While there is no shortage of announcements being made at San Diago's Comic-Con, it was the Marvel panel that fans were looking forward to the most. Well, Kevin Feige took to the stage, and he did not disappoint with the announcements. We'll go into more detail on each release later on, but for now, here's a quick(ish) rundown of everything that was confirmed.
Following the acquisition of 20th Century Fox, A Fantastic Four reboot is in the works, and Mutants will usher in the X-Men in some capacity. Both projects are in the early stages of development and likely won't show up until Phase 5. At the time of writing there has been no mention of Deadpool 3, X-Force, Spider-Man 3, or a sequel to Ant-Man and The Wasp. Before we get going, Captain Marvel 2, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3, and Black Panther 2 are all part of phase four but have yet to have confirmed release dates.
Let's do this in the only order that makes sense, the chronological order of release. Massive spoilers for Avengers Endgame ahead.
Black Widow May 1, 2020
The only MCU movie currently in production sees Scarlett Johansson's character finally get her own solo movie. Now, the events of Endgame raised serious questions as to when the solo film would be set, we now know that it takes places shortly after Captain America Civil Wa with Natasha on the run. Directed by Cate Shortland (Somersault), Black Widow also stars David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O. T. Fagbenle, Rachel Weisz, and Ray Winstone
The Eternals November 6, 2020
Directed by Chloé Zhao, Angelina Jolie makes her MCU debut as Thena in The Eternals with Richard Madden (Ikaris), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Salma Hayek (Ajak), Lia McHugh and Don Lee also amongst the cast.
Falcon and The Winter Soldier - Late 2020 Disney+
Following the aftermath of Endgame, Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan are sticking together as Falcon and The Winter Soldier. The frenemies might not get along that well, but their shared respect for Steve Rogers gives the two unlikely partners common ground. They'll be facing a familiar foe with Daniel Bruhl's Baron Zemo (last seen in Captain America Civil War).
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings February 12, 2021
Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, Simu Liu (Kim’s Convenience) will star as the titular hero, and if the Ten Rings sounds familiar, that's because it's been teased since the first Iron Man movie. After we got a smart (yet slightly frustrating) take on the character in Iron Man 3, the real Mandarin is set to be the main villain of Shang-Chi with Tony Leung landing the role. I loved Ben Kingsley's drunken actor piece of misdirection in Iron Man 3, but I'm glad we get to see the real version of the character. Awkwafina was also cast in a yet to be announced role.
WandaVision - Spring 2021 Disney+
Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany will both reprise their roles as Scarlet Witch and Vision for what sounds like a seriously trippy series. Bettany described the series as “It’s going to get weird, and we’re going to go deep, and we’re going to find out what Wanda is like as Scarlet Witch." Vision remained dead after the events of Endgame, so his return has been a point of much speculation. There will be a familiar character in the series with the now grown-up Monica Rambeau (from Captain Marvel) making a regular appearance (to be played by Teyonah Parris).
Loki - Spring 2021 Disney+
If like everybody else who watched Endgame you were left wondering what the heck happened to the 2012 version of Loki after he vanished with the Space Stone, Loki's Disney+ series has the answers. Tom Hiddleston returns as the God of Mischief is perhaps the most anticipated of the MCU offerings on Disney+. Will Loki run into Thor on his travels? Will the new Thor movie not feature Loki? We'll find out in about 18 months.
Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness - May 7, 2021.
Firstly, this is without a doubt one of the best titles for any Marvel movie ever made. Benedict Cumberbatch will be back as the Sorcerer Supreme in what director Scott Derrickson describes as "the first scary MCU film". Naturally, it will be PG-13 based horror, but I am loving the direction this is taking. Elizabeth Olsen will be returning as Scarlet Witch, and the events of her Disney+ series, Wanda Vision, will tie into Doctor Strange's sequel. Has Scarlet Witch been living with an alternate version of Vision? We'll find out soon enough.
What If...? - Summer 2021 Disney+
Offering short animated stories from alternate realities, What If will feature more than two dozen MCU cast members reprise their roles for standalone episodes. Jeffrey Wright (Westworld) will be the only regular character playing The Watcher which he describes as "The Watcher is non-earthly being who observes all things. He’s watching over the multi-verse and occasionally may or may not intervene with the doings of earthlings.”
Hawkeye Late 2021 Disney+
Jeremy Renner picks up the bow once again for his very own Disney+ series. Very little was revealed about the series, but we know that Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye's real name) will be training a protégé, Kate Bishop, to take over the mantle of Hawkeye.
Thor Love and Thunder - November 5, 2021
Mere days after it was revealed that the MCU was getting its first-ever fourth solo movie for any of its characters, we now have the glorious title of Thor Love and Thunder. Written and directed by Ragnorak's Taika Waititi, Tessa Thompson well be back alongside Chris Hemsworth with the unexpected addition of Natalie Portman reprising her role as Jane Foster, with a twist, Portman will be portraying Mighty Thor. It remains unclear if this will affect the possibility of Thor showing up in Guardians 3, but James Gunn's sequel could easily be set directly after Endgame.
Blade Reboot Starring Mahershala Ali
Oh, and just as a cherry to top off a mighty fine looking cake, Marvel casually dropped the announcement that Blade is joining the MCU with Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali taking on the role. It remains unclear if the new Blade is going to be R-rated like the trilogy that starred Wesley Snipes. If Disney meant what they said about properties like Deadpool remaining undiluted, then an R-rated Blade could be on the cards.Vampires, more Gods, the Multiverse, and so much more, the MCU post Endgame is getting weirder, and I love it.
So there you have it, that's everything that was revealed during the Marvel Panel, we'll keep you posted with any updates.