December '24 CQMB - Captain America, Thunderbolts*, DCU, & More

Holy! Other than the trailers for Deadpool & Wolverine, this has given me the most hope ever for the MCU. This trailer looks so good and so polished. I am so looking forward to this movie since it seems like a full return to the best era of the MCU. Hopefully it all pulls together and this movie delivers. Captain America: Brave New World will be in theaters on February 14.

Shoot, this has me really excited too. The chemistry between the characters is absolutely amazing and there were a few very funny moments. It is clear that Marvel is getting their stuff together because the back-to-back releases of the Captain America: Brave New World trailer and this sneak peek has been so promising for the future of the MCU's quality. I have so much hope. Thunderbolts* will be in theaters on May 2.

Kevin Feige has recently been talking about the future of the MCU post-Multiverse Saga, mentioning that the X-Men will be a heavy focus in the universe post-Secret Wars. This is super exciting. I feel like there is so much more to say on this, but all I can say is that there will definitely be a lot to look forward to after Secret Wars. I was slightly worried the MCU would fizzle out after Secret Wars, and it's especially exciting that the MCU will be taking a full turn in its direction. Since The Multiverse Saga feels like a sequel to the Infinity Saga, it is refreshing to feel like the MCU will be starting a potentially fresh start after Secret Wars. What are your thoughts on this news?

Leading up to this point, there hasn't been any certain confirmation that Black Panther 3 was officially happening, but now it has been revealed that Ryan Coogler is working on the third film, and that Denzel Washington is going to be a part of the cast. This is exciting considering Washington's talent (he recently starred in Gladiator II), and this is also great news because a few of Marvel's sequels that have been teased have been seeing very little motion (like Shang-Chi 2, Doctor Strange 3, etc). This is exciting casting, and also thrilling news that Black Panther 3 is in the works.

Another quick and irrelevant update: Marvel Zombies has received the release date of October 3 for its first episode. This is unrelated to Black Panther 3, but I didn’t think it was significant enough for it to have its own section.

According to Sony Japan, they are teasing the appearance of Tom Hardy's Venom in the film. Which doesn't make that much sense with Venom literally dying in Venom: The Last Dance, but you know Sony, they'll do anything for money. But if this is true, then it seems like the direction is sticking to the multiverse instead of a street-level storyline. I don't really know what to think about this. It could be good, or it could be bad. What are your thoughts on this possibility? Spider-Man 4 will be in theaters July 24, 2026.

James Gunn described the DCU as a contained universe, where it feels like each project is made within the same world (similar to Star Wars). Each project is meant to be its own story under the same umbrella as every other DCU story. If that makes sense. This is different than the MCU because the MCU’s different franchises (i.e., Thor, Captain America, etc.), stand alone outside of a few connections. The MCU is also different than the DCU because the MCU builds to an event like Infinity War or Secret Wars, whereas the DCU isn’t trying to reach a huge climax, and is instead focusing on world-building. I was kind of hoping the DCU would be modeled similarly to the MCU, but I trust James Gunn and his process, so I’ll see how it goes. What are your thoughts on this? The DCU starts with Creature Commandos on December 5, and will make its theatrical debut on July 11 with the release of Superman.

Here's each of the Marvel/DC projects coming out this month:

December 5 - Creature Commandos [E1] (streaming: Max)

December 5 - Creature Commandos [E2] (streaming: Max)

December 12 - Creature Commandos [E3] (streaming: Max)

December 13 - Kraven the Hunter (theaters)

December 19 - Creature Commandos [E4] (streaming: Max)

December 22 - What If...? Season 3 [E1] (streaming: Disney+)

December 23 - What If...? Season 3 [E2] (streaming: Disney+)

December 24 - What If...? Season 3 [E3] (streaming: Disney+)

December 25 - What If...? Season 3 [E4] (streaming: Disney+)

December 26 - Creature Commandos [E5] (streaming: Max)

December 26 - What If...? Season 3 [E5] (streaming: Disney+)

December 27 - What If...? Season 3 [E6] (streaming: Disney+)

December 28 - What If...? Season 3 [E7] (streaming: Disney+)

December 29 - What If...? Season 3 [E8] (streaming: Disney+)

Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this month's CQMB. Be sure to stay tuned for the next CQMB which will release on the first of January.