Marvel Studios recently shuffled its MCU Phase 6 release calendar, and it will now break a frustrating release record. After Thunderbolts* wrapped up Phase 5 on the big screen, Marvel Studios will soon begin the Multiverse Saga's final act with The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Phase 6 will currently span two-and-a-half years, with theatrical offerings such as Avengers: Doomsday, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Avengers: Secret Wars.
Following recent updates to the MCU's Phase 6 release calendar that delayed Avengers: Doomsday from May 1, 2026, to December 18, 2026, Marvel Studios is gearing up for a record-breaking wait between movies after The Fantastic Four: First Steps. The unprecedented gap will keep fans waiting over a year before they return to theaters for a new MCU blockbuster.
With Avengers 5 pushed to December 2026, the next MCU blockbuster after The Fantastic Four will now be Spider-Man 4 on July 31, 2026. The wait between these flicks will break the record for the longest in the Multiverse Saga, with 371 days from The Fantastic Four to Spider-Man 4.
The current longest gap between Multiverse Saga blockbusters is 259 days from The Marvels (November 10, 2023) and Deadpool & Wolverine (July 26, 2024). This period was even sparse on Disney+ content, with only What If...? Season 3 and Echo landing in that gap, neither of which drew much notable attention.
Read more about the six Disney+ shows that will fill 2026's MCU movie gap.
The longest wait overall was 738 days between the Infinity and Multiverse Sagas from Spider-Man: Far From Home (July 2, 2019) and Black Widow (July 9, 2021).
Marvel Studios initially slated its Phase 4 opener for May 1, 2020, but was forced to delay numerous times due to the COVID-19 pandemic—the original intended gap would have been just 304 days.
- Spider-Man: Far From Home - Black Widow (738 days)
- The Incredible Hulk - Iron Man 2 (693 days)
- Iron Man 2 - Thor (364 days)
- The Avengers - Iron Man 3 (364 days)
- Ant-Man - Captain America: Civil War (294 days)
- Captain America: The First Avenger - The Avengers (287 days)
- Guardians of the Galaxy - Avengers: Age of Ultron (273 days)
- The Marvels - Deadpool & Wolverine (259 days)
- Ant-Man and the Wasp - Captain Marvel (245 days)
- Deadpool & Wolverine - Captain America: Brave New World (203 days)
Fortunately, once Spider-Man 4 arrives and that 371-day wait passes, the gap between Phase 6's remaining blockbusters won't be quite as long:
- The Fantastic Four: First Steps - July 25
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day - July 31, 2026 (371 days later)
- Avengers: Doomsday - December 18, 2026 (140 days later)
- Untitled MCU Movie - July 23, 2027 (217 days later)
- Avengers: Secret Wars - December 17, 2027 (147 days later)
This isn't the only MCU release gap record being broken in Phase 6, as the 31 days from Ironheart to The Fantastic Four: First Steps will be the shortest time ever between phases. As those 31 days are based on the Ironheart premiere, not the finale, the actual gap will be just 10 days from Phase 5 to 6.
Fans Will Be Waiting a While for New MCU Movies, And That's a Good Thing
Following the Avengers 5 and 6 delays, fears are growing that Spider-Man 4 may be next to get pushed back further into 2026. After all, there are just 14 months after Brand New Day is set to hit theaters and filming is yet to begin, meaning it could run the risk of a rushed post-production if the July 2026 date holds.
If that were to happen, the wait between MCU movies could grow even longer, which would undoubtedly be frustrating for enthusiastic moviegoers. But as the Multiverse Saga builds toward its climax, ensuring quality is exactly what the MCU needs to revive interest and excitement in the franchise.
Marvel Studios will still be keeping its fans entertained across 2026 with Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Vision Quest, and The Punisher's Disney+ special expected to start streaming across the year. It's unclear how or if they will connect to the coming Avengers blockbusters or the MCU's larger narrative.
