I have a bunch of different POD ideas for the making of the MCU from time to time and I know everyone else has these occasional thoughts as well.
Here's a few to start us off:
No Phase 3 announcement
In late 2014 (seems so long ago!) Kevin Feige announced the full slate of films for the MCU's Phase 3. While at the time it was compared to Apple 1984 (and was a very good thing for Marvel at the time) it has since become a boon for Marvel as they are constantly shifting things around: Inhumans might be canceled, Black Panther and Captain Marvel keep getting pushed back, Spider-Man and Ant-Man and Wasp both pushed other moves back, etc.
One has to admit that the public nature of this makes the trouble they are having with certain properties very obvious. Would there be any immediate ramifications of not making an official announcement like that? Besides the PR, of course.
Robert Downey Jr. does NOT re-sign for Avengers 2 & 3 + Cap 3
Immediate following Avengers and then Iron Man 3, RDJ's future in the MCU was not entirely certain. He had only signed a four(?) picture deal which had concluded with Iron Man 3. In mid 2013 he finally re-signed onto the franchise. This one's a bigger - Iron Man's character is very important to the events of Avengers 2 and Captain America 3.
My idea for Marvel's response to it is this: a panic attack that results in a rushing of the Ant-Man's (famously troubled) production. Perhaps an earlier resignation of Edgar Wright or he stays on and pushes through. In terms of what's in production only Hank Pym can fill (most) of the roles that Tony Stark traditionally occupied in the MCU films post-IM3.
I'm imagining it as a sort of trilogy of Hank Pym films (which would necessitate a three picture deal with Michael Douglas): Ant-Man (more amped up than OTL), Avengers 2 (with Pym as the creator of Ultron and Ant-Man replacing Iron Man), and Captain America: Civil War (once again Hank Pym replacing Stark and going full villain). It could be seen as a sort of descent into madness for Douglas's character and I think he would have fun with it.
Alternatively nix the Civil War entirely and just keep Douglas for Ant-Man and Avengers 2. That of course throws the entire production of Cap 3 off as they scramble for a new plot and also throws into question the usefulness of acquiring Spiderman from Sony (since they don't have a big crossover movie until Infinity War in 2018).
Joss Whedon doesn't return after Avengers
I can't find the blamed article for it right now, but Joss Whedon was initially very skeptical of returning to the director's chair after the original Avengers movie. He apparently (once again, lost the article) had a big hand in the overall direction of Phase 2 and frequently visited other sets and advised on other movies in a capacity much like Kevin Feige.
IIRC he recommended both James Gunn (GotG) and Edgar Wright (the original Ant-Man director) and who knows how much service he provided on other films like The Winter Soldier. His influence on Phase 2 in particular would be a massive divergence and who knows how things would have turned out. Who would be a likely candidate for Avengers 2?
At this point Marvel was already in the stage of hiring lower-budget TV directors like Joss Whedon (Firefly) & the Russo Brothers (Community, IIRC). But I'm not very well versed on TV directors - who would they pick? How would they shape the MCU.
Earlier addition of Spider-Man
Not even going to bother with the articles now: apparently Avengers tower was supposed to show up in The Amazing Spiderman that we got a few years back. Also, Joss wanted Spidey (and Captain Marvel) to show up as apart of the Captain America Avengers line-up seen at the end of Age of Ultron.
Fair play with Spidey might also affect the death of a certain character Ben Urich on the Daredevil TV show (although I think it was good for the stakes of the show). This could be good - or bad, if TASM 2 tanks like it did in OTL.
Here's a few to start us off:
No Phase 3 announcement
In late 2014 (seems so long ago!) Kevin Feige announced the full slate of films for the MCU's Phase 3. While at the time it was compared to Apple 1984 (and was a very good thing for Marvel at the time) it has since become a boon for Marvel as they are constantly shifting things around: Inhumans might be canceled, Black Panther and Captain Marvel keep getting pushed back, Spider-Man and Ant-Man and Wasp both pushed other moves back, etc.
One has to admit that the public nature of this makes the trouble they are having with certain properties very obvious. Would there be any immediate ramifications of not making an official announcement like that? Besides the PR, of course.
Robert Downey Jr. does NOT re-sign for Avengers 2 & 3 + Cap 3
Immediate following Avengers and then Iron Man 3, RDJ's future in the MCU was not entirely certain. He had only signed a four(?) picture deal which had concluded with Iron Man 3. In mid 2013 he finally re-signed onto the franchise. This one's a bigger - Iron Man's character is very important to the events of Avengers 2 and Captain America 3.
My idea for Marvel's response to it is this: a panic attack that results in a rushing of the Ant-Man's (famously troubled) production. Perhaps an earlier resignation of Edgar Wright or he stays on and pushes through. In terms of what's in production only Hank Pym can fill (most) of the roles that Tony Stark traditionally occupied in the MCU films post-IM3.
I'm imagining it as a sort of trilogy of Hank Pym films (which would necessitate a three picture deal with Michael Douglas): Ant-Man (more amped up than OTL), Avengers 2 (with Pym as the creator of Ultron and Ant-Man replacing Iron Man), and Captain America: Civil War (once again Hank Pym replacing Stark and going full villain). It could be seen as a sort of descent into madness for Douglas's character and I think he would have fun with it.
Alternatively nix the Civil War entirely and just keep Douglas for Ant-Man and Avengers 2. That of course throws the entire production of Cap 3 off as they scramble for a new plot and also throws into question the usefulness of acquiring Spiderman from Sony (since they don't have a big crossover movie until Infinity War in 2018).
Joss Whedon doesn't return after Avengers
I can't find the blamed article for it right now, but Joss Whedon was initially very skeptical of returning to the director's chair after the original Avengers movie. He apparently (once again, lost the article) had a big hand in the overall direction of Phase 2 and frequently visited other sets and advised on other movies in a capacity much like Kevin Feige.
IIRC he recommended both James Gunn (GotG) and Edgar Wright (the original Ant-Man director) and who knows how much service he provided on other films like The Winter Soldier. His influence on Phase 2 in particular would be a massive divergence and who knows how things would have turned out. Who would be a likely candidate for Avengers 2?
At this point Marvel was already in the stage of hiring lower-budget TV directors like Joss Whedon (Firefly) & the Russo Brothers (Community, IIRC). But I'm not very well versed on TV directors - who would they pick? How would they shape the MCU.
Earlier addition of Spider-Man
Not even going to bother with the articles now: apparently Avengers tower was supposed to show up in The Amazing Spiderman that we got a few years back. Also, Joss wanted Spidey (and Captain Marvel) to show up as apart of the Captain America Avengers line-up seen at the end of Age of Ultron.
Fair play with Spidey might also affect the death of a certain character Ben Urich on the Daredevil TV show (although I think it was good for the stakes of the show). This could be good - or bad, if TASM 2 tanks like it did in OTL.