The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has had unprecedented success at the box office, but the disparity between its highest and lowest earners is mind-blowing. The box office is generally viewed as one of the best metrics for determining the success of a film. While it doesn't offer critical acclaim, and often doesn't align with the movies that take home the most awards, it does reveal what audiences are spending their hard-earned money to go and see. 4u5g4i

The Marvel Cinematic Universe offered some of the most iconic Iron Man armors ever, with vaying degrees of comic book fidelity. Spanning from 2008’s Iron Man to 2019’s Avengers: Endgame, Tony Stark’s various suits not only evolved technologically but also visually paid homage (sometimes loosely) to their comic book counterparts. With over 80 armors featured throughout the MCU timeline, the very best and most compelling rival the most thrilling comic book counterparts.

The DCU is steadily building their universe and already with the first three projects, it feels like they are correcting a major MCU problem. The MCU has been dominating the box office since 2008 when Iron Man was released. However, since the Infinity Saga ended, and the MCU shifted focus to covering multiple mediums, including TV and film, things have slowed down considerably. Meanwhile, the DCU is about to debut their first movie with Superman.

Hulk's story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a little scattered, but I'm glad Marvel discarded one part of his arc that was set up early on. Hulk is one of the original Avengers in the MCU, and while Mark Ruffalo made his debut in that 2012 movie, the character was introduced earlier in 2008, just a short time after Iron Man came out. But despite appearing so early on, Hulk's story got lost in the background of the MCU.

Given that he is the Fantastic Four's foremost rival, I'm convinced that Robert Downey Jr. will appear as the MCU's Doctor Doom in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, despite what the movie's director has to say. Marvel's official line is that Doctor Doom will make his MCU debut in Avengers: Doomsday, following the bombshell revelation that Robert Downey Jr. would be playing the role at San Diego Comic Con 2024. Although specific story details are still forthcoming, RDJ will presumably reprise the role in 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars.

Thunderbolts* managed to pull off a genuinely surprising plot twist, and this behind-the-scenes fact makes the feat feel even more impressive. Although the film’s box office numbers ultimately fell below average for an MCU film, the overwhelmingly positive reception from fans and critics is enough to make up for it. The franchise needed an original, fun film to revive audience interest, and Thunderbolts* did exactly that for the MCU. It is one of the most grounded yet touching stories that the MCU has featured in a long time, even with an unconventional hero team at the center of it all.

I'm convinced the MCU's decision to feature Galactus in the story of The Fantastic Four: First Steps is at least partly down to how this helps make the powers of one astoundingly powerful member of Marvel's First Family look less overpowered. 2025's MCU movies are set to have their third and final installment with the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which will bring the iconic Marvel team into the MCU film sphere on July 25, 2025. Though the full cast of The Fantastic Four: First Steps isn't confirmed yet, there are already plenty of exciting figures teased for the story.

Ahead of The Fantastic Four: First Steps' release, Jeremy Slater addressed the failure of the Marvel team's last theatrical outing, Fantastic Four, blaming it on a combination of conflicting creative visions and a changing budget. The film starred Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Jamie Bell, and Michael B. Jordan. Despite featuring a popular lineup of Marvel heroes, Fantastic Four only managed a worldwide gross of $167.8 million against a $120 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). Profit aside, it also failed to strike a chord with critics, earning a 9% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The return of one specific MCU character would make the fight in Avengers: Doomsday much easier, but it’s largely unlikely that she’ll actually appear. Though the film was recently pushed back from its original May 2026 release date to December 18, 2026, production seems to be going smoothly so far. With a cast of over 20 characters confirmed so far, more characters are set to be announced soon in order to make this the biggest assembled Avengers team yet.

One unanswered question from Thunderbolts* may set up Robert Reynolds' return as Sentry and the Void's revenge plan against the MCU's New Avengers. The Thunderbots a.k.a. the New Avengers defeat the Void by providing Bob Reynolds with the emotional he needs to overcome his darker self in Thunderbolts*' final battle. Despite Valentina Allegra de Fontaine's efforts, Bob abandons his Sentry persona and finds a new family in his teammates.