Welcome back to my weekday Wordle Solution Diary, where I take you step-by-step through my own Wordle puzzle efforts. Today, we're tackling Wordle #254.
For those unfamiliar with Wordle, The New York Times’ (recently-purchased) daily word game asks you to guess a five-letter word in six tries. Simple right?
If you just want to skip to the Wordle answer for today , (and yes, we have a page to do just that), you can depart right now. But what would be the fun in that?
You want to preserve your streak and, I believe, learn how to get better at Wordle, which means making smart choices and understanding the tactics that can take you from a "Winning in 5" to a "Solved in three" kind of Wordle player.
The guide below includes how I make my guesses and images of my work. When I make a mistake, you'll see it. Maybe it'll help you avoid some of your own.
Let's Wordle together.
Spoiler Alert: If you do not want to know today’s Wordle answer, STOP READING IMMEDIATELY.
Starting early
Showered and dressed, I feel ready to beat Wordle at its own game. I play today's Wordle on my desktop to ease the screen captures I'll use to help guide you.
The first word
Your biggest leap will always be that first word. I can choose any five-letter word but, generally, dismiss anything with double letters, as per our guide on how to win at Wordle .
There are two goals: Get as many correct letters in the right spots as possible and miraculously guess the word on the first try. Thus far, I've never accomplished the latter.
I chose "PLACE" because of its attractive mix of vowels and consonants. Look at all those vowels. How can I miss with this word?
Mixed results
I've seen worse first results (see #251 ). The "E" at the end (right letter and right place) is a nice anchor to start with. I'm not surprised to see the "C" in there; so many five-letter words include a "C."
One thing I do not do at any stage in my process is Google words that include "C" and/or "E." It just feels like cheating. Come on, we can do this the old-fashioned way.
The second guess
As happy as I am that I now have two-out-of-five letters, this is not enough raw material to construct a word. As a result, I'm going with my tried-and-true strategy of a second word that uses a completely new collection of letters. You know what I want: To solve this Wordle in three.
(Yes, I know those of you that love Wordle's Hard Mode will look down upon me. But the stats show that I'm in the majority of people playing the game, so I'm OK with it.)
Obviously, "Rough" is not the word, but I'm hoping a few of those letters are winners. As I prepare to hit enter, it occurs to me I'm doing all this before my first cup of coffee. That may be a mistake.
Double the fun
Look at me, picking up two new letters. Four-fifths of the way there to all the letters I need and a Wordle solution. My next guess is crucial. I can't rush things. I really want to solve this in three.
Three's the charm?
With four letters, I plan to spend a few minutes trying different letter combinations in my head and on the Wordle board before committing (hitting "Enter"). I need strategy, inspiration, and luck.
Two vowels and two consonants make me think this isn't one of those oddball words or one where people might accuse The New York Times of making the game harder .
One hurdle: Only one letter is in the right place but I think old friends "C" and "H" might be paired together at the start of the Wordle answer.
I have the tiniest epiphany. An open vowel, like "O," has to go after "CH." If that's the case, there's really only one choice for what can go between "CHO" and the "E" that we know does belong at the end.
Still wishing I was holding a cup of coffee in my hand, I hit enter.
Wait, what?
Not gonna lie, I am shocked. I really thought "CHOSE" was the answer. It's a great five-letter word, and S is one of the most popular letters. I'm honestly bummed that I missed out on solving Wordle in three.
In a situation like this, where four of the correct letters are also in their correct places, the task becomes relatively simple: go through the remaining letters in your head, slotting each one into the open spot.
The only obvious answer is what just happened to me a moment ago.
Success
I can't really blame myself for first choosing "CHOSE" over "CHOKE." I'm generally positive, totally non-violent, and I'm not into sports. The word simply never occurred to me.
I also consider myself lucky - CHORE is a word using the more popular R in the space there, and that could have seen me do this in five attempts, despite a strong strategy.
In the end, this is a pretty good result and Wordle credits me with a "Splendid" for my efforts. How did you do?
Doctor Strange 2 may be a weirder MCU movie than we realize
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is promising "a lot more besides" what its title suggests, according to one of its main stars.
Benedict Cumberbatch, who reprises his role as the Sorcerer Supreme in the MCU movie , believes that fans aren't ready for how mind-bending and surreal it'll be.
Interviewed by Entertainment Tonight at the 2022 SAG Awards ceremony, attentions inevitably turned to Doctor Strange 2 , which arrives in theaters on May 6. And, after joking about what fans will read into his facial expressions when asked about the movie, Cumberbatch suggested that its two trailers have only scratched the surface about what it'll entail.
"It's a feast," Cumberbatch said of the Marvel Phase 4 project. "It's a Sam Raimi special. It's got everything it says in the title – and a lot more besides."
Okay, it's not a lot to go on, but Cumberbatch can't reveal too much – or, rather, anything of note – about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. We're used to the secrecy surrounding Marvel movies and TV shows these days, so the best we can do is speculate on what he may be inferring here.
Potential spoilers for Doctor Strange 2 follow. Don't read past the image unless you want possible aspects of the film ruined for you.
On the surface, Doctor Strange 2's various cameos and character variants seems like the most logical assumption to make about Cumberbatch's quote.
If you've been following the film's development, you'll know about the rumors concerning who may appear in the superhero movie . So far, we (and plenty of other Marvel fans) are confident that Patrick Stewart's Professor X will appear , while Ryan Reynolds' Deadpool could also feature.
But there's speculation circulating online about other candidates who could show up. An Iron Man variant (potentially played by none other than Mission Impossible 's Tom Cruise), Tom Hiddleston's Loki , Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) from Marvel's What If...? anthology series, and the Fantastic Fou r's Reed Richards (who could be portrayed by A Quiet Place's John Krazinski) have all been heavily rumored to appear. Even Bruce Campbell, a long-time collaborator of director Sam Raimi, has a cameo role , with some speculating he'll play an Asgardian god called Balder the Brave.
All of these character appearances and potential cameos, though, tie back into the 'Multiverse of Madness' part of the title. Cumberbatch's "it's got everything in the title" comment covers the film's cameo appearance aspect. In our view, then, it's unlikely that the "and a lot more besides" part of his answer is alluding to these specifically.
So what else could Cumberbatch be insinuating here? Maybe it has something to do with Raimi's vision for the film and how he may have tweaked the Marvel movie formula.
As a horror director extraordinaire, we expect Raimi to bring terror, existential dread, and other fear-inducing elements to proceedings. Cumberbatch's co-star Elizabeth Olsen has confirmed as much in multiple interviews , so we can expect a fair few scares when it arrives in theaters.
But Raimi is equally known for including surreal comedy elements in his movies. His Evil Dead franchise is renowned as a horror-comedy film series, while his Spider-Man trilogy contained some amusing and meme-worthy moments. Who can forget, for instance, that Tobey Maguire dance sequence in Spider-Man 3?
It's possible, then, that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may contain some signature Raimi comedy-horror sensibilities. Previous Marvel movies have been humorous on occasion, but it'll be interesting to see if Raimi brings his unique comedy-horror leanings to proceedings
Add in the narrative twists and turns that its trailers have teased, such as Scarlet Witch being the true villain of the piece, and Doctor Strange 2 seems like it'll deliver "a lot more besides" what its title suggests. Given that Benedict Wong's claim that the film's cast doesn't even know how it'll end , audiences are sure to be for a wild ride when it launches in theaters. Once it does, we'll have a clearer idea of what Cumberbatch meant by his latest and most intriguing answer.
MCU Phase 4: Marvel movie release dates, Disney Plus shows, and more
Do you want the lowdown on every MCU Phase 4 project? You've come to the right place. There are plenty of movies and TV shows on the way from Marvel Studios, and we suspect you may need some help determining when and where they'll be released.
That's where we come in. Below, we'll run you through every MCU Phase 4 production that's set to arrive in 2022 and beyond. That includes Marvel movies such as Thor 4 and Black Panther 2 , plus the burgeoning slate of Disney Plus shows set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
With Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness finally out in theaters – you can read more about it in our ending explainer and all cameos articles – it's time to turn our attentions to one of those TV show offerings, too. Ms Marvel is the next MCU Phase 4 project that Marvel plans to release, with the series set to debut on Disney's streaming platform in early June.
There are a few more MCU Disney Plus shows on the way later this year as well, but none of them have concrete launch dates just yet. Still, Ms Marvel and Thor: Love and Thunder will keep us entertained over the summer (or winter if you live in the southern hemisphere).
It's not just Marvel's 2022 slate that we cover below either. You'll also find the latest news and rumors on MCU Phase 4 productions that have just finished filming, are currently in production, or still in the pre-production stage. We wouldn't want you to miss out on everything concerning Marvel's juggernaut franchise, so we'll regularly keep you up to date on what's what in the MCU. We're nice like that.
Be advised that there are big spoilers for Doctor Strange 2 in some of the entries below, plus possible spoilers for future Marvel projects . If you're happy to proceed, here's everything we know about the Phase 4 of the MCU.
MCU Phase 4 release dates: movies and TV shows coming soon
There are a number of MCU Phase 4 projects that have official launch dates, but other key releases are ambiguous for now.
The biggest (and most recent) change to Marvel's schedule saw Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania trade places with The Marvels. The former is believed to be further along the production pipeline than the latter, so Ant-Man 3 will now launch in February 2023. The Marvels has subsequently been pushed to July 2023.
Read on for a list of confirmed launch dates for every movie and TV show, as well as tentative release windows for other MCU Phase 4 productions.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release date: July 8, 2022
The only Avenger to receive a fourth solo movie (so far, anyway), Thor’s MCU arc will continue this summer.
Like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Doctor Strange 2 , Thor: Love and Thunder will be a mini-Avengers movie of sorts, as it'll also star the Guardians of the Galaxy, Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie, and see Natalie Portman’s Jane Foster return as superpowered alter-ego The Mighty Thor.
Director Taika Waititi says the film draws inspiration from Jason Aaron’s Mighty Thor comic series, which sees Foster gain abilities similar to Thor while undergoing cancer treatment. We also know that Christian Bale (The Dark Knight, Vice) will portray Gorr the God Butcher and Russell Crowe is set to feature as Zeus . Meanwhile, Waititi calls Thor 4 the “craziest film [he’s] ever done”. Fingers crossed that’s genuine and not hyperbole.
The first teaser for Thor 4 finally arrived on April 18 , giving us our first look at Portman's Mighty Thor among other intriguing snippets of footage. It seems that the god of thunder is having a mid-life crisis (whatever one of those is when you're hundreds of years old) before he's drawn into another cosmic adventure when Gorr comes knocking. Get ready for another rip-roaring but emotional ride from Waititi and company, then.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release date: November 11, 2022
Perhaps the most poignant Marvel film currently in production, and with good reason. Black Panther’s MCU journey will continue without the iconic Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in August 2020 after a four-year battle with cancer. Marvel chose not to recast T’Challa in honor of Boseman and, as a result, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ’s plot has been reshaped five times, according by director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole.
Lupita Nyongo’s Nakia, Letitia Wright’s Shuri, Angela Bassett’s Ramonda, Danai Gurira’s Okoye, Winston Duke's M'Baku, Martin Freeman's Everett Ross and are all returning from the first film. Meanwhile, I May Destroy You’s Michaela Coel has also been cast in an undisclosed role. Per The Direct , Daniel Kaluuya's W'Kabi is also slated to return, but Marvel hasn't confirmed this yet.
Wakanda Forever will also introduce a live-action version of Ironheart, aka Riri Williams, a genius inventor and MIT student who creates her own Iron Man-style armor suit. Expect Tony Stark’s MCU successor to play a big role in proceedings in this MCU Phase 4 project, plus one of the established cast assuming the mantle of Black Panther at some point. According to The Cosmic Circus , however, multiple actors will wear the Black Panther suit in the sequel. Finally, Namor is set to make his live-action debut as the film's primary antagonist/anti-hero, with Tenoch Huerta (The Forever Purge) reportedly set to play the ocean-dwelling individual.
Filming has wrapped on the movie, while the film's first footage was shown at CinemaCon 2022 . As long as no reshoots are required, Black Panther 2 is on course for its late 2022 release.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Release date: February 17, 2023
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which arrives in theaters earlier than anticipated, could properly introduce us to the MCU’s next big bad after Thanos.
Little is known about this film’s plot, but we do know that its antagonist will be none other than Kang the Conqueror. The time traveling genius will be played by Jonathan Majors, who portrayed one of Kang’s time variants – He Who Remains – in Loki season 1 . And his official arrival could have huge repercussions for the MCU moving forward.
Majors’ Kang aside, Ant-Man 3 will also see the return of Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer and Kathryn Newton as Scott Lang/Ant-Man, Hope van Dyne/Wasp, Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne and Cassie Lang. Legendary actor Bill Murray will also have a role in proceedings, and he recently teased that he may be a bad guy alongside Majors' Kang. Prominent leaker MyTimetoShineHello has also claimed that another Marvel supervillain – MODOK – will appear (as voiced by Corey Stoll) and, given their track record, this could have some truth to it. Samuel L Jackson has seemingly revealed that Nick Fury will appear, too .
Peyton Reed, who directed the first two Ant-Man flicks, returns in the hot seat and has hinted that the Quantum Realm will play a big role in proceedings. Principal photography wrapped in November 2021, but reshoots took place in San Francisco earlier this year . Even so, Ant-Man 3 is on course for an early 2023 release.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release date: May 5, 2023
One of three movies arriving next year, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will bring the curtain down on the trilogy that James Gunn has helmed since 2014.
Guardians 3 will be set after Thor: Love and Thunder and the Guardians’ forthcoming Disney Plus Holiday special. Outside of some potential line-up changes – Dave Bautista won’t return as Drax after Guardians 3 , while Gunn has teased some major character deaths in the threequel – we don’t know much about this flick. One thing we do know is that Will Poulter has been cast as Adam Warlock, whose appearance was teased in Guardians 2's post-credits scene.
Murphy's Multiverse has claimed that Chukwudi Iwuji will reportedly play the movie's main villain, though we won't spoil who that is here. Gunn has confirmed that Iwuji had joined the cast, and told Collider that Marvel Studios are "stoked" for what they've seen and read about Guardians 3. But he also revealed that the film will be "different than what people are going to expect". So should we get the tissues ready now, or...
Gunn has confirmed that filming has wrapped on Guardians 3 and the group's Disney Plus Holiday special. Meanwhile, leaked on-set images suggest that the team will be wearing more comic book accurate costumes in this MCU Phase 4 flick, which is sure to please Marvel comic fans.
The Marvels
Release date: July 28, 2023
While technically a Captain Marvel sequel, this Nia DaCosta-directed film will see a female superhero-only team up on the big screen for the first time. That is, if you discount Avengers: Endgame's all-female ensemble during the climactic battle against Thanos' forces.
Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers will reunite with Teyonah Parris’ Monica Rambeau, the daughter of Danvers’ best friend Maria (Lashana Lynch) from the first movie. The last time we saw Rambeau, aka Photon, she'd acquired her own superpowers in WandaVision , so expect an awkward and superpowered family-style reunion between the pair.
Elsewhere, Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel will also make her live-action movie debut. Vellani’s Kamala Khan will star in her own Disney Plus show first, which is coming in June, so we’ll be introduced to her before The Marvels lands in theaters. Zawe Ashton (Velvet Buzzsaw) has also been cast as the movie’s villain, while Park Seo-joon (Parasite) will play an as-yet-unnamed character. Samuel L Jackson has suggested that Nick Fury will be part of the cast, too.
Filming reportedly wrapped on the film in late 2022, but it won't be released worldwide for a while yet. Per Variety , the launch date change is simply down to Ant-Man 3 being further along in the production process than The Marvels, which implies that there's still some scenes left to be shot.
Fantastic Four
Release date: TBA
This Marvel Phase 4 movie is a biggie. A Fantastic Four MCU film is on the way, but there’s very little in the way of information about, well, anything to do with it right now.
Jon Watts, who directed all three Spider-Man MCU films, was set to take charge of its production. However, the director has since walked away from the project, with Deadline reporting he needs a break from the superhero genre. Bryce Dallas Howard, who stars in the Jurassic World films and also directed entries in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett , has reportedly been tapped to fill the director's chair.
MCU insiders MyTimeToShineHello and KnightEdgeMedia's Caleb William s have claimed that Marvel has begun the casting process. It seems that one of those roles has already been cast, but it may be a while before Marvel confirms anything cast-related. Fans have clamored for John Krasinskis (A Quiet Place, The Office) to play Mr. Fantastic/Reed Richards. And, given that he appeared in a crowd pleasing cameo in Doctor Strange 2, we'd be surprised if his services aren't retained for the MCU's version of the character in this MCU Phase 4 movie.
Finally, Charles Murphy has suggested that the movie will start filming sometime in 2023. His track record is usually good, so we're hopeful that it'll enter full production then ahead of a 2024 release date.
Blade
Release date: TBA
After his off-screen cameo in Eternals , Blade is getting his own solo movie.
So far, we know it'll star Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter, Bassam Tariq (Mogul Mowgli) is its director, and Stacy Osei-Kuffour (Watchmen, Hunters) is penning the script. Delroy Lindo (Da 5 Bloods, The Harder They Fall) has joined the cast (MCU leaker Greatphase claims he's playing Jamal Afari), while Marvel is said to be looking for a South East Asian actor and North African actress to add to Blade's line-up.
Murphy's Multiverse has alleged that Blade is looking to build a vampire-hunting team as part of the movie's plot, while Marvel scooper Grace Randolph claims the film will follow Eternals' lead and be set across multiple time periods. Greatphase has head similar rumors, but suggests we'll get a Blade film that's largely set in the present day.
There's no word on when filming will begin, but insiders like Atlanta Filming and The Cosmic Circus suggest principal photography will start in July 2022. Meanwhile, KC Walsh and The Cosmic Circus claim Blade will make his first on-screen MCU appearance in Werewolf By Night, an upcoming Disney Plus Halloween special.
According to a Marvel VFX supervisor, Blade may team up with Kit Harington's Black Knight (per CBR ) in the film, while Moon Knight star Oscar Isaac also wants a Midnight Sons team up with Blade. Given that Moon Knight producer Grant Curtis exclusively told TechRadar that the vigilante could turn up all over the MCU , that's certainly a possibility.
Ms Marvel
Release date: June 8, 2022
Launching in June, Ms Marvel introduces Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) to the MCU – its first Muslim superhero, and also the breakout star of the Marvel's Avengers game released last year.
She's a breath of fresh air as superhero characters go, with a Spider-Man-like origin story that makes her feel very complete from the off. As mentioned, this show will tie in to The Marvels, with Vellani reprising her role in that movie. If you need a rundown on who Ms Marvel is, check out our explainer . Bisha K Ali (Loki) serves as head writer, with Meera Menon (For All Mankind, Outlander) and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (Saving Face) on directing duties.
The show's first trailer landed online on March 15 and gave us our first real footage to pour over, including a notable change to how Kamala obtains her powers. Marvel head honcho Kevin Feige has since said (per Empire ) that the origin of Ms Marvel's powers have been tweaked, but we'll still her Khan's classic embiggen powers in some capacity.
There are plenty of rumors concerning Ms Marvel's cast, plot points, and how her TV show will tie into The Marvels. For a full rundown on those, check out our specific Ms Marvel hub .
Werewolf by Night Halloween Special
Release date: expected in October 2022
Directed by Michael Giacchino (composer on Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Batman , and Doctor Strange ), Werewolf by Night will continue to explore the supernatural side of the MCU.
The 60-minute special will reportedly star Gael García Bernal (Old) as Jake Gomez (per The Wrap ), who tries to protect his Arizona-based family (and himself) after he becomes the so-called Werewolf by Night, a superpowered lycanthorpe who first appeared in Marvel comic series run called Marvel Spotlight. Laura Donnelly (Tolkien, The Nevers) has also allegedly been cast as Elsa Bloodstone (per The Cosmic Circus ), a monster huntress and regular member of the Midnight Sons. Place your bets now on Elsa teaming up with Blade, Black Knight, and company if Marvel presses ahead with a Midnight Sons movie or TV show.
According to ComicBookom , filming wrapped in late April, bringing an end to a six-week long shoot. Here's hoping for some big cameo appearances from Blade, Moon Knight, and maybe even Man Thing in this MCU Phase 4 TV special.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Release date: December 2022
A Holiday Special that'll be under 40 minutes long ( according to director James Gunn ), this one-off episode will likely evoke the notoriously bad Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978, of which Gunn is a fan. The main Guardians cast will feature, it sounds like it's going to be canon – it's set before the third Guardians movie and after Thor: Love and Thunder – and Gunn has called it the "greatest thing I've ever done" (per Radio Times ). High praise indeed, considering what he's made before.
Filming took place alongside Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and it sounds like there could be a bunch of wild cameos in the Holiday Special. There are rumors that Mark Hamill could appear as Santa Clause , while prominent Marvel leaker KC Walsh has suggested that Kevin Bacon will also appear. Expect the Holiday Special to be action-packed regardless of that duo's appearance, with The Direct showcasing as much with these exclusive behind-the-scenes images.
She-Hulk
Release date: 2022 (expected)
She-Hulk should bring a different flavor to the MCU. Tatiana Maslany plays Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, in what's been described as a half-hour legal comedy, similar in vein to the Dan Slott comic from the mid-2000s that drew a lot of acclaim.
Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk will appaear, along with Tim Roth's Abomination. Jameela Jamil will play the show's villain Titania who, like Abomination, is a perfect match up for Walters' She-Hulk. Jessica Gao (Robot Chicken, Rick and Morty ) serves as head writer, while Kat Coiro (Dead to Me, Modern Family) and Anu Valia (Never Have I Ever) direct the 10-episode series.
Don't be surprised if more deep cut MCU characters are put on trial, based on how the comic went down and given rumors that MyTimetoShineHello and Greatphase have posted online. We won't spoil them all as we'll be here all day. As a taster, though, Charlie Cox's Daredevil is said to have a big supporting role , while Liv Tyler's Betty Ross – last seen in Marvel's 2008 Incredible Hulk movie – could unexpectedly feature alongside Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones from Netflix's Marvel TV universe.
We had been hoping to see or hear more about a release date and trailer soon. However, according to Reddit user lyserg16 (who revealed some high level WandaVision spoilers ahead of that show's January 2021 release), She-Hulk won't arrive until late 2022. KC Walsh claims that the delay is down to VFX issues – given the number of possible CGI characters who may show up, we wouldn't be surprised if that's the case.
Secret Invasion
Release date: 2022 (expected)
This show could be huge. Secret Invasion will focus on the Skrulls, as seen in Captain Marvel, with Ben Mendelsohn's Talos and Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury being the show's leads. Kingsley Ben-Adir (One Night in Miami), Olivia Colman (The Favorite), and Emilia Clarke ( Game of Thrones ) are also part of the cast. Kyle Bradstreet (Mr Robot) has penned the series, with Thomas Bezucha (Let Him Go) and Ali Selim (Condor) installed as directors.
"It's about a sect of Skrulls who have infiltrated every level of life on Earth," Kevin Feige said about the series back in December 2020. During November 2021's Disney Plus Day, we were treated to a brief shot of a grizzled-looking Fury, complete with grey beard and no eye patch. Clarke and Colman's characters will be spies, although Clarke will also have powers, according to Murphy's Multiverse . Meanwhile, as revealed by Jackson (per the Happy Sad Confused podcast ), Martin Freeman's Everett Ross and Don Cheadle's War Machine will also make cameo appearances.
There have been slight murmurings that the show could be delayed until 2023 as it's supposed to run alongside The Marvels. With the Captain Marvel sequel being pushed to summer 2023, that's certainly a bigger possibility now. Until Marvel states otherwise, though, we're crossing our fingers that it'll still land this year. Filming wrapped in late April , so here's hoping it will.
Marvel Phase 4: what other projects are in development?
None of these projects have release dates yet, but they're all confirmed to be in the works:
Ironheart
Its release date is yet to be announced, but an Ironheart Disney Plus series is on the way. The six-episode TV show has been written by Chinaka Hodge (Snowpiercer), with Angela Barnes (Killing It) and Samantha Bailey (Dear White People) set to direct the show.
Ironheart will star Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams, who will make her live-action debut in Black Panther 2. In The Heights' Anthony Ramos was recently cast to start alongside Thorne (per Deadline ), as was This Is Us' Lyric Ross (per THR ) in undisclosed roles. Productionlisom has also confirmed that newcomer Harper Anthony will star in the series as well.
Filming will begin in late June (per THR and productionlisom ) in Atlanta, while Black Panther helmer Ryan Coogler is also on board in some capacity , according to Ramos. No other concrete details are currently available, although The Illuminerdi has claimed that The Hood will be the series' villain , and that the child of Obidiah Stane – Tony Stark's adversary in Iron Man 1 – will be part of the cast. File these under "unconfirmed" for now.
Armor Wars
Don Cheadle’s James Rhodes/War Machine will appear in his own Disney Plus show soon, too.
Based on the comic series of the same name, filming is expected to begin in October 2022 (per The Cosmic Circus ) under the working title Rigatoni. Sam Rockwell's Justin Hammer is rumored to be returning (per Christopher Marc ), but won't be a villain per se (per Greatphase ). Walton Goggins' Sonny Burch from Ant-Man and the Wasp could also show up (per Greatphase ).
Little is known about the plot, but the show may also explore the aftermath of Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame in some capacity. Girls screenwriter Yassir Lester is on board to pen the scripts, but no director has been announced so far.
Untitled Wakanda TV show
Announced in February 2021, a Wakanda spinoff show – developed by Black Panther writer-director Ryan Coogler – is also in the works. Danai Gurira has signed a deal to reprise her role as Okoye in the unnamed TV series, but it’s unclear if other Black Panther stars will feature. That's all we know about it for now.
What If…? season 2
What If…? season 2 is already being developed at Marvel Studios. According to head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrew, one episode is ready to go (a Tony Stark and Gamora-centric episode that didn’t make it into season 1), some are nearing completion and others require more work.
Head writer AC Bradley recently teased (via Twitter ) that What If...? season 2 would be released later in 2022. Marvel Studios is yet to confirm this, however, so we'll keep this MCU Phase 4 production out of our confirmed 2022 Marvel TV show section for now.
Additionally, a 4chan leak – take it with a major pinch of salt for now because, well, it's 4chan – appears to offer some insight into what season 2's episodes will be about. Thanks to Reddit for the catch.
Loki season 2
The trickster god’s return was teased during the season 1 finale and, according to star Owen Wilson, filming will begin "pretty soon". According to productionlisom , Loki season 2 will start shooting on June 6, meaning that it may be with us sometime in 2023.
Tom Hiddleston will reprise his role as the god of mischief, while Wilson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw have confirmed they'll be back for Loki season 2 as Agent Mobius and Revanna Renslayer. Wunmi Mosaku's Hunter B-15 and Sophia Di Martino's Sylvie could also return, while Greatphase suggests that a superhero group called Squadron Supreme may make their MCU debut. Frog Thor (Throg) and Kid Loki may also return from the first season, according to the same Marvel leaker.
Season 1 head writer Michael Waldron is only returning in an executive producing capacity. Eric Martin, who was a staff writer on three of season 1's six entries, is the new head writer (per Deadline ) while Moon Knight directing duo Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson have joined as Loki season 2's directors, according to the same Deadline article.
I Am Groot
Announced in December 2020, I Am Groot will follow the fan favorite Guardians of the Galaxy character as he grows from the sapling we saw in Guardians 2 into the teenage character we see in Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame.
The show will consist of a series of shorts as he explores the galaxy alongside new and unusual characters. As you'd expect, Groot will get himself into some challenging situations, so we can expect a few laughs and thrills along the way. Per some concept art that has made its way online, Drax will feature in the series (thanks for the catch, Reddit !). We received a very brief blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot at the cute sapling during the Disney Annual Shareholders Meeting, too (cheers to Twitter user wicckaris for the clip).
Featuring a photorealistic animation style, I Am Groot began production in August 2021. It's being directed by Kirsten Lepore, whose previous work includes Adventure Time and Summer Camp Island. The series will be part of Marvel's Phase 4 slate, but there's no launch date to speak of yet. However, a recent report from What's on Disney Plus has suggested a summer 2022 release, with an I Am Groot-specific Marvel Collectors Corp box hinting as much. The Cosmic Circus also suggests that this will be a one-season affair, which would make sense, given Groot's a teenager in Infinity War, Endgame, and Thor 4.
Echo
Fresh from her supporting role in Hawkeye's TV series, Alaqua Cox's Maya Lopez/Echo will get her own Disney Plus show in the near future.
Cox will reprise her role as the mute superhero in the Marion Dayne-written show, with Vincent D'Onofrio's Wilson Fisk also set to return. Charlie Cox's Matt Murdock/Daredevil is believed to have a key supporting role in proceedings as well. Reservation Dogs' Devery Jacobs (per Deadline ) and Green Mile's Graham Greene (per The Direct ) are also said to have signed on to appear. Greatphase also claims that Jessica Jones will feature, but it's unclear if Krysten Ritter will reprise her role from Netflix's Defenders Saga project.
Filming got underway in late April, with Cox confirming as much on her Instagram story (thanks to The Direct for the catch). Atlanta Filming revealed that the show is being shot in, well, Atlanta, while Moviebuff1219 has claimed that the series is set to wrap production around August 26, which has seemingly been confirmed by centralcastingom . If that's true, we may get Echo's standalone adventure in 2023 and, according to Greatphase , the show will set up the "street level side" of the MCU.
Finally, The Illuminerdi claims that Dara Resnik and Ken Kristensen have been drafted to pen some (if not all) of Echo's scripts. The duo worked on Daredevil season 3 and The Punisher as part of Netflix's Defenders Saga, so here's hoping Echo's TV series is as action-packed and mature than other Marvel Studios offerings. Sydney Freeland (Reservation Dogs) will direct the limited series.
Marvel Phase 4: Disney Plus Day show announcements
As part of November 2021's Disney Plus Day celebrations, Marvel announced a spate of new shows that'll enter production in the future, including Echo. There's no word on when they will do, though, so they may or may not be part of MCU Phase 4.
Still, it's good (if a tad daunting) to see so many new Marvel shows on the way. You can see four of the five announced shows (Echo being the fifth) below:
According to Deadline , Marvel is also in the process of developing a production starring Nova. Real name Richard Rider, Nova is another fan favorite superpowered being among Marvel's comic book roster, so it's not a huge surprise that Nova is getting his own project. Moon Knight writer Sabir Pirzada has reportedly been tapped for the production.
There's no word on whether Nova will be a movie or TV series, but online speculation suggests it'll be the latter. Hopefully, Marvel will give us some indication on that front soon.