A lot of casting confirmations and title reveals came out of Marvel Studios‘ Disney Investor Day presentation. They weren’t large enough to warrant their own posts, so we’ve rounded them up into one handy one focusing on the film slate. Let’s dive right in.
Thor: Love and Thunder
To paraphrase The Dark Knight‘s best quote, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. We already knew Christian Bale had been cast in Thor: Love and Thunder, but yesterday Kevin Feige revealed that Bale would be playing the film’s villain.
Bale will play Gorr the God Butcher, which is a pretty self-explanatory name. But let’s take a closer look at the Marvel Comics character. Apparently, he is “an alien creature whose homeworld was destroyed despite his peoples’ prayers to their gods, leading to his spite for the divine. Convinced that the gods have abandoned their creations and driven by hatred, he sets out on a mission across the cosmos to kill as many gods as he can, naturally bringing him face-to-face with the God of Thunder.”
Thor: Love and Thunder hits theaters May 6, 2022.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Besides confirming that Doctor Strange 2 will tie into WandaVision and Spider-Man 3, Feige made two casting confirmations. First, that Rachel McAdams will be returning as Christine Palmer for the sequel. Second, that Xochitl Gomez has been cast as America Chavez/Miss America. Marvel Studios is definitely building towards a Young Avengers film.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters March 25, 2022.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special & I Am Groot
James Gunn will write a direct The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, set to be shot during filming of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Holiday Special will hit Disney+ in December 2022 while Vol. 3 will hit theaters in 2023.
Gunn tweeted out his thoughts on the announcement, and how he genuinely love The Star Wars Holiday Special:
Even seeing this here makes me laugh. One of my favorite stories ever, which I have bugged @Kevfeige endlessly about over the years. I can’t believe we’re actually doing this. And, yes, I unironically loved the Star Wars Holiday Special as a kid. pic.twitter.com/JjymrARoV7
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 11, 2020
Gunn also confirmed that the holiday special will be canon.
Marvel also announced a short form series for Disney+ called I am Groot. It will take Baby Groot on a number of adventures featuring “new and unusual characters.” No word on if this will be considered canon or if Vin Diesel will be back to voice the character.
Black Panther II
Feige revealed that they will not recast T’Challa in Black Panther II. Here’s what he said on the late Chadwick Boseman:
“Chadwick Boseman was an immensely talented actor and an inspirational individual who affected all of our lives professionally and personally. His portrayal of T’Challa the Black Panther is iconic and transcends any iteration of the character in any other medium from Marvel’s past. And it’s for that reason that we will not recast the character. However, to honor the legacy that Chad helped us build through his portrayal of the king of Wakanda, we want to continue to explore the world and all the rich and varied characters introduced in the first film.”
Black Panther II will be released in theaters on July 8, 2022.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Yup, that’s the title for the third Ant-Man solo film. I swear Marvel is just doing whatever they want now. Love and Thunder, in the Multiverse of Madness, Quantumania; these are all ridiculous subtitles and I am here for it.
In addition to the title reveal, Feige confirmed that Peyton Reed is back as director. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michele Pfeiffer are all back as well. He also confirmed Jonathan Majors is playing Kang the Conqueror and that Kathryn Newton (Freaky) will be playing Ant-Man’s daughter Cassie. That’s the third actor to take on the role, which has to be an MCU record rivalled only by Howard Stark.
The Kang the Conqueror news is interesting considering he is connected to the Fantastic Four, who also had a new reboot film announced during the presentation.
Captain Marvel 2
Lastly, Feige revealed that Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, and Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau would both be reprising their MCU roles for Captain Marvel 2. Vellani is set to make her debut in Ms. Marvel while Parris will first be seen next month in WandaVision.
Brie Larson will also return as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel 2 hits theaters November 11, 2022.
Thoughts on all the casting news? Are you excited to see America Chavez, Gorr, and Kang enter the MCU? Do you think the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will be amazing? Tell us in the comments!
