While Avengers: Infinity War continues to be the brightest star in the sky for Marvel fans, we haven't forgotten about the follow-up that's poised to be the massive conclusion to Phase 3. The untitled Avengers 4 is currently filming right now, and almost nothing is known about the project other than what's been gleaned from set photos. We may not know what to expect from the blockbuster, but we do know who to expect to be in it. A new report mentions that Hiroyuki Sanada, who had a role in The Wolverine, has been cast in the film.
The news that Hiroyuki Sanada has joined Avengers 4 comes to us a bit unusually. In a Deadline report about Sanada joining the cast of Westworld Season 2, the author offhandedly mentions that Sanada will also be appearing in "Avengers: Infinity." This would seemingly mean that Sarada will be in Avengers: Infinity War, but that movie isn't filming anymore. This leads us to think that Sanada is actually appearing in Avengers 4, the only Avengers movie currently filming.
There is a slim possibility that Hiroyuki Sanada is actually in Avengers: Infinity War. Perhaps he's scheduled to appear in reshoots, but it feels far more likely that he'll be in Avengers 4. Adding an entirely new character to an already cramped movie through reshoots would be unusual. We have no idea what his role is, but thanks to set photos, we know that Black Widow is going to Japan and potentially having a confrontation with the Yakuza. A casting call for the movie asked for actors to play Japanese gangster, throwing more wood in the plausibility fire. It's possible that Sanada could have a role that takes place during this scene.
Superhero movie fans will recognize Hiroyuki Sanada from his role in The Wolverine as Shingen, the father of Wolverine's love interest and all-around bad guy. One highlight is a scene where he duels Wolverine with a samurai sword. Sanada has held plenty of roles in other notable films such as Life, Sunshine, 47 Ronin, and the upcoming The Catcher Was a Spy.
Avengers 4 is being directed by Joe and Anthony Russo. The plot of the film is a tightly guarded secret and revealing the title of the movie will apparently spoil events in Avengers: Infinity War. The full cast list would also be a spoiler, but fans can at least expect to see Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johanson, Jeremy Renner and the returning Jon Favreau and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Avengers 4 isn't scheduled to release until May 3, 2019, but the wait for Avengers: Infinity War is far less grueling-- debuting on May 4, 2018. To learn more about Infinity War, here's everything we know so far.
