By Gary Symons
TLL Editor in Chief
Marvel Studios just blew the roof off the San Diego Convention Centre, where the future of the MCU Universe was unveiled to screaming fans.
But it’s not just fans who are celebrating; licensees of the world’s most popular film and TV franchise must be popping champagne corks right about now. Toymakers Hasbro and Funko lost no time in posting up their new collections for Wakanda Forever, the much anticipated sequel to Marvel’s monster hit Black Panther.
The studio not only revealed the releases for the current Phase 4 of the Marvel Comics Universe, but also detailed all of Phase 5 and what looks like most of Phase 6. That includes release windows, first looks and trailers for predicted mega-hits like the Black Panther sequel Wakanda Forever; two Avengers films being released back-to-back; the third instalment of Ant-Man; and a reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise, under the Marvel umbrella for the first time.
Let’s dive in, starting with upcoming films.
Nov. 4, 2022: Wakanda Forever
Marvel has a huge task here, as it releases a film that has to compete with Black Panther, which was both hugely popular and at the same time one of Marvel’s best reviewed films of all time. Tragically, the studio will have to do so without the skills of the late Chadwick Boseman, the brilliant actor who seemed to have been born for the role.
Marvel revealed the trailer for the film at Comic-Con, which starts out depicting a Wakanda in mourning for its lost king, but also introduces the character Sub-Mariner (aka Namor), the ruler of the underwater realm Atlantis.
Feb. 17, 2023: Phase 5 Kicks Off With Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Marvel president Kevin Feige revealed that Phase 5 of the MCU kicks off in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, opening Feb. 17, 2023.
Super hero partners Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return to continue their adventures as Ant-Man and The Wasp. Together, with Hope’s parents Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer), the family finds themselves exploring the Quantum Realm, interacting with strange new creatures, and embarking on an adventure that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible.
The film also reintroduces Marvel villain Kang the Conqueror, who it appears will be a major antagonist throughout this story line.
May 5, 2023: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Better known for winning laughs from the audience, Guardians of the Galaxy in Vol. 3 may have fans reaching for their tissues instead, as the teaser footage shown at Comic-Con shows a more emotionally wrought story.
Also, as director James Gunn explained, this film marks the end of the franchise’s first story arc.
“I think it’s really been about telling one story between the three films with a couple of sideways adventures,” Gunn said. “But I think it really is about the one story. This is the final arc that we began at the very beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy, with Peter Quill, with Rocket, seeing where Nebula goes, and even Kraglin, who started out as saying one or two lines in the first movie and is now a main Guardian of the Galaxy.”
But before they can get to the end, this ragtag group has to go back to the beginning. Specifically, Rocket’s beginning. The film will explore his early days, and if you thought Baby Groot was cute, just WAIT until you see Baby Rocket. But it’s not all just cuteness; turns out Rocket has a pretty tragic past.
“When I first started doing Guardians of the Galaxy, I was like, I don’t know, it sounds a little goofy. I thought it was going to be Bugs Bunny joins the Avengers,” Gunn said. “But then I thought if there is a talking raccoon, how is he real? Where does he come from? I realized he was the saddest creature in the universe, and that’s what this story is about, to a great extent.”
Another sad thing in the movie? Pratt noted that for his character Peter Quill/Star-Lord, the events of Avengers: Endgame caused the love of his life Gamora to completely forget him, ending their relationship. Where were those tissues again?
Nov. 3, 2023: Blade
Marvel is rebooting the classic Blade franchise, which in 1998 kicked off a three-film series starring Wesley Snipes.
We frankly have no idea how this will fit into the MCU’s multiverse storyline, but if it lives up to the last series, Blade promises a bloody good time for fans of Marvel and vampires alike.
May 3, 2024: Captain America: New World Order
Chris Evans may be retired, but Captain America is coming back, just as the Avengers leader did in the comics.
This time, the iconic shield is wielded by Anthony Mackie, formerly known as the flying Captain America sidekick Falcon, who now returns in the role of Sam Wilson. Those following the MCU on Disney+ will know Sam Wilson is a title character in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and has been wielding the shield of Captain America in the MCU since the original Captain America went back in time.
July 26: 2024: Thunderbolts
This film introduces an entirely new team of Marvel super heroes … or possibly super villains.
In the comics The Thunderbolts emerged after the original Avengers were killed, and while they purported to be heroes, the team was made up of villains or anti-heroes whose motivations were, at best, mixed between good and evil intent.
This film also wraps up Phase 5 of this MCU story arc, so it will almost certainly be a pivotal part of the plot.
Nov. 8, 2024: Fantastic Four
While Thunderbolts wraps up Phase 5, the reboot of the Fantastic Four will kick off the last phase of the current MCU story arc. Little is known about the plot, other than it will likely include a major role for central MCU villain Kang the Conqueror, and tee up the events that culminate in a pair of Avengers movies, scheduled for release just six months apart.
May 2, 2025: Avengers: The Kang Dynasty
Other than the presence of Kang the Conqueror, little is known about this film, and that’s probably a good thing. Many of the Avengers from the original MCU story cycle are gone, so it’s not even certain who will actually be included in the Avengers team at this point.
The story itself is based on one of Marvel’s classic story lines, in which the 30th Century warlord Kang travels back in time to conquer the Earth, setting up an all-or-nothing battle with the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Nov. 7, 2025: Avengers: Secret Wars
If The Kang Dynasty’s plot reveals just a few hints, Secret Wars is, well, even more of a secret. That’s because, in the comics, there’s more than one potential version of Secret Wars that could be the basis of the plot.
The first one, back in 1984-85, involved a powerful being transporting Earth’s mightiest heroes to an artificial planet, and ordering them to fight to the death, but another more recent version saw the death of the universe, before it was rebooted by the Avengers. Yet another possibility is the Secret Invasion series, in which the alien, shape-shifting Skrulls infiltrate and invade the Earth.
Notably, Skrull characters have already appeared in MCU films, particularly in Captain Marvel, so the plot of Secret Wars really could come from a number of different story lines.
MCU TV Series
Aug. 17, 2022: She-Hulk, Attorney at Law
She-Hulk tells the story of Jennifer Walters, the cousin of Bruce Banner, who acquires identical powers after she’s exposed to Gamma rays. Not interested in being a ‘hero’, Walters continues to work as a lawyer specializing in cases involving superhuman, but over time is dragged into conflicts with returning Hulk villains like Abomination.
Spring, 2023: Secret Invasion
Secret Invasion stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Ben Mendelsohn as the Skrull Talos—characters who first met in Captain Marvel. They are joined by Kingsley Ben-Adir, Emilia Clarke, and Olivia Colman. The crossover event series showcases a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls who have been infiltrating Earth for years.
Some Marvel fans believe Secret Invasion will form part of the story for Avengers: Secret Wars (see above), but most believe that film is based on an earlier comic book series.
Summer, 2023: Echo
Echo is a spin-off from the Disney+ series Hawkeye, in which she is portrayed as a villain who later becomes a controversial and conflicted hero.
Summer, 2023: Loki
Season 2 of Loki returns, as the Viking God of Mischief continues his struggles against the Time Variance Authority that captured him in Season 1.
Winter, 2023: Agatha: Coven of Chaos
When we last encountered the witch Agatha Harkness, she was unsuccessfully battling the Scarlet Witch in the Disney+ hit WandaVision. Now, the character returns in a dark comedy as she breaks out of the magically created prison in which Wanda trapped her at the end of WandaVision.
Spring, 2024: Daredevil: Born Again
Marvel fans were thrilled when Feige confirmed the popular character Daredevil is returning, not just as a minor character in upcoming films, but with a full 18-episode Original series starring Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio, who plays the main villain Kingpin.