Credit: Marvel StudiosIt seems like Marvel Studios is building its superhero presence across the pond!
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For many years, Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studios has built the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) around the core Avengers team, initially introduced in Joss Whedon’s The Avengers (2012). This team centered around Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man/Tony Stark and his iconic New York City-based Stark Tower — later turned Avengers Tower.
Now, following Tony Stark’s selfless sacrifice in Avengers: Endgame (2019), and Chris Evans’ Captain America/Steve Rogers‘ retirement after entrusting his iconic Vibranium shield (and “Cap” title) to Anthony Mackie’s Falcon/Sam Wilson, it seems like The Walt Disney Company is set on relocating a major superhero team to foreign shores.
A New Avengers HQ?
Recently, a report from Hollywood insider Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) has surfaced, lending credence to the likelihood of Marvel Studios bringing a UK-based team into the Marvel fold.
However, this isn’t coming out of nowhere — the seeds have long been planted, and this report merely brings some context to Marvel’s future plans.
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All of this information falls in line with hints from previous MCU outings of a London-centric team of heroes.
The seeds were sown in 2021’s Eternals, which primarily took place in the United Kingdom (UK), introducing a whole host of heroes as well as Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington) from Marvel Comics as the future Black Knight.
Richtman’s insider report (via Cosmic Geek and Richtman’s Patreon/subscriber feed) additionally claims that Olivia Colman’s Sonya Falsworth and Emilia Clarke’s Skrull G’aiah, who both featured significantly in Secret Invasion (2023) alongside Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury, are set to join these “UK Avengers”, on top of Kit Harrington’s aforementioned Dane Whitman/Black Knight:
RUMOR: Marvel is reportedly working on a series about a group of superheroes based in the UK.
The main characters would feature Olivia Colman as Sonya Falsworth, Kit Harrington as Black Knight, and Emilia Clarke as G’iah.
(via: @DanielRPK)
#Marvel #MarvelStudios
RUMOR: Marvel is reportedly working on a series about a group of superheroes based in the UK.
The main characters would feature Olivia Colman as Sonya Falsworth, Kit Harrington as Black Knight, and Emilia Clarke as G’iah.
(via: @DanielRPK) #Marvel #MarvelStudios pic.twitter.com/kL8MEKXCsH
— Cosmic Geek (@thecosmicgeek_) December 26, 2023
Farewell, America: Marvel’s Future Plans
This “UK Avengers” concept appears to be a perfect way to introduce the upcoming MCU version of the “Midnight Sons” team from the Marvel Comics.
Since Kit Harington as Dane Whitman/Black Knight and Mahershala Ali’s Blade have already been teased in Eternals, it seems as if the team might form around this duo. Following the post-credits cliffhanger from Eternals featuring the Black Knight’s iconic Ebony Blade, and considering the Midnight Sons in the comic book world often deal with supernatural and occult threats, it appears as if a more “supernatural” approach to the UK team is in the works.
Other members of the Midnight Sons will likely include the abovementioned Mahershala Ali, who will take on the role of Blade, a fan-favorite vampire hunter who is half-human and half-vampire.
Moon Knight is another likely Midnight Sons member, played by Oscar Isaac in the Disney+ (Disney Plus) Moon Knight (2021) series. Isaac’s character has dissociative identity disorder (DID), and his multiple personalities include American Marc Spector, taxi driver Jake Lockley, and “British” Egyptology nerd Steven Grant — with the character already living in London.
Additionally, Gael García Bernal as Jack Russell and Laura Donnelly as Elsa Bloodstone will likely join this merry band — both stars of the much-acclaimed supernatural-themed Marvel Studios Special Presentation Werewolf By Night. Michael Morbius the Living Vampire is a staple from the comics, whose film version is played by Jared Leto in the much-memed Morbius (2021). Morbius might also join from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe line-up — though fans might never let Marvel live it down.
Potentially, Nicolas Cage might join up and reprise his role as Ghost Rider/Johnny Blaze from the 2007 film Ghost Rider, as reports have teased. Currently, there exist several Multiversal variants of Ghost Rider— not just Nicolas Cage’s Johnny Blaze, but Diego Luna’s Robbie Reyes, and even Clark Gregg’s Phil Coulson from The Avengers (2012) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013-2020).
With all the focus What If…? Season 2 is putting on the British Captain Carter/Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) character, a Multiversal team up featuring these “UK Avengers”, or even Midnight Sons, seems more or less inevitable.
What do you think about Marvel Studios moving focus away from the US to the UK? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!