Does This Marvel Comics Announcement Reveal Big Things Coming To The MCU?
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has become the largest franchise in box office history, grossing over $22 billion worldwide thus far (via Statista). That number will only climb higher and higher as Marvel moves further into its Phase Four plans and beyond. It's a venture that will likely continue to bear fruit for Disney and Marvel Studios, as they have a deep well of comic books to draw inspiration from.
Speaking of which, the comics side of the Marvel business has a habit of telegraphing moves that haven't been announced yet in the cinematic world. Seemingly, if the comics division is focusing on a character or set of characters, it would make sense that their highly profitable film division would want to set their focus on those characters at some point, as well. The two halves of the Marvel media monster move in concert, always generating the kind of storytelling synergy that maximizes profits.
With that in mind, it seems as if Marvel Comics is about to change things up, and while that's interesting info in its own right, the venerable publisher's latest announcement may also hint at big things to come in the MCU.
Marvel Comics is focusing on some truly interesting characters
According to a recent announcement of a new line of stories by Marvel Comics (via Den of Geek), the company is set to release eight new titles, some of which could foreshadow the future of the MCU.
Perhaps one of the most important announcements is this suggestive title drop: "Fantastic Four: Reckoning War." We already suspect Marvel might be building up to some kind of "Secret War" adaptation in Phase 5, and we know for certain Kevin Feige intends to introduce the Fantastic Four into the MCU now that Marvel Studios finally has access to the characters pursuant to Disney's acquisition of Fox. It would make sense for those two initiatives to dovetail.
The other two potentially huge comics titles with cinematic implications are "Timeless" and "Avengers Forever," which both focus on the villain Kang, who made his first (kinda) appearance on the Disney+ "Loki" series. The comics story promises to provide a "first look at what's coming to the Marvel Universe in 2022 in a story that will prove ... the Future is Timeless."
The other stories announced involve characters like Wolverine, She-Hulk, Daredevil, and Moon Girl. While we already know that a "She-Hulk" series is on the way, these other characters, especially Wolverine, would be huge additions to the MCU. Still, while it's likely that all or most of these characters will appear in the MCU eventually, it's not a guarantee that this new lineup of comics is a sign of that happening in the immediate future. Marvel Studios takes its time when it comes to letting stories unfold, and that's a strategy that probably will not change anytime soon.