Ever since COVID-19 sent the box office into a frenzy, the world has been waiting to see what’s coming next for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The MCU reached its peak when it released Avengers: Endgame, the grand finale to a film saga that spanned ten years. We’ve gotten hints of the film franchise’s next “big bad” in the form of Kang the Conquerer, but some people are still confused as to where the world of Marvel will go after losing much of its iconic hero lineup.
Marvel’s already announced some of its future works and it’s safe to say that the MCU still has a multiverse left to explore. Starting with the upcoming Hawkeye Disney+ exclusive show and ending with unconfirmed plans, here is all that’s to come for Marvel. Just to note, there will be major spoilers throughout the article. So, if you aren’t totally caught up with all 29 of MCU’s canonical films and TV shows, you may want to proceed with caution.
What’s Left for 2021
The appearance of the Eternals will undoubtedly bring new possibilities for the MCU. The film will premiere on November 5, 2021. The cast list is decorated with A-list actors including Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek and Richard Madden. The film surrounds the immortal race of the Eternals as they are forced out of hiding to protect Earth from the Deviants.
Clint Barton’s Hawkeye has always been one of the underrated members of the original Avengers lineup. That didn’t stop Marvel from creating his own Disney+ TV show that is planned to release on November 24, 2021. The show is slated to follow Clint and a young archer by the name of Kate Bishop as Clint’s past as Ronin comes back to bite him.
Hawkeye will be followed by the long-anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home. Most details about the plot have remained obscured. We do know that the film will see Peter Parker and Dr. Stephen Strange working together to patch up their mistakes after a failed attempt to keep Peter’s identity a secret. It’s been rumored that the two actors who portrayed Spider-Man before Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, will reprise their roles as Marvel embarks into the concept of the multiverse. We won’t know for sure until the film drops on December 17, 2021.
The year will be ending with the introduction of Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel character. The Ms. Marvel TV series doesn’t have a confirmed release date yet, but the show is slated to release in late 2021. The show sets up for the upcoming The Marvels film in 2022 as it introduces Kamala, a Pakistani-American fangirl who gains shape-shifting powers.
2022
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will kick off the year on March 25, 2022. The film seems to tie in the events of 2021’s WandaVision, Loki and Spider-Man: No Way Home as Doctor Strange continues to fix up MCU’s serious multiverse issue. It has been stated that it will move away from Marvel’s typical action-comedy qualities and bring in a more horror-based look on the story.
The month of May will bring back everyone’s favorite god of thunder in Thor: Love and Thunder. The film will be a direct sequel to Thor: Ragnorok and sees the return of Taika Waititi as the director. We will also be seeing the return of Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, who will shed the “female love interest” role and become her own version of the Mighty Thor. So far, Thor: Love and Thunder seems to be focusing on a release date of May 5, 2022.
After the death of Chadwick Boseman, nobody knew where Marvel planned on taking the Black Panther franchise. Marvel decided not to recast his iconic role of T’Challa, and instead turn the hero’s sequel film to his sister, Shuri. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever plans on exploring the vast country of Wakanda further while also introducing us to new characters, including Riri Williams. The movie’s release date is set for July 8, 2022.
The film that I’m anticipating the most is the aforementioned The Marvels. It serves as a sequel to Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel. The movie will see the team-up of Carol Danvers’ Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan’s Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau, who gained abilities by the end of WandaVision. The Marvels will release on November 11, 2022. Along with the four films confirmed for 2022 are a few Disney+ exclusive TV shows that have yet to gain a release date. This includes Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac, She-Hulk, starring Tatiana Maslany, Secret Invasion and The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.
2023
2023 is the last year that we have any confirmed release dates with film titles attached to it. Don’t worry, though. By next year, Marvel will surely give us a deeper look into the MCU’s future.
The first film of 2023 will be Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania on February 17, 2023. Not much has been revealed about the film’s plot, but it will dive deeper into the Quantum Realm, which was introduced in the first Ant-Man film. Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly are confirmed to return as their titular characters. We’ll also be able to learn more about Cassie Lang, Scott Lang’s now teenaged daughter who gains her own superhero status in the comics as Stinger.
A third addition to the Guardians of the Galaxy film series will also be released in the form of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Not much is known about the plot so far. It’s rumored that the film will focus on Adam Warlock, a powerful Marvel Comics character who was hinted at during the mid-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The movie does have a release date, though: May 5, 2023.
Unconfirmed
I’ve only touched on media that have confirmed release years so far. There’s so much more to the MCU that we don’t know much about. Three TV series are either in pre-production or are still being developed. This includes Ironheart, Armor Wars and an untitled series centered around Wakanda.
Marvel recently announced a batch of release dates but never stated which projects were attached to them. The dates include July 28, 2023, October 6, 2023, November 10, 2023, February 16, 2024, May 3, 2024, July 26, 2024 and November 8, 2024. The internet has been buzzing with theories over these dates. Most people have agreed on a few contenders, though. Since Disney purchased Fox in 2019, the MCU now has access to all the Fox-owned Marvel franchises. There’s a high chance that some of these release dates will be tied to projects revolving around the Fantastic Four, X-Men and Deadpool. Other ideas include a fourth Captain America movie centered on Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, Blade, Young Avengers, a second Shang-Chi film, Nova and A-Force.
Film history was made when Avengers: Endgame was released. A lot of people thought it meant that the MCU was done for. Marvel’s made it clear that they’re only just getting started.