VisionQuest brings back one of Marvel's most underrated villains as James Spader's Ultron takes center stage opposite Paul Bettany's Vision. The new series sees the Avengers: Age of Ultron antagonist inhabit his human avatar, trapped in Vision's Mind Space along with several other Stark Corporation AIs.

As Vision tries to reconcile his memories with feelings he's not sure he has, Ultron is there to goad and challenge him along the way. And over the course of the season, the series dives deeper into who Ultron really is, his opinions on humanity, and his own struggles with navigating emotions. It's a process that Spader says constantly surprised him.

"Any of the things that I might have thought about him when I did the film just were so much more of in the show, in VisionQuest," he tells GamesRadar+. "I was constantly surprised, even though Terry and I had discussed the whole show, from beginning to end, sort of beats, and certainly in episodes. And then having received the scripts and seeing what developed in the script form, I still wasn't prepared for the perfect thing that you're always aspiring to as an actor, always, is that it has a life when you start to perform it that you never really imagined.

"You could never really have predicted that. Even if you might have predicted intent or reaction or action, even if you might have been able to predict or speculate on that, the depth and breadth of it can often surprise you, and it did again and again and again on the show."

Ultron has already been an early stand-out of the series, with viewers saying he's the "highlight". New episodes are airing weekly on Disney Plus in two-episode blocks. For more, check out our VisionQuest release schedule as well as our verdict on the show in our VisionQuest review.

VisionQuest actor Paul Bettany thinks "snobbery" stopped fellow MCU star Robert Downey Jr. from winning an Oscar for Iron Man.

"Robert Downey, in my opinion, should have won an Oscar for that role [in Avengers: Endgame]," Bettany said in an interview with Buzzfeed Australia.

"It's extraordinarily hard to do. It's only some sort of snobbery regarding superhero movies that I think stopped that from happening. Because anybody who has ever had anything to do with making a movie knows that it looks hard to do, and it was. They did it brilliantly."

Ironically, Joaquin Phoenix won Best Actor for Joker in the year Robert Downey Jr. was eligible, though that was presented as a darker crime noir film that happened to take place in a superhero universe rather than a traditional DC movie. Robert Downey Jr. eventually got his acting Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss.

Whatever your opinion on the MCU, there's still a prevailing feeling that superhero films are largely shut out at the Academy.

As of writing, only two Marvel Studios films have won Oscars – Black Panther and its sequel, Wakanda Forever. Additionally, Black Panther remains the only MCU entry to be nominated for Best Picture; no actors have received the nod in any acting categories.

While that's unlikely to change anytime soon, Robert Downey Jr. is taking on his next challenge as the tragic Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday.

Already, Downey Jr. has made a bold declaration about his role.

Speaking on the Countdown to Avengers: Doomsday Official Podcast, the Doctor Doom actor declared, "What brought me back was the opportunity to redefine the genre of superhero movies."

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18.

For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and the Marvel timeline.

Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum has opened up about Wonder Man's cancelation, calling the situation "complicated". Speaking in a new interview, he said that he still hopes something could happen in the future with the show.

"I fought for it, I don't know what to say. It's complicated," he replied when asked about it on The Brandon Davis Show. "Sometimes you feel like you're invincible and can make whatever you want, sometimes, you don't have leverage, it's subject to market forces that I like barely understand."

However, Winderbaum went on to add: "But creatively it's one of the best teams I've ever worked with, I love that cast, I love Destin [Daniel Cretton], I love Andrew [Guest], I fought for the show, we all did. Everyone at Marvel wanted to see it happen. Maybe I'm an idiot, but I still have hope that by some miracle, there's a way to do something down the road."

Presenter Davis suggested it could follow in the footsteps of Daredevil and come back for another season. Winderbaum admitted he's not sure fan campaigns can be as successful these days, but he said he hopes more people watch Wonder Man. "I love that show and really want as many people to watch it as possible."

Wonder Man starred Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams, a struggling actor who secretly possesses superhuman powers. Ben Kingsley returned as Trevor Slattery in the series as well, which was a big hit with viewers and critics alike. It was renewed for season two in March before being canceled in July.

For all the projects still happening at Marvel, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

The second episode of VisionQuest introduces viewers to a Vision unlike one we've seen before in the MCU. Gone is the measured, logical synthezoid we know so well, as White Vision meets the Paladin in the Edinburgh pub where he'd been working undercover.

Trying to manipulate him to turn himself in to save his supposed son, Tommy Shepherd, Vision warns him that he is not the Avenger he assumes he is. "I'm not The Vision," he ominously tells him in a rare show of power and violence.

After more than 10 years of playing the character, Vision star Paul Bettany says this fresh take was a lot of "fun" to get stuck into. "When we find Vision, he has had his memories restored, but he seems unable or perhaps unwilling to attach any feelings to them, and I think that's a really human thing to do," Bettany tells GamesRadar+.

"It was fun to think of him getting frustrated because I don't think we've ever seen that. I think we've seen Vision be quite measured and contained, and to see him get angry in yes, ruthless ways, but also later on in sort of funny, frustrated ways with potentially his son in a situation that we will all recognize, like a father teaching their son to drive or whatever, just being really frustrated with them. It was really fun to play or have all of these new experiences for Vision and different facets of him."

The scene in the pub in episode two is a moment that stood out to showrunner Terry Matalas, who says he thought it would be "really surprising" to show this new side of Vision to audiences.

"That moment when he says, 'Let's try something new' in that dark way, I really got excited," he adds. "As an audience member, I think I would be thrilled to see him be a bit more ruthless."

VisionQuest continues weekly on Disney Plus, and based on the final moments of episode 2, we're in for some fun shenanigans with Vision, Ultron and Tommy in the coming episodes.

Check out our VisionQuest release schedule to make sure you don't miss a moment, as well as our VisionQuest review for our verdict.

VisionQuest star Paul Bettany says he once left the entire script for Avengers: Infinity War on a plane, which is an offense punishable by Marvel jail.

"I've never told anybody this, but I once left the entire script for Avengers: Infinity War on a plane," Bettany admitted to Virgin Radio UK. "And I got in my car and I went, 'Oh no... oh no!' I was lucky to have had a greeter that was a genius, and I got the greeter to go in and get it, and I tipped that greeter like 500 bucks."

Bettany's co-star Emily Hampshire, who plays E.D.I.T.H. on the new Disney Plus show, joked that she didn't know she was entering "witness protection" when entering the MCU. Hampshire says it's common to throw out your script pages or sides after you've finished filming that scene, but Marvel will apparently send someone to your house to collect those pages. I'd argue that it's one thing to toss the sides for a Disney Plus TV show, and another to leave the entire script for an Avengers movie on a plane where someone could easily grab it... Bettany is lucky he had a good greeter.

Marvel takes its leaks and spoilers pretty seriously, which is why Tom 'Loose Lips' Holland went on a full vacation with Joe Russo and wasn't told anything about Avengers: Secret Wars during the trip.

VisionQuest is out now, with the first two episodes in tow. Check out our VisionQuest release schedule to make sure you don't miss a moment.

"Our goal is to make TV shows that have an annual cadence, that feel like longer-form character studies, like truly great television shows," Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel Television, told me on the eve of Daredevil: Born Again season 2's release. I thought he was referring to The Man Without Fear's show – the third season was filming at the time – but I was very, very wrong.

At Marvel's New York Comic Con panel, Daredevil himself, Charlie Cox, backed by Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) and a returning Finn Jones (Iron Fist), confirmed that the next season will be the show's last. The audience was not happy. Asked what we can expect from the final episodes, Cox emphatically said: "All I can say is, the #SaveDaredevil campaign will be gearing up for Round Two." A round of cheers followed, but probably too little, too late.

Cox later told GamesRadar+ that the cancellation was not a huge surprise and the cast had a "good sense" the news was coming. However, reports previously revealed that showrunner Dario Scardapane exited the series during post-production, and internet rumours have also claimed the series' ending has been reshot to be more definitive. Surely, the show was meant to go on? I mean, why reintroduce all The Defenders not to use them?

VisionQuest also made up a significant part of the NYCC panel, with the cast stressing that this is the final part of the WandaVision trilogy. Yet, rather than just being a closing chapter to one of Marvel's most successful small-screen ventures, VisionQuest feels like the end of an entire era. Marvel has spent five years pumping out live-action limited series that tied into the big-screen productions, and now, there are no more coming. Marvel's Disney Plus experiment, it seems, has run its course.

"With the Captain America series, with Hawkeye, it really felt like the movies were in your home, and it was a great way to launch Marvel on [Disney Plus]," Winderbaum told me. "We learned, as time went on, the shared universe started to feel like an obligation to people, and that cost us a sense of discovery, especially on the television side.

"It doesn't matter if you can jump in and watch Moon Knight without knowing anything else. There was a sense, because of the preceding decade of the shared universe and the films, that you had to watch everything. It was, frankly, a bit of a misconception, but an understandable one based on the way we were releasing material."

That Daredevil, VisionQuest, and, lest we forget, the cancelled Wonder Man, were conceived before Marvel Television's rebranding in 2024 is telling. The studio's production philosophy has seemingly changed, and with little else on the horizon, Winderbaum appears to be taking the opportunity to clear the decks and start over.

Brave new world

So, what does the future of Marvel Television look like? At the NYCC panel, Winderbaum revealed the answer: Zodiac. Previously alluded to in Wonder Man's cancellation announcement, the new series was confirmed at NYCC, turning many fans' heads.

In the comics, Zodiac is a villainous crime syndicate whose members use Zodiac signs as names. "It's a globetrotting, international espionage show about secrets and lies and betrayals and secret acts of loyalty and an insane cast of characters," Winderbaum told Collider when teasing the series, refusing to elaborate as he wants everyone to watch unspoiled. It's wild that Marvel's only confirmed live-action Disney Plus show after Daredevil is one that centers on characters who wouldn't make the B-list. Only four years ago, the studio released Moon Knight, Ms Marvel, and She-Hulk in a single year.

Considering everything Winderbaum has said about his approach to TV, the pivot toward essentially unknown characters makes sense. He wants ongoing, yearly character studies that don't feel like homework for the wider MCU. What better way to do that than tell an entirely separate story about characters who won't be going anywhere near Spider-Man? The series can go deep without any baggage, and the movies can once again be completely separate beasts from the TV shows, with no need to watch anything prior.

Intriguingly, Zodiac's logo seems to reference S.H.I.E.L.D., the counterterrorism organisation that helped kickstart The Avengers Initiative and had its own show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., which ran for seven seasons. The series was not a colossal ratings hit, but had an enduring fanbase, and frankly, sounds exactly like the sort of TV show Winderbaum wants to make. In other words, Marvel Television's future may look surprisingly like its past. (Though, unlike some speculators, I suspect Zodiac will have zero real ties to the Agents series, to avoid the former series being "homework" for this one.)

Of course, this says nothing of Marvel's animation output. Your Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man season 2, X-Men '97 season 3, and the next three years of Marvel Zombies were all teased during the NYCC panel. Animation is much lower stakes than the live-action series – they have no bearing on the wider MCU – and all three shows have been warmly received by fans. There's no need for a cull. And the budgets are much, much smaller than live-action, which probably helps (though this is House of Mouse money we're talking).

It certainly seems, then, that the NYCC panel was a surprising eulogy for the way Marvel used to work and a brief, telling tease for the future. Zodiac marks a new dawn for live-action Marvel Television. And excitingly, we have very little idea what to expect.

VisionQuest is currently streaming on Disney Plus. Daredevil: Born Again season 3 is expected to release March 2027. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows, and our list of all the most exciting new TV shows heading your way.

VisionQuest introduces the human avatars of several of Tony Stark's A.I.s who occupy Vision's interior world with him. Among them is E.D.I.T.H., or Even Dead I'm The Hero, who was first introduced in Spider-Man: Far From Home through a pair of Stark-created glasses.

VisionQuest builds out her story a lot more as she's played in human form by Schitt's Creek star Emily Hampshire as a chaotic, fun, weapons expert. Speaking to GamesRadar+, Hampshire says she really wanted to acknowledge her character's history in the MCU when bringing her to life.

"I watched all the movies from the beginning, and Spider-Man: Far From Home, that's her birth story," she explains. "So I definitely, to find the E.D.I.T.H. we meet in VisionQuest, I started with the E.D.I.T.H. who is in Spider-Man: Far From Home."

Hampshire continues: "Tony's legacy is in there, and he named her E.D.I.T.H. for Even Dead, I'm The Hero, so that really informed that there's something in her that wants to be the hero, but also has that sense of play that Tony has, and yet her idea of fun is blowing things up, and so that is what has created who we meet in VisionQuest."

In Far From Home, the character is voiced by Dawn Michelle King, but this is the first time we see her in human form. Translating that character in this way was an interesting challenge for the actor, who explains she thought a lot about how she would have grown in the period between MCU projects.

"Her boss was a teenager, and she was controlling weapons and blowing things up, and so I'm like, 'Well, what would she want when she is let out of these glasses?'" Hampshire says. "And from where she's coming from, to me, she wants to experience life and have fun, and her idea of fun is blowing things up."

She adds: "To me, E.D.I.T.H. in Spider-Man is E.D.I.T.H. at work in her corporate job that she can't have any fun in, and E.D.I.T.H. in VisionQuest, it is the weekend."

Have a read of our VisionQuest review for our full verdict, as well as keeping an eye on our VisionQuest release schedule as new episodes drop weekly on Disney Plus.

VisionQuest has finally landed on Disney Plus, and the first two episodes bring back James Spader's fearsome Ultron – only now, he has a human guise, and he lives inside of Vision's head (along with the rest of the MCU AIs).

Despite his new roommates, though, Ultron is still his villainous self, and MCU fans are loving seeing him again. The following contains spoilers for episode 1 and 2.

In the second episode of the series, Paladin the bounty hunter takes Vision's son, Tommy Shepherd, hostage. Ultron returns to the Ship of Theseus paradox from WandaVision to urge Vision to take action and save his son.

"Did we just catch Ultron giving genuinely solid advice?!" says one fan on Reddit. "This show has been great so far but Ultron I think is the highlight. Really interesting to see how he has actually tried to learn from humanity during his imprisonment and I love all of his interactions with Vision, absolutely fantastic dialogue. I feel like it's practically a given that there's going to be a betrayal from Ultron down the road and I'm surprised by how much I actually wish it wouldn't come, by how much I hope Ultron could just be this mentor figure he's presenting himself as. In any case I hope he persists past this show, I think he's just too great of a villain to permanently cast aside."

"I could watch just eight straight hours of Vision and Ultron talking and I would love this show. We're going to get so many great quotes from this series, I can tell," agrees another fan.

"That Ship of Theseus revisit was perfect. Expanding on it to include the context and theme was so good," says another person. "Ultron is biding his time, I'm thinking his gambit is to eventually take over the body. He's certainly been studying humanity but I doubt that's a good thing."

"Really reminded me Ultron IS supposed to be a good guy. His actions are evil and the end result of him is being a big bad, but it all stems from the same 'save the Earth' mentality. Spader killing it as usual helps with the delivery too," says someone else.

"Spader is soooo good! love all the back and forth between him and Bettany!" is another fan's thoughts.

VisionQuest continues weekly on Disney Plus. For more, check out our spoiler-free VisionQuest review, or keep up to date with our VisionQuest release schedule.

Last we checked, Wanda was definitely dead in the MCU. Having an entire mountain dropped on you – as shown in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – will do that to a person.

Since then, we've had allusions to her fate in Agatha All Along (yep, still dead) and, now, a touching tribute to Scarlet Witch courtesy of Vision in VisionQuest. But there's almost no chance you spotted it first time around.

As unveiled by an eagle-eyed user on Twitter, the moment in the VisionQuest premiere where Vision's code flashes on screen contains a reference to Wanda.

While it's hard to make everything out amid the jumbled letters and numbers, it appears to say WANDA.CREATE. A possible hint that Vision could create another Wanda much like how she created Vision and an entire family for herself in her grief-stricken moments following her synthezoid beau's death at Thanos's hands? Maybe.

What is clear, though, is just how much Vision still thinks of Wanda – right down to his very code. If trips to his Mindplace cinema for WandaVision clip shows didn't already make it obvious, this is clearly a man – or machine – still in mourning.

In fact, Vision's 'memories' of his time in Westview are bleeding all over the show. His alias in Edinburgh at one point is shown as 'Sherwood Ellis'. That's not just another name. It is, in fact, a combination of the street Wanda and Vision lived in (Sherwood Drive, New Jersey) and the last street bordering Wanda's hex in Westview (Ells Avenue). That's just one of several VisionQuest Easter eggs we've seen so far.

Credit to showrunner Terry Matalas and company – they really thought of everything to make sure Vision's grief persevered into VisionQuest in a meaningful, yet obscured way. Even the diehards probably missed those ones.

The first two episodes of VisionQuest are now streaming on Disney Plus. We have a VisionQuest release schedule for those looking to keep on top of the show's erratic rollout plans in the coming weeks.

For more, check out our look back at how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Charlie Cox knew Daredevil: Born Again was going to be canceled ahead of time.

"[There was] a little bit more planning and emotional support. We knew about it [this time]," Cox tells GamesRadar+ at New York Comic Con. "We had a good sense [it was going to be canceled]."

Even so, the news blindsided fans: last month, reports dropped that revealed Daredevil: Born Again would be canceled after its third season. There has been further speculation that the finale has been tweaked to be more definitive and less open-ended.

So, Daredevil has been hit with the three-season curse once more, having also been canceled on Netflix after three seasons.

This time, however, we at least get a mini-Defenders reunion to make up for it, with Krysten Ritter's Jessica Jones, Mike Colter's Luke Cage, and Finn Jones' Danny Rand all making a return to the street-level scene.

"I've never been a part of a cast where the chemistry is just so innate, not only with the actors but also the way the characters interact with each other. It's special. The Defenders are special," Jones explained to GamesRadar+ at NYCC.

"The more they can flesh that out, the more the fans are gonna be happy because the fans really want it. Especially between me and Mike and Heroes for Hire. Something like that, I know people are desperate for. We'll get a glimpse of that maybe in season 3."

Whatever comes next, Cox isn't ruling out a Daredevil appearance in future MCU movies – even as Born Again comes to a close.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 will premiere on Disney Plus in March 2027.

In the meantime, discover the other upcoming Marvel movies and shows currently in the works.

Avengers: Doomsday concept art for a new Magic: The Gathering card may have spoiled a major twist that had previously been hinted at in a previous leak.

Potential spoilers for Avengers: Doomsday follow.

In the artwork from illustrator Jorge Molina on Instagram, Doctor Doom is shown flanked by a trio of masked Latverian witches for the limited-edition card, which will be available at Regal Cinemas after Doomsday screenings.

However, Molina also posted a prior iteration of the scene – which includes 'Boris', a masked ally of Doom that may be familiar to many of Earth's Mightiest Heroes.

In the comics, Boris Karela is Doctor Doom's most trusted adviser, having the Latveria ruler's ear on situations both domestic and global.

But 'Boris' in Avengers: Doomsday isn't likely going to be a fresh face. Instead, there's every chance it could be Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange.

Why? There are a few reasons. First, 2015's Secret Wars comic (from which 2027's Doomsday follow-up Avengers: Secret Wars takes its name) sees Strange in a similar role as Doctor Doom's trusted ally as he rules over Battleworld, an amalgamation of worlds brought together in order to save a collapsing universe. If that sounds familiar, it's because the breaking down of various worlds in the multiverse is the core premise for Doomsday.

If you're not convinced, then I'll point you to Secret Wars concept art that snuck out online last year. The illustrations depict Doctor Strange as Doom's advisor (although, admittedly, the Russos said those leaks were fake – make of that what you will).

Adding further fuel to the dire, Cumberbatch himself initially said he wasn't in Avengers: Doomsday, before quickly walking back his words and confirming he would be in the movie. Curious. Might he be under wraps in Doomsday before the grand reveal? If so, we don't know how the Avengers will fight their way out of this one.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18, including in Infinity Vision.

If you're still running behind in the MCU, we have the next best thing to the Time Stone – a complete guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

VisionQuest executive producer Mary Livanos says we can expect a real brotherly connection when Wiccan and Speed eventually team up in the MCU.

"I dreamt of bringing Speed and Wiccan to the Marvel Universe, which was an idea that we flirted with during WandaVision," Livanos tells GamesRadar+ during an exclusive interview at NYCC. "But now it's exciting to see Tommy Maximoff come to the screen. And Joe Locke and Ruaridh have become quite chummy. And so if, and when, they share the screen... I think people will feel the brotherly love."

Billy Maximoff, aka Wiccan, made his first real (as in not just as a magical manifestation of grief) appearance in Agatha: All Along. Though the show really made us work for that reveal: Joe Locke's character was simply named "Teen" and was referred to as such until Agatha comments that he's "so much like his mother" in episode 6. Billy retaliates by knocking her back with some pretty powerful magic, all while a blue crown-mask (that's pretty similar to Wanda's own red crown-mask) appears on his forehead. At the end of the series, he and Agatha set out to find his twin brother Tommy.

In VisionQuest, Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica) aka Speed, is living on the street and using his speedy powers to pull some pretty low-brow pickpocketing schemes before he's introduced to his father, Vision... though it's pretty complicated stuff given the fact that Tommy is technically living in someone else's body and Vision is the version rebuilt by S.W.O.R.D., not the version that was living with Wanda in Westview, New Jersey. We don't know if Wiccan and Speed will meet up in VisionQuest, but now that we know that we'll see them together eventually... does that mean we're getting that Young Avengers movie after all?

The first two episodes of VisionQuest are set to hit Disney Plus on October 14. To stay up to date with every other MCU movie and television show coming our way, check out our guide.

Daredevil: Born Again season 3 is set to be the show's last, but it won't be the end of Matt Murdock in the MCU (or so we hope).

"Maybe this will open the door for that," a tight-lipped Charlie Cox tells GamesRadar+ at NYCC, when asked if we'll see Daredevil in an upcoming MCU movie. "We'll see."

Before the premiere of Daredevil: Born Again in 2025, Matt Murdock briefly appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home as Peter Parker's lawyer as he faces public scrutiny after having his identity doxxed by Mysterio in Far From Home. A stunned Peter is unaware of Matt's powers, as he manages to catch a brick thrown through the apartment window by a protester. When Peter asks how he was able to do that, Matt replies: "I'm a really good lawyer." The cameo marked Cox's first appearance in the MCU, officially making the Netflix Daredevil series canon.

It was recently announced that Daredevil: Born Again would end after three seasons on Disney Plus, much like the Netflix series did back in 2018. During the Marvel TV and Animation panel at NYCC, Cox joked that the cancellation was the "#SaveDaredevil" internet campaign happening all over again. He told GR+, however, that he and the cast went into filming Born Again season 3 with the "feeling that it would be the end of an era."

Daredevil: Born Again has wrapped filming, but does not yet have a release date. For more, here's every other Marvel update from the Marvel TV New York Comic-Con panel.

Marvel’s most offbeat trilogy comes to a conclusion in VisionQuest. The follow-up to 2021 MCU TV pioneer WandaVision and 2024’s occult follow-up Agatha All Along, VisionQuest puts Paul Bettany’s sentient synthezoid in the spotlight for a story of fathers, sons, unlikely love, and the very origins of artificial general intelligence in the MCU.

Like its predecessors, VisionQuest is a mystery box series with a decidedly off-kilter sensibility. Several years after overriding his programming and flying away from Westview, White Vision is now working in a Scottish pub by day and living in a utopia of his own creation by night. The virtual architectural marvel that Vision calls home is a haven for orphaned Stark AIs J.A.R.V.I.S. (Hugh D'Arcy), F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady), E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire), and even former Avengers villain, Ultron (James Spader). Per Vision’s house rules (and the limits of CGI budgets), all roam the oblique-angled halls as human avatars.

Vision’s relatively peaceful existence is upended when the bounty hunter Paladin (Todd Stashwick) puts Vision in his crosshairs for a mysterious Client, and unearths the existence of Vision's son, Tommy Shepherd (Ruaridh Mollica) – one of the twin boys born of Wanda’s Westview Hex who winds up in the body of a London pickpocket. Vision’s quest: save Tommy, evade Paladin, and reveal the identity of The Client. Oh, and did we mention there’s an avian serial killer known as Butcherbird bumping off prominent AI specialists across the globe?

Paranoid androids

VisionQuest, then, is a dense show. It packs an awful lot into 8 episodes, with most clocking in at close to, or over, an hour each. While WandaVision concerned itself with an exploration of the Scarlet Witch's grief (via the medium of TV sitcoms), VisionQuest has more existential questions front of mind as White Vision reckons with his relationship to his former self, sort of dad Ultron, magical son Tommy, and the legacy of how he came to be; let's say it isn't just Tony Stark and Bruce Banner who have fingerprints in Vision's source code.

It can be surprisingly heady at points – like WandaVision's Ship of Theseus exchange extrapolated over 8 hours – but it also has a lot of heart, particularly when it comes to the show's more human-than-human AIs. J.A.R.V.I.S., F.R.I.D.A.Y., E.D.I.T.H., and security/maintenance men D.U.M.-E. and U. are a delightful bunch of oddballs for Vision to bounce off and find kinship with. And it even finds time to humanise mercenary assassin, Paladin.

As greater threats emerge, Bettany dials up the danger in his performance – one of many shades here that the long-serving Marvel star has never had the chance to play previously in the MCU. It's a far more complete, well, vision of the character than we've seen before. But the show's best work is reserved for genocidal AI Ultron, who's transformed into a lovable, megalomaniac grandpa who hangs out in Vision's attic. Spader's capricious murder bot steals every scene he's in.

Showrunner Terry Matalas previously created the well-received 12 Monkeys TV show and Picard season 3, so is no stranger to brain-bending, high-concept sci-fi shows. Sometimes, VisionQuest is too complicated for its own good; it can be hard to keep track of whether something is happening in the virtual world or tangible reality at points, and there's intentional obfuscation going on when it comes to the show's underpinning mysteries that only adds to the sense of confusion. This should lend itself to WandaVision-level theorizing week-to-week – a shame then that Marvel is releasing the show in two-episode batches, rather than letting each episode breathe.

Pleasingly, the answers we do get are satisfying and come at a regular enough clip that you're never left in the dark for too long, before the show swiftly moves onto the next mystery. T'Nia Miller's Jocasta has featured little in pre-release promotional materials, but becomes one of the show's more compelling central figures as the series progresses. And in the same way that Agatha All Along was a vehicle to introduce Joe Locke's Wiccan into the MCU proper, VisionQuest does the same for Raurdih's Mollica's Speed, taking him on a full emotional journey here. If anything, Tommy is better served by VisionQuest not concealing his identity or powers.

Like father, like son

WandaVision's ingenious sitcoms-through-the-ages structure is a tough act to follow, and there's a sense that VisionQuest is constantly striving to match its predecessor's audacious creativity. It's a show that has an awful lot of fourth-wall-breaking fun with the MCU, though, with winking references to Wanda's ignominious fate in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thanos' scrotum-like chin and more. The fact that James D'Arcy reprises his Agent Carter role as Edwin Jarvis isn't even addressed, and for long-serving MCU fans, it ties up the existence of Jim Hammond – glimpsed briefly in sculpture form in Captain America: The First Avenger – in a way that brings MCU synthezoids full circle.

VisionQuest does have a less contentious relationship with traditional superhero action than WandaVision – a show which infamously dropped the ball in its finale by prioritizing empty spectacle over a carefully mounting mystery. When Vision goes full phasing, laser-shooting synthezoid, easily dispatching a room full of armed heavies in the blink of an eye, it's thrilling. But, maddeningly, as he was in Infinity War, Vision is again critically compromised early in the series thanks to the sudden development of vibranium bullets (you'd think MCU bad guys would have thought to use them before now). As a way to put Vision on the back foot, it's a frustrating decision.

Like Vision himself, then, VisionQuest is a flawed creation: often brilliant, but riddled with imperfections and contradictions. As the final MCU project to hit screens before Marvel mega-event Avengers: Doomsday, it's also a little surprising how disconnected from the wider MCU story VisionQuest feels, with no sense that any of this will one day feed into the bigger picture. Instead, it serves as the end for a certain era of MCU TV, and it that sense it's a worthy final chapter.

VisionQuest streams on Disney Plus from October 13. Never miss an episode with our VisionQuest release schedule, or look ahead to the future of the MCU with our guide to all the upcoming Marvel shows.

WandaVision creator Jac Schaeffer is bringing Stargate back to TV – but fans of the beloved sci-fi aren't best pleased.

Details are scarce at the moment, but, per Variety, Schaeffer is developing the project for Amazon MGM and a writers' room is thought to be opening sometime soon. Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell are set to executive produce.

However, this isn't the first time a new Stargate show has been mooted. A separate project from Martin Gero, who worked on Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate SG-1, and Stargate: Universe, was scrapped in June of this year. Harold and Tunnell were also set to executive produce that show, and, according to another report from Variety, it was axed because of concerns from Amazon executives that the show wouldn't appeal to an audience beyond the pre-existing fans.

Unsurprisingly, the Stargate community isn't taking the fresh news all that well. "Yeah we had a new series…. and it got shit canned. I'm very hesitant to get excited about a non-Gero project," said one fan on Reddit, adding in an edit: "Don't get me wrong I hope it's an amazing series and wins awards and such. However, since they canceled one project from a show veteran. I expect nothing less than an 11/10 show out the gate."

"I'll believe it when I see production images… Been led down this pass before," says another fan. "Won't believe it until they're filming. And even then, I'll be skeptical," says someone else.

"Let me guess, it's gonna be a completely new and different take on the franchise to attract a young new audience that will fail to attract anyone and will be cancelled after 2 seasons max," predicts another fan.

"I really want the show back, but now I am pretty hesitant about how it will turn out. With the way streaming goes these days, I feel like we would just get one season and then get canceled," guesses someone else.

It's not all doom and gloom, however. "I know everyone is upset about the Gero situation and think this means they will go for a full reboot, but I'd like to stay optimistic," says someone else. "This is the showrunner that made a show set in the MCU, did not ignore or contradict anything that happened before, that was fully accessible for viewers unfamiliar with the MCU. For the people familiar with MCU the show even had references and cameos from the rest of the MCU. Who's to say they can't do the same with Stargate? Just replace the MCU with Stargate SG-1/Atlantis in the paragraph above."

"WandaVision and Agatha [All Along] were spectacularly good. At least they didn't dump Marty for some hack," says another person.

We'll just have to wait and see how Schaeffer's Stargate turns out, as, at the moment, it's far too early for any concrete details.

Next up for Marvel is VisionQuest, which will complete the trilogy started by WandaVision and continued by Agatha All Along – though Terry Matalas has taken over as showrunner.

The first two episodes arrive on October 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

Avengers: Endgame co-director Joe Russo has very high praise for Spider-Man star Tom Holland.

"I think Tom Holland translates in a way that I don't know if very few actors in history translate," he told CBR, discussing the financial success of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. "There is a charm and a genuineness and a warmth to him that really resonates with audiences. And he's so authentic as a person and his performances are so authentic, and he really embodies that character in a way that's straight off the page of the comics.

"And I think that movie is a testament to his star power," he continued. "We've said this before, he's the last great movie star. There's a vintage quality to Tom Holland that feels like it comes from a time that doesn't exist now. There's lots of great movie stars out there, but [his] energy is different. He's got that quality that very, very few people have had."

While the Russos directed Holland's Spidey in Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame (as well as their non-Marvel movie Cherry), the webslinger isn't currently slated to appear in Avengers: Doomsday or Avengers: Secret Wars. Time will tell if he makes an appearance in either.

"Doom’s magic is ancient," Joe Russo has said of Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom. "He is a very powerful character, as you can see in the trailer, and he's a genius. He studies his foes. He understands them, and he's also well-planned. He's not somebody who just does something off the cuff."

He added: "Everything is meticulous with him, and he knows that if he's going to step onto a battlefield against somebody, he has to have the tactical advantage or a power advantage against that person. So, he's very difficult to beat."

Doomsday arrives this December 18. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else the MCU has in store.

VisionQuest is now underway, and after that double-episode premiere, we're set for another super-sized serving next week, but it won't be that straightforward all season.

Below, we have the complete VisionQuest release schedule as confirmed by Marvel. We also have the VisionQuest episodes 3 and 4 release date and streaming time, perfect for those who want to watch the Disney Plus show ASAP and start theorycrafting in the way they did for WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

Alongside the full WandaVision release schedule, we also have an episode count for you to plan accordingly. Then you can dive into our guides on upcoming Marvel movies and Marvel Phase 6 if you want to see what's ahead beyond Vision's Mindplace.

VisionQuest episodes 3 and 4 release date and streaming time

VisionQuest episodes 3 and 4 release on October 20 at 6:00 PM Pacific/9:00 PM Eastern. That's 2:00 AM BST on October 21 in the UK.

VisionQuest is sticking to its double helping of episodes for the time being, but that's set to change later in the season. Speaking of which...

VisionQuest release schedule: when are new episodes out?

Fittingly, VisionQuest's release is a bit of an odd duck. Instead of releasing one episode every week, the show - which focuses on what Vision did next after the events of WandaVision – will release two episodes a week until episode six. Then, the penultimate episode and finale will be given their own weeks.

Why? We spoke to showrunner/creator Terry Matalas at New York Comic Con about the VisionQuest release plans, and he said, "They are airing in a way that gives you a meal every week... [episodes] seven and eight are their own kind of movies."

The full VisionQuest release schedule is here:

• VisionQuest episode 1: October 13 (US)/October 14 (UK) - Out now!
• VisionQuest episode 2: October 13 (US)/October 14 (UK) - Out now!
• VisionQuest episode 3: October 20 (US)/October 21 (UK)
• VisionQuest episode 4: October 20 (US)/October 21 (UK)
• VisionQuest episode 5: October 27 (US)/October 28 (UK)
• VisionQuest episode 6: October 27 (US)/October 28 (UK)
• VisionQuest episode 7: November 3 (US)/November 4 (UK)
• VisionQuest episode 8: November 10 (US)/November 11 (UK)

Where to watch VisionQuest and episode count

VisionQuest will be available to all Disney Plus subscribers upon release, though we can't rule out it appearing on Disney-owned ABC in the same way Ms. Marvel did a few years ago.

WandaVision will run for a confirmed eight episodes, which is slightly shorter than the nine episodes of both WandaVision and Agatha All Along.

Still behind on the MCU? Make like Ultron and catch up in style with our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Hawkeye star Jeremy Renner has stated that he is not in Avengers: Doomsday, but that the team will probably lose against Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom because they don't have his marksman on their side.

When asked at a recent Q&A if he is returning for Doomsday, Renner said, "No, no, no, no. Not in that one," adding, "Doomsday I'm not in, so The Avengers will probably lose, just so you know… they didn't call me so it's their fault they're going to lose."

When Renner jokes about the Avengers losing without him, one audience member shouted out "again," seemingly in reference to Avengers: Infinity War, which saw the squad lose to Thanos as he successfully collected all of the Infinity Stones. Renner was absent for Infinity War. Hawkeye played a rather large role in Avengers: Endgame, which saw the super-team defeat the Mad Titan, so Renner's theory checks out.

Renner's involvement in Doomsday has been rumoured many times, but the star seems pretty certain that he isn't returning. Many Marvel fans think he is telling fibs, and that Hawkeye will show up. "He’s definitely lying," said one fan on Twitter. However, it has been heavily rumoured that Renner will return in Avengers: Secret Wars, which the star confirms as he says "not in that one," seemingly referring to his part in the sixth Avengers flick over Doomsday.

Alas, despite Doomsday's stacked cast, co-director Anthony Russo has confirmed that there are still some casting surprises on the way. At an Avengers: Endgame Encore Q&A, Russo added, "the cast is so large, and we've announced some of the cast, and we haven't announced some of the cast." But even if Renner was involved, he probably wouldn't be able to confirm it. When asked the same question, Vision star Paul Bettany told Good Morning America that if he answered that he would "get fired."

Doomsday's confirmed cast includes Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, the new Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, the Wakandans, most of the original Fox-era X-Men, and more.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18, and December 16 in the UK. For more, check out our guide to the Marvel timeline, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.

Despite Avengers: Doomsday already having a stacked cast, we know that the full line-up has yet to be revealed. However, Vision star Paul Bettany still won't confirm whether he will appear in the fifth Avengers movie or not.

"I’m just trying to keep the kids in shoes, and if I tell you that, I’ll get fired. I’m just out there hustling, " said Bettany to Good Morning America. "That's for [Marvel Studios President] Kevin Feige and [Co-President and executive producer] Louis D'Esposito to decide."

Doomsday is set to bring together all of the remaining Avengers alongside a ton of Marvel heroes to face Robert Downey Jr's Doctor Doom. The cast includes Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Chris Evans's Steve Rogers, the new Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, most of the original Fox-era X-Men, and more. But, technically, Vision is an Avenger too, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think he could also make an appearance.

During an Avengers: Endgame Encore Q&A, Anthony Russo confirmed that there are still some casting surprises on the way. "The cast is so large, and we've announced some of the cast, and we haven't announced some of the cast," said the Doomsday co-director, adding, "Joe and I are still very deep in the process of finishing Doomsday. We always say we're not done with a movie until they pry it out of our cold, dead hands."

Doomsday wouldn't be Bettany's first rodeo with the Marvel superhero team, as Vision was part of both Avengers: Age of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War. However, Bettany jokes that his Marvel credentials aren't enough to impress his kids. "Every time I go into my Disney [Plus] login, I have to change the username," adds Bettany. "My kids always put a picture of me as Vision and 'The Worst Avenger' underneath."

Alas, we know for sure we are going to see Bettany's Vision this year whether he shows up in Doomsday or not, as the android's own series hits Disney Plus this month. VisionQuest welcomes back Bettany as the new and improved Vision known as White Vision, who has since been hiding from those who seek to weaponize him. But when a bounty is placed on his head, Vision is forced to go on the run with a mysterious teenager who may be his reincarnated son. The show also stars James Spader as Ultron.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18, and December 16 in the UK. VisionQuest arrives on October 13, and on October 14 in the UK. For more, check out our guide to the Marvel timeline, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way.

A new Avengers: Doomsday poster has been released in international markets, and it really does put the 'Doomsday' in Doomsday.

The Korean poster, which you can see below, showcases what appears to be Doomsday's cast of main heroes among its huge roster of MCU mainstays: Gambit, Loki, Steve Rogers, Captain America, Shuri, Professor X, Bucky Barnes, Thor, Cyclops, Mister Fantastic, and Yelena – overlooked by a masked Doctor Doom.

Also in the background is something that has largely been obscured and abstracted in Doomsday trailers to date: two worlds quite literally colliding in an 'incursion'.

The Avengers: Endgame Encore bonus footage teased the TVA's reaction to the collapse of the multiverse, but nothing quite like this. It also suggests that Fox's X-Men universe (designation Earth-10005) will be one of the unlucky worlds subject to the end-of-days convergence.

What exactly caused it and how it can be stopped is another matter entirely, but it's a concept that has been slowly set up in the MCU ever since Clea turned up in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness post-credits scene to warn the one-time Sorcerer Supreme of an incursion that needed stopping.

"It’s the most profound thing that's ever happened to the MCU," Doomsday director Joe Russo told Empire of the upcoming incursions. "It is the perceived end of times. Everything the TVA was set up to do is to protect the timelines from collapsing, and now they're in a catastrophic collapse."

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18, though will arrive as soon as December 16 in some regions.

Get ready for Doomsday with our suite of guides to the MCU: dive into the past with the Marvel timeline and guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order, then take a glimpse towards the future with our look ahead to upcoming Marvel movies and Avengers: Secret Wars.

A lot of familiar faces are going to be re-uploaded back into the MCU next week with the arrival of VisionQuest on Disney+. Already, reactions are beaming about the new series, which will see Vision have a father-son bonding session with his son, Tommy Maximoff (Ruaridh Mollica), while Ultron (James Spader) tries again to pull strings he absolutely shouldn't touch.

In an exclusive interview with GamesRadar+, Mollica discussed finding his footing as Tommy, aka Speed, and compared it to Tobey Maguire's legendary wall-crawler when he first took a swing at Spider-Man in 2002.

"My favorite journey when I watch superhero stuff is when people are figuring out their powers for the first time," explained Mollica. "Like when Peter Parker's figuring out how his webs work and he's like shooting them over the lunch hall. Those moments when superpower and human, the line is completely blurred, and you get to imagine yourself as that person, you know?"

Even after this journey, the new addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe said he was still struggling to wrap his head around his place in the franchise. "Tommy Maximoff is so cool, and I still can't believe my Mum and my Dad are Vision and the Scarlet Witch." Unfortunately, some people can't choose their family, and that includes Ultron, technically Tommy's sadistic, super-advanced grandfather, whom Mollica hints will make for an interesting relationship.

"He's the one that Tommy finds so fascinating. He's the one who grew up seeing what happened in Sokovia. He's in the world where the Avengers exist; he's seen how horrible Ultron is and suddenly he's face to face, or in the same realm with him. That comes with a lot of questions."

We'll see just what questions get answered when the first two episodes of VisionQuest arrive on Disney+ on October 14. To stay up to date with all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows heading our way, check out our guide.

In an exclusive interview with GamesRadar+ at New York Comic-Con, Finn Jones revealed that he and a friend may be going into business together in Daredevil: Born Again. The third and final season of the Disney+ show will reunite him with his former Defenders, including Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Luke Cage (Mike Colter). However, fans may be most excited to see Jones and Colter back together, as the two could finally partner up as the Heroes for Hire.

Speaking about the superhero reunion that's been almost a decade in the making, Jones talked about what it feels like to be back on the beat as part of the street-level team. That's before he let slip that the sought-after partnership between Luke and Danny will appear in some form or another in the new season.

"It's weird. I've never been a part of a cast where the chemistry is just so innate, not only with the actors but also the way the characters interact with each other. It's special. The Defenders are special," assured Jones. Of course, with Matt behind bars, Danny and Luke have to step in and, well, defend New York City, presumably while Jess rolls her eyes at them for the umpteenth time, which is exactly what we want. "The more they can flesh that out, the more the fans are gonna be happy because the fans really want it. Especially between me and Mike and Heroes for Hire," hinted Jones. "Something like that, I know people are desperate for. We'll get a glimpse of that maybe in season 3 of Daredevil."

It was always the hope that eventually we'd see Luke and Danny set up Heroes for Hire Inc. in the MCU. The company that was established by the two super friends in 1978 provided both protection and investigation services for the right fee. Previous clients have included Tony Stark and even Doctor Doom, who got a pasting from Luke Cage after trying to scam him out of $200. The company continued for years, with other heroes signing up to provide their services, including Scott Lang's Ant-Man, Ghost Rider, and Spider-Man.

It remains to be seen how much the Heroes for Hire will be involved in Born Again season 3. Could we see Luke and Danny in lengthy stakeouts monitoring the activities of Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio)? Will Luke ask anyone at one point, "Where's my money, honey?" We'll have to wait until the show returns next year to find out. For every other upcoming Marvel movie and show, check out our guide.

Marvel Rivals developer NetEase is taking extra care to make sure it doesn't leak anything about Avengers Doomsday as it plans a crossover with the MCU film.

2026 has been a big year for the Marvel Rivals team as the developers have been celebrating the four Avengers MCU themes with new cosmetics and modes throughout the year on the Path to Doomsday. This kicked off in April with an Avengers themed event that had a 6v1 asymmetrical mode in which you team up against a single Loki, while this week marks the Infinity War event which will introduce a 2v2 mode in which two teams of 6 players can battle with the Infinity Stones in round robin bouts. Then later this month a PVE mode based on Endgame will drop, in which 50 players have a scrap with Thanos and his army.

Naturally, this is all set to culminate with Avengers Doomsday in December, but all of Marvel Studios barring 2018 Tom Holland and Mark Ruffalo take spoilers very seriously. But for Rivals to have Doomsday-themed content, it'll need some insider info.

Speaking to FRVR, Marvel Rivals game director Guangyun Chen assured "We are doing everything we can to prevent any leaks for this important event." Unfortunately, this is somewhat undercut by supposed leaks for Marvel Rivals season 11 which pegs Nightcrawler and Dr Doom – both of which are set to play a big role in Doomsday – as the new characters set to be added next season. Not to mention Season 10's Gorr the God Butcher was leaked ahead of time too.

Granted, I don't know that Marvel Rivals' crossover will necessitate too many full-blown spoilers about the upcoming movie, least of all the "surprising ending" Joe Russo is hyping up. I'd be shocked if the film's ending – which features Beast transforming into Frasier Crane in a Dragon Ball Z-like sequence in which he one shots Doom – will be crucial to the new season. But let's hope no leaks happen, just to be safe.

Marvel Rivals hasn't managed to beat Overwatch's stats yet, but Disney boasts it's still "attracted 40 million players worldwide."

26 years ago, the first all-out superhero ensemble movie hit screens. Introducing legendary characters to live action such as Hugh Jackman's Wolverine and Patrick Stewart's Charles Xavier, the first X-Men movie did what had never really been done before, bringing a team of heroes with equal agency together to face a common enemy. That formula would be repeated over and over, and was the first step on the road to the ultimate team-up movie, Avengers: Doomsday, releasing later this year.

Aside from the questionable outfits, the 2000 movie was a smash hit amongst Marvel comics fans at the time, and still holds up today. Not only does the movie act as a perfect origin story for Xavier's superhero team, but it also introduces characters and relationships that survive on screen for decades to come. But in a rather ironic twist, the whole story will come full circle later this year in Avengers: Doomsday, as the same characters to introduce the modern superhero ensemble format are returning in the ultimate team-up adventure.

Over two decades after X-Men hit screens, Doomsday welcomes back most of the original mutants, including Xavier, Ian Mckellen's Magneto, James Marsden's Cyclops, and Rebecca Romijn's Mystique, as they make their MCU debut. But with the MCU shifting into a new era, it feels like the fifth Avengers movie is bringing the OG heroes back just to kill them off, which makes looking back to the start of their journey that more heartbreaking.

The first to do it

Directed by disgraced filmmaker Bryan Singer, X-Men introduces Wolverine as he plods across the nation with no memory of how he gained his powers, struggling to accept his new identity. That is until he meets the equally confused teen mutant Rogue (Anna Paquin). But just as the two become targets for the villain Magneto and his henchmen Sabretooth and Toad, they are scooped up by Professor X's squad. And so the X-Men team was born. The movie gives us just enough of a taste of each mutant's respective powers and a glimpse at their backstories, and sets up the heated rivalry between Xavier and Magneto that launches the whole franchise.

But you may be thinking, what do you mean X-Men was the first superhero ensemble movie? What about the early Batman movies that saw the Caped Crusader and Robin team up? Or 1987's Masters of the Universe? It is true that heroes did band together on screen before, but there was always one frontrunner followed by a gaggle of sidekicks. X-Men was the first major Hollywood movie to successfully bring a superhero team to the big screen where all the lead characters played an important part in the story. The joining of heroes who have similar capabilities would be replicated later down the line in 2012's The Avengers, spawning a whole franchise in and of itself.

The end of an era

However, according to the Avengers: Doomsday synopsis, the Marvel Phase 6 film is setting itself up as a pivotal moment in MCU history, which could mark the end for the original X-Men. "Universes collide, and the Multiverse Saga begins its final chapter," reads the synopsis. "This epic film will lay the foundation for the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe." Now, to me, that sounds as though the movie will say goodbye to a bunch of old heroes in order to make way for a new era. Furthermore, the Doomsday cast list is so incredibly stacked that there is no way all of the characters will be able to share screen time, meaning many may be binned early on.

In the added Avengers: Endgame Encore footage, the TVA learns that 3,000 universes have impending incursions, the first being between the Fox X-Men universe Earth-10005 and a new universe Earth-1127. The incursions are no doubt caused by Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom, who is on a path to avenge his own misfortune. But it may be too late for the X-Men. In the Avengers: Doomsday trailer, we see that parts of the X-Mansion have been destroyed, and another shot shows Xavier looking up at the fiery sky. Universes colliding is worlds away from the early 00s movie, so it may be a little too much for X and Magneto, who are huddled together and honestly look terrified.

In with the new

I believe Doomsday will give our favourite Mutants time to shine, though, before closing their coffins shut. In the trailer, we see Gambit fighting Shang-Chi, and in another scene, Mystique shape-shifts into Florence Pugh's Yelena. The mutants are probably trying to protect themselves from the strange heroes who have landed in their universe, who are really there to save them. But the X-Men will probably be no match for Doctor Doom, who has been described as "very difficult to beat" by director Joe Russo. Especially as Famke Janssen's ultra-powerful Jean Grey is absent.

It's going to be incredibly sad to see the OG X-Men go, particularly Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen's Professor X and Magneto, whose turbulent relationship kept us on our toes for decades. However, the Fox-era X-Men deserve a proper send-off. Let's face it, the old mutants could never have stayed around in the MCU for long, as Thunderbolts director Jake Schreier's upcoming X-Men movie is already in the works. The new movie is set to welcome back Spider-Man: Brand New Day's Sadie Sink as Jean Grey, adding Kit Connor's Cyclops, Christopher Abbott's Professor X, Inde Navarrette's Rogue, and more.

The first X-Men movie is required viewing ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, mainly to remind you how important the X-Men are to Marvel Studios and how one 26-year-old superhero film, that is on a pretty small scale compared to ensemble flicks today, changed the modern superhero genre forever. Knowing that this may be the last time we see our favourite mutants is devastating, but rewatching the first X-Men movie also makes me super excited to see the early days of a new group of mutants again.

Avengers: Endgame is available to stream now on Disney Plus, ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday on December 18. Avengers: Endgame Encore is in theaters now.

Look ahead with our list of upcoming Marvel movies and check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order ahead of your next rewatch. See you next week as we revisit the second X-Men movie, X2.

Wondering what you need to watch before VisionQuest? Well, you're in the right place if you want to brush up on everything you need to know before reuniting with Vision for his new Disney Plus series.

The new show reintroduces some key MCU characters as well as bringing the WandaVision story to a close. As a result, there are several shows and movies that are pretty much essential viewing if you want to understand what's going on in VisionQuest and the history behind the character dynamics.

For all you need to know about this, read on for our handy guide. While you're at it, have a read of our breakdown of upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

Where to watch? Disney Plus

Vision's story begins in Avengers: Age of Ultron. In this movie, he's created by Ultron, a rogue AI that Tony Stark and Bruce Banner built with the hope he'd help them keep peace in turbulent times. Instead, he turns against humanity and tries to create a synthezoid body for himself. Luckily, the Avengers intercept this, implanting it with elements of J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone to create Vision. This is an essential watch for understanding both Vision and Ultron, the two characters at the heart of VisionQuest.

Avengers: Infinity War

Where to watch? Disney Plus

One of the most important movies to watch before VisionQuest is Avengers: Infinity War. With the Mind Stone implanted in Vision's head, he becomes a target for Thanos, who is looking for all the Infinity Stones. At the beginning of the movie, Wanda and Vision are living in Edinburgh, having found an unexpected connection that developed during Captain America: Civil War.

When they're ambushed by Thanos' underlings, it becomes clear that Vision is the villain's most-wanted Avenger. While they do everything they can to keep him safe, the story leads to the tragic conclusion of Thanos ripping the stone from his head, killing him and completing the Infinity Gauntlet. This has huge consequences in the MCU, but it is also a turning point for Wanda Maximoff, who is overcome by grief.

WandaVision

WandaVision is the ultimate must-watch before VisionQuest. Set after Vision's death, this series sees Wanda Maximoff creating an alternate reality where she can live with her family, Vision and their twin sons Tommy and Billy. Set across sitcom-inspired episodes, the series explores the pain of grief and the power of love between these two characters in one of the most inspired stories that the MCU has ever made. It's also essential to understanding the version of Vision we meet in VisionQuest, White Vision, who comes into the story in the finale.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

While some parts of WandaVision clash with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it's definitely one that should be on your watchlist, given it reveals Wanda Maximoff's fate. Wanda is the villain of the Doctor Strange sequel, which sees her in pursuit of America Chavez, a teenager who can travel across the multiverse. She wants to steal her power in order to reunite with her children, who she lost when she destroyed Westview. Wanda isn't successful and her story comes to a tragic end in this movie when she buries herself in the collapsing Mount Wundagore, killing off her character.

Agatha All Along

Another essential watch is Agatha All Along, which is the second show in the WandaVision trilogy. The biggest reason to watch this one is because of the Maximoff twins. The series focuses mainly on Agatha Harkness and Billy Maximoff's relationship as it's revealed how Billy survived with his Westview memories in tow. At the end of the show there is also a tease about how Tommy is brought back as well. Given we're meeting Ruaridh Mollica's Tommy Shepherd in VisionQuest, this is one you don't want to miss.

VisionQuest begins on Disney Plus on October 14. For where it slots into the MCU, check out our breakdown of the Marvel timeline.

VisionQuest introduces Tommy Maximoff to the MCU as Ruaridh Mollica appears in the new Disney Plus show as Wanda and Vision's son. Earlier this year, the actor revealed that this wasn't actually the first time he auditioned for Marvel, but he couldn't remember who the other role was he tested for.

However, it seems he's since had a realization of who it was, and it's a pretty neat full circle moment for the star. "I clocked it after someone asked me before and I couldn't remember what it was," he replied when asked if he ever found out what the role was by Pedestrian TV. "I found the dummy sides and it was actually Joe Locke's part. It was the other twin, isn't that mad?" As Paul Bettany puts it in the same interview, "it was always meant to be."

Locke plays Billy Maximoff in the Disney Plus show Agatha All Along, which is the second series in the WandaVision trilogy. At the end of that show, Tommy's entrance is teased when Billy uses his powers to put his brother's soul into a dying boy.

We'll meet Tommy in VisionQuest as he teams up with Vision as the pair try and work out just who they are to one another. The new show acts as the conclusion to the WandaVision trilogy as it follows White Vision after he had the original Vision's memories implanted into his head.

Along with the Stark A.I.s and Ultron, he'll try and reconcile just what this means about who he is. All the while, he's on the run from a mysterious bounty hunter.

VisionQuest begins on Disney Plus on October 14. For more, check out our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown of the Marvel timeline.

Marvel's new series Zodiac has been announced, and fans already have a theory that it's linked to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. This comes after Phil Coulson star Clark Gregg shared the announcement to his Instagram account, sparking rumors.

This was coupled with Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum's comments on the new "spy thriller" at Marvel's New York Comic Con panel. "For anyone who knows the comics, if you look closely at this title design, you’ll see a few clues about where we’re going," he told audiences. "I can’t tell you anything else about it yet because it’s a secret. We're going to start casting it in a couple weeks"

Eagle-eyed fans have been pouring over the logo and think they've spotted the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on the A. "This is definitely the SHIELD logo on the A right? Right?? AoS revival???," one user wrote on Reddit, while another replied: "With how other shows and movies have been bringing people back I wouldn't be surprised if they incorporated at least one character."

The last time we saw Coulson was in the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. finale back in 2020. After his character was killed in The Avengers, he returned in the final season of that show as an android. It's not clear how he would be linked to this new series but as we know by now pretty much anything is possible in the MCU.

In the comics, Zodiac is a criminal organization where each member is named after a Zodiac sign. The most prolific is Scorpio, who is actually the brother of Nick Fury. There's lots of interesting directions Marvel could be going with this one, and it seems we'll find out more when the casting begins.

For more on the MCU, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows as well as our breakdown of the Marvel timeline

We're days away from reuniting with everyone's favorite synthezoid, or a version of him, in VisionQuest, and the hype is building, with social media reactions appearing online.

The first episode was shown today at New York Comic Con, and fans are liking what they see so far. @sagesurge said, "They showed the first epsiode of Vision Quest and it was interesting. It's incredibly smart, stylish, funny, and full of philosophy. I'm just waiting for James Spader to go FULL Ultron." @arkh4m also added that "We just saw the premiere for Vision Quest. And I really liked it, fascinating premiere. White Vision trying to get in touch with the emotions of Vision and from WandaVision. Great connector to the other two."

@demetherself wrote, "VisionQuest is a worthy successor to WandaVision, and it feels like a love letter to Wanda Maximoff at times. It tackles the themes of love, grief, generational trauma, and identity. The relationship between Tommy and Vision will leave you wanting more from this family. James Spader is a delight, and Emily Hampshire is a surprisingly entertaining addition."

"The WandaVision trilogy comes to a near-perfect conclusion with #VisionQuest," adds @Elphaba_Anne. "Terry Matalas does a masterful job showing a deep love for and understanding of many projects that paved the way while still making the story his own, executing a distinct creative vision (pun intended)."

@JoBlo also gave the show the kind of praise worth getting giddy about, revealing that "VisionQuest is a full circle moment for the #MCU. Paul Bettany is great in a long-overdue return as Vision, while James Spader steals the show as Ultron. Heartfelt, innovative, and the most fun Marvel Television has been in quite some time."

It's great to see that so many returning MCU stars in this mysterious show are getting the flowers they deserve. @TheDecider assured that we're in for a treat, writing, "The series delivers a genuine love letter to WandaVision fans, moving the story into something deeper & more mature that serves as a perfect closer to the trilogy. Paul Bettany shines in every episode, while James Spader’s Ultron is exactly what the show needs."

We'll see how they all get their wires crossed when VisionQuest arrives on Disney+ on October 14. To keep up to date with Marvel news, check out our New York Comic Con Marvel panel live blog.

Fans of the Man Without Fear had their worst ones realized last month when it was announced that Daredevil: Born Again season 3 would end after its third season. It comes as no surprise, then, that Charlie Cox hanging up his horns as Matthew Murdock for what might be the final time was a topic of discussion at today's Marvel Television panel at NYCC, along with some new footage for the vigilante's swansong.

The last time we saw the hero of Hell's Kitchen, he was thrown behind bars after confessing he was Daredevil to bring down Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) at the end of Daredevil: Born Again season 2. At the New York Comic Con, we got a glimpse of how he's handling things in some exciting new footage. Would you believe it? Matthew Murdock is punching people. Again.

The footage begins with the worst-kept secret in the MCU as Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), Luke Cage (Mike Colter), and the former(?) Iron Fist, Danny Rand (Finn Jones) walk into a government building. We then see Matt (Cox) in prison, while elsewhere Wilson Bethel's Bullseye sets off a bomb in the big house, too.

The footage ends with Matt making his own makeshift Daredevil outfit from an orange prison jumpsuit, echoing the look he wore in Chip Zdarsky's comic run. As he gets to work on his new get-up, a voiceover from Matt can be heard, accepting his sentencing. "I made a choice to pay for my so-called crimes of stopping a madman from turning the city into his own personal kingdom," he says. "And if that is the bargain, I will pay for that choice every time."

Of course, the excitement is bittersweet, since this could be the last time we see Cox do time as Matt Murdock, even if he joked about the recent news. During the panel, host Brandon Davis mentioned it was the final season, and Cox jokingly pretended to hear the news for the first time. "What, what?" He then added, "All I'll say is that I imagine the 'Save Daredevil' campaign will be gearing up for reality. You don't want to invite the wrath of the 'Save Daredevil' people."

We'll have to find out how the final dance with the devil arrives on Disney+ next year. For more, here's every other Marvel update from the Marvel TV New York Comic-Con panel.

If you're still feeling starved for Spidey-related action after the record-breaking Spider-Man: Brand New Day, worry not. NYCC has confirmed when to expect season 2 of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and who he'll face.

As the brand-new poster below reveals, Spidey will be back in action on Disney Plus on January 13, 2027. He'll also be going another round with the symbiotes and get a fancy, fresh suit for his troubles. Of course, it won't stay on him for long, since it's a living parasite that ends up finding a far more troubled host.

The poor fella in question is Mr. Eddie Brock, who will eventually become Venom and will be voiced by longtime Spidey vocal artist Josh Keaton, who voiced the webslinger in The Spectacular Spider-Man and Electro in the 2018 Spider-Man game. With such a legendary foe, Spidey will need extra webbing, which, in this case, will come from Gwen Stacy, aka Spider-Gwen, who is also set to make an appearance, although there's still no confirmation on who will be voicing her.

Beyond Peter's close encounter with the symbiote kind, there's a lot more going on that will be picked up from last season. When we last left our hero (voiced by Hudson Thames), he'd survived a scrap with the alien with help from Doctor Strange (Robin Atkin Downes). Some villains were behind bars, and more heroic allies, including Daredevil (voiced by Charlie Cox and set to return in season 2), were keeping an eye on Norman Osborn (Colman Domingo). Perhaps the biggest shock of the season finale, though, was the appearance of Richard Parker, Peter's father, whose reunion with his secretly superheroic son sparked a lot of questions.

It certainly looks like there'll be a lot of action, but we'll have to wait until January 2027 to see more when (deep breath) Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2 returns to Disney+. For all other Marvel news, check out our New York Comic Con panel live blog.

The Marvel Television panel at NYCC today is drawing a lot of moaning and groaning, but in the best way possible. Shuffling back onto screens in animated form for a second season is Marvel Zombies, but it's been revealed it won't be a follow-up to the original What If...? spin-off.

Instead, we're getting not one, not two, but three downright rotten specials set in the undead universe, just scheduled for the next three years. Kicking off in Halloween 2027, we'll be seeing how Bucky Barnes handles the flesh-munching horde in Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier. Then, in 2028, the undead army will go up against Moon Knight in Marvel Zombies: The Fist of Khonshu, followed by Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian in 2029.

Two of those specials raise interesting questions about both the MCU behind the scenes and the universe itself. Our last encounter with the Marvel Zombies saw Kamala Khan team up with Blade Knight, the legendary vampire hunter who had been assigned to be the Fist of Khonshu. While Mahershala Ali didn't voice the character, his likeness was used, raising the question of whether his face will reappear in the upcoming chapter, even though the Blade movie is well and truly dead. Alternatively, it could mean Oscar Isaac might return as Marc Spector, Steven Grant, and Jake Lockley.

On the upcoming animations, Winderbaum revealed, "Brian Andrews, the director of Marvel Zombies, who's also directed some of my favorite episodes of What If, is back for three more Marvel Zombies." Regarding the Winter Soldier, Marvel Television head hinted that it has "some real big surprises" in it. "I won't tell you who The Last Guardian is, but it's very, very exciting. We're about halfway through Animatics. It's like a gory, blood-splattery, but also quite beautiful show that I cannot believe Disney Plus lets us make."

Could Chris Pratt reprise his role as Star-Lord, or could another of those intergalactic a-holes face the music as humans get munched instead? Well, if there's any chance to include Michael Jackson's Thriller in the MCU, it's this.

For every other bit of Marvel news from NYCC, check out our Marvel TV and animation live blog now.

Marvel might be cutting shows left and right, but it's now been confirmed that a brand new one is on the horizon, and it's the long-rumored spy series, Zodiac. As predicted, the show was announced at the NYCC Marvel Television panel today, and executive producer Brad Winderbaum had little to say, naturally keeping what's in store top secret. "It's a spy thriller. We start shooting in London this spring," he revealed.

Naturally, no matter how covert this new show might be operating, Winderbaum is prepared for some info to slip through the cracks. "I'm sure there's going to be lots of spoilers because we're going to start casting it in the next couple of weeks, and it is amazing. And if you're a fan of the comics, there is a lot hidden in that logo."

Eagle-eyed fans might notice the SHIELD logo in the 'A,' while the 'O' strangely resembles parts of Tony Stark's arc reactor. It's hard to say what that could mean, though. In the comics, the most prominent Zodiac was a masked villain who debuted in the 2009 Dark Reign event, causing chaos for Norman Osborn and later going toe-to-toe with Moon Knight. It's hard to say whether that character will connect to the upcoming show, but since Zodiac used heavy surveillance to mess with the Fist of Khonshu, he might fit into a story about spies and hidden-camera work.

Expect more news on this in the coming months as names are pulled from the hat. For any other Marvel news, keep an eye on our New York Comic Con Marvel panel live blog.

Avengers: Doomsday sees MCU's best and brightest uniting to try to defeat Doctor Doom, but from everything that's been teased so far, it seems it will be their greatest challenge yet.

We haven't seen much of the character, aside from a few post-credits nods, so as an audience, it's tricky to work out why he is such a formidable foe. Now director Joe Russo has shed some light on that in a new interview.

"Doom’s magic is ancient," he told Fandango. "He is a very powerful character, as you can see in the trailer, and he's a genius. He studies his foes. He understands them, and he's also well-planned. He's not somebody who just does something off the cuff."

Russo continued: "Everything is meticulous with him, and he knows that if he's going to step onto a battlefield against somebody, he has to have the tactical advantage or a power advantage against that person. So, he's very difficult to beat."

Robert Downey Jr. returns to the MCU to play the iconic villain in the new movie, but we've only had a few glimpses at his performance so far. He'll be sporting a mask and a new accent, but it does seem like he'll have a link to Tony Stark. The Russo brothers aren't giving anything away at the moment, but they have teased the connection will be addressed.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in UK cinemas on December 16 and in US theaters on December 18. For more, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

After a few years in the wilderness, Samuel L. Jackson has confirmed he'll be back as Nick Fury in Avengers: Secret Wars.

When speaking to The Direct, Jackson let slip he would appear in the "movie after" Avengers: Doomsday.

However, Jackson, who has portrayed the one-time SHIELD director for almost two decades, has "no idea" what the story will be about.

"[Marvel] hasn't told me anything, other than, 'You're not gonna be in this movie. You'll be in the next,'" Jackson said.

As Nick Fury, Jackson remains one of the most prolific MCU actors.

Memorably, he first appeared in the post-credits scene of Iron Man to tease the 'Avengers Initiative.'

From there, he made appearances in almost a dozen Marvel films, including backing up Carol Danvers in Captain Marvel and The Marvels, being impersonated by Talos while he was away in space in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and being a core member of the Avengers movies. He also led Secret Invasion, a gritty Disney Plus series that was largely panned by critics.

Given the looming presence of Avengers: Doomsday, little is known about 2027's Secret Wars, even if the release date will change.

A handful of concept art pieces were purportedly leaked last year and showed Doctor Doom in charge of 'Battleworld' with Doctor Strange by his side, but directors the Russos moved swiftly to debunk the material.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas on December 18. Avengers: Secret Wars is currently slated for release on December 17, 2027.

For more, including the latest on the new X-Men film, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies.

VisionQuest showrunner Terry Matalas says Jocasta, an android known in the Marvel comics for her relationship with Ultron, has been purposely left out of promo for the upcoming Disney Plus show.

"T'Nia Miller," Matalas tells Collider. "We have purposely kept her character out of a lot of the promotion of the show because T'Nia's performance is revelatory. Chilling, nuanced, and even a little heartbreaking. I can't wait for everyone to see it."

Jocasta made her first appearance in The Avengers #162 back in 1977. Ultron created Jocasta with the intention of making her his wife, and even stole the life force from Janet van Dyne aka the Wasp, to try and make it happen.

Upon realizing Janet would have to die in order for her to live, Jocasta told the Avengers, who promptly defeated him. Though she's programmed to be loyal to Ultron, she eventually betrays him and becomes an unofficial member of the Avengers.

Over the years, Jocasta has been included in several "comic book characters that should be in the MCU" types of lists, from both fans and media publications alike. Miller's performance marks Jocasta's first-ever live-action appearance, which is pretty dang exciting.

I think it's safe to say that we're in for a pretty dark family reunion, what with Vision and Ultron already living in the same house in the upcoming series (though keep in mind that this version of Vision doesn't necessarily remember that Ultron is a genocidal maniac).

VisionQuest arrives this October 14. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now out on digital release, which comes with a whole bunch of extra featurettes. In one, called 'Friends and Foes', Mark Ruffalo and Tom Holland open up about working together on the movie, and tease what it might mean for their future in the MCU.

"The idea of Hulk and Spider-Man finally meeting up," Ruffalo says in the clip. "It's iconic and legendary in the comics. And I think the way we do it is really a teaser for what's to come with these two characters."

It's an intriguing statement as it's not totally clear yet how both characters will play into Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. As part of the Avengers: Endgame Encore re-release, a post-credits scene was added, which saw Bruce Banner in an underground facility after the events of Brand New Day. Here, we see Doctor Doom appear and collect the Hulk, taking him somewhere else.

The scene has spawned a theory that the same thing might have happened to Peter Parker in the Brand New Day post-credits scene. If you'll remember, this featured Parker on the Spidey Tracker somewhere in Queens before he disappeared and turned up on an unknown planet far away. Could Doom have also collected him and transported him far away?

The Russo brothers, who directed Avengers: Doomsday, have already teased that Doom has his eyes on recruiting more MCU characters. Let's see if Spider-Man is one of them...

For more, check out our guide to upcoming Marvel movies and shows.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now out on digital, and the release has brought with it a whole host of new footage. Among the additional moments is a glimpse at the scene when Spider-Man is unmasked in the hospital.

After taking the bullet for Jean Grey (Sadie Sink) at the Department of Damage Control on Roosevelt Island, Peter is rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. In the final movie we don't see him until he's recovering in his hospital bed, but it seems an earlier moment was filmed.

Shared on social media, he can be seen having his Spider-Man mask taken off in the operating theater, and he looks absolutely terrified. Whether this is down to his identity being revealed or the life and death situation, it's not quite clear but it's certainly a moving additional scene.

There was also a lot of debate among Spider-Man fans about how Peter managed to keep his identity a secret in the hospital. It seems the answer is that he didn't, but those involved in helping him get better kept his secret for him.

The scene was included in a behind-the-scenes featurette for the film, where star Tom Holland explains Peter evolving throughout the movie. "Peter's journey in this movie is about him learning that he can't do this alone," he explained.

Fans have been reacting to the scene and it seems like some are hoping the deleted moment could end up in the film's rumored re-release. "Every detail is more devastating than the last one," wrote one, while another added: "I swear if this scene is not in the extended version I'll burn the theater down." A third wrote: "They should have explained why the doctors never revealed his identity. We could have had a scene like in Spider-Man 2."

It's not quite clear where Holland's Spider-Man will end up next but the movie's post-credits scene seems to link his trajectory with Doctor Doom. Our best bet is that we'll see him in Avengers: Secret Wars, but here are all the other upcoming Marvel movies and shows he could appear in.

Doctor Doom looks great in green in Avengers: Doomsday, but new merchandise reveals we almost had a fresh look and title change for the Marvel supervillain.

As is now customary for a big new Marvel release, a wave of Funko Pops have teased what to expect from certain characters.

Among them is Doctor Doom. While there is a Doctor Doom Funko showcasing much of what we've already seen from Robert Downey Jr.'s masked character in recent Doomsday trailers, we also have confirmation that he will be accompanied by Franklin Richards, the son of Fantastic Four's Reed Richards and Sue Storm – as set up by the Fantastic Four: First Steps post-credits scene.

More intriguingly, though, is the figure named 'Lord Doom', complete with gold trimmings, regalia, and a slightly modified mask.

While this doesn't tell us much about Doom in Avengers: Doomsday, it does clue us into Marvel Studios' thinking behind the scenes. That's because the Lord Doom Funko is part of the brand's 'concept series', which shines a light on concept art and scrapped designs that never made the cut. Check it out for yourself below.

As the road to Doomsday gets ever shorter, we're starting to hear more and more about the biggest Marvel release in years.

The directors Joe and Anthony Russo have already given a ballpark figure of two-and-a-half hours for its runtime, with talk of a "very surprising ending" to boot. Joe Russo has also described the collapse of the multiverse in apocalyptic terms, meaning that there's bound to be more than a few casualties as the incursions start to hit close to home.

Avengers: Doomsday hits cinemas in the US on December 18 and in some regions from December 16.

For more, we have a guide on the complete Marvel timeline. Plus, we have a look ahead to all the upcoming Marvel movies currently in the works.

Anthony Mackie has confirmed he's heading to Broadway to star in Macbeth, and it's revealed some new details about the Avengers: Secret Wars filming schedule. The Captain America star will be working on the show from February until July 2027, which he told Deadline is when he'll film for Secret Wars.

"So once I finish on Broadway, I'll go to finish up all the Avengers stuff for Secret Wars," he told Deadline in a new interview, referring to his filming schedule. Now, this seems to be a pretty tight turnaround for the upcoming Avengers movie, which is due out on December 17, 2027.

Avengers: Doomsday, by comparison, wrapped filming in September 2025, with additional photography taking place in early 2026, ahead of its December 2026 release date. The timeline seems to be a lot tighter for Secret Wars at this point, as filming has yet to start.

However, it's worth noting that Mackie may be doing some filming ahead of his Broadway stint and could just be "finishing" filming next summer. Even so, with the huge amounts of post-production that movies like this need, it's going to be a sprint to hit that release date.

Currently, most of the cast of Avengers: Secret Wars is unconfirmed, given that we don't know what will happen in Avengers: Doomsday yet. It is expected that most of the major MCU heroes will return, and there have been rumors that Noah Jupe has joined in a secret role. As soon as Doomsday hits theaters, we should get a bit more of an idea of what to expect.

For more MCU, here's our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need to know about.

It's an interesting time for Marvel television. The studio has been cutting back on its small-screen output on Disney Plus with the recent cancellation of Wonder Man and the news that Daredevil: Born Again is ending with season 3. However, while all signs are pointing to a smaller output, Marvel has still announced a New York Comic Con 2026 panel to showcase their upcoming slate.

As always, details on the panel are pretty slim, but that doesn't mean we won't be in for some big surprises. Below, we get into our big predictions of what might happen at the panel as Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum invites a series of guests to join him in the Big Apple. From new details on previously announced television shows as well as insight from Marvel's animation output, we're expecting some big reveals. There are even some rumors that several new MCU series are already in development, which could make a surprise appearance.

For everything we're expecting from the Marvel TV and animation panel, read on for our complete guide below. And while you're here, why not have a read of our Marvel timeline to get up to speed ahead of time.

VisionQuest final reveals

Marvel's biggest upcoming show is set to hit Disney Plus in just a few weeks. VisionQuest will mark the end of the WandaVision trilogy as it picks up with White Vision after the events of the climactic season finale. We'll meet Paul Bettany's synthezoid as he tries to grapple with Vision's implanted memories, his place as a former AI, his origins from Ultron, and a bounty hunter on his tail. Just a normal Tuesday, right?

We've seen lots of trailers at this point, so our best guess is that Bettany, James Spader, and showrunner Terry Matalas might make an appearance at the panel to give a few final updates.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2 trailer

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man season 2 will be swinging onto our screens in January 2027, and we still haven't seen a trailer. First footage debuted behind closed doors at D23 back in August, so I'm betting New York Comic Con will be when Marvel Studios releases the teaser for everyone to see.

The new season will pick up after the events of season one as Peter Parker battles his usual rogues' gallery. Hudson Thames returns to voice Spidey, alongside Colman Domingo as Norman Osborn and Charlie Cox as Daredevil. Newcomers in season 2 include Spider-Gwen and Eddie Brock, and rumors are that Peter will be getting a symbiote suit too. I can't wait to get the first proper look at that.

First look at Daredevil: Born Again season 3

Daredevil: Born Again has always had a very strong presence at New York Comic Con thanks to its setting. However, it's not quite clear whether this will continue for season 3, given the recent news that this will be the show's final outing. I'm hoping that we'll still get a final send-off appearance from Hell's Kitchen's finest given that season 3 has wrapped filming.

My biggest hope is that Charlie Cox might make an appearance to debut the first look at new footage, although at this stage it feels likely this will debut behind closed doors. GamesRadar+ will be in the room, though, to give you all the updates as we get them. If we do get any new footage of Daredevil: Born Again season 3, I'm expecting official confirmation about some familiar faces returning after all the set leaks earlier this year.

X-Men '97 season 3 and Marvel Zombies season 2 updates

While live-action TV for Marvel may be in flux, it seems like animation is thriving. X-Men '97 season 3 and 4 have already been confirmed, with the former set to arrive in 2027. The ending of season 2 of the mutant show also set up a tantalizing tease for the direction of the show in new episodes by introducing Mystique to the fray. Footage of X-Men '97 has previously debuted at NYCC, so it's possible this could happen again this year, although it would be pretty early.

Marvel Zombies is also officially returning for a second season and could make an appearance at the panel. Marvel TV head Brad Winderbaum announced back in April on The Escape Pod that he'd seen an animatic of the first episode. Based on this timeline, it seems pretty likely that we could be in for some new footage from the show, whether this be a trailer or a clip. Plenty of the MCU's biggest stars reprised their roles for their animated counterparts in the first season, so there may also be some confirmation of more stars following in their footsteps.

New TV shows

A big question mark is currently hanging over Marvel's upcoming slate: will there be any more live-action TV shows? At the moment, the only confirmed shows are VisionQuest, which will release very soon, and Daredevil: Born Again season 3, which will be the final season. Beyond that, Marvel has no more live-action shows in development. Could NYCC be the place to announce more?

It's certainly possible, especially given recent reports that the studio has been actively developing a number of shows. According to The Hollywood Reporter back in September, Marvel has between three and five series in development. The publication even announced that one, a thriller codenamed Zodiac, was very close to being greenlit. If this is true, it seems inevitable that we might get some announcements at New York Comic-Con. Watch this space.

The Marvel TV and animation panel takes place at New York Comic Con on Thursday, October 8 at 4:15pm ET (1:15pm PT and 9:15pm BST).

For more on the MCU, here are our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows, as well as our breakdown of how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Just two weeks before the premiere of VisionQuest, Marvel has the first three episodes of WandaVision available to stream for free on YouTube.

You might recall that WandaVision is the first TV show to kick off the Disney Plus era of the MCU, with each series tying into the main movie universe. WandaVision takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, where a grief-stricken Wanda Maximoff uses magic to create a happy, idyllic life in the wake of Vision's tragic death at the hands of Thanos. At the end of the series, Wanda allows the magically created Vision to disappear into the ether, while a fully rebuilt all-white version of Vision was created by S.W.O.R.D.. It's the latter version who starts a brand-new life in VisionQuest, and invites Ultron (James Spader) to come live in his house (brain?) for some reason.

The cast includes Orla Brady as FRIDAY, Emily Hampshire as EDITH, and James D'Arcy as JARVIS (yes, that Jarvis). Ruaridh Mollica plays Tommy Maximoff, Wanda's son, who was introduced by name in the first WandaVision spin-off Agatha All Along. In the trailer, Ultron says to Tommy, "You really are a son of a witch" (and that's pretty dang exciting).

There will also be some VisionQuest news to come out of New York City Comic Con, and knowing Marvel, it'll probably be cameo-related.

VisionQuest arrives this October 14. The first three episodes of WandaVision are available now on the official Marvel YouTube channel. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.

"When you mess with time, it tends to mess back," Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark warned in Avengers: Endgame.

How right he was – but no one would have guessed Earth's Mightiest Heroes traipsing around 2012-era New York would have spawned a Marvel classic and laid the groundwork for the MCU's best, most satisfying redemption arc.

Enter Loki, a two-season time-travelling adventure that plucked Tom Hiddleston's trickster god from a timeline involving his hasty escape in Endgame and into the pleasingly lo-fi, analog corridors of the Time Variance Authority (TVA), a group of suits and soldiers that oversee the multiverse and are ready to stomp out any branching timelines that cause temporal headaches at a moment's notice.

Marvel has deployed the multiverse liberally in the past half-decade. It's been used for fan service (Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine), expansive sequels (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), and puzzling post-credits scenes (The Marvels), but – in Loki's case – the original is the best.

For All Time

Instead of using the multiverse as narrative crutch, Loki wields it as a tool to untangle the broken psyche of its most complex villain. Quickly, Thor's half-brother has his ego stripped away as he tiptoes towards the most selfless of goals: restoring balance to a tempestuous multiverse. But, first, Loki has one of the MCU's best villains standing in his way.

While much of its power has been robbed thanks to Jonathan Majors' arrest and subsequent firing, it's the scenes with He Who Remains that turns Loki from a brilliant slice of time-and-space action into something that would have lasting effect on the MCU as a whole – and really hammered home Loki's quality.

Where most of Marvel's output has concentrated on CGI-filled spectacle for its finales, Loki's first season settled on something paradoxically far more intimate and grander.

At the end of time, He Who Remains – a Kang variant – sits over a dying universe, only to be confronted by Loki and his own variant, Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino). After Sylvie stabs him, He Who Remains' iron grip on the universe is lost and the multiverse splinters off into countless unwieldy branches.

The second season spends much of its runtime undoing that multiversal mess, with Kang variant Victor Timely helping set up an Avengers crossover that never was with The Kang Dynasty.

But no matter. The infinite possibilities of the multiverse has helped rework Loki's endgame into the MCU's favor.

Glorious purpose

The Avengers: Endgame Encore re-release bolted on bonus scenes that helped reconfigure Loki and the TVA's role on the path to Avengers: Doomsday.

In an extended ending, Loki interrupts Peggy and Steve's dance to warn them of impending doom (and likely Doom). The TVA, meanwhile, has a front-row seat as over 3,000 timelines perish in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Doomsday turns from the novelty of Doctor Doom facing the Avengers to an all-consuming apocalyptic event – and wouldn't have got there without Loki training its audience to understand the multiverse, as well as introducing characters it cares about overseeing the whole thing.

Thanks to the first season's montage-style recap of future Loki scenes to help his past self catch up on what could be, the show also neatly sets up Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars for what will be the completion of Marvel's unlikeliest comeback story and its most emotional reunion: a matured Loki meeting face-to-face with a Thor who has lost his home, lost his eye, and his one-time love, but has powered on as a hero and now has his own child to care for. There might not be a dry eye in the house if we get to see Uncle Loki, even for a split-second.

As Marvel seems to be scaling back its Disney Plus output (with the likes of Wonder Man and Daredevil: Born Again being canceled in recent weeks), Loki makes us nostalgic for a different time in the MCU, one where we were guaranteed half-an-hour of stellar character work, a sprinkling of outlandish cameos, and a connective tissue that made it essential viewing for Marvel diehards.

We didn't expect that when Loki made his sudden exit in Avengers: Endgame. But the MCU is all the better for it.

Avengers: Endgame is available to stream now on Disney Plus, ahead of the release of Avengers: Doomsday on December 18. Avengers: Endgame Encore is in theaters now.

Look ahead with our list of upcoming Marvel movies and check out how to watch the Marvel movies in order ahead of your next re-watch. See you next week as we revisit 2000's X-Men.

Sean Gunn might have retired from playing Rocket Racoon, but he'd be open to a Kraglin comeback.

Gunn was the physical performer for Rocket, who was voiced by Bradley Cooper. But, Gunn shared recently that he has retired.

In a Reddit AMA, Gunn was asked if he was also finished with his Ravager role of Kraglin. Gunn responded: "If they call about Kraglin I will answer my phone."

"Since I've turned 50 a couple of years ago, I am retired from playing Rocket," Gunn shared on the Phase Hero podcast in September. "Not that they've called. But if they did, I don't think I could do the motion reference anymore for Rocket. I think I'm too old."

There's no word yet on when – or if – Rocket or Kraglin might return in the MCU, since neither is currently part of the confirmed Avengers: Doomsday roster.

Gunn also plays Maxwell Lord in the DCU, and he recently shared his thoughts on upcoming Superman follow-up Man of Tomorrow.

"I can't say anything about Man of Tomorrow in terms of what it's about or who's in it, or whatever. But I think it's okay that I can say that I've read it, and it's my favorite of all of them," he said, referring to his brother James Gunn's Marvel and DC filmography. "So I'll be very curious to come back a year from now and talk to people about what they like the best."

Man of Tomorrow arrives on July 9, 2027. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming DC movies and TV shows for everything else that's in store.

The assistant set director for the post-credits TVA scene in Avengers: Endgame Encore has shared a closer look at the set. Nathan Elliott posted several pictures on his website detailing small elements of the TVA offices used in the bonus footage of the Marvel re-release.

Just like with Loki, it's further evidence of the extreme level of detail that goes into the world of the Time Variance Authority. The pictures show draws stacked full of reports and papers, retro-futuristic machines, and screens monitoring potential incursions.

My favorite details are the closer look at the Loki dedication on the wall where he's called "Employee of all time" for his sacrifice to save the multiverse. There's also a closer look at the tree of different universe threads being held together by Loki, monitored on the TVA screens under a system called "tree overview".

It seems the production crew also snuck in a few Easter eggs as well into the wall of employees. Elliott appears as one of the "Employees of the millennium" alongside names like screenwriter Cassian Pryce.

There was clearly a lot of attention to detail put into the brief post-credits scene, which looks like it will have a huge impact on the events of Avengers: Doomsday. This saw the employees at the TVA witnessing 3,000 incursions as the multiverse collapses all around them. We think we know who is to blame for that one…

Avengers: Doomsday releases in the UK on December 16 and in the US on December 18. For more, check out all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need on your radar.

The MCU is almost 20 years and 38 movies deep, but Marvel boss Kevin Feige isn't done yet.

"The Marvel mythology is ripe for storytelling," he said at the Pioneer of the Year dinner. "It's so rich. It is, and you can look this up, the longest running fictional narrative in history. And Doomsday's only the 39th movie. We've still got a lot of stories to tell, a lot of movies to make. Because we love making these movies, we love it." Check out the video below.

The next movie to arrive from Marvel is Avengers: Doomsday, which is shaping up to be a crossover of epic proportions. The Fox-era X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Thunderbolts, the likes of Thor and Captain America, and also Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man will all be sharing the screen.

Avengers: Endgame Encore, meanwhile, is in theaters now, and it adds bonus scenes that directly set up the events of Doomsday. The re-release has proved to be a huge success, with the Marvel movie now on track to become the highest-grossing film of all time once more (beating James Cameron's Avatar).

"I think people are going to be surprised," Joe Russo said recently of Doomsday. "It's a very surprising ending. It's a very surprising movie and that's all we'll say about it."

VisionQuest is the next Marvel release on the small screen, landing on Disney Plus this October 14.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives this December 18. In the meantime, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows for everything else that's on the way.

Nicolas Cage had some strong words for the MCU and its stars in a recent fan convention appearance. It seems the legendary actor, who recently starred in comic book show Spider-Noir, is feeling some familiar superhero fatigue with Marvel's output.

Speaking at Fan Expo Dallas (H/T The Independent), he was asked about the MCU. “It started out, in my view, terrific," Cage replied. "Some of the early stories were marvellous, the way that they wove all the threads together and told the different character stories and backstories.

"But lately – I do say this with love – when I see these 50-plus, otherwise intelligent, remarkably gifted thespians putting on these ridiculous outfits and getting ready for the fight, it’s hard for me not to be reminded that the MCU is becoming a well-funded and glorified WWE."

It's a pretty brutal description from Cage, who's characters have existed on the edges of the MCU. He notably played Ghost Rider for Marvel prior to the MCU kicking off and recently suited up as Spider-Noir in the Prime Video Spider-Man spin-off, which falls under Sony's umbrella.

Cage also isn't wrong that the MCU has hit a few snags since its inception. While the original Phase 1 movies were well received, recent outings have failed to win over audiences. Studio head Kevin Feige is hoping that the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday turns the tide on that as it brings together several universes of heroes in the fight against Doctor Doom. Maybe that will win the Face/Off star back over?

For more upcoming superhero movies, here are our guides to upcoming Marvel movies and shows and upcoming DC movies and shows.

Christopher Abbott says his X-Men casting reveal felt like more of a nightmare because the crowd at D23 didn't seem to recognize him.

"I think I started walking out pretty enthusiastically, and then I kind of felt like a lot of people there didn't know who I was, so then my energy shifted within the split second," Abbott told The Cut. "I was a little bit more humble about it."

Abbott is set to play a younger Professor Charles Xavier in the MCU's upcoming X-Men movie, being much, much younger than Sir Patrick Stewart was when he originated the role back in 2000. Some, but not all, of the cast was revealed during Marvel's D23 panel over the summer.

Abbott is perhaps best known for his role as Charlie on the hit HBO show Girls, and to his credit... the people seated for the Marvel panel at D23 don't necessarily seem like huge Girls fans. He was also in the 2025 Wolfman remake with Julia Garner, starred in the Oscar-winning Poor Things, and played The Foreigner in Kraven the Hunter. Before that, he was known mainly as an indie darling.

"I almost did a fist pump when I walked out, and then I felt like the applause was muted," he continued. "So I was like, 'I'm just going to walk out and nod.' It feels almost like a video game, or a dream. Not like a good dream. It’s a bit of both – a bit of a dream and a nightmare."

The rest of the cast includes Maya Boyd as Storm, Asa Germann as Angel, Adam Driver as Mister Sinister, and Samara Weaving as Emma Frost. Sadie Sink made her debut as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

X-Men hits theaters on May 5, 2028. For more, check out our guide to everything announced at D23 2026. We've also rounded up all of the upcoming Marvel movies and shows on the way in 2026 and beyond.

Robert Downey Jr. was announced as Tony Stark 20 years ago, marking one of the most iconic superhero castings ever made. A report from September 29, 2006 was shared by a fan on Reddit alongside one of the actor's final screen tests.

In the original report from The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel head Kevin Feige was quoted about the news, seemingly bracing for backlash from fans. "In every casting announcement we've done, people in their mind's eye have their own view of it and let us know about it," he said: "We're used to it. The point is we looked at everybody and we found the best person for the role. It's as confident a casting move as we've ever done. The proof will be in the pudding, but he is Tony Stark."

Indeed, the initial casting was reportedly met with mixed reactions with everything from his age to on-screen history questioned by fans. However, as Feige puts it, the proof really was in the pudding and Downey Jr. is in my mind the best casting the MCU has ever done.

His screen test audition proves it too, featuring a scene from a movie where Stark is outrageously arrogant to a female journalist. The screen test also features Downey Jr. improvising and leaving the executives watching laughing as well as featuring one of Stark's most intense scenes with Rhodey. Yep, he is Tony Stark.

Marvel fans have been reacting to seeing this 20 years on from the casting, some for the first time. "What a pivotal moment for the MCU, it's hard to imagine anyone else as Tony Stark now," writes one, while another added: "Crazy to think this was the moment that set the whole MCU in motion. RDJ as Tony Stark ended up becoming one of the most defining casting choices in superhero movie history."

Tony Stark's story came to a heartbreaking end in Avengers: Endgame, but Downey Jr. will soon be heading back to the MCU as Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. That casting was equally met with mixed emotions, will the actor prove audiences wrong once again come December? I can't want to find out.

Avengers: Doomsday is released on December 16 in the UK and December 18 in the US. For more upcoming superhero movies, check out our breakdown of all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows you need on your radar.

The Russos have revealed they thought about including a sequence involving Steve Rogers returning the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame.

At the end of Endgame, Steve Rogers goes on a mission through time to return the Stones to their rightful places – which would have involved encountering the Red Skull on Vormir. As Joe Russo told CBR, the directors did contemplate showing the mission.

"We did have that conversation. There might have even been… I think we toyed around with an idea of like, 'Is there a montage where he puts the stones back?' We felt like it just played past the ending. We were like, 'It seems like much more complicated than a montage could sustain.' And so we didn't do it." Added Anthony Russo: "We did circle it for a long time, that idea."

When CBR brought up the possibility of seeing the story play out in another way, Joe said: "I think that's a great idea. How about a movie?"

We'll next see Chris Evans's Steve Rogers in Avengers: Doomsday. The Avengers: Endgame Encore bonus footage revealed that Steve travelling back in time to live out his life with Peggy Carter is what sparked the plot of Doomsday, with Loki coming to visit them in the past.

Doomsday arrives this December 18, while Endgame Encore is in theaters now (and is on the way to becoming the highest-grossing movie of all time again).

For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and shows for everything else that's on the way.