All the Marvel Cinematic Universe Surprises at SDCC 2019

Avengers: Endgame was the hallmark of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ending a generation’s worth of superhero films. Now, all eyes have turned to what lies ahead for Marvel as it begins to pen down this new chapter in the huge expanse of its universe. Luckily, the world didn’t have to wait long to get the new line up. At the San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel took the stage at Hall H to reveal their upcoming plans. This involves the line up for Phase 4 that spans from 2020 to 2021 and features 5 big films and 5 Disney plus series. Kevin Feige also teased a little of what’s to come beyond 2021 in Phase 5. Here’s a rundown of what fans can expect from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the next couple of years:

Black Widow

Black Widow will be Marvel’s proper introduction to Phase 4 when it premieres on May 1, 2020. It’s set before the events of Infinity War specifically in Budapest. Ever since Clint and Natasha first alluded to it, fans have been dying to know what really happened in Budapest. And now, they’re getting answers. The teaser released at the SDCC also revealed that Natasha will be facing off against the Taskmaster. The actor who’ll be playing him though is still a huge question. The stars joining Scarlett Johansson in her first solo MCU film are David Harbour (The Red Guardian), Florence Pugh (Yelena), O-T Fagbenle (Mason), and Rachel Weisz (Melina) with Cate Shortland as director.

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Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Falcon and the Winter Soldier will be the first Marvel series greeting fans on Disney plus in the fall of 2020. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are already on board to reprise their roles. And it was revealed that Daniel Bruhl will be joining them as the villain Baron Zemo. He will likely come into the story as Bucky tries to find out if he’s fully been cured of the brainwashing and as Falcon takes on the helm of Captain America.

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The Eternals

The Eternals will come in the latter half of the year on November 6, 2020, with director Chloe Zhao at the helm. Tweaking the story from the comics a little, The Eternal is about a group of immortal aliens sent to Earth by the Celestials to protect it from the Deviants. It features a star-studded cast with Angelina Jolie playing as Thena, Salma Hayek as the Eternals’ leader Ajack, and Lauren Ridloff who’ll play MCU’s first deaf hero. Other stars joining the cast are Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, and Don Lee.

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Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Shang-Chi will be bringing a classic Marvel comics character to the big screen starring Simu Liu as the title character. Opposite him, Hong Kong actor Tony Leung will be playing as the real Mandarin, the leader of the group Ten Rings which was the same group that kidnapped Tony Stark in Iron Man. Akwafina has also joined the cast. Shang-Chi will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and it will premiere on February 12, 2021.

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WandaVision

Though Paul Bettany’s Vision was seemingly killed off in Infinity War without a hint of him resurfacing, WandaVision features the reuniting of Vision and Scarlet Witch in the aftermath of the events of Endgame. According to Elizabeth Olsen, it’s going to get really weird. But, it’ll show the world who Wanda Maximoff really is as Scarlet Witch. An adult Monica Rambeau from Captain Marvel played by Teyonah Pariss will be joining the fun. WandaVision will premiere on the spring of 2021.

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Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Described as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first horror film, Doctor Strange 2 will premiere on May 7, 2021, with Scott Derrickson returning to direct. This time around, Scarlet Witch will be joining Doctor Strange. And according to Marvel, the events of WandaVision and Doctor Strange will be reflecting one another.

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Loki

Right after Doctor Strange, Loki will be stealing the limelight on Disney plus. The series, which will premiere on the spring of 2021, will feature the god of mischief after his escape in the events of Endgame. It will seem like a little jump back in time to the same mischievous god in the first Avengers but with more focused character development.

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What If…?

Another one of Marvel’s ventures into the Multiverse is the series What If. In Marvel’s first animated series, Jeffrey Wright will be voicing the character of the Watcher, a non-earthly being watching the multiverse. Many MCU actors will be lending their voice to the series as it tackles the many hypothetical scenarios involving these characters.

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Hawkeye

Hawkeye will be the last series premiering for the Marvel Cinematic Universe for Phase 4. And it features Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye training Kate Bishop to become the next Hawkeye. It will also explore the time he became the less-noble Ronin. Hawkeye will premiere on the fall of 2021.

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Thor: Love and Thunder

Last but not least is the last movie for Thor. With the announcement of this film comes some very surprising reveals from returning director Taika Waititi.  Valkyrie will be revealed as the MCU’s first LGBTQ hero. And it will introduce Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster as the new goddess of thunder, a female Thor. Thor: Love and Thunder will premiere on November 5, 2021.

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MCU Phase 5

Thor is the last film for the MCU’s phase four. But, worry not because phase 5 already has movies planned for it. The only thing that isn’t set yet is the timeline itself. Among these films are the Fantastic Four and X-Men. Then, there’s also the sequels for Black Panther and Captain Marvel as well as Gunn’s third installment for the Guardians of the Galaxy. It was also confirmed that Mahershala Ali will be joining the MCU as Blade. And Of course, there are the unspoken but guaranteed films for Spiderman.

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That’s another few years of movie and superhero magic and sure box office hits for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And this is just the beginning.