MCU Cosmic has shared a rumour which claims that
The Mandalorian star Giancarlo Esposito is being eyed for a "big" role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There's currently no word on which character he's being considered for, but fans of
Breaking Bad and
Better Call Saul will be well aware that he's great at playing a terrifying bad guy.
The site points to past reports that Marvel Studios was looking for an actor of Esposito's age to play "The Benefactor" (who many believe was Sonny Burch's employer in
Ant-Man and The Wasp).
There has been plenty of speculation that he could be Norman Osborn, but with no mention of that villain or Oscorp in
Spider-Man: Far From Home, reports about the Green Goblin being the MCU's next big bad may have been greatly exaggerated. Either way, there's no denying that the actor would be a great addition to this shared world and a fantastic baddie in any number of upcoming releases.
This is just a rumour for now, so it's best to take it with a pinch of salt. Assuming Esposito is in line for a role, though, be sure to let us know your thoughts on who you think he could end up playing in the comments section down below.
Hit the "View List" button to see our ranking of
Marvel's Phase 4 slate from least to most anticipated!
10. Black Widow
There's a lot to be excited about in
Black Widow, including the fact that Taskmaster will be making his big screen debut alongside Red Guardian. Throw in the promise that it will explore what the mantle of Black Widow means, and there's definitely a good reason for this movie to exist.
Despite that, it still comes in last place here. During Comic-Con, it was confirmed that Black Widow will take place in 2017 between the events of
Captain America: Civil War and
Avengers: Infinity War and seeing as we already know how Natasha's story ends, it's hard to get overly invested in whatever story this movie is going to tell - especially when we're so used to the future being teased.
9. What If?
What If? is an animated series set to delve into alternate realities and timelines just like the comic books. With an all-star cast and the promise of some crazy takes on familiar stories, this will be a lot of fun, so why isn't it ranked higher?
Honestly, it's because an animated series simply can't compete with some of the other movies and TV shows that were revealed during the event, and while this should be a fun ride, it won't necessarily be essential viewing... at least not in the same way as some of these other upcoming releases.
8. Eternals
It's fair to say that the vast majority of comic book fans probably aren't overly familiar with the Eternals, but like the Guardians of the Galaxy before them, that will soon change.
The all-star cast of the movie was revealed during Comic-Con and with names like Angelina Jolie and Richard Madden set to appear, this one should be worth checking out for that alone. With the focus set to be put on the Celestials and a good 30,000 years of the MCU's history, this could even be the movie that sets the stage for mutants to finally start appearing.
7. Hawkeye
This Disney+ series had been rumoured before the official announcement came, but that confirmation was definitely welcomed and watching Clint Barton train his replacement (Kate Bishop) promises to be an absolute blast. The official logo is clearly inspired by Matt Fraction and David Aja's acclaimed comic book run, and that alone points to this one being well worth your time.
It's obviously early days (we don't even know who is attached from a creative standpoint right now), but
Hawkeye is going to serve as both a passing of the torch for the character and one which deals with the fallout from
Avengers: Endgame - and Clint's time as Ronin - in a major way.
6. Loki
In
Avengers: Endgame, the 2012 version of the God of Mischief escaped from S.H.I.E.L.D. custody and it was hard not to wonder how differently things must have played out in that timeline.
Well, the answers to that are coming in this Disney+ series, and we'll get to see what would have happened to Loki had he not found redemption in
Thor: The Dark World. Concept art has pointed to time-travel being involved, and while we can probably assume this takes place in an alternate timeline, don't be surprised if it has ramifications for the present day MCU as well.
5. Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings
Shang-Chi is a great character, but not one I'd count among my own personal favourites. Despite that, it's going to awesome to finally see him in a live-action setting, and a martial arts superhero movie sounds awesome.
Simi Liu is clearly very grateful and passionate for the role, and that alone makes it easy to root for him (and thereby the character). However, arguably one of the most exciting things about
Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings is the fact that we're finally going to meet the real version of The Mandarin, something which promises to expand the MCU in a major way.
4. WandaVision
Everyone involved with
WandaVision is talking about how different it is to anything we've seen in the MCU before now, and if that doesn't get you excited, nothing will. The Vision's return is a huge mystery right now but it's clear that Scarlet Witch's powers are going to play a role, and that's going to have major ramifications for the MCU as a whole.
Chances are we'll finally see Wanda unleash her reality altering powers and create a world where she and "The Vision" can be happy. With Kevin Feige promising that the show leads directly into the
Doctor Strange sequel, this will be unmissable. We'll also meet the grown up Monica Rambeau, which is a very big deal and could be another major hint about what comes next.
3. The Falcon And The Winter Soldier
The logo certainly seems to point to The Falcon becoming Captain America, while Anthony Mackie revealed in a recent interview that he's already tried on the costume. With any luck, that will indeed be something that plays out in the series, but even if Marvel Studios holds off on Sam Wilson wielding the shield, Baron Zemo returning more than makes up for that.
Some officially released teaser images have confirmed that he will don his mask from the comics, and while the Russo Brothers aren't involved, this feels like it a natural successor to their Captain America movies. However, something tells us that it will indeed introduce the MCU's new Cap!
2. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Doctor Strange was a fun, trippy adventure which teased the wider Marvel Multiverse, but this sequel is clearly going to embrace that concept and run with it to deliver what's been described as the MCU's first (PG-13) "horror" movie.
With Scarlet Witch confirmed to appear and Nightmare a very likely choice of villain,
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness promises to delve into the mystical side of the MCU in even more thrilling ways than the first movie, while hopefully setting the stage for countless new stories moving forward...both in this world and possibly others as well!
1. Thor: Love And Thunder
What else did you expect to see here? Taika Waititi delivered one of the best Marvel movies to date with
Thor: Ragnarok, and even if those details about the sequel hadn't been revealed at Comic-Con, we'd still be counting down the days until November 2021.
However, with Natalie Portman returning to the role of Jane Foster to suit up as the new God of Thunder and Valkyrie looking for her "Queen" of New Asgard, there are so many things to be excited about here, it's impossible to list them all in one article. This promises to be something special, and a movie that should make it clear where Phase 5 will be going.
Honourable Mention: Blade
Blade may have been announced at Comic-Con, but it won't actually factor into Marvel Studios' Phase 4 plans; instead, it's set to be released during Phase 5, hence why it hasn't earned a place here.
However, had it been an official Phase 4 movie, it more than likely would have topped this list for two very simple reasons: for starters, it will finally bring vampires into the MCU, while the fact that Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali has signed up to play the Daywalker is obviously very exciting, and something that automatically makes this movie a must-see.
Hit the "View List" button for a recap of the ten
biggest Marvel Studios reveals from this year's Comic-Con!
The Eternals Are...Aliens?!
In the comics, the Eternals were created when the Celestials visited Earth over five million years ago and performed genetic experiments on early humans. As well as these immortal beings, the Celestials also created the monstrous Deviants. However, it sounds like the characters could undergo some major changes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
"The Eternals are arranged of immortal aliens," Richard Madden told the Hall H crowd.
"[They're] sent here by the Celestials to protect mankind from the Deviants." In other words, it sounds like the MCU version of the Eternals will be created to counter the Deviants, and could hail from outer space rather than right here on Earth. That's a pretty major change.
"It’s about this group of incredible immortals but through their journey we really get to explore what it means to be human and humanity on our time on this planet," director Chloe Zhao added.
Baron Zemo Is Back...And He's Bringing His Mask!
We heard a while ago that Daniel Bruhl was in talks to return to the MCU as Zemo in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, but that was confirmed at Comic-Con in a pre-taped message from the villain.
After acknowledging that brainwashing Bucky will no longer work, Zemo made it clear that he wasn't out to inflict violence on the panel and instead has something else in mind.
"Gentleman, I'll be seeing you very soon," he says before donning his purple mask from the comic books.
With Sam Wilson expected to suit up as Captain America, this one is going to be very interesting...
Loki Is Back...In 2012
The God of Mischief may have died at the hands of Thanos in
Avengers: Infinity War, but he's not done yet. Kevin Feige confirmed that the version of Loki we follow in his Disney+ series will be the one who escaped from custody back in 2012 when Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Captain America travelled back in time.
"The question I get asked more than any other question in Endgame was, where did Loki go, and what happened to Loki?" Feige said. "This series will answer where he went."
Tom Hiddleston then explained that this version of the character hasn't undergone the redemption arc the previous version did in Thor: The Dark World. "He's still that guy. Just about the last thing that happened to him is he got Hulk-smashed...There's a lot of psychological evolution yet to happen...I can't tell you any of [the plans] but it is one of the most exciting creative opportunities I've ever come across. A new world. New challenges. And I cannot wait to get started."
WandaVision Leads Into Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
WandaVision will feature an adult Monica Rambeau, and Elizabeth Olsen promises that
"we’re going to finally understand Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch." Paul Bettany, meanwhile, was saying nothing about how The Vision rises from the dead.
"Last thing I knew, I died in Infinity War, so I literally have never been this confused in front of this many people in my whole life."
Proving that these Disney+ TV shows will be unmissable, Olsen will be back as Wanda in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and the events of the series will be pivotal to this sequel.
"He’ll be facing unexpected things," Cumberbatch said of his character in the movie. "I think he’ll be in a position rather like the audience of not knowing what’s coming at him. There was a lot of authority I thought in the Avengers iterations [of Strange], so we’re going back to kind of destroy him, I think." Oh, and while it's set to be a horror film, it will retain its PG-13 rating.
Blade Is BACK!
The panel ended with those in attendance being given
Black Widow caps, but it was then that Kevin Feige brought out Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali. The actor had a cap of his own...emblazoned with a new
Blade logo! The vampire hunter is returning to the big screen and while the movie doesn't have a release date, the Marvel Studios boss later confirmed that it will be part of Phase 5!
Valkyrie Is The MCU's First Openly Gay Superhero
Kevin Feige has promised that we'll see more diversity in the MCU moving forward, and that was confirmed when Tessa Thompson revealed that a big part of
Thor: Love and Thunder will be Valkyrie's quest to
"find her new Queen." That is, of course, a reference to the fact that she's currently ruling over New Asgard and Thompson has alluded to the hero being gay for quite some time now.
Some fans will inevitably hate this, but it follows the comic books and there's already speculation that the "new queen" could be Jane Foster. That seems unlikely, but we'll soon find out!
The Real Mandarin Is Finally Coming
It's no secret that a new
Shang-Chi movie is on the way, but it being called
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was definitely a shocker and confirms rumours that The Mandarin is coming to the MCU. Moments later, Tony Leung was brought out on stage and announced as the villain, and while fans will be disappointed about not seeing him battle Iron Man, this promises to be a lot of fun.
After all, there are bound to be references to movies like
Iron Man and
Iron Man 3, and seeing Shang-Chi in action against this villain (and his sinister organisation) should be downright epic.
Some Phase 5 Hints
Marvel Studios only revealed its Phase 4 slate at Comic-Con, but Kevin Feige still dropped some huge reveals at the end of the night about what comes next. We've mentioned
Blade, but he also named
Captain Marvel 2,
Black Panther 2, and
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 as being in development.
Here's where things got really exciting, however; Feige confirmed that a new version of
Fantastic Four is on the way and teased fans by pointing out that they didn't even have time to talk "mutants."
That's not 100% confirmation, but it definitely sounds like we can expect to see both Marvel's First Family and the X-Men arrive during Phase 5 which should make that the biggest Phase yet.
Kate Bishop Will Star In A Hawkeye TV Series
There have been rumblings about a
Hawkeye series on Disney+ for a while now and that was confirmed on Saturday with a promo revealing that the show will revolve around both Clint Barton and Kate Bishop. The series is set to deal with the aftermath of
Avengers: Endgame and Barton's time as Ronin, and the title treatment was clearly inspired by Matt Fraction and David Aja's comic run.
According to Jeremy Renner, we'll also see the archer
"shepherd an amazing character to hopefully be a better version of [Hawkeye]." This definitely feels like it will be the actor's final appearance as Hawkeye, and while there was no mention of who will be playing Kate, we'll probably hear about that early next year as a premiere date of Fall 2021 has been set which is quite a wait.
The MCU's New Thor
Last week, we learned that Taika Waititi is returning to direct a fourth
Thor movie. Little did we know what he had planned, though. During his appearance at the panel, the filmmaker talked about how he would read Jason Aaron's
The Mighty Thor comic book series while shooting
Thor: Ragnarok and told fans that there's only one woman he could see playing the female God of Thunder.
That is Natalie Portman, and despite not being seen in the MCU since 2013's
Thor: The Dark World, she's coming back for
Thor: Love and Thunder to reprise the role of Jane Foster and become Thor.
The actress was presented with Thor's hammer by Waititi and held it high above her head. Big changes are coming to the MCU, and while Chris Hemsworth will be making an appearance, it definitely feels like this could be a passing of the torch for the Thor mantle in this shared world.