Kevin Feige took the stage at San Diego Comic-Con and delivered a ton of information regarding the upcoming projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was confirmed that the next two years would consist of the entire Phase 4. This includes films like Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love And Thunder, The Eternals, and Black Widow, as well as Disney + shows like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, and Loki.
While the announcements of the films and TV shows were enough to get us excited, we wanted to dive a little deeper. There were tidbits of information regarding casting, surprise characters, genres, and more that really blew us away. We've picked out the ten announcements that have us the most excited.
The Real Mandarin
Iron Man 3 proved to be one of the most divisive entries in the MCU. Many fans were thrown off by the Mandarin twist. Trailers hyped Sir Ben Kingsley as one of Iron Man's most vicious rivals, the Mandarin, only to reveal during the film that he was just a drug addict actor faking the whole thing. Some felt it was a cheap move and one that rid the MCU of a major villain.
The Marvel One-Shot All Hail The King let fans know that a real Mandarin was out there somewhere. We'll finally be seeing him. In February 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the real Mandarin has been confirmed, played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
Black Widow's Time Period
Pinpointing when Black Widow would take place has been a topic of conversation since filming began. Natasha Romanoff died during the events of Avengers: Endgame, so we knew it would be a prequel. Many assumed it was going to take place before Romanoff ever joined up with Nick Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D.
It came as a big surprise when star David Harbour mentioned that Black Widow occurs between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. For those who forgot, Romanoff was on the run during that time. We assumed she was with Cap and Falcon that whole time, but this movie makes it clear that's not the case.
The Cast Of The Eternals
The decision to do a movie about the Eternals is one that caused a lot of head-scratching. That Marvel commodity is even smaller than the Guardians of the Galaxy were before their movie turned into a hit. There's a chance The Eternals could replicate that success, even if the concept is a high one with some hard-to-grasp concepts.
But if there's one thing that everyone can get on board with, it's the cast. Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Angelina Jolie, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Don Lee, Lia McHugh, and Lauren Ridloff make up one of the most diverse casts in history.
Monica Rambeau In WandaVision
The slate of upcoming MCU shows on Disney+ is quite interesting. These series will be run by Marvel Studios and are set to tie into the films in ways that the shows on Netflix, Hulu, and other networks never did. 2021 will see the debut of WandaVision, a show centering around Wanda Maximoff and Vision.
The new bit of information that has us buzzing was that an adult version of Monica Rambeau would star in WandaVision. Monica was last seen as a child in the '90s stealing the show in Captain Marvel. Teyonah Parris will be taking over the role. It'll be interesting to see how Monica fits into the show, considering her only known interaction with an Avenger was with Carol Danvers during the '90s.
A Horror Movie
If there's any MCU character who could deliver a horror movie, Doctor Strange is the one. That's exactly what we'll be getting with 2021's Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. During the Comic-Con panel, Kevin Feige noted that this would be the MCU's first "scary" film.
Doctor Strange's dealings with the Dark Dimension and the world of mystic arts he dabbles in are ripe with concepts that would fit right in with a scary tone. It helps that the director of the film, Scott Derrickson, was best known for horror movies like Sinister before helming Doctor Strange.
The Return Of Zemo
Another one of the biggest shocks to come out of Comic-Con was the return of Baron Helmut Zemo. When news broke that we'd be getting The Falcon and the Winter Soldier as a Disney+ series in 2020, all we knew about was the two leads. A bit more was inferred when Falcon was gifted Captain America's shield at the end of Avengers: Endgame.
Comic-Con revealed that Daniel Brühl will be returning to the MCU, reprising his role as Baron Helmut Zemo from Captain America: Civil War. He's the mastermind behind the plot to get the Avengers to fight against each other. A short video also showed that he'd be sporting his signature look from the comics.
Kate Bishop
Again, it was the Disney+ announcements that brought plenty of surprises. Everyone knew that the Hawkeye series was coming, but we weren't sure about the plot details. Set to premiere the latest of all the shows, Hawkeye will follow Clint Barton and the introduction of Kate Bishop.
The comic book arc that helped rejuvenate the Hawkeye character saw him act as a mentor to a girl named Kate Bishop. During their adventures together, Barton ultimately trains her to the point where she takes over the mantle of Hawkeye. That makes sense given how Barton moved away from his traditional character during Avengers: Endgame.
Doctor Strange & Scarlet Witch
The biggest news surrounding Wanda Maximoff wasn't even directly related to her Disney+ show. It was the notion that she'll be a featured character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We did get word that the events of WandaVision will directly tie into this sequel, which is exciting on its own. However, the real kicker is the idea that we'll get to see Scarlet Witch and Doctor Strange interact for the first time.
These are two characters with powerful magical abilities. Also, one has to consider the horror element. Wanda was quite broken after Thanos took everything from her. What if something happens during WandaVision to add to that pain?
Female Thor
Everything announced concerning Thor: Love and Thunder sounds awesome so far. Finding out that Natalie Portman was returning as Jane Foster wasn't all that surprising, even if she left the MCU on bad terms in 2013. The character was referenced and made a cameo in Avengers: Endgame, while Portman was at the premiere.
But the real excitement came when director Taika Waititi said she'd be appearing as a female Thor. He even handed Portman Mjolnir on stage. The idea stems from a comic storyline where Jane is deemed worthy enough to wield the hammer when Thor can't. She goes by Thor, the Goddess of Thunder and joins the Avengers for a time.
Valkyrie Needs A Queen
Valkyrie quickly became a fan favorite in Thor: Ragnarok. Her appearance in Avengers: Endgame was great and one of the coolest things to happen in that movie was when Thor named her the new King of Asgard. Notice how he didn't say Queen. When Tessa Thompson hit the Hall H stage, she confirmed something fans have been anxiously awaiting.
Thompson said that Valkyrie would be looking for her Queen in Thor: Love and Thunder. It was confirmed that Valkyrie is the MCU's first major LGBTQA+ character. It has us wondering who could be her chosen love interest. Tessa Thompson and Brie Larson have supported the idea of a Valkyrie/Carol Danvers romance. Natalie Portman sparked interest when she shared a picture with Thompson on Instagram with the caption, "My King." Whatever route the MCU takes, we're stoked for it.