Disney+ has released with a bang, and Marvel fans can get a taste of what’s to come in the short documentary, Marvel Studios Expanding the Universe. The short delves into details about the upcoming MCU series debuting over the next few years on Disney+, giving hints to the future of the franchise in a post-Avengers world.
First up was the highly anticipated The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Starring Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes and Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, this will explore the duo’s paths in the absence of their friend, Steve Rogers. We remember at the end of Avengers: Endgame the passing of the iconic shield from Steve Rogers to Sam Wilson, and no doubt we’ll see the aftermath of that decision for not only Sam Wilson, but the rest of the world as well. We’ll also see Emily Van Camp reprising her role as Sharon Carter and Daniel Brühl as Zemo, while one new character will be joining the ranks, Wyatt Russell as government agent John Walker.
Along with the action-packed sequences we’re used to enjoying in MCU films, according to executive producer Malcolm Spellman, we’ll be seeing just what a makes these characters tick. He said of the story, “We don’t want it to be all action all the time, we need to go home with these characters, we need to spend time really unearthing who they are. And since we got great actors, put them in situations where they really get to show what they can do.” Kevin Feige has promised a dive into their pasts and their futures.
WandaVision is going to take us all by storm. It’s something new, something we’ve never seen before from the MCU, and Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen will be reprising their roles as Vision and Wanda Maximoff. It’s teased as “half classic sitcom, half-full MCU spectacular” by writer Jac Schaeffer, and the where and when in the MCU this series takes place is still unknown, giving us something to look forward to in figuring out just where this all ties into the world as a whole. Along with Olsen and Bettany, Kat Dennings will be reprising her Thor role as Darcy Lewis, Park Randall will be seen as his Ant-Man Agent Jimmy Woo, and Monica Rambeau from Captain Marvel is all grown up, and being brought to life by Teyonah Parris, along with a new character we only know as a “nosy neighbor” played by Kathryn Hahn. The crossing of these characters into a whole new franchise is exciting, only proving the MCU is a much more intricate web than we originally thought.
“We’re gonna have a lot of fun,” Elizabeth Olsen guaranteed, “It’s gonna get weird, we’re gonna go deep, we’re gonna have lots of surprises. And we’re gonna finally understand Wanda Maximoff as the Scarlet Witch.”
Probably the most anticipated MCU series coming to the platform is Loki. Loki was a shocking fan-favorite character throughout his 10-year journey in the Infinity Saga, and thanks to the fans, this series was made possible. “We’re taking Loki to an entirely new part of the MCU,” according to director Kate Herron. There will be time travel, a “man-on-the-run quality to it,” and a more human side of Loki will be uncovered. We’ll see him shoved into situations where he does not have the upper hand, does not have all the answers after being “thrown a curveball by life,” hopefully forming a better backstory to the Loki we saw among the first 23 MCU films. It will also see many questions answered, such as where did Loki go when he picked up the Tessaract in Endgame.
As of now, the only character we know to be featured is Loki himself, Tom Hiddleston.
The first animated series of the MCU, What If…?, will be taking fans through the Infinity Saga, but changing one minor detail and watching just how that one decision would have changed the fate of the universe. In the segment, we see T’Challa as Star-Lord, Bucky Barnes face a zombie Captain America, a pre-serum Steve Rogers in a large “Hulkbuster”-esque tech suit, and Agent Peggy Carter as Captain Carter. Many of the stars will be lending their voices to their characters, including Haley Atwell as Peggy Carter. There is also a new character, The Watcher. “He is a non-earthly being who observes all things, watching over the multiverse,” according the voice of the character, Jeffrey Wright. The multiverse was teased in previous films, and now it’s certain that the MCU will be following this path with both this series, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness in 2021, and even possibly WandaVision.
Finally, we’ve learned the future of Hawkeye — and it’s Kate Bishop. The series will show Clint Barton training his predecessor, as well as explore his time as Ronin that was briefly teased in Avengers: Endgame. Jeremy Renner will still be seen as Clint Barton, and he’s looking forward to shepherding in the new Hawkeye, who he’s sure is going to be “a better version” of Clint. “I think the fiber of what Hawkeye is, is a superhero without superpowers,” Renner commended of Clint, “That means everyone’s a superhero.”
Also coming to Disney+ is Ms. Marvel, who will travel on to the films, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk. Details for those series are still to be revealed.
Marvel Studios has given fans a lot to look forward to in the coming years, leaving us confident in this post-Avengers world. You can watch Marvel Studios Expanding the Universe on Disney+ now and all the new series as they release through 2020 and 2021!
