Marvel Studios’ mega-panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 delivered a multitude of exciting news and reveals, including a new roadmap for the MCU Phase 5. Surprisingly, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was confirmed to be the final feature film in MCU Phase 4, though The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is technically the last movie before the start of MCU Phase 5. Marvel President Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios are already looking ahead to the future with Phase 5, and even projects slated for MCU Phase 6, which will begin with Deadpool 3.
It was also revealed that MCU Phases 4, 5, and 6 are all part of the newly christened Multiverse Saga of the MCU (following the first three phases which made up the Infinity Saga). Marvel Studios could certainly change this new roadmap with additional projects, cancellations, or needing to reschedule release dates, as they’ve had to do in the past. Regardless, it’s still exciting to see the intended vision and bigger picture of what’s in store for the MCU. Here’s everything we know about the MCU Phase 5 including dates, story details, and more.
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania will be the first MCU film of Marvel’s Phase 5 with a return to the Quantum Realm. Starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lily, who are returning as Ant-Man and the Wasp, they’ll also be joined by Scott’s now older daughter, Cassie, who will be played by MCU newcomer Kathryn Newton. Releasing on February 17, 2023, Ant-Man 3 properly introduces Jonathan Majors’ Kang the Conqueror. Kang will serve as the primary villain and will continue to be a major threat throughout the MCU, culminating in Phase 6’s Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, which release in 2025 and 2026 respectively. It was also confirmed that Bill Murray will have a role in the third Ant-Man film, as will the classic Marvel villain MODOK. In the new film, Scott will be enjoying his new fame as an Avenger, which may get in the way of his family life.
Secret Invasion
Spring of 2023 will see Secret Invasion coming to Disney+. Starring Nick Fury and the Skrull, Talos, in an adventure of paranoia over shapeshifting aliens, the upcoming series will also feature the return of Maria Hill and War Machine–though any one of them could easily be Skrulls in disguise. As there’s currently no sure way to tell who is a Skrull in the MCU, Secret Invasion promises to be one of the most exciting series slated for Phase 5. It was also confirmed that Emilia Clarke and Olivia Colman will make their Marvel debuts with Colman reportedly playing an old ally of Fury’s.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
According to the SDCC Marvel panel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will be the end of the story director James Gunn always envisioned: “When I started telling that story I had sort of an end in sight…This is the end of that story. Some stories have an end, doesn’t mean everybody dies.” According to the footage revealed to attendees, the third Guardians film will largely focus on Star-Lord grappling with the new Gamora from Avengers: Endgame, who doesn’t share their history, as well as the origins of Rocket Raccoon. Chukwudi Iwuji was confirmed to be the film’s villain as the High Evolutionary (debuting on the Hall H stage in full costume). Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is scheduled for release on May 5, 2023.
Echo
Spinning out of the events of Hawkeye, Maya Lopez will return with her own series in Echo, where her life in New York will follow her even as she travels back to her hometown. She must make peace with her past and finally embrace her Native American roots if she’s to move forward in her new life. The series is scheduled for the summer of 2023 and will reportedly feature the return of Vincent D’onofrio’s Kingpin as well as Charlie Cox’s Daredevil.
Loki Season 2
Loki season 2 is also scheduled for a summer release in 2023. The second season will see the God of Mischief dealing with the fallout of the first season and Sylvie breaking the Sacred Timeline, an act that brought forth variants of He Who Remains, one of which is Avengers 5‘s Kang the Conqueror himself. With production already underway, it’s been confirmed that Loki season 2 will see the return of Sylvie and Agent Mobius.
The Marvels
The Marvels is set for 28 July 2023, and will see Captain Marvel, Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau’s Spectrum coming together as a dynamic trio. It follows Ms. Marvel’s post-credits scene, where Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan apparently switched places. The Marvels will certainly be an exciting chapter in Phase 5 from director Nia DaCosta.
Ironheart
Following her debut in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Riri Williams’ Ironheart will be getting her own series in the fall of 2023. Played by Dominique Thorne, Riri is an incredibly gifted engineer who developed her own Iron Man suit in the comics. She’s already friends with Wakanda’s lead scientist and new Black Panther, Shuri, with whom she designed the all-vibranium Ironheart Mark II armor. As Riri was forced to leave the Mark II in Wakanda, Riri and Shuri may need to design new armored suits in Ironheart.
Blade
After several production hiccups, Marvel’s new Blade reboot is back on track, and is scheduled for theatrical release on September 6, 2024. Starring Mahershala Ali as the titular vampire hunter, Blade was teased at the end of Eternals alongside Dane Whitman’s Black Knight. While the 2022 SDCC panel didn’t reveal much in the way of story details, the upcoming film promises to showcase the more frightening side of the MCU. Following the departure of director Bassam Tariq, Blade will instead be directed by Yann Demange, who directed the pilot episode of the now-canceled Lovecraft Country, implying that Blade is diving into the supernatural — and possibly even cosmic horror.
Agatha: Coven of Chaos
When it was first announced, WandaVision’s spin-off series starring Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha was titled Agatha: House of Harkness. Now, Marvel’s SDCC panel has confirmed that it has been retitled to be Agatha: Coven of Chaos. Releasing in the winter of 2023, the series will likely see the powerful witch breaking free from the spell she was placed under by Wanda Maximoff at the end of WandaVision. Considering Scarlet Witch’s death following Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, perhaps the spell was broken or weakened. Notably, alongside Coven of Chaos star Kathryn Hahn, actors like Aubrey Plaza, Emma Culafield, Ali Ahn, Maria Dizzia, and Joe Locke are confirmed to be part of the Agatha: Coven of Chaos cast.
Daredevil: Born Again
Coming in the spring of 2024, Daredevil: Born Again will see Charlie Cox’s return as the Man Without Fear following his first three seasons on Netflix. Having appearances in Spider-Man: No Way Home as well as the upcoming She-Hulk and Echo series, Marvel Studios has been in the process of integrating the character into the greater MCU before his own Disney+ series. It was also confirmed that Daredevil: Born Again will consist of 18 episodes, the highest episode count yet for any Marvel series (though that number could be split up into 6-episode seasons).
Captain America: New World Order
Picking up where The Falcon and The Winter Soldier left off, Captain America: New World Order will feature Sam Wilson more established as the MCU’s next Captain America. Wielding the iconic shield, the next Captain America movie will likely see Wilson continuing to grapple with the constantly-changing world as he’ll likely be positioned as the next leader of the Avengers. Moreover, Harrison Ford’s MCU debut as General “Thunderbolt” Ross will be happening in New World Order as well, which has prompted theories about the potential appearance of Red Hulk in the MCU.
As for the movie’s title, it could be a reference to the return of Tim Blake Nelson’s Samuel Sterns/The Leader. That said, “New World Order” could also be a reference to the Red Skull’s organization of supervillains of the same name. Coming from director Julius Onah, the fourth Captain America film is slated for release on May 3, 2024.
Thunderbolts
The MCU Phase 5 will close out with Thunderbolts coming on July 26, 2024. Confirming several theories and teases that the MCU has been building toward its own team of antiheroes, the Thunderbolts roster has been confirmed to include characters such as Winter Soldier, Yelena Belova, U.S Agent, Red Guardian, Abomination, Taskmaster, and Ghost – led by Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine. Notably, why Baron Zemo is not in Thunderbolts is the biggest question regarding the roster, as Zemo founded the original Marvel Comics team. However, with Thunderbolts serving as the last feature film in MCU Phase 5, the team is bound to recruit more antiheroes before their Multiverse Saga debut.
