The D23 expo eaw
27. Eternals 2
I don't like Eternals. At all. So when Patton Oswalt casually announced that Eternals 2 was happening with Chloé Zhao returning to direct, I wasn't a huge fan. I don't have confidence in these characters or this director. Introducing Eros, brother of Thanos was an interesting idea in the post-credits, so maybe that'll pay off, but otherwise, I'm not excited for this project at all.
26. Wonder Man
I know nothing about the character of Wonder Man, so my excitement for this show was already low. Add on the recent terribleness of She-Hulk paired with the announcement that Trevor Slattery is returning in a major role in this series...and it's just killed all anticipation I've had for this show. I'm always open to new characters and new ideas in the MCU. This one, however, I'm not looking forward to.
25. Shang-Chi 2
I was one of very few people who did not like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. I thought that it played too much like a traditional MCU movie and over-relied on big CGI spectacle. The thing that worked for me was Tony Leung's Mandarin. And, spoiler alert, he's dead. The villain will likely be Shang-Chi's sister, Xu Xialing, who takes over the Ten Rings in her father's death. I would not be a fan of that. I think Xu Xialing is a bad character that cannot replace the Mandarin. I'm worried about this sequel.
24. Nova
This is a project that I'm not excited for, but my excitement level could change based on Guardians 3. If James Gunn gets involved, I'm excited. If we get some tease of Nova in upcoming projects, I'm excited. However, right now, I'm not really anticipating this project. Beyond that, we don't actually know if this is a show or a movie, which I find weird. Hopefully it's a movie, because the shows aren't really working for me. Anyways, I'm not necessarily excited, but I have an open mind.
23. Agatha: Coven of Chaos
This is one that I go into with hesitation. I'm nervous about the shows in general. The formula that Marvel is using for its Disney+ stories do not seem to be working very well. Likewise, Agatha Harkness doesn't seem like a character that deserves her own spin-off TV show. I would love to see her again, just not in her own show. However, Mephisto could appear as the antagonist and I do believe this is the show that will undo Wanda's death in Multiverse of Madness, so I'm intrigued.
22. Armor Wars
This is one that has my interest but I'm also very worried about. The idea of it isn't anything that exciting: someone steals Tony Stark's technology and abuses it, and War Machine must stop whoever this threat is. That sounds like all three Iron Man movies in a way. Plus, this was one of the few things Marvel just ignored during the SDCC panel in July. That has me worried. We don't know much about this show, and it was announced two years ago. That's not a great sign.
21. Untitled Wakanda show
This is said to be a show about Okoye, although there are very few details beyond that. Ryan Coogler is involved. I'm sure this'll act as a sequel/spin-off/companion to Wakanda Forever. This is another one, though, that was announced a year and a half ago, and we've gotten no further announcements. We don't even have a title. Part of me thinks they're waiting for Wakanda Forever, but another part of me is just losing a little bit of faith in this idea. Still open minded, but my excitement is wavering.
20. What If...? Season 2
The first season of What If...? was a decent enough show that did nothing for the bigger MCU. While that was a criticism of mine originally, I actually kind of like that it doesn't bother with impacting the main MCU. Season two sounds cool. It's going to focus more on Phase Four characters, with Shang-Chi confirmed to have an episode as well as a few other characters. I'm excited for this season, but not through the roof, because What If...? is not the most engaging MCU content in my opinion.
19. The Marvels
This one...I'm iffy on. I'm not a huge Captain Marvel fan. I'm not a huge Ms. Marvel fan. However, I do like the character of Ms. Marvel as well as the character of Monica Rambeau. Seeing them team up will be cool. The Marvels themselves will be a cool new cosmic team, and I want to see how they factor in to the rest of the Infinity Saga. I also really like director Nia DaCosta, and she's leading this movie. So I'm interested and hesitantly excited.
18. Deadpool 3
There is a big leap in excitement from New World Order to Deadpool 3. Every time I think about this movie, I want to put it higher. I love the Deadpool franchise. It's so much fun. But I cannot help but worry about an MCU Deadpool. I don't know how it's going to work. I don't know how he'll cross over into the MCU. I don't know how it'll mesh with the tone of the MCU. I like Shawn Levy. I love Deadpool. I have faith in this movie, but I don't know jack about it, so my excitement is met with a lot of anxiety.
17. Ironheart
Initially, I wasn't excited for this show. But recent announcements have shown some cool things. This show is going to be a battle of technology and magic, which is a great concept that I'm shocked hasn't been explored more in the MCU. Anthony Ramos will be playing the Hood, who's a cool villain from the comics. Agatha Harkness is also rumored to appear, so there's some interesting stuff going on in this show. I think it may be a hidden gem. Now, I'm holding back on getting super excited right now, because it's six episodes, and the six episode MCU TV show format just doesn't usually work.
16. Echo
This is another one that I wasn't initially excited for. I don't think Echo really merits her own spin-off show. Once Daredevil and Kingpin were confirmed to appear, however, I got more excited. Then the rumor mill started working. And reports have been saying that Daredevil will be searching for Jessica Jones in this show. If that's true...oh my God. I love Jessica Jones. I love the show. I love the character. I love Krysten Ritter. If she's in this...I'm super pumped. It's just a rumor. But if it's true, that'd be amazing.
15. Captain America: New World Order
On paper, this sounds great. A fourth Captain America film starring Sam Wilson as the titular lead. What's not to love? Then you remember. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was a mess. A fun mess, but a mess nonetheless. So I'm nervous. The writing for that show wasn't very good. And those writers are writing this movie. The director has barely any credits. Simply put, I don't trust the creative team on this one. However, they announced that Tim Blake Nelson is returning as The Leader for this film, which is amazing. That shot my excitement up for this, so, although hesitant, I am excited.
14. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
I'm intrigued. James Gunn has proclaimed The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special to be the greatest thing he has ever created. It was shot during the filming of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. I think it'll serve as a nice prologue to that movie. I will bet my life that Adam Warlock will make his MCU debut here. I'm excited for that. I'm excited for Guardians 3, and I really can't wait to see what Gunn did with this fun prelude. Hopefully we get a trailer and release date soon.
13. Spider-Man 4
We know nothing about Spider-Man 4. It's been rumored that Jon Watts is returning. Tom Holland is returning, too (duh), and supposedly Zendaya will be back. Besides that, we know nothing. Villain? Nope. Supporting characters? Nah. Story? Who knows? This could take place after Secret Wars, for all we know. I don't care when this happens. I don't care who's directing. I don't care who the villain is. I don't care what the story is. I'm so excited for this movie. I LOVED Tom Holland's first trilogy of Spidey movies, so hopefully his next few appearances are just as good.
12. Thunderbolts
Thunderbolts has me very, very interested. This is Marvel's version of the Suicide Squad. A bunch of ragtag villains are recruited by an organization to do whatever dirty work they want. The team itself sounds cool. I like the fact that we're going to see Red Guardian, Ghost, and Taskmaster again. This is also the final film in Phase Five, so that has me excited. The whole idea of this movie is just cool. I think it could be awesome.
11. Werewolf by Night
This looks...nuts. I have no clue what Werewolf by Night is going to be. But I'm super pumped for it. It looked so weird. But I am so down for whatever the hell this is. This special is going to introduce Werewolf by Night, Elsa Bloodstone, and Man-Thing, which is going to be awesome. I have no clue how this ties into the MCU. But it looked great.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is a movie I'm super excited for. I've never loved either of the Guardians movies like a lot of people have, but I like James Gunn and I love the characters, so of course I'm excited for their final outing. Adam Warlock is a character I'm super excited to see. Supposedly this will dive into Rocket's backstory. That's cool. I just want to see how they wrap up these beloved characters. That's the main draw of this movie for me.
9. Secret Invasion
I'm nervous for most of the TV shows. I have all the confidence in the world about Secret Invasion. I love the idea of a Nick Fury-lead show. We also have Maria Hill, Everett Ross, Talos, and War Machine returning. Emilia Clarke is in it. Olivia Colman is in it. That's enough to make me excited. But when you add the whole Secret Invasion thing into it, my anticipation is sky high. Secret Invasion is one of the coolest Marvel crossovers, and Kevin Feige has described this as the first big crossover TV show. It's said to have a big scope and explore some things that happened during the Blip. I'm so excited for this. It's gonna be great.
8. Loki Season 2
Another show that I have all the confidence in the world in, Loki season one ended on a massive cliffhanger. And season two is going to deal with some big, big things. As you will see later down this list, anything with Kang the Conqueror has me very excited. So, since Loki's sophomore season will feature Kang, I'm super pumped. I really want to see what insane directions this show goes in next. It's easily the best of the MCU shows so far, and I cannot wait to explore more multiversal havoc in season two.
7. Blade
Since they announced this movie, I've been so hyped for it. Blade is a really, really cool character that will fit perfectly into this supernatural vibe that Marvel seems to be shooting for with Moon Knight and the Halloween special. Mahershala Ali is the perfect pick to play Marvel's vampire hunter, and I cannot wait to see what he does in the role. The after-credits of Eternals have me a little confused, because I don't know how that will play into this movie, but I'm excited nonetheless. This is going to be awesome.
6. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Alrighty. I am DYING to see this movie. Like I said before, anything featuring Kang has me very excited. And this is Kang's real debut. He Who Remains gave us a taste of things to come, but this Kang is going to be our real bad guy. Beyond the Conqueror, we've got a third Ant-Man movie. I really dug the first film as well as Ant-Man and the Wasp. I'd be super hyped for this film regardless of the villain. But with Kang and M.O.D.O.K., I cannot wait to see this movie.
5. Fantastic Four
I don't know how to express my excitement for this movie. Since The Avengers, the big question in the back of everyone's mind is "When do they introduce more of the big Marvel characters?". Well, they introduced Spider-Man. They introduced Black Panther. They introduced Captain Marvel. After Endgame, the logical continuation is the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Well, we have the Fantastic Four. And I cannot wait. November 8, 2024. Director Matt Shakman of WandaVision will be helming this project, and I think he'll do great. I'm SO excited. This film is going to be sick.
4. Daredevil: Born Again
I haven't watched all of Daredevil yet, but season one was great. And I love that they are re-introducing him into the MCU. This announcement has me so hyped. Not only are they adapting Born Again, which is one of Marvel's best comics, but this show is eighteen frickin' episodes. Not six. Not eight. Not nine. EIGHTEEN. This means we get to spend a lot of time with the Man without Fear. We get to see a rematch between him and D'Onofrio's Kingpin. It's going to be truly beautiful. I cannot wait.
3. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
I was nervous. I was skeptical. How do you make this movie without Chadwick Boseman? And then I watched the trailer. This beautiful, emotional three-minute tease of the movie had me hook, line and sinker. It honored Boseman. It was respectful. It had this somber tone paired with powerful performances, incredible cinematography, and a pounding soundtrack in the background. I cannot wait for this film. I think it could be one of the greatest Marvel movies we've ever seen.
2. Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Obviously, this is basically tied for number one. Words cannot describe my anticipation for this film. The last movie that was like this was Infinity War. Infinity War is the reason I watch the MCU. It's the reason I watch superhero movies. It's my favorite Marvel movie. It's one of my favorite movies. And The Kang Dynasty gets to assume its position. Just by the title of the film, I'm excited. What is this Kang Dynasty? Who will the Avengers be by this point? Even though he directed Shang-Chi, I like director Destin Daniel Crettin. This movie will keep me invested in the MCU for the next few years.
1. Avengers: Secret Wars
Nothing can top the worldwide event/phenomenon that Endgame was...except this. Sure, the MCU seems to be losing a little bit of steam. But if it manages to get back on track before Secret Wars...we could have something truly special on our hands. Secret Wars is the biggest Marvel crossover event in the comics. Bigger than The Infinity Gauntlet. The scope is massive. The stakes are higher than ever. And if this film manages to capture that...oh boy, do we have a new highest-grossing movie of all time. This movie can be the next Endgame. I didn't think it could ever happen again. But Secret Wars can do it. And it's insane that we only have to wait three years. It's coming sooner than we think. And I cannot wait. At all.