2021 has been nothing short of amazing for Marvel fans everywhere. From WandaVision and Black Widow, through to The Eternals and Shang-Chi, there has been a plethora of Superhero related shows and movies for fans to enjoy. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continues to push ahead with the promise of reaching even greater heights, thanks in kind to the multiverse seen in Loki and promised to be fleshed out in the rest of Phase 4 in 2022. Never before have we seen such a complete Superhero universe outside of the comics. Thanks to the annual “Disney Plus Day”, even more details are now available for the scheduled Marvel shows over the next year, and it looks like fans are in for a real treat.

One of the greatest draws to the MCU, and something that sets their universe apart from competitors, is how they continue to embrace the inclusivity that has always existed on the page, and bring it to life beautifully on screen. In the last year alone, a person of colour has taken up the mantel of Captain America; the first hearing impaired hero sped through The Eternals, and the same film also features the first openly gay hero on screen. In a world becoming more divided by the day, it is refreshing to see a studio embrace creating a vision of a world where anyone can be represented; a theme Disney is pushing forward with this new phase of content for the MCU.

Moon Knight

With a company as well known and beloved as Marvel, it is always exciting when they add a character to their roster that is less well known to the masses. Such is the case with Moon Knight, possibly Marvel’s darkest character yet.

Marc Spector, otherwise known as Moon Knight, is a veteran who has Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) – something not yet seen within the MCU. After a near-death experience, he takes on the alter ego of the Egyptian moon god known as Khonshu.

Moon Knight will star Oscar Issac as the titular character, and the story will focus on his vigilantism as well as his mental health struggles. The story will be told over six episodes, and if the teaser is anything to go by, it seems to be quite a faithful adaptation of the source material. It will be good to see a hero emerge who has no other equivalent within the MCU. Making this one of the most anticipated Marvel shows to look forward to.

Moon Knight will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

She-Hulk

An expected update, but appreciated none the less, the Disney+ event offered a first look teaser for the much anticipated She-Hulk television series. It stars Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters, otherwise known as She-Hulk, and follows her career as a lawyer specialising in super-related cases. This Marvel show will consist of ten episodes.

There was also confirmation of Mark Ruffalo, who stars as Hulk from The Avengers, reprising his role for the show. Other confirmed names associated are Tim Roth (who will be playing Abomination), Ginger Gonzaga, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Jameela Jamil.

She Hulk will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

Ms. Marvel

One of the more exciting announcements, which seems like it might set up a wave of crossovers into MCU movies, is Ms. Marvel. Played by Iman Vellani, Ms. Marvel is a 16-year-old aspiring artist and gamer who is also a HUGE fan of The Avengers, particularly Captain Marvel. As well as serving as the setup for the upcoming MCU film “The Marvels“, Ms. Marvel is going to be the sixth series in the MCU.

Kamala Kahn, the titular character from Ms. Marvel, has also already been confirmed to be included in the Captain Marvel sequel film. She will also be the first Muslim hero in the MCU.

Ms. Marvel will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

Echo

Out of all the announcements to come out of Disney+ Day 2021, and the one that caught most people unawares, was Echo. This is purely because of how unknown the character is outside of the comics. However, the character will make her debut in the Hawkeye tv series. As such, the Echo show will be a spin-off and follow-on from the Hawkeye series.

Portrayed by Alaqua Cox, Echo (also known as Maya Lopez) is a character will be introduced to audiences in Hawkeye before diving more into her story within Echo. Not much is known about the show’s direction as of yet; most likely in an effort to prevent spoilers for Hawkeye. However, the rumour mill does suggest that we might see Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin from the Netflix Daredevil show making appearances in Echo; as both play vital roles in her origin story.

Echo will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

Ironheart

Riri Williams will be getting her own show with Ironheart, which might be one of the best upcoming animated show reveals of the year. Voiced by Dominique Thorne, Ironheart follows the young genius inventor known for creating the most advanced armour suit after Tony Stark.

Disney has announced that there will be six episodes of Ironheart and the story will follow the comics of the same name. Ironheart will also tie into the greater MCU with Riri Williams making her on screen debut within the upcoming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie, before starring in her own series.

Ironheart will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

X-Men ‘97

For anyone who grew up in the 90s, this is most likely the single best moment of the entire Disney+ Day 2021 event. X-Men ‘97 is a direct continuation to the hit X-Men cartoon from the 90s, and is most likely a response to a rather obscure call from fans – of which there are many.

With a planned release of 2023, X-Men ‘97 will mark the first X-Men related media under Disney. However, where the excitement really lies is in how many of the original cast will return to voice their characters in X-Men ‘97. Confirmed voices include: Cal Doff voicing Wolverine, Catherine Disher voicing Jean Grey, and George Buza as the voice of Beast.

X-Men ’97 will premier on Disney+ in 2023.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year

Spider-Man: Freshman Year is perhaps one of the most unexpected Marvel shows to come out of the Disney+ Day event. With an animation style that could have come straight from the pages of your favourite Spider-Man comics, Spider-Man: Freshman Year will answer how Peter Parker became Spider-Man in the MCU and how he will fit into the future of it.

It is unknown whether Tom Holland will be voicing Spider-Man in this show, but the series will revolve around Tom Hollands version of the famous web slinger. At a time when there is still so much uncertainty around the future of Spider-Man in the MCU, it is a breath of fresh air knowing that no matter what happens, fans will at least get to explore the character further within Spider-Man: Freshman Year.

Spider-Man: Freshman Year will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

I am Groot

Not much is known about I am Groot, other than that it will consist of a series of shorts featuring everyone’s favourite Guardian. There is no word yet on whether Vin Diesel will be reprising his role, but seeing as James Gunn, the director behind the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, will be serving as an executive producer, it seems likely.

The last time fans saw Groot on screen, he was effectively a ‘teenager’ and growing back to his full size. However, going from the logo released by Disney+ announcing “I am Groot”, it is presumed that this Marvel show will take the character back to his most well-loved form: Baby Groot. The Guardians of the Galaxy movies have always been filled with light-hearted humour, and a lot of that comedic relief can be attributed to Groot – making him the perfect guardian to have his own spin-off.

I Am Groot will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

Marvel Zombies

One of the strongest Marvel shows to come out within 2021 was What if…? Now one of the show’s most popular episodes is getting its very own spin-off with Marvel Zombies. Those who read comics will recognize Robert Kirkmans’ Marvel Zombies as the base for both What if…? and the upcoming Marvel Zombies show.

Not much is known about this Marvel show other than it will follow a new generation of heroes as they navigate throughout the zombie apocalypse. Marvel Zombies will be directed by Bryan Andrews and written by Zeb Wells, and if the source material is anything to go by, it is set to be one of 2022s biggest hits.

Marvel Zombies will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

What if…? Season 2

Of all of the recent Marvel shows, the one that has left audiences begging for more is none other than What If…? Therefore, the confirmation from Disney of the show returning for a second season, is nothing short of wondrous. For those who have not yet binged through What… If? it is an anthology series seeking to answer a variety of Marvel related questions, like what if Thanos never did get the infinity stones (and much more)?

During the Disney+ reveal, it was also mentioned how season 2 would take a slightly different approach to storytelling. Instead of the stories focusing on “events”, they will rather focus on the characters themselves and give each character room to grow and show different aspects of who they are to the audience.

What if…? will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special

Second to The Avengers, the most extensive superhero team to grace the big screen is undoubtedly The Guardians of the Galaxy. A considerable part of the success of The Guardians of the Galaxy is how accessible the movies are.They are a superhero ensemble for people who are not usually interested in the typical superhero genre. Playing directly on this is The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will star all the same big names from its movie counterpart. Namely, Chris Pratt as Star-Lard; Zoe Saldana as Gamora; Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer; Bradley Cooper as Rocket Raccoon; Vin Diesel as Groot; Karen Gillan as Nebula and Pom Klementieff as Mantis.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will serve as a sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Endgame, and Thor: Love and Thunder. It will take place directly after the events of Thor: Love and Thunder and before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, making it one of the more unusual Marvel shows.

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

Secret Invasion

In 2021, Marvel Studios started taking control of our screens at home. For years Marvel has held power over the big screen, but thanks to shows like WandaVision and the upcoming Hawkeye, they have expand their universe more and more with each tv show addition to the MCU. Secret Invasion will be no different.

Secret Invasion will see Samuel L. Jackson reprise his beloved role as Nick Fury, and Ben Mendelsohn as Talos, the Skrull first seen in in Captain Marvel. Secret Invasion adapts the eight-issue comic book event of the same name. The story revolves around how the Skrulls attempt to invade and conquer Earth. The infiltration is done via their shapeshifting abilities to take on the identities of many on Earth, including some of the most well known Marvel heroes. This leads the Skrulls to become members of groups like the Fantastic Four and S.H.I.E.L.D. The Disney+ adaptation will tell this incredible story over a total of six episodes.

Secret Invasion will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

Agatha: House of Harkness

One of the most anticipated and exciting of Marvel shows to come from the Disney+ event was confirmation of Kathryn Hahn reprising her role as fan-favourite Agatha Harkness,. She will take the lead in her own WandaVision spin-off show called, Agatha: House of Harkness.

Agatha first appeared in WandaVision, a role that was so well-loved that it earned actress Kathryn Hahn an Emmy nomination. During her time on the show, we saw Agatha go from being the somewhat quirky next-door neighbour to being a powerful witch. So smooth was her transition that it was genuinely challenging not to fall in love with Agatha and let her steal the entire show in the process. Fans around the world are looking forward to seeing more of Agatha and delving deeper into her backstory; especially in terms of what makes her tick in Agatha: House of Harkness.

Agatha: House of Harkness will premier on Disney+ in 2022.

With so many fantastic Marvel shows and movies already behind us, and so many more coming in the next few months, it is difficult not to get swept up in the hype for the upcoming year. Staying at home has become a new normal for many, and to see a streaming platform like Disney+ take that into account, and begin to bring so much Marvel content into the homes of many, sure is a promising move forward.

Which of the aforementioned Marvel shows are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below.

As far back as she can remember, Arielle has loved comics, tabletop games and staying indoors. Although she might be terrible at history, she can tell you exactly how Wanda Maximoff and Sabrina Spellman are linked. Ultimately, she works to fund her Stephen King addiction and can pretty much always be found somewhere online.