With so many new Marvel shows coming to Disney’s new streaming service, it’ll be hard to gauge the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame. What is the state of the universe like? Where are all of our favorite heroes? Fans will probably have to dig through each series for clues about the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it, but it might be fun to make some predictions first.
For this list, we’re going to discuss who we won’t see on any of Marvel’s Disney+ TV shows. Obviously, we can’t be completely sure as to who will and will not appear, but we can make some fairly certain guesses. To be clear, Marvel’s upcoming What If…? series doesn’t count. Although nearly every MCU character will appear on that show, those are non-canon stories, and they don’t affect the rest of the franchise. With that said, here are 10 Marvel characters who definitely won’t show up on Disney+.
Iron Man
Tony Stark gave his life in the battle against Thanos, so we probably won’t see him again in the flesh. However, recent reports suggest that Robert Downey Jr. isn’t done with the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Reportedly, Iron Man will play a small role in the Black Widow movie. Considering Black Widow is a prequel, this makes perfect sense — but what does this mean for stories that take place after Endgame? If Downey is up for returning, we could see an artificial intelligence of Tony Stark (which has a precedent in the comics). With that said, don’t bet on seeing the real Tony Stark again.
Doctor Doom
With Thanos out of the picture, the MCU needs a new lead villain. Now that Disney owns Fox’s Marvel properties, the X-Men and the Fantastic Four, Doctor Doom one of the only villains that could possibly hold top billing. He’s threatened the entire Marvel universe dozens of times, and would make the perfect crossover villain.
With that said, Marvel doesn’t even know if these streaming service shows will be hits. The company likely wouldn’t introduce this A-list villain on a TV show that fans might not watch. Marvel has made it clear that Doom is a priority, but they’ll probably keep him off of Disney+ and save him for the movies.
Wolverine
Speaking of A-list characters, Wolverine had better not appear on a TV show before anything else. Considering Hugh Jackman’s beloved portrayal has stuck with viewers for so long (and will for years to come), rebooting Wolverine has to be an event. It calls for a movie appearance, if not an entire solo film.
Now that Disney owns the X-Men, it would make sense for them to work mutants into the franchise through their different TV shows. However, we would be shocked if Wolverine — or any other major X-Men character, for that matter — appears on Disney+ before a feature film. Unless they’re planning an actual X-Men series, in which case, yes please.
Black Widow
While she does have her own film on the way — one that is long overdue — it seems like Black Widow’s time in the MCU is coming to an end. She dies in Endgame, and her movie is a prequel, confirmed to take place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War.
Since Disney+ seems to be avoiding prequels (given announcements made thus far), it’s possible that Black Widow is gone for good. The only way she could physically appear in future projects is if her film somehow revives her. That would make plenty of fans happy, but it doesn’t seem to be in the cards.
Blade
Mahershala Ali’s Blade was teased at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, to the excitement of many fans. Had this announcement come years ago, a TV appearance would have seemed like a no-brainer. Blade could have joined Marvel’s roster of gritty Netflix shows. However, with that corner of the universe now defunct, could Blade appear on TV at all?
Between Disney+’s family-oriented content and the character’s history on the big screen, it’s hard to imagine him appearing on a television series. With that said, a Moon Knight show is on its way. While Moon Knight is certainly more niche than Blade, his stories are even less kid-friendly. This could go either way, but it’s likely that Blade has a spot reserved on the big screen.
The Fantastic Four
Kevin Feige has made it clear that a new Fantastic Four is a priority for Marvel Studios. They seem like a great fit for television, too. Imagine a light-hearted show about Marvel’s favorite family!
Despite that admittedly appealing prospect, the Fantastic Four is a flagship property for the company — one that has had its reputation dragged through the mud over the last 20 years. Marvel needs to make a splash with a reboot, so movies seem like the better route to take. Besides, there has already been talk of a movie reboot.
Spider-Man
The recent Disney-Sony debacle has put Spider-Man in jeopardy. Now that he is (supposedly) out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for good, it’s safe to say that he won’t be appearing on Disney+ anytime soon.
The studios might strike a deal to keep the wall-crawler involved in the franchise, but with no news on that yet, there is no reasonable way for Spider-Man to appear on Disney+ without a legal battle royale. It’s a real shame, especially since Tom Holland’s Peter Parker has become such an integral figure in the franchise.
Daredevil
Netflix had mixed success with Marvel properties. While some shows fell flat, others became huge hits. Daredevil was the most successful of the bunch… which is exactly why we probably won’t be seeing the character again anytime soon.
Since those shows technically belong to Netflix, the only way to bring those characters back is with a reboot. That’s not an easy task — Netflix’s Daredevil has become iconic. Between the fantastic action choreography and beloved new takes on Matt Murdoch and Kingpin, there is no easy way to make fans ignore this defunct series. Unless this show is somehow made canon in the future, it’s likely that Marvel will need to retire Daredevil for a little while.
Deadpool
Now Disney owns Deadpool, one of Fox’s only recent successes with the X-Men franchise. Surely, Disney wants this success to continue, but Marvel Studios almost certainly wants to work him into to the larger movie universe. They just shouldn’t do it through a Disney+ appearance.
Like most popular X-Men characters, it would be a shame for Marvel to reintegrate them without any fanfare. Doing so within a TV show might make their reintroduction fall flat. Also, it would be next to impossible for Deadpool to retain his edge on the predominantly family-friendly streaming service.
Thanos
Without a doubt, characters will name-drop Thanos in future Marvel stories. After all, he’s been the franchise’s biggest villain for 10 years. However, Avengers: Endgame leaves audiences with pretty definitive closure on the Infinity Gauntlet saga.
Thanos is out of the picture now, Disney+ will probably keep it that way. He doesn’t necessarily have a reason to reappear again, either. Expect to hear him mentioned in passing dialogue, but not to make any more appearances.
