Recasting key actors is hardly a novel idea at this point in the MCU. Edward Norton and Terrence Howard were rather unceremoniously removed from their respective roles as Bruce Banner and James Rhodes after just one outing each. More recently, Harrison Ford joined the MCU as Thaddeus Ross following the passing of William Hurt, who portrayed the character in five films. Multiple actors have also portrayed Cassie Lang, Billy Maximoff and even Thanos, among others. However, one beloved MCU character seemed off limits to a recast…until now.
According to a report from Jeff “The In” Sneider, “Marvel is looking to recast its Black Panther hero T’Challa ahead of the two Avengers movies and Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther 3.“
Following Chadwick Boseman‘s death, Marvel Studios weighed its options about how to move forward in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, ultimately deciding to work T’Challa’s death into the sequel rather than attempt to recast the role. Though it would seem problematic to recast the character now, Sneider ‘s report could be interpreted at least a couple of different ways.
As the studio approaches the end of the Multiverse Saga, the most logical option for “Recasting” T’Challa would be the introduction of a multiversal Variant of the character. Certainly any attempts t resurrect the Sacred Timeline’s T’Challa would be incredibly controversial and, frankly, unnecessary. Presumably, as Avengers: Secret Wars draws near, more alternate universes, or at least more heroes and villains from the ones that have already been introduced, will come into play and a Variant T’Challa would be a great addition to any team of heroes taking on Doctor Doom.
Of course, another option for the “recast” might involve the studio searching for an older actor to step into the role of T’Challa II, played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While it’s unclear when Avengers: Doomsday will be set, if the studio does indeed have a three-film arc in store for the character, they may be looking to age the character up a touch.
In either case, it would seem that Letitia Wright‘s Shuri, who took up the mantle of Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, is headed for a reduced role despite delivering a fantastic performance in the sequel. That is, of course, unless the studio chooses a third option: introducing a multiversal Variant of T’Challa who is aligned with Doctor Doom and finds himself at odds with Shuri, T’Challa II and the rest of the Wakanda.
With production on Avengers: Doomsday set to kick off this year, it’s likely fans will have some clarity on the reported recast of T’Challa relatively soon.
Kathryn Hahn‘s performance as the wicked witch of Westview, Agatha Harkness, has proven to be the gift that keeps on giving. After a show-stealing performance in 2021’s WandaVision, Hahn took the lead in the spinoff Agatha All Along and once again left audiences asking for more. Despite what appeared to be the end of the road for the character, the final scene of Agatha All Along saw the spectral sorceress embark on a new journey, showing there’s still some “life” in the old gal yet.
While whatever the future holds for the wraithlike witch may not have been divined, it certainly seems as though the next chapter in her story will be closely tired to the next chapter in the story of Joe Locke‘s Billy Maximoff. And while we all wait for official word about what that shape that might take, Hahn has shared her thoughts about returning to the role.
“Am I personally done with playing this witch? No,” said Hahn when asked by TV Line about her future as Agatha. However, the star stopped short of confirming the recent reports and rumors that Marvel Television was close to moving forward with Season 2 of Agatha All Along. “We’d have to let the powers that be make those decisions,” said Hahn when asked if Marvel had given the go-ahead for another batch of episodes.
Of course, even if Marvel and Hahn are attempting to keep a sophomore season of Agatha All Along a secret, some omens do seem to augur well for an extra season of the witch. Series creator Jac Schaeffer‘s abrupt exit from the Paul Bettany-led Vision series led many to assume she had moved onto another project. And while speculation seemed to center on the rumored Scarlet Witch solo project, a greenlight given to a second season of Agatha All Along would certainly provide a reasonable explanation for her choice to bail on Vision, especially since Schaeffer indicated that she had plenty of unused Season 1 ideas which could be repurposed for Season 2.
There was more [of Agatha and Rio’s backstory] in the writer’s room. There was never any more on the page. It was our story instinct, I would say, that getting too far into their backstory would sort of be too much of a counterweight to the Nicky material. And so, we really included what we felt was vital to this chapter.
-Jac Schaeffer on ideas cut from Season 1 of Agatha All Along that could be explored in a potential Season 2
Beyond that, there’s the interesting decision by Marvel Studios to submit Agatha All Along as a comedy series rather than a miniseries in an effort to snag awards for the project. It’s a strong indication that they plan to make more episodes, something Hahn herself acknowledged. “It does suggest that,” said Hahn, though she held tight to her claim that she had no idea of future plans for her character. “I am as in-the-dark as you are. There’s going to be a Vision show, so that could be of a trilogy [with WandaVision and Agatha All Along]. But who knows?”.
Despite Hahn‘s hesitance, reluctance or inability to confirm Marvel Television’s plans to move ahead with a Season 2 of Agatha All Along, it’s starting to feel like there’s a growing chance of more purple in the near future.
While no official announcement has been made, enough rumors and reports concerning Marvel Studios long-gestating Young Avengers project are accumulating that it seems as though some sort of news should be imminent. Whether or not that happens, fans have been and will continue to be excited about the possibility of the studio assembling a team of young heroes even if it happens in a project titled Champions rather than Young Avengers.
While the latest report indicated that telhr studio was closing in on landing a showrunner and had begun locking in the core cast of Champions, it would be foolish to assume that the six heroes identified in Daniel Richtman’s scoop won’t have company from some other young heroes. Though Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, Billy Maximoff, America Chavez, Riri Williams and Cassie Lang would make a formidable team, there are plenty of other potential Champions-in-waiting.
Given that the rumored roster of the team is a mash-up of comic book Champions and Young Avengers, it’s unlikely that EVERY character from either team who is either in the MCU already or believed to be on the way could possibly play a major role in what’s likely to be a six-to-ten episode series. And so while Eli Bradley, Amadeus Cho, Hulkling, Speed or even Viv Vision might make the team, they aren’t the only options out there. In fact, one potential recruit who supplies the team with something they desperately need may be hiding in the streets of Hell’s Kitchen.
Though none of the events Netflix’s two-season run on Luke Cage had impacted the MCU so far, the decision by Marvel Studios to retcon all of the Defenders-verse series into the Sacred Timeline allows for them to ripple through the narrative fabric of the Multiverse Saga and beyond. And with the studio now bringing together a team of young heroes, it might be the right time to explore the legacy of one of Luke Cage‘s most compelling supporting characters.
Over the course of two seasons, Theo Rossi‘s chillingly serene Shades stayed in the game while nearly every other baddie went by the wayside. Though no mention was made of it in the Netflix series, Shades comic book counterpart had a son, Victor Alvarez…and following a terrible tragedy, Victor gained some incredible power, man. And while it might take some creativity on Marvel Television’s part, the perfect opportunity exists to bring Victor into the MCU and give the Champions their Power Man.
In the comics, Victor was the sole survivor of an building explosion rigged by Bullseye. During the disaster, his father’s bioelectric visor shattered with pieces of it embedding themselves in Victor’s skin, giving him the unique ability to absorb chi from his environment and then manipulate the energy similarly to the way Danny Rand uses it in Iron Fist.
Given the disparity between the MCU’s version of Shades and the one from the comics, a new origin story for Victor’s powers would be in order. However, it is very doable and tying a new hero to Luke Cage would be a step in the right direction in ultimately fully embracing it the way the studio has Daredevil and The Punisher. Though Victor Alvarez, aka Power Man, hasn’t racked up the same number of comic book appearances as the other characters rumored to be leading the team of Champions, he has been an Avenger and, for a time, a member of the comic book Champions. If his time isn’t now, it may never be.
As 2025 gets underway and Marvel Studios looks to begin production on two major pieces of the final phase of the Multiverse Saga in Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man 4, Kevin Feige and the Parliament must also continue to keep an eye on the future of the franchise. Though nobody is quite certain just what to expect from Avengers: Secret Wars in terms of the impact it will have on whatever the next Marvel saga is, rumors and reports of projects in development do provide some pieces of the puzzle.
With Michael Lesslie hard at work on a script for the first Marvel Studios-produced X-Men film, it is safe to say the next saga will have its fair share of mutant heroes and villains. And while most of the focus might fall on whatever version of Charles Xavier’s uncanny team of heroes make their way into the MCU, another project featuring the MCU’s first mutant also looks to be gaining traction.
According to Marvel insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios’ D+ streaming series, Champions, is close to landing a showrunner and has begun locking in key cast members. Richtman reports that in addition to Iman Vellani and Hailee Steinfeld, who appeared together in a credit scene for The Marvels meant to tease Champions, Joe Locke, Dominique Thorne, Kathryn Newton and Xochitl Gomez have also joined the project. Though the report indicates that those six actors are the series’ leads, it does not indicate that other young heroes won’t join the project in supporting roles.
According to industry insider Daniel Richtman, following his appearance in Daredevil: Born Again, The Punisher will return to kill more people that need killing in his own Disney Plus streaming series.
It’s already been nearly five years since the second and final season of The Punisher debuted on Netflix and given the pace at which Marvel Television is now developing and producing streaming series, it may be another five before the next chapter in Frank’s story is told. With very few loose threads left hanging from the series’ two-season run on Netflix, it’ll be interesting to see which characters, if any, are brought back into the fold on D+ or if Marvel Television sets up Frank’s new story in Daredevil: Born Again and goes in an entirely different direction.
Few people have been celebrated more for lying than Andrew Garfield. Despite an abundance of credible reports that he was reprising his role as The Amazing Spider-Man in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Garfield showed his true talents as an actor by convincing the world that he was not. In doing so, Garfield joined a long and prestigious list of actors who boldly lied about their roles in Marvel Studios projects. By his own admission, he also “ruined his reputation” for telling the truth.
I mean, like the internet is a big place. I think there’s a lot of people who will just say anything to get clicks. So you might have been duped, I’m afraid.
-Andrew Garfield on his rumored return in Spider-Man 4
In Garfield‘s defense, he truly may have no idea whether or not he will return as Peter 3 because, if rumors are to be believed, Sony and Marvel seem to be unsure exactly what type of movie they plan to make. And so, in a recent interview with GQ UK, the actor didn’t hesitate to once again shoot down the idea that he’ll suit up once more in Spider-Man 4…or to understand that nobody will believe him anyway.
“I’m gonna disappoint you,” said Garfield when asked about a potential role in the next installment in the MCU-set franchise. “Yeah, no. But I know no one’s gonna trust anything I say from now on.”
We all came with our own history and with our own relationship to the character in our own films. I think what really was wonderful, and how it unfolded very early on, was Tobey and I felt very aligned and very clear about what our intentions were for being there. Ultimately, it was to serve Tom as an actor and, as characters, serving Tom’s Peter Parker. I think from that place, everything flowed. It enabled Tobey and me to have a bit more fun maybe than we would’ve had if we were the ones fully carrying the story.
-Andrew Garfield on his role in Spider-Man: No Way Home
It’s impossible to say what role, if any, Garfield may have in any of those rumored plots or in any other direction the studios ultimately decide to move. Whatever the decision by the studios, there can be no doubt that a return by Garfield would be welcomed both by fans and those who worked with him on Spider-Man: No Way Home, so whether or not The Werewolf is dissembling once more or truly doesn’t know, here’s to hoping Sony and Marvel find a place for him in Destin Daniel Cretton‘s upcoming Spidey film.
With the D+ premiere of Daredevil: Born Again creeping closer each day, fans of the Netflix Daredevil series are rejoicing over Marvel Studios’ decision to canonize the Defenders-verse projects. After an admitted period of being “a little bit cagey about what’s Sacred Timeline and what’s not“, the studio’s willingness to embrace the characters, stories and tone from Netflix’s Marvel series–a decision that was heavily influenced by stars Charlie Cox and Vincent D‘Onofrio–seems to have benefitted Daredevil: Born Again both creatively behind the scenes and with fans.
During our restart of all the creative on Daredevil: Born Again, all the creatives got together and said, “Look, this is how we’ve got to do it now.” So we are for sure only speaking about it in terms of being directly connected to the original Daredevil, and that’s a great thing. It brings in a lot of cool stories and all the collateral story that happened in those original three seasons. So we now get to start this Born Again situation with all of that history behind us and the outcome of all that history. So we’re all talking about Daredevil: Born Again in those terms now.
While fans of the Defenders-verse are feeling satisfied with the studio’s change of heart, fans of the MCU’s first TV series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., are still waiting for those same warm fuzzies. After recently rethinking the way its streaming projects were branded and marketed, Marvel Studios has put a significant amount of space between itself and the previous “It’s All Connected” era in which Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. debuted.
According to Marvel’s head of streaming, television and animation, Brad Winderbaum, the decision was made to make the ever-expanding MCU more accessible to new fans. “There was a lot of pressure post-Avengers: Endgame on the public to feel obligated to watch absolutely everything in order to watch anything,” Winderbaum explained. “Part of the rebranding was a signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand.” And so far, Agents of S H.I.E.L.D. remains part of what the public should not feel obligated to watch.
While Winderbaum enthusiastically supported the canonization of the Netflix series, he’s been unable to give any of Marvel’s ABC series, including Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., the same support. “I want to go down this road with you, you know I do, but we’re just gonna take a deep breath for a second,” said Winderbaum in August 2024 when asked about the series place on the MCU’s Sacred Timeline. Four months later, the Marvel TV boss was no closer to canonizing the long-running series, saying “It’s exciting for me to think about how to square those ABC shows with the canon.” Now a new rumor making the rounds could indicate that Winderbaum has found a way to square things up…or that he’s decided to move even further away from adopting Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. into the Sacred Timeline.
According to the always industrious insider My Time to Shine Hello, Marvel Studios is developing a Ghost Rider streaming series. While there’s no mention of which of several comic book Ghost Riders would be the series’ lead, AoS fans will undoubtedly hold onto hope that the D+ series will feature Gabriel Luna’s Robbie Reyes, who debuted in Season 4 of the ABC melodrama.
I died, and there’s nothing, there’s just darkness. Then I heard a voice, asking me if I wanted a second chance, did I want to punish those who hurt my brother, did I want to avenge my own death. I answered yes, more than anything, yes. I was alive again, and you’re right, there was someone there when I came to. But it wasn’t a Good Samaritan. It was the Devil. Whatever was inside him, he passed it into me.
Should Marvel Television indeed be moving ahead with a Ghost Rider series, it could quietly serve as the final judgement on the Sacred Timeline canonicity of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., putting to rest one of the final lingering debates of a different era of Marvel entertainment.
In April 2021, following the season finale of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, trade reports revealed that a fourth Installment in the Captain America franchise was in development at Marvel Studios. Written by TFATWS scribes Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson and starring Anthony Mackie, Captain America 4 was created to give Sam Wilson the spotlight in a film after years in the MCU’s background. Nearly three years, a few delays and a major overhaul later, Captain America: Brave New World is about to hit theaters and take Wilson on a wild ride.
He is in a new position. Stepping up to be the leader as Captain America is going to be a new set of challenges for him. And in this story, a big part of his journey is how do you define that leadership? That’s the thing that he hasn’t had to deal with just yet. As the Falcon, he was always there supporting the rest of the team, but now he’s the man leading the team and I think that’s going to be a really exciting journey to go on with him.
Originally subtitled New World Order, the new Captain America film developed into something many fans didn’t see coming: a follow-up to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Though Thunderbolt Ross has had an ongoing presence in the MCU, Ross’s daughter, Betty, disappeared entirely and the promising setup of Samuel Sterns as a gamma-mutated super genius never took shape. To this end, Captain America: Brave New World is truly and unprecedented intersection of quite a few narrative trails which means not only does it have some heavy lifting to do but so also do fans before heading to the theater. With that in mind, we present The Ultimate List of What to Watch before Captain America: Brave New World!
Tier One
Tier One consists of the non-negotiable, bare minimum projects one should be familiar with in order to be dialed into the action in Captain America: Brave New World. While the stories of several characters are more fully fleshed out in other projects, these three would provide enough foundation to enjoy the new Cap film.
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
🍅 68%
Long the red-headed stepchild of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Louis Leterrier‘s action-packed has come back into fashion over the past few years. While Thunderbolt Ross has appeared in four other projects over the years, every other character and open thread from The Incredible Hulk seemed to have been abandoned until The Abomination appeared in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings in 2021. The next year, the character played a much larger role in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and the TIH renaissance was on.
One of the things that really drew me to this project is The Leader is a man who operates from intellect. And it’s so great to have an adversary who is working with this incredible intellect to really put Sam through the wringer in this story. And again, it’s a paranoid thriller; it’s this grounded adventure where I think everything that happens in this film feels so real and intense because of who this adversary is. What he’s going to have to go through in this film is because he’s got an adversary who is so terrifyingly intelligent.
Captain America: Brave New World will not only see Sam Wilson face the physical threat of the Red Hulk but also be forced to engage with a different kind of threat: the cerebral Samuel Sterns (don’t call him The Leader, though!). In addition to the wonderful Tim Blake Nelson as Sterns, Cap 4 will also mark the return of Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, daughter of President Thaddeus Ross and former love of Bruce Banner, though it is her antagonist relationship with her father that will be explored in the film. Now, if they’d just let Leonard Samson get his green on…
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)
🍅 85%
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier thoroughly examined Sam’s reluctance to become the Symbol of Truth and the Sentinel of Liberty. Sam’s hesitance grew into something more and eventually led to the decision to hand the shield over to the U.S. government. Though he’s now resolved his internal conflict over whether or not he should be Captain America, Sam’s shaky relationship with that government will be a factor in Captain America: Brave New World.
Of course, as Captain America, Sam will no longer be part of the supporting cast but instead have his own. One key member of that support network will be Danny Ramirez’s Joaquin Torres, the new Falcon, who made his MCU debut in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. He’ll play an integral role in the film as Cap’s wingman, so if you haven’t introduced yourself to the character yet, becoming acquainted is a must.
Sam’s whole thing is: he went on this journey, this Avenger story over six movies with Steve because of his respect and admiration for Steve. When Captain America, he says, when Captain America shows up at your door, you answer in the movie Captain America: Winter Soldier. That being said, it is, you know, it is the pain, the idea of not being able to go on these missions, not going to be able to help his friend. You know, there are still people out there that really appreciate camaraderie and friendship […] Just like everybody else, you don’twant to see Steve Rogers go away. You don’t want to see Captain America go away. Because just like Captain America was your Cap, Captain America was Sam Wilson’s Cap. So, you know, that is why he says at the end of Endgame, it feels like, when he is holding the shield, it is someone else’s. It feels like it is yours. He was a fan like everybody else.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier also introduced Isaiah Bradley, a Korean War veteran who was given the Super Soldier Serum against his will in the 1950s. Bradley, played by the incredible Carl Lumbly, returns in Captain America: Brave New World and plays a major role in getting the plot up and running after he attempts to assassinate President Ross. Lumbly is magnificent as Bradley, who played a key role in Sam’s decision to become Captain America.
If none of the reasons listed above are enough to get you to press play on The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, you could always just watch it to enjoy Daniel Bruhl‘s return as Zemo.
Tier Two
If Tier One projects are essential, Tier Two projects are supplemental. Any important events from Tier Two projects are likely to be covered in the body of the film, making watching/rewatching those projects non-essential; however, seeing them in their original context is always better than having them explained to you from someone else’s perspective. Tier Two projects also include all of Sam Wilson’s other appearances for those who’d like to have his MCU history fully fleshed out before seeing Captain America: Brave New World.
There’s a lot we’re going to bring to the table. Again, this is a new set of challenges and a new set of adversaries. I love classic, paranoid thrillers and that’s a big part of the inspiration for this film. We want to find action that is grounded and tactile and give him new things to do that you haven’t seen in those other films. I don’t want to spoil too much, but let’s just say we are planning some really, really exciting things.
Watching Tier Two projects will preemptively answer a lot of “who are those guys?” and “what’s that thing doing there?” types of questions, both for those who haven’t looked back on them for a while and for those who have never seen them before.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
🍅 90%
“On your left.” Sam Wilson’s introduction to the MCU came in one of Marvel Studios’ most complete films and one that director Julius Onah has said inspired some of his choices on Captain America: Brave New World. Though Sam’s personal history is explored much more deeply in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, some key pieces of his past are revealed here, including his time in the military and his work as a counselor.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
🍅 76%
Though he claims avenging isn’t his thing, by the end of this one, Sam Wilson is officially an Avenger! Though he doesn’t have a large role here, the film does help establish Sam’s deep, trusting relationship with Steve Rogers. It’s also the first and only appearance of Dr. Helen Cho, whose son, Amadeus (at least that’s the relationship from th comics), will debut in Captain America: Brave New World.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
🍅 90%
Necessary here because of the absolute comedy that is the Bucky/Sam frenemies routine, Civil War is also worth watching just to remember how magnificent the MCU became as it headed into the final third of the Infinity Saga.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
🍅 85%
If Sam Wilson hadn’t proven himself as a big-timer yet, Infinity War put an end to the debate. First helping take a pair of the Children of Thanos down a peg as part of Cap’s Secret Avengers, then providing air support during the Battle of Wakanda, Sam established himself as one of the MCU’s bravest heroes. And while that reputation will certainly come under fire again in Captain America: Brave New World, never forget the danger a man without superpowers ran toward to defend the Earth!
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
🍅 94%
The first steps on Sam Wilson’s journey to becoming Captain America came when Old Man Rogers gifted him with the shield in the closing moments of Avengers: Endgame. The final conversation between the two friends set into motion a cascading series of events, the fallout of which will still be dealt with in Captain America: Brave New World. As important as this moment is to Sam’s ongoing character development, this isn’t in Tier One because a version of it will certainly be included in the movie.
“At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Sam never accepted the shield. Sam never said he was going to be Captain America. Sam never said he wanted to be Captain America.”
-Anthony Mackie, Inverse, February 2021
Black Widow (2021)
🍅 79%
Like Avengers: Age of Ultron before it, Black Widow continues to provide meaningful context to other projects. The fall of the Red Room and Ross’s pursuit of Nat will be used, no doubt, to explain how Shira Hass‘s Ruth, a former Widow, finds herself in the employ of the President of the United States. If you’ve never watched it before, Black Widow is a damn good movie for the first 67% of its runtime.
Eternals (2021)
🍅 47%
While Captain America: Brave New World will undoubtedly contain the necessary exposition to explain that the source of the film’s MacGuffin, adamantium, unexpectedly rose from the ocean, it’s better to experience it by watching Eternals. Truth be told, it’s completely fine to skip to the second half of the film to watch the big action unfold because nothing that happens before then will matter to Captain America: Brave New World…or any other MCU project…ever.
Tier Three
Tier Three projects are akin to side quests. Nothing here will depend or enrich anyone’s Brave New World experience, though there are enough loosely connected points to make a case for watching them.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
🍅 79%
In the case She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, those loosely connected points come in the form of the continued efforts to produce more Hulks. The series made a key point about the utility of Banner’s blood compared to Jen’s and introduced Skaar, son of Hulk. The proliferation of Hulks in the MCU is something that’s been discussed for years and is finally happening and this project ties right into it, making it a Tier Three addition.
About Captain America: Brave New World
Marvel Studios’ Captain America: Brave New World stars Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford.
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the entire world seeing red.
The film is directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore. Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serve as executive producers.
Captain America: Brave New World opens in U.S. theaters on February 14, 2025.
After a quiet year theatrically in 2024, Marvel Studios has three films scheduled for release in 2025, including its first February release since Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. Finally taking center stage in a film, Anthony Mackie‘s Sam Wilson will take on Harrison Ford‘s ragey Red Hulk in Captain America: Brave New World, but despite being a serious threat, the President is only a puppet whose strings are being pulled by far more sinister baddie.
Sixteen years after the next chapter in his story was set up in The Incredible Hulk, Tim Blake Nelson‘s Samuel Sterns returns in Captain America: Brave New World as the nefarious, super-intelligent supervillain, The Leader. And while he’s been hidden in the shadows in all of the film’s marketing materials, a fantastic look at the character has been revealed via new promo art.
Notably, Nelson’s Leader is certainly sporting a subdued and noticably less macrocephalic look than his comic book counterpart, though the case could be made that his cranium could still double as a drive-in movie screen. He is, however, indeed green, so he’s got that going for him, which is nice.
Captain America: Brave New World and The Leader arrive in theaters on February 14th!
As one of the world’s greatest minds would tell you, everything dies. People, planets, suns, galaxies and universes all have expiration dates because they all have natural lifespans. Over a decade ago, Reed Richards understood and accepted that and explained it to his fellow heroes as Jonathan Hickman launched the dual runs on Avengers and New Avengers that would ultimately lead to Secret Wars. As Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga makes its way toward the same inevitable end in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars, fans of the MCU should start to get comfortable accepting that same inevitability; however, for myriad reasons, Reed Richards isn’t around to help them understand that just yet. So while What If…?, the studio’s multi-season multiversal adventure arrives at its end, it does so too early for fans to fully appreciate its coda.
Though no fault of its own, the final season of Marvel Animation’s first canonical adventure arrives about two and a half years too early for the magnitude of its multiversal mayhem to make the impact it should. Once upon a time, the Multiverse Saga was set to conclude on November 7, 2025, less than one year from the launch of What If…? Season 3. Had Marvel Studios adhered to that timeline, revealed at SDCC ’22, the final eight episodes of What If…? would almost certainly have hit differently. They didn’t, so they didn’t and so the final season, which contains some of the series’ most imaginative and chaotic offerings, might ultimately find its relative importance delayed by a few years.
From the opening episode, which introduces a multiversal iteration of the Mighty Avengers, through the final episode, which teases something beyond this iteration of the Multiverse, the final season of What If…? lands as an almost too self-aware commentary on the state of the MCU and could reasonably be viewed, for the most part as one giant size episode of “What If…the Multiverse Saga Had Gone as Planned?” Despite growing sentiment on social media by folks who haven’t watched an episode, the third season does indeed align with the intended premise of the anthological comics. For example, the first episode, “What If…The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?”, imagines what would have happened if Sam Wilson encountered Bruce Banner on his morning jog instead of Steve Rogers…and it ain’t good! Indeed Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, Stephen Franck, Ryan Little and A.C. Bradley deliver some Top 10 What If…? bangers here. Though the two-part finale doesn’t quite live up to the Season 2 double dip, it does deliver a deserving denouement for the series leads while also calling back to key moments from prior seasons. If you’ve liked What If…? so far, you’ll like it again; if you haven’t liked it so far, you won’t be watching it anyway.
Marvel TV boss Brad Winderbaum has made it clear that, at least for now, the studio is ready to put What If…? out to pasture and though the series ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, that’s probably ok. It’s probably ok, at least partly, because the Multiverse Saga is on its way to its (kind of) natural conclusion and, at least in the comics, realities cycle through birth, destruction and rebirth. However, as fun as two-thirds of this season of What If…? is, the feeling that the studio dropped the ball on its release date is hard to shake. Though it isn’t entirely clear, the series finale feels as though it is at least partially connected to the studio’s intended plans for the end of the Multiverse Saga. Sure, we can all go back and watch it around the time Avengers: Secret Wars hits theaters but it’s probably fair to wonder what the rush was on the studio’s part to get it to D+ now. Everything dies…but What If…? could have stayed in stasis a bit longer, allowing Pedro Pascal‘s Reed Richards to provide some additional context for its super sci-fi, super comic book ending. Watch it and enjoy it for what it is because it may be some time before the studio takes the type of chances it did with this animated adventure.
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