Top 10 Most Anticipated Marvel Movies

While most of the entries on this list are sequels, the MCU is also branching out with Phase 4. “Eternals” centers on an alien race that’s been secretly living on Earth for more than 7,000 years. After the Battle of Earth, these immortal beings come out of hiding to confront an old enemy, the Deviants. The film is bound to take the MCU to bold new places in terms of storytelling and representation. In addition to bringing together a diverse cast, the film has found a wholly unique voice in director Chloé Zhao. Zhao directed our choice for the best film of 2020, “Nomadland.” We’re eager to see her make the leap from a “mid-seven-figure” awards contender to a $200 million blockbuster.

The Mandarin twist in “Iron Man 3” remains among the MCU’s most infamous moments. Marvel is aiming to atone with this martial arts-inspired superhero film, which introduces Tony Leung Chiu-wai as the real Mandarin. It’ll also mark Simu Liu’s debut as Shang-Chi in Marvel’s first Asian-led film. The supporting cast is rounded out by Awkwafina, Ronny Chieng, and Michelle Yeoh, who already appeared as Aleta Ogord in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” We wonder if she’ll bring Sly Stallone and the rest of her crew. In any case, director Destin Daniel Cretton is sure to bring plenty to the table. Like Chloé Zhao, Cretton’s background is rooted in acclaimed indie darlings such as “Short Term 12,” which starred a pre-Captain Marvel Brie Larson.

The third “Guardians of the Galaxy” has had a rocky production. When some controversial tweets resurfaced in 2018, director James Gunn was let go from Disney. Although Gunn received support from the cast and many fans, Disney’s decision appeared to be final. After months of negotiations, though, Gunn was thankfully reinstated. In the midst of his exit, however, Gunn signed up with DC to write and direct “The Suicide Squad.” So, “Vol. 3” got delayed even longer. At least we got to catch up with the Guardians in “Infinity War” and “Endgame.” Those crossovers left us with three questions that need to be addressed: Is 2018 Gamora gone for good? What happened to 2014 Gamora? And is Thor now a mainstay of the team?

Speaking of Thor, we’re elated to announce that “Ragnarok” won’t be the God of Thunder’s final curtain. Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, and director Taika Waititi are all back on board for this fourth installment. “Love and Thunder” will also see the return of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster. Although Jane has essentially been the designated love interest up until now, this sequel will give her a serious upgrade as the Mighty Thor. The Guardians of the Galaxy are reportedly dropping by as well, which will likely bridge the gap between this film and “Vol. 3.” As of writing, it’s unclear which character will be the focus. What we do know is that the MCU is getting another former Batman: Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher.

The world lost a king in August 2020 when Chadwick Boseman succumbed to colon cancer. Boseman left behind a rich body of work, and T'Challa will likely go down as his most iconic role. “Black Panther II” aspires to evolve Wakanda’s mythology while honoring Boseman’s memory. While it’s unclear how the film will address Boseman’s tragic death, director Ryan Coogler and his team are determined to respect the actor’s legacy. T'Challa won’t be recast and the sequel won’t use a digital double. Shuri will reportedly have a more substantial role, which leads us to believe that she may take up the Black Panther mantle. We’re bound to learn more after the film starts shooting in July 2021, but this is not the end.

Remember in “Spider-Man 2” when Doctor Strange was name-dropped? Well, things have come full circle because Sam Raimi is directing “The Multiverse of Madness.” Who knows? Maybe this sequel will even open the door for Raimi’s “Spider-Man” movies to collide with the MCU, but we’ll talk more about that in another entry. This film will not only see Raimi return to the superhero genre, but also his horror roots. It’s a change of pace, but Raimi’s brand of horror comedy feels strangely well-suited for the MCU. If you’re digging “WandaVision,” you’ll be happy to know that Scarlet Witch will also play a role. Of course, the real question is if Bruce Campbell will appear. We’d pay good money to see Ash Williams as Mister Sinister!

If there’s one MCU movie it feels like we’ve been waiting forever to see, it’s “Black Widow.” Part of that is because the film’s release got repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic. Even before that, though, audiences have wanted to see Natasha Romanoff take center stage since “Iron Man 2.” The wait has been even longer for comic readers. It’s taken over ten years, but Scarlett Johansson is finally starring in her first solo MCU movie. Given Natasha’s fate in “Avengers: Endgame,” we’re all asking the same question: will this film be her swan song or a means to bring the character back? Either way, we hope to see more of Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Rachel Weisz in future Marvel projects.

When Disney officially acquired 21st Century Fox in December 2017, we all knew it was only a matter of time until the X-Men and Fantastic Four joined the MCU. While we’re still waiting for word on Wolverine, a “Fantastic Four” movie has been confirmed. It shouldn’t be that hard to top the previous attempts at adapting the superhero team. The film is being directed by Jon Watts, who helmed “Spider-Man: Homecoming” and its 2019 follow-up. Since Watts has a third “Spider-Man” in the works, it may be a while before we learn much about his “Fantastic Four” film. For now, we’ll just have to think about our dream cast. Come on, Marvel, give us John Krasinski and Emily Blunt as Reed Richards and Sue Storm!

It remains uncertain how the X-Men will enter the MCU, although we suspect that most of the roles will be recast… with one exception. With the acquisition of Fox, the fate of “Deadpool 3” was thrown up in the air. We mean, can you imagine the Merc with a Mouth and Mickey at Disneyland? Kevin Feige confirmed in early 2021, however, that “Deadpool 3” will not only be rated R, but it’ll apparently be part of the MCU. Ryan Reynolds is naturally set to reprise his role, and will also contribute to the script with Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin of “Bob’s Burgers.” The one downside is that we probably won’t see the film any earlier than 2022. If only we could turn forward time.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Morbius” (2021)
Jared Leto Is the Latest Actor Going from DC to Marvel

“Venom: Let There Be Carnage” (2021)
Let There Be an R Rating This Time

“Blade” (TBA)
Mahershala Ali as the Daywalker? Yes Please!

“Captain Marvel 2” (2022)
From the Director of the New “Candyman”

“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” (2022)
Go Big or Go Back to the Ant Hill

We all cheered when J.K. Simmons resurfaced as J. Jonah Jameson in the mid-credits scene from “Spider-Man: Far From Home.” It turns out that awesome cameo was just the tip of the iceberg. Based on several exciting announcements, it appears we’re essentially getting a live-action Spider-Verse movie. This sequel is bringing back characters from both the OG “Spider-Man” trilogy and the “Amazing Spider-Man” films, including Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock and Jamie Foxx’s Electro. Reports have also strongly suggested that we’ll see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, bringing together three generations of Spider-Men. Granted, it won’t be easy to top “Into the Spider-Verse,” which is also getting a sequel. After nearly two decades of “Spider-Man” movies, though, this may be Marvel’s most ambitious endeavor yet.