As the country begins to reopen and businesses are allowed to return to normal operations, certain activities become permissible for the first time in over a full calendar year. One of the best examples of this is going to the movies, with theaters remaining virtually shuttered since March of last year and studios halting productions at all levels. Now that theaters are beginning to reopen, studios will need to get back work in order to supply them and will subsequently return to many of the projects that had been shelved in the wake of COVID-19. The list of productions impacted by COVID-19 is extensive and spans across a multitude of production companies and movie studios, but one company knows where they intend to invest their time and resources as we emerge from quarantine. This week, Marvel provided updates regarding the production of both Ant-Man 3 and Captain Marvel 2, with both set to begin filming in the next few months.
Marvel has established itself as one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood over the past decade with the Avengers franchise that subsequently featured a multitude of characters with their own individual franchises. Some of these franchises are still in their infancy with only one or two films under their belt, and that includes both of the aforementioned. Paul Rudd will return to reprise his role in Ant-Man 3, whichwill serve to complete the trilogy of films which has been modestly successful, in Marvel terms, with the first two films each generating over half a billion dollars in box office receipts.Captain Marvel 2 starring the talented Brie Larson will serve as the continuation of Marvel’s first female-led superhero film and host a slew of new faces from star of their new Disney+ series Wandavision Teyonah Parris to English actress Zawe Ashton. Both films are set to begin filming on May 31st of this year, with Captain Marvel 2 set to release in November of 2022 while Ant-Man 3’s release date remains up in the air.
Ant-Man 3 will be a reunion of familiar faces while Captain Marvel 2 will be Marvel taking a step towards the future, perfectly highlighting where the company currently stands. Some heroes at the peak of their arc, others just beginning to explore their own; this duplicity in storytelling ability is what drives the Marvel brand forward and allows them continued success year after year. Three Marvel projects are already in production as you read this article with Spider-Man: No Way Home along with the next installments of Doctor Strange and Thor, further highlighting the strength of their intellectual property. These are likely just very few of many upcoming Marvel projects in the near future, but fans of these franchises can look forward to the dates previously mentioned.
