Who do you trust? Unless it’s Patti LuPone, it’s probably not any actor or actress rumored to be part of a Marvel Studios project. Over the years, the lying and dissembling has grown farcical as the talent attached to projects roll out the same tired denials. Of course, every now and then, someone rumored to be boarding a project actually isn’t; however, given the growing number of denials, it’s often hard for fans to discern who they can trust…especially when it’s someone they’d like to see in their favorite franchise. Now it looks like fans are facing another decision as Secret Invasion’s debut approaches.
In an interview with Screen Rant, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Chloe Bennet, who has been rumored to appear in Marvel Studios next big streaming series denied that she’ll be appearing in any Marvel Studios projects. In fact, Bennet said that while she would love to reprise her role as Quake, she’s never been contacted by the studio for a role in any of their projects.
“Of course. Of course, I would be open to it,” said Bennet of the opportunity to return to the role she filled on the ABC series. “Listen, there’s a lot of stuff around that. I so deeply love S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fans because it’s this tenacity that got the show on air to begin with.”
Despite her willingness to suit back up, however, it seems the studio just hasn’t found the right project for her return. “I have not once been approached or asked or involved in anything after I wrapped S.H.I.E.L.D.,” claimed Bennet. “And I am not involved in anything that is coming out. I’ve not been asked, but I would be more than excited to put on the suit again. And, of course, of course, Daisy is a big part of who I am. So I would love to, but I have not been communicated [with] about it.“
For fans who have been around the denial block a time or two, most of what Bennet had to say sounds awfully familiar. Over the past few years, Charlie Cox, Andrew Garfield, Jonathan Majors and Tatiana Maslanyjoined the prestigious list of actors forced to lie to fans despite their involvement in projects being fairly well-known. Has Bennet joined them? Or are all the rumors, hints and teases of her role in Secret Invasion all false? Who do you trust?
As production delays begin to stack up amid the ongoing WGA strike, fans are becoming increasingly concerned that Marvel Studios 2024 slate will be wiped out. While that’s certainly one possibility at this point, there are plenty of other options that are far rosier. With the content-less 2020 still fresh in fans’ minds, it’s worth taking a look at how the dips and dives of 2023 might help dodge a deserted 2024.
The Original Plan
Just over a year ago, Kevin Feige rolled out a massive slate update at SDCC ’22. That slate included an ambitious 2024 plan that included two Phase Five series (Agatha: Coven of Chaos and Daredevil: Born Again), two Phase Five films (Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts) three untitled Phase Six series and one Phase Six film (Fantastic Four).
Ch-ch-ch-changes
By late September 2022, another Phase Five movie was added when Deadpool 3 was officially announced. Just a month later, Blade was given a September 6, 2024 release date, moving Deadpool 3 to November 8, 2024 and pushing 2024’s Phase Five film total to 4 and sliding Fantastic Four into 2025.. Bob Iger’s return to Disney further altered the 2024 slate as his new mandates concerning the curation of the company’s streaming content shuffled Marvel Studios’ 2023 plans a bit, pushing Agatha: Coven of Chaos firmly out of 2023 and indefinitely delaying the release of Ironheart.
It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to understand that if these projects don’t restart/start production in a reasonable amount of time then they won’t make their 2024 release dates. Could fans be looking at another content-less year in 2024?
Potential New Scenarios
The answer is almost definitely not thanks to streaming. In March, Marvel Studios seemingly accidentally tipped their hand and revealed what looks to be a pretty accurate slate for their LIVE-ACTION series on Disney Plus.Ironheart looks slated to kick off 2024 and there have been no reports that any reshoots or additional photography have been or will be impacted by the strike. It seems most of the work being done on that series is in post-production VFX and it’ll be ready to stream whenever Iger gives it the go-ahead. Principal photography on Agatha: Coven of Chaos should be wrapped by June-ish allowing the show to go into post-production and get ready for a 2024 release. Like every Marvel Studios project, it’s certainly scheduled for a round of reshoots/additional photography and while that likely can’t happen while the strike is ongoing (they would have to have written the reshoots before the strike), they could take place at any time after the strike ends in 2023 or 2024 and still make its way to Disney Plus by mid-2024. Given its nearly year-long shoot, Daredevil: Born Again‘s status is far more tenuous than either of the other two aforementioned projects but so far, so good. It’s also set to be an 18-episode series with recent rumors suggesting it will be broken into two, nine-episode chunks and it’s safe to say that given the shooting schedule, they’ve probably filmed 4 or 5 of those episodes already. While it’s no sure thing, the first nine episodes could be ready to roll for late 2024.
It would seem there is far less certainty surrounding the studio’s 2024 theatrical offerings. Captain America: New World Order has completed a significant chunk of its production and, so far, has not been shut down as a result of the strike; however, reshoots are built-in and as mentioned above will not be done until after the strike. It’s currently set for a May 3, 2024 release, so unless the strike goes on through the end of the year, that date is manageable, though it’s beginning to look like the studio won’t have to hold it.
Even though the delay was just announced, it’s already tough to imagine that Thunderbolts will hit its July 26th, 2024 theatrical release. The strike would likely have to end in the next 4-6 weeks to allow the project to avoid the sort of rushed post-productions that have had Marvel Studios in the spotlight for the last year. Should the strike go on longer than that, it wouldn’t be too hard to imagine Captain America: New World Order being moved to July and having Thunderbolts move as well. But where would it land?
That answer might depend on the content of Deadpool 3. Should production on that project go on uninterrupted, it would be reasonable to assume that it would be ready to hit theaters by next July, should Captain America: New World Order be able to make its May 3, 2024 date. Whether or not the plot of Deadpool 3 is reliant on the other projects currently slated to release before it or not is another consideration and one that we can’t answer at present. However, if it can be moved and it does continue production, it could be ready for July or September, stepping in where it once was before Blade moved there.
While there’s no guarantee, Captain America: New World Order and Deadpool 3 are currently the best bets to release in 2024. The statuses of Thunderbolts and Blade, however, are inextricably tied to the timeline of the resolution of the WGA strike. Films that aren’t filmed can’t be released, so it is currently impossible to know when they’ll hit theaters. However, should the strike end by mid-to-late July, it’s possible that both films could still end up in 2024 with one taking the September 6th date and the other taking November 8th. Which one ends up where would simply then become a matter of which one is further along in production.
All that is contingent on Marvel Studios even feeling as though they need to stay on track with their current scheduled dates which is in no way certain because they are hardly the only studio whose slate will be impacted by the strike. Dates could shuffle at any time which is something we just can’t predict but if we assume they keep the four dates, dozens of scenarios unfold with a few that seem more likely than others.
Best Case Scenario
Q1-Ironheart May 3-Captain America: New World Order Q2-Agatha: Coven of Chaos July 26th-Deadpool 3 September 6-Blade/Thunderbolts Q4-Daredevil: Born Again November 8-Thunderbolts/Blade
A Scenario That Is Neither Best Case Nor Worse Case
Q1-Ironheart May 3-Captain America: New World Order Q2-Agatha: Coven of Chaos July 26th-Deadpool 3 Q4-Daredevil: Born Again
Not Quite Worst Case Scenario
Q1-Ironheart July 26-Captain America: New World Order Q3-Agatha: Coven of Chaos
While the last scenario seems improbable, it’s still on the table. Should the strike stretch out across the summer and into the fall, Marvel Studios will have to greatly rethink their slate. Should the strike end before SDCC ’23, it’s possible that Kevin Feige will stroll on stage with an updated slate; however, given how much things have changed since last year, how seriously should fans even take it?
As the writers’ strike continues, Hollywood is being forced to hit pause on upcoming projects. Two of the most recent projects impacted by the strike are Marvel Studios’ Wonder Man and Thunderbolts, with the former having already begun production and the latter having been readying for a June start.
Wonder Man and Thunderbolts join Blade as Marvel Studios projects now on hold indefinitely. Wonder Man has no official release window but Thunderbolts and Blade are tentatively slated for July 26th, 2024 and September 6, 2024 releases, respectively. It would seem that should the strike continue through the Summer and, perhaps, beyond that meeting those release dates would begin to become unrealistic for Marvel Studios.
As it currently stands, productions for Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Captain America: New World Order,Daredevil: Born Again and the third Deadpool film are still up and running. While principal photography on Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha Harkness spinoff is coming to a close, the Deadpool and Wolverine team-up is just getting underway in the UK. It’s unknown how the strike might impact additional photography and/or reshoots which are a built-in part of every Marvel Studios production.
Downtown Atlanta was recently transformed into Chinatown as part of production on Marvel Studios Captain America: New World Order as revealed through photos shared by Christopher Oquendo. The photographer was back at the location again and among some high-quality close-up looks at the set is a very interesting location that could indicate a major twist to what already seems like a packed plot.
— Christopher Oquendo (@Christo45951886) May 25, 2023
As part of the Chinatown set, a restaurant reveals that the scenes being shot on location are set on Canal St. in Chinatown. While it’s much more likely that it’s not an important detail, Canal St. has actually been an important location in the pages of Marvel Comics in the past as the location has served as a hideout for The Hand and The White Dragons, a gang under the control of Mister Negative.
The addition of either Mister Negative or The Hand to the film, which is already packed full of villains, would be shocking. However, given so little is known about the plot of the film and Marvel Studios’ history with mashing up characters, it’s not out of the question that the Serpent Society is somehow tied to one or the other. Of course, it’s far more likely that it’s just a nice touch on a setpiece that may not even make the final cut of the film but it’s interesting nonetheless.
Captain America: New World Order hits theaters on May 3, 2024.
Given the spotlight is always shining on the next big Marvel Studios project, surprise castings are a rare occurrence. While most lead roles are scooped by trades, even supporting roles are big news and are often leaked by scoopers and/or smaller sites. Captain America: New World Order pulled off that rare feet by casting the members of the villainous Serpent Society in complete secrecy. Had it not been for photographer Christopher Oquendo staking out the Brown Airport location for the film, the revelation that WWE Superstar Seth Rollins had been cast as one of the Serpents may have stayed a surprise until the film’s 2023 release. While Rollins was easily identified, the identity of his female counterpart in the scene, Serpent Society member Diamondback, has remained a mystery…until now.
Murphy’s Multiverse can share that Alita: Battlestar and Maze Runner actress Rosa Salazar as the actress who joined Rollins on set as Diamondback. While Salazar’s reps did not respond to inquiries about her status on the project, we are confident that she is attached to it.
The Serpent Society’s role in the film is unclear but in the comics, they’ve served as antagonists to Captain America more than once. As for Salazar’s Diamondback, her history with Captain America is a little more complicated. Though a member of a criminal organization, Diamondback once dated Steve Rogers so her presence in the film could mean interesting things on the horizon for Sam Wilson.
Captain America: New World Order is currently slated to hit theaters May 3, 2024.
A lot seems to be going on in Captain America: New World Order. Sam Wilson’s first solo feature film as Cap will see Harrison Ford‘s Thaddeus Ross become President of the United States, the return of Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns and Liv Tyler‘s Betty Ross, the debut of the Serpent Society and the rumored discovery of Adamantium on the corpse of Tiamut the Celestial. While there’s been no Celestial or Adamantium sightings just yet thanks to a massive set that was reportedly built for the film, much of the rest of the goings on have been captured on film while production has been ongoing around Atlanta.
Photographer Christopher Oquendo, who has recently been very busily scoping out the locations of Captain America: New World Order has once again come through with some photos of a setpiece being assembled in downtown Atlanta. While the location has yet to go live, the photos show a portion of downtown Atlanta being transformed into Chinatown. This won’t be the first or last time that a part of Atlanta has been used as a stand-in for New York City but it is a fascinating location for this project.
— Christopher Oquendo (@Christo45951886) May 24, 2023
With filming not yet having taken place in the new location, there’s no way to be sure just what’s going on in Chinatown. The location has been featured prominently in Daredevil and Spider-Man comics, most recently when the Dragon Lords, Mister Negative and The Hood skirmished. It’s also where the Sons of the Tiger, three martial artists powered by the same jade amulet that gave power to the White Tiger, set up their dojo. None of those characters are known to be in Captain America 4, however, and while the Serpent Society does have ties to New York City, they arent specific to Chinatown. Given Oquendo’s hashtag indicated the shoot will be spoilery, these are definitely worth following up on as soon as the site goes live!
With principal photography on Captain America: New World Order having shifted out of the studio this past week, photographer Christopher Oquendo has staked out the Brown Airport location of the production and shared several rounds of excellent behind-the-scenes material. The photographer’s latest shots have unveiled not only a new setting for the film but also some more members of the villainous Serpent Society.
— Christopher Oquendo (@Christo45951886) May 19, 2023
It turns out the Serpent Society has its own private jet, complete with some gold and green accents that look like they match the costumes worn by WWE Superstar Seth Rollins and an as-yet unidentified co-star from a prior batch of set photos. While set photos never provide much context, it seems safe to say that the Serpents have used their private jet to make their way to Cancun, where their fight with Captain America and Falcon is likely to take place.
— Christopher Oquendo (@Christo45951886) May 21, 2023
In addition to revealing a new setting for the fourth entry in the Captain America franchise, the most recent set photos also provide a shadowy look at another member of the Serpent Society. It’s expected that there will be five of them in the film (Asp, Bushmaster, Cobra, Constrictor and Diamondback), and, at the moment, it’s still unclear which one of those Serpents will be played by Rollins; however, the photographer–who may be working with some additional information–teased that the shadowy member of the team might be its leader, King Cobra.
It’s not clear what role the Serpent Society plays in the film just yet but given the amount of time spent on the production on this particular set of scenes, it’s safe to say they at least have a fairly large role in the film and will occupy quite a bit of Captain America and The Falcon’s time! Captain America: New World Order is currently slated for a May 3rd, 2024 release.
As page-to-screen adaptations go, the first Captain America costume Sam Wilson sported in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is truly about as good as it has gotten for Marvel Studios. Pulling off a white costume goes against one of the old-school principles of costume design, but Michael Crow and his crew were more than up to the challenge, putting Anthony Mackie into one of the MCU’s best costumes. As production continues on Captain America: New World Order, it seems the studio decided they could not leave well enough alone and, as seen in previous set photos, decided to craft a new, more traditional Captain America costume for Mackie’s Wilson. Those low-resolution set photos only caught bits and pieces of the suit but now a new behind-the-scenes video has provided a little better look at the new drip.
While it’s still a low-resolution look, it’s by far the best look yet at Sam’s new suit…and it’s uninspiring. Gone are the white accents on the chest, shoulders and sleeves and the result is what looks like Sam borrowed one of Steve Roger’s old costumes. Let’s hope that Sam’s other suit is just at the cleaners during this scene and this isn’t the new look for the all-new, all-different Captain America.
Marvel Studios’ upcoming take on Daredevil is continuing to add some great talent, as they have seemingly added Clark Johnson not only as a director but also to play the role of “Cherry.” While it’s not confirmed by Marvel, Deadline shares that it is who they have heard he is playing, and he’s set to also direct two episodes of Marvel Studios’ longest-running Disney+ series. He joins the new take on the Netflix characters once again played by Charlie Cox with new showrunners Matt Corman and Chris Ord working on the project.
While the Deadline article spells the name “Cherry”, there’s a chance he might tackle the role of corrupt politician Randolph Cherryh, who appeared in Daredevil #177. The character was notable for having a direct tie to Kingpin, who is also going to return with Vincent D’Onforio reprising his role from Hawkeye and the upcoming Echo. It seems very unlikely that this will be a gender-bent version of Cherry Blossom, who served as a Hand assassin in the comics.
ClarkJohnson has made quite an imprint on TV, as he directed the pilot episode of The Shield which got him an Emmy nomination. He’s also been involved with shows like Love & Death, Mayor of Kingstown, Luke Cage, The Good Fight, The Wire, and many more. He also acted in a variety of projects, such as playing Gus Haynes in The Wire, which might be one of his most iconic roles. He also appears in Evil as Father Amara.
The Internet will often point to “quality over quantity” in regard to lower-than-usual performing Marvel movies. Though they still dominated most of 2022, their only “shortcoming” so far was Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania underperforming with 470M. Yes, it didn’t make its money back but it’s still an amount most people would dream of in such a competitive market after running for 10+ years. Still, the vocalization of the Internet’s displeasure has also been very openly pointed at Disney+.
Some say the shows aren’t good enough quality, constantly dragging down the viewership numbers based on 3rd party tracking, and hatred from being too “woke” by a specific crowd. Last year, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Ms. Marvel took the brunt of it, but Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige left with a strong message during Disney’s Upfronts by pointing out that their shows have reached “often two to three times the numbers of viewers” from the “buzziest shows on competitive services.”
Thanks to Disney+, we’ve expanded the Marvel Cinematic Universe into genre and formats new to us that we haven’t done before. We’ve been able to introduce exciting new heroes and villains, locations and storylines into the MCU. And I’m pleased to share that when you compare our Marvel series to some of the buzziest shows on competitive services, even our smallest series are reaching much more international audience – often two to three times the number of viewers.
Kevin Feige
We can’t really prove it and streaming services continue to share very little outside of Netflix, but it’s definitely an interesting perspective to offer. And it’s not like they are inventing numbers, it may be a showcase of the international audience embracing these shows more, and discussions on quality are much more diverse than they appear to be; especially if you see how the Internet reacts toward the existence of shows like The Good Doctor.
We’ll see what the future holds for these shows, but Marvel is definitely taking a step back and changing up their strategy, such as Echo becoming a binge release. For now, it feels like we’re about to enter a new era as the pandemic has been left behind and theatrical releases are finally a viable strategy again.
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