All Things Marvel 2021: An Update on What to Expect

When it comes to Marvel in 2021, they are teeming with content, and with the continual rise of popularity in all things superhero, the list of television shows and movies just keeps lengthening. Marvel television spin-offs are all the rage at the moment with the latest shows like WandaVision, and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier streaming on Disney Plus.

After the success of the Avenger Movies (Avengers: Endgame earned over 2.7 billion), the Marvel Cinematic Universe has no plans of slowing down. Kevin Feige of MCU has already confirmed that Avengers 5 will eventually happen at some point. In the meantime, we have no real shortage of superhero entertainment.

Due to COVID-19, there have already been quite a few setbacks in cinema production, and it’s been no different with the release of MCU’s Phase Four plans. With many series and films having been pushed back in production and release, we are hoping these dates won’t be altered again but no guarantees. So, here is an update on what to expect from Marvel in 2021 and when in particular to expect it:

Marvel Television Shows 2021: What’s Coming and When

1. Loki

Following WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki is our next most anticipated Marvel show. The mischievous villain we all can’t help but love returns with his very own TV show due to release this summer on June 11.

Starring the whimsical Tom Hiddleston, the God of Mischief will be forced to fix several of the timelines he broke after stealing the Tesseract during Avengers: Endgame. He is taken to the Time Variance Authority (TVA) and works alongside Mobius M. Mobius (played by Owen Wilson). Despite Loki’s continual demise, the wildly popular character just keeps coming back… and we aren’t sad about it either. Be sure to watch the trailer that was released by Marvel Entertainment on April 5.

2. What If…?

What If…?, which is also going to be on Disney Plus, is another show based on a Marvel Comics series that explores different stories in the Marvel Universe and how they could have played out if certain key moments had happened differently.

In the animated production, the Watcher or Uatu will be narrated by actor Jeffrey Wright, but that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the fantastic actors that will be featured in the series. In the trailer, you get glimpses of Nick Fury, Iron Man, Agent Carter, Yondu Udonta, Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, and more.

Stating, “Space. Time. Reality. It’s more than a linear path. It’s a prison of endless possibility”, the Watcher, who is one of an extraterrestrial species of advanced beings, watches the activities of Earth and imagines different realities.

Already intrigued by the possibilities of time travel that we will surely see in Loki, I’m sure I’m not the only one excited for this one. Although it should be out sometime this year, we are yet to have a date for release.

3. Ms. Marvel

Already a part of the action-adventure game, Marvel’s Avengers, Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel is a new and intriguing comic book character, first debuted in 2014. Kamala Khan, the fourth Ms. Marvel, has shapeshifting abilities and is played by the young new actress, Iman Vellani. The preview of the show gives an exciting glimpse into the world of one of Marvel’s newest superheroes, an Avenger-obsessed Pakistani-American teenager who will be making momentous strides for Muslim-Americans and will give a wonderful step forward in terms of the portrayals of Muslims in media.

Due to come out this year, we are still waiting on an exact date. Hopefully, it will be soon!

4. Hawkeye

Scheduled to premiere in late 2021, Hawkeye, the master archer, played by Jeremy Renner is another Avenger spin-off that began filming in December 2020.

From what we know so far, the series will be focused on Hawkeye/Clint Barton training Kate Bishop who he hopes to make into the new Hawkeye so that he can officially retire. Kate Bishop is played by the lovely Hailee Steinfeld who was the voice of Gwen Stacy (Spider-Woman) in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. She is a character that was first introduced in Young Avengers.

The show takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame and will include Natasha Romanoff’s sister from Russia, character Yelena Belova played by actress Florence Pugh.

Marvel Movies 2021: Four Films You Won’t Want to Miss

1. Black Widow 

When it comes to movies, Black Widow will be officially released on July 9. It is the 24th MCU film to date and will be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures meaning that it will be released in theaters and on Disney Plus for those with Premier Access.

Black Widow or Natasha Romanoff will be played once again by the gorgeous Scarlett Johansson. In this film, we will be getting a more detailed look into the character’s past.

The film’s timeline is set between Captain America: Civil War and  Avengers: Infinity War. Romanoff, forced to deal with her life before she became an Avenger, returns to Russia and fights alongside her family against the Taskmaster who has taken control of the Red Room where she, her mother, and her sister were trained.

2. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Following the Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is Marvel’s first Asian-led film, and it is due out on September 3. Originally scheduled for release on the first day of the Chinese New Year, February 12, 2021, filming was delayed due to the pandemic.

Shang-Chi, the Master of Kung Fu, is played by Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu. There will, of course, be quite a bit of martial arts involved as Shang-Chi returns to the Ten Rings Organization and has to deal with his father, the Mandarin, who is the villain of the story.

It’s exciting to see that this year we will be seeing major strides in diversity with both Arab and Asian-led productions.

3. Eternals

The film Eternals is due to be released on November 5. Eternals has been pushed back twice so far already, but hopefully this time it sticks.

The Eternals are a group of immortal celestial beings that have been in hiding for thousands of years but re-unite in an effort to fight against the Deviants and protect the Earth. With so many new characters to introduce, the movie has an extremely impressive cast set including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Don Lee, Kumail Nanjiani, Brian Tyree Henry, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Gemma Chan, and Barry Keoghan.

The movie is said to take place after the events of the Avengers: Endgame. 

4. Spider-Man: No Way Home

The highly anticipated new Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home should be out just before Christmas this year on December 17. With the title just being released in February and the filming just finished, we are just now getting more information about what to expect. However, there are still quite a few rumors flying around. So, it’s best to just be patient.

We do know that Tom Holland will be back as Peter Parker alongside Zendaya as MJ and Jacob Batalon as Spidey’s best friend, Jacob Batalon. A few other big names we can expect to see are Benedict Cumberbatch fulfilling his role as Dr. Strange and Jamie Foxx as Electro.

With that taking us all the way to the end of December, that will most likely be it for this year in terms of the MCU’s Phase 4. However, we have much more to come in 2022 including the movies: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

With all that plus a show on She-Hulk… I would say we have a lot to look forward to!

What are you most excited about for Marvel in 2021? Let us know in your comments below.