22% Are Least Excited About This Upcoming Marvel Movie

Of all the many fandoms, the Marvel Cinematic Universe spoils its legions of followers like no other. For nearly a decade, MCU fans were rewarded with at least one film a year, with most years offering two or even three entries. From 2008 to 2019, the MCU built a cinematic franchise comprising 23 films. No other cinematic franchise even comes close to such a prolific endeavor in so short a period of time. Then came 2020, the year that hit the pause button on pretty much everything. MCU fans, who'd become accustomed to bountiful years, found themselves gnawing on scraps.

Now that life is slowly returning to a version of "normal," and "Black Widow" has officially kicked off the MCU's Phase 4, fans have a veritable feast on the horizon with seven more films releasing in 2021 and 2022. Recently, Looper fielded a survey asking 636 Americans which upcoming MCU film that made them the least excited.

With just 10.06% of the vote, "The Marvels" appears to have captured the interest of MCU fans. Coming in November 2022, "The Marvels" will serve as the sequel to 2019's "Captain Marvel." Brie Larson is set to return as the cosmic hero, though this time she'll be joined by Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, who'll be introduced on Disney+ at the end of 2021. The film will also feature Teyonah Parris, who played Monica Rambeau in "WandaVision." Given the trio leading the film, it's no surprise that it received the least number of votes on the survey.

The next highest vote-getter, with 10.22% of the vote, is "Thor: Love and Thunder." Taika Waititi is back in the director's chair after helming 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok," with Chris Hemsworth once again playing our favorite hammer-swinging Norse deity. When "Love and Thunder" hits theaters in September 2022, fans will also see the return of Natalie Portman to the franchise in the mantle of Mighty Thor. The star-power is upped further with the inclusion of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Next on the list is "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," which earned 12.26% of the survey respondents' votes. Due to the surprising death of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman in 2020, and Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige's announcement that T'Challa would not be recast (via Vanity Fair), the MCU is currently without a Black Panther. Fans are surely eager to see how director Ryan Coogler will approach the next chapter of the Wakandan Avenger, slated for release in July 2022.

Coming in at the middle of the pack is "Spider-Man: No Way Home." The third installment in Tom Holland's Spider-Man run earned 14.15% of the vote. Perhaps more than any other film in the survey, "No Way Home" has generated numerous theories and rumors. Are Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's respective Spider-Mans going to pop up? Will we see the Sinister Six? What about Dr. Strange? With so many questions surrounding the film, it's not shocking to see fans sitting on the fence. Hopefully director Jon Watts, who helmed "Homecoming" and "Far From Home," will answer our questions in December 2021.

The third-highest vote-getter is November 2021's "Eternals," which received 14.78% of the votes. "Eternals" is the first film on the list that isn't a sequel, which may be why some fans are skeptical. Compared to the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, the Eternals are significantly less well known. That may be why Marvel went with an all-star cast, including Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Kit Harington, Gemma Chan, and Salma Hayek. With Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao directing, the introduction of this ancient, nearly immortal race is sure to shake up the MCU.

With 16.51% of the votes, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" takes the dubious honor of coming in second place. We're a bit surprised to see this sequel to 2016's "Doctor Strange" appear so high on the list. The MCU was abuzz with Doctor Strange speculation thanks to "WandaVision" and "Loki," both of which had links to Benedict Cumberbatch's Sorcerer Supreme. Perhaps excitement for the film will grow before it hits theaters in March 2022.

Capturing 22.01% of the vote, thus making it the MCU film people are least excited about, is "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings." Like the Eternals, Shang-Chi is a brand new character for the MCU, which may help explain its first place finish. When the film premieres in September 2021, fans will see Simu Liu take on the role of the titular hero as he battles against his criminal father. "Shang-Chi" will also mark the return of Abomination, last seen in 2008's "The Incredible Hulk," as well as the Mandarin, who sorta-kinda appeared in "Iron Man 3" in 2013.

Another reason why MCU fans might not be pulsing with excitement for "Shang-Chi" is some residual disappointment with another of Marvel's martial artists. The Netflix series "Iron Fist" was a commercial disappointment, with critics pointing out poor casting, low-quality fights, and an overall poor storyline (via Rotten Tomatoes). However, with Marvel in full control of "Shang-Chi," one can hope that the next entry into the MCU will rise to the levels of its predecessors.