Marvel Studios has no shortage of eXciting projects in the works, but there's always room for a few surprises. With D23 providing Kevin Feige and the MCU with another opportunity to look beyond what's already been announced, we've picked six movies and TV shows we'd love to see officially confirmed today.
News about the X-Men reboot seems a given, but that can't be it, right? New looks at Avengers: Doomsday and VisionQuest are also rumoured, but this is a good chance to reveal what the opening stages of the Mutant Saga will look like.
Some are long-rumoured projects that feel long overdue, while others would be genuine surprises that could help shape the MCU's post-Avengers: Secret Wars future.
From the supernatural corner of the universe to the return of some fan-favourite heroes, these are the announcements Marvel Studios could—and, frankly, should—make at D23 later today (the panel runs from 7 pm to 9 pm PT).
6. Midnight Sons
It's been over 7 years since Blade was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2019. While we've had a pandemic and a Hollywood strike during that time, there's really no excuse for Marvel Studios' inability to get this movie off the ground.
Short of it being an insane misdirect, Mahershala Ali has confirmed he's done with Blade and the MCU, so Kevin Feige's best bet now may be to head straight to Midnight Sons, a supernatural Avengers, of sorts.
That movie would arguably be what's best for Eric Brooks and the other MCU characters who inhabit the supernatural corner of this world. If it happens, we're hopeful that characters like Elsa Bloodstone, Black Knight, Man-Thing, Werewolf by Night, and Moon Knight will also be included.
5. The Fantastic Four 2
The Fantastic Four: First Steps grossed over $520 million at the worldwide box office last year. It wasn't a mega-hit and turned only a modest profit, but the movie performed well—the team was best known for starring in bad blockbusters—and received great reviews from fans and critics.
With Marvel's First Family set to play a major role in Avengers: Doomsday, we'd hope that a Fantastic Four sequel will be a priority for Marvel Studios in the new MCU post-Avengers: Secret Wars. There are countless stories to tell with this team, especially on Earth-616.
In the past, the Avengers movies have been enough to give connected movies that followed a boost at the box office. That alone should be reason enough for Marvel Studios to give us another Fantastic Four movie, with a villain like Annihilus front and centre.
4. Spider-Man 5
There was a time when we'd have said that Marvel Studios announcing a Spider-Man movie at a Disney event was completely off the table. However, at San Diego Comic-Con last month, Jon Bernthal showed up in Hall H to debut an extended Spider-Man: Brand New Day clip.
That was a huge moment largely overshadowed by those big Black Panther 3 and Ghost Rider announcements. However, it signals a shift that opens the door to Kevin Feige announcing Spider-Man 5 right as the wall-crawler's latest movie prepares to hit $2 billion worldwide.
We'd like a release date, confirmation that Destin Daniel Cretton will direct, and, not to be greedy, but a title wouldn't go amiss either. Heck, if they find a way to tease Venom's official MCU debut, then we'll be all in on this one. Time will tell whether this is wishful thinking.
3. Deadpool 4
Ryan Reynolds has been playing Deadpool since 2016 (heck, it's 2009 if you want to count X-Men Origins: Wolverine). The definitive ending of the X-Men Universe is on the horizon, and the mutants will then be rebooted in Jake Schreier's planned reboot.
However, if the box office success of Deadpool & Wolverine guarantees anything, it's that Wade Wilson will likely live to fight another day. Deadpool 4 should absolutely be a priority for Marvel Studios; the question is, what should that movie look like?
It could be another Multiversal tale separate from the main MCU, with a long-overdue X-Force project perhaps the most likely possibility. Ultimately, setting any adventure with the Merc with the Mouth anywhere other than Earth-616 feels like a misstep, but we'll see.
2. World War Hulk
Captain America: Brave New World introduced Red Hulk and ultimately revealed that The Leader was responsible for President Ross' monstrous transformation. Both villains were ultimately imprisoned, leaving the door open for them to return one day.
Rumblings of a World War Hulk (or World War Hulks) project have persisted for years. The latest Captain America movie didn't necessarily set the stage for Samuel Sterns to create a new wave of Hulks. Still, Samuel Sterns' role in Red Hulk's rampage means it's still possible for Bruce Banner's nightmare to become a reality.
The Hulk teaming up with She-Hulk, Skaar, Red Hulk, and Amadeus Cho to take on The Leader's twisted army sounds like one heck of an event to us in the post-Secret Wars MCU.
1. Daredevil: Born Again Season 4
We haven't given up on Daredevil teaming up with Spider-Man, but it sure doesn't feel likely at this stage. If, for whatever reason, that meeting isn't being planned by Marvel Studios, then we'd at least like some clarity about the Man Without Fear's future on Disney+.
Season 3 is pulling out all the stops by reassembling The Defenders, giving Bullseye a comic-accurate costume, and bringing Elektra back into Matt Murdock's life. It would be a shame to see the story end there, especially when this corner of the MCU has so much potential.
A Season 4 announcement would be a welcome indication that Marvel remains committed to Daredevil: Born Again. "Shadowland" feels like the natural next step for this character, but if Daredevil's series is cancelled, that makes a Spider-Man 5 appearance more likely, at least...