Marvel Studios presented their Phase Four titles during San Diego Comic Con 2019 and this announcement didn’t come without some surprises.
Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was on hand in Hall H for the big event and had a lot of announcements on hand. The biggest surprise is that Blade will be making his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No date was announced for Blade’s MCU debut but Mahershala Ali has been cast in the role.
While we already knew some of these films were happening, we learned some new details about these films and series. This evening, we learned a bit more about these films and what they’re going to be about. Spoiler alerts go without saying if you really wish you go into them blind.
Black Widow (May 1, 2020)
It had been suspected for some time that a Black Widow film was happening. Feige made it official today with the announcement of a release on May 1, 2020. The film, starring Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, is being directed by Cate Shortland. Joining the actress in the film are David Harbour as Alexei aka The Red Guardian, Florence Pugh as Yelena, O-T Fagbenle as Mason and Rachel Weisz as Melina. Hall H attendees were lucky enough to see the first footage from Phase 4’s first installment.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+, Fall 2020)
When we last saw Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes in Avengers: Endgame, an elderly Steve Rodgers had just handed Sam the Captain America shield with Bucky’s approval. The series, hitting Disney+ in the fall of 2020, will see the duo in a new set of adventures as they join together to fight evil. Anthony Mackie (The Falcon) and Sebastian Stan (The Winter Soldier) will star alongside Daniel Brühl who reprises his role as Captain America: Civil War villain, Baron Zemo.
Eternals (November 6, 2020)
Chloé Zhao directs the film starring Richard Madden as Ikaris, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Salma Hayek as Ajak, Lia McHugh as Sprite, Don Lee as Gilgamesh and Angelina Jolie as Thena. Arrving in theaters on November 6, 2020.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Feb. 12, 2021)
The Mandarin has been hinted at since the very first MCU installment, Iron Man. It was confirmed tonight–although not really a surprise–that Simu Liu will star in the title role of Shang-Chi. Destin Daniel Cretton is directing. Awkwafina is also joining the film in an yet-to-be-disclosed role. The real Mandarin will be played by Chinese actor Tony Leung. Arriving in theaters on February 12, 2021.
WandaVision (Disney+, Spring 2021)
WandaVision was first announced a few months ago during the intial Disney+ announcement. The Disney+ original series sees Paul Bettany reprise the role of Vision and Elizabeth Olsen returning as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. They’ll be joined in the series by Teyonah Parris, who will be playing a grown-up version of Captain Marvel character Monica Rambeau. The series premieres on Disney+ in the spring of 2021.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (May 7, 2021)
The Doctor Strange sequel was one of only two sequels being discussed tonight. There are more are happening but there just isn’t enough time to talk about all of them. I’ll get to this soon. Scott Derrickson returns to direct and Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as the Sorcerer Supreme. What is probably most surprising is the announcement of Elizabeth Olsen reprising her role in the film as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. You’ll want to catch all of WandaVision before seeing the film. The film hits theaters on Mat 7, 2021.
Loki (Disney+, Spring 2021)
Tom Hiddleston returns as fan favorite Loki when the series hits Disney+ in the spring of 2021. A fan favorite villain, Loki was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War. When the series was announced in April, it led to a lot of speculation. Such speculation ended up being confirmed more or less during Avengers: Endgame but especially tonight. Hiddleston certainly asked the question of the hour: “Where did Loki go when he took the Space Stone?”
What If…? (Disney+, Summer 2021)
The animated series will hit Disney+ in the summer of 2021. The series will feature alternate realities in the Marvel universe as we learned new information from Feige tonight. MCU actors will be reprising their roles in the series. Jeffrey Wright will be voicing The Watcher.
Hawkeye (Disney+, Fall 2021)
Jeremy Renner will reprise his role as Clint Barton/Hawkeye when the series launches on Disney+ in the fall of 2021. While most fans probably speculated that he was training Kate Bishop in the Avengers: Endgame trailer, Barton was actually training his daughter. Bishop will be a part of the new series.
Thor: Love and Thunder (Nov. 5, 2021)
The biggest reveal of all is that Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman, will become the Mighty Thor, the goddess of Thunder. Taika Waititi will once again take the helm behind the camera. While Jane Foster becomes the new Thor, this begs the question of what will happen to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor. Tessa Thompson will be back as Valkyrie. The fourth film in the Thor franchise will hit theaters on November 5, 2021.
The title card for Blade:
Feige didn’t even have time to discuss Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, Fantastic Four, and yes, even the mutants. I expect we’ll certainly learn more about the films during D23.
You must be logged in to post a comment.