BY MATT TUCK
Could RDJ return to the MCU for Ironheart? Will Kang invade Loki’s Sacred Timeline? Is a major death in store for Spider-Man: No Way Home? We’re back again for another Rumor Roundup.
The news never sleeps, and neither do the rumors. Oftentimes, the theories and gossip are as much fun as what makes it to the screen. Here are 10 of the best MCU rumors circling the internet. Are they true? Who knows? The fun part is seeing which ones pan out.
ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. TO RETURN TO THE MCU FOR IRONHEART
Ever since RDJ’s Tony Stark bit the proverbial dust in Endgame, fans have concocted theories on how he could return to the MCU. Whether it’s through the Multiverse or technology, the gossip has been persistent. The latest rumor is that he will return as the voice to Riri Williams’ AI in the Disney+ Ironheart series.
OUR TAKE
Much like Chris Evans, Downey and Marvel Studios have been emphatic that the actor’s MCU career has come to a close. That makes it unlikely that RDJ would return to the role in any capacity. But…
This would bridge the gap between Iron Man and Ironheart, especially if Armor Wars establishes Riri as the new Tony Stark. It would help to legitimize her in the eyes of fans without erasing the past.
KANG THE CONQUEROR WILL APPEAR IN LOKI
Even before the first episode of Loki aired, there was talk that Kang would be incorporated into the series, possibly as the main antagonist. With the inclusion of the Time-Keepers and the Sacred Timeline, the red carpet has been rolled out for Kang if Marvel chooses to go that route.
OUR TAKE
Considering the entire show revolves around time travel, it is hard to imagine Kang not appearing in Loki. In the comics, there are multiple variants of Kang, and that could mean that we are introduced to someone like Immortus instead of the original Kang the Conqueror. Personally, I thought those Time-Keeper statues in the TVA looked suspiciously like Kang.
NAMOR HAS BEEN CAST FOR WAKANDA FOREVER
For the past few weeks, the gossip has been that Marvel Studios has offered the role of Namor to Tenoch Huerta, a Mexican-born actor who played a large role in Narcos: Mexico. Since then, there has not been any word one way or the other from either Marvel or Huerta. For all the Submariner fans waiting for his arrival in the MCU, no news could be good news.
OUR TAKE
As much as I want this to be true, I remain skeptical. Going back to 2001, there have been numerous rumors of a Namor movie. In the last two years, different sites heralded the Submariner as a shoe-in for the antagonist of Wakanda Forever. Granted, having an actor’s name tied to the story lends a bit of credibility, my inclination is that Kevin Feige and the Disney lawyers are still trying to navigate the complicated film and television rights for Namor.
In the past week, word has spread that Skaar will venture from Sakaar and make his way to Earth for She-Hulk’s Disney+ series. Skaar and his twin brother, Hiro-Kala, were born from Hulk’s time on Sakaar during “Planet Hulk.” Skaar initially went to Earth on a mission to kill his father, but he had a change of heart and became a hero.
OUR TAKE
At first glance, this would seem highly unlikely. With She-Hulk being a legal sitcom, it is hard to imagine how a full-grown son of Hulk would fit into the mix especially if Marvel Studios wants fans to take him seriously in the future. The thing to remember is that in his comic origins, Skaar emerged from a cocoon as a preteen. There could be a chance that a kid version of Skaar could fit into what is sure to be a weird, off-the-rails show.
To make things more interesting, reportedly Skaar will be making a resurgence in the comics this summer, and that could point to Marvel attempting to bring him back to the spotlight before his MCU debut.
NIGHTMARE VERSUS DOCTOR STRANGE
Practically since the day Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness was announced, there have been theories that Nightmare would battle Doctor Strange in the sequel. That news fell to the wayside as word spread that Mephisto would be the next “big bad” of the MCU, and that he would square off with the good doctor in Multiverse of Madness. Now that it looks like we won’t be seeing Mephisto anytime soon, the gossip has circled back to Nightmare.
OUR TAKE
This rumor makes sense. Nightmare was Doctor Strange’s first villain, and there was a mention of a “nightmare realm” in Loki. While there is no guarantee, that leaves me to think that the nightmare realm will come into play either in Loki, Multiverse of Madness, or both.
It’s Spider-Man meets Game of Thrones. There is a theory that is gaining more traction claiming that a major character from the Spider-Man franchise will die in the course of No Way Home. One theory goes so far to suggest that it will be J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson.
OUR TAKE
I would not put it past Marvel Studios to off a fan-favorite and legacy character from the Sony-verse. Marvel has shown it’s not afraid to kill classic characters. Besides Iron Man’s famous demise in Endgame, the studio has given the axe to Vision, the original Loki, Odin, Heimdal, Yondu, Mysterio, and the Daily Bugle’s Ben Urich among others. It would not be out of the question for Marvel to use No Way Home to connect the Sony and Marvel universes and lay those legacy characters to rest.
SCARLET WITCH, THE DARKHOLD, AND DOCTOR STRANGE
Very few details about the Multiverse of Madness have been released, and that is driving theorists crazy. A new idea purports that the plot will revolve around Scarlet Witch using the Darkhold to search the Multiverse for her children, Billy and Tommy. This causes cracks in the very fabric of reality, and Doctor Strange has to help set things right.
OUR TAKE
Since Wanda was apparently flipping through the Darkhold and hearing the cries of her children in the closing moments of WandaVision, this makes sense. Scarlet Witch was confirmed for the Doctor Strange sequel from the beginning, and she is thought to be a major part of the MCU going forward. That makes this a plausible rumor.
SPIDER-VERSE AND SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME
This one is a bit of a stretch, but it is no less fun. The idea is that an Argentinian office of Sony Pictures posted a No Way Home logo on social media that “shifted between different styles.” The theory is that because of the shifting styles, it is a hint that there is more than one Spider-Man dimension in No Way Home, and that is why Sony quickly took down the tweet to avoid giving anything away ahead of the trailer. The theory says that Sony used a similar shifting logo when promoting Into the Spider-Verse, which spawned the speculation.
OUR TAKE
Who knows? I have not seen this mystery logo, and I was not aware of the Into the Spider-Verse shifting logo, either. Even if this is true, it does not necessarily mean we will see multiple Spider-Men in No Way Home, but with Sony’s Doctor Octopus and Electro confirmed for the movie, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield for one final swing in the old red and blue suits.
NO WAY HOME TRAILER WILL BE RELEASED WITH BLACK WIDOW
With so many rumors floating around No Way Home, it is no wonder fans are anxiously awaiting the first trailer. The word on the internet is that Marvel will release the initial trailer in theaters, possibly attached to Black Widow.
OUR TAKE
Since the third installment of the Homecoming series is only six months away, Marvel will surely release a trailer in the near future. Considering the buzz around what many are hoping will be a live-action Into the Spider-Verse, Disney could use a page from Star Wars, namely using the trailer to draw a bigger audience for Black Widow or another movie. More than likely, it will drop online and in theaters like everything else. Either way, there has not been this much anticipation for a trailer since Endgame.
This may not be a headline-grabbing rumor, but it could have bigger implications than you think. Reportedly, Marvel is looking to cast a news anchor in a Tucker Carlson/Sean Hannity-type role.
OUR TAKE
It sounds like this would make for a conspiracy theorist in Secret Invasion. That could be played in one of two ways. First this part could make for a character who uncovers the truth about the Skrull invasion, but is not taken seriously. Another possibility is a Skrull mouthpiece sowing the seeds of dissent among the public. Either way, it may signal that Secret Invasion will take the Skrulls to their nefarious comic roots.
Matt Tuck is the author of the novel, Lost Bones of the Dead. He is a professional writer, avid comic collector, former teacher, and an international man of mystery. You can follow him on his Facebook page, The Comic Blog.