Throughout 2024, some exciting the MCU timeline is the first thing that comes to mind to most moviegoers when it comes to Marvel, the release of films like Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse provided a first-hand look at the idea that other Marvel projects can have phenomenal success. Sony even had three Spider-Man Universe movies that were released in 2024.
Various Marvel movies and shows saw their release dates change because of inner reorganizing and the effects of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, which delayed several projects. These factors have meant some movies saw drastic changes, either being moved from 2023 into 2024, moved far further into 2024, or - in an unusual case - actually brought forward. While the roster of Marvel movies released in 2024 saw some notable alterations, the current lineup held a lot of promise and most saw success through box office results or critical response, while others fell to the wayside.
Echo - January 9, 2024
Hawkeye's Spin-Off Brought Kingpin Back In A Big Way
Marvel's Echo
- Release Date
- January 9, 2024
- Directors
- Sydney Freeland
- Writers
- Amy Rardin, Marion Dayre
Cast
Chaske Spencer
WHERE TO WATCH
Alaqua Cox returns as the anti-hero Maya Lopez in Marvel's Echo, one of the street-level MCU's Disney+ series that take place during the Multiverse Saga. After her confrontation with Clint Barton and Kate Bishop in Phase 4's Hawkeye, the titular Echo returns to her hometown and reconnects with her Native American heritage.
- Seasons
- 1
Marvel's first 2024 release was a surprise to many: marketed as the return of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and Charlie Cox's Daredevil after their MCU returns in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home respectively, the reality was something else entirely. The marketing proved to be misleading, particularly in the focus on Daredevil, though Kingpin played a major part, even if his screentime was somewhat limited. Instead, Echo is the story of Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) reclaiming her identity and her heritage.
The core of the story was great, but the editing proved very uneven and reportedly heavy post-production tinkering left a lot of scars. Still, Echo was far from a disaster, and the positive representation score here is strong. And for those more cynical MCU fans looking only for the advancement of "stronger brands," the set-up for Kingpin's MCU future was very exciting.
Read ScreenRant's review of Echo here.
Madame Web - February 14, 2024
Sony's Wayward Chase Movie Left A Lot To Be Desired
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Madame Web
- Release Date
- February 14, 2024
- Runtime
- 116 Minutes
- Director
- S.J. Clarkson
WHERE TO WATCH
Madame Web is a superhero movie based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Taking place in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, the movie revolves around a clairvoyant woman who can look into different dimensions. Dakota Johnson stars in the lead role, with Sydney Sweeney, Adam Scott, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O'Connor comprising the rest of the cast.
The 2024 Marvel slate started out with a much speculated about Sony movie, as the ambitious Madame Web swung into theaters for a February 14, 2024, release after Madame Web struggling to outdo Morbius' box office.
Madame Web has just 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, failing to even match Morbius' 15% score.
Sadly, the latest Sony Spider-Verse movie is a mess, marketed in a baffling way and unfortunately criticized by its own cast after release. As a slight positive, it has genuinely rivaled Jared Leto's equally poor Morbius as one of the most memeable Marvel movies of all time. So at least Sony can claim that victory.
Read ScreenRant's review of Madame Web here.
X-Men '97 - March 20, 2024
Marvel's Animated Revival Was A Stunning Success
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X-Men '97 is the direct continuation of the popular 1990s animated series X-Men: The Animated Series. Taking up where the third season left off, Marvel's revival brings back famous mutants such as Wolverine, Storm, Rogue, Gambit, Cyclops, Beast, Magneto, and Nightcrawler, who fight villains like Mr. Sinister, the Sentinels, and the Hellfire Club.
- Seasons
- 1
Almost 30 years ago, X-Men: The Animated Series ended with Professor Charles Xavier leaving Earth, and a generation of new X-Men fans turned to the comics for more mutant stories, robbed of their Saturday morning staple. By then, the show had lost some of its luster, but you wouldn't be able to tell from X-Men '97's revival. Faithfully channeling everything that made the original so beloved, the creative team headed by Beau DeMayo carved a nostalgia-embracing but wholly fresh new path for the show.
Only one Marvel show currently beats X-Men '97's 99% Rotten Tomatoes score - Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur, which has 100%
Launched in March 2024, its 10 episodes lacked any sagging points and adapted multiple seminal X-Men comics arcs, culminating in a three-part take on Fatal Attractions. X-Men '97's ending will long be regarded as one of Marvel's finest, and for good reason the reviews were incredibly effusive in their praise. The character work was phenomenal, the set-pieces gloriously realized (and the perfect testimony to the strength of the medium), and the stories deeply compelling. This is not your Saturday morning cartoon, but at the same time, it felt comfortable and familiar.
Read ScreenRant's review of the X-Men '97 finale here.
Deadpool & Wolverine - July 26, 2024
Ryan Reynolds And Hugh Jackman Reunite For The Biggest Prospect Of 2024
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Deadpool & Wolverine
- Release Date
- July 26, 2024
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Director
- Shawn Levy
Cast
Deadpool
Wolverine
WHERE TO WATCH
A follow-up to the highly successful Deadpool and Deadpool 2 films starring Ryan Reynolds as the Merc with a Mouth. The third film will be the first in the franchise to be developed under the Marvel Studios banner following Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox.
- Writers
- Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, Shawn Levy, Rob Liefeld, Fabian Nicieza
Deadpool & Wolverine marked a new era for the MCU, with the movie being the first time Marvel Studios reintroduced a Fox character as the lead of an MCU movie. The movie marks the return of not only Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, but also Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, despite the actor saying he was done with the role in the past. Deadpool & Wolverine was released on July 26, 2024, after being pushed back from a prior date of May 3, 2024, which itself was a rearranged date, as the film's initial scheduled release was November 8, 2024.
However, despite this delay, Deadpool 3 looks set to be 2024's biggest superhero movie release - in part because it's currently Disney's only 2024 MCU movie, with Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts being moved to the 2025 window. Ultimately, it appears this may be a wise move, as the announcement of these schedule alterations came after the conclusion of the Hollywood strikes, suggesting these decisions were made so that the films could have a full production time without being rushed.
Deadpool 3's star-studded cast also included the returns of franchise players Leslie Uggams as Blind Al and Karan Soni as Dopinder, plus the additions of Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as villain Cassandra Nova and TVA head Mr Paradox respectively. Stranger Things' Shawn Levy directed the movie, based on a script by Deadpool franchise writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
Deadpool & Wolverine Took Hugh Jackman's X-Men Box Office Total Past A Stunning Milestone
Deadpool & Wolverine’s monumental success helped push Hugh Jackman’s box-office total as the character past a very impressive milestone.
There's also a huge number of cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine, with many iconic actors reprising their previous Marvel roles in the MCU movie. This not only added to the film's ability to address the history of Marvel's on-screen side of the franchise, but also allowed plenty of characters to get a perhaps more satisfying conclusion than they'd previously received, providing a source of catharsis for many fans.
The movie features a multiverse-related plot with Loki's Time Variance Authority turning up to capture Deadpool, leading him on a mission to try and prevent his universe from being destroyed - and looping in a variant of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine to help him do so. The crossover of the Fox X-Men and MCU franchises in Deadpool & Wolverine built great anticipation for the Marvel film and the comic book giant's future, and the Marvel movie pays this off effectively, providing a story that balances Deadpool's brand of comedy with some emotional moments.
Read ScreenRant's review of Deadpool & Wolverine here.
LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition - October 18, 2024
Another LEGO Adventure For Marvel
These LEGO Marvel specials have been steadily released over the years and LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition is the tenth entry in the series, and the latest adventure for these heroes. LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition came just one year after LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red, and featured a variety of familiar Marvel heroes throughout.
Like the other LEGO Marvel Specials, LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition was a quick and breezy 40 minutes, bringing all the fun that comes with this franchise. It's a good time for the whole family, featuring many fan favorite characters and even a few fun cameos along the way. Even Deadpool makes an appearance in the end credits, capitalizing off of the success of Deadpool & Wolverine earlier in the year.
Venom: The Last Dance - October 25, 2024
Tom Hardy's Symbiote Story Comes To An End
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Venom: The Last Dance
- Release Date
- October 25, 2024
- Runtime
- 110 Minutes
- Director
- Kelly Marcel
Cast
Eddie Brock / Venom
Strickland
WHERE TO WATCH
Venom: The Last Dance is a film directed by an undisclosed director, featuring the character Venom in a thrilling narrative. The movie explores the alien symbiote's latest challenges and transformations as it navigates through a world full of danger and new adversaries.
- Writers
- Kelly Marcel, Tom Hardy
Venom: The Last Dance was released on October 25, 2024, after being moved back first from its original July 12, 2024 release date, and then again from its prior November 8, 2024 release date. It was largely touted as the final film for Tom Hardy as well as the final film of the Venom trilogy that began back in 2018.
The Venom films have easily been the most successful for Sony's Spider-Man Universe and Venom: The Last Dance continues that trend. Though it is worth noting that each Venom movie has made less than the one before, and it looks to be the same with this one.
Because of the dwindling box office, it is unclear how many more projects Sony will develop in their universe following Kraven the Hunter's launch at the end of 2024. Venom: The Last Dance did introduce Knull into the universe, but he was relegated to a cameo as Sony looked to position him as the big bad of their cinematic universe, similar to the MCU with Thanos.
What Venom 3's Box Office Means For Sony's Next 2024 Marvel Movie
Venom: The Last Dance is currently in theaters, and its box office numbers could indicate how successful Sony's next Marvel movie will be.
Venom: The Last Dance essentially focused on the relationship between Eddie Brock and Venom as they attempt to make it to New York from Mexico. They were wanted fugitives following the events of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and were being pursued by Xenophages sent to Earth by Knull. Tom Hardy has mentioned numerous times that Venom: The Last Dance was going to be his last Venom film, but there is a possibility he could return for other Sony projects. Given Venom seemingly dies at the end of the movie, it will be interesting to see what Sony decides to do with him and the rest of its Marvel characters going forward.
Read ScreenRant's review of Venom: The Last Dance here.
Kraven The Hunter - December 13, 2024
Sony's Spider-Man Universe Possibly Ends With Marvel's Most Notorious Hunter
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Kraven the Hunter
- Release Date
- December 13, 2024
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Director
- J.C. Chandor
Cast
Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven
Nikolai Kravinoff
WHERE TO WATCH
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
- Writers
- Art Marcum, Richard Wenk, Matt Holloway
The last of 2024's Sony Spider-Man Universe movies saw Kraven the Hunter released on December 13, 2024, after being pushed notably back from its previous release dates in October 2023 and August 2024. Kraven the Hunter's plot provides an altered origin story for Aaron Taylor-Johnson's version of the titular Spider-Man villain that was intended to spawn its own distinct series. That might not be the case anymore given the reception to the film as well as Sony's lack of clarity about what comes next for their universe.
With no other Sony Spider-Man Universe films announced following Venom: The Last Dance and Kraven the Hunter, it is unclear what Sony intends to do next after this film. Outside the Venom films, their other villain movies have done poorly, including Kraven the Hunter, which garnered a measly 15% on Rotten Tomatoes and had the worst opening weekend of the other films in Sony's Spider-Man Universe. There are currently no other films in production for the universe, meaning Kraven the Hunter could very well be the last one.
Read ScreenRant's review of Kraven the Hunter here.
Marvel's What If...? Season 3 - December 22, 2024
The Final Season Of The Mutliverse-Focused Series
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What If...?
- Release Date
- 2021 - 2024
- Showrunner
- Ashley Bradley
- Directors
- Bryan Andrews
Cast
Stanley Tucci
WHERE TO WATCH
What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
- Writers
- Ashley Bradley, Matthew Chauncey
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Seasons
- 3
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
When it first premiered in 2021, What If...? attempted to tell stories in the wider multiverse of the MCU, not completely tied down to the sacred timeline and the events that came before it. This allowed the series to explore alternate histories, where character's stories are changed slightly or in vastly different ways. It's what makes the multiverse concept great and allows Marvel Studios to attempt to do anything they want without breaking the overall cannon of the MCU.
After the first two seasons of the series were a hit, Marvel Studios returns with What If...? season 3, ending 2024 in spectacular fashion. Not only does it signal the end of the MCU's year, it is also the end of What If...? as a series, just three years after its initial release. It was a fun ride for the show as Marvel Studios continues to march on towards the end of the Multiverse Saga in the MCU that will conclude with Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027.
- Created by
- Kevin Feige
- First Film
- Iron Man
- Films
- Avengers: Secret Wars
- First TV Show
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- TV Shows
- Agatha: Coven of Chaos, Vision Quest
- Cast
- Jonathan Majors
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount's Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
- TV Show(s)
- Marvel's Echo
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