.png){kind=small}
The Future Of The MCU
- Michael
- Nov 29, 2019
- 9 min read
Updated: Nov 7, 2020
After over ten years of the sprawling Marvel film universe, we finally find ourselves in a post-Endgame world — no big bad Thanos on the horizon and the monumental challenge of living up to the historical accomplishment of the Infinity Saga. So, where do things go from here? That’s a very sensible question to ask. And I am here to chime in and give my two cents.
What We Already Know
There is plenty already announced, with the next few years of the MCU clearly mapped out and a myriad of new and familiar faces coming to our screens. As well as the usual output of sequels to the remaining key characters, such as Black Panther, Thor, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel — with many more on the way — there are also new ideas being thrown at the wall, giving us a good grasp at what we can expect moving forward.
Interestingly, after years of fans clamouring for a solo adventure for the character, Scarlett Johansson’s popular Black Widow is set to hit the big screen in early May. Fitting in with Marvel’s more diverse offerings, this is a pleasant but far overdue addition.
Another important franchise to acknowledge is that of the Spider-Man series starring Tom Holland. For those of you unaware, Sony recanted their lending of the character after negotiations regarding a renewal of the Sony-Disney deal fell through. Without going into detail, after much outcry a third film was officially back in motion, with an ensemble appearance also on the cards.
But what about the new players? Well, Disney has confirmed a revival of the Blade franchise with Mahershala Ali taking the place of the iconic Wesley Snipes. Further to this, we more recently have The Eternals and Shang-Chi positioned to delve into new more obscure territory. Blade is unsurprisingly expected to hit positively with fans, bringing back the nostalgia of the original trilogy and allowing the exploration of the supernatural. With Moon Knight and the Doctor Strange sequel likely to continue this focus, could the next big crossover be more magical in nature? This would give a nice contrast to the cosmic escapades of the Thanos era.
X-Men And The Fantastic Four
It wouldn’t be right to talk about the future of the MCU without discussing the long-anticipated introduction of mutants and Marvel’s First Family.
Following the merging of Disney and Fox in the closely watched acquisition of the studio, studio president Kevin Feige took stage at Comic-Con to say that both mutants and the Fantastic Four are coming. Unfortunately, this is all he had to say on the topic. Luckily, this gives us plenty of time to get excited and speculate.
X-Men: It is widely accepted that the X-Men are unlikely to be introduced all at once in a giant franchise film. Instead, we are more likely to see popular characters integrated slowly within other films. This is given even more precedence with Feige specifically saying that ‘mutants’ will be introduced, not necessarily the X-Men family.
So, when and where will our favourites be treating us with a full-fledged MCU debut? Well, none of this is confirmed, but Storm has been commonly speculated to appear in a future Black Panther sequel. Whether this will be the next one is yet to be seen, but they have close links in the comics, with the two forming a prominent power couple and even being married for a long period of time. Similarly, Wolverine could be showing up in a potential unconfirmed Avengers movie, with him being established as more of a lone wolf from the rest of the X-Men and featuring prevalently in both the Uncanny Avengers and New Avengers series.
More of a wild card, but one I have not heard mentioned across online speculation, is for Cyclops and his brother Havok to be introduced or at least strongly referenced in a Guardians Of The Galaxy movie. Hear me out. Their father is a known member of the Starjammers and, as such, could have easily crossed paths with any members of the team at some point in their past or in their present as full-fledged heroes. There is context for this to be thought up by the creatives behind the MCU, and I have no doubt that Feige is aware too.
Now, we only have to see how they are going to explain the unknown presence of mutants. Many wild theories have speculated that the multiverse or maybe the infamous ‘snap’ will come into play, but I suspect it will be far less convoluted and more likely to be a minor retcon to the established continuity.
Fantastic Four: The iconic team have had a rough go at the big screen over their history, with the previous film all but destroying the brand’s reputation. Thankfully, they have a new lease on life following their rescue from Fox. All that’s left is for them to be treated right.
If you are only familiar with the movies, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s impossible to make an amazing Fantastic Four film. If you think that, however, you are unapologetically wrong. The comics have proven that they can be not only serviceable but a leading franchise in the crowded Marvel universe, with writers such as the brilliant Jonathan Hickman creating sell-out storylines for the team.
So, how can Marvel make this happen? First off, don’t rehash what’s been done. Doctor Doom is one of their best villains and needs to come into play eventually, but just like Norman Osborn in the Spider-Man movies, this can wait until later. Start small; work big.
Also, in the spirit of fresh starts, bring in the extended family with Franklin and Valeria Richards. Franklin is a known Mutant, so this would again help to bring the X-Men to the forefront through interactions between the characters.
People have similarly posed theories about how they would be introduced, such as the multiverse or through time displacement. But again, I expect they will keep it simple. Perhaps the genius scientist Reed Richards was a friend of Bruce Banner or Tony Stark? That sounds plausible and far more accessible to the general audience.
In With The New
Now, I’m sure you all know about this information and speculation from an abundance of articles trying to generate click-bait material. What you’re really interested in is the new stuff. Stay with me, and I’ll give you exactly that.
With the MCU set to break into new territory, it stands to reason that we will eventually be seeing many new faces from established comic book lore. As someone familiar with the source material, I have some ideas for where this approach could take them.
Namor: Namor is a character that has been posed to take centre stage for years now. As effectively Marvel’s counterpart to DC’s Aquaman, it makes sense that they would want to capitalise on this water-dwelling hero. As king of Atlantis and arguably one of Marvel’s original mutants, Namor has an interesting history that would fit in well with the current trajectory of both the MCU and the broader superhero film genre. The recent Aquaman movie has beat them to the punch but also paved the way for movie goers to embrace the character.
As much as I would love to see Namor in the MCU, I would argue that now isn’t the right time to jump straight into a solo film. I would, so to speak, test the waters by making him an antagonist in the upcoming Black Panther 2. The two kings have a strenuous relationship at best in the comics, with Namor having caused the deaths of millions of Wakandans. This would be an excellent introduction to the character, setting him apart from your traditional hero and into the realm of anti-hero or even flat-out villain.
Blue Marvel: A character I know mostly from reputation alone, Blue Marvel would be prime for a spot in the MCU. As Marvel continue to up the power scales with heroes such as Captain Marvel and particularly the Eternals, it makes sense to continue this trend with further powerful protagonists. Imagine the spectacle as more and more of these powerhouses come together.
Sentry: Throughout my many years of comic book reading, the Sentry has always grasped my attention time and time again. Dubbed 'Marvel’s Superman' by many, Sentry is much more than that. The character hinges on the dissociative, with his alternate personality The Void lending a time bomb-like attribute to the character, never knowing when things could go to hell.
Such a character could bring an interesting contrast to the traditional hero, much in the same vain as Namor. As the hero market becomes ever more saturated, such creative characters will be increasingly engaging and secure the longevity of the MCU.
Nova: This is a name you’ve probably heard before from Guardians Of The Galaxy as the Nova Corps. However, this Nova is not a group of people but one man: Richard Rider. Rider has been teased to be introduced ever since the original Guardians film, and this is seemingly more likely to come into fruition, as Feige has said that the character is a clear priority moving forward.
Marvel have expressed interest in expanding the cosmic side of the MCU, and Nova is the prime candidate to fulfil this vision. With the combined powers of the entire Nova Corps, which may I remind you is now destroyed by Thanos, Nova would be a visual treat and expand upon a roster of diverse characters from different sides of the Marvel universe.
Avengers: It is almost obvious that the Avengers will make a resurgence in one form or another. But the question remains, what form will this be? Given the current direction of the MCU, I would argue that the Avengers will take not one form but two — that of the New Avengers and the Young Avengers.
The New Avengers would likely be a simple rebranding of the original team with a new roster consisting of the remaining and new characters. However, their young counterparts would compose the so-called legacy characters, with the new Hawkeye and Ant-Man’s daughter being already confirmed in the current MCU. With the upcoming WandaVision show, it isn’t a stretch to assume their children, Wiccan and Speed, are similarly on the way.
Illuminati: An alternate route for the movies to take the crossover ensembles is that of the Illuminati. Composing members Black Panther, Professor X, Namor, and Mr Fantastic as some prominent examples, this is looking possible.
As well as these characters, established and upcoming, Black Bolt — who you may remember from the failed Inhumans TV show — is usually a part of the team. While the initial reception was poor and audiences may have a sour taste left in their mouths, I would love to see a reboot of the Inhumans off the back of this film. Marvel shouldn’t let one failed attempt ruin what could be a truly amazing franchise. Not to mention that Groot himself, Vin Diesel, has expressed interest in portraying the Inhuman king in the past.
A New Big Bad
Now, setting up future franchises is all well and good, but everybody knows that Marvel like to tease a big finale. As Thanos has proved, when executed correctly, these epic culminations can bring the phases together into one satisfying climactic event. So, who can fill the void left by the Mad Titan?
Galactus: With the rights to the Fantastic Four recently acquired, the eater of worlds Galactus is now back in play for Marvel to use. As well as being a highly intimidating and plausible threat (he does genuinely consume planets after all), Galactus would give an ambiguous edge to the character’s motivations. If you don’t know, Galactus only devours planets out of pure need for survival, and this would pose an interesting ethical dilemma for Marvel to explore, just as they did with the previously unequivocally evil Thanos. Let’s also not forget that his famous herald, the Silver Surfer, would surely follow in his path. Who wouldn’t like to see these two realised to their full potential on the big screen?
Doctor Doom: As with Galactus, Marvel can now integrate Doctor Doom into their plans. As one of their most popular villains, being regarded as one of the best of all time, you can be sure he will make an appearance sooner rather than later. Don’t let the past renditions in the movies fool you, Doom is undeniably a viable contestant for the spot as the big bad, bringing a magical touch reminiscent of an evil Doctor Strange.
Norman Osborn: While yet to be seen across the two Spider-Man films, it can be felt that Marvel and Sony are saving the character for a menacing rebirth into the MCU. The only concern is that with the previous breakdown of negotiations between the two industry behemoths, this could be a risky bet for carrying forward a whole decade-long slate of movies should something go wrong.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As with everything speculation driven, none of this can be taken as fact. Feige’s ultimate plan could stretch beyond anything we could comprehend right now, and it would be smart not to place all our eggs in one basket so as not to be disappointed should our theories not pan out.
Even so, the future looks bright, and we should all have faith that the track record of the MCU means our fan favourites are in safe hands.
Comments