Like Spider-Man: No Way Home before it, Spider-Man 4 has become a rumor mill circus. Rumors have truly ranged from the most mundane to the most magnificent and everywhere in between; however, recent rumors suggest that the script is still a work in progress even as the film barrels toward a summer start of production.
Whatever story the film ultimately ends up telling, there will always be interest in what it might have been. And while fans wait to learn whether or not it’s a street-level civil war, features Knull invading the MCU’s Earth-616 or something entirely different, a new report from a trusted insider has revealed that at least one scrapped draft featured two classic Spidey rogues who had already debuted in the MCU…and one of them is a villain fans have been hoping to see more of since 2017.
According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, before the most recent round of rewrites, Spider-Man 4 would have seen Tom Holland’s Wallcrawler take on Shocker and Scorpion, both of whom appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
While Bokeem Woodbine‘s Herman Schultz became “the Shocker” in Homecoming, Michael Mando‘s Mac Gargan seemed prime to become a major thorn in Peter Parker’s side before becoming another bullet point on the list of unfulfilled post-credit promises. Fans have continued to hold out hope that Gargan would return as the Scorpion and will certainly be disappointed to hear he may have been cut from the film.
Spider-Man 4 is currently on track for a July 24, 2026 theatrical release.
Released in 2018, Black Panther still stands as Marvel Studios’ third highest-grossing film with only Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home having raked in more at the domestic box office. Six years later, it also remains the studio’s most critically acclaimed project and beloved by fans. Following the tragic death of its star, Chadwick Boseman, the franchise continued with Letitia Wright taking over as its lead in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Released into a different box office environment than its predecessor, Wakanda Forever, held together by a strong creative team, also did extremely well at the box office, taking in $453M domestically, placing it 8th on the MCU’s all-time list.
While writer and director Ryan Coogler undoubtedly stands as the driving force behind the Black Panther franchise, Marvel Parliament member and executive producer Nate Moore was also an integral piece of the team behind the scenes. Now, Moore–who produced seveb projects at Marvel Studios including the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World–is taking his career in a different direction but not without finishing what he started.
In statements released to the trades, Moore, along with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Co-President Louis D’Esposito, revealed that while Moore is leaving the company, he will return to work with them in some capacity on Black Panther 3, marking the first confirmation from studio brass that the project is in development.
In 2022, still reeling from the emotions of moving ahead in the franchise without its star and close friend, Coogler explained that he had yet to figure out what was next for him, much less when he might be ready to tackle Black Panther 3. While Feige confirmed that he and Coogler had some “ideas pitched back and forth“, he made it very clear that while a new director could possibly take over the franchise, it was his strong preference to move forward with Coogler when he was ready. It seems as though that time is drawing near.
Nate is a fantastic executive and colleague as well as a wonderful friend to all of us here at Marvel Studios. He has been a core member of our team since 2010, and his influence will continue to reverberate in our storytelling. Although we’ll miss him a great deal, we look forward to watching what he does next while also having the good fortune of working with him in a new way on our next Black Panther movie.
“Nearly everything I know about producing I’ve learned from my time at Marvel Studios. I feel lucky to have worked with a group of people who love filmmaking and storytelling as much as my Marvel colleagues and the cast and crew of our films,” said Moore. “But I couldn’t be more excited to apply my experience and passion for film towards theatrical movies in all genres, including returning to the world of Wakanda for Black Panther 3.”
It’s unclear at this time if the third installment in the Black Panther franchise is far enough along in its development to be included in the Multiverse Saga (there are currently two Untitled Marvel Studios films scheduled for release in 2026) or if the studio would release the threequel as part of its next saga, which will begin in 2027.
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.
On December 14, 2017, Bob Iger announced that Disney had acquired 21st Century Fox and explained that the company was “looking forward to expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe to include X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool.” Seven years later, an Marvel Studios X-Men film is only in the scripting stages and the Fantastic Four are still 8 months away from making their first MCU appearance. Somewhat astonishingly, Deadpool–the character who at the time seemed the least likely to find his way into the MCU–has found himself at the center of Marvel Studios’ efforts to reclaim its pop culture crown.
While it was not without its flaws, Deadpool & Wolverine accomplished exactly what Disney hoped it would: put butts in seats for a Marvel Studios movie. Heavily dosed in nostalgia, the third Deadpool film didn’t veer far from the same successful foul-mouthed formula that Ryan Reynolds put on display in the first two films, which were produced by Fox. And, of course, having Hugh Jackman along for the ride as Wolverine certainly didn’t hurt the film’s popularity. While rumors persist that Jackman will stay on as the MCU’s Wolverine for the near future, Reynolds has indicated that he isn’t in a huge hurry to suit up again anytime soon. Now, in a new interview, the star details his vision for the future of Deadpool and what it would take for him to return as the Merc with a Mouth.
“I have some pitches and ideas, but none of them center on Deadpool,” said Reynolds during an extensive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. “Centering Deadpool works best if you take everything away from him and put his back against the wall. I can’t really do that again. A fourth time feels a little iterative and redundant. That doesn’t mean sacrificing fun. There is still an arc for Deadpool which is fulfilling and powerful,” he teased. “He is a great supporting or ensemble player. And I would always want Deadpool and Wolverine to be paired in some way.” After seeing the duo take the box office by storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, it would stand to reason that Disney would like to keep them paired up in the future as well.
Even as Reynolds shared that he does have a vision for how Deadpool can continue in the MCU, it sounds as though the next chapter in his story won’t be told anytime too soon. “There are no updates to share just yet,” Reynolds said. “But I trust Kevin and Lou D’Esposito with my life. The character trait I love most about Deadpool is that he’s a fanboy. His enthusiasm and longing to be part of a team is really endearing to me. It’s his overarching wish-fulfillment story. But I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man,” Reynolds explained. “If he becomes either, we’re at the end.“
However, that doesn’t mean Reynolds would fight to keep Deadpool out of either of Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers films or their X-Men reboot. “Just the opposite!” he told THR. “I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted.”His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
Reynolds is a clever guy and has always been a wordsmith so while he explained that there are no updates “to share just yet”, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what’s next. Plenty of rumors have placed both Deadpool and Jackman‘s Wolverine in the mix for 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars and given where their stories were left at the conclusion of Deadpool & Wolverine, those rumors certainly track. However, with the start of production on Secret Wars nearly a year away, it may be quite some time before we find out if there’s any truth to any of those rumors.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now streaming on Disney Plus.
At one point during its development, Avengers: Endgame was titled Avengers: Infinity War-Part 2. Five years later, given the talent that is being assembled for the next Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday, it may be fair to consider changing its title to Avengers: Infinity War-Part 3. In an effort to ensure the Multiverse Saga ends on a high note, Marvel Studios has been dipping into the Infinity Saga well by bringing back talent on both sides of the camera.
According to Deadline, Haley Atwell, who has played several Variants of Peggy Carter in live-action and animation since 2011, has agreed to return in the role for Avengers: Doomsday.
As with Evans, the true nature of Atwell‘s character will likely remain a mystery for the time being. The Sacred Timeline Variant of Carter passed away at 95 years old in Captain America: Civil War. The final moments of Avengers: Endgame saw Steve Rogers travel to 1949 where he lived a full life with a Variant of Peggy in an alternate reality. Yet another Variant of the character, Captain Carter, has served as a main character over three seasons of Marvel Animation’s What If…? and a alternate reality Variant of that character appeared as a member of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best. And sometimes… the best that we can do is to start over.
While the most likely scenario involves Evans‘ Nomad pairing with Atwell‘s Carter in some way, plot details for Avengers: Doomsday have not yet been disclosed and, in a Multiverse, anything is possible.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to begin production next year in advance of its scheduled May 1, 2026 release.
After years of reports, rumors and speculation about his return to the Marvel, Chris Evans finally made his way back in Deadpool & Wolverine…just not in the way anyone was expecting. Evans‘ appearance as Johnny Storm, who he originally played in 2005’s Fantastic Four, was part of an homage to Marvel heroes who hit the big screen before the inception of the MCU. As memorable as his profanity-laced post-credit tirade was, it didn’t scratch the particular itch that most fans had.
While Evans‘ casting as Steve Rogers was initially derided by fans, his nearly-decade long performance as Captain America certainly changed minds. By the time Steve completed his MCU journey by finally danced with Peggy in the closing moments of Avengers: Endgame, fans began asking for more. Now, with a newly announced role in Avengers: Doomsday, Evans once again has the opportunity to return to the screen as Steve Rogers and it sounds as though that may well happen…sort of.
According to YouTuber Jeff “The In” Sneider, Evans won’t be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday as Captain America but rather as Nomad, an alternate identity the character once adopted in the pages of Marvel Comics…and on that should sound familiar to this who have followed the MCU closely.
In Captain America #180, Steve Rogers changed up his look and took on the mantle of Nomad after learning the U.S. Government to which he has devoted his life is run by the Secret Empire. An adaptation of this version of Rogers appeared in Avengers: Infinity War. It is unclear if the Doomsday version of Nomad will be the Sacred Timeline’s Rogers picked up by the TVA, whether it be from Infinity War or, perhaps, when he returned the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame.
Over the years, several other characters went by the name of Nomad, including the character Jack Monroe who went on to appear in dozens of issues of Captain America, lead his own solo title and join the Thunderbolts. Even so, it seems far less likely that Evans would return to play one of those characters and far more likely it’s some version of Steve Rogers.
With Avengers: Doomsday slated to begin production in the UK in the first half of next year, the studio has begun locking up the talent that will make up what’s expected to be one of its most impressive casts. In a surprise move, Robert Downey Jr. was announced as the film’s lead, Victor Von Doom during Marvel’s Hall H presentation at SDCC ’24. A recent trade report revealed that Downey was set to be joined in the film by his four-time Avengers co-star Chris Evans though it wasn’t clear if a return as Captain America was in the cards. And now, another Avenger…and Captain America…has been added to the mix.
According to Deadline, Anthony Mackie has joined the cast of Avengers: Doomsday.
Mackie has been an MCU mainstay since debuting as Sam Wilson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier over a decade ago. After taking over as Captain America in the D+ streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Mackie‘s Wilson is set to be front and center in next February’s Captain America: Brave New World.
According to Deadline, the idea of both Mackie and Evans suiting up as Captains America seems unlikely; however, the characters recently shared the mantle in the pages of Marvel Comics with Sam Wilson working as the Symbol of Truth and Steve Rogers as the Sentinel of Liberty. Whether or not Marvel Studios would follow suit is debatable, especially when there are so many other options for Evans.
Over the past year, Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga has undergone major overhauls behind the scenes. While the planned endpoint remains fixed, the path to it has been greatly altered. Films and series have been reworked and reshot while others have been postponed and potentially abandoned to course correct in midflight. Avengers: Doomsday, the highest-profile project to undergo major changes, has become the center of controversy following the revelation that Robert Downey Jr. will star as Doctor Doom and that Anthony and Joe Russo will once again team up to direct the film.
Originally developed as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Marvel Studios changed gears on the project following the firing of Jonathan Majors. Moving on from Kang meant not only replacing him with Doom but also scrapping the original plans entirely. With Doomsday expected to begin production next Spring ahead of its planned May 1, 2026 release, it seems as though the studio has begun locking in talent, including bringing back another of its biggest stars to share the screen with Downey.
According to Deadline, Chris Evans has struck a deal with Marvel Studios to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Evans nor Marvel Studios has confirmed the news and the trade report indicated that the nature of Evans‘ role is currently unknown.
Before appearing as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, Evans‘ return to the MCU had always been expected despite the satisfying conclusion provided to Steve Rogers in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. In early 2021, Deadline reported that the star had struck a deal to return for a project or two, though it was never clear what those projects might be. One popular theory was that Evans would reprise the role of Captain America in a Nomad project but after years of being developed, we’ve heard that the studio has finally moved on from that particular piece. Though Evans admitted he was open to returning to the MCU, it wasn’t something he was in hurry to do.
I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests.
-Chris Evans on his potential return to the MCU
While it may be a bit sooner than he imagined, Evans‘ return in Avengers: Doomsday is sure to generate another round of significant interest in the project, especially given the uncertainty around the size and nature of his role. While it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that he would simply suit up as 616 Steve Rogers again, there are plenty of other options. Given the film’s importance in the overall narrative of the Multiverse Saga, Evans could just as well play an alternate dimension Steve Rogers. Should Marvel Studios be truly willing to push the envelope, Evans could join Downey as a villain of the piece by portraying a version of the HYDRA-influenced Captain introduced in Marvel Comics Secret Empire. Alternatively, he could be playing any number of non-Cap characters set in opposition to Doom, pitting his character against Downey’s again as was done to great success in Captain America: Civil War. For now, all options are on the table until further developments provide additional information.
Marvel Studios’ Hawkeye provided the first deep dive into the MCU’s corner of street-level crime, introducing fans to Wilson Fisk and his Tracksuit Mafia. Despite his best efforts to not get involved, Clint Barton, the Avenging Archer, ultimately teamed up with Kate Bishop to take down the Tracksuits while Maya Lopez tried to put down the Kingpin. While Maya’s and Fisk’s stories continued in Echo which will lead to Fisk’s next appearance in Daredevil: Born Again, neither of the Hawkeyes have had any further adventures. However, evidence that may soon change is starting to accumulate.
Earlier this year, buzz surrounded a rumor that the studio was moving ahead with a second season of Hawkeye that would see the heroes up against the odds while pinned down in a single location. That buzz died down until a recent report by Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman indicated that production on Season 2 of the series was set to start in Fall 2025 with an eye on having it ready for streaming as early as 2026. While neither the studio nor trades have addressed the possibility of another season, the recent home media release of Season 1 may have tipped Marvel’s hand.
While marketing the first season’s physical media release, Marvel Studios is referring to Season 1 as the “complete first season.” While that may seem relatively minor, Disney has marketed other series such as WandaVision and Lucasfilm’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, neither of which are expected to have sophomore seasons, as “The Complete Series “
While it’s certainly not definitive proof that a Season 2 of Hawkeye will head into production, it does mean the studio hasn’t closed the door on the further adventures of Clint and Kate.
In 2008, The Incredible Hulk followed Iron Man into theaters in the earliest days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For years, fans debated if the film, which was distributed by Universal, was truly part of the MCU. Fortunately, those concerns were cast aside as, slowly but surely, other characters from the film found their way back into other stories. Like Bruce Banner, Thunderbolt Ross, Abomination, and soon, Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns, all have found further roles to play but because of complicated rights issues, they’re always roles in someone else’s stories. However, a new rumor points toward Marvel Studios having found a way to circumvent those issues to an extent while giving the people exactly what they want.
According to scooper My Time To Shine Hello, perhaps inspired by the brief tease of a battle between the two in Deadpool & Wolverine, the Marvel Parliament has begun development on a Wolverine vs. Hulk film.
If the rumor pans out, it’s both a bold and nimble navigation of the rights issues that have forced Hulk’s ongoing arc in the MCU to be told over the course of several films on which he was a supporting character. With Hugh Jackman believed to be staying on as Wolverine for the foreseeable future, the Parliament may have devised a way to make Hulk the co-lead/antagonist of a “solo Wolverine film.” It may be a bit disingenuous for Marvel to set Hulk up as the co-lead of a Wolverine film that will be known as Wolverine vs. Hulk no matter what it’s title is…but hey, that’s showbusiness.
Of course, this isn’t the first time rumors of a Hulk project have made the rounds. After legitimate reports of a World War Hulk circulated for years, it’s begun to look like the meat of that project may have been butchered up and tossed into other projects. And even if the rumor of a Hulk vs. Wolverine project being in development at Marvel Studios is true, it’s probably fairly important to keep in mind that Marvel Parliament member Brad Winderbaum recently made it clear that the studio is developing more projects than they’ll ever produce. So while the idea of seeing the conclusion of that brief tease in Deadpool & Wolverine might have you excited, it’s best not to hold your breath. Don’t go penciling this one into an open spot just yet.
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