By April 2014, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said that additional storylines for 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 was also in development.[3] 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,[4] such as the long-in-development Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and a sequel to Captain Marvel (2019).[5][6] A sequel to Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) entered development by November 2019, for a potential release in 2022.[7] Development work on a second season of What If...? had begun by December 2019.[8]Ryan Reynolds confirmed that month that a third Deadpool film after 20th Century Fox's Deadpool (2016) and Deadpool 2 (2018) was in development at Marvel Studios,[9] with his production company Maximum Effort co-producing the film.[10]
In April 2020, Disney scheduled Captain Marvel 2 for release on July 8, 2022,[11] before moving it back to November 11, 2022, in December 2020.[12] Also in December, they dated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for 2023,[13] and announced Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Fantastic Four were in development,[14][15][16] along with the Disney+ series Secret Invasion, Ironheart,[17] and Armor Wars (later changed to a film).[17][18] Feige indicated Secret Invasion and Ironheart would tie-in with future MCU films.[19] These Disney+ series, plus Captain Marvel 2, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and Fantastic Four were believed to be a part of Phase Four at that time.[20] By November 2020, development had begun on a second season of the television series Loki,[21] which was formally confirmed in July 2021.[22]
Development on a series centered on Echo as a spin-off from Hawkeye began by March 2021.[23] By the end of April 2021, a fourth Captain America film was revealed to be in development as a continuation of the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).[24] In May 2021, Marvel Studios announced the title for Captain Marvel 2 as The Marvels, as well as the respective February 17 and May 5, 2023, release dates for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.[25] By June 2021, in addition to What If...?, Marvel Studios was developing a slate of at least three more animated series.[26][27] In October 2021, Marvel Studios further adjusted The Marvels to February 17, 2023, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to July 28, 2023,[28] only to swap their release dates in April 2022, given Quantumania was further along in production than The Marvels.[29] Development on a series centered on Agatha Harkness as a spin-off from WandaVision began by October 2021.[30] During the Disney+ Day event the following month, Marvel Studios officially announced Echo,[31]Agatha: House of Harkness (later retitled Agatha: Darkhold Diaries),[31][32] and the animated Spider-Man prequel series titled Spider-Man: Freshman Year.[31]
By March 2022, a reboot project of Marvel Television's Netflix seriesDaredevil (2015–2018) was revealed to be in development,[33][34] and was confirmed to be in development for Disney+ in May.[35] By June 2022, Marvel Studios was developing the film Thunderbolts.[36] Later that month, Feige 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.[37] At Marvel Studios' San Diego Comic-Con panel in July 2022, Feige announced that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would conclude Phase Four, with the following films and series becoming part of Phase Five: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Secret Invasion, and Ironheart. Blade, the second season of Loki, Echo, and Agatha: Darkhold Diaries were also confirmed for Phase Five, with Feige announcing the series Daredevil: Born Again and the films Captain America: New World Order and Thunderbolts. He also announced that Phase Five, along with Phase Four and Phase Six, would be part of "The Multiverse Saga".[38] By then, the second season of What If...? was also announced to release during this phase,[39] while production had begun on five additional shorts for the series I Am Groot.[40][41] Feige stated that many of the projects in Phase Four and Five, and their post-credit teases, would connect and lead towards the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, while some would remain standalone.[42] Feige described Quantumania as "a direct line" into the phase and Phase Six's Avengers: The Kang Dynasty (2026).[43] In September, Reynolds announced that Deadpool & Wolverine would be released on September 6, 2024.[44]
Production shifts and further work
In October 2022, Blade had its release date pushed back to the September 2024 slot, due to production-related issues, and Marvel Studios pushed back Deadpool & Wolverine to November 8, 2024, as a result.[45] In December, Echohead writerMarion Dayre said the series would be delayed to late 2023, around that December.[46] 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.[47][48] 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".[49][48] At that time, the second season of Loki and Secret Invasion were still expected to release in 2023, while other projects in post-production, such as Echo and Ironheart, were unlikely to release that year as previously announced.[48]The Marvels was also delayed to November 10, 2023.[50] A month later, Iger said there was "nothing in any way inherently off in terms of the Marvel brand", and was not concerned with the volume of Marvel content being released. Rather, he believed there would be more of a benefit to shifting to new characters and stories, instead of producing third or fourth sequels with some characters.[51]
The start of the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike in May 2023 resulted in production on Blade being paused until the strike concluded. Other MCU projects in production, or preparing to begin production, at that time—Captain America: New World Order, Agatha: Darkhold Diaries, Thunderbolts, and Deadpool & Wolverine—were not expected to be impacted by the strike, 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.[52]Picketers participating in the strike shut down a day of soundstage work for Daredevil: Born Again,[53] and later location shooting, resulting in a temporary production pause.[54] By the end of the month, production on Thunderbolts was delayed until the strike concluded.[55] In early June, Marvel revealed that New World Order had been retitled to Captain America: Brave New World.[56] Later that month, Disney moved Deadpool & Wolverine forward to May 3, 2024, and delayed Brave New World to July 26, 2024, Thunderbolts to December 20, 2024, and Blade to February 14, 2025,[57] 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 some recently released films.[58] Production on Born Again was also suspended until after the strike concluded.[59] In July, production on Deadpool & Wolverine was suspended because of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[60]
In August 2023, the second season of I Am Groot was announced to be releasing a month later on September 6, 2023, during the phase.[61][62] In early September, Marvel Studios adjusted the release schedule for some of the television series in the phase, in part because of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and a desire to slow down their content output and make each of their titles "an event". The adjustments included dating the second season of What If...? for a late December 2023 release, delaying Echo to January 2024, delaying Agatha: Darkhold Diaries to late 2024, and removing Ironheart and Born Again from the release schedule.[32]Echo was set to be the first Marvel Studios series to simultaneously release on Hulu,[63] being available for a limited time,[64] as well as the first series under the "Marvel Spotlight" banner.[65] Following the conclusion of the SAG-AFTRA strike in November 2023, Disney delayed several films to accommodate for the resumption of production. Deadpool & Wolverine was moved to July 26, 2024, Brave New World to February 14, 2025, Thunderbolts to July 25, 2025, and Blade to November 7, 2025,[66] with the latter now set for release during Phase Six.[67] In December 2023, Marvel Studios Animation announced the series Eyes of Wakanda and that Freshman Year had been retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,[68] with both planned to be released in 2024.[69] In February 2024, Thunderbolts was moved forward to May 2, 2025, swapping its release with Phase Six's The Fantastic Four.[70]
James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy films
The Guardians of the Galaxy are adjusting to life on Knowhere, but when parts of Rocket's past resurface, Peter Quill must lead the Guardians on a dangerous mission to protect him that could lead to the team dissolving.[96]
A third Guardians of the Galaxy film was planned by Marvel Studios in April 2016,[97] with James Gunn returning to write and direct a year later.[98] Disney fired him in July 2018 after the resurfacing of controversial tweets,[99][100] but reversed course that October and reinstated Gunn as director.[101] Gunn's return was revealed in early 2019 along with the five main stars' involvement,[73][102] with production beginning after Gunn completed his film The Suicide Squad (2021) and the first season of its spin-off series Peacemaker (2022).[103]Kevin Feige confirmed the film was in development at the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con.[5] Filming began in November 2021,[104] at Trilith Studios in Atlanta,[105][106] and concluded in early May 2022.[107]Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 premiered on April 22, 2023,[108] and was released on May 5.[25]
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (2022).[109] Discussing the film's connections to the Multiverse Saga, Feige said Vol. 3 was focused more on concluding the story of the Guardians characters and "not about the bigger world-building", though still "a piece of the puzzle".[110]
While investigating a wormhole linked to the Kree, Monica Rambeau's powers become entangled with those of Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers. The trio team up to determine why they are swapping places with each other every time they use their powers.[111][112]
Feige confirmed a sequel to Captain Marvel (2019) was in development at the July 2019 San Diego Comic-Con,[6] with Megan McDonnell set to write the script and Brie Larson returning as Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel by January 2020.[113][114] The studio wanted a female director for the film rather than have Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck return from the first,[113] with Nia DaCosta hired to direct by that August,[74] and she also served as a writer alongside Elissa Karasik.[75] The film was announced with the title Captain Marvel 2 in December 2020,[12] with the official title, The Marvels, revealed in May 2021.[25] Second unit filming began in mid-April 2021 in New Jersey,[115] while principal photography had begun by August at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire,[116][117][88]Longcross Studios in Surrey,[118] and in Tropea.[119] Shooting also occurred in Los Angeles.[120][121] Filming wrapped by May 2022.[122]The Marvels was released on November 10, 2023.[50]
In April 2021, a fourth Captain America film was revealed to be in development, with a script co-written by Malcolm Spellman and Dalan Musson. The duo previously served as head writer and a staff writer, respectively, on the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021).[24]Anthony Mackie joined by August the same year, to headline the film reprising his role as Sam Wilson / Captain America.[149]Julius Onah was chosen to direct in July 2022[150][78] and co-wrote the script with Spellman,[56] who also produces the film.[151] The film will explore the effects of becoming Captain America on Wilson.[152] Initially announced as Captain America: New World Order in July 2022,[38] the film was retitled Captain America: Brave New World in June 2023.[56] Filming began in March 2023,[153] at Trilith Studios in Atlanta[154] and in Washington, D.C.,[155] and lasted until June.[156] Matthew Orton was hired in December to write for additional photography, which is set to occur from May to August 2024.[79][157]Captain America: Brave New World is scheduled to be released on February 14, 2025.[66]
Nick Fury works with Talos, a shapeshifting alien Skrull, to uncover a conspiracy by a group of renegade Skrulls led by Gravik who plan to gain control of Earth by posing as different humans around the world.[183][173]
By September 2020, Marvel Studios was developing a series centered on Nick Fury, with Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role and Kyle Bradstreet serving as head writer.[184] That December, Marvel Studios revealed the series to be an adaptation of the Secret Invasion comic book storyline, and confirmed Jackson, with Ben Mendelsohn co-starring as Talos.[17] Filming had begun by September 2021 in London,[185] with Ali Selim directing the series.[173] Filming concluded in late April 2022.[186] Additional filming occurred across West Yorkshire and in Liverpool, England.[187][188] During production, much of the series' creative team was replaced, with Brian Tucker taking over as writer from Bradstreet and co-director Thomas Bezucha exiting.[169] Extensive reshoots took place from mid-June to late September 2022.[189][190][191]Secret Invasion premiered on June 21, 2023,[173] and consisted of six episodes,[192] concluding on July 26, 2023.[193]
The first season of Loki premiered in June 2021.[203] Development on a second season had begun by November 2020,[21] with season one head writer Michael Waldron expected to once again be involved "in some capacity" by January 2021.[204] The season was officially confirmed in July 2021, along with Tom Hiddleston returning to star as Loki.[22][205] By February 2022, Eric Martin was set to write the season, with Waldron as an executive producer.[174] Filming began in mid-June 2022,[206] at Pinewood Studios in the United Kingdom,[207] with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead directing the majority of episodes,[174] and Dan DeLeeuw and Kasra Farahani also directing.[175] Shooting concluded that October.[208] The second season of Loki premiered on October 5, 2023,[209] and ran for six episodes,[174] concluding on November 9.[210]
The second season begins immediately after the first-season finale, taking place outside of time and space while some events occur between the past, present, and future.[211] Jonathan Majors reprises his role as Victor Timely from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.[212]
The season's final episode includes the multiverse tree established in the Lokiseason two finale.[217] Many actors from the films voice their respective characters in the season.[218]
Maya Lopez returns to her hometown after the events in New York City, where she must come to terms with her past, while reconnecting with her Native American roots, and embrace her family and community.[176]
Agatha Harkness finds she is powerless after breaking out of her containment in Westview, New Jersey. She looks to some unlikely allies to join her on her quest to regain her former powers.[234]
Development on a spin-off from the series WandaVision starring Kathryn Hahn as Agatha Harkness began by October 2021, with Jac Schaeffer set to write and executive produce.[30] The series was initially announced in November 2021 as Agatha: House of Harkness,[31] until it was retitled Agatha: Coven of Chaos in July 2022,[38] and retitled again to Agatha: Darkhold Diaries in September 2023.[32] Filming began in mid-January 2023,[235][178] at Trilith Studios in Atlanta,[236] with Schaeffer, Gandja Monteiro, and Rachel Goldberg directing episodes of the series,[178] and concluded by late May.[237]Agatha: Darkhold Dairies is expected to be released in late 2024 as a lead-up to Halloween,[32] and will consist of nine episodes.[177]
Several actors reprise their WandaVision roles, including Emma Caulfield Ford as Sarah Proctor, Debra Jo Rupp as Sharon Davis, David Payton as John Collins, David Lengel as Harold Proctor, Asif Ali as Abilash Tandon, Amos Glick as "Dennis", Brian Brightman as a sheriff, and Kate Forbes as Evanora Harkness.[178][238][239]
Eyes of Wakanda
The series tells the story of Wakandan warriors who, throughout history, have traveled the world to retrieve dangerous vibranium artifacts.[68]
The series was announced from Marvel Studios Animation in December 2023,[68] created in collaboration with Ryan Coogler's Proximity Media. In January 2024, Todd Harris was revealed to have pitched the series to Marvel Studios and Coogler. He previously served as a storyboard artist at Marvel Studios.[240]Eyes of Wakanda is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in 2024.[69]
In November 2021, the animated series Spider-Man: Freshman Year was announced, with Jeff Trammell serving as head writer and executive producer. The series features a style that "celebrates" and pays homage to the early Spider-Man comics.[31][39] Hudson Thames voices Parker, after previously doing so in What If...?.[242] The series was retitled Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man by December 2023.[68] The first season of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is scheduled to be released in 2024.[69] A second season, originally announced as Spider-Man: Sophomore Year, is in development.[39]
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man is set in an alternate reality from the main MCU continuity in which Norman Osborn is Peter Parker's mentor instead of Tony Stark.[241] Charlie Cox voices Matt Murdock / Daredevil, reprising the role from previous MCU media.[39] The series features Osborn and Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus, following the appearance of other versions of the characters in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), along with Mac Gargan / Scorpion and Dr. Stephen Strange from prior MCU media, and Nico Minoru, who appeared in the Marvel Television series Runaways (2017–2019).[39]
In March 2022, a new Daredevil project was revealed to be in development with Feige as a producer,[33][34] after Disney regained the rights to the Marvel Television series Daredevil from Netflix and it began streaming on Disney+.[243][244] The series was confirmed to be in development for Disney+ in May, with Matt Corman and Chris Ord attached as head writers and executive producers,[35] and was officially announced in July with Charlie Cox returning as Matt Murdock / Daredevil.[245] Filming began in early March 2023, on location in New York,[246][247] and also occurred at Silvercup Studios East.[53] Production was suspended in June due to the writers' strike,[59] with less than half of the series' episodes filmed. By late September 2023, Marvel Studios decided to overhaul the series creatively, replacing Corman and Ord as head writers and releasing the remaining directors, with some elements already shot planned to be retained.[169] Before the overhaul Michael Cuesta was directing the first episode, Clark Johnson directing two episodes, and Jeffrey Nachmanoff and David Boyd also directing episodes of the series.[180] In October, Dario Scardapane was hired to serve as the showrunner, working on new episodes as well as scenes for episodes already shot, along with the duo of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead to direct the remaining episodes.[170] Filming resumed in January 2024.[248]Daredevil: Born Again is scheduled to premiere in 2025, and is expected to consist of 18 episodes divided into nine-episode halves.[179]
In December 2020, Marvel Studios announced a series centered on Riri Williams / Ironheart was in development starring Dominique Thorne,[17] reprising her role from the film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[252]Chinaka Hodge was hired as head writer in April 2021.[181]Ryan Coogler, writer and director of Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, produces the series through his company Proximity Media.[182] Filming had begun by early June 2022,[253][254] at Trilith Studios in Atlanta,[255] with Sam Bailey and Angela Barnes directing episodes of the series.[182] Filming also occurred in Chicago by late October,[256] and concluded in early November.[257][258]Ironheart will consist of six episodes.[181]
Ironheart is set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[259]
Each short follows Baby Groot as he explores the universe beyond the confines of the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship, going on adventures with new and unusual characters that get him into trouble.[261][31][262]
The first five shorts of I Am Groot premiered in August 2022.[263] Production on five additional shorts was underway by July 2022,[40][41] described as a second season.[264]Kirsten Lepore returns as head writer, director,[260] and executive producer, with Vin Diesel once again voicing Baby Groot.[262] The second season of I Am Groot premiered with five shorts on Disney+ on September 6, 2023.[61][62]
Jeffrey Wright reprises his role as the Watcher from What If...? in the season.[265]
Echo is set five months after the events of Hawkeye, in May 2025.[228]Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is set in 2026.[91][92]Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is set after the events of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.[109][267]Secret Invasion is set around 2026,[91] thirty years after the events of Captain Marvel.[194]The Marvels is set in 2026, after Secret Invasion and Ms. Marvel.[123]Ironheart is set after the events of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.[259]Daredevil: Born Again is set after the events of Echo.[229]
The second season of Loki begins immediately after the first-season finale, taking place outside of time and space while some events occur between the past, present, and future.[211]
This section includes characters who will appear in multiple films and/or television series within Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and have appeared in the billing block for at least one film or have been a member of the starring cast for at least one series.
A dark grey cell indicates the character's presence in the films or series has not yet been announced.
A C indicates an uncredited cameo role.
A V indicates a voice-only role.
Recurring cast and characters of Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Five
The first season of Marvel Studios: Legends premiered in January 2021 for Phase Four.[303] The series examines individual heroes, villains, moments, and objects from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and how they connect, in anticipation of the upcoming stories that will feature them in Phase Five.[303][304] The second season premiered on Disney+ on February 10, 2023, with the release of the first three episodes.[304][305] Episodes highlighted Ant-Man, Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne, the Wasp,[304] Peter Quill, Gamora, Nebula, Rocket, Kraglin, Groot,[306][305] Nick Fury, Maria Hill, Talos and the Skrulls, Everett Ross, James Rhodes,[307] the TVA, Variants,[308] Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan,[309] and the Guardians of the Multiverse.[310]
Marvel Studios: Assembled premiered in March 2021 for Phase Four. Each special of the documentary series goes behind the scenes of the making of the MCU films and television series with cast members and additional creatives.[311] The first special for Phase Five was released on Disney+ on July 19, 2023, for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,[312] followed by additional specials for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Secret Invasion,[313]Loki season two,[309]Echo,[314] and The Marvels.[315]
Notes
^Beginning with Daredevil: Born Again, Marvel Studios shifted their creative philosophy to a more traditional television development process, moving away from head writers and began to hire dedicated showrunners for their series.[169] The showrunner title applies to Dario Scardapane on Born Again.[170]
^During production of Secret Invasion, Bradstreet was replaced as writer by Brian Tucker,[169] who received the majority of the writing credits on the series.[171][172]
^Though the series' directors were released with the series' creative overhaul in September 2023, some scenes and episodes were expected to be retained.[169] Known directors before the overhaul included Michael Cuesta, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Clark Johnson, and David Boyd.[180] Benson and Moorhead were set to direct the remaining episodes.[170]
^The second season of Loki and second season of What If ...? are both excluded from the diagram because they both occur outside of the main timeline and in alternate timelines respectively.[211][8] Disney+'s timeline order places these seasons at the end of the timeline, after The Marvels.[266]
^This is an alternate version of the character from a branched reality created in Avengers: Endgame (2019).[275]
^Lee, Chris (January 13, 2023). "Inside the VFX Union Brewing in Hollywood". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023. Alonso heads up Marvel's dedicated "mini-studio," Marvel Studios Animation, which is behind such shows as What If ...? [...] and the summer 2022 series of Vin Diesel–voiced original shorts, I Am Groot.
^Reid, Caroline (September 20, 2023). "Disney Reveals $270 Million Bill For 'The Marvels'". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023. it spent $274.8 million and banked a $55 million subsidy from the government of the United Kingdom where the movie was made. This brought its net spending down to $219.8 million
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