Thanks to Budapest Reporter, a first look at Ethan Hawke on the set of Moon Knight has been revealed. You'll have to squint because the photo was clearly taken from a distance, but we can only hope this means that Oscar Isaac will soon be spotted as Marc Spector/Moon Knight before too long.
Right now, the production has moved to a small town called Szentendre near the capital city of Budapest. The main square has reportedly been locked down in recent days, but Hawke was seen wearing a brown tweet suit with a walking cane. He's also rocking long, greyish hair, and certainly doesn't look like a formidable opponent for Spector along the lines of someone like Bushmaster!
It has previously been reported that Hawke is playing a villain in the Disney+ series, though it's hard not to be reminded of Bertrand Crawley here. That character was a homeless man living in New York who became an informant for "Jake Lockley," Spector's cab-driving alter-ego who mostly focused on tackling street crime in the Big Apple.
Another crazy possibility is that Hawke is Dracula, since there are rumblings that the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Moon Knight will take on supernatural threats.
Minor characters are often reinvented by Marvel Studios, though, so we're betting on Crawley.
Click on the "Next" button below for a reminder of what
we learned in Marvel's recent Phase 4 sneak peek!
10. Meet The Marvels
This was an unexpected surprise in yesterday's sneak peek, especially as we couldn't have predicted that Marvel Studios would completely ditch the "Captain Marvel" branding from this sequel.
The 2019 movie was review bombed by angry, sexist fans, and the fact Carol Danvers didn't smile very much...well, that was a serious issue for a lot of people. We doubt that's the reason we're getting a movie called The Marvels instead of Captain Marvel 2, but it's certainly a possibility.
Regardless, with the spotlight being put on Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Spectrum(?), this title makes sense, and we'll be watching their epic team-up on November 11th, 2022.
Whether that involves a cosmic adventure or something a little more grounded is unclear, but based on WandaVision's mid-credits scene, we're willing to bet this trio will head into outer space.
9. Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania Gets A Release Date
We learned that the Ant-Man and The Wasp sequel would get the Quantumania subtitle during Disney's Investor Day last year, but the threequel's rumoured release date has finally been confirmed.
It'll kick off 2023 on February 17th, a new slot for a franchise that has previously arrived in theaters over the summer months. Kang the Conqueror is reportedly set to be introduced in the movie, so this could be a much more important chapter in Phase 4 than some of us previously expected.
Plot details are still being kept under wraps, though we do know that Kathryn Newton will be taking over as Cassie Lang.
Hopefully, Peyton Reed finally plans to take us into the Quantum Realm and explain why the original Wasp came back with those weird new powers in the last movie.
8. Shang-Chi's Fight Tournament Confirmed?
For a long time now, rumours have persisted that Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will feature some sort of fight tournament with the title character forced to compete in a bid to win the mythical Ten Rings for his father, Wenwu/The Mandarin.
The first trailer seemingly debunked that as we could see that the villain has been unleashing their power for decades (possibly more), but that definitely looks like somewhere Shang-Chi might fight!
That doesn't necessarily mean there will be a tournament of some sort, but it looks like some sort of underground fight club could factor into this movie. Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what that will consist of, but we'd love some of those rumours to be true.
Either way, this looks like a badass setting!
7. Where's Ajak?
Okay, we're getting into spoilers here, so skip to the next slide if you don't want to delve into those.
A recent plot leak for Eternals claimed that it's the death of Ajak (the only member of the group able to communicate with the Celestials) that brings the team - who have all gone their separate ways in the present day - back together. It would make sense, and puts a murder mystery right at the heart of the movie that these ancient heroes will have to solve.
There is, of course, a glimpse at Ajak in this first footage from Eternals, but she's never pictured alongside the rest of the team, and that definitely seems pretty telling to us.
The full-length trailer for the movie will likely clear things up in this respect, though!
6. Yelena Belova Looks Like A Fitting Black Widow
All the signs are pointing to Yelena Belova being the MCU's new Black Widow in the wake of Natasha Romanoff's death in Avengers: Endgame, but if this footage is any indication, Florence Pugh definitely looks the part!
This latest footage from the long-delayed movie features some great shots of the character heading into action, and while her comic book counterpart has primarily been portrayed as a villain, it seems that this version will definitely fit into the "hero" category in the wake of her "sister" dying.
While many fans are seemingly indifferent to the prospect of a solo outing for Natasha set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War, it looks like a fun ride and a fitting way to kick off Phase 4 on the big screen.
Brace yourselves because this one might be more important to Phase 4 than you think...
5. Kingo's Cameraman
So, remember "Jeans Guy" in The Mandalorian? Well, after this preview was released yesterday, some fans were patting themselves on the back for spotting what appeared to be a wayward cameraman in this shot of the Eternals.
Well, it's a nice theory, but don't forget that character description for Kingo that surfaced a while back. "Over the centuries, he has become enamored with the idea of fame. In present day, he's a famous Bollywood star who must leave his life of wealth and celebrity to help the team repel the new Deviant threat."
In other words, it's likely this guy is there because he's documenting the famous actor's life!
It's also worth noting that the final shot of the team does appear to be taking place in front of the Babylonian monument Ishtar Gate in Mesopotamia, a.k.a. the City of the Space Gods! Jack Kirby fans will appreciate that...
4. Wakanda Forever
Chadwick Boseman's death after a lengthy battle with cancer took the entire world by surprise, and it felt like we were all united in our grief. The actor was an inspiration, and while he did a lot of incredible work on screen, it was as T'Challa that he arguably shined brightest.
No one really wanted to talk about what Boseman's death meant for Black Panther II, and understandably so when a movie pales in comparison to someone's life. However, the character really struck a chord, so it would be wrong to move on from that and not honour the late actor in some way.
Well, while we know that he won't be recast (or recreated with VFX), Wakanda Forever feels like a fitting title for the sequel regardless of who takes over the mantle.
Some fans are convinced that the metallic font is a sign Doctor Doom will debut here and, honestly, we could buy into that!
3. Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Arrives Summer 2023
Had James Gunn not briefly parted ways with Disney, then we'd still be waiting for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to be released this year (it was originally eyed for a 2020 debut).
Instead, the filmmaker has been busy with The Suicide Squad, and we'll now be watching this threequel on May 5th, 2023.
Little is known about what to expect, though it has been confirmed that Gunn will also be shooting that Holiday Special for Disney+ and footage for the new rollercoaster coming to Disney World while production is taking place. We certainly hope that means the filmmaker won't be spread too thinly, though the scrip has been finished for a while so his vision is likely set in stone.
It sounds like it will be an emotional conclusion to the trilogy, though, so keep some tissues handy...
2. Shang-Chi Packs A Serious Punch
Marvel Studios clearly has high hopes for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and it's interesting that this Phase 4 sneak peek wraps up with one final shot of the hero.
In the comic books, the hero can tap into his "chi" that allows him to strike with inhuman force and enables him to break through barriers such as brick, concrete and iron, while withstanding physical impacts almost to a superhuman degree. We have a feeling that we might be seeing it in action here!
Either way, Shang-Chi definitely packs one helluva punch and looks downright terrific in action.
Black Widow is set to be released in theaters and on Disney+ simultaneously, but it's likely Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will play exclusively on the big screen, hence why the hero is highlighted in these closing moments!
1. Fantastic Four Remains Undated
Marvel Studios concluded its portion of Disney's Investor Day last year with the reveal that a new Fantastic Four movie is on the way from Spider-Man: No Way Home director Jon Watts.
Unfortunately, we didn't get a release date then, and don't have one now!
We only know what's coming up until May in 2023, and there will probably be at least two more movies that end up joining Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. One of those could be Fantastic Four, of course, but 2024 also seems like an appropriate year for the reboot.
Either way, here's hoping Marvel Studios pulls the curtain back on this one sooner rather than later...