Marvel Debuts Disney+ Trailers, Announces ‘Fantastic 4’ Film

It was a big day for Marvel fans: the Marvel Studios and Disney shared some new trailers, announced some new Disney+ shows and some new films. Perhaps the biggest surprise was the announcement of the Fantastic Four film.

This was a particularly interesting announcement, as Marvel fans have been wondering when some of the franchises that were previously owned by Fox, and now are owned by Disney, would be joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. That includes the X-Men (including Wolverine and Deadpool), and also the Fantastic Four. They didn't announce any casting or a release date for the Fantastic Four movie, but mentioned that Jon Watts  -- who directed the two most recent Spider-Man films, is directing. It's noteworthy that, in the comic books, Spider-Man is close friends with the Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch.

They also shared trailers from the first four series coming to Disney+, all of which have been previously announced: Wandavision (premiering January 15, 2021), The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (premiering March 19, 2021) and Loki (coming in May 2021). All three appear to take place after the events of Avengers: Endgame.

They also shared the trailer for the animated series, What If? The series looks at what would have happened if major moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had gone differently. The series will debut in summer 2022.

Other info about more Disney+ shows : Ms. Marvel will be out in late 2021. Jeremy Renner will return in the Hawkeye series, which also features Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop. Tatiana Maslany, who starred in Orphan Black, was confirmed for the lead role in She-Hulk, which will also feature Mark Ruffalo returning as Bruce Banner/the Hulk, and Tim Roth will reprise his role as the Abomination from 2008's movie The Incredible Hulk. Samuel L. Jackson will return once again as Nick Fury, alongside Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos from Captain Marvel in Secret Invasion. Don Cheadle will return as James Rhodes in Armor Wars. 

They also announced that production has wrapped on the next Marvel film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and that it will open on July 9, 2021.

Other characters from the films will continue their stories: Captain Marvel 2 is due in theaters on November 11, 2022 and will feature the adult Monica Rambeau (Monica was a child in the first Captain Marvel film; the adult character will debut in in Wandavision) and also Ms. Marvel (who will debut in the aforementioned Disney+ show). Ant-Man and the Wasp will continue their story in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania. 

Additionally, they announced some release dates: Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness (which will take place after Wandavision and which will co-star Elizabeth Olson's Wanda) is due out March 25, 2022. Thor: Love and Thunder is due out May 6, 2022.

They also announced Black Panther II, noting that T'Challa will not be recast in the wake of Chadwick Boseman's death, but that the film will explore the world of Wakanda. That film is due out July 8, 2022.

The Guardians of the Galaxy haven't been left out either: before 2022's Guardians of the Galaxy 3, they'll appear on Disney+'s Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in 2021. And Baby Groot will have his own series of animated shorts as well.

Suffice to say, Marvel fans will not have to have long waits between movies and tv shows; there's going to be new adventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a long time.