It's a chaotic time for Disney; not only is the studio in the midst of a merger with 20th Century Fox but they're also looking to launch a rival to Netflix in the form of the Disney+ streaming service.
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn touched on a number of topics and offered a very interesting take on why Fox is important to them. While Deadpool isn't specifically mentioned, it sounds like the studio is keen to start releasing R-Rated movies under a separate banner to "Disney."
"With Fox, we can make movies that right now I say no to. Take Bohemian Rhapsody, which is PG-13. It's a hit movie and very, very good. But there's no way we could make it under the Disney label because the characters smoke cigarettes and other content. Nor could we have made [Warner Bros.' R-rated] Oscar-winning Argo because the characters smoke and use the F-word. We always have to think about the smoking policy. The audience for a Disney movie may not know what they are going to see, but they know what they aren't going to see. There are certain things we just can't include because we'll get letters."
Talk then turned to some of Disney's upcoming blockbusters and Horn was asked if Star Wars Episode IX is going to put the franchise back on the right track after the divisive previous instalment.
"I just got back from the United Kingdom, which is not so united. (Laughs.) I went to the set, and was with J.J. [Abrams], Kathy and the cast," he said. "I watched a couple of scenes being shot and then we all had dinner. I have not seen a cut of it yet, but I watch dailies every weekend and send J.J. and Kathy a note every weekend. It's a big deal, and it's going to be terrific."
As for what comes next, all he would say is: "It's all in discussion."
Horn was also quizzed about The Lion King and after revealing that he's seen four cuts of the live-action adaptation, he added: "Bring a handkerchief. It's so emotional. But it's a remake of an animated film, so there must be some percentage of the audience who will say, "Well, I saw the first picture." All I can say for sure is you cannot tell these animals aren't real."
Finally, talk turned to Disney's decision to fire James Gunn from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 after some offensive Tweets from the past surfaced last year. Asked if he thinks studios are going to start doing background checks, he explained that it's not quite as simple as that:
"I would say no. I don't think we do extensive background checks to see what a person has said. I feel sad for some of the people ensnared in all of this. And sometimes I feel like, "Wow, what they said is so outrageous that it must have occurred to them that it would have repercussions." It's a very open world now, and this stuff is a matter of record. The admonition is: Be careful."
What do you guys think about these remarks? As always, share your thoughts in the usual place.
For a list of every Disney produced Marvel movie confirmed and
rumoured to be on the way, hit the "View List" button below!
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far From Home's very existence is pretty much a spoiler in and of itself as it basically tells moviegoers that, yes, the wall-crawler will find a way to return in Avengers: Endgame despite being dead. That's not the end of the world, though, and this sequel is shaping up to be something very spectacular indeed.
After all, we're going to see Spidey working with Nick Fury and Maria Hill to take on Mysterio, a villain fans have been desperate to see on the big screen for years now.
Jake Gyllenhaal will obviously be playing Quentin Beck, while The Vulture's return understandably has theorists going nuts about the possibility of the Sinister Six assembling in a third Spider-Man movie from Marvel Studios. As of right now, though, we don't know whether or not their partnership with Sony stretches that far.
Black Widow
Black Widow is expected to hit theaters next year and while the script is said to be undergoing another rewrite, quite a few trusted sources have claimed that it will be an origin story which revolves around Natasha Romanoff leaving the USSR and attempting to stop the Y2K virus from bringing the world down.
The Winter Soldier is also expected to appear, while there will obviously be scenes set in the present day.
It's an interesting decision to put the spotlight on Black Widow and one which is either going to pay off for Marvel Studios or wind up failing to meet expectations at the box office. Either way, this is an adventure fans have been demanding to see for a while now and they'll get their wish in 2020.
The Eternals
Remember when Guardians of the Galaxy was announced and a lot of people assumed it would be Marvel Studios' first flop?
Well, The Eternals seems like an equally obscure property to bring to the big screen but the potential for greatness is huge, especially if the movie does indeed end up delving into the MCU's history while also setting up future cosmic adventures.
A 2020 release date is rumoured and casting should begin shortly, so expect to hear an awful lot more about these characters before the year is up.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3
Before Disney decided to fire James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was on track for a 2020 release. Now, we're only getting two Marvel Studios movies next year and that's sadly something we'll just have to live with as this threequel remains without a director for the time being.
Chris Pratt recently claimed that Gunn's script is still being used for the movie and that means we can probably count on Dave Bautista's Drax returning as he's previously said he'll step down from the franchise if that's not the case.
While rumours have been swirling about Kevin Feige approaching a number of filmmakers about taking over from Gunn, it appears as if he's going to wait for the dust to settle first and that means Star-Lord and company could remain on the shelf for at least a few more years. If nothing else, Marvel won't want this one coming out the same time as The Suicide Squad!
Doctor Strange 2
Doctor Strange was definitely a hit so the fact it's taken Marvel Studios such a long time to get started on a sequel is infuriating. However, a lot of that is down to Benedict Cumberbatch's busy schedule and we've had our fix of the Sorcerer Supreme elsewhere in the MCU regardless.
Scott Derrickson is expected to return for Doctor Strange 2 and if past comments are any indication, he'll be looking to focus on the villainous Nightmare.
It will be good to get back to basics with the magically powered superhero after the huge stakes of Avengers: Endgame but his status quo is bound to have undergone some changes since he aligned himself with Earth's Mightiest Heroes and helped save the entire universe.
Black Panther 2
Doctor Strange may have performed well but Black Panther was a true box office juggernaut and so Marvel Studios no doubt spent a lot of money to ensure that Ryan Coogler would be back to take the helm of the Oscar-nominated movie's sequel.
Absolutely nothing is known about this one and it's still in the very early stages of development.
However, Coogler's past remarks about wanting to include Kraven the Hunter in the first movie have piqued the interest of fans and that would indeed be pretty damn amazing to see. Unfortunately, it sounds like Sony Pictures has plans to release a solo movie revolving around the villain so we probably shouldn't get our hopes up...
Shang-Chi
Of all the movies we probably expected Marvel Studios to release during Phase 4, it's fair to say that none of us could have guessed Shang-Chi would be among them.
However, that's the plan and it's going to be a lot of fun seeing what they do with the "Master of Kung Fu." After all, just like Eternals is going to make up for how disappointing Inhumans was, it seems as if Shang-Chi will deliver the thrills and mystical martial arts Iron Fist failed to deliver on.
I'm not sure how this will fit into Feige's wider master plan but it's a project with plenty of potential.
Captain Marvel 2/Ms. Marvel
Captain Marvel still hasn't hit theaters but there are already rumblings about a sequel and it seems inevitable, especially with early projections pointing to a huge $100+ million opening weekend.
While we'd heard talk of a Ms. Marvel movie, Brie Larson and Kevin Feige have both made comments which point to Kamala Khan showing up in the sequel and that's obviously yet another reason to be excited about where Carol Danvers' story could go next.
Larson has signed a huge seven-picture contract so whether the sexist fanboys out there like it or not, Captain Marvel is here to stay.
The Vision And The Scarlet Witch
Presumably set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, the Disney+ series is going to revolve around The Vision and the Scarlet Witch and while plot details are scarce, there have been rumours about it being based on Tom King's Vision. That means these two will be trying to find domestic bliss out in the suburbs with potentially disastrous consequences!
Loki
The God of Mischief suffered a very definitive death at the hands of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and a recent story from The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the Disney+ series will find a way around that by following Tom Hiddleston's Loki as he makes his presence felt at various points throughout history, manipulating events for his own gain (obviously).
Bucky And The Falcon
Given the dynamic we've seen between these two on the big screen, a show revolving around Bucky and The Falcon promises to be a great deal of fun. We've heard absolutely nothing about the creative direction of this one but if Steve Rogers does indeed meet his maker in Avengers: Endgame, then it's feasible that they'll be looking to fill the void Captain America's death has left in the world.
Hawkeye
This is definitely just a rumour but a couple of fansites have claimed that Jeremy Renner will be making the leap to the small screen as Hawkeye for a series which will revolve around him training Kate Bishop (part of Marvel's plan to introduce a new generation of The Avengers). It would be fun to see but until we hear something concrete, we have to fund the series under "wishful thinking."
Lady Sif
Another series which is very much a rumour, fans of Jaimie Alexander's Sif have already started getting excited over the prospect of the character finally getting the spotlight she deserves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This may very well hinge on whether or not we see her make an appearance in Avengers: Endgame but it would be fun, that's for sure.
Avengers, X-Men, And The Fantastic Four
Common sense says that Marvel Studios is planning another Avengers movie for somewhere in Phase 4, especially as Infinity War and Endgame will more than likely earn a combined total of well over $4 billion between them.
What form that will take remains to be seen but a West Coast Avengers movie would be an interesting way to shake things up.
As for the X-Men and Fantastic Four, work on both properties should begin in earnest once the Disney/Fox merger is complete and a reboot of one or both properties should come our way at some point in the next few years.
Which of these Marvel Cinematic Universe projects are you most excited to see? Do you think they will all see the light of day? Share your thoughts on that in the comments section below.