Tag: MCU News

  • Marvel Studios Reportedly Meeting with Emmy-Winning Scribe About Major Phase 7 Project

    Marvel Studios Reportedly Meeting with Emmy-Winning Scribe About Major Phase 7 Project

    As Marvel Studios looks to carry momentum from a strong 2024 into a new year loaded with highly-anticipated theatrical and streaming projects, moves are already being made behind the scenes to keep the MCU running strong beyond Avengers: Secret Wars. While Kevin Feige recently made it clear that “the X-Men are an important part of that future,” they certainly won’t be the only team making waves following the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga.

    It’s hard to believe the Fantastic Four won’t return in some capacity in the studio’s new saga and there will always be room for more stories involving different iterations Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Another team that the studio has been building toward over the course of several projects, the Young Avengers, seems closer than ever to making its MCU debut with another of its key components on the board following Billy Maximoff’s resurrection in Agatha All Along. Now a new report indicates that the studio may be ready to move forward on the project in earnest.

    According to reliable Marvel Insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios has been in contact with Fargo and Legion writer Noah Hawley. Among “several projects” on the table for the Emmy Award-winning writer to tackle is the highly-anticipated Young Avengers that was recently teased by Marvel Parliament member Brad Winderbaum.

    Though the studio has never officially announced the development of a Young Avengers project, they’ve continued to populate the MCU with characters from its comic book roster over the years and teased the team in a stinger attached to 2023’s The Marvels. Iman Vellani‘s Kamala Khan and Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop, who were featured in the stinger, would certainly be two of the team’s central figures and could be joined by a number of characters including America Chavez, Billy Kaplan, Cassie Lang, Elijah Bradley and even Tommy Maximoff/Shepherd, who debuted briefly in Agatha All Along.

  • Marvel Reveals Full Cast List for the Final Season of Its First Animated Series

    Marvel Reveals Full Cast List for the Final Season of Its First Animated Series

    After struggling to find consistency in its first season, Marvel’s multiverse-hopping canonical animated series, What If…?, hit its stride in Season 2. However, as the Multiverse Saga speeds toward its end, so indeed will Marvel Animation’s efforts to tell stories spread throughout it which means the third season of What If…? will be its last.

    The series won’t go out with a whimper, however, as the new season will expand into territory that the previous two avoided by including alternate takes on characters and stories outside of the Infinity Saga. To that end, the cast of the series has grown, adding a massive number of Phase 4 and 5 stars to the list of returning talent. According to an official project profile shared by Disney, What If…? will feature Hayley Atwell, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Mark Ruffalo, Teyonah Parris, Kathryn Hahn, Kumail Nanjiani, Samuel L. Jackson, Seth Green, Laurence Fishburne, Dominique Thorne, Simu Liu, Hailee Steinfeld, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Devery Jacobs, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Tessa Thompson, Dominic Cooper, James D’Arcy, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac, Wyatt Russell, Walton Goggins, Clark Gregg, Emily VanCamp, Meng’er Zhang, Taika Waititi, Rachel House, Kat Dennings, Alison Sealy-Smith, Ross Marquand, Gene Farber, Hamish Parkinson, Tom Vaughn Lawlor and David Kaye with all reprising their respective roles in Season 3.

    Additionally America Ferrera, Jason Isaacs (as The Eminence), Natasha Lyonne (as Byrdie), Allen Deng, DC Douglas (as The Incarnate), Darin De Paul (as The Executioner)

    The studio also shared a synopsis for the new season which promises “bigger spectacles” which is exactly what fans have hoped for in the final go-around.

    Marvel’s animated series What If…? returns in Season 3 for its culminating adventure through the multiverse. Watch as classic characters make unexpected choices that will mutate their worlds into spectacular alternate versions of the MCU. The Watcher (voice of Jeffrey Wright) will guide viewers as the series traverses new genres, bigger spectacles, and incredible new characters.

    -Official Synopsis for Season 3 of What If…?

    Season 3 of What If…? will premiere on December 22nd with new episodes debuting daily through December 29.

  • Marvel Studio Rolls Out a Cryptic New Synopsis for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    Marvel Studio Rolls Out a Cryptic New Synopsis for ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’

    By the time Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters next July, it will have been almost a decade since the last time Marvel’s first family was seen on the big screen. Fox’s Fantastic Fourdirected by Josh Trank, was an abject disaster that not even social media revisionist history has managed to salvage and so Disney smartly displayed patience in bringing the super-team back to the screen after acquiring the live-action rights to them in the 2019 Fox merger. From the footage seen of the film so far, director Matt Shakman‘s new film couldn’t look and feel any different than its most recent predecessor, seemingly embracing the original vibe of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby‘s creations rather than seeking to distance itself from them.

    Though the new film will introduce the characters into the MCU, it is set in the 1960s in a parallel universe yet to be revealed where Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben have already been established as heroes. As was the case with Spider-Man: Homecoming, the origin story of the heroes will be referenced but won’t take up the entire first act of the film, allowing the story to progress a bit more quickly and it sounds as though it may need all that space as the team will be facing its biggest threat: Galactus. The presence of the Devourer, played by Ralph Ineson, has been public knowledge for some time but now a cryptic, new official synopsis released by Disney may hint at a major twist that involves He Who Hungers.

    Though it has yet to be made official by Disney, The Fantastic Four: First Steps is expected to introduce Franklin Richards, the son of Reed and Sue. In the comics, Franklin is an incredibly powerful reality warper and while he’s still a teen in Marvel Comics’ present day, some possible futures of his have been revealed over the years and the new synopsis may be teasing one of the most inspired possibilities. Though it doesn’t give much away, the new synopsis teases that Galactus’ plans get “very personal” and while that’s certainly vague it’s also very intentional and will lead fans of the comics down a very particular path.

    Set against the vibrant backdrop of a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four: First Steps introduces Marvel’s First Family—Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal), Sue Storm/Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby), Johnny Storm/Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) and Ben Grimm/The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) as they face their most daunting challenge yet. Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, they must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). And if Galactus’ plan to devour the entire planet and everyone on it weren’t bad enough, it suddenly gets very personal.

    -Official Synopsis for Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four: First Steps

    In 1999, Marvel published the limited series Earth-X which explored what was originally created as the dystopian future of Earth-616. In Earth-X #2, it was revealed that Franklin had become Galactus. This idea has been explored a few other times over the years and has been rumored to be a potential plot point in The Fantastic Four: First Steps with the inclusion of one very cool twist: the film’s Galactus will be an older Franklin who demands that his family deliver his younger self to him! Again, it’s simply a rumor at this point and an old one at that; however, with the official synopsis dangling that bait, it does seem plausible at this point.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps lands in theaters on July 25, 2025.

  • Marvel TV Boss Reveals ‘Wonder Man’s Episode Count

    Marvel TV Boss Reveals ‘Wonder Man’s Episode Count

    Wonder Man continues to be one of Marvel’s most enigmatic projects. Announced via trade report in June 2022, the series was created by Destin Daniel Cretton but was never acknowledged by the studio until Marvel Parliament member Stephen Broussard confirmed it was happening in a 2023 interview. Incredibly enough, despite being filmed on location in and around Los Angeles, production began and ended with very few set photos or plot leaks, leaving only rumors and speculation about the show’s true nature and some to believe it only to be a product of the Mandela Effect.

    Those rumors included buzz that Wonder Man, which was produced under the Marvel Spotlight banner, would consist of ten episodes. With both WandaVision and Agatha All Along rolling out nine episodes, Wonder Man looked poised to have the highest episode count of any live-action streaming series in Marvel’s D+ era; however, as it turns out, that will not be the case.

    In an interview with Phase Hero, Marvel Studios’ Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, set the record straight on the episode count of Wonder Man. “I think Wonder Man is eight episodes. I think it’s an eight-episode series,” said Winderbaum, who also gave some new insight into the project which was recently announced to be headed to Disney Plus in December 2025.

    It’s a two-hander between two amazing characters, this odd couple of Simon Williams and Trevor Slattery and you get a little bit of glimpse of that in the trailer,” explained Winderbaum, referencing Marvel Studios D+ Look Ahead teaser that was released on October 30th. While Winderbaum’s comments about Slattery’s role in the project were a little revealing, the TV boss wasn’t giving much else away. “I don’t want to go too much into the story details,” he said. “It’s very fun to see people speculating about what they think the plot is. That is part of the fun of it.” To this point, very little information about the plot of the series has made its way online with only an official logline really providing any insight into what to expect.

    Based on the character of Wonder Man, one of Marvel’s oldest characters, first introduced in 1964 in the pages of Avengers No 9. Known as Simon Williams, a celebrity actor and stuntman. In a nutshell, it is a story of two actors struggling to make it in the Hollywood of the MCU, [asking] the big question what does Hollywood look like in a world where super heroes are real?

    -Reported longline for Marvel Television’s Wonder Man
    [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

    Winderbaum did take the opportunity to give fans a little bit of homework to do ahead of the series’ 2025 release. Illuminating comments made by Broussard, Winderbaum revealed which comics provided inspiration for the Wonder Man series. “If you’re a fan of the West Coast Avengers, you know a little bit about Simon Williams…you’re going to be very excited to see how much homage to the source material there is actually in the show,” teased Winderbaum.

    With over a year to go until its release on Disney Plus, it’ll be interesting to see just how much Marvel reveals about Wonder Man and how much they choose to continue to keep under wraps about the mysterious series.

    Source: Phase Hero

  • Kevin Feige Provides Updates on the Futures of Several Major Marvel Characters

    Kevin Feige Provides Updates on the Futures of Several Major Marvel Characters

    Marvel Studios had a fairly large presence at Disney’s D23 Expo in Brazil which ran from November 8th through November 10th. While no new projects were announced, footage was shown from upcoming projects from all the studios under the Marvel umbrella. Marvel Studios showcased its 2025 film slate with Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps; Marvel Television shared a look at next March’s Daredevil: Born Again; Marvel Animation unveiled the first trailer for Season 3 of What If…?, which debuts on December 22nd, and gave the fans a look at Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, which hits D+ on January 29th, 2025.

    Despite not breaking any news on the stage, Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, did have plenty to say to the Brazilian outlet Omelete about the potential futures of several big-time MCU players.

    Blade

    We are committed to Blade,” said the Feigster. “We love the character. We love Mahershala’s take on him. And rest assured: whenever we change direction with a project, or are still figuring out how it fits into our schedule, we let the audience know. You’re all up to date on what’s happening. But I can tell you that the character will indeed make it to the MCU.”

    Parsing words a bit, it does seem interesting that Feige chose to say that “the character would indeed make it to the MCU” rather than the film. It may ultimately be nitpicking but it is worth noting and tracking as things continue to develop.

    Deadpool and Wolverine

    After finishing up an incredible run in theaters, Deadpool & Wolverine is now available digitally and, as of November 12th, is streaming on Disney Plus where it’s sure to generate another round of hype. According to Feige, fans can probably expect to see more of the odd couple. “The plans with Deadpool and Wolverine will always be the same,” teased Feige. “We’re always wondering where we can fit them in, and how quickly.” With rumors that both characters will have roles in the studio’s 2027 Multiverse Saga finale, Avengers: Secret Wars, it may not be too long before the deadly duo suits up again.

    Scarlet Witch

    Despite apparently sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Wanda Maximoff’s future in the MCU has never really been up for debate. In late 2022, Feige made it clear that the studio had plans for the character and recently those plans have started to take shape with WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer rumored to be developing a solo Scarlet Witch project. Even star Elizabeth Olsen has recently teased a very specific direction in which she’d like to see the character’s story move, leaving little room for doubt that Wanda will indeed be back in the MCU.

    And now, whatever room remained to harbor doubt was wiped out by Feige in Brazil.”We had Agatha All Along on Disney+ just now, and that series was great for us. Since then, there have been a lot of questions about Wanda in fans’ minds,” said Feige. “So all I can say is that we’re excited to find out when and how Scarlet Witch can come back.” New rumors suggest the character will play a large role in Avengers: Doomsday; if those rumors are true, we’ll likely find out soon as the film is expected to go before cameras in early 2025.

    X-Men

    marvel studios x-men

    Fans have been eagerly awaiting Marvel Studios’ take on the X-Men since the live-action rights to the characters were acquired as part of Disney’s 2019 merger with Fox. And while some mutants have been sprinkled into other projects over the past few years, the studio does have much larger plans for the X-Men, including a film being written by Michael Lesslie. While there was some hope it might end up in the Multiverse Saga, Feige put all that talk to bed in Brazil.

    When we were preparing for Avengers: Endgame years ago, it was a matter of getting to the grand finale of our narrative, and then we had to start all over again after that,” Feige explained. “This time, on the road to Secret Wars, we already know very well what’s going to happen. be the story until then and beyond. The X-Men are an important part of that future.” With a script already in the works, it’s very possible that Phase 7 of the MCU (if Phases are even a thing anymore) could lead off with Marvel Studios X-Men.

    Eternals

    eternals 2

    Perhaps in part because of the success of Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel Studios made the choice to develop a film around the Eternals, an obscure group of characters created by Jack Kirby in the 1970s. However, rather than lean into what Kirby intended the characters to be, the studio stripped them of everything their creator built into them that was of interest. The result was a film that was poorly received critically despite having one of the MCU’s most impressive ensemble casts.

    Before it flopped in theaters, there seemed to be big plans for the characters introduced in Eternals. That no longer seems to be the case with Feige already saying “there are no immediate plans for Eternals 2earlier this year and now indicating that whole the studio remains “very proud of that movie” adding that cast was incredible” while giving no indication that’s something he’s actually attempting to do.“We’d be lucky to get any of them back at some point,” he closed, which would be a strange thing to say if he were planning on using the characters.

    Inhumans

    Originally in development as a film for a 2019 release, Marvel’s Inhumans was pulled from the slate in 2016. From there, the property moved to Marvel TV and ultimately turned into one of the most ridiculously embarrassing projects the company ever produced.

    Though Anson Mount‘s Black Bolt did appear in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it’s never really seemed as though Feige had large-scale plans for the Inhumans within the confines of the MCU. And if his response to a question about the characters is any indication, he still doesn’t have any. “We’ll see where, if, and when, they return,” replies Feige to an inquiry about their MCU future. At least we’ll always have that great moment where one of Marvel’s most disciplined heroes accidentally killed himself!

    Source: Omlete

  • What I Heard This Week: John  Malkovich’s ‘Fantastic’ Role

    What I Heard This Week: John Malkovich’s ‘Fantastic’ Role

    At 70 years old, John Malkovich has shown no interest in pumping the brakes on what has been a prodigious acting career. With a film career that began in earnest 40 years and over 70 projects ago on his resume, the actor has remained as busy as ever, starring in 14 movies in the 2020s as well as taking on recurring roles in 4 streaming series including The New Pope, Space Force and Billions. However, despite his very full plate, the eccentric actor made the decision to jump into one of Hollywood’s most popular franchises.

    In May 2024, a Hollywood trade report broke the news that Malkovich had joined the very impressive cast of Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four: First Steps in an unknown role. Speculation around Malkovich’s role had the actor filling in as anyone from Phillip Masters, aka the Puppet Master to Reed Richards’ time-traveling father, Nathaniel, and many other interesting roles in between. As it turns out, Malkovich will be portraying one of the Fantastic Four’s oldest foes and one I speculated might end up in the film in February 2024.

    This week, I heard that Malkovich is playing Marvel Comics’ villain and twisted genius Ivan Kragoff. First introduced in January 1963’s Fantastic Four #13, Kragoff is better known as the Red Ghost, a recurring foe of Marvel’s First Family who often used his army of Super-Apes to aid him in his plans.

    A brilliant Russian scientist, Kragoff was fascinated with Cosmic Rays and, following the exposure of the Fantastic Four to them built his own spacecraft, loaded it up with primates and intentionally exposed himself to Cosmic Rays as well. He and his simian sidekicks were all mutated by the exposure and took on the Fantastic Four on the Blue Area of the Moon. Malkovich has a famously horrible Russian accent which he has shown off in both Rounders and Billions and given how sharp director Matt Shakman is, that’s almost certainly part of the reason Malkovich is playing Red Ghost.

    As speculated back in February, given that The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set in the 1960s and that Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben’s mission to space will be part of the film, the Space Race may well be included. If so, Malkovich’s role as Kragoff makes sense as he both fits the mold of many Marvel Studios villains in that his origins as a villain are uniquely tied to the heroes and he also has enough ties to other characters and potential storylines that he could be kept around and used again down the road.

    Once upon a time, Malkovich was set to play the Vulture in Sam Raimi‘s scuttled Spider-Man 4 and we once dreamt of the star joining other eccentric legends like Beneci del Toro and Jeff Goldblum as Elders of the Universe in the MCU. Alas, fate had its own plans and know we know who John Malkovich is being.

    The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to hit theaters on July 26, 2024.

  • One 2026 Marvel Studios Film Reportedly Revealed

    One 2026 Marvel Studios Film Reportedly Revealed

    Following Marvel Studios summer convention circuit, which was laser-focused on the 2025 slate, it’s become clear that the studio has now turned its attention to 2026. In a relatively short amount of time, plans for two films, Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4, began to crystalize. However, as it stands now, there are still 2 untitled Marvel Studios films on the release schedule for 2026 which means if the studio hopes to make their respective release dates, they’ll need to make decisions in short order.

    The two untitled projects are set to serve as bookends to Doomsday and Spidey 4 which will both arrive in Summer 2026. With one untitled movie dated for February 13th, 2026, time is running out for the studio to get a project up and running if they hope to have something in theaters that day. Typically, Marvel would prefer to give a director about one year of lead time headed into production, meaning they’d typically have had a director on board for the February 2026 film nine months ago. However, despite that not being the case, a new report from a trusted insider points toward one troubled Marvel Studios’ movie potentially making into theaters for that date.

    According to Daniel RPK, Marvel’s long-gestating Blade film starring Mahershala Ali stands as the best bet to join Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4 on the 2026 theatrical release schedule.

    The insider’s report does come with one interesting caveat, however: he believes that the studio will eventually abandon the February date and try to have Blade ready for theaters in time to make the November 6, 2026 date they have staked out for an untitled film.

    Of course meeting any 2026 release date is contingent on finding a director for the film. Since it was announced in 2019, Blade has already lost original director Bassam Tariq and his replacement, Yann Demange. Fortunately, according to Daniel RPK, things may be headed in a positive direction as the project may be “close to finding a director.”

    Should the studio choose to move Blade into November 2026, that would cut the number of Marvel films on Disney’s recently updated 2026 release schedule by one. While that may be the most realistic option at this time, it’s not the only one. If the powers that be that make up the Marvel Parliament believe they can get Blade and another film in theaters for 2026, there’s no reason they can’t kick the February date down the road while also releasing a fourth film in November.

    Source: Twitter

  • Elizabeth Olsen Teases a Very Specific Future for The Scarlet Witch

    Elizabeth Olsen Teases a Very Specific Future for The Scarlet Witch

    Though she only briefly appeared in Agatha All Along as a dead body, Wanda Maximoff played a major role in the recently wrapped MCU streaming series. Despite sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold in the third act of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Kevin Feige made it very clear that there was plenty of room in the MCU’s future for more stories about Wanda.

    There really is so much more to explore. We still haven’t touched on many of her core storylines from the comics. I don’t know that we saw her under rubble? I saw a tower coming down, and a little red flash. I don’t know what that means.

    -Kevin Feige

    Undoubtedly, part of the allure of continuing Wanda’s tale is that it would allow Marvel Studios to continue to work with one of its most talented actresses in Elizabeth Olsen. Feige has taken every opportunity to praise Olsen , calling her “incredibly humble and incredibly down-to-earth” while also stating that she is “a force of nature” when “those cameras roll.” In 2022, Feige claimed that he’d “work with Lizzie for another 100 years, teasing a possible loophole to her apparent death by saying “anything’s possible in the multiverse!” 

    AsMarvel Studios Multiverse Saga has evolved, Feige’s comments have proven more true than he probably intended. Robert Downey Jr. is now set to be th MCU’s Doctor Doom, Hugh Jackman will reportedly stay on as Wolverine for the time being and Wanda’s children, who disappeared with the undoing of her hex, are now both alive and (sort of) well…and that last point really makes it seem as though Wanda cannot be far behind.

    While rumors of a Scarlet Witch solo project written by WandaVision and Agatha All Along creator Jac Schaeffer continue to be bandied about, Schaeffer claims to be in the dark on the future of the character. When asked about the possibility during September’s Agatha All Along launch event, Schaeffer said, “I don’t know! I’m in witchy Agatha land right now and I can’t quite see through the trees, but we’re hoping.” However, when asked if it was possible that the collapse of Mount Wundagore could have been the end of the Scarlet Witch but not necessarily WandaSchaeffer’s comments were a little more telling. “I am keeping such a good poker face,” remarked the writer. “What I will say is like, I really like how your mind works. That’s my response to that theory.

    I mean I’m just here hoping for a Scarlet Witch movie. We all want Wanda, so fingers crossed that’s a thing that happens.

    -Jac Schaeffer

    More recently, Schaeffer offered a little more insight into Wanda’s possible future, indicating that the decision was made to explain in Agatha All Along that Wanda was not dead but simply “gone.” And that brings it right back to where Feige left things: anything is possible. And Olsen just teased one such possibility.

    In a recent appearance at a fan convention, Olsen was asked if there was one specific Marvel Comics story she’d like to see adapted for her return to the MCU. And while she didn’t refer to any particular story, she seemed to give away plenty.

    Well, honestly, if I were to tell you exactly what I would want I think I would maybe be spoiling something,” said Olsen. “Kevin Feige genuinely asks us what we want to do with the character and then he does it [Laughs] so I don’t know if I can share…I just want to come back.”

    As for what the mystery arc might be, rumors have often cited Disney’s interest in adapting Young Avengers: The Children’s Crusade for an MCU project and that possibility has never seemed more realistic than it does now. With Tommy now back among the living, Billy on the hunt for him without control of his powers and the studio reveling in the success of a second streaming series set in the witchy corner of the MCU, a Maximoff family reunion seems like exactly the right move.

    Source: Twitter

  • New Rumored ‘Spider-Man 4’ Title Hints at Amazing New Status Quo for Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger

    New Rumored ‘Spider-Man 4’ Title Hints at Amazing New Status Quo for Tom Holland’s Web-Slinger

    After three years of reports, rumors and flat-out bullshit about Tom Holland‘s next steps as the MCU’s Spider-Man, a fourth installment in Sony and Marvel Studios’ franchise is finally gearing up for a 2025 start of production and a summer 2026 release. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the new film looks poised to play a pivotal role in the final arc of the Multiverse Saga though at this point in time, it remains unclear what story Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers have cooked up for Holland‘s Parker who is now set to face whatever comes his way without the support system that kept him up and running through the first three films.

    Originally rumored as an adaptation of Marvel Comics Devil’s Reign that would feature Spidey teaming up with Daredevil to take on Wilson Fisk in a “street-level Civil War”, more recent buzz had the film evolving into an unprecedented high-stakes crossover event that would feature Sony’s latest Venom villain, Knull, the King in Black. While both of those potential plots certainly have their charms, a new production listing for the film has the film headed in an entirely different direction that would see Parker encounter a familiar face…sort of.

    Production Weekly is reporting that the new film, titled Spider-Man: Brand New Day, will spin out of the events of AvengersDoomsday and feature Robert Downey Jr.‘s Doctor Doom.

    Following the events of Doomsday, Peter Parker is determined to lead a normal life and focus on college, stepping back from his responsibilities as Spider-Man. However, peace is short-lived when a deadly new threat emerges, endangering his friends and forcing Peter to reconsider his promise. With stakes higher than ever, Peter reluctantly returns to his Spider-Man identity and finds himself teaming up with an unlikely ally to protect those he loves.

    -Reported synopsis of Spider-Man: Brand New Day via Prodcution Weekly

    Reading between the lines, if the rumored subtitle and synopsis are correct, it would seem the studio is adapting Dan Slott’s post-Civil War run on The Amazing Spider-Man.

    The listing also indicates that Michael Keaton and Andrew Garfield are on board to return as Peter 3 and Adrian Toomes, respectively. While it’s all very interesting and could lead to some fun and unexpected turns for the character, it’s too early to get too excited.

    Spider-Man 4 will swing into theaters on July 24, 2026.

  • Marvel Studios Sets Surprising Release Date for ‘What If…?’ Season 3

    Marvel Studios Sets Surprising Release Date for ‘What If…?’ Season 3

    Marvel Studios’ first canonical animated series, What If…?, seemed to truly hit its stride in its second season. However, despite its premise as a multiversal adventure, for reasons out of the control of its creators the series was by and large geared toward telling stories about alternate universe Variants of the core Avengers featured in the Infinity Saga. Footage from Season 3 released following the Season 2 finale featured the inclusion of David Harbour‘s Red Guardian, teasing a new direction for the new season.

    However, even as complete footage was shared, neither creator Bryan Andrews nor Executive Producer and Marvel Studios Head of TV, Streaming, and Animation Brad Winderbaum were able to give a clear answer as to when the new episodes would hit Disney Plus.

    In January, Andrews revealed that the best fans could hope for is a late-2024 debut of What If…? Season 3. “They move stuff around,” said Andrews of Marvel StudiosEvery time I thought it was like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be this!’ It’s like, ‘It’s going to move a little bit!’ So, even I would hate to say something and have people’s hopes come up and then have them be dashed because of the beast of production and when things move around,” he explained. “I thought that it could come out at the end of the year in 2024 possibly, but that would be tight. There’s some other group of people that are masterminding when things [release] and they’re moving things on the board, and I don’t know where we exist on that at this moment.”

    What If…? Season Three is — that might be the one that comes out next, in terms of animation,” said Winderbaum in a May interview, adding that the next season would be “the culmination of a trilogy.”

    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, May 2024
    As it turns out, Andrews was indeed correct on two counts: Marvel does like to move things around and as part of the latest series of movements, Season 3 of What If…? secured a surprising release date. As revealed in a sizzle reel for the studio’s upcoming projects, the third and final season of What If…? is set to debut on Disney Plus on December 22, 2024.

    Though the episode release schedule was not included in the teaser, it seems as though the studio will repeat the daily episode roll out it utilized with Season 2, which premiered on December 22, 2023 and wrapped on December 30, 2023.

    During Marvel Animation’s D23 panel in August, footage from the upcoming third season showcased an expanded roster of heroes which generated quite a bit of buzz online with the majority of fans eagerly looking forward to the next group of episodes. Now those fans can look forward to settling in over the December holiday season.