Annlyel James 
Annlyel shares her reaction to the big MCU revelations at SDCC
Saturday night for millions of fans around the world was a momentous occasion as Kevin Feige revealed what to expect in the next couple of years for the MCU. Following the live tweets were almost as if being there in the actual auditorium as announcement after announcement was made and by the end of the panel I had to lay down and gather my thoughts as calmly as possible because I was losing it.
There were so many jaw-dropping things we learned about during that panel and I am here to share the five highlights that sent me over the edge with excitement.
1. The Mandarin Is Here
One of the weakest Marvel villains that have been a part of the MCU was the “Mandarin” in Iron Man 3. Aldrich Killian/The Mandarin played by Guy Pearce. Many avid Marvel comic book fans were upset with the way the franchise handled the villain but it seems they will redeem themselves with the real version of The Mandarin making his debut in Shang-Chi And The Legend of The Ten Rings.
2. The Falcon, the Winter Soldier, and Zemo
Falcon and the Winter Soldier have always been some of my favorite characters in the MCU but they were always secondary characters to Captain America. Now that his story has ended they will now have the chance to shine. Not only will we get a fascinating buddy bromance between these two heroes but Zemo is returning to give them plenty of trouble, in his classic comic book getup, and I am thrilled.
3. What the WandaVision!
When I heard about the WandaVision series coming to Disney+ I was already excited but I figured it was going to take place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Wrong! In some really strange it’s going to take place in the 60s’, will feature how Wanda Maximoff gets her classic comic book alias, Scarlet Witch, and feature a grown Monica Rambeau as part of the story. To say I’m excited is an understatement.
4. Oh My Thor: Love and Thunder!
It’s already been established that I love Thor and Valkyrie. They are two fantastic characters who have made the MCU that much more enjoyable. Jane Foster, not that much. She practically ruined the first two Thor movies. So hearing Natalie Portman was back was almost a deal breaker…until they announced that she would be playing a female Thor. My jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe it and yet I was so excited at the same time.
We all know Natalie Portman can do a pretty good job portraying a powerful heroine like she did in The Phantom Menace so I’m actually intrigued in seeing her take on this role. What is Natalie Portman going to look like in armor? That should be interesting.
5. That Blade Mic Drop
I’ve been saying for a while how badly I want to see Blade make an appearance in the MCU and I felt that it would be great to introduce him in this next phase of the franchise. Well, obviously the heads of Marvel Studios had the same idea, hence the announcement that Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali would play the vampire-hunting superhero Blade.
I (figuratively) passed out for ten seconds after hearing the news.
The Infinity Saga was great, truly outstanding. Avengers: Infinity War, Black Panther, Avengers: Endgame, Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok, those were great movies with fantastic characters and riveting storylines. But The Infinity Saga is over and a new story has begun and I am ready for this next adventure. So, so ready.
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Annlyel James is a prolific Staff Writer for Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Follow her on Twitter @annlyeljames where she channels the Force frequently!
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Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
