Marvel Studios has produced many successful superhero films over the past decade, building an expansive cinematic universe with popular characters like Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. However, not every planned Marvel movie has made it to the big screen. One highly anticipated film that was cancelled before production was Inhumans.
Quick Answer
The Inhumans movie was cancelled by Marvel Studios in April 2019. It was originally scheduled for a July 2019 release date as part of Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What is Inhumans?
Inhumans are a fictional race of superpowered human mutants that appear in Marvel Comics. They first appeared in the Fantastic Four comic books in the 1960s. The Inhumans made their live-action debut in the TV series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., before planned to headline their own feature film.
In the comics, the Inhumans live in the city of Attilan, which is usually located on the Moon. They possess unique abilities and physical characteristics as a result of experiments performed on early Inhumans by the alien Kree race. Some key Inhumans characters include:
- Black Bolt – The king of the Inhumans with a destructive hypersonic voice
- Medusa – Queen of the Inhumans with prehensile hair
- Crystal – Princess of the Inhumans with ability to control earth, water, fire, and air
- Karnak – Royal adviser with ability to detect weaknesses in people and objects
- Gorgon – Leader of Attilan’s royal guard with seismic stomp that generates shockwaves
Early Development
Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige first revealed plans for an Inhumans movie to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a 2014 interview. It would be Phase Three of the MCU, after Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man.
The official announcement came at an event in October 2014. Marvel Studios confirmed Inhumans for a July 12, 2019 release date, with the film scheduled to kick off Phase Four. There was a lot of speculation around the film’s characters and storyline.
Casting Rumors
In early 2016, rumors began circulating about the potential casting for Inhumans:
- Vin Diesel was reportedly being courted to play Black Bolt
- Yvonne Strahovski was considered for Medusa’s role
- Robert Downey Jr. might cameo as Iron Man
However, no official casting choices were ever announced. Diesel and Marvel had discussed a project in the past, but nothing came to fruition.
Inhumans TV Series
In November 2016, tensions between Marvel Entertainment CEO Ike Perlmutter and Kevin Feige led to Marvel Studios losing creative control over the Inhumans property. It was transferred to Marvel’s television division.
ABC ordered an Inhumans TV series set in the MCU, which served as a replacement for the cancelled Inhumans film. The cast included:
- Anson Mount as Black Bolt
- Serinda Swan as Medusa
- Ken Leung as Karnak
- Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon
- Isabelle Cornish as Crystal
The first two episodes premiered theatrically in IMAX in September 2017, before the full 8-episode season aired weekly on ABC. Unfortunately, the series was poorly reviewed by critics and fans.
Cancellation
In April 2019, Marvel officially removed Inhumans from their release calendar. Kevin Feige announced the project was cancelled at a press event for Spider-Man: Far From Home.
No specific reason was given for the cancellation. But it is assumed the poor reception of the Inhumans TV series, as well as Feige regaining control of Marvel properties after the Disney-Fox merger, led to the decision.
Could it be Revived?
While the Inhumans film is currently cancelled, there is a chance the franchise could be revived down the line. Here are some possibilities:
- Reboot as a feature film – After a few years passed, Marvel Studios could attempt a big-budget Inhumans reboot movie that ignores the TV show.
- Disney+ series – With Marvel expanding on Disney+, Inhumans could get reimagined as a streaming exclusive series.
- Introduce characters separately – Black Bolt, Medusa, and other Inhumans could appear individually in future MCU movies and shows before teaming up.
For now, the fate of the Inhumans in the Marvel Cinematic Universe remains unknown. But fans still hold out hope these beloved characters will finally get the proper treatment they deserve one day.
Other Cancelled Marvel Movies
While Inhumans is the most recent Marvel Studios film to get cancelled, it is far from the only one. Here are some other notable Marvel movies that were planned but never made it to theaters:
| Movie Title | Intended Release Year | Reason for Cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man 4 | 2011 | Sam Raimi and Sony could not agree on story |
| The Amazing Spider-Man 3 | 2016 | Sony rebooted series with Marvel Studios |
| Fantastic Four 2 | 2007 | First film underperformed |
| Daredevil (Joe Carnahan) | TBD | Rights reverted to Marvel Studios |
| Gambit | 2016 | Stalled in development hell |
| X-Men Origins: Magneto | TBD | Stalled after poor Wolverine spinoff |
Marvel has changed strategies and heavily restructured their release schedule at various points over the years. So even movies that seem certain to happen sometimes end up cancelled due to creative differences, poor market reception, or corporate politics.
Conclusion
The Inhumans film was a highly anticipated entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before it was cancelled in 2019. After corporate reshuffling led to a poorly received Inhumans TV series in 2017, Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige officially pulled the planned movie from Marvel’s release calendar. Reasons likely included fan disinterest after the TV show, as well as Feige wanting creative control after Marvel restructured. There is still a possibility characters like Black Bolt and Medusa could appear in future MCU projects after years passed. But the original Inhumans movie as envisioned is permanently cancelled. Marvel has a long history of planned films getting cancelled either in early development or close to production, for a variety of reasons inherent to Hollywood politics and the creative process.