So now what? Well, it's time to bring this retrospective on the last 10 years to a close. The Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to beat strong; however, and I'll use this opportunity to summarize what's coming up the next couple years. Stick around for my final thoughts too.
Cloak & Dagger season 1
Premieres June 7th on Freeform
The next MCU TV show is coming extremely soon, and on yet another new network. Based on the acclaimed comic book characters, the story follows a duo of superheroes who fall in love and learn to realize their powers were meant to work with each other. Like Runaways, the show will stand mostly on its own according to executive producer Jeph Loeb, but trailers have already hinted at some MCU connections. Roxxon Corporation, the shady oil company from Agent Carter and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will play some role in the story. Plus, Cloak's powers come from the Darkforce dimension, which was also established in the ABC series.
It will be interesting to see how this show plays out. The show will be set entirely in New Orleans, the first MCU installment to take place there, and will comment on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The setting also deliberately separates it from New York City and California, meaning these characters will really be on their own in this large universe. It's also wise to remember this show will be on Freeform, notorious for its teen romantic shows. So I imagine the tone will be similar in many ways to Runaways (season 1 of this show will also be 10 episodes). It will also apparently comment on the fact that their relationship is interracial, so we'll see where that goes in today's environment.
Personally, I'm looking forward to the show. It sounds like a breath of fresh air like Runaways was; a smaller scale story about young people with powers they don't fully comprehend. The trailers have been promising, and early reactions of the first episode are positive. Still, the show will absolutely live and die based on the chemistry between the two leads, Olivia Holt and Aubrey Joseph. We shall see if Marvel Television can stick the landing again, but I have a solid feeling they will.
Luke Cage season 2
Premieres June 22nd on Netflix
The bulletproof hero of Harlem returns. This time, Luke seems to finally embrace his heroic persona as he's become a major celebrity. However, a new villain by the name of Bushmaster appears, and seems to equal Luke Cage in power and durability. Now, Luke must prove he's the man that Harlem needs as he faces his toughest foe yet while still grappling with the demons of his past.
The new trailer promises all the same style that made the first season so popular. Lots of music, not so subtle visual imagery, more commentary on why Luke Cage would be so idolized, and so on. Cheo Hodari Coker returns as showrunner but with a new batch of directors, including Lucy Liu, to choose from. Many of the surviving principal cast members will return, with some new additions including Mustafa Shakir as Bushmaster and Gabrielle Dennis as Tilda Johnson, who in the comics becomes Nightshade (no word if Nightshade will appear in the show yet). Finn Jones has also been confirmed to guest star, meaning we will almost certainly see more foreshadowing for Luke Cage and Iron Fist becoming the Heroes for Hire.
With all these developments, there's a lot of reasons to be excited for season 2. Season 1 may have petered out, but if the creators can maintain a tight pace, then this has plenty of potential to be one of Netflix's better Marvel seasons. I believe it's still 13 episodes, so that's a shame. But the trailer was already better than most of Iron Fist season 1. So I'll probably be there, 3 AM, on June 22nd to plow through another season of this show.
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Premieres July 6th in theaters
Marvel Studios' 20th movie is the long-awaited (?) return of Scott Lang as the tiniest Avenger, and this time he has backup. Announced not too long after the first film was a surprise smash hit, all the big driving forces of the first film's success return to the sequel set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. With a new threat possessing dangerous technology Hank Pym wanted sealed away emerges, Scott Lang, now on the run after escaping from the Raft, reunites with Pym and Hope van Dyne to combat this foe. But he can't do it alone, as Hank decides Hope is finally ready to carry on her mother's legacy and become the Wasp.
Trailers have promised us a fun movie without too much depth, but that's okay. After Infinity War crushed our spirits, it'll be nice to enjoy an MCU film that promises enjoyable thrills. Peyton Reed returns to the director's chair, now with full control over the movie's direction without Edgar Wright's shadow hanging over his head. Having already proven his capability once, I'm sure Reed will deliver a more confident, cinematic experience this time around. The trailers have shown us they're going to have a lot of fun with the size changing in this film too, meaning we're up for some really visually unique set pieces.
Yeah, this film probably won't set the world on fire like Black Panther or Avengers: Infinity War did this year. But it doesn't need too. I'm excited as hell for this movie because it's a sequel to a film I enjoyed way more than I should have, and seeing Evangeline Lilly finally get the chance to kick ass is too good to pass up. Paul Rudd is also such a delight in the role, and I can't wait to see more of his unique comedic shtick as he finds himself constantly in way over his head. I'll be there opening night for sure.
Daredevil season 3
Iron Fist season 2
Runaways season 2
New Warriors season 1
Premieres TBD 2018 on Netflix, Hulu and TBD respectively
There are a lot of shows coming up in 2018 without exact release dates and not much known about them yet, so I'll group them all up here. First off, we have Daredevil season 3. The show has another new showrunner, Erik Oleson, taking the helm but much of the main cast is expected to return. With the confirmed return of Vincent D'Onofrio as Kingpin and judging from the ending of The Defenders, it also looks like season 3 will adapt the highly acclaimed story arc "Born Again". Hopefully, with Elektra out of the picture and the show focusing on the feud between Daredevil and Kingpin once again, maybe this season will be a substantial improvement over the second.
Iron Fist will also return for some reason. Scott Buck has stepped down as showrunner (thank Christ) to be replaced by Raven Metzner, one of the writers of the 2005 dud Elektra....yay? The season's plot is still unknown, but Alice Eve will join the show as a main cast member. Meanwhile, Simone Missick will reprise her role of Misty Knight, obviously leading to speculation that this season will pay off Colleen Wing and her teaming up to become the Daughters of the Dragon. So that should be cool, even if Danny Rand is still the worst.
Hulu has also renewed Runaways for a second season. Not much is currently known, except that the entire main cast will return and it will be a full 13-episode run. Not sure how to feel about that since the show felt sluggish at 10. Maybe the pacing will pick up now that the story has finally kicked into high gear. Still, there's a lot of loose ends to tie up.
Even though Cloak & Dagger hasn't even aired yet, Freeform hasd already ordered a second series. The show will be based on the New Warriors, a group of younger heroes wanting to prove themselves in a world that idolizes the Avengers. However, the team behind the show has decided to add a new character to the bunch as the protagonist, and she's quite a popular choice. The show will star Milana Vanytrub (Lily from the AT&T commercials) as none other than Doreen Green, aka the Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. The show will take on a more comedic tone, a welcome departure from all the more dramatic shows Marvel has pumping out right now. Unfortunately, Freeform dropped the show and now it's being shopped around despite a filmed pilot already in the can. Hopefully the show escapes the fate that befell Most Wanted, the failed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off meant to star Mockingbird and Hunter. The release date says 2018, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this 10 episode season pushed to next year as soon as it finds a network.
Captain Marvel
Premieres March 8th, 2019 in theaters
One of the mightiest heroes finally makes their MCU debut next year. Carol Danvers, played by Academy Award winning actress Brie Larson, will be the MCU's version of the legendary Avenger in a film directed and co-written by Anna Boden (the first female director of an MCU movie) and Ryan Fleck, the team behind Half Nelson. Other notable cast members include a few familiar faces. Notably, Samuel L. Jackson will return as Nick Fury, but a much younger version of himself.
You see, Captain Marvel will be a set piece taking place in the early 1990s. This raises a lot of questions, like where the heck has Carol been these past 25 years, but I'm sure all will be explained. Anyways, the rest of the returns are all rather surprising. Lee Pace and Djimon Hounsou will reprise their roles as Ronan and Korath from Guardians of the Galaxy, presumably long before they were a part of Thanos' army in that film. Finally, the most exciting return of all has got to be Clark Gregg as Phil Coulson, making his return to cinemas for the first time since his "death" in The Avengers. It's totally unknown to what capacity his role will be in the film, or if his scenes will be set in the '90s or in present day (finally tying Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. directly into the films?). But it'll be great to see him back on the big screen.
There are a lot of reasons to be excited for this film. Brie Larson is an insanely talented actress, so a woman with her talents will be an awesome addition to the MCU. The film will also be the first MCU film to star a woman in the lead role, after who knows how long fans have been demanding it. The film will also be the connecting tissue between Infinity War and Avengers 4, building up the grand climax of the MCU thus far. Filming began a month ago, so mum's still the word on many plot details. But Captain Marvel certainly has potential to be one of the MCU's most successful ventures. Just look at all that money Wonder Woman made in a comic book movie universe that isn't popular.
Avengers 4 (not final title)
Premieres May 3rd, 2019 in theaters
Speaking of Avengers 4, next May (for now) sees the release of part two of the story begun in Infinity War. Filmed simultaneously with Infinity War, the Russos once again return to finish off the saga. All the surviving cast members will return, including the addition of some old and new Avengers who didn't make the cut in Infinity War for a film that promises to be even BIGGER than the last film.
Will it succeed in living up to the hype built with that ending? Are there more deaths to expect (the answer is yes)? Or will this be like "The Best of Both Worlds Part 2", an awesome installment that just could never live up to what the first part promised? Time will tell, and eventually we'll get a title that will give us a hint as to what direction the story goes (I'm betting on Avengers: Infinity Crusade myself).
Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 (not final title)
Premieres July 5th, 2019 in theaters
After Spider-Man: Homecoming demolished at the box office, it was no surprise that Sony jumped on announcing a sequel as soon as possible. Not much is known yet about the film, except that it will take place after Avengers 4 and deal with the fallout of that film. A portion of the film will also take place in Britain, leading to some crazy speculation that Captain Britain will make an appearance. Still, Scorpion is expected to be the villain after that mid-credits tease of the first film. But we'll see if Marvel Studios pulls a bait-and-switch on us.
Jon Watts will return to direct the film with Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers also set to reprise their duties as screenwriters. Tom Holland is the only actor set to return so far, but Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, and Jacob Batalon are also all likely to come back. Filming hasn't even started on this film yet, so it's hard to say what will happen. But if I may make a suggestion, I say we should all do our best to avoid learning much about this film until Avengers 4 comes out. I wish Sony would push the film back so that Avengers 4 doesn't get inadvertently spoiled, but we've seen Sony has never really cared about spoilers. So be careful, vigilant MCU fans.
The Punisher season 2
Jessica Jones season 3
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 6
Premieres TBD 2019 on Netflix for the first two, and ABC for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Another set of TBD shows next year too. Netflix recently announced a third season of Jessica Jones and a second season of The Punisher. Not much is known about the former since it was only announced a few weeks ago, but my god, I hope it's better than whatever the hell season 2 was. As for The Punisher, we know only a little bit more. Filming started a couple months ago, and we know the full cast. It seems that Micro's arc is truly over, as he's not listed among the main cast. However, Ben Barnes will return as Billy Russo, building off his interesting conclusion. As I mentioned before, I'll watch the show, but it will almost certainly be a chore if it's dragged out to 13 episodes again.
Finally, just announced on May 14th, ABC surprisingly renewed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. for a sixth season due to air next summer. The season will only comprise of 13 episodes, and will almost certainly tackle the fallout of the ending of Avengers 4 on the ground level. The main cast (at least whoever survives season 5's finale) is expected to return, and Jed Whedon and Maurissa Tachareon will remain as showrunners. Here's hoping, if this is the last season, that they have plenty of time to tie up loose ends and deliver a tightly paced final hurrah that can wash the meh taste of season 5 out of everyone's mouths.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Premieres TBD 2020 in theaters
The final confirmed movie that we know of is the third installment of the beloved intergalactic comedy franchise. James Gunn will once again return to writing and directing duties, as it's expected for this film to bring the arc of some of our beloved Guardians to a close. No cast members have been announced yet, but the main cast is expected to return. Aside from that, it's all hush hush. At least until Avengers 4 comes out and we discover the ultimate fates of these lovable misfits.
Marvel has a bunch of other dates listed for 2020 and 2021, but we know none of them so far. I'm not going to waste time conjecturing what they may be, but I have theories. Kevin Feige promised we won't know any more information until after Avengers 4 comes out, which is probably for the best. Would kinda kill the surprise if we knew who lived and died based on what sequels were coming out.
Conclusion
Phew. Guess it's time to finally wrap this all up.
It's been a long, winding road leading up this point. I can't even count how many thousands of words I poured into this project. I didn't end up rewatching everything I said I would (like hell I was going to revisit the first episode of Inhumans), but I still managed to immerse myself as fully as I could into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I apologize for finishing this so much later than I anticipated. I recently got a second job and I got involved with a short film shoot, so my free time basically shot right down to zero. I'm glad to finally get this done, because I don't know when I'll be able to revisit this blog.
I love writing about movies, but I don't really have that time anymore. Between both jobs and wanting to write material of my own, it's become harder and harder to devote myself to writing reviews of stuff for free. Hopefully you'll see me pop up again with more reviews, but it'll probably be on another site where I can really make more of a living off of doing it. I might still use this blog every now and then (maybe to review Ant-Man and the Wasp if I have time), but I can't make any promises.
With all that out of the way, I want to wrap this up by looking back a little deeper on what this universe has meant to me. Like most MCU fans, this story and these characters have been a huge part of my life for the last 10 years. A lot has changed, but my love for these larger than life superheroes hasn't. Ever since I saw Iron Man back in theaters, I've had total investment in where this story was going to go. I knew I was hooked because there was no other reason I wanted to see The Incredible Hulk the next month, except to follow up on those chilling final lines Nick Fury delivered at the end of Iron Man. They hooked me, and they hooked me good.
The MCU has been a huge part of my late teens and 20s. As the story grew and expanded, so have I. I graduated high school and college. I met several friends, many of whom I consider like a second family. I've become a filmmaker, my biggest dream. Like Iron Man, it started small and now my life has grown into a wide expanse of deep connections I've made and places I've traveled to. I wonder if Tony Stark riding a rocket into outer space is comparable to my going to France to attend the Cannes Film Festival?
The MCU got me through a lot of tough times too. Like I mentioned in my review of The Avengers, that movie helped me get through the death of my cat. But that hasn't been all. Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man got me through my mom growing sick from the cancer that would eventually kill her. Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange got me through dealing with saying goodbye to my best friend before he had to leave for a long time. These movies have been there when I lost other close friendships forever. They've been there as I dealt with break-ups and rejections. Always there in my Blu-Ray collection if I need a pick-me-up to get me through a general rough patch.
The Godzilla franchise will always be the most important film franchise to me. It shaped who I am, turning me towards the career path I wanted to embark on. So the fact that I can call the MCU second is kinda huge. I have a deep love for the lore, and will continue devouring whatever it is Marvel Studios and Marvel Television turns out, even if it's Inhumans level quality (I hope not). Even if the connections are meek, they still exist to make this world feel like a world. It's a grand experiment, all birthed from the mind of one of the most understated storytelling geniuses of the 21st century.
Thank you all for reading this. It's been my pleasure revisiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe with all of you. I already can't wait to hype myself up for Avengers 4 by watching it all again next year.
The End
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