There are new mystery MCU titles on Disney's slate, which begs the prediction of what the six new movies are releasing through 2026. Marvel Studios unveiled the Multiverse Saga at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, which came with plenty of surprises, such as two Avengers movies releasing the same year in the MCU's Phase 6. However, Disney also delivered another unexpected update on the MCU's future by confirming release dates for six mystery Marvel movies in 2025 and 2026 shortly after Comic-Con concluded.
The six new MCU movies on Disney's calendar add to an already impressive content plan for Marvel Studios over the next three years. Kevin Feige confirmed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ends Phase 4 in 2022. The Multiverse Saga continues with Phase 5, which begins with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania in February 2023 and ends with Thunderbolts in July 2024. During Phase 5, audiences will also see new movies starring Blade, Captain Marvel, and Sam Wilson's Captain America. Phase 6 kicks off in November 2024 with the MCU's first Fantastic Four movie, building towards an epic conclusion of the Multiverse Saga that will unfold during Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars. Both movies will release in 2025 and bring to a close the MCU's current overall arc centered around the multiverse and Kang as the big villain.
Even with all of the movie titles and release dates now confirmed for the MCU, there is always room for more. Kevin Feige's Phase 6 slate had eight announced movies and shows. Disney's decision to then add six new mystery MCU movie release dates through 2026 only adds to these plans. Two of the unknown titles fall into the Multiverse Saga, while four of them have now become the first signs of MCU Phase 7. Here is a prediction for what Marvel Studios' six new MCU movies are.
February 2025 - Shang-Chi 2
Looking at what titles were confirmed for the Multiverse Saga, one of the surprising absences was Shang-Chi 2. Marvel launched the new franchise starring Simu Liu in 2021 to great success, as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings made over $430 million worldwide at a time when the box office was still quite tepid. It was confirmed shortly thereafter that director Destin Daniel Cretton was returning to write and direct a Shang-Chi sequel, as well as a Disney+ show which has since been revealed to be Wonder Man. There have not been many updates on the movie's status since then, but Shang-Chi 2 could be the new MCU movie releasing on February 14, 2025.
News of the Shang-Chi sequel's development first surfaced in December 2021, but Marvel and Cretton may have been cooking up ideas for it long before then. Shang-Chi 2 releasing in February 2025 would give the movie roughly three years to work with to go from development to finished product. The first movie happened under a similar time frame and in the middle of a pandemic, so the sequel happening just as quickly is not far-fetched. If this is going to happen, it probably means Shang-Chi 2 needs to begin filming by early 2024 or even late 2023 if Simu Liu will be needed for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, too. That still gives Cretton roughly a year and a half to finish the script and go through pre-production. It would also signal Shang-Chi's importance to the Multiverse Saga by being the last movie before Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.
July 2025 - Doctor Strange 3
The next mystery MCU movie in 2025 is already slated to be among the most important in the Multiverse Saga. With Avengers: The Kang Dynasty releasing in May 2025 and Avengers: Secret Wars releasing in November 2025, the mystery Marvel movie scheduled for July 25, 2025, must be integral to that storyline. Similar to how Ant-Man and the Wasp and Captain Marvel bridged the gap between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame by introducing major new characters and concepts, it should be expected that the MCU movie coming between The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars will be even more important. For that reason, it would make sense for Doctor Strange 3 to be Marvel's July 2025 release.
Marvel Studios has not officially announced plans for Doctor Strange 3, but that could easily change soon. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness made nearly $1 billion at the box office, and its post-credits scene directly set up another adventure for Benedict Cumberbatch's sorcerer, who would surely be joined by Charlize Theron as Clea. The tease of them going to deal with an incursion could be directly part of the plots for Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, but it would also make sense for that to be a solo mission sandwiched between the two MCU Phase 6 event movies. This could be where Marvel really details what is going on in the grand scheme of the multiverse and positions Doctor Strange to take on Kang in Secret Wars. This would require Marvel to already have some movement behind-the-scenes on a third film's creative team, such as luring Sam Raimi back to direct Doctor Strange 3.
February 2026 - Scarlet Witch
Disney's announcement of Marvel movie release dates in 2026 means that the next four titles will be part of Phase 7 and the post-Multiverse Saga storyline. To kick off Phase 7, a solo Scarlet Witch movie starring Elizabeth Olsen could be what audiences get. There have been plenty of theories about what the MCU's third Saga could be about, with Marvel's lack of an X-Men announcement at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 putting all eyes on the possibility of Phases 7-9 being the Mutant Saga. If this is the case, then it would make sense for the MCU's Phase 7 to begin with a property that could bridge the Multiverse Saga and the new focus on mutants. Wanda Maximoff can do just that.
The mystery MCU movie releasing February 13, 2026, being Scarlet Witch could be the next big step for Elizabeth Olsen's character. She has already graduated from being a supporting movie character to leading a Disney+ show and then becoming the main villain of Doctor Strange 2. A Scarlet Witch movie could go in many different directions, but Marvel Studios has roughly four years to figure it out right now. Of course, this could be where the MCU's House of M adaptation takes place, fulfilling a dream of Elizabeth Olsen's and revealing that Wanda Maximoff has mutant ties in addition to being the Scarlet Witch. It also would pair nicely with the potential big summer event film of Phase 7.
May 2026 - X-Men/The Mutants
After Ms. Marvel's finale dropped a "mutation" reference and featured the X-Men: The Animated Series theme song, it appears that the X-Men and mutants are finally making their way to the MCU. While various mutants could appear throughout the Multiverse Saga, the first MCU X-Men movie, which has been rumored to be titled The Mutants, could be saved for Phase 7. This movie could potentially also work as the MCU film coming between Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, but that might also feel a bit rushed in the grand scheme of things. Waiting until Phase 7 could be part of Marvel's plan and see the MCU's X-Men movie release on May 1, 2026.
There will certainly be some disappointment from viewers if the MCU waits until Phase 7 to deliver the first X-Men team-up movie. However, it seems Marvel Studios is content to take their time introducing the team and mutants. The Multiverse Saga could still be where the X-Men appear first, too. Depending on how the MCU explains where the X-Men have been throughout the years, the team could join the fight against Kang in Avengers: Secret Wars. This would then set up their return for a solo movie in Phase 7 that really explores the team dynamics and individual characters. It also ensures that Marvel does not have to rush the X-Men's MCU introduction and still give them the spotlight they deserve.
July 2026 - World War Hulk
Taking a small departure from the mutants, Phase 7's mystery Marvel movie releasing in July 2026 could be World War Hulk. There have been rumors for quite some time that Marvel Studios is working on a solo movie for Hulk that could be a loose adaptation of the iconic comic event. World War Hulk revolves around Bruce Banner returning to Earth on a vengeful quest to defeat The Illuminati after they banished him years ago, and the result is fighting most of Marvel's biggest superheroes. Marvel Studios has previously been unable to make solo Hulk movies due to Universal owning his rights, but reports have also surfaced that the rights are no longer an issue.
Just as Marvel Studios had Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow solo movie released in Phase 4, World War Hulk could be when Mark Ruffalo is finally given a leading role in the MCU. The film could also be a team-up between him and She-Hulk following her debut in Phase 4 — possibly even adapting the World War Hulks comic event that saw multiple characters get Hulk-like powers. This could act as Hulk's exit from the MCU and possibly even be where Mark Ruffalo's wish of Hulk and Wolverine fighting in the MCU comes to fruition. For all of those reasons, World War Hulk releasing on July 24, 2026, would make sense and take the new MCU movie release date.
November 2026 - Eternals 2
Eternals 2 might be the answer for what new Marvel movie will release in November 2026. It is no secret that Chloé Zhao's Phase 4 movie is one of the more divisive entries in the MCU, but Marvel has teased that these characters will return. The sequel coming out five years after the original would give Marvel plenty of time to figure out what direction to take the Eternals, including allowing their possible roles in the Multiverse Saga to unfold. Of course, Eternals 2 could also connect perfectly with the overall mutant themes of Phase 7, as the Eternals and the X-Men are linked in the comics. The sequel could even go much bigger and pit the Eternals against some mutants. In any case, Eternals 2 releasing on November 6, 2026 is doable and gives the first year of Phase 7 MCU movies at least one true sequel.
