Phase 5 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has come to a close after the release of Ironheart on Disney+, but there are several movies already confirmed for Phase 6 and beyond. Currently, there are 12 confirmed and speculated movies set to be developed by Marvel Studios, while there are just as many TV shows expected to hit Disney+ soon. On the big-screen, some of the most exciting and highly-anticipated movies in the MCU’s history are on the horizon, including The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and the upcoming Avengers movies.
So far, Marvel Studios has released 36 MCU movies, comprising Phases 1 through 5 and spanning 17 years since 2008’s Iron Man. These have primarily been focused on the adventures of the Avengers, as well as their individual battles against some powerful and terrifying villains. Ironheart just introduced one of the next big antagonists of the MCU in the form of Mephisto (Sacha Baron Cohen), while Marvel’s next upcoming movies are about to do the same with Galactus, Doctor Doom, and more about to make their debuts.
12) The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25, 2025)
Marvel Studios’ next movie will finally bring Marvel’s First Family into the MCU, as The Fantastic Four: First Steps is set to introduce Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as the titular Fantastic Four team. Directed by WandaVision’s Matt Shakman, First Steps is the first MCU movie to be set in an alternate reality – a 1960s-inspired, retro-futuristic world that becomes targeted by the planet-eater Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his Herald, Shalla-Bal’s Silver Surfer (Julia Garner). The Fantastic Four: First Steps is one of Marvel’s most highly-anticipated projects yet.
20th Century Fox never quite managed to get the Fantastic Four right in live-action, so there is a lot of pressure on Marvel Studios to deliver a strong debut for the team. Trailers for The Fantastic Four: First Steps have given us a tease at just how brilliant this new iteration of Marvel’s First Family will be. First Steps is scheduled to release on July 25, 2025, kick-starting the MCU’s Phase 6 and expected to lead directly into the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars.
11) Spider-Man: Brand New Day (July 31, 2026)
Scheduled for release on July 31, 2026, Spider-Man: Brand New Day will catch up with Peter Parker’s Spider-Man (Tom Holland) for the first time since 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. The Phase 4 movie ended with everyone in the world forgetting Parker, setting up a darker story for Brand New Day. Destin Daniel Cretton is working on the sequel after delivering Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Wonder Man, with Sadie Sink, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Liza Colón-Zayas all confirmed, and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher also set to appear, hinting at a grounded and gritty narrative.
10) Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026)
2024’s San Diego Comic-Con presentation saw Marvel confirm the return of directing duo the Russo brothers for Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel. Originally Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Jonathan Majors’ conviction and firing from Marvel spurred the crossover movie’s adjustments to instead feature Doctor Doom, with Robert Downey Jr. returning after a seven-year break from the MCU. Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts* lay the foundations for Doomsday by introducing new Avengers teams, though the movie’s primary antagonist is yet to make his MCU debut.
9) Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027)
Following Avengers: Doomsday’s release in December 2026, Avengers: Secret Wars will be delivered a year later, emulating the schedule for Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame in Phase 3. Expected to adapt Marvel Comics’ Secret Wars events from 1984 and 2015, Avengers: Secret Wars could mark the destruction of the multiverse and Doctor Doom’s reign over Battleworld, and has been teased to feature a soft-reboot of the MCU. This could bring new characters, narratives, and refreshed versions of old fan-favorites into the franchise, establishing a whole new timeline that would make a good jumping-in point for new audiences.
8) Armor Wars (TBC)
Avengers: Secret Wars is the final MCU movie that has an official release date, but there are more that Marvel hasn’t yet scheduled, including Armor Wars. First announced as a Disney+ series in December 2020, Armor Wars was expected to see Don Cheadle’s James “Rhodey” Rhodes, War Machine, continuing Tony Stark’s legacy. Armor Wars was revealed to be a feature film in 2022, but development has slowed since then. After Secret Invasion, this would be the perfect place for Rhodey’s Skrull replacement to be explored in more detail, but it’s unclear when this project will come to fruition.
7) Black Panther 3 (TBC)
After Denzel Washington let slip that he was set to make his MCU debut in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Black Panther 3, Marvel was forced to confirm the sequel’s development. Departed Marvel Studios producer extraordinaire Nate Moore will be returning to produce Black Panther 3, which is expected to feature Shuri (Letitia Wright) continuing as the Black Panther, and could even bring Namor (Tenoch Huerta-Mejía) back after his Black Panther: Wakanda Forever debut. It’s thought Black Panther 3 will release after Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, so Phase 6’s crossovers will surely have a huge impact on the sequel’s story.
6) Blade (TBC)
First teased when Mahershala Ali stepped out on-stage at 2019’s SDCC, Marvel Studios’ much-anticipated Blade reboot has had an extremely tumultuous production. It’s been through multiple directors and writers, with production being halted on several occasions as each one departed, leading to Blade being removed from the release schedule in October 2024, shortly after Wesley Snipes’ return in Deadpool & Wolverine. A recent update suggests Marvel might have finally cracked Blade’s story, so there could be good news about this much-wanted reboot very soon.
5) Shang-Chi 2 (TBC)
Phase 4 was one of the MCU’s most divisive chapters, but 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings became hugely popular in amongst lackluster movies and shows. Destin Daniel Cretton’s incredible performance on the movie led to him working on Wonder Man and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but he’s also planning a direct sequel to Shang-Chi for the MCU’s future. Simu Liu will return as Shang-Chi in Doomsday and Secret Wars, probably heading into a solo sequel after these appearances, bringing back one of the MCU’s most exciting and exhilarating new superheroes.
4) Scarlett Johansson’s MCU Movie (TBC)
Scarlett Johansson played Natasha Romanoff’s Black Widow for 11 years between 2010’s Iron Man 2 and 2021’s Black Widow, with the latter marking her solo debut in the MCU as well as her final appearance. Despite her lawsuit against Disney following Black Widow’s release, Marvel confirmed in November 2021 they’re working with Johansson on a secret project. During 2023’s WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Johansson confirmed work on this project was ongoing, possibly resuming after the strikes. We still don’t know what project this will be, though it seems Johansson will be directing after making her debut with Eleanor the Great.
3) Deadpool & X-Men (TBC)
After the immense success of Deadpool & Wolverine – which became the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time – Ryan Reynolds stayed mum on whether an inevitable sequel would be produced. A May 2025 article by The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Reynolds is indeed working on a new Deadpool project for the MCU, one that is set to include “three or four X-Men characters” with Deadpool as a supporting fixture. This project will likely release after Phase 6, and may connect to the MCU’s X-Men reboot, giving Deadpool a more direct connection to mutants than he had in Fox’s X-Men franchise.
2) The Fantastic Four 2 (TBC)
During a report on Marvel Studios adding a release date for an as-yet-unconfirmed MCU movie on December 15, 2028, Variety suggested that this slot could be filled by a sequel to The Fantastic Four: First Steps. While Marvel Studios hasn’t yet announced the development of this sequel, Variety is a trusted source, and it’s inevitable that First Steps will lead to future movies starring Marvel’s First Family. The events of First Steps, Doomsday, and Secret Wars will bring the Fantastic Four into the MCU’s official timeline, so they’ll be massively changed by the time a possible ‘Second Steps‘ rolls around.
1) X-Men (TBC)
Perhaps the most highly-anticipated movie currently in the works at Marvel Studios is the MCU’s own X-Men reboot. 20th Century Fox owned the film rights to the X-Men until Disney’s acquisition of Fox was finalized in 2019, and Marvel immediately set to work on developing its revamped X-Men project. Deadpool & Wolverine, Avengers: Doomsday, and Avengers: Secret Wars will bid farewell to Fox’s X-Men team, ready for Marvel Studios to introduce a younger roster that will bring some iconic mutants from Marvel Comics to life in the MCU and embark on adventures for years to come.
Jake Schreier, who recently worked on the brilliant Thunderbolts* movie, has recently been confirmed to direct the MCU’s X-Men reboot, with a script being penned by The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes writer Michael Lesslie. Young actors including Sadie Sink, Harris Dickinson, Margaret Qualley, and more have been speculated to be in talks to star as some notable mutants, recreated for the MCU and set to become prominent after Avengers: Secret Wars and Phase 6’s conclusion. MCU’s X-Men will be one of many anticipated mutant-centric movies developed in Marvel Studios’ future.
What upcoming MCU movies are you most excited for? Let us know in the comments!
The post All 12 MCU Movies Releasing After Ironheart appeared first on ComicBook.com.
