With all the new Marvel Cinematic Universe series announced, which ones look the most interesting… and which ones don’t?
In the age of the internet and lockdowns, Disney Investor Day isn’t just for their stock shareholders anymore. As this year’s livestream of the event showed, it’s also a treat for fans, especially for Star Wars and Marvel. Over the course of a few hours, viewers learned about upcoming shows, film projects, and casting announcements, particularly when it came to original programming on Disney+. When it came to the Marvel Cinematic Universe side of things, that included eleven new shows, a series of shorts, and even a “Holiday Special.”
But which of these Disney+ offerings got our attention the most? What are potential TV watchers the most excited for? Which shows, if any, will attract them to the streaming service and keep them there?
Since I am Groot will be just Baby Groot shorts, and the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is already awesome by default, we’ll be concentrating on the regular series, some of which aren’t scheduled until 2022, or which have just started production. Nevertheless, there’s still enough juicy tidbits to give us some idea. So let’s see which of the upcoming television offerings for the Marvel Cinematic Universe have built up our enthusiasm… and which ones have not.
11. Ironheart
For the uninitiated, Ironheart is one Riri Williams. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and Mike Deodato, Riri’s an African American child prodigy who, at the age of fifteen, created her own Iron Man armor. This so impressed Tony Stark that he basically gave her a job at Stark Industries. When Tony Stark was thought to be dead, Riri temporarily took over as Iron Man before Tony’s return. At least that’s how it was in the comics. With Tony being dead as of Avengers: Endgame, it’s very likely she’ll be carrying on the legacy for good in the MCU.
It’s also an big opportunity for actress Dominque Throne. Her previous film credits are If Beale Street Could Talk (2018) and the upcoming Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), but Ironheart would essentially be her first starring role, which also means an opportunity to break into the big leagues.
Why, then, is the upcoming Ironheart show at the bottom of the enthusiasm list? Because as a character, Riri is a sore spot among Iron Man and comic book fans alike. In the comics, Riri comes across as a bratty know-it-all who never seems to fail at anything she does and who virtually everyone in-universe roots for. That could make for a rather dull and insufferable protagonist, especially when compared to the man she’s supposed to have been inspired by. Hopefully, the series creators won’t make the same mistake.
10. Secret Invasion
Another series inspired by a Brain Michael Bendis comic, this time one of Marvel’s major events from the last decade. Essentially Marvel’s take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Secret Invasion involved the shape-shifting aliens, the Skrulls, replacing important figures throughout every government agency and institution to take over the Earth – including superhero teams. Naturally, the suspense and paranoia came from trying to guess which hero – if any – was actually a Skrull in disguise.
According to Feige, the Disney+ version will star Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Mendelsohn reprising their roles as Nick Fury and Talos respectively. This also suggests that the series will expand upon the Skrull storyline from Captain Marvel that was also teased at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home. What’s more, the Skrulls in the MCU are actually the good guys. That means, in order for this to work, there will have to be a renegade faction of Skrulls who want to make Earth their home instead of whatever planet Fury and Talos is trying to find for them.
Unfortunately, this potentially means that Secret Invasion will be going over the same ground already explored by Captain Marvel while also seeming derivative of the Hydra sleeper agent plot from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Also, will the series even have Skrulls disguised as Marvel superheroes? If not, then what will be the point?
9. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Feige described this series as a “Marvel Studios movie played out over six episodes,” and based on the first trailer, that looks to be an accurate description. The action and special effects certainly look top notch, and the camaraderie and comedic timing between Anthony Mackie’s Falcon and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes is excellent.
It also sees the return of Daniel Brühl as Baron Zemo – arguably one of the better, if also underrated, villains of the MCU. It also will, apparently, tie into the upcoming Black Widow movie, with an appearance by Florence Pugh as the new Black Widow.
However, there’s already several things working against this series’ favor. Compared to some of Disney+’s other MCU offerings, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier looks a little generic. Also, at the end of Avengers: Endgame, Sam inherited the legacy of Captain America with Steve Rogers’ (Chris Evans) blessing. But instead of Sam being the new Cap, the costume and shield have gone to John Walker. a.k.a U.S. Agent (Wyatt Russell) because “it’s complicated.” All that accomplishes is delaying the inevitable at best, and cheapening the ending of Endgame at worst.
In that same vein, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier looks like Captain America 4 without Steve Rogers. Granted, there’s legitimate reasons for why Chris Evans retired from the role that put his star on the map. Even so, he’s the reason Cap became a hit with audiences. Without an appearance from him, even as a cameo, audiences may be less interested. Just ask the Jason Bourne movie franchise what happens when you have a Jason Bourne movie without Matt Damon.
8. Hawkeye
Let’s be honest: as an Avenger, Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) was not only outclassed but often overlooked compared to his other teammates, even Black Widow (Scarlet Johansson). He’s also the most down-to-earth member of the team, and the only one that had a stable, ordinary life out of costume. For Hawkeye to finally headline an MCU story (albeit not a feature-length movie) is some long overdue justice.
What’s more, this will be the MCU debut of Kate Bishop (Hailee Stanfield), who ended up being a breakout character from Marvel Comics’ Young Avengers. That puts Clint into the role of a teacher, which is always a fun dynamic. It’s also evident that the show will take inspiration from Matt Fraction and David Aja’s Eisner Award-winning Hawkeye comic book series. If the series can translate the energy, fun, and style from that comic and onto the small screen, then this show will be a blast.
Still, the Hawkeye of the MCU is a much different character than the one in the comics, a guy who’d much rather spend time with his family than shooting bad guys with a bow and arrow. The series better have a very good reason for forcing Clint out of retirement and train Kate without coming across as forced or cliched.
7. Armor Wars
Marvel Studios adapting one of the most seminal Iron Man stories is something fans have wanted to see for quite some time. The very premise itself -in that various companies, organizations, and villains have stolen and incorporated Tony Stark’s Iron Man technology – is rife with conflict. It also highlights Tony’s biggest fear that his inventions will fall into the wrong hands. However, since Tony is dead in the MCU, the protagonist of Marvel Studios’ Armor Wars will be James “Rhodey” Rhodes/War Machine (Don Cheadle) instead.
However, this gives this series a whole new emotional context and significance. It’s one thing if Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is going around, seizing and shutting down anything that has a trace of his Iron Man tech. It’s quite another if his best friend is doing it, especially if he’s also doing it to honor his dead friend’s legacy. That’s not only a great hook, that’s also how you build off the previous Iron Man movies even if there’s no Iron Man.
This could also establish a link to the Ironheart series, which is slated to air before this one. Imagine, if you will, an ideological and generational conflict between Rhodey and Riri over the use of Iron Man tech? It also isn’t hard to see Rhodey butting heads with his former superior, Thunderbolt Ross (William Hurt). Of course, since the series is still in the development stage, we won’t know the full details until at least next year. Even so, it’s enough to stir one’s interest.
6. What If…?
T’Challa as Star-Lord? Peggy Carter as a “Captain Britain” super soldier fighting alongside a Steve Rogers as Iron Man during World War II? An evil Doctor Strange? Marvel Zombies? Yep, this is definitely worthy of the title What If…?
Among comic fans, What If…? has been a cult favorite for one obvious reason: it takes classic Marvel stories and shows what might have happened if events played out differently. Sometimes, they wind up being better than the actual story itself. Other times, it inspires creators to somehow make those stories canon. Most of the time, the stories winds up being tragic. And, as always, they are hosted by the all-knowing, never interfering alien, Uatu the Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright).
Making this into an animated series is brilliant, as this allows for the kind of creative freedom one can’t achieve in live-action. That it will also feature actors from the live-action films voicing the characters is an added bonus. Among them will be the late Chadwick Boseman, making this his last performance as T’Challa. Also, based off the final scene at the end of the trailer, it looks as though this may somehow tie into 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, perhaps even a prequel. If so, that automatically makes this series a must watch.
5. Ms. Marvel
Much about this upcoming Disney Plus series has already been speculated on by yours truly. That article, however, was written in response to the initial announcement of both the series and the casting of Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. Since then, there have been set photos, and, as of Disney Investor Day, confirmation that the series will also tie into Captain Marvel 2. Has it made any difference one way or another in generating excitement for this series? Well… not really.
Make no mistake, as written in that prior article, this series does have the ingredients of being one of Disney+’s top programs, especially for younger audiences and Disney’s prior track record of appealing to teenage girls. Not to mention that Kamala Khan arguably has more appeal and recognition than Carol Danvers ever did. For those reasons, Ms. Marvel likely has more going for it in terms of enthusiasm, and certainly more than Ironheart.
The only reason, then, for why Ms. Marvel is at number 5 is because there’s still much we don’t know about it yet. That and the remaining Disney+ shows from Marvel Studios have a little something extra that is bound to get fans talking.
4. Moon Knight
On the surface, Moon Knight seems like Marvel’s version of Batman only clad in white instead of black. It’s one of the reasons why he’s considered one of Marvel’s A-list superheroes. But if you look deeper, you find out the character is not only so much more than that, he’s an ideal choice for a superhero series.
Take his origin, for example. A former CIA agent named Marc Spector, he comes across upon the tomb of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. Then, after being betrayed and left for dead, he’s seemingly granted powers by Khonshu, which grow in strength based on the phases of the moon. The key word is seemingly because Khonshu may or may not be a figment of Marc’s imagination. That’s because Marc also has Dissociative Identity Disorder. And who is Marvel Studios looking to cast in the role? None other than Oscar Isaac!
If Issac lands the role, it’d be a nice feather in Marvel and Feige’s cap. Besides, not only do you need a headline actor like Issac in the role, it’s going to take someone with serious acting chops to pull it off. After all, playing a character with multiple personalities is what actors and actresses live for, and why there’s so many films and shows feature characters with DID. Also, if the series does capture an Indiana Jones feel like Feige claims it will, this does seem like it will be a very cool show with a very cool character.
3. She-Hulk
Arguably Marvel’s best female superhero, a live-action She-Hulk series is every Hulk fan’s dream come true. Like her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), she can turn into a green-skinned, super strong “monster” thanks to receiving gamma-irradiated blood from Banner during a transfusion. Unlike her cousin, however, Jennifer Walters maintains control of her emotions and intelligence, although she’s certainly less timid. She’s also a district attorney with better publicity. And, long before Deadpool, she frequently breaks the fourth wall. If the Hulk is horror, then She-Hulk is straight-up comedy.
As for the casting, having Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany as the titular character is a terrific choice, as are some of the other casting announcements. Not only is Ruffalo reprising his role as Banner/Hulk, but so is Tim Roth as the Abomination. That essentially makes this series both a spin-off and the long-awaited sequel to 2008’s The Incredible Hulk. Also, Feige added that, since the series was a legal drama, it would also involve superhero-related cases. Here’s hoping we get a bunch of fan-favorite C and D-list villains for added laughs.
This also wouldn’t be the first time Marvel Studios did a superhero legal drama, either. After all, their biggest TV hit prior to Disney+ was Daredevil on Netflix (and there’s rumors Charlie Cox may make a cameo appearance as Matt Murdock in the series). If the series can balance the legal drama and superhero action as Daredevil did, and throw in some laughs besides, then this could be a very popular offering.
2. WandaVision
The more we see of WandaVision, the better it looks. I won’t reiterate too much about the show than I already have. What we can discern, based on the second trailer, is that whatever seems to be going on, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), along with various other people, are definitely trapped in some sort of sitcom-inspired pocket dimension, with no memory of how they got there. And somebody is also messing with Wanda’s mind. And…the mind stone has returned? Only, how can that be since Thanos destroyed the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame? Is this a different Mind Stone from a different universe?
The Investors Day video also confirmed that the events of this series will have a direct impact on both Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Sony/Marvel’s third Spider-Man movie. Once again, this underscores just how interconnected everything is within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That the series also has the added benefit of being the first of Marvel Studios’ Disney+ offerings also works towards ramping up the anticipation. Viewers will just have to wait a little bit longer since the premiere has been moved up to January 15, 2021.
However, while this series used to be the most anticipated series, that’s no longer the case. That particular honor goes to…
1. Loki
When Disney and Marvel first announced they were doing a Loki television series, how many were actually interested in watching it? Then, after the first trailer for said series debuted, how many were actually interested in watching it? Exactly! Of all the Disney+ Marvel Studios trailers, Loki got definitely got the most views, and for good reason. It not only looks fantastic, it’s also different from every other upcoming Marvel Studios project. And, of course, it’s Tom Hiddleston as Loki.
But it’s not just that the Norse God of Mischief is the series’ designated “hero.” As the trailer indicates, it directly follows Loki’s escape (or rather the alternate timeline version of Loki) from Avengers: Endgame. It features the debut of the Time Variance Authority, a wacky, super-secret spy organization that, naturally, travels through time. That, of course, means more multiverse shenanigans and, possibly, a link to Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors), which would also be a link to Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. It also teases the possible return of Natasha. And Owen Wilson, as Mobius M. Mobius, is Loki’s boss.
And again, it’s Loki, who’s once again forced into playing the good guy despite being one of the bad guys. Sure, it’s technically a Loki who hasn’t gone through the same character development as he did in the last two Thor movies, so that might be a downside. At the same time, it’s also a return to form, while also making him an unscrupulous anti-hero. It’s also clear that, based on this trailer, that Hiddleston is having an absolute blast. If Disney+ needs another hit like The Mandalorian, this will definitely be it.
Which of these new series are you most anticipated for? Do you agree with how they’ve been ranked, or, how would you rank them based on your level of enthusiasm? Do any of them have you excited at all? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll continue to keep you posted!