2021 is shaping up to be an exciting year for fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because almost as soon as WandaVision wraps up, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier begins. Loki will follow in June (news which broke yesterday), and during Disney+'s TCA Press Tour panel, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige explained why these shows will all end up being around the six-hour mark.
"Six hours is what we landed on as the best way to tell our story," he explained (via Deadline). "Six hours, whether it’s six episodes, or nine shorter episodes like Wandavision. The shows aren’t inexpensive, so the per episode cost is very high and to get that bar I was talking about."
As we reported yesterday, these shows aren't being made with second seasons in mind, and it seems they're instead meant to introduce these characters ahead of their big screen debuts.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier will obviously be crucial to Phase 4 and beyond, something Feige acknowledged while hyping what fans can expect from this unexpected team-up.
"Anthony Mackie and Sebastien Stan are spectacular actors which we felt we had to explore their stories and their backstories, or personal stories enough as Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes," Feige says. "So it was always the thought we’d like to learn more about both of them. In the little interactions they had with each other in Winter Soldier and Civil War...as friends of a mutual best friend in Captain America. We thought we’d have a fun dynamic, if we ever had that opportunity, we’d watch a whole show with the two of them and Disney+ gives us that opportunity."
Marvel Studios' Disney+ plans are clearly ambitious, and introducing characters like Moon Knight and She-Hulk on the streamer does arguably make more sense than throwing them into their own movie. Then, once their popularity has been built up on the small screen, they'll no doubt make an impact on the big one.
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predictions about WandaVision's big guest star!
5. The Original Quicksilver
At the end of last week's episode of WandaVision, we learned that Wanda (or someone...) had "recast" Pietro. Playing Wanda's long-lost brother was Evan Peters, the actor best known for starring as Quicksilver in Fox's X-Men movies. Look online, and you'll find plenty of theories about him.
Some believe it's Pietro's "spirit" in a new body, while others have argued this is just a random Westview resident forced to play Wanda's brother. The most compelling theory, however, is that he's secretly Mephisto, and is only there to manipulate the Scarlet Witch and stop her leaving this reality.
Regardless, we honestly wouldn't be surprised if Aaron Taylor-Johnson makes his surprise return as the real Quicksilver. If Wanda fully embraces her reality altering powers in the finale, then she could bring the real deal back from the dead, proving that there are no limits to her powers (and, despite what she told Billy and Tommy, the Scarlet Witch is powerful enough to break the rules).
4. Mojo
Even assuming Mephisto isn't responsible for what's happening in Westview, it's still safe to assume that "Agnes" will be revealed as Nightmare (likely combined with Agatha Harkness).
The ruler of the Dream Dimension clearly wants to get her hands on the twins for some sort of sinister reason, but what's the deal with the sitcoms? Well, that could be explained with the introduction of Mojo. His race was driven insane by television signals from Earth, and he loves creating his own entertainment...so, what if Nightmare was forced to turn to him for help here?
She might not be powerful enough to trap Wanda in a setting where she can be easily manipulated, hence why Mojo was necessary to create a sitcom world, and provide the necessary technology. This would be a weird direction to take things down, but Marvel Studios might be able to pull it off!
If nothing else, he might be shown tuning in...
3. Spider-Man (Not That Spider-Man)
Despite what Tom Holland says, the signs do appear to be pointing to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield being part of Spider-Man 3. Plus, with Sam Raimi at the helm of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, the prevailing theory is that the Sorcerer Supreme will team up with Maguire's Spidey.
Don't forget, Sony Pictures has agreed to allow Marvel Studios to use Spider-Man in at least one more MCU movie, but who said it had to be the version played by Holland?
So, if the Scarlet Witch is responsible for tearing a hole in the Multiverse, it's feasible we'll get our first look at Maguire's world, and Strange will need to enlist his Spider-Man's help to get this one back to his world. Perhaps this will take too much time, but if nothing else, a glimpse to tease Spider-Man 3 would work!
2. The Beyonder
If it's not Mephisto pulling the strings, then there's another possibility (and one who could be used to lay the groundwork for Phase 4/Phase 5's new big bad). Just like Thanos was introduced in The Avengers' post-credits scene, The Beyonder could appear in WandaVision's stinger.
Revealing he was responsible for twisting reality and creating those sitcoms, the stage would be set for an even bigger clash down the line...Secret Wars! Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo are keen to make that a reality (no pun intended), and a being as powerful as The Beyonder could explain both the Multiverse madness and the introduction of the X-Men.
A slow-burn approach to this debut would be sensible, but some sort of tease in the WandaVision finale - with an A-Lister playing the villain - would be nothing short of mind-blowing for comic book fans.
1. Magneto
How cool would this be?
There was a fake leak about Magneto appearing in WandaVision, but the iconic comic book character arriving to claim his daughter (similar to the end of Avengers Disassembled) would be one heckuva twist, teasing a secret origin story for Wanda Maximoff and the arrival of mutants.
If they've been hiding out in the shadows all this time, then it makes perfect sense for Magneto to make his presence felt, taking his mutant daughter back to Krakoa or wherever the mutants call home.
We'd lose our minds if Michael Fassbender plays Erik, and that could tie nicely into whatever is going on with the Multiverse (similar to Evan Peters returning as Quicksilver). Time will tell, but it would be a big mistake not to explore Wanda's history as a mutant and with her father, Magneto.