2022
“Thor: Love and Thunder”
After Taika Waititi stepped into the role of director and somehow saved the character of Thor by injecting a healthy dose of comedic fun into 2017’s smash “Thor: Ragnarok,” the acclaimed Kiwi filmmaker returns to pilot “Thor: Love and Thunder,” one which brings back any and all surviving characters in addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy, last seen venturing off with Thor to parts unknown at the end of Avengers: Endgame, along with the much-anticipated return of Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster in what will see the actress take the mantle of Thor at some point for further hijinks. Also, Christian Bale’s back in the world of comic book adaptations, having transitioned from Batman for rival DC to the MCU as baddie Gorr the God Butcher-with such A-level talent behind Thor’s fourth MCU escapade, the release date can’t begin to come soon enough.
Release Date: February 11, 2022 – BF
“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”
Apparently, either a creative idea or untold amounts of money can lure anyone into the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or in this case a return-after helming three ‘Spider-Man’ blockbusters for Sony, the third of which caused him to exit the franchise entirely following a film he still considers disappointing, director Sam Raimi will now take the reins of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” from Scott Derrickson, a film which sees Benedict Cumberbatch back in the title role with such familiar faces as Rachel McAdams‘ return and Elizabeth Olsen along for the ride as fellow Avenger Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch. In what will likely serve as a companion film to the upcoming third MCU Spider-Man entry, ‘Multiverse of Madness’ will presumably see Strange meddling with forces he shouldn’t, and another evil he’ll have to face. Luckily, he still has the Time Stone, and if that means another memorable time-loop sequence akin to what we saw in the predecessor’s third act, the wait until ‘Multiverse of Madness’ release will have well been worth it.
Release Date: March 25, 2022 – BF
“Black Panther 2“
The passing of Chadwick Boseman remains a massive loss to the world of film-it seemed the man who gave audiences such a memorable take on T’Challa/Black Panther was only just beginning to truly show his ability and versatility as an accomplished thespian, and with a sequel to 2018’s “Black Panther” already in the works when Boseman passed away in August 2020 it seemed some retooling would need to occur so as to honor his legacy as well as continue the story without a need to rely on CGI to bring him back or recast the role entirely. With Ryan Coogler set to return as both director & writer along with Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross, Letitia Wright as Shuri. Winston Duke as M’Baku, and Angela Bassett as Ramonda along with Tenoch Huerta as an apparent villain, all signs seem to indicate the future of Black Panther will focus more on his homeland of Wakanda and the stories within, a fitting way to remember such a presence while continuing to keep the mantle of Black Panther alive.
Release Date: July 8, 2022 – BF
“Captain Marvel 2”
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemingly heading into a variety of different directions following “Avengers: Endgame,” one may muse over where Captain Marvel fits into Kevin Fiege’s overall plan; luckily, November 11, 2022 will see Brie Larson return to the role under director Nia DaCosta (the upcoming “Candyman“), now removed from the original ’90s setting to the present with Iman Vellani set to reprise her upcoming Disney+ portrayal of Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel as well as Teyonah Parris as a grown-up Monica Rambeau, also yet to be seen on the Disney+ series “WandaVision.” Nothing more is known of the story, though if we can expect more fantastic chemistry between Larson and the presumed return of Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Ben Mendelsohn (Talos), and maybe, Lashana Lynch (Maria Rambeau), we should be in for another Marvel-ous ride.
Release Date: November 11, 2022 – BF
“Moon Knight“
Oscar Isaac is set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The acclaimed actor is turning in his “Star Wars” blaster and putting on a white costume to play one of the more complicated characters in the comics, Moon Knight. While the exact details of “Moon Knight” are still unknown, it’s expected that Isaac will play Marc Specter, a mentally ill ex-mercenary, who is either completely crazy or might just be imbued with Moon-based powers from the Egyptian God, Khonshu. Originally conceived as a rip-off of Batman, Moon Knight has morphed over the decades into a tragic character with split personalities that is constantly at war with himself…as well as the odd villain. Jeremy Slater is the writer of the series with Mohamed Diab (“Cairo 678”) and duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead (“The Endless”) directing episodes of the series.
Release Date: Unknown, but production is expected to begin in 2021, so 2022 seems likely. – BF