There is a lot to digest with Marvel Studios, especially at the breakneck speeds the news was coming at. But there is a lot of stuff to look forward to from everybody’s favorite superhero studio now that they are entering the streaming stage. During the presentation, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announced trailers for “WandaVision,” “Falcon and The Winter Soldier,” “Loki,” and “What If” are just some of the titles that we got a first or new look at. And judging by the footage, there will be something for everybody as these shows will all different vibes that set themselves apart from each other.
So let’s start off with “WandaVision,” Marvel Studios’s take on the classic sitcom tv show. A perfect venue for a character like Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) who may or may not be having us question the nature of the MCU reality. What exactly is going on? Why is she seeing the things that she is seeing? Who is containing her? And how is Vision (Paul Bettany) alive after Thanos brutally ripped the Mind Stone from his forehead?
And is the Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) that Wanda sees for real or is she just a vision? And what do Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) have to do with all of this? And is Kathryn Hahn really a nosy neighbor or is she Agatha Harkness in disguise? So many questions, so few answers. But this looks like it will be on trippy show that is somehow all connected to the MCU. “WandaVision” hits DisneyPlus on January 15, 2021.
Moving on, we are finally getting a trailer for “Falcon and The Winter Soldier” which reunites Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan as their title roles, respectively.
It’s quite the busy trailer as it is another streaming series with cinematic quality. Unlike some of the other superhero shows that have these fantastical beats to it, “Falcon and The Winter Soldier” looks to be more grounded and based in reality. And if you wanted to see Bucky do some of those jaw-dropping knife tricks like in “Captain America: The Winter Solider,” then you are in luck, because it looks like they are bringing that back for the show. At least for an episode.
“Falcon and The Winter Soldier” drops on March 2021.
But Marvel Studios isn’t just about the heroes. They’ve also got a few villains, or should I say anti-heroes, that deserve their own shows too. And that’s what we will be getting with “Loki.” Tom Hiddleston is back as the Asgardian god of mischief who has seemed to defy the laws of life and death with his disappearing act in “Avengers: Endgame.” Although we don’t know the complexities of how he survives despite the fact the he actually died in “Avenger: Infinity War,” any excuse to see more Loki is a good one.
But unlike some of the more fantastical elements we saw him in films like “Thor” or “Avengers,” “Loki” appears to be more of a globe-trotting time traveling crime thriller. Though his miraculous escape gave him a new chance at life, Loki finds himself in the hands of a mysterious organization called the TVA. It’s unclear why he’s with this organization or what he did to deserve to wear that jumpsuit – well, he was probably up to no good – but I suspect we will get some of those answers to those questions on the show.
Sophia Di Martino, Owen Wilson, Richard E. Grant, Sasha Lane, and Gugu Mbatha-Raw also star.
“Loki” is scheduled to debut on DisneyPlus on May 2021.
But this wasn’t the only new trailer to be revealed during Disney Investor Day. Feige also revealed the first official look at “What If,” a series that will explore that every question in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Like what if Peggy Carter took the Super Soldier Serum? Or what happens if the zombie apocalypse occurred in the MCU? Or what would have happened if Yondu picked up T’Challa? A lot of these questions will be posed to us by The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright). And best of all, it will be animated, which gives us an exciting perspective and a preview of what a Marvel animated feature could look like if they ever decide to release an animated feature. Best of all, a majority of the cast will return to reprise their respective roles.
No release date has been formally announced, but “What If” is expected to debut on DisneyPlus in the summer of next year.
And if you think you’ve reach the end of this, believe me, it’s not done yet. As Feige also dropped a sizzle reel for Ms. Marvel, and for the first time, gives us a look at Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, the Pakistani teenage girl who adopts the titular moniker to become a hero like Captain Marvel. In the trailer, showrunner Bisha K. Ali talks about how despite Kamala Khan being one of the newer superheroes to join the MCU, her story is very universal.
The sizzle reel revealed just how intense the casting process was intense, but the decision between the higher ups from Feige, Ali, and “Ms. Marvel” producers Bilall Fallah, Adil El Arib, Meera Menon, and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy was unanimous. It was going to be Iman Vellani.
As Ali reveals, the show will be about a Kamala trying to figure out who she is and relationships. “Family and friendship is at the heart of the MCU canon,” Ali said. “That’s what’s so exciting about this story that we are bringing, is that we’re going to introduce you to a new family that is also going to be a part of the wider MCU.”
Sounds like some pretty exciting stuff.
“Ms. Marvel,” an Original Series from Marvel Studios, is coming late 2021 to Disney Plus.
Other news from Disney’s Investors Day: