between the events of Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Infinity War.
With production on Nova expected to begin in 2025 and Marvel Studios looking to reduce its output of streaming series to two per year, it seems reasonable that the series may not make its way to Disney Plus until 2027, making a full decade between the acquisition of the live-action rights to Annhilus and his MCU debut. Given the potential, however, for the First-born Son of Oblivion to be an ongoing threat for a new saga, it may end up having been worth the wait.
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