Phase Six | |
---|---|
Based on | Characters published by Marvel Comics |
Produced by | |
Production company | |
Distributed by | |
Release date | 2025–2027 |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Marvel Cinematic Universe Phases | |
---|---|
| |
| |
| |
Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films to be produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Six features all of the Marvel Studios productions set to be released starting from mid-2025 to mid-2027, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributing the films. The first film in the phase will be The Fantastic Four , scheduled for release in July 2025. The release schedule of Phase Six was changed several times due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Kevin Feige produces every film in this phase.
The films of the phase include the ensemble The Fantastic Four, Blade , starring Mahershala Ali, as well as the ensembles Avengers 5 and Avengers: Secret Wars . Three unannounced films are set for release in 2026. Phase Six, along with Phase Four and Phase Five, constitutes "The Multiverse Saga".
By April 2014, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that additional storylines for their media franchise and shared universe, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) were planned through 2028. [1] During Marvel Studios' panel at the San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019, Feige announced several films and Disney+ television series in development for Phase Four of the MCU, [2] before revealing the film Blade and a Fantastic Four film were also in development. [3] [4] After the panel, Feige confirmed that Blade was not part of the Phase Four slate at the time, and that what was announced was the full Phase Four slate at that point, despite Marvel already developing further projects at that time. [5] Fantastic Four was formally confirmed in December 2020; [6] [7] the film was believed to be a part of Phase Four at that time. [8] In April 2022, Feige said he and Marvel Studios were on a creative retreat to plan and discuss the MCU films for the following 10 years, [9] and in June 2022, said information on the next saga of the MCU would be provided in the following months, with Marvel Studios being a "little more direct" on their future plans to provide audiences with "the bigger picture [so they] can see a tiny, tiny bit more of the roadmap" following the clues included during Phase Four. [10]
At Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel in July 2022, Feige announced that Fantastic Four would be the first film of Phase Six. He also announced that the phase would conclude with two ensemble films, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars , both to be released in 2025, and that Phase Six, along with Phase Four and Phase Five, would be part of "The Multiverse Saga". [11] The films were respectively inspired by "Kang Dynasty", a 2001 comic book storyline written by Kurt Busiek in which Kang the Conqueror travels through time to enslave humanity, and Secret Wars, the name of a 1984–85 comic written by Jim Shooter and a 2015–16 comic written by Jonathan Hickman that both follow various Marvel characters who converge on the planet Battleworld. [12] Feige noted that while not all projects in Phase Six or the previous two phases would directly tie into the larger multiverse storyline, the various storylines that would weave together leading into Secret Wars was "a whole new aspect to the MCU". [13] At the panel, Feige also confirmed the film Blade for Phase Five. [11] In October, Marvel Studios delayed Blade to September 2024 and pushed back the releases of Fantastic Four and Avengers: Secret Wars as a result. [14] In early February 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that the company would be re-evaluating the volume of content it output as a way to cut costs over the next few years. [15] Shortly after, when reflecting on the amount of Disney+ content released for Phase Four in a short time frame, Feige anticipated that Marvel Studios would look to space out the releases of the Phase Five and Six Disney+ series or put fewer out each year "so they can each get a chance to shine". [13]
The start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in May 2023 was not expected to impact the MCU projects in production, or preparing to begin production, at that time, namely Fantastic Four, with Marvel Studios reportedly planning to shoot what they could during principal photography and make any necessary writing adjustments during each project's already scheduled reshoots. [16] In June, Disney delayed Fantastic Four to May 2, 2025, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty to May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars to May 7, 2027, [17] in part due to the writers' strike and Disney's intentions to improve the quality of MCU content from writing through post-production after disappointing reception and lower post-COVID-19 pandemic box office earnings for several recently released films. [18] The following month, Iger stated the company would be reducing spending and creation of Marvel content, admitting that Marvel Studios' expansion into Disney+ series and more films had "diluted focus and attention" after a number of underachieving films at the box office in Phases Four and Five. [19] [20] Following the conclusion of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike in November 2023, Disney delayed several films to accommodate for the resumption of production, including moving Blade to November 7, 2025, [21] with it now set for release during Phase Six. [22] By December 2023, Marvel Studios had begun to internally refer to The Kang Dynasty as Avengers 5, which was also amidst Jonathan Majors being fired from his role as Kang the Conqueror, who had been set to be the main antagonist of the Multiverse Saga. [23] Fantastic Four was retitled The Fantastic Four in February 2024, with its release date moved to July 25, 2025, swapping with Phase Five's Thunderbolts* . [24] [25]
Marvel Studios has three unannounced films set for February 13, July 24, and November 6, 2026. [26] [27]
Film [26] [22] | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Fantastic Four | July 25, 2025 [24] | Matt Shakman [28] | Jeff Kaplan & Ian Springer and Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires and Eric Pearson [29] [30] [31] | Kevin Feige | Pre-production |
Blade | November 7, 2025 [21] | Yann Demange [32] | Michael Starrbury and Nic Pizzolatto and Michael Green [33] [34] | ||
Avengers 5 | May 1, 2026 [23] | TBA [35] | Michael Waldron [36] | In development | |
Avengers: Secret Wars | May 7, 2027 [17] | TBA | |||
At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019, Kevin Feige announced Marvel Studios was developing a Fantastic Four film for the MCU, [4] with Jon Watts announced as the director in December 2020. [6] [7] Watts stepped down in April 2022 to take a break from superhero projects. [37] By late August, Matt Shakman, who directed the Marvel Studios Disney+ series WandaVision (2021), was in early talks to direct the film, [38] with Feige confirming him as the director the following month at the D23 Expo. [28] Later in September, Jeff Kaplan and Ian Springer were revealed to be writing the screenplay. [39] Josh Friedman was rewriting the script by March 2023, [29] with Cameron Squires revealed as a co-writer in October. [30] The titular team was confirmed in February 2024, consisting of Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards / Mister Fantastic, Vanessa Kirby as Sue Storm / Invisible Woman, Joseph Quinn as Johnny Storm / Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Ben Grimm / The Thing, [24] when Eric Pearson joined to polish the script. [31] Filming is expected to begin in August 2024, [40] [41] at Pinewood Studios in London. [42] The Fantastic Four is scheduled to be released on July 25, 2025. [24]
By May 2013, Marvel Studios had a working script for a new Blade film after regaining the rights following New Line Cinema's prior film series. [43] [44] In February 2019, Mahershala Ali approached Marvel Studios about starring in a new film after previously portraying Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes in Marvel Television's Luke Cage . [3] Feige officially announced the film with Ali in the title role that July at San Diego Comic-Con; [3] [2] Ali first had an uncredited voice cameo as Blade in Eternals (2021). [45] In February 2021, Stacy Osei-Kuffour was hired to write the film, [46] with Bassam Tariq hired to direct by that September. [47] [48] [49] Tariq left a year later due to the film's production shifts and creative differences. [50] [32] Yann Demange was set to direct in November 2022, when Michael Starrbury was rewriting the script, [32] while Nic Pizzolatto joined as another writer in April 2023, [33] and Michael Green was hired to write a new script by November. [34] Filming is scheduled to begin in late 2024 in the United Kingdom, [51] and is expected to also occur at Trilith Studios and Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, [52] [53] as well as in Cleveland, [54] New Orleans, and Morocco. [53] Blade is scheduled to be released on November 7, 2025. [21]
The Ebony Blade is expected to be featured in the film, having first appeared at the end of Eternals alongside Blade. [55]
At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Marvel Studios announced Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, [11] followed shortly after with the confirmation of Destin Daniel Cretton as director. [49] In September, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) writer Jeff Loveness was revealed to be writing the screenplay. [56] Cretton exited the film in November 2023, [35] when Michael Waldron was hired to replace Loveness as writer, after previously serving as head writer for the first season of Loki (2021) and the writer of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). [36] Jonathan Majors was attached to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror in The Kang Dynasty before he was fired in December 2023, by which time Marvel was referring to the film internally as Avengers 5. [23] Filming is set to take place in the United Kingdom, [57] and was originally expected to begin in early 2024, prior to its delays and Majors's firing. [58] Avengers 5 is scheduled to be released on May 1, 2026. [23]
At San Diego Comic-Con in July 2022, Marvel Studios announced Avengers: Secret Wars. [11] In October, Waldron was revealed to be writing the screenplay. [59] Majors was attached to reprise his role as Kang until his firing in December 2023. [60] [23] Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to be released on May 7, 2027. [17]
Marvel Studios, LLC is an American film and television production company. It is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of Disney Entertainment, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films and series, based on characters that appear in Marvel Comics publications.
The superhero team Fantastic Four featured in Marvel Comics publication has appeared in four live-action films since its inception. The plots deal with four main characters, known formally as Reed Richards, Susan Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, and how they adapt to the superpowers they attain.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The franchise also includes television series, short films, digital series, and literature. The shared universe, much like the original Marvel Universe in comic books, was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.
Avengers: Endgame is a 2019 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team the Avengers. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the direct sequel to Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, the film features an ensemble cast which includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Josh Brolin. In the film, the surviving members of the Avengers and their allies attempt to reverse Thanos's actions in Infinity War.
Deadpool & Wolverine is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics characters Deadpool and Wolverine, produced by Marvel Studios, Maximum Effort, and 21 Laps Entertainment, and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the 34th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and a sequel to Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018). The film is directed by Shawn Levy from a screenplay he wrote with Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Zeb Wells. Reynolds and Hugh Jackman star as Deadpool and Wolverine, respectively, alongside Emma Corrin, Morena Baccarin, Rob Delaney, Leslie Uggams, Karan Soni, and Matthew Macfadyen. In the film, the Time Variance Authority (TVA) pull Deadpool from his quiet life and set him on a mission that will change the history of the MCU with Wolverine.
The following outline serves as an overview of and topical guide to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), a media franchise and shared universe that consists of films and television series from Marvel Studios, television series from Marvel Television, and other media, based on characters from Marvel Comics publications.
Loki is an American television series created by Michael Waldron for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name. It is the third television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. The series takes place after the events of the film Avengers: Endgame (2019), in which an alternate version of Loki created a new timeline. Waldron served as head writer and Kate Herron directed the first season, with Eric Martin and the duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead serving as head writer and leading the directing team for the second season, respectively.
What If...? is an American animated anthology television series created by A. C. Bradley for the streaming service Disney+ based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It is the fourth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, and the studio's first animated series from Marvel Studios Animation. The series explores alternate timelines in the multiverse that show what would happen if major moments from the MCU films occurred differently. Bradley serves as head writer for the first two seasons, with Matthew Chauncey for the third, and Bryan Andrews as the lead director.
Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Four features all the Marvel Studios productions released from 2021 through 2022. It is the first phase in the franchise to include television series, alongside television specials marketed as "Marvel Studios Special Presentations", with Marvel Studios developing several event series for the streaming service Disney+ in addition to the feature films that it was already set to produce. Animation in the phase was produced by Marvel Studios Animation. Phase Four began with the series WandaVision, which premiered in January 2021, while the first theatrical film in this phase is Black Widow, which was released in July 2021 by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. The phase concluded with the television special The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special in November 2022. The release schedule of Phase Four was changed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kevin Feige produced every film and executive produced every series and special in this phase, alongside producers Jonathan Schwartz for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Nate Moore for Eternals and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Amy Pascal for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Brad Winderbaum for Thor: Love and Thunder.
The Marvels is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to the film Captain Marvel (2019), a continuation of the television miniseries Ms. Marvel (2022), and the 33rd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film was directed by Nia DaCosta, who co-wrote the screenplay with Megan McDonnell and Elissa Karasik. It stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, alongside Zawe Ashton, Gary Lewis, Park Seo-joon, Zenobia Shroff, Mohan Kapur, Saagar Shaikh, and Samuel L. Jackson. In the film, Danvers, Rambeau, and Kamala team up as "the Marvels" after they begin swapping places with each other every time they use their powers.
Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films and television series produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. Phase Five features all of the Marvel Studios productions set to be released starting from 2023 to mid-2025, with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures distributing the films, while the series release on Disney+. Animation in the phase was produced by Marvel Studios Animation. The first film in the phase is Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which was released in February 2023, while the first series in the phase, Secret Invasion, premiered in June 2023. The release schedule of Phase Five was changed several times due to the 2023 Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Kevin Feige produces every film and serves as executive producer of every series in this phase, alongside producers Stephen Broussard for Quantumania; Ryan Reynolds, Shawn Levy, and Lauren Shuler Donner for Deadpool & Wolverine; and Nate Moore and Malcolm Spellman for Captain America: Brave New World.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is a 2023 American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Scott Lang / Ant-Man and Hope Pym / Wasp. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the sequel to Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and the 31st film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It was directed by Peyton Reed, written by Jeff Loveness, and stars Paul Rudd as Scott Lang and Evangeline Lilly as Hope van Dyne, alongside Jonathan Majors, Kathryn Newton, David Dastmalchian, Katy O'Brian, William Jackson Harper, Bill Murray, Michelle Pfeiffer, Corey Stoll, and Michael Douglas. In the film, Lang, Van Dyne, and their family are accidentally transported to the Quantum Realm and face off against Kang the Conqueror (Majors).
The Avengers are a team of fictional superheroes and the protagonists of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1963. Founded by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury, the team is a United States-based organization composed primarily of superpowered and gifted individuals, described as "Earth's Mightiest Heroes", who are committed to the world's protection from a variety of threats. The Avengers are depicted as operating in the state of New York: originally from the Avengers Tower in Midtown Manhattan and subsequently in the Avengers Compound in Upstate New York. Arranged as an ensemble of core MCU characters originally consisting of Tony Stark / Iron Man, Steve Rogers / Captain America, Thor, Bruce Banner / Hulk, Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow, and Clint Barton / Hawkeye, it later expands to include 16 total members. Regarded as an important part of the franchise, they are central to the MCU's first 23 films, collectively known as the Infinity Saga. The Avengers from alternate universes were depicted in subsequent MCU properties across the Multiverse Saga, including appearances in the Disney+ animated series What If...? (2021–present) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022). The Avengers are set to return in Avengers 5 (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027). Both films will be part of the MCU's Phase Six, concluding the Multiverse Saga.
Ironheart is an upcoming American television miniseries created by Chinaka Hodge for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be one of the television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. Hodge serves as head writer. The series is also produced by Proximity Media.
Captain America: Brave New World is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character Sam Wilson / Captain America, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is intended to be the fourth installment in the Captain America film series, a continuation of the television miniseries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), and the 35th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is directed by Julius Onah, who co-wrote the script with the writing team of Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson, and Matthew Orton. It stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson / Captain America alongside Danny Ramirez, Carl Lumbly, Tim Blake Nelson, Shira Haas, Harrison Ford, and Liv Tyler.
Thunderbolts* is an upcoming American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics team Thunderbolts. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is intended to be the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The film is being directed by Jake Schreier and written by Eric Pearson, Lee Sung Jin, and Joanna Calo, and stars an ensemble cast featuring Sebastian Stan, Hannah John-Kamen, Wyatt Russell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Olga Kurylenko, Harrison Ford, and Lewis Pullman. In the film, a group of antiheroes goes on missions for the government.
The multiverse is a fictional setting within the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Based on the setting of the same name from the Marvel Comics, it is a collection of infinitely many alternate realities and dimensions. First explored in the film Doctor Strange (2016), it is revisited in the film Avengers: Endgame (2019) before playing a key role in Phase Four, Phase Five, and Phase Six of the franchise, which constitute "The Multiverse Saga". The MCU's Multiverse centers around a single universe called the "Sacred Timeline", which the Time Variance Authority (TVA) works to prevent any branching universes from forming. Following the death of "He Who Remains", the Timeline's secret overseer at the hands of Sylvie, the Multiverse is freed and an infinite number of universes are formed. This leads to a variant of Loki from 2012 taking his place.