The MCU is guilty of not always tying up its loose ends. Marvel Phase 5 featured several cameos, particularly in its post-credits scenes, that seem like they won't have any payoff – for example, Charlize Theron's Clea from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, or Harry Styles' Eros in Eternals.
And it looks like that could be an accurate prediction, as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige says that some of these characters may never be seen again – but some may also reappear eventually, even if we have to wait 17 years.
"There are plans for some and there are opportunities for all. It’s about finding what the right moment is," Feige said during a roundtable interview attended by GamesRadar+. "Some, maybe we’ll never see again. Some, maybe we’ll see soon. For some, maybe it’ll be like Tim Blake Nelson and it will take 17 years."
Nelson first played Samuel Sterns, AKA Leader, in 2008's The Incredible Hulk, before reprising the role for the first time since then in Captain America: Brave New World earlier this year.
"Who knows?" Feige continued. "What I love about it is as much about the actors as it is about the characters. It’s as much about our enthusiasm and excitement to work with those actors, which is how almost all those came about – but we will not alter a storyline just to include them simply because they have been seen in the past."
Next up for the MCU is The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which kicks off Marvel Phase 6. Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach will play Marvel's First Family, facing off against world-devouring villain Galactus (Ralph Ineson).
The Fantastic Four: First Steps arrives in theaters on July 24 in the UK and July 25 in the US. For more on the MCU, catch up with our guide to watching the Marvel movies in order.
