Everything We Know About Marvel’s Phase 6

As a longtime Marvel fan who has witnessed the evolution of this cinematic universe since its inception, I must say that the upcoming Phase 6 is shaping up to be nothing short of spectacular! With the long-awaited arrival of The Fantastic Four, the introduction of Doctor Doom, and the much-anticipated reassembling of the Avengers, it feels like we’re being transported back to the magic we felt during Phase 3.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is right now in the thick of Phase 5, a period that has seen its share of highs and lows for the franchise. The second installment in the Multiverse Saga is set to wrap up in 2025 with the premieres of “Captain America: A New Dawn”, “Daredevil: Rebirth Thunderbolts”, and “Ironheart”. The year 2025 will signify the end of one phase, but also the start of Phase 6 for the MCU. Phase 6 will bring us to the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, much like the Infinity Saga before it. It will culminate in an epic two-part Avengers movie, titled “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars”.

What is intriguing is how little fans know about Phase 6 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unlike Phases 4 and 5, which had a good portion of their slates unveiled at San Diego Comic-Con 2019 and 2022, respectively, what has been revealed about Phase 6 has been sprinkled out through various separate confirmations. Phase 6 has undergone a lot of retooling behind the scenes following the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the SAG-AFTRA and WGA Strikes of 2023, and also the firing of Jonathan Majors and rehiring of Robert Downey Jr. as the new MCU big bad. Here is everything we know so far about the MCU’s Phase 6.

Slate Of Film and Television Shows

Marvel Studios has officially set four movies for release in Phase 6: “The Fantastic Four: First Footsteps,” “Avengers: Endgame,” another Tom Holland-led “Spider-Man” film, and “Avengers: Secret Wars.” There’s speculation that “Blade” might move from its initial Phase 5 slot to one of the open spots in Phase 6 or potentially even later, in Phase 7. Moreover, two unspecified films are planned for Phase 6, with the first set to premiere in February 2026 preceding “Avengers: Endgame” and another scheduled for November 2026, fitting between the two Avengers movies.

At present, six movies are scheduled for Marvel’s Phase 6, making it similar in size to Phases 1, 2, and 5. However, it falls short compared to Phase 3’s eleven films and Phase 4’s seven movies. When counting the announced TV series, Phase 6 will comprise ten entries in total across film and television. This number is significantly less than Phase 5’s fifteen entries and Phase 4’s seventeen. While it may grow, Kevin Feige recently hinted that the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) might reduce its production after 2025.

Disney has scheduled two potential release dates for the year 2027, specifically July 23rd and November 5th, 2027. It remains undetermined if these planned release dates will be a part of Phase 6 or whether they will follow the pattern set by Phases 1 to 4, ending the year as a conclusion to that phase, or if 2027 will resemble 2025, marking both the end of one phase and the start of another.

Other Rumored Projects

There appear to be several unreleased movies and TV series that haven’t been officially confirmed yet. It seems Marvel Studios is setting up for the introduction of The Young Avengers. Given the hints at the end of both The Marvels and Agatha All Along, which feature a prominent role for Billy Maximoff, fans are anticipating that The Young Avengers will be included in Phase 6.

It was verified that Shang-Chi 2 is being worked on, though no further details about the sequel have surfaced since its initial announcement, and it’s not expected to be released until after director Destin Daniel Cretton finishes with Spider-Man 4. Denzel Washington has confirmed his involvement in Black Panther 3, but Marvel Studios hasn’t officially announced the movie yet. There are whispers that Doctor Strange 3 is being developed, and it seems like it will play a significant role in setting up Avengers: Doomsday, although nothing has been confirmed as fact.

It seems that during Phase 6, Marvel Studios is aiming to wrap up the Multiverse Saga by centering its four upcoming films around major franchises like Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and The Avengers. Any additional projects announced are likely to further develop or conclude the narrative of the Multiverse Saga.

Doctor Doom Will Be the New Big Bad

At Comic-Con 2022, during Marvel’s Phase 6 reveal, they explicitly stated that Kang the Conqueror, portrayed by Jonathan Majors, would serve as the main antagonist across the Multiverse Saga. This role was initially hinted in the final episode of Loki Season 1 and will be fully introduced in Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Additionally, they announced that the fifth Avengers film would be titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, with a new dynasty being suggested as the tagline for the third Ant-Man movie.

A month post the release of “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” Jonathan Majors faced charges for physically assaulting his former partner. In December 2023, he was convicted of two misdemeanor counts related to assault and harassment. Marvel Studios swiftly removed him from all ongoing projects due to this incident. Given the unfavorable reception to “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” they were already contemplating a change in direction regarding Kang. With Majors being dismissed, they accelerated their new plan: focusing on Doctor Doom instead.

At the San Diego Comic-Con 2024, it was announced that the title of “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty” had been changed to “Avengers: Doomsday.” Kevin Feige introduced directors Joe and Anthony Russo, confirming their return for the new Avengers films, and they also revealed who would portray Doctor Doom. The casting of Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom generated a lot of excitement within the fan community, sparking various theories about his role in the Multiverse Saga. Some speculate that with such a large paycheck of around $100 million, Downey Jr.’s compensation might not be limited to “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars,” but could extend to more films as well.

It’s been confirmed that Robert Downey Jr. will portray Doctor Doom in “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Secret Wars”. Additionally, he is expected to make a brief appearance in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”, which is set to be released 10 months before “Avengers: Doomsday”. The speculation arises because it’s suggested that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom could originate from the same universe as The Fantastic Four, posing a multiversal threat to the heroes of Earth-616, which is the official designation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe within the films.

In the upcoming movie “Avengers: Secret Wars,” it’s anticipated that Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom will merge different realities from the Marvel multiverse into a single world called Battleworld. This film is expected to be based on the 2015 comic of the same name. As God Emperor Doom, we expect Doctor Doom to face off against various superheroes from across the Marvel universe, such as those from the MCU, the Fantastic Four, Deadpool’s X-Men, and even past heroes like Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Wesley Snipes’ Blade, and Jennifer Garner’s Elektra. It promises to be a grand battle!

The Creative Teams

The sixth phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will continue to feature familiar names in creative roles. As usual, Kevin Feige remains as President of Marvel Studios, overseeing all productions. The Russo brothers, known for directing Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame, will rejoin the series to contribute to Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Stephen McFeely, half of the writing duo responsible for the first three Captain America films, Infinity War, and Endgame, will draft the scripts for Doomsday and The Kang Dynasty.

In the meantime, “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” will be helmed by Matt Shakman, who has previously directed all nine episodes of “WandaVision”. Meanwhile, Destin Daniel Cretton, who directed “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” and was originally set to direct “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty”, is now handling “Spider-Man 4” and co-creating “Wonder Man”. The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is about to welcome fresh creative minds. The upcoming Vision series, tentatively called “Vision Quest“, will be spearheaded by Terry Matalas from “Star Trek: Picard” as its showrunner. Initially, Jac Schaeffer, the creator of “WandaVision” and “Agatha All Along”, was slated to lead the show but decided to focus on “Agatha All Along” instead.

In addition to Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, Ben Kingsley, and perhaps others are set to reappear in their respective roles for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Specifically, James Spader will once again play Ultron in an upcoming Vision television series. You might remember that he originally portrayed Ultron in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron”. Since then, all Ultron variants seen in the MCU have been voiced by Ross Marquand. Meanwhile, Ben Kingsley will return as Trevor Slattery in the upcoming “Wonder Man” series. He previously appeared in both “Iron Man 3” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”.

The X-Men Will Have to Wait

(But Deadpool & Company Are Still on the Table)

Since Disney took over 20th Century Fox, fans have been excitedly waiting for the introduction of both The Fantastic Four and the X-Men. Although The Fantastic Four are set to star in a film for Phase 6 and will probably be significant figures throughout the phase, appearing in Doomsday (2026) and Secret Wars (2027), it’s less clear what lies ahead for the X-Men. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has hinted at mutants through characters like Ms. Marvel, Namor, and the upcoming revelation about Adamantium in Captain America: Brave New World. However, Kevin Feige has suggested that the X-Men’s story will extend beyond Phase 6. It seems likely that the X-Men will play a pivotal role in Phase 7, with the next phase of the MCU potentially focusing on the Mutant Saga.

I didn’t quite expect X-Men to vanish completely from Phase 6, given that Deadpool & Wolverine ranked fifth among the highest-grossing films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU has been hinting at various multiverse versions of the X-Men, as demonstrated by Patrick Stewart reprising his role as Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and The Marvels concluding with Monica Rambeau stranded in a universe sharing Kelsey Grammer’s Beast and her mother, Maria Rambeau, as Binary.

It seems quite plausible that the X-Men team, comprising Wolverine, Deadpool, Beast, and Channing Tatum’s Gambit, could make an appearance in Avengers: Secret Wars, given their involvement in saving the Fox X-Men Universe (Earth 10005) as shown in their previous adventures, and with the introduction of a variant Storm in What If…? Season 3.

What Comes Next?

For Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) enthusiasts, there are numerous upcoming projects over the next three years that spark excitement. However, fans often wonder about what lies beyond these projects. Marvel Studios has acknowledged this curiosity and chose to postpone announcing their Phase 4 schedule until San Diego Comic-Con 2019, nearly a month after the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, to prevent overshadowing the climactic ending of Avengers: Endgame. Similarly, it’s expected that the same strategy will be applied for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, with details about the MCU’s future being kept under wraps until after Secret Wars has been unveiled.

The buzz is that Avengers: Secret Wars could wrap up the Marvel Cinematic Universe by rebooting it softly, thus integrating X-Men and Fantastic Four as if they’ve been part of the MCU from the start. This way, the Multiverse Saga doesn’t just end the MCU as we know it, but also honors Marvel’s rich film history that dates back to movies like Blade, X-Men, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Elektra, Hulk, Ghost Rider, and The Punisher. This grand finale of Marvel’s legacy on the big screen would serve as a farewell before the MCU marks its 20th anniversary in 2028 with a fresh beginning.

It’s uncertain whether a reboot is imminent, but it’s evident that Marvel Studios is focusing intensely on concluding Phase 6 of the Multiverse Saga spectacularly. The Fantastic Four are set to debut, Doctor Doom will enter the MCU for the first time, Spider-Man is poised for another blockbuster after Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the Avengers will reunite once more. Phase 6 might offer an uninterrupted rollercoaster of excitement that echoes the enchantment viewers experienced during Phase 3 of the MCU.

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2024-11-20 03:32