Tag Archives: Spider-Man

Aug 17 2025

Phase Five Of The MCU Ranked

Now that Ironheart has been released on streaming, Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has concluded, and the films and TV shows of Phase Five can now be ranked. On the whole, this phase suffered for many reasons, some of which were beyond the control of Disney and Marvel Studios, and included entertainment strikes, the conviction of actor Jonathan Majors (who played the would-be MCU big baddie, Kang), and rushed productions without completed scripts. However, there were certainly some projects that are considered as some of the MCU’s best and should be lauded. As we move on to Phase Six, let’s rank all the Phase Five MCU films and TV shows. Just note that X-Men ’97 is not included because officially the animated series is not considered part of the MCU, but if it was it would be placed in sixth place.

15. Secret Invasion

Not only is this limp, would-be spy thriller about alien Skrulls infiltrating our civilization the weakest entry of Phase Five, but it is the worst MCU project ever produced. The goal of the Skrulls was moronic, as was the execution of the pedestrian scripts that failed to live up to the premise of the comic book event this limited series was based on. For a supposed paranoid thriller, Secret Invasion lacked any tension, drama, suspense or sense.

14. I Am Groot (season two)

Eh, the animation was well done, and the stories were cute, but as with the first season, the animated shorts were strictly for the kids. One segment, however, was buoyed by the appearance of the enigmatic Watcher and it was rather humorous.

13. Echo

It is clear that this TV show was a leftover from the Bob Chapek era of Disney were anything and everything was rushed into production whether it deserved to or not. The former gangster Echo was one of the dullest characters from Hawkeye, yet somehow, she was given her own TV show which largely came off as a standard and dull crime drama. The appearance by Daredevil and later Wilson Fisk livened things up, but that was about it.

12. What If…? (seasons two and three)

The animated series that explored the Multiverse was a mixed bag with an average second season and a disappointing third season. There were many great premises that could have been explored in the third season, but sadly that never happened. Instead, we got Howard the Duck and his girlfriend protecting their egg in a painfully unfunny episode. But there were a couple of gems featuring Agatha, Winter Solider and Red Guardian. The second season was definitely the stronger of the two as it further explored the more interesting variant characters from the first season like Captain Carter and Stephen Strange. But overall, the Multiverse animated show did not live up to the promise of the first season or the comic books.  

11. The Marvels

The semi-sequel to Captain Marvel is not bad, but it is not good either. There are some interesting character developments that are only glossed over, like Ms. Marvel’s hero worship of Captain Marvel vs. reality or Photon’s abandonment issues with Captain Marvel. But the villain was completely forgettable, and the film felt very rushed. What did not help were some Godawful moments like the alien cats swallowing people as “Memory” played in the soundtrack, or the planet populated by singing people. The introduction of the X-Men into the Multiverse Saga in the post-credits scene was great and nearly salvaged the film, but it was not enough.

10. Ironheart

Here’s another case of a TV show starring an unpopular MCU character. This time it’s Riri Williams from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, Ironheart does a good job presenting Riri Williams/Ironheart. She is a painfully flawed person trying to do what is best but some of her decisions are questionable, as are her associates. The effects were surprisingly good despite the reputation MCU TV shows gained over the years, and many characters were interesting. Not the greatest MCU TV show ever, but it’s still worth watching.

9. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania

The third Ant-Man film gets a lot of unwarranted hate from fans who were disappointed by the introduction of Kang, the would-be big baddie of the MCU and the Multiverse Saga. Many fans who expected another caper heist film instead were treated to a loopy sci-fi adventure in another dimension featuring giant ants and weird creatures like the floating head MODOK. It did not help that some of the special effects were sketchy. Still, the film was fun in its own way and had some solid performances and was a decent entry into the Multiverse Saga, although its importance has diminished since Kang has been sidelined.

8. Agatha All Along

This sequel to WandaVision was unexpectedly effective thanks to an inspired performance by Kathryn Hahn as the anti-hero sorceress, Agatha Harkness, as she traverses the mystical Witch’s Road with a ragtag coven of eccentric witches. The character development of Agatha was surprisingly effective and made her more of a sympathetic character with a rather tragic backstory. Agatha All Along is a solid entry into the darker and more mystical part of the MCU and a worthwhile middle part of the Scarlett Witch saga that will be conclued with the upcoming Vision Quest.

7. Captain America: Brave New World

In this mishmash of a film there are elements that could have made it a truly great political thriller. But constant reshoots and rewrites of the script noticeably impaired it, although the fourth Captain America film tries very hard and has many memorable elements. For instance, it has great performances by Anthony Mackie and Harrison Ford and many action scenes are well shot and choreographed. A couple of these feature a terrific battle of Captain America fighting the Red Hulk and an intense segment where Captain America and his partner take to the skies to prevent a major war over the ocean. What ultimately harmed the film were the clumsy exposition dumps and haphazard editing that could not quite salvage the film.

6. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man

This animated series was one of the best surprises in Phase Five of the MCU. At the same time, this exploration of the high school years of Peter Parker/Spider-Man was quite refreshing with its poignant coming-of-age storyline and genuine. The highlight of the series was not the fight scenes or appearances of superheroes like Doctor Strange or Daredevil but the exploration of Peter’s angst and his complicated relationships, especially with Norman Osborn. We know Osborn will become his greatest foe, but in the show, he serves as his hardened mentor who teaches him lessons about having “great power”.

5. Daredevil: Born Again

Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio make their triumphant returns as Matt Murdock/Daredevil and Wilson Fisk in this sequel to the original Netflix series. As a loose adaptation of the storyline in the comics where the criminal Fisk becomes mayor of New York City, the series was quite engrossing, especially the early and final episodes. It soon became clear that the middle episodes were produced by a different team when it came to their quality. These middle episodes were fine but were wildly outclassed by the early and final episodes, which were nearly perfect works of television art that thankfully we will see more of in the second season.

4. Deadpool & Wolverine

Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman return to their iconic superhero/mercenary roles that were the highlights of the Fox-era X-Men films. Teaming up for the first time, the two have a wild multidimensional romp as they encounter classic and forgotten characters from the pre-MCU Marvel films ranging from the X-Men to Blade. Some may criticize the film for just being a collection of callbacks to previous films and the script did quite have the wit and energy of the first two Deadpool films. Still, Deadpool & Wolverine was a hysterical, gross and action-packed tribute to the pre-MCU era of Marvel films.

3. Loki (season two)

The second and final season of Loki was a time-traveling and mystical marvel (pardon the pun) that was highlighted by the title character’s transformation. The episodes were witty and inventive as Loki worked with his allies to keep time from unraveling. Loki also featured wonderful acting, not just from Tom Hiddleston as Loki, but from Ke Huy Quan, Jonathan Majors and Owen Wilson. The best part of the show, however, was seeing Loki’s emotional journey as he grew into someone much more noble and magnificent as he made the ultimate sacrifice to save the Multiverse and achieve his “Glorious Purpose.”

2. Thunderbolts*

Or The New Avengers as marketing both in the film and IRL would rather you call this misfit team of mercenaries. The film was unexpectedly engaging and full of emotion as it focused on the characters’ inner turmoil. Even though we’ve seen this before: a bunch of losers form a dysfunctional team and actually become heroes, it was done splendidly. After a few misfires during Phase Five, Thunderbolts* signaled that Marvel Studios finally got its act together and went out of its way to present a winning MCU film. While it’s regrettable that the film had disappointing box office returns, this almost does not matter because of the film’s quality. Here’s hoping that the film resonates later on with home viewings.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3

James Gunn sends of the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy with a masterful finale that hit all the right emotional spots. Focusing on the team’s soul, Rocket (later Rocket Raccoon), Gunn gave us a painful and traumatizing origin story that doubles as an animal rights tale that deserves to be told. Everyone involved was on point and beyond with Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, as it was the last hurrah for our favorite cosmic superhero team of misfits. This was classic Guardians at its best with goofy moments, perfect needle drops, wild visuals, a terrifying villain and exciting fight scenes. Gunn’s final film for the MCU is to be cherished because now that he has moved on to Warner Bros. to lead their superhero films, he is already sorely missed by MCU fans.

José Soto

Jul 20 2025

The Eve of MCU’s Phase Six

Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) starts this week with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, a film that will begin the finale of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga. As Phase Six commences it is clear that the MCU has had some challenges recently and it remains to be seen if the latest phase will course correct the cinematic universe.

A major issue with the last two phases that will affect Phase Six was that they did not tell a cohesive or coherent storyline that progressed the overall story of the Multiverse Saga. This ran counter to the first three phases that told a progressive story that culminated with the last two Avengers films, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. One thing to note with the first three phases was that they concluded more or less with an epic Avengers film. This did not happen with Phase Four (*Thunderbolts the last film of Phase Five ended with the revelation that it was actually a film about a new team of Avengers), and the Multiverse Saga had to do a course correct for outside reasons.

Phase Five of the MCU was plagued with several misfires and undeniable box office disappointments as films and TV shows did not live up to expectations. This was unfortunate since Phase Four was disappointing, as well, and failed to live up to the glory days of the first three phases. Phase Five was supposed to correct this but could not.

Namely that Marvel Studios decided to eliminate the main villain of the Multiverse Saga, Kang the Conqueror, and instead abruptly chose to have Doctor Doom as the main villain. This change happened because the actor who played Kang, Jonathan Majors, was fired by Marvel Studios for being convicted of domestic abuse and the character did not resonate with fans. This happened as Phase Five was well underway and did not allow the MCU to organically pivot to Doctor Doom, but the film studio could have tried. Films and TV shows in the latter half of Phase Five should have, at the bare minimum, dropped Easter eggs and references to Doctor Doom but that has not happened. In fact, many TV shows from Phase Six like Secret Invasion or Agatha All Along did nothing to advance the Mulitverse Saga. Meanwhile, only about half of the Phase Five films were relevant to the Multiverse Saga.

What makes this situation worse is that Doctor Doom, the main villain of the Fantastic Four, will not appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This is a mistake considering that Doom will be the villain of next year’s Avengers: Doomsday and it is unlikely that upcoming MCU projects before that film will include any appearances or references to Doctor Doom and the Multiverse Saga. It is head scratching that Doctor Doom will not at least have a cameo in The Fantastic Four: First Steps but we won’t know this for sure until the film is released. On the other hand, there are reports that one of the post-credits scene from The Fantastic Four: First Steps will directly tie into Avengers: Doomsday so there is that, at least.

Another thing that is evident with the slate of Phase Six is that unlike the last two phases there will be noticeably less films and TV shows released. One major complaint about the last two phases, especially with Phase Four, was that too many projects were released, and this stretched the resources of Marvel Studios. The result was that many subpar films and TV shows were released before they could be fine tuned to be better. With Phase Six, Marvel Studios has chosen to emphasize quality over quantity, though this means that many threads and characters introduced in the previous phases will be ignored. This will frustrate many fans, but it was inevitable given that Marvel Studios has to concentrate on popular characters instead of greenlighting TV shows or films about obscure superheroes that may or may not resonate with the larger public. So, expect many films and TV shows dealing with the core Avengers lineup, Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four (if the first film is successful) and of course, the mutants.

At this time, we can only speculate on what films and TV shows Marvel Studios will release for Phase Six. Unlike the previous phases the studio is remaining tight lipped about its upcoming releases since they have been burned by prematurely announcing projects before they were ready like Blade. To date, the only known projects are The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel Zombies, Wonder Man, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, second seasons for Daredevil: Born Again and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Vision Quest, a Punisher TV special, Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, and at least one other film that we have no information about. Who knows what it will be? A new Doctor Strange film? A third Black Panther film?

While it’s regrettable that Marvel Studios is pulling back on the quantity of projects it is for the best since the limited amount of films and TV shows will lead to improved products. We already are seeing this as the more recent offerings from Marvel Studios like Deadpool and Wolverine, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and *Thunderbolts have received a lot of acclaim. It is also interesting to see that certain projects that were not as well received as Ironheart, parts of Daredevil: Born Again and Captain America: Brave New World were produced before Marvel Studios began to course correct with its offerings. Daredevil: Born Again offers clear proof of this as the most acclaimed episodes were made after the film studio decided to emphasize its commitment to quality.

It will take some time for Marvel Studios’ course corrections to resonate with the general public. Not too long ago, the MCU brand was golden and a guarantee of quality and box office success. That’s not the situation anymore as many recent films have underperformed, even if they were acclaimed like *Thunderbolts. It is no longer a guarantee that an MCU film will be a box office hit. But it is important that they maintain a high level of quality because this will create positive buzz for MCU films and TV shows. Do not be surprised if properties like *Thunderbolts develop cult followings, which is good for Marvel Studios as this will demonstrate the studio’s commitment to quality products. Eventually the public will catch on and begin seeing them the films and TV shows in droves again. Then again with important tentpole films like Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, it is practically certain that Phase Six of the MCU will be successful.

José Soto

Mar 9 2025

The Defenders’ Pending Return

Right now, we’re all basking in the joy that Daredevil has returned to TV with Daredevil: Born Again. What’s even more joyous is that not only is the character now firmly in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, (MCU) but the TV show is a direct continuation of the Netflix series, Daredevil, that streamed a few years ago. That may be obvious since the blind superhero is being played again by Charlie Cox and his villain, Wilson Fisk, has been reprised by Vincent D’Onofrio. But for a while, it was unclear if Daredevil: Born Again would be a soft reboot of the original series. However, that question has been answered by Marvel Studios and was shown with the additions of other cast members from Daredevil and other references and Easter eggs to the Marvel Netflix universe.

Aside from returning actors like Debra Ann Woll, Ayelet Zurer and Elden Henson, two notable references were dropped in the first episode of Daredevil: Born Again. During some conversation, Elden Henson’s character, Foggy Nelson, mentioned that he worked for the law firm, Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz, that was introduced in the Marvel Netflix series, Jessica Jones. The other reference was in a crowd scene taking place in Times Square during New Year’s Eve. In addition to MCU references like Rogers: The Musical and the Pym Van Dyne Foundation, we can spot an advertisement for Harlem’s Paradise, the underworld nightclub in Luke Cage that was eventually taken over by the title hero.

So, we can infer that the other Marvel Netflix heroes, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and yes, Iron Fist, who made up the superhero team, the Defenders, are part of the MCU now. No more vague references to a “Big, green guy” or “the Incident” aka Loki’s alien attack on New York City. But this has not been officially verified by Marvel Studios, which as usual remains tightlipped about such matters. Remember they kept quiet about Matt Murdock (Daredevil’s civilian identity) appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home for the longest time and pleasantly surprised fans when the blind lawyer turned up to represent Peter Parker. They also were mum before the Kingpin was revealed to be the main villain in Hawkeye.

As of now, all we have to go on are rumors from insiders that the Defenders will be part of the second season of Daredevil: Born Again. Kristen Ritter, the actor who portrayed Jessica Jones, was asked in recent interviews if she was reprising her role. She replied that she was available and willing to play the superhuman private detective. However, she has posted on social media that she has been at the gym, possibly to get in shape for the role. She also posted that she was traveling to New York City in late February of 2025 for unknown reasons. At the same time, filming for the second season of Daredevil: Born Again commenced in New York City last month. This could mean Ritter went to the city to film her scenes or it could be just a coincidence.

So far, there’s no word if Michael Colton and Finn Jones will reprise their roles of Luke Cage and Iron Fist, respectively, although Jones stated recently he wanted to return. However, given how negatively the TV show, Iron Fist, was received, it would be understandable if the role was recast in order to distance the character from the Netflix series.

It would be great for the Defenders to return to the world of Daredevil and be a part of the MCU. There were some plot threads that were left unresolved in the other Marvel Netflix TV shows that need to be addressed. For example, when Luke Cage took over the night club did he become a criminal? Did Iron Fist and his step brother finish their mystical quest in Asia? Also, a running plot line in Daredevil: Born Again is that Wilson as the mayor of New York City bans vigilantes; how does this affect the Defenders? Supposedly, this was to be part of the plot for the next Spider-Man film until Sony decided they want to continue playing with the multiverse, instead. Too bad, since Fisk was originally a Spider-Man villain, as was the Punisher. Involving the Defenders would better flesh out the anti-vigilante plot in Daredevil: Born Again and could adapt the events of the Devi’s Reign comic book mini-series that was devoted to Fisk’s term as Mayor and his anti-superhero crusade.

Speaking of vigilantes, the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) is part of the first season of Daredevil: Born Again and will have his own TV special next year. If he could get his own special then the Defenders should get their own specials or mini-series, as well. Just leave out the Hand as the adversaries and get better fight choreographers.

Dec 14 2024

Yes, Mary Jane, There Is A Santa Claus: Sony Ends Its Spider-Man-Related Cinematic Universe!

Now that Kraven the Hunter is crashing with critics and fans, and at the box office, Sony Pictures had to admit defeat and throw in the towel.

Given the failure of its recent films related to Spider-Man, but not featuring the Marvel Comics hero, Sony decided to discontinue producing these kinds of films. Instead, it will focus on films and TV shows that actually feature Spider-Man himself. Yes, Mary Jane, there is a Santa Claus, since St. Nick and whatever powers-that-be have answered fans prayers. For too long, many of us saw Sony butcher many legitimate Marvel characters with ill-conceived films starring characters that are associated with Spider-Man.

This all started with Venom, which was released in 2018, and turned out to be a huge hit in theaters. Ever since Sony had the film rights to Spider-Man the film studio only released films starring the character, which were successful. But seeing how successful Marvel Studios was with their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Sony sought to expand beyond Spider-Man and produce films on characters, namely villains, that were associated with Spider-Man. Never mind that many of these characters won’t work without Spider-Man or at least have a defined connection to him. The Venom films worked largely due to actor Tom Hardy and the passion he infused into his role and the character was strong enough to carry his own films. But Madame Web? Why didn’t Sony just do a Spider-Gwen film? That character is very popular in comics and was a breakout in the two animated Spider-Man films.

As we know, the poor reaction to their more recent Spider-Man films led Sony to reach a deal with Marvel Studios and lend the character to Marvel Studios. The caveat was that the superhero could not appear in live-action in projects not associated with Marvel Studios’ MCU, though this has been disputed by a report from Variety.

The Spider-Man films taking place in the MCU were huge successes, but Sony could not be content with that. So, they decided to crank out films that did not feature Spider-Man, which is how we got Venom. Despite its big success, not everyone loved it. But Sony did not care, they saw the box office returns and were convinced they could duplicate that success. Turns out they couldn’t.

Aside from the Venom films and the animated Spider-Man films, Morbius, Madame Web and now Kraven the Hunter were colossal bombs. The films were so embarrassingly bad that they became the subject of many goofy memes and outright tarnished the reputation of Sony’s Spider-Man-related films. It’s no wonder Sony decided to veer away from these Spider-Man-related films. They just had to, it did not make any financial sense to continue to do so.

This does not mean that Sony will not produce anymore Spider-Man films. Production will start next year on the next MCU Spider-Man film, and its TV project Spider-Man Noir is nearly complete, and work is underway for its next animated Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. That is for the best, honestly.

By not wasting time and resources to produce mediocre films that no one asked for, Sony can now focus all its talent and resources on producing high-quality Spider-Man films and TV shows, which were great to begin with. If any characters introduced in those films prove popular enough, then Sony can produce a spinoff film or TV show with the help of Marvel Studios.

Or they can negotiate with Marvel Studios to allow them to feature a non-MCU Spider-Man in their non-MCU films. That was one of the biggest letdowns with the Venom films. We never got to see Venom confront Spider-Man, his arch-nemesis, who only appeared in a brief cameo in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. It would not be too confusing for the regular public and fans to differentiate between two or more versions of Spider-Man to exist at the same time. This has worked well with the animated Spider-Man films and Warner Bros. has shown that different versions of Batman and his related characters could exist simultaneously, as well as their other DC heroes. Besides this would be a great opportunity to let previous Spider-Man actors like Andrew Garfield to reprise their roles without coming up with a convoluted multiverse storyline.

Even though many deride these Sony Spider-Man films and lament that Disney/Marvel Studios does not own the film rights to the character, there is a rationale for Sony to hold on to him. If Spider-Man were to revert to Marvel Studios, he would be joining a crowded slate of characters who would be vying for time and resources. Just look at how long it has taken for there to be a followup to Captain America: Civil War and the last Iron Man solo film was over ten years ago. Most likely Spider-Man would just play a guest star in other films. At least with Sony, Spider-Man and his world will receive the attention he deserves, and now the studio will focus on crafting some top-tier superhero films and TV shows. Maybe in the not-too-distant future Kraven will be properly introduced as an S-tier villain in a Spider-Man film, which could lead to an adaptation of the classic comic book story, “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” That would be great.!

Nov 30 2024

Top Ten Unresolved MCU Plot Threads

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues and evolves, there are many plot threads introduced in various MCU projects that remain unresolved to this day. Some of them, such as the fact that a giant Celestial statue is sticking out of the Indian Ocean, will be resolved with next year’s Captain America: Brave New World, but there aren’t any indications that many others will be addressed. The following is a ranking of the most nagging or interesting MCU plot threads that remain unresolved, at least for now.

10. Mitchell Carson & the Stolen Pym Particles

A major plot thread in Ant-Man was that Hank Pym did not want his shrinking technology to fall into the wrong hands. This was about to happen in the final act of the film where Darren Cross was attempting to sell the Pym Particles to the highest bidder. During a melee to stop the sale, one of the buyers, the Hydra operative Mitchell Carson, ran off with a vial of the particles, and this was never addressed again.

Speculation: Given the demise of the Ant-Man film franchise, these questions will likely remain unresolved or turn up in an unrelated film or TV show.

9. When Will the Young Avengers Debut?

We have been teased with the Young Avengers ever since members like Ms. Marvel, Stature and Wiccan have shown up in the MCU. The superhero team was highly teased in the end of The Marvels when Ms. Marvel recruited Kate Bishop to form a team with plans to get in touch with Stature (who already debuted in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania). This is an exciting development for the MCU given the popularity of these characters but to date there have not been any announcements of this team actually showing up in the MCU.

Speculation: There are many rumors that the Young Avengers will headline a TV show at some point and do not be surprised if they turn up in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. But given the fact that the actors are aging in real life, what could happen is that the team will be renamed the Champions if they ever debut.

8. Magic Ned

During a pivotal moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker’s best friend Ned displayed an innate talent for magic as he was able to use Doctor Strange’s Sling Ring to summon alternate versions of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. While this is an interesting development for Ned, who could become a sorcerer’s apprentice, it is unlikely this will ever be explored given that well, the Spider-Man film rights are held by Sony Pictures which is hell bent on pumping out films starring Spider-Man’s enemies.

Speculation: Nothing, zilch, nada. We are not even sure if Ned will appear in the next Spider-Man film.

7. Too Many Sorcerers

In a post-credits scene in Doctor Strange, the sorcerer’s former ally, Mordo, begins a quest to kill off all the sorcerers on Earth with the clear implication that Strange was a target. This plot line was ignored in the next Doctor Strange film and since the third film will likely be geared towards incursions and multiverse shenanigans, Mordo’s mission is at this point forgotten. It’s too bad since Mordo is an interesting character and a major foe for Doctor Strange in the comic books. He deserves a chance to confront Strange.

Speculation: Originally, this plot would have been resolved at the start of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness where the Scarlet Witch would have killed Mordo, but this scene was scrapped. There have been no reports that the Mordo plot will be a part of the next Doctor Strange film or if Mordo will even appear.

6. The Black Knight and the Ebony Blade

In one of the post-credits scenes of Eternals, Dane Whitman was about to touch the cursed Ebony Blade which would have turned him into the Black Knight. The would-be superhero was stopped by an offscreen voice, who was Blade the Vampire Hunter. To date, no announcements have been made as to when the Black Knight will appear. Not even Kit Harrington, who portrayed Whitman, knows if his character will ever appear again in the MCU.

Speculation: Supposedly, the Black Knight was to show up in the long-delayed Blade film but since that film seems more or more unlikely to be produced it’s anyone’s guess if the Black Knight will ever appear anywhere.  

5. Will Hercules Ever Has His Revenge?

After being humiliated by Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder, Zeus promised to get his revenge on the God of Thunder. He then tasked his son, Hercules, to carry out the vendetta. Hercules’ brief cameo was impressive given the comic-accurate look of the god. Unfortunately, his appearance was one of the symptoms that befell the MCU lately where multiple plot threads were introduced without any logical means to address them.

Speculation: Supposedly, Hercules will appear in the next Thor film, but it’s not known if he will be a major character or if the film will be made at all given that Marvel Studios has been cutting back on the number of films and TV shows in order to maintain the quality of their projects.

4. When Was Rhodey Replaced?

As flawed as Secret Invasion was, one interesting plot twist, well not really since it was so obvious, was that Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes was replaced by an alien Skrull. At the end of the mini-series, the real Rhodey was rescued, but we never learned when he was replaced or how many pivotal MCU events he missed. Was he abducted after his BFF Tony Stark died? We do know it had to have happened after Captain America: Civil War since he ended up paralyzed in that film and he was shown as such in Secret Invasion.

Speculation: The director of Secret Invasion revealed that Rhodey was replaced immediately following Captain America: Civil War, although this has not been confirmed by Marvel Studios. Some fans have speculated the replacement happened much later. Sadly, this dilemma will not be resolved anytime soon, since everyone wants to forget about Secret Invasion.

3. The Origin of the Ten Rings and Their Beacon

At the end of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, the sorcerer Wong informed Shang-Chi that the otherworldly bangles he acquired from his father were very ancient and were emitting a beacon to the cosmos. But that was all he knew, and we haven’t learned to date the origin of these fantastic rings or who was being summoned. Even more baffling is that even though the film was successful, a sequel is stuck in limbo, and we won’t be getting the answers to the questions regarding the bangles for a long time.

Speculation: Supposedly, the bangles were related to Kang the Conqueror and was to have been part of the plot for the abandoned film Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. Maybe they will be the plot device used to summon Galactus into the MCU or Doctor Doom. Or maybe we will have the questions finally answered whenever the sequel to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings ever happens.

2. The Fate of the Eternals

This is major. At the end of Eternals, about half of them were abducted by extra-terrestrial Celestials for saving Earth. Later on, those Eternals that were not abducted set off in a spaceship to find their comrades. Then the Titan, Starfox, and his friend Pip the Troll teleported to their spaceship and offered their help to find the missing Eternals. An interesting setup, but there will not be a sequel to Eternals so the cliffhanger ending to the film will not be resolved. There’s also the revelation that Starfox was Thanos’ brother which was unaddressed.

Speculation: There has been speculation that this Eternals storyline will be resolved in the next Thor film, though there are not any concrete plans for the film, as of yet. Given the cosmic nature of the Eternals, it’s possible another cosmic-themed MCU project could pick it up, perhaps a new Guardians of the Galaxy film which could incorporate a couple of the Eternals into the team.

1. What Happened to Steve Rogers?

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Steve Rogers went back in time and multiple dimensions to return the Infinity Stones. When he returned, he came back as an elderly man who could not continue as Captain America, and he passed his shield to Sam Wilson in order to become the new Captain America. So, what became of Rogers at that point? In the limited series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he was referred to in past tense, indicating he passed away, but one character mentioned the rumor that Steve Rogers was living on the moon. It was never made clear if he passed away and so far, he is not shown in trailers for Captain America: Brave New World. So where is Steve Rogers? What happened to him?

Speculation: Maybe Steve Rogers will return in Avengers: Secret Wars so that Chris Evans could play the superhero one final time before the role is recast. Perhaps, as in the comic books, Rogers will be rejuvenated if only to help out in Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has speculated that he could return to the MCU in some fashion, though the actor has stated that there are no plans for him to reprise the role. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Notable Mentions

What Happened to the Beekeeper in WandaVision?

Who was Sonny Burch working for in Ant-Man and the Wasp?

Will the United States and Wakanda go to war against each other?

Will the Scorpion ever set out to get revenge on Spider-Man?

Is Spider-Man still framed for murdering Mysterio?

Who is working with the Power Broker/Sharon Carter?

What happened to the symbiote left behind by Venom/Eddie Brock in the MCU?

Will we ever see the remnants of the Illuminati exact revenge on Doctor Strange?

What became of President Ritson’s war on aliens on Earth?