History WhatCouldHaveBeen / MarvelCinematicUniverse

* ''Series/{{Helstrom}}'' was originally planned to be part of the MCU but the changing of the guard at Marvel Television caused this series to instead be a completely standalone Creator/MarvelComics adaptation with no official connections to the universe, as confirmed by showrunner Paul Zbyszewski. The continuity that the series is set in was unofficially dubbed [=Earth-TRN836=], rather than the MCU's Earth-199999.

* ''Film/DoctorMordrid'' was going to be a Doctor Strange movie, but Creator/FullMoonFeature's film rights of the character before production began.

* ComicBook/BlackPanther, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]], ComicBook/NickFury, and Loki were all considered as possible ''Film/MarvelOneShots'', but were ultimately rejected. The former three because Marvel felt they couldn't be done justice given the short length, and the latter because the studio thought the required special effects budget would have been cost-prohibitive. The former two ultimately got their own movies, and the latter two ultimately [[Series/SecretInvasion2023 their own]] [[Series/Loki2022 Disney+ series]].

* ''Film/DoctorMordrid'' was going to be a Doctor Strange movie, but the Doctor Strange license expired.

* Plans for a ComicBook/ShangChi movie or television series date as far back as the 1980s with Creator/StanLee approaching Creator/BrandonLee for the role. Given that Shang-Chi is often considered to be [[BruceLeeClone an homage]] to [[Creator/BruceLee Brandon's father]], this seemed like an [[MetaCasting ideal casting]]. Unfortunately the plans fell through after Brandon's untimely death during filming of ''Film/TheCrow'' in 1993. In 2001 Stephen Norrington signed on to direct a Shang-Chi movie titled ''The Hands of Shang-Chi'' for Creator/DreamWorksSKG. In 2003 Creator/YuenWooPing replaced Norrington as director and Creator/AngLee joined as a producer in 2004, but nothing materialized after that and the rights to the character reverted back to Marvel.

* The title of the film was originally ''Captain America: New World Order''. The subtitle was eventually changed to ''Brave New World'' in June 2023.

* ''Trivia/TheMarvels''

* Plans for a ComicBook/ShangChi movie or television series date as far back as the 1980s with Creator/StanLee approaching Creator/BrandonLee for the role. Given that Shang-Chi is often considered to be [[BruceLeeClone an homage]] to [[Creator/BruceLee Brandon's father]], this seemed like an [[MetaCasting ideal casting]]. Unfortunately the plans fell through after Brandon's untimely death in 1993. In 2001 Stephen Norrington signed on to direct a Shang-Chi movie titled ''The Hands of Shang-Chi'' for Creator/DreamWorksSKG. In 2003 Creator/YuenWooPing replaced Norrington as director and Creator/AngLee joined as a producer in 2004, but nothing materialized after that and the rights to the character reverted back to Marvel.

* Way back when Marvel announced their Phase One film slate in 2006, a solo ''ComicBook/NickFury'' film written by Andrew Marlowe (''Film/AirForceOne'', ''Film/EndOfDays'', ''Film/HollowMan'') was one of the titles included. Nothing ever came of this, and Fury instead ended up appearing across the MCU as the major connective force between the movies. Eventually, Marvel Studios announced in 2021 that Fury would get a Disney+ series alongside Talos from ''Film/CaptainMarvel'' in the form of Secret Invasion.

* Creator/JamesGunn was also set to oversee much of the cosmic side of the MCU, in order to keep things consistent with what he had established with ''Guardians of the Galaxy''. This changed after Gunn's controversial firing in 2018 however, as while Gunn was eventually re-hired to complete the third movie in his trilogy, his quick jump to DC meant that his overall involvement with Marvel would promptly come to an end.

* ComicBook/BlackPanther, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel Captain Marvel]], ComicBook/NickFury, and Loki were all considered as possible ''Film/MarvelOneShots'', but were ultimately rejected. The former three because Marvel felt they couldn't be done justice given the short length, and the latter because the studio thought the required special effects budget would have been cost-prohibitive. The former two ultimately got their own movies, and Loki his own Disney+ series.

* ''{{Trivia/WerewolfByNight|2022}}''

* ''Trivia/IronMan3'',

* ''Trivia/WerewolfByNight''

* ''{{Trivia/SecretInvasion|2023}}''

* ''Film/AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania''

!! Phase Fouer

* ''Film/AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania''.

/folder]]

For entries on released films and TV series, check

[[foldercontrol]]

* ''Trivia/AntMan1'',

* ''Trivia/SpiderManFarFromHome'',

And for entries on one-shots and Marvel Television series set in the MCU, check ''Trivia/AgentsOfSHIELD'', ''Trivia/AllHailTheKing'', ''Trivia/AgentCarter'', ''{{Trivia/Daredevil|2015}}'', ''{{Trivia/Jessica Jones|2015}}'', ''{{Trivia/Luke Cage|2016}}'', ''{{Trivia/Iron Fist|2017}}'', ''{{Trivia/The Defenders|2017}}'', ''Trivia/{{Inhumans}}'', ''{{Trivia/The Punisher|2017}}'', ''{{Trivia/Runaways|2017}}'', and ''{{Trivia/Cloak And Dagger|2018}}''.

For entries on released films and TV series, check ''[[Trivia/IronMan1 Iron Man]]'', ''{{Trivia/The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'', ''Trivia/IronMan2'', ''Trivia/{{Thor}}'', ''Trivia/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', ''{{Trivia/The Avengers|2012}}'', ''Trivia/IronMan3'', ''Trivia/ThorTheDarkWorld'', ''Trivia/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', ''{{Trivia/Guardians Of The Galaxy|2014}}'', ''Trivia/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', ''Trivia/AntMan1'', ''Trivia/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', ''{{Trivia/Doctor Strange|2016}}'', ''Trivia/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', ''Trivia/SpiderManHomecoming'', ''Trivia/ThorRagnarok'', ''{{Trivia/Black Panther|2018}}'', ''Trivia/AvengersInfinityWar'', ''Trivia/AntManAndTheWasp'', ''{{Trivia/Captain Marvel|2019}}'', ''Trivia/AvengersEndgame'', ''Trivia/SpiderManFarFromHome'', ''Trivia/WandaVision'', ''Trivia/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', ''{{Trivia/Loki|2021}}'', ''{{Trivia/Black Widow|2021}}'', ''{{Trivia/What If|2021}}'', ''Trivia/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'', ''{{Trivia/Eternals|2021}}'', ''Trivia/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'', ''Trivia/SpiderManNoWayHome'', ''{{Trivia/Moon Knight|2022}}'', ''Trivia/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'', ''{{Trivia/Ms Marvel|2022}}'', ''Trivia/ThorLoveAndThunder'', ''Trivia/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'', ''Trivia/BlackPantherWakandaForever'' and ''Film/AntManAndTheWaspQuantumania''.

[[folder:''Captain America: New World Order'']]

* A ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'' film written by Drew Pearce was in the works for Phase 2, and got far enough along in production that a casting call was released (which drew flack for allegedly [[RaceLift whitewashing]] Nico Minoru, though Marvel claims this was a misunderstanding), and Music/KekePalmer was approached for a role. The film was shelved indefinitely after the massive success of ''The Avengers'' caused Marvel to rethink its plans for future movies, and lead to the creation of ''Series/{{Runaways}}'' on Hulu.

* Creator/JamesGunn was also set to oversee much of the cosmic side of the MCU, in order to keep things consistent with what he had established with ''Guardians of the Galaxy''. This changed after Gunn's controversial firing in 2018 however, as while Gunn was eventually re-hired to complete the third movie in his trilogy, his quick jump to DC meant that his overall involvement with Marvel had promptly come to an end.

For entries on released films and TV series, check ''[[Trivia/IronMan1 Iron Man]]'', ''{{Trivia/The Incredible Hulk|2008}}'', ''Trivia/IronMan2'', ''Trivia/{{Thor}}'', ''Trivia/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', ''{{Trivia/The Avengers|2012}}'', ''Trivia/IronMan3'', ''Trivia/ThorTheDarkWorld'', ''Trivia/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'', ''{{Trivia/Guardians Of The Galaxy|2014}}'', ''Trivia/AvengersAgeOfUltron'', ''Trivia/AntMan1'', ''Trivia/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'', ''{{Trivia/Doctor Strange|2016}}'', ''Trivia/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2'', ''Trivia/SpiderManHomecoming'', ''Trivia/ThorRagnarok'', ''{{Trivia/Black Panther|2018}}'', ''Trivia/AvengersInfinityWar'', ''Trivia/AntManAndTheWasp'', ''{{Trivia/Captain Marvel|2019}}'', ''Trivia/AvengersEndgame'', ''Trivia/SpiderManFarFromHome'', ''Trivia/WandaVision'', ''Trivia/TheFalconAndTheWinterSoldier'', ''{{Trivia/Loki|2021}}'', ''{{Trivia/Black Widow|2021}}'', ''{{Trivia/What If|2021}}'', ''Trivia/ShangChiAndTheLegendOfTheTenRings'', ''{{Trivia/Eternals|2021}}'', ''Trivia/{{Hawkeye|2021}}'', ''Trivia/SpiderManNoWayHome'', ''{{Trivia/Moon Knight|2022}}'', ''Trivia/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness'', ''{{Trivia/Ms Marvel|2022}}'', ''Trivia/ThorLoveAndThunder'', ''Trivia/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'' and ''Trivia/BlackPantherWakandaForever''.

[[folder:''The Marvels'']]
* Creator/OliviaWilde and [[Film/TheQuiet Jamie Babbit]] were approached to direct the movie before Creator/NiaDaCosta was hired. Wilde was previously offered the role of ComicBook/{{Gamora}} in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'', and would eventually go on to helm a ''ComicBook/SpiderWoman'' film set within Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse.
* The project was initially revealed as ''Captain Marvel 2'' during the Disney Investor Day 2020 presentation. The film's final title was established in ''The Marvels'' in a promotional video posted on May 3, 2021, alluding to the involvement of other characters with the "Marvel" codename, most notably ComicBook/KamalaKhan and Monica Rambeau.
[[/folder]]

* Creator/JamesGunn was interested in directing a movie focusing on the team, which Kevin Feige claimed was a possibility should ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' do well enough at the box office. The surprise success of ''Guardians'' led to Marvel quickly announcing a sequel, which resulted in ''Thunderbolts'' being relegated to DevelopmentHell. When the film resurfaced with a 2024 release date, Gunn had already stated his intentions on finishing his tenure at Marvel Studios with ''Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3'', and so it was ultimately Jake Schreier who was chosen to direct it.

* Plans for a ComicBook/ShangChi movie or television series date as far back as the 1980s with Creator/StanLee approaching Creator/BrandonLee for the role. Given that Shang-Chi is often considered to be [[BruceLeeClone an homage]] to [[Creator/BruceLee Brandon's father]], this seemed like an [[MetaCasting ideal casting]]. Unfortunately the plans fell through after Brandon's untimely death in 1993. In 2001 Stephen Norrington signed on to direct a Shang-Chi movie titled ''The Hands of Shang-Chi'' for Creator/DreamWorks. In 2003 Creator/YuenWooPing replaced Norrington as director and Creator/AngLee joined as a producer in 2004, but nothing materialized after that and the rights to the character reverted back to Marvel.

* Creator/OliviaWilde and [[Film/TheQuiet Jamie Babbit]] were approached to direct the movie before Creator/NiaDaCosta was hired. Wilde was previously offered the role of ComicBook/{{Gamora}} in ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'', and would eventually go on to helm a ''ComicBook/SpiderWoman'' film set within Film/SonysSpiderManUniverse.