A new report indicated which MCU movie will be the first one in Marvel Studios' Phase 7 slate.
Even with the MCU's Phase 6 still waiting to debut later this year, plans are already in motion for the franchise to continue past the Multiverse Saga in Phase 7. In fact, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige teased the new phase's development over two years ago, saying the MCU goes about three phases at a time.
For the time being, the last confirmed film on Marvel's extensive slate is the epic mega-blockbuster Avengers: Secret Wars, which is expected to dominate theaters in May 2027. As that date inches closer, so does the start of the MCU's next era of storytelling.
What Movie Will Kick Off Marvel Studios' Phase 7?
Following a late March X post from insider Daniel Richtman, Marvel Studios is believed to be using Black Panther 3 to kick off the MCU's Phase 7 slate.
On March 26, Richtman cryptically posted, "Feb 2028" on X with no further explanation at the time.
About 15 minutes later, Richtman clarified, "The date is for Black Panther 3."
It is also the first release date on Marvel Studios' slate after Avengers: Secret Wars debuts on May 7, 2027. This seems to indicate Black Panther 3 will be the first movie release for Phase 7 with Secret Wars closing out Phase 6.
As of writing, Marvel Studios has at least four release dates set for unconfirmed movies, one of them being February 13, 2028.
What To Expect in MCU's Phase 7
Following the end of the Multiverse Saga, Marvel has no intention of slowing down thanks to a number of new movies likely to take the spotlight in Phase 7.
Outside of Black Panther 3, many now expect Blade to be part of Phase 7 after being pushed back multiple times throughout the Multiverse Saga. Although some have come to the conclusion that Marvel should cancel the film, for now, it is so far from being made that there is almost no chance it debuts before 2027.
Also believed to be lined up for a Phase 7 debut is the MCU's first official X-Men movie, which is rumored for a 2027 arrival. Reports indicated Marvel was speaking with writer Michael Lesslie to pen the script for this movie, which comes after Deadpool & Wolverine became the biggest box office hit of 2024.
Other films potentially lined up for debuts in this phase could be a third Doctor Strange solo outing, a sequel to 2021's Shang-Chi, and possibly a fourth Deadpool outing.
For now, the main focus is on making sure Phase 6 lives up to its substantial levels of hype with movies like The Fantastic Four: First Steps set to hit the big screen. Following the next two Avengers outings, Marvel will have the chance to dive further into plenty of new heroes and stories to start the next saga of films.
