In a golden age of film and television, beloved characters or expanding universes have only created more and more prequels and origin stories. After all, Fox made an entire film series on the origin stories of all the X-Men, Disney is making tons of Star Wars stories, before, during, and in-between canon events, and J.K. Rowling is writing new scripts to tell Dumbledore's youth. It's all a fascinating madhouse! And in the context of sheer volume options, it's a wonderland.
However, with so many films abound, some are sure to fall through the cracks. Sometimes, it's just way too hard to keep track of every new story on its way or being talked about. Or, even more complicated, it can be hard to remember what's a rumor and what's officially happening. 2019 will see a fascinating amount of superhero, supervillain, Star Wars, or general hero stories, and even more interestingly, a fair amount of origin stories or prequels setting up new ideas and plots. Not everything is Avengers 4, right?
To make things easier, here are 8 Prequels (And Origin Stories) Fans Didn't Know Were Coming In 2019 And 12 That Are Rumored.
20. Rumored: Obi-Wan Kenobi Prequel
Since the Star Wars prequel films finished, Ewan McGregor has always professed an interest in playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in even more movies. Though fans and critics alike didn't quite love the prequels, it's almost universally agreed upon that McGregor's portrayal of the Jedi mentor was a highlight. He put great levels of wisdom, devotion, and fun into the role.
This year, rumors and talks of a solo Obi-Wan Kenobi story have surfaced and, after Solo's announcement, it only made sense. The people behind the rumors also said that the story would be a prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope, not an origin story. Ergo, Obi-Wan will be a fully realized Jedi with a lot of pain from the beginning. Hopefully, the project becomes more concrete in the coming months.
19. Rumored: Batgirl
After the fiasco of the possible cut Batgirl scenes from Batman v. Superman, DC fans have been abuzz about the possibility of a Batgirl movie. After all, they planned to have more DC characters in the movie to work into the DCEU canon. However, the rumored scenes were ultimately of a S.T.A.R. Labs scientist and Batman v. Superman's heavy rewrites and edits have thrown a huge wrench in that plan.
There is an easter egg in the film, though, of Alfred using the Oracle Network, something created by Barbara Gordon in the comics. Of course, Barbara was the first Batgirl before the Joker injured her. A Birds of Prey film has been confirmed, likely including Batgirl, but there are still rumors of a prequel to Batman v. Superman starring the clever girl all on her own.
18. Coming: Captain Marvel
For most savvy Marvel fans, they know all about Captain Marvel's origin story gracing their screens next spring, however, for those out of the loop, the MCU saga continues with the alien-infused Carol Danvers. Not only is she an absurdly powerful being, but also, she will possibly be the key to solving the unfortunate results in Avengers: Infinity War.
Captain Marvel is also the first Marvel film starring a woman. Black Widow has always been a huge part of the Avengers, but she's never spearheaded her own movie. Carol Danvers, though, will break that testosterone-filled cycle. On March 8th, 2019, Captain Marvel will head to theaters and change the MCU forever. The experience is something no superhero fan should miss.
17. Rumored: Deadshot
Suicide Squad, unfortunately, earned a decidedly negative response from fans, however, the two highlights of the film were easily Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Will Smith as Deadshot. Because of this, DC has already green-lit a solo Harley Quinn film and, similarly, rumors have been surfacing about one for Deadshot.
As the end of Suicide Squad leaves Deadshot fairly at peace, it's very likely the film will either be how Deadshot became the character he is or will simply be a prequel to Suicide Squad. Deadshot is divorced by Suicide Squad, so it could be interesting to see how he fell in love and got married while being a significant mercenary or what hurt his relationship with his wife. Either way, watching Smith's performance again as the complicated hitman would be worthwhile.
16. Coming: Joker
One of the most disliked parts of Suicide Squad was easily Jared Leto's Joker. While he was definitely insane, he wasn't nearly selfish or fiendishly calculated enough. He was random, while Joker normally plans things very deliberately and just does them for impulsive, whimsical reasons. Despite this setback, DC isn't giving up on the Joker cash cow. A new Clown Prince has been cast in Joaquin Phoenix in a more cop-centric film and he seems to be an older Joker, one grappling with his past more directly with even the make-up being a wild, new take on the character. At least he doesn't have a grill, though.
The Joker releases on October 4th, 2019 and will be the third on-screen iteration of the character in eleven years.
15. Rumored: Wicked
With the success of Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, La La Land, and The Greatest Showman, movie musicals have become all the rage again, or at least for a little while. Several musicals have now gone into production to be turned into films and one of the most prominent of these is the film adaptation of Wicked.
Wicked even had a release date for sometime in 2019. It has since been pushed back and now the movie is said to be done in 2020. However, this isn't its first delay, and its pre-production isn't all together, so the film is still in a state of movie limbo. Wicked is joined by big names like Guys and Dolls, The Little Mermaid, and even Cats in the movie musical pipeline.
14. Coming: The Mandalorian
It isn't just movies that are having huge prequel releases in 2019, though. Disney has been working on an action series set before The Force Awakens for their streaming service. This series will be called The Mandalorian. Mandalore has become a huge part of Star Wars lore, with many important and beloved characters hailing from there, such as the Fetts and Sabine from the Star Wars Rebels series being the most notable.
The starring role will be played by Pedro Pascal, Game of Thrones alum. His character will be a lone gunfighter on the fringes of the galaxy. The series is expected to be released in late 2019, but in the case of delays, may end up in 2020.
13. Rumored: Nova
The Guardians of the Galaxy have become MCU favorites in the past few years and fans have always speculated about the expansion of Marvel's more cosmic films. One of the strongest expansions rumored would be Nova, AKA Richard Rider, a common GotG member and protector of the universe.
Nova would cause quite a few complications, though. For example, Nova was destroyed in Thanos' conquest, which might throw a wrench in his origins there. Also, in the comics, he's romantically linked with Gamora, which could cause some friction in her and Quill's relationship if the movies pursue that. On another note, he's a righteous, powerful space soldier and could add a lot to the cosmic MCU. These rumors may be good for the Guardians.
12. Coming: Masters Of The Universe
Once upon a time in 1987, there was a pretty lousy Masters of the Universe movie that did He-Man no justice and only made Skeletor even more ridiculous (if that's even possible). Since then, the He-Man franchise has remained relatively untouched. Until the She-Ra reboot this year, it has been decades since the characters got new stories.
Now, He-Man is getting a second shot at film this 2019. A new Masters of the Universe film is slotted for next year and is cleverly staying animated. After all, no mere mortal can emulate the glory of He-Man's pecs or biceps. Thus far, the released plot is fairly basic: He-Man and his friends will protect Eternia from Skeletor. However, sticking to He-Man's best medium might give him a much better film than before and fans are here for it.
11. Rumored: Namor
With Aquaman being released this winter, there have been serious rumors about Marvel making a film for their very own underwater king: Namor. Namor plays a big role in the Marvel comics world, but Namor has also played the bad guy much more frequently than Arthur.
Initially made as an adversary for the Fantastic Four, he eventually made peace with superheroes, but he still remained a complex, bristly guy. Making a whole film about him could be difficult, striking a good mix of justice and stand-offishness, but he could be quite the interesting character to explore. Nothing has been announced, but he really could spice up the superhero line-up in the MCU and give movie-goers a new world to experience.
10. Coming: Shazam!
In 2019, DC is trying its best to better its film reputation. After lukewarm responses to Man of Steel, a poor reception to Batman v. Superman, and comically low scores on Suicide Squad, the franchise needs some work. Wonder Woman provided them with their first true hit and Justice League was at least better received, but that doesn't have the company out of the woods yet.
DC has chosen to try for a lighter tone with future films and to focus on their successes instead of their failures. Because of this, they are working on a Wonder Woman sequel, soon to release an Aquaman film, and are set to debut Shazam! in 2019. The story of a troubled kid turned superhero, the light-hearted, kid-like wonder might be a good turning point for the overly dark movie universe.
9. Rumored: Kingsmen Prequel
Kingsmen was a bizarre action-comedy that garnered a lot of attention and praise for its gentlemanly heroes, unique villain, and quick wit. Its sequel got similar buzz and, despite its more numerous flaws, kept fans interested. The producers plan on making a third Kingsmen film to round out the trilogy, but word around Hollywood is that the third film will not be the end of the Kingsmen.
There have been rumors circulating the films saying that talks of a prequel are going on. So much so that Ralph Fiennes may be pegged to lead the film. It would follow the Kingsmen organization many years earlier, perhaps in a much earlier decade with a completely different backdrop. Only time will tell where the franchise will go.
8. Coming: The New Mutants
Fox may be in the talks to sign over the X-Men licensing, but for now, they're still kicking out films. First will come Dark Phoenix, the classic tale of Jean Grey's dark side, but other than that, they are also going to dig into the origins of a different mutant team: The New Mutants.
The New Mutants will be set in a facility where all the kids are locked away for their powers. As a darkness descends on them, this horror-action film will see them work as a team to survive. While not as popular as the X-Men, The New Mutants could have a similar effect as the Guardians of the Galaxy, bringing fresh characters to the movies. The film will be released on August 2nd, 2019.
7. Rumored: Supergirl
The CW has seen a fair bit of success with its collection of DC superhero series. Arrow, The Flash, and Supergirl have dedicated fanbases, however, with their success also comes attention from the film-side of Hollywood. Because of this recognition, there have been talks of several film versions with new actors and higher budgets. So far, Supergirl is the one that's most seriously talked about.
With Henry Cavill reportedly losing interest in his role as Superman, Supergirl could be a perfect new heavy hitter for the Justice League coming with free brand recognition. It's unlikely they'd use Melissa Benoist, as they seldom move actors from small to big screen, but her work will set the stage for a new, beloved Supergirl to take the DCEU by storm.
6. Coming: Sonic The Hedgehog
For people tired of Knuckles and Sonic memes, the recent reprieve will definitely be short-lived. Why? Because in November of 2019, a Sonic the Hedgehog film will be released, and goodness knows the internet is definitely latching onto that.
The new origin story of Sonic is just as insane as fans would expect from the franchise. Sonic is a government-made creature and they're chasing him down. He teams up with a sheriff that helps him in his escape and yes, it seems the film might be one of those disturbing half CGI, half live-action ones. It'll be an unforgettable experience, at the least, and it won't be the first time Sonic paired up with some humans (2006's Sonic The Hedgehog really was something).
5. Rumored: Alien: Covenant Sequel
When Ridley Scott finally made it back to his beloved Alien series with Prometheus, he had planned to explore all the things he meant to explore in the original franchise. He wanted to make people think about creation, monsters, and how it all connects. He often talks about how he wishes he never abandoned the series in the first place.
However, his prequel series received mixed reviews. Despite their interesting themes and beautiful visuals, they struggle with plot and creating a cohesive film. Scott plans on making a third film, and there are rumors he already has plans together for one, however, backing doesn't seem plentiful. Though he wants to make the movie to finish his series with the Xenomorphs, it's unknown when or if that will ever happen.
4. Rumored: Morbius
Sony, like many film companies, has decided to jump on the film universe idea. Their's is perhaps a bit more unique, however. Though they gave back the rights to Spider-man, they still retain many of his villains. Starting with this fall's Venom, they plan on making a Spidey-villain universe.
One of the most high-profile films rumored is Morbius, the tale of Dr. Michael Morbius, a misunderstood scientist turned vampire. Jared Leto is already signed on to play the title role and there are talks of a possible release in 2020, but nothing is concrete. With the decent box-office numbers for Venom, the project may even be sped up to premiere in 2019. As the second in a possible villain universe, Morbius would not only be a unique story, but also a look into how a Sony movie universe might work.
3. Coming: Hellboy
While Marvel and DC are comic book kings, there is a huge fan following for Dark Horse Comics. One of their most famous comics is Hellboy, the adventures of a demon working for the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense. In the secret world of the supernatural, he's the muscle that defends the world from the worst dangers of the underworld and beyond.
In 2004, a widely popular version starred Ron Perlman. They also made a sequel, and a third story was in the works, waiting for the permission of the creator himself. However, many years later, Hellboy is instead getting a whole new origin story with a new lead actor, David Harbour of Stranger Things.
2. Rumored: Black Widow
For 10 years, Marvel has built an empire of cinematic superhero movies, however, they have yet to make a film starring a female character. Captain Marvel will change all of that next year, but more importantly for long-term fans is what about Black Widow?
A huge part of the Avengers team since its conception, she's a necessary part of the group. Natasha has been keeping the team level-headed and doling out unexpected stealth and subterfuge, and she's a good leader when the other leaders start butting heads. With all the chaos of Avengers: Infinity War, it's a fair shot that fans will either get an origin story or a prequel for her film. After all, despite being in so many movies, Black Widow's backstory and history are still fairly in the dark.
1. Rumored: GOT Prequel Series
One of the most exciting rumored prequels/origin stories is, hands down, the talks of an impending Game of Thrones prequel series. The hit tv series has had fans enrapt since its premiere. With it ending soon, something will have to fill the nationwide void. Lucky for fans, George R.R. Martin and the showrunners have already been talking about creating more stories about the history of his complex Westeros.
While no release date is official, it has been said that if the series happens, it will begin after GoT ends. It's not announced what time in history it will be explored, but fans theorize it might be the story of The Long Night or similar epic battles. Only time will tell where Westeros takes fans next.
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Do you know any more prequels or origin stories being released in 2019? Let us know in the comments down below!