Marvel’s Phase 6 is arguably one of the studio’s most ambitious projects in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and has already been subjected to a series of significant scheduling shifts. This is culminating in the latest delay of Disney+ series Wonder Man to early 2026. Wonder Man is now the fifth announced project in the phase to have its release date adjusted, a clear indicator of a major, ongoing restructuring at Marvel Studios. While fans might initially groan at the prospect of waiting longer for their next dose of superhero action, these delays might actually be for the best.
Delays are frustrating; they break momentum and sometimes push highly anticipated stories far down the road. On the flip side, extra production time reduces the risk of rushed reshoots, underbaked visual effects, or creative compromises. Moreover, each reschedule has an interesting story and reason behind it that makes absolute sense for the studio to push back its release date.
Major MCU Phase 6 Delays & Why They Happened
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Original Date: November 8, 2024
New Date: July 25, 2025
Phase 6 officially began with the highly anticipated Fantastic Four: First Steps, which was released on July 25, 2025. The film has enjoyed a positive reception, currently holding an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. It has proven to be a financial success, surpassing the half-billion mark with a worldwide box office gross exceeding $521 million.
The plot, set against a charming 1960s retro-futuristic aesthetic, follows the iconic team, Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Ben Grimm, and Johnny Storm, as they face the cosmic threat of Galactus (who has one major inconsistency) and his herald, the Silver Surfer (Shalla-Bal).
This successful launch came only after the film faced multiple postponements, shifting from a planned date of November 8, 2024, to February 14, 2025, before finally settling on its successful July release. The film was forced to adjust its schedule due to the knock-on effects of the 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Original Date: July 24, 2026
New Date: July 31, 2026
Unlike the other major shifts, Spider-Man: Brand New Day had a minor, one-week adjustment driven by highly specific commercial and logistical considerations. The shift was made to avoid a direct conflict over Premium Large Format (PLF) screens, specifically IMAX, with Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated film, The Odyssey.
Since The Odyssey (July 17, 2026) also stars Tom Holland and Nolan traditionally secures extended IMAX exclusivity, Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios strategically moved the web-slinger’s return back a week. This prevents the two major releases from cannibalizing each other’s prime theatrical windows, benefiting both films financially.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be one of Marvel Studios' major theatrical releases in 2026, positioning itself as a crucial stepping stone into the Multiverse Saga finale. The film is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and will continue the story of Tom Holland's Peter Parker following the climactic events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, where the entire world forgot his existence and identity. The sequel is expected to be a grounded, street-level adventure, contrasting with the multiversal threats of previous entries.
Wonder Man
Original Date: December 2025
New Date: January 27, 2026
The Marvel Studios series Wonder Man will kick off the MCU's 2026 small-screen slate, debuting all eight episodes on Disney+ on January 27, 2026. The premiere date was notably shifted from a planned December 2025 slot to avoid the crowded holiday viewing window, a strategic decision highlighted by Marvel's Head of Television and Animation, Brad Winderbaum.
The project was heavily featured at New York Comic Con 2025 (NYCC), where Marvel Studios debuted the first full-length trailer for the series. Ahead of the panel, a one-minute teaser was also released, giving fans a glimpse into the show's distinctive tone.
Wonder Man is set to be a tongue-in-cheek satire on all things Hollywood. The series follows Simon Williams (played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), a fledgling actor and stuntman in Hollywood. Williams’ journey begins with his quest to become the next Wonder Man, a character getting a big-screen superhero remake within the MCU.
His pursuit of fame takes a radical turn when he unexpectedly gains actual superpowers. The tone is expected to blend superhero action with sharp, comedic elements aimed at the entertainment industry. Placing it in January maximizes its visibility and gives the show, whose production was interrupted by the strikes, a clean launch as the first major MCU project of 2026.
Avengers: Doomsday
Original Date: May 2, 2025
New Date: December 18, 2026
Avengers: Doomsday, originally titled Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, underwent a creative and titular overhaul following the departure of Jonathan Majors, who was to reprise his role as Kang the Conqueror in the film. This massive ensemble project, directed by the Russo brothers and featuring Robert Downey Jr. returning as the new villain Doctor Doom, experienced a triple delay.
It was first announced for release on May 2, 2025. That date was subsequently pushed to May 1, 2026, largely due to initial scripting issues and industry strikes. Finally, in a major strategic move to allocate more post-production time and capitalize on the holiday market, the film was shifted again to its current release date of December 18, 2026.
The lengthy delay, which pushed it out of the traditional May summer start into the highly profitable December holiday corridor, was crucial to grant the returning Russo Brothers and the production team sufficient time to execute the film’s gargantuan scope. With thousands of visual effects shots and a massive ensemble cast, the film requires a timeline that prioritizes precision over speed.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Original Date: November 2025
New Date: December 17, 2027
As the ultimate cinematic conclusion to the Multiverse Saga, Avengers: Secret Wars endured parallel calendar shifts. Originally announced for a quick turnaround date of November 7, 2025, the sequel was initially postponed to May 7, 2027, following the first major shakeup to the slate. Concurrently with Doomsday's final movement, Secret Wars was also moved off its May date and rescheduled for the holiday season on December 17, 2027.
This delay, totalling over two years from its original timeline, provides the vast production the necessary time to achieve the scale and polish expected of an MCU finale. The shift into the December holiday window is a calculated business move, leveraging the proven success of past Christmas releases like Spider-Man: No Way Home to maximize global theatrical returns.
Why These Delays Are Ultimately the Best Choice for Marvel Studios
While the postponement of these pivotal Phase 6 films is disappointing for eager fans, this deceleration is arguably the most necessary course correction Marvel Studios has made since Avengers: Endgame. The post-Infinity Saga era has been plagued by an uneven slate and audience fatigue, making this newfound patience a critical step toward restoring the franchise's reputation for quality.
The immediate performance of recent Phase 5 titles shows this urgent need for a slowdown. For instance, Captain America: Brave New World suffered from poor critical consensus, landing a "Rotten" rating of 46% on Rotten Tomatoes and signaling that the creative execution was not meeting the high standards audiences once expected.
Similarly, while critically well-received, Thunderbolts underperformed commercially, grossing approximately 382 million worldwide against a substantial $180 million production budget. These results, combined with a general decline in box office numbers across the Multiverse Saga, confirm that the days of guaranteed success based solely on the Marvel brand are over; the content itself must be compelling and polished.
The primary culprit for the quality dilution was the bloated schedule of Phase 5. The simultaneous mandate to produce multiple films and a deluge of interconnected Disney+ series created a content glut that overwhelmed general audiences. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige acknowledged this issue, stating that in the rush of the post-Endgame expansion, the studio had been "overly zealous" with the amount of content it put out. He noted that Marvel Studios had produced double the amount of content hours in the last five years compared to the previous twelve, admitting that it was too much.
Geraldo Amartey is a writer at The Direct. He joined the team in 2025, bringing with him four years of experience covering entertainment news, pop culture, and fan-favorite franchises for sites like YEN, Briefly and Tuko.
