Marvel Studios officially announces their lineup of Phase 4 movies and release dates. More than a decade after its inception, the Marvel Cinematic Universe reached the end of an era in 2019 with the premiere of Avengers: Endgame. The epic closed out the Infinity Saga, wrapping up numerous storylines and character arcs that had been ongoing for 22 films. Endgame was the last hurrah for the Original Six, sending characters like Tony Stark and Steve Rogers off on a high note. And though Endgame definitely felt like a series finale, it was also the beginning of a new age.
In recent years, Marvel has introduced characters like Spider-Man, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, and Captain Marvel, who will serve as the cornerstones of the franchise moving forward. They will also continue to add fresh faces like the Eternals and Shang-Chi, which along with the Black Widow solo movie, are among the Phase 4 projects currently in development. With all the focus – understandably – on Endgame, Marvel delayed making any official Phase 4 announcements until after Spider-Man: Far From Home came out earlier this year. Now, their next slate is unveiled.
During their Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios announced the list of Phase 4 movies and release dates. Check it out in the space below:
- Black Widow – May 1, 2020
- Eternals – November 6, 2020
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings – February 21, 2021
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – May 7, 2021
- Thor: Love and Thunder – November 5, 2021
These are just the feature films Marvel is releasing in Phase 4. Their upcoming slate also includes a number of Disney+ streaming shows, such as Loki and WandaVision. In fact, WandaVision is going to tie directly into Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Elizabeth Olsen reprising her role as Scarlet Witch. This means Marvel’s movies and TV shows are going to connect with each other in ways they never really did before. Previously, the MCU films barely acknowledged the franchise’s small screen offerings, which was a point of frustration for some fans. It will be interesting to see how much overlap there is between the films and shows. Surely, the movies will remain accessible to those who only see the films, but it wouldn’t hurt to add these Disney+ shows to your viewing queue.
Of course, there are a handful of upcoming films Marvel did not officially date at Comic-Con. The likes of Black Panther 2, Captain Marvel 2, and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are all in development, but the studio isn’t ready to announce more details at this time. Kevin Feige also confirmed projects for Fantastic Four and X-Men are in the works, and surprisingly introduced Mahershala Ali as the new Blade, so Marvel is going to be very busy over the next few years ironing everything out. It’s only a matter of time before there’s even more release dates to keep track of.