Captain America: Brave New World’s big theatrical release is just days away, and if you’re like me, you’re feeling nervous about it. Gone are the days of excitedly shuffling into the movie theater with your popcorn bucket, ready to be swept up in the MCU’s latest offering. After several suspended projects, a handful of critical bombs, and a number of scrapped storylines chilling by the wayside, Marvel has to earn back our trust. One way it can do that is by not making the same mistake so many took umbrage with in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.  w3130

Clearly, I’m talking about Wanda Maximoff. More specifically, about the way Wanda’s storyline in Multiverse of Madness undermined her (much more compelling) storyline in the Disney Plus series WandaVision. Thankfully, Brave New World’s director, Julius Onah, flat out said we don’t have to worry about Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) suffering from the same case of storytelling-itis as Wanda.

In speaking with Vanity Fair, Onah touched on Sam’s arc in the movie, and no, it doesn’t include grappling with his identity as the new Captain America. Why would it? Sam already overcame that struggle in the six-episode Disney Plus series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

“That question has been resolved,” Onah said of Sam’s previous conflict. “Sam is our Captain America now. He’s our hero.”

It shouldn’t feel refreshing to hear a director acknowledge the natural order of storytelling, but when the last two MCU films starring a character from a Disney Plus show saw their storyline all but forgotten, a sigh of relief is warranted. I’m referring to Wanda in Doctor Strange 2, yes, but also Nick Fury in The Marvels. Then again, even Kevin Feige would probably like to forget Secret Invasion.

Elizabeth Olsen’s turn as Wanda aka Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange 2 has become a sore spot for fans, and rightfully so. The character is one of the most popular in the franchise, with the nine-episode WandaVision series cementing that fact with its airtight writing, nuanced storytelling, and heartfelt character progression. The devolution of Wanda’s arc in DS2 has been harped on enough, but for the sake of hammering home a point, let’s harp some more. 

Once the dust settled, Olsen itted the writers of DS2 hadn’t known about Wanda’s storyline in WandaVision before penning the script. A little communication between teams would have solved that issue, but what use is communication when you have spackle and spit to cover up your mistakes? I hear it fixes everything. And so, the Scarlet Witch spent the better part of two hours running around the multiverse killing anything that moved to get back her kids, Tommy and Billy.

Olsen has said she’s willing to return to the character as long as the “smartest writers” are on the scene. In other words, Wanda may be dead, she may not be dead, but if she does come back — and she likely is — can the inhabitants of Earth-199999 not pretend like she didn’t just turn evil in Doctor Strange 2? Please and thank you. 

So, that leaves us with Brave New World, set to debut this Friday, Feb. 14. I’m glad we can put Sam’s Falcon and the Winter Soldier arc to bed. The country needs Cap more than ever. That means don’t expect to see Sam and Joaquin Torres playing tug-of-war about who wore the Falcon moniker best. Actually, they might still do that, but at the very least Sam won’t be turning into Dark Cap or insist he doesn’t want to take up the mantle as Cap, because — and I don’t think this can be stressed enough — we’ve seen that show before.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along episode 6.

With a mid-season trailer spoiling that Joe Locke’s Teen really was Billy Maximoff, the biggest question we had left going into Agatha All Along episode 6 was who had placed the sigil on him in the first place. Teen — I mean, Billy has had a spell placed on him all season which prevented him from being able to speak his name out loud. Due to the mechanics of the spell, not even the caster could putting it on him.

Theories were rife online over who could’ve cast the sigil, with options including Agatha or Teen himself, or even —and this was the one everyone was keeping their Darkhold-stained fingers crossed for — Scarlet Witch. Episode 6 finally reveals the truth, though, and in doing so it tells us who changed the entire shape of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga without realizing it. Lilia Calderu, you wicked witch, you.

Yes, in the flashback-heavy episode to Teen’s past, we learn that he was once William Kaplan, and he had encountered Lilia before — she was hired as a palm reader for his bar mitzvah. During his reading, Lilia appeared to have one of her psychic turns which led her to slip an enchanted rune, with the sigil spell on it, onto his person.

Not only did this stop Billy from being able to speak his name in the present, we’re also left to infer that it was Lilia’s sigil that ensured Wanda couldn’t detect Billy’s presence in the Sacred Timeline, thereby causing her to go on a bloody rampage across reality to find variants of her sons in Doctor Strange 2. As one fan aptly said, “She was the reason why Multiverse of Madness happened…”

You know what this means, though? The moment Wanda pulls herself out of that rubble on Mount Wundagore, she’s coming straight for Lilia.

Lilia’s dalliance with Death in medieval times is gonna be a walk in the park compared to what happens when the Scarlet Witch gets a hold of her.

“Are you telling me Wanda is dead because of Patti LuPone">Image via Disney Plus

The interesting thing about why Lilia put the sigil on Billy is that even she may not know the reason herself. Throughout the season, Lilia has had moments where she seems to become possessed by future knowledge, which then fades away once the moment of psychic connection is over. The flashback to William’s bar mitzvah looks like one of these episodes. What’s more, the sigil itself wiped her memory of meeting William, although she should get this memory back now it’s finally been broken three years later.

OK, so why did Future Lilia want a sigil placed on William? We know the sigil is a protection spell, so it’s possible she was trying to protect him from Agatha, or potentially even Rio or the Salem Seven, depending on how the rest of the season plays out. It’s even possible that Lilia had to place the sigil on William in order to stop Wanda from finding him. As cruel as it may be, it’s conceivable that her dark turn had to happen for the sake of the Sacred Timeline, much like Loki tells us Thanos’ Snap is a fixed temporal point.

Maybe Wanda’s multiversal madness must occur in order for the events of Avengers: Secret Wars to ultimately unfold, allowing the heroes to defeat Doctor Doom and save all of reality. I’m not saying Patti LuPone is secretly the most important person in the whole MCU, but I’m not not saying that, either.

Yes, Joe Locke is playing Wiccan in Agatha All Along. Get over it, that’s old news. The truth of Teen’s identity was practically spelled out for us at the end of episode 5, and then his real name was finally said aloud in a mid-season trailer, confirming the Heartstopper star has been Billy Maximoff all along. But enough about “is Joe Locke Billy Maximoff">forgetting when Logan is supposed to be set, it’s seeming increasingly like the Marvel canon doesn’t actually exist outside of the fandom’s heads and spreadsheets. Guys, are we the TVA?

Bruce Campbell‘s cryptic comments about his character Pizza Poppa from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness tease a more prominent MCU role for the horror legend.

Campbell’s history with Marvel precedes the MCU. Before Multiverse of Madness, he had cameo roles in all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, playing different characters in each. There’s nothing strange about that since Raimi and Campbell have been longtime friends since they worked together in Evil Dead, a four-decade-old horror franchise with millions of bloodthirsty fans. So, it was not exactly surprising that Campbell would also appear in Multiverse of Madness, Raimi’s first project for Marvel Studios.

 In Doctor Strange 2, Campbell plays Pizza Poppa, a street vendor in an alternate universe with a brief but memorable encounter with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). In the scene, Stephen enchants Pizza Poppa to repeatedly punch himself in the face, all because the good doctor didn’t want to pay for the pizza that America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) inadvertently steals. The movie’s post-credits scene shows how Pizza Poppa was freed from the spell, swearing vengeance against Doctor Strange.

While a charming character, Pizza Poppa seemed just like a throwaway cameo to make fans of Campbell and Raimi happy. However, the star has recently teased the multiversal proportions his character could have in the future of the MCU.

Is Pizza Poppa just a disguise for Bruce Campbell’s more powerful MCU character? ld39

In a recent interview for Variety, Campbell dropped some tantalizing hints about his MCU future. “I play the Pizza Poppa, but ask yourself, ‘Really? In the timeline, in the Marvel timeline, I’m just the Pizza Poppa"> function myFunc(currentPage, tableId) { let loading = true; let data = { action: 'azp_product_table__pagination_ajax', route: 'get_formated_products', currentPage: currentPage, tableID: tableId, } let loader = '

From the many issues plaguing the MCU post-Endgame, the enormous number of unresolved cliffhangers might be the worst. Well, at least one loose thread will soon be tied, as Marvel Studios has reportedly brought back a cinematic mastermind to revive a fan-favorite character.

Let’s cut to the chase. 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was not great. The script was all over the place, the story mistreated Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), and the multiversal background was incredibly underwhelming as Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) once really set foot on a single alternative reality. However, the movie is still entertaining.

Do you know why? Sam Raimi!

As a master of horror, Raimi has a unique ability to intertwine campines with emotional impact. It’s no wonder Evil Dead is one of the best and longest-running horror franchises in history. Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy also helped cement the superhero hype that would eventually result in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The man knows how to make a fun movie in horror and superhero universes – just look at the musical battle between two Variants of Stephen in Multiverse of Madness!

Raimi didn’t have the creative control he needed for Multiverse of Madness, which was made worse by Marvel Studios’ dumping of the best version of the script. But what if Raimi was brought back for Doctor Strange 3? And what if he could have more creative control to turn Stephen’s next MCU adventure into a full-blown horror movie? That sounds like a dream, right? Apparently, that’s the kind of deal Raimi is g behind the scenes.

Is Sam Raimi coming back to direct Doctor Strange 3? 6y1v4s

The mid-credits scene of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness introduced Charlize Theron as Clea, a powerful sorceress from the Dark Dimension. She pops into Earth and enlists Stephen’s help to deal with some universe-shattering Conversions, but the duo just leaves together to fight some ancient evil. There’s so much potential packed into a single scene that it’s a wonder Doctor Strange 3 is not yet on Marvel Studio’s calendar.

However, after bad box office performances and increasing fan disappointment, Marvel Studios is cleaning the house and bringing the big guns back to help set the MCU back on its course. For instance, Robert Downey Jr. has been cast as Victor van Doom, replacing Kang after Jonathan Majors decided to become a villain in real life. In that context, bringing Raimi back and greenlighting a third Doctor Strange movie is the right choice.

While Multiverse of Madness wasn’t as successful as Marvel Studios hoped, they are aware that all the creative changes in the background are to blame. Raimi is such a celebrated filmmaker that having his name attached to any project automatically increases people’s interest. In addition, a movie that takes Stephen to the Dark Dimension and dives deeper into the Multiverse is the perfect opportunity to allow Raimi to unleash his deranged energy however he wants – if it doesn’t work, things don’t spill into the main continuity, and it gets easier to clean canon. Finally, Agatha All Along is a sleeper hit with a modest budget, which shows Marvel Studios fans earn for more magic, wacky, and frightening stories.

It’s time to bring Raimi back and let him tackle the script beyond helming direction. Let him go crazy with practical effects and imprint his distinct voice on Doctor Strange 3. Heck, allow him to give Bruce Campbell’s Pizza Poppa his revenge! That’s the kind of project the MCU needs right now.

You’re either a Marvel Cinematic Universe superfan who has been counting down the days to Agatha All Along… or you might sit down and tune in because your partner/friend/sibling wants to binge-watch it together. Either way, you’re probably going to want to catch up on other Marvel projects so you can make the most of the witchy spin-off.

While critics have enjoyed what they’ve seen so far, others are curious if this Disney Plus series, which stars the immensely talented Kathryn Hahn, can give everyone the strong MCU content they’ve been waiting and hoping for. So, before ordering a pizza (with or without pineapple, based on your preference) and settling in for Agatha All Along, what other Marvel content should you watch?

What Marvel TV shows and movies should you watch before Agatha All Along? 5s96i

Some might say watching every single Marvel TV show and movie is necessary because there are so many interconnected stories and richly drawn characters. But really, who has the time? Plus, there are truly only two projects you absolutely need to watch before tuning into Agatha All Along: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and WandaVision.

WandaVision is a must since Agatha All Along is its spin-off, so we’ll start there. Agatha Harkness is a significant character in this fun, creative, and brilliant series, which was released in 2021. In the show, Agatha pretends to be a woman named Agnes who lives near Wanda in Westview. What is so inventive and captivating about this show is that every episode is told from the perspective of a sitcom, cycling through various eras including the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and into the 2000s. This has set it apart from other disappointing Marvel shows like Secret Invasion (but let’s not talk about that!). By the end of WandaVision, Agatha is put under Wanda’s spell, and the consequences of that are part of the first episode of Agatha All Along.

As for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this is important for the purpose of understanding Wanda’s current state in the MCU, since this, too, plays a part in Agatha All Along. The sequel, which was released in 2022, paints a dark, eerie, and fun picture of Scarlet Witch/Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). In this super entertaining film, Wanda looks for a reality where her sons Tommy and Billy exist. What happens to Wanda at the end? It’s a big and important question that the first episode of Agatha All Along, episode 1, “Seekest Thou the Road,” deals with.

Being all caught up on Wanda’s sad story helps when watching Agatha All Along, but, unlike some spin-offs that make you want to forget the new show and go back to the original, Agatha is definitely a strong character who deserved her own TV series.

In a relatable moment, Hahn shared with Emmy Magazine that she “thought of myself as a Marvel visitor” when the opportunity came up in 2021. As she told The Hollywood Reporter, it made sense for this memorable character to take center stage. She said she was “excited” and “giddy” and added, “Agatha really is always the main character in her mind, so it felt very natural to, of course, be the main character in this other show.”

So, since the first two episodes of Agatha All Along began streaming on Disney Plus on Sept. 18th, 2024, it’s time to dive into Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and WandaVision and then see what Agatha is all about!

The dark descent of Wanda Maximoff is one of the most controversial moves of the Multiverse Saga — which is really saying something for an era that’s also given us division-magnets like She-Hulk and Eternals.

After WandaVision solidified Scarlet Witch as one of the most popular MCU characters and one with the most potential, not everyone loved that the crimson sorceress was transformed into a villain in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and especially not that she was killed off at the end of the 2022 movie. While some absolutely loved director Sam Raimi’s depiction of Wanda as a fearsome threat, as it made clear she’s one of the most powerful beings in the franchise, others were offended by how her arguably more complex portrayal in WandaVision was pushed to the wayside.

But what about Elizabeth Olsen herself, how does she feel about Wanda’s turn to the dark side? With a couple of years distance, the Love & Death actress appears to be edging closer to being more open with her thoughts, as Olsen recently itted she thought Marvel “didn’t know what to do” with her in the film. Similarly, the star had a telling response during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Elizabeth Olsen confirms she wants to return as Scarlet Witch, as long as Marvel can figure it out 5o952

In what is either a cosmic coincidence or a spooky sign, Elizabeth Olsen spoke to Jimmy Kimmel about a Scarlet Witch return on the same night that WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along had its world premiere. While a cameo on that show seems unlikely, the Avengers: Infinity War vet suggested she’s not wound down as Wanda just yet.

Although confirming that she’s pretty sure Wanda is currently dead, Olsen agreed with Kimmel that there could be a “window open” for her comeback. “I would beg to leave a window open,” she itted. “I have so much fun doing these movies.” When teasing how it could even happen, Olsen stated, “I would like to figure out how to be cleverly undead… We need to find the smartest writers to figure out how to make this all make sense.”

Elizabeth Olsen talked about the future of the Scarlet Witch on the Jimmy Kimmel show.

“I would beg to leave a window open … I would like to [be alive].”

Production Weekly has reported that a Scarlet Witch solo movie is currently in production. pic.twitter.com/aM1RbuuSPc

— Scarlet Witch News (@scarletwnews) September 17, 2024

Yes, there’s one line, in particular, that’s jumping out at fans here. Is Olsen really throwing shade on Doctor Strange 2 with her “smartest writers” comment? Many seem to think so.

“we need to find the smartest writers” OU THE SHADE EXACTLY

— sar loves camila (@bippitycabello) September 17, 2024

"we need to find the smartest writers" oh not the MoM shade

— julaerys (@juIespace) September 17, 2024

She’s implying the writers right now are dumb

— Babyyougotastew (@babyugotastew) September 17, 2024

Multiverse of Madness was written by Michael Waldron, although earlier drafts from other writers had a much different storyline in place for Wanda — one which fired X-Men ’97 showrunner Beau DeMayo recently promised would’ve done “justice” to the character.

Go get those MoM writerz Lizzie

— Micka (@Micka10023) September 17, 2024

Others are wondering if Olsen is subtly teasing that she’s reuniting with WandaVision EP Jac Schaeffer — who she is known to get on well with — for the much-rumored Scarlet Witch solo movie. Not only is this reportedly in the works, but Schaeffer herself hinted that it was a thing at the Agatha premiere.

She knows Ms. Schaeffer is a smart writer

— Sia and Wanda’s ᗢ (@wanda_sia) September 17, 2024

If her nemesis Agatha, her son Wiccan, and her synthezoid spouse Vision all get further adventures but Wanda doesn’t… Well, to quote the Scarlet Witch herself, that doesn’t seem fair.

With Agatha All Along casting new spells on Disney Plus, the Scarlet Witch-adoring portion of the Marvel fandom is missing Wanda Maximoff all over again. After WandaVision finally gave her the spotlight she deserved, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness became infamous for arguably throwing away all the promise and reducing her to a villainess who’s killed off at the end of the movie.

It’s all the more frustrating, then, to find out that the Benedict Cumberbatch sequel came this close to getting it right and appeasing so many of those fans who were furious that Scarlet Witch underwent both a figurative and literal character assassination. Rumors have swirled to this effect for years, but now this “what if…">Olsen recently reflected on her latter Marvel appearances, itting, “I think people didn’t know what to do with me for a second there.” If she signed up for a movie that took her character on one arc, only to then shoot a completely different story, you can see why she feels that way. Marvel, we demand you let us read this version of the script at least. This is us being reasonable. Don’t make us assemble our coven.

Nobody believed Wanda Maximoff was truly dead after Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — a castle collapsing on top of her? Pfft, that’s like a bop on the head in Marvel . And yet Agatha All Along has come along with an attempt to convince us that, yep, the Scarlet Witch has truly met her end. Now, though, nobody believes that she will stay that way. Especially as the potential for her MCU future is so ripe.

Intriguingly, Marvel might just have revealed something of a loose template for Wanda’s eventual return, wherever that may happen, in a new relatively MCU-adjacent release. The second of Marvel’s What If…? novels — of course, inspired by the hit animated series based around alternate realities — has been released and it offers a unique premise. As per the title, What if… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings?

While we’re unlikely to see the 35-year-old Elizabeth Olsen and the 28-year-old Tom Holland playing twins on screen anytime soon, the novel from author Seanan McGuire could inform how the prime Wanda can be resurrected and restored to her former reputation.

Marvel’s wildest What If…? scenario unveils the key to fixing Wanda in the MCU 542r1m

Wanda’s total and sudden turn towards pure evil in Doctor Strange 2 was undoubtedly one of the most divisive twists of the Multiverse Saga so far (as was calling the movie Multiverse of Madness when it only had about five minutes of multiversal madness, but that’s another story). While some loved Olsen getting to play a very different, deeply terrifying side to her familiar character, others were furious over Wanda’s character assassination. Literally, given the film’s ending.

Clearly, when — not if — Wanda makes her grand comeback, Marvel will have its job cut out in acknowledging the darkness of the anti-heroine, but also making sure to rehabilitate her in the eyes of fans. What If… Wanda Maximoff and Peter Parker Were Siblings? offers the perfect blueprint for this as it depicts a variant of the Scarlet Witch who is feared by both the world at large and her fellow superheroes, even if she is genuinely only trying to be a hero and fight the good fight.

Seeing as she’d presumably be freed of the corrupting influence of the Darkhold, a resurrected MCU Wanda would no doubt face a similar situation. After the Westview incident and, you know, her attack on all of reality, the Avengers would be forgiven for finding it tricky to trust her again, so she would have to work extra hard to convince them that she has their back — and isn’t about to restart her hunt for that girl who won Dancing with the Stars. Like, for example, taking on a certain Latverian tyrant who has a bizarre resemblance to a beloved billionaire/playboy/philanthropist?

Whether there is a role for Wanda in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Secret Wars or not, the way forward for Wanda is clear: let her divert from the dark path, although she does deserve a trip down the Witches Road.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the most in-depth and successful franchise of all time during its 16-year run at the box office. While it began with Iron Man in 2008, for fans following the narrative, that’s not where the story actually begins.

There are currently 34 movies in the MCU — soon to be 35 with Captain America: Brave New World — released in five phases. Phases One through Three, known as the Infinity Saga, collectively bring viewers closer to the arrival of Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and its epic follow-up, Avengers: Endgame. Meanwhile, phases Four through Six, known as the Multiverse Saga, began in 2021 and will eventually bring viewers closer to Robert Downey Jr.’s ultimate MCU comeback as Doctor Doom in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and its subsequent multiversal showdown in 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. : Kang is a thing of the past.

Phase Four began in 2021 with the Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and continued into 2022 with three major franchise sequels: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Phase Five began in 2023 and also included four franchise sequels, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, and most recently Deadpool & Wolverine.

Following the success of Marvel’s Disney Plus streaming hits like WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, we’ve received fresh entries like Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Loki season 2, and soon Agatha All Along. They aim to continue the budding tradition of bringing focused character studies to the small screen, but in light of criticism over reduced quality, Marvel has scaled back these productions a bit. Nevertheless, these shows tie into the larger Marvel universe, which is actually more of a multiverse now. However, those shows won’t be mentioned on this list, as this list pertains to feature films only.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Marvel films, including the order in which they were released, or drawn out of a hat at random, although that last option isn’t recommended for first-time viewers. However, in this article, we’ll be breaking down the chronological timeline of all films in the MCU so you can watch them in the correct narrative order. An at-a-glance lineup of Phases One through Three can be found below:

Below is a breakdown of every MCU film in narrative-timeline order, all of which, save Deadpool & Wolverine, are available to stream now on Disney Plus. Thanks to Marvel’s official The Marvel Cinematic Universe: An Official Timeline, we now have a clearer picture of not only what is and isn’t MCU canon, but also whether the nuggets of information we’ve compiled over the years do, indeed, fit into the slots we’ve given them. Spoiler alert: they do.

Captain America: The First Avenger 1c2m2i

Taking place first in the timeline, Captain America: The First Avenger provides the origin story for one of Marvel’s most popular heroes, Steve Rogers, played by the dynamite Chris Evans. This film mostly takes place in 1942 and showcases Rogers’ journey from a scrawny infantry soldier to full-blown Captain America who faces off against Red Skull.

Captain Marvel 2i4n2y

Next up is Captain Marvel, which is set in 1995, much closer to modern times. This movie is the first in the timeline to explore space travel and intergalactic threats. As we are introduced to both Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and soon-to-be S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), the pair gets involved in the conflict between the Kree and the Skrulls, with surprising results.

Iron Man 623r1t

The third film in the timeline was the very first Marvel film to be released: Iron Man. The billionaire philanthropist-turned-superhero Tony Stark has his origin story told in this fan-favorite film. Thanks to its box office success and fans’ adoration of Robert Downey Jr.’s performance, the film ultimately kicked off the entire MCU franchise.

Iron Man 2 48695x

Picking up shortly after the events of the first Iron Man, Iron Man 2 continues the story of the suited superhero now with his identity known to the public. Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the son of a scientist who previously worked at Stark Industries, is back with a grudge and creates his own weaponry with the goal of taking revenge for his fallen father. The film also introduces a soon-to-be Avenger in Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson).

The Incredible Hulk 1i5i49

While many fans may choose to forego 2008’s The Incredible Hulk in their MCU binge given that it features Ed Norton in the role instead of Mark Ruffalo (who later became the official Banner), it’s still technically a part of the MCU timeline. This movie gives fans a unique take on the Hulk’s origin story and hints at more things to come in the closing credits.

Thor 6o4m1s

Thor’s initial big-screen debut took place in 2011 and gave fans their first look at Asgard and other realms via the Bifrost. This one finds the titular god traveling to Earth to defend the world from Loki and a Frost Giant threat. For many moviegoers, this was their introduction to the beloved character, played by Chris Hemsworth, and for many it solidly delivered.

The Avengers 1b606r

The first crossover film in the timeline came with The Avengers, which was set at the conclusion of Marvel’s Phase One. The Avengers brought together Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, the Hulk, and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) to protect the Earth from Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and the Chitauri invasion. The movie also played a key role in introducing the Tesseract as the first of the Infinity Stones. These stones were ultimately the key to all future plans in the MCU.

Thor: The Dark World 6h4i13

The second Thor film in the MCU, Thor: The Dark World, gives us a closer look at Asgard, its inner workings, and the relationship between Thor, his brother Loki, and their father, Odin. The film also gives us insight into the second Infinity Stone, the Aether, which was wielded by the movie’s antagonists, the Dark Elves. Though it’s largely considered one of the less-impressive Marvel films, it serves its purpose and thankfully paves the way for a wonderful Thor threequel.

Iron Man 3 30p

In Iron Man 3, Tony Stark deals with anxiety after experiencing the intergalactic invasion of the Chitauri. After diving into full damage control mode and assembling an army of suits, he’s forced to choose between being Iron Man and protecting those he loves. Meanwhile, he must also deal with the looming threat of “The Mandarin.”

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 2o475v

Hailed as one of the best films in the entire MCU franchise, Captain America: The Winter Soldier introduces viewers to more of Captain America’s past and throws Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, back into the fray. The movie also reveals the hidden HYDRA threat still present among the agents of S.H.I.E.L.D that ultimately leads to its demise.

Guardians of the Galaxy 3y716h

When it was announced that Disney was going to bring the Guardians to the big screen, many were skeptical, but Guardians of the Galaxy turned out to be one of the best space films ever, let alone one in the MCU. It introduced us to Peter Quill/Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and Groot (Vin Diesel), an unlikely team that attempts to stop the plot of Ronan the Acc (Lee Pace) from using the Power Stone to destroy Xandar.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 164t3i

Taking place shortly after the first film, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gives us a closer look at Peter Quill’s backstory and heritage while also introducing a new member to the squad in the form of Mantis (Pom Klementieff). The story also dives deeper into the sibling rivalry between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan) and shines a light on their relationship with their adoptive father, Thanos, which would pay off in just a few short films.

Avengers: Age of Ultron 62l2p

Crossing over once again, the cast of the original Avengers film s forces to defend the Earth from the threat of Ultron (James Spader), a supercomputer developed to be a peacekeeping program by Tony Stark, which overrides its programming and now seeks to eliminate all mankind. In the latter half of the film, the Avengers get a few new additions in the form of Vision (Paul Bettany) and the Maximoff twins, Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson).

Ant-Man 2lw6j

Ant-Man tells the story of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), a thief who is recruited by Dr. Hank Pym to assist him with stopping the plot of his former protège, who cast him away from his own company. During the film, Lang becomes Ant-Man after being gifted a suit and trained to use Pym Particles to shrink his size, giving him superhuman strength and the ability to control ants.

Captain America: Civil War 1e6j2t

While not an Avengers film by name, Captain America: Civil War brings most of the superhero cast together for a face-off over a disagreement on the Sokovia Accords following the events of Age of Ultron. Civil War was also used to introduce a few new characters to the Avengers’ roster, including Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland).

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Finally getting her own origin film after being part of the MCU for over a decade, Natasha Romanoff heads back to her roots in Black Widow, which launched earlier this year. The film introduced us to Natasha’s sister, Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh), who fans got to see again in Hawkeye and who will undoubtedly be appearing again, possibly in a villainous team-up compliments of a certain character who appears in the post-credits scene.

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Despite what the movie may have led you to believe, it does not take place eight years after The Avengers. Marvel finally addressed the snafu after years of sweeping it under the rug in the official Marvel Studios: The MCU — An Official Timeline book, confirming it was indeed only four years after the Battle of New York. Taking place right after the events of Civil War, Spider-Man’s MCU debut chose not to retell the hero’s origin story, instead giving us a coming-of-age film that finds Peter Parker juggling his duties as Spider-Man with the demands of high school. There are plenty of comic book Spidey villains teased throughout the film, but his biggest threat is the Vulture, menacingly played by Michael Keaton, who is apparently bad with math.

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Instead of an origin story, when we pick up in Black Panther, T’Challa has already taken on the mantle as the titular hero after the ing of his father in Civil War. This film gives viewers their first look at the inner workings of the afrofuturistic Wakanda, as well as an epic tale of personal and ideological rivalry between T’Challa and Killmonger (Michael B Jordan).

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The first time we are treated to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in the MCU is in his self-titled film. The story explores the origins of Stephen Strange’s character and teases the ideas of multiple dimensions, cosmic beings, and time-traveling threats. As you’d expect, the Time Stone is also a crucial element of the film and only becomes more important from here on out. Other standout characters in the film include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Wong (Benedict Wong), Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton).

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Directed by Taika Waititi and taking on a different style and tone than the previous Thor films, Ragnarok has a more comical personality while maintaining high-quality action sequences. The film addresses many of the loose ends following Age of Ultron and follows Thor and Loki as they attempt to stop their half-sister, Hela (Cate Blanchett) from taking over Asgard. The ending of this film offers a jaw-dropping lead-in to what quickly becomes the beginning of the end of the Infinity Saga.

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The first part of the epic culmination of all the previous MCU films, Avengers: Infinity War finally gives us our first major introduction to Thanos (Josh Brolin), who has been working behind the scenes to gather the Infinity Stones with the goal of wiping out half of all life in the universe with a snap of his fingers. The movie takes place in 2018 and ultimately, leaves fans with a stunning cliffhanger that segues directly into Avengers: Endgame.

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The sequel to Ant-Man, this film takes place at the same time as the events of Infinity War in 2018 and does a great job of telling its own story within the Ant-Man comic book canon. This one digs deeper into the relationship between Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) and her mother (Michelle Pfeiffer), and also introduces a mysterious new villain, Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen). Just like Infinity War, the final moments of this film leave viewers breathless for answers in anticipation of the impending Endgame.

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The epic conclusion to over a decade of storytelling, Avengers: Endgame has everything fans could ever want in a Marvel film. It takes place in October 2023, five years after the events of Infinity War, and sees the remaining Avengers attempt to regain hope of defeating Thanos and restore what was lost after his infamous “Snap,” which was later renamed “The Blip.” In the closing act, Endgame boasts one of the most epic action sequences in all of cinema, blasting expectations wide open and forever changing the MCU as we know it.

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Shang-Chi is one of the latest heroes to the MCU, and in this first film exploring his character’s origin, we learn more about his role amidst the greater events playing out within the franchise. Alongside his friend Katy (Awkwafina), Shang-Chi is drawn back into the life he used to know and must face the father (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) he thought he left behind. During the iconic bus fight scene between Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings operative Gao Lei, we’re shown the dates July 21 to 28 in a Jazz Blues Festival ment. Since Katy’s grandma also mentions the “Day of the Dead,” a festival resembling the Chinese Qingming Festival — which takes place in April — and the film itself spans two weeks, we can assume the movie takes place in April 2024. This would put it before Far From Home.

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Picking up right after Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home addresses the events that took place during the previous film while also introducing some new faces and returning characters from the past. It takes place during the summer of 2024, eight months after The Blip. This is the perfect bridging point to close out Phase Three and enter Phase Four of the MCU — after watching Shang-Chi, of course.

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With its many flashbacks telling the story not only of the Eternals themselves but also the history of the universe, it can be difficult to give this film a true place in the MCU timeline. That said, its present-day moments take place around the same time as Far From Home in 2024, likely just afterward given that the events of the film were not mentioned in the Spider-Man sequel. Fans and critics were largely split on the film (to put it mildly), except in regard to that colorful cameo by Harry Styles in the post-credits scene. Whether Styles will actually return to the MCU is another matter entirely.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Logan took place in 2029, so Deadpool & Wolverine must also take place during or after that, meaning it should be at the bottom of this list. Well, no. The Merc with the Mouth’s first foray into the MCU actually occurs in 2024. We know this because after Happy Hogan rejects Wade’s request to the Avengers (on March 14, 2018, on Earth-616) the time stamp on the screen tells us we jump six years into the future — back on Earth-1005 — which would place the film in 2024. And because we see Wade celebrating his birthday and he’s said in the comics that he’s a Scorpio (on the cusp of a Libra, thank you very much) — and because Deadpool & Wolverine showcases a decent amount of fall foliage — we can safely assume the film occurs in October 2024. As for why Earth-10005’s Wolverine is already dead at the beginning of Deadpool & Wolverine when Logan’s death shouldn’t have occurred for another five years — well, it’s likely that Wade jumped forward in time using the TVA’s TemPad. That, or we’re just going to file the mistake away with all of Marvel’s other embarrassing timeline errors.

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Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place immediately after its predecessor, Far From Home around Nov. 2024. The film brings Peter Parker on the most mind-blowing adventure of his life ⏤ which, unfortunately, no one but he will . The film saw him grapple with everything from losing his Aunt May, to facing off against villains from completely different universes. It also led to Peter finding an unexpected brotherhood with alternate versions of himself, perfectly brought to life by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in tear-inducing appearances that will stand the test of time.

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Benedict Cumberbatch’s return as the title character in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness picked up after the events of No Way Home. It saw Strange deal with the implications of multiversal travel while facing new friends and foes, some of whom created serious trouble for him (ahem – Wanda). Wanda’s future was thrown into flux after she was presumably killed off in the movie’s final moments, but she is rumored to return in a Disney Plus spin-off series, which may or may not happen since Marvel subtly announced that the Earth-616 version of the character is canonically dead. Strange, too, received a cliffhanger ending, something we hope will be addressed in the rumored Doctor Strange 3.

In the meantime, you can rest assured that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness takes place after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which takes place right around the events of Hawkeye, which takes place around Christmas 2024.

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Thanks to Disney Plus, we now know that — in the eyes of Marvel Studios — this film takes place after Doctor Strange 2. It also takes place after Ms. Marvel, which is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 because of the school’s homecoming dance. However, in Love and Thunder Jane Foster’s eppendorf vial’s tag includes the date April 30, suggesting it takes place in the beginning of 2025. Unfortunately, since we don’t know exactly when Thor and Jane broke up, the God of Thunder’s comments about their breakup happening 8 years 7 months and 6 days before the movie doesn’t exactly paint a clear picture either. Our best bet is to just assume Love and Thunder takes place in April 2025, especially when looking at the next MCU installments on the timeline.

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According to Black Panther Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, we have a place in the timeline to slot Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Moore says that this film takes place alongside the events of Thor: Love and Thunder, around the start of 2025, so for all rewatching purposes you should be able to enjoy either film first. This placement would make a lot of sense, since neither film directly affects the events of the other. Secret Invasion, on the other hand, almost had us questioning the timing of things when our favorite CIA from Wakanda Forever was revealed to be a Skrull (that was all put to rest in the season finale, though).

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For those who are sticklers for dates, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania takes place during the start of 2025, like Wakanda Forever. How do we know this? A news clip in Wakanda Forever mentions Scott Lang’s book tour, and because book tours don’t last entire years, Quantumania definitely takes place before The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which occurs later that year during Christmastime, which also means it takes place before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, Disney Plus messed with the timeline when it decided to place Quantumania after The Guardians Holiday Special, which it most certainly is not, resulting in MODOK-sized canon headache, if you ask us. It wouldn’t be the first time Disney Plus goofed with the MCU’s timeline, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the time Quantumania was accidentally erased from Phase Five. (Don’t worry, it’s not).

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Ms. Marvel provides us with a pretty good guestimation where The Marvels takes place on the MCU timeline. Because the Disney Plus series is believed to take place around Sept. 2025 and Kamala Khan’s body-swapping problem doesn’t go unaddressed long, The Marvels likely takes place before 2026, which means it comes before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Carol Danvers’ intergalactic team-up with Captain Rambeau and Kamala to defeat the Kree general Dar-Benn in the highly-anticipated sequel to her billion-dollar predecessor, Captain Marvel, also happens to be the shortest movie in MCU history. Should any information in the movie, which will premiere in just a few short days, contradict this entry, we will revise it ASAP.

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It’s hard to give Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 an exact place on the MCU’s timeline since it is unaffected by previous films and has little effect on the overall MCU storyline. However, it’s safe to say that this intergalactic, twisty-turny threequel takes place in 2026 since it occurs after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in Dec. 2025. As a rule of thumb, here’s every MCU movie you should watch before starting Vol. 3.

Marvel fans often talk about how the X-Men are coming to the MCU, but the truth is… they’re already here. Ms. Marvel’s a mutant, so is Namor, and did we all forget that Patrick Stewart, the OG Professor X himself, turned up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness?

Yes, whatever happens in Deadpool 3, Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine are not the first Fox legacy stars in the MCU. That honor goes to Stewart, who returned to his iconic role 22 years after first playing the part in 2000’s X-Men, and five years after apparently saying goodbye to Charles Xavier forever with 2017’s Logan.

And yet even the most diehard Doctor Strange devotee would have to it the Prof’s return was underwhelming, given the ease with which Scarlet Witch killed him off. In fact, even Stewart himself agrees his return was “disappointing,” although not for the same reason as everyone else.

While speaking on the Happy. Sad. Confused podcast, the veteran actor itted to host Josh Horowitz that the entirety of his cameo was filmed on his lonesome. “I was alone. I think that the big scene, each one of the leading actors had the same experience. They were shot on their own,” Stewart said, regarding how the big Illuminati sequence was brought to life.

Patrick Stewart its shooting that MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS sequence was “frustrating and disappointing”

Our full chat: https://t.co/RXAYu9bxkf pic.twitter.com/yKBUjTskhu

— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) January 4, 2024

To be fair to Multiverse of Madness, Stewart went on to stress that much of his acting experience in the COVID era has been equally as dispiriting, due to the need to keep people apart and reduce health risks. “That’s how it’s been…the last few years have been challenging,” he lamented.

Given his disappointment with DS2, you might expect that Stewart would swear never to don Xavier’s suit ever again. But, whether in spite or because of his poor experience last time, the Star Trek legend heavily hinted in the same interview that there’s still more from his character to come.

“I do now have every confidence that he’s still around,” Stewart teased, before hinting exactly where he could show up next. “[Deadpool 3] has come up. There’s been a process.”

We’d like to say this is completely new information to us, but actually, just like his Doctor Strange return, Stewart’s potential involvement in Deadpool 3 has been spoiled before, not least by the man himself. If you believe all the rumors, the threequel will be filled with more of Fox’s X-Men than you could find with Cerebro. Not to mention Taylor Swift, but that’s a story for another time.

It’s unlikely that Patrick Stewart could’ve imagined he’d still be playing Professor X on and off 25 years after first accepting the part, but let’s just be thankful we’re living in one Earth in the multiverse where that’s the case. Keep an eye out for Charles Xavier when Deadpool 3 releases this July 26.

“In the not too distant future…” This is the caption with which 2000’s X-Men movie opens, and sure enough, in the not too distant future the X-Men will be forming once again within the MCU.

While we wait for a full-on reboot of the Children of the Atom to emerge, although Marvel is already searching for scriptwriters, things have definitely heated up on the mutant front across Phase Four and Five so far. Movies and TV series such as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ms. Marvel, The Marvels, and the Deadpool 3 deserve much of the credit in this regard.

After Doctor Strange 2 and The Marvels included cameos from old favorites and Kamala Khan’s Disney Plus debut revealed she’s a mutant, the Ryan Reynolds threequel is going even further in establishing the X-Men’s existence. As production plows ahead, Deadpool 3 is adding more and more familiar faces from Fox’s franchise, helping to up the number of mutants confirmed to exist on Earth-616. Although, let’s not forget those who could conceivably be outed as X-gene carriers in other future projects.

With that in mind, let’s stick on our Cerebro helmets and take stock of every mutant in the MCU so far.

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Black Bolt might’ve shown up in Doctor Strange 2, but it seems that wasn’t enough to get Marvel to connect Kamala to the Inhumans mythos. Instead, Ms. Marvel retconned her as a mutant (something eventually established in the comics as well). Nevertheless, despite her newfound mutanthood, Kamala seems unlikely to the X-Men given that she’s currently assembling the Young Avengers.

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Predating Kamala’s outing as a mutant by just a couple of months, Patrick Stewart’s Charles Xavier crossed over from the Fox franchise in Doctor Strange 2. Hailing from Earth-838, this was an alternate version of Professor X from the one Stewart had played for 20 years previously, which arguably opens the door for him to reprise his role as Earth-616’s Xavier as well.

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As per his status in the source material, Tenoch Huerta’s Namor was specifically stated to be a mutant in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. This was a much bigger deal than it may have appeared as it not only marked the first time the all-important term had been uttered in an MCU movie, but also made him the first MCU original character (who is a mutant in the comics, too) to make their franchise debut.

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The Marvels made good on all those X-Men teasing promos in its post-credits scene, which saw Monica Rambeau cross through a wormhole and end up in the X-Mansion, allowing Kelsey Grammer to return as Frasier Beast. Given that this Hank McCoy’s appearance was very different from the one in the Fox films, we’re guessing this was another variant of Beast from elsewhere in the multiverse.

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As fans know, Wanda Maximoff is traditionally the daughter of Magneto in the comics. While this is canonically not the case in the MCU, it’s possible she could still be revealed as a mutant at some point as WandaVision made clear that her exposure to the Mind Stone only unlocked Wanda’s latent abilities and did not create them, as was originally believed.

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So, if that’s true of Wanda, then we can assume it’s also the case for her late twin brother, Pietro Maximoff. Tragically, Pietro never got to really test the extent of his power due to his untimely death in Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it’s feasible that his super-speed was a natural gift given a boost by the Mind Stone, especially as Kamala’s bangle confirms mutants sometimes need amplifiers in the MCU.

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From one Quicksilver to another. Unfortunately, Evan Peters’ Fake Pietro in WandaVision was ultimately unveiled not to be Fox’s Peter Maximoff but some guy called “Ralph Bohner.” However, there is a widespread fan theory that he actually is Quicksilver, and Agatha Harkness was still controlling his mind at the end of the show, leaving the door open for Peters to return at a later date.

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When Black Widow came out in summer 2021, many fans championed it for low-key introducing the MCU’s first mutant. One of Red Guardian’s fellow inmates at his Russian prison was Mikhail Ursus aka Ursa Major, a mutant who can transform into a bear in the comics. Actor Olivier Richters certainly believes his character can be categorized as a mutant and is hoping for a comeback.

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Any Runaways fans in the house? In the Hulu series, Molly Hernandez got her super-strength from being exposed to extraterrestrial Gibborim Rocks. In the comics, however, her counterpart Molly Hayes is a mutant. We have no idea if the Runaways cast could return to the MCU, but with mutantkind now a thing, fans could always make it their headcanon that Molly was secretly a mutant all along.

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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law introduced a wildly revisionist take on a comic book hero in the form of Craig Hollis aka Mr. Immortal. Although the MCU’s Hollis is depicted as a man visibly in his 60s known for faking his death to avoid his many spouses, the original Mr. Immortal is a teen vigilante, a member of the Great Lake Avengers, and, yes, a mutant.

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Similarly, She-Hulk likewise featured a guest spot from El Aguila, a self-described swashbuckler with the power to produce bioelectricity, which he channels through his sword. In the source material, he has this power because he’s a mutant, often serving as a frenemy of Power Man and Iron Fist. Like Mr. Immortal, it’s entirely possible he’s a mutant in the MCU, too, it just hasn’t been spelled out.

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Obviously, the most notable mutant on his way is none other than Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson. Deadpool 3 started shooting has been shooting on and off since May 2023, with Shawn Levy directing, ahead of its eventual arrival in theaters in May 2024. It’s long been expected that this one would properly introduce the X-Men into the MCU, and that certainly seems to be the case, going by its extended cast.

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If you haven’t heard that Hugh Jackman is back as Wolverine in Deadpool 3 by now, I can only assume you’ve been trapped in the Quantum Realm. Yes, dreams will come true when we finally see the Aussie icon share the screen with Reynolds’ Merc with the Mouth. He’s unlikely to be the MCU’s full-time Wolvie, though, as we’re pretty sure DP3 will act as his true, final hurrah in his record-breaking role.

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Daniel Cudmore originated the role of Colossus/Peter Rasputin in the initial Fox X-Men movies, but the more familiar version to moviegoers is the full CG character played by Stefan Kapicic in the first two Deadpool films. He’ll be ing Reynolds and Jackman in making the hop over to the MCU, although it’s too early to tell if he’ll bring his sister, The New Mutants‘ Illyana Rasputin, with him.

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Alongside Colossus, DP’s other X-Men best pal, the impeccably named Negasonic Teenage Warhead, is likewise back in Deadpool 3, with Brianna Hildebrand reprising the part as the gloomy adolescent who can produce nuclear blasts. , Deadpool 2 established that the heroine was gay, making her the first openly lesbian superpowered character in the MCU.

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Speaking of, Negasonic Teenage Warhead’s girlfriend in Deadpool 2 was the perky and pink-haired Yukio, a loose adaptation of the comics character who had previously appeared in The Wolverine. Shioli Kutsuna is reuniting with her on-screen love interest Hildebrand in Deadpool 3. Her inclusion means that the MCU now has its first openly gay superhero couple. Hopefully, we’ll get a few more “Hi, Wade”s.

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Most of those rumored Deadpool 3 cameos await confirmation, but set photos from the threequel’s shoot have at least revealed that Sabretooth is definitely back on board. The real surprise, though? That it’s not the Liev Schreiber version but one resembling Tyler Mane’s more feral incarnation from 2000’s X-Men (though it’s currently unclear if Mane is reprising his role or not).

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And let’s not forget that animated revival series X-Men ’97 is also headed to Disney Plus. Fans might be discounting this as non-MCU due to it being a continuation of the beloved ’90s series, but it is produced by Marvel Studios, and showrunner Beau DeMayo has heavily hinted that the show will have some major multiversal tie-ins, suggesting it’ll be more important to the overall franchise than we might be expecting.