Summary

  • How did Kingpin survive Echo's bullet? The upcoming Echo TV show will need to answer this question as it features the return of the villain after being shot at close range.
  • Are the Defenders shows MCU canon? Echo could finally clear up the debate about the continuity of Netflix's Marvel shows by bringing back popular characters such as Daredevil and Kingpin.
  • When will Loki and Monica Rambeau return to the MCU? Both characters seemingly met their endings in 2023, but 2024 will need to address if and how they will reappear in the franchise.

Heading into 2024, several big questions ideally need to be answered in or about the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its future over the course of the year. The movies and TV shows of the MCU have established the franchise as one of the most successful and influential in the world. The continued popularity of Marvel’s flagship franchise cannot be understated, with plenty of anticipation for the next chapter in the MCU. 2023 saw multiple releases in the franchise, furthering its story significantly, but there are still many unanswered questions as the MCU movies into another year.

2024 will see the release of several MCU projects, including Deadpool 3, Echo, and Agatha: Darkhold Diaries. However, many upcoming Marvel movies have actually been delayed in 2023, owing in part to the lengthy and unprecedented writers’ and actors’ strikes. The way in which this affected the industry meant that many reveals about the MCU’s future have been postponed, leaving multiple burning questions about upcoming films and TV shows that have no concrete answers heading into 2024. As the franchise seeks to move forward, it will undoubtedly need to answer the biggest questions facing the MCU in 2024.

Related
10 Best MCU Moments Of 2023
Marvel Studios released 5 MCU projects in 2023, and while reception varied, the best moments of the year deserve to be counted among the very best.

10 How Did Kingpin Survive Echo’s Bullet?

Echo Will Follow On From Hawkeye's Ending

Maya points a gun at the Kingpin in Hawkeye

Marvel villain Wilson Fisk – A.K.A. the Kingpin – was formally introduced into the MCU in Hawkeye, acting as a largely unseen villain ahead of a shocking reveal in the latter stages of the show’s run. However, the ending of Hawkeye saw Kingpin confronted and shot by Echo, who was seeking revenge for the murder of her father. It has long been confirmed that Kingpin would return in Echo, which means that the 2024 TV show will need to answer the simple question of how the villain survived being shot at close range.

9 Are The Defenders Shows MCU Canon?

Echo Could Answer Big Continuity Questions

As Netflix’s Marvel shows were released outside the MCU’s Disney umbrella, there has long been a debate about their status in the franchise’s continuity. Though they were once denounced as a separate entity, the MCU has embraced popular castings by bringing back Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin. Both characters will appear in Echo, which means that the upcoming TV show could finally clear up the messy continuity mystery of whether Netflix’s shows are MCU canon. It’s a big ongoing MCU question that may finally be answered in 2024.

8 When Will Loki & Monica Rambeau Return To The MCU?

Two Powerful Characters Are Currently Out Of The Main Universe

2023 saw the release of both TV shows and movies in the MCU, continuing the stories of the franchise’s many heroes and villains. Two of the characters featured in these stories were given apparent endings in 2023, with Loki sacrificing himself to become the guardian of the timelines in Loki season 2, and Monica Rambeau becoming trapped in another universe after sealing a rift in The Marvels. Though Loki’s popularity and the specifics of Monica Rambeau’s story make their respective returns likely, 2024 will need to answer how, when, or if they will reappear in the MCU.

Related
Every Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Ranked Worst To Best
Over 15 years and 33 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies have redefined blockbuster cinema. But how do all the films stack up?

7 Is Darkhold Diaries’ Wiccan Wanda’s Son?

Darkhold Diaries Will Need To Explore Wiccan's Backstory

Tommy and Billy Maximoff in WandaVision

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is set to introduce many characters into the MCU, but few are as interesting as Billy Kaplan. Though specific details on the Disney+ series have yet to be officially announced, the character of Billy Kaplan in the comics is the Young Avenger Wiccan, who has already seemingly been introduced as Wanda Maximoff’s son. Wiccan’s appearance in Darkhold Diaries will need to clear up how Billy is connected to Wanda or the previous Wiccan character, or whether he’s an unrelated MCU variant of the character from its home universe timeline.

6 Is Wanda Maximoff Really Dead?

Agatha: Darkhold Diaries Can Clear Up Wanda's Ending

elizabeth olsen as wanda maximoff aka scarlet witch in doctor strange in the multiverse of madness

One of the biggest shocks in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness ending was the apparent death of the Scarlet Witch, as it seemed an abrupt end to the character’s arc after only a brief villain turn. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries’ status as a spin-off of WandaVision and various other connections to Wanda may actually offer more insight into her fate: as Wanda Maximoff’s story is already inherently linked with Agatha’s, the show can clear up whether the former Avenger is really gone for good.

5 Who Are The Young Avengers?

The MCU Has Plenty Of Potential Members For The Team

Another MCU question likely to receive an answer in 2024 regards one of the franchise’s biggest ongoing teases. Since the events of Avengers: Endgame, the MCU has slowly introduced multiple candidates for the Young Avengers, seemingly hinting at the team’s inclusion in future stories. Agatha: Darkhold Diaries is set to introduce two more high-profile members of the team in Wiccan and Hulkling, meaning that the franchise might finally announce its Young Avengers roster in 2024.

4 Who Will Play The MCU’s Wolverine?

There Are Many Questions Surrounding The MCU's X-Men

Wolverine and his Hot Claws.

2024 will see the release of Deadpool 3, which is set to finally establish mutants within the MCU. The film is confirmed to feature the return of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, continuing the actor’s long and celebrated tenure in the role, but his age makes him an unlikely contender to continue playing Logan in the MCU. Deadpool 3 will need to establish whether Jackman will play the MCU’s Wolverine or whether the franchise will have its own iteration of the character – especially as the film presents a perfect opportunity for a passing of the torch from Jackman to a potential successor.

3 Will Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool Stay In The MCU (& How)?

Deadpool 3's Ending Should Answer Some Multiverse Issues

Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in Deadpool 3

Ryan Reynolds’ casting as Deadpool is one of superhero cinema’s most fitting choices, with the actor practically embodying the spirit of the character. Deadpool 3 will see the Merc with a Mouth enter the MCU, but it’s as yet unconfirmed whether the character will remain a part of the franchise afterward. Though it’s hard to imagine any other actor playing the role, the MCU’s own rules about multiverse travel will need to be better defined if Reynolds is to stay, meaning that Deadpool 3 will hopefully clear up a few big questions in 2024.

2 Will Jonathan Majors Return As Kang?

The MCU Could Introduce A New Big Bad

Kang (Jonathan Majors) taunts Ant-Man in Quantumania

One of the more shocking revelations of 2023 regards the MCU’s next big villain, with news that Marvel have reportedly considered replacing Jonathan Majors as Kang due to ongoing issues. The actor’s currently ongoing legal case has resulted in negative press in 2023, and an underwhelming reception to his full MCU debut as Kang the Conqueror also fueled speculation about his potential recasting. 2024 will undoubtedly need to clear up the fate of the MCU character (and the actor) moving forward as the franchise builds toward Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

1 What Could 2024's MCU Casting Announcements Look Like?

Which Characters Marvel Are Likely To Cast In 2024

Peter Parker's Spider-Man with many iconic Marvel superheroes behind him, such as the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and X-Men

Though many of the MCU’s planned 2024 releases have been delayed, the year will likely see news of the franchise’s future castings. An official announcement regarding the cast of the MCU’s Fantastic Four is likely, as well as news on the character being played by Mia Goth in Blade. It’s also possible that the MCU will announce the introduction of other long-awaited characters such as Mephisto, meaning that 2024 could be a big year for MCU casting news. Announcements on the actors to expect in future Marvel Cinematic Universe projects may be some of the biggest questions the franchise will seek to answer in 2024.

Key Release Dates