Marvel Studios (a Disney subsidiary) wants fans to return to movie theaters now that many are being vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus which crippled the film industry last year. The studio hopes to entice viewers by reminding them of the exhilaration they felt when watching some of their past features, most notable the second-highest-grossing film ever, Avengers: Endgame, with a new sizzle reel.
The video opens with narration by Stan Lee, espousing the joys of going to the cinema, as well as the text “We go to escape, to get lost in the story, to feel connected, to share moments… we will remember forever” something that none of has really gotten to do in a very long time. And to drive the point home, the video starts off with clips from various Marvel movies past and builds to an abridged edit of the famous “audience reaction” video of an opening night crowd witnessing the big finale battle of Endgame.
But if you loved the past Marvel movies, don’t forget that there’s more to come!
Getting things started is a look at Black Widow, which has been delayed numerous times and will finally be released in theaters and as a PVOD through Disney+ on July 9. The clip includes a lot of footage that has never been revealed.
Black Widow will be followed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which opens in theaters only (as far as we know) on September 3.
Black Widow has had several trailers and TV spots, and Shang-Chi has already had one teaser released. But this sizzler reel offers the first-ever footage released from Eternals, which comes out on November 5. That will very quickly be followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home, which opens on December 17. Unfortunately, there was no film footage shown for this or any of the titles that followed: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, opening on March 25, 2022, Thor: Love and Thunder on May 6, 2022, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on July 8, 2022, The Marvels on November 11, 2022, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on February 17, 2023, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5, 2023.
This was the first time that full titles for the Black Panther and Captain Marvel sequels have been revealed. But it was what came after that has some buzzing.
First, you can watch the entire sizzle reel below:
The clip ended with this logo:
That stands for Marvel Phase 4… or does it?
We all know that Marvel Studios has the rights to make upcoming movies featuring the Fantastic Four, now that Disney owns 20th Century Studios. Does this hint that fans can look forward to the first one in late 2023? Or… y’know does this just stand for “Marvel Phase 4?”
Black Widow was directed by Cate Shortland and stars Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle, William Hurt, Ray Winstone, and Rachel Weisz. Once again, it opens on July 9.
Simu Liu stars in Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings, which was directed by Destin Daniel Creton. That film also stars Awkwafina, Tony Leung, Michelle Yeoh, Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu, and Ronny Chieng, and opens on September 3.
Director Chloé Zhao recently nabbed a pair of Oscars for her film Nomadland, three if you count the Best Actress statue taken home by star Frances McDormand. Zhao’s next picture is a little more… bombastic. Eternals boasts an all-star cast– Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Brian Tyree Henry, Salma Hayek, Lia McHugh, Don Lee, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, and Barry Keoghan and opens on November 5.
Spider-Man: No Way Home, directed by Jon Watts, stars Tom Holland, Zendaya, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, Jamie Foxx, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alfred Molina, and opens on December 17.
Benedict Cumberbatch returns in the titular role for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which also features Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch. The cast also includes Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Xochitl Gomez. Sam Raimi directs and the picture opens on March 25, 2022.
Thor: Love and Thunder will feature the return of Chris Hemsworth as Thor, but reportedly the bulk of the movie will actually focus on Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster/The Mighty Thor. Christian Bale portrays the villain Gorr the God Slayer, and Jaimie Alexander will return in the role of Lady Sif after being absent from the MCU since Thor: The Dark World. Love and Thunder will also include the Guardians of the Galaxy– Chris Pratt, Pom Klementieff, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, and Sean Gunn– as well as Jeff Goldblum as the Grandmaster. Love and Thunder arrives on May 6, 2022.
We don’t quite know what is being planned for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever following the death of star Chadwick Boseman, but co-star Lupita Nyong’o recently stated:
“The way which [director Ryan Coogler] has reshaped the second movie is so respectful of the loss we’ve all experienced as a cast and as a world.”
Nyong’o will be back along with Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Martin Freeman, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright, with Tenoch Huerta reportedly playing the film’s villain. It opens on July 8, 2022.
The Marvels will be directed by Nia DaCosta (Candyman) and stars Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, with Zawe Ashton cast in the undisclosed villain role. This picture opens on November 11, 2022.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania introduces the seminal Marvel villain Kang the Conqueror, as portrayed by Jonathan Majors. This sequel welcomes back Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Kathryn Newton. Peyton Reed returns to direct and this picture opens on February 17, 2023.
Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be directed by James Gunn, and will presumably include the cast of the previous film except for Michael Rooker. It opens on May 5, 2023.
At any rate, mark your calendars, True Believer! Which upcoming Marvel movie are you most excited about?
