The 25th Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, sets up the future of the MCU on the big screen, but there are also a lot of Marvel TV shows releasing afterwards as well. Shang-Chi is another big step forward for Marvel Studios, becoming its first movie with a predominantly Asian cast and crew. While mostly a standalone film detailing the eponymous hero's story, it does have some connections to the MCU's past, present, and future.
Most notably, Shang-Chi links directly to Iron Man and Iron Man 3, thanks to the Ten Rings organization and the return of the fake Mandarin, Trevor Slattery. Shang-Chi's mid-credits scenes, meanwhile, connect the movie to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels, among others. But for all Shang-Chi is mostly concerned with the cinematic future of the MCU, properly kickstarting the movie branch of Phase 4, there are big things to come on the small screen.
Marvel Studios made the leap to TV in 2021 - having previously released shows under Marvel Entertainment - with the aim of creating series that properly connected to the movies. So far, it's delivered on that aim, with WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki all providing Marvel movie-level entertainment and setting up future events too. With What If...? in the middle of season 1 as well, then there's no sign of things slowing down. Here's every Marvel TV show releasing after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Hawkeye - November 24, 2021
The last - but certainly not least - of the MCU's original Avengers to get their own solo project, Hawkeye will likely conclude Clint Barton's (Jeremy Renner) MCU story, while setting up the future for his replacement, Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Created by Jonathan Igla (Mad Men, Bridgerton), Hawkeye will follow its titular character as he trains Kate, a young woman who is a big fan of his and wants to follow in his footsteps. There'll be one other familiar face at least too, with Florence Pugh's Yelena Belova targeting Hawkeye following Black Widow's post-credits scene. Also confirmed for the show are Tony Dalton as Jack Duquesne, aka Swordmaster, who is Clint's own mentor; Vera Farmiga as Eleanor Bishop, Kate's mother; and Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez, aka Echo, a deaf, Native American hero who can mimic the moves of others. Hawkeye will release on November 24, 2021, and run for six episodes.
Ms. Marvel - 2022
Shang-Chi sets up The Marvels, but before that happens audiences will have to meet Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel. The first headline Muslim character in Marvel Comics, Kamala is a Captain Marvel superfan who receives powers thanks to the Terrigen Mists, an origin that may be changed in the MCU due to the failure of the Inhumans TV show. Iman Vellani will portray Kamala in Ms. Marvel, which will seemingly serve as her origin story before she returns in The Marvels. Other confirmed actors and characters include Aramis Knight as the vigilante Red Dagger, Matt Lintz as Bruno, Kamala's friend, and Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur as her parents. The show will consist of six episodes, and while initially expected to drop in late-2021, it now seems as though Ms. Marvel will release in early-2022.
She-Hulk - 2022
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Aside from Doctor Strange 2 and The Marvels, the upcoming MCU project that Shang-Chi's credits scenes may set up is She-Hulk, thanks to the appearance of Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). She-Hulk will focus on Bruce's cousin, Jennifer Walters (played by Tatiana Maslany), a lawyer who is given Hulk powers after a blood transfusion from Banner after an accident. Since Bruce is no longer Smart Hulk in Shang-Chi, then it's quite possible this will be explained in She-Hulk, and the transfusion is what leads to the change. Also returning from Shang-Chi is Abomination (Tim Roth), who was last seen fighting Wong and may now be in the Raft; since Jennifer deals with superhuman clients, there could even be a legal case involving Emil Blonsky that she's involved in. The show is setup as a combination of a superhero comedy and legal drama, and will consist of 10 episodes in season 1. Production wrapped on She-Hulk in August 2021, keeping it on target for a 2022 release.
Moon Knight - 2022
Marvel may never have Batman, but the MCU will soon have Moon Knight, who is often seen as its answer to the Caped Crusader. As a brutal crimefighter who is, by day, a wealthy businessman, each with a penchant for gadgets, there are certainly similarities, but that ignores what makes Moon Knight a unique character. Real name Marc Spector, he's a character with dissociative identity disorder, which leads to him serving as multiple characters based on his different identities, while he gets his powers via the Egyptian god Khonshu. Played by Oscar Isaac, it's perhaps not surprising that Moon Knight is expected to be different and darker to what the MCU has delivered thus far. Alongside Isaac is Ethan Hawke, who is believed to play Moon Knight's villain, and May Calamawy. The series will include six episodes, which are set for release in 2022.
Secret Invasion - 2022
Captain Marvel introduced Skrulls to the MCU with a big twist, turning them into more heroic and sympathetic characters rather than the villains of Marvel Comics. That seemingly put paid to ideas of Secret Invasion happening, but Marvel has found a way to pull it off: this will deal with the infiltration of Earth by a rogue group of Skrulls, with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) leading the way to help defeat them. The Secret Invasion comic was an expansive crossover that revealed not only had Skrulls implanted themselves in all major positions of power across the world, but had assumed the identities of several superheroes to boot. It's unclear just how the MCU will handle this, but it seems likely there'll be at least one or two surprises in that regard. Secret Invasion will release in 2022, and also have six episodes.
Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special - 2022
Following in the not-so-time-honored space opera tradition of Star Wars, the Guardians will return in Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which will again be written and directed by James Gunn. It's been a long wait for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 thanks to James Gunn's firing and subsequent re-hiring at Disney, with him making The Suicide Squad in the meantime, so the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is set to fill in the gap a little bit after both Vol. 2 and the team's appearance in Thor: Love and Thunder. Quite what form the special will take remains to be seen, but the main cast is returning, and there's certain to be a lot of weirdness, heart, and humor, all elements that fit perfectly with Gunn's Guardians and the Christmas season. While unconfirmed, it'd make sense for this to release in November/December 2022.
I Am Groot
The Holiday Special isn't the only Guardians of the Galaxy-related project in the works for Disney+. Also releasing will be I Am Groot, a series of shorts centered on the (sort of ) talking tree, which are likely to be very comedic and kid-friendly in nature. Whether these shorts are considered canon or feature any other Guardians is currently unknown, but based on the success of both Baby Groot previously and Grogu in The Mandalorian, it'll likely be popular regardless.
Loki Season 2
The third Marvel Disney+ show, Loki was the first to get a second season. Loki season 1 introduced viewers to a bunch of new concepts and characters, including the Time Variance Authority, the Time-Keepers, and He Who Remains, but its ending changed everything not only for the show, but perhaps the entire MCU. With the multiverse being plunged into madness, it's expected that some of the fallout from that will be addressed in Doctor Strange 2, but with Loki season 2 confirmed then there may be threads left to clean-up afterwards, in particular surrounding Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius. There's also the potential to take the show in several different directions, as its use of time and space means it could effectively tackle any area it wants. Loki season 2 may not film until 2023 though, so there is seemingly going to be quite a wait before the God of Mischief is back on Disney+.
What If...? Season 2
The other MCU Disney+ show to have a season 2 order, Marvel's What If...? introduces viewers to whole other timelines and universes, presenting a series of "what if" scenarios where one key change can have a major impact on established history. Already the show has tackled stories such as Peggy Carter getting the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, T'Challa becoming Star-Lord rather than Peter Quill, and Doctor Strange taking an evil turn. What If...? season 2 is set to have nine episodes, and will see the return of Captain Carter, as well as an episode centered around Black Widow, and it's also expected to tackle other areas of Phase 4 as well. Scripts are already being written, so What If...? season 2 could release in 2022.
Armor Wars
Iron Man may be gone, but his legacy lives on - and Armor Wars will show that's not entirely a good thing. The comic Armor Wars is based on deals with Stark tech falling into the wrong hands, although there Tony is still around to clean up the mess. That's not the case in Disney+'s Armor Wars, where the responsibility falls more squarely on the shoulders of James "Rhodey" Rhodes, aka War Machine (Don Cheadle). Taking its cues from the comic, it's expected that the show will deal with companies and people misusing Stark technology. That may well include Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell), or perhaps Emily VanCamp's Sharon Carter/Power Broker, with many theorizing her ending in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier was setting this up, though neither is confirmed. Armor Wars won't start filming until 2022, meaning it will likely release on Disney+ sometime in 2023.
Ironheart
Armor Wars isn't the only Disney+ show to deal with the legacy of Tony Stark, as Ironheart will also have him key to its plot - and establish his MCU replacement. In the comics, Riri Williams is a young genius who creates an Iron Man suit using stolen materials while at MIT, and is rewarded by being backed by none other than Tony Stark himself. That can't happen in the Ironheart TV show, but it will likely include elements of it, including her scholarship at MIT and creating an Iron Man suit. Ironheart, played by Dominque Thorne, will first appear in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, suggesting that there'll be a link between the character and Shuri (who was shown visiting MIT in set photos), perhaps with her taking on some of Tony's role. Ironheart will have six episodes, and will likely start production in 2022 for a 2023 release.
Untitled Wakanda Series
Black Panther was a groundbreaking MCU entry in a lot of ways, but a big part of what made it so special was its worldbuilding. Wakanda immediately felt like one of the most fully realized, detailed, and spectacular locations in the MCU, so it makes sense that Marvel will be looking to explore it as much as possible. Sadly, Chadwick Boseman's passing in 20202 means that T'Challa will not be part of future stories, but Wakanda-set movies and shows can continue to explore the great legacy he left behind. Ryan Coogler is expected to produce the Wakanda spinoff after he's finished up on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and the country has a lot of potential in its history and culture that there's almost no end to what could be tackled in a TV show, but no details are confirmed right now.
Okoye Spinoff
Happening separately from the Wakanda spinoff, Okoye, the leader of the Dora Milaje, will also be getting a spinoff TV show after Black Panther 2. The Dora Milaje are one of the most fascinating aspects of Wakanda, impressing in all of the appearances so far (including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), and so there's certainly scope to flesh them out further. It's likely that Danai Gurira would return as Okoye, continuing her adventures, and again there's definitely more to learn about her character, pushing her journey forward while perhaps also exploring her past. Nothing is confirmed yet about the Okoye series, so this will likely be a long way off.
Echo Spinoff
Marvel clearly has a lot of faith in the character of Echo, ordering a spinoff show before she has even appeared in the MCU. Alaqua Cox will reprise her role as Maya Lopez, following on from her character's introduction in Hawkeye. With a photogenic memory, Echo is able to perfectly copy other heroes' moves, making her a similar villain to Taskmaster, and meaning Marvel's future could have two such characters. No other details about Echo are known right now, but Hawkeye should give a clearer indication of what to expect from the character going forward.
Marvel Disney+ Halloween Special
Not content with the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Marvel will be looking to tick off other seasonal events too. A Marvel Halloween Special is reportedly in the works at Disney+, with the Mouse House looking for a Latino actor to take on the lead role. No other details have been revealed, but it has been speculated that the special will focus on the supernatural hero Werewolf By Night, but this presumably wouldn't release until Halloween 2023 at the earliest given Marvel's packed slate.
Marvel Movies Releasing After Shang-Chi
Of course, in addition to the wealth of TV shows, there are also a lot of Marvel movies releasing after Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The next MCU movie will be Eternals, which will release on November 5, 2021, and the year will then be rounded out by Spider-Man: No Way Home, which releases December 17, 2021. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will kick-off Marvel's 2022, releasing on March 25. that'll be followed by Thor: Love and Thunder on May 6, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on July 8, and then The Marvels on November 11. Looking further ahead to 2023, the MCU movies on the docket include Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February 17, 2023) and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May 5), while a Fantastic Four movie is also in development, as well as a Blade reboot.
Key Release Dates
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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 -
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Release Date:2023-02-17 -
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Release Date:2023-05-05
