Despite a series of failed smear tactics perpetrated by a sad selection of individuals who wished to see Marvel's BLACK PANTHER fail at the box office, the Ryan Coogler-directed comic book action blockbuster has acted like a mound of cinematic catnip for fans of the genre. After pouncing on the second-largest opening ever for the MCU, people all over the world are wondering what Marvel has planned as a way of following the film's historic success.
Recently, while speaking with ET Canada, Chris Evans, who plays Steve Rogers aka Captain America for the multi-million dollar franchise, revealed what he thinks the success of BLACK PANTHER can mean for Marvel's future at the box office.
“There’s nothing they can’t do, man,” said Evans. “I’m sure it’s going to have the exact same effect when Captain Marvel comes out and when the Black Widow movie comes out. Marvel just has the winning recipe, and they’re kind of one step ahead of everybody else. I mean just looking at them, and I was just looking at things this morning about these Black Panther openings around the country this weekend and its gonna crush. Its gonna crush! Marvel knows what they’re doing. They find great people. I just feel very humbled and lucky to be part of it.”
Not long ago, we'd learned that Marvel President Kevin Feige is already hard at work planning more than 20 films for the future of the MCU, and if the record-breaking numbers of BLACK PANTHER are any indication (and they are), fans should not be surprised to see the franchise diversify their efforts in the coming years. What this means is that plans for films based on characters such as Sam Wilson, Peggy Carter, Ms. Marvel, Valkyrie, and a Dora Milaje spinoff film are not out of the question.
While it's a given that Marvel's first female-led solo film, CAPTAIN MARVEL, doesn't hit theaters until next year, it's become quite obvious in recent times that Marvel fans are excited for the studio to finally begin the diversification of their tent-pole films. The fact of the matter is that there's a ton of potential for lesser-known Marvel characters to make a splash on the big screen, when given their chance to shine. Hell, if you need an example, you'll have to look no further than IRON MAN. After all, when Tony first arrived, Iron Man was a C-list character at best, and now look at him go!
With any luck, and a lot of hard work, Phase 4 of Marvel's cinematic universe will be the best and brightest era yet in the studio's exciting and lucrative timeline.
Which characters would you like to see become a part of Marvel's big plan, further down the line? Let us know in the comments section below.
BLACK PANTHER is in theaters right now! Wakanda forever!