The MCU's ninth threequel movie has been added to the Phase 7 slate for release after Avengers: Secret Wars, but what others could follow in its footsteps? While various rumors and theories have set expectations for a full MCU reboot after December 2027's Avengers 6, that is far from reality, and Marvel Studios will continue with a number of its biggest characters and storylines.
Marvel Studios officially announced its ninth threequel movie will be released on December 15, 2028, as Black Panther 3 is on the way from director Ryan Coogler to conclude the MCU's Wakandan trilogy. Production on the Black Panther threequel isn't expected to begin until 2027, and it will land as Phase 7's third movie after May 2028's X-Men and July 2028's Ghost Rider.
Coming off Letitia Wright's return as the current Black Panther, Shuri, in the next Avengers movies, the threequel will introduce The Long Walk's David Jonsson as T'Challa II, Wakanda's next protector. Black Panther 3 has already confirmed four cast members, seemingly including Hollywood A-lister Denzel Washington.
Marvel Studios concluded its first trilogy all the way back in 2013 with Iron Man 3, five years after it began on the big screen in 2008. By contrast, it will have taken a full decade from 2018's Black Panther to 2028's Black Panther 3 to complete the trilogy, switching leads with each entry, from Boseman to Wright to Jonsson.
The full list of MCU threequel movies released so far can be seen below:
- Iron Man 3
- Captain America: Civil War
- Thor: Ragnarok
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania
- Deadpool & Wolverine
The MCU will officially complete another trilogy later this year when VisionQuest lands on Disney+ to conclude the WandaVision saga. The studio already has one three-season TV show in What If...?, while Daredevil: Born Again, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and X-Men '97 are also expected to reach the trilogy mark in the coming years, with third seasons in development for all.
The 5 MCU Movie Franchises Most Likely to Become Trilogies in Saga 3
Doctor Strange
Last year, Doctor Strange 3 was reportedly in "active early development" at Marvel Studios, despite prior rumors that it was expected to release during Phase 6, either shortly before or after Avengers: Doomsday. As Doctor Strange 3 will be released after Avengers: Secret Wars, it is expected to abandon Multiverse of Madness' tease of a threequel focused on Incursions and Charlize Theron's Clea.
The threequel could explore Clea and Doctor Strange's romantic relationship, as well as the Multiversal fallout from Secret Wars. Many are convinced that Doctor Strange 3 will utilize Chiwetel Ejiofor's Baron Mordo in the villainous role and finally ascend Cumberbatch's Avenger to the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme.
X-Men
Marvel Studios is entering a new era after Avengers: Secret Wars that will heavily focus on mutants and the X-Men. While Thunderbolts* director Jake Schreier will only release the first chapter of the rebooted X-Men saga on May 5, 2028, it seems almost certain that a sequel and threequel will happen.
By the time X-Men 3 rolls around, likely in the mid 2030s, the roster ought to have expanded well beyond Charles Xavier's first class of mutants, adding the likes of Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, Bishop, Jubilee, Gambit, and Wolverine. The studio will reportedly center the MCU's third saga around Apocalypse and Adam Driver's Mr. Sinister, making them the most likely villains for an X-Men trilogy capper.
The Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four 2 is reportedly in the works at Marvel Studios, although concerns are building over whether director Matt Shakman will return to helm the sequel now that he has signed on for the next Planet of the Apes movie. Marvel's First Family is bound to get a popularity boost after the next two Avengers movies, which may relocate them to Earth-616, setting them up for a whole trilogy.
Marvel Studios will have a tough task topping Galactus for The Fantastic Four's coming task, especially with Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom being used for the Avengers franchise instead. Then again, perhaps Victor von Doom could come back to further explore his relationship with Reed Richards down the line.
Captain Marvel
Brie Larson's Captain Marvel was once intended to be among the faces of the MCU, and yet she has only truly appeared once in the Multiverse Saga as one of the three faces of The Marvels. As one of the MCU's few superheroes who already have two movies under their belt, there is a real chance that Captain Marvel 3 comes around, especially after her 2028 return to Marvel was officially announced.
Unfortunately, it's tough to say with any certainty that Captain Marvel 3 will actually happen, as The Marvels lost over $200 million for Disney and Marvel Studios and stands as the MCU's lowest-earning movie ever. Still, the original Captain Marvel's billion-dollar box office success may be enough to earn her another chance at the spotlight now that the MCU is in a better place than it was in 2023.
Shang-Chi
Right now, it may be tough to conceive of ever seeing a Shang-Chi 3, as fans have already been waiting five years for the first martial arts sequel with no end in sight, especially as director Destin Daniel Cretton is now entangled with the Spider-Man franchise, a live-action Naruto, and a Hawaii Five-0 movie.
But perhaps Simu Liu's return as Shang-Chi in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars will bolster his popularity enough to get a sequel off the ground in Phase 7. However, the filmmaker's increasingly busy schedule means that another director is likely to take the reins for Shang-Chi 2 and possibly a threequel, which many are hopeful will see him collide with his fellow martial arts superhero, Iron Fist.
