Over the years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has seen heroes die or move on, and stories are being told in multiple mediums… but amid all that change, there is one thing that fans can always rely on: there will always be a new big screen MCU blockbuster on the way. Summer tentpoles are the franchise’s bread and butter (the movies admittedly ranging from the great to the not-so-good) and we always know what projects are coming and when years in advance.
If you are one of those aforementioned Marvel Cinematic Universe fans and ever curious about what is on the way, you are definitely in the right place. Our Marvel Movies In Order timeline looks at the franchise’s past, but this feature is designed to keep track of the future. And if you’re a Disney+ subscriber curious about what’s coming on the streaming front, also be sure to check out our Upcoming Marvel TV guide.
Marvel Phase 5
Captain America: Brave New World - February 14, 2025
The torch has been passed… or more accurately, the shield has been passed. Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson didn’t feel totally comfortable taking on Steve Rogers’ moniker at the very end of Avengers: Endgame, but he grew a lot through the events of the Disney+ series The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, and now he is wearing the star-spangled costume replete with wings as the new Captain America.
With a plot and tone said to echo the beloved Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Brave New World (set to be released in February 2025) will see Sam Wilson embroiled in a plot that involves using mind control to try and take the life of President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford). Malcolm Spellman, the head writer on The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, penned the script for the blockbuster, and it’s being directed by filmmaker Julius Onah (The Cloverfield Paradox).
Confirmed Captain America: Brave New World Cast Members: Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Danny Ramirez as Joaquin Torres, Shira Haas as Sabra, Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns/The Leader, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, Giancarlo Esposito as Sidewinder, and Harrison Ford as President Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross. The cast also includes Xosha Roquemore, Seth Rollins, and Rosa Salazar.
Thunderbolts* - May 5, 2025
Writer Lee Sung Jin and director Jake Schreier proved to be a successful collaboration in the making of the hit Netflix series Beef, and now they are bringing their talents to the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the May 2025 release of Thunderbolts*. The project was first announced in June 2022, and it will be the first MCU blockbuster centered on… not-quite-heroes.
While not much is known about the plot, there is a wide assumption that Thunderbolts* will pay off teases and hints that have been scattered in the MCU since The Falcon And The Winter Soldier – with Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine putting together her own superhero team.
Confirmed Thunderbolts* Cast Members: Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Wyatt Russell as John Walker/U.S. Agent, Olga Kurylenko as Antonia Dreykov/Taskmaster, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov/Red Guardian, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr/Ghost, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, and Lewis Pullman as Sentry.
Marvel Phase 6
The Fantastic Four: First Steps - July 25, 2025
It’s finally happening! Fans of Marvel Comics have suffered through multiple mediocre-or-worse Fantastic Four movies, but now, the rights to the characters have returned to Marvel, and they will finally be making their Marvel Cinematic Universe the release of July 2025’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Director Matt Shakman, who proved himself a capable talent with the series WandaVision, is taking the helm after Jon Watts stepped away from the project in April 2022, and the blockbuster will launch Phase 6 of the MCU.
Marvel Studios producers have been champing at the bit to make the film since the completion of the Disney/Fox merger, and now it is almost here. Sadly, we know nothing about the plot, but it has been confirmed that the setting of the story will be a retro futuristic version of the 1960s inspired in part by the artistic style of Syd Mead. The title The Fantastic Four: First Steps was first confirmed at Sand Diego Comic-Con 2024.
Confirmed Fantastic Four Cast Members: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm/The Thing, Ralph Ineson as Galactus, Paul Walter Hauser, John Malkovich, and Natasha Lyonne
Blade - November 7, 2025
How hard is it to make a movie about a half-vampire who dedicates his life to ridding the world of vampires? Apparently it’s pretty damn hard.It was first announced that Two-time Oscar winner Mahershala Ali would be playing the lead character in a solo Blade movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe all the way back in 2019, and the character made a voice-only cameo in the end credits of Eternals, but there have been a number of behind-the-scenes shakeups that have slowed development of a solo feature for the character.
The MCU Blade movie was originally put in the hands of director Basam Tariq in July 2021, but he departed the project in September 2022 just as production was gearing up. Yann Damange came aboard in November 2022… but he reportedly lost the gig in June 2024. The would-be R-rated blockbuster does not currently have a director attached, and it’s unclear if Blade will make its scheduled November 2025 release date.
Confirmed Blade Cast Members: Mahershala Ali as Blade and Mia Goth
Avengers: Doomsday - May 1, 2026
Marvel Studios spent years setting up Jonathan Majors’ Kang The Conqueror as the next Thanos-level big bad in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but that plan went straight to hell in 2023 due to legal issues and a conviction that led Marvel Studios to terminate the actor’s franchise contract. Because of that situation, the plans for the next Avengers movie have changed dramatically: what was originally going to be called Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has now become Avengers: Doomsday.
This big change was made official at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, where it was not only confirmed that Joe and Anthony Russo will direct the film, but that the role of Victor von Doom will be played by Robert Downey Jr. – who will be making his return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the death of Tony Stark a.k.a. Iron Man in Avengers: Endgame. It has not been confirmed whether or not there will be a specific connection between Stark and Doom – but it has inspired a great deal of fan speculation.
Confirmed Avengers: Doomsday Cast Members: Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom a.k.a. Doctor Doom
Avengers: Secret Wars - May 7, 2027
Following Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026, Marvel will unleash Avengers: Secret Wars one year later. Next to nothing is known about the plans for the movie plot-wise, but Michael Waldron (Loki Season 1, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness) has been hired to pen the screenplay, and there is expectation that the project will take inspiration from the two comic book events series of the same name.
While there was a rumor that Deadpool & Wolverine helmer Shawn Levy was going to direct the film, it was confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2024 that Joe and Anthony Russo will take the helm and make Doomsday/Secret Wars their second MCU two-parter after Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
Confirmed Avengers: Secret Wars Cast Members: Robert Downey Jr. as Victor von Doom a.k.a. Doctor Doom
Unscheduled Marvel Projects
X-Men
The X-Men franchise that existed for two decades has ended (2000-2021), and fans worldwide are over-the-top excited for their chance to finally see the legendary mutant characters make their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The hitch is that introducing mutants to the expansive franchise is no small undertaking... so Marvel Studios is playing things smart by not rushing things.
Like with the Fantastic Four, Kevin Feige first name-dropped "the mutants" during the Marvel Studios Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2019, but we have not yet gotten any confirmation regarding exactly when we will be seeing the X-Men of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We have seen developments involving mutants in key blockbusters and TV shows, but the X-Men do not yet exist in the MCU. Deadpool & Wolverine features a number of mutant characters, Kelsey Grammer's Beast appears in The Marvels, and Patrick Stewart reprises his role as Professor Charles Xavier in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, but the status of all the other major characters is unknown, and we presently don't know what's going to ultimately happen to all of the existing versions.
Shang-Chi 2
At the very end of Destin Daniel Cretton's Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, there is a message that announces that the titular criminal organization would be making a return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe – but there was no such affirmative declaration regarding the hero played by Simu Liu. The lack of news about a sequel continued for weeks after the film turned out to be a big box office hit, but finally things changed in December 2021. It was officially announced that Shang-Chi 2 is in the works, and Daniel Cretton will once again be back at the helm.
What we don't know right now is a) when the sequel will actually be made, or b) what it will be about. It seems fair to assume that Shang-Chi 2 will not only see the return of Simu Liu as the eponymous master of kung-fu, but also Awkwafina as his number one pal, Katy. Hopefully more information about the upcoming movie will be announced soon.
Spider-Man 4
In the wake of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland's Peter Parker is in real trouble. Having made mistakes while messing with the multiverse, he now lives in a reality where everyone he has ever known and cared about has wholly forgotten about him – and it seems that he plans to keep it that way for a while as a means of protecting them from his life as Spider-Man. Exactly what the future holds for the character is unclear, but at the very least what we do know is that his adventures will continue on the big screen.
We know extremely little about Spider-Man 4 at present (we don't know if Jon Watts will be back to direct after making the last three webslinger movies), but the collaboration between Marvel Studios and Sony will continue. Will we soon get to see an MCU version of Venom? Maybe a showdown with Vincent D'Onofrio's Kingpin? How about live-action debuts for Scorpion (having already been introduced to Michael Mando's Mac Gargan) and/or Felicia Hardy a.k.a. Black Cat? Only time will tell.
Armor Wars
In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced a plethora of shows that were being made as Disney+ exclusives, and among the titles revealed was Armor Wars: a limited series that would feature Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes a.k.a. War Machine trying to stop the proliferation of Tony Stark's proprietary Iron Man technology. The studio hired Yassir Lester as head writer on the project in August 2021, and its continued development was confirmed at D23 Expo 2022... but then everything changed in September 2022. Instead of being a show, Armor Wars is now being made as a movie.
Yassir Lester is still attached to the project, but will obviously now be writing a screenplay instead of orchestrating teleplays for a six-episode series. There is presently no director attached, and, as you can tell by the fact that it is in this section of this feature, it doesn't have a release date. Since the project changed mediums, Marvel Studios hasn't provided any updates about its development.
And that covers all of the upcoming Marvel movies lined up for the future. Now let's take a look back at the previous phases of the MCU...
Past Marvel Releases
Marvel Phase 1
Iron Man (2008)
The Incredible Hulk (2008)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Thor (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Avengers (2012)
Marvel Phase 2
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Thor: The Dark World (2013)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)
The Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Ant-Man (2015)
Marvel Phase 3
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Doctor Strange (2016)
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Ant-Man And The Wasp (2018)
Captain Marvel (2019)
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Marvel Phase 4
Black Widow (2021)
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings (2021)
Eternals (2021)
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness (2022)
Thor: Love And Thunder (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Marvel Phase 5
Ant-Man And The Wasp: Quantumania (2023)
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
The Marvels (2023)
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
With new Marvel movies always being announced and release dates shifting around, we will continue to update this feature, and as always, stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest news about the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
