Random Things We Now Know Is Coming In Post-'Endgame' MCU (18 items)

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  (#1) Black Widow Starts Phase 4 On November 6, 2020

  The Marvel Cinematic Universe will take a long breather before beginning its next saga. After the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, nearly a year will pass before the first film in Phase 4, Black Widow, is released on May 1, 2020. Cate Shortland is directing.

  Natasha Romanoff perished in Avengers: Endgame, but she’ll return in a prequel adventure set during her early days with S.H.I.E.L.D. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O-T Fagbenle, and Rachel Weisz. Though little is currently known about these actors' roles outside of Johansson’s, some plot details were shared with the SDCC crowd via a teaser trailer.

  The footage included scenes from the oft-referenced Budapest incident and a glimpse of the villainous Taskmaster, an assassin who can replicate the fighting moves of any individual. Pugh is said to play Yelena Belova, the second Black Widow in Marvel Comics canon - one who eventually takes an antagonistic turn - while Harbour plays Alexi Shostakov, the Red Guardian.
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  (#2) The Falcon And Winter Soldier Team Up In The Fall Of 2020

  With the arrival of the Disney+ streaming service, Marvel Studios has announced a slate of television miniseries that will tie directly into the MCU. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier are the first stars of the show, with Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan returning to play the titular characters. Their team-up series will debut sometime in the fall of 2020.

  The two stars will be joined in their series by Daniel Bruhl, who reprises his role as Baron Helmut Zemo. This time he’ll be wearing his trademark purple mask from the comics, as revealed by Bruhl himself during a surprise SDCC appearance. Given the design of the series’ logo, it’s a foregone conclusion that The Falcon and the Winter Soldier will deal with the legacy of Captain America’s shield - and the job title that comes with it. 
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  (#3) The Eternals Debut On February 12, 2021

  Eternals hits theaters on February 12, 2021 as the second film of Phase 4. The cosmic race from the planet Titan - which has already given the MCU Thanos the Mad Titan - will be played by an ensemble of veteran actors, including Angelina Jolie (Thena), Richard Madden (Ikaris), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Salma Hayek (Ajak), Lia McHugh (Sprite), and Don Lee (Gilgamesh).

  Chloe Zhao will occupy the director’s chair, meaning the first two films of Phase 4 will be directed by women - just one of the many steps Marvel Studios is taking to increase its diversity and representation moving forward. On that same front, Eternals is also slated to be the first film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to feature an LGBTQ+ lead character.
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  (#4) Shang-Chi Tells ‘The Legend Of The Ten Rings’ On May 7, 2021

  Shang-Chi may not be a household name yet, but he will be after starring in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, set for release on May 7, 2021. The Chinese martial arts master, who has served as a comic book Avenger in recent years, will be played by Simu Liu.

  While the comic book version of Shang-Chi is plagued by his villainous father, Fu Machu - a problematic character that Marvel doesn’t even own the rights to anymore - the role of his nemesis will instead go to the real Mandarin, played by Tony Leung. Actor/rapper Awkwafina will also appear in the film in an unknown role. Destin Daniel Cretton is at the helm.
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  (#5) ‘WandaVision’ Turns On In December 2020

  The second Disney+ streaming series on Marvel Studios’ Phase 4 docket is the idiosyncratically titled WandaVision, which promises to be every bit as strange as it sounds when it becomes available in December of 2020. The show will star Elizabeth Olsen as Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany as a surprisingly resurrected Vision, though it’s anyone’s guess as to how the lovable synthezoid returns to the land of the living.

  More surprising than the return of the Vision, however, is the announcement that WandaVision will also star Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, a grownup version of Maria Rambeau’s young daughter from Captain Marvel. Given that Monica from the comics is a long-time Avenger with special abilities of her own, it’s a fair assumption that this series will end up dealing with her superheroic origin. 
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  (#6) Doctor Strange Spends Time In ‘The Multiverse of Madness’ On March 25, 2022

  Few titles in the history of superhero films have sounded more comic book-y than Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, set to release on March 25, 2022. The sequel will see Benedict Cumberbatch return to the role of Doctor Stephen Strange, with some of his previous costars expected to join him (though not all, with Rachel McAdams bowing out. Perhaps most exciting is the news that Sam Raimi (mastermind of the original Spider-Man trilogy) is taking over behind the camera.

  In a surprise announcement, Marvel Studios also revealed that Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff will play a major role in the film. Presumably, she may receive training from the good Doctor in the use of her mysterious powers. Her Disney+ series, WandaVision, was mentioned as a direct lead-in to the film.
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  (#7) Loki Returns To His Tricks In Spring 2021

  The next Disney+ original series will star one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s oldest characters, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki. However, when Loki becomes available for streaming in the spring of 2021, it won’t be the version of the character that most fans are familiar with. That Loki met his untimely end at the hand of Thanos in Infinity War.

  Instead, the Disney+ series will star the 2012 version of Loki from Avengers: Endgame, the one that got his hands on the Tesseract and disappeared to parts unknown. Based on Kevin Feige’s cryptic comments, it seems likely that Loki will be telling the story of what comes next. 
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  (#8) Marvel Studios Asks ‘What If…?’ In The Summer Of 2021

  Marvel Comics has a long history of asking its readers "What If?" via a series of out-of-continuity stories that show what would happen if important events in the Marvel universe went slightly differently. The idea is being ported over to the MCU for the studio’s first ever animated series. What If…? launches on Disney+ in summer 2021.

  It’s unknown yet which hypothetical tales will be tackled in the series, but given the announced voice talent it seems that the stories will run the gamut of MCU continuity. Already attached to reprise their characters are names like Mark Ruffalo, Michael B. Jordan, and Natalie Portman. Jeffrey Wright is set to star as the voice of the omniscient Watcher, the traditional curator of What If…? chronicles. 

  The first episode in the series will star Haley Atwell and answer the question, "What if Peggy Carter became a Super Soldier instead of Steve Rogers?"
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  (#9) Multiple Hawkeyes Arrive In 2022

  Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton survived the events of Avengers: Endgame and will be sticking around the MCU for the foreseeable future as the star of an original streaming series.

  Hawkeye will hit the Disney+ service sometime in 2022, though it seems like the series might more aptly be titled Hawkeyes. That's because Barton’s character will be joined by Kate Bishop, well-known by readers of Marvel Comics as the younger and better Hawkeye. It's still unknown who will be portraying her. The series’ logo borrows heavily from the acclaimed Matt Fraction and David Aja comic book run, which split time between Barton and Bishop.
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  (#10) ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Roars Into Theaters On February 11, 2022

  News of a fourth Thor film starring Chris Hemsworth and directed by Taika Waititi leaked before SDCC 2019, but that doesn’t mean the creative team didn’t come to the stage with shocking news to share. The movie’s title, Thor: Love and Thunder (hitting theaters in early 2022), was enough to excite any crowd - and the hype only built from there.

  First came the announcement of Tessa Thompson’s continued role as Valkyrie, King of New Asgard - a king that will be in search of a queen, as Thompson told SDCC attendees. Then came the unexpected reveal of Natalie Portman’s return to the franchise - and some heavy hints that her Jane Foster will wield Mjolnir and become Thor, as the character has done in a prominent comic book arc. And finally, it was revealed that Batman himself - or Christian Bale, technically - will be playing the film's villain.

  Oh, and there will be space sharks.
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  (#11) Ms. Marvel

  Disney has announced a Ms. Marvel TV show for its Disney+ streaming service, though it has yet to set a release date. Ms. Marvel, AKA Kamala Khan, will mark the debut of Marvel's first Muslim superhero - and Disney has hired writer Bisha K. Ali to be the showrunner. 

  Details are scant right now, but Disney has confirmed that Khan will also be appearing in an unnamed MCU film.
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  (#12) Blade Returns With Mahershala Ali

  Of the many films and original series that comprise the first portion of the MCU’s Phase 4, most were at least rumored to be in production long before San Diego Comic-Con 2019 - but not the final item revealed to the assembled Hall H masses. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige called Mahershala Ali onto the stage and introduced him as the new Blade, with a film starring the iconic vampire hunter set to hit theatres sometime after 2021. 

  The reason that few, if any, saw the reveal of Blade coming is that the project appears to be the recent brainchild of Ali himself. According to Feige, Ali called him after winning the Oscar for Green Book and told him flat out that he wanted to bring Blade to the MCU. As Feige says, "When Mahershala calls, you answer."
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  (#13) She-Hulk

  • TV Program

  In late August, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced that She-Hulk will be joining the expanding slate of Disney+ shows that tie into the MCU. No details yet on who will be writing or directing.

  In the comics, She-Hulk is Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner (better known as the Hulk). Unlike her cousin, who is often on the run from the authorities, Walters is a much more public figure, and continues her career as a lawyer even after assuming her big, green alter ego.
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  (#14) Moon Knight

  • TV Program

  In late August, Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige announced that Moon Knight will (eventually) be swinging onto Disney+. No details are currently known about the cast and crew.

  In the comics, Moon Knight is an anti-hero that may or may not have multiple personalities. Moon Knight's true identity is Marc Spector, a CIA operative turned international mercenary, who is then granted powers from an Egyptian god - or not (it depends which version of the character you read). Returning to his home in New York, Spector creates two other identities for himself to assist his battle against evildoers, billionaire Steve Grant and cab driver Jake Lockley. Another personality, Mr. Knight, has also recently been created.

  Compared to most of the heroes from the MCU's first three phases, Moon Knight is relatively obscure, but his convoluted personality could offer an intriguing challenge to whatever actor fills his pale shoes.
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  (#15) ‘Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3’ Is Still In Production

  Not officially announced yet, but firmly within production, is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - which would have been further along if not for the unfortunate firing/re-hiring rigamarole involving director James Gunn.

  Kevin Feige confirmed again at SDCC that GotG3 is in the works, though James Gunn noted on his Twitter that he intends to complete his Suicide Squad sequel first - leaving the release date up in the air.
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  (#16) A 'Black Panther' Sequel Is Officially In Production

  It is also known that a sequel to 2018’s Black Panther is under production in some capacity, as Ryan Coogler was already announced to have signed on to write and direct. Chadwick Boseman, Danai Gurai, and the rest of the cast will presumably return. 

  Little else about the project is public knowledge, save that it wasn’t included on the slate of films revealed at SDCC 2019. As of now, it is expected to arrive in May of 2022.
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  (#17) The Disney+ Series Will Tie Directly Into The Films

  One of the most interesting details revealed by Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios at SDCC 2019 wasn’t a film title or a surprise casting, but a clarification about the continuity of the MCU moving forward. 

  It was mentioned several times that the original series streaming on Disney+ will take place firmly within the continuity of the MCU films. Some, like WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, will have explicit ties. This represents a marked change from previous Marvel Television ventures like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Daredevil, whose connections to the film universe were vague or tenuous.
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  (#18) There’s More To Come

  Marvel Studios surprised SDCC attendees and the internet at large with their dramatic reveal of the first portion of the MCU’s Phase 4 - and also made it clear that the best is yet to come.

  Before leaving the stage, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige listed off a slew of projects they hadn’t had time to announce, including Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He then casually mentioned the Fantastic Four and mutants, heavily hinting that the reacquired Fox properties are well on their way to being worked into the MCU proper. 

  Left unmentioned was a continuing partnership with Sony that would allow for further Spider-Man adventures in the MCU. There was also no announcement of an Ant-Man and the Wasp sequel, nor any future Avengers films. 

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