There are a lot of upcoming projects within the MCU that will be released in theaters or on Disney+, but Marvel Studios recently revealed which movies were the most important to the franchise's future.
After the Infinity Saga ended, Marvel Studios began exploring the realm of the Multiverse, which is what large portions of Phases 4, 5, and 6 have and will focus on leading up to Avengers: Secret Wars.
Fans already know that the events currently happening in MCU projects are all leading toward the next two Avengers titles, but some movies hold a little more importance than others.
Marvel Studios' Three Most Important Upcoming MCU Films
In a recent piece from The Hollywood Reporter (THR), it was detailed that Marvel Studios considers three upcoming films within the MCU to be more important than any other title on the Phase 5 and 6 slate.
It could be argued by fans that certain projects are more important to the overall story of the MCU, but here are those three movies that Marvel Studios feels are crucial.
Deadpool 3
The THR article revealed that Marvel Studios is currently putting a lot of stock into the upcoming Deadpool 3 film that will star Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson and Hugh Jackman as Logan (aka Wolverine).
The exact reason that Marvel Studios considers Deadpool 3 so important is unknown, but it is likely due to a couple of different factors.
One possibility is that the upcoming movie has the chance to easily bring in a lot of Multiversal elements that other MCU films would have a difficult time with. For example, if any of the Fox X-Men characters are going to be in Avengers: Secret Wars or even Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, they will likely be introduced in Deadpool 3.
Deadpool 3 is also confirmed to take things to another level with its exploration of the Multiverse, following the recent reveal of a new Variant for Ryan Reynolds' Wade Wilson. The threequel will no doubt set the stage for more creative uses of Multiversal shenanigans in the next two Avengers moves.
Another possible reason that Marvel Studios has high hopes for Deadpool 3 is that it could make a ridiculous amount of money at the worldwide box office. There is a good possibility that it will break the record for the highest-grossing rated R film of all time and, depending on the buzz around the film's release, it could even creep up near the $2 billion mark.
However, despite the actual reasons, it is now clear that the R-rated Deadpool 3 will likely be a major event within the MCU. After being tagged as one of the most important upcoming projects (and also listed as one of Disney's most important movies of 2024), there is a lot of pressure on it to deliver.
Avengers 5
There are currently four Avengers films that have been released throughout MCU history, and all of them have been incredibly important to the overall narrative in their own way.
Following suit, Avengers 5, which previously carried the subtitle The Kang Dynasty before the firing of Jonathan Majors and internal development shakeups, was also named as one of the three most important movies going forward in the MCU.
The movie is currently set to be released in theaters on May 1, 2026, though this could be subject to change now that the movie is without a director and Doctor Strange 2 writer Michael Waldron has been tasked with penning the script.
Like Deadpool 3, Avengers 5 has the potential to make a massive amount of money, but it will also bring everything together that has happened in the MCU since Avengers: Endgame.
That means the upcoming film will likely feature some of the franchise's new characters in their first assignments as Earth's Mightiest Heroes while also including interactions between characters who have never interacted before, all while acting as a precursor to Avengers: Secret Wars, which will likely be the biggest movie the MCU has ever seen.
Avengers: Secret Wars
Many fans could have probably guessed that Avengers: Secret Wars would be one of, if not the most important movie to the future of the MCU in the eyes of Marvel Studios.
As mentioned above, Secret Wars has the potential to be the biggest movie in the entire MCU, and maybe even the biggest movie in cinematic history depending on how far Marvel Studios is willing to go.
By the time Secret Wars comes out, Deadpool and Wolverine will officially be a part of the franchise, the Fantastic Four will have been introduced, and many already established characters will be even further in their character arcs than they are now.
There is also always the possibility that Marvel Studios could use Secret Wars and the Multiverse to bring in anyone it wants from past Marvel projects, MCU or not.
To say that Secret Wars will make a lot of money would be a major understatement. If Phases 5 and 6 play out correctly and build the upcoming movie up to be the spectacle that it will be, there is a chance that it could be the highest-grossing film of all time.
It is also worth noting that Marvel Studios likely considers Secret Wars so important because of how it could impact Phase 7 and beyond. If for some reason the movie ended up being a flop (which probably won't happen, but anything is possible), a majority of the fanbase would likely be so disappointed to the point that it would be difficult to have any excitement for whatever comes after.
Now that fans know Marvel Studios holds three specific titles in higher regard than the rest of the upcoming MCU movies, that gives everyone even more reason to be excited about them and what they will bring to the franchise.
Deadpool 3 will be the first of the three to hit theaters on May 3, 2024, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty will follow on May 1, 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars will come out last on May 7, 2027.
