Marvel is ending the year with the 3rd season of And if…?and the show's final chapter has become must-watch viewing for MCU fans looking forward to 2025. After some struggles in 2023, 2024's MCU slate was the first after the studio's release schedule slowdown came into play. force. Only one movie and a few shows were released, and some big hits like X-Men '97, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Agatha all the time were among them. It was a memorable 2024 for the franchise, creating some much-needed momentum for 2025's MCU projects.
The two MCU films that will be released in the first half of 2025 are Captain America: Brave New World on February 14th and Rays* on May 2nd. These projects will mark the return of Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnesboth not seen in the MCU timeline since 2021 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. There's still a lot of time left for these projects to be released, but until then, fans of the duo can check out the 3rd season of And if…? to fill the void.
Sam Wilson returns to the MCU before Captain America: Brave New World
The first episode of And if…? season 3 will be released on December 22nd and is titled “What If…The Hulk Fought The Mech Avengers?” The show has proven to be the place where Marvel can experiment with more bizarre stories, including one where Bruce Banner has to fight Marvel's heroes after his attempted cure for the Hulk goes wrong. The episode sees Sam Wilson's Captain America face off against the Hulk in a mech suit, with a selection of other Avengers to help him.
Although it is an animated project that is not part of the main MCU timeline, And if…? will still technically be Sam's first appearance in the MCU since The Falcon and the Winter Soldier four years ago. Next year will be a big moment for him, as he will not only star in his first solo film, but also take on the hero mantle made iconic by Steve Rogers. There's no better way to get fans excited about Mackie's next release Captain America: Brave New World appearance than ending the year with your character standing out.
Bucky Barnes joins Red Guardian before Thunderbolts*
The other half Falcon and the Winter SoldierThe main duo will also make their return to the MCU in 2024. Bucky will be introduced in the third episode of the season, titled “What If… Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?” where he will be joined by fellow Thunderbolts Alexei Shostakov. When Red Guardian wants to prove himself to his superiors in the Red Room, he ends up crossing paths with the Winter Soldier. The two Soviet supersoldiers then form an alliance to escape America.
Although And if…? depicts an alternate timeline separate from the main MCU, this team-up between the Winter Soldier and Red Guardian will be the perfect transition for the duo joining the same team in Rays*. The show will give fans a taste of the dynamic between Bucky and Alexeigiving them something to look forward to until their live-action counterparts team up next May. Sam and Bucky are far from the first and only heroes to appear in And if…?but the third season lines up perfectly to build anticipation for their respective 2025 projects.
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- Release date
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February 14, 2025
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Rays*
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- Release date
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July 25, 2025
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- Release date
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July 24, 2026