Click here for video: Full Marvel PHASE 4 and PHASE 5 Slate
Hello and Welcome to What Did I Miss, where today, I am breaking down all the new information that Marvel released about their plans for Phase 4 AND Phase 5 and listing the movies as well as the streaming Marvel + shows in order of release date so you know when you can, hopefully, expect to see your favorite heroes and villains again. I say hopefully not just because of the shit show that was 2020, but also because release dates do tend to change even in a normal climate the further off into the future they are, but the order of release should stay relatively in place. Marvel dropped a moon size amount of information during the Disney Investors Day event and fans could not be happier with the prospect of all these new characters going to life on screen. The excitement level is even more astonishing when you realize that Marvel did not even say a word about the X-Men coming into this universe, which are probably the group of characters that most fans have been thirstiest for since Disney got the rights to them. But in all, 25 projects are now in some state of production to be released over the next 4 years and I will go over each here and give you details about them as well as my excitement level and how these stories are setting up future events that will not only lead us to mutants, but to a young team of hero’s, a reformed team of anti-heroes, a secret war as well as which of these I believe will be a full-on musical. And I will be doing in depth videos on each once they get closer to their release as well as reviewing them weekly, so be sure to smash that subscribe button, so you are not left asking, What Did I Miss?
Marvel + – WandaVision 1/15/21
The first series being released also happens to be the one I am most excited about at this point. WandaVision picks up with Wanda Maximoff, AKA the Scarlet Witch, right after the events of Avengers Endgame as it seems that she has constructed a pocket universe in which she is creating a life for herself and Vision and basing it on her love of American television, which she no doubt watched growing up in Sokovia. I will be releasing a full video on what to expect in this series in a few weeks, so if you want all the details about this series and how the Vision is back look out for that soon, but the main reason I am so psyched for this series is that the events will kick off Phase 4 and really throw the Marvel Universes, into disarray. This no doubt started because of the Avengers actions in Endgame, as the Ancient One warned Bruce Banner of what their plan would do to the universe’s they intersect with. This series is probably going to effect the Marvel universe as a whole more than any other, while also introducing an older version of Monica Rambeau, who appeared as a child in the Captain Marvel movie set in the 1990’s and now appears to be an agent of SWORD, which looks to be the new and improved version of SHIELD.
Kat Dennings and Jimmy Woo’s characters that have appeared in the Thor and Ant-Man movies are also set to appear as SWORD agents, and one of my personally favorite comedic actresses working Kathryn Hahn is set to play a character named Agnes, who no doubt is actually Agatha Harkness a witch and possibly an antagonist for the show.
Marvel + – The Falcon and the Winter Soldier 3/19/21
Another show that should be just as fun but with an entirely different tone, the Falcon and the Winter Soldier will also find it’s characters right after the events of Endgame dealing with the consequences as well as how to move forward. The shadow of Captain America looms heavy over the trailer and I think it is interesting to see two side-kick characters work together because both seem to be more comfortable taking orders than giving them. Baron Zemo, who we last saw in Avengers I mean Captain America: Civil War, is now working with the good guys to stop a group known as the Flag Smashers, who detest any form of organized government, and are led by Erin Kellyman who you may remember from the movie Solo. I think that both of these character will eventually be two members of a group named the Thunderbolts, who are kind of like Marvels version of the Suicide Squad as they are villains who have been captured and are working off their sentences by going on missions given to them by Thunderbolt Ross, who has been played by William Hurt since the first Hulk movie in the MCU.
Emily VanCamp will also return as Sharon Carter and MMA legend Gergoues St Pierre will be returning as Baldroc the Leaper, two holdovers from the Captain America movies. The most interesting character though is that of the new Captain America John Walker, played by Wyatt Russel whose father is well known actor Kurt Russel who also played Star-Lord’s father Ego in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. I think this tells us that the Weapon Plus program to create super soldiers is in full swing and this series will probably be about them hunting down details about the program. Also interesting, is that it has been reported that two locations they will be visiting on the series are Madripoor and Latveria.
Madripoor is an important location for mutants, especially Wolverine who also has ties to the Weapon Plus program and Latveria is the birthplace of Dr. Doom, who I believe is the new Thanos and as we go along I will keep adding evidence to support that theory. I am very excited for this series as well as I think these two heroes are perfect for Marvel + since you don’t want to have to pay for crazy effects every show for a streaming series and given the Falcons and Winter Soldier’s power sets you can keep them fighting ground level threats and sprinkle in crazy action sequences, like the aerial chase screen we see in the trailer that looks right out of Independence Day.
Movie – Black Widow 5/7/21
As excited as I am at the first two entries next year is as not excited as I am for the third, which is the theatrical release of Black Widow. Let’s face it, Black Widow was going to be up against as it is and then COVID happened and now the whole movie plot has been released online and hardly anyone cares. I am really surprised they did not just release it on Disney + and the theatres, but I am sure that dismal performance of the New Mutants as well as Tenant had something to do with that decision. But this will seemingly be the last story for Natasha Romanoff but will introduce a new Black Widow in Yelena Belova played by Florence Pugh, who I think will also be a member of the aforementioned Thunderbolts. Stranger Things David Harbour will also play the Red Guardian, which is another version of Captain America, further driving home the super soldier subplot, and Rachel Weiz is playing a retired Widow that works with them. Taskmaster, a character that can mimic any others fighting style, will be making an appearance in the movie and could also spill over into the Thunderbolts team.
I will for sure watch this when it comes out and maybe because it is the first movie Marvel is releasing in 2021 it will do well but honestly I see this movie as another victim of 2020 and waiting a year has not made me want to see this movie any more than I ever have.
Marvel + – Loki 5/21
Also being released in May of 2021 but on Marvel +, Loki looks to be a very interesting and fun series that has already been renewed for a second season, meaning whatever mischief this trickster creates will have lasting ramifications. If you are confused as to how Loki even has a show, given that we watch Thanos kill him in Avengers Infinity War, this Loki is from another dimension created when the Avengers went back in time during Endgame to retrieve the Infinity Stones. While in New York after the events of the first Avengers movies climax, a version of Loki got his hands on the Tesseract and jumped away, causing the Avengers to go back further in time and thus creating a new dimension where Loki is still alive. This is important because that means this character did not go through the redemption arc in the latter two Thor movies, so he is much closer to the evil version than before. From the trailers it looks like the TVA or Time Variance Authority, which are a group in the Marvel universe that tries to keep timelines intact, have recruited Loki and Owen Wilson seems to be playing a character that is his handler. Rumors are that we will see multiple versions of Loki from different dimensions, including a younger version and a female version, both of whom were popular characters in the comics as well.
It is unclear who the villain is of this story, but if I had to guess it may be another version of Loki that after the events of the WandaVision series is trying to manipulate space and time and bend it to his will. One cast member was just added who may be the villain, as that is who he most often plays, and that is Richard E Grant. Some people are speculating that he could be Dr. Doom or Mephisto, as there is a stain glass painting depicting what looks like the devil. I really wonder if this show is just going to be plain fun because I don’t know if it would be as satisfying to watch Loki turn good again. I would rather him return to being the God of Mischief and perhaps once again be one of the main villains in the story.
I would also guess that like WandaVision the events the occur in this series will affect the next Dr. Strange movie that will be discussing in a bit.
Movie – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings 7/9/21
This is the movie that I think is going to surprise a lot of people, kind of like Black Panther did when it was released. Shang-Chi is a master of martial arts, supposedly more proficient than anyone in the Marvel universe and in the movie he will be working to infiltrate the Ten Rings, which was a terrorist organization introduced in the first Iron Man movies. The leader of the Ten Rings, the Mandarin, was also briefly shown in the third Iron Man movie but was then revealed to be an imposter, and the actual Mandarin is said to make his appearance in the movie. I may be biased, but I think this movie is going to be amazing because I loved reading these stories and if I had one fanboy wish that could come true I would put Power Man and Iron Fist right into this universe. This is a story that could be as filled with as much mysticism as a Dr. Strange movie and can have more action than a Captain America one, so the possibilities are really limitless with this material.
Simu Liu has been cast as the titular character while Tony Leung will be playing the Mandarin. Comedian Awkwafina also has a role as a friend of the main character as does Michelle Yeoh, who will be playing a secondary villain. I am not sure how this movie will affect the Marvel Universe as a whole, as the studio may be taking a wait and see approach with the success of the movie, but I can see this being very popular and one of the most complex characters on the Marvel universe. I can also see Power Man, Iron Fist and even Matt Murdock teaming up with the character at some point, who are all character Marvel will be able to produce new stories with after 2021.
Marvel + – What If…? Summer 2021
Another comic book series that I absolutely loved reading, What If is an animated mini-series that shows alternate takes on famous Marvel stories and characters each episode, like an anthology series. The main character of the series is the Watcher, who will be voiced by the new Jim Gordon Jeffery Wright, and is an alien who can view the multiverse like it his own personal YouTube. Of all the properties I have mentioned, this one probably will have the least amount of effect on the Marvel universe as a whole, since these stories will all be alternate versions that exist alongside the main universe, but it should be a lot of fun to watch. In the trailer we see Peggy Carter take the super soldier serum and become Captain Britain instead of Steve Rodgers and speaking of Cap we see a zombified version of him as well. But the one story I am looking forward to the most is when we see a different version of Star-Lord who will be none other than T’Challa, the Black Panther.
All of the original actors are said to return to voice their characters in the series and in fact this will be Chadwick Boseman’s last performance as the character. It will be somber for sure but given the effect he had on this universe it is nice to be able to look forward to one more performance and be able to appreciate him that much more.
Movie – Eternals 11/5/21
So, all cards on the table, this movie is difficult for me to grade because of all the characters getting their own properties I know the least about the Eternals because I never really read the comics. I know that the Eternals are very old, god-like characters and I know that their enemies are a race of being known as the Deviants, and Marvel has said that the movie will take place over thousands of years. I know that this is Marvel trying to further their venture into telling interstellar stories that began in Guardians of the Galaxy and continued on into Captain Marvel so expect all of these characters to interact at some point. I also know that the cast is robust as they have Angelina Jolie in her first movie based on a comic book since Wanted as well as two members of House Stark, no not that one, as Richard Madden and Kit Harrington both have major roles in the movie as well. Salma Hayek also has a part and Marvel will also be portraying their first deaf as well as gay heroes in the movie.
The one reason I am excited to see this movie is actually because comedian Kumail Nanjiani, who I think is hilarious, is playing an Eternal and I know from reading interviews with him put a lot of time and effort into bringing his character to life. But outside of the cast, this movie has a very Thor Dark World feel to it for me, so I hope that I am wrong but as of now I am not very excited to see it.
Marvel + – Hawkeye Fall 2021
Another role perfect for a streaming series, Hawkeye will see the return of Jeremy Renner as he teaches the next generation of Hero. The character he is training to take on his mantle is named Kate Bishop and will be played by Hailee Steinfeld, but it looks like we will get a look into Hawkeyes past as well as Tony Dalton, who is amazing on Better Call Saul, will be playing the Swordsman Hawkeyes mentor. There are also reports that we will see Scarlett Johansson return in a flashback scene as well as the new Black Widow, Yelena Belova. It has been leaked that the reason Barton is giving up the mantle is because he has experienced hearing loss due to his time as an Avenger, and this will be explored along with a deaf character named Echo, who is usually a support character for Daredevil in the comics and has abilities similar to that of Taskmaster, meaning he may show up as well. But I think the main focus of the series will be setting up Kate Bishop and perhaps Echo as members of the Young Avengers, who like the name says are teen versions of the Avengers team. I believe this will be the first mention of the team and over the next year the team will gain young members from other properties. This could be good, and I am looking forward to watching it with my daughter, and I think this is exactly the type of audience Marvel is trying to bring in with the show. Depending on its success could determine if we see the young team of heroes or not, but they have been getting a big push in recent years especially in video games so I am guessing the Young Avengers are on the way and may in fact be the only Avengers movie we ever see again.
Movie – Spider-Man 3 12/17/21
Unless you have been under a rock the past week or so, you know that there have been a ton of crazy announcements about the next Spider-Man. At the time of taping this video, all 3 Spider-men have been confirmed to return as well as Alfred Molina as Doc Ock and Jamey Foxx as Electro. Emma Stone is also expected to be back as Gwen Stacy somehow as well as Kristen Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. And just recently it was announced that Matt Murdock will be returning to the Marvel universe and played by Charlie Cox. Before you ask yourself how they are going to do a whole movie with 3 Spider-men, I can tell you right now I don’t think that is the plan. Not only would it be difficult to write coherently, given that some of these supporting characters are dead in their native universe, but Marvel is going to want there to be no mistake that Tom Holland is the actual Spider-man by the end of the film.
I am guessing that Dr. Strange will be in the move more than any of the 2 other Spider-man and will help Hollands character navigate through the Spider-verse with stops in these other universes along the way. Perhaps Holland will team up with each version of Spider-man to defeat their foe and then move on to the next universe to help another, although this was done already in animated form last year, so all the star power being brought back to the franchise may be utilized to make the plot seem less derivative. I am guessing this movie is actually the second act of the story that starts in WandaVision and wraps up in the Dr. Strange movie and involves them trying to fix the state of the multiverse. I also would not be surprised if we see Marvels first family, the Fantastic Four, for the first time in this film as the director of the Spider-man movies Jon Watts has also been hired to helm that movie. But it promises to be the first big team up movie since Endgame so I am sure it will be a huge hit next winter and I for one can’t wait to wait in line at the theatre to see it.
Marvel + – Ms. Marvel Winter 2021
This is another show meant to really set up other stories and characters as we will be introduced to Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, played by newcomer Iman Vellani. She is a really fun character because among other things, she is a huge fan of superheroes and even writes fan fiction for actual living heroes, especially Captain Marvel. An interesting facet of her character is that she gets her shapeshifting powers because she is an Inhuman, which were a group introduced in a miniseries that Marvel released to no applause and I wonder if they will bring back the Inhuman storyline or retcon her character as a mutant. In a lot of ways, she is like Peter Parker as she is very smart and when she realizes she has powers she immediately creates her own costume and starts fighting crime.
Over the past few years, the character has become increasingly popular and I believe she will not doubt be another member of the Young Avengers team up that I have been mentioning. The character is also set to appear in the Captain Marvel sequel and while the villain has not been announced, I would be surprised if it weren’t Moonstone as the character not only has ties to Captain Marvel but also the Thunderbolts and Secret Invasion.
This is another series I can’t wait to watch with my daughter and will be one I am routing for as I am always partial to characters that start as fans before they become heroes.
Movie - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness 3/25/22
Another movie that promises to be a blockbuster, the second Dr. Strange movie may also be extremely important as I believe it will mark the end of Phase 4. As I mentioned, I think this will be the not only the final act of this phase of movies but the final act of the storyline that begins in WandaVision, continues in the third Spider-man movie, and then ends here. Announced as the scariest movie script in the Marvel cinematic universe, horror movie and former Spider-man director Sam Rami is set to direct this a cast that includes the return of Wong, Karl Mordo and Christine Palmer but also will feature Wanda Maximoff as well as the debut of America Chavez, a character from another reality that has super strength and can fly that will also no doubt be a member of the Young Avengers.
But I am guessing that the focus of the movie will be once again trying to fix the mess created by the Avengers will they hopped around time and will lead them to the villain Mephisto or possibly Nightmare. I think that there is a chance that Loki may be in the movie as well or perhaps the second season of his show will interact with this story. But this promises to be a much different Marvel movie than we are used to seeing and I am ready to get weird and dive in.
Movie – Thor: Love and Thunder 5/6/22
The only original Avenger getting a fourth movie, Thor will return in Love and Thunder and after the success of Ragnarök I can’t wait to see this film as well. It is actually because of Ragnarök that Thor’s life is completely turned on its head, as he is no longer the ruler of Asgard and has passed the mantle on to Tessa Thompsons Valkyrie, who apparently will be the one looking for love in the movie. After taking a movie off, Natalie Portman will return as Jane Foster and is said to be wielding Mjolnir and taking up the mantle of Thor, which is sure to be an interesting development. The Guardians of the Galaxy are also set to make an appearance as is fan favorite Korg, played by director Taka Waititi. The villain of the film is set to be played by Christian Bale, the second Batman actor now to play a villain, as he will be Gorr the God Butcher, an infamous foe of the mighty one. There isn’t that much else known about the story but honestly after the last Thor movie I have so much faith in this creative team that I am probably more confident that this movie will be good than any other.
The rest of the slate we do not know a lot about since they are so far off so I will go over them one by one but a bit more quickly.
Movie – Black Panther 2 7/8/22
The second Black Panther movie will be released in 2022 and will feature at least one new person taking on the role. The studio has said that it will not recast T’Challa and that the character will die before the events of the movie. As I mentioned, Chadwick Bozeman’s last appearance as the character will be in the What If animated series as an alternate version of the character that takes up the mantle of Star-lord instead of that of the Black Panther.
Movie – Captain Marvel 2 11/11/22
The next installment of Captain Marvel will also be released in 2022 and really the only news we know about it is that Monica Rambeau, who appeared as a child in the first Captain Marvel movie and then will again appear as an adult in WandaVision, will appear as well as the new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. I wouldn’t be surprised if the events of the Eternals movie spill into this one too and we end up getting some characters from that cast added here as well.
Movie – Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 2022
Not a lot is known about the next Ant-man movie either, except that the main cast is set to return, and Peyton Reed is set to direct again. The two new characters that should have big roles in this film are that of Kang the Conqueror, who is a time traveling villain with ties to the Fantastic Four and will be played by Jonathan Majors from Lovecraft Country, as well as Kathryn Newton, who was cast as Cassie Lang, a character we saw grow up in the first two Ant-man movies and will grow into the hero Stature, pun intended. Stature should be another member of the Young Avengers team.
Marvel + – Moon Knight 2022
Moon Knight, like Shang-Chi, could be another under the radar property that just turns into something awesome. A lot of people say that Moon Knight is the Marvel version of Batman, but that is an oversimplification of a very complex character. He is a wealthy businessman who has gadgets and is a detective, but the similarities really end there. Oscar Isaac is set to play the role, which is fantastic because Moon Knight is also a character with multiple personalities and if anyone has that kind of range it is Oscar Isaac. But this could be the Mandalorian for Marvel; a dark tragic story that involves mysticism, death and goes to corners of the Marvel Universe not yet explored.
Marvel + – She Hulk 2022
This one is interesting as She-Hulk is the kind of character that really could interact with any other, so there is no telling where we could see Jennifer Walters go. The fact that Mark Ruffalo will be reprising his role as her cousin Bruce Banner, makes me think that we may actually get to see an origin story with this character, since in the comics she becomes a smarter, less destructive version of the Hulk after receiving an emergency blood transfusion from Banner. Tatiana Maslany, who I know from Parks and Recreation, has been cast as the character after initially refuting the news and Tim Roth is set to return as the Abomination, which is really cool because now he and Thunderbolt Ross link the original Hulk film, led by Edward Norton, to the marvel universe. I wonder if Roth will make a joke about Banner not looking like her remembers him…..
Marvel + - The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special Winter 2022
Movie – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 2023
The third volume of the Guardians of the Galaxy will also be released at the same time as what is being called the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. This is the furthest movie out, partially due to the fact that director James Gunn was initially fired from the project than rehired but got a job as the director of the new Suicide Squad movie with DC in the meantime. The only detail that has been released about the movie is that the team will be searching still for Gamora, who left the battlefield without notice during the events of Endgame. The holiday special should be a ton of fun though and I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole thing is a musical. After the DVD release of the second Guardians movie, the cast did a music video with David Hasselhoff that is absolutely hilarious which makes me think this may be the funniest thing that Marvel has ever done.
Marvel + - Secret Invasion 2023
This one was sort of a surprise but not really, as the end of Spider-man Far From Home kind of hinted at the storyline with the inclusion of the Skrulls masquerading as among other people, Nick Fury. But Samuel L Jackson will be reprising his role as Nick Fury as well as Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos, that first appeared in Captain Marvel. The story has to do with the shape shifting Skrulls infiltrating the Earth and there are rumors that some already established characters will be revealed to have been Skrulls the entire time we have seen them on screen.
Marvel + - Ironheart 2023
Marvel + - Armor Wars 2023
These next two I am going to lump together because I think they will be connected. First, Ironheart is basically the story of the next Iron Man as a young student named Rimi Williams designs a suit of armor and becomes the hero Ironheart. Another character that will no doubt play into the young Avengers, she is also one of the newest characters in the Marvel universe to get her own property, having been created in 2015. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the return of a character from Iron Man 2 and then seen again at the end of Endgame at Tony Starks funeral, Harley Keener. Armor Wars is set to be led my Rhodey, played once again by Don Cheadle, and is described as being the worst fear of Tony Stark as someone gets their hands on the Iron Man suit technology and builds their own versions. If this story sound similar, it is because it was basically the plot of the 3 Iron Man moves so I am interested to see what kind of new spin they can make with it. Even though it may make the story seem that much more derivative, I would love to see Sam Rockwell return to play Justin Hammer as he was far and away my favorite Iron Man villain.
Movie – Blade TBD
Marvel + - I Am Groot TBD
These two properties are the ones we know the least about. Blade is set to star Mahershala Ali as the character, having already stared in the Marvel universe as the villain Cottonmouth on Luke Cage, a performance he got rave reviews for. Not much else is known but I wouldn’t be surprised if he interacts with Spider-man eventually, given that Jared Leto is set to play Morbius, the living vampire, soon as well. I Am Groot looks to be an animated short series detailing the adventures of the hero as a sapling until adulthood. Both could be released in 2022, but more likely to be released in 2023.
Movie – Fantastic 4 TBD
The final movie on this list is the one that I believe will be the next Endgame level event in the Marvel universe, and that will the inclusion of the first family of Marvel comics, the Fantastic Four. Although not a lot is known about the project, except that the director is the same as the one currently in charge of the Spider-man franchise Jon Watts. I think that this is actually a big clue as to the importance of the film in the Marvel universe because it is my belief that Marvel is not looking to rehash the Avengers into another movie, which is smart because I don’t really know what they could do to top Endgame. I think that the focus of the universe will shift to the Fantastic Four and their main big bad, Dr. Doom. Fans of the family have long campaigned for the real-life married couple of John Krasinski and Emily Blunt to take on the roles of Reed and Susan Richards, and just today I read that Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery is in talks to play Johnny Storm. I think that over the next couple of years there will be hints that the Fantastic Four are coming, like the inclusion of Kang the Conquer in the next Ant-man movie as well as rumors of Dr. Doom and the villain Annihilus showing up in different properties which will set up the slow crawl, similar to the way Thanos was introduced. Needless to say, I am extremely excited for this as I love reading the comics of Fantastic Four but hate watching the movies.
Well, that is everything we know right now but you let me know, What Did I Miss? Was there anything I left out or did not discuss. Also, don’t forget to let me know in the comments which character you are most excited for. Be sure to subscribe and hit the notification bell so you are alerted when my individual videos about these movies and series come out, hit that like button as well and I will see you next time on What Did I Miss.