The Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4 has only just begun with WandaVision, and the adventure will continue on the big screen with a whopping 13 Marvel movies releasing within the next few years. Originally, the plan was to follow-up Spider-Man: Far From Home with Black Widow, a standalone prequel film set before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. That would've helped Marvel Studios set the stage for The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which would've been the first TV show to debut, before launching into magic, the multiverse, and everything else. But, unfortunately, that didn't happen.
As with every other studio in Hollywood, Disney and Marvel Studios were forced to shuffle things around and push everything back a year or so due to the pandemic. Instead of kicking off with Black Widow, Phase 4 began with WandaVision, perhaps the strangest yet most profound story every to come from Marvel. Although the series was confined to a small corner in New Jersey and, therefore, had very little impact on everything else going on around the world, it still managed to lay the foundation for upcoming films, including Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
Of course, the highly-anticipated Doctor Strange sequel isn't the only film on the way. In 2019, Marvel Studios announced several movies and TV shows to follow Phase 3, and then they proceeded to make even more announcements in 2020. So far, nine movies have been scheduled through 2021 and 2022, and if the trend should continue, there may be another four or five movies in 2023, 2024, and so forth.
Black Widow - May 7, 2021
Coming 11 years after Natasha Romanoff's introduction in Iron Man 2 is Black Widow, a prequel film set between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Once again seeing Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, the movie will bring Nat back home to Russia to confront a conspiracy that is in some way connected to her past. That means audiences will meet people who she's forgotten about on the big screen thus far, such as David Harbour's Red Guardian and O-T Fagbenle's Rick Mason. However, the most interesting aspect of the film is the multiple Black Widows; Nat wasn't the only one, after all.
Florence Pugh stars as Yelena Belova alongside Rachel Weisz as Melina Vostokoff, both of whom are Black Widows who trained in the Red Room, just like Nat did before she left to join SHIELD. While Nat is on this adventure, she will face off with Taskmaster, a comic book villain who has the ability to mimic the fighting styles of his opponents. Other characters appearing in the movie include William Hurt as Thaddeus Ross, Ray Winstone as the Head of the Red Room, and reportedly Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Although it's moved around quite a bit, Black Widow is still scheduled to release in theaters on May 7, 2021.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - July 9, 2021
Following Black Widow is Marvel's first film with an Asian superhero in the lead role - Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Simu Liu plays the titular superhero Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist who is forced to confront the secret organization the Ten Rings. The group first appeared in 2008's Iron Man and have cropped up every now and then. They last attempted to buy the Yellowjacket Suit in Ant-Man but haven't been seen since. They're back now, and with the actual Mandarin at the forefront.
Tony Leung appears as Wenwu aka the Mandarin in the film, and he will be joined by Awkwafina as Katy, Fala Chen as Jiang Li, Meng'er Zhang as Xialing, Ronny Chieng as Jon Jon, Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan (her second MCU role following Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2), and Florian Munteanu as Razor Fist. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings has the potential to tie in multiple eras of the MCU, while also giving the franchise its first big-screen treatment of martial arts, since it's not all about superpowers. The film is scheduled to release on July 9, 2021.
Eternals - November 5, 2021
Eternals follows Shang-Chi as the second new franchise film in Phase 4, releasing on November 5, 2021. It's set in the present-day after the events of Avengers: Endgame, but the movie will follow a race of beings known as Eternals who have been around on Earth for thousands of years. Now, they've returned to the fold to fight the Deviants, their mortal enemies. Eternals is an exciting film for the franchise not only because of its connection to Thanos (him being an Eternal) but because its a brand-new race and superhero team.
Created by the Celestials, the Eternals are immortal, powerful beings who are a force to be reckoned with, and the movie's cast proves just how far Marvel is willing to go to tell this story in the best way possible. Eternals stars Angelina Jolie as Thena, Richard Madden as Ikaris, Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos, Lauren Ridloff as Makkari, Don Lee as Gilgamesh, Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo, Kit Harington as Black Knight, Gemma Chan as Sersi, Lia McHugh as Sprite, and Barry Keoghan as Druig. Each character is imbued with superpowers and can likely beat someone like Thanos alone, which can't be said about other MCU superheroes. Directed by Chloe Zhao, Eternals is slated to release in theaters on November 5, 2021.
Spider-Man: No Way Home - December 17, 2021
While technically a Marvel Studios movie set in the MCU, Spider-Man: No Way Home is a Sony Pictures film, which is why Marvel is working hard to release it in 2021; specifically, it'll come out on December 17, 2021. Based on available information and set photos, No Way Home will supposedly be set during Christmastime and see Spider-Man on the run after his identity was exposed in Spider-Man: Far From Home. But beyond being a sequel to Far From Home, the new movie will reportedly open up the franchise to the multiverse, with several past Spidey characters returning to some degree.
Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Marisa Tomei are all back as Peter Parker, MJ, Ned Leeds, and May Parker, respectively, but Jamie Foxx is supposed to return as Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, with Alfred Molina coming back as Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2. On top of that, there are reports and rumors of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Mans, Kristen Dunst's MJ, Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, and even Charlie Cox's Daredevil making an appearance as well. That's all to say No Way Home will be a multiverse story unlike any other, which makes sense since Benedict Cumberbatch is supposed to cameo as Doctor Strange (for good reason).
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - March 25, 2022
If Spider-Man launches the MCU's multiverse on the big screen, then that's reason enough for No Way Home to connect to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is, of course, about exploring the multiverse. The long-awaited film is every bit a sequel to 2016's Doctor Strange - with Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all coming back as Wong, Christine Palmer, and Mordo, respectively - as it is a follow-up to Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Plus, it's also linked to WandaVision, with Elizabeth Olsen also reprising her role as Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch.
Considering there are narrative connections to multiple properties releasing in 2021, Doctor Strange 2 may act as the centerpiece in Phase 4, bridging WandaVision and No Way Home together while also setting up future dimension-hopping stories. What's more, the sequel can explain more of Scarlet Witch's Chaos Magic, not to mention continue to push forward Marvel's plans for a Young Avengers team since Xochitl Gomez will be making her MCU debut as America Chavez aka Miss America, one of the members of the teenage superhero group.
Thor: Love & Thunder - May 6, 2022
Revitalizing Thor as a standalone character was the best thing Thor: Ragnarok did for the MCU, and now, Taika Waititi aims to take things up a notch with Thor: Love & Thunder. Chris Hemsworth is, of course, back as Thor, but this time he will be joined by Natalie Portman as a Mighty Thor, a superpowered version of Jane Foster. She will wield Mjolnir and, presumably, help her ex-boyfriend fend off Gorr the God Butcher, the film's villain who is being played by Christian Bale in his first superhero movie role since Batman. Going based on his comic book story, Gorr will lay waste to cosmic beings across the universe and will, then, aim to defeat Thor; on the page, Gorr and Thor fought three times in multiple eras.
But there's so much more to Thor: Love & Thunder than just being another Thor film; it also sees the Guardians of the Galaxy - Star-Lord, Drax, Nebula, Mantis, and Kraglin - join Thor's adventure, while also bringing back Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif, who's been absent from the franchise since 2013's Thor: The Dark World. Additionally, Tessa Thompson will reprise her role as Valkyrie, who was made the King of Asgard at the end of Avengers: Endgame. How everything - and everyone - ties together hasn't been revealed, but whatever happens, it'll be interesting.
Black Panther 2 - July 8, 2022
Easily one of the most anticipated films on Marvel's calendar is Black Panther 2. Ryan Coogler is back to write and direct the sequel, which sees the return of several characters from the original film, including Letitia Wright as Shuri, Martin Freeman as Everett Ross, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Winston Duke as M'Baku, Angela Bassett as Ramonda, and Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia. Sadly, Chadwick Boseman's death means T'Challa won't appear in the film, unless Marvel Studios repurposes old footage in the same way Lucasfilm did for Leia in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Thankfully, though, Marvel has confirmed they will not be recasting the role of T'Challa.
Since the Black Panther name is a mantle that can be passed on to another person, it's possible Shuri or M'Baku can take the reigns. Shuri is expected to have a bigger role in the sequel, but so far, it's unclear how Black Panther 2 will proceed without Boseman. Furthermore, given Coogler is working on a Wakanda TV series for Disney+, Black Panther 2 may lay the groundwork for that story, similar to how Disney+'s Loki spins out of Avengers: Endgame. Black Panther 2 is scheduled to begin filming in June 2021 and will release just over a year later on July 8, 2022.
Captain Marvel 2 - November 11, 2022
Currently the last MCU film with a confirmed release date is Captain Marvel 2, which releases on November 11, 2022. Brie Larson returns as Carol Danvers aka Captain Marvel in the sequel which takes place in the present-day, rather than being another prequel adventure. It also connects to Disney+'s upcoming series Ms. Marvel, starring Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan. Marvel Studios has been trying to adapt Ms. Marvel in some form for several years now, and it's finally happening on Disney's streaming service before the character makes the jump to the big screen in Captain Marvel 2, which will also see Teyonah Parris return as Monica Rambeau from WandaVision. Monica began developing her Spectrum superpowers in the TV series, so the new movie should explore her abilities some more.
In replacement of Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, Nia DaCosta is directing Captain Marvel 2. Specific story details haven't been revealed yet, but it has been reported that Zawe Ashton will play the villain. She could be playing anyone from Deathbird to Queen Veranke, to even the X-Men character Rogue; only time will tell which one she ends up being, if any of them.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania - 2022
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania has Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly reprise their roles as Scott Lang aka Ant-Man and Hope van Dyne aka Wasp, respectively, with Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Michael Pena back as their characters. Scott's daughter, Cassie Lang, is also back, but she's been recast; Kathryn Newton is now playing the adult Cassie in the film. Following in the footsteps of WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ant-Man 3 may set up its own Young Avengers character in Cassie, who's a superhero in Marvel Comics.
While the first two Ant-Man films were relatively smalltime, though they did venture into the Quantum Realm, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania seems to be blowing things up to a new level with the inclusion of Jonathan Majors as the villain Kang the Conqueror. Using the Quantum Realm in Avengers: Endgame may have opened the door for Kang's invasion, seeing as he's known for time traveling, and he recently had a storyline in the comics associated with quantum entanglement. However, no concrete details have released regarding the plot. The film is planned for 2022.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 - 2023
Originally envisioned as one of the first films to kick off the MCU's Phase 4, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3's development took a tumble when James Gunn was fired and, later, rehired on the film. During that downtime, Gunn scored another gig working on The Suicide Squad for DC Films, so production on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 couldn't begin until after that film and its upcoming spinoff, Peacemaker, has wrapped up. In the meantime, the Guardians of the Galaxy team will have a small adventure in Thor 4 before they return in a holiday special in late 2022.
After those projects are done, then Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will get underway. It will be set after the events of Avengers: Endgame, and presumably Thor: Love & Thunder as well, and should see the return of Chris Pratt as Star-Lord, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, and Karen Gillan as Nebula, all of whom are in Thor 4. It's unclear if Zoe Saldana will be back as Gamora (the one from 2014), but there's no real reason she shouldn't return with the rest of the cast. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is planned for 2023, though a specific release date hasn't been set yet.
Fantastic Four
Following Spider-Man: No Way Home, director Jon Watts will be helming a Fantastic Four movie for Marvel Studios. Unfortunately, that's all that's been revealed so far about the film; there isn't a writer attached and nothing about the story has been teased. However, the new Fantastic Four adaptation will presumably have nothing to do with Fox's two versions.
Blade
One of the most surprising announcements to come from Marvel Studios is Blade, a new film being developed by Stacy Osei-Kuffour and will see Mahershala Ali in the titular role. Ali previously starred in Marvel's Luke Cage as Cottonmouth, but that didn't stop him from speaking with the studio about making a Blade movie after they regained the rights. Although no director is currently attached to the movie, Blade is expected to begin filming in late 2021.
Deadpool 3
So far, the only continuation from 20th Century Fox's X-Men universe is Deadpool 3, which will bring back Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson aka Deadpool. Nothing is currently known about its story, but the good thing is that it will be rated R and set within the MCU's continuity. As for how it will move from Fox's X-Men universe to the MCU, there are numerous ways that could happen because this is Deadpool - plus, the multiverse could have something to do with it.
Key Release Dates
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Black Widow
Release Date:2021-07-09 -
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Release Date:2021-09-03 -
Eternals
Release Date:2021-11-05 -
Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
Release Date:2022-05-06 -
Thor: Love and Thunder
Release Date:2022-07-08 -
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date:2022-11-11 -
captain marvel 2
Release Date:2023-07-28
