Marvel’s new slate of eight superhero films announced at a fan event includes both sequels to its stream of box office hits and new franchises, with Doctor Strange kicking off the newcomers in 2016. Doctor Strange is a former neurosurgeon who loses the ability to perform surgery and turns to magic. Despite widespread reports that he would be played by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch, Marvel did not confirm casting. “If (casting) were confirmed, we would have introduced him today. Every single actor of a certain age has been rumoured to be Doctor Strange,” Marvel studio president Kevin Feige said.
Scarlett Johansson willl continue to play Black Widow.
“We are excited to tap into what excites us the most, which is the supernatural,” Feige said. He also added there is plenty of time to find an actor to play Captain Marvel, the alter-ego of a character named Carol Danvers, for the film that will be released in July 2018. While Marvel has female superheroes like Black Widow played by Scarlett Johansson, this is the first time a woman will anchor a film in what is widely seen as an effort to bring more women and girls to the fan-boy heavy Marvel universe. Feige said there are no plans for a stand-alone Black Widow film, but that Johansson’s character will continue to be featured prominently in the other Marvel films.
Black Panther, the superhero alter-ego of T’Challa, will premiere in 2017 and will be played by 42 actor Chadwick Boseman, who will also appear in Captain America: Civil War, the third installment of the Captain America franchise starring Chris Evans. Boseman and Evans were joined by Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. at the event held where fans erupted in screams and cheers while the actors bantered on stage for a few minutes.
Avengers: Infinity War, the third installment of the ensemble superhero franchise, will be split into two parts, with part one to release in May 2018 and part two in May 2019. With Disney Animation releasing its first Marvel-inspired movie Big Hero 6 next week and Ant-Man and Avengers: Age of Ultron scheduled for next year, Marvel is pushing ahead with new characters and franchises.
In addition to new solo superheroes, Marvel will unveil the ensemble cast of Inhumans in 2018 for its 20th film, with Feige saying he hopes it will lead to numerous spin-off franchises.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 30th, 2014.
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