It's now exactly a year since the theatrical release of Avengers: Endgame, and the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been rewritten considerably since then. Marvel Studios brought the Infinity Saga to a triumphant close in 2019, with Avengers: Endgame taking Avatar's crown as the highest-grossing movie of all time. The Avengers assembled en masse, successfully defeating Thanos (Josh Brolin) and restoring half the universe to life.

Marvel Studios had become more secretive than ever before, meaning viewers had no idea what to expect next. President Kevin Feige seemed to suggest 2014's Phase 3 announcement had backfired because it meant viewers were focused on the ultimate destination rather than sitting back, eating popcorn, and enjoying the journey. As a result, he was a lot more wary of revealing Marvel's long-term plans. In the absence of official announcements, rumors began to circulate - many accurate, some not.

Related: Avengers: Endgame Failed To Resolve One Key Iron Man Storyline

Marvel Studios' Hall H panel was the highlight of San Diego Comic-Con 2019, with the studio announcing their full Phase 4 slate, but rather than run through five years, it only spanned two. They confirmed release dates for Black WidowEternalsShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love & Thunder. In addition, the studio announced their upcoming Disney+ TV shows, confirming The Falcon and Winter SoldierLokiWandaVision, an animated What If..? series, and Hawkeye. Other Disney+ shows were soon announced, featuring Ms. MarvelShe-Hulk, and Moon Knight, along with Black Panther 2.

Marvel Phase 4 MCU Black Widow Scarlet Witch Doctor Strange

It didn't take long before things began to go wrong, though. A deal between Marvel and Sony had brought a rebooted Spider-Man into the MCU, and 2019's Spider-Man: Far From Home was essentially an extended epilogue to Avengers: Endgame. Although Marvel hadn't announced anything at SDCC, attentive viewers had noted the two-year gaps between Spider-Man films and deduced Phase 4 also included a third Spider-Man flick. Then, shockingly, the partnership between Marvel and Sony broke down. For a while it looked as though Marvel Studios was about to lose Spider-Man, with the two studios struggling to reach a new agreement. It took a personal intervention from star Tom Holland to remind Disney and Sony just how much people cared about the wall-crawler, and they managed to hammer out a new deal. The terms favor Sony, who appear to be able to imply their Spider-Man spinoffs - such as Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius - are "adjuncts" to the main MCU.

Moving into 2020, the coronavirus pandemic and its associated lockdowns have caused massive problems for Marvel. Cinemas all over the world are closed, and film production has been shut down worldwide; as a result, the entire slate has been pushed back. More adjustments have been made after Sony, too, was forced to push Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 back four months as well, with Marvel swapping the release of Thor: Love & Thunder and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and officially setting a date for Captain Marvel 2 as well. No doubt there will be similar delays to the Disney+ shows. The current slate can only be considered provisional because it all depends on forces outside Marvel's control. As things stand, however, it is as follows:

  • Black Widow - November 6, 2020
  • Eternals - February 12, 2021
  • Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings - May 7, 2021
  • Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 - November 5, 2021
  • Thor: Love & Thunder - February 11, 2022
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - March 25, 2022
  • Black Panther 2 - May 6, 2022
  • Captain Marvel 2 - July 8, 2022

The MCU lost at least two legacy characters, as Avengers: Endgame worked as an effective swan song for Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.) and Captain America (Chris Evans), so the studio's hopes for continued success rests on the new characters introduced in Eternals and Shang-Chi, as well as more prominent roles for the remaining Avengers, and the anticipation for these films remains as strong as ever. Despite the coronavirus delays and studio haggling that occupied much of the last year in Marvel news, fans' appetite for what the MCU has to offer remains strong even in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame's success.

More: MCU Theory: Why The Eternals Weren’t In Infinity War Or Endgame

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