The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 4 ended with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in November 2023 and Phase 5 of the MCU, is officially upon us! It’s clear to see that this phase, rather than saving the universe, Marvel’s greatest heroes are going to be saving the Multiverse from the Kang Dynasty.
It’s unclear what exactly this means at this stage. But it seems like the next big bad is going to be Kang the Conqueror and honestly, we couldn’t be more excited. Another exciting thing about the multiverse is the inclusion of variants. We’ve already seen a few but they were just a teaser of what’s yet to come…
Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania – Movie – February 17, 2023
Kicking off Phase 5 we have our first MCU project of the year, Ant-Man and the Wasp Quantumania, directed by Peyton Reed, and Judging by the trailer, it looks like we’re starting strong with this one! There’s a lot to unpick here…
Firstly taking centre stage we have, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne/Wasp, Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet van Dyne and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.
With a plot that revolves around them shrinking down and exploring the otherworldly Quantum Realm. There they encounter strange creatures in an adventure that pushes the limits of what they thought was possible. Somewhere along the way they will cross paths with Kang the Conqueror who is stuck in the Quantum Realm.
Kang will be played by Johnathon Majors, who’s set to return after making his MCU debut as the Kang variant known as He Who Remains in Loki Season 1. It was in the final episode that he saw his death at the hands of female Loki variant, Sylvie.
It was then revealed that his murder had set a chain of events into play that resulted in the timeline restarting once again, resulting in a different version of Kang winning the multiverse war and creating the TVA.
A lot of what is going on here still remains a mystery. But thankfully, we don’t have too long to wait to find out as Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania makes its way to the theatres February 17, 2023.
Secret Invasion – Disney+ Series – Spring, 2023
Secret Invasion is a Disney+ series will loosely adapt the iconic comic storyline of the same name. We don’t yet have a synopsis but going by the comics the basic premise is that the shapeshifting race known as the Skrulls, use their powers to invade earth by secretly replacing many of its most important superheroes.
However, it seems that in this case the story is more of a political thriller with the Skrulls replacing those in positions of political power rather than superheroes. Also, instead of it being the whole Skrull race behind the invasion, it’s just a sect of religious zealot Skrulls that are trying to takeover earth.
Opposing the invasion we have Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson), a Skrull general named Talos (played by Ben Mendelsohn), Maria Hill (played by Cobie Smulders), Sonya Falsworth (played by Olivia Colman) and Abigail Brand (played by Emilia Clarke).
Other cast members include Kingsley Ben-Adir as Gravik (the leader of the Skrull invaders), Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross (an ex-CIA and former anti-terrorist agent), Charlayne Woodard as Priscilla Fury, Don Cheadle as James Rhodes/War Machine, and Dermot Mulroney as President Ritson. As well as these cast members, there are also other multiple actors in roles that are currently unconfirmed.
Created by Kyle Bradstreet, the show will consist of 6 episodes that are set to begin releasing sometime in Spring, 2020. We will keep this page updated as more information is released…
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Movie – May 5, 2023
The second MCU movie dropping this year will be Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3, the highly anticipated third instalment of the much-loved Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.
Our favourite band of misfits will be picking up from where we last saw them in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special that was released on Disney+ November 25, 2022. The team have recently purchased Knowhere and Cosmo the Spacedog (played by Maria Bakalova) is now a part of the team after having joined somewhere in between the end of Avengers: Endgame and the beginning of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
The plot will be heavily centred around Rocket the Racoon (played by Bradley Cooper) and his origins. Serving as the main antagonist will be the High Evolutionary (played by Chukwudi Iwuji), who is the one responsible for creating Rocket the Racoon and many other “experiments” like him. Many of which can be seen in the faux American suburb that features in the trailer.
Another interesting revelation from the trailer is the inclusion of Adam Warlock (played by Will Poulter). After seeing his cocoon as an easter egg in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.1, many expecting him to play a major part in the Infinity Saga as he did in the comic book version but apparently Marvel had other plans.
The cast also includes Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax, Bradley Cooper as Rocket the Racoon, Vin Diesel as Groot, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Pom Klementieff as Mantis and Sean Gunn as Kraglin Obfonteri.
James Gunn has returned to the director’s seat for his fourth Marvel project after directing the three previous Guardians of the Galaxy projects. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be in theatres May 5, 2023.
Loki Season 2 – Disney+ Series – Mid, 2023
The first episode of Loki Season 1 aired on Disney+ June 9, 2010, and as we previously mentioned it was pretty crazy. This show told us a lot about what to expect from this saga. We already had our suspicions, but this show confirmed that this next saga will adapt the Kang Dynasty storyline. With Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathon Majors) as our next big bad.
At the end of the last season we saw Sylvi, the female Loki Variant (played by Sophia Di Martino) kill the variant of Kang the Conqueror known as He Who Remains (also played by Jonathon Majors). In doing this, she inadvertently shattered the Sacred Timeline and split it into multiple branching realities. This means that now, a multiverse of Kangs are free to begin the Kang War all over again. So, in season 2, we will be dealing with the aftermath of these events.
We haven’t seen much that can tell us what to expect yet, but there was a D23 trailer that hasn’t yet been made public. There are a few details that have been leaked about that. From these details we know Sylvi is on the run again and Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) is working for the TVA trying to stop nexus level events.
The cast includes the likes of Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius, Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ravonna Renslayer, Wunmi Mosaku as Hunter B-15, Tara Strong as the voice of Miss Minutes and Eugene Cordero as Casey. It’s also pretty likely that we will see the return of Jonathon Powers as one of the Kang variants.
Loki Season 2 will contain 6 episodes and is set to begin airing mid-2023 with Eric Martin as showrunner. We will be sure to keep you updated as new details are revealed.
The Marvels – Movie – July 28, 2023
Not much is known about this movie yet but it will be about a team comprising of Brie Larson returning as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel alongside Teyoyah Parris as Monica Rambeau and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel.
Nick Fury (played by Samuel L. Jackson) will also be appearing in some capacity too marking his first movie appearance in the MCU since Spider-Man: Far From Home. Although, it’s still unknown at this point how important of a role he will play.
As for as the plot goes, the only information that’s been given so far is that the story will carry on directly after the events of Ms. Marvel Season 1 and the story is said to revolve around the trio trying to figure out why they keep switching places every time they use their powers.
The Marvels will be directed by Nia DaCosta and is set to release to theatres July 28, 2023. We will be sure to provide you any and all updates between now and then.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos – Disney+ Series – Late, 2023
Agatha: Coven of Chaos is a Disney+ series centred around Agatha Harkness (played by Kathryn Hahn), a dark witch who previously debuted in Wandavision where she was revealed to have been disrupting Wanda’s hex-powered fantasy world that was forced upon the denizens of Westview.
As the name suggests, the premise of the show is set around Agatha building a coven of witches to fight alongside her in her quest for power. Last time we saw her, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) had trapped her in a fake life in Westview. It’s unknown how she will free herself from this but clearly, either she has already or she does at some point in this show. It’s also unclear whether Wanda will be returning for this show.
The cast members that have been announced include Debra Jo Rupp as Sharon Davis and Emma Caulfield Ford as Sarah Proctor. Other than that there are just a slew of actors that have been cast in yet to be announced roles. Two of the standouts from the list are Aubrey Plaza and Joe Locke. Fans are speculating that Locke will be playing an older version of Wanda’s son Wiccan and Plaza will be playing some kind of dark witch.
Created by Jac Schaeffer, Agatha: Coven of Chaos will feature 9 episodes that are set to begin airing Winter 2023. We will be sure to provide you with any and all updates between now and then.
Ironheart – Disney+ Series – Late, 2023
Ironheart is a fairly new character in the comics, having her first appearance in May 2016. She first made her MCU debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that made it to theatres in November 2022. For those not familiar with the character, Riri Williams/Ironheart (played by Dominique Thorne) is an MIT student and genius inventor that invents an Iron-Man-like suit of armour.
The main antagonist of this series is going to be Parker Robbins/The Hood (played by Anthony Ramos), who in the comics is a low-level thief that stole a cloak/hood and black boots that gave him demonic powers (powered by Dormammu). It’s unclear how this story may or may not change in this series but one change we do know is that The Hood will begin as Riri’s friend in the series despite having no connection at all in the comics.
There’s also a lot of speculation that this show will feature Mephisto but you should take that with a pinch of salt because people have said this about nearly every project that’s been released up until this point. Rumours also state that when he does appear (whenever that is) he will be played by Sacha Baron Cohen. It’s clear that the mystic side of the MCU is slowly being revealed to us so it should only a matter of time before he does appear.
Apart from those previously mentioned and Lyric Ross as Riri’s Best Friend, the rest of the cast is currently unknown. There are a few actors announced for undisclosed roles, but no exact details have been revealed.
Created by Chinaka Hodge, Ironheart will be six episodes long and is set to begin airing late 2023. We will be sure to provide you with any and all updates between now and then.
Echo – Disney+ Series – Late, 2023
Maya Lopez/Echo (played by Alaqua Cox) first appeared in the MCU in Hawkeye, the Disney+ series that first began airing in November 2021.
For those who are unaware of the character she’s a deaf superhero with the power of photographic reflexes, meaning she can learn any physical feat or skill after having only witnessed it once.
In Hawkeye we saw that just like her comic counterpart, Wilson Fisk/Kingpin (played by Vincent D’Onofrio) was a father figure to Echo when she was growing up and he later used this connection to manipulate her into doing his bidding.
However, similarities end when Fisk tells her that Ronin/Hawkeye/Clint Barton (played by Jeremy Renner) was the one solely responsible for her father’s death, when in actual fact it was Fisk that manipulated Ronin into doing it.
The difference here being that in the comics it’s Daredevil who Fisk implicates in her father’s murder, not Ronin. Another difference is that Daredevil had no part in the murder. He wasn’t manipulated like Ronin was. Originally, Echo served as a love interest/antagonist to Daredevil but because of the changes that have been made to the story it’s unclear whether the two have any connection in the MCU yet.
Although, with that being said, it has been revealed that Daredevil (played by Charlie Cox) will be appearing in this series (as will Wilson Fisk/Kingpin). So if Daredevil and Echo haven’t already crossed paths, then they will very soon.
Apart from those previously mentioned, the only other casting that is currently confirmed is Zahn McClarnon as William Lopez, Echo’s father. Who will featured in flashback scenes.
Created by Marion Dayre, Echo is set to begin airing late 2023. We will be sure to provide you with any and all updates between now and then.
