Once upon a time, the Marvel Studios’ film formerly known as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty would have been either in production now or starting soon. Without detailing the litany of issues that have preceded it, it’s enough to say that Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will likely never commence production because some portion of those issues have led Marvel Studios to rethink what the fifth Avengers film will be. A trifecta of changes left Marvel Studios without a writer, director and key actor for the film. Michael Waldron took over writing duties on the film last year and according to one insider, the scribe has cracked the story for Avengers 5. With the studio preparing for a 2025 start of production, a new rumor suggests they’ve begun reaching out to talent…but who’s being left out?
According to reliable MCU insider Daniel RPK, while the studio has contacted multiple actors who will reprise their roles as Avengers in Avengers 5, the newly announced cast of The Fantastic Four is not expected to suit up again for the film.
On Valentine’s Day, Marvel Studios made a splash by revealing that Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn and Ebon Moss-Bachrach had been cast as Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Johnny Storm and Ben Grimm, respectively. While each actor had been previously rumored to be associated with those roles, they were hardly alone in that regard, making it tough for fans to know what was real and what was just another scoop of rumor mill bullshit. Their exclusion from Avengers 5 would seem to indicate that the film will almost certainly be Earth-616-centric, making Avengers: Secret Wars the studio’s big crossover epic.
As for the Avengers who might assemble in Avengers 5, there are certainly some bets safer than others. Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson, Chris Hemsworth‘s Thor, Mark Ruffalo‘s Hulk and Brie Larson‘s Carol Danvers are likely to be joined by Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man as the core team with another major assist by Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange. According to RPK, other newcomers–which may include Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel and Moon Knight–may not make the cut either. Given Bob Iger‘s recent comments about focusing on franchises and franchise characters, there may be some veracity to the idea that the newbies won’t lead what is most definitely a very important film for Disney.
In some ways, the hype that continues to grow around the rumored appearances of an ever-increasing number of Marvel heroes in Deadpool & Wolverine feels awfully familiar. Prior to both Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, fans were inundated with rumors about Charlie Cox, Andrew Garfield and Tom Cruise popping in to cameo. Obviously some of these rumors held true whereas others were simply bullshit. With Deadpool & Wolverine just a few months away, there’s been no slowing the rumor mill down and now a new rumor about a very popular character has made its way into the wild.
Potential spoilers ahead…
According to known social media leaker MTTSH, Channing Tatum‘s Gambit, who has been rumored to appear in the film for some time now, will have a very interesting role in Deadpool & Wolverine.
MTTSH claims that Gambit, along with X-23 and Elektra will be part of a group of heroes who fight back against Emma Corrin‘s big bad, Cassandra Nova. In the film, Nova looks to be the boss of the TVA’s wasteland known as the Void. As seen in the latest trailer, Nova has quite a collection of miscreants at her disposal including Lady Deathstrike, Azazel and more.
If this claim is true, it’s a solid way to incorporate Tatum’s Gambit along with many of the other Fox-verse heroes who hsbe been rumored to be appearing. Given the number of villains on Nova’s goon squad, even Wade and Logan could use some help.
John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein carry some heavy nerd cred. Having earned writing credits for Spider-Man: Homecoming , Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves–which they also directed–and The Flash, the creative duo has established themselves as a key player in the modern push to bring comics and gaming to the big screen. According to a new rumor, their recent resume has put them in contention to take charge of one of Marvel Studios’ most important projects.
According to reliable MCU insider Daniel RPK, Daley and Goldstein are among the pool of talent being considered to direct Spider-Man 4.
According to RPK, directors Justin Lin and Drew Goddard, who were once rumored to be in the pool of directors considered for the film, are no longer in the mix. The still untitled fourth film in the franchise has been rumored to head into production later this year.
The Deadpool and Wolverine rumor mill will probably continue to spit out wild new stories until the film hits theaters. At different points in time, everyone from Ben Affleck to Owen Wilson has been rumored to pop up in the threequel which is due in theaters this July. With so many rumors already out there, what’s the harm in sharing one more?
According to Nexus Point News, actress Natalia Tena will portray an adult version of Laura Kinney, aka X-23.
X-23’s presence in Deadpool and Wolverine has long been the subject of speculation given the role the character played in 2018’s Logan. Rumors have made the rounds that Dafne Keene was poised to reprise the role. Nexus Point News also claims they can confirm Keene will also appear as X-23 in Deadpool and Wolverine.
Tena has quite a resume that will resonate with fanboys. Best known for her role as Nymohadora Tonks in the Harry Potter franchise, she’s also appeared in The Mandalorian, Game of Thrones and John Wick: Chapter 4.
For a film that hasn’t even begun principal photography, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four is certainly generating a lot of hype. Known for typically keeping secrets locked up tightly until big events, the studio has been uncharacteristically forthcoming with information about the film, using social media to drive interest in the project. First, it was a Valentine’s Day reveal of the cast through some stylized concept art, new title and new release date; then, on April 4th, another piece of concept art was shared along with a link to Marvel.com that ultimately landed fans on a page created by the Future Foundation. That page contained links to five Marvel Comics that fans have (probably) rightly concluded have had some level of influence on the plot of the 2025 film. And then, of course, scoopers and leakers have been scooping and leaking and much of what they have had to share lately has led to some interesting discussion at all the usual places. What’s the latest buzz? What’s real and what’s bullshit? Let’s take a look!
Alternate Universe
The most notable rumor making the rounds is that Marvel Studios The Fantastic Four will be set in a universe other than the MCU’s version of the 616. To be totally fair, given what Marvel Studios has provided for fans to look over, no insider access is necessary to come to that conclusion. Both the original cast photo and the new concept art of the Human Torch provide plenty of inferences that the film is set elsewhere in the Multiverse. The Valentine’s Day artwork which was used to announce the cast made it clear that the First Family was active during the 1960s. There’s a lot we don’t know about the past of the MCU but it’s almost impossible to imagine what sort of horrific retcons director Matt Shakman and the film’s team of writers would have had to fabricate in order to explain how nobody in the MCU’s 616 knows who the Fantastic Four are.
While there were still potential arguments to be made (after all, Doctor Strange made everyone forget Peter Parker), the retrofuturistic city in the background of the “Happy 4-4 Day!” poster really erases any doubt that The Fantastic Four will take place in an alternate universe. What’s more interesting though is that the retofuturistic city also sort of implies that Doctor Reed Richards and his Future Foundation have had a profound impact on the Earth they inhabit. Honestly, it’s interesting that the Future Founation exists at all on this new Earth because it implies that Reed has done an admirable job of solving everything which makes one wonder if this Reed Variant is so intelligent that he’s become aware of the Multiverse, has built The Bridge and has met other Reeds.
Whether Reed has knowledge of the Multiverse or not, the audience certainly does. Beginning with Avengers: Endgame and continuing throughout several Multiverse Saga projects (Loki, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, The Marvels and What If…?), Marvel Studios has opened the floodgates to the Multiverse. MoM alone introduced over a dozen new universes. So where is The Fantastic Four set? Definitely not in the 616 and definitely not on Earth-838 because that universe’s Reed wasn’t so smart, as it turns out. As much as fans might want to see the film set in a familiar universe–or at least one that’s been seen on screen before–that really doesn’t make sense from a story telling perspective. Any “known” universe would come with pre-existing limitations, no matter how small (sorry, Binary and Beast universe). To open it up to truly unlimited creativity and potential, the story would simply just have to be set in a universe that has previously not been seen. No muss, no fuss.
Rumor Control: Yes, The Fantastic Four is set in another universe and it is one that has yet to be explored in the MCU.
Franklin Richards and Galactus
One of the more interesting rumors to follow Marvel Studios’ new last week was that Reed and Sue’s son, Franklin, will appear in the film. The rumor suggests that Sue will be pregnant when she’s first seen in the film and that Franklin will be born in space. If Marvel Studios has proven anything, it’s that they aren’t particularly concerned about faithfully adapting stories or characters from the comics; however, Franklin Richards is a singular character even in a world of marvels, so his inclusion is of note.
In the comics, Franklin is a mutant with immeasurable telepathic and telekinetic abilities who also happens to be capable of reshaping reality. Indeed as a young child, Franklin saved Earth’s heroes from Onslaught by creating an entire pocket dimension for them. Following the 2015 event Secret Wars, Franklin restored the Multiverse by creating all-new, all-different realities. Recent events in the comics have stripped Franklin of all his powers but for one day a year, however, thanks to time travel and flashforwards in the comics, some of his future has also been told and those stories may factor into The Fantastic Four.
Relevant to the film’s potential plot, Franklin Richards has a long history with Galactus. When Franklin was just a young boy, The Great Devourer of Worlds already feared his power. By the time he was an adult, Franklin became so powerful that Galactus served as his herald. In the alternate Earth-X universe, Franklin became Galactus. It’s not clear exactly what ties Matt Shakman’sThe Fantastic Four will establish between the two characters but some buzz has reached our ears that there will be some connection between Franklin and Galactus in the film.
It’s clear that Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben have been active for quite some time in their universe and that Franklin’s birth takes place after the team is well-established as heroes. That means it’s likely that whatever Galactus is up to, this may not be the first time the team has encountered him.
Rumor Control: Franklin Richards does look to play an integral role in the film, which will establish some connection between the young powerhouse and Galactus.
The Fantastic Four starts production this Summer and is currently scheduled to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
On Valentine’s Day, Marvel Studios revealed the cast, release date and new title for 2025’s The Fantastic Four via social media. Though the talented group of actors that were cast as Marvel’s First Family wasn’t truly a surprise (rumors had all four of them in the roles for months ahead of Marvel Studios’ announcement), the concept art that accompanied the reveal did hint at something very interesting about the film’s setting. Both the magazine being read by Ben Grimm and the portrait of him pre-cosmic ray incident seemed to indicate that the events of the film were going to be set in the 1960s, something that could be a bit problematic in the MCU’s Sacred Timeline. If the Fantastic Four had ben around since then, why had nobody heard of them? Why didn’t Hank Pym or Peggy Carter ever mention them? Now a new rumor about the Matt Shakman-helmed film might clear up all those problems.
According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four will be set in an alternate universe somewhere in the MCU’s Multiverse.
Should this rumor turn out to be accurate, it’ll certainly be controversial; however, it’s a wise choice by the studio as it gives the project room to breathe and truly set itself apart from other MCU projects. By simply setting it outside of the MCU’s 616-universe, Shakman has the creative freedom to completely ignore any and everything fans know, love and hate about the “Marvel formula.” Assuming this universe it not one that we’ve seen in the MCU so far, the characters don’t have to play by any of the rules or be painted into a corner by any of the stories told so far. The family of explorers can be allowed to explore new corners of the universe, just as Stan Lee and Jack Kirby intended.
Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four is currently set to hit theaters on July 25, 2025.
Deadpool and Wolverine may be Marvel Studios only theatrical release in 2024 but it’s definitely playing for keeps. The upcoming film, which is largely set in the Void introduced in Season 1 of Loki, will feature Variants of Deadpool and some familiar X-Men villains from Fox’s retired franchise. It’s also rumored to feature cameos from heroes and their Variants from across the Multiverse, including those who have appeared on film before and those who have not. Now, a new rumor suggests an X-Men Variant from an unproduced film will be making an appearance and hoping to make his momma proud.
Following a social media interaction between Hugh Jackman and Channing Tatum, social media leaker GWGST claimed that Tatum, who was cast as Remy LeBeau in Fox’s unproduced Gambit film will make an appearance as dat thieving Swamp Rat in Deadpool and Wolverine.
Written into X-Men canon in 1990, Gambit’s popularity skyrocketed following his inclusion in X-Men: The Animated Series which gave the character a large role and a larger-than-life personality. According to the rumor, Tatum’s Gambit will be sporting the familiar comic-accurate/TAS-accurate suit complete with the signature trench coat.
Though it’ll be Tatum’s first time bringing the charming Cajun to life, it’s not the first appearance of the character in a CBM. Taylor Kitsch portrayed Remy in 2009’s atrocious X-Men Origins: Wolverine when Tatum was unavailable to fill the role. Ironically, Tatum’s Gambit–which had directors Gore Verbinski, Doug Lyman and Rupert Wyatt attached to direct at different times in development–was killed by Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox, which will almost certainly provide some fertile ground for jokiness around how the character ended up in the Void, non? C’est la vie, mon ami.
As Marvel Studios continues to move toward the finish line of their ongoing Multiverse Saga, they already have one eye on the future of the MCU. One major piece of that future will be the X-Men, who have already begun to be sprinkled into the Multiverse. While Marvel Studios have laid out no clear plans, they did begin taking meetings with creatives last fall to hear pitches on how to fully incorporate mutants into the MCU. Now, a new rumor may indicate that part of the plan will revolve around one of the X-Men’s most devious villains.
According to insider Daniel RPK, Marvel Studios plans to put Mr. Sinister front and center as the big bad of the studio’s X-Men reboot.
Created by iconic X-Men writer Chris Claremont in 1987, Mr. Sinister has become one of most fabulous and deadly villains Charles Xavier and his team have ever faced. He played a large role in X-Men: The Animated Series and recently hatched his greatest plan to date in the comics which led to the end of the mutant’s Krakoan Age. Should Marvel Studios indeed choose to put Sinister in the middle of their plans for the X-Men and keep some semblance of who the character is in the comics, his long and incredibly complex personal history could truly be used to set the table for any number of stories to be told. Over the last 25 years and change, Sinister has had a hand in just about every major X-story and has deep ties to Apocalypse, the Summers family, the Weapon X program and both Charles and Magneto. Fox had planned to incorporate him into their X-Men franchise but never did, providing Marvel Studios with a fairly easy choice in a central villain that both helps set their X-films apart and allows for some very interesting stories to be told.
Marvel Studios Thunderbolts has faced its fair share of delays since being announced in 2022. The project’s script has passed through several writers since Black Widow scribe Eric Pearson‘s first draft came in. Most recently, The Bear showrunner Joanna Calo was brought on board to take a pass at the script just as cameras are finally set to roll in Atlanta. Sporting an ensemble cast that includes Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Wyatt Russell, David Harbour and Lewis Pullman as the powerful Sentry, the project seems loaded with potential; however a new rumor indicates that a fan-favorite character won’t have as large of a role as once thought.
Though details on the film’s plot are scarce, it’s said that the story “centers on villains and antiheroes going on a mission that was supposed to end with their deaths.” When the film’s cast was introduced by Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios One-Above-All said that Bucky would serve as the “de facto leader” of the team. While that may have been true at the time, according to insider Daniel RPK, that no longer seems to be the case.
Though he was front-and-center on the concept art released for the film in 2022, RPK has indicated that not only is Sebastian Stan’s Bucky not one of the film’s main characters but also that some other, surprising characters are potentially set to play a larger role. In response to a line of questioning on X, RPK claimed that “Bucky is definitely NOT a co-lead with Yelena” and provided a list in which he laid out the priority taken by each character in the film. Bucky, as it turns out, is right near the bottom with characters such as Russell’s U.S. Agent, Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost and even Olga Kurylenko’s Taskmaster ahead of him.
No. From what I heard it's more like this:
– Yelena – Val – Sentry – Ghost/Taskmaster – US Agent – Bucky – Red Guardian https://t.co/PtOKfkLvTy
As has been shared before, the film was originally a nearly full-fledged sequel to 2021’s Black Widow but even as rewrites have changed the film a bit, it’s still Pugh’s film to lead and thus she’s surrounded by supporting characters from her first MCU appearance. While there’s plenty of intrigue around why a character as popular as Barnes might not be one of the film’s leads, there’s less question about why Harbour’s Red Guardian won’t have a ton of screen time. With Thunderbolts having worked through multiple delays, it’s now filming right smack dab in the middle of production on Stranger Things Season 5, meaning the project will have to make due with whatever they can get out of Harbour.
Bucky’s potential role in Thunderbolts has always been an interesting one. Though he was introduced as part of the team, which is clearly going to be run by Dreyfus‘ CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, the two have never interacted. While she recruited Yelena Belova and John Walker, Bucky never seemed to be on her radar. Furthermore, what we’ve seen of Val’s intentions for the team would seem ideologically opposed to where Bucky found himself at the end of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Wharver the case, it seems far more likely that Bucky will be doing his own thing in the film rather than taking orders from Val.
It’s no stretch to say that when Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli created Miles Morales in 2011 for Marvel Comics Ultimate Universe the duo created one of Marvel Comics most important and beloved characters. Miles has been an incredibly popular character in the comics, led a video game franchise and is at the center of two of the best superhero films of the era with a third, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse set to cap that story. All that’s left is the character to make his way into live-action, something fans have been eagerly awaiting for quite some time. Now, a new rumor from a credible insider indicates that the wait is nearing its end.
According to Daniel RPK, Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige, who have been collaborating on Tom Holland’s MCU-set Spider-Man films for the better part of a decade are planning to continue working together to incorporate Miles Morales into the MCU!
RPK claims that Pascal and Feige are set to introduce the character in the as-yet-undated fourth Spider-Man film. Additionally, Miles’ solo adventures will be set in the MCU, allowing Spider-Man to continue to interact with Marvel Studios’ fully-stocked universe of heroes.
The timing of the rumor neatly coincides with Sony’s recent box office failure, Madame Web. Though the studio had success with its first Spider-Man-adjacent project, Venom, they’ve failed to repeat it and the last two projects, Madame Web and Morbius, are among the most critically panned superhero films of all time. While including Miles in the MCU doesn’t indicate Sony’s given up just yet (Kraven the Hunter is due out this year and, for some reason, the studio is still developing El Muerto), it does give fans of the character hope that his story will be done some measure of justice on the big screen. With Avengers: Secret Wars lurking down the road and Miles having played a significant role in the 2015 Marvel Comic book event of the same name, it seems that Sony and Marvel Studios are making a very wise choice at just the right time.
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