It felt perfect sense that Marvel’s major comeback after pandemic delays and the launch of Disney+’s streaming service would be to pry open the multiverse—an infinite field of possibilities where the most popular experiments would pave the path forward for the MCU’s future.
Marvel’s first Emmy-nominated series was WandaVision, its first Muslim superhero was Ms. Marvel, and Spider-Man: No Way Home was the pandemic’s first billion-dollar feature. Films like Eternals and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness extended the universe even farther and drove fans insane with theories, while Disney+ gave more unconventional heroes like Moon Knight and a new Hawkeye a chance to shine.
Marvel intends to release at least 20 additional projects by the end of 2023, including Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Many additional projects, like as the return of Blade, the vampire hunter, are also in the works.
Everything Marvel has announced thus far under its current slate, including what may come of the 20th Century Fox acquisition of the X-Men, Deadpool, and the Fantastic Four, is included below.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel, a Pakistani teen living in Jersey City, NJ, discovers a family heirloom that turns out to be some kind of cosmic bangle and becomes Marvel’s first Muslim superhero. Kamala (Iman Vellani), the Captain Marvel fangirl, is full of charm and wit as she navigates becoming a 16-year-old superhero, while being slightly different from her comic counterpart.
Bisha K. Ali, who authored Loki’s “Lamentis” episode, acts as chief writer and showrunner for six episodes that will air on Disney+ from June 8 to July 13.
Thor: Love and Thunder
The film will be released in theaters on July 8, 2022.
In Love & Thunder, the fourth film in the Thor trilogy and the second directed by Taika Waititi, Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) wields Thor’s powerful hammer. Of course, Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as Thor, embarking on a soul-searching quest post-Endgame (which will feature the Guardians of the Galaxy), and will be surprised to see Jane holding Mjolnir.
Tessa Thompson will reprise her role as Valkyrie, Taika Waititi will continue to voice Thor’s rock pal Korg, and Jeff Goldblum will return as the Grandmaster from Thor: Ragnarok. Russell Crowe as the Greek god Zeus and Christian Bale as the Voldemort-like alien Gorr the God Butcher, a monster who intends to do exactly what his name says, are newcomers.
I’m Groot
On Disney+: 10 August 2022
Groot, everyone’s favorite tree baby, stars in a series of five unique cartoons. The friendly plant will be voiced by Vin Diesel, with Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn serving as executive producer.
It’s unclear what mischief Groot will get himself into, but I Am Groot is expected to be a fun, family-friendly celebration across the cosmos.
She-Hulk
Disney+: August 17, 2022
Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black, Perry Mason) plays Jennifer Walters, Marvel’s second superhuman lawyer (after Daredevil), in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.
Jessica Gao (Rick and Morty) will serve as executive producer, and Jameela Jamil and Mark Ruffalo will star. In the comics, Walters is granted Hulk powers by accident after requiring a blood transfusion from her cousin, Bruce Banner.
Tim Roth, who played the villain “Abomination” in the underappreciated 2008 Ed Norton Hulk picture, is also expected to return following a cameo combat scene in Shang-Chi against Doctor Strange sorcerer Wong.
Wakanda Forever, Black Panther
MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS Release date: November 11, 2022
T’Challa will not be recast in the Black Panther sequel, Wakanda Forever, in order to respect Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther role following his unexpected death in 2020, while many fans feel that the character’s sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) will become the next Black Panther.
Shuri has previously played Black Panther in the comics, so there would be plenty of material to draw from.
I Might Destroy You Michaela Coel has apparently been cast in an unidentified capacity, while RiRi Williams, a.k.a. Ironheart (Dominique Thorne), will be presented as a brilliant scientist working on a suit rivaling Iron Man’s.
Guardians of the Galaxy: The Holiday Special
MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS will be available on Disney+ in December 2022.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, like I Am Groot, will be a lighthearted Christmas adventure starring members of the Guardians such as Star-Lord, Mantis, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, and Groot. The Holiday Special will be directed by James Gunn, who previously directed the Guardians trilogy.
I’ve already put money down on Groot dressed as a Christmas tree, Rocket with a large red Rudolph nose, and Drax dressed as Santa Claus.
Quantumania in Ant-Man and the Wasp
MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS opens in theaters on February 17, 2023.
Entering the Quantum Zone for the third time, our little heroes will confront Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror, whose death at the end of Loki opened the door to the MCU’s multiversal madness.
Returning cast members include Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer, as well as Kathryn Newton (Big Little Lies) and Ant-daughter Man’s Cassie Lang. In the comics, she transforms into a superhero herself.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS will be released in theaters on May 5, 2023.
Guardians Vol. 3 has been restarted after a Twitter mishap delayed James Gunn’s involvement for nearly five years. It will now take place after Endgame and their cameo in Thor: Love & Thunder.
There’s a lot for the Guardians to uncover after their last adventure, including Gamora’s death, the mission to perhaps bring her back from the Soul Stone, and the discovery of a golden crypt containing Adam Warlock’s remains (Will Poulter).
The Marvels
MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS Release date: July 28, 2023
Brie Larson will assume red, blue, and gold for the Captain Marvel sequel, which will feature a cosmic team-up with Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) following her transformation in WandaVision and Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Marvel’s first Muslim superhero who debuted in her own Disney+ series.
Nia DaCosta (Candyman) will direct, and Megan McDonnell (WandaVision) will write the screenplay, with Samuel L. Jackson scheduled to star.
Echo
2023 for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+
Maya Lopez, a.k.a. Echo (Alaqua Cox), will appear in her own solo series as the deaf assassin who can copy her target’s combat style, based on the Hawkeye miniseries.
Echo’s ensemble will include well-known indigenous performers such as Zahn McClarnon (Reservation Dogs) and Graham Greene as the first Native American superhero to lead her own series (Wind River).
In the comics, Maya Lopez encounters many of Marvel’s street-level heroes, including Daredevil and Moon Knight, as well as the Secret Invasion narrative.
Secret Invasion
TBA for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
Skrulls, the shape-shifting aliens first seen in Captain Marvel, are gradually infiltrating Earth. Since his after-credits tease at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) has been in space, with Secret Invasion set to be the largest crossover event since Endgame.
This Phase 4 finale will also feature surprise appearances by Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones), Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter), and Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami).
House of Harkness, Agatha
Agatha: House of Harkness, a dark comedy series based on Kathryn Hahn’s performance as the WandaVision witch Agatha Harkness, was a fan favorite.
Jac Schaeffer, the executive producer of WandaVision, will carry up where we last left Agatha—trapped in her suburban sitcom character.
The Armor Wars
TBA for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
If Armor Wars follows the comics’ storyline, James Rhodes (Don Cheadle) will have to fill in for the late Tony Stark in dealing with Iron Man technology falling into the wrong hands.
The limited series will be scripted by Yassir Lester (Black Monday) and will star Sonny Burch (Walter Goggins), who first appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp.
Ironheart
TBA for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
Following her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, RiRi Williams (Dominique Thorne) will get her own series that delves deeper into her character and difficulties in the new generation of Iron Man technology.
RiRi, dubbed “Ironheart,” builds a high-powered suit to challenge Tony Stark’s before being forced into a criminal world that will do anything to claim it.
Season 2 of Loki
TBD on Disney+
Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is banished to a realm where his TVA bestie Mobius (Owen Wilson) no longer recognizes him at the end of Loki’s first season. Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), his female counterpart and love interest, also killed an iteration of Kang titled He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) and threw the multiverse into turmoil.
Season 2 will most likely start up where we left off, but it’s unclear whether the sequel series will broadcast before or after Kang’s cameo in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023.
Season 4 of Daredevil
TBD on Disney+
Due to fan demand, Matt Murdock, a.k.a. Daredevil (Charlie Cox), will allegedly have a fourth season on Disney+ following his cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The first three seasons of the blind crime-fighting lawyer appeared on Netflix back when the streaming service was home to Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Iron Fist, and The Punisher. Daredevil’s major antagonist, Kingpin (Vincent D’Onofrio), also appeared in the Hawkeye miniseries.
Untitled Wakanda Series
TBA for MARVEL MARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
Back in May 2021, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler stated that he was working on a drama series based in the Kingdom of Wakanda, with Okoye (Danai Gurira) due to star.
Little else is known about the project, including whether it would expand on the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Spider-Man: Freshman Year
TBA for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
Marvel’s next animated Spider-Man animation, directed by Jeff Trammel (Cartoon Network’s Craig of the Creek), will debut on Disney+. The series might bridge the gap between Peter Parker’s origins following his bite by a radioactive spider and his live-action debut in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
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X-Men ’97
TBA for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
While Marvel chief creative officer Kevin Feige works out the best way to bring the X-Men into the MCU, Disney’s initial intention is to reboot the Saturday morning X-Men animation, which aired for five seasons from 1992 to 1997.
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf’s Beau DeMayo will serve as chief writer, but no voice cast has been confirmed.
Season 2 of What If…?
TBA for MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS on Disney+.
With both the evil Doctor Strange and Captain Carter making their way into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the MCU’s What If…? animated series may have a more influence on the broader live-action story than the series’ sandbox-like reimagining suggests.
Last season, head writer A.C. Bradley hinted a potential storyline with Gamora in Thanos armor and Iron Man in a cosmic suit battling side by side.
Zombies from Marvel
TBD on Disney+
The MCU recast as a zombie-infested world will apparently get its own miniseries based on the comic by everyone’s favorite zombie aficionado, The Walking Dead writer Robert Kirkman.
Zeb Wells (Robot Chicken) will also serve as executive producer and lead writer.
Blade
TBA In theaters: MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS
The anticipation for the return of Blade, the vampire hunter played by Mahershala Ali, is palpable. The half-vampire, full-time killer, made popular in a trilogy of films starring Wesley Snipes prior to the MCU, helped pave the path for the late-2000s superhero cinematic resurgence.
Blade previously appeared in the end credits scene of Eternals as an audio-only cameo, speaking to Dane Whitman (Kit Harington), who will become the Black Knight, although it’s unclear how either character will fit into the next phase of the MCU.
Untitled Captain America Film
TBA in theaters
Anthony Mackie is expected to appear in the untitled sequel picture to The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which handed Sam Wilson the shield and the title of Captain America.
Many narrative strands remained unresolved in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, such as Sharon Carter’s involvement as the nefarious Power Broker and Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) rounding up unstable super-power beings like John Walker (Wyatt Russell).
The Fantastic Four
TBA In theaters: MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS
The Fantastic Four, Marvel’s original family, has had a difficult history with reviewers. Mr. Fantastic, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, and The Thing have all appeared on our screens three times, yet all three have been commercial and critical flops.
Chris Evans (the original Human Torch before the official MCU debuted) went on to play a different hero entirely, while the 2015 revival starring Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, and Kate Mara cost 20th Century Fox more over $80 million.
Marvel will try to dazzle us with this superhero family again when the time is perfect, thanks to the Fox acquisition and a fan push to cast John Krasinski as the new Mr. Fantastic (which came true in a Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness cameo).
Nova
TBA MARVELMARVEL STUDIOS
Thanos demolished the Nova Corps’ home in Infinity War in search of the infinity stones, probably murdering everyone on the planet last seen in Guardians of the Galaxy.
Nova, the aptly named interplanetary hero and sole survivor of his home planet, is allegedly getting a script written by Moon Knight writer Sabir Pirzada, but it’s unclear if it’ll be a Disney+ series or a theatrical movie.
Deadpool 3
Because of the combined billion-dollar success of the first two Deadpool films, you can bet Ryan Reynolds would continue working on Deadpool 3 following the 20th Century Fox acquisition.
According to Collider, the action-comedy star is directing the script’s production, with recent partner Shawn Levy (Free Guy, The Adam Project) scheduled to helm.
Deadpool 3 will most likely have just as many jabs, pranks, and fourth wall breaking as previous installments, especially because the MCU shows no indications of slowing down over the next two years.
