Minds were blown, jaws were dropped, marbles were lost, and social media sites were nearly
broken after Marvel announced its Phase 4 slate at San Diego Comic-Con 2019.
Here's what delighted fans on Twitter had to say about each upcoming Phase 4 project.
Directed by Cate Shortland and featuring Scarlett Johansson's iconic superhero, the Black Widow
solo movie announcement had fans pumped.
Marvelites are thrilled Black Widow is finally getting a standalone film, which will begin
the MCU's Phase 4 when it hits theaters on May 1, 2020.
One fan wrote,
"We are less than a year away from a Black Widow solo film I am honestly SHOOK to my
CORE.
Natasha deserved her own movie from the get-go."
A fellow Black Widow fan felt much the same, tweeting,
"Crying but happy crying to hear officially #BlackWidow finally getting her own standalone
movie Scarlett Johansson girl bring it in this solo movie.
I could care less what others say this is truly amazing.
I can't wait to see this Marvel movie in theaters May 1, 2020 #girlpower."
Directed by Chloé Zhao and centered on a race of cosmic immortal beings, The Eternals
features a diverse all-star cast.
The star-studded roster sent fans into a tailspin — as did its confirmed release date of November
6, 2020.
One fan tweeted,
"Damn the cast of Eternals is straight up FIRE, it's perfect.
Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Kumail Nanjiani?
The excellence.
We are about to enter a whole new era of superheroes."
Another added,
"It is a mildly emotional moment to see this cast.
The representation of people of color and women in this film in front and behind the
camera is crazy.
I can't wait to see this!!!"
Director Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, based on
Marvel's Master of Kung-Fu, garnered a similar response from fans.
Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu will be the MCU's Shang-Chi, a role he actually reached
out to Marvel about playing via Twitter.
The film, due out in theaters on February 12, 2021, will feature a predominantly Asian
cast alongside Liu's martial arts master.
One user wrote in response to the news,
"MARVEL NOW HAS A FILM WITH ALL ASIAN ACTORS IN IT.
COME ON, ASIAN REPRESENTATION!"
A Twitter user by the name of William Yu was especially moved by the Shang-Chi reveal,
writing,
"As a kid, I couldn't have even imagined a superhero movie with Asian leads.
I can't believe it's really happening.
The movement is real.
It's not stopping.
Representation matters today."
Marvel fans went mad over the news that Benedict Cumberbatch's Dr. Stephen Strange is finally
getting a sequel with the Scott Derrick-directed Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,
coming our way on May 7, 2021.
Of particular note amongst Marvelites were three things: the film's title that suggests
the existence of the multiverse in the MCU; the announcement that Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet
Witch will play a part in the story; and Derrickson's promise that the Doctor Strange sequel would
be a legitimate horror movie.
One fan wrote:
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Logo: 9/10.
HYPE AF.
HORROR.
ELIZABETH OLSEN + DOCTOR STRANGE?
This looks incredible.
Give me more of that crazy mystic dimension s---.
Doctor Strange is lowkey one of my favorites and I'm super looking forward to this one."
Another fan tweeted,
"Pretty much everything Marvel announced today is super intriguing.
They're clearly headed in a much more comic-booky direction and I'm hyped.
This one excites me most of all.
Doctor Strange magic & Wanda's magic and the multiverse? of MADNESS?
What more could I ask for."
The fifth Phase 4 film announced at San Diego Comic-Con also has a totally campy title:
Thor: Love and Thunder.
But don't be fooled by the name — the fourth Thor flick, written and directed by Ragnarok
helmer Taika Waititi, will pack a serious punch with the introduction of Natalie Portman's
Jane Foster as the female Thor, plus the confirmation that Tessa Thompson's New Asgard ruler Valkyrie
is bisexual, making her the first openly LGBTQ+ superhero in the MCU.
Understandably, fans freaked out over the reveal of Thor: Love and Thunder, scheduled
to hit theaters on November 5, 2021.
"I'll listen to you 'til this is empty."
One wrote,
"Natalie portman is back as FEMALE THOR. tessa thompson said valkyrie wants a girlfriend
bc as the new king of asgard she needs her queen … THOR 4 IS GONNA BE AWESOME AND LOVELY."
Elsewhere in the Twitter-sphere, another fan said that they're most keen on Thor: Love
and Thunder out of all the Phase 4 movies announced.
"Thor: Love and Thunder excites me the most.
Taika Waititi is director AND WRITER, allowing him to take it in his own insane way.
The brilliant tone/structure created in Ragnarok now combined with the return of Natalie Portman
as female Thor sounds like a match made in heaven."
As for the five Marvel superhero shows coming to the Disney+ streaming site, people had
a whole lot of feelings.
Tweeting about The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, featuring Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan
reprising their MCU roles, one fan wrote,
"The idea of this is interesting and I can't wait to see what the story will revolve around."
Many were hyped about WandaVision, the sure-to-be-strange limited series starring Elizabeth Olsen as
Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. Scarlet Witch, Paul Bettany as Vision, and Teyonah Parris as Monica
Rambeau.
One fan tweeted their guess at what the show, which Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige
said is weird and wacky and "unlike anything" Marvel has done before, might be like:
"I feel like wandavision is going to be kind of a mix between house of m and the 2015 vision
comic and it's going to be great.
also i dont know what monica rambeau would do in a show like this but i am SO EXCITED."
Tom Hiddleston's Loki series got fans in a tizzy as well, with many tweeting that they're
so happy the actor is getting to reprise his role as an Avengers-era Loki getting mixed
up in all sorts of adventures.
One fan even addressed Hiddleston directly, writing,
"I'm so happy for you and I'm really excited about loki tv series.
Its gonna be good to see you again."
While another extremely excited fan tweeted,
"TOM HIDDLESTON AS LOKI AND FINALLY GETTING HIS OWN SERIES.
WOW TRULY THE MOST POWERFUL THING IVE EVER HEARD OF AND WILL WITNESS.
PLEASE ITS GOING TO BE SO AMAZING…
IM SO EXCITED YOU DONT EVEN KNOW"
"Loki!
Loki!
Loki!"
Starring Jeremy Renner as the sharpshooting hero, the Hawkeye series has fans excited
for its inclusion of Kate Bishop, Clint Barton's successor whom he'll train on the show.
Marvel hasn't yet announced which actress will play Kate and take on the Hawkeye mantle
when Clint steps down, but that hardly matters.
Fans are already buzzing.
One fan tweeted,
"OH S--- A HAWKEYE SERIES!
This is amazing!
I'm very hyped for MCU Hawkeye.
He's so underutilized in the movies (except Endgame) and I really wanted Marvel to explore
[a] good character more.
Now it's finally his time to shine!"
Marvel also unveiled the first-ever animated series in the MCU: What If…?, premiering
on Disney+ in the summer of 2021.
The show, narrated by Jeffrey Wright as the "non-earthly being" the Watcher and featuring
the voices of several MCU favorites, will add a twist to the 23-movie Infinity Saga.
One fan tweeted,
"Can't wait to see marvel studios' first venture into animation.
I have high expectations.
Can't wait to get Uatu The Watcher.
Glad this is being treated as an important part of the slate just like everything else.
Love what if scenarios!"
Writer Eric Vespe was incredibly intrigued by the reveal of What If…?, tweeting,
"This is one of my most anticipated projects on the Marvel slate.
I grew up obsessed with these books.
A lot of times I liked the What If stories better than the actual real ones.
Can't wait to see what direction the animation is going.
Cartoony like Clone Wars or hyper real?"
Strap in for Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with Black Widow on May
1, 2020, and be sure to keep your arms and legs inside the moving vehicle until it comes
to a stop with Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021.
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