Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: MCU News

  • What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23

    What to Expect from Marvel Studios at D23

    Just two weeks after Marvel Studios made a splash at SDCC ’24 by announcing Robert Downey Jr. and the Russos were returning to the MCU in Avengers: Doomsday, Kevin Feige will be back on stage with more to share at D23. Marvel will have two chances to wow D23 attendees this weekend with a portion of Disney’s Entertainment Showcase carved out for their live-action slate and a separate panel dedicated to Marvel Animation.

    Before the festivities get started, let’s take a look at what’s likely to go down in Anaheim.

    Marvel Animation Sneak Peek (Saturday-12:45 PM PDT/3:45 PM EDT)

    On Saturday afternoon, the newly formed Marvel Animation studio will have its first D23 solo panel. There’s not much guesswork to be done here in terms of what to expect because Disney already paid it out on the official D23 website.

    Eyes of Wakanda and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man were included on the studio’s 2024 slate as shared by Disney in late 2023 and there’s still plenty of time for both projects to steam, especially since Eyes of Wakanda only consists of four episodes. Teaser trailers will almost certainly be debuted for both and will likely also make their way online.

    Given the success of X-Men ’97, the hour-long panel will certainly feature a heavy dose of news on Season 2. With the second season already well into production, a teaser isn’t out of the question nor is a release date. Like Season 2 of X-Men ’97, Season 3 of What If…? is deep into production if not already complete. “What If…? Season Three is — that might be the one that comes out next, in terms of animation,” said Marvel exec Brad Winderbaum in May 2024. The studio already rolled out a teaser for Season 3 following Season 2’s streaming finale, so there’s no reason to think they won’t AT LEAST show that to the audience.

    We’re actually close to completing that one, and it really feels like you’ve gone through this amazing emotional experience with Uatu, in a way that’s… What’s great about The Watcher is that he presents himself as uncaring, and cold, and just an observer, but he cares more than everybody [and] anybody. That is on full display in that third season.

    -Brad Winderbaum on What If…? Season 3

    Outside of what’s promised in the description, only Marvel Zombies is known to be far enough down the road to be included in the panel; however, more than any other type of project, animated projects are far, far easier to keep under wraps so it’s entirely in the realm of possibilities that the folks at Marvel Animation have some tricks up their sleeve for their first big panel.

    Disney Entertainment Showcase (Friday-7 PM PDT/10 PM EDT)

    Friday night’s Entertainment Showcase is a two-hour-long presentation that will feature projects from across all of Disney’s major studios. That means Pixar, Lucasfilm, 20th Century Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios will all join Marvel Studios in showcasing their upcoming theatrical and streaming slates. So while Kevin Feige won’t have an hour to himself like he did in San Diego, he’ll have a big chunk of time and since it’s Disney’s event, he’ll actually have as much time as he wants (in 2022 the two-hour panel took longer than two hours). Marvel Television will take the spotlight, especially after not being included in Feige’s hour-long SDCC panel but that doesn’t mean there might not be some update on the film slate. Here’s what to expect:

    Agatha All Along

    Kathryn Hahn‘s WandaVision spinoff is on deck for the studio and no insider information is necessary to know that Agatha All Along will be a focal point of Marvel’s portion of the panel. With the two-episode premiere just six weeks away, a new trailer for the streaming series is due. It’s likely a good chunk of the cast will be on hand to bow, wave and, more importantly, do the press line following the panel.

    In Agatha All Along, the infamous Agatha Harkness finds herself down and out of power after a suspicious goth Teen helps break her free from a distorted spell. Her interest is piqued when he begs her to take him on the legendary Witches’ Road, a magical gauntlet of trials that, if survived, rewards a witch with what they’re missing. Together, Agatha and this mysterious Teen pull together a desperate coven, and set off down, down, down The Road…

    -Official Synopsis, Agatha All Along

    Daredevil: Born Again

    Charlie Cox has already confirmed that he’ll be in Anaheim to promote Daredevil: Born Again and it would be shocking if co-star Vincent D’Onofrio weren’t there alongside him. With the 9-episode streaming series set to premiere in March 2025 and with production having wrapped several months ago, there’s certainly a trailer ready to roll. The question here is whether or not it’s a D23 exclusive for those in attendance or it the studio will release it to the public. Given the hype around the show, it would make quite a bit of sense to let it out into the wild but Disney isn’t always in the business of making sense.

    Longtime rivals Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) try to leave behind their darker alter-egos to serve the people of New York only to have their pasts catch up to them.

    Synopsis, Daredevil: Born Again

    Ironheart

    First announced at Disney’s 2020 Investor Day, Ironheart has been in the can for a couple of years and still has no release window. Marvel Studios actually rolled out a first look at the project during Disney’s 2022 Entertainment Showcase at D23 and it looked like a lot of fun! At the time, Feige explained that the focus on “dark arts vs. technology” would be the “unique calling card” of the series which will pit Dominique Thorne‘s Riri Williams–introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever–against Anthony Ramos‘s Parker Robbins, aka The Hood. “Parker believes truly that what he is doing is good,” Ramos shared at 2022’s D23. “He loves his people. I’m over-trying to dance around the plot because I can’t give you all the deets! Parker kicks ass. I don’t know if I can say that, but I said it already.” An in-person exclusive trailer is all but a sure thing and it wouldn’t be asking too much for Feige to reveal a release window for the series which had been targeting a September 2025 launch.

    Charming teenage super genius Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) returns from MIT to her hometown of Chicago in her iron suit and begins to unravel threads that bring danger and adventure to her doorstep.

    -Synopsis, Ironheart

    Wonder Man

    Despite having completed production earlier this year, some fans still doubt that Wonder Man truly exists. While Marvel Studios exec Stephen Broussard confirmed its existence earlier this year, Wonder Man has never been mentioned by Feige at any conventions so a simple logo reveal and release window would be great; however, given it’s been wrapped for some time, it’s quite possible a sizzle reel or teaser could be shown to those in attendance.

    [Wonder Man will] be definitely influenced by the comics. One of the things that we’re excited about it is that it’s going to feel very unique. It’s not going to feel like anything you’ve quite seen in the MCU before. And the kind of stories we can tell on Disney+, which has been fun. Like streaming, serialized storytelling is a totally different muscle. So, we’re having a blast making that one.

    –Stephen Broussard on Marvel Television’s Wonder Man

    Vision

    Likely to join Wonder Man on Disney Plus in 2026, the Paul Bettany-led WandaVision spinoff was recently confirmed by Feige. It is expected to start production this Fall, so a title treatment and a release window are about all we might get unless Bettany is on hand to do a little song and dance.

    Future Streaming Projects

    Five streaming series is probably about all the studio will have time to discuss during its portion of the panel. However, if the studio is ready to move ahead with the second season of Hawkeye, having Jeremy Renner step on stage to announce it would certainly bring down the house. Rumors have the sophomore season headed to D+ for Christmas 2026 which means it’s certainly not “too early” to confirm it’s in the works. With the Nova series not a top priority and Bob Iger‘s mandate to cut down on content now fully integrated into the way Marvel Studios does business, further announcement seem highly unlikely.

    Theatrical Slate

    Disney loves marching out cast members during their big fan event. In 2022, the casts of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and their two 2023 releases, Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels all took the stage at D23. In addition, Feige used the big stage to announce the cast of what was then Captain America: New World Order, including the big surprise reveal that Tim Blake Nelson was returning to the MCU as Samuel Sterns.

    The core cast of Thunderbolts was also trotted out on the stage by Feige with some fun concept art displayed on the big screen behind them. What’s of interest here is that both Cap 4 and Thunderbolts were first announced at SDCC ’22 but Marvel saved the big cast reveals for D23. The One Above All may make the same move here, using the closing moments of his time on stage to bring out the full casts of any or all of the studio’s upcoming projects such as The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. It’s also reasonable to think that Feige might make mention of the two 2026 Marvel Studios films that remain untitled.

    Murphy’s Multiverse will be providing full coverage and recaps of both panels this weekend so count on us to deliver all the news you need!

  • Rumor Reveals Two Fan Favorite Characters Set to Lead Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Reboot

    Rumor Reveals Two Fan Favorite Characters Set to Lead Marvel Studios’ ‘X-Men’ Reboot

    After several years with little to no movement, Marvel Studios X-Men reboot began to gather some momentum last Fall when Kevin Feige began meeting with writers to discuss pitches for the project. By April, Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Leslie had landed the gig causing fans to wonder if the film might hit theaters far sooner than initially expected.

    While there have been mutants aplenty in the Multiverse Saga, Lesslie’s story is reportedly introducing the studio’s own live-action take on the team of mutants rather than dipping back into Fox’s well. To that end, it would be necessary to make efforts to set the new adaptation apart from what’s come before. One way to ensure fans don’t cross the streams would be to put the focus on characters other than Wolverine and Jean Grey and according to a new rumor from a trusted insider, it sounds as though Lesslie’s script does just that.

    Daniel RPK is reporting that the MCU’s first X-Men film will feature two fan-favorite characters as the leads: Kitty Pryde and Gambit.

    The focus on Pryde lines up with a previous report from the insider that suggested the X-Men reboot would focus on “main characters we all know” and be female-focused. Though Pryde appeared in the Fox films, the studio’s version–like most of the mutants in those films–was a poor interpretation of who the character truly is. It has long been expected that Kitty would be a featured character in Marvel Studios’ new take on the team of mutants heroes and that Feige would elevate her from the “sidekick” status she had in the Fox films.

    Equally unsurprising is the news that Remy LeBeau, one of the company’s most popular mutants for over 30 years, will be a central character. Gambit’s star is shining brightly on the heels of his incredible journey in X-Men ’97 and his appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine where Channing Tatum finally got the chance to show off his take on the Cajun.

    Putting Shadowcat and Gambit at the center of the reboot provides interesting options to not only build out the rest of the team based on key relationships with those two but also sets the stage for expanding the narrative well beyond what Fox accomplished.

  • Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Major ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameo That Wasn’t

    Ryan Reynolds Reveals the Major ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Cameo That Wasn’t

    Deadpool & Wolverine cleverly took advantage of The Void to include characters from movies that were great (Dafne Keen‘s X-23 from Logan), movies that were good (Wesley Snipes Daywalker from Blade), movies that were “mid” (Chris Evans‘ Johnny Storm from Fantastic Four), movies that were terrible (Jennifer Garner‘s Elektra from Daredevil and Elektra) and movies that never were (Channing Tatum‘s Remy LeBeau from the Fox Gambit film that never materialized). More than cameos, the characters who made up the Void’s Resistance to Cassandra Nova played a significant role in Deadpool & Wolverine and, in one case, the potential to appear again down the line.

    While the identities of the characters were a fairly well-kept secret (we had them all for you here), the cats are now out of the bag. Following the film’s successful second weekend, director Shawn Levy posted a pair of photos of the Resistance minus Johnny Storm who met an unfortunate end before making it back to their base.

    As great as the appearances of all the characters ended up being, it has led to a conversation about characters who did NOT show up. Where was Hacker Doom from Fant4stic Four? Why couldn’t Anya Taylor-Joy‘s Magik show up? What about Thomas Jane‘s Frank Castle or Nic Cage‘s Johnny Blaze? While they might sound like more crazy fan wishes, at least one of them was a distinct possibility according to Deadpool & Wolverine star Ryan Reynolds.

    When asked if the thought of having Cage reprise the role of Ghost Rider for Deadpool & Wolverine, Reynolds simply responded “Yes,” before adding that “It] came to a conversation for sure. Yeah, but no.” Seeing Cage’s Blaze roar through the Void’s Mad Max-ian landscape on his Hell Cycle would seem to have been a no-brainer but for reasons that we may never know, it didn’t work out. However, with Marvel Studios speeding toward the end of the Multiverse Saga, it’s not entirely unreasonable to wonder if Cage’s return to the role might happen after all in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars.

    Deadpool & Wolverine is currently in theaters everywhere!

    Source: Collider

  • Marvel Studios Dates Its First Two Post-Multiverse Saga Films

    Marvel Studios Dates Its First Two Post-Multiverse Saga Films

    Ahead of next week’s D23 panel during which it is believed they will provide additional updates to those given at SDCC, Marvel Studios has provided an updated theatrical slate. While there were no changes to the previous 2025 schedule–indeed Blade surprisingly remains firmly staked in 2025 along with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps–the studio revealed changes to both the 2026 and 2027 release schedules.

    For the first time, the studios has planted flags for films beyond the anticipated conclusion of their ongoing Multiverse Saga. While Avengers: Secret Wars, which is believed to be the final Phase 6 film and the last film of the studio’s second saga, remains on track for a May 7th, 2027 release, Marvel unveiled plans to release two more films in 2027.
    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

    According to Variety, Marvel Studios first post-Multiverse Saga film will hit theaters on July 23, 2027 and will be followed by another MCU adventure on November 5, 2027. Though no titles for those films were revealed, it’s possible that one of the features will be the studio’s X-Men reboot. The new project became an emerging priority in Fall 2023 and by May 2024 Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Lesslie had begun negotiating with the studio to write the new adaptation.

    Marvel Studios Current Upcoming Theatrical Slate

    2025

    February 14, 2025-Captain America: Brave New World
    May 2, 2025-Thunderbolts*
    July 25, 2025-The Fantastic Four: First Steps
    November 7, 2025-Blade

    2026

    February 13, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios Film
    May 1, 2026-Avengers: Doomsday
    November 6, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios Film

    2027

    May 7, 2027-Avengers: Secret Wars
    July 23, 2027-Untitled Marvel Studios Film
    November 5, 2027-Untitled Marvel Studios Film

    Source: Variety

  • Marvel Studios Rolls Out New 2026 Theatrical Schedule

    Marvel Studios Rolls Out New 2026 Theatrical Schedule

    Just two years ago, Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga was set to conclude on November 7, 2026 with Avengers: Secret Wars. At that time, the sixth Avengers movie was the studio’s only planned theatrical release for 2026. Things, however, have changed… frequently.

    As part of yet another update of their film slate, Marvel Studios has reduced the number of films on their 2026 slate from four to three.

    Marvel Studios 2026 Film Slate

    While the headliner for 2026 will certainly be Avengers: Doomsday–which will feature Robert Downey’s Jr’s return to the MCU–the studio will also release two films which are currently untitled.

    February 13th, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios film

    May 1, 2026-Avengers: Doomsday

    November 6, 2026-Untitled Marvel Studios film

    As per the recent mandate passed down by Bob Iger, the slate represents a reduction in output by the studio with a previously Untitled Marvel Studios film dated for July 24, 2026 being removed from the schedule.

    Though two-thirds of the 2026 slate is currently unknown, it is possible that Marvel could use part of its time during next week’s D23 panel to reveal which films will join Doomsday on the schedule.

    Source: Variety

  • Kevin Feige Confirms the Return of Another Major ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Star

    Kevin Feige Confirms the Return of Another Major ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ & ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Star

    With the Multiverse Saga in danger, Marvel Studios turned to its big guns to save it. To end its Hall H panel at SDCC ’24, the studio brought Anthony and Joe Russo on stage and announced that the brothers were returning to the fold to direct the next two Avengers film, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Then, as an intended cherry on top, the Russos revealed that Robert Downey Jr., the actor behind the greatest hero of the Infinity Saga, was set to join them in returning to the MCU, this time to play Victor Von Doom.

    It remains to be seen how the move to bring Downey back as a villain will be received. It’s not yet entirely clear whether he’s playing Victor Von Doom or a Tony Stark Variant gone rogue. If it is the latter, however, it turns out Downey won’t be the only actor putting a new spin on his MCU character.

    In an interview with Inverse, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, confirmed that the studio is working with Star Trek: Picard show runner Terry Matlas to develop a Vision streaming series for star Paul Bettany.

    A Vision-centric series has been reported to be in the works since 2022 with WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer developing the streaming series. In May 2024, Variety reported that Matlas had taken over for Schaeffer as the show runner with an eye on a Fall 2024 start of production on the UK.

    Despite the trade reports over the years, the project had never been publicly discussed by Feige until recently when he confirmed Matlas was working on the series. In an interview with Inverse, Feige revealed he turned to Matlas to develop the series after having seen Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard.

    “That’s how I got to know him,” said Feige of Matlas  “It was from his amazing [work on Picard Season 3. I said: This is incredible. I don’t know how this exists. Let me find the person who made this.”

    It’s no secret that Feige is a Star Trek fan; now, his love for that universe has brought the show runner of one of Star Trek’s most highly-acclaimed series to the MCU to help craft a new path forward for one of the Infinity Saga’s mightiest heroes.

    Though no mention of the Vision series was made at SDCC, one might expect some information to be shared during D23.

    Source: Inverse

  • Set Photos Provide First Look at Key Locations from ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    Set Photos Provide First Look at Key Locations from ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    Marvel Studios 2025 film The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the first MCU film set primarily in an alternate dimension. According to director Matt Shakman, the story takes place in “kind of a retro-future ’60s” which the studio has been keen to show off since the earliest promotional material for the project was released online. The setting serves both to set it apart from prior iterations of Marvel Comics First Family that made their way to the big screen and as an homage to the Space Race era in which Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the Fantastic Four.

    The comic was created in the early ’60s, really at the same time that the space race was starting, so it is infused with that idea of looking to the stars and dreaming of a future where we would be space travelers.

    –The Fantastic Four: First Steps director, Matt Shakman via Entertainment Weekly

    Footage screened for the audience in attendance at SDCC ’24 showed off that ’60s vibe and leaned heavily into the theme of space exploration which, according to Shakman, is in part where the film’s subtitle originated. “It’s a lot about the space race and about voyaging out there,” Shakman said in an interview with EW. “So First Steps is partly to do with that idea about exploration. I really wanted to take all of that great stuff from Apollo 11 and just imagine that instead of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, it was the Storms and Ben Grimm and Reed Richards heading off into space.“

    Given how integral the team’s experiences in space are to the film, it wasn’t too surprising to learn that the site from which the team launched their first flight was set to appear in the film. An SDCC souvenir map of Manhattan indicated that the Excelsior Launch Pad, located just next to the team’s headquarters, the Baxter Building, was among many landmarks fans should expect to see on screen. Now, as production on The Fantastic Four: First Steps kicks off in the UK, photos and video from the set have revealed that construction is underway to bring the retro-futuristic ’60s Manhattan to life.

    In a series of photos shared on X by UnBoxPHD, key locations such as the Baxter Building, the Excelsior Launch Pad and Yancy Street, all seen on the SDCC souvenir map, can be seen taking shape.

    Yancy Street has always been an important location in the pages of Marvel Comics. The Lower East Side neighborhood is the home turf of Ben Grimm and analogous to the neighborhood in which Jack Kirby grew up.

    In addition to the Baxter Building and Yancy Street, the crew is also building a replica of the real-life RKO Palace Theater which is located on Broadway in Midtown Manhattan and is part of Times Square.

    Given that set construction is just getting underway, it will be worth following along over the next week or two to see not only what the completed sets look like but also what other buildings pop up and will be used in the film.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to launch in theaters on July 25, 2025.

    Sources: Entertainment Weekly, Twitter

  • SDCC ’24: Official Marvel Recap Video May Have Just Revealed a ‘Thunderbolts*’ Spoiler

    SDCC ’24: Official Marvel Recap Video May Have Just Revealed a ‘Thunderbolts*’ Spoiler

    Long known for a ridiculous level of secrecy surrounding their upcoming projects, Marvel Studios has taken some steps in a different direction over the last year. The studio has utilized social media to reveal the return of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, provide the  first look at the cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps and share a behind-the-scenes video from the set of Thunderbolts* all of which seem leaps and bounds away from the “Marvel sniper” protocols of old. While there are still plenty of secrets kept and more than enough old school denials by the studio and actors in their employ, it’s certainly been a fun turnaround for the studio. However, following last weekend’s Hall H panel at SDCC ’24, the studio may have given away a casting secret they’d previously seemed pretty intent on keeping.

    In video released through Marvel Entertainment’s official YouTube account, the identity of Geraldine Viswanathan‘s Thunderbolts* character was revealed and  while it could be a bit of misdirection, it could also be a pretty big reveal.

    While talking with co-stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who will reprise her role as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman, who will bring Robert Reynolds, aka The Sentry, to the MCU, Viswanathan’s character was revealed to be “Mel.” And while that could simply mean she’s a fan of the Spice Girls, it’s also possible the actress will be portraying Melissa Gold, one of the original Thunderbolts from the pages of Marvel Comics.

    First appearing in 1979’s Marvel Two-in-One #54, Melissa Gold had an interesting history as a member of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation before teaming with Baron Zemo on the Masters of Evil. She remained with the group when, in the absence of Earth’s mightiest, they posed as a new group of heroes known as the Thunderbolts. Over the years, different enhancements to Gold’s vocal cords have given her to ability to emit both a sonic scream and create “solid sound.” In recent years, the character has appeared as a more reformed and less villainous character.

    An irreverent team-up featuring depressed assassin Yelena Belova alongside the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.

    -Official longline for Thunderbolts*

    Should Viswanthan indeed be playing Melissa Gold, it would indicate a change from earlier drafts of the script that reportedly contained neither Gold nor any other members of the original comic book team. Of course, there are plenty of other options for the character and even if she is playing Melissa Gold, there’s no guarantee she’ll share much in common with her comic book counterpart. With 10 months until Thunderbolts* hits theaters, there will definitely be plenty of theories, speculation and bullshit about the true identity of the character to keep fans fed.

  • Marvel Studios Turns to Familiar Face to Write ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios Turns to Familiar Face to Write ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios ended their Hall H panel at SDCC ’24 with a bang. After revealing that Anthony and Joe Russo were officially back in the fold to direct the next two Avengers films, the studio dropped a pair of bombshells on the crowd. After months of speculation about how the studios would move forward with the previously titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty following the firing of its star, Jonathan Majors, and having to replace the original creative team of director Destin Daniel Cretton and Jeff Loveness, Marvel used the panel to break the news that the rumors of a total overhaul of the project were true. Rather than moving forward with the originally planned Kang storyline, the studios retitled the project Avengers: Doomsday and announced that Robert Downey Jr. was set to play the film’s titular character, Victor Von Doom.

    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
    SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: (L-R) Joe Russo, Anthony Russo and Kevin Feige, President, Marvel Studios speak onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel in Hall H at SDCC in San Diego, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)

    Being able to create stories and explore characters within the Marvel Universe fulfilled a life-long dream of ours, and we discovered a powerful connection with audiences in each film that we made. We’re thrilled to collaborate once again with Kevin, Lou and the entire Marvel team to bring this epic adventure in storytelling to new and surprising places for both the fans and ourselves

    -The Russo Brothers

    While the announcement of Doom finally making his way into the MCU was well-received, the casting of Downey in the role has been met with some serious skepticism. Taken as a whole, the news seemed to have a bit of a getting-the-band-back-together vibe which has been seen as a desperate play on the part of Marvel Studios. Whether it was or not, it will be a few years before the success of the reunion can be judged and a bit part of that success will depend on the script. To that end, the studio turned to another familiar face who was a major part of the success of the Infinity Saga to take over scripting the next two Avengers films.

    According to a press release from Disney, Stephen McFeely has taken over writing duties from Michael Waldron on Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, confirming an earlier report.

    Along with Christopher Markus, McFeely co-wrote a half dozen MCU films including Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame and the Captain America trilogy. Waldron, who wrote Loki and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, was announced as the writer of Avengers: Secret Wars in October 2022 and took over duties on Avengers 5 in November 2023. It is unclear how much, if any, of his recently completed draft of Avengers 5 will be used by the studios.

    Avengers: Doomsday remains on track to hit theaters on May 1, 2026, with Avengers: Secret Wars set to follow it up on May 7, 2027.

  • SDCC Souvenir Confirms Second Major Villain for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    SDCC Souvenir Confirms Second Major Villain for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    As part of their Hall H presentation at SDCC ’24, Marvel Studios gave those in attendance a first look at The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Though production doesn’t begin in earnest until July 30th, enough test footage exists for the studio to put a sizzle reel or two together including the first look at the film’s primary antagonist, Galactus. Unsurprisingly, that footage has found its way online and is generating quite a bit of buzz; however, while the appearance of Galactus as something other than a cosmic fart cloud is something to celebrate, a piece of SDCC memorabilia handed out to fans in attendance includes some very interesting information about the 2025 film.

    Screen Rant’s Rob Keyes shared several images of a map of Manhattan which fans in attendance in Hall H could get in exchange for their ticket. The official souvenir map highlights “Points of Interest” from the Manhattan of whatever alternate Earth the characters of The Fantastic Four: First Steps inhabit. The map has plenty of interesting points, to be sure, but a closer look confirms the existence of one of the Fantastic Four’s longest-standing villains who has long been rumored to appear in the film.

    Just to the right of the Statue of Liberty, the map indicates that Subterranea exists in the world of this Fantastic Four. Furthermore, entrances to it can be found all across the map, including near the Baxter Building. The existence of the underground kingdom of Subterranea implies that its King, Harvey Elder, aka Mole Man, is set to appear in the film.

    Since Paul Walter Hauser was added to the cast in May, buzz about the inclusion of Mole Man has grown. The casting of Hauser, along with several other actors whose roles remain unknown, pointed towards some of the Fantastic Four’s best-known villains being included in the film; given that Galactus and the Silver Surfer will take up the majority of the team’s attention, it’s been suggested that perhaps the other villains, including Mole Man, will be part of a montage of flashbacks. While the how isn’t confirmed quite yet, the inclusion of Subterranea on the map all but confirms an appearance by Mole Man.

    Hints that Mole Man could appear in the film predate Hauser’s casting. On April 4th, Marvel launched a viral marketing campaign that led to a website created by the fictional Future Foundation. Included on that website were some comics that could be considered “essential reading” for the Marvel Studios film and among them was Fantastic Four #1, the first appearance of Mole Man in the pages of Marvel Comics. In it, Elder used Subterranea’s worldwide network of underground caverns to surface in Manhattan where he was met–and defeated by–the Fantastic Four in their first public appearance as a team of heroes. It seems likely that director Matt Shakman will pay homage to that appearance in the film and that Hauser’s Mole Man could make what amounts to an extended cameo.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps is targeting a theatrical launch of July 25, 2025.

    Source: Twitter