Despite knowing the next half-decade of the Marvel Studios theatrical slate, that does not mean things are safe from shifting. Over the past could of years audiences have been no strangers to seeing things move around at Marvel, as release dates get juggled and - in some cases - new projects get added to the already established calendar.
And that has been the case again, as an untitled Marvel movie has been moved from February 16, 2024, to September 6, 2024. This means the title will leapfrog Thunderbolts, coming out only two months before the hotly anticipated Fantastic Four film set to premiere on November 8, 2024.
But what does this mean for the different phases of Marvel Studios' Multiverse Saga? With Fantastic Four originally set to kick off Phase 6 of the MCU, could this shift change that?
Fiddling with Marvel's Phases
With the move of an untitled Marvel movie to September 6, 2024, fans are questioning if November 2024's Fantastic Four will still kick off Phase 6 of the MCU as Kevin Feige originally announced back at San Diego Comic-Con.
Speculation right now is that the untitled film is in fact Deadpool 3, so some may find it odd for the franchise to jump-start their sixth phase with what is shaping up to be the MCU's first R-rated comedy.
One thing to note here is that as the schedule was initially revealed, Thunderbolts was set to round out Phase 5. This would mark the first time since Phase 1 that Marvel Studios finished a Phase with an Avengers-style team-up film.
With this team-up tidbit in mind, it's also possible that this newly moved untitled project concluded Phase 5 before the MCU moved into Phase 6 with Matt Shakman's Fantastic Four.
What Could This Movie Be?
As noted above, many believe this untitled Marvel project to be Ryan Reynolds' debut in the MCU with Deadpool 3. Sure, that could make a lot of sense, but why would Marvel Studios not announce that, seeing as they have everything else revealed from the Phase 5 slate? They own Deadpool now, so why not put it out there that this is the movie they are making?
The wrench to throw into all this would be Spider-Man 4, a collaborative effort between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures.
Since Sony is deeply involved in marketing the MCU's Spidey films, then that could be the reason to simply leave this on the calendar as an "untitled Marvel movie." It would also match well with the MCU's history, since Phase 3 and the Infinity Saga as a whole ended with Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019.
A Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man 4 feels like Sony's card to play, so it's their prerogative when they want to reveal the title and when it is officially happening. Seeing as there is no public information about Holland signing a new deal with Marvel, there is no reason to put it out there. Thus, justifying why it remains untitled (at least publicly) up to this point. But all that could change at the drop of a hat (or in the case mask).
As far as fans know, Phase 6 is set to start with Fantastic Four on November 8, 2024.
