Every Marvel Movie Happening After The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) began in 2008 with “Iron Man,” and since then, it’s soared to become the highest-grossing movie franchise ever, earning close to $32 billion globally and capturing cultural attention at one point. However, while the initial three phases of the MCU and select titles from Phase Four, such as “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” have achieved almost unprecedented success, Phase Five has generally fallen short in generating the same level of excitement or critical praise.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) concluded Phase Five in May 2025 with the release of “Thunderbolts”, marking the beginning of Phase Six with “The Fantastic Four: First Steps”. This upcoming movie seems poised to perform well, paving the way for a fresh wave of prosperity for the MCU after a series of setbacks. In the pipeline are numerous projects: Marvel Studios is planning to debut four new TV shows and specials, as well as additional seasons for existing productions. Furthermore, several films are also in development.

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that “First Steps” paves the way for an astonishing seven movies, with confirmed installments extending well into 2027! Although details about Phase Seven are still under wraps, whispers on the internet hint at an additional four movies in the pipeline. Every one of these seven projects is delved into here, and with the grandeur of what’s to unfold, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and his team could lead the MCU towards another epoch of box office supremacy.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Following “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” the next movie set to premiere is titled “Spider-Man: Fresh Start,” scheduled for July 31, 2026. Throughout his Marvel Cinematic Universe journey, Spider-Man (Tom Holland) has had a close relationship with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and the Avengers, having access to abundant resources. However, this connection was significantly altered in “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” where everyone who knew Peter Parker (or his identity as Spider-Man) had their memories of him erased.

In the new scenario, Spiderman finds himself in uncharted territory. The title “Brand New Day,” borrowed from the comics, seems fitting given this change. Although specific details about the storyline remain undisclosed, it’s said that Peter will attempt to move past his superhero escapades and focus on college and employment. However, a fresh threat compels him to collaborate with unlikely partners and resume protecting the people and city he cherishes – a narrative style more consistent with his comic book history where he often works independently during most of his superhero career.

As a gamer, I’m super stoked to share that alongside Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon, who are back as MJ, Ned, and their characters respectively, we have Sadie Sink and Liza Colón-Zayas joining the cast in undisclosed roles. The big news is Jon Bernthal stepping into the role of Frank Castle, aka the Punisher, for his big-screen debut! Having previously appeared in both the “Daredevil” series and his standalone show, it’s safe to say that our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man will be teaming up with this hard-hitting ally to tackle whatever challenges come their way in the upcoming film. Can’t wait for this one!

Avengers: Doomsday

As a devoted Marvel fan, I’m thrilled to share that Marvel Studios abandoned their initial idea of making Kang (Jonathan Majors) a villain on par with Thanos. Instead, they’ve decided to focus on Doctor Doom (Robert Downey Jr.), reshaping Phase Six around the tyrant ruler of Latveria. This shift leads us to the upcoming “Avengers” movie titled “Avengers: Doomsday,” which won’t borrow heavily from an Ultimate Comics Marvel story with a similar title. The film is now set for release on December 18, 2026, taking over the spot previously held by “Avengers: The Kang Dynasty.

Secret Wars” were renamed and reworked to center around Doom, “Doomsday” is expected to introduce numerous influential characters on both sides as a prelude to the upcoming “Avengers” film, scheduled for release the following year.

Kevin Feige hasn’t shared too many details yet, but he gave some intriguing hints to ComicBook.com: “The world we introduced [in ‘First Steps’] is going to be featured again. We’re filming on the same sets that we built for ‘Fantastic Four,'” he suggested playfully. “I would say the famous Baxter Building living room and kitchen, where we saw the Four bond in this movie, will have many more people in it during ‘Avengers.'” It looks like the cast will probably include everyone mentioned in the “Doomsday” cast reveal video, suggesting a grand production.

Avengers: Secret Wars

Marvel Studios currently has no upcoming films set to release besides “Avengers: Secret Wars,” which is slated for December 17, 2027. While the title might be familiar to comic book enthusiasts, it’s unlikely that the movie will follow the exact storyline of the 1984 maxi-series “Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars.” Instead, it seems more probable that the film will draw inspiration from the 2015 “Secret Wars” series written by Jonathan Hickman and illustrated by Esad Ribić.

The series primarily explores the Beyonders’ ambition to manufacture a Molecule Man duplicate in each universe with the intention of annihilating the multiverse. In this storyline, Doctor Doom plays a pivotal role as he works to prevent their scheme, ultimately positioning himself for deity status on Battleworld – a fusion of various realities. Although it’s unlikely that the Beyonders will make an appearance in the MCU, their intricate plot will be connected to “Doomsday” and aspects seen in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” That film introduced the idea of universal incursions, which may serve as the main catalyst for action in the Avengers films during Phase Six.

Marvel Studios has never slavishly followed its source material; instead, it has crafted its unique universe, making numerous adjustments, enhancements, and modifications along the way. The cast for this upcoming project is expected to consist of characters who make it through “Doomsday,” as well as many others yet unnamed. This storyline is set to redefine the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as Marvel intends to recast most major characters following the conclusion of “Secret Wars” during Phase Six.

Blade

The “Blade” movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has faced an extraordinary number of obstacles during its production, making it a notoriously difficult project. Announced in 2019, it has been delayed, temporarily canceled, rescheduled, and experienced numerous changes in writers and directors. Furthermore, Wesley Snipes’ appearance in “Deadpool and Wolverine” hints at the new movie’s prolonged production timeline.

Despite only having an off-screen line in “Eternals,” Mahershala Ali remains committed to playing Blade. Initially slated for release on November 7, 2025, Marvel Studios postponed the film without announcing a director or new launch date. Speculations on the web suggest the movie might be scrapped, but Kevin Feige reassures us that it’s still under development.

In a recent interview with Variety, Feige expressed that “Blade” suffered from the excessive growth and quality problems that affected the MCU during Phases Four and Five. He explained, “We didn’t want to just slap on his leather costume and have him start slaughtering vampires. It had to be something fresh.” Feige added that it was during this period when they decided to only move forward with projects that were truly exceptional, and at the time, Blade wasn’t quite up to that standard.

Shang-Chi 2

The movie ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’, starring Simu Liu as the main character, was released towards the end of the pandemic, which had a significant impact on box office performance. Despite this challenging circumstance and the fact that the character was not widely recognized by the public, the film did fairly well. In 2021, rumors about a ‘Shang-Chi’ sequel started circulating, suggesting that its director, Destin Daniel Cretton, would return for the next installment. However, since then, Cretton has been assigned to direct ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, which casts doubt on his involvement with ‘Shang-Chi 2’.

Although Marvel has yet to officially announce a release date for “Shang-Chi 2”, speculations suggest it might be scheduled for May 5, 2028 as part of Phase Seven, where it shares a slot with an undetermined Marvel movie. It’s plausible that this could be “Shang-Chi” or another film altogether. Simultaneously, Liu is confirmed to appear in “Avengers: Doomsday” and potentially continue his role in “Avengers: Secret Wars”. If the schedule permits, he might reappear in a follow-up to his standalone film. There’s a possibility that Awkwafina could reprise her character Katy from the initial movie, but she mentioned in August 2024 that she hasn’t been contacted regarding her involvement in the sequel yet.

X-Men

With Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019, it became apparent that the X-Men were set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The “X-Men” movies from Fox featured a puzzling array of fluctuating timelines, which the MCU might straighten out. Some characters and actors who’ve portrayed X-Men in previous films have already made appearances in the MCU, such as Beast (Kelsey Grammer), Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Wolverine (Hugh Jackman), and Pyro (Aaron Stanford).

Despite the passing of time, fans continue to yearn for a well-crafted X-Men film, and Marvel Studios is diligently working towards fulfilling this desire. It has been confirmed that “Thunderbolts*” director Jake Schreier will be at the helm for the upcoming “X-Men” project, which is slated for release during Phase Seven. It’s speculated that this movie (yet to be officially titled) could potentially claim the release date of November 10, 2028.

In the upcoming movie “Avengers: Doomsday” and possibly “Secret Wars,” some original X-Men cast members such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen (Magneto), and James Marsden (Cyclops) will return to their roles. However, the finale of Phase Six may pave the way for a total revamp and reboot of the X-Men film series, introducing new actors who will portray a brand new version of Marvel’s mutants.

Black Panther 3

The “Black Panther” movies have proven to be both critically acclaimed and financially successful, so it’s just a matter of waiting for “Black Panther 3” to grace the silver screen. In December 2024, Kevin Feige confirmed that the film is indeed in development, but he didn’t share many details. As of mid-2025, the project is still in its early stages, and no official casting news has been released yet, though one small hint did slip out.

In an interview with Australia Today back in November 2024, Denzel Washington shared that director Ryan Coogler was penning a role specifically for him in the upcoming ‘Black Panther’ film. Coogler officially announced the casting during his podcast appearance at “7 p.m. in Brooklyn.” Besides hinting at their long-standing desire to collaborate on a project, Coogler stated that he believes Washington to be the greatest living actor.

In the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” the role of Black Panther was passed on from T’Challa (previously played by Chadwick Boseman, who tragically passed away in 2020 due to cancer) to his sister Shuri (played by Letitia Wright). Shuri is expected to reprise her role in the third installment of the series. Although a plot and release date have yet to be revealed, it’s likely that “Black Panther 3” will connect with the preceding films, the upcoming animated series “Eyes of Wakanda,” and the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe during Phase Seven, potentially in 2028 or later.

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2025-07-24 02:31