If you wonder why some series and movies Marvel are taking so long since their original announcement, it is probably due to disney. At least that’s what the book says. MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studioswhose authors claim that Mickey Mouse’s house forced Kevin Feige’s team to present several Phase 6 projects ahead of time to please its shareholders. Situation that would have especially impacted two titles: The Fantastic Four and Armor Wars.
According to the aforementioned publication, Disney pressured Marvel Studios to announce phase 6 productions during Investor Day 2020, which took place in December of that year. This would have been by direct order of Bob Chapek, then CEO of Disney, and Bob Iger, who at the beginning of that year had stepped aside as executive director, but remained as a member of the board of directors.
Disney’s idea was to calm the anxieties of fans and investors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and at the same time generate expectation for the future. This is how Marvel Studios appeared on the scene with a long list of trailers and news in which upcoming titles such as WandaVision, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness either Lokiand others that are very vague or distant, such as The Fantastic Four and Armor Wars.
The authors of the book maintain that These last two productions were not even close to starting production. But Marvel gave in to pressure and released them to feed the hype and paint a better picture in a very challenging context. Almost three years after that announcement, both films are still in a very early stage of development.
Disney’s pressure to announce The Fantastic Four and Armor Wars
Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be made up of at least 11 productions, including series and movies. However, there are very few that have already been made official as part of that premiere segment. We are talking, of course, about The Fantastic Four and the next two installments of The Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars. In the case of Armor Wars The details are truly scarce, although it is assumed that it will be part of this instance.
If we analyze The Fantastic Four, the project has been the cause of great speculation and has not been without controversy. When Marvel announced the feature film at Investor Day 2020, he indicated that Jon Watts would take over the direction. However, the filmmaker left the project surprisingly in April 2022 and was replaced by Matt Shakmanthe director of WandaVision.
The rumors of The Fantastic Four They focus more on the casting than on how the characters will be introduced into the MCU. These days, in fact, the information emerged that Pedro Pascal would be the main choice to play Reed Richards. While Javier Bardem would appear as a strong candidate for the role of Galactus, the villain of the film. At another time, Adam Driver and Antonio Banderas were talked about as options for both characters; while Vanessa Kirby could be Sue Storm.
If we observe Armor Wars, the panorama is much more blurred. Marvel introduced it as a series for Disney+ with Don Cheadle returning as James Rhodes/War Machine. However, the project grew enough to be converted into a film and taken to theaters. A rumor emerged in late 2022 that the story would bring back James Spader as Ultron, although not much else is known.
Don Cheadle himself acknowledged earlier this year that Secret Invasion would serve as a starting point for the events of Armor Wars. However, the failure of the series starring Samuel L. Jackson does not seem to leave the land in the best possible condition. For now, this film still has no defined release date. The Fantastic FourMeanwhile, they are scheduled to arrive on global billboards on May 2, 2025, if there is no delay again.