Warning! Spoilers for all 2024 MCU releases.

2024 saw many huge shake-ups in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that will go on to have massive implications in the future. ittedly, 2024 may not have been the year Marvel Studios was initially hoping for, with multiple films and Disney+ series getting delayed to later years, resulting in only one feature film and two live-action series releasing in the franchise's canon. Still, with so few new projects, the MCU was able to unveil plenty of shocking moments by the end of the year.

Many of the unbelievable MCU moments of 2024 did take place within the few live-action projects that made it to a release, many of which have massive effects on the series' canon. Other spectacular moments came from Marvel Studios' animated shows or even Comic Con announcements, which made some dramatic, sweeping changes to the slate of MCU movies. Whatever the case, even if 2024 was a light year for Marvel in of the number of releases, it certainly was a shocking one.

10 Robert Downey Jr. Is Confirmed To Return To The MCU As Doctor Doom

San Diego Comic-Con

The soft replacement of Kang as the MCU's next big bad was something that many fans had seen coming going into 2024, with the writing being on the wall between the character's lukewarm reception and the controversy surrounding Jonathan Majors.

However, the revelation that long-awaited Marvel villain Doctor Doom would be the next overarching antagonist was an exciting one that swept fans by surprise, made all the more shocking by the announcement of his casting. At San Diego Comic-Con 2024, Kevin Feige dramatically unveiled the face behind Doom's mask, Robert Downey Jr. Robert Downey Jr.'s return to the MCU as a totally new character was met with equal waves of excitement and controversy.

While the return of the MCU's golden flagship actor is an tantalizing prospect for some, others see the return of Downey Jr. as a jumping-of-the-shark moment for Marvel, disrespecting his perfect exit as Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame, not to mention whitewashing the canonically Romani supervillain. Regardless of one's stance, Robert Downey Jr.'s reveal as Doom was easily the MCU's most shocking announcement in 2024.

9 Henry Cavill Appears As A Wolverine Variant

Deadpool & Wolverine

With the X-Men finally in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's legal grasp at long-last, many casting discussions have whirled up around the possible face of a new Wolverine. Deadpool & Wolverine brought back Hugh Jackman as a variant of his famous mutant hero for the first time in seven years, despite a picture-perfect ending to his journey in 2017's Logan.

However, the many multiversal gags of the film allowed the MCU to at least acknowledge some popular fan recasts of the X-Man. In one brief vignette, Deadpool meets a version of Wolverine played by Henry Cavill, a popular fan vote for a recast of the character in the MCU.

The moment is played for laughs, with Deadpool acknowledging the rarity of a Wolverine variant not played by the Australian musical sensation. Suffice it to say, few were expecting Henry Cavill's square jaw and steely eyes to flash on-screen for even a moment in Deadpool & Wolverine, and the British actor ittedly looks quite natural in Logan's signature muttonchops and bad attitude.

8 Death Is Officially Introduced Into The MCU As A Character

Agatha All Along

Sliding into the MCU's release schedule right at the tail end of the year, Agatha All Along was a welcome surprise for many die-hard fans. Picking up where the character left off in WandaVision, the series explored Agatha Harkness' backstory while advancing her future in the franchise, expanding on the lore of Marvel's supernatural side along the way.

By far the biggest shock of the series was the revelation that Aubrey Plaza's Rio Vidal, seemingly a "normal" witch with ties to Agatha, was actually the incarnation of Death itself in the Marvel universe.

By far the biggest shock of the series was the revelation that Aubrey Plaza's Rio Vidal, seemingly a "normal" witch with ties to Agatha, was actually the incarnation of Death itself in the Marvel universe. Lady Death is a character in the Marvel Comics universe with a profound impact on the story, with Thanos' love of the female entropic avatar being the motivation for his snap in the original narrative.

It's a shame the MCU only introduced Death after Avengers: Infinity War, but she's at least well-represented in Agatha All Along. Death is quite present in the series, with Lady Death herself being directly responsible for one of the most poignant Agatha All Along.

7 The Netflix Defenders Universe Is Made Canon

Echo

Released right at the beginning of the year, Echo was perhaps the least-seen of the MCU's 2024 release slate. Being a spin-off of a minor character in Hawkeye, Echo was a more grounded story that chronicled the transformative journey of Maya Lopez into becoming the titular superhero.

Along the way, Marvel Studios dropped an eyebrow-raising clarification to the state of the Netflix Defenders series continuity within the canon of the MCU. While Charlie Cox's Daredevil and Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin had both appeared in the MCU prior to Echo, the fact that they had returned playing the same characters didn't necessarily mean that everything that had happened on their Netflix series was canon to the MCU.

But Echo's dive into Wilson Fisk's psyche proved that, in fact, these seem to be the exact same characters from the Netflix continuity, with the same events applying to the MCU. This revelation had some profound implications to the future and past of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

6 Chris Evans Returns To The MCU As Johnny Storm

Deadpool & Wolverine

Henry Cavill's Wolverine was far from the most shocking of Deadpool & Wolverine's cameos. Chris Evans' appearance in the MCU's Void was a surprising feature that had audiences (and Deadpool himself) excited to see Captain America in-action in his prime once again, hoping for one of his catchphrases like "I could do this all day" or "Avengers, assemble!".

Deadpool & Wolverine has a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

But the film pulled the rug out from under viewer's expectations when Evans instead belted out "Flame on!", activating his powers as The Human Torch. The appearance of Chris Evans as his character from the original Fox Fantastic Four movie was a deep cut that no one could have expected going in to Deadpool & Wolverine.

It was nice of the film to acknowledge the previous Marvel films that laid the groundwork for the MCU, and not just the Fox X-Men movies either. Evans' old superhero before Captain America is used to great comedic effect with some totally unexpected punchlines, as well.

5 Chris Evans Is Confirmed To Return In Avengers: Secret Wars

Avengers: Doomsday

Speaking of Chris Evans, the actor has also recently made headlines due to his apparent continued return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Chris Evans' Captain America had a beautiful, fitting exit from the MCU in Avengers: Endgame. Recent reports have been able to confirm that Evans will once again return to the series in Avengers: Endgame, meaning that both former flagship Marvel heroes don't seem to be done with the MCU.

This decision was a shocking add-on to the already difficult-to-grasp concept that Robert Downey Jr. will also be returning. Chris Evan's role in the film is as-of-yet undisclosed, though a variant of Steve Rogers does seem to be the most likely working theory. The announcement has further fueled controversy that the MCU is desperately trying to recapture the methods of their previous success with Avengers: Doomsday, which will also be directed by the Russo brothers of Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame fame.

4 Channing Tatum's Gambit Finally Appears On Screen

Deadpool & Wolverine

Part of what made the many cameos of Deadpool & Wolverine so effective was the fact that they weren't just limited to actual movie characters from Marvel's past, with hypothetical castings that never ended up manifesting also making the cut. Channing Tatum's Gambit turned out to be a particular fan-favorite, with a comic-accurate costume and Cajun accent that instantly made him endearing to casual and dedicated viewers alike.

Few could've ever expected that Tatum would ever get a chance to play Gambit on the big screen, let alone in a film as popular as Deadpool & Wolverine.

The card-slinging mutant was lucky enough to get some of the best jokes and action beats of the whole movie. Channing Tatum's solo Gambit movie had been in development limbo for ages before finally falling through, despite Tatum's own clear enthusiasm for the project. Seeing him in action in Deadpool & Wolverine, it's hard not to see the failed film as a painful missed opportunity. Nevertheless, few could've ever expected that Tatum would ever get a chance to play Gambit on the big screen, let alone in a film as popular as Deadpool & Wolverine.

3 Gambit Sacrifices Himself To Save Genosha

X-Men '97

Between Deadpool & Wolverine and X-Men '97, 2024 has been a strangely big year for Gambit. The animated reprise of the classic 90s cartoon, X-Men '97 may not be technically a part of the MCU main timeline, but it still qualifies as a release for the year underneath the red Marvel banner. The first season featured some brilliant moments, but the most shocking was easily Gambit's death in episode 5, It.

Here, Gambit springs into action when a massive Sentinel robot wreaks havoc on the peaceful mutant island nation of Genosha. Though he becomes impaled on the machine's automated defense systems, Gambit is able to spectacularly charge the entire robot with his mutant power, taking it out along with himself in a massive explosion. Few were expecting a death as dramatic or visceral as Gambit's in X-Men '97, making for one of the biggest Marvel moments in 2024.

2 Wesley Snipes Pokes Fun At The Failed Blade Movie

Deadpool & Wolverine

As the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first proper R-rated movie, Deadpool & Wolverine was able to get far more audacious with its jokes than any other film in the franchise. This included some punchlines at the expense of the series itself, with Deadpool himself itting that he was entering the story "at a bit of a low point". However, one of the most cutting barbs came from none other than Wesley Snipes' Blade, who makes a surprise appearance in the middle of the film.

Snipes' Blade shockingly pokes fun at the production woes of the MCU's planned Blade movie, which has since been delayed indefinitely. Snipes states "There's only ever gonna be one Blade!" as Deadpool stares deadpan into the camera, making an unexpectedly cruel joke at the expense of one of the MCU's worst failures in recent years. Even for a movie series as rude as Deadpool, few viewers could've expected a blow that low.

1 Galactus Is Revealed For Fantastic Four: First Steps

San Diego Comic-Con

Doctor Doom wasn't the only major Fantastic Four villain announced for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in 2024. While Doom will have an appearance in the hotly-anticipated The Fantastic Four: First Steps, it seems as though the cosmic world-devouring supervillain Galactus will be serving as the quartet's main antagonist throughout the film.

This much was revealed in a daring glimpse of the film at San Diego Comic-Con, which featured a snippet of Galactus in exclusive footage, not to mention his massive purple head appearing in a dazzling drone light show at the same event.

The last time Galactus appeared in a movie was in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which disappointingly reduced him to an angry sentient purple nebula that swirled ominously above the Earth's atmosphere. Luckily, it seems as though Marvel Studios is more committed to embracing the more fantastical nature of a massive, humanoid Galactus. The destructive spacefaring being's reveal was one of the most sizzling of 2024 within the scope of the MCU.

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  Captain America: Brave New World

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  February 14, 2025

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  Thunderbolts*

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  May 2, 2025

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  December 17, 2027

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