For non-nerds, the MCU stands for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For fellow nerds, I know you understand the pain of going through 2020 and hearing one by one how every upcoming film and TV show was delayed due to COVID (not to mention the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman).
Despite Capitol Hill being on fire (literally and metaphorically) and a pandemic still fully raging, 2021 is nonetheless guaranteed to be better than last year because Marvel is finally delivering us with some new content. This year, phase 4 of the MCU is kicking off, picking up where we left off when the last Avengers movie brought the demise of the OGs and handed the reins to the new generation of superhero’s. Best of all, much of the content coming in 2021 is going to be streaming on Disney+, so it can be enjoyed from the comfort of your couch (let’s be real, we’ll be lucky if we’re back in movie theaters by 2023 at this point).
Here’s the full Marvel Cinematic Universe pipeline for this year:
- WandaVision, on Disney+ January 15. This one premieres this weekend and early reviews have said it’s the most innovative and creative Marvel work yet. The show will be focused on Wanda and Vision living in what appears to be an alternate reality and brings Marvel fans back into a massively new storyline that will begin the next phase of the franchise.
- The Falcon and the Winter Solider, on Disney+ March 19. Anthony Mackie returns as Sam Wilson aka The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier. Sam and Bucky, who came together in the final moments of Avengers: Endgame, team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities—and their patience.
- Black Widow, in theaters May 7. This one has been delayed since mid-2020 and since Black Widow died (spoiler alert) in the last Avengers film, I’m confused on the point but I trust the MCU masterminds behind it. Also, TBD on if “in theaters” will be a thing by May but fingers crossed.
- Loki, on Disney+ May. Since British actor Tom Hiddleston debuted as the character in 2011’s Thor, the Norse trickster god has been among the most beloved in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in a total of six movies between the Thor and Avengers series. Very little about the show’s plot has been released thus far, but Loki’s time-jumping seems to get him in trouble with the Time Variance Authority (TVA for short), a bureaucratic entity that aims to keep tabs on every reality in the multiverse.
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, in theaters July 9. Shang-Chi must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
- What If…?, on Disney+ Summer 2021. What If…? is based on Marvel’s “alternative history” comic books, which were first released in 1977. Written, edited, and created by Roy Thomas, the series explored how certain events in the Marvel timeline might have played out if key storylines never happened or were altered.
- Eternals, in theaters November 5. Marvel Studios has assembled an impressive cast — including Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington and super-buff Wolverine cosplayer Kumail Nanjiani — to get everyone interested in the 25th MCU movie. The official synopsis noted that the Eternals are “ancient aliens who have been living on Earth in secret for thousands of years.”
- Spider-Man 3, in theaters Dec. 17. Based on all the reports to date, the currently-untitled third movie is set to bring a live-action Spider-Verse into the MCU, with several unexpected returns from across the entirety of Spider-Man’s live-action movies. Rumors have been circulating about Marvel Studios’ third Spider-Man film, including that Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire, both of whom previously starred as the wall-crawler in earlier live-action Spider-Man films, would be making appearances.
- Marvel, on Disney+ TBD late 2021. The new series will introduce Kamala Khan, aka Ms Marvel, as a force to be reckoned with in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It has also been confirmed that Ms Marvel will crossover with Captain Marvel 2, as Brie Larson’s powerful hero is a huge inspiration to Kamala in her early life.
- Hawkeye, on Disney+ TBD late 2021. While plot details remain scarce, the Hawkeye series looks to be taking a lot of inspiration from Matt Fraction’s comic run that started back in 2012. Even the logo for the Hawkeye series is almost exactly the same as the one featured on the covers of Fraction’s arc. One of modern Marvel’s most critically acclaimed comics, several elements that feature heavily in Fraction’s story have now been officially revealed to be present in the upcoming Disney+ series.
