The Marvel's Disney+ TV shows like Loki and WandaVision. The studio was all set to kickstart the next phase in 2020, but the global pandemic halted those plans, with production shutdowns and theater closures delaying much of the next slate of films until 2021.
Since its inception, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been grouped together by phases. It began in Phase One as five films built up to the sixth movie, The Avengers, in 2012, the franchise's first mega-crossover event. The MCU's Phase Two immediately followed it with a total of six films as well, although Avengers: Age of Ultron was actually the fifth film, as Ant-Man served as a bridge between the MCU's Phase Two and Phase Three. The latter kicked off with Captain America: Civil War in 2016, and Phase Three ended after several movies with Spider-Man: Far From Home.
With a full slate ahead in Marvel's Phase Four, including the third solo Spider-Man movie, the MCU is going all-in, introducing new characters (like Ms. Marvel) along the way, while furthering older characters' stories as well. Here is every Marvel film that has been confirmed for Phase Four.
Eternals
Marvel Studios has thrived turning lesser-known characters into giant franchises, and all signs point to Marvel hired Chloe Zhao (The Rider, Nomadland) to direct Eternals, with a screenplay by Zhao, Patrick Burleigh, and Ryan and Kaz Firpo. The cast has massive star power, with Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Gemma Chan, Kumail Nanjiani, Barry Keoghan, Kit Harington, Don Lee, and Salma Hayek all appearing the film, which is set to explain why they didn't interfere in Avengers: Endgame. Eternals will release on November 5, 2021 after several delays.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
After a brief separation, Spider-Man was confirmed to remain in the MCU, with Tom Holland, Zendaya, Marisa Tomei, and Jacob Batalon returning for Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. Benedict Cumberbatch is expected to appear as Doctor Strange, with filming having wrapped in March 2021. There isn't much to glean about the plot yet because details are under wraps, but fans should expect No Way Home to at least connect to the multiverse somehow. Jon Watts returns as director, helming the film from a screenplay by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers. Spider-Man: No Way Home will release on December 17, 2021.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
Thanks to its title, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has wrapped production and was scheduled for release on March 25, 2022. However, Marvel has since shifted the film, delaying it by a couple of months. It will now be released on May 6, 2022.
Thor: Love and Thunder
Thor: Love and Thunder wrapped filming in early July 2021 and was expected to release on May 6, 2022 after being pushed back a couple of times due to the pandemic and the ever-changing release schedule of the MCU's Phase Four. However, with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness taking Thor 4's slot, Love and Thunder has been delayed once again and will no be released theatrically on July 8, 2022. ing the main cast are Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher, the Guardians of the Galaxy crew (including Chris Pratt, but sans Gamora), Jaimie Alexander as Sif, and Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
One of Marvel's biggest hits of Phase Three, and of all time, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Although it was long assumed that Ryan Coogler would return to direct, his involvement in the sequel was up in the air for months after the first movie was released. He officially signed on to write and direct Black Panther 2 a while later. While a production start date was being eyed for some time in 2020, the pandemic and Chadwick Boseman's untimely death in August of 2020 delayed the film. With Boseman's tragic ing from colon cancer, the film also had to be reworked to shift the focus away from T'Challa, with Coogler adjusting the story to honor Boseman and the role he originated.
The sequel will further develop existing characters, as well as focus on the various subcultures in Wakanda, expanding upon the details of the country even more than before. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will see Letitia Wright (Shuri), Danai Gurira (Okoye), Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia), and Winston Duke (M'Baku) all return, with the addition of Michaela Coel cast in an undisclosed role. Ironheart star Dominique Thorne will also debut as Riri Williams in the film. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was slated for release on July 8, 2022, but Disney and Marvel have shifted the film so that it won't hit theaters until November 11, 2022.
The Marvels
A big part of the excitement for the films in MCU's Phase 4 is seeing how characters being introduced in Disney+ shows like WandaVision, Loki, and Ms. Marvel will be utilized on the film side of things. For Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel and Teyonah Parris' Monica Rambeau, the now-adult daughter of Carol's friend Maria Rambeau. The Marvels was slated for release on November 11, 2022, but has been pushed back to February 17, 2023. The film will also feature Zawe Ashton and Park Seo-joon in as yet unknown roles. Nia DaCosta is set to direct from a screenplay by Megan McDonnell.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Once locked in to being a major film in launching the MCU's Phase Four, The Suicide Squad for Warner Bros. (which was released August 2021) and also helmed a Peacemaker spinoff series for HBO Max before getting to work on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. The Marvel film is now set to release in theaters on May 5, 2023 and will be set after Thor: Love and Thunder. The core cast — Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, and Bradley Cooper — are set to return to their roles. While the rest of the MCU schedule was changed around, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 remained in its release day slot.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
A third outing for Ant-Man and the Wasp was confirmed back in 2019, with both characters Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be directed by Peyton Reed from a script by Jeff Loveness. In addition to Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Michelle Pfeiffer are also expected to return. Jonathan Majors, who first appeared in Loki season 1, is confirmed to appear as Kang the Conqueror, the time-traveling villain (or at least one of his variants). The Ant-Man sequel was previously scheduled to hit theaters on February 17, 2023, but has been delayed by several months, now with a release date of July 28, 2023. Filming began in mid-2021 and will wrap at some point in early 2022.
Other Phase 4 MCU Movies
Although most of the Marvel film that was scheduled for release on November 10, 2023 that has been moved up to November 3, 2023 (while two other MCU films were removed from the schedule altogether). Whether that untitled MCU film is Fantastic Four is unclear, but it seems the schedule remains up in the air after previously being solidified.
