Marvel Phase 4 Surprises That Have Already Been Revealed

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely disrupted Marvel’s plans for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, forcing multiple rescheduling of the entire Phase 4 movie and TV series slate. As such, the marketing and PR campaigns for each Marvel Phase 4 project has had to be put on pause. So where we would’ve been swimming in sweet reveals from Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Eternals by now, instead we have been almost totally deprived of the usual run of Marvel movie/TV rumors and leaks. However, thanks to scoop-breakers and leaks from promotional materials and merchandising, there is a bit about Marvel Phase 4’s storyline that we do know.

NOTE: Some of what appears in this list may have been confirmed by various trades, or even the actors. However, that same info has not yet been publicly announced or confirmed by Marvel Studios, and is therefore not yet “official.”

Obviously, these are potential SPOILERS Being discussed.

John Walker Is The New Captain America

Merchandise from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier has revealed that John Walker (played by Overlord actor Rupert Wyatt) will actually take the mantle of Captain America – presumably when the series begins. Walker did the same in Marvel Comics, before ultimately settling into a different persona: U.S. Agent. We saw teases of Walker Captain America in the Marvel Disney+ Super Bowl trailer. 

Scarlet Witch Will Go “House of M” On The MCU

WandaVision is one of the most curious projects in Marvel’s Phase 4 lineup, and it increasingly looks like it will also be one of the most pivotal. The series will see Wanda Maximoff expanding the use of her powers, from the telekinetic abilities seen in the MCU movies, to more of the reality-altering “Hex Powers” from the comics. That includes WandaVision introducing Wanda’s mentor Agatha Harkins (Kathryn Hahn), as well as the story dipping into the famous “House of M” storyline, which saw Wanda lose all control of her reality-altering powers and become a threat to the entire Marvel Universe as she created her own version of reality. The MCU version of Wanda will become a similar threat, which will then spiral into the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. 

Electro Returns

Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 is now filming, and according to reports from the trades, Jamie Foxx will be playing Spider-Man villain Electro in the threequel. This is significant because Foxx already portrayed Electro in Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is a different franchise and universe than the MCU. That’s been the first big piece of evidence Spider-Man 3 may be a much bigger event film than we thought. 

Live-Action Spider-Verse Begins?

Jamie Foxx’s Electro isn’t the only odd addition to Spider-Man 3: Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will appear as well. The appearance of Electro and Strange has Marvel fans convinced a live-action Spider-Verse could be in the works. And given the storyline of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it looks like multiverse problems will be plaguing the larger MCU in Phase 4. 

The Mandarin is Probably Shang-Chi’s Father

The Mandarin will finally get his proper due when actor Tony Chiu-Wai Leung plays the Marvel villain in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. However, in Marvel Comics lore Shang-Chi’s father was the notorious crimelord Fu Manchu – a character who was a horrible stereotype. Hints about Shang-Chi’s story from the likes of director Destin Daniel Cretton have suggested that the story’s themes of family and duty could revolve around the big change of making Mandarin Shang-Chi’s father, with the story seeing the martial arts master having to break from the family business. 

Kang The Conqueror Is The New Big Bad

Thanos was the overarching villain of the MCU’s Infinity Saga arc from Phases 1-3, but the events of Avengers: Endgame and the unfolding events of Phase 4 make it pretty clear that a different villain is going to take on the “big bad” role: Kang the Conqueror. Trades have reported that Lovecraft Country star Jonathan Majors will play the role of Kang starting in Ant-Man 3 – but other rumors point to Kang getting first mention in the Loki Disney+ series. Kang is a time-traveling character who has taken on several key hero/villain/historical roles in the Marvel Universe – version of him that could pop-up in any number of Phase 4 projects. 

Major New Heroes Have Been Cast

While Marvel hasn’t announced it yet, trades have confirmed the castings for new MCU heroes that are about to debut in the franchise. That includes Oscar Isaac (Star Wars) as Moon Knight; and newcomer Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel. Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) has been cast as She-Hulk – though she confused the matter by publicly denying the casting. 

Young Avengers Rising

There are breadcrumbs being sprinkled all over MCU TV Shows and movies, which point to Marvel’s Young Avengers assembling in Phase 4. The team was formed by Kang’s younger self, Iron Lad; and characters like Monica Rambeau; Kate Bishop; Ms. Marvel; Miss America; and Nova are all either announced or rumored to debut in Phase 4 projects. That’s all a recipe for the Young Avengers (even re-branded as “Champions” or another team name) to finally come together.