Over the weekend, Twitter user
@hirotheheroo claimed to have spoken to a Syrian teenage actor - Instagram user
@zein_alrafih - who told them that he has a small role in
Eternals as "a kid whose father gets killed by sea monsters." It's reportedly a one-off role and the plan is for his character to be replaced by an older actor somewhere down the line.
Adding further fuel to the fire is the fact that the Twitter user has shared screenshots of the conversation, and that actor (a 15-year-old Syrian refugee who starred in the Oscar-nominated Lebanese film
Capernaum) actually made headlines last year after sharing photos online with
Eternals stars Salma Hayek and Lia McHugh.
As you might expect, this has immediately led to speculation that Zein Al Rafih is playing a young Namor the Sub-Mariner in order to set the stage for him to return as an adult down the line. If so, this is huge news, as it means Marvel Studios will be looking for a Syrian actor and that the character's origin story will somehow tie into the Eternals.
There is, however, another possible explanation.
In the comics, Atlantis and Lemuria existed thousands of years ago and whereas the former was ruled by humans, the Deviants (who will serve as the main villains in
Eternals) took charge of the latter and used humans as slaves. You can probably imagine how that could be used in this movie, and these "sea monsters" are more than likely the Deviants.
There's nothing solid to say that we'll get to meet the young Namor here, but the concept of Atlantis being introduced seems highly likely and that sets the stage for him to appear somewhere down the line...
For a reminder of all the Marvel and DC movies coming our
way from this year onwards, hit the "Next" button below!
DC
Birds Of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)
Release Date: February 7th, 2020
Director: Cathy Yan
Cast: Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Ewan McGregor
The trailer for
Birds of Prey received something of a mixed response as most fans were hoping for more than a "Harley Quinn and Friends" movie. However, there's a lot worth getting excited about with this one and with recent test screenings reportedly going well, it definitely feels like this DC Comics adaptation could be a great way to kick off next year's impressive list of offerings.
Wonder Woman 1984
Release Date: June 5th, 2020
Director: Patty Jenkins
Cast: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Pedro Pascal, Robin Wright, Connie Nielsen
The plot for Wonder Woman 1984 recently leaked online and, if it's accurate, we may have cause for concern. That first trailer certainly impressed, though, and seeing Gal Gadot back in action as the Amazon Warrior promises to be awesome. It's hard to escape the feeling that Pedro Pascal will steal the show as the villainous Maxwell Lord based on what we've seen!
The Batman
Release Date: June 25th, 2021
Director: Matt Reeves
Cast: Robert Pattinson, Jeffrey Wright, Zoe Kravitz, Paul Dano, Colin Farrell, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard
The Batman is putting together an amazing cast and while it's a shame that we have to say goodbye to the likes of Jeremy Irons and J.K. Simmons, Matt Reeves is certainly pulling out all the stops to ensure we're able to get over it! Set during the Caped Crusader's early days, the reboot looks set to explain what makes him the World's Greatest Detective and will feature a number of villains.
The Suicide Squad
Release Date: August 6th, 2021
Director: James Gunn
Cast: Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, David Dastmalchian, Daniela Melchior, Steve Agee, Idris Elba, John Cena
James Gunn is making the leap from the MCU to the DCEU for The Suicide Squad, a movie which will be far more comedic in nature than the divisive 2016 effort. The filmmaker has assembled an all-star roster to fill out Task Force X, while a number of returning favourites will also be back. Plot details are scarce but it's thought that King Shark will play a key role in proceedings.
Black Adam
Release Date: December 22nd, 2021
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Cast: Dwayne Johnson
It's been rumoured to be in the works for years now but Black Adam finally has a release date and it's going to be nothing short of amazing to see Dwayne Johnson finally suit up as the character. A few rumours have done the rounds about the Justice Society of America somehow coming into play here and it goes without saying that seeing those heroes on scene is an absolute must.
Shazam! 2
Release Date: April 1st, 2022
Director: David F. Sandberg
Cast: Zachary Levi, Asher Angel
Shazam! was a lot of fun but it didn't set the box office on fire despite making a respectable $365 million worldwide. A sequel is officially moving forward, though, and with it coming so soon after Black Adam, don't be surprised if he crosses paths with Billy Batson here and Mister Mind is put on the backburner. If nothing else, we can probably expect an after-credits scene meeting!
The Flash
Release Date: June 1st, 2022
Director: Andy Muschietti
Cast: Ezra Miller, Kiersey Clemons, Billy Crudup
The Flash has been stuck in development hell for what feels like forever but after Ezra Miller's failed attempt to pen a darker version of the Scarlet Speedster's solo movie with comic book writer Grant Morrison, Andy Muschietti is now in charge. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what the story will be as everything from Flashpoint to The Rogues have been rumoured in the past.
Aquaman 2
Release Date: December 16th, 2022
Director: James Wan
Cast: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard
It's been a while since we've heard anything about The Trench but Aquaman 2 remains on course for 2022 and Black Manta will more than likely take centre stage as the lead bad guy. Beyond that, we don't know what comes next for this popular member of the Justice League but there's a lot from the first movie that James Wan can touch on here as he expands the world of Atlantis.
Marvel Studios
Black Widow
Release Date: May 1st, 2020
Director: Cate Shortland
Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Rachel Weisz, Florence Pugh, David Harbour
Black Widow takes place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, and the first trailer for the movie made it clear that Natasha Romanoff will be teaming up with the likes of Red Guardian and Yelena Belova to take on Taskmaster and more mysterious villains (who are more than likely linked to the Red Room in some way, shape, or form).
Eternals
Release Date: November 6th, 2020
Director: Chloe Zhao
Cast: Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Lia McHugh, Don Lee
Marvel Studios revealed the full cast of Eternals at Comic-Con and later added Kit Harington to the roster at D23. We don't know a lot about the plot, but it's been confirmed that the movie will delve into 7000 years' worth of the MCU's history, while also putting the spotlight on the Celestials. Chances are that this one will set the stage for some huge future stories, including the X-Men reboot!
The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
Release Date: Fall 2020
Cast: Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Daniel Brühl, Emily VanCamp, Wyatt Russell
The first Marvel TV show coming to Disney+ could also be the most significant, as there's a very strong chance it will introduce a new Captain America to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The return of Baron Zemo is also significant as is the introduction of U.S. Agent, and we can probably expect the show to reveal whether Steve Rogers is still alive or if he's passed away from old age.
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Release Date: February 12th, 2021
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Cast: Simu Liu, Tony Leung, Awkwafina
For years, fans have been anxiously waiting for The Mandarin to make his presence felt in the MCU. Well, that's going to happen in Shang-Chi's first big screen outing as we get to meet the villain and learn more about the Ten Rings. Iron Man may be dead and gone, but it's hard to believe there won't by any references to Tony Stark's connection to that bad guy and his organisation.
Loki
Release Date: Spring 2021
Cast: Tom Hiddleston
We don't have many details at all about Loki, but it has mostly been confirmed that it will revolve around the 2012 version of the God of Mischief following his escape from Earth's Mightiest Heroes in
Avengers: Endgame. Concept art has shown the villain in the 1970s, so there's a good chance he's found a way to use the Tesseract to travel through time and potentially alter his fate.
WandaVision
Release Date: Spring 2021
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Kat Dennings
, Kathryn Hahn
, Randall Park
, Teyonah Parris
The concept art released for
WandaVision has shown the Scarlet Witch and a very human looking Vision living in what appears to be a 1950s style sitcom setting and a recent still confirmed that. Chances are her reality altering powers will come into play here and that she starts losing control after bringing back the man/android she loves. Wiccan and Speed are also rumoured to appear.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Release Date: May 7th, 2021
Director: Scott Derrickson
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Elizabeth Olsen
No, that photo of the Scarlet Witch isn't a mistake! Following the release of WandaVision on Disney+, the character will be making an appearance in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. That could mean her powers are about to become a problem, and with Scott Derrickson promising that this is the MCU's first "horror" movie, there are a lot of reasons to be excited for this one.
What If?
Release Date: Summer 2021
Cast: Hayley Atwell
, Chadwick Boseman
, Josh Brolin
, Dominic Cooper
, David Dastmalchian
, Michael Douglas, Karen Gillan
, Jeff Goldblum
, Sean Gunn
, Chris Hemsworth
, Tom Hiddleston
, Djimon Hounsou
, Samuel L. Jackson
, Toby Jones
, Michael B. Jordan
, Neal McDonough
, Natalie Portman
, Jeremy Renner
, Michael Rooker
, Paul Rudd
, Mark Ruffalo
, Sebastian Stan
, Chris Sullivan
, Stanley Tucci
, Taika Waititi
, Jeffrey Wright
Marvel Studios' first animated series will be narrated by The Watcher and will feature very different takes on most Marvel Studios movies. For example, we'll find out what would have happened if Peggy Carter had taken the Super Soldier Serum, and footage shown on Disney+ teased everything from T'Challa becoming Star-Lord to The Winter Soldier squaring off with Marvel Zombies.
Untitled Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures Spider-Man Movie
Release Date: July 16th, 2021
Cast: Tom Holland
We didn't think this would happen, but Disney and Sony Pictures have made up, and the wall-crawler will be getting a third solo outing in the MCU. Jon Watts is in final talks to return to direct and he's previously said that Kraven the Hunter is a villain he would like to use in a future movie. Time will tell whether that happens and what direction he takes the hero in after that cliffhanger.
Hawkeye
Release Date: Fall 2021
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld
Jeremy Renner reprises the role of Hawkeye for his own Disney+ TV series, and it's been widely reported that Hailee Steinfeld (
Bumblebee) will play Kate Bishop. Based on what little we know, the show will revolve around Clint training his replacement, while also delving into the aftermath of the time he spent as Ronin following the events of
Avengers: Infinity War.
Thor: Love And Thunder
Release Date: November 5th, 2021
Director: Taika Waititi
Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tessa Thompson
Arguably Marvel Studios' most exciting Phase 4 movie, Thor: Love and Thunder will see Natalie Portman return to the MCU to play the new God of Thunder. Throw in the fact that Taika Waititi is back at the helm and this has all the makings of being one of the best Marvel movies to date. The big mystery right now, though, is who Valkyrie will end up choosing as her new Queen!
Untitled Marvel Studios Movie
Release Date: February 18th, 2022
Black Panther II
Release Date: May 6th, 2022
Cast: Chadwick Boseman
Bob Iger recently revealed that director Ryan Coogler has only just started working on the story for this sequel, so it's clear the casting process probably won't start until next year. Rumour has it that Michael B. Jordan could return as the villainous Erik Killmonger but we probably shouldn't believe anything we hear for the time being as it's still very early days.
Untitled Marvel Studios Movie
Release Date: July 29th, 2022
Untitled Marvel Studios Movie
Release Date: February 17th, 2023
Untitled Marvel Studios Movie
Release Date: May 5th, 2023
Untitled Marvel Studios Movie
Release Date: July 28th, 2023
Untitled Marvel Studios Movie
Release Date: November 3rd, 2023
Sony Pictures
Morbius
Release Date: July 31st, 2020
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Cast: Jared Leto, Adria Arjona, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, Tyrese Gibson
A trailer for
Morbius surely can't that far away now because this SUMC (Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters) movie is rapidly approaching. With Tom Holland's Spider-Man seemingly able to cross between worlds now, all eyes will be on this one to see if that actually happens but with Jared Leto's time as The Joker at an end, it will be fun seeing whether he makes Morbius his own.
Venom 2
Release Date: October 2nd, 2020
Director: Andy Serkis
Cast: Tom Hardy, Woody Harrelson, Michelle Williams, Reid Scott, Naomie Harris
With Andy Serkis now at the helm of the
Venom franchise, fans are far more optimistic about what will happen when Eddie Brock crosses paths with Carnage. Casting additions are quickly starting to be made to the project and with Shriek set to factor into proceedings, it's clear that the director has looked back at some of their earliest clashes for inspiration on what to do here.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse 2
Release Date: 8th April, 2022
Director: Joaquim Dos Santos
Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld
Considered one of the greatest superhero movies of all-time by many fans,
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse changed the game last Christmas. Now, there's a lot of excitement surrounding this follow-up and it's widely believed that it will focus on Miles Morales' budding relationship with Spider-Gwen, all while introducing some of the female heroes who will swing into their own spinoff.
Which of these movies are you guys most excited about? Let us know in the comments section below and keep checking back here for updates on all of them over the coming months!