2 Long-Awaited Marvel Characters to Debut in Upcoming MCU Projects – Report

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Marvel Studios is about to add two long-awaited characters to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

As a huge Marvel fan, I was thrilled to hear last week that Jon Bernthal is returning as the Punisher! The new special on Disney+ is called The Punisher: One Last Kill, and it sounds intense. Details are still pretty scarce, but a reliable source, Alex Perez from Cosmic Circus, is suggesting the villain might be someone we’ve seen hinted at in the MCU way back in 2015! It’s exciting to think they’re finally bringing that storyline to the forefront.

Which Marvel characters will appear soon in the MCU?

Perez revealed that Ma Gnucci will be the main villain in the upcoming special, The Punisher: One Last Kill. They confirmed this while answering a fan’s question on X (formerly Twitter) over the weekend.

Ma Gnucci is a powerful and cruel crime boss, leading the Gnucci Crime Family. She first appeared in the opening episode of the Netflix series The Punisher in 2017, created by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon. Although Marvel hasn’t officially announced who will play her, many believe veteran actress Judith Light was seen on set during filming in August 2025, suggesting she’s been cast in the role.

Perez also confirmed that Ghost Rider will appear in one of the upcoming announced MCU movies.

Now that the Multiverse Saga will conclude in 2027, Marvel hasn’t revealed many details about its future plans – Phase 7. This limits the number of potential movies for characters like Ghost Rider. Currently, only a few films have confirmed release dates: Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars. Other projects, including Armor Wars, Blade, and a new X-Men movie, are still being developed. While sequels to Shang-Chi, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and The Fantastic Four: First Steps are rumored, Marvel hasn’t officially confirmed them yet.

Considering the movies Marvel has planned, Ghost Rider is most likely to appear in either an Avengers film or a Blade movie. Because of the ongoing Multiverse storyline, it would be simple for Marvel to introduce a new version of Ghost Rider in the Secret Wars film, or even bring back Nicolas Cage to reprise his role as the Spirit of Vengeance from the 2007 and 2012 movies.

With Blade finally appearing in a movie, it could open the door to a team-up film featuring the Midnight Sons – a group of supernatural heroes Marvel Studios is reportedly considering. This team includes characters like Blade, Ghost Rider, Morbius, Elsa Bloodstone, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, Moon Knight, and Man-Thing, many of whom we’ve already seen in Marvel movies.

Fans can expect to see “The Punisher: One Last Kill” on Disney+ starting May 12, 2026. Later that year, on December 18, 2026, “Avengers: Doomsday” will arrive in cinemas, followed by “Avengers: Secret Wars” on December 17, 2027.

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2026-03-31 19:09