There may be a “house style” to the MCU, but it has also branched out into a variety of different genres over the years. The Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Ant-Man films have taken the franchise in a variety of directions while maintaining a strong sense of continuity and consistency.

The story will be transformed into a dark fantasy adventure in the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight. The next series, Ms. Marvel, will be a whimsical high school comedy, so this will be a stark contrast.

Phase 4 has already explored a wide range of moods and themes, but there are still many more to come. The MCU will soon branch out into six new genres.

Horror

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has had its share of frights, but none of the films has been devoted solely to the genre. Doctor Strange: The Multiverse of Madness and Werewolf by Night, a Disney+ special, is expected to have more horror elements than the rest of the MCU.

Werewolves and the Multiverse are both darker and more serious shows that deal with magic and the supernatural. That doesn’t mean the two projects are going to turn out to be full-blown horror films, though. At the time of its announcement, Multiverse of Madness was touted as the first true horror film in the MCU; however, its PG-13 rating now confirms that it will stick to the formula.

Moon Knight’s increased age rating overseas might imply that Marvel’s Disney+ projects will push the limits slightly further than their movie counterparts, and the same could be said for Werewolf by Night. However, if these projects are well received, Marvel Studios may be able to produce more sinister material in the future.

Coming-of-Age (Series)

Spider-Man: No Way Home ended with Peter Parker graduating from high school, so Marvel has to look elsewhere for their coming-of-age fare. Two upcoming projects on Disney+ will feature adolescent characters attending high school, rather than another film from the studio.

The first is Ms. Marvel, a six-episode series coming to streaming services. The show is expected to be a lighthearted comedy that tells the story of Kamala Khan’s beginnings as a superhero under the name “Supergirl.”

The animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year will suffice as a prequel to the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy. The new show is expected to show viewers how this Peter Parker became the web-slinger. To attract younger MCU fans, both of these projects should be a nice counterpoint to the more strenuous offerings of the franchise.

Comedy in the Courtroom

The MCU has produced comedic films and even a sitcom (well, more like half of one). But there hasn’t been a courtroom comedy… that’s the case. She-Hulk will be the first to break the fourth wall as part of the story in this genre. As with WandaVision, this show is likely to be a mix of comedic adventure and superhero tropes in nature. As with several of WandaVision’s episodes, She-Will Hulk’s will be around 30 minutes long as well.

As a Disney+ series, She-Hulk may be closer to Guardians of the Galaxy than WandaVision, as it appears to be more of a comedy all the way through rather than a comedy with dark and uneasy undertones.

Mystery in the Politics

Disney+’s upcoming Secret Invasion series on MCU will combine both mystery and politics.

The Skrulls, who were first introduced in Captain Marvel, will get more screen time in the upcoming show. There is a good chance that some of your favorite MCU characters will be revealed to be disguised Skrulls in this series, as their shapeshifting powers were demonstrated in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

But even though it’s not a huge Marvel Comics event, this show is sure to shake things up in the MCU in a fun and intriguing way.

Comedy with a Twilight Twist

WandaVision’s spin-off will combine darkness and comedy in a much more overt way than it did in WandaVision. The production of Agatha: House of Harkness is expected to begin later this year, and Kathryn Hahn will reprise her role as the titular witch.

The storyline of the Disney+ series is still a mystery, as are the comics it will draw inspiration from, if any. It’s likely that the series will focus on the events of WandaVision, in which Agatha was cursed by Wanda and then shows what she does after she breaks free of the enchantment.

No matter which way the show goes, viewers can count on the title character to get into some hilariously bizarre situations.

The Season’s Best

During the holiday season, both Iron Man 3 and Spider-Man: No Way Home made brief reference. The story of Hawkeye was set against a festive backdrop. However, Marvel’s first foray into the holiday season will be the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

While Star-Lord was born and raised on Earth, he has a deep-seated hatred for it, so the special will likely focus on fictional holidays celebrated by Guardians of the Galaxy. Like the Star Wars Holiday Special, which celebrated Life Day rather than a real-life holiday like Christmas, this could be a similar approach.

But just like in Star Wars: Episode VII: A New Hope, it’s likely that the Guardians will celebrate a holiday similar to those on Earth, with the characters exchanging gifts and enjoying spending time together as part of an extended family.