Top 10 Things We Know About MCU's Phase 4

The live-action MCU entries have been adored by critics and audiences alike, but when it comes to animated content, DC has long had Marvel beat with their high quality direct-to-video films and critically acclaimed series. But... Marvel is clearly looking to change that based on the description of “What If”. Based on the comic series by the same name, “What If” explores alternate timelines and realities that deviate from the main MCU continuity. For the Disney+ series, set for release in 2021, that means countless big names from the live action films returning to lend their voices, including the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Mark Ruffalo, Paul Rudd and more. The “what if” stories will be presented by the Watcher, voiced by Westworld’s Jeffrey Wright.

The god of mischief met a tragic end at the start of “Avengers: Infinity War”, leaving many to wonder if his Disney+ series would be a prequel. Of course, the MCU has mastered the art of defying expectations, and with the introduction of deviating timelines in “Endgame”, we’ve once again got a Loki who’s alive and ready to cause trouble. According to Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, the Loki series will pick up right after Hiddleston's character escaped with the Tesseract in “Endgame”. The actor, appearing during the Hall H presentation at Comic Con, also reminded fans that this is the villainous Loki from the first Avengers film, who has yet to grow into the sympathetic character we learned to love in his subsequent appearances.

This is another MCU series destined for Disney+ that we’ve been hearing about for awhile now, but with little in terms of details. “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” puts the spotlight on Cap’s two best friends and partners in crime-fighting, Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson. After the events of “Endgame”, some fans were expecting a last minute title change, but it would seem that Wilson is keeping the name Falcon, at least for the time being. Probably the most exciting new detail is that Civil War’s Daniel Brühl will not only be reprising his villainous role as Zemo, but he’ll be donning a purple mask like in the comics.

This comic book character might not be a household name like Spider-Man or Captain America, but we think that that’s likely to change come 2021. The character was co-created by Jim Starlin (the same man who gave us Thanos), and debuted in 1973’s Special Marvel Edition #15. Though Shang-Chi doesn’t have any superpowers to speak of, his martial arts prowess has seen him best opponents far more powerful than himself over the years. Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu, best known for his work on “Kim’s Convenience”, has been revealed as the titular hero and will be joined by Awkwafina as well as Tony Leung, who will be playing… (wait for it) the Mandarin! And apparently, this time, it’s the real one.

In the climactic battle of “Endgame”, it was incredible to see just how massive the cast of characters in the MCU has become over its decade-plus history. Well, with the introduction of “Eternals”, scheduled for release November 2020, this universe is getting even bigger. As part of Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel, Kevin Feige brought out the massive and seriously impressive cast of characters, which includes the likes of Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Selma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee and Angelina Jolie. These ancient, godlike cosmic beings will bring a whole new dimension to the MCU… maybe even literally!

Well… we didn’t see this coming! In arguably one of the most unexpected announcements of the entire day, Marvel threw fans a major curveball when they announced that Blade was finally joining the MCU. This came at the end of the panel, when it seemed that things were wrapping up. Cranking the hype even higher however, was the revelation that Academy Award winning actor Mahershala Ali would be stepping into the trenchcoat of the iconic half-vampire vampire-hunter. We don’t have so much as a release date as of yet, but with such a high caliber actor in the role, this film is sure to be worth the wait - however long that proves to be.

Her abilities might not make as big of an impact on the big screen as some of her superpowered teammates, but Natasha Romanoff has more than earned her own solo film. Though long overdue, it’s finally happening; “Black Widow” will hit theaters May 1, 2020, starring Scarlet Johansson as the titular Avenger “with red in her ledger”. Based on the footage shown at San Diego Comic Con, it will be action-heavy in the vein of the Bourne franchise and, most importantly, will delve into the character’s dark past. That’s right folks, we’re going to Budapest! Scarjo is joined by David Harbour, Florence Pugh, O.T. Fagbenle, and Rachel Weisz, and the film will also see the MCU debut of fan-favorite villain, the Taskmaster.

Not all Avengers get equal screen-time, but if there’s one original member who’s consistently been short-changed, it’s Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye. To be fair, after being entirely absent from “Infinity War”, Clint Barton did play a major role in “Endgame”, his story arc being among the most emotional. That being said, it felt like we were just beginning to scratch the surface of the character’s potential, and as such, the fact that he is getting his very own show is a very welcome one. As rumored, the Disney+ series will see him training Kate Bishop, who is seemingly being set up to take over the mantle of Hawkeye. Most exciting however, is the fact that the show will reportedly further explore Barton’s time as Ronin.

For all of the critical and commercial success of “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, it definitely rubbed some fans the wrong way with the way it handled the multiverse. For anyone included in this category, we’re guessing that the title of Doctor Strange 2 was music to your ears - because we highly doubt that this multiverse is a fakeout. Filmmaker Scott Derrickson returns to direct Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme, and he promises that this sequel will break new ground for the MCU in terms embracing more gothic and horror elements. Apparently the events of the Disney+ series “WandaVision” will tie directly into the Multiverse of Madness, with Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch joining the Strange sequel as well.

Some heroes, the MCU managed to nail with their very first outing; we’re looking at you, Iron Man. Others took a bit longer to find their footing. In his third solo feature, “Ragnarok”, Thor really came into his own, in no small part thanks to the brilliant direction of newcomer Taika Waititi. While the news already dropped before Comic-Con that Waititi would return to direct the fourth solo Thor film, the audience at Hall H was still in for some surprises. When Waititi took the stage to discuss “Thor: Love and Thunder” with co-stars Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson, the director revealed that Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster is also back, and (like in the comics) we’ll see her transform into Lady Thor. We’re not worthy!