With so much work on films taking place remotely now, we're not surprised that Marvel Studios has been something of a leaky ship these past few years. A lot of big plot leaks have surfaced across the web, while rumors remain as hard to believe as ever given the sheer volume of them.
We've combed through the BS for you, though, and rounded up what we believe to be a reliable list of rumors about what the future holds in store for the MCU.
There are no full-blown story leaks here, just the good old fashion casting, plot, and character details we know you guys love. From a surprising Mister Fantastic update to plans for Bullseye, Echo's new powers on screen, and even what the deal is with Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures now, these stories are all crazy and fun in equal measure (and, as per, a little hard to believe).
We'll let you decide which you think are the real deal, but can tell you we've been hearing the same thing about many of the projects listed below so they're by no means bogus! Just click NEXT to take a look, folks...
8. Will Blade Appear In Werewolf By Night?
With it all but confirmed that Moon Knight will not be part of October's Werewolf by Night, it looks like fans will have to make do with Man-Thing (a pretty major MCU debut that makes up for Moony's absence).
Could a certain Daywalker appear? Blade arrives in theaters on November 3, 2023, and aside from a voice cameo only hardcore fans picked up on at the end of Eternals, there's been no sign of the vampire hunter. Well, rumor has it the Oscar-winner was on the set of October 7's "Marvel Studios Special Presentation."
That doesn't guarantee Blade will appear, but we'd be shocked if the opportunity isn't taken to tee up his solo outing with this Halloween tale.
7. Echo's Powers
We enjoyed spending time with Echo in Hawkeye, but the news the character would get her own TV series was met with surprise from fans. While her comic book counterpart has a storied history with Daredevil and The Kingpin, there's really not all that much to pull from.
In recent years, Echo has joined The Avengers and taken charge of the Phoenix Force. Word out of D23 was that the former criminal was "glowing" in the teaser shown to attendees, so just what the heck is going on?
Along with exploring her family history and dealing with a vengeful Kingpin, it's said the MCU's Maya Lopez will be granted magic tattoos by the spirits of her ancestors, thereby giving her superpowers. We're guessing this will be how the handprint on her face is introduced.
6. A Marvel/Sony Update
Following the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we're hearing that Sony Pictures intends to continue working with Marvel Studios, thereby keeping Peter Parker where he belongs in the MCU.
According to one leak, Marvel Studios was keen to do something with Kraven the Hunter, but hopes to eventually make use of Black Cat and Jessica Drew, a.k.a. Spider-Woman. Apparently, the rights to the latter were held by Sony up until recently, but a swap has taken place because Julia Carpenter was actually owned by Marvel Studios.
Now, Julia will be part of Madame Web and Jessica will join The Avengers lineup down the line. We're sceptical about this one, but it would be pretty rad.
5. Bullseye Returns
Daredevil season 3 introduced Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter and explored the former FBI agent's transformation into, well, Daredevil. He was obviously supposed to be Bullseye, but it wasn't until the finale that the stage was set for that to happen.
Marvel Television took a typically convoluted approach to telling the character's story. However, Marvel Studios can now bring Wilson Bethel back as a fully formed Variant of the iconic villain in Daredevil: Born Again, right? That's the hope and this rumor says it is happening.
Bethel's return has not been confirmed, but the character is said to be part of the 18-episode series. We'd be disappointed if he wasn't.
4. John Krasinski Isn't The MCU's Mister Fantastic
Heading into D23, the expectation was that Marvel Studios would finally reveal who is playing the Fantastic Four. Instead, we just got confirmation that WandaVision's Matt Shakman will helm the long-awaited reboot.
The belief is that something might have fallen through, stopping Kevin Feige from making this cast reveal official. Regardless, there's a lot of chatter surrounding who should play who, but all signs sadly point to John Krasinski not returning as the MCU's Mister Fantastic after playing the character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
We don't know if he's too old or simply doesn't want to commit to the role, but a lot of fans will be disappointed by this news.
3. A Big Hulk Project Is On The Horizon
Whether it's Abomination's return in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, the fact someone is trying to steal Jennifer Walters' blood, or The Leader's upcoming return in Captain America: New World Order, it's clear something Hulk-related is on the horizon.
Let us also not forget that the Jade Giant has taken a trip into outer space to presumably meet his son, Skaar. With all that in mind, the claim that the next Captain America movie is setting the stage for a big new Hulk project doesn't shock us. For that matter, neither does the rumor that The Leader will be bringing some Hulks with him when he battles Sam Wilson!
We're guessing this means World War Hulks is happening at some point, and that's huge. What a plethora of Hulked-out heroes and villains means for the MCU is hard to say.
2. Henry Cavill Joins The MCU
We don't even have a link for this rumor because it's been so widely reported! It's no secret that Warner Bros. and Henry Cavill can't reach an agreement about his future as Superman, so has Marvel Studios now managed to poach the Distinguished Competition's Man of Steel?
Depending on who you believe, the Brit is either playing Hyperion in Loki season 2 and Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (with the Squadron Supreme serving that villain) or gearing up to become the MCU's Captain Britain.
Either one of those would be a mighty fine use of the actor and we can't help but admit to taking some delight at the thought of Marvel Studios stealing Cavill. Warner Bros. has sorely misused Superman and kept Cavill off our screens since 2017, so it's time for him to move on now.
1. Ryan Gosling For Iron Fist?
This is a crazy one, but a recent leak suggests that Ryan Gosling with Marvel Studios was to discuss playing Danny Rand, a.k.a. Iron Fist.
That's not confirmed and there's a chance he'd actually be playing the film's villain (fans have been vocal about wanting to see an Asian version of this character). Either way, Gosling is said to be keen on starring in a martial arts project and the MCU could give him the chance to do so with a sorely needed Iron Fist reboot that helps us forget that Marvel Television TV series.
If we were putting money on it, we'd guess that Iron Fist will show up in the Shang-Chi franchise before his own solo outing, but who knows? A far more reliable rumor is that Shang-Chi 2 is coming on February 14, 2025, so we may find out soon enough.