Over the course of 2024, there have been a number of exciting Marvel movies released with a few more left to go. While the MCU timeline is the first thing that comes to mind to most moviegoers when it comes to Marvel, the release of movies like Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse have provided a first-hand look at the idea that other Marvel movies can have phenomenal success. However, recent Marvel movie configurations have left how many movies will actually release in 2024 a little more confusing than it may have previously appeared.
Various upcoming Marvel movies and shows have seen their release dates change as a result of inner reorganizing and the effects of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, which delayed a number of projects. These factors have meant some movies saw drastic changes, either being moved from 2023 into 2024, moved far further into 2024, or - in an unusual case - actually brought forward as a result. While the roster of Marvel movies releasing in 2024 has seen some notable alterations, the current lineup held a lot of promise and although some failed to be successful, there was and still is plenty to look forward to.
LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition - October 18, 2024
Another LEGO Adventure For Marvel
These LEGO Marvel specials have been steadily released over the years and LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition is the tenth entry in the series, and the latest adventure for these heroes. LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition comes just one year after LEGO Marvel Avengers: Code Red, and features a variety of familiar Marvel heroes throughout.
The main character of the special will be Dennis, who eventually sports the superhero name D-Man. Dennis is a superhero fan working for Damage Control and releases a villain named Terrax. D-Man must work alongside Marvel heroes like Wolverine, Iron Man, Captain America, Black Panther, and Black Widow. Typically, these specials are about 40 minutes each, perfect for anyone wanting to see some LEGO superhero action. Lego Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition will be released on Disney +, October 18, 2024.
Venom: The Last Dance - October 25, 2024
Tom Hardy's Symbiote Story Comes To An End
Venom: The Last Dance is set for an October 25, 2024 release, after being moved back first from its original July 12, 2024 release date, and then again from its prior November 8, 2024 release date. Venom 3 can not only flesh out whether Eddie Brock's crossover moments in Venom 2 and Spider-Man: No Way Home were just for fun or something more, and also shed light on what Sony's Marvel universe is set to look like, as the third movie in the most successful series of Sony's live-action Spider-Man universe.
Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse also hints at Venom: The Last Dance potentially having a more multiverse-leaning plot, with its villain traveling into the Venom world to interact with Mrs. Chen, the convenience store owner, in both released live-action movies. Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock is currently confirmed for the cast, as are Juno Temple and Chiwetel Ejiofor, although the pair are in currently somewhat mysterious roles.
Most of the Venom: The Last Dance trailers reveal Knull, Venom's creator, to be the big bad of the final film in the trilogy. They reveal that Eddie Brock and Venom are set to be hunted not only by what appears to be a shadowy government organization focused around capturing and experimenting on symbiotes, but also by figures from Venom's homeworld, sent by Knull to presumably find the remaining symbiotes on Earth.
Interestingly, the film seems to lean into the idea that either Eddie or Venom may not make it out of the movie alive - something that was initially suggested by the film's new title of Venom: The Last Dance itself. With Tom Hardy's marvel antihero being the main focal feature of the Sony Spider-Man Universe, it will be interesting to see if this comes to fruition, and how it impacts said universe if so, given the other releases in the live-action Sony Spider-Man franchise have been somewhat divisive.
Kraven The Hunter - December 13, 2024
Sony's Villainverse Expands With Marvel's Most Notorious Hunter
The last of 2024's Sony Spider-Man Universe movies sees Kraven the Hunterrelease on December 13, 2024, after being pushed notably back from its previous release dates in October 2023 and August 2024. While this is a move that could sabotage any hype already built up, it's also one that may work in the film's overall benefit, as its initial closer proximity to the infamous Morbius drew jokes that may be avoided with a later release.
A positive reception is crucial here, as Kraven the Hunter's plot provides an altered origin story for Aaron Taylor-Johnson's version of the titular Spider-Man villain that could be intended to spawn its own distinct series. Indeed, this decision appears intended to make Kraven a prospective antihero in the Sony live-action movie universe, potentially even leading into a Sinister Six installment should the film do well enough.
With no other Sony Spider-Man Universe films announced following Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter, it is unclear what Sony intends to do next after this film. Outside the Venom films, their other villain movies have done poorly, meaning that there is possibly a lot at stake with Kraven the Hunter.
Marvel TV Shows Releasing In 2024
2024's MCU movies are not the only series that have seen some shakeups as a result of release alterations, as the upcoming MCU TV shows releasing in 2024 have also changed as a result of the same circumstances - with Daredevil: Born Again also being removed from a 2024 release date to March 2025 due to delays in its production.
On top of that, Marvel announced in December 2023 that a new animated series set in Black Panther's Wakanda, titled Eyes of Wakanda, would be joining the 2024 slate. Additionally, Spider-Man: Freshman Year was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and re-confirmed for 2024, and Agatha: Darkhold Diaries has seen its name changed again to simply Agatha All Along. Currently, 6 MCU shows are set to appear in 2024, though specific release dates are currently unknown for almost all of them, and may see alterations even after they are formally announced, much as is the case with the Marvel movie roster:
|
Show Name |
Announced Release Window |
|---|---|
|
Agatha All Along |
September 18, 2024 |
|
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man |
TBD 2024 |
|
Eyes Of Wakanda |
TBD 2024 |
|
Marvel Zombies |
TBD 2024 |
Marvel Movies & TV Shows That Have Released In 2024
Echo - January 9, 2024
Hawkeye's Spin-Off Brought Kingpin Back In A Big Way
Marvel's first 2024 release was a surprise to many: marketed as the return of Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin and Charlie Cox's Daredevil after their MCU returns in Hawkeye and Spider-Man: No Way Home respectively, the reality was something else entirely. The marketing proved to be misleading, particularly in the focus on Daredevil, though Kingpin played a major part, even if his screentime was somewhat limited. Instead, Echo is the story of Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) reclaiming her identity and her heritage.
The core of the story was great, but the editing proved very uneven and reportedly heavy post-production tinkering left a lot of scars. Still, Echo was far from a disaster, and the positive representation score here is off the chart. And for those more cynical MCU fans looking only for the advancement of "stronger brands", the set-up for Kingpin's MCU future was very exciting.
Madame Web - February 14, 2024
Sony's Wayward Chase Movie Left A Lot To Be Desired
The 2024 Marvel slate started out with a much speculated about Sony movie, as the ambitious Madame Web swung into theaters for a February 14, 2024, release after Sony's Marvel movie release changes moved it forward by two days. The film assembled quite an entertaining selection of characters played by some talented actors, with Madame Web's cast including Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, Emma Roberts, Isabela Merced, and Adam Scott. Unfortunately, however, the film saw a decidedly lackluster response, with Madame Web struggling to outdo Morbius' box office.
Sadly, the latest Sony Spider-Verse movie is a mess, marketed in a baffling way and unfortunately criticized by its own cast after release. As a slight positive, it has genuinely rivaled Jared Leto's equally poor Morbius as one of the most memeable Marvel movies of all time. So at least Sony can claim that victory.
X-Men '97 - March 20, 2024
Marvel's Animated Revival Was A Stunning Success
Almost 30 years ago, X-Men: The Animated Series ended with Professor Charles Xavier leaving Earth, and a generation of new X-Men fans turned to the comics for more mutant stories, robbed of their Saturday morning staple. By then, the show had lost some of its luster, but you wouldn't be able to tell from X-Men '97's revival. Faithfully channeling everything that made the original so beloved, the creative team headed by Beau DeMayo carved a nostalgia-embracing but wholly fresh new path for the show.
Launched in March 2024, its 10 episodes lacked any sagging points and adapted multiple seminal X-Men comics arcs, culminating in a three-part take on Fatal Attractions. X-Men '97's ending will long be regarded as one of Marvel's finest, and for good reason the reviews were incredibly effusive in their praise. The character work was phenomenal, the set-pieces gloriously realized (and the perfect testimony to the strength of the medium), and the stories deeply compelling. This is not your Saturday morning cartoon, but at the same time, it felt comfortable and familiar.
Deadpool & Wolverine - July 26, 2024
Ryan Reynolds And Hugh Jackman Reunite For The Biggest Prospect Of 2024
Deadpool & Wolverine marked a new era for the MCU, with the movie being the first time Marvel Studios reintroduced a Fox character as the lead of an MCU movie. The movie marks the return of not only Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, but also Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, despite the actor saying he was done with the role in the past. Deadpool & Wolverine was released on July 26, 2024, after being pushed back from a prior date of May 3, 2024, which itself was a rearranged date, as the film's initial scheduled release was November 8, 2024.
However, despite this delay, Deadpool 3 looks set to be 2024's biggest superhero movie release - in part because it's currently Disney's only 2024 MCU movie, with Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts being moved to the 2025 window. Ultimately, it appears this may be a wise move, as the announcement of these schedule alterations came after the conclusion of the Hollywood strikes, suggesting these decisions were made so that the films could have a full production time without being rushed.
Deadpool 3's star-studded cast also included the returns of franchise players Leslie Uggams as Blind Al and Karan Soni as Dopinder, plus the additions of Emma Corrin (The Crown) and Matthew Macfadyen (Succession) as villain Cassandra Nova and TVA head Mr Paradox respectively. Stranger Things' Shawn Levy directed the movie, based on a script by Deadpool franchise writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.
There's also a huge number of cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine, with many iconic actors reprising their previous Marvel roles in the MCU movie. This not only added to the film's ability to address the history of Marvel's on-screen side of the franchise, but also allowed plenty of characters to get a perhaps more satisfying conclusion than they'd previously received, providing a source of catharsis for many fans.
The movie features a multiverse-related plot with Loki's Time Variance Authority turning up to capture Deadpool, leading him on a mission to try and prevent his universe from being destroyed - and looping in a variant of Hugh Jackman's Wolverine to help him do so. The crossover of the Fox X-Men and MCU franchises in Deadpool & Wolverine built great anticipation for the Marvel film and the comic book giant's future, and the Marvel movie pays this off effectively, providing a story that balances Deadpool's brand of comedy with some emotional moments.
