Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness featured a number of wild multiversal cameos, most notably in its scenes dealing with the Illuminati of Earth-838. Among their ranks was Blackagar Boltagon, the Black Bolt himself, king of the Inhumans, with Anson Mount reprising the role from ABC’s failed series Inhumans.
While many fans likely thought they had seen the last of Mount’s Black Bolt when Inhumans was canceled, the powerful superhero defied expectations for one more extended cameo before being killed by the Scarlet Witch. Nevertheless, such a trick can be repeated, making it possible, perhaps even likely, that Black Bolt could show up in another MCU project somewhere in the near future.
Doctor Strange 3
While Kevin Feige and the other executives at Marvel Studios have yet to announce a follow-up to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, such a film feels inevitable given the extreme success of the Sam Raimi-led film. Little is currently known regarding the inevitable Doctor Strange 3, though it will almost certainly deal with the arrival of Charlize Theron’s sorceress Clea, who informed the Master of the Mystic Arts of a coming incursion in the mid-credits scene of Multiverse of Madness.
If Multiverse of Madness‘s mid-credits scene is anything to go by, then the follow-up threequel will doubtlessly feature multiversal mayhem like Marvel fans have never seen before. Such a colossally untethered film could certainly feature the return of a still-living variant of the Inhuman leader, one who could last longer than the version seen on Earth-838.
Secret Wars
The MCU is very clearly building up to a Secret Wars crossover, with many of its Phase 4 projects setting up a multiverse ready to implode in on itself in the very near future. Many fans have theorized for years that the mysterious Avengers 5 could very well be this Secret Wars event, which would likely see characters from multiple different Marvel earths unite on Battleworld, each fighting for the existence of their own universes.
If Secret Wars really is on the horizon for the MCU, then there is nothing that can prepare fans for the sheer amount of multiversal cameos they will see in such a film. If the Inhumans are truly in the cards for the MCU’s future, then this kind of movie would be the perfect place to reintroduce Black Bolt, Medusa, and their loyal followers. In so doing, Marvel could set the characters up at the same time as the X-Men, perhaps creating the interesting rivalry present between the two factions in the comics.
Loki Season 2
Loki is easily the most popular Marvel Cinematic Universe streaming series on Disney+, justifying the existence of the upcoming follow-up season to the show’s original six-episode run. Set to enter production in the coming few months, Loki Season 2 will delve deeper into the Time Variance Authority and its mysterious benefactor: Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.
While Multiverse of Madness certainly lived up to its name, it is Loki that has shown off far more of the multiverse than any other installment of the MCU’s Phase 4. If the second season follows in the footsteps of the first, it will doubtlessly show off plenty of alternate realities, perhaps even one where Black Bolt and his Inhumans are an integrated part of everyday life on Earth, even if such an event only takes place as part of an extended cameo on the part of the Inhumans.
Moon Knight Season 2
Moon Knight ended with plenty of huge implications for the character, who continues to unwittingly serve as the right hand of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu. While no second season has yet been announced for Moon Knight, such a continuation seems inevitable given just how successful the series was with critics and fans.
While it may seem like a long shot for any Inhumans to appear along with Moon Knight, they do share a surprising connection. While Marc Spector and his alternate identities serve the Egyptian god of the moon, Black Bolt and his Inhuman subjects historically inhabit a city on the moon’s surface known as Attilan. As a result, Khonshu is undoubtedly well-aware of the Inhumans, perhaps even having a relationship with them, providing them safe shelter in his sacred domain.
Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion is one of the most exciting upcoming entries of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Disney+ series is set to premiere in late 2022, with Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury acting as the protagonist for the first time since his introduction in the post-credits scene of Iron Man. In this, Fury will uncover a clandestine Skrull invasion of Earth, with many established MCU characters being revealed to have been alien imposters all along.
An event series such as Secret Invasion is sure to shake every corner of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to its core. If the show is properly executed, there should be no character within the franchise completely unaffected by its events. As such, every major faction on Earth should be involved in the series in some capacity, which certainly includes the Inhumans, provided that Marvel chooses to stick with the ending of their ABC series, which saw the super-beings migrate to Earth after their home on the moon was destroyed.
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is the next installment of the MCU for fans to look forward to. Set to premiere on June 8th, the show will introduce Kamala Khan to the franchise, depicting her journey to becoming the iconic comic book superhero Ms. Marvel. This rendition of the character is being set up as a sidekick to Brie Larson’s Captain Marvel, who will unite with the teenage Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris’s Photon in the upcoming film The Marvels.
Many casual Marvel fans may not realize that the comic book version of Kamala Khan is actually an Inhuman. If the MCU chooses to adopt this portion of her origin, it would make perfect sense for the newly-dubbed Ms. Marvel to meet up with the strongest Inhuman of all time, Black Bolt, who would doubtlessly be interested in such a notable addition to his subjects’ ranks.
Inhumans Reboot
The Inhumans made their live-action debut in the critically-panned and widely ridiculed ABC series of the same name. The series premiered in late 2017, running for a measly eight episodes before being unceremoniously canceled. While few fans ever considered (or even desired) a potential continuation of the series, Marvel’s long history of embracing and improving upon its own mistakes could signify that they aren’t quite finished with this particular group of superbeings.
While there is currently no official word on whether or not Marvel is planning a continuation of the Inhumans’ infamous series, such a prospect could be defined by the audience’s reactions to Black Bolt’s return in Multiverse of Madness. Early fan feedback regarding the rebooted character seems generally positive, indicating that Marvel may have finally cracked how to do him and his Inhuman brethren justice in live-action. If this is truly the case, the studio may opt to either continue or reboot the original series, bringing the Inhumans to Earth-616 once more.
