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Credit: Inside the MagicCaptain Marvel is one of the most divisive characters in Marvel Cinematic Universe history. Debuting in 2019 in Captain Marvel, Brie Larson’s take on the classic comic book character split the fandom but still went on to net over a billion dollars at the global box office. Now, after Larson is replaced as the cosmic-powered hero, one Marvel project just got a huge, long-awaited update ahead of the release of The Marvels (2023), previously known as Captain Marvel 2.
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Oscar winner Brie Larson arrived on the MCU scene in 2019. Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s feature film gave the character her origin story, teaming Larson up with Lashana Lynch’s Maria Rambeau and Samuel L. Jackson’s Agent Nick Fury, long before he met Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and began the Avengers Initiative.
Despite the Marvel film bringing in massive box office receipts, Larson drew backlash for her iteration of Captain Marvel, which lasts to this day. That hasn’t stopped Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios from investing in the character, though. She was, of course, one of the major players in the Russ Brothers’ Infinity Saga finale, Avengers: Endgame (2019), alongside Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and will star in the sequel to Captain Marvel — The Marvels (2023) — this November.
Director Nia DaCosta’s Captain Marvel 2, AKA The Marvels, turns one Marvel into many, with Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani joining Larson as Monica Rambeau/Photon and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, respectively. Zawe Ashton will also star as the undisclosed villain in the Captain Marvel sequel. The Marvels is part of Marvel Phase Five which began in February with the widely-panned Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) from director James Gunn.
Another place fans found Carol Danvers post-Captain Marvel was in the small screen adaptation of Marvel Comics’ “What If…?”. Marvel’s What If…? on Disney+ aired in the summer of 2021 as part of Phase Four, shortly after Loki wrapped up on the Disney streaming service. While at first seemingly a filler TV show, the animated anthology series was much more important than many fans first thought. With a deeper look into the Multiverse and an introduction of characters like Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), What If…? paved the way for movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022).
But, while What If…? was important to the overarching Multiverse Saga narrative, A.C. Bradley’s series missed out on some big names. Directed by Bryan Andrews, What If…? assembled one of the largest A-list casts seen on TV. Many of the actors who play characters in the live-action universe returned, including Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man.
Some, however, did not. Iron Man and Spider-Man, for example, were voiced by Mick Wingert and Hudson Thames, respectively. Josh Keaton brought Steve Rogers to life, and Cynthia McWilliams voiced Gamora. Then there was Fred Tatasciore as Drax the Destroyer, Lake Bell as Black Widow, Ross Marquand as Ultron, and Alexandra Daniels as Captain Marvel.
Now, the series that stars these recast actors has just gotten a huge update. Per KC Walsh (via The Direct), we have a first real scoop over when What If…? Season 2 may release. The report states that the sophomore season of What If…? will release in the first quarter of 2024. Initially, it was claimed that the animated series would release in “early 2023” and would join the likes of Loki Season 2, Secret Invasion, Echo, Ironheart, and Agatha: Coven of Chaos in the year’s slate.
However, that all changed just last month when it seemed that Marvel and Disney reshuffled the entire year, leaving only Loki Season 2 and Secret Invasion on the 2023 roster; the rest have all been pushed back, with Agatha reportedly shifting to 2025. The delays come as newly-reinstated Disney CEO Bob Iger aims to make Disney+ profitable, and Feige declared a strip-back on all things streaming.
Related: Marvel Officially Introduces Native American Superhero In ‘What If…?’
What If…? Season 2 already has some cast assembled, and while Alexandra Daniels is not yet one of them, she can be expected to return, considering she was only in the first season very lightly, and more Captain Marvel stories are coming by the way of the big screen soon. The show follows Jeffrey Wright’s Uatu, AKA The Watcher, as he traverses the Multiverse, discovering, but never interfering, in the character’s affairs.
What If…? Season 2, if released in early 2024, will be part of Marvel Phase Five.
Do you think What If…? will be coming in 2024? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!