After the release of Captain Marvel, everything is up in the air for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Although the conclusion of the Avengers saga and the Spider-Man sequel will be released this year, the future of the MCU isn’t as easy to track now that major players like Captain America, Iron Man and Thor may be leaving the franchise.
According to fan speculation, this new phase of the MCU will rely mainly on Captain Marvel, Black Panther and Dr. Strange, who will act as this generation’s three main leaders. More characters will enter the fold, but these three will be the threads that hold it all together.
The Hashtag Show reports that Marvel is currently looking to cast an actor between the ages of 30 to 49, who physically looks like a superhero, and who’s preferably openly gay. It’s unknown if the company is trying to be more inclusive in their casting or if they really want to be the first to break down the barrier and introduce the first gay superhero to theaters.
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The Marvel movies are one of the most successful and enduring film franchises because they follow a pretty strict formula that doesn’t allow much wiggle room for ideas that go against the norm. It took the company over a decade to finally introduce a female superhero, and that same amount of time to give an opportunity to female directors and creators. Still, the success of Black Panther and the predicted box office performance of Captain Marvel could be the factor that pushes Marvel to be more inclusive.
This new character is rumored to be one of the leads in The Eternals, Marvel’s upcoming superhero ensemble movie. The film will be directed by Chloé Zhao, the first woman of color to direct within the Marvel Universe, and is slated for release November 2020.
