Disney is going all in with its new streaming service and that means putting the focus on the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a priority. As of right now, we have at least nine shows on the way over the next few years which promise to put the spotlight on everyone from Hawkeye to the Scarlet Witch.
As well as familiar faces such as The Falcon, Loki, and Baron Zemo, these shows will feature a long list of brand new characters who will be making their respective live-action debuts.
Some will be the leads of these new MCU adventures, while others look set to serve as villains or supporting players. Their involvement tells us a lot about what to expect, though, and in this feature, we take a look at each of the confirmed new heroes and villains coming to this shared world.
So, to take a look at this article in its entirety, simply click on the "View List" button down below!
Kate Bishop/Hawkeye
It was just this week that we learned Marvel Studios has offered the role of Kate Bishop to
Bumblebee star Hailee Steinfeld, and it's fair to say that she's a perfect choice to play the young archer.
In the comics, Clint Barton and Kate have a rather heated relationship and both serve as "Hawkeye" at the same time. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, it appears as if she will be the original Hawkeye's replacement, something which can't help but make you wonder whether Marvel Studios is planning to launch a
Young Avengers TV show/movie.
Does this mean Clint's time in the MCU is nearing its end? Honestly, that seems highly likely!
Kathryn Hahn's "Nosy Neighbour"
Kathryn Hahn is an actress and comedian best known for starring in
Transparent and voicing Doc Ock in
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. She's been cast in
WandaVision, but does it not strike anyone else as odd that Marvel Studios would announce her casting and then only name her as a sitcom-style "Nosy Neighbour"?
I wouldn't be remotely surprised if she's actually playing Agatha Harkness, a character pivotal to Scarlet Witch's mental breakdown.
A powerful witch, Agatha's decision to wipe Wanda's memory when it was revealed that her children were beings she had created with her powers led to the hero going mad, killing members of The Avengers, and ultimately declaring "No More Mutants." So, yeah, how much do you want to bet that there's more to this so-called "Nose Neighbour" than meets the eye?
Loki
So, this is a bit of a tricky one. After Loki was defeated in
The Avengers, he was put on a path to redemption (well, mostly) which started in
Thor: The Dark World and ended with his demise in
Avengers: Infinity War. This Loki, however, is a very different beast as he's still in full on villain mode and not the same God of Mischief we all know and love.
It's thought that the series will revolve around Loki travelling through time to manipulate events to his own liking, and rumour has it that he'll somehow find his way into
Thor: Love and Thunder.
Whatever happens, this is definitely an all-new, all-different version of the character, and that's exciting for a lot of reasons, especially as he could have a big future in the MCU from here.
Captain Britain
Personally, this isn't how I would have chosen Captain Britain's introduction to be handled, but it will still be cool to see what would have happened had Peggy Carter been the one to take the Super Soldier Serum instead of Captain America!
With any luck, there are still plans for Brian Braddock in a live-action setting (it's possible that he was somehow tied into the
X-Men rights at Fox), but the first episode of
What If? is going to introduce this alternate universe version of the character, while the skinny Steve Rogers will wear Iron Man-style armour!
There are bound to be lots of new versions of existing characters in this animated series, but Captain Carter/Captain Britain is definitely the most noteworthy one we've heard about.
U.S. Agent
The news that Wyatt Russell will play U.S. Agent in
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier tells us a lot about what to expect from the Disney+ series, as it's clear now that the reason Sam Wilson isn't Captain America when the show starts is because the United States government will have its own ideas about who should replace Steve Rogers in the wake of
Avengers: Endgame.
John Walker is a character who has crossed the line between being a hero and villain many times over the years, and it wouldn't be at all surprising if Baron Zemo is somehow manipulating him.
It goes without saying that The Falcon will be Captain America by the time all is said and done, but seeing how U.S. Agent gets involved with that promises to be a whole lot of fun for fans.
Monica Rambeau
Okay, so we've met Monica Rambeau before, but she was a child then and when she returns in
WandaVision, who knows how much she will have changed!
Randall Park's Jimmy Woo has been confirmed as making an appearance after his introduction in
Ant-Man and The Wasp, so it wouldn't be at all surprising if she's also in the FBI. However, Marvel Studios must know that fans are desperate to see her become Captain Marvel/Spectrum so Carol Danvers' "niece" could undergo a major transformation.
Regardless, seeing what Teyonah Parris will bring to the role is one of the most exciting parts of this show.
Uatu The Watcher
We caught a glimpse of The Watchers in
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but
What If? is going to introduce us to Uatu, a character most comic book fans will most definitely be familiar with.
Just like in the comic books, he will narrate these adventures to the audience as he introduces us to a number of different realities where one decision can completely change everything.
Jeffrey Wright (
Westworld) is voicing Uatu in the animated series and time will tell whether he makes the leap to the big screen. It would be amazing seeing him in a live-action setting, though!
She-Hulk
She-Hulk was announced at D23 and is clearly a long way off, hence why we've yet to hear anything about who might play the character and how Marvel Studios plans to bring her to life on the small screen. You have to believe that visual effects will be used and that could make this show very expensive indeed (it's just a good job she has a human alter-ego similar to Bruce Banner).
The Hulk is bound to play a role here, while adding another Green Goliath to the Marvel Cinematic Universe should have consequences for this entire shared world. The question on the minds of many fans, though, is whether Jennifer Walters will cross paths with certain other New York City lawyer...
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a character fans have been desperate to see in a live-action setting for a long time now, and it's finally going to happen on Disney+. While the character could have easily held his own in a movie, exploring his complex origin story and psyche across multiple episodes is a smart move.
The Defenders may have delved into street level superheroes, but those adventures are barely canon and it will be interesting to see Kevin Feige's take on that corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Many fans believe that
Moon Knight will really delve into the supernatural aspects of the character, and that actually makes a lot of sense seeing as we know vampires are coming in the Blade reboot!
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is another character who fans have spent a lot of time hoping to see added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and that's finally happening. It won't be in
Captain Marvel 2, though; instead, she's also getting her own solo series on Disney+.
The biggest question right now is whether Kevin Feige will make her an Inhuman just like in the comic books. If that is the case, he'll presumably reboot the awful TV series that was cancelled after one, very expensive season. That alone would make Ms. Marvel a must-watch, but it has plenty of potential regardless - especially given those possible
Young Avengers connections.
For a recap of Star Wars reveals (including those shows
coming to Disney+) from D23, continue reading below!
Rey Turns To The Dark Side?
No new trailer for
The Rise of Skywalker was released during the panel, but some footage
was shown off to those in attendance. For the most part, there weren't really any major reveals..well, at least not until the very end! Featuring Rey in a black hood and robe, the Jedi appears to have turned to the Dark Side as she ignites a Darth Maul-style double-bladed red lightsaber!
Perhaps the Skywalker who will rise in the movie is Ben Solo after The Emperor successfully manages to turn Rey to the Dark Side? Whatever the answer may be, this is a monumental reveal and one which just proves how little we really know about this finale!
More Details About Keri Russell's Zorri Bliss
Some fans believe that Zorri Bliss could be this trilogy's own Boba Fett, but regardless of whether she does indeed end up being a breakout character, some intriguing new details were revealed at D23. For starters, we learned from the actress that she's
"kind of a criminal" and
"an old friend of Poe's."
"It was so exciting," Russell continued.
"First of all, the main thing is my son actually thinks I’m cool now. I had this amazing costume and this helmet, which I actually loved to wear and didn’t take it off for about the first two days. I wore it the whole time, but I found it incredibly, strangely empowering and exciting. I can’t wait for you guys to meet Zorii."
"She’s very cool and a little bit shady." If nothing else, we can probably expect her to be a focal point of the movie's merchandise as that costume the actress is referring to looks awesome.
Bringing Back Carrie Fisher's General Leia
It's no secret that footage from
The Force Awakens is being used to bring Carrie Fisher's General Leia back from the dead for one final appearance in the
Star Wars franchise, and director J.J. Abrams elaborated on the role she will end up playing in the movie.
"The character of Leia is really, in a way, the heart of this story," the filmmaker says.
"When we were talking about this story we realized we could not possibly tell the end of these nine films without Leia." He went on to say that after looking at what they shot for that first movie,
"we realized we could use in a new way so Carrie, as Leia, gets to be in the film."
The Emperor Is Definitely Back
If that creepy laugh at the end of the first teaser trailer for
The Rise of Skywalker didn't make it clear, then this amazing new poster for the movie most definitely does: The Emperor is back!
The iconic villain even had a line in the footage shown to fans:
"The journey nears its end."
We have a lot of unanswered questions about his return and the role he'll play in the movie, but Kylo Ren and Rey were shown battling atop what appeared to be a piece of the Death Star as waves roared around them. Palpatine's return has to be tied to that location, and we'll hopefully learn more about that soon.
The Clone Wars Season 7 Gets A Premiere Date
Well, it's about damn time!
Season seven of
The Clone Wars is set to premiere on Disney+ next February and there will be twelve episodes in total. As a result, fans can finally expect to see a conclusion to the show that was cancelled when Disney purchased Lucasfilm.
"It will conclude the story that [George Lucas] and I started together," supervising director Dave Filoni explains.
"There could be stories after that that take place with a lot of those characters," he continued.
"But especially for me directing Clone Wars, being that hands on, I wrote and directed the final four episodes. It’s the end of something I feel really good about."
Ewan McGregor Is Returning As Obi-Wan Kenobi On Disney+
The Disney+ panel ended with a blockbuster announcement we all hoped was coming: Ewan McGregor is finally reprising the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi! It won't be a movie, though; instead, the fan-favourite Jedi Knight will star in his own TV series and all episodes have been written, with shooting currently scheduled to take place next year.
McGregor has spent years fielding questions about his future as Kenobi but when Kathleen Kennedy asked him on the D23 stage whether he'll be reprising the role in the still untitled series, he was finally able to reply with a definitive "Yes!"
The Rogue One Spinoff Series Starts Shooting Next Year
The
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story spinoff series revolving around Diego Luna's Cassian Andor and Alan Tudyk's K-2SO was announced last November, but not much more was revealed during D23 weekend. Plot details are few and far between, but Stephen Schiff (
The Americans) is serving as showrunner and filming will also take place in 2020.
Beyond that, we just know that it (obviously) takes place before the events of
Rogue One and it will be interesting seeing what the show brings to the Star Wars Universe, especially when we already know the final fates of both these characters.
The Mandalorian Gets A Teaser Trailer
The cast of
The Madalorian came out on stage alongside Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and they delivered a handful of behind the scenes photos and the typical sound bites you might expect from a panel like this. What really grabbed everyone's attention, though, is the first trailer for the series which is set to launch on November 12th alongside the streaming service itself.
Set three years after the events of
Return of the Jedi, the show is going to delve into the aftermath of the Empire's defeat, and looks every bit as impressive as the movies we're used to watching in a Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Ming-Na Wen Joins The Cast Of The First Star Wars TV Show
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Ming-Na Wen was honoured at this year's D23 Expo and Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that she's part of the cast of
The Mandalorian. This unexpected casting addition has got everyone talking but, as of right now, we have no idea who the actress will be playing.
"I was so excited when [Disney chairman Bob Iger] announced it, because I’ve been waiting to talk about it," Wen said in an interview late on Friday evening.
"You don’t understand — that is a Star Wars geek girl’s dream come true." Pressed for details on who she will be playing, all she would say is:
"I certainly don’t play a farmer!"
A New Class Of Stormtrooper
It's become commonplace for the new Star Wars movies to introduce different classes of Stromtrooper, but those Sith Troopers will have some company in The Rise of Skywalker courtesy of the newly revealed Jet Trooper. They're a pretty sinister looking bunch, and what they'll be getting up to in the movie is pretty obvious from the name!
It's obviously going to be a lot of fun seeing them in action, especially when this more than likely means we can look forward to some aerial combat in the Skywalker Saga finale.