Though it is now clear that Marvel Studios has pulled back significantly on the number of projects it will release–and thus put into production– each year, they company is still in the middle of its new multiphase saga and is still pushing ahead with that saga’s shared narrative. While the entire slate of the Multiverse Saga hasn’t been shared yet, two big event films are on it. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars are both currently in development with the latter currently set to be the final installment of the Multiverse Saga.
That doesn’t mean the former won’t have an important role; in fact, it looks like it will be the first time fans see the new iteration of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes as they assemble to take on a Kang or two…or three. Several rumors have emerged about just which heroes might make up the New Avengers, including one that suggested Sam Wilson, Shuri and Shang-Chi were set to lead the team. Recently, Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man was unsurprisingly rumored to play a key role in the film. Now a new rumor has emerged on YouTube that might reveal some other members of the team.
The new rumor indicates that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty director Destin Daniel Cretton has been keen on having Hulk, She-Hulk and Moon Knight as part of the lineup of the New Avengers. Additionally, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, would like Charlie Cox‘s Daredevil to join the lineup, though he may be willing to wait until Avengers: Secret Wars to have him earn his spot.
A lineup of Captain America, Black Panther, Shang-Chi, Moon Knight, Spider-Man and not one but two Hulks would certainly provide a team with quite a wide range of experiences and abilities. Hulk’s time travel expertise may prove valuable in the fight against Kang(s) but it’s likely that whatever team goes up against Jonathan Majors‘ team of villains won’t come away unscathed.
Marvel Studios has hired Stella Meghie to direct episodes of Wonder Man. The upcoming Disney+ series is set to star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the title role. As of now, it’s unclear just how many episodes she’ll direct but it seems she’ll be responsible for multiple. She’ll be joined by Shang-Chi and future Avengers director Daniel Destin Cretton, who will take multiple episodes. Andrew Guest is set as the series head writer.
This Disney+ series makes the second time that Stella Meghie has worked with the Disney streamer, as she was also involved with the live-action series Tiana, which will continue the story from The Princess and the Frog. She acted as an executive producer on that adaptation and it seems that they were eager to work with her on another project, which led to her getting the job to direct Wonder Man. So, it seemingly worked out and she got her hands on quite a high-profile project after making a great impression on everyone involved.
It should also be noted that this series is seemingly becoming a high priority for Marvel Studios and Disney+. While details are still being kept a secret, it seems that they are quite excited to tell this Hollywood-based story that may also play a little with their own position in the industry. We know that Marvel Studios is taking a step back with its Disney+ output and they may be refocusing their projects moving forward.
Kathryn Hahn‘s Agatha Harkness quickly became one of Phase 4’s most beloved characters despite her villainous role in 2021’s WandaVision. In late 2021, an Agatha-centric spinoff show was announced to be in development by Jac Schaeffer and at SDCC ’22, Kevin Feige revealed plans for that show, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, was slated for a late 2023/early 2024 release. Now it looks like that might not be the case.
According to insider KC Walsh, Agatha: Coven of Chaos may be facing a delay in its release as Marvel Studios slows down its Disney Plus production machine.
Was gonna save this one but sounds like we may have to wait a while for Agatha due to story reasons, currently it’s listed at TBD https://t.co/CKn04qXsQR
Walsh’s information lines up with Version 4 of our Hypothetical 2024 Marvel Studios Release Calender in which we suggested that the series may end up moving “through no fault of its own.” Walsh’s report suggests that the new time for the release of Agatha: Coven of Chaos is to be determined which indicates an indefinite delay in the release of the series.
Despite the delay, there are no concerns about the project being taken off Marvel Studios’ upcoming slate. It looks set to introduce Billy Kaplan, aka Wiccan, to the MCU and given the push towards the Young Avengers assembling in the MCU and Wiccan’s prominent role on the team, the project seems incredibly important.
As Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania join it as the most harshly reviewed film in Marvel Studios’ history, a new report indicates that 2021’s Eternals will have a sequel. Though the critical response to the film was poor and audience scores didn’t indicate it was a big hit with fans in theaters, it has found a new life on Disney Plus becoming the streaming service’s biggest film debut. It now seems possible that the streaming success of Eternals may have given the franchise new life.
According to insider KC Walsh, an Eternals sequel has been given the green light at Marvel Studios and has recently been added to the production schedule alongside the previously announced sequel to Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings.
Though no further details were provided about when the films might go into production, a quick peek at Marvel Studios’ existing slate would indicate that fans should not expect Eternals 2 or Shang-Chi 2 until 2025 at the earliest. As it stands, there are 2 untitled Marvel Studios films scheduled to release in 2025 and 3 in 2026. With news breaking now about these two projects, it’d would be reasonable to assume under normal circumstances that they’d be ready in time for 2025 but times they are a changing.
After the harsher criticism has hit Marvel Studios’ latest release of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the sudden move for The Marvels from a July release all the way back to November had many wondering if there’s a correlation. Perhaps Marvel Studios knew they needed to give the project more time and it was too late to push back Quantumania back as well, as it already started its marketing cycle; something that could’ve become quite expensive to restart at a later point.
While we’ll never truly know what reason Marvel Studios has for delaying projects, there have been hints that they are taking a step back after the rush of projects released right after the pandemic delayed everything for a year. So, ever since they’ve been playing catch-up and had the Disney+ pressure set upon them by Bob Chapek‘s reign. Now, Bob Iger returned and we’ll likely see a more familiar Marvel Studios moving forward after amore experimental season.
In a new report by The Wrap, they share that the delay for The Marvels was to give it more time in post-production, at least according to their studio insiders. It’s a surprising move as it will compete directly with Disney’s 100th-anniversary film Wish, a scare that also happened last year with the underperforming Strange World against Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Though some believe these projects won’t face a similar fate.
Still, if this report is true we’ll likely see more time windows for post-production moving forward for Marvel Studios’ productions. The thing that many might not have noticed is that non of the 2024 releases have started production. They are set to start in a few months and all films from this year filmed during 2021. So, we may see a return to normal as all productions up to this point also had to film during COVIDs high season.
Jonathan Majors finally got to play Kang the Conqueror in the recently released Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. While we did get a brief glimpse of one of his Variants during the first season of Loki, the first season even ended with a glimpse at the big bad himself as the new leader of the Time Variance Authority. So, we all assumed he’d likely have a role in the second season, but it was never officially confirmed.
With Quantumania‘s release and the much-discussed post-credit sequences, the Marvel rumor mill has once again picked up steam as Cosmic Circus has hinted that Kang will have a larger role in the upcoming second season. While he only made a brief appearance in last season’s finale, it seems we can expect him to appear in at least three episodes. If they are still sticking to their six-episode format for dramas, he’ll have a significant role in the series.
They believe the reasoning is that we’ll see a few Kang variants in the season, as it’ll focus on Loki and Mobius seeking out the different versions and how they influenced the timeline. The Sacred Timeline is no longer and with the multiverse continuing to stretch out into infinity, who knows what they might find. It’s definitely sounding like Marvel is making good use of the concept and giving Jonathan Majors many chances to give us a unique take on this character every time we see him.
With a fourth film in the franchise unlikely to debut before Avengers: Secret Wars, it’s unlikely Scott’s fixation with Kang the Conqueror will still be unresolved, so what would the focus of the new project be? As always, we have some ideas inspired by the comics!
Ant-Man, The Wasp and Stinger: Irredeemable
2015’s Ant-Man set the stage for the plot of a sequel and given it’s yet to be revisited, the fourth film might be the perfect time for a handful of reasons. During the chaos at the Pym Tech HQ near the end of Ant-Man, Martin Donovan’s scumbag Hydra double agent Mitchell Carson stole a vial of Pym Particles and escaped while being chewed up by ants. Carson had been after Hank Pym’s great creation since the late 1980s when the two worked together at S.H.I.E.LD. and he holds quite a grudge against the good Doctor Pym. Bringing back Donovan and allowing him to have his revenge on Pym would make for a great opening act and grant Michael Douglas‘ wish to let Hank die!
In the comics, Carson has some strong connections to Eric O’Grady, the third Ant-Man. Irredeemable could see Carson team up with O’Grady, another Pym Particle-Powered character, Erik Josten, and mutant loser Whirlwind to take his revenge on Hank and the Ant-Family. The three villains would nicely provide each of the film’s heroes with their own baddie. Scott and Josten, aka Atlas, could kaiju fight around San Francisco; O’Grady’s shady, stalker, perv vibes would put him at odds with Cassie; and Whirlwind, one of Janet van Dyne’s most persistent foes in the comics, could take on Hope. What would that leave for Janet? Revenge on Mitchell Carson who could even come complete with his mangled face as a result of the ant attack at the end of Ant-Man.
All parties involved have expressed interest in going “smaller” in Ant-Man 4 after taking on Kang and this might be the best bet to make that happen.
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Avengers Academy
It would have been awesome to see the Young Avengers come together in an Ant-Man film but since Ant-Man 4 isn’t likely to hit theaters until after Avengers: Secret Wars, those characters will probably assemble on screen before then. That doesn’t mean, however, that Scott Lang and Hope van Dyne can’t mentor a new generation of heroes!
While the Young Avengers were a group of powered people identified through Project Failsafe to be the next generation of heroes, Avengers Academy assembled a powered group of youngsters in hopes of keeping them from breaking bad. The Academy was led by Hank Pym, Tigra, Hawkeye, Jocasta, Quicksilver, Justice and Speedball with Pym and Tigra really at the forefront. It wouldn’t take a lot of imagination to revamp the roster of instructors and let Scott and Hope take the lead. The group could take on some of Ant-Man and The Wasp’s more proletariat rogues like Whirlwind or Kangaroo or Crossfire or take on something a little more awesome…like the Awesome Android and the Mad Thinker.
Ant-Man, The Wasp and The West Coast Avengers
Yes, the people involved in the Ant-Man franchise have expressed their desire for the fourth film to be a smaller film…but that doesn’t mean it can’t have a killer cast. The West Coast Avengers certainly seem to be headed to the MCU so why not let the fourth Ant-Man film be the place where the team assembles.
Give Scott Hank’s place on the team and assemble Hawkeye, Mockingbird (now that we know she’s in the MCU), Moon Knight, Wonder Man and introduce Tigra and let this be the dumb fun movie of the year. Let Hawkeye use Pym Particles and become Goliath. Put them up against the Grim Reaper (maybe he’ll be introduced in Wonder Man) or the Zodiac…in all their crazy glory. There are so many wild stories waiting to be told in the pages of the West Coast Avengers comics that one must be just right for Ant-Man 4!
Ant-Man and The Wasp: Vengeance
This pitch exists for one reason: to introduce Jack of Hearts to the MCU. The film would take on elements of the comics and combine them with Jack of Hearts origins to create an adventure worthy of the Ant-Family and one that would provide Scott with one of his great comic book not-quite-besties.
Hank Pym knows a lot of smart people, so introducing audiences to another one, Philip Hart, who has sovled the world’s energy crisis with his Zero Fuel wouldn’t be a stretch. When Hart’s invention is perfected and he’s ready to give it away, the criminal organization known as The Corporation steps in killing Philip and exposing his son, Jonathan, to the dangerous fuel and mutating him into the powerful–and dangerous–Jack of Hearts. Hank’s relationship with Philip could be enough to get him killed in the explosion, leaving Scott, Hope, Janet and Cassie on a quest for vengeance parallel with Jack’s. The Corporation is full of all types of terrible goons they could take on and the plot could, as comic book readers know, set the path to the end of Scott Lang’s time in the MCU as well.
Peyton Reed is in rare company at Marvel Studios. With the release of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, Reed joined Jon Watts (Spider-Man) as the only directors to complete a trilogy of films for one franchise. They’ll be joined by James Gunn when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 hits theaters in May and while Gunn’s future won’t include more Marvel Studios projects, Reed’s very well may. It’s already been made clear that ideas for a fourth Ant-Man film have been hatched and discussed with Kevin Feige so it seems just a matter of time before Ant-Man 4 gets the green light. But would Reed want to return for another round?
That’s a lot more complicated answer than you might believe as Reed revealed in an interview with Collider. The short answer is definitely yes, but the director has some pretty interesting thoughts about what coming back would mean.
It’s interesting because, you know, I’m superstitious about this stuff, right? I mean, when we were doing the first Ant-Man there was certainly no guarantee we were going to get to make a second one. And even after the second one, there was no guarantee. When we finally announced that, “Okay, we’re gonna make Quantumania, we’re gonna get to do this,” it was marshaling all the forces onto that because we knew if we’re gonna get to do a third one, it’s gotta be something altogether different. We gotta show the audience something different.
For me, it was the Quantum Realm, of being able to create that whole world, worlds within worlds, and answer those questions. What the hell was Janet Van Dyne doing down there for 30 years? And also, to kick off Phase 5, to introduce Kang the Conqueror with Jonathan.
Peyton Reed
Reed’s interest in returning seems to be tied to making sure whatever comes next looks and feels different than what came before. Quantumania certainly accomplished that even if it wasn’t well-received critically. So what would a fourth film entail? While he doesn’t give a direct answer, inspiration might be found in the pages of Fantastic Four comics.
So I was focused on that thing. Now that the trilogy is done, who knows? Again, years ago – you and I have talked about this before – I developed Fantastic Four like 20 years ago. I channeled a lot of my Fantastic Four love into the Ant-Man world, and specifically into Quantumania. You know, it’s no mistake that both are kind of dysfunctional families of superheroes, and in Fantastic Four they may go into the Negative Zone, we went to the Quantum Realm. I really scratched that itch with these movies.
Peyton Reed
With so many great Fantastic Four stories to be told and only so many films in which to tell them, it’s possible that Reed could continue to turn to them for inspiration for the Ant-Man franchise should things head in that direction. However, there are some other Marvel properties in the works that Reed might be interested in working on as well, should the opportunity present itself. “I want to play in a lot of different sandboxes,” said Reed of the idea of working outside of Marvel before adding, “I would never say no to a future doing stuff at Marvel. I mean, I’ve loved my time at Marvel, I love the people in Marvel, and I love what they’ve been able to do.“
What other “stuff” at Marvel might have caught his eye? “I would do a Nova movie,” said Reed. “I love [The Man Called Nova]. That seems cool.” With a Nova project currently in development at Marvel Studios, Reed may just have his chance.
By now, we all know to stay for dessert when it comes to Marvel movies and that usually means one or two credit scenes, in the middle and at the end. We already covered the mid-credit scene for Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantummania, which introduces the Council of Kangs and (potentially) 6 Variants of the Conqueror that will play a primary role in other Phase 5 releases. You have a version of Kang that looks like a Skrull, a version of Kang in Red that could be Scarlet Centurion, a version of Kang that could be the new owner of Avengers Towers Mr. Gryphon, and then the big 3 Kangs in Rama Tut, Immortus, and one who may be either Iron Lad or the Silver Centurion. There is one Variant conspicuously absent from the Council, and it’s here we see in the end credit scene.
In the post-credit scene, we arrive in a small town for what really looks like an expo of some kind put together by a man named Victor Timely. Victor Timely bears a striking resemblance to Kang The Conqueror, and a bunch of the variants that have descended upon the coliseum in the mid-credits scene, so we have now met ANOTHER Kang Variant. Now, Loki is terrified to see Kang’s Victor Variant, whereas Mobius doesn’t seem to understand the worry. If you look closely around Timely’s stage, you see a very weathered-looking version of the core used to power the Conqueror’s Time Chair in Ant-Man, which begs a lot of questions about exactly how we are going to get to the Kang Dynasty.
The MCU was smart to connect the Conqueror to an original Avenger in the Wasp and a new Avenger Ant-Man, as it personalizes the fight ahead. Likewise, having Loki meet He Who Remains and having him be the one to encounter Victor Timely does the same. However, what if Timely’s not here to highlight a connection to Loki, but to Marvel’s first family and the original Iron Man?
Timely is an inventor in the MCU, that much we know, and in the comics, he is the inventor responsible for the original Human Torch. If you go back to Captain America: The First Avenger, you see Horton’s Human Torch at the Stark Expo that Howard Stark is putting together.
Also, introducing Timely now could mean that Howard Stark knew Timely and that Timely befriended Stark because he knew that it was Howard’s son whose technology would one day be needed to stop the other Kangs. Whereas the Conqueror says that he saw that the timeline was broken and he set to correct the mistakes the Council made, Timely may have decided he wanted nothing to do with the Council and just wanted to improve mankind.
Or, like in the comics, he’s just hiding and biding his time before he can return to destroy the Avengers.
Season 1 of Marvel Studios Disney Plus streaming series Loki made it clear that the future of the MCU was going to be full of Kangs. Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania introduced one of the most menacing Variants of the character in Kang the Conqueror but the savvy fans who stuck around while the credits rolled got more Kang for their buck. Nothing but spoilers to follow…
The mid-credit scene of Quantumania took a turn for the weird and introduced fans to an arena full of Variants of Kang. As wild as it seems on screen, the idea of a Council of Kangs was ripped right from the pages of Marvel Comics. There have been a few iterations of the Council of Kangs in the comics and this one feels like a bit of an amalgamation of them all in that it is apparently filled with actual Kangs (not fake Kangs) from different timelines throughout the Multiverse. Though it may well be more similar to the Kang Collective in its composition, we’ll keep calling it the Council of Cross-Time Kangs for now and wait for Marvel Studios to give further details. Whatever the name, this horde of Kangs is coming together for a “code red” situation involving one of their own. While the short scene doesn’t really give enough context as to what exactly the body is all about, there are at least a few identifiable Kang Variants in the group who may provide some hints of what to expect over the course of the Multiverse Saga.
Rama-Tut
In the comics, the Rama-Tut Variant comes from a reality in which a young Kang uses a time machine to travel back to Ancient Egypt. Shortly after arriving, Kang conquers the people of the time and installs himself as their Pharoah, Rama-Tut. In the MCU, placing a Variant in Ancient Egypt provides potential for a tie-in to the mythology established in Moon Knight. It also opens the door for the Variant to come across a character that Marvel Studios should be eager to work into the MCU sooner rather than later to wash away the horrid depiction of him done by fox: En Sabah Nur. The two have a fascinating history in the comics that involved Nur being enslaved by Rama-Tut and then being shot and left for dead. Of course, Nur is better known as one of Marvel’s most powerful mutants, Apocalypse, so there’s some interesting potential for this story to evolve in the Multiverse Saga.
Immortus
Another easily identifiable Variant of Kang is Immortus. The simplest description is that Immortus is a Variant of the Variant known as Rama-Tut. In one timeline, Kang abandoned his station as Rama-Tut, traveled to the 40th century and attempted to master both time and the realm of Limbo. From his place outside time, Immortus attempted to manipulate all timelines and realities so that only his Variant could end up ascending to become…him. Ultimately, Immortus felt he became a tool of the Time Keepers (who were seen in Loki) and another Variant emerged to make sure he didn’t follow that path. While you probably can’t trust a Kang, this Variant of the character is the most manipulative and untrustworthy of them all and is sure to cause a problem for the other members of the Council at some point..
While there are certainly other Kangs present (A Skrull Kang, one that may be Mr. Gryphon and one that may be Scarlet Centurion), these two are the ones most likely to get up to no good…along with the other Variant of Kang who didn’t join the council and looks primed to appear in Season 2 of Loki.
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