If you’ve been following along here at The Cosmic Circus, you know that reporter and insider Alex Perez occasionally has news to share about Marvel Studios projects. He’s made time for a Q&A with our Discord members a few times already, and this time we’re trying a new format for that. Recently, we asked for more questions from our Discord members, and decided to share them here below!
[Warning: Spoilers and rumors for various future Marvel Studios projects are below! Read at your own risk! Questions have been lightly edited for clarity/grammar.]
The Avengers
Kosta: Given the amount of potential heroes that exist in the MCU right now, how many members do you expect the Avengers roster to be? Whether main or side characters (side characters ex.Rhodey/Vision in Ultron, Civil War)
Alex: The Avengers are “disassembled” so to speak. Every hero is currently out doing their own thing. Captain America has his own team with Falcon. Bucky will be busy handling the Thunderbolts. She-Hulk’s busy being a lawyer. Doctor Strange is off on his own with Clea. Thor’s off-world with Gorr’s daughter. Valkyrie is taking care of New Asgard. Scott is spending time with his family. The Scarlet Witch is resting. Vision is on a journey of self-exploration. Hawkeye’s retired. The only potentially “active” Avengers on the roster right now are Wong, Captain Marvel, Bruce Banner, Shang-Chi and Katy.
However, there will be a story line that will force multiple heroes to unite. According to some sources, there is an interest from Marvel in developing a World War Hulk project, as a way to set up multiple street-level heroes as part of the Avengers roster to prepare them for the impending battle with Kang.
Blade
Rebel: Is Blade still a period piece?
Alex: The title Blade has a double meaning. It will be an origin story for both the character and the Ebony Blade. While I expect many of its elements to be set in the past, I do expect it to have a structure similar to how Eternals was handled.
Captain Carter
Elyse: Any Captain Carter updates?
Alex: Captain Carter will be back in What If…? season 3, and will also be one of the characters in play for Secret Wars.
Captain Britain, Kang, and the Marvel Multiverse
Peacemaker: Will Marvel introduce Brian Braddock and Captain Britain soon enough?
Alex: There have been discussions for Braddock to be introduced as a part of a certain team set in the United Kingdom. But it’s still an idea in a drawing board.
Folkito1hunnid: With the Multiversal vacuum we are left with, will we see more Kang variants, the Beyonder(s), Captain Britain corps and etc…?
Alex: Right now, Marvel is reassessing how to handle the Multiverse, which is why they’re focusing on street-level stories for the time being, with the sole exception of Deadpool & Wolverine. It is still my impression that Marvel still wants to use Kang and his variants to face off against the Avengers, but there is one antagonistic presence that Marvel is building up to, which will impact the Kang Dynasty by the time they arrive.
Captain Marvel
DisappointinglyLethargic: With The Marvels underperforming, where have you heard Captain Marvel showing up again?
Alex: I have heard Carol’s role in the MCU as of now is to focus on two things. The first is to decipher the true origin of the Quantum Bands from The Marvels, with Carol presenting her bangle to Wong and Banner, while Kamala does the same, albeit with a couple of new friends on the way. The second thing is to find a way to bring Monica back to the MCU, but given what we know about incursions, they might find their way back to each other sooner than they think.
Deadpool and Wolverine
JoeMarvel: Have you heard anything reliable about Henry Cavill being a Wolverine variant in DP3?
Alex: There is credence to this rumor.
mothman9583: Do you know if any of the actors who may cameo in D & W as Wolvie could turn out to be MCU Wolverine?
Alex: Very unlikely.
ShadowBeard: Will Mark Ruffalo (the interpreter of Hulk) be in Deadpool & Wolverine? Is a Hulk vs Wolverine fight planned?
Alex: I’m sure there’s a Wolverine variant somewhere out there in the multiverse fighting Hulk. Whether we’ll see it in this movie, who’s to say?
Doctor Strange
dirtdiver82_: Do you still expect Doctor Strange to be absent from Avengers 5 as he will be busy with what’s happening in Doctor Strange 3 but also play a huge role in Secret Wars as you stated about a year ago in your Strange vs Kang article?
Alex: One of the ideas I had heard regarding Doctor Strange’s role in the Multiverse Saga overall was to have his character struggle with the moralities of what he believes is right and wrong. In most universes, we’ve seen Stephen Strange do something that he believes is right and is ultimately for the greater good, when in reality, it backfires and ends up causing more harm than good.
Not only that, but it paints Strange as the antagonist in these cases. Such is the case with Strange Supreme from What If…?, Defender Strange, Doctor Strange from Earth-838, and Sinister Strange. When presented with the fact that in most universes, Strange’s actions often cause more harm than good, Strange-616 will struggle with the sense of whether what he is doing is right, ultimately coming to terms with the decision that perhaps simply removing himself from the situation and letting someone else handle it is the best course of action.
Of course, it’s all a setup for Strange to step up to the plate and become one of the most important heroes of the Multiverse Saga and I don’t expect them to change much of the story since this is supposed to take place during a couple of projects.
The Eternals
NoCap Nova: You think the Eternals will return in a project before Secret Wars?
Alex: I’m not entirely sure if the Eternals will return in a project before Secret Wars. The storyline they originally had set up for the sequel could very well be a story set for the next saga of the MCU if Marvel knows how to play its cards right.
The Hulk
ShadowBeard: Will we have a solo Hulk film before Secret Wars (Hulk vs Avengers)? And finally, how does Smart Hulk become Savage Hulk?
Alex: I have no word on a solo Hulk film per se. But Savage Hulk is a possibility.
BraveFire: When will we see Hulk in phase 5? (next appearance if possible?) Hulk future appearances? Is Hulk in CA:BNW and Deadpool 3?
Alex: No word on any future Hulk appearance as of late.
ReyD: My usual and redundant question, but are we still confident that World War Hulk will happen?
Alex: Yes. I am confident that World War Hulk will be adapted.
Marvel Studios animated series
Titan29: Are The Incredible Hulk/Iron Man/The Fantastic Four going to share a continuity with X-Men/Spider-Man again in X-Men ’97?
Alex: There have been discussions about exploring a Marvel 90s animated universe, which would most likely be explored through X-Men ’97 at this time. There is potential for more projects to be developed within this universe, the most likely candidate being a sequel series to Spider-Man: The Animated Series, but this is still very early in development as an idea being tossed around.
Pr0tato: In regards to rumors pertaining to Storm appearing in What If…? Season 3 (Provided by CanWeGetSomeToast), do you have any information into how that exactly will work considering that X-Men ’97 is not (currently) connected to the MCU in any way, shape or form and I assume our proper introduction of X-Men and mutantkind will likely be coming in Deadpool & Wolverine?
Alex: You are correct in stating that the main MCU timeline is not connected to X-Men ’97 , but they do exist “within the MCU” as part of the larger Multiverse. I have no information regarding Storm being in What If…? Season 3. As for the introduction of X-Men and mutant-kind, it’s already been introduced in the main MCU continuity with characters like Ms. Marvel and Namor, and they will continue to build it up as such.
Peacemaker: Is there any talk for Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes revival, by any chance, nowadays?
Alex: Anything is possible, but nothing of the sort has been discussed yet.
Marvel Studios future teams, announcements, and other plans
Futers 11: Do you feel Marvel views their 2025 releases as risks? As they have had lots of rewrites and changes.
Alex: Everything they release is a risk. But right now, Marvel’s goal is to not only pursue quality over quantity, but to earn the public’s trust with what they know best, telling good stories.
Din Djarin: Do you see Marvel announcing anything new at SDCC?
Alex: Yes. I expect Marvel Studios to provide an update very soon, although I expect D23 this year will be much more fun.
Din Djarin: Have you heard anything about what other teams Marvel may look to bring in and utilize? (Ex: Alpha Flight)
Alex: There have been discussions about MI13 being developed, as well as Agents of Atlas.
Folkito1hunnid: The Henry Cavill rumors, is there a timetable of when we will find out who he will be portraying in the MCU?
Alex: This year.
Nova
Pr0tato: Considering the mention of Nova dropped by Winderbaum himself in a recent interview [with comicbook.com], is there anything you know and can feasibly say about that character and project they are tied to even though by Winderbaum’s words, it is “in early development”?
Alex: Outside what has been reported, there really have been no updates I can give at this time about the Nova project. Although I am happy to see it confirmed moving forward.
Possible projects Marvel Studios might continue
joshua: Without specifying, are you able to confirm there are revival series beyond DDBA and 97 in active development?
Alex: There are discussions about other revival series beyond Daredevil: Born Again and X-Men ’97 in development. Some set in the same universe as those projects.
joshua: Will all future shows be multi-season and longer like the Netflix days going forward, or could there still be the occasional limited/mini-series like what we’ve had so far?
Alex: It’s a case by case basis. Some shows might warrant a multi-season approach. Others might just be a one and done.
RedGyarados2010: Will any characters from the Fox show Legion appear in the MCU?
Alex: No word on that front.
Shang-Chi
Hifive326: Any new updates on Shang-Chi 2?
Alex: The film was going to be a major setup into Kang Dynasty, incorporating ties to the Ten Rings’ History as an organization, as well as diving deep into the truth behind the Ten Rings themselves. There’s also one plot point that Shang-Chi 2 is set to explore, which was set up in Ms. Marvel.
Spider-Man
wade: On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest) what are the chances of the 90s Spider-Man animated series coming back?
Alex: On a scale of 1-10, the chances for a continuation of Spider-Man: The Animated Series will be about 7.
wade: Any idea if Japanese spider-man will be in Beyond the Spider-verse?
Alex: Supaidaman and Leopardon will be in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
arnihd_: Hey Alex! Hope you’re doing okay man, lots of love. I have a few questions regarding Tom’s Spider-Man. Not just Spider-Man 4 but more so what the character of Peter may appear to be like moving forward. Could we expect him to appear much older and more mature in the next film(s)? Will he be that beacon of hope of NYC to help people as was mentioned in the last film?
Alex: Peter’s first trilogy was all about establishing his origin in the MCU. I know people complained about him being a novice and acting childish at times, but that’s who he is. He’s just 15 when we meet him in Civil War, & 17 by the time No Way Home ends.
In Homecoming, Peter wanted to prove himself to be an Avenger alongside Tony but realized that being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was better for him. In Infinity War and Endgame, he was forced to rise to the challenge of being an Avenger. In Far From Home, he struggles with establishing himself as his own hero when everyone expects him to be the next Iron Man and all he wants after everything he’s been through is to have a normal moment as Peter Parker. This thread is further explored in No Way Home, when his identity is revealed, and he learns that Peter Parker and Spider-Man cannot truly coexist without putting the people he loves in danger.
This all leads to the next chapter in his story. The idea now moving forward is to give him a sense of independence. In his mind, Peter Parker is no more… but Spider-Man lives on. Since he has either lost or detached himself from everyone he’s ever loved, all he has to keep him going is being Spider-Man, whether the city loves him for it or not. And as the title of Spider-Man continues to consume Peter’s life little by little, Peter Parker will take a back seat and continue to fade from existence slowly. This story point can be compared to Robert Pattinson’s Batman in The Batman.
Thor 5
ReyD: Any movement for Thor 5? Do we have an idea when it could possibly come out? (2027 ?)
Kosta: Do you think the Russo Brothers would consider returning to Marvel to direct something like Thor 5 or the new Spidey movies instead of doing Avenger films? They really enjoyed working with Holland and Hemsworth, so just wanted to see your opinion on this.
Alex: No word on Thor 5 and no word on the Russo Brothers coming back.
Video Games
RobbyB3ll4s: Alex, what is your favorite video game handheld console?
Alex: I used to own a Gameboy Advance SP and I played a Power Rangers: Dino Thunder game that was my favorite at the time. So I’ll go with that.
Liam | Kate Bishop Fan: Is there any concrete plans for more marvel character video games? Maybe Doctor Strange as rumoured in 2022?
Alex: I have no knowledge of the sort.
The X-Men
Ecko: What do you know of any more mutants’ introductions into the MCU, and by extension, the X-Men?
Alex: It will be a while. And anyone expecting mutants (or X-Men) to suddenly come into the MCU after Deadpool & Wolverine will be sorely disappointed.
Futers 11: How soon after Secret Wars could we see 616 X-Men in the MCU?
Alex: It will take a while.
The Young Avengers
logic: You hinted that Young Avengers would have a multiversal aspect to it. Is there any more details you can give on that?
Alex: A while back, I had teased that the Young Avengers project would handle a Multiverse aspect. This Multiverse aspect would involve Kamala’s Quantum band and exploring the origin of this band beyond what was showcased in The Marvels.
Liam | Kate Bishop Fan: Any update on Young Avengers movie/next Kate Bishop appearance?
Alex: I would expect a formal announcement on this project sometime this year. Either at SDCC or D23.
Mont (Young Avengers Historian): Where / how do you expect we will see Teddy Altman / Hulkling in the MCU?
Alex: It is my understanding that they set up something regarding Teddy and his lineage in The Marvels. But rest assured, they’re setting the stage for him.
That’s it for now! We hope to keep the Discord Q&A’s going next month, with more burning questions from our active members. You can read some of Alex Perez’s past articles and reports here and then discuss with others in the Discord. If you would like to join in on the conversation, here’s the link to join Discord.
How Marvel Studios Could Adapt ‘Avengers vs. X-Men’
The Marvel Multiverse and Black Holes
