Unsurprisingly, Marvel Studios dominates SDCC once again after rolling out a gargantuan Phase 4 slates that includes 10 projects. However, a few key Avengers don't have a standalone film of their own. Where will Hulk, Ant-Man, Spider-Man, Black Panther and Captain Marvel turn up next? Will fans really have to wait until after 2021 to find out what these characters have been up to?
Probably not, as Kevin Feige and co. have started to increasingly embrace the idea of crossovers and cameos with films like Civil War, Ragnarok and Far From Home. Given the direction, we've made our best guess as to where these homeless MCU heroes might show up next. Click the next button below to check it out.
Hulk (Disney+ Loki Series)
An alternate reality/dimension Loki who escaped with the Tesseract/Space Stone can literally go anywhere. However, what if he wants to get revenge on the green giant who so easily dispatched him? Such a development would be a prime chance to see Hulk at his best- before an epic beatdown by Thanos and transformation into the one-armed Professor Hulk currently running around the MCU.
Ant-Man & Wasp (Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness)
This movie will likely be the most important film in all of the announced Phase 4 projects. It's the only film that has a Disney+ miniseries that directly leads into it and the fact that alternate realities will be featured means pretty much anyone can show up and anything can happen. A cameo by Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne doesn't make sense for any of the other confirmed projects but its a good chance that the full Avengers roster (and their alternate reality doppelgangers) could cameo.
Spider-Man (Hawkeye)
The fact that Marvel used the Hawkeye logo from Matt Fraction & David Aja critically acclaimed run on the title is a good indicator of what Kevin Feige and co. will attempt to execute in the miniseries. In the comic, Hawkeye is looking to enjoy a vacation of sorts from superhero life and is accompanied by Kate Bishop (who is confirmed to appear on the show). He sets up shop in a Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn apartment and gets up to all sorts of hilarious hijinks. With Spider-Man only a borough away, perhaps he'll make a cameo appearance? That is, if he's still roaming free after having his secret identity exposed and being framed for murder.
War Machine (Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings)
If the real Mandarin surfaces and is out for revenge against all the parties involved in the misappropriation of his name, then it stands to reason that all the surviving individuals from Iron Man 3 will be a target. That only leaves Rhodey, Pepper Potts and Trevor Slattery as potential targets. Maybe we'll even see a new Iron Man suit up?
The Guardians (Thor: Love and Thunder)
It's a perfectly logical assumption to believe that the Guardians of the Galaxy will show up next in Thor: Love and Thunder as the Odinson was last seen rocketing off into space with the ragtag crew of the Milano. However, perhaps news of Jane's cancer (the catalyst that made Thor surrender Mjolnir in the comic) will spur Thor to return to Midgard? Peter Quill would likely be all too happy to get the Asgardian prince off his ship.
Black Panther (The Eternals)
When gods suddenly make their presence known on Earth (how will Marvel explain why we haven't seen them up until this point?), Wakanda is likely Earth's best line of defense. The current Avengers roster lacks the firepower of yesteryears and whatever Nick Fury's building in space (likely a S.W.O.R.D. outpost) appears to be far from finished. That leaves T'Challa, Shuri and the rest of Wakanda's newly revealed technological might to hold down the fort.
Captain Marvel (WandaVision)
This is a rather odd place for Captain Marvel to show up but with an adult Monica Rambeau appearing, it would be the most likely Phase 4 project to see Carol Danvers return- even if it's just something similar to Black Widow's facetime meeting in Endgame. The brisk pace of Endgame didn't afford Danvers any scenes with her closest family but that's something Marvel should look to rectify to ground the MCU's strongest character.
The X-Men and Fantastic Four (Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness)
Calling it now, the multiverse will be how Kevin Feige and co. bring in the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. It's the simplest way to add X-Men characters like Wolverine, Apocalypse and Cable who have long, complicated backstories. At this stage of the MCU, there's simply no other way to explain that they've been around all along and are only now stepping to the forefront.
Steve Rogers (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier)
Though he's passed his shield, Steve Rogers is still out there. As a tactician, he'd still be a brilliant asset to any Earth defense force and having him direct Sam and Bucky as they attempt to outmaneuver Zemo would definitely bring back the Winter Soldier/Civil War vibe that seems to be reserved for Captain America films.