Madame Web's box office sits at $100.5 million, which is terrible for a superhero movie. While Dakota Johnson's performance as Cassandra Webb was not particularly exciting, I don't blame her for the movie's failure. Recently, the actress talked to the Los Angeles Times about the film's issues, revealing that Madame Web started as a completely different project but was changed by decisions made by "people who don’t have a creative bone in their body." Johnson also claimed its failure wasn't her fault. Madame Web's most glaring issues were its story and dialogue, which were boring and convoluted, not the cast.

MCU fans have been wanting Smart Hulk to rever back to Savage Hulk for quite a while now. However, the main reason why I want Savage Hulk back has everything to do wtih Ben Grimm's The Thing. A showdown between the two strongest Marvel heroes is only going to be satisfying if Hulk is the rage monster we all now and love (and wish would return).

Although director Matt Shakman has said that Doctor Doom is not going to be in Fantastic Four: First Steps...I'm not convinced. If anything, I think Doom will end up being in one of the movie's post-credits scenes, or there will at least be some sort of connection/reference pointing to his imminent debut. After all, there should be SOME set up ahead of his Avengers 5 debut.

The Fantastic Four: First Steps director Matt Shakman has shot down the chances of Robert Downey Jr. appearing in the movie, saying, "Doom is not a part of my film, and therefore not a part of my purview." Despite the director's blunt comments, I remain confident that the character will be in the film. Shakman's words leave room for Doctor Doom to appear in The Fantastic Four: First Steps' post-credits scene like he was rumored to, since it would not be in the movie itself.

I'm so incredibly excited to see Doctor Doom in action in the MCU. While it's expected he'll be fighting multiple heroes in Avengers: Doomsday, I think I'm most excited to see him fight either Doctor Strange, pitting their equally impressive magical prowess against each other. That said, Doctor Doom vs Magneto would be very exciting too.

Richard Rider, aka Nova, has been part of the Guardians of the Galaxy in the comics. Despite the MCU having explored the idea of bringing the character to live-action and James Gunn's original Guardians of the Galaxy movie having featured the Nova Corps prominently, the director never included Rider because he felt there should be only one human on the team, Chris Pratt's Star-Lord. I would have loved to see Nova in the MCU, but I agree with Gunn, as every member of the team being unique played out for the best. Nova would have taken focus away from Star-Lord.

I think Valeria Richards is the most underrated Fantastic Four character in the comics, so I would love to see her in the MCU. That said, I can't see it happening in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. After all, Reed Richards and Sue Storm's older child, Franklin Richards, will be born throughout the film. With Galactus, the Silver Surfer, Franklin, the whole team, and more to set up, I think there will not be enough time to drop teases that Valeria will one day come to the MCU. That said, I would love to be wrong.

Thunderbolts*'s box office is currently at $369.5 million. While that is double the MCU movie's budget, the film needs to perform somewhere in the $360-$450 million range to break even. Thunderbolts* is unlikely to get to the high end of the projections, and even if the movie does break even or turn a small profit, Thunderbolts* is one of the MCU's biggest box office bombs. Still, I believe Thunderbolts* 2 could happen. They are now the New Avengers and will play a key role in Avengers: Doomsday & Secret Wars. That could boost their popularity, leading to a successful sequel.

Although it was recently reported that Marvel Studios won't be at Hall H this year at SDCC, they'll reportedly still have a presence at the event. With that in mind, I'm willing to best we'll still see some cool Marvel television announcements, perhaps even some new shows or confirmed new seasons.

The latest Spider-Man: Brand New Day rumors claim that not only will Mark Ruffalo appear in the movie, but the Hulk will be one of its villains. If that were to be accurate, then I know the perfect way for how it could work in the street-level setting the MCU seems to be going for with the film. The next Spider-Man movie could be about a gang war, with the Hulk turning into his Joe Fixit persona from the comics, perhaps after being influenced by the film's true main villain. I hope we get official story details soon.

Reed Richards and Sue Storm's son, Franklin Richards, will make his MCU debut in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Franklin's powers to warp reality should put him as the most powerful hero in the MCU. In the comics, he is one of the characters who help recreate the multiverse at the end of Secret Wars. I feel like the timing of Franklin's debut means he will have to play that role in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars, which means we will likely see Franklin age up in the MCU quite fast.

Out of all the MCU shows, I would have preferred it if Secret Invasion had been a movie instead. Then, it could have had an MCU movie budget with the ability to include more major actors. Many fans would agree that Secret Invasion should have been like Civil War, where it was essentially an Avengers movie. I also think Moon Knight would have been good as a movie as well.

Though Thunderbolts* seemed to showcase the Marvel Cinematic Universe was getting back on track creatively, the same couldn't be said for its box office, which is looking to lose the studio some money. The franchise's next release is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is now all the more important in the hopes of turning around the box office woes of Thunderbolts* and Captain America: Brave New World, and I'm honestly not sure it'll succeed. July is already a stacked month of new releases with Jurassic World Rebirth, I Know What You Did Last Summer and fellow superhero reboot Superman. Given James Gunn's DC Universe starter is also being released so close to Fantastic Four, I get the feeling even the allure of Pedro Pascal as Mister Fantastic might not be enough. 

All 9 episodes of Daredevil: Born Again season 1 failed to track on the Nielsen viewership charts. Now, it has been revealed that on Nielsen's 100 Most-Watched Series of 2024-2025, Daredevil: Born Again was only the 92nd, with Agatha All Along, which will not return for season 2, ranking quite higher, standing at 45th. If Daredevil: Born Again does not get more viewers, with factors like Jessica Jones' MCU return helping in that regard, then I'm afraid the MCU will not bring it back for season 3 and beyond, which would be a shame.

Thunderbolts* was SO good, and I can't believe it hasn't done better at the box office. While I do see how it might have been a harder sell given the recent state of the MCU overall, I feel like the movie has largely had really good word of mouth. Perhaps part of the problem was the busier release month with Sinners, Lilo & Stitch, and Mission: Impossible.

While a good chunk of the cast for Avengers: Doomsday was announced in a video, it's widely expected that Marvel will announce even more at some point in the future. However, I do wonder if said future announcement has been delayed along with the movie's delay from May 2026 to December.

Chris Hemsworth has shared a new Thor video about the hero's MCU journey so far and thanked fans for the in what sounds a lot like a goodbye, saying, "Thank you for making my journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe unforgettable." I was already afraid Tom Hiddleston's Loki could die in Avengers: Doomsday, as he is the protector of the multiverse, and thus Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom could kill Loki to take his powers. After Hemsworth's new comments, I feel like Thor and Loki could die, which would be tragic, and I don't think it fits their stories.

Joe Locke has revealed in a new interview that when he signed his contract to play Billy Maximoff on Disney+'s Agatha All Along and the larger MCU, he did so for a long time, saying, "I signed for my whole life." Based on his comments, Wiccan is likely going to be around for many years. Based on the MCU's movie and TV slate, I think there is a huge chance that Locke will return next year, with Wiccan either ing the Young Avengers in Avengers Doomsday or reuniting with his dad in the Vision series.

There's bound to be some major deaths either in Avengers: Doomsday, Avengers: Secret Wars, or both. Thor and/or Hulk seem like good bets, though I also wouldn't be surprised if one or two Thunderbolts/New Avengers kicked the bucket as well. That said, it'd certainly be a major twist if one of The Fantastic Four meets their end at the hands of Doctor Doom, especially as they'll have just been introduced in 2025's First Steps.

Chris Hemsworth's recent statement feels very conclusive, as if he's just wrapped filming Avengers: Doomsday and knows it's going to be his last time on set. Not to mention, the whole Thor death thing was established in Deadpool & Wolverine. I might just be coping, but I think this might just be misdirection for some sort of fakeout. Killing off original Avengers certainly triggers an emotional response, but it seems kind of ridiculous for all deaths to just be characters who have satisfied their story arcs. Letting veteran characters live to occasionally appear in ing roles like Tony Stark in Spider-Man: Homecoming seems like a much better use.