Survivor 49 is officially in the books, and while there was some grumbling from fans during the season about the pre-merge being the same thing we've seen before, I suspect the fanbase will view it with increasing fondness over time. I’m not saying it’ll rival Cagayan, Micronesia or Heroes vs Villains, but I think five years from now, most of us will remember it as a clearly better than average season filled with memorable personalities and more than likely, quite a few players who returned and played again.

We know Savannah and Rizo are, of course, returning for 50. Their widely spoiled inclusion in the milestone season’s cast was a big talking point amongst fans while 49 was airing, as it removed the intrigue around several close votes since we knew they obviously made deep runs. I think there’s a strong chance they won’t be the only ones returning for another season over the next few years though.

Survivor played the entire New Era (seasons 41 through 49) without a single season filled with returning players, but that’s about to change. The Survivor 50 cast will obviously include a ton of legends, and the fanbase is very loudly pushing for another returnee season, given how many favorites didn’t make that cut. It’s hard to imagine a world, as an example, where we don’t see 44’s Carolyn again. So, let’s talk out who from 49 we might see return.

Guaranteed Returns: Savannah and Rizo

We all know these two are coming back for Survivor 50. When the cast came out, I complained loudly about all the New Era inclusion, but honestly, if half the cast was going to be from the most recent nine seasons, including Savannah and Rizo feels right. They were the most distinctive personalities on one of the best New Era seasons, and both of them played very hard.

We’ll have to see how often we get returnee seasons over the next decade, but if the show starts pumping them out regularly, there’s a chance we could see these two a lot. I think Rizo especially with his goofy, happy-go-lucky personality and willingness to gamble could turn into a very popular reality star that shows up on other competitions like The Amazing Race, as well.

Probable Return: Sophi B

Fans remain frustrated that she didn’t use her Knowledge Is Power advantage to steal her ally Rizo’s idol, but apart from that, Sophi B played an incredibly strong game. I think she’ll be remembered as having one of the best social games of the entire New Era, and she clearly won a few votes away from Savannah because of her strong Tribal Council performance.

I think at some point sooner rather than later we’re going to get a Survivor Second Chances season, and as long as it comes within the next few years, it’s hard to imagine Sophi not being chosen. Survivor 49 will be remembered specifically for the Tres Leches alliance, and since the other two are definitely coming back, I think the show makes an effort to work her in too.

Reasonable Chance To Return: Jake

Fans were a bit mixed on The Shoe Bandit. Personally, I thought Jake was a lot of fun to watch and one of the most distinctive personalities of the pre-merge. Others thought he was a bit obnoxious and overly goofy. Either way, he was in a good position within his tribe when he BITTEN BY A SNAKE.

Survivor has historically brought back a lot of players who had to be medically evacuated under unusual circumstances. Skupin fell into the fire during Australian Outback and was brought back. Bruce came back for Survivor 45 after he had to be removed on the first day of 44 for a concussion. Both James Clement and Penner came back a third time after injuries forced them to be evacuated during their second appearances. Given how Jake went out and how much behind the scenes airtime the show gave to everything that happened, there’s a reasonable chance we see him again.

Outside Chance To Return: Nate

Nate was one of the strongest players on Survivor 49. He built good relationships with most of his fellow castaways and seemed poised to make a deep run. Unfortunately, nerves about Rizo’s idol convinced the majority of players to vote him out as a just in case measure since he was extremely close with the Tres Leches trio.

Given all his success producing Marvel movies and the fact that he’s a much older family man, it’s unclear if Nate will ever play Survivor again. He’s got better, more profitable things to do with his time than chase reality television fame, but if he were ever interested in returning, I think the show would strongly consider it. Host Jeff Probst had glowing things to say about him on his podcast after his elimination, even going so far as to say he could have won the game.

Other Possibilities:

Anyone who makes a deep run in the game is always at least a small threat to return. Sage, in particular, was an extremely influential figure on the season, and while she ended up being a one vote finalist, her impact on the game was much bigger than your standard third placer. It’s unclear, however, if she actually enjoyed being on the show. She didn’t talk about it much on her socials while the season aired, and to this point, she hasn’t really done much exit press.

Jawan is another interesting player that I could see getting a look. He had close relationships with a lot of players, and I thought his confessionals were always passionate and compelling to watch. I’d be open to seeing him play again. I also enjoyed watching Kristina and Sophie, but given they both had less confessionals than players eliminated before them, I’m not sure the show itself is interested in bringing them back. MC was obviously a challenge beast, but she also felt underseen for stretches of the season, which makes her an unlikely returnee.

Despite being a well-known Hollywood figure – Nate Moore is one of the brains behind such big MCU movies as Black Panther, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and many more – he was able to keep that a big secret during Season 49 of Survivor. While he didn’t end up taking home the million dollar Survivor prize, he did at least earn a major compliment from host Jeff Probst. In fact, Jeff wrote before the show even hit the 2025 TV schedule that he thought Nate had the skills and chutzpah to win the iconic game, and I honestly would have loved to see it.

Jeff Probst Is Not Typically One For Big Compliments, But He Seemingly Loved Nate Moore

Jeff has been getting more candid of late during the On Fire podcast. One thing I’ve learned is that he keeps notes on all of the contestants, and he had some big ones about Nate Moore. Speaking on the podcast Jeff literally said his gut feeling was that Nate could win at the start.

When the cast of Season 49 started to align, Moore was in a relatively solid place. He was pals with most and had a cushy alliance with Savannah, Rizo and Sophie. He was kind of seen as the wise old dad on the tribe, but he pulled his weight in challenges, too. He was thoughtful when he spoke, as Jeff himself pointed out, calling it all the total package, or more specifically, a “home run.”

Unfortunately, you need some luck to make a deep run in Survivor, and Nate didn't get the luck he needed. After the merge, Sage and Jawan, who were on the outskirts of that alliance with Savannah, Rizo and Soph, decided to flip and vote with the other tribe. Sage specifically wanted Savannah out of the game, but because of concerns Rizo could play his idol for her, they ended up putting the numbers on Nate because it seemed like a safer play.

Most people who voted for him didn't even seem to want to. Some actively argued against it, but ultimately, they felt the most important move was to eliminate someone from the alliance. That ended up being Nate, who was the one everyone compromised around.

What Nate Moore Thinks Of Jeff Probst’s Comments

Speaking with TV Insider, Nate Moore was asked what he thought about Jeff Probst saying he was “a home run” for the show. He said he hadn’t listened to the podcast at the time of the interview, but Jeff’s comments, which also included a subsequent, “That’s about as good as it gets for me,” did make Moore “feel good."

There is always an element of chance on Survivor. Is your tribe winning or is your tribe a disaster? Are you able to make connections early on? Are you able to stick with your tribemates through a slew of changes, including tribe switches, journeys and more? Honestly, all things considered, Moore felt like he'd landed in a pretty good spot on the show.

Nate notably didn’t tell anyone he was a Marvel producer during his tenure on Survivor. He’d seen Mike White of White Lotus and School of Rock fame be honest about his career and likely hurt his chances of winning since his fellow castaways felt he didn't need the money during his first run. (White will be back for Survivor 50.) So, he played the stay-at-home dad card on the show.

It’s not strictly a lie, as the producer left Marvel to pursue other gigs following the release of Captain America: Brave New World. And it gave him just enough rope to be able to develop relationships with those much younger than him without having to divulge who he really was.

A little deception never hurt anyone, but I would have loved to have seen Nate Moore play a bit longer. As he noted in the interview, he felt like he would have been a strong contender in some of the individual challenges, and I honestly just really liked his vibes around camp. I also feel like the target audience for Survivor viewers skews older, but we keep seeing more casts with younger and younger players and it was nice to see someone in their forties remain a competitive force.

Maybe the lesson should be that we want more older players like Nate in the future, not fewer.

It was just three months ago that Captain America: Brave New World was released onto the 2025 movies schedule, and it’s been available on home media for a month. Now the time has come for those of you who’ve been waiting to watch Brave New World with a Disney+ subscription to do just that, as the 35th MCU movie is finally available on the Mouse House’s streaming platform. To commemorate this big day for the Captain America fans out there, CinemaBlend has the above exclusive clip to share of Harrison Ford and other talent from the superhero flick sharing their thoughts on being in the MCU.

What It’s Like Being A Part Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe?

You may recall how in mid-April, we shared a behind-the-scenes video going over Sam Wilson fighting enemies “way above his weight class” in Captain America: Brave New World. Now we have this video that starts off spotlighting Harrison Ford, Giancarlo Esposito and Shira Haas discussing why they enjoyed getting to take part in the MCU.

Ford, who played President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, kicked off by saying how he signed on to take over the role previously played by the late William Hurt signed onto Brave New World because he was enticed by the actors who appear in these movies and the quality of the work they do while having fun. It looked “attractive” to him, and he was “delighted” to have the opportunity to be a part of it. This marked Ford’s superhero movie debut, and it was made an even bigger deal with how he did the motion capture work for portraying the Red Hulk-transformed Ross.

Giancarlo Esposito, who played Sidewinder in scenes from the Captain America: Brave New World reshoots, described being in the movie as a “dream come true.” Not only does he admire what Marvel Studios does, he described his daughter as a “Captain America freak,” so of course he was going to accept this opportunity. Shira Haas, who played Ruth Bat-Seraph, also described being in Brave New World as a “dream,” as well as a privilege, and described her experience as being part of a “family.”

What’s It Like Working With Harrison Ford?

Going back to Harrison Ford, this clip also shows director Julius Onah and producer Nate Moore talking about what it was like for them to work with the Indiana Jones actor. Onah acknowledged that it was initially “intimidating” because he’s such an “icon,” but then soon realized how “down to Earth” he was and enjoyed talking with him about what needed to be done with Thaddeus Ross. Moore called Ford a “legend” and was impressed by how seriously the actor took the process of making sure Ross and Red Hulk felt like real people.

Considering that Captain America: Brave New World ended with Ross still alive and incarcerated within The Vault so that he couldn’t endanger anyone if he Red Hulk-ed out again, I’m crossing my fingers that he’s secretly set to appear in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars. The kind of muscle he’s packing would come in handy against Robert Downey Jr’s Doctor Doom. Meanwhile, Anthony Mackie will for sure fly back into action as Sam Wilson when Doomsday comes out on December 18, 2026.

Marvel Studios prides itself on secrecy. They do everything that they can to protect reveals from their upcoming Marvel movies, but there’s only so much they can control. Usually, it’s an actor who gives away precious details, like the time that Tom Holland blabbed some major details about the Spider-Man franchise, and his work on the upcoming Avengers films. And then there are the rare occasions when a major A-lister drops a Marvel morsel without realizing that it’s news, and I was curious what happened at Marvel Studios after something like that occurred.

While working the press circuit on behalf of Gladiator 2, Denzel Washington let it be known that he was going to be part of Ryan Coogler’s planned Black Panther 3. The iconic Training Day actor didn’t realize that he was breaking the Internet in the process, mainly because Black Panther 3 is so far out, few of us imagined he’d be in it, let alone who he might possibly play. Well, the Internet did what the Internet does: It overreacted. But what did Marvel do? I had the chance to sit down with Marvel Studios produce Nate Moore as he promoted Captain America: Brave New World, and when I asked him how they reacted to Denzel’s truth bomb, Moore told CinemaBlend:

It certainly is. There are a lot of questions that Marvel needs to answer about Black Panther 3, starting with, “Who will be the movie’s Black Panther?” In the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Letitia Wright’s character Shuri stepped up to assume the mantle. But at the end of Wakanda Forever, it was revealed that T’Challa and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) had a son, so it’s possible that he will graduate to becoming the next Black Panther.

The issue is time. As of right now, there is no Black Panther 3 on the MCU schedule, though Marvel is planning the animated Eyes of Wakanda, a series that could push most of these narratives forward. And there are other movies that have been announced (cough cough, Blade, cough cough) that probably should move forward before Black Panther 3 takes shape. But if Denzel Washington is saying that he has a role, then there have to have been some conversations with Marvel about the direction of a project, so maybe we’ll hear details soon.

The rest of 2025 includes two other Marvel movies, including Thunderbolts and The Fantastic Four, so keep it here for up to the minute coverage.

Anyone paying attention to the moves being made in the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows that then X-Men are coming, and likely will receive their own upcoming Marvel movie. Similar to the way that the MCU plans to put its own unique spin on the mythology of The Fantastic Four this July, Marvel Studios will want to course correct some of the creative decisions made on the X-Men during the Fox era of movies. A lot of that was used for punchline fodder in last summer’s Deadpool and Wolverine. It’s time to get serious.

However, you could also argue that the X-Men have been working their way into the MCU Proper for years now. In addition to the blatantly obvious inclusion of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine in a massive MCU blockbuster, we have heard the term “Mutant” being used in previous stories, are about to learn more about Adamantium in Captain America: Brave New World, and had a Beast cameo at the end of 2023’s The Marvels. Nevermind the fact that the X-Men are coming. I’d argue that they’re already here.

And so would Eternals and Captain America: Brave New World producer Nate Moore, one of the key creative voices behind the scenes at Marvel Studios for years. Moore made the press rounds on behalf of Anthony Mackie’s upcoming Captain America film, and when he sat down with CinemaBlend, we asked him about the inclusion of Adamantium in Brave New World, as well as what he wants casual moviegoers to know about the material (which eventually coats the skeleton of Wolverine, making him virtually indestructible). Moore told us:

Marvel absolutely has been building that path through its movies and TV shows. And to their credit, they didn’t immediately throw their newly acquired Fox “toys” into pre-production. There’s a LOT going on in the Marvel Cinematic Universe at the moment, with multiple levels of storytelling needing to play out. Right now, our attention is on the grounded-level heroes, including Captain America (Mackie) and next month’s arrival of Daredevil: Born Again, available with a Disney+ subscription.

Eventually, Marvel will refocus on mutants. Because, as Nate Moore went on to tell CinemaBlend:

Tell that to Blade fans, who have patiently waited for updates on Mahershala Ali’s version of the daywalker, only to be told over and over that the project is getting delayed. But I see that as a good thing. Whether it’s Blade, the X-Men, Nova, The Black Knight, or other heroes Marvel has teased, I’d prefer that the studio waits until they have the right idea, the right script, and the right collaborators. Marvel fans aren’t going anywhere. Take your time. Lay the foundation. Spread the bread crumbs, as Nate Moore says. And in time, we will all feast!

Captain America: Brave New World opens in theaters on February 13, so make sure you have your tickets in hand.

The upcoming Captain America: Brave New World is set to be a defining chapter for Sam Wilson’s Cap, but fans expected to see several returning faces—including some introduced in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (which you can stream with a Disney+ subscription). Now, producers on the flick have confirmed at least one major Captain America character won’t appear in the film. Though it may be disappointing to some, the reasoning behind their exclusion actually makes a lot of sense.

In an interview with Screen Rant, former Marvel VP Nate Moore explained why Eli Bradley, introduced in the original Disney+ TV series, was left out of Brave New World. According to Moore, the creative team realized that the forthcoming superhero film was becoming too crowded, and some cuts had to be made. With at least three major villains and an emphasis on developing Sam Wilson’s journey as the new Cap, the decision was made to streamline the narrative. Moore explained:

I must admit, rather than having Eli appear in a minor, underdeveloped role, the filmmaker's choice to prioritize Isaiah Bradley’s arc, which reportedly plays a pivotal role in Brave New World, is a solid way to go. It’s no secret that overstuffed superhero movies can struggle under the weight of too many characters (Spider-Man 3 and X-Men: The Last Stand serve as prime examples).

For those who might not be up to speed, Eli Bradley—or just Patriot to comic book fans—is the grandson of Isaiah Bradley, the "First Black Captain America." In the comics, Eli doesn’t start with superpowers. Instead, determined to honor his family's legacy, he fakes it 'til he makes it by enhancing himself with the illegal Mutant Growth Hormone (MGH)—a risky shortcut that temporarily gives him superhuman abilities. Despite the rocky start, he eventually proves himself as a true hero, teaming up with Wiccan, Hulkling, and other young heroes to form the Young Avengers. Given that Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) is already assembling the Young Avengers, recruiting Kate Bishop and Joe Locke playing Billy Maximoff, it’s possible Eli’s time in the spotlight is coming—it just won’t be in Brave New World.

Would it have been great to see Eli Bradley in Brave New World? Absolutely. But shoving him into an already packed movie just to check a box wouldn’t do the character justice. Marvel has been slowly but deliberately setting up the Young Avengers, and when Eli does return, it should be in a project that allows him to shine on his own terms, and for that, I respect the producer's decision.

Captain American: Brave New World hits the 2025 movie schedule on February 14.

When Captain America: Brave New World began filming in early 2023, Giancarlo Esposito was not involved with it in any way. This was back when he was still expressing interest in playing Professor X, but then when May 2024 came around, the Breaking Bad alum confirmed he’d be taking part in the Brave New World’s additional photography, more commonly known as reshoots. We’ve since learned that Esposito is playing Seth Voelker, a.k.a. Sidewinder, and Captain America 4 producer Nate Moore opened up about why the actor was added so late into the making of the upcoming Marvel movie, which boiled down to wanting Brave New World’s political thriller tone to be properly reflected.

In an interview with The National, Moore, who will be leaving his position as Marvel Studios’ Vice President of Production and Development next month, explained that prior to Brave New World’s reshoots, the movie had “tonal inconsistencies,” resulting in the creative team deciding to “focus on its political thriller ambitions.” Recruiting Esposito was one of several ways this was accomplished, with Moore saying:

In the comics, Sidewinder is the leader of the supervillain group known as the Serpent Society, which has been antagonizing Captain America and his allies stretching back to 1985’s Captain America #310. Amusingly, when Captain America: Civil War was announced in 2014, the title was initially jokingly revealed as Captain America: Serpent Society, but now the time has come for several of its members to make their big screen debut. However, how they’ll be depicted in Captain America: Brave New World differs heavily from what the plan was for them during principal photography. In the case of the WWE’s Seth Rollins, his scenes as a Serpent Society member were completely cut from the movie.

Nate Moore’s explanation of taking steps to ground Captain America: Brave New World in its core political thriller vibe echo what director Julius Onah said earlier this week about how their came a point where things just weren’t working out with the “individuals dressed up as snakes and have snake-adjacent powers,” Once Giancarlo Esposito became available, that resulted in the stronger push towards the “grounded tone and vision” that Onah wanted for his movie. As things stand now, Esposito’s Sidewinder (whom we may see more of in the MCU) and Rosa Salazar’s Diamondback are the only confirmed Serpent Society characters appearing.

Obviously, though, Captain America: Brave New World won’t be lacking in fantastical elements, as evidenced by Harrison Ford’s Thunderbolt Ross transforming into Red Hulk and Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns having transformed into The Leader since we last saw him in The Incredible Hulk. We’ll see how the final product turns once it opens in theaters next Friday, February 14.

Black Panther 3 may not be among the scheduled upcoming Marvel movies yet, but there has been notable chatter about the threequel in the last few months. First, Denzel Washington let slip that he’ll have a role in the movie, and then last month, it was rumored that a new T’Challa will be introduced to lead Black Panther 3. Well, longtime Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore has now addressed this rumor, but frankly, what really got my attention was his thoughts on how the events of Captain America: Brave New World, which opens on the 2025 movies schedule later this month, will affect Wakanda.

Nate Moore Shot Down The T’Challa Rumor For Black Panther 3

Let’s get the housekeeping out of the way first: Moore, who will be departing his position as VP of Production & Development at Marvel Studios next month, debunked the claim that the MCU is looking to hire a new actor to play T’Challa, the role once occupied by the late Chadwick Boseman. Here’s what the producer told Comicbook:

Considering the lengths Black Panther: Wakanda Forever went to have Letitia Wright’s Shuri take over as the new Black Panther, I’ll admit that I’m pleased that isn’t all being wiped away for Black Panther 3. From the way Nate Moore phrased his answer, it also sounds like we shouldn’t expect to see someone playing the new T’Challa in Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, which another rumor claimed he would appear in first. That’s not to say those movies couldn’t feature a Black Panther from elsewhere in the Marvel multiverse, but a new actor taking over as T’Challa apparently isn’t in the cards.

Captain America 4 Introducing Adamantium May Rub Wakanda The Wrong Way

Nate Moore also gave his take on how the events of Captain America: Brave New World, which he produced, will impact Wakanda. Namely, the fourth Captain America movie reveals that the United States government has mined a brand-new element called adamantium from the body of Tiamut, the Celestial whose emergence was prevented in Eternals. Adamantium, of course, is best known as the indestructible metal that covers Wolverine’s claws, and it definitely gives vibranium a run for its money. Here’s how Moore envisions the Wakandans reacting to adamantium:

Although adamantium technically made its MCU debut in Deadpool & Wolverine, that movie largely took place in other universes and The Void, whereas Captain America: Brave New World marks the metal’s first appearance in the franchise’s main continuity. While nothing is set in stone yet, I do like the idea of Black Panther 3 addressing adamantium and having it play into the movie’s story, for better or worse. If Wakanda isn’t getting along with the U.S. government, then chances are they would have a lot of trouble getting their hands on adamantium, though nothing would change how vibranium is infused into their way of life.

There’s also the question of how adamantium will factor into other upcoming MCU projects. Sure, the X-Men reboot seems like a no-brainer, but we don’t actually know if Wolverine will appear in that movie. In any case, with Captain America: Brave New World opening on February 14, I’m looking forward to seeing the full scope of how the metal factors into that story.

The slate of upcoming Marvel movies has seen some shifts since Phase 5 and Phase 6 were initially announced at 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con. From the asterisk on the Thunderbolts title to the pivot of Robert Downey Jr. playing the next big MCU villain, the past couple of years have kept us on the edge of our seats regarding the universe’s future. However, did you know that the upcoming Captain America movie was almost called something else?

As the Captain America: Brave New World release date approaches its premiere on the 2025 movie schedule, its executive producer Nate Moore shared why the film swapped titles from its original name Captain America: New World Order with Empire (via Comic Book Movie). In his words:

While the original title, “New World Order” seemed to be a reference to the first episode title of Falcon and the Winter Soldier, the set of words is also a term used in numerous conspiracy theories about a secretly emerging totalitarian world government. It makes complete sense that Marvel didn’t want to connect itself with the modern conspiracy theory after the title received feedback from the public and people within Marvel Studios and the production.

The new title Brave New World, which was announced in June of 2023, presents a much more hopeful image for Anthony Mackie’s debut film as Captain America.

It also separates itself from being misconstrued as an adaptation of a famous conspiracy. “New World Order” could certainly also mean a big change in the social systems and politics, but as Moore shared, it was not the right title to market the movie.

Along with Anthony Mackie leading the Captain America: Brave New World cast, Danny Ramirez will return as Joaquín Torres after his debut in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Harrison Ford is also set to debut as the Red Hulk, and even fight Mackie’s Captain America. You can check out the latest trailer for Brave New World below:

Brave New World could especially be a big movie for the MCU because Nate Moore also gave hints in the same interview that Sam Wilson’s Cap could be leading the new Avengers team.

Brave New World hits theaters on February 14, before Thunderbolts* arrives in May, effectively setting the stage for Marvel Phase 6, which will also feature Fantastic Four and two Avengers movies. We can’t wait to see what “brave new world” the upcoming 2025 movie will be referring to.

If you watch the Marvel movies in order throughout Phases One through Three, something remains mostly consistent. That’s the fact that the Avengers are mostly a consistent presence within the cinematic universe. However, since the dawn of the Multiverse Saga with Phase Four, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have mostly been MIA. I’ve been wondering what the team’s actual status is post Endgame and, now, a producer for the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World is providing us with some hints on that front.

What Did The Captain America 4 Producer Have To Say About The Avengers?

There are currently plenty of questions in need of answers when it comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s signature superhero team ahead of their next two films. More immediately, though, fans will see the return of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, who now bears the mantle of Captain America. It’s already a given that the film will focus on Sam’s continued trials as the “star-spangled man with a plan.” Though, as Brave New World EP Nate Moore hinted to Empire, Wilson’s former team will also be a topic of discussion:

Fans last saw the do-gooders (and their allies) come together in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, during which they made their final stand against Thanos and his army. The team ultimately emerged victorious – but at great cost. By the end of their conflict with the Mad Titan, two of the group’s founding members – Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) – had died. Also, OG Cap Steve Rogers received his pleasant ending, as he ventured to an alternate timeline to live a life with Peggy Carter. And, on top of all that, the team’s base of operations in upstate New York was a massive pile of rubble after the film’s now-iconic battle.

Needless to say, it feels like the team is in a very uncertain position. On that note, I’m excited to see how Brave New World dives into the team’s current status within the MCU. Ahead of that, though, what you should know is that Nate Moore’s sentiments aren’t the only breadcrumbs that fans have been gifted by Marvel Studios’ braintrust over the last few years.

Kevin Feige Spoke To Us About The State Of The Avengers

A few years back, CinemaBlend spoke with Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige about all things MCU. It was during that conversation that our own Sean O’Connell asked the film producer about the state of the aforementioned team. Feige’s comments suggested that big Avengers questions would be addressed in forthcoming films. Among the queries Feige mentioned were, is there a core team and, if so, who’s leading and funding it. The savvy producer also teased that the question of what makes an Avenger will be explored.

CinemaCon footage of Captain America 4 also suggested that the Avengers would be something of an undercurrent within the story. Per a description of what was shown at the expo this past April, U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross wants Sam Wilson to rebuild the iconic group of supes – a prospect that Wilson seems thrown off by.

It’s hard to say exactly what lies ahead for the group, but their presence is going to be important when it comes to upcoming Marvel movies. Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars – which will open in 2026 and 2027, respectively – will see the team face a massive new threat. I’m talking about Doctor Doom, who’s being played by the returning Robert Downey Jr. Let’s hope that whatever squad that’s formed proves to be effective, and we’ll see if Sam Wilson proves to be the person capable of leading them.

You’ll be able to see if Sam has leadership potential when Captain America: Brave New World soars into theaters on February 14 amid the 2025 movie schedule. In the meantime, stream the first three Cap films as well as all four Avengers movies using a Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been a rich tapestry of interconnected storylines and character dynamics since its inception. It continues this tradition today as Disney consistently releases their slate of upcoming Marvel movies and shows on streaming with a Disney+ subscription. One of the most beloved friendships in the MCU is that between Tony Stark aka Iron Man, and Bruce Banner, the Hulk. This dynamic duo, known for their shared love of science and technology, was coined by many fans as "Science Bros" and delivered some of the most memorable scenes in the Avengers series. Surprisingly, according to the Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore, this unique relationship was pivotal in shaping a key scene in the box-office-crushing Black Panther 2.

In a recent interview with Geeks of Color, Wakanda Forever producer Nate Moore discussed the creative process behind the film and the significant challenges the team faced. One of the most profound difficulties was reworking the movie following the tragic death of Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed T'Challa, the Black Panther. Moore emphasized that the film had to honor Boseman's legacy while finding new directions for its storyline. One way they achieved this was by focusing on two of the film's strong female leads, Shuri and Riri Williams.

Moore explained the inspiration behind the scene featuring Shuri and Riri, revealing that it was influenced by the dynamic between Tony Stark and Bruce Banner. He stated:

Who would have thought? The "Science Bros" legacy lives on through two of the MCU's freshest faces, Shuri and Riri. In Wakanda Forever, these two young geniuses team up in a way that mirrors the dynamic between Stark and Banner. Shuri and Riri’s shared love for science and tech creates a compelling partnership that adds depth to the MCU and highlights how the brand keeps evolving by introducing new characters who embody the spirit of innovation and collaboration.

Shuri actress Letitia Wright recently hinted that a third Black Panther movie could be on the horizon, and if she's right, we might see a follow-up sooner rather than later. I’m definitely here for more “Science Sister” moments between Shuri and Riri. While we don’t have an official release date for Black Panther 3 yet, Riri’s got a packed 2025 schedule with her upcoming standalone mini-series, Ironheart, set to premiere on September 23 next year. Could we see a surprise cameo from Shuri? Fingers crossed! But based on the wild, deep-cut footage at D23, it looks like we’re in for plenty of science, even if the sisters aren’t teaming up this time.

As the MCU keeps growing, the influence of iconic relationships like the "Science Bros" shows just how skilled Marvel is at crafting compelling character dynamics. It’ll be interesting to see if we catch more of these vibes when the Ironheart cast hits our screens in 2025. Until then, watch the 2024 TV schedule for some fantastic series that have already premiered or are about to drop.

Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has officially begun, thanks to the recent release of Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. It looks like we’re building toward a larger conflict with Kang, while also being introduced to beloved characters from the comics. One of the most hotly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies is definitely The Fantastic Four, which will finally bring the titular team of heroes into the MCU. One of the movie’s producers is teasing big surprises for Marvel fans, and now my mind is racing.

The Fantastic Four are some of the most iconic Marvel heroes from the comics, so they’re a team that the general public knows well. Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox and its properties finally made way for them to join the MCU, although the studio has been keeping its cards close to the chest. But producer Nate Moore recently spoke to Deadline about that upcoming blockbuster, saying:

Color me intrigued. WandaVision is my all-time favorite Marvel project, and it was so wildly popular thanks to the twists and turns that Matt Shakman and company put into the alluded series. If he’s using that same innovation on the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, then he could take the story just about anywhere. 

Given just how much WandaVision kept audiences on their toes (resulting in endless fan theories), the fact that Matt Shakman will also surprise audiences with Fantastic Four definitely has my interest piqued. Are bold changes happening to the characters we know and love? Perhaps their long-awaited introduction will have to do with the multiverse, which the studio has leaned into on both the small and silver screens. There’s so many possibilities. 

Nate Moore is a Marvel producer who usually has his hands in a number of different pies. The Fantastic Four will be no exception, although it will be interesting to see exactly how that team is introduced to the massive shared universe. Their arrival has been highly anticipated since the Disney/Fox deal went through, along with the X-Men. Phase Four teased both teams in not-so-subtle ways.

Obviously the biggest question currently surrounding the upcoming Fantastic Four movie is exactly which actors will be playing the team’s four heroes. John Krasinski briefly played Reed Richards/ Mr. Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but there’s no telling if that cameo will grow into a full role. In fact, recent reports indicate the studio is building the cast around Sue Storm/ The Invisible Woman. 

The next MCU movie hitting theaters is Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 on May 5th, while Ant-Man 3 is still in theaters. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experien

For a few years now, Marvel fans have known that there are official plans in the works to bring the X-Men into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Over the past year, there’s been more hints to the existence of mutants too, between one Ms. Marvel finale reveal and “Marvel’s First Mutant” Namor getting an origin story in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. And now one of the studio’s producers has name-dropped two X-Men characters when talking about the future of the MCU. 

Nate Moore has been a producer on six MCU movies, including the recent Wakanda Forever. When talking about the movie recently on the Crew Call with Anthony D'Alessandro podcast, Moore said a thing or two about mutants. In his words: 

Tons of X-Men characters are canon, and yet Nate Moore, who undeniably has power when it comes to the MCU, gravitated toward Storm and Bishop in a recent conversation about the subject. They are great picks. Storm is clearly a favorite mutant in the comics, having already been adapted before, with Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp playing the character. Bishop was additionally portrayed by Omar Sy in X-Men: Days of Future Past, but pretty briefly. 

Storm has the power to control the weather. In the comics, the character, who’s actual name is Ororo Munroe, is also the daughter of a Kenyan tribal princess and an American photojournalist, and she becomes an orphan after a plane crash destroys her home. The character has been part of Marvel Comics since 1975 and was created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum. 

Bishop, on the other hand, is a mutant born in a dystopian future where mutants are put in concentration camps. He learned of the X-Men through bedtime stories as a kid and travels back in time to join the heroic team. He can absorb all forms of radiant and conductive energy directed toward him and release it from his body. 

Both of these are great picks from Nate Moore, who shared that he could pitch ideas “all day” due to him considering them especially “great” characters in the franchise. But as Moore also suggested, the plans on the horizon for mutants are still in “early” development. 

Prior to Disney and Fox’s merger going through, thirteen X-Men movies came out with Hugh Jackman’s Logan/Wolverine, along with the tension between Professor X and Magneto, carrying the franchise for twenty years. We do know that Jackman is returning to Wolverine for Deadpool 3, but otherwise all we can do is fancast our favorite actors into mutant characters, really. While the official introduction of the X-Men in the MCU has yet to be determined, we’ll continue to read into upcoming Marvel movies for clues. 

Major spoilers alert for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Throughout Phase Four of the MCU, one of the most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies has been Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The critically acclaimed blockbuster has been making a ton of money at the box office, and offers an emotional meditation on grief. We also watched as Letitia Wright’s Shuri replicated the heart-shaped herb and became the new Panther. But did the sequel ever consider having another character take on the mantle? Here’s what producer Nate Moore says.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Black Panther 2 ahead of its release is who would be the next character to become the titular superhero. As we got closer it seemed obvious that Shuri was the one behind the mask, as she was the protagonist of Wakanda Forever. Producer Nate Moore was asked by one Yahoo! journalist if other names were floated around, to which he responded with:

Several points were made. After all, Shuri has become the Black Panther in Marvel’s comics before, so there was precedent for the story to focus on Letitia Wright’s Princess of Wakanda. What’s more, there was a parallel journey happening with the grief over T’Challa and her eventual acceptance of the mantle. Although it doesn’t look like she’s actually going to rule the country as Queen.

Nate Moore’s comments to Yahoo! offer a peel behind the curtain of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Director/writer Ryan Coogler had to craft a new story after the death of Chadwick Boseman, which he described as the most difficult task of his professional life. And while the story of the sequel no doubt changed various times throughout its development, it looks like Shuri was the clear choice for T’Challa’s successor. And she made a pretty badass Black Panther in the movie’s final battle sequences.

As Nate Moore described, the internet had a few alternatives in mind as the next Black Panther besides Princess Shuri. Other choices included Lupita Nyong’o Nakia, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, and Winston Duke’s M’Baku. The latter character did end up getting a new leadership role in Wakanda, as we last saw him volunteering to battle for the title of King. It looks like he’ll be ruling Wakanda, while Shuri operates as the nation’s protector.

It should be fascinating to see what comes next for the characters of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, given its various plot twists. Fans are eager to learn more about the Midnight Angels made up of Okoye and Aneka. Additionally, there was the mid-credits scene and the reveal that T’Challa and Nakia had a son. Is he meant to one day sit on the throne? Only time will tell, but I can’t imagine that M’Baku would be thrilled about that turn of events.

The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania on February 27th, 2023. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. Just don’t expect to see any Marvel or DC movies until the new year.

James “Rhodey” Rhodes has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since it launched in 2008 with Iron Man, and while Terrence Howard originated the role, it’s belonged to Don Cheadle since 2010’s Iron Man 2, which saw the character taking on the War Machine mantle. After more than a decade of being one of the MCU’s most important supporting characters, the time has finally come for him to take center stage, as he’ll be leading Armor Wars. However, instead of moving forward as a Disney+ show like originally planned, it was announced in late September that Armor Wars is being turned into a movie, and Marvel producer Nate Moore recently explained why this change happened.

Nate Moore, who’s been making the press rounds to promote Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, stopped by The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, and the eponymous host inquired about the Armor Wars shift, asking how that decision came about and what the “guideposts” are for figuring out if a Marvel project should be a movie rather than a show accessible exclusively to Disney+ subscribers. Moore answered:

At the time it was revealed that Armor Wars would be a movie instead of a Disney+ show, the reason for this was simply attributed to the powers-that-be at Marvel Studios feeling going the feature route was the better course of action. Now we know from Nate Moore that the budget was the main issue, because although Marvel pours plenty of money into its Disney+ shows, they’re not on the same level as what’s shown in theaters.  For something like Armor Wars, it became clear that the small screen wouldn’t cut it with the first project to put War Machine front and center, particularly when we’ll be seeing various armored suits in action beyond just the one James Rhodes is wearing.

That would also explain why Ironheart, which is spinning out of the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will still be a Disney+ show, because Dominque Thorne’s Riri Williams will likely be the only one wearing an armored suit. But aside from the shift from streaming to theatrical, it sounds like not much has changed about Armor Wars. In addition to Don Cheadle obviously still being attached to star, Yassir Lester is still on writing duties. Inspired by the same-named comic book arc, Armor Wars will follow Rhodey having to grapple with the technology developed by the late Tony Stark, his best friend, falling into the wrong hands. No release date for Armor Wars has been set, but it will take place after what goes down in Disney+’s Secret Invasion.

Given how Marvel’s Phase 5 is already packed on both fronts, it stands to reason that Armor Wars won’t be released until sometime during Phase 6, but once a concrete date is announced, we’ll let you know. Until then, head to Disney+ to watch the Marvel movies in order, or look through our guide detailing the other upcoming Marvel movies.

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are ahead!

If you’re in any way a fan of the Marvel movies, then at this point you should be well trained in sticking around for the credits for one, if not multiple end-credits scenes. In the case of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, there was just the one mid-credits scene, and rather than go the traditional Marvel Cinematic Universe of teasing an upcoming movie or Disney+ series, the sequel went in a different direction that honored to the legacy of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. Producer Nate Moore spoke with CinemaBlend about his this scene came together, as well as why the Black Panther sequel didn’t include any extra tags.

The one extra scene following the conclusion of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s main story saw Shuri meeting Toussaint, the son of T’Challa and Nakia who was raised in Haiti so he wouldn’t have to deal with the pressure of the Wakandan throne. Touissant also revealed to his aunt that he shares the same Wakandan name as his father, i.e. making him T’Challa II. When CinemaBlend’s own Eric Eisenberg asked Nate Moore how this scene came together, the producer responded:

So even before Chadwick Boseman passed away and the plot for Black Panther 2 needed to be retooled, director/co-writer Ryan Coogler intended for T’Challa to have a son. Nate Moore’s wording also makes it sound like T’Challa would have suddenly discovered Touissant’s existence rather than be part of his life from the beginning, though that makes sense considering that T’Challa was one of the victims of Thanos’ Snap, He was gone for five years, so by the time he was reformed, the boy would be around four or five years old. As for how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s finalized mid-credits scene turned out, Moore made it clear that this wasn’t meant to set up Touissant/T’Challa II to become Black Panther in the future, but rather to carry on in his late father’s footsteps.

As for why Black Panther: Wakanda Forever only featured the one end-credits scene, Nate Moore explained that from an emotional perspective, he and the other creative minds at Marvel Studios behind the sequel didn’t feel like it was necessary to include extra material to tease what's on the MCU horizon. In his words:

It should be noted that while Black Panther: Wakanda Forever didn’t roll a scene after the credits were finished, it was teased that “Black Panther will return.” This has also become commonplace in the MCU, with audiences knowing that they’ll see more from certain characters in the future. So those of you who like Shuri as Black Panther can take comfort knowing she’ll be back in action eventually, be it in Black Panther 3, one or both of the upcoming Avengers movies in Phase 6, or some other project. Speaking of Touissant, it’s hard to say if we’ll see him again in the MCU, because again, it’s not like he’ll take over as Black Panther. It couldn’t hurt to check in on him during Black Panther 3 if that does indeed move forward, but at the very least, we know that he’s being well cared for by his mother and aunt.

Be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and check out what upcoming Marvel movies are on the way. If you’d rather revisit past events in the MCU, you can do so by subscribing to Disney+.

SPOILERS are ahead for Marvel’s latest, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Finally, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is beginning to embrace the existence of mutants among its many heroes and villains. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Tenoch Huerta’s steals the show as Namor, and when sharing his origins the Sub-Mariner confirms he’s a mutant. In light of that, we were curious about the studio’s approach to this very important word in the universe these days. 

To answer that question, during CinemaBlend’s Wakanda Forever interviews, our own Eric Eisenberg asked Black Panther producer Nate Moore about the philosophy they took when it comes to throwing the word “mutant” around in the new movie. Here’s what Moore told us: 

Namor got his start in Marvel Comics back in 1939, and he is often called “Marvel’s First Mutant”  in the publication’s chronological history. The character even has origins that date back before the creation of DC Comics’ own Aquaman. In Namor’s Wakanda Forever origins, it’s shared that he is born a mutant because his mother followed a shaman who used a herb, the same one as the heart-shaped herb the Black Panther uses, to help survive the invasion of Spanish colonizers back in the 16th century. 

Namor’s mother was pregnant with him when the flower was given to her, impacting his physiology to be different from his mother and people’s transformation. The other 16th-century Mexicans turned blue and could only breathe underwater after ingesting the flower. However, Namor, who was underwater when he was born, has the ability to breathe in both environments. He also has winged ankles that give him super speed in the air and sea. In short, he's a mutant. 

The addition of Namor into the MCU comes following the revelation that Ms. Marvel is a mutant in her Disney+ series, along with Patrick Stewart returning as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. While these few characters are not necessarily leading to the X-Men for the time being, the existence of mutants in the MCU is a huge step toward that happening someday. 

Wakanda Forever marks the final film in Marvel Studios’ Phase 4, which is one of three phases that will be part of The Multiverse Saga. And coming up, Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine are already set to join the franchise in late 2024 in Deadpool 3, confirming even more mutants in the MCU. That’s right, Namor is yet another signal the mutants are going to have a larger presence in the MCU! 

Following the Black Panther sequel, you can check out our explanation of the Wakanda Forever ending and keep updated on what upcoming Marvel movies are coming our way next. Until then, welcome Namor! 

If you actually watch and read through the end credits of Marvel Studios movies instead of just waiting through them to see coda scenes, you may have noticed that there is a group of filmmakers regularly credited as “Marvel Studios Parliament.” Some of the names may look familiar – as they have been producers on most of the company’s blockbusters and television projects – but if you’re like me, you may have also wondered about what their responsibilities are as a group behind the scenes of pop culture’s biggest franchise.

Possessing that curiosity, I recently decided to ask one of the team’s members about it when I recently covered the Los Angeles press day for the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

Credited in alphabetical order, the roster of Marvel Studios Parliament includes Stephen Broussard, Eric Hauserman Carroll, Nate Moore, Jonathan Schwartz, Trinh Tran, and Brad Winderbaum. When I sat down with Moore late last month, the very first question I asked him was about the group and what it is. He explained,

Nate Moore’s debut credit as part of the Marvel Studios team can be found in the “Special Thanks” section of Thor: The Dark World, but he first got named as a co-producer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and since then his credits have included Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier Disney+ series, Eternals, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. All of the other filmmakers in Marvel Studios Parliament have similar resumes, but their creative influences aren’t limited solely to the films that they are producing.

It’s a logical strategy for Marvel Studios to have a group like this in the organization. Between three to four movies coming out every year along with multiple television shows/limited series, there are always a great number of plates spinning, and having a team that works together and makes sure that everything is flowing and not overlapping is surely a boon to the franchise.

Within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, part of making sure that all of the gears are turning smoothly is ensuring that the exponentially growing continuity remains intact. Per Nate Moore, overseeing that aspect of the canon isn’t a primary job of Marvel Studios Parliament, but it certainly is something that they keep in mind:

If you’re trying to keep the whole of the Marvel Cinematic Universe straight in your own mind (especially with the critically acclaimed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on the way), we have resources that can help you out. Our Marvel Movies In Order feature is a breakdown of the MCU timeline, and our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides provide all of the information you’re looking for about the projects on the horizon. And if you’re just into checking out the best of the best that Marvel has to offer, our Marvel Movies Ranking is waiting for your perusal.

News that writer/director Ryan Coogler was officially signed on to make Black Panther 2 was announced in October 2018 – about eight months after the release of his landmark first Marvel Studios movie – but that’s not the date when he first started imagining what the sequel could be. Instead, that part of the creative process began when he was still bringing Black Panther to life, and it was actually back then that he first started to ask about the possibility of introducing Namor The Submariner to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

For a long time, Namor was not available to be used by the blockbuster franchise due to rights issues, but since those rights have reverted back to Marvel, fans of the comics have been awaiting his arrival on the big screen. According to Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was the first time that the character’s utilization in a project was “seriously considered,” and he adds that Ryan Coogler first started discussing possibilities during post-production on Black Panther. Moore recently told me,

As noted, Black Panther and Namor have significant history together in the comics, and they are characters who are well-matched for stories. Both of them have the distinction of being kings of their respective nations, but they have differing – and sometimes opposing – philosophies when it comes to international diplomacy. In Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Namor (played by Tenoch Huerta) is the ruler of Talocan instead of Atlantis from the comics, and the film begins with Wakanda in mourning after the passing of King T’Challa, but the larger spirit of the classic conflict in the blockbuster is the same.

Speaking with Ryan Coogler after my interview with Nate Moore during the Los Angeles press day for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, I asked about the evolution of Namor’s role in his vision for the sequel. He explained that there were a lot of ideas that were thrown around for the character’s depiction, but there was always a consistent core that defined his relationship with people on land. Said the filmmaker,

The characterization was juxtaposed with the history of Wakanda, and Ryan Coogler was influenced to create the story with a key contrast in mind. Thanks to their abundance of Vibranium, the people of Wakanda have always been protected from colonizers and have been able to keep them at a distance. Without giving too much away before Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters, Namor’s people were driven from their home, and are willing to go to extreme lengths to protect what they have built in Talocan. Coogler explained,

Continuing, Ryan Coogler added that Namor’s story is one that is impacted by trauma. The world has left him feeling vulnerable in the past, and he’s never been able to escape it. That’s something that the Wakandans haven’t experienced:

Like its predecessor, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is a film that features intelligent commentary about the world, and it’s delivered through the emotions of and dynamics between the complex characters. Tenoch Huerta’s Namor is very much at the center of it all, and you register that Ryan Coogler has put a tremendous amount of thought into his MCU debut.

Also starring Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Angela Bassett, Winston Duke, Dominique Thorne, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrives in theaters on November 11. Check out our Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline feature and Marvel Movie Rankings for a refresher on the franchise canon, and learn about what else is on the way from the franchise with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.

For Marvel nerds, mapping the timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be both a fun and frustrating experience. Sometimes it’s very clear exactly when a particular story is unfolding in relation to other movies and TV shows in the continuity, but there are some projects that don’t provide many clues and make it a challenge to determine specificity. It’s always helpful when a filmmaker goes on the record about how a particular title fits into the grand scheme – and that’s fortunately exactly what I got when I interviewed producer Nate Moore this past weekend.

As captured in the video at the top of this article, I spoke with Nate Moore during this Los Angeles press day for the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and it was after discussing the MCU timeline complications created by the Avengers: Endgame time jump that I asked about how the 30th film from Marvel Studios slots into the canon. As far as where Black Panther 2 fits in among the titles we’ve seen in Phase 4, Moore explained,

Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the timeline-friendly titles that makes it very clear when it is set (November 2024)… but Thor: Love And Thunder isn’t, as it’s not actually clear if the events in the movie take place in 2025 or 2026. That being said, knowing that it takes place around the same time as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever clears things up a bit, and Marvel fans will surely now be vigilante when it comes to determining the timeline spot for Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania, as that will retroactively help us better understand when the two 2022 movies take place.

Unfortunately, Nate Moore couldn’t get more specific than that when it came to pinpointing when it is that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever takes place. He bluntly explained that was information he couldn’t even conjure if his life depended on it:

As far as dates go, one that we are very sure on is that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be arriving in theaters everywhere on November 11. Check out what else is on the way from the MCU with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV features, and read our ranking of the Marvel blockbusters to see how it matches up with your own tastes.

The cast of Ryan Coogler’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” including Danai Gurira (Okoye), Alex Livinalli (Attuma) Mabel Cadena (Namora), Producer Nate Moore, and the famed director himself are here to discuss making the epic Marvel sequel. Watch as they discuss filming the emotional and powerful scenes with stars Angela Bassett and Tenoch Huerta, where this film sits in the MCU’s timeline, and what’s next for the characters and Coogler himself.

Video Chapters:

00:00 - Intro / ‘Rise Talocan’ Tease
00:15 - What’s Happened In Wakanda Since We Last Saw It In ‘Avengers: Endgame’
01:35 - Where “Wakanda Forever” SIts Within The MCU Timeline
02:16 - Danai Gurira Describes How Director Ryan Coogler Helped Her Catch Up With Okoye
03:44 - What Ever Happened To Daniel Kaluuya’s W’Kabi? Danai Gurira and Ryan Coogler Know
04:20 - Danai Gurira On Filming Extremely Emotional Scenes With Angela Basset
06:03 - Alex Livinalli And Mabel Cadena On Embodying New Representation In Their Marvel Roles
08:03 - What It Was Like Working With Tenoch Huerta, According To His Costars
09:14 - How Namor’s ‘Wakanda Forever’ Introduction Became A Reality
12:13 - Creating Talocan And It’s Chilling War Cry, ‘Rise Talocan!’
14:15 - How Will ‘Wakanda Forever' Set Up Riri Williams For Disney+’s ‘Ironheart?’
15: 08 - Will Ryan Coogler Direct An ‘Avengers’ Film One Day?
16:33 - Outro / Danai Gurira On Stealing Her Dora Milaje Uniform

The timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe used to be relatively simple. With some notable exceptions – like Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain Marvel, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – the majority of the films feature events that take place in the release year of the given film (i.e. Ant-Man was in theaters in 2015, and it’s set in 2015).

But then the snap happened. In Avengers: Endgame, the MCU took a surprising leap into the future with a five-year time jump, and it means that all of the movies and shows in Phase 4 (not including Black Widow) have been set in the not-too-distant future. It’s not only made it a bit harder for fans to follow the order of everything in the ever-expanding continuity, but it’s also been creating some confusion behind the scenes at Marvel Studios.

I interviewed producer Nate Moore this past weekend during the Los Angeles press day for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and one of the topics of discussion was the Marvel timeline. I directly asked if it’s trickier to keep track of things in the franchise because events are taking place in 2023 and beyond, the filmmaker had blunt response. Said Moore,

Sometimes it’s easy to figure out where a Phase 4 project lands on the timeline. WandaVision, for example, specifically notes that the action takes place three weeks after the 2023 battle against Thanos and his army. With Spider-Man: Far From Home being set during summer break after the snap, we know that it must take place in the year after the aforementioned battle (a.k.a. 2024), and it’s mentioned in Spider-Man: No Way Home that Halloween has just passed – pinning its action to November of that same year.

Other Marvel Studios projects aren’t quite as specific, however. Shows like Moon Knight and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, for example, don’t make dates super clear, nor does Thor: Love An Thunder. The filmmakers at Marvel Studios are evidently making an effort to maintain a firm continuity, but it’s understandable that things are trickier now that the franchise can’t use the pre-snap model of tracking everything.

Continuing, Nate Moore highlighted the effort that is made, and added that the circumstances are making Marvel filmmakers think hard about how future events will line-up with what they are planning:

Fans will get the opportunity to dive back into the complicated continuity soon, as Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be in theaters everywhere on November 11. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers behind the film, learn more about it via our Black Panther 2 What We Know So Far guide, and learn about everything that is on the way from the MCU via our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV features. To revisit the best that the franchise has to offer, check out our ranking of all 29 Marvel films.

Captain America: New World Order, the fourth installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise, is taking shape and steadily adding to its cast. And just last month, it was reported that the film had landed a major star in the form of Harrison Ford. The Hollywood icon is set to take on the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross, replacing the late William Hurt. Since the news broke, Marvel Studios had remained mum on the recasting, until now. Producer Nate Moore broke his silence on Ford’s inclusion and teased what viewers can expect from his MCU debut. 

Nate Moore has been with Marvel Studios for quite some time and has helped usher in a number of new actors into the company’s massive superhero universe. This includes stars like Sam Wilson actor Anthony Mackie (whose character is now Captain America) and the ensemble cast of Eternals. Moore, who most recently produced Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, caught up with ComicBook.com to talk about all things MCU. During the conversation, he was asked about Harrison Ford and whether his Ross could become Red Hulk. Moore remained diplomatic on that front but did geek out about having the 80-year-old icon in New World Order: 

I personally still can’t believe that the Indiana Jones star actually signed on – for multiple films at that. In addition to the fourth Cap installment, the actor is also said to be appearing in the upcoming superhero team-up movie Thunderbolts. Though he’s getting up in age, the beloved performer is showing no signs of slowing down as evidenced by his work in Indiana Jones 5, which is set to be released next summer. 

Marvel rumors initially linked Harrison Ford to the role of Franklin Richards in the Fantastic Four reboot. While that would’ve been a solid role for him as well, he really does fit the mold for Thunderbolt Ross. He can bring his natural gravitas to the role along with a stern demeanor that’s been a trademark of the general-turned-politician since his MCU debut in 2008. Ford is sure to put his own spin on Ross, not unlike Don Cheadle did with James Rhodes when he succeeded Terrence Howard in the role.

Based on what we know about Captain America: New World Order, the Blade Runner alum will be surrounded by an A+ cast. In addition to Anthony Mackie, the film also features Falcon and the Winter Soldier alums Danny Ramirez (Joaquin Torres) and Carl Lumbly (Isiah Bradley). The production will also include franchise newcomer Shira Haas, who plays the role of Sabra. Not only that, but the superhero flick will also mark the long-awaited return of The Incredible Hulk’s Tim Blake Nelson, who will reprise his role of Samuel Sterns/The Leader. 

It’s exciting to think about what Nate Moore, co-producer Kevin Feige and their team have planned for the fourth Cap movie, especially now that we know Harrison Ford is indeed playing Ross. There’s definitely a lot that can still be done with the character moving forward, meaning there’s at least a chance he could become Red Hulk. Nevertheless, like Moore, I’m most eager to see Ford (in the flesh) chop it up on screen with his co-stars.

Captain America: New World Order is set to hit theaters on May 3, 2024 as part of MCU Phase 5, and Thunderbolts will close out the phase that same year when it drops on July 26. While you wait, keep up to date on upcoming Marvel movies and stream past installments using a Disney+ subscription.

Marvel had a momentous year in 2021. From widespread critical acclaim and blockbuster highs with WandaVision and Spider-Man: No Way Home to a seemingly non-stop onslaught of releases to keep fans occupied, the Marvel Cinematic Universe took a huge step forward into its next phase. But it also marked off one milestone that executives probably weren’t hoping for – Eternals earned the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score in MCU history. Now Nate Moore, one of the film’s producers, has offered some insight into what happened and what it all means for the future of the franchise. 

In many ways, Eternals was a gamble for the massive franchise. While it packed some serious star power, it featured a slew of new characters and explored themes that were unfamiliar to many fans. The film did well in the box office, but critical reception was mixed at best. While its audience score is fresh, at the moment, its critical score on RT is 47%. It's currently the only MCU film to be rated Rotten on that platform. 

This new milestone did not go unnoticed by the creative team at Marvel Studios. In a recent conversation on The House of Midnight podcast, Nate Moore was asked about the critical reception to and what he attributed it to: 

Black Widow’s release was delayed due to the pandemic, and production on other Marvel films was stalled, creating a domino effect in which the entire schedule for the MCU was shifted. This seems to be, in part, what Moore is referencing. But that wasn’t the only factor that led to critics’ expectations being high: 

Both the shifts in the schedule and the added anticipation of Eternals being directed by a newly minted Oscar winner were surely factors in how the film was received. But producer was pragmatic in his view of all the contributing elements that led to the critical blowback: 

It remains to be seen if the response to the film will change the way in which Marvel approaches films with original characters in the future – or whether the film will get a sequel that addresses unanswered questions for the fans who did enjoy it. 

Eternals is set to hit Disney+ on January 12

Following the death of Chadwick Boseman on August 28, 2020, speculation unfolded over whether or not T’Challa would be recast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. By the end of that year, it was confirmed that a new actor not take over the role Boseman played in four Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, and the following month, it was also made clear the character wouldn’t be recreated digitally. Well, it turns out that this decision extends to the rest of the MCU as well, and there’s a good reason why we won’t ever see T’Challa again in the superhero franchise.

It Didn't Take Long To Rule Out Seeing T'Challa In The MCU Again

Marvel Studios producer Nate Moore recently stopped by The Ringer to talk about Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and other MCU movies he’s had a hand in developing, like Eternals and Blade. When asked about what it’s like handling T’Challa moving forward, specifically balancing the loyalty to his fanbase and the actor who played him with the future of the Black Panther/Wakanda-centric corner of the MCU, Moore answered:

So rather than T’Challa sitting out Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and then being played by another actor later on in the MCU, Avengers: Endgame will mark the last time we ever see this version of the character. It didn’t take long for Nate Moore, director/writer Ryan Coogler and the rest of the Wakanda Forever team to decided that because Chadwick Boseman had done so well as T’Challa, it didn’t feel appropriate bringing someone new to fill the late actor’s shoes.

A T-Challa-less Black Panther 2 Provided A Unique Narrative Challenge

As such, someone else will take over the Black Panther mantle for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and while Marvel hasn’t revealed yet who that someone will be, the logical assumption has been it will be Letitia Wright’s Shuri, T’Challa’s sister who was briefly Black Panther in the comics. It’s also unclear how T’Challa’s fate will be addressed in the sequel, but Nate Moore added that the character’s absence required the filmmakers to think outside the box to deliver a compelling story for moviegoers. In his words:

Along with Letitia Wright, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s other familiar faces will include Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett and Martin Freeman, and Dominque Thorne will also debut as Riri Williams ahead of leading Disney+’s Ironheart series. I May Destroy You creator/star Michaela Cole has been cast in an undisclosed role, and it was once rumored that Narcos: Mexico actor Tenoch Huerta came aboard to play Namor the Sub-Mariner. Earlier this month, production shut down reportedly due to Wright still recovering from an injury she suffered back in late August.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is now set to arrive on November 11, 2022. Our upcoming Marvel movies guide is available to those of you curious about what else the MCU is prepping for theaters, and you can watch most of the past MCU movies on Disney+.

MASSIVE SPOILER ALERT FOR ETERNALS!

Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is currently underway, and the franchise expanded in a major way with Chloé Zhao’s Eternals. In addition to a new team of massively powerful heroes, the mid-credits scene revealed another newcomer: Harry Styles’ Eros. And one Marvel producer recently explained why Styles got this wild MCU role.

While Harry Styles is best known as a musician, he’s been dipping his toes into acting, including a notable role in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. His appearance as Thanos’ brother in Eternals was a shocker, although producer Nate Moore revealed why Styles was the perfect person to bring the character to life. Eros has powers of seduction and influence, and the pop star is known for his charisma. As Moore explained,

He’s got a point. While it remains to be seen how Eros factors into the story of the MCU, Harry Styles’ brief footage in Eternals made a huge splash. And the One Direction alum is making his entrance into the massive franchise playing a character that’s fairly unknown. 

Nate Moore’s comments from ComicBook’s Phase Zero podcast shows what it’s really like working within the MCU, specifically introducing new characters. There are alot of moving parts that came with Harry Styles’ entrance as Eros, the most important being security. Unfortunately, Eternals’ mid-credits scene was spoiled online following the world premiere.

When Harry Styles’ Eros shows up in Eternals he’s accompanied by Pip the Troll, who name-drops Thanos immediately. While it seems like Styles’ new character was friendly toward the likes of Thena, Makkari, and Druig, the Mad Titan’s name carries a ton of weight. There’s no telling where the cosmic story might go next, but moviegoers seemed to respond positively to Chloé Zhao’s epic tale.

Harry Styles is one of the newest MCU additions, but the massive franchise is also adding familiar names to the world. For instance, Will Poulter was recently confirmed as Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Jonathan Majors also recently made a splash as Kang in Loki.

Eternals is in theaters now, followed by Spider-Man: No Way Home on December 17th. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, but there are a few upcoming projects that are especially anticipated. Chief among them is Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which is currently in the midst of filming. And one producer recently explained the “pressure” of honoring Chadwick Boseman in the mysterious sequel.

Chadwick Boseman’s death shocked both fans and colleagues, as the late actor had a private battle with colon cancer. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will continue the narrative of the fictional country, while also giving appropriate credit to both T’Challa and Boseman himself. Producer Nate Moore recently spoke to the challenge of trying to honor the Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom star, saying: 

Well, that certainly sounds like a complicated task. Making a Marvel blockbuster is never that easy of a process, but add in the pressure of living up to the success of the original Black Panther, as well as the death of Chadwick Boseman, and it sounds like Ryan Coogler and company have their hands full for Wakanda Forever.

Nate Moore’s comments to ComicBook’s Phase Zero podcast help to show what it’s really like within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While fans get to see a shiny, finished product, it’s ultimately just a group of people coming together. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has an added challenge to this process given the passing of Chadwick Boseman, and the cast/crew’s responsibility to their colleague and friend.

Exactly what Ryan Coogler and company have in store for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently a complete mystery. But with T’Challa presumably passing away in-universe, the fictional country would presumably need to find a new ruler-- and someone who would take on the mantle of the Panther. There’s some obvious choices for the gig, including Shuri, M’Baku, or Okoye.

As previously mentioned Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently in the midst of filming, but there’s been some complications along the way. Shuri actress Leitia Wright suffered an on set injury, requiring some hospitalization. While filming continued for a few months, production is currently shut down until the New Year so that Wright has time to properly recover. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently expected to arrive in theaters on November 11th, 2022. In the meantime, check out the 2021 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

The death of Chadwick Boseman hit many of us hard, and one can’t help but think about the late actor in the midst of awards season and ahead of the Black Panther sequel. Questions are swirling around the upcoming film, with many wondering how writer/director Ryan Coogler and Marvel Studios will continue the series without Boseman. Despite Boseman’s absence, there are those who believe his T’Challa could still make an appearance (via archive footage or digital recreation). Now, one Black Panther 2 producer has commented on that possibility.

Nate Moore, who produced the original Black Panther film and a number of other Marvel Studios productions, is currently in pre-production on Black Panther 2. As filming draws near, the veteran producer was asked about the possibility of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa making an appearance, and the answer he gave to Vanity Fair was pretty clear:

As some fans may have expected, Marvel Studios doesn’t appear to have plans for Chadwick Boseman’s character to appear, and Nate Moore’s reasoning is completely understandable. Boseman’s loss is so visceral for so many, and it would be insensitive to string viewers along with the chance of a possible appearance.

The cast and crew of Black Panther have been honest about how they’re dealing with the loss of their friend and colleague. Lupita Nyong’o recently opened up about how “hard” it is to move on with Chadwick Boseman, but she feels Ryan Coogler is paying tribute to him and his legacy in a fitting way through the upcoming film.

Coogler himself has also been open about working on the sequel without his collaborator. The director has acknowledged the void Chadwick Boseman leaves on the set, yet he knows the late actor would want them to keep going in spite of his absence.

In typical Marvel fashion, nothing has been revealed in regard to Black Panther 2’s plot, though the film has apparently cast at least one of its villains. Filming is set to officially commence this summer in Atlanta.

There’s no telling what audiences can expect when they return to Wakanda next year for Black Panther 2. What is clear, though, is that Nate Moore, Lupita Nyong’o, Ryan Coogler and the rest of their collaborators are taking great care as they push on and continue the work of the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

Black Panther 2 is scheduled to arrive in theaters on July 8, 2022.

In the days since Chadwick Boseman’s death, countless stories and commemorations from his friends and colleagues have poured in. Many are eager to remember his commitment to his work and frequent acts of kindness. That includes one of Black Panther’s producers, who has shared a touching story about the lengths the actor was willing to go to when trying to fulfill an ailing child’s wish.

Nate Moore, one of Black Panther’s executive producers, said that his last interactions with Chadwick Boseman were mostly centered on fulfilling a request from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He said that given the current pandemic situation, it was a logistically difficult task. In retrospect, he was struck by how diligent the actor was, despite the unique challenges they faced:

Nate Moore also told People that Chadwick Boseman sent him a “final text message” and, while he did not elaborate on what it entailed, he did share that it was deeply meaningful to him:

That sentiment feels especially meaningful in the wake of Chadwick Boseman’s death -- and that fact is not lost on Nate Moore. However, he wants fans to know that he doesn’t believe the actor’s battle with colon cancer is the only reason he was so eager to help others who struggled with illness:

This should come as no surprise to fans, who know that the actor routinely went out of his way to connect with Black Panther fans and help them enjoy both the film and his character -- he even bought out a screening of the film so children could see it.

Since Chadwick Boseman’s death, we’ve learned that he remained committed to his career, even while privately battling cancer. He completed several projects while sick, including his final film, Netflix’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. So it’s no surprise that he was equally passionate about using his platform to do as much good as he could.

In the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the origin story reigned supreme. Alas, times have changed, and the format of these movies has changed with it. That's something that audiences will see with the release of Captain Marvel next year, as Marvel producer Nate Moore recently opened up to CinemaBlend while talking about Black Panther's home release and explained that Carol Danvers' solo movie will feel very different from a typical origin story. Specifically, he noted that the progression of Carol Danvers' arc will feel different from what we've seen before, and the structure of the story will have a lot to do with that. According to the Marvel producer:

While Nate Moore wouldn't actually explain the specific differences between Captain Marvel and movies like Iron Man or Doctor Strange, he did offer up some valuable pieces of information about the upcoming origins --but maybe not so usual origins-- film. Captain Marvel won't follow those well-worn origin story beats of the hero discovering his or her powers, learning to use the powers, and then fighting a villain with similar powers. It's still an origin story because it will explore the origins of Captain Marvel in the MCU, but he says it won't be quite as predictable or follow the same notes as other stories like this.

From what he told me, it also sounds like the setting will factor into the flavor of the Captain Marvel origin story, as well. Nate Moore continued his conversation with CinemaBlend and explained that the 1990s setting would similarly help make it feel like a unique narrative compared to other Marvel origin stories of a similar ilk. Moore explained:

Warning: spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War! Read ahead at your own risk!

Of course, it's also worth mentioning the fact that Captain Marvel does have the bonus of Avengers: Infinity War's lone post-credits scene. Nick Fury calls the seasoned hero to action at the end of Infinity War after Thanos unleashes the power of the Infinity Stones, and we see her logo pop up on the screen in the movie's final moments. We don't see the heroine at that moment, but it should help to lay the groundwork for her eventual arrival.

End of Infinity War spoilers.

We aren't getting into specifics about Captain Marvel's plot beyond basic character information and setting at this point, but the movie is filming right now, and Captain Marvel will official bow for audiences next year on March 8. For now, make sure to catch Avengers: Infinity War in theaters, and pick up your copy of Black Panther on Digital HD, Blu-ray, or DVD today!

In Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron, audiences got a taste of the pre-existing relationship between Andy Serkis' Ulysses Klaue and the nation of Wakanda. We learned that he has been there before, driven by his fascination with Vibranium, and walked away with a special brand on his neck marking him a thief. Following that introduction, we long expected him to show up in the developing Black Panther movie, and according to Serkis, the solo film will get more into that particular backstory. Said the actor,

It was around this time last year that Andy Serkis was down in Atlanta, Georgia filming scenes as Ulysses Klaue in Black Panther, and on one of those January days I too was on set -- joining a group of other invited film journalists. In full costume, Serkis took a break from production to sit down with us for an interview, and during the conversation was asked about his character's past with Wakanda. He revealed just a bit, but accentuated the fact that Klaue is one of the few people on Earth who knows the truth about the Wakandan nation.

The scene being filmed while I was on set had Ulysses Klaue in custody being interrogated by Everett Ross (Martin Freeman), T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman), Okoye (Danai Gurira), and Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o). As seen in the first trailer for Black Panther, this is a sequence where Klaue starts to open up about the real Wakanda, and explains that it is not the third-world country that the world thinks it is. Hopefully it's just a taste of the story behind how Klaue knows what he knows.

As a follow-up, Andy Serkis was asked if Ulysses Klaue has a "personal relationship" with T'Challa, and he had an interesting answer. While it doesn't sound like they have a connection matching what's been previously seen in the comics (where the former kills the latter's father), they have apparently done battle in the past. Said Serkis,

After years and years of waiting, Marvel fans will finally be able to see Black Panther and Ulysses Klaue go toe-to-toe on the big screen in a few weeks. The film is set to arrive in theaters nationwide on February 16th -- and we'd recommend staying tuned here on CinemaBlend for not only more of our set visit coverage, but also new interviews with the cast and filmmakers.

As portrayed in the pages of Marvel Comics, the African nation of Wakanda is unlike any other place on Earth. Thanks to their remarkable natural resources, they have not only managed to regularly avoid invasion and colonization, but their advances in technology are matched by no other civilization. This obviously has an important effect on the vision of the country as a whole -- but when it came to bringing it to the big screen in the upcoming Black Panther movie, it also presented an issue. As we learned from producer Nate Moore on set, there was some concern about potentially making the place look too alien. The filmmaker explained,

Nate Moore spoke extensively about what to expect from Black Panther last year when we had the chance to interview him on the set of the film -- flying out to Atlanta, Georgia with a group of other journalists. The nation of Wakanda, including its history and politics, will be a very important part of the Marvel blockbuster, but apparently it wasn't the easiest place to bring to life. The design process had its fair share of difficulties, as the production wanted to ultimately make Wakanda look like it is a place that is located here on Earth -- rather than making audiences feel like they've traveled off-world at some point.

For those uninitiated, the secret behind Wakanda is the metal known as Vibranium -- the special material used to construct Captain America's shield. The entire country was founded on a mine full of the stuff, and its special qualities allowed those that discovered it to do miraculous things. As a result, the country is a unique blend of the old world and the new, with classic architecture blending with technologies unlike anything the rest of the planet has ever seen.

Adding to his statement, Nate Moore also offered where the bulk of Wakanda's special tech comes from in the Black Panther movie. While T'Challa may be the titular hero of the feature, it is his little sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) who is the true brain behind the operation, and keeping her country miles ahead of the curve. Moore explained,

Learning more about Wakanda is unquestionably one of fans' most anticipated aspects of Black Panther, and it won't be too much longer until the blockbuster lesson is upon us. Marvel Studios is set to have the film in theaters on February 16th -- and we would highly recommend staying tuned here on CinemaBlend for a lot more about the movie between now and then.

Because Marvel Comics started back in the 1940s, certain elements of the canon are reflective of different eras -- and the character of M'Baku a.k.a. Man Ape is one such example. He was first created by John Buscema and Roy Thomas back in 1969, but by modern standards isn't exactly a racially sensitive figure. All the same, he is still an important figure in the history of Black Panther comics, so when it came to including him in the upcoming Marvel blockbuster certain changes had to be made, including the context of his role in the nation of Wakanda. As producer Nate Moore explains it,

M'Baku is played by actor Winston Duke in writer/director Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, and it was while visiting the set of the film last year that I first learned about how the film would be including him in the story. Nate Moore was specifically asked about the character during a roundtable interview with a group of journalists including myself, and the Marvel filmmaker explained how they had to do some tip-toeing before finding a proper way to include the potentially offensive antagonist into the movie.

As alluded to by Nate Moore, the nation of Wakanda is very much influenced by its different religious sects -- some more powerful than others. The most significant figure of worship is the Panther God a.k.a. Bast (which obviously inspires the design of the lead Wakandan warrior's costume), but the cat isn't alone. In the comics, M'Baku is the leader of the Jabari tribe, which is a group that prays to Ghekre the Gorilla God as part of the White Gorilla Cult. It would seem that the conflict that exists between the two fellowships on the page will continue to the big screen -- though it's worth mentioning that M'Baku's larger role in the plot of Black Panther has not yet been revealed.

The marketing campaign for Black Panther hasn't let us see much of M'Baku -- the trailers focusing much more on Chadwick Boseman's titular hero and Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger -- but it won't be long until we learn much more. Fans will be able to see Winston Duke's portrayal very soon, as the latest blockbuster from Marvel Studios will be arriving on February 16th.

There is a lot of variety in the storytelling of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While the overall reputation is for making fun movies featuring a lot of jokes, there are a few titles in the franchise that take themselves very seriously. We can generally get a larger sense of each project's tone months before it comes out -- but just in case you couldn't get a full read on Ryan Coogler's Black Panther, we can confirm that the film will be one of Marvel's more dramatic endeavors. Producer Nate Moore told us,

Early last year I had the incredible opportunity to fly out to Atlanta, Georgia and join a small group of journalists for a visit to the set of Black Panther while it was still in production -- and it was during a roundtable interview with Nate Moore that we got the full scoop on the feature's approach. As he is generally portrayed in the comics, T'Challa will apparently be a largely dramatic figure, which will be heavily reflected in the narrative of the movie, but that doesn't mean that the blockbuster won't still be bringing the funny. In fact, it sounds like some of the key female characters surrounding him are going to be seriously fun to watch.

This certainly makes all the sense in the world. The Black Panther of Marvel Comics knows how to occasionally kick back and relax, but being both a nation's king and most trusted warrior also doesn't give him a lot of time to slack off. What's more, the start of this new movie will not only see him still coming to terms with the assassination of his father, but also trying to convince the people of Wakanda that he is the right man to lead them into the future. None of that is going to leave him a ton of time to come up with crafty one-liners or bits, fully explaining the more intense tone.

Considering that Marvel Studios put out three comedies in 2017 (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Thor: Ragnarok), it will be nice for Black Panther to arrive and change things up a bit. And thankfully we don't have to wait much longer for that. The Ryan Coogler film, which stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, and more, is set to arrive in theaters on February 16th -- and be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for more of our extensive coverage from the set!

Thanks to the post-credits scene of Captain America: Civil War, fans have been speculating for years about the possibility of seeing Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes a.k.a. The Winter Soldier in Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. As was revealed at the end of the Joe and Anthony Russo-directed blockbuster, the mind-controlled assassin is currently on ice in the nation of Wakanda, and some have wondered if he could possibly be defrosted in time to help King T'Challa deal with his antagonists. It turns out that movie-goers shouldn't get too excited for this idea, given the exchange we had with producer Nate Moore on the set of Black Panther last year:

Nate Moore, who has been a producer with Marvel Studios going back to the second Captain America, told us about the possibility of seeing The Winter Soldier in Black Panther last year when I had the pleasure of joining a small group of journalists to visit the set of the blockbuster when it was still in production. As you can probably tell, Moore suggested during our sit down that the latest feature from Marvel will be more self-contained than some of the more expansive franchise features, and part of that means not really featuring any other major superhero characters. It would seem that this includes Bucky Barnes, who will probably be staying frozen until it's time for The Avengers: Infinity War.

As cool as it might have been to see Black Panther at some point in his movie go to the cryogenics lab and pick up a secret weapon, there is a logic to that not actually happening. The Winter Soldier didn't freeze himself because he wanted to; he did it because he doesn't feel that he can fully function in the real world given his past with Hydra brainwashing. That very much sets up a "Break Glass Only In Case Of Emergency" situation, and it's hard to imagine things getting that crazy extreme in Black Panther. The man will be woken up soon enough -- given that we see him fighting side-by-side with the Wakandan army in the first trailer for The Avengers: Infinity War, but you probably shouldn't expect any of that to start going down in Marvel's latest solo adventure.

Black Panther probably won't ultimately feature very many A-list Marvel Comics characters during its runtime, but the great news is that's balanced out by the ridiculous ensemble featured -- including Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong'o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Andy Serkis, Angela Bassett, Forrest Whitaker, Daniel Kaluuya, and many, many more. They'll all be up on the big screen come February 16th -- and we couldn't be more excited.

When it comes to connections to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, every Marvel Studios feature has a different approach. Some titles are certainly built to capitalize fully on everything that has been made before, but others are constructed to very much be their own thing and stand alone. The latter is generally the case for most of the "solo" projects made, including Ryan Coogler's upcoming Black Panther, but according to producer Nate Moore, certain past films of the MCU will have their own special significance and part to play in the proceedings. Said the filmmaker,

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Nate Moore for a roundtable interview with other journalists last year when I flew out to Atlanta, Georgia to visit the set of Black Panther while it was still in production. Moore was asked during the conversation about what fans should expect when it comes to the film's connections to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while it sounds like the threads will definitely exist, you probably don't need to marathon every single title in the franchise beforehand just to understand what's going on.

Scott Derrickson's Doctor Strange is an interesting comparison to make to Black Panther, given that it was the last time that Marvel Studios introduced their audience to a whole new world within the larger world they have established. In the same way that blockbuster gave movie-goers a sense of what magic is in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Ryan Coogler's film will be taking us on a head-first dive into the mysterious nation of Wakanda, which should be a place unlike anything we've ever seen on the big screen before. Introducing that special environment and the characters who live there is going to be a heavy task for the feature, so it is logical for it to be one of Marvel's more standalone projects.

But what about setting things up for the future? Black Panther is notably the last Marvel Studios film to be released prior to the epic Avengers: Infinity War set to be released in May, and there has been speculation regarding how much set-up for the summer we can expect to see in the February film. It turns out that the answer is "not a lot," given what Nate Moore told us on set when asked if the new movie would have to "support anything that comes after:"

Black Panther's larger connection to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is just one of many, many things that has us incredibly pumped for the release of the new film. You can feel free to start counting down the days until release -- the movie set to come out on February 16th -- but be sure to also stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we will have a ton more for you from our set visit here on the site!

When we last saw T'Challa a.k.a. Black Panther on the big screen, things weren't precisely going great for him. In Captain America: Civil War, he not only had a front row seat to the assassination of his father, King T'Chaka, but also found himself embroiled in an international conflict involving the biggest superheroes on the planet. That's quite a lot to deal with, but as we learned from Chadwick Boseman on the set of the upcoming Black Panther solo film last year, he will have a whole host of new issues to face when we see him next. Said Boseman,

Marvel fans have seen royal family drama play out before in the Thor movies, but what it sounds like what Black Panther has in store is quite a bit different than a spat between brothers over who should be sitting on the throne. I was part of a group of journalists to fly out to Atlanta, Georgia when the film was still in production in early 2017, and it was during a roundtable interview with Chadwick Boseman that we got the lowdown on where the titular character is at the start of the story. It would seem that Wakanda is not yet over the shocking death of King T'Chaka, and while T'Challa is the familial heir, there is some doubt regarding whether or not he is ready for the big job. Or as producer Nate Moore put it when we sat down with him earlier in the day,

As it turns out, not every leader in Wakanda is going to be super on-board with the idea of T'Challa taking the throne -- despite the fact that it is his birthright, and that he has been preparing to take on the job for his entire life. The reality is that nobody saw the assassination of T'Chaka coming, so it's unclear if T'Challa is yet mature enough to take on the job, leading some individuals who question if there's someone more capable for it. It's from this conflict that we will see some major players emerge, including Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger and Winston Duke's M'Baku.

During our interview, Nate Moore succinctly explained T'Challa's relationship with the other leaders of Wakanda, and hinted at how it will not only lead to developments in the plot of Black Panther, but also create some substantial inner conflict for the titular hero:

This is truly only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the material we learned on the set of Black Panther, and we will have a ton more coming your way in the next few days and weeks. Stay tuned for all of our coverage here on CinemaBlend, and look for the Marvel blockbuster in theaters on February 16th.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has essentially changed the landscape of movie production. Introducing the concept of shared universes and serialized storytelling, the MCU has helped to shape how blockbusters are developed. But there is one aspect of the shared universe that has garnered negative criticism: the lack of diversity. The first two phases of the MCU focused almost entirely on caucasian characters, with many audiences calling for more inclusive casts. Phase Three will likely aid to change this with movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming and Black Panther, and now one Marvel exec has revealed why the MCU hasn't been so diverse in the past.

Nate Moore started as a Marvel writer, and has since gone on to executive produce both Captain America: Civil War and Black Panther. Regarding the original lack of diversity int he MCU, Moore revealed that proper storytelling was a bigger priority than purposeful inclusivity, saying:

This actually helps to contextualize the choices made by Marvel studios. Rather than introducing characters merely because they'd make the MCU more diverse, the higher ups decided to organically include these figures when the stories called for it.

And while this response might elicit groans from the MCU's critics, there have been prominent characters of color represented in the universe since the very first movie. Iron Man introduced Tony's best friend and future War Machine James Rhodes, and both Thor and Captain America have included POCs in important roles. Obviously Black Panther will be a game changer, as black artists will be heading the film both behind and in front of the camera.

In the same interview with Complex, Nate Moore also addressed how Marvel studios can sometimes have their hands tied in regards to color blind casting. The hardcore comic fandom (as well as the Marvel comics execs) often provide pushback when characters' races are changed, citing a lack of loyalty to the source material. Moore revealed how Idris Elba's role in the Thor franchise was originally a difficult concept to pitch, although it didn't ultimately stop them from casting the A-lister.

Overall, these conversations are constructive and important ones to have regarding media representation. And Phase Three of the MCU will be the most diverse yet, with Spider-Man: Homecoming featuring a diverse cast that will be making up Peter Parker's world, as well as the highly anticipated Black Panther movie.